As we edge closer to the end of the year, it’s an ideal time to reflect on all the consumer tech that has passed through our Test Centre – and to highlight the best of the best new products.
In this article we draw attention to our top picks across 60 of our top product categories, from phones, laptops, tablets and wearables to smart home and lifestyle products, tech accessories and more.
A handful of products here were released before 2022, but we think that even now they still represent the best of their class, making them eligible for our coveted Tech Advisor Best of 2022-23 award.
Tech Advisor Awards 2022-2023: Categories & Finalists
Smartphone Awards
BEST SMARTPHONE: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
While the S21 Ultra dabbled with Note-like features, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is unquestionably a full-blown successor to 2020’s Note 20 Ultra in everything but name. It’s expensive, but the best overall phone you can currently buy thanks to incredible performance and balanced features.
The design is distinctly different from the other entries in the Galaxy S22 range (which is to say very ‘Note-like’) and features an integrated S Pen stylus that expands functionality beyond most rivals, especially in terms of productivity.
Despite familiar-looking camera hardware, the upgrades made by Samsung render it one of the best systems in any phone right now; with a 108Mp main shooter backed up by an ultrawide and two telephoto lenses at different zoom levels – with the zoom performance particularly improved on previous models.
The expansive 6.8in LTPO AMOLED display delivers both high WQHD+ resolution and an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, while long-term software support that surpasses even Google’s Pixels rounds out an impressive list of pros. If you can handle its huge size, it’s a real winner, with five years of software support the best in Android land.
Read our full
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultrareview
BEST MID-RANGE SMARTPHONE: Google Pixel 6a
The Pixel 6a is a superb mid-range phone with a flagship-level processor, truly outstanding main camera, 5G connectivity, the latest version of Android, five years of security support, and a pocket-friendly design.
The big down sides are the slow charging speeds on a phone that charges hot, the easily scratched rear plastic material, and the 60Hz display lagging behind similarly priced phones.
Yet, this is a Pixel, which means it has a superlative Android experience and camera with a software polish and premium hardware feel you won’t find on other brands in this price range.
Read our full
Google Pixel 6areview
BEST BUDGET SMARTPHONE: Motorola Moto G62
The cons of the Moto G62 are much the same as all cheap phones, because they are cheap! You save money by sacrificing performance, camera quality, and faster charging. What you gain with the Moto G62, though, is a solid plastic build quality that surpasses other phones at this price, and a clean version of Android 12 with changes only made where Moto can improve, not add things for the sake of it.
There’s a superb always-on display, despite having an LCD rather than OLED panel, that lets you quickly view and open notifications that no other phone brand has. If the performance occasionally stutters you will be able to forgive it for how attractive the software of this phone looks.
Triple cameras on the back of the Moto G62 exist, and the 50Mp main sensor is very solid and will give you excellent daytime shots. Pair that with great battery life from the 5000mAh cell that we sometimes found reached the end of the day at 50%, and you have a great cheap phone option.
Read our full
Motorola Moto G62review
BEST GAMING PHONE: Nubia Red Magic 7
Nubia’s Red Magic smartphones have a reputation as having some of the best gaming-focused displays around, and that’s just as true with the latest in the collection, the Red Magic 7.
At its heart is a fast 6.8in 165Hz OLED panel with an impressive 720Hz touch sample rate that beats practically every other smartphone on the market. Though you might not notice much of a difference in real-world performance, it’ll certainly satisfy the need for gamers to have the best of the best.
That’s paired with the flagship specs including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 12/16/18GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage and an updated three-fan cooling system to keep things running smoothly during longer gaming sessions.
There’s also a plethora of gaming features including side-mounted touch-based shoulder triggers, advanced haptic feedback and the ability to control performance on a per-game basis, and it’s all presented in Red Magic’s ‘Game Space’ mode.
The rear-facing triple camera setup remains unchanged from the Red Magic 6S, which in itself was the same as the Red Magic 5S, but software improvements mean it fares a little better this time around.
Read our full
Nubia Red Magic 7review
BEST CAMERA PHONE: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the best all-round phone camera right now. It has the best combination of main, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses on any phone, making it the most versatile on the market.
Its 108Mp main lens captures a stunning amount of detail with superb low-light photos thanks to a sensor that can take in more light. Improvements over the already excellent S21 Ultra keep shots and video very sharp and the software processing is less aggressive than older Samsung phones, though images are more vibrant and saturated than you’ll find on Apple’s iPhone 13 range.
The ultrawide lens does a good job of capturing scenes without a fish-eye effect but the S22 Ultra’s secret weapon is its astonishing two (2!) optical zoom lens. Thanks to optical image stabilisation (OIS) on both, you can capture pin sharp 3x optical zoom images and even 10x optical, with results better than rivals thanks to Samsung’s software smarts keeping everything looking good, and a laser autofocus system rounding off the premium experience and a top of the line 40Mp selfie camera.
Read our full
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultrareview
Laptop Awards
BEST LAPTOP: Huawei MateBook 14s
Pound for pound, the MateBook 14s is the best laptop you can buy right now. A great blend of performance, design and affordability means it’s easy to recommend, especially with the webcam back above the screen rather than hidden in the keyboard. The latter is only 720p, but a separate IR sensor means there’s still support for Windows Hello face unlock as an alternative to the fingerprint sensor.
Almost everywhere else, the 14s is mightily impressive. 11th-gen Intel CPUs and up to 16GB of RAM means performance is excellent, provided you don’t need a device for gaming or 4K video editing.
Other highlights include a 2.5K touchscreen display, complete with 90Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals. You also get a decent port selection, solid battery life and one of the best keyboards you’ll find in any laptop. There’s even a 90W fast charger included in the box.
It’s worth noting that there is now a new version of the MateBook 14s, but aside from new Intel CPUs it’s essentially the same device.
Read our full
Huawei MateBook 14s (2021)review
BEST BUDGET LAPTOP: Asus E410
If you’re looking to get as much as possible on a limited budget, the E410 is a great option.
Things like a dim screen are inevitable and not everyone will like the quirky design on the lid. We also found the NumberPad in the trackpad a tad annoying – but Asus has got a lot right here.
The E410 has excellent battery life, a lightweight design and performance is good enough for basic day-to-day tasks. Ticking key boxes at this price makes it a great-value laptop.
Read our full
Asus E410review
BEST BUDGET GAMING LAPTOP: Asus TUF Gaming A15
The Asus TUF laptops have been a great go-to for budget gaming for a long time and the A15 is no exception.
An AMD Ryzen 7 CPU from the latest 6000 Series is combined with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU to deliver excellent gaming performance. The 15.6in, 1440p display is another highlight, complete with a 165Hz refresh rate.
You’ll also get a decent keyboard, a solid range of ports and even decent battery life when you’re not gaming.
Read our full
Asus TUF Gaming A15 (2022)review
BEST CHROMEBOOK: Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 blends excellent performance with a gorgeous 3:2 ratio display and a decent helping of ports.
The 360-degree hinge allows for a versatile design, and things run very nicely on the 10th-gen Core processor we tested with 128GB storage.
It’s a powerful combination, which puts the device on top of the pile for those who want a Premium ChromeOS laptop that doesn’t cost the Earth.
Read our full
Acer Chromebook Spin 713review
BEST BUSINESS LAPTOP: LG Gram 17
For many business tasks, a regular laptop display simply won’t cut it – you need something with extra screen real estate.
With that in mind, allow us to introduce you to the LG Gram 17. It represents the pinnacle of laptop design, offering a huge 17in (2560×1600) display within a chassis that’s just 17.8mm thick and 1.35kg in weight.
It’s powered by Intel’s 11th-gen processors, alongside up to 16GB of RAM and a bumper 1TB SSD on high-end models. If that’s not enough, you also get stellar battery life from the 80Wh cell.
The below-par trackpad and speakers – our two biggest complaints about the 2020 model – have also both been addressed by LG, making this the best big-screened laptop you can buy.
Read our full
LG gram 17 (2021)review
BEST STUDENT LAPTOP: Huawei MateBook 14s
The MateBook 14S’ inclusion here serves as yet more proof that Huawei is acing its laptops, offering a great balance between price and performance. The latter is helped by Intel’s 11th-gen chips under the hood, which excel across almost all everyday productivity tasks.
Of course, having an excellent 14in display helps, complete with a 90Hz refresh rate. Huawei has maintained slim bezels but managed to move the webcam back above the display, even if it’s still only 720p.
Other highlights include all-day battery, an excellent keyboard and plenty of ports, something that’s often lacking on modern laptops.
There is now a 2022 version, but aside from new Intel CPUs, nothing has changed.
Read our full
Huawei MateBook 14s (2021)review
BEST 2-IN-1 LAPTOP: Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The Surface Pro 9 arrived just a little too late to make our end of year awards, but this older Surface Pro 8 is seriously impressive with a number of game-changing upgrades.
This includes a more modern design, with slimmer bezels allowing for a larger 13in screen within almost the same footprint. The display has always been a strength of the Surface Pro line, but adding a 120Hz refresh rate takes it to the next level.
Microsoft has also upgraded both the front and rear cameras, with the former one part of an excellent video-calling setup. Dual studio mics and impressive quad speakers complete the set.
You also get improved battery life and the customary processor upgrade (now from Intel’s 12th-gen), although it’d have been nice to see more ports.
But it’s the keyboard cover that transforms the Surface Pro 8 into a 2-in-1. The latest iteration is the most convincing yet, bundling a new-and-improved Slim Pen 2 stylus in the cost.
Read our full
Microsoft Surface Pro 8review
Tablet Awards
BEST TABLET: Apple iPad Air
While only featuring small tweaks compared to its 2020 predecessor, there’s little that really needed changing to make the best tablet on the market even better.
The main upgrades come in the form of a move to Apple’s M1 chipset, there’s a new 12Mp front-facing camera with the company’s face-tracking Centre Stage tech for use in video calls and the cellular variant now supports 5G speeds.
Beyond that, it offers up the same premium design in an array of colours, Touch ID and compatibility with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and second-generation Apple Pencil. All Apple’s really done is given its best tablet an even longer lifespan.
Read our full
Apple iPad Air (2022)review
BEST ANDROID TABLET: Xiaomi Pad 5
It’s been a while since Xiaomi offered up a slate on the global stage, but its return to the tablet space – in the form of the Xiaomi Pad 5 – is pleasingly compelling.
The tablet boasts a thin design that’s fronted by a gorgeous 2.5K 120Hz display and comes backed up by great stereo speakers and solid performance to boot.
Just as with its phones, Xiaomi’s tablet-optimised take on its MIUI user experience won’t suit everyone, but it’s wholly usable, and while the added connectivity found on the Chinese models doesn’t make it to most markets internationally, there’s still little else on the Android side of the fence we’d recommend around the Pad 5’s asking price.
Read our full
Xiaomi Pad 5review
BEST BUDGET TABLET: Samsung Galaxy Tab A8
The Galaxy A8 represents Samsung’s return to the budget market following 2019’s Tab A 10.1, though it doesn’t quite look like it on the surface. It sports Samsung’s signature premium design and build, alongside other standout qualities such as loud, booming audio via Dolby Atmos-powered quad speakers and decent battery life.
Of course, something’s gotta give at the budget end and with the A8, that’s both the screen and internal storage. The display is a rather basic 8in TFT LCD panel that, while sufficiently sharp, isn’t particularly vibrant or colour-accurate. The entry-level 32GB of internal storage will likely leave some wanting more – and without a microSD slot, that simply isn’t possible. You can opt for a 64- or 128GB model at checkout though, something we’d recommend for longevity.
Still, it’s a great all-rounder that can already be found well below RRP.
Read our full
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8review
BEST MINI TABLET: Apple iPad mini
The sixth-gen iPad Mini ditches the old form factor for something more akin to the latest iPad Air and Pro ranges, with an angular design, stereo speakers, Centre Stage technology and much smaller bezels than before.
The Mini’s 60Hz display has jumped to 8.3in, but without changing the physical size of the tablet – allowing for more display real estate without affecting the Mini’s portable nature. It’s a gorgeous display too, with the highest pixel density of any iPad, even if it is a bit on the small side for true split-screen multitasking.
It’s powered by the same A15 Bionic silicon as the iPhone 13 range, with plenty of power for all you might want to do on the tablet.
The Touch ID sensor has been moved to the Power button – like with the iPad Air – and there’s support for the second-gen Apple Pencil to boot. However, the lack of a Smart Connector on the rear means that it doesn’t have its own Magic Keyboard; a real boon for the iPad Air and Pro ranges, and the only real chink in the Mini’s armour.
Read our full
Apple iPad mini (2021)review
BEST KIDS TABLET: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids
The Fire HD 8 has a bigger, better screen than the Fire 7 and it’s also around 30 percent faster. There’s also more RAM, more storage and you can expand that by up to 1TB using a microSD card.
Another difference is that it has stereo speakers and a USB-C port for charging. Alexa is built in and she’s hands-free even if the tablet is asleep with the screen off.
You have the option of the standard Fire HD 8 or a Plus model which costs £20 / $20 extra. For that, you get wireless charging and an optional dock which, in addition to charging the tablet wirelessly, enables Show Mode. This means it works just like an Amazon Echo Show and, with Alexa onboard, you can use it for video calls, music videos and watching Amazon Prime videos.
Of course, that’s not something a child will care about, but it means the tablet could do double duty if you were also thinking of buying an Echo Show.
As with all three sizes of Amazon tablets, there’s a separate Kids Edition of the Fire HD 8 which costs £149.99 / $149.99. It comes with a bumper case, year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+ and a two-year accidental damage warranty.
BEST E-READER: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
The latest Kindle Paperwhite sees a number of upgrades. A larger screen that now has adjustable colour warmth, previously exclusive to the Kindle Oasis, is the main one here. Amazon has also made improvements to battery life, and finally switched to USB-C.
This comes at a slightly higher price than the last generation, but it is justified. The Paperwhite won’t disappoint should you have enough budget to afford one.
Read our full
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)review
Wearable Awards
BEST SMARTWATCH: Apple Watch Series 8
While the Series 8 is only an incremental upgrade over 2021’s Series 7, that doesn’t stop it from being one of the best smartwatches you can buy – if you have an iPhone, that is.
The only two real additions from the previous generation are a temperature sensor for cycle tracking (which most rivals already offered) and built-in car crash detection borrowed from the iPhone.
That makes this a dull update for Series 7 owners, but still an excellent option for anyone with an older Apple Watch, or any iPhone owners looking to try a smartwatch for the first time. The design is slick and simple, display quality is excellent, and together with an iPhone this offers a fantastic array of features together with a smooth software experience.
Battery life remains the biggest weak spot – unlike most rivals this still needs a daily charge, and you’ll need to plan that well if you want to make the most of the sleep-tracking features.
Read our full
Apple Watch Series 8review
BEST FITNESS TRACKER: Xiaomi Smart Band 7
The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 is the best fitness tracker around, with a tempting price tag and an impressive array of sensors to track your health, fitness, and workouts.
The large always-on display is a particularly nice addition, helping showcase the vivid watch faces on offer, while making it easier to read text at a glance, though the always-on tech comes at a heavy cost to overall battery life.
Fitness tracking includes all-day SpO2 monitoring, new workout metrics (including VO2 Max), and the ability to track more workouts than ever before.
The lack of built-in GPS may irk fitness fanatics, but this is a great little inexpensive tracker for keeping an eye on your general health and fitness.
Read our full
Xiaomi Mi Band 7review
Audiovisual Awards
BEST HEADPHONES: Sony WH-1000XM5
It seems Sony can do no wrong with its flagship XM headphones, well almost. They’re more expensive than their predecessors and the design no longer folds down which will irk some users.
However, the price can largely be put down to inflation and if the non-folding design doesn’t bother you then these headphones are essentially flawless starting with the kinds of high-end sound and noise cancelling you’d expect from Sony, despite smaller drivers.
Elsewhere, the improved headband allows smooth adjustment and there’s an unrivalled selection of smart features from Adaptive Sound Control to Speak-to-Chat. It’s a small step forward but they remain the best over-ear headphones you can buy.
Read our full
Sony WH-1000XM5review
BEST BUDGET HEADPHONES: Enacfire A9 Wireless Earbuds
The Enacfire A9 are the best budget wireless earbuds with active noise cancelling (ANC) we’ve tested to date.
Coming in at a very affordable price, not having ANC would be understandable. It’s not just there but very good indeed, even if the Ambient mode is fairly average.
The earbuds get a lot else right too, with a comfortable fit, useful touch controls, solid battery life and decent sound quality.
Read our full
Enacfire A9 Wireless Earbudsreview
BEST WIRELESS EARBUDS: Sony WF-1000XM4
If you can afford them and don’t have tiny ears, there’s really nothing to dislike about the WF-1000XM4. Sony has once again created an exceptional pair of wireless earbuds.
Along with solid battery life and quick charging, they offer the best active noise cancelling on a pair of earbuds we’ve tested. Not only does it do a great job of removing unwanted sound, it has unrivalled AI technology that can change the mode and level depending on where you are or what you’re doing.
There’s plenty more tech packed in, too, with Speak-to-Chat, DSEE Extreme upscaling, LDAC support for Hi-Res Audio Wireless, as well as 360 Reality Audio spatial audio. And pretty much everything can be customised or switched off when needed.
Read our full
Sony WF-1000XM4review
BEST TV: LG C2 OLED (2022)
LG’s updated C series OLED for 2022 is a sublime option for many TV buyers for many different reasons.
It comes in a huge range of sizes and although the larger options get expensive, most won’t need to go that big. Everything 55in and above comes with new Brightness Boosting tech powered by the latest Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor.
The result is a dazzling experience and webOS has just about every streaming service under the sun that’s super easy to use with the new Magic Remote. With 120Hz support via HDMI 2.1 alongside a Game Optimizer, makes it great for next-gen consoles, too.
Read our full
LG C2 OLED (2022)review
BEST BUDGET TV: TCL RP620K Roku TV
On the surface, TCL’s Roku-powered TV is essentially the same as Hisense’s version, but the RP620K one-ups it with slightly better brightness and support for Dolby Vision – the HDR standard best for lower brightness panels.
There’s lots to like here aside from the price. The image is crisp and vibrant from a UHD source, and there’s decent sound quality, too.
Low input lag makes it good for consoles, but it’s the Roku platform with its user-friendly interface and almost endless streaming options that is the star of the show here.
Read our full
TCL RP620K Roku TVreview
Smart Home Awards
BEST VACUUM CLEANER: Samsung Bespoke Jet
The Bespoke Jet builds on all the features that made the Jet 90 a really effective cleaner: it’s powerful, modular, comes with well-designed cleaning accessories, has a swappable battery, digital display and washable filter. It’ll give you 50 minutes of cleaning time on its lowest setting and will charge in 3.5 hours.
But the real selling point of the Bespoke is the fact that you won’t need to find a dark corner to store it. The completely redesigned dock is slim and attractive, and it not only charges the cleaner but will empty it via suction as well.
We do, however, have to take issue with Samsung’s definition of Bespoke: in the UK, you can’t just choose the colour option you’d like from Woody Green, Midnight Blue and Misty White – each of the three colour options is a different model with a different price point and accessories.
Read our full
Samsung Bespoke Jet Complete Extrareview
BEST ROBOT VACUUM: Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI
If you’re after the robot vacuum cleaner that does everything, this is the one to get. It’s also a great option if you want to set up a cleaning schedule and forget about it for weeks at a time.
The X1 OMNI not only empties itself, but if you’re using the mopping function, it’ll empty and refill its water tank, clean and dry itself.
It has powerful suction (a whopping 5000PA), a clever mapping system that allows you to target specific rooms, or even pieces of furniture within those rooms, for cleaning. And you can even do it via voice commands, thanks to the integral voice assistant. It has a 4 hour 20 minute running time and there’s an onboard camera that you can access remotely.
But all that tech has to go somewhere and what this means is a huge dock. The dock is also noisy when it comes to emptying and cleaning the robot vac.
Read our full
Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNIreview
BEST COFFEE MACHINE: De’Longhi Dinamica Plus
If you want high-quality coffee without the hassle, the Dinamica Plus constitutes one of the best ways to get it. While still pricey, it’s affordable by the standards of bean-to-cup machines. And it’s extremely easy to use, with touchscreen controls that’ll deliver your coffee with a single press. It also has an automatic milk frothing, for perfect lattes and cappuccinos every time.
You can, of course, adjust strength and water volume to get your perfect cup and save your settings.
There are some nice design features as well, like the water tank that pulls out from the front, so you don’t have to scrabble around at the back of the appliance. You’ll also get alerts when it’s time to refill the tank and empty the integral grounds container.
The Dinamica Plus also has smart features, which allow you to check the machine’s status, adjust settings, save personalised drinks settings and – importantly – make yourself a latte, cappuccino or espresso remotely, with a single tap.
Read our full
De’Longhi Dinamica Plus ECAM 370.85review
BEST ESPRESSO MACHINE: KitchenAid Artisan
KitchenAid’s Artisan Espresso Machine is a high-quality espresso machine that’s a good option for people looking to get into making fresh coffee at home. There’s some extra help built-in, thanks to its sensors, which monitor and control the water temperature as your coffee brews. This does mean that it takes some of the control out of your hands, so coffee hobbyists will want to look elsewhere.
But everyone else will enjoy the consistency of the coffee it brews, as well as the pleasure of using a well-made appliance.
The built-in steam wand has one-button operation – although you’ll still have to froth the milk in the jug by hand.
It comes with a beautiful set of accessories: a stainless-steel milk jug, solid metal tamper and coffee scoop, as well as two single and two double wall baskets (the latter is to help beginners brew consistent, drinkable espresso).
Read our full
KitchenAid Artisan Espresso Machinereview
BEST CAPSULE COFFEE MACHINE: Nespresso Vertuo Next
This is a good-looking machine that’s a pleasure to use. Turn the chunky, chrome-effect lever and the capsule head springs up, catapulting the used pod back into the reservoir. It’s a really enjoyable mechanism. There are plenty of colour options as well, across three different models with tiered price tags: the Vertuo Next, the Vertuo Next Premium and the Vertuo Next Deluxe.
The pluses and minuses of this machine really amount to the same thing: it is fully automatic. A barcode reader inside analyses the capsule and automatically pre-wets, infuses and dispenses the correct volume. You can stop the flow or add more water, but there are generally no settings to fiddle with to tailor coffee, which will frustrate some. For others, the hassle-free, hands-off automation is exactly what they want.
It dispense coffee lengths from espresso to carafe, but it’s all dependent on which pods you use.
The Vertuo Next has smart features as well, but these are really focused on ordering and recycling capsules, rather than remote operation or adjusting settings, so they will be of more use to busy people who want to automate their deliveries, or get reminders when they’re running low on capsules.
Read our full
Nespresso Vertuo Nextreview
BEST AIR FRYER: Instant Vortex Plus
This is a traditional air fryer, with a deep, pull-out cooking drawer. It’s capacious too, at 5.7 litres/6 QT. It’s not particularly heavy, but it is still designed to have a permanent space on your countertop. It’s controlled via a digital touchscreen on top of the appliance.
There are six programmes to choose from: air fry, bake, grill, dehydrate, reheat and roast. But there are no presets, so there’s no guidance as to the time and temperature you should use when cooking. This won’t be a problem for people accustomed to air fryer cooking, but novices might have to do a bit of online research and be prepared to experiment at first.
There are some excellent features to recommend it over rival products: there’s a window to allow you to see how your cooking is getting on without opening the door, and the OdourErase technology really works. But if you’re buying specifically for these features, make sure you get the right model as Instant makes a number of similar models, with none, one, or both of them.
Read our full
Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 air fryer (5.7L/6QT)review
BEST BLENDER: Zwilling Enfinigy
This beautiful blender mixes modern and retro design to impressive, minimalist effect. A 1.4 litre jug made from ribbed TBAA-Tritan stands on a 1,200W silver-toned motor base with non-slip feet.
Switch it on and the control panel illuminates: it’s a series of function icons around a central dial. Just turn it to the setting of your choice and press. There are five preset programmes: clean, ice, cocktails, smoothies, and pulse. You can blend either hot or cold ingredients, although you can only blend a litre of hot liquid.
The Zwilling Efinigy table blender’s dedicated ice crushing setting can be used without liquid, so you can crush 150g of ice or frozen berries at once.
There’s a neat safety feature as well: you can’t run the blender without having the lid securely fixed on, so there’s no danger of getting a surprise kitchen redecoration if you forget the lid.
Plus, if you’re after inspiration, you can download the free Zwilling app, which has a database of recipe ideas.
Read our full
Zwilling Enfinigy table blenderreview
BEST FRIDGE-FREEZER: Haier HTF-456DM6 Cube fridge freezer
This spacious Haier fridge-freezer is beautifully designed, with a four-door format that has the potential to change the way you use your kitchen. It has some brilliant tech, including a digital control panel on one of the doors.
It features Humidity Zone and Dry Zone drawers, which we found made a noticeable difference to the freshness and longevity of food in our tests. It also has Haier’s Anti-Bacterial Treatment – a UV light designed to kill bacteria inside the fridge, for more hygienic food storage.
Beneath the fridge is an easy-to-view, 140-litre no-frost freezer.
Okay, there’s no ice maker but, apart from that, this Haier Cube has everything you could want in a luxury fridge-freezer, at a very reasonable price point.
Read our full
Haier HTF-456DM6 Cube fridge freezerreview
BEST AIR PURIFIER: Jya Fjord
The Jya Fjord is one of the best-looking air purifiers we’ve tested. It’s also one of the most comprehensive, with a four-stage purification process.
The first layer is a pre-filter for hair and dust mites. The second layer is a HEPA H13 filter for airborne particles such as dust, pollen, mould spores and bacteria. The third layer is activated carbon for smells and harmful gases, such as tobacco smoke and formaldehyde. To top this all off, there’s UV sterilisation to kill bacteria and viruses in the appliance.
Jya states that the Fjord will deal with zones from 31m2 to 54m2. Its Clean Air Delivery rate (CADR) is 450m3 an hour, and for the TVOC CADR, 150m3 an hour.
It has a touchscreen control panel, with a display that’ll show you the air quality in terms of either PM2.5, PM10, or TVOC.
It also has smart features. It’s Apple Homekit, Google Assistant and Alexa compatible. Also, via the app, you can monitor your air quality in the longer-term, with daily, weekly and monthly graphs.
There are four operation modes, including a whisper quiet (18.8dB(A)) sleep mode.
Read our full
Jya Fjord air purifierreview
BEST HEATER: Princess Smart Glass Panel Heater
Although this heater can be moved, it’s heavy and not especially portable. It would be excellent as a (semi-)permanent addition to a garden office, extension or little-used spare room. If there’s a room you don’t heat via central heating, this would be a perfect way to keep it warm. The panel heater is slim, silent and can be wall-mounted or fixed on feet (which you’ll have to do yourself when you unpack it).
Its minimalist design is complemented by a a subtle touchscreen display but, to make the most of the heater, you’ll want to set up its Wi-Fi smart features, which will allow you to schedule and operate it remotely on your phone (although you should be very careful whenever turning on a heater remotely). You can also switch it on and off using voice commands via your home assistant.
This means you can make a cold bedroom cosy before you head up or get an office warm enough for the day ahead – without wasting any heat when you’re not using it.
It’s a powerful heater and good value for its price point. We tested the 1,500W model, but there are also 1,000W and 2,000W models available from various retailers including Amazon. Their prices are only slightly different, so make sure you know which one you’re getting as it could make a big difference to running costs. Still, thanks to its smart features, you can set a timer and only use it as necessary, which will help to save money.
Read our full
Princess Smart Glass Panel Heaterreview
BEST SMART THERMOSTAT: Hive Thermostat Mini
Hive’s newest thermostat constitutes one of the most affordable ways to get smart heating.
It has all the same features as the pricier Hive Thermostat – plus, it can control up to six heating zones, compared to the previous iteration’s three. But the big change is that most of the controls have been shifted away from the minimalist, touchscreen thermostat to the app.
You’ll use the app to set up scheduling for your hot water and heating, switch on frost protection and holiday mode, turn on geolocation (so you’ll get an alert if you leave home without switching off your heating) and boost your heating and hot water.
There’s the option to add to your set-up with Hive thermostatic radiator valves for granular room-by-room heating control, and the Thermostat Mini is compatible with with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Siri Shortcuts and IFTTT.
Read our full
Hive Thermostat Minireview
BEST SMART DOORBELL: Eufy Video Doorbell Dual
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual is unique for its two cameras: one facing forwards, and one pointing at the ground so it can watch out for parcels.
It offers great control over motion detection so you get only the notifications you care about. Better still, it comes with an indoor module called the HomeBase that acts like a range extender and means you don’t need a strong Wi-Fi signal at your door as with most other smart doorbells.
The HomeBase has 16GB of built-in storage for recording video, meaning there’s no need to pay a subscription as you do with Ring, Google and other doorbells that offer no local recording option.
Video quality is impressive both day and night, and you have a choice of using the built-in battery to power the unit or using a transformer for continuous mains power. If you want the simplicity of battery power, just note the whole doorbell must be removed from its mounting bracket to be recharged: you can’t buy spare batteries and swap them over.
Read our full
Eufy Video Doorbell Dualreview
Lifestyle Tech Awards
BEST ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH: Oral-B iO Series 6
The iO Series 6 (AKA the iO6) is the latest iO brush from Oral-B and the most budget-friendly of the series. It has a monochrome rather than a colour screen and instead of a magnetic charging puck, it comes with a standard two-pin charger.
But for a less wallet-beating price, you’ll still get the top-notch iO cleaning performance, as well as genuinely good brushing guidance from the accompanying app.
One note on the price: there are regular deals on this brush, so if you bide your time, you should be able to avoid paying the full RRP.
Read our full
Oral-B iO Series 6review
BEST ELECTRIC SHAVER: Philips OneBlade
The Philips OneBlade is as close to perfect as it gets. Slap a Micro-USB port on and cut the charge time down and I’d call it flawless, but as is I can’t see any good reason not to recommend this razor to basically everyone.
With three stubble combs by default and the option for a dedicated body blade, this one razor can cover clean shaving, stylish stubble, or body grooming, all in an unbelievably portable form factor. It’s lightweight, powerful, and gives a great shave even on tricky areas like the jawline.
All that and it’s also one of the most affordable electric razors on the market. Although you’ll have to swap blades once every few months, at almost £10/$10 a pop, that still leaves it cheaper than most shaving solutions.
Read our full
Philips OneBladereview
BEST HAIRDRYER: Zuvi Halo
The latest entry into the luxury hairdryer market, the Zuvi Halo, harnesses its one-of-a-kind technology very visibly. Switch it on and its business end glows with a green, UV-filtered light.
The idea behind it is to use the heat from light, rather than heated coils, to dry hair. Zuvi claims this will stop the inside of the hair shaft from drying out and thus reduce damage.
What we can say is that it dries hair extremely quickly, at a much lower temperature than a standard hairdryer. It’s quieter as well, which makes the whole hairdrying experience much more relaxing, and hair is left soft and shiny.
Best of all, it’s extremely energy efficient, using much less power than rivals.
Read our full
Zuvi Haloreview
BEST SMART SCALES: Withings Body Cardio
Body Cardio is from health system developer Withings, though it’s also sometimes sold under the Nokia brand, which previously owned Withings. It’s the flagship model of a range that starts with the Body model that measures weight and BMI. Body+ adds body fat %, water %, muscle and bone mass. Body Cardio adds standing heart rate, too.
The Withings Body Cardio does pretty much everything a smart scale can. It syncs with Withings’ range of activity trackers for all-round fitness monitoring.
The Body Cardio is our favourite smart scale for the sheer number of stats and handy info like how much weight you’ve lost or gained since your last weigh-in. It’s pricier than the others but offers just about everything you might possibly need.
Now, it also offers a vascular age metric, which could help you monitor your heart health.
Read our full
Withings Body Cardioreview
BEST DASH CAM: Viofo A129 Duo
This front and rear dash cam dispenses with the frills and concentrates on what’s important: recording good-quality video. This means it’s cheaper than most rival ‘dual-channel’ dash cams, but do watch out as some bundles don’t include the GPS mount and the polarising filter.
Both are worth having so you can prove where the video is recorded and to remove reflections from the windscreen in the video.
The front camera is well designed if you’re after something that will hide out of the way behind your rear-view mirror, but the rear camera, although small, has a very thick cable which can be hard to hide away neatly.
Read our full
Viofo A129 Duoreview
BEST ELECTRIC BIKE: VanMoof S3
So long as you don’t need your bike to have suspension or fold up for easy storage, the VanMoof S3 is hard to beat.
The automatic gears, powerful motor and good range make it a joy to ride. There are lots of useful extras including a built-in lock, alarm and tracking system, and you get LED lights and mudguards as standard – plus a generous three-year warranty.
Do note that if you’re under 170cm (5ft7), buy the X3 instead as the S3 is a surprisingly large bike.
Read our full
VanMoof S3review
BEST ELECTRIC SCOOTER: Turboant V8
The big sell of the V8 is the inclusion of a dual-battery design – one of vanishingly few on the market – with one built into the board and the other within the stem. The latter can even be removed for charging, allowing you to charge both batteries in tandem in as little as four hours. That’s a huge difference compared to other long-range scooters, averaging at 7-9 hours.
Just how long-range are we talking? With a combined 36V 15Ah battery capacity, the Turboant V8 can last up to 50 miles on a single charge. Combine that with a 450W motor that provides rapid acceleration and impressive top speeds and you’ve got the ideal scooter for short and medium-distance travel.
The batteries and motor mean it’s quite heavy at 21.6kg, and less than ideal if you want to hop onto a train or bus, but at least the single-latch folding mechanism allows you to fold the scooter in as little as three seconds – it really is one of the simplest systems we’ve seen.
Read our full
Turboant V8review
Tech Accessory Awards
BEST MONITOR: Philips 243B1
As well-rounded monitors go, it doesn’t get much better than the excellent Philips B1.
It starts with a stylish design with a very versatile stand meaning you can adjust the monitor into a wide range of positions easily. Build quality is very good, too.
Add in a high-quality 24in IPS display and you’ve got a nicely balanced monitor for your home office. The highlight here is the USB-C connectivity and built-in docking station meaning you can quickly connect or disconnect a laptop with minimal hassle.
Read our full
Philips 243B1review
BEST PRINTER: Canon Pixma TS7450
Printers can be hard to find in stock right now, so a great value all-rounder from Canon at under £100 is worth snapping up, even though it is quite heavy.
This is a great value all-in-one printer that’s easy to set up and use. It’s also no slouch with lots of features and versatile printing including documents and photos. Cheaper printers can be expensive to run, but the TS7450 doesn’t even fall into this category.
The mobile apps are a little frustrating at times but print quality is good, although you’ll want to stick to proper glossy paper for photos. Note that the TS7451 is the same printer, only in white.
Read our full
Canon Pixma TS7450review
BEST PORTABLE PHOTO PRINTER: Polaroid Hi-Print
The Polaroid Hi-Print is a simple, no-nonsense digital printer that costs less than most rivals, while delivering superior print quality – though pricey paper means it’ll cost you in the long run.
Printing is slightly slower than most rivals at around 50 seconds, but this is due to it being a dye-sublimation printer, which means that the print ejects in and out at least four times to add each layer of colour, plus a protective film.
The wait is worth it, as print quality is overall extremely high and more detailed, vivid, and striking than you would get from a quicker digital instant printer.
The accompanying app is simple and user-friendly, with options to customise photos with frames, filters, aspect ratio changes, text, and stickers – but few unnecessary frills to over-complicate things.
It also syncs with any image folders on your phone, plus images from WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Read our full
Polaroid Hi-Printreview
BEST INSTANT CAMERA: Instax Mini 11
The Instax Mini 11 offers good low-light exposure, a sleek design and easy-to-use controls – all for a reasonable price.
The auto-exposure dial makes low light photography reasonably visible, and the design is slimmer and more refined than its predecessor overall. There aren’t any manual adjustments that users can make to the camera, but at this price point that’s to be expected.
The Mini 11 prints on Instax’s Mini film – which produces pocket-sized polaroid-style photos. This instant camera is a compelling option for younger audiences with not much photography experience.
Read our full
Instax Mini 11review
BEST DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME: Aura Carver
The Aura Carver has a large, 10.1 inch display and 1,920 x 1,200 screen resolution, showing photos in crisp detail. If you usually view your pictures on your phone camera, you’ll enjoy seeing your best shots scaled up.
You can add an unlimited number of pictures and there are no subscription or storage fees. You can also invite friends or family members to send photos directly to your frame, in a simple and nearly instantaneous process. There’s unfortunately no option to automatically sync with social media accounts.
The Carver is a landscape format frame and portrait pictures will be displayed either centred with a black bar on either side, or ‘intelligently paired’ via an algorithm. The latter can be a bit hit and miss but it throws up some interesting combinations.
Read our full
Aura Carverreview
BEST SSD: Seagate FireCuda 530
The FireCuda 530 delivers on everything an SSD should with stellar performance, incredible lifespan and effective thermal management if you use a heatsink.
There’s even a special warranty with three years of data recovery should the drive fail – something that’s normally reserved for enterprise-class devices.
It’s a great choice for PC and console owners who want the best-in-class PCIe 4.0 drive.
Read our full
Seagate FireCuda 530review
BEST NAS DRIVE: Synology DS220j
Synology’s 2-bay NAS drive is still one of the best options on the market, thanks to its continued accessibility and ease of use.
The extra processor power and memory speed things up nicely making this the perfect device to sync files from multiple computers and distribute media around the home.
Those looking for extra bays and power should look at the DS4 range.
Read our full
Synology DS220jreview
BEST MESH ROUTER: TP-Link Deco P9
It’s easy to set up, has a well-designed and feature-packed app, and can offer fantastic coverage. That’s because, unlike most other mesh systems, the Deco P9 uses a combination of mesh Wi-Fi and Powerline networking, which uses your home’s mains wiring to provide a reliable connection even through thick walls – something other systems can’t do much about.
It’s a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 system, but technically it’s tri-band because it can use Powerline for ‘backhaul’, which means the mesh units can talk to each other even if they’re further apart than Wi-Fi allows.
While it was originally available only in a set of three offering up to 6000 square feet of coverage, TP-Link has since launched a two-unit set ideal for smaller homes.
If you want a mesh Wi-Fi system that doesn’t depend on Wi-Fi for the units to communicate with each other, the Deco P9 is ideal.
Read our full
TP-Link Deco P9review
BEST POWERLINE: TP-Link AV1300
MSRP:
€139.99
The TL-WPA8631P KIT features one Gigabit Ethernet port on the base adapter (actually a unit called the TL-PA8010P) that connects to your router and a generous three Gigabit Ethernet ports on the second-room adapter.
This is an excellent choice if you want to boost the speeds of multiple network devices (such as smart TV, games console, Sky/Tivo box, laptop, etc) with a fast, stable wired connection. Other Powerline adapters have just one or two Ethernet ports, to which you could add an Ethernet Switch for extra wired ports, but this is a much neater solution.
Handily both adapters feature passthrough sockets to save you from losing one at the wall socket when the adapters are plugged in.
This top-end value-for-money AV1300 Powerline Starter Kit includes the ability to add a new, fast Wi-Fi hotspot in the second room, which is a great help if your home Wi-Fi signal gets weaker the further you are away from the room that your router is set up in. This should significantly increase wireless speeds for your smartphones, laptops, tablets and other devices.
The Ethernet ports are at the top of the adapter, which is handy if your power sockets are close to the floor line.
BEST THUNDERBOLT DOCK: CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4
MSRP:
€324.99
Best Prices Today:
€324.99 at CalDigit
For years, CalDigit ruled the Thunderbolt 3 roost with its compact but powerful Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus. Its Thunderbolt 4 successor, the Thunderbolt Station 4 is physically and stylistically similar but boasts even more ports at even faster speeds.
All the USB (5 x USB-A, 3 x USB-C) and Thunderbolt ports (3 x TB4) are super-fast and offer impressive device charging – at the front, there’s a USB-C port with 20W power.
CalDigit has sacrificed one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports for a dedicated DisplayPort, which is fine if you need that video port but not as flexible as leaving three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports with which you can add adapters for external displays.
Windows users with a Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 computer can connect a single 8K display at 60Hz; Mac users, a single 6K display at 60Hz. Older Intel Macs and newer M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBooks can connect two 4K displays at 60Hz, although plain M1 MacBooks are sadly limited to just the one external display.
Wired internet is 2.5 times faster than on any other dock or hub we’ve tested, if you have 2.5GbE (or above) compatible devices. The 230W power supply is also the most powerful of any dock we’ve tested, and the dock can charge a laptop at 98W.
The Caldigit TS4 has the most ports at the fastest speeds and the greatest power, making it our number-one choice if you want the very best.
Read our full
CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4)review
BEST USB-C DOCK: Anker PowerExpand Elite 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 Dock
Anker’s PowerExpand Elite dock offers 13 ports in total. With its Titan Ridge chipset, it is also USB-C compatible, and is a neat and compact vertical dock.
The PowerExpand Elite can connect up to three external displays on Windows laptops only as macOS doesn’t support MST (Multi-Stream Transport).
The HDMI and Thunderbolt/USB-C port would connect two displays (4K at 60Hz for Thunderbolt laptops), while the third external display would use one of the USB-C ports (4K at 30Hz). Unless your display has a USB-C connection itself, you’ll need an adapter (not included) using the Thunderbolt and USB-C connections.
One seemingly minor feature that we love is the easy-to-reach on-off switch, which will help save energy, prolong your device’s battery, and stop the dock getting too warm when left unused overnight.
Both USB-C ports are Gen. 2 at 10Gbps, where some docks boast just 5Gbps C-type ports.
BEST USB-C HUB: Plugable USB-C 7-in-1 Multifunction Hub
This compact and very affordable hub has seven ports from one integrated USB-C connection, including a 4K HDMI output for adding an external display, power passthrough (at an impressive 87W) to charge connected devices, three 5Gbps USB-A ports, and SD and microSD slots.
You can use the HDMI 1.4 port to output to a 4K (at 30Hz) or Full HD 1080p monitor or projector.
Passthrough charging is especially handy if your laptop or USB-C device has just one USB-C port. The 87W power is more than you get from most hubs.
At 88g, it’s lightweight, and, as with many hubs, features a short integrated cable so works well as a portable travel device.
There are a generous three USB-A ports that can also provide 7.5W power passthrough to charge other devices.
Software Awards
BEST ANTIVIRUS: Norton 360 Deluxe
Norton 360 Deluxe is so called because it really does offer all-round security that can protect your key devices as well as alert you if your logins are ever found for sale on the dark web, giving you an early heads-up of potential trouble and the opportunity to change your passwords.
Available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, some of the highlights include top-notch antivirus performance, phishing protection, and warnings of dangerous websites, a no-limits VPN service and a password manager, plus cloud backup storage and performance tools to help speed up your computer.
The core malware protection is superb. In AV-Test’s most recent report, Norton 360 scored top marks for protection, performance and usability.
The price of this protection is £29.99 for the first year, which is £5.99 per device). As with almost all antivirus software, that’s a discounted rate for the first year: upon renewal it will cost you £89.99 (£18 per device), which is a little higher than some of its rivals.
In the US Norton 360 Deluxe costs $49.99 for the first year ($9.99 per device) and $104.99 thereafter.
Read our full
Norton 360 Deluxereview
BEST VPN: NordVPN
NordVPN is easy to use, fast and offers lots of servers around the world.
Based in Panama and with an audited no-logs policy, Nord is a good choice for many reasons. Thanks to NordLynx (a WireGuard-based protocol), it’s the fastest VPN around and and offers a good range of features, including a kill switch on its Android, Windows, iPhone and macOS apps.
NordVPN is ultra-reliable and is also very good at unblocking streaming services, including Netflix and Disney+.
The two-year subscription is the best value and there’s a money-back guarantee in case you’re not totally happy, too. NordVPN now offers three tiers: Standard, Plus and Complete. Plus adds Nord’s Password Manager and Data Breach Scanner, while Complete also comes with 1TB of encrypted cloud storage.
Read our full
NordVPNreview
BEST CLOUD STORAGE: Google Drive
If you have a Google account then you already have 15GB of free storage available to you in Google Drive. This can be used to back up documents, photos, videos, and anything else you want to keep safe.
Drive’s interface is simple, clean, and takes about two minutes to master. That’s not to say it’s basic, as Drive has useful features such as sharing links to folders (while setting the level of control the recipient has), accessing a file even if it’s opened on another device, plus apps for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android.
One of the real benefits is that Drive works seamlessly with Google’s free suite of office apps which you can use in a web browser or via apps on your phone and tablet.
If 15GB isn’t enough space then you can pay for the Google One service. There’s a choice of 100GB ($1.99 / £1.59 per month), 200GB ($2.99 / £2.49 per month), 2TB ($9.99 / £7.99 per month), right up to 30TB for a princely sum of $299.99 / £239.99 per month (and that is a fraction of what Amazon charges for 30TB!).
The best part is that Google One can be shared by up to five family members.
Google Drive is an excellent, reliable, and affordable cloud storage service.
BEST PC CLEANER: CCleaner Professional
A stalwart of the PC cleaner world, CCleaner Professional is still the best all-rounder.
It managed to clean more total space from our test laptop than any other PC cleaner, so performance is top-notch. We’d just like a little more control over what is deleted.
The interface is perhaps a little dated and can take time to learn, but it’s serviceable and there are plenty of tools on offer here to get various tasks done as well as automatic cleaning and scheduling.
Read our full
CCleaner Professionalreview
Appliances, Computer Accessories, Home Audio, Laptops, Personal Software, Smart Home, Smartphones, Tablets, Wearables
Source link
