Anyone who enjoys a bit of kitchen craft knows just how useful a food processor can be for boosting your culinary skills. However, if you don't get into the kitchen often, it’s the kind of thing that's not necessarily top of mind, something that takes up a lot of space. If that describes you, you're probably better off with a more lightweight solution like the Breville All in One stick mixer.
Sure, the motor isn’t as powerful as what you’ll get on top-shelf food processors or blenders, but this one device performs a much wider range of tasks and occupies a smaller overall footprint in your kitchen. The Breville All in One can be a food processor, a masher, an immersion blender or a whisk thanks to a quick-release motor handle that attaches to various tool heads.
Obviously any tool’s usefulness will depend on the types of food you gravitate towards when cooking, and kitchen appliances that try to do too many things can often end up doing them all poorly, but the All in One strikes an excellent balance between versatility and usefulness that makes it an exceptionally helpful tool in a wide array of circumstances. This makes it an excellent base accessory for any home cook – I think it’s unlikely to sit in the cupboard unused for long periods of time.
This diversity can mean it gets overlooked since there really isn't one specific task you absolutely need it for… but it’s such a versatile tool that it’s helpful for the average cook and it’ll remain useful even if they do invest further in more capable appliances for tasks requiring more powerful and dedicated devices.
There really is value here for most home cooks and its starting price isn't too bad either.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Breville the All in One review: Price and availability
Available in the US and Australia
List price: $159.95 / AU$269
The All in One Stick Mixer is available in both the US and Australia Breville online stores for $159.95 / AU$269, but isn't listed in the UK's Sage online store at the time of writing.
It might be worth checking out TechRadar’s jug vs immersion blender explainer page to see if you’re more likely to need a dedicated blender than what is on offer here, but for anyone who frequently mashes, grates, slices, chops, whisks and blends food, it’s hard to imagine that this device won’t come in handy for a multitude of applications.
While you can get basic food processors for less than this price point, they’re unlikely to offer any more power and will usually come with just the one dicing blade. The All in One has grating and slicing capabilities included alongside the standard food processing capabilities that practically justifies the price tag on its own.
You will only have basic blending capabilities, so I wouldn’t really consider this to be a blender replacement, but throw in the mashing and whisking tools and you have a tool with a heap of perks bundled in for an entry-level price.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Breville the All in One: specifications
Breville the All in One review: Design and features
Great entry-level food processor
Grating and slicing blades included
Also beats, blends and mashes
The 6-cup (1.6L) food processor bowl comes with a textured base to ensure chopped food doesn’t stick to the sides when using the S-blade attachment, and the reversible grating/ shredding disk saves you the hassle of having to manually grate vegetables for example.
The variable slicing blade for the food processor isn’t as refined as what you’ll be able to achieve on a mandolin, but it does have 18 adjustable thickness settings – from 0.5mm to 6mm – so you can cut perfectly uniform slices in seconds.
In addition to the food processing tools you also get a masher, a whisker and immersion blender heads. Each of these are pretty self-explanatory, and both the masher and whisker simply take some of the leg work out of processes you’d usually do by hand. While it doesn't always occur to the average home cook, but the stick nature of this appliance means it can be useful in several situations, meaning it will likely get used frequently.
There isn’t a jug accessory that comes bundled with the All in One like with some other stick blender kits, but it is an omission that most home cooks will be able to find a workaround solution for. This makes it a little less appealing as a proper blender solution, but when you consider its limitations with crushing ice you really do want something more dedicated if you’re going to be making a lot of smoothies. Blenders are also likely to be the most common device overlap here for products that people will already have, so it seems like a sensible omission.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Breville the All in One review: Performance
Decent food processing capabilities
Excellent mashing and whisking
Reasonable immersion blending
During my testing, I used the Breville All in One to dice ingredients for a batch of peanut butter protein balls, a job that killed the motor on a Smeg Hand Blender that I used previously. The Breville device offered less power than its similarly priced Smeg competitor, but it was able to fully process all the raw ingredients as well as mix the dense combination of highly viscose date, peanut butter and maple syrup concoction.
This task was definitely at the upper limits of what you’d want to use a handheld motor for, but the All in One proved perfectly capable of performing this task on this occasion. For those planning on regularly mixing batches of protein balls you might be better served by one of TechRadar’s best food processor, for a more powerful device.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
I also used the grater/shredder to process a few hundred grams of Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano for a cacio e pepe dish, a really simple task that would have been a lot more work using a hand grater. But just about every grating task is made infinitely simpler by the electric blade’s speed and consistency – once you have this tool in the kitchen it’s hard to imagine having to go back to manual grating.
The immersion blender works well enough as a traditional blender. You might want something a little more serious if you’re regularly trying to crush ice, but the All in One is more than capable of blending the vast majority of soups or smoothies.
Where the immersion blender shines is when you need to refine a sauce into a smoother consistency – you can simply plunge it into hot liquids rather than waiting for sauces to cool enough to put in a food processor.
The masher is great for anyone who likes a good potato mash (or anyone that makes their own baby food) and the whisk comes in handy a lot for baking and other egg-based recipes.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Should you buy the All in One from Breville?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested: Breville the All in One
I used the All in One for a month
I used it as my primary food processor
I tested all the other features and functionalities
I tested the Breville All in One by using it over a month with general kitchen tasks like grating cheeses and vegetables, and other food processing tasks like dicing nuts and combining date and peanut butter protein balls. I also used the device on multiple occasions to mash potato, plus whisked eggs and other ingredients for baked goods.
The immersion blender capabilities came in handy when I refining a beef brisket sauce in a pot while on the stove and I used the All in One to blend a light banana smoothie without ice in a jug. I benchmarked this against the Smeg '50s-style Hand Blender, which offers a similar array of attachments and features.
Anyone who enjoys a bit of kitchen craft knows just how useful a food processor can be for boosting your culinary skills. However, if you don't get into the kitchen often, it’s the kind of thing that's not necessarily top of mind, something that takes up a lot of space. If that describes you, you're probably better off with a more lightweight solution like the Breville All in One stick mixer.
Sure, the motor isn’t as powerful as what you’ll get on top-shelf food processors or blenders, but this one device performs a much wider range of tasks and occupies a smaller overall footprint in your kitchen. The Breville All in One can be a food processor, a masher, an immersion blender or a whisk thanks to a quick-release motor handle that attaches to various tool heads.
Obviously any tool’s usefulness will depend on the types of food you gravitate towards when cooking, and kitchen appliances that try to do too many things can often end up doing them all poorly, but the All in One strikes an excellent balance between versatility and usefulness that makes it an exceptionally helpful tool in a wide array of circumstances. This makes it an excellent base accessory for any home cook – I think it’s unlikely to sit in the cupboard unused for long periods of time.
This diversity can mean it gets overlooked since there really isn't one specific task you absolutely need it for… but it’s such a versatile tool that it’s helpful for the average cook and it’ll remain useful even if they do invest further in more capable appliances for tasks requiring more powerful and dedicated devices.
There really is value here for most home cooks and its starting price isn't too bad either.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Breville the All in One review: Price and availability
Available in the US and Australia
List price: $159.95 / AU$269
The All in One Stick Mixer is available in both the US and Australia Breville online stores for $159.95 / AU$269, but isn't listed in the UK's Sage online store at the time of writing.
It might be worth checking out TechRadar’s jug vs immersion blender explainer page to see if you’re more likely to need a dedicated blender than what is on offer here, but for anyone who frequently mashes, grates, slices, chops, whisks and blends food, it’s hard to imagine that this device won’t come in handy for a multitude of applications.
While you can get basic food processors for less than this price point, they’re unlikely to offer any more power and will usually come with just the one dicing blade. The All in One has grating and slicing capabilities included alongside the standard food processing capabilities that practically justifies the price tag on its own.
You will only have basic blending capabilities, so I wouldn’t really consider this to be a blender replacement, but throw in the mashing and whisking tools and you have a tool with a heap of perks bundled in for an entry-level price.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Breville the All in One: specifications
Breville the All in One review: Design and features
Great entry-level food processor
Grating and slicing blades included
Also beats, blends and mashes
The 6-cup (1.6L) food processor bowl comes with a textured base to ensure chopped food doesn’t stick to the sides when using the S-blade attachment, and the reversible grating/ shredding disk saves you the hassle of having to manually grate vegetables for example.
The variable slicing blade for the food processor isn’t as refined as what you’ll be able to achieve on a mandolin, but it does have 18 adjustable thickness settings – from 0.5mm to 6mm – so you can cut perfectly uniform slices in seconds.
In addition to the food processing tools you also get a masher, a whisker and immersion blender heads. Each of these are pretty self-explanatory, and both the masher and whisker simply take some of the leg work out of processes you’d usually do by hand. While it doesn't always occur to the average home cook, but the stick nature of this appliance means it can be useful in several situations, meaning it will likely get used frequently.
There isn’t a jug accessory that comes bundled with the All in One like with some other stick blender kits, but it is an omission that most home cooks will be able to find a workaround solution for. This makes it a little less appealing as a proper blender solution, but when you consider its limitations with crushing ice you really do want something more dedicated if you’re going to be making a lot of smoothies. Blenders are also likely to be the most common device overlap here for products that people will already have, so it seems like a sensible omission.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Breville the All in One review: Performance
Decent food processing capabilities
Excellent mashing and whisking
Reasonable immersion blending
During my testing, I used the Breville All in One to dice ingredients for a batch of peanut butter protein balls, a job that killed the motor on a Smeg Hand Blender that I used previously. The Breville device offered less power than its similarly priced Smeg competitor, but it was able to fully process all the raw ingredients as well as mix the dense combination of highly viscose date, peanut butter and maple syrup concoction.
This task was definitely at the upper limits of what you’d want to use a handheld motor for, but the All in One proved perfectly capable of performing this task on this occasion. For those planning on regularly mixing batches of protein balls you might be better served by one of TechRadar’s best food processor, for a more powerful device.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
I also used the grater/shredder to process a few hundred grams of Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano for a cacio e pepe dish, a really simple task that would have been a lot more work using a hand grater. But just about every grating task is made infinitely simpler by the electric blade’s speed and consistency – once you have this tool in the kitchen it’s hard to imagine having to go back to manual grating.
The immersion blender works well enough as a traditional blender. You might want something a little more serious if you’re regularly trying to crush ice, but the All in One is more than capable of blending the vast majority of soups or smoothies.
Where the immersion blender shines is when you need to refine a sauce into a smoother consistency – you can simply plunge it into hot liquids rather than waiting for sauces to cool enough to put in a food processor.
The masher is great for anyone who likes a good potato mash (or anyone that makes their own baby food) and the whisk comes in handy a lot for baking and other egg-based recipes.
(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)
Should you buy the All in One from Breville?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested: Breville the All in One
I used the All in One for a month
I used it as my primary food processor
I tested all the other features and functionalities
I tested the Breville All in One by using it over a month with general kitchen tasks like grating cheeses and vegetables, and other food processing tasks like dicing nuts and combining date and peanut butter protein balls. I also used the device on multiple occasions to mash potato, plus whisked eggs and other ingredients for baked goods.
The immersion blender capabilities came in handy when I refining a beef brisket sauce in a pot while on the stove and I used the All in One to blend a light banana smoothie without ice in a jug. I benchmarked this against the Smeg '50s-style Hand Blender, which offers a similar array of attachments and features.
The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is a robot vacuum cleaner that wants you to be hands-off. It vacuums, mops, automatically empties its dustbin, dumps its dirty water, cleans the mopping pads with hot water and then dries them with hot air. Yes, this is an appliance that really takes a lot of the labor out of some of your household chores.
The X2 Omni’s square-like shape is a departure from the usually circular robots we see from Ecovacs, and the aim is for it to get close to your home's edges and corners, and pick up dust that was previously left untouched by the traditionally circular robots that simply wouldn’t be able to get into corners or close to room edges.
While I am yet to spend a significant amount of time testing the robovac, the couple of cleaning runs I have been able to do suggest that Ecovacs has mostly succeeded in this, but X2 Omni is not perfect.
This robot can and does get closer to skirting boards and furniture than I’ve seen previously, but it doesn’t do this every time, and I think some of the issue lies with its updated navigation abilities. It also seems to bump into objects more frequently than older models I’ve tested, but this may also have to do with its updated square shape, which can make it harder to navigate around certain spaces.
While it may not fit into corners perfectly, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is a top performer when it comes to vacuuming and mopping, with high suction power and the ability to scrub – rather than just wipe – your hard floors. The app also gives you a high level of control over your cleaning preferences, and Ecovacs’ own voice assistant has improved.
(Image credit: TechRadar / Jasmine Gearie)
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni preview: price and availability
Launched in September 2023 (Australia) / October 2023 (US)
UK release expected in November 2023
Priced at $1,500 / AU$2,499 (UK pricing TBA)
The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is quite an investment with a price tag of $1,500 / AU$2,499, making it one of the more expensive options on the market. But for your money, you’re getting a robot vacuum cleaner that does it all: vacuums, mops, empties its own dustbin and dirty water then cleans the mopping pads with clean hot water.
It does all these tasks well, but there are other products out there which offer a similar feature set at a lower price. For example, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni has comparable performance and was released at a similar price point in 2022, but you can find it on sale fairly frequently.
Outside of the Ecovacs brand, the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus is another good alternative, and it’s priced a little lower at $1,099 / £999 / AU$2,199. I’ve regularly seen this model on sale, and it’s TechRadar’s pick for the best robot vacuum you can buy at the moment.
You should also consider the ongoing costs associated with a robot vacuum of this caliber. Replacement dust bags cost AU$29 for a pack of three, and replacement mopping pads will set you back AU$29.90 for a pack of four (US pricing unavailable at the time of writing). These aren’t particularly expensive, but they can clock up depending on how often you use the robovac and will need to replace the dust bags and mop pads.
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni: specs
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni preview: design
A new square-ish shape to reach into corners
LiDAR sensor is now built into the chassis
Mopping pads lift up when carpet is detected, but not high enough
The Deebot X2 Omni debuts a new shape with softly squared-off corners – a first for a robot vacuum from Ecovacs. Robovacs have traditionally been circular as it’s easier to get around obstacles, but it presents issues of its own, like room corners remaining largely untouched.
The updated shape is an attempt to address this problem, with a design that allows the X2 Omni reaching into the dusty corners and edges that robot vacuums previously couldn’t reach. It mostly succeeds, and it gets closer to edges and furniture than any other robot vacuum I’ve seen previously, but I'm yet to spend time running this robovac under different conditions to see how well its design change makes it a better cleaner.
One issue with the new shape that I've seen in my short time with the X2 Omni is that it can occasionally get stuck on skirting boards and furniture, as it’s not able to turn as easily as circular robovacs. I don’t think this is much of an issue if you’ll be at home while the bot is cleaning, and the benefits of getting closer to the edges outweigh this issue for me. Perhaps the machine learning that Ecovacs says is in use here might improve its performance.
Ecovacs has previously used a LiDAR sensor perched on top of the bot to help it navigate around your home, but it’s now been integrated into the right side of the robot. It’s been moved to help the X2 Omni fit under low-profile furniture, but in my testing so far, it feels like this change might have impacted the robots ability to navigate. I say this because I’ve been using the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Turbo for over a year now, and it feels like the X2 Omni bumps into furniture more frequently than the X1 Turbo.
(Image credit: TechRadar / Jasmine Gearie)
With the top LiDAR sensor now moved, the X2 Omni has a flat top cover with a brushed-silver finish and a single button to start and stop cleaning. Open the lid up and you’ve got easy access to the robot’s dustbin which holds 14.2oz / 420ml of debris, making it a bit bigger than the X1 Omni’s 13.5oz / 400ml canister. A retractable bumper surrounds the front half, and it contains the robot’s camera along with some of its sensors.
Underneath the X2 Omni is a rubber roller brush, which I have not yet needed to remove and manually clean. This is quite different to previous Ecovacs models that have used a roller brush with soft bristles and silicone fins, which I needed to remove and clean after each use. Thanks to the X2 Omni’s new square shape, the main brush is wider than previous models too. There’s also one side brush that rotates inwards to push dust from room edges towards the bar brush (as we saw in our Dyson 360 Vis Nav review), and there are two rotating mopping pads underneath.
The mopping pads are attached to the bot with Velcro, so they can be removed and thrown in the washing machine if they get especially dirty. Ecovacs has implemented a design change here as well, with the mopping pads automatically lifting up when a carpet is detected. While this works well, I found it didn’t lift high enough to prevent my medium-pile carpet from getting damp, particularly around the edges where fibre meets hard floor.
The charging station may feel a little bulky to some people, but I think the size is just right for what you’re getting. It houses two water tanks inside – one for clean water and another for dirty water – and it’s also got a dust bag for the robot’s auto-empty feature. The result is a robot vacuum that’s largely hands-off in the cleaning process, with little intervention needed.
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni preview: setup and app control
Straightforward setup
App provides high level of control
Yiko voice assistant seems to have improved
Like previous robot vacuums from Ecovacs, the X2 Omni is easy to set up. You’ll need to download Ecovacs’ companion app and connect the bot to Wi-Fi in order to use the X2 Omni, and once this is done, it will map your home as its first task.
So far, I’ve only asked the X2 Omni to map my apartment once, and it was fairly accurate. It initially mapped my kitchen and a hallway that leads into it as one single room, but this was easily fixed afterwards by separating the areas in the app. I’d like to give the robot a few more chances before definitively commenting on its mapping capabilities, but my first impressions are that it gets the job done reasonably well.
The Ecovacs app is impressive because it offers a high level of control over your cleaning preferences. You can specify vacuuming or mopping only, if you’d like to do them simultaneously or one after the other. You’ve also got control over suction power, the amount of water you want to use for a mopping run and whether you want it to pass over the area once or twice. You can also set cleaning schedules and adjust the charging station’s settings.
In my Ecovacs Deebot X1 Turbo review, one of my gripes was that the Yiko voice assistant was frustrating to use. The voice assistant has since been updated, and I’ve also discovered that she responds better to a put-on American accent rather than my actual Australian one. The combination of the two means I’ve found Yiko much easier to communicate with this time around, even while the X2 Omni is vacuuming and background noise is high.
(Image credit: TechRadar / Jasmine Gearie)
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni preview: cleaning performance
8000Pa suction is the highest from Ecovacs yet
Rotating mopping are good for maintenance cleaning
Object avoidance appears to have some issues
The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni has done a great job vacuuming carpets and hard floors in my testing so far. My carpets are visibly cleaner after each run, though some fibers that are more deeply embedded into the carpet have remained in my testing so far. I have found that suction is strong enough to pick up spills like uncooked rice, and that was without using the highest suction setting.
The X2 Omni has performed well in my mopping tests so far, as its rotating mopping pads help it ‘scrub’ the floor, doing a much better job than competing robovacs which simply wet and wipe the area. I’d like to try some further mopping tests on more dried-in stains before giving a final word on its abilities, but it's looking promising so far.
While the mopping abilities have been quite good, the X2 Omni isn’t able to properly lift the mopping pads high enough to avoid dampening the carpet. In my testing so far, the edges where carpet meets tile have been left slightly damp, though not enough to be worrisome. I’ve only tested it with Medium water flow level, and I’ll need to see how damp carpets can become while using the highest water flow setting before giving a final verdict.
One early critique that I have for the X2 Omni is its object avoidance capabilities. As mentioned, I’ve been using one of Ecovacs’ premium models from 2022 for over a year, and I feel as though the X2 Omni bumps into objects and obstacles more frequently than the older model. I believe this may have something to do with the LiDAR sensor being moved from the top of the robot and being built into the side of the bot instead. It could also be a result of the new softly squared shape, but it’s too early to tell at this stage.
Ecovacs says the Deebot X2 Omni has a battery life of up to 186 minutes (1 hour 43 minutes) but this would only be the case if you were using the robovac on its lowest power setting. I haven’t been able to drain the battery completely in my early testing, but this is largely because I’ve been using it in a one bedroom apartment, and it’s always finished cleaning with power to spare. I’ll have more to say on the X2 Omni’s battery life in my full review.
(Image credit: TechRadar / Jasmine Gearie)
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni preview: early verdict
Ecovacs has sought to address a problem facing most robot vacuums – their circular shape doesn’t do well at cleaning the edges and corners of our straight-lined homes. It’s been mostly successful in my testing so far, and its vacuuming and mopping capabilities are impressive, but perhaps some navigation issues have contributed to it not always cleaning every nook and cranny. It looks modern and sleek and will be great for someone who wants help vacuuming and mopping their home, provided they’ve got the money to spend.
The Creativity 4 You from Bellissima is a powerful hair dryer that offers fast drying speeds and delivers silky, frizz-free locks. It's so good at knocking out frizz that the soft and shiny finish lasts for days – and, over the course of my review, this longevity only got better.
The Creativity 4 You dryer isn’t the best-looking hair dryer I’ve used, but neither is it the ugliest. Nevertheless, its short, bulbous shape and gold filter make it look cheap, while it’s heavy and feels unbalanced in the hand, which meant I often had to pause whilst blow drying to give my arms a rest.
I’m a big fan of the physical buttons, though, alongside the subtle use of LED lights when you switch from Cool to Hot mode. I also welcome that you can lock the dryer in Cool mode, rather than having to manually hold down a Cool Shot to set your style.
The 2.5-meter cable is slightly shorter than what has become common with rival dryers, but this never caused us any issues. The Creativity 4 You dryer arrives with four attachments that help you create a number of styles, and it’s this variety that sets the Bellissima dryer apart from many of its rivals; it also goes a long way toward justifying its high price. The Wavy attachment alone is something we’d not seen before and would pay extra for.
(Image credit: Future)
The Creativity 4 You dryer can fully dry a head of mid-length, fine hair in four minutes, and thanks to its ion technology, it does so without causing frizz. The dryer comes with two speeds and two temperature settings, which are controlled via the same switch, plus a Cool Shot mode.
Note that during the course of reviewing the Creativity 4 You hair dryer, I regularly burned my scalp, even when using the device on a lower speed and temperature setting. Bellissima does advise people to hold the dryer away from their heads during drying, and I tried. However, this is the first hair dryer with which I’ve experienced as many problems as I did with dryer heat.
Overall, the Creativity 4 You is a high-performing hair dryer that offers a huge amount of versatility for all hair types and styles. It falls a little short in terms of design, and needs to be used with caution. However, even with these criticisms, I’d still opt to use this dryer over many others I’ve tried and tested.
Creativity 4 You review: price and availability
List price: $166.50 / £149.99
Available in the US and UK
Bellissima’s Creativity 4 You hair dryer is available in the US, UK, and Europe for $166.50 / £149.99. You can pick it up from Amazon, Argos, Very, and the Bellissima website in the UK, and Beauty Bay in the US and UK.
The dryer comes with four styling attachments and a storage bag. The attachments include:
Straight: a narrow concentrator that smooths and straightens the hair;
Wavy: a curved concentrator that helps create soft waves and ringlets;
Smooth & Delicate: this concentrator features a micro-perforated grid that helps minimize frizz and reduce hair damage;
Curly: a diffuser for curly hair styles.
While $166.50 / £149.99 for a hair dryer may seem excessive, the relatively high number of attachments, and the variety of styling options these offer go some way towards justifying this price tag. This is especially true when you compare the Creativity 4 You to other mid-range dryers such as the $200 / £159 CloudNine Airshot that comes with two nozzles, and the $279 / £179 GHD Helios, which only has one attachment.
For the price, I’d have preferred a more sleek, well-balanced design, while the gold coloring cheapens the dryer somewhat; nevertheless, the performance makes it easy to put these minor points to one side.
Price: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Creativity 4 You review: specifications
(Image credit: Future)
Creativity 4 You review: design
Cool shot lock
Gold casing cheapens the overall look
Heavy and unbalanced in the hand
The Bellissima Creativity 4 You dryer looks like a cross between short-barrel, Dyson-style dryers, and the traditional, bulbous dryers of old. The main body of the unit is black, as are the attachments, while the filter and grille are housed in a gold plastic section at the rear of the styler. I have to say that I’m not a fan of the gold design; it definitely makes the dryer stand out, but I think it cheapens the overall look. Each of the four attachments clicks into the front of the dryer using small clips that sit around the circumference of the barrel.
The dryer measures 7 inches/18cm long, and 9 inches/ 23cm from the bottom of the handle to the top of the barrel. Along this handle are four controls: a Cold Shot button, which sits nearest to the barrel, a Hot button, the speed switch, and a power button. Each of these controls extends out from the handle, as opposed to sitting flush, feeling surprisingly high-end. There’s something reassuring about the feedback you get from pressing a physical button when almost everything today is managed via touchscreens or digital displays. While I was concerned that they might be easy to knock or press by accident while drying my hair, this hasn’t been the case.
However, the speed switch has proved a little confusing, because you have to move it to the left to select the higher speed setting and switch it back to the right to lower the speed. This feels a little counterintuitive because most hair dryer controls go from left for low to right for high. This is a minor point, nonetheless. Plus, you do get a small increase in noise on the higher setting, so it’s easy to determine the speed at which the dryer is running.
(Image credit: Future)
One of my favorite things about this hair dryer is the fact that you can switch between hot and cold air without having to manually hold down the Cold Shot button, as is the case with most other dryers. This spares you an aching finger and ensures that the air actually cools, and remains cool, for the length of time you need it to. You can also see, at a glance, which temperature setting you’re on. If you’re in Hot mode, a red LED light glows around the Hot button. If you’re in Cold mode, there’s a ring of Blue light around the Cool Shot button.
The dryer remembers your previous settings each time you switch it on, which is a nice touch but hardly a necessity. If anything, it means you have to always switch it back to Hot mode if, like me, you like to finish by setting your style with cool air.
One of my least favorite things about this dryer is its weight and balance. It tips the scales at 2.1lbs/950g, making it almost twice the weight of the Dyson Supersonic, and three times as heavy as mdlondon’s Blow’s dryer. In fact, its weight was one of the first things I noticed on taking the dryer out of its box, and my arm was aching within seconds of using the dryer. So much so, that when I’m blow-drying my hair with a barrel brush, I have to take breaks. Adding to the discomfort is that the bulk of the weight feels like it’s sitting behind the handle, towards the rear of the barrel. This causes it to pull on your wrist, mid-style.
As a result, the Creativity 4 You dryer falls a little short for design – a selection of excellent features is let down by some poor choices elsewhere.
Design: 3/5
(Image credit: Future)
Creativity 4 You review: performance
Fast and precise styling
Leaves hair feeling soft and shiny for days
Dryer gets super hot
A lot of my design criticisms faded into the background on discovering how well the Creativity 4 you perform. It’s difficult to describe the feel of the air, but it isn’t rough as it is with other dryers; it feels soft, without sacrificing power. In addition, noise levels reach an average of 76db, which is quiet enough to have a conversation at the same time. The hair dryer took under four minutes to dry my mid-length fine hair.
I welcomed that it dries the section of hair you’re working on without sending other sections flying in all directions. This is a particular problem for me with my fine hair when using rival dryers, and is a major cause of frizz and knots.
My hair was left feeling smooth and soft – even after rough drying it straight out of the shower – with this feeling lasting for days. I can’t usually go more than one day without my hair becoming greasy, or losing volume and movement. Not only did my hair continue to look freshly washed the day after using the Creativity 4 You dryer, but it still felt soft on day three. The greasiness had started to creep in, but I could style my hair without it looking slick and flat.
This smooth and sleek finish was amplified with the use of the concentrator nozzle and was even noticeable when I used the “Curly” diffuser to enhance my natural waves. The diffuser is large enough to hold large amounts of hair, but not too large that you lose precision.
However, my favorite attachment was the Wavy attachment. I had to watch a video tutorial to learn how to get the best out of it, but it’s far more simple than it first appears. The curved design fits on the circumference of a barrel brush. As you’re drying your hair, the barrel brush sits beneath the hair, while you hold the Wavy attachment on top. This dries the hair into the shape of the brush; you move the brush down and repeat to create a head-full of S-waves. It takes a bit of getting used to (and it’s not quick!), but if you’ve ever struggled to get beachy waves with a heated styler, this hair dryer is worth the investment for this alone.
When I first opened the box, I didn’t think I’d have any use for the Smooth and Delicate attachment, which looks like a cattle grille. That was until I realized how hot this hair dryer gets. On multiple occasions, this hair dryer burned my scalp. This is partly my fault for holding the dryer too close to the roots, but I can’t think of a single other dryer I’ve used that has hurt me so much on such a regular basis. Even when I tried to hold the dryer away from my scalp, I still managed to burn my skin. It became almost a necessity to use the Smooth and Delicate attachment to avoid burning myself. I’ve asked Bellissima to confirm the maximum temperature that the Creativity 4 You reaches, but I’m yet to hear back from the company.
The plus side of this high heat is that the Creativity 4 You dries hair quickly and effectively. This will be a particular benefit to people with thick hair – if you have strong arms, that is.
Performance: 4/5
Should I buy the Creativity 4 You?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How I tested the Creativity 4 You hair dryer
I used it as my main hair dryer for 3 weeks
I tried all settings on wet to damp hair
I tested on my own fine, mid-length hair
I used the Bellissima Creativity 4 You hair dryer for three weeks as my main hair dryer. I recorded the time it took the dryer to take my hair from wet to dry, rough-drying and blow-drying.
I also used all of the attachments multiple times and compared performance to other dryers I’ve tried and used regularly, namely the Dyson Supersonic and the Revlon 2-in-1 Dryer.
I've been reviewing hair dryers and beauty tech for more than five years, and have been testing home appliances and gadgets for more than a decade.
If your regular kettle just isn’t cutting it, you may want to turn to a smart kettle to secure a more intelligent option that can work better around your busy life. Enter the Govee Smart Kettle, a gooseneck kettle capable of heating water to the very degree you need, and with support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and in-app controls.
You can make great coffee from the best coffee makers, but a gooseneck kettle can see you reach your full potential as an at-home barista, delivering greater control when making loose-leaf teas or pour-over coffee. Add smart temperature settings, and you have a must-have addition to your countertop that will never burn your tea leaves or fail to extract the most flavor from your hot beverages.
Clad in stylish black stainless steel, the Govee Smart Kettle is available from Amazon and directly through Govee for an affordable $79.99. It’s one of only a handful of gooseneck kettles to offer smart home compatibility, providing an excellent way to automate your morning routine – or so you can get your fix as soon as you get home.
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(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
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(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
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(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
It’s pretty petite at 11.14 x 8.31 x 8.74 inches, with a capacity of 0.8 liters. However, I found that if you fill it anywhere above about 0.65L, the lid can pop off or water can shoot out of the spout when it reaches boiling. This means the already-small capacity is just about sufficient to handle one larger drink or two smaller drinks.
Frustratingly, the external max water line, which isn’t highlighted at all, sits underneath the handle, making refilling the kettle a bit of a pain. Plus, there’s no window to see how much water is in the kettle. The internal max line isn’t much better, placed against the sloped side of the pot, so you end up doing a sort of squat-and-peek workout while filling.
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
Its base is fairly simple – four buttons (Hold, DIY, Mode and On/Off) and a series of lights indicating the preset to which the kettle is set. These presets will pretty much cover all of your needs, unless you’re a tea snob such as myself and want to perfect your brew right down to the degree.
The kettle can boil water, reaching a 212°F/100ºC temperature with full capacity in about five minutes – a little slow, but not egregiously so. However, once again the lid presents problems; I nearly scalded my hand trying to remove it, since it’s a little stiff and isn’t externally heatproof.
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
If you’re detail-oriented then you’ll be pleased to know that the Govee Smart Kettle is super accurate, with my thermometer showing a minimal difference of roughly 32.36°F/ 0.2ºC between the in-app figure and the actual temperature – probably accounted for by the fact that the kettle’s thermometer is in the hottest part of the kettle, the base.
Using the Govee app is pretty easy, allowing you to quickly and remotely set your kettle to whatever settings you need. It’s a little cluttered and clunky, burying a few useful features such as scheduling behind lots of menus and tabs, but it goes a long way to offer those who don’t own one of the best smart speakers a great smart home experience. Unfortunately, weekly and recurring schedules aren’t supported, but I hope to see that change as Govee continues to invest in improving its smart home devices.
If you do opt to use Alexa or Google Home with your kettle, set-up is nice and easy, and during my testing with Alexa it worked pretty effortlessly.
Govee Smart Kettle: Price & availability
How much is it? $79.99 (about £65, AU$125)
When is it available? Available in the US and the EU now
Where is it available? Currently US and the EU only
The Govee Smart Kettle is available from Amazon and directly through Govee for an affordable $79.99. However, at the time of writing, it's only available in the US and the EU. UK customers will have to order it from Govee EU while Australian customers will have to wait until it becomes available in their region.
Should you buy the Govee Smart Kettle?
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
Buy it if...
You want an affordable smart kettle At just $79.99, the Govee Smart Kettle is pretty affordable, and offers fairly good value for money.
You want to choose the temperature down to the degree The temperature control on the Govee Smart Kettle is easy to use, and accurate within a very small margin of error.
You’re a 1-2 person home If you generally only need to make two smaller beverages or one large one, the Govee Smart Kettle has you covered.
Don't buy it if...
You regularly make drinks for more than two people The kettle can just about handle two beverages at the same time, and takes quite a while to boil, so regular use for more than two people would become tiresome.
You don’t need bells and whistles Between the gooseneck form factor, the smart controls and the temperature controls, the Govee Kettle is really one for the hot beverage connoisseur, and you might be better off leaving it to them if you’re not part of the club.
Govee Smart Kettle: Also consider
How I tested the Govee Smart Kettle
I used the Govee Smart Kettle for a month
I used it to make all of my hot beverages
I tested the temperature accuracy, boil performance, timing, app functionality
For a month, the Govee Smart Kettle was my go-to water heater for teas and coffees. I tested all of its temperature settings, as well as some DIY modes I created for teas with highly specific brewing instructions, measuring the app’s live temperature tracking against my thermometer for accuracy.
I timed how long it took to reach full boil, as well as how much water actually could fit in the kettle without its cap becoming loose or water coming out of the spout. I also used the app, testing all of its settings and how easily it integrated with Alexa. I benchmarked this against the Swann Alexa Kettle.
I was supplied an EU model, which I tested using an adapter in my UK kitchen; however, my results were consistent with EU customers.
The Eufy X9 Pro is designed to handle everything from mopping and vacuuming your floors to self-cleaning and intelligent home mapping. Accompanying all those features is a rather high price tag – and the question is, is it worth it? The answer to that really depends on what you’re looking for from this robot vacuum.
Eufy is a smart home device and appliance brand owned by Anker. It’s known for creating some of the best home security cameras, best video doorbells, and more. There’s also a “Clean” branch with a focus on creating the best robot vacuums. The X9 Pro is the brand’s new, top-of-the-line robot vacuum, and the only one featuring an auto-cleaning base station. Eufy has other more economical vacuums, such as the L35 Hybrid+ with a mop feature or the RoboVac G20, which only vacuums.
Following use of the Eufy Clean X9 Pro over the past few weeks, I’ve been impressed by its ability to travel around my two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with ease, vacuuming and mopping simultaneously. The device has rarely become stuck and has managed to avoid almost all obstacles thanks to an AI camera and sensors. I’ve even been able to hear the suction on the vacuum increase and see the mops lift every time it has made contact with a rug. The device uses an app that successfully created an intelligent map of my space and has made it relatively simple to adjust the robot vacuum’s settings.
The vacuum feature of the Eufy Clean X9 Pro did a decent job of picking up lighter debris, but larger messes – especially on rugs – proved too big a task for it. Note that there’s no auto-emptying dust box here, something you’ll often find on robovacs in a similar price category.
Nevertheless, the Eufy Clean X9 Pro shines where mopping is concerned. Its two rotating, plush mopping cloths apply just enough pressure to clean almost every spot on the floor, including sticky syrup, coffee drips, and muddy footprints. The base even washes the mopping cloths during and after each clean, along with refilling the vacuum’s water tank and drying the mops to prevent smells. Its mopping ability is a big step above the vibrating mops I’ve seen on the majority of other robot vacuums on the market.
Anyone who wants a more hands-off cleaning experience could benefit from the Eufy Clean X9 Pro. It will have no problem handling your lighter vacuuming needs and is more than ready to tackle those bigger stains on your floors with its mops. You’ll appreciate being able to hand off some of the household chores to this device.
Eufy X9 Pro: Price and availability
List price: $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.95
Where is it available: Available in the US, UK and Australia
The Eufy Clean X9 Pro is available direct from Eufy Clean’s US, UK, and Australian websites. You can also find it on Amazon in the US and Amazon UK.
This vacuum is Eufy’s top-of-the-line model, and the price reflects that; but for the money you get impressive dual rotating mops, an auto-cleaning base station, AI mapping, and 5,500Pa suction. However, the mopping features come at the cost of a self-emptying dust box, something that many robovacs in a similar price category include.
You’ll also have to consider upkeep costs. The mops will need to be changed most often, and a single replacement for the two cloths will set you back $29. Other accessories such as brushes and filters come in around the $15-39 mark, but won’t need to be switched out as often.
Value score: 4 / 5
Eufy Clean X9 Pro: Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
Eufy Clean X9 Pro: Design
Sleek but large base station with mop auto cleaning
13.9oz/410ml dust bin with no auto-empty feature
Liftable thick, plush mopping cloths
The Eufy Clean X9 Pro arrived in a large, hefty box and was almost completely put together. All I needed to do was remove some tape, fill the clean water reservoir, and plug it in. Next, I downloaded the app, which offers guidance on connecting the robot vacuum to your Wi-Fi. In total, setup took about 10 minutes, and after a full charge, the vac was ready to set out on the first clean.
The base station features nicely rounded edges, making it a bit more attractive than other vacuums I’ve tested, and the robot vacuum tucks neatly into it for charging and mop washing. However, it’s rather chunky, measuring 17.4 x 16.6.2 x 16.4in/44.3 x 42.2 x 41.6cm. As such, those with smaller spaces might want to consider a more compact option.
That larger form factor is necessary to house the clean and dirty water reservoirs, both of which hold about a gallon of water. Those reservoirs are made of sturdy plastic with a locking hinge to hold them closed and a built-in handle for carrying. There’s also a built-in heated drying mechanism to prevent the mop from becoming moldy and smelly; and I can attest that following a few weeks of use, there’s no smell.
(Image credit: Future)
I particularly like the sleek, all-black color scheme of the base station and vacuum. Both components are mainly matte, helping prevent handprints and other smudges, with much of it built of a durable plastic.
As for the actual robot vacuum, it’s of a similar size to most other robot vacuums. However, it branches away from the traditional circular design for a more squarish look with rounded edges. There are various sensors on the machine for obstacle avoidance and carpet detection, which add to its height, and which also mean it might struggle to clean under lower furniture. There are only a few buttons on the vacuum itself, since much of the control is via the app. A recharge button sends the vacuum back to the base station, a spot cleaning mode button cleans a 4.9 x 4.9ft/1.5 x 1.5m area, and a start/pause button is self-explanatory.
Open up the hinged lid of the vacuum and you’ll find a good-sized dust box with a 13.9oz/410ml capacity, with a spare filter included in the box. Eufy claims this dust box should be emptied following every 10 hours of use, but whether or not you’ll have to do so will depend on how dirty your space is. I found it needed to be emptied more frequently. Luckily, the dust box is easy enough to remove – although even better would have been the inclusion of an auto-emptying feature on the base station. At least you won’t need to worry about purchasing extra dust bags down the road, keeping costs lower.
Flip over the vacuum and you’ll find one side brush, a roller brush, and two heavy-duty rotating mopping cloths. I have to say the mopping cloths are much thicker and plusher than the pads on other machines, giving this vacuum an edge when it comes to mopping performance. Those cloths also auto-lift when the vacuum comes into contact with carpet.
Design score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Eufy X9 Pro: Performance
Excellent mopping ability
Vacuum picks up lighter debris, but fails to clean larger messes
Decent navigation and object detection
The Eufy Clean X9 Pro was simple to get started. You can send it out on the first clean without even having to create a map. However, for mapping, Eufy recommends that you tidy up your space for greater accuracy, which includes picking up tassel rugs and getting any loose wires out of the way. That took less than a minute, and I was ready to send it out.
The standard setting of the robovac on the first clean included vacuuming and mopping simultaneously. The water reservoir on the base station will fill up the vacuum with water, which is a quiet process hitting about 50db, and then the device will announce it’s heading out on a clean. It will also make you aware if it becomes stuck, and when it’s heading back to the base station.
(Image credit: Future)
While roaming my two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment, it did a great job of getting as close to my walls as possible and skirting around furniture. Although the AI sensors on the vacuum did misjudge my record stand; it wedged itself under it and needed rescuing. During other cleans, the X9 Pro continued to become stuck, eventually freeing itself. Unfortunately, that sensor on top – when working properly – prevented the vacuum from fitting under a good deal of my shelving. I’d occasionally place objects in its path, and the device would usually lightly tap the object and go around it, so no complaints there.
I found the robot vacuum would struggle with some of my rugs, but never actually got stuck. The machine also did this strange little dance around the edges of the rugs. When fully on a rug, the mopping cloths lifted every time without fail, lowering as soon as the vacuum hit a hard floor – none of the rugs in my home were left damp by the mops.
Overall, the Eufy Clean X9 Pro did a decent job of picking up smaller debris in its path, and did so quietly at around 60-65db, depending on the flooring it was on. The sound wasn’t too distracting, with a consistent noise that matched a sound level similar to my window air conditioner.
As I mentioned, the mop has been my favorite feature of this robot vacuum. It uses two plush mopping cloths that apply 2lbs/1kg of pressure, rotating three times per second, which is different to the typical vibrating pad. In my opinion, they do a much better job of lifting dirt off the floors. The mops picked up all the coffee stains, food spills, and footprints on my floor without problem. I even spread yogurt and syrup on the floor to test the mop, and the mess was gone following just a single pass-through. I was blown away. Note that you can also adjust the level of water it uses, with noticeably more water on the floor at the higher setting.
(Image credit: Future)
Before every clean that includes mopping, the X9 Pro will take about 3 minutes to get the mop ready. Then during the cleaning, every 10 minutes, the device will head back to the base station to wash the mops, taking another 3 minutes to clean. It is possible to adjust the time between washing via the app. I found that I’d go through almost the entire clean water reservoir with each full clean of my apartment, which is a good deal of water. However, I know the mops were doing a great job judging by the nasty water in the dirty water reservoir. Luckily, you’ll get a notification on when to change those reservoirs.
As much as I love the mopping feature, I can’t say as much for vacuuming. It’s mediocre at best, and it doesn’t help that there’s no self-emptying dust box, which you’ll find in most other vacuums at this price point. The X9 Pro did a decent job of picking up lighter debris, but when I tested its ability using a more concentrated mess of oats and flour on hard floors, the side brush would end up spreading oats around while picking up most. It performed the same at all suction levels, including max.
On my rug, performance was even more pathetic, leaving almost the entirety of the flour and oats behind. Several whole home cleanings later, the mess on my rug is still there. I wouldn’t rely on this vacuum to clean up any bigger, concentrated messes. A standup vacuum or broom would be better in these situations.
As far as cleaning and maintenance is concerned, the X9 Pro offers easy upkeep. You’ll have to wipe down the sensors and empty the dust box occasionally, the clean water reservoir will need to be filled and the dirty water reservoir emptied; but both come out easily and latch shut, so you don’t need to worry about spilling everywhere. The mopping cloths are washed and dried by the base station, so you’ll just need to replace them once they look worn out, which is likely to be every couple of months or so. Beyond that, the app keeps track of when you’ll need to replace different components such as the brushes and filters. Luckily, these parts should be good to go for 100+ hours.
Performance score: 4 / 5
Eufy X9 Pro: App
Creates an accurate map of your space
Easy to adjust vacuum/mopping settings
Voice assistant support
As soon as you download the Eufy Clean app and open it, you’ll be prompted to create or log in to your profile. After that super simple process, it will guide you through the rest of the setup of the Eufy X9 Pro, including connecting it to Wi-Fi. All in all, the process took about five minutes. From there, navigating the app is on a par with other robot vacuum apps I’ve used. When you open the app, your home screen will display your connected devices, and simply tapping on the Eufy X9 Pro will bring you to all the settings for the vacuum.
A map of your space is created following the first clean, and it even sections off rooms, making notes of obstacles. I found the results mostly accurate, with every room in my two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment included.
There were a few slight adjustments to the map needed, but this is easy through the app; you can change the room names, room cleaning sequence, and create no-go zones – which was handy for my pesky tassel rugs, and is also great for homes with stairs or other hazards. However, unlike some maps on other robot vacuums I’ve used, this one only differentiates floor types and notes certain obstacles when in use, making it more difficult to determine which areas to block off.
For cleaning, the app has an auto whole-home cleaning option, alongside the ability to select specific rooms or create zones for certain spots you may want to clean. It’s also possible to change the mode of cleaning from mopping and vacuuming to just one or the other. You can adjust the suction level of the vacuum and the water level of the mop. All these changes are achieved by selecting the mode button on the corner button of the map page.
(Image credit: Future)
Further setting options can be found by selecting the icon in the top-right corner. There you can set schedules, including days of the week and times of cleans, and check when different components such as brushes need to be washed or cleaned. There’s even a remote control for moving the vacuum, similar to a remote-control car. However, when you move the vacuum this way, the map of your space disappears, and you’ll need to go back to your settings and reload your saved map – a slight inconvenience but nothing major.
Beyond settings for the vacuum, in the profile section on the main homepage of the app, it’s possible to set up voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Amazon Alexa is slightly easier to connect than Google Assistant, but both work similarly. After setup, you can ask the vacuum to perform more basic functions like “clean” or “go home.”
Overall, there are no standout settings on the Eufy X9 Pro’s app, but neither is it missing any important features. Most should be able to navigate the app with relative ease having used it a few times.
App score: 4 / 5
Eufy X9 Pro: Battery life
Battery lasted 150 minutes at the standard vacuum/mopping setting
Recharging in the base station takes four hours
Automatically goes out to complete cleaning task when the battery hits 75%
When testing the battery, I sent the Eufy Clean X9 Pro out on a typical clean, which involved vacuuming at the standard setting and mopping at a medium water level. The vacuum would also go back to refill the mop every 10 minutes. It finished cleaning my space in just over 2 hours with 20% battery life remaining. I sent it back out on the same cleaning route, and after another 20 minutes of cleaning, the vacuum hit 9% battery life, automatically heading back to the base station.
In total, the battery lasted about 150 minutes – a very acceptable amount of time. Of course, this number will fluctuate depending on the robot vacuum’s cleaning settings. I couldn’t find the manufacturer’s battery life claims.
Recharging from 9% back to 100% took four hours, but when the battery hits 75%, the vacuum will go out and complete any cleaning task that it didn’t finish – unless you turn off this feature in the app. I didn’t encounter any issues while charging the battery. Every time a clean was complete, the Eufy X9 Pro would head back to the base and begin charging.
Battery life score: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the Eufy X9 Pro?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if...
Don't buy if...
Eufy X9 Pro: Also consider
If a robot vacuum isn't for you, why not consider these other vacuum options?
How I tested Eufy X9 Pro
Used over the course of three weeks to test the majority of settings.
Flooring consists of hard floors and rugs
I tested the Eufy Clean X9 Pro in my two-bedroom, two-bathroom over three weeks. I would send it out to perform cleans many times throughout the week, using almost all the different settings on the robot vacuum. I placed it in the center of my main living space for easier access to all the rooms. The flooring in my home consists of a hard laminate throughout, with a few rugs, including some tassel options scattered about. Unfortunately, I don’t have any carpets to test on.
Before using the robot vacuum, I ensured my floors were free of clothes and other possible obstructions, just as I would when vacuuming with an upright vacuum. I picked up smaller tassel rugs and cables. In total, I may have spent one minute of my time doing this before each clean, but that tiny bit of effort was worth it for optimal results.
It’s been a few years since Dyson disrupted the home haircare market with the release of the Dyson Airwrap styler, giving the competition plenty of time to catch up.
Since then, we’ve seen a host of Dyson Airwrap dupes hit the scene, from those that stay fairly close to Dyson’s high-tech, premium grade finish such as the Shark FlexStyle, to more affordable and approachable options such as the Bellissima Air Wonder 8 in 1 Hot Air Styler. This more conventional hair dryer doesn’t offer the advanced engineering and suction of the Dyson and Shark models, but its selection of attachments makes for a great first step towards leveling up your hair care.
Using the Bellissima Air Wonder with its one of seven attachments enables you to dry and style your hair in almost any way you can imagine – once you figure out the locking mechanism, that is, which is the source of a majority of complaints I’ve read online due to its unclear instructions.
The styling tool is capable and the results are decent, but I wouldn’t say it’s offering the best value for money simply because it comes in cheaper than the Dyson Airwrap. Each of the components feels pretty cheap, and both the attachments and the lock ring become so hot that you can actually burn yourself – I did so a few times, much to my chagrin. Note, too, that there’s no temperature control; just two heat settings and a cool shot. This is cause for some concern: how damaging might it prove to hair in the long-term if it’s so hot that it burns me after 10 minutes of use?
Still, if you’re careful – making sure you keep your hair hydrated and use good products – then I don’t think the Bellissima Air Wonder will be too much of a problem; but I wouldn’t use it every day or call it one of the best hair dryers I've tested.
Bellissima Air Wonder: Price and availability
List price: $111 / £100
Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK
For a hot air styler, the Bellissima Air Wonder is pretty affordable at $111 / £100, and it’s widely available in the UK from retailers including Amazon and Argos. In the US, it’s slightly less accessible, but can be found through third-party retailers such as Beauty Bay.
One of the big positives for the value proposition of the Air Wonder is its included attachments. The product’s name is somewhat misleading, though, in that it actually comes with only seven attachments; I presume the supposed eighth styling tool is the wand itself – which is a bit useless for drying hair on its own. Aside from this, it’s a decent enough, affordable alternative to other multi-stylers; but I wouldn’t say it offers great value for money on account of some of its performance and design issues.
Value: 4 / 5
Bellissima Air Wonder: Specifications
Bellissima Air Wonder: Design
White wand with seven black and gold attachments
Storage bag included
Lock function is clumsily designed
Opting for a luxe color palette of cream with black and gold accents, the Bellissima Air Wonder 8 in 1 is a brush hair dryer, following the form factor of other multi-stylers by opting for a wand rather than the traditional L-shaped dryer.
It’s fairly ergonomic in the hand, with a slight pear shape that keeps the controls within easy reach. At its thinnest point it’s about the same width as the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle, but it’s a little shorter at 20.9 x 10.6 inches/ 53 x 27cm (l x w). Its longest attachments are the rounded brushes and curling iron, which add 19 inches/ 50cm to the overall length.
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
At the top of the wand is the lock ring, where you attach the accessories, and just below this sit the temperature controls. There’s no granular control on the Bellissima Air Wonder; simply a cool setting, and two heat settings. At the hilt of the wand is the fan.
The attachments are coated with ceramic and keratin, and lock into place with a twist. There’s a QR code with instructions on how to do this included, since it’s clearly been a pain point; many customers online have been making returns or raising complaints about accessories falling off.
Unlike the more premium Shark and Dyson devices, the Air Wonder has a far more manageable 3m cord, and the included bag makes it super-easy to store away.
While the Bellissima Air Wonder does indeed look very nice, all of the parts feel a bit tacky. In use, especially, it doesn’t feel robust, and there are lots of cracks and crevices in which your hair can easily become caught and ripped (like mine did a fair few times!)
Design: 3 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
Bellissima Air Wonder: Performance
On test, the Bellissima Air Wonder 8 in 1 performed pretty well, transforming my typically unruly strands into silky and well-tamed locks – but it wasn’t smooth-sailing getting there, and I wouldn’t say I ever achieved the results I was expecting.
First, the positives. I welcomed the wide selection of accessories, and they definitely encouraged me to be a bit more adventurous with my daily styling. I mostly used the nozzle for rough drying and the three-barrel brushes to create volume and curls in my hair, all of which worked pretty well. Having never before used ovular brushes for styling, I particularly enjoyed seeing how I could get some more natural volume into my hair with the oval brush.
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
I found that styles created using the volume-centric attachments held well in my hair, playing nicely with the direct heat and airflow from the wand. Generally speaking, my hair felt silky and smooth to the same standard as it does with my go-to hair dryer, the Panasonic EH-NA65.
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(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
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(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
However, I found the other attachments disappointing. The curling iron was the biggest offender here, and it seems I’m not the only one, with dozens of frustrated customers having left feedback online that the tool just doesn’t work, despite being a big selling point. Any curls I did manage to achieve dropped pretty rapidly.
This is particularly surprising given the hair dryer's biggest weakness – how hot the main unit and its attachments become. It also feels like a massive oversight given that one of the key selling points of the air styler is being able to swap out attachments. Not only do these accessories feel incredibly hot to the touch, but even the lock ring itself becomes too hot to operate.
This means that despite the multi-styler making quick work of drying my hair, the whole styling process was significantly lengthened by having to turn off the device or purge the heat using the cool shot multiple times.
The lack of a temperature control, plus the maximum heat of the styler being 392ºF/200ºC, means I have some serious concerns about how this dryer might impact the health of hair, especially if it’s used regularly and without careful consideration to hair protection and health.
Personally, I’d only use the Air Wonder on occasion rather than daily – which, in my opinion, brings down the value of the product overall quite considerably.
Performance: 3 / 5
Should I buy the Bellissima Air Wonder?
(Image credit: Future / Josephine Watson)
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Bellissima Air Wonder: Also consider
If the Bellissima Air Wonder isn't for you, why not consider these other hair stylers?
How I tested the Bellissima Air Wonder 8 in 1
I used the Bellissima Air Wonder 8 in 1 every day for 3 weeks
I tried all of the accessories on my medium-length wavy and thick hair
I tested all of its settings, benchmarking against the competition
For the three weeks I used the Bellissima Air Wonder 8 in 1, I made a concerted effort to use all of its accessories and settings, creating different styles with my hair to see how well they performed. I assessed how healthy my hair looked after styling, and how well various styles remained throughout the day.
I timed how long it took me to dry my hair compared to the Air Wonder’s closest competition – Shark and Dyson – as well as my standard, conventional dryer.
I’ve been testing haircare products for two years professionally, but I’ve always had long hair and styled it with various products over the years.
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is a fat pillow. Honestly, I've hugged humans that didn't seem to be this substantial. It's thick and chunky – and I love it. Admittedly, I'm a big fan of tall, soft, high-loft pillows. However, if you prefer a medium or low loft, you can zip it open and remove as much of the gel memory foam stuffing you need to until it's the perfect height for you. This makes the SweetNight Original pills suitable for back, stomach, and side sleepers, as well as various builds.
The gel memory foam and breathable cover also combine to help with temperature regulation, which is important to hot sleepers. While this pillow isn't 'cool to the touch' per se, it didn't make me hot, either, in the more than two weeks that I slept on it. In addition, the outer cover is hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and dust-mite resistant, and can be removed and washed, which is a win on the hygiene front.
Keep reading to see how the pillow matches up to the rest of the on the market. And if you're looking for ways to really boost your sleep comfort further, take a look at our guide to this year's best mattress for all budgets.
Having tested plenty of other other options, I think the SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is one of the very best pillows on the market right now. It's ultra-comfortable, effectively temperature regulating, and reasonably-priced. Plus, the adjustability means it can suit any type of sleeper. Read on for my full SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow review.
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Specs
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Price and deals
Currently the SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is the only pillow in the SweetNight range, and it's available in three sizes. It's available to purchase directly from SweetNight but also might be available via Amazon – although the stuffing on that version looks different in the photos, so it might not be exactly the model I reviewed. Regular sales mean you should be able to avoid paying full price.
Here's a look at the official pricing and the discounts available on the SweetNight site at time of writing:
Standard: MSRP $75 (on sale for $60)
Queen: MSRP $80 (on sale for $64)
King: MSRP $85 (on sale for $68)
View the SweetNight Original Pillow from $75 now $60 The SweetNight Original pillow comes stuffed with cubes of cooling gel foam, which can be removed to achieve the perfect loft. It's available in three sizes (although the standard seems to be perpetually out of stock) and all are discounted at time of writing.View Deal
SweetNight Original Pillow review review: Design and materials
Gel-infused, cubed memory foam stuffing
Stuffing can be removed to adjust loft
Outer cover is waterproof and machine-washable
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is made of gel-infused shredded memory foam filling. With all the cubes inside, this is a seriously thick pillow. However, they can be removed to adjust the loft to the sleeper's exact preferences.
(Image credit: Future)
This pillow actually has two covers. The cubes of foam are encased within an inner cover, and then there's a second, outer cover, made from a rayon and polyester blended fabric. The outer cover can be removed and tossed into the washing machine, making it easy to keep this pillow clean. SweetNight recommends tossing the pillows into the dryer every two months (with the zippered covers on) to keep them from going flat.
There are three sizes to choose from. At time of writing there were no dimensions listed on the SweetNight site, but the PR provided sizes as follows:
Regular: 62cm x 45cm (out of stock at time of writing)
Queen: 70cm x 45cm
King: 91cm x 45cm
The pillows are also OEKO-TEX certified to be free of harmful chemicals, and the foam is CertiPUR-US certified, which means it meets certain environmental and health standards (all the best memory foam mattresses will have this certification for their foams).
Design score: 5/5
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Comfort and support
Gel-infused cubed foam stuffing is comfortable and supportive
Can be adjusted to suit all sleep positions and body types
When full, this pillow is very thick
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is a thick pillow that provides a comfortable – actually huggable – experience. It's one of those pillows that encourages you to sleep face down simply so you can hug it. And let's be honest, that's actually the best position for the best sleep! (ed's note: this is actually not the best position to sleep in, as it's not good for your back in the long run – you're better lying on your side).
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow comes filled with cubed foam stuffing, designed to make the pillow supportive yet comfortable. Zips on the inner and outer covers enable you to remove as much stuffing as you want, to achieve your perfect loft. If you leave all the stuffing inside, this is a seriously thick pillow, but you could make it a medium loft or even a low loft if you prefer. All this means it can be adapted to suit pretty much anyone, of any build and sleep position, and ensure your head is at the perfect height to ensure correct spinal alignment.
(Image credit: Future)
My preference is for a thick, high loft pillow that's huggable, so I never removed any of the fill. It's hard to imagine a better sleeping experience – I would liken it to sleeping on a cloud, but a supportive cloud that could be hugged.
Many memory foam pillows are made from a single block of foam, which can feel overly firm or solid. The cube-shaped memory foam filling here makes the SweetNight pillow incredibly soft and fluffy. It contoured comfortably around my head when lying on it, but there was none of the slow-moving, quicksand feel traditionally associated with memory foam – instead, the SweetNight pillow is springy and bounces back immediately when pressure is removed. It also kept its shape extremely well, and I never had to refluff it.
For me, sleeping face-down was the absolute best position with the DreamFoam pillow. Sleeping on my side was also comfortable, as was propping the pillows behind my back when sitting in bed to watch TV. When sleeping on my back, the pillow wasn't uncomfortable, but my body tended to transition into the other two positions – partially because they were more comfortable, and partially because I only sleep on my back when in testing mode.
Firmness and support score: 5 out of 5 stars
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Temperature regulation
Not cool to the touch, but the general temperature regulation is good
No issues with this pillow trapping body heat
Cubed memory foam offers better breathability
The memory foam stuffing in the SweetNight Original pillow is infused with gel (referred to as 'icy particles'), which is designed to help with temperature regulation. Gel-infused foam is used regularly in memory foam mattresses, but in reality, industry insiders will tell you that the gel is added in such small quantities that it won't make an appreciable difference to how the foam feels. Nevertheless, some foams do sleep cooler than others, and I found the SweetNight offered decent temperature regulation.
The fact that the foam is cubed will also help boost breathability compared to if it were a solid slab, because there's space for air to circulate within the pillow.
(Image credit: Future)
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillows weren't cool to the touch, but neither are the vast majority of 'temperature-regulating' pillows that I test. However, the pillows did provide a relatively cool sleeping experience. Since I have central heat and air, the temperature doesn't change much in my home, so I'm never hot in the summer or cold in the winter. However, during testing phases, I sometimes get hot in any season if the pillows or bedding is hot. I didn't have any issues with the SweetNight pillow trapping heat or getting warm overnight.
Temperature regulation score: 4.5 out of 5 stars
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Setup and extras
Arrive shrink-wrapped, 1-2 hours to expand
SweetNight warns there can be off-gassing
... but I didn't have an issue with this
The pair of SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillows arrived in two branded boxes. I'm not a fan of branded boxes, since they tend to advertise what's inside. So I'm always thankful when these boxes safely reach their destination.
Admittedly, the boxes were a little beat up, but had been thoroughly taped, and the contents were in good condition. Inside each box, the pillows were individually wrapped in one layer of plastic, and shrink-wrapped in a second layer of plastic.
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SweetNight recommends allowing 1 to 2 hours for the pillows to fully inflate, so I tore open the plastic wrap, and then left them for 2 hours to expand. The brand also warns that it's normal for new pillows to have a slight odor, but by letting the pillow air out for 1-2 days, the smell would dissipate. This is know as off-gassing and it's harmless but can occasionally be unpleasant. To be on the safe side, I moved my SweetNight pillows to another location for two days, although I never smelled any off-gassing odors – and my nose is sensitive.
In terms of extras, you've got a 30-day full refund period (there aren't many details at all about what kind of returns will be accepted during this period). The pillow comes backed with a three-year warranty.
Setup and extras score: 4/5
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Customer reviews
At time of writing (Sep 2023), on Amazon, the SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow has 603 ratings with an average rating of 4.3 stars. Many reviewers highly recommended the pillow, said they absolutely loved it, finally found the right pillow, and were glad it relieved shoulder and neck pain and supported their neck region. Among the handful of negative reviews were comments that the pillow was too flat, hard as a rock, and produced a chemical smell.
On SweetNight, the pillow has 382 reviews with a 5.0 rating – and 100% would recommend the product. There were only 5- and 4-star reviews. Buyers found the pillow very comfortable, and noted that they had less neck pain when sleeping on it. Among the 4 star ratings, some buyers said they wanted more filling, or thought the pillow was too big, but still loved it.
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the SweetNight Original Pillow?
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is one of the best memory foam pillows that I've tested. It's supportive while also being soft and luxurious. The ability to remove some of the fill makes the pillow a good choice for side, back, and stomach sleepers. Also, the gel foam filling and outer cover are temperature regulating to keep the pillow cool. And since the outer cover is machine washable, it's easy to keep the pillows clean. An excellent all-rounder that will suit almost anyone.
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Also consider
How I tested the SweetNight Original Pillow
For over two weeks, I slept on a pair of SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillows to see how they fared in performance, testing for setup, comfort, support, and temperature regulation. I also lay in side-, back-, and stomach-sleeping positions to see if the performance was the same.
The Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb is a minor update to the original bulb that was launched in 2021. Not a lot has changed with the new smart bulb, with the sole exception of the addition of Matter connectivity. This makes Nanoleaf’s new light a more futureproof option for a smart home setup.
Before I go into the smart bulb review itself, let’s quickly run through why Matter matters. It’s a connectivity protocol that allows devices from different brands to interact with one another. This makes things like lightbulbs, appliances and other smart gadgets compatible with more brands, and in the case of the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb, means it can be controlled with more smart home hubs – Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings. If you ever decide to switch platforms, you won’t have to replace any gadgets that are Matter-enabled.
Physically, the Nanoleaf smart bulb hasn’t changed – the Matter Essentials smart bulb keeps the unique polyhedron design from the original version, though there are a few changes to help differentiate it from the older bulbs, like the Matter symbol stamped onto the side.
It’s the software that really counts here, a change that allows the bulb to integrate into your smart home ecosystem, or start a future-proof automated home from scratch. When initially connecting the smart bulb to the app, Nanoleaf will scan for any firmware updates and prompt you to get them. There’s four in total as of the end of September 2023, each improving the reliability and response for Matter pairing, and also adding Circadian Lighting to the Matter-compatible Essentials range (which includes an updated lightstrip as well).
Nanoleaf Essential’s Matter upgrade wasn’t as seamless as it claimed when I first tried adding the A19 | E26 bulb (or A60 | E27 as the fitting is denoted in Australia where the light was tested) to my smart home – there were initial issues connecting the bulb to my Google Nest Hub 2, which was already connected to its iOS app on an Apple iPhone, which felt counterintuitive to how Matter is supposed to work. However, as of August, that issue has been resolved thanks to further firmware updates that were rolled out from both Nanoleaf and Google, and now I can control the bulb with my iPhone and the Nest Hub 2.
Speaking of the Apple ecosystem: it should be noted that not all features of the bulb will work, like Apple Adaptive Lighting, as it’s not HomeKit certified. While the bulb will connect to Apple Home via Matter, you will need a dedicated hub for HomeKit control.
You’d think that an updated smart bulb with new connectivity protocols would warrant a higher price tag, but it’s great that Nanoleaf has kept the price of its Matter Essentials smart bulb the same as the original model. So it’s the same affordable bulb we previously reviewed, but with some nice updates whose value will only become apparent when there are more Matter-enabled smart home devices available.
With over 16 million different color options, the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb can get as bright as 1100 lumens. (Image credit: Future)
Prices start at $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.99 per bulb
Bundle packs available directly from Nanoleaf
Announced earlier this year alongside the updated light strip, the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb is available to purchase right now directly from Nanoleaf and from third-party retailers in most markets. In the US, you can grab the A19 bulbs for $19.99 individually, or $49.99 for a three pack. In both the UK and Australia, the A60 is the equivalent standard, and has a starting price of £19.99 / AU$39.99 for the single bulb, and £49.99 / AU$99.99 for a pack of three.
The price has remained the same as the older Apple Home Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb, which has now been discontinued by Nanoleaf but will be supported for the foreseeable future.
The Matter Essentials smart bulb is available in large Edison screw and bayonet fittings at the same price, so you will need to make sure you purchase the correct option for your lamps. A Matter-enabled downlight is also available if you want to change your ceiling lights.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, Nanoleaf’s smart bulb is one of the most affordable on the market, coming in cheaper than a similar Philips Hue color globe where prices start at $54.99 / £54.99 / AU$119.95 (with varying availability on products, packs and brightness options in each region) for a single smart bulb with the full color spectrum. That’s a massive price difference, and Signify (the makers of the Hue range) is yet to adopt Matter connectivity.
Price and availability score: 4.5/5
The overall design hasn't changed for the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb, but it does now sport a green tip on the Edison screw attachment. (Image credit: Future)
Still the same, unique rhombicosidodecahedron shape
Available in Edison screw and bayonet fittings
Nanoleaf hasn’t made any changes to the design of its Matter Essentials bulb from the previous Apple Home version. It still features a rhombicosidodecahedron shape that makes it stand out on a shadeless, industrial-looking lamp even when switched off.
If you compare the two generations of bulbs with the Edison screw (E26/E27), you’ll notice two minor changes – the tip of the connector is now green instead of white, and the graphics around the base of the bulb have changed. On the side of the newer bulb, there’s a new logo for Matter next to the QR code. Having the latter stamped on the bulb is handy as it means you won’t have to hold onto the information booklet if you need to re-pair your Essentials bulb when moving or swapping them around your house.
Design score: 4.5/5
The QR code for the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb is located on the side of its base, so you can still connect it to a smart home ecosystem even if you lose the booklet. (Image credit: Future)
Connects to Apple, Google and Amazon smart home devices
Simple-to-use app
Requires Nanoleaf app for firmware updates
There’s a couple of ways to connect the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb: through the Nanoleaf app, or via a smart home hub’s app (Google Home or Amazon Alexa). For the former, you simply scan the QR code on the side of the bulb or printed in the booklet, while for the latter you just search for the bulb once you’ve switched it on. You’ll need to have a compatible home hub to connect it to the corresponding apps, so that’s something to keep in mind if you have a preference.
As simple as that sounds, I initially had issues with the bulb refusing to connect to Google Home via the app on my iPhone. I had to use an Android handset (a Google Pixel 7a in this case) to get it working with my Google Nest Hub 2. However, the August update that Nanoleaf rolled out changed this and the Google Home app on my iPhone is now able to control the bulb. That has given me the option of controlling the Matter Essentials bulb with Google Assistant voice prompts. Though, as I don’t have an Apple HomePod, I can’t use Siri as you can’t connect the bulb to Homekit without it, nor can I use my iPad as a home hub since it's not part of the current Home architecture offered by Apple.
It’s important to note that you only get a 15-minute window to connect your Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb to a Matter-enabled device after being powered up. After this time has lapsed, you’ll need to unplug the bulb from its power source, plug it back in and wait 30 seconds – if you don’t wait, you’ll be met with a security prompt.
When you first connect to a Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb in the Nanoleaf app, you'll be prompted to add it to an existing smart home ecosystem. (Image credit: Future)
Considering the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials bulb also still features Thread and Bluetooth connectivity, Matter doesn’t really, well, matter right now. It’s more about futureproofing your setup wherein you can connect multiple Matter-enable devices around the home and control them all with just one hub. If you do have a Matter (or Thread) router, your control options open up. For example, using a Matter hub means you can control your lights remotely or set up schedules. Nanoleaf handily lists all the different routers you can use as a control hub for this bulb, and it’s good to know it extends across different platforms (see the specs list above for a full list of Matter routers).
While you can forgo using the Nanoleaf app after the initial pairing and setup, you will need it for firmware updates and to access specific features like Circadian Lighting and creating custom color scenes, however these can essentially be copied through other apps, but I’ll go into this more in the performance and features part of this review.
The app itself is simple to use, with easy-to-navigate tabs and the ability to group lights together by rooms. Through it, you can download scenes and set schedules, though if you set up a schedule through a different way, like through Google Assistant, this will override the schedule you set up in the Nanoleaf app.
Setup and app score: 4/5
The Nanoleaf app has a number of exclusive features such as Circadian lighting and scenes, though you can mimic these functions using schedules and automations with other smart home apps. (Image credit: Future)
Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb review: performance & features
Voice control works almost instantly
Screen mirroring still only available with Nanoleaf desktop app
Supports 16 million colors, including cool white
With the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb, you can add it to schedules, adjust its color, control it via voice commands and have it mirror your PC or Mac screen so long as you have the desktop app.
The colors on offer with this bulb are spectacular, with vibrant reds, deep blues, both cool and warm whites, and every color in between. I’d go so far as to say that the colors are more vivid than on a Hue light. With the Nanoleaf app, you can create or download scenes made by other users which will make the bulb switch between colors with different transition options available to adjust to your liking. If you’re really happy with any scene you’ve created, you can make them available for other Nanoleaf users to download too.
There are more color options available on phone apps for the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb than you can select on the Google Nest Hub 2. (Image credit: Future)
It also has the ability to get brighter or dimmer, and you can even set it up to automatically adjust its brightness during the day using the Circadian Lighting feature. The Nanoleaf Matter Essentials A19 smart bulb dimming and brightness are also still fantastic, with the option to go all the way to 0%, and all the way up to the full 1100 lumen it's rated for. It doesn’t quite match the Philips Hues 1600 lumen, but it’s still really impressive, and will easily light up a small bedroom on its own, so long as you’re not using a lamp with a thick shade.
As a low-powered device, there is a small delay when taking voice prompts on the Google Nest Hub 2, but after the hub has registered the prompt, the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials bulb responds almost instantly. You can also make adjustments directly on any touch screen if your home hub has one, and I found any changes I made this way were also incredibly fast to take effect on the bulb itself.
This also means that if you include the bulb as part of any schedules, it will efficiently follow them at the allocated time. With automations through Google Home, you can set the bulb to turn on, change colors, brightness or follow Sleep or Wake lighting effects where the bulb will adjust brightness to simulate a natural sunrise or sunset.
Effectively, I found that I could mimic color scenes or Circadian Lighting this way, but it takes a few more steps to set it up. This does make the Nanoleaf app a little more redundant, though these features are much more intuitive through the app.
Performance and features score: 4/5
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At its brightest, the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb is bright enough to change the color of a room even during the middle of the day. (Image credit: Future)
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Even with minimal brightness, the color of the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb is still vibrant. (Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
How I tested the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb
Tested with Google Nest Hub 2, iPhone XR and Google Pixel 7a
Kept up to date and tested with each update - latest September 18, 2023 (update 3.5.41)
Disconnected and reconnected into smart home system several times and in different ways
Initial testing of the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials A19 smart bulb involved the Google Nest Hub 2 and the iPhone XR back in late June. At the time, the bulb had issues connecting through the Google Home app on an Apple device, and required an Android handset.
In a bid to troubleshoot, I disconnected and reconnected periodically (both physically and in the app), using a different combination of phone and app each time. In my tests following the August 17, 2023 updates, I found that both the iPhone and the Google Pixel 7a are able to seamlessly pair the device to the Google Nest Hub 2, through the Google Home app.
I used the bulb in a floor lamp for both my bedroom, and used both in-app controls and voice commands to switch it off and on. I also added it to automations within the Google Home app, and synced it to my alarms on the Nest Hub 2 itself to see how it interacted with these settings.
The Philips Hue Smart Button is a wireless controller for the Philips Hue smart lighting system. It works in a similar way to the Hue Wireless Dimmer but is smaller, offers two different mounting options, and is intended to be a quick and simple way to control a bulb, a room, or an entire home with a press.
The button can be programmed to control Hue lights in several different ways. There’s a brief tap and a longer press-and-hold, each of which can be set to do different things. It’s also possible to have the button set a scene depending on the time of day, or it can cycle through several pre-programmed scenes with each subsequent press. A long press is used to dim whatever lights the button is programmed to control.
A wall-mounting plate is included in the box, along with a small disc that's the size of the button itself. Both can be fixed to the wall with the supplied adhesive strips, and the button itself snaps magnetically into place on either plate.
Philips Hue Smart Button: specs
Philips Hue Smart Button: performance
Wireless, powered by a CR2032 coin battery
Attaches magnetically to included wall plate and adhesive disc
Soft plastic finish with discreet status LED
The Philips Hue Smart Button works very much like other Philips Hue accessories, including the Wireless Dimmer and the Tap Dial Switch. Lights respond quickly to a press, and it can be set up to either control Hue lights directly or via the optional Hue Bridge.
You don’t need a Hue Bridge to use the Smart Button, but installing one will unlock greater functionality for both your Hue lights and accessories – most notably the ability to control your lights from the Hue app when away from home.
(Image credit: Future)
The button itself is made from a soft-touch, slightly rubberized plastic that gives it a premium feel. It’s a nice finish but one that has a habit of attracting dust and quickly looking unclean. The clicking action feels fairly premium, and we welcome the LED that's hidden beneath the plastic surface and can only be seen when illuminated. This helps alert you to any connection problems and blinks green when the button is pressed.
The mounting plate can be stuck to any interior wall with the included adhesive strips, or mounted with screws, if you prefer. The button also comes with a much smaller mount, which is also magnetic and features adhesive strips on the back. In our opinion, opting for the latter results in a much cleaner setup and means you won’t have the Philips logo slapped across your wall.
Philips Hue Smart Button: app
Quick and easy setup
Simple to configure
Fairly limited customization options
As with other Hue accessories, adding the Philips Hue Smart Button to your lighting system is done via the Hue app. The setup process is quick and easy, giving you the opportunity to name the button (something like "Hallway") and assign it to a room of lights. Alternatively, the button can be tasked with controlling one or more specific Hue lights and lighting strips, or a specific zone similar to one that includes every Hue light in the household.
As well as Hue lights, the Smart Button can control the Hue Smart Plug in exactly the same way. This means it can be used to fire up a heater, a fan, a lamp or pretty much anything that plugs into a wall outlet.
Using the Hue app to change how the button works is easy. You can pick which lights, rooms or zones it controls (ranging from a single light to an entire home), and configure what happens to those lights when you give the button a quick press or a press-and-hold.
By default, a single press activates a time-based lighting setup. Here, your lights will adjust to a certain setting depending on the time of day, with each 24-hour period sectioned into five different lighting presets, each mimicking natural sunlight at that time of day. This means cool, bluish white light in the morning; warmer, more yellow light in the afternoon and evening; and a darker, dimmer orange glow at night. You can change the time and lighting setting for each of these to suit your needs.
(Image credit: Future)
Alternatively, a press can cycle your lights through a range of presets. Up to five different lighting scenes can be added, with each button press skipping to the next one.
Lastly, there’s the press-and-hold control. This is far more limited, and it can only be used to either dim a certain set of lights or turn off every Hue light in your home. The latter is pretty useful, especially if you mount the Smart Button by the front door, ready to be pressed to turn everything off on your way out.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to configure this more deeply. We’d like to have a long press turn all the lights off but also turn on a single lamp in the lounge to act as a burglar deterrent. This limitation sums up the Philips Hue Smart Button: it works very well but only if you don’t expect too much from it. More possibilities for customization would have been welcome.
(Image credit: Future)
Philips Hue Smart Button review: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Philips Hue Smart Button review: Also consider
If you want to add more smart lighting to your home, here are a couple of options to consider...
Philips Hue Smart Button review: How I tested
I added the switch to my Hue lighting system
I set up and used the switch as part of my daily routine
I fitted the Smart Button to a wall in my hallway and configured the switch to cycle a Hue light bulb in the hall through several scenes when pressed, then turn off all of my Hue lights with a long press.
I also experimented with the settings and used the Smart Button for other uses, including as a portable dimmer switch for my lounge Hue lighting. Being wireless, the button also spent time on my bedside table and at my desk where it was configured to control office lighting.
