The Philips Hue Play Light Bar (sold individually, or in packs or two or three) is a lozenge-shaped smart light that creates a similar effect to a Philips Ambilight TV, extending the colors from the edges of your screen and washing the area behind with matching light to make your movies, TV shows, and games more immersive. They're flexible, easy to use, and a lot of fun.
The general impact is similar, but the Philips Hue Play Light Bars have some key advantages over both Ambilight TVs and the best Ambilight alternatives such as Nanoleaf 4D. First, you're not limited to positioning them directly behind your TV, although you can do that if you wish. You can also place them above, below, or to the sides, and you can position them quite far away if you have enough space.
This means you have a lot more flexibility when designing your lighting system. You can even use them together with a Hue Play Gradient Light Strip if you want to create a really dramatic home cinema experience with synced lighting that floods the entire room.
Color reproduction with the Philips Hue Play Bars is excellent, even with subtle tones (Image credit: Future)
The Hue Play Bars connect wirelessly to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which means they don't suffer the same problems as lighting systems such as Nanolead 4D that use a camera to monitor and reproduce the colors on your screen. There's none of the lag you might get with a camera-based system, and they're not affected by reflections.
In fact, color reproduction is super impressive – as you can see in the image below, where the bar on the left has reproduced the exact shade on the tablecloth, and the one on the right has taken more of an average value factoring in the gray color of the presenter's sleeve.
They also reproduce natural shades and skin tones very well, and colors shift smoothly, which avoids creating a distraction.
Connecting to your TV via HDMI means there are none of the issues you can experience with kits that use a camera to monitor and replicate colors from the screen (Image credit: Future)
Each light has a plastic stand that allows you to position it vertically or horizontally using a hex screwdriver or Allen wrench. You can also mount them on the wall using adhesive pads; however, if you do this, you'll probably want to hide the cables using trunking or by running them through the wall. The lights connect to the Sync Box wirelessly, but they're not battery-powered.
The Light Bars are available in black and white, so you can choose whichever blends in best with your decor. My borrowed review units were black, but if I was buying them for my own home, white would be the better option.
The lights come with mounts that let you position them horizontally or vertically, but you can also attach them to the wall, the back of your TV, or just lie them down on a shelf or TV stand (Image credit: Future)
The main disadvantage of the Philips Hue Play Bars is that they require a Philips Hue Bridge to control them via the mobile app, plus a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for synchronizing lighting with your TV, which adds to the price substantially if you don't already own them. The Bridge costs around $60 / £60 / AU$75 if bought alone, and Sync Boxes start at $250 / $230 / AU$500 for the 4K version. The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K released in 2024 costs even more.
Without these, you'll only be able to use the Play Bars as you would any ordinary lights via the Philips Hue Bluetooth app. This will let you turn them on and off, and change their color manually, but nothing else.
If you have the Bridge and Sync Box, setting up the bars in the Philips Hue app is a piece of cake. Just plug in the power supply (which supports up to three Play Bar lights), set the Hue app to search for them, and they will be identified automatically, ready to be added to your room.
When you're not using your TV, you can use the Play Bars like any other Hue lamp, setting their colors individually, or incorporating them into Scenes. When it's time to enjoy a movie or game, just tap the Sync button in the app.
The Light Bars come in black and white, so you can choose whichever fits best with your decor (white would have been a better match here) (Image credit: Future)
For those who already have a Hue setup, the Play Bars are a versatile and fun addition that can make your home cinema setup even more immersive. They're not the best entry point into the Hue system, since you'll only get the full experience with the Hue Bridge and Sync Box, but if you want to expand an existing system, they're a great option.
Philips Hue Play Light Bar: specs
Philips Hue Play Light Bar: price and availability
The Philips Hue Play Light Bar is available individually, or in packs of two or three. As with most Philips Hue products, you can also find them bundled with other lights and accessories, such as the Hue Bridge, which may be significantly cheaper than buying each component separately.
The Sync Box is the most expensive part of a Philips Hue Play setup. If you already have one (and a Play Gradient Light Strip) then the Light Bars are a pretty reasonably priced addition that will really give your home cinema a wow-factor.
You want a totally flexible lighting system
The beauty of the Light Bars (other than their excellent color accuracy) is that you can position them pretty much anywhere, allowing you to adapt your lighting setup to suit your home.
Don't buy it if
You don't have any Philips Hue products already
Unless you really love the idea of the Play Light Bars (which you might), this will be an expensive entry into the Hue ecosystem. The lights themselves might not break the bank, but the HDMI Sync Box is a serious investment, particularly if you want the 8K model.
Philips Hue Play Light Bar: also consider
Not sure about the Philips Hue Play Light Bar? Here are two other ambient lighting options that are worth considering.
Nanoleaf 4D
Nanoleaf 4D is one of the most affordable alternatives to Philips Ambilight, and at CES 2025 the company announced a new version of the system that doesn't require fitting awkward corner brackets to your TV.
Govee's budget-friendly lighting system does a good job in dark conditions, although its camera will pick up light from any source near your TV, not just the screen itself, so daytime viewing isn't as good.
I tested a pair of Philips Hue Play Light Bars, using them as part of a larger Hue lighting system including ceiling-fitted bulbs, an HDMI Sync Box, and Hue Bridge. I used them to sync content from my TV, and as standalone smart lights that I controlled via the Google Home app.
I used the lights with a wide variety of media, but to avoid copyright infringement, all the images in this review show videos from TechRadar's own YouTube channel.
The Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless is a rechargeable and bagless portable vacuum cleaner that is designed to be suitable for use in the home and the car. It's affordably priced, although on test I found it lacked the power to tackle anything but the simplest vacuuming tasks.
The design is pleasantly lightweight and easy to use. There's a washable HEPA filter, and the dust cup has a capacity of 2.3 cups / 550ml – enough for a few small cleaning sessions. However, there are a few slightly annoying design features. In use, care needs to be taken not to absent-mindedly hit the dust cup release button that sits a little way up the handle from the sliding power switch. Emptying the dust cup requires removing the whole front of the vacuum, including the filter. That's not unusual for a low-cost mini vacuum, but it is a little fiddly. On the plus side, it did mean that I regularly shook off the debris that had collected on the filter.
The accessories that come with the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless look a little cheap, but I found them to be useful. There’s an extension hose, a flat nozzle, and a small brush nozzle, which proved particularly helpful when vacuuming fabric surfaces.
Moving on to cleaning performance, and the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless was regretfully underwhelming. While it did an adequate job of picking up larger pieces of debris, such as biscuit crumbs and oats, it struggled to suck up finer debris like smaller crumb particles and flour, to the point where I needed to enlist the help of the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro (which sits at the top of TechRadar's best handheld vacuum guide), to finish the job to a good standard.
(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)
In terms of value for money, things are a little complicated. Comparing current Amazon list prices (which, it should be highlighted, can often change), it's significantly cheaper in the US than the UK. At the US price, it's perhaps worth considering if you just need something very basic for small cleanup jobs. However, in the UK, there are better affordable alternatives in our best car vacuum roundup.
That's the short version – read on for my full Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless.
More expensive in the UK, and not good value for money
Far cheaper in the US, where it's better value
The Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless is listed for £37.99 at Amazon UK, and this price includes the accessories and charging dock. It’s also possible to purchase the handheld vacuum and accessories without the dock (there’s a USB-C charging port on the end of the handle), for a list price of £29.99. While the price is relatively budget-friendly, it's not particularly good value for money when you consider the price and performance of other mini vacuums on the market.
In the US, the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless is significantly cheaper. The model with a charging dock is no longer available at Amazon US, but it’s still possible to purchase the standard version, for an extremely affordable $15.99. At that price, it's a much more compelling prospect, and might be worth buying.
You will need to factor in the ongoing cost of replacement HEPA filters. These aren't currently available at Amazon US, although you can pick them up at Amazon UK, where a pack of two costs £15.88. That's almost half the cost of the vacuum itself, but as they’re washable they should last a while, providing you aren’t frequently vacuuming areas that are excessively dirty.
Value score: 2.5 out of 5
Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless specs
Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless review: design & features
Small and lightweight
Cheap materials
Washable HEPA filter
Satisfyingly small and lightweight, the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless is easy to carry between locations, making it perfect for quick couch cleans after a biscuit binge, or for taking out to the car for a mini-valet. It has compact dimensions of 13.4 x 3.2 x 3.5 inches / 33.4 x 8 x 9cm and weighs just 1.2 lbs / 560g, so I found it easy to maneuver to vacuum high and low surfaces.
As expected for the price, the material quality of the isn’t outstanding on the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless or its charging dock. The majority of the plastic is a cheap-looking black plastic with a matte finish, and the material of the accessories isn’t the best either, but they did the job. The business end of the vacuum itself looks a little better, in a glossy translucent black plastic. This is pretty common among handheld vacs, as it still provides visibility of the remaining dust cup capacity, but helps to minimize the eyesore of the contents that were vacuumed up.
To power on the vacuum, there’s a teal-colored upward-sliding switch that I found a little more fiddly than a simple power button, but it wasn’t much of a hindrance. Further down the handle, toward the dust cup, there’s a pressable button with a subtle trash can icon that acts as the release trigger for the dust cup.
The detachable dust cup has a 2.3 cup / 550ml capacity, which is roughly a half cup more than the highly-rated Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus. Please be warned: the release button is so easy to press accidentally if you’re not paying attention. Fortunately for me, I only did this at the beginning of the testing process, so I didn’t end up emptying flour and oats over my car interior, but it could easily have happened.
This compact vacuum has a washable HEPA filter that sits on top of the dust cup. This meant that I had to remove it every time I needed to empty the cup contents, which is a small inconvenience, but did serve as a good opportunity to check the state of the filter each time and a reminder to wash it regularly to maintain efficient suction. I found it easy to release and remove the dust cup thanks to the button on the vacuum body. The filter was a little fiddly to remove as a type of rubber material surrounds it, but overall it was simple to pull out and replace.
(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)
There are some convenient attachments included with the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless, including an extension hose that I found useful for reaching further into tighter spaces when connected to the flat nozzle, plus a brush nozzle for keyboards, to hoover up pet hair, and other tasks. All the accessories attached to the vac easily enough, and they stayed firmly in place during use.
The cheaply-made hose attachment wasn’t the most flexible, but it was adequate for the job. The flimsy nature of the connecting ends gives me a little concern, though, as I’m not sure they’ll stand the test of time, and look like they could easily split. They performed well during testing however, so I could be being overly cautious.
Homekane claims that the Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless has a runtime of 25-30 minutes, and supposedly takes three hours to recharge via USB-C. It was a simple case of popping the vacuum into the dock, although I wasn’t a fan of the configuration. I understand that storing the vacuum handle first in the dock allows the dock to be smaller, therefore saving space, but it’s a little inconvenient.
In addition to this, the design means that the charging indicator light faces backward, so when the dock is placed against a wall, it’s not possible to see when the vacuum is fully charged. This may not be an issue for people who are happy to leave the dock powered at all times, but it's not ideal for the more energy-conscious among us.
The stated noise level of the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless is 80 dB, which is equivalent to the sound of busy traffic. Testing the noise of the vacuum with a decibel meter on my phone confirmed that this statement is accurate, and while it’s unpleasant for someone like myself who suffers from tinnitus, it’s no louder than one would expect from a compact vacuum cleaner.
Unfortunately, there’s only one power setting of 9,500Pa available on the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless, which is considerably less than the Temola Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, which offers 15,000PA on its highest setting. Even its eco mode is more powerful than the Homekane, at 10,000Pa.
Nonetheless, it had no issue when vacuuming up crumbs, but the real test was to come when I put it through its paces against our TechRadar vacuum testing process. Unfortunately for me, this involved decanting flour, biscuit crumbs, and oats into my car's interior.
I tested three car vacs together for a direct comparison, our best handheld vacuumandbest car vacuum, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus, and the Temola TS20BS. The Homekane was lightweight and easy to wield, a nice contrast from the noticeably heavier handheld Shark vac. But, while it may have been more pleasant to hold, I quickly found myself wishing that I hadn’t left the Homekane till the last to test.
The lower suction level of 9,500Pa was evident, with the finer particles refusing to budge from within the pile of my car mat. Worse still, the back-positioned air outlet meant that I had to change the order of my testing process, as, to my horror, it blew the oats I’d spread for the next test everywhere – under my seats and deeper under the glove compartment area. I was not amused, to say the least. I didn’t experience these issues with the Shark or Temola, as their air outlets are helpfully located on the sides, making for minimal blowback.
(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)
I decided to test the small floor brush attached to the crevice nozzle to see how much this would help, and I’m pleased to say that it did a great job at picking up the elusive particles, making an incredible difference to the results I got from using the vac alone, so that’s one saving grace for the Homekane.
The results weren’t 100 per cent perfect, and I certainly wouldn’t use it for a full-on car valet, but overall the carpet looked clean enough. It did an okay job with the larger oats, which were collected fairly easily, but it was much slower than the other two car vacs. And again, there just wasn’t enough suction to pick up those smaller particles.
The crevice tool did a good job, presumably because the limited suction was restricted to a smaller area. It picked up lots of loose leaves and stones in the nooks and crannies of my car’s footwell and vacuumed the dust from the small gaps around my door’s armrest with ease. The flexible extension hose proved useful when vacuuming the crevices around my car’s center console, providing a little extra reach when the crevice tool on the Homekane Handheld Vac alone wouldn’t have fitted as far into the space.
I also used the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless with the crevice and brush nozzle attachments to vacuum my desk and keyboard in our busy TechRadar reviews office. It did a satisfactory job of making them look cleaner, but it left behind some of the finer dust and fibers. This result was lacking in comparison to the Temola TS20BS, which did a better job of picking up most of the debris thanks to its higher suction setting.
(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)
When attempting to empty the dust cup, I found the washable HEPA filter tricky to remove, finding I had to put my fingers within the filter itself to get enough purchase to wiggle it out. After testing with the flour, biscuit crumbs, and oats, I found I needed to spend some time bashing the filter to remove as much as I could before washing it.
Performance score: 2.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless?
Buy it if...
You're in the US and you want a super-cheap vac While I wouldn't recommend this handheld vac to fellow Brits, at the current price of $15.99 it wouldn't make a bad purchase for spontaneous clean-ups.
You want something lightweight One thing this small vac has going for it is that it's satisfyingly small and light to wield, so it could make a good choice for someone who struggles with larger vacuums.
Don't buy it if...
You want good suction There are plenty of other high-suction and better-performing alternatives out there for a similar price. I kept an open mind about the limited suction power, but after testing other vacs at the same price point that did a far better job.
You want high-quality materials From the packaging to the vacuum and accessories, the low price point is clear. Don't get me wrong, nothing fell apart or broke when I was using it, but if you like to own products that look good quality, this isn't one of them.
Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless review: also consider
Temola TS20BS This lightweight vac is only slightly more expensive than the cost of the Homekane in the UK, but you get an awful lot for that little extra investment. It has two suction levels, 10,000PA, and 15,000PA, with the latter doing a fantastic job of picking up the finer dust from testing, especially when the dust brush was used. One important caveat, however, is that I've been unable to source replacement filters so far, so this is something to keep in mind.
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus A firm favorite here at TechRadar, this Shark handheld vac offers great vacuuming performance and versatile tools. No wonder it's our top choice for the best handheld and car vacuums. Check out the full review to learn more.
How I tested the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless
I tested the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless against two other handheld vacs
I assessed its ability to vacuum both large and fine debris
I made use of the included accessories
I took a close look at the design and materials used for the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless. I used it to vacuum my sofa and my desk and put it through its paces against the TechRadar vacuum testing process in my car. This involves testing a vacuum's ability to pick up fine and coarse particles, namely oats, and a mixture of flour and fine biscuit crumbs.
I assessed the fit of the accessories and used each of them to see how effective they were. I also looked at how easy and efficient the dust cup emptying process was.
Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine: two-minute review
The Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine is a manual coffee maker that gives you a taste of the barista experience, giving you the option of pulling an espresso shot with a pleasingly smooth and tactile lever, or simply twisting the filter handle into place and pressing a button to let the machine do the work for you.
After trying the Smeg Mini Pro last year, one of my colleagues at TechRadar concluded that although lovely, it was "probably overkill for me and most coffee drinkers" – but having used it for several weeks in place of my usual espresso machine, I'm inclined to disagree. Although it has the looks of a professional coffee maker, it's not only one of the best espresso machines I've used when it comes to brewing consistently good coffee, it's also one of the easiest to use, and makes achieving a good shot refreshingly simple.
The Smeg Mini pro will help you achieve consistent results, and its steam wand was a particular highlight for me (Image credit: Future)
It's a relatively compact (small enough not to dominate a tiny kitchen) and thoughtfully designed, with features including a bright LED display, a pressure gauge that gives you an indication of how well extracted your espresso is likely to be, and customizable temperature and volume settings – the latter of which are very handy if you'll be using the single and double shot presets regularly.
However, although it's not overkill in terms of features, the Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine is certainly expensive. I'd expect to pay a premium for one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, but it's rare to see a manual consumer espresso machine at this price point. This is approaching the price of a commercial machine (with pressure profiling and flow control, which the Mini Pro lacks), so you'll have to really fall in love with it to justify the cost.
If you like the idea of a lever coffee machine and don't have that much cash to spend, it's worth taking a look at the range of fully manual machines from La Pavoni (a company now owned by Smeg), which includes several more affordable models.
The Mini Pro has a smart 60s-inspired look that's become one of Smeg's signatures (Image credit: Future)
Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine: Specs
Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine: price and availability
Launched in the UK in June 2024
List price £1,399.95 (about $1,700 / AU$2,800)
Not yet available to buy elsewhere
The Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Machine launched in the UK in June 2024, priced at £1,399.95 (about $1,700 / AU$2,800). At the time of writing (January 2025) it's not yet available in other territories.
That's a serious price tag for a home espresso machine, and much pricier than even premium bean-to-cup coffee makers like the Breville Barista Touch Impress.
Value score: 3/5
Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine: Design
Sleek 1960s-inspired aesthetic
Choice of lever or button controls
No flow control or pressure profiling
The Smeg Mini Pro is a lovely looking coffee maker, with the same brushed metal and smooth curves as the fully automatic BCC13 bean-to-cup espresso machine I reviewed last year. It comes in a choice of three colors: white (shown here), black, or emerald green.
It's also relatively compact, measuring 14.2 x 8.7 x 17in / 360 x 220 x 433mm. This meant it didn't look out of place in my small kitchen, and fitted easily underneath my wall cabinets.
As its name suggests the Smeg Mini pro is quite compact and won't look out of place in a small kitchen (Image credit: Future)
Although it might look a little intimidating if you're used to more basic machines, the Mini Pro is refreshingly simple to use. Reach behind the machine and you'll find a power button on the left-hand side, which turns it on with a reassuring click. Once that's done, the machine will begin to heat. It's set to 92C as standard, which in my experience gave good results, but you can delve into the settings to change it if you prefer something higher or lower.
A round LED display at the top right shows key information, such as whether the water is up to temperature, time elapsed if you're using the machine to pull a shot of espresso in manual mode, maintenance status, and the various customizable options. It's bright, and although simple, the icons in the interface are unambiguous.
There's also a pressure gauge at the bottom left of the machine's face, which gives you an idea of how well extracted your finished shot is going to be. It's a shame that there's no flow control or pressure profiling though, particularly for a machine at this price.
You can use either the manual lever or the preset buttons to pull a shot (Image credit: Future)
The Mini Pro is supplied with four filter baskets: two pressurized ones, which Smeg says are best for experimenting with grinding, dosing, and tamping, and two non-pressurized ones that are best when some of those factors are out of your control (if you're using ready-ground coffee, for example). Which one you should choose depends on whether you're brewing one or two cups.
You also get a blank filter to be used when cleaning the water tank – not something I've seen included with many espresso machines – plus a brush and two different sized needles. One of these is for cleaning the steam wand, and the other is for the holes of the filters.
The machine comes with a choice of pressurized and non-pressurized filter baskets (Image credit: Future)
The 1L water tank is located at the back, and has a sturdy handle that makes it easy to remove. There's no water filter supplied, but if you have hard water (identified using the testing strip included with the coffee machine) you can buy them separately and simply screw one into the bottom of the tank. When the tank needs refilling, you'll be notified by an icon on the display.
There's a cup-heater on top, which has a bumpy surface that keeps your stoneware from slipping off, and the drip tray is easy to slide out and empty without spillage. My only criticism of the design (and it's a very minor one) is that there's nothing really securing the cover that sits over the water tank, so you could knock it off when you're pulling the machine forward to access it.
The machine has a convenient cup-warmer on top (Image credit: Future)
Most of the components (including the filters and filter holder) can be cleaned by rinsing in water. You can use mild dish soap to clean the drip tray if necessary, but avoid anything abrasive on any part of the machine.
You'll receive an alert when it's time to descale the Mini Pro. The pros at Smeg use Oust brand descaler, but when I checked, they told me any food-safe liquid descaler would be fine. They also provided a video demonstrating how to descale the machine.
Design score: 5/5
Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine: performance
Produces consistently well extracted coffee
Fast heating and quiet pump
Lacks pressure profiling and flow control
The machine heats fast, with separate thermoblocks for coffee and steam, plus an independently heated group head to keep a consistent temperature while your coffee is extracted. During my tests it reached the target temperature of 92C within a minute, and was ready to brew shortly afterwards (the LED display will show when it's ready to go).
I really appreciated having a choice of ways to brew an espresso – either by tapping one of the buttons to pull a single or double shot, or by pulling the lever up manually so you can keep an eye on the volume of coffee and the timer yourself.
The accessories supplied with the Smeg Mini Pro are excellent quality (Image credit: Future)
The action of the lever is smooth and satisfying, but it's very nice having the choice of the two customizable buttons if you don't want to spend time measuring out a shot yourself. The single and double shot presets are easy to customize; just press and hold either button to configure it.
The pressure gauge gave a good idea of whether the my coffee was likely to be under- or over-extracted, helping me avoid wasting milk on a poor quality espresso. Although the Mini Pro can achieve 15 bars of pressure, it's optimized for 9-10 bars, which is generally considered ideal for brewing espresso.
During my tests, the machine brewed consistently excellent shots using both the manual lever and the presets. The only disappointing shot I had came when the water tank was starting to run low, but not low enough to generate a refill alert. The Mini Pro brewed a shot, but the gauge showed that it hadn't generated enough pressure, and the resulting coffee tasted dry and under-extracted. It was very useful to have an early warning that it was a bad shot before I added milk, so I could refill the tank and try again.
I was also surprised just how quiet the Smeg Mini Pro was in use, with the pump reaching only 33dB while pulling a shot – similar to the murmuring of a quiet library.
You'll receive an alert when the 1-liter water tank needs refilling (Image credit: Future)
The steam wand is excellent, and is the thing I'll miss most now that I've finished testing the Smeg Mini Pro. Its dial allows you to increase the pressure smoothly so you don't end up with milk sprayed onto your kitchen counters (something that sometimes happens with my Gaggia Classic). The large capacity of the water tank means you can also keep steaming for much longer than you can with the little Gaggia, giving you plenty of time to achieve your preferred milk texture and temperature. The dial is large and tactile, with a super smooth motion as you adjust the intensity of the steam.
Smeg hasn't skimped with the accessories either. The 2.3in / 58mm diameter tamper is nicely weighted, and even the dishwasher-safe milk pitcher is excellent. with a shape that makes it easy to achieve a good whirlpool.
Overall, making coffee with the Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Machine is a real pleasure. I'd just expect a little more customization from a product costing almost as much as a commercial model.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine?
Buy it if
You love Smeg's style
This is a gorgeous espresso machine, and the design accounts for a lot of its high asking price.
You value choice
It's up to you whether you use the two preset buttons or the Smeg Mini Pro's lever to pull a shot, and you can use whichever you're in the mood for.
Don't buy it if
Value is key
This is a very expensive espresso machine, even by Smeg's premium standards. If your budget is more modest, take a look at the excellent Breville Bambino Plus – a compact model that's a fraction if the price and earned four and a half stars in our review.
Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine: also consider
Not sure about the Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Machine? Here are two other options to consider
Smeg BCC13
This fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine is in the same family as the Mini Pro, and gives excellent results if you want a decent cup of coffee with minimal hassle. Unlike the BCC12, this model also has an auto milk frother - no manual steaming necessary.
This is a step closer to being a commercial-grade espresso machine, and offers some features you don't get with the Smeg Mini Pro, such as a heat exchange boiler so you can brew and steam simultaneously.
How I tested the Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine
I used the Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Machine instead of my usual Gaggia Classic for four weeks, typically using it two or three times a day. I usually brewed standard 60ml double-shot espressos at 92C.
I used fresh coffee beans from Clifton Coffee Roasters, ground using a Dualit burr grinder, and filtered tap water. I tested the steam wand using chilled whole dairy milk and oat milk.
The robot vacuum on review here is the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus. Elsewhere in the lineup you'll find the Yeedi M12 Pro Plus – this is essentially the same vacuum, but the Ultra Plus has marginally higher suction: 11,800Pa for the Ultra, 11,000Pa for the Pro Plus.
The Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus is a fantastic robot vacuum in terms of cleaning power. The vacuuming is powerful (with suction specs up there with the highest on the market) and reliable, the mopping is efficient – especially thanks to a pad that can shift outwards to enable this robovac to mop right up to the edges of rooms. Reliable object avoidance and very good mapping also help ensure a thorough clean.
In fact, in terms of cleaning alone, it's up there with the best robot vacuums on the market. However, it doesn't quite set itself apart in a way that's much of a game-changer, and it lacks extra features that you will find with other premium models. Perhaps the most notable of those is the lack of voice assistant support (which is surprising at this price point), but you also can't do things like use the bot as a security camera / pet checker. To some, those features will be unnecessary extras, though.
The base station is comprehensive, taking care of much of the maintenance for you, including refilling the bot's water tanks, and washing and drying the mop pads. However, the knock-on of that is that it is quite bulky.
That's the short version; read on for my full Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus robot vacuum review.
(Image credit: Future)
Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: price & availability
List price: $1,099 / (about £840 / AU$1,630)
Available: US
Launched: September 2024
An asking price of $1,099 / (about £840 / AU$1,630) may seem exorbitant, but it really isn't with flagship models such as the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus. Top-of-the-line models basically start at around $1,000 / £1,000 so something that's just a hundred bucks more is reasonable. Add on to that the fact that the Yeedi M21 Ultra Plus comes with powerful suction rated at 11,8000 Pa and has an extendable mop pad for mopping edges, along with great object avoidance, and you're getting pretty good value. While I hesitate to call it a deal, it's worth the price.
Compare, for instance, to the Narwal Freo X Ultra. At $1,399.99 / AU$ 2,299 (about £1,110), it's quite a bit more expensive, doesn't have that extendable mop pad, and isn't quite as powerful(it has 8,200 Pa of suction). The Narwal is a bit more aesthetically pleasing, however, and more feature-filled. For instance, you can actually use it as a security video camera drone.
The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is another option that's going to set you back quite a bit with its $1,199.99 / AU$2,299 (about £950) price tag. It's very feature-rich and even comes with a handheld vacuum that self-empties into the base station. While it shouldn't be a huge consideration since all of these robot vacuums frequently return to the base station to wash their mop pads, it does have a 200 minute battery life to the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus' 290 minutes.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus specs
Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: design
Spinning mop pads – one of which extends to reach the edges of rooms
3D mapping sensors for improved object avoidance
Large water tanks and dust bag in base station
The Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus, as a flagship robot vacuum, comes with some top tier design choices. For instance, while it comes with just one side brush (some models have two), it does have an anti-tangle brush roll. Plus, it comes with two spinning mop pads, one of which can extend out for edge mopping. Both can also lift off the ground for carpet cleaning as well, though it's not quite high enough for thick, shag carpets.
(Image credit: Future)
As far as its sensors go, it utilizes 3D mapping – you can see the results in the app. When it goes around mapping or cleaning, you can actually see two lasers cross in front of it. This helps with seeing objects more fully to avoid them. (Here's more on how robot vacuums navigate, if you're interested.)
(Image credit: Future)
Moving on to the base station. This is on the bulky side, although that's common for docks that offer comprehensive maintenance features, as this one does. Not only will it empty the bot's dustbin, it can also refill its onboard water tank and clean and dry its mop pads.
The most unusual thing about the dock is the fact that the clean and dirty water tanks are flat and wide, sitting on top of the base station instead of the thinner, deeper tanks of other models that sit inside the base station. I'm not sure there's a real practical difference other than the water tanks here are harder to tip over if you're filling up or emptying them.
They're both sizable, with the clean water tank holding 4L and the dirty water tank 3.5L. The dust bag that the robot vacuum automatically self-empties into is also pretty big at 3.4L. Also on hand are features that I've come to expect in flagship robot vacuums with mopping capability, such as hot mop pad washing and drying.
Design score: 5 out of 5
Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: performance
Both vacuuming and mopping are great
Extendable mop pad means edges get mopped
Object avoidance is very good
As one would expect with a flagship model, the vacuuming and mopping are both very good with the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus. I tested this robot vacuum on hardwood and marble floors as well as a bath mat to see how it would do with carpeting.
Tackling the vacuuming first, it sucked up all manner of debris very well. For a more controlled test, I used cereal and sugar and it sucked everything right up. That's to be expected for a robovac that boasts 11,800Pa of suction – right up there with the highest on the market.
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(Image credit: Future)
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If there's any place to mildly criticize the M12 Ultra Plus, it would be nice to see two side brushes instead of just one, as this would push more dust and debris in front of it to pick up per pass. At least it has a tangle-free brush roll.
While I was impressed with the mopping as well, it's a bit light on how much water it uses so I ended up preferring to use the highest water level when running it. Still, it left floors looking very clean. During that cereal and sugar test, I also tossed some coffee on the floor and it mopped that up fairly quickly.
(Image credit: Future)
Also, one of the mop pads extends out during cleaning so that the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus is able to get to the edges of rooms. It's a nice feature that not all flagship robot vacuums come with.
Since the mop pads can lift up, when it vacuumed the bath mat that I used to simulate testing on carpet, it left the bath mat dry, meaning you can use this robot vacuum in a hybrid space and it will vacuum and mop hard flooring while just vacuuming carpeted areas.
Since this robot vacuum utilizes its 3D sensors for navigating and mapping, it does a very good job avoiding objects. I saw it go right up to and around chairs that had been moved, without touching (or sometimes barely touching). Just be aware that Yeedi hasn't yet solved cables and cords (no one has, frankly) so you should still pick those up before running the robot vacuum.
Performance-related features also include mop pad washing and drying as well as auto-emptying. They all work very well, though the robot vacuum has a tendency to wash the mop pads before running, which can be annoying if something just spilled and you want to do some spot cleaning.
Battery life
Since the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus is one of those robot vacuums that regularly returns to its base station to wash its mop pads and empty its onboard dustbin, squeezing every minute of battery life out of it is not going to make a big impact on your experience. Still, its up to 290 minutes of use is fairly remarkable as many robot vacuums, especially with spinning mop pads, have a battery life that's closer to 200 minutes.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: app
Straightforward to use
Somewhat light on features – no option of voice assistant support
Mapping is mostly good
The app is straightforward, from setup to use. There are no surprises, though some of that is due to the fact that there aren't a lot of extra features here. You won't find the ability to pair with Alexa or use as a remote video drone (this may seem random but more than a few flagship models have this feature).
But, the more important stuff is here, such as running the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus in vacuum only, mop only, or vacuum and mop mode and the various settings during its cleaning (vacuuming power, mopping water level, etc.). There's also the ability to schedule cleanings, see a log of previous cleanings, edit the map, and adjust some other settings.
I like to focus specifically on the maps as I typically test robot vacuums in a semi-open floor plan and find many to have issues dividing the mapped space into smaller rooms – typically, the whole space, which comprises four rooms, are registered as one big room.
The Yeedi app does a good job dividing that space into smaller rooms, though I did find one instance where it wouldn't accept a division, so I have to either clean two rooms at once or use the zone setting to clean one of those specific rooms. This is an improvement over what I've experienced in the past, not just from Yeedi but other manufacturers as well.
App score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus?
Design
Sizable water tanks and dust bag in the base station, and the robot vacuum has an extendable mop pad.
5 /5
Performance
Vacuuming and mopping performance are both very good.
4.5 /5
Buy it if...
You want great vacuuming and mopping
There's little to fault with its vacuuming and mopping performance. Plus, it can get to the edges with that extendable mop pad.
You have an open or semi-open floor plan
Its mapping and ability to divide the map in app makes creating new rooms easy, though there are still some quirks.
You want good object avoidance
Maybe it's from that 3D mapping, but the object avoidance is very good, without giving too wide a berth to the objects the robot vacuum is avoiding.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a budget
The price is reasonable compared to other flagship models, but you're dropping quite a bit of cash here.
You want all the bells and whistles
It has all the necessities on hand, but there are a few extras that other flagship models offer that you won't find with this Yeedi – lack of voice assistant support being the main one.
Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus: alternatives to consider
Narwal Freo X Ultra
The Narwal Freo X Ultra sets itself apart just by its base station's aesthetics, with its more aerodynamic look. It's feature-filled and good at vacuuming corners, but is very pricey, has some minor issues with mapping (at least with open floor plans), and is not quite as powerful as the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus.
It might be louder and more expensive, but the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is worthy competition to the Yeedi M21 Ultra Plus. Not only does it do a great job vacuuming and mopping – it has that same extendable mop pad to get edges – but it also comes with a handheld vacuum for some extra deep or spot cleaning prowess.
To test the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus, I used it for a week to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and a bath mat (to simulate carpeting) in my house. I also tested all the features listed in the app, particularly its mapping. I took note of how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles.
GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb: two-minute review
The GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs are a fantastic addition for anyone looking to add some smart and (per the name) dynamic lighting to their smart homes. While GE offers all sorts of different lighting options, the smart bulbs comes in two versions: A19 and B30. The first, reviewed here, fits into most traditional light fixtures, while the B30 is ideal for recessed lighting.
You don’t need a hub for the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs, so adding them into a smart home is pretty straightforward. That said, they are limited to certain ecosystems – a minor travesty in this day and age where Matter certification is becoming more widely adopted.
Overall though, the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs belong in the conversation for the best smart lights due to, not only their easy implementation, but the wide range of colors and effects on offer.
The A19 bulbs fit most standard light fixtures (Image credit: James Holland)
Physically, the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs look like most smart bulbs in that they keep the same basic shape of the bulb form factor. The outer part of the bulb is an opaque white while the lower portion towards the base is covered in a matte white casing presumably covering the more digital components of the bulb.
The A19 version reviewed here is on par with a 60 watt light bulb ,offering 800 lumens in terms of brightness with a color temperature of 2,700k. Since this is a bulb with a focus on dynamic lighting, there are 16 million colors and white tones available, and the brightness can be fully adjusted.
The GY Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs offer 16 million colors to choose from, and different temperatures of white light (Image credit: James Holland)
Likewise, pairing the light bulb is very easy and straightforward, consisting of physically installing the bulb, turning on the lamp, and going through the setup prompts on the Cync app. Having dealt with a number of smart bulbs over the years, I have found that cheaper ones (aka budget brands) can have connectivity issues during pairing and sometimes even during use.
The GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects bulb might be a little spendy compared to other models, but its connectivity is rock solid. In fact, the closest I‘ve had to any issue is a second or two of lag when turning off through the app, but that’s only if the light’s been on for a while.
Setting up the bulbs using the mobile app is refreshingly straightforward (Image credit: James Holland)
I also tested it with Alexa The setup took just a few steps, and Alexa responded quickly to my voice commands. Unfortunately, this smart bulb only has access to Google Home and Alexa. While that accounts for a good number of smart home ecosystems, it leaves plenty of people in the cold, something that Matter certification would help with, and which isn't on offer here. What’s surprising is that GE does have some Matter-supported bulbs, such as in the reveal and direct connect models.
The GE Cycle Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs work with Alexa and Google Assistant, but not Apple HomeKit (Image credit: James Holland)
Most of the magic for this smart bulb is accessible via the app. Each installed light bulb shows up as its own entry in the app, and shows up as a boxy tile with an on/off toggle and a slider to adjust brightness. Tapping the tile doesn’t open more menu diving as one would expect. Instead, you’ll end up turning the light on or off depending on its current setting.
To dig deeper, there’s a little inward pointing arrow at the edge of the icon that, when pressed, moves the tile to the side to reveal four smaller icons. The first gives access to a color wheel where you can really fine-tune the color you want. If there aren’t 16 million colors available here, then it’s probably close. There are some other options in this section of the app where you can just select some preset lighting including different shades of white and some basic colors.
The app allows you to set a color for the whole bulbs, or divide it into sections (Image credit: James Holland)
I won’t say shame on you if you stick to these settings, but you’re missing out on what this light bulb can do if you don’t go beyond that. The second of the four smaller icons allows you to subdivide the lightbulb into four differently colored sections for when you want to get a little wild, but still want static lighting.
The third icon is probably the most unique to the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb as this is where the actual dynamic effects are available. First, it should be noted that the dynamic effects are subdivided into two sections of effects, selectable by pressing on ‘light shows’ or ‘music shows’ at the bottom.
Whichever is selected will show a number of presets already loaded onto the bulb, as well as a section of other presets to explore and preview that can be downloaded as well. All the dynamic effects can be customized, though the level of customization depends on the effect itself. Usually, you can change the brightness and selected colors used (many of the presets cycle through different colors for their effects) at the minimum.
The bulb's 'light shows' are a fun addition, and all dynamic effects are customizable (Image credit: James Holland)
The light shows are fun, but are a bit more static than the music shows, which use the microphone on your smartphone (and you can select the sensitivity) to respond to aural stimulus. It’s really cool to see the smart bulb change color and intensity according to the dynamics of a song. The only minor issue is that it responds much better with the volume up. So, when I have a music show effect loaded and am listening to music at a comfortable level that one could talk over, the effect only seems to respond to the peaks of the audio and is off otherwise. To get the full experience, I have to turn up. While cool, I have to consider my neighbors when choosing to turn it up.
Lastly, the fourth icon is for settings. While I won’t spend too much time on this, it’s worth mentioning that there’s a feature here called ‘Trueimage’ that lets you take a picture to set as the background of the smart bulb tile, and preview changes even if you're not in the same room.
TrueImage is a tool that lets you preview changes to the color of your smart bulbs even when you're in a different room (Image credit: James Holland)
The Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb looks great, whether on a white light setting – regardless of the warmth (I do like to go warmer) – or one of the dynamic effects with its full color array.
Really, the only shortcomings of this light bulb is the lack of Matter support. While somewhat expensive on a per-bulb basis, it’s not an unreasonable price. And, the dynamic effects are worth the cost.
GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb: specs
GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb: price and availability
Prices start at $19.99 (about £20 / AU$40)
Available now
Available in the US and Canada
Getting a two-pack of the A19 size direct from GE will run you $37.99, while a single bulb costs $19.99 MSRP. Their availability is limited to the US and Canada, as they unfortunately do not work in the UK or Australia. The B30 is priced very similarly with a single bulb, though it’s listed at a range from around $17 to $26 depending on the retailer.
Pricewise, the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs are a little on the higher end, considering that a two-pack of the Govee Wi-Fi LED Bulb goes for $23.99 / £23.39. Of course, there are some trade-offs, particularly the fact that the Govee’s brightness and the app design could be better.
However, $20 a bulb is not an inappropriate price point. Nanoleaf Matter Essentials costs $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.99 for an A19 bulb. While Nanoleaf’s app is a bit buggy compared to the rock-solid setup of the GE Cync, it does come with Matter certification is more universal in application.
Should you buy the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb?
Buy it if
You want dynamic effects
The dynamic effects available here are a treat, especially the ones that respond to audio, and set it apart from the competition. Get enough of these and you could probably throw your own rave.
You want easy connectivity
This smart bulb is incredibly easy to set up and use, not to mention that its connectivity is rock solid.
Don't buy it if
You don’t want to spend too much
At about $20 per bulb, the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb is on the pricier end. If you’re trying to stretch your budget (maybe you’re trying to get a bunch of bulbs), there are plenty of smart bulbs that are much more affordable.
GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb: also consider
Govee Wi-Fi LED Bulb
If you’re on a budget, the Govee Wi-Fi LED Bulb might be the way to go. Sure, the colors could be a little brighter and the app could be better designed, but you can get two Govee bulbs for almost the price of one GE Cync smart bulb. The Govee likewise supports Google Home and Alexa.
The Nanoleaf Matter Essentials might need a hub for Apple HomeKit, but it's Matter-certified, meaning that you can use it with any smart home ecosystem. If you have something outside of Google Home or Alexa, that immediately puts it above the GE Cync bulbs. On the flip side, their setup is not quite as rock solid as the GE Cync’s.
How I tested the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs
Tested over a couple weeks
Tested all the different features including multiple dynamic effects
Used with a voice assistant
I spent a couple weeks using the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulbs to get an idea of how they function against how they’re advertised and to see if they’re worth the price. I tested the various presets, from static colors to various dynamic effects. I even connected it with Alexa to see how it would work with a voice assistant.
After having tested the GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Smart Bulbs, I found them to be ideal for those who want a little extra from smart lighting, particularly those engrossing dynamic effects.
I’ve spent the last few years reviewing all sorts of gadgets from audio equipment and robot vacuums to laptops and more with a detailed eye on whether the product works as advertised and is beneficial to those who might be interested in it. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.
The Miele Blizzard CX1 range is available in multiple territories, but in various different configurations. These have the same base model, but different tools and accessories. For this review, I tested the Blizzard CX1 Flex.
The Miele Blizzard CX1 is a bagless cylinder vacuum that plugs in via a power cable for endless vacuuming time. It offers four suction levels and four vacuuming accessories in addition to the main floorhead.
Miele is a German brand with a reputation for quality across many appliance categories. And since it's been making vacuums for around 100 years, it knows a thing or two about designing the best vacuum cleaners. Miele offers two distinct ranges of bagless plug-in cylinder vacuums, the Miele Blizzard CX1 range and the Miele Boost CX1 range.
There are a few different CX1 options which use the same base model but have different tools and accessories. For this review, I tested the CX1 Flex.
On the whole, its size, coupled with features like its large dust canister make it well suited to larger homes. And while performance was good, it's not the best I've tried on carpet and it isn't suited to homes with pets either. But it's quiet and easy to use, plus the super long flexible crevice nozzle allows you to clean those awkward, tight spaces between your large appliances and the wall.
(Image credit: Future)
Miele Blizzard CX1 review: price & availability
Various options in Blizzard CX1 range, depending on territory
Price: $479-$999 / £429-£499 / AU$849
The Miele Blizzard CX1 range is available in multiple territories, but exactly which models you can get depends on where you live.
For this review, I tested the Miele Blizzard CX1 Flex, which is only available in the UK, and costs £429. It can be bought directly from Miele, or via large electrical retailers such as Currys or Hughes. In the UK there are four Miele Blizzard CX1 vacuums ranging from £429 to £499 and at the time of writing some of them were available at a discounted price, so it's worth shopping around, especially around the time of seasonal sales.
In the US there are three Miele Blizzard CX1 models, which have the same main vacuum as the one I tested, but different accessories and floorheads. They range in price from $479 to $999.
In Australia there's one model available, it's the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Powerline and it'll set you back AU$849. Take a look at the Miele website in your country, for more details on the models available.
No matter which model you go for, the Blizzard CX1 is in the premium price bracket, and while that's not unexpected for this brand, I think it's a little overpriced given the overall performance.
Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5
Miele Blizzard CX1 specs
Miele Blizzard CX1 review: design
Big and bulky for a cylinder vacuum
Not all tools stored on board
Good size dust canister
When I first removed the Miele Blizzard CX1 Flex from its box I was surprised at how chunky it felt. And maybe that is in part because I've just reviewed the super compact Miele Boost CX1, nevertheless it's worth checking out the dimensions if you're short on storage space.
The cylinder itself measures 51.5 x 31 x 29cm/ 20.3 x 12.2 x 11.4 inches (h x w x d) when stood upright on its end. The advantage of a larger vacuum is usually a larger dust canister and the Miele Blizzard CX1 has an ample 2 liter bagless canister. Though I would argue that its 7.5 meter/ 24.6ft power cord is on the short side.
(Image credit: Future)
This particular model comes with an upholstery nozzle and crevice tool, both of which are stored on board the vacuum, at the back. There's also a dusting brush, which frustratingly isn't stored on the vacuum. And lastly, there's an extra long and bendy crevice nozzle that's ideal for reaching down the sides of large appliances such as a fridge or dryer.
The crevice nozzle is what makes this the Flex model, the standard UK Miele Blizzard CX1 is exactly the same but without the flexible crevice nozzle. Other models in the range include different floorhead types such as parquet floorhead for very delicate hard floors, or a motorized floorhead for optimized pet hair pickup.
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The floorhead included with this model is called an EcoTeQ floorhead and Miele describes it as being designed for energy efficient vacuuming with maximum cleaning. For the best performance cleaning carpet and collecting pet hair, you'll need to fork out for the top-of-the-range Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog model which comes with the motorized floorhead.
The controls are very simple, there are just two buttons and a dial on the body of the vacuum. The power button and the cord rewind button can both be foot operated to avoid the need to bend down. But when you want to switch between the four suction levels you will have to bend down to adjust the dial.
The only other control is the foot pedal located on the floorhead. The position of this switch dictates the position of the brushes on the underside of the floorhead, and you have to adjust it depending on whether you're vacuuming carpet or hard floors.
(Image credit: Future)
Between the floorhead and the handle is a telescopic wand, which is an adjustable height tube. That means you can adjust it to suit your height, or, if you're trying to reach under furniture, you can extend it to lengthen the reach.
The dust canister lifts straight up and out of the vacuum simply by grabbing its handle and pulling upwards. Then it's easily emptied by pressing the bright yellow release button which flips open the bottom of the dust canister, allowing all the dirt and debris to fall directly into your bin.
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Once the dust canister has been removed and emptied, there are two filters inside it that can be cleaned periodically. The filter frame slides out from inside the canister and the pre-filter can be found at the back of the canister. Both should be cleaned when obviously dirty by removing dust and rinsing.
The main fine dust filter can be removed and cleaned manually in water. But it also has a handy self clean function called ComfortClean. When it reaches a specified degree of soiling, the vacuum will switch off for around 20 seconds and carry out this cleaning process. Or, you can start the ComfortClean process simply by pressing the ComfortClean button.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Miele Blizzard CX1 review: performance
Quiet in use
Not effective at hair pick up on carpet
Excellent edge cleaning
In general I found the suction to be effective on all hard floors and was particularly impressed when I tested the pickup at the sides of the floorhead. I did this by sprinkling flour along baseboards and no matter which side of the floorhead I vacuumed with, the results were flawless and no flour was left lingering at the edges of the room.
Due to there being no brushes at the front of the floorhead, it does feel like it clatters along on my uneven, rustic slate tiled floors as opposed to gliding smoothly. And if I had very expensive or delicate hard floors, this might concern me more. On my wood floors, which are flat and not uneven, it glides more smoothly.
(Image credit: Future)
To test the performance on very fine particles I dusted flour onto my hard floors and vacuumed it back up again. For the most part it collected the flour in one sweep. On wood floors it collected all the flour that had settled into the grooves between the boards but I could see that some flour was still embedded into the wood grain and this took a couple of sweeps to remove.
Depending on the direction I vacuumed towards the flour it did sometimes push a small pile of flour out in front of the floorhead. It was swiftly and easily sucked up by approaching it from a different angle, but I'd prefer this didn't happen in the first place.
(Image credit: Future)
Overall pickup on carpet was good, but it wasn't faultless. I've got both a wool carpet and a synthetic carpet. On the synthetic carpet the suction felt really strong and I had to turn it down in order to actually be able to vacuum the room. It left the floors looking very clean.
On the less fluffy wool carpet, suction was fairly decent and having just reviewed the Miele Boost CX1, I do think the Blizzard CX1 offers better suction on carpet. But it still didn't feel like it was giving the carpet a thorough clean; I'd much prefer a motorized floorhead.
Picking up hair was effortless on hard floors, but on carpet, the hair got dragged around and clumped up before eventually being sucked into the vacuum after several passes. If you've got pets and carpet, you'll find models better suited to your needs in TechRadar's guide to the best vacuums for pet hair.
(Image credit: Future)
The body of the vacuum could just about balance on a step when vacuuming stairs, but it hangs over the edge of the step. So in all honesty it's a bit too big, and I didn't feel confident that it wouldn't topple. I found it best to move it up with me one step at a time and position my body in front of it, so it could only tilt into me and not fall.
By attaching the main floorhead directly to the handle, I found vacuuming stairs to be pretty quick and easy. When needed I could grab the crevice tool from its position onboard the vacuum to easily get into corners and edges.
I like the long crevice nozzle that gave me the opportunity to vacuum some areas that I can't normally get to with most vacuums. Awkward thin gaps like down the sides of my washing machine were finally within reach. Admittedly, I couldn't easily see how well it was doing, but I could hear debris being sucked up the pipe so it's safe to assume these areas were left cleaner than they started.
(Image credit: Future)
The upholstery tool is a bit basic in my opinion and it's also very small. And I found it frustrating that unless I remembered to push it very firmly into place, it would end up falling off mid-use. Having said all that, it works fine for sprucing up sofas and chairs.
(Image credit: Future)
The dusting brush is good and effective. I like that by twisting it, the angle of the brush adjusts, so you can set it up perfectly for the job at hand. It made short work of dusting a huge shelving unit in my living room.
Overall, in my small home with its cottage proportions, this cylinder vacuum was quite simply too bulky. In tight spaces it can feel like the vacuum itself is always in the way. It was much more at home and user-friendly in larger, more open spaces.
(Image credit: Future)
In the car I was able to use the main floorhead to clean the boot, but had to switch to the upholstery tool for most other jobs including the seats, mats, and carpet. The issue is that it's a very basic and small upholstery tool, so this took a bit of time.
The crevice nozzle was able to reach down most of the awkward gaps. For the really hard-to-reach spots, I got out the long bendy nozzle and it managed to reach some areas down the sides of the seats that have long been neglected. The dusting brush was useful for the dashboard and other hard surfaces.
Even on maximum suction, this is a quiet vacuum. On carpet it averaged 70-75dB and it was slightly louder on hard floors at 75-80dB. The noise level decreases as you decrease the suction, so even though it's not particularly loud, you can still make it quieter.
(Image credit: Future)
In practice, emptying the dirt was straightforward, though when the base of the canister flipped open, it often didn't open up as wide as it could, and in these instances some dust and debris would settle on it and need a quick shake to remove.
Performance score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Miele Blizzard CX1?
Buy it if...
You live in a larger home
The two liter dust canister and longer power cord make the Miele Blizzard CX1 range more appropriate for larger homes than the Miele Boost CX1 range.
You want a vacuum that doesn't need charging
It might seem obvious, but a plug in vacuum offers you endless vacuuming time and removes the worry of running out of power, which is a common problem with cordless vacuums.
You want a straightforward vacuum
With just four power levels to choose from, this is a straightforward vacuum that's easy to operate and maintain, it won't befuddle you with unnecessary settings and controls.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a budget
If money is tight and you want a Miele canister vacuum, take a look at the cheaper Miele Boost CX1 range, the vacuums are smaller but much cheaper and still come with the Miele pedigree.View Deal
You've got pets
Due to the style of floorhead, this vacuum isn't designed for homes with pets. For effective and efficient pet hair pick up you'll need a vacuum with a motorised floorhead.
You lack storage space
This isn't the most compact canister vacuum you can buy from Miele, so if storage space is tight take a look at the Miele Boost CX1 range instead.
How I tested the Miele Blizzard CX1
In my career testing and reviewing home appliances I've tried out well in excess of a hundred vacuums. This gives me a pretty good understanding of what makes a good vacuum and what features and design details will quickly become annoying.
I set up this vacuum in my own home and used it for my regular cleaning tasks. Not only that, but I cleaned my car with it, and set up some tests to see how well it performed very specific tasks such as cleaning right up to the edges of a room.
I also checked the noise level, maneuverability and comfort in use. Furthermore I checked that any maintenance wouldn't be too complicated or overwhelming, and that emptying out the dirt would be easy and mess-free.
Dreame Technologies hasn’t been around long but, since its inception in 2017, the brand has made some excellent robot vacuums, including the Dreame L20 Ultra. The X40 Ultra succeeds the older model (as well as the X30 Ultra), bringing much-improved intelligence and tracking compared to lesser bots, as well as a fairly unique collection of features. For those who want something slightly cheaper, it's well worth checking out our Dreame L40 Ultra review.
Like most robovacs, the X40 Ultra handles both vacuuming and mopping and comes with a base station that empties the robovac’s dustbin, dispenses water, and cleans the mopping system. Where it stands out is the ability to leave the mop pads behind when vacuuming, the automatic dispensing of floor-cleaning fluid, the wide array of sensors, and the ability to recognize a large number of objects using its cameras.
Getting the X40 Ultra up and running is relatively simple, and upon first activation, it will map your home with an array of sensors. The test space for this review was my own home with a built-in area of 80 sqm, and it took the bot about 10 minutes to poke its robotic nose into every room. The quality of the resulting map is excellent, and any adjustments are easy to make within the Dreamehome app. The X40 is great at identifying and avoiding obstacles like shoes or cables and can even recognize your pets and give them space when cleaning. While very functional overall, the app can be a little clunky at times, like lack of consistency in how navigation gestures work, and a convoluted layout to reach certain settings.
If activating a scheduled or single-time clean, selecting CleanGenius mode lets the robovac use its own smarts to decide exactly what is needed, and it will vacuum, mop, and go back over areas as it sees fit. While the results were good, I found the robovac went a bit overboard and wanted to mop my polished wooden floors every day. Instead, I set a schedule for a daily vacuum and reduced mopping to once a week. I also configured shortcuts in the app to trigger custom cleanups, like an extra vacuum or mop by the front or back door for when my dog walked in with muddy paws.
The X40 Ultra is equipped with an extendable and liftable side brush for getting into corners and under furniture, plus dual spinning mop pads – one of which can also protrude further out as needed. The mop pads are magnetically attached, so the bot can leave them behind at the base station when vacuuming carpets, avoiding any chance of spreading damp mop water or contamination.
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After three months of daily use, it’s hard to find fault with the vacuuming prowess of the X40. It works equally well on hard floors, carpets, or rugs, and the extendable brush does a great job of getting into corners and cleaning debris from along walls. The spinning extendable mops are likewise very effective, and the X40 Ultra can keep your floors shiny or quickly get rid of sticky messes. It also very thoroughly cleans the mop pads with hot water – then dries them with hot air – to avoid odors. Overall, the wearing parts on the X40 Ultra (like the mop pads, filters, and corner brush) are fairly robust and don’t need to be replaced too often.
Importantly, it has pet feces detection – and it really does work – which allows the robovac to spot and avoid any accidents, ensuring you won’t come home to a horror show of smeared messes. It can also detect wet patches, so it won’t spread or vacuum over any puddles it encounters.
As great as the robot itself is, the suction on the auto-empty station is a bit weak. I found I had to change the bag more often than expected – and these can get quite expensive. The X40 Ultra itself is not cheap – it’s one of the more expensive models on the market – but when you compare the actual technology and features included, it provides decent value overall.
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Dreame X40 Ultra review: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starting from $1,899 / £1,299 / AU$2,799
When is it available? Available to buy now
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia
The Dreame X40 Ultra was announced in May 2024 and can be bought directly from the Dreame website if your country has a local online storefront or from authorized local retailers, which can include Amazon. It has a rather steep asking price of $1,899 / £1,299 / AU$2,799 and, so far, has only attracted modest discounts. That said, it shouldn’t be too long before we start seeing worthwhile discounts, which would make the X40 Ultra worth investing in if you want a complete and autonomous cleaning solution for your floors.
However, using the X40 Ultra will incur ongoing costs, specifically the replaceable dust bags. I’ve included the accessories pricing below for the US, UK, and Australia. Notably the Dreame website doesn’t sell the side brush in the US, or the brush cover in Australia. You can also get a kit that contains 2x dust bags, 2x dust filters, 1x main brush, 2x side brushes, 6x mop pads – rather useless ratios of these consumables as they don’t match the usage rates.
For households like mine that have people (or pets) with long hair, Dreame sells an optional TriCut brush that’s designed to shred hair and avoid tangles and clogs. This upgrade does a much better job at keeping hair from tangling compared to the standard brush, and I think it’s well worth the added $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$199.95 – though Aussie buyers pay a very steep premium compared to the US and UK.
If you don’t need all the features offered by the X40 Ultra, or have a simple home layout with few obstacles, then a cheaper robovac like the Dreame L10s Ultra or D10 Plus may be a better buy. You can also opt for options from Ecovacs, with some models like the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus ($649.99 / £499 / AU$999) and Ecovacs DEEBOT T20 Omni ($1,099.99 / £951.65 / AU$1,799) offering good value for money.
The X40 Ultra has a fairly standard design and complements the typical round robovac form factor with a base station for charging, dustbin emptying, floor-cleaner dispensing, mop washing and drying – plus containers for clean and dirty mop water. In the box, you get the robovac itself (including mop pads), the base station, two dust bags, a cleaning tool, and 200ml (6.7 ounces) of floor-cleaning solution. Setting it up is very easy – the base station needs the ramp attached, but otherwise, it’s ready to go once plugged in and charged. After installing the app, you scan a QR code on the robovac, and it walks you through the rest of the process in just a few minutes.
The base station is tall (60cm / 24-inches) but relatively skinny (35cm / 14-inches) and only needs 5cm (2 inches) of clearance on each side. The dust bag and floor cleaner dispenser are hidden under a front-opening cover on the dock, while the mop water is accessed from under a hatch on the top – meaning it’s not suited for placement under a bench. Dreame will also soon release an optional kit to allow the base station to be plumbed into a fresh-water supply and a waste-water outlet, enabling the mop water changes to be fully automatic. The availability of this kit is to be confirmed.
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The robovac sports a multitude of sensors to help navigate your home, ensure the best clean, and avoid any pets or places where it could get stuck. The front of the bot has two cameras (one infrared), as well as 3D Dual-Line Laser sensors and LED headlights. The underside has a carpet sensor, along with downward-facing cliff sensors to detect steps or other drops. The sides of the robovac have edge sensors, and on top, it features a microphone and a laser distance sensor (LDS). All these work together to allow the bot to recognize over 120 different types of objects – including obstacles like cables that could cause a tangle when vacuuming.
The X40 Ultra offers four suction levels – Quiet, Standard, Turbo, Max, and Max+ – with up to a very high 12,000Pa of pull. Notably, the highest suction level (Max+) is only available for a one-off clean and can’t be used with a schedule or a customized shortcut clean. This means the full advertised suction (up from the X30 Ultra’s 8,300Pa) feels like marketing spin, rather than an actually useful upgrade.
The robovac can extend its side brush to get deep into corners, clean along edges or under the lip of low furniture – and even lift it to avoid spreading liquids. The bot can also magnetically drop and pick up the mop pads from the base station, giving it extra cleaning flexibility. While the bot can lift the pads when vacuuming carpet, the clearance is 10.5mm (0.4 inches), so for deeper carpet piles or rugs, leaving the mop pads behind ensures there’s no chance of dampness or cross-contamination. The right-hand side mop pad is also extendable – meaning the X40 Ultra can reach into corners, mop along the edges of kitchen cabinets, or even clean a little way under the edge of low appliances like a fridge.
Design score: 4 / 5
Dreame X40 Ultra review: Performance
Somewhat noisy at full power
Amazing obstacle recognition
Weak base station automatic emptying
Overall, the X40 Ultra does a very thorough job of vacuuming and mopping – and aside from picking up larger debris by hand and the occasional spot clean, I didn’t have to do any extra floor cleaning myself. The robovac has a CleanGenius mode that lets it choose the cleaning parameters for you – though I found it mopped much too frequently, and I preferred using the scheduled cleaning function (as well as shortcuts) to create my own customized cleaning regime.
The X40 Ultra isn’t especially fast, and during my testing, it took around 1 minute per square meter when vacuuming, and takes about the same amount of time to mop. That said, it can vacuum and mop at the same time if needed, which allows for a quicker cleaning run. The 6,400mAh battery is rated to provide up to 198 minutes of vacuuming and mopping at Standard suction strength, covering up to an area of 308m² (3,315ft²) in Quiet mode. It’s a little frustrating that Dreame rates the runtime and area coverage at different vacuum power levels – the exact amount of coverage per charge depends on your specific home and cleaning settings. During my testing, the X40 Ultra was able to vacuum my small 80m² two-bedroom home at Max suction level, then do a full mop, and still have 80% charge remaining. Extrapolating from that, I think it will have no trouble cleaning up to 200m² per charge.
Overall performance score: 4 / 5
Mapping and obstacle avoidance
After setup, the X40 created a very accurate map of my home – with no adjustments needed in the app aside from giving rooms specific names. When vacuuming, the array of sensors and cameras does a great job of spotting anything on the floor, and it’s especially careful to stay clear of anything that might cause a tangle – like shoelaces or cords. Handily, the bot records a picture (viewable in the app) of any obstacle it encounters, making it easy to move it before the next clean.
The X40 Ultra has the smarts to recognize your pets (in my case, just the paws of a Great Dane) and will keep clear if it spots them snoozing. It records a few pictures of any interactions – viewable in the cleaning log via the app – so you can see how your pet reacts to the vacuum. It’s also possible to set up zones for the robovac to stay out of, like around a pet's bed or feeding area. Even more importantly, the robovac can recognize any pet droppings and will steer well clear when cleaning. My dog doesn’t make any messes at home, so I faked a test using food, and the X40 Ultra had no trouble identifying the fake feces and dutifully stayed well clear.
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Using the app, you can also stream live video from the robovac’s main camera while it’s working, or take over and remotely steer it – though this can be a bit laggy. You can also command the bot to navigate to a specific spot in your home, use it to have a two-way conversation, or even have it automatically search for your pets and snap a picture.
Impressively, the robovac only got stuck twice in three months of testing – and both times were my fault. The first time was because it half-ingested a USB-C cable I had knocked down next to the base station, and the second was from vacuuming up a loose tile in my (very old) bathroom. In both cases, no damage was caused, as the bot knew it was stuck and waited patiently until freed.
Overall, the X40 Ultra did an amazing job of navigating my home and had no problem cleaning around always-changing obstacles – big and small – left in its way. It’s a great choice for anyone with a busy, complex home, or if you don’t want to have to worry about picking every last thing up from the floor before cleaning.
Mapping and obstacle avoidance score: 4.5 / 5
Vacuuming
I tested the X40 on polished wooden floors, as well as tiles and rugs. Aside from vacuuming every day for three months, I also performed a number of specific tests to gauge how effective the robovac is at cleaning up a variety of spills and debris types. I used flour, sand, rice, oats, dry dog food, and some dry leaves – scattered in a corner on hard floors and then on a short-pile rug.
Whether on carpet or hard floors, the flour, rice, oats, and leaves were 90% (or more) cleaned up after one pass – and fully gone after two. The dry dog food was all sucked up in one go, while the sand took three passes to capture it all (although a few grains remained on the rug). Importantly, the X40 Ultra’s side brush is relatively slow-spinning, so it doesn’t tend to flick any material away from the vacuum. Anything larger than about 10mm x 8mm (0.4 inches x 0.3 inches) will generally be recognized and avoided by the robovac, as it could get stuck behind the main brush.
I found that the standard vacuum level is fine for picking up pet fur, dust, and light debris on hard floors – but needs to be bumped up to Turbo or Max for carpets. The higher suction modes were also best for sand, heavier dirt, or chunkier debris like oats and dry dog food. This means a daily vacuum in the standard mode with a single pass will capture almost all the lighter debris in your home, but may leave a small amount of heavier debris behind. This isn’t much of a problem, as you can customize scheduled cleans on a room-by-room basis to accommodate different needs.
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On lower suction levels, the sound isn’t too intrusive – and could be set to vacuum overnight – but with the suction turned up, the noise level is not far off a stick vacuum. Measuring at 1 meter (3.3 feet) with a decibel meter, the bot produced 43 dB on Quiet, 46 dB on Standard, 51 dB on Turbo, 55 dB on Max, and 60 dB on Max+. When the robovac is driving without vacuuming, it produces 41 dB, while mopping sits at 35 dB most of the time – with occasional peaks up to 45 dB when moving fast. The base station emptying the robovac dustbin hits 57 dB, while mop washing is 33 dB with peaks up to 50 dB when the water pump runs. These results are normal, but not particularly quiet – so you'll want to position the base station away from living areas where you relax or watch TV.
My home has two people who shed a lot of long hair, and in my testing, the side brush stayed relatively tangle-free – as did the main wheels and mop pads. The front roller does slowly collect hair – as does the main brush – though the TriCut brush (which is available to buy separately) is much better in this regard. Thankfully, both these areas are very easy to maintain, and the X40 Ultra’s design keeps the hair from getting sucked deeper into the inaccessible innards of the robovac.
Vacuuming score: 4.5 / 5
Mopping
I’m not a frequent mopper at the best of times, so I started my X40 Ultra’s testing with a deep clean – then reduced the mopping frequency to once a week – and my floors have never looked better! I found it handy to turn on an extra mopping schedule during wet weather, so areas near the front and back door were kept clean of muddy shoe and paw prints.
Like its side brush, the X40 Ultra can also extend the mop pad on the right side, and I found the robovac easily cleaned areas where a handheld mop struggled to reach. The automatically dispensed cleaning solution (a bottle is supplied in the box) also helped cut through grime in a way that robovacs using plain water can’t manage.
To further test the mopping ability, I spilled two puddles of soy sauce – one of which I allowed to dry – and also smeared wasabi paste and sticky honey on a section of tiled and wooden floor. I found that the liquid soy sauce was cleaned away in a single pass, while the thick, dried soy took two passes to remove. A third pass was needed to get the floor squeaky clean. The wasabi paste and honey both took two mopping passes to fully clean up, leaving no trace behind.
The bot washed the mop pads between each test – removing any contamination from previous cleanups. That said, the X40 Ultra is not designed to mop more than a small amount of liquid, as the pads are meant for scrubbing, not sponging.
The only issue I noticed is that the strong magnet in the mop pads (used to attach them to the vacuum) tends to pick up tiny particles of magnetic dirt. It’s normal for some dirt to be slightly magnetic (due to iron content), and this accumulates on the plastic spindle of the mop pads. The mop washing process doesn’t remove this dirt – in fact, it increases wear on the base station – and the slightly rusty residue can stain the mop pads or potentially other flooring during mopping. To avoid this, regularly wipe away any residue remaining on middle of the mop pads.
Mopping score: 4.5 / 5
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Dual scrubbing mop pads.
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The mop pads can be left behind in the base station.
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One mop pad can extend out to reach into corners and under the edge of furniture.
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The magnetic mop pad attachment can accumulate iron rich dirt.
Base station performance
Dreame rates the 3.2-liter (108 oz) dust bag in the base station for up to 75 days of use – but how long it lasts for you will depend on how large or dirty your home gets. The robovac itself has a 0.3-liter (10 oz) dust bin that is emptied by the base station as needed when full, or it can be set to empty after every room.
While I was impressed with the suction on the bot itself, the base station suction is weaker than expected. I found it didn’t always manage to fully empty the bin in the robovac, leaving debris to build up if not manually cleaned. Worse, despite all its smarts, the robovac couldn’t sense when the base station had not successfully emptied its bin – or tell that it was clogged and not vacuuming effectively. That meant it would often do an entire home vacuum while clogged and not pick up anything.
Even when the base station successfully empties the robovac’s dust bin, the low suction means the debris tends to form a clog right at the mouth of the dust bag. This clog would further reduce the suction, worsening the emptying problem. I found the situation could be somewhat alleviated by setting the base station’s auto-emptying frequency to the highest setting and occasionally manually triggering an extra empty cycle. It also helped to ensure the dust bags were very carefully installed with no folds of fabric near the inlet – or to occasionally manually shift the collected debris further into the bag. Even so, I needed to change the bags well before they were full, and I found they only lasted half as long as the 75-day rating from Dreame.
This is the main reason I would find it hard to recommend the X40 Ultra for a household with pets that shed hair (like golden retrievers or huskies) or one with a lot of debris to vacuum up – as the base station suction just isn’t powerful enough to ensure problem-free operation and economical use of the dust bags.
On the plus side, the mop washing system works very well, and I only encountered one minor downside during my testing. The base station heats water and dispenses it into the washing system, then circulates it against the mop pads while the robovac spins the mop pads against plastic scrubbers to remove any contamination. The used water is then sucked out and stored in the dirty water container, and the mop pads and cleaning system are dried using hot air to avoid any odors. The washing process is a little noisy at time, like when the pumps runs, and the drying fan does make a quiet whir for a few hours.
Base station performance score: 3 / 5
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Dreame X40 Ultra review: App control
Deep customization of scheduled cleans
Homescreen widgets and shortcuts
The app is sometimes laggy and feels unpolished
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While the X40 Ultra can be controlled in a limited way using the buttons on top of the circular bot, the app is the best option for everyday use. It makes it easy to interact with the map of your home – created immediately after setup and updated during each clean – and allows you to customize cleaning sessions. The depth of control is noticeably better than competitors such as Ecovacs, and you can fine-tune much of the robot’s day-to-day operations, as well as check the comprehensive cleaning history.
I found the layout and navigation of the app frustrating at times. For example, many frequently used options – like adjusting scheduled cleans – are buried a few layers deep in the menu system, and such settings are locked out when the robovac is in operation.
In my three months of testing, the X40 Ultra only failed to start a scheduled clean once (with no discernible reason) and completed the next day's clean without a problem. The robovac will only connect to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, and I found it sometimes had issues with a typical dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) mesh network – like you’d find in our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems. At one point, the X40 didn’t want to connect to my network, and a few times it reported low signal strength despite being right near the router. I found it much more stable to configure a dedicated 2.4GHz Wi-Fi SSID for the robovac to connect to.
While the Dreamehome app is less polished than expected for such a premium robovac, it’s not better or worse overall compared to the competition. Sure, brands like Ecovacs and Eufy offer apps that are nicer to use in many ways – but neither provides the same depth of control options, and they still suffer from lag and the occasional missed clean.
App score: 4 / 5
Dreame X40 Ultra review: Consumables and maintenance
The X40 Ultra comes with everything you need to get started right away, but there are only two dust bags included, along with one small refill of floor cleaning fluid. This means you need to either buy spare bags when purchasing the vacuum, or order them within a month or two. The X40 Ultra consumables (main vacuum brush, mop pads, floor cleaning solution, vacuum bags, side brush and robovac dust bin filters) are mostly only available via the Dreame website in the UK and Australia, whereas in the US they are easier to buy from Amazon than they are from Dreame.
The Dreame app keeps track of each cleaning session and provides an estimated remaining life (in hours) for the consumables and wearing parts. The estimates generally seem quite conservative, and I expect many parts – like the main brush – will last longer than rated and need less frequent changing than expected. Maintenance for the Dreame X40 Ultra is fairly simple and takes about 10 minutes a month. It’s not messy or difficult to do and mostly involves giving the robovac a check-over, dusting off the sensors, and removing any trapped hair if needed. The latter involves removing the main or side brush and simply sliding the wrapped hair off – and I didn’t have to cut any free during my testing.
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Extrapolating my three months of testing to a full year, and using the remaining life estimates in the Dreame app, the X40 Ultra consumables include 10 to 12 dust bags, one filter, one side brush, a container of floor cleaner, one set of replacement mop pads, and one replacement TriCut brush – adding up to around $200 / £163 / AU$500. For a larger home, this cost could easily double or triple. Notably, in Australia (where the X40 Ultra was tested for this review), the TriCut brush is 170% more expensive compared to the US and UK – so using the normal brush saves AU$150 a year.
While using the official Dreame accessories is recommended, there are third-party consumables available from online retailers like eBay and Amazon. The best are nearly indistinguishable from the official Dreame parts, while the worst are of very poor quality and won’t work correctly. Until Dreame offers affordable bulk packs of dust bags, it’s hard to pass on third-party alternatives – provided you can find good-quality ones.
Consumables and maintenance score: 3.5 / 5
Should I Buy the Dreame X40 Ultra?
Buy it if…
You want a premium robovac with the latest features There are very few competitors that can come close to matching the extensive functionality offered by the X40 Ultra.
You need excellent obstacle avoidance The X40 Ultra is very skilled at avoiding anything that might cause it to get stuck, as well as cleaning around obstacles or even accidents from your pets.
You have deep pile carpets The X40 Ultra’s party trick is being able to leave the mop pads at the base station, allowing it to vacuum through the plushest of carpets with zero chance of dampness or cross contamination.
Don’t buy it if…
You have pets that shed more than average The robovac itself is great at picking up fur and other debris, but the base station auto-empty system lacks suction and the bag needs to be changed before it’s full to avoid clogging.
You only have carpet The X40 Ultra does a fantastic job of mopping and keeping its mop pads clean, but if you don’t have much in the way of hard floors, you’ll save a lot of cash opting for a cheaper vacuum-only robovac.
You want a cheaper option The X40 Ultra is great, but it’s also one of the most expensive robovacs available. For those on a budget, there are plenty of other great options at more affordable prices.
Also consider
Not sold on the Dreame X40 Ultra? Below are a few alternatives that are worth considering.
Dreame L10s Ultra This slightly older model doesn’t have quite as many features as the X40 Ultra and isn’t as powerful, but it’s still a great option and can often be found for less than half the price. Read our full Dreame L10s Ultra reviewView Deal
Eufy Omni S1 Pro One of the few robovacs that can compete directly with the X40 Ultra, the Eufy Omni S1 Pro is a feature packed robovac with an innovative rolling cylinder mopping system. Read our full Eufy Omni S1 Pro reviewView Deal
Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo While not as good at dodging cables as the Dreame X40 Ultra, the Deebot T30S Comboi stands out with a stick vacuum that slots into the base station, keeping it ready to go for any extra cleanup. Read our full Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo reviewView Deal
How I tested the Dreame X40 Ultra
I used the X40 Ultra as my main vacuum cleaner for three months
My testing space included hard floors and carpet
I performed specific grain-size and wet-spill tests
I used the Dreame X40 Ultra daily for three months in a home with a dog and two adults. I tested the X40 Ultra on polished wooden floors, tiles, carpet, and medium-pile rugs. The weather during the test period included both wet and dry conditions. I started with an initial deep clean, followed by ongoing daily vacuuming, with mopping once or twice a week – plus extra spot cleans as needed. I tested both the automatic CleanGenius mode and customized cleans using schedules and shortcuts.
I documented cleaning performance over the testing period and conducted a range of specific tests with different debris sizes to further gauge vacuuming ability. I also tested dry and wet spills to evaluate the mopping prowess. Additionally, I strategically placed debris – including fur, leaves, and hair – in problem areas such as corners to assess the robovac’s effectiveness in daily use.
During my testing period, I changed the base station vacuum bag three times, manually cleaned the mop cleaning system in the base station, and performed the full range of maintenance checks.
If you’re in the market for a statement coffee machine, few options catch the eye quite like the Aarke Coffee System. With an unmissable chrome finish, it cuts a dash on any countertop, and the luxe design cues don’t stop with the stainless steel construction: from the knurled control knob to the weight of the grinder itself, there’s a lot about the setup that feels premium.
Comprised of a bean grinder and drip coffee maker, which can be bought and used independently, the two parts make most sense when connected together by wire. The cable itself is slightly unsightly, but automation is the pay-off: set the control knob to A and the grinder will churn out the right amount of coffee based on how much water is in the tank.
It’s a clever trick that reflects the streamlined approach of the whole system. Just a single button manages the maker, its hot plate and the descaling mode. You’ll find more controls on the grinder, including a collar that clicks as you twist to set the grind size, as well as a satisfyingly sturdy on/off switch.
What you don’t get is a great degree of manual influence over the brew. While you can fine-tune the quantity, strength and grind size, you can’t change the temperature – either for the brew or the hot plate. You might expect that option for the money, but the Aarke automatically regulates temperatures instead. That’s because this system is more about making slick and efficient brews in style.
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In that sense it excels. Fill the tank and a light inside automatically illuminates so that you can see the water level. Hit the button and it heats up quickly, with the water head evenly wetting the coffee bed for maximum extraction. The result every time is an enjoyable pot of coffee with plenty of depth and flavor.
For such an expensive system, we encountered more niggles than we’d expect. The grinder jammed up twice, even with regular brushing. The supplied catch cup doesn’t sit perfectly against the grinder, which can lead to overshoot. And the carafe doesn’t keep coffee especially hot once it’s off the plate.
So the Aarke Coffee System is an interesting proposition. It’s beautifully built, simple to operate and has some clever automated features. Yet it’s not quite automated enough for uninitiated users to master without a demonstration, nor is it faultless. But if you want an exquisite solution for reliably good coffee and you’re happy to pay for it, there’s nothing quite like what Aarke is offering.
Aarke Coffee System: price and availability
Coffee System costs $758 / £620
Coffee Maker costs $379 / £300 (standalone)
Coffee Grinder costs $379 / £300 (standalone)
Bean-to-cup coffee rarely comes cheap – and the Aarke Coffee System is no exception. Priced at $758 / £620 (about AU$1,200) for the Coffee Maker and Coffee Grinder combo, it’s a pretty serious investment – especially for a drip filter system which has limited controls.
That makes the Aarke Coffee System more expensive than any other machine in our list of the best drip coffee makers, including the De'Longhi TrueBrew CAM1025MB – a US-only bean-to-cup machine with a more sophisticated digital interface.
It’s worth noting that the constituent parts of the Aarke system can also be bought individually. The Coffee Maker costs $379 / £300 (about AU$450), while the Coffee Grinder is priced at $379 / £320 (about AU$600). That means you don’t save anything by buying the Coffee System versus purchasing each element separately – so you could start out with one and add the other later.
You can also pick up an optional Thermal Jug, which is vacuum-insulated and designed to keep your brew warmer for longer than the carafe included with the Coffee Maker. It’s yours for $99 / £80 (about AU$160).
Price score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future / Christian Rowlands)
Aarke Coffee System: specs
Aarke Coffee System: design
Separate grinder and coffee maker
Polished stainless steel finish
Streamlined, tactile controls
With its chromed stainless steel finish, the Aarke Coffee System is an unmissable presence on any counter. There’s an industrial quality to the design, from the bolted-on nameplate to the way that the filter basket locks into place. It’s a beautiful bit of kitchen kit, even if its polished surfaces leave nowhere for fingerprints or spilt coffee to hide.
The system is comprised of Aarke’s Coffee Grinder and Coffee Maker. These can be bought and used separately, but they work best when paired together. Connecting them by a coiled cable unlocks the system’s party trick: fill the brewer’s tank, set the quantity to automatic and the grinder will churn out coffee to match the volume of water.
It’s a clever trick that works well in practise, but the cable feels like an unsightly piece of clutter in what is otherwise a streamlined setup. You can wind away some of the wire underneath, but with a pair of power cables also trailing away from the two machines, these leads do feel like a distraction. For a design-first coffee maker with a serious price tag, we think Aarke could have done more to neaten up the wiring.
Load beans into the hopper, and ground coffee into the chute (at the top right) (Image credit: Future / Christian Rowlands)
Because the grinder and brewer stand separately, the Aarke Coffee System isn’t the most compact bean-to-cup option on the market. If you want the two to sit side-by-side, you’ll need to clear a fair amount of counter space. That said, the overall footprint isn’t unmanageable.
Both units are weighty in the right way. At 9.5lb/4.3kg, the grinder in particular has a heft that feels nicely premium. So do its tactile controls. A knurled knob on the side sets the grind quantity, with an additional dial built-in to fine-tune the strength. The collar twists with a satisfying click to set the grind size, while a satisfyingly sturdy lever starts and stops the grinding.
One unmarked button is all you’ll find on the brewer itself, to control the brewing, hot plate and descaling mode. You can also hold it for three seconds to bloom the coffee before the main brew. This setup reflects the minimalist approach of the whole system. You don’t get the kind of manual control offered by drip makers like the De’Longhi TrueBrew CAM1025MB, with no option to change the water temperature.
The large, bright touchscreen makes it easy to fine-tune your perfect coffee (Image credit: Future / Christian Rowlands)
Because everything’s pared back and unlabelled, there is a little bit of a learning curve across the grinder and brewer. That said, once you’ve got the hang of it, this is a very easy machine to use.
There are several neat features which show the thought that’s gone into the setup: a grind size guide on the bean basket lid; a light inside the tank which illuminates when you add water; a valve beneath the filter basket, which stops coffee from dripping onto the hot plate when the carafe is removed. The hot plate also detects when the carafe isn’t in place, turning off to save energy.
There are some oversights, though. Chief among them is the included catch cup, which doesn’t sit flush against the grinder. As a result, ground coffee will often overshoot and spill around the base. The carafe also doesn’t feel as premium as the rest of the machine and doesn’t offer much insulation when taken off the hot plate.
These imperfections detract from what is otherwise a beautiful coffee maker. In that respect, the Aarke Coffee System falls just a little bit short for the money, but the aesthetics and interface do a lot to make up for it – especially if you want something slick, without too much complexity.
Design score: 4/5
Aarke Coffee System: performance
Relatively straightforward to use
Brews quickly and consistently
Grinder spout can block up easily
As a premium bean-to-cup setup that brews consistently tasty coffee without much fuss, the Aarke Coffee System performs well. With the grind quantity set to automatic, there are four human inputs: beans in the grinder, water in the tank and a filter paper in the basket – plus freshly ground coffee transferred from the catch cup to the filter.
Once you know the process, the Aarke Coffee System is fundamentally straightforward and – crucially – makes good coffee. With capacity for up to 10 cups’ worth in a single brew, you can easily churn out batches for yourself and guests. It’s pretty quick, too, taking just a few minutes to fill the carafe.
The milk dispenser is easy to attach, and unlike most fully automatic espresso machines, the KF8 keeps the container covered at all times. (Image credit: Future / Christian Rowlands)
The showerhead covers pretty much the whole of the filter basket and does a decent job of wetting the coffee bed. According to Aarke, water temperature and flow rate are optimized based on the quantity in the tank. This automated approach means you don’t get any modes for different coffee styles. The system is simply designed to brew consistently good filter coffee.
In our experience, that’s what it does. With a range of different beans, the Aarke Coffee System delivered good extraction and nicely balanced flavors, without any bitterness. Using the bloom mode pre-soaks the grounds to reduce sourness, although whether you’ll notice a difference depends on both your palate and the beans you’re using.
Each member of your household can have their own profile for their custom drinks (Image credit: Future / Christian Rowlands)
We also found the hot plate temperature pretty much spot on. We never tasted any bitterness from burnt coffee at the bottom, which is down to how the hot plate operates: it isn’t designed to keep your brew warm indefinitely. Instead, the system gradually reduces power to the plate over 40 minutes. This is better for taste but because the time setting can’t be overridden, it’s not ideal if you want a pot of coffee to keep going back to throughout the morning.
As mentioned above, you get much more control over the grinder. We didn’t test all 50 of its grind settings, but we did find that it produces a consistent grind and quantity of coffee. Dialled in for espresso, French press or drip filter, it’s a quality flat burr grinder that would work well as a standalone option with a different brewer – albeit without the automatic hook-up.
Espresso was consistently well extracted, with rich, golden crema (Image credit: Future / Christian Rowlands)
On its default setting, we found the automatic mode resulted in coffee that was a little strong for our taste. That’s easily adjusted using the fine-tuning dial or by manually setting the grind quantity to one cup less for the same amount of water.
It is loud, but that’s the nature of the beast. More frustrating was the fact that it jammed up twice, due to ground coffee clogging up at the top of the spout. This happened after only a few uses. You’ll need to regularly and vigorously clean the spout with the included brush to avoid this, which is a slightly messy process and means the Aarke Coffee System requires more maintenance than something like the De'Longhi TrueBrew CAM1025MB.
Performance score: 4/5
Should I buy the Aarke Coffee System?
Buy it if
You want a stunning bean-to-cup setup With a polished stainless steel build, streamlined controls and tactile knobs and buttons, the Aarke system is a seriously sophisticated way to enjoy drip coffee.
You want some automation Connect the grinder and maker by wire and the system will automatically calculate the correct quantity of coffee for the amount of water in the tank.
You want a reliable brew Once you’ve got your strength and quantities dialled in, the Aarke system produces tasty filter coffee every time – and keeps it at the right temperature.
Don't buy it if
You have a limited budget Sophistication comes at a price and the Aarke system commands a pretty hefty premium, especially when compared to rival drip coffee makers with similar features.
You want total control While you can adjust grind size, quantity and strength, the Aarke system doesn’t allow you to change the temperature of the water or hot plate.
You want a mess-free setup The grinder spout requires regular cleaning with the bundled brush, while the shape of the catch up means coffee often ends up on the counter.
KitchenAid KF8: also consider
Not completely sold on the Aarke Coffee System? Here are a couple of alternatives to consider.
De'Longhi TrueBrew CAM1025MB
If you’d like a bean-to-cup machine which gives you more options for adjusting the brew, De’Longhi’s drip maker is worth a look. It’s not as stylish as the Aarke system and still doesn’t come cheap, but it is easy to use, with convenient automation and minimal maintenance required.
If you don’t need to grind your own beans or already own a grinder, the Moccamaster is our favorite drip coffee maker overall. With just two buttons to push, it’s a seriously easy machine to operate. It brews tasty coffee quickly and consistently, plus its functional design is strikingly industrial.
To test the Aarke Coffee System, I used it as my main coffee maker for a month. Every morning, I would grind a fresh batch of beans, tip them into the filter basket and brew several cups’ worth for me and my partner. I also brewed up the occasional afternoon boost – and because I tested it in December, the system was also put to use making coffee for guests over the festive season.
To fully understand the capabilities of the system, I tried a range of different grind sizes and strength settings. I used the grinder on its automatic mode, as well as manually adjusting the cup quantity to find a setting that suited my taste.
I also tested the system with a range of different beans over the course of the month, to put the grinder through its paces and understand how well the Aarke Coffee System extracts different flavor profiles.
While I haven’t reviewed too many coffee machines in my many years as a product tester, I know what makes a good coffee: I’ve been drinking the stuff for a long time – and I’ve made brews using everything from French presses to pod machines to portable hand pumps.
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i : two-minute review
Blueair offers similar air purifiers under different model names in the US and UK. In the US, this air purifier is known as the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max, but as I’m located in the south of England, I tested the UK model, Blueair Blue Max 3250i.
The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase at the Blueair website and Amazon for a list price of $169.99, but can occasionally be on offer for a discounted price. In the UK, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is priced at £169 at multiple retailers including Very and Amazon, and also sees a price drop now and then.
(Image credit: Future)
Despite being compact and impressively light for its capabilities, there’s a lot to love about the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. The two touch buttons make it simple to power on the air purifier and to cycle through auto mode, night mode, and fan speeds one to three. The simple design is composed of the white plastic top section that houses the working parts, and a simple yet efficient base that consists of a lightweight frame within the changeable particle and carbon filter, plus a machine-washable fabric pre-filter outer layer. The neatness of the seam isn’t perfect, but other than this it is a great way to capture dust before it reaches the single-use filter, and is available in a range of colors making it effortless to switch things up if desired.
The Blueair Blue Max 3250i does a great job for the price, rivaling some of the best air purifiers. For the most part, the fan speed remained on the lowest setting when the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was left in auto mode. This came as no surprise to me, but I’ve seen some customer reviews complaining that this air purifier doesn’t do anything. In fact, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is purifying, and it’s capable of clearing more than just the PM2.5 it detects, such as VOCs when manually operated – it just doesn’t possess the capability to detect these things automatically. That's fine, in my professional opinion, considering the low price.
(Image credit: Future)
During testing, it took just ten minutes for the contamination from spraying dry shampoo to be detected and cleared by the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. It continued to impress me over the days I tested it, being sensitive enough to detect the drop in air quality when I used hair products in the next room.
In terms of noise levels, I didn’t experience any issues with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. I found that I could sleep or watch TV with it in the room without it being disruptive.
I’m a big fan of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, both for its innovative design, and its good performance for a low price, so I can envision it finding its way into our choice of the best air purifiers in the near future. So if you're in the market for a low-cost air purifier that won't shock you with extortionate costs for replacement parts, this is the one for you. If you'd like to learn more, read on for our full review to get all the facts.
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: price & availability
List price: $169.99 / £169
Available: in the US and UK under different product names
The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase from the Blueair US website for $169.99, and at the time of writing has a Black Friday deal slashing the price down to $119.99 at Amazon US. The comparable UK model, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, can’t be purchased from the Blueair website but is available at many major UK retailers, including Argos, Very, and Amazon. The list price is £169 for the Blue Max 3250i at Amazon, and a Black Friday deal has knocked the price down to an even more impressive £113.
I was pleasantly surprised that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i performed so well and had such a considered design considering its price tag, making it fantastic value for money. Replacement components won’t break the bank either, with replacement Particle and Carbon filters costing just $29.99 / £35 – this is particularly impressive as Blueair states that these filters can last between six to nine months.
Value for money score: 5/5
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: specs
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: design and features
No display
Simple to use
Machine-washable pre-filter
I became a fan of the design aspects of the Blue range when I reviewed the impressive Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The standout design feature is the attractive machine-washable fabric pre-filter covering most of the purifier’s outer. This design proves innovative, as directly behind the pre-filter cover sits the particle and carbon filter (this can be upgraded to Smokeblock or Allergenblock filters if desired), which surrounds a simple plastic frame. This makes the base of the purifier super lightweight for its size, weighing in at 7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg. The Blueair Blue Max 3250i can purify an area of 219 sq ft / 48 sq meters yet still remains fairly compact, measuring 18.9 X 10.6 X 10.6 in / 481 x 269 x 269 mm. I’m very pleased with the reduced amount of materials used on the body of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, but my concern with this construction is that the exposed filter could be prone to damage.
(Image credit: Future)
I’ve never seen a design quite like this, as most air purifiers have plastic casing to protect the inner filters whereas the body of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is simply some structural plastic sitting within the particle and carbon filter, covered in the washable pre-filter. This goes to explain its very light weight of 2.5 lb / 3.4kg but could make it vulnerable to damage.
Despite its minor flaws, it’s a nice touch that Blueair made the pre-filter part of the overall aesthetic, which has meant less material and wasted plastic, which we’re always happy to see at TechRadar. It’s also an advantage that they are machine washable and extras can be purchased in a range of colors, just in case you don’t want to wait for one to dry, or want to switch things up occasionally.
Not only is it delightfully light, it’s dinky in size, too. Measuring just 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / 172 x 172 x 289mm. This cylindrical 360-degree design enables the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max to be placed in a variety of spaces, as there’s plenty of opportunity for it to pull air in.
(Image credit: Future)
As was the case with the Mini Max, the seam of the fabric pre-filter could be neater as it is a little puckered and bulges in places, but this is less noticeable on the Blueair Blue Max 3250i as the overlapping seam doesn’t stand out as much over the larger area.
The controls on the top of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i are simple, there are just two touch-operated buttons, a power button, and a fan button that cycles between auto mode, sleep mode, and fan speeds of one to three when pressed. There’s no LED display to view the air quality data; however, there’s a light on the front of the unit that changes color to indicate the air quality score, ranging from Excellent to Very Polluted, and a light below each fan mode to indicate which is currently being used.
Real-time quality levels are easy to view on the Blueair app, but there’s no detailed data to review, simply a colored graph showing the air quality rating over time. I found I was able to use a pinching motion to zoom in and out of the graph, which allowed me to view more detail of the air quality changes over smaller increments of time.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: performance
Quiet operation
Clears PM2.5 contaminations quickly
Detects and reacts to PM2.5 that originates in other rooms
Getting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up was quick and simple. The user manual was easy to follow, containing first-time setup instructions including how to connect it to my home Wi-Fi, which proved to be a breeze. It also included instructions on how to remove and wash the fabric pre-filter, which I appreciated. Upon installing the Blueair app, I was given the option to use it without creating an account, but I chose to so I could enter my location and view the outdoor air quality data too.
Connecting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to the app was blissfully straightforward, taking less than three minutes after switching the air purifier on to view my indoor air quality. As I was using the Blueair Blue Max 3250i in my living room, I selected “Living room” as the product name, but there was an option to add a custom name should I have been using it in an office or nursery, for example.
(Image credit: Future)
It’s worth noting that although it’s claimed the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s electrostatic and mechanical filtration captures airborne particles as small as 0.1 microns, it will not detect anything smaller than PM2.5. PM2.5 is particulate matter over 2.5 microns in size, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. Other far more expensive air purifiers, such as the Molekule Air Pro, can monitor and react to VOCs along with PM2.5. These volatile organic compounds can come from paint, furniture, carpets, and cleaning products, and are often the main offenders behind lower air quality, so having an air purifier capable of detecting these contaminants would be advantageous.
However, just because an air purifier doesn’t detect these contaminants doesn’t mean it isn’t tackling them, but it won't be aware of them so won’t initiate higher fan speeds in their presence. Considering the low price of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i though, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t have this capability, but this is something to bear in mind if you want a purifier that you can leave to its own devices to tackle all the common contaminants.
(Image credit: Future)
According to the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, the air quality in my living room was considered excellent, so it remained at a low fan speed when I put it into auto mode. To test how sensitive the sensors were to contaminants, and how quickly they reacted to them, I sprayed some dry shampoo roughly three meters away. Within two minutes the Blueair Blue Max 3250i detected the dry shampoo, raising the contamination reading to 56 on the graph within the app over about thirty seconds, which it classed as very polluted. Within three minutes of spraying the dry shampoo, the reading had lowered to 25, classed as good; within six minutes, it returned to excellent.
It was at this moment that my fluffy cats chose to pay a visit, and interestingly, the air quality reduced slightly again, raising the score, so it appeared to detect their fur or dander in the air. Within a minute of them leaving, the score gradually dropped further than before, so it appear that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s particle sensors were doing a good job.
I continued to be impressed by how sensitive this air purifier was to changes in air quality over a week of testing. I would be surprised to hear the fan speed ramping up, before realizing I’d used my dry shampoo in the next room. I’ve not encountered a cheap air purifier that possessed this level of sensitivity before.
(Image credit: Future)
When it came to viewing the testing data on the air quality graph on the Blueair app, I found that it wasn’t very easy to view data over multiple days. Whenever I viewed the graph, the data was in real time and I would need to scroll along for some while. I could change from hourly readings to readings across a day or month, but when I scrolled back to a previous day and switched to hourly view to see more detail, it returned to the current day and time. This meant that I could only see this level of detail by scrolling all the way back to my chosen day when in hourly view, which wasn't ideal. The air quality graph didn’t give the full picture of how contaminated the air had become after I sprayed the dry shampoo. It communicated the highest score as being 22, despite reaching 56 in reality. This lack of detail isn’t unheard of, though, as I found that the Molekule Air Mini+ also failed to relay all readings if they were cleared quickly.
I found the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to be easy to sleep next to when in sleep mode, and I found that I couldn’t hear it over the TV when operating on fan level 2. Some other air purifiers can prove deafening at higher fan speeds, but this was not the case with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i.
Overall, though, I was very impressed with how sensitive the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was, how quickly it responded to contaminants, and how swiftly it dealt with them. The level and quality of features are great for the price, and this is only the second non-VOC detecting air purifier that I’ve found myself growing a fondness for, with the other being the Blueair Blue Mini Max.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Should I buy the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i?
Buy it if...
You want good results on a budget I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m highly impressed with this air purifier. It’s repeatedly proven itself sensitive, responsive, and fast-acting, making it a great performer for the cost.
You need something lightweight The Blueair Blue Max 3250i isn’t just light for its size; it’s lightweight in general. With barely any body material in its base, it is very easy to pick up and move, making it a good choice for anyone wanting to use it in multiple rooms.
You want something simple With only two onboard buttons to operate the air purifier and a simple-to-use app, the settings of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i are easy to get a handle on.
Don't buy it if...
You want detailed air quality readings With a low-cost piece of tech, there’s always going to be an element of compromise. In this case, the contamination detected is limited to PM2.5, and the app doesn’t give any detail on indoor air quality aside from an overall score.
You want something to fight off the nasties on its own accord As this air purifier can’t detect VOCs, it won’t automatically react to strong odors or finer particles, so settings will need to be altered manually if a higher level of purifying is required.
You want something robust Despite the advantages of such a lightweight air purifier, there’s no denying that the base design could be at risk of damage should anything make contact with it.
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: Also consider
Levoit Core 300S Smart True HEPA We rated this little air purifier a commendable four-and-a-half stars thanks to its performance and smart features. It is cheaper than the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, but there were delays in response time, and it doesn’t offer washable pre-filters. For more information, why not check out our full Levoit Core 300S True HEPA air purifier review.
Molekule Air Pro I know, I know, the cost difference here is vast, however, if you happen to be looking for an option with medical-grade materials, FDA medical device clearance, and fantastic VOC detection, then this is hands down the product to go for. If you'd like to find out more about this air purifier's skill set, take a look at our full Molekule Air Pro review.
How I tested the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
I used the Blueair Blue Max 3250i for a week and a half
I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality
I tested how easy it was to operate and live with
I checked how easy was to get the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up, how easy it was to operate, and how portable it was.
I tested it in different rooms in my home, and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.
I assessed its design and structure, paying close attention to quality and any sustainable elements.
I reviewed the impact it had on the air quality in my environment, and how well it handled cooking smells.
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i : two-minute review
Blueair offers similar air purifiers under different model names in the US and UK. In the US, this air purifier is known as the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max, but as I’m located in the south of England, I tested the UK model, Blueair Blue Max 3250i.
The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase at the Blueair website and Amazon for a list price of $169.99, but can occasionally be on offer for a discounted price. In the UK, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is priced at £169 at multiple retailers including Very and Amazon, and also sees a price drop now and then.
(Image credit: Future)
Despite being compact and impressively light for its capabilities, there’s a lot to love about the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. The two touch buttons make it simple to power on the air purifier and to cycle through auto mode, night mode, and fan speeds one to three.
The straightforward design is composed of the white plastic top section that houses the working parts, and a simple yet efficient base that consists of a lightweight frame within the changeable particle and carbon filter, plus a machine-washable fabric pre-filter outer layer. The neatness of the seam isn’t perfect, but other than this it is a great way to capture dust before it reaches the single-use filter, and is available in a range of colors making it effortless to switch things up if desired.
The Blueair Blue Max 3250i does a great job for the price, rivaling some of the best air purifiers. For the most part, the fan speed remained on the lowest setting when the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was left in auto mode.
This came as no surprise to me, but I’ve seen some customer reviews complaining that this air purifier doesn’t do anything. In fact, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is purifying, and it’s capable of clearing more than just the PM2.5 it detects, such as VOCs when manually operated – it just doesn’t possess the capability to detect these things automatically. That's fine, in my professional opinion, considering the low price.
(Image credit: Future)
During testing, it took just 10 minutes for the contamination from spraying dry shampoo to be detected and cleared by the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. It continued to impress me over the days I tested it, being sensitive enough to detect the drop in air quality when I used hair products in the next room.
In terms of noise levels, I didn’t experience any issues with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. I found that I could sleep or watch TV with it in the room without it being disruptive.
I’m a big fan of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, both for its innovative design, and its good performance for a low price, so I can envision it finding its way into our choice of the best air purifiers in the near future. So if you're in the market for a low-cost air purifier that won't shock you with extortionate costs for replacement parts, this is the one for you. If you'd like to learn more, read on for our full review to get all the facts.
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: price & availability
List price: $169.99 / £169
Available: in the US and UK under different product names
The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase from the Blueair US website for $169.99, and at the time of writing has a Black Friday deal slashing the price down to $119.99 at Amazon US. The comparable UK model, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, can’t be purchased from the Blueair website but is available at many major UK retailers, including Argos, Very, and Amazon. The list price is £169 for the Blue Max 3250i at Amazon, and a Black Friday deal has knocked the price down to an even more impressive £113.
I was pleasantly surprised that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i performed so well and had such a considered design considering its price tag, making it fantastic value for money. Replacement components won’t break the bank either, with replacement Particle and Carbon filters costing just $29.99 / £35 – this is particularly impressive as Blueair states that these filters can last between six to nine months.
Value for money score: 5/5
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: specs
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: design and features
No display
Simple to use
Machine-washable pre-filter
I became a fan of the design aspects of the Blue range when I reviewed the impressive Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The standout design feature is the attractive machine-washable fabric pre-filter covering most of the purifier’s outer. This design proves innovative, as directly behind the pre-filter cover sits the particle and carbon filter (this can be upgraded to Smokeblock or Allergenblock filters if desired), which surrounds a simple plastic frame. This makes the base of the purifier super lightweight for its size, weighing in at 7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg. The Blueair Blue Max 3250i can purify an area of 219 sq ft / 48 sq meters yet still remains fairly compact, measuring 18.9 X 10.6 X 10.6 in / 481 x 269 x 269 mm. I’m very pleased with the reduced amount of materials used on the body of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, but my concern with this construction is that the exposed filter could be prone to damage.
(Image credit: Future)
I’ve never seen a design quite like this, as most air purifiers have plastic casing to protect the inner filters whereas the body of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is simply some structural plastic sitting within the particle and carbon filter, covered in the washable pre-filter. This goes to explain its very light weight of 2.5 lb / 3.4kg but could make it vulnerable to damage.
Despite its minor flaws, it’s a nice touch that Blueair made the pre-filter part of the overall aesthetic, which has meant less material and wasted plastic, which we’re always happy to see at TechRadar. It’s also an advantage that they are machine washable and extras can be purchased in a range of colors, just in case you don’t want to wait for one to dry, or want to switch things up occasionally.
Not only is it delightfully light, it’s dinky in size, too. Measuring just 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / 172 x 172 x 289mm. This cylindrical 360-degree design enables the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max to be placed in a variety of spaces, as there’s plenty of opportunity for it to pull air in.
(Image credit: Future)
As was the case with the Mini Max, the seam of the fabric pre-filter could be neater as it is a little puckered and bulges in places, but this is less noticeable on the Blueair Blue Max 3250i as the overlapping seam doesn’t stand out as much over the larger area.
The controls on the top of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i are simple, there are just two touch-operated buttons, a power button, and a fan button that cycles between auto mode, sleep mode, and fan speeds of one to three when pressed. There’s no LED display to view the air quality data; however, there’s a light on the front of the unit that changes color to indicate the air quality score, ranging from Excellent to Very Polluted, and a light below each fan mode to indicate which is currently being used.
Real-time quality levels are easy to view on the Blueair app, but there’s no detailed data to review, simply a colored graph showing the air quality rating over time. I found I was able to use a pinching motion to zoom in and out of the graph, which allowed me to view more detail of the air quality changes over smaller increments of time.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: performance
Quiet operation
Clears PM2.5 contaminations quickly
Detects and reacts to PM2.5 that originates in other rooms
Getting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up was quick and simple. The user manual was easy to follow, containing first-time setup instructions including how to connect it to my home Wi-Fi, which proved to be a breeze. It also included instructions on how to remove and wash the fabric pre-filter, which I appreciated. Upon installing the Blueair app, I was given the option to use it without creating an account, but I chose to so I could enter my location and view the outdoor air quality data too.
Connecting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to the app was blissfully straightforward, taking less than three minutes after switching the air purifier on to view my indoor air quality. As I was using the Blueair Blue Max 3250i in my living room, I selected “Living room” as the product name, but there was an option to add a custom name should I have been using it in an office or nursery, for example.
(Image credit: Future)
It’s worth noting that although it’s claimed the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s electrostatic and mechanical filtration captures airborne particles as small as 0.1 microns, it will not detect anything smaller than PM2.5. PM2.5 is particulate matter over 2.5 microns in size, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. Other far more expensive air purifiers, such as the Molekule Air Pro, can monitor and react to VOCs along with PM2.5. These volatile organic compounds can come from paint, furniture, carpets, and cleaning products, and are often the main offenders behind lower air quality, so having an air purifier capable of detecting these contaminants would be advantageous.
However, just because an air purifier doesn’t detect these contaminants doesn’t mean it isn’t tackling them, but it won't be aware of them so won’t initiate higher fan speeds in their presence. Considering the low price of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i though, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t have this capability, but this is something to bear in mind if you want a purifier that you can leave to its own devices to tackle all the common contaminants.
(Image credit: Future)
According to the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, the air quality in my living room was considered excellent, so it remained at a low fan speed when I put it into auto mode. To test how sensitive the sensors were to contaminants, and how quickly they reacted to them, I sprayed some dry shampoo roughly three meters away. Within two minutes the Blueair Blue Max 3250i detected the dry shampoo, raising the contamination reading to 56 on the graph within the app over about thirty seconds, which it classed as very polluted. Within three minutes of spraying the dry shampoo, the reading had lowered to 25, classed as good; within six minutes, it returned to excellent.
It was at this moment that my fluffy cats chose to pay a visit, and interestingly, the air quality reduced slightly again, raising the score, so it appeared to detect their fur or dander in the air. Within a minute of them leaving, the score gradually dropped further than before, so it appear that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s particle sensors were doing a good job.
I continued to be impressed by how sensitive this air purifier was to changes in air quality over a week of testing. I would be surprised to hear the fan speed ramping up, before realizing I’d used my dry shampoo in the next room. I’ve not encountered a cheap air purifier that possessed this level of sensitivity before.
(Image credit: Future)
When it came to viewing the testing data on the air quality graph on the Blueair app, I found that it wasn’t very easy to view data over multiple days. Whenever I viewed the graph, the data was in real time and I would need to scroll along for some while. I could change from hourly readings to readings across a day or month, but when I scrolled back to a previous day and switched to hourly view to see more detail, it returned to the current day and time. This meant that I could only see this level of detail by scrolling all the way back to my chosen day when in hourly view, which wasn't ideal. The air quality graph didn’t give the full picture of how contaminated the air had become after I sprayed the dry shampoo. It communicated the highest score as being 22, despite reaching 56 in reality. This lack of detail isn’t unheard of, though, as I found that the Molekule Air Mini+ also failed to relay all readings if they were cleared quickly.
I found the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to be easy to sleep next to when in sleep mode, and I found that I couldn’t hear it over the TV when operating on fan level 2. Some other air purifiers can prove deafening at higher fan speeds, but this was not the case with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i.
Overall, though, I was very impressed with how sensitive the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was, how quickly it responded to contaminants, and how swiftly it dealt with them. The level and quality of features are great for the price, and this is only the second non-VOC detecting air purifier that I’ve found myself growing a fondness for, with the other being the Blueair Blue Mini Max.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Should I buy the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i?
Buy it if...
You want good results on a budget I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m highly impressed with this air purifier. It’s repeatedly proven itself sensitive, responsive, and fast-acting, making it a great performer for the cost.
You need something lightweight The Blueair Blue Max 3250i isn’t just light for its size; it’s lightweight in general. With barely any body material in its base, it is very easy to pick up and move, making it a good choice for anyone wanting to use it in multiple rooms.
You want something simple With only two onboard buttons to operate the air purifier and a simple-to-use app, the settings of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i are easy to get a handle on.
Don't buy it if...
You want detailed air quality readings With a low-cost piece of tech, there’s always going to be an element of compromise. In this case, the contamination detected is limited to PM2.5, and the app doesn’t give any detail on indoor air quality aside from an overall score.
You want something to fight off the nasties on its own accord As this air purifier can’t detect VOCs, it won’t automatically react to strong odors or finer particles, so settings will need to be altered manually if a higher level of purifying is required.
You want something robust Despite the advantages of such a lightweight air purifier, there’s no denying that the base design could be at risk of damage should anything make contact with it.
Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: Also consider
Levoit Core 300S Smart True HEPA We rated this little air purifier a commendable four-and-a-half stars thanks to its performance and smart features. It is cheaper than the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, but there were delays in response time, and it doesn’t offer washable pre-filters. For more information, why not check out our full Levoit Core 300S True HEPA air purifier review.
Molekule Air Pro I know, I know, the cost difference here is vast, however, if you happen to be looking for an option with medical-grade materials, FDA medical device clearance, and fantastic VOC detection, then this is hands down the product to go for. If you'd like to find out more about this air purifier's skill set, take a look at our full Molekule Air Pro review.
How I tested the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
I used the Blueair Blue Max 3250i for a week and a half
I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality
I tested how easy it was to operate and live with
I checked how easy was to get the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up, how easy it was to operate, and how portable it was.
I tested it in different rooms in my home, and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.
I assessed its design and structure, paying close attention to quality and any sustainable elements.
I reviewed the impact it had on the air quality in my environment, and how well it handled cooking smells.
