Home - Organizer

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

7:00 pm | November 4, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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 The display still has those thick bezels that now look outdated.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Value: 4 / 5

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Specs

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

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

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

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

Image 1 of 4

Image 2 of 4

Image 3 of 4

Image 4 of 4

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

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

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

Image 1 of 4

Image 2 of 4

Image 3 of 4

Image 4 of 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design: 4.5 / 5

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

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen): Performance

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

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

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

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

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

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance: 4.5 / 5

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

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2023

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

2:00 am |

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

Gozney Roccbox: Two-minute preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gozney Roccbox review: Price and availability

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

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

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

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

Value score: 5/5

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

Gozney Roccbox review: Specs

Gozney Roccbox review: Design and features

Gas burner
Foldable legs
In-built thermometer

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

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

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

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

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

Design score: 5/5

Gozney Roccbox review: Performance

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

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

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

Image 1 of 5

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

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

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

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

Performance score: 5/5

Should I buy the Gozney Roccbox?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Gozney Roccbox

Test pizzas = 12
Used a range of Gozney accessories

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

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

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

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

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk: Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Price and availability

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

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

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

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

Value score: 3 / 5

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

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk specs

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Design

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

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

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

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

Image 1 of 3

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

Image 2 of 3

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

Image 3 of 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design score: 4.5 / 5

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

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Features

Useful motion sensor
Auto-brightness sensor
Versatile light settings

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

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

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

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

Image 3 of 3

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

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

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

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

Features score: 5 / 5

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

Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk review: Performance

60-year lifecycle
Sensitive controls
Good brightness

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

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

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

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

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

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

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

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

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

How I tested the Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk

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

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

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

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

Tineco Pure One S11: Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

Tineco Pure One S11: Price and availability

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

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

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

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

Value: 4 / 5

Tineco Pure One S11: Specs

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

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

Tineco Pure One S11: Design and features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

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

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

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

Design: 4 / 5

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

Tineco Pure One S11: Performance

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

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

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

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

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

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

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

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

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Tineco Pure One S11: Battery life

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

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

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

Battery: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Tineco Pure One S11?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Tineco Pure One S11: Also consider

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

How I tested Tineco Pure One S11

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

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

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

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

4:00 pm |

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

Levoit 600S: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

Levoit 600S: price and availability

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

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

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

Value: 4 / 5

Levoit 600S: Specs

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

Levoit 600S: Design

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

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

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

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

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

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

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

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

Design: 4.5 / 5

Levoit 600S: Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance: 4 / 5

Levoit 600S: App

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

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

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

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

Should I buy the Levoit 600S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Levoit 600S

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

Philips Hue Bloom review: a capable and colorful bias and accent light

5:30 pm | October 30, 2023

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

One-minute review

As well as its ever-growing range of smart bulbs, Philips Hue has been producing table and floor lamps for a number of years, many of which qualify as some of the best smart lights.

Way back in 2013, the Hue Bloom was the first non-bulb smart light to start this trend – a successful gambit, given it’s still a fan favorite to this day. It can be purchased from Amazon, directly from Philips Hue, and from some third-party retailers for $79.99 / £79.99. It’s a little expensive for what it is, especially in the UK; but it’s one of Hue’s more affordable table lamps. Petite at 4 x 5.1 x 5-inches / 10.1 x 12.9 x 12.6cm (h x w x d), the Bloom is a versatile table lamp that works as well for rudimentary bias lighting as it does for accent lighting.

Philips Hue Bloom table lamp — (Image credit: Future)

It sports a fairly discreet appearance, especially when it’s off, with a sort of ’70s sci-fi look; neutral, curvy, and clad in white plastic and metal. The front of the light is a flat, angled disc with a small bezel; however, you’re most likely to only ever see the rear or side of the light, since it’s for indirect lighting and performs best when facing walls and corners. The light sits on a short stem, which is home to the power cable; the cable exits through a small arch at the front-facing side of the lamp. Depending on where your power supply is in relation to the lamp, this can prove a little fiddly to set up.

You can set up the lamp via Bluetooth or the Hue Bridge. The latter comes at an additional cost of $59.99 / £49.99, and enables further devices to be connected, while also bringing more features such as remote control. As with all Philips Hue lights, the Bloom is super easy to set up in the app, with the overall user experience splendid. Adding the light to your smart home ecosystem is just as easy, and it’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.

Its slightly low lumen output somewhat betrays the age of the Bloom – and that’s despite it having had a few generational updates over the years. At just 500 lumens at 4000K, which is about as low as you’d ever want a table lamp to go. However, Bloom isn’t designed to spray light across the room, just to provide an interesting and ambient splash of color – and for that it’s perfectly balanced. There’s also a welcome softness to the Bloom as a result of the frosted covering, which diffuses the light wonderfully.

With the now-standard full 16 million array of colors, the Bloom can produce some beautifully vibrant hues, and you can adjust the temperature and brightness with ease using voice controls with the best smart speakers or via the app. As time has gone on, and Bloom has evolved through different Hue generations, color accuracy has improved significantly, and the most recent version I’ve been testing is exemplary of that evolution.

While there are still a few niggles that I’d have expected Hue to have tackled by now (the cable exit in the stem really irks me, for example), overall the Philips Hue Bloom is an excellent – albeit basic – bias or accent light, offering vibrant and bright ambient lighting in your home. It’s discreet enough to work well in any room, but still a good-looking device in itself.

Philips Hue Bloom review: Specs table

Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Philips Hue Bloom review: Also consider

How I tested the Philips Hue Bloom

I tested the Philips Hue Bloom for a month
I used it as part of my smart lighting setup
I paired it via the Philips Hue Bridge and Alexa

To test the Philips Hue Bloom, I set it up in my living room for a month, alongside a set of other smart lights from other manufacturers.

My primary smart speaker controller is Alexa, which I used in tandem with the Philips Hue app to test the responsiveness, accuracy and ease of use when operating the lamp. I compared its color accuracy to smart lights in various form factors and from different manufacturers, too.

I used the Bloom as both a bias light behind my TV screen and as an accent light for a display cabinet, as well as a table-side light to add some more color spray to my smart light setup

Yeedi Cube robot vacuum and mop review: lots of features on a budget

4:00 pm |

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

Yeedi Cube: One-minute review

The Yeedi Cube comes among a litany of combo robot vacuums capable of both vacuuming and mopping. In that regard, it’s one of many. What sets it apart then is the fact that it comes with a self-emptying base station for a much lower price than much of the competition.

Whether it ranks among the best robot vacuums for you depends on whether you can accept its quirks. After all, there are a few issues here that might make you reconsider as the virtual mapping is not as good as it could be (though that should be fixed with a firmware update) and assembly can be involved to the point where, if you don’t hit every step correctly, you could end up with an issue. Of course, the issue with getting edges and corners is inherent in this type of vacuum. So, if that’s a concern, you can look at one of the best vacuums for something able to do a deeper clean.

That said, the Yeedi Cube is a cheap way, relatively at least, for a hands-free vacuuming and mopping experience that will leave your floors clean.

Yeedi Cube: price and availability

List price: $699 (about £559 / about AU$1,054)
Available in the US only at the moment

At $699.99 (about £559 / about AU$1,054), the Yeedi Cube is decidedly cheap for what it offers. Sure, you can find robot vacuums capable of mopping for less. For example, the Bissell Spinwave R5 costs $549.99 / about £455.19 /AU$799 and it has both functionalities. What the Bissell doesn’t have that the Yeedi Cube has is a base station that not only empties the debris that’s been vacuumed up but the dirty water as well.

A better comparison then is the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, which goes for a much higher price tag of $1,099.99 / £999 / AU$2,199 and also includes a self-emptying base station. Though the iRobot’s mopping ability is a bit better, the self-emptying functionality only applies to the dust and debris the Roomba picks up. Anything mopping-related is done manually. The Yeedi Cube’s base station also sucks out the dirty water.

That said, an area that both the Bissell and iRobot robot vacuums as well as that of most established brands have over Yeedi is the fact that the Yeedi Cube is currently only available in the US.

Value: 4 / 5

Yeedi Cube: specifications

Yeedi Cube on the author's floor — (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Yeedi Cube: Design and features

Completely flat on top
Self-emptying base station
Lots of assembly

There are a few intriguing elements of the Yeedi Cube robot vacuum unit that stand out compared to other models I’ve seen. To start, the clean water tank sits on top of the vacuum instead of being shoehorned into the back with the dustbin. Because of its placement, it can store quite a bit of water (one liter specifically).

Also, the vacuum is completely flat, instead of having a raised area for mapping purposes. Because of this, the Yeedi Cube can get under couches and some furniture that might be out of reach for other units.

As far as attachments go, the Yeedi Cube has two side brushes (many especially cheaper models have one) and a single large brushroll underneath. The brush roll uses bristles so it is susceptible to getting tangled up, so you’ll have to check it somewhat regularly if anyone in the house has long hair.

The mop pad covers the back half of the vacuum and vibrates up to 2,500 times a minute to clean. Though you can easily remove the mop pad to clean it, the base station will wash and dry it every time it docks.

Speaking of the base station, it’s sizable but not too bulky. As it measures 15.74 x 17.72 x 14.76 inches, you’ll have to set aside a good amount of space, especially as the actual robot vacuum likes to do a three-point turn to back into it from about four feet in front.

The base station takes up this much space for a couple of reasons. As soon as the vacuum is docked, the station will suck the debris out of the dustbin into a disposable bag inside the base station, so you don’t have to regularly empty anything. Since having started testing for this review, I have not needed to replace the bag despite cleaning up after two dogs.

The base station also has a dirty water tank that’s big enough (1.2 liters, specifically) that it rarely needs to be emptied. Also, as mentioned above, when the vacuum docks, the station will wash and dry the mop pad to keep it clean and free of mold.

This is all well and good once you have it all set up, but it requires a little bit extra in terms of assembly. Namely, there are a lot of different areas where you have to remove tabs and stickers for correct operation.

To that end, I had trouble with the base of the base station as I thought it was properly installed, but because it didn’t fully click into place, all the dirty water that was supposed to go into the dirty water tank ended up leaking out of the base station. While I’ll admit that it’s user error, it’s something that I checked more than once trying to troubleshoot. And, if you’re not careful and fully push in that base when assembling this vacuum, you might end up stepping in a puddle of murky water as well.

Design: 4 / 5

Yeedi Cube: Performance

Solid vacuuming ability
Object avoidance is okay
Mopping is good

As far as vacuuming ability goes, the Yeedi Cube is as capable as any robot vacuum I’ve tested. It has two side brushes to the single one that most models have so that it’s able to feed all debris towards the brush roll instead of kicking debris out.

Having had to run the Yeedi Cube somewhat regularly to pick up after two French Bulldogs and a cat (mostly the dogs), it did a great job of getting all the pet hair off the floor. It did have some issues with larger objects since that brush roll uses actual bristles. Long hair and larger leaves will get stuck there as I experienced, requiring some manual clearing of the brush roll and brush roll area before being able to continue cleaning the floor.

Robot vacuums tend to have issues with this in general so it’s not a major point against the Yeedi Cube. You’ll just have to do a little pre-cleaning before running it if you see big pieces of debris lying around.

In the same vein, its object avoidance is okay but not great. It will bump up on objects before deciding to go around. This is a little bit of a frustration as that means it can get stuck on some lower-lying objects. In my case, the robot vacuum has gotten stuck on some floor vents that are a couple of centimeters higher than the surrounding floor, requiring me to rescue it. However, it seems to have learned from the first couple of times getting stuck and no longer does so when being run.

As with many other robot vacuums I’ve tested, the edge cleaning is not nearly as good as advertised and the Yeedi Cube will leave areas along the wall with some dirt and debris that I would have hoped it to pick up.

The mopping functionality is also pretty good. At first, it was a little streaky, but it seemed to find its stride after the first time or two running it. While Yeedi doesn’t offer any cleaning solution or advice on what to use, just using water does pick up quite a bit of dirt. The dirty water tank on the self-emptying base station attests to its ability to go the extra mile with mopping.

That might be from the physical mopping pad. Instead of dragging it behind it, the Yeedi Cube vibrates the mopping pad to physically remove dirt. If you want to take it to the next level, you can use any cleaning solution except for strong acids or alkali-based ones that could corrode the cleaning tank.

Performance: 4 / 5

Yeedi Cube: App

Fairly intuitive to use
Lots of adjustments for both vacuum and station
Room mapping needs work

The Yeedi app is generally intuitive to use. The main screen depicts the overall map that the robot vacuum has made of your space including whatever room divisions you’ve made. Information about the vacuum such as current settings, battery life and what it’s currently doing is listed at the top of the screen, while access to controls is at the bottom.

The “Robot” tab allows you to select between just vacuuming or vacuuming and mopping, how loud you want its operation (which affects how deeply it will clean), the amount of water you want it to use, whether you want it to do a quick or full clean and more. There are some advanced settings here available such as creating scheduled cleanings, how you want each room to be cleaned, and Do Not Disturb hours.

There’s also a “Station” tab with some base station-specific settings such as toggling on/off the self-emptying functionality and how long you want it to wash or dry the mopping pad.

The one area where the app falls short however is in its ability to subdivide the map into different rooms. After the initial mapping of my space, it all showed up as one big room. I was able to subdivide the whole space into two rooms but not any further than that even though I should have been able to break it down further. That means that I have to clean half the floor space when I want to clean just one room, so I end up just running the vacuum to clean everything.

Now, I run this vacuum in an area that is almost an open floor plan with wide door frames that lack doors and the Yeedi Cube apparently has more trouble with these sorts of spaces compared to a more typical apartment or house layout. So, this issue may not even apply to you. It’s still a major annoyance as well as a consideration when comparing robot vacuums, though I’ve been told that Yeedi is working on this and will hopefully have rectified this issue with a future firmware update.

If you’re on the smart home train, be aware that it is compatible with Alexa and Google Home but not HomeKit.

App: 3.5 / 5

Yeedi Cube: Battery life

Long battery life
Constantly returns to base station

The crazy thing about the Yeedi Cube’s 150-minute battery life is that it’s so careful about emptying its contents regularly and washing that mopping pad before continuing that it never got below 50%.

So, it would run for 40 or 50 minutes, return to the base station to clean, and then return to the job. That said, it wouldn’t wait to fully recharge. So, I never was in any danger of it running out of battery. The only time it did was when it got stuck on something when I wasn’t around to rescue it.

Even beyond that, a 110 or 120-minute runtime is typical so what this robot vacuum can achieve is far above average.

Battery: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Yeedi Cube?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Yeedi Cube: Also consider

Not sold on the prowess of the Yeedi Cube? Below are a couple of alternatives that you can consider.

How I tested the Yeedi Cube

I used the Yeedi Cube for a month
Tested different settings and features
Tested on different surfaces with various obstacles

To test the Yeedi Cube Robot Vacuum and Mop Self-Empty XL, I used it for a month to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors in my house. I also tested all the features listed in the app, from mapping to different levels of cleaning.

I took note of how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles, not to mention running it over different surfaces including two different types of hard flooring.

One-minute review

Nanoleaf has fast become a popular brand, producing some of the best smart lights on the market. In particular, its ranges of wall panels and lines have been allowing smart lighting fans to unleash their creativity and design their own illuminating wall art.

The standard Nanoleaf Shapes range includes three different form factors; Canvas, Hexagons and Triangles, and with the release of the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Triangles last year, and Hexagons this year (UK and US only as of writing), its Ultra Black Shapes lineup is now following suit. For this review, I tested the Hexagons.

Offering simple setup and installation and great app controls, the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes are a quick, easy, and effective addition to any room; but with the starker black coloring, I’d say they best suit an office, studio, or rooms with darker walls.

Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black turned on — (Image credit: Future)

Despite the dark backdrop, the lights are surprisingly vibrant and bright; although not enough to the degree that they’re able to illuminate a room, rather just provide some ambiance. Much like the standard Shapes, the color doesn’t quite reach the corners and edges – personally, I’d prefer if they did.

The standard nine-pack allowed me to create a small but mighty bat-shaped accent piece, but I think both the design and technological capabilities of the device are best demonstrated through a larger design. The number of devices one controller can handle (500) is truly impressive, but it would be nice if the power cable could supply more than 21 panels.

All in all, the Ultra Black Shapes are a wonderful, slick addition to Nanoleaf’s wall paneling, and although I did experience a couple of bugs and quirks, in general I found them to be supremely easy to use and a beautiful addition to my workspace.

Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes review: Price and availability

List price: $219.99 / £179.99 / AU$369.99
Expansion sets: $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$119.99

The Nanoleaf Ultra Black Hexagons and Triangles are priced the same as the starter kits; $219.99 / £179.99 / AU$369.99 (although at the time of writing, the Hexagons have yet to be released in Australia.) You can buy them from Nanoleaf direct, Amazon, as well as through some other third-party sellers.

Included in this kit are nine panels, nine connectors, a power cord, a controller, and mounting tape, allowing you to start formulating your wall art. You can opt to expand your design, or mix and match shapes with the expansion kits, with each containing a further three panels and connectors for $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$119.99.

This puts the Nanoleaf Ultra Black panels at the higher end of the smart light price point spectrum, especially given that these are slightly pricier than the already-expensive standard white wall panels. I’d say they offer fairly good value for money thanks to the breadth of controls in the app and the build quality of the panels, but I’d be far more impressed if they’d come in at a slightly lower price point.

Value: 4/5

Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes review: Specs table

The Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black when turned off — (Image credit: Future)

Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes review: Design

Slick, matte black front
Robust and well made
Easily installed

Elegant and slightly imposing, these all-black panels offer a much more sophisticated look than the standard white Nanoleaf Shapes, making them a real statement piece whether they’re on or off. This very fact makes them slightly better suited to slightly different room types; namely, rooms with darker walls, or spaces such as a study, bedroom, or studio.

Both the Hexagons and Triangles have the same dimensions; 7.75 x 9 inches / 20 x 23cm, and are 0.24 inches / 60mm thick, meaning they sit impressively close to the wall. They feel robust and well made, capable of handling a few bumps – although I wouldn’t readily drop them from great heights. The included mounting tape is super strong and bonds quickly, which makes for easier and quicker installation.

When creating your design with the panels, you need to consider the placement of the controller and power cable(s). The former can control up to 500 panels and is shape ambiguous, and the power cord can supply up to 21 panels. Otherwise, creating a design with your panels is a breeze with the in-app layout assistant; or there are plenty of suggested designs available to give you some inspiration.

You can choose wherever you fit the controller on the side of one of the Shapes, and it’s fairly subtle, although I’d prefer for it to be slightly more remote or attachable to the power cord instead – but it’s a negligible interruption to your chosen design.

My one minor design gripe is that the color doesn’t fully reach the edge of the Shape; it comes pretty close, but especially into the corners, it doesn’t quite go the distance. This is true for all Nanoleaf Shapes, as well as many competitor products, but it’s a lot more noticeable on the black backdrop. As such, my former comment about the wall color being important is most relevant to this issue; placed on a darker wall, this is unlikely to be as noticeable as it is on a bright white wall. It’s just as the white panels stand out more on dark walls.

Overall I really appreciate the design of the panels, even if they’re a little starkly contrasting on my white walls – but I’d happily design a darker feature wall or room around these beautiful panels.

Design: 4.5/5

Image 1 of 4

Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black on a wall — (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 4

Image 3 of 4

Image 4 of 4

Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes review: Performance

Vibrant, but dimmer than standard Nanoleaf Shapes
App offers great controls
Can be a little buggy

Setting up the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes is very easy through the Nanoleaf app (more on that later), and you’re pretty much ready to go as soon as they’re designed and installed – unless you want to spend time finessing the output in the settings.

I did attempt to re-calibrate the colors, but couldn’t make it through the entire process without it bugging; this happened on multiple occasions and through different software patches.

The app is pretty intuitive and offers a huge range of customization and design options, as well as downloadable scenes or a scene creator if you want to branch out. It’s super easy to control via the app, with minimal delay unless you’re fiddling with some of the settings I mentioned above.

The rest of the features perform similarly to other Nanoleaf products; in brief, MusicSync is great, so long as the sound source is close by and well directed, or otherwise loud, and Touch Gestures are a little temperamental.

Having tried out a number of different smart lights, including Nanoleaf’s standard range, the first thing I’d note about the Ultra Black range is that, despite Nanoleaf’s best efforts, there’s a slight impact on the color output and brightness.

On the former, certain colors have a slight muddiness to them – one I’d expect with the interference of the all-out black design, but since these are slightly pricier than the standard white panels, I’d have liked better attention to the light technology. It’s most noticeable with lighter colors – pure white is quite gray, yellow looks more saffron, light blue is more powder or eggshell blue, and pink is more peachy. Still, the colors are impressively vibrant given the device's design.

Personally, I don’t ever consider smart light panels to be primed for illuminating a room, but rather for ambiance and design, so I didn’t find the Ultra Black panels’ dimness too problematic. However, they’re definitely dimmer than the standard range, which is worth noting if you’re looking to bring proper light into a room.

Image 1 of 2

The edge of the nanolead shapes panels, showing slight disruption/fraying to the light — The edge of the Nanoleaf Shapes panels, showing slight disruption/fraying to the light (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 2

The black backdrop also draws attention to any lights that aren’t quite perfectly aligned; there’s a small blip on the edge of a few of mine, although you have to be up fairly close to notice.

There’s also some weirdness in the color assignment with certain smart home controllers - in my case, Alexa. For some reason, white always turns out a variant of peach or pink, unless I specifically pick out white in the app or use a white scene.

I tested these lights for a couple of months alongside a few different brands, and I’d say Nanoleaf was among the buggiest; the panels got stuck on certain colors, and were non-responsive or behaved strangely on occasions. Overall, though, they worked well.

Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black review: Also consider

Still not sold on the Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black? Here are two other options you might want to consider.

How I tested the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes

I spent two months testing the Ultra Black Shapes
I used them in tandem with other, non-Nanoleaf lights and paired with both Apple Home and Alexa
I tested color vibrancy, brightness, responsiveness and sturdiness, as well as all the in-app features.

I used the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes for two months in my smart home. I installed and paired them following the in-app instructions, evaluating the process for speed and user-friendliness.

With the app being the primary controller, I tested all of its features, from creating scenes to trying the MusicSync and touch control features. I also adjusted the settings to calibrate the lights to my specific needs.

I paired the light panels with both my Amazon Alexa and Apple Home controllers to see how quickly they responded to various commands, while also considering how well the panels integrated with my non-Nanoleaf lights.

Ikea Starkvind table review: an air purifier masquerading as a table

2:30 pm | October 27, 2023

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

One-minute review

Ikea is a brand most often associated with flat-pack furniture, meatballs, and the occasional viral plush, it’s not the first name you think of when it comes to innovation. However, its smart home line is certainly home to some whacky, creative ideas, including the Ikea Starkvind table, an air-purifying table that’ll freshen up any living space.

Available for $199.99 / £199 / AU$249 directly from Ikea, the Starkvind table joins other novel creations like the Symfonisk lamp speaker and Symfonisk picture frame speaker.

While it’s no show-stopper, the Starkvind table is fairly stylish in a modest, minimal sense, and the 55cm / 21.7-inch tall table has a fair amount of surface area to play with thanks to its 54cm / 21.3-inch diameter.

It’s not the most impressive and capable air purifier I’ve ever used, and it lacks a true HEPA filter. However, if you’re looking for a space-saving device, it’s a great option - albeit a slightly pricey one, for what it is.

Ikea Starkvind table review: Price

The Ikea Starkvind table is available for $199.99 / £199 / AU$249 directly from Ikea. It’s a little overpriced for what it is, considering that some of our all-time favorite air purifiers, like the Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto, sit at the $150 / £100 / AU$150 mark, and offer superior performance and specs compared to Ikea’s Starkvind table.

Added to that is the fact you’ll have to buy the Ikea Dirigera smart device hub for $69.99 / £60 / $AU99 if you want to use the app, which provides smart features like air analysis, timers, and scenes. The app also enables you to bring the device into wider smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. There’s also an activated carbon filter for gaseous pollutants like formaldehyde which can be bought separately for $26 / £15 / AU$20. Both this filter and the included particle filter, which costs $20 / £7 / AU$25, need to be replaced every six months or so, depending on your level of usage, meaning that all-in-all, the table’s ongoing costs do add up.

In saying that, it’s robust, well-designed, offers decent performance, and is also a table, so it’s far from terribly priced.

Price: 4/5

Ikea Starkvind table grooves under the tabletop — (Image credit: Future)

Ikea Starkvind table review: Setup and design

As is to be expected from the Swedish furnishing behemoth, the Ikea Starkvind table is a piece of flatpack furniture that comes in a surprisingly compact box.

It’s incredibly easy to assemble. Simply turn the main console upside down, screw in the legs, remove the filter’s packaging, connect the power supply, click the tabletop into place, and voila; one air purifying table ready to go. If you have the Dirigera smart home hub, pairing is just as easy - simply press the pairing button under the tabletop and follow the in-app instructions. Once in the app, you can check out the air analysis, timers and cutscenes. You can also easily integrate the Starkvind table into your Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Assistant ecosystem here.

The tabletop is pretty simple, but still stylish, offering decent real estate with its 54cm / 21.3-inch diameter and 55cm / 21.7-inch height. Under the hood lies a standard Ikea Starkvind air purifier, its plastic casing designed to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the table’s design. At the front of the table is a dial to switch between the automatic detection mode and five power settings. If you hold this dial down, it triggers the lock function. There are also two indicator lights; one for the lock toggle and the other for when it’s time to replace the filter inside.

There’s some great attention to detail in the table, despite its simplicity. For example, one of the legs has an indent, in which the cable can be fed to keep the underside looking neat and tidy. The underside of the tabletop also features a set of anti-drip grooves, which prevent spilled liquids from reaching the purifier underneath.

Setup and design: 4.5/5

Close-up of the Ikea Starkvind table controls — (Image credit: Future)

Ikea Starkvind table review: Performance

The Starkvind table’s filter can remove roughly 99.5% of smaller airborne particles, including PM2.5 particles, dust and pollen. On its least powerful setting, the Starkvind table is impressively quiet, registering just 25dB on test. However, the volume amps up pretty quickly once you get to its third, medium-strength setting.

By the time you get to the most powerful setting, it’s fairly noisy at 55dB, which is just a little quieter than a normal conversation. I had to raise my voice above the sound to be heard. While it’s unlikely you’d need to use this highest setting too often, I’d definitely have appreciated a slightly quieter performance.

I kept the Starkvind table with air purifier running on its auto mode for much of my testing, and put it through its paces by lighting candles and spraying aerosols in the nearby vicinity. It has a two or three-stage filtration system depending on whether you purchase the gas filter. Air travels through a prefilter to remove larger debris and particles before heading through the main filter and the optional gas filter. The main filter is capable of removing 99.5% of PM2.5, meaning dust, pollen, industrial emissions and smoke are all covered. It’s worth bearing in mind that more sophisticated purifiers can handle a wider range of particulate matter to give your airways the utmost protection, however, PM2.5 tends to carry the greatest risk.

The air sensor in the purifier was very responsive to pollutants, quickly amping up the power to clear out the harassing particles. While it’s hard to assess how good it is at actually filtering out the particles, I did notice the air quality swiftly climbing to a healthy level on my air quality monitor when I did my aerosol and candle tests.

Maintenance is pretty simple with the Starkvind table - simply lift the tabletop off to check the filters and vacuum off any grub regularly, and replace the filters every 6 months or when the LED indicator on the front of the table notifies you to do so.

While the table works as promised, the inability to take advantage of its smart features without Ikea’s smart home hub plus its fairly basic purification technology means it doesn’t land as well as other air purifiers I’ve researched and reviewed, like the Dyson Hot + Cool Formaldehyde.

Performance: 3.5/5

Ikea Starkvind table review: Specs table

Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Ikea Starkvind table with air purifier

I used the Ikea Starkvind table with air purifier for one month
I tested its auto mode using candles and aerosols
I measured its success with an air quality monitor

I built the Ikea Starkvind and tested it in my living room for one month, mostly keeping it on its automatic detection mode to test its reactiveness and efficiency.

I kept my air quality monitor nearby to compare results, lighting candles and spraying aerosols in the vicinity of the table to see how quickly and effectively it cleared the particles from the air.

Lastly, I compared the results to my go-to purifier, the Dyson Hot + Cool Formaldehyde HP09 as a benchmark.

Swann AllSecure650 2K Wireless Security Kit review

3:03 pm | October 26, 2023

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

One-minute review

With the AllSecure 650 2K Wireless Security Kit, Swann is aiming to straddle the markets for hardwired security systems that record and save footage to a cloud service and standalone kits that store it locally.

It offers the convenience of near-constant recording without the expense of a subscription service and is intended as a solid and reliable self-installation product, keeping setup and running costs relatively low. Furthermore, it comes in a variety of bundle sizes, with the smallest including two cameras and the largest, four. These cameras are wireless HD units that offer the convenience of being able to place surveillance cameras anywhere you choose.

The kit is based around a hub that either needs to be physically attached to your home router via Ethernet or connected wirelessly. You’ll also need a smart TV or, better yet, a spare monitor, to set up the system. This hub contains a 1TB hard drive and also has a very useful slot for an additional rechargeable battery pack.

The satellite cameras are wireless and can be placed wherever you wish within range. The instructions state that these need to be charged in advance for two or three hours, but a lengthier charge is needed if the cameras are to operate reliably for more than the first few hours. A USB charging cable for this purpose is supplied, but you’ll need to use the plug from a tablet or smartphone. European and UK adapters for the hub power cable were supplied in the two-camera kit, along with an abundance of brightly colored leaflets in multiple languages to aid hardware software and app setup.

Once charged, the battery packs click into the base of each camera, with the spare stashed snugly inside the hub, ready to be called into use when one of the wireless camera battery packs runs low. This is one of the most intuitive and useful aspects of the kit. Swann indicates a battery life between charges of up to four months, while the 1TB hard drive in the hub should be able to record standard or high-definition footage for two years before filling up.

The terabyte of included storage is probably best set to record motion events rather than record continuously, to save you trawling through saved footage in search of an event. Should you need it, there’s also an SD card slot on the hub so you can save footage that you might need to share, plus a USB port where you can add an external drive of up to 4TB capacity. In addition, you can save videos to your Dropbox account from the app.

With a few setup niggles such as the need to use an HD monitor, mouse, and on-screen keyboard to get the security system underway, the Swann AllSecure 650 offers a strong combination of wireless surveillance features with the convenience of recording to a built-in hard drive.

Having an extra battery pack inside the hub available for immediate swap-out with one of the camera packs ensures no downtime, and is a real benefit. You do need to watch out for properly charged batteries, however.

The video cameras provide clear footage with plenty of detail, and the Swann Security app offers most of the controls and playback options you’d hope for from a home security system, with only a few seconds delay to playing back event footage once you receive a phone or smartwatch alert. With no need to fork out for a subscription service, unless you need the extra person/car/animal alert distinctions, the Swann AllSecure 650 is also a good value choice.

Swann AllSecure650 2K: price & availability

List price (4-camera bundle): $699.99 / £499.95 / AU$999.95
List price (2-camera bundle, UK / AU): £399.95 / AU$699.95
Available in UK, US and Australia

The Swann AllSecure650 2K is sold directly from the brand's website or via resellers including Amazon, and arrives with a pre-installed local 32GB microSD card, a USB charging cable and installation equipment.

There are a host of bundles, which are compiled slightly differently globally - for this review, I was sent the 2-camera bundle, which is available in the UK and Australia for £399.95 / AU$699.95. The more globally available 4-camera bundle is $699.99 / £499.95 / AU$999.95.

To get the best from the camera, you'll need to sign up to a storage subscription service, meaning you'll benefit from the warranty, the best detection smart alerts, and cloud storage. Subscription services start at $2.99 / £2.99 / $AU5.55 per month; plus you get a free three-month trial when you buy the camera. This stores video footage for up to 60 days in the cloud and offers extras such as package, pet, and vehicle detection in addition to human heat and motion detection.

If the physical storage still doesn't quite cut it or you want some more options, there's also the Swann Unlimited subscription of £8.99 per month (after a three-month trial) for cloud storage, and continuous recording will work better for your needs: the Swann Security app makes it easy to add a cloud service at any point just by clicking the yellow-ish storage chest icon and adding your card details.

Swann AllSecure650 2K: specifications

Swann AllSecure650 2K: Design and set-up

Swann 650 hub port — (Image credit: Future)

Setting up the Swann AllSecure 650 involves plugging in the supplied mouse to the hub. With the screen attached to the hub via HDMI, it should automatically display the setup screen. Add your network details and Wi-Fi password or plug in the Ethernet cable, if you prefer. You can connect to either a 2.4GHz or 5GHz wireless network.

Next, create a Swann email account, enter your password as the admin, and add any extra users you may want on the system. You’ll know the hub is successfully connected when all three of the subtle colored LEDs are lit up on its front fascia.

You'll want to install the Swann Security iOS or Android app to use the AllSecure 650 system remotely using your phone. Once you’ve added your email details, you’ll be prompted to scan the QR code on the top of the hub. Oddly, Swann’s printed quick-start guide for the app only references iOS, not Android; but both are offered.

Although the app expects you to pair with a security camera at this stage, the pairing happens on the HD monitor screen. Two (or four, if you’ve bought the more expensive AllSecure 650 kit) of the on-screen panes will display a Play icon, while the rest will – rather off-puttingly – suggest “video loss” rather than that they’re not in use.

To pair, you must bring the camera into proximity to the hub and click one of the active on-screen panes. You then need to unlock the security system by manually entering your admin password credentials and clicking Unlock. Now click on the pane or the white video camera icon that appears just beneath it, and press and hold down the white hardware button on top of the camera for several seconds. There ought to be a red LED on the camera that turns on at this point – it never did for me, although pairing still took place. I also needed several attempts at pairing.

Swann 650 porch camera mount being screwed in place — (Image credit: Future)

Once connected, you can position the cameras as you see fit. The brief hardware setup instructions prompt you to try to experiment with what will be a suitable position, checking what appears in the camera view before committing to the location. Bear in mind that you need to have the hard plastic antenna on top of each camera sticking upwards in order to pick up the Wi-Fi signal and connect to the Swann 650’s hub. There’s a theoretical range of up to 30 meters.

I found that placing my indoor camera discreetly in a side window near the front door was ideal until the window glare and automatic porch light obscured the view at night – or I dislodged the camera with my bulky curtains.

Mounting it inside the porch worked well, but also announced the camera to the street. Although this could prove a good visual deterrent, along with the inevitable brace of secured property stickers I've placed on the windows, I ended up fretting that it would be all too easy for a chancer to simply shelter in my porch, unscrew the wireless camera from its mount and make off with it, caught on camera or not.

To prevent such instances, Swann suggests mounting the cameras roughly four meters above the intended surveillance area. In practice, this probably means outside a room on the floor above. Swann doesn’t guarantee that the cameras can withstand all weather, specifically warning about siting them where they’ll be rained on; however, it also makes claims of IP66-rated water and dust resistance, plus a good level of temperature tolerance; so a sheltered eave or nook outside above an upper-floor window are ideal spots.

If you’re restricted to mounting the fixings from inside the property, the options may be few. If you choose to go down this route and fit the cameras yourself, and if you lack a sufficiently long ladder and a head for heights, you may find yourself scrabbling to screw the cameras into place and then not necessarily in the ideal spot.

The two halves of the camera mount unscrew, with the part that attaches to the wall or ceiling having holes for two supplied screws. Once secured to the mounting base, you'll need to angle the camera as needed and use the wing nut to hold it in position. One of the review cameras was missing a sticky sponge pad inside the mount, which meant it wouldn’t stay in place; but I was able to work around this by adjusting camera placement.

Swann 650 upper camera mounted on the underside of a roof — (Image credit: Future)

Swann AllSecure650 2K: Performance

The video quality from the cameras was more than adequate; I was easily able to discern what was happening on the street below, both during the day and at night time, and whether in the default SD mode or when I selected HD (high-definition video). There was little visual distortion, although things looked a bit out of kilter when I seated the upper camera at an odd angle.

The playback option lets you view a two-second clip of whatever triggered recording, and if you spot something interesting happening while in Live View mode then you can simply tap the video camera icon on the app to instantly record.

The lag when in Live View mode and interacting with a visitor on the doorstep was minimal and the conversation was clear through the two-way sound system. To chat with someone who’s near one of the cameras, you just click the microphone icon beneath the screen of the relevant camera on the app. I was able to hold a two-way chat that made perfect sense and was more than loud enough at the camera end to be heard clearly, despite the tinny delivery.

In Night mode, the footage was also plenty clear enough to distinguish objects. Should the sun end up glowering into your Swann security camera’s lens, contrast levels are sufficient to combat the resulting washed-out images and critical details are easy to discern. When light levels drop, you can click the light bulb icon on the app to turn on the light and change the intensity of the night vision light. It’s possible to leave this light on if you want to use it as a deterrent or helpful guide light, too. With the night light on, you also get a color view.

Swann 650 in-app detection types, showing printscreens of the filter set-up, a car being detected and a parcel being detected — (Image credit: Future)

Swann AllSecure650 2K: App

The app is the main way of interacting with the events your AllSecure 650 cameras will pick up (unless, of course, you intend to monitor comings and goings yourself via the HD monitor, if it’s commercial premises you’re securing). The cameras can be viewed individually, or you can tap the Live View option to see an overview of all the active cameras.

Unless you’ve deactivated it, you’ll receive notifications about any and all motion events triggered by people and vehicles passing by, and approaching your home. If you receive too many, it’s a fair sign you ought to adjust the camera angle so fewer pedestrians and casually passing cars are detected.

Thankfully, the app is smart enough to realize it’s being ignored and, after a few unacknowledged alerts, will offer you the option to pause notifications. More usefully, you may wish to set the Schedule in the app to show when you’re almost certainly at home and awake anyway, and when you’re at work or similar. This way, Swann knows not to interrupt you because you’ll probably notice someone arriving in any case.

Refined options such as rich notifications (where you get a photo showing what’s happening alongside an event alert) and detection based on person, vehicle or animal, are delivered only as part of the Swann Secure+ subscription service. However, when I updated the app, I started receiving notifications that mentioned a person; in fact, they were usually just a car driving past.

There are no custom zone settings, so it’s down to the user to accurately place the camera for minimal false alerts - and for a camera this price, that's a little disappointing. The cameras aren’t powered, of course, so there is no pan/tilt option to track visitors. Number-plate recognition and other AI features are absent, too: the cameras use PIR to recognize animals, people, and vehicles by their outline.

Another quibble was that in Do Not Disturb mode, I found the cameras went offline and no clips were recorded, rather than me just not being notified about movements around my property for a while. Luckily, toggling off the DND mode brought them back into use after a couple of seconds.

Should you need it, there’s a guide to the app that you can view or share by clicking on the top-left menu bar and then tapping “User Manual”.

Should you buy the Swann AllSecure650 2K home security camera?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Swann AllSecure 650 2K review: also consider

If you want an outdoor security camera but want to shop around before you buy, here are a couple more options to consider...

How I tested the Swann AllSecure 650 2K home security camera

I installed and used the Swan AllSecure 650 2K in my home for a month
I monitored my home both day and night
I used all of its features and explored its settings

After installing and setting up my Swann AllSecure 650 2K, I used it to monitor my home for a month. I attached the cameras in various spots (my porch and underneath the eave of my roof) to detect comings and goings of visitors, deliveries and vehicles.

I paired the cameras with my phone and used the app, testing all of its features and settings to see how well they worked and if any further features could have been added. I noted the notification speed, the recording quality and accuracy of the cameras when I was home and away.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

« Previous Page — Next Page »