Reviews

Mouse P.I. for Hire has caused quite the stir since it was revealed by Polish developer Fumi Games a couple of years back. Its rubberhose animation style, Doom-inspired boomer shooter gameplay, and Mickey Mouse-esque cast of characters helped it to stand out in the indie scene, and it’s already enjoyed a healthy dosage of positive reception from critics and players alike.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: April 16, 2026

So, when I got the chance to try it out on Nintendo Switch 2, it’s safe to say I was pretty excited. Playing detective in a noir, rodent-filled world sounds pretty enticing, right? And given that I had some long-haul flights up ahead, going with the Switch 2 edition to mouse around on the go felt like a no-brainer.

But just how good is Mouse P.I. for Hire on Nintendo Switch 2? And does the indie title nail the boomer shooter formula and 1930s cartoon aesthetic? Here’s what I think after more than 20 hours with the game.

Say hello to my little friend

(Image credit: Fumi Games / PlaySide Studios)

Welcome to Mouseburg, where the cops are more crooked than an old shrew’s teeth, the ‘cheesehibition’ brings unrest, and the stench of crime lurks on just about every corner. For private investigator Jack Pepper — a war hero and former police officer — mystery awaits, with the cases of a missing magician, a murdered mouse, and a shrew-trafficking ring all drawing his attention.

You’ll have to snoop around Mouseburg, shoot through your foes, dig around for clues, and solve these key cases, which may or may not be interlinked. It’s a fun premise for sure, and although the game is pretty linear, this ensures that the mystery is paced pretty nicely.

When it comes to the investigative aspects, Mouse P.I. keeps things relatively simple. Across various locations, you’ll stumble across clues — such as misplaced notes or photographs — and be tasked with pinning them up at Jack’s office. Here, he will be able to ponder evidence, resolve leads, and decide what action to take.

As a player, you’re not able to give much personal input into the investigation process — much of it unfolds before your eyes as Jack discusses his findings. It could’ve been interesting to see some multiple choice options or to think up correlations between pieces of evidence, but personally, I was happy for the game to take a more agile, straightforward approach.

Other than the main story, you’ll be able to take on side gigs, like gathering info for Jack’s journalist ally Wanda, or locating ingredients for his bar-owner buddy John Brown. The rewards for these aren’t always massive, but getting some extra coins to buy newspapers and comic books, as well as baseball cards required for a simple bar game, is always welcome.

Best bit

(Image credit: Fumi Games / PlaySide Studios)

Although Fumi Games nailed the black and white 1930s aesthetic, stepping into the film studio and seeing a burst of color was a clever twist and a feast for the eyes.

The main thing to discuss, however, is the game’s combat. This is a first-person shooter that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The boomer shooter formula is executed very well, with fast-paced, brutal, and chaotic shoot-outs that feel thrilling to blast through. There's a bit of platforming mixed in too, which feels surprisingly sharp — and equally forgiving, as falling will simply respawn you from where you left off.

My only issue with Mouse P.I.’s rodent-packed shoot-ups is the unfortunate lack of enemy diversity. During the game’s approximate 20-hour run time, you'll encounter the same foes over and over again, which becomes a little dull in the latter stages. There's the occasional odd creature or robot sprinkled in, and the bosses offer some challenge, but it feels like the Devs could've given your enemies more weapon types and more unique looks depending on the area you're in.

For Pepper, however, things are a bit different. He's given a neat selection of weapons to wield against his opponents, including the James Gun (a playfully named Tommy Gun), the Boomstick (a shotgun), the Loose Cannon (a cannonball shooter), and more. The James Gun is certainly the most reliable, and it makes a lot of areas easy to tear through, but there’s a hard mode if you want to test your skills.

As a player, you can also choose to play with a controller, with a standard handheld setup, or with…ahem…mouse controls. The latter genuinely works pretty well, although I prefer the comfort of using a Switch 2 Pro Controller, personally. One thing I've seen a lot of players lament, however, is the lack of gyro, which is packed into a lot of rival first-person shooters, and it would've been great to see here.

A step down on Switch 2

(Image credit: Fumi Games / PlaySide Studios)

I've been pretty positive about Mouse P.I. for Hire so far, and I genuinely think it's a game that fans of games like Doom Eternal will love. But we're looking at the Switch 2 version in particular today, and on this platform, the game runs into far too many technical issues.

The biggest issue for this title is its unreliable frame rate. With the Switch 2 docked, Mouse P.I. is targeting 1080p at 60fps (frames per second) in performance mode and 1440p at 40fps in quality mode. In handheld, it's 900p at 60fps and 1260p at 30fps, respectively. That's already not the most impressive, after all, this is hardly the most demanding game out there. But Mouse P.I. still struggles to reach some of those figures.

The worst offender is Performance mode. In handheld mode, the game has constant frame drops, which can be pesky during combat situations and a bit of an immersion killer during exploration. Things are a bit better in docked, but I still experienced frequent drops, even when visiting areas like the kitchen by the bar.

Sure, things are a bit steadier in quality mode, but there are still occasional drops, and the lower frame rate just doesn't lend itself very well to the fast-paced, fluid nature of Mouse P.I.’s gameplay.

On top of this, I discovered other technical oddities, like menus scrolling without me pressing any buttons (no matter what controller I used), overlong loading screens, and even a crash when I was mid-mission.

Don't get me wrong, Mouse P.I. for Hire is still playable on Switch 2. As frustrating as these issues are, the port is still workable, and I was able to push through the pesky frame drops to get over the line. Apparently, there is a patch in the works to address some of the game’s performance issues, which is a positive sign, although I'd argue that it should’ve played smoother from launch.

(Image credit: Fumi Games / PlaySide Studios)

Having said this, there is still a lot to love about Mouse P.I. for Hire. Its story is pretty engaging, and the characters are voiced to absolute perfection. Yes, not all of the jokes about cheese land, but using it as a substitute for alcohol during the prohibition era really adds to the 1930s setting.

The rubberhose animation style is also stellar, and suits the noir vibe to a T. In the same way that Cuphead charmed audiences years ago, Mouse P.I. for Hire thrives off its charismatic, frantic, and sometimes bizarre animation. Oh, and that's not to mention the soundtrack, which features jazz hits from the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, as well as some iconic classical tunes.

All in all, then, Mouse P.I. for Hire on Nintendo Switch 2 leaves me feeling conflicted. On one hand, I'd argue it hits a lot of the right beats when it comes to gameplay, narrative, and visual style. But on the other hand, I have to say, the sloppy performance was a bit of a let down, and makes this specific version of the game tougher to recommend. And that's where I'm at: Mouse P.I. for Hire is a largely enjoyable, fantastically animated boomer shooter — but if you own another system, like a PS5 or PC, I'd steer clear of the Switch 2 version, unless there's a major fix rolled out, that is.

Should you play Mouse P.I. for Hire?

(Image credit: Fumi Games / PlaySide Studios)Play it if...

You're a fan of the boomer shooter genre
If you enjoy games like Doom and Quake then I'm pretty sure you'll have a fun time with Mouse P.I. for Hire. There are a lot of similarities, from the first-person perspective through to the brutal combat and fast-paced movement that should satisfy fans of those titles.

You love old school Disney animation
If you enjoy some of the vintage Disney stuff from the 1930s, you'll absolutely love the visual style of Mouse P.I. for Hire — it's executed brilliantly and adds a lot of charm to the overall experience.

Don't play it if...

You own a PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC
If you have a system with superior specs to the Switch 2 on your hands, then I strongly suggest playing this game there instead. The performance issues on Switch 2 are pretty frustrating, and you'll be able to enjoy smoother frame rates on platforms like PS5.

You want gyro controls
Unlike a lot of popular FPS games, Mouse P.I. for Hire opts to leave gyro out on Nintendo Switch 2. There are mouse controls, if you like to use them, but I suspect most players will stick with a standard controller setup.

Accessibility features

There are a fair few ways to customize your experience in Mouse P.I. for Hire. For instance, there are three difficulty levels, you can either toggle or hold down R3 to crouch, you can turn blood effects off, and you can remap controls to your liking. On top of this, you can alter sensitivity, camera controls, aim assist levels, and even visual effects, like depth of field. Subtitles are also available, and you can pick from a wide array of text languages.

(Image credit: Fumi Games / PlaySide Studios)How I reviewed Mouse P.I. for Hire

I spent more than 20 hours playing through Mouse P.I. for Hire, during which time I completed the main story, finished a bunch of side quests, and tried nabbing as many collectibles as I could.

Most of the time, I played the game in handheld mode on my Nintendo Switch 2, using the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones to hear in-game audio. However, I did play the game docked from time to time, and had my system connected up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 television and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar.

More generally, I've reviewed a bunch of titles here at TechRadar gaming, including everything from Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties through to Kirby Air Riders.

First reviewed April-May 2026

Keychron V1 Ultra 8K review

The Keychron V1 Ultra 8K is a 75% mechanical keyboard that delivers a surprisingly broad feature set given its price. Available at a price tag of just $115 — it's currently only available in the US — it's crammed full of features like 8,000Hz polling over both wired and 2.4GHz wireless connections, hot-swappable Silk POM switches, a dampened gasket mount construction, and a battery life measured in weeks.

I’ll start with what’s included in the box, because Keychron has thrown in a rather generous selection of bits and bobs. The standard gear is here, like a keycap removal tool, USB Type-A to Type-C adapter and an extension adapter for the wireless receiver. You’ll also find striking red replacement keycaps for the Esc and Enter keys, along with alternate caps to swap between OS-specific buttons like Command and the Windows key.

Build quality is a mixture of impressive and a little questionable, depending on where you’re looking. The PBT keycaps are a highlight with a premium feel and reassuring thickness. There’s very little wobble to speak of and even the biggest keys are well supported by pre-installed screw-in stabilizers.

It’s the outer frame that doesn’t hold up as well under pressure. There’s noticeable movement in the plastic shell, both along the front below the space bar and under any level of twist or strain when picking it up from the sides. I noticed this more when moving it around and fiddling with the keyboard itself rather than gaming or typing on it, but it’s not a great look compared to the best keyboards.

The Keychron V1 Ultra 8K only comes in one color — black with two shades of grey keycaps — and it carries quite an industrial vibe as a result. It’s a 75% layout, with 82 keys including a volume dial, and you’re given the choice of Keychron Silk POM Red, Brown, or Banana switches. I’ve been testing the latter, which sit towards the heavier end of the tactile range with a 57g actuation force. They’re fully hot-swappable too, so you can always switch things up later... if you’ll let me get away with that painful pun.

(Image credit: Future)

Hanging out under the keys is one of the niftier RGB lighting implementations I’ve seen in some time, as long as you’re willing to invest the effort in setting it up. You can go deep with dialing in exactly the look you want, with more than 20 effects in both per-key mode or what Keychron calls Mix RGB mode. The latter allows you to define two different zones, each with their own effects. I spent a good half an hour playing with different effects, even as someone who isn’t usually a massive RGB kinda guy.

The only downside is the keycaps are solid with no shine-through lettering, so while there is plenty of punch to the intensity and saturation of the effects, they are a little blocked.

Deeper under the hood, the V1 Ultra 8K runs on ZMK open-source firmware, which is a shift away from the QMK that powered Keychron's previous wireless boards. Realistically, it's not a change I imagine most people will actually notice day to day, but it's the reason Keychron can claim a frankly absurd 660 hours of battery life. I’d like to tell you I had the spare 27 days of continual use to test whether Keychron’s claim is valid, but in my testing I barely noticed the battery percentage drop and it was quick to charge up again when plugged in, so I’ll take the company's word for it. Connectivity covers all the bases with 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3 with support for up to three paired devices, and wired USB-C.

The headline spec is the 8,000Hz polling rate, which works across both wired and 2.4GHz modes. If we’re all being really honest with ourselves though, nobody outside of the absolute top end of esports champions is likely to notice the difference between 8K and 1K. You’re not suddenly going to get better at Fortnite, I promise. It’s impressive that such a high polling rate is an option on a keyboard of this price, but you’re probably better off running a lower spec anyway and saving any potential extra strain on your CPU.

You can tweak that polling rate, and the rest of the V1 Ultra 8K settings in the Keychron Launcher web app. I’m a big fan of this approach over a downloadable app and I found it to be loaded with options, snappy, and easy to navigate. You are limited to Chrome, Edge, or Opera, and you’ll need to be using the USB-C cable to make changes, but any settings you do tweak are saved to the keyboard itself so will carry across devices and connection modes.

(Image credit: Future)

So, what’s the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K like to use day to day? For most tasks, pretty great. Those Banana switches have an early tactile bump and fire off about halfway through their 3.4mm total travel distance. In practice, that makes them feel super responsive and capable of handling a lighter touch than their 57g force suggests on paper. While gaming I never felt like my actions were lagging behind and N-key rollover means simultaneous inputs all register together with no missed keystrokes.

The gasket mount and polycarbonate plate give the V1 Ultra 8K a more cushioned feel, and the multiple layers of foam inside keep each press sounding deep and rounded. It’s a nice, grown-up sounding keyboard.

All those internal layers add up to make this quite a tall keyboard, however, both in terms of its frame thickness and the height of the keycaps themselves. I’m more sensitive to this than others as I daily drive a low-profile keyboard, but the V1 Ultra 8K felt even taller than most I’ve tested. I’d have appreciated a wrist support to counter that cliff of a front edge, and even without the feet extended I felt as though my hands were needing to lean back in normal use. Keychron will sell you a silicone or resin wrist rest, and I’d say it’s well worth considering.

Typing was a bit of a mixed bag. For chatting in Discord, general browsing or productivity, it’s entirely pleasant. For more dedicated writing sessions, I found the sculpted keycaps bundled with that lofty overall height a little harder to adapt to. Each has a noticeable dip that’s useful for keeping your fingers locked in on WASD, but that starts to get in the way when your fingers are flying around typing out a review. It’s workable: I still maintained 113wpm, which is about my normal pace, but accuracy dropped to 92% instead of the 96% I usually hit.

(Image credit: Future)Keychron V1 Ultra 8K review: price & release date

• Available for $114.99
• Released in January 2026
• Not currently available in the UK

At $115, the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K sits in a compelling spot. It’s one of the cheaper wireless mechanical keyboards to offer 8K polling and undercuts major players quite convincingly. There’s a lot on offer for the price here, though it does skimp a little on build quality to meet that budget.

It was released in the US on January 2026. Unfortunately, though, it's not available in the UK as yet, so gamers and keyboard connoisseurs there will find themselves waiting a while to get their fingers on it.

(Image credit: Future)Keychron V1 Ultra 8K review: specs

Layout

75%

Switch

Keychron Silk POM (Red/Brown/Banana)

Programmable Keys

Yes (Keychron Launcher / ZMK)

Dimensions

328.5 x 148.7 x 29.4mm

RGB or backlighting

Yes (customizable

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

8K polling, tri-mode wireless, hot-swap switches, dual RGB, ZMK firmware, N-key rollover.

4.5

Performance

Responsive switches, cushioned feel and nice sound profile, sculpted keycaps are not ideal for extended typing.

4

Design

Industrial vibe, solid PBT keycaps with no shine-through, screw-in stabilizers for larger keys, but plastic case flex and tall profile are drawbacks.

3.5

Value

Packs a lot of features into quite an accessible price tag.

4.5

Buy it if…

You want premium features without the premium price
The V1 Ultra 8K offers a stacked spec sheet with 8K polling, hot-swappable switches, N-key rollover, and a battery that lasts weeks, all for $115.

You like the idea of customizing your layout or swapping switches
Hot-swappable switches, a web-based customization app, and an accessible price make this a low-risk entry point with plenty of room to experiment.

You need absolute bleeding edge polling performance
The Keychron V1 Ultra 8K delivers a full 8,000Hz polling rate over both USB-C and wireless 2.4GHz connections. If you feel you need that level of performance, it’s up to the task.

Don’t buy it if…

You do more typing than gaming
The tall frame, sculpted OSA keycaps, and lack of an included wrist rest make this a challenging board for extended typing sessions, especially if you’re coming from a low-profile setup.

You’re looking for maximum build quality
The V1 Ultra 8K certainly doesn’t feel cheap, but it’s left behind by alternatives that offer aluminum frames that don’t flex under pressure.

You run an all-white setup
There’s only one color scheme for the V1 Ultra 8K and it’s an industrial gray affair.

Keychron V1 Ultra 8K review: also consider

Keychron V1 Ultra 8K

Gamakay TK75 V2

Razer Huntsman V3 Pro

Layout

75%

75%

Full size

Switch

Keychron Silk POM (Red/Brown/Banana)

Mechanical (Pegasus/Phoenix)

Razer Analog Optical Gen-2

Programmable Keys

Yes (Keychron Launcher / ZMK)

Yes

Yes (Fully programmable)

Dimensions

328.5 x 148.7 x 29.4mm

325 x 136 x 28mm

445 x 139 x 39mm

RGB or backlighting

Yes (Customizable)

Yes (Customizable)

Razer Chroma RGB

Gamakay TK75 V2
Even more budget-friendly, the TK75 V2 is another 75% wireless board with gasket mounting, but goes for silent switches and even adds a small TFT screen for battery and system info. You do lose the 8K polling rate, the extreme battery life, and the open-source firmware flexibility, but at $89.99, it's well worth a look. Read our full Gamakay TK75 V2 review.

Razer Huntsman V3 Pro
If it’s serious competitive gaming performance you’re looking at, the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is our pick for best gaming keyboard. It’s the other end of the price scale at $249.99, but offers the same 8K polling rate along with second-generation analog optical switches with adjustable actuation, rapid trigger support, and per-key sensitivity customization. Read our full Razer Huntsman V3 Pro review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K

• Used as my primary keyboard for a week
• Connected both wired and wirelessly, on Mac and Windows
• This review was typed entirely on it

I tested the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K by making it my daily driver keyboard across all work, productivity, and gaming for a week. I used it on both an Apple MacBook Air and a Windows desktop PC, jumping between wired and wireless connectivity modes.

I swapped out a few keycaps using the included tool, uninstalled and reinstalled one of the switches just because I could, and played around with the full suite of settings in the Keychron Launcher web app.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: May 2026

It’s been almost a year since the 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout left large parts of Spain and Portugal without power.

Specifications

• Capacity: 2016Wh (LiFePO₄)
• Output: 1800W continuous
• UPS switchover: ~10ms
• Cycle life: ~4000 cycles to 80%
• Charging: AC, solar and car charging supported
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi app control
• Weight: 19kg
• Dimensions: 350 × 580 × 75mm

For many households, it was a reminder that backup power is no longer just for off-grid enthusiasts or enterprise users.

That creates an awkward gap in the market. Whole-home battery systems remain expensive and complex to install, while portable power stations are often designed more for camping than permanent indoor use.

The BLUETTI FridgePower attempts to sit directly in the middle — and after spending time with the system alongside the BlueCell 200 expansion battery and optional Magnetic Display, it becomes clear that BLUETTI may be onto something.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: Design

The first thing that stands out about FridgePower is that it doesn’t look like a traditional power station.

Gone are the rugged plastics, exposed handles and camping aesthetics typical of the category. Instead, BLUETTI has designed something intentionally slim and understated. Finished in an off-white colour, FridgePower feels far closer to a modern home appliance than an off-grid battery system.

At just 75mm thick, the unit is designed to slide behind or beside appliances without dominating the room. In practice, it feels more like a smart-home accessory than “prepper gear”, and that’s likely exactly the point.

(Image credit: Future)

The main unit itself is deliberately simple. On the front sits a power button alongside a basic battery indicator. Around the rear are the AC outlets, solar/DC input, IEC charging socket and expansion battery connection hidden beneath a flap.

The BlueCell 200 expansion battery mirrors the same dimensions and overall design language, although the inclusion of a solitary 18W USB-C port feels slightly odd given the otherwise appliance-focused approach.

BLUETTI says the system can support up to three expansion batteries, pushing total capacity beyond 8kWh — enough to keep essential appliances running for extended outages.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: Setup

One of FridgePower’s biggest strengths is how straightforward it is to install.

Plug the unit into the wall, connect your fridge to the AC outlet and you’re done. If mains power fails, the battery automatically switches over in around 10ms.

For renters or homeowners unwilling to install a dedicated battery system, that simplicity is appealing.

Adding the BlueCell expansion battery is similarly easy. Power down the main unit, connect the expansion cable, then restart the system.

(Image credit: Future)

In ideal circumstances, setup takes only a few minutes.

Reality, however, may depend heavily on your kitchen layout.

Our test setup used under-counter fridges positioned beneath a kitchen peninsula, leaving very little wall space to mount the FridgePower neatly. Unlike BLUETTI’s promotional images, there was no obvious place to position the units without them becoming visually intrusive.

Eventually, we managed to fit both the FridgePower and BlueCell behind the kitchen kickboard, although doing so revealed a few design limitations.

(Image credit: Future)

The expansion cable arrangement only allows the batteries to connect in one orientation: main unit on the left, expansion batteries on the right. Because of our available space, this forced us to stack the units and invert the BlueCell so the cables could reach properly.

The manual doesn’t mention any restrictions around stacking the units beyond basic ventilation clearances, although the setup does show how dependent the system can be on the layout of your kitchen.

(Image credit: Future)

There’s also a more UK-specific issue involving Type G plugs.

Unlike European or US plugs, UK plugs route cables downward, which creates some awkward clashes around the rear panel. One plug partially obstructed the ventilation area, while another competed for space with the AC charging cable. We managed to make everything fit, but cable clearance was tighter than expected.

A simple reorientation of the sockets would likely have solved the issue entirely.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: Performance

Once installed, FridgePower largely disappears into the background — which is exactly what you want from a backup system.

The unit powered both fridges without issue, while charging drew around 1400W from the wall. During testing, switching off mains power resulted in no visible flicker from the fridge lighting, suggesting the UPS switchover works exactly as advertised.

Cooling noise from the internal fan was noticeable while charging, but still quieter than the compressors of the fridges themselves. Once fully charged, the system became effectively unobtrusive.

(Image credit: Future)

With both fridges actively running, we observed a combined power draw of around 110W. Based purely on continuous usage, that would translate to approximately 37 hours of runtime from the FridgePower and BlueCell combination.

In reality, fridge compressors cycle on and off, meaning practical runtime should be significantly longer depending on appliance efficiency and ambient temperature.

For most households, that’s enough to comfortably ride out typical outages without worrying about spoiled food.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: Monitoring and app support

The optional Magnetic Display is a neat accessory, although not an essential one.

If your intention is simply to install FridgePower and leave it alone, the display doesn’t add much functionality beyond what’s already available in the BLUETTI app. Still, it’s well designed and offers at-a-glance monitoring for battery percentage, power flow, ambient temperature and humidity.

Oddly, the clock only supports a 12-hour AM/PM format, which feels unnecessarily limiting for an otherwise global product.

(Image credit: Future)

The BLUETTI app remains the primary interface for the system, largely because the FridgePower itself lacks a built-in screen. Thankfully, anyone familiar with previous BLUETTI products will feel immediately at home.

The app provides detailed monitoring for charge levels, power usage and input/output statistics, alongside basic configuration settings for the Magnetic Display.

It’s functional, stable and easy enough to navigate, although some users may still prefer physical controls for a product designed to function as a household appliance.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: More than just a fridge backup?

Interestingly, FridgePower may appeal to a broader audience than BLUETTI originally intended.

Its slim dimensions make it suitable for home server racks, networking setups or homelab environments. During testing, we attempted to mount it inside a 12U rack cabinet, although the cabinet itself lacked sufficient depth for a clean fit.

Still, deeper racks would easily accommodate the system, and the 10ms UPS response time makes it more than suitable for protecting networking gear, servers or home office equipment.

(Image credit: Future)

Traditional rack-mounted UPS systems remain expensive, bulky and often reliant on ageing lead-acid batteries. FridgePower’s LiFePO₄ chemistry offers significantly longer lifespan and arguably makes far more sense for modern home users.

And because the unit simply provides standard AC outlets, you’re not limited to refrigerators. As long as you remain within the 1800W limit, FridgePower can support almost any household appliance.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: Pricing

At the time of writing, BLUETTI has yet to officially confirm UK pricing, with shipments expected to begin in June 2026.

Current US pricing is expected to be:

FridgePower: $1299

FridgePower + BlueCell 200: $2498

FridgePower + 2x BlueCell 200: $3697

FridgePower + 3x BlueCell 200: $4896

Magnetic Display: $50

As with most BLUETTI products, frequent discounts and launch promotions will likely bring real-world pricing down considerably.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI FridgePower: Final Verdict

The BLUETTI FridgePower succeeds because it focuses on solving a very specific problem exceptionally well.

Rather than chasing whole-home backup ambitions, BLUETTI has created something far more for everyday users: a slim, quiet and easy-to-install battery system that keeps essential appliances running when the power goes out.

It isn’t perfect. The rear socket layout could be better, installation flexibility depends heavily on your kitchen design, and the accessory ecosystem still feels slightly underdeveloped. But those shortcomings are outweighed by the sheer practicality of the concept.

For renters, apartment owners or anyone unwilling to commit to a full home battery installation, FridgePower occupies a clever middle ground that barely existed before.

Pricing will ultimately decide how successful FridgePower becomes. But if BLUETTI can keep the entry price competitive against larger portable power stations, the concept makes a lot of sense.

In a market full of oversized power stations trying to do everything, FridgePower stands out by focusing on one task and doing it well.

Category

Score

Design

4.5/5

Performance

5/5

Portability

2/5

Value

4/5

Overall: 4.5/5

We've listed the best power banks.

DJI’s push into portable power has been surprisingly assured, and the DJI Power 1000 Mini Portable Power Station feels like the most deliberate product in the range so far. It takes the core idea behind the larger units and trims it down into something you might actually want to carry.

This is a 1kWh-class power station that doesn’t feel like luggage. For creators, vanlifers and anyone working on the move, that shift in usability matters more than raw output figures, and might make it the best portable power station choice for them.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Design & portability

This is where DJI gets it right.

Specifications

• Capacity: 1008Wh (LFP battery)
• Output: 800W continuous / 1000W peak
• Cycle life: ~4000 cycles (to 80%)
• Weight: 11.5kg
• Dimensions: 314 × 212 × 216 mm
• Ports:
  • 2x AC outlets
  • 1x USB-C port
  • Built-in retractable USB-C cable (100W)
  • 2x USB-A
  • SDC port (DJI ecosystem)
• Charging:
  • 0–80% in ~1 hour (AC)
  • Solar and car charging supported
• Connectivity: App control via Wi-Fi
• 2x AC outlets
• 1x USB-C port
• Built-in retractable USB-C cable (100W)
• 2x USB-A
• SDC port (DJI ecosystem)
• 0–80% in ~1 hour (AC)
• Solar and car charging supported
• 2x AC outlets
• 1x USB-C port
• Built-in retractable USB-C cable (100W)
• 2x USB-A
• SDC port (DJI ecosystem)
• 0–80% in ~1 hour (AC)
• Solar and car charging supported
• 2x AC outlets
• 1x USB-C port
• Built-in retractable USB-C cable (100W)
• 2x USB-A
• SDC port (DJI ecosystem)
• 0–80% in ~1 hour (AC)
• Solar and car charging supported

• 2x AC outlets
• 1x USB-C port
• Built-in retractable USB-C cable (100W)
• 2x USB-A
• SDC port (DJI ecosystem)

• 0–80% in ~1 hour (AC)
• Solar and car charging supported

The Power 1000 Mini is impressively compact for its class—closer in footprint to a large lunchbox than the typical brick-like power stations we’re used to.

At 11.5kg, it’s not light, but it’s manageable in a way most 1kWh units simply aren’t.

Compared to the DJI Power 2000 Portable Power Station, the difference is immediate.

The 2000 is something you plan around; the Mini is something you just take.

Small touches help. The integrated retractable USB-C cable is one of those features you don’t think about until you use it—then wonder why everyone else hasn’t done it.

The front display is equally straightforward, showing charge level, estimated runtime and live input/output figures clearly at a glance.

Outdoor visibility is generally good, although direct sunlight can wash it out slightly.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Performance

In use, the Power 1000 Mini delivers exactly what its size suggests. It’s ideal for:

- Charging laptops, drones and camera gear

- Running small appliances

- Acting as a mobile workstation power hub

The 800W output ceiling means it’s not built for high-draw appliances like kettles or heaters, and that’s the key limitation. But within its intended scope, it performs reliably.

DJI’s use of LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery chemistry is also reassuring at this price point. Compared to older lithium-ion designs, LFP offers better thermal stability and significantly improved longevity, which helps justify the investment for anyone expecting to use the unit regularly over several years.

Charging speed is a genuine highlight. Being able to push the battery up to 80% in around an hour makes it far more flexible than older, slower-charging units. Rather than relying on overnight charging, the Mini feels built for quick top-ups between shoots, journeys or campsite stops.

Thermals are impressively well controlled too. Even during rapid charging, the unit never became noticeably hot in our testing, with only a small amount of warmth around the ventilation areas under sustained load. Noise levels are similarly restrained. Fan noise is minimal during general use and remains surprisingly subdued while charging—quiet enough that it largely disappears into the background in a home office or campervan environment.

By comparison, the larger DJI Power 2000 does produce slightly more audible fan noise when charging, although the difference isn’t dramatic.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Front-facing light

One feature that’s easy to overlook until you actually need it is the integrated front light built into the Power 1000 Mini.

Positioned across the front panel, it’s bright enough to be genuinely useful around a campsite, during a power cut, or when packing down camera gear late in the evening. DJI includes multiple brightness levels alongside an emergency flashing mode, turning the unit into something closer to a practical utility device than simply a battery box.

It’s not powerful enough to replace a dedicated lantern or work light, but it’s far more functional than the token LEDs many rivals include. More importantly, it reinforces the portable, grab-and-go nature of the Power 1000 Mini—everything you need is integrated into the unit itself.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Accessories & real-world testing

DJI supplied a car charging solution for testing (the DJI Power Car Battery Charging Cable), but we weren’t able to fully evaluate it.

Our only available vehicle during testing was a Tesla Model Y, which doesn’t support traditional alternator-based charging in the same way as a combustion vehicle.

That’s worth bearing in mind—this accessory is far more relevant if you’re running a petrol or diesel setup. Ideal for the van, RV or Camper lifestyle.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Solar panel experience

We also spent time with DJI’s 200W foldable solar panel, manufactured by IBC, and this is where the wider ecosystem feels less polished.

The panel itself is functional and reasonably well made, but compared to alternatives like the Jackery SolarSaga 200W Solar Panel, it’s noticeably less user-friendly in day-to-day use.

It feels heavier and stiffer than expected, setup is more awkward due to the multiple MC4 connectors, and the popper-style support legs are fiddly compared to simpler kickstand designs. There’s also no solar alignment indicator, making it harder to optimize positioning quickly outdoors.

More disappointing was real-world solar performance. Despite sharing the same 200W rating as the SolarSaga 200W, DJI’s panel consistently produced lower output in identical conditions.

On a bright sunny day, the Jackery panel could comfortably exceed 200W, while the DJI panel struggled to consistently reach 150W using the same placement and timing.

Individually these are minor complaints, but together they make the solar setup feel noticeably less polished than the power station itself.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: DJI Power 2000 - quick comparison

The DJI Power 2000 sits above the Mini in DJI’s lineup, and the difference is largely what you’d expect:

Capacity: roughly double (around 2kWh)

Output: significantly higher, suitable for appliances

Weight & size: much larger and heavier

Use case: home backup and high-load scenarios

In practical terms:

The Power 1000 Mini is about mobility and convenience

The Power 2000 is about sustained power and versatility

They’re not competing products—they’re aimed at different kinds of users.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Features & limitations

The Power 1000 Mini largely mirrors the wider DJI Power ecosystem, but there are some important differences between it and the larger DJI Power 2000 we tested recently.

Most notably, the Mini does not support AC back-feeding functionality. Unlike the Power 2000, it can’t feed stored power back into a home circuit or act as part of a more integrated backup power setup.

For most users, that won’t matter. The Mini feels designed primarily for creators, campers and mobile users rather than full home backup scenarios. If your workload revolves around cameras, laptops, drones and lighting, the balance of portability and capacity makes far more sense than carrying a significantly larger 2kWh unit.

If, however, you’re looking for something capable of supporting household appliances or acting as part of a more permanent emergency power setup, the Power 2000 remains the more capable option.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Pricing & configurations

DJI Power 1000 Mini (standalone):

- UK: £449

- US: ~$570–$600

DJI Power 1000 Mini + 200W Solar Panel Combo:

- UK: ~£833

- US: ~$1,127

DJI Power 1000 Mini: Accessories

DJI Power Car Battery Charging Cable

- UK: ~£45

- US: ~$55–$60

DJI 200W Foldable Solar Panel (IBC)

- UK: ~£339

- US: ~$420–$450

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 1000 Mini: Final Verdict

The DJI Power 1000 Mini is a carefully judged product. It doesn’t try to outgun larger power stations—instead, it makes a strong case for why you might not want one in the first place.

DJI has managed something surprisingly rare here: a 1kWh power station that feels designed to be carried regularly rather than reluctantly.

If you need something you can actually carry, use regularly, and charge quickly, this is one of the most convincing options in its class.

If you need raw output and all-day appliance support, you’ll still be better served by something like the Power 2000—but you’ll feel the difference every time you have to move it.

Category

Score

Design

4.5/5

Performance

4/5

Portability

5/5

Value

4/5

Solar ecosystem

3/5

Overall: 4/5

We've listed the best power banks for portable charging.

Shark ChillPill review

The Shark ChillPill is a personal cooling system, which means you can use it as a fan, a cooling plate you can press against your skin or a mister. Portable fans have always been around, but I’ve not seen anything else that combines these three functions into one device that manages to look stylish and cute while doing it.

Trust Shark to pull it off. The brand many readers will know for their vacuum cleaners and hair-styling products has a habit of combining solid tech, thoughtful design and straightforward controls, and I’m happy to report the ChillPill is no different.

The only catch is the price. It’s expensive for a portable fan at $149.99/£129.99. But as I’ll get into below, it’s so much more than that and if you really feel the heat, well worth the price.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

If you’ve ever held a compact pair of travel binoculars, you’ll already have a good mental image of the Shark ChillPill. It’s made up of two cylinders connected by a hinge in the middle. The larger cylinder is lighter and houses the fan, that’s where you attach the different heads. The smaller one holds the battery, controls and a small screen, and it made the most sense for me to use that one as the handle.

At 45 X 84 X 112mm and 350g, it’s compact enough to carry in most bags but not small enough to slip into a pocket. So manage your expectations if you were hoping for something as tiny and light as a regular cheap travel fan. This has considerably more tech inside it, and you can feel that.

The hinge in the middle makes it really versatile. If you lay the cylinders flat and parallel, it’s a handheld fan. But twist it so they’re perpendicular and it’ll stand on a desk or any surface, directing air exactly where you want it. I used it this way a lot while working, and it’s a great setup for that.

It comes with a small cloth carry case. I’ve seen other reviews describe this as fitting the ChillPill itself, but I’d say it’s a squeeze and doesn’t fully cover the top. Best to use that as storage for the spare attachments instead.

There are some genuinely lovely color options here, each with a darker color for the fan cylinder and a lighter one for the battery cylinder. There’s Carbon (black), Glacier (turquoise), Haze (dark blue), Dragon Fruit (pink), Match (green), and Iced Latte, a pale brown and beige with a slightly shiny finish, which is the one I tested. My personal favorite of the range is Glacier.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

Controls are really straightforward. The smaller cylinder has a dial at the top with textured edges that you turn to move the fan through the ten speeds, and a small screen that shows speed and battery level. It also displays a little icon depending on which attachment you’ve fitted. There’s a fan, a water drop for the misting pod then a little snowflake for the cooling plate.

Press the screen down to turn it on and long press to turn it off. There’s also a lock and unlock switch on the side to stop it accidentally activating in your bag, which is necessary as I did turn it on a couple of times without meaning to before I got into the habit of locking it.

Charging is via a USB-C port on the base of the smaller cylinder, tucked under a sealed flap. A green icon flashes when it’s charging and you can use the fan while it charges, though not the cooling plate.

The three attachments twist into place really easily. In fact, there’s an overall high build quality to the whole thing, which makes it feel really satisfying to use and hold.

Beyond the three included attachments, Shark also sells additional accessories. There’s a crossbody strap, a wrist strap, clip, clamp and sleeve. These are all sold separately, which is worth knowing — there's no strap included as there is with some rivals, like the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan.

That said, they’re not expensive and could be really invaluable to buy along with the fan from the get go, as it will allow you to attach it to a pram, desk or use it hands-free on the move. If I was taking it on holiday, I’d snap up the crossbody strap in a heartbeat.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

The ChillPill is genuinely powerful, more so than any other personal fan I’ve tested. At mid-range settings — around 4 or 5 — it’ll cool you down effectively without blasting you in the face or hurting your eyes. Especially if it’s propped up on a desk nearby, which is how I used it the most during the day while I was working. Settings 9 and 10 get considerably more powerful and are for when you really need it, either to cool down quicker or outdoors in more serious heat.

I’ve seen other reviews flag the ChillPill as very loud, and I’m going to respectfully push back on that with my measurements — I clocked it at 43.4dB at speed 1, 59.5dB at speed 5, 66.5dB at speed 8, and 70.5dB at speed 10. For context, my high-tech kettle just before it finishes boiling is 69dB and my hairdryer is 78dB. So yes, it gets louder as you turn it up — that’s true of every fan — but calling it really loud at speed 10 is a stretch. I also used it at night on setting 5 and the sound (which I’m guessing is akin to white or green noise) helped me sleep.

Battery life was impressive for such a small device. I ran a test with the fan at speed 5, which is the sweet spot I’d realistically use it at on a desk all day, and it lasted for 8 hours and 10 minutes. Now Shark claims 11 hours at the lower settings, so this is a welcome surprise.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

The misting pod works by filling a small tank with water, which then soaks the wick inside the attachment. There’s a wick pre-installed that Shark recommends you replace monthly and three spares in the box. Getting the old one out is fairly easy with either your fingertips or a pair of tweezers.

Once it’s set up, there’s a small opening at the top and then you can choose between constant or interval misting modes. I found the mist to be fine enough that it won’t soak you or anything around you, which means you can use it indoors or on public transport if you’re mindful about it but I probably wouldn’t use it directly over electronics.

The attachment I was least sure about before testing it was the cooling plate, which Shark calls InstaChill. And yet it was the one I ended up loving the most.

Using the fan behind the metal plate to cool it down, the InstaChill allows you to gain targeted relief by pressing it against your skin. It’s very cold, like touching an ice pack fresh from the freezer. I used it on my wrists and the back of my neck and it had an instant cooling and calming effect. Although this is probably a subjective experience, I’m always a little too warm and using this on the pressure points on my neck didn’t just cool me down but made a real difference for focus, alertness, and heading off a migraine.

Based on my battery testing, the cooling plate lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes before you run out of juice. That might not sound like much, but it's doing serious work to cool the plate down to ice-pack levels of cold.

I also don't think anyone would realistically be using that attachment continuously. I run hot and even I found 30 seconds on my skin was enough before it got too intense. In practice, you're more likely to use the fan, switch to the plate for a minute or two on the pulse point, then switch back. For that kind of use, 1 hour and 40 minutes goes a long way.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

I think the Shark ChillPill makes the most sense for anyone who really feels the heat, if you’re traveling to a warmer climate or work in offices with no upper temperature limit (yes that’s a real thing in the UK, there’s a legal lower limit but not an upper one). It'd also be a great fit if you're dealing with perimenopause or menopause symptoms or suffer from migraines and would benefit from the cooling plate’s targeted effect on pulse points. But really it'll be good for everyone else as the summer heat hits.

The only notable downside to the ChillPill is that it’s expensive for a portable fan at $149.99 / £129.99. But it’s three cooling tools in one well-built and thoughtfully designed device that happens to be small enough to carry anywhere. That said, it's only really good value if you genuinely plan to use all three of those attachments and if you have enough budget left over to buy an accessory, like the crossbody strap.

If you just want a fan, there are cheaper options, including the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool. Expect to see more premium portable fans entering this space. The era of tiny, underpowered travel fans that just seem to move hot air around seem to be giving way to solutions that are more effective and considered, and the ChillPill is currently leading that charge.

Shark ChillPill review: Price & release date

• Priced at $149.99 / £129.99
• Launched in March 2026
• Currently available in Europe and North America

The Shark ChillPill was released in March 2026, priced at $149.99 / £129.99. It's available in Europe and North America at the time of writing.

For a portable fan, this is expensive. It’s worth being honest about that. You can pick up another portable fan, like the JISULIFE Portable Handheld Fan for $73.49 / £69.99.

But the ChillPill isn’t really a portable fan, it’s three cooling tools rolled into one, which makes direct price comparisons tricky. There’s nothing else on the market right now that does exactly the same thing.

The closest rival is the Dyson HushJet Mini at $99.99 / £99.99, which launched in April 2026. It's fan only — so doesn't include misting or a cooling plate — but it is well-engineered, quiet and around $30 / £30 cheaper. So if all you want is a powerful, stylish portable fan then it’s a strong alternative. If you want the full cooling system, it isn’t.

Beyond that, if you want a fairly small desktop fan for working or at home that you don’t need to be portable, there are some good alternatives to consider. Like the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo, a desktop fan also from Shark with the same misting technology at $149.99 / £129.99. Or the MeacoFan Sefte 8in at £79.99, a great desktop fan for working and sleeping, which we rated for its ability to blast out impressively strong airflow at a pleasingly low volume.

For now, the ChillPill remains the most versatile product in this space. All in all, it’s expensive. But if you’ll genuinely use all three attachments, it’s good value. The people who’ll get the most out of it, like those who can’t sleep in the heat, commuters, anyone dealing with menopause or migraines, will likely find the price very easy to justify.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)Shark ChillPill review: Specs

Weight

350g / 0.7lbs

Dimensions

45mm x 841mm x 112mm (L x W x D)

Colors

Carbon, Glacier, Haze, Dragon Fruit, Matcha, Iced Latte

Battery life

Up to 11 hours

Should I buy the Shark ChillPill?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

With three modes and a screen, features are simple and work well. Battery life is impressive and extra attachments are handy — though you'll need to pay more for them.

4/5

Performance

Works well in all sorts of environments with plenty of power and longevity. The fan is excellent (if a little loud at the highest settings) and the cooling plate and mister give a much welcome alternative way to cool down.

5/5

Design

It looks cool, is exceptionally well built and can be used in a few different ways. It's compact, fairly light and gets bonus points for all the vivid color options.

5/5

Value

It's expensive. There's no getting around that. But I think for many people that price is absolutely worth it and you're getting a top-performing and well-built device.

4/5

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)Buy it if...

You struggle in the heat
Whether that’s migraines, perimenopause or menopause, travel to a hot climate, camping or any other reason the heat is difficult, this was made for you.

Standard portable fans have never quite cut it
It’s more powerful and versatile than anything most people will have tried, especially in such a compact package.

You appreciate good design — and don’t mind paying for it
You do need to spend a bit here, but you get a genuinely fantastic product for your money.

Don't buy it if...

You need something truly pocket-sized
It’s compact but not slip-it-in-your-pocket compact. You’ll need to look elsewhere and accept something considerably less powerful.

You’re on a tight budget
The price is the only real downside here. If spending over $100/£100 just isn’t feasible right now that’s completely understandable.

You only want a straightforward fan
It’s excellent as a fan alone, but it makes the most sense if the misting head and cooling plate appeal to you at least some of the time.

Shark ChillPill review: Also consider

Dyson HushJet Mini Cooling Fan
If you want something from a brand with serious experience in this space, Dyson’s latest personal fan is well worth considering. It’s lighter and more stripped back than the ChillPill, without the same 3-in-1 versatility, but Dyson really know what they’re doing when it comes to airflow. We haven’t tested it yet, but our full review is coming very soon.

Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo
If the Shark ChillPill appeals because you want to cool down at home or as you work, then the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo is a tabletop fan that's worth a look. It also has a misting feature we loved during testing. It's small for a fan but not as portable as the ChillPill. If you don’t see a need for something small you can use on-the-go, stay with Shark just consider the FlexBreeze HydroGo instead. Read our Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo reviewView Deal

How I tested the Shark ChillPill

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

• Tested for a week
• Used all three settings regularly
• Used at home, in the city, in the countryside on a walk and in a park

I tested the Shark ChillPill for a whole week during a surprisingly warm spell in the UK, which meant I could put it through its paces properly. I used it while working at home on warm days, remote working in coffee shops, on a walk in the countryside and having a picnic in the park, all when temperatures were high in the UK. I also used it at night to see how both the cooling effect of the fan and the sound it makes impacted my sleep.

This week-long testing time gave me a good opportunity to run the battery down across a range of settings and properly test the longevity.

I’ve been writing about and testing tech for more than 15 years, covering health tech, smart home devices, wearables and audio products. Always with a focus on whether a device can actually make your life better, rather than what’s on the spec sheet.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: April 2026

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: two-minute review

IKEA's color-shifting Varmblixt smart lamp, with its donut-shaped frosted glass diffuser, makes a striking focal point. It's easy to operate using the switch included in the box, and it casts a soft glow whether you use it on a table or mounted on a wall.

The Varmblixt was designed by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis and comes with a preset palette of pastel hues designed to complement its curves. Pressing the button on its remote once will turn it on, and double-pressing will switch to the next shade in the sequence.

This works well straight out of the box (and handing it to visitors so they can change the mood lighting during dinner is fun), but the Varmblixt really comes into its own when used with the IKEA Home Smart mobile app. This lets you choose from a much larger range of colors, adjust the lamp's brightness, and link it to other IKEA smart devices such as motion sensors and scroll wheel switches.

FutureFutureFuture

You can even incorporate it into a mix-and-match smart home setup using the Matter protocol. To do this, you'll need IKEA's Dirigera smart hub, so be prepared for that extra expense if you want to use the Varmblixt's smart capabilities.

Connecting the Varmblixt to the Home Smart app wasn't quite as straightforward as it should have been and involved some trial and error. You should be able to link any IKEA smart home device by scanning the QR code on the item or its packaging, but the app failed to connect to the Varmblixt (or the Bilresa switches I later used to control it).

I eventually found that I could get around the problem by waiting for the connection failure notification to appear in the app, then selecting the option to connect without Bluetooth. The lamp and switches were then linked to the app without a hitch.

(Image credit: Future)

Once your devices are linked, IKEA's app is extremely simple to use and is a good introduction to smart home tech. Unlike the Philips Hue app, which gives you granular control over every switch and light in your home, linking a device to IKEA Home Smart works immediately, with a limited but useful set of options.

Once you've linked the Varmblixt lamp, you'll find that you can pick from a much broader palette of colors, although the hues selected by Sabine Marcelis are highlighted so you can find them easily. Alternatively, you can use a color wheel to choose the shade you want.

The lamp doesn't offer as many colors as a Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulb, but its smooth shape and frosted diffuser mean it's effective at setting a mood with indirect lighting.

(Image credit: Future)

You can even set the Varmblixt to change colors on a schedule. The default 'adaptive' option changes the light temperature during the day, so it becomes cooler during working hours and warmer in the evening when you want to unwind, but it's also possible to create your own timed color changes.

When you connect a controller to the Varmblixt, there's no need to spend time configuring what each button should do; again, it works right away. When I linked it to a Bilresa dimmer switch, I found that the wheel was pre-programmed to control the light's brightness.

Overall, the IKEA Varmblixt lamp is a pleasure to use, and a real conversation-starter when you have guests. App setup can be a bit fiddly and requires IKEA's smart home hub, but it works very well with the remote alone.

• Performance score: 4/5

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: price and availability

IKEA first showed the Varmblixt smart lamp at the CES tech show in January 2026, and the donut-shaped light went on sale in the US and Europe in March of the same year. It's not available in Australia at the time of writing, but it might be released more widely later in 2026.

It's priced at $99 / £55 (about AU$140), which is about standard for a color-changing smart lamp without additional features like music or media synchronizing. For example, the Govee Table Lamp 2 is $69.99 / £69.99 (about AU$100).

However, if you want to use the smart functions and choose from a wider array of colors, you'll also need IKEA's Dirigera smart hub, which costs an additional $109 / £70 / AU$129, so you'll need to be sure that you want to invest in IKEA's wider smart home system first.

• Value score: 4/5

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: design

This is a new take on the original donut-shaped Varmblixt lamp, which was released in 2022. This lamp (also designed by Sabine Marcellis) had a glossy orange surface that cast warm light into the room. The 2026 Varmblixt replaces this with a white frosted glass diffuser and cycles through a palette of pastel colors selected by the designer.

The Varmblixt lamp has a flat base so you can use it on a table, and a hole in the backplate so you can mount it on a wall (though be aware that it's a wired lamp, so you'll need to place it near an electrical outlet).

The lamp is wired and is supplied with one of IKEA's standard Bilresa remote controls, which takes two AAA batteries (not included).

• Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp?IKEA Varmblixtt Lamp score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

The lamp itself is very reasonably priced, but connecting it to the app requires the rather expensive IKEA Dirigera hub.

4/5

Design

Very unusual but attractive design, with an iconic shape and a thoughtfully curated set of colors. Optional wall-mounting is a nice touch.

5/5

Performance

Key features work flawlessly, but app setup wasn't quite as smooth as it should have been. The HomeSmart app is excellent once the lamp is connected.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You want a statement light

This is a dramatic light, and really draws the eye, whether you use it as a table or wall lamp. I've yet to find a person who wasn't immediately fascinated.

You already own IKEA smart devices

App connectivity requires IKEA's smart hub, which won't be a problem if you're already invested in the brand's smart home ecosystem.

Don't buy it if

You want advanced features

The IKEA Home Smart app lets you create a simple schedule and connect to switches, but for complex lighting scenes and syncing with music, you're better off picking a light from Philips Hue, Govee, or Nanoleaf.

You need task lighting

If you need a lamp to work by, take a look at IKEA's range of desk lights, or consider fitting one of the brand's smart bulbs into one of its lamp bases.View Deal

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: also consider

Govee Table Lamp 2

Another captivating smart lamp, this model can display a solid color or multiple hues at once, with customizable scenes. It's a similar price, but its cylindrical shape doesn't have the same 'wow' factor as the Varmblixt.

Read our full Govee Table Lamp 2 review

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer

These lamps cast a smooth gradient of light over your wall, and can synchronize with content on your TV screen if you have an HDMI sync box. They're brighter than the Varmblixt, with a lot more features. but are much more expensive as well.

Read our full Philips Hue Play Wall Washer review

How I tested the IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp

I tested the Varmblixt lamp with the remote control included in the box, switching between all the preset colors, and then connected it to the IKEA Home Smart app using a Dirigera hub. I used all the color and scheduling options in the app, comparing it with a Philips Hue Wall Washer lamp. I also tried controlling the lamp using an IKEA Bilresa dimmer switch with a scroll wheel.

First tested April 2026

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: one-minute review

The Hoover HL2 TurboStyle is a budget corded upright that's clearly been designed for people who don't want to think too hard about their vacuum cleaner. It’s one of the best upright vacuum cleaners for those that just want something that picks stuff up, doesn't cost much, and won't break their back carrying it upstairs. At under 5kg it's one of the lighter corded uprights you can buy, and the 850W motor delivers consistent suction that doesn't fade the way a cordless stick does when the battery starts dropping off.

Hoover's Anti-Twist brushbar technology works well in practice, keeping hair from wrapping around the roller in a way that genuinely saves you the grim job of cutting it free every few weeks, and the dual-speed setting means you can dial the brushbar back for hard floors without it scattering debris everywhere. The LED headlights are also a nice touch for spotting dust under furniture, and the push-and-lift handheld mode makes it easy enough to get at stairs and upholstery without detaching half the machine.

(Image credit: Future)

Where the budget shows is in the build quality and the finer details. The plastic has that slightly hollow feel that makes you handle it a bit more carefully than you probably should have to. There's no app, no sensors, no clever features – which is fine if you don't want any of that, but it does mean you're paying purely for cleaning performance and not much else.

For the price, the HL2 TurboStyle does the fundamentals well and the suction holds up across carpets and hard floors without any complaints. It's not that exciting to look at but it does what it promises as a sensible, no-frills upright. If that's all you're after, look no further.

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: price and release date

• Available now in the UK priced at £169.99 RRP, currently on sale at £129
• Also available from retailers such as Currys
• Colours: Pastel Pink, Teal

The HL2 TurboStyle is only available in the UK, where it sits at a very accessible price point. The standard Home model is available in pastel pink or teal colourways and has an RRP of £169.99 (about $230 / AU$320). However, at the time of writing, it’s currently priced at £129 (about $180 / AU$240) either direct from Hoover or Currys. The Pet variant (which adds a mini turbo brush for upholstery) can be picked up for £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340).

For context, that's significantly cheaper than a cordless Dyson, which will set you back at least £300 / $400 / AU$600 for something entry-level, and around the same price as a lot of budget cordless sticks that'll give you 20 minutes of runtime before needing a charge. If you're happy being tethered to a plug, the HL2's price is hard to argue with.

• Value score: 4/5

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: design

• Lightweight and nimble for a corded upright
• Bin release button is far too sensitive
• Color choices could do with a rethink

The HL2 is a compact, slim upright that doesn't look like much out of the box, and that's OK. It's not trying to be anything it’s not – it's a mid-range vacuum cleaner that gets the job done with very little faff. At under 5kg, it's noticeably light for a corded machine, and the swivelling floorhead makes it easy to steer around furniture without needing to do that awkward three-point-turn you get with bulkier uprights.

The eight-meter working radius is generous, too. I was able to do most of a room without having to unplug and move to a different socket, which takes the annoying part out of a corded setup. The cable itself is long enough that I stopped thinking about it after a while (apart from needing to move it out of the way to change direction).

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Build quality is where you start to see why this machine has the price point it does. The main body is fine, sturdy and sensibly laid out, but the attachments feel a bit cheap. The crevice tool and dusting brush have that thin, hollow plastic feel and while nothing broke during testing, I’m not sure if it would survive being bashed around over time.

The bin is a good size at 2.5 liters, and the one-click emptying is supposed to make disposal straightforward but in reality I found the release button to be a little too trigger happy. On one occasion, when I was carrying the bin across to the kitchen, the button rested gently on my hand and the hatch popped open spilling the entire contents across the floor. It's a design quirk that will likely catch you out at least once.

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As for the colours, I tested the teal version, which is inoffensive enough. The pastel pink is clearly aimed at a specific buyer, and fair play. But I do think a simple black, dark grey or more neutral option would go better with any home, and it feels like Hoover missed a trick not offering one.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: features and performance

• Impressive pickup, especially on carpet
• Anti-Twist tech works well with hair
• Push-and-lift handheld mode is useful but basic

After trying it across multiple floor types, I found the HL2's 850W motor does a genuinely good job. When running it over a high-pile wool rug that I'd already gone over with my Dyson cordless, the Hoover pulled up a surprising amount of extra lint, dust and general debris that the Dyson had clearly missed. There's something to be said for the raw, consistent power of a corded motor, and the HL2 reminded me why uprights still exist.

There are two brush bar speeds, controlled by a rocker switch on the floorhead: one for hard floors and one for carpet. The carpet mode is pretty aggressive, digging into the pile with enough energy that you can see it lifting as the vac passes over it. Meanwhile, hard floor mode dials things back so you're not flinging dust around. It's a simple setup that works well, but it’s worth flagging how a lot of modern, premium models have sensors which can detect a change in floor type and switch between these modes automatically. This is definitely missed here.

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Hoover's Anti-Twist technology does a good job, too, as I didn't end up with any hair wrapped around the brush bar during my testing period. The LED headlights on the floorhead are a nice touch as well, lighting up darker areas under the sofa and bed where dust loves to hide.

The push-and-lift conversion to a handheld is perfectly functional, too. You press the button, lift the main unit off the base, and you've got a handheld vac for stairs and above-floor work. It's fine for quick jobs, but the unit is a bit unwieldy for extended handheld use, and the stretch hose, while reaching two metres, doesn't give you quite as much flexibility as a proper dedicated handheld.

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For day-to-day use, the HL2 is pleasingly smooth to push around. There's very little effort needed to glide it up and down, and the swivel head handles corners and furniture legs without too much fuss. Suction is consistent throughout, which is the benefit of being plugged in, and I didn't run into any blockages, overheating or performance dips during testing.

If there's a complaint about performance, it's that the HL2 doesn't really do anything beyond the basics. There's no auto-adjust for floor types, no dirt sensors, no display showing you anything useful. That's expected at this price, but it does mean you're relying entirely on your own eyes and judgement, which, after using smarter vacuums, can feel a little old-school.

• Features and performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle?Buy it if

You want reliable suction without battery anxiety

The corded motor gives you consistent, strong cleaning power for as long as you need it.View Deal

You have a mix of carpet and hard floors

The dual-speed brushbar handles both well, and the Anti-Twist tech keeps maintenance lowView Deal

You're after a budget-friendly upright that stores easily

This vacuum is under 5kg and compact enough to tuck away without taking up half a cupboard.View Deal

Don't buy it if

You're used to cordless freedom

The cord is long, but it's still a cord, and once you've gone cordless it's hard to go back.View Deal

You want premium build quality

The attachments feel a bit flimsy and the bin release is far too easy to trigger accidentally.View Deal

You care about smart features

There's no auto-adjust, no useful display and no meaningful app integration here.View Deal

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: also consider

Shark Navigator Lift-Away
If you want a more robust corded upright with better build quality and a proper lift-away canister for stairs, the Shark is a top notch alternative that doesn’t cost all that much more.

Dyson Ball Animal 3
An extremely powerful option from Dyson that might cost a bit more, but is especially effective on carpets and has a massive bagless bin that doesn’t need emptying daily.

Hoover HU300
Hoover's own step-up model adds multi-cyclonic technology and a HEPA H13 filter for better filtration, and is generally a bit more refined than the HL2.

How I tested the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle

I used the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle as my main vacuum cleaner for several weeks across carpet, rugs and hard floors in a multi-level home. I tested it alongside my regular Dyson cordless to compare pickup, used the handheld mode on stairs and upholstery, and assessed the build quality, bin emptying, storage and day-to-day usability throughout.

First reviewed: April 2026

Creative Sound Blaster GS5: One-minute review

The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 is a gaming soundbar that can be used with all sorts of devices, with a form factor that’s suitable for desktops, according to the brand.

Its plain appearance won’t set hearts ablaze, but it has a certain minimalist charm that’s unlikely to offend. Customizable RGB lighting is on hand for those who want to brighten their setup, too.

The build quality of the GS5 is reasonable. It feels quite solid without being too heavy, although the chassis material doesn’t feel particularly premium. It falls short of the best soundbars in this regard, and no doubt contributes to its relatively low price tag. And while it’s a compact unit, I still think it’s a bit too large to sit comfortably on your desk.

(Image credit: Future)

The remote is similarly compact and functional. It’s well made and easy to use, although it can be slow to respond, especially when trying to adjust certain parameters with quick, repeated presses.

The GS5 produces a good sound for gaming. Audio effects are impactful, but overall fidelity is lacking somewhat, which is especially noticeable when listening to music or watching movies.

Altering the sound in Creative’s desktop app can help, though. There are plenty of adjustments here, including a 10-point EQ graph and other audio-enhancing features. Some of these improve clarity and impact, while others, such as the volume-leveling function, are less effective.

It’s a shame that these alterations only take effect when listening to the GS5 on PC via USB, and it’s also disappointing that the mobile app offers nowhere near the same number of adjustments as the desktop app.

I have fewer complaints about the connectivity of the GS5, though. Bluetooth works very well, pairing quickly to my devices and making it easy to hotswitch to wired connections. Speaking of which, you get many options here, with USB, Optical, and AUX ports on board. There’s even a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side of the unit.

All these options and features are impressive for a soundbar of this price. Many of its rivals are a lot more expensive, and while they may offer better audio quality, the GS5 is still worth considering if you’re on a budget. Just don’t expect a space-saving desktop unit with pristine sound.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• $99.99 / £74.99 / AU$129.95
• Available now
• Cheaper than many rivals

The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 costs $99.99 / £74.99 / AU$129.95 and is available now in one colorway: black.

This is a reasonable price for a gaming soundbar, especially one that offers so many features. For something even cheaper, there’s the GS3, the younger sibling to the GS5. However, this is smaller, less powerful, and lacks the same features.

For more premium options, there’s the Creative Katana SE, which has a similar feature-set and audio quality, while the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro has more advanced features, including an infrared camera with AI tracking to keep the sound centered on where you are.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Specs

Frequency range:

65–20,000Hz

Drivers:

3.35 x 2.16 inch full-range racetrack drivers

Dimensions:

510 x 102.7 x 82.6mm / 20.07 x 4.04 x 3.25 inches

Weight:

1.5kg / 3.3lbs

Audio Inputs:

Bluetooth 5.3, Optical-in (TOSLINK), 3.5mm AUX-in, USB Audio (Type C)

Audio Outputs:

3.5mm Headphones-out

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Restrained looks
• A little too big for desktops
• Feature-packed desktop app

The GS5 has a rather functional appearance; the all-black design looks smart, but also a little dull. The RGB lighting, however, does impart some interest, with its keen luminescence and plenty of customization options on tap.

Although the GS5 is smaller than your typical soundbar, it’s still a bit too cumbersome for desktop use, despite Creative’s intentions for it. It mightn’t be particularly wide but it's quite tall and deep, so it takes up more space than you might think. At least the overall form is sleek and minimal, lacking unnecessary angles or protrusions.

Build quality is reasonable, too. It feels solid in the main, and although the materials employed don’t feel particularly upmarket, they’re sufficient for the job. I also appreciated the soft rubber feet, which help to stabilize the soundbar, as well as protect the underlying surface.

The LED display is limited to just two characters, but it’s clear enough without being distracting, and is sufficient for conveying information. The side knob is similarly discreet, and rotates smoothly with light notching. Also operating well, the surrounding buttons only require a light press to work. They’re coated in a soft rubber that feels comfortable, although it's a little pointless in my view.

(Image credit: Future)

Feeling of a similar quality, the IR remote control is compact and sits nicely in the hand. The buttons operate with a satisfying solidity, too, and there are plenty of adjustments available, from volume and track skipping to toggles for various audio features.

However, not every feature and function that the GS5 has to offer is present here. To gain access to further tweaks, you’ll need to install Creative’s free desktop app. Here you’ll find plenty of in-depth options to tinker with, including EQ graphs and various enhancements.

It’s clearly laid out for the most part, although adjusting some of the functions for the sound mode are a little confusing. It’s not immediately clear how the Sound Mode, Acoustic Stage, and Equalizer sections are linked, but they are. What’s more, adjustments made in the app fail to sync up with the GS5’s LED readout. For instance, if you’ve selected Gaming mode via the app, this won’t show up.

The app’s interface isn’t the most appealing, with certain UI elements looking a little low-res. Also, some clickable objects, such as drop-down boxes, didn’t always respond properly in my experience. What’s more, I was disappointed that the app won’t recognize the GS5 if connected wirelessly via Bluetooth; you must have a wired USB connection. Ultimately, though, these are minor niggles, and overall the software is stable and usable.

It’s frustrating that the mobile app is far more limited than its desktop counterpart. It only offers a few adjustments, and these are ones that are already present on the remote, although I understand it may be more convenient for some to use their phone rather than the remote to control the GS5.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Impactful and punchy sound
• Lacks fidelity
• App settings only take effect on PC

The GS5 is an effective companion to your gaming sessions. Sound effects are punchy and impactful, adding real bite to sword swings when I played The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and gunfire in Counter-Strike 2. Sadly, the overall fidelity of the GS5 isn’t particularly great, which is especially noticeable when listening to music. It’s certainly not in the same league as the best speakers for audio enthusiasts, nor is it on a par with the best gaming headsets.

There’s plenty of volume, although it’s a shame that the increments aren’t very precise; you’ll find the sound hardly changes as you increase or decrease the volume by one or two digits, before it suddenly jumps on the third or forth.

You can make several adjustments to tailor the sound of the GS5 to your needs. You can control the tone by seven levels: 0 is the neutral point between the two extremes of ‘warmth’ and ‘brilliance’ (as Creative terms them), with three either side for more bass or more treble.

(Image credit: Future)

The brighter tones were impressive, enhancing the clarity of that aforementioned punch to game sound effects. However, the lower tones were disappointing, muddying the bass rather than making it fuller.

On top of this, there's also a SuperWide setting, which promises a more expansive soundstage. You can toggle between Near and Far modes (or disable it altogether), based on your distance from the bar. I found this to be an effective feature, as it really does impart a greater sense of space. The Far setting adds some unwanted airiness, but not to the extent that it undermines clarity and depth entirely.

Then there are the plethora of what Creative calls Sound Modes. On the remote, you can only toggle between two of these: Gaming and Movie. The latter seemed to offer greater fidelity at the expense of impact, whereas the former had the opposite effect, emphasizing mids and lows at the expense of clear trebles.

In the Creative desktop app, there are many more of these modes to choose from, including those designed for specific games. You can even design and save your own custom profiles, with independent sections for speaker and headphone settings, should you wish to connect one via the 3.5mm jack on the side of the GS5.

(Image credit: Future)

To shape your sound, there’s an EQ graph with a range of 31Hz to 16KHz, plotted with 10 points that you can drag to boost or cut frequencies by 6dBs. For convenience, there are additional sliders for overall bass and treble, allowing you to adjust multiple frequencies in those domains simultaneously. There’s also a Preamp slider that can be used to alter overall volume.

Alongside this traditional EQ, the app also has a feature that Creative calls Acoustic Engine. Here, you can adjust more sound-related aspects. There are further sliders for enhancing bass and treble frequencies, which stack on top of what can be achieved with the EQ. There’s also a setting called Dialog+ that’s designed to make dialog clearer, and in my experience this does indeed achieve its aim.

I found the Smart Volume setting less effective. This claims to intelligently ride levels to prevent loud and unpleasant spikes in volume. Unfortunately, in action, it sounds like an unsubtle audio compressor, causing a slight pumping effect but not actually taming peaks all that well.

All these options are a little overwhelming at first, but on the whole they’re welcome and meaningful additions. However, it’s a shame that any custom sound mode you create can’t be selected via the remote. Worse still, these only work on PC via USB — you won’t be able to use them when connected via Bluetooth, or when connected to consoles and other devices, wired or wirelessly.

Connecting to various devices via Bluetooth was as quick and as painless as I could’ve wished for. I couldn’t discern any difference in sound quality between USB and Bluetooth connections, either.

What’s more, switching between Bluetooth and USB connections was also seamless. I could switch between them without needing to unplug and replug the cable, which made hot-switching that much easier. There are also ports for AUX and optical connection, which means that overall the GS5 has an impressive range of connectivity options.

The performance of the IR remote was somewhat disappointing. I often experienced delayed inputs, especially when adjusting the Tone parameter, for some reason. And while I appreciated the media controls for play / pause and track skipping, these only worked on PC via USB, not on console.

Should I buy the Creative Sound Blaster GS5?Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

It offers quite a lot for its relatively unassuming price tag.

4 / 5

Design

The unfussy and compact form are positives, but it’s still too large to sit on desktops comfortably.

3.5 / 5

Performance

The GS5 doesn’t have the best fidelity, but there are plenty of sound-enhancing features to somewhat make up for this.

3.5 / 5

Overall rating

The GS5 packs in plenty of features and connectivity options, but the lack of audio quality compared to hi-fi alternatives is clear. It’s also a little too big for desktops, but at this price, it’s still worth considering if you’re on a budget.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You’re on a budget
As soundbars go, the GS5 is quite cheap, yet it still has a lot of features and connectivity options.

You want plenty of customization
Using the GS5 on PC unlocks a wealth of tweaks, most of which make meaningful changes to the sound.

Don't buy it if…

You want the best sound quality
The lack of clarity compared to top-tier rivals is apparent, and music and movie lovers might be especially disappointed.

You want something discreet
Although Creative does say the GS5 is fit for desktops, it’s still a little too large, in my view.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Also consider

Creative Katana SE
Another Creative model, the Katana SE is a powerful, bass-heavy unit that, like the GS5, features plenty of customization and connectivity options. Unfortunately, though, it also shares the same lack of fidelity, so it still can’t compete with audio-focused soundbars and speakers. Read our full Creative Katana SE review.

Razer Leviathan V2 Pro
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro impressed us with its powerful low-end and wide sonic landscape, although we did find mid and high frequencies to be a little disappointing. It does have a Virtual Headset mode for increased immersion, though, as well as an infrared camera with AI tracking to make sure you’re always at the center of the soundstage. Read our full Razer Leviathan V2 Pro review.

How I tested the Creative Sound Blaster GS5

• Tested for several days
• Used for various content on various devices
• Plenty of gaming and audio experience

I tested the GS5 for several days. I used it for all kinds of content, from gaming to watching videos and listening to music.

I also used it with various devices via its various connections. I used it with my PS5, gaming PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android phone, with a mixture of USB and Bluetooth connections.

I have experience testing a range of audio gear, including headsets designed for gaming and headphones and speakers designed for audiophiles. Such products have spanned a range of price points, form factors, and feature sets.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: April 2026

Logitech G512 X two-minute review

The Logitech G512 X reminds me of what Citroën tried to do with the C3 Pluriel — a car so busy trying to be everything that it ended up being not quite enough of anything. This is a keyboard that seeks to blur the lines between gaming and enthusiast-grade, which is a tricky line to walk — and one that the G512 X doesn't quite manage.

On one hand, it's trying to be one of the best keyboards money can buy, with capable tactile switches, gasket mounting and strong acoustics, and on the other, it's positioning itself as a top-end TMR gaming deck with potent HE switches with rapid trigger, dual actuation and all the rest of it. For $199.99/£199.99, this feels like a two-for-one deal I can get behind, but only in some respects.

In practice, the G512 X impresses with strong mechanical credentials and fast analog switches that can be swapped in an instant with the bundled pullers to provide the precision and power more competitive gamers will appreciate. I also like the clean software and the pleasant and rather striking black and purple chassis (it can also come in white and mint).

(Image credit: Future)

However, there are several limits to its powers that, to me, stop it from being a top contender for one of the best gaming keyboards out there. For instance, the chassis here is predominantly plastic and can flex at the corners, meaning the Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition is a much stronger bet for build quality, while the fact that the analog hot-swappable powers only extend to 39 of the keyboard's switch sockets just feels like an oversight. The likes of the Cherry Xtrfy MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless and Glorious GMMK 3 Pro HE have already addressed this more convincingly with full hot-swap support.

Likewise, the high price tag is hard to ignore, even if you're getting some genuine cleverness here. The likes of the Cherry Xtrfy K5 Pro TMR Compact and Corsair K70 Pro TKL offer as much, or more, gaming grunt for a lower price, and the aforementioned Keychron adds wireless connectivity for an identical price. Nonetheless, it's still more affordable than the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3.

Logitech G512 X review: Price & release date

• Costs: $199.99 / £199.99
• Available May 2 2026
• Towards the top end of the market

The Logitech G512 X is available in two sizes, and therefore two prices, with the 96% option I have here the dearest at $199.99/£199.99. If you wanted the smaller 75% option, you'll be paying $179.99/£169.99. The keyboard is currently available for pre-order, with shipping from May 2 2026.

The price puts it towards the top end of the market for similar Hall effect gaming keyboards, and it's similar in a lot of respects to the Corsair K70 Pro TKL. The Cherry Xtrfy K5 Pro TMR Compact is also a potent wired choice, and is a fair bit cheaper than Logitech's offering, although it lacks some of the versatility of the G512 X.

Other more pro-oriented products that this keyboard is designed to compete with, such as the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL and the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3, cost a bit more, though, arguably due to having extra software trickery or wireless connectivity options.

(Image credit: Future)

In the box, Logitech provides the keyboard itself, a USB-C to USB-A cable for wired connectivity, switch and keycap pullers that double as feet and documentation. There is also a wristrest available, although that is a separate purchase.

• Price score: 3.5/5

Logitech G512 X review: Specs

Layout:

96% (75% also available)

Switch:

Gateron KS-20 (analog), Unknown Brown tactile (mechanical)

Programmable keys:

Yes

Dimensions:

13 x 5.9 x 1.9 inches / 386 x 150 x 48mm

RGB or backlighting:

Yes (customisable)

Logitech G512 X review: Design & features

• Stylish black and purple chassis
• Build quality leaves a lot to be desired
• Reasonably intuitive layout

Logitech has opted for a different look to a lot of its other past gaming keyboard efforts with the G512 X, adding a welcome splash of color, such as the purple-accented Esc and arrow keys, alongside the dual dials in the right corner and the color that's sandwiched in between the black of the frame down the sides and around the back. Both sizes of the Logitech G512 X can also come in white with mint accents, and you can swap out the colored keycaps for ones that match the rest of the body for a more uniform look.

There's a certain style here that I'm quite a fan of, alongside the diffused lighting aesthetic across the front.

For a $200 keyboard, the fact that the frame feels like it's mostly plastic isn't a great first impression, especially as rivals incorporate a lot of metal for sturdiness, or even go as far as to make the case out of a material such as resin, or concrete, in the case of Keychron's latest entry.

(Image credit: Future)

This has the effect of making the chassis flex under heavy pressure both in the middle and at the corners, giving the G512 X a much cheaper feel that I'm not a fan of, not least from a brand that should (and can) do better. Despite this, there is a decent amount of heft to the frame, with it tipping the scales at 2.2lbs/1kg, which means some thought has gone into it. Just not enough in my book.

The fit and finish elsewhere is quite reasonable, with pleasant PBT keycaps under the finger that have a nice grip for comfortable typing. PBT is a more durable plastic than the swathes of ABS I'm used to seeing on more mainstream keyboards, and is also much less resistant to the horrible keycap shine that plagues ABS-capped boards after a fair amount of use.

Logitech offers the G512 X in two layout varieties, with either a 75% or a 96% configuration available. The former offers the benefit of a TKL layout (also known as Tenkeyless, which means the keyboard doesn't have a numpad) in a slightly squished-up fashion, with an F-row, arrow keys and a single column nav cluster alongside the usual alphanumeric keys.

(Image credit: Future)

The 96% layout is the one I have, and it supplements this with a number pad. The placement of keys against other keyboards of this form factor I've tried is different, owing to the two dials in the top right. By default, the dials control backlight level (left) and media volume (right), although they can be remapped in Logitech's G Hub software. Usually, the navigation keys are moved above the number pad, but they're now part of a function layer, with only the Print Screen key above the number pad. Otherwise, this is a method of packing in most of the functionality of a full-size keyboard into a slightly space-saving chassis.

The interface around the back is where things get a little interesting, as you'll find standard features such as a USB-C port for wired connectivity, plus two buttons – one for scanning the keyboard to check for any analog switches installed (this is then reported into software for customization purposes), while the other enables Game Mode. In the middle, there is a cubby hole for the nine Gateron KS-20 analog switches that can be swapped into the keyboard and a shelf for five silicon rings that can be placed around a switch to help denote where a secondary actuation point is (if they're set in the software).

(Image credit: Future)

I like the clever use of storage space on the rear of the G512 X, and I think it's a smart feature that other keyboard makers could take notice of. The silicon rings do tend to fall out of the back of the keyboard, though, if you move it around.

On the underside, you'll find some small feet that raise the keyboard up by default to a more comfortable angle, although the included keycap and switch pullers also double as feet for an even taller angle. Getting these into place in between the existing feet is quite finicky, and they don't feel the most secure.

On the topic of software, G Hub handles configuration duties for everything from RGB lighting control to key remapping and dealing with rapid trigger and actuation point options. For rapid trigger and such, you can program inputs on a scale from 0.1mm all the way down to 4mm, giving a lot of configuration. There are also options here to set two actuations per key and deal with SOCD tech, which I'll get into later.

(Image credit: Future)

The RGB lighting here is rather bright, and there is a good deal of customization offered in the software to change colors, patterns and the like. My only criticism is that in a lot of cases, the backlighting doesn't extend to the edges of some of the legends.

• Design and features: 3.5/5

Logitech G512 X review: Performance

• Tactile mechanical switches by default…
• …which can be swapped to HE switches for more speed and precision
• Solely wired connectivity, although with 8000Hz polling rate

It's on the front of what's inside the G512 X where things get quite intriguing, as this is one of only a handful of keyboards out there that'll accept both more standard mechanical switches and magnetic or analog switches in one go. The only others that spring to mind are the Glorious GMMK 3 Pro HE and the Cherry Xtrfy MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless, although in this respect, I'd argue both of them have a leg up on Logitech.

That's because this 'board only accepts its analog TMR switches on 39 of the hot-swappable sockets, mostly on the left side of the keyboard, as that's where most of the switches pressed for gaming exist – the arrow keys are the only notable exception, according to Logitech. I understand why they've done this, but surely it would've made more sense to offer that precision and power across the entire alphanumeric set, rather than just over half of it.

This keyboard ships first and foremost as a more traditional mechanical choice, with it available either with indeterminate Linear or Tactile switches; my sample shipped with the latter. I feel it is quite important to note that some of the documentation I was provided with for this keyboard calls these switches 'MX Mechanical Switches' when I can find no evidence that these are proper Cherry MX switches. There isn't any branding on them to suggest so, for instance, and the housing doesn't look like the MX Browns I'm so used to, leading me to believe these are some form of clones.

(Image credit: Future)

To be fair to Logitech, the clones it has fitted provide a positive actuation with a healthy bump halfway down the travel alongside a smooth travel and a surprisingly light 38g weighting.

Acoustics here are strong, with no case rattle or ping from the stabilisers or internal mechanism, while the G512 X also has internal gaskets to provide a slightly more responsive, 'bouncier' feel under finger. There is a fair amount of key wobble, though.

Hot-swap support for the standard mechanical switches is the usual MX-style three or five-pin switches, and it works the way you'd expect, with no soldering or funny business required. Just note that the bundled switch and keycap pullers Logitech has provided aren't great at doing their job, so you'll want to find a combo puller or separate ones from elsewhere. It took me several attempts before I even got a grip on either the keycap or the switch.

When it comes to the analog switches, Logitech has opted to use Gateron KS-20 Hall effect switches for the nine included on the rear of the keyboard, which I've seen fitted to HE keyboards in the past from the likes of Wooting and even Sony. These feel as I expected, with a smooth keypress afforded by having no physical mechanism inside and all the benefits of speed and precision over what comes by default inside the G512 X.

The key thing here is that these are powered by TMR sensing sockets, rather than the more ubiquitous Hall effect, which is something we're seeing become more common with gaming keyboards in 2026. Without getting too much into the weeds, TMR stands for Tunnel Magneto-Resistance, and is a technology we've mostly seen applied to game controllers rather than keyboards. It's essentially designed to offer a greater degree of precision and general responsiveness over the litany of Hall effect products we see in controllers and keyboards.

It's also meant to be more power-efficient, although as this is a purely wired keyboard, it isn't that important compared to wireless TMR keyboards from other folks.

(Image credit: Future)

As much as this is a keyboard you can use for general day-to-day stuff with its full mechanical set, it's more at home when you use the keycap and switch pullers and swap out the mechanical switches for analog ones, which is very easy. For my testing, I elected to swap the WASD keys, Shift and the 1, 2, and 3 number keys for speed in Counter-Strike 2 for movement, crouching and weapon selection.

With those switches swapped out, you can go into Logitech's G Hub and scan the keyboard, which will recognise the new switches as being analog, and you can then configure things such as rapid trigger, dual actuation and more. I didn't set the actuation and reset as high as 0.1mm, as I've often felt that's too sensitive, and instead set it to a more reasonable 0.5mm.

This decision essentially turns these switches into hair triggers. It means inputs required very little effort, which becomes very handy in quick-draw scenarios where you need to bring a weapon out or throw a grenade as quickly as possible.

Using G-Hub also opens up more advanced features, such as dual actuation, where you can go through a switch's travel with two inputs mapped. This is where the little o-rings that Logitech provides come in, as they're specifically designed to notify you when that second input should be recognised.

There are limits to the G512 X's powers, though, as its switches don't support more progressive and controller-like analogue inputs, as you'll get on rivals from the likes of Wooting and Keychron at this price. This is handy if you wanted to play racing titles such as Forza Horizon 5 with your keyboard.

Logitech provides its own flavour of SOCD tech, known as 'key priority', which is controllable in G Hub, and can be mapped to seemingly any pair of switches. It allows you to activate one key while holding down the other for especially quick actions. In this instance, it works based on the most recent one pressed; for instance, if mapped to the A and D keys (the typical default in a lot of rival choices), it can allow for unnaturally quick side-to-side movement for a tactic known as 'jiggle strafing' in Counter-Strike 2.

It's very clever, although not something you'll probably use too much in online games, given Valve wields the ban hammer for anyone who uses it in online Counter-Strike 2 games.

Connectivity with the G512 X is strictly wired, with no Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless choices available. Over this wired connection, you also get an 8000Hz polling rate for more frequent reporting of inputs than 'standard' gaming keyboards, which can lead to a more responsive feel. This isn't necessarily something that mere mortals can feel, although for the pros, where every millisecond counts, it's a useful addition.

• Performance: 4/5

Should I buy the Logitech G512 X?Logitech G512 X scoreboard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

The G512 X is quite expensive for a wired-only gaming keyboard, even though it boasts some clever features that make it rather versatile. You can get wireless choices at this price, alongside stronger enthusiast-grade mechanical options.

3.5/5

Design and features

I like the look of the G512 X, with its black and purple-accented chassis and the convenience of its 96% layout, although the fact that there's a lot of chassis flex and it's mostly made of plastic leaves a sour taste for the price.

3.5/5

Performance

There's no denying the G512 X is a clever keyboard, with its ability to swap out mechanical switches for HE ones virtually at will, with full compatibility for rapid trigger, SOCD and such with the latter, and this is a fast keyboard with the right switches inside to boot. I just wish it worked on more sockets.

4/5

Overall rating

The G512 X is a curious product that makes for a good mechanical keyboard and a decent rapid trigger one, although it sometimes feels like its versatility is the very thing that lets it down, not least for a higher price tag and with a plastic chassis. I'd still rather have one great keyboard than two good ones.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want mechanical and analog switches in one keyboard
The G512 X is quite unique in that it can offer the benefits of both tactile mechanical switches and analog options in one product, providing the comfort of one and the speed of another without needing to change keyboards.View Deal

You want striking looks
I'm also a big fan of the black and purple finish Logitech has opted for with the G512 X, which gives it quite a striking finish against its contemporaries.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want more versatile connectivity
It is possible to get performance-focused gaming decks with wireless connectivity at a similar price to the G512 X, which is useful if you want less visible desk clutter or to connect to multiple devices at once.View Deal

You want something more affordable
As versatile as the G512 X is, it comes at quite a cost, especially if you don't need all of its features. You can sacrifice some elements, and opt for the likes of the Cherry Xtrfy K5 Pro TMR Compact or the Keychron K2 HE and get similar gaming-centric features while pocketing a few extra pounds or dollars.View Deal

Also consider

Corsair K70 Pro TKL:
This Corsair choice is similar in outlay to the G512 X 75% variant, and while it may not offer as much versatility as Logitech's choice, it provides a performance-focused option with fast HE switches, 8000Hz wired polling and comes with more physical controls and a wristrest. Read our Corsair K70 Pro TKL review.View Deal

Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition:
This special Keychron choice ditches any potential issues with a plastic chassis by using one made of concrete, plus has feature-rich TMR switches with more customisation and input options, plus versatile wireless connectivity for the same price as the G512 X. It doesn't have any mechanical switch options, or 8000Hz polling, though.View Deal

How I tested the Logitech G512 X

• Tested for around a week
• Used for gaming and productivity across Windows and macOS
• A decade of experience as a journalist and mechanical keyboard hobbyist

I tested the G512 X for around a week, using it as my main keyboard for work and play during this time with both Windows and macOS.

I played various games, including Counter-Strike 2 and Forza Horizon 5, to best gauge its TMR switches. I also made sure to use Logitech's G Hub software to test every facet of the keyboard.

I've been a tech journalist for the best part of a decade, and have reviewed plenty of keyboards in that time from brands big and small. I'm also a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, so I have a keen eye for peripherals and have been involved with the hobby before it hit the mainstream.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: April 2026

Kenwood MultiPro Go food processor: two-minute review

Full disclosure: I live in a tiny apartment that has more of a kitchenette than a kitchen, so space — both countertop and cabinet — is at a premium. So I usually try to find essential appliances that are compact and eyed the Kenwood MultiPro Go for a long while before putting my faith in it.

The main reason it caught my attention was its design — available in lovely light colours (Clay Red and Storm Blue as Kenwood calls them in Australia, there's an additional green one in the UK), the appliance is eye-catching and memorable compared to the usual black or grey machines. Another positive is its Express Serve attachment that drops processed foods directly into a container of your choice. You do need to use a wide-mouthed container, though, as the processed items won't to scatter through the relatively large opening of the attachment.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

To keep the whole system compact, Kenwood has thoughtfully added a groove for winding the power cable around when stored, although the plug is too large and hangs off the bottom of the base.

While the main bowl and the Express Serve attachment can sit on top of each other if you want to store the appliance that way, they’re not truly stackable and the latter just ‘sits’ atop the former. That said, if they were truly stackable, the entire appliance would be too tall to fit into even a deep drawer or tall cabinet shelf, so storing one attachment separately is definitely the way to go.

The bowl has a full capacity of 1.3L but only about 0.75L of that is usable for effective processing. That is admittedly not a lot, but is sufficient for a small household. For example, it can easily chop an onion or two in one go, grate 2-3 carrots and slice a couple of potatoes without you needing to empty the bowl first.

Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadarSharmishta Sarkar / TechRadarSharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar

Chopping a single large onion took barely 2-3 seconds, but if you find some larger pieces, just give it another quick whirl for better consistency. In a similar vein, grating carrots and cucumbers was also very fast, with two carrots taking no longer than 5-6 seconds. Use the Express Serve attachment for grated and sliced produce and you won’t even need to open the bowl, thus saving you a bit of prep time. Also note that the grating and slicing blade is the same — one side to grate, flip it to slice.

I was rather sceptical about the Kenwood MultiPro Go being able to knead, but making small amounts of cookie and pasta dough is doable. Making breadcrumbs and pesto is also quick and efficient.

Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadarSharmishta Sarkar / TechRadarSharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar

While Kenwood says the parts are all dishwasher safe, I’ve handwashed the attachments every time. This increases the life of the bowl and blades by reducing wear and tear on the parts, and honestly, cleaning them by hand is very easy to do. There aren’t too many nooks and crannies for food to get stuck into, but you can always keep a small brush handy in case items like cheese get caught where your hand can’t reach.

The Kenwood MultiPro Go is, admittedly, a basic food processor, but if all you need are the basics, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. And it’s not expensive either, even at full price, but it’s often discounted.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Kenwood MultiPro Go review: price & availability

• List price: £54.99 / AU$117
• Available in UK and Australia directly from Kenwood and authorised retailers
• Comes in three colours in the UK, two in Australia

While the Kenwood MultiPro Go food processor isn’t available in the US, it’s widely available in the UK and Australia (as well as other European and APAC markets) for an affordable price of £59 / AU$117. Note that this is the model that’s just the food processor and shouldn’t be confused with the Kenwood MultiPro Go Blend option that adds a small blender attachment to the mix for £89.99 / AU$179.

Even at full price it’s a worthwhile investment if you don’t have too many chef-y needs, but keep an eye out for discounts, either directly from Kenwood or from third-party suppliers. I’ve seen it as low as AU$69 in Australia where I’m based.

In comparison, other compact models like the KitchenAid Go 5 Cup Food Processor will set you back £179 / AU$228 at full price but can also be found discounted (I’ve seen prices around £125 / AU$189). Admittedly the battery-powered model demands a higher price, but I would argue that the Kenwood MultiPro Go is a lot more versatile as the KitchenAid can only chop, whip and purée.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Kenwood MultiPro Go review: specs

Power

650W

Key dimensions

30cm tall, 16cm wide

Total capacity

1.3L

Usable capacity

0.75L

Speeds

1 + Pulse

Blades

2 (chopping knife blade, reversible 4mm slicing/Grating disc)

Other features

Dishwasher safe, Express Serve attachment

Should I buy the Kenwood MultiPro Go food processor?Buy it if...

You don’t have a lot of kitchen countertop or storage space

The Kenwood MultiPro Go is a truly compact kitchen appliance that can be stored away in a large under-cabinet drawer or a cabinet shelf, but note that the Express Serve attachment will need to be kept separately as it's not fully stackable.

You need an affordable food processor

Even at full price, the Kenwood MultiPro Go is affordable, but it's often discounted. It even offers more value for money compared to some of its other compact competitors like the KitchenAid Go, which is battery powered, as it's more versatile despite offering limited functionality.

Don't buy it if...

You have more chef-y needs

While it can knead, chop, slice and grate, you'll need to get something more proficient if you also want to whip, purée and perform other processing that the likes of the Breville Paradice food processors can take care of.

You need to process larger quantities of food

With a maximum usable capacity of just 0.75L for liquids and solids, the MultiPro Go is fine for small batches of food, but you'll need something larger for bigger quantities.

How I tested the Kenwood MultiPro Go

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I've been using the Kenwood MultiPro Go since late 2025 for personal reasons, but found it so impressive, it needed to be highlighted.

In that time, I've used the compact appliance to process breadcrumbs, make cookie and pasta dough, plus chop onions, slice cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I've grated cucumbers for tzatziki and carrot for a cake. I've also made pesto and hummus, as well as a coriander and mint chutney.

While I have been tempted to wash the parts in the dishwasher, I've always erred in the side of caution and handwashed the blades and bowls.

Read more about how we test products on TechRadar

[First reviewed May 2026]

ZimaCube 2: 30-second review

The original ZimaCube was a Kickstarter campaign by IceWhale that delivered a workable NAS with a reasonable specification. Having proven the concept, the ZimaCube 2 Personal Cloud NAS is a direct-to-retail launch that addresses several shortcomings of the original.

Replacing the N100 CPU is a Core i3-1215U, an Intel 12th Generation Alder Lake chip with six cores, eight threads, 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes, and DDR5 memory support.

At $799, it ships with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD pre-installed, along with ZimaOS already loaded, which can be upgraded to ZimaOS+ for a small fee. Six SATA bays are ready for drives, and four M.2 slots sit in the expansion section for NVMe storage.

That puts it in direct competition with the UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro, which costs north of $1,000, though that machine does come with an i5-class CPU.

Where the ZimaCube 2 stands out is its pair of free PCIe slots, which make it straightforward to add 10GbE LAN, a discrete GPU, or additional M.2 capacity. It also accepts up to 32GB of DDR5 memory.

That flexibility extends to software as well. The internal 256GB NVMe drive runs ZimaOS, a Linux-derived NAS platform, but IceWhale also supports TrueNAS for those who prefer it.

On the whole, the ZimaCube 2 addresses many of the complaints levelled at the N100-powered original, while keeping the minimalist styling intact. But with memory and storage prices what they are, is it offering enough performance for buyers looking to run local AI workloads?

This might not be one of the best NAS devices for home and small business users, but the impressive functionality and build quality make it an interesting alternative.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaCube 2: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $799
• When is it out? On pre-order
• Where can you get it? Direct from IceWhale

The ZimaCube 2 is only available direct from IceWhale for $799.

At that price, this Personal Cloud NAS sits above the mainstream six-bay offerings from Synology and QNAP but below their higher-end units with comparable processing power. The QNAP TS-664 in the same bracket uses a Celeron N5105. Neither offers Thunderbolt 4 nor any of the open-platform flexibility.

The Synology DS1825+ is an eight-bay machine that also ships without 10GbE as standard, uses the same AMD Ryzen V1500B with four cores, and comes with 8GB of DDR ECC. Synology asks $1,149.99 for the privilege.

The DS1621+ is now end-of-line and has not been replaced. The only six-bay DS series NAS Synology currently offers is the ageing DS620slim, built for 2.5-inch drives.

Closer in price is the five-bay DS1525+, at $799.99. That gets you the same AMD Ryzen V1500B, the same 8GB of DDR4 ECC, two M.2 slots, USB-C (not Thunderbolt), and a single proprietary PCIe expansion slot with Gen3 x2 lanes. Networking is dual 2.5GbE, though you can add higher speeds via the PCIe slot with a $109.99 E10G22-T1-Mini card.

It is worth noting that since Synology began restricting compatible drives to its own-brand range, you can no longer use third-party M.2 SSDs in these machines. Synology's own SSDs arrive in remarkably small capacities and at eye-watering prices. The SNV5420-400G Enterprise Series M.2 NVMe SSD, a 400GB drive with a 650MB/s write speed, costs $484.99. If Synology is still positioning itself as a prosumer and small-business NAS vendor, its pricing makes that argument difficult to sustain.

Asustor has the Lockerstor 6 Gen3 AS6806T, a six-bay machine with a Quad-Core AMD Ryzen Embedded V3C14, 2.5GbE LAN ports, the option to add 10GbE via PCIe, and four M.2 slots. It lacks Thunderbolt but does support USB4. Asustor wants $1,539.99 for that, which puts it on par with the ZimaCube 2 Pro.

A more balanced comparison is with Ugreen, which launched its iDX series at CES 2026 with Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, dual 10GbE, and Thunderbolt 4 at competitive prices. Those units are entering the market at the same time as the ZimaCube 2, and their specifications closely overlap with those of the ZimaCube 2 Pro.

From Ugreen, and currently on offer, $679.99 gets you the four-bay NASync DXP4800 Pro, which uses the i3-1315U, comes with 8GB of DDR5 RAM, 10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN, and dual M.2 slots running at Gen 4x4. It lacks Thunderbolt and has two fewer bays, but the processor is 13th Gen rather than 12th.

Six bays from Ugreen means stepping up to the NASync DXP5800 Pro, which uses the i5-1235U found in the ZimaCube 2 Pro. It comes with dual 10GbE LAN, 8GB of RAM, dual PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 slots, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a single PCIe x4 slot. The asking price is $1,027.99. The ZimaCube 2 Pro costs $1,299 and comes with 16GB of memory.

Circling back to the ZimaCube 2, the pricing is reasonable for what you get, particularly when compared to Asustor or Synology.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaCube 2: Specs

Model:

ZimaCube 2 Personal Cloud NAS

CPU:

Intel i3-1215U, 6 Cores, 8 Threads

GPU:

Intel UHD Graphics (64 EUs), Intel Alder Lake-UP3 GT1

NPU:

N/A

RAM:

1x 8GB LPDDR5 (upgradeable to 32GB)

Internal Storage:

256GB SSD for ZimaOS

SATA Storage:

6 bays (3.5 or 2.5 inch)

M.2 Storage:

4 slots M.2 2280/2242/2230 NVMe PCIe 4.0

Ports:

2x Thunderbolt (USB-C) 40Gbps, 4x USB 3.0 USB-A, 1x USB 3.0 USB-C, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, 1x PCIe 4.0 slot (x16 physical, x4 lanes), 1x PCIe 3.0 (x4 physical, x2 lanes)

Networking:

2x RJ45 2.5GbE LAN

OS:

ZimaOS 1.61

Max Capacity:

6x 32TB SATA (192TB) + 4x 8TB M.2 (32TB)

RAID Modes:

JBOD / Basic / RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 5 / RAID 6 / RAID 10

PSU:

External 19V 11.58A 220W

Dimensions:

240 x 221 x 220mm (LxWxH)

Weight:

7.4kg (including the PSU)

ZimaCube 2: Design

• All-metal construction
• Bays are not lockable
• Easy internal access

From the outside, the ZimaCube 2 looks remarkably similar to the original. It is the same size, the same aluminium box, with storage below and the system above, which makes sense from a heat management perspective.

The six front-loading SATA bays sit behind a plastic grille held in place by magnets, but there is no obvious way to remove it. The designer left no tab to pull it or get a fingernail underneath. Having removed it a couple of times, I would be more likely to leave the grille in the box than deal with it repeatedly.

With the grille off, there are six vertically mounted drive trays and a seventh for the four M.2 drives. The trays were a disappointment on several counts.

They are not lockable and require screws, regardless of whether you are fitting 2.5- or 3.5-inch drives. Virtually every branded NAS maker now offers tool-less 3.5-inch trays, and installing 24 screws for a full build is a tedious way to spend an afternoon.

Extracting the M.2 bay means unscrewing a retained thumbscrew, but that alone is not enough to pull it free. Getting it out required me to remove bay six first, just to find something to grip. These are the sort of issues that should have been caught at the prototype stage.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Another carry-over from the original is the placement of the ports 14cm up the cube. Three USB 3.0 ports sit on the front (two USB-A, one USB-C), alongside an audio jack and the power button. Around the back are the power inlet and reset hole, dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, dual Thunderbolt 4, dual USB 3.0 Type-A, DisplayPort 1.4, and HDMI 2.0 video outputs.

The problem with routing USB and Thunderbolt cables from mid-height is that most external drives ship with cables that are not long enough to reach a desk without some awkward draping. Placing the ports on top would not be much better. This is why most NAS designs put the mainboard, and its associated ports, at the base.

The upside of IceWhale's approach is that the system is genuinely easy to access. Remove four screws, lift the top, and everything is exposed: the DDR5 SODIMMs, the two PCIe slots, the CPU cooler, and an unoccupied M.2 slot on the motherboard.

What I found slightly odd is that there are no fans pushing or pulling air through this area, only small perforations in the sides and rear. Warm air will naturally rise and collect where the system lives, but there is no active mechanism to extract it. The CPU cooler in this model is noticeably larger than the one in the original ZimaCube, which helps, but once the heat leaves the chip, it still has nowhere obvious to go.

Keeping the same enclosure no doubt reduced the cost of bringing the ZimaCube 2 to market. But the fact that almost none of the physical design problems have been addressed is hard to overlook.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

ZimaCube 2: Features

• Intel i3-1215U
• 20 PCIe lanes
• Not an AI platform

More than anything else, the N100 processor is what damaged the original ZimaCube. Intel gave that chip just nine PCIe lanes, which was simply not enough to service six hard drives, USB ports, and dual 2.5GbE LAN simultaneously.

The ZimaCube 2 swaps that for the Intel i3-1215U, a CPU with six cores, eight threads, and, critically, 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes. Since those lanes are PCIe 4.0 rather than PCIe 3.0, the total available bandwidth is more than four times what the N100 could offer.

The architecture splits those six cores into two performance cores with hyperthreading and four efficiency cores, giving eight simultaneous threads in total. That is not as capable as the ZimaCube 2 Pro, which uses the i5-1235U with ten cores, but it is more than sufficient for the typical NAS workload mix.

In practice, the ZimaCube 2 can handle Docker containers, media transcoding, RAID rebuilds, and light virtualisation running concurrently, without the processor becoming the obvious throttle.

That said, the 20 lanes have to stretch across a lot of hardware. The bandwidth consumers include two M.2 slots on the mainboard, four M.2 slots on the bay-seven riser, two PCIe slots, six SATA drives, all the USB ports, dual 2.5GbE LAN, and the two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 connections. That is why there is no 10GbE LAN port included on the standard model.

The four M.2 slots in the expansion bay also deserve some clarity. Each runs at PCIe Gen 3 x1, which gives an individual bandwidth ceiling of around 800MB/s per slot. That is adequate for tiering or caching, but it is not the full-speed NVMe performance the slot count might suggest. Users expecting PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds will be disappointed. Those planning to use them as high-capacity supplementary storage on top of a SATA array will find them perfectly serviceable.

The obvious answer to both the missing 10GbE port and the slow M.2 slots is the PCIe expansion slot, but what those slots appear to offer and what they actually deliver is worth clarifying.

The larger x16 slot looks as though it could take a low-profile video card, but electrically it is only PCIe 4.0 x4. Each lane delivers 2GB/s, so there is enough bandwidth for a single PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe drive or two 10GbE LAN ports.

The second PCIe slot is physically x4 but electrically only two lanes of PCIe 3.0. IceWhale sells an accessory card for this slot, with two M.2 2280/2242/2230 positions, though it was designed for PCIe 4.0 and would perform better in the x16 slot. With two PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives on that card, each would get around 4GB/s.

There is also a PCIe to 2.5GbE Ethernet adapter available, offering a relatively inexpensive way to add network bandwidth if your infrastructure supports channel bonding. Alternatively, Thunderbolt adapters can deliver 5GbE or even 10GbE if you need it.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

It is hard to overstate how much of an improvement the i3 represents over the N100. The bandwidth increase alone unlocks possibilities that simply were not available before. Even so, this is 12th Gen Intel silicon built on Intel's 10nm Enhanced SuperFin process, a considerable distance behind the Series 100, 200, and 300 silicon Intel currently ships.

There are no AI accelerator components here whatsoever. Ugreen's iDX series has moved to the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, rated at 96 TOPS. Neither the ZimaCube 2 nor the Pro model can compete with that, so if running a local LLM on your NAS is the goal, this is not the right machine.

One last point worth flagging is the memory configuration. The machine ships with a single 8GB DDR5 module. There is a free slot, so getting to 16GB is straightforward, but a single module means the NAS is not running in dual-channel mode. DDR5 4800MT/s is inherently dual-channel in specification, but most systems only enable it with two modules fitted. Adding a matching module would noticeably improve memory bandwidth.

IceWhale states the system accepts two 32GB modules for a maximum of 64GB, which is four times the total in the N100. At current RAM prices, most buyers are unlikely to go that far, but there is headroom if needed.

The ZimaCube 2 platform is a significant step forward from the original. The problem is that the NAS market has moved forward, and some of the competition is now ahead of where this machine has landed.

• Features: 4 / 5

ZimaCube 2: Software

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• ZimaOS Plus
• Paid licensing tier
• TrueNAS approved

ZimaOS arrives pre-installed and boots straight to a browser-based dashboard, with no keyboard or monitor required during setup, provided the machine finds a network connection.

The interface has matured considerably since the early CasaOS days. Drive management, RAID configuration, Docker container deployment, and an app store covering Plex, Jellyfin, Immich, Photoprism, Home Assistant, and several hundred more are all accessible from the same web UI, with no command line needed.

Compared to the relatively limited app selection that Ugreen currently offers, ZimaOS looks well-stocked. Plex, Home Assistant, Jellyfin, Nextcloud, Syncthing, Pi-hole, Portainer, Tailscale, and WordPress are all there.

It is worth noting, though, that most of these apps are not native ZimaOS applications. When you launch them, they open as web-based applications with their own port numbers rather than appearing within the main system interface. That suggests the App Manager is essentially managing pre-configured Docker installations behind the scenes.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There is a reasonable argument that with tools like Portainer now widely available, the concept of native applications matters less than it once did. That was previously one of the strongest selling points for Synology. What ZimaOS does is make Docker installs feel as seamless as native apps while still delivering the functionality users actually want.

What users do not want is an unexpected bill.

The introduction of a paid ZimaOS Plus tier, priced at $29 for life, has generated debate in the community. IceWhale frames it as a contribution to sustainable development rather than a subscription, and states that a third of licence revenue is distributed back to community contributors.

Core functionality for most home users is available without the Plus licence. The paid tier unlocks unlimited disk support, unlimited users, and certain advanced features. Whether that feels fair depends on how much of the Plus tier a given user actually needs. Given the overall cost of the machine, asking for a licence on top feels like a second bite of the cherry.

If you don’t pay the extra $29, you get a version of ZimaOS that can support a maximum of four disks and three users. And, although basic RAID is available in the free version, Plus enables advanced configurations for better redundancy and data protection, including enhanced support for ZFS and larger storage arrays. There are also enhancements in remote access, backup/sync and priority support.

It’s worth noting that the license is ‘lifetime’, but it applies only to that specific hardware, not to any other ZimaOS devices.

That said, the cost and the debate can both be sidestepped entirely. The platform was designed with OS flexibility in mind, and TrueNAS, Unraid, Proxmox, and OpenMediaVault all run without modification. pfSense and OPNsense are options for anyone wanting to repurpose the hardware as a network appliance.

• Software: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaCube 2: Performance

• Network options
• Expansion possibilities
• Limited M.2 performance

The case for buying the ZimaCube 2 Standard over its predecessor rests almost entirely on the Core i3-1215U. The original ZimaCube's N100 was a four-core, low-power processor with nine PCIe 3.0 lanes, which proved wholly inadequate for a six-bay NAS running dual 2.5GbE networking alongside M.2 storage and any active workload.

The i3-1215U changes things fundamentally. Six cores and eight threads with 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes means the bus contention that plagued the N100 is no longer a concern. Docker containers and media transcoding can now run at the same time without the processor struggling, and the system can handle light virtualisation on top of that.

Networking on the standard model tops out at dual 2.5GbE, which in practical terms means a ceiling of around 280MB/s per port. For home backup, media streaming to multiple devices, and general file serving, that is adequate. For workloads demanding higher throughput, the Thunderbolt 4 ports offer a direct-attach path at up to 40Gbps, which is a meaningful alternative to 10GbE for single-machine workflows.

Anyone wanting permanent 10GbE over the network will need the Pro model, or will need to use the PCIe 4.0 slot for a 10GbE card. These are not expensive, and you are not limited to IceWhale-approved options.

From a performance standpoint, the weak link in the ZimaCube 2 is the M.2 expansion section. Gen 3 x1 per slot does not offer a dramatic improvement over SATA SSD speeds. If you plan to use the slots for hard drive caching, one slot for reads and one for writes, the speeds are acceptable. For anything more demanding, the PCIe 4.0 slot is again the route to better performance.

And that is the underlying tension. The PCIe 4.0 slot is the answer to the 10GbE question, the faster M.2 question, and the GPU question. But there is only one of them. Giving this machine four times the bandwidth of its predecessor turned out not to be quite enough.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Performance: 3.5/5

ZimaCube 2: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The ZimaCube 2 is a much better machine than the original, but several problems have been carried straight over from the first generation without being fixed.

IceWhale seems committed to the cube form factor, even though NAS buyers generally do not care what shape their hardware is. What is telling is that the team listened carefully to criticism of the N100 processor and acted on it, yet largely ignored feedback about the missing drive tray locks and the awkward port placement.

Perhaps the third generation can fix what this one has not, while still keeping the distinctive shape.

In other respects, the ZimaCube 2 is the machine the original should have been. Swapping the N100 for the Core i3-1215U removes the architectural ceiling that undermined the first generation, and Thunderbolt 4 gives the standard model a high-speed access path that partially offsets the 2.5GbE networking limitation.

The M.2 expansion section is slower than its slot count implies, and 8GB of RAM is tight for a machine capable of running Docker containers alongside a six-bay RAID array. But both are straightforward to fix, and the open platform means the hardware is not held back by the software running on it.

At $799, this is a genuinely compelling option for anyone who wants a capable, expandable, properly hackable six-bay server without paying Pro prices.

Should you buy a ZimaCube 2?

Value

Lots of features, a solidly built

4 / 5

Design

Repeat of the first ZimaCube

3.5 / 5

Features

Six bays, six M.2 slots and PCIe expansion

4 / 5

Software

Workable OS once you have paid extra for + option

4 / 5

Performance

Limited by the 2.5GbE LAN ports and Gen3x1 M.2 slots

3.5 / 5

Overall

Plenty of possibilities in one NAS

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want something flexible
The ability to configure this system in numerous ways is undoubtedly a strong point. It has enough processing power for multiple functions, and you can expand storage, memory and network bandwidth as required.

You like value for money
While it isn’t cheap exactly, what you get for the asking price is impressive when compared to some name brands. The quality of construction is high, and you can easily upgrade many aspects.

Don't buy it if...

You want an AI-capable NAS
IceWhale do include some AI tools in the apps store for ZimaOS, the processor in this NAS doesn’t have a dedicated NPU.

What you can do is add a low-profile video card, like the Nvidia RTX Pro 2000 included in the Creator Pack version of the ZimaCube 2, boosting the Compute functionality. But that costs $2499.99, for a system with an i5 CPU and 64GB of RAM.

You want 10GbE networking out of the box
It is possible to put a 10GbE network card in this system, but that takes up the PCIe slot that you might want for a graphics card or faster M.2 slots. Without the 10GbE card you are limited to dual 2.5GbE LAN ports. View Deal

For more NAS solutions we've collated the best NAS hard drives around

GameSir G8 Galileo: one-minute review

The GameSir G8 Galileo is an excellent mobile controller that packs plenty of value for both casual and more serious mobile gamers. With full-size grips, Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers, and a pair of programmable rear buttons, it comes close to replicating a true console controller experience.

From my time with the G8, its thumbsticks are a real highlight. In testing, I found them to be smooth and precise, though they are quite sensitive and may take a little getting used to if you’re not familiar with a pro-style controller. The triggers are equally refined with configurable deadzones and a useful hair-trigger mode for instant response. The buttons are membrane yet tactile and reliable, with two more hiding around the back. It’s just a nice bundle of inputs all round.

As a die-hard fan of the Xbox Wireless Controller, it feels incredibly familiar. The grips are pleasantly sculpted with the same chunkiness as a stock Xbox controller, and they stayed comfortable through long play sessions, thanks in part to some gentle texturing on the back. It's not without its shortcomings, though.

You’ll likely need to take your phone case off, and the screenshot button lives dangerously close to the firing line. That said, at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99, the GameSir G8 Galileo is hard to look past.

GameSir G8 Galileo: price and availability

• List price: $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99
• Available via Amazon, GameSir, and major retailers
• Watch out for similarly named versions to ensure device compatibility

The GameSir G8 Galileo launched at the backend of 2023, but make no mistake, it’s not showing its age and still holds its own against more recent rivals. At its $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99 price point, the G8 Galileo undercuts both the Backbone One 2nd Gen ($99.99 / £99.99) and the Razer Kishi Ultra ($149.99 / £149.99) by a comfortable margin, which is particularly impressive given that its feature set stacks up well against them both. No carrying case is included in the box, though GameSir does sell a bundle with a basic pouch for around $10 more.

GameSir hasn’t made things simple with naming and compatibility, so you’ll need to stay switched on when shopping. I’ve been testing the G8 Galileo Type-C, which only lists Android compatibility officially. That’s all that’s shown on the box, too, but I was able to use it natively with an iPhone 17 Pro, though it wasn’t recognized by the GameSir app. There’s also the GameSir G8+ (sometimes called the G8 Plus), which comes in both Type-C and Bluetooth forms.

GameSir G8 Galileo: Specs

GameSir G8 Galileo

Price

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99

Dimensions

8.54 x 4.21 x 2.13in / 217 x 107 x 54mm

Weight

8.88oz / 252g

Connection

Wired USB-C (pivoting connector)

Compatibility

Android 8.0+ (iPhone worked unofficially)

Software

GameSir App

GameSir G8 Galileo: Design and features

• Full-size console grips make this feel like a proper controller
• Pivoting USB-C connector for stress-free installation
• Swappable thumbsticks with three additional shapes included

The first thing you notice about the GameSir G8 Galileo is its size. Where most mobile controllers try to stay as slimmed down and portable as possible, the G8 holds its form. It has chunky, pleasantly contoured grips with a textured finish on the back.

The marketing materials proudly boast this design is laser-engraved, though I wouldn’t have known to be perfectly honest, sorry, GameSir. It feels like any other grip texturing I’ve tested, but it’s nice enough and does its job. The whole thing feels closer to holding an Xbox controller than it does any other mobile pad I've used, or any handheld console for that matter.

For anyone who's found the Backbone One a little too compact, or who just doesn't get along with flatter, Joy-Con-style mobile controllers, this could be the answer. If it weren’t for being a bit wider, you’d have convinced a blindfolded me that this was an Xbox controller.

Build quality is solid throughout, helped, I’m sure, by the choice to go with a full-height phone deck rather than a smaller bracing bar. It gives the G8 a real heft that I personally think is to its credit, but I can’t argue doesn’t make it considerably more of a lump to store in a bag.

There's no creak or flex anywhere in the chassis, the spring-loaded extending mechanism moves confidently, and the rubberized grips inside the cradle hold everything securely in place. It’s a tidy system, and I never felt like my phone was exposed or at risk of going anywhere. I tested with both a Poco X5 Pro 5G and an iPhone 17 Pro, and the camera bump sat neatly in the extended section without any issues for both.

(Image credit: Future/Alex Berry)

Shoutout to whoever at GameSir came up with the pivoting USB-C connector, because it’s excellent. It tilts up and down to make the process of seating and removing your phone feel far less nerve-wracking. It's a small quality-of-life detail, but one I really appreciated and frankly hope others copy.

Where things aren’t as flexible and friendly is case compatibility. GameSir says cases under 1mm should work, but that’ll only account for the absolute thinnest of featherlight cases. I was able to connect while keeping my slim iPhone case on, but having taken a closer look at the angle it forced the USB-C connector into, I swiftly lost my nerve and took it off. If you use a case of any substance, you're almost certainly taking it off every time you want to play. Not a dealbreaker, but certainly an annoyance if you’re out and about.

GameSir includes three replacement thumbstick caps (short, tall, and dome), which are easy to swap thanks to clever magnetic faceplates. However, you only get one of each alternate option, meaning you can't run a matching pair unless you stick with the defaults.

Those default sticks are nice enough, with textured edges that look suspiciously like those on an Xbox Series X controller, but it seems like an oversight or needless cost-saving measure to include singles and not sets. The face button caps aren't swappable on this model either; you'll need to upgrade to the G8+ MFi for that.

(Image credit: Future/Alex Berry)GameSir G8 Galileo: Performance

• Hall effect sticks and triggers with app customization and hair-trigger mode
• Two programmable additional buttons on the back
• Some games need a nudge before they'll recognize the controller

I’m a relative newcomer to the kind of mobile gaming that calls for an add-on controller, but the GameSir G8 Galileo quickly converted me. It only took a few minutes of Fortnite for me to begin to forget I was actually playing on my phone. It’s a natively supported title, and that’s evident while playing, though I did often have to launch the game through the GameSir app to ensure it was recognized.

Other games rely on hardware mapping, which I found equally finicky to launch at times, though intuitive enough when I got going.

The Hall effect joysticks are excellent, buttery smooth, but I found them highly sensitive, too. For more serious players than myself, this will be a plus with loads of intricate precision on offer. For more casual players (a category I’m firmly a part of), they took a little getting used to. My unit did need calibrating out of the box to centre the left stick, but the process was straightforward in the GameSir app, and the sticks have been faultless since.

The Hall effect triggers are equally impressive. They're analog with a full range of travel, and I felt like I had plenty of throttle control while playing Forza Horizon 5 via Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming. For faster response in shooters, there’s also a hair-trigger mode, which I found was snappy and reliable. What I particularly appreciated was that hair-trigger mode still respected the deadzone settings configured in the app.

(Image credit: Future/Alex Berry)

The D-pad is clicky with a short travel distance when you commit to an input, though it has a slightly mushy initial feel and quite a bit of wobble overall. More of an issue is the screenshot button placement directly below it, which sits just a little too close to the D-pad down for my liking. I accidentally fired it off mid-game a couple of times, and I can’t help but feel like it would have been better placed further out of the firing line.

Around the back of the G8 are a pair of programmable buttons, something of a rarity for mobile controller grips. I have a love-hate relationship with back buttons, but I got on well with these. They’re well-sized and perfectly placed to be easily accessible without getting in the way, and they take just the right amount of actuation force to avoid accidental misclicks. Worth noting they’re unbound by default, so you’ll need to head to the GameSir app to configure them to your liking.

The 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the controller is a welcome inclusion for latency-free wired audio, particularly useful on phones that have dropped the port themselves. Passthrough charging worked reliably throughout my testing, with both phones still reporting fast charge speeds while connected through the controller and no problems with overheating.

(Image credit: Future/Alex Berry)Shoudl you buy the GameSir G8 Galileo?Buy it if...

You want a mobile controller that feels like a real gamepad
The full-size grips and Hall effect inputs make the G8 Galileo less portable than alternatives, but the difference during longer gaming sessions is significant. If comfort is your priority, this is the one.

You feel like the face buttons are never quite enough
The addition of two bonus, programmable buttons on the back of the G8 makes a huge difference. They’re nicely aligned, so they’re within reach when you need them, but won’t get in the way when you don’t.

Don't buy it if...

You want something you can slip into a pocket
The GameSir G8 Galileo's full-size phone deck and grips make it significantly bulkier than alternatives like the Backbone One or Razer Kishi V2. It's a backpack controller really, not a pocket controller.

You're an iPhone user who wants full support
While I was able to get titles to play nicely with the G8 on mobile, it’s not officially supported and wasn’t recognized at all by the GameSir app. For full functionality, you’ll need to step up to the G8+ MFi instead.

GameSir G8 Galileo: Also consider...

Still not sold on the GameSir G8 Galileo? Here's how it compares to a couple of our other favorites.

GameSir G8 Galileo

Razer Kishi Ultra

Backbone One 2nd Gen

Price

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99

$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$269.95

$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99

Dimensions

8.54 x 4.21 x 2.13in / 217 x 107 x 54mm

9.64 x 4.36 x 2.53in / 244.8 x 110.8 x 64.3mm

6.93 x 3.70 x 1.34in / 176 x 93.98 x 34.03mm

Weight

8.88oz / 252g

9.38oz / 266g

4.86oz / 138 g

Connection

Wired (USB-C)

Wired (USB-C)

Wired (USB-C / Lightning)

Compatibility

Android

Android, iOS

Android, iOS

Software

GameSir App

Razer Nexus

Backbone App

Razer Kishi Ultra
The Razer Kishi Ultra is the premium option. With haptic feedback, RGB lighting (of course), and an excellent companion app. If you want the absolute best feature set and don't mind paying nearly double, Razer absolutely delivers.

For more information, check out our full Razer Kishi Ultra reviewView Deal

Backbone One 2nd Gen
The Backbone One 2nd Gen is a more portable alternative. It's lighter, slimmer, and should play nicer with phone cases thanks to its magnetic adapters. However, it lacks Hall effect sticks and costs a little more than the G8.

For more information, check out our full Backbone One 2nd Gen reviewView Deal

GameSir G8 Galileo: one-minute review

• I spent a few days testing across Android games, cloud gaming, and exploring the GameSir companion app
• I tested on a POCO X5 Pro 5G playing Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, Need for Speed No Limits, and Forza Horizon 5 via Xbox Cloud Gaming
• While it’s not officially listed as compatible, I also explored functionality with an iPhone 17 Pro

My testing covered most of the workload a controller like this will handle: native mobile games with controller support, a competitive shooter, a racing game, and cloud gaming via Xbox Game Pass. I used the GameSir companion app to calibrate the sticks out of the box, tested hair-trigger mode in Call of Duty Mobile, and tried all three replacement thumbstick caps to check out the magnetic faceplates and swap system.

I also spent time troubleshooting some hardware mapping recognition issues in Call of Duty Mobile and Need for Speed No Limits, which turned out to be a game-side requirement to complete the tutorial using touch before any hardware input is accepted.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2026

Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver: two-minute review

The Laifen P3 Pro is positioned as a compact electric shaver perfect for travel, and it's immediately reminiscent of the Panasonic Swipe Right we reviewed last year: a small, blocky design with a three-slot shaver head, waterproofing, and USB-C charging.

It's almost suspiciously similar to the Swipe Right, in fact, though it feels a bit more premium. The body is constructed of precision-machined aluminum and comes in either the default alloy or 'space gray' colorways, with a small window on the front that shows the motor at work. Both the transparent top cover and the shaver head attach magnetically with a satisfying snap, and the charging port is concealed seamlessly in the base with a small lid. It's almost as if Apple designed an electric shaver.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike Panasonic's effort, though, the P3 Pro eschews any fancy touch technology for the ol' reliable: a simple button. Hold to turn it on and off, and click to activate the shaver once it's turned on. Easy as pie, and instantly fixes one of our biggest issues with the Swipe Right — nobody needs finicky touch controls for something as simple as a travel razor.

However, like many compact shavers, the P3 Pro is ill-suited for anyone with a large beard. The lack of a trimmer head or any other special attachments (which feels like a significant omission, considering how easy it is to remove the standard shaver head) means that while trimming a beard is technically possible, it's a slow and ineffective process. For stubble, though, it absolutely blasts through and provides an impressively smooth finish for a dry shave.

The only other downside here is the price. I'll dig into it further down in this review, but needless to say, Laifen has unfortunately followed Apple in pricing as well as design ethos. This is a damn expensive product, though I have to concede that the premium design and performance do justify the asking price.

In short, I fully expect to see our esteemed editors put the Laifen P3 Pro in the 'best travel' slot of TechRadar's best beard trimmer and electric shaver roundup, and will be having some stern words with the Home Tech team if it doesn't make an appearance somewhere in that list.

Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver: price & availability

• List price: $179.99 / AU$249.95 (about £173)
• Launched: September 2025
• Availability: US, Canada, Australia, and Europe (UK import only)

The Laifen P3 Pro originally launched in late 2025, and is available directly from Laifen in the continental US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. UK shoppers do get free EU shipping, but you'll have to buy in Euros as Laifen only maintains a generic European site, not a UK-specific one.

Pricing varies somewhat between regions. In the US, it's a steep $179.99, and the EU price of €199.99 converts to an even more expensive £173.34 at the time of writing, while the Australian price of $249.95 is a little more affordable after conversion and US sales tax.

It's undeniably quite a lot of money for an electric travel shaver — even a very high-quality one like this. Nonetheless, I don't want to knock it down too much for this; it really does feel like a high-end product that's built to last, and if you've got the dough, it's a worthy purchase.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver specs

Waterproof

Yes, IPX7

Battery life

Up to 100 minutes

Charge time

45 minutes approx.

Charger type

USB-C

Accessories

USB-C to USB-C charging cable

Suitable for

Face and neck

Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver review: design

• Very compact and sturdy design
• Waterproof and easy to clean
• Parts attach magnetically

Aside from the (mildly pointless) visual flair of the motor window, the P3 Pro has a pretty straightforward design. It's very compact, small enough to easily fit in the palm of your hand, meaning it can be carried in a bag or even a pocket. The cap that protects the blades attaches magnetically and doesn't seem to be at any risk of falling off in transit.

The shape is perhaps not quite as ergonomic as some of the best electric shavers (which are commonly shaped to fit into your grip), but this is ultimately just a byproduct of how small the P3 Pro is. When using it, I found it fitted comfortably in my hand; granted, my hands are quite large, but I think you'd need extremely tiny palms to struggle here.

The aluminum casing makes it a little weightier than some competitors, but I didn't find that to be a problem, and the brushed metal finish offers sufficient grip even with damp hands. The entire unit feels very durable and well-constructed.

(Image credit: Future)

Underneath the glass motor window is a pair of LED icons that indicate whether the razor is turned on or set to 'flight mode' (meaning that it won't activate unless you hold down the button). The single control button is responsive and has a nice, satisfying click to it.

With an IPX7 waterproof rating, the P3 Pro is technically safe to be completely submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. I can't see any rational scenario where that would be necessary, but the point is that you can safely use it in wet environments; no need to worry about moisture damaging it.

Once the USB-C port is sealed with the attached tab, you can simply remove the triple-blade head and wash both parts under running water (though it should be noted that you'll need razor oil to re-lubricate the blades if you wash them with soap or other cleaning products, and this isn't included). I found washing it to be remarkably easy after use, and simply rinsing it thoroughly without soap was perfectly sufficient after a regular shave.

(Image credit: Future)

It's genuinely really difficult to find a single design flaw here, really. As I mentioned earlier, the magnetic blade head lends itself to swappable units, and a proper beard trimmer attachment would've been a very welcome addition here, but overall, the P3 Pro is exceedingly well-designed for its intended purpose.

I would maybe note that it could benefit from having slightly more in the box. I won't mark Laifen down for the lack of attachments (after all, this is supposed to be a super-compact travel shaver), but it would've been nice to see a small brush or some blade oil included here. The charging cable is also only USB-C to USB-C, meaning you'll need an adapter if you want to charge it from a regular wall outlet. In truth, though, this is mostly nitpicking on my part; I honestly really love the design of the P3 Pro, and it really feels like a premium device in the hand.

• Design score: 5 out of 5

Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver: performance

• Gentle even on thicker stubble, but won't work on full beards
• Wide-angled head provides a nice close shave
• Where does the hair go??

OK, I'll be completely honest here: I have a full beard, and the Laifen P3 Pro is simply not designed to deal with that. I did find that it was ideal for eradicating stubble on my neck and cheeks, and it was at least somewhat capable of tidying up the edges of my beard, but the latter was a slow process and lacked the precision of a proper beard trimmer. Nonetheless, I was pretty cautious; I get the feeling this thing could've happily cleared off my whole beard if I actually went straight for the skin.

With that knowledge in hand, I enlisted the help of my father, who maintains a clean-shaven look but has been known to let it get a bit scratchy. His report was glowing; week-old stubble came off swiftly and with virtually no irritation, resulting in a shave as close as you'd expect to get from a larger electric shaver.

(Image credit: Future)

It's not particularly noisy (it was far quieter than the cheap old Philips B1216 trimmer I usually use for beard care), and the dual 12,000RPM motors do a great job of cleaving through thicker stubble. The head has a wide-angle foil design - similar to the Panasonic Swipe Right I mentioned earlier in this review - that helps cover more skin and provides a closer shave.

Although Laifen officially designates the P3 Pro for face and neck use, that flatter head design means you could feasibly also use it for other parts of the body, too - provided the hair you're dealing with isn't too thick. I didn't deign to shave my armpits or legs during my testing period (I don't need to be more aerodynamic, sorry), but I reckon a lot of users would be able to use it for this if so inclined.

(Image credit: Future)

The battery life is reported at an impressive 100 minutes, and I tested this by turning it on from a full charge and leaving it running with a stopwatch. Yes, this was a fairly annoying process — it's quieter than some electric razors, but it's certainly not silent — but I'm pleased to report that it ran dry at just shy of 93 minutes, which I'd say is close enough considering that a daily once-over takes barely a minute or two. It's certainly longer than some bulkier competitors can muster, which is stellar performance for such a small device.

It holds its charge remarkably well when not in use, too. I actually received this shaver more than two months ago and didn't have a chance to review it immediately, yet it was still at near-full charge when I finally unboxed it. The USB-C cable offers fast-charging, which can get you about eight minutes of shaving from just three minutes plugged in. If it's completely drained, you'll get a full charge in around 45 minutes.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Laifen P3 Pro electric shaver?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Compact, travel-friendly design but with very robust construction, single control button, waterproofing, USB-C charging.

5 / 5

Performance

Highly effective foil shaving, fantastic battery life, lacks attachments for precision beard trimming.

4.5 / 5

Value

High asking price, but largely justified by its great quality and performance. Worth looking for discounts.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a travel razor
If you want to maintain a clean shave on the go and prefer to travel light, this is probably the single best option on the market.

You want an easy clean shave
If you're aiming to maintain a nice close shave with minimal fuss, the P3 Pro is ideal - it delivers a clean finish with easy cleaning.

You like to shave in the shower
With IPX7 waterproofing, you can use the P3 Pro in the shower without fear of it getting damaged or waterlogged.

Don't buy it if...

You're maintaining a beard
Without any extra attachments for precision trimming, the P3 Pro just isn't well-suited for anyone who wants to look after a full beard.

You're on a budget
Although it's an extremely premium-feeling product, there's no denying that the price tag will place this shaver out of reach for some potential customers.

Laifen P3 Pro: also consider

Panasonic Swipe Right
Probably to closest product on the market to the P3 Pro and notably a lot cheaper (but only in the US, for some reason), the Swipe Right from Panasonic is a similarly ultra-compact travel shaver that won't suit bearded users but delivers a nice close shave on the go if you prefer the clean-shaven look.

Read our full Panasonic Swipe Right review

Braun Series 9 Pro
We called the Braun Series 9 Pro "the Bugatti Veyron of beard trimmers", and like the Laifen P3 Pro, it has the triple threat of a beautiful build, clean design, and excellent shaving performance. It also has a solid battery life of one hour and can achieve a great shave either wet or dry, so if you’re looking to spend even more money, you can’t go wrong with this.

Read our full Braun Series 9 Pro review

How I tested the Laifen P3 Pro

• Used it periodically over the course of a month
• Used by both myself (bearded) and my dad (clean-shaven)
• Tested in both wet and dry environments

I used the Laifen P3 Pro regularly throughout January, about twice a week on average, mostly to tidy up the stubble on my neck beneath my main beard. Once I realized that it would be poorly suited for beard trimming, though, I enlisted the aid of my visiting father, who used it daily for three days and agreed that it delivered a great shave.

During testing, I ran the battery down to empty to test its longevity, cleaned it multiple times, and used it both dry and in the shower. While I mostly used it with only water or no moisture whatsoever, both my father and I also tested it out with off-the-shelf shaving foam, and found that it performed well regardless.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed April 2026

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Two minute review

Excusing the pun, but there’s been something of a quiet revolution in the last few years for those seeking help with mild to moderate hearing loss. This is largely thanks to the rise of over-the-counter (OTC) devices that can now be bought directly ,without a prescription or a visit to an audiologist. The market has expanded significantly after legislation was introduced in the US back in 2022 allowing OTC devices to enter the market.

A wave of products have since become available around the world, which has in turn increased competition, lowered prices, and improved accessibility for folk who may never have considered, or may previously have been unable to afford, a hearing device.

As a tech writer with a hearing impairment (I have significant high-frequency loss in my left ear as a result of a viral infection in my early 20s), I’m fascinated by the recent developments and improvements in hearing aids, and I’ll be taking a look at some of the OTC options that have recently hit the market, starting with the Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses – a modern take on a form factor which appeared to have been somewhat forgotten about: glasses which integrate “invisible” hearing aids.

(Image credit: Future / Kevin Lynch)

Largely targeting those who were self-conscious about wearing visible devices, hearing glasses had some high-profile users – US President Lyndon B. Johnson and British comedian Eric Sykes both famously wore spectacles with hearing aids built into them – but as in-ear options became smaller thanks to improvements in transistor technology, hearing glasses became somewhat consigned to the past.

Fast forward to the present, and the concept of a hearing aid hiding in plain sight is back thanks to Luxottica, the Italian firm that owns Ray-Ban and makes designer glasses for the likes of Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana.

Prompted by the change in perception of wearing spectacles as a style statement and fashion accessory, alongside the success of Ray-Ban Metas which already have speakers built into the arms, Luxottica explored how glasses and the latest hearing tech could be used in a stylish spectacle frame.

The result is the Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses range – spectacles that can have prescription lenses fitted and which also include an “open-ear” hearing aid system. Within the frame is an array of six internal directional microphones, with sound played through micro-speakers in the arms above your ears.

When it comes to performance, the preset approach to adjusting the sound profile obviously has an ease-of-use benefit – rather than having to wade through EQ curves and tweak them, you just select the preset that suits the environment you’re currently in, but for me it’s also to their detriment, as it limits their effectiveness for a large section of hearing-impaired users, including myself. Despite the brand name, the Hearing Glasses lack, well, nuance.

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Price and Availability

• List price of $1,200 / £1,000 (about AU$1,350)
• Released in April 2025

The Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses can be purchased over the counter from a wide selection of hearing centres around the world and opticians such as Vision Express stores in the UK and LensCrafters in the US. Prescription lenses can be fitted for an additional price at any regular opticians.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Specifications

Component

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses

Hearing tech:

Air conduction with tiny speakers placed just in front of the ears

Microphone

Six microphones for directionality, focusing on sounds in front of the wearer

Battery life

8–10 hours

Charger

Included charging pad

Water resistance

IPx4 rating

Frame style

Square and Panto

Size

Square available in 54mm and 56mm; Panto is 48mm

Colors

Shiny Black, Shiny Burgundy, Deep Blue

Lens options

Prescription lenses, non-prescription lenses, or Transitions light-responsive lenses

Accessories

Charging pad, cleaning cloth, and glasses case

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Design

(Image credit: Future / Kevin Lynch)

• Available in two styles, square and round
• Arms cannot be adjusted
• Hardware control button on the frame

At present, the hearing glasses are available in two styles – a square-frame option not entirely dissimilar to Ray-Ban Wayfarers, and a rounded Panthos frame, the latter of which I was sent for this review. There are three different colour options for both frame styles, while the square model has two size options – 54mm and 56mm. The smaller Panthos, meanwhile, is offered in just a 48mm frame option.

Like the vast majority of OTC hearing aids, the Nuance glasses are set up and adjusted mainly through Nuance’s accompanying app for iPhone or Android. The initial out-of-the-box experience is impressively simple – a quick pairing via Bluetooth and an equally straightforward two-phase, in-app calibration process that you need to carry out in a quiet room.

The procedure includes some brief playback of white noise before you’re asked to count aloud to map your voice and head shape. From there, you select from one of four sound presets, ranging from flat (very mild hearing loss) up to sloping, moderate high-frequency hearing loss, allowing you to switch between settings for different environments if needed. Unlike most other OTC devices, there’s no hearing test to run through in the app – it’s really a case of selecting the setting that suits you best and off you go.

Alongside the frequency presets, you also get the option of choosing between “Frontal” (directional for conversation, allowing you to better focus on the person you are facing and talking to) and “360-degree” (all-around) sound modes. There are also volume controls and background noise level filtering (heightened, standard, lowered).

Underneath the right temple arm of the frame is a discreet multifunction hardware control button – a long press turns the glasses off, while quick presses cycle through volume levels. Tapping the outside of the right arm of the frame switches between the two sound directionality modes, making it easy and discreet to change the setting during conversation.

My test glasses came with pre-installed plano Transitions lenses – non-prescription lenses which automatically darken into sunglasses when exposed to UV light. While I do wear glasses to correct my short-sightedness, I was able to carry on with most day-to-day tasks during testing. I didn’t get to go through the process of having prescription lenses fitted; however, Nuance has stressed that it’s the same procedure as with any regular set of modern frames. With the glasses primarily being sold at opticians, it’s likely that most people will have prescription lenses installed – if needed – at the point of purchase.

It’s worth noting that the Nuance’s arms can’t be heated in order to alter their fit due to the components within the frame. They are what they are, and in my case I found them slightly loose and could have done with a tighter fit.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Kevin Lynch)

• Group conversations are incredibly clear
• Omni-directional mics allow you to face a speaker and hear clearly
• Quiet ambient listening is less impressive

One of the big benefits of the Nuance form factor immediately became apparent when putting on the glasses for the first time. With the built-in speakers situated above the ear, there’s none of the occlusion issues that I have with my regular hearing aid (an in-ear model from Oticon), with no blocking of the ear canal. This meant sound delivery was somewhat more natural, although not entirely – more on this later. I also didn’t have to worry about the annoying itchy feeling I often get within my ear when wearing my regular aid.

The convenience of having two impairment-aiding tools in one object was also immediately obvious — throw the glasses on in the morning and you’re good to go on both counts. The larger size of a pair of glasses also makes them much easier to locate than a small, modern hearing aid.

There are, of course, drawbacks that you’re always going to get with a combined form factor like this, especially if you’re forgetful. If you can’t find, or worse, end up losing your glasses, then you’ve also lost your hearing aid. There’s also the inconvenience of having to change your hearing aids when you replace your spectacles.

These pros and cons will, of course, likely have already been factored in by anyone willing to stump up the considerable asking price for the Nuance glasses, so the bigger question becomes how well they perform. For me, it was a fairly mixed bag.

The bigger surface area of a spectacle frame to place microphones, when compared to a regular in-ear device, is a definite game-changer that the Nuance glasses make full use of. In 360-degree mode, there’s a markedly better sense of directionality when it comes to where a sound is coming from than what my regular Oticon in-ears can convey.

(Image credit: Future / Kevin Lynch)

Ask a person with low-to-moderate hearing loss when they most notice their impairment, and most will likely say during a group conversation in a noisy environment like a bar or restaurant — and it’s here that the glasses really excel. Nuance is clearly catering for high-frequency hearing loss, the most common and arguably the most impactful, with the 2,000 Hz to 8,000 Hz range affecting consonants like ‘s’, ‘f’, and ‘th’, leading to difficulty understanding speech, particularly in louder situations.

The front-facing microphones combined with the “Frontal” mode really bring out a honed-in level of clarity and enhancement within this range that genuinely aided conversations I had when testing in my local pub on a somewhat rowdy quiz night.

In other scenarios, I was somewhat less impressed. Detailed listening, such as putting on a record in a quiet room, revealed a noticeable amount of latency from the sound being played through the glasses’ speakers. Likely caused by the digital processing of the sound, it at times became jarring, with a doubling of drum sounds. Once I became aware of the delay, it became something I couldn’t “unhear” throughout my testing and was never something I really felt I adapted to over several weeks of use.

They were also significantly prone to feedback when in use, meaning I’d regularly find myself riding the volume controls in louder environments. Any movement of the glasses, or exposure to slightly breezy conditions, would also regularly bring about distracting microphone “brushing” noises.

Like many disabilities, hearing loss is a wide spectrum that can impact different frequencies to varying degrees, and in some cases, mine included, it can vary widely between a person’s left and right ears. It was therefore somewhat frustrating to find that the sound attenuation comes through on both ears at all times, with no way of switching off the speakers on an unwanted side. In fairness, Nuance implicitly state that the glasses aren’t designed for unilateral hearing loss, but it seems like a somewhat easy fix in software and a major oversight.

Unlike the chunky hearing glasses of yesteryear, the Nuance’s are indistinguishable from a regular set of glasses with no perceptible extra weight, but that impressive achievement has perhaps come at a price, with the built-in battery lacking somewhat in stamina. Nuance’s advertised battery life of eight hours rang largely true in testing, meaning that they can’t be relied upon for a full day of use while out and about, which in turn means you find yourself needing to be tactical about when to power them on.

It's at this point I should mention the nifty-looking, bedside table-friendly wireless charging pad which come with the glasses. The pad connects to power via USB-C – you simply fold the glasses and place them on the surface to replenish the battery, with a full charge taking just under three hours during testing.

Much like the frames themselves, their accompanying app and indeed their packaging, the pad smacks of a high-end luxury product befitting of a brand like Luxottica. The downside is that with there being no charging port on the glasses, you’re entirely dependent on the pad to juice them up, meaning you may need to buy a second pad for work or for travel for a fairly pricey $160 / £150.

Despite their onboard Bluetooth for communicating with your phone, it’s something of a surprise and perhaps a missed opportunity to find no audio streaming option from your phone for the glasses – a feature that’s becoming par for the course with most new regular hearing devices, although perhaps no great surprise when factoring in the limited onboard battery. The frame’s disappointing IPx4 water resistance level meanwhile means it’s advisable to take them off in heavy rain.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Expensive, but worth buying for bilateral hearing loss.

3.5/5

Design

Cool design features, and thoughtful mic placement.

4.5/5

Performance

Great for bilateral hearing loss, but missing easy-win features.

3.5/5

Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want an "invisible device"

Nuance can provide a subtle, occasional hearing boost when out socialising.

You have bilateral hearing loss

Nuance works well for hearing loss in both ears.

Don't buy it if...

You have unilateral hearing loss

Nuance doesn't work so well for individual ear hearing loss.

You're on a budget

The device is a premium product.

First reviewed: April 2026

Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS: one-minute review

Nacon’s making moves lately. In the past couple of years, it’s expanded its offering and, frankly, upped the quality of its products, giving the establishment a headache in every vertical from sim racing to – most pertinently – audio.

This new RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS is a wireless headset model with a base station unit, USB receiver, and dual wireless connectivity that builds on the R5’s design with additional functionality. Graphene-coated drivers deliver a really distinctive, tight sound with no discernible distortion at max volume, while snap-lock earcup plates and foam cushions offer some customisation potential and extended lifespan. To that end, an easily accessible and removable battery makes it easy to keep the charge life nice and high.

The chunky design is informed by very generous padding around the earcups and headband, which does provide a lot of comfort but doesn’t entirely offset a short headband design, which can create an awkward fit with the lower earcup portion fanning out, so it’s worth trying these on and ideally wearing them for a few minutes before committing to making them your new multi-device audio pick.

Speaking of multi-device, it’s simple to set the R8 up with either console (I’m testing the PS5-compatible version - the Xbox version is branded as HX) or PC via the base station or USB receiver, and then pair a phone via the Bluetooth connection. Battery life and wireless performance are both strong, and it’s nice to have the option of a wired USB connection in your back pocket if you find yourself without charge and don’t want to leave the headset on the base station to charge.

There’s a lot of value and performance here, then, making the R8 a great all-round package. But it does come with some fiddly bits: specifically, a multifunction button that’s been tasked with more functions than any single button should be given, and a single RGB button on the base station that offers only limited customisation.

(Image credit: Future/Phil Iwaniuk)Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS: Price and availability

• List price: $179.99 (around £135 / AU$349.99)
• Priced competitively against Fractal Scape & Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
• UK pricing yet to be confirmed

Any discussion of pricing and value in 2026 is inherently depressing, but Nacon’s found a really aggressive price point for this R8 package, considering all the features it brings to the table.

$180 for a base station and dual wireless feels about right, particularly considering the build and sound quality. Nacon hasn’t revealed the UK MSRP yet, however, so quite how bargainous this will be to UK consumers remains to be seen.

The pricing does put it up against two particularly strong rival options from Fractal and Razer, though. The Fractal Scape is a similar base station wireless model, which has the edge in overall aesthetics – or does it? Looks are subjective, after all.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro doesn’t come with a base station, but its headband design and adjustability make it more comfortable, so there are no easy answers here when you compare the prices.

Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS: Specs

Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS

Price

$179.99 (around £135 / AU$349.99)

Weight

12.8oz / 364g

Compatibility

PC, Xbox Series X|S (Xbox version only), PS5 (PlayStation version only), MacOS, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

Connectivity

Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, wired 3.5mm/USB-C

Battery life

60 hours

Software

RIG Navigator app

Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS: Design and features

• Magnetic swappable earcup plates & cushions
• A replaceable, rechargeable battery
• All the cushioning

Like a certain infamously broken noughties racing game, this is a big RIG. Unlike Big Rigs: Over The Road Racing, however, it’s also an extremely competent one, which displays thoughtful design at every turn.

The chunky design serves a purpose beyond aesthetics, delivering plenty of cushioning around each earcup and below the headband. And since this model is on the heavier side, it needs that padding to keep you comfortable.

I love the swappable cushions, affixed by magnetic contact pads with a rubber ring around them to keep the connection snug and eliminate any rattle. It’s a great feature that means if and when your earcup cushions lose their plumpness or become tarnished, you can buy a replacement pair rather than shopping for a new headset.

That swappable magnetic snap-lock principle’s also been deployed on the outer earcup plates. Nacon sent a set of ‘AAA edition’ mod plates ($19.99) out with the review sample headset, and they’re very easy to install.

Once the existing plates are pulled away from their snap-lock magnets, you line up the new plates and let the magnets snap them into place. That’s it. There’s no functional benefit to this, of course, but just like the keyboard makers offering barebones kits, it’s bang on trend to provide some customisation options.

(Image credit: Future/Phil Iwaniuk)

The physical controls layout is a bit unusual for being placed entirely on the right-hand earcup, likewise the microphone. It makes absolutely no difference to usage, but at some point in the last ten years, we all silently agreed that mics go on the left, and it is an affront to gaming convention to find this one on the right. It has a flip-to-mute function, though, so all’s forgiven.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a power button, a notched volume scroll wheel, a multifunction button, and a Bluetooth sync button. It’s possible to use this headset in a multitude of setups, using 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or dual wireless, with the base station connected in several different ways, so the way Nacon has programmed the multifunction button to handle everything from chat mix to switching to wired mode to taking phone calls is… optimistic.

Then again, it’s impressive that all that functionality exists in the first place, and some of those actions can be handled by the RIG Navigator app instead.

It’s feature-rich and versatile, with an attractive, chunky look, and it’s comfortable enough. But I do feel that the headband length and adjustability are slightly lacking. My head is on the smaller size (not to brag), and I have the headband fully extended in order to find a comfortable position. Even then, the earcups fan out slightly at the bottom rather than tucking in as I’d like them to. It’s a really small detail. The sort of thing you only really notice if you’ve been reviewing headsets for 15 years. But I noticed it, so I’m telling you about it.

(Image credit: Future/Phil Iwaniuk)Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS: Performance

• Tight, distinct audio character
• Easy to pair with multiple devices
• Dual wireless is always a perk

I’m pleased, but not surprised, to report that the audio performance of these R8 drivers is really strong. Nacon’s very proud of its graphene-coated materials used in the drivers, the idea being that graphene allows for quicker, more responsive driver movement and thus a more precise sound bellowing its way into your ear.

And that principle really holds up here. This is a remarkably tight-sounding headset, able to voice basslines and low ominous rumbles with sufficient oomph while not losing any detail higher up the frequency response into snare hits, gunfire, or dialogue. The stated frequency response range is 20Hz-40KHz, and while I won’t pretend I headed to the lab to verify that scientifically, I can tell you it sounds about right. Meaty low end, plenty of space higher up.

It’s also really resistant to distortion. At max volume, using Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless, my veteran ears didn’t pick up any discernible unwanted vibration or fizz, which is very impressive and can be genuinely useful in sound cue-heavy games like PUBG: Battlegrounds or Arc Raiders.

Unusually for modern gaming headsets, the EQ response is actually quite distinctive and characterful. It’s noticeably tight, in the same way that SteelSeries’ Arctis headsets were noticeably flat when they arrived to such acclaim a decade ago. The best way I can think to describe that character – and don’t let this put you off, honestly – is that snare hits sound like Travis Barker or Lars Ulrich have been with their drum keys in and tightened the snare skin before recording.

(Image credit: Future/Phil Iwaniuk)

That doesn’t mean it’s so specialist that it can’t perform in a musical or cinematic setting. But its disciplined low-end response and fast articulation mean it’s particularly tuned for gaming, which is as it should be.

Setting the R8 up to use with multiple devices via the base station is simple enough, particularly if you’ve used an Astro or Fractal headset with a similar system before: set the receiver to either PS5 or USB/PC mode (I’m using the PS5-compatible version) and plug either the USB-C receiver into the device, or connect the base station to the device via USB C to A cable. The base station charges the headset, and the rechargeable battery is accessible by removing the snap-lock plate, which can be swapped out and replaced whenever you like.

Stated battery life is 60 hours. After a week of usage, that stat holds up in the real world, though obviously it’s too early in testing to talk about battery degradation. Both the base station and USB receiver have RGB zones, which you can control via a button on the base station itself. That means you can’t dial in a precise RGB code or lighting pattern, but there are numerous color, lighting strength, and behaviour presets accessible via the button.

It’s always great to have dual wireless as an option, and it works well here, with the minor caveat that it took me a while to learn that in order to take incoming calls, I need to hold the multifunction button down for three seconds. Not especially intuitive, but functional.

(Image credit: Future/Phil Iwaniuk)Should you buy the Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS?Buy it if...

You like device-hopping
The base station and super-desirable dual wireless connectivity make this a great option if you want to take calls while you play.

Customisation is your thing
Swappable earcup plates and cushions are a defining feature of this model, so you’ve got a chance to express yourself.

You prefer to tweak via an app than physical controls
The RIG Navigator app is much easier to use than the multifunction button on the headset itself, so this is one for those who don’t mind another download.

Don't buy it if...

You haven’t tried the Fractal Scape yet
Both models offer very similar feature sets and both perform very well at a similar price point, so your individual comfort wearing each one will be the decider.

You’re a lefty
Well, ok, you can still buy it if you like. But having the mic and physical controls all on the right feels a bit odd.

You’re probably only going to use it with one device
It’ll perform very well on that device, but your money could be better deployed on audiophile-grade drivers or more luxurious comfort than the multi-device functionality this offers.

RIG R8 PRO HS headset: Also consider

Don’t feel alright with the R8? Consider these rival wireless offerings.

Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS

Fractal Scape

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro

Price

$179.99 (around £135 / AU$349.99)

$199.99 / £169.99 / around AU$285

$199 / £199/ AU$349

Weight

12.8oz / 364g

11.9oz / 338g

11.2oz / 320g

Compatibility

PC, Xbox (Xbox version only), PS5 (PlayStation version only), Switch, MacOS, iOS, Android

PC, Mac, Playstation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, iOS/Android

PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch

Connection type

2.4GHz wireless, digital wired (USB-C), analog wired (3.5mm audio jack), Bluetooth

2,4 GHz Wireless via USB-A dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, Wired via USB-C to USB-A cable

Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (Hyperspeed dongle)

Battery life

60 hours

40 hours RGB off, 24 hours RGB on

70 hours

Software

RIG Navigator app

Adjust Pro

Razer Synapse (PC)

Fractal Scape
It’s like you wandered into an Apple store and asked one of the geniuses to design your perfect wireless gaming headset. Minimalist, gorgeous, sounds great, and offers the same multi-device compatibility.

For more information, check out our full Fractal Scape reviewView Deal

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Look one notch below Razer’s bells-and-whistles, ANC-enabled flagship model, and you’ll find a price-performance sweet spot in wireless gaming headsets that’s still yet to be beaten outright. No base station, though.

For more information, check out our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro reviewView Deal

How I tested the Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS

• One week of testing on PC and PS5, with the companion app
• All connection types tested
• Confirmed: doesn’t make The Hobbit movies better

The Nacon RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS arrived as I was recovering post-surgery and thus had very few available options besides: lying very still and watching things, and sitting very still and playing things. It’s proven a fine companion during both these activities.

It’s the PS5 version, which arrived here to test, so I’ve been using my review sample on PC, PS5, and my iPhone, where the RIG Navigator app also resides. On PS5, it’s been pumping out the sounds of NBA 2K26, on PC, it’s been capturing the hammy moans of Dead Rising (the original, not the remaster, obviously), and on my phone, it’s been subjected to more YouTube slop than I’d care to detail.

I can confirm that while it does capture the audio landscapes of Peter Jackson’s punishingly dull Hobbit trilogy perfectly well, it does nothing to improve the overall experience of watching those films.

First reviewed April 2026.

How we tested PrivadoVPN Free

This PrivadoVPN Free review was written by VPN Editor, Rob Dunne. I've been researching and writing about VPNs, like PrivadoVPN Free, for two years.

I have PrivadoVPN Free installed on my iPhone and Android mobile devices, my Lenovo laptop, and my Chrome browser. I used it during my commute to keep my data secure (from snoopers and man-in-the-middle attacks) while connected to the free Wi-Fi hotspot, and to access US-based streaming services (think Peacock and HBO Max).

Read more about our PrivadoVPN Free testing methodology below▼

PrivadoVPN Free review scores

Below, you'll find our breakdown of how PrivadoVPN Free scored in our testing, across all of the categories. Click on the links in the Comments column to jump to specific sections for a more in-depth read.

Category

Score

Comments

Total

63 / 100

A great choice for streaming, with fast WireGuard speeds, but a lack of features beyond the basics. Read more ▼

Price plans & value

10 / 10

PrivadoVPN Free doesn't cost a penny. Users are regularly encouraged to upgrade to a paid plan but it's not a necessity given what's on offer for nothing. Read more ▼

Features

5 / 10

Like most free VPNs, PrivadoVPN Free isn't packed with tools, but does include split tunnelling and auto-connect. Read more ▼

Server network

5 / 10

Server location selection is limited but more generous than other free VPNs. Coverage is fairly evenly distributed. Read more ▼

Read all of PrivadoVPN Free's review scores ▼

Privacy

7 / 10

Scramble and split tunnelling tools are welcome inclusions to the free plan, but a there's a weak no-logs policy that's open to interpretation. Read more ▼

Security

6 / 10

Encryption protocols are implemented well enough, but are rapidly becoming outdated. PrivadoVPN Free also lacks any PQE. The kill switch is leaky too. Read more ▼

Speed

7 / 10

PrivadoVPN Free has some of the best WireGuard speeds we've seen from any free VPN, and it has no trouble keeping up with most online activities. Users will need to budget their 10 GB monthly data cap, however. Read more ▼

Unblocking streams

7 / 10

PrivadoVPN Free is a capable streaming VPN able to access Netflix libraries, and other services without having to switch servers. It did failed with some US and Canadian services and is limited by the free plan's server network, however. Read more ▼

P2P & Torrenting

4 / 5

P2P activity is supported across all PrivadoVPN Free servers, and our test torrents downloaded quickly without hiccups. Read more ▼

Apps & Compatibility

3 / 5

PrivadoVPN Free is supported on all major desktop and mobile devices, as well as smart TVs. The Chrome extension is now a paid-only feature, however, along with router support. Read more ▼

Usability

3 / 5

All apps are easy to install and navigate. A simple UI, organized server list, and handy hotbar of tools are nice quality-of-life features. Read more ▼

Accessibility

1 / 5

PrivadoVPN Free is let down by poor accessibility scores, lack of support for screen readers, no Siri Shortcuts, and virtually no keyboard support. Read more ▼

Customer support

3 / 5

PrivadoVPN Free has an expansive support site with guides, tutorials, and troubleshooting pages. While most of the info is accurate, we did spot a few instances of questionable advice. Read more ▼

Track record

2 / 5

PrivadoVPN Free seems uninterested in committing to annual audits of its service, which is disappointing, but has never suffered a data breach. Read more ▼

PrivadoVPN Free price plans

• PrivadoVPN Free plan is free forever.
• Free users are limited to a monthly data cap of 10 GB.
• PrivadoVPN premium plans start from $1.11 a month.

PrivadoVPN Free is a free VPN, and that means there are no paid subscription tiers to choose from.

The free plan has a lot to recommend it. It's quick, works with some streaming platforms (something most free services can't claim), and comes with core VPN tools. These include a kill switch and split tunnelling.

PrivadoVPN Free is light on additional features, but this is par for the course for most free VPNs. However, if you've used the free version of PrivadoVPN and want to expand its functionality (and remove the 10 GB monthly data cap), a premium version of the product is available.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's price plans ▼

The cheapest PrivadoVPN plan comes in at $1.11 per month for 2 years of coverage. Plus, it also gives users access to the Control Tower, which is unavailable in the free version. Control Tower is PrivadoVPN's ad, malware, ransomware, and crypto blocker. It also houses some parental control features.

The full-fat version of PrivadoVPN includes unlimited simultaneous connections, too, servers in 67 locations, and various connection customization options.

Below, we've included a table detailing the difference in feature parity between PrivadoVPN's free and paid plans.

PrivadoVPN Free

PrivadoVPN

Protocols

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2

Server locations

13

67

Simultaneous connections

1

10

Kill switch

✅

✅

Split tunnelling

✅

✅

Auto-connect

✅

✅

Control Tower

❌

✅

These are nice extras to have for more advanced users who want to tailor their VPN connection and protect multiple devices. If not having these extras isn't a deal-breaker for you, however, then PrivadoVPN Free is still a solid option that can do more than most free VPNs.

Score: 10/10

Features: What can PrivadoVPN Free do?

• Strong encryption protocols.
• Auto-connect tool is surprisingly customizable.
• Low feature count compared to paid VPNs.

Unlike paid alternatives (including PrivadoVPN premium), PrivadoVPN Free doesn't come with an extensive toolkit of security-boosting features. This isn't unusual for a free service. Paid VPNs often offer a free subscription tier as a sample – a small taste of what the full product has to offer.

As a result, free VPNs typically have fewer features, fewer servers to choose from, and less support for streaming. This applies to PrivadoVPN Free, too.

Starting with the monthly data allowance, PrivadoVPN Free gives users 10 GB of data per month. That's not a lot, and won't go far if you regularly stream, torrent, or game with the VPN, but it's enough to use with social media or when checking emails.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's features ▼

Something to keep in mind is that, unlike other free VPNs that limit user data (like Windscribe Free), PrivadoVPN Free's allowance isn't updated automatically each month.

During testing, we logged into our PrivadoVPN Free account after not using it for a while, and the app told us that our free account was ready to be "refilled to 10 gigs".

We were prompted to click a link. It opened a PrivadoVPN webpage where we logged into our account, then followed another link that opened a "Buy" page. We ignored the paid options and clicked the "Refresh Data" button under the free plan info.

PrivadoVPN Free gives users 10 GB of data per month. That's not a lot, and won't go far if you regularly stream, torrent, or game

This isn't a big deal, as the process was simple enough, but it's a hassle that other free VPNs don't have. Plus, if you live in a country where you can't access the PrivadoVPN website because of nationwide VPN blocks or bans, it might preclude you from using the service at all.

If you exceed the 10 GB monthly cap, PrivadoVPN Free doesn't cut you off entirely. You can still use the VPN in Lite Mode. Lite Mode users can't choose their server location (the VPN automatically selects the closest server) and are subject to throttled speeds (we saw speeds of 1 Mbps).

It's not ideal, but we're glad that some VPN access is permitted, as it'll no doubt come in handy to users who can't risk accessing the internet without protection.

PrivadoVPN Free supports the OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), WireGuard, and IKEv2 VPN protocols on all platforms. This is a pretty standard spread that gives users some flexibility.

OpenVPN provides tried-and-tested security, WireGuard is quick and ideal for streaming and gaming, and IKEv2 is well-suited for mobile devices, seeing as it remains especially stable when switching between networks (like Wi-Fi and mobile data).

(Image credit: PrivadoVPN Free)

A kill switch is an important part of any VPN's toolkit, free or paid, and PrivadoVPN's kill switch is a mixed bag (which we'll dig into in the Security section). PrivadoVPN Free also has a split-tunnelling feature called SmartRoute.

We're also glad to see that PrivadoVPN Free offers a basic auto-connect feature. It's available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, and automatically connects the user to a server when the app starts.

It's more configurable than most free auto-connect tools, too. We were able to connect to one of four options when using Windows and Android devices: a recommended country, the last used location, a random location from our favorites list, or a random location from the full server list. The same applies to Mac devices, though iOS users miss out on this configurability.

We're also glad to see that PrivadoVPN Free offers a basic auto-connect feature.

Unfortunately, this is where PrivadoVPN Free's feature toolkit comes to an end. There's no Tor over VPN functionality that'll let you access Tor sites while also benefiting from VPN protection, and no multi-hop tools that route your connection through two (or more) VPN servers for an extra layer of encryption and security.

Again, this is what we expect from a free service. Proton VPN Free, for example, restricts its Tor over VPN and multi-hop tools to paying users.

If these features are a must-have, you'll be better off subscribing to a premium service like NordVPN or Surfshark. Both of these VPNs also come with built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocking tools.

PrivadoVPN's premium plan has its own DNS-based version of ad and malicious site protection, called Control Tower, but it's not available to free users.

Score: 5/10

Server network and locations

• Free servers in 13 locations
• Coverage incudes servers Asia and South America as well as US and Europe.
• Mostly virtual servers hosted in data centres far from labelled server location.

PrivadoVPN's site claims that there are "hundreds" of available VPN servers. When you consider that most premium VPNs have server networks numbering in the thousands, PrivadoVPN's pool is relatively shallow.

The other issue is that we're unsure how many of these servers are accessible to free users. There may not be a fixed number, either, as PrivadoVPN Free could allocate different numbers depending on the time or user demand.

(Image credit: PrivadoVPN Free)

We do know that PrivadoVPN Free offers 13 free server locations. This is more than the 8 countries users have access to with Proton VPN Free, and edges out Windscribe Free, too, which offers access to 10.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's server network ▼

These server locations are spread across 10 countries, including 4 locations in the US. There's also coverage in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Considering that there are so few options available, PrivadoVPN Free has done a good job of distributing them as evenly as possible around the world.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, during our investigation, we didn't see any mention of servers having specific limits for free users. We weren't told that free users can't stream or torrent. As far as we can tell, all free servers appear to support the same core features as those in the paid network.

PrivadoVPN Free doesn't make it clear whether it uses virtual locations. We couldn't see any icons in the server list that indicated whether a server location was real (physically hosted in that country) or virtual (physically hosted elsewhere). When we visited the Network page on the PrivadoVPN site, we couldn't find any mention of virtual servers at all.

This meant that we had to do our own hands-on testing. We tested 13 server locations to confirm that they returned IP addresses from the location they were listed under.

Server locations are spread across 10 countries, including 4 locations in the US. There's also coverage in Europe, Asia, and South America.

We found that PrivadoVPN Free makes heavy use of virtual locations. 6 of its 13 locations are really hosted in Amsterdam, 4 are hosted in Washington DC, and the 13 locations are hosted via only 7 data centers.

Some of these data centers are far from the supposed location of the server. For example, the Argentina, Brazil, and India locations are really hosted in Amsterdam. This can have a negative impact on your speeds.

If you're in India and connect to the free India server to access a local website, for example, routing your traffic to the Netherlands and back will take a toll on your overall performance.

Neither PrivadoVPN Free nor its paid alternative uses RAM-only servers, unlike ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, and that has privacy implications. More on that in a moment.

Score: 5/10

Privacy

• No logs policy does leave room for some logging to take place.
• Scramble tool is basic, but will mask OpenVPN traffic.
• Split tunnelling feature is customizable, but not available on macOS.

On paper, PrivadoVPN Free's no-logs policy looks sound enough. It claims not to store details about user browsing sessions while connected to a server, that it never logs identifiable data like IP addresses, traffic destination, and DNS queries, and that it won't sell data to third parties.

However, even if all of these promises are 100% true, there's still scope for some logging to take place.

PrivadoVPN Free could log metadata about your sessions, like connection time, your approximate location, the server you chose, and maybe more – and all without technically breaking its no-logs policy.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's privacy credentials ▼

The Data Retention clause in its privacy policy states: "We store the data we collect about you for as long as necessary for the purposes for which we originally collected it."

We've seen other VPNs say similar things, but they'll typically provide a timescale, too, like deleting your custom records two years after you delete your account. PrivadoVPN Free doesn't provide any limits, so there's no way of knowing how long it keeps hold of user data. A month? A year? Forever?

Users do have the right to contact PrivadoVPN Free and ask for the company to delete their data, but they shouldn't have to. We'd rather PrivadoVPN Free set clear limits for how long it takes for different types of data to be erased.

PrivadoVPN Free's Windows client includes an OpenVPN setting called Scramble. Once enabled, it claims to "[add] obfuscation capability to OpenVPN, allowing it to bypass network traffic sensors which aim to detect usage of the protocol and log, throttle or block it".

PrivadoVPN Free doesn't provide any information about how Scramble works, though we suspect it's a straightforward implementation of a standard OpenVPN feature.

Scramble isn't innovative, but it will come in handy to anyone who needs to conceal their VPN traffic – especially if they live in a country where VPN usage is banned, or if it's prohibited by their network administrator. We're glad to see that it's included in the free offering.

We do prefer Proton VPN's Stealth protocol, however, which is included in its free plan. Stealth is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and is fully open-source – so there's no mystery about how it works or what it's doing to your data.

Scramble isn't innovative, but it will come in handy to anyone who needs to conceal their VPN traffic.

As I said in the Server Network section just above, PrivadoVPN doesn't use RAM-only servers.

We dug into the privacy policy to see if PrivadoVPN offered any justification for this decision (Proton VPN, for example, chooses not to use RAM-only servers, claiming that they offer no real security benefits). We found a relatively generic clause:

"Our infrastructure and secure servers are contained in fully locked and 24/7 monitored data facilities that are best in class.

Even if a regulatory authority physically seizes a PrivadoVPN server (assuming it could break the disk encryption) there would be no logs or information that could be tied [to] an individual user."

The second paragraph revealed a new detail to us: PrivadoVPN Free's server disks are encrypted. This is an encouraging security measure, but we need more (or any) articles detailing how it works, as well as annual audits of the infrastructure to confirm that PrivadoVPN Free is doing everything it can to safeguard user data privacy.

In happier news, PrivadoVPN Free is headquartered in Switzerland. This means that there are no mandatory data retention laws that would require it to store and log user data, and users are protected by strong Swiss privacy laws.

(Image credit: PrivadoVPN Free)

PrivadoVPN's split tunnelling feature is called SmartRoute. During our testing, we found that it was a very complete implementation of split tunnelling that can apply to apps, websites, and IP addresses.

It also supports Bypass (where items in a list are excluded from the VPN tunnel and use the regular, unencrypted internet) and Tunnel (where items in the list exclusively use the VPN tunnel, not the regular internet).

Split tunnelling is a useful VPN feature that allows you to pick and choose which sites, apps, and services make use of VPN encryption and geo-spoofing and which don't.

If you're connected to a VPN server but want to tune in to a local streaming platform, for instance, you can add the URL to the Bypass list (or otherwise exclude it), and you'll access the site using your original internet connection.

The implementation of split tunnelling differs depending on which device you're using PrivadoVPN Free on. The Windows and Android apps support SmartRoute for Apps, IPs, and sites. iOS supports SmartRoute for IPs and sites only.

Score: 7/10

Security

• OpenVPN encryption is slightly outdated.
• No post-quantum encryption.
• Significant kill switch issues resulted in risk of IP address exposure.

PrivadoVPN uses conventional ChaCha20 encryption with WireGuard connections. For OpenVPN, it uses AES-256-CBC encryption, which is secure enough, but most providers have moved on to AES-256-GCM.

The latter is regarded as more secure because it has built-in integrity checks. It’s also potentially faster because it’s written to support parallel processing. This means encryption and decryption can be split into multiple tasks that run on your CPU cores at the same time, reducing overhead.

(Image credit: PrivadoVPN Free )

Privado VPN OpenVPN connections use TLS (Transport Layer Security, the technical name for what many people still call SSL) 1.2 to establish secure and encrypted connections. This is also a little behind the competition; most providers now use the faster and more secure TLS 1.3.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's security credentials ▼

We couldn't find any evidence that PrivadoVPN Free has implemented any post-quantum encryption measures. This tracks, however, as PrivadoVPN Free is still using outdated setups for its OpenVPN encryption.

This is something we'd like to see change. VPNs like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Proton VPN have all introduced some form of post-quantum encryption into their products.

This protection is a proactive measure that'll ensure that user data isn't left vulnerable to the fallout of Q day, when quantum computers are finally able to decrypt traditional encryption methods.

PrivadoVPN Free also includes a kill switch. It's available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android – which is now outside of Android's integrated kill switch too.

When we used it on Windows, we saw that there were two kill switch options, and that they work differently from most other VPNs.

Most kill switches attempt to block your device's access to the internet if the VPN connection drops. PrivadoVPN Free instead tries to suspend apps using the internet.

That's an immediate concern for us. In addition to the vague definition of what it means to "suspend" something, we can't be sure that PrivadoVPN Free can identify all "open internet applications and browsers" to suspend them. Even if it can, what about apps that aren't "open" when the VPN fails, but that try to connect later?

The usual approach of blocking internet access is simple and should work for everything; trying to identify ‘all open internet applications and browsers’ and ‘suspend’ them is complex and very unlikely to work for everything.

We decided to test this for ourselves, and we use a variety of methods. These include switching our router on and off, leaving the range of a Wi-Fi signal, and force-closing apps and processes on our devices. We then monitored what happened next.

PrivadoVPN Free's kill switch functionality is partial at best.

In this instance, we connected to PrivadoVPN Free's Windows app using WireGuard. Then, we crashed the WireGuard connection to prompt the VPN connection to close.

The kill switch kicked in immediately and blocked our internet access, but the app automatically disconnected and reconnected moments later. The kill switch also stopped working for a few seconds during reconnection, exposing our IP address.

This is the second time we've tested PrivadoVPN Free's kill switch, and the second time we've seen this happen.

While the kill switch was down for just a few seconds, it's still long enough for someone monitoring logs to capture a real IP address if they were carrying out an internet action.

Worse still, we repeated our test with IKEv2 and OpenVPN connections with the same result. If the VPN fails, the Windows app closes the current connection and reconnects, and the kill switch isn’t active for a few seconds during the reconnection process.

We tested this for ourselves on Windows by adding Chrome to the app exclusion list, then connecting via IKEv2 and forcing the VPN to close. PrivadoVPN successfully prevented Chrome from accessing the internet in any current or new tab.

Our concern about other apps was confirmed through. Despite the fact that our VPN connection was down and access to Chrome was blocked, we could launch Edge and immediately access the internet via our usual connection.

When we combine the results of all this testing, we have to say that PrivadoVPN Free's kill switch functionality is partial at best. There is no guaranteed way to block all internet traffic until the VPN reconnects.

If you're looking for a free VPN with a more reliable kill switch, Proton VPN Free's iteration of the tool worked like a charm – and Windows and Linux users also get access to a stricter Advanced mode.

Score: 6/10

Speed

• PrivadoVPN Free is one of the fastest free VPNs we've tested.
• Incredible WireGuard speeds of 950 Mbps, ideal for any activity.
• Further speed testing hampered by data limits and server access.

It's not easy to run speed tests for PrivadoVPN Free because it limits users to 10 GB per month of data, and our speed testing process uses far more than 10 GB of traffic.

This meant that we were only able to run a short and basic test of the best median download speeds to our nearest server (which is effectively Dublin to the Netherlands, as the UK server location is actually hosted in Amsterdam).

Using the WireGuard protocol, we saw PrivadoVPN Free clock in with an incredible 950 Mbps average download speed. That's in the same ballpark as premium VPNs like Surfshark and Norton, showing price doesn't guarantee performance.

We also just about found enough data to perform a full Dublin-to-US connection test, but it didn't quite perform so admirably, achieving only 393 Mbps. That said, this is more than enough for many use cases.

OpenVPN also performed admirably. It achieved 603 Mbps, just short of NordVPN (688 Mbps), but ahead of Proton VPN which only achieved 449 Mbps. This is great if you'd prefer to use OpenVPN for its superior security over a WireGuard connection.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's speed ▼

PrivadoVPN Free's impressive performance is more than enough to keep up with daily browsing; think checking emails, scrolling through social media, and quick calls with friends or family. It'd be enough for smooth streaming, too, but the 10 GB cap doesn't really allow for this.

Once you've reached the monthly data cap, PrivadoVPN Free switches to Lite mode.

Users can still connect to a server, though they can't manually choose it themselves, and speeds are throttled. We recorded a grim performance of 1 Mbps during Lite mode – but we prefer this to being cut off entirely.

Still, as we say, this is more than fair for a free product with speed, an area in which PrivadoVPN Free excels.

Score: 7/10

Unblocking streaming services

• Unblocks US, UK, and Canada Netflix.
• No servers to unblock with in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
• Could not access Amazon Prime Video or US YouTube (while logged in).

Right off the bat, it's important to note that no free VPN with a set data cap is going to be a good choice for streaming. No movie marathon or binge session is going to last long when you're limited to 10 GB a month.

Some free VPNs struggle to access streaming platforms, too, because they can't invest in their infrastructure and technology the same way that a premium VPN supported by subscriptions can.

Whether a VPN works with a platform is always a cat-and-mouse game, with both sides of the equation trying to stay one step ahead of the other, and paid VPNs simply have more resources to pour into the effort.

With that said, Privado VPN Free has consistently performed well as a VPN for streaming throughout our unblocking tests, and this time was no exception.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's streaming service unblocking ▼

We were able to unblock UK Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4. We were also able to access Canada and US Netflix and Disney+.

We're also happy to report that PrivadoVPN Free unblocked these platforms first time, every time. At no point did we need to switch servers or locations.

There were a few stumbling blocks, however.

For a start, we were only able to access US YouTube while we were signed out of our account. When attempting to access the site while logged in, YouTube threw a "VPN/Proxy detected" notice at us, no matter which US location we were connected to – and we tried with the New York, Miami, and Washington locations.

This warning isn't as serious, as it means YouTube is only suspicious, and not certain, but it's still a fail overall.

All in all, we're still impressed by PrivadoVPN Free's streaming results.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to access Amazon Prime Video with any of Privado VPN Free's US servers. It was the same situation trying to connect to Prime Video in Canada. No locations in Australia or Japan meant we couldn't complete our full spread of tests in these areas.

All in all, we're still impressed by PrivadoVPN Free's streaming results. They're especially impressive for a free service, with many of the best VPNs recording very similar results when trying to access US YouTube and Prime Video.

The only real difference between PrivadoVPN Free and the best paid products is the limitation of its server network.

If that's what you need, then you need to put your hand in your pocket for a VPN instead.

Score: 7/10

P2P and torrenting

• All servers support P2P activity.
• Test torrents completed quickly.
• No port forwarding, and SOCKS5 proxy is restricted to paid users.

PrivadoVPN Free supports P2P activity on all of its servers. However, like most viable torrenting VPNs (paid or otherwise), the company doesn't draw attention to the fact.

We didn't find any specific information about P2P support. When we delved into the support pages, we did find an article that seemed to imply that P2P activity is supported everywhere without saying it overtly.

We decided to test PrivadoVPN Free's torrenting compatibility for ourselves. We used qBitTorrent to download test torrents, and used the New York and London servers to download them. Both torrents completed quickly and without any issues.

The monthly 10 GB data cap will come into play here, too, though, and users may need to budget their allowance if they plan on doing a lot of torrenting.

PrivadoVPN Free has no dedicated P2P servers – users will need to select the server nearest to them for the most optimized connection and best performance (keeping in mind that most of PrivadoVPN Free's servers are virtual and located far from the labelled location).

There is no support for port forwarding, either, and only paid PrivadoVPN users have access to a SOCKS5 proxy, which can improve P2P speeds and security.

Score: 4/5

Compatibility

• Apps for all major platforms.
• Consistent feature parity across apps.
• Chrome extension and router support are limited to the premium plan.

PrivadoVPN Free's apps are colourful and relatively compact. They lack the clean design aesthetic of ExpressVPN, or the bells and whistles of NordVPN, but the look and feel remain consistent across desktop and mobile offerings.

Feature parity between apps is mostly consistent, too. Desktop and mobile users get the same basic toolkit – though iOS is missing a kill switch, and, as with many VPNs, there's no split tunnelling on Mac.

Windows

macOS

Android

iOS

Auto-connect on launch

✅

✅

✅

✅

Auto-connect when accessing untrusted networks

❌ (Paid plan only)

❌ (Paid plan only)

❌ (Paid plan only)

❌

Protocols

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2

Kill switch

✅

✅

✅ (Android system kill switch only)

❌ (Paid plan only)

Split tunneling

✅ (Apps and websites/IPs)

❌ (Paid plan only)

✅ (Apps only)

✅ (Websites/IPs only)

Pause VPN

❌

❌

❌ (Paid plan only)

❌

GPS spoofing

❌

❌

✅

❌

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's compatibility ▼

PrivadoVPN Free has apps for all major platforms. This includes Windows (and Windows ARM), macOS, Android, and iOS, which covers the most popular devices.

There are also PrivadoVPN Free apps for Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. Most VPNs now offer browser extensions for the likes of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, but PrivadoVPN now restricts access to them for its paying customers.

Its closest competitors, Proton VPN Free and Windscribe Free, both let free users install Firefox and Chrome extensions. We'd like to see PrivadoVPN Free reverse its decision to lock browser extensions behind a paywall – after all, they're a great and lightweight way to benefit from VPN protection and geo-spoofing.

It's technically possible to set up PrivadoVPN Free on a router, and there are even a handful of setup guides on the support site. However, when we dug into them, we saw warnings that manual router configuration was only available to premium users.

Score: 3/5

Usability

• Installation is quick and simple.
• Apps are easy to navigate on all platforms.
• Server list is well-organized, but virtual locations can cause confusion.

Before we downloaded PrivadoVPN Free, our first port of call was the PrivadoVPN site. We saw that PrivadoVPN does its best to try and persuade users that they're better off with a paid subscription rather than the free service.

We scrolled almost halfway down the homepage before we even saw a mention of the free VPN, and there's no "free VPN" link in amongst the others in the page footer.

There are two ways to find a link to download PrivadoVPN Free. The first involves scrolling down to the FAQ section at the bottom of the home page, selecting "Free Plan & Pricing" tab, then expanding the first question and clicking "Free Plan".

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's usability ▼

This link will take you to the download page. Input your email and click the orange button, and the download will begin.

Alternatively, in your search engine of choice, searching for "PrivadoVPN Free" and selecting the link to the free VPN landing page will take you to the same place.

Thankfully, we found the download and installation process to be much more straightforward.

After creating our profile (and verifying our email address), we downloaded the installer (or the app from the App Store), punched in our login details when prompted, and PrivadoVPN Free launched without a hitch.

User experience

PrivadoVPN Free's apps recently underwent a significant overhaul, though with the primary aim of cleaning up an already simple design.

The app retains its huge connect button, though it now resembles more of a toggle. You continue to have quick access to key settings via the hotbar, and via small icons, though there are now fewer of these. You also retain the near-identical layout across both mobile and desktop devices.

What this means is that for beginners, you get quick access to the few settings PrivadoVPN Free offers. Once you've found them, and get comfortable using them, you then needn't worry about finding them as they'll be in essentially the same place on most devices.

All in all, we found PrivadoVPN Free much easier to navigate than Windscribe Free. While the latter is more compact, finding your way around the the various features and options takes a little longer, and there's no quick access to the tools that you'll likely use regularly.

If you want a free VPN that's as unobtrusive as possible, taking the form of a small tile until expanded, Windscribe Free could be ideal, but PrivadoVPN Free's layout is more centralized and intuitive.

The home panel clearly displays a reminder of how much data remains in the month. There's also an ever-present option to upgrade to a paid plan.

We saw this number tick down as we browsed and did our speed and torrenting tests. It's a useful bit of UI, but we noticed that different apps sometimes displayed different numbers. At one point, we saw 2.3 GB remaining on Windows and 2 GB on our iPad.

The mobile app is virtually identical to its desktop counterpart, though we felt like the long and tall design worked better on a phone screen. We saw the same connect button and IP information, and the same selected server location.

The only major difference is the tool quickbar at the bottom of the screen. It's much simpler, with shortcuts to the main VPN, Control Tower tool, and account information. Ultimately, we prefer the desktop version.

Pivoting back to the home panel and clicking the currently selected location displays PrivadoVPN Free's full location list. Unlike ExpressVPN, it doesn't pop out in a new tab – it's contained in the same slim window.

The free servers are listed right at the top, which we liked, as it meant we didn't have to sift through the entire list looking for free options.

The location list only displays country names, though. To connect to a server, we had to click a country, then choose a city from the menu that expands out. Once we clicked that, PrivadoVPN Free connected us to it.

This system isn't cumbersome, but joining a server does take one more click than it does with most other VPNs. With NordVPN, for instance, it's possible to connect to the fastest server in a country by clicking the country name and nothing else. You only have to expand the country menu if you want to choose a particular city.

The location list is sorted by latency but defaults with the closest geographical servers at the top of the list. That's useful in theory but, in practice, there's a problem.

As we mentioned in our Servers section, most of PrivadoVPN Free's servers are located in just a handful of places: the Netherlands and Washington, US. It meant that, in the UK, when we opened our location list, we saw India ahead of the UK.

This makes some sense, as both servers are hosted in the Netherlands, and ping times are likely so similar that the servers could be listed in any order. For first time users accessing PrivadoVPN Free's location list, however, it might look like nonsense. There's no way, geographically, that Indian or Brazilian servers should have lower latency for a UK user than the actual UK server.

Fortunately, it's possible to sort the servers alphabetically, which is far more logical.

We were also glad to see that the location list has a Favorites system. Adding servers to this list is as simple as tapping the star next to the individual server you'd like to include. Then, they're accessible via the tab at the top of the app.

The options menu expands the PrivadoVPN Free app on desktop, which we appreciated, as it gave the UI more room to breathe.

This is where you'll find the auto-connect, kill switch, and account options, and most of them are formatted as a simple checkbox.

For instance, we when wanted to switch protocols, we unchecked the box that had PrivadoVPN Free automatically choose one for us, then checked the box next to WireGuard.

On mobile, the settings are where PrivadoVPN's Free features are housed. It generally takes an extra tap or two to find a feature and enable it than it does on desktop. Auto-connect, for example, is listed under the "VPN" settings, and after tapping on the feature, we're taken to another menu where we can toggle it on or off.

Most mobile VPNs work this way, though, in order not to overload the user's screen with text, checkboxes, and toggles.

Despite the extra legwork, we preferred PrivadoVPN Free's mobile apps, though they work just as well on desktop.

Score: 3/5

Accessibility

• Decent language support, with 16 included.
• Poor accessibility scores – especially for screen readers.
• Hardly any keyboard support.

To put a VPN's accessibility to the test, we use AccessibilityChecker to scan its home page for any issues. These include things like a lack of support for screen readers, whether color schemes and text have strong contrast, and more.

Unfortunately, PrivadoVPN Free did not perform well. It achieved a score of just 10%, which puts it right at the bottom of our scoreboard. Even the second-to-last entry, CyberGhost, managed a score of 17%, and Proton VPN outperformed both with 35%.

The AccessibilityChecker audit highlighted particular problems with screen reader support. This is a significant problem for sight-impaired users, as they may not be able to navigate the website.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's accessibility ▼

It is worth noting that this test only covers a single page on the provider's website and, as a result, only gives us a general indicator of a VPN's accessibility credentials.

PrivadoVPN also has no accessibility-specific features that we could find. Plus, its free plan lacks some of the most useful automation options – like the option to automatically connect when accessing potentially dangerous free Wi-Fi hotspots. Like most of PrivadoVPN's most powerful tools, it's restricted to paying customers.

We were also disappointed to see that PrivadoVPN Free has no support for Siri Shortcuts to enable voice control on Apple devices.

PrivadoVPN Free does, however, have decent language support, offering 16 in total. It's a number that still trails behind other providers, like Proton VPN (28), but it's on par with leading premium services. ExpressVPN, for instance, has 17 languages, and NordVPN and Surfshark both offer 13.

(Image credit: PrivadoVPN Free )

Popular languages are readily available, like English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), French, Spanish, and Russian. We'd like to see more included in the future, though, like Japanese, Arabic, and Korean.

Finally, we tested PrivadoVPN Free's keyboard support. This is an important part of app accessibility. If a user can't operate a mouse, they should still be able to access every feature of a VPN app with their keyboard.

We stopped using our mouse in favour of our keyboard, and used standard Windows keypresses like Tab and Enter to navigate the app, open lists, and click buttons. We aimed to see what we can and can't access.

PrivadoVPN Free did not perform well here, either. We were unable to do virtually anything. After hitting Tab and the arrow keys multiple times, we managed to reach the location list, but little else.

The PrivadoVPN Free app doesn't display a consistent focus rectangle to highlight the active part of the window and guide navigation, and it doesn't appear to support standard Windows keyboard navigation rules in any consistent way.

Score: 1/5

Customer support

• PrivadoVPN Free has 24/7 email and ticketing support.
• There is a well-stocked support site with tutorials and troubleshooting guides.
• Some information is questionable, and needs know-how to spot.

PrivadoVPN Free's support team is contactable via the main site, and a 24/7 email and ticketing system.

We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of content on the support site. Some of the articles go to surprising lengths to help, too.

The article on troubleshooting connectivity issues suggests that an antivirus or firewall could be the problem, and whitelisting PrivadoVPN could make all the difference.

Other VPNs usually stop there, but PrivadoVPN Free goes further, with links to articles from antivirus vendors including Bitdefender, ESET, Avast, Norton, Microsoft, and more, explaining what to do next.

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's customer support ▼

We found the support site nice and easy to search through, too, and it did a good job of sorting results into a sensible order.

When we searched for speed, for example, the first three hits were practical and relevant: a guide on performing a speed test, another on how to speed up the VPN connection, and an explainer covering the differences between UDP and TCP.

As we dug deeper, we did notice questionable information in some articles.

‘How to speed up my PrivadoVPN connection’ suggested users try another protocol, for instance, but suggested that IKEv2 was the fastest option. In our experience, WireGuard is much faster, and telling users otherwise is likely to cause problems. It also leaves us wondering what other dubious recommendations the database might contain.

What's more, we found some articles are rarely, if ever, updated. Searching for articles on Control Tower brought up set up tutorials for Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 10, but nothing for Windows 11, the only actively updated version of Windows.

All in all, the support site doesn't compare to the polished and in-depth libraries of NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Still, most articles contain genuinely useful content, although it helps if you’ve the experience to spot poor advice like ‘IKEv2 is fastest’ and focus on the quality information.

Score: 3/5

User reviews

• Trustpilot reviews have dropped slightly.
• Complaints center around virtual locations and abuse of the free service.
• High percentage of one-star reviews on the Android App Store.

We take a look at user reviews on Trustpilot to get a sense of what real people think about the VPN and its reputation amongst the userbase. While these reviews offer valuable insight, we still take them with a pinch of salt.

As of April 2026, PrivadoVPN Free has a Trustpilot rating of 3.5. This is pretty subpar, and marks a slight drop from the 3.6 rating we saw in our previous round of testing.

It's not an encouraging performance, but none of the other VPNs we tested saw an increase, either, and three of the six providers also saw a drop.

Google Play

App Store

Trustpilot

ExpressVPN

4.7

4.7

4.1

NordVPN

4.6

4.7

4.2

Surfshark

4.6

4.7

4.3

Proton VPN

4.7

4.6

2.1

Windscribe

4.6

4.6

4.7

PrivadoVPN

3.5

4.0

3.5

Read more about PrivadoVPN Free's user reviews ▼

It's also worth noting that these Trustpilot ratings pertain to the entire PrivadoVPN service and not just its free tier.

PrivadoVPN's mobile app ratings are good. We interpret this as meaning that people who are expressing their experience with the service are reasonably happy. We also think that low scores are more likely to come from paid users who have higher expectations of what they want for their money.

When we looked at the latest one-star reviews, they do seem to mostly come from paying customers.

One of these reviews says: ‘I needed a VPN and tried the Free tier. It seemed to work fine, but a lot of websites (Google, YouTube, Reddit) are "blocked due to abuse," as you'd expect from a free VPN’, before going on to say that they signed up to try and fix the issue, but it didn’t help.

We also noticed that other one star reviews claimed that PrivadoVPN's locations were "fake", claiming to be in one place but giving a location in the Netherlands, for example.

PrivadoVPN does host a lot of locations in the Netherlands, true, but users are heading to sites like iplocation.net, reading that the location is supposedly in the Netherlands and assuming that’s true. But it’s almost certainly not; it’s just that these sites don’t have the latest IP data yet.

We experienced this for ourselves during this testing period. We saw a Netherlands location when it shouldn't shown somewhere else, and only updated after we tried other sources.

Overall, while PrivadoVPN Free's Trustpilot scores aren't great, they're not a disaster, and there are strong reasons to believe free users are happier about the service.

We also took a look at the US ratings in the Google Play, the App Store and the Chrome Extension Store.

PrivadoVPN lags behind the majority of the competition across the board. However, like its Trustpilot rating, these scores cover the entire service, including the paid VPN plans. It's possible that free users rate PrivadoVPN far higher than the scores we see here.

Still, an Android app score of 3.4 is very low. When we studied Android ratings previously, the middle 50% of Android VPN apps rate between 4.0 and 4.5, and the bottom 10% score 3.5 or lower. We don’t blindly trust reviews, but this is bad, and it’s getting worse.

The percentage of one star reviews also looks significant. PrivadoVPN has three to five times as many one star reviews (as a proportion of the total) as the other providers here. Users aren’t just gently deciding PrivadoVPN isn’t quite right for their needs; they seem to actively dislike it.

Track record: can you trust PrivadoVPN Free?

• Has never undergone a third-party audit.
• No history of privacy issues.
• No data breaches on record.

Unfortunately, PrivadoVPN Free hasn't undergone any kind of privacy or security audit.

This means that there's no way for us to verify whether this VPN is adhering to its (already questionable) privacy policy and whether it's taking active steps to resolve vulnerabilities.

This isn't what we like to see from a VPN. Transparency is key, in our book, and regular audits of a provider's policy, servers, apps, and infrastructure go a long way to reassure users that their data privacy is being handled with care. Currently, PrivadoVPN Free cannot back up its own assertions.

The silver lining here is that we couldn't find any press reports of privacy issues or dubious activities, and there are no related entries in the CVE vulnerability database. It's encouraging, but it doesn't make up for a lack of regular audits.

We should also mention that PrivadoVPN recently said it would leave Switzerland on privacy grounds. The provider is to move to Iceland after the Swiss government proposed expanding surveillance obligations to include VPNs. This would massively diminish Switzerland's place as a privacy haven, and would likely see more providers than just PrivadoVPN leave.

Final verdict

PrivadoVPN Free is an excellent option, and we rank it at #1 in our shortlist of the best free VPNs.

You don't have to pay anything to use PrivadoVPN Free, and free plans are free forever. However, if you want to upgrade and enjoy an expanded toolkit of security features, a premium subscription is also available for a very reasonable price.View Deal

Who should use PrivadoVPN Free?

✅ Anyone who wants a reliable free VPN: PrivadoVPN Free's apps work well across all devices, and they're quick enough to keep up with day-to-day browsing.

✅ Users looking to stream with a free VPN: although PrivadoVPN Free doesn't work with all streaming platforms, and has a monthly data cap, it performs better than other free services by unblocking a handful of sites.

✅ Torrenters and P2P file sharers: all free servers support P2P traffic, and our test torrents downloaded quickly.

Get PrivadoVPN Free
We rate PrivadoVPN Free as the best free VPN available. There are no adverts and no bloatware attached. You can stream with it, you can torrent with it and you can choose between 13 different server locations too. The only catch is that you're limited to 10 GB of usage each month:

✅ 13 global server locations
✅ Average download speeds of over 950 Mbps
✅ 10 GB of data to use each month

If you like PrivadoVPN Free, and wish to remove the data limit shackles, then the full PrivadoVPN plan is one of the best cheap VPNs available. It's $1.11 per month and comes with over 60 server locations to choose from.View Deal

Who should try a different VPN instead?

❌ Anyone who needs a full VPN toolkit: PrivadoVPN Free comes with basic VPN functionality, though some core tools (like kill switch on iOS and auto-connect) are missing.

PrivadoVPN Free vs Windscribe Free
Windscribe Free is third in our overall rankings of free VPNs. It's a lightweight option that's fast, and goes toe-to-toe with PrivadoVPN Free in most areas. They both restrict users to 10 GB a month and have a similar count of server locations, but Windscribe Free also comes with unlimited simultaneous connections, and doesn't hide the lion's share of its features behind a paywall. We find its UI and apps trickier to navigate, which means PrivadoVPN Free is our go-to recommendation for new VPN users looking for an intuitive suite of free apps.

PrivadoVPN Free FAQsIs PrivadoVPN Free completely free?

Yes. Once you've made an account and downloaded the app, you can use PrivadoVPN Free for as long as you want without upgrading to a paid plan. Keep in mind that free users are restricted to 10 Gb of data per month, and only 1 simultaneous connection.

Is PrivadoVPN Free safe?

We've found no concerns whatsoever in the operation of PrivadoVPN Free as a safe VPN product. The kill switch is not 100% and the privacy policy is a little ambiguous but we have never found any problems with how this VPN handles our user data. It's VPN protocols are private and its server networks is secure. Take a look at the Privacy and Security sections of this review for more information.

Is PrivadoVPN Free good?

Yes. PrivadoVPN free is a very good VPN. We rate it as the best free VPN available. It is, however, a considerable set down from the best VPNs in terms of security features and usability but it's still a great product. Its main drawback – like many free products – is that you can only get so much usage each month before you have to pay.

PrivadoVPN Free testing methodology

Whenever I state that "I" did something in this review, or offer a personal opinion, I'm leveraging my own experience with the VPN.

When I say "we", however, I'm referring to the TechRadar VPN team that tested PrivadoVPN Free. Mike Williams, Technical Editor, performed this testing, having built his own VPN testing software and methodology over 11 years in the VPN world. Mike applied the same lab conditions to PrivadoVPN Free that we apply to all of the VPNs we stress test and review.

This process involves standardized speed testing in conditions optimal for VPN performance, determining whether the kill switch causes IP address leaks, and manually checking the VPN protocols. For more information about Mike’s process, head on over to our lab testing methodology explainer.

You can also check out our author biographies to learn more about our experience with VPNs.

Our team has fact-checked this PrivadoVPN Free review. It also contains information from the provider itself. We take the time to update the review every month, too, ensuring that our content is always up-to-date, containing new audit results, feature updates, and other information. This also means that there won't be a discrepancy between our review and the product you download.

If you had a different experience with PrivadoVPN Free, or if there's anything we missed, reach out via the comments section or email us directly. We’ll do our best to provide product support, correct any mistakes, or warn other users and readers.

Customization is a crucial part of any good HR suite – if you can make your solution work for your business, everyone involved will find it easier and more effective to use. It’s no surprise, then, that the software teams at Cezanne have built an HR product that places customization at its core.

You can tailor this system to your workflows, automate key tasks, and simplify and improve efficiency across the entire employee lifecycle.

When it launched in 2013, Cezanne was the first fully cloud-native HR system designed for UK businesses, and now the organization serves companies around the world thanks to a renewed focus on global success and international collaboration.

If you’re an SMB or enterprise that needs to connect HR systems in multiple countries, then Cezanne could be the best HR software for the job, although the UK focus may put off some users.

Cezanne HR: Plans and pricing

As with many HR solutions, Cezanne doesn’t publish pricing details publicly. Instead, pricing is devised on a case-by-case basis. Companies pay for Cezanne on a monthly basis, with the fee adjusted based on the average number of employees in the business during the previous month.

Bespoke pricing means that Cezanne’s customers can choose the modules they need and scale the solution to fit their organization, although a lack of pricing information available publicly can make initial budgeting and research more difficult.

Happily, Cezanne doesn’t charge additional setup or support fees, unlike some other providers. Sadly, no free trial is available.

(Image credit: Future)Cezanne HR: Features

Cezanne’s Core HR functionality begins with an employee database that’s packed with every kind of information you’ll need about your staff – it’s a single source of truth that informs functionality across the rest of your modules.

By combining customizable workflows at every stage with a robust system of alerts and notifications, Cezanne enables HR teams to effectively manage large teams and create systems that work for their organizations.

Employee self-service enables staff to update their own details. Details can be updated in the Cezanne mobile app, too, and employees can submit PTO requests, complete HR forms, and access payslips. Managers can use the app to respond to all of those requests.

Cezanne supports electronic signatures and document-tracking, it offers an HR form builder with plenty of customization options, and integrated SMS messaging provides another avenue of communication.

The app automatically generates and distributes timesheets, and you can configure them with your own working patterns and methods – and employees can clock in and out using the Cezanne system, the mobile app, or tablets installed at your workplaces. Sadly, there’s no mention of the biometric systems you’ll find supported by other HR solutions.

Cezanne’s performance management module is built for continuous and periodic employee reviews, with features to quickly conduct and analyze 1-1 meetings. Managers can build their own goals for employees and those staff members can update progress and upload evidence, and you can use SMART objectives, rate competencies, and generate development recommendations. And for compensation reviews, Cezanne makes it easier with benchmarking, an integrated planning module, and automated notifications.

Cezanne supports 360-degree feedback, too, and includes employee recognition options like peer-to-peer systems, badges, and categories. This recognition can be seen on your company news feed, which mimics social media functionality by providing updates, images, videos, and more. You can also send pulse surveys to gauge your employees' mood.

When it comes to PTO and absence, Cezanne handles calculations once you’ve defined your organizational rules, and employees can book absence from within Microsoft Teams. There’s support for TOIL and Bradford Factor reporting, too.

Cezanne provides a content library to support employee learning and development. You can integrate your company’s custom training programs, and you can automate learning communications to save your HR team time.

When you’re ready to promote, interactive performance and employee potential charts help you identify candidates and plan succession, and you can evaluate employee readiness and key attributes alongside business needs.

Data visualization makes succession planning simpler, and that’s a theme within Cezanne – because every module includes dashboards and reporting options that present data in graphs and charts that are easier to understand. Reporting across the app is also bolstered by good exporting options, including Power BI support.

It’s a crucial tool for effective decision-making by HR teams, and the graphical dashboards offer complete customization, too, so your HR teams can choose which data is included, pick the best display methods, and generate reports and presentations that can help make a difference.

As with many HR solutions providers, Cezanne has recently begun integrating AI features into its software. Cezanne’s AI integrations can help you build documents and emails, refine your writing, and accelerate workflow creation. In the near future, Cezanne plans to add a knowledge search feature that will pull answers directly from your documents and policies.

Cezanne’s recruitment module, powered by Occupop, delivers end-to-end hiring functionality and can integrate with Cezanne’s HR system or function as a standalone product.

You can build a branded career site, publish vacancies on global job boards, and use a job requisition management system to keep control of your hiring. You can build a talent database, use employee referral incentives, and provide hiring managers with clear overviews of candidates so you can pick the best prospects.

Smart shortlisting tools, candidate evaluation metrics, and workflows keep the hiring process moving at pace, interview scheduling is straightforward, and interview scorecards help you consider candidates.

When you’re hired, you can built customized onboarding portals with embedded videos, data, and welcome messages, create task lists for new hires and managers, and personalize the entire experience for specific candidates and positions.

Cezanne offers two payroll options. If you want to handle it in-house, Cezanne’s system delivers configurable dashboards, payslip generation, deduction reviews, and fast payroll processing – alongside seamless, real-time data management, payment calculations, pension reports, and pension auto-enrollment assessment.

This system is fully compliant with UK regulations, including HMRC and GDPR, and the software is ISO 27001-compliant. It’s a great slate of features but, sadly, the downside is that Cezanne’s payroll module only functions in the UK, even though the company’s HR system functions globally.

If you’re an international business, then your payroll options are simple: use a third-party tool or use Cezanne’s managed payroll services, which come at an additional cost. Once you’ve signed up, just make sure the pay-related details in your system are correct, and Cezanne’s team will handle the rest.

Cezanne offers an open API, which makes it relatively easy for your tech teams to connect this tool with third-party systems, and the company also offers plenty of pre-built third-party integrations.

This HR solution integrates with the full suite of Google and Microsoft products, as well as tools from Greenhouse, Workable, and Slack. That’s helpful, but at the time of writing the Cezanne website only included a couple of dozen integrations – other HR solutions offer hundreds.

As with most HR suites, the features you get with Cezanne depend on which modules you buy – and, in turn, that can increase costs to your organization. Also bear in mind that native payroll is a UK-only offering, so international businesses will need to look elsewhere or pay more for Cezanne’s managed payroll services.

(Image credit: Future)Cezanne HR: Ease of use

Cezanne HR is an easy system to start using, with a gentle learning curve and loads of configuration – you can build the solution to work with your organization’s existing processes and tools, and it can be as complex or as straightforward as you like.

Navigation follows a conventional blueprint with modules opened from a menu on the left-hand side of the page and content displayed in the main window. It’s a modern, good-looking system that effectively balances complexity and usability.

Straightforward visuals and modern fonts make the system’s information easy to understand, color-coded calendars make planning and tracking simpler, and windows pop up with additional data in smart, helpful locations. You can drag-and-drop candidates based on visual data when recruiting, customize graphs in the insights module, and choose different permissions for various user groups throughout your business.

There’s plenty of customization available on Cezanne’s dashboard, too – it’s one of the most editable options we’ve seen anywhere. You can drag and drop widgets, adjust their size, alter colors and backgrounds, and build a home screen that works for you.

Indeed, customization is baked into Cezanne at every opportunity, which is great news for managers and administrators – and the reporting is versatile and robust, too, with plenty of chances to build outputs around your needs.

(Image credit: Future)Cezanne HR: Support

Cezanne’s customer support starts with a knowledge base that’s packed with guides, resources, news, and videos on using the product. There’s also an AI chatbot that can help answer common questions and triage customer issues.

If you do need to get in touch, Cezanne offers an online ticket-based support system and phone support, with lines open from 9am to 5.30pm UK time on weekdays. There are no higher tiers of support and no additional charges.

It’s a reasonable support offering, but the UK-based office hours put Cezanne slightly behind rivals.

(Image credit: Future)Cezanne HR: Competition

Cezanne’s customer support starts with a knowledge base that’s packed with guides, resources, news, and videos on using the product. There’s also an AI chatbot that can help answer common questions and triage customer issues.

If you do need to get in touch, Cezanne offers an online ticket-based support system and phone support, with lines open from 9am to 5.30pm UK time on weekdays. There are no higher tiers of support and no additional charges.

It’s a reasonable support offering, but the UK-based office hours put Cezanne slightly behind rivals.

Cezanne HR: Final verdict

Cezanne is a good option for any organization that needs flexibility throughout its HR processes – customization is a highlight throughout Cezanne’s various modules, the workflows are excellent, and the product offers a broad set of modules and features that cover the entire employee lifecycle.

Reporting is good, too, and Cezanne offers a reasonably accommodating learning curve, even for beginners.

Negatively, you can only use native payroll here if you’re based in the UK, and Cezanne’s library of integrations isn’t as deep as you’ll find elsewhere. Pricing transparency is lacking, and other products will have more accommodating support options – even if you have to pay for them.

Cezanne is an HR solution that you can build around a growing business, but we’d consider the payroll and integrations situations carefully before investing.

The specialists behind Employment Hero founded the company after seeing poor HR processes at work – and now their platform promises to tackle every HR challenge while making employment easier, more effective, and more valuable for everyone involved.

The business has grown quickly since it was founded in 2014 – it’s reached unicorn status, with 300,000 businesses supported and over two million active users.

The company’s HR software is collected under a platform called EmploymentOS and aims to tackle hiring, payroll, management, learning, engagement, compliance, and more. It’s designed for SMBs facing a wall of employment complexity as they begin to grow, and there’s a strong emphasis within the business on adding AI functionality to enhance operations and improve efficiency for every customer.

The software was originally designed for Australian businesses. It now works globally, and the company especially focuses on Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia.

For more picks, see our guide to the best HR software

Employment Hero: Plans and pricing

Employment Hero is transparent about pricing - a refreshing attitude in a market where many companies won’t give you a price until you talk to sales. A free trial is also available, which is not the case with all HR solutions.

Employment Hero’s Standard package costs £4 (about $5.35) per employee per month and includes basic HR functionality like timesheets, employee record management, entry-level recruitment tools, and options to manage staff performance and leave. There’s also a basic, free payroll plan.

HR Premium costs £7 (about $9.37) and adds functionality including rostering and scheduling, budgeting, advanced recruitment tools, and performance reviews.

The HR Platinum product is only available directly from sales, although it will likely cost around £10 (about $13.38) per employee per month. At this tier, you get every feature from the previous two levels alongside learning and growth modules.

And if you want the maximum functionality from the solution, the Employment Unlimited tier unlocks additional learning tools, enhanced support, managed payroll, HR advisors, a recruitment agent, and a candidate-finding system called SmartMatch. This tier also adds Earned Wage Access and EAP Standard.

If you’d like more functionality and customization, all of those Employment Hero tiers are available with add-ons. Managed Payroll costs £12 ($16) per employee per month, and you can get HR and Employment Law Advisory for £6 ($8) monthly. A Learning Plus module provides development content to staff for £7 ($9.37) per employee per month.

Employment Hero’s full payroll functionality is sold as a separate product, too, that you can add to your HR package while you’re creating your overall solution.

(Image credit: Future)Employment Hero: Features

While functionality depends on the Employment Hero package you choose, the platform is packed with features and focused on providing end-to-end management for SMBs, along with a “single source of truth” for vital data.

You’ll also find a solid amount of customization in Employment Hero’s higher-tier products, including the ability to create your own workflows and automations - a key part of any HR solution, especially one that aims to make life easier and maintain data integrity.

A central employee database, bolstered by ISO 27001:2013 certification, ensures accessibility and security, and an employee management module handles compliance, reporting, and certification to avoid bottlenecks and delays.

The time and attendance module can use optional photo-capture and geolocation features to support attendance tracking. Managers can create and manage schedules, track headcount, and analyze costs. There’s also a full leave management section.

Employees can log their own hours using a dedicated app or use a PIN-protected on-site system, and you can even let employees claim open shifts and create your own approval flows to avoid staffing shortages. On top of this, you’ll find budgeting, compensation, extensive reporting, and real-time alerting to ensure your staffing and spend stay on track.

The learning management system serves up tailored development journeys, industry-specific bundles of learning content, and options for tracking progress and tackling employee 1:1 meetings and reviews. If you’re interested in recruiting, depending on the tier you buy, you’ll get job posting, candidate screening, talent pipelines, recruitment analytics, and DEI tools. Employment Hero also functions as an Employer of Record in over 180 countries.

Sitting above this functionality is AI Hero - the software’s new artificial assistant. It’s designed to answer repetitive employee questions and save HR teams time by writing messages, job descriptions, and more. It can help personalize 1:1 meetings and summarize interviews, too.

Elsewhere, Employment Hero provides an employee management app for Android and iOS to simplify administration. There’s an API for easier integration with other systems, and Employment Hero integrates with third-party payroll tools like Xero and MYOB.

Employment Hero’s feature set is impressively broad, positioning the tool as an SMB-focused all-rounder. This solution combines core HR functionality with time and attendance tracking, recruitment, learning, automation, and now AI assistance – and it’s even better when you consider the features that are included once you go up the pricing tiers.

That said, be careful when checking which features you’ll actually get if you decide to invest in one of the more affordable tiers, because key features like workflows, learning tools, and additional HR and payroll support may not be included. This pricing structure is not unique to Employment Hero, but it’s worth remembering.

(Image credit: Future)Employment Hero: Ease of use

Employment Hero’s developers concentrate on streamlined processes, modern interfaces, and user-friendly design, so it’s no wonder that this is one of the better-looking and more straightforward user interfaces on the market.

It’s an attractive system with clean typography and purple highlights. The dashboard includes a company feed, to-do list, key metrics, and a “launchpad” with quick links to common functions. You can add and remove widgets from the home page, create your own quick links, and click a button along the top of the app to launch Hero AI and see your notifications.

This tool makes a strong first impression, and the design is consistently impressive in other modules.

The People section makes it easy to access your employee database, files, vacancies, and offers, and you can also easily see vacancies, contractors, and an organization chart. Head into your employee database and you’ll find straightforward, sensible filtering options.

Other sections of the app are organized just as well. The design is consistent, which makes it easier for your HR teams to use the tool effectively, even if they’re not very experienced with HR software.

Reports are smart, attractive, and easy to parse, too – a common theme among any graphical elements in the Employment Hero interface.

(Image credit: Future)Employment Hero: Support

The Employment Hero Service Center includes easy access to a knowledge base full of articles, an in-depth FAQ section and a system status page alongside a helpful community forum where you can discuss the software with other Employment Hero users.

If you need to contact support, the Hero AI bot is used as a triage step. If that mechanism hasn’t directed you to an answer, you can file a ticket and talk to a support agent using the chat system, and Unlimited customers get the option of phone support, too.

The primary support team is based in the UK and operates from Monday to Friday in UK business hours, which traditionally means from 9am until 5pm. Additional support teams are on hand to pick up tickets around the world if you file a support query outside of those UK hours.

(Image credit: Future)Employment Hero: Competition

Anyone looking for an SMB-focused HR solution has plenty of options to choose from, even if you’re considering UK-based products.

Sage HR is another frontrunner if you need an all-in-one HR solution designed for SMBs, and IRIS is another comprehensive tool.

If you’d like to evaluate options that excel in specific areas, then you’ve got no shortage of choice, either. BambooHR and HiBob are superb when it comes to employee experience and engagement, and both have more engaging user interfaces than Cintra – although they’re a little weaker when it comes to payroll.

For a product that’s stronger with the financials, RUN Powered by ADP is an SMB-specific alternative, and Workable is excellent for recruitment.

Employment Hero: Final verdict

Employment Hero is a strong choice for SMBs that want a broad, well-balanced HR system that ticks most of the major functionality boxes, especially if you’ve got the budget to invest in one of the higher tiers and pack the product with add-ons.

The clean UI and automation tools make the system easier to use than many other options, and Employment Hero’s pricing transparency is refreshingly welcome in a marketplace that wants to drive potential buyers into conversations with sales teams.

There are drawbacks, though. The entry-level product misses out on expenses functionality, performance reviews, allowances and more features, while even in the HR Premium solution you don’t get workflows, learning tools, and some extra support – they’re only available at Platinum.

If you want to save money while getting some of those features, it pays to shop around – and, similarly, if you need enterprise-level complexity and functionality, you’ll want to look elsewhere too. Overall, Employment Hero is polished, easy to use, and a good all-rounder, but make sure you definitely get the features you need.

Mailjet launched in France in 2010 with a focus on making email collaboration easier for teams. Today it serves over 100,000 customers across 150 countries. Now part of the Sinch group (following the Pathwire acquisition in 2021), it covers both marketing campaigns and transactional email through a single account.

In this Mailjet review, a few things stand out: volume-based pricing that doesn't penalize you for list size, real-time co-editing built into the campaign builder, and deliverability tools that most platforms either charge extra for or don't include at all.

TechRadar Pro has been reviewing email marketing software since 2012. Our contributors have tested leading email marketing tools like Mailchimp and Brevo year after year. That track record gives us a solid benchmark for where Mailjet fits in the market today.

My experience with Mailjet

(Image credit: Mailjet)

Getting started takes slightly longer than you'd expect. Before you can launch your first campaign, Mailjet's support team runs a verification check on your business details and intended sending volume. It's a minor but noticeable friction point compared to platforms that let you start sending immediately after signup.

Once your account is active, the experience is organized and straightforward. The dashboard separates campaign tools, API settings, and contacts into clearly labeled sections, and the onboarding guide forks into different paths depending on whether you're setting up as a marketer or a developer.

Value for money is strong, especially on the Essential plan, where unlimited contacts and access to deliverability tools make the $17/month price point hard to argue with.

Mailjet review: Features

(Image credit: Mailjet)

Mailjet's standout feature is its real-time collaborative editor. Multiple users can work on the same campaign at once, leave inline comments, and lock individual sections to prevent unintended edits. For teams that typically bounce email drafts around over Slack or shared folders, this alone is a meaningful upgrade. It's an unusual capability at this price range.

Beyond collaboration, the platform covers both marketing and transactional email through a shared API infrastructure. The MJML-based editor generates responsive layouts automatically, and A/B testing supports up to 10 campaign variations, which is one of the more flexible implementations we've come across. The Brand Kit, which can generate your visual identity from a website URL, speeds up template setup and keeps designs consistent across sends.

Where Mailjet trails the field is automation. The workflow builder handles standard drip sequences and basic triggers, but it doesn't support the behavioral conditions or multi-path journeys that tools like ActiveCampaign or Brevo offer. The template library (around 65 designs) is functional but limited in variety. There's also no built-in landing page builder, which some competitors include as standard.

Mailjet review: User experience

The interface is clean and logically laid out.

Campaign creation follows a clear progression: pick a template, edit in the drag-and-drop builder, select your recipients, and schedule. Non-technical users should find the flow intuitive from day one, and the editor works well for standard newsletter and promotional campaigns without needing any code knowledge.

A few details worth knowing: Mailjet automatically applies dark mode CSS and meta tags to your emails, which prevents the broken-layout issues that affect many campaigns in dark-mode inboxes. The Brand Kit also makes it faster to stay on-brand across multiple campaigns without manually re-entering colors and fonts each time. The overall UI is functional, though it feels less modern than newer platforms, and some sections look like they haven't been refreshed in a while.

Mailjet review: Customer support

Support access is tiered by plan, and the lower tiers are restrictive. Free and Starter subscribers get online support for the first month only; after that, you rely on Mailjet's documentation center and its self-serve Email Academy. Essential and Premium customers retain ongoing access to online support, which is a step up but still falls short of live chat options offered by some rivals.

Custom enterprise customers receive a dedicated Technical Account Manager plus an API expert, which is a meaningful upgrade for high-volume senders. For a platform that serves developers and teams running critical email infrastructure, the gap in support between entry-level and enterprise plans is wide enough to matter. If deliverability issues arise on a lower-tier plan, your path to resolution is mostly self-service.

Mailjet pricing and plans

Plan

Price (monthly)

Emails

Contacts

Free

$0

6000 a month, 200 a day

1000

Starter

$9

8000 a month

No limit

Essential

From $17

From 15,000 to 500,000

No limit

Premium

From $27

From 15,000 to 500,000

No limit

Custom

Custom

500,000+

No limit

Mailjet's pricing model is one of its clearest advantages over contact-capped competitors. Because Essential and Premium charge by email volume rather than contacts stored, businesses with large but infrequently mailed lists get considerably better value than they would on Mailchimp or Klaviyo.

The free plan covers 6,000 monthly sends with a 1,000-contact cap and a 200-per-day limit. Starter at $9/month removes that daily cap but tops out at 8,000 emails per month with no way to scale it further, making it a transitional tier rather than a long-term home. Essential at $17/month is where the platform opens up: unlimited contacts, 500 email validations, 500 email previews per month, and volume scaling from 15,000 to 500,000 sends.

Premium at $27/month adds expanded preview credits, team and account management tools, and a dedicated IP on plans with 100,000+ sends, with the same volume range. Annual billing reduces Essential to $15.30/month and Premium to $24.30/month. For senders above 500,000 emails, a Custom enterprise tier is available with dedicated support and tailored terms. All prices listed are in USD and exclude VAT where applicable.

Mailjet review: Specs

Spec

Details

Free plan sends

6,000 emails/month (200/day cap)

Contacts

Unlimited from Essential ($17/month)

Collaboration

Real-time multi-user co-editing with comments

Email API

REST API and SMTP relay on all plans

Deliverability tools

Validation, previews, dedicated IP (100k+ plans)

Should I buy Mailjet?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Strong API and collaboration; automation trails rivals

4/5

Performance

Reliable deliverability; shared IPs can vary on lower tiers

4/5

Design

Clean layout; editor is solid but UI looks dated in places

3.5/5

Value

Volume-based model rewards senders with growing or large lists

4.5/5

Buy it if…

• You manage email with a team. The real-time co-editing and granular permission controls speed up campaign production in a way most platforms don't match at this price. If your team currently passes drafts around over email or Slack, this feature alone justifies the switch.
• Your contact list is large but you don't email often. Because you pay for sends rather than contacts stored, Mailjet is significantly cheaper for businesses that maintain big lists but only campaign occasionally.
• You need marketing and transactional email in one place. A shared API infrastructure means your developers and marketers aren't managing separate tools or reconciling sender reputations across two platforms.

Don't buy it if…

• Advanced automation is central to your strategy. The workflow builder covers basic scenarios, but behavioral triggers, complex segmentation, and multi-path journeys require a platform like ActiveCampaign or Brevo.
• You want a wide template selection. Around 65 designs is enough for straightforward campaigns, but it's a thin library compared to what Mailchimp offers, and design variety leans minimal.

Also consider

• Brevo: This platform has volume-based pricing like Mailjet's but with more capable automation, SMS support, and a more polished interface. A natural comparison for teams weighing their options.
• MailerLite: Worth a look if landing pages, digital product sales, or a more contemporary design experience matter to you, alongside solid email tools.
• ActiveCampaign: Stronger choice if sophisticated marketing automation and integrated CRM are non-negotiable.

How I tested Mailjet

• Signed up for a Mailjet account and completed the onboarding flow for both marketer and developer setup paths.
• Built and sent test campaigns using the drag-and-drop editor, A/B testing tool, and automation builder across free and paid tiers.
• Reviewed official pricing documentation alongside user feedback from major review platforms.

For this Mailjet review, testing focused on the features a typical small business or marketing team uses day to day: campaign creation, contact management, collaboration tools, and the analytics available on standard plans. I also assessed the setup experience, support quality at each tier, and how the platform compares against competitors at a similar price point.

LG Sound Suite H7 review

The LG Sound Suite H7 is the first soundbar in the market to feature Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities — instantly providing a unique option in what is a highly competitive category.

FlexConnect enables the LG Sound Suite H7 to act as something of a hub — you can pair a compatible sub and various surround speakers to the soundbar, and no matter where you place them in the room, you can expect well-optimized sound and Atmos effects.

As I discovered when reviewing the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and testing out the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 — two systems that place the H7 soundbar front and center — FlexConnect works brilliantly. When using a wide variety of configurations, these systems provided impactful and clear sound. It’s a very handy feature, and one that could be useful for those with awkwardly shaped or laid-out living spaces.

Here, though, I wanted to look at the LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar on its own, and assess its quality without the assistance of any W7 subs or M7 surround speakers. Sure, this is a model that’s at its best when paired with other components — as is the case with rivals like the Sonos Arc Ultra. But can it hold its own as a standalone device? Can it compete with the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars?

Let’s begin by taking a look at features on the H7 soundbar. Of course, FlexConnect is great, but there’s a lot more to discover — especially if you download the LG ThinQ app.

One interesting addition is Sound Follow. This optimizes sound not only for your living space, but for your position within it. It works surprisingly well, and although it's not essential, it’s certainly a unique option in LG’s arsenal. On top of this, you can alter the EQ, adjust channel levels, and even cycle between different sound modes.

There’s a decent array of these sound modes, with a bass-boosted option, a vocal-oriented alternative, and an AI Sound configuration. Personally, I found the AI-enabled mode to sound worse than the standard tuning — movie soundtracks lacked balance, and often sounded too bass-heavy. Other than this, you’ll also find an AI upmixing setting, which enables you to convert a stereo signal into a more expansive 9.1.4-channel format.

As well as its various sound modes, the H7 offers a decent amount of connectivity options. Of course, you’ve got the standard HDMI eARC, but you can also make use of a USB connection, or play music and podcasts via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.

On the topic of connectivity, though, I do have one key complaint: the LG H7 doesn’t have HDMI passthrough. In 2026, this feels like a huge miss. A lot of even high-end TVs owned by people today are restricted to just two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which will be the HDMI eARC port. Given that the H7 will take one of those up, you may well be left with just one. That could prove to be a point of contention for owners of multiple modern video game consoles, for instance.

Another feature that some may miss is DTS support. DTS has been missing from a lot of LG’s tech as of late, with the company opting to drop the format from its TVs in 2025. If your TV or video player decodes DTS, it's not really a problem — but it's annoying if you buy all LG. Still the best 4K Blu-ray players, where DTS is most important, can generally decode it.

(Image credit: Future)

But you may be wondering by now, just how good does the LG Sound Suite H7 sound? Well, in my view, it’s a very strong performer indeed.

Unsurprisingly, the real highlight here is Dolby Atmos performance. In Top Gun: Maverick, when Tom Cruise flies up and over the head of Ed Harris, the verticality of this move was replicated brilliantly. This is something that a lot of rivals struggle with — especially without overhead speakers for ‘true’ Atmos, but the height channels consistently conjured up excellent effects in my testing.

The H7 also outputs expansive sound with tremendous width, something I found when watching a 4K Blu-ray of The Mask. As the titular character spun around an outdoor area, his movement was tracked well, and it sounded as if he was tornadoing into the corners of our TV testing space. Sure, a full setup with the M7 speakers added more depth and pin-point precision, but the soundbar certainly offered a broad sense of sound on its own.

It was a similar story with music — with Hans Zimmer’s Dream of Arrakis, vocals oozed into the sides of the room, while ambient sound effects felt as if they were crawling along the walls. The bottom line, then, is if you’re looking for excellent Atmos performance, the H7 is a top choice.

Outside of Atmos performance, the H7 is pretty strong too. It gets a lot of the fundamentals right — clear dialogue, impactful bass, and expressive treble all feature. When watching The Boy and the Heron, I was impressed with the snappy and sharp sound of a wooden sword snapping, and even when harsh wind noises entered the fray, the Heron’s monologue was articulated clearly in the mix.

In one scene, a horde of frogs exclaim “JOIN US,” and powerful deep bass seeps in. The room-swallowing low-end was replicated quite well, even at higher volumes, but it wasn’t quite as full-sounding and thunderous as I’ve experienced — largely due to the lack of a sub. Adding the W7 subwoofer will fix this, of course, but that comes at quite the price.

Movies do generally sound great, however. Whether it was The Mask smashing through a glass door with giga impact or dialogue coming through with a true-to-life echo in Maverick, I was satisfied with the H7’s quality.

Is the H7 the most musically adept soundbar I’ve heard? Not quite. With stereo music, you do get distinct channel separation, and commendable attention to detail. However, I sometimes felt as if low-end sounds were a little overstated, leaving vocals or instruments in the mid-range sounding less prominent than I’d like.

With Atmos music, it was similar. Sure, the spatial effects are translated fantastically, and the dynamism of sudden drum hits or pounding bass was striking. But I sometimes felt that vocals in the center could be a touch understated. Some EQ tweaking can help with this, but I prefer models like the Marshall Heston 120 for music.

(Image credit: Future)

So, overall, the LG Sound Suite H7 is a very admirable performer, but I want to take a moment to talk about design.

Look, I don’t think this is the prettiest soundbar ever. It’s built to a high standard, but the H7 doesn’t have the flashy modern look of the Sonos Arc Ultra or the striking retro style of the Marshall Heston 60.

It ends up looking a bit generic, which isn’t a major problem — however, the more style-focused might wish for something with more flair. On the positive side, I did really like the soundbar’s display, which is handy for checking volume, source, sound mode, and more.

Another design positive relates to button and port placement. Everything is simple and well-sized, making for a relatively straightforward setup. Speaking of setting up, you can simply plug the HDMI cable and power source in, and you’re ready to go.

I did experience a few difficulties pairing the soundbar using the app, which was a little frustrating, but I had things working after a couple of resets. From there on out, the simple app made my user experience fairly trouble-free.

Let’s finish up by talking about value for money. The LG Sound Suite H7 has a list price of $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400), which, let’s face it, is pretty pricey. You can easily grab a great option that comes with a sub for less than this — the Samsung HW-Q800F, for instance, is regularly cheaper than the H7, and boasts DTS support alongside HDMI passthrough. However, the Sonos Arc Ultra — arguably the H7’s main competition — is in the same ballpark, retailing for $999 / £999 / AU$1,799.

Is the H7 worth it, though? Well, if you want Dolby Atmos FlexConnect and you’re planning to build out a full system, then it could be. Individual components, like the M7 speakers and W7 sub are expensive, and there’s no discount on a full system as of yet. But if you’re looking for a massively expansive overall package, then it remains a great option.

All in all, though, the LG Sound Suite H7 is an astute soundbar that packs in highly convenient FlexConnect technology, awesome Dolby Atmos effects, and impressive overall audio. It’s disappointing to see HDMI passthrough and DTS support off the menu, alongside a more enticing look.

And yes, it’s pricey, although it's competitively priced against Sonos, and can act as a highly capable hub if you’re looking to build out a full FlexConnect system.

(Image credit: Future)LG Sound Suite H7 review: price & release date

• List price of $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)
• Released in early 2026

The LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar released early into 2026, with the W7 subwoofer and M7 wireless speakers joining it. At $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400), the H7 is by no means cheap, though it is priced pretty competitively against options like the Sonos Arc Ultra and Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: specs

Dimensions

47.2 x 2.5 x 5.6 inches / 1200 x 63 x 143mm

Speaker channels

9.1.6

Connections

1x HDMI eARC, USB, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X

Yes / No

Sub included

No

Rear speakers included

No

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the LG Sound Suite H7?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect works great, Sound Follow is unique, but no HDMI passthrough, underwhelming AI mode, and no DTS.

4/5

Performance

Excellent Atmos, clean dialogue, relatively impactful bass, but musicality could be better.

4.5/5

Design

It isn’t the prettiest, but built to a high standard, has a useful display, and has neat physical controls.

4/5

Setup & usability

Some in-app pairing issues, but straightforward plug and play setup otherwise.

4/5

Value

Pricey, but in a similar ballpark to rivals like Sonos Arc Ultra, and brings unique FlexConnect functionality.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want to build a Dolby Atmos FlexConnect system
The biggest selling point of this soundbar is its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect support, which enables you to connect up multiple speakers and place them just about anywhere, while still enjoying well-optimized, expansive sound. If you add the W7 sub and M7 or M5 speakers, then, the H7 is a great centerpiece for this surround sound system.

You’re looking for a powerful one-box solution
Sure, this soundbar is great to build a system around, but it’s also a very admirable performer on its own. With powerful bass, clear dialogue, and impressive Atmos effects, the H7 can take your viewing experiences to new heights.

Don’t buy it if…

You need HDMI passthrough
If you want a soundbar with HDMI passthrough for a device like the PS5 or Xbox Series X, then the LG Sound Suite H7 isn’t your best option. It leaves out an HDMI in port, meaning you’ll be better off with rivals like the Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

You’re looking for something flashy
The H7 may be built to a high standard, but it’s hardly the prettiest soundbar I’ve seen. If you want a sleek, modern alternative, I’d go with the Sonos Arc Ultra, which I’ve covered down below. If you’re someone with more retro tastes, then I’d instead point you towards the Marshall Heston 120, or Heston 60 if you’re short on space.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Also consider

LG Sound Suite H7

Sonos Arc Ultra

Samsung HW-Q800F

Price

$999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)

$999 / £999 / AU$1,799

$1,099 / £799 / AU$1,099

Dimensions

47.2 x 2.5 x 5.6 inches / 1200 x 63 x 143mm

3 x 46.4 x 4.4 inches / 75 x 1178 x 110.6mm

Main soundbar: 43.7 x 2.4 x 4.7 inches / 1110.7 x 60.4 x 120mm; subwoofer: 9.8 x 9.9 x 9.8 inches / 249 x 251.8 x 249mm

Speaker channels

9.1.6

9.1.4

5.1.2

Connections

1x HDMI eARC, USB, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi

1x HDMI eARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

1x HDMI input, 1x HDMI eARC, digital optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X

Yes / No

Yes / No

Yes /Yes

Sub included

No

No

Yes

Rear speakers included

No

No

No

Sonos Arc Ultra
The H7’s most obvious rival is the Sonos Arc Ultra — and it makes for a very tough opponent indeed. With spacious, regimented, and articulate sound, a beautiful design, and impressive Atmos effects, this model is a titan of the soundbar game. It’s priced very similarly to the H7 and has similar flaws — i.e. no HDMI passthrough or DTS. Read our full Sonos Arc Ultra review.

Samsung HW-Q800F
This one's the top overall pick in our guide to the best soundbars, and it’s easy to see why. This soundbar and sub combo provides palpable bass, amazing Atmos, defined dialogue, and spectacular value for money. It’s regularly available for less than $750 / £600 / AU$800. This bar has 4K passthrough, although only at 60Hz. However, its DTS support, user-friendly companion app, and easy setup make it a phenomenal choice. Read my full Samsung HW-Q800F review.

How I tested the LG Sound Suite H7

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested across multiple weeks
• Used at our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Played 4K Blu-Ray, streamed movies and streamed music over Wi-Fi

I tested the LG Sound Suite H7 across the course of multiple weeks. For this review, I used the soundbar on its own, although I made use of its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities in my review of the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7.

During my time with the LG Sound Suite H7, I watched a variety of movies — using the Panasonic DP-UB820 with 4K Blu-rays, and Netflix with Dolby Atmos content. I also connected my phone up to the soundbar for listening to music, and played a wide variety of tracks using Tidal Connect.

More generally, I’ve tested a whole lot of soundbars here at TechRadar, including everything from budget-friendly options — like the Sony HT-SF150 — through to premium alternatives such as the JBL Bar 1300MK2.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: April 2026