With 16in laptops all the rage, it’s hardly shocking to see that size class invade the portable monitor space. Nor is it a surprise to see Asus leading the charge, with its ZenScreen MB16QHG priced at a heavyweight £399.

That’s four times the cost of a 15.6in 1080p monitor you’d find on Amazon, but the ZenScreen not only features a 2,560 x 1,600 IPS panel but also offers a 120Hz refresh rate. Throw in strong color performance, a robust stand and one of the brightest panels we’ve seen in a portable display, and the MB16QHG has a lot going for it.

Asus opts for a hinged base rather than a kickstand or detachable/magnetic stand. This makes the unit heavier, but it’s a solid design that provides easy access to the ports. I also like the fact that the cables connect low down at desktop level and behind the screen. So, while most portable monitors have ugly cables protruding from the side, here they’re far less obvious.

The display’s hinge allows it to sit completely vertical or lay flat against the base (and any angle in between). Asus also integrates a tripod socket into the bottom of the base, adding yet more flexibility.

Speaking of the base, you’ll find a single full-size HDMI port and a full-function USB-C port on the right. The left side is home to a second USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. I used the included USB-C cable for my testing, as it’s a simple one-cable affair for power, video and audio. The OSD joystick and a power button are located on the back of the monitor.

Build quality matches other members of the ZenScreen family, meaning it’s primarily constructed of plastic to keep costs in check and weight down. However, it doesn’t feel cheap thanks to a stylish grain effect. I’m less convinced by the backlit Asus logo in the center of the bottom bezel, as it’s almost too eye-catching.

Fortunately, the quality and resolution of the screen distracted me. For example, I used the monitor to edit Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and greatly appreciated the 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. And while the 120Hz refresh rate is there to attract gamers, I also appreciated it for mundane tasks such fast-scrolling in Edge; text and images stayed crisp as they whirled by. Gamers should note that this screen isn’t Adaptive Sync compliant, so there’s no AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync support.

The MB16QHG stood out in our brightness testing, delivering 417cd/m² compared to the typical 250cd/m² of a standard portable monitor (albeit short of the 500cd/m² that Asus claims). To achieve 100% brightness, plug the monitor in with the included wall adapter. Relying on a single USB-C cable to handle all the heavy lifting for power and video limits you to a 60% brightness.

The ZenScreen covered 116% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 163% of sRGB, which is excellent for an IPS panel. Panel uniformity was good, with no obvious backlight bleeding. The only area it fell behind OLED was when I watched Incredibles 2, with blacks appearing more like a dark grey.

As usual with Asus, there are many picture modes to choose from via the OSD. Navigation is intuitive via a joystick, which is much quicker than the norm of up/down/select buttons found on lesser portable monitors.

The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is a great all-around portable monitor. Not only does the 2,560 x 1,600 resolution offer extra detail over FHD panels, but its 16in diagonal is the perfect match for the growing army of 16in laptops. With high brightness levels and strong color coverage, it could even attract photographers (that’s where the tripod mount comes in handy).

Admittedly, the MB16QHG doesn’t come cheap. You can buy 15.6in OLED portable monitors (including one from Asus) for this money. However, that’s a Full HD panel, and if you’re looking for additional resolution, and bumping up to 4K resolution is overkill, the MB16QHG is well worth considering despite its high price.

We've also rated the best pre-built gaming PCs.

Finnish company WithSecure offers a complete suite of security solutions all easily managed from its Elements Security Center cloud portal. Its Endpoint Protection (EPP) module provides a firm foundation and a modular approach allows you to enhance it with other WithSecure components as required.

In this review, we test EPP and take a closer look at the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) module. EDR takes a proactive stance on cyberattacks, providing advanced threat detection capabilities, full attack analysis and automated responses for isolating compromised systems.

EPP offers great platform support, too: it protects Windows and macOS workstations, Android and iOS mobiles and Windows and Linux servers, and includes patch management for Windows OSes as standard. Workstation deployment is swift; we used our portal’s EPP dashboard to email a download link to users, with the agent taking three to four minutes to install and link up with the portal account.

Protection starts immediately. The agent grabs a predefined profile that enables essential security functions such as real-time malware scanning, a firewall and browsing protection. Customizing profiles is simple: you clone the read-only ones provided, tweak their settings as desired and use the devices page to assign them to multiple endpoints.

There’s a lot to play with: profiles enforce web protection with a list of 32 URL categories, can stop users interacting with the agent and control access to all kinds of local hardware such as USB sticks, optical drives, and wireless and Bluetooth devices. An EPP Premium subscription enables application controls and WithSecure’s DataGuard, which uses behavioral rules to detect potential ransomware activity.

Rollback is a smart new feature that provides instant ransomware protection for Windows systems. It tracks apps classed as unknown and, if they exhibit any dubious behavior, it closes them down and automatically rolls back all the file and Registry changes they made.

Don’t worry if the app turns out to be legit, as all changes are stored in local protected quarantine areas and can be restored by users. It can also initially run in safe mode, where it only reports on unauthorized changes.

You can keep a close eye on the action using the security events view and set up email alerting for multiple recipients. EPP has fast reaction times: when we introduced malware to our test clients events were posted in the portal almost immediately, with alert messages winging in three or four minutes later.

EDR provides deep analysis of detected threats and uses the same agent as EPP, so adding this module later on automatically activates it for all endpoints. It features WithSecure’s broad context detection (BCD), which cuts through alert avalanches by highlighting suspicious events so you can see clearly if an attack is taking place.

BCD shows a filtered view of all detected threats. Selecting one takes you to a threat analysis page, with a process tree showing how the potential malware developed and what it interacted with. If you don’t like what you see, you can isolate all affected devices with one click.

An EPP/EDR subscription also enables the new outbreak control feature. The modules team up to track device changes, and if anything occurs to critical areas such as IP addresses and reverse DNS or new malware is detected, a stricter rule is applied automatically to affected devices.

Its high levels of automation make WithSecure a great choice for SMBs that want endpoint protection on a plate. It’s simple to deploy, offers a wealth of security features, and all modules are easily managed from the Elements cloud portal.

We also rated the best secure smartphones.

Logitech’s traditional Rally Bar video conferencing (VC) room solutions offer an incredible range of features, but small businesses may be put off by their size. Enter the Rally Bar Huddle, which steps in below the Mini model, and is designed for meeting rooms of up to six participants.

Width-wise, the Huddle is 170mm shorter than the Mini and weighs less than half as much. Its 4K UHD camera dispenses with the motorized pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) functions used by its bigger brothers and goes fully digital.

There’s room for Logitech’s standard six-microphone beamforming array for auto-framing of active participants, while audio output is handled by a single downward-firing ported speaker. The graphite fabric magnetic front cover can be swapped out for an off-white fabric version for £109 or a white plastic cleanable cover, which costs £129.

As with Logitech’s other Rally Bars, the Huddle supports three operational modes, and you can connect it to a dedicated room computer or let users bring their own device (BYOD) and load the VC app of their choice. In appliance mode, Logitech’s on-board Android-based CollabOS turns the Huddle into a standalone system, with it currently supporting Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms.

Deployment is smooth. After connecting the Huddle’s gigabit network port (Wi-Fi 5 is also available) we used its web interface to choose BYOD, Teams or Zoom mode. We could access all audio and video settings, run firmware upgrades and enable Logitech’s RightSight 2 video enhancement technology, although only the Group view was available, with the Speaker and Grid views yet to be implemented.

Load Logitech’s Sync app on the host PC and you can add the Huddle to a Sync cloud account for remote management of all your Logitech room devices and room usage analytics. The Huddle also supports Logitech’s optional Tap IP and Scheduler touchscreen tablets.

BYOD mode is easy to use: we connected a Windows 10 host PC to the camera’s HDMI-in port and an HD monitor to its HDMI-out port and used our local Teams, Skype and Zoom VC apps. Configuring the Huddle in appliance mode is equally swift. We chose Teams from the web console and, after a reboot, used the unique code it presented to assign it to our Microsoft 365 account. The Huddle duly appeared in our Teams admin console as a new Teams Rooms on Android device, while our attached Full HD monitor presented the familiar Microsoft Teams interface.

Connect a PC over USB and the Huddle will swap to BYOD mode and back to Teams when you remove the cable, although we noted that in Teams mode the web console was disabled and returning the Huddle to BYOD-only mode requires it to be reset to defaults.

The camera delivers a sharply focused image with good color balance, and its backlight compensation works very well.

Sound quality from the single speaker is easily good enough for small meeting rooms, and we liked the Huddle’s motorized privacy shutter, which automatically closes when a meeting has finished.

The Huddle’s digital PTZ speaker tracking is much faster than Logitech’s other Rally Bars, which can often take up to eight seconds to respond to movement. During a Teams meeting, we wandered around our room as we spoke and the camera smoothly tracked us with delays of no more than three seconds.

Some features are yet to be added, but Logitech’s Rally Bar Huddle is a good choice for small businesses with equally small meeting rooms. Speaker tracking is the fastest of all the available Rally Bars, audio and video quality are good, and Logitech’s integral CollabOS adds extra versatility.

We've also ranked the best apps for small businesses.

It’s hard not to fall in love with the Cherry KW 7100 Mini BT, in part because it’s so wee and in part because you get to choose from two eye-catching pastel colors: Cherry Blossom (pink) or Agave Green as pictured. Or you can opt for boring black. Despite its attractive price, the KW 7100 Mini comes with a travel pouch (made from recycled plastic), although it’s only offered in dark grey.

Build quality is up to Cherry’s usual high standards, with its SX scissor mechanism delivering a shallow but satisfying typing action similar to a good-quality laptop. It isn’t up there with mechanical keyboards, but it’s also much quieter. With big Enter, backspace and space keys, I don’t think you’ll struggle to hit high typing speeds despite its slim 295mm width.

The KW 7100 Mini should look just as good on day 500 as it does on day one, with the key lettering protected by a UV coating to guard against abrasions. Those keys are designed to last for more than ten million hits apiece, which is no doubt why Cherry feels confident enough to offer a three-year warranty.

A row of function keys sits at the top, all of which are customizable using the Cherry Keys software. This is almost charmingly basic, and it will take moments for you to assign actions or favorite websites. You also use the F1, F2 and F3 keys to switch between active Bluetooth connections; there’s no USB adapter here, and Apple devices aren’t supported either (it refused to pair with my iPad).

Aside from the sturdy feet that lift the rear of the keyboard for a better typing angle, that’s it for physical features. Backlighting isn’t present, merely LEDs to indicate which Bluetooth channel is active and if the Fn or Caps lock are active. These will also start flashing when the two AAA batteries run low, which will probably be months; all Cherry says about battery life is that it strongly depends on user behavior.

One final word for those who love matching accessories: you can buy a color-coordinated Cherry Gentix BT mouse, but its clicky keys reflect its low price: £16 from cclonline.com.

The KW 7100 Mini BT isn’t for those who love frills, then, nor is it for Apple fans. For everyone else, though, it’s a superb travel-friendly choice.

We also rated the best eco-friendly travel apps.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 is the most unusual laptop I’ve ever reviewed. Not only does it have a color E Ink display on its lid, but it also features a hinge that lets you swivel the screen 180°. Note that isn’t 360°, which is a shame – I kept trying to twist it in the wrong direction.

So, let’s address the obvious question: why? According to Lenovo, it offers four modes: laptop, tablet, e-paper and typewriting. It also ships with a stylus – although sadly there’s nowhere for it to be stowed – so you can write, annotate and draw on it. I find the Apple Pencil more enjoyable to write with thanks to its greater heft and girth, and while Lenovo’s stylus is precise it’s still no match for a real pen and paper.

The color E Ink display is meant to make reading books and taking notes feel similar to performing the same acts on real paper. It can show anything the OLED panel can, so you aren’t reduced to viewing content made specifically for e-readers. While a novel feature, I wouldn’t recommend it due to the E Ink panel’s low 12Hz refresh rate. Scrolling web pages or documents is choppy, and a ghosting effect (when traces of a previous image remain on screen) adds to the annoyance.

Colors on the E Ink panel also look washed out at best, hitting 0.4% (that is not a typo!) of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Still, it’s better to have some color than none at all.

If all you’re doing is reading or using it as a typewriter, then the E Ink display still has its advantages. For a start, it’s easier on the eyes, but it also cuts down on distractions. Switch on the Lenovo Reader mode and you can devour ebooks, while you can use Lenovo Notebook to scribble notes. If the performance is too sluggish, you can also use Reader and Notebook with the OLED display.

This 13.3in touchscreen panel is as vibrant as you would expect, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut with an average Delta E of 0.21. It’s bright, too, hitting 360cd/m² in our SDR tests and 480cd/m² with HDR content.

You can happily watch films on the ThinkBook Plus without headphones, thanks to clear audio and plenty of volume without distortion. Music lovers won’t appreciate the lack of bass on offer, however.

Bearing in mind that Lenovo is pitching the ThinkBook Plus as a typewriter, it’s a shame that it isn’t part of the ThinkPad range with its deep key travel. Still, I found the keys snappy and responsive, and even though this is a compact laptop it never felt cramped when typing (and I have big hands). The trackpad’s small footprint proved more challenging, not always registering my gestures.

While I say compact, I don’t say light. At 1.4kg, this is substantially heavier than the streamlined 13in laptops we see elsewhere, with many now ducking under 1kg. What’s more, they’ll offer far better battery life than the Plus, which gave up after 6hrs 50mins of our web-surfing rundown test. That’s poor.

Finally we come to speed, which is in line with expectations for a laptop with a Core i7-1355U. It’s extremely fast for day-to-day operations, but those who use heavyweight apps or want to play AAA games should look elsewhere. Only one configuration is on sale, with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which also restricts usage, but not as much as the fact that Lenovo UK hasn’t announced a release date or price yet.

So, should you rush over to the US and spend $3,039 on this machine? For the vast majority of people, the answer to that is a straightforward no. That’s a shame, as I really wanted to love the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4. After all, it’s not every day you come across a 2-in-1 with a built-in color E Ink display and twistable hinge. As foldable phones have shown, having a device that serves multiple functions is advantageous. But while the idea behind this ThinkBook Plus sounds great on paper, it doesn’t live up to the promise — especially for a device at this price.

We also rated the best digital art and drawing software.

The BenQ PD2730S is a stunning display recently launched by BenQ, explicitly designed for creative professionals who seek exceptional clarity, precision, color reproduction, and connectivity. This monitor boasts a sharp 5K resolution and a wide color gamut, offering more input/output options than the (in)famous Apple Studio Display.

For creative professionals, a quality display is one of the most essential things in their arsenal of technologies. Whether they are in the video, photo, design, or something similar, knowing that what you have on your screen is accurately being shown and is not washed out or misrepresented.

For a good reason, the Apple Studio Display is known as the gold standard for monitors in the creative space right now. Granted, it's remarkably pricy, doesn't have great inputs, and has a few other downsides, but when it comes to color reproduction, it's hard to beat.

BenQ decided to disrupt that market, offering a more versatile, affordable Apple Studio Display alternative with this newest release - and they might have just done it.

BenQ PD2730S: Price and Availability

The BenQ PD2730S has just been officially publicly released at $1200 through the BenQ official website and B&H for now. For UK, Australian, and European readers, it's slightly more widely available, and retails for around £1000 / AU$2000 / €1199.

At that price, the PD2730S is cheaper than the Studio Display but slightly more expensive than the shockingly cheap (and limited) ASUS ProArt PA27JCV.

BenQ PD2730S: Unboxing & first impressions

Over the years, I've looked at a lot of BenQ Monitors. Each of their monitors has come in the same basic and secure packaging, keeping the display safe even through the test of transit and ensuring minimal waste. The packing is professional and minimal, precisely as I expected.

In the box are the monitor, the stand upright, the stand base, cables, documentation, and the excellent HotKey Puck G3 that BenQ is known for. If you're unfamiliar with the puck, it is a wireless controller that gives you quick access to changing settings on the monitor without reaching behind or under the monitor and messing with a joystick or a handful of random buttons.

The monitor is sharp and professional, with a plastic backing, though it doesn't look bad. The bezels are minimal, and the back has a VESA mounting option, meaning that this monitor can fit just about anywhere, be it with the included base, an ergo arm from BenQ, or any other VESA arm.

BenQ PD2730S: Design & build quality

The BenQ PD2730S is a gorgeous 27-inch panel. It has a beautiful Nano Matte coating, helping to manage reflections and providing a clear viewing experience. I've seen some hate for this kind of texture as it's been made popular by the Apple Studio Display. However, I like a slightly matted display. I can see things better and more smoothly, and I'm not distracted by the reflections of the world behind me.

The monitor casing is made from a classy-looking plastic with a premium feel, helping to make the monitor lighter. I wouldn't have minded some extra weight to add a more elegant case, but I don't frequently carry this monitor around either. I'm more of a set it up right once and then leave it (for a few weeks until I change around my desk setup again to add a new gadget).

I have been using this monitor on a VESA monitor arm from Corsair. If you prefer to use the stand that comes with the monitor, or you don't have a monitor arm you want to use, the one that BenQ designed to go with this monitor is sleek and offers comprehensive adjustments, including height, tilt, and swivel. It's pretty sharp-looking.

BenQ PD2730S: In use

I got the BenQ PD2730S a few weeks ago to test pre-release, and so far, my experience has been nothing short of excellent. It's a spectacular picture with the 5K resolution, and unlike some 5K monitors I have tried, this one scales wonderfully with both PC and Mac.

I've tested this monitor with everyday work and some basic photo and video editing—nothing too fancy, but I could see how great this screen was even with those tests.

As mentioned earlier, I use this monitor mostly in my home office. So, 400 nits wasn't a huge problem. I tested it next to my beloved BenQ MA3020U, which has a peak of 600 nits, and I could tell a difference. Not to mention my iPhone 16 Pro with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

Moving on, the color accuracy on this monitor was immediately something that I paid attention to. Since this monitor is designed for a creative and visually demanding workforce, it is vital to knock it out of the park. The PD2730S factory calibration ensures accurate colors out of the box, covering 98% of the P3 color gamut. In short, it looks great, works great, and produces excellent results, making it one of the best video editing monitors and best photo editing monitors for those who don't want to shell out for the Apple Studio Display.

One of the things that makes this a better option than the Apple Studio Display is the ports and overall connectivity. You can only use the Studio Display with Macs. With the PD2740S, you can use it with any device and with multiple different inputs. The PD2740S has Thunderbolt, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4 as options to provide feedback to this display.

This is a gorgeous display, easy to use, and, dare I say, a pleasure to use. It's an excellent option for those who need a 5K display in their workflow.

BenQ PD2730S: Final verdict

For professionals who want a premium 5K display without Apple’s ecosystem limitations, the BenQ PD2730S delivers more flexibility, better connectivity, and built-in ergonomics—all at a lower price point. It’s an easy choice for those who need a pro-grade display that works seamlessly with both Mac and PC setups without sacrificing adjustability or requiring extra dongles.

While Apple’s Studio Display is a strong contender for macOS users, it lacks port variety, adjustability, and cross-platform flexibility. The BenQ PD2730S delivers comparable display quality, better ergonomics, and broader compatibility, making it the better all-around choice for creatives who don’t want to be locked into Apple’s ecosystem.

For more high-resolution displays, we rounded-up the best 5K and 8K monitors.

Branch is a company I have grown to appreciate over the years. I looked at the Branch Duo Standing Desk in 2023, and elsewhere, we've reviewed the Branch Ergonomic Chair around the same time.

Since then, I've had the Branch Softside Chair in my rotation of personal chairs I keep in my home. Branch may not be the most prominent and flashiest of companies, which may play to their advantage. They have fewer options, yet their quality is fantastic. Little wonder the company's Verve is our pick for best office chair.

The Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro is a premium office chair aimed to take what was loved from the Ergonomic Chair and make an even better offering for remote workers, designers, and anyone needing all-day support, all without breaking the bank. Branch added more adjustability, upgraded the lumbar support, and added the forward tilt feature. In short, they are the cheaper chairs with the same high-end features found in the big-name chair companies.

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Price and Availability

The Ergonomic Chair Pro is offered on Branch's website for $599 for the base model and an extra $79 to get the headrest. They can be shipped for free and are provided on Branch's website.

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Unboxing & first impressions

The Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro comes in relatively compact packaging, protecting the components well but not too over-zealous with packing material. I could get everything out of the box with minimal effort and zero frustration. The assembly took about 15 minutes, though I used an electric screwdriver to help speed up the process.

One of the things I've noticed right out of the gate - or box - is the quality of the base. The base is made of aluminum, giving it a higher weight capacity and a more durable seat.

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Design & build quality

Branch has always intentionally chosen to be minimal in what they do and how they look. This chair is a continuation of that. The sleek, professional look with multiple colorways and material options shows they want versatility. Still, the Aluminum base, smooth casters, high-density seat, and quality material choice are what make this chair shine.

The best way I can describe this is to explain that I am now a father of three, and my wife and I want a fourth (in due time). I never wanted a minivan, and I still don't. But, the genius marketing at the newly revitalized Kia caught me. They marketed the Kia Carnival as an MPV -- a Multi-Purpose Vehicle. Do you know what it is? It's an SUV, with sliding doors like a van. Nevertheless, the marketing worked, and now I own a Kia Carnival for my wife and the kids.

So, why do I mention a not-so-minivan vehicle when discussing a chair? This chair's price tag and simplicity may make it look like another run-of-the-mill, simple chair you can get anywhere. But, what's hiding beneath that over-used language of "ergonomics" is a fabulous experience that is precisely what you need it to be, without unnecessary frills. Like how the Kia Carnival disguises its practicality behind sleek marketing, the Branch ergonomic Chair Pro hides its premium ergonomic experience behind an unassuming professional design.

At first glance, it may seem like just another ergonomic office chair, but the details make it stand out. The high-density foam seat provides long-lasting comfort without making your butt sweat or getting too cold (but whose butt is ever too cold?). And, the adjustable lumbar support helps hold frail backs like mine (I'm not that old yet, but boy, do I feel like I am). The 5D armrests allow me to put my arms exactly where I choose. Granted, they wobble a bit, but outside of this slight wobble, the rest of the build quality, choice of materials, and features make this chair feel like something at a much higher price point.

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: In use

This chair has been a part of my ever-growing fleet of ergonomic chairs for 166 days while writing this review. In that time, I have rotated the chair around through my team to make sure that I am not just fluffing up my thoughts on Branch and making this chair out to be better than it is (like I try to lie to myself that owning an MPV is better than owning a minivan).

However, what we all keep coming back to is that this chair is fantastic. The 14 customization points lend themselves to being comfortable because they are made intentionally and not gimmicky. The forward tilt for active seating is another feature that helps this chair stand out. This allows individuals to maintain a more engaged posture, leaning forward and not just slouching back. This helps your core and your posture, but more importantly, it is usually only found in very high-end chairs, not budget-friendly chairs like this.

I wish I could end my review here and not mention anything poor about this chair, but there is one weak link. While the 5D armrests provide high levels of flexibility and adjustability, they feel loose and tend to rattle. I've even noticed it when I am midday, foot tapping, leg shaking, moving throughout my day, I've heard the rattle. Now, I'm the kind of guy who straps down the extra length on my children's car seats because hearing any amount of rattling drives me mad. However, with this chair, I heard rattling, and the armrest felt loose, even when I knew it was tightened down during assembly (and checked several times).

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Final verdict

The Branch Ergonomic Chair is a near-perfect sleeper-build-budget ergonomic chair. It's under $500, has fantastic adjustability, forward tilt, excellent materials to choose from, and is comfortable for all-day working. The one downside is some mediocre armrests, but all things considered, this chair is still fantastic.

MSI is well known for its gaming laptops and desktops, graphics cards, motherboards, monitors, and other PC components. Fairly recently, they also decided to break into networking, adding a line of routers and mesh Wi-Fi to take on TP-Link and others head-to-head.

The biggest selling point that MSI promotes with the Roamii BE Lite is that this is a Wi-Fi 7 Mesh router. Which is great, but the bummer is that there is no 6Ghz channel. So, while it does provide the Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Standard, it only has 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies, no 6Ghz - confusing, I know.

The MSI Roamii BE Lite targets users who want affordable Wi-Fi 7 connectivity in their homes (or small businesses) and want a multi-gig WAN/LAN port. Regardless of location, the Roamii BE Lite has excellent security features, which protect your digital assets and family and ensure reliability.

As long as you don't require a 6GHz channel, this is one of the best Wi-Fi mesh systems for the money, but for those who want those 6GHz speeds, this system may not be the right fit for you.

MSI Roamii BE Lite: Price and Availability

The MSI Roamii BE Lite is sold for $210 / £210 as a two-unit system. This includes the main router and a secondary node that you can place throughout your home office or small business to extend your mesh network further. It's available through Best Buy, Amazon, and many others, all of which can be found on the MSI Website.

MSI Roamii BE Lite: Unboxing & first impressions

The MSI Roamii BE Lite came very well packaged -- partially because the two triangle units could lay over one another and partially because of the sleek packaging that still protected the units. The box had two nodes: power adapters, an ethernet cable for the primary node to connect to a modem, and wall-mounting brackets. Though I would never mount something like this to the wall, it's nice for MSI to include this for those needing it.

I just finished reviewing the TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh router, so I was not shocked to see a taller, white, similarly sized router. However, the change in shape, moving from a cylinder to a triangle, was a nice change-up. The smooth, modern white finish blends nicely without being too prominent, especially in my home office. Another thing that I noticed right away was that both nodes had ethernet ports, meaning that, just like in the TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro, I could use it to extend my ethernet network (in a way) without running ethernet cables through my walls.

MSI Roamii BE Lite: Design & build quality

As mentioned, the nodes are sleek and minimal in a soft white, triangular tower shape. The MSI Roamii BE Lite is durable, sturdy, and not too large. The triangular shape has a smooth edge and can easily blend in with my home office. While some routers may attempt to attract attention, the Roamii BE Lite does not -- they try to blend in.

One downside of this router is that there are no USB ports, meaning I cannot easily attach storage to my network via a basic drive. I would need a Synology DiskStation or BeeStation, which is precisely what I did -- more on that below.

MSI Roamii BE Lite: In use

Setting up the MSI Roamii BE Lite was very easy. I downloaded the companion app, and I followed simple step-by-step instructions. Since I didn't want to start a new network, and in my situation, I wanted to replace my old router to try this one out, I kept my network settings the same, using the identical SSID and Password. My devices (for the most part) could reconnect to the new router without issue. A few smart devices took a little while, but most of my devices (I have around 70 connected devices in my house at any given time) could jump to the new router.

My 2.4GHz devices connected without a problem, and so did my 5GHz. However, I quickly noticed that I was missing the 6GHz band when working on my iPhone 16 Pro, my iPad Mini 7, and some of my laptops for testing. While it's not a huge deal, it is noticeable at some slower speeds -- but then again, I'm the person who checks that stuff and pays attention to it.

According to MSI, you can get about 5,800 sq ft of coverage with these two nodes. For medium to large homes or smaller offices (compared to, say, a State Farm Corporate), this is perfect. So far, I've not noticed any dead zones, nor have I seen a drop in connection when walking around my home and home office. As mentioned, I always have a large number of devices in my space. So far, while testing the Roamii BE Lite, I haven't noticed any devices struggling to stay connected as more get connected, nor have I noted any that have been flat-out pushed off the network due to limited connections.

One of the areas that MSI promotes very heavily for the Roamii BE Lite is the security and parental controls they have baked into their app and router. This includes parental controls, access scheduling, filtering, network scans, and more. In short, this means that if you need to control who can be on the Wi-Fi, or when, or what is seen, this is a great option. I am also hyper-aware of who and what is on my network. Because of this, I have loved doing network threat scans (okay, love may be a bit too dramatic), and it's great peace of mind knowing that there is built-in security to help protect my network's integrity.

MSI Roamii BE Lite: Final verdict

Overall, the Roamii BE Lite is good at what it does. In 2025, especially from a gaming-heavy company, they'd include a 6GHz band. However, the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands work well. That, plus the great price, makes this a great budget buy. If you are looking for maximum connectivity, the highest speeds, true Wi-Fi 7 feature sets, or that 6GHz band, this is probably not the unit for you.

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