The Simba Hybrid Pro goes beyond a typical memory foam mattress as it features clever design to eliminate overheating and provide extra support and comfort.

The Hybrid Pro is available in a variety of sizes to suit most bed types, from Single up to Super King. Regardless of the size, all mattresses are 28cm deep so make sure your fitted sheets are able to cover this.

The Simba Hybrid Pro is shipped wrapped up in a box and should be left to expand once it’s opened. You should give the mattress around six hours to expand so we found it best to unpack ours in the morning and give it the day to settle.

Simba offers a 200-night sleep trial which means if at any point during this period you decide against keeping the mattress then Simba will send a two-person team to collect it for free and refund you. Otherwise Simba offers a decent 10-year guarantee against defects for extra peace of mind.

The Hybrid Pro is made up of a whopping seven layers including the Simbatex foam layer which is infused with graphite and has an open-cell design to increase airflow to prevent overheating, and two layers of Aero Coil springs to support your body. 

There’s also a harder edge support layer around the bed and multi zone foam base for extra depth and support. 

The layers are topped off with wool which aids the mattress against heat build-up, which is a common issue with memory foam mattresses. 

Overall we found the Simba Hybrid Pro to be a firm mattress that offers excellent support and comfort. We determined this by measuring how far we sank into the mattress in various sitting and sleeping positions. 

We found the Hybrid Pro was able to insulate movement well, much better than pocket-sprung mattresses, which means a restless partner won’t interrupt your own circadian rhythm. 

Although the Simba Hybrid Pro is an expensive mattress, it offers unparalleled support and excellent heat dissipation to help you get the best night’s sleep possible. If you prefer a softer mattress then we’d recommend the Nectar Sleep Premier instead.

Full review: Simba Hybrid Pro review
Reviewer: David Ludlow

A straightforward foam mattress, the Emma Original balances price, comfort and features neatly. One of the best things about this mattress is that its cover is washable.

Unzip the top, and it lifts off, ready to go in the washing machine, leaving the foam layers where they are. You can also remove the lower cover and wash that, although that’s a little trickier. We recommend flipping the mattress and removing the section that way.

The top cover is Emma’s UltraDry, which is moisture-wicking, removing sweat from your body. Inside are three foam layers: Airogell to regulate temperature, the memory foam layer which adapts to your body and offers support, and finally HRX Supreme Foam to give stability and support.

It generally works well, providing great levels of support when lying down. Edge support is decent, but the mattress did sink a little when we were sitting up (6cm), so those who read a lot or watch TV in bed may prefer a slightly harder pick.

Motion transference is minimal, with one person’s movements staying on their side of the bed. Heat dissipation is good, with most heat gone after three minutes and the bed returning to ambient temperatures a couple of minutes after that.

Overall, this is a great midrange mattress that’s easy to keep clean. If you want something with a more luxurious feel or a mattress that’s a bit firmer, check out the alternatives.

Full review: Emma Original Mattress review
Reviewer: David Ludlow

The Nectar Sleep Premier is the company’s top-of-the-range mattress-in-a-box, as you can probably tell by the relatively high price. A full 365-day trial period does mean that you get a long time to give it a go.

As with most premium mattresses, the Nectar Sleep Premier is chunky. Its 28cm depth means that you’ll want deep fitted sheets to go over it, and may need a hand getting it into position; fortunately, there are big handles on the side for this job.

There are six layers. On the outside is the quilted cooling cover, which feels nice and soft to the touch. There’s a zip, but the cover is not removable or machine washable. Next is the dynamic support layer, which is made of breathable foam; press-relieving memory foam is next; there’s a honeycomb layer built for spine alignment; and, finally, there’s the base material that keeps everything in place.

Edge support isn’t so good on this model, with the bed dipping 7.5cm with us sat on the side. Once in bed, things get better. There’s only a 4.5cm dip when sat up in bed, and support is excellent in all sleeping positions. That’s even though the mattress feels a bit softer to the touch than some rivals.

Movement isolation is very good. Even if you sleep with someone who’s quite restless, you shouldn’t be disturbed too much.

Heat dissipation is excellent, taking just three minutes for our outline to practically disappear in our thermal camera test.

If you like a softer-feel mattress, but one that still gives good support, then this premium example is a good choice.

Full review: Nectar Sleep Premier review
Reviewer: David Ludlow

The Emma Premium Mattress should suit anyone who wants a high-quality yet firm mattress. Firm shouldn’t be mistaken for uncomfortable, as this mattress provides a high level of support. Once we’d gotten used to it, we found it to be extremely comfortable to sleep on.

As with many premium mattresses, this one is very deep once it’s unwrapped and expanded to its full size. It’s likely you’ll need help unpacking this model. Help will also be needed when you turn this mattress regularly to prevent sagging.

There are six layers in this mattress. At the top is the breathable cover that gives comfort and acts a little like a mattress topper. This layer also helps regulate temperature and can be removed for washing.

Next is the Point Elastic Airgocell, which helps regulate temperature by absorbing and evaporating sweat. Then, there’s a memory foam layer that moulds to your body shape, followed by a foam layer that Emma says helps alleviate pressure. As this is a hybrid mattress, there’s a layer of springs, followed by a base foam layer.

We found that this mattress took a while to get used to, and we found it very firm at first. If you prefer a mattress with a softer feel, look elsewhere.

Edge support is excellent on this bed, with the mattress dipping just 4.5cm. There’s little dip from lying in sleeping positions either (enough to keep your spine aligned), but the mattress remains very firm.

Measuring the mattress with an accelerometer, we found that motion was quite well insulated, with little disturbance caused by one partner turning over. Getting out of bed proved even better: you probably wouldn’t even notice a partner waking up the morning.

Heat dissipation is very good. After three minutes, there was little trace of where we had been lying. This is a great mattress, but it’s better for those who like a firm-feel.

Full review: Emma Premium Mattress review
Reviewer: Max Parker

The Nectar Hybrid Mattress is a great-value hybrid mattress which is currently available for 60% less than its original price. As with most rivals, this mattress comes vacuum-packed and must be left to inflate back to full size before you can sleep on it.

Six layers are used to build up the Nectar Hybrid Mattress. First, there’s a quilted cooling cover, which can’t be removed, even though there’s a zip around the outside. It’s worth buying a mattress protector to use with it.

There’s a dynamic support layer, micro-spring layer, pressure-relieving memory foam, 7-zone supportive base and positioning base material.

Rated as a six on a firmness scale (out of 10), this mattress is about in the middle. We sat on the edge of this mattress, and it dipped 8cm, which is quite a lot. If you tend to sleep at the edge of the bed, then a firmer mattress would be better. Likewise, if you sit up and read in bed a lot, then another mattress may be better: this model dipped 6cm.

For sleep, the Nectar Hybrid Mattress is very good. It conforms to your body shape, keeping you and your spine well aligned, proving to be very comfortable.

Measuring motion isolation, we found that quite a lot of motion was transmitted from one side of the bed to another when getting in and out; the relatively soft edges are likely to blame. Once in bed, the Nectar Hybrid Mattress isolates one person from their partner’s movements.

Heat dissipation is good but not the best that we’ve seen: it took five minutes before our routine was hard to see in thermal camera photos.

This is a good mid-range choice for anyone who wants a medium-firm mattress.

Full Review: Nectar Hybrid Mattress review
Reviewer: Ryan Jones

The GP Ultra AA are a fantastic choice for most households as they offer great value for money, are available in a wide-range of pack sizes and are designed for all types of use. Although we’ve reviewed batteries that boasted higher capacities, the overall flexibility and price of the GP Ultra AA easily make them our most recommended choice.

GP states that the Ultra AA batteries have a service life of 19.5 hours based on a 10-Ohm discharge resistance, which essentially means they are designed for power-hungry devices such as remote-controlled toys and torches. 

To trial this ourselves we used an Ansmann Energy XC 3000 to drain the batteries to determine how long they take to consume power. We concluded that this resulted in one of the highest initial capacities we had seen across all our battery tests, with the batteries ending at 0.94V.

We then left the batteries to cool down and re-ran our test to check if there was any charge remaining. Impressively, the Ultra AA boasted the highest result of any alkaline batteries we’ve reviewed, as the total capacity was an average of 1680.5mAh.

Essentially this shows that the GP Ultra AA are not only optimum for high-drain applications but also low-drain devices such as remote controls and radios, and can keep them powered for a good amount of time.

As the GP Ultra AA batteries are versatile, can support both high and low drain capacities and has a generous RRP across all pack sizes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better value set.

Full review: GP Ultra AA review

Reviewer: David Ludlow

When we tested AAA batteries, we were expecting a similar spread of results to the AA models, but we were wrong: the Amazon Basics Alkaline AAA batteries were by far the best at everything in our tests.

We performed an initial drain test and found that the batteries held 559.75mAh, which was highest by a lot. Running a second drain test after the batteries had cooled down, we found that they held an additional 25.25mAh, for a total of 585mAh. That’s second overall, but only 12mAh less than the GP Ultra AAA batteries.

That shows that pretty much the full capacity can be used by high drain devices, such as games controllers, toys and torches. Yet, the overall capacity is high, making these batteries suitable for low-drain uses, such as remote controls, where longevity is important.

The other batteries that we tested just weren’t as good: they had much lower results in the initial result, and most had lower overall capacities. That makes the Amazon Basics Alkaline AAA batteries the best overall at everything.

Full review: Amazon Basics Alkaline AAA review

Reviewer: David Ludlow

The word ‘budget’ often has bad connotations, but the Amazon Basics Alkaline AA batteries avoid that trap. While these are undoubtedly cheap batteries, particular when bought in bulk.

Running these batteries through our normal tests, we measured them with an initial capacity of 1376mAh, which is only slightly behind the Duracell Plus AA. This amount of power shows that these batteries are an excellent choice for high-drain uses, such as torches and toys.

We then ran the batteries through a second drain test, which delivered an additional 219mAh, for a total capacity of 1595mAh, which is only just behind the GP Ultra AA batteries. That makes these batteries a good choice for lower-drain use, such as clocks and remote controls.

While the GP Ultra batteries may be slightly more flexible, if you’re on a tighter budget, these are a great choice, particularly if you want to buy in bulk.

Full review: Amazon Basics Alkaline AA review

Reviewer: David Ludlow

If it’s raw power that you want, then the Duracell Plus AA alkaline batteries are for you. These proved to be real power-houses in our tests.

Our initial drain test showed that these batteries were capable of delivering 1442mAh: this is the highest that we’ve seen. We then performed a second test after the batteries had cooled down, and they delivered an additional 176mAh, giving a total of 1618mAh.

While this makes the GP Ultra AA batteries more powerful overall, the Duracell AA’s initial result shows that these batteries are much more powerful for high-drain use, such as toys and torches. If that’s the main use that you want batteries for, then there’s nothing better that we’ve tested.

These batteries are quite expensive, and the Amazon Basics AA may be better choice if you’re on a tighter budget.

Full review: Duracell Plus AA review

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Our pick for the best Google phone is the top-end Pixel 8 Pro. This is very much of a rival to devices like the Galaxy S23 Plus, offering a slicker software experience and one of the best cameras around, though its increased price tag means it’s not quite as budget-friendly as its predecessor.

All the phones featured here boast smooth, clean and frequently updated software. As Google makes both the phone and the underlying Android software, Pixel phones get updates as soon as Android releases them, so you’ll get Android 14 out of the box. That’s cool enough, but Google’s commitment to 7 years of OS upgrades with the Pixel 8 range – the best of any Android manufacturer – will see it through to the release of Android 21, with all new features included.

More specifically, there are a few reasons to go for the Pixel 8 Pro over the cheaper options in our list. First off, the 6.7-inch 120Hz LPTO Actua display is both smooth and impressively bright at 2400nits, making it larger and smarter than the Pixel 8, while boasting a serious upgrade in resolution and brightness compared to the Pixel 7a. It’s also a flat display this time around, which makes for a nice change from the curved displays of previous models.

There’s also a slightly updated design with a matte rear that, compared to the Pixel 8’s glossy finish, is much better at resisting smudges and fingerprints while also being a little grippier.

It’s also the only version of the Pixel 8 with a triple camera array. Both the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have excellent main and ultrawide cameras, but with the Pro, you’re also getting a 48MP telephoto zoom. It’s not the very best telephoto zoom we’ve used, but it’s the best on the list, including the high-end Pixel Fold.

Reviewer: Max Parker

Full review: Google Pixel 8 Pro review

Right in the middle of Google’s smartphone range, you’ll find the Pixel 8. This device might not offer quite the same specs as the Pro version (most notably lacking a telephoto sensor and having a slightly smaller, non-LTPO screen), but it still packs quite the punch, especially given its relatively modest price tag – even if, like the Pro, it’s more expensive than the Pixel 7.

The camera, like with other Pixel phones, is the main highlight here, delivering gorgeously detailed and punchy images regardless of whether you’re using it during the day or at night. There are also fun AI smarts that allow you to swap out faces in group selfies for better options and even use generative AI to remove huge swathes of an image, but it’s not the only reason you might feel tempted to make one of these your own.

The 120Hz OLED Actua screen, measuring a slightly smaller 6.2 inches than its predecessor, is plenty capable with impressive peak brightness and great HDR support that makes watching Netflix movies a joy, and the design certainly looks sleek and feels premium to the touch as well. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t have the same matte finish as the Pixel 8 Pro, as it’s quite the fingerprint magnet.

It also gets the same long-term commitment as the Pixel 8 Pro, boasting 7 years of OS upgrades that’ll take it through to the release of Android 21, all new features in tow.

While the slow charging speeds and lack of a telephoto sensor are two obvious compromises, we certainly don’t think that these should be dealbreakers when a smartphone offers as good overall performance as the Pixel 8 does.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter

Full review: Google Pixel 8 review

If you’re on the hunt for a small Pixel but want to keep the budget low, the Pixel 8a is a great pick. In many of the most important ways, it matches the (more expensive) Pixel 8 and offers a number of upgrades over last year’s equally tempting Pixel 7a.

New features include another boost to the 6.1-inch OLED screen’s refresh rate, now up to 120Hz to match most of the competition, and it borrows the flagship Pixel 8‘s Actua screen tech for a serious boost in brightness, up to 2000nits max. It makes scrolling through Instagram and doom scrolling on TikTok that little bit better, even if the bezels are egregiously thick.

It also sports the same matte finish as the top-end Pixel 8 Pro, rather than the glossy finish of the Pixel 8, which both makes it less of a fingerprint magnet and gives it a nice satin-esque feel in the hand. Combined with more rounded edges and a thinner camera bar on the rear, it’s a well-built smartphone.

Of course, the headline feature of any Pixel phone is camera tech, and that’s also true of the Pixel 8a. It might not offer any big hardware upgrades, sporting the same combination of a 64MP main sensor and 13MP ultrawide as the Pixel 7a, but it continues to deliver impressive mobile photography with accurate skin tones, exceptional low-light performance and plenty of detail to boot.

Inside the phone, there’s the same Tensor G3 chip as the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. While we would like a little more power in the flagship range, at this price it is perfectly adequate and a good performer in all of our tests. Tensor also powers many of the AI aspects of the Pixel, like the clever call screening features and excellent voice recorder.

Just as with the Pixel 7a, however, the battery life could be better. Our reviewer managed to get through every day without reaching for a charger, but only just. He noted that battery drain was significant, especially with the screen brightness cranked up, with a maximum of around four and a half hours of screen time to completely drain the phone.

Reviewer: Max Parker

Full review: Google Pixel 8a review

At the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find the ultra-premium Google Pixel Fold, the only Pixel available in a foldable form factor. It’s extremely expensive at £1,749/$1,799, but if you want the Pixel software experience on a foldable, it’s your only option right now.

The book-style foldable is squatter than what you’ll find from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Honor Magic Vs, making the external 5.8-inch OLED panel much more compact and easier to use. It also means the internal 7.6-inch OLED display boasts a horizontal aspect ratio, compared to most other foldables that are taller than they are wider. Both displays are set to a super smooth 120Hz refresh rate, with the inner display boasting a crisp 2K resolution.

You’ll find camera hardware including a main 48Mp snapper, a 10.8MP ultrawide and 18.8MP 5x telephoto lens capable of delivering the famed Pixel experience, with vibrant, impressively detailed shots and access to AI-powered features like Night Sight and Super Res Zoom.

That AI experience also spills over into the general Android 13 experience on offer, with AI-infused Pixel-favourite features like the ability to screen incoming calls on your behalf all present and accounted for.

There are hints that this is very much a first-gen product, however; the crease on the inner panel is both wider and deeper than what you’ll find from most other competitors in 2024, and the hinge doesn’t completely open 180 degrees, leaving the phone to wobble on flat surfaces.

Google has also removed the ability to force unsupported apps to run in full-screen mode on the internal display – a feature of every other book-style foldable – severely limiting just how helpful it can be when general app support is hit-and-miss.

And, as with practically every other Pixel phone, the 4821mAh battery isn’t quite enough to negate that battery anxiety. It’d get to the end of the day – just about – but couldn’t survive into the second day. It also suffers from a rather slow 30W charging experience, though this isn’t that out of place in the foldable market.

If, however, you’ve got your heart set on a book-style foldable and simply have to have the stock Pixel experience, the Pixel Fold ticks most boxes.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter

Full review: Google Pixel Fold review

The issue with electric heaters is that you only tend to use them at certain times of the year. The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde aims to fix this by providing a heater, a fan and a powerful air purifier all in one neat package, which means you can use it for all seasons. 

There are numerous features that make the Purifier especially versatile, including the useful Auto Mode which adjusts the speed and temperature of the fan automatically, according to the time of day and the environment. For example if the fan detects that the room needs to warm up then it’ll increase its temperature.

There’s also Diffused mode which reverses the airflow, and Nighttime mode which reduces the fan’s speed and the brightness of its display.

Working the fan is seamless, as you just use the fan buttons on the remote to select one of ten fan speeds and to adjust the temperature between 1-37°C. Once it hits the desired temperature the fan will then automatically switch to minimum speed to keep the room feeling more comfortable. 

Connect your Dyson Purifier to the Dyson Link app and you’ll have a choice between even more modes and features, or you can connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free use. 

On the front of the fan you’ll see an LCD panel which offers all the information you need, including the fan’s status and the quality of air in your home. 

The purifier can detect and remove anything from very fine particles (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are harsh chemicals found in cleaning products, and even formaldehyde which can be found in glues and paints.

Detecting formaldehyde has always been tricky because sensors degrade over time. Dyson has cleverly fixed this by using a solid-state sensor which will last the lifetime of the fan. 

Instead of having three separate appliances for heating, cooling and purifying, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool has everything you need for year-round comfort in one sophisticated device. 

Full Review: Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde

Reviewer: David Ludlow

It doesn’t have a built-in air purifier, but as the Princess Smart Heating and Cooling Tower has both heating and cooling modes, it’s still useful for most of the year. You can control all of the features and set the fan speed and target temperature using the bundled remote control, but you get a few more options if you connect the fan to your Wi-Fi network.

Via the Climate app, you get all of the same options that the remote control gives, plus you can set a timer and schedule when you want the fan to become active. That’s very useful if you want to regularly heat a space and need smart thermostat-like controls. There are a few mismatches between what’s on the fan and what’s replicated in the app, but these are minor annoyances at worst.

In fan mode, the Princess Smart Heating and Cooling Tower is as powerful as its Dyson rival, although quite a bit louder – particularly as the lowest fan speed isn’t that low. Heat mode was enough to cope with a 30m2 test lab, getting it to a comfortable 21°C before the fan shut down.

Having an accurate thermostat is very helpful on a product such as this, as it means you’re only using a high amount of electricity (1983kW here) for a shorter period. Heaters with inaccurate thermostats will typically run for longer than you need them to run.

Well-priced and useful throughout the year, the Princess Smart Heating and Cooling Tower is a great option for anyone who wants a smart device with a high level of control.

Review: Princess Smart Heating and Cooling Tower

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Drawing just 352W, as read from our power meter, the De’Longhi Capsule Desk costs only 12p per hour to run. The reason it doesn’t use much power is because it’s a small electric heater – no bigger than a DAB radio – designed to warm one person at a time.

Drop this on a desk and angle its grille, and the De’Longhi Capsule Desk can push out an envelope of warm air. We found that it made it much more comfortable to sit in a drafty office, making us feel warmer and, crucially, keeping our hands warm.

The controls on this device are very simple: there’s a single dial on top that you twist to adjust the unmarked thermostat. We don’t think that the thermostat is that helpful here, as we tended to set this heater to maximum and turn it off once we felt warm, rather than letting it click off automatically.

This heater doesn’t have the power to affect the temperature of an entire room, but if you want a relatively cheap way to keep yourself warm, it’s a great choice.

Review: De’Longhi Capsule Desk review

Reviewer: David Ludlow

The Dimplex MaxAir is a full-on tower fan, producing enough cooling air to cope with a summer’s day. However, if you need warming up, there’s also a 2.5kW heater inside it that delivers top performance.

As well as being a versatile unit, the Dimplex MaxAir is also pretty attractive, so you’ll have no problem leaving this product out in your home throughout the year.

You can set the desired fan speed and, if required, the temperature using the simple on-body controls or via the provided remote control. There’s also a Bluetooth app, which lets you use your smartphone control when within range of the fan. The app provides the same controls, although they’re a touch easier to understand.

Performance was excellent, with the fan producing some of the most powerful airflow we’ve seen: it maxed out at 5.7m/s when measured from 15cm. Heat performance was just as good, with the Dimplex MaxAir warming our test bedroom by the largest degree of any heater we’ve reviewed.

At 44.9dB, the fan is a touch noisy on maximum power. So if you’re after a quieter unit, a convector heater might be a better choice.

With tip-over and overheating protection, the Dimplex MaxAir is a fan that can be left unattended without concerns about any accidents.

The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool is slightly more flexible and looks neater, but it’s far more expensive, making the Dimplex MaxAir an excellent-value alternative.

Full review: Dimplex MaxAir review

Reviewer: Simon Handby

Small but mighty, the Dreo Atom 316 is a nifty heater that boasts clever features that are rarely found in a heater of this price. 

Measuring just under 10-inchesand weighing just 1.3kg,the Dreo Atmo 316 is one of the smallest fan heaters you can find, yet it has a decent 1.5kW output which is enough to take the chill out of a medium-sized room. 

As it’s so small and lightweight, and features a moulded carry handle at the back, it’s easy to move around making it ideal for carrying from room to room without much hassle. 

The Dreo’s clever safety features are particularly noteworthy too. The Atom 316 has tip-over protection which means the power immediately cuts off if it gets knocked over. There’s also a child lock and a 24-hour cutoff by default which is useful if you ever forget to turn your heater off. 

Another useful safety feature is the automatic fan once the Atom 316 is turned off. Although its metal output mesh gets quite hot when in use, the fan runs for 30 seconds after being turned off, taking the remaining heat out of the device. 

There are five touch-sensitive buttons found at the top of the heater to control the appliance. One point to note is that the controls are carved into the top panel with no additional lighting or accessibility features which can make it hard to see which button you’re selecting. 

Performance-wise the Atom 316 is a decent heater for such a small device and we found that heat was well distributed around the room. We also tested that after just 30 minutes on its maximum setting, the air temperature in a medium-sized room was lifted from 17.6°C to 22.4°C, and rose to 23.1°C after an hour. 

In its Eco mode the Atom 316 works at full power and then lowers its heating effort as it approaches your set temperature. Once your target temperature is hit, the Atom 316 switches off until the room temperature starts to fall again. We also found that Eco mode consumed a decent 0.51kWh, which is equivalent to 15p, making it a good affordable heater to run. 

If you’re looking for a small but powerful heater that’s inexpensive to both purchase and run, then you can’t get much better than the Dreo Atom 316.

Reviewer: Simon Handby

Full review: Dreo Atom 316

The Devola Smart WiFi Platinum 1.5kW Glass Panel Heater demonstrates that even lower-priced heaters can look good and have tonnes of features. Able to be wall mounted or stood on feet, this glass panel heater looks fantastic, no matter where you put it.

A convection heater, we tested the 1500W model, which is suitable for rooms of up to 20m², but there’s also a 2000W version for rooms up to 25m² and a 1000W model for rooms up to 15m². Aside from the power requirements, all of the heaters operate in a similar way.

We love the large LED panel and touch controls on the front, which make it easy to see the current temperature and set a target temperature. When the target is reached, the heater turns off automatically, saving power. Want to change the heat from across the room? There’s a remote in the box.

For more advanced features, you can use the Smart Life app, which is also compatible with a large range of products from different manufacturers, such as the TCP products on this list. Using the app, you can set the temperature, heat mode and define a schedule; oddly, timers are not available and only work using the remote or touch controls.

We measured energy consumption at a maximum of 1443W on full power and 731 in Eco mode. The latter is useful if you just need a bit of gentle heat to warm up a room when there’s only a bit of a chill.

Running the heater all day, we found that it kept our office warm for a cost of 38p, which isn’t bad at all. If you’ve got a room that you want smart heating in, this well priced model is a great choice.

Full review: Devola Smart WiFi Platinum 1.5kW Glass Panel Heater

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Available at Devola and Amazon

Fan heaters tend to be ugly, large, or both. The De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater is different, as it’s been built to look great, and its small body can be stood horizontally or vertically, giving a wider range of places it can be placed in. We found it best to stand this heater on a sideboard or a table.

There’s no tip-over protection on this model, as a result of it being able to stand in two positions. However, if it’s knocked over when it’s vertical, the heater drops into horizontal mode.

Controls on the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater are basic. There are three heat levels: 2.3kW (79p per hour), 1.3kW (47p per hour) and 982W (33p per hour). That’s handy, as this electric heater can be turned down when it’s not so cold, to provide a more gentle heat.

There’s a thermostat, too, although this isn’t marked. De’Longhi recommends setting the thermostat to maximum, and when the temperature feels right, turning it down until you hear a click.

We found that this fan took 20mins on maximum to take a cold office from 14°C to a more comfortable 19°C. It was also quiet at 44dB.

There’s a fan-only mode, although this is very gentle to the point of being worthless. If you want something you can use all year around, check out the hot/cold fans on this list.

If you’re after a quality electric heater that looks good and can fit into multiple spaces, this one is a good choice.

Review: De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater review

Reviewer: David Ludlow

The original Aeno Premium Eco Smart Heater brought oodles of style with it, but the lack of controls, bar an on/off button, restricted its use. The Aeno Premium Eco LED Smart Heater changes that: this model has a control box on the side, which lets you set a target temperature, with the heater turning off automatically.

It’s a useful addition, but just be careful where you mount the heater: in portrait mode, the screen could be hard to reach.

This infrared panel heater comes in two black and white glossy finishes and is slim at just 11mm in depth. 

It does take up a lot of space at 1000 x 365mm in height and width, meaning it may not be suitable for smaller rooms. For those looking for something smaller, a fan heater like the TCP Smart Heating Fan Heater Mini might be a better choice, though it won’t look nearly as slick. 

The Aeno Premium Eco LED has a versatile design that can be positioned either standing on the floor or mounted on the wall. It can be turned horizontally or vertically, and there’s even the option to mount it on your ceiling if you don’t mind calling in a professional to install it. And you have to use the app to turn off the tip-over protection.

As an infrared heater, the Premium Eco Smart directly heats objects in its path, including people and objects, causing them to radiate heat similar to how the sun would. This makes the heater more efficient than a convection heater which heats the air and can create a stuffy environment. 

Infrared heaters also prevent the air in a room from getting dried out, creating an unpleasant smell or producing unwanted noise. 

We found that the Aeno had a maximum draw of 794W and it took 1 hour and 19 minutes to raise the temperature of a room from 19°C to 22°C using just 0.332kWh. We also appreciated how the heat felt natural and warm as the Aeno didn’t deliver the same blast of hot air you might get from a fan heater. 

The heater is efficient too, automatically switching the panel off when the correct temperature has been reached and turning it back on when it drops again for better efficiency. Using it in our well-insulated office, we found it cost up 10.8p to run for the day.

The Premium Eco Smart is controlled entirely via the Aeno or Smart Life app (depending on which you prefer). These apps offer temperature controls, the option to create a schedule or set a timer and voice control with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant Skills. However, it’d be nice to have physical controls available as well. 

Review: Aeno Premium Eco Eco Smart Heater

Reviewer: David Ludlow

The Stihl RMA 448 TC is a self-propelled cordless lawnmower with a 46cm-wide cut designed for larger lawns. Its dual battery slots allow you to carrying around a spare, giving you enough power to cut even the largest areas of grass without having to traipse back to the garage.

Robust and well built, the Stihl RMA 448 TC has a single arm for pushing it. We thought that this would make the lawnmower uneven to push, but we’re happy to say that we were wrong. Driven by an independent motor, the Stihl RMA 448 TC moves comfortably, with the handle just used for steering.

There’s a generously sized bin on the rear, which fills up with compacted grass to the point where it’s really heavy to empty. There’s an optional mulching kit available, too. With excellent cutting performance, the Stihl RMA 448 TC is the best choice for large gardens.

Our one minor complaint is that the bundled battery charger takes the wrong side of four hours to charge – faster chargers are available if you want to recycle batteries more frequently.

Reviewer: Richard & Jackie Stevenson
Full Review: Stihl RMA 448 TC

A great budget lawnmower for smaller gardens

The Flymo Mighti-Mo 300 Li is one of the smallest, lightest and cheapest cordless lawn mowers that money can buy. With a 30cm cutting width and five cutting heights, this is a compact model aimed at those with smaller gardens. In our experience, we managed 125m² on a single battery charge.

When not in use, the handle folds down for storage – although it’s a bit of a pain to get it there – and you have to loosen the orange wing-nuts quite a way to get it to fold. The controls will be familiar to anyone with a Flymo, with two orange grab-levers. These are clearly from a corded lawnmower, since there’s still a clip for a cord: parts re-use helps keep the price down, so we can’t complain.

The provided battery lasted for 21 minutes, although in that time we had to empty the bin 10 times. This shows you that the Flymo Mighti-Mo 300 Li is an efficient collector and that the bin is a little small. To extend run-time you could buy a second battery, although they’re expensive at £106.99 plus £8.99. At these prices, you may as well put the extra cash towards a larger mower that lasts longer.

There’s a lack of power in long grass, but this isn’t likely to be so much of a problem in most UK homes where there’s just a small-ish lawn to contend with. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t have much grass, the Flymo Mighti-Mo 300 Li is a great budget choice.

Reviewer: Richard & Jackie Stevenson
Full Review: Flymo Mighti-Mo 300 Li

An outstanding compact cordless lawnmower

If you’ve got a small garden and don’t have much storage space then the Stihl RMA 235 is a great option as it’s designed for smaller lawns (up to 300m2) and boasts the power and performance of larger Stihl lawn mowers.

Despite its tough-feeling and robust body, the RMA 235 is lightweight at just 14kg. It also has a more traditional design with a handle attached on both sides for easy navigation. 

Thanks to the foldable handle and removable grass-catcher box, storing the RMA 235 is simple even in smaller sheds and spaces, and there’s a carry handle on top to make moving the lawnmower around easier. 

Naturally as a cordless model, the RMA 235 runs on Stihl’s AK batteries which conveniently power many of the company’s other tools. If you already own other Stihl products, such as the FSA 57 Grass Trimmer or BGA 57 leaf blower then you won’t need to splurge on extra batteries. 

Even so, if this is your first Stihl purchase then you don’t need to worry as there are numerous bundles available with accompanying batteries and chargers to best suit your needs. 

Stihl states that the best batteries for the RMA 235 are either the AK 20 and the AK 30, with the former better suited for smaller gardens under 200m2 and the latter designed for gardens under 300m2. However, there are other options for larger batteries if you find this necessary.

Offering a 33cm cutting width and fitted with a single blade, the RMA 235 has five marked cutting height options that range from 25mm to 65mm. We tested all height options across a variety of grass lengths and found the single blade was able to cut neatly with no clumps left behind. 

Unlike other lawn mowers, the RMA 235 doesn’t have a mulching option and instead cuttings are collected and compacted into the large 30-litre catcher.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Stihl RMA 235

For larger lawns, the huge Husqvarna LC 347VLi is a great choice. It has a massive 47cm cutting width for making short work of large spaces. It ships without batteries, but there’s a huge choice available to suit the area and use that you’ll put the lawnmower to.

Build quality is outstanding, with everything of the highest quality, feeling chunky and well made. It’s a huge lawnmower, weighing 25kg without a battery.

There are plenty of battery options. We opted for the BLi20 and QC330, which added £130 and £80 to the price respectively. The BLi20 gives around 20-minutes run-time at full-power and can be recharged in a swift 30 minutes. The Husqvarna LC 347VLi has storage space for a second battery, too, so you can do a quick swap in the middle of mowing.

There are five speed modes to choose from (3km/h to 4.5km/h), with the Husqvarna LC 347VLi propelling itself for easy work. There are also six height adjustments from 20mm to 75mm.

Cutting performance is excellent, although the 55-litre bag can get very heavy thanks to the compression of the grass cuttings. With the huge amount of power and excellent performance, the Husqvarna LC 347VLi is about as big a consumer lawnmower as you can get. Note, though, it can get expensive when you add in the batteries and chargers that you need.

Reviewer: Richard & Jackie Stevenson
Full Review: Husqvarna LC 347VLi

For the largest lawns, the EGO LM2122E-SP could be the right choice. With its 52cm cut width, this is a cordless lawnmower designed to make short work of even the biggest areas. That’s particularly true when you factor in the 1000m² of lawn that the EGO LM2122E-SP can tackle on a single charge. Given the price, this lawnmower is something of a bargain.

All of that power is manifested in the size of this lawnmower: at 30kg, it’s quite a beast. Part of this is down to the robust build quality, which we can’t knock. Despite the size, the handle folds over flat, making it easy to store the lawn mower in a shed or garage.

There are 11 speed settings for this self-propelled mower, although we found it hard to get quite the right balance: we found the EGO LM2122E-SP either a little slow for us or just a bit too fast to keep up with.

Cutting performance was excellent, with a nice clean cut and straight lines. It’s a shame there’s no “bag full” indicator, as you have to keep an eye out for grass being left behind before you make a change.

Minor speed niggles aside, if you need a big and powerful lawnmower for a large area, it’s hard to find anything that provides the same excellent value as the EGO LM2122E-SP.

Reviewer: Richard & Jackie Stevenson
Full Review: EGO LM2122E-SP

The Stihl RMA 248 Cordless Lawn Mower is a powerful cordless lawnmower with a long battery life, allowing you to keep mowing for longer.

The RMA 248 is a four-wheeled lawnmower that can be folded down for storage without completely disassembling the mower. The grass box is large and detachable, capable of holding 55L of grass. The box also has a pop-up flag that goes down to indicate when it’s time to empty the box.

There’s a chunky red jumper key that needs to be in place to start the mower, which we found both easy to pocket but still hard to lose compared to smaller keys.

There’s also an eco mode that automatically engages and slows the blades when cutting shorter grass to preserve power.

The battery life is the highlight here with two AK batteries allowing the mower to cut up to 500m² grass with a single charge. While this shows incredible endurance, the mower does take a while to charge up again once the battery is empty. Stihl only sells single battery chargers, with the AL101 taking 205 minutes to charge each AK30 battery and the AL301 doing the job in 60 minutes. That means it’ll take you at least two hours to get back to full power in the best-case scenario.

That being said, the mower has a 46cm cutting width, meaning it doesn’t take many passes over an area to get it cut. We found it able to tackle taller lawns and weeds, with the cutting height able to be altered in seven steps from 25 to 75mm.

However, long or unkempt grass can bind the blade, so that’s something to be aware of.

The Stihl RMA 248 isn’t the most nimble choice for smaller or more intricately shaped lawns, but if you have a large lawn and are looking for a mower that offers long endurance, a large grass box and a clean cut, this is a great choice.

Reviewer: Ian Evenden
Full Review: Stihl RMA 248 Cordless Lawn Mower

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is a sensational-sounding speaker and, for a Bluetooth speaker, it supports smarts in the form of Alexa voice assistance.

It achieves Alexa control through a smartphone, so the Alexa app needs to be downloaded on the mobile device as the A1 2nd Gen does not natively support it. During our time with the speaker, we found summoning Alexa work rather well in a local park, proving to be responsive at handling queries. Alexa wasn’t as quick to chime in when our smartphone was performing another task, so we’d suggest you keep attempts at multi-tasking low if you want a fast response.

Compared to the Beoplay A1, battery life has also had a upgrade, with the Beosound A1 able to last for 18 hours, where the original model could only reach four hours. The B&O companion app offers some decent functionality with EQ presets and volume control, though there are fewer features than what you’d get with a Wi-Fi enabled speaker.

As a B&O product, the Beosound A1 looks the part with a stylish leather base and aluminium top surface that helps the speaker achieve an IP67 water resistance, which is the same as the Wonderboom 3. It is lighter than its predecessor at 558g, which helps to make it easier to carry around, and its leather strap has been tweaked to allow for more hanging options. The tweaks to the design make it a little more convenient to carry with you.

The audio performance is one that we found to be very impressive, the sound quality was impressively clear, with bass better emphasised that the Sonos Roam. Vocal clarity is excellent with voices granted plenty of space to exist, the tonal balance throughout the frequency range is great, and it’s a very dynamic and exciting. This is one of the best outdoor speakers we’ve come across.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: B&O Beosound A1 2nd Gen

The Sonos Roam is what we envisaged the Sonos Move would be. Both operate as a Sonos-like speaker in the home, but out of the two, the Roam is easily the more portable wireless speaker.

The Roam is the speaker out of the two we’d feel you’d be taking on longer journeys. It’s small, lightweight and takes on a shape that’s reminiscent of a Toblerone bar. With an IP67 rating, it can be submerged in water of 1m depth for 30 minutes, so if it happens to fall in a small body water (or perhaps a paddling pool), it should be able to survive unscathed.

We’ve found few wireless speakers combine Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as effortlessly as the Roam. In the home it can function like a smart speaker, connecting to the Wi-Fi and supporting the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice support. The Sonos S2 app features wide support for music streaming services, so you can log in and listen to your favourite songs from within the app. None of these features are available when streaming over Bluetooth, but an update brought Sonos’ Auto Trueplay feature that optimises its audio delivery to allow it on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth playback

A battery life of 11 hours is not as progressive as we’ve seen around the £150 price point, less than the JBL Charge 5, Marshall Emberton II and Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. There is a battery saver option in the app to help preserve the battery if it’s found to be draining too fast.

In our opinion, the Roam remains a terrific listen years after its release. It produces a natural, detailed and clear performance, though we found it a bit light on bass, but that’s not surprising given its small size. If you want more thump where low frequencies are concerned, Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 2nd Gen provides it.  

For existing Sonos owners it makes plenty of sense as it extends the Sonos sound into the outdoors. For everyone else it’s one the cheapest ways into the world of Sonos.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sonos Roam

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 continues on from where the Wonderboom 2 left off, and while on the surface the changes made don’t appear a massive step up, in our opinion it produces a much better sound for the same price.

It produces a more effective and rounded bass performance, as well as striking a tone that’s clearer, detailed and better balanced than its energetic predecessor. While treble notes don’t register as crisply, there’s plenty of detail at the top end of the frequency range and there’s more room within the midrange for vocals to be projected above instruments and beats. In terms of loudness, the Wonderboom 2 hits a higher volume but it isn’t as nuanced as the threequel.

Other new features include Google Fast Pair for Android devices and a slight increase to 14 hours of battery life (better than the more expensive Sonos Roam). Some will feel that the continuation with micro-USB charging is not a forward-looking decision as many devices have moved to the quicker USB-C charging method. The rest of the features carry on from before with Outdoor Boost making the speaker sound more expansive and bringing clarity to the midrange and treble frequencies, while Double Up adds the functionality of using two Wonderboom 3 speakers in a stereo pair. You cannot use the Wonderboom from different generations as a stereo pair, however.

The design has been slightly tweaked, the two-tone colours take on a more contrasting appearance. Otherwise there’s the scratch-proof fabric material (guarding against feral domestic pets), and with a IP67 rating the speaker can repel dust and water, as well dunked under water for 30 minutes (though it’s likely to bob on surface).

The changes aren’t as big as many might have expected, but in our opinion this is a better-sounding speaker for the same unbeatably low price.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

We very much liked the original Stormbox Micro but felt it could be improved in a few areas. The Micro 2 seems to have taken on that feedback and it’s an improvement in pretty much every way.

The design has been tweaked with buttons coloured white to contrast against the black fabric covering and the speaker’s dimensions are bigger, holding more battery life (12 hours) and able to be used as a power bank to charge mobile devices. The useful tear-resistant strap remains, offering plenty of versatility in how the speaker can be used or transported whether it’s attached to the handlebar of a bike or connected to a rucksack.

Like many of the speakers on this list, the Stormbox Micro 2 hits an IP67 rating, insulating it against dust and water as well as being immersed within a body of water 1m deep for thirty minutes.

As we mentioned, battery life is up to 12 hours, which puts it among the likes of the Sonos Roam (11) and Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 (14) except the Tribit is much cheaper than either. Also new is support for an app where the speaker’s sound can be adjusted.

In terms of its audio performance, the Micro 2 can hit higher volumes than the original, produces a bigger sound and projects audio further way from the speaker’s body. Add in to the mix better levels of clarity and detail, and music on this speaker sounds improved over the original, with bass better described, treble frequencies sharper and clearer and the midrange is more detailed and clearer.

While bass is better than before, speakers such as the Tronsmart T7 can produce more, but that speaker comes in a different form factor and isn’t as compact (or as versatile in its design) as the Tribit.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

Four years after the original launched, Sonos brought the sequel to the Move in the Move 2, featuring a number of design tweaks and a redesigned audio system, though this does come at a cost, with a higher price of £449 / $449.

Nothing has really changed in the size of the speaker, we feel this remains more an outdoor speaker for the garden or to take with you in a car. It still weighs 3kg, so this isn’t really a speaker to slip in your bag and head out of the house with. The buttons have been tweaked so they’re easier to understand and use. Black, white, and a fetching green finishes are the colours the speaker comes in.

An IP56 rating means this speaker is protected against dust, water, and mud, although it’s not rated against is submersion in water. You can feel confident in leaving this speaker outside, and not having to worry about it being ruined in the morning. The battery can be replaced too, good for the longevity of the product as well as being better for the environment.

With Sonos’ Auto Trueplay feature, the speaker is able to automatically optimise audio output based on where it is placed placement for the best sound quality when the microphone is enabled. The biggest boost is to battery life which is now 24 hours (13 hours better than the original). During an eight hour session, we found that battery life fell to 54%, which we feel is more than good enough for any occasion.

But outdoor use isn’t the only reason to get the Move 2, as with its Wi-Fi support (Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2), this speaker works like any other Sonos speaker when used indoors. There’s hands-free access Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, but there’s no Google Assistant on this model.

The audio quality is another area that’s gained improvements. The speaker now supports stereo playback, producing a wider presence than original’s mono speaker was capable of. Purchase two of these speakers, and you can get full-on stereo playback. We found there was more subtlety that this speaker was capable of, better at retrieving the detail in a song, and when it needs to, it can summon plenty of punch and weight to the midrange and low frequencies.

This is an improvement on the original model, the price increase is at least justified by the better audio quality, stereo sound and improved batter life. The old Move is still a fine effort, on sale for less than £400 / $400 if you find this new speaker a little steep in terms of pricing.

Reviewer:David Ludlow
Full review: Sonos Move 2

The XG300 is part of Sony’s X-series of wireless party speakers, and if you are looking to party with a group of friends either inside or at the park (or beach), the XG300 is high on the list of speakers we’d say you should consider.

It is like mini-Boombox in its profile, taking on a svelte shape that gives it an hourglass look. The retractable handle is useful for carry considering this speaker weighs around 3kg, and with its IP67 rating it’s good against resisting liquids and particles such as sand and dust.

It has more physical connections than any other speaker on this list, with a USB-C for charging another device, and a stereo mini-jack (cable also included) for plugging in an external source (such as a portable music player). There’s also the Light feature – or Ambient Illumination as Sony calls it – that emits a halo of light at either end of the speaker that pulses in sync with the beat, although we found at its default setting it wasn’t particularly noticeable.

Other party features include support for Fiestable app, which offers control over DJ effects, light effects and Motion Control, where playback and volume can be controlled by moving a smartphone, although this is a feature that can be hit and miss. Battery life is 25 hours, the longest of any on this list; Google Fast Pair is provided for instant connection to an Android device and there’s LDAC Bluetooth for those that want to play tracks at a higher bitrate.

In terms of its sound, the SRS-XG300 delivers a warm, rich performance with an emphasis on bass. Those after a more neutral and balanced performance should consider the Sonos Move as an alternative, but if you like your bass assertively described, and music given plenty of drive and energy then the XG300 is a definite party starter (though B&O’s Beolit 20 can summon even stronger levels of bass if that’s your fancy).

Reviewer:Kob Monney
Full review: Sony SRS-XG300

Not only does the Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HT59 LS UK pack 10% extra usable space inside thanks to its Maxi Space tub, but it’s powerful and inexpensive to run too. As an integrated model you can’t do much better than this.

The Hydroforce H8I has three racks: a bottom rack for plates, middle rack and a top cutlery rack. Dive deeper and you’ll find there’s enough space for larger plates at the bottom and you can even fit up to six tall wine glasses on the middle rack. The top cutlery rack also offers space for more than just cutlery with a clever dip that’s designed to hold mugs and bowls.

Although its default setting is Eco mode which runs at 50°C, there are numerous options to choose from including Rapid Delicates, Auto, 3D Wash for especially dirty items, Half Load and Sani Rinse for sanitising items. You can also modify temperatures from 45°C up to 65°C.

We found that running the default Eco cycle cost just 21p each time, making it excellent value for an everyday appliance. Using the Auto mode with 3D Wash enabled costs 62p which, despite being quite a big leap, is only necessary for extra-soiled items. 

For faster cleaning you can select Rapid mode which runs for between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on what you select. This mode is more expensive at 41p, so isn’t a great option for everyday use but ideal if you need to wash dishes quickly.

Once the dishwasher comes to the end of a wash, a motor gently pushes the door open to allow steam to escape and help the plates to air dry.

Full review: Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HT59 LS UK

Reviewer: David Ludlow

How annoying is it to remove a dish from a dishwasher and find it still covered in residue? Even worse, stains can even seem to be baked on my some dishwashers. That’s where the LG TrueSteam QuadWash DF455HMS Freestanding Dishwasher comes in, as this model uses steam to dislodge stains without the need for scrubbing or rinsing.

Does it work? Absolutely. In our tough dried-on scrambled egg test, the LG TrueSteam QuadWash DF455HMS Freestanding Dishwasher managed to remove every trace of dirt without any scrubbing at all. This shows how powerful the dishwasher is, and makes this a great choice for keen cooks that often have difficult messes to remove.

The slight downside is that with Steam, the cost per cycle is high: we measured this at 71p. However, if you don’t need Steam and are running a regular cycle, costs dropped down to 28p, which is pretty good, although not the cheapest that we’ve seen.

The LG TrueSteam QuadWash DF455HMS Freestanding Dishwasher is nicely designed, with two baskets and a cutlery rack at the top. Neatly, the left-hand-side of the cutlery rack can be dropped down using the slider control to take larger items.

As well as controlling the dishwasher via its front panel, it’s compatible with LG ThinQ, so you can remote control it and choose the additional wash programmes, such s for Casserole dishes or Glassware.

If you want a hassle-free, no-scrub dishwasher for tough dishes, this is a great choice.

Full review: LG TrueSteam QuadWash DF455HMS Freestanding Dishwasher

Reviewer: David Ludlow

The Loch Capsule Dishwasher is unlike any other traditional dishwasher we’ve tested. It can run plumbed like a typical dishwasher or through a moveable water tank which means it can be used almost anywhere.

At just 262mm wide and around the same depth as a kitchen counter, the Loch Capsule can squeeze into most available spaces and is easy to move around thanks to the carry handle on top.

Obviously a dishwasher this size is not ideal for larger families but we still managed to fit in enough place-settings for four people and found it all cleaned well. This is thanks to the well-designed inside space which includes a single wire rack that’s fitted with two sets of fold-down tines.

It’s worth noting that the Loch Capsule doesn’t contain salt as a water softener, so Loch recommends adding rinse aid or vinegar to the water tank and running a washing cycle once a week. Even so, if you live in an area with very hard water then you may struggle using this appliance and should opt for a model with an integrated water softener,such as the AEG L9FEB969C.

The default Eco setting takes two hours and 46-minutes at 67°C is suitable for most jobs but there are numerous other modes you can select, including a quick 15 minute wash at 70°C, 30 minutes at 50°C up to 152 minutes at 75°C.

Running on the standard Eco cycle used 2.5 litres of water and cost approximately 12.4p each cycle. When setting the Loch Capsule to quicker modes we found that despite costing less, dropping down to 6p a wash for the 30-minute cycle, it still cleaned impressively well. 

There’s also a Fruit Cycle which uses cool water to wash fresh fruit and vegetables in the extendible rack and a UV light mode to kill bacteria.

Full review: Loch Capsule Dishwasher

Reviewer: David Ludlow

If you don’t want to fork out on a dishwasher but equally need a reliable appliance that’ll see you through busy family life then the Candy CF 57CF0W is a great choice. 

The Candy CF 57CF0W is a freestanding dishwasher that is actually one of the biggest available thanks to its Maxi Tub which offers enough space for up to 15 place settings. 

Unlike other dishwashers available, the Candy CF 57CF0W only has two racks so you unfortunately lose the addition of a third cutlery rack. Both racks also don’t provide much flexibility either, with only half of the right-hand tines able to fold down on the lower rack, and all tines are non-adjustable for the top rack. 

Having said that, the top rack does have an adjustable height with a choice of two positions. 

Despite being a budget-friendly appliance the Candy 57CF0W comes equipped with a useful app that acts as a remote control and offers more information about what each cycle does. 

The beauty of the app though isn’t with its remote control but actually with its Eco Scheduling feature. This mode shows you the hourly time slots when power is cheaper and programs the dishwasher with the optimum start time so you can save money on your cycle. If you have a smart meter then this is a feature that can genuinely help save you money.

Otherwise we found the default Eco wash cycle cost 29.91p to run which is a touch higher than other models in this list. This rises to 54.43p for the Auto Mode cycle.

Full review: Candy CF 57CF0W

Reviewer: David Ludlow

The Hotpoint HF7HP33UK is perfect for larger families, thanks to its Maxi Space design which provides 10% more space than a standard freestanding dishwasher. 

Included are three racks which are flexible and can be adjusted accordingly to best suit the load. For example, the tines on the middle rack can be flipped up for stacking plates or flipped down to accommodate larger bowls. 

When loading the middle rack we found that even our particularly tall wine glasses fit comfortably underneath the cutlery rack that sits at the top, which is a common nuisance with most standard-sized dishwashers. 

Similarly the bottom rack has tines that are both spaced out at different intervals and are able to be folded down to accommodate larger dishes such as pots and pans. 

Away from its design, the Hotpoint features a wide range of programs and boasts brilliant cleaning results. The default mode is Eco at 50°C which we found is the most efficient programme but there’s also three Auto programs where the dishwasher cleverly detects the soiling level of the dishes and adjusts the program accordingly. 

Other programs include a Rapid 30-minute wash, Delicate and Self-Clean. There’s even a useful Active Dry option which automatically opens the door once a wash has finished, releasing steam and helping to air dry the dishes.

We found that running the default Eco cycle costs 28p, which places the dishwasher as a mid-priced option to run. This cost jumps up to 66p when using the intensive Auto mode with 3D Zone Wash switched on and even the Auto Fast Wash mode costs a dearer 42p per cycle.

Those with big families or who just tend to entertain often will appreciate the amount of space the Hotpoint HF7HP33UK has to offer, however it’s definitely not the cheapest to run. If you want a more energy-efficient and cheaper dishwasher that still has a good amount of space, we’d recommend the Candy CF 57CF0W.

Full review: Hotpoint HF7HP33UK

Reviewer: David Ludlow

If you don’t have enough space for a full-sized dishwasher but don’t want to compromise on the performance, then the Hotpoint HSFO3T223WXUKN is a perfect option. 

All its controls are listed on the outside which includes an LCD that displays the selected mode, time remaining for a cycle and ways to select a desired mode. 

There are a total of nine programs to choose from including an Eco 50°C, intensive clean, sanitising soak and self-clean. While the default Eco mode will work for most jobs, the Zone Wash 3D mode lets you select one of the two dedicated racks to wash for lighter loads. 

Both of the racks are flexible with adjustable tines, fold down wine-glass holders (on the top rack), two adjustable holders (on the bottom rack) and a moveable cutlery basket which can be placed wherever. 

To be expected with a slimline model, running the Hotpoint HSFO3T223WXUKN isn’t the most cost efficient option out there. Running the Auto Intense cycle cost approximately 50p whereas the Eco mode cost around 29p, with both cycles performing well and able to cope with dirty dishes. The 30-minute cycle costs just under 11p each time but is better suited for less-soiled items. 

Although the Hotpoint HSFO3T223WXUKN is a slimline dishwasher that offers more flexibility for smaller spaces, if you have a large family or simply want better value for money then we’d recommend going for a full-size dishwasher. 

Full review: Hotpoint HSFO3T223WXUKN

Reviewer:David Ludlow

When it comes to budget soundbars, there’s only one that’s been the top of our list for several years now. If you want the best cheap soundbar, look no further than the Wharfedale Vista 200S.

It’s been on the market since around 2019, and we’d imagine it’s inching close to its end of life, but for £199 it’s well worth the investment if you want a simple operator to boost your TV’s audio performance.

The design is one we found to be attractive in appearance, while the build quality is durable. The black finish and glossy top surface doesn’t scream a cheap soundbar despite the Vista 200S’s price, and with a width of 900mm it’s made to partner TVs up to 65-inches in size. That it boasts a slim form factor also means you won’t be living in fear of the soundbar blocking the picture.

In terms of features, we found there wasn’t much to see here aside from its active wireless subwoofer. If you want wireless connectivity, you’d be better off seeking the smaller but slightly more expensive Sonos Ray. There are three preset EQ settings for media playback in Movies, Music and News to optimise the soundbar’s sound for those types of content.

Our reviewer found the sound quality for the price was especially good, with the 200S putting in a great performance across the frequency range with a top-end that didn’t suffer from a lack of detail and some punchy bass thanks to the active subwoofer. We also observed that the Vista 200S could get loud without sounding harsh or compressed due to its 120W of built-in amplification. It dealt with dialogue well, even without a dedicated centre channel, and if you’re interested in playing music through this bar, then it delivers on a smooth and clear performance.

Alternatives around this price include the Sharp HT-SBW202 and the Yamaha SR-C30A, but even after a few years, we haven’t heard a rival that offers as much performance-per-pound at this price as the Wharfedale.

Reviewer: Steve Withers
Full Review: Wharfedale Vista 200S

Years ago, it was Yamaha that really kicked off the soundbar market. They’re not as big a name in the market today as they were back then, but of late they’ve been putting out impressive compact soundbars and the SR-C30A is another one we’ve come to enjoy.

The build quality is serviceable, the main soundbar unit is smaller than the similarly priced Denon DHT-S316 and will happily sit below a small TV in the opinion of our reviewer. At 1.3kg it’s not too heavy to move about and around the rear are keyhole fixings to mount it to a wall. Connections include HDMI ARC and digital optical out, and for wireless transmission there’s Bluetooth support.

Features aren’t much, but there is a control app that duplicates all the functions of the remote control and is simple to use. A choice of four EQ presets in Stereo, Standard, 3D movie and Game are provided to tweak the audio quality, along with Clear Voice and Bass extension options, there are several ways of shifting the sound to your tastes.

The SR-C30A is a 2.1 system with a wireless subwoofer and despite its compact size, we found this system sounded bigger, beefier and altogether more convincing than a number of mainstream TVs or gaming monitors. It’s easily an upgrade on budget TVs it’s connected to.

High frequencies are recreated in convincing fashion; the midrange is assertive and upfront with high levels of detail, allowing dialogue to be loaded with character and tone. The wireless subwoofer can handle the low end of the frequency spectrum with a performance that’s well-controlled, though we found the crossover between the subwoofer and the main bar wasn’t the smoothest transition as we had hoped.

Nevertheless, for less than £300 this is one of the best cheap soundbars we’ve tested. The Wharfedale Vista 200S is still our budget champion, but if that model is too big to fit into your space then the Yamaha is an excellent alternative.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Yamaha SR-C30A

Majority is a UK-based company that’s so far traded in affordable audio devices. The Snowdon II is a single-bar home cinema soundbar that’s best utilised if you’re considering wall-mounting your TV.

The reason we say that is because the design is on the large side for putting it beneath a TV, to the point where it covers up the TV’s IR receiver and blocks the remote signals. We didn’t find it to be the most elegant looking soundbar either, but arguably most shopping around this price won’t be as bothered about aesthetics as others. Around the back brackets for wall-mounting the soundbar and that seems to most optimal way of using it.

Annoyingly, the Snowdon doesn’t ship with any digital optical cable (but does come with an RCA and auxiliary cable). We would expect a digital cable to be packaged with the bar rather than rely on other means of connection since the optical input is the best available on this bar.

Features aren’t much in the grand scheme of things, but there are four EQ preset modes in Flat, Music, Movie and Dialog to optimise the performance for whatever you’re watching’ and the Music and Flat modes can be further tweaked in terms of their frequency range.

The sound quality from this 2.1 system is consistently clear, and at times punchy, delivery of audio. It features an integrated subwoofer but it is limited in terms of bass depth, so in more dynamic soundtracks where more weight and extension to low frequencies is required, it can sound flatter than the similarly priced Groov-e 160 Soundbar.

The Movie preset is the one we found that offered the biggest-sounding performance, as well as sounding more natural with dialogue as the Dialog mode can sound a little processed. Streaming music over a Bluetooth connection offers a similar performance to movies and TV, with good clarity and decent space for vocals to exist in the track. We also found it sound with gaming as well, producing a big, large and detailed performance that avoided sounding cluttered or shrill at higher volumes.

If you’re after a more cinematic experience, then the Wharfedale can provide more fireworks, but if it’s a soundbar that you can wall-mount (or at least sit below a wall-mounted TV), this is a convincing budget option.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Majority Snowdon II

The Roku Streambar is unique in that it is both a soundbar and video streamer all rolled into one. And as is often the case with Roku devices, the asking price is relatively low at an RRP of £129 / $130, though you can often find it for far less than that asking price.

The Streambar will be best suited to those who have a TV that’s poor for both and smarts. Its compact size and low key design ensures it won’t hog the limelight from your TV, the size of the Streambar is best suited to TVs smaller than 50-inches.

For its size, the Roku has a good grasp over dialogue clarity, though this at the expense of other effects within a soundtrack so it is not the most cinematic performance. Bass is punchily described and the soundstage the Streambar creates is bigger than expected thanks to its ability to fire audio out from its sides. There’s no immersive audio support like you’d find with the likes of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or Samsung HW-S61B, though these speakers tend to retail above £300 / $300.

We found it to be a pretty good video streamer too. It has all the major streaming apps in Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and the UK catch-up apps that come with Freeview Play. With 4K HDR content the steamer puts in a colourful performance, with upscaling that is decent enough that you could get away with watching 720p streams on a 4K TV.

There’s AirPlay and Apple HomeKit for streaming and home smarts respectively, though there’s no built-in voice assistant. The Roku interface mirrors that of other Roku devices, simple in appearance and easy to use, making the Streambar an accessible device for a wide range of people. The remote provided only controls the Streambar and not your TV, so you’ll need to keep your main remote nearby.

Efforts on this list such as the Wharfedale and Yamaha sound better than the Streambar, but they don’t boast the convenience this 2-in-1 device offers. This is a smart little option for those after a no-frills performance for both video and audio.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Roku Streambar

If you’re looking for a compact and affordable soundbar, the Sonos Ray is our top pick. Designed to make poor-quality TVs sound better, the Ray is smaller and has fewer features than other Sonos soundbars, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer powerful sound. 

The Sonos Ray has a thin and compact design with curved ends forming a lozenge shape and the option of a black or white finish. The Ray is only slightly smaller than the Sonos Beam at 71 x 559 x 95mm and, like the Polk Signa S4, pairs well with TVs that measure up to 55 inches. You can choose to sit the soundbar in front of your TV or mount it on a wall. 

The Sonos Ray doesn’t come with an HDMI port, sticking with just an optical S/PDIF input and providing a cable in the box. There are touch controls on top of the soundbar for controlling playback, skipping tracks, and adjusting the volume. 

The setup is quick and the Trueplay configuration allows you to tune the soundbar to your room. The Ray has an IR input, meaning you can tune it to use your TV’s remote to control the volume. 

There’s no Dolby Atmos support but Dolby Digital still sounds great, albeit not quite as clean and detailed as the higher-end codec. There’s also no microphone for reeling off voice commands. You can set up Skills and control the soundbar with your favourite voice assistant, but you’ll need a separate smart speaker to do so. 

Then there’s the app, which makes it easy to connect and disconnect from rooms with multiroom support, as well as play music from Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer or via AirPlay 2. 

Despite its small size, the Sonos Ray has a surprisingly wide soundscape, offering a clear improvement over the audio from the TV we had paired it with. There’s a Speech Enhancement setting to boost the frequencies of voices, along with a Night Sound feature for boosting quiet sounds and limiting loud sounds later in the evening. The bass is effective too, though not as room-shattering as the Sonos Arc’s bass response. 

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Full Review: Sonos Ray

The Polk Signa S4 is our favourite cheap soundbar with Dolby Atmos on board, delivering deep bass and immersive audio at an affordable price. 

The Signa S4 features a similar design to Polk’s other soundbars with its simple rectangular shape and black fabric finish blending into its surroundings. The subwoofer is also matte black, sitting on larger feet. 

Like the Sonos Ray, the Polk Signa S4 is intended to be paired with medium-sized TVs up to 55 inches either standing or wall mounted, with the soundbar measuring 1046 x 60 x 95mm. The subwoofer measures 200 x 280 x 328mm. 

You can find basic controls on top of the soundbar, with more options on the small remote that comes in the box. 

The Signa S4 uses a 3.1.2-channel system to deliver Dolby Atmos, with additional support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD. The soundbar can also decode PCM, but there is no support for DTS formats. 

Connectivity is based around a single HDMI port that supports eARC, allowing lossless audio to be sent back from supporting TVs. There’s also an optical digital input for TVs that do not support eARC/ARC, a 35mm analogue auxiliary input, and wireless support with Bluetooth. 

Other key features include Polk’s VoiceAdjust to keep dialogue clear and precise, and three sound modes – Movies, Music, and Night. 

Sound-wide, the Signa S4 is a good all-round performer that produces a decent front soundstage with a solid foundation of bass. The delivery is smooth, with a clean treble and well-defined midrange, while the upward-firing speakers are effective at generating the front overhead channels and the well-integrated subwoofer adds plenty of low-frequency impact to create a genuine sense of scale. 

Reviewer: Steve Withers

Full Review: Polk Signa S4

The Razer Leviathan V2 is our top affordable gaming soundbar, delivering great audio whether you’re gaming or listening to music. 

The Leviathan V2 is one of the more toned-down devices we’ve tested from Razer. Both the soundbar and subwoofer sport a matte black finish, with the latter also free of any RGB lighting or other effects. The soundbar is small and slim, fitting snuggling under a monitor for a clean look, though you may need to place the subwoofer under your desk depending on the size of your furniture. 

The soundbar feels sturdy and comes with another set of feet for tilting it upwards, but the port selection is lacking. Razer has removed the 3.5mm input found on its predecessor, leaving USB-C and Bluetooth your only connectivity options. There’s also a simple selection of buttons, including power, volume, source, and Bluetooth on top of the soundbar. 

18-zone custom RGB lighting lets you customise the soundbar to fit the rest of your gaming setup, as well as match the cues in games and songs. There’s a range of audio presets in the Razer Synapse app, with custom settings for music and gaming, as well as a Bass Boost mode and THX Spatial Audio support to give the sound a more immersive feel. 

The audio quality is warm and balanced with an emphasis on bass which feels perfect for FPS games. The sound can easily fill a room, with THX Spatial Audio creating an immersive soundstage, despite not quite being as accurate as Dolby Atmos. Even slower games like Stardew Valley are enhanced with this soundbar, as details are given more clarity and attention. 

We found that the wired connection was stronger than Bluetooth, offering better clarity and depth than the wireless connection, though we still appreciated the inclusion of Bluetooth as an option. 

Reviewer: Gemma Ryles

Full Review: Razer Leviathan V2

Housed in a practical yet stylish design, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is packed full of impressive features. Running on Android TV 11, you can download apps for all your usual streaming services including Apple TV, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video directly from the Google Play Store. 

Thanks to dual light technology, which combines laser and LED, the Horizon Ultra delivers high-brightness images with a more natural colour palette, and it even has Dolby Vision HDR support which is rare to find on a projector.

Dolby Vision essentially allows brightness and contrast to be automatically adjusted scene-by-scene, so visuals are constantly optimised with the right settings. 

It’s not just picture quality that’s impressive though as the Horizon Ultra includes dual 12W speakers, tuned by Harmon/Kardon which provide excellent audio that easily fills a room. Although we found the speakers to be loud, warm and rich, they do lack the rumble that a subwoofer would add.

There’s also built-in Intelligent Screen Adaption 3 (ISA3) technology, which offers auto-focus and keystone correction plus obstacle avoidance. ISA3 also adjusts screen brightness to suit ambient light, which works by opening the iris to boost brightness and closing it to up the contrast.

The Horizon Ultra also includes optical zoom which means it can automatically scale to fit a detected screen without the need for digital correction. 

At its rear you’ll find all the ports you’ll need to hook up additional devices including two HDMIs, a 3.5mm line out and two USBs. There’s also a handy Ethernet port which offers more flexibility when using the projector in areas where you may not get a strong Wi-Fi signal.

There’s even a useful motorised shutter at the front which slides up when the projector is turned off to protect its lens, plus a useful tripod mount underneath.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: XGIMI Horizon Ultra

The Freestyle’s cylindrical shape and stand allow it to be easily carried to and fro, with the adjustable stand able to be angled from 90 to 180 degrees, along with an image size that can stretch from 30- to 100-inches. That helps to make the Freestyle a versatile, easy to set-up and accommodating projector.

Our reviewer found the chassis felt rather robust, so it could survive a few knocks, and controls are kept simple and accessible with touch sensitive buttons for power, casting and volume, as well as a switch for activating the microphone.

Connectivity here is also kept nice and simple with a Micro HDMI port that supports HDR signals and eARC for connecting a Dolby Atmos soundbar. The USB-C port is only for connecting the Freestyle’s power adaptor. For wireless connections there’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2 and Apple AirPlay 2 that offer a range of ways to connect mobile devices to the Freestyle. Wi-Fi support also allows Samsung’s Tizen smart interface with access to apps such as Netflix and Disney+, plus there is Bixby and Amazon Alexa for voice assistants.

During testing, we found the picture to very good with a clean and detailed performance and punchy HDR colours when called upon. The 500 lumens of brightness it has at its disposal is fine, but not as bright as either XGIMI Elfin or Philips PicoPix MaxTV, both of which get close to 1000 nits for a brighter picture.

We measured input lag for gaming at 44ms, and while that’s fine for a projector it wouldn’t appeal to those in need of a faster performance. We also measured noise level at 25dB at a distance of 2ft, making for a quiet enough experience when in operation. The built-in speakers sound good for such a small projector, the size of the sound is extended beyond the casing for a bigger sound than was initially expected.

Samsung has announced a follow-up with 2nd Gen Freestyle that includes features such as 21:9 screen ratio and support for Samsung’s Gaming Hub, which includes Xbox Game Pass. We’ll be looking to review that model very soon.

Reviewer: Steve Withers
Full Review: Samsung Freestyle

The JMGO N1S is a portable projector that’s hard to beat. At just 2.2kg, it’s small enough to carry and move around with ease yet image quality isn’t compromised.

Unlike many other portable projectors, the N1S runs on Google TV rather than the more restrictive Android TV. Google TV is a better choice as it runs Netflix natively and includes all the major streaming services including Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Now TV.

Setting up the projector is seamless thanks to the built-in smart auto-setup and automatic screen alignment, however the latter requires an accompanying smartphone app which we found a bit fiddly to use.

Even so there’s also autofocus, auto keystone correction and even rotation control built-in which means you can get a straight picture even if the projector is placed at an angle. 

At 900 ANSI lumens the N1S is brighter than most other portable models and we found it can handle images during the day fairly comfortably, although a darkened room is more ideal. 

The backlight of the N1S uses a triple-colour laser which is rated for up to 30,000 hours. That’s a massive 10 years of use, based on using the projector eight hours a day each year. 

Sound quality is decent too, thanks to dual 5W speakers certified by DTS and Dolby Audio. Despite a lack of subwoofer, we found bass response to be impressive and the projector loud enough to fill a room without the need for external audio. If you did want full surround sound then you can use the HDMI output to connect external speakers. 

The HDMI output is also useful if you want to connect other devices like games consoles, however it’s worth noting that the N1S has a limited refresh rate of 60Hz so you may prefer a projector with a higher rate.

Overall the JMGO N1S is a brilliant projector that hits the sweet spot between portability and high-end image quality. 

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Full review: JMGO N1S

Compare the XGIMI Halo+ to the original Halo and the brightness has been upped to 900 lumens from 800, making it a brighter alternative to the Samsung Freestyle. While the boost in brightness is not massive, it does help when using it in darker rooms.

Image size can go as far as 200-inches, though we found half that size to be more than adequate. The XGIMI supports resolutions up to Full HD, and we found it produced bright images with vibrant and rich colours, especially when dealing with brighter content. Contrast is generally good, although blacks do veer to grey and it can be difficult to get a sense of detail in darker scenes – the addition of HDR10+ helps by revealing more detail.

Boasting dual 5W Harman Kardon speakers, we found the audio quality was decent with good volume and clarity. The lack of bass puts a spanner in offering a true cinematic experience but for casual viewers it’s a solid performance. Battery life we found to be around two hours when unplugged from the mains, which means average length films should be fine but the Halo+ will likely struggle with epic runtimes. The XGIMI’s LED lamp is claimed to last up to 30,000 hours, which is around ten years of use if the XGIMI were used for eight hours a day.

For a portable projector, there’s convenience in the form of an automatic procedure that optimises the picture when the Halo+ is moved, meaning you won’t have to worry about fiddling with the image each time. Android TV is supported with its convenient and intuitive layout, and although there’s access to Google Play Store library we found that Netflix wasn’t supported for this projector an apps such as NOW aren’t available. consider adding a Fire TV Stick or have a look at Freestyle, which has more supported apps.

In terms of its size the Halo+ can fit into a bag or suitcase, but is pushing at the threshold of portability considering it lacks a handle like the Anker Nebula Capsule Max. There is a room for positioning the projector, as it can be placed on a flat surface, used with its integrated kickstand to angle the projector up, or propped on a tripod mount.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: XGIMI Halo+

By the standards of portable projectors, the Anker Nebula Capsule Max is tiny. At 15cm tall, with a diameter of 80mm, it’s smaller than a good proportion of Bluetooth speakers. Its weight of 737g means it’s lighter than most portable projectors, making it easy to carry around or stash in a bag.

Control are kept simple on the device itself with buttons for volume, cursor keys, select and back that are handy for quickly pausing or changing something but both the remote control and Nebula Connect app offer more extensive means of operation. Around the back of the unit is a port for power, 3.5mm audio output, a USB port for connecting external storage and an HDMI port. The Anker runs on Android 8.1 which allows access to a good set of apps, with the likes of Netflix and Prime Video, although at the time of review there was no Disney+.

The Capsule Max can automatically adjust its focus and keystone to make optimising the image much simpler and convenient for those who a desire a no-fuss experience. While we didn’t measure the fan noise, it was noticeable even when we weren’t watching anything. There’s a built-in battery for portable use, able to run for 90 minutes on full brightness or 4 hours when brightness is reduced.

Sticking with the theme of brightness, the quoted 200 lumens is okay for general viewing and we found we could only go the 100-inch screen size when it was dark to get the best from its picture performance. Contrast is fine, though like the Halo+, blacks erred towards grey. Colours proved to be reasonably accurate with decent vibrancy, and sharpness and resolution (720p) was a step up on the original Nebula Capsule for a more detailed image.

With an 8W speaker, the Anker provided good volume and surprisingly meaty bass. Provided the room you’re watching is quiet, it’s a decent performance, but the 3.5mm audio jack there’s the option of adding an external sound system for a better, louder experience.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Anker Nebula Capsule Max