Reviews

I was skeptical before buying my IKEA Smart Shades because IKEA is known for furniture rather than tech devices. Usually, things get messy when non-software… Read More »IKEA FYRTUR Smart Shade Review: A HomeKit Must-Have

I’ve reviewed more than ten different smart locks over the last five years. I just finished four months of testing the Eufy Smart Lock Touch… Read More »Eufy Smart Lock Touch Review: Does it compete w/ August?

I bought the Amazon Halo in October and have had it on my right wrist for at least half of the days since. But I’m… Read More »Amazon Halo Review: An Always Listening Mic & Solid Sleep Tracker

It’s been more than three months since I bought my Traeger Pro 575 WiFi Pellet Grill (Smoker). I’ve cooked with it more than 40 times.… Read More »Traeger Pro 575 Review: Can The WiFi Smoker Replace Your Propane?

I got the Bertello Pizza Oven as a Christmas gift. It’s an item that I never knew that I wanted, but I’m glad to have… Read More »Bertello Pizza Oven Review: The Oven From Shark Tank is a Lot of Fun

Most of my day is spent staring at my MacBook screen, so I have plenty of opportunities to slouch or get lazy when I sit.… Read More »Upright Go Review: A Frustrating Device That Fixes Your Posture

I’ve loved my pair of Casper Glow Lights for the year that I’ve had them, but they’re not a practical purchase for most ($229 for a pair).… Read More »Casper Glow Light Review: The $129 Nightstand Light is Awesome

EufyCam E is fantastic for people who don’t want their video clips sent to an outside server and are concerned about their privacy. Free: A+ EufyCam… Read More »EufyCam E Review: Does Eufy’s Copycat Design Outdo Arlo?

After weeks of testing, I determined Arlo Pro 2 is the better battery-powered security camera because it has more smart home integrations and advanced options.… Read More »Arlo Pro 2 Review: The Best Battery-Power Camera

Ring Stick Up Cam has a solid app interface and a rechargeable battery, but you’ll need to pay for a subscription to use basic features.… Read More »Ring Stick Up Cam Review: I Prefer Blink Cameras

When the original AirPods were released, the tech community criticized them for looking stupid and being easy to lose. At the time, I wrote on… Read More »AirPods Pro Review: A Comfort Sacrifice

After weeks of testing, I determined Blink XT2 is a great buy for casual security monitoring because it provides accurate motion recording and stores the… Read More »Blink XT2 Review: My Favorite Budget Cam (No Subscription)

However, Chromecast (3rd Gen) is a great choice if you have Google Home and don’t mind using your phone as the remote. Interface: F There’s… Read More »Chromecast (Gen 3) Review: Good if you don’t like remotes

I determined Netgear Orbi RBK33 (3-Set) is the better mesh system because you’ll get faster speeds and brilliant range. Setup: B Installation is straightforward through… Read More »Orbi RBK50 Review: The Dedicated Backhaul is Great

After a year of testing, I determined that Fire TV Stick 4K is best for most people because it uses a remote rather than relying… Read More »Fire TV Stick 4K Review: Not bad, but lots of ads

After over a year of testing, I determined Roku Streaming Stick+ is the better streaming stick because it has more content options and fewer advertisements.… Read More »Roku Stick Plus Review: Best Value Streamer

After months of testing, I found Tile Mate and Tile Pro to be the best Bluetooth trackers on the market by a wide margin because… Read More »Tile Mate Review: The Bluetooth Tracker Most Should Buy

After months of testing, TrackR Pixel to have poor range and the batteries only last two months, but the upside is that it’s only $15.… Read More »TrackR Pixel Review: It’s Not Good At Tracking Anything

After weeks of testing, I determined Google Nest Hub is the best personal assistant because it has a more intuitive interface and better content options.… Read More »Google Nest Hub Review: The Ultimate Kitchen Speaker

After weeks of testing, I determined Echo Show 5 is an upgrade over Echo Dot (3rd Gen), but the overall experience is not on Nest… Read More »Echo Show 5 Review: An Upgrade Over Echo Dot, But Not Much Else

Speed (A+): iPad Pro uses Apple’s custom-built processing chips, and the 2018 version uses an A12X Bionic chip. My iPad Pro (11 inches, 4 GB… Read More »iPad Pro (2018) Review: Can it Replace a MacBook?

The SimpliSafe 5 Piece Security System has a better build quality than other systems on the market, but it’s almost useless without the $25/month plan.… Read More »SimpliSafe Security Review: Is it Better than Ring?

After two weeks of testing, I found the Ring Alarm 5 Piece Kit to be the best DIY security system because it has free self-monitoring… Read More »Ring Alarm System Review: Does it Beat SimpliSafe?

After a month of testing, I determined Skybell HD could have been an excellent budget option because of its free cloud recordings, but it’s not… Read More »Skybell HD Review: Could’ve Been Great But It’s Not Reliable

After two weeks with the Polariod Zip, I determinded that it’s solid as long as you’re not expecting premium prints. Software (C+): The app wasn’t… Read More »Polaroid Zip Review: Are Portable Printers Worth It?

After a couple weeks of testing, I determined that the HP Sprocket is as good as any portable printer on the market and worth a… Read More »HP Sprocket Review: How Much Are Portable Printers Worth?

Powerbeats Pro provide a more secure fit and better playback controls compared to AirPods and AirPods Pro, which is great for those who want to… Read More »Powerbeats Pro Review: Long Battery, Meh Comfort

if you’re an Android user, want premium sound, or need a guaranteed fit, Bose SoundSport Free are the way to go. Sound: A Bose SoundSport… Read More »Bose SoundSport Free Review: The Perfect Bud?

I determined Apple AirPods 2 are the best true wireless headphones because of the lightweight, comfortable fit, seamless pairing and switching, and unique software features.… Read More »Apple AirPods 2 Review: Buy For Convenience, Not Sound

I recommend Linksys Velop (2-Set) for people who value better phone software over pure performance. Setup: B- Velop’s phone setup is reliable, and the instructions… Read More »Linksys Velop Review: Solid But No Value Proposition

Free Service (F): The free service only saves the last three hours of snapshots; no video is recorded. In most cases, three hours doesn’t even give… Read More »Nest Indoor Cam Review: It’s Useless Without a Subscription

Free Service (A+): If you don’t want to pay for a subscription, Amazon is the way to go as it provides more essential features for… Read More »Amazon Cloud Cam Review: It’s Reliable & Has a Great Free Plan

After years of testing over ten robot vacuums, I determined Ecovacs Deebot N79S is one of the best because of its superior suction, battery life,… Read More »Deebot N79S Review: Better Than the Cheap Roombas

After months of testing, I determined ILIFE A4s is the best robot vacuum because of its superior suction, battery life, and price. Roomba 690 has a great app and… Read More »ILIFE A4s Review: Can it Compete with the Big Boys?

After a month of testing, I determined Shark ION F80 has great suction and comes with two batteries, but there are design deficiencies. Carpet (B):… Read More »Shark ION F80 Review: It Gives The V10 A Run For Its Money

After weeks of testing, I determined UE Megablast sounds great at high volumes, has a clean bass, and it’s internet enabled, but it’s not as… Read More »UE Megablast Review: The Best Sounding UE Speaker

After a month of testing, I determined JBL Xtreme 2 is the loudest and best sounding Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever used. But I don’t recommend… Read More »JBL Xtreme 2 Review: Amazing Sound But Too Big

UE Boom 3 has crisp and omnidirectional sound with the best design on the market, but it lacks the depth and richness of Charge. Sound: C-… Read More »UE Boom 3 Review: It’s Fine But Definitely Overpriced

After weeks of testing, I determined JBL Charge 4 is the best portable speaker option for most people because of its great sound quality, long… Read More »JBL Charge 4 Review: My Favorite Bluetooth Speaker

After a month-long trial, I determined Bose SoundLink Color II sounds good but it doesn’t have adequate volume and isn’t worth its price. Sound: C+… Read More »Bose SoundLink Color Review: Low Volume & High Price

After a month-long trial, I determined UE Megaboom 3 is one of my wireless speakers because of its brilliant design, wireless charging, and superior high-volume… Read More »Megaboom 3 Review: Bad Bass When Loud, But Great For Outside

JBL Flip 4 sounds amazing, and it’s more affordable compared to similar sounding speakers, like UE Boom 3. Sound: C+ It delivers stereo sound with… Read More »JBL Flip 4 Review: Nice Sound Quality But Not Like Charge 3

Bose SoundLink Micro sounds fantastic for its size, has a surprising amount of bass, and comes in a cool form factor, but it’s substantially quieter… Read More »Bose SoundLink Micro Review: Perfect Size, Too Expensive

After testing LIFX lights for a couple of months, I determined LIFX is a great option if you only want a couple of smart lights… Read More »LIFX Review: Are They Better Than Philips Hue Lights?

After testing Philips Hue lights for three years, I determined Hue are the best smart lights because they work better with other smart platforms and… Read More »Philips Hue Review: Are They Really The Best Smart Lights?

While at least half the price of Eero, Luma shouldn’t be considered under any circumstances because it doesn’t work consistently and the software is a mess. Here’s… Read More »Luma Whole Home WiFi Review: Worst Mesh System On The Market

After two weeks of testing, I determined that the Schlage Connect is a decent budget smart lock with a few hardware and software issues. Setup… Read More »Schlage Connect Review: It’s Loud & Ugly, But it Works

After two weeks of testing, I determined that the Kwikset Kevo isn’t worth buying because it doesn’t work reliably. Setup (B-): An interactive guide in the… Read More »Kwikset Kevo Review: It’s a Great Idea But It Doesn’t Work

Kwikset Premis has a sleek design, but the keypad doesn’t work well in many circumstances. Setup (C+): There are interactive hardware instructions, similar to the Premis… Read More »Kwikset Premis Review: One Of The Worst Smart Locks

Before we talk about Google Home Max, I want to talk about the smart speaker market as a whole. Speakers with smart assistants have been… Read More »Google Home Max Review: Is It Better Than HomePod & Sonos?