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Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones review
7:37 pm | February 16, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: August 2020
• Newer Sony WH-1000XM5 now out
• Launch price: $349 / £349 / AU$549
• Target price now: $249 / £199 / AU$399

Update: February 2024. The Sony WH-1000XM4 might be getting on these days, but because you can regularly find them for so much cheaper than their launch, we think these still rule the roost in terms of bang for your buck. The 'target' price above is what you should aim to pay for these headphones, and we've seen them for cheaper than those prices, so they're not unrealistic at all. The Sony WH-1000XM5 have now been launched, but with a much higher price than the XM4 and without feeling like a huge leap in terms of sound or noise cancellation. So the WH-1000XM4 really hit the sweet spot if you can get them for our recommended prices, which isn't hard. We still rate them as the best headphones for most people – they've been bettered in many ways, don't get us wrong… but not for this kind of price. Plus the new version doesn't have the handy folding design for traveling! The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Sony WH-1000XM5: One-minute review

The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones are a wonderful pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones in every way. That's why they're still up there among our pick of the best headphones of 2022, even though they were released in 2020 – and even though they've recently been superseded by the new WH-1000XM5. 

We love that they deliver exactly what they promise and then some, thanks to their exceptional noise cancellation and cutting-edge codec support.

Granted, they haven’t seen a massive overhaul aesthetically from the Sony WH-1000XM3 that were released back in 2018. However, the WH-1000XM4 headphones pack in a number of new improvements, including DSEE Extreme audio upscaling and multipoint pairing.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format, which enables spatial audio on stereo headphones, plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. The unfortunate bit there, though, is that it no longer supports aptX or aptX HD, so your hi-res audio support mileage may vary.

Thanks to their extremely comfortable fit and great noise cancellation, we highly recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4 as the best headphones and the best over-ear headphones for most people, but particularly travelers or those with long commutes. However, they’re not great for workout enthusiasts who need a secure fit and water-resistance – or business people who require a best-in-class microphone for phone calls. For nearly everyone else, however, these are some of the best wireless headphones you can buy from a brand with an excellent track record in audio devices.

Since their release in August 2020, the Sony WH-1000XM4 have been given a few updates. For starters, Sony released a limited edition white colorway with a gold finish. The company also releases a firmware update to improve Bluetooth stability when the headphones are paired to multiple devices and to fix a bug which saw users struggle to connect the Sony WH-1000XM4 to Windows computers.

Read on for our full Sony WH-1000XM4 review, with everything you need to know about the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy today.

Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Price & release date

  • Price: $349 in the US
  • Price: £349 in the UK
  • Price: AU$549 in Australia
  • Released in August 2020

The Sony WH-1000XM4 were announced on August 6, 2020 and while they come from Sony's flagship line, they are no longer Sony’s top-tier go to proposition simply because they've now got a younger XM5 sibling. These over-ear cans sit above the mid-range Sony WH-CH710N and true wireless Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds.

In terms of price, you’re looking at $350 / £349 / AU$549 or thereabouts – which is exactly what the Sony WH-1000XM3 launched in 2018 in the US, and £50 more expensive in the UK. 

That puts the Sony WH-1000XM4 in the same price range as the Bose Noise-Cancelling 700 Headphones that come in at $339.99 / £349.95 / AU$599.95, and slightly less than the more upscale Bowers and Wilkins PX7 that cost $399.99 / £349 / AU$600 – but let's not forget, that model has now been superseded too, thanks to the arrival of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2, which can be yours for a cool $399 / £379 / approx. AU$575.

They're also far cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max, which cost $549 / £549 / AU$899 – and since the Sony XM4s are now a slightly older model, we wouldn't be surprised if there are some tasty deals to be had soon…

the Sony WH-1000XM4 headband

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Design

  • Imperceptible design changes since the 1000XM3
  • Sturdy build and comfortable padding
  • New SoC for improved noise cancellation
  • Lack any sort of water-resistance

Though the Sony WH-100XM4 have a slew of new components inside the headphones themselves, there’s not a major difference between them and their predecessors in terms of aesthetics. In fact, put them next to each other and you’d have a hard time telling the 1000XM3 apart from the 1000XM4. 

That’s not the end of the world, though, as the design of the 1000XM3 is refined and subtle, allowing it to blend in on subway stations, planes and offices without drawing any attention. 

In terms of materials, you’re mostly looking at a high-quality plastic build with supple pleather padding. The result is a product that feels mostly durable while remaining extremely comfortable to wear for an extended period of time.

Around the outside of the earcups you’ll find two physical control buttons for power/pairing and a button that cycles through noise-cancelling modes, as well as a 3.5mm aux. jack and a USB-C port for charging. The outer part of the earcups act as a touch-capacitive control panel that can be used to play, pause or skip music, and raise or lower the volume.

Inside the headphones is where the magic happens, though. Sony has swapped out the old system-on-a-chip (SoC) for a new one that promises better noise cancellation. Key to that, of course, is the Sony QNe1 Processor that constantly samples ambient audio to reactively adjust the level of noise cancellation. It’s an ingenious setup and design that separates it from the one-size-fits-all noise cancelling algorithm from other manufacturers.

The bad news here, however, is that the Sony WH-1000XM4 aren’t water-friendly - they’re not splash-proof, water-proof or even very water-resistant. Sony recommends keeping them dry and far away from any source of water that might damage them. That sounds like common sense - and fairly easy to achieve - but that does limit the places you can bring them: if you’re looking for a pair of running headphones, these aren’t them.

a closeup of the Sony WH-1000XM4 earcup

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Features

  • Class-leading noise cancellation
  • Situational and conversational awareness
  • Multi-point pairing to connect to two devices
  • May pause the music if it hears you singing along

The Sony WH-1000XM3 were feature-rich upon release, full of inventive control schemes and intelligent applications of their noise cancellation technology. All that was great about the WH-1000XM3 headphones has carried over to the WH-1000XM4 successors, and with some all-new tricks, too. These aren’t just gimmicks either – they’re useful additions that actually work as advertised.

So let’s kick off with the brand-new stuff. First, and perhaps most importantly, Sony has refined its wireless noise-cancelling approach. Like all good design, it’s subtle to the point where you may not notice it at first (such was the strength of the previous system, anyway). 

Key specs

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 253g

Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz

Drivers: 1.57-inch dome-type

Battery life: 30 hours

Active noise cancellation? Yes

Extra features: Speak to Chat, DSEE Extreme, 360 Reality Audio

But with the WH-1000XM4, you’re getting a much greater sense of noise cancellation in the mid-ranges – those sorts of areas where you get a low-level humming kind of sound that you could attribute to a fan, or air conditioning unit, or engine noise. It’s never fully silenced, but it’s remarkably quiet, and as soon as you have actual audio playing through the cans, you can’t hear the outside world at all. 

Though high wind can still cause a bit of extraneous noise to come through, it’s otherwise among the best (if not, the best) noise-cancelling system we’ve heard from a pair of wireless headphones.

These noise-cancelling modes are intelligent, too – with your permission, the WH-1000XM4 headphones can learn where you are using geo-location access, and apply your preferred level of noise-cancellation or ambient sound passthrough depending on where you are. So, at home you may prefer a fully cancelled noise mode, while in the office you may want voices to come through. 

With the feature activated, the Sony headphones play a small chiming tone when it’s reached one of your set locations, and dials the noise-cancellation up or back appropriately. Though GPS requirements mean it won’t be able to work during a subterranean commute, you can preset your station or travel hub in the accompanying Headphones Connect app, and have it activate your preferred noise cancelling settings whilst above ground before descending. 

The best of the WH-1000XM4 features though are those that pander to convenience. They’re simple and effective additions. A sensor in the earcups will recognize when you take the headphones off, and pause music accordingly, resuming playback automatically when you replace them. If they’re paused for a few minutes (at a delay of your choosing), they’ll automatically switch off to save battery life. A new multipoint connection lets the headphones connect to two devices at once, intelligently switching between both as the requirement of each device dictates – say, to deliver a notification or answering a call. 

Most impressive is a new Speak-to-Chat feature. With this option switched on, the headphones’ microphone will intelligently recognize when you’ve started talking, and pause your music while ramping up ambient noise being funneled into the cans. It’ll let you have a chat naturally without taking your headphones off, with a short pause occurring after you stop chatting before resuming music playback. 

However, it’s a double edged sword, as it’s almost too effective – if you decide to break into song and sing along with your tunes with the feature activated, it’ll pause your track, ending your karaoke session. Convenient then – so long as you’re restrained with your vocal gymnastics.

a man wearing the Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Audio quality

  • Circumaural 40mm drivers
  • Warm and balanced, clear and powerful bass
  • Support for 360 Reality Audio for spatial audio
  • LDAC and AAC but not aptX or aptX HD

Sony’s using the same 40mm drivers in the WH-1000XM4 as it had in the WH-1000XM3, so tonally and in terms of mix, there’s not much to separate the WH-1000XM4 from the WH-1000XM3 headphones that preceded them. It’s a warm and balanced sound that does well to offer a wide soundstage when required and detail that can pierce through a powerful bass performance.

On the noise-cancelling front, Sony’s using its Dual Noise Sensor tech, making use of two mics in each earcup to suck in sound and analyse it with the QN1 noise cancelling processor. This allows the headphones to adjust its noise cancellation response imperceptibly quickly, at more than 700 times a second. It’s fantastically powerful, and never gets in the way of your tunes.

While aptX HD support would have been welcome, the Sony’s LDAC codec, present here, does a good job with devices that support it, pushing lots of detail through wirelessly. The introduction of DSEE Extreme, an AI-driven process that looks to restore detail from lossy compressed formats, does well to bring clarity to even the lower quality formats and files you may throw at the WH-1000XM4. 

Sony’s still pushing its 360 Reality Audio offering too, which is its homegrown immersive audio format, putting you in the middle of a surround-sound mix, and it’s still impressive – even if actually accessing its library is limited to just a few streaming services, and the catalogue’s growth has been slow.

As ever, we put the headphones through their paces with a mixture of streaming services, file formats and spoken word clips, and the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones impressed across the board.

Jeff Buckley’s elegiac Last Goodbye shimmers into action, its slide guitar giving way to a warm bass groove and layers of acoustic guitars, jangling electrics and orchestral strings. It’s a complicated mix, but the WH-1000XM4 headphones do it justice, soaring with Buckley’s falsetto comfortably sitting at the fore.

Putting the bass to the test by jumping over to Bjork’s Army of Me, you can hear the can’s masterful management of bass frequencies, with the arpeggiated bass line walking through the song as the machine-like snare snaps through.

For something a little softer, Bright Eyes’ First Day of My Life has a great warmth – great vocal clarity is paired with sparkly finger picked guitars and a comforting, guiding double bass that never sounds flabby.

At the other end of the spectrum, Janelle Monae’s absolute banger Make Me Feel sounds supremely powerful on the WH-1000XM4 headphones. From the bop of the percussion to the wall of sound that accompanies the pre-chorus, it sees the Sony WH-1000XM4s firing on all cylinders, with expressive dynamics and clear and distinct separation between each instrument. It’s a pleasure at the best of times, and Sony’s cans bring out the best of the track.     

From the perspective of a work-at-home, share-the-kitchen-table-with-a-flatmate user scenario, those around us did notice a substantial amount of noise leakage from the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones – enough to distract at even half their maximum volume level. You may not be able to hear the outside world, but it can hear what you’re listening to, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on taking these to a quiet office or library.

the Sony WH-1000XM4 with their case

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Battery life

  • No improvement on battery life compared to predecessors
  • 30 hours with noise cancelling on / 38 hours with it off
  • Quick charging (five hours of charge after just 10 minutes)
  • Last just as long or longer than the competition

While the Sony WH-1000XM4 didn’t get a boost in battery life compared to their predecessors, you're getting a substantial 30 hours with noise cancelling turned on and around 38 hours with noise cancelling turned off. 

At first, that number somewhat disappointed us – how could a product not improve battery life year-on-year? But then it dawned on us that now the headphones have speech detection, a new SoC and algorithm, plus new sensors, too. The fact that it remained the same in spite of adding a host of new features is actually kind of impressive.

Although the Sony WH-1000XM4 don't come with a battery life improvement compared to their predecessors, they do stretch their playback time as far as possible thanks to the new auto-on/off and play/pause sensor inside the earcup that can tell when you’ve taken the headphones off. It’s a huge boon to folks who might forget to turn off their headphones at the end of the day only to find that they’re dead 24 hours later.

The 30 hours should be enough to get you through multiple international flights or a few days to the office, but it’s also good to know that the headphones can be charged in a matter of minutes thanks to fast-charging. According to Sony, you can get about five hours of charge from 10 minutes of power and a full charge after about three hours. 

So how do the Sony WH-1000XM4 compare to the competition? Quite favorably. The Bose Noise-Cancelling 700 only clocked in at around 20 hours of battery life with noise cancelling turned on, while the Bowers and Wilkins PX7 matches the Sony at 30.

Should I buy the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones?

the Sony WH-1000XM4 in their carrying case

(Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Sony WH-1000XM4 review: Also consider

First reviewed: August 2020

Amazon Kindle Oasis review
2:53 pm | November 17, 2021
Author: admin | Category: Computers eReaders Gadgets Tablets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: August 2019
• No refresh on the horizon
• Launch price: $249 / £229 / AU$399
• Now with limited availability 

Updated: January 2024. One of the most expensive Kindle devices around, the Amazon Kindle Oasis remains one of the best premium ereaders around. It's a little long in the tooth now, having been released way back in 2019. But with no refresh on the horizon, likely due the the Kindle Paperwhite offering a great ereader experience, the Oasis is still relevant in 2024. It's availability appears to be limited however, so you may have to go hunting to find it in some regions. Nevertheless, the Kindle Oasis is still worth your consideration, though for most people the Paperwhite may be the better bet. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Amazon Kindle Oasis: One-minute review

The Kindle Oasis devices are Amazon's top-of-the-line ereaders, and the most recent one is this 2019 model. If you want a luxury reading experience (and don’t want those large, expensive, lumps of dead tree known as a ‘book’), the Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) is where you should look. 

In Amazon's hierarchy, the base Amazon Kindle sits as the most affordable device, with its basic screen, limited storage space and few features, and the Kindle Paperwhite bumps up the screen resolution and storage space and adding a few tricks like waterproofing. This Oasis is technically the top Kindle, though the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has lots of its features and is two years newer.

The Oasis has a range of features you won’t find in lesser ereaders, like its high-quality display and the range of customization options for screen color and brightness. The fact that you’re plugged into the Amazon Store doesn’t hurt either.

But how much value do you put on this experience? Are you willing to splash out on such an expensive device when you’re going to have to buy the books on top? We think for many people the Kindle Oasis is going to be prohibitively expensive.

Amazon Kindle Oasis review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Amazon)

Given the status of the Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) as Amazon’s most premium ereader, you should be prepared to wince at its $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$399 / AED 999 price tag. That’s for 8GB onboard memory; if you want 32GB storage the price goes up to $279.99 / £259.99 / AU$449 / AED 1,099.

There’s also a version with 32GB memory and free 4G for downloading books on the go in limited markets, which will set you back $349.99 / £319.99 / AU$559.

In comparison, the base Kindle costs $89.99 / £69.99 / AU$139 / AED359 for 4GB storage, and the Kindle Paperwhite will set you back $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$199 / AED649 for 8GB memory, so even the cheapest Oasis is still a big step up from the Paperwhite.

Amazon Kindle Oasis review: Design

The Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) doesn’t follow the mini-tablet design of most ereaders – one half of the device is noticeable thicker than the other, which gives you a ridge down the back so that it’s easier to hold (in theory).

In practice, we found the ridge wasn’t quite thick enough to offer a comfortable hold – at 8.4mm thick, it’s only 5mm thicker than the 3.4mm of the main body, which doesn’t provide a deep enough ridge to really get your fingers into. We found the Kindle Oasis a little hard to hold when only using this ridge, so we wouldn’t recommend it depending on what position you like to sit in to read.

The Kindle Oasis (2019)’s other dimensions are 159 x 141mm, so it wouldn’t be big compared to a tablet, but its display is bigger than those of the other Kindles – more on the display later.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

One of the more ‘premium’ features of the device is the metal build, which you won’t find in other Kindles. This makes it feel more hardy, which offsets the fact the 3.4mm part of the device, and its relatively lightweight of 188g, can make it feel a little delicate – the overall effect is a device the looks and feels sleek.

The device is also water resistant, with its IPX8 rating meaning that in theory it can survive being immersed in two metres of water for a whole hour. We can’t imagine that you’d want to take it underwater for that long, but it’ll certainly be fine if you accidentally drop it in the bath while reading, or get it splashed here and there.

Something a little less premium is the micro USB charging port, as most tablets and smartphones have done away with it in favor of USB-C, which is faster for charging. You’re not going to be using that much power with an ereader, so it’s not a huge issue, but we could do without the inconvenience of swapping out the charging cables we use for the rest of our devices.

There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack either, nor loudspeakers, so if you want to listen to audiobooks you’re going to need to use Bluetooth headphones or speakers. 

(Image credit: TechRadar)

There are two buttons on the right of the Kindle Oasis, used for skipping forward or backwards through pages. It felt a lot more snappy using these to turn pages than touching the screen, due both to the fact they’re in positions that fall naturally under the fingers, and also because pages turned quicker when we pressed the buttons than when we touched the screen.

There were occasions, however, when the buttons didn’t register our touch, and other times they did but the device stuttered before the next page loaded, prompting us to press again then accidentally skip pages. This often happened when reading books that were complicated in terms of their layout and design, like comic books and our own PDFs, and we didn’t notice it as much for text-based books.

It’s worth noting that for the most part, the design is exactly the same as the previous generation of Kindle Oasis, and that ereader costs quite a bit less now.

Amazon Kindle Oasis review: Display

The display is where you’re seeing the main improvements on the Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019), as there are quite a few additions and changes that improve its quality, and the reading experience.

The display is 7 inches diagonally, which is bigger than the 6-inch screens in the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite, so you can fit more words or comic book frames on the screen at once, and it’s also higher quality, with 300 pixels per inch, so content looks good too. 

This screen is backlit by 25 LEDs, a big jump over the 12 LEDs in the 2017 Kindle Oasis, and you can see the different – max brightness is really high, so you can read in a variety of situations, and there’s better contrast between light and dark, which makes comic books in particular more vivid.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The brightness can be changed through the easily-accessible settings menu, but there’s also the option to have it automatically change depending on your environment, as on many smartphones.

It’s in the settings menu that you’ll find another of the Kindle Oasis’ big new features, in the form of the ‘warmness’ light setting. This gives the display an orange hue, which makes it more comfortable to look at during night-time reading, and protects your eyes over long reading binges.

The feature is primarily designed to make it more comfortable to read at night, but we also found that when we used it on a low setting we could read more easily in daylight. There’s not a huge range when you change the warmth, but it’s an appreciated upgrade anyway.

The refresh rate of the screen is appropriate – being an ereader display, you’re not seeing as snappy a refresh as on a smartphone screen, but it was far from slow. When zooming into parts of a document we could see the zoom increments, and this made it easier to zoom to the right part of the file.

Amazon Kindle Oasis review: Battery life

Amazon estimates that the battery in the Kindle Oasis (2019) will last you for six weeks, but that’s with a few caveats: to achieve that figure you’ll need to limit your reading to half an hour a day, keep Bluetooth turned off, and the brightness setting on 13, which is roughly half brightness.

While that might sound slightly limiting, in practice, if you’re going to be reading for an hour or so daily, and with the display a little brighter than Amazon recommends, your ereader is still going to take a fair few weeks to run flat, and this is exactly what we found in our testing.

We read for a good two-three hours daily, and it took about a week for the battery to drop down to 50% – that’s roughly the rate of battery consumption quoted by Amazon. In short, the battery life is pretty impressive – this thing will last you for ages.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

This is one of the perks of E Ink, as the tech uses barely any battery power to show content on the screen, and it’s certainly an eco-friendly alternative to reading books on your smartphone.

Charging via the micro USB port isn’t exactly snappy though – we found it took a few hours to charge the Oasis up to full power, but this doesn’t really matter too much if you’re only going to be powering up once in a blue moon.

Amazon Kindle Oasis review: Software

The Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) runs on software that’s very tightly integrated with the Amazon Store – so much so that it can be easy to get confused between which books you own as part of your library, and which are suggestions from Amazon.

Once you get the hang of the software, though, it’s easy to find your way between the home page, your library, the settings, the store, and everything else you’ll need.

As is the case with ereaders in general, it’s not the snappiest device in the world, and it can often take quite a while to navigate through menus. This sluggishness can be particularly annoying when you’re trying to type, but it’s a price you pay for using a device that’s optimized for reading books rather than for smooth navigation of the user interface.

cheap kindle oasis sale prices deals

(Image credit: Amazon)

As on other Kindles, you there are a few useful features you’ll find in the Oasis that make it a useful reading tool. One of these is the ability to change text fonts for ebooks, so if you absolutely must read your books in a sans serif font, you’re set. You can also change the page spacing, margins, and orientation, to fully customize your reading experience.

Amazon Kindle Oasis review: Features

The Amazon Store is the biggest collection of ebooks around, so you’re almost certainly going to find the fiction or non-fiction book, comic book or audiobook with relative ease.

If you’re a keen reader you may be interested in Amazon Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service available in some parts of the world that lets you ‘rent’ ebooks. It costs $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$13.99 per month, and you can download and store up to 10 books or comics at any one time, so it’s perfect for quick readers. 

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Kindle Unlimited is particularly good for fans of comic books and graphic novels, as those are typically quite quick to get through but the physical versions cost quite a bit; and the Kindle library has many of the classics, so you can use Kindle Unlimited to make your way through lots of titles quickly.

The selection of books on Kindle Unlimited is rather limited, certainly compared to the standard Kindle store, but it’s great for classic novels like War of the Worlds and 10,000 Leagues Under The Sea, as well as comic books, and a smattering of other titles you may not have heard of but might want to try.

Depending on your tastes and reading habits, Amazon Kindle Unlimited may or may not be worth the regular outlay for you, so do have a look at which titles are supported before you commit.

Alternatively, Amazon Prime members can use Prime Reading, which is like Prime Video in that it offers you free reading of certain ebooks as part of your Prime membership.

You can access both of these services from your Kindle or computer browser, as well as the standard library of books which you can buy, and overall we were able to find any book we wanted.

Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Oasis?

The Amazon Kindle Oasis is for people who value their reading experience above all else, and are willing to throw a good chunk of money at a device that will deliver that experience.

Should you buy it?

If you’re in the market for a premium ereader you could do worse than the Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019), but it’s not much of a jump in quality over the previous-gen Amazon Kindle Oasis, which has now had a price reduction thanks to there being an upgrade on the market.

If the upgraded screen quality appeals to you, and you’re willing to stump up the cash for it, buy the new Kindle Oasis – but if you can take or leave those features, the older version will serve you just as well.

First reviewed: August 2019

Competition

Kindle Paperwhite

(Image credit: Future)

If the high price tag of the Kindle Oasis puts you off somewhat, then you might want to take a step down in the Kindle range and look at the Paperwhite. It’s a simpler device in terms of build quality and screen customization options, but it has all the features and functions of the Kindle, so you’ll be able to read your books just as easily.

Read our in-depth Kindle Paperwhite review

Kobo Forma

(Image credit: Future)

Kobo is one of the best-known competitors to Amazon, and the Forma is basically its equivalent of the Oasis. Kobo’s ebook store may not quite rival Amazon’s in terms of choice, but it’s a sturdy device with a very long battery life.

Read our in-depth Kobo Forma review

Google Play Books

(Image credit: Future)

You don’t need to pay for an ereader at all if you have a smartphone, as the Google Play Books app, which is available on Android and iOS devices, is free, and gives you access to millions of cheap or affordable books. Of course, your smartphone doesn’t make for as great a reading experience as an ereader, but it’s certainly a more economical solution. 

Shark Vertex Pro / Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum review
1:00 pm | September 23, 2021
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK: two-minute review

Product info

This model has different names and product codes in different territories:

US: Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins IZ662H
UK: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum IZ300UK / IZ300UKT
AU: Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum IZ320

For this review, I tested the UK version. There may be minor differences between different countries' models. See Specs section for more details. 

Shark Vertex Pro (known as the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless in the UK, and Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum in Australia) is a powerful cordless stick vacuum cleaner. I tested it out to see how it compares to the rest of today's best cordless vacuum cleaners, and the best vacuums in general. 

The Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK's cleaner head has two brush rollers that spin at the same time. One roller is hard, with flexible silicon fins (known as PowerFins) to dig deep into carpets to dislodge dirt. The second roller is a soft, fluffy unit to tackle fine dust. Both benefit from Shark's handy anti-tangle feature, which stops human and pet hair from becoming wrapped around the brush roller; instead, it’s whipped straight into the dust canister. On test, I was impressed with how effective this design feature is.

There are a couple of features designed specifically to help you clean dark and difficult corners. The cleaner head features six LEDs that light a path and make it easy to clean in dark corners or beneath furniture. This model also has Shark's popular bendable wand, which enables the cleaner to reach under low-clearance furniture, while also making the unit more compact for easy storage. It can also be used as a handheld, although it's fairly heavy, so I don't think it's ideal for this. 

There are three levels of suction, and I found this vacuum powerful and effective on both hard floor and carpets – although the heaviness means it can be a little sticky to use on deep pile carpet. Note, too, there's no auto-adjust suction, as you'll find on Shark's newest vacuums. 

In a nod to rival, the Dyson V15 Detect, the cordless cleaner also has an LED display that can show the remaining battery level, as well the suction mode selected, and whether the hard floor or carpet setting has been activated. 

Price-wise, it sits it TechRadar's mid-range price band. If you want a powerful cleaner, or have lots of nooks and crannies around your home, the flexibility this model would make it a good choice. You can see how it compares to other products from this brand in our best Shark vacuum cleaner guide.

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins & Flexology in stick vacuum mode resting against a grey wall

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Before I start the review properly, a note on naming conventions. You may have noticed, this product has different names. In the US, it's the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins (IZ662H). In the UK, it's the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum (IZ300UK), and there's also the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Pet Vacuum (IZ300UKT), which is the same base model with added Pet Tool. Be especially careful here because there's another product with the same name, but a different product code. In Australia, you're looking for the Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum (IZ320). I tested the UK version, and I'll flag any differences in specs throughout my review.

Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK review: price & availability

  •  List price: $449.99 / £399.99 / AU$899.99
  • Launch date: 2021

In the US, the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins is $449.99 at MSRP. The UK's version – the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum – is £349.99, or if you opt for the version with the extra Pet Tool, £379.99. That puts it in TechRadar's mid-range price bracket, and it's excellent value for that price. 

Shoppers in Australia can pick up the Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum for AU$899.99. Based on rough exchange rates, that's a fair bit more expensive than the US and UK versions, but that's partly because the AU version comes with a lot more tools and accessories, as well as an extra battery. However, at time of update, it was out of stock at Shark. 

Vacuum cleaners (and home appliances in general) often attract discounts during major shopping events, so it's worth keeping an eye out for an Amazon Prime Day deal or Black Friday deal if it suits when you want to buy. You might also get lucky and snag a Shark promo code.

Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner review: design

  • 0.7L / 1-quart dust canister
  • Converts into a handheld cleaner, and tools vary by territory
  • Flexible stick and anti hair wrap floorhead

The Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner is one of the heavier cordless vacuums we've tested, weighing in at 8.82lbs / 4.58kg. The US version has a 1qt dust cup, while the UK and AU models are marginally smaller at 0.7L.

The design is fairly standard for a cordless vacuum cleaner, with the motor, filter and dust canister at the top. This is attached to the wand, with the floorhead at the bottom. On the main unit you'll find a 2.5 inch LCD screen that displays the remaining runtime, along with the power button, suction level control, and the carpet or hard floor selector. The swappable battery sits in this section, too, with three LEDs that indicate the remaining power.

There are three different suction modes, including a carpet setting that sees the brush roller rotate faster to help suck up ground-in dirt from carpet pile, and a slower setting that ensures hard floors aren't damaged when vacuuming. Note that this model doesn't come with Shark's Clean Sense IQ technology, where the vacuum can sense how dirty the floor is and adjust its suction automatically in response. (For a models that can do this, head to TechRadar's Shark Detect Pro Cordless review.) 

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins & Flexology being used in flexible mode

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Rather than the wand being a single section, it has a flexible extension tube in the center. When you press the catch on the back of the wand, it can bend by up to 180 degrees, enabling the vacuum to be easily maneuvered under furniture or made more compact for storage.  

The main floorhead features a hard brush roller with flexible silicon 'PowerFins', as well as a soft, fluffy roller; both rotate when the vacuum is switched on to improve pickup. Six LEDs at the front of the head light a path, and Shark's Anti Hair Wrap technology stops hair from becoming tangled around the brush roller, and instead removes it from the roller and directs it into the dust cup as you clean. 

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins & Flexology being used in handheld mode to clean stairs

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Detaching the wand and floor-cleaning head turns the cordless stick vacuum into a handheld cleaner, to which you can connect any of the included tools. These vary by territory. In the US, the standard model just comes with a Crevice Tool. In the UK, it's that plus a Multi Surface Tool, and if you opt for the Pet version, there's also a Pet Tool. In Australia, there's a wide selection of tools included.

Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner specs

Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK review: performance

  • Powerful and effective suction, but can flick about larger debris
  • Smooth to use on hard floors; could get stuck a bit on carpet
  • Flexible wand great for getting under furniture
  • Noisy in use

The Shark Shark Vertex Pro / Anti Hair Wrap Cordless is certainly a powerful cordless vacuum. During testing, it sucked up fine dust and larger debris on both carpet and hard floor with ease on all power settings. However, when it came to hard floors, I found the wheels on the back of the cleaner head flicked some of the oats around the floor, rather than collecting them. This meant I had to make several passes to ensure the mess was cleared. 

The vacuum cleaner glided easily across hard floors, although there was some resistance on carpet since it's a heavy cordless cleaner. The flexible wand proved useful for reaching under furniture, as did the six LED headlights on the floor-cleaning head – they made it easier to see the area I was vacuuming. 

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins & Flexology being used with the stick in angled mode

(Image credit: TechRadar)

I was impressed with the Anti Hair Wrap technology, which ensures hair doesn’t become tangled around the brush roll. When vacuuming up a clump of hair I'd removed from a hair brush, it was whisked straight into the canister without becoming stuck.

I also found the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner was easy to empty. Just disconnect the wand and use the button on the left-hand side of the canister to activate the mechanism that ejects the debris into the bin in one swift move. Some newer Shark vacuums come with an auto-empty base option, but that's currently not available with this model. 

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins & Flexology being used in handheld mode to clean up high

(Image credit: TechRadar)

What I wasn't so enamored by was the noise – it's one of the loudest vacuums I've tested, with my decibel meter registering 88db when using the vacuum on its most powerful setting on carpet. This is the same level of noise as when using a blender. The vacuum cleaner also proved cumbersome to use in handheld mode, as a result of its weight. It made my arms ache when I cleaned up high, so I wouldn’t recommend using it in this way for very long periods. 

If you need something primarily for use as a handheld, head to our Shark WandVac System review – the suction is lower, but this model is far easier to wield.

Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK review: battery life

  • Ranges from 11 to 60 minutes, depending on the power setting 
  • Battery takes up to four hours to fully recharge
  • Swappable battery reduces interruptions to cleaning

Shark claims the battery lasts up to 60 minutes between charges. As always, this is on the lowest powerful power setting, and you can expect it to drop considerably in higher suction modes – in my tests, when used on the most powerful setting, the cleaner managed only 11 minutes of vacuuming before the battery required recharging.

The battery took four hours to fully recharge. Handily, the unit is swappable, for minimal interruptions to your cleaning session. Some versions come with two batteries included, but if yours doesn't, they can be purchased separately. 

Should you buy the Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

First reviewed: September 2021

Sage Business Cloud Accounting review
2:52 am | July 27, 2021
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: , | Comments: Off
  • This is a review of Sage Business Cloud Accounting for North America. The product, and its features may vary depending on the country you're in. We will soon update this review to reflect the differences with the UK version which includes Payroll.

Sage is the British company that has been offering accountancy software solutions for many years. The business currently has its latest incarnation of Sage Business Cloud Accounting that, as the name suggests, offers the flexibility and dependable edge provided by a cloud-based solution. 

The service was originally called Sage One but has morphed into a beefier package that differs from Sage’s 50cloud option. The most obvious benefit of Sage Business Cloud Accounting is that you gain the flexibility and scalability provided by having a cloud back-end.

Sage is constantly evolving too, with the UK market having its own products dedicated to small business including specific accounting, payroll and HR packages. Equally, Sage also covers the medium-sized business arena with Sage Intacct, Sage200cloud and the more specialised cloud-based ERP Sage X3. Professional accountants and bookkeepers are, of course, also catered for with partner accounting and payroll options with an increasing focus on automation.

Competitor software services worth considering include QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books, Kashflow and FreshBooks. All practical options in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting offers both a starter plan as well as a more advanced plan that includes invoicing and cash flow management

Sage Business Cloud Accounting offers both a starter plan as well as a more advanced plan that includes invoicing and cash flow management (Image credit: Image Credit: Sage)

Sage: Pricing

If you like the look of the most recent edition of Sage Business Cloud Accounting then the good news is that there’s a free trial available. This is a great way of experiencing the cloud-based accountancy service head on, but if you want to get stuck into its products full-on then there are two options. Sage One Start is $10 per month, while Sage One Accounting is $25 per month. The Accounting package is the one to go for if you like the sound of access to over 100 connected apps that enable you to boost the potential of the Sage cloud-based service.

The other offering for small business accounting is the Sage 50cloud Accounting software. This combines “the convenience of cloud with the power of desktop accounting software.” This solution is able to integrate the Sage bookkeeping with Office 365 Business Premium and the Microsoft Small Business Productivity Suite. This enables key cloud based features, such as backing up to OneDrive, generating financial reports in Excel, and accessing Outlook contacts. 

This starts at the Pro Accounting tier, via a monthly subscription of $46.83 per month, with the limitation that it only supports a single user at a single company, with the option to add Microsoft 365 for an annual subscription of $150 per year. It can also automate bank feeds, and can be remotely accessed by your accountant.

You can easily connect your bank accounts to Sage Business Cloud Accounting

You can easily connect your bank accounts to Sage Business Cloud Accounting (Image credit: Image Credit: Sage)

Sage: Features

Sage Business Cloud Accounting gets regular updates and its latest version is perfect for small businesses that need a relatively straightforward solution. Once you’re signed up Sage Business Cloud Accounting lets you tackle accounting, but it’ll also simplify sales tracking, reporting and pull contact together. You’ll be able to accept and receive payments, create and send invoices as well as stay on top of bookkeeping chores all within the space of a cloud-based service. 

The additional benefit of Sage Business Cloud Accounting is that it lets you enjoy the same powerful features on your computer, tablet or phone. That way you’re on top of your accounting no matter where you happen to be.

Users in the UK get a variation on the theme. Sage offers small businesses an Accounting package, which lets you handle invoicing, cash flow, tax, payments and more. It also has a Payroll option, which allows you to pay up to 50 employees and is fully HRMC-compliant. Sage even takes care of HR issues with its refreshed Sage HR package, which used to be called CakeHR. It is a constantly evolving picture to stay in line with new rules and regulations, along with the changing face of business.

Sage: Performance

Sage has been around long enough to realize the potential of offering a product that can be used by the many and varied users that need accountancy solutions. As a result, there are versions available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad plus the web-based edition for anyone with access to a browser. 

As you’d expect from a cloud-based solution, it depends on an internet connection but all data is stored in the cloud. Sage delivers a reliable service in that respect and the performance has been carefully honed over the years to help you enjoy a pretty decent experience.

Sage: Ease of use

Sage Business Cloud Accounting is quite a dry experience in that it’s less easy on the eyes, but certainly offers a comprehensive suite of features and functions. If you’re a newcomer to its functionality then you might find it a little hard going as there’s quite a lot to get through during initial setup. This is done via a Getting Started screen, which incidentally can be switched off if preferred. 

You can, of course, import a lot of your data as well as connect to your financial institutions, which means that most of your accounting figures will self-populate the various categories. Nevertheless, there is still quite a lot to digest within the Sage Business Cloud Accounting interface, though once you’ve become familiar with it progress is much more streamlined. 

Sage has done an impressive job at shoehorning the same experience into its mobile apps too, with iPhone and Android experiences surprisingly good. You can even get it for the Apple Watch.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting

The Sage Business Cloud Accounting layout is functional but lacks the flair of other cloud-based options (Image credit: Sage)

Sage: Support

You’ll find plenty of options available to you if you need to call upon some support. Sage has got this aspect of its business down to a fine art, with email, phone and also live support options all available. 

For ongoing issues that can’t be resolved with a quick answer then there is also the provision for raising support tickets, whereby your query will be put into a queuing system and hopefully resolved as quickly as possible. You also get the benefit of a healthy community spirit within the world of Sage, while easily accessed and comprehensive FAQs also get to the bottom of many everyday questions and quandaries.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting

Support comes in a range of options including a powerful knowledge base for FAQs (Image credit: Sage)

Sage: Final verdict

Sage Cloud Business Accounting has been a reliable option for quite some time and proves consistently popular with many sole traders and smaller businesses. However, the interface can seem rather uninspiring even though it does offer an expansive range of features. 

Some elements of the workflow seem unduly labored and with missing features such as time tracking and payroll options Sage Cloud Business Accounting is at risk from the competition. While everyone might instantly know the name of Sage this cloud-based accountancy solution doesn’t satisfy in quite the same way as something like QuickBooks Online.

We find the lowest Accounting Start tier, while well priced, somewhat limiting, and only useful for a true micro business. On the other hand, the upper Accounting tier is quite a bit more capable, and the 50cloud variant has deep integration with Microsoft365, although the cost rises considerably from the lowest plan. For a medium to larger small business, without dedicated accounting resources, these higher plans become an affordable solution.

Hydragun review: a full-featured massage gun without the premium price tag
7:27 am | July 22, 2021
Author: admin | Category: Computers Exercise Equipment Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: July 2021
• No new model has been launched since
• Launch price: $299 / AU$399 (unavailable in the UK at launch)
• Now available in the UK as well for £269

Updated: March 2024. When Hydragun launched as a company, it was with just one product going by the same name – a premium massage gun that didn't come with the high-end price tag like a Theragun. While a smaller Hydragun Atom Mini is now available for $199 / £179 / AU$349, the original is still better value and we stand by our original review below.

Hydragun massage gun: One-minute review

Massage guns are all the rage now and Hydragun is claiming a piece of that pie. In the recent working-from-home culture, it doesn’t take very much for us to feel sore by the end of day, and taking on the muscle fatigue after a workout is additional stress on the body. While there’s nothing like a long massage by an actual person, we don’t usually have that luxury – and that’s where massage guns come in.

Hydragun is similar to most other massage guns on the market, shipping with six different attachments to target different muscle groups, with six different speeds to choose from. And it does exactly what it says on the tin – kneads muscles to try and get to deep tissue knots to relieve soreness and fatigue by stimulating blood supply to the inflamed areas.

While it works marvellously well on most large muscle groups, it can feel quite aggressive in some others. For example, if you use it along the curve of the neck and shoulder, it may feel like your brain is vibrating, even on the lowest setting, making it an uncomfortable experience. If you can bear it for a few minutes, though, there’s nothing like a little kneading with the Hydragun to remove the soreness you feel after an entire day in front of the computer or relax sore muscles after a particularly strenuous workout.

What we like about the Hydragun is the ability to reach that annoying corner of the shoulder blade that gets sore after using a mouse at a desk. Used with the bullet attachment, it can dig into the muscle there to relieve pain, but if it’s a chronic issue, something like a specialist trigger point tool is far more effective.

That said, when it comes to combating the everyday aches and pains of working at a desk all day, or relaxing after a strenuous workout, the Hydragun is more than a match for those. It might be an expensive investment at full price, but a part of that cost is justified by the premium materials used to make the product and how well-balanced it feels when using. It’s also pretty quiet for a massage gun.

Hydragun with soft ball head

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Hydragun massage gun review: price and availability

  • Available direct to consumer
  • List price: $299 / £269 / AU$399

The Hydragun isn’t available in retail stores. Instead, you get it online, directly from the company. Hydragun has online storefronts for the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States, the last one also catering to the rest of the world if the product needs to ship elsewhere.

At $299 / £269 / AU$399 a pop, it is expensive, but comes in cheaper than the likes of the Theragun Pro and the Theragun Elite, although these two premium models offer more features than the Hydragun. 

Shipping is free in the countries with a local version of the online store (the product ships around the world from the US), plus there’s a 30-day risk-free return policy if you’re not happy with the product. Return shipping, however, is at your personal cost. If you’re worried about the longevity of the massage gun, there’s a 1.5-year warranty available as well.

Several other cheaper options are usually listed on sites like Amazon, but these brands may not have worldwide availability.

Hydragun in the hand

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Hydragun massage gun review: design

  • Familiar gun-like design
  • Ergonomic grip
  • Several attachments

Like most massage guns currently available, the Hydragun ships in a semi-soft travel case that also encloses some extra freebies like a protein bar, eye gel, nasal spray and curated playlists to help you relax.

The massage gun itself is made from premium, futuristic materials like aerospace-grade aluminum and nano silica gel (used in the grip), which might explain why it costs as much as it does. The six attachments that come with the gun, however, don’t share the premium materials, but they look good and are pretty sturdy. 

The attachments are two stainless steel flatheads, one plastic flathead, one soft ball head, a fork and a bullet – most target the larger muscle groups, but some can be used for deep-tissue massage and bony areas like ankles. Also in the case is a charging cable and, depending on where the product is being shipped to, a couple of adaptors so you can use the Hydragun anywhere in the world.

Hydragun carry case with all attachments

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The massage gun feels heavy – weighing 2.3lbs/1.04kg – but is very well balanced and you soon get used to the heft, with absolutely no strain on the wrist. The weight might be due to the battery (2,600mAh that lasts up to 6 hours) and motor, both of which are better performers than the Theragun options. For example, the Theragun Pro uses replaceable batteries that promise up to 150 minutes per battery, while the motor pumps at a top speed of 2,400rpm as compared to the Hydragun’s 3,600rpm.

The single control button for the Hydragun is on the back panel of the device, which is also made of the same silicone as the grip. The power button in the middle not only turns the gun on and off, but also cycles through the six speed settings. Arranged horizontally and vertically around the power button are the LED indicators for speed and battery level. 

On the top edge of the circular rear panel is also a ‘stall’ indicator that detects torque pressure and lights up if you’re pressing too much. While it’s good to have that option, we didn't see it come on during out testing as we didn’t push hard enough to trigger a warning – it hurts plenty on sore muscles even when lightly held. That said, you’ll obviously never see the stall indicator come on if you happen to be using the Hydragun on your back or neck.

And that’s it – there’s no companion app, like the one for the Bluetooth-enabled Theragun Pro and Elite models that allow you customize precise speeds, or the OLED digital display on these premium models.

Hydragun control panel

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Hydragun massage gun review: performance

  • Up to 6 hours of battery life
  • Vibrations rather than pulsing movements
  • Quiet for a massage gun

The Hydragun can be used at any stage of your workout routine – you could do a quick massage before, during your exercise routine, or a more prolonged session after. It’s easy enough to fit a flathead or the soft ball head to the gun and carry in your gym bag. Being battery operated, with a pretty impressive battery life, means you can use it away from any mains. 

The best part about using it anywhere is how quiet it actually is. If you’re in a locker room, it won’t be louder than someone talking. It registers at about 30dB on a decibel meter, which is about as much as an electric toothbrush. In contrast, some Theraguns are pretty loud, buzzing as loud as a vacuum cleaner.

The motor offers six different speeds ranging from 1,200rpm to 3,200rpm and even the lowest setting can provide relief, although it depends on the specific use case. After a particularly intense workout, we found the middle 2,000rpm or 2,400rpm setting to be the most effective on 2-minute sessions, but the lowest speed can also feel very intense on areas like the neck. When we used the bullet attachment on the low 1,200 rpm setting to knead out the effects of 8 hours spent at a computer, it was still vigorous enough to make it hard to breathe. That said, not everyone will be so sensitive to vibrations and the Hydragun will work on most muscle groups without any side effects.

Hydragun in use on calf muscle

(Image credit: TechRadar)

You’ll need to be careful when using the Hydragun on or near bony areas – like along the spine or near the ankle – as the gun tends to bounce off the harder surfaces. While it doesn’t hurt if you accidentally move over a bone, the thrust away from the body can be a hard jolt that may cause you to drop the pulsating device.

Speaking of pulsating, you can see this happen only at the lowest speed of 1,200rpm. Anything above that looks and feels more like vibrations which, if you really want to go deep tissue, doesn’t always provide relief, like the corner of the scapula where many of us suffer from muscle contraction caused by using a mouse for days together.

For the usual aches and pains, and sometimes for even more severe muscular injuries, the Hydragun does a brilliant job of reducing soreness and pain. Using the Hydragun for a few minutes each day helped reduce the pain of a particularly nasty calf muscle injury considerably during our testing, allowing the area to heal fully.

Note that the Hydragun switches off automatically after 15 minutes of constant use, which is an excellent failsafe because it’s very tempting to keep massaging a sore area for longer only because it feels so good.

Should I buy the Hydragun massage gun

Hydragun with soft ball head on carry case

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

[First reviewed July 2021]

Hydragun review: a full-featured massage gun without the premium price tag
7:27 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Exercise Equipment Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: July 2021
• No new model has been launched since
• Launch price: $299 / AU$399 (unavailable in the UK at launch)
• Now available in the UK as well for £269

Updated: March 2024. When Hydragun launched as a company, it was with just one product going by the same name – a premium massage gun that didn't come with the high-end price tag like a Theragun. While a smaller Hydragun Atom Mini is now available for $199 / £179 / AU$349, the original is still better value and we stand by our original review below.

Hydragun massage gun: One-minute review

Massage guns are all the rage now and Hydragun is claiming a piece of that pie. In the recent working-from-home culture, it doesn’t take very much for us to feel sore by the end of day, and taking on the muscle fatigue after a workout is additional stress on the body. While there’s nothing like a long massage by an actual person, we don’t usually have that luxury – and that’s where massage guns come in.

Hydragun is similar to most other massage guns on the market, shipping with six different attachments to target different muscle groups, with six different speeds to choose from. And it does exactly what it says on the tin – kneads muscles to try and get to deep tissue knots to relieve soreness and fatigue by stimulating blood supply to the inflamed areas.

While it works marvellously well on most large muscle groups, it can feel quite aggressive in some others. For example, if you use it along the curve of the neck and shoulder, it may feel like your brain is vibrating, even on the lowest setting, making it an uncomfortable experience. If you can bear it for a few minutes, though, there’s nothing like a little kneading with the Hydragun to remove the soreness you feel after an entire day in front of the computer or relax sore muscles after a particularly strenuous workout.

What we like about the Hydragun is the ability to reach that annoying corner of the shoulder blade that gets sore after using a mouse at a desk. Used with the bullet attachment, it can dig into the muscle there to relieve pain, but if it’s a chronic issue, something like a specialist trigger point tool is far more effective.

That said, when it comes to combating the everyday aches and pains of working at a desk all day, or relaxing after a strenuous workout, the Hydragun is more than a match for those. It might be an expensive investment at full price, but a part of that cost is justified by the premium materials used to make the product and how well-balanced it feels when using. It’s also pretty quiet for a massage gun.

Hydragun with soft ball head

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Hydragun massage gun review: price and availability

  • Available direct to consumer
  • List price: $299 / £269 / AU$399

The Hydragun isn’t available in retail stores. Instead, you get it online, directly from the company. Hydragun has online storefronts for the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States, the last one also catering to the rest of the world if the product needs to ship elsewhere.

At $299 / £269 / AU$399 a pop, it is expensive, but comes in cheaper than the likes of the Theragun Pro and the Theragun Elite, although these two premium models offer more features than the Hydragun. 

Shipping is free in the countries with a local version of the online store (the product ships around the world from the US), plus there’s a 30-day risk-free return policy if you’re not happy with the product. Return shipping, however, is at your personal cost. If you’re worried about the longevity of the massage gun, there’s a 1.5-year warranty available as well.

Several other cheaper options are usually listed on sites like Amazon, but these brands may not have worldwide availability.

Hydragun in the hand

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Hydragun massage gun review: design

  • Familiar gun-like design
  • Ergonomic grip
  • Several attachments

Like most massage guns currently available, the Hydragun ships in a semi-soft travel case that also encloses some extra freebies like a protein bar, eye gel, nasal spray and curated playlists to help you relax.

The massage gun itself is made from premium, futuristic materials like aerospace-grade aluminum and nano silica gel (used in the grip), which might explain why it costs as much as it does. The six attachments that come with the gun, however, don’t share the premium materials, but they look good and are pretty sturdy. 

The attachments are two stainless steel flatheads, one plastic flathead, one soft ball head, a fork and a bullet – most target the larger muscle groups, but some can be used for deep-tissue massage and bony areas like ankles. Also in the case is a charging cable and, depending on where the product is being shipped to, a couple of adaptors so you can use the Hydragun anywhere in the world.

Hydragun carry case with all attachments

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The massage gun feels heavy – weighing 2.3lbs/1.04kg – but is very well balanced and you soon get used to the heft, with absolutely no strain on the wrist. The weight might be due to the battery (2,600mAh that lasts up to 6 hours) and motor, both of which are better performers than the Theragun options. For example, the Theragun Pro uses replaceable batteries that promise up to 150 minutes per battery, while the motor pumps at a top speed of 2,400rpm as compared to the Hydragun’s 3,600rpm.

The single control button for the Hydragun is on the back panel of the device, which is also made of the same silicone as the grip. The power button in the middle not only turns the gun on and off, but also cycles through the six speed settings. Arranged horizontally and vertically around the power button are the LED indicators for speed and battery level. 

On the top edge of the circular rear panel is also a ‘stall’ indicator that detects torque pressure and lights up if you’re pressing too much. While it’s good to have that option, we didn't see it come on during out testing as we didn’t push hard enough to trigger a warning – it hurts plenty on sore muscles even when lightly held. That said, you’ll obviously never see the stall indicator come on if you happen to be using the Hydragun on your back or neck.

And that’s it – there’s no companion app, like the one for the Bluetooth-enabled Theragun Pro and Elite models that allow you customize precise speeds, or the OLED digital display on these premium models.

Hydragun control panel

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Hydragun massage gun review: performance

  • Up to 6 hours of battery life
  • Vibrations rather than pulsing movements
  • Quiet for a massage gun

The Hydragun can be used at any stage of your workout routine – you could do a quick massage before, during your exercise routine, or a more prolonged session after. It’s easy enough to fit a flathead or the soft ball head to the gun and carry in your gym bag. Being battery operated, with a pretty impressive battery life, means you can use it away from any mains. 

The best part about using it anywhere is how quiet it actually is. If you’re in a locker room, it won’t be louder than someone talking. It registers at about 30dB on a decibel meter, which is about as much as an electric toothbrush. In contrast, some Theraguns are pretty loud, buzzing as loud as a vacuum cleaner.

The motor offers six different speeds ranging from 1,200rpm to 3,200rpm and even the lowest setting can provide relief, although it depends on the specific use case. After a particularly intense workout, we found the middle 2,000rpm or 2,400rpm setting to be the most effective on 2-minute sessions, but the lowest speed can also feel very intense on areas like the neck. When we used the bullet attachment on the low 1,200 rpm setting to knead out the effects of 8 hours spent at a computer, it was still vigorous enough to make it hard to breathe. That said, not everyone will be so sensitive to vibrations and the Hydragun will work on most muscle groups without any side effects.

Hydragun in use on calf muscle

(Image credit: TechRadar)

You’ll need to be careful when using the Hydragun on or near bony areas – like along the spine or near the ankle – as the gun tends to bounce off the harder surfaces. While it doesn’t hurt if you accidentally move over a bone, the thrust away from the body can be a hard jolt that may cause you to drop the pulsating device.

Speaking of pulsating, you can see this happen only at the lowest speed of 1,200rpm. Anything above that looks and feels more like vibrations which, if you really want to go deep tissue, doesn’t always provide relief, like the corner of the scapula where many of us suffer from muscle contraction caused by using a mouse for days together.

For the usual aches and pains, and sometimes for even more severe muscular injuries, the Hydragun does a brilliant job of reducing soreness and pain. Using the Hydragun for a few minutes each day helped reduce the pain of a particularly nasty calf muscle injury considerably during our testing, allowing the area to heal fully.

Note that the Hydragun switches off automatically after 15 minutes of constant use, which is an excellent failsafe because it’s very tempting to keep massaging a sore area for longer only because it feels so good.

Should I buy the Hydragun massage gun

Hydragun with soft ball head on carry case

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

[First reviewed July 2021]

reMarkable 2 review: still the best e-paper note-taking device money can buy
4:00 pm | August 27, 2020
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Tablets | Tags: | Comments: Off

reMarkable 2: Two-minute review

It was launched back in March 2020, but the reMarkable 2 is still one heck of an e-paper tablet. So I’m not surprised that the company hasn’t bothered to release a third iteration of this popular device, instead improving on the second-gen model via firmware updates.

When we updated our original review from 2020 in August 2022, the reMarkable 2 was already a vastly improved tablet over the original model and had features that didn’t exist when the second generation launched – like Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive integration, a document drawer, screen sharing, and notes for PDFs and ebooks. In December 2022, reMarkable rolled out version 3.0 of its firmware which, since then, has made the second-generation tablet even more, well, remarkable – prompting us to update the review again.

At its heart, it’s still the same device we fell in love with – designed for creating and syncing your ideas to the cloud so you can access them no matter where you are. All the features that got added to it over the years makes it hands-down the best note-taking tablet money can buy. Some of the newer features I’m particularly fond of include the handwriting-to-text conversion software, the checkboxes on todo lists that strikethrough tasks automatically, and support for the Type Folio that was announced in March 2023. This last accessory, in fact, makes the reMarkable 2 a fantastic E Ink laptop, complete with keyboard shortcuts, although the lack of a browser on the tablet limits its use.

The eraser on top of the Marker Plus stylus is also now more precise, and I think it’s the best e-paper tablet for signing documents, with absolutely no input lag. This is also what makes the reMarkable 2 a great digital sketch pad.

It’s also the most good-looking 10-inch tablet I’ve tested, arguably the thinnest too. The silver-grey trim on one bezel of the metal chassis and the barely-there power button make it look really sleek and premium. I also appreciate the little pads to protect the rear panel. And the matte finish on the rear camoflages most of the fingerprint smudges.

Without a bookstore or access to other applications, that’s essentially all the reMarkable 2 is good for and in its single-minded note-taking functionality, it excels. However, it takes time and patience to discover all the useful features. reMarkable has guides and tutorials online and on the device and they don’t even begin to scratch the surface. 

What really sets its back is the lack of frontlighting for the screen, which means you can’t use it to read before bed with the lights off – something I love to do and am disappointed that the reMarkable 2 won’t allow for it.

It’s also an expensive device, especially when you take into account the cost of the accessories, including the replacement pen nibs – putting it out of reach of many users.

reMarkable 2 with Marker Plus stylus

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

reMarkable 2 review: price and availability

  • Announced March 2020
  • Launch price of $399 / £399 / AU$679 for the tablet + pen bundle
  • List price of $299 / AU$499 tablet only; sold as bundle for £379 in the UK

When the reMarkable 2 launched back in 2020, it was only available directly from the company as part of a bundle that also got you a Marker (as the stylus is called).

Now you can purchase the tablet on its own directly from the company in some markets – it’s $279 in the US and AU$469 in Australia. The pens will set you back $79 / AU$119 for the Marker and $129 / AU$199 for the Marker Plus, the latter featuring a matte finish and an eraser on the top. 

For the UK, however, reMarkable is still listing bundles only, with the Marker bundle setting you back £379 and the Marker Plus bundle costing £419. In the US and Australia, the bundles cost upwards of $378 / AU$618, depending on which pen you choose. Add in a folio and that price increases.

The good news is that the reMarkable works with other capacitive styli, so you can buy just the tablet and find a cheaper pen for it but the Markers are part of what makes the writing experience the best there is.

At this price, the tablet will be a hard sell for some – it’s more expensive than the entry-level iPad, for instance, which offers vastly more functionality through its color screen, App Store access and full multimedia support. Given the Amazon Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Elipsa 2E feature not just note-taking, but also access to bookstores on a front-lit screen, they offer more value than the reMarkable 2 at their respective prices of $339 / £329 / AU$549 and $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$629.95. They have more onboard storage too.

But for artists and note-takers, the ReMarkable 2 is a unique and focused experience worth considering – it doesn’t do as much as Apple’s tablet by a long shot, but what it does do it does incredibly well.

• Value score: 3 / 5

reMarkable 2 with keyboard folio and Marker Plus stylus

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

reMarkable 2 review: specs

reMarkable 2 review: design and display

  • Sleek, minimalist design
  • Only 4.7mm thickness
  • Screen lacks lights

There was a time when the reMarkable tablet would have been a novelty, one of the first note-taking e-paper tablets to make it to market. Not so any longer with competition from Amazon, Kobo and Onyx. Despite that, the design of the reMarkable 2 is still arguably the best, making it one of the most beautiful e-paper tablets on the market with a minimalist aesthetic.

Measuring 187 x 246 x 4.7 mm, it’s still the world’s thinnest tablet and tips the scales at 403.5g, which is 30g lighter than the Amazon Kindle Scribe, although a smidge heavier than the Kobo Elipsa 2E that weighs in at 390g. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in real-world use though, with the white bezels and the dark silver edge of its aluminum frame giving it an airier feel over its clunkier-looking Kobo counterpart. The Kindle Scribe also sports a metal chassis and yet looks a touch bland compared to the reMarkable 2, which really does exude some serious oomph in the looks department.

The move to an aluminum frame from plastic in the original reMarkable is particularly handy, as it lets the reMarkable 2 make use of magnetic accessories, such as snap-on covers, as well as the more recent keyboard folio.

The rear panel features four tiny, slightly-raised rubber feet that stop the tablet slipping when writing on a table. A small power button sits on the top-left edge, while a USB-C port mars the bottom left corner.

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A book cover displayed on the reMarkable 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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Branding on the reMarkable 2 Marker Plus stylus

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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Connector pins on the reMarkable 2 to attach to the keyboard folio

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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reMarkable 2 rear panel with pads and branding

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The flush screen is a 10.3-inch modified monochrome E Ink Carta display that reMarkable calls Canvas. It’s been optimized specifically for stylus input. With a 226ppi resolution, it’s decently sharp, although it now looks a little lackluster alongside the Kindle Scribe’s 300ppi E Ink Carta 1200 display. Still, it’s easy on the eye, with just enough friction to make you believe you could be writing on paper. 

Where the reMarkable tablet disappoints is in the lack of lighting for the screen – there are no LEDs here, so you can’t use this in the dark like you can other e-ink tablets.

A stylus called a Marker is included if you buy a bundle and it magnetically secures to the right edge or on the top of the right bezel. It’s very finely textured to provide some grip and the more expensive Marker Plus includes an eraser on the top. Both pens are of a comfortable thickness and length, and superbly weighted for longer writing sessions. However, like a real pen, their tips don’t last forever. Though each pack comes with 10 replacements, you’ll need to change them out after three to seven weeks of use according to reMarkable’s website, or longer if you aren't constantly writing – but it's an additional cost that could soon add up.

• Design & display score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe and reMarkable 2 e ink writing tablets

Without a front-lit screen the reMarkable 2 (left) appears lackluster compared to the Amazon Kindle Scribe (right) (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

reMarkable 2 review: Software and user interface

  • Minimalist UX
  • Useful tools available to enhance note taking
  • Handy smartphone and desktop software

The reMarkable 2 has a near-singular purpose – to make writing on a digital device enjoyable and it pulls that off in great fashion. And its user interface reflects that singular purpose.

The Linux-based Codex operating system kicks off with a quick tutorial that has you set up a reMarkable account for cloud document syncing, and walks you through some quick tips on how to use the tablet, and then you hit the home screen.

It’s here where a grid of your documents is shown, which can be organized into folders, as well as letting you start off new Notebooks (which auto-populates with as many pages as you need) or a Quick Sheet which lets you quickly start jotting away in an instant.

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reMarkable 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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Notes sharing feature on the reMarkable 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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reMarkable 2 home screen setup

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

All pages can start either blank, or have one of 35 preset page templates applied to them, ranging from storyboards to perspective grids, week planners and simple lined, margined pages. You’re then able to scribble all over them, add layers and more, with multiple pen types and sizes ranging from charcoal-effect pencils to paint-brush strokes at your disposal. As you’d find with a computer drawing application, there are buttons to zoom in to fine details, make area selections and undo or redo stay line strokes. It’s a great, well-featured drawing experience.

Perhaps even more impressive though is the experience when you start writing. The reMarkable 2 supports and recognizes 33 languages, and can not only identify block letters, but cursive input too. This means that it can read and interpret your scratchy handwriting, and convert it into a text document that you can email for editing in a word processor later. It’s not perfect, and the clearer your handwriting and grammatical marks the better. It was able to recognize my handwriting well, and it can handle some spidery scrawls, but I think Kobo’s handwriting recognition is superior.

Annoyingly, however, the handwriting-to-text function is only supported on the tablet, meaning you’ll have to decipher your scribbles manually if you’re viewing them on the mobile or desktop interface.

These apps speedily sync with your tablet, and are available on iOS, Android, Mac and PC. Though they don’t support any handwriting entry themselves, they otherwise more or less mirror the tablet interface, with the addition of being able to import and export files to and from the tablet wirelessly.

A person writing notes on the reMarkable 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Anything you make using the reMarkable 2 can be shared over a Wi-Fi connection, with the tablet supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz standards. While you can email documents directly from the tablet, you’re likely going to find the reMarkable mobile and desktop software more useful.

There are a heck of a lot of features that need a little delving into. For example, there's a Checklist feature that automatically strikesthrough an item you've finished when you select it, but figuring out how that works is not immediately clear. That said, reMarkable does have handy guides you can use to get started comfortably. 

However, the reMarkable 2, like its predecessor, remains at its weakest as an e-reader. Though there are no complaints about the legibility of the screen, its feature set (beyond the novelty of being able to mark up a book) is limited – there’s no ebook store, so titles will have to be sideloaded using the accompanying apps. There are no bookmarking features, no dictionary definitions, nor any quick ways to jump back and forth between particular pages aside from scrolling through them as a list. Yes, you can read a novel on the reMarkable 2, and its large screen size will make it comfortable to do so – just don’t expect the mod cons you’d get from, say, an Amazon Kindle or a Kobo.

With no book store to tap into, it’s the apps that let you send eBooks and documents to your device too. But you’re limited to just ePUB and PDF file types – anything else will need to be converted prior to sending, which is a pain considering the prevalence of .doc file types in the workplace.

The reMarkable does support a Chrome Extension however, which will let you easily convert and send articles to your device for reading – a welcome, efficient way of getting new content onto your device.

• Software & user interface score: 4 / 5

Checklists feature on the reMarkable 2

The Checklist feature on the reMarkable 2 is handy but it's not immediately clear how it works (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

reMarkable 2 review: Performance

  • Near-instant pen input
  • Works very well with keyboard folio
  • Good battery life

The reMarkable 2 excels in helping you go completely paperless when it comes to note-taking, whether it’s using the Marker pens or the optional keyboard folio. It’s a speedy interface overall, with even complex PDF files opening and ready to browse quickly.

The Markers are pressure sensitive and can work on a 50º angle for shading for those who want to get creative. There’s just enough friction here to make you believe you’re writing or sketching on paper.

Strokes are accurately inputted to the finest detail, and the lag between your movements being relayed on the screen is nearly nonexistent. That’s thanks to the combination of the 1.2GHz dual-core ARM processor under the hood and the 1GB of LPDDR3 SDRAM (or system memory if you’re wondering what all those letters mean) – these may not seem like much but, for just reading and note-taking, that’s plenty.

Even the Marker Plus’ eraser works a treat, although I found the Kindle Scribe’s Pen and the Kobo Stylus 2 to be a teensy bit more precise, but that’s me nitpicking.

Notebook settings on the reMarkable 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While writing on the reMarkable is a wonderful experience, reading isn’t as pleasurable. The roundabout way to sideload ebooks is the first thing that put me off using it as an ereader, but the lack of a light is my biggest complaint with this tablet. Moreover, there is no tap-to-turn page function on the reMarkable, you need to swipe, which isn’t the easiest of gestures if you’re trying to use the 10.3-inch tablet in one hand. There aren’t very many customization options for reading either, which really goes to show the reMarkable 2 was made specifically for writing.

8GB of internal storage is good for about 100,000 pages of notes, while USB-C charging of the 3,000mAh battery can give up to two weeks of usage between charges, based on two straight hours of use per day with Wi-Fi connection over a five-day working week.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the reMarkable 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If our reMarkable 2 review hasn’t sold you on the product, then consider the two other options listed below. We’ve also included a table comparing their respectives specs and prices alongside the reMarkable 2.

How I tested the reMarkarble 2

  • Used over a period of about 6 weeks for approximately 30 minutes to an hour each day
  • Made all my work-related notes on its during the testing period
  • Also typed an article using the optional keyboard folio

reMarkable 2 with keyboard folio and Marker Plus stylus

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Given the reMarkable 2 is more a writing tablet than an ereader, I used it extensively to jot down notes while at work and at home. It was where I listed article ideas and also typed out an entire one that discussed the sustainability of ebooks vs paperbacks.

I did also sideload some ebooks in the EPUB format via the desktop interface, but the lack of a front-lit screen prevented me from using the reMarkable 2 as a reading tablet. I did spend about 45 minutes over my entire testing period using it as such though.

To test all the writing features, I created tags to search and filter my notes and articles and emailed documents to myself. I also used it to sign a work-related PDF document that I was able to email back to my work account.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: August 2020
Dyson V11 review: still a supremely capable vacuum cleaner
7:40 am | August 12, 2019
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Dyson V11 vacuum cleaner: two-minute review

The Dyson V11 is a powerful cordless vacuum cleaner, offering up to 60 minutes of untethered cleaning time. There are three suction modes: a lower-powered Eco mode that gives the maximum cleaning time, a powerful and battery-sapping Boost mode for when you need a bit of extra oomph, and an Auto mode that detects what kind of floor you're on and adjusts suction accordingly. 

On test, I found that even in Eco mode the V11 packed a good amount of power, clearing small and large-sized debris, and pet hair, with ease. I also found Auto mode worked reliably and effectively when moving between carpet and hard floors. The LCD screen – a new addition here, but ubiquitous from this model onwards – is useful for letting you know how much juice you have left, and alerting you of blockages.

The V11 comes with Dyson's usual range of versatile and well-designed cleaning attachments for various cleaning tasks – although exactly which ones will depend on which model you go for and where you live. 

Dyson is widely considered to be one of the very best cordless vacuum brands around (and one of the best vacuum brands in general), and even though it's not the most recent model, the V11 is still well worth your consideration. This is the successor to 2018's V10 (read TechRadar's Dyson Cyclone V10 review), and at time of update, several newer and higher-spec options have been released – head to our Dyson Gen5Detect review for more on the latest model. 

There are a few iterations of this model – at time of update, a V11 Extra and a V11 Advanced. The base model is the same; the difference is the selection of included tools. There were more when it was initially released, and not all configurations are available in every country. 

The fact that you're not getting the very latest features is reflected in the price. Most versions were originally in the premium price bracket, but have been discounted into the mid-range, making it a good pick if you're looking for that Dyson engineering on a smaller budget. 

Dyson V11 review: price & availability

  • US / AU: Dyson V11, list price $569.99 / AU$1200
  • UK: Dyson V11 Advanced, list price £429.99 (reduced to £359.99)
  • Other versions available with different tools

Dyson has released different packages in the US, UK, and Australia. While there were more options at time of first launch, at time of updating this review (June 2024), the standard Dyson V11 is part of the current lineup in the US and Australia, with a list price of $569.99 (discounted to $469.99) / AU$1,199 (confusingly, in Australia there's the V11 Advanced, also at AU$1,199, which seems to be identical including the tools included). 

In the UK there's only one version available: the V11 Advanced, for a list price of £429.99 (discounted to £359.99). The tools included are not the same as you'll find with the Australian V11 Advanced. Finally, in the US there's a V11 Extra, which has a list price of $599.99 adds a load of extra tools, compared to the base model.  

Note, here I'm talking about what's available to buy direct from Dyson at time of updating this review – there may be other versions available via third party retailers. Simple!

What does all that mean in terms of value for money? Well, most versions were originally in the premium price bracket, but have been discounted into the mid-range. It's not the cheapest cordless vac in the current Dyson lineup (head to our Dyson V8 review to find out more about the model that takes that spot), but it's also far from the priciest – the Gen5Detect is $950 / £750. 

Although brands like Shark are looming increasingly large in the vacuum cleaner space, Dyson is still widely considered to be leading the way in terms of innovation. You're paying for that meticulous engineering (and yes, a little bit for the Dyson name). It's probably worth keeping an eye out for a Dyson deal around major shopping events like the Black Friday sales if you're hoping to score a discount.

Dyson V11 vacuum cleaner

(Image credit: Future)

Dyson V11 review: design

  • Sleek and effective design, engineered to maximize suction
  • LCD display shows battery life, mode and any issues
  • 3 power settings: Eco, Auto/Medium, Boost

The Dyson V11 looks very similar to most of its V-something siblings, with a sleek design that isn't an eyesore if you forget to stow it away in the cupboard. Because it's symmetrical, it's as easy to use left-handed as it is right-handed. 

The mechanism is lined up so the air is drawn into the 14 internal cyclones in a straight line, to maximize suction. For this model, Dyson also re-engineered the motor to reduce turbulence, increase the overall airflow efficiency, and cut down on noise. It promises 20 per cent more suction power than the V10 and works in conjunction with the 80W High Torque cleaning head to collect significantly more debris. 

(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

The Dyson V11 has three different suction modes: Auto mode, Boost mode and Eco mode. Eco mode is best for long cleaning sessions. It's the lowest in power (although still packs a decent punch). At the other end of the spectrum is the ultra-powerful Boost mode, which is perfect for particularly stuck debris.

However, Auto mode is what you’ll use most often, according to Dyson’s user statistics. The V11 has sensors on the main cleaner head that measure brush resistance as an indicator of whether you're on carpet or hard floor. In Auto mode, it responds by raising or lowering suction accordingly. When I tested the Dyson V11, I tried alternating between a carpet and a wooden floor, and I could feel (and hear) the an instant shift in suction power as I moved between the two.

(Newer Dyson vacuums take this a step further by also monitoring how dirty your floor is and bumping up or lowering suction more precisely as required, but that's not included here.)

(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

Perhaps the biggest change to the design of the V11 in comparison with its predecessor is the inclusion of an LCD display. This shows the current mode of the vacuum, the estimated remaining battery life and any other warnings or alerts that might be relevant. For example, this screen displays a warning if there’s a blockage, and even shows you how to clear it, which is especially handy.

(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

The High Torque cleaner head features a mixture of stiff nylon bristles, designed to drive out ground-in dirt from carpets, and soft anti-static carbon fiber filaments, which work to collect dust from hard floors. There's also a manual adjustment on the head that allows you to open and close valves to suit the depth and type of carpet surface in your home.

It comes with an array of attachments. Exactly which ones will depend on the version you go for and where you live, but roughly expect a Motorbar Cleaner Head, Hair Screw Tool, Crevice Tool and Combination Tool (but double check when you buy). These can be attached directly to the motor unit for use in handheld mode, or to the end of a wand for further reach. Where it improves on the V10's design is that here, the accessories can be clipped onto the vacuum itself – a useful touch for anyone who's found they need another head when on the far side of the house. 

(Image credit: Future - Joel Burgess)

There's a 0.2 gallon (0.75 litre) bin capacity, with a pump-action sliding mechanism that projects the bin out away from the cyclonic cylinder to enable you to dispose of its contents quickly and easily. 

The V11 also includes a fully sealed filtration system, designed to capture even the tiniest of bacteria. It's designed to minimize the amount of allergy-triggering dirt, dust and pollen particles getting stirred up and released into the air. Anyone with allergies will also appreciate the added collection provided by an easily cleanable filter.

Dyson V11 specs

Dyson V11 review: performance

At 6.68lb (3kg), the V11 is lighter than most corded vacuums (although a little heavier than the V10), but it does carry a lot of weight in its handle. I found the High Torque and Soft Roller heads counterbalanced most of this weight when used with the extension barrel on the ground, but that it became quite an arm workout when I wanted to use a non-motorized attachment. However, a fellow tester found that it felt light and easy to use in any mode. 

The V11 moves around easily on both carpets and hard floors, whether you're using the High Torque cleaner head or the soft roller cleaner head, and the articulated design of the heads makes it easy to get under furniture (Shark has since taken things a step further on this front – today's best Shark vacuum cleaners have a hinge to its vacuum wands, so they can bend to 90-degrees from the motor unit). 

I started by seeing how the V11 tackled an oat spillage. I used the soft roller cleaner head, which is designed for hard floors, with soft bristles and a velvet-like material covering the roller, on the Auto/Medium power setting. Just one slow pass picked up 100 per cent of the oats, and the V11 repeated the feat on the Eco setting. 

I also tried it on talcum power and carpet freshener on carpet, using the High Torque cleaner head on the Auto/Medium setting. Again, one slow forward and back pass cleared the whole spillage. 

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Pet hair was the next test, and again the V11 performed impeccably, cleaning the hair from the rug with little effort. The results were equally evident from looking at the amount of hair collected in the bin.

Switching out the High Torque head and wand for the mini motorized tool, I tackled the sofas. While this configuration looks a little ungainly with the tool connected directly to the cylinder, it feels well balanced and light at just over 2kg, and again it picked up the pet hairs with ease. 

The V11 Absolute also makes light work of the normally onerous task of cleaning stairs, thanks to the mini motorized tool, which can get right into the corners with no trouble.

(Image credit: Future)

During my tests, I occasionally found that the sticks and hair collected by the V11 would need to be dislodged from the airways and the spinning head later. Fortunately the V11's components are still easy to detach and clean when you need to, and a new motor sensor will now alert you to any blockages that may be reducing suction power (a surprisingly common support request).

In terms of emptying the regular bin, though, it was as easy as it initially appears. All the dirt and debris came out without any need to poke around and get my fingers dirty. 

Dyson V11 review: battery

Officially, the Dyson V11 will last 60 minutes in Eco mode (with non-motorized tools attached), and just 12 minutes in Boost. In Auto/Med, the battery life will depend on how much suction is required (in this mode, it'll power up when on carpet) – I found it delivered just under 41 minutes with the soft roller cleaner head. 

I found there was more than enough power to tackle a lightly soiled four bedroom house from top to bottom, crevices and all, but I would need to factor in a re-charge time if I wanted to embark on an intensive multi-hour spring cleaning sprees. Because the remaining battery life is clearly displayed on the LCD screen in terms of time, it's easy to see how much juice the vacuum has left, and adjust modes accordingly.

Cleverly, the remaining runtime will adjust depending on which attachment is connected – so it knows if it has a battery-sapping motorized tool attached, and this is reflected on the screen.

Should you buy a Dyson V11?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

  • First reviewed: 2019
Kobo Clara HD review
11:00 am | July 27, 2018
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

[Update February 7, 2023: The Kobo Clara HD is no longer available in the US and has had a small price rise in both the UK and Australia, now priced at £119.99 / AU$189.95.]

Competing against the Amazon Kindle brand is a difficult task, but Kobo is attempting to do so with its new Kobo Clara HD, which has a similar specs list and price to the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

If you want an alternative to the big A’s biggest selling ereader, the Kobo Clara HD is here to offer you all of the same features but with a slightly different design and reading experience.

Below we'll talk you through everything we like and loathe about the Kobo Clara HD, plus everything you need to know about it.

Kobo Clara HD price and release date

  • The Kobo Clara HD price is £119.99 / AU$189.95
  • On sale in the UK and Australia
  • Currently unavailable in the US

The Kobo Clara HD's price has recently increased by £10 / AU$10 and is now £119.99 / AU$189.95, though the device is no longer available in the US. This aligns with the price of the 2018 Kindle Paperwhite, which comes in at £119.99 / $129.99 / AU$199. 

While you can still pick up the Kobo Clara HD in both the UK and Australia, it's predecessor, the Kobo Clara 2E was released in September 2022 and is available for $139.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95 in those two regions and as well as the US.

You can get it now in the UK and Australia from a variety of retailers including Kobo's manufacturer, which is called Rakuten. You can also buy it in the UK from a variety of other retailers including John Lewis and WHSmith.

Design

  • Lighter than the Kindle Paperwhite
  • Strange looking rear that won't appeal to everyone

Comfort is one of the most important elements of an ereader, especially when you'll likely be reading books for long periods.

So you’ll be glad to know the Kobo Clara HD is comfortable to hold for long periods of time without it becoming too heavy in the hand.

At 166g this is a similar weight to the standard Kindle model, and quite a bit lighter than the Kindle Paperwhite. That's pretty much ideal.

We found it was easy to hold for long periods of reading, but also wouldn’t blow away in the slightest gust of wind. The size of the device also means it's easy to hold in one hand.

There’s still room for a 6-inch screen though, which is the most common size on ereaders at the moment. All of Amazon’s range sports a 6-inch display, but if you want something a little larger there’s always the Kobo Aura One, which comes with a 7.8-inch display instead.

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Despite the 6-inch screen, this is still a very compact device with dimensions of 157 x 111 x 8.3mm. It managed to fit in the back pocket of men's jeans, and it's easy to slot this into your bag ready for your commute.

Basically, it's a lot easier to pick up, carry and read the Kobo Clara HD than it is most of George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series in paperback.

It’s made of plastic, so doesn’t feel as premium as the latest version of the Kindle Oasis, but it’s easy to grip, with the rear of the device having an odd effect that helps your fingertips hold on.

We don’t fully know how to explain it, but there are lots of little dots that looks similar to the pointillism style of artwork. It sort of feels perforated, but it's made of solid plastic rather than a pliable material that feels soft to the touch.

It may be comfortable to hold, but the effect on the back doesn’t look great compared to many other ereaders - including Kobo’s own range - so don’t expect this to be the best looking device on the market from the rear.  It's also not waterproof - for that, consider the Kobo Aura H2O.

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On the front there’s the Kobo logo emblazoned just below the screen. There are then thick bezels around the edges of the ereader, and these don’t sit flush to the screen like on the Kindle Oasis.

The bezels are quite raised away from the screen, which doesn't look great. Those bezels give you lots of room to rest your fingers though.

You won’t find yourself tapping on any buttons around the edges while you're reading, as there’s only a power button on the bottom of the device that sits next to a micro USB charging port.

Display

  • There's a 6-inch Carta E Ink display that's 300 pixels per inch
  • Easy to read in bright sunlight and has customizable brightness too

On the front of the Kobo Clara HD there's a 6-inch Carta E Ink touchscreen display that is great for reading books, as it comes with the standard 300 pixels per inch, which we’ve seen on lots of other devices including the Kindle Paperwhite.

The screen is the perfect resolution for ebooks and even suits if you plan to read graphic novels on the display, but note this will only show them in black and white. 

If you want to read comics in color, you'll have to opt for a reading app on a tablet.

The Kobo Clara HD has the perfect size display though, and you're easily able to navigate the books you're reading as well as having enough room to read at the same time. For example, you can hang your finger over part of the display ready to change page without having to stop reading and slowing down the action.

You can easily change the brightness on the display to make it easier to read in bright sunlight, or you can leave it on the auto-brightness mode, which we found worked well.

Kobo's own ComfortLight PRO technology will also change the color temperature and hue of the display depending on what time of day it is.

You can set your bedtime within the brightness section on the ereader and it will then switch to a more natural lighting that's easier on your eyes before you go to sleep. It turns down the blue light in the screen and brings forth the warmer, redder colors which are proven to help your brain switch off at night.

We had it set to come on at 10pm and it would immediately switch to a redder tint that's easier on the eye. You can also turn this on manually if you want, and there's a slider, so unlike some other products you can decide how much you want it to do.

Battery life

  • Should last for weeks without charging
  • You can recharge with micro USB at the bottom of the device

Ereaders generally have great battery life, lasting for around a month or so, and we’d expect a similar amount of time from the Kobo Clara HD.

We’ve used the ereader for a week now and found it dropped in battery by around 26%. With around an hour or so of reading a day you'll likely find this ereader to last roughly three weeks to a month, depending on how bright you have the display and whether it's connected to Wi-Fi.

Kobo has yet to provide an official estimate of how long the Kobo Clara HD will last from a single charge though. If you want to charge up the ereader, you’ll plug it in using the micro USB port at the bottom of it. 

We found this will take a few hours to charge, but you won't have to do this that often so it's not much of an issue.

Software and Kobo Store

  • Comes running Kobo's own software that's easy to set up and use
  • Kobo Store is more limited than competitors, but still extensive

The Kobo Clara HD comes with the company's own software on board, and it's easy to get your head around and set up.

Once you've got the Kobo Clara HD set up, you can find all of the menus you'll need by tapping on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the display.

Here you'll be able to find shortcuts to your books, your saved articles, the Kobo Store (so you can buy books) and much more. You'll also find the Settings in here, where you'll be able to set up Wi-Fi on your ereader.

The Clara HD will automatically sync with your Kobo account, so if you've used an ereader from the company or bought books on Kobo before you'll get them all automatically connected to your account.

You can then just tap on them to download. Scrolling through books is just an easy tap on the left or right of the display as there are no buttons here to help you navigate through the menus.

When you're in the book, you can tap at the top of the display to view different elements of it. The percentage read appears in the top left, while the bottom right is where you can change the size of the font or skip to different chapters.

The software on the Kobo Clara HD is accomplished and is perfect for what it sets out to do. It's simple and easy to use, so you shouldn't have many issues with reading on the Clara HD.

The easiest way to read books on your Clara HD is buying them directly from the Kobo Store, but there are a few other routes you can use to get titles. You can upload EPUB files by connecting the ereader to your computer, and some libraries also allow you to borrow ebooks too. 

Different libraries have different methods of supplying ebooks, so it's best to speak to your library about how to upload titles to the ereader.

It's worth noting the easiest way to read on your Kobo Clara HD is through the official Kobo store. You can buy and download them on the official website, connect them to your account and then access them from the ereader, or you can buy them directly on the device.

The Kobo Store is certainly more limited than the Amazon Kindle store. Kobo has over 5 million books on offer though, so you should be able to find the top-selling titles you'll want for the Clara HD, but more specialist titles may be missing here.

We tried to find ten popular books that people in the TechRadar office had read or planned to read and found that 9 out of 10 were available on Kobo's store. If you have particular favorite genres or authors, we recommend taking a look to see if they are on the Kobo store before buying this.

One thing worth pointing out is that the Kobo Clara HD comes with 8GB of storage. The Kindle Paperwhite only has 4GB, while if you want more than 8GB you'll have to opt for the 32GB and much more expensive Kindle Oasis.

That means there's lots of space on the Clara HD for ebooks, and Kobo expects there to be enough space for around 6,000 titles. It's unlikely you'll have that many, but it's good to know you've got enough space for as many as you want.

There's no 3.5mm headphone jack or Bluetooth audio on the Kobo Clara HD, which means you won't be able to listen to audiobooks on the ereader.

Considering this is a feature introduced on the Kindle Oasis and standard Kindle, and that Kobo launched its own audiobook service in 2017, we were hoping this device would be capable of playing titles. It can't though, so you'll have to opt for your phone and the Kobo app if you prefer the spoken word.

Verdict

There isn't much development in the ereader space at the moment, but that doesn't mean it's not a great time to upgrade your ereader if you bought one a few years ago. It's also a great time to get one if you've never owned one.

The top-end of the ereader market is where the more interesting developments are happening right now. That said, if you're just planning to read the odd book for an hour a day on your commute or you want a device you can load up with titles to be entertained by on your holiday and don't want lots of fancy features, the £110 / $130 devices on the market will suit your needs.

It's hard to compete against the behemoth that is Amazon in this space, but Kobo has done it here, offering a remarkably similar product for a similar price.

Who's this for?

This is for anyone who wants an ereader but doesn't need any top-end features such as a premium-feel metal design or audiobook integration. If you're looking for a mid-price device, it would be hard to go wrong with the Kobo Clara HD.

It features a great-looking 6-inch display that has the useful ComfortLight PRO features, an easy to hold design that's comfortable in the hand and tons of storage too.

The fact the Clara HD doubles the Kindle Paperwhite storage will be great for some as well, but it's very unlikely the average reader will have 6,000 ebooks to fill this up.

The software from Kobo is easy to use too, so this is perfect for anyone just starting out with an ereader who wants to get into reading ebooks instead of paper ones.

Should you buy it?

The Kobo Clara HD has a remarkably similar specs and feature list to the latest Amazon Kindle Paperwhite model, so your decision comes down to which design you prefer and which book store suits you better.

You do have twice the storage here, so if that's important for you go for the Kobo over the Kindle.

We do recommend inspecting both book stores though to ensure the sort of titles you'll want to read are covered by the option you go for. 

If you're happy with both, it's then time to look at the design, see which one you prefer and make your decision that way.

First reviewed: May 2018

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Author: admin | Category: Cameras | Tags: , , , | Comments: None

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