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Soundpeats Pop Clip2: Two-minute review

There's a version of this Soundpeats Pop Clip2 that you'll never read. After several weeks with the Soundpeats Clip1's cheaper successor, I was half-way through writing a five-star review which declared them the best open earbuds you could buy. That version is, as you can already tell, not this version of the review.

You see, the longer I used the Soundpeats Pop Clip2, the more I had to contend with some annoying issues; the kind of problem which often emerge after months or years of use, especially in cheaper tech, but shouldn't be affecting the buds after just a few weeks.

For example, I had an issue with the charging case, where it wouldn't reliably power up the buds. Sometimes I'd take them out, only to find them drained. My biggest problem, though, was with connectivity: they'd often fail to connect to my phone, or repeatedly drop out while I was running. A few times, when I needed some buds for a cycle or run, I'd just use the recently-reviewed Baseus Bowie MC2 rather than try and fight with the Pop Clip 2.

It's a shame, because aside from these common cheap-bud problems, the Soundpeats Pop Clip 2 are genuinely fantastic earbuds. Or is it the Soundpeats UU2? Depending on where you live, they're called one or the other, but in many countries the brand is using both names. Confusing. I’m going to be using the former name, because it simply makes more sense.

The Soundpeats Pop Clip2 have to be some of the best-sounding clip-style earbuds I’ve heard: they have a nice simple V-shaped sound, offering bass with ‘oomph’ but tone, and clear crisp treble. They don’t re-invent the wheel, but nimbly avoid all the issues that come with audio in buds of this form factor.

They tick loads of other boxes too: they last longer than most rivals, fit really well, and offer a solid list of features like spatial audio, sound leak prevention and water drainage.

Perhaps most importantly, Soundpeats has defied our price-hike current state of living by dropping the price of the Pop Clip2 (compared to the predecessor). And not by a few pennies either: $20 in the US, £15 in the UK, $9.99 in Australia (okay, that one’s not a dramatic drop). The brand already had some of the best value open-ears on the market, and it’s really pressing its advantage here.

But because of the connection problems, they're a write-off, right? Uh, I'm not so sure. These problems were persistent, but not consistent. I frequently went for hours without a connection drop or problem, and found ways to cater for some of the quirks. As I write this mini-review, I've been seated at my desk and listening for three hours straight, without any problem. But I know if I went outdoors, they'd be less reliable.

I wish I could recommend the Soundpeats whole-heartedly, and the issues make that impossible. But it's possible that your mileage will vary, or that the brand will fix some of the connection issues through software patches.

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Launched in August 2026
• Sells for $49.99 / £59.99 / AU$70
• Cheaper than predecessors and other rivals

The Soundpeats Pop Clip2 were unveiled on August 10, 2026, just nine months after the unveiling of their predecessors, the Soundpeats Clip1. That’s not a long time to wait for them to… pop out.

At launch, the buds were tapped for a $49.99 / £59.99 / AU$70 asking price, which is cheaper than the $69.99 / £74.99 / AU$79.99 asking price of the last model. But just two weeks after release, I’m finding them available for £36 in the UK, so they may be even cheaper than reported. Let me be clear: this is rock-bottom prices territory from a trusted brand.

OK, they’re not technically the cheapest open earbuds around — there are options in the backrooms of Amazon and AliExpress that are much cheaper — but they’re the cheapest from a known, respected name in audio (notwithstanding sales on Soundcore, Baseus and Earfun products, which see them dip below Soundpeats’ cost).

The thing is, value only comes into effect if the performance is worth even the nominal outlay you'll have to part with to own them. So let's dig into that.

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Specs

Drivers

12mm

Active noise cancellation

No

Battery life

10 hours (buds), 42 hours (case)

Weight

5.1g (buds), 47.7g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

IPX5

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Solid 10h/42h battery life
• App offers loads of features
• Connectivity problems plague experience

The Soundpeats Pop Clip2 offer a 10-hour battery life per bud, and in testing they lasted that long regularly. According to the brand, the case offers a total of up to 42 hours. Both of those sums are a little above average, and I'd say they're enough for most uses.

There's no ANC here, but the Soundpeats app offers basically every other feature under the sun. There's spatial audio, find my earbuds, a low-latency gaming mode, a privacy mode to reduce sound leakage, a drainage function to shake water droplets out if the buds get wet, a dynamic EQ tool which adjusts your sound on the fly, and of course an equalizer.

This latter lets you choose between a range of presets based on genre, though it turns off dynamic EQ and spatial audio. There's an adaptive and custom mode too, but for some reason, you can only use these if you create a free Soundpeats account. Locking an essential tool unless someone hands you their email? Thumbs down from me.

In the Soundpeats app, you can also toggle LDAC and set up multi-point connection, as well as change what the gesture controls do.

(Image credit: Future)

Now, it's time to get to the elephant in the room, the one I mentioned in the review introduction. I had a bad time with the Soundpeats Pop Clip2's connectivity (or lack thereof).

Frequently, I'd remove the buds from the case, only for one to fail to connect. I never figured out a solution to this issue, though sometimes holding the 'on' button kicked it into gear, and it often prompted me to just pick up a rival pair of buds which actually connected.

Even when the Clip2 did connect, I'd sometimes have to contend with drop outs or a stuttery connection, particularly on whichever of the buds was furthest from the phone. And I wasn't using the buds at the extreme of their connection range; my phone could literally be in one hand, and the bud on the other side of my face would keep dropping out.

So, despite the use of Bluetooth 6.0 (and, of course, my attempts to fix the problem by changing phones and updating the firmware), connection is a real issue here. Depending on the root cause, it could be fixable with a software patch, but it might be an intrinsic problem with the buds.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Few differences from predecessor
• Case is small, but with problems
• Earbuds fit reliably and comfortably

The big Soundpeats Pop Clip2 difference from its predecessor is the case, which is smaller and more convenient to tote around. It's a small pebble, weighing 47.7g, which fits in a pocket with no problem.

There is a problem, but it's inside. Like in some other cheap earbuds I've tested, the charging pins in the Clip2 case can often get stuck down. These are those shiny needles which touch the connectors on an earbud, in order to power it up while it's in the case, depressing as they do. In some cases, they can fail to spring back up, sometimes stopping working entirely.

I often managed to free the charging pins by pressing them down and wiggling, but often I only knew to do this when a bud had failed to charge. That is to say, there's a manual solution, but I would've preferred earbuds that just worked.

(Image credit: Future)

Charging issues aside, the buds work great, which is no surprise given that they're almost identical from the wonderful previous-generation Clips. they're light, at roughly 5g per unit, and you can easily forget you're wearing them.

The fit is solid, and I never found any issues with them shaking or falling out of place while I was on a run. When it comes to the Pop Clip2's actual earpieces, I have no notes.

This extends to the on-bud controls. Instead of relying on a large and vague tap control, Soundpeats has placed a physical button on each bud, which is easiest to press by pinching the body of the device. This is easy to trigger, even when you're active, and a satisfying 'click' lets you know your gesture has been accepted.

A note to buyers: head to the app and customize what single, double-, triple-tap and long-held functions do. I didn't love the default options, but luckily it's easy to change.

• Design score: 4/5

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• These are the best open earbuds I've heard
• Lovely balanced sound with plenty of customization
• 12mm drivers, LDAC and Hi-Res Audio Wireless

Several open earbuds makers have experimented with different multi-driver set-ups in order to solve the core problem with the form factor – getting good sound is incredibly tricky when the bud is far from your ear – and yet somehow Soundpeats has made the biggest leaps with a single driver.

Put simply, the Pop Clip 2 are the best-sounding open earbuds I’ve used to date, a compliment that’s a little limited in its reach but no less earnest for it. Each bud has a 12mm dual-magnetic driver, which according to Soundpeats has been tuned for “deep bass”, and seems on paper at least to match the Clip1’s driver. In practice, though, it performs a lot better.

By default, the earbuds have a fairly neutral sound profile, not favoring bass, mids or treble too heavily, and that’s pretty rare for exercise buds. In Handle With Care by Traveling Wilburys, I was surprised to hear the various rhythmic and harmonic instruments alongside the vocals and bass, and in Cinnamon by The Long Winters, it was easy to pick out the various simultaneous guitar lines which, in worse earbuds, blur together.

(Image credit: Future)

Despite this neutral focus, treble and bass are both handled well: the latter is bright, clear and crisp, the latter well-defined and energetic. And, thankfully, my Clip1 gripe about the max volume being too low has been fixed.

The buds’ sound can be pulled six ways from Sunday if you’ll let them too. In the dynamic mode, the bass and treble were boosted for a lovely V-shaped audio which gave Two Door Cinema Club’s Sleep Alone a lovely, bouncing energy.

Contributing to the sound is the Bluetooth codec support which Soundpeats has added — at least the connection works in one way. The buds support LDAC, and are certified for Hi-Res Audio Wireless, which isn’t something you can say about every set of open earbuds.

Of course, much of your enjoyment will depend on how you listen. No matter how good open-ears sound in the comfort of your home, the sound quality will plummet when you step outdoors into the busy word. But that’s the nature of the beast with these buds, and the dynamic equalizer went further than most in balancing for these issues.

• Sound quality: 5/5

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Should be top-value earbuds
• Unfortunately, longevity isn't guaranteed

The Soundpeats Pop Clip2 sound fantastic and offer a solid range of features, despite being some of the cheapest open earbuds worth buying. They should be five-star buys.

Unfortunately, that appraisal would be forgetting the connection and case issues, two problems which sadly aren't uncommon in low-cost earbuds.

With that in mind, you're basically getting what you pay for, matching the promise of other same-price rivals: these are buds which work very well, but may stop working well before their time.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Soundpeats Pop Clip2?Soundpeats Pop Clip2 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The feature set is impressive, but consistent connection problems make using the buds a drag.

3.5/5

Design

The buds are smartly-designed and fit reliably and comfortably. Unfortunately, the case has a flaw.

4/5

Sound quality

They're the best open-ear buds I've ever tested (admittedly, of a limited pool).

5/5

Value

It's a fantastic package, but the various problems suggest a short lifespan.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You need good-sounding open-ears
Most don't buy this form factor for the sound quality, but if you want something great-sounding, the Clip2 are second to none.

You want open-ears which fit reliably
Not once during many weeks of testing did the Clip2 ever fall out of my ears or ache during a workout.

You're on a budget
Don't buy super-cheap options for pennies. This is the cheapest option you should consider.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You need something reliable
My Clip2 worked well when I found my way around their flaws. If you want something that works perfectly without having to put in the work, just skip these.

You want something that sounds good, full stop.
Just because these are the best-sounding open earbuds, doesn't mean they're fantastic in the grand scheme of things. If you want workout headphones with fantastic sound, you need something with an in-ear seal, or over-ears.

Soundpeats Pop Clip2 review: Also consider

Looking for other affordable clip-style earbuds? Here are a few we've tested and would recommend.

Soundpeats Pop Clip2

Baseus Bowie MC2

Anker Soundcore AeroClip

Drivers

12mm

11mm

12mm

Active noise cancellation

No

No

No

Battery life (ANC on)

10 hours (buds), 42 hours (case)

11.5 hours (buds), 55 hours (case)

8 hours (buds), 24 hours (case)

Weight

5g (buds), 47.7g (case)

5.1g (buds), 51g (case)

6g (buds), 42g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IPX5

IP67

IPX4

Baseus Bowie MC2
The buds I tested before the Clip2, which I kept cheating on the Soundpeats with, don't sound as good or have the same feature set. But they're more reliable and last for longer between charges.
Read our full Baseus Bowie MC2 review

Anker Soundcore AeroClip
These earbuds have decreased in price since they were released, so they now rival the Soundpeats. They sound great and have an app that is chock-full of features, even if other specs aren't as impressive.
Read our full Anker Soundcore AeroClip review

How I tested the Soundpeats Pop Clip2

• Tested for roughly four weeks
• Paired with two different Android phones for music, podcasts, movies and games
• Used on runs, at gym, at desk and during travels

To write this full review, I used the Soundpeats Pop Clip2 for the best part of one month. In that time, I used it paired to two different Android smartphones: the Fairphone 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.

To test the earbuds, I used them for various fitness activities including walks, runs, cycles and trips to the gym. I also used them while working at my desk, on the train and on a flight. Mostly, my listening was done on Spotify, but I also used Tidal and several video streaming services, played games and conducted calls with them.

I've been reviewing for TechRadar since early 2019, and over the last few years, that's included plenty of open earbuds, including the stablemates of the product here, the Soundpeats Clip1. I've also used various other Soundpeats headphones and earbuds.

• First reviewed in September 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

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Drakong Challenger: One-minute review

The Drakong Challenger takes aim at the budget controller market by offering a basic but high-performing pad. On the style front, the Challenger is very much a case of function over form. You’d be hard-pressed to tell it apart from your run-of-the-mill Xbox controller, although the green rings around the thumbsticks are one notable point of difference.

Just like that controller, the Challenger is very comfortable in the hand. It’s also surprisingly well-made, with a solid shell and planted buttons. What’s more, it’s pleasingly light, making it easy to use for long periods. All this makes it one of the best Xbox Controllers at the budget end of the sector in terms of construction.

(Image credit: Future)

Although there’s no software to accompany the Challenger, you can assign the back buttons quite easily using the M button. A rumble notifies you when your assignments have been confirmed, which is a useful indicator.

The Challenger impresses in action. The triggers and sticks are as smooth and precise as you would expect from their Hall Effect technology, while the D-pad and face buttons are satisfyingly damped and quick to respond and rebound. The back buttons are a little less tactile, but they suffice nonetheless.

Given how inexpensive it is, you’d seriously have to consider the Challenger over a standard Xbox controller or any other, for that matter, so long as wireless connectivity is something you’re willing to sacrifice.

(Image credit: Future)Drakong Challenger review: Price & availability

• $34.99 (about £25 / AU$50)
• One month of Game Pass Ultimate included
• Good price-to-performance ratio

The Drakong Challenger costs $34.99 (about £25 / AU$50) and is available now. It comes with a USB-C cable, as well as a code for a one-month free trial of Game Pass Ultimate.

The Challenger is cheaper than the official Xbox Wireless Controller, although that gamepad has the advantage of wireless connectivity. However, it doesn’t include a rechargeable battery as standard, nor does it have customizable back buttons.

If you want something a little more feature-packed, but don’t want to spend a huge amount, the Turtle Beach Pacific Skyline is a good alternative. It has companion software that can be used to remap buttons, as well as adjust vibration intensity and thumbstick dead zones. Also, the controller itself is far more vibrant than the Challenger — and many other controllers, for that matter.

Drakong Challenger review: Specs

Price

$34.99 (about £25 / AU$50)

Weight

7.23oz / 205g

Dimensions

6.3 x 2.5 x 4.4in / 160 x 63.5 x 111.8mm

Compatibility

PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One

Connection type

Wired (USB-C), 3.5mm AUX (headset)

(Image credit: Future)Drakong Challenger review: Design

• Classic Xbox controller design
• Light yet solid construction
• No accompanying software

As far as looks go, the Challenger barely departs from the traditional Xbox design. It has the same shape, size, and layout, with the only additional flourishes being green rings around the sticks and a subtle outline around the two halves of the pad. There’s no RGB lighting, despite what those aforementioned stick rings may lead you to believe.

However, all this isn’t to say the Challenger has a disappointing construction. After all, to many gamers, the Xbox controller form is comfortable and practical. And despite the plastics not feeling particularly premium, the Challenger is surprisingly solid and pleasingly light at the same time, which is always a winning combination.

(Image credit: Future)

What’s more, the sticks and buttons are well fitted with no play in them at all, which isn’t something that can be said about most budget controllers. The back of the handles is textured for added traction, but the improvement is marginal given how subtle this texture is.

There’s no software available to customize the Challenger, but there are two mappable back buttons. I couldn’t find information on how to map them anywhere, but thankfully it’s a fairly simple process to figure out. You simply press the M button and a back button simultaneously until you feel a rumble, then press the button you want to assign and another rumble will confirm its activation.

The Challenger has no wireless connectivity, which is a shame but understandable at this price point. The included USB cable is quite long, but it isn’t finished in a braided fabric, which is something you often find on the best gaming mice to improve flexibility and reduce drag. It does at least seem quite durable, and the connection at either end was solid in my experience, despite the small amount of superficial wobbling at the controller end.

(Image credit: Future)Drakong Challenger review: Performance

• Solid and responsive buttons
• Precise and tactile triggers and sticks
• Easy connectivity to Xbox and PC

The Drakong Challenger might be a budget controller, but that’s not something you’ll notice when gaming with it, as every input is smooth, solid, and precise. The face buttons are also well damped and very responsive, rebounding quickly to allow for easy spamming when needed. The same goes for the D-pad, and despite its traditional four-pronged hat, it felt comfortable in my thumb, even when performing rolls and frantic inputs in Tekken 8.

On the shoulder buttons, the texture is subtle but noticeable, and feels quite nice on the fingers, although I’m not sure it provides much in the way of traction. The Hall Effect triggers are light but offer a surprising amount of control, which was especially helpful when accelerating and braking in Assetto Corsa. The Hall Effect thumbsticks were accurate and responsive when steering, too, as well as when aiming in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. I also appreciated their soft, grippy coating and textured rims for added purchase and feedback.

(Image credit: Future)

The two back buttons are easy to reach, but they don’t feel quite as tactile as the other inputs, lacking depth of travel and dampening by comparison. Also, I found them quite easy to trigger accidentally, even when I didn’t have a particularly tight grip on the pad.

Surprisingly for an inexpensive controller, the Challenger features a headset jack. The cable connection is solid, and I didn’t notice any loss in audio quality relative to connections made elsewhere.

As for the pad itself, I had no issues connecting it via the USB cable to either an Xbox Series X or to my PC, being just as easy to use with the latter as the best PC controllers.

Should I buy the Drakong Challenger?Buy it if…

You want a solid build
Despite how light it is, the Challenger’s shell and buttons are surprisingly sturdy.

You want great value
In terms of price-to-performance, it’s hard to beat this controller.

Don't buy it if…

You want to go wireless
Part of the cost-cutting comes from its wired connectivity, which might seem a little outmoded in 2026.

You want to tweak inputs
You can remap the back buttons, but not any of the others. You can’t alter the behavior of the sticks and triggers, either — a missed opportunity given their Hall Effect tech.

Drakong Challenger review: Also consider

Drakong Challenger

Xbox Wireless Controller

Turtle Beach Pacific Skyline

Price

$34.99 (about £25 / AU$50)

$59.99 / £54.99 / AU$74.99

$89.99 / £79.99 / around AU$150

Weight

7.23oz / 205g

9.76oz / 275g

7.04oz / 200g

Dimensions

6.3 x 2.5 x 4.4in / 160 x 63.5 x 111.8mm

6.02 x 4.01 x 2.40in / 153 x 102 x 61mm

6.22 x 4.09 x 2.36in / 158 x 104 x 60mm

Compatibility

PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS

PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One

Connection type

Wired (USB-C), 3.5mm AUX (headset)

Wireless (Xbox, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Bluetooth, Wired (USB-C), 2.4Ghz wireless dongle

Battery life

N/A

20-40 hours

~20 hours

Xbox Wireless Controller
It’s hard to go wrong with Microsoft’s official controller for its console (and other platforms). But although it’s wireless, it doesn’t come with a rechargeable battery by default; that’s an optional extra on a controller that already costs more than the Challenger. It doesn’t have back buttons, either. Read our full Xbox Wireless Controller review.

Xbox Wireless Controller
It’s hard to go wrong with Microsoft’s official controller for its console (and other platforms). But although it’s wireless, it doesn’t come with a rechargeable battery by default; that’s an optional extra on a controller that already costs more than the Challenger. It doesn’t have back buttons, either. Read our full Xbox Wireless Controller review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Drakong Challenger

• Tested for several days
• Played a variety of games
• Experienced with many other gamepads

I tested the Challenger for several days, using it for a variety of games and on both PC and Xbox.

I played Assetto Corsa to test the triggers, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl to test the precision of the sticks. I also played Tekken 8 to test the responsiveness and comfort of the D-pad and face buttons.

I’ve been gaming for decades and have used a wide variety of systems and controllers in that time. I’ve also reviewed a range of them, from simple budget-friendly affairs to feature-packed premium offerings.

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

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Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: 30-second Review

It's a weird time for smart glasses. After a moment in the sun (as sunglasses!) where companies like Meta sold millions of frames to willing customers seeking on-their-face intelligence and the ability to life-log with ever-present, eyebrow-level cameras, the worm has turned. Now people refer to smart glasses with cameras as "pervert glasses". Even Realities Even G2 smart display glasses (Even Realities G2) would seem to be the antidote to those concerns.

The relatively stylish specs live up to the smart expectations by connecting you to phone-based AI and delivering useful information to your eyes where and when you need it, but without the concerning cameras.

In some ways, Even Realities' approach is rather quaint. Instead of Augmented Reality, you get binocular, monochromatic waveguide displays that offer eye-level access to notifications, notes, translations, news, even a teleprompter, that only you can see. The imagery is sharp, but not rich. It's glanceable info that could be handy in a pinch, but is also stuff you can easily ignore.

Even Realities G2 glasses pictured with the included charging case and optional R1 smart ring on its charging base. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

These are smart lenses in the narrowest sense. They have four mics for listening, but no speakers. The microphones let you summon the AI (Even AI), which lives on the Even Realities iPhone app, but with no speakers, Even can't talk back to you. Even AI's responses appear before you as text on the waveguide screens.

The AI is not quite good enough to fully control the glasses, but that's where the gestures come in. While Even's G2 glasses look much like any other analog pair you'd wear, each arm ends in a large pill shape that houses the batteries and touch sensors. If you don't want to keep touching behind your ear, you can buy the $249 Even R1 ring, which Even Realities did supply to me. You wear the R1 on your index finger and use your thumb to recreate the taps, long presses, and swipes you'd do on the glasses. The Ring also records temperature, heart, and step measurements, readouts of which you can view on the glasses.

It's easy to see (pun intended) how useful these could be for turn-by-turn directions delivered from the app's map to the screen, and teleprompter text gently scrolling up, but inconsistent operation, missing features, finicky controls, and an overall feeling of, "Do I really need this?" left me wondering if half-way smart glasses are worth making the trip at all.

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Price and availability

Even Realities G2 smart glasses were unveiled earlier this year and are now shipping for $599 / £599 / AU$649. If you need prescription lenses, which they do support, be sure to factor that into the price (expect at least another $150). My review unit arrived with my prescription in place, and I often forgot I was wearing them.

Even in monochrome, in-lens displays are a premium feature, which accounts for a price tag that’s considerably more than, say, Meta’s recently launched $299 EssilorLuxottica smart glasses, which do feature a camera and speakers.

• Value: 3.5/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Design

• Thin, light, and durable
• Premium materials
• Mostly look like regular glasses
• Comfortable
• Stem bulbs look a little odd but are mostly hidden

Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / Future

Even Realities G2 display smart glasses are easily the most normal-looking smart glasses I've ever seen or worn. The gray titanium-and-magnesium frames are thin, light, and quite stylish. Where many smart glasses are bulky, heavy, or uncomfortable (or look ridiculous), Even Realities G2 frames are as comfortable as my regular prescription glasses. Yes, the stems end in pill-shaped nodules that house sensors and the batteries, but those elements are mostly hidden behind the ears.

The glasses ship with extra stem covers for comfort and a larger set of nose pads, though I was fine with the default set. There’s also an included charging case.

I didn’t think they looked bad, though my wife, who noticed that, unlike standard glasses, the fronts of the G2 lenses are flat and reflective, called them weird. “They don’t have cameras," I added hopefully.

I asked her if she could see anything on the lens, meaning the display I was viewing. She said no, but still remained unmoved. Some people are never gonna love smart glasses of any stripe, even ones I think look almost like regular glasses.

• Design score: 4/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Display

• Solid waveguide technology
• Low resolution but mostly fit for purpose
• Virtually large enough to be useful
• Plenty bright

I challenge anyone looking at these to know they're smart glasses.Lance Ulanoff / FutureYou can just detect the screen in this video camera capture.Lance Ulanoff / FutureThe lenses are 98% translucent.Lance Ulanoff / Future

Even Realities G2 glasses use micro-LEDs embedded in the frames and waveguide technology, which basically guides the 640 x 350 monochrome (day-glo green) imagery in front of both eyes. Remarkably, the embedded displays are almost imperceptible to the naked eye (even with content running on them).

With my prescription lenses, the single-floating-image effect is perfect. The bright green imagery looks like a monochrome, 15-inch display floating in front of my face. It sits slightly above my eyeline, meaning I could easily look below the display to see what’s in front of me or just slightly up to see the display. It’s not so high on the frame that if you’re looking at the display, someone will think you’re not looking at them.

Even in daylight, the 1,200 nit display is clear, sharp, and very viewable. There are settings to adjust the display brightness, and while the resolution sounds low, you don’t need much for what is essentially CRT-grade imagery.

• Display score: 4/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Software and Performance

• There aren't a lot of features
• Main menu access takes practice
• Teleprompt is a highlight
• News feed is nice to have
• Translate could be useful if you remember to pre-set your language choices for the location
• Navigation purposely is missing a key feature
• No real access to smartphone features
• AI shows promise but has noted limited access

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

While you might imagine a certain level of complexity with smart glasses, Even Realities keeps it pretty simple. The Dashboard, which you raise with a double tap on one of the stem sensors (or on the optional ring), reminds me of one of those old 1990s personal assistant devices or even a slightly more informative digital clock. There’s a large time readout on the left, with smaller, dare I call them digital watch-like complication elements arrayed around it. At the top is the day and date. To the right is the battery life of the glasses and, if you have it, the R1 smart ring. On the bottom left is the local temperature, and to the right of that is the number of notifications. To the right is a large square news feed.

With another sensor tap, I can open the feed and swipe backwards on the sensor to scroll through it. One more tap opens a news item, which, yes, I can scroll through by swiping on the stem sensor. You can see why someone might want to opt for the R1 ring. Who wants to be touching and swiping near their ear all the time?

(Image credit: Future)

Double taps pull you back out of the news feed, all the way to the Dashboard.

One of the less obvious interactions is how you bring up the main menu. I must admit, it took me a while to get the hang of the tap-and-hold gesture to open it. Once you master that — assuming you do — you get just seven options:

• Notifications
• Conversate
• Teleprompt
• Translate
• Navigate
• Dashboard
• Silent Mode

You can swipe up or down to go through them and tap to open one. The gesture-based control system is so finicky that I often ended up in the wrong place, and there’s no confirmation; the system simply starts, for instance, “Coversate,” which is basically a speech-to-text note-taking app.

More interesting is Teleprompt, the one feature that could potentially be the reason someone invests in these glasses. As the name suggests, it puts a teleprompter that no one else can see in front of your face.

(Image credit: Future)

To test it, I imported some text into the app (it supports txt, Docx, and PDFs). The app lets you expand or contract the margins, which controls the length of each line you read, but it lacks a way to control the line spacing — a key teleprompter feature. On the glasses, the text appears in front of you, and voice recognition detects you saying each word. As a result, there’s no need to mess with speed or stop and start the text scroll. It’s all controlled by your voice. That’s pretty cool.

Unfortunately, you might look a little odd while using it. I took a picture of myself while reading a script and noticed that I was looking up instead of at the audience in front of me. The key to teleprompters is that they're usually projected over, say, a camera lens, so you are reading while looking directly into the camera. To use Even Realities G2 for this task, you have to look up just a little bit.

(Image credit: Future)

Navigate launches turn-by-turn directions, but you can’t do much until you put locations in the iPhone app’s navigation section. I added my home and office addresses and then used them to start navigating from my current location. The only two navigation options are walking or cycling. That's because Even Realities intentionally excluded driving directions, as they might be too distracting in a heads-up display. I disagree with their exclusion.

Glancing at monochrome, see-through, heads-up directions while driving should not be distracting, but I'm not going to argue with the safety concern. Still, I suggested to them that they think about enabling driving directions that can be reviewed before starting the trip and then use detection of the iPhone's Driving Mode to disable that feature as soon as you start driving.

As for what navigation looks like, there’s a small turn-by-turn map on the lower left, distance and time to destination on the upper right, time and a walking icon on the upper left, and next turn on the lower left. Another tap on the sensor shows the full map route, which is a bright green line on a dimmer green map with no labels. I'm not sure how useful that is.

The Translate feature works pretty well, although despite the onboard mics, it does not auto-detect languages. Instead, I had to choose the to-and-from-translation languages in the app. Then, when I played a Spanish-language video, I watched the live translation on screen. Basically, before you go to a different country, you’d want to pre-load the appropriate language settings.

(Image credit: Future)

Silent mode instantly turns the G2 frames into dumb glasses, silencing all notifications and ensuring the screen doesn’t turn on, which it can even when you tip your head up. To un-silence it, you put one finger on each sensor.

Of course, there is AI, in the form of Even AI, which I summoned by saying, “Hey Even”. It wasn't the best at listening and getting my requests right, and there are many, many things it cannot do. Even AI has no access to your phone at large, just the app and its relatively limited features.

(Image credit: Future)

I did have some success. For instance, when I asked about the latest news on tech companies, I got a nice summary that I could read on the display.

I struggled to get notifications working, though. I was unaware of texts, Slacks, and incoming emails – basically anything I really needed.

Things did not improve when I tried to get clever. I had this idea that I could have the shopping list in my iPhone Notes app float in front of me while I walked around the grocery store. Yet, when I asked Even AI to read my files from the Notes app, it told me it couldn’t access them, but I could access the App’s Quick List. So I tried to build a Quick List, but every time I tried, the glasses would state “Quick List saved” before I even gave it a list. Then it had a bug where it told me the “Command execution” failed. Not useful.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Battery

• Small-ish battery on the glasses (to save the design)
• Sizable battery is included in charging case

Even Realities G2 with the optional, snap-on sunglass cover (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Even Realities G2 smart glasses are equipped with a 192mAh battery rated to last two days. My first charge ran out after three days of intermittent use. The included charging case has a 2,000mAh battery for up to seven recharges.

Considering there’s no camera, I would expect a longer battery life, but I think Even Realities purposely sacrificed some battery capacity for its exceptionally svelte style.

• Battery score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses?Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses Scorecard

Attribute

Comment

Score

Value

A bit pricey for what they do. You end up paying a premium for the impressive waveguide technology and their normal-glasses style.

3.5/5

Design

The rare smart glasses that's thin, light, and kind of attractive, if you ignore the oddness of the flat lenses (only on the front).

4/5

Display

The low resolution waveguide displays are used to mostly good effect here. Everything is bright, sharp, and readable.

4.5/5

Software and Performance

Even Realities software and operation on the G2 smart glasses is a true mixed bag, with inconsistent performance and only occasional delight. The relatively spare features do not really sell it as a must-have wearable.

3.5/5

Battery

Tiny batteries on the glasses can stretch to a few days use, but it's the charging case that saves the day.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want camera-free smart glasses
The Even Realities G2 does away with the one thing that's freaking people out — at least when it comes to smart glasses

You want on your face teleprompter
The voice-activated teleprompter feature is cool

Don’t buy it if…

You wanted full-featured smart glasses
Even Realities G2 offers baseline features and decent AI, but it's not enough to make this a truly compelling wearable

You don’t want to spend almost twice as much as the nearest smart glasses
Even Realities G2 offers less for more, reminding you how expensive it is to build in-lens display wear.

You want cameras and audio
These glasses are not the smart glasses for you

Also consider

Weighing just 76g, the X3 Pro proves that cutting-edge AR hardware no longer has to crush your nose. The display is a genuine glimpse of the future. But the future has a small battery, and the X3 Pro's 245mAh cell is, alongside the price, the device's biggest obstacle.

Read our RayNeo X3 Pro reviewView Deal

Xreal Air 2
If you want to stick with Xreal, the Xreal Air 2 or its electrochromic dimming-enhanced Xreal Air 2 Pro are both solid options that cost a little less – though expect a slightly lower-quality image and noticeably inferior audio.
Read our Xreal Air 2 reviewView Deal

Meta Quest 3
While not a direct competitor to Xreal’s glasses, the Quest 3 is an XR product that you should consider if you want to experience what VR and MR have to offer – it’s simply superb.
Read our Meta Quest 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Even Realities G2 display smart glasses

I spent the last week or so wearing these glasses instead of my normal prescription eyewear. I tried all the features and sometimes used the smart ring to control them.

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed September 2026

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: 30-second Review

It's a weird time for smart glasses. After a moment in the sun (as sunglasses!) where companies like Meta sold millions of frames to willing customers seeking on-their-face intelligence and the ability to life-log with ever-present, eyebrow-level cameras, the worm has turned. Now people refer to smart glasses with cameras as "pervert glasses". Even Realities Even G2 smart display glasses (Even Realities G2) would seem to be the antidote to those concerns.

The relatively stylish specs live up to the smart expectations by connecting you to phone-based AI and delivering useful information to your eyes where and when you need it, but without the concerning cameras.

In some ways, Even Realities' approach is rather quaint. Instead of Augmented Reality, you get binocular, monochromatic waveguide displays that offer eye-level access to notifications, notes, translations, news, even a teleprompter, that only you can see. The imagery is sharp, but not rich. It's glanceable info that could be handy in a pinch, but is also stuff you can easily ignore.

Even Realities G2 glasses pictured with the included charging case and optional R1 smart ring on its charging base. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

These are smart lenses in the narrowest sense. They have four mics for listening, but no speakers. The microphones let you summon the AI (Even AI), which lives on the Even Realities iPhone app, but with no speakers, Even can't talk back to you. Even AI's responses appear before you as text on the waveguide screens.

The AI is not quite good enough to fully control the glasses, but that's where the gestures come in. While Even's G2 glasses look much like any other analog pair you'd wear, each arm ends in a large pill shape that houses the batteries and touch sensors. If you don't want to keep touching behind your ear, you can buy the $249 Even R1 ring, which Even Realities did supply to me. You wear the R1 on your index finger and use your thumb to recreate the taps, long presses, and swipes you'd do on the glasses. The Ring also records temperature, heart, and step measurements, readouts of which you can view on the glasses.

It's easy to see (pun intended) how useful these could be for turn-by-turn directions delivered from the app's map to the screen, and teleprompter text gently scrolling up, but inconsistent operation, missing features, finicky controls, and an overall feeling of, "Do I really need this?" left me wondering if half-way smart glasses are worth making the trip at all.

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Price and availability

Even Realities G2 smart glasses were unveiled earlier this year and are now shipping for $599 / £599 / AU$649. If you need prescription lenses, which they do support, be sure to factor that into the price (expect at least another $150). My review unit arrived with my prescription in place, and I often forgot I was wearing them.

Even in monochrome, in-lens displays are a premium feature, which accounts for a price tag that’s considerably more than, say, Meta’s recently launched $299 EssilorLuxottica smart glasses, which do feature a camera and speakers.

• Value: 3.5/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Design

• Thin, light, and durable
• Premium materials
• Mostly look like regular glasses
• Comfortable
• Stem bulbs look a little odd but are mostly hidden

Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / Future

Even Realities G2 display smart glasses are easily the most normal-looking smart glasses I've ever seen or worn. The gray titanium-and-magnesium frames are thin, light, and quite stylish. Where many smart glasses are bulky, heavy, or uncomfortable (or look ridiculous), Even Realities G2 frames are as comfortable as my regular prescription glasses. Yes, the stems end in pill-shaped nodules that house sensors and the batteries, but those elements are mostly hidden behind the ears.

The glasses ship with extra stem covers for comfort and a larger set of nose pads, though I was fine with the default set. There’s also an included charging case.

I didn’t think they looked bad, though my wife, who noticed that, unlike standard glasses, the fronts of the G2 lenses are flat and reflective, called them weird. “They don’t have cameras," I added hopefully.

I asked her if she could see anything on the lens, meaning the display I was viewing. She said no, but still remained unmoved. Some people are never gonna love smart glasses of any stripe, even ones I think look almost like regular glasses.

• Design score: 4/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Display

• Solid waveguide technology
• Low resolution but mostly fit for purpose
• Virtually large enough to be useful
• Plenty bright

I challenge anyone looking at these to know they're smart glasses.Lance Ulanoff / FutureYou can just detect the screen in this video camera capture.Lance Ulanoff / FutureThe lenses are 98% translucent.Lance Ulanoff / Future

Even Realities G2 glasses use micro-LEDs embedded in the frames and waveguide technology, which basically guides the 640 x 350 monochrome (day-glo green) imagery in front of both eyes. Remarkably, the embedded displays are almost imperceptible to the naked eye (even with content running on them).

With my prescription lenses, the single-floating-image effect is perfect. The bright green imagery looks like a monochrome, 15-inch display floating in front of my face. It sits slightly above my eyeline, meaning I could easily look below the display to see what’s in front of me or just slightly up to see the display. It’s not so high on the frame that if you’re looking at the display, someone will think you’re not looking at them.

Even in daylight, the 1,200 nit display is clear, sharp, and very viewable. There are settings to adjust the display brightness, and while the resolution sounds low, you don’t need much for what is essentially CRT-grade imagery.

• Display score: 4/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Software and Performance

• There aren't a lot of features
• Main menu access takes practice
• Teleprompt is a highlight
• News feed is nice to have
• Translate could be useful if you remember to pre-set your language choices for the location
• Navigation purposely is missing a key feature
• No real access to smartphone features
• AI shows promise but has noted limited access

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

While you might imagine a certain level of complexity with smart glasses, Even Realities keeps it pretty simple. The Dashboard, which you raise with a double tap on one of the stem sensors (or on the optional ring), reminds me of one of those old 1990s personal assistant devices or even a slightly more informative digital clock. There’s a large time readout on the left, with smaller, dare I call them digital watch-like complication elements arrayed around it. At the top is the day and date. To the right is the battery life of the glasses and, if you have it, the R1 smart ring. On the bottom left is the local temperature, and to the right of that is the number of notifications. To the right is a large square news feed.

With another sensor tap, I can open the feed and swipe backwards on the sensor to scroll through it. One more tap opens a news item, which, yes, I can scroll through by swiping on the stem sensor. You can see why someone might want to opt for the R1 ring. Who wants to be touching and swiping near their ear all the time?

(Image credit: Future)

Double taps pull you back out of the news feed, all the way to the Dashboard.

One of the less obvious interactions is how you bring up the main menu. I must admit, it took me a while to get the hang of the tap-and-hold gesture to open it. Once you master that — assuming you do — you get just seven options:

• Notifications
• Conversate
• Teleprompt
• Translate
• Navigate
• Dashboard
• Silent Mode

You can swipe up or down to go through them and tap to open one. The gesture-based control system is so finicky that I often ended up in the wrong place, and there’s no confirmation; the system simply starts, for instance, “Coversate,” which is basically a speech-to-text note-taking app.

More interesting is Teleprompt, the one feature that could potentially be the reason someone invests in these glasses. As the name suggests, it puts a teleprompter that no one else can see in front of your face.

(Image credit: Future)

To test it, I imported some text into the app (it supports txt, Docx, and PDFs). The app lets you expand or contract the margins, which controls the length of each line you read, but it lacks a way to control the line spacing — a key teleprompter feature. On the glasses, the text appears in front of you, and voice recognition detects you saying each word. As a result, there’s no need to mess with speed or stop and start the text scroll. It’s all controlled by your voice. That’s pretty cool.

Unfortunately, you might look a little odd while using it. I took a picture of myself while reading a script and noticed that I was looking up instead of at the audience in front of me. The key to teleprompters is that they're usually projected over, say, a camera lens, so you are reading while looking directly into the camera. To use Even Realities G2 for this task, you have to look up just a little bit.

(Image credit: Future)

Navigate launches turn-by-turn directions, but you can’t do much until you put locations in the iPhone app’s navigation section. I added my home and office addresses and then used them to start navigating from my current location. The only two navigation options are walking or cycling. That's because Even Realities intentionally excluded driving directions, as they might be too distracting in a heads-up display. I disagree with their exclusion.

Glancing at monochrome, see-through, heads-up directions while driving should not be distracting, but I'm not going to argue with the safety concern. Still, I suggested to them that they think about enabling driving directions that can be reviewed before starting the trip and then use detection of the iPhone's Driving Mode to disable that feature as soon as you start driving.

As for what navigation looks like, there’s a small turn-by-turn map on the lower left, distance and time to destination on the upper right, time and a walking icon on the upper left, and next turn on the lower left. Another tap on the sensor shows the full map route, which is a bright green line on a dimmer green map with no labels. I'm not sure how useful that is.

The Translate feature works pretty well, although despite the onboard mics, it does not auto-detect languages. Instead, I had to choose the to-and-from-translation languages in the app. Then, when I played a Spanish-language video, I watched the live translation on screen. Basically, before you go to a different country, you’d want to pre-load the appropriate language settings.

(Image credit: Future)

Silent mode instantly turns the G2 frames into dumb glasses, silencing all notifications and ensuring the screen doesn’t turn on, which it can even when you tip your head up. To un-silence it, you put one finger on each sensor.

Of course, there is AI, in the form of Even AI, which I summoned by saying, “Hey Even”. It wasn't the best at listening and getting my requests right, and there are many, many things it cannot do. Even AI has no access to your phone at large, just the app and its relatively limited features.

(Image credit: Future)

I did have some success. For instance, when I asked about the latest news on tech companies, I got a nice summary that I could read on the display.

I struggled to get notifications working, though. I was unaware of texts, Slacks, and incoming emails – basically anything I really needed.

Things did not improve when I tried to get clever. I had this idea that I could have the shopping list in my iPhone Notes app float in front of me while I walked around the grocery store. Yet, when I asked Even AI to read my files from the Notes app, it told me it couldn’t access them, but I could access the App’s Quick List. So I tried to build a Quick List, but every time I tried, the glasses would state “Quick List saved” before I even gave it a list. Then it had a bug where it told me the “Command execution” failed. Not useful.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses: Battery

• Small-ish battery on the glasses (to save the design)
• Sizable battery is included in charging case

Even Realities G2 with the optional, snap-on sunglass cover (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Even Realities G2 smart glasses are equipped with a 192mAh battery rated to last two days. My first charge ran out after three days of intermittent use. The included charging case has a 2,000mAh battery for up to seven recharges.

Considering there’s no camera, I would expect a longer battery life, but I think Even Realities purposely sacrificed some battery capacity for its exceptionally svelte style.

• Battery score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses?Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses Scorecard

Attribute

Comment

Score

Value

A bit pricey for what they do. You end up paying a premium for the impressive waveguide technology and their normal-glasses style.

3.5/5

Design

The rare smart glasses that's thin, light, and kind of attractive, if you ignore the oddness of the flat lenses (only on the front).

4/5

Display

The low resolution waveguide displays are used to mostly good effect here. Everything is bright, sharp, and readable.

4.5/5

Software and Performance

Even Realities software and operation on the G2 smart glasses is a true mixed bag, with inconsistent performance and only occasional delight. The relatively spare features do not really sell it as a must-have wearable.

3.5/5

Battery

Tiny batteries on the glasses can stretch to a few days use, but it's the charging case that saves the day.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want camera-free smart glasses
The Even Realities G2 does away with the one thing that's freaking people out — at least when it comes to smart glasses

You want on your face teleprompter
The voice-activated teleprompter feature is cool

Don’t buy it if…

You wanted full-featured smart glasses
Even Realities G2 offers baseline features and decent AI, but it's not enough to make this a truly compelling wearable

You don’t want to spend almost twice as much as the nearest smart glasses
Even Realities G2 offers less for more, reminding you how expensive it is to build in-lens display wear.

You want cameras and audio
These glasses are not the smart glasses for you

Also consider

Weighing just 76g, the X3 Pro proves that cutting-edge AR hardware no longer has to crush your nose. The display is a genuine glimpse of the future. But the future has a small battery, and the X3 Pro's 245mAh cell is, alongside the price, the device's biggest obstacle.

Read our RayNeo X3 Pro reviewView Deal

Xreal Air 2
If you want to stick with Xreal, the Xreal Air 2 or its electrochromic dimming-enhanced Xreal Air 2 Pro are both solid options that cost a little less – though expect a slightly lower-quality image and noticeably inferior audio.
Read our Xreal Air 2 reviewView Deal

Meta Quest 3
While not a direct competitor to Xreal’s glasses, the Quest 3 is an XR product that you should consider if you want to experience what VR and MR have to offer – it’s simply superb.
Read our Meta Quest 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Even Realities G2 display smart glasses

I spent the last week or so wearing these glasses instead of my normal prescription eyewear. I tried all the features and sometimes used the smart ring to control them.

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed September 2026

Actor Tatyana Ali says her healing journey after a traumatic childbirth has inspired her advocacy for Black maternal health, including support for midwives, doulas and other birth workers.

(Image credit: Manfred Baumann)

Prusa is at the heart of the open-source 3D printing community, and this machine really shows it, as its partnership with Bondtech has produced one of the finest machines on the market today.

What's even more surprising is that you can buy the simple four-tool kit for less than £2,000/$2,000 assembled, and the eight-tool set that I'm looking at in this review is a touch over that £2,000/$2,000.

That money not only gets you access to eight-tool printing, but also to one of the most reliable and solid-performing 3D printers I've ever used. The machine is based around the CORE One, a machine that I'm just upgrading to the One+, and is still the most used and reliable 3D printer in the workshop.

Whilst that's machine is only one filament, upgrading that reliable system into this eight-tool-changer machine absolutely makes sense.

I went for the fully assembled version because I just don't have time to assemble a machine, but if you do fancy the kit, you can save almost £300/$300 over the pre-assembled version that I'm looking at.

While the eight-tool-changer printing is obviously the major headline here, it's only when you start using it and put it side-by-side against the likes of the Bambu Lab H2C and, at the cheaper end, the Snapmaker U1 that you really start to see the full potential.

The speed is a significant upgrade on both of those machines, and even with the H2C's far larger print bed, in a head-to-head printing a 5-color print, whilst on the Core One+ INDX it had to be done in several batches, the new 3D printer was able to produce substantially more models than the larger machine in less time.

At present, considering the price, the multifilament printing reliability and speed, this is the best 3D printer I've ever tested (and I've tested many). It makes it hard to recommend any other machine, and with the CORE One L now also adapted to utilise the INDX system, Prusa once again leads the field for this scale of machine, from small to large-scale projects.

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Price and Availability

The Original Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool is available directly from Prusa. Prices start at $2249 / £2039 assembled, and $1949 / £1769 for the kit.

Shipping starts October 15.

If you already own a CORE One or CORE One+, you can buy the upgrade kit, which is $999 / £909 for the 8-tool version (a 4-toolhead is also available). Other INDX conversion kits from Prusa can also be found here.

Essentially, like the very first model, it doesn't matter what Original Prusa machine you have; there is always an upgrade route to the latest version.

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

I looked at the original Prusa CORE One back in January 2025, and at the time it was a significant update to the MK4S, their previous machine. Since then, we've seen the larger version, the original Prusa CORE One L, and more recently the Plus upgrades to both. Now we also have the INDX from Bondtech and Prusa Research.

Since the machine is from Prusa, you have several ways to buy it, unlike most companies these days. The first is to buy it off the shelf as a fully assembled, ready-to-go option, which is exactly the option I went with in this review.

If, however, you really want to see the inner workings of the machine, and for many people running print farms or small businesses, I would probably recommend at least buying one machine in kit form so that you can see how it works. This gives you a good idea of how to repair it if something does go wrong.

Taking a look at the machine, the first thing you notice is that, from the outside, it looks almost identical to the CORE One. In fact, the main body and build area are the same, and it's only the 8 reels on the outside that really give it away.

I've used them without the dry boxes you can attach as well, really because I only have two and need to purchase another six to ensure my machine looks balanced. Still, aside from the four reel holders on each side, the major difference here is the INDX system bolted onto the front top of the machine.

This added dock essentially covers the view to the platform and contains the eight new toolheads, which are all heated through induction rather than traditional wires. This means that they can be attached to their magnetic dock along the front of the machine cold, heated up in just a few seconds, and printing following a filament change can start within a few seconds, far faster than any other system.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The other major difference here is that, obviously, the CORE One was a fully enclosed machine. This carries over to the INDX expansion, with a hinged top lid, secured in place by two rotating holders that are, of course, 3D printed.

The area is slightly smalled the original Prusa CORE One because because of the new additions but only marginally at 248 x 205 x 270 mm, dropping from 250 x 220 x 270 mm, so 2mm in one direction and 15mm in the other while the height remains the same.

Essentially, the Prusa CORE One+ INDX is the original Prusa CORE One+, the second generation, with the Bondtech INDX system incorporated.

While it may look very similar asthetically, in practice, this machine's potential goes far beyond what was available before and at this price.

• Design: 4.5/5

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Specs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Print Technology: FFF/FDM, eight-tool INDX tool-changing system

Build Area: 248 x 205 x 270 mm

Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.05mm

Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.30 mm

Dimensions: Width: 620 mm, Depth: 470 mm, Height: 690 mm

Weight: 24.5 kg

Bed: Heated print bed; heated chamber up to 55°C

Print Surface: Removable print sheet; multiple sheet finishes available

Software: PrusaSlicer

Materials: PLA, PETG, TPU, PC, nylon and other engineering filaments; abrasive materials will wear the nozzle

One of the great features of the Prusa machines is their customizability, so one of the first decision you have when looking at a Prusa machine is do you buy it assembled or as a kit. If you're a business and buying several, I would personally buy the majority as assembled and one as a kit, it will just give you that insight that can be invaluable.

Either way, if you need to keep costs down, you can opt for the assembled version without the camera, advanced filtration system, or additional print sheets, which keeps it at its base level. Or, if you want those more advanced features, they can be added on as well, so you can have the camera, advanced filtration, and different sheet finishes depending on the materials you're actually printing.

The machine is also available as a 4, or 8-tool option, with about £300 difference between the two. If you can stretch to it, I would definitely opt for the eight-tool version, which I'm looking at in this review, but if you can't, you can always buy the eight-tool upgrade kit later.

When it comes to the print volume, the machine offers an area of 248 x 205 x 270 mm, which isn't the largest for a machine of this size and a slight reduction over the Core One+, but it's still pretty decent.

Like the CORE One and One+, it's designed for engineering materials such as PC and nylon and has a heated chamber that reaches up to 55°C.

The main feature is its advanced tool changer. Unlike other multifilament machines that have one or two nozzles, or, in the case of the H2C 6, U1 4, here we see 8 individual nozzles that are preloaded with filaments during the initial calibration process.

Those nozzles sit cold in a docking station across the front of the machine, and only when the head picks up each nozzle does it use induction rather than wiring to heat it to the right temperature in about 12 seconds per material, so it's ready for use. This process dramatically cuts both filament waste and the time it takes to get up to speed.

What's impressive here is that when those tools are back in the dock, they cool right down. They're actually just passive toolheads, so whilst the filament is loaded within them, there are no electronics, making it even easier to change those nozzles when needed.

One feature Prusa highlights is that bed levelling is done through pressure, so the nozzles touch the print bed before printing starts; a load cell reads the force, and the machine knows exactly where the print bed is. This differs from many newer printers that have started using optical solutions. Whilst these are generally good, they're not always 100% accurate.

One of the big changes for Prusa, and something the company has tried to avoid until now, is a silicone wiper. Positioned just to the right of the machine, there are some silicone pads which each of the nozzles wipes across to remove any blobs before printing, and this is positioned right next to the purge collector, which, as I found through the test, even after hundreds of hours of printing, gathers very little waste material.

The INDX head features conductive electronics that heat each passive toolhead. Still, it's more than just technology: the extruder is self-adjusting, so it can alter its grip for different materials. This essentially means that, using the same system, you can print with soft materials such as TPU and rigid engineering filaments without having to stop the extruder for each.

Finally, because each one is passive, it takes literally seconds to change them. So, if you want to go from the standard 0.4 to 0.25 at the finest, up to a big, thick 0.8, then the tool-change process takes a couple of seconds. Simply unload the filament, remove the toolhead from the dock with a pull and release the feeder tube; plug in the new one, pop it back in the dock, load the filament, and you're set to go.

Each toolhead needs to be calibrated, and an automatic tool-offset calibration sensor is mounted on the outside of the print area. The speed at which this works, and the fact that it all works automatically, is impressive. To keep things running smoothly, I rerun the full calibration at the end of the week after clearing out any debris from the machine, which is probably one reason this machine has been so reliable.

Once again, to reduce vibration from movement in the machine, and so it sits in with most workshop devices, it features an all-steel build. As you pick up the machine and move it around, it is relatively heavy but easy to manoeuvre, with decent grip handles on either side, so you can move it from one side of the workshop to the other without too much issue.

And these days security is a huge issue, and it's nice to see that Prusa has taken this seriously and offers a 100% offline and, if you want, private solution to transferring files over to the machine. If you want to remove the Wi-Fi module, that's very easy to do, and if you want higher security, Prusa again offers a range of advanced features.

• Features: 5/5

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

There's been a lot of anticipation around the Prusa CORE One+ INDX 8T in the 3D printing community. Essentially, it blends the robust printing abilities of the Prusa CORE One with Bondtech's tool changer, and the result is an absolutely stunning printer that produces exceptionally fine multicolor prints at a very reasonable price, considering the competition in this sector.

There are, of course, a few small downsides, such as the fact that the print bed on the CORE version is relatively small compared with what we've been used to seeing recently, and on my initial few runs I did have a couple of misprints. But as the printer itself bedded in and I became more familiar with the system, I was able to resolve all issues and also learn more about the printer, which gave me greater confidence that, as with their previous printers, if anything goes wrong, I would be able to fix it without the wait that I've experienced with many other multitool machines.

That getting-started process is, in essence, no more complicated than with any other machine, and from the box to sitting on the workshop bench ready to produce its first print took no more than 10 minutes. It was faster than I expected, especially since I set up the XL a couple of years ago.

Essentially, the main machine is complete, and then it's just a matter of opening the box with all the nozzles, popping them into the front of the machine, and inserting each feeder tube. Then you're essentially set and ready to go once the power cable has been inserted.

Also supplied is a USB-C key with plenty of models to get you started. As I loaded the eight reels onto the side of the machine, it did expand the space needed either side of the printer, but it still fit neatly next to some of the machines in the test area.

What I also really like is that I can easily shift this printer around the workshop without too much issue. It's heavy, but nothing compared with some of the larger machines. It is that stopgap between the Snapmaker and the Bambu Lab H2C.

As I started the test, the big question that I had was: with a standard-size print bed, would this printer actually be a viable option for people running print farms? Was it fast enough even though that platform wouldn't be able to print the same volume of models? As the first few test models that Prusa supplied came off the print platform, I was instantly impressed by the complexity of the models produced and by the time it took to print.

I tried out a series of multi-filament and, in some cases, multi-material prints, and they took far less time than I would've expected, even with the H2C set to its fastest usable print speeds.

I ended up running a head-to-head between the two with a dragon model, and this is where the speed of the new Prusa CORE One+ INDX 8T really stood out.

On the H2C, the platform was able to take 14 dragons, which was impressive, whilst the Prusa INDX was restricted to 9. When it came to the time it would take for the dragons to print, this is where the biggest difference came, and whilst there were five additional dragons on the H2C, it takes 3 days and 10 hours to make that print, while the Prusa will took one day and 35 minutes according to the software. When translated to the actual time these printers took to run through those prints, they were quite accurate, plus or minus about 30 minutes. Notably, by the time the H2C, with much the same speed setting as the Prusa INDX, had finished its 15 prints, I had 27 from the CORE One INDX. Obviously there is the inconvenience of clearing the platform after each print run.

Another point here is that there is no purge tower. Instead, a small amount of filament is scraped from the toolhead before it's used, but the tool-change speed is far faster than other tool changers. Essentially, that induction system works incredibly quickly, meaning sometimes you can't even really tell that the tool change has happened, as the printer is only not printing for a few seconds.

This test was also a great time to ensure calibration and accuracy for both printers were spot-on, and it actually took a couple of days to get 100% reliability from both the Prusa and the H2C through tuning. But since I ran the test right at the start, both machines have been running side-by-side flawlessly.

Setting down the models from each printer, what's instantly apparent is how little quality difference there is between the two. Layer by layer, the walls look smooth and the transition between colors is neat. You can obviously still see the layers. These prints are as fine as any.

Through the test, as always, there were plenty of firmware updates, and some of the early issues that I had were with tool eight, which for some reason would always print just a little bit high was resolved.

After an update, a good vacuum of the inner chamber and a full recalibration, that seemed to kick into life and resolved the issue. It was a bit of an odd one. It worked in the initial stages of the test, then after a firmware update and a particularly messy misprint, it stopped working correctly, and then it worked again after the next update. It's now been three weeks, and that particular nozzle is now working absolutely fine.

There are a few other small issues that I've come across. My biggest issue whilst using the machine is the filament mount on the side of the machine, not so much that it's on the side, but the fact that those filaments are exposed. Prusa does sell individual dry cases for each of those filaments, which is a good thing, but these are very much bolt-on, and while they work, there are neater solutions.

Then there's the filament feed, and this is the part that started to get to me over the weeks with plenty of filament changes. Essentially, unlike the Snapmaker or Bambu multi systems, you still have to feed the filament into the machine, and with four filament reels on each side, this can get a little bit messy.

If space is tight, getting your hands in and feeding the reel around while pushing the filament up into the feeder tube all the way to the hot end is one of those tedious, fiddly things. I would love to see some sort of auto-feed system.

Then, for less experienced users, the camera and filtration system on the back need to be fitted, and it's not as simple as plugging them in and attaching them. You do need to remove the panel, feed the cable through, and plug it into the board, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

It's not complicated; it's just one additional step rather than being ready out of the box. The idea is that you can customise the machine to your exact needs. Not everyone wants a camera, but since cameras are such a standard part of many setups, it's something you expect.

The other surprise is that the nozzles aren't designed for abrasive printing, so if you do want to use PETG-CF, PC-CF, or another abrasive material, the nozzles will wear out relatively quickly. Essentially, they're rated for 10 kg of PETG-CF or 5 kg of PC-CF. While checking all the different material types, I noted that if you're using Prusament Ultra Glow, you'll get through just 0.5 kg of filament before the nozzle likely needs replacing. These are not hardened nozzles, although those are on the way very soon.

The point is that the print area is just 248 x 205 x 270 mm. That reduces the CORE One's build plate from 250 x 220 x 270 mm, giving a slightly smaller build area again.

One of the good things is that many of the early issues, such as stringing issues with the nozzles carrying filament back into the machine and other early performance problems, have all been addressed by each firmware update.

Obviously, for this review sample, it is an early production model, and what is striking is that with every firmware update that came in, and as I became more familiar with the machine and it bedded in, the machine became more accurate and reliable.

It's now been three weeks since I've had to do anything to it, and it's been running continuously printing ready for a new term. I will obviously give it a bit of oil as it requires, but otherwise this is a multitool machine that will print thousands of models without much maintenance, and that is one of the key points of Prusa machines.

Dimensional accuracy - score of 4

Target 25 = X: 24.76mm / 0.24mm Error | Y: 24.70mm / 0.30mm Error

Target 20 = X: 19.82mm / 0.18mm Error | Y: 19.80mm / 0.20mm Error

Target 15 = X: 14.75mm / 0.25mm Error | Y: 14.72mm / 0.28mm Error

Target 10 = X: 9.88mm / 0.12mm Error | Y: 9.83mm / 0.17mm Error

Target 5 = X: 4.88mm / 0.12mm Error | Y: 4.78mm / 0.22mm Error

X Error Average = 0.182

Y Error Average = 0.234

X&Y Error Average = 0.208

Fine Flow Control - score of 4

Fine Negative Features - score of 5

Overhangs - score of 5

Bridging - score of 4

XY resonance - score of 2.5

Z-axis alignment - score of 2.5

Add the totals for a final score of 27 out of 30.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Before I leave the performance section, another point about the prints is the new color-blending mode within PrusaSlicer known as Prusa Color Mix, and this is something I'm still trying to get my head around. It's quite incredible how it works.

Essentially, like a dot matrix, it blends the colors you have together to create more colors by creating fine layers of filament rather than physically blending the two or more. With two fish models I printed very early on, I was first impressed that they printed.

They're quite complex models, and I set them aside for a few days. Then it occurred to me that there were about three or four different greens within the print, yet I only had one green loaded onto the machine. At that point, I realised that the color mix was in full flow with these models.

I went back to PrusaSlicer and started trying some color-blending modes myself and, again, was impressed by how easy it was to use. I would say that randomly loading different-colored filaments onto the spools will get you some pretty interesting results. If you really want headline-worthy features, careful filament choice is definitely needed. However you approach it, the results are incredibly impressive.

Whilst I've just touched on the beginning of how this technology works, it's probably one of the most exciting enhancements from any 3D printer that I've seen, meaning that those eight filament spools, especially if you get the color combinations right, can produce thousands of different colors.

• Performance: 5 / 5

Original PRUSA CORE One: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Original Prusa CORE One+ INDX 8T is a 3D printer in a different league, and while the build area is smaller than even the CORE One, the speed at which you can do a multicolor print is much faster than any off-the-shelf machine I've tried.

Most of the initial misprints and small issues I had were mainly the machine bedding in rather than any major problems, and this is an early review sample with fixes coming through the firmware updates. Still, even then as an early production sample its performance has been absolutely solid and rivals and beats any of the machines I have in the workshop.

Unusually, it has also been of major interest to several friends who run 3D print farms and engineering businesses, particularly for prototyping with multiple materials and colors. The production times of those models are vastly reduced, and whilst 3D printing already cut down their prototyping time dramatically, the Prusa CORE One+ INDX once again cuts down that time even further.

What's surprising here is that, even with a fully assembled machine pretty much ready to go out of the box, and with all those new firmware updates and obviously the knowledge that's out there as well, this becomes one of the cheapest multitool machines on the market whilst also being easily one of the best.

Some machines have a refined, fully product-designed, more plastic aesthetic that gives them a high-quality feel, and they are obviously extremely impressive.

The Prusa's more workshop-style design means it's a far better fit for many businesses; if anything ever goes wrong, you have full access to the plans, a huge knowledge base, and one of the best support networks available from any 3D printer manufacturer. You'll never be stuck without a printer.

Should you buy the Original PRUSA CORE One?

Value:

Excellent value for 8-tool printing, giving reliability, speed and repairability when you need it

5

Design:

Robust and practical design, although spool handling and bed size are a compromise.

4.5

Features:

The 8 tools, color mixing, offline operation and essential easy maintenance make this a great business option.

5

Performance:

Fast and reliable multicolor printing with excellent quality after initial bedding in an calibration.

5

Total:

A superb multitool printer that combines speed, flexibility and reliability.

5

Buy it if...

You need fast multicolor printing.

Eight independent toolheads make filament changes extremely fast, cutting delays for multicolor and multi filament printing.

You want a machine you can maintain yourself.

A repairable design, accessible components, and strong support make maintenance easier and reduce reliance on servicing.

Don't buy it if...

You regularly print very large models.

The modest build area makes larger prototypes and models better suited to bigger-format printers instead.

You want completely automated filament handling.

Loading eight reels can be fiddly, while regular material changes still require some manual intervention.

We've also tested out the best laser engravers

Prusa is at the heart of the open-source 3D printing community, and this machine really shows it, as its partnership with Bondtech has produced one of the finest machines on the market today.

What's even more surprising is that you can buy the simple four-tool kit for less than £2,000/$2,000 assembled, and the eight-tool set that I'm looking at in this review is a touch over that £2,000/$2,000.

That money not only gets you access to eight-tool printing, but also to one of the most reliable and solid-performing 3D printers I've ever used. The machine is based around the CORE One, a machine that I'm just upgrading to the One+, and is still the most used and reliable 3D printer in the workshop.

Whilst that's machine is only one filament, upgrading that reliable system into this eight-tool-changer machine absolutely makes sense.

I went for the fully assembled version because I just don't have time to assemble a machine, but if you do fancy the kit, you can save almost £300/$300 over the pre-assembled version that I'm looking at.

While the eight-tool-changer printing is obviously the major headline here, it's only when you start using it and put it side-by-side against the likes of the Bambu Lab H2C and, at the cheaper end, the Snapmaker U1 that you really start to see the full potential.

The speed is a significant upgrade on both of those machines, and even with the H2C's far larger print bed, in a head-to-head printing a 5-color print, whilst on the Core One+ INDX it had to be done in several batches, the new 3D printer was able to produce substantially more models than the larger machine in less time.

At present, considering the price, the multifilament printing reliability and speed, this is the best 3D printer I've ever tested (and I've tested many). It makes it hard to recommend any other machine, and with the CORE One L now also adapted to utilise the INDX system, Prusa once again leads the field for this scale of machine, from small to large-scale projects.

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Price and Availability

The Original Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool is available directly from Prusa. Prices start at $2249 / £2039 assembled, and $1949 / £1769 for the kit.

Shipping starts October 15.

If you already own a CORE One or CORE One+, you can buy the upgrade kit, which is $999 / £909 for the 8-tool version (a 4-toolhead is also available). Other INDX conversion kits from Prusa can also be found here.

Essentially, like the very first model, it doesn't matter what Original Prusa machine you have; there is always an upgrade route to the latest version.

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

I looked at the original Prusa CORE One back in January 2025, and at the time it was a significant update to the MK4S, their previous machine. Since then, we've seen the larger version, the original Prusa CORE One L, and more recently the Plus upgrades to both. Now we also have the INDX from Bondtech and Prusa Research.

Since the machine is from Prusa, you have several ways to buy it, unlike most companies these days. The first is to buy it off the shelf as a fully assembled, ready-to-go option, which is exactly the option I went with in this review.

If, however, you really want to see the inner workings of the machine, and for many people running print farms or small businesses, I would probably recommend at least buying one machine in kit form so that you can see how it works. This gives you a good idea of how to repair it if something does go wrong.

Taking a look at the machine, the first thing you notice is that, from the outside, it looks almost identical to the CORE One. In fact, the main body and build area are the same, and it's only the 8 reels on the outside that really give it away.

I've used them without the dry boxes you can attach as well, really because I only have two and need to purchase another six to ensure my machine looks balanced. Still, aside from the four reel holders on each side, the major difference here is the INDX system bolted onto the front top of the machine.

This added dock essentially covers the view to the platform and contains the eight new toolheads, which are all heated through induction rather than traditional wires. This means that they can be attached to their magnetic dock along the front of the machine cold, heated up in just a few seconds, and printing following a filament change can start within a few seconds, far faster than any other system.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The other major difference here is that, obviously, the CORE One was a fully enclosed machine. This carries over to the INDX expansion, with a hinged top lid, secured in place by two rotating holders that are, of course, 3D printed.

The area is slightly smalled the original Prusa CORE One because because of the new additions but only marginally at 248 x 205 x 270 mm, dropping from 250 x 220 x 270 mm, so 2mm in one direction and 15mm in the other while the height remains the same.

Essentially, the Prusa CORE One+ INDX is the original Prusa CORE One+, the second generation, with the Bondtech INDX system incorporated.

While it may look very similar asthetically, in practice, this machine's potential goes far beyond what was available before and at this price.

• Design: 4.5/5

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Specs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Print Technology: FFF/FDM, eight-tool INDX tool-changing system

Build Area: 248 x 205 x 270 mm

Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.05mm

Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.30 mm

Dimensions: Width: 620 mm, Depth: 470 mm, Height: 690 mm

Weight: 24.5 kg

Bed: Heated print bed; heated chamber up to 55°C

Print Surface: Removable print sheet; multiple sheet finishes available

Software: PrusaSlicer

Materials: PLA, PETG, TPU, PC, nylon and other engineering filaments; abrasive materials will wear the nozzle

One of the great features of the Prusa machines is their customizability, so one of the first decision you have when looking at a Prusa machine is do you buy it assembled or as a kit. If you're a business and buying several, I would personally buy the majority as assembled and one as a kit, it will just give you that insight that can be invaluable.

Either way, if you need to keep costs down, you can opt for the assembled version without the camera, advanced filtration system, or additional print sheets, which keeps it at its base level. Or, if you want those more advanced features, they can be added on as well, so you can have the camera, advanced filtration, and different sheet finishes depending on the materials you're actually printing.

The machine is also available as a 4, or 8-tool option, with about £300 difference between the two. If you can stretch to it, I would definitely opt for the eight-tool version, which I'm looking at in this review, but if you can't, you can always buy the eight-tool upgrade kit later.

When it comes to the print volume, the machine offers an area of 248 x 205 x 270 mm, which isn't the largest for a machine of this size and a slight reduction over the Core One+, but it's still pretty decent.

Like the CORE One and One+, it's designed for engineering materials such as PC and nylon and has a heated chamber that reaches up to 55°C.

The main feature is its advanced tool changer. Unlike other multifilament machines that have one or two nozzles, or, in the case of the H2C 6, U1 4, here we see 8 individual nozzles that are preloaded with filaments during the initial calibration process.

Those nozzles sit cold in a docking station across the front of the machine, and only when the head picks up each nozzle does it use induction rather than wiring to heat it to the right temperature in about 12 seconds per material, so it's ready for use. This process dramatically cuts both filament waste and the time it takes to get up to speed.

What's impressive here is that when those tools are back in the dock, they cool right down. They're actually just passive toolheads, so whilst the filament is loaded within them, there are no electronics, making it even easier to change those nozzles when needed.

One feature Prusa highlights is that bed levelling is done through pressure, so the nozzles touch the print bed before printing starts; a load cell reads the force, and the machine knows exactly where the print bed is. This differs from many newer printers that have started using optical solutions. Whilst these are generally good, they're not always 100% accurate.

One of the big changes for Prusa, and something the company has tried to avoid until now, is a silicone wiper. Positioned just to the right of the machine, there are some silicone pads which each of the nozzles wipes across to remove any blobs before printing, and this is positioned right next to the purge collector, which, as I found through the test, even after hundreds of hours of printing, gathers very little waste material.

The INDX head features conductive electronics that heat each passive toolhead. Still, it's more than just technology: the extruder is self-adjusting, so it can alter its grip for different materials. This essentially means that, using the same system, you can print with soft materials such as TPU and rigid engineering filaments without having to stop the extruder for each.

Finally, because each one is passive, it takes literally seconds to change them. So, if you want to go from the standard 0.4 to 0.25 at the finest, up to a big, thick 0.8, then the tool-change process takes a couple of seconds. Simply unload the filament, remove the toolhead from the dock with a pull and release the feeder tube; plug in the new one, pop it back in the dock, load the filament, and you're set to go.

Each toolhead needs to be calibrated, and an automatic tool-offset calibration sensor is mounted on the outside of the print area. The speed at which this works, and the fact that it all works automatically, is impressive. To keep things running smoothly, I rerun the full calibration at the end of the week after clearing out any debris from the machine, which is probably one reason this machine has been so reliable.

Once again, to reduce vibration from movement in the machine, and so it sits in with most workshop devices, it features an all-steel build. As you pick up the machine and move it around, it is relatively heavy but easy to manoeuvre, with decent grip handles on either side, so you can move it from one side of the workshop to the other without too much issue.

And these days security is a huge issue, and it's nice to see that Prusa has taken this seriously and offers a 100% offline and, if you want, private solution to transferring files over to the machine. If you want to remove the Wi-Fi module, that's very easy to do, and if you want higher security, Prusa again offers a range of advanced features.

• Features: 5/5

Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) INDX 8-Tool: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

There's been a lot of anticipation around the Prusa CORE One+ INDX 8T in the 3D printing community. Essentially, it blends the robust printing abilities of the Prusa CORE One with Bondtech's tool changer, and the result is an absolutely stunning printer that produces exceptionally fine multicolor prints at a very reasonable price, considering the competition in this sector.

There are, of course, a few small downsides, such as the fact that the print bed on the CORE version is relatively small compared with what we've been used to seeing recently, and on my initial few runs I did have a couple of misprints. But as the printer itself bedded in and I became more familiar with the system, I was able to resolve all issues and also learn more about the printer, which gave me greater confidence that, as with their previous printers, if anything goes wrong, I would be able to fix it without the wait that I've experienced with many other multitool machines.

That getting-started process is, in essence, no more complicated than with any other machine, and from the box to sitting on the workshop bench ready to produce its first print took no more than 10 minutes. It was faster than I expected, especially since I set up the XL a couple of years ago.

Essentially, the main machine is complete, and then it's just a matter of opening the box with all the nozzles, popping them into the front of the machine, and inserting each feeder tube. Then you're essentially set and ready to go once the power cable has been inserted.

Also supplied is a USB-C key with plenty of models to get you started. As I loaded the eight reels onto the side of the machine, it did expand the space needed either side of the printer, but it still fit neatly next to some of the machines in the test area.

What I also really like is that I can easily shift this printer around the workshop without too much issue. It's heavy, but nothing compared with some of the larger machines. It is that stopgap between the Snapmaker and the Bambu Lab H2C.

As I started the test, the big question that I had was: with a standard-size print bed, would this printer actually be a viable option for people running print farms? Was it fast enough even though that platform wouldn't be able to print the same volume of models? As the first few test models that Prusa supplied came off the print platform, I was instantly impressed by the complexity of the models produced and by the time it took to print.

I tried out a series of multi-filament and, in some cases, multi-material prints, and they took far less time than I would've expected, even with the H2C set to its fastest usable print speeds.

I ended up running a head-to-head between the two with a dragon model, and this is where the speed of the new Prusa CORE One+ INDX 8T really stood out.

On the H2C, the platform was able to take 14 dragons, which was impressive, whilst the Prusa INDX was restricted to 9. When it came to the time it would take for the dragons to print, this is where the biggest difference came, and whilst there were five additional dragons on the H2C, it takes 3 days and 10 hours to make that print, while the Prusa will took one day and 35 minutes according to the software. When translated to the actual time these printers took to run through those prints, they were quite accurate, plus or minus about 30 minutes. Notably, by the time the H2C, with much the same speed setting as the Prusa INDX, had finished its 15 prints, I had 27 from the CORE One INDX. Obviously there is the inconvenience of clearing the platform after each print run.

Another point here is that there is no purge tower. Instead, a small amount of filament is scraped from the toolhead before it's used, but the tool-change speed is far faster than other tool changers. Essentially, that induction system works incredibly quickly, meaning sometimes you can't even really tell that the tool change has happened, as the printer is only not printing for a few seconds.

This test was also a great time to ensure calibration and accuracy for both printers were spot-on, and it actually took a couple of days to get 100% reliability from both the Prusa and the H2C through tuning. But since I ran the test right at the start, both machines have been running side-by-side flawlessly.

Setting down the models from each printer, what's instantly apparent is how little quality difference there is between the two. Layer by layer, the walls look smooth and the transition between colors is neat. You can obviously still see the layers. These prints are as fine as any.

Through the test, as always, there were plenty of firmware updates, and some of the early issues that I had were with tool eight, which for some reason would always print just a little bit high was resolved.

After an update, a good vacuum of the inner chamber and a full recalibration, that seemed to kick into life and resolved the issue. It was a bit of an odd one. It worked in the initial stages of the test, then after a firmware update and a particularly messy misprint, it stopped working correctly, and then it worked again after the next update. It's now been three weeks, and that particular nozzle is now working absolutely fine.

There are a few other small issues that I've come across. My biggest issue whilst using the machine is the filament mount on the side of the machine, not so much that it's on the side, but the fact that those filaments are exposed. Prusa does sell individual dry cases for each of those filaments, which is a good thing, but these are very much bolt-on, and while they work, there are neater solutions.

Then there's the filament feed, and this is the part that started to get to me over the weeks with plenty of filament changes. Essentially, unlike the Snapmaker or Bambu multi systems, you still have to feed the filament into the machine, and with four filament reels on each side, this can get a little bit messy.

If space is tight, getting your hands in and feeding the reel around while pushing the filament up into the feeder tube all the way to the hot end is one of those tedious, fiddly things. I would love to see some sort of auto-feed system.

Then, for less experienced users, the camera and filtration system on the back need to be fitted, and it's not as simple as plugging them in and attaching them. You do need to remove the panel, feed the cable through, and plug it into the board, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

It's not complicated; it's just one additional step rather than being ready out of the box. The idea is that you can customise the machine to your exact needs. Not everyone wants a camera, but since cameras are such a standard part of many setups, it's something you expect.

The other surprise is that the nozzles aren't designed for abrasive printing, so if you do want to use PETG-CF, PC-CF, or another abrasive material, the nozzles will wear out relatively quickly. Essentially, they're rated for 10 kg of PETG-CF or 5 kg of PC-CF. While checking all the different material types, I noted that if you're using Prusament Ultra Glow, you'll get through just 0.5 kg of filament before the nozzle likely needs replacing. These are not hardened nozzles, although those are on the way very soon.

The point is that the print area is just 248 x 205 x 270 mm. That reduces the CORE One's build plate from 250 x 220 x 270 mm, giving a slightly smaller build area again.

One of the good things is that many of the early issues, such as stringing issues with the nozzles carrying filament back into the machine and other early performance problems, have all been addressed by each firmware update.

Obviously, for this review sample, it is an early production model, and what is striking is that with every firmware update that came in, and as I became more familiar with the machine and it bedded in, the machine became more accurate and reliable.

It's now been three weeks since I've had to do anything to it, and it's been running continuously printing ready for a new term. I will obviously give it a bit of oil as it requires, but otherwise this is a multitool machine that will print thousands of models without much maintenance, and that is one of the key points of Prusa machines.

Dimensional accuracy - score of 4

Target 25 = X: 24.76mm / 0.24mm Error | Y: 24.70mm / 0.30mm Error

Target 20 = X: 19.82mm / 0.18mm Error | Y: 19.80mm / 0.20mm Error

Target 15 = X: 14.75mm / 0.25mm Error | Y: 14.72mm / 0.28mm Error

Target 10 = X: 9.88mm / 0.12mm Error | Y: 9.83mm / 0.17mm Error

Target 5 = X: 4.88mm / 0.12mm Error | Y: 4.78mm / 0.22mm Error

X Error Average = 0.182

Y Error Average = 0.234

X&Y Error Average = 0.208

Fine Flow Control - score of 4

Fine Negative Features - score of 5

Overhangs - score of 5

Bridging - score of 4

XY resonance - score of 2.5

Z-axis alignment - score of 2.5

Add the totals for a final score of 27 out of 30.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Before I leave the performance section, another point about the prints is the new color-blending mode within PrusaSlicer known as Prusa Color Mix, and this is something I'm still trying to get my head around. It's quite incredible how it works.

Essentially, like a dot matrix, it blends the colors you have together to create more colors by creating fine layers of filament rather than physically blending the two or more. With two fish models I printed very early on, I was first impressed that they printed.

They're quite complex models, and I set them aside for a few days. Then it occurred to me that there were about three or four different greens within the print, yet I only had one green loaded onto the machine. At that point, I realised that the color mix was in full flow with these models.

I went back to PrusaSlicer and started trying some color-blending modes myself and, again, was impressed by how easy it was to use. I would say that randomly loading different-colored filaments onto the spools will get you some pretty interesting results. If you really want headline-worthy features, careful filament choice is definitely needed. However you approach it, the results are incredibly impressive.

Whilst I've just touched on the beginning of how this technology works, it's probably one of the most exciting enhancements from any 3D printer that I've seen, meaning that those eight filament spools, especially if you get the color combinations right, can produce thousands of different colors.

• Performance: 5 / 5

Original PRUSA CORE One: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Original Prusa CORE One+ INDX 8T is a 3D printer in a different league, and while the build area is smaller than even the CORE One, the speed at which you can do a multicolor print is much faster than any off-the-shelf machine I've tried.

Most of the initial misprints and small issues I had were mainly the machine bedding in rather than any major problems, and this is an early review sample with fixes coming through the firmware updates. Still, even then as an early production sample its performance has been absolutely solid and rivals and beats any of the machines I have in the workshop.

Unusually, it has also been of major interest to several friends who run 3D print farms and engineering businesses, particularly for prototyping with multiple materials and colors. The production times of those models are vastly reduced, and whilst 3D printing already cut down their prototyping time dramatically, the Prusa CORE One+ INDX once again cuts down that time even further.

What's surprising here is that, even with a fully assembled machine pretty much ready to go out of the box, and with all those new firmware updates and obviously the knowledge that's out there as well, this becomes one of the cheapest multitool machines on the market whilst also being easily one of the best.

Some machines have a refined, fully product-designed, more plastic aesthetic that gives them a high-quality feel, and they are obviously extremely impressive.

The Prusa's more workshop-style design means it's a far better fit for many businesses; if anything ever goes wrong, you have full access to the plans, a huge knowledge base, and one of the best support networks available from any 3D printer manufacturer. You'll never be stuck without a printer.

Should you buy the Original PRUSA CORE One?

Value:

Excellent value for 8-tool printing, giving reliability, speed and repairability when you need it

5

Design:

Robust and practical design, although spool handling and bed size are a compromise.

4.5

Features:

The 8 tools, color mixing, offline operation and essential easy maintenance make this a great business option.

5

Performance:

Fast and reliable multicolor printing with excellent quality after initial bedding in an calibration.

5

Total:

A superb multitool printer that combines speed, flexibility and reliability.

5

Buy it if...

You need fast multicolor printing.

Eight independent toolheads make filament changes extremely fast, cutting delays for multicolor and multi filament printing.

You want a machine you can maintain yourself.

A repairable design, accessible components, and strong support make maintenance easier and reduce reliance on servicing.

Don't buy it if...

You regularly print very large models.

The modest build area makes larger prototypes and models better suited to bigger-format printers instead.

You want completely automated filament handling.

Loading eight reels can be fiddly, while regular material changes still require some manual intervention.

We've also tested out the best laser engravers

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Godox C100: two-minute review

Well, this is a new one. Godox caught everybody by surprise when it announced the C100, a slim, rectangular point-and-shoot camera built around a transparent rectangular screen that also functioned as the viewfinder… and it also worked as a light meter for film photography. What, many asked camera nerds, was going on here?

Having now used the Godox C100 for myself, it remains to me a borderline inexplicable release, two devices wrapped in one very unusual shell. I did not hate using it. But I did find myself returning again and again to niggling questions like, ‘Who is this for?’, ‘What is the point of this?’, and I still don’t think I can answer them.

The sleek, sci-fi design of the Godox C100 is what got a lot of people excited on the camera’s announcement, and let’s start there since it’s an excuse to be positive. This is a cool-looking object – there’s no denying that. While I was testing the C100, the design received admiring compliments from friends and strangers alike — a common refrain was that it looked like something out of Star Trek. The transparent screen/viewfinder is exciting to use, in concept at least, and it’s a fun camera to slip in and out of a pocket for quick grab-shots.

But you’ll have noted that I said ‘in concept’. Once you actually start using the thing — in my view, it doesn't quite work. There’s nowhere that’s comfortable to hold the camera and keep both the subject and the frame lines in view; you find your eyes flicking from one to the other like a hunting autofocus system. And besides, unless you hold the camera quite close to your eyes (which I did end up doing), from your perspective, the frame lines aren’t going to particularly correspond to what ends up being captured.

In terms of image quality, I thought the Godox C100 was more or less decent for a camera of its type. With a tiny 2MP sensor and fixed-focus plastic lens, it’s never going to produce jaw-dropping images, but its colors can be quite punchy and detail is okay-ish — even if dynamic range is quite poor. But I think Godox missed a trick by not adding image filters or film-style looks to give its images a bit more intrigue. Honestly, I found the shots it produced a bit boring, in stark contrast to the camera’s striking exterior. Video quality was also very poor, with pronounced rolling shutter and even some dropped frames.

And how about that light meter functionality? Well, it works, producing readings that were consistent with my dedicated light meter. But unlike my dedicated light meter, it won’t attach to an SLR’s hot shoe. And that has me again asking the question that was constantly rattling around my brain while testing the camera — who, exactly, is this for?

The Godox C100 with screen activated. (Image credit: Jon Stapley)Godox C100 specsGodox C100 specs

Type:

Compact camera

Photo resolution:

2MP

Video resolution:

Full HD 30fps

Storage:

microSD card slot

Screen:

2-inch OLED

Connectivity:

USB-C

Dimensions:

104 x 71.7 x 19.1mm

Weight:

65g

Godox C100: Price and availability

• The Godox C100 comes at a starting price of $45 / £47 / about AU$64
• At this price, it’s cheaper than most cameras and most light meters
• It was announced in June 2026 and is available now

As mentioned, one of the main things that got a lot of people excited about the Godox C100 was its unique design — the other was its price. At an asking price of $45 / £47 (equivalent to about AU$64), the C100 is cheaper even than most 'cheap' compact cameras like the Camp Snap, and is also cheaper than pretty much any light meter I can think of. Furthermore, I've already seen discounts on the original asking price.

Godox C100: Design

• Slim design built around a transparent display with digital framing lines
• Very simple point-and-shoot operation
• Framing with the display/viewfinder is challenging — like trying to focus on two things at once

In a slim body not much bigger than a playing card, the Godox C100 houses a transparent plastic panel that functions as both viewfinder and screen all in one. Turn the camera on, and the display window is overlaid with mode information, battery level and framing lines.

Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

The screen isn’t touch-sensitive – makes sense, since you wouldn’t want to be smudging it with fingerprints. A physical switch on the side allows you to toggle between photo, video and light meter modes, while a row of buttons beneath the screen switches between aspect ratios or adjusts light meter parameters. There’s no camera settings control to speak of — it’s a point-and-shoot situation.

It’s an odd camera to use. I like the lightness of it, the way it slips into a jacket pocket, and how easy it is to whip out and capture an image. I never got to the point where I found framing comfortable, mind you.

When I was capturing product images of the C100, my camera’s autofocus would frequently flick between the body of the camera and the view through the transparent window — and the human eye does the same thing. When you’re focusing on a subject through the window, you can’t really see the framing lines, and vice versa. Or at least, I couldn’t.

There’s no distance to hold the camera between yourself and subject that feels comfortable, no sweet spot; I actually caught myself holding the screen right up to my eye a few times, and must have looked ridiculous. In my view, the concept just doesn’t quite work.

Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyGodox C100: Performance

• Image quality offers decent color rendition but poor dynamic range and detail
• Video is very poor, with rolling shutter and dropped frames
• The light meter functionality works, delivering readings consistent with dedicated light meters

I’ve tested a lot of cheap cameras with small sensors — particularly in recent years as they’ve become more popular — so I was bracing myself before I first took a look at my first few Godox C100 sample shots. The result? A long way from good… but not as bad as they could have been.

Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyFuture

The colors in a lot of shots were punchier than I expected, vivid and nicely rendered. Detail is basically okay, though quickly gets smudgy if your subject is distant or if you look too close. Dynamic range, inevitably, is quite poor — images are easily blown out by bright sunlight, and shadows can quickly become murky and indistinct. It’s okay for what it is — but I think that adding some filters or looks for images à la the Camp Snap 2 or the RewindPix might have helped give the Godox C100 a bit more intrigue and make it more fun to use for longer.

As mentioned, the Godox C100 shoots video, but I’m hard-pressed to see why you would do so. I tested it with a few short walking-around clips, and my reward was jittery video with no stabilization, some pronounced rolling shutter ‘jello effect’, and even some dropped frames.

The light meter functionality works — I tested it alongside my TTArtisan Light Meter II and it gave me settings recommendations that lined up. Of course, this also highlighted some of the conceptual issues with having a light meter in this format. The TTArtisan Light Meter II, which is also quite cheap, has a cold shoe mount that allows it to be affixed directly to the top of an SLR film camera — the Godox C100 does not. Practically, this restricts its usefulness as a light meter to tripod-based shooting only — you’re not realistically going to be juggling the C100 in one hand and a film camera in the other.

The Godox C100 with a TTArtisan II light meter. (Image credit: Jon Stapley)

If I mentally squint, I can construct a use-case scenario where the Godox C100 functions as both a light meter and a means of capturing a quick ‘record shot’ of a scene that’s going to be captured on film — similar to the way that pro photographers used to use Polaroids, back when Polaroids were somewhat cheap. Maybe that sounds like something that’d be useful to you. It’s not for me.

Should I buy the Godox C100?Buy it if...

You want a camera that literally fits in your pocket
Many cameras claim to be pocketable – the Godox C100 actually is.

You want a completely new photographic experience
Fair play, shooting with the Godox C100 didn’t feel like shooting with any camera or phone I’ve used before.

You want a light meter for film shooting
The light meter functionality works well, and the Godox C100 is cheaper than many dedicated light meters.

Don't buy it if...

You want high-quality images and videos
Move along.

You want a light meter for fast-paced street shooting
The lack of a hotshoe mount means the C100 better suits slower pursuits like landscape photography.

Also consider

For similar cheap point-and-shoot vibes, you might want to try the latest Camp Snap — a screen-free compact with an emphasis placed firmly on fun rather than image quality.

Read our full Camp Snap 2 review

Kodak's keychain camera has a similar novelty factor to the Godox C100. It's also cheaper, is one of the few cameras with image quality that's actually worse than the C100 — but as its name implies, it's kind of charming.

Read our full Kodak Charmera review

The Godox C100 with a film SLR. (Image credit: Future | Jon Stapley)How I tested the Godox C100

• I tested the Godox C100 indoors and outdoors over several days of highly changeable weather in London
• I shot video across a long weekend trip to northeast England, plus my hometown
• I used the light meter mode to take readings and compared them to readings I had taken on a dedicated light meter from the same point

I was sent the Godox C100 shortly after its official release. I took it on several photo walks around different areas of London in varying light conditions, tried out the photograph and video modes and swapped between aspect ratio settings. I also compared the light meter readout to my TTArtisan Light Meter II to verify its accuracy.

• First reviewed September 2026

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