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Ultenic T10 Elite robot vacuum and mop review: is it powerful enough for both hard flooring and fitted carpet?

5:00 pm | December 6, 2023

Ultenic T10 Elite: Two-minute review

The reasonably priced Ultenic T10 Elite Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Mop is one to consider if you’re looking to buy one of the best robot vacuums. Launched in July 2023, the Ultenic T10 Elite is a fairly new kid on the robot vacuum block. It comes with three suction settings to vacuum hard floor and carpets, and maps out multiple layouts. You can control it using your voice, from the smart app, or with its own remote control. While its mop feature won’t give you the full benefits of hand mopping can, it does come in useful for spills and cleaning hard floors.

As well as being able to vacuum hands free, you can make use of the built-in mop, which I found worked well for spot cleaning on hard flooring. I do, however, think it would struggle on larger jobs due to the size of the water tank and water temperature, so if mopping your floor is your priority, you may want to buy a dedicated mop.

The Ultenic T10 Elite has LiDAR smart laser navigation, which allows it to map out multiple rooms in the home effectively and recognise partition walls and furniture. The maps can be saved in the Ultenic smart app on your smartphone and multiple maps can be created for different levels in the home – I created one for upstairs and one for downstairs, for example, and was amazed at how effectively the robot mapped out rooms.

Ultenic T10 Elite during testing — (Image credit: Future / Emily Peck)

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I could connect to the app over WiFi without any glitches too. It took a while for me to get to know how the app works, but I found the controls self-explanatory. Using the app, I could select areas to spot clean, highlight partition walls and obstacles and save multiple maps.

I found the addition of a remote control useful too – especially when I wanted to turn my phone off or was low on phone battery life. The remote made it easy to steer the vacuum manually when I needed to, which came in useful when I thought it was taking a wrong turn.

As well as being able to control the robot vacuum remotely, voice control is possible as the device is compatible with the likes of Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, although this is something I didn’t try on this occasion.

The robot has a battery life of up to 160 minutes on a full charge. This did vary for me depending on which suction power I chose and how many obstacles the vacuum had to contend with. It had the capability to vacuum the entire ground floor before taking itself back to the dock to charge and empty, which worked well for me.

Pick-up performance was good too for both hard flooring, fitted carpet and rugs, and noise levels when vacuuming weren’t too offensive. It picked up fine dust and larger pieces of debris effectively although it did need a little intervention now and then. This was mainly when the side brush was trapped with too much hair or got tangled with carpet tassels, for example, or when the main bar brush got stuck on some Lego that I forgot to clear away, for example. This was nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed using the cleaning tool, however, which comes in the box.

The robot did a good job of making its way back to the dock to automatically recharge and empty itself into its bin – albeit very loudly – so you may want to put it on night mode - which stops it self-emptying - if you’re scheduling it to come on at night.

In short, I think its price compared to other robot vacuums with a mop makes it very attractive for anyone wanting to try one of the latest robot vacuum designs. Just don’t expect too much from its mop function.

Ultenic T10 Elite: Price and availability

List price: $399.99 / £329.99 / AU £633.84
When is it available: Available now
Where is it available: Available in the US, UK and Australia

Compared to some well-known competitor robot vacuums that feature a mop, the Ultenic T10 Elite Robot vacuum cleaner with mop is reasonably-priced. You can pick it up for around $399.99 / £329.99 / AU £633.84 on Amazon. It comes with two mopping pads, a remote control, a spare dust bag and side brush, and a cleaning tool.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Ultenic T10 Elite: Specifications

Ultenic T10 Elite: Design

Mop pad, brush bar lid and side brush are easy to clip on and off
Slim body
Separate remote control included in the box

At 12.78 lbs (5.8 kg), and with a slim 3.7 in (95 cm) height body, this robot vacuum is not only easy to lift up, but also capable of getting under furniture and in hard-to-reach areas that bulkier robots may find difficult. Built into the design is LiDAR navigation, which means that the robot can scan rooms and easily get a good picture of where it needs to clean. This instantly gives it a heads up when manoeuvring around a room and trying not to bump into furniture and obstacles – such as toys and shoes - left laying around.

The robot comes compactly packaged, and I found it easy to take out of the box and set up against the wall. I found its charging dock conveniently small and unobtrusive as well. It surprised me to see that its dustbin can collect up to 3 litres and only needs to be changed every 45 days too. I was able to open the lid of the charging dock easily and insert a vacuum bag when setting it up. And when the robot vacuum was stuck anywhere in one of my rooms, its light weight body meant that I didn’t endure any back strain picking it up to untangle the brushes or return it to the dock.

It does, in fact, come with two brushes as part of the design, which I found were effective at cleaning hard floors, fitted carpets, and Persian carpet. It comes with an extra side brush and a cleaning tool in the box that can cut out any hair or dirt trapped in the brushes – or as I found out – any carpet tassels that I should have moved out of the way.

The main brush is neatly hidden on the underside of the vacuum and can be easily accessed by clipping open the main brush bar cover. There’s an extra filter in the box and two mop pads too, and I found the mop pad easy to slip on the underside of the robot when I needed to use it in mop mode. The dustbin that clips out of the underside of the robot does, in fact, double up as a water tank. And while it's rather small, I found that it did hold enough to clean my living room and still had some water left inside for other rooms.

The robot comes with cliff sensors to prevent it from falling down the stairs, and it seemed to stop on its tracks at the top of the stairs on my landing. The manual states that reflective and dark-colored floors may affect the sensors’ effectiveness, however, which is something to consider.

Design score: 4 / 5

Ultenic T10 Elite: Performance

3 powerful suction settings
LiDAR technology makes for Impressive room mapping
Mop can leave a wet trail in its path that doesn’t necessarily clean

I was impressed at how quickly the LiDAR navigation worked to map out the ground floor in my home. Having this is a game changer as it makes it easier for the robot to vacuum around obstacles and avoid long floor-hanging curtains, for example. The app can save multiple maps for different levels and shows you exactly where the robot is in real time, which I found useful. You can also use the app to schedule cleaning.

Unfortunately, the first few times I tried the vacuum, my young kids (both under 10) got in the way, stopping the robot in its tracks. It did do a good job at working around them however, but it wasn’t ideal, which is something to think about if you have kids. And while the vacuum can tackle pet hair, it’s not a vacuum that is going to avoid pet mess or wet spills, which can be an issue if you have a cat or dog.

On the days that my kids were out of the house and nothing could disturb the robot, it performed well. As with any robot vacuum, you need to make sure the floors are clear of toys, shoes, and other objects. On one occasion, I forgot to clean up the Lego and a few smaller pieces got stuck in the main brush bar. However, the robot does tell you when it needs help, both with voice alerts and via the app.

While the robot can climb over objects less than 0.67 in (17 mm) in height, it got stuck on my Persian rug tassels on a number of occasions. Ultenic does advise that you clear them out of the way, however, so it was my own fault. It’s necessary to avoid fireplaces too for obvious reasons, but luckily I have a raised hearth around my fireplace that meant the robot had to stop at the edge.

There are three suction powers to choose from in the app and on the remote control, with the robot’s path line visible in the app. It seemed to vacuum all the edges of the room and furniture first and then go back for the middle. While this took a while, it was effective for properly cleaning rooms. While a robot vacuum is never going to give you the same effect as getting right up to the skirting by hand, I think its side brush did a good job at cleaning the edges and corners of my rooms. I could also use the app to ‘spot’ clean and direct the robot to the area that needed to be cleaned, which I found useful – although it did take me a while to identify the specific area I wanted to clean.

To mimic large debris, I sprinkled oats on the floor, and the robot managed to pick up the majority of these without fail – both on carpet upstairs and hard floor downstairs. To mimic finer dust, I sprinkled finely ground digestive biscuits and flour onto the floor. The robot picked this all up, even if it went a bit round the house to do it.

The robot vacuum and mop combo allows for simultaneous vacuuming and mopping hard floors and carpets. To give the mop a try, I filled up the water tank, switched to mop mode, and directed the vacuum to a specific area using the map so that it could clean the remaining residue left by the flour.

While it worked well to clear away the mess, the mopping pad was also very soggy and needed a good wash after cleaning. However, as the water container for the mop is small, the water is cold, and there is no detergent inside, it didn’t provide the same satisfying clean that I would get mopping by hand. It also mopped over my Persian carpet making it unnecessarily wet, which in hindsight I wish I had rolled up.

The beauty of having a robot vacuum is that you can schedule it to come on at any time of the day. But while in use the robot isn’t too loud, it does ramp up some noise when self-emptying. I monitored the noise level in use on the highest suction power at 70dB and the lowest suction at 64.9dB. You can use the Do Not Disturb feature on the app, which you can implement to stop the vacuum turning on automatically, self-emptying, or playing voice prompts.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Ultenic T10 Elite: App

Easy to connect over Wi-Fi
Create and personalise multiple maps
Spot cleaning is useful but a little tricky to pinpoint a specific area

I really enjoyed using the app on this device as it was so easy to use. Connecting the robot over Wi-Fi was very straightforward, with voice prompts from the robot on what to do and when it had set up.

As soon as I’d downloaded the app and created an account, the app then sent me a notification to upgrade the firmware – this took a few minutes before the robot said: “‘Upgrade successful’. Welcome to your robot cleaner”.

The app was also very good at giving me live information when needed – when the ‘map acquisition failed’ and I needed to check my network settings, for example, or when the main brush was tangled or stuck.

As well as the option for smart app and voice control, there’s also a remote control in the box. It looks much like a Sky TV remote, and I could use the main dial to start, stop, and steer the vacuum. The remote - and the app - also have settings to change the suction power on the robot and put it into night mode. This stops it coming on automatically, giving voice alerts and self-emptying, which at 88dB can be loud.

App score: 4.5 / 5

Ultenic T10 Elite: Battery life

Up to 160 minutes on a full charge
Always charging in the background when left plugged in
Battery life varies depending on suction power

The vacuum comes with a powerful 3200mAh battery that can provide up to 160 minutes coverage before returning to the dock. Battery life was good, but I found it varied depending on how many obstacles the robot had to navigate, how much dirt the robot had to contend with, and which suction power it was on.

The charging dock ensures you don’t really need to think about recharging the robot yourself as it will take itself back to the dock when it needs some juice. If you have it plugged in all the time you won’t notice it charging silently, but it does take five hours to charge fully.

Battery life score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Ultenic T10 Elite?

Buy it if...

Don't buy if...

Ultenic T10 Elite: Also consider

The Ultenic T10 Elite Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Mop is excellent value for what it is, but how does it compare to other latest models out there?

First reviewed December 2023

Psync Camera Genie S review: smarter than your average smart home security cam

9:00 pm | November 12, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Home Security Smart Home | Tags: AI, ID, US | Comments: Off

One-minute review

The Psync Camera Genie S is a new indoor home security camera with an AI-infused twist, and it could remedy a host of pet peeves you have with your current home security devices.

While I don't consider myself paranoid, I do have, at any given time, at least three of the best home security cameras surveilling my home. I've gotten used to all the alerts that usually let me know one of the cams detected some movement. The details are scant and because I am too cheap to play for cloud-based storage and services, I can almost never see said "movement".

The extent of detail most webcam image analysis offers is usually "person detected," "movement detected," or "sound detected."

Psync, though has a different idea with something it calls "ViewSay", featured on its new Psync Camera Genie S indoor smart home camera.

ViewSay uses GPT algorithms (actually a visual language model or VLM) to analyze the movement or any activity within the security camera's field of view to offer detailed descriptions of what's happening in your home. It's a very new implementation of this technology and the messages I've received over the last week have been almost uniformly hilarious. Psync's AI rarely gets the description right but I love how hard it tries.

Some users may not be thrilled that the AI-based image analysis (which will cost $0.99 a month) is done in the cloud using one frame of the video, but the good news is that the data is encrypted when it's stored on Amazon Web Servers (AWS) for analysis.

Leaving aside this kitschy highlight, this is a rather adept home security cam. It's compact, easy to set up, and is the rare webcam with a motorized remote control that lets you change its point of view (left and right or up and down) via the Psync app and from anywhere in the world. It can even, thanks to that physical versatility, track moving objects.

There's support for smart home majors like Amazon Alexa and Google but not for Apple HomeKit and, more distressingly, Matter - though full Matter support rollout for cameras doesn't come until next year, so there's hope yet.

Even so, $34.99 for a Webcam with 32GB of onboard storage, LED lights for night imagery, remote control, and auto-tracking capabilities adds up to a nice starter home security webcam.

Psync Camera Genie S review: price and availability

List price: $34.99 (32GB) $39.99 (64GB)
$0.99 for AI features
Available in the US only

At just $34.99, the Psync Camera Genie S is among the more affordable home security cameras, falling in line with the WYZE Cam Pan v3 but without the outdoor capabilities. Of course, the WYZE Cam doesn't include any form of GPT intelligence.

Psync launched the product on November 1, 2023, and it's available online at the Psync website.

The box ships with the security cam, a USB-3-to-USB-C cable, and a power adapter (there's no battery option). There's also 32GB of internal storage.

Value: 4/5

Psync Camera Genie S: specifications

Psync Camera Genie S review: design

Compact
Local storage
Lightweight
Rubberized bottom with tripod mount

I wouldn't normally say this, but Psync Camera Genie S is cute. Yes, it's a bit lightweight and boxy, but its ability to turn and look at whatever it's tracking adds a bit of life and, yes, might lead you to anthropomorphize it.

Where most modern smart home security cams are all curves and smooth lines, this is like a set of white blocks. There's a white base that houses the speaker and activity light (blue for live), and the L-shaped head that unfolds from the body and can point its small face, featuring an HD+ camera (it captures up to 1944 x 2592) and four LED lights, wherever you choose, or it can auto-track moving objects.

There are microphones and a speaker for conducting two-way communication but the speaker is also used to deliver messages from the Psync device. It can tell you, for example, that you have an incoming call.

Open, the security cam is 2.09 in. x 2.09 in. x 4.41 in. Folded, it's 2.09 in. x 2.09 in. x 2.41

Despite its diminutive size, this lightweight security cam isn't prone to sliding or falling over; there's a nice grippy rubberized base to keep the Psync Camera Genie S in place. If you want to attach it to a tripod, the base also includes a tripod screw mount.

I also appreciated that the included power cable is long enough to stretch it from an outlet near the floor to a window more than halfway up the wall.

One of my favorite Psnyc Camera Genie S tricks, however, is what it does when you power it down (through the app). It says "shutting down" and then folds into a near-perfect cube.

Design: 4/5

Psync Camera Genie S review: performance

Can detect and track motion
AI does its best to ID scenes
2K video is sharp

Psync Camera Genie S interface — (Image credit: Future)

The best smart home devices are not just easy to use, they make setup a breeze. Psync's Camera Genie S fulfills that mission with a no-brainer setup through the app which (after one firmware update that virtually every new smart home hardware needs) had me keeping an eye on my home in no time.

The app is fairly well organized and should be obvious to even the most novice users. Most of the screen is filled with video feedback. The first thing I noticed is the relatively narrow field of view, especially compared to the indoor camera competition; it's just 84.9 degrees. However, the remedy to this narrow viewport can be found on the app, which offers a thumb-pad-style control for the camera's remote control features. The camera can tilt vertically by 135 degrees. More crucially, the entire camera can rotate a full 350 degrees on its round base.

Initially, I used these controls to look around a room from wherever I was. I've often been frustrated that I left an indoor home security camera pointing in one direction when a sound was coming from another. With the Psync camera, I can pan or tilt the camera to look directly at the action. There are no voice controls, despite its compatibility with Alexa and Google compatibility, but that's not too uncommon in cameras.

The other option, though it's hidden under a sub-menu, is the ability to let the camera track action on its own. When I turned this on and I walked in front of the camera, it would look me up and down and turn to watch me.

The default 2K resolution camera provides video and images you can zoom in on to see additional detail. Of course, the higher-resolution imagery might eat up your local storage a bit more quickly.

Next to the 2K camera is a series of four LEDs that it calls the "Spotlight". Instead of night vision, you can turn on these LEDs to illuminate a dark room. You can also control the brightness level and even set a schedule for the Spotlight. I'd prefer actual infrared night vision and the ability to turn on when the camera detects motion, but then you shouldn't expect that technology in a $34 indoor smart camera.

The app lets you switch to event view and then swipe vertically through all previously captured events. You can also save any of the videos to your phone camera roll and then share them more broadly.

Of course, the marquee feature is the new AI-based image analysis that translates into a description of what Psync Camera Genie S is spotting through its camera. Psync will charge $0.99 a month for this privilege and, to be honest, I'm not sure yet if it's worth it.

I got a ton of alerts from the camera and the majority of descriptions were comical. It could usually identify a human but often said they were carrying something, such as a basket when they weren't. It said an entire family was sitting around my dining room table when it was empty, and it misidentified scenes as well as objects. My favorite might have been when it was looking at my backyard and shed and said, "A person is walking past a garage with a motorcycle parked inside, and a child is playing in the yard." The backyard was empty, my shed was closed, I don't own a motorcycle, and no one was in my backyard.

Generally, Psync's powers of observation were average at best. It did eventually properly identify my wife standing in our living room looking at her phone, but that was a rare hit.

To be fair, these are early days, and I suspect that this AI will get smarter and more effective in identifying people, places, and things.

Performance: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Psync Camera Genie S indoor camera?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Psync Camera Genie S review: Also consider

Decided against the Psync Camera Genie S? Why not check out these alternatives...

How I tested the WiZ Indoor camera

I tested the Psync Camera Genie S for two weeks in my home
I set it up in various rooms in my house and allowed the app to send me alerts based on what the camera detected.

I used the Psync Camera Genie S for two weeks in my home, monitoring my kitchen, living room, den, and backyard (through a window).

I had the benefit of using a system whitelisted for access to the $0.99-a-month AI features. this meant all of the object and motion detection descriptions I received were quite descriptive, if not always accurate.

I compared the camera to the other indoor and outdoor cameras I have throughout my home.

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: One-minute review

When I tell you that the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro has saved my sanity, I’m not exaggerating. Being a pet mom to two needy and high-strung boy cats has its moments, and while it’s not the same as having children, it has more than its share of struggles – one of which is trying (and failing) to keep your home clean. With me being a busy person, it’s already hard to find time to vacuum my floors regularly, let alone have the energy to mop them too.

So when I agreed to test and review the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro, it wasn’t so much me doing my job as it was finally finding some semblance of order and relief in my personal life.

With its ability to vacuum, mop, deodorize, and even disinfect hard floors all at once, this cordless vacuum and washer from Tineco is already one of the best smart appliances you can own right now. It’s such a massive time- and energy-saver (more on that bit later) that I actually look forward to vacuuming and mopping my floors now, instead of needing to force myself to because my darn cats tracked litter or puked all over my floor again.

It’s pretty smart too – well, as smart as the best cordless vacuums can get since they can’t actually do the work without human assistance. It’s got features like self-propulsion, self-cleaning, dirt detection, and several modes for different uses. It's also a no-brainer to set up and get familiar with. Plus, it just looks so good doing its job, with its modern yet nostalgically Jetsons-like design.

Is it one of the best vacuum cleaners right now? Let’s just say it’s got my vote.

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro in use by author — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $799.99 (likely £669 / AU$999)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US now, UK and Australia next year

At $799.99 in the US, the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro may be one of the more expensive cordless vacuum mops on the market. There aren’t a lot of options out there – it turns out vacuum-and-mop cleaners aren’t that popular yet – but you will find under-$200 and under-$400 options. That includes its non-pro version, the Tineco Floor ONE S3.

Despite its steeper price, however, the Floor One S7 Pro sits at the top of the pile, thanks to its excellent performance and robust feature set. It’s also a better-value proposition than the much pricier Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, especially since the Dyson has a few niggles.

Note that at the time of writing, the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro is only available in the US. Tineco tells me they’re working on making it available in the UK and Australia in 2024, though there’s no specific date of release yet.

Value: 4 / 5

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: Specs

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with a robot vacuum and base station.

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: Design and features

Sleek and modern design with a touch of nostalgia
Fairly compact, lightweight, and space-saving
Clean water tank is small

The Tineco Floor One S7 Pro may look a little intimidating at first because it looks different from other cordless vacuums out there but don’t fret. Assembly is surprisingly effortless – the main unit already comes pre-assembled, so you need only attach the stem and handle. Then you just plug the charging base in, slot the accessory holder and the dry filter holder into it, and you’re done. It’s really simple.

Learning your way around the Floor One S7 Pro is just as easy, and you have two options to do so. You can go through the quick start guide that the vacuum mop will walk you through itself, or you can do the interactive tutorial that’s been programmed into it. I went through both and prefer the latter as it gives you a proper hands-on experience, which makes things much easier to remember.

It’s a nifty feature that’s a nice introduction to the vacuum and that you’d be hard-pressed to find in most vacuum cleaners. All you need to do is follow its voice and visual instructions, and it won’t take up too much of your time.

I also adore the Floor One S7 Pro’s design. It’s sleek with rounded corners and edges, as well as a cylindrical main body, and has a lot of modern touches including its nifty LED display that sits at the top of the main body and premium physical buttons. That makes it look very futuristic, like something you might see in sci-fi movies. Yet, it’s got a touch of nostalgia as well, as something about it reminds me of one of those Hoover units from the 60s.

It’s also relatively lightweight – light enough to pick up with one hand easily – and compact. When it’s resting on the charging base, the whole thing takes up just as much space as other cordless vacuum cleaners with their own self-emptying bin.

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The LED screen doesn’t have touch capabilities, but it’s incredibly bright and vibrant, and displays just about everything you need to interact with the vacuum, from giving you visual step-by-step instructions when going through the interactive tutorial to showing visual representations of the different modes and self-cleaning options. Although, since it’s not a touch screen, you still have to use the physical buttons to do so. This screen also offers alerts and prompts like the Smart Sensor indicator turning from blue to pink to red depending on the amount of dust or dirt the vacuum is “sensing”, and telling you when it’s time for self-cleaning or charging.

If you’re more of an auditory learner, you’ll be pleased to know that Tineco threw in voice prompts as well. You can turn it off, if you’d like, or change the language – mine has five: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian, using the WiFi/Mute/Language switch button located at the rear of the handle. But I quite like having the vacuum telling me when it’s time to charge or self-clean so I left it on.

The only thing about the switch button though is that its placement makes it prone to accidental presses. It’s a concave button so it doesn’t happen that often, but I did so twice during my two-week testing.

The other buttons are safely out of the accidental press zone, however. There’s the self-cleaning button located at the crown of the handle as well as the four-way menu button and the power button at the front of the handle. The latter two are nicely accessible when you’re operating the vacuum so you can change modes or settings easily while you’re vacuuming/mopping.

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There’s no dust bin included since this doesn’t have a vacuum-only function, and the base, which is a sturdy plastic, is purely for storage and charging. But the vacuum does have a clean water tank where you also pour in the included cleaning solution and a dirty water tank. The clean water tank is in the rear while the dirty water tank slots in the front, and they’re both easy to remove, clean, and snap back in place.

And, unlike the Dyson rival, you don’t have to worry about leaky tanks as both are nicely sealed to prevent spills. I only wish the clean water tank had a bigger capacity; right now, it only holds enough water for one and a half cleaning of my one-bedroom apartment. This means I have to refill after every clean.

Speaking of cleaning, you must take it seriously when the Floor One S7 Pro tells you to empty and rinse the dirty water tank, which is basically after every use. I once forgot to do so after one cleaning, and it reeked after a couple of days. I don’t recommend leaving it.

The self-cleaning system, which the vacuum also reminds you to run after each use, is pretty darn effective, managing to remove every hair and bit of debris off the brush roller after every run. And if your space is particularly dirty, you can select the six-minute Super Self-Cleaning option for a deeper clean. Tineco also makes it easy to remove that brush roller and replace it with the extra one that comes in the box if you want to manually clean it yourself or it’s worn out.

The Floor One S7 Pro does have app support, but the Tineco app doesn’t really add functionality apart from tweaking the parameter settings of each mode. So it feel necessary to use it.

Design: 5 / 5

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: Performance

Special features work very well
Great suctioning
Effective self-cleaning

Vacuuming isn’t really something most people enjoy doing, which is probably why the best robot vacuums have proven to be so appealing, but I have to say that vacuuming with the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro has put the joy back in the task. At least for me.

It mops and vacuums at the same time and does so incredibly well, with powerful suctioning and effective mopping action that not only sucks up all the pet hair, dirt, and litter that my cats track everywhere but also makes my floors barefoot-worthy. The second part is just as important to me as the first, as I live in Los Angeles where one’s apartment can't go one day without getting covered in dust.

After each clean with the Floor One S7 Pro, my floors get so clean it feels glorious kicking off my slippers and walking barefoot for a little while – though, unfortunately, as every pet owner knows, they never really stay clean for long.

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What’s more, the fact that it doesn’t kick out debris when you’re vacuuming means it saves you even more time since you don’t have to go back and do a second run. It also means you can do another quick run later in the day if it gets dirty again.

Too tired to vacuum? That’s where Floor One S7 Pro’s SmoothPower bi-directional self-propulsion system comes in handy. That feature may be a mouthful to say, but it makes vacuuming a tad more effortless as it propels itself forward and backward – with still some assistance from you, of course – taking some of that responsibility off your arm and shoulder as well as minimizing the energy you’re putting into the task.

I have found that I still need to direct where to go and use some effort, especially if there’s a stain that’s particularly difficult to remove. But, for the most part, my arm muscles are doing around half the usual work.

I love cleaning corners and other hard-to-reach areas with it as well, thanks to the upgraded brush head that only has the tiniest 1cm gap on both ends, which means spaces along baseboards are cleaned properly.

The Floor One S7 Pro defaults to Auto Mode, which uses Tineco's iLoop Smart Sensor technology that automatically adjusts suction power depending on the amount of debris being detected, but you should experiment with the different modes to find what works best for your daily cleaning needs. I found that the Ultra Mode works best for me as it deep cleans and deodorizes my floors – living with two cats means dealing with unpleasant odors. There’s also the Max Mode for stubborn stains and the Suction Mode for just absorbing spills.

It does get a little louder on Ultra Mode. On Auto, the vacuum averages around 62 dB, but on Ultra, it spikes up to 65 dB. In fairness, compared with other vacuum cleaners, that really isn’t loud.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: Battery life

Ultra mode cuts that battery life considerably
Enough juice for smaller homes on Auto

Compared with regular non-mopping cordless vacuums, the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro may not have the longest battery life, with Tineco promising up to 40 hours of use. However, for what it does and all the features it has to power, including that bright LED display, that's actually not too bad.

On Auto mode, I could get two full cleanings of my one-bedroom apartment on one full charge. However, the way this vacuum works is that you really have no choice but to recharge it since its charging base also serves are the dripping and cleaning tray.

Ultra mode is when things get a little dicey, battery-wise. During testing, I found that just five minutes of use on Ultra knocked 11% off that battery life, which means it has just enough juice to deep clean my apartment before it demands to go back to base for charging. And charging this to full takes about 4 hours.

So, while its battery life is impressive, this is much better suited for smaller homes and apartments.

Battery: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Tineco Floor One S7 Pro: Also consider

If the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro isn't for you, why not consider other cordless vacuums?

How I tested Tineco Floor One S7 Pro

I tested the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro for two weeks
I used it almost every day to clean my floors
I carefully tested all of its special features as well

Appointing the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro as my main cleaning tool, I used it to clean my floors almost every day and every time one of my cats threw up a hairball. I made sure to put all its special features through their paces to see how effective they are.

I’ve been testing and reviewing vacuum cleaners, home appliances, and smart home devices for different digital publications for years. Currently, I’ve taken on the role of Interim Homes Editor for TechRadar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2023

Dreame L20 Ultra review: a super-powered robot vacuum at a substantial price

6:13 pm | November 8, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

Dreame L20 Ultra: Two-minute review

If you just care about how the Dreame L20 Ultra cleans; it’s a dream. In fact, I’d go so far as to call it one of the best robot vacuums you can buy right now, but it has to be, as it’s also one of the most expensive, and it’ll cut through grime as efficiently as it cuts through your savings.

Dreame has a huge variety of robot vacuums in its line-up and the L20 Ultra is the biggest and best, bristling with features, tools, and tricks.

Its suction is one of the most powerful on the market and it comes with retractable mops, customizable cleaning plans, smart AI to avoid obstacles, and adjust cleaning based on surface type; the list goes on. Your home will be clean with the Dreame, and it constantly surprised me with what it could scrub up during the testing period.

This comes at a price. Not only is the Dreame L20 Ultra one of the most expensive robot vacuums you can buy, but it has lots of parts that you’ll have to replace regularly. The funds will keep leaving your account even after that hefty up-front payment, so this is only really an option for people who can afford the most premium model available. It's certainly one to look out for in the Black Friday robot vacuum deals too.

From the get-go, ease of use is a major boon. The L20 Ultra will automatically create a 3D map, identifying different surfaces and making a note of immovable obstacles like walls and furniture. It can update that map on the fly if you move furniture around (or leave the box it came in in a stupid location and keep shifting it because you can’t figure out where best to store it).

However, lots of the robot’s extra features (that are, after all, what you’re paying for) are fiddly to activate or even understand. If you’re not tech-savvy, you’re probably not going to be able to make the most of what you’re paying for.

Its obstacle recognition isn’t quite there yet, either: it worked wonders 90% of the time in my home, but the Dreame started trying to eat shoelaces a few more times than I’d consider healthy.

That’s not to be down on the Dreame L20 Ultra; I started this introduction by calling it one of the best robot vacuums and that’s not wrong. It’s stacked with features and excels at its job – it’s just a little tricky to recommend over rival devices that’ll do a similar job and won’t cost nearly as much.

Dreame L20 Ultra review: price and availability

Unveiled August 2023
Costs $1,499.99 / £1,099 / AU$2,799
Extra price for regular part replacement

Announced at the annual August tech event, IFA 2023, the Dreame L20 Ultra was available to buy in the US by September of the same year, though took a little while to roll out to other regions.

The Dreame L20 Ultra isn’t for the faint of heart or light of funds – it’s one of the priciest robot vacuums you can get, and will certainly cost you more than simply hiring a cleaner. It’s actually a lot pricier in the US, so if you live in the UK, you can ignore lots of my price criticisms.

You’ll have to shell out $1,499.99 / £1,099 / AU$2,799 for the unit, which is pretty fair when you consider all the top-tier features and abilities the Dreame L20 Ultra has, and most robo-vac brands have similarly priced offerings. However, if you’re on a budget, you’ll find plenty of more affordable options from brands like Eufy, Roomba or Shark — and Dreame itself.

The financial drain won’t end with the up-front cost though, as lots of the device requires frequent replacing or refuelling. Hide your bank cards, and hide your PIN numbers, for this is the full price list:

You can buy all of the above (save the cleaning solution) in one bundle for $89.99 (around £74, AU$141). Just note that we couldn’t find these parts on sale in the UK or Australia as of writing.

That is to say, you will likely be spending upwards of $100 or equivalent each year just keeping the device running (not including water or electricity), so it’s a real financial investment.

Value score: 2/5

Dreame L20 Ultra: Specs

The Dreame L20 Ultra robot with its base station in the background. — (Image credit: Future)

Dreame L20 Ultra review: Design

Large rounded cylinder
Giant base station
Onboard microphone

The Dreame L20 Ultra package consists of two, equally-comically-large parts: there’s the flying saucer of a robot vacuum itself and its humungous base station.

Let’s start with the base station: it’s 60.7 cm tall, 42.6 cm wide, and 49.9cm deep (when you factor in its ramp, though for the majority of its body, it’s a little shallower). Much of this body is for water storage or dust bags. A towering black monolith, you’ll need somewhere in your home with sufficient space for it and one that offers easy access at the lower level for the vacuum itself.

The dust bag fits 3.2 liters of dust before it needs to be replaced, while the water tank and waste water tank both hold 4.5 liters. That's 'forget about it for weeks' levels of quantity.

The robot vacuum itself is also pretty big compared to some rivals; you wouldn’t want to face this at Robot Wars. It’s 10.3 cm tall, and Dreame rather vaguely says that its body is 35 x 35 x 35cm. Either way, it’s a big circular entity, and heavy too at 4.3kg, though its heavyweight status doesn’t reduce its ability to clean (or to fit in small areas!).

Atop the robot are its LIDAR scanner and three control buttons, which provide some functionality, but using the app is still a lot more convenient. When it’s cleaning it has two front-facing lights that can be incredibly bright, but this just means its LIDAR is effective whether or not your home is well-lit, and it'll only turn on its lights if the lighting is poor.

The Dreame L20 Ultra's base station with the lid removed. — (Image credit: Future)

Underneath are its two mops and tri-pronged side brush, but they don’t poke out too much, meaning the Dreame has a circular body to look at top-down.

There’s also a microphone on the robot, which keeps you updated with what it’s doing or what order you’ve issued it. This is a really handy accessibility feature, though it’s also pretty scary if you forgot you scheduled a clean!

Design score: 3.5/5

Dreame L20 Ultra review: Performance

Powerful suction, plus mopping power
Creates and updates 3D map
Sometimes fails to recognize obstacles

The name of the Dreame L20 Ultra’s game is ease of use – as you’ll read about in the ‘App’ section below it’s easy just to press ‘play’ and let the robot do all the work for you.

The robot has a suction power of 7,000 Pascals – that’s significantly better than Dreame’s previous robots, with the 10s Ultra hitting 5,300Pa, and given that the average for a robot vacuum is around 6,000Pa, it shows that this is great for picking up dirt. Over the testing period, there was not a single time that the Dreame failed to pick up something it should have done, and it even collected some items I expected it to miss.

That’s the first part of the L20 Ultra’s process; the second is mopping, which it does with its two built-in mop pads. This mostly worked great too, resulting in squeaky-clean floors, though there were a few marks around my flat that it didn’t manage to remove. Good for spilled coffee stains, but not so great for angry kitchen muck, though its Deep Clean mode (which takes a lot longer) got rid of most of the marks missed by the standard mode.

The under side of the Dreame L20 Ultra — (Image credit: Future)

Every time you run the Dreame, it’ll create a new 3D map based on the existing one, so it can recognize if you’ve moved furniture or closed a door that was previously open. This was generally very handy as it meant I didn’t need to be so fastidious about tidying the testing area, though a wall-long mirror at one side of the apartment constantly confused the thing. Don’t worry, Dreame, that’s not a whole new room I’m asking you to clean!

I did sometimes cause cleans to finish early by accidentally standing in the way when it was scanning an area. Even though I moved straight away, the Dreame assumed that an area was blocked, and didn’t bother trying again. So it’s best to keep out of the thing’s way, lest you dissuade it from doing its job.

One word of warning: while you can enable a quiet cleaning mode, the robot is loud. Dreame cites the minimum noise as 63dB, which is just above the average sound of conversation. It’s loudest at the end of a clean when it empties its tank. If you’ve got a nervous pet (or just hate loud noises), make sure to turn on quiet mode, or only activate it when you're out of the house!

The L20 Ultra is self-emptying, so you don’t need to worry about removing its contents after every session. The dust bag provided lasts 75 days according to Dreame, and you can buy more once you run out. You’ll need to replace the water more frequently (and empty out the dirty water), but each will last you several hundreds of meters squared of cleaning before you need to do so (though I’d recommend cleaning out the water more frequently, as it can get nasty!).

For a vacuum of its size, I was surprised by how effectively the Dreame cleaned in nooks and crannies, with its mop extension managing to fit into corners that could easily have been overlooked.

A top-down view of the Dreame L20 Ultra — (Image credit: Future)

The Dreame is smart enough to detect different surfaces, and amend its cleaning plan; my floor is largely vinyl wood with a few carpets, and the robot could identify these latter emplacements. It’d avoid these during its cleaning routine, returning once everything else was finished; it’d know to lift the mop pads and slow down its speed to better vacuum in the thicker material.

If you have a home with various floor types, you can rest safely knowing that the robot will clean them all equally – without your input to boot, as I never had to program in different cleaning areas (though there is the option to mark carpeted areas in the app).

An issue I had several times during the L20 Ultra’s testing phase is that the robot didn’t always accurately identify smaller objects like pieces of string, wires, and shoelaces, and would end up getting itself caught when it sucked these things up. More often than not it was smart enough to recognize and avoid obstacles, but I did have to rescue it on occasion when it got itself tied up (literally). One could call the object recognition 'hit or miss'.

At other times the obstacle recognition was a little overzealous. In the app, it would frequently flag things that weren’t obstacles at all: edges of carpets were the main offender but hanging fabrics that didn’t touch the ground (and wouldn’t get in the vacuum’s way) were also culprits.

Performance score: 5/5

Dreame L20 Ultra review: App

App is easy to use...
... but hard to master
Onboard camera can be activated through app

To use the L20 Ultra, you have to download the Dreamehome app, available on the Play Store and App Store. This lets you set up the vacuum (which took a few tries for me, as it struggled to find the robot at first), check on its status, and set up various cleaning modes.

Simply telling the robot to clean is easy, with a simple play button on the first page (and another telling it to return to the base station), but if you like you can get further in depth, for example setting carpeted areas, deciding on the cleaning order or setting how frequently the Dreame will return to its base station and clean the mop.

Three stills from the Dreamehome app for the Dreame L20 Ultra — (Image credit: Future)

During a clean, the app tells you the size of your cleaning area, its battery percentage, and how long it’s been cleaning for. And after the cleaning, you can check its route, which items it’s classified as an obstacle, and a history of its cleans. There’s also a scheduling tool for future cleans which is hidden in the menus.

The Dreame L20 is a feature-heavy robot, and this means that the app has lots of options and menus too, but this means that some of its tools are a little buried or hard to find. I couldn’t quite figure out how to use the zoning or room tools, for example, and I literally review tech for a job – some users will find the app too fiddly, with a steep learning curve when you first buy the L20.

You can also use the Dreamehome app to activate a camera on the L20 Ultra, letting you watch the robot as it trawls your home. There’s even the ability to pilot the thing yourself, turning it into a roving ersatz security camera. An alarm on the robot goes some way to mitigate security concerns, as you’ll be able to hear if someone remotely turns on the camera – though in a big enough home, you could miss this sound.

Smart-home owners will find plenty of options with Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Google's Google Assistant all letting you control the robot using voice controls. Well, you can start, stop and pause, but for other functions, you'll need to stick to the app.

App score: 3.5/5

Dreame L20 Ultra review: Battery life

Lasts 180 minutes at a push
That figure is even higher without multi-clean
Hoover is fairly slow

You’re going to need a fairly large house to find the Dreame L20 Ultra’s battery lacking. The company states that its 6,400mAh battery will last you for 180 minutes (or 3 hours) of cleaning. That goes up an extra 30 minutes if you only want either mopping or vacuuming alone!

The Dreame L20 Ultra docked in his base station. — (Image credit: Future)

In my testing, the Dreame seemed to go through 1% of battery every two and a half minutes: to me, 180 minutes seems to be the high end of what you’d achieve.

That’s an absolutely stellar battery life, although depending on the size of your home, you might need it. The Dreame doesn’t exactly move at Ferrari speeds, and it took up to 45 minutes to do one lap of my flat which has roughly 20m2 of ‘cleanable’ floor space (ie, not covered by furniture, drawers or the massive box the vacuum cleaner came in). It sometimes did this a lot quicker though, with a record of 28 minutes for that same space (perhaps with some furniture moved here and there though).

By default, the Dreame will do two laps too: one for vacuuming, and one for mopping, though you can change this if you don’t need either, and the latter was quicker. Either way, for me that was generally around an hour of cleaning.

Still, that means I was only using part of the Dreame’s battery, with the 3-hour cleaning limit smashing loads of rival devices. If you have a larger house, you’ll find that the robot will dock mid-clean to power up, which can take a few hours to get to full.

Battery score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Dreame L20 Ultra?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

The Dreame L20 Ultra is a great robot vacuum, but it's not without competition. Here are some alternatives you might want to consider before splashing out.

How I tested the Dreame L20 Ultra

The buttons atop the Dreame L20 Ultra. — (Image credit: Future)

I set up the Dreame L20 Ultra myself, physically connecting the base station and wirelessly connecting to the robot, in order to fully understand the process.

The testing window for the Dreame was three weeks, although I continued to use it after that while I was writing this review. In this window I ran cleaning tests every two or three days; for some of these, I artificially added solids like mud or foodstuffs to ensure the flat was dirty enough to clean (not that I needed the help with that…). I also varied the process after the first week, testing out different cleaning modes and not tidying up obstacles (other than the ones that would stop the robot from accessing the entire flat).

The testing size for the flat has already been mentioned; the Dreame app calculated the cleaning space as around 17m² to 20m² depending on how much furniture I moved out of the way. The area was largely vinyl wood flooring but included a kitchenette and bathroom (both tiled) and two large carpets: one shag and one acrylic.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

Govee Smart Tower Fan review: a great introduction to smart fan technology

5:00 pm | November 7, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home | Tags: Australia, US | Comments: Off

Govee Smart Tower Fan: Two-minute review

Considering their main job is to keep you cool, it always surprises me just how much the performance of different fans can vary. It’s not just a case of blowing cold air at you,; the best fans can completely change the environment you’re in, making you cooler and comfortable.

The Govee Smart Tower Fan almost perfectly ticks this box. It offers a huge range of performance levels, as well as customizable options, designed to suit your specific temperature needs. I particularly like the Nature mode, which changes the rhythm of the air to make it feel more like a breeze from a window rather than sitting or sleeping in a wind tunnel.

Looks- and size-wise, it’s subtle enough for you to stick it in a corner and forget about it. And thanks to its 26-foot air range and 75-degree oscillation, it can cover most medium-sized rooms with ease.

Connecting the fan to my network was easy and intuitive, and being able to change the fan using my voice, when connected to my Amazon Echo, soon became my go-to control method. It was never a feature I thought I needed, but I soon found myself use turning the fan off and on, if I needed to leave the room briefly, or I would effortlessly switch to Sleep mode without getting out of bed, as just two examples.

Having app control was welcomed when looking to select more advanced settings, such as scheduling the fan to come on when I arrived home, but for everything else, I always relied on my voice. The only downside to this was that the voice controls were sometimes temperamental - though I’m not sure if that was me and my commands, Alexa, or the fan. This didn’t really detract from the convenience of the voice controls, but it was frustrating at times.

I'm one of those people who finds the humming of a fan oddly soothing at night, and Govee's low 38dB noise level was quiet enough for me. However, it disturbed my partner, and although touted as a low-noise appliance, at higher speeds the fan can get noticeably louder. This could be a deal-breaker for some.

One optional extra is the addition of Auto Mode. Auto Mode adjusts the fan's speed automatically based on the room's temperature and humidity, but you need to be connected to a Govee thermo-hygrometer (sold separately) to take full advantage of this.

For us, this was a nice-to-have feature, but there were times when the fan's idea of a comfortable temperature didn't exactly align with mine and I had to manually adjust the controls anyway, making the function somewhat moot.

Despite these hiccups, the fan impressed me with its performance and versatility, especially at the price point of $89.99 / £99.99. If you’re looking to make your first foray into smart fans, Govee’s model is a great, easy-to-use, and effective introduction. If you’re a smart fan pro, there is enough about the Govee Smart Tower Fan to pique your interest, but you may want the more advanced features seen on more expensive models.

Govee Smart Tower Fan review: price and availability

List price: $89.99/£99.99
Only sold with US plug
Not available in Australia

As tower fans go, Govee's model is great value on its own , let alone when you factor in the wide range of smart and connected features it offers. It costs $89.99 in the US and £99.99 in the UK (about AU$140).

There are tower fans from the likes of Lasko, Holmes and Vornado that don't offer smart features yet cost more than the Govee model. There are also smart tower fans from Dreo and Dyson that offer similar features and are much more expensive.

Granted, Dyson fans offer advanced features such as purifying, and heating (depending on which model you compare it to), but few come with the smart, remote control options found in Govee's much cheaper model. And those that do, such as the Dyson Big+Quiet range, cost in excess of $650 / £699.99 / $1,499.

What's more, one of Dyson's most recent features – called Autoreact because it automatically adjusts the fan's settings in response to the ambient temperature – is also possible with the Govee tower fan. You just need to pair it with the $40 / £39.99 (about AU$60) Govee Wi-Fi Thermo-Hygrometer. Yes, it means spending more money, but even with the Govee fan and thermometer combined, you're still spending as much as five times less as on the Dyson.

Value: 5 / 5

Govee Smart Tower Fan in use during testing by author — (Image credit: Future / Victoria Woolaston)

Govee Smart Tower Fan: Design

Subtle and sleek design
Intuitive touch controls with adjustable lighting
Lightweight nature makes it a little unstable

The Govee Smart Tower Fan is designed to blend in and fit with most home decor. It’s sleek, tall, and slim – measuring 36 inches (914 mm) tall and 10.6 inches (269 mm) wide and deep – and therefore fits easily in corners and small spaces. What’s more, because of its 75-degree oscillation and 26-foot (about 8 meters) range, you can still feel the benefits, even if it is tucked in a corner.

With its all-black design, the Govee Smart Tower Fan is attractive yet subtle. This gives it an air of luxury that makes it look more expensive than its price tag would suggest.

Instead of buttons or dials, the Govee Smart Tower Fan has a touch panel built into the top of the appliance. The power button sits bottom left. The left column of controls relates to the fan’s three modes (the large M stands for Modes) – Normal, Sleep, and Nature. The central column controls the fan’s timer function, and the right-hand column controls the fan’s speed. There is then an oscillating button, plus the option to lock the timer or speed setting in place.

This panel is fitted with subtle lighting that is bright enough to see in the dark, but dim enough to not distract you while you sleep or if you have the fan on while watching a film, or similar. You can also turn the lights off if you need or want to.

In addition to the onboard touch panel, you can control the fan remotely via the Govee app or using your voice when the fan is connected to your wider smart network. These provide more options than the built-in panel. Namely, the option to build custom settings, and greater precision over the speed – the built-in panel offers three speeds but you can choose from eight on the app.

This added customization is welcomed but it soon becomes frustrating when you don’t have your phone to hand. You can get around this using your voice, but in my experience the commands are temperamental.

There’s a small handle on the rear of the fan which makes it easy to pick up and move, and the fan is surprisingly lightweight too. Given its robust, expensive-looking design we had expected the fan to be heavy so we were pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t.

The only downside to this is that if you have pets or children, the fan has a tendency to wobble and topple over with very little contact.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Govee Smart Tower Fan: Performance

Range of control options is super convenient
Nature mode mimics natural airflow
Fan can be loud on faster settings

The standout feature of the Govee fan, and what sets it apart from standard tower fans is its compatibility with the Govee Home App. Once connected to the app, the fan joins your smart home network and it can be controlled via your phone and smart speakers, as well as linked to a Govee thermo-hygrometer.

Connecting it to the app is easy and intuitive, as is the app itself. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen and you can switch the fan on and off; select your fan’s mode – Normal, Nature, or Sleep; choose your desired wind speed from a scale of 1-8; and turn the oscillation feature on or off.

You can additionally press Custom to create your own personalized setting, set a timer, create a schedule, and enable Auto mode. The scheduling tool is useful for switching the fan on when you get home from work, or off when you wake up. Auto mode only works if you’ve connected the fan to the thermo-hygrometer but once enabled, the two appliances work together to monitor changes in temperature and humidity and adjust the fan’s setting accordingly. We didn’t notice much of a difference during the day, but it became particularly useful at bedtime as the temperature dropped throughout the night, and the fan slowed down accordingly to avoid us getting too cold.

Our only criticism of this was that the fan's idea of a comfortable temperature didn't always align with mine, meaning I had to manually adjust the controls anyway.

The app is the only way to see the full range of features and customisations. The built-in touch panel offers enough options to make it useful, but with the app and voice controls enabled, we barely used the panel.

For the most part, the smart features work well, but in our experience, the voice commands can be a little temperamental. This is a minor flaw, and you have the app and the onboard controls as backup, but having to repeat myself to a fan when I’m already frustrated from the heat isn’t ideal. I should note that this may be my fault or my Alexa, so take this criticism with a pinch of salt.

Onto the speeds and modes. The Govee fan comes with three standard modes: Normal, Nature, and Sleep. It also allows you to toggle between eight speeds, although only three are accessible through the onboard touch panel. The airflow moves at 20ft/s and I felt the highest settings were a bit too intense for my liking, but the mid-range speed settings were perfect.

During my testing, I found the Nature mode to be a welcome touch, mimicking a more natural airflow. Especially at night when it felt like a light breeze. I preferred this Nature mode over the more gentle, quiet Sleep mode.

Speaking of sleeping, I'm one of those people who finds the humming of a fan oddly soothing at night, and Govee's low 38dB noise level was quiet enough for me. However, it disturbed my partner, and, although touted as a low-noise appliance, at higher speeds the fan can get noticeably louder. It also depends on the type of flooring it’s placed on. In our dining room, on the wooden floor, it was louder than on our carpeted bedroom floor. We haven’t ever noticed this with any other fan we’ve used.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Govee Smart Tower Fan: Specs

Should I buy the Govee Smart Tower Fan?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Govee Smart Tower Fan: Also consider

If you would prefer other options over the Govee Smart Tower Fan, then one of the best fans would be an alternative to consider...

How I tested the Govee Smart Tower Fan

Tested for four weeks, including during a heatwave
Used it while working during the day, and at night
Tested all the various modes and functions

To test the Govee Smart Tower Fan, I used it as my main fan for four weeks in my bedroom, front room, home office and child's bedroom. I used the built-in controls, the app and used voice commands.

I tested it at night, while I slept, on all three standard modes. I created my own customized mode using the app, and I scheduled the fan to turn automatically at 10pm every night. All dials and buttons were pressed to see what they would do as well.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) review: the near-perfect smart display for most households

7:00 pm | November 4, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Home Hubs | Tags: Amazon Echo Show | Comments: Off

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Two-minute review

If the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) isn’t proof-positive that smart speakers are on their way out, then I don’t know what is. Smart displays not only allow you to connect and voice-control your smart home devices but also provide many other functionalities that even the best smart speakers and best Alexa speakers just aren’t equipped for.

This latest version of Amazon’s 8-inch model might also be the best smart display for most people – though budget-minded folks might prefer the much cheaper Echo Show 5, which has its own advantages – having a generous display and more functionalities. I’ve been using the second generation of the Echo Show 5 as my main smart display, and honestly, I’ve always found it a tad lacking. That is, it’s well suited for quick access to things but doesn't meet all my needs.

Upgrading to the Show 8 was a revelation. Suddenly, watching movies on Prime Video in my kitchen while cooking isn't a practice in the art of squinting, listening to Taylor Swift while doing the dishes is a better experience in audio, and video calls to friends and family don't feel like a game of hide and seek when you’re moving around and doing things.

The Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) is, of course, capable of much more than that, which I’ll get to in a second, but my point is that it’s a wiser choice as your home’s main gateway to your smart home devices and more.

There are things that I do feel Amazon could have done better. The display still has those thick bezels that now look outdated. The 13MP camera it inherited from its predecessor is just sufficient. Then there's the price bump, making it a less affordable proposition – though, luckily, Amazon regularly offers discounts on its devices.

None of those things would deter me from purchasing the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen), however, and they shouldn’t deter you either. If you’re serious about smartening your home, this is one of the best smart home devices to invest in.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Price and availability

How much does it cost? $149.99 / £149.99 (about AU$230)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) has gotten a price bump, sadly. At $149.99 / £149.99 (about AU$230), it’s $20 / £30 more than its predecessor, the Echo Show 8 (2nd gen). I don’t consider it that big of a price increase, however, especially considering the improvements that come with it. And, with Black Friday deals starting to trickle in, there’s no doubt it’s going to get a discount soon.

Bear in mind that it is pretty pricey if you compare it to the Echo Show 5. The Echo Show 5 (3rd gen), the latest version of the 5-inch model, is much cheaper at $89.99 / ‎£89.99 (about AU$140). So if you’re on a tight budget, I'd say get that one or save up for the Echo Show 8 if you can wait.

While US and UK customers can get it now, Australian customers will have to wait a little longer as it’s not yet available at the time of writing.

Value: 4 / 5

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Specs

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) in use by author — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Design and features

Solid build, made of recycled materials
Great display with unfortunately large bezels
Some design updates like a centered camera

Setting up the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) is easy, so easy, in fact, that there’s really not a lot of thought involved. This is true for all of Amazon’s devices. However, with added functionalities on the Show 8, there are some things you need to decide on, including Vision Accessibility, your choice of Photo Display, home monitoring, and more. You’ll also be asked to set up your Visual IDs.

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The whole setup shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes in a single-person household. However, if you’ve got several people to set up Visual IDs for – the process requiring each person to stand in front of the camera and then follow the prompts – it’ll obviously take longer.

If you’d rather skip creating Visual IDs for every single person, you may do so, but I'd advise against that as this feature detects whenever a “registered” individual is near and personalizes content and even the displayed information on the screen based on their history, preferences and more. That essentially gives every single person in your household their own virtual Echo Show 8, which is pretty nifty.

Before finishing setup, I also suggest setting up Adaptive Content, which uses what Amazon calls "on-device computer vision technology" to adjust the screen's content based on how close or far you are from the device.

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If you own the previous generation Echo Show 8, you might notice the lack of a design overhaul here. This looks a lot like its predecessor, but it does have a few small-ish changes. For example, the back is different, in that the sides and corners of the speaker cabinet aren’t flush with the display. That’s not necessarily a bad or good change, looks-wise; it just depends on your personal preference.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)'s camera and buttons — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

You’ll also notice that the camera has been moved from the right side to the center, which should be advantageous for video calls. It’s ever so slightly lighter at 1.034g instead of 1.037g. And, finally, the display now has edge-to-edge glass, which does make it sleeker looking up-front.

If you were hoping to get a camera and a display upgrade, however, you'll be disappointed. You’re getting the same 13MP camera and the same 8-inch 1,280 x 800 display as before, including those large bezels around it that make it look a little dated. The 2-inch neodymium stereo speakers with passive bass radiator are also the same, although Amazon did improve the sound quality with better sound frequency representations, which I will talk about below.

I’ve only tested the Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) for a week so I can’t speak for its build quality, but I can tell you that it feels very well-made and robust. It’s also made from 29% recycled materials. It’s not as green as Apple’s slew of devices, but at least it’s getting there.

A lot of people are uncomfortable about having security cameras inside their homes, so if you'd like to enable home monitoring but still have the option to turn it off – or not have video on when you’re on calls – the camera privacy shutter is still there within quick and easy reach. And next to it are the mic/camera on/off button and the volume buttons.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2023) in use by author — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Performance

Fast and responsive
Great features that work well, including Adaptive Content
Booming audio, great display

At launch, Amazon said it’s powered with an octa-core SoC with Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Network Engine. This improved processor is supposed to be 40% faster than its predecessor when it comes to executing requests and Alexa’s responses.

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While I couldn’t make a direct performance comparison with its predecessor as I haven’t tested that myself, I can tell you that after putting up with the Echo Show 5’s (2nd gen) slow processing for at least a year, this Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) felt like a game changer. This thing delivers fast responses, whether I’m asking Alexa to translate something to another language, turning on my smart lights, or calling a friend for a video chat. It even pulled up and started a movie on Amazon Prime Video very quickly, within a couple of seconds, when it normally takes my Echo Show 5 (2nd gen) at least a minute to do so.

The touchscreen display is just as responsive. Tapping buttons and links on my Echo Show 5 (2nd gen) usually means a few seconds of waiting. Sometimes, it doesn’t even respond to my taps. But that isn’t the case here. Every tap is registered and responded to quickly.

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Speaking of the display, it may not have gotten an upgrade, but it’s not really necessary in this current version. Its visuals are crisp and clean, and the screen is incredibly bright, allowing me to enjoy movies and shows or see my security camera footage very clearly without the need to squint. I just wish it wasn't so reflective, but the brightness helps offset that.

New features like the Visual ID and Adaptive Content are fairly fast as well. It does take a second or two for the camera to process what it's seeing and react accordingly, but not so long that you’ll get impatient. I quite like these two features as they specifically cater to your visual needs, though I did find that the Adaptive Content doesn’t usually switch to Minimal (the large image and text format) until I’m a little more than five feet away. And there’s no way to change that in the settings.

Video footage of author from Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

The one thing I wished Amazon had upgraded, though, is the camera. It’s the same camera that’s on the previous generation, and while it delivers decent footage, I wouldn’t consider it crisp in this day and age. Not that most people would be using this for the type of video calls that require high-res audio, like business meetings, but having that option would have been nice.

Also, it keeps the same auto-framing feature as its predecessor, which means it’ll follow you around the room, panning and zooming as necessary, when you’re on video calls, but that also feels slightly slower than on many webcams I’ve tested. Again, it’s not too bad, in fact, it's very intuitive. I’m impressed by how appropriate its framing is based on your proximity and position. When I’m a little further away, for example, it actually not only zooms out but centers me, so there’s not a lot of space above my head. However, it’s still a tad slow to operate.

The sound is impressive. The speakers can get pretty loud – one-bedroom apartment-filling, actually – but even at 50% volume, they’re powerful with great frequency representation. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it an audiophile experience, but it’s better than the massive soundbar I have in my living room. And, it’s got decent bass response as well, so you can use it as your main speaker if you’re throwing a party.

Basically, what you've got in the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) is an all-in-one solution for not just your smart home but also your home needs.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Also consider

If the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) isn't for you, why not consider other smart displays?

How I tested Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)

I tested it for a week
I used it as my main smart display at home
I made sure to put its features and functionalities through their paces

Testing the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) for a week, I used it as the main smart display (and smart speaker, for that matter) in my apartment. I used it to manage and control my smart home devices, including smart lights, cameras, and more.

Setting it up in my kitchen, I also used it to pull up recipes, watch movies, and listen to music, as well as video-call friends. Naturally, I tested its features, paying close attention to the new ones, and performance to see how they measure up in the real world.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2023

Gozney Roccbox review: restaurant-quality pizza at home or on the go

2:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Comments: Off

Gozney Roccbox: Two-minute preview

If you’re the kind of cook that finds a sourdough pizza recipe exciting and you’re thrilled by the pursuit of the food innovation seen on shows like Chef’s Table: Pizza or The Bear, then the Gozney Roccbox is the portable pizza oven for you.

This is in part because the recipes available on Gozney’s website are more likely to lean into a mixture of traditional-style Neapolitan, white-base or experimental pizzas rather than how to whip up a ham-and-pineapple pie, but it’s also because all of the design choices are geared to making the best quality pizza on a portable device.

Pizzas made in the Roccbox — (Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

At 44 pounds (20kg), the Gozney Roccbox is heavier than many of its competitors, but that extra weight is used to add insulation that works to retain heat so the oven can make a series of pizzas quickly. It’s not designed to handle larger 14-inch pizzas or make multiple pizzas at once, but it’s able to retain enough heat to cook up back-to-back 12-inch pizzas with no down time, so you can cook for large groups if you’re well prepped.

In addition to minimizing the recharge time, this added insulation keeps the cooking temperature even, allowing for more control and predictability, and it also means the outside of the oven isn’t going to scorch you if you bump it. Both of these features more than make up for the additional weight.

Roccbox pizza oven cooking pizza and bread — (Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

The Gozney Roccbox might seem more expensive than some competitors, but it actually comes with a gas attachment by default, so when you add the cost of gas attachments to other systems the Roccbox actually offers exceptionally good value. Gas is easier to control and is less work to maintain temperature, so it’s more manageable than trying to create wood-fired pizza. This makes it the best solution for people starting their pizza-making journey or for anyone hoping to take the oven on the road.

Presentation is critical to people that take their food seriously and, if all the other features weren’t enough, the Gozney range of pizza ovens and Gozney accessories are the best-looking options of anything available on the market in my opinion. The Brad Leone Limited Edition that I was sent for this review my favorite color – the more subdued grey, olive or black options will be more appealing to most people I reckon – but even this more vibrant coloring fits in nicely with the overall theme.

The Roccbox folds away into a compact package that’s easy to transport with the carry cover accessory, making it an excellent device for gourmet cooking on the go. It’s got a built-in thermometer that’ll display the temperature of the cooking stone and it’s simple gas temperature gauge is easy to master. The Roccbox has everything you need to make the perfect pizza at home or when out in the wilderness.

Gozney Roccbox review: Price and availability

Priced at $499 / £399.00 / AU$799
Lots of reasonably priced accessories

The Gozney Roccbox, Brad Leone Limited Edition and Tom Gozney Signature Edition Roccboxes are all available for $499 / £399.00 / AU$799 directly from the Gozney website. The portable ovens come with a professional-grade pizza peel, detachable gas burner and a bottle opener (except on the Tom Gozney Signature Edition). This is all you really need to get going, but there are a wide range of accessories available that’ll help you make better pizza.

Some of the essentials you might want to consider include a Turning Peel ($65 / £49 / AU$89), the Roccbox Cover ($50 / £39.99 / AU$69) and the Mantel ($59 / £59 / AU$79). These three will really help you when it comes to rotating pizzas for an even cook and allowing you to take the device with you when you travel.

If you want to up your game, then the next set of accessories that work really well are the Infrared Thermometer ($49 / £39 / AU$69) which allows you to see how hot each part of the stone is, since it can vary by approximately 212ºF / 100ºC from the front entrance to the rear. The Pizza Rocker ($39 / £35 / AU$49) is excellent for efficiently cutting pizza and the fiber board Pizza Server ($49 / £39 / AU$59) is the perfect clean and lightweight platform for displaying your creations.

Value score: 5/5

Roccbox pizza oven acccessories — (Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

Gozney Roccbox review: Specs

Gozney Roccbox review: Design and features

Gas burner
Foldable legs
In-built thermometer

It’s hard to deny the consistent and appealing overall aesthetic of the Gozney brand. Of course it helps having a show stopper like the ultra-premium Dome oven in your lineup, but the brand’s understated style extends down through the Roccbox, all the way to the accessories that the company sells. But the Roccbox doesn’t just look good, the clever design extends to details that genuinely enhance the performance of the oven as well.

The Roccbox features a detachable gas burner and foldable legs that make the package particularly compact and easy to pack away. The device is heavier than some portable pizza ovens, which might deter some users who are particularly keen on an on-the-go device, but the added weight can easily be accommodated and the added effort in moving it pays off massively in efficiency and performance.

Unlike some other pizza ovens, the Roccbox comes with the gas burner by default – a clever design choice that will appeal to the vast majority of DIY pizza makers. If you do want to test your skills at wood-fired pizza, you can buy a Wood Burner attachment for $100 / £100 / AU$199 without needing to invest in a different design. I didn’t test Gozney’s Wood Burner functionality for this review, but controlling the temperature in wood-fired ovens is a more finicky process, so I'm working on the assumption that the added insulation will be very useful for experimenting with traditional wood-fired flavors.

The other major design feature is an in-built thermometer, meaning you can get a consistent read on when the oven is ready to go. This is a particularly handy feature if you want to travel light as it gives you a reliable gauge to cook different foods all in the one package. The added insulation combines with a silicone jacket to make the oven safe to touch when running – an important added safety feature if you’re cooking close to other people or pets that might accidentally bump the oven.

The included Pizza Peel means you have everything you need to create impressive pizzas straight out of the box.

Design score: 5/5

Gozney Roccbox review: Performance

10-minute heat time
750º-950ºF (400º-500ºC) cooking temperature range
19mm cordierite stone floor

The oven features a 19mm cordierite stone floor that is able to hit temperatures of 750º - 950ºF (400º - 500ºC) in around 10 minutes. This temperature is more than double of what your average home oven can achieve and it allows the pizza base to cook quickly with any topping of your choice. Even with a pizza stone, the results you’ll get from a regular pizza oven are incomparable to what you’ll be able to achieve in the Roccbox.

The quick start time of the Gozney Roccbox is complimented by a generous helping of calcium silicate insulation that allows the oven to retain heat much better than any other portable pizza oven I’ve tested. As a result, the Gozney Roccbox is able to cook pizzas more evenly and, when you reduce the gas to slow any top-down cooking, the pizza stone base retains its temperature better than any other portable oven.

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Making pizza and bread on the Roccbox — (Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

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This gives you better control to cook pizzas more precisely and dramatically reduces the recharge time to allow you to do make back-to-back pizzas quickly. Obviously the compact Roccbox doesn’t have the thermal mass of its bigger Dome siblings but, during my testing, the insulation was good enough to make at least two pizzas back-to-back when the stone was already at a temperature above 850ºF (450ºC). This makes it capable of cooking for groups as you can prep more pizzas and cook them all within a quicker timeframe, something that you won’t be able to do on lighter, less insulated portable pizza ovens.

This makes it uniquely competent as a home pizza oven since it's more than capable of creating a larger volume of pizzas when entertaining, something I've found other portable pizza ovens weren’t great at.

Performance score: 5/5

Should I buy the Gozney Roccbox?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Gozney Roccbox

Test pizzas = 12
Used a range of Gozney accessories

I tested the Gozney Roccbox at home over a 6-week period, trying out multiple pizza and bread recipes. This included hosting 8 people and making enough pizza for everyone all the way down to smaller lunch pizzas for one.

I also tested all the accessories listed alongside the oven to ensure each works well and whether they add to the usability of the device. I wasn't sent the wood-fired burner accessory to test how the Roccbox performs using a wood-based fire, so the test pizzas were made exclusively with gas.

The Roccbox was also packed away in the cover and was moved to the car in order to ensure portability.

Gozney has a good selection of recipes on its website and comes with a small pamphlet of 6 essential recipes to get you started, each of which I followed for impressive results.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed November 2023]

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: a show-stopping lamp meant to last you 60 years

3:45 am | November 3, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Lights | Comments: Off

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk: Two-minute review

The Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk lamp is essentially an upgraded version of the Lightcycle Morph that has been available in select markets for a while. Like the Lightcycle, the Solarcycle Morph also comes in two variations – a desk and a floor lamp. For this review, I was sent the desk version, which is currently the only model available in Australia where I am based.

With the update comes a sleeker design compared to the Lightcycle, moving away from an industrial look to what I think is a showpiece, especially in its Ambient mode where the light diffuses through its perforated stand.

Other than its Ambient mode, there are three other settings on the Solarcycle Morph – Task (focused white light), Indirect (warm light pointed upwards) and Feature (a spotlight for decorative items in your home). So, as you’ve probably surmised, the light temperature can be adjusted, plus there’s a daylight tracking option that sets the lamp to mimic sunlight hues inside your home. So it can even be your wake-up call in the morning.

From the different modes, you’ve also probably realized that the lamp can be adjusted into different angles – the entire stand turns 360º on its base, as does the jointed arm so the optical head can point in a heck of a lot of directions.

Amongst its other headline features are a motion sensor capable of sensing movement from a foot or two away, plus auto-brightness depending on the ambient light. The lamp also goes into standby mode after five minutes of no motion detection. It can even be scheduled to turn on and off intermittently in the evening hours while you’re away on holiday to give the impression that someone’s home.

As nicely as it’s designed, its base has a large footprint, taking up a heck of a lot of desk (or bedside table) space, while the rest of it can tend to feel quite fragile. It’s hard to test the lifecycle of the LED bulb, but Dyson promises that it will last you up to 60 years with no change in the light quality, thanks to the heat sink within the swivel beam of the lamp.

Its physical controls are touch and slide, but you can also use the MyDyson app to control the Solarcycle Morph, including setting up schedules.

Unlike other smart lights, there’s no way to control the Solarcycle Morph via voice assistants. During my testing, that really wasn’t a dealbreaker for me as a lot of the other features aren’t found on any other smart light I’ve tested. Despite that, I still find it hard to justify its premium price.

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk in Ambient mode — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Price and availability

Desk lamp retails for $649.99 / £499.99 / AU$899
Floor lamp priced at $849.99 / £649.99 / AU price TBA
Available to buy now in select markets

There is no denying that the Dyson Solarcycle Morph is an expensive lamp, even the cheaper desk version. Sure, it does a lot of things that no other smart lamp can match but, at $649.99 / £499.99 / AU$899, it’s still very premium.

While the Solarcycle Morph Desk is available to buy in most markets, the floor version – which will set you back $849.99 and £649.99 in the US and the UK respectively – is yet to come to Australia, potentially being available Down Under some time in 2024.

While it might be hard to justify the high price, it’s also just as difficult to compare it with any other smart light, even Philips Hue, as there’s really nothing else quite like it on the market. It’s probably just a matter of time before dupes become available, but if you have the cash to spare, the Solarcycle Morph might just be the best lamp you get for your home.

Value score: 3 / 5

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk on a table — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk specs

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Design

Clean, modern design
Large, heavy base
Integrated USB-C port

While Australia gets just one silver and white colorway of the Solarcycle Morph, there are two other options in select markets, including the US. These are a full black option and a brass one with black accents.

As with all things Dyson, the design aesthetic is simple and elegant. It might be tubular and plain, but once set up, the Solarcycle Morph looks beautiful. The only part of it I am not a fan of is its round base which, for a desk lamp, is rather large and very heavy. Most of the 3.5kg weight of the lamp is in that base.

Another element that’s a bit of an eyesore if visible is the power brick, which is as big as what we used to get with some laptops from a few years ago. That said, depending on how you place the lamp, it could easily be hidden, as the cable is quite long.

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The touch and slider controls on the arm of Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk, beside the copper heat sink — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The control buttons under the arm of the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The black, circular magnet on the stem of the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Move your eye upward from the base and that’s where the beauty lies. My review unit was a matte-silver hollow tube that features a 5V/1.5 amp USB-C port in its lower third, so you can charge a phone or tablet. There’s perforations the rest of the way up the tube, which can turn 360º on the vertical axis. The perforations aren’t for heat dissipation, but for setting the lamp to its Ambient mode.

This is possible because the optical head housing the LED bulbs can be positioned face down for the light to diffuse through the holes, providing mood lighting. To keep it from swivelling away by accident, a circular magnet pops up from the top of the tube to lock the optical head in place. The arm pivots a full 360º horizontally around its joint, as well as turning around a full 360º so you can point the optical head at any angle.

There are physical controls on the top and bottom of the pivoting part of the arm. On the top, there’s a copper tube, which is the heat sink to keep the LEDs cool, in turn extending their life and quality that, Dyson promises, will last up to 60 years. Also on the top, towards the optical head, are two sliders – one to adjust the light temperature, the other to change the brightness.

The integrated USB-C port on the stem of the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

On the underside of the pivoting arm are three buttons. The one farthest to the optical head controls the brightness sensor – pressing this one will turn the sensor off, which is on by default right out of the box. The middle button is for the motion sensor that, when on, will adjust brightness gradually as you approach or move away from the lamp, and also put the Solarcycle Morph into standby mode if no motion is detected in 5 minutes. The button closest to the optical head is the synchronization button that allows the lamp to mimic the light temperature of the daylight cycle in your location.

There are lights on these buttons that glow if the sensors are on – if you see them flashing, don’t panic as that’s just a firmware update being pushed out via the MyDyson app.

The top of the optical head is a touch-sensitive control to power the lamp on and off. This is extremely sensitive and I found that if I mistakenly – very gently – touched that spot while making angle adjustments or using the sliders and buttons, I’d switch off my lamp.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

The pivot on the arm of the Dyson Solarcyle Morph Desk — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Features

Useful motion sensor
Auto-brightness sensor
Versatile light settings

As I’ve already mentioned, the Solarcycle Morph is extremely versatile. Just given the plethora of physical adjustments there are, it’s easy to envision how the four main modes – Ambient, Indirect, Task and Feature – would look. You can have custom settings for your light too, but you will need the MyDyson app for this. In fact, the app gives you full control of the lamp so you don’t need to touch the Solarcycle at all… except to perhaps give it a wipedown to keep it clean.

While its standout feature is its ability to mimic the daylight cycle in your location – which you can set in the app – I think it’s the motion sensor that should be the headline act here. It’s both very handy and equally annoying too... at least to me. Of course, for this to work, you need to leave the lamp on standby. Dyson doesn’t specify what the maximum distance is for motion detection but I found it’s capable of picking up movement about a meter (or 3 ft) away. This allows the lamp to turn on, but will remain dim if the motion is still distant. As you approach, the lamp will increase brightness automatically. It goes back into standby mode after 5 minutes if no motion is detected after it’s turned on.

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Dyson Solarcycle Morph on the MyDyson app — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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This is where I found it annoying. I used the Solarcycle Morph in my home office, and even though I was at the desk typing at my keyboard, it couldn't detect that movement and kept going into standby mode. It happened during video calls too and I make a lot of hand gestures when I talk!

I also like the fact that if I’m going away on holiday, I can set the start date in the app and the lamp will power on periodically between 4pm and 11pm in a time zone to tell possible intruders that people are still inside the home.

The lamp is capable of auto-brightness too, which is handy to have, depending on where you position it. I appreciated it when I was using the Solarcycle Morph in my home office, which doesn’t get a whole lot of natural light, but it was a little disconcerting in the bedroom as the change can be quite sudden and distinct.

I cannot finish this section without waffling on about the lamp’s Ambient mode – it’s absolutely stunning. In this mode, if your lamp is set at its brightest, it will reduce brightness automatically with light temperature dropping between 1800K to 3400K, depending on what hue it’s already set at.

Features score: 5 / 5

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk in Spotlight mode — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Performance

60-year lifecycle
Sensitive controls
Good brightness

While the Solarcycle Morph matches the light temperature of some other smart lights out there (2700K to 6500K when not in Ambient mode), it isn’t as bright as some popular smart bulbs on the market today. For example, the Philips Hue White Ambiance smart bulb tops out at 1,600 lumens and the Nanoleaf Essentials Matter bulb is 1,100 lumens. While a maximum brightness of 850 lumens is enough for a bedside or desk lamp, it’s not quite enough to light up a whole room.

Dyson claims the Solarcycle Morph will last up to 60 years, without any damage to the light quality. I couldn't test this for this review of course, but Dyson engineers have used a simple heat sink – that's also a lovely trim adding to the overall look of the lamp – to make sure the light lasts as long as possible. You'll see the slim copper tube on the top of the swivel arm – it houses a few drops of water that evaporates as heat from the LEDs build up. If you were paying attention in science class at school, you'll know that evaporation results in cooling. And because the tube is also sealed, the water drops condense inside and are ready to carry on being an effective coolant.

As I’ve already mentioned, I found the motion sensor both excellent and annoying. Excellent because it can pick up movement from about two feet away – although it did pick me up a couple of times while I was approximately three feet away – and it turns on, but annoying because it can’t pick up fingers and arms moving while I’m just inches away.

Another little annoyance I found was if I didn’t completely exit the MyDyson app, it failed to connect to the light the next time I opened the application on my phone. I’d have ignored it if this happened once in a while, but it happened often. Perhaps a firmware update will sort this out at some point…

Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints about the Solarcycle Morph’s performance. It does everything it says on the tin, and does it remarkably well.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk on a table beside some books and a photograph — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

There really aren’t any like-for-like alternatives to the Dyson Solarcycle Morph, although opting for a smart bulb or two from Philips Hue or Nanoleaf could be a decent alternative as you can adjust the light temperature and brightness to suit your needs. Where the Nanoleaf smart bulb supports colors by default, you can get white or color globes in the Philips Hue range. You can find out more about the former in our Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart Bulb review.

While neither of these will do everything that the Solarcycle Morph does, you can use them to mimic sunlight in the morning to wake up. A lot of smart light systems offer this feature. None are going to be showpieces like the Dyson, but you could find yourself a beautiful lamp stand.

How I tested the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk

Tested in two different rooms
Left it on standby most of the time to test the motion sensor
Tried different modes and settings

I was sent the Dyson Solarcycle Morph for testing for just a few weeks, and I used it in two different locations in my own home. It was initially set up on work desk in my home office, then moved to the bedroom.

In the first location, I left it on standby most of the time to see how well it would react to me leaving my desk and returning at random intervals. In the bedroom, it was set up to turn on at 6:30am.

To see how well it responds via the app, I saved custom settings for light hues I personally prefer – which tend to be on the warmer side than white light – and I tried out all the presets as well.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed November 2023]

Tineco Pure One S11 smart vacuum review: an effective and robust cordless vacuum with some niggles

6:00 pm | October 31, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Comments: Off

Tineco Pure One S11: Two-minute review

The Tineco Pure One S11 may not be as advanced as the pricier Tineco Pure One S15 Pro (one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners on our list), but it’s a very efficient option for those looking for an affordable model with powerful suctioning. And one that gives Shark’s more popular vacuum cleaners a good run for their money.

Now, Tineco isn’t exactly a household name – at least not yet – but it is a good lesson in product diversification. This lesser-known company offers great-quality alternatives to big-name-brand products that may have fallen behind in terms of quality due to complacency and lack of competition. And, speaking as someone who has owned and used her share of subpar models from bigger brands, I am absolutely here for it.

Sitting in the same price range as many of the best Shark vacuum cleaners and a couple of Dyson’s 'budget' offerings, the Pure One S11 is more of a mid-range purchase, one that’s not cheap but won't burn a massive hole in your bank account either. However, there are many things it does better than the most popular Shark models that make it an easy recommendation to consumers who want the convenience of cable-free cleaning.

Is it one of the best vacuum cleaners on the market? It does come with its share of niggles that might make some doubt its eligibility to that exclusive list. However, it does follow in its more premium brother’s footsteps in the world of cordless vacuums.

Tineco Pure One S11: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $399.99 / £269 / AU$699
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

On par with many vacuum cleaners from Shark and Samsung Jet, the Tineco Pure One S11 has an entry price of $399.99 / £269 / AU$699. That isn’t what many would call cheap – there are a lot of cordless vacuums out there that are about half that price.

However, it’s what I would expect a more robust and powerful model to cost. My own Samsung Jet 70 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum bears the same price tag, and is actually a little more rudimentary in features – though it has proven to be a powerful option robust enough to be your long-term cleaning companion.

It costs about $100 / £100 less than both the Shark Stratos Cordless (which claims the top spot on our cordless vacuum list at the time of writing and is lauded for its smart Clean Sense IQ feature and powerful suctioning) and the Dyson V15 Detect.

Value: 4 / 5

Tineco Pure One S11: Specs

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with a robot vacuum and base station.

Tineco Pure One S11 in use by author — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Tineco Pure One S11: Design and features

Solid build and great design but top-heavy
Squeaky wheels on the power brush
Controls aren’t the most convenient

If the Tineco Pure One S11 looks familiar, it’s probably because it has the same rounded architecture as Dyson’s offerings – so much so, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that Tineco is coming after the popular premium brand. It even comes with an LCD display and power brush illumination, two things the Dyson V15 Detect has that most of its competitors don’t.

And, honestly, hats off to Tineco for the valiant attempt because while Dyson’s products should be lauded for their thoughtful features, they’re also known to be overpriced and overrated when it comes to performance. But, I digress.

The Pure One S11 is solidly built, with parts that feel robust and premium, and its Dyson-inspired design not only sets it apart from others but also makes it look like a luxurious item. That’s especially true with its black, white, and dark gray colorway.

I especially appreciate that its LCD display is at the front so it’s easy to look at when the vacuum is in use. However, while the one on the V15 Detect or the Pure One S15 Pro offers a lot of information, this one just displays battery life and lets you know if there are any device errors. The light ring around the display, called the Dust Monitoring Loop, also alerts you to the amount of dust in a specific area by changing colors from solid blue to pink to magenta.

While this cordless vacuum is slightly more lightweight than the V15 Detect, it is a little heavier than my Samsung Jet 70. While that isn’t a big deal – there are, after all, even heavier vacuums out there – it's also top-heavy. The top part that houses the motor, battery, filtration system, LED display, and dust bin bears most of its weight, making its weight distribution a lot more uneven than my Samsung and easier for users to experience hand, wrist, and shoulder fatigue. That’s despite the fact that the handle is spacious and comfortable to hold.

That’s not the only gripe I have about its design. The controls on the Pure One S11 aren’t the most convenient. Instead of pressing a button to turn on the vacuum, you pull a trigger, which starts the motor when pressure is exerted and stops it when that pressure is taken away. I get the energy-saving aspect here – if you have to do something else like move things out of the way, the vacuum stops running when you take your finger off the trigger. However, it also means that you have to keep up that pressure while you’re vacuuming.

There is a trigger lock you can use to give your finger a rest, but accessing that lock, located to the side of the trigger, means overextending one of your other fingers or using your other hand instead. I found this to be a little inconvenient, especially when I’m also picking up stuff off the floor.

While this vacuum is one of the quietest I’ve ever used (more on that later), the two wheels on its power brush are squeaky. I’m not sure if this is true on all units or just mine, however, I have to mention it as it is a point of annoyance when I’m vacuuming.

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Still, there’s a lot to like about the Pure One S11’s design and features. I love that all its removable parts snap in place as well as come off easily, making it convenient to do things like swap out the removable battery (another plus as you can purchase an extra one if you’re covering a large area), empty the trash bin, clean out the filters, and swap out the tools.

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One tool I like in particular is the pre-filter cleaning tool, which most cordless vacuums do not have. It also comes with an extra pre-filter inside. Though you do have to manually turn it, it lets you clean a dirty pre-filter without the mess as it attaches to the vacuum. This lets you suck all that dust straight into the dustbin. It’s another thoughtful addition to a vacuum full of thoughtful details.

Design: 4 / 5

Tineco Pure One S11 on the author's floor — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Tineco Pure One S11: Performance

Efficient suction that can tackle particles small and large
Very effective smart dust sensor that adjusts suction power automatically
Great tools for versatile cleaning

Tineco advertises the Tineco Pure One S11 as having “whisper-quiet” operation, though that's not quite accurate. However, I do have to give it credit for being one of the quietest vacuums I’ve ever tested. Comparing it to some of the cordless vacuums I have at home, it scored a quiet 60 dB – Tineco rates it at 72 dB(A) – on average on the decibel meter I was using. That’s impressive considering my Samsung Jet 70 Pet Cordless scored an average of 68 dB, while the Shark Wandvac scored an average of 70 dB on the same test.

The Pure One S11 also shines in suction prowess, often only requiring a single run of a section to suck up all the tiny particles, including the smallest pieces of litter and the finest pet hair. It also does a good job of sucking up pieces of cat food or kibble, something the Jet 70 Pet Cordless ironically struggles with. Kudos to the motor for being that powerful and making it all look – and sound – effortless.

And its iLoop Smart Dust Sensor does a fantastic job of sensing when there’s more dirt in the area, alerting the vacuum to automatically adjust suction power to Max for even stronger suctioning.

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This capability isn’t just limited to the multi-tasker power brush, which by the way has LED lights that highlight the area directly in front so you can see the finest dust particles better. It works effectively with all the other tools too, including the mini power brush, which I use to clean litter track and cat hair off my couch, and the dusting brush, which I use to clean hard surfaces in my apartment.

What’s more, it does a fantastic job of minimizing dirt and particle kickback – definitely better than the Jet 70 Pet Cordless. This is a massive time-saver as I don’t have to go back and clean areas I’ve already vacuumed.

The Pure One S11 also has great maneuverability, despite the annoying squeaky wheels on the power brush. I would say that my Jet 70 Pet Cordless is better at accessing crevices, rounding at tight corners, and ducking under furniture – the Pure One S11’s power brush has an attachment that angles down so that when I’m trying to reach under my coffee table or TV console, it lifts the brush up when the vacuum hits that 20-degree angle with the floor – however, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s easy to maneuver.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Tineco Pure One S11: Battery life

Up to 40 minutes of battery life
Trigger helps save energy
Battery is swappable

The Tineco Pure One S11 may not have fast-charging capabilities or the longest battery life. But at full charge, it does offer up to 40 minutes of runtime on auto. During my time using it, I could clean the floor of my entire one-bedroom apartment and still have some juice left over for dusting some furniture and vacuuming the debris on my couch.

Both its auto mode and trigger help save energy so that it’s not using up that battery life unnecessarily. Meanwhile, its removable battery means you can purchase another one so you can have up to 80 minutes of juice – just the ticket if you have an entire house to cover.

Battery: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Tineco Pure One S11?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Tineco Pure One S11: Also consider

If the Tineco Pure One S11 isn't for you, why not consider other cordless vacuums?

How I tested Tineco Pure One S11

I tested it for a week
I used it to clean floors as well as appliances and furniture
I tested its features and tools plus checked its noise level with the Decibel X app

Giving the Tineco Pure One S11 the temporary role of being my main vacuum cleaner for a week, I ran it through its paces by using it to clean my one-bedroom apartment, carefully observing how effective it is at picking up different-sized debris like cat litter, which my cats track around every time they use their litter box, and pieces of dry cat food, which are much bigger and something my trusty Samsung Jet 70 Pet Cordless has trouble picking up.

It comes with many of the tools I need for keeping my furniture and appliances cat hair free, an almost impossible task with my two boy cats running rowdy all day, so I was able to test all those. I also made sure to use its nifty pre-filter cleaner to see how easy it is to use and how effective it is at cleaning the pre-filter.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

Levoit 600S air purifier review: floor-standing air purifier that efficiently extracts whiffs

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Google Assistant | Comments: Off

Levoit 600S: two-minute review

Air purifiers are designed to remove dust, dander and dodgy odours, leaving you with a fresher smelling and healthier home. In the height of summer, or faced with an overly-heated home you soon start to notice the whiff of other people and pets.

They differ from fans, which waft the air around at speed, creating a cooling effect, instead extracting impurities and particulates that cause smells and cause germs. An electrostatic or fabric filter captures these as they are blown towards them by the air purifier’s gentle fan mechanism and, as with the Levoit 600S model, are collected in a disposable bag at the bottom of the device. Once cleansed, the air is sent back out into the room, leading to a fresher atmosphere.

The Levoit 600S promises to filter as much as 99.97% of PM2.5 particles (particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometre diameter). This covers the fine dust, pollen and pet hair as well as road traffic pollution and pollen. These can all irritate and, in the longer term, damage the lungs and impact respiratory function. Levels of less than 12μg/m3 should pose no health issues, and we were pleased to find that the existing levels in the first of the two properties in which we tested out the air purifier were already below this figure.

When things get whiffy or lingering sprays have been applied, the Levoit 600S is capable of changing the air in a 147m sq room twice an hour. This is a lower rate of air change than the best air purifiers TechRadar reviewed recently but is plenty for all but larger rooms or the most persistent smells and pollutants.

Although the 600S can be operated directly using the on/off button on the top, the VeSync app provides far more control, showing current PMS levels and the air quality steadily improving as its four-speed fan whips everything through its HEPA and carbon filters to remove airborne nasties. Both the LED on top of the unit and the app give real-time PMS readings and offer one-touch fan adjustments. The app adds scheduling and light-sensing options, making it ideal for use in a bedroom where the fan will automatically reduce in power so you can drop off to sleep.

Levoit 600S: price and availability

How much does it cost? £299.99 (about $360, AU$574)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the UK

The Levoit 600S is available from Amazon UK for £299 (about $360, AU$574). A £50 discount voucher is currently active, bringing the price down to £249). Although you won’t need a replacement filter immediately, if you like to be organised you can get ahead by adding this £69.99 consumable or a pet allergy version for £101 to your online shopping cart.

This model launched last year in the US, but Amazon notes the current unavailability of the Levoit 600S model (although both branded and third party replacement HEPA filters are for sale there), while Australia has only the filters for sale.

Value: 4 / 5

Levoit 600S: Specs

Levoit 600S in use in the author's home — (Image credit: Future / Rosie Hattersley)

Levoit 600S: Design

Large but lightweight unit
Useful status indicator lights
Whisper-quiet fan

The imposing but elegant Levoit 600S seems to take up more room than its stated 60cm height suggests. While its 300S stablemate sits happily and fairly unobtrusively on a kitchen countertop, the 600S model is a real presence. Placed alongside our microwave, it dwarfed it. If space is at a premium, you will probably want to store it out of sight and bring it out for specific use rather than keeping it on standby. We found this particularly true when we were in the more cramped environment of our terraced home.

However, the curved design and off-white finish are stylish, and the materials sturdy. And, while it weighs 6.2kg, it feels far lighter. The well-positioned recessed handles on either side of the upper section also make it easy to move around.

Looks-wise, the Levoit 600S is smart with a sleek curved body and large fan blades covering the top. In the centre of the fan are the Levoit 600S’ controls and options to change the fan speed, set a timer, check on the filter and current air quality, and determine whether it is connected to Wi-Fi or using Bluetooth for the associated VeSync app. The lower half of the purifier features a fretwork effect, and contains the filter and the bag into which particles sucked in by the fan are deposited.

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Setup involves twisting apart the top and bottom halves of the air purifier’s body, extracting the filter that it comes with from inside, and removing its packaging before popping it back in place. There is a bright yellow sticker on the top of the unit that prompts you to do this before use. The two halves of the unit then click to lock together. It doesn’t matter which way round the top half faces, but the corners need to align with the corresponding corners on the bottom half, a simple enough process.

Although the Levoit 600S is a freestanding unit with no external moving parts, it needs space to operate so it doesn’t overheat. It should, therefore, be placed around 40cm away from the nearest walls. The power cable is more than a metre long, which is ample to accommodate this requirement.

Once switched on, the Levoit 600S can be used either manually using the controls on top, or via the VeSync app. Each of the on-device controls lights up when you touch them, with multiple presses used to increase or reduce the fan speed.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Levoit 600S: Performance

Effective dust and dander removal
Quickly gets rid of aerosol particulates
Less effective on kitchen odours

I tested the Levoit 600S in both an open plan 1960s detached house and a 1930s terraced house, the latter home to two asthmatics and a cat who is less than impressed at the ongoing renovations. The contrasting challenges were larger rooms with carpets, lots of upholstered furniture, and the odours associated with the older generation versus the renovation dust and the pet dander of our London home, which has wooden floors and tiles throughout.

Both have open plan kitchens where food is often oven-baked or prepared on a hob. I tested the changing air quality while sauteing a variety of vegetables as well as frying fish and meat, and noted whether having the window adjacent to the cooker made much difference to the rate at which the air purifier cleaned the air.

To set up the Levoit 600S air purifier, I first installed the VeSync app (iOS and Android versions are available). Next, I switched on the device and pressed the on/off switch on top until the Wi-Fi icon flashed blue. It was then recognised by the app and the two paired over Bluetooth. Next, the app searched for my home Wi-Fi network and prompted me for a login and password.

Although it accepted my previously registered email address, it doesn’t actually want you to provide the password for your VeSync app at this stage and is really after your Wi-Fi password. This tiny misunderstanding took moments to correct. Once connected, you will need to keep the VeSync app open as the firmware is updated. However, the 600S will start operating as soon as it’s connected to Wi-Fi, with its internal fan working at its level 4 maximum rotation speed.

Once the app has updated the firmware, you will be able to adjust the duration and schedules. You will also be shown the current air quality status based on the level of PM2.5 particulates it detects. What is not quite as apparent is that this screen also gives you the option to change the fan speed.

Sitting across the room, I found the Levoit 600S giving off a gentle rhythmic hum that was noticeable but unlikely to upset all but the most sound-sensitive family member. It hums along gently, with an unobtrusive decibel rating of less than 40 on the slowest speed setting and no more than 64dB when it kicks into its top speed rating and then settles at around 52dB. The ambient background noise in the room prior to switching on the air purifier was 38dB, so it barely disturbs the tranquillity.

Even my sound-sensitive mum was untroubled by its operation at the lower fan settings, but pleased with the improved room freshness after 30 minutes of use. Blasting Febreze at the fan itself for a sustained 10 seconds filled the room with choking levels of air freshener, but the purifier removed the lot in 12 minutes at setting 3 (of 4), while our comparison on opening the patio doors and other windows wide had no discernible effect after the same period.

I also found the Levoit 600S effective in removing dust from the air after a weekend of DIY, taking less than 20 minutes to clear the hallway and landing of visible particles. Sharing a home with a cat, I also appreciated it filtering stray hairs and slight odours.

However, it impressed me less when it came to removing cooking smells and signs of domesticity: the kitchen levels were modest before I began frying and sautéing, and the purifier was not much better than the overhead fan and an open window for this use. Given the 600S’ larger dimensions, we would no doubt choose its smaller sibling for this room in any case.

Performance: 4 / 5

Levoit 600S: App

Provides full control over the 600S
Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls
Strong scheduling and light sensing features

The VeSync app is well-designed with attractive graphics in calming shades of blue and turquoise. It provides a visual guide when setting up the Levoit device and has a user manual that you can access from its side menu.

You can control every aspect of the air purifier once installed, with options to adjust the fan speed, schedule days and times for it to operate, change air quality levels that will trigger it automatically switching on and on, and activate a light sensing feature that seems aimed at use in a bedroom. The rationale here is that the gentle hum of the fan helps promote sleep, especially once the air is duly freshened, so you can nod off without the interruptions from an asthmatic or cat-allergy wheeze.

The VeSync app is free to install and also works with Alexa as well as Google Assistant. This gives access to voice control options should you want to prompt your air purifier to go about its business without having to reach for your smartphone. I tried each of these without issue, finding the option to turn the fan off using a voice command useful when the phone rang while the 600S was clearing the air in the kitchen after cooking and I wanted to settle in for a chat.

Should I buy the Levoit 600S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Levoit 600S

I used the Levoit Core 600S air purifier and the VueSync app for 10 days
Trialed it in two homes: one open plan; one a terraced house
Substances purified included pet odour, cooking smells and air freshener

I used the Levoit 600S air purifier in a number of different rooms, finding it particularly efficient at clearing the odours from a downstairs room that doubles as an elderly person’s bedroom. Being able to effectively cleanse this room of telltale odours associated with ageing, as well as Febreze and other masking sprays that disguise them was a good test since we had lots of visitors during the week in which the 600S was installed there. I react badly to perfumes and sprays due to asthma, so quickly clearing these smells was critical to me too. I continuously sprayed the aerosol contents at the purifier fan until the PM levels rose above 150 before switching on the unit to begin clearing the particulates.

With one family member being particularly sound-sensitive, being able to instantly dial down the fan setting such that she was undisturbed by the fan was vital. I also tested the unit while frying food and after making toast, as well as setting the Levoit 600S to automatically purify the landing of my own home during and after stripping paint from the stairs and sanding them down. I used a decibel meter app on my phone to measure how loud the fan was at various settings.

I compared the effects of simply allowing the air to clear naturally by opening windows either side of the room with the performance of the 600S, timing both to see how long it took for the PM level to drop below 12.

To test the air purification monitoring and speed, I sprayed heavy particulate aerosols (dry shampoo and deodorant) while the purifier was in Auto mode. This mode detects changes in the room and sets the fan speed accordingly.

I lit a scented candle next to the purifier and also positioned it in the kitchen while frying and grilling different meat and vegetables. I measured the volume with a mobile phone decibel meter.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

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