As the ‘Duo’ in its name suggests, the Viofo A129 Pro Duo is a two-camera system. The front has a 4K sensor for recording video at Ultra HD resolution while the rear is limited to 1080p Full HD – both record at 30 frames per second.

This kit also includes a GPS module. It’s fairly chunky but attaches neatly to the front-facing camera and adds precise speed and location data to video recordings. Also in the box is a tool for tucking the cables neatly behind the interior panels of your car, several adhesive clips for running a cable along the windscreen, and a 12V power adapter with two USB ports (for charging your phone and powering the dash cam simultaneously).

On top of all this, our review kit provided by Viofo also included the optional polarizing lens cover (£11.25 / $13.49 / AU$20.01) to help improve the front-facing camera’s video quality, and a Bluetooth remote button (£14.99 / $17.99 / AU$26.69), which provides a convenient way to record footage without taking your eyes off the road. 

The Viofo is well-priced considering it’s a dual-camera system and also records the front-facing view in 4K. But while it stands up well on a technical level, and we’ll delve into the performance more later, the look and feel is a reminder of its more accessible price tag. It’s a clunky, cheap-feeling dash cam that lacks the sense of quality offered by those from Garmin, Thinkware, and Nextbase. The plastics are scratchy, the cables are frustratingly thick, and the overall aesthetic feels like a tech product from a decade ago – only one with modern, 4K internals.

Moving on from the so-so hardware, the software also lacks polish, with a slightly confusing button design where the Rec and Mic buttons also perform the role of scrolling up and down through the menu system. A jarring beep that sounds with every button press can thankfully be switched off, and the Settings menu can also be accessed via a Wi-Fi connection with the Viofo app. We like how this app works without demanding you create a user account, and despite a lot of poor reviews on the Apple App Store, we found it worked fine, although in the clunky way common among most dash cam apps. 

The setup experience could be slicker, but dash cams are mostly set-it-and-forget-it devices, quietly getting on with their job without much interaction. There are more settings here than with most other dash cams, and we wonder if some buyers might be confused by the need to select a preferred bitrate and video frequency. We’d rather the dash cam worked that out for itself, but can see the extra configurability appealing to some buyers.

Both cameras attach to your vehicle’s windscreen with adhesive pads. he front camera can be removed from this pad (which is attached to the GPS module) by sliding it to the side. It’s a quick and easy way to remove the Viofo from your car, but it’s just as easy to pop out the microSD card (not included) or connect to the phone app via Wi-Fi when you want to transfer footage. 

We were pleasantly surprised by the video quality produced by the Viofo A129 Pro Duo and its Sony Exmor R sensor. The front camera was especially impressive. The 4K resolution is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, allowing for more detail and a crisper image than would be possible with a Full HD resolution. But it’s impressive nonetheless, with key details like road signs and vehicle registration plates easy to identify. Saturation is quite high, but since this is footage intended to defend yourself after an incident – not to share on YouTube or Instagram – this isn’t a concern.

Although video quality is higher than 1080p dash cams, there’s still a lingering doubt as to whether 4K recordings are truly worth it, at least from a practical perspective. Each one-minute recording created by the Viofo is approximately 300MB, so your microSD card will fill up quickly, and transferring then viewing footage can be a cumbersome process. 

The rear camera is limited to Full HD, so naturally doesn’t produce as impressive footage, but it’s still perfectly adequate. However, the 140-degree viewing angle for both cameras could be higher, especially at the front where we’d like to have seen 160 or even 180 degrees to match some of the Viofo’s rivals.

Helpfully, footage automatically saved when a collision is detected by the G-sensor is put in a different folder. That way, when viewing it back on your computer or tablet it’s easy to find the right file – handy, given that Viofo’s naming convention smashes the date and time, to the second, into a barely-comprehensible file name.

A parking mode is available, but this requires a hard-wiring kit sold separately. As with other dash cams, this gives the A129 a permanent power source, allowing it to sense collisions while parked and record potentially crucial evidence of what happened. As ever, we’d recommend hiring a professional to install the hard-wiring kit. And on that note, the Viofo’s rather thick USB cables make it harder to install discreetly than other dash cams on the market.

Should you buy the Viofo A129 Pro Duo?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

See where the Viofo A129 Pro Duo sits in our best dash cams round up.

First reviewed in October 2022

The Nintendo Switch Lite is a compact alternative to the standard Nintendo Switch console, so it's a wonderful companion for anyone who is constantly on the go and wants to make sure they have their adventure with them at all times. Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch Lite doesn't offer too many differences from its counterpart and still boasts the same capabilities, making it a worthwhile addition to your setup. 

For example, the Nintendo Switch Lite is significantly lighter and slightly smaller than the standard console, making it a convenient portable companion. However, if you prefer the flexibility of playing the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch OLED handheld or docked, then the Nintendo Switch Lite might be one to miss as it doesn't include, nor work with, Nintendo Switch docks.

But if you’re a gamer on the go, then there are a lot of perks with the Nintendo Switch Lite. It has the potential to offer a fantastic alternative to the standard console due to its lighter weight and smaller size. But as with any new release, there are pros and cons to consider before you make the Switch.

Nintendo Switch Lite: cut to the chase

• What is it? A more compact, handheld-only version of the Nintendo Switch
• When does it come out? Out now
• What does it cost? $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$329.95

Nintendo Switch Lite: price and release date

Nintendo Switch Lite launched over two years on from the original Switch model. Arriving on September 20, 2019, the Lite may have ditched the ability to dock your Switch to a TV, but it came with a significant price cut too.

Unlike the standard Switch, which these days retails for £259.99 / $259.99 / AU$435, the Nintendo Switch Lite comes in at $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$329.95. So, if you can accept this trade-off in the long term, a substantial saving can be made by opting for the handheld-only model.

Fortunately, Nintendo has advised that there won't be a price hike just yet for the Nintendo Switch Lite, unlike the recent ones for Oculus Quest 2 and PS5 that were blamed on global inflation. So, if you've not yet picked up a Switch Lite, there's no need to rush.

Nintendo Switch Lite: design

The main difference between the Nintendo Switch Lite and the original Nintendo Switch is that the Switch Lite is solely a handheld device. Therefore, the Switch Lite is much more compact and lighter than its predecessor. That comparison also applies to the Nintendo Switch OLED, which is slightly larger than the original Switch.

The Switch Lite measures 91.1mm x 208mm x 13.9mm and weighs 275g, compared to the 102mm x 239mm x 13.9mm dimensions and 297g weight of the original Switch. This means the device comes with a smaller LCD touch screen, measuring just 5.5 inches but still providing 1280 x 720 pixels.

In other words, it's a smaller screen than the original Switch's 6.2 inches, but with the exact resolution – so you're not losing anything regarding picture quality. In fact, this gives the Switch Lite a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch (ppi), a bit sharper than the original Switch's 236 ppi.

However, the trade-off is that it can sometimes be difficult to read small in-game writing on a smaller screen. We had to hold the console closer to our faces to read some text. It's a minor issue but slightly odd for onlookers on a morning commute.

Where the Switch Lite truly shines is that it feels more comfortable as a handheld device. Due to its smaller size, it's more portable and convenient to use on the go than the original Switch: you need less elbow room, and it could probably fit in quite a large pocket.

As someone with small hands, this writer is aware that the original Switch can be uncomfortable to use in handheld mode; while relatively compact, it's still large by handheld standards. By contrast, the Lite is considerably more portable and fits snugly in your hands. However, it remains wide and doesn't feel quite as comfortable as the 3DS did.

In addition, the Switch Lite comes with integrated controls rather than Joy-Cons. While you can connect up to four separate Joy-Cons wirelessly, you won't get an additional pair out of the box with the Lite. 

Despite the controllers being fixed, they offer mainly the same buttons as the original Switch – except the left, right, up, and down buttons, which have been replaced by a D-Pad, or Plus Control Pad, as Nintendo calls it. The D-Pad replacement feels natural, like it's always been there – and is undoubtedly more suited to handheld play.

The ZL and ZR triggers feel perfect and help cement that snug fit. However, the L and R buttons are thinner than on the original Switch. Arguably a bit too thin, as we sometimes found our fingers slipping off them. Both models also allow wireless connectivity, Bluetooth headphones, and MicroSD cards to increase the 32GB internal storage.

So, you aren't losing too many features aside from docked mode – which means no TV play. Due to the Switch Lite only being a handheld device, the console doesn't come with a dock, HDMI cable or kickstand. All you get in the box is the device itself and a charger – simple. The Switch Lite isn't meant to connect to a TV – and while we tested it out with our own HDMI cable anyway, Lite doesn't support this.

The Switch Lite also comes in turquoise, coral, blue, and yellow models – shaking up the gray and neon Switch models we've been eyeballing for the past two years. For anyone after something a little more special, Nintendo's also put out various special editions over the years, like the Dialga and Palkia variant for Pokemon fans.

Nintendo Switch Lite: performance

The Nintendo Switch Lite has essentially the same performance as the Switch, except that the Lite has a slightly longer battery life of 3-7 hours, about 30 minutes more than the original Switch, and 1-2 hours less than the upgraded Switch model entering stores (although Nintendo warns that this depends on the games you play).

However, it is definitely worth noting that the Switch Lite does not come with HD Rumble or an IR Motion Camera. The device is made to play handheld games solely, and will therefore only play the best Nintendo Switch games that support handheld mode.

That's not to say you can't play games which don't support handheld mode, but you would have to wirelessly connect Joy-Cons for this to work (and buy them plus their charging grip separately). We found that connecting Joy-Cons allows you to use HD Rumble. 

At a hands-on preview event, a Nintendo representative explained that the console would be compatible with more devices than just the Joy-Cons, but what exactly would not be revealed until a later date.

The following games are unsuitable for the Switch Lite: 1-2 Switch, Super Mario Party, and Nintendo Labo accessory kits. While games which require Rumble could be played with Joy-Cons attached, we found that trying to play with more than one person on the Lite's small screen isn't exactly practical - so we wouldn't advise trying to take on party games as the device wasn't built for this.

Despite missing these two features, the Switch Lite still has an accelerometer, gyroscope, and brightness sensor. That means you can still use gyro controls in games like Breath of the Wild – tilting the console to aim the bow, for instance – and the screen's brightness adjusts depending on your surroundings. 

Wireless online play still means you can play with friends (not necessarily couch co-op), as we could easily play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online. If anything, all the games we played felt less clunky due to the compact nature of the device.

Nintendo Switch Lite: verdict

The Nintendo Switch Lite is the perfect console for those who prefer comfortable handheld gaming and have never been sold by the Nintendo Switch's docked mode. The compact and lighter device feels considerably better than its predecessor and is much less clunky. 

When it comes to portable gaming, the Switch Lite is easier to transport, takes up less elbow space on commutes and fits in your hands much more snugly. It's not quite as comfortable as the New Nintendo 3DS XL, but packing in the same performance as the Switch means we can let that slide.

However, anyone thinking about picking up the Switch Lite needs to focus on the fact that it is intended to focus on solo, portable play, and the number of games which are compatible with the device is slightly less than the original Switch. It is not simply a smaller Switch model.

But suppose you're looking for a more comfortable, lighter and overall better-looking handheld device (and a range of snazzy colors) and don't particularly care about losing the few games we've listed. In that case, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a great match. 

Nintendo Switch Lite: recent updates

Nintendo’s continued building upon the Switch since the Lite's launch. Alongside the Nintendo Switch OLED launch, it's also seen continued system updates.

Between reminding us to use our Nintendo Switch reward points and adding Nintendo Switch software folders to better organize our library of games, a Nintendo Switch Online achievements system also went live. Elsewhere, you can now add friends through the Nintendo Switch Online companion app, available on iOS and Android mobiles. It means adding friends is easier than ever on Nintendo Switch.

There’s no end of upcoming games to look forward to, but if you’re after the older classics, fear not. Thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, there’s a continually growing library of NES and SNES games to play. If you’ve opted for the Expansion Pack, there’s Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and more N64 games are coming. We'd say keep your Nintendo Switch Online subscription for now.

Looking for advice on how to connect Nintendo Switch to your TV? After some recommendations for Nintendo Switch SD cards? We've got you covered.

• Thinking of picking up the Switch Lite? You'll need the best Switch games

I attended the launch of the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum in fall 2022, where it was introduced among other cordless and corded stick companions. Having taken them all for a spin around the room, putting them to task on some scattered oats and fluff, it was the upright model that caught my eye, given its size, power and attractive green hue.

Shark is renowned for creating some of the best vacuum cleaners around, with its models delivering for quality, innovation and power. Having enjoyed decades of success in the US, the brand now has global recognition. Dedicated to developing premium household appliances, from vacuum cleaners to steam mops, air purifiers and even some of the best hair dryers, Shark appears to be delivering what customers want.

Shark Stratos is the brand's most advanced range of vacuum cleaners. Shark's says these models deliver the best ever hair pickup, combining the Shark's signature DuoClean floorhead and new Anti Hair Wrap Plus. Some models in the range, such as the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum, even feature revolutionary anti-odor technology, which leaves your home and vac smelling fresher after a clean.

On test I found that there was a lot to love about this vacuum cleaner. Its power, hair and debris pickup, and dust cup capacity were all very impressive. However, I did feel a little tethered to the mains with only an 8m cord, and although emptying the dust cup was easy, I did need to reach inside it to free trapped fluff.

Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review price & availability

• List price: $429/£399
• Available in US & UK

Known as the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum in the US and Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Anti-Odour Upright Vacuum [NZ860UK] in the UK, this vacuum is available either direct from Shark or through resellers for prices in the region of $429/£400. In the US, you'll find it from Best Buy, Target and Walmart, while in the UK head to Amazon, Argos and John Lewis.

Its price is on a par with other ranges in the Shark collection. If you have pets then opt for the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum with TruePet for $499.80 in the US, or pick up the Shark Stratos Pet Pro Anti Hair Wrap Plus Anti-Odour Upright Vacuum [NZ860UKT] for £429.99 in the UK. Both models come with a dedicated pet hair removal tool. 

Other vacuum cleaners in the Shark Stratos range include a cordless stick and corded stick cleaner.

• Price: 5/5

The specs of our Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review unit

• Price: £399/ $429
• Dust cup: 0.28 gallon / 1.3L
• No. of speeds: 3
• Hose length:  5ft / 1.5m
• Cord length: 26.2ft / 8m
• Weight: 17.2lbs / 6.7kg

These specs are the same for US and UK Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum models.

Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review design

• Floorhead glides over carpets and hard floors
• Odor tech in floorhead releases a pleasant smell
• Easily transforms between an upright to portable vacuum

The overall design of this upright vacuum is super-impressive. It comes with a number of features I've come to appreciate about Shark vacuums over the years, alongside a couple of new things that are unique to the Stratos range.

The first is Shark's signature DuoClean floorhead, made up of two motorized brush-rolls in the unit. It glides satisfyingly across carpet and hard floors, picking up all manner of dirt and debris. The Anti Hair Wrap Plus tech also means the vacuum picks up any hair from floors, without it ever becoming tangled around the brush rolls.

One of the new features that's worthy of mention is the anti-odor technology. Although not something I've paid much attention to before having tested this vacuum, it certainly will be now. An anti-odor dial can be inserted into the floorhead of this cleaner, with the dial rotated to select an odor intensity. The aim is to stop any dust cup odors filling the air; and I did notice a more pleasant smell following a session of vacuuming. Note that the dial isn't available in an array of smells, with the sea breeze-type smell the only one currently available. Sharks recommends replacing the cartridges every six months, with replacement cartridges available for £14.99 (2 pack) direct from Shark. At the time of writing, we couldn't find replacements in the US.

The floorhead here is also home to another signature Shark feature: LED lighting. Helping to illuminate dust and help light up lower-lit areas of the home, such as the hallway, these lights are both functional and stylish.

In use, the Shark Stratos vacuum performed brilliantly for cleaning floors. However, it's pretty heavy at 17.2lbs / 6.7kg, which made it tricky to clean the stairs. Fortunately, you can detach the main unit from the floorhead and attach the wand to use it in its Powered Lift-Away mode. This makes it easier to clean under furniture, which isn't so easy in its upright form.

With the floorhead detached, I also gave the crevice and multi-surface tools a whirl. The crevice tool was good for reaching into the corners of the ceiling and cleaning along the top of the skirting, whereas the multi-surface tool was great for removing biscuit crumbs from the couch and bed. Usefully, there's storage space for both of these tools at the rear of the upright vacuum.

More generally, a slider switch on the handle allows you to choose between three floor settings: hard floors, low-pile carpets and thick-pile carpets or area rugs. The power button is also on the handle.

The 8m power cable wraps around the side of the vacuum on two hooks; one is next to the handle, while another sits next to the base of the dust cup. The dust cup offers a decent 1.3-liter capacity, which meant I didn't have to empty it after every cleaning session, and emptying is a simple matter of pressing the "dust cup release" button.

This upright vacuum also has an anti-allergen complete seal, which captures and traps 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the vacuum. Although this is difficult to test, my husband or I did notice that we didn't start sneezing and suffer watering eyes while this vacuum was in use – something that we can be sensitive to – so we'll take that as a win.

• Design: 4.5/5

Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review performance

• Impressive vacuuming
• Easy to transform into a portable vac
• Love the odor emitted

I've been using the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum as my main cleaner in my three-bedroom home for the past month. The ground floor has ceramic floor tiles in the kitchen, plus wooden floors and rugs elsewhere; the first floor is mainly carpeted. With a toddler, and life in general, this upright vacuum has certainly been challenged over the past month of testing.

On the hard floors, the Shark Stratos performed well, picking up rice crispies from the floor in a single pass. I kept it on the hard floor setting, and the cleaner worked perfectly. Our kitchen floor is also home to a rag rug, which I quickly learnt was best avoided with this vac; passing over it with the Shark Stratos, the cleaner would simply start to suck it up. However, most vacuum cleaners struggle on this rug, so it wasn't a problem.

Transitioning between the hard floors and the other rugs was seamless. I'm a big fan of the DuoClean floorhead – a tough one to beat in my opinion. While it performed perfectly fine on rugs with the hard floor setting, for a deeper clean I'd switch to the carpet / low-pile setting – and I could soon see fluff bunnies doing circles in the transparent dust cup.

With the floors cleaned, I next moved onto the cobwebs in the corner of the sitting room. I transformed the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum into its Powered Lift-Away mode and attached the crevice tool. While I managed to reach up into the corners of the room, it did prove a bit of a stretch with the 5ft /1.5m hose in our period property with high ceilings.

While the main unit was removed from the floor head in Powered Lift-Away mode, I attached the floorhead to the handle to vacuum the stairs. I had the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum plugged in not far from the bottom of the stairs, so I was confident that I'd have enough reach to clean to the top of the 13-step staircase – and so the 26.2ft / 8m power cable proved sufficient. It wasn't as easy to vacuum the stairs as it was using one of the best cordless vacuums, for example, it was certainly more manageable in this more portable vacuum mode than as an upright vacuum because the weight was more balanced.

On the first floor, vacuuming carpets, the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum excelled. Upright vacuum cleaners are known for being more powerful than cordless and handheld units, and this Shark vacuum cemented this fact further. I set it on "thick carpet / area rug" and moved the vac back-and-forth around the floor until all (reachable) areas had been vacuumed. By the time I'd finished, the dust cup was almost full – which was so satisfying – and my home smelt so much fresher.

This method of vacuuming my home was repeated every three to four days throughout the testing period of the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum. 

Thankfully, I never needed to empty the dust cup mid-clean. Although the 0.28 gallon / 1.3 liter isn't the largest I've seen, it's still pretty generous and proved sufficient capacity for cleaning my entire home. A slight niggle was with regards to emptying, where debris (mainly fluff) would become wedged at the top of the dust cup, requiring me to reach my hand inside to free it – which isn't a very pleasant job.

In terms of other maintenance, the dust cup will benefit from a wipe clean inside every now and then to keep it looking, and smelling, fresh. The filters will also need to be rinsed; these can be accessed after releasing the dust cup. Thankfully, the Anti Hair Wrap Plus tech means the one job you won't have to do is untangling any hair around the brush bars.

For noise, this vacuum cleaner measured between 81dB - 100dB depending upon the mode (portable or upright) it's in, which is loud considering the majority of vacuum cleaners tend to have a noise level reading of around 80dB.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review: also consider

If you want a Shark vacuum but not an upright, here are a couple more options to consider...

How I tested the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum

• I used the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum as my main vac for one month
• It was used to vacuum the floors, stairs and harder-to-reach areas

I've been using the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum as and when it's been needed for around one month. It's been my main vac, although I've also been reviewing the DreameTech L10s Ultra (a robot vacuum) at the same time.

The Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum has been used three-to-four times a week to  deep clean the carpets, stairs and into high-up areas around my three-bed home. I've used all the key features of the upright vacuum including the DuoClean floorhead, Powered Lift-Away mode, and all three levels of suction. I emptied the dust cup several times throughout the duration of the review, with the majority of the collection being wool fluff from the carpets.

I've been actively reviewing vacuum cleaners for three years, although my experience working with home appliances extends past a decade. My lessons over the years have taught me what's important in a vacuum cleaner, and what are the best features to have.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2023