After moving to the countryside and experiencing repeated issues with traditional broadband, we decided to give Starlink's residential service a try. Here’s what we learned about how Starlink's residential service works and if it delivers on its promise of high-speed internet.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has been in the news frequently of late - and the service is improving all the time. The 'portability' feature makes it possible to deploy satellite internet elsewhere for a small monthly fee, plus Starlink hopes to provide an off-grid cellular service in the next few years. Still, Starlink is best known for offering a solution to people living in areas outside the scope of high-speed broadband or fibre optic internet. True, such people can rely on a mobile data (4G or 5G) connection but this is usually very costly and not very reliable.

But does it deliver everything it promises? Or is it pie-in-the-sky stuff? We put Starlink to the test. 

Starlink: Pricing & coverage

One of the big caveats of using Starlink is that it's not yet available in every area of every country. Fortunately, the main website immediately prompts you to enter your address, to check if coverage is in place or planned for your area, then lists various subscription plans. 

• Starlink subscriptions

Given the huge cost of launching satellites it's hardly surprising that the cost of a basic subscription has risen in recent years: currently it's $120 per month for a 'standard' plan which offers 'unlimited data'.

There is a caveat here however, in that 'Standard' data usage is subject to a 'fair use' policy. Full details of expected performance for various plans are available on the main site but in brief these are a download speed of 25 - 100 Mbps, an upload speed of 5-10 Mbps and a latency of 25-60ms. 

If you find this too restrictive you can also pay for a certain amount of 'Priority' data. For instance paying an extra $20 per month ($140) will net you 40GB of 'Priority' speeds. While latency is no different, the expected performance of 'Priority' data is much greater with download speeds of 40-220 Mbps and upload speeds of 8-25 Mbps. If you’re looking for the best small business router and ISP, Starlink for Businesses offers separate subscription plans.

• Unlimited data

Starlink warns that it tries to allocate data for its Standard Plan in a 'fair and equitable manner', and if you're found to be exceeding this they may seek to restrict your network speed. The examples given in the fair use policy include streaming, video calls or online gaming, though puzzlingly enough the same policy also promises to treat all traffic neutrally.

After one month and nearly 400GB of data, we experienced no issues with this policy, although this may be because we use the best VPN on all devices, encrypting traffic so Starlink can't distinguish specific content like streaming video. 

• Hardware

The other caveat when signing up for Starlink is hardware costs. Traditionally, this has required you to pay in order to sign up but Starlink has clearly responded to customer feedback. There are special promotions in place. For instance, users in rural Canada can currently benefit from over 70% off hardware prices. Customers in certain countries can also choose to rent the hardware instead of buying. This is the route your reviewer went down, which required payment of a small activation fee of around $50 then an extra $10 per month. 

When placing your order, you can also choose to purchase an Ethernet adapter for an extra $40. This is because the supplied Starlink Router has no Ethernet port of its own. Do this if you want to connect devices directly to it via Ethernet or if you wish to attach an alternative router. Starlink subscriptions come with a 30-day free trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. This also applies to any hardware you're renting, though we assume in that case it would need to be returned to SpaceX. 

Starlink: Unboxing

When we placed our order for Starlink, the package took only around a week to arrive - though due to a small addressing error it was picked up at the local post office. Even for a standard residential connection everything you need to get up and running is in the box, including: 

• A rectangular Starlink satellite 'dish'
• Small plastic stand for said dish
• 75ft connecting cable
• Starlink Wi-Fi router
• 10ft power cable for the router

To make things even simpler, setup is handled by a free smartphone app that walks you through the process.

This is one area where Starlink truly shines, though we were luckier than most as we had an outside power socket and an open lawn. The dish slots into the stand effortlessly and after that, like any of the best Wi-Fi routers, it's a simple matter to connect the cable to the device. We would warn users though, to check that the white LED at the base of the router is illuminated to make sure that it's powered on.

When it comes to placing the dish, we recommend using the Starlink app's built in 'obstructions' tool, which can scan the sky to check if there's anything in the way of the dish receiving signals from SpaceX's "low earth orbit" satellites.

When the dish first powers in, the app warns that it may take around 15 minutes to establish a reliable signal. We found it did this much sooner (around 5 minutes) and used the helpful interface to create a custom Wi-Fi network for other devices to connect.

Starlink: Placement

It only took us less than ten minutes between unboxing the Starlink hardware to going online. Still, there's a catch.

Placing Starlink's standard rectangular dish on a front lawn as we did with cables snaking from it onto your porch simply isn't sustainable. In the first case it can lead to obstructions, as in our case given that the house was directly between the dish and the satellites. Putting the cable and dish on the ground also exposes the hardware to the elements. Ideally the dish should be fixed permanently in a location with an unobstructed view of the sky.

The Starlink website can come to the rescue here. Aside from selling more advanced satellite dishes, you can also buy a standalone 'pipe mount' or various wall/roof mounting kits. In our case, this was unnecessary as there was already a vacant satellite mount on our roof where the dish could be slotted in. Not every subscriber will be so lucky.

The other issue of course is that of the router. It's very difficult to store outside safely, so unless you're very comfortable with DIY, you'll need to do as we did and shell out to have a man come and drill holes in the wall to stow the router safely inside whilst still connected to the dish.

Starlink: Speed test

The Starlink website warns that connection speeds can vary depending on many factors like the placement of your dish, the number of other people using the service at the same time and your chosen activity.

One particular concern for us when putting Starlink through its paces is that most speed tests can't account for the latency between a device and the wireless router. Fortunately this isn't an issue for Starlink's ever-useful mobile app, as it delineates clearly between Wi-Fi and Starlink speed, if you choose to run an 'Advanced Speed Test'.

In order to avoid the issue of network congestion we ran our tests around 23:00 at night using the Starlink app running on an iPhone 14 Max Pro. The 'Starlink Speed' for downloads was 71 Mbps and the upload was 15 Mbps. This was entirely consistent for the promised speeds for a 'Standard' plan of  25 - 100 Mbps (downloads) and 5-10 Mbps (uploads). 

Starlink: Final verdict

After spending some time with Starlink, we can say we’re absolutely delighted with the residential plan. In many cases it works out to be more cost effective than using mobile broadband. Advanced speed testing also shows the download speeds compare very favorably to fixed-line internet in his particular rural area, though you'll need to do your own research to discover if this is true where you live. 

The introduction of hardware rental is particularly welcome, as previously the upfront cost of buying the dish, mount and router was a major criticism of Starlink's service.

The only warning we'd offer before you sign up today, is that you'll probably need some additional hardware and expertise to install the satellite dish permanently. 

During our research, we did find users who found very inventive workarounds such as using zip cables to attach the dish to the top of a tree. Still, you'll probably gain the best signal from purchasing a roof mount, as well as enough cabling to fix the dish there safely. 

Printing in color, especially on A3+ paper, was always the fastest way to burn through your ink budget, but the cartridge-free Epson EcoTank ET-14100 promises full color prints with a knockout 90% cost saving. Vying to be one of the best small business printers, this print-only inkjet is aimed at the small office where its low-profile form-factor makes most of the best A3 printers we’ve tested look decidedly clumsy. In this pared back design, there’s no paper drawer, no touchscreen display and no auto duplex mode, but any office or home worker who needs to produce quality color printouts on large format paper should read this review. 

Epson EcoTank ET-14100: Design & build

For an A3 office printer, the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 looks quite stylish in its black and grey livery. It’s certainly a vast improvement on the clunky ET-14000, which housed its five ink reservoirs in a compartment that bulged out of the side. The new model has a double-sized tank for black, instead of two separate ones and the four tanks are now seamlessly integrated. And to keep things sleek and minimal, there’s no paper drawer at the front, just the rear paper in-tray, no USB Host port, no Ethernet port and no LCD. This is a simple print-only device with no scanner bed or ADF, so there’s no real need for a touchscreen interface. Instead, there are just four buttons on the front panel and one port at the rear for a USB data cable. By stripping back to the bare essentials, you’re left with a low and lightweight printer with a flat top that’s ideal for inspecting your printed documents.  

Epson EcoTank ET-14100: Features & specifications

The main attraction of the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 is its ability to print on any size paper up to A3+ or Ledger and, of course, its cartridge-free credentials. Swapping cartridges for bottled ink makes a saving of 90% and ensures this Epson will trounce any inkjet or laser when it comes to cost per color page. You also get plenty of inbox ink. A standard 104 EcoTank bottle contains 65ml and yields 4,500 black and white pages. There two bottles of BK and one each of CMY, yielding a total of 9,000 black and 7,500 color pages. This being the first installation, some of that ink is needed to prime the pipes between the tanks and the printheads so those numbers drop to 6,400 and 5,600, but that’s still a lot of printing before you have to refill. It’s this high capacity for ink that makes this the best printer for an office with a high-volume workload. 

Epson describes the ET-14100 as ‘feature-rich’ in the brochure, but I’d call it decidedly feature-lite. There’s the inbuilt wi-fi and a rear tray that can hold 100 sheets of paper and that’s it. There’s no LCD, no NFC, no front USB or Ethernet ports and no front paper tray. It can’t even auto duplex, meaning you have to turn the paper over yourself to print the other side. However, I do appreciate this printer’s focus on quality high-volume printing. With 400 black nozzles and 128 color, tiny dye ink droplets measuring 3.3pl (picoliter) are used to make up images with a resolution of 4,800 x 1,200. That’s sharp enough for a good photo. It prints quickly too, with a claimed print speed of 30ppm (pages per minute) for simplex black and white A4 prints.

Epson EcoTank ET-14100: Setup & operation

The Epson EcoTank ET-14100 comes with clear printed quick start instructions, but it’s much easier to download the companion app for iOS/Android and follow those step-by-step prompts instead. The Epson Smart Panel app helps you join your new printer with your existing Wi-Fi and also tells you when and how to fill the ink tanks. With key-lock ink bottles, it’s impossible to fill the wrong tank. We’ve tested a number of the best ink tank printers, and we can say that this system is so well designed, it’s hard to spill any ink. The black ink tank is larger than the others and takes two standard 65ml bottles to fill. 

The lack of a touchscreen display, which has become a common feature among office printers, didn’t make the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 any harder to operate. There’s no need to set the paper type at the printer because this can be done on the computer and you can check the remaining ink levels via the app. The lack of a front paper tray proved more inconvenient, because it means you can’t load up a stack of fresh paper and forget about it. The exposed rear tray isn’t a great place to store paper and it can only hold up to 100 sheets. 

Epson EcoTank ET-14100: Performance

The Epson EcoTank ET-14100 passed all of our tests and printed quite quickly in some cases too. In draft mode this printer claims to turn out simplex monochrome pages at a staggering 30ppm, while the FPOT (first print out time) is given as a fairly prompt 8 seconds. However, our speed test revealed a figure closer to 15ppm and I wouldn’t describe this as a particularly fast printer. Photo printing on coated paper takes much longer (around 8ppm), but I won’t mark it down for that because the image quality is well worth waiting for.

Black text on plain white paper looks acceptable. Each character is imprinted well enough, but the black dye-based ink seems to soak into the paper leaving softer edges than you would get with a pigment based black. Office printers more often use soluble dye only for the CMY inks and pigment for BK because ink droplets in suspension tend to give you bolder and more durable text. In other words, the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 is okay at churning monochrome documents in simplex mode, but that’s not its strong point.

Color documents, and especially photographs, are where the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 excels. Any of the best inkjet printers can print a photo on photo paper, but for anyone searching for the best photo printers, this Epson manages a significantly sharper image than most. The small ink droplet size and high resolution combined with the four dye-based inks manage to produce pleasingly lifelike photos on glossy paper. The EcoTank 104 inks are not necessarily the brightest colors we’ve seen, but the fine detail achieved here ensures a superior print quality to rival A3 inkjets such as the Brother MFC-J6540DW.    

Epson EcoTank ET-14100: Final verdict

There’s a lot to like about this office-oriented A3 inkjet. Firstly, the minimal design means it will fit into a small workspace, while handling large format paper with ease. Secondly, it’s an EcoTank which means cheap ink. Thirdly, it prints great quality color photos. What it’s not so good at is running out monochrome text documents because the black dye ink doesn’t look as sharp as printers that use a pigment black.

It’s also a little too light on features. I don’t need a display, or a front USB port, or an Ethernet port, but the absence of a front-loading paper tray is an inconvenience. With only a 100-sheet rear tray, you have to keep refilling, and switching paper stock, while the lack of an auto-duplex mode is definitely a saving too far. All of these issues are addressed in one of the best Epson printers out there - the EcoTank ET-18100, so I would recommend taking a look at that six-color printer before pulling the trigger on this one. Alternatively, if you already have a decent auto-duplexing A4 printer in the office, then the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 would make an excellent addition.  

The Fezibo Executive B standing desk is a high-quality standing desk that commands your attention wherever you put it—the name is the only boring thing about it. It's certainly one to consider for the best standing desk, regardless of whether you're building out your home office or looking to make a clear statement at work.

Fezibo Executive B: Specs

The materials are fairly premium, well-finished, and weighty—coming in at over 100 KG. You're not going to get real, solid walnut on a desk that costs US$799.99 (£699.99). Instead, you're getting veneered chipboard. Don't let that put you off, though, because a lot of thought went into making this desk, and it shows.

Because it's an L-shaped standing desk with built-in drawers, shelves, and a cabinet, there's a bit more to consider than with your standard I-shaped desk. Take a look at the image below to see the exact measurements of the desk.

Note: the site claims the desk raises up to 115 cm (46 inches) from the floor, but I got it to 119 cm without issue—that should be high enough for most people. I'm 5 foot 7 inches, and use the desk quite high at 93.5 cm for standing, so it should accommodate anyone up to 6 foot 8 inches with relative ease.

Fezibo Executive B: Shipping & unboxing

The desk shipped a lot quicker than expected and arrived in 3 boxes (one for the main desktop, one for the motorized frame, and one for everything else), which is incredibly helpful because it would be impossible to carry everything together.

Even with the 3 packages, you'll still need a strong second person to help you with the main box. Otherwise, you'll have to do what I did and open the box downstairs and move everything upstairs piece by piece.

Thankfully, everything was thoroughly padded and secured within the box, and even though the frame's box had a hole in it (for whatever reason, I'm unsure) it was totally unscathed. A lot of thought has gone into the packaging to ensure the desk arrives safely and securely, and I'm immensely grateful for that because I don't think it was handled delicately by the courier.

Fezibo Executive B: Assembly

There's a certain joy that can only come from having every single part of a flat-packed piece of furniture labeled, with clear, image-led instructions that make it almost impossible to go wrong. 74 steps might seem intimidating, but many of them are just images of how the elements should look when you've completed that set of steps.

An Allen key is included in the assembly kit, but not a screwdriver. I don't really mind this, and you'll see why if you continue on to the monitor stand. You're going to want to bring a decent screwdriver and a drill to put this together, but that shouldn't be too much for most people.

I recently bought a chest of drawers from a particular hardware store, and that was far more difficult to put together than this, despite being an order of magnitude simpler. 

Putting the desk together was incredibly easy, but that doesn't mean it was quick. All in all, this desk took me six hours to build, which may seem like a lot, but bear in mind that I wasn't trying to speedrun putting this together. I took my time with it, had a few cups of tea, stepped back every once in a while to observe how it was all coming together, and generally made the most of the event.

The only issue I encountered during my construction was that, if you don't screw in the drawer brackets enough, the runners will catch on the screws.

Fezibo Executive B: First impressions

Straight away this desk absolutely stunned me. I love the way it sits in any space with a sense of professional grace that's hard to find with a lot of modern desks—especially standing desks. This isn't just another clumped-together piece of wood and metal that you have to break your back for every time you want to adjust it.

In short, it's aesthetically beautiful, deeply intuitive to use, and wonderfully practical.

When it comes to the on-board motor, it's smooth and consistent, and the control module offers plenty of customization. The only downside I could find, and this is incredibly minor, was that it doesn't have any built-in device charging capabilities.

Fezibo Executive B: Design & build quality

The Executive B desk only comes with two options: 

• Dark walnut with black accents
• Light walnut with white accents

It's limited compared to the options with some of Fezibo's other desks, so I would like to see more customization on offer with the control mechanism and the color configurations.

When it comes to the quality of the materials, the chipboard may put some people off. However, the simple reality is that it compromises a sturdy build with cost-saving materials. If it was solid wood, you'd be paying a whole lot more for little noticeable difference.

I only found one small fault with the quality, and that was a lack of coverage for the connecting screws on the shelves. The simple inclusion of two black stickers to cover them would offer an additional layer of protection for any books or trinkets I would want to put on there.

It'll come as no surprise that a lot of thought and care went into the design of this desk, and it shows. The quality is there, and if you follow the build and usage instructions properly, it should last you a long, long time.

If that's not enough, the control module comes with a five-year warranty, so you know you're getting your money's worth.

Fezibo Executive B: In use

What I haven't mentioned so far, is that I built this desk in my bedroom (where my old desk used to be) before partially disassembling it and moving it into my tiny living  room where I intend to use it every day moving forward.

Moving the desk was surprisingly easy, I unbolted the main desktop, detached the lifting mechanism, and found myself with three sections: the main desktop, the shelving unit/left leg, and the secondary desktop with the drawers and cabinet still attached.

Together, my partner and I managed to maneuver it into the living room without issue, and here it now lives. Moving this desk was a useful stress test to see what it would be like if ever I were to move office elsewhere. If and when I eventually move this out of here, I'll likely dismantle it further to get it down the stairs safely, but for a two-dimensional shift, it's a quick and easy move.

As for the day-to-day of raising and lowering the desk, the motor handles everything seamlessly, and the multiple settings mean that I can customize it for both my seating and standing positions, as well as for my partner's, too. If something's not quite right, I can always check the information that came with the control module.

Fezibo Executive B: Accessories

Alongside the desk, I also got my hands on a couple of accessories from Fezibo to make the desk feel more personal:

• The Cord Management Organizer Kit: I wanted to see how much of a difference it made to my cable management beyond the sticky cable ties already offered with the desk.
• The 65 cm by 22 cm Monitor Stand with Pen Tray: I like to make the most of shelving on a desk, and the monitor stand is a great way to both accentuate the desk and increase its practicality, depending on your setup.

The cable management kit offers some incredibly useful gear, including modular sleeves to hide your wiring, sticky cable grippers of various sizes, zip ties, and a variety of fabric pull and velcro ties. It's a simple and effective add-on to make your setup sleek and seamless, but I had a few minor gripes.

You certainly get your money's worth with this bundle—it's enough to organize two or three desks. However, I think it would be improved by removing some zip ties and the second roll of velcro tape, and including more sleeves and some of the sticky under-desk cable clips that come as standard with the Executive B standing desk.

The monitor stand is another great example of how you can personalize the desk to fit your needs. Personally, I mount my monitor on an arm, but I love using these types of stands as additional shelving and organizational elements for my setup.

I did notice, however, that the stand had some minor quality issues, but nothing I would actually pay attention to/notice during day-to-day use. That said, the tool that came with it to set it up was so low quality, that the few turns it took to assemble the stand resulted in its total deformation.

I'd rather just know that I have to bring my own screwdriver, like with the desk, instead of being given something that's not fit for purpose. This would also reduce the cost of the stand, even if only by a fraction.

Fezibo Executive B: Final verdict

I genuinely struggled to find a fault with this that I couldn't put down to user error. Despite all of my stress tests, moving it from room to room, and actively trying to make it struggle under the weight of my setup, it powered through with elegance and resolve.

Even the little nitty-gritty things I did find were so minor that I honestly forgot about them after five minutes of using the desk. I'd still like to see some black stickers included with the desk to cover the silver connecting screws, but nothing is stopping me from just buying some online if it bothers me (which it doesn't).

If you're just wanting to put a small laptop and a notebook on this desk, it may feel a bit sparse, so I'd recommend it for anyone running a proper desktop setup that's going to fully utilize the space and features on offer.

To put it simply, I love this desk. The way it classes up any space you put it in, how practical and intuitive it is, and even the functionality of the control module—everything works like you'd want it to, and I don't think I could ask much more of it. Whether you're considering this for work or at home, US$799.99 (£699.99) is no small sum of money. 

It's most definitely an investment, but in my opinion (as someone who works from home every day) it's worth every penny to get a high-quality product that is as practical as it is beautiful. Now I just need to get myself a good standing desk mat so I can make the most of it all.

Bambu Labs has built a reputation as a disruptor in the 3D print world. Their Core XY machines arrived on the scene with speeds and accuracy that were hard to beat; if the speed and accuracy weren't enough, the AMS multi-filament system took the machines to another level. 

A short while ago, we saw a departure from their Core XY machines with the arrival of the Bambu Labs A1 Mini, one of the best 3D printers we've reviewed. It boasted a speed and accuracy that was hard to beat, only matched by the recent updates to the excellent Official Prusa Mini. 

Now, the Bambu Labs A1 Mini has arrived and is available as either a single filament machine or, once again, sold as a combo that includes the AMS Lite. While that system does take up quite a bit of desk space, it's nothing compared with some other systems that are emerging, but what really makes it stand out is the simplicity.

The setup is straightforward, and in true Bambu style, an alternative AMS Lite mount was sent through as a print file, just in case I want to pop the AMS system on top of the printer rather than on the desk to the side. After trying both, my personal preference is for the AMS to sit next to, not on top of, the machine, but there's that option. That flexibility is another big feature of the Bambu Labs kit. Like the P1P, there's the ability to adapt.

Once again, Bambu has done what they have built a name around: listening and innovating, and the A1, from the outset, looks set to impress.

Bambu Labs A1: Design

Bambu Labs doesn't so much break the mould as rework it, and that's exactly what has happened with the A1. On the surface, a cursory first look would highlight the typical Cartesian design, nothing out of the ordinary aside from the very slick-looking LCD touchscreen and beautifully designed tool head. 

As is now common with these printers, the A1 comes almost completely assembled, so it's just a few screws and wires plugged in, and you'll be up and running. The setup process took less than half an hour, and there's really nothing that would confuse the entire process. I also liked the fact that the manual is a little more specific about the printer position during the setup process, giving you tips about using a table to ensure easy mounting of the vertical section. 

While you get to see some of the construction as you bolt in the verticle, it's only when you start to look closer that you start to see the Bambu in the design. Details such as the horizontal bar that features an intricate metal mount that attaches to the vertical, and then there's the base, which is that slight futuristic off-white that we saw used on the A1 Mini and AMS lite. The overall finish, although familiar in design, looks futuristic. 

Even the single filament reel holder and filament run-out sensor have something of the future about them. Then there's the slightly crazy AMS Lite design with the four reels mounted two aside. This design is inspired as the reels are clearly labelled, and when it comes to printing, it's incredibly easy to allocate filaments to the different parts of the model if you've set that up in the software. 

As with the A1 Mini, the AMS Lite sits to the side, although there is the option to top mount this with a 3D printed part if you want. This means that if you do go multi-filament, then it takes up a little extra room on the desktop, but it is worth it for this printer's abilities. 

One point on the design. What is well worth going into is the fast switch nozzles; these literally release and enable you to insert new or alternative nozzles, with the system recognising them as soon as they're inserted. 

When it comes to the design, the machine looks outwardly simple, but look closely, and the quality and details are well beyond that of many printers that are around the same price or only marginally cheaper. 

Bambu Labs A1: Features

Positioned as a user-friendly, entry-level device, the Bambu Lab A1 integrates several innovative features. Key highlights include its intuitive 3.5-inch IPS touchscreen, offering a smartphone-like user experience, and the Health Management System (HMS), which's for the machine, not you, that assists through all operational steps and troubleshooting. 

The printer, if brought as the combo, features the AMS Lite system for multi-material printing, supporting up to four colours. Bambu Lab's machines are known for speed, and here, the A1 offers a top printing rate of 500mm/s and a 10000 mm/s² acceleration, made possible by performing vibration calibration for both X and Y axes at each print's start. This calibration accounts for the printer's tension and environmental temperature, enhancing accuracy. There is the option to skip this when you load files, but for the couple of minutes that it takes, it's worth leaving it to do its thing. 

Additionally, the Eddy Current sensor in the hotend actively compensates the extrusion flow rate, ensuring stable extrusion throughout the printing process; as the machine primes, you can see this system suck in and out the filament as it measures the properties before starting the print. 

The A1's design features all-metal rails and linear bearings for extra rigidity and accuracy, with minimal maintenance requirements. Its advanced filament monitoring system goes beyond filament presence detection, measuring various aspects like filament speed, tension, and pressure.

The HMS system can pause prints upon detecting problems and aids diagnosis, such as giving you some suggestions as to what has gone amiss.

One of the big features is the Quick Swap Hotends for easy maintenance and swapping for different diameter nozzles. It's all very user-friendly, but at the same time, there's a lot here for a beginner to get to grips with.

Bambu Labs A1: Performance

The Bambu Labs A1's print quality test results reveal its high accuracy in precision and detailing, with an overall score of 29 out of 30. The dimensional accuracy score of 5, with X and Y error averages of 0.074mm and 0.124mm, respectively, indicates exceptional precision in reproducing model dimensions. This makes it ideal for applications requiring fine details and accuracy; ensuring you have a good support material in place will enable you to print highly detailed models that are closer to what you could expect to print with a resin printer. 

The printer excels in fine flow control and fine negative features, both scoring 5, demonstrating its ability to handle intricate details and complex geometries. It also performs well in bridging (score of 5) and overhangs (score of 4), further emphasising its capability to print challenging designs. 

Overall, these results position the A1 as a versatile printer suitable for a range of applications, from detailed models to robust prototypes.

Bambu Labs A1: Verdict

The Bambu Labs A1 3D printer is a notable entrant in the 3D printing arena, presenting itself as a disruptor. Known for their Core XY machines, Bambu Labs' A1 Mini was a departure from the company's usual style of machine as far as it was a compact bed slinger; however, the speed, while not Core XY, was still beyond anything else at the time, now the A1 with it's larger build area and more robust build is set to take on the middle ground.

The A1, available as a single or multi-filament machine with the AMS Lite, stands out for its simplicity and versatility. The A1's design is both futuristic and practical, offering a fast-switch nozzle system and a user-friendly experience. 

However, if you're a beginner, while this is a great machine and really difficult to fault, the complexity beneath the surface can require some knowledge, and the software, even in its simplest form, can take some getting used to. 

OK, so the A1 offers more than anything else in its class and takes on the best of the Cartesian, including the Original Prusa MK4, but is this all too much? It's rare to say, but for the price, I feel it's just too cheap and doesn't leave any room at the lower and now mid-range of the market. The A1 takes a tried and tested design and essentially turbo charges it so that there really is little to fault, as was seen by the print quality. My only reservation is the open design, which restricts where it can be used. 

• Best 3D modeling software: Testing tools for bringing creations to life

I’ve tested plenty of the best portable power stations, so when I opened the Deeno GT X1500 Portable Power Station box, I was pleased to see a simple setup: the power station, cabling, and documentation. 

I noticed a multitude of ports on the front of the power station and a light bar on the back. I also quickly saw some unique expanding carry handles and a built-in wireless charger on the top. 

Deeno GT X1500: Design & build

The overall design of the Deeno X1500 Portable Power Station is compact and straightforward. Everything is clear and simple, which helps with its easy operation. The handles on the side are big enough even for large hands, and because Deeno chose to make these handles expanding, near telescoping, they are relatively comfortable to carry.

Because of these handles, I could carry this power station with one hand, with things on top of the power station, and both without any problems. Because this power station's handles expand when in use, they also retract when not in use, allowing them to hide away, making the top flat.

To continue the great design features, the back of the X1500 has a built-in light bar that can light up a campsite, a dark room in a power outage, or my living room when I was swapping out basic toggle light switches with smart switches. On the bottom, Deeno chose to add rubberized feet for added grip so that the bottom of the X1500 doesn't get scratched up, but also to help ensure that the power station does not slide around unwanted. Deeno also added a QI charger on the top of the X1500, which any QI-enabled device can use.

Deeno GTX1500: In use

I've loved having the Deeno GTX1500 living in the back of my Jeep. When I work on house projects, I can easily access power in my front yard to work on my garage without running any extension cords. Or, when I am recharging drill batteries, running a shop vac, or bringing my bike to a riding trail, I can get an electric pump to fill the tires upon arrival.

The Deeno GT X1500 Portable Power Station can run with 12 available ports. I have also been impressed with how much power draw I can run on this device. I can run full carpet cleaners, shop vacs, charge drills, and space heaters from the X1500.

I took this power station camping with my son a few months back. I could confidently bring only this power station for a few day trips as our power supply. We ran a couple of lights at night, charged my phone and watch, and kept some flashlights up. This camping trip was low-key, but relaxing without worrying about power was fantastic.

I have also enjoyed charging on the top of the X1500 wirelessly. While it was convenient, I wished that some part of the Qi charger was rubberized to help hold my iPhone while charring. However, it is an excellent time to use the charger.

Carrying portable power stations is rarely a fun role. Usually, though mobile, these power stations are heavy when you have one that has a large capacity. To help counter the difficulty or struggle of carrying the power station, Deeno added specialty handles that extend to help give more grip room and a bit of cushion. When not in use, the handles collapse so that the top of the power station is flat, allowing for easy packing or storing.

Recharging the Deeno GT X1500 takes longer than desired, though it's pretty decent. The size of this power station for the capacity and ports is pretty great. I can fit it anywhere needed, and I cannot worry about power wherever I am on the road, working, or camping. Further, whenever there is a bad storm, I can carry this power station inside as a UPS for my internet, a few lights, and anything else deemed vital by my family.

Deeno GTX1500: Verdict

 The Deeno GT X1500 is a fantastic Portable Power Station for the size and the money. There is a tremendous selection of ports, solid output, excellent build quality, and a great price. I have had zero issues with something not working or breaking, nor do I have concerns moving forward. If you are looking for a quality mid-size Portable Power Station, consider the Deeno GT X1500 before making your final decision. 

• Best laptop power banks: Tested, reviewed, rated

I’ve tested plenty of the best portable power stations, so when I opened the Deeno GT X1500 Portable Power Station box, I was pleased to see a simple setup: the power station, cabling, and documentation. 

I noticed a multitude of ports on the front of the power station and a light bar on the back. I also quickly saw some unique expanding carry handles and a built-in wireless charger on the top. 

Deeno GT X1500: Design & build

The overall design of the Deeno X1500 Portable Power Station is compact and straightforward. Everything is clear and simple, which helps with its easy operation. The handles on the side are big enough even for large hands, and because Deeno chose to make these handles expanding, near telescoping, they are relatively comfortable to carry.

Because of these handles, I could carry this power station with one hand, with things on top of the power station, and both without any problems. Because this power station's handles expand when in use, they also retract when not in use, allowing them to hide away, making the top flat.

To continue the great design features, the back of the X1500 has a built-in light bar that can light up a campsite, a dark room in a power outage, or my living room when I was swapping out basic toggle light switches with smart switches. On the bottom, Deeno chose to add rubberized feet for added grip so that the bottom of the X1500 doesn't get scratched up, but also to help ensure that the power station does not slide around unwanted. Deeno also added a QI charger on the top of the X1500, which any QI-enabled device can use.

Deeno GTX1500: In use

I've loved having the Deeno GTX1500 living in the back of my Jeep. When I work on house projects, I can easily access power in my front yard to work on my garage without running any extension cords. Or, when I am recharging drill batteries, running a shop vac, or bringing my bike to a riding trail, I can get an electric pump to fill the tires upon arrival.

The Deeno GT X1500 Portable Power Station can run with 12 available ports. I have also been impressed with how much power draw I can run on this device. I can run full carpet cleaners, shop vacs, charge drills, and space heaters from the X1500.

I took this power station camping with my son a few months back. I could confidently bring only this power station for a few day trips as our power supply. We ran a couple of lights at night, charged my phone and watch, and kept some flashlights up. This camping trip was low-key, but relaxing without worrying about power was fantastic.

I have also enjoyed charging on the top of the X1500 wirelessly. While it was convenient, I wished that some part of the Qi charger was rubberized to help hold my iPhone while charring. However, it is an excellent time to use the charger.

Carrying portable power stations is rarely a fun role. Usually, though mobile, these power stations are heavy when you have one that has a large capacity. To help counter the difficulty or struggle of carrying the power station, Deeno added specialty handles that extend to help give more grip room and a bit of cushion. When not in use, the handles collapse so that the top of the power station is flat, allowing for easy packing or storing.

Recharging the Deeno GT X1500 takes longer than desired, though it's pretty decent. The size of this power station for the capacity and ports is pretty great. I can fit it anywhere needed, and I cannot worry about power wherever I am on the road, working, or camping. Further, whenever there is a bad storm, I can carry this power station inside as a UPS for my internet, a few lights, and anything else deemed vital by my family.

Deeno GTX1500: Verdict

 The Deeno GT X1500 is a fantastic Portable Power Station for the size and the money. There is a tremendous selection of ports, solid output, excellent build quality, and a great price. I have had zero issues with something not working or breaking, nor do I have concerns moving forward. If you are looking for a quality mid-size Portable Power Station, consider the Deeno GT X1500 before making your final decision. 

• Best laptop power banks: Tested, reviewed, rated