OOWOLF Waterproof Indoor/Outdoor Wall Light

This indoor outdoor wall light from OOWOLF looks and feels like a quality piece of kit. It is heavier than you might suppose and has a quality feel to it Construction is first rate and this item is clearly built to last and this, together with stylish good looks belies the £17.98 price.

In the mid market box, you receive the light unit itself, an installation kit, and an Allen key together with a brief fitting guide, although installation is pretty much self-evident.

The 9.8 inch 640g lamp is made from metal with proper glass lenses over the LEDs and comes with a simple wall mounting kit. Build quality is superb, this has a real premium feel to it, and the light looks great even when switched off. When switched on it gives a powerful preset light from 8 glass lens protected 2835 LEDs, four pointing up and four down.

To install, use the supplied Allen key to release the four screws between the LEDs and remove the back panel from the light unit and use it as a template to lineup the two wall mounting screws. When the screw holes are drilled feed the connecting cable from the light unit through the waterproof grommet in the mounting place and wire it to your (unconnected) power cable. Secure the mounting place to the wall and then fit the light unit to it and secure using the Allen key screws.

This light is mains power operated, there are no battery or solar options, and it can be used indoors or out although it is not designed as a security light. It is IP65 waterproof which means it will be fine in the rain but don’t immerse it in water. There are no controls, not even an off/on switch – this is a bare-bones product that will sell due to the attractive design and simple functionality.

The light from the unit is warm and bright and looks delightful in the right location. Remember, this is a feature light rather than a room or location light and is designed to give ambience and atmosphere rather than lighting, although it is good and bright at

If you need a stylish mood light for your living room or even your garden wall, this might be the thing for you.

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TrueFree A1 Bluetooth Earbuds

The new Truefree A1 headset is not quite the cheapest out there in a very competitive market it has some unusual and rather high-end features on offer for the £32,99 price.

There used to be a time when you had to pay plenty to get decent quality True Wireless Earbuds but the introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 seems to have changed all that. Before Bluetooth 5.0 all but the most expensive TW earbuds would continually drop out, crackle, pop and generally prove more trouble than they were worth. As technology develops each pair is better than the last and this new set is well configured with some of the latest tech on board.

In the box were the two buds together with a short USB charging cable, and a well written and easy to read User Guide. Despite the light weight, everything has a nicely made feel to it with good build quality but without the weightiness of some rivals.

First time pairing could not be simpler and took just a few seconds. Subsequently, taking the buds from the case powers them on, and they connect to each other and the phone automatically, returning them to the case turns them off and begins charging. We are not told the capacity of the case battery but it can recharge the buds at least 4 times giving a maximum run time of around 18 hours and about 4.5 hours from each charge. There are LEDs on both the buds and case to show charging and connection status and the buds will charge automatically when placed into the case. Unlike many smooth-skinned rivals, these stem buds are easy to remove from the magnetic case and holding the stem prevents accidental button presses, for me a major selling point.

These earbuds use the up to date Bluetooth 5.0 technology which is supported by the latest high-end smartphones but of course, they will also work with older Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth 5 adds a longer range and greatly improves both the stability of the wireless connection and battery life.

The buds are small, neat lightweight and comfortable to wear. Sound quality is excellent for a TW headset with a very decent level of bass together with clean mid-tones and a sibilance free high end. Calls were clear to hear and easy to make. Call quality was fine at each end of the conversation with no dropouts or excessive background noise and this may be due to the use of two separate microphones in each bud, a feature I have not encountered before.

Each bud has a single soft touch button on it which can be used to end/reject calls, play/pause music, navigate tracks, alter volume and invoke your phone’s voice assistant. This works well and is easy to use. Either bud can be used alone and separately for mono listening. They are rated as IPX4 water-resistant which means they should be fine in the rain but not for swimming. The buds also have a special game mode that reduces the latency and reaction time, but not being a gamer I doubt I will need it.

This headset is not the cheapest out there but this headset still compares very well with the high-end rivals I have tried as regards sound quality and features. Indeed, you would do well to find a better True Wireless Headset for the price.

The Good
Lightweight
Comfortable
Good Audio Quality
Good Build Quality
4 Mics
Auto On/Off
Single/Dual Bud Modes
Bluetooth 5.0
Magnetic Case
IPX4 Water Resistant

The Bad
No Apt-X Codec
Cheaper Rivals Available

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Wamife 1200W Smoothie Maker Blender

With a 1200W motor this is one of the most powerful blenders I have used and although rather utilitarian in design it certainly get the job done.

The Blender arrived well packaged in a large and attractive box inside of which was the motor base, mixer jug, jug cap, User Guide and a travel cup. The User Guide is large, well printed and easy to read and I enclose a scan of it in my unboxing video.

The blender base is large and hefty and has a decidedly industrial look to it. It has a brushed steel finish and sports large and easy to find controls. On the front it has an large and well marked buttons for Pulse, Ice Crushing, and Smoothie , with below a large stepless blending speed dial. The mixing jug is made from glass and not the plastic used by many rivals. The jug lid is is a firm fit with a dual flexible seal around the sides and incorporates a plastic measuring dispenser into the access hole.

Given the size of the unit I was expecting it to be very noisy but in fact it was not. Surprising too was the fact that it did not move around too much when in use due to the rubber suction caps built into the base. To operate it just place the glass jug in place and turn it clockwise to lock it in position. After adding the ingrediants to the jug and replacing the liod either press the preset button or rotate the dial to the desired mixing speed. For short operations press the Pulse button for short high speed operation.

I was amazed at the power of the device, as my video shows ice cubes were turned into snow in just a few seconds. It seems it will blend virtually anything put into it. It will be perfect for smoothies, ice crushing, drinks, soup and with a capacity of 1.5Ltr several servings can be made at once. The dedicated ice crushing button puts the emphasis on drinks making for this device although pretty much anything can be made in it. I plan to use it to make nut butters and am confident it will be able to cope with the task.

This is a simple, powerful blender and smoothy maker with the focusing being given to performance and ease of use.

This is a very powerful and easy to use blender and although no thing of beauty should perform pretty much any task thrown at it. The inclusion of a travel mug is a nice bonus and rfeinforces the drinks making focus of the device. The current Amazon price of £84.99 before discounts is very attractive and far less than that of the Big Name rivals.

The Good
Low price
Good build quality
Powerful 23000rpm/1200W motor
Large easy to operate controls
Travel Mug Included
Good User Guide
Large 1.5L Glass jug
Low Noise

The Bad
More Powerful Rivals Available
Larger Rivals Available

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Hokone 9W Eye-Care Desk Light

I have reviewed plenty of angle lamps before, but never one like this. This new lamp from Hokone has a form factor that I have seen before but is scaled up in size, build quality and light output.

The lamp arrived lavishly presented in a rather upmarket and stylish box, a distinct upgrade from the cheap boxes of the many rivals. The box contained the lamp suitably well protected and a nicely printed, easy to read but rather unnecessary user guide.

The lamp consists of a 12-inch 90 LED flat head light unit on the end of a 27-inch gooseneck with an extra large screw-down clamp base. The clamp, which will lock to surfaces up to 3.5 inches thick, is suitably padded to protect the desk and is robust and secure. Once in place, the lamp can rotate within the clamp mount and the white silicone gooseneck bent and positioned in almost any attitude. The long, slim gooseneck can almost literally be tied into a knot, it is so flexible. The lamp is powered by an external three-pin UK pin mains adapter with a cable that is plugged directly into the base of the lamp.

Using this single-button lamp could not be simpler. Press the soft-touch Power Button on the end of the lamp head to turn the device off and on, double clicking the Power button will scroll between the three colour temperatures on offer – Warm, Standard, and cool white. Long press to vary the brightness of the light.

The light is as bright as you might expect for the size with a light that is stable and flicker-free with a colour temperature range of between 3000K and 6000K. In fact, the main selling point has to be the light quality which is smooth, even, eye-friendly and with true stemless dimming.

This is a simple and attractive lamp that does what it is supposed to do and does it well. If you need a larger than average office or desktop style lamp for work or reading then this would be a great buy. If you need a super flexible, extra large gooseneck desk lamp then at £36.99 before discounts, this could be what you need.

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YINN Deluxe Dog Cave Bed

It was time to get a new bed for Poppy, her current one is getting a bit old and smelly and she needs something to keep her warm better in winter. I have seen these scallop style beds before and they certainly look comfy enough. If she does not like it then perhaps our other dog, Blenheim, may take a shine to it. There are three sizes available and we bought the medium-sized version for £46.99, which should be large enough for either dog. I should add that seems to be a large number of rivals that look identical and are similarly priced.

The bed arrived well packed in a thick outer shipping bag with the bed compressed tightly into a reusable heavy duty vacuum bag. The bed certainly seems well made, with very a well padded but supportive channelled spring wound poly-filled pillow with a fold over cover supported by an internal rigid frame. The bed itself has a sheepskin style look and feel to it with an external suede finish to the outside. The outside cover has a double zip to allow the internal padding to be removed before washing. The cover can be machine washed and tumble dried. The underside of the bed is made from what seems to be a water resistant oxford cloth like material.

The bed looks and feels immensely comfortable and if they brought out a larger version I would sleep in it myself. The upper part of the bed is like a mini canopy and extends about two thirds of the way over the bed to allow the dog to bury themselves inside should they wish but not enough to get in the way when they don’t and can be folded back out of the way.

Both Poppy and Blenheim are taken with the novelty of it but do not yet see it as a bed so much as an oversized toy. Time will tell but I am confident that one or either of them will adopt for bedtime use soon. If they don’t maybe I will, if I can squeeze inside.

The Good
Well made
Heavily Padded
Folding Top
Machine Washable

The Bad
Large Size
Expensive

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OOWOLF Computer Light Bar

I was not quite sure what to expect when I ordered this and so I was interested to see what actually arrived.

When it did I was impressed by the lamp’s functionality and also the build quality, which really does have a premium and up-market feel to it. The product is nicely presented too in a distinctly upmarket box containing the light bar, mount, USB cable and user guide.

So what does it do?

Basically, this is a tubular lamp which sits along the top of your monitor and gives an eye-friendly blue spectrum filtered reading light onto your desktop along with additional low-key lights illuminating the area behind the monitor, designed to reduce eye strain. It has three natural, warm and cool white light modes and 10-stage dimming. It does not clamp to your monitor, there is no chance of damaging the screen because it uses a clever cantilever mount that holds the lamp bar on top of the monitor securely by using a weighted brace against the rear of the monitor.

Looking at the light bar itself, along the underside at the front is a long LED panel with touch-sensitive buttons on both ends, and two small diffused LED light panels on the rear. The front light panel is designed to illuminate just the area immediately in front of the monitor. The rear panels cast an ambient light behind the monitor and can be switched off if not desired and configured separately from the front panel.

Mounting could not be easier. Just clip the light bar into the holder on the mount and position the mount on top of the monitor with the weighted part behind. The hinge on the mount will cause the weight to secure the bar in place, The USB cable plugs into the bar in the middle above the mount. Of course, just how well the mount works will depend on the design of your monitor.

As you would expect from a premium device, it is USB-C powered and can connect directly to your Mac, PC or laptop. My monitor has two built-in USB ports so one of these was the most obvious to use. If it is plugged into your computer it will turn on automatically to the last setting used when the computer is turned on.

Operation is simple and easy. The right touch button controls the forward light. Short press to power on and scroll through the natural, cool and warm white light modes, short press again to turn off. Long press to set the brightness level. The left button controls the rear ambient lights in exactly the same way. Double click either button to turn off both lights together.

I have to say it works well. I was worried about light spill, glare on the monitor screen or of the light shining directly into my eyes, but none of this happened. The light is subtle, restrained and atmospheric and does a good job of lighting up the desktop and just the desktop without being an annoyance or distraction.

This is a a well engineered device with high end construction that works well and does what it claims to do. The current price of £34.50 before discounts is excellent for the build quality and functionality on offer.

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UK

DE

Flosmore FL01 Cordless Water Flosser

At first sight, this new deal flosser from Flosmore looks very similar to the many other and held battery powered oral irrigators I have tried before. However, this new one has at least one feature I have never seen before,

In the well designed mid-market product box was the flosser itself, a USB charging cable, three standard heads, one orthodontic head, and a User Guide. The User Guide is well printed and easy to read and I enclose a scan of it in my unboxing video.

The flosser seems very well made fine for the price and I was pleased to see that it uses a USB power source, which makes it great for taking on holiday as no mains plugs or adapters are needed. However, it has a non-standard plug which is a pity, so take care not to lose it. The flosser is IPX7 waterproof so it can be used safely in the bathroom or even in the shower. Unlike some rivals, the water tank can be fully removed for cleaning although it also has a quick access point to refill. The removable tank again makes it well suited for travel use as it is easier to pack away.

On the front of the assembled flosser is the power button with next to it the thumb wheel controlling the water pressure, below it is the mode switching button and below that the power and mode LEDs. On the rear at the top is the charging port, it is a pity a proprietary port has been used rather than a standard USB, and on the bottom of the water tank is the water inlet port.

It has an internal battery and one charge can give at least fifteen days of normal use. This is an advance on many rivals which offer a shorter battery life although often with reduced charging time. Charging is not something that needs to be done too often in normal use but is via a grommet protected port on the front with an LED indicating charging status which goes out when charging is complete.

Using the device is easy enough. Press the power button to switch on and select from the three available modes using the mode button below. The modes are DIY, Strong and Pulse. Using DIY mode you can vary the water pressure using the tub wheel from 20 to 140psi and when in Pulse mode the water jet pulses at 1650 times per minute. There are four cleaning tips which can be clicked in place on the top of the flosser depressing the button next to the head port to do so. The tips included are a Standard tip for general cleaning, an Orthodontic tip for braces and dental work locations, a periodontal tip for the gums, and a cupped tip to take care of the tongue area. One tank should last for around two minutes of normal cleaning use.

As a long-term user of handheld flossers, I was pleased with the power of the device, often battery-powered flossers can only manage a rather feeble flow, but not so here. I usually use it in standard mode and switch to a softer dial-in mode for the gums. The water tank is more than enough for a cleaning session and can be quickly refilled from the tap. One battery charge is enough for more than two weeks of normal use, which would make this flosser great for travel or vacations.

This is a well made and easy to use device, works well, and compares very favourably to similar units from market-leading brands.

The Good
Good price
Effective Cleaning
Quiet in use
Three Cleaning Modes
Variable Water Pressure
Four Heads
USB Charging

The Bad
No Carry Bag
Non-Standard Power Socket

More Info and Purchase

Shopify: (10% Discount code: flosmore2022)
Amazon USA: (10% Discount code: flosmore2022)
https://tinyurl.com/yym96fjm
Amazon UK https://tinyurl.com/y4j2co8p

Jumobuis Portable Misting Fan

This clever little portable misting fan from Jumobuis is the first of this type I have seen with a misting feature built-in and in fact, it works much better than I expected.

In the box are the fan itself, charging cable. and a well written if rather small, User Guide. Build quality is better and heavier duty than I expected and everything seems well made and robust enough for daily use.

The seven-blade shielded fan sits on top of the main body of the unit containing the 300ml water tank and can be angled forward and back although it does not rotate. Just in front of the fan is the outlet for the water stream which is turned into a mist and propelled forwards by the action of the fan. On the front of the body of the fan are the two backlit buttons, one to scroll through the three fan speeds, the other to control the misting mode and night light display. Press the right button once for continuous misting, twice for intermittent and long press to turn the scrolling seven colour night light on. The nightlight is subtle and is pleasant to look at without being too bright or distracting.

The fan is powered from an internal rechargeable 2000mAh Lithium-Ion battery. A short USB charging cable is provided. One charge takes around two hours and should give several hours of operation depending on the settings of the fan.

I was very pleasantly surprised by how effective the misting was at every combination of misting and fan levels. The cooling effect can be increased still more by adding ice cubes to the water tank. The fan is very quiet in operation even at full power and is best used at no more than level two for on-desk use.

For the £26.99 before discount price, this is an excellent buy and great for use at home or at the office.

The Good
Great price
Clever Design
Effective Misting
Powerful Fan
Quiet Operation

The Bad
Fiddly Tank Refill
Fan does not rotate

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Eono 13A Wifi Smart Plug – 2 Pack

Priced at £25.99 for a set of two, this Smart Plug set is not the cheapest on the market but it is one of the best and easiest to use I have yet tried.

The latest generation of IOT products, like these plugs from Eono, require no hub, connect directly to the router, and are easy to identify online. The plugs are recognised by the Amazon Echo and Google Home apps and seamlessly blend into their home automation ecosystems using the widely used Smart Life app to do so. I suspect these plugs will also work with the almost identical Tuya Smart app and probably others too.

In the minimalistic but attractively designed product box were the plugs themselves along with a well written and easy to read User Guide. The Guide assists in setting up the Smart Life app and linking the device to Amazon Alexa and Google Home but is not really needed as the Smart Life app does it all for you.

The plugs themselves are well made, nicely designed, and feel robust enough for long-term everyday use. They are smaller in size than many rivals and less obtrusive in use. Each has a power status LED on the side which doubles as a proper clicky off/On button.

Setting it up was easy enough and can all be done by following the in-app instructions. Open the app and begin the procedure to add a new device. Plug the socket in and the LED starts flashing quickly, select the ‘Lighting Socket Wifi’ device type from the list in the app, input your wifi name and password, let the app then detect the device on the network. My unboxing video shows how quick and easy this is. Once the device is set up and online simply switch to the Alexa/Google app, enable the Smart Life Skill and follow the steps to recognise the plugs.

The Smart Life app is excellent and does much more than just allow you to add the plug to Alexa and Google. The app will also allow the plug to be triggered by events such as you entering and leaving the house, sunrise/sunset, etc, and will work in conjunction with a range of smart devices from multiple brands. I doubt most users will use the app but will control the plugs just through voice, as I do.

This is an excellent product in its own right and when integrated with Alexa or Google really can start to transform your home. I have seen similar products from other suppliers but this one has to be one of the most compact, easiest to use, and best designed yet.

Features
Good price
Works with Alexa
Works with Google Home
Excellent App
Compact Size
No Hub needed
Part of a family of devices
Off/On button
Status LED

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Nylavee SK100 Computer Soundbar

This simple and easy to operate soundbar is designed to use with a computer and will sit neatly on your desk under your monitor but in fact, it can be used with almost any audio device. It connects either with Bluetooth – using an up to date Bluetooth 5 connection for fast, stable and automatic pairing – or with a standard audio cable. I have tried other Nylavee speakers and this new model maintains the style and build quality of the earlier products.

In the branded mid-range box were the soundbar itself, an audio cable, and a well written and comprehensive user guide. Build quality seems excellent and weighing in at 2.16 pounds the 16.42 x 2.99 x 2.68 inch device feels substantial and made to last.

The soundbar has a semi-matt black finish with a fine mesh speaker grill along almost all the front face with a discreet logo centrally positioned and a small Bluetooth Status LED near the end. On the back are 3.55m ports for audio In and Out. On one end is the large control knob and LED status ring used to set the volume level, select operating mode and configure Bluetooth. The device has a hardwired USB cable for power and a standard 3.5mm plug for audio. The USB cable is used just to power the Bluetooth system as this device has no battery option and does not support data over USB.

I was pleased to see the soundbar features the latest Bluetooth 5 wireless technology which means connections will be faster, easy to initiate, lag-free and more stable. To set up Bluetooth, after connecting the USB power port, press the multi-purpose control knob twice and the front panel LED will flash blue/white to show it is in Bluetooth pairing mode. Connect your Bluetooth sound source to the soundbar which shows up as ‘SK100’. When connected the soundbar will beep and the LED on the front panel will flash blue. It will beep again when disconnected. The soundbar will automatically connect to the previous sound source when detected again. Double click the multi-function dial to switch between Bluetooth and cable modes

The sound quality is good considering the size of the speakers with a decent level of punchy bass and a higher register that is not too sharp or sibilant. Audio quality through headphones is excellent as you would expect and the inclusion of this pass-through port a very welcome addition.

What are my suggestions for the next version? I would hope it would have pluggable rather than hard-wired cables, a microphone, and a USB power hub feature.

That said, if you need a cleverly designed and well made computer soundbar with decent quality audio you need to go a long way to find one better than this.

The Good
Great Build Quality
Good Audio
Subtle Lighting
Audio Out Port

The Bad
Hard Wired Cables
No Microphone
No USB Hub

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