The Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer is a compact appliance designed to quickly prepare a variety of meals. 

Its slimmer design saves countertop space and allows it to fit kitchens of multiple sizes. Its five-in-one functionality means you can air fry, bake, broil, roast, and reheat many foods, and the appliance heats up impressively quickly. 

The built-in programs are easy to use, and with its dishwasher-safe components, cleanup is quick and simple, too. All in all, the Vortex is a highly versatile air fryer that can save you time on meal prep while still delivering excellent results.  

What I Thought of the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer

I was very impressed with the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer’s overall performance. Its compact design means it takes up minimal counter space and was able to fit underneath my kitchen cabinets. While its capacity is limited to a four-pound whole chicken, I found that it was still versatile enough to prepare dishes for smaller families, or side dishes for larger meals. 

The air fryer was impressively easy to use. It features a knob and touchscreen controls, and its five program settings make it versatile enough to air fry, bake, broil, roast, and reheat foods. The simple operation makes it a user-friendly device that’s ideal for first-time air fryer users, and it consistently performed well during my tests. 

While its capacity is a bit limiting and there was an unpleasant plastic smell that gradually dissipated with repeated uses, the air fryer was overall impressive. I think it would be a great choice for those looking to save on space or for those with small kitchens. It’s also a good choice for smaller families or individuals who don’t need a large air fryer.

Product specifications

Model name: Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer

Dimensions: 12.01” L x 15.31” W x 12.72” H

Weight: 7.8 pounds

Capacity: 6 quarts

Voltage: 120 volts

Wattage: 1700 watts

Warranty: 1 year limited warranty

Setting Up the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer

The Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer arrived double boxed and in excellent condition. Rather than using Styrofoam to hold the interior box in place, the packaging features air pillows, and the interior box was fully wrapped in a protective plastic. 

The air fryer and its components were all securely in place within the box, and while there was foam on top of and underneath the air fryer, most of the packaging consisted of cardboard. 

It was easy to unbox and unwrap the air fryer, the basket, the cooking tray, and the packet containing instructions and one recipe. After washing the basket and cooking tray, I inserted them in the air fryer and plugged it in. The whole process took less than 10 minutes. 

In addition to a recipe card for wings, the air fryer includes a 25-page user manual. The manual includes step-by-step instructions for setting up and using the air fryer. It also includes details about each of the smart programs, their temperature ranges, and suggested foods to cook with each program. 

The manual instructs you to perform a test run before using the air fryer to cook food. The test run’s purpose is to verify that the machine is working correctly. The process is simple, including turning the air fryer on, choosing the air fry program, selecting a 400-degree cooking temperature, and letting the program run for 18 minutes without inserting food into the basket. 

While performing the test run, I found that the air fryer produced a strong plastic smell. While the smell gradually dissipated after repeated uses, and I never felt that it affected the taste of the food, it was somewhat unpleasant during the first few times when I used the machine. 

Using the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer

Program Settings

The Vortex features a touchscreen and a single dial. By using the touchscreen and the dial, you can choose from the five programs. Once you select the program, you can change the temperature using the dial, and then can use the dial to adjust the time. Pressing the “Start” button on the touchscreen starts the preheating process. 

The air fryer preheats very quickly, and I found I started to prefer it over my oven or toaster oven because of that fast preheating time. While the exact preheat time varies depending on the temperature that you’ve set it to, I found the air fryer was consistently preheated in three to four minutes. 

Once the air fryer has preheated, it beeps, signaling you to add food to the fryer basket. The clock also starts to count down at this point, though it’s easy to pause the clock or add time to it by turning the knob. 

About halfway through the program, the air fryer beeps again, signaling that it’s time to turn the food over. When you remove the basket to turn the food, the fan and clock stop, and then they immediately start up again once you’ve reinserted the basket. The design is convenient, because you don’t have to worry about pausing the program or affecting the remaining time on the clock. The air fryer takes care of all of that for you. 

I used the air fry setting to prepare frozen French fries and mozzarella sticks. The fries were crispy and evenly cooked, and I prepared them three different times, consistently getting excellent results. They resembled the fries you’d get in a restaurant, rather than the semi-soggy fries I often get when I bake them in the oven. 

The mozzarella sticks also turned out very well. I prepared them twice and found that they were thoroughly cooked all the way through without being burnt. Some of the cheese oozed out and down through the cooking tray, but once cooled, I was able to just pull it out when cleaning the tray.  

The roast function performed very well. I roasted a deconstructed pork and vegetable shish kabob dish. I was guessing on the temperature and time and may have left it in a little bit too long, but everything was well-cooked. 

I also used the roast function to roast two chicken breasts. I was surprised at how juicy the meat was, and was pleased to find that once again, the meat was evenly cooked. 

I wanted to use the air fryer to roast a whole chicken, but its capacity is limited to a four-pound chicken. I wasn’t able to find a chicken that small in local grocery stores. 

The air fryer can also be used to bake foods, like desserts. I baked brownies. Since the basket is large, the brownies were quite thin, and I was surprised to find that they took longer to bake in the air fryer than they do in my conventional oven. 

Once baked, the brownies had a puffy top to them, but that gradually collapsed back down as they cooked. The cook was even throughout them, and the edges didn’t develop that tough, chewy texture that they often get when baked in the oven. 

I tried the broil function by making nachos and melting cheese onto them. This program worked well, and the cheese melted fairly evenly without becoming hardened or tough. Some of the cheese stuck to the cooking tray, but again, I was able to remove it fairly easily once cooled.  

The reheat function on the air fryer is particularly convenient, mainly because of how quickly the machine preheats. I reheated slices of frozen pizza which I’d previously cooked in the oven. I reheated the pizza on the cooking tray and found that it didn’t get soggy. Instead, it was some of the best reheated pizza that I’ve had. 

Cleaning the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer

Both the cooking tray and removable basket are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. They feature a non-stick coating, so it’s important not to use metal utensils when cleaning them. I hand washed them both during all of my testing and found them to be very easy to clean. I also appreciated that the cooking tray has a metal hook that you can use to pull it out of the basket, which makes it easy to remove. 

The manual recommends cleaning the cooking chamber with a damp cloth and mild dish soap. Since the air fryer is relatively small, this is somewhat difficult and inconvenient to do. The manual states that you can spray the cooking chamber with a baking soda and vinegar mix to remove baked-on grease and food residue. 

Additionally, the manual instructs you to clean the power cord with a soft, damp cloth or sponge.

Is the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer Right for You?

The Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer is a compact, easy-to-use air fryer with 5-in-1 functionality. You can use it for everything from air frying to baking to roasting, so it could potentially replace several appliances, saving you extra space. As a result, it’s well-suited for kitchens with limited space, and would be a great choice for apartments and smaller homes. 

While its space-saving design is a perk, it means that the air fryer isn’t ideal for large families with significant meal preparation needs. Its capacity is limited to a four-pound chicken, so this isn’t a device that you could use to make large meals, unless you’re only using it for side dishes. 

That said, this air fryer is easy to use and clean. The touchscreen makes for a simplified operation, and this would be a very user-friendly introduction for anyone who hasn’t owned an air fryer. With its quick preheating and overall simple use, I could see the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer being a handy addition to many kitchens. 

How We Tested the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer

Instant Pot sent me the Instant Vortex Slim 6 Qt. Air Fryer and I tested it for a month in my home before writing this review. I used these criteria when testing the air fryer: 

Unboxing: I evaluated the packaging used, including the air fryer’s condition when it arrived and how well the packaging protected the appliance. I considered whether the packaging included sustainable and recyclable materials, like cardboard, instead of styrofoam. 

Cooking options: I reviewed the available cooking programs, their temperatures, and the machine’s overall versatility. I considered the air fryer’s size, the different types of foods and preparation methods that it supported, and the benefits it offered to your typical kitchen. 

Cooking quality: I tested all of the air fryer’s programs using a variety of foods. I looked at factors like the preheating time, the process of using each mode, the thoroughness of the cook, and the overall results of each dish. 

Ease of use: When testing the Vortex, I considered how easy it was to learn about and use the air fryer. I considered factors like the included instructions, the assembly process, and how easily I was able to select from different programs, temperatures, and times. 

Ease of cleaning: I evaluated the Vortex’s cleaning process, too. I reviewed which components were dishwasher-safe, as well as whether any foods stuck to the components. I considered how easily I could clean the entire appliance, too. 

Is the LG StandByME, a large, portable tablet, the new stationary TV? Renters, you just might feel inclined to say "yes". 

Rather than struggle with minimal room or a landlord who won't permit you to mount anything to the wall, why not opt for a portable tablet to eliminate these headaches? Plus, being able to move it from room to room is nothing short of delightful. (A movie screening and bubble bath does sound pretty perfect, right?)

So, are some of the best smaller TVs not actually TVs at all? Is this another way to cut the cord? You'll have to be the judge.

See the super-cool LG StandByME on Amazon

Ideas for a portable tablet began a-brewin' when Amazon Home's Instagram account recently showed off the ease with which one shopper moves her device throughout the house. No need to hide a TV on the wall. Bulky TV stands don't need to be part of the living room furniture. Perhaps there's a solid point to be made?

The portable tablet in question, an LG 27-Inch Class StanbyMe 1080p-Portable Touch-Screen-Monitor, has received 4.5/5 stars on Amazon and has been described by reviewers as having a clear picture, fantastic sound, and a sleek design. One customer even said how it perfectly fit in her small living room: "I wanted a small tv that I didn't have to rearrange my living room to accommodate and that I could store in my closet when I wasn't using it."

If this isn't enough to deter you from mounting a TV on the wall, some of the other features will: its touch-screen display, rotatable screen, and AirPlay, NFC, HDMI, and USB support. Perhaps the only deterring feature of this portable tablet is the price, as it is more than the average flatscreen. 

Similar options include the ApoloSign 32-Inch Portable Smart Screen on Amazon for $899.99 and the CNBANAN 22-Inch Portable Touch Screen Monitor on Amazon for $699.99.

If you're not quite convinced that a large portable tablet is the way to go for your space, don't worry. We'll help you figure out where to put a TV in a small living room. 

What made me want to try the Autonomous SmartDesk Core you ask? Perhaps it's my constant searches for "why does my back hurt?" or "how to fix lower back pain," but the TikTok algorithm is really onto me. And by that I mean, I've been targeted by dreamy WFH setups for the last few months while perched uncomfortably at my home desk. The star of all of these setups? A standing desk. 

While I'll admit, the Autonomous SmartDesk Core lacks the vintage charm of my old desk, it makes up for it in spades with its high-tech features and the fact that it's large enough to actually fit my monitor and my laptop and my many planners. I also got to pick from one of six different finishes and two frame colors, making it considerably more discreet than a lot of the standing desks I looked at when picking the right one for my home. 

As one of the best standing desks, I can also share it with my partner because it has a range of buttons to allow you to pre-set different desk heights depending on the user. There are four buttons in total. We've got a standing one for me (tall), him (super tall), and for both of us when we're sitting. And my back pain? Well, it's not gone, but it's an awful lot better. 

Testing the Autonomous SmartDesk Core

Autonomous SmartDesk Core review

What I thought of the Autonomous SmartDesk Core

I opted for a walnut desk top on white legs. At my heart, I'm a midcentury girlie, and while I don't think West Elm will be selling any faux-walnut standing desks any time soon, it did fit in well with the rest of my interior style. 

Assembly was pretty easy. And by that I mean, my boyfriend did it almost entirely himself. The desk is heavy, so if you live in a walk-up you may need to enlist a friend or two. Ultimately, the heaviness is a good thing because the finished result is insanely sturdy and can hold 250 lbs in weight. That's enough for any desk setup I can think of.

The desk height ranges from 29.3 to 48.5 inches. When changing height, it's super quiet. Saying that I'd still put myself on mute if I want to switch to sitting mid-call, but it won't distract any housemates. 

My main gripe is that my wires dangle down the back of the desk when it's in standing mode, and I have a lot of them, so it's not the most aesthetically pleasing. This was easily fixed with an under-desk cable management system from Amazon though, and I'm thinking of buying some IKEA Alex under-desk drawers or one of the best desk organizers to keep my desk clutter at bay. 

Autonomous SmartDesk Core information

• Size (in.): L53 x W29 x H29.3-48.5
• Weight: 51lbs
• Colors: White, Black, White Oak, Walnut, Bamboo, Dark Bamboo
• Power: 110-240 outlet voltage
• Settings: 4 pre-settings, up and down buttons

What I love about this Autonomous SmartDesk Core

• Assembly was a breeze — Everything we needed to build it came included, which is a win for IKEA girlies everywhere. I'm putting off that toolbox purchase for as long as humanly possible. The brand claims it takes about 15-30 minutes and that's true. It was more on the 30 side, but my partner didn't get much help from me (I was on moral support duty), and it would probably have taken less time if I'd gotten involved. 
• You can have multiple users — Because who has the space for two desks? Ok fine, I have the space for two desks, but sometimes my boyfriend gets to take a break from his desk when I'm in the office. And he enjoys the standing life too! You can set four buttons into place, but this works best for two people IMO. That way you can set your ideal seated desk height as well as your ideal standing desk height. 
• It's really quiet — Like, a mild whirring at most. I do put myself on mute if I'm going to go from standing to sitting in a meeting, but most of the time I don't do that because it probably looks super weird. 
• You can buy lots of (reasonably priced) extras — This includes an under-desk drawer to keep your keyboard in, a filing cabinet that fits perfectly under the desk in matching colors, or a cable tray. Or even an attachment to turn it into a corner desk, if that's what you're into. 
• It has so much space — If anything, it possibly has a little too much space. My old desk kept me restricted on clutter, but I can leave all manner of things strewn around this bad boy. 
• It's a miracle for back pain — The main reason I decided to make the switch. A lot of my back pain comes from bad posture, so the ability to switch to standing mode forces me to straighten out my back. I also think my old desk chair didn't give me the support my back needed, so sitting on it all day would've had a detrimental effect on the discomfort I felt when I stood up. Even going from sitting to standing forces helpful muscles to engage, which can take the train off your lower back when it comes to supporting your posture. 
• It's good for your health — I'm really not one for calorie-talk, but it does help you expend a bit more energy which, when you're working, can also help you zone in on a task. According to Healthline, "even an hour of intense exercise may not make up for the negative effects of an entire day spent sitting." So basically, sitting all day without that commute to start and end that day is no bueno. 

What I didn't love about the Autonomous SmartDesk Core

• It's not the most stylish — It's not ugly either but yeah, no prizes for interior design. Or at least in my home. If you've got a bit more of a minimalist or modern approach you may feel differently, and it does come in a really good range of colors. 
• Cable city —  Phone charger, monitor, keyboard, mouse, laptop charger, HDMI cable... I've got a lot of cables and I try my best to hide them with the best cable management buys. The Autonomous SmartDesk Core does allow you to buy a cable-tidy and I'd definitely recommend it. Without it, things got a bit messy.  
• The price — Let's be honest, it's not cheap. The RRP is $549. If you don't know for certain that you want a standing desk you can definitely get cheaper, but if you do want a standing desk it's not outlandish compared to the other desks on the market. 

How to use the Autonomous SmartDesk Core

Once assembled you've only got to determine your pre-set heights and you're good to go. There are four buttons, as well as an up and a down button.

To lock your optimized height into place, you just press the button you want to set down for three seconds. The lights will flash, meaning you've saved the current height into place. 

For something that calls itself a SmartDesk, it's actually not too smart. I've seen alternatives on the market that have USB ports or wireless charging, and those are off the table with the Autonomous Core model. On the plus side, it makes control and setup totally painless. 

Is the Autonomous SmartDesk Core right for you?

Para to sum up everything above - positives, negs, considerations etc. A bit of copy to introduce altetnatives if this standing desk isn't right for you.

The Autonomous SmartDesk Core is one of the more expensive smart desks on the market, but it's capable of supporting hefty gaming and WFH setups without any difficulty. Assembly is easy, and it comes in a range of colors to suit just about any space.

Where to buy the Autonomous SmartDesk Core

You can buy direct if you want some of their add-ons, but we've also got more retailers listed below: 

How we reviewed the Autonomous SmartDesk Core

I reviewed the Autonomous SmartDesk Core from my very own office. In fact, I am writing this review on it. I've had it for a few months now, and I'll keep this review updated if anything changes, but so far it's been immensely sturdy and a breeze to use. 

I also tried an Autonomous desk chair alongside the desk (that's right, my back is thanking me!) and I'll be writing that review imminently. As someone who works from home and has intermittent (cough, monthly) back issues, I felt like I was really well placed to test the benefits of an investment like this. When you think about it, many of us spend as much time at our desks every day as we do in bed, so it struck me as an investment that would pay off over the years. And with a five-year warranty, I'm confident it'll continue to keep my aches and pains at bay. 

Wait! Before you move into your new place, you're going to need some space-saving products for all your clothes, makeup, and more. Fortunately, we've rounded up functional and clever products for every part of your abode — furniture for small spaces, dual-purpose pieces, and everything in between. (Thank us later!)  

As studio dwellers, apartment renters, and college students know well, space isn't always a guarantee, so you're going to have to find ways to get creative. Making your new home functional yet comfortable can seem like a tall order, but this is why we're here folks, we're ready to assist with recs and hacks!

While you're mixing and matching throw pillows and mentally prepping that gallery wall you'd like over the couch, don't forget to get your hands on these practical items, too. (We know, we know...) 

The best space-saving products for every room

Whether you're trying to make room for your culinary gadgets or you're searching for a place to keep all those serums, moisturizers, creams, and whatever else you nabbed from Sephora, we've got you covered. We've divvied up a few of our favorite finds for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. We particularly love that these pieces get the job done and look good while doing it.  

And now that you've got the whole space-saving thing on lock, we'd be remiss not to instill good cleaning habits in you. Stay on top of this expertly crafted apartment cleaning checklist. 

Frequently asked questions

How we chose

While it isn't always possible to test individual products, so in this instance we highly-rated items with excellent user feedback.

Where to buy

Looking for even more storage and organization products? See our list of the best retailers.

• Amazon space-saving products
• Target space-saving products
• Walmart space-saving products
• Wayfair space-saving products

If you're on a pretty tight budget but still want to pick up some space-saving gadgets, check out our fave organizers under $20 for some real bang for your buck.

If you've been considering buying Marshall Emberton II, perhaps to take to college or to use in your home to dance your Friday night away in your kitchen, then this is your sign to do it.

The Marshall Emberton II speaker is as good-looking as it is high-quality. It has all of the classic features you'll want in a portable speaker, including a whopping 30-hour battery life and a short charge time. That and it's made using recycled plastic, which is a big win.

I didn't own a Bluetooth speaker before testing this one, and now I'm fully regretting waiting so long to make this purchase. I use it mostly on my patio, to listen to my favorite songs while enjoying a meal al fresco. Otherwise, I use it while I WFH to get in the mood and stay motivated. I've been using this speaker for two weeks now at home, and here are my thoughts.

Marshall Emberton II speaker review

What I thought of the Marshall Emberton II speaker

I really like this speaker. Everything about it gets a big thumbs up from me! It's less than $200, its design is so cute and looks great on a shelf, and it's lightweight enough to take it to your friend's house. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of smart tech (because if it doesn't work it infuriates me), this is so easy to connect to your phone. You can connect it to the Marshall app if you want, but this isn't necessary to use the speaker if you don't want to deal with downloading a new app. Its battery life lasts for such a long time, which is great for someone like me who rarely remembers to charge things. I haven't tested its water-resistant capabilities since I'm not lucky enough to own a pool (yet!), and although I've occasionally dropped my iPhone in the tub, that's a rare occurrence, especially when it's too hot for a bath.

In terms of sound, it's not going to blow your socks off, but it does the job. It gets a little low-quality when you turn the volume up super high, depending on which genre you're listening to (my husband's choice is always metal, nice and calming eh?).

The only thing I disliked about it is that its buttons can be hard to see in low light. After using it for a while this will come naturally, and you can always shed some light on the subject to help.

Testing the Marshall Emberton II

Marshall Emberton II info

• Model no: Emberton II
• Battery life: 30 hours
• Charge time: 3 hours
• Size (in.): H2.68 x W6.30 x D2.99
• Colors: Black, cream
• Weight: 1.5 lbs
• Bluetooth: 5.1
• Price: $165.99

Unboxing the Marshall Emberton II

As soon as the Marshall Emberton II Speaker arrived at my doorstep, I was desperate to open it. Like a child at Christmas, I quickly opened the package, which held a compact box and minimal inner packaging (yes!). I also charged the speaker before using it.

How to use the Marshall Emberton II

The Marshall Emberton II is pretty simple to use, despite the buttons being a little hard to see. To turn it on, you need only press and hold the big brass button. It will make a noise to signify it's on, and its buttons will light up.

The buttons
On the far left is the Bluetooth button, press this to connect your speaker to a new device. Once you've pressed this it will flash.

The middle gold button can be pressed up, down, left, or right. Press upwards to turn the volume up, down to turn it down. Left takes you back a song, right takes you forward a song.

On the far right of the speaker, you will see the battery life displayed. If this bar is totally red, it's fully charged.

The charging point is on the right side of the speaker.

I am currently testing the app that works with this speaker.

What I loved about the Marshall Emberton II

It looks the part
A speaker is arguably a piece of home decor. So, having one that fits with the vibe of your home is important — a huge bright green one might stick out like a sore thumb in a neutral home. The design of this one is so sleek. It's entirely black with the words Marshall written in brass and one brass button. You can also get it in a cream color. 

It's compact and lightweight
It's super lightweight at 1.5 pounds, and it's tiny enough that you can easily put it in your bag or backpack and take it from point A to B.

It has a 30-hour battery life
I was slightly skeptical about this claim because 30 hours sounds impossible. But, I went along with using it as normal and one weekend we had guests come to stay so its battery life wasn't at the forefront of my mind. That was until it got to Monday and I realized that it was still going, after a long weekend of using it in the garden. I couldn't believe its battery was still going, and neither could my dad who is partial to owning a portable speaker (or four).

It comes at an affordable price
At $165.99, this speaker is a really reasonable price. There are upgraded versions of it that you can look at, but these are more expensive, larger, and heavier.

It's water-resistant
Yes, you read that right. Not that you would chuck it into the bathtub or anything, but if you do want to take it to the pool or beach, then you wouldn't have to worry about it getting splashed.

It's really easy to connect to your phone
There's no messing around with this speaker. You just simply need to go to your Bluetooth settings on your phone, then press the Bluetooth button on the speaker and it should pop up. The speaker will play a guitar noise when it's connected. If you can't get it to connect, it's because it's connected to another phone that's close by. Go on that phone and disconnect from the speaker and you should be good.

It charges fast
Not only does it have an incredible battery life, but it can go from 0% to 100% in just three hours of charging. Handy! If you need to charge it really fast, 20 minutes of charging will give it four hours of battery life, BTW!

It's eco-friendly
I try to be an eco-warrior where I can, but I know how difficult it can be with tech. This speaker is made using 50% post-consumer recycled plastic from used electronics, water bottles, and automotive light covers. Oh, and it's 100% PVC-free.

What I didn't love about the Marshall Emberton II

Its buttons are hard to see
I get it that the design of this speaker sits at the forefront, but admittedly its buttons are hard to see. Once you know what they are, it's no problem but initially, you will need to hold the speaker under a light to see what each button does. This might be an issue for someone with a visual-impairment or sight-related accessibility issues.

It's not the best if you want to play super loud music
I live in an apartment, so I am never going to use this speaker to its maximum volume. I did turn it up to the maximum volume while testing, though, and this does diminish its quality. So, if you're someone who likes your music loud then this might be something to consider.

Good to know

It's pretty easy to find somewhere for this speaker to live as it's nice and compact. Mine is sitting on a shelf right now. When it comes to maintenance, you can just wipe it clean with a damp cloth when necessary. It's said to be dust-resistant, so this shouldn't collect in its back or front grates. If you have more than one Emberton II speaker, you can connect them and stack them to amplify your sound.

Where to buy the Marshall Emberton II

You can buy this speaker on sale for Cyber Monday directly from Marshall for $119.99. It's also sold at Amazon and Best Buy for the same price.

How we reviewed this Marshall Emberton II

As with everything we review, we make sure to pair our reviewer and the product we need to review to ensure they work well together. I live in a small apartment with a small outdoor area, which means that I was the perfect person to test this compact speaker.

If you're done with waking several times every night in a sweat then hunni, it's time to invest in a fan. I know they're not the most aesthetic thing to lump in the middle of your bedroom but let's face it: they do the job of keeping you cool when it's ridiculously hot outside. As someone who lives in an apartment with not a lot of floor space to give an entire fan, I've been on a quest to find something that's small and powerful, as well as realistically priced. Because spending $500 on a fan is not my vibe, sorry!

The Dreo fan I've been reviewing for the past couple of weeks pretty much ticks every single box for me. It's small enough to place atop my dresser, it's definitely powerful enough and then there's the fact it's so easy to use that even when I am half asleep I know how to control it via its remote. I sleep with it on most nights ATM because I'm currently pregnant which means my body temperature is constantly up and down. It can also be controlled via your phone if that's your thing, while it's not as loud as you'd think it would be. 

As Amazon's Choice fan, I was actually quite shocked with this one as it's less than $100 and there's nothing I hate about it. Here's what else I've got to say...

What I thought of this Dreo Smart Fan

For such a small and lightweight piece of kit, this fan truly is powerful. It offers pretty much every feature that you'd need or want in a fan, including nine speeds and a timer setting up to 12 hours. It oscillates and is nice and quiet while in operation. Not only that, but it doesn't take up any extra floor space as it's designed to sit atop a table or piece of furniture. The thing I love the most about it (other than the fact that speed 9 (and Turbo mode) makes you feel like you could be on an airport runway if you close your eyes) is that it's simple. I've been using it with the remote for the last couple of weeks, but you can connect it to your phone and control it from there. It also links with Alexa and Google Assistant devices so that you can turn it on with your voice. All of that in a neat package and less than $100, this is a total steal.

I've been showing all of my friends and family this fan and they too couldn't believe how powerful it is. I tend to use it at a two or three in our bedroom, and if it's in our living room we might push it up to a four as this is a larger space. A couple of times we've used it to help speed along the process of drying washing indoors which has been a real help. And the fact it's lightweight means you can cart it around the house with no worries (even when pregnant!).

The only thing I could possibly moan about is that I couldn't manage to get it to connect to my phone via the app. I'm not sure if this was down to user error, though, or whether the fan was faulty. I am more than happy to use it the two other ways, however, so this really doesn't bother me.

Testing the Dreo Smart Fan

Dreo Smart Fan info

• Model no: CF714S 
• Size (in): H16 x W13 x D11
• Reach: 110ft max
• Oscillation: 120° horizontal / 90° vertical
• Timer: 8 settings / 12 hours max
• Watts: 48
• Weight: 9.48lbs
• Price: $99.99

Unboxing the Dreo Smart Fan

This fan arrived in a pretty small box that was easy enough to carry. I opened it and inside found a handy quick start guide, while the fan itself was fully assembled and nestled inside a sleeve for protection. There was some polystyrene waste (eugh!) and some cardboard waste. The remote and plug came in a little box. There was a sticker on the fan to show you which buttons do what, which was handy but TBH they are so self-explanatory I peeled it right off.

How to use the Dreo Smart Fan

You can use this fan one of three ways, the first being by touching the buttons on the base of the fan. Then you can control it via its remote, and then there's the smart aspect which means you'll need to download the app to control it from your phone.

On board controls
First up is the power button that you want to hit first. This sits on the far right of the base of the fan. The fan will automatically turn on to the last setting it was used, remembering whether it was on silent mode, too. Then, from left to right, we have: timer, vertical oscillation, horizontal oscillation, mode, and fan speed. 

There are four lights above the main menu of buttons and some more symbols above that. These buttons sit above the buttons, you need to press and hold to activate them. So, to lock the fan you need to press and hold the vertical oscillation button. You'll see a countdown appear on the fan so keep holding this until it reaches zero if you want to activate this setting. The lights glow white to indicate that they are in use. These controls are lock (press for 3 seconds), WiFi (press for 5 seconds), mute (press for 3 seconds), and turbo (press for 3 seconds).

I find that I used the mute button a lot as the sound of changing mode, especially when scrolling through nine modes, was a bit jarring.

To know which mode the fan is on, you'll see a number light up on the fan, from one to nine. Then beside this number, you might see some signs to signify the mode it's on as well as any special settings such as whether it's on a timer, or Turbo mode or not. This is pretty easy to figure out.

Remote control
Having a remote control fan is a total game-changer and it means you'll never have to get out of bed to turn it down or up again. Again, the remote is pretty intuitive and offers the same buttons that are on board, just in a different order. The power button sits at the very top, then on the line of buttons below you'll see a plus and a minus — to control the fan's mode. Below that is the mode button and the oscillate vertical button. Then, there's the button to make the fan oscillate horizontally and the timer button.

You can't lock the fan with the remote, mute it, turn on its wifi, or activate Turbo mode.

App control
To connect this fan to your phone, you need to download the Dreo app. Open the app and click 'Add device'. Stand near your fan and make sure that it's plugged in. 

Unfortunately, I followed the advice that was given in the Quick Start Guide that came in the box but never managed to connect this fan to my phone to control it, which also meant that I couldn't connect it to any smart devices (not that I have any). This didn't really bother me as I'd prefer to use the on-board controls or remote anyway (because lack of phone storage IYKYK) but for others, this could be a game-changer if theirs doesn't work, too.

What I loved about the Dreo Smart Fan

It's very powerful
This is possibly one of the most powerful fans I've ever used that's not made for industrial purposes. On Turbo mode it really is strong, and it has a total reach of 110ft which I couldn't even measure as my apartment isn't even that long.

It has 9 different speed settings
There are a total of nine speeds that you can use this fan on. But, TBH, you'll probably only end up using settings one to four (or possibly five on a hotter day), because anything higher is seriously powerful. This also means that it boasts great reach — mode nine can seriously cool down a larger room. I have an open plan living and dining room and on mode nine this fan can blow loose papers around, trust me.

It has a timer setting for 8 hours max
Most fans have a timer setting, yes, but a lot of them go to maybe three hours maximum which isn't really that great TBH. Sometimes if it's really hot and I'm heading out without the dog, I like to leave my fan on for him but I know I'll be gone for longer than three hours so this max timer setting is great. It goes up in increments of one hour, BTW.

It's whisper-quiet
Yes, when this fan is on its highest mode it's obviously loud. But, when you're working with anything from one to three it's actually quite nice and quiet. I like to sleep in pretty much silence, bar white noise which lulls me to sleep, so I can easily sleep with this fan on low all night long.

You can detach its front for easy cleaning
Fans hold dust like there's no tomorrow, IYKYK. This is possibly one of the only things I hate about owning a fan, because much like the most intricate LEGO set you've ever seen, they tend to be so difficult to clean. Not this one, though! Its front grille detaches so that you can dust its blades and everywhere else it's wipeable. So handy! Essentially, this means you won't be blowing dust around your home after you've used it for a few months.

It can be moved horizontally or vertically
Yep, this fan oscillates as others do, but it also can be angled 90° vertically if it's placed on the floor but needs to target somewhere that's high up. Genius!

It has a child lock
You can set this fan on a locked mode to prevent tiny hands from fiddling with it. So, you needn't worry about placing it on the floor as they won't be able to change its settings at any point once locked unless they happen to press and hold the right button.

Its buttons dim based on how bright the room is
If it's nighttime, the buttons and the lights on the fan will dim or turn off in some cases, so as not to disturb you while you snooze. During the day, though, when the fan can detect light in the room, the touchscreen buttons will glow so that you can clearly see them.

You can stop its buttons from making noise
I love technology as much as the next person, but there's something jarring about that beeping noise that indicates a change that really does annoy me. Especially when flipping through nine different modes, fast. So, I liked that you could turn the volume of the buttons off and use the fan in peace and quiet, so as not to wake anyone in the night when fiddling with it.

What I didn't love about the Dreo Smart Fan

Honestly, there wasn't really anything that I didn't like about this fan. It's quite rare for me to review something and say that it ticked all my boxes, but this truly did. The only thing I could moan about is that it didn't connect via WiFi to my phone, but I think that was a case of this particular fan as the process sounds pretty seamless.

Good to know

This fan comes with a 12-month default warranty. This warranty is extendable up to 30 months if you register your fan.

Where to buy the Dreo Smart Fan

You can buy this fan from Amazon for $99.99 when not on sale.

How we reviewed this Dreo Smart fan

As with everything we review, we make sure to pair our reviewer and the product we need to review to ensure they work well together. I live in a small apartment which means that I was the perfect person to test this tiny fan. I also like to sleep with a fan most nights now that I am pregnant and hot AF all the time.

I was sent this fan by Dreo and I used it for a couple of weeks, most days and nights, testing all modes and all features before writing this review. I'll update this review as I continue to use it, noting anything new that I find out about it.

As a girl who has lived in and around the same city for five years, I’ve grown used to sleeping with distractions. Even though I live on the outskirts of the center now, my street gets real noisy, which makes going to sleep a total nightmare sometimes. I hate wearing headphones to sleep in, and my boyf hates listening to podcasts. What’s a girl to do? Well, this girl has found the perfect solution: a great white noise machine.

NGL — white noise machines just never occurred to me as an option. I just didn’t see the point of listening to fuzzy sounds or jungle noises. I’d seen them all over my TikTok feed, with people totally swearing by them, but I didn’t understand how they could be so life-changing.

Then, I tried one for myself.

Quick Menu:
1. TLDR
2. Important stuff
3. What I love
4. What I didn’t love
5. How to use
6. Where to buy
7. How we review

With over 44,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and coming in at under $25, the Homedics machine was the perfect choice for dipping my toes in the white noise waters. I didn’t want anything overly complicated — I just wanted a range of sounds, adjustable volume, and an easy on-and-off switch. And boy, I was impressed. Even when it was super noisy outside, I was able to fall into a deep sleep quickly, finding myself to be instantly soothed by the white noise sounds.

Here’s what happened after a full month of testing…

What I thought of the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

When it came to improving my sleep, I thought I’d tried everything. From cozy pillows to soft sheets, I’ve pretty much given my bed a whole makeover at this point. Unfortunately, neither of those things can block out sound, so I was super excited to try the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine.

If you’re looking for a white noise machine that’s no frills, all function, this is the one for you. It’s super easy to use, and doesn’t require an overcomplicated app or anything — simply press one of six buttons to turn on your desired sound, and twist the volume knob to turn it on and adjust the sound. All the settings are totally dreamy, but the summer nights and rain sounds are my go-tos. In terms of setting it up, you just put in batteries and switch it on. It hardly took up any space when I put it next to my nightstand, and it was easy to work even in my groggiest state. It’s also really light and compact, meaning that you can take it on the go.

My one complaint with this is the bright green LED "on" light that can’t be turned off. It was so bright and illuminated my whole room, which wasn’t great to find out when I was too tired to get out of bed and find a solution. After a few nights of forgetting and re-remembering this problem, I finally fixed it with just a little ball of Blu Tack. If you prefer a dark room, this is def worth keeping in mind.

Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine info

• Size (in.): H2 x W6 x L6.5
• Weight: 0.5 lbs. 
• Color: Silver 
• Power: Battery, DC
• Sounds: 5 relaxing, 1 white noise
• Timer settings: 15 mins, 30 mins, and 60 mins
• Price: $23.88

What I love about the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

It’s simple to use — Truly, it’s just a case of twisting the volume knob and pressing whichever sound button you want to use. I love smart tech, but when I’m ready to catch some Zs, I don’t want to have to do anything complicated. Even if I’m struggling to sleep and turn it on in the night, full zombie mode, I’m able to get it to work.

You can set timers — Don’t want to wake up in the morning and wonder why it’s raining when it’s sunny? Luckily there are three timers —15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes, which should all be enough time for you to go to sleep.

The sounds are seriously realistic — Each sound is super atmospheric, which makes listening to it so relaxing. I actually walked into the bedroom once during the day, having accidentally turned it on, and thought it was raining. My boyfriend even got itchy during the night because of the realistic bug sounds, which I thought was quite funny.

My partner loves it too — This is random, but he usually hates going to sleep with noise on. I used to have podcasts on before I slept and had to wean myself off. Thankfully, we both love this white noise machine, so there are no squabbles in this household anymore (well, about sleep sounds anyway!).

It doesn’t take up a lot of space — I have a small nightstand that holds a trinket tray, flowers, and a lamp. I didn’t think I’d have enough room for a white noise machine as well, but this Homedics one fits just right and leaves plenty of room for everything else.

It’s light and portable — I’m one of those people who love home comforts when they’re away, so I’m 100% going to be packing this on my next trip. If you’re going for an overnight stay, you could slip this in your handbag or tote bag and it would fit perfectly.

It’s very affordable — I’ve seen a lot of spendy white noise machines, but this one is just $23.88, which is such a bargain considering how many different sounds it has. It’s also one of the most highly-rated white noise machines on Amazon, where you can get free delivery and fast shipping. 

What I didn't love about the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

The LED "on" light — This may seem like a minor problem, and it is unless you love sleeping in the dark, like me. The LED light can honestly illuminate the whole room. I can imagine this is useful for anyone using a white noise machine for babies, but for me, this wasn’t great — in fact, I had to stick Blu Tack on it to solve the issue.

It doesn’t come with a remote — For those of you who really don’t want to move when you’re going to sleep (hey, I don’t blame you!), this could be an issue. Luckily, it is super easy to turn on and to pick the right sound setting (just press a button), so this isn’t a big problem.

It doesn’t have smart connectivity — I know some people love having everything connected to their phones, and I totally get that this is convenient. This white noise machine can’t connect to your phone, but this wasn’t a big deal to me.

It’s not the most aesthetic — Don’t get me wrong, I love how functional it is. But I do wish it didn’t look quite so much like a li’l spaceship. 

How to use this Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

I can’t stress enough how simple this is to use, but just in case you need a run-through, I’ve listed everything right here:

Volume knob —This turns on the machine, and you can adjust the volume with this too.

Timer — Press the button to reach the time you want to turn it on for. You’ll be able to see what you’ve selected with the LED light.

Sound buttons — Just click on the labeled button to pick the sound you want. There are five natural environment sounds (thunder, ocean, rain, brook, and summer night), as well as the traditional white noise.

Where to buy this Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

You can buy this Homedics white noise machine at Amazon.

How we reviewed this Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

I used this white noise machine for one month before writing this review. This is my first white noise machine review, and the first time I’ve ever used one, so I chose this model as an introduction to white noise machines. That being said, I did make sure to compare it to other models in terms of functionality and price.

As with everything we review, we make sure to pair our reviewer and the product we need to review to ensure these two will work well together.

Unless you've entered #GoblinMode these past few months, you might have noticed the sun is OUT. And while we're totally here for catching some rays and living out our best lives, we have no business in looking sweaty on the go. Remember, it's a hot girl — not a rat girl — summer. Whether you're riding the metro to a hot Bumble date, heading into the office, or simply unwinding on a lounge chair, there are a few essentials you'll want close to hand, aside from your phone, purse, and Starbs.

Perhaps, the most essential of these is the portable fan, which, unlike its stationery cousin — the household fan — is there for you when you need it most. Rushing around town, hailing Ubers, or trying to maintain some semblance of order as you head home for the summer with half your college wardrobe in tow... Whatever's planned, perspiration and fluster are expected, so come prepared. Not only does the portable fan slot neatly into your handbag or pockets, but it's also available in plenty of different variations to suit your needs.

Quick Menu:
1. Portable fans for cooling
2. Portable handheld fans
3. Battery-operated portable fans

To get you started in your search for the best portable fans, I've picked out a tight roster of designs, spanning desk-mounted to USB-compatible via neck pieces for hands-free cooling. Oh, and you can trust this curated offering to deliver. Each product came with stellar reviews aplenty and serious ratings, putting you in safe hands. Chic? Check. Affordable? Double-check. Now, without further ado, let's get into the portable fans to add to your basket.

The best portable fans to buy

The prices below were correct at the time of publishing.

The best portable fans for cooling

These small standalone fans are the perfect addition to a dorm desk or home office setup. Plus, they can be transported to and from your workplace or college if you happen to be heading in that day. Coolness guaranteed.

The best portable handheld fans

Granted, the above pieces are easy enough to carry around with you, but when it comes to quick and snappy use, these designs are the ultimate snack. Ultra little, but ultra loveable, the personal handheld fans are summer's solution. 

The best battery-operated portable fans

Nowadays, most battery-powered fans come with a USB function, although, occasionally, some don't. Here, we've listed a mix of both, each selected based on battery capacity or compatibility with your standard AA battery. And yes, stylistic Brownie points are in high supply here.

FAQs

Don't forget to keep your fan working at its best by cleaning it. Not sure how to clean a fan? We can help!

Where to buy a portable fan

If you haven't yet settled on your go-to fan, don't sweat it. We've handpicked the finest retailers in the game below to help you cool off.

• Amazon portable fans
• Etsy portable fans
• Target portable fans
• Walmart portable fans
• Wayfair portable fans

How we chose these portable fans

Basing our selections on style as well as practicality, we honed in on the reviews of customers, ensuring the overall consensus for each and every product was nothing but great. At this point in time, we haven't tried out all the products, but you needn't fret: none of our selections earned anything less than a four-star rating and shining feedback.

In the market for some new kitchenware? If you’re reading this piece and your big or small kitchen appliance has gone kaput, you may wanna replace that bad boy a li’l sooner. But if you can hang on and wait for the best times of year to buy them, I def recommend doing so.

I absolutely love to grab a bargain and am forever scouting out websites for deals whenever I shop (look, I’m not buying those heels full price, period). Rather than rushing to buy things, taking the time to wait and find a good discount is a great way to save yourself some serious dollar in the long run. Y’know, so you have extra cash to buy those heels.

I’ve sought out expert advice to find out why doing this is important, the right times of year to buy appliances, as well as top tips for getting a bargain. So yes, everything you need to know is right here.

Scroll on down and get ready to make a load of calendar reminders… 

Why is it important to choose the right time to buy appliances?

Okay, so you might actually be wondering why it’s such a big deal. All questions are good questions here, folks. “Manufacturers and retailers promote different appliances at different times of the year based on usage patterns,” explains Justin Reinke, VP of marketing at Beko Home Appliances USA. “This way, consumers can save considerably if they plan their appliance shopping around this schedule.” Makes sense, right?

Best times of year to buy small kitchen appliances

As a general rule, cooking and food prep are associated with the holiday season. “This is why retailers will likely promote ovens and ranges in October and November,” explains Reinke.

The same goes for smaller kitchen appliances. “For air fryers, toasters, electric kettles, and bullet blenders specifically, it’s hard to beat Black Friday for the best deals when manufacturers and retailers are most willing to cut prices,” he adds. “Since most Black Friday sales now start well before the Friday after Thanksgiving, some of the best deals in small appliances can be found in early November or even before Halloween.” Get ahead of the game and you’ll win the savings game.

Reinke also says that small appliances have because a big focus on Amazon Prime Day, which has grown to be a two-day event in July. “If July or November doesn’t work, look for discounts around the President’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day holidays — although these deals likely won’t be as significant as Black Friday or Prime Day.” Those two are pretty major dates for buying, JS.

In terms of “healthy eating” appliances like bullet blenders and air fryers, Reinke advises looking around January, when manufacturers and online retailers go big on the “new year, new you” market. I’m absolutely guilty of being part of that crowd every year, so this makes complete sense to me.

Best times of year to buy cleaning appliances

Traditionally, laundry appliances have been promoted in late summer and early fall, with a focus on Labor Day before the back-to-school clothes-cleaning crush. Luckily nowadays, you don’t just have a window of a couple of months. Phew. “Most cleaning appliances (such as vacuums, mops, and steam cleaners) now have popularity spikes in April, after tax refunds in the USA, and in July, September, and November prompted by July 4th, Labor Day, and Black Friday sales, respectively,” says Reinke. Keep an eye on these dates for retailers pushing value-for-money deals.

Top tips for buying appliances

Reading this and eyeing up your kitchen, thinking how good a shiny and new appliance would look in there? As well as choosing the right time of year, there are other important factors to think about. Here are Reike’s insider tips:

• Use manufacturer websites to really learn about what type of products are right for you based on your individual needs. For example, if you use a lot of dishes then a larger dishwasher may be right for you.
• Check out home media websites as they often publish holiday-specific promotions. We at Real Homes cover all the major holidays, so keep an eye on our site around times like Prime Day and Black Friday for round-ups of the best deals.
• Visit your local independent appliance retailer who can support you with the level of appliance expertise you likely won’t find at a big box. You should plan to shop the independents to get ideas even if you don’t plan to purchase. Most buyers are surprised at what they can learn — and how much they can save — at a specialty retailer.
• Consider purchasing an open-box or floor model for larger appliances. You can usually get a much better price and avoid supply chain backups by purchasing appliances on the floor. FYI: Open-box appliances are those that someone else has bought and returned and are sold at a discount.

Now you have all the info you need to snatch a deal, as well as scout out any additional info you may need before purchasing. Your bank balance will thank you for following this advice, trust.

No two garages are alike, so it stands to reason that the best garage heater for the job will be tied to your garage's unique dimensions and layout. When your garage is also your woodworking shop, or jewelry bench, adding heat is essential for year-round comfort while you craft. We especially liked the versatility of our best overall by Heat Storm. It can be placed on your floor or walls, and its portability means you can take it out to the garage to stay toasty. Below we've rounded up different styles of outdoor, garage, indoor, and industrial heaters, so take a peek and pick your own.

Considering the petite size and powerful output of this portable space heater from Lasko, its price is an absolute steal. It makes up for its short stature by providing targeted heat in a broad, oscillating swath. Garages can feel a bit crowded and often serve as a workspace for craftspeople and artists — it's crucial to keep your hands nimble and warm for detailed work. ECO mode keeps your electric bill reasonable, and a 12-hour auto turnoff protects you and your home from fire hazards.

Small rooms and limited floor space don't have to limit your choices when shopping for a heater. Our best overall is by Heat Storm; their Phoenix floor-to-wall unit gives you options. It's only nine pounds, so it's easy to tote from bedroom to bathroom, and yes, to your garage. You might think it's too fancy for your workshop, but that makes it great. Two output modes add to this heater's versatility, an energy-saving 750-watts, and a full-blast 1,500-watts. Heat Storm includes a remote control, which can make all the difference if mounted on your wall or just out of your reach. One caveat: make sure you plug this heater into a dedicated circuit. Its hottest mode might trip a breaker if plugged into a crowded outlet or surge strip.

This heater is a game-changer for anyone who spends time in their garage during cold weather. This heater is easy to move around and can be plugged into any standard outlet, making it a convenient and practical solution for heating up your workspace.

Despite its compact size, this heater packs a punch and can quickly warm up a small to medium-sized garage. It has multiple heat settings, so you can adjust the temperature to your liking, and it also has a fan-only mode for when you just need to circulate air.

Windy nights can still make you shiver, even if you're bundled up in the she-shed. Combat that annoyance with Briza's versatile infrared garage and patio heater. Powerful enough to warm an uncovered porch several feet across, it can be mounted on the wall to radiate downward or placed on a 7-foot tripod for an even wider spread. The heater's built-in timer keeps you and your property safe from fire—choose between one-hour and nine-hour intervals for extra peace of mind.

Waft warmth quietly through warehouses, dorms, and garages alike with Dr. Infrared's DR966 industrial heater. Hardwired installation is necessary with this particular model, but this small inconvenience increases safety. A hanger bracket is included for wall mounting and additional stability, and five louvers direct airflow wherever you need it most. The design is admittedly bland and coldly industrial, and since it's intended for commercial or construction use, refined design is less of a concern.

Consider DIMPLEX's "plug-and-play" hanging garage heater for a more current take on the quintessential shop heater. A propeller fan provides evenly distributed, forced air heating and is controlled by a user-friendly temperature dial. Since it's meant to be suspended, it might sound louder on a concrete garage floor. If you find yourself struggling with even heat distribution, then just hang this heater (as intended) via its convertible bracket mount.

Bottom line

Our top pick is Lasko oscillating ceramic tower space heater. It oscillates to spread warmth more efficiently than stationary heaters. It has a clear, crisp LED screen and remote control for temperature checks. Lightweight enough to tote to and fro, it's a double-duty buy that we'd pick up ourselves.

As you can see, you're not limited to boxy, metal styles when looking for a garage heater. Frequently, dual-use products are the wiser purchase; this is proven by Heat Storm Phoenix infrared floor or wall space heater. Install it on your wall, place it on your floor, and take it with you between rooms to keep the temperature where you like it. 

Why trust us?

 At Real Homes, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible. 

If you live in a relatively modern home or are super particular about your space's style, you know the things you have on show matter. It has to work with your interior taste, right? Some people might think this sounds ever-so-slightly superficial, but if it's not good enough for the 'gram, then I don't want it. 

Whether it's an air fryer you'll be putting on your kitchen counter or a portable heater you want sitting by the couch, the design can make a difference. Which is why I just can't get enough of the Dreo space heater. Yes, it's a practical piece of kit, with the purpose of providing some extra warmth — but it looks good, too! It's slim, stylish, and quite compact, making it perfect for small homes and their residents who want to save on their energy bills.

Style aside, it's also pretty powerful and very quiet. Using ObliqueAirlow Technology to reduce the noise of airflow, this heater delivers warm breezes 11% quieter than other space heaters. It comes with a remote that gives you access to a great range of pre-sets, including an eco setting. Dreo is known for finding the perfect balance between design and functionality, and the Dreo space heater seems to be no exception.

TLDR: What I thought of the Dreo space heater

I personally am obsessed with this heater, which may seem weird to say (who becomes obsessed with a heater?). But it's true. I care about the things I put in my home, and how they look. When it comes to add-ons you'll have on display like a heater, portable fan, or even an air fryer, it can be hard to find small appliances that fit in with the rest of my decor. 

The Dreo space heater looks the part. It's small and cylindrical in a black and gold color, though the brand also has a silver option. Its compact design makes it ideal for placing on the desk, beside the bed, by the couch, or pretty much anywhere else I need it. Oh, and it has this handy carry handle that doesn't get hot. 

While it's great that it looks the part, if the performance doesn't square up, then it's not worth the buy. But I can confirm, it's one of the best heaters I used. I've been reluctant to put my heating on as much as I'd have liked — UK readers, you'll know why — and this heater has been great for putting on in the mornings when I'm getting ready for work. There's nothing worse than having to get out of bed on a frosty morning.

Testing the Dreo Space heater 

The techy stuff 

• Size: 5.9"D x 5.9"W x 15.8"H
• Weight: 4.63 lbs.
• Power: 700 to 1500 W
• Features: 70° oscillation, 1 to 12 hour off timer
• Settings: H1, H2, H3, ECO, Fan
• Temperature: 41°F to 95°F
• Control: Touch and remote control

Unboxing the Dreo space heater 

The cute cardboard packaging and light weight instantly gives this appliance a great first impression. It's simple and effective, you know what you've ordered without any printed cardboard or plastic. Upon opening, the plug socket, wireless remote, and user manual were wrapped in plastic, which is to be expected, unfortunately. Otherwise, the heater comes assembled with cardboard cushioning in the box. After taking it out, removing any protective stickers, and having a quick flick through the guide, it was good to go. 

How to use the Dreo space heater 

I have to admit, I didn't read the instruction manual first. But that's because I didn't feel the need to. This heater is super simple to use, and if you have a bit of common sense you can work out which buttons do what. All of the same symbols on the remote are replicated on the top of the heater, which is a touch screen. The functions are as follows: power/on, plus and minus to select a specific temperature, a pre-set option, a mute button (to pause), oscillation, and a timer function. I had a play-around first to figure out each feature before reading the manual to confirm. Backward, I know! 

Test 1: Using the pre-sets 

Testing the pre-sets: I love it when a piece of tech has pre-set. Call me lazy, but if the manufacturer has made recommended settings, then I'm going to use them. Rather than me fiddling around with different modes, temperatures, and speeds, I can click one button and get what I need. The pre-sets provided by Dreo are great. You can choose from H1, H2, H3, eco, and fan. I'll go into the eco and fan setting later, but as for the H modes, (which I presume stands for heat), they are different levels of power. HI gives 900 watts, H2 provides 1,100 watts, and H3 is the most powerful with 1,800 watts. You can then change the temperature up or down if you need. It's worth noting all powers are the same when it comes to sound, too. Usually the higher the power, the louder the appliance. Impressively, the Dreo space heater is just as quiet at its lowest setting as it is at its highest. 

Test 2: Eco setting 

Eco setting: When I learned this heater came with an eco mode, I was quick to test it out. We can all appreciate an energy-saving setting at the moment, and the eco option for the Dreo space heater is great. In fact, it's the pre-set I use most, if not all the time. In eco mode, the heater will automatically select its optimal heating power, depending on the set temperature and the ambient temperature. When the outside temperature reaches the set temperature, the heater will turn off automatically. When the ambient temperature drops below the setting, the heater will then turn back on, operating on a medium (H2) power. You get the idea. I usually have the temperature set at 23°C when working from home, and it didn't take long to heat up my home office.

Test 3: Fan setting

Fan setting: The fan setting is something I think you could do without — at the moment anyway. Having understood this as a heater mainly, I didn't expect it to come with a fan setting. As of yet, I've not used this setting to its full potential. It seems to work fine and gives the blast of cold air you may want when it's warmer out. But without any additional fan settings or choice of speeds, I probably wouldn't recommend buying for the fan function only. That being said, come summer I know I'll get my use out of it since it will save me from purchasing yet another appliance that will take up space. I'll update you on my experience in a few months' time when the weather gets hotter. 

Is it right for you? 

If you want a smart appliance that won't look out of place in your apartment then this heater will fit the bill. It works well, nothing I can fault, and will keep you and your space warm during these cold winter months. It won't heat large homes, and might not do the job in an open-plan space, but if you want something to sit beside you while you're working, relaxing on the couch, or getting out of bed, then this cute portable heater is ideal. 

I'm yet to mention the cost, mainly because I believe it's reasonably priced. No, it's not cheap, but it doesn't cost you hundreds either, like the Dyson Hot+Cool, for example. For $99.99/£99.99, you're getting a chic appliance that does what it claims. It's yet to break or even collect as much dust as I thought it might. Of course, I'll update you if things change. For now, renters, small space owners, and work-from-homers who love a modern look will find it's a no-brainer. 

How does it compare to switching my heating on? 

Unwillingly, I have started to switch my heating on, but it's on a timer for the morning and at night, not during the day. My roomies and I are rarely there during the day, and it doesn't make sense to rack up our energy bill if we can help it. On the days I work from home, I have felt the frosty temps though. Using the Dreo space heater has been one of the best energy-saving products I've bought. But it's worth knowing how it actually compares to turning my heating on. 

Having spoken to experts, I've found we can save 7% in energy with every degree lower we set our thermostat. To calculate the cost of the Dreo space heater, with an average power of 1100 W, or 1.1 kwh (which is the mid-setting), you need to multiply by the electricity rate pence/kWh unit. In the US, this would be 1.1*0.12 = $0.13, putting it at 13 cents per hour in December 2022. In the UK, this would be 37 pence per hour. 

It may sound a lot compared to an electric blanket, for instance, but you're still better off using this than putting your heating on, particularly during today's economic climate. It also has a timer function, which I find particularly useful. You can control how long your heater is on, helping to avoid it being on longer than necessary. 

More top picks 

About this review and our reviewer

Louise is the ecommerce editor at Real Homes and has been testing out her fair share of small appliances, bedding, and anything else you can think of for your home. As a renter with roommates, she's eager to find any products that won't cost a lot, nor take up too much space. Any energy-saving buys? She's quick to test out where she can save.

She tested the Dreo space heater over the month of December (or so) — arguably the coldest month of the year in 2022, during work-from-home days and evenings relaxing in front of the TV. Dreo gifted her this appliance and she has been allowed to keep it for personal use: yay! 

If there’s one place where you should be able to feel comfortable, it’s at home. With rising energy costs and frequent talk of future grid failures, the world seems to be filled with uncertainty right now. While many things are, naturally, out of our control, there are some ways that you can instill more confidence in your own environment. Especially as we are rapidly headed towards winter, taking the reins on your home’s power supply seems timely to say the least.

The cost of energy is one thing but what these resources are costing the environment is also cause for concern. As we’re all looking for innovative ways to be more budget and eco-friendly, considering a portable power station to effectively backup your home’s energy supply in a sustainable way means that you’ll have a little more peace of mind this winter, and beyond. Here’s why it’s worth considering:

1. Enhancing everyday living 

Designed to efficiently power your home, from running appliances like the dishwasher or washing machine to heating water for a shower, even in an outhouse or cabin, portable power stations are the future and can give households more control of their energy supply and expenditure.

Choosing a model like EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 1kWh will see your home is fully functional and comfortable in no time. Complete with a 1024Wh capacity in itself – and able to be combined with previous models for optimised energy also – the DELTA 2 offers a superior solution to many repercussions of the energy crisis. With 13 outlets, it gives households more energy freedom. Whether you need to boost everyone’s phone on a last-minute trip or simply run your coffee maker, a power supply that delivers safe usage is indispensable. Thanks to the Delta 2’s X-Boost technology, you can rest assured that you’ll get the most out of everyday high wattage appliances, without overloading them – making it a brilliant addition to modern households. 

2. Offering sustainable solutions

Gone are the days of ‘backups’ not showing up, now portable power supplies are revolutionary on all levels, from charging, to run time. DELTA 2 is both powerful and quick to charge for unparalleled reliability. Able to fire up to 80% in under an hour (50 minutes to be precise), no matter how busy and demanding your household may be, the DELTA 2 will be able to provide a reliable solution to power needs big or small.

Plus, with greener living now just as much of a priority as staying on budget, having a portable power supply that can deliver optimum performance in a way that is kind to the environment, is a big plus. A model like the DELTA 2 was built to offer a reliable but also renewable energy solution. It uses LFP batteries which are a more stable and longer-lasting alternative to traditional batteries – a major development in the energy sector –  and it can actually be charged using EcoFlow Portable Solar Panels. Taking 500 W solar output, in just three to six hours of energy-saving charging, your power supply can be ready to use. 

3. Designed to suit you on every level

With all that power, you may expect something bulky and unsightly. However, choosing a discreet portable power station like EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 that is seamless in design to suit, if not even enhance, every modern home, means you won’t have to compromise on your home’s style or sacrifice too much space either.

Built for busy lifestyles, there’s an EcoFlow app that you can use to control your DELTA 2 over Wi-Fi, or even using Bluetooth should you go off-grid. Whether you want to check charging data or customize settings to adjust the charging speed, you can do so with ease. Plus, with 1-3kWh expandable capacity, you can grow your storage depending on your household needs.

EcoFlow says that you’ll enjoy 10 years of daily use from the DELTA 2 thanks to the LFP battery chemistry allowing for 3000+ cycles, which is 6x the longevity of alternatives. Available with a 5-year warranty, investing in a revolutionary product to keep your home’s power supply not just afloat but fully functioning, from a company that’s making waves in the sustainable energy world, is a move that makes complete sense.

What's more, late October EcoFlow is launching its RIVER 2 Series featuring even more portable and affordable options. Full details will be revealed on EcoFlow websites from October 25th. 

EcoFlow is a portable power and renewable energy solutions company. Since its founding in 2017, EcoFlow has provided peace of mind to customers in over 100 markets through its portable power stations and eco-friendly accessories. EcoFlow's mission is to reinvent the way the world accesses energy by creating quiet, lighter, and longer-lasting renewable batteries. EcoFlow's products are now available in all countries and regions across Europe, supported by a network of over 800 local retailers.

Many of us have learned from being at home far more than we expected over the last few years that having a great viewing experience from our at-home set-up can be an excellent investment.

If you're still settling for an old or sub-par television, it may be time to bite the bullet and invest in a brand-new set. Of course, most of us dream of getting the largest screen possible to enjoy our next Netflix binge. However, a 40-inch TV can be the perfect combination of function and appearance - not overwhelming for your space but still capable of offering a theatre-worthy experience. Usually measuring between 40-43in, it's a solid option if you want to upgrade.

The other features you need to consider will depend on your priorities. For example, image quality needs to be measured by color intensity, blacks' depths, and whether your set has 4K resolution, among other things.

Then there's design, with Samsung recently winning our vote with The Frame Art Print that fades into the rest of your décor. Scroll down to see what we thought. And if you're unsure about which size to go for, check out our ranking of the best TVs for a guide on the best screen, size and features.  

 The best 40 inch TVs: tried and tested by us

The Serif and the Frame, which you'll find below, will offer very similar performances to each other.

Representing the lower end of Samsung's excellent QLED range, they score very similarly on PQI (Picture Quality Index) rating. Instead, the significant differences are aesthetic, and that's down to what you're looking for in your home.

What you get with the Serif is a set designed to sit on tall, freestanding legs anywhere in a room, independent of any other furniture. A different approach is to balance it on its frame on any flat surface – such as a sideboard – without its legs. 

The Serif looks excellent, but you definitely pay for the privilege. It comes in 43in size and features an Ambient mode to turn the panel into a series of attractive images instead of just a black rectangle, and you can connect your phone to it using NFC by resting your device on its top edge.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Samsung The Serif (2020)

A TV for true design enthusiasts, The Frame from Samsung hides your set in plain sight with its Art Mode displaying photos and artwork that fit in seamlessly with the rest of the room. Basically, it’s a smart picture frame that you can use as a 4K television whenever you want!

Another of The Frame’s key selling points is its no-gap wall mounting, which basically means that the TV sits absolutely flush to your wall with only enough space for a tiny near-invisible cable to run discreetly down to the One Connect box.

This box is where you’ll plug in all your other devices - like a set-top box, Blu-ray player, or external speakers - and can easily be tucked away in a cupboard. The best 40-inch TV for those who want chic living! This is also one of our best smaller TVs, also making it on to our guide of the best 32-inch TVs.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Samsung The Frame TV (2020)

The best 40 inch TVs: more top picks

The most expensive TV on our list, the Sony Bravia A9, offers superior OLED visuals and sound with Dolby Atmos and DTS Digital Surround. Audio is boosted further by Acoustic Surface Audio - creating the illusion that sound is coming from a particular place on the screen.

This makes it an excellent choice for gamers, with X-Motion Clarity tech also helping things to run smoothly. So switch to the HDR game mode and get playing!

The OLED screen is the star here, offering those tell-tale deep blacks and bright colors. Of course, there are cheaper models, but this may be the superior choice if optimum immersion is something you want from your TV.

This may be a value-priced TV, but this set still boasts some savory tech and plenty of great features. It offers full HDR support, including HLG and Dolby Vision, and is compatible with every type of smart home, whether you use Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit.

The Vizio V-Series also incorporates features typically reserved for higher-end models, like Dolby Vision, hands-free voice control, Ultra-Bright 400, an Octa-core processor, and Clear Action 180, which supports fast-moving scenes.

A great TV with a smaller price tag, the Samsung TU8000 benefits from its top image and sound quality that wouldn't be out of place in a higher-end TV. In addition, the 2021 model has rectified one of the biggest complaints about the set, adjusting the stand so that it doesn't lift the TV too far off its surface.

Samsung's Tizen platform has an excellent reputation for ease of use and navigation. The TU8000 makes it super-easy to find your favorite content across services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and countless others.

The TV is also one of the lightest on our list, so it's perfect if you want a set to move around easily. While some may still complain about the bulkiness of the stand, it can easily be wall-mounted if you're short on space.

This Sony TV gets our vote as one of the best 40 inch Android TVs, although it sits about midway through the company’s TV range.

It’s an edge-lit model but one of the better performing sets of this type you’ll find. There are no patchy backlight issues and the picture is nice and strong, thanks to Sony’s X1 processor which runs the show.

Ever noticed any judder when you’re watching TV and the camera pans across a scene? Well, one of the things Sony does particularly well is motion processing. So, you can guarantee that the action on this 4K HDR set will be the smoothest you’ll find on this list.

How we test the best 40 inch TVs

All reviews on Real Homes are based on the expertise and experience of our team, and we try to have as much hands-on experience with the products we recommend as possible. The items on this list have been chosen based on a combination of industry knowledge and at-home testing. Although it's not always possible to review every product, those we have tested ourselves will be clearly marked in the copy. For more, take a look at our how we test page.

How to choose the best 40 inch TV for your home

• You've reached the end of the page. Jump back to top

Large screens like the best 75-inch TVs may have seemed like a lavish expense just a few years ago. Still, they are now becoming more popular because of their reduced price tag and ability to give you a cinematic experience in the comfort of your home.

This has only gotten more potent in the past couple of years as we've invested more in streaming platforms such as Disney+ and Netflix, which give us newly released flicks alongside endless viewing options – making the larger 75-inch TV look more and more tempting.

These larger screens are the best at recreating the theatre experience without being too hard on the wallet (at least until 85-inch TVs get a bit cheaper), giving you more immersion in what's going on - whether that's cheering on your team or bingeing the latest box set.

But we know that something so pricey will require careful consideration before you commit, not just because of the considerable presence a 75-inch TV will have in your living room but also because of how befuddling the number of terms and acronyms in the TV world has become. OLED, QLED, HDR, 8K - and the rest!

To cut some of the stress from your research, we've assembled a list of what we believe to be the best 75-inch TVs currently available and some additional buying advice further down the page. And we're always on the lookout for new releases, so watch this space.

Of course, if you're not sure that a 75-inch model is suitable for you, then you can look at our guide to the best TVs of any size (and budget).

 The best 75 inch TVs 2022

Whether you're a gamer, a movie buff, or just someone who wants a television with the latest specs and tech, the LG C1 is a winner. The set is a 2021 model, so a little more affordable, and you won't be compromising too much on performance.

The OLED panel gives you individually self-lit pixels that will look fantastic and upscale anything you watch to stunning 4K. You also get Dolby Vision IQ for better color and contrast, and in-built Dolby Atmos sound makes getting a soundbar or surround sound system less of a priority.

It also promises to be suitable for gamers, with AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync enhancing the experience and a 1ms response time. 

The 77" LG C1 is a solid choice for families who want a TV that does everything well – if you don't mind spending a bit more. You also get in-built Google Assistant and Alexa for voice control. 

As a 2022 model, you would expect the Samsung QN95B Neo QLED 4K Smart TV to offer the very latest tech. The set sports a Quantum Mini LED panel, which means that individual light zones offer improved color and contrast and is anti-glare for the best experience whether you're watching in the evening or during the day.

The audio is also excellent, with Dolby Atmos surround sound along with Samsung's Object Tracking Sound+. This means you'll experience sound as if it's coming from a particular part of the screen - brilliant if you're working with a large TV like this. There's also 4K upscaling to make older content look better and a slim profile so that the QN95B looks smart in your living room.

First up on our list is this incredible 77-inch TV from Sony, which is a fantastic option if you're serious about creating a home cinema experience. The Sony Bravia AG9 combines deep blacks on the OLED screen with Pixel Contrast Booster for enhanced color contrast.

Throw in TRILUMINOS Display and Ultimate Picture Processing, and you'll see an expansive range of brightness, detail, and color across the big screen, bringing everything you see to life. Beyond its boosting prowess, the set also features a unique speaker configuration, which lets it vibrate its screen to create sound.

Samsung's Frame TV has remained popular, especially with those interested in having their homes look great even after introducing smart tech, with its customizable picture frame-style bezel, Art Mode for displaying photos and artwork, and more.

The 2021 release of The Frame offers 4K Quantum processing, upscaling almost anything you throw at it, and built-in Bixby and Alexa for effortless smart home compatibility.

Dual LED TV tech also gives more balanced tones between warm and cool colors, and the set adjusts the screen's brightness based on the room's light conditions. And if you want to display family snaps or great works from the Art Store while you're not watching, it's easy. This is the best 75-inch TV if you want a QLED TV.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Samsung The Frame TV (2020)

By far the most expensive TV on this list, the LG Z2 OLED 8K Smart TV is one for whom money is no object. You get a lot for your money, though, with 77-inches of self-lit OLED pixels - 33 million to be more accurate. The set is part of LG's SIGNATURE range, with a premium design and cutting-edge tech.

The gallery design wall mount ensures that the TV will sit as flush to the wall as possible, with a table stand sold separately. As for the picture, while there isn't a whole lot of native 8K content around to enjoy right now, the Z2 boasts AI-assisted 8K upscaling to make sure everything looks as good as possible.

How to choose the best 75 inch TV for your home

• You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^

If you’ve recently been feeling inspired to seriously upgrade your TV set-up, then you’re not alone. Spending more time at home has naturally led many of us to start daydreaming about our next TV, whether that involves a considerable size increase, a jump to 4K (or even 8K), or something else. A great TV can turn an ordinary Friday night in front of Netflix into a cinema-worthy experience.

If that’s been lacking for you, then we think it’s high time you look at what’s on offer.

But how to choose the perfect set? Specs and features in the television space can too often become incomprehensible jargon, so you must do your homework before handing over your hard-earned cash.

And, if you’re having trouble, then we’re here to help decipher things like the difference between LED, OLED, and QLED, 4K and HD, and whether an 85-inch TV can ever really look good in an ordinary-sized living room.

Keep reading to see how we rated some of the best sets out there right now, or narrow down your search with our guide to the best 75 inch TVs. Just don't forget to consider where your new TV will live, whether that be on your wall again or atop a new TV stand.

The best TVs: tried and tested by us

Building on the first model of its Frame TV, Samsung's lifestyle TV is available in additional sizes and has a new AI-based auto-curation feature in the form of the Art Store. As such, it can now suggest artwork in line with the owner's specific tastes.

It might not be the cheapest TV on the market (you're paying for the design and the specs), but the Frame offers an outstanding viewing experience with its bezel styled like a picture that you can hang on your wall.

This means that, when it's off, the screen blends in with other pictures hanging on the wall, with access to thousands of digital images ranging from contemporary to classic. Or you can create your slide show with your snaps.

Key to the appeal of this set is the No Gap Wall Mount, which sits the TV flush to your wall with only enough space for a tiny cable to run discreetly down to the One Connect Box.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Samsung The Frame TV (2020) 

The Samsung Serif TV may not have caught attention like its sister, The Frame, but it's a great lifestyle TV in its own right. With the same 4K QLED screen technology, it sports a design by Bouroullec that incorporates a black metal floor stand (it can also sit on another flat surface if this isn't for you.

Ambient Mode+ allows you to have your TV display everything from beautiful works of art to your family photos, and you can also use the Multi-View feature to have your favorite series and your Twitter feed on screen side by side.

As an alternative to The Frame, The Serif has many of the same features and an even more distinctive design. It also scored highly in our review, so it is recommended. This is also one of our best 40 inch TV options!

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Samsung The Serif (2020)

The best TVs: more top picks

Despite being the oldest TV on our list, the Sony A9G remains our pick for the best 4K TV available right now. That's down to a few things, not least because the A9 G's relative age means you can pick up the previously expensive TV for much less. 

The TV benefits from Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos, surround sound, and Acoustic Surface Audio+ tech that puts Sony's offering at the top of the pile regarding in-built sound quality. So, if you don't want to shell out for a separate soundbar, this could be a good choice. Then, of course, you can check out our guide to the best soundbars if you're undecided.

As for smart features, the A9G comes with in-built Google Assistant and Chromecast and uses the Android TV platform for streaming. You don't have to ultimately sign yourself over to Google, however, as it also works with Alexa and Apple HomeKit if you already have a device at home. There's also a Netflix Calibrated picture mode that promises to boost the quality when streaming from the app.

The refresh rate and Motionflow XR processor make this a good choice for sports fans and gamers. Also, as fast action will look great. In addition, you get a menu of picture modes for general use, including vivid, cinema, game, and photo options.

The LG C1 OLED TV is one of the best screens available. Released in 2021, the C1 sports a gorgeous 4K panel with an a9 Gen4 processor that upscales everything beautifully. In addition, its smart TV offering, webOS, is one of the most popular for streaming fans.

The panel is skinny, which means it looks pretty sublime mounted to the wall, and there's a Game Optimiser setting that uses NVIDIA G-SYNC and FreeSync Premium to boost specs. Google Home and Alexa are also built-in, so you can enjoy smart home features even if you don't yet have a standalone smart speaker.

This Samsung television is undoubtedly the best example of an 8K screen. While it's easy to be critical about one of the first 8K TVs to market, it does usher in a new era of TV picture quality that could be worth investing in if you're in it for the long run.

Enjoy enhanced color, texture, and tones on the big screen for the ultimate home cinema experience. Four times the resolution of 4K (never did we think we'd see the day!), this image quality – free of pixels – cannot be beaten.

Designed to bring you the best sound and picture, whatever you're watching, the Samsung Q950R automatically adapts to ensure consistently high quality.

Thanks to innovative design, the Samsung Q950R also guarantees a perfect picture from every angle, which is great if you're planning on hosting the movie nights this super screen deserves.

And when your TV is turned off, you won't have to worry about it being too much of an eye sore. Instead, you can watch your TV blend seamlessly into your interior scheme with ambient mode. Or, project your favorite photos, artworks, and more.

How we test the best TVs

The products on this list have been chosen based on the industry knowledge and expertise of our editors and writers, as well as first-hand experience of the models featured. While we aim to have tested every product that we feature, this is unfortunately not always possible. Products we have tried ourselves will be clearly marked within the content.

The best TVs are tested in several ways to ensure our recommendations are as useful as possible for our readers. Criteria include how the set looks in an average living space, its price, size availability, and the use of various technology such as resolution, audio, and HDR formats. Head to our guide for more information on how we test.

How to choose the best TV for your home

• We hope this guide has gone some way in helping. Want to see our full list again? Jump back up to the top ^

It's almost October, which is normally our favourite month of the year, but since the recent news of energy price rises, it has been a month we – like most people – have been dreading. Luckily, we're to help. Not by telling you to turn your heating down by 1°C (though that might actually save a few pennies), but we've rounded up some energy-saving products that will help lower your energy bills in the long run. 

From air fryers that cost 44p to run for an hour, to an energy-saving kettle that can boil to a set temperature and keep your water hot so you needn't re-boil, it's all here. 

We've grouped together as a team and revealed the top buys we can really recommend, to help you save money (and energy) at home this winter. From our Real Homes to yours. Our team is made up of apartment dwellers, flat sharers, period home owners and everything in between. Here's what we're buying to keep costs down come October, November, December and beyond. It means spending a little, but cumulatively, we hope it saves you a lot.

Find nine top buys just below, from budget-friendly picks to more expensive investments that will surely be worth the money when the temperatures outside are in the minus numbers. Afterwards, while you're waiting for your deliveries, you can read our guide on more ways you can reduce your energy bill without spending any money at all.

9 top energy-saving products to help you save money

Take a look at some of the items that will help you economize on fuel costs this winter. Check out our Black Friday energy saving deals to get them for the best price.

What else can I replace in my home to keep warm?

There's an abundance of things you can replace in your home if you want to stay warm this winter without extra heating, but the question is: do they really need replacing, and do you have the money to do it? If you answered yes for both, then here are some suggestions from us, and from the experts over at PlumbNation.

1. A warmer duvet
Depending on the tog of your current duvet, a new winter one shouldn't go amiss. Go for something over 10 tog to keep warm as you sleep throughout the low-temperature months.

2. Thermal curtains and blinds
Speaking with PlumbNation, they recommend that “keeping your curtains closed, or investing in a thermal curtain lining can likewise help to prevent warm air from escaping – this trick alone can reduce heat loss by up to 25%".  The Deconovo Blackout Thermal Curtains from Amazon have almost 50,000 positive reviews if you're looking for a suggestion.

3. Efficient LED bulbs
It might be a given, but switching all of your lights to LED bulbs is also an easy way to save money and energy, and it might sound obvious, but using lamps instead of your main lights won't just save money but it adds ambience too.

4. Draught excluders and blockers
“Using a draught excluder is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to keep your home warm, preventing cold air from entering and warm air from leaving under your doors" we were told by PlumNation, too. If chimney draughts cause you issues, check out the Chimney Sheep from Amazon which blocks breezes, but allows ventilation.

5. Rugs and carpet
More expert advice has us looking at buying a new (and stylish) rug for each room of our house. "If you have a carpeted home then it will naturally help to boost insulation; however, if you have hard flooring investing in some good quality materials, such as a plush rug, will help to prevent heat from being lost". Head to Ruggable for high-quality rugs that you can wash time after time.

6. Cleaning your radiators
Something as simple as your cleaning routine could also save you heaps on your bills, as explained by the experts. "A buildup of dust can affect your health, allergies and your heating bill. Layers of dust in your radiator can prevent heat from escaping effectively, meaning your radiators will have to work harder to warm your room." See our guide on the best cleaning products to use at home for inspiration.

7. Clothes airers
Invest in a heated clothes airer and stop using your tumble dryer or radiators to do this, say the experts. "We would recommend that you stop using your radiators to dry your clothes. The clothes that you place over the top of your radiators prevent the heat from escaping and heating your room, meaning that your boiler has to pick up the slack and work at a greater rate – increasing costs".

8. Remove or change your radiator covers
This one is unfortunate because we love a radiator cover as much as Mrs Hinch does but it's also recommended "if you have a radiator cover make sure to check that it is a good conductor of heat" yes, go and check right now! "Radiator covers made from materials such as wood are poor conductors and can prevent heat from being dispersed effectively – wasting energy and money. Also, if your radiator cover has a solid top then you may be losing even more heat, as it will be absorbed by the top of the cover".

How can I delay turning my heating on?

We've been speaking with the experts and as well as recommending products to reduce your bills, we've also got things you can do to prevent the need to put your heating on, safely.

Chatting with Jordan Chance, a heating expert from PlumbNation, we discovered several ways to help delay the inevitable and to save a little bit of money this winter. 

“Turning on your central heating is notably one of the sure signs that winter has arrived. Although there is no single temperature at which you should turn your heating on, many aim for the time when clocks go back, falling this year on October 30th" says Jordan. 

So, if you can, we say to use some of the above products to try and hold off on switching it on until the beginning of November. Though bear in mind that even when it is on, some of the rumours you might hear are false. “It is also important to note that leaving your heating on low all day does not reduce your heating bills!" he claims. "Having the heating on only as and when you need it, is the best way to save energy. Using a thermostat with a timer offers a simple and speedy solution to controlling your heating effectively.” 

Another reason to buy a Tado Smart Thermostat, then! And don't forget that turning your heating down will make a difference. "By turning your heating down by just 1°C, you can save up to 10% on your heating bill. The typical heating range is between 18–21°C… so why don’t you see how low you can go?".

We are tempted to put our heating on when the temperature drops rapidly between August and October, but as temperatures go, it is still relatively mild in the UK until late October. So, we hate to sound like your parents, but put a jumper on before reaching for that thermostat.

If you live in a period home, then see our dedicated guide on 20 ways you can save energy.

There aren't many things in life that sound more idyllic than cuddling up with the family in your backyard and watching your favorite movies, and portable projectors like the BenQ GS50 can make this a reality. Although full-specced models might cost an arm and a leg, the more affordable portable options offer more flexibility.

We wanted to try out the BenQ GS50 to see whether it could perform both inside and outside and whether it really was suitable for taking on the go. As one of the more visually appealing options out there, we were doubly curious about its potential.

You can read on to see our full thoughts on the device and, if you want to see how it measures up against the competition, you can take a look at our guide to the best outdoor projectors.

BenQ GS50: the important stuff

• Resolution: 1080p Full HD
• Brightness: 500 ANSI Lumens
• Speakers: 2.1-Channel w/ 10W subwoofer
• Smart TV: Android, AirPlay, Chromecast
• Contrast ratio: 100,000:1
• Min distance: 6.9ft
• Max screen size: 100"
• Dimensions: 18.6 x 15.4 x 14.6cm
• Weight: 2.3kg

Our experience setting up the BenQ GS50

The first thing you might notice when unpacking the BenQ GS50 is the carry case included in the box. This attractive grey fabric container is a great added extra from BenQ and, despite being projectors designed to be portable, not many competitors offer something like it. Inside the case, you'll find the projector, a streaming stick, a charging cable, and a remote.

The first thing you need to do is charge the projector. This took much longer than expected, so make sure you've left enough time before you want to use it. Once the battery life has been topped up, you'll get around 2.5 hours of battery life.

If you want to keep it plugged in, the projector uses 65W – costing approximately $0.02 / £0.06 for 2.5 hours of use.

Another great thing about the BenQ GS50 is the included streaming stick, which connects via the HDMI port underneath the removable panel on top of the projector. You can use the short cable provided to connect it to the power.

How does the BenQ GS50 perform?

To test out the BenQ GS50, we first set it up in the lounge. On a cloudy day, we could enjoy an episode of Grey's Anatomy with the curtains open but had to admit that we might have had a better view on our TV on the other side of the room. What we were really impressed by, however, was the projector's auto focus and keystone correction, which worked brilliantly to offer the best image whenever you moved the device, even an inch in any direction.

You can also manually adjust the picture using the remote, which allowed us to straighten things up when the projector was slightly skewed to one side. Overall it's a really seamless experience and means you'll have the ideal focus and alignment within a minute of turning on the projector.

Battery life
The promised battery life of 2.5 hours bore out in reality, as we were able to fit in a lot of playing around with settings, a few YouTube videos, and two 40-minute episodes before the battery life started flashing at us.

Audio
The GS50 has a better sound offering than other portable projectors at this price point, too, with a 2.1-channel speaker, a pair of 5W tweeters, and a 10W subwoofer offering good bass levels and clarity. Audiophiles might still want to connect their own high-end speaker, but most people will be happy with the built-in offering.

Streaming
The big downside for the BenQ GS50, though certainly not something insolated to this projector, is the lack of native Netflix support. Unfortunately, the streaming giant has been less than forthcoming with permissions for portable projectors like this, and so users are left searching for workarounds instead.

Streaming support is otherwise excellent, with Android TV for your basics and the ability to connect your own streaming stick or cast using AirPlay or Chromecast. If you really, really can't live without Netflix content, then you can cast it from your PC's Chrome browser to the projector. The phone app isn't compatible.

Brightness
With only 500 ANSI lumens, the BenQ GS50 isn't the brightest projector on the market. That said, it's not bad for a portable model, and its contrast ratio of 100,000:1 is above average. As said, watching indoors was perfectly acceptable, but we also tried out the projector in the garden.

During the day, the image was barely visible and would be no good for daytime viewing. At night, however, it was a different story. While there's no doubt that the GS50 would be best used in a completely dark environment, it works well as a way to host a movie night in the backyard. Just keep the surrounding light to a minimum.

What do we think of the BenQ GS50's design?

As portable projectors go, the BenQ GS50 is gorgeous. With its green and orange casing and leather-style carrying strap, it beats out any competition in the looks department. It may be slightly oversized if you intend to take the projector on trips, but the fabric carry case does its best to bypass that issue.

There are also a few nice touches in the build of the GS50, including an adjustable stand at the front of the base, which can be released to adjust the angle of the lens when you find yourself with a surface that's not quite high enough. This stand is a little fiddly in practice but does the job.

BenQ GS50 vs BenQ GV30

We previously tested the BenQ GS50's younger sibling, the BenQ GV30, giving it average marks for its top-notch sound, picture quality, and style. However, our criticisms were similar to those of the GS50, with a lack of brightness (at 300 ANSI lumens) and the absence of Netflix, without a workaround.

That said, the GS50 sports a higher Full HD resolution than the GV30's 720p and the design of both devices is unique and attractive. This is certainly the brand for good-looking projectors, even if they don't have the highest specs.

Our verdict after testing the BenQ GS50

The BenQ GS50 might not be our top choice for an immersive cinema experience but, as a portable outdoor option, it's one of the best out there. As such, brightness could be improved, but its contrast ratio and impressive sound really do compensate for this shortcoming. Its water-resistant and drop-proof qualities also make it a great choice for taking on camping trips or vacations, and its lovely design also gets points.

About this review

All reviews on Real Homes are based on real-life testing from our writers, with testing being done in their own homes to ensure that recommendations are as reliable as possible. The BenQ GS50 was provided for review purposes and tested at various points over several months in the reviewer's living space and garden. To find out more about our process, you can read our guide to how we test products.

A portable air conditioner is an efficient and effective way to cool down your home, or an individual room, on hot days. Most are easy to place precisely where you need them and direct the airflow to cool down a large area quickly.  Here are some of the top models available.

This Whynter air conditioner is eco-friendly because it's lead-free and uses CFC-free refrigerant. It collects over 100 pints, or 12.5 gallons, of moisture from the air each day and recycles it to both cool your home quicker and eliminate the need to empty a collection bucket. It comes with a storage bag to keep it clean in between uses. This unit is rather large and bulky and can be difficult to move around. It is on caster wheels to help.

The Honeywell ac unit features three fan speeds and a timer that lets you keep control of your home's energy use. You can control the air conditioner with the included remote and wash the dust filter to reuse over and over. The unit will let you know when it's time to change or clean the filter. The built-in dehumidifier will draw up to 86 pints (10.75 gallons) of moisture from the air throughout the day, which helps in the cooling process. There isn't a collection bucket, but you will need to set up the drain system if you use the dehumidifier setting.

The remote control and digital display panels let you set the temperatures down to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and set a time up to 24 hours. The hose is small - under 5ft - but it comes with the adapter you need to attach to a window for optimal use. It can be used as a fan, or dehumidifier, too.

It can be used as a dehumidifier or as a floor fan, too. It cools down to 62 degrees Fahrenheit and has a 24-hour timer you can set. The filter will snatch dust and pet hair out of the air as it cools, and the filter is washable and reusable. The hose is mounted to the window using the included kit and foam adhesive. The adhesive does tend to stick to the window once the unit is removed and needs a special removal technique in order to avoid damage to your window.

Our recommendations

The Whynter ARC-14SH is the best and most flexible option because it is efficient enough to cool down most areas, including a studio apartment. It works in both humid and arid environments and will recycle moisture pulled from the air to help cool the air circulating through it. This means there isn't a collection bucket that needs to be emptied. You can set the thermostat down to 61 degrees Fahrenheit, but this unit can also be used as a heater. Settings can be controlled from the digital panel on the air conditioner or with the included remote control. The Whynter ARC-14SH is pretty big, weighing 80 pounds, and has a high price tag. But the amount of flexibility and the efficiency of its cooling, and heating, capabilities are worth the cost.

For a more budget-friendly option, check out the Honeywell MO0CESWK7. It works similarly to the Whynter ARC-14SH, including using a bucketless design. It filters the air and can be used as a dehumidifier, too. it only has a single hose instead of two, like the Whynter model, but still does a decent job cooling up to 450 sq. ft. of space.

Stay cool while making a choice

When looking to buy a portable air conditioning unit, there are some key considerations you need to make, as well as some jargon you need to get to grips with. Here's what you need to look for before you buy a portable AC unit.

Before choosing a portable air conditioner, get an idea of how big the room is and where the unit will be placed. The average size of a living room is 216 square feet while a bedroom is about 132 square feet and a kitchen is between 240 and 360 square feet. Knowing this will eliminate several air conditioning models based on their inability to cool your home. 

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and is basically a means to measure heat. Air conditioners use BTU to measure how much heat an air conditioning unit can add or remove from a room in the space of an hour. The higher the BTU rating, the quicker the unit will remove the warm air. 

Hose length is an important consideration before buying a portable air conditioner. All portable air conditioners need to be vented outside through a window. If you have furniture in front of the window, a longer hose is needed to be able to vent heated air outside.

Look at the space you have available and where you want to place your portable AC unit. Measure this distance to make sure the hose is long enough. We would recommend portable AC units with a hose length of 5 feet or more for maximum flexibility. 

Remember, portable AC units are noisy. They use motorized fans and compressors that create a flow of air. If you are looking for a quieter unit for the bedroom or something that you can hear the television over, we recommend you check the decibel levels before buying. 

Why trust us?

At Real Homes, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As experts, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your life. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. Our detailed product overviews balance objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is easy.

The Kodak Luma 350 is a palm-sized projector that’s great fun to watch just about anywhere. It has a two-hour battery life, can be connected to a Blu-ray player or computer, and has the leading apps built in. It’s also easy to set up and has Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning you can enjoy your favorite shows projected on virtually any flat surface.

It has an 854 x 480 resolution, which, while HD isn’t as pixel perfect as some portable projectors, can still manage to cast a screen up to 150 inches. The software is based on Android OS, which helps make navigation around menus and setting up simple.  

At a mid-range price, it is also much cheaper than many of the best outdoor projectors, but how much does the added affordability impact performance, and how does it compare to other available models? We loaded up a movie or two to find out. 

Kodak Luma 350: key product specs

• Type: DLP
• Resolution: 854 x 480p
• Brightness: 200 lumens
• Max screen size: 150"
• Sound: 1 x 3W
• Dimensions: H2.8 x W11.2 x D11.2cm
• Weight: 0.34kg

Kodak Luma 350: set-up

As we’ve come to expect from modern ‘smart’ gadgets, the set-up of the Luma 350 was quick, simple, and relatively painless. However, the projector’s onboard controls are a bit fiddly, so we’d recommend using the supplied remote control for most things, or you can download the smartphone app and control everything using that. It’s a minor gripe, but we wish the remote control had batteries.

When you first turn the projector on, you’ll need to adjust the focus manually, but it’s easy to do with a gentle twist of the dial. Most portable projectors have autofocus, but it isn’t a big deal – and no doubt helps keep the price low – and the screen is super sharp with the menus easy to read.

Navigating with the remote control or app is easy and intuitive, with everything in the right place. We love that the home screen has settings, source, and streaming apps all clear, so there’s no having to deep-dive menus to find what we need.

Once connected to Wi-Fi, you can start streaming from your chosen app. Netflix, Prime, YouTube, and others are already loaded, so you simply need to input your password. Yes, it’s a faff, but it only takes a couple of minutes.

One quick tip: if you have a wired USB mouse, you can plug it into the projector and use it to navigate around, making things super simple, especially when inputting passwords. 

It’s also worth remembering that this kind of projector is useful for people doing work presentations or talks. Once you’ve plugged in a laptop via USB, it is straightforward to mirror the laptop screen to play from PowerPoint or other software. It’s also tiny, so it easily fits in a work bag.

Kodak Luma 350: performance

Being able to create a huge cinema screen from such a tiny little box is remarkable. It’s super versatile and fun to use just about anywhere. For example, we projected a screen onto the splashback in the kitchen so we could follow a YouTube recipe and even inside a playhouse with some ecstatic eight-year-olds.

But it is a little disappointing when it comes to being a serious projector for watching movies. The picture is fine at smaller screen sizes (under 30 inches), but when you supersize the screen, the projector struggles with resolution and brightness. You’ll need to keep curtains closed and lights off if you want big screen entertainment, which sadly rules it out as a viable garden projector. 

It is acceptable for casual movie viewing, but the bigger the screen, the less defined the picture will become. 

We do love the fact it is battery-powered, though, although, at just two hours, you may need a charger handy if you plan on a movie marathon.

With just one 3W speaker, the sound isn’t especially impressive, but that’s hardly surprising given the size of the unit. There is an aux-in socket, so you can use headphones or plug in a separate portable speaker.

Kodak Luma 350: design

We love the size and look of the Kodak Luma 350. It’s cute, easy to transport – it even fits in this reviewer’s pocket – and super simple to use.

It looks like many palm-sized projectors, but thanks to built-in Android, it can do much more, especially when downloading apps and streaming content. 

It really is a go-anywhere design, and we had no issues chucking it in a bag and taking it away with us camping, but it does need dark conditions if you want a big screen. If you have a blackout tent, though, the kids will love it!

How sustainable is the Kodak Luma 350?

The Kodak Luma 350, like most portable projectors, has a fixed bulb, so you can’t easily replace it. That said, the bulb has a very long rated lifetime of 30,000 hours, which should more than outlast the life of the projector itself.

If carefully looked after, we imagine the projector will last for years, but it is worth noting it only comes with a one-year warranty.

It’s disappointing to see Kodak still using foam in its packaging, but most of the box is easily recyclable.

Kodak Luma 350 vs Kodak Luma 150

While shopping for projectors, you may well come across the Luma 150, an almost identical-looking design from Kodak that costs around £100 less. It looks like a bargain and can be used to stream content, but the Luma 350 is in a different class.

Brightness is significantly better; the speaker has double the power and HD resolution. But the biggest difference is Android OS and streaming apps built-in, making it significantly more user-friendly. Spend the extra, and you won’t be disappointed. 

Kodak Luma 350: our verdict

Simple to use, easy to transport, and undeniably impressive given its size, the Kodak Luma 350 is a lot of fun if you want an affordable way to enjoy big screen action just about anywhere.

It is battery-powered and comes loaded with streaming apps, including Netflix and Prime, which elevates it above many of the similar-looking palm-sized projectors, which are predominantly designed for work presentations rather than cinema nights. The Luma 350 can also work hard for you during the day but has the added versatility of streaming built-in.

It’s affordable compared to most of the competition. Still, the payoff for value and a compact footprint is this sound quality and distinct lack of brightness which hampers its performance in anything but the darkest of conditions.

There’s no denying that we love to talk about the weather in the UK, it’s a hot topic – heatwave or not. With that in mind, the yo-yo between shorts weather – usually anything above 15 degrees... that is, until the more historic 37+ degree heatwave we saw in July – and cooler periods, can make it tricky to keep our homes comfortable. 

Whether you’re finding it hard to keep a converted basement warm or if your home office is always feeling stuffy, it may come as a surprise to know that installing an air conditioning unit could be the perfect solution.

Air conditioning units have come a long way and can actually help both cool and heat rooms when needed. They boast plenty more positive features that will contribute to a more balanced living space all around also. Here are five brilliant reasons to invest:

1. Combining cooling and heating

Air conditioning units don’t just cool a room, they can heat it too. These dual-purpose units can therefore keep rooms at a constant ambient temperature throughout the day, in all seasons. This makes them just as ideal for warmer areas – think conservatories and home gyms – where a cool breeze is usually welcome, as for cooler spots often needing added warmth like a basement or a north-facing room.

2. Energy-efficient and quiet as a whisper

Creating the perfect working and sleeping atmosphere, many air conditioning units are surprisingly quiet and use less energy, delivering up to A+++ energy efficiencies. They have consistent, low noise levels, providing constant comfort, day and night.

3. Cleaner, purified air indoors

These air conditioning units are multi-functioning and can filter the air to provide cleaner, fresher air inside your home. Offering state-of-the-art filtration, the units are able to neutralise pollutants such as pollen, dust, pet fur, mould, viruses, bacteria and other microscopic irritants down to PM2.5, helping to improve indoor air quality for the whole household.

4. Streamlined and stylish designs

Gone are the days of only being able to choose bulky white units. Ranges now include streamlined models that can be wall or floor mounted to fit in with your decor, with colours like red and black available, too. Whichever colour you go for, you’ll be able to let yours blend into the background or become a design feature in its own right. Plus, to ensure you get the look you want, Mitsubishi Electric has even developed the MEView3d app which lets you see the units in situ.

5. Low-cost cooling

The rise in energy bills is a worry for many households, but you can rest assured that Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning units run efficiently on lower power consumption, which means lower running costs. Easy to operate, Wi-Fi enabled and compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant too, there is an air conditioning unit for almost any budget and household need to streamline your day-to-day further.

To find out more about its range of home air conditioning units, visit the Mitsubishi Electric website.  Note that in the Premium range, the built-in Plasma Quad technology also inhibits SARS-COV-2 by 99.8%.*

* Derived from and subject to test results, for and on behalf of Mitsubishi Electric, conducted at the Microbial Testing Laboratory, Japan Textile Quality and Technology Center, Kobe, Japan.

Investing in something to help you cool down this summer? Enter: the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04. This versatile smart home gadget can heat or cool a room, all while purifying air at the same time. Moreover, it's as smart in looks as it is in technology. With a sleek, bladeless design to match its seamless features and functions. You can even control it using your smartphone, an Alexa device or by its easy-to-use remote control. Yes, this means you can turn it on to cool down your house before you arrive home. Genius.

I've been using the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 at home for the best part of three years now. Bearing in mind I have two pets, both of whom are serious fur shedders, I've never even had to replace the filter. I've cleaned it, of course, which is proof to me that it's working. To say that I couldn't live without this fan/purifier/heater combination would be an understatement. As a top notch fan, it has rescued me in the heatwave yet come winter, it means I can heat up just one room without having to turn my heating on throughout my entire flat.

Because this is an investment buy, we decided to review it all those years ago in hopes it would stand the test of time and surprise surprise: it did. So, if you're looking to invest in something to help control the temperature and clean the air inside your home, then let this be it. Read on to find out more about this clever little buy, then, check out our best air purifiers guide afterwards, if you like.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 specifications

• Recommended room size: 800 sqft
• Smart?: Yes
• Works with: Alexa
• Noise: 54-81dBs
• Filter: HEPA
• CADR: 80
• Speeds: 10
• Dimensions: H30.1 x W9.7 x D9.7in
• Weight: 12.4lbs

Who will the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 suit?

Anyone and everyone, no matter the size of their home. It's great used as a fan in a hot bedroom at night, or if your living room is feeling nippy and you don't want to turn the heating on all over the house. It's a great buy for smartphone owners, too. While the Hot + Cool remote works perfectly well, the app you can download onto your phone is even better, allows for more functions, and is easier to use.

Moreover, since testing this fan we gained a furry addition to our household. He sleeps in our room, on the floor. Even then, he still sheds an incredible amount of hair, and with another being breathing while we sleep, we've really noticed how helpful the purifying aspect of this device is.

Does the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 need assembling?

The machine arrives fully assembled, bar the filter inside, the only part which needs to be set up. The filter comes in two different parts – one (blue) made from activated carbon to trap gases, and another (purple) HEPA filter to remove allergens and pollutants as small as 0.1 microns. 

When it's time to change your filter, you'll be informed via the app; they usually have a life of around one year, depending on use. You can check the remaining life on your filter in the settings on the app, too.

How easy is the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 to use?

Using the machine is pretty straightforward. I could probably do it with my eyes closed now. You can power it up by pressing the button on the device, on the remote, or via the app on your smartphone remotely.

After that, the Dyson HP04 begins purifying, expelling either hot or cold air. In cold months, you can set your required room temperature and the fan will maintain it; during warmer months, you can use the fan mode to set its speed to suit your preference. 

And, you can see room temperature and air quality stats displayed on a circular screen below the power button, too. We explain more about these below.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04: performance

In terms of cooling, it's worth remembering that a fan's job isn't to lower the temperature of a room, but to shift air onto you, creating a cooling effect. The fan function does a pretty good job of it, and we did find that having the cooling mode on at fan speeds five and six quickly made us feel cooler.

As for heating a room, it does a rather spectacular job in a short space of time. Our living room is around 6m x 5m and is well insulated; within just 10 to 15 minutes of use, the Dyson HP04 had got it to our preferred temperature – and, thanks to the insulation, that's all we needed all evening. 

Let me give you an example: at 23:03, I turned the heater function on, setting the desired temperature to 25°C (toasty). The room temperature at that point was 22°C and the PM2.5 (air pollution, more on that below) at 44. Within four minutes, we began to feel the heat and the PM2.5 had dropped by four (below right). 

At 23:12, just nine minutes later, the temperature had risen to 24°C and PM2.5 was down to 34, a healthy level (below left). At 23:15, the room had reached our desired temperature of 25°C and the PM2.5 went down by 13 (below right). 

Let's talk air purifying: unlike basic fans, which just move air about, the Dyson HP04 purifies the air. We've recently had our living room painted and it shows up on the VOC (volatile organic compounds – particles that enter the air as a result of 'gas off' from paint, cleaning products and even new furniture) stats after a day or two of not having our back door open. With doors open and before having the room painted, the stat was at one; just after the decorating, it had reached four. After a couple of days of us being out at work and doors and windows being shut, the Particulate matter (PM2.5) number was up to 15; after a half-hour of using the air purifier function, it was back down to two.

What about air-purifying and cooling together? One morning, I set the machine to purify and cool our (15 sqm) bedroom. At 8 am, our bedroom was 22ºC (the window had been shut all night and we'd been hot), the PM2.5 was at 87 (35 and under is good) and the PM10 (dust, mold, and pollen) bar was full, while the VOCs were low (see picture, below right). At 8:17, I sprayed some deodorant and perfume in the room, causing it to change to 'Extremely Poor', with 166 PM2.5, causing the screenshot (below right). You can see that the VOC rating shot up immediately by a few bars, as well as the PM2.5. 

After leaving the fan to do its thing for 17 minutes, the machine managed to get the PM2.5 and PM10 ratings down by quite a lot (see, at 8:34, below left); the PM2.5 dropped from 166 to 28, which is classed at good. However, the VOC rating persisted to stay the same, causing the overall air quality to be rated as fair until 08:49. This means the fan took 49 minutes to change the air quality in our bedroom from 87, with a deodorant-induced hiccup in the middle, to 18 – that's a decrease of 69. Not too shabby.

It's also worth noting that during this time we had no windows or doors open.

How else did we use this machine? We live in a flat and don't have a tumble dryer, so we dry clothes inside while we're out at work. The built-in purifier works a treat and the relative humidity stats are extremely helpful.

What else did we like? While it can be moved around with the remote, you can also direct the airflow up and down by hand to suit your needs. 

Using the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 remote control

Still, to this day, we don't use the remote control (pictured above) very much as we mostly control the Hot + Cold through our phones or via Alexa, which we found more user-friendly. However, it's pretty simple to use. There's a power button at the top and an information button next to it, which changes the stats displayed on the machine's mini-screen (you can see all the stats listed below). 

You can use it to control airflow speed, ranging from one to 10, and set room temperature between 1°C and 37°C degrees. The auto button will turn the machine on to a speed that's right for the room (pre-set by you). 

The blue dot enables cool mode. The two arrows turn oscillation on and off – you can choose between it moving 45, 90, 180, or 350 degrees. There's an airflow direction button, and you can choose for the airflow to be pushed out the front or the back of the machine. The timer button allows you to set the fan to run for 30 minutes, or one, two, four, or eight hours, after which it will turn off automatically. The night mode sets the Hot + Cold to quiet mode and dims the LCD screen.

Last but not least, the compact and slim remote control is magnetic, and can be attached to the top of the machine to ensure it doesn't get lost. Handy.

Using the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 app

An extremely easy-to-use piece of software, the Dyson app is one we couldn't fault. Simply download the app, then pair it with your Hot + Cold; you'll be greeted with the home screen (see the green screen, above right). 

Once you've input your location, you can see the AQI (Air Quality Index) outside: low being the best and very high being the worst. You can also see the outdoor temperature, the outdoor humidity, and pollen levels displayed. The data collects the dominant types of pollen in your region (mine was tree and grass pollen). It then shows whether the count is low or high.

Below that, in a highlighted house-shaped box, you can see what the air quality is like inside your home. The scale ranges from severe to extremely poor, very poor, poor, fair, and good. The latter means there are very low levels of microscopic particles and VOCs in your home. 

Underneath the AQI you will see temperature, humidity, and PM2.5. Then, there's the display of daily and weekly averages of all stats so you can easily compare.

To the bottom left of the screen, there's a button to open up the smartphone remote. The remote (black screen, above left) has all the same functions as the physical remote, but it's easier to use – and the timer can be turned on for nine hours instead of only eight.

At the bottom right of the screen, you can schedule the Hot + Cold to turn on and off. This is where it gets (even more) interesting. As long as your Dyson HP04 is plugged into the wall, it can control itself once you've scheduled it to run at certain times on certain days. You can choose from morning, evening, night or all day and then the days of the week, the start and finish time. You can control its every move with the app, not just timings but right down to choosing whether you'd like it to be on Night Mode, how you want it to oscillate and what direction you'd like the air to flow.

*UPDATE* The app is still exactly the same, and easy to use as ever.

Using the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 with Alexa

Say 'Alexa, turn Dyson Purifier on', and it will. You can line up Alexa to change any of Dyson's settings, too, such as to enable oscillation, increase temperature, set a target temperature, and more. 

Another thing you can do is ask your Alexa-enabled device for feedback from the fan. It can then tell you what the air quality is like both indoors and out, as well as the humidity level and other stats.

You can also ask Alexa (and this is one of our favorites) how long the filter has left before it needs replacing. How smart is that?

Alexa isn't just useful for controlling the machine, but also useful for when there's a problem with it. Simply say, 'Alexa, ask Dyson if there's a fault', and you'll get the info you need.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04: the stats explained

• Air quality index (AQI): a suggestion of when to activate your machine. Air quality will be rated from severe to very good, and when on auto mode, the machine will do everything it can to get you from worst to best. 
• Indoor temperature: shown in degrees Celsius, this is room temperature. 
• Relative humidity (RH): the amount of water vapor in the air. 
• Particulate matter (PM2.5): how many microscopic particles smaller than 2.5microns are in the room, whether it be from smoke, bacteria, or allergens. Ideally, you want between 0 to 35, with 251 and over being classed as severe. 
• Particulate matter (PM10): the amount of microscopic particles found up to 10 microns in size. This includes dust, mold, and pollen. Ideally, you want between 0 to 50, and 421 plus is severe. 
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): harmful odors found in cleaning products, paint, or new furnishings; 0 to 3 is classed as good, while anything over 9 is very poor. 
• Nitrogen dioxide and oxidizing gases (NO²): harmful gases released into the air by combustion, for example burning gas from cooking and vehicle exhaust emissions; 0 to 3 is good while 9 and over is poor. This will also depend on whether the area you live in is heavily polluted. 

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04: design

Unlike many other fans, heaters, and purifiers, the Dyson HP04 looks pretty swanky. It's also quite small at just 76cm high, making it ideal for those who don't fancy having a huge towering machine in their bedroom or living room. It is, however, a bit bulky in comparison to Dyson's other models, such as the AM07. 

Maintaining the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04

We've had the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 in our bedroom for rougly three years now. And apart from a regular dust and a wipe down with a damp cloth, we've had no issues with it. This really does prove that you get what you pay for, as it has been super low maintenance.

We have never been told by the app to change the filter, or even to clean it, but we did do this recently just for peace of mind. To do this, I took off both covers (as seen below) and took them to my bin. I held them over my bin and scraped the dust off of them, and they look pretty much as good as new. Easy peasy!

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

Dyson makes a huge range of fans, heaters, humidifiers and purifiers. However, this is the only model they make that heats and cools, as well as purifies. Here's how the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 compares with other models.

In the UK
The Dyson Pure Cool™ purifying fan is taller and thinner than the HP04. It does everything other than heat a room, however, it is only controllable by remote, not by app. It retails at £349.99.

The Dyson Cool™ tower cooling fan only cools, it doesn't heat nor purify the air. It's designed for larger spaces and much like the model above can only be controlled via its remote. This machine's RRP is £349.99.

The first ever Dyson Pure Hot & Cool retails at £399.99. This offers the same features as the HP04, though it;s not smart so you can only control it via its remote control.

In the US
You'll find more models of the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool in the US. They've got the HP01, HP04, HP07, and the HP09. 

The HP01 is the predecessor of this model and is the cheapest at $499.99. It can heat, purify and cool a room and can be controlled via a remote. It's not smart like the HP04 and cannot be controlled via a phone or Alexa device.

For comparison purposes, the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 comes in at £349.99/$549.99, too. So, in our opinion, you might as well get something that can do three things in one, and something that can be controlled by your phone.

Our verdict of the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04

The Dyson HP04 works really well, it makes itself invaluable by doing more than just expelling cold air, and the smart capability makes it just that bit more user-friendly. We loved being in the kitchen and asking our Alexa Echo Show to turn on the fan so that our bedroom temperature would be just right for bedtime.

You need the Dyson app if you want to get the best out of this fan/heater/air purifier. Plus, it's pretty pricey. That being said, it does do three jobs in one neat package.

Overall, we totally think it's worth the price tag especially considering its quality and design. We would buy one for each room if we could!

Ever been frustrated by the lack of physical photos in your home? In the days before Instagram and Facebook, it seemed we all had a case of old snaps we could pour over with friends and family from time to time, but, in the digital age, these have become a thing of the past. However, companies like Canon are heroically trying to bring back the physical print with devices like the Canon SELPHY Square QX10.

The Canon QX10 could be described as a less well-known competitor to HP's Sprocket range, which offers the same pocket-sized aesthetic and photo-focused printing. However, the QX10 is slightly different in producing those pics, using dye sublimation technology instead of thermal printing. It's a little more advanced method that should make for better quality photos in the long run. 

We tried out the QX10 on our own snaps to see if it could really get us to put evidence of our treasured memories somewhere other than Instagram (or the back of our phone's photo app). You can read our thoughts on its pros and cons below, and to see how it measures up against other models, head over to our guide to the best small printers.

Canon SELPHY Square QX10: Key specs

• Type: Photo printer
• Printing speed: 43 seconds/photo
• Resolution: 287 x 287dpi
• Photo size: 2.7 x 2.7in
• Tray capacity: 10 pages
• Printer dimensions: H5.6 x W4in
• Weight: 1lbs

Canon SELPHY Square QX10: Set-up

Included in the box for the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 are the printer, paper cassette, user manual, and USB charging cable. Our sample came with the ink cartridge already installed, but you can easily do this yourself via a slot on the side. Paper is loaded from the top of the device.

The first thing you will want to do is charge your printer, and this is very easy with the USB cable provided. Once this is done, you can print photos at your leisure from wherever you want. There are two lights – 'charge' and status' – on the front of the device beside the power button that will let you know when you can disconnect and go about your business.

The most significant part of the set-up is downloading the SELPHY app, where you will choose and customize your photos. Get this, register, and select the QX10 from the menu to add your printer to the account.

Canon SELPHY Square QX10: Performance

As mentioned, the SELPHY Square QX10 is a dye sublimation printer, which works by heating ink and transferring it to the page. For those who haven't seen this type of printer in action, it might be slightly disconcerting when your images first come out bright yellow – this is just the first of three stages, adding yellow, red, and blue in sequence to eventually create a full-color photo.

Before this, however, there were seemingly endless ways to customize your snaps, whether adding virtual stickers, frames, or text. It makes the whole thing a fun, creative activity rather than just a way to immortalize your Instagram feed.

We had fun choosing which pictures in our photo reel would get the SELPHY treatment, and the results were great quality prints. The paper also has a sticky underside if you want to use your pictures for scrapbooking or something similar.

On a subsequent printout, however, the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 jammed, forcing us to abandon the ink cartridge included in the package. This would have meant that we would need a replacement very early on, which would have set us back in the range of $15 (they are £15.99 in the UK) for a replacement pack of paper and ink. It was a slightly disappointing end to our testing process.

Canon SELPHY Square QX10: design

The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 looks pretty functional but still smart. It's also available in four colors – black (which we tested), white, pink, and minty green. Unfortunately, there's no display to see how your prints are doing, so you'll need to rely entirely on the app on your phone screen. For a mobile printer, that's not really a big drawback. 

It's really a very simple device that will serve as a relief for those who don't want a million features to contend with. The QX10 has been designed with casual users in mind, which is appropriate.

Canon SELPHY Square QX10: cost & sustainability

While the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 is reasonably priced for a mini portable model, keeping the printer running is another matter. As previously mentioned, the replacement package of paper and ink (we could not find them being sold separately) costs around $15 and includes enough for just 20 prints. That works out to 75c per photo, so you better choose carefully. 

Canon SELPHY Square QX10: our verdict

The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 is a great device for those who want to be able to print out their photos, but don't want to compromise on the technology used to do so. It's fun to use and saves a trip to the printers but might end up costing a pretty penny once you factor in replacement ink and paper. This is something to consider if you have already embraced the photo printing apps that do your prints for free and only demand postage.

It won't be any good for those who want full-size prints or something other than images, but if you like the small size and stickable paper, it's ideal. We can see it being great fun for hosting a photo booth at a wedding or baby shower.

About this review, and the reviewer

Caroline is the smart home editor for Real Homes, spending her days trying and writing about anything from the latest smart speaker to home office essentials like small printers. Operating from home herself, she has a pretty good handle on what remote workers want and need from their technology and applies that first-hand experience to her reviews. A sample of the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 was kindly provided for testing purposes. For more on our testing process, you can take a look at our guide to how we review.

The BenQ GV30 offers an altogether different take on the classic dull movie projector. The look of the GV30 is closer to a wheel of cheese – complete with holes over the speakers – compared to a traditional square projector. Nevertheless, it’s a cute battery-powered design. Moreover, it comes loaded with clever features designed to make it easy to enjoy movies on the big screen virtually anywhere you can find a flat white surface.

As well as 720p HD resolution and a maximum screen dimension of 120”, the GV30 has powerful 2.1 stereo sound, a super simple setup, and an Android TV streaming dongle to get you bingeing box sets in your backyard in no time.

But with so many great home projectors already available for around the same price, does the GV30 have the performance to back up the eye-catching design? Take a look at our guide to see how it measures up against the other best outdoor projectors, or keep reading to see how the GV30 fared during testing.

BenQ GV30: key specs

• Resolution: 720p HD
• Brightness 300 nits
• Screen size: 30"–120"
• Streaming: Android 9.0 TV streaming dongle included
• Projection angle: 135° with Auto Focus and Vertical Keystone
• Sound: 2.1 stereo
• Battery life: 2.5hrs
• Smart? Google Assistant voice control

BenQ GV30: set-up

If you buy a cinema-quality projector, the correct set-up is vital to create the best possible image. It takes skill and knowledge to get it right, but thankfully portable projectors have been (mostly) designed with ease of use in mind. The BenQ GV30 is an excellent example of a plug-and-play projector that had us up and watching Amazon Prime in less than five minutes.

Paper instructions were clear but minimal and required us to pop off the back of the device and insert the supplied Android streaming dongle inside. It’s a bit of an odd decision by BenQ, but it only took a minute.

Once connected, rested on its stand, turned on, and pointed at a wall, the onscreen menu – which will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used an Android smartphone – takes you through the various logins for your Wi-Fi, YouTube, Amazon Prime, etc. It’s all nice and straightforward, even if you need to enter a few passwords using a small remote control.

As for screen set-up, the GV30 virtually sets itself up, tweaking the focus, alignment, and keystone adjustments depending on its position. Tilt the projector up, and the sensors will adjust the screen size and shape accordingly. This is where the round ‘cheese’ design works brilliantly, meaning you can change screen position without having to stack it up on a pile of books, as is often the case.

As well as using the Android 9.0 HDMI dongle to stream wirelessly from phones, tablets, and computers using Chromecast and AirPlay, you can also plug in your laptop, Blu-ray, or games console into the separate HDMI socket, plug into the USB-C socket, and stream with compatible devices, use headphones via the minijack socket or stream music via Bluetooth.

BenQ GV30: performance

Once up and running, the GV30 was enormous fun to watch. We enjoyed big screen breakfasts in the dining room, a lazy Sunday morning watching terrible zombie movies in the bedroom, and Jedi fun in the garden with a white sheet and Obi-Wan Kenobi from Disney+.

It's portable, versatile, and easy to use, but it isn't perfect. Firstly, at 2.5hrs, the battery life is a little lacking, especially if someone wants to watch the latest superhero films and doesn't have a plug close by. Of course, these films are arguably too long in the first place, but that's not the point.

The second issue was that the image quality suffered in natural light. Even at dusk, the black tones were all but washed out. You can still enjoy the content, but it isn't as engaging as a TV would be, even if the screen is 90" wide. It's a shame as the 500 ANSI Lumen rating is higher than most and looks fabulous in a darkened room.

The fact it only has 720p resolution rather than 1080p or 4K isn't that much of an issue here, and we never experienced any pixelation, even when we stretched the screen size. Of course, images can look a little smoothed off around the edges rather than crisp, but we shouldn't expect pixel perfection on the patio. Fast action sequences also tend to blur, but this is true of most portable designs. 

The sound quality, however, was really impressive, with the 2.1 stereo speakers (including an 8W subwoofer) delivering remarkable results, helping enormously to create an immersive atmosphere, with loud action sequences and conversations both crystal clear. They're also suitable for music streaming, with plenty of punch.

Irritatingly Netflix has not yet got round to making their services fully available on portable projectors like this, so if you want to watch the streaming platform, you will need a workaround. Again, these are an irritation, but you can plug your laptop or phone into the HDMI or USB-C port and stream that way, use Apple AirPlay, or in this case, sign up for the preloaded app which has access to Netflix. Annoyingly you will also need to use BenQ's Smart Remote app to control it, which is another faff, but you can get there in the end.

BenQ GV30: Design

The round design of the GV30 stands it out from the rest. It’s certainly more eye-catching than most, but a projector isn’t really designed to be looked at. The round design and supplied stand do, however, make adjusting the screen position straightforward. It’s a great example of where form and function happily collide.

It’s a bit too big to stash in your hand luggage - you need the Anker Nebula Capsule for that – but for at-home use, the 1.6kg design is easy enough to carry from room to room. We left the GV30 on a side table, and visitors commented on its design but assumed it was a Bluetooth speaker, not a projector. In reality, if we owned the GV30, we would keep it safe in the supplied protective case until needed.

BenQ GV30: sustainability & longevity

Projector power usage varies greatly, with the smallest designs using just 50W and the larger home cinema options pulling a whopping 800W. On the other hand, the BenQ GV30 uses just 65W power consumption (average), which is excellent.

The LED bulb used has a quoted lifespan of 20,000 hours in ‘normal’ mode and 30,000 hrs in ‘eco’ mode. This is pretty standard for a small LED bulb, and BenQ offers a warranty on their bulbs limited to 1 year or 2000 hrs (equivalent hours), whichever comes first. So chances are you won’t need to replace the bulb, but BenQ does offer a repair service if something goes wrong.

As is typical for small electricals, the GV30 is made in China. As a result, all the cardboard boxes can be recycled, although some unnecessary plastic will be heading to the landfill. We like that the robust storage box doubles as shipping protection instead of using more plastic. 

BenQ GV30 vs GV1: a comparison

BenQ’s original, affordable portable speaker, the GV1, has a super compact design with an innovative tilting head. Unfortunately, despite costing less, it no longer keeps pace with its bigger brother. On the other hand, key aspects of the GV30 are significantly better, with higher resolution (720p up from 480p), brightness (300 ANSI Lumen instead of 200), and greater connectivity. 

The GV1 is brilliantly compact, however, and offers a slightly longer 3hr battery life using only 23W of power, but if we had to choose, the GV30 would win hands down, even though it costs a little more. 

BenQ GV30: our verdict

Stylish, reliable, and fun, the GV30 has been a pleasure to test. It rarely missed a beat, and the online menu system is refreshingly familiar as it mainly relies on Android. Furthermore, with Google Assistant built-in, we could just ask for content, which played instantly, which is a nice bonus.

There are loads of major streaming services available using the supplied Android dongle, and if you really need Netflix, you can find a workaround, even if it isn’t that straightforward. What is easy, though, is positioning the projector just about anywhere. The easily adjustable circular design and auto-adjust feature make the set-up brilliantly simple.

The only major issue we had with the GV30 is its performance in anything but darkness, with the image often looking washed out with even a crack of natural light in the room. It’s still a fun watch and great in the dark, but it would become irritating if you were thinking of swapping your TV for this particular projector.

About this review, and the reviewer

Chris is a UK-based freelance writer for Real Homes, providing a range of reviews and product roundups based on extensive testing in his own home. He has written for a huge array of titles, including WIRED, T3, Ideal Home, Tesco Magazine, and many more. A sample of the BenQ GV30 was kindly provided for review purposes. You can read more about our review policy in our guide about how we test products.

When summer kicks in, it can get a little stuffy indoors — especially if you live in a tiny rental, dorm, or your parents' loft. Fortunately, you don't need to invest in a household air conditioner just yet. Aside from picking up a handy household fan or getting in on the portable fan trend, there's one long-term but affordable solution: the portable air conditioner. 

Consider this a must if your space is especially hot. Why? Because at a certain point, a fan just ends up blowing hot air around the room. A portable air conditioner, however, takes the hot air from the room and releases cooler air. Here, you can splash out on something fairly substantial or indulge in myriad cheap but effective options out there. This might mean a unique personal cooler that uses ice cubes or more of a traditional, hosed design.

Quick Menu:
1. Portable air conditioners
2. Small portable air conditioners
3. Cheap portable air conditioners

It can be tricky terrain finding the right appliance or mini appliance for your needs. That's why I've spent hours poring through options on the web, ensuring you get only the best. Indeed, these were highly rated by shoppers, earning big compliments for their functionality and cooling qualities. Sure, picking out an AC is hardly the most glamorous part of interior design, but my picks are some of the sleekest, most elegant you'll find. Now, let your cool girl summer commence, and let's finally cool down that room of yours.

The best portable air conditioners to buy

The prices below were correct at the time of publishing.

Portable air conditioners

Unlike your typical household air conditioning system, portable ones can be moved around to suit your needs. This makes them a great option for who have decided not to turn the AC on at night. Moving back in with your parents after college? Perfect. Heading to a new apartment? No problem. These designs follow your lead.

Small portable air conditioners

After a daintier option that you can transport with even more ease? Say no more. These mini ACs are just what you've been looking for, and they're even cheaper. Get involved. 

Cheap portable air conditioners

Look, you're already saving a whole lot of money by opting for a portable air conditioner, but that doesn't mean you can't lessen the price more. Yep, these unspeakably affordable designs provide major air-conditioning credentials without skimping on performance. All under $50.

FAQs

Where to buy a portable air conditioner

Still trawling the web for your perfect portable air conditioner? Take a leaf out of our book, and check out the top retailers below.

• Amazon portable air conditioners
• Target portable air conditioners
• Walmart portable air conditioners
• Wayfair portable air conditioners

How we chose these portable air conditioners

We whittled down our list of the best portable air conditioners on the criteria of practicality and style — both in equal measure. By closely examining the reports left by reviewers and customers, we were able to build a strong roster. While we haven't been able to test each and every product just yet, we're confident these will please. All of them earned a minimum of four stars — not to mention kind words aplenty.

Okay: You're probably reading this because you need to get cool, stat. Your home is hot, you've broken out your best cooling fan, and it just doesn't seem to be doing anything. That's the worst, TBH.

Intense heat can make the air in the house super warm, which means that even when you have a fan on, you can feel like you're just blowing around desert-hot air. Which basically defeats the point of having the fan on in the first place, right?

Luckily, there's a range of ways to make the most out of your fan, even if you don't have a fancy AF fan that does it for you. These hacks are all super low-budget, so you don't need to buy any fancy equipment and can try them right away.

Scroll on down for the best ways to get your fan to blow cold air ASAP...

Five amazing hacks for making your fan blow cold air

1. Position the fan on the floor

Hot air rises, while cool air always stays closer to the ground. That's science, people. So, if you position your fan on the floor, it's more likely to blow cooler air than if you were to put it on a desk or table. 

2. Fill a bucket with ice and water bottles

I've used this hack countless times and can confirm that it really does work. All you need to do is grab a tub or bucket, fill it with ice-cold water (add ice to keep it cold), and put some bottles of ice-cold water inside the bucket. Then, direct the fan at the bucket with the water bottles. This will result in the fan blowing around cooler air around your room. Pretty smart, right?

3. Air dry laundry and point the fan at it

Want to know the good news about a heatwave? You can stop using your tumble dryer for the duration of it. And, not only will your clothes dry faster inside your home, but you can also use the laundry as a cooling aid for your fan. Simply direct the fan at the drying laundry to achieve cooler air. BTW, this is even better if you're washing large items like bedding and towels. 

4. Direct your fan outside the window

This may seem counterintuitive, but trust me, directing your fan out the window instead of in your room will help you cool down the space better. This sucks the stale air out of the room, while fresh air is drawn in from the other window. By doing this, not only will you improve the air quality, but you'll ensure fresh air is circulated quickly around the room. Love it.

5. Place a box fan in the doorway

Got a box fan? They're super easy to carry around any home, and you don't need to worry about them falling over. By placing yours outwards in the doorway, you can create an exhaust effect that will push warm air out of the room, and then draw in cooler air from other rooms. Super smart. This is also a great solution if you're wondering whether you should turn the AC on at night or not.

FAQs

Up next: 10 easy ways to cool down a hot room 

Photo prints have returned to our otherwise digital lives and are here to stay. At least that’s what Canon hopes for with its modern and versatile SELPHY CP1300 photo printer, designed for fast and easy home printing.

We have an ever-growing collection of digital photos on our smartphones and computers, so it can be fun to see them come alive with tactile prints and postcards. Viewing life’s memories on a screen is one thing, but holding special moments in hand or adding to a family album can become a more satisfying experience. 

To see if taking the photo lab home is more than just a short-term pastime, we test-drove the Canon SELPHY 1300 with various paper formats. And, if you want to see how it measured up against other models, hop on over to our guide to the best small printers.

Overall, we can see the longevity in having a modern photo printer that is compact, user-friendly, and prints good quality photos without having to order from a photo lab – convenience is key for home printing, after all.

Canon SELPHY CP1300: Key specs

• Print technology: dye-sublimation
• Screen: multi-language 3.2in LCD tilt-up 
• Max print size: 4 x 6in
• Max resolution: 300 x 300dpi
• Connectivity: WiFi, Apple AirPrint, Mopria, USB, SD
• Power: Mains, optional battery (sold separately)
• Colors: Black, white, pink
• Dimensions: L7.1 x W5.4 x H2.5in (without a paper cassette attached)
• Weight: 1.9 lbs 

Canon SELPHY CP1300: Set-up

Our Canon SELPHY CP1300 came preloaded with ink, but installing it is as easy as opening up the side compartment and inserting the ink cartridge. Unlike a traditional printer,  SELPHY CP1300 doesn't have a tray to load the paper and uses a paper cassette instead. It attaches to the front of the printer with the blank paper sheets enclosed, and the printer ejects all printed photos on top of the cassette. 

You will also notice some paper packs have different ink cartridges, so you will need to switch between them if you alternate between paper sets. It may also seem wasteful to have a plastic ink cartridge that lasts 108 prints at most, as is the case for the postcard-sized kit, while the sticker paper set only holds ink for 18 sheets.

Once you have attached the paper cassette, the next step is to connect to your device – WiFi connection is likely the universal way to connect using different devices. Still, you can also use Mopria Print Service, which easily connects Android devices to certified printers, or opt for AirPrint if you use iOS. If you have any photos on a USB memory stick or an SD card, you can use those directly on the printer.

We were impressed with the ease of setup no matter what device we used to print from. Of course, this could make it a perfect choice for social activities such as family events, wedding receptions, or kids' birthday parties where a group of people can connect and print memories to take home or entertain the guests. 

Canon SELPHY CP1300: Performance

This is a small, portable printer that prints well. The colors were mostly vibrant and reasonably accurate, and even black-and-white photos had deep blacks and crisp whites. In addition, the dye-sublimation print technology Canon SELPHY CP1300 gives images you can handle right away – you won't have to worry about accidentally smudging the colors.

When you print for the first time, don't be surprised to see the first time paper comes out, it only has yellow dye. The printer applies color in four stages, and for each one, the paper comes out at the front before it's finally ejected when printing is done.

We noticed the printer doesn't show current ink levels on the screen, which means you're left guessing, especially if you use several packs of paper and ink without keeping track of how many prints you've done so far. 

The different print options, like ID printing, collages, photo-booth prints,  and others, make it a good choice for general family use and crafts. Still, you could also use it for printing plain postcards and general photo keepsakes. The same goes for paper choices – if stickers are not your thing, simple postcards or 4x6in paper packs may be the better choice.

Printing even the simplest digital memories is tremendous fun, and it's easy to go through a whole pack of prints quickly. The price per print comes out comparable to a consumer photo lab. Hence, while you're not saving much money by printing at home, it is still a more personal and enjoyable experience than heading to a photo kiosk.

One issue we ran into was getting some dust or pet hair either onto the paper cassette or ink cartridge. The prints came out with minor visual imperfections akin to analog film that sometimes get scratches or dust, but if you handle the printer with care, it should not be a regular occurrence.

Canon SELPHY CP1300: Design

Not as small as simpler Polaroid-style printers, the Canon SELPHY 1300 is still portable and easy to store away in a drawer or cupboard when not in use. You can pick from a black, white, or pink design, with the latter two likely popular for family use. 

Though our test unit came with a battery pack, sadly, if you want to use it on the go, you have to buy the battery separately. We stored the printer on the corner of our home office desk but be mindful that when in use, the paper cassette will add to its size at the front.

The tilt-up screen is a nice touch, so you can see the printer menu without having to stand up if you print at your desk, but it's not a touch screen, so you still have to navigate using the buttons.

From a distance, the printer does not look too dissimilar to a retro CD or cassette player, which could fit a specific room aesthetic. Still, if you want to keep it dust and pet hair free (and avoid it getting inside the paper cassette), it may be an excellent choice to store it away when not in use.

Canon SELPHY CP1300: Our verdict

Having used printers with fewer functions, the Canon SELPHY CP1300 stands out as a tiny powerhouse that can print anything you need, from passport-style ID photos to family album prints. It doesn’t quite rival results from a professional photo lab, but it’s an adequate alternative to consumer labs. 

Suppose you like to tinker with creative ideas, enjoy collecting photo memories, or have children in the family. In that case, the printer will be a great, entertaining alternative to ordering online, even if it does work out to a similar price per print. 

About this review, and the reviewer

Anete is a freelance writer and product reviewer in the tech industry, ranging from photography software to home living products for a modern lifestyle. As a self-taught photographer, she is always on the lookout for user-friendly smart home and business devices that don’t take a genius to figure out. When she is not working at her desk, Anete can be found creating artistic projects and looking for ways to make her home smarter and more organized. 

A paper shredder is an invaluable piece of equipment that can help to protect your sensitive information and keep fraudsters at bay. It’s a good idea to destroy anything that has your personal details before discarding in the rubbish bin. From old bills to expired debit and credit cards, a shredder will make this job even easier. Paper shredders no longer just cut your paperwork into thin strips, many models offer multiple cutting patterns for extra protection as well as being able to destroy items such as keycards, CDs, and credit cards. We’ve looked at the best shredders on the market today, leaving you with one less thing to worry about.

Bottom line

We love the Bonsaii heavy-duty shredder because it’s perfect for use at home or in the office. Designed for heavy use, it works continuously for 60 minutes and requires just ten-minute cooldown time.  The best part is that it shreds the paper into tiny particles with no need to remove staples. 

Why trust us?

At Real Homes, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

As well as actively deterring criminal opportunists and making it easy to keep an eye on your home, from any location, a smart doorbell will provide invaluable reassurance if you – or a relative – are nervous about opening the door to a stranger. Plus, it makes the process of receiving parcels easier and more efficient.

Worthy of the top spot on our list, Nest Hello offers everything you need in your next smart doorbell. Here's why it's our top rated product:

Stylish design

Boasting a slim and neat design, this smart doorbell will fit right on to your doorframe, ensuring it does the job without ruining the aesthetics of your entrance.

Wide angle perspective

Providing an impressive 160 degree view of your front door, it's easy to see who's directly outside and around your property, without having to open your front door. 

Voice communication

Communicate, verbally, with visitors to your home, thanks to handy two way audio. This is perfect if you're co-ordinating deliveries with your postman – from work, a holiday, or elsewhere – or want to let a visitor know that you're five minutes away from home.

Facial recognition

If you're really concerned about security, it's also possible to set up facial recognition. Perfect for the elderly, or those who find the prospect of strangers at the door, unnerving, this model can inform you when regular visitors are at the door, for peace of mind. 

Easy to use

Connecting this video doorbell to a smart phone app is easy, so tech-novices needn't be put off by a complex set-up system.

Factors worth considering

Unlike some smart doorbells, such as Ring Video Doorbell 2, Nest Hello does need to be wired in, which may be an inconvenience for some and especially those who rent their homes. But, in the long-term, at least you'll never have to change the batteries. 

It's also worth noting that you will have to pay for add-ons such as facial recognition, but without them the product still becomes quickly indispensable.

Designed with renters in mind, there's no need to worry about wires with our next best pick, the Ring Video Doorbell 2. You'll find everything you need to know about it in our comprehensive Ring Doorbell 2 review. Or, for a quick overview, keep reading:

Does not require hard wiring

Perfect for those who rent, or anticipate themselves moving in the not too distant future, this model does not require hard wiring. Rather, its powered by lithium powered batteries, which can be removed and recharged with ease. Pick up two packs and you'll never have to go without a charge.

If you don't like the sound of having to recharge batteries, it's also worth noting that Ring offer a wired version, too.

Full HD 1080p camera

Equipped with a full HD 1080p camera and an impressively wide field of view, expect high quality video footage delivered straight to your smartphone. So, whether you're at your desk, at the beach or simply lounging, upstairs, in bed, you're guaranteed clear perspective on exactly who's at the door.

Two way audio

This model also features two-way audio, making it a great video intercom system for co-ordinating deliveries or visitors.

Functions as a regular doorbell, too

With the addition of a Chime Pro device, this model acts as a regular doorbell, too, which is ideal for those who don’t always have their phone on them. 

Factors worth considering

The design of this model is slightly less sleek and slimline than some of the other options available. But, really, this comes down to personal preference.

Perfect for those who are setting up a comprehensive smart home system, the Ring Doorbell Pro comes with all the perks of the other video doorbells from Ring, as well as some extra special features. Here's everything you need to know about it:

Alexa compatible

Compatible with smart assistant, Alexa, you no longer need to have your smart phone, in hand, to see who's at the door. Simply communicate via a smart speaker or – if you have the Amazon Echo Show – view your visitor live, on screen.

Answer your door from anywhere

As you'd expect from a video doorbell, it's easy to see who's at the door, wherever you are. But, what sets this model apart is its built-in motion detection, which allows users to be notified if it detects that there's someone outside.

This further enhances home security, as users are no longer reliant on someone ringing the doorbell – or frantically checking their camera – to know if someone is there.

Slimline design

Unlike other offerings from Ring, this model also boasts a sleek and stylish design that won't ruin the aesthetic of your entrance.

Factors worth considering

Unfortunately, unlike other models available from Ring, there’s no option for a rechargeable battery, but reviewers say if you have an existing doorbell connection then setting up is quick and easy.

If you're trying to do smart home tech on a budget, the iseeBell Wi-Fi Enabled HD Video Doorbell is the one for you. Here's everything it has to offer:

Simple to set up

Another very welcome wireless video doorbell for those without an existing doorbell connection, the iseeBell is superbly simple to set up, and will cost you less than half of what the Ring Video Doorbell 2 will, too. 

Wide angle

Enjoy a 180 degree field of vision, delivered straight to your smart phone. Plus, the option to view content sent to the cloud.

Two way communication

Despite it's price, this model boasts a whole host of high-end features, including two-way audio, which allows users to communicate with whoever should show up at the front door.

Night vision

Perfect for the elderly, or those who are concerned about personal safety when the sun goes down, night vision allows users to see who's outside, however dark it is.

Factors worth considering

Well, the camera quality isn’t the best. At 720p, it’s a bit of a step down from the 1080p of our previous picks, but if that isn’t a deal-breaker for you, we'd more than recommend this handy video doorbell.

The futuristic-looking SkyBell HD Silver WiFi Video Doorbell is certainly an eye-catcher, making it a good deterrent for would-be criminals casing the joint. Here's why it made our top list:

Store video footage

What sets this model apart from the others in our list is its ability to store and play back video captured over the past seven days, which may come in handy should you ever be a victim of crime. The same service with a Ring doorbell is £25 a year, so it’s certainly worth considering. 

Full HD 1080p video

As with our top two models, the SkyBell also offers high quality video that's perfect for observing who's outside, both in real time and retrospectively. 

Two way audio

Another handy feature that we've seen in the other top performing video doorbells, this model from SkyBell also comes equipped with two way audio, which allows you to communicate with whoever some knocking, no matter where in the world you are. 

Factors worth considering

The one thing to bear in mind with this model is that it does require an existing doorbell connection, or for you to factor in the cost of installation if you don't have one.

As the weather continues to take a turn for the warmer and we put our winter clothes away for another year, your mind may also have turned to ways to keep your house cooler this summer. The weather seems to grow more extreme every year, so it's important to be prepared for those hot, stuffy, humid days ahead. 

A good fan is a perfect investment, especially if you plan to be working from home or tend to suffer when the temperature gets higher. Whether you need to keep cool while at your desk or simply want a way to be comfortable across your entire living space, a fan is a brilliant substitute (or added extra!) for air conditioning.

But how do you know what to go for? With the quality, features, and price tags of the best fans varying wildly, we’re here to help cut through some of the noise and help you choose the fan that’s right for you and your home. Scroll down to see what we thought.

Alternatively, if you want a device that can control the humidity and moisture in your home, then head on over to our roundup of the best dehumidifiers. 

The best fans: tried and tested by us

Our favourite fan due largely to its versatility, the Duux Whisper Flex Smart standing fan can be transformed into a shorter desk fan with ease, offers simultaneous vertical and horizontal oscillation, more speeds than you'll know what to do with and even the option of wireless use.

The Whisper Flex is also as quiet as its name suggests, only reaching the maximum 50dB on its highest settings. On an average day, you'll barely be able to hear it at all. There's a night mode that turns off the LED display, as well as a timer that allows you to program the fan to turn off at a certain point.

Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Perfect for light sleepers, this fan is quiet. The model also offers a lights-on and lights-off mode, meaning you won't have to worry about it disturbing you – or your sleeping children – in the middle of the night.

As for airflow, it can move air 60° up and 80° sideways, and there are 12 fan speed settings, so you’re sure to find a level that meets your needs. We also like the timer button: , which you can use to set an interval between one and 12 hours after which the fan will turn on. 

Cleverly, there’s an Eco button, too, which automatically changes the fan’s speed in response to the room temperature. In other words, the hotter the room, the faster the speed the fan selects automatically.

Real Homes rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator

• Read next: the best air purifiers for cleaner air at home

A truly multi-purpose tool for your home, the Blueair Blue Pure Fan cleans the air as it cools. With a large, cube-shaped design with Scandi-style wooden feet and a leather carry handle, it is able to expel a huge amount of air and looks great to boot. It promises to clear 99% of particles from the environment.

You may miss the oscillation, but the Blueair fan releases air across a 90-degree range due to its large face. You can also customize the pre-filters to fit your decor - 'diva blue' and 'dark shadow' are included you can also choose light gray, pink and yellow variations.

Real Homes rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Blueair Blue Pure Purifying Fan

The best fans: more top picks

One for those who are looking to build a particular aesthetic in their home, the Vornado VFAN Vintage Air Circulator Fan has a lovely retro design that will bring you back to the 1940s. As a fan, it's also a fantastic option, with a tilting head (no oscillation, unfortunately) and twin air cones working to boost airflow.

There are three speed settings that, while not as in-depth as others on our list, will allow you to change the speed based on the conditions at the time. This is definitely a low-tech fan, but we think its appearance more than makes up for it.

A tower fan model from Dyson, the AM07 looks fantastic and packs a lot of power when it comes to both cooling and purifying the air. The bladeless design makes it completely safe around children and pets, and it also means you won't have to spend so much time taking apart the blades to clean them.

Like other Dyson products, this fan is a great choice if you're interested in devices that fit seamlessly into your smart home. There's an app that allows you to control what your fan is doing, from timers to speed settings, and you'll also be able to view in-depth information about your air quality whenever you're curious.

How we test the best fans

In order to create the very best guide for our readers, we are currently on a mission to get hands-on experience with every product featured on the site. This is a long and involved process, but we believe it makes our content more valuable and trustworthy. It will also mean we can make better recommendations based on our own expertise and experience.

The best fans are tested based on affordability, size, ease of use, and any extra features (such as air-purifying) that may be included. We test everything in genuine home environments, rather than a lab, as we believe this gives more appropriate results.

How to choose the best fan for your home

How big does my fan need to be?

If you’ve only got a small room, then a desktop fan is probably enough to cool down the room, but if you’ve got a larger space a standing or floor fan will be more effective at distributing the airflow. These are better for those who suffer with sinus problems or hay fever as they won’t dry out your throat as much.

Think you might be in the market for something on the smaller side? You'll probably want to keep a look out for a desk fan, then.

What features and settings should I look out for?

If you want a fan you can use throughout the day and night, then one with variable settings will allow you to adjust the speed to accommodate your needs. At night, a lower speed setting will be quieter and less intrusive on your sleep.

Should I go bladeless?

If you’ve got kids around, then a bladeless fan can be safer to stop any little fingers getting caught. It should accumulate less dust making for easier cleaning, too.

What about noise levels?

An important thing to think about is the noise output from the fan. If you’re looking for a quiet fan for a bedroom, bear in mind the decibels of each model. The quietest on our list is the 

MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, at just 20dB. Compare that to a washing machine cycle which spins at around 70dB or washes at around 47 to 53dB and you’ll get a good idea of what’s quiet and what isn’t. 

If you have a bigger budget, try the Dyson Cool Desk Fan as it's compact, powerful and it features a night mode. Also it purifies at the same time as cooling, for peace of mind that you're breathing in clean air while you're snoozing.

How do I get the most out of my fan?

While you should shut windows to make air conditioning effective, opening them to let slightly cooler outside air in works well with fans. Place them near an open window, aimed at an opposing wall. If there are no obstructions it creates a good flow, pushing air round the room and hot stale air out of the window.

If it is still really warm, fill a large plastic bottle with water and freeze it. Put this in front of the fan to cool the air.

Finally, remember that hot air rises so the cooler air will be near the floor. A small fan at floor-level, angled upwards can help move this cooler air upwards.

Fan or air-conditioning?

Air conditioning keeps a room cool but the average central system uses nearly 50 times the watts to run than a fan. So, just think how you could reduce your electricity bill, just by swapping out air conditioning for a fan, even if only for a few hours every day. 

And, if the heat is unbearable, a fan will make your air-conditioning that much more efficient by circulating the cold air around the room more quickly. Either way, a fan’s a good addition when there’s a heatwave.

Now you've found out the best ones, you might want to learn the ways to make the most out of your fan, in order to make sure you're as cool as possible.

It's time to grab one of the best fans for summer whether you're stuck in a tiny space without air conditioning, or just in need of some extra breeze. We tested some top models we think are worth the investment.

After investing in a high-quality fan, you'll feel much cooler and won't have to worry about it breaking down in the middle of a heatwave. They're especially useful to run at night if you sleep warm.

But how do you know what to go for? We tried and tested the best fans so you can cool down a room quickly in those warmer months. See which ones came out on top.

The best fans to buy in 2024

Where one of our team has not reviewed a particular fan, I have spent hours assessing retailer listings, reviews and other available resources to check features, functions, effectiveness, and prices from tower designs to portable fans. I spend my days elbow deep in eCommerce reviews, guides, and shopping edits, and am very well-versed in spotting the duds from the heroes.

If you need some serious cooling power, it may be worth it to also invest in the viral portable air conditioner doing the rounds on TikTok, which is easy to install, budget and renter-friendly.

Our top fan picks for your space will definitely help cool you down. And, don't forget to keep your fan clean so nasty dust and debris doesn't build up and blow around your room.

Prices were correct at the time of publishing.

What to consider when choosing a fan

When it comes to buying the best fan to suit your needs, there are a few factors worth bearing in mind. These include:

Size
If you have a small room, then a desktop fan is probably enough to cool down the room, but if you’ve got a larger space a standing or floor fan will be more effective at distributing the airflow. These are better for those who suffer from sinus problems or hay fever as they won’t dry out your throat as much.

Settings
If you want a fan you can use throughout the day and night, then one with variable settings will allow you to adjust the speed to accommodate your needs. At night, a lower speed setting will be quieter and less intrusive to your sleep.

Bladeless?
If you have pets or kids around, then a bladeless fan can be safer to stop anything from getting caught. It should accumulate less dust making for easier cleaning, too.

Noise
An important thing to think about is the noise output from the fan. If you’re looking for a quiet fan for a bedroom, bear in mind the decibels of each model. The quietest on our list is the Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme 16-inch Stand Fan, at just 35dB. Compare that to a washing machine cycle which spins at around 70dB or washes at around 47 to 53dB and you’ll get a good idea of what’s quiet and what isn’t. 

If you have a bigger budget, try the Dyson Air Multiplier AM06 Fan as it's compact, powerful and it features a night mode. Also, it purifies at the same time as cooling, for peace of mind that you're breathing in clean air while you're snoozing.

We've asked experts what to do when you're too hot to sleep in our dedicated guide.

Our best-rated fan

If you're looking for a fan to cool you and a heater to warm you up, the Dyson HP04 has it all. The best part? Unlike basic fans, which just move air, the Dyson Pure Hot + Cold purifies the air, which is perfect during these pollen-filled days.

The Dyson HP04 uses Air Multiplier™ technology to project over 290 liters of smooth, purified air per second. And with 350° oscillation, the air is mixed and circulated to heat or cool you, wherever you are in the room.

In addition to this, the fully-sealed 360° filter system will remove 99.95% of allergens and pollutants from the air which is ideal whatever the weather.

Using your smartphone, the Dyson Link app lets you control your machine. This can be done whether you're at home or remotely, and it will also give you real-time reports on air quality, temperature, humidity, and filter life.

Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars | Read our full review of the Dyson HP04 Pure Hot + Cool.

The best small fan

A truly multi-purpose tool for your home, the Blueair Blue Pure Fan cleans the air as it cools. With a large, cube-shaped design with Scandi-style wooden feet and a leather carry handle for easy portability, it is able to expel a huge amount of air and looks great to boot. It promises to clear 99% of particles from the environment.

You may miss the oscillation, but the Blueair fan releases air across a 90-degree range due to its large face. You can also customize the pre-filters to fit your decor — "diva blue" and "dark shadow" are included you can also choose light gray, pink, and yellow variations.

Real Homes rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Read our full review of the Blueair Blue Pure Purifying Fan

The best fan for medium-large rooms

The Vornado 630 Mid-Size Air Circulator is compact and sleek, with its traditional bladed design. Although it stands just over a foot tall, the fan is surprisingly powerful. It can move air up to 70 feet and cool spaces from 300-500 sq. ft.

Thanks to its quiet operation setting, the Vornado 630 Mid-Size Air Circulator also makes a great bedroom fan for light sleepers. Other options on this fan include an air circulation setting and an adjustable tilt head. The design also features an easy-to-remove grill so that cleaning the blades is made safe and easy.

Reviewers on Amazon commented frequently on how brilliant this fan is at cooling the space and the quiet operation, though the odd shopper mentioned the noise level. 

The best retro fan

One for those who are looking to build a particular aesthetic in their home, the Vornado VFAN Vintage Air Circulator Fan has a lovely retro design that will bring you back to the 1940s. Retro aesthetic is trending across homes and interiors so it's not surprise this is a hit in 2024. 

As a fan, it's also a fantastic option, with a tilting head (no oscillation, unfortunately) and twin air cones working to boost airflow.

There are three speed settings that, while not as in-depth as others on our list, will allow you to change the speed based on the conditions at the time. This is definitely a low-tech fan, but we think its appearance more than makes up for it and it'll work just fine in a small space.

FAQs

How do I get the most out of my fan?

While you should shut windows to make air conditioning effective, opening them to let slightly cooler outside air in works well with fans. Place them near an open window, aimed at an opposing wall. If there are no obstructions it creates a good flow, pushing air around the room and hot stale air out of the window.

If it is still really warm, fill a large plastic bottle with water and freeze it. Put this in front of the fan to cool the air.

You can also open two windows or doors at opposing ends of your home to create a tunnel of moving air and place your fan either at one window to blow air in/out, or in the middle of the draft you've engineered to help the cooler air move around.

Finally, remember that hot air rises so the cooler air will be near the floor. A small fan at floor level, angled upwards can help move this cooler air upwards.

Fan or air-conditioning?

Air conditioning keeps a room cool but the average central system uses nearly 50 times the watts to run than a fan. So, just think how you could reduce your electricity bill, just by swapping out air conditioning for a fan, even if only for a few hours every day, or overnight when you might decide to turn your AC off.

And, if the heat is unbearable, a fan will make your air-conditioning that much more efficient by circulating the cold air around the room more quickly. Either way, a fan’s a good addition when there’s a heatwave.

How we test fans

The fans featured in this guide have been tested based on affordability, size, ease of use, and any extra features (such as air conditioning) that may be included. We test fans in genuine home environments, rather than a lab, as we believe this gives more appropriate results.

We ran the fans for several hours and judged the performance based on how strong the air was blowing and how cool the room became. Our reviewers have tried these fans in their own homes for several days.

If you're really struggling to stay cool this summer, you can grab some extra accessories to help beat the heat. Sleep warm? investing in a cooling mattress pad or cooling pillow will help bring the temperature down in the bed.

The best curling irons will give your hair life and volume with minimal volume, and we've found some fantastic options for every budget right here. That includes curling irons for waves, tight ringlets, or that classic bouncy blow-dry style. 

Our favorite curling iron is the T3 Twirl Trio interchangeable curling iron. This three-in-one curling wand has five different heat settings and comes with a stand to prevent it from damaging your dresser. We've found some brilliant options when it comes to safety, with some of these curlers offering automatic shut-off because there's nothing worse than worrying you've left your curlers on when you leave the house.  We've also included smart curlers that do all the work for you, twisting your hair into the inner mechanism and releasing it for smooth curls in seconds. For our top picks, keep reading. 

The T3 Twirl Trio interchangeable curling iron is, without a doubt, one of the top curling irons money can buy because it's interchangeable. Three barrels come included so you can style your hair in several ways, using just one tool. All three barrels have a custom blend ceramic seal for a smooth and shiny finish, as well as a cool tip for easy holding. This curling iron has five different heat settings from 270ºF to 460ºF.

The T3 Twirl benefits from a one-hour auto-off function for safety purposes as well as a nine-foot, 360º swivel cord. It also has a built-in stand so you can pop it on a surface without damage. In the box comes a storage tote and a heat-resistant glove for safer use.

The Conair double ceramic curling iron is a great budget-friendly option. This curling iron comes in five different barrel sizes from 0.5-inch to 1.5-inch. For tight curls, classic curls, soft curls, loose waves, and more. These barrels have a high ceramic content for even heat distribution and to help tame frizz. This curling iron boasts 30 different heat settings up to 400ºF. There's also a Turbo Heat function for difficult-to-style areas.

The Conair curling iron has a cool tip to make it easy to hold and safe for safe use as well as an auto shut-off feature. It also has a built-in stand.

The CHI Spin N Curl makes an easy job of curling hair—this curling iron draws your hair into its chamber where it's heated and timed to create perfect curls. This curling iron has a one-inch ceramic rotating barrel and it can heat to three temperatures from 370ºF to 410ºF. 

Not only does this curling iron play the part, but it looks the part too – it comes in four different colors! It also has a one-hour auto shut-off mode and a cool-touch housing for safety purposes. It has an anti-tangle feature so that should your hair become stuck, this curling iron beeps to alert you and releases it.

The Parwin Pro 7-in-1 curling wand has seven attachments for every type of curl. That includes a 13mm, 19mm, 25mm, 25mm cone, bubble and oval size wand, and it comes with a carry bag and protective glove. 

This wand takes 30 seconds to heat up and has a 360-degree swivel cord that will stay out of the way when you're curling. It also has a lock to prevent it from accidentally switching on, and if you do happen it leave it on, it switches off automatically after an hour. 

The GHD curve wand is a great curling wand for waving hair: it has a one-and-a-half-inch oval-shaped barrel that boasts a cool tip for easy handling. The barrel is ceramic coated and Ultra-zone Technology gives consistent heat—results can be seen in just five to eight seconds while the barrel heats up in 25 seconds. The GHD curve wand has just one temperature setting—365°F.

This curling iron benefits from an auto shut-off mode after 30 minutes of inactivity. It also has a built-in stand for popping it on a surface. In the box comes a glove to help hold the curling wand safely.

The Alure three-barrel curling iron wand is our best pick if you love beachy waves. This curling wand boasts three barrels that are an inch wide and have a protective coating. Since this curling tong clamps your hair, it's very easy to use. It takes just 60 seconds to heat up while the temperature can be adjusted up to 410ºF—it does the job in seconds. 

This three-barrel curling iron works on all types of hair and is also good at eliminating frizz. It features an LCD screen to show temperature while it has a 360º rotatable and tangle-free cord. It also benefits from having a non-slip handle and a stand.

Our verdict

The T3 Twirl Trio interchangeable curling iron is the best curling iron. It has three interchangeable curling wands and five heat settings, so you're guaranteed to have all your bases covered. We also love the Parwin Pro 7-in-1 curling wand for this same reason. It's got options galore, with seven attachments on offer as well as a safety glove for fiddly tasks or those new to hair curlers. 

The best budget option is the Conair double ceramic curling iron. It has 30 temperature settings and automatic shutoff. If you've got a bit more to spend though, the CHI Spin N Curl curling iron is our best easy-to-use pick because it does all the hard work for you. 

The GHD curve wand is great for those seeking loose curls, and for soft and beachy waves we recommend the Alure three-barrel curling iron wand is great.

Why trust us?

At Real Homes, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

The Tower Xpress Pro Combo air fryer is not the does-it-all air fryer that you'll see in our best air fryer guides. Instead, it meets quite a specific requirement for those with limited kitchen access, a shortage of cooking space, or a rubbish oven that makes substandard roast dinners. 

Bridging the gap between the American-style toaster oven and the conventional air fryer, this 10-in-1 countertop cooker not only circulates hot air to cook food from all angles, but it also comes with attachments that can be used to grill, air fry, rotisserie, and roast a variety of different foods. 

I put the Tower Xpress Pro Combo to the test for over a month, making roast vegetables, rotisserie kebabs, bacon, and air-fried chicken burgers to see how well it held up in a busy kitchen.

While I don't think I'll be swapping out my air fryer any time soon, it certainly offers some added cooking functions that you won't find anywhere else. It's not the most tactile, and I struggled a bit with handling the inserts. Regardless, it's a versatile choice that could put your oven out of a job. 

Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer specs

• Capacity: 11 litres
• Size (cm): H33.9 x W32.4 x D38.2
• Settings: Air fry, dehydrate, rotisserie, grill, and roast
• Comes with: Rotisserie fork and handle reversible chargrill and pizza plate, 3 x air flow racks, 10 x rotating kebab skewers, non-stick oil tray, multi-function wire rack, heatproof finger mitts
• Power: 2000 watts
• Cost to run this air fryer (per hour): 68p
• RRP: £139.99

Setting up the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer

The Tower Xpress Pro Combo came, predictably, packaged in mostly single-use and non-recyclable packaging. A lot of the component parts came wrapped in what felt like unnecessary plastic, and there was polystyrene at the top and bottom of the air fryer itself. 

Once out of the box, I was struck by the size, which is tall but not too wide, and quite hefty. The Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer claims to have an 11-litre capacity, but this wouldn't be a fair comparison to drawer-style air fryers, where you can stack a lot of food inside one basket. On the Tower Xpress Pro Combo, you need to use different levels and stack your food in one layer across the whole cooking shelf, so you won't get the full 11-litre capacity of cooking space. 

This air fryer comes with a lot of parts. There is a plate that can be heated and used for grilling and searing, a shelf that can toast multiple slices of bread at once, a rotisserie for chicken or other cuts of meat, and a kebab shelf that rotates and will (in theory) fit 10 kebabs at once. 

I got the most use out of the three cooking shelves, which have an open-grid design that allows air to circulate while cooking your food from all angles. You also get a non-stick drip tray that needs to sit at the bottom of the air fryer while it cooks. This is essential, so use it with every dish you cook. 

A drawer air fryer will allow you to open and close the cooking basket with a handle, meaning you won't burn your hand when cooking. With an air fryer like the Tower Xpress Pro Combo, you will have to handle the hot shelves like you would in an actual oven, so Tower gives you some mini oven gloves to keep you from hurting your hands. Cute! 

It's worth noting that the handle can be a little stiff, and this level of rigidity should be noted if you're using it for the first time. While you shouldn't expect to slam the door closed, the lever mechanism might feel inflexible initially but nothing to ruin the cooking experience.

Roasting vegetables

The first thing I made in the Tower Xpress Pro Combo was roasted vegetables. Unlike a 'traditional' air fryer, where you will typically need to add all of your vegetables to one basket, the Tower Xpress Pro Combo allows you to spread your veggies across multiple levels.

This meant I was able to roast potatoes, carrots, and sprouts all in the same machine, but independently. A big win for families with picky eaters or foods with different cooking times. So if you were one of the naysayers that thought air fryers were exclusively for beige foods — we've totally dispelled that myth; air fryers are a healthy resource to have in the home (providing what you put in it is nutritious).

I was able to fit a lot of food into the Tower Xpress Pro Combo. I actually used it to cook the trimmings for a Sunday roast, so it had a crowd to feed! I chose to roast my vegetables for 25 minutes, checking halfway to see how they were doing. After the 25 minutes, I decided they needed a little longer and put them in for an added five.

It seemed that this pushed the top shelf of potatoes over the edge. They were pretty burnt, while my carrots and sprouts were still lacking the crispiness I was looking for. I suspect that this was because the potatoes were at the top of the oven — which was closer to the heating element — so I would recommend moving the cooking shelves around in the air fryer to get an even result.

Air frying burgers in the Tower Xpress Pro Combo

Air fryers circulate hot air around food as it cooks, giving a crispy finish from all angles. Despite this, you will often still need to flip your food midway through cooking to give an even and crisp finish. 

I cooked a vegetarian breaded chicken burger in the Tower Xpress Pro Combo to see how well it could crisp up breaded food and cook from frozen. 

I would expect an air fryer like the Cosori air fryer to cook this chicken burger in as little as 10 minutes, but the Tower Xpress Pro Combo took an additional seven minutes to reach a crispy texture. I did have to turn midway through. When I did, I noticed that the underside was a little wet, which is a sign that the air is not circulating fully inside the air fryer. 

One of the good things about the Tower Xpress Pro Combo is its interior light, which enables you to look inside the air fryer as it cooks without having to open the door. This came in handy when I was checking on my burger as it cooked. 

You'll notice if you buy the Tower Xpress Pro Combo that it is quite noisy, but this is no louder than the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer. There are quieter models out there — I recommend the Instant Pot line of air fryers if you are worried about noise.

After the full 20 minutes, my chicken burger was fully cooked. While it was crispy, I'd compare its texture to that of an oven-cooked burger, and not an air-fried one.

Air fryer vs. deep fat fryer, you're of course using a lot less fat, but don't expect that crunchy texture and golden exterior that would result from the latter.  

Making kebabs

Something that sets the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer apart is its kebab rotisserie, so I decided to give this I go. I marinated my chicken and vegetables and began assembling them on the included metal skewers. I then went to insert them  onto the circular end pieces. 

This was definitely fiddly, especially because I was handling marinated chicken, which can be a little slippery. Once everything was in place, I used the included rotisserie fork to insert the skewers. To do this you need to make sure that the square end base of the rotisserie stick is in place at the left hinge inside the air fryer. This is the part that turns to create that true rotisserie effect.

Our advice? Have a running tap to hand to swill your hands of marinade and raw chicken. You'll also want a couple of thin blue cleaning cloths at close proximity so that a saucy crust doesn't dry on your machine.

When spinning in the air fryer, the kebabs were quite wobbly, and I was worried that they would become dislodged. You can see in the image below how lopsided they looked, and that they dragged slightly along the bottom. I would expect this process to go a lot better if I were making koftas from shaped minced meat or just making a whole rotisserie chicken. 

Although the process was fiddly, I was impressed by how evenly the food cooked. My chicken became charred, with no pink centre and the vegetables cooked very evenly throughout. 

The included gloves were particularly useful for this recipe because it was quite hands-on. I was happy with the results, but I do think I would've had less trouble cooking in an oven and flipping halfway or grilling the chicken. 

When finished, all my attachments went straight into the dishwasher. They were also small enough to store in my cutlery drawer when I was done. 

Cooking bacon in the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer

Recently in our test kitchen, my team and I tried to sizzle a few rashers of streaky bacon. The first observation we made was that there was no drip tray for the fat to land on. Instead, we had four choices: use the metal shelf or the bottom tray 'naked' or foil 'em up. So, for the sake of an easy life, we covered the shelf with a sheet of aluminum. Six minutes at 180°C seemed ample time to bring home the bacon.

So in our porky strips went, with the internal light on to keep watch. Annoyingly, the air motion curled the slices and impacted the evenness of the cooking. After the initial time was up, I felt like they needed a minute or two longer for optimum eating.

Trialling Quorn nuggets in the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer

The majority of Real Homes reviewers are flexitarians, which means that while we eat meat, we're conscious to reduce our intake where possible. Quorn (or mycoprotein) nuggets come pretty close to their battered poultry pieces, so we didn't bat an eyelid when it came to cooking these meatless chunks.

All in all, a unison of nods showed that these veggie-friendly finds were cooked to a satisfactory standard. This proved that the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer is great from a WFH perspective when you want a quick lunch without turning on the oven.

Cleaning the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer 

On the whole, the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer is pretty easy to clean. As a recap, if you use foil — and put all the accessories in the dishwasher — you can cut your post-cooking clean-up time in half.

The door, however, is the biggest pain, because once it gets something on it, it becomes more and more burnt-on; you can't see inside to clean the mechanism more thoroughly.

How other users get on with the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer

As a small appliances expert, I've got no shortage of cooking appliances to make use of in my kitchen. I'm by no means the ideal customer for the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer, which is an excellent stand-in for those without a product. 

Our tech editor Caroline Preece also has the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer, so I was keen to find out about her experience of the machine.

She said: 'I bought the Tower Xpress Pro while living in a rental property that had a less than desirable oven situation, and it has allowed me to cook a huge range of things that would have otherwise been off-limits.

Basically a mini-oven with easy-to-use temperature controls, three racks for cooking multiple things at once, and a rotisserie attachment, it's been used to cook perfect chips, small joints of meat, and even a few single-serve pasta bakes.'

Preece has also used the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer for over a year, which is an indication that it's a long-lasting and well-built appliance that can stand up to heavy and regular use. 

Should you buy the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer? 

If you're someone who lacks oven space or who needs a mini-oven to serve smaller portions of food, the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer could be just the appliance for you. It's incredibly versatile with an almost-intimidating number of attachments to choose from. However, with this attachment selection comes pretty hefty storage requirements. 

I would be reluctant to call the Tower Xpress Pro Combo Air Fryer an air fryer. It's more of a mini-oven, with the ability to rotisserie or grill different foods. It behaves very much like an oven too, with removable shelves that can be layered to cook different foods at once. 

If you're living in a smaller home or you can't justify turning on the oven to cook meals for one — this is a very smart choice. 

About this review and the reviewer

Millie Fender is an ecommerce editor at Real Homes, specialising in small appliances and all-things cooking. She loves putting new products to the test, whether they're air fryers, blenders, or even pizza ovens, and her family and friends love eating the results.

Millie has a constant stream of new products waiting to be reviewed in her kitchen. It's a little snug, so if she thinks anything deserves to stay there, you know it's something special. 

Here at Real Homes, we're all for home accessories that make day-to-day living that little bit easier – and, more fun.

So when we heard about IKEA's newly released smart pendant light, we were all ears! Especially given that the brand sells some of the best smart home tech around.

The stylish NYMANE smart LED pendant lamp is the latest addition to the Swedish company's smart light range, and we reckon it's the perfect way to finish off almost any space in your home. 

IKEA's NYMANE smart lamp

IKEA's newest smart lamp is round in design, and perfectly rides the line between stylish and functional – arguably, the very thing that IKEA do best.

The pendant lamp has been inspired by the KLANG light, a product IKEA sold in the 1960s. We're yet to find any pictures of the lamp, but we quite like that this new accessory has come from deep in the archives of the classic and affordable home brand.

The NYMANE light has been fitted with a built-in LED, which allows you to dim, and turn the light on and off, wirelessly – e.g. from your phone, or an app.

Handily, there are three different color light settings to choose from, including a warm glow, for creating nighttime ambiance, a warm white, for day-time, and a cool white, if you need to be able to see something (such as your meals) super clearly.

The pendant lamp measures at 38cm in diameter, and comes in both a white colorway and a black option.

IKEA advise hanging the light over your dining table or kitchen table for an on-trend industrial style kitchen look – or, placing it closer to your ceiling as your main light source in a room. We agree that this kind of pendant lighting generally looks best in kitchen and dining areas –  it would also be a perfect addition hung over a kitchen island.

In order to use the NYMANE lamp, you'll need to get your hands on the TRÅDFRI gateway, which allows you to connect all of IKEA's smart home products.

From there, you'll need to download the IKEA Home app onto your phone or other device in order to control and dim the light. Or, you can purchase a smart remote from IKEA with which to control the lamp.

Will you be adding one of these smart lamps to your next IKEA haul?

With an EZVIZ C6 Smart AI Camera, getting back to life in an office or attending social events will be so much easier, allowing you to check on your pets or your home remotely. Helping to eradicate those worries that can cloud your day when you're not at home, this camera puts technology to good use, to help you feel more connected at all times.

If you adopted a puppy or a cat during lockdown, you might be struggling to adapt to daytimes without them, which is where the EZVIZ C6 can step in to help. With this advanced smart camera, you'll be able to make use of plenty of helpful features and feel more reassured. Here are just a few reasons that we think the EZVIZ C6 is a worthwhile investment for keeping that feeling of connection at all times.

3 ways the EZVIZ C6 Camera helps you stay connected

1. You can parent your pets from afar 

Separation anxiety is a real problem for both pets and owners – especially post-WFH. With the EZVIZ C6 you can soothe yourself and your dog (or cat!) from afar. The brilliant AI technology embedded within this camera means this device can recognize the shape of a human, cat or dog and deliver images of your loved one to you in 2K+ video quality. That means the picture you'll see will be sharp and clear, allowing you to check your pet is doing okay.

Aside from delivering you live video of your pet at home, you can also enable notifications to alert you every time your pet walks by, so you don't miss a moment. Plus, if you have a puppy still growing out of their teenager phase who is being looked after by a relative, then they can stand and wave in front of the camera in order to initiate a call with you, and stop them from testing their teeth on your new sofa...

2. You can stay in touch with any family members at home

If you're getting used to spending lots of time outside the home again, the technology embedded within the EZVIZ C6 can also help you stay afloat of what's going on within your home, which can be especially useful for new parents or those caring for relatives. With one wave, your family members can start up a video call and check in with you throughout the day. 

Once you're on a call or if you're just checking up on the situation, you'll also have everything you need covered with the impressive camera. With razor sharp 2K+ definition and an automatic zoom to follow moving objects, you'll feel like you're right there in the room with your family.

3. You'll have peace of mind – at all times

If your mind can run away with you sometimes, especially when it comes to home security, then an indoor camera can do a lot to wipe out excess anxiety. For example, the feature which allows you to be notified upon noise levels changing will also give you a heads up if a siren sounds, so that you can assess the situation. The same applies to when work or servicemen might be inside your house when you're not there – to give you total control over the situation. 

As far as peace of mind is concerned, your own privacy is also super important. That's why the privacy protection mode on this camera is so wide-ranging. Unlike other indoor cameras which allow you to dim the view, you can turn off the lens, with the camera being physically covered whenever you need it, and put the camera into sleep mode too, for extensive privacy in your space. 

The EZVIZ C6 Smart AI Camera is available to buy at Amazon for $129.99 and at other selected retailers.

Husband and wife duo Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt are known for their hit HGTV show 100 Day Dream Home, in which they design and build their clients' dream homes from the ground up. The experienced home renovators have revealed one thing first-time homeowners shouldn't neglect when it comes to home maintenance.

Brian and Mika explain why it's crucial to give your HVAC system regular attention to avoid headaches. A bit of TLC can save you money in the long run, too.

Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt's heating tip

'Get your HVAC systems checked regularly, so you can stop worrying about if they work and relax when at home,' say Brian and Mika. Whatever type of heating you have, it's important to get your system serviced by a professional once a year. 

This will not only help to identify any problems, but as the HGTV stars say, it'll also give you peace of mind. The 100 Day Dream Home stars say that replacing the air filters of our HVAC systems is another thing we shouldn't neglect.

'Swap out your air filters every 30-90 days,' Brian and Mika add. This will help you save energy at home, and could save you up to 15% on your monthly energy bill. 

There's no manual to prepare us for handling the unexpected costs involved with maintaining your own home. Getting your heating checked and replacing filters regularly are two simple steps you can make to keep things in working order.

A new survey of 2,000 American homeowners showed that 64% admitted to knowing nothing about how to perform ongoing maintenance on their HVAC or other systems in their homes. 

The same study revealed that homeowners underestimated the total maintenance costs in their first home. On average, they spent about $2,700 within the first five years on repairs and replacements.

There are lots of common home repairs you can fix yourself, from fixing creaky stairs to draft-proofing your windows. But if you'd like more help, head to Brian and Mika's Homeowning 01’s second semester.

On their free online course, they share some tips for first-time homeowners to help offset maintenance costs and save money in the long term. Good luck!

Far from an unnecessary gimmick, investing in the best smart bulb for your home is an option worth considering if you're looking for the ultimate mood lighting or even an easy home security add-on.

Since smart lighting isn't the cheapest solution (though it is becoming more and more affordable), you'll want to ensure that you're spending your money in the best way you can. And, whether your motivation is to set schedules that give the impression that someone is home – even if they're not – or to create an unrivaled ambiance over your next dinner party, our honest guide is here to help you choose the best product.

Keep scrolling for our take on the top-rated products or, for more on how you can introduce automation to your smart home, take a look at our guide to the best smart plugs.

The best smart bulbs in 2022

The best smart bulbs are the Philips Hue Smart Bulbs, which come complete with a bridge that allows you to connect them to the rest of your smart home setup.

Philips Hue White Smart Bulbs produces stunning, warm white light which can be easily adjusted to suit the desired ambiance – options range from super cozy hygge, through to interrogation room. Want to benefit from colored lights too? You'll need the Philips Hue Coloured Smart Bulbs, which allow you to completely customize the color and intensity of your lighting.

Perfect for giving the impression that someone's home, even if they're not; controlling hard-to-reach bulbs; or allowing you to turn the lights off without getting up, there are a range of benefits to controlling your lighting from your smartphone. And Philips Hue makes that super easy.

Yes, these bulbs are a little more pricey than your average, but with a lifespan of up to 25,000 years, they're sure to save you money in the long run. 

Whether you want to program your smart lighting to rouse you, gently, from your sleep in the morning, alert you when you need to take your dinner out of the oven, start dimming your lights as you wind down for bed, this – and more – is available with Philips Hue.

Still not sure? We've also written a handy guide on how to use Philips Hue with Alexa, so you won't have to worry about getting set up.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Philips Starter Kit

Next up on our list is the LIFX A19 thanks to its ease of use and customizable functionality. 

The choice of over 1 trillion colors (yep, really) makes this model the most customizable in our round-up. Whatever your mood, you're sure to find a hue that suits. Plus, it's super easy to adjust the warmth and intensity of white light, if you're not so into colors lighting.

Similar to the bulbs from TP-Link, the LIFX doesn't require a bridge or hub to work. Instead, it connects directly to your WiFi for smart home integration.

Use the connected app to control your smart bulbs from any location. That means setting schedules – perfect if you're away from home and want to give the impression that someone's home, even if they're not – as well as turning off the lights if you forget to when leaving the house.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of LIFX smart lighting

Edisons and bayonets are pretty par for the course, but what if you have a more complex space with more complex needs? The Philips Hue LightStrip could be what you've been looking for. 

Looking to illuminate an awkward space? Don’t worry about expensive built-in lighting – you can get the same effect in alcoves, shelves, and other nooks and crannies with the Philips Hue LightStrip, a smart strip light that is second-to-none for creating ambiance on cozy evenings in. 

Create a Hue account, and you can control these lights from anywhere using the buddy app or your browser – in fact, you can control up to 50, so whether you decide to go for lots of these little beauties, or a combination of bulbs and strips, there’s none better for a wide-ranging, fully customized lighting scheme. 

You can cut them to fit wherever you please whether it be around your kitchen cabinets or around a cupboard ceiling, and they're compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.

Real Homes rating: 4 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Philips Hue Lightstrip

Next on our list is the Hive Active Light Starter Kit. And it isn’t just because of its versatility now, but its potential for smart home expansion later on. 

Whether you're looking to wind down in the evening or feel more alert in the morning, it's super easy to control the dimness of your bulbs according to your requirements.

As well as boasting an A+ energy rating, these smart bulbs are also designed to encourage users to reduce their energy use. How? Well, by allowing you to control your lights from any location and alerting you should any lights be left on when you're away from home.

Looking to build a wider Hive smart home system? Whether you're interested in smart thermostats, home security systems, or something else, opting for Hive smart bulbs will make it super easy to connect up your entire system in the future. We're not saying that this is essential – most brands are inter-connectable – but it may make life easier if you're new to the world of smart home tech.

Real Homes rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Hive Active Light Starter Kit

• Related: build a great home office in a compact space with our pick of the best small printers

If you like the idea of smart bulbs, but don't want to have to commit to buying a bridge – or something similar – to connect them to your smart home system, the TP-Link LB130 is an option worth considering. 

Choose from a wide range of bulbs hues to suit your mood – or the atmosphere you're looking to create. All controlled directly from your smartphone.

Much like the other smart bulbs in this list, the TP-Link LB130 connects to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, making it super easy to control your entire lighting system using nothing other than the sound of your voice. Genius. 

As we've already mentioned, another perk of the TP-Link LB130 is that it doesn't require a bridge or hub to connect to your smart home system. This not only drives down the cost but requires fewer wires and bulky boxes around the home.

Another feature we're seriously impressed with is the TP-Link LB130's circadian mode, which is designed to dynamically adjust light intensity and temperature to successfully mimic natural light patterns. This can be super helpful if you struggle to wake up in the morning or wind down in the evening.

• Read next: the best Wi-Fi extenders for a better connected smart home

How to choose the best smart bulb for your home

Not sure where to start when it comes to buying the best smart bulbs? We'd recommend considering the following factors before making a purchase:

Will you need to buy a bridge?

Some smart bulbs require what's known as a 'bridge' in order to connect them to an existing smart home system. Models that require a bridge are usually more costly but are also (generally) better quality, so that's a decision you'll need to weigh up. 

If you're buying smart bulbs for the first time, you'll need to consider whether a bridge is required as, in some cases, you won't be able to simply plug in your bulbs and get going.

Are you interested in colored lights?

If you're interested in using smart lighting to enhance a home cinema experience – some models will interact with audio to create a more dynamic audiovisual experience – or change the atmosphere in a given space, it's worth investing in smart bulbs that change color. However, this won't be necessary for everyone.

Will your light bulbs be on display?

Are you planning on having your smart bulbs on display – perhaps as part of a pendant light fitting – or will they be hidden behind a lampshade? If the former, you may want to think about the aesthetic appeal of your bulbs. There are now a whole host of filament-style bulbs designed to fill this purpose. If you're less concerned, opt for something less stylish and more functional.

What is the best smart bulb?

The best smart bulbs are Philips Hue, thanks to their simple, stylish design and ease to set up. Adjust lighting depending on your preference – options range from hygge to interrogation room for maximum versatility – as well as setting up lighting schedules, sequences of events, and more.

You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^

Starting a dishwasher filled with a full load of dirty dishes to find that it’s not filling with water is super annoying. Who wants to haul them all back out again to wash by hand? And what’s the problem with the dishwasher anyway?

The answer could be one of a number of issues ranging from the easy to fix – the door wasn’t shut properly – to the more technical. 

To find out what the reason your dishwasher’s not filling with water might be, and whether and how you might fix it, we’ve put together a guide. We’ve asked the experts to weigh in with their advice as well to help you out.

Dishwasher not filling: causes and fixes

The fact that your dishwasher isn’t filling can be baffling as there are a number of possibilities to do with the plumbing but also electrical issues. Use our guide to understand what could be causing your headache. 

1. The dishwasher door’s not properly shut

You checked this, right? But just in case we’ll include the possibility that the door isn’t completely closed among the reasons why the dishwasher is not filling with water. If the door isn’t shut properly, the dishwasher won’t operate. So double check the door is closed before moving on to other potential issues.

2. The door switch is faulty

If you checked to make sure the door was shut, but the dishwasher isn’t filling with water, the problem could be a faulty door switch. The on/off mechanism of the door switch ensures the dishwasher won’t fill when the door is open – for obvious reasons. But it can go wrong.

Checking the door switch requires a multimeter and knowhow about working with electricity, so you might want to call in a pro.

3. The water inlet valve is dirty or defective

A dishwasher’s water inlet valve ensures the appliance fills with the right amount of water. A faulty valve can prevent water from entering the machine, and the same can happen if it is clogged with debris. If you’re confident to do so, you could check the valve.

To inspect the dishwasher water inlet valve, it’s important to unplug the dishwasher and disconnect the water supply. You then need to find the valve (check the manual) and look for problems. ‘Check the filters on your valve to see if they are blocked or clogged with food residue,’ says home improvement expert Michael Dean of Pool Research. If that’s the case, clean out the debris without taking the valve apart.

If this doesn’t solve the problem and you are confident in working with electricity, you can then focus on the solenoids. Use a multimeter or ohmmeter to check the terminals. A reading of infinity means a faulty solenoid.

If this is the case, a new water inlet valve will be needed, but note that other faults are possible even if the solenoids pass the test. For further testing, call on a pro. As for replacement of a faulty value it is feasible to order a new water inlet valve and do this yourself, but getting in a professional will be preferable for many.

4. There’s a problem with the water supply

If the dishwasher is not filling, there may be an issue in the water supply line.

‘Examine the lines for kinks first,’ says Ray Brosnan, plumbing and property maintenance expert at Brosnan Property Solutions. Not the problem? ‘Have a look under your sink and examine your hot water valve, ensuring this is fully opened,’ Ray continues.

5. The float switch is malfunctioning

When the dishwasher fills a float rises until it gets to a set level. At this point the float switch shuts off the water at the inlet valve so the appliance doesn’t overfill. If the float switch becomes defective, the dishwasher might not be filling. 

To check a float switch, it’s necessary to test it with a multimeter, which we’d advise is generally a job for a professional.

6. The drain solenoid is broken

The drain valve of a dishwasher works with a solenoid which, if it becomes faulty, can stop the drain valve working correctly with the result that the dishwasher doesn’t fill with water.

Checking a dishwasher drain solenoid is generally a job for a pro and a faulty solenoid will need replacement.

How do I know if my dishwasher water inlet valve is bad?

A dishwasher water inlet valve can cause a variety of problems with the appliance. ‘The signs that your inlet valve is bad include the dishwasher filling with water when it’s not running, not filling all the way when it is running, or not filling at all,’ says Melanie Musson, a home appliance expert with Expert Insurance Reviews.

Got a leak? ‘An inlet valve issue may also cause leaks outside of the dishwasher, which requires immediate attention,’ says Zac Houghton, CEO at Loftera.

How much does it cost to replace a dishwasher water inlet valve?

Replacing a dishwasher inlet valve costs an average of between $75 and $150, according to Fixr.

In the UK, the average call-out cost for dishwasher repair is around £85, according to Checkatrade. The replacement valve can vary in cost from around £10 to £75 which would be added to your bill along with further time taken on the repair as required after the initial call-out.

What causes water inlet valve failure?

‘The inlet valve stops working when the electrical components stop functioning correctly,’ says Melanie Musson. 

Often, the solenoids in the water inlet valve fail. If you are confident, you can check them. After disconnecting both power and water to the dishwasher attach an ohmmeter or multimeter to the terminals. A reading of infinity means a solenoid has failed.

Has your dishwasher begun to do just half of its job? Yes, it’s still cleaning the load you put in there, but everything is still really wet. If that’s the case, you’ll be left asking why is my dishwasher not drying.

Normally, tidying away a clean load is just a question of putting it all back in the right place, but when you’re left having to dry everything before it can be put away, it’s a far more onerous task – and it shouldn’t be happening. Especially if you've invested in one of the best dishwashers around.

So, what could be going wrong, and what can you do to fix it? These are the possible causes when a dishwasher isn’t drying, and what you can do about them with advice from the experts.

Fix a dishwasher that’s not drying

There are a few different reasons why a dishwasher is not drying properly. Some are super simple to fix and won’t cost you anything at all, while others will mean a repair – and an accompanying bill.

1. Plastic and Teflon don’t dry like other materials

Is it the whole load that’s not drying properly or just those items made from plastic or Teflon? If that’s the case, the dishwasher hasn’t gone wrong, it’s just an issue caused by these materials.

To understand what’s going on, you need to know that many modern dishwashers use condensation to dry dishes. After the final rinse, which uses hot water, the items in the machine retain heat. The stainless steel walls of the dishwasher don’t retain as much and so the moisture that evaporates from the wash load condenses on the dishwasher’s walls. Plastic, though, doesn’t retain as much heat as other materials so it can stay wet when the rest of the load is dry.

With Teflon, characteristics of the material mean the water evaporates less well, leaving it wetter. 

If either of these are the problem, there isn’t a fix although it’s worth noting that it’s generally recommended that Teflon kitchenware be washed by hand.

2. The dishwasher is poorly loaded

It’s worth going back to basics on your loading technique if your dishwasher’s not drying. Are you putting too much in? Are dishes tilted correctly? Perhaps they are touching one another or the parts of the dishwasher that move? Are items falling over and filling up with water?

Check the manual for your dishwasher model if you’re not sure about the correct way to load it (you can find it online if you’ve lost the one that came with the machine), and always gently spin the spray arm before starting a cycle to check it isn’t colliding with anything. 

3. The rinse aid has run out or the dispenser is faulty

Checking the easy things first is a good tactic, so take a look to see if the machine has run out of rinse aid if it’s started leaving dishes wet. If necessary, refill the reservoir.

If the dispenser is filled with rinse aid, it could be the case that the dishwasher’s not drying because the rinse aid isn’t being dispensed properly due to a buildup inside the dispenser. This can be remedied as part of the process of cleaning a dishwasher.

Just take off the cap of the dispenser, use the suction of a turkey baster to remove rinse aid left in there, then place 1 cup (250ml) of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the top rack. Run a full cycle on the hottest setting (there shouldn’t be any dishes in there). Refill the rinse aid dispenser once the machine is clean.

4. The heated drying option isn’t activated

Some dishwashers dry via a heating element in the bottom of the tub although this is more likely to be the case if yours is an older model as the appliance uses more energy to dry dishes this way rather than by condensation. 

However, if your dishwasher does have a heated drying feature and it’s failing to dry, this could be because you need to activate the drying manually. Bear in mind also that while it might be an automatic feature of some cycles it may be necessary to turn it on for others. Check your model’s manual for details.

5. The cycle you picked doesn’t have a final rinse with high heat

If your dishwasher dries via condensation, as we saw above, a hot final rinse is necessary. It’s therefore worth checking the manual to make sure this is what’s happening on a particular cycle if you find the dishwasher isn’t drying items adequately.

6. Your hot water heater is the problem

Many newer dishwashers heat the water to the right temperature before they start, but if that’s not the case with yours, check the settings of your hot water heater. The water going into the dishwasher needs to be between 120 and 150ºF (49 to 66ºC).

Make sure you are timing dishwasher cycles right, too. If everyone in your home has just taken a shower, your dishwasher might not have the hot water it needs.

7. The door isn’t open after the dishwasher has drained

If your dishwasher dries by condensation, dishes that were dry can get moist again as the air cools inside the appliance. Opening the door after the cycle can avoid this, letting the humid air out so it doesn’t condensate on the dishes themselves. 

You’ll find some modern dishwasher models open the door automatically for this reason – useful if you run the machine after you’ve gone to bed.

8. The heating element is faulty 

If your dishwasher has a heated dry option then a problem with the heating element could be the reason dishes aren’t drying. You can check it yourself with a multimeter if you’re confident of working with electricity and using one of these. You’ll need to unplug the dishwasher and open the bottom panel. Heating element not working? Call in a professional to replace it.

A high heat thermostat that’s faulty and turning off the heat too soon could also be a reason why the dishes aren’t dry. Call in a pro to advise.

Why does my dishwasher not dry dishes anymore?

‘A dishwasher's failure to dry dishes is often caused by improper loading,’ says Zac Houghton, CEO at Loftera. ‘When you overload the racks with dirty dishes or put incorrect items in the wrong racks, the airflow will be restricted, causing items to stay wet. Additionally, a dishwasher won’t clean well if it is overloaded because water and detergent will not reach all items.’

Of course, there could be a fault. ‘The heating element may also not be functioning properly,’ says Noral Mitchell, a household decor and appliances expert and editor-in-chief of Household Advice. 

How much does it cost to replace the heating element in a dishwasher?

‘A new heating element will cost between $100 and $300,’ says Imani Francies, a home maintenance expert with Clearsurance. In the UK, expect to pay from around £95 to £140, according to the experts at Checkatrade.

You might want to weigh up whether repair or replacement is the best option. ‘Consumer Reports states that about 30 per cent of new dishwashers need a repair within their first five years of use,’ says Zac Houghton. ‘Rather than attempting to repair a dishwasher a decade old, you might consider replacing it.’

Does rinse aid help dry dishes?

Surprising as it may seem, rinse aid does help dry dishes. ‘Rinse aid breaks the link between water molecules and dishes, allowing water to flow off of them,’ says Imani Francies. This means dishes will dry faster – especially in a dishwasher that uses condensation drying.

Thought rinse aid was there to avoid spots on glasses? It does that, too.

Nothing is more frustrating than waiting at home all day for a package to arrive, only to miss it when it does. The best video doorbells can fix this problem, allowing you to see what's happening at your door, get notifications sent to your phone, and even speak to people without needing to physically answer the door.

In short, it makes life a lot easier and more convenient and it can also serve as a home security system keeping you and your family safer.

If you already have a doorbell, many wired models can connect to existing wiring, while others may require you to get expert installation.

Wireless doorbells, however, are super-easy to set up and use, only requiring a stable Wi-Fi connection and the means to mount it onto the wall with screws or very strong, weather-proof mounting tape. These could also be a great option if you rent or plan to move soon.

Whether wired or wireless, smart and video doorbells fit perfectly into a wider security set-up. If you're interested in investing in better safety, look at our roundup of the best security cameras.

Scroll down to see how we rated some of the top video doorbells available to buy right now, from Ring to Nest and beyond.

The best smart doorbells 2022

Designed with renters - and homeowners - in mind, there's no need to worry about wires or complex installation with the original Ring Video Doorbell (Gen 2). It still holds its own against the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus and others, with plenty of handy features offering more than required for the average user.

How it works

Equipped with a full HD 1080p camera and impressively wide field of view, expect high-quality video footage delivered directly to your smartphone. So, whether you're at your desk, at the beach, or simply lounging upstairs in bed, you're guaranteed a clear perspective on exactly who's at the door.

Like other models, you also get two-way audio, making it a great video intercom system. It acts as a regular doorbell, too, as long as you have a Ring Chime, so you don't have to rely on your phone.

How it looks

Perfect for those who rent or anticipate themselves moving in the not-too-distant future, this model does not require hard-wiring. Rather, it's powered by Lithium-powered batteries that can be removed and recharged with ease. Pick up two packs, and you'll never have to go without a charge.

And if you don't like the sound of having to recharge batteries at all, it's also worth noting that it can also be wired in.

Overall, the Ring Video Doorbell design is slightly less sleek and slimline than some other options available. But, really, this comes down to personal preference.

Real Homes rating 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)

Our top pick for those seeking a hard-wired option, the Google Nest Hello is easy to use and offers everything you need in a smart doorbell. It's a great choice if you're a homeowner who doesn't plan on moving house anytime soon.

How it works

Providing an impressive 160-degree view of the area, it's easy to see anyone who's directly outside and around your property without even having to open your front door. Instead, just talk with visitors to your home with handy two-way audio.

This is perfect if you're coordinating deliveries from your postman, even if you're at work, on holiday, or pretty much anywhere else. If you've got a visitor coming round and you're still at the supermarket, you can let them know!

And connecting your video doorbell to the smartphone app is very easy, so tech-novices needn't be put off by a complex setup process.

How it looks

Boasting a slim and neat design, this smart doorbell fits right onto your doorframe, ensuring it can do its job without ruining the aesthetics of your porch area. 

Unlike some video doorbells such as many of Ring, Google's Nest Hello needs to be wired in. This could be inconvenient for those who rent or just aren't confident with DIY, but in the long-term, it can add convenience by the fact that it never needs recharging.

Anything else?

Add-ons such as facial recognition aren't available without a subscription, but Nest Hello is an excellent product with or without these features. 

Real Homes rating 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Nest Hello

If you want everything that Ring has to offer from its doorbell range, then you might need to fork out a little extra on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. Note, the Pro 2 and Elite models are also available but cost more. For the money, we rate the original pro highly.

How it works

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro offers the same 2-way audio, Alexa compatibility, and live viewing capabilities as its peers, but with a few additional features to make it a worthwhile upgrade. Customizable motion zones are a big one, and the fact that the doorbell is hardwired means it uses video sensoring tech rather than the low-energy PIR sensors on battery-powered versions.

On this, the Ring Pro can be powered using a plug-in adapter, which is slightly different than usual but means that you won't have any inconvenient power outages right when you need your doorbell to be working.

How it looks

A total of four color options come with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, so you can choose between Satin Nickel, Cream, Venetian, or Black. Overall, the Pro range has a slimmer, less bulky design compared to its cheaper counterparts.

Anything else?

You will get a 30 day free trial for Ring Protect when you buy the doorbell but will need to start paying after the first month.

A great budget option from Ezviz, the DB1 is the veteran in its range of video doorbells. Still, it holds its place on this list due to its wide range of features with an affordable price tag.

How it works

The Ezviz DB1 requires existing doorbell wiring, so that may rule it out for some people, but if not then you know you won't need to worry about regular charging. There are also three hours of cloud storage included, so you can view and download anything you want to check in the last 180 minutes. Super-handy if there has been any suspicious activity outside.

Night vision works up to 5 meters, which should be enough to see the immediate area in front of your home, and the camera offers 2K resolution and a 180-degree vertical field of view for a better view of the doorstep.

How it looks

Ezviz's doorbells have a nice, clean look, and also benefit from a changeable front place in white, black, or copper. That means you can change up its appearance if you get bored, or if it doesn't quite fit in with your house's style.

Anything else?

The DB1 supports microSD cards up to 128GB, should you want to store footage somewhere other than the cloud.

Most of the best video doorbells can double as security cameras, but the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell goes a few steps further.

How it works

In addition to its 1080p HD video, motion detection, and night vision, the Arlo Essential has a built-in siren that can deter unwanted visitors and alert you to anything untoward. It's also completely wireless and simple to install. 

The 1080p video capture gives you a wider, square 180-degree view of what's going on outside, which will, among other things, allow you to see the full picture. This includes the package that your delivery person may have left on the doorstep.

Arlo claims it's the only video doorbell with a built-in siren alarm, and it's definitely the only one on our list. As a result, it's a unique selling point, boosting its credentials as a security camera as well as a doorbell.

How it looks

Minute and somewhat inconspicuous, the Arlo Essential is light and small enough to be attached to the front of your home without ruining its appearance. Unfortunately, this also means that, while those approaching your front door with a package (or visiting friends and family) will see it just fine, potentially intruders may overlook it.

Anything else?

The Arlo Essential calls your phone when someone is at the door, rather than sending a push notification that could be missed.

How to choose the best smart doorbell

What features does a smart doorbell need to have?

Each of our best video doorbells features two-way communication, allowing you to both hear and speak to the person at your door, and night vision, which both come in very handy. Two-way communication is also important if you want to talk to the person at your door through the phone, whether you're away from home when someone comes around or not able to answer the door for some reason.

Does a smart doorbell need to be wired in?

Some smart video doorbells require wired installation, while others are battery-run. Consider whether you have the time and money to get someone to wire-in your smart doorbell, or you'd rather get one you can fit yourself. Wired smart doorbells will be more reliable, as wireless options need to be recharged often, but renters or those looking to move soon might do better with something less permanent.

What about camera quality?

The smart doorbells on our list are mostly either 720p or 1080p, the latter being the better. Image quality matters if you're using your smart doorbell as a security device, as it captures more detail that you can refer back to later.

• Back to top

Nothing is more frustrating than waiting at home all day for a package to arrive, only to miss it when it does. The best video doorbells can fix this problem, allowing you to see what's happening at your door, get notifications sent to your phone, and even speak to people without needing to answer the door physically.

In short, it makes life a lot easier and more convenient and can also serve as a home security system that keeps you and your family safer.

If you already have a doorbell, many wired models can connect to existing wiring, while others may require you to get expert installation.

Wireless doorbells, however, are super-easy to set up and use, only requiring a stable Wi-Fi connection and the means to mount it onto the wall with screws or very strong, weather-proof mounting tape. These could also be a great option if you rent or plan to move soon.

Whether wired or wireless, smart and video doorbells fit perfectly into a broader security set-up. If you're interested in investing in better safety, look at our roundup of the best security cameras.

Scroll down to see how we rated some of the top video doorbells available to buy right now, from Ring to Nest and beyond.

The best video doorbells: tried and tested by us

Designed with renters - and homeowners - in mind, there's no need to worry about wires or complex installation with the original Ring Video Doorbell (Gen 2). It still holds its own against the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus and others, with plenty of handy features offering more than required for the average user.

How it works

Equipped with a full HD 1080p camera and impressively wide field of view, expect high-quality video footage delivered directly to your smartphone. So, whether you're at your desk, at the beach or simply lounging upstairs in bed, you're guaranteed a clear perspective on who's at the door.

Like other models, you also get two-way audio, making it a great video intercom system. It also acts as a regular doorbell, as long as you have a Ring Chime, so you don't have to rely on your phone.

How it looks

This model does not require hard-wiring, perfect for those who rent or anticipate themselves moving in the not-too-distant future. Instead, it's powered by Lithium-powered batteries that can be removed and recharged easily. Pick up two packs, and you'll never have to go without a charge.

And if you don't like the sound of having to recharge batteries at all, it's also worth noting that it can also be wired in.

Overall, the Ring Video Doorbell design is slightly less sleek and slim than other options. But this comes down to personal preference.

Real Homes rating 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)

Our top pick for those seeking a hard-wired option, the Google Nest Hello is easy to use and offers everything you need in a smart doorbell. It's a great choice if you're a homeowner who doesn't plan on moving house anytime soon.

How it works

Providing an impressive 160-degree view of the area, it's easy to see anyone directly outside and around your property without even having to open your front door. Instead, talk with visitors to your home with handy two-way audio.

This is perfect if you're coordinating deliveries from your postman, even if you're at work, on holiday, or anywhere else. If you've got a visitor coming round and you're still at the supermarket, you can let them know!

And connecting your video doorbell to the smartphone app is easy, so tech novices needn't be put off by a complex setup process.

How it looks

Boasting a slim and neat design, this smart doorbell fits right onto your doorframe, ensuring it can do its job without ruining the aesthetics of your porch area. 

Unlike some video doorbells, such as many of Ring, Google's Nest Hello needs to be wired in. This could be inconvenient for those who rent or aren't confident with DIY, but in the long-term, it can add convenience because it never needs recharging.

Anything else?

Add-ons such as facial recognition aren't available without a subscription, but Nest Hello is an excellent product with or without these features. 

Real Homes rating 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Nest Hello

If you want everything Ring offers from its doorbell range, you might need to fork out a little extra on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. The Pro 2 and Elite models are also available but cost more. For the money, we rate the original pro highly.

How it works

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro offers the same 2-way audio, Alexa compatibility and live viewing capabilities as its peers, but with a few additional features to make it a worthwhile upgrade. Customisable motion zones are a big one, and the doorbell is hardwired means it uses video sensoring tech rather than the low-energy PIR sensors on battery-powered versions.

On this, the Ring Pro can be powered using a plug-in adapter, which is slightly different than usual but means that you won't have any inconvenient power outages right when you need your doorbell to be working.

How it looks

A total of four colour options come with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro so you can choose between Satin Nickel, Cream, Venetian or Black. In addition, the Pro range has a slimmer, less bulky design compared to its cheaper counterparts.

Anything else?

You will get a 30-day free trial for Ring Protect when you buy the doorbell but will need to start paying after the first month.

Most of the best video doorbells can double as security cameras, but the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell goes a few steps further.

How it works

In addition to its 1080p HD video, motion detection and night vision, the Arlo Essential has a built-in siren that can deter unwanted visitors and alert you to anything untoward. It's also completely wireless and simple to install. 

The 1080p video capture gives you a broader, square 180-degree view of what's going on outside, which will, among other things, allow you to see the whole picture. This includes the package that your delivery person may have left on the doorstep.

Arlo claims it's the only video doorbell with a built-in siren alarm and the only one on our list. As a result, it's a unique selling point, boosting its credentials as a security camera and a doorbell.

How it looks

Minute and somewhat inconspicuous, the Arlo Essential is light and small enough to be attached to the front of your home without ruining its appearance. Unfortunately, this also means that, while those approaching your front door with a package (or visiting friends and family) will see it just fine, potentially, intruders may overlook it.

Anything else?

The Arlo Essential calls your phone when someone is at the door rather than sending a push notification that you could miss.

A great budget option from Ezviz, the DB1 is the veteran in its range of video doorbells. Still, it is on this list due to its wide range of features with an affordable price tag.

How it works

The Ezviz DB1 requires existing doorbell wiring, which may rule it out for some people, but if not, you know you won't need to worry about regular charging. There are also three hours of cloud storage, so you can view and download anything you want to check in the last 180 minutes. Super-handy if there has been any suspicious activity outside.

Night vision works up to 5 metres, which should be enough to see the immediate area in front of your home, and the camera offers 2K resolution and a 180-degree vertical field of view for a better idea of the doorstep.

How it looks

Ezviz's doorbells have a nice, clean look and also benefit from a changeable front place in white, black or copper. That means you can change up its appearance if you get bored or if it doesn't quite fit in with your house's style.

Anything else?

The DB1 supports microSD cards up to 128GB, should you want to store footage somewhere other than the cloud.

How to choose the best video doorbell for your home

Do you really need a video doorbell?

That's a question only you can answer. Still, if you're wondering whether they're a worthwhile investment, we'll say that they definitely can be if 1) you're concerned about home security in your area; 2) you get a lot of home deliveries and don't like waiting around. Also, video doorbells are proving particularly useful in quiet, affluent residential areas prone to burglaries; thieves like quiet back alleys and gardens, but they sure hate being recorded on camera. 

Wired or wireless?

Video doorbells come as both wireless and wired. Wireless are easier to install and run on batteries; wireless ones require no ongoing maintenance but need to be installed.

If you are going to wire in and your home's electrics are old, you may find the existing doorbell wire isn't powerful enough (video doorbells generally need around 16 volts to work). The upshot? You may need to upgrade the doorbell's circuit with a transformer. 

How we test the best video doorbells

There's only one way to do so: in a real-life setting over weeks. That way, our team can ensure that we can give you feedback that will relate precisely to your experience of these smart buys when you use them at home. So, no to lab tests, yes to the team testing them thoroughly at home.

• You've reached the end of the page – jump back to the top

Most of us would like our daily lives to be a little more seamless, and one way to do that quickly and (relatively) inexpensively is to get one of the best smart speakers for your home. Able to hook up with countless other smart devices around the house, answer queries, set alarms, and reminders, adjust the heating, or even play music and podcasts while you tend to chores, they can transform your daily life.

Maybe you are entirely new to smart home technology in general? Or perhaps you already have a few smart devices but don’t know how to get the best out of them. A smart speaker is a Bluetooth speaker with an in-built assistant from Google, Amazon, or Apple.

And new features are being added all the time, with features like Alexa’s ability to take a message from visitors when you’re away or new sleep-focused features from Google being announced in recent months. And if you want your smart speaker to be just the start of a more comprehensive home security system, check out our guide to the best security cameras.

We’ve listed here what we consider the best smart speakers right now, and you can keep reading for more advice on how to choose.

The best smart speakers

There’s a reason that Amazon’s Alexa has dominated the smart speaker world for years now, and that’s its commitment to simplicity and functionality in its range of speakers. The Amazon Echo is the flagship display-free speaker, the larger sibling of the more minute Echo Dot, and a significant update when it was released in 2020.

The most significant additions to the 4th Gen speaker are Zigbee compatibility, improved speakers, and an in-built temperature sensor - all of which give the Echo an edge as a smart home hub. In addition, having Zigbee on board means you can use it with devices such as Philips Hue, and improved audio quality means it can be used more readily as a speaker for podcasts, music, and audiobooks.

Multi-room listening (providing you have more than one Alexa speaker) allows you to not only extend audio across multiple areas of the house but also make announcements to other rooms (e.g., when dinner is on the table). All in all, this still deserves the top spot in our best smart speaker rankings.

Now that the original HomePod has been discontinued, Apple's only offering in the smart speaker space (though there are always rumors of a new device) is limited to the HomePod Mini. But thankfully, this is a great device that can more than hold its own against the Amazons and Googles of the world.

The compact smart speaker uses Siri as its assistant, so it will be especially suited to those who already use an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV in their daily lives. Cross-compatibility with other devices is possible but will be a little more complicated than with a Google or Alexa speaker.

But if it suits you, the HomePod Mini is a great choice. With 360-degree audio with automatic audio tuning, it will offer excellent sound quality when playing music, podcasts, or anything else, and - good news for large families - Siri will recognize up to six different people, serving individualized answers and results.

A new version of Amazon's smallest smart display was revealed in 2021, featuring a 5.5-inch touchscreen and 2MP camera to fulfill our growing need for regular video calls and meetings from home. Its ability to do more than a screen-free Echo device, and the amount it offers to the average household, make it our pick for the best smart speaker with a display.

On standby mode as a standard voice-activated device, you can benefit from on-screen lyrics with music, step-by-step recipes, or a digital photo frame. When needed, it can become a small screen for streaming or - as mentioned - chatting with friends and family.

Amazon has thought of privacy, too, as a camera cover has been included along with a mute switch to turn the microphone off.

Taking a different approach to the smart display idea, Google's Nest Hub (2nd Gen) offers a 7-inch touchscreen for organization and other smart features but doesn't have a camera. If you don't plan to use it for video calls, this could be the better choice.

You'll often find yourself asking your voice assistant queries such as, 'how old is the queen' and the Google Home is generally the speaker that's going to be better at getting that right. It's because Google has all of that knowledge from its search engine that it can bring up immediately – but bear in mind, the two competing voice assistants are getting better at this all the time.

Sleep has been prioritized with this 2nd Gen device, with Sleep Sensing monitoring sound and motion, as well as the bedroom conditions, to give you a whole morning report. You can also use gestures to pause a song or snooze an alarm, which is a neat touch for convenience.

Many people would be happy with a smart speaker that listens to their commands and answers queries. Still, others will understandably want their device to function as a quality speaker for music, podcasts, and more. The Google Nest Audio has been designed with these people in mind.

Earlier speakers from both Amazon and Google were criticized for their low-quality audio output, but companies have worked hard to rectify this mistake. For example, Google's Nest Audio not only features updated hardware but also boasts adaptive tuning software that tweaks sound based on the environment.

You can also pair multiple speakers for multi-room listening and announcements or stereo sound in a single space. The only reason the Audio doesn't find itself higher on this list is its design, which is just an expanded version of the Nest Mini. Still, it comes in a variety of lovely colors.

How to choose the best smart speaker

When buying the best smart speaker, there are a few factors worth considering to ensure you get the most for your money. These include:

Smart assistant

Your preference for a smart assistant will determine your choice of smart speaker. Popular options include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.

Design
If you're design-conscious, it's worth seriously considering the aesthetic appeal of each smart speaker, ultimately opting for a design that suits the look and feel of your home.

Sound quality
You'll also need to decide if you're looking for a smart speaker with impressive sound quality in its own right. This will likely cost you more than a more basic smart speaker, but it will replace any other sound system in your home. 

Capacity
If you're looking to build a more extensive smart home system, it's worth ensuring your smart speaker can do everything you expect.

• Back to top

Most of us would like for our daily lives to be a little more seamless, and one way to do that quickly and (relatively) inexpensively is to get one of the best smart speakers for your home. Able to hook up with countless other smart devices around the home, answer queries, set alarms and reminders, adjust the heating, or even just play music and podcasts while you tend to chores, they really can transform your daily life.

Maybe you are completely new to smart home technology in general? Or perhaps you already have a few smart devices but don’t know how to get the best out of them. Put simply, a smart speaker is a Bluetooth speaker that has an in-built assistant from Google, Amazon or Apple.

And new features are being added all the time, with features like Alexa’s ability to take a message from visitors when you’re away, or new sleep-focused features from Google, being announced in recent months. And if you want to make the best use of your new assistant, consider one of the best video doorbells, which work seamlessly with smart speakers and displays.

We’ve listed here what we consider to be the best smart speakers right now, and you can keep reading for more advice on how to choose.

The best smart speakers 2022

There’s a reason that Amazon’s Alexa has dominated the smart speaker world for years now, and that’s its commitment to simplicity and functionality in its own range of speakers. The Amazon Echo is the flagship display-free speaker, the larger sibling of the more minute Echo Dot, and a major update when it was released in 2020.

The biggest additions to the 4th Gen speaker are Zigbee compatibility, improved speakers and an in-built temperature sensor - all of which give the Echo an edge as a smart home hub. Having Zigbee on board means it can be used with devices such as Philips Hue, for example, and improved audio quality means it can be used more readily as a speaker for podcasts, music and audiobooks.

Multi-room listening (providing you have more than one Alexa speaker) allows you to not only extend audio across multiple areas of the house but also make announcements to other rooms (e.g. when dinner is on the table). All in all, this still deserves the top spot in our best smart speaker rankings.

Ensure you get the best price by using one of our Amazon discount codes.

Now that the original HomePod has been discontinued, Apple's only offering in the smart speaker space (though there are always rumours of a new device) is limited to the HomePod Mini. But thankfully this is a great device that can more than hold its own against the Amazons and Googles of the world.

The compact smart speaker uses Siri as its assistant, so will be especially suited to those who already use an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV in their daily lives. Cross-compatibility with other devices is possible but will be a little more difficult than with a Google or Alexa speaker.

But if it suits you, the HomePod Mini is a great choice. With 360-degree audio with automatic audio tuning, it will offer great sound quality when playing music, podcasts or anything else, and - good news for large families - Siri will recognise up to six different people, serving individualised answers and results. 

A new version of Amazon's smallest smart display was revealed in 2021, featuring a 5.5-inch touchscreen and 2MP camera to fulfil our growing need for regular video calls and meetings from home. Its ability to do more than a screen-free Echo device, and the amount it offers to the average household, make it our pick for the best smart speaker with a display.

On standby mode as a normal voice-activated device, you can benefit from on-screen lyrics with music, step-by-step recipes or just a digital photo frame, and when needed it can become a small screen for streaming or - as mentioned - chatting with friends and family.

Amazon has thought of privacy, too, as a camera cover has been included along with a mute switch to turn the microphone off.

Taking a different approach to the smart display idea, Google's Nest Hub (2nd Gen) offers a 7-inch touchscreen for organisation and other smart features but doesn't have a camera. If you don't plan to use it for video calls, though, this could be the better choice.

Often you’ll find yourself asking queries to your voice assistant such as, 'how old is the queen' and the Google Home is generally the speaker that’s going to be better at getting that right. It’s because Google has all of that knowledge from its search engine that it can bring up pretty much immediately – but bear in mind, the two competing voice assistants are getting better at this all the time.

Sleep has been prioritised with this 2nd Gen device, with Sleep Sensing monitoring sound and motion, as well as the conditions of the bedroom, to give you a full morning report. You can also use gestures to do things like pause a song or snooze an alarm, which is a nifty touch for convenience.

Many people would be happy with a smart speaker that just listens to their commands and answers queries, but others will understandably want their device to function as a quality speaker for music, podcasts and more. The Google Nest Audio has been designed with these people in mind.

Earlier speakers from both Amazon and Google were criticised for their low-quality audio output, but companies have worked hard to rectify this mistake ever since. Google's Nest Audio not only features updated hardware but also boasts adaptive tuning software that tweaks sound based on the environment.

You can also pair multiple speakers, either for multi-room listening and announcements or for stereo sound in a single space. The only reason the Audio doesn't find itself higher on this list is its design, which is really just an expanded version of the Nest Mini. Still, it comes in a variety of lovely colours.

How to choose the best smart speaker for your home

When it comes to buying the best smart speaker, there are a few factors worth considering to ensure you get the most for your money. These include:

Smart assistant

Your choice of smart speaker will be determined by your preference of smart assistants. Popular choices include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. Read each of our reviews to decide which is the best option for you:

Design
If you're design-conscious, it's worth seriously considering the aesthetic appeal of each smart speaker, ultimately opting for a design that suits the look and feel of your home.

Sound quality
You'll also need to decide if you're looking for a smart speaker with impressive sound quality, in its own right. This will likely cost you a little more than a more basic smart speaker, but it will replace any other sound system in your home.

Capacity
If you're looking to build a larger smart home system, it's worth ensuring your smart speaker has the capacity to do everything you're expecting of it.

• Back to top

Wondering which sustainable home improvements are worth pursuing to make your home more energy efficient and eco-friendly?

Building new eco homes is a sure-fire way forward for a lower carbon footprint, but what about existing homes? With the recent scrapping of the Government's Green Homes Grant, it's now on us to improve our own abodes' energy efficiency and in turn, futureproof our homes.

Paula Higgins from HomeOwner's Alliance explains more, 'We don't often think about sustainability when we are considering home improvements. But we should.'  

'Undertaking a loft conversion or kitchen extension will naturally improve the energy performance of your home because higher building standards will need to be met and this will mean better windows, more insulation and an efficient heating system.' 

'But it also makes financial sense to look beyond the initial project and go beyond the minimum requirements. Tradespeople are allowed to charge 5% rather than 20% VAT when installing energy savings products.'

'Besides cutting your bills and making you feel more comfortable you can also make your property more valuable in the longer run by future-proofing it. The government has already banned landlords from letting properties with an EPC rating below C and is considering doing something similar for those selling their home.'

We don't need any more convincing... Read on for our round up of innovative ways to improve your home's sustainability and make for an energy efficient home to boot.

Sustainable home improvements for an energy efficient home

'There are plenty of ways to create a more sustainable home, for big budgets and small. For those with the money, you might want to consider generating your own energy, either through solar panels, heat pumps, or a biomass heating system,' says Nick Stockley, Design Director for Resi.co.uk.

1. Add insulation to your home's walls

If your home's poorly insulated, your heating (and money) will be going straight out the... erm, walls.

Sustainable building expert Tim Pullen on Homebuilding & Renovating explains, 'Thermal efficiency is a core element of any eco home and insulation is a key component of that. Focus on getting the insulation as consistent as possible on the whole envelope.'

Plus by adding insulation, you could save around £275 a year in energy bills, says the  The National Insulation Association.

With a wide range of natural and recycled materials available, from sheep's wool to cellulose insulation, it's relatively simple to insulate lofts and cavity walls. 

Insulating sold walls is a little trickier. Thermal lining can be used inside your home and you could add a layer of insulation to the outside, covering it with render. However, if you're adding insulation to a period home, you'll need to make sure the breathability of the building fabric is retained to avoid any risk of damp. 

It’s trickier to insulate solid walls. Internally you could apply thermal lining. Externally, a layer of insulation can be fixed to existing walls and then covered in render.

2. Install a thermostat for energy efficiency

By installing a thermostat to your home, you'll be reducing your carbon dioxide emissions but you'll also be saving money on your heating bills by using your controls efficiently.

The Energy Saving Trust say you could 'save £60 and 310kg of carbon dioxide a year by turning the room thermostat down by one degree.' And by 'installing and correctly using a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves, you could save £75 and 320kg of carbon dioxide a year.'

With a thermostat, you can schedule your heating and hot water to go on and off when needed. And if you opt for room thermostats, you can select areas of your home to heat and the required temperature for each room, rather than heating the whole house at the same temperature.

The Energy Saving Trust explain more, 'You can upgrade or install heating controls without replacing your boiler, and it’s a particularly good idea to think about this if your controls are more than 14 years old. Room thermostats, for example, are much more accurate now than they used to be.'

You could go one step further and invest in a smart thermostat like a Google Nest, which means you'll be able to control your heating from anywhere. 

3. Choose bamboo flooring 

With the same look and feel as hardwood, bamboo is fast becoming the biggest eco-friendly material for flooring. Not only is it light and inexpensive, but it's also really strong which makes it an alternative method to concrete and has a greater tensile strength then steel.

The Bamboo Flooring Company explain more, 'As bamboo is a fast growing, self-regenerating grass, it is much more sustainable and environmentally friendly than more traditional hardwood flooring options. For example, bamboo takes around five years to reach maturity, whereas a hardwood tree could take decades to grow until it is mature enough to be harvested.'

'To make sure that you purchase truly sustainable bamboo flooring you will need to look out for an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate.'

4. Place solar panels on your roof

Solar is a green, renewable energy and because sunlight is free, once you've paid and installed your solar panels, your electricity costs will drastically reduce, and so will your carbon dioxide emissions. 

Plus, if you live in the UK and do happen to generate more electricity than you use, you may be eligible to receive payments for the extra energy you generate. Bonus. You'll find more info on the Smart Export Guarantee on Solar Energy UK.

Generating electricity, solar photovoltaic (PV) panel systems don't need direct sunlight to work so you'll still generate electricity on a cloudy day. You'll just need to make sure you attach them to a roof or wall facing south.

The Energy Saving Trust explains more, 'As your PV system will be working at its peak during daylight hours, it’s a good idea to think about reorganising domestic activities such as washing, dishwashing and ironing.'

'If you’re home most of the day, then this will be easier to do, but if you work during the day then try setting up timers for your dishwasher and washing machine.'

According to the Trust, PV systems are classed as permitted developments which means there's no need to apply for planning permission. Although it's always a good idea to double check with your local authority before installing in case there are any limits or restrictions.

5. Plant a green roof for eco friendly insulation

To add even more insulation to your home (more cooling in the summer, than heat in the winter) and increase the biodiversity of your garden, you could install and grow a green roof.

Not only will it look pretty, a green roof will also absorb carbon dioxide, heat from the sun, a large proportion of rain water and even noise. 

Living Roofs explains more, 'The combination of soil, plants and trapped layers of air within green roof systems can act as a sound insulation barrier. Sound waves are absorbed, reflected or deflected. The growing medium tends to block lower sound frequencies whilst the plants block higher frequencies.'

Critically though, they also encourages biodiversity, says Living Roofs.

'Green roofs can provide important refuges for wildlife in urban areas. Research in Switzerland and the UK has demonstrated that green roofs can provide important refuges for rare invertebrate populations.'

 We recommend purchasing a guide likeLiving roofs’ DIY guide to green roofs.

6. Decorate with eco-friendly finishes for a more sustainable home

With so many amazing home decor brands making sustainability their core focus and ethos, it makes more sense than ever to decorate green. 

Hilary Gibbs, Co-Founder of LIVDEN, an innovative tile company that's putting sustainability at the forefront with their stylish recycled tiles, explains:

'Using sustainable building materials creates a design that’s lasting: the inherent durability of eco materials leads to longer material life cycles, less material replacement, and a lower impact on the environment.'

'While sustainable materials might have a slightly higher price tag than their traditional equivalents, you’ll recoup that investment over time by not having to replace or repair these materials as often.'

If you're repainting a room, why not give the much-talked-about eco paints like Lick a whirl. All of their paint is both water-based and low VOC (volatile organic compound) which means they omit fewer harmful chemicals, making them a more easily biodegradable end product. Their paint collaboration with Made.com is to die for too.

Check out these sustainable furniture brands too.

7. Lay underfloor heating 

As one of the most energy efficient ways to heat your home, underfloor heating is a more natural form of heating and requires lower flower temperatures due to the radiation in an increased surface area. 

Unlike central heating with traditional radiators which uses convection (heat air that travels around the home), underfloor heating has a mix of heat radiated from the floor and convection, creating a snuggly constant temperature between the floor and ceiling. 

The Centre for Sustainable Energy explains the two different systems:

'Wet systems can be run using a conventional gas, oil or solid fuel boiler, or with a biomass boiler.' 

'Other renewable technologies can also be used, particularly heat pumps, which are more efficient at the lower temperatures underfloor heating systems operate at.'

'Dry underfloor heating uses electric wires that heat up when electricity is provided, and will either come as ready-made mats or lose wires that need to be fitted.' 

'Dry underfloor heating should also be connected to individual room thermostats, so that each room or area can be adjusted independently.'

As with most home improvements, installation costs vary quite a bit depending on what system you choose, the size of your home, how many rooms you want to heat and whether you're installing it in a new build, extension or a period home. Oh, and not to mention what type of flooring you've got to work with.

With all this in mind, it's best to speak to a pro to decide what system is right for you.

8. Fit an air heat pump

Unlike more traditional gas and oil boilers, air heat pumps give out heat at lower temperatures over longer periods. They require electricity to run, but because they are extracting renewable heat from the environment, the heat output is greater than the electricity input.

You'll not only be lowering your carbon emissions, but you could also lower your heating bills and if you live in the UK, installing an air heat pump could act as a little side hustle with the UK government’s Renewable Heat Incentive .

When thinking about fitting this type of heat system, it's essential to note that you'll also need a existing central heating system for a heat pump to work. 

You'll also need to make sure you factor in how good your insulation is and whether it would be wise to install underfloor heating to make sure the system is working as efficiently as possible.

And do you need planning permission? The Energy Saving Trust explains more:

'While air source heat pumps don’t take up too much outdoor space, the unit will be visible from the outside of your property, so it’s best to check with your local planning authority first, to find out if you need planning permission. As the unit is above ground, it will produce a noise similar to that of an air conditioning unit, which could be bothersome to you or your neighbours.'

How can a house improve sustainability?

Nick Stockley, Resi's Design Director says, 'Households are responsible for about 27% of the UK's carbon emissions and almost a third of the nation's total energy consumption. By making smart changes to both your design and fittings, you can help better protect the environment we all need and love.'

What are some sustainable house features?

'Even if you don’t go down this (sustainable) route, you should at the very least be conserving as much energy as possible with proper insulation. Insulating a home can be done on a variety of budgets. You might choose to seal up the gaps around your windows and doors, or you may have the cash available to deck out both your loft and basement (which are very prone to letting in drafts),' explains Stockley. 

'As with all good design, you should also be thinking about how the way you live your life influences the design of your household. For instance, if you’re the sort of person who really values living an eco-friendly lifestyle, how can your home help this?'

'You might consider getting your architect to add…

What are examples of sustainable materials?

Stockley says 'To be a true eco-warrior, you’ll not only insulate your home but use materials that are good for the environment. Materials like…

'If you’re building a home from scratch, or simply adding on a new extension, the materials you choose here can also make a big difference. You might choose to explore woodcrete, an alternative form of concrete. It is much better for the environment due to its manufacturing process, which replaces some of the more energy-intensive components of normal concrete with recycled wood. This is then either used in place of normal concrete.'

'Cork is not only useful for plugging up bottles of bubbly, it is also a versatile construction material notable for its sustainability and eco-efficiency. Cork’s use in construction varies due to its mix of properties. Its unique structure, filled with air pockets, make it a great insulator of sound and heat, which has seen it used as insulation in ceilings, walls and flooring.'

Brewster has finally arrived in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with his coffee shop The Roost now part of the museum. One of the special gifts that our old pigeon friend will give you is the recipe for a Roost Sablé cookie, which is the treat he gives to those that are too young for coffee - like the snotty, turnip-selling Daisy Mae. 

Not only can you make them in the game with the recipe Brewster gives you, but you can also make them in real life too!

A Sablé cookie is just the name for a French shortbread, so it's actually very easy to make your own Brewster biscuits at home. The hard part is just shaping them!

Ingredients

Roost Sablé Cookie ingredients

For the biscuits, you'll need: 

• 50 grams of icing sugar
• 100 grams of salted butter, cubed and left out at room temperature
• 3 Egg Yolks - at room temperature
• 175 grams of Plain Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Powder

Method

Roost Sablé Cookie method

1. First, preheat your oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Prepare a baking tray lined with a baking mat or greaseproof paper. I like to grease both a little with butter to make sure it doesn't stick. 

2. Then, separate your egg yolks from the whites. You can freeze the whites to use later, as you won't need them for this recipe. 

3. Cream together your eggs and icing sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for around two minutes or until they're light and fluffy. 

4. Then, turn your mixer down low before adding your egg yolks one at a time, allowing each yolk to fully mix in before adding the next one. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed. 

5. When all the yolks are incorporated, sift in your plain flour and baking soda. Mix it in on a low speed but stop as soon as the dough comes together. 

6. Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper. Roll the dough between the two sheets with a rolling pin. The dough should be about 0.5cm to 1 cm / 0.2inch to 0.4 thick.

7. Now you'll need your Roost cookie template. We made our template by making a version of the in-game cookie in Photoshop, printing it off, and cutting it out on card. We then used that to make the right shape in our dough, before using cookie tools to make the right indents for Brewster's glasses, beak, moustache, feathers, and wings. You can also buy a cutter on Etsy if you'd like, as the clever community has already made a few. 

Here's a high-res version of our template if you'd like to use this for your cookies.

8. Once you've made your Roost Sablé cookie shape, use a spatula to lift your cookie onto your lined baking tray. 

7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, then carefully place the cookies on a cooling rack until completely cool. 

8. If you make more than one, these cookies keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days - if you can make them last that long.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise puts you in charge of designing a plethora of vacation homes for individual villagers. With the power to choose their house and even the season, we’ve got plenty of responsibilities when it comes to crafting their dream homes. With so much to think about, here are our essential tips for designing a room around the statement pieces that your vacationers love so much. Whether it’s weird and wacky or just somewhere ultra cosy for an Animal Crossing villager to relax, here’s our guide to making their Happy Home Paradise abode the best it can be. 

1. Check the theme

Unless you’re building a room for a special character you’ve invited via an Amiibo, your new vacation home owners are always looking for a specific theme with key items. This means you’ve got a framework to go by, be it an ideal snowy paradise or somewhere to do DIY and craft. So unbox those red-wrapped items - remembering that some of them might be outside - and you’ll be able to understand the assignment and see the kind of style they’re looking for. The good news though is that because this is Animal Crossing, they’re never going to tell you that they don’t like the house. As long as their favourite items are in there, you could surround them with desk fans and they would be over the moon. But that’s not why you’re here. You want things to look good so it’s all about thinking about related items to enhance the necessary furniture and finding decor to match. 

2. Look for orange dots

Thankfully, Happy Home Paradise makes finding matching decor a little easier by adding specific new items to the furniture selection that will look good with statement pieces. Keep an eye out for orange dots next to furniture items that indicate they're a recent addition to the library and you’ll see plenty of related items. This might be a ski wall for a snowy home or a piece of antique furniture for a grand library. Whatever it is, if there’s an orange dot on there, pop it in the room to take a look and see if it fits in with the style. And remember, this means wall decor, floors, lighting, and rugs too, so explore the furniture menu properly to find as many orange dots and new items as possible. This is also a great way of finding items that you didn’t know were available so you can hunt them down for your own house on your home island.  

3. Keep customising furniture

Once you’ve placed your key items and some other themed furniture, it’s always important to remember that you can always customise the majority of the other items to fit with your theme. Tables come in all different colours of wood and if you’re looking for wall decor, most of the framed prints have different frames and content to make sure that everything matches. And you don’t always need to customise an item from the furniture menu. If you have an item placed and quickly want to see how it will look in different colours, highlight it and you can press X to switch between the different customisation options. Remember too that Happy Home Paradise adds a number of furniture sets from older Animal Crossing games so you’ll definitely always find a theme to suit even the oddest of vacationer requests. 

4. Partitions and feature walls 

Happy Home Paradise comes with a stack of new home design options that means you no longer have to use well-placed climbing walls and camera trickery to make it look like you’ve got a dividing wall. The addition of partitions mean you can really make a room look unique and add divided living or sleeping areas for vacation roommates. Add in some pillars and your creations can look Selling Sunset-levels of impressive. Always remember too that you can use feature walls to make your furniture pop or just when you can’t decide between two equally brilliant designs or colours. Spin the room with the wall you’d like to accent in front of you and then hit X and you’ll set a feature wall. Handily, partitions positioned against that wall will also change to that wallpaper or paint colour, you just can’t put any wall decor on them.     

5. Play with lighting, sound and polish effects 

And finally, bring your statement pieces to life by putting them, quite literally, in the best possible light. The lighting menu is a great place to completely change the atmosphere of a room with a range of colours. You can even change the intensity of the hue to create just the right mood. The soundscape menu is equally important. Here you can bring in the soothing sound of the ocean, a jungle or even the reassuring patter of rain to suit your vacationer’s dreams. Away from this menu too, it’s always worth checking which polish effects you have unlocked. Making furniture sparkle is only the beginning. You can bring furniture items to life with electricity or water effects and you can even design your own. The things we do for the needs of our vacationers… Lottie would be proud.   

The themes for Winter 2021-2022 are set to help us transistion into the new year, with plenty of focus on nurturing natural connections through plant life and other greenery - regardless of the colour trend. Interestingly, that has influenced the interior colour trends too, with plenty of more natural colours like deep blues and terracotta paving the way for this season. 

Thankfully, all of the winter trends play incredibly well with the range of furniture and accessories in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, especially since the free Update 2.0 dropped a tonne of new items for the game. Plus, these interior trends are great for guiding you when creating homes for your clients in the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC. 

Read on for the five biggest in-style home interior colour schemes to use this Winter in Happy Home Paradise.

WILDERNESS HUES

Building on the idea of focusing on the natural and organic is our first interior trend - wilderness hues. Deep blues are the focus here, but with your furniture adopting more sandy, earthy neutrals to really accentuate that blue. It's an incredibly good combo for a balanced room, and the colours are all geared towards creating a calming space.

COLOR BLOCKING

After the year or so we've all had, it's no wonder the colour block trend has become increasingly trendy, with bright colours always set to lighten our mood. Plus it looks super fun! Use variations on the primary colours - red, blue, and yellow - to add vibrancy to your rooms, and don't be afraid to use bold pops of pattern to add a little diversity. Combine this with slightly more muted tones, like white, to really make the blocking pop too. 

MOSTLY MUSTARD

Carrying over from the shades of autumn leaves into the winter interiors is the obsession with mustard. Always a warm and uplifting shade, mustard was a key colour for many a recent runway show, but has since dominated the interior trends for this winter. It's a versatile colour that can be used as the dominant colour, or as accessories to bring life and warmth to a darker room. 

WARM ORANGE / TERRACOTTA

Focusing in on that theme of the earth and the outdoors for the winter trends, is the love of the colour orange, or the more natural hues of terracotta. Combined with more organic materials like wood, rattan, or wicker, the earthy hues of orange and terracotta are the perfect way to feel like you could be somewhere more sunny and tropical. 

GOLDEN GLIMMERS

While too much gold can feel tacky and overwhelming, this season the trend of subtle gold accenting is blowing up. With nods to the classic Art Deco style, look to add hints of gold in accessories like ceiling lights, mirrors, frames, and other detailing, while don't be afraid to dabble a little by integrating it into larger items like your sofa too, where it makes sense. Nothing says tasteful opulence like a well-placed golden hue.

Want an answer to the question 'how do radiators work'? Understanding how your radiators work is important for two reasons: you'll be better equipped to fix a fault, and you will know why your home heats up the way it does. 

Radiator heating is still one of the most common forms of heating used around the world today. Radiators form a part of the traditional home central heating system – they are reliable and efficient at heating your home. Here's what you need to know about the way they do this.

How do radiators work?

Understanding how radiators work is all about understanding that they are part of your central heating system, with the center being the type of boiler you have. The boiler, whether it's powered by electricity or gas, heats up water that then travels around your pipes and enters into your radiators, which is how they heat up. In older homes, this water is converted into steam as it's heated up; then, when it eventually cools after heating up your radiators, it condenses back into water to be heated up by the boiler again. In newer homes, the water is not converted into steam. 

It's important to understand that water does not stay inside your radiators all the time but travels in and out through radiator valves. Water only stays inside the radiator when you want it to heat your home. Because of this back-and-forth action, radiators are prone to getting air trapped inside them, which can lead to uneven heating. Knowing how to bleed a radiator is essential to keeping them working well. 

But how do radiators work to heat my home, you may wonder? Gerald Carpenter, a professional plumber in the third generation and consultant on Sanitary Review, gives the simple explanation that 'radiators work based on the convection principle. When the radiator is filled with hot water, the surrounding air gets hotter too and starts circulating around the room by displacing cold air. It's a closed cycle process that allows radiators to heat your home effectively.' 

While the heat rises from your radiator in the form of air, the water inside becomes cooler and eventually returns to the boiler to be heated. This process is repeated as long as is needed and is typically regulated with a thermostat. The best radiators are not necessarily the biggest ones – even small ones can heat your home well because they are made from metal such as cast iron, which is a very good conductor of heat.

Because the hot water that travels through the system will be at its hottest when it enters the radiator closest to the boiler, and cooler by the time it reaches the radiator that is the furthest away, it is necessary to perform something that is called balancing. Balancing is essentially the adjustment of how fast the water flows through each radiator. The radiators that are far away from the boiler need to have water flow through them at a slower pace to allow them to heat up as well as those nearer the boiler.

What are the two valves on a radiator for?

These are the valves that control water flow in and out of your radiator. As Carpenter explains, the valves 'are required for water flow adjustment. The upper valve lets you control how much water flows inside, while the bottom valve controls how much water goes out. By adjusting both valves properly, you can achieve the desired constant radiator temperature.'

Does it matter which way the water flows inside a radiator?

Yes, and it always works the same way. Carpenter explains that 'the water in a radiator always enters through the top valve and quits it through the bottom valve. The reason for that is simple – hot fluid always rises, while cold water always sinks.'

How do electric radiators work?

Electric radiators heat your home in exactly the same way as traditional radiators, by convection. However, unlike conventional radiators, they don't use hot water. Instead, they are permanently filled with a thermodynamic fluid called glycol. This liquid heats up when an electrical current passes through it. Unlike traditional radiators, electric radiators don't require balancing or bleeding and are energy efficient so ideal if you're trying to save energy at home. However, they are significantly more expensive to run. 

If a baby monitor is one (of the many) things on your list to buy for a new arrival then our Nanit Pro review is worth a read.

I’ve been using the Nanit Pro with a floor stand for several months since my daughter arrived and although, admittedly, it took some getting used to, I couldn’t be without it now. The day and night vision has to be up there as one of the best you can get, along with all the handy functions such as two-way talk and background audio. I’m still using it, and will probably continue to use it until she sleeps through the night every night (which will be the dream) so until that point I’ll keep you informed on how the camera performs for mine and my family's needs.

If that doesn’t speak enough for how much I vouch for this camera then keep scrolling to hear more about how I’ve found the set up and using it, from day ‘til night. Whilst you’re here you may as well stop by our best baby monitor guide, to compare against more top buys. 

Nanit Pro specifications

• Video resolution: 1080P HD
• Power supply: Mains
• Subscription: 1-year subscription to the Nanit Insights app

 Who does the Nanit Pro suit? 

• Expectant parents: it’ll be on the list
• New parents: for more confidence when you’re putting baby in their crib
• Family and friends wanting to buy a (generous) gift: they can be added to the app so they can keep a watchful eye on baby, or for easy use if they get tagged in to babysit.

The setup

I’ve been testing out this baby monitor with a camera on the accompanying floor stand, so setting up the hardware was pretty intuitive and I didn’t need to get out the toolbox (hurrah). The stand has three legs and slots together in three sections, which ends up making it stand 68cm (approx) in height above the crib. The camera head – the hub of all footage, sleep tracking and temperature and humidity – then slots on to two pins.

The magic then comes once the app is downloaded onto your smartphone. The app is available on iOS, Android and Amazon Echo Show. I have an Android phone so I have only used the app on this device, but I’m sure that across other smart devices there is no differences to the user-experience. There is no parent unit with this baby monitor so you’ll need to ensure that your existing smart device is always charged and near you. When you’re watching the live stream, your device shouldn’t ‘time out’ so you’ll always have baby next to you (so long as you keep your device to hand).

With the app installed on your smart device you can start to use this smart baby monitor. To start with you’re asked to enter your child’s name, gender, due date and date of birth. This information is used for memories which are automatically stored in a digital baby book that you can share. You’ll also receive personalised messages to your inbox (from Nanit) which offer words of encouragement, guidance and ideas once a week or so, if you opt for this. 

You can add multiple users, too. Ours, for example, has Mom (that’s me) and Dad on our plan. If you upgrade your subscription for a fee, you could have up to a whopping 50 parenting team members. You may have noticed here that I snuck some English-American language in (Mom), because that’s what is used in the app. This is something which you can’t change, but what you can change are the units used for temperature, weight and length to something you’re more familiar with as imperial and metric options are both available.

Using the Nanit Pro

It's simple. And is (pretty much) all done on the app. There are a few elements to the Nanit Pro which makes it all work as a package. You can even buy accessories separately so you can build your own, if you like. They all bring something different so to make it easier to digest I'll rally through my findings in separate chunks.

The camera
When baby finally falls asleep in their crib you’ll receive real-time notifications of movement or sound. You can adjust the sensitivity (frequency) of these notifications as and when something is detected. These are useful if you’re not watching the live stream as they’ll come as an alert on your phone. Less useful are notifications on the temperature and humidity in the bedroom, which you’ll only get when using the floor stand or wall mount. The temperature is pretty accurate and aligns with the GroEgg (RRP £27.99 at Amazon) but the humidity levels are pretty far out with scores in excess of 70 per-cent most nights – our bedroom surely can’t be more humid than the Amazon rainforest, right?

If baby wakes up, two-way audio is mega useful for talking to baby, or your partner if it’s their turn to soothe. If that doesn’t work? There’s a bank of background music such as waves, white noise and birds which is there to help soothe (although this caused more confusion than anything else), along with a light and the ability to take a photo of your view of the crib.

We have noticed that when watching the live stream whilst sat in our 120 year-old home that we lose connection. We’ve tried various gadgets and gizmos to increase the wi-fi strength throughout the home but, alas, it still drops out. Nanit say that it’ll all still work if our internet goes down, which is great, but if the wi-fi strength isn’t there all the time there’s not too much that can be done – keeping patient helps, though.

I’ve checked all over the camera, the stand and in the app – even mistaken the reset button for the switch – and there doesn’t appear to be an on / off button. I’ve been turning it on / off at the mains as I didn’t want it running when we don’t need it.

Floorstand
I opted for this because I wanted to be able to move it around. You can, however, choose the wall mounted version if you prefer to keep floor space clear.

It was easy to set up since it can all be slotted together. And there has been some great effort made to have some level of cable management with the floor stand. Plastic tubes wrap around the wires which can be slotted together so little hands can’t easily get hold of it and put in the mouth. I’ve found that how we’ve positioned the floor stand (in the corner of our room between our bed and baby's bed) means the cable management gets a little confined in the space causing the tubing to easily become detached. I guess this isn’t also helped by the three legs which take a bit of navigating around with the furniture that surrounds it. 

And on those legs are glow-in-the-dark feet which would be useful if the stand was stood in the middle of the room, or elsewhere which would be more of a trip hazard. I have mistaken these for a dummy when I’ve dropped one on the floor during the night…!

It’s not overly sturdy, either, so just be careful when manoeuvring it. It is top heavy with the camera in situ, and you really don’t want to damage it. 

Accidents do happen though so if the stand breaks then you can get buy the floor stand separately over on the Nanit website. 

Breathing band
This comes in the box with the Nanit Pro. It's in the small size which Nanit say is suitable for 0–3 month olds. Every baby, and parent, is different so this may or may not be useful to you. 

Personally, I have not tried this so cannot vouch for its effectiveness, etc. She kept scratching at it and didn't easily settle on each attempt so, I'm afraid to say, it didn't work out for us. We didn't let our daughter out of our sight for the first few months. She wasn't even in her own room until we were seven months in.

However, what I can say about it is that it feels good quality. It's made from cotton which is naturally breathable. There's a Velcro fastening. And there are no cables, hook-ups or anything. Just an eye pleasing black and white pattern which is the only colourways babies can see for the first few months, or so I'm told. It's this pattern that the Nanit camera will monitor for any changes to your baby's breathing pattern, alerting you when they need you.

If you enjoyed using the breathing band which comes with the Nanit Pro, the larger size is available on the Nanit website.

Other breathing wear
I was also sent the Nanit swaddle to try out. It's made from the same soft material as the breathing band and is suitable for babes who can't yet rollover. It does rely on your baby being comfortable swaddled, however. My child, for example, really didn't like it.

I can totally see the benefits of the swaddle for any new parent, but I  would personally wait to see how your baby responds to being swaddle, before splashing out £49.99.

The Nanit pyjamas look good. They too have the unique pattern, are made from your same cotton material and are suitable for up to nine month olds. They've even been designed with a zip fastening which is a godsend when desperately trying to change a nappy quickly at 3am.

Multi-stand
This takes up less space than the floor stand but does need something sturdy to perch on close to the cot. And it doesn't have the same level of analytics available as the floor stand, just live streaming. You'll also need to re-add the camera to the app when using another Wi-Fi. All other settings will stay the same though.

It comes with its own plug so its ready to grab when you need, but doesn’t come with a carry case – this can be bought separately.

What’s the difference between the Nanit Pro and the Nanit Plus? 

Although you may be hard pushed to get your hands on the Nanit Plus, you may be curious to find out what the key differences are between the new and old models.

The image quality is perhaps one of the most significant upgrades with the Nanit Pro featuring a 1920×1080 pixel resolution, which is a marked upgrade from the 1280x960 pixel resolution of the Nanit Plus. This also allows for a much improved night vision which is pretty crystal clear, until you properly zoom in on the little one's face (for example!)

Nanit Pro’s new night light is stronger and gives off a warmer glow than the previous model’s. And the status light – a completely new feature to the hardware – indicates different functions such as power cycling, Wi-Fi connectivity and pairing with a flashing blue LED light. A physical reset button (which I originally mistook for an on/off button) now replaces what once was a pinhole on the original model, too.

Ordering and delivery

The Nanit Pro camera is available at nanit.com, as well as some of your favourite online and in-store shops including Amazon, John Lewis, Mamas & Papas and more. Depending on the retailers delivery promises, you could have this smart baby monitor all set up the day after ordering.

Don’t love it? There’s no need to worry. On Nanit’s website it clearly states that they have a 45-day happiness guarantee which means that you’ll get all your money back if returned within this time period.

Don't just take my word(s) for it...

A John Lewis customer echos how highly we rate the image quality, and the ability to speak to baby. They bought it as a gift and feel that it’s a really excellent piece of equipment.

And a customer at Mamas & Papas have found that it’s ‘very user friendly’, and we concur.

Over at Amazon, there are 1,268 global ratings (and counting) with 81 per cent five star ratings and eight per cent four star ratings. It takes a bit of filtering to find out what customers think about the camera since there’s a lot on there commenting about the multi-stand but, in a nutshell, users have found it really easy to use, were impressed with the picture quality and how you can have more than one user on it. Any negatives were to do with the extra charges of a subscription and that the multi-stand didn’t work as expected (insights and breathing wear).

Real Homes verdict: is the Nanit Pro for you and your family? 

This is, without a doubt, one of the more expensive baby monitors with a camera. It costs in excess of £299 but what it has to offer rivals the majority of its competitors. We’re particularly impressed with the HD video, two-way talk and alerts when motion or sound is detected. 

It was super easy and quick to set up, and the app is equally easy and quick to navigate. In fact, it’s the app which steals the show because it’s the hub of where you can not only live stream but also engage with your baby, track sleep, read milestone messages and manage settings. It is pricey, yes, but it’s worth it for everything that comes with it. 

About this review – and our reviewer

Jennifer is our Appliances Editor across the homes titles at Future. This means that she spends her days working with brands to ensure that you get the best products for your home. She lives in a Victorian terrace which is undergoing an unintentional renovation so whilst stripping back walls, ceiling and floors (etc!) she visualises how the space can be best used with a suite of gadgets, gizmos and home comforts to make home life that little bit more streamlined.

As with all our reviews the Nanit Pro has been tested first-hand in our home, using it just as you would so you know exactly what you are buying. The products are given to us free of charge and we test them for as long as it takes until reporting back to you, our readers. In this instance, the Nanit Pro is still in use at home so we'll continue to test it and update this review should there be anything worth noting.

In the almost two years that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been on the market, the community has showcased some insane creativity when it comes to custom designs. From various intricate pathing designs to wallpaper patterns that fit perfectly with the latest design trends and even the most inventive ways to use Simple Panels, if you can think of it, someone in the community has probably already made it. Or... you could.

We'll guide to through the best way to use the Custom Designs Portal, how to use QR codes, and break down exactly how to download, make and share custom designs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

You can use the links below to jump to what you want to see by section.

1. Download using the Custom Designs Portal
2. Download using QR codes
3. Make custom designs in game
4. Turn your photos into designs
5. Share using the Custom Designs Portal
6. Show off your designs in the Able Sisters

Download using the Custom Designs Portal

Visiting the Able Sisters is by far the simplest way to download new custom designs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Able Sisters store is not there from the start and needs to be unlocked. Once you've done that, head to the bright pink touch screen at the back right of the shop and you can connect to the internet and interact with the Custom Designs Portal. It’s here where all your dreams of intricate paths, fancy decking, and artsy wallpaper can come true.

Originally when the game first launched, you needed to know either the design ID or the creator ID of the items you were looking for. But now, you can simply do a Criteria Search to find anything that's been named a similar thing to what you're searching for, like stone path or vine panel design. You can also just search by design type too, such as a Face-cutout standee for a quick photo opportunity or the latest sweater designs. 

Of course, if you know exactly what you're looking for already, you can still search by creator code or design ID. A nine-digit number prefaced by MO is the design ID, while MA is the creator code and you’ll then be able to see everything they have created. You can even flick between regular custom designs and Pro versions that have been crafted with a specific clothing item in mind.

The best places to find creator codes are Reddit, Instagram, and even Twitter where you can search #acnhdesigns or #acnhpattern. Always keep in mind though that some more complex designs such as decking or even paths will require more of your design slots so download wisely. Thankfully, the number of design slots available has increased dramatically since launch, so you'll have plenty of space for custom creations.

Also, if you are switching out an existing design, make sure you don’t have it anywhere else on your island as the new art will fill any area occupied by the previous creation. You don’t want a bed decorated with decking, do you?  

Download using qr codes 

So, the Able Sisters is closed for the night and you’re still hungry for a custom design or six. Never fear. Using your real NookPhone instead of your ingame one, it’s possible to scan QR codes which you can then download into the game. The first thing you’ll need to do is download the Nintendo Switch Online app onto your real life smartphone. Then, for the first time since you started playing Animal Crossing, load up the game and don’t just press A to start. Instead hit the minus button to bring up the settings menu. Here Tom Nook gives you the option to enable NookLink.

Once NookLink is turned on, log into the Nintendo Switch Online app with the same account you are using on your Switch with Animal Crossing. This will then allow the game to appear under your ‘Game-Specific Services’ menu on the phone app. Tap it and your very own NookLink will appear with a handy keyboard option to type at lightning speed, and that all-important Custom Designs app. Using this you can scan a QR code that has been created by a previous Animal Crossing game or ACPatterns.com, which we talk about a little further down the page. Once you have scanned the code with your camera, you can then open the designs app on your Switch and press the plus button to download the design.

Make custom designs in game

It’s easy to download new innovative and creative designs but don’t forget that you have the power to craft your very own pixelated masterpieces. It takes a bit to get used to the Custom Designs tool in your NookPhone but the expanse of different palette and shape options means that spending some time just playing with all the different options means you’ll have a better chance of creating something special in future. 

Just keep an eye on how things will look in the boxes on the left hand side. Unfortunately, you can’t edit designs you have downloaded from the internet so if you want to get creative with someone else’s work you’ll have to start from scratch.

A great place to feel like a design master is by switching to the Pro Designs tab and crafting clothing. Here you can choose from a range of six different tops, six dress styles and three hats to fully customise. Each segment can then be designed separately to make sure you have the perfect custom threads to wear around your island.

Turn your photos into designs 

If hand drawn pixel style isn’t quite enough to sate your design appetite, there is a way to bring your real photos and art into the game too. ACPatterns.com is already an excellent way to design on a bigger screen, but it also has an option to convert your existing pictures into pixel format. On a desktop computer, you can select your image, choose the colour scale or even whether you want to go moody and monochrome, and the site will then produce a QR code for you to download into your game using the NookLink QR scanner. The innovative free tool even allows you to choose segments of the image that would let you paste pictures of KK Slider here in a multi-panel mural across your floors or walls. It’s OK to miss him during the week.  

Share using the Custom Designs Portal

So you’ve created your art and now you want to share it with the world. Well it’s time to head back to the Custom Designs Portal in the Able Sisters. Here you can register as a creator and you will be given your own ID which you can then share on social media and with friends. It’s important to note though that when you register you are adhering to the Nintendo Code of Conduct and thus have a duty not to upload any designs that other players might find inappropriate. Once you have uploaded your creations, other players who know your codes will then be able to download your masterworks to their own islands. Yes, you can feel smug.

Note: To share and download designs, players will need a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription. 

Show off your designs in the Able Sisters

Finally, you’ve gone to all that hard work so what better way to show off your custom creations than with official merchandise in your shop? Approach the back wall of the Able Sisters and you’ll find a collection of pre-made designs hanging on the wall. Interact with wherever you would like to show off your own fashion label and Mabel will ask if you would like to look at the top or bottom level. Choose your slot and she’ll then ask which design you would like to display instead. Select your item of clothing and voila, there it is in all its painstakingly-designed glory. 

The best thing about sharing your custom clothing designs here isn’t just appreciating them every time you go shopping or even your friends being able to download them to wear, but the fact that your villagers will randomly strut their stuff in your freshly designed togs. Nothing says ‘job well done’ like Tangy wandering around in a new jumper.  

The home design offerings in Animal Crossing: New Horizons already felt like a wonderful set of tools but the arrival of the Happy Home Paradise DLC means anything feels possible. Just because you are building dream vacation cabins for all kinds of characters doesn’t mean that they can’t be on trend for winter 2021 and 2022. The customisation options and huge selection of furniture on offer means that even your Animal Crossing homes can look straight out of a catalogue. We’ve looked at the home decor trends of 2022 and gathered 5 of the top design trends to use this winter in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise.  

1. Golbincore

If you’re a regular browser of #Goblincore on TikTok or Pinterest you won’t need any introduction to this rather unlikely trend. Goblincore celebrates the appeal of the dirtier side of the natural world. This means animal skulls and bones, snails, worms, and mushrooms are hot Goblincore commodities. Ideal if you’ve been through a Fall season in Animal Crossing and are looking for a way to put all those mushroom recipes to good use. Consider this to be a darker, mossier version of last year’s Cottagecore trend. To make the most of the look in your vacation homes in Happy Home Paradise, make sure you have unlocked the ability to use your own homemade items in your designs. Then choose sparingly to make those pieces shine in their surroundings. Think dark fairy tales and swirling patterns and you’re on the right mossy track.  

2. Yellow Accents

It’s time to bring some warmth to your Animal Crossing vacation homes with some yellow accents. When used selectively, these welcoming tones can bring brightness to your Happy Home Paradise abodes without being overwhelming. Choose your accent pieces well and Raymond and co will be clamouring to live in these spaces. Just remember to check the variations available on your furniture pieces and choose colours that compliment one another. An ideal accessory to brighter colours is the monochrome wave rug and if you’re feeling bold, you could always build a yellow accent room around a bright feature wall. Then it’s just a case of adding more subtle additions such as colourful cushions or table decorations to make things truly pop. Poki and style points, what else do you need?   

3. Plants and Natural Fibres

Looking ahead to 2022, using more natural decor has never been more in fashion and there are plenty of ways to make the most of more of these textures in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise. There are full suites of rattan and log furniture as well as plenty of natural patterns ready made for decorating with greenery if you choose the customise option. The addition of accent walls also means you can opt for a more rustic feature wall to bring in some different textures. Make sure you check the wall hanging section too when you’re in full decorating mode. Not only are there a selection of customisable plants, but also shelving units with different colours of wood to stop things becoming too uniform.  

4. Maximise Vertical Space

2021 living has often meant making the most of limited space as we work and play within the same four walls and of course, home design has followed. Winter and 2022 decor trends then are all about maximising the space we have, be it with vertical storage or making rooms multipurpose. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise lets us do both. The addition of partitions that you can unlock are a great way of dividing up rooms and there are plenty of different furniture options to make the most of vertical space. The tension-pole rack is a particularly stylish minimalist shelving unit and you can customise the colour of the wood. There’s even space for an item of your choice on the lowest shelf. 

5. Colourful outdoor design  

Again, after a year of more static living, we’ve really grown to appreciate our outdoor spaces. This is reflected in future design trends which focus on making the garden feel more like an extension of our living areas. This means plenty of outdoor furniture and bright colours to celebrate our new garden existences. Patio design is even easier in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise as we can customise vacationer gardens with the same tools as inside their homes. With a press of a button you can turn every outdoor space into a grid for intuitive management and speedily add different trees and furniture for them to enjoy. Remember to use the vast selection of patterns to customise cushions too.