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I’ve used the Dreame U20 for months and it still surprises me how well this affordable cordless vacuum cleans pet hair

8:20 am | September 9, 2025

Dreame U20 cordless vacuum: two-minute review

Hailing from parent company, Xiaomi, Dreame is fast becoming a popular sub-brand with an extensive product lineup. Ranging from wet-dry vacuums, air purifiers, robot vacuums (including a robot lawnmower), cordless stick vacuums and hair dryers, Dreame has it all, and across different budgets, too.

While its high-end robovacs are items to dream about (pun intended), as you can see in our Dreame X50 Ultra review, I’m in love with a much cheaper product that helps me clean up after my pets. The affordable Dreame U20 has become my lifesaver, combining Dyson-like tech with the signature Dreame style. It’s a versatile and lightweight cordless vacuum that delivers great performance for an exceptionally low cost, as it’s very frequently discounted.

Its color scheme belies its budget price point – available in a gorgeous gold and beige colourway, the Dreame U20 looks far more premium than its $249.99 / £250 / AU$399.99 price point suggests.

What I found even more impressive is its suction. For the price, its 120AW power isn’t bad at all, which isn’t too far off the Shark Cordless Detect Pro’s 123AW of suction, and yet it was more than enough to clean my pup’s fur off my sofa and carpets well. Needless to say, it handles hard floors very easily, making it a candidate for being one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners.

It comes with the standard attachments, including a multi-surface brush head with LED blue lights to illuminate dark areas, a mini motorized brush for cleaning upholstery, a crevice tool and a removable battery that's rated for up to 60 minutes.

Realistically, though, you'll get no more 37-40 minutes when using the two motorized attachments on the lowest suction, but that's fine for smaller homes – I can easily vacuum my living area, two bedrooms and two bathrooms within that time. However, if you mostly have carpets, I found it can take longer to get it clean as you may need to go back and forth a few times, thus consuming more battery. The only battery indicator on the U20 is a tiny light on the end cap, which is hard to see while in use, and it blinks when it’s running low. There’s also no quick charging here, and the vacuum can take up to 3.5 hours to fully recharge.

The only other downside to this otherwise great buy is that the dustbin capacity is only 0.5L, meaning you might need to empty it frequently if you have a large home with pets. If you don't need any more bells and whistles, the Dreame U20 is easy to recommend as a top-notch budget cordless vacuum cleaner.

Dreame U20 vacuuming with blue light — (Image credit: TechRadar)

Dreame U20 review: price & availability

List price: $249.99 / £250 / AU$399
Availability: Sold in the US, UK and Australia at third-party retailers

The Dreame U20 can be picked up in the US at Target for a list price of $249.99. It’s also available on Instacart, with supplies stocked at Costco and other smaller retailers. It is currently not available on Dreame's US store.

In the UK, the list price is £250, and you can pick it up from Amazon UK or Curry's, but again, the vacuum is currently unavailable at the brand's UK store.

For customers living in Australia, Amazon AU lists it for AU$399.99, but it's typically discounted to AU$199.99. Even in Australia, the U20 isn't available on the Dreame website.

The Dreame website lists 27 countries where its devices are available, including the U20. If you're having trouble finding the product, check their website to see if it's available where you live.

Even at full price, the Dreame U20 represents superb value for money, particularly if you can find it at a discounted price. Admittedly it's a very basic model, so if you want a touch more suction, Dreame has other mid-range models, with the Dreame R20 review scoring very well for balancing price and performance.

Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Dreame U20 review: specs

Type:	Cordless stick vacuum
Bagless:	Yes
Weight:	7.27 lbs / 3.3kg
Bin size:	0.5 liters / 500ml
Max runtime:	60 mins
Charge time:	3.5 hours
Tools:	Multi-surface brush head, motorized mini brush head, wide combination crevice tool and extension rod
Power:	120AW

Dreame U20 review: design

Compact cordless stick vacuum in a lovely color scheme
Five attachments, including LED multi-surface brush, mini motorized brush and combination tool
Can be used as a stick vacuum or a small handheld vacuum

I’m new to the world of vacuum testing, with just one other for sister site Tom’s Guide under my belt. Needless to say, the Dreame U20 has been quite the dream, especially when it came to design. For me, the gold and beige colorway was a winner, a stray away from the typical grey or black of other competitors. It lends the affordable vacuum a classy look.

Other than that, the Dreame U20 has a stock-standard design which allows it to become a handheld unit quickly for cleaning cars, sofas, mattresses and, hey, even dog beds. To pair with the handheld unit, there’s a motorized mini brush in the box that would be handy for said dog bed and the sofa. It could even be used on carpeted stairs.

Dreame U20 attachments in lifestyle — (Image credit: TechRadar)

It has a trigger, like most Dyson models, but you don’t need to keep this pressed at all times to run the machine – you just need to click it on and off. There’s just one other control button on the motor’s end cap to change suction modes and that should be easy to reach for most users with the thumb when holding the U20.

The main floor-cleaning attachment is called the Multi-Surface Brush, which features LED blue lights that help illuminate the floor in front of the brush head but don’t highlight miniscule dust particles like Dyson’s Fluffy tool does. And that’s OK because it still helps you see in dark areas – for example, I was able to see scattered kitty litter in an unlit bathroom.

The other attachment in the box is a combination crevice tool, but a wall-mount kit also ships with the vacuum in case you want to stow it away in a convenient place without compromising floor space.

Weighing 3.3kg / 7.27lbs, the Dreame U20 isn't exactly lightweight (in comparison, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro weighs 2.7kg / 5.9lbs), but it's still very easy to push around. It measures 16cm x 30cm x 68cm with the extension rod attached.

Dreame U20 speed modes — (Image credit: TechRadar)

The 120AW motor is capable of running at three different speed modes, indicated by three lights on the end cap of the motor. You can switch between the speed settings (low, medium and high) by tapping the button directly below the lights and switching it on by using the trigger. For most cleans, I found I tended to flick between medium and high, especially when cleaning carpets.

According to Dreame, the U20 motor has a multi-layer filtration system that captures up to 99.9% of fine dust and particles. Its HEPA filter also keeps debris out of the air and inside the bin while vacuuming, which is pretty standard for any cordless vacuum cleaner these days.

For its price point, the 0.5L bin is quite standard, but it'll likely fill up fast if you have, say, a two-bedroom or larger home with pets, meaning you'll need to make more trips to empty it. The bin has a handy sticker on the front (which I did refer back to many times) that indicates how to insert or remove it to empty, and its as simple as pushing the button on the base and twisting the canister clockwise. After detaching, all you have to do is unscrew the filter from the container to remove the debris – finer dust or crumbs fall out easily, but you may need to get your fingers inside to remove clumps of hair from the bin.

Dreame U20 attachments — (Image credit: TechRadar)

The detachable battery pack could be handy for some users as you can clip it into the wall-mount attachment and begin charging it while you’re emptying the vacuum for example. However, if you’re a renter who can't drill holes into your wall – like me – you can leave the battery attached to the U20 and keep the vacuum propped up against a wall or in a cupboard for topping up.

It lacks an LCD screen to show suction modes or time remaining before the next charge. Instead, the battery life is displayed by a small vertical light on the pack itself, which flashes when it needs charging. It's unfortunate that it faces forward, so it’s not visible to the user, and neither is it a very noticeable light – and this is my biggest complaint with the Dreame U20 as there were a few instances where the machine shut down mid-clean during my testing.

Dreame U20 on dog bed — (Image credit: TechRadar)

The U20’s multi-surface brush head is quite similar to many floor-cleaning attachments from other brands, but it features blue LED lights on the front that illuminate two small triangular sections of the floor immediately in front of the brush head. While it looks similar to Dyson’s green dust-illuminating light on the Fluffy Optic, this blue light doesn’t highlight invisible dust on the floor, but I found it’s bright and vivid enough to help walk around in a dark room without bumping into things. Case in point: it perfectly showed scattered kitty litter in an unlit bathroom that was, at the time, pitch dark.

The brush also has V-shaped bristles with comb-like teeth – in my experience, this not only prevents tangles effectively, but can pick up human hair and pet fur from low-pile carpets just as well.

This brush head is quite flexible, rotating 90º around chair legs and furniture. It’s also not as large as you’d find on other (more expensive) vacuum cleaners and I found it can get into corners, which is particularly helpful in my pet hair-filled home.

My favorite attachment, however, is the motorized mini brush, which clips in just under the bin for handheld use. It’s just right for sucking up fur from my couch and cushions – it’s both maneuvrable and anti-tangle.

If it wasn’t for the missing display to check battery life, I’d say that Dreame would deserve top marks for the U20’s design.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Dreame U20 review: performance

Excellent maneuverability
Impressive performance on hard floors and low-pile carpets
Lower suction than competitors but still tackles pet hair well

I've spent a few months with the Dreame U20 (as of publishing this review) and I still can’t get over how impressive its maneuverability is. The 90º rotating main brush head makes it very easy to clean around chair legs and furniture and I had no trouble handling the 3.3kg / 7.2lbs vacuum. That said, if you are using the extension tube to clean ceiling corners, the U20 could begin to feel heavy for some users quickly.

The controls are well placed, which are as simple as pushing the end cap button to select the speed and hitting the trigger underneath. And as I’ve mentioned previously, there’s no need to keep the latter depressed continuously for power like a Dyson.

Speaking of power: sure, we could ask for higher suction than its 120AW, but given its price point, it’s hard to argue with what it has. If you do need better performance, you could consider the Dreame R20 (if it’s available where you live), but I found the U20 does an admirable job nonetheless. It can struggle on some carpets as you will need to go over a particular spot multiple times to get a deeper clean, and I've found myself needing to push with full shoulder force on occasion.

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Dreame U20 hardwood floors with oats — (Image credit: TechRadar)

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Dreame U20 on hardwood — (Image credit: TechRadar)

Throughout my testing, the Dreame U20 impressed in more ways than one. I performed TechRadar’s standard tests for vacuum cleaners, sprinkling a smattering of oats and tea from a bag on both my hardwood and carpeted floors. As an extra measure, I also made sure the floors had extra pet debris – i.e. kitty litter and fur – which were my two motivations for purchasing the U20 in the first place.

During the hardwood mess test, the U20 performed remarkably well on the lowest speed setting in picking up most of the oats. I needed to boost the speed to the second (or medium) setting to do another pass to pick up every last speck of oats, though, but that left the hard floor entirely clean.

As for the tea, the U20 did a better job, sucking it all up in one go on the low setting, so it handles lighter and smaller dirt better than larger debris. It was the same for pet hair on hardwood – all strands got sucked up in one pass on the low setting. The vacuum struggled a touch with kitty litter, leaving a few specks behind on hard floors in a single pass, but it was cleaned up in the second go.

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Dreame U20 on carpet — (Image credit: TechRadar)

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Dreame U20 carpet — (Image credit: TechRadar)

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I wasn’t expecting as impressive a performance on carpets, but the U20 did better than I had anticipated on a low-pile carpet in my tests, quickly removing the oats and tea dust from a bag in one pass on the low suction setting. It will, however, struggle with medium and high-pile carpets, particularly if the dust and debris is deep-seated, although loose dirt will come away if you give the area a few gos with the U20.

In terms of pet hair on carpet, the U20 did indeed struggle at the lowest setting, leaving more than a few strands behind after the first pass. The U20 performed the best with pet hair on the same low-pile carpet at maximum suction, and didn't require several passes to get the job done. The kitty litter yielded a similar result to the hardwood floor test, but I needed to boost suction again to pick up every last piece.

While it can tackle low-pile carpets with ease, pet hair embedded in medium- or high-pile carpets will remain even after several passes – you can expect about 80% off the fur to be sucked up from these kinds of flooring.

As a pet mum, it was important to me to own a vacuum cleaner with a tangle-free brush, as I’ve often painstakingly cleaned out wads of hair from cleaning attachments of older machines. I was thrilled to find that the U20's V-shaped bristles were especially impressive at leaving no evidence of entanglements. That's made ongoing maintenance of the vacuum easier.

This sentiment also rang true for the mini motor brush when cleaning my couch and cushions. It does, however, require several passes when using the handheld motor and mini brush to clean up pet hair due to its smaller footprint, but it still worked a treat.

The U20 collects a nice volume of hair in its 0.5L bin, and I have particularly enjoyed how easy it is to empty the bin with a twist of the base. If you are a pet owner with a shedding furry friend, then I would recommend the U20 for a quick, daily tidy-up, but you might want to consider other pet-focused vacuum cleaners, like the Shark Stratos Pet Pro (IZ400), as they usually have a larger-capacity bin and boast more suction power.

Despite its relatively lower suction and smaller bin, the U20 performs very well, given its budget price – it's very easy to recommend for quick clean-ups.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame U20 on carpet resting against white wall — (Image credit: TechRadar)

Dreame U20 review: battery life

Average battery life for an affordable cordless vacuum
3.5-hour charging time
Expect shorter runtimes if the floor is dirty

According to Dreame, the U20 has a battery life of up to 60 minutes on a full charge, and takes around 3.5 hours to top up from practically empty. Take that number with a pinch of salt, as it indicates runtime when using non-motorized tools, which in this case is the combination crevice attachment only.

With a motorized head like the main floor cleaner and the mini brush, I found that it lasts a maximum of 37 minutes on its lowest setting – and there’s no dynamic suction here to drain the battery faster. At TechRadar, we've tested over a hundred vacuum cleaners over the last decade, and we've found that the average battery life for a budget cordless vacuum is around 40 minutes, which puts the U20 on par with others, including the Dyson V8 .

Higher the suction, the faster the battery will drain, of course and, in testing, I got about 17 minutes of runtime on a full charge when set to maximum. That’s not bad, considering some premium models like the Dyson V15 Detect can give you lesser runtime on Boost mode (about 8 minutes on a dirty mid-pile carpet), although it automatically adjusts suction power to suit the amount of dirt it detects.

So while the U20 has average battery runtime, I’d recommend it for smaller homes or something for the shed, perhaps.

Battery life score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame U20?

Attribute	Notes	Rating
Value	Often on sale, the U20 is an excellent budget option with great performance.	5/5
Design	The color combination makes it look premium, and its attachments are useful. It would have been good if there was a better way to gauge battery life.	4/5
Performance	Great for everyday, quick cleaning, even of pet hair, on hard floors and low-pile carpets, but it may struggle on particularly dirty mid- and high-pile carpets.	4.5/5
Battery	Rated for up to 60 minutes, but expect about 35 minutes in real-world use on low power.	4/5

Buy it if...

You need something to quickly clean up after your pet

The U20 handled masses of pet hair quite well, thanks to its V-shaped multi-surface brush head.

You want something easy to maneuver

It might be heavier than the likes of the Shark Cordless Detect Pro (which weighs around 2.7kg / 5.9lbs), but its swivelling main brush head makes it very easy to move around, particularly on hard floors.

Don't buy it if...

You live in a large home

With average battery life for its price point, the U20 is better suited for smaller areas or homes that don't require extensive vacuuming.

You want the latest vacuuming tech

The U20 doesn't house the most advanced features, it even misses out on an LED screen to display battery life. If you don’t want something this basic, you’ll need to look elsewhere and spend more money.

Dreame U20: alternatives to consider

Product:	Dreame U20 (reviewed)	Shark Cordless Detect Pro	Dyson V8
Weight:	7.27lbs / 3.3kg	6lbs / 2.7kg	3.48lbs / 1.58kg
Bin volume:	0.5L	0.4L	0.54L
Max runtime:	60 mins	40 mins	40 mins
Accessories:	Multi-surface brush head, motorized mini brush head, wide combination crevice tool and extension rod	Duster, crevice tool, optional auto-empty dock (costs extra)	2 x floorheads, Hair screw tool, Combination tool, Crevice tool

Shark Cordless Detect Pro

The Shark Cordless Detect Pro costs a lot more than the U20, but it has better suction and, you can opt for the additional auto-emptying dock, which is handy as the onboard bin canister here is very small. However, it's often discounted and, until it was displaced by the Shark PowerDetect, it used to be our pick of the best cordless vacuum for most people.

Read our full Shark Cordless Detect Pro review

Dyson V8

Despite receiving a newer upgrade in September 2025, the older Dyson V8 is still a strong choice, especially since this too can be had for a good discount. It boast good performance and suction, with up to 40 minutes of runtime on its standard setting. It's extremely lightweight at 1.58kg / 3.48lbs, but it lacks some of the useful features of newer Dyson models, and it might not always represent the best value for everyone.

Read our full Dyson V8 review

How I tested the Dreame U20 cordless vacuum

TechRadar adopts a strict testing regime for all its products so potential buyers know exactly what they're getting. To comply with the testing, I used the machine for a few months before putting it through some rigorous carpet and hard-floor tests using common pantry items, such as tea and raw oats. I also took into account the device's ergonomics, design and overall experience to determine my final verdict.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

First reviewed September 2025

I’ve spent a month rocking with the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller and it’s taken me back to the golden era of rhythm games

12:00 am | September 8, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Australia, Guitar Hero, UK, US | Comments: Off

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller: one-minute review

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller is a brand-new guitar controller for use with rhythm games like Fortnite Festival, Rock Band 4, and Clone Hero. CRKD was founded by former Red Octane staff who were responsible for the Guitar Hero series' controllers, and as such this feels very in line with the peripherals for those games, taking on the best elements of each to make one of the best guitar controllers I've ever used.

It comes in two variants, the LP Black Tribal Encore Edition and the LP Blueberry Burst Pro Edition. The Black Tribal edition comes with standard fret buttons and a mechanical click strum bar, with a slightly gaudy tribal design. Meanwhile, the slightly more expensive Blueberry Burst is functionally the same guitar but with mechanical frets, a Hall Effect strum bar with haptic feedback, and a blueberry burst design. If you prefer one set of buttons over another, the necks are interchangeable too.

On top of those two versions, each version has an Xbox edition, which makes it compatible with Rock Band 4. The multi-platform edition does work with Xbox through the KeyJam mode, however, it acts as a keyboard, meaning it is compatible with Fortnite Festival through button mapping but not Rock Band. The multi-platform edition works with Switch, PC, PlayStation 3-5, and Android too.

The guitar itself feels great to hold; it takes on the form of the fan-favorite Gibson Les Paul design that was previously used with Guitar Hero 3, while the strum bar is longer and easier to pinch, like the "Genericaster" design from Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero 5 (my personal favorite guitar controller of all time). It lacks the lower fret buttons found on Rock Band guitars and the PDP Riffmaster; however, a separate neck attachment is being released later with this option.

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller: price and availability

Prices range between $114.99 / £109.99 / AU$199 and $134.99 / £129.99 / AU$224
Available in the US via the CRKD website
Available in the UK via CRKD, Argos, and Amazon
Available in Australia via JB Hifi

The CRKD Les Paul launched in June 2025, with the Xbox editions set to release in late September. The price is higher based on whether you have the Xbox-compatible edition, with the Blueberry Burst version being more expensive than the Black Tribal one. However, the Blueberry Burst is only $10 / £10 / AU$25 more expensive, while buying the mechanical frets separately is $39.99 / £39.99, so I would personally go with the Blueberry Burst.

While you may be able to get the PDP Riffmaster on sale now, its regular price is more expensive than the Blueberry Burst, with the CRKD being what I feel is the better guitar (however, this more likely comes down to your preference between Guitar Hero and Rock Band-style instruments).

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: Specs

Price	$114.99 / £109.99 / AU$199
Dimensions	9.96 x 29.13 x 1.37in / 253 x 740 x 35mm
Compatibility	Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, Smart TV, PS3, PS4, PS5 (Xbox in Fortnite Festival only)
Connection type	Wired (Type-C), wireless (Bluetooth + 2.4GHz dongle)
Software	CRKD App (iOS, Android)

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: design and features

Guitar controller designed for rhythm gaming
Based on the iconic Gibson Les Paul Guitar
A dial allowing you to program different profiles

As the name suggests, the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller is based on the iconic Gibson Les Paul guitar. This design was previously used for the Guitar Hero 3 guitar controller, with this one being roughly the same size.

The two available versions are Black Tribal and Blueberry Burst. Black Tribal is a black plastic base with a glossy black tribal design on top of it. While it's appropriate, as the mid-2000s was the perfect time for guitar controllers and tacky tribal designs (shoutout to the tribal Game Boy Advance SP), I frankly think this design is ugly. Blueberry Burst, on the other hand is fine looking; the actual blue burst design is nice and akin to its namesake guitar, but it's a decal that looks a bit low quality at close inspection.

Meanwhile, since the necks are detachable, both are just regular black plastic with small lights up the neck. These will light up in a color corresponding with which fret button you press.

The guitar features a d-pad on the top of the neck and two sticks. One is a little dial that is clicked in as your start button, and while it's not the end of the world, it can be a little awkward to pause with it. Meanwhile, there's a tone switch-style stick on the upper half of the guitar, which has a ring of buttons around it, allowing you to access the face and trigger buttons.

Under the strum bar is the whammy bar – which allows you to earn extra points when playing sustained notes – and the CTRL button, which is typically bound to Star Power activation. While not as long as the one found on the Genericaster, it's placed well so it's very easy to hit with your wrist and not compromise your strumming.

While not a complete game-changer, the mechanical frets and Hall Effect strum bar found in the Blueberry Burst edition feel fantastic, and given the price isn't significantly higher, I'd recommend going with that version over the Black Tribal.

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: Performance

Solid battery life
Works right out the box
Comes with custom profile dial, customisable via the CRKD mobile app

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller works straight out of the box with either a USB-C cable connection on PC or via a 2.4GHz dongle (both of which are included with the guitar). You can also use Bluetooth to connect to devices that can't support a USB option. From my month of testing, only the Blueberry Burst edition has run out of battery with me using it for at least 15-20 hours without charging it out of the box.

There's a knob that acts as the on switch when pressed and features a dial that allows you to use one of 9 profiles (the first four being preset to default settings and the Fortnite Festival difficulties). These bindings can be changed via the CRKD mobile app, with the Blueberry Burst edition allowing you to alter the level of sensitivity and haptic feedback on the strum bar.

This is essential for Fortnite Festival. While the default mode is usable in the mode, the CTRL button is mapped to the Select button, which opens a menu in Fortnite. You can't remap this in-game, so you'll need to turn the dial to number two to make it work in Fortnite's pro modes.

Should I buy the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller?

Buy it if...

You want to play guitar games or Fortnite Festival's Pro Mode
If you want to play these classic rhythm games, then you'll want a guitar controller to go with it. It's wide range of compatibility makes it a solid choice for any game you want to play across PC, PlayStation, and Switch, with the Xbox version working for Rock Band 4 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

You were a Guitar Hero diehard
This guitar was made by the people behind the Guitar Hero instruments and feel spot on to the classic instruments. I had my Ratatouille food critic moment playing this for the first time as it took me right back.

Don't buy it if...

You liked the Rock Band guitars better
While both were plastic guitars, Guitar Hero and Rock Band have very different feeling guitar controllers. Ultimately if you preferred the Rock Band guitars, the PDP Riffmaster is the way to go for you.

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: Also consider

Still not sold on the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller? Here’s how it compares to the other guitar controllers on the market.

	CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller	PDP Riffmaster	CKRD NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition
Price	$114.99 / £109.99 / AU$199	$129.99 / £129.99 (around AU$199)	$59.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.95
Dimensions	9.96 x 29.13 x 1.37in / 253 x 740 x 35mm	10.51 x 21.38 x 3.23in / 543 x 267 x 82mm	5.9 x 3.5 x 0.78in / 150 x 88 x 20mm
Compatibility	Multi: Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, Smart TV, PS3, PS4, PS5 Xbox:Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PC, Android, Smart TV, iOS	Xbox: Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PC PlayStation: PS5, PS4, PC	Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, iOS, Android, Smart TV
Connection type	Wired (Type-C), wireless (Bluetooth + 2.4GHz dongle)	Wireless (2.4GHz dongle), wired (Type-C)	Wireless (Bluetooth), wired (Type-C)
Software	CRKD App (iOS, Android)	PDP Control Hub	CRKD App (iOS, Android)

PDP Riffmaster
This is a great alternative because CRKD was founded by former RedOctane staff – who created the original Guitar Hero controllers – as such, CRKD’s model feels in line with those games. If you preferred the feel of the Rock Band controllers back in the day, you're going to want the PDP Riffmaster. However, I personally find Rock Band buttons unsatisfying, so CRKD is my go-to.

For more information, check out our full PDP Riffmaster review

CKRD NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition
This is a great alternative if you're unsure about rhythm games and don't want to drop over $100 on a full-blown guitar controller. The NEO S is a solid controller in its own right, and the guitar attachment allows you to play these games, albeit with a smaller control method. It doesn't stand next to the full-blown ones, but it's a solid entry-level guitar controller.

For more information, check out our full NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition review

How I tested the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller

Tested for around 20-25 hours
Used to play YARG and Fortnite Festival on PC
Used both editions of the guitar

I've been using the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller since I received it in early August 2025 (so around a month). I did play a decent amount of Fortnite Festival (especially when they added the Power Rangers theme song), but I've mainly been playing YARG, which is a fan-made recreation of the Rock Band games, allowing you to import custom songs to the game.

I played a variety of songs and genres with it, from the likes of some of my favorite bands, Ween, They Might Be Giants, and Jellyfish, to harder rock bands like Iron Maiden, Mastodon, and Primus. I also played a selection of game soundtracks (mostly Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Guilty Gear Strive) and some outright goofy stuff like Weird Al Yankovic, the South Park movie soundtrack, and the Spider-Man 2 pizza theme.

First reviewed September 2025

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush: One minute review

The Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush continues the environmentally-friendly mission of its predecessor, while upgrading everything that could help offer a better brushing experience. The end result is an upgraded model worthy of inclusion in our list of the best electric toothbrusheswith its balance of performance, portability and sustainability.

Suri's mission statement is all about creating a toothbrush that lasts, stopping landfills piling up with disposable plastic brushes. As such, it uses recycled materials in construction, the heads are plant-based and can be recycled – for free by Suri in some countries – and it's made to last.

The sonic brush has a redesigned and strong motor that offers a powerful-yet-gentle 33,000 movements per minute sonic vibration. The pressure sensor detects a user is brushing too hard and lowers the force of the pressure and vibrates subtly so you know to ease off, keeping your gums and teeth safe while also gently training you to brush better.

The case has had a battery added to it, which can charge the brush and also power the UV cleaning light that kills 99.99% of bacteria within one minute. It's a superb feature that helps it compete even against the tech-crammed top-tier toothbrushes like the Oral-B iO Series 10 and the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000.

Once again, this comes with the sticky-backed magnet that lets you mount your brush neatly anywhere in your bathroom.

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review: Price and availability

Priced at $135 in the US
£105 in the UK
Australia price yet to be announced

The Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush has a launch price in the UK of £105. That puts it only a bit higher than its predecessor which was £95 with the full kit.

The US price at launch is $135. Considering the original model was $116 at launch, with the UV case, this price isn't a big jump up and represents a great value for money amount.

The Australian pricing, at time of publishing, has yet to be announced, but we estimate it'll be around AU$200 based on the prices above.

The company says the brush is made to be easily repaired, so you shouldn't need another for a very long time. Plus, if you do change up, Suri will recycle it all for free.

The heads are sustainable but are still going to wear down, so you'll need to factor in replacement costs. A pack of three new heads will cost you $18.45 / £14.40 / AU$28. That includes fast and free shipping as part of the charge.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review: Specifications

Component	Value
Battery life	40+ days
Sonic vibrations	33,000 per minute
Charging stand	USB
Timer	Yes, two minute with 30-second haptics
Noise	50 dB
Charge time	4 hours

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review: Design

Upgraded motor
Aluminium body
Plant-based heads

The design of the Suri 2.0 closely adheres to the sustainable ethos of the company, with plant-based heads, a build comprised of recycled materials and a seeming focus on minimal environmental impact in both short and long term.

You still have that slim aluminium build that feels both comfortable and premium, with durability to last long-term. The base is flat allowing it to stand easily, and offers wireless charging either with the included mount charger, or via the case.

The sticky-backed magnetic mount charger allows the brush to 'float' wherever you choose to stick it, whether that's neatly next to your bathroom mirror or inside a drawer. Short of going on the ceiling, there are very few limitations here. I didn't try it on the ceiling, but the mount was so strong I dare say that would probably work too.

The brush uses brush heads made from cornstarch and castor oil instead of synthetic plastic. These are shaped into a wave-shaped bristle pattern to take care of interdental cleaning, and you also get a return envelope so you can send them back, free of charge in some countries, for recycling.

The new case is a great evolution as it still features a UV-C light to clean the head, but now also packs in a battery so charging can be done anywhere – more on that below.

Design score: 5 / 5

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review: Features

40-day battery
Case based charging
UV-C cleaning light

I would describe the 2.0 as a frontrunner when it comes to battery life, even when compared to its more expensive competition. This fast charges in hours and then keeps going for well over a month, in my experience. The company says it's good for 40 days, but I found that my review unit could exceed this, even when brushing twice daily.

The charging case works with a UV light to clean the brush head, tackling 99.99% of harmful bacteria in a single minute. This is a reassuring feature, especially when travelling. On other brushes a quick rinse under the tap is all I could hope for, whereas with the included UV cleaner, I know my brush head is truly clean and safe.

The case now charges your brush, which was a much-requested feature on the last model that required you to plug the charger in. The charger case offers a good two months of use between charges, even with the UV light being used.

The brush head has a wave design for the best possible cleaning, while the back of the head has a rubberized pattern used for the now-standard tongue cleaning with just the right amount of abrasion.

There are still only two brush modes: Clean or Polish. While that is minimal, it offers strong or sensitive which (in my opinion) is enough. You have a standard two-minute timer with 30-second interval alerts via a gentle haptic vibration, all helping get the ideal clean to achieve a plaque-free finish.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review: Performance

33,000 sonic vibrations per minute
Superb long battery life
Simple but effective cleaning

When I saw the motor on this was upgraded, I was surprised it still offers the same 33,000 sonic vibrations of the original model. I assumed a better motor meant 'faster'. Yet when I used it, I immediately felt the difference from the original Suri; it felt more deliberate in its delivery of that power, while remaining as sensitive and gentle as the experience I had with the first brush. This is likely thanks to the new pressure sensor that during testing, meant a deeper cleaning experience I couldn't get from the first Suri.

It stays quieter than the first brush at just 50dB compared to 54dB. The case is USB-C friendly so you'll likely be able to use your phone charger during traveling, making this brush very travel-friendly.

Then there's that UV cleaning light, operated via a single button press. In reality you can't see any difference so there is an element of trust in the process. The 2.0 also comes with a cover for the brush heads, which is ideal if you're traveling with a spare. You can also long press the main button to activate a lock or travel mode, so it won't start vibrating in your bag and causing trouble with security.

Suri includes the recycling packaging to send heads back to the company easily. This makes it a more realistic process for most people, as does designing the brush to be easily repaired. This is potentially the last brush you'll ever need to buy, especially as its repairable.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	A decent price for what you get	4.5/5
Design	Clean, easy to hold and effective	5/5
Features	That light cleaning and battery performance	4.5/5
Performance	Great cleaning, top battery and super sustainability	4.5/5

Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want to stay sustainable

With plant-based materials, a repairable design and included return envelopes for recycling, this is as close to perfectly green as a brush can get right now.

You don't want to think about charging

The 40+ day battery life combined with a few hours charge time banishes battery anxiety.

You want sonic powers

This brush delivers a powerful 33,000 sonic vibrations per minutes for a more effective deep clean of plaque and mouth muck.

Don't buy it if...

You like oscillating heads

To be clear, this is a sonic head, meaning the brush itself won't oscillate as some options do. So if you want that extra movement automated this might not be for you.

You don't want to buy heads online

At time of publishing you can only get replacement heads online for delivery, so if you like the option of picking yours up in-store, this might not suit you.

Also consider

Component	Oral-B iO Series 6	Colgate Hum Smart Rhythm
Battery life	20+ days	90 days
Movement	8,800 oscillations+ 20,000 pulsations per minute	30,000 vibrations per minutes
Charge time	12 hours	AAA batteries
Modes	Five	Two

Oral-B iO Series 6

An affordable way to get all the power of the iO Series with its pulsations and oscillations combination, to get the ultimate clean as well as that display for helpful feedback and mode selection.

Read our full Oral-B iO Series 6 review

Colgate Hum Smart Rhythmic

For a well-price sonic toothbrush, that offers replacement batteries as an option, this is a powerful pick with 30,000 vibrations per minute and two modes for decent brushing control.

Read our full Colgate Hum Smart Rhythmic review

How I tested

I used the Suri 2.0 Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush for weeks in order to test the effectiveness of the brush itself as well as that battery performance. I also visited the dentist during this time and was complemented on my cleaning efforts - reflecting well on this brush's performance.

I used the case for travel, over-night, as well as making use of the UV-C light cleaning feature. I mounted the magnetic holder to test its usefulness and was left surprised at how helpful this small addition was.

My brushing was twice daily with that two-minute timer and haptic half-minute guidance vibrations used to get a full and fair brush.

I was also testing other brushes from Oral-B and more which allowed me to see the difference between features like extra modes, oscillations versus sonics, battery life, screes, apps and more.

The Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II is a versatile ereader with potential – so it’s a shame it fumbles its key feature

8:47 am | August 26, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers eReaders Gadgets Tablets | Tags: Australia, Europe, Google Play Store, US | Comments: Off

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II: Two-minute review

As you can probably tell from my Onyx Boox Go Color 7 review, I didn’t take a shine to the original model released in 2024, which meant I had higher expectations from its successor.

The Boox Go Color 7 Gen II launched in April 2025 alongside a monochrome edition called the Boox Go 7, both sharing the same design and and feature set – the only difference being the screen: the former uses the color E Ink Kaleido 3 display while the latter is the grayscale E Ink Carta 1300.

Physically, both the 2025 Go Series siblings are nearly identical to the Go Color 7 from 2024, with one tiny design change that I’m pleased with – the page-turn buttons on the new models are smaller, rounded and separated a little to improve ergonomics.

On paper, the Go Color 7 Gen II is the better device compared to its predecessor, running Android 13 (rather than Android 12), getting a generation newer processor and adding writing capabilities that the previous model lacked. Like many smaller-screen epaper tablets like it, you will need to purchase the stylus separately, although at the time of writing, the only pen that works with the Go Color 7 II – the Boox InkSense – has been discontinued and no official replacement has been made available.

According to Boox, it’s preparing a new stylus after taking on user feedback, and the new pen “is expected to be available in the third quarter” of this year. Reimagining a stylus is admirable, but it still begs the question: why release ereaders with stylus support (this affects the monochrome Boox Go 7 as well) if their only pen isn’t available to buy?

When I started testing the device about 11 weeks ago, third-party retailers still had stock of the InkSense, which is how I was able to source one for this review, but even those are no longer available. That said, I’m glad the pen is being replaced as I didn’t enjoy the writing experience with a hard nib on a very smooth screen. I’ll update this review when the promised stylus is released.

The Boox Go Color 7 Gen II and Boox InkSense stylus on a table — The 2025 Boox Go series ereaders get writing capabilities but, at the time of publication, the compatible stylus has been discontinued (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While I’m not docking any points for the lack of a supported stylus at the time of publication, I’m disappointed to see that the 7-inch color screen on the Gen II isn’t as nice to read on as its predecessor. Text on the Gen II is 'fuzzy', for the lack of a better word. Compared to its predecessor, its monochrome Go 7 sibling and the Kobo Libra Colour, text within ebooks and speech bubbles clearly lacks crispness. You can still read, that's not the issue, but it's hard to recommend an ereader when others do a better job.

And while some colors are more saturated here than on the older model and the Kobo Libra Colour, the additional contrast means small details are lost in the darker areas. Strangely, though, the color 'inks' when writing lack this same saturation and look washed out compared to what I've experienced on older color Boox models like the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C.

Boox has somehow managed to make the display yellower (or warmer) than on any of its other tablets, and it's a stark difference between the Gen II's monochrome sibling as well. This warmth sadly affects the displayed colors as well. The yellowness is exacerbated when the frontlight is switched on, giving comics and graphics novels what I call the 'jaundiced look'. In fact, the frontlight isn't even as bright on the Gen II as other Boox ereaders (or even Kobos and Kindles).

The overall user experience is also marred by constant ghosting. It’s not as obvious as I’ve seen in older Boox devices, but it is distracting enough to be an issue. Setting the device to higher refresh rates, however, eats into the battery life, which also drains at a faster rate than other ereaders. Even the preset refresh modes that can be set on a per-app basis weren’t well optimized here, causing excessive stuttering while scrolling on the native web browser.

The good news is that the software issues I’ve had with the previous generation have been fixed and I was thrilled to see that wired transfer via OTG (directly plugging an external hard drive or portable SSD to the USB-C port) works smoothly – something I’ve had problems with in previous Boox tablets I’ve tested. Even the fonts folder within Storage is correctly bound, so things work a little more smoothly now, although the user interface continues to be slightly complicated.

Better implementation of the software doesn’t make up for the subpar reading experience, and neither does selling it at the same price as its predecessor – in fact, I'd say it’s hard to recommend at any price.

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Price & availability

Announced end April 2025 for US, Europe and Australia
List price: $299.99 / €279.99 / AU$439
Available directly from the Boox Shop and select retailers, including Amazon

As alluded to earlier, the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II was announced alongside the monochrome Boox Go 7, both becoming available at the end of April 2025.

Despite the added note-taking functionality, the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II carries a similar price tag to its predecessor (which is already listed as out of stock on the Boox Shop, indicating it might get discontinued soon). Where the older model had a launch price of $249.99 / €279.99 (about £245) / AU$459, the Gen II is listed for $279.99 / €279.99 / AU$439 at the time of writing. As you can see, only US customers face a slightly higher charge likely due to tariffs on several imports. This price includes a magnetic case that features a loop to secure a stylus.

In comparison, the Kobo Libra Colour is cheaper at $229.99 / £209.99 / AU$379.95 for the standalone ereader, but you will need to add on the $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$119.95 for the Kobo Stylus 2 if you want to use it for writing notes, and you’ll need to purchase a case separately if you want one.

The only compatible stylus for the 2025 Go series was the Boox InkSense, which has been listed as “out of stock” since the release of the Go Color 7 II (and its monochrome sibling), and at the time of writing is no longer available from third-party retailers either. I have official confirmation that the pen has been discontinued, and while the Boox Shop lists a bundle that includes the stylus, I’d recommend holding off purchasing the full package until the replacement pen has been released. There’s no confirmed release date at the time of publishing this review, and neither is there any indication of how much the stylus would cost. I’ll update this article as soon as I know more.

Given my subpar experience with the Go Color 7 Gen II, I think the monochrome Boox Go 7 would be the better buy and it retails for $249.99 / €249.99 / AU$399, a price that includes an identical magnetic case as well.

• Value score: 3 / 5

A person holding the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — The Boox Go Color 7 Gen II is a very compact size for a 7-inch ereader, and it's lightweight too (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Specs

Display type:	E Ink Kaleido 3
Screen size:	7 inches
Resolution:	300ppi in B&W; 150ppi in color
CPU:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 690
Frontlight:	Warm and cold
Storage:	64GB (expandable)
Battery:	2,300mAh
Speaker:	Stereo/dual
Water protection:	None
Software:	Android 13
Connectivity:	Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz); Bluetooth 5.1
File support:	20 document; 4 image; 2 audio
Dimensions:	156 x 137 x 6.4 mm (6.1 x 5.4 x 0.25 inches)
Weight:	195g (6.9oz)

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Design & display

Exact same dimensions and weight as Gen I model, but design tweaks to buttons
Compact and lightweight, lacks waterproofing
7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 screen lacks contrast and sharpness

As the old adage goes: if it ain’t broke… The original Go Color 7 was a lovely compact ereader that I liked the design of, except for the closely placed page-turn buttons. That's been changed on the Gen II model, which now sports smaller, rounded buttons with some space in between.

This tiny change, in my opinion, makes the Gen II a touch more ergonomic in use, but there’s a case to be made for the asymmetric design of the Kobo Libra series (and the Kindle Oasis models) – it provides a nice resting place for the thumb along the edge of the broader bezel. The slim and flat form factor of the Go Color 7 II can be harder on the fingers and wrists in comparison, although the added thickness from its magnetic case helps a alleviate the soreness a little.

As before, the page-turn buttons automatically become volume controls for apps that don’t require scrolling or page turning, and this functionality can be set on a per-app basis in the Settings menu.

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A hand holding the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — The page-turn buttons have been redesigned to being separated and rounded... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A side-by-side comparison of the page-turn buttons on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (left) and the Go Color 7 (right) — ..compared to the straight-edged, closely packed ones on the 2024 Go Color 7 (left) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The separated page-turn buttons of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II beside the straight-edged buttons on the Go Color 7 — The rounded and separated buttons are nicer to use on the Gen II (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Where the buttons on the older model were a different color to the rest of the chassis (silver on the white colorway and dark grey on the black), the Gen II – and its monochrome sibling – are a single color, available in black (as reviewed here) or white. The one-color look without any trimmings or accents makes the device look a little dated, but that’s not a complaint, merely an observation made in comparison to the older model.

All other physical attributes are identical to the Gen I model, including the textured rear panel which, to me now seems just a smidge rougher that makes the Gen II a little grippier if you prefer not to use its magnetic case. In terms of dimensions and weight, nothing has changed since 2024 and that’s not a bad thing as the Go Color 7 II is compact and lightweight, making it quite portable.

There’s a tiny power button on the bottom right corner of the device, while the right edge is home to the USB-C port, the speaker grilles and a microSD card tray. Only the mic has moved, now housed on the opposite edge.

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The Boox Go Color 7 Gen II and the Boox InkSense stylus lying on top of the Boox Go Color 7 — On paper, the Go Color 7 Gen II (top) is the better ereader than its predecessor (bottom) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The USB_C port on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II alongside a speaker grille and a microSD card tray — The page-turn buttons are the most obvious design change, but the mic is gone from beside the speaker grille to the opposite edge (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

What it lacks is waterproofing; there’s no IP rating for it listed on the official website, so if you plan to travel with it – it's the perfect compact size for doing so – steer clear of the pool.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, the Go Color 7 II uses a 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display, the same as the previous generation, although Onyx has made the newer model more naturally yellow in comparison. This has the unfortunate effect of adding a yellow hue to all the colors on screen, giving them what I call the 'jaundiced look'.

This is exacerbated by the frontlight on the Gen II as it enhances the yellowness of the display. It’s also, rather strangely, not as bright as the Gen I model which, at the time of testing it in 2024, I said wasn’t bright compared to the even older Onyx Boox Page. In fact, the light on the Go Color 7 Gen II is dimmer than its own 2025 sibling, the Boox Go 7.

I had complained about the lack of sharpness on the Go Color 7 (Gen I) when compared to the Kobo Libra Colour, but Boox has managed to make that a lot worse on the Gen II, and that is its biggest failing – a subpar display (more on this below in the User Experience section).

• Design & display score: 3 / 5

The Boox InkSense stylus lying on top of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — The Boox InkSense stylus still works with the Boox Go Color 7 II, but there's no word on what its replacement will be like (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Android software & apps

Runs a custom version of Android 13
User interface takes time to get used to
Access to the Google Play Store; AI Assistant app available on board

Where the older model from 2024 was running Android 12, the Go Color 7 II has been upgraded to a custom version of Android 13. There’s usually no need to worry about a device like an ereader running an older version of Google’s OS as there typically aren’t any security issues here, and I doubt anyone would save sensitive information on a device like this.

The trimmed-down version of Android on the Go Color 7 Gen II caters specifically to reading and writing, and should be familiar to anyone who has used a Boox tablet before. If not, the user interface will take some getting used to as it’s not the most streamlined UX I’ve come across. For a simpler setup, you’ll need to turn to a Kindle or a Kobo ereader.

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The nav bar on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — The navigation menu doesn't have the Notes tab by default and finding it requires some online research (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The app list on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — Third-party app downloads via the Google Play Store are quick and easy (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The settings menu on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — The Boox user interface has evolved a little, but it still takes a while to get a handle on as a first-time user (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The home screen, once you’ve connected to Wi-Fi, is easy to get around, with a navigation menu at the bottom of the display. This gives you quick access to your library, the storage menu and your apps, plus it’s customizable via the device’s Settings menu. There’s space here for five options and, strangely for an ereader with writing capabilities, the native Notes app is not one of them.

Finding it wasn’t easy, but Boox at least has a quick guide online on how to access it: you’ll need to navigate to Settings > System Display > Homescreen Navigation Bar where It’s listed as one of the options for the aforementioned customization. This may not seem like a big issue, but my expectation from a device like this is to highlight its main features up front rather than tuck them away, highlighting the unintuitive UX. In my case, I swapped out the Bookstore as it’s not as enticing a source of content as the Kindle or Kobo stores.

Refresh modes on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II library app — Preset refresh modes are nice to have, but they didn't work as well I had hoped on the Go Color 7 II (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Given its open Android ecosystem, the interface on the Boox Go 7 II includes a lot of advanced settings that help you use third-party apps as smoothly as possible, but submenus for native applications are difficult to find. For example, you need to open an ebook in the NeoReader app (the native library), tap onscreen to open the top menu bar, click on More, then select Settings from there – another example of a convoluted interface.

Thankfully adjusting fonts and overall styling for individual books is easier to do, but there’s a lot going on here compared to what you’d see on a Kindle or Kobo. The setup for styling, however, is now improved, which makes it easier to understand than previous iterations of Boox’s interface.

In fact, there’s another improvement to the software that I’ve previously had trouble with on Boox devices – taking advantage of the USB-C port’s OTG support for wired file transfer. Previously, the menu required to copy files across from an external hard drive to a Boox tablet would disappear as soon as I tried to navigate back to the Storage pane, thus not letting me add files to the default Books folder. Now that is no longer an issue and I was able to select multiple ebooks saved on my Samsung T7 portable SSD and save into the Go Color 7 II without any issues.

A Samsung T7 Shield portable SSD plugged into the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II — I was thrilled to see that OTG transfer worked a charm on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I had no trouble downloading third-party Android apps to the Go Color 7 II. These included the Kindle and Kobo apps as the bulk of my library is on these two platforms, plus an app called CPU X that detects the exact chipset a device is using. I didn’t try any third-party note-taking applications as I’ve always found Boox’s native Notes app to be full featured and more than enough for my needs.

• Software score: 3.5 / 5

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: User experience

Excessive yellow hue on screen affects colors
Subpar reading experience due to lack of text sharpness
Writing experience could change depending on the new stylus

An unintuitive user interface aside, the Go Color 7 Gen II is quite usable. It’s when you compare it to other models, including its own predecessor and its 2025 monochrome sibling that you begin to realize there are better color ereaders to spend your money on. And that’s exactly what my job, as the reviewer, entails – doing the side-by-side comparisons so you, dear reader, can make the most informed buying decision.

As you will see in the comparison photos below, the Go Color 7 Gen II doesn’t hold up well as an ereader. As for writing, it’s hard to rate the experience when you can’t purchase a compatible stylus yet.

A person using the touchscreen of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — There are quite a few submenus to explore on a Boox device (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Reading

I’ve tested several ereaders in the last eight years and I don’t think I’ve ever been as disappointed with the reading experience as I was with the Go Color 7 Gen II. Admittedly that’s because I’m comparing it directly to a few of its contemporaries, but even if you didn’t do a side-by-side comparison, it’s easy for anyone who’s used an ereader before to say the display looks hazy. I suspect that’s because of the anti-glare layer on the screen, and it’s just a lot more pronounced here when compared to other brands and Boox models.

A page from a graphic novel displayed on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II — Colors appear saturated on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II, but the higher contrast hides details (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display used here is naturally more yellow than other ereader I’ve previously tested and found this affected how colors appear on screen. I compared it to its predecessor and the Kobo Libra Colour, both of which have paler backgrounds in light mode and made the displayed colors appear as close to natural as is possible on an epaper screen. While I can't say this alone affects the reading experience, I found the monochrome Boox Go 7 was nicer to read on in light mode because of the whiter background – it added a touch more contrast to the page.

The frontlight, which isn’t as bright as I’ve seen previously on other Boox tablets (even the Go 7 that released alongside this ereader is brighter), exacerbates the ‘jaundiced look’. Boox doesn't list how many amber LEDs are used on the Go Color 7 II, but the frontlight is warmer compared to five other ereaders I had with me at the time of this review (two other Boox tablets, two Kindles and a Kobo), which makes the screen look yellower when switched on. The only other E Ink tablet that surpasses the Gen II's warm display and light is the Kobo Elipsa 2E, but here it's not a problem as the epaper tablet doesn't display color.

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A side-by-side frontlight comparison of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (left) and the Go Color 7 (right) — The frontlight of the Boox Go 7 Gen II (left) makes the screen yellower than on the Gen I model (right) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A side-by-side frontlight comparison of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (left) and the Boox Go 7 (right) — Even the Boox Go 7 (right) that launched alongside the Go Color 7 Gen II (left) is clearer and brighter with the frontlight at full bore (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

As with every color ereader using the E Ink Kaleido 3 screen technology, the Go Color 7 II has a screen resolution of 150ppi for color and 300ppi in grayscale. Colors appear more washed out when compared to its own predecessor which, at the time of writing the Boox Go Color 7 review, I said was pale beside the Kobo Libra Colour. And while I don’t expect the Gen II to match what I would see on an LCD display, I did expect it to be similar to its older sibling, if not better.

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A side-by-side book cover comparison of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (left) and the Go Color 7 (right) — The warmer light affects colors on screen, giving them a 'jaundiced look' on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (left) compared to the Gen I (right) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A side-by-side graphic novel comparison of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (right) and the Go Color 7 (left) — Colors might appear darker on the Go Color 7 Gen II (right), but the text is sharper on the Gen I (left) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A side-by-side comparison of the same page of a graphic novel displayed on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (left) and the Go Color 7 — A closer comparison between the Go Color 7 II (left) and the Gen I (right) shows text just isn't as nice to read on the newer device (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The flip side to that is colors on the Gen II look more saturated compared to the Kobo Libra Colour. Newer firmware may have made the Gen I better at displaying colors, but the release notes for v4.1 on the Boox website make no mention of changes that would account for this improvement. The more saturated hues, however, do come at the cost of some details in darker areas being diminished, but this may not be a deal breaker for many readers of comics and graphics novels.

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A side-by-side text comparison of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (right) and the Kobo Libra Colour (left) — Compared to the Kobo Libra Colour (left), the Go Color 7 II (right) is yellower and text paler (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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What is truly disappointing is how the text is displayed, whether in ebooks or in speech bubbles – letters are fuzzy on the Go Color 7 II compared to the Gen I and the Go 7. Even the Kobo is better at displaying text.

The new Boox interface allows you to have custom styling for individual titles you’re reading, but enhancing text weight (or boldness) didn’t help, although setting the Dark Color Enhancement to its maximum improved the text a tiny bit, but note that you will lose further details in darker areas when reading in color. Switching to dark mode also made no difference as overall contrast is lacking.

Long story short, it’s hard to recommend the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II as an ereader.

The same page displayed on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (below) and the Go 7 (top) at the same frontlight setting — Even compared to the Boox Go 7 (top), the Go Color 7 Gen II (bottom) is a lackluster ereader (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Writing

It’s hard to rate the Go Color 7 Gen II’s writing experience objectively as the Boox InkSense is no longer available (although it still works if you can find stock at a retailer) and will be replaced by a new stylus that I hope will add a touch of friction.

The hard plastic nib of the InkSense just slides across the screen of the Go Color 7 II, and I often felt like I was losing control over my writing because of that. I think a softer nib would be ideal, but we’ll just have to wait and see what Boox releases for its 2025 Go series 7-inch ereaders.

However, as with reading, the color ‘inks’ available for writing look washed out compared to what I’ve experienced on older Boox tablets like the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, and black is the only option that stands out clearly.

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A handwritten note on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II with the Boox InkSense stylus — There's no friction between the screen and the Boox InkSense, so writing isn't very paper-like (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A person using the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II with the Boox InkSense stylus — There's a good color palette to choose from for writing and drawing... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The color palette of inks available on the native Notes app of the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II — ..but results appear paler than expected (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The native Notes app, though, is the same as you’d find on the brand’s more high-end epaper tablets like the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 and is more than enough for the average user who needs to jot down some thoughts or doodle. Power users would appreciate the Notes app better, thanks to several tools that could prove handy for productivity. For example, the Insert option allows you to add images and audio files to your notes, and the same tool lets you hyperlink selected text to an external URL or to a different page within the same notebook.

The adjustable Lasso tool gives you a lot of flexibility for text selections, and promptly adds the AI tool for instant handwriting-to-text conversion. Handwriting recognition is not always accurate, but then it’s very simple to make edits manually.

• User experience score: 2.5 / 5

A person drawing on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — Hopefully the redesigned stylus for the Boox Go 2025 series will be better than the InkSense (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Performance

Not the fastest ereader I’ve tested
Lots of light ghosting that quickly becomes annoying
Battery drain is higher compared to other similar models

The Boox Go Color 7 Gen II uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM to keep things running as smoothly as possible. The CPU is a small improvement over the Snapdragon 680 used in the older Go Color 7, but it doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference in overall performance.

Boox tablets aren’t known for being speedy loaders, and the latest Kindle and Kobo ereaders boot up faster from sleep mode than the Go Color 7 Gen II. Even the native Library app takes its time to open a chosen title, even if it’s been saved locally to the device. It’s not a deal breaker in terms of overall usability, although it’s undeniably slower than the 2024 Kindles and Kobo devices when opening up a book to read.

Even wired file transfer via USB-OTG was very quick. Wireless transfer of files has always been easy using the BooxDrop platform, but I had no trouble signing into my Google Drive account either, with cloud transfer also working quite well.

Third-party apps, however, load quickly and, during my testing, worked smoothly, with no app crashes experienced with the few that I downloaded for this review. That said, reading on the Kindle or Kobo app also suffered from the same screen issues as when using the native NeoReader application.

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Style options for comics and graphic novels on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II — There are options to tweak the text style on the Go Color 7 Gen II, both for comics/graphics novels... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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Text styl options on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — ..and text-heavy ebooks, but they don't help the Go Color 7 Gen II very much (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

My biggest performance issue with the Go Color 7 II was ghosting. Adjusting refresh rates using the presets available for individual apps didn’t help at all and the only way I found to counter this was to set system refresh rate to a faster option. I tested a full-refresh frequency set at 10 taps and 5 taps, with the latter working fine for the most part, although it came at the cost of battery life. There was still some ghosting on the display between the 5 taps, and the only way to eliminate this was setting full-refresh frequency to 1 tap. This drains the battery even more significantly, but was the best solution for me.

In fact, the preset refresh rates that can be set on a per-app basis didn’t even help smoothen stuttering while scrolling web pages on the native browser. I wasn’t expecting seamless scrolling like on a phone, but I’ve experienced better refresh-rate presets on other E Ink devices: case in point, I had no such problems in my ViWoods AiPaper review which also runs a custom version of Android 13 like the Go Color 7 II.

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Dark mode on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — Dark mode doesn't improve readability very much, but it has its own quirks. It's fine when first switched on... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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As I’ve already mentioned, battery drain for me on this ereader was quite significant after I changed the system refresh rate to a quicker option, but even on default settings, the Go Color 7 II chews through its 2,300mAh battery quite quickly.

I had the ereader set to powering off after 48 hours of no activity, but upon switching the Go Color 7 II on again I found the battery life would be significantly lower than when I put it into sleep mode. I expect about 5% to 10% drain for ereaders in scenarios like this, but the Go Color 7 II would drop by 25% on average – in one instance where it was in sleep mode for 48 hours and powered down for a further 36 hours, battery life dropped from 81% to 56%.

This isn’t behavior I’ve experienced with any other Boox tablet, so I suspect there’s a bug that’s affecting battery efficiency and a future firmware might be able to fix it. In the meantime, you’ll still get about a week of reading from every top-up with the system refresh rate set to 15 taps. This will reduce if you use faster refresh rates and will also be affected by how bright you set the frontlight to and how often you use Bluetooth connectivity.

Recharging, thankfully, isn't slow and it went from 12% to full in 1 hour and 57 minutes plugged into a wall adapter during my testing. Connected to a dock slowed down the charging rate only marginally, going from 17% to full in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

• Performance score: 3 / 5

Submenus of the library app on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II — I wish submenus were easier to find on Boox devices – for example, you can't tell there's a library settings option under the More in the above image (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II?

	Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II	Kobo Libra Colour	Kobo Clara Colour	Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
Price	$279.99 / €279.99 (about £245) / AU$439	$229.99 / £209.99 / AU$379.95	$159.99 / £149.99 / AU$249.95	from $159.99 / £134.99 / AU$299
Screen	7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3	7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3	6-inch E Ink Carta 1300	7-inch E Ink Carta 1300
Resolution	300ppi in B&W; 150ppi in color	300ppi in B&W; 150ppi in color	300ppi in B&W	300ppi in B&W
Operating system	Android 13	Linux-based	Linux-based	Linux-based
Storage	64GB (expandable)	32GB	16GB	16GB
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 690	Undisclosed 2GHz dual-core chipset	Undisclosed 2GHz dual-core chipset	Undisclosed 1GHz dual-core chipset
Battery	2,300mAh	2,050mAh	1,500mAh	Undisclosed
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (in select regions), USB-C
Waterproofing	None	IPX8	IPX8	IPX8
File support (including images and audio)	25	16	16	17
Speakers	Yes	No	No	No
Dimensions	156 x 137 x 6.4 mm	161 x 144.6 x 8.3 mm	112 x 160 x 9.2 mm	176.7 x 127.6 x 7.8 mm
Weight	195g	199.5g	174g	211g

Buy it if...

You want a compact color ereader with writing capabilities

With a 7-inch color display, the Go Color 7 II is quite compact and very light too. And given it’s also got writing features built in, it’s versatile. Unfortunately, its many usability and performance issues makes it hard to recommend over similar devices.

Don't buy it if...

Readability and performance are important to you in an ereader

The Go Color 7 II has potential, but its subpar screen and above-average battery drain leaves it trailing behind many of its contemporaries. If the color display isn’t important, you’ll be better off opting for the grayscale Go Color 7.

Value for money is important

Compared to its predecessor, the Go Color 7 is well priced as it adds writing features for the same cost. However, its lackluster user experience and lack of performance makes it hard to recommend at any price point.

You want a compatible stylus at the time you buy a device

It’s very strange for a brand to release devices that require an optional add-on that gets discontinued soon after their launch. Stranger still is that no replacement was made available at the time. So until Boox releases a replacement for the InkSense stylus, it’s hard to recommend the 2025 Go series ereaders.

Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Alternatives

Kobo Libra Colour

It's displayed colors might look washed out in comparison to the Go Color 7 II, but that means you can see a few more details in darker areas. It, too, allows you to read and write and Kobo's Advanced Notebooks are quite full featured. You will, of course, need to purchase the Kobo Stylus 2 separately if you want to use jot notes, but I think it's worth the additional ask. Compared to the Go Color 7 II, though, it's the better ereader and has a more streamlined interface.
Read my in-depth Kobo Libra Colour review

Kobo Clara Colour

If you don't want the writing features, but the color screen is important to you, you can save quite a bit of cash opting for a 6-inch color ereader and I think the Kobo Clara Colour is the best option in that regard. Seamless performance and a compact form factor are just some of its attributes.
Read my in-depth Kobo Clara Colour review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)

The 12th generation Kindle Paperwhite is a fantastic 7-inch ereader with a black-and-white screen that I'd recommend if you're already part of the Amazon ecosystem. With direct access to the Kindle Store and a smoother interface than Boox, its E Ink Carta 1300 is one of the best optimized in the business.
Read our in-depth Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review

How I tested the Onyx Boox Go Color 7 Gen II

Used as main ereader for approximately 11 weeks
Used wireless and wired file transfer methods for books and audio files
Separately purchased the Boox InkSense to test writing

An ebbok page displayed on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II ereader — The Boox Go Color 7 Gen II has potential... if only its screen hadn't been so disappointing (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

When Boox sent the Go Color 7 Gen II for review without a stylus, I was a little surprised. On enquiring, I was told that the Boox InkSense – the supported pen – had been discontinued and I would be sent its replacement as soon as it was released. However, that meant delaying this review until later this year, so I purchased the InkSense myself from a third-party retailer in Australia (where the the testing was done) who still had stock. The stylus is now no longer available anywhere.

It was fantastic to see that I didn't need to manually pair the stylus to the Go Color 7 II – it just worked. To test the writing features, I wrote some notes and tried doodling a little (I can't draw to save my life).

To test the Go Color 7 II as an ereader, I used USB-OTG to transfer a few ebooks, but also signed into my Google Drive account for cloud transfer of other files, including the Bookerly font family I'm partial to and some MP3s. I also 'pushed' a couple of existing files I had in the cloud via the BooxDrop platform as well.

I compared the Go Color 7 II to two other color ereaders: the older Boox Go Color 7 and the Kobo Libra Colour. I also compared it to its 2025 sibling, the Onyx Boox Go 7, as well as the 2024 Amazon Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite for direct text comparisons.

I listened to some audio files using the native music player. I downloaded a couple of other reading apps (Kindle and Kobo) and used the native web browser to see what the experience is like on an E Ink tablet.

I've tested more than 30 ereaders in the last eight years, giving me the knowledge and expertise to comment on the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II's usability and performance.

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: two-minute review

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother is extremely easy to use, and would be a great choice for anyone who finds a steam wand tricky to use, or those who want to prepare cold drinks

It has three modes: Hot Milk Foam, Hot Milk, and Cold Milk Foam. As with all other Smeg devices I’ve tested to date, its controls are refreshingly straightforward. There’s a single button on the front, which you press once, twice, or three times to choose a setting. There’s no need to confirm your selection – just wait a few seconds and the frother will start.

Person pressing button on Smeg milk frother — The Smeg Mini Milk Frother has a single button, which you press once, twice, or three times to choose a mode (Image credit: Future)

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother’s 500W motor is remarkably quiet, and during my tests it was barely audible, registering only 40dB on my sound meter, with the occasional soft tick from the heating element on the hot foam mode. It was about the same volume as my fridge, and much quieter than texturizing milk with a steam wand. When your milk is ready, the Mini Milk Frother will beep to let you know.

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother is intended to be used with chilled full-fat dairy milk. In tests, hot foam was super thick, and best suited to topping a cappuccino or an espresso macchiato. It wouldn’t be suitable for a caffe latte, which requires milk to have a similar texture to emulsion paint. Unlike the Dreo Baristamaker or Smeg Multi Milk Frother, there's no choice of foam textures.

Dairy milk prepared using Smeg Mini Milk Frother — Whether prepared hot or cold, full-fat dairy milk produced a thick foam suitable for cappuccinos, but not for pouring latte art (Image credit: Future)

The Cold Milk setting also made very thick and stable foam, which would work well for an iced cappuccino, while the Hot Milk program produced sweet milk ideal for night time, or for pouring onto hot chocolate powder.

When using the Hot Foam or Hot Milk mode, milk is heated to a consistent temperature of 140F / 60C, which is optimal for coffee – hot enough to keep the milk sweet without scalding it and denaturing its proteins.

Thermometer showing temperature of milk prepared using Smeg milk frother — The frother heated milk to a consistent temperature of 140F / 60C, which is optimal for coffee (Image credit: Future)

The instructions don’t mention plant milk, and unlike some other milk frothers, the Smeg Mini Milk Frother has no separate modes for non-dairy drinks. I did test it with oat and almond milk for comparison with frothers such as the Dreo Baristamaker, but since these aren’t explicitly recommended by Smeg, I didn’t factor its performance with plant milks into my final score.

In these tests, barista-style oat milk turned out very well – perhaps more so than dairy – producing a smooth, glossy foam. As is often the case, almond milk produced quite a stiff, dry foam, but it was very stable whether prepared hot or cold.

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Oat milk prepared using Smeg milk frother — Smeg only recommends using the Mini Milk Frother with full-fat dairy milk, but oat milk turned out thick and glossy foam using the Hot Foam setting (Image credit: Future)

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Almond milk prepared using Smeg milk frother — Almond milk produce a more stiff, dry foam (Image credit: Future)

The carafe has a non-stick lining that helps your foamed milk slide out easily, and that makes washing it up a breeze. Just bear in mind that it’s not suitable for use with metal utensils; if you need a tool to remove any foam, use something like a soft silicone spatula to avoid scratches.

The lid and whisk can be washed in the top drawer of a dishwasher, but the carafe and its base should only be cleaned carefully by hand using a cloth, and not immersed in water.

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother isn’t recommended for making drinks such as shakes or hot chocolate (there’s no mention of that in the manual), so I stuck with milk alone. If you’d like a quick and easy way to make frothy hot chocolate or other drinks, the Smeg Multi Milk Frother would be a better choice.

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: price and availability

List price £99.95 (about $140 / AU$210)
Not currently available in US or Australia
Costs much less than the Smeg Multi Milk Frother

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother has a list price of £99.95 (about $140 / AU$210), but at the time of writing it’s not available in the US or Australia.

For comparison, the Smeg Multi Milk Frother, which has six functions and is also suitable for making drinks like hot chocolate, costs $249.95 / £179.95 / $299 and is available globally. The Dreo Baristamaker, which I reviewed last year and has dedicated modes for plant-based milks, is $99 / £119.99 (about AU$150).

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D)	7.9 x 3.7 x 3.7 inches / 200 x 93 x 93mm
Minimum capacity	2oz / 60ml
Maximum capacity	6oz / 180ml for hot foam or 4oz / 120ml for cold foam
Motor	500W
Modes	3
Noise	40dB

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: design

Minimalist 1950s-inspired design
Available in six colors
Non-stick lining for easy cleaning

The Mini Milk Frother is one of Smeg’s 1950s-inspired kitchen appliances, with a minimalist design and clean lines. It comes in six colors (black, cream, pastel green, pastel blue, red, and white), and has a glossy finish.

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Smeg milk frother with accessories — The Smeg Mini Milk Frother has a carafe with non-stick lining and transparent lid, a power base, and a magnetic whisk (Image credit: Future)

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Smeg milk frother with power base — The base uses induction to power the Mini Milk Frother (Image credit: Future)

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Whisk for Smeg milk frother — The whisk is attached to the bottom of the carafe and rotated magnetically (Image credit: Future)

It comprises a carafe (which is shaped like a squared-off cylinder with rounded corners), a transparent plastic lid, a removable whisk that’s held in place magnetically, and a base that powers the frother using induction, similar to an electric toothbrush. Note that there’s no rechargeable battery, so you can’t use the frother when it’s not on its base.

The carafe has a non-stick ceramic lining, with raised markings on the inside showing the maximum and minimum fill levels. These are quite far down, and are a little difficult to see unless the light is just right.

Measurement lines inside Smeg milk frother — The markings inside the Smeg Mini Milk Frother can be tricky to see unless the lighting is just right (Image credit: Future)

Each corner of the carafe can serve as a pouring spout – a smart choice that makes it easy to decant your prepared milk. It doesn’t have a fine pouring spout, so you won’t be able to use it to create latte art; but in tests, the hot milk foam was rather thick for that.

Should you buy the Smeg Mini Milk Frother

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Smeg Mini Milk Frother is the right device for you, here are two alternatives to bear in mind.

Smeg Multi Milk Frother

If you want to prepare drinks other than just milk, the Smeg Multi Frother is more versatile, with six options for foaming and/or heating milk. You can also add other ingredients for preparing drinks such as shakes or hot chocolate, and it has a larger capacity than the Mini Milk Frother. It looks just as good, too, but is considerably more expensive.

Dreo Baristamaker

Unlike the Smeg Mini Milk Frother, the Dreo Baristamaker has modes for creating foam at different consistencies, including a fine option suitable for latte art. It wasn't quite as good as a steam wand in my tests, but was a reasonable alternative.

Read our full Dreo Baristamaker review

How I tested the Smeg Mini Milk Frother

I tested each of the Smeg Mini Milk Frother's modes using fresh, chilled whole milk in accordance with Smeg's instructions.

I also tried it with chilled oat and almond milk , since these are both popular choices for making coffee at home. However, I only tried this for the sake of comparison. I didn't factor the frother's performance with plant-based milks into my scores, since such milk alternatives aren't explicitly recommended by Smeg.

I cleaned the non-stick carafe using a damp cloth as directed by the manual, and washed the whisk and lid by hand using warm water and dish soap.

First reviewed August 2025

I’ve just tested Dyson’s multi-talented purifying fan heater, and it has some neat tricks, but I think there’s a better-value option

9:00 pm | August 9, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10: two-minute review

Do you have money to spend and want to save on space? If so, the multi-talented Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater is a compact solution for combating chilly days or hot nights, while helping to purify airborne nasties, too.

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater is available at multiple retailers in the US, UK, and Australia at a list price of $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899, though I’ve spied the occasional discount in the US from the likes of Dyson and Amazon, who are both offering the HP10 for just under $400 at the time of writing.

The Dyson HP10 is tilted upward. — (Image credit: Future)

The price is on the steep side, considering you can get a far smarter air purifier like the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for a similar price or sometimes less. You can also get the full-sized tower fan version, the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10, for a whole $100 / £100 / AU$100 cheaper. Neither has a heat function, admittedly, but if I had the budget, I’d be looking to buy the TP09 when it’s on offer, and buy a separate heater.

At just 30.2 inches / 77cm tall, the HP10 is a stumpier, yet slightly chunkier and heavier, version of the TP10. It’s too chonky to sit on a tabletop, and has a relatively short loop amplifier, but it makes up for this with its ability to be tilted, so it’ll cool more than just your knees – happy days.

The HP10 has a lot of skills to its name, with 10 fan speeds, a multi-temperature heating mode, and oscillation of up to 350 degrees. Thanks to its low noise level, I found it easy to sleep with the HP10 next to my bed, and found the tilting element useful for perfecting the airflow angle.

A woman is pointing the remote at the Dyson HP10. — (Image credit: Future)

Auto mode performed well during testing, though it is basic, as it only has the ability to detect and react to PM2.5 and PM10 contaminants. It’s important to note that – as is the case with many other air purifiers on the market rocking a HEPA H13 filter – just because a device may not have the capacity to detect and react to other contaminants like VOCs, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t helping to filter them out.

Overall, I really like the multi-functional format of the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater, and was impressed with its performance, so if you’ve got the budget and don’t want a particularly smart air purifier, you won’t be disappointed with the HP10. But personally, if I had the space (and the budget), I’d opt for the smarter TP09 and buy a separate little fan heater for colder days. If you’d like to take a look at other options, I suggest checking out our pick of the best air purifiers and the best fans for options we highly recommend.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: price & availability

List price: $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899
Available now in the US, UK, and Australia

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater is available to purchase at Dyson, Amazon, and multiple other third-party retailers, and has a list price of $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899.

This isn’t a terrible price if you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson appliance and desperately want all three functions in one small package. But considering you could get the impressively performing Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying tower fan for a similar cost, or even less, or spend $100 / £100 / AU$100 less on the taller Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 purifying fan and just buy a separate heater, I’d recommend thinking over your priorities before buying.

That being said, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater can occasionally be found for less. For example, it’s “Dyson Week” on the Dyson US website at the time of writing, which has knocked the price down to a far more acceptable $399.99, and Amazon US is offering the HP10 for $399 too, so it’s worth checking if any discounts are available.

A woman is removing the outer shroud and air filter from the Dyson HP10. — (Image credit: Future)

The Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 uses the same filter as many of Dyson’s other purifier models: the 360 Combi Glass HEPA + Carbon air purifier, which has a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99. Dyson recommends the filter be changed every twelve months, based on usage of twelve hours a day, so it’s important to factor this in as an ongoing cost. Most air purifiers need regular filter changes, though some, like the Shark NeverChange or the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i, employ helpful washable pre-filters in an attempt to extend the lifespan of their single-use filters.

Overall, if you’re a Dyson fan with the right budget who wants three appliances in one conveniently compact package, you’ll be happy enough with the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater. If you’d rather sacrifice a little more floor space over creating a noticeable void in your bank account, however, you may want to consider individual appliances instead.

Value score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: specs

Type	Purifying fan heater
Fan speeds	10
Oscillation	45, 90, 180, 350 degrees
Timer	Yes, in Night mode
CADR (Clean air delivery rate)	Requested
Filter	HEPA H13 with activated carbon
Particle sizes detected	PM2.5, PM10
Dimensions	9.8 x 9.8 x 30.2 inches / 25 x 25 x 77cm
Weight	11.7 lbs / 5.3kg
Control	Onboard power button, remote control
Additional modes	Auto, Night mode

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: design and features

Three functions in one package: cooling, heating, and purifying
Short in stature, but can be tilted for better airflow position
No smart features

With its bladeless loop amplifier and metallic details, the Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater has the classic Dyson aesthetic we know and love. The white and nickel color of the sample I tested is available in the US, UK, and Australia, but Dyson also offers a white and gold version on their UK site, and a white and silver model in the US.

At first glance, I’d say it’s a little on the short side for a tower fan, and it’s too chunky and heavy to easily fit on a tabletop, but its ability to tilt forward and backward means that the airflow can be easily directed. I think I may actually prefer this format to the taller tower fan loop amplifiers, as the airflow feels a bit more concentrated.

A woman is placing the remote control on top of the Dyson Purifier Hot and Cool Gen1 HP10. — (Image credit: Future)

Weighing 11.7lb / 5.3kg, the HP10 is surprisingly heavy for its size, and I can only assume it must be the heating element that makes it heavier than its taller siblings.

Other than the power button, there are no controls on the HP10 itself. All of the controls are accessible via the slightly curved remote, which sits magnetically on top of the loop amplifier when not in use. It houses buttons to increase and decrease the fan speed or heat level, a button to switch back to cool mode, an info button, and buttons to toggle oscillation, auto mode, or Night mode.

By pressing the info button, I could cycle through the different detail screens on the front of the purifying unit. This includes graphs showing air quality changes either recently or over a 24-hour period, PM2.5 and PM10 readings, filter status, and the ambient temperature.

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The circular screen of the Dyson HP10 is showing a reading of two micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter. — (Image credit: Future)

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The circular screen of the Dyson HP10 is showing a graph representation of the recent air quality changes. — (Image credit: Future)

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The circular screen of the Dyson HP10 is showing an ambient temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. — (Image credit: Future)

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The circular screen of the Dyson HP10 shows the filter life status. — (Image credit: Future)

At this price point, it’s a little disappointing that the HP10 doesn’t have any smart features. This means that historical data is limited to the little 24-hour on-screen graph, and control is limited to the remote.

When Auto mode is enabled, the HP10 will react accordingly to rising or falling levels of PM2.5 or PM10 contamination. There’s a timer function that can be used if you don’t want the HP10 running all day if you’re out of the house, but it’s tied in with Night mode, so it can’t be used without the display being dimmed.

The HP10 comes with a 360 Combi Glass HEPA + Carbon air purifier filter, which is an H13-grade HEPA filter and is understood to capture 99.95% of particles as small as 0.2 microns. Though the HP10 only automatically reacts when it detects PM2.5 or PM10 contaminants, it’s worth noting that its HEPA and carbon filter are still capable of capturing other airborne nasties, like VOCs.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: performance

Easy to operate
Tilt function proved useful
Reacted promptly to PM2.5 and PM10 contaminants

It was really easy to use the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10; all the buttons on the remote were self-explanatory, and it was pleasingly responsive and had a good range.

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 reacted quickly when I sprayed dry shampoo toward it from around two feet away. It took just a couple of seconds to detect the contamination, instantly spiking the PM2.5 and PM10 readings, turning them purple to indicate very bad air quality. The readings were lowered to around 30 micrograms in around a minute, which is considered good on Dyson’s air quality scale.

A woman is holding the remote control for the Dyson HP10 in the palm of her hand. — (Image credit: Future)

The strength of the airflow was fine for its size, but noticeably less than the larger tower fan models. I could feel a cooling breeze from two feet away on fan speed one, four feet on speed five, and 10 feet on top speed ten.

I felt the benefit from the heat mode pretty quickly. The screen showed a little thermometer with the current room temperature noted, and I could raise or lower the temperature a degree at a time using the plus and minus buttons on the remote.

The particle sensors on the side of the Dyson HP10. — (Image credit: Future)

Night mode worked as expected, with the fan speed dropping to four and the display dimming, either permanently or on a timer of up to eight hours. I liked that I could still increase the fan speed in Night mode, as that means no choosing between light pollution or overheating on a hot night. Being able to tilt the HP10 was also really helpful when setting the airflow to the right angle at bedtime.

The HP10 was lovely and quiet, with a volume of just 30dB when running on fan speed one, 41dB on speed five, and 53dB on speed ten when I tested it. These readings were very similar to those recorded from the TP09 and TP10, with the HP10 operating as quietly as a soft whisper on its lowest setting, and about as loud as moderate rainfall at its highest.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10?

Section	Notes	Score
Value for money	The multi-functionality and great performance of the HP10 means you’re getting okay value for money here, but you could get better value for money by purchasing a cheaper Dyson purifying fan and teaming it with a separate fan heater.	3.5/5
Design & Features	The HP10 is a great space-saver, and although it may be a little on the short side, the tilt function makes it easy to direct the airflow. At this price, though, I’d really expect it to have some smart features.	4/5
Performance	All three of the HP10’s functions performed well; it heated up quickly, had strong, cooling airflow, and reacted promptly to contamination during testing.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want to save space
One clear benefit of the HP10 is that it packs three efficient functions into one compact appliance. This means you can control the heating, cooling, and purifying with just one remote, and it’ll only take up one power outlet.

You want a good degree of oscillation
The HP10 offers four different oscillation angles of 45, 90, 180, and 350 degrees. This, combined with the manual tilt function, makes it easy to position the airflow where you want it.

You want something simple to use
Thanks to the clearly labelled and responsive remote and the large LCD screen, it’s satisfyingly easy to operate and review data from the HP10.

Don't buy it if...

You want something smart
I’d have hoped for some app support at this price point, but the HP10 has no smart features, sadly.

You want a purifier that’ll react to VOCs
The purifying element of the HP10 works well, but the auto mode’s detection and reaction skills are basic, as it’s only capable of detecting PM2.5 and PM10.

You’re on a budget
It’s no secret that Dyson appliances tend to come with a premium price tag, but you could be getting better appliances for less if you buy them separately.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: Also consider

	Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10	Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09	Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
Type	Purifying fan heater	Purifying tower fan	Purifying tower fan
Price	$529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899	$749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999	$429.99 / £449.99 / AU$799
Fan speeds	10	10	10
Additional modes	Auto, Night mode	Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode	Auto, Night mode
Oscillation	Up to 350 degrees	Up to 350 degrees	Up to 350 degrees
Filter	HEPA H13 and activated carbon	HEPA H13 and activated carbon	HEPA H13 and activated carbon
App support	No	Yes	No
Dimensions	9.8 x 9.8 x 30.2 inches / 25 x 25 x 77cm	8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm	8.7 x 8.7 x 41.3 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm
Weight	11.7 lbs / 5.3kg	10.7 lbs / 4.85kg	10.4 lbs / 4.7kg

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09
Thanks to its smart skills and great performance, I loved the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 when I reviewed it. At the time of writing, you can get the TP09 for a similar price, or even less, than the HP10, so if you’re not too bothered about a heater, or have the space for a separate one, I’d highly recommend checking out this alternative.

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
If you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson purifying fan and don’t want all the bells and whistles, then the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 is a great option. Other than the heating element, it’s basically just a larger version of the HP10, and costs $100 / £100 / AU$100 less, giving you plenty of spare cash for a separate fan heater, if you want one. If you’d like to learn more, I recommend checking out my full Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 review.

How I tested the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10

I used the Dyson HP10 purifying fan heater in my living room and bedroom
I observed its detection and purification skills
I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I used the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater in our photo studio, my living room, and my bedroom for two weeks. I evaluated how easy it was to operate, along with the build quality and aesthetics, and explored the available functions and features.

I tested the strength of the airflow by determining at what distance I could still feel a cooling breeze. I also observed the HP10 purifying fan heater’s detection and purification skills during standardized testing, which included spraying dry shampoo towards it from around two feet away to test how quickly it would react and clear the contamination, and I also used it passively in my bedroom and my living room.

I used a decibel meter app on my iPhone to record the noise levels, taking readings from around two feet away and ensuring the fan wasn’t blowing directly into the microphone.

I checked the timer worked as expected, and tested out the sleep mode to see whether the HP10 was quiet enough for me to be able to sleep well with it running overnight.

First reviewed: August 2025
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I usually find Dyson prices eye-watering, but this smart air purifying fan is clearly worth the investment

5:59 pm | August 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: two-minute review

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 is a tower fan and air purifier combo with smart capabilities, which allows for easy control and air data reviewing via the MyDyson companion app.

With a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99, the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan is well-priced in the UK and Australia, but curiously costs much more for the nickel and gold colorway at Dyson US. Fortunately, I’ve spotted the white and gold model at a discounted rate from third-party retailers, with Walmart offering it for just $519 at the time of writing.

Replacement filters are on the pricey side at a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, and Dyson recommends changing them every 12 months, so it’s important to factor this cost into your budget.

A woman is using the remote to change between informational screens. — (Image credit: Future)

I really like the aesthetics of the UK model I tested, the white and gold colorway is a little more exciting to look at than the standard white and nickel we see on other Dyson purifying fans – though I must say, I consider the color of the shroud to be more copper than gold.

There are 10 fan speeds on offer, plus an auto mode that rouses the TP09 into action whenever it detects contaminants. And it's able to detect these from an impressively wide range of sources, including PM2.5 and PM10, VOCs, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide.

As well as having better detection skills than cheaper Dyson purifying fans, the TP09 also boasts Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier. This means you don’t have to worry about it blasting cold air toward you as it tackles contaminants in the winter months.

The MyDyson companion app proved insightful and responsive when communicating air quality changes and when I was using it to control the TP09. It offered insight into the air quality readings and also provided access to some great additional controls, such as selecting the point to begin oscillating from, saving me from needing to adjust the position of the TP09 manually.

Image 1 of 5

The circular screen on the front of the TP09 shows the current Formaldehyde reading. — (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 5

The circular screen on the front of the TP09 shows the current VOC reading. — (Image credit: Future)

Image 3 of 5

The circular screen on the front of the TP09 shows the current No2 reading. — (Image credit: Future)

Image 4 of 5

The circular screen on the front of the TP09 shows the current air quality reading in graph form. — (Image credit: Future)

Image 5 of 5

The circular screen on the front of the TP09 shows the ambient temperature. — (Image credit: Future)

The TP09 reacted promptly to contaminants both in testing and day-to-day use. It was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume on the other side of the room, and automatically increased the airflow to tackle the detected VOCs. Despite this though, it didn’t have any noticeable effect on the fragrance in the air.

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced. It didn’t appear to tackle odors well, but I’m yet to test an air purifier that performs particularly proficiently in this area.

Considering the range of contaminants the TP09 is capable of detecting and reacting to, plus the responsive controls, air quality breakdown and air quality history available on the MyDyson app, you get plenty of bang for your buck with the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09. I highly recommend shopping around for the best price if you’re in the US, though.

In fact, I’m such a fan of the purifying abilities of the TP09 that I could easily see it sneaking its way into our list of the best air purifiers. The fan’s very good too, but at this price point, you’re better off checking out our guide to the best fans if you’re not interested in the purifying element.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: price & availability

List price: $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99
Available now in the US, UK, and Australia

Available to buy from the Dyson website and other third-party retailers in the US, UK, and Australia, the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan has a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99. This is an attractive price in the UK and Australia, but a little high in the US.

If you’re in the US, then I’d highly recommend shopping around. While the nickel and gold model is pricey on the Dyson website, at the time of writing, I’ve spotted the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for much more reasonable prices at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, with the latter offering the TP09 for just $519.

A woman is removing one half of the filter from the TP09. — (Image credit: Future)

When shopping for an air purifier, it’s always a good idea to check out the prices of replacement filters, so you don’t get a nasty shock when it comes time to switch them out. Dyson recommends changing the HEPA H13 filter every twelve months, based on it running twelve hours a day. As a replacement filter for the TP09 has a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, it’s worth factoring this cost into your budget.

If you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson purifying fan, but don’t have the budget for this model, I’d recommend taking a look at the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 Purifying Fan instead. However, if you can afford the extra spend, it’s worth it for the benefits of the air quality data, app control, and the diffused mode.

Value score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: specs

Type	Purifying tower fan
Fan speeds	10
Oscillation	45, 90, 180, 350 degrees
Timer	Yes
CADR (Clean air delivery rate)	Requested
Filter	HEPA H13 and activated carbon
Particle sizes detected	PM2.5, PM10, HCHO, VOCs, NO2
Dimensions	8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm
Weight	10.7 lb / 4.85kg
Control	Onboard power button, remote control, app, and voice control
Additional modes	Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: design and features

Attractive design and colorway
Diffused mode for purifying when you don’t need cooling
Capable of detecting and reacting to a wide range of contaminants

With its large loop amplifier, it doesn’t take a second look to know that the TP09 purifying fan is a Dyson. The materials look and feel good quality, and the overall build feels satisfyingly sturdy. I’m also a big fan of the white and gold colorway, though I’d say it’s really more of a copper tone than gold, personally.

A clever combo of a bladeless tower fan and an air purifier, the TP09 offers a solution to a niggle I had with the cheaper Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 model, which was that I couldn’t make use of the higher purifier settings without being blasted with air from the fan. This solution comes in the form of Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier, so I no longer feel like I’m making it face the corner in shame when I want to make the most of its purifying capabilities.

A woman's hand is holding the remote. — (Image credit: Future)

The setup process was fairly easy, though at a weight of 10.7 lb / 4.85kg and with no carry handles, I’d definitely recommend pulling the side of the box down before sliding the TP09 out, rather than trying to lift it out as stated in the online manual. Curiously, Dyson included a leaflet that’s only printed on one side to communicate that they’ve moved the setup process online to save paper.

I’d also really like to see brands like Dyson doing more product and transit testing to see whether they can cut back on their use of plastic wrap, as individually wrapping both halves of the air filter, the entire tower fan and the outer cardboard box in plastic feels somewhat excessive.

catalytic filter, HEPA H13 filter, and the outer plastic shroud are arranged on a tabletop. — (Image credit: Future)

The TP09 uses the same H13 HEPA filter that’s used in most of their newer models, including the cheaper ones, but adds a permanent catalytic filter, which continuously traps and converts formaldehyde (HCHO) into water and CO2. Another big difference between the TP09 and cheaper models is its ability to detect and react to more than just PM2.5 and PM10 – which are particles up to ten microns in size, including smoke, bacteria, and dust – as it can also detect and react to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide, too.

The large and well-lit LCD screen on the front of the purifying unit made it easy to keep an eye on the overall air quality or the level of individual pollutants. I could cycle through the different readings using the satisfyingly color-matched remote, which also allowed me to enable diffused mode, auto mode, and night mode, as well as adjust oscillation angle, and airflow speed.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: app

Shows a week's worth of air quality data in 15-minute intervals
App remote control is responsive
Provides extra options for timer and oscillation

It’s quick and easy to get an insight into the air quality in the room on the MyDyson app, thanks to the helpful graph that shows the overall air quality in fifteen-minute intervals over the last week. It specifies the most dominant pollutant at the time, which is useful for working out exactly what’s causing any drops in air quality. There are also graphs available to show the level of each pollutant, as well as for ambient temperature and humidity.

The app offers lots of detail on what various terms mean; for example, it lists the different air quality ratings, explains what each one means, what action should be taken, and gives details on each contaminant type it detects. It also provides the ranges of the pollutant readings, such as a reading of 0-35 micrograms per cubic meter being considered Good, and 151-250 being Extremely Poor.

One thing that anyone purchasing the TP09 (or any of Dyson’s air purifiers, really) needs to do in the first instance is to make sure that continuous monitoring is turned on, as it is switched off by default. Without doing this, your air purifier won’t consistently collect data. It’s simple enough to enable, either in the machine settings within the MyDyson app, or by holding the Auto button on the remote for roughly five seconds, until the LCD screen on the device confirms the setting has changed.

Three phone screens display different parts of the MyDyson app: the timer function, the dashboard, and the oscillation function. — (Image credit: Dyson / Future)

Along with providing plenty of data on the air quality inside my home, I was also able to keep up to date with what was going on outside. After entering my location into the MyDyson app, I had access to a simple-to-read dashboard detailing the external temperature, humidity, grass pollen level, plus PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 readings.

The level of controls on offer was fantastic. There are basic settings for power, auto mode, oscillation, and fan speed available on the main TP09 dashboard, but further controls became available after pressing the remote icon. This gave me access to all of the controls I had on the remote, but with far more flexibility. For instance, there's a timer that’s separate from Night mode and offers a wider duration variety. There's also an option to choose which position the TP09 begins its oscillation from – this is a fabulous feature to have, as it saves having to go and manhandle the fan if it’s not quite in the right position.

App score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: performance

Easy and straightforward to operate
Detects and reacts to a wide range of contaminants
Fast detection and reaction speeds

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan was satisfyingly easy to operate throughout my weeks of testing it. Controlling it was simple and stress-free, as both the remote control and the controls on the app were straightforward and very responsive.

I didn’t have much luck when setting up voice control, but I can’t say if this is a fault with the appliance or the third-party apps I was using. I could voice record Siri shortcuts, and they would appear in the Shortcuts app on my iPhone, but my voice commands failed to work.

I had a bit more success when using my Alexa Echo Dot (5th Gen); it was easy to add the Dyson skill on my Alexa app, and I could turn the purifier on and off, and ask to increase or decrease the fan speed. However, I couldn’t get it to switch to Auto mode or oscillate; instead, it would state the action request was not supported on the Dyson machine, which is disappointing at this price point.

A woman is pressing the power button. — (Image credit: Future)

From a fan perspective, the airflow was nice and smooth, and the strength was as I’d expect from one of Dyson’s bladeless tower fans. I found I could feel a noticeable breeze from around 3ft / 1m away on the lowest setting, 8ft / 2.4m on setting five, and 13ft / 4m on top setting ten.

The TP09 was speedy to react when I sprayed dry shampoo towards it from roughly 2 feet away, raising the PM2.5 reading to Severe almost instantly and upping the fan speed in response, swiftly returning the air quality reading within a minute of the contamination being detected.

The TP09 was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume in the mornings, too, even though I was on the other side of the room. After promptly bumping the airflow up to setting five, it gradually lowered fan speed over the course of an hour. It didn’t have an impact on the fragrance in the air, which I was happy with in this instance, as my bedroom smelled pretty. But considering this alongside the performance of the TP10, which has the same filter, it looks likely that it’d struggle to make any noticeable effect on cooking smells without manually running it on a higher fan speed for a longer period of time.

A close-up of the TP09's sensors. — (Image credit: Future)

I found it easy to sleep with the TP09 placed on the other side of my small nightstand, both in Night mode – which lowered the fan speed if I was running it higher and turned off the display – and when in standard Auto mode.

The decibel readings I got from the TP09 were, unsurprisingly, very similar to those of the TP10; with readings of 33dB on fan speed one, 43dB on speed five, and 52dB on speed ten. This means that its volume levels were similar to that of soft music at its quietest, and moderate rainfall at its loudest. The key difference between the two models is that the TP09 was not as quiet when in auto mode, as its superior detection skills meant that it didn’t relax and sit idling like the TP10.

Overall, I was very happy with the performance of the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan, thanks to its prompt contamination detection and great level of detail and fine-tuning available in the fantastic companion app.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09?

Section	Notes	Score
Value for money	This isn’t a bad price for a Dyson tower fan combined with a good spec and well-performing air purifier. It offers more value for money than some of the slightly cheaper models that don’t have the skills to detect more than just PM2.5 or PM10.	4/5
Design & Features	I love the premium-looking aesthetic and colorway of the TP09, and I’m pleased with its features, too. It can detect and react to a wide range of contaminants, and has a useful Diffused mode so it won’t blast me with cold air when purifying in the winter months.	4.5/5
App	The MyDyson app offers a good level of insight into ambient and local air quality readings, both inside and outside the home. It also worked well as a responsive remote control, which offered useful additional settings.	4.5/5
Performance	The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a purifier that can react to a wider range of contaminants
If you can afford one, it’s always better to opt for an air purifier that can detect more than just PM2.5 and PM10, as reduced air quality is often caused by other contaminants like VOCs, so having a purifier that’s reactive to these changes makes it easier to improve the air quality in your home.

You want to keep an eye on your air quality levels
With an overall air quality graph and others dedicated to each contaminant, it’s easy to get an overview of your home's air quality throughout the day and pinpoint potential sources of contamination.

You want settings you can fine-tune
The MyDyson app gives you access to a wider range of timer durations, allows you to choose exactly where the TP09 starts oscillating from, and offers scheduling too, so you can set it this Dyson up just as you’d like it.

Don't buy it if...

You want something cheap and simple
This is a pricey purifying fan, and you could buy a cheaper tower fan and air purifier separately if you’re happy with a more basic air purifier that requires more manual intervention.

You want a desktop-sized air purifier
The TP09 is tall and heavy, and would likely be overkill if you just want to freshen the air in a small home office.

You don’t want a tower fan
If you’re only really interested in a high-tech air purifier, then you’d be better off looking at something like the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde instead.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: Also consider

	Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09	Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10	Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
Type	Purifying tower fan	Purifying tower fan	Air purifier
Price	$749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99	$429.99 / £449.99 / AU$799	$169.99 / £169
Fan speeds	10	10	3
Additional modes	Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode	Auto, sleep mode	Auto, night mode
Oscillation	Up to 350 degrees	Up to 350 degrees	N/A
Filter	HEPA H13 and activated carbon	HEPA H13 and activated carbon	HEPASilent and activated carbon
App support	Yes	No	Yes
Dimensions	8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm	8.7 x 8.7 x 41.3 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm	18.9 x 10.6 x 10.6 inches / 48 x 27 x 27cm
Weight	10.7 lbs / 4.85kg	10.4 lbs / 4.7kg	7.5 lbs / 3.4kg

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
If you’re looking for a cheaper Dyson model, the TP10 is a very similar size and weight to the TP09, and uses the same HEPA 13 filter, but is only able to detect and react to the presence of PM2.5 and PM10 contamination. While it isn’t compatible with the MyDyson app, the large integrated display makes it easy to check the status of the air quality in the room. For more details, head over to my full review of the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
If you’re looking for a stand-alone air purifier that’s more cost-friendly, but still smart, then this lightweight air purifier from Blueair is worth your consideration. It’s ideal for smaller rooms like bedrooms or offices, and offers an insight into the ambient air quality and remote control via the companion app. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at my full Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review.

How I tested the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

I used the Dyson TP09 purifying fan in my living room and bedroom
I observed its detection and purification skills
I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I used the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan in our photo studio, my living room, and my bedroom over the course of a few weeks. I evaluated how easy it was to operate, along with the build quality and aesthetics, and explored the available functions and features.

I tested the strength of the airflow by determining at what distance I could still feel a cooling breeze. I also observed the TP09 Purifying Fan’s detection and purification skills during standardized testing, which included spraying dry shampoo towards it from around two feet away to test how quickly it would react and clear the contamination, and to see how it tackles odors. I also used it passively in my bedroom and my living room over a couple of weeks to see how it performed and how well it would report readings over time.

I used a decibel meter app on my iPhone to record the noise levels, taking readings from around two feet away and ensuring the fan wasn’t blowing directly into the microphone.

I checked the timer worked as expected, and tested out the sleep mode to see whether the TP09 was quiet enough for me to be able to sleep well with it running overnight.

First reviewed: August 2025
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The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer transformed my home cinema setup, and it makes a perfect wake-up light, too

4:00 pm | August 6, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Lights | Tags: Australia, Philips Hue | Comments: Off

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: two-minute review

When I first set eyes on the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer, I saw it as a more advanced alternative to the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which are designed to sit on either side of your TV and add ambience to your home entertainment setup. The Wall Washer can certainly do that – and with more atmospheric results thanks to its wider projection area – but it can do a lot more, too.

Like the Light Bar, the Wall Washer is a discreet-looking device that's designed to be positioned with its light source shining against a wall, rather than into the room, producing a diffuse glow that (as the name suggests) washes your room with color. However, unlike the Play Light Bar, which can only show one color at a time, each Wall Washer contains three lights, stacked vertically, which overlap to form a smooth gradient.

As the video below shows, the three lights can also dim and brighten independently to create shimmering effects, which is a nice feature if you choose to use a single Wall Washer as a table lamp to set the mood as part of a larger Philips Hue lighting setup.

You can use the Wall Washer via Bluetooth, but to unlock all its features (and to justify its price), you'll also need a Philips Hue Bridge. This small hub device plugs into your router and uses the Zigbee wireless protocol to create a mesh network that connects all of your Hue lights, switches, and cameras to one another, and to the internet.

Provided you have that, setting up your Wall Washer is straightforward. Just select the "Add" option within the Hue mobile app, scan the QR code on the base of your Wall Washer when prompted and then choose a room or zone for it (you'll be prompted to create an area if none already exist). If you have more than one Wall Washer, you'll need to add each one separately, but that takes only a few seconds.

Setting up Philips Hue Play Wall Washer lights using Philips Hue app on Android phone — You can add Wall Washers to any room or zone in the Philips Hue app, sync them with other lights, and apply scenes across them all (Image credit: Future)

Once that's done, you can change the color of each Wall Washer by choosing a shade from the app's color wheel. You can also apply a preset color scheme (known as a "scene") from the Hue library; create your own scene by picking colors or importing a picture; or apply an animated dynamic scene such as the shimmering purple effect above.

You can customize your Wall Washer by itself, or apply a scene to all the lights in a room or zone.

Despite its small size, the Wall Washer projects light a long way, and when it was positioned on a table, I found the color reached all the way to the ceiling. If you like the idea of a Philips Hue Signe Floor Lamp, but don't have the space, the Wall Washer would be a good alternative for around the same price. Although there are only three lights in each Wall Washer, the color gradient is totally seamless, as you can see in the image at the top of this review.

As mentioned earlier, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer can also sync with your TV, extending the colors from the screen in the same way as a Philips Ambilight TV to create a more immersive viewing experience by effectively blurring the edges of the picture.

To do this, you'll need at least one Wall Washer, plus either a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, or a smart TV that's compatible with the Philips Hue Play Sync app. The app was initially only available for selected Samsung TVs, but in February 2025, Signify (Philips Hue's parent company) launched a version for LG sets as well.

The advantage of using the app is that there's less to setup, and you can use it to sync your Hue lights with content from your TV's native apps. If you use a Sync Box, you can only sync with content from HDMI sources.

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Two Philips Hue Play Wall Washer lights beside TV — Colors are natural, and the gradient effect looks seamless when used with an HDMI Sync Box (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

As you can see in the video and images above, there's very little latency when using the Wall Washer lights with a Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box connected to a set-top box, and colors look natural rather than distracting. The lighting is effective, even in daylight, and the gradient means the Wall Washers create a more seamless look than the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which can only average out the color on each side of your screen.

The main disadvantage of the Wall Washer compared to the Philips Hue Play Light Bar is that it only stands upright, and it isn't designed to be mounted horizontally. As such, it isn't well suited for use underneath your TV. You'll probably want at least two for a home entertainment setup (and possibly another for elsewhere in the room), which will be considerably more expensive.

If you have just one Wall Washer, it also works well as a wake-up light on your nightstand. The Hue app contains automations that are designed to wake you with a simulated sunrise, with the lamp gradually becoming brighter and the light becoming cooler, reaching full brightness by a set time. I'm very sensitive to light at night, and the Wall Washer is the first lamp I've found that doesn't shock me awake by increasing brightness abruptly. It's more like waking gradually as the sun comes through your tent on a camping trip.

At the end of the day, you can wind down with a sunset automation, which runs the same sequence in reverse. The video above shows the last 20 seconds of a five-minute sleep automation, during which the light color shifts from warm white to orange to red, while gradually decreasing in brightness.

Overall, it's the most versatile smart light I've tested to date, and although it certainly isn't cheap, there's no denying its performance, whichever room you're using it in.

Performance: 5/5

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: price and availability

Costs $219.99 / £169.99 for one, or $384.99 / £299.99 for two
Not yet available in Australia
Works best with Philips Hue Bridge

At the time of writing, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is available direct from the Philips Hue website in the US and UK, and from Amazon in the US. It isn't yet on sale in Australia, but FAQ pages on the Australian Philips Hue site indicate that its launch there is imminent.

A single Philips Hue Play Wall Washer has a list price of $219.99 / £169.99 (about AU$340), and if you're planning to use the lights on either side of your TV (as shown in some of the photos here), you can pick up a two-pack for $384.99 / £299.99 (about AU$600).

That makes it one of the most expensive Philips Hue lights around, but it's also the most versatile, serving as a filler light to add ambience, a backlight for your home entertainment system, and a wake-up light. Most Hue lights only fill one niche, so the Wall Washer's adaptability makes its price tag more palatable.

For comparison, the Philips Hue Play Light Bar has a list price of $89.99 / £64.99 / AU$129.95 each. If you're considering the Wall Washer as a wake-up lamp, the Philips Hue Twilight (which also has a front-facing LED for reading) costs $279 / £249 (about AU$430).

If you want to use the Wall Washers with your TV, you'll also need a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and Philips Hue Bridge, so factor these into your budget calculations if you don't already own them.

Value score: 4/5

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: specifications

Wattage	60W
Maximum brightness	1,035 lumens
Colors	2,000-6,500K Hue White Colour Ambiance
Control options	Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant (via Philips Hue app)
Max lights per power supply	3
Connectivity	Zigbee/Bluetooth
Size (H x W)	6.2 x 3.6 inches / 15.7 x 9.1cm

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: design

Each Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is nearly cylindrical, and measures 6.2 inches / 15.7cm tall and 3.6 inches / 9.1cm in diameter. This is considerably shorter than the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which stand at 11.5 inches / 29.2cm high; but the design of the Wall Washer and its improved LEDs means that it can throw light over a larger area.

The Wall Washer has an aluminum case (rather than plastic for the Play Light Bars), and has a smart-looking matte finish. It's available in black (shown here) or white, so you can pick an option that will blend well with your décor.

The back of the Wall Washer has a flat surface, and contains three Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance lights arranged vertically. That might not sound like much, but the lights overlap in such a way that they shine a super-smooth gradient onto your wall, with no banding whatsoever.

Philips Hue Wall Washer in dark room, showing three lights on rear — The Wall Washer contains three lights that overlap to create a smooth gradient (Image credit: Future)

This technology, called ColorCast, is the same used by the Philips Hue Twilight wake-up lamp – and like the Twilight, the Wall Washer can be dimmed to an extremely low level for use at night.

You can connect up to three Philips Hue Play Wall Washer lights to a single power supply, although they're only sold in packs of one or two.

Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: score card
Attribute	Notes	Score
Value	One of the most expensive Philips Hue lights around, but also one of the most versatile.	4/5
Design	Small and discreet, with cleverly positioned overlapping LEDs that produce a super-smooth color gradient.	5/5
Performance	Easy to use, and works brilliantly whether adding ambience to your home cinema, serving as a fill light, or waking you up with a natural sunrise effect.	5/5

Buy it if

You already have some (or are planning to buy) other Philips Hue products

To get the most out of the Wall Washer you'll need a Philips Hue Bridge and possibly an HDMI Sync Box, so if you're not planning to build a whole Philips Hue setup then it's hard to justify the price of this lamp plus all the accessories.

You want a versatile smart light

Unlike some Philips Hue Play lights, the Wall Washer isn't just for use with your TV.

Don't buy it if

You want task lighting

This is a light for creating a mood, not for boosting visibility. If you want something similar for task lighting, take a look at the Philips Hue Twilight, which has the same ColorCast tech, but also has a front-facing reading light.

You want a statement piece

The Wall Washer can create a dramatic effect, but the device itself is designed to be discreet. If you want something that makes a statement, something like the Govee Table Light 2 might work better.

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is right for you, here are two other options to consider.

Philips Hue Play Light Bars

If you only want a light to add ambience to games and movies, the Play Light Bar is a much more affordable alternative. It doesn't project a gradient and it doesn't throw light as far, but if you catch it in a sale then you can pick up a pair for almost half the price of two Wall Washers.

Read our full Philips Hue Play Light Bar review

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Table Lamp

If you want an attractive light gradient for your walls but aren't interested in syncing it with your TV, this minimalist lamp is a more affordable option.

Read our full Philips Hue Signe Gradient Table Lamp review

How I tested the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer:

I connected the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer to my Philips Hue Bridge, and used it in various rooms in my house (alone, and as a pair). First I connected it to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which was linked to a digital set-top box, and experimented with viewing different films and TV shows to assess color-matching and latency. The screengrabs above show content from TechRadar's YouTube channel for copyright reasons, but I tested the lights with a wide variety of media.

I also used a single Wall Washer as a fill light together with a pair of Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs in ceiling fixtures. I experimented with applying different scenes to all the lights in the room, and creating new ones.

Finally, I tested a single Wall Washer on my nightstand, using the Wake Up and Sleep automations to assess how smoothly the color and brightness of the light can change, and how dim it can become before switching off. I compared its performance to a purpose-made wake-up light.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

First reviewed July 2025.

Compact, well-made, and dependable, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is the perfect choice for small households

10:00 pm | August 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Fryers Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: one-minute review

German manufacturer Bosch has been a long-standing name in home appliances since it released its first refrigerator back in 1933. So, it's no surprise that the company finally took the plunge into the lucrative air fryer market with the release of the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer.

You'd perhaps forgive Bosch for having some teething issues with its first-ever air, but the Series 6 has very few. Instead of prioritizing a surplus of extra cooking programs, modes, and features, the Series 6 offers a more streamlined experience, focusing on the quality of life features and cooking programs the average user needs rather than unnecessary add-ons.

Food cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — The Bosch Series 6 doesn't have dozens of modes, but those it does offer produced consistently good results (Image credit: Vic Hood)

There are eight cooking programs, which cover the most typical food types cooked in an air fryer: Keep Warm, French Fries, Poultry, Meat, Fish, Vegetables, Bread, and Small Pastries (because who doesn't love an air-fried croissant?) We found each program to cook food consistently well, though some tweaking may be required for taste, especially when it comes to meats.

These programs are straightforward to use thanks to the air fryer's clear touch controls, while a handful of quality-of-life features make the Series 6 a joy to use. Its illuminated drawer and window allow you to check food without letting out heat, its Shake alert lets out clear, loud chirps, and its included grill rack and skewers allow you to grill food with ease. It's also generally easy to clean with minimal elbow grease and fairly compact given its 7.2-liter capacity.

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer with drawer open — The included grill rack and skewers make cooking easy (Image credit: Vic Hood)

While the Series 6 is a great appliance overall, it's not perfect. It's one of the louder air fryers this reviewer has tested (hitting 68dB in some cases), and removing the aforementioned metal grill rack and skewers from the basket safely can prove a bit of a struggle. We'd also have loved for the aforementioned grill rack to be securable within the basket to prevent rubbing on the non-stick plate. We also found that it struggled to balance keeping chicken moist inside while crispy outside.

These are minor issues, however, and the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer provides an excellent experience otherwise. Though it is perhaps more suited to smaller households or those who only wish to cook one food item at a time.

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: price and availability

Price: £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16)
Available in the UK, but not available in the US and Australia
Regular discounts bring it down to around £100

The Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer offers top-tier quality for its budget price tag. At £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16), it costs £40 less than our current best budget air fryer, the Russell Hobbs Satisfry Dual Basket Air Fryer (though it offers less capacity), and is considerably more affordable than premium options, such as the Ninja Double Oven and Dreo ChefMaker.

Unfortunately, this appliance isn't currently available in the U.S. or Australia, but those in the UK can purchase it from Bosch directly or a range of trusted third-party retailers, such as Argos and Amazon.

If its current price tag is a little over your budget, don't fret. Regular discounts at Bosch and other retailers see this air fryer's price dropping to around the £100 mark, saving you nearly £60 on the usual RRP.

Value score: 5/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: specifications

Review model	MAF671B1GB
Number of baskets	1
Number of cooking programs	8
Cooking programs	Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, Vegetables
Extra functions	Shake signal
Smart control	No
Wattage	1,800W
Capacity	7.6 quarts / 7.2 liters
Temperature range	104F-392F / 40C-200C
Time range	1 min-2 hours, up to 8 hours on keep warm or 40C-80C
Dimensions (including handles)	12.4 x 12.2 x 15.3in / 314 x 309 x 388mm
Dishwasher-safe	Yes
Weight	13lbs / 5.9kg

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: design

7.2-liter capacity, but fairly combat
Illuminated drawer basket with window
Removable handle
Comes with metal grill rack and five skewers

The Bosch Series 6 offers a 7.2L capacity in a relatively compact design (compared to its competitors). The body of this air fryer is glossy black, with a silver rim around the top, a single drawer basket, and a removable handle. The touchscreen interface is easy to use, with the temperature adjustable in five-degree intervals.

The drawer is illuminated, meaning a light (which you can turn off and on at the touch of a button) comes on when you remove it, and thanks to an oven-like window, you can easily check your food without stopping the cooking process.

Fries cooking in Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — The drawer is illuminated, and the fryer has a clear window so you can check on your food during cooking (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The included physical user manual is thorough, making it easy to set up and use this appliance – even if you're a beginner. A physical food guide is also included, which provides a rough cooking guide and tips for each of the air fryer's eight programs. We do wish the food guide were slightly more detailed and included more food types, especially when it comes to cooking vegetables.

The food guide does come with a QR code, though, that leads you to a Quick Start Guide that features a handful of excellent recipes for this specific air fryer. We just wish there were more of them.

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer drawer open — The basket and its crisper plate are dishwasher-safe, though we generally prefer to hand-wash anything with a non-stick coating (Image credit: Vic Hood)

This air fryer also comes with a metal grill rack accessory and five skewers that fit into the grill rack. These are a welcome addition for grilling, but we found removing the hot grill rack difficult after cooking due to the depth of the basket and its metal design. We also wish the grill rack could be locked into the basket's plate to avoid it moving around and potentially damaging the plate's non-stick coating long-term.

While the 7.2L basket is a bit bulky, it's easy to hand wash with minimal elbow grease – though, inside the window is slightly trickier to reach. Fortunately, the basket and its plate are dishwasher-proof, though we at TechRadar tend to recommend hand washing anything with a non-stick coat.

The main design drawback of this air fryer is its volume. We logged a max 68dB reading when the appliance was running at its maximum temperature, making it loud enough that we couldn't hear our kitchen TV and could hear it from our living room next door. This is particularly loud for an air fryer (based on those we've tested) and several decibels louder than the 63dB Bosch claims.

Design score: 4/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: performance

Quality performance across cooking programs
Useful Shake alert
Some foods could be crispier

We found the Bosch Series 6 air fryer performed consistently well across its eight cooking programs: Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, and Vegetables.

We started our testing with 500g of frozen fries , utilizing the air fryer's French Fries preset, while tweaking the time slightly as recommended by the food guide. After 23 minutes, we had fairly evenly cooked fries (a couple were slightly over for my taste), but overall, the fries were fluffy inside and golden outside.

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Frozen fries cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — A couple of the frozen fries were slightly overdone for my liking, but for the most part they were golden and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside (Image credit: Vic Hood)

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Home-made fries cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Home-made fries turned out well too, and unlike some other air fryers, the Bosch didn't burn the ends (Image credit: Vic Hood)

Following the frozen fries, we tried 700g of handmade fries, soaked and with one tablespoon of oil, on the same setting, using the exact preset time and temperature. Again, the fries were fluffy inside and golden outside but could have been a little crispier. Unlike other air fryers, however, the Bosch Series 6 didn't leave our fries with overdone ends – a common issue we've encountered with testing.

Next, we tested the grill and skewer accessories. We loaded up each of the five skewers with chicken, onion, tomato, and peppers – but may have overloaded them a little as the five skewers struggled to fit beside each other. My advice: make sure your cuts of veggies and meat are smaller to avoid this.

Food on skewers inside Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Make sure the meat and vegetable pieces threaded onto the skewers aren't too large (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The skewers sit on indents in the grill rack, which is placed in the basket. We've mentioned our issues with the grill rack generally, but despite the overcrowding, we found our skewers cooked well on the Poultry preset, though some of the vegetables were becoming overdone and the chicken slightly overdone, so we had to remove them a few minutes early. You likely need to adjust this timing based on what you skewer.

We also tried cooking a couple of chicken breasts on the grill rack (with some seasoning and a tablespoon of oil) on the Poultry preset. They came out slightly dry and with not quite enough crisp on the outside for our taste, but overall very tasty.

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Chicken cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Chicken turned out tender, though the outside wasn't quite as crisp as I would have liked (Image credit: Vic Hood)

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We had this same crisping issue with drumsticks prepared using a Bosch recipe and dry-rubbed wings (my go-to Cosori recipe), both cooked well and were juicy inside, but the skin didn't crisp up quite enough. The pre-baked petit pains we cooked on the Bread preset, too were soft inside, but not quite crunchy enough outside.

The Bosch recipes are a great starting point for this air fryer, and we particularly enjoyed its roasted cauliflower and egg omelette muffin recipes (both turned out perfect). The apple turnover recipe, while very tasty, resulted in turnovers with overly soggy bottoms – though that's likely down to chef error on my part.

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Cauliflower roasted using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Roasted cauliflower turned out brilliantly (Image credit: Vic Hood)

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Omelette muffins made using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Bosch's recipe for omelette muffins was a success as well (Image credit: Vic Hood)

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Apple turnover made using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Apple turnover wasn't such a success, but that may have been due to user error (Image credit: Vic Hood)

Other presets may require some tweaking of the timings. Sausages on the Beef preset were slightly underdone after seven minutes, which may be down to the fact that they were chunky Cumberlands.

Vegetables, too, like most air fryers, require some experimentation. The food guide isn't very detailed on how long to cook certain vegetables and just covers "Grilled Vegetables." While this was the perfect preset for my chantanay carrots, my broccoli, onions and peppers needed to be removed early to avoid becoming too charred. Again, this is something we've encountered with several air fryers.

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Sausages cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer — Our sausages were a little underdone at the end of the cooking time, but that may be because they were particularly chunky (Image credit: Vic Hood)

Now, if you've read our air fryer reviews before, you'll know we love an air fryer that can bake. The Bosch Series 6 can manage that feat for small cakes and muffins, so we used our usual Ninja muffin recipe with the Muffin preset to test its capabilities. It was perhaps the best result I've had for this test, with the muffins perfectly golden on top, not too dry inside, and little to no overspill.

Overall, the Bosch Series 6 performs brilliantly; however, you may need to experiment a bit to get the right balance of crispness and doneness for certain foods.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Bosch Series 6 air fryer?

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer report card
Attribute	Notes	Score
Value	This air fryer is excellent value for its price tag, and thanks to regular sales, you can pick it up for closer to £100.	5/5
Design	The design is pretty compact for its 7.2L capacity, plus it's easy to use and clean. While the accompanying grill rack and skewers are welcome accessories, we wish they could lock into the basket plate and were easier to remove after cooking. This is also one of the louder air fryers we've reviewed.	4/5
Performance	Performance across all eight cooking programs is solid, though some foods could be slightly crispier on the outside. You may need to experiment a bit for optimal results on certain presets.	4.5/5

Buy it if

You want a decent capacity air fryer, but haven't space for a dual-basket

The Bosch Series 6's 7.2L capacity is pretty sizeable, and while it's not compact enough to be counted as a small air fryer, it's nowhere near as big as some competitors. Plus, the handles are detachable, making it slightly easier to store.

You're looking for a solid, budget air fryer

With its £159.99 price tag, the Bosch Series 6 is already great value for money, but regular discounts see that price knocked down to roughly £100, making it an ideal choice for those on a £100 budget.

You want a streamlined air frying experience

The Bosch Series 6 is a great entry-level air fryer for those who want a straightforward, streamlined experience. It comes with enough features to make it pleasant to use without overwhelming you with extras.

Don't buy it if

You want to cook more than one food at once

The Bosch Series 6's capacity means you can fit a decent amount of food in, but if you've got a larger household that plans to make larger quantities or food or you want to cook more than one type of food at once, you may struggle with this.

You want a bunch of extras

This is down to personal preference. While this air fryer comes with a grill rack, it only air fries, and the cooking programs cover the basics. If you want features like smart control, synced cooking, or different cooking modes (like grilling and steaming), then this may not be the best choice for you.

How I tested the Bosch Series 6 air fryer

I used the Bosch Series 6 air fryer for a week, cooking a wide variety of foods including fries, sausages, fresh vegetables, and pastries. I tested all the air fryer's various modes and cleaned the air fryer in line with the instructions provided in the manual. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

Compact, well-made, and dependable, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is the perfect choice for small households

10:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Air Fryers Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: one-minute review

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: price and availability

Price: £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16)
Available in the UK, but not available in the US and Australia
Regular discounts bring it down to around £100

Value score: 5/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: specifications

Review model	MAF671B1GB
Number of baskets	1
Number of cooking programs	8
Cooking programs	Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, Vegetables
Extra functions	Shake signal
Smart control	No
Wattage	1,800W
Capacity	7.6 quarts / 7.2 liters
Temperature range	104F-392F / 40C-200C
Time range	1 min-2 hours, up to 8 hours on keep warm or 40C-80C
Dimensions (including handles)	12.4 x 12.2 x 15.3in / 314 x 309 x 388mm
Dishwasher-safe	Yes
Weight	13lbs / 5.9kg

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: design

7.2-liter capacity, but fairly combat
Illuminated drawer basket with window
Removable handle
Comes with metal grill rack and five skewers

The food guide does come with a QR code, though, that leads you to a Quick Start Guide that features a handful of excellent recipes for this specific air fryer. We just wish there were more of them.

Design score: 4/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: performance

Quality performance across cooking programs
Useful Shake alert
Some foods could be crispier

We found the Bosch Series 6 air fryer performed consistently well across its eight cooking programs: Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, and Vegetables.

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Other presets may require some tweaking of the timings. Sausages on the Beef preset were slightly underdone after seven minutes, which may be down to the fact that they were chunky Cumberlands.

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Overall, the Bosch Series 6 performs brilliantly; however, you may need to experiment a bit to get the right balance of crispness and doneness for certain foods.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Bosch Series 6 air fryer?

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer report card
Attribute	Notes	Score
Value	This air fryer is excellent value for its price tag, and thanks to regular sales, you can pick it up for closer to £100.	5/5
Design	The design is pretty compact for its 7.2L capacity, plus it's easy to use and clean. While the accompanying grill rack and skewers are welcome accessories, we wish they could lock into the basket plate and were easier to remove after cooking. This is also one of the louder air fryers we've reviewed.	4/5
Performance	Performance across all eight cooking programs is solid, though some foods could be slightly crispier on the outside. You may need to experiment a bit for optimal results on certain presets.	4.5/5

Buy it if

You want a decent capacity air fryer, but haven't space for a dual-basket

You're looking for a solid, budget air fryer

You want a streamlined air frying experience

Don't buy it if

You want to cook more than one food at once

You want a bunch of extras

How I tested the Bosch Series 6 air fryer

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