Burei Men's Automatic Watch, Model No: 15013-P01AY

Rating: 5/5

Review:
An excellent automatic watch

This watch was kindly sent to me for review and I think it is very good. It is a high-quality product and it looks very good.

The watch comes in a very nice, hinged presentation box with a manual and a little presentation bag, which would make it a very nice gift. First impressions are excellent. It is solid with a good weight and a very nice, good-quality textured leather band.  The buckle is very stylish with a Burei logo, which lends a very classy air to the watch. It has a really solid, durable feel about it, and immediately strikes you as a very good watch. It has a large face, 4cm in diameter (about 1.5 inches) and the dial is very nice in textured silver with classic luminous hands and hour markers. There's a second hand which has a continuous motion rather than second-by-second, which I like very much, and a good clear day and date display. (You can have the days in English or French.)

Functionally, it's very good. The mechanism is mechanical not quartz-driven, and it's wound automatically by normal movement as it is worn on the wrist.  (It can also be wound using the crown if necessary.) There is a window in the back so you can see the movement and the winding mechanism in action – another very nice touch. It keeps very good time, it is shockproof and scratch resistant, and it is rated as water resistant up to 50 metres depth. I can't vouch for this but it's good to know that it will stand up to the general bashing and splashing it will get in normal use.  It's plainly made to last and comes with a good warranty so the manufacturers clearly have faith in it.

In summary, this is a very good watch which is very well made and durable. If you like the way this looks, you'll find it excellent. It's a very good quality watch and should last you for many years. Recommended.

HERE 

Topist microfibre cleaning/dusting gloves

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Excellent cleaning gloves

I was sent these cleaning gloves for review, and I'm very impressed.  They are very reasonably priced so I wasn't sure what to expect, but they are very good quality and do an excellent job.

You get two gloves in the pack.  The packaging is very basic – just a plastic bag – but that's fine with me.  The gloves themselves have plenty of thick microfibre "twists" and are well made with solid stitching, a good elastic wristband and a comfortable lining.  They are a good size, too – my hands are pretty big, but they are plenty big enough for me.

In use I have found them excellent.  As others have said, they do a very good car-washing job and used dry, they are brilliant for dusting,  The microfibre collects dust very well and the numerous long twists mean that they get into awkward corners and ridges and so on very well.  A swift wipe and surfaces, screens keyboards and the like are good and clean – and they're great for the inside of the car with all those awkward contours.  A vigorous shake gets rid of the collected dust and they're ready to go again.

I was surprised by the quality of these gloves.  I think they're excellent and very good value.  Warmly recommended.

Amazon page HERE

Burei Men's Stainless Steel Automatic Watch Model No:15010-P57EY

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very good quality watch

This watch was kindly sent to me for review and I think it is very good. It is a good quality product and it looks very classy.

The watch comes in a very nice, hinged presentation box with a manual and a little presentation bag, which would make it a very nice gift.   First impressions of the watch are excellent. It is solid with a good weight and a very nice, good-quality two-tone band.  It just has a really solid, durable feel about it, and immediately strikes you as a very good watch.  It has a large face, 4cm in diameter (about 1.5 inches) and the dial looks great: it is black with luminous silver markings and hands. There's a second hand which has a continuous motion rather than second-by-second, which I like very much, and a good clear day and date display. (You can have the days in English or French.)

Functionally, it's very good.  The mechanism is mechanical not quartz-driven, and it's wound automatically by normal movement as it is worn on the wrist.  There is a window in the back so you can see the movement and the winding mechanism in action – another very nice touch.  It keeps very good time, it is shockproof and scratch resistant, and it is rated as water resistant up to 100 metres depth. I can't vouch for this, but it's plainly made to last and comes with a good warranty so the manufacturers clearly have faith in it.

In summary, this is a very good watch which is very well made and durable.  If you like the way this looks, I'd say don't hesitate.  It's very good quality watch and should last you for years.  Recommended.

Amazon page HERE

Avantek - Non-contact Infra-red Thermometer

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very good IR thermometer

This is a very good IR thermometer.  It was sent to me for review and I've found it well made, accurate and simple to use.

The first thing to say s that this is a proper, professional-standard tool.  It is made of extremely robust plastic which will stand up well to the general battering it will get in a toolbox.  It can give readings in both °C and °F and has a range of -50C to +850C so it should cover most normal applications.  I find it excellent for checking different areas of my fridge and freezer, for example.  (The results were a bit alarming, and I've adjusted both!)  The laser-guides make it very easy to use just as you wish and it gives accurate readings (so far as I can tell).

There is a range of useful functions – hold, log, emissivity and so on – but I suspect that most users, like me, will just want a quick-reading, accurate thermometer.  You'll get one with this.  I'm impressed with it's quality and can recommend it warmly.

Amazon page HERE

Xiberia T19 7.1 Gaming Headset

Rating: 5/5

Review:
An excellent headset

I was sent this headset for review and I am seriously impressed.  It is very well made, beautifully presented and has excellent sound.

The presentation is terrific; they come in a beautiful, faux-leather box with a hinged lid which even has a cloth base so it doesn't scratch surfaces.  The headphones themselves look very good to my eyes, and are extremely comfortable for long periods.  They are USB connectivity only, so do note that they can't be connected to a headphone socket for non-computer listening, nor do they have Bluetooth.  However, they work perfectly with my Windows 10 devices.  There is a good in-line volume dial-control on the lead which also allows you to turn the LEDs on and off.  The microphone is very good and is on a very flexible detachable lead.  This is, in short, a very well made, high-quality item.

I'm just an old git now who's primarily interested in the sound quality as a non-gamer, so I sought the view of a young gaming enthusiast, who pronounced them "wicked."  While not quite the in-depth analysis I had hoped for, this is a very fine endorsement from a discerning critic and confirms my view that these are very good indeed.  For myself, I make no special claim to be an audiophile, but I use headphones for music a lot (several hours a day usually) and have listened to a great many different ones over the years.  I think, quite seriously, that these are as good as any I've heard in this price range and sometimes well above it – and that includes my dearly loved Bose QC2s, Brainwavz HM5 and HM9, Noontec Hammo and others which I have used regularly years with great pleasure.

The sound is well balanced, rich and full with an extremely good but not over-dominant bass response.  Articulation and realism are extremely good, too.  I have a Test Playlist for audio equipment which starts with  Tudor choral music, ends with London Grammar and covers most things in between.  Everything sounds excellent; the sound is well balanced with clear treble, rich middles and a fantastic bass response.  It's not that they are bass heavy – they're not – just punchy when needed and incredibly rich and full even at the lowest frequencies.  That great, sub-bass resonance in the second half of London Grammar's Hey Now is great through these, for example.  Theorbo and viola da gamba really test bass response, and both have their full magnificent depth, a string quartet sounds just as though you're sitting among them, every instrument in an orchestra is crystal clear, it sounds as though Leonard Cohen himself is murmuring in your ear…and so on. 

To sum up, I think these are a little bit of class.  They're solidly made and comfortable, they work well and they have excellent sound.  I'm pretty picky about headphones, but I like this headset a lot and I can recommend it very warmly.

Amazon page HERE

AmazonBasics 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub with UK Plug

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Very good

This is a very good little hub. It is small and light and seems robustly made, it was instantly recognised by my laptop (Windows 7) and worked as soon as it was plugged into a USB port.

I like the idea of an optional power source. I don't use it normally because I usually only connect small peripherals which don't need a lot of power like flashdrives and my HTC phone for data transfer, or self-powered items like a printer, speakers or external HDDs. However, if you do need to connect items with a heavier current drain, just plug in the hub and it works a treat.

There's not a lot more to say about a hub. It works well and without fuss, and it seems like a good quality item. Recommended.

Amazon page HERE

AIBI Women's watch, gold (Model 51001-6)

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very nice watch

AIBI sent me this women's watch for review and I am impressed.  It is well made and looks very good.

The watch has a 35mm diameter case with an elegant, plain gold-finish bezel.  It has a nice, uncluttered face with gold Roman numerals at 6 and 12 o'clock, a simple gold marker at 3 and 9 and small diamond-crystals for the other hour markers.  The hands are nicely shaped and the date window is small but readable.  The watch looks very slim on the wrist, and overall it's a very nice-looking watch which is clear to read and has a touch of glamour in the diamonds, and it keeps good time.

I have tried a few AIBI watches now and they have all been of very good quality; this seems to be the same.  It is robustly made and tough enough to stand up to everyday treatment and the odd bash or drop onto the floor.  The strap is a very nice plain tan leather and the whole thing has a quality feel about it.

In short, this is a very nice watch.  It is very well presented in a smart box so it would make a very good gift.  I like it a lot, and it's warmly recommended.

Amazon page HERE

Gizga laptop/notebook sleeve

Rating: 5/5

Review: 
A good, well made sleeve

I was sent an 11.6" sleeve without charge for review and I think it's very good.  It is well made and does the job.

The sleeve is simple but effective.  It's a good size for my iRULU 11.6" Walknbook; it fits snugly but it's easy to get the notebook in an out.  The neoprene is thick enough to give decent protection and the lining is good and soft.  The stitching seems very solid and there's a good, robust zip with a very nice tag to grip which is big, comfortable and plastic-coated so it's smooth and won't scratch things.

There's not a whole lot more to say about a notebook sleeve.  This is a very good one without frills (exactly what I want) and if that's what you need, I can recommend this warmly.

Amazon page HERE

Kronen & Sohne - Black Men's Leather Belt KB033

Rating: 4/5

Review:
A good belt

This is a smart, well made leather belt.  It was sent to me for review and I think it's good.

The belt is thick and very solid leather which has a very robust feel and I'm sure it will last for years.  It is just plain black on the surface which I like, with a discreet embossed logo near the end.  The buckle is lacquered steel in grey with a black and gold band through the middle which is well illustrated on this page.  My personal taste is more for slightly plainer designs, but it's very smart and a lot of people will like it a lot.  The mechanism is simple and effective, locking the belt in place without the need for holes and again seems solidly made and durable.

It's a broad belt at over 1¼" wide, and you should be aware that the belt is almost 48" long, which is very generous on me.  My waist is around 34" so there is a lot of belt left over, which goes over a quarter of the way round my waist again.  Because the belt is so thick and wide, it's not easy to get the excess through already occupied belt loops and it can flap about rather. 

However, this is the only minor issue I have with the belt and it won't bother most people, I think.  This is a very good quality product and if you like the look of it I can recommend it warmly.

Amazon page HERE

Omaker W4 mini Bluetooth speaker

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Surprisingly good

I was sent this little speaker without charge for review.  I was intrigued (and pretty sceptical) to see how such a tiny unit performed, and I am very impressed.  It's not hi-fi and the bass isn't as deep as it might be, but the sound quality is very acceptable and for a unit which is effectively a 2-inch cube at under fifteen quid I think it's remarkably good.

The speaker is robust and well made.  It has a rubberised frame which will stand up well to the knocks it will inevitably get when being carried around and it has a very good, solid feel.  You also get a carabiner, a micro-USB charging lead and a carry pouch, too, and the instructions are fine – not that you need many instructions.

Be aware that this is a very simple unit.  It has Bluetooth connectivity only, there's no AUX jack input for wired connection and it doesn’t do hands-free calls; it plays music via Bluetooth and that's it.  However, it does that very well.  Pairing was simple and the range is pretty good: my signal is solid up to at least 5 metres.  Sound quality is startlingly good for its size.  Volume goes plenty loud enough for a medium-sized room without noticeable distortion and music sounds good – far better than I had expected.  I put this through my standard Test Tracks playlist from Tudor choral music to London Grammar with most things in between and it all sounds fine.  Articulation is very good and the tops and middles are very bright and rich.  Even the bass is decent; real depth, like a viola da gamba or the last half of London Grammar's Hey Now doesn't come over, but there's a reasonable punch in classic rock, a string quartet sounds pretty well balanced, and so on.

As you can tell, I like this speaker a lot.  It doesn't pretend to be top-of-the-range sound, but it's very listenable and for something of this tiny size and very reasonable price I think it's excellent.  If you want a very compact Bluetooth speaker I can recommend this warmly – it's surprisingly good.

Amazon page HERE

Kronen & Sohne Fob watch KSP004

Rating: 4/5

Review:
A nice watch

This fob watch was sent to me without charge for my objective review.  I think it's good: it is well made and robust and it keeps good time.

The watch comes very nicely packaged in a smart box, so it would make a good gift.  The watch itself is about 2" across and 0.5" thick, which is pretty much what I'd expect in a watch like this.  It has a tough metal case in a dark, almost black-looking metal with an engraved finish.  It is in a half-hunter style, with the window in the outer case being open rather than glazed.  The Roman numerals on the outer case and the hands are white, which isn't quite to my taste but does make them very clear.  The numerals on the inner face are Arabic and in silver, which is a colour that looks more consistent with the style of the watch, I think.  There are also windows onto the works both front and rear, which is a stylish touch.

You also get a nice matching fob-chain with a pocket clip and a novelty key if you want to complete the full effect of "watch and chain."  The key is just ornamental because you wind the watch using the crown, which also serves to adjust the hands.  It opens in the traditional way by pressing a button on top of the crown, and I find that everything works very smoothly and easily.  I wind it every morning and it keeps very good time for a mechanical watch.

This is plainly a good quality product which I'd expect to last very well, so if the style appeals to you don't hesitate.  I can recommend it.

Amazon page HERE

EBL 908 smart battery charger

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very good battery charger

This is a very good battery charger.  EBL sent it to me without charge for review and I am very happy with it.

I use a lot of rechargeable batteries, so a good, reliable charger is very important to me.  I have been using the EBL 808 continuously (I mean that literally – it's always on and in use) for a couple of years now and it's been really good for smaller batteries.  This seems just as good quality and is a flexible unit which will charge any standard 1.5V battery from size AAA to size D and will also charge 9V batteries.  It seems very quick and just gets on with the job without fuss  It will charge a single battery if you need it to (they don't have to be in pairs) and also has two USB ports.  These have a 1A output, which is a little slow but suit me fine for the overnight charging I normally do.

The unit is light but seems robust and I like the lid which stops it getting too dusty.  The display is clear and simple, showing the state of charge of each battery, and it has a function whereby you can fully discharge and then charge the batteries if you need to.

In short, this is just a good, practical unit and I can recommend it warmly.

Amazon page HERE

AIBI Rose-gold finish women's watch (Model 45701-2)

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very nice watch

AIBI sent me this watch for review and I am impressed.  I think it is elegant, well made and good value.

This is listed as a women's watch, but I think it would be suitable for both men and women.  It has a 35mm diameter case which is plenty big enough to look fine on my wrist (see my video) but would look very nice as a large women's watch, too.  It has a very elegant, plain face and all the time-markers and hands are simple straight lines which gives a very stylish impression.  The date is small but readable and it keeps good time.

The watch is robustly made.  I have tried a few AIBI watches now and they have all been of very good quality; this seems to be the same.  It is solid, waterproof and tough enough to stand up to everyday treatment and the odd dropping into the bath or onto the floor.  The strap is a good textured leather and the whole thing has a nice, quality feel about it.

In short, this is a very nice watch at a very reasonable price which is very well presented in a smart box so it would make a very good gift.  Warmly recommended.

Amazon page HERE

Anne Klein pink women's watch (Model AK/N2032RGLP)

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A lovely watch

This is a lovely watch.  It's discreet, elegant and very stylish.

The presentation is lovely in a hinged box with faux-leather interior and cushion which looks very classy and would make this very nice gift.  The watch itself has a 3cm diameter with a somewhat smaller dial with a mother-of-pearl face and simple gold markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o' clock.  The hands (including a second hand) are also a simple gold design.  This all goes very nicely with the rose-gold coloured case and very pale pink surround and matching strap.  The colour is really nice – just the pink side of (Caucasian) flesh so it's distinctive and feminine without being at all garish.

It seems to be a very good quality item.  It carries a lifetime guarantee and Anne Klein is a reputable brand, so I'd expect this to be a very durable watch.

If you like the look of this watch, don't hesitate.  It's a very good quality, stylish item and I can recommend it warmly.

Amazon page HERE

Burei Unisex ultra-thin watch (gold) Model 13002-P04AG

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very good-quality watch

This watch was kindly sent to me for review and I think it is excellent.  I have tested a couple of Burei watches now and I'm impressed; this, too, is a high-quality product and looks very good.

The watch comes in a very nice, hinged presentation box with a manual and a little presentation bag, which would make it a very nice present.  The watch itself looks very elegant. It is slim and has a large face, 4cm in diameter (about 1.5 inches) and the dial is very nice: it is plain and very clear, and the hands have a slightly old-fashioned shape which I like a lot.  There is also a second hand and a date display. The date display is small and I struggle to read it sometimes (this is true of many date displays on watches these days!), but in a good light it's fine. The band is very good quality, textured leather with a discreet logo on the buckle to match the watch. The whole thing looks really good, I think, and I would be happy to wear this to a smart event as well as liking it very much for everyday wear.

Functionally, it's very good. It keeps very good time, is shockproof and scratch resistant, and it is rated as water resistant up to 30 metres depth. I can't vouch for this and it's plainly not intended for submersion, but it's good to know that it will stand up well to the sort of knocks and wettings it might get in normal use.

In summary, this is an elegant, classy watch which seems very well made and durable, and I think it looks and feels considerably more expensive than it actually is.  I like it very much and can recommend it warmly.

Amazon page HERE

Apie DY 25 Sound Cannon Speaker

Rating: 5/5

Review
A very good portable speaker

Apie sent me this speaker without charge for review, and I'm impressed.  It's well made, functional and has very good sound.

The speaker is very nicely designed, with a handle/control panel on top and a nicely proportioned speaker unit below.  It's robust and solidly made and I would expect it to last well and stand up to the knocking about it may get as a portable speaker.

In use, it all works very well. Bluetooth pairing is simple and I found the signal solid up to 8 metres at least. The AUX input allows you to connected to non-Bluetooth devices, it can play directly from both a USB flash-drive and a micro-SD card and the sound is equally good whichever input you use.  The controls are clear and simple for both music and hands-free calls, and everything worked just fine.

The sound quality is very good. The top and middles are very crisp and well-defined, and the bass is good and firm. The overall sound is very nice (especially after the first few hours use, when the bass improves significantly). I have tried this with a lot of music, including my Test Playlist which I use on all audio products for a fair comparison, which begins with Tudor Choral music and ends up with London Grammar. Everything comes over well. Classical music sounds rich and full, with a string quartet sounding well balanced and orchestral music rich and crisply articulated. Rock is good and punchy, acoustic music sounds bright and airy...and so on. The bass response especially is critical in a small unit like this, and I think it's very good.

Overall, I'm think this is a very good unit.  It is solid and practical with very good sound and I can recommend it.

Breville VTT686 Toaster

Rating: 4/5

Review:
A good toaster

This is a good toaster.  It looks nice, seems solidly made and does the job well.

The toaster has a metal shell with high-gloss white ends.  I think it looks very nice in my kitchen – stylish without being over-flashy.  The controls are neat and simple to use, and I especially like the "Lift & Look" feature (despite its rather silly title).  It simply means that you can lift your toast up with the lever and check it without turning off the elements and then having to start again.

Two small points are worth noting:

- The metal case, especially the top, does get very hot.  This is to be expected to an extent, but you really do have to watch out that you don't burn yourself on this one.  It's not a problem for me, but if it's used by young ones or older people whose co-ordination or mental acuity has declined a bit, this may be a consideration.

- The metal case looks nice, but it does show every greasy finger-mark which, with butter often in the vicinity, may be a nuisance.

These are only minor matters, though.  As a toaster I think this is good.  Breville are a reputable make so I'd expect this to last well; if you're looking for a smart, very functional toaster, I can recommend this one.

Amazon Product Page HERE

Hangsun Dental water-pick/flosser

Rating: 1/5

Review: 
POTENTIALLY UNSAFE!

BE AWARE THAT THIS MAY BE A FIRE HAZARD.

I have had a serious electrical problem with this flosser.  I was sent it for review and it worked very well. However, after six months use it was just sitting on the charging stand as usual one evening when the stand began to make cracking noises and then sent out sparks and a lot of smoke until I unplugged it.  The smell of burning was terrible.  The stand is now blackened and has come apart with the heat.  If I had not been there to unplug it it could have caused a serious fire.

I have reported the problem to both Amazon and the supplier.
 
Amazon product page HERE

Eyoyo LF-19 Bone-conducting headphones

Rating: 2/5

Review:
A good idea, but lots of problems

I was very interested to try these bone-conducting headphones, which were sent to me free for an unbiased review.  In principle they are an excellent idea and may suit some people better than me, but I had several problems with them.

The first thing to say is that the headphones themselves are basically a good, solid product – decent quality and with a good durable feel.  However, when I took the silicone tension band off to see whether it would help with positioning, the clip at one end which inserts into the headphones broke as I took it out, so I can't put the band back on again.  Not good.

Other problems I have had:

- They don't sit comfortably on my head: they are a bit small and aren't adjustable.  As a result, they aren't comfortable over my ears, I can't get the "speakers" to sit in the correct place on my cheekbones and they keep moving.  The makers advise that this may be because they are too small for my head.  I think this is right – but I don't have an abnormally large head, so a lot of people may have this problem.

- When at high volume (which doesn't sound loud to me) I feel them vibrating on my cheekbones.  The manual says "we recommend using silicone tension band" if this happens, but that didn't work for me.

- Probably because of the poor positioning, the sound isn't great.  It's not terrible, but the volume doesn't go very loud and the bass is weak. 

- There is a lot of sound leakage, which is very annoying to those around you.  This is an endemic issue with this type of headphones, and it may not be a problem if you're using them to run through the streets, but they won't do for private listening with others present.

- The manual is very unclear.  It says nothing about how to make hands-free calls, for example.  In fact, you do it by pressing the "multi-function key" on the left hand side – but again I only found this out by emailing the makers.  They tell me that the manual is being revised, but in its present form it is quite inadequate.

- Twice when I was trying to skip backwards, the music player in my phone froze and would not move out of "pause" mode.  Rebooting the phone was the only way I could start it again.  The makers now inform me that there is no "skip back" – only "skip forward" and "return to the start of the current track".  Again, this is unclear from the manual.

I am sorry to be so critical, but this is my honest experience of these headphones and it wasn't good.  Others may get on better with them and there may be improvements soon, but for now I can't recommend these, I'm afraid.

Oria Digital Fridge/Freezer thermometer

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A  very good thermometer

I was sent this fridge/freezer thermometer for review.  It is very good: it's well made and does the job.  It comes simply packed with a small but adequate instruction manual.

The thermometer is smart looking and it seems solid and robust, so I think it will last well.  It has a little hook/stand on the back so you can either stand it on a shelf or hang it from a wire shelf.  It just works: as far as I can tell it reads the temperature pretty accurately  (I've checked it with another thermometer and they agree fairly closely) it has a good, easy-to-read display and can be turned on and off simply.  You can also choose between Celsius and Fahrenheit readings and it's simple to toggle betweent them.  The max/min readings are a handy feature if you need to check how your fridge or freezer is behaving.

This can also be used just as a room thermometer (it works up to +50C), os it's quite versatile.  I'm impressed with it; it's a good little digital thermometer which I find very handy.  Recommended.