MAGAZINE Steelseries Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse
UK
£4.95
ISSUE 2.4
www.gadgetheadmag.com
HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE DESKS
Silver Cross Surf
INSPIRED BY YOUR SUCCESS
Secure Your Data Hardware Encrypted (AES 256-bit) USB 3.0 External Hard Drive PIN activated (6-16 digits) Works with PC, Mac, Linux, Citrix, Android, Thin Clients and Embedded Systems
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Editor in Chief Daemon Sands daemonsands@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Director Alex Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Senior Writer Emma Hilling emmahilling@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com Publisher Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com
● Sphero 2.0 ● Height Adjustable Desks ● Hobbico Realflight Drone RC Flight Simulator Page 10 ● LIFX Colour 1000 Bulb ● Dragon Alliance NFX2 Goggles ● Tribesport’s Running Apparel ● Tribesports Mens Running Tights ● The Tribesports Thermal Base Layer Running Top ● Boogie Board Jot 8.5 ● SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse Page 20 ● La Sportiva Nepal Cube ● Belkin Valet Charge Dock For Apple Watch + iPhone ● Bellabeat Leaf Activity Tracker ● Rab Andes 800 Sleeping Bag ● Waterfield Designs Staad Attache ● Snugpak Softie Elite 4 Baby Focus ● Good and Evel ● WeeRide Childrens Cycle Seat Deluxe ● Tiger Partners With Misaki Kawai ● Silver Cross Quantum ● Silver Cross Surf ● Hello Sailor! New Nautical Beachwear From Rockin’ Baby
Gadgethead Magazine
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Rating
Pros • Fun and interactive • Educational • User-friendly • One hour battery life
Cons • Some apps are very basic and become boring www.sphero.com
SPHERO 2.0
Sphero 2.0 comes to us from the same people that created Ollie and we fell head over heels in love with him so we were excited to get our grubby paws on the original product. Sphero 2.0 is a tough polycarbonate ball that is propelled by an electric motor and controlled via Bluetooth from an app on your smartphone or tablet, it has an inbuilt LED light for playing in low light and can travel up to speeds of 4.5mph. The Sphero 2.0 is actually a rather simple little toy but there are over 25 Sphero and third party apps available for iOS and Android that can be used alongside it and it can be programmed and hacked to encourage the kids to get their geek on. It has a 50ft remote control range and will give you an hour of playtime from one charge, it also has a range of accessories available like ramps and covers for extra traction and steering control. So with a bit of imagination there are endless ways to play with Sphero 2.0, two of my favourite games we found were the Rolling Dead, which is an augmented reality game (mixing reality with digital elements, think roger rabbit but in game form) where you have to use Sphero to fight these adorable zombies popping up from your living room floor and another one that was pretty cool was Sphero Golf where you use Sphero to play a golf course you set up within your home. Some of the apps however are pretty limited and lose their fun factor fairly quickly the best thing about Sphero is just driving it around like a race car, it is made from a tough plastic and can take a bashing (as well as being waterproof and pet proof) and after a little practice is it easy enough to pilot. There is also an educational element to Sphero with the Sphero Macrolab and orbBasic which introduces children to the basics of coding and to execute basic programs, create and prototype autonomous behaviours, and explore the inner workings of Sphero. Sphero 2.0 is fun to play with as an app controlled toy but the novelty of some of the companion apps wears off quickly if it was a choice between Sphero 2.0 or Ollie for me Ollie would win hands down but that doesn’t mean Sphero 2.0 hasn’t got its own charms it’s just a little more limited than Ollie. RRP $129.99
Gadgethead Magazine
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Height Adjustable Desks Six months ago I wanted to find out more about improving the health for your average office worker who can spend on average nine hours a day sitting at a desk, so as your average office worker I felt I was the perfect guinea pig. My job requires me to be at a computer and telephone for 75% of each and every working day, so instead of sitting how about standing? Six short months have passed since I took delivery of my E:Lift 800 Standing height adjustable desk from www.heightadjustabledesks.com
to trial and record my thoughts.
When I first received the desk, I threw myself into it completely - I removed my chair from my office and I was standing all day whether on the phone, emailing or browsing the web - I would bob from leg to leg, stretch my legs and bounce. At first my legs did tire and my feet ached slightly but I knew this was to be expected as I got used to standing. It was only a matter of a few days before I became accustomed to standing and I didn’t even think about sitting. In fact, sitting down for 10 minutes to have lunch felt very decadent. Living with the E:Lift 800 Standing
desk has been a brilliant experience and I have lightened up allowing myself to sit down if the mood takes me however this is rare. The natural benefits for standing all day is your muscles get stronger, I know it sounds obvious however I do feel stronger in my feet, through my legs and my core. My mind seems to work better whilst standing too, I allow myself to sit when I am tired or have a meeting as I feel a bit weird standing over staff whilst chatting to them. I have suffered with back pain the last few years and I did think if I sat I would rest my back and relieve the pressure on the spine. So standing was a bit of a worry for me but within a week, my back pain started receding. A month or so on and I’d almost forgotten about back pain. www.heightadjustabledesks.com sent me a great bit of hardware that you plug into your pc/mac and then into the desk. It gives you targets to achieve such as calories used and the percentage of standing time towards your target. I was concerned changing height with the electric motor would mean that I might not get the correct positions each time. I am so anal with seat adjustment in the car that I bought a car with memory seats so whoever uses it I can return the seat to the exact set up for me. This hardware does that too so I know my desk will be at the correct height either sitting or standing. So currently I have my desk set at 40 minutes standing out of each hour I am at work. I sometimes do longer stints just as I simply prefer standing now. You have to be careful which adjustable desk you go for as it seems there is a huge difference in the quality of products on the market. My desk is top drawer but there are a lot of cheaper imitations out there. This is the perfect market to coin the phrase “you get what you pay for”. The www.heightadjustabledesks.com product doesn’t wobble or even move when you lean against it. It looks, sounds and feels quality. RRP £569.95 www.heightadjustabledesks.com
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HOBBICO REALFLIGHT DRONE RC FLIGHT SIMULATOR The Hobbico RealFlight Drone is an RC flight simulator created for drone enthusiasts allowing them to hone their flight skills without the risk of damaging their drones in the process. It comes with an InterLink Elite controller and a disk for your computer or laptop that installs easily enough by following the on-screen instructions. Once set up and ready to go you will find lots of options to play with, you can choose from 14 different models, choose from 20 different environments and a variety of flying conditions as well as two different challenges to help you improve your flying skills. The
scavenger hunt tests your photography skills by getting you to manoeuvre into the best position to take a photo and the Quadcopter trials get you to fly through an obstacle course to help you perfect your handling. Performing well will earn you points and can unlock new models to play with (including the glorious dead cat quadcopter). You can adjust the wind and turbulence to make the experience even more realistic and you can even fly drones that have cameras in first person view. A nice little touch that adds more realism is that you can damage the drones, this might not sound like a good thing but it teaches
Rating you to handle the drones carefully, it is much easier, not to mention cheaper, to fix your virtual drone than replace your real life model. It can be argued that the best way to learn to pilot any RC model is to buy one and take it out for a spin but there is something to be said for the simulator and the RealFlight Drone provides a realistic environment with lifelike flying simulations that can improve your skills and be fun at the same time, with new things to unlock. I can’t see people outgrowing this anytime soon but it is definitely one for the enthusiasts. SRP £104.99
Pros • Realistic • Suitable for beginning and improving alike • Fun Cons • Limited-this is a simulator not a game • High price may cause people to reconsider and buy a cheap RC to thrash about instead www.realflight.com/drone
Gadgethead Magazine
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LIFX Colour 1000 Bulb I love the idea of this bulb, not only is it practical but it is really good fun, it converts your lighting appliance into an intelligent piece of equipment that can be controlled in a number of different ways with just the touch of your smart phone. At its very basic it is a light bulb that you pop in like any other normal bulb, download the app and then follow the simple instructions to sync it up, from here you can turn your light on and off without the laborious task of actually getting up off your backside to hit the switch, the LIFX is also compatible with the Apple Watch or Android Wear so you don’t even have to move to reach your smartphone to control your light settings. Unsurprisingly there is a lot more to it than switching it on and off, you can select the brightness by controlling it like a dimmer switch and choose from over 16 Million Colours and 1000 Shades of White to create different atmospheres. By using the app you can save personalised combinations of brightness and colour as Scenes or pick from lots of pre-programmed Themes to set the mood, for example tranquil, focused or cheerful. The Schedule function is great for syncing your lights with routines for example it can be used to wake you up in a more natural
way by increasing the brightness of your bedroom light slowly in the morning to coincide with your alarm clock. IFTTT enables you to connect the LIFX Channel to 237 different Channels, this gives you the option of customising your light in loads for different ways, you can make it flash a different colour when you get tagged in a Facebook picture, make the light in your room a warmer colour when it is raining outside, automatically turn on when you get home or even flash your favourite sports teams colour when they score. Now at the price they are asking it could take a while to save enough money to replace all the bulbs in your house but LITX claims that each bulb last 27 years and with the ability to control all the bulbs individually and their compatibly with the Nest Protect, Nest Thermostat, Google App, Samsung SmartThings and more smart home technology it could prove a worthy investment. Sadly it doesn’t work with Siri or Apple HomeKit, we also found they got very hot so I wouldn’t use them in an enclosed fixture aside from that this is a fantastic product, brighter and with more functions than any other smart bulbs we have seen so far. RRP $59.99
Rating
Pros • Bright • Adjustable and dimmable • User friendly app • Compatible with a range of smart home products • Uses WiFi, no hub needed • Available in white (60 or 65 watt) or colour, including white, (70 or 75 watt) • 27 year lifespan
Cons • One of the most expensive smart bulbs • Not compatible with Apple HomeKit or Siri
www.lifx.com
Gadgethead Magazine
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DriveStation™ Quad Direct Attached Storage USB 3.0
HD-QHU3/R5
Huge Capacity Direct Attached Storage Huge Capacity Direct Attached Storage
Buffalo Technology’s DriveStation™ Quad (HD-QHU3 series) is a 4-bay Direct Attached Storage device perfect for demanding SMB. The HD-QHU3 comes fully populated with high-reliability Buffalo Technology’s DriveStation™ WD Red™ drives in total capacities of up to 24TB.
Quad (HD-QHU3 series) is a 4-bay
™ The DriveStation Quad is RAID-enabled customised Direct Attached Storage deviceforperfect redundancy and capacity depending on your specific needs for demanding SMB. The HD-QHU3 and also comes with 10 licenses of NovaStor NovaBACKUP comes Essentials fully populated Business software. with high-
reliability WD Red™ drives in total
The DriveStation™ Quad features the capacity, redundancy, capacities of required up to 24TB. and performance for any demanding user – the perfect solution for backing up large servers, multimedia files, or databases. The HD-QHU3 series is sold fully populated with WD Red drives and total capacities of 8, 12, 16, or 24TB. HD-QHU3/R5
Features and Benefits • 4 bay Direct Attached Storage fully populated with WD Red™ hard drives - Available with 8, 12, 16, or 24TB capacities
• RAID-enabled for performance and reliability - Supports RAID 0/1/5/10/Spanning/JBOD
• Perfect for Server, PC, and/or Database Backup
Features and Benefits
- Also includes 10 free licenses of NovaStor NovaBackup Business Essentials
• Power Saving – Auto Power feature turns on and off automatically with your computer
4-bay Direct Attached Storage •• SuperSpeed connectivity with USB 3.0
fully populated with WD Red™ hard drives with 8, 12, 16, or 24TB capacities • RAID-enabled for performance and reliability - Supports RAID 0/1/5/10/Spanning/JBOD • Perfect for ™Server, PC, and/or Database Backup - Also includes 10 free licenses of NovaStor NovaBACKUP® Business Essentials • Power Saving – Auto Power feature turns on and off automatically with your computer ched Storage • SuperSpeed connectivity with USB 3.0 • 3 year warranty - Available • 3 year warranty
tation Quad
DRAGON ALLIANCE NFX2 GOGGLES The big brother to the Dragon NFX has arrived, with the new Swiftlock lens change system making it even faster and easier to change lenses as well as a smaller profile to fit a wider range of faces. The frameless design looks really stylish and comes in a range of colours and frame choices, as well as looking cool the optically correct cylindrical lenses gives you greater peripheral clarity by eliminating distortion through tapered geometries, there is nothing worse than the tunnel vision frame heavy lenses give you or the distorted peripheral some goggles provide. The NFX2 offers no less than 20 different lenses to cover all weather conditions, you simply flip up the leavers on the side, remove lens, place in new lens and flip the leavers down again, it’s a smooth operation, easily one of the fastest on the market, making it simple to keep up with changing weather conditions. As well as the lenses coming in a variety of weather and light conditions they all have a scratch resistant coating, the Dual Lexan material is flexible and creates a thermal boundary keeping your face warm and the anti-fog works brilliantly at keeping your sight constantly
HD-QHU3/R5
clear. The NFX2 has an abundance of ventilation that also prevents fogging, along with the Polartech Microfleece and Tri-Foam padding making them genuinely very comfortable to wear. The strap has been made to be compatible with a helmet and has a place which is becoming increasingly necessary as more and more people turn to brain buckets to keep themselves safe on the slopes with honeycombe silicone backing to keep it in place. I really liked these goggles they are tremendously comfortable to wear and provide excellent vision as well one of the quickest and easiest lens change systems we have come across. RRP £150 Rating 5 out of 5
Pros • Brilliant peripheral vision • Swiftlock lens change system • Comfortable • Helmet compatible • 100% UV protection lenses • Excellent Anti-Fog www.snowboard-asylum.com
Gadgethead Magazine
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Tribesport’s Running Apparel
TRIBESPORTS MENS RUNNING TIGHTS After having to rub nappy rash cream into unmentionable areas of my partner I persuaded him to try some running tights, he reluctantly agreed and the humbly priced Tribesport Running tights seemed as good as any to start out with. The running tights are made from a stretchy, sweatwicking, polyester which doesn’t restrict movements, they are designed to fit closely to the skin to naturally reduce chafing and to keep you warm whilst strategically placed mesh helps allowing the skin to breath at the same time. The advanced seam placement prevents certain parts from being crushed whilst on the move (or so I was informed) and the small zip pocket in the back keeps other precious items safe too. The pocket is a good size and will accommodate up to an iPhone 6 and sits high enough on the back to be comfortable so you can use a fitness app or listen to your music whilst you work out. There is some silicone material on the inside of the ankles to help keep the tights from riding up and a draw string on the waist to prevent builders bum, one issue my partner had
was that there are zips on the ankles to allow for a quick change but they clashed with the design of his running shoes and dug into his ankles whilst he ran, to remedy this he only had to unzip them an inch so they didn’t rub, so not a deal breaker. They wash up really well and do not lose the elasticity, for such a reasonable price these are impressive, high performing tights and have even won my partner over, even if he does insist on wearing shorts over the top for the sake of modesty. RRP £35 Rating
Pros • Comfortable • Good sized pocket • Durable • Good value for money Cons • Ankle Zips rubbed
THE TRIBESPORTS THERMAL BASE LAYER RUNNING TOP Continuing with the Tribesports brand we also had the pleasure of testing out one of their thermal base layer running tops, the CoolTouch® thermo yarn technology and the super soft interior traps air next to your skin creating a warm layer but without adding any bulk. The material absorbs sweat and regulates body temperature as well so you stay dry and warm throughout the workout. Ergonomic seams and Raglan stitching allow for freedom of movement without any chaffing and the silicone grip along the hem topped with a slightly longer than average body length helps prevent the top from riding up whilst running, another nice touch is the 360-degree reflectivity which allows you to been seen in low lighting keeping you safer on the roads. Aegis antibacterial technology help
create a shield and stops smelly body odour from permeating the material and keeping you smelling reasonably fresh and like the running tights the thermal top washes well and hold its shape and elasticity. This top can be used as a base layer or on its own, it protects against cold and wind and allows you to stay comfortable even in the nastiest of weathers leaving you with no excuse to get out there and get active. RRP £32 Rating
Pros • Warm • Reflective • Good value for money • Durable
Gadgethead Magazine
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Boogie Board Jot 8.5 The Boogie Board Jot 8.5 aims to create the most natural pen on paper writing experience of any eWriter in the world. It is very light, much lighter and thinner than my normal notepad which slides its way down the fridge, at a feather light 0.3 pounds and 0.6 inches thin, there are two built in magnets on the back that can hold it in place on metal surfaces and it comes with a replaceable coin-cell battery that lasts up to 50,000 erases. The screen now produces 50% brighter writing that the previous models but it’s the way it feels that makes the Boogie Board special, you
can safely lay your hand on the screen as you write without it making a mark on the page, there is zero delay when writing with the stylus and it really is like writing with a pen. The stylus has its own built in holder where it can be stored when not in use which also doubles as a way of standing the Boogie Board up, portrait or landscape. All your scrabbles can be cleaned off in an instant with the erase button, my only gripe with the whole thing is that you can’t edit it, it is all or nothing with the Boogie Board. There is also a companion app with the Jot 8.5 which
can scan the screen of the eWriter and produce a photocopy quality image within the app, this image can be very basically edited by writing or drawing over it in black or yellow. I would like to be able to crop and rotate the image within the app but sadly that isn’t an option however the image also stores in my smartphones gallery which allows me to edit it in many ways. I struggled to get the auto-scan to work on the app and had to use the manual scan every time but the image it produces is grainy and rather poor that I fail to really see the point of it as I would get a better image by simply taking a picture of it with my smart phone. Ignoring the app, the Boogie Board Jot 8.5 is a great eWriter suitable as a practical note pad or a fun gadget for all ages and is at home on your fridge or in your bag. RRP $29.99
Rating
Pros • Bright responsive screen • Feels great to write on • Erases in an instant • Good value for money • Stylus doubles as a stand Cons • No edit or save options • App is very limited www.myboogieboard.com
Gadgethead Magazine
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SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse The Sensei is an ambidextrous laser wireless gaming mouse created for high performance gaming on the PC and Mac and uses the latest technology to deliver the same award winning performance of the wired Sensei tournament-grade mouse. The Sensei performs incredibly and I would go as far to say when we tested it wirelessly we experience zero lag, it uses 1000 Hz, delivering a 1ms response time, as well as a high speed, proprietary 2.4 GHz wireless solution that is optimized for high data throughput and allows for exceedingly low latency the Pixart ADNS 9800 laser sensor permits you to increase the CPI to 8200. It feels great in the hand with a textured plastic coating stops your sweaty gaming paws from slipping, there is a little metal detailing around the scrolling wheel and a wonderful glowing light that comes from the wheel and the Sensei symbol
it just looks so damn cool. It is easy to use from the get go, plug the charging base/wireless receiver into the USB and off you go, there are 7 buttons that can be programmed to various controls you can also personalise the lights on the mouse on the charging base (the colours on the base default setting fade from green to amber to red to keep you informed of the battery life). It also has a killer battery life with 20hours uninterrupted playtime, even when the base was showing us the battery was nearly dead the mouse still performed as it should with no lagging in response time, if you do manage to run the battery down and you aren’t ready to stop playing you can unplug the wire from the charger and plug it straight into the mouse to charge it up and as you play. From 0-100% it does take 3.5 hours to charge it to full again which is a long time but as you can plug
in a charge or pop it back on the dock between uses it really didn’t become a problem. This is an exceptional wireless gaming mouse that looks great, feels great and is a pleasure to use, it quickly
becomes an extension of your arm during game play and won’t let you down. RRP €179.99
Rating
Pros • 6.5ft cable • Ambidextrous • Tactile • 20-hour battery life • Zero lag • 7 programmable buttons
• Customisable Power Saving, Acceleration, Deceleration. • Multiple CPI Options • Cloud Based Profile Storage • Wired or wireless option www.steelseries.com
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Rating
Pros • Comfortable • Dry • Light weight • Durable build • Resole availability • 3D flex and adjustable tongue www.lasportiva.com
La Sportiva Nepal Cube
Nestled in amongst the awe-inspiring Italian Dolomites is the small village of Ziano di Fiemme, this village is home to a modest sized factory run by 150 people which at first could be mistaken as nothing special, however this is in fact home to La Sportiva Italy an outdoor footwear company that has continually raised the bar when it comes to high performing mountaineering footwear. The Nepal Cube GTX is a technical mountaineering boot designed for climbing on mixed terrain, most suited for winter mountaineering, climbing and ice climbing, at first look I was struck by how thin the soles looked, surely these boots can’t keep your feet warm whilst sunk deep in the snow? Wrong. Deep breath… here are the specs, the Cube have a Gore-Tex® Insulated Comfort Footwear lining, Carbon Tech honeycomb insulation/4mm EVA insole, 2 mm Polyurethane graded for crampon attachment midsole and a 3.2mm silicone impregnated Idro-Perwanger Roughout leather with high-abrasion resistant fabric Airinjected rubber rands…phew, so what does all that mean. In essence these are warm, breathable and waterproof boots, what makes them special is how lightweight they are, the Cube has knocked off 236g compared to the EXO range, weighing only 1780g per pair, that might not sound a lot but any gram you can shave off your feet is comparable to 6 grams in your pack so in this case that’s the equivalent 1416g out of your pack. The removable, adjustable fit tongue allows for exact fitting and helps keep your heel pressed into the sole, while the 3D Flex, a hinge system used in the ankle area of boots, allows lateral flexibility while still allowing longitudinal lockout for excellent support. The buffer style ankle cuff keeps the snow out and there is enough room in the toe box to keep things comfortable, they work well with a variety of crampons and the build quality is exceptional as you would expect with a La Sportiva boot. The Cube GTX will keep you warm and dry as well as light on your feet, in the short term these maybe more expensive than you would normally spend on a pair of mountaineering boots but as these can be re-soled they could be the last boots you need to buy saving you money in the long term. RRP £355
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Rating
Pros • Stylish • Chargers watch and phone of one cable • Solid build www.belkin.com
Belkin Valet Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone
This attractive charging dock not only has an adjustable Lightning connector for charging an iPhone it also includes an integrated magnetic Apple Watch charger, the first of its kind to do so which allows you to charge both from one cable. This is a high end product and it is built as such, the solid and heavy aluminium base has a non-slip rubber bottom and the shiny solid cast arm with a chrome finish looks streamline and modern, it is also pretty compact at 4.3 x 5.28 x 3.47 so you won’t have to dedicate a lot of space for it. The chrome arm has a magnet in it to keep the watch in place whilst charging and there is rubber around the iPhone connection to stop it slipping or becoming scratched. Both the watch and phone are perfectly angled to make it easy to see if you have a message or notification from across a room and allows you to use it whilst charging. The lightning connector can be raised higher and lower by using a dial at the back of the base which means if you have a bulky case you don’t need to remove it every time you want to charge it up which is a nice little touch. There is also an optional band support for your watch, you clip it to the charger and it sits inside the wrist band helping it keep its shape whilst charging and keeping the docks streamline profile. This is a practical and rather beautiful charging dock suitable for iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Edition, although the cable is a standard length I would like a longer cable as it gives you more option as to where you can place this as is more like an ornament than your usual charger, other than that it’s a great product. RRP £99.95
Gadgethead Magazine
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BELLABEAT LEAF ACTIVITY TRACKER In amongst the many, MANY activity trackers out there the Bellabeat Leaf stands out with its beautiful feminine design, it can easily be mistaken for a piece a jewellery instead of an activity monitor when in fact it is both natural wood and stainless steel. Depending on which model you choose, you’ll get a light wood with silver stainless steel leaf or a dark wood with a rose gold leaf. Firstly, it is lovely to see an activity tracker that doesn’t look like a digital watches’ more intelligent cousin, the designers at Bellabeat haven’t just thrown a bunch of diamantes at a rubber wrist strap and claimed, “this one is for the girls”. The leaf design is chic and discrete and can be worn as either a clip, necklace or bracelet, the features are also built around a woman’s lifestyle and health making it a rather unique product. The versatility in how the Bellabeat Leaf can be worn is great as most activity trackers are worn on the wrist which can be
uncomfortable to sleep in whereas the Leaf can be clipped to pyjamas and forgotten about. The bracelet is difficult to put on and there is an online tutorial but I usually ask my partner for help, it does look nice as a bracelet but I’m sure there could be a more user friendly design. The Bellabeat tracks your daily activity (steps, distance covered and calories burnt) and sleep (quality and quantity) both tools we would expect with an activity tracker but it also monitors your monthly cycle and offers coping techniques for stress, two things we haven’t seen before in a product like this. The monthly cycle helps you understand your body and gives you an insight into how your menstrual cycle can affect both your physical and mental health. The Leaf will also walk you through personalised breathing exercises to help you relax your body and mind, a smart tool that I haven’t come across before and one I really enjoyed using. The App is
intuitive and gives you plenty of info at a glance, it can be customised to suit your lifestyle allowing you to set inactivity reminders, silent alarms and pill reminders, however it can be a bit of a pain to sync sometimes we had to do it 2 or 3 times until it updated the info. We also found the step count was less accurate than other fitness trackers we have tested which is a shame as it is the basis for all your daily activity. Something I do love about the Leaf is that it has an old fashion battery inside which means you don’t end up wearing a dead activity tracker for a day since you forgot to charge it up the night before or I forget to
wear it at all because it is still plugged into the charger at home. I like the unique combination of features aimed predominately at women’s health and the design and versatility of the Leaf, the app looks great but seems to have a few bugs but no more than any of the other companion apps we have used for similar products. I would like to see the accuracy tightened up a little on the step counter and if the Leaf was waterproof and the app a bit smoother it would be the perfect product, but as it stands it is a great activity tracker with many useful features that looks stylish too. RRP $119.99 (Silver) $149.99 (Rose Gold).
Rating
Pros • Beautiful • Versatile • 1year battery life- no need to charge • User friendly app • Helps control activity, sleep, menstrual cycle and stress
Cons • Accuracy needs improvement • Not waterproof • Bracelet is fiddley • App is still being worked on www.bellabeat.com
Gadgethead Magazine
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Rating 5 out of 5
Pros: • Lightweight • Comfortable down to -22 • Wind proof • Water resistant • Proportionally assigned differential cut (Mummy shape) • Close fitting neck baffle • Longitudinal foot baffles to minimise down migration • Anti-snag webbing tape • Internal YKK 3 coil zipped stash pocket • High visibility colour www.rab.equipment
RAB ANDES 800 SLEEPING BAG Sleeping bags are where it all began for Rab and to this day they are still the core of the brand, hand filled in Derbyshire they take pride in using high quality European goose down. The Andes 800 uses 800g of goose down and is suitable for 8000m altitude or on exposed belays, in temperatures as low as -22°C. The mummy shape matched with the bright orange colour might make you look a like a giant carrot but it is designed to follow the natural contours of the body, reducing space between your skin and the material which in turn keeps you warmer. The other big advantage to the shape is that less material means a lighter pack weight, the Andes 800 only weighs 1410g making it one of the lightest sleeping bags out there in this temperature category. The lightweight Pertex® Microlight inner fabric topped with Pertex® Endurance outer fabric helps keep the pack weight low, as well as being light it also makes the sleeping bag water resistant and windproof. The baffle is designed vertically for the top 2/3
of the body and horizontally for the bottom 1/3 this unique design stops the migration of the down, keeping a consistent layer thought out the bag. Like a lot of Rab products the Andes 800 uses Hydrophobic Down which absorbs less water, dries faster and retains its loft for longer, this makes the bag really durable. There is an extra thick baffle around the neck which fills in the gap between the shoulder and head and reduce drafts, the hood fits nice and tight and the sleeping bag covers most of your face too, you will be snug as a bug in a rug in this sleeping bag. There is antisnag webbing tape throughout and the whole bag just screams quality, its comfortable down to -22 and that’s no exaggeration, the bright colour will help keep you visible and the light pack weight makes it a perfect companion for any adventure. Max user height: 76.8 inches / 6ft4, Shoulder width: 29.5 inches, Hip width: 22.5 inches, Foot width: 16 inches. RRP $675
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Rating 5 out of 5
Pros • Stylish • Compact and lightweight • Wheelie handle slip • Easy-to-see gold interior • Distressed leather flap and handle look better with age • Detachable padded, colour matched shoulder strap www.sfbags.com
WATERFIELD DESIGNS STAAD ATTACHE
I make no attempt to hide the fact that we are fans of Waterfield and were excited to get a look at their new Staad Attache bag, available in 3 specific sizes, iPad Pro 12.9, 13� MacBook Air or Surface Pro 4, although purposefully built to these dimensions they will also accommodate cases and some keyboards. It features the military designed pull tab clasp that we have come to know and love making quick access a breeze, the two front pockets are angled as such for easier and faster access also and can house up to an iPhone 6s Plus or similar. On the inside it has the specially designed fully-padded built-in iPad Pro or MacBook pocket that keeps your tablet/laptop safe as well as two pockets to store any leads or chargers and two slots to house a pen or stylus, leaving room in the main body for note books, keys, your wallet or anything else you might need. I was especially pleased to see that the removable strap, unlike the cheap looking black strap on the rough rider, is a colour matched strap that is also padded for comfort which looks and feels great. As always it is available in either the waxed canvas or ballistic with a choice of distressed leather flap (that unlike most of us gets better looking with age) and handle, grizzly (a light brown), chocolate and black, my personal favourite combination being the waxed canvas with the chocolate leather flap for that chic urban cowboy look. A nice touch is that on the back of the bag the is a quick access pocket and wheelie handle slip which I also found handy to slip a jumper or scarf though when I wasn’t wearing it. Light and compact with an impressive build quality, stylish and professional what more could you want. RRP $229 Dimensions: 14 inches x 3.5 inches (at bottom) x 10.5 inches
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SNUGPAK SOFTIE ELITE 4 This British company started out creating body warmers in the 70s but truly made a name for itself when they started making lightweight and low pack size sleeping bags, still made in a Yorkshire mill today Snugpak prides itself on creating high quality sleeping bags for all kinds of conditions. The Softie Elite 4 is a 3-4 season sleeping bag meaning you can use it throughout the year into early winter (something a bit warmer might be necessary for midwinter conditions), suitable for up to -15°c. I find that most sleeping bags are over generous with their temperature rating, yes the sleeping bag will keep you alive at -10°c but you will have the worst night’s sleep of your life might be a more honest rating on some sleeping bags but not the Elite 4. The sleeping bag is generously filled with insulation and on top of that the interior is lined with Reflectatherm, a material that reflects your body heat back at you to keep you warm. The mummy shape helps keep you nice and toasty but the clever thing about this sleeping bag is the EXP (expander panel system) which unzips to open out the sleeping bag to
become more spacious which allows the air to circulate and keep you cooler on warmer nights. This system means you can use one sleeping bag for nearly the whole year, you can also draw up the foot box with the shortening clips (Normal Length 220cm, Shortened Length 175cm) meaning it is a great sleeping bag for young budding campers that can grow as they grow too. This sleeping bag is lightweight when you take into account how warm it is however it does still weigh 1950g which could be too heavy for the minimalistic hikers, however it packs away easily and is compact at 28 x 24 cm when fully compressed. A minor gripe we had was that the zipper is quite small and snags if you are in too much of a hurry to zip it up. To round up we found the Softie Elite 4 to be a warm, comfortable and versatile sleeping bag, that is suitable for most of the year, it maintains its shape after being washed and packs down to a small size taking everything into account good value for money. RRP £99.95
Rating
Pros • Expansion System (Variable width) • Shortening straps • Low pack size • Warm (suitable up to -15°c) Cons • Only Available in Olive Green • Zipper catches on surrounding material www.snugpak.com
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Good and Evel
Celebrate 50 years of Evel Knievel, one of the world’s most renowned daredevils with Kiddimoto, the UK‘s original balance bike company. A legendary American stunt daredevil, Knievel made his name attempting elaborate motorcycling stunts throughout his career from Vegas to Wembley Stadium. With children today spending hours on computers and with warmer weather around the corner, encourage your child to play outside whilst using their imagination. This magnificent, retro inspired limited edition wooden balance bike is a faithful replica of Evel’s famous stars and stripes bikes and is sure to capture attention and compliments. Pair with the Evel Knievel limited edition helmet to ensure maximum safety and to complete the Knievel look. Your child will feel extra special and as much of a hero as Evel Knievel himself with the daredevils signature blazoned across the side of the bike and helmet making them all the more exclusive and unique. Celebrate adventure, the outdoors and imagination with this exclusive design from the balance bike specialists Kiddimoto “We are extremely proud to support and have collaborated with Kiddimoto to produce an Evel Knieval replica balance bike. We know Evel would be thrilled to be a part of a brand who encourages children to enjoy the outdoors while using their imagination and creativity.” Kelly Knieval Evel Knievel bike - £139.99 Evel Knievel helmet - £36.99 Suitable for ages 2-5 www.kiddimoto.co.uk
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WEERIDE CHILDRENS CYCLE SEAT DELUXE Our first impression of the WeeRide is that is a wonderfully innovative idea, turning the traditional childrens cycle seat on its head. The WeeRide put your child at the front of the bike keeping the weight more evenly distributed over the centre, allowing your child to see more of the world as you ride and allowing you to see your child at all times. It will fit on to all bikes as long as they have between 49 and 60cm from seat post to headset and 5mm headset space below the handlebar stem to fix the metal bar too, it took us about eight minutes to put it all together, easy peasy. There are two adjustable foot enclosed rests to keep your little one’s toes from getting into trouble with the brake cables or peddles and there is a smart cushion pad at the front for them to hold onto to lay their heads on if they need a little snooze. The seat can be removed when not in use but that does mean that ladies, your bike now has a cross bar (although it isn’t too
much hassle to remove completely). Now down to the actual practicality of this product, I think this definitely has a place in the market but we had a little trouble, my two year old nephew is a wriggly little bugger and he kept flinging his head about I felt like I was having to keep my legs further apart than normal to avoid the seat, also as I am not very tall I felt like I had to flatten my nephew a little bit so I could reach the handle bars, the manufacturer suggests the seat is suitable for up to 4 years old but there is no way I would physically be able to get my arms around him in two years time. It is a great idea and a soundly made product but it will come down to the individual as whether or not it is a comfortable ride for both participants, as for me I will be sticking with the more traditional trailer whilst keeping a close eye on WeeRide for any new seats more suitable to my build. RRP £89.99
Rating
Pros • Reasonably priced • Foot rests and cushioned sleeping pad • Quick to put together
Cons • Had to ride with legs further apart • Felt like I was flattening my nephew (probably would work better if I was taller) • Dubious as to whether it would be suitable for a 4 year old www.weerideuk.co.uk
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From Monday 2nd everyday items un unfiltered approa such as fabric, fur collabora5on with imagina5on of bo The collabora5on forwards, includin range of cheeky and quirky products, including yoga mats, phone cases and £1. backpacks, that start at just Tiger has For several years now, been working on projects that give For m more people access to art. In 2015 Tiger published Yoko Ono’s art book “Conceptual Photography”. It was sold in all Tiger stores and by the Museum of
TIGER PARTNERS WITH MISAKI KAWAI Japanese and Scandi style come together, in the latest limited edition collaboration from Tiger, set to bring the work of a world-‐famous artist to every home in the UK. The exclusive partnership with Japanese artist, Misaki Kawai celebrated for her contemporary and humorous pieces that adorn the walls of New York galleries including MoMA PS1 ‐ sees her playful designs on a
Modern Art at the MoMA Store in New York and Tokyo. The new collaboration
d May, visitors to Tiger stores will be met with a collec5on of quirky and colo
nder the banner of “Play with Misaki Kawai”. Kawai, is known for her honest ach to art. She works with pain5ng, music, sculpture and installa5ons in mate r, paper, wood and yarn. Her works are humorous, sincere and playful, and h h Tiger is an extension of her art. The collec5on is designed to capture the oth children and adults.
n is part of a bigger project, which will see Tiger work with more ar5sts going ng Turner prize-‐nominee, David Shrigley later in 2016.
reflects Tiger’s vision of surprising fur, paper, wood and yarn. Her works people with new and exciting cultural are humorous, sincere and playful, experiences. and her collaboration with Tiger is an From Monday 2nd May, visitors to extension of her art. The collection is more informa5on r images please contact: ndesigned icole@neatpr.co.uk 8866 2245 Tiger storesowill be met with a collection to capture the020 imagina5on of of quirky and colourful everyday items both children and adults. under the banner of “Play with Misaki The collaboration is part of a bigger Kawai”. Kawai, is known for her honest, project, which will see Tiger work with unfiltered approach to art. She works more artists going forwards, including with painting, music, sculpture and Turner prize-‐nominee, David Shrigley installations in materials such as fabric, later in 2016.
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Silver Cross Quantum The group 1 Quantum car seat is the latest product to come from this award winning company, this limited edition seat has employed state of the art technology to ensure your baby is protected during any collision. The SA-ATS, that’s shock absorber automatic tensioning system to you and me, works in two ways, first the hydraulics kick in to reduce impact and secondly the mechanical tilting system applies harness tension and retains the child in position - their testing shows this can reduce impact by up to 30%. As you would expect from this first class brand the quality of this product is manufactured to the highest of standards, inspired by Aston Martin it features premium vegetable tanned Italian leather and luxurious Alcantara faux suede as well as a thick padded headrest, this car seat will have your child travelling in comfort and style. As you would expect from a group 1 car seat (approx. 9 months – 4 years) it has a five-point safety harness and like the Silver Cross Simplicity car seat it can be fitted into the car with either
the integrated ISOfix connectors or by using a vehicle’s 3 point seat belt. The shape of the seat has been designed to offer a more comfortable ride with today’s vehicle seating and can also be reclined into 4 different positions, and its natural higher position means that your child can see more of the world go by. The Air-go system keeps your child from getting too warm by placing vents either side allowing them to be comfortable at all times, there is also a padded reducer cushion for smaller children included in the price. As this is Silver Cross’s first group 1 car seat I was surprised to see it offered no rear facing option as it is becoming more common to leave the child in the rear facing positon for longer, however this is the ultimate in luxury, personally it is worth more than my entire car but it is not an over-priced item as what you get is not only comfortable and beautiful but most importantly safe. If Silver Cross is good enough for the Royals who are we to argue. RRP £650
Rating
Pros • SA-ATS system • Padded headrest • Reducer cushion included • Side ventilation • 4 position recliner seat • Stylish and made with premium materials
Cons • Forward facing only www.silvercrossbaby.com
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Silver Cross Surf The beautiful Silver Cross Surf 2 has all the high quality trademarks we have come to expect from a Silver Cross product. To start with it was easy to put together, taking us less than 15 minutes (I say us but it was more like me and a spectator), the chassis is made from a strong but extraordinarily light magnesium alloy and the hood and apron are available in 5 bold colours or a more reserved black or grey. The Surf 2 is designed to tackle any terrain with its large foam-filled (puncture proof) pneumatic tyres and air-sprung suspension it really is a pleasure to push, we had no problem confronting curbs and it glided smoothly over the bumpy footpath across the park, the whole time baby slept soundly. The pushchair is suitable from birth as the fully lined carrycot with deep padded mattress (lined with 100% natural bamboo fabric, which helps to wick
away moisture from baby’s skin) can be used as a lie-flat pram or for overnight sleeping and as the baby grows you can switch to the seat unit which can be set up as a forward facing or rear facing pushchair. The soft leatherette handle can be adjusted to 4 heights, importantly the manoeuvrability is great for example you can comfortably steer with one hand on the handle whilst using the other to open a door. I really like the adjustability of the surf 2 making it suitable for many different ages, positions and personal preferences of both parent and baby, the seat can be reclined in 3 different positions and features a 5-point harness keeping baby safe and comfortable at all times. The chassis folds down to a small compact size so it can easily fit in the boot, the wheels also come off to make it even more compact but
the seat does have to be removed which can make packing up a bit of a hassle. As well as the chassis, new born carry cot, pushchair unit and the hood and apron, the surf 2 also comes with a rain cover, cup holder, shopping basket and two attachments that can be used to incorporate the Simplicity car seat (bought separately) onto the chassis. The rain cover attaches quickly for protection against the ever unpredictable English weather and can be unzipped to allow baby to see out again without removing the whole thing. The shopping basket is a little on the small side but it definitely isn’t a big enough deal to put you off this stylish and practical travel system, suitable from birth the surf 2 can be adjusted again and again to suit the needs of both parent and child. RRP £725
Rating
Pros: • Stylish • Suitable for various terrains • Handles well • Puncture proof tires • Air-sprung suspension • Comes with plenty of practical accessories Cons • Basket is on the small side • Seat has to be removed when folding down to put away www.silvercrossbaby.com
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Beachwear from Rockin’ Baby
The best Boa*ng-‐chic for your liTle sailor, from retro shorts to floaty kaLan-‐style dresses, make up the stunning SS16 kids collec*on from Rockin’ Baby. The classic navy and white and preTy pastel bun*ng designs will definitely rock the boat when you step out in the sunshine this summer. Plus with cute reversible sunhats and matching UPF50+ rash vests to keep children protected, you can enjoy the warm weather carefree.
Hello Sailor! New Nautical Beachwear from Rockin’ Baby Available from www.rockinbaby.com Sizes: 18 – 24mths, 2-‐3y, 3-‐4y, 4-‐5y, 5-‐6y, 7y, 8y and 10y
The best Boating-chic for your little By purchasing Rockin’ Baby you By purchasing Rockin’ Baby shorts you are hto elping a child in need. Fare or every piece of aclothing old need. from the For every sailor, from retro floaty kaftan‐ helping child sin Rockin’ Baby collec*on, an item will be giLed to a child in need from 30 countries including West Africa, style dresses, make up the stunning piece of clothing sold from the Rockin’ providing vital clothing in partnership with Child Fund Interna*onal. Child to Child. SS16 kids collection from Rockin’ Baby. Baby collection, an item will be gifted The classic navy and white and pretty to a child in need from 30 countries For informa*on and images contact: pastel bunting will definitely including West Africa, providing vital Natasha: Ndesigns atasha@neatpr.co.uk / Nicole: Nicole@neatpr.co.uk 8866 2245/ you 07768 327965 rock the 020 boat when step out in the clothing in partnership with Child Fund sunshine this summer. International. Child to Child. Plus with cute reversible sunhats and matching UPF50+ rash vests to keep children protected, you can enjoy the warm weather carefree. www.rockinbaby.com
Available from www.ro Sizes: 18 – 24mths, 2-‐3y, 3-‐4y, 4-‐
purchasing Rockin’ Baby you are helping a child in need kin’ Baby collec*on, an item will be giLed to a child in viding vital clothing in partnership with Child Fund Inte
For informa*on and images contact: Natasha: Natasha@neatpr.co.uk / Nicole: 020 8866 2245/ 07768 3Gadgethead 27965 Magazine 45 m www.rockinbaby.com
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06/05/2015 15:48