Gadgethead July 2021 by Littlegate Publishing

July 2021

£4.95

www.thegadgethead.com

Inspired By Your Success

DiscovR A Smarter Speaker MUSIC DISCOVERY Add songs you hear on the radio straight to a Spotify playlist by the touch of a button

Visit pure.com/discovr to learn more Copyright © 2019 Pure International Limited. All rights reserved. E&OE. Apple and Airplay are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Amazon, Alexa and the Amazon Alexa logo are trademarks of Amazon.com Inc. or its affiliates. The Spotify Software is subject to third party licenses found here: https://www.spotify.com/connect/third-party-licences. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG,Inc. and any use of such marks by Pure International Limited is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

CONTENTS Unicorn Smartboard • Posto Headphone Stand • Pixi Reusable Zip Ties Met Helmets • Hue HD Pro Camera • Eko – Aroma Smart Soap Dispenser • Compass Pro – Twelve South • Livall EVO21 Smart Helmet Pulseroll mini Massage Gun • SFX3 All Court Wimbledon – Babolat • Explanar Putting Mat • SwitchBot Home Devices Jacket David, by Tucano Urbano • Rok Coffee: EspressoGC • Peak Design – Field Pouch V2 • JAXJOX DumbbellConnect Copy Editor Alice Instone-Brewer alice@littlegatepublishing.com

Copy Editor James Lapping james@littlegatepublishing.com

Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com

Publisher Stephen Warman

stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com

Minimeis Adventure Bundle • Mind the Gap • Race the Rails • Melitta LatteSelect Coffee maker • Kärcher SE 4001 Gtech MYO Touch massage bed • Aquasphere – Kayenne Lens Technology • Polar Vantage V2 Sports watch • Freetrain Vest – V1 & VR • Tigr Mini Bike Lock Gtech HeadWave Patio Heater • Moment Pebble • Aftershokz Openmove Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones • Edifier TWS NB True Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds • Soundcore Life Q30

UNICORN SMARTBOARD ITEMS LIKE THIS ARE THE REAL PERK OF THIS JOB. UNICORN HAS BEEN A LEADING NAME IN DARTS FOR OVER 75 YEARS, SO GETTING TO PLAY WITH THEIR APTLY NAMED SMARTBOARD – A DARTBOARD THAT KEEPS SCORE FOR YOU VIA AN APP – WAS A TREAT THAT WE WERE ALL EXCITED FOR. THIS IS NO TOY-LOOKING APPROXIMATION OF A DARTBOARD – THE SMARTBOARD IS A FULL-ON, TRADITIONAL BRISTLE BOARD, COMPLETE WITH STEELTIPPED DARTS FOR A PROPER, GOOD OLD FASHIONED FEELING GAME - BUT ONE WITH A FAST AND HANDY MODERN TWIST. With the Smartboard, Unicorn gives app are capable of – you can play with up to you six steel-tipped darts (three for each either eight people playing doubles or four team) and even an Oche Mate measuring playing singles, and on top of that, the app tape, which enables you to set up your recognizes the scoring and rounds for all of dartboard at the right height and distance these game modes: for correct play (including instructions on 01 Games; CountUp; ShangHai; how to do this). This was a very thoughtful Cricket; Halve It; Around the World; Killer; and helpful touch. Whilst darts are provided, and Shooting. If, like me, you didn’t realise any steel-tipped darts are compatible, so that darts HAD all these variations, then you can use your own if you prefer. it’s also a great way to learn. The only struggle in set-up that This board is wireless and thus easily I experienced was finding the Unicorn transportable, which makes it awesome as ScoreBuddy app in the Google Play Store in a social game to bring with you when you the first place. One thing I discovered whilst visit your friends. The app is fun and easy to searching for it is that there are a LOT of use, the scorekeeping is fast and accurate, darts scoring apps! However, without the and you can run the app from a tablet or Bluetooth linkup to a smartboard, there’s link your phone up to a TV for a bigger, only so much they can do to help you in more social read-out. When you don’t have comparison. a group to play with, you can practice by Once you actually find the app, the challenging a fictional opponent generated rest is smooth sailing. Using the Smartboard by the board, just to keep that broody lone is fast, seamless and effortless. It gave me dart-throwing that bit more upbeat. a bit of a nostalgic feeling for bowling, Using this board is a lot of fun and as that’s a social sport that we’re much keeps the maths of your scores consistent more used to having electronic scores. no matter how many pints you’ve had. What I was very impressed to see were the As for the quality of your throws, that number of play modes that the board and unfortunately still depends on you!

£169.96 www.unicornsmartboard.com PROS: Traditional bristle board Steel tipped darts included Any steel tipped darts compatible Easy-to-use app

Lots of game modes Can play in singles or doubles Oche Mate measuring tape included Connectivity and score keeping work well

CONS: App is hard to find



POSTO HEADPHONE STAND

THE POSTO HEADPHONE STAND FROM BLUE LOUNGE IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD PRODUCT WITHOUT MANY AIRS, BUT IT DOES ITS JOB AND DOES IT FOR A LOW PRICE. I IMAGINE THAT MUSICIANS, MUSIC TECHNICIANS, EDITORS ETC. ARE THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THIS PRODUCT, BUT IT CAN BE USED BY ANYONE WHO EITHER WANTS THEIR HEADPHONES DISPLAYED, SAFELY OFF THE TABLE SO THEY CAN’T GET SCUFFED, OR WANTS A TIDY, WELL PRESENTED WORKSPACE WITH EVERYTHING IN ITS PROPER PLACE. This stand is available in one size in for some kinds of cable. I tested it with a either black or white. It doesn’t have the regular headphone cable and it worked most satisfying feel – it has a cheap-feeling perfectly, but the music-head in the office finish, and I’m personally not a fan of the has thicker ones on his headphones, as do silicone used for the soft headphones rest many people I’ve met who take their music at the top because it immediately attracts gear quite seriously. If you have thicker dust. I’d only had the product out of the box wires or have any protective or decorative for a moment and it already looked dirty, casing around them, then you won’t be able and this only got worse as the minutes to wrap them around this bracket well and passed, all before it had even been used. you could end up with a mess. In my mind, a headphone stand is I can see this stand being used by useful if you want to protect a costly set of gamers and professionals who want a tidy headphones and/or you want a minimalist, desk area for the focus and peace of mind professional looking workspace. This that promotes, but who aren’t hugely product achieves both, but not in a bothered by the aesthetics of how that’s particularly aesthetically pleasing way. As achieved. If you want something affordable headphone stands aren’t a requirement, I and simple, this definitely does the trick, would expect people to want them looking but personally I would either hold out for and feeling a little sleek and luxuriant, or something a bit prettier or wouldn’t bother at least solid and professional, in order for using anything at all. If you’re going to them to be worth having at all. Therefore, I go entirely function over fashion, then I would have liked this product to have a more would at least have liked this to be easy to satisfying look and feel. At the very least, I fold down and transport with you, but the would have liked to have been spared the only way to do so is to take it apart into dust-covered floppy silicone – that took five separate pieces, which the instructions me right back to the 2000s, and not in a actually warn against doing. All in all, good way. for something practical, it isn’t practical That said, this stand is lightweight, enough, and for something aiming to pretty easy to construct and it does indeed hold up your desk space, it isn’t pretty enough, and display your headphones. It has a handy either, but at the end of the day, it does do bracket that you can wrap your cables around the job. to keep them neat, although it’s too narrow

Keeps your headphones safe and neat

$16.95 bluelounge.com/products/posto PROS: Keeps your headphones safe and neat Keeps your work station tidier Soft headphone rest

supports many sizes of headphone Easy to assemble Low price

CONS Doesn’t collapse or fold down for travel Feels cheap Silicone collects dust instantly

Bracket not wide enough for thicker, more professional cables Not many colour choices



PIXI REUSABLE ZIP TIES

Colour coded

SETTING UP AN OFFICE TO WORK FROM HOME, YOU SOON REALISE JUST HOW MANY WIRES YOU NEED TO TAME. I’VE FOUND THAT TRYING TO KEEP A WORKSPACE TIDY WHILST THREADING THAT MANY WIRES AROUND IS AN UPHILL STRUGGLE, AND IT’S EVEN WORSE WHEN YOU WANT TO UNPLUG SOMETHING AND FIND THE TANGLE THEY’VE GOTTEN THEMSELVES INTO. These reusable zip ties from Blue with a simple press, to release it again – so Lounge are simple and do their job. They much easier! remind me of the hairbands that manifested A box of these cable ties will give everywhere during my teens, from me and you a mix of ties – four short in silver and every other girl around me. They have a four long in black. They are also available soft, stretchy quality that definitely makes in blue and orange, but not with the pack them preferable to rigid plastic cable ties, we received. The two colours make it much in my book. They’re easier to use, and easier to find the length you need. These certainly more comfortable to use, and are an easy to overlook but extremely they don’t present the nightmare that the handy thing to have around in the office – plastic ones pose when it’s time to undo especially if you’re working on perfecting them again. Each zip tie has a toggle that your new set-up at home. allows you to lock the tie in place, then

arrow-alt-circle-right $9.95

bluelounge.com/products/pixi PROS: Stretchy Easy to attach Locks and releases

Two lengths Colour coded

CONS: Quite visually noticeable



MET HELMETS

Bluegrass Rogue Helmet & MET Mobilite Urban Helmet MET WERE KINDLY ENOUGH TO SEND US A COUPLE OF HELMETS THIS MONTH! HERE WE DO A RUN DOWN ON THE NEW BLUEGRASS ROGUE HELMET ESPECIALLY FOR ENDURO, AND THE MET MOBILITE HELMET FOR URBAN USE. Bluegrass prides itself on its history splashed about, you will be happy to know within cycling. If you are familiar with that the Rogue helmet is compatible with enduro or other types of mountain biking, eyewear and goggles, plus it has ports for then you will certainly have their name sunglasses too. on your mind – especially if you use their The design is sleek and the options helmets! available are all very tempting. We were Even if it is not for competition, you kindly sent the green/orange matt finish, should always be wearing a helmet when but petrol blue and black are both available you cycle. Even if you are the best cyclist in a matt finish too. Personally, I love the in the world, the slightest of mishaps could matt finish as it looks smart, pro, and it just have you flying over the handlebars of your suits the aesthetic of the helmet in general. bike. Bluegrass have specifically designed If you are an avid mountain biker this new Rogue helmet for exactly that and you frequently traverse the hills on your reason. Enduro is a dangerous extreme two-wheeled steed, then I would strongly sport and safety is paramount. All helmets recommend the Bluegrass Rogue to look the from MET comes with MIPS. MIPS is a part and feel the part. specialised brain protection system that Now to the MET Mobilite Urban reduces the strain level on your brain after helmet. Just like the Rogue, the helmet is an accident when you have bumped your made from a polycarbonate shell with EPS head whilst wearing the helmet. MIPS liner. This helmet also features extended limits the rotation of movement on the head coverage, and it even comes with an helmet when you make impact, therefore inbuilt light on the rear of the helmet, so significantly reducing the chance of a brain you complete your late-night commutes as injury. It is great that this technology is safely as possible. The rear light is an LED included and quite frankly it should be on comes with options for fixed lights and all helmets from now onwards. blinking lights. The battery life in the rear The Rogue helmet feels nice and light (320g) when you take it out the box and that will be because the of the beautifully designed polycarbonate and EPS engineered shell. The helmet features additional head coverage and all the relevant straps (Safe-T Heta retention system keeps your helmet securely fitted) to make wearing it as comfortable as possible. With the sport of endure consisting of a lot of mud being

Safety features

light has up to 60 hours of life so you don’t have to worry about constantly changing the batteries! Again, like the Rogue, MET’s Mobilite Urban helmet comes with MIPS brain protection system, so you know that you can have faith in your helmet if you unfortunately get into an accident. Again, this is a wonderful helmet with a sleek design, and it has many different colour options – blue, fluo yellow, red metallic, black, grey. The matt finish is tasteful on the Mobilite and makes it look like the high-end gear that it is. Gloss finish on helmets always seem to look a bit tacky. We were sent the fluo yellow helmet and as well as looking great – the colour will give you extra visibility as you cycle through the inner city! Overall, these are fine pair of helmets. Each are designed for their specific purposes but could still be used by the average cyclist. They may both be on the dearer side, but you can’t really put a price on your head!

Bluegrass Rogue

https://www.met-helmets.com/en/shop/ gravity/bluegrass-helmets/bluegrasstrail-helmets/rogue/ RRP: €100

PROS Safety features Sleek design

CONS Price

MET Mobilite

https://www.met-helmets.com/en/shop/ urban-helmets/e-bike-helmets/mobilite/ RRP: €70

PROS Colour options Rear light Safety features

CONS Price



HUE HD PRO CAMERA ONCE UPON A TIME, IT WAS RATHER THE INCONVENIENCE TO USE A PROJECTOR AT SCHOOL. THE PROJECTOR WAS PUSHED AROUND ON A HUGE DINNER LADY’S TROLLEY, AND ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO PROJECT USING THE PROJECTOR HAD TO BE FIRST PRINTED ONTO A PIECE OF CLEAR PROJECTOR PAPER CALLED A TRANSPARENCY. I IMAGE IT WAS QUITE THE ORDEAL TO SET THIS UP AS WELL AS PRINTING ALL YOUR TEACHING AIDES ONTO TRANSPARENCIES. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOW WELL INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND TECHNOLOGY HAS MOVED FORWARD RAPIDLY, ALL WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING OUR LIVES MUCH EASIER. AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE HUE HD PRO CAMERA DOES. We are great fans of Hue here at The comes in more playful colours such as red, Gadget Head and have previously published lime green, and sky blue. If you are not as a rave review of their Hue Animation computer literate as others – not to worry! Studio which is a wonderful piece of kit There are also installation instructions, allowing children to hone their skills in stop and you are also provided with specially animation. Hopefully, Hue will provide designed software by Hue to teach you how us with the next generation of animation to make the most out of your Hue HD Pro pioneers such as Aardman Studios, David Camera. Firth and Lee Hardcastle! This is a great little piece of kit by Anyway, that is beside the point, Hue. The camera only takes up a small back to our Hue HD Pro Camera Review… amount of space and is easily portable. This is a new product by Hue, and it has been The great thing about having a camera especially made for use in the classroom. connected to your projector is that you can It is a HD camera and visualiser that can pretty much project whatever you like, it view a full A4 sheet, and the camera does not have to just be A4 sheets of paper, directly projects this to your whiteboard. for example you could project a science The Hue HD Pro Camera is compatible experiment so that everyone at the back of with Windows XP onwards, Mac OS X the classroom can see it too. onwards and most Linux computers too. The Hue HD Pro Camera is affordable The camera is incredibly easy to set up and as well as useful. Retailing at just under use. The package we received comes with £50 is quite a steal for a plug and play HD the camera, a stand, and a USB to directly ready camera. If you are a teacher, or even connect this to your laptop or computer. We someone who regularly presents to large received the black version of this product, groups of people, then you could find this which looks nice and neutral, but it also lovely piece of kit incredibly useful!

£49.95

HD ready

https://huehd.com/pro/?ph=782f5d1b5f6507f8e0765137 PROS HD ready Multi-purpose usage Lovely colours Easy set-up



EKO – AROMA SMART SOAP DISPENSER WITHOUT A DOUBT, THERE IS MORE CAUTION HEEDED AROUND CLEANLINESS THAN EVER BEFORE. WITH THE PANDEMIC THAT HAS PLAYED OUT SINCE 2019, A LOT OF SOCIAL NORMS HAVE ALTERED, AND IT IS NOW COMMON COURTESY TO USE HAND SANITISER THROUGHOUT THE DAY - ESPECIALLY WHEN ENTERING A PUBLIC SPACE OR SOMEONE ELSE’S HOME. There are now various methods of worry about cleaning up after any leakages! attaining hand sanitiser. Some shops have A wonderful feature of the Eko an employee squirting your hands to avoid Aroma Smart Soap Dispenser is that it does cross contamination via the hand sanitisers not require batteries. The dispenser comes themselves, other shops let you apply your with a USB cord and is fully rechargeable. own and even though you are sanitising If you are using the Eko Soap Dispenser in your hands, it is unnerving to know that a shop or business with frequent usage, everyone is touching the same nozzle on you can expect one charge to last around 3 the bottle of sanitiser! Another method is hours which could be very inconvenient if simply to carry our own personal bottle, you need it to last all day, but if you are just but the problem with this is that you must using this dispenser at home for personal make sure you always carry it on you and usage then you can get about 2 weeks of must keep on buying more sanitiser once usage before needing to recharge it! you run out! The Eko Aroma Smart Soap Dispenser A simpler solution would be to have is certainly a hot item on the market right automatic dispensers everywhere – in shops, now and is certainly relevant now more offices, and houses! The Aroma Smart Soap than ever. If you are being particularly Dispenser by Eko is exactly that. Eko use cautious towards hygiene at your business the most hygienic method of application – or in your home, then this is a product you a touchless sensor. This means you do not should think about buying. have to worry about touching something where other grubby hands may have been. There are three different options depending on how much liquid you want to come out of the dispenser. This is a choice between 0.8ml, 1.4ml and 2ml of liquid. An antidrip feature also means you do not have to

arrow-alt-circle-right £49.99 https://www.ekohome.co.uk/product/aroma-smartsensor-liquid-soap-dispenser/ PROS Touchless sensor Rechargeable

3 dispensing options

CONS Battery life for frequent use



COMPASS PRO – TWELVE SOUTH

WHEN UNBOXING THE COMPASS PRO BY TWELVE SOUTH, IT’S IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS WHERE IT GETS ITS NAME. THIS NEAT LITTLE STAND LOOKS LIKE A PROPER NAUTICAL COMPASS IN ITS BOX, AND THAT SATISFYING FIRST VISUAL IMPRESSION CARRIES OVER INTO A TACTILE ONE WHEN YOU PICK IT UP. THIS STAND IS SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH AND HAS A SATISFYING WEIGHT TO IT THAT REASSURES YOU THAT IT’LL KEEP YOUR IPAD OR TABLET STURDY. IT ALSO SEEMS HARD TO BREAK AND UNLIKELY TO EVER SUFFER WITH AGE. Unfolding the Compass Pro was a time. Everything else was a sleek, smooth fun game. If you’re sensible, you’ll read the and easy experience, and then this element neat little instruction guide that shows you was more like the stiff and slightly clunky all of its positions and options, or if you’re IT accessories I’m used to. It did ease up like me, you’ll sit fidgeting with it and get after a couple of uses, but it wasn’t on a par excited every time you find a new feature (I with the rest of the product. recommend this option). Overall, though, this is a great tablet You can set the Compass Pro to three stand. It’s attractive, which IT accessories heights – the regular, most apparent height don’t always bother to be – even its when you unfold the stand is best for every- packaging is attractive when you first open day desktop use, whereas the shorter back it! We received the gunmetal grey, but it is leg that is neatly slotted away and hidden also available in matte black. It’s sturdy, against the main one can be used to set reliable, versatile, pleasant to use, and its your tablet at a lower angle best for typing adjustable heights make your tablet feel or sketching. Lastly, the bottom of the comfortable and convenient no matter what main back leg extends outwards to give it you’re doing with it. It even comes with a extra height best for hands-free use such as little carry-pouch to make it neater to pop watching a video or presentation. away in your bag. When I think of device stands with The one point in favour of iPad multiple leg options, I instantly assume and tablet cases with an in-built stand that they’re going to be stiff, clunky, and capability, over something like this, is that that the legs you’re not using will get in those are always attached to your tablet and your way. This couldn’t be less true for the don’t need bringing in and out whenever Compass Pro – whichever back leg you’re you want to use it. However, this is a tiny not using, it folds away so you would never price to pay for the ergonomic advantage know it was there. The little feet that hold of having these comfortable height options up your tablet, too, fold away and come (and far more stability. My tablet case is out with an easy pop when you need them, always falling over.) making this stand flat and easy to pack and I didn’t think there could be so much take with you. My one complaint is that the thoughtful design in something as simple extendable end of the main back leg was as a tablet stand, but Twelve South have quite stiff to pull out – especially the first proven me wrong!

Three height settings

$59.99

https://www.twelvesouth.com/products/ compass-pro PROS: Sturdy Sleek design Three height settings

Flat & compact to carry Feels satisfying to hold Carry pouch

CONS: Extendable leg is a little stiff



LIVALL EVO21 SMART HELMET

LIVALL are hosting a massive summer sale (up to 20% off all products) on livall.co.uk THERE’S NOTHING MUCH SMARTER THAN WEARING A HELMET WHEN YOU ARE RIDING A BICYCLE. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU’RE THE BEST CYCLIST IN THE WORLD, YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT SOME DRIVERS ARE COMPLETE IDIOTS ON THE ROAD, AND THEIR MISTAKES COULD COST YOU YOUR LIFE. THE ONLY THING THAT IS SMARTER THAN WEARING A HELMET WHEN CYCLING IS, WELL, WEARING A SMART HELMET! The Gadget Head team has been very but not allow you to avoid that inevitable fortunate to receive a copy of the brand new helmet hair. The EVO21 is fully waterproof EVO21 Smart Helmet by Livall. It won’t be too so you are covered from all angles! released to the public until October so we It is a tough subject to talk about, are going to give you very special run down but helmets are there for one reason, of what you can expect from the helmet accidents. Hopefully, you will never have before it hits the shelves in a few months. to use this next feature on the EVO21. The The EVO21 Smart Helmet was Helmet comes with a built in SOS system funded via an Indiegogo campaign by Livall that connects to your smartphone, and and it absolutely smashed the financial in the event of an accident the helmet target. Knowing what this helmet can automatically calls 999 for you, as well offer…it’s hardly a surprise. As well as as providing your geolocation to the being aesthetically pleasing (coming in emergency services. This is probably the black, mint, purple or white), the EVO21 is most important feature I’ve ever seen packed with features that will allow you to added to a helmet. Unfortunately, a helmet cycle safer than ever. The first noticeable can only do so much in the event of an features are the front and rear lights on the accident, and if a dangerous driver comes helmet. The front of the helmet has a white round a bend on a countryside road and hits light, and the back has a red safety light you at 70mph, then you might not be in any that covers 270 degrees around the back state to use your phone. And then if it is a of your head. You can also attach a device hit and run, what hope do you have? With to your handlebars that will allow you to the EVO21 by Livall, you are prepared for indicate left and right with the lights on the the worst, which is the least you can do if back of the helmet, very impressive! you value your own life. Some of the more common features This is the safest and most useful of helmets are very impressive on the EVO21 helmet that we have had in the Gadget Head as well. The shell of the helmet weighs in at office so far. I have no doubt that these will an ultra-light 350g so if you are taking it be flying off the shelves by the time it comes out on a long ride, you won’t feel a strain on to the release in October. Good job, Livall!!! your neck after a while. The helmet is fully ventilated which will minimise sweating

Preorder for

£99.99

https://livall.co.uk/product/livall-evo21/ PROS In-built lights Indicators SOS system



PULSEROLL MINI MASSAGE GUN

I DO MY BEST TO KEEP FIT WITH A COMBINATION OF RUNNING AND WEIGHT TRAINING HOWEVER AS I GET OLDER I SEEM MORE PRONE TO ACHES AND PAINS, NOT PULLED MUSCLES WHICH WOULD STOP ME BUT JUST ANNOYING ACHES. WITH SORE MUSCLES A MASSAGE GUN IS AN EXTREMELY USEFUL GADGET AS IT WILL INCREASE BLOOD FLOW AND FLUSH AWAY LACTIC ACID. THE COMBINATION OF PRESSURE AND SHORT, SHARP PULSES HELPS TO REDUCE MUSCLE TIGHTNESS, INCREASE FLEXIBILITY, AND REDUCE SORENESS AFTER A WORKOUT. The Pulseroll is well presented. a round head for a full body massage and It comes boxed up and inside the box is a a Spinal head/u-head for your neck, spine zipped hard bag with designated spots and Achilles’ tendon. for each part of the gun, the 4 different It uses integral rechargeable heads, instruction book and UBS cable. Lithium Ion batteries charged with a USB It’s a small, handy size massage gun in a C (included) and has a charge time of convenient carry bag. approximately 3 hours. And when fully On the base of the gun there are charged it can last up to 3 hours dependent the operation controls which are nice and on power level setting used. simple with an easy read display. Once you The instruction manual in the pack turn the gun on, you have light indicators with gives good advice on body areas and for the 4 power settings and the remaining how best to massage them. battery life and these 4 power setting Many of the personal hand-held give the gun good flexibility of pressure massagers I have used are a bit clunky, needed for varying muscle recovery and for heavy or awkward to use but the Pulseroll is different people. a brilliant balance. It’s easy to wield, easy The massage gun only comes in the to use, and versatile in Pulseroll brand colour of black and red only what it offers. however this is a great colour combination. The gun itself is a lightweight aluminium body which makes it easy to wield. Not only is it light, but it’s a good shape to hold. This handle-like shape gives you control over the massage gun, allowing you to reach the exact spots you need, including hard to reach places on your back. The Pulseroll massagers four different massage heads are the pneumatic head (flat), which is intended for soft tissue and full body massage; a Bullet head, which provides a deep tissue/pain point massage;

4 changeable massage heads

RRP £129.99

www.pulseroll.com

arrow-alt-circle-right

PROS: One year warranty 4 changeable massage heads Well presented in a nice bag

Easy to hold Good battery life Rechargeable Lightweight 4 speed settings

CONS: For deeper work you may need the bigger Pulseroll Massage gun

Only comes in black and red



Flex technology. TM

RE MILK MO

TESTED C OMFO

A whole new pumping experience, shaped

d n y u o o r

Comfortable. Flexible. Personalised. Explore the FlexTM range. The first pumps you can adapt to fit your natural breast shape. medela.com/flex

SFX3 ALL COURT WIMBLEDON – BABOLAT THE TOP THING I LOOK FOR IN A SPORTS SHOE, BESIDES MAKING SURE IT IS SECURE AND ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED ENOUGH THAT I TRUST IT TO ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF MY FEET, IS COMFORT. There’s nothing I find more shock absorption, and similar details in discouraging that putting on trainers or engineering exist throughout the shoe, tennis shoes that feel unpleasant, or even cushioning and padding your foot whilst that feel a bland sort of neutral. If I’m still allowing enough room for those with putting on shoes that are actually more wider feet. You feet will feel snug, pillowed comfortable than my regular ones, it makes and yet protected, allowing you to play for the shoe and the connected activity feel longer without either injury or sore feet at special and makes me glad to be returning the end. to it: well-made training shoes are The rubber for the soles was made encouraging, energizing, and make your by Michelin, and they make sure you know body feel more capable, because they’re it with a little logo of a happily running aiding your movement rather than fighting Michelin Man on the back of your heel. against it. All of this is true of the SFX3 All Babolat has used Michelin’s rubber for its Court Wimbledons. soles for the past 15 years, thanks to its Babolat describes this model as the durability, grip and spring. As for the shape ‘slipper’ of their tennis shoes, and they’re of the sole, that’s all Babolat, with its not wrong, except that the fit is far more patented nine key pressure point segments supportive than any slipper I’ve owned. Out used to maximize responsiveness. It works of Babolat’s Wimbledon range, these are – again, it felt like these shoes were working the shoe that focus on comfort, but in doing with me, not against me, and whether you’re so, they sacrifice none of the support, fit or an experienced sportsperson or someone performance one would want from the rest who has a hot and cold relationship with of the range. keeping fit, that feeling is essential. The A TPR ‘Kompressor’ tube under grip in the base of the shoe is also excellent, the heel has been positions to aid and as advertised, the sole is non-marking,

£94.99

meaning you won’t leave any of those trainer streaks across your court floor. Like all of Babolat’s Wimbledon range, the SFX3 All Court Wimbledon is only available in the signature white and purple, but don’t be deceived - the same model is also available as ‘Men’s’ and ‘Women’s’ versions, coming in blue, green and orange for men and all-pink for women (predictably). It is available in sizes 3.5 to 13.5 and allows for a broader foot, but I suspect you also don’t need a broader foot to benefit from these trainers (especially as feet all need a little give when they get hot). All in all, I was very impressed with the All Courts. Comfort, performance, protection and stability – they deliver everything one could need in a sports shoe, and it quickly becomes clear that the designers understand the needs of tennis players. Running, leaping, landing, bracing and keeping ready to spring – these shoes will look after you.

www.babolat.com PROS: Comfortable fit Secure Kompressor shock absorption Segmented sole for max responsiveness Non-marking soles Good spring Room for a wider foot Cushioning Breathe well



EXPLANAR PUTTING MAT WE ARE REVIEWING THE EXPLANAR PUTTING MAT, A SIMPLE AND VERY EFFECTIVE ROLL OUT MAT TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR GOLF PUTTING SKILLS. WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED THE EXPLANAR GOLF SWING TRAINER (HERE’S THE LINK: HTTPS:// THEGADGETHEAD.COM/SPORT-FITNESS/EXPLANAR-GOLFTRAINING-SYSTEM), A FANTASTIC PRODUCT FROM THE SAME COMPANY. Anyone who has played golf will again. This coloured matt gives you varied know that it can be the most rewarding yet angled sight lines to practice and visualise frustrating game. The slightest degree off the perfect line every time. This will also on your club head’s angle and the error can help improve your aim and putter face be enormous over a longer distance. It’s alignment. a whole body game, so there are so many The mat has distance segments, aspects where you can get it wrong. The meaning you can practice putts of differing key to success is repetition: if you want to lengths from 2ft to 10ft. It even prepares improve at golf you must repeat, repeat, you for the impact of grass texture, cleverly repeat, and Explanar allows you to do this mimicking the texture so that your practise in the comfort of your own home. You can is working against the same resistance and improve your swing or putting without even interference, thus allowing your practise leaving the house. to transfer successfully from home to the I have played golf for many years and green. know all too well that the tiniest mistake can It is a great tool to have at home ruin your game, and the Explanar Putting or at work – wherever you can grab a few Mat helps reduce these mistakes by giving minutes with it. This is well made and a you the chance to continually practice, thus very useful tool to help better your putting. helping your brain and muscle memory to After all, it doesn’t matter how few strokes correctly calculate the distance and speed you need to get the ball to the green in if you of your putt. can’t put the ball in the hole. Putting is an art form - a rolling ball will hold its line, and you need to know the speed to putt at so that it travels fast enough to keep the line and still drop in the hole. If it slows down too much, the ball is more likely to deviate from its line. To get better you must visualise the perfect line and practice the putt, time and time

Realistic pace on the ball www.explanar.com PROS

RRP £145.00

Well made Coloured design to help with drills A good grass feel on the ball

CONS Cost but you do get what you pay for

Realistic pace on the ball Practice, practice, practice

SWITCHBOT HOME DEVICES EVER SINCE THE SIMPSONS MOVED INTO THEIR FULLY AUTOMATED HOME, COURTESY OF SUPERVILLAIN BUT BRILLIANT BOSS HANK SCORPIO, THE IDEA OF A SCI-FI ASSISTED HOUSE HAS APPEALED TO ME. WITH SMART HUBS SUCH AS ALEXA AND APP-CONTROLLED HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS, WE’RE FINALLY LIVING IN THAT REALITY, AND THE ITEMS FROM SWITCHBOT ARE PERFECT, AFFORDABLE ADDITIONS TO THIS WAY OF LIFE THAT WHEN COMBINED CAN TURN YOUR HOME INTO A MUCH MORE STREAMLINED, INTELLIGENT, HANDS-FREE EXPERIENCE. SwitchBot sent an exciting package devices, including your TV, air conditioner of goodies over to us so we could run around and anything else that would usually be the house, connect everything up and see controlled by a remote. The Hub can mimic what kind of difference they made. Here’s the signal of those remotes, allowing you to what we were sent: orchestrate everything from your phone via the app or with voice commands. Considering how cheap it is, I was SwitchBot Hub Mini really surprised at how much you can sync $39 up, using this Hub. If you already have an AI assistant such as Alexa, Google assistant https://www.switch-bot.com/ or Siri, the SwitchBot Hub can work with products/switchbot-Hub-mini these, too. It’s a quick and cost-effective The SwitchBot Hub Mini is at the way to hook more devices up to a central heart of the other SwitchBot products. This system. You’ll definitely want it if you’re Hub isn’t just a device for streamlining going to buy a few of the other SwitchBot the control of your SwitchBot devices products, though it does also function – this surprisingly affordable product without. actually streamlines most household

SwitchBot Curtain – Rod $99 https://www.switch-bot.com/ products/switchbot-curtain The SwitchBot Curtain allows you to control the opening and closing of your curtains from the ease of an app. At first, I wasn’t sure how useful that was, but I was soon converted: you can set your curtains to open and close at a certain time every day, to respond to the light levels outside, or you can open them manually using a slider on the app. The slider means you can select exactly how open you’d like your curtains, too – it’s surprisingly useful! For example, you can tell your curtains to open during the daytime in winter, but to be closed in summer, and you can have them partially open if you want to keep the heat out/ in but still want some light to reach your plants. We received two of the SwitchBot Curtain devices, which meant we could hook them up to two windows with a single curtain each, or one window with a pair of curtains. That is one drawback with this system – if you want the automated curtain life, I suggest having single curtains that pull shut all the way across your window, or else you’ll be paying double for every window you want to rig up. The SwitchBot Curtain is available in three designs, depending on what kind of curtain rail you have. Check carefully to make sure you order the right one before purchasing – they seem to have most types of curtain rails covered, but not all. Available in white and black, you can select the device that will best blend in, but they’re not the smallest or most subtle. Then again, I quickly stopped noticing it, and you really do notice the ease it creates. This device is handy whether you have limited mobility around your

home or you’d just like things to run smoothly and automatically around you. It’s especially worthwhile if you’re rigging other devices up to the SwitchBot Hub too – I wouldn’t see much point in having slick windows if I had to do everything else myself! However, if you’re less mobile and don’t want to have to keep heading to the curtains every time the light levels change, this is invaluable. You can even voice-activate the SmartBot Curtain for that extra sci-fi feeling of ease, and with an 8-month battery life and re-chargable batteries, they’re rarely going to need any upkeep from you at all. Plus, there’s an optional SwitchBot Solar Panel. Once plugged into the SwitchBot Curtain, you will never have to recharge again.

SwitchBot Remote $19 https://www.switch-bot.com/ products/switchbot-remote The SwitchBot remote is a simple add-on device that lets you open or close your curtains with the touch of a button. I would recommend this product for people who want the ease of automated curtains but are less comfortable using their phones for everything. As a cheap add-on that can either be wall mounted or hand held, if that’s you, or you’re setting up a home system for a parent or grandparent, this won’t break the bank and could really improve someone’s experience.

SwitchBot Solar Panel $25 https://www.switch-bot.com/ products/switchbot-solar-panel The SwitchBot Solar Panel is another direct companion for the SwitchBot Curtain. The SwitchBot Solar

Panel attaches to your curtain bots to keep them fully powered, meaning you don’t ever need to worry about them failing. These solar panels attach easily, and something I was pleased to find was that they also attach in different ways, depending on your curtain and what feels most secure. For example, you can either attached it directly to the SwitchBot Curtain, or you can fix it to the curtain fabric itself. This add-on is a great idea I always approve of a green power solution, and attached to curtains, you know that these panels are going to have plenty of access to sunlight! However, the SwitchBot Curtain already has an 8-month battery life and a rechargeable battery, so these panels are by no means necessary. They’re a very convenient and eco-friendly addition, and not very costly, but added on top of the cost of the curtain bot itself, you have to decide how much each of your automated curtains are worth to you. However, if you’re setting up a home system for someone else and want it to be as easy as possible for them, then I would definitely recommend them.

SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer $19 https://www.switch-bot.com/ products/switchbot-meter This product is a little different to the others in our bundle. In essence, this is a straight-up thermometer and humidity monitor - something I first

got to know about through my wife’s brief obsession with buying calatheas and other temperamental house plants, but which you might also be in the need for to keep an eye on the health of your pets, your newborn, or the wellbeing of instruments and other valuable items. Unlike the cheap humidity meter I have, this one gives a reading to your phone and can send you alerts if the temperature and humidity in the area it is set up changes outside of what you have told it are the correct parameters. It also keeps track of the data for 36 days, so if that calathea is looking peaky, you can check your data history and find out why. This product is fairly useful as a stand-alone, and for the low price, I would definitely recommend it over a meter that doesn’t send you alerts. However, it really is best when paired with the SwitchBot Hub. Then, as well as monitoring the situation and sending you alerts, you can use the Hub to tell your air conditioning to turn on and off when the reading hits certain levels, etc.

Overall:

With SwitchBot products, this is one of those cases where ‘more is more’. The more you can hook up to your Hub, the more value and use you get out of every product. Apart from the SwitchBot Curtain, each individual item is also very affordable, and most of these, you only need to buy one of. If you’re looking to automate your home, this is a really user-friendly, cost-effective way to do so, and is really worth checking out.

www.switch-bot.com PROS Intuitive & easy to use All app controlled Gives you loads of options and control Works well together to create a wider experience Helpful if you have limitations in your mobility

Cost effective Button options if you don’t want to use your phone Voice control options

CONS SwitchBot Curtain could be expensive if you needed several SwitchBot Curtains aren’t very small or subtle in appearance

Only come in white or black



JACKET DAVID, BY TUCANO URBANO JACKET DAVID IS A LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTIVE JACKET FOR MOTORBIKE USERS WHO WANT AN ALTERNATIVE TO BEING WEIGHED DOWN BY HEAVY LEATHERS. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A WINDBREAKER WITH SOME ADDED INTERNAL ARMOURING AND PROTECTION AT THE SHOULDERS, AND CUFFS: I IMAGINE THE JACKET HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR CITY DRIVING, RATHER THAN LONG DISTANCE TRIPS, AS IT IS CERTAINLY BUILT TO KEEP YOU SAFE AND IS A FANTASTIC ALTERNATIVE TO A REGULAR JACKET, BUT ISN’T AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD WANT WITH YOU AT TOP SPEEDS. That said, the jacket’s armour has Reflective strips on the adjustable cuffs a Class A CE approval rating. Please note add another safety detail, and as a true that this rating is on the armour pieces, and time capsule detail, it even comes with a not the entire jacket, meaning that it does mask and mask pocket. The included mask not guarantee that the jacket’s fabric would warns that it isn’t to the correct standard to cut it in a high-speed accident. However, count as official PPE, but it will protect you the armour padding meets an EN17092 from smoggy air, and will help you to be a standard in protecting rides from abrasion safer element in crowds than you would be and impact without limiting their riding without it. ability. Personally, I would prefer a more I’m not sure of the significance of the heavy-duty jacket, but if it’s a hot day or name ‘David’ for this jacket, but I’ve known a short journey and you’re feeling tempted a few Davids who would wear it, so perhaps to go without, you’d be much better off they’re onto something. This is an effective reaching for this instead. Let’s be honest – windbreaker that will keep you safe from how often are you tempted not to wear your the elements, and its extra armour padding full gear on a glorious day or for a quick city will also help you if you take a tumble. trip? Don’t be – go for something like this Don’t take this on the motorway, but if instead. Every bit of safety can make the you’re nipping to the coffee shop and want difference. to arrive feeling in style and light on your We received Jacket David in Airborne feet, don’t go armourless – bring Jacket Green. Both this and the other available David instead. colour, Dark Blue, give the windbreaker a casual, work-clothes feel that I enjoy. This jacket doesn’t just look like a windbreaker – it is windproof and waterproof, with a highstrength Taslan nylon exterior, and yet manages to remain pleasantly breathable, thanks in part to its polyester mesh interior.

€179,00

www.tucanourbano.com

arrow-alt-circle-right

PROS: Stylish Waterproof Windproof Armoured shoulders and elbows

Protective, reflective cuffs Adjustable fit Tough fabric

CONS: CE approval applies to armour inserts only



ROK COFFEE: ESPRESSOGC Explorer Edition

THERE IS ONE THING THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE WHEN I START OFF MY DAY, AND THAT IS TO ENJOY A GOOD HOT CUP OF COFFEE. INSTANT COFFEE GROUNDS HAVE NOT CUT IT FOR ME FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND EVEN LOWER GRADE COFFEES MADE IN A FRENCH PRESS DON’T GIVE ME THE FIX THAT I DESIRE EITHER. HOWEVER, ROK COFFEES NEW ESPRESSOGC EXPLORER’S EDITION MAKE BOLD CLAIMS TO THE COFFEE THAT IT PRODUCES. THEY CLAIM THAT THE COFFEE YOU CAN MAKE WITH THEIR NEW KIT WILL TAKE YOU TO JAVA NIRVANA. AS THE PREVIOUS EDITION OF THIS PRODUCT IS ALREADY AN AWARDWINNER, I’LL TAKE A ONE-WAY TICKET PLEASE!!! The first thing that you notice when need is a kettle to boil your water, a bag of you take the EspressoGC out of the box is your favourite ground coffee, and of course that is certainly made of sturdy stuff. The the machine to do all the magic. I was very espresso machine itself is crafted from cast impressed by the quality of the espresso that aluminium, steel, and a glass-composite the machine makes. The process of making (this is what the “GC” stands for in the the coffee was very enjoyable too and it product name). If you drop this off your feels like much more of an achievement kitchen counter onto your toes, it may break than letting an electronic coffee machine do your toe, but you can be assured that the all the work, the engineering and design of machine won’t break! And even if it does – this product make it feel timeless. you are covered by a 10-year warranty for So, if you are like me, and you have all the metal parts on the machine. graduated from instant coffee and filter As well as the machine, the box coffee, then moving on to an espresso also comes with three different types of machine is definitely the next step. portafilter – standard, crema-plus, and Many products on the market now go for naked. It also comes with a manual milk approximately £500, they have all the bells frother, dosing funnel, coffee spoon, clip- and whistles, but it is a steep price to pay on adapter, and of course the instructions for a cup of coffee. The EspressoGC Explorer too! These feature on the outside of the Edition retails at £199.99 right now, which box, so there are no excuses when it comes is a fraction of the price. You may have to to losing the instruction manual! put in a little bit of extra work to get your Fortunately, the EspressoGC is not shot of espresso but the ritual of using this like a modern coffee machine, in fact, machine will pay off tenfold. Buy this and it requires no plugging in and it has no you really do get to Java Nirvana! confusing digital interface on it. All you will

arrow-alt-circle-right RRP: £199.99 https://www.rok.coffee/uk-products/espressogcexplorers-edition PROS Sturdy craftsmanship Quality engineering Fun to use



PEAK DESIGN – FIELD POUCH V2

PERFECTION IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL STRIVE FOR. EVEN WHEN WE DO VERY WELL AT SOMETHING, THERE CAN ALWAYS BE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. PEAK DESIGN DID A GREAT JOB WITH THEIR ORIGINAL FIELD POUCH. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS AS IF THEY WEREN’T COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THEIR FIRST GO, AND THEREFORE CREATED ANOTHER ONE – THE FIELD POUCH V2! It’s not like the original Field Pouch party verified source that allows brands was poorly received though. It gained rave and consumers to actualize climate action. reviews across the board and is still an Any environmentalists out there can put incredibly popular item in the Peak Design themselves at ease, good work Peak Design! roster. But as we said, Peak Design are If you are an avid traveller and clearly aiming for, well, the peak! photographer, then the Field Pouch could The new Field Pouch V2 comes in a come in handy. It is the perfect satchel to variety of colours: charcoal, midnight, and put all your excess tech gear in, whether black. We received the midnight pouch which this be cords, accessories, batteries, and is a lovely dark navy with a tan trim. On first hard drives. There are also five elasticated sight it is a very stylish and aesthetically slots that would be perfect for SD cards or pleasing bag. The Field Pouch is completely other cartridges. You won’t be able to fit a waterproof and is made from 400D nylon large camera in it, but if you take additional canvas, an incredibly strong material, and photos on a smaller film/digital camera, or as well as being waterproof it is more or have a mini polaroid, then there would be less tearproof and guarantees long lasting plenty of space for this in the Field Pouch. quality. We are also very happy to confirm The Field Pouch can be worn a couple of that the Field Pouch V2 is completely made ways. There are loops on the back of the from recycled plastics and is also bluesign pouch so that you could attach it to your certified. For those who don’t know what belt, alternatively, a removable strap is this means, bluesign certification means included inside the bag so that you can wear that harmful substances have been totally it over your shoulder. Either way, you will eliminated from the supply chain. Peak have an easily accessible Field Pouch on Design is a Climate Neutral Certified brand. the go. This is exactly what the Field Pouch Throughout the entire supply chain the aims to be. company is measuring its carbon footprint Clearly Peak Design are on top and offsetting or reducing carbon emissions form with the Field Pouch V2. If you where possible so at the point of purchase require something to neatly keep all your consumers are shopping 100% carbon accessories in whilst you’re on the go, look neutral products. The consumer facing no further. certification label, is a trusted and third-

Sturdy material RRP: £32.81

https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/pouchescubes/products/field-pouch-v2 PROS Sturdy material Stylish design Easily accessible



JAXJOX DUMBBELLCONNECT JAXJOX HAS SINGLE HANDEDLY REVOLUTIONISED FITNESS. THE DUMBBELLCONNECT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND DIGITAL DUMBBELL SET. . EACH DUMBBELL HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE WEIGHT BETWEEN 3.6KG-22.6KG. IF YOU HAVE A GYM OR WORKOUT SPACE AT SOME, YOU MAY HAVE A WHOLE RACK OF DUMBBELLS, OR AT LEAST HAVE A PILE OF WEIGHTS THAT YOU HAVE TO SCREW ON AND OFF THE DUMBBELL BAR. THIS IS A PAIN, CERTAINLY IF YOUR ARMS ARE ALREADY ACHING TOO! WITH THE JAXJOX DUMBBELL CONNECT, YOU WILL ONLY EVER NEED TWO DUMBBELLS MAXIMUM! THAT’S IT. BETTER SELL YOUR OLD RACK OF DUMBBELLS NOW AND MAKE THE SPACE FOR ANOTHER PIECE OF FITNESS EQUIPMENT IN YOUR HOME GYM. The two DumbbellConnect weights product, as it saves will each sit in a cradle. At the touch of a space and could also be button you can change weight increments very useful if you want within seconds. You have a fair few options to get a change of scenery here, choose from: 3.6kg, 6.3kg, 9.07kg, for your next workout. These 11.8kg, 14.5kg, 17.2kg, 19.9kg, 22.6kg. are incredibly portable, and you This is the perfect number of variations in could take them to the park or the weight for all abilities of fitness. However, beach – wherever you fancy working out! if you are already hench – 22.6kg might not Bear in mind that these do need charging, cut it for you. but if you keep them plugged in while not With another touch of a button, you in use, you’ll never have to worry about are able to connect the DumbbellConnect to this. JAXJOX has priced these rather the JAXJOX app on your phone. Via the app dearly, however upon further research, you are able to keep a track of your workout some complete dumbbell sets with a rack sessions, with detailed breakdowns on can cost way over £500, so at £499.99, your reps, volume, sets, avg power, and you could consider the DumbbellConnect workout duration. Unfortunately, on top fairly modest in comparison. The of the £499.99 you are spending on the DumbbellConnect is certainly a one-of-aDumbbellConnect, it is an extra £12.99 kind product, if you want to impress your a month if you wish to get on-demand workout buddies, maybe you should think workout classes and personalised Fitness about getting these. Hopefully over time IQ tracking with the premium version of the JAXJOX will release a version with almost app. There is a 30-day free trial, but I think limitless weight variations – but this is very you would have to be very committed to pay impressive technology and will more than extra for this feature. But it is cheaper than suffice for now! a personal trainer! Overall, I really think this is a brilliant

Revolutio Tech

RRP £499.99

onary h

PROS Portable Save Space

Revolutionary Tech App Connectivity

CONS Expensive Limited Weight Variation

Premium Features on App



MINIMEIS ADVENTURE BUNDLE The Backpack/Shoulder Carrier/Gamechanger Shoes

IF YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN BLESSED WITH THE PITTER PATTER OF TINY FEET, YOU MAY BE LACKING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP, BUT YOU ARE INCREDIBLY LUCKY NONETHELESS! IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT YOU HAVE YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU, FORTUNATELY, MINIMEIS HAVE COME UP WITH A BUNDLE OF GOODIES TO HELP YOU GET ON THE WAY WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE. HERE IS OUR RUNDOWN OF THEIR ADVENTURE BUNDLE. THIS INCLUDES THE BACKPACK, SHOULDER CARRIER, AND THE GAMECHANGER SHOES.

THE BACKPACK

At first sight the Minimeis backpack isn’t particularly anything special. We were sent the grey backpack, which looks rather uninspired, as this was the only option available. When they are available again, you can also get the backpack in navy, yellow, burgundy, and grey/orange. If I were to buy this for myself, I would have gone for burgundy, though this is just a personal preference. Conveniently, if you order it with the Shoulder Carrier

SHOULDER CARRIER

The shoulder carrier is a brilliant and creative idea by Minimeis. Those of us who have kids know that it can be a hassle getting them around, and if they are still too young to walk for long distances, then you need to carry a pram or a baby carrier with you. Prams are too big to carry around with you, plus when they are in use, stairs and other obstacles can become a nightmare. Baby carriers are another option, but the ones that sit your baby onto your back or on your front can sometimes lead to back pain. A lot of us carry our younger ones on our shoulders, this creates less strain on the back but can also be dangerous if they fling themselves backwards or forwards and fall off. Minimeis’ genius design means that as well as having your child strapped into the

RRP: £224.97

and Gamechanger Shoes, then these fit perfectly within the backpack. Even when you have the backpack filled with these two other Minimeis products, there is still plenty of space for more stuff, there are two zip pockets on the front and on the inside, plus a pouch that sits directly behind your back. You can store the shoulder straps of the backpack in there while the backpack is not in use, which means it can be stored nice and neatly. shoulder carrier, you also have the shoulder carrier strapped to yourself. There are plenty of straps and buckles to make sure you can get a comfortable fit. The shoulder carrier also maintains support in the right areas, so you can be travelling with your child on your shoulders for hours on end, in total comfort! The Minimeis Shoulder Carrier is aimed at children anywhere between the ages of 6 months to 5 years old. There are adjustability options so that as your child grows, they can still fit into the carrier. This is a wonderful alternative option a pram or standard baby carrier, your child gets a terrific view, whilst also being fully safe and secure on your shoulders. There are only two potential downsides to this design. Firstly, you would have to be

very careful with any door frames or low hanging branches. Hopefully, you would remember to duck or at least warn your child, but they could end up with a nasty bump to the head, particularly if you are using this shoulder strap for a taller/older child. The second negative could be your child itself! They will have to be very well behaved up there, if your bald they might use your head as a drum or try and steer you with your ears!

GAMECHANGER SHOES

For those instances when your kid isn’t getting carried around in the should carrier, they will be running about on their little feet! The Gamechanger Shoes by Minimeis are a collaboration with the shoe manufacturer, Gaitline. We received the black & burgundy pair which were once again the only colour option left available! When they are back in stock, you can also purchase grey & orange, multi navy, and multi yellow. All options look wonderful and incredibly cute. Apart from being incredibly stylish, the Gamechanger shoes are comfortable to wear and are designed to give your child the perfect balance.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Minimeis have created a wonderful bundle with these three items, they are all relevant to each other, whilst all coming packed within the backpack. Even though

you can buy all three separately, if you are buying the shoulder carrier, then I would certainly advise you to get the backpack as well. The shoulder carrier does come in a draw string pouch if you buy it separately, but it would be so much easier to carry around if you had a backpack that it could fit in. The shoes aren’t strictly necessary, but if you wanted to, you could colour co-ordinate your child with the shoulder carrier and backpack! Through this review we have mentioned that some of the items we received were the only ones left in stock. This is clearly a testament to the popularity of the Minimeis range. Minimeis was named one of the ‘Best inventions of 2019’ by Time Magazine which has certainly significantly bolstered the brands credibility. No one in the office had seen anything like this before and we all think it is a brilliant idea too. If you love to travel around with your child, and you’re tired of using a pram, then maybe give this a go!

https://uk.minimeis.com/products/ adventure-bundle PROS All packs together Secure and safe Easy to adjust Comfortable for adult & child

CONS Be weary of aerial obstacles Grey backpack looks dull Price



MIND THE GAP Ages 6+ 2-8 players 15 mins game time

A fast-paced card shredder, the aim of Mind the gap is to be the first player to get rid of your hand. Discarding a card depends on the tube station colours of the last player’s discard – just beware of the wild cards that could trip you up and set you back. This game is essentially Uno or Switch, but with a London Underground makeover. Suitable for 2-8 players of all ages, this is a quick, easy family game perfect for some fast-paced, time-killing competition.

Fast paced and fun, but basically Uno/Switch. Then again, who doesn’t love Uno?



RACE THE RAILS Ages 8+ 2-8 players 15 mins game time

You’ll need a lot of counter space to play this game! It sounds a little complicated when you read the rules, but it’s fast and easy to play – if slightly chaotic. Basically, every player has a starting station and must search for their station on the Route cards. Once they find one, they must write down the name of the station and the time on their answer sheet and look for the next station. The aim of the game is to reach home first, with the least amount of money spent… To any London commuters, a hauntingly relatable goal. The game has some fun curve balls added with Milestones that cause the players to complete challenges, lose and gain money, making this the more creative of the two Underground-themed games we were sent by Gibsons.

Original, chaotic, gets the brain whirring



The packaging of both of these games is of a nice standard – especially the Mind the Gap time. I can see both of these games being sold in London gift shops, and looking at the packaging, I’m guessing that that’s exactly what they’re designed for. If you’re a regular traveller on the Underground, you may not want to stare at those maps, or anything that looks like them, a moment longer than you have to, but for the rest of us, these are some fun, fast-paced family games that can kill some time on holiday or give the group’s energy a boost as part of a games night.

Sur f 3 Inspired by mountain bike technology Why choose between a four-wheel urban pushchair or a three-wheel trekking pushchair. With Surf 3 you can have both, uniquely adaptable it can switch between city and trekking modes with ease. Whether you’re in the town or country the unique suspension ensures a smooth ride.

4 wheels for urban use

silvercrossbaby.com

Trekking wheel for multi terrain use

In Tune With You

Discover and enjoy live and on-demand audio effortlessly, anywhere.

Visit www.pure.com to view our full range

MELITTA LATTESELECT COFFEE MAKER I, LIKE MOST PEOPLE OF A VAGUELY WRITERLY PERSUASION (OR, MOST ANY KIND OF BUSY ADULT-TYPE PERSON), HAVE A FONDNESS OF COFFEE THAT BORDERS ON A RELIANCE. I GAVE UP DAIRY FOR LENT AND, UNTIL I CAVED AND ALLOWED MYSELF DAIRY-SUBSTITUTES IN THE MEANTIME, THE WORST PART OF THE WHOLE THING WAS BEING WITHOUT MY USUAL COFFEES. MANY COFFEE-LOVERS WOULD TELL ME TO JUST DRINK IT BLACK, BUT IN MY WORLD, BLACK COFFEE MIGHT AS WELL BE NO COFFEE AT ALL. SO, LENT OVER AND MILKY COFFEE VERY MUCH BACK ON THE MENU, I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE NEW MELITTE LATTESELECT. LATTE? YES PLEASE. ALL OF THE YES. In actuality, the LatteSelect able to make your perfect cup. makes more than just super-milky coffee A really clever little feature in this beverages. You can select from espresso, machine is a self-cleaning function that café crème, cappuccino or latte macchiato, offers to run every time you make a drink or, using the menu, you can access eight with milk, making sure those milk-specific other recipes. Don’t worry – these recipes parts are cleaned every time. I thought this don’t just select the ingredient amounts, was a really nice touch, and keeps your but also make sure that everything is added machine hygienic without you needing to in the right order depending on the drink wash the whole thing after every milk drink. you selected, to make sure you get that Speaking of cleaning, another nice detail is barista seal of approval. Select the recipes that its PRO AQUA filter technology filters you want, save them and have them easily your water to prevent lime scale build-up. to hand the next time. The menu display I love a good coffee machine, but those two even has coloured pictures to avoid any elements are the ones that can creep me out confusion, which is a nice detail in terms of me if they’re not taken care of, but you can this machine’s accessibility. have peace of mind with the LatteSelect. You can have this coffee machine With a price tag of £1000, this loaded up with two types of beans at a time, machine is no throw-away purchase. in two separate chambers, and can select However, it’s easy, cares about taste and which ones you want to use for your drink. helps you to keep it maintained. Unless This is really handy for the more discerning you’re getting really deeply stuck into the coffee drinkers who might have a selection weeds, this is everything you could need of flavours and tones in at once, or for a from a coffee machine, covering all of the household where you and your significant basics and then having some awesome other can’t decide on which is best. To add elements of personalisation besides. It further to your choices, you can select from doesn’t take up too much space, it looks four different brewing strengths and five professional and attractive, and most different grinding settings – basically, with importantly, it makes a good cup of coffee. a little experimentation, you should soon be

RRP £1,000

www.melitta.com PROS: Select from 12 coffee recipes Edit your brew and grind strength Set favourite setting to memory

CONS: Price

Load with two bean types at once Easy to clean Self-cleaning elements Makes a good cup of coffee

KÄRCHER SE 4001 I CURRENTLY LIVE WITH TWO OTHER ADULTS, A CAT, A DOG AND A BIRD, AND WE’RE TRYING TO SELL THE HOUSE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT ALL ADDS UP INTO REALLY NEEDING A GOOD VACUUM, NOT TO MENTION A GOOD CARPET CLEANER. I WASN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE KÄRCHER SE 4001, SO I GOT A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS BOTH! THIS MODEL IS A PROPER, MULTI-FUNCTIONAL CARPET CLEANER, CAPABLE OF WET CLEANS AS WELL AS DRY TO WASH THROUGH YOUR CARPETS AND REALLY GET DOWN TO ALL THE MUCK (AND SAVE YOU A TON OF STORAGE BY NOT NEEDING TWO MACHINES!) Thankfully, the SE 4001 is aware of some of the attachment heads that come the trouble caused by pets – not just their with my vacuums, but in this case, they all fur, but all the mud and other icky stuff they have an important function and are worth work into the floors. Using a process called holding on to. spray extraction, it gets right down into A fantastic difference between the those surfaces, be they carpet or textiles SE 4001 and the carpet cleaner I own is on your furniture, wets and loosens up the that the floor dries much faster with the SE. dirt, cleans it via the cleaning solution it This is apparently all thanks to the nozzle its water, and sucks up the rest. This does design, and it’s a huge bonus – I would clean wonders for battling allergens caught in my carpets far more often, but it’s a real your furnishings, not to mention all the pain having them damp for over a day! No rest! longer a problem. I’ve owned carpet cleaners in the This is a really handy machine, and past, but never one that integrates with a for a very reasonable price. The company traditional vacuum. The water tank slots recommends its Kärcher Carpet Cleaner RM on to the side, meaning you don’t need to 519 as the solution to mix into the water, take the whole machine apart or disrupt the but you can use any of the carpet cleaner dust bag every time you need to pour away shampoos and detergents you find at your dirty water for clean (which, with carpets local store. that get as dirty as mine, is often!). This keeps the water function and the regular vacuum function separate, allowing you to switch between a wet and dry clean without trouble and saving plenty of time mid-clean. The changeable nozzles also really open up this cleaner’s versatility, allowing you to switch easily between the carpet, a rug, the sofa etc. There are also nozzles appropriate for wet or dry cleans, hard floors etc – basically, everything you could need. I often misplace or neglect to use

Dry and wet cleans

arrow-alt-circle-right

£179.99

www.kaercher.com PROS: Dry and wet cleans Easy to empty water tank 3-in-1 handle makes it easy to carry and open

A nozzle for every occasion Carpets dry quickly

CONS: You’d better like bright yellow!



GTECH MYO TOUCH MASSAGE BED THE MYO TOUCH WAS INVENTED BY GTECH CEO NICK GREY IN ANSWER TO HIS BACK PAIN, WITH THE AIM OF A TIME-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT COULD BE USED AND MAINTAINED DAILY. THE LOOK OF THIS DESIGN IS FAIRLY BARE-BONES, BUT DON’T BE FOOLED – THIS CREATION IS SURPRISINGLY EFFECTIVE! The Gtech MYO Touch does not in all, it was a surprisingly comfortable and necessarily evoke thoughts of luxury when effective experience. you look at its design, but once I tried this The bed is fairly easy to set up. massage bed out, my back felt much better However, ironically, it is a bit unwieldly straight away! After daily use for a week, I at times, and when the package arrived it felt fantastic. As I’m sure many people can was quite heavy, so watch out for your bad relate to, lockdown has made me incredibly back! However, unlike those cumbersome stiff, and this massage bed did indeed massage charges, the Gtech MYO Touch alleviate some of that stiffness. Like any folds away, so it’s far easier to store in automated massage device, it can’t target your home, meaning you can use it as often specific knots and areas, so it isn’t a full as you like without giving it a dedicated replacement for a human massage, but in space in your home. This is by far the most a time when we’re all aching from staying convenient way to get a regular massage – inside and we still need to stay away from just be careful when you fold it up and put it people, this is an extremely well-timed away in case you tax those freshly-loosened product. muscles! I was worried that the massage rollers would be heavy-handed, and I think how visible they are in the design contributed towards that worry. However, you can actually adjust their intensity to fit your preferences, and you can adjust the tension of the canvas for comfort as well. The thin canvas allows the massage bed to do its job effectively whilst also being a sturdy enough material to support you. All

£299.99

https://www.gtech.co.uk PROS: Loosens muscles Relieves back-pain Easy to assemble

Folds away Comfortable

CONS: Doesn’t look appealing Still a lot to fit and store in a small home

Heavy when it arrived



AQUASPHERE – KAYENNE LENS TECHNOLOGY

A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE WORLD OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO. EVERYONE HAS HAD TO ADAPT TO MANY CHANGES IN THE WORLD AND IF YOU ARE AN ATHLETE THEN YOU MAY HAVE TAKEN TRAINING INTO YOUR OWN HANDS WHILE THE CORONAVIRUS CLOSED ALL GYMS AND SPORTS PARKS. MANY SWIMMERS LIKE MYSELF SUFFERED THE ORDEAL OF THE POOLS CLOSING. SWIMMING IN THE LANES WAS REPLACED BY TAKING A DIP IN THE RIVER OR THE SEA. YOU MUST GET THOSE LENGTHS IN NO MATTER WHAT! Fortunately, things are slowly a full range of vision remain paramount. getting back to normal, and the local pools The quality of craftsmanship is are gradually reopening but if you are like obvious once you take the Aquasphere myself and have started to really appreciate goggles out of the case. The goggles the thrill of wild swimming, then you might fit incredibly well and sit on the head not want to return the pool at all. This is naturally. The quick-fit buckle is easy to where Aquasphere come in. They have adjust for your head size and the strap is recently released a range of swimming incredibly comfortable. If you do not wear goggles that boast their Kayenne Lens a swimming cap, you will not have to worry Technology, providing you with a lens for about the rubber strap pinching on your skin every condition. or catching your hair. The rubber material The Kayenne Lens Technology used to make the strap avoids any of these range of Aquasphere swimming goggles usual issues you get with cheaper ranges of are perfect for those who more frequently swimming goggles. swim outdoors. The range consists of eight Aquasphere have been around since different coloured lenses that are suitable 1998 now and make goggles for some of for all weather conditions including very the most successful swimmers in the world, sunny, sunny, partly cloudy, and overcast. including Olympic medallist – Michael Aquasphere kindly sent us the polarized Phelps! With names such as his in their green goggles – perfect for mixed weather roster, you know that Aquasphere are a conditions, therefore perfect for swimming brand that can be relied on. here in the UK! After giving these Aquasphere As well as creating goggles Kayenne Lens Technology goggles a try, specialised for the full range of weather you can tell that these are suitable for conditions, each pair of goggles featuring a professional level of swimming. The the Kayenne Lens Technology also includes patented Kayenne Lens Technology will a UV cut to block out those dangerous rays, guarantee you full vision wherever you are anti-fog to eliminate the most common taking your next dip in water. The highproblem usually found with all swimming quality materials and robustness of the goggles, and a stabilising nose bridge goggles ensures that you will be wearing between the curved lens so that comfort and these for the foreseeable future!

$30 -$40 https://www.aquasphereswim.com/uk/a-lens-forevery-condition PROS Variety of lenses Comfortable fit

Professional grade Modest price



POLAR VANTAGE V2 SPORTS WATCH THE POLAR VANTAGE V2 IS A SPORTS WATCH WITH SO MANY FEATURES, I’M NOT EVEN SURE IF WE’LL BE ABLE TO COVER THEM ALL HERE! THIS WATCH IS WATERPROOF, IT HAS A GPS, IT MONITORS YOUR RECOVERY AND PERFORMANCE RATES, AND IT IS EQUIPPED TO HELP YOU WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY STEP AND STAGE OF YOUR WORKOUT AND TRAINING REGIMES. STILL THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OTHER SPORTS WATCHES YOU KNOW? LET ME TRY TO BREAK IT ALL DOWN – THERE’S A LOT TO GET THROUGH! Polar is known for its heart rate surprised by was a function called Nightly sensors and workout monitors, producing Recharge™, which measures how well you products that can keep track of every have recovered from the day’s workout element of your body’s fitness progress. In during the night. All you have to do is wear the Vantage V2, they seem to have pulled the watch during your sleep, and in the their tech together into one piece of kit. morning you will get two readings – your This watch offers various performance ‘Sleep Charge’ and your ‘ANS Charge’. tests, including different modes for The ‘ANS Charge’ refers to your automatic testing your cycling and running, and also nervous system: the watch monitors how offers various specialised recovery tests, much this has calmed down during the night including an all-over Recovery Pro™ and a by measuring your heart rate, heart rate more specific test for leg day. One criticism variability and breathing rate. The ‘Sleep I have is that the Recovery Pro™ test relies Charge’ measures, you guessed it, how well on you owning a separate Polar heart rate you slept. Combined, the watch will give sensor, which I expected to be a function you a read-out to tell you whether you’re built into the watch. However, the tests ready to train again or whether you should themselves were impressively detailed take it easy today. The readout is nice and and yet also extremely easy to understand, easy to understand, with a red to green which is a combination I appreciate. system and messages like ‘Very Good’. This One of the recovery monitors I was was a nice touch, as I wouldn’t be sure what

to make of a number read-out next to an ANS Charge. The whole feature was something I’d not come across before, and I was impressed by it. However, do remember to also listen to your gut. This example gives an idea of how carefully this watch measures _everything_. You can track your performance, see what areas need improvement, see how well your body is taking the strain– it definitely takes the guess-work out of work-outs. On top of these features, the watch also has a GPS system that allows you to plan your running or cycling routes (using the Komoot app), and you can even connect to wireless headphones and navigate your playlist etc from your watch, which is so much easier than pulling out your phone. In regards to the look and feel of the V2, I was surprised at how light it was in comparison to some fitness watches. It was comfortable to wear, and I was a fan of its

sleek, minimalist, down-to-business look. This watch doesn’t get in the way, meaning you can wear it all day and make the most of its monitoring functions - I was even able to wear it comfortably in my sleep. This monitoring is all very well and good, but the detail that takes the V2 from ‘neat’ to ‘extremely useful’, in my opinion, is the watch’s ability to sync this data with your other fitness apps. This is done using Polar Flow, which also comes with training planning and analysis tools, an automatic training diary, progress reports, and many other support tools. This, plus the ability to integrate your data with your other apps, makes the V2 a fantastic all-inclusive fitness watch. The Polar Vantage V2 is available in either Small or Medium/Large. We received the watch in green, but it is also available in blackand silver & grey-lime.

www.polar.com

£449

PROS: Comfortable Lightweight GPS Music navigation

Monitors performance & recovery Syncs data with other apps

CONS: Some functions require a separate Polar heart sensor



FREETRAIN VEST – V1 & VR IN ESSENCE, THE FREETRAIN IS A HARNESS TO WEAR WHILST RUNNING THAT STORES YOUR PHONE AT THE CENTRE OF YOUR CHEST. IT IS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE EASE OF CARRYING AND USING YOUR ESSENTIALS WHILST YOU TRAIN WITHOUT THEM HINDERING YOUR RESULTS. PART OF THE LOGIC TO THE FREETRAIN IS THAT UNEVEN WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION CAN AFFECT HOW YOU TRAIN, AND CAN EVEN LEAD TO INJURIES: BY PLACING YOUR PHONE OVER YOUR STERNUM INSTEAD OF ON YOUR ARM OR IN YOUR POCKET, THIS AVOIDS THAT RISK AND KEEPS YOUR TRAINING BALANCED. A really run feature of the Freetrain and preventing it from affecting your is that, as well as being able to access your movement, but as a female runner, I did phone from the top of the chest pocket, you find that wearing this plus a sports bra felt can pull down a hinge that allows you to see a little restrictive. One sports bra is already your phone on the go. This clever pocket has not much fun; you don’t want to put a a transparent, water-resistant screen that second one on top of that. you can view and use your phone through. That said, the harness IS extremely I wasn’t sure how responsive my phone comfortable. It’s soft, it doesn’t dig, and screen would be through the plastic, but it has been designed to be breathable. Its it worked great! It was an effort to make minimal design means it isn’t adding more the home button work, but the screen itself heat or layers than it needs to, and it leaves responded without issue. your limbs free to move. We received both the V1 and the VR Sizing-wise, these products are vests from Freetrain, which offer identical unisex and one-size-fits-most, but I features, but come in black and silver wouldn’t say ‘all’. One of our review team respectively. The silver option is highly found that his rode up too high for comfort: reflective, making the harness a safety whilst the main body stretches a little, feature on night runs; the black option most of the adjustability is in the sides. If has a few high-vis details, but if you run at there was a way to make the harness longer night often, I would recommend going with in the shoulders, he would have had a better the VR. That said, the company also sells time of it. So, if you’re looking to buy the attachable lights that you can use to make Freetrain, do check out the range of sizes it either harness extra bright and safe during is appropriate first. winter training. The phone pocket benefit of this The material has a similar stretch harness is brilliant, but I wasn’t overly and feel to a sports bra, meaning that whilst impressed by its other pockets. It comes it does stretch to let you get into it, so it’s with two, one on each shoulder, supposedly a close and secure fit once it’s on. This for storing “energy gels, bars or even an aids in keeping the harness streamlined inhaler”. You could store an energy bar

arrow-alt-circle-right £29.99 each or gel in the Velcro pocket at a pinch, but there’s no way my inhaler could fit into either pocket. The zip pocket in particular only really has room for a house key or something similar, and so much of the pocket is taken up by the zip that I didn’t feel safe opening it whilst running. However, these pockets are sidedetails – bigger ones would have affected the cut of the vest, and it’s more important that you’re able to move. The point of this product is the phone pouch, and this worked well. The placement even has the added advantage of meaning you can listen to your music out loud instead of needing headphones, which means you’re far safer, as you’re able to stay alert to traffic noise. This central pouch even has a divided-off section for storing cash and cards safely, which is a great detail that made life much easier. This may seem an extravagant purchase to some, but if you’re looking for a more convenient way to use your phone on the go, it’s worth checking out. Just read the sizes first and make sure it is right for you.

https://freetrain.co.uk PROS Balanced phone storage Phone flips down for use on the go Breathable Reflective Comfortable Doesn’t hinder movement Unisex One size fits most

CONS Doesn’t fit everyone Small side pockets



TIGR MINI BIKE LOCK THE ORIGINAL TIGR LOCK CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION AS BEING A COMPLETE RETHINK OF THE CONVENTIONAL BIKE LOCK, THEY HAVE THE STRENGTH AND SECURITY OF A U-LOCK WITH THE LIGHT WEIGHT OF A WIRE LOCK, SO WHEN WE HEARD THAT TIGR HAD CREATED A BABY VERSION WE WERE KEEN TO GET A LOOK AT IT. MY BIKE ISN’T WORTH A LOT FINANCIALLY BUT IT HAS SENTIMENTAL VALUE PLUS IF IT WAS NICKED IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO FIND ANOTHER BIKE WITH ITS RUSTY CHARM, A FRIEND OF MINE SUGGESTED THAT USING THE ORIGINAL TIGR LOCK WOULD BE LIKE BUYING A COMBINATION SAFE TO KEEP A £10 NOTE IN IT (BIT RUDE) SO THE TIGR MINI IS PERHAPS A MORE SUITABLE LOCK. The Tigr Mini is an ART Certified, will have to compromise somewhere as 1.25 inch wide titanium bow and locking this is a small lock it narrows down where mechanism which is coated with PVC so you can lock up your bike, conventional it won’t scratch up your bike. The mount bike racks aren’t a problem or railing but was easy to attach and the rubber bumpers lamp post are out of the question and there stop it rattling or sliding about and since it ridiculously larger bike racks they have at weighs a petite 0.9 pounds it doesn’t affect my local supermarket, however I haven’t the balance of the bike, it is small and light really had any trouble finding parking enough to fit in a small bag or carry about spaces. It might take a little saving up to your person. As for security this isn’t a get this lock but you shouldn’t need to by lock your local bike thief will be familiar another one and security it gives you well with and it has proven to be a formidable out ways the initial expense. opponent for bolt cutters. Obviously you

RRP $99

Secure on the bike

PROS Lightweight Secure on the bike

PVC to protect the bike

CONS limited to what it will lock around



GTECH HEADWAVE PATIO HEATER

NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE ARE UTILISING OUR OUTSIDE SPACES. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, I THINK I HAVE SAT OUTSIDE IN PUB BEER GARDENS OR CAFÉ SEATING AREAS ON THE STREET MORE THAN EVER. AT HOME, TOO, I SEEM TO BE EMBRACING THE WEATHER NO MATTER WHAT THE FORECAST IS. HOWEVER, AS WINTER BECKONS ON US, IT IS GOING TO BE HARDER AND HARDER TO JUSTIFY SITTING OUTSIDE TO READ MY BOOK IN THE SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES. I THINK I MIGHT NEED A HEAT LAMP. The new Gtech HeatWave Patio latest heating technology, this outdoor Heater is exactly the type of device I require heater uses low energy at a low cost. The for my garden. With up to 2kW of power, lower wattage of heater means that almost the Gtech HeatWave will heat up in a matter 100% of the electricity used to power it is of seconds and provide warmth up to a transformed into heat used to warm you up. range of 6 metres. There is no waste: no noise and barely any Out of the box, the Gtech HeatWave light or internal overheating of the product. Patio Heater is incredibly easy to install. It This is a wonderful piece of kit comes readily assembled, and all you need that will keep you nice and toasty in the to do is attach it to a wall in your garden forthcoming winter months. As it is easy to using the fixings provided with the box. Set set up, easy to use, and does exactly what up can be done in a matter of moments. If it says it does, it is hard to find any faults you are not planning to use the Gtech for a in the Gtech HeatWave Patio Heater. My while, then you can also disassemble it and only criticism would be that it is not very store it with ease in a drawer or kitchen portable. Though you can assemble and cupboard: it is very compact and only disassemble it with relative ease, you must measures up to 570x105mm. always be near a mains socket and a wall to Once installed and plugged in, all get use out of it. If you have a big garden you need to do it switch it on and you’re and usually sit further than 6 metres away ready to go. The infrared technology means from a solid wall, or simply do not have a that you will be provided with instant heat solid wall suitable for installation, then you whilst also feeling natural and not too might have to find another outdoor heater. overwhelmingly hot. The Gtech HeatWave However, this does not hinder the quality of is completely weather-proof, which really this product, and I am sure Gtech HeatWave should be a given seeing as it will only be will enable you to enjoy the brisk outdoors used at more precarious times of the year. this winter whilst staying comfortably Even though it is compact and easy enough warm. to uninstall, feel comfortable leaving it outside whatever the weather. According to Gtech, the cost of running the HeatWave is approximately 30p per hour. As it uses infrared and the

£149.99

Instant Heat

arrow-alt-circle-right www.gtech.co.uk PROS Efficient Instant Heat

Easy to use/set up Compact

CONS Not portable



MOMENT PEBBLE

I CAN’T WRITE ABOUT THE MOMENT PEBBLE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT ITS PACKAGING. HOW A PRODUCT IS PACKAGED CAN MAKE A MASSIVE IMPACT ON YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH IT, AND THE MOMENT COMPANY CREATED A DEFINITE ‘WOW’ FEELING FOR ME WITH THIS ONE. THE BOX IS SUBSTANTIAL AND SATISFYING TO FOLD, AND EVEN MORE SO TO SLIDE OPEN – REALLY SLEEK! MUCH LIKE THE MOMENT PEBBLE ITSELF, IT’S TACTILE AND ATTRACTIVE, WITH THE OUTER BOX A SIMILAR, MATCHING STONE COLOURING AND DESIGN. Described as a ‘tool for modern can be helpful to have something physical mindfulness’, the Moment Pebble promises to anchor you into what you are doing, to serve as a mental health aid. How, you giving you something to focus on so your ask? It’s just a pebble, you say? That was resolution to take some quiet moments to my first thought too. However, this isn’t yourself doesn’t get gobbled up by everyjust a pebble – it’s a “palm-sized wirelessly day busyness. Also, the pebble’s light charged natural stone device”. Wirelessly pattern has been based on the Cardiac charged pebble? I remember when pebbles Coherence Breathing pattern – five seconds didn’t need charging. Stay with me, it’s in, five seconds out on a four-breath cycle – about to make sense. which has been found to calm the body and Using a pebble to relieve stress is bring the nervous system into balance by a time-old solution – there’s something stimulating the vagus nerve. This can calm about the smoothness, solidity and the your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, way they fit your palm that make them and even improve your digestion and sleep! reassuring when you squeeze them or even As well as the pebble itself, for your just hold onto them. The Moment Pebble £67.99, you receive an accompanying has taken this concept and built upon it by booklet and access to an online program adding a soft, gentle light that thrums from Called Moment Method, which leads you within the stone, encouraging you to slow through a series of guided meditation and down for 30 seconds at a time to breathe, mindfulness exercises. meditate and relax. The slow pulse of light Overall, this is a luxury item which encourages you to slow your breathing, reduces stress. It could be argued that think about your heartrate, and block out finding a pebble on the beach and sitting the sense of hectic business in the world with it whilst you do some slow breathing around you. you will achieve the same stress relief, but You could ask why people need you must remember to slow the breathing a product to help them in taking short and that’s what this pebble does so well. moments of quiet, and in a way, this does If you have the cash to spare and would feel like a continuation of the reliance on benefit from something more structured to technology that the Moment Company cites guide you through, then the Moment Pebble as a cause of modern stress. However, it certainly does that.

Calming to hold

www.momentcompany.co

£67.99

PROS: Calming to hold Light guides you in calming breathing exercises

Supporting program and booklet

CONS: Seems costly for what it is



AFTERSHOKZ OPENMOVE WIRELESS BONE CONDUCTION HEADPHONES YOU LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY, AND TODAY, I LEARNT THAT YOU COULD USE HEADPHONES THAT DON’T GO IN OR OVER YOUR EARS. YES, THAT’S RIGHT. BONE CONDUCTION. AND YES, THAT TERM IS NEW TO ME TOO. BUT THAT’S WHAT AFTERSHOKZ ARE DOING WITH THEIR NEW OPENMOVE WIRELESS BONE CONDUCTION HEADPHONES. Primarily to allow you complete adjustment every 5 minutes or so. I got my awareness of your surroundings, these hands on some headphones with hooks over Aftershokz hook on top of your ears and the the ears and if I had to bend over to re-tie earphone speaker sits between your temples my shoe – they would just fall straight out and your ear canals. They are surprisingly and the buds would work their way out very comfortable and fit very well. This is and need adjustment. With the Aftershokz a product that I have been waiting for quite Openmove headphones, you have full some time to get my hands on. When I am freedom of movement, so you could even do on a jog and come up to a junction or a tight yoga with these in! corner, I have to slow my pace, in case a car As well as being a revolutionary is coming from behind me or there’s an old pair of headphones, these Openmove Bone woman or mother with a pram around the Conduction headphones also come with all corner. I certainly don’t want to be hitting the staples that you would expect from a anyone or getting hit myself! And now with pair of sports headphones. They are sweat these headphones I can keep the pace up resistant, so they will withstand the most without the fear of an accident. The bone intense workouts. They also come with conduction technology is in fact patented by a 6-hour battery life, so you can go all Aftershokz, so it’s very exclusive to these afternoon with them on. headphones, this allows them to provide Looking back, I can’t believe that I you a superior dynamic stereo sound. use to thread a pair of £3 headphones under Again, I was pleasantly surprised that you my t-shirt while I was at the gym or going could hear the audio from them incredibly for a jog. The wire would snag somewhere clearly, all the while, being able to hear and pull an earphone out, the earbuds everything else around me (as if I had no would slip out of my ear canals constantly, headphones on at all)! and the aux would pull away from my iPod. In the past, I ran with in-ear Long gone are those days. If you’re as sporty headphones, they managed to stay in as me, get a pair of Aftershokz Openmove while I was running but only with constant Bone Conduction headphones.

RRP £79.95

https://aftershokz.co.uk/products/openmove PROS Open-ear comfort Good fit

Excellent sound



EDIFIER TWS NB TRUE WIRELESS ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING EARBUDS

EDIFIER ARE ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE HEADPHONE GAME. TIME AFTER TIME THEY RELEASE EXCELLENT PAIRS OF HEADPHONES. IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINING THEIR FORM WITH THE NEW TWS NB TRUE WIRELESS ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING EARBUDS. These are a sleek design that fit plug socket. comfortably in your ear. They are very One criticism of these headphones discreet and if you have slightly long hair, would have to be the latency. If you are no one will know you’re wearing them at going to use these to watch videos on a all. They do what they say on the packet too laptop or phone, don’t bother. The lag – the noise cancelling is very effective and between the audio and visual will be minor definitely make a difference to not having but more annoying over time. Again, most this turned on. However, if you were Bluetooth headphones suffer from this walking down a very busy street, you would problem, so you can’t completely blame still be able to hear the hustle and bustle Edifier for this. around you. This isn’t a criticism of these With a lovely punchy bass aided by headphones particularly though but just of the 13mm large graphene diaphragm, you noise cancelling technology in general. will be able to enjoy all the bangers on your The main selling point of the TWS playlist while using these. The TWS NB NB headphones would be the mighty headphone are great if you want to be able battery life. You get a whopping 33-hours of to have a good quality sound with a great playback time with them. If you frequently amount of battery time. The price is a little travel long distances for work or simply bit steep though. At £110 they are midlisten to a lot of music or podcasts, you will range headphones, but I have definitely be able to rely on these Edifier earbuds for a used pairs that are just as good and aren’t couple of days before you even need to think as dear in price. about recharging them. The charging case is beneficial on the go to as they will charge your headphones without having to find a

RRP £110.99

Noise cancelling

PROS Long battery Sound quality

Noise cancelling

CONS Price

Latency



SOUNDCORE LIFE Q30 WITH SO MANY HEADPHONE OPTIONS ON THE MARKET, HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONES? THE SOUNDCORE LIFE Q30 SEEKS TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION BY HITTING ALL THE IN-VOGUE HEADPHONE REQUIREMENTS AND ATTEMPTING TO TAKE THEM TO A NEW LEVEL. IMPROVED NOISE CANCELLING, EXTENDED PLAYTIME, A LIGHTER AND MORE COMFORTABLE FIT – SOUNDCORE HAVE DEFINITELY CREATED SOMETHING THAT CAN EASILY CONTEND WITH THE OTHER BIG KIDS OF THE HEADPHONE WORLD. OH, AND THEY LOOK GREAT. These headphones only take five with all your senses working. I love this last minutes to charge enough for a four-hour mode, because currently, I need to pause playtime. That’s fast, and fantastic for my music and even remove my headphones someone like me who doesn’t think to charge when I want to hear the world around me; their wireless devices until the moment now, I can keep listening if I want to. I want to use them. Four hours sound like Like many wireless headphones, this a short battery life? That’s only a fraction set allows you to answer calls using a builtof the full thing – these headphones offer in microphone, and the sound quality of a 40-hour playtime at full charge, which both the calls and your music is fantastic. means you could listen to music for almost As for comfort, they’re light-weight and the two days straight without needing to charge padding is lovely. They’re unobtrusive and them. However, that short charge burst for you can easily where they for long stints a four-hour session is brilliant, meaning without any bother, which I find I need you shouldn’t ever have to get caught short for Zoom calls these days as much as for and head out of the house without them. music! Speaking of, you can attach to two So, what’s so new and improved Bluetooth devices at the same time, which about the noise cancelling on these I’m not used to seeing, meaning you can be headphones? Either they do cancel the connected to your laptop for your gaming of sound or they don’t, right? Well, Soundcore videos and can still seamlessly answer calls. have thought further than that – this The headphones come in Black, model actually comes with four different Midnight Blue or Sakura Pink. All three sound cancelling modes for you to choose options look extremely stylish and between, suitable for blocking out different attractive. The Black model is £10 cheaper kinds of disruptive ambience, or even for than the coloured options, at £79.99 rather not cancelling the sound out at all. These than £89.99, and it looks just as appealing. modes as Transport Mode, which focuses We received Sakura Pink, and although pink on countering engine drones and other low wouldn’t usually be my style, I loved them. rumbles, Outdoor Mode, which is deigned to The colours on all options are rich and combat traffic, the weather and the crowd, clear, and all work extremely well with the and Indoor Mode, which is designed for metallic rose-gold accents. tackling noises in a quieter environment. All in all, this is a set of headphones Lastly, there’s Transparency Mode, which that, aesthetically and functionally, is doing you can click on and off easily at the right everything right. Effective, attractive and ear for those moments when you want to comfortable – I’m an instant fan. chat to somebody or safely cross the road

£79.99 £89.99

uk.soundcore.com PROS: Four sound cancelling modes Transparency mode Adjustable EQ settings via app Long play time Fast charge

Lightweight Comfortable Pair with two Bluetooth devices at once Attractive colours Carry case



TERMS & CONDITIONS At Gadget Head, our aim is to give our readers the most honest reviews we can. We also seek to provide all manufacturers with an equal opportunity to promote their goods: in fact, we are incredibly proud that startup companies have just as much of a chance to feature in our magazine as established brands do. How do we ensure all of this? Our policy is simple: we do not offer sponsored reviews. Instead, if you send us goods to review, we reserve to right to keep and sell these on. By funding our magazine in this way, we can guarantee that we are not publishing paid-for opinions or prioritizing larger companies, and there are no hidden fees to having your product reviewed and featured. We don’t guarantee 5-star reviews, but we do guarantee an honest one!

EXPLORE. ENJOY.

MAXIA 4

THE NEW GENERATION OF THE LEGEND GIVI’S most popular top case, totally redesigned. Stylish as never before, versatile and as strong as ever. • ABS cover with a new design • Internally strengthened outer edge • Double cover made from plastic and aluminium • New outer band • New optical reflectors with small reflector on the outer band • Capacity: 56 lt

Sponsor of the LCR Honda MotoGP Team.

Find more than 900 accessories at www.givimoto.com