Hardware reviews
Honest, independent reviews of the gear we recommend — written to help you decide, not to sell you. Every entry lays out the real pros, the real cons, and who should skip it.
These are research-based assessments drawn from specs, long-term owner feedback and independent testing — balanced, not breathless. Some links are affiliate links: buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the verdict.
Hands-on reviews
Written from a unit in hand. Where the maker sent that unit, the article says so at the top.
- TRMNL OG with the Clarity Kit: the e-ink dashboard I bought for the developer licence TRMNL
- Genius Scorpion M8300: a 58 gram wireless mouse that costs less than a game Genius
- Zemismart M1 Matter Hub: useful bridge, confusing vocabulary Zemismart
- Zemismart MTP1: Matter over Thread is the easy part Zemismart
- Yoink for Mac: the small shelf that fixes drag and drop Yoink for Mac
- WireframeSketcher: the wireframe tool that belongs beside the code WireframeSketcher
- ScreenFloat 2: a screenshot is more useful when it stays in sight ScreenFloat for Mac
- Marked 3: the Markdown previewer for people who already have an editor Marked 2
- Loopback 2: the Mac audio utility that turns routing into infrastructure Loopback
- JetBrains All Products Pack: buy a toolchain, not a collection of icons JetBrains All Products Pack
- iClever BTH12: the lower volume limit is the feature that matters iClever
- Homey Pro Ethernet Adapter: stability matters more than speed Homey Pro
- Flic Hub LR and buttons: a smart home still needs a physical click Flic Smart Button
- DEVONthink Server 4: a serious document archive with a narrow kind of intelligence DEVONthink
- Default Folder X: the Mac utility that fixes Open and Save Default Folder X
- Craft Plus: beautiful documents are the beginning, not the decision Craft
- CleanShot X: the screenshot tool I would choose for work, not decoration CleanShot X
- Bartender 6 Pro: a better menu bar, with a larger question of trust Bartender
- Audio Hijack on Apple Silicon: the Mac audio tool I would trust with the awkward jobs Audio Hijack
- iVANKY FusionDock Ultra: the king of docks needs two Thunderbolt ports iVANKY FusionDock Ultra and FusionDock Max 2
- iVANKY FusionDock Max 2: the Ultra's cheaper sibling has its own audience iVANKY FusionDock Ultra and FusionDock Max 2
- Silkland passive Thunderbolt 5 cable: half a metre more, no retimers Silkland 1.5 m passive Thunderbolt 5 cable
- Arduino UNO Q: a Linux computer and a real-time microcontroller on one UNO board Arduino UNO Q and UNO R4
- Arduino UNO R4: the right first board, in two versions Arduino UNO Q and UNO R4
- Orange Pi Zero 3W: eight cores and LPDDR5 on a board the size of a Zero Orange Pi Zero 3W
- Espruino Bangle.js 2: a smartwatch you program from a browser tab Bangle.js 2
- COOSPO CS600: what 36 hours and five satellite systems mean on the bike COOSPO CS600
- LinknLink eMotion Air: mmWave presence without a power cable LinknLink eMotion Air
- Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 5 Dock: 80 Gbps is a shared budget Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 5 Dock
- Keychron Q1 HE: Hall effect changes control more than speed Keychron Q1 HE
- Nordic nRF54L15 DK: measure the firmware, not the data sheet Nordic nRF54L15 DK + Power Profiler Kit II
- Openterface KeyMod: a 2.4 gram keyboard for computers that have none Openterface KeyMod
- Sonocotta Esparagus Audio Brick: whole home audio as infrastructure Esparagus Audio Brick
- Wokyis i5: a retro Mac case that is really a laptop dock with a 10 Gbps ceiling Wokyis i5
- Valco VMK25.2: headphones for people tired of headphone apps Valco VMK25.2
- Tuta Mail on the Mac: privacy with a real workflow cost Tuta Mail
- ORTLIEB Daypack 23L: waterproof enough for the commute ORTLIEB Daypack 23L
- Kaarsgaren merino sleeping bag: 0.67 TOG needs context Kaarsgaren merino sleeping bag
- Homey Pro (2026): this is how a smart home should feel Homey Pro
- emporiaSMART.8: three weeks with a very good idea emporia smartphone
- Mudita Kompakt: two weeks, and I'm still having fun Mudita Kompakt
The catalogue
-
Apple 2024 Mac mini – M4 chip (10-core CPU & GPU), 16 GB Unified Memory, 256 GB SSD -
Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M4 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, 12MP Center Stage Camera, Touch ID; Midnight -
Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Pro-Level Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Personalized Spatial Audio, USB-C Charging, Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone - Midnight - Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) - 4 Pack
-
Apple iMac (2024) – M4 Chip, 10-Core CPU & GPU, All-in-One Desktop Computer -
Apple Mac Studio 2023 (Renewed Premium) – M2 Max, 12-core CPU / 30-core GPU, 32 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD -
Apple Mac Studio 2024 – M4 Max (14-core CPU / 32-core GPU), 36 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD -
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" with M4 Pro Chip, Late 2024 - Space Black, 12-Core / 16-Core, Standard Display, 24GB, 70W Adapter, 1TB SSD - Apple MacBook Pro 16.2", M4 Pro Chip with 14-Core CPU and 20-Core GPU, Late 2024 - Space Black, Standard Display, 24GB, 1TB SSD
- Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad
- Apple Pencil Pro
-
Apple Studio Display -
ASUS TUF VG34VQL1B -
ASUS ZenScreen 15.6” 1080P Portable Monitor (MB16ACV) - Full HD, IPS, Eye Care, Flicker Free, Blue Light Filter, Kickstand, USB-C Power Delivery, for Laptop, PC, Phone, Console -
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 -
BenQ 32” 4K Monitor MA320U – Nano Matte, USB-C 90W PD, Mac Book Color Match, Dual HDMI + USB Hub -
BenQ EX3501R - Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
-
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2e Wireless Over-Ear Headphones – aptX Adaptive, Hybrid ANC, Transparency Mode, 30-Hour Battery -
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 - CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
-
Dell UltraSharp 32-inch 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U3225QE) – Enhanced IPS Black, 120 Hz, 140 W Power Delivery - Dell UltraSharp U2724DE 27" QHD Thunderbolt Hub Monitor
-
Dell UltraSharp U3223QE -
DJI Mini 3 (DJI RC) Drone – 4K HDR, 38-Min Flight, 10 km Transmission, GPS Return & True Vertical Shooting -
DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo – 4K/120fps Waterproof Action Camera, 1/1.3-inch Sensor, 10-bit D-Log M, 160-Minute Battery -
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Essential Combo – Waterproof Action Camera with 1/1.3" Sensor, 4K/120fps Video, Subject Tracking, Stabilization, Dual OLED Touchscreens - DJI Osmo Pocket 3
-
Effective Pandas 2: Opinionated Patterns for Data Manipulation – Matt Harrison -
Eizo ColorEdge CG319X - Elgato Facecam MK.2
- Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
-
FiiO FT1 Closed-Back Over-Ear Headphones — 60 mm Driver, Solid Wood Cups, 32 Ω, Balanced + Single-Ended Cables - Fujifilm X100VI Digital Camera (Silver)
-
HP OfficeJet 250 Wireless Mobile Printer, Scanner, Copier - Portable, Battery Included (CZ992A) -
HP Stream 14″ HD BrightView Laptop – Intel Celeron N4120, 16 GB RAM, 288 GB Storage, Windows 11 S - iPad Air 13" M3 (128GB, Wi-Fi) Blue
- iPad mini (A17 Pro, 128GB, Wi-Fi) Space Gray
- iPad Pro 11" M4 (512GB, Wi-Fi) Space Black
- iPad Pro 13" M4 (256GB, Wi-Fi) Space Black
-
JBL Tour One M2 - JBL Tour One M2 Wireless Over-Ear ANC Headphones – 50-Hour Battery, Adaptive Noise Cancelling, 4-Mic Call Clarity
-
JBL Tune 720BT Wireless Over-Ear Headphones – 76-Hour Battery, Bluetooth 5.3, Pure Bass, Foldable Design - Keychron K2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard (V2)
- LAMY 2000 Fountain Pen (Black, Fine)
- LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Notebook (Black)
- LG UltraFine 27UP850K-W 27" 4K USB-C Monitor
-
Logitech G733 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset – Suspension Headband, Lightsync RGB, Blue VO!CE Mic, PRO-G 40 mm Drivers (Black) -
Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse – 8K DPI, MagSpeed Scrolling, Quiet Clicks, Multi-Device (Bolt & Bluetooth) - Mac mini M4 (16GB, 256GB)
- Mac mini M4 Pro (24GB, 512GB)
- Mac Studio 2025 M3 Ultra (96GB, 1TB)
- MacBook Air 13" M4 (16GB, 256GB) Sky Blue
- MacBook Air 15" M4 (16GB, 512GB) Silver
- MacBook Air 15" M5 (16GB, 512GB) Sky Blue
- MacBook Pro 14" M4 (24GB, 1TB) Space Black
- MacBook Pro 14" M4 Pro (24GB, 1TB) Space Black
- MacBook Pro 16" M4 Max (48GB, 1TB) Silver
- Montblanc Meisterstück 149 Fountain Pen
-
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro AI True Wireless Earbuds – Adaptive ANC, Real-Time Interpreter, Redesigned Fit, Silver -
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256 GB – AI Smartphone, Unlocked, ProScaler Display, Night Video, All-Day Battery -
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 – 12 GB RAM / 512 GB Storage, Unlocked Jet Black, Android 16 One UI 8, Foldable Cover Screen -
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Unlocked Smartphone – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB Storage, Android 16 One UI 8, 5G, 8-inch Foldable Display -
Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 (G85NB) 32” 4K UHD Gaming Monitor – 240Hz, 1ms, 1000R Curved, Quantum HDR2000, FreeSync Premium Pro - Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB
-
SANSUI 32 Inch Curved 240Hz Gaming Monitor High Refresh Rate, FHD 1080P Gaming PC Monitor HDMI DP1.4, Curved 1500R, 1Ms MPRT, HDR,Metal Stand,VESA Compatible (ES-G32C3F DP Cable Incl.) - Shure MV7+ Dynamic Microphone
- Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera (Body)
-
Sony NW-A306 -
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise-Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones – 30 Hour Battery, Multipoint Bluetooth, Speak-to-Chat, Ideal for Travel & Calls -
Sony WH-1000XM5 -
Sony WH-1000XM6 -
TP-Link Archer A8 AC1900 Smart WiFi Router – Dual-Band, MU-MIMO, Beamforming, Gigabit LAN, Guest WiFi