Reviews

A robust website monitoring tool delivers data like page load speeds, downtime reports, and unexpected outages, allowing you to ensure your business stays online and visible at all times.

Uptrends is a renowned website monitoring tool offering features like synthetic transaction monitoring, browser monitoring, and real user monitoring. Plus, you only need to pay for the features you use thanks to a per-feature pricing structure.

Read on as we lay out the best features, pricing, ease of use, and support options of Uptrends. We’ll also compare it with a couple of its top rivals to see how it stacks up.

Uptrends: Plans and pricing

Uptrends follows a fairly different pricing structure than its peers. Instead of bundling features in different plans, it offers each feature separately. Here’s how much each feature will cost you.

This way, you’ll only have to pay for the features you want to use. For instance, small businesses and startups may only need uptime monitoring, which costs just $5.10/month. However, this pricing structure can seem expensive if you need all the features – you’ll then have to shell out at least $43.82/month in total.

Although not the cheapest, Uptrends still delivers great value for money. Other providers offer all these features only on their high-end plans, which can cost anywhere between $50 and $250 per month. Even then, the number of checks is generally capped, which isn’t a concern with Uptrends.

What's more, Uptrends offers as many as 15 free tools, including a DNS checker, website speed test, uptime test, and ping test. This can be mighty helpful to startups and small businesses looking for free monitoring options. In comparison, Uptime.com only offers 3 free tools.

Uptrends: Features

Uptrends’ global monitoring solution is ideal for large organizations with a worldwide presence. You can check the status of your web pages from as many as 233 locations (checkpoints). No other monitoring service offers such a large pool of servers. Besides basic HTTPS monitoring, you can also set up custom DNS monitors and SSL certificate monitoring.

One of its core features is browser monitoring – also known as full page check (FPC). This FPC monitor loads your webpages in a real browser (Chrome or Edge) to measure the website's performance as experienced by your visitors.

This includes evaluating the scripts, third-party elements, images, and CSS components of your website. Uprends then generates a detailed waterfall chart to give you a quick overview of all running FPC checks.

(Image credit: Uptrends)

If you have a business that relies on curating a flawless customer website experience, Uptrends’ transaction monitoring can come in handy. This monitor allows you to test every component of the user journey on your website, including aspects like logging in, scrolling, searching for products, shopping cart checkouts, payments, and more.

The platform also offers a handy Chrome extension for recording the transaction flow you want to monitor.

We also liked Uptrends’ prompt alerting mechanism. You can choose to receive downtime notifications on SMS, email, or phone call. The platform also allows integration with popular tools like Slack, MS Teams, and other business applications.

What makes Uptrends a complete website monitoring platform, though, is Real User Monitoring (RUM). RUM uses real user data to drill down on metrics like page load times, DOM and render duration, time to first byte, and page ready time.

All of this (and more) data is pulled into simplified charts, which then help you identify potential issues. For instance, you can use a bar chart to view page load times from various locations and browsers and identify the locations where your pages load the slowest.

Uptrends: Interface and in use

The interface is pretty data-driven – you’ll find a lot of charts and stats right at the center of your dashboard. Although we believe this to be a positive, as it's a no-nonsense approach, some users may find it a little overwhelming.

As is the case with other apps, there’s a panel on the left-hand side, allowing you access to all Uptrends features.

(Image credit: Uptrends)

Uptrends comes with several predefined dashboards but also allows you to add custom dashboards by selecting metrics and filters that are essential to measuring performance.

The platform has recently revamped its interface to integrate various monitoring modes like synthetic and RUM. There’s even a 360-degree overview dashboard, which gives you a quick one-screen snapshot of all your website metrics.

Uptrends: Support

We found the software’s customer support options ideal for business needs. Your first port of call would be to raise a support ticket on the platform. You can draft your message and even attach a file to explain your issue better.

Moreover, there’s also a live chat option at the bottom of the screen. Initially maneuvered by AI, the chatbot is quick to connect you to a human agent so that you can sort out your issues without much hassle.

Besides this, you’ll find an extensive web knowledge base and help articles on the platform, which will guide you through setting up various monitors and help you conquer the initial learning curve. However, there’s no live call support, which is admittedly a standard in the industry.

Uptrends: The competition

Although Uptrends is a complete website monitoring solution, it may not be the best choice for all businesses, especially because of its distinctive pricing structure. Here are some alternatives you can look at instead.

UptimeRobot is a more affordable option. You can get started at just $7/month and enjoy features like HTTP, port, and ping monitoring. It also comes with a nifty keyword monitoring tool that sends you alerts in case there are any content changes on a given page. However, this may be too basic for large businesses.

If you need something more advanced, you can choose Uptime.com, which offers more than 30 types of checks. The platform runs comprehensive RUM checks with as many as 1.5M data points, as well as private location checks and microtransaction checks.

Each check can also be run from multiple locations simultaneously. However, Uptime.com can be expensive, too – plans start from $20/month and go all the way up to $285/month.

Uptrends: Final verdict

Uptrends has everything a business could need – from synthetic transaction and API monitoring to detailed browser and real user monitoring. One of the best things about the platform is that you can monitor the status of your webpages from 233 global locations, which could be a game-changer for multinational businesses.

Plus, Uptrends offers a feature-wise pricing structure where you only have to pay for the features you actually use. The good news keeps coming, as there are 15 free tools, including those for global uptime testing and website speed testing, a DNS checker, etc.

The interface is also easy to use and offers a lot of visual charts to understand the available data better. Overall, Uptrends covers all the bases really well, meaning it's splurge-worthy.

FAQs Does Uptrends offer a free plan?

While there’s no free plan as such, Uptrends offers 15 free tools. From checking your website’s speed and global uptime to running a DNS check and ping test, there’s a lot you can do for free.

Additionally, Uptrends has a different pricing structure, seeing as it comes with feature-wise plans. For instance, you can get the uptime and availability monitoring plan for just $5.10/month. This means you only need to pay for the functions you want to use.

Why is website monitoring important?

A website monitoring tool keeps an eye on your web addresses and ensures downtimes are not left unattended. It sends you instant alerts whenever there’s an issue with any component on your website, which might have been slowing it down.

Website downtimes can lead to financial losses, after all, not to mention they can also harm your brand reputation and image. If a user finds your website isn't working, it’s highly unlikely they’ll return. That’s why it’s important to ensure your website stays live at all times.

Check out the best website defacement monitoring service.

This review first appeared in issue 342 of PC Pro.

Lenovo’s P series of laptops is designed for speed, with more expensive configurations than this offering discrete workstation-class Nvidia processors to tie in with its ISV certification. The P14s is a slimline version, which means less powerful chips and – in this case at least – integrated graphics. But don’t imagine it’s slow: turn to the graphs and you will see the ThinkPad P14s vying for top position in many tests.

That’s despite the fact it includes a Ryzen 5 processor with six cores compared to the 12 found in the Core i7-1260P, with AMD’s strength due to them all being fast performance cores. Lenovo supports the AMD Ryzen Pro chip with 16GB of high-bandwidth LPDDR5 memory, although this is soldered to the board; if you want more, upgrade to 32GB at the time of ordering for an extra £90. You can replace the 512GB SSD yourself, with a handful of crosshead screws in your way, but doing so will void the generous three-year warranty.

This laptop’s greatest performance came in our battery tests, lasting for over 16 hours in both our video-rundown and light-use benchmarks. Left idling, it kept going for an astonishing 20 hours. It’s reasonably light at 1.4kg, albeit no match for the similarly long-lasting HP Elite Dragonfly G3 (1.1kg) and Dynabook Portégé X40 (1kg).

The P14s’ keyboard lacks the finesse of the ThinkPad T14s, with a harsher feel to the keys and no backlight, but the glass-coated trackpad is just as glorious and they share near-identical IPS panels. Both provide 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with a matte finish and, while it lacks the vividness of an OLED screen, the P14s covered a fine 81% of the DCI-P3 gamut compared to 71% for its sibling. With a contrast of over 1,800:1, clean whites and a peak of 409cd/m2, it’s one of the best screens here.

Lenovo squeezes six connectors onto the left edge: a 3.5mm jack, HDMI, USB-A port, two USB-C ports (not Thunderbolt 4, merely USB 3.2 Gen 2) and an always useful Ethernet port. The right-hand side is dominated by the vent necessary to keep the processor cool, but Lenovo still finds room for a second USB-A port and a smart card slot.

This isn’t an exciting laptop – music sounds harsh, for instance – but it has plenty to offer business users, including a high-quality 1080p webcam, which supports Windows Hello, within the thick top bezel. If you need to square the circle of strong performance and supreme battery life, it’s the best choice here.

We've listed the best laptops for graphic design and the best laptops for drawing and digital art.

Light spoilers follow for Marvel's Thunderbolts* movie.

Thunderbolts* was always going to be viewed as the Marvel movie underdog of 2025.

In a year that saw the arrival of a new Captain America film and The Fantastic Four's highly anticipated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a movie starring a ragtag team of lesser-known anti-heroes and reformed villains might not have been high on many people's theatrical agenda.

Like the titular team, though, Thunderbolts* has battled against the odds to cement its place as one of the best Marvel movies since 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Armed with a supremely talented cast on top form, and the MCU's most affecting story to date when it comes to exploring themes of vulnerability – a story that struck a huge chord with me – it's also an emotionally resonant movie that encouraged me to reflect on my past, and not let it define me.

Shadow selves

Thunderbolts* is the latest MCU movie to feature a group of outsiders coming together for the greater good (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy (GotG), Thunderbolts* tells the tale of a maladjusted group of individuals thrust together to battle a common enemy.

Boil the movie down to its simplest form, and comparisons to those two films are easy to make, in terms of both its storytelling structure and the archetypal characters who inhabit all three movies, such as John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell) and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) being the serious soldier stand-ins for The Avengers' Captain America and GotG's Drax.

Thunderbolts*' humor-laden moments... are belly-achingly effective in their delivery and plot placement

The same can be said of Thunderbolts*' whip-smart humor. Like many of its MCU counterparts, Thunderbolts* is full of snarky retorts, quippy one-liners, and other wisecracks. However, rather than being throwaway jokes that do little else but raise a smile, its humor-laden moments are belly-achingly effective in their delivery and plot placement.

Yelena and Alexei's strained relationship is a core part of what makes Thunderbolts*' story so engaging (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The on-screen rapport between the Thunderbolts – unlike in the comics, the unpopular team name isn't derived from Thaddus 'Thunderbolt' Ross – is equally electrifying. In fact, I'd wager the chemistry between Thunderbolts*' eclectic cast of characters is the most natural in an MCU film for a while.

That might be a bold statement to make, particularly in light of the absorbing dynamic between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool and Wolverine. As an ensemble, though, the playful and melodramatic manner with which this film's cast bounce off each other is a far cry from the camaraderie (or, rather, lack thereof) of other films' casts.

The on-screen rapport between the Thunderbolts is utterly electrifying

The team's 'found family' dynamic fizzes and pops with a pleasing poise that captivated me from the moment that many of them meet, too.

Indeed, a western stand-off-style showdown between Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), US Agent, Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) in the first act, which occurs after each agent is sent to take down one of the others by shady CIA director Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), is as frenetic and wonderfully farcical as you might expect.

Yelena and Bob's relationship is one of Thunderbolts*' most moving elements (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Of the dynamics on display, I was most emotionally invested in Yelena's relationships with Alexei and Bob.

The estranged familial dynamic between Yelena and Alexei is full of histrionics, hilarity, and heartfelt moments that underline, if further evidence was needed, Pugh's and Harbour's standing as two of the greatest actors of their generation. Emotionally engaging tour de forces, they most certainly are.

That said, the relationship between Yelena and Bob is the one that really captured my attention, because theirs is the earnest fulcrum that really drives the Marvel Phase 5 movie's emotionally-charged narrative. I'm not afraid to admit that their bond drew visceral reactions for me on two occasions – as I write this review, just thinking about one specific moment in the film's final act leaves me teary-eyed and with a lump in my throat.

Fight off your demons

Thunderbolts*' opening scene features Yelena figuratively standing on the edge of the emotional abyss (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The emotional intensity Thunderbolts* delivers narratively won't be lost on anyone who watches one of 2025's most anticipated new movies, either.

Indeed, where the Avengers assembled to protect New York City – and the wider world – from Loki and his Chitauri army, and the Guardians united to defeat Ronan the Accuser, this film's unruly cast of characters have a far tougher foe to overcome: themselves.

Thunderbolts* is following Moon Knight's lead with its sensitive approach to mental health issues

You see, while Thunderbolts* includes conventional antagonists in de Fontaine and someone you probably expected to be a good guy, it's the ensemble's darkest, most secret inner selves who are their greatest nemeses.

This isn't new territory for Marvel. As a medium, comic books are widely regarded for telling stories that reflect the world around them, so there's no reason why comic book/superhero films wouldn't do likewise.

That's reflected in the fact that the MCU has tackled such difficult subject matter before, too. However, where Iron Man 3 made light of and danced around Tony Stark's grapples with PTSD following The Avengers, Thunderbolts* is following Moon Knight's lead with its sensitive approach to mental health issues.

Despite his past, Bucky Barnes is the most well-rounded character in Thunderbolts* (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Whether it's Yelena's disillusionment with life itself, Bob's split-personality disorder, US Agent's deep shame, or the team's collective feelings of regret, Thunderbolts* is cognizant of the mental health issues that many of us battle everyday or at some point in our lives. These are characters who lack the individual ability to deal with their past mistakes and/or who feel trapped in an endless loop of despair, and Thunderbolts* does a terrific job of not only humanizing them through the traumatic experiences they've endured, but also making them incredibly relatable.

Pugh and Pullman's raw, multi-layered performances are as impactful as any MCU acting display you're likely to see

Again, Pugh and Pullman are particularly worth highlighting. The rest of the cast are superb, but the pair's raw, multi-layered performances, which build on the emotionally rich script penned by MCU stalwart Eric Pearson, and The Bear, Hacks, and BoJack Horseman scribe Joanna Calo, are as impactful as any MCU acting display you're likely to see.

We've no idea how original Bob Reynolds / Sentry pick Steven Yeun would have played the character before he was replaced by Top Gun: Maverick's Pullman due to scheduling conflicts, but it's a credit to Pullman's nuanced combination of goofball energy and disquieting intensity that an actor of Yeun's caliber isn't necessary missed in a film like this.

A brief flashback showcasing De Fontaine's (right) tragic backstory helps to humanize even the CIA's duplicitous overlord (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Thunderbolts* isn't without its niggles, mind you. For one, its ending feels a bit abrupt. Despite the emotional impact on display in the movie's final action set-piece, the manner with which the Marvel movie's Thanos-level-esque 'main villain' is dealt with is contrived – and, likely in the eyes of some viewers, eye-roll inducing – as well. The lack of screen time afforded to Louis-Dreyfus' megalomaniac and master manipulator is a bit of a sore point, too.

The logic used to 'depower' Sentry is also a bit too convenient. I'm sure Captain Marvel will have something to say about this, as will Gi'ah from Secret Invasion – we don't talk about that terrible Disney+ show here, though – but he's arguably the most powerful superhuman in the MCU now. With Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Victor von Doom due to upend things from a multiverse perspective in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, a supremely powerful individual like Sentry would be handy to have around.

My biggest bugbear with Thunderbolts*, though, is the unceremonious and unnecessary demise of a character who deserved better in this movie, and in the MCU as a whole. I don't like how it played out, or how the immediate and long-term impact of what happened is handled. For a film that does so much right from a character introspection viewpoint, Thunderbolts* frustratingly drops the ball over this incident.

My verdict

Thunderbolts* is an expectation-defying, incredibly moving MCU entry that unashamedly wears its heart on its sleeve. It balances its melodrama, cathartic story, and deconstruction of heroism with the MCU's classic, fun-filled elements so well that it's a Marvel film I can see myself watching in a theater and/or at home many times over. Considering there are many other MCU movies I haven't seen since I initially watched them on the big screen, that's high praise indeed.

It would be easy to say Thunderbolts* is the best MCU film since, say, Avengers: Endgame. I've certainly been guilty of doing that with Shang-Chi, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Deadpool & Wolverine.

Thunderbolts* deserves to be part of the 'best Marvel movies' conversation

Compared to some of Marvel's less impressive movie offerings in the years since Endgame, though, Thunderbolts* deserves to be part of that conversation. It doesn't reinvent the team-up movie formula, nor will it win any awards for its action sequences (for what it's worth, though, the stunts are mostly real rather than relying on CGI, and most of those sequences are great).

What it does do is tell a deeply emotional story about a group of alienated individuals who could purposefully walk away from problems that don't concern them, but who nonetheless do the right thing when the world needs them. If that doesn't make them deserving of "being the heroes on the Wheaties box with the little kiddie toy" – Red Guardian's words, not mine – I don't know what would.

Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 1 (UK) and May (internationally).

Marvel Unlimited monthly subscription: was $9.99 per month now $4.99 at Marvel
The ultimate digital comics subscription for Marvel fans is offering new and returning customers 50% off their first month, which is much cheaper than a streaming subscription to watch all the best superhero movies. To gain access to a library of more than 30,000 comics, use the code 'SPIDEY50' at checkout. You're able to use the Marvel Unlimited app on all iOS and Android devices, including the web, too. But, be quick – the deal expires on May 5!View Deal

Spoak is an online interior design service made to be ‘easy, fun, and accessible to all’. Well, at least that’s what their website says. We headed over to spoak.com to find out how well this browser-based tool compares to the best interior home design software out there.

Spoak: Pricing & plans

The homepage offers a lot of options (Image credit: Spoak)

• Three tiers, one for individuals, one for teams, and one for businesses. No free plan, and some puzzling in-app purchases which should really be free. Plus you have to give your card details if you want the 7- or 14-day trial. Not a good look.

Although Spoak offers a free demo near the bottom of the homepage, this is not a free service, nor does it offer a free plan. It comes in three flavours. ‘Play’ is focused on the solo designer. It allows you to work on up to 10 public designs, comes with various features, and have a 7-day free trial, for $15 a month (choosing to pay yearly would save you 20%)

‘Power’ is more aimed at businesses and teams, where you can add up to ten seats to your account (at the cost of $40 per seat per year), and gain the ability to make your projects private, among other additional features. That account would cost $50 per month and has a 14-day free trial.

Finally, there’s ‘Enterprise’, which is more of a bespoke tier for high-end businesses, and as such the cost itself is also bespoke.

On top of that, there are purchasable add-ons. For instance, both ‘Play’ and ‘Pro’ allow you to have 3 and 10 active designs respectively. Need more? You can, for a price. We were disappointed to see that the Spoak watermark can only be removed through one of these purchases. This feels a little like the company is milking their customers.

The free trial is not without its risks either as you need to hand over your card details in order to access it. In an age where so many services let you try them out without having to do that, this does leave a bad taste in the mouth, as you then have to remember to cancel your subscription before it’s even started.

Considering their site states that “‍You are solely responsible for properly canceling your account” and that “Spoak does not offer refunds”, you have to wonder how many people lost money forgetting to cancel a trial in time, and how much of that contributes to their business model. It’s not a good start. Let’s hope the service wins us over…

You can check out Spoak by clicking here.

Spoak: Getting Started

You can have a lot of fun adding objects and furniture to your mood board (Image credit: Spoak)

• Spoak offers a lot, from mood boards to 2D floor plans, and more. The interface could be better when it comes to choosing your project, but once in, it’s very easy to get down to business.

Your home page offers a sidebar on the left, where you’ll access your designs, projects, community forums, job fairs, and clients. The main section features a selection of items for you to choose from based on what the algorithm thinks you’ll like, and above that, different types of projects, such as ‘Mood Board’, where you put objects together and see if their various styles work with each other, or ‘Vizi’ which is a mockup of the room you’re trying to recreate in real life. ‘Floor Plan’ would be a top down 2D mockup of a room, while ‘Elevation’ is a front facing 2D view of a room.

Weirdly, whichever one of these four types you choose, you’ll be brought to the exact same page, where further templates are presented to you. Why ask you to choose initially if the result doesn’t alter where you go next?

Anyway, your options are broader there, with empty rooms, pre-set backgrounds, product comparisons, and more - there’s even a section for outfits, making design concepts… more wearable. Each category has a good number of templates to choose from, and you also have the choice of starting from scratch if you prefer.

Spoak: Designing

It’s like any home design software - easy to use and customise - all minus the usual 3D aspect (Image credit: Spoak)

• Adding objects is easy. So is creating a room from scratch. Some concepts work better than others, but the whole thing feels marred by too small an inventory: some, like ‘Outfit’, barely have any.

We found designing to be a relatively simple affair. Working on a floor plan for instance was very easy, with a strong intuitive feel. It’s all done through clicking and dragging. Take walls, for instance: you can add them, reposition them, and resize them, simply by clicking on specific parts of that element. Then, you add windows and doors which automatically reorient themselves as you drag them, to match the wall’s orientation. As we said, easy. Next comes the decorations. For those, you click on the ‘Assets’ category and scroll through until you find what you want, or better yet, use the search field. Add, reposition, resize, done. Full marks for ease of use.

There’s even an ‘Inspiration’ button, which loads up similar designs in a sidebar to the right, to offer you ideas of what to do next.

The 2D elevation had very few objects to add to (Image credit: Spoak)

So far so good. ‘Head-on Elevation’ is more simplistic, but still lets you create front-facing 2D designs with a simple drag and drop. The ‘Mood Board’ is designed to throw ideas around, and mix and match furniture and decor. It’s all good.

What doesn’t work so well are the ‘Pre-set backgrounds’. These should help you immerse your design in a more realistic environment, but the customizability felt very poor. For instance, you’re able to paint the walls, which sounds great. Unfortunately, doing this washes out any decoration or detail that was present on said wall, leaving you with a rectangle of colour. Sure you can change the opacity, but then you end up with a blend of the previous colour with the new one.

Worse still is the poor choice of elements to add. Depending on the type of project you’re working on, there isn’t actually that much to choose from.

What we didn’t appreciate was the fact some items were shot in front of a background. Add them to a project, and that background is still there. There’s a background remover tool, but it doesn’t come free. You can manually remove the background yourself for free - a tedious and thankless task - or use the ‘magic’ button which costs one credit a pop (we had 40 to play with in our 7-day trial). But our main question was… why? This feels like penny pinching: imagine the number of people who would choose to pay to remove the background of the exact same object.

An Outfit mood board sounds like a fun idea, except there aren’t many outfits in Spoak’s inventory to play around with. (Image credit: Spoak)

Finally, the Outfit section sounds like a fun idea - on paper - mix and match different outfits, that kind of thing… except we couldn’t find outfits to add to our ‘Mood board’. Yes, there’s the odd cap, but another evening dress, a dinner jacket, a pair of jeans? The search field comes back empty. Maybe more will be added in time, but for now, that section is barely a curiosity.

Should I buy Spoak?

Why do you have to remove the background of an object from Spoak’s own inventory - and worse still, why do you have to pay for the privilege? (Image credit: Spoak)

Buy it if...

You like the fun versatility of exploring design, creating a room, or just throwing stuff around to see how well they go together.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You question the value of such a service, especially when it feels more barebones than its cost would make you think.View Deal

For more creative design tools, we've tested out the best landscape design software and the best architecture software

Website monitoring is how businesses monitor their webpage performance and take immediate action if there’s an unexpected downtime. These monitors send instant notifications in case of outages and assist businesses in quick recovery.

UptimeRobot is a popular website monitoring tool with more than 2.1 million customers worldwide. Companies like Heineken and WordPress VIP use UptimeRobot to avoid disruptions and ensure reliable operations.

The platform offers 8 different types of checks, 17 integrations, and 4 flexible plans for businesses of all sizes. There’s also a free plan that comes with 50 monitors and port, ping, and keyword monitoring. The paid plans start at just $7/month, meaning it's also ideal for bargain hunters.

Keep reading to find out everything about UptimeRobot, including its cost, features, interface, and support options. We'll also give you a couple of alternatives in case UptimeRobot isn't for you.

UptimeRobot: Plans and pricing

You can get started with UptimeRobot with its free plan that comes with 50 monitors and allows you to run HTTP, port, ping, and keyword checks at an interval of 5 minutes. With basic status pages and 5 integrations, this plan is sufficient for startups and personal use.

UptimeRobot’s first paid plan is priced at $7/month and comes with 10 monitors. The monitoring interval drops to 60 seconds on this plan, and you get additional features like SSL and domain expiry monitoring. This plan also allows you to customize your status pages. There’s another version of this plan, which comes with 50 monitors, costing $15/month.

The platform’s most popular plan is the Team plan, costing $29/month for 100 monitors. As the name suggests, this is ideal for team-oriented organizations, who can invite up to 3 members on this plan and even purchase extra seats for an additional fee ($15/month).

The most noticeable difference with this plan is the status pages. You can create as many as 100 of them along with password-protected status pages and detailed page analytics.

The last plan is the Enterprise plan, starting at $54/month for 200 monitors. You can also opt for 500 monitors at $124/month or 1,000 monitors at $222/month. This plan allows you to run checks every 30 seconds with access to unlimited status pages. You can also invite up to 5 team members on board. All other features are similar to the Team plan.

UptimeRobot also offers a 10-day money-back guarantee on all plans so that you can try it out risk-free before committing.

UptimeRobot: Features

UptimeRobot offers 8 different types of monitoring features, including website monitoring, ping monitoring, cron job monitoring, port monitoring, and ping monitoring to ensure your webpage stays online at all times and you get instant alerts if downtime happens. Checks can be run at an interval of as low as 30 seconds (depending on your plan).

Now there are a lot of ways you can receive these notifications, such as email, SMS, voice calls, and mobile push notifications. You can even integrate with apps like Slack, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat to receive these alerts. Plus, access to Zapier integration allows you to build custom workflows with the apps you use.

We liked UptimeRobot's cron job monitoring – pre-scheduled tasks that you can automate at regular intervals. Cron jobs serve as vital tools for automating tasks, increasing efficiency, and maintaining system health.

Using this, you can run various tasks such as scheduled server reboots, clearing temp files every night, or running a script every 5 minutes.

(Image credit: UptimeRobot)

Port monitoring and ping monitoring are some other key UptimeRobot functions. The former, for example, helps you keep an eye on different ports such as HTTPS, FTP, and SSH. You can set up POP3, IMAP, and SMTP port monitoring to ensure your services running on different ports on your server are always up.

Ping monitoring sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echoes to targets and analyzes responses to detect and notify any anomalies. Besides this, you can also set up SSL certificates and domain monitoring to get timely updates before they expire. Expiry notifications are sent 30, 14, 7, and 1 day before, giving you enough time and reminders to renew your SSL and domain address.

Much like other website monitoring tools, UptimeRobot also allows you to design and share status pages with your users. These pages can be fully customized as per your brand voice and keep your visitors updated during unexpected outages.

On higher-tier plans, UptimeRobot allows businesses to set up maintenance windows, which halt checks during website maintenance. This helps you avoid false positives and keeps your website's numbers healthy.

Another handy UptimeRobot feature is keyword monitoring. This lets you keep tabs on any content changes on a given webpage. For example, you might want to keep an eye on your competitor’s website to track any changes made.

Doing it manually can be resource intensive. Simply set up a keyword alert that’ll notify you if those words appear on the website. For instance, alerts can be set for words like ‘sale,’ ‘new launches,’ and so on.

UptimeRobot: Interface and in use

UptimeRobot’s interface is quite simple and easy to use. The main dashboard bears a classy black theme with all the information you need in a single place. You can access features like monitoring, incidents, and status pages from the left panel.

There's a list of all your monitors at the center of the page. Simply click on it to view detailed website metrics, such as total uptime and track incidents.

(Image credit: UptimeRobot)

Setting up a new monitor is also straightforward. Click on the ‘new monitor’ option at the top-right corner, choose the type of monitor, and enter fields like URL, notification methods, and interval. You can also add tags to group certain types of monitors for easy sorting.

Overall, we found UptimeRobot beginner-friendly. You need little to no training thanks to the entire user experience being pretty self-explanatory.

UptimeRobot: Support

UptimeRobot offers decent customer support options. You can either send them an email for any queries you might have or seek support via the live chat option on their website. There’s also an engaging Discord community that’ll help you stay updated with everything UptimeRobot.

The platform also has a help center and knowledge hub where you’ll find articles explaining common queries and setup processes. All in all, we found UptimeRobot’s support options adequate. However, the lack of call support might sting some of you.

UptimeRobot: The competition

Although UptimeRobot is a good website monitoring option, it may not be best for all business use cases. Here are a couple of alternatives you can consider.

Uptime.com is an all-around monitor offering 30 different types of checks. The platform is ideal if you need detailed insights into Real User Monitoring (RUM) data. RUM monitoring gathers data from real users visiting your website to produce data like average load times and bounce rates.

This data-driven approach is very user-centric and ideal for e-commerce businesses. You can also set up no-code transaction checks and design private status pages on Uptime.com. That said, it can be expensive as the paid plans start from $20/month.

UptimeRobot: Final verdict

UptimeRobot is an easy-to-use and straightforward website monitoring tool that helps businesses keep an eye on their website's online status at all times. You can run 8 different types of checks at an interval of as low as 30 seconds.

In addition to basic monitors like ping and port monitoring, you can also set up custom maintenance windows and status pages to keep your visitors informed.

The platform is pretty affordable, too, with plans starting at just $7/month for 10 monitors. You can set up as many as 17 integrations (besides Zapier), meaning you have the full liberty to streamline your workflows with existing third-party apps. There’s also a free plan with 50 monitors and a 10-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans.

That said, UptimeRobot lacks Real User Monitoring, which means you won’t get insights into real users' experiences on your website. This may be an issue, especially for large customer-driven businesses. In that case, you can consider alternatives like Uptime.com.

FAQs Who is UptimeRobot ideal for?

UptimeRobot is ideal for startups and small to mid-sized businesses looking for an affordable website monitoring tool. It's quite beginner-friendly and easy to set up, which makes it a go-to choice for newbies.

You get 8 different types of monitors, such as HTTPS, port, and ping checks, along with 17 integration options and custom status pages. It's worth noting that the tool is free for the first 50 monitors you set up, and then the paid plans start at just $7/month.

Why do you need a website monitoring tool?

Website monitoring helps businesses ensure their web addresses are online at all times. These tools keep an eye on various components of a website, such as ports, SSL certificates, APIs, and domains, to ensure timely alerts if there’s any unexpected outage.

Monitoring becomes essential for businesses that rely on their website or apps for customer interaction. For instance, if an e-commerce website like Amazon goes down for even an hour, it can result in huge financial losses, apart from reputation damage. These website monitors act as watchdogs and ensure your online presence stays intact at all times.

We've listed the best website defacement monitoring service.

Website monitoring is essential to ensure your web addresses stay functional at all times. Outages, if any, should be reported swiftly so that they can be tackled before bounce rates increase. Here’s where a robust tool like Uptime comes in handy.

Launched in 2013, Uptime.com caters to some big names, like Apple, Microsoft, and PwC. With 44.7M monitoring checks, 115K alerts, and 2,500+ status pages, Uptime has saved billions of dollars for companies around the world – all the while maintaining a 99.999% uptime.

Uptime offers 30 different check types, from basic HTTPS checks and advanced Real User Monitoring (RUM) to API endpoint and transaction checks. Hang around until the end as we explore one of the best website monitoring software in more detail, discussing its best features, pricing, and interface, and also listing down a couple of alternatives.

Uptime.com: Plans and pricing

Uptime offers four plans, meaning it caters to businesses of all sizes and needs. It all begins with the Starter plan priced at $20/month, which allows you to run 30 basic checks, 1 transaction, API, and page speed check each, along with 10 cloud status checks and 2 group checks.

The check frequency here is 5 minutes, and you get 4 check locations and 3 locations per check. You can also create 1 status page – private or public. This plan allows access to 50K RUM data points per month and data retention for up to 13 months. We found this plan offering good value for the money, making it ideal for startups with one site to manage.

Next comes the Essential plan at $67/month, where you get 50 basic checks, 5 transaction checks, and 10 API checks. The group check limit also increases to 10, and the check frequency drops to 3 minutes. The best part is that you can run checks for every location around the globe as well as enjoy 5 locations per check. The number of RUM data points also increases to 200K on this plan.

Unlike the Starter plan, you can customize the design of your status page here and also create password-protected status pages. The Essential plan is an extended version of the Starter one, ideal for small businesses.

If you’re a large business, you can switch to the Premium plan at $285/month, which pretty much has everything Uptime has to offer. This includes 200 basic checks, 15 transaction checks, and 20 API checks.

These checks can be run at an interval as low as 1 minute. You get 15 locations per check and the mighty ability to select private locations. More good news: SMS and phone alerts, both of which are capped in the previous two plans.

If even this subscription doesn’t fit your needs, you can build a plan from scratch with customizable configurations and billing.

Another good thing about Uptime is that it offers a 14-day free trial for all its paid plans – no credit card needed. So, you can take the service out for a spin before committing to a plan.

Uptime.com: Features

Uptime offers 3 free tools: domain health check, website page speed test, and global uptime test. The domain health test helps you check parameters like web and DNS performance, functionality, blacklist monitoring, and so on.

Speed tests help you determine loading speeds of your web page from various global locations, while the global uptime test checks a website’s responsiveness and provides insights into performance disparities.

Besides this, Uptime offers more than 30 check types. Basic checks such as HTTPS, Whois/Domain checks, TCP Port checks, and malware checks are available with every plan. Several advanced checks, such as API monitoring, transaction checks, group checks, and cloud checks, are also available.

For instance, the platform allows checking various APIs, such as REST APIs, gRPC APIs, and GraphQL APIs, to ensure they are working fine and alert the concerned team immediately in case there’s an issue.

Needless to say, you can also run Real User Monitoring (RUM), under which data from real users are analyzed to identify issues like 4xx and 5xx HTTP status codes and JavaScript issues, page load times, AJAX load times, and bounce rates.

This data-driven approach helps you fix minor issues before they become major business concerns. You can also access detailed RUM reports to drill down on user data.

(Image credit: Uptime.com)

Uptime also offers impressive no-code transaction checks that help you check specific website elements such as clicking a button, visiting a website, or entering information in a text field. You can even mimic entire user paths, such as adding items to a shopping cart or contact form submissions.

The platform’s synthetic transaction monitoring also supports advanced web applications such as MFA sites. For example, using Uptime, businesses can check whether 2FA on their site is functioning for all users.

Another feature we loved about Uptime was the Status pages, a powerful reporting and accountability tool that helps communicate outages and manage incidents more efficiently. Uptime offers 3 types of status pages: public, private, and SLA pages, each customizable with HTML and CSS.

Uptime.com: Interface and in use

The Uptime interface is clean and intuitive. You’ll see a panel on the left with all function options. Whenever you’re setting up a new check, you’ll see a window pop up with four options: Basic, Advanced, Escalations, and Maintenance.

For instance, if you want to run a basic HTTPS check, you’ll find it in the Basic tab. Similarly, advanced checks like RUM and transaction checks can be found in the Advanced tab.

Each check can be configured within seconds by simply filling out the required fields such as check type, contacts who’ll receive the notifications, locations to run the check from, and of course, the URL to be checked.

(Image credit: Uptime.com)

The Escalations tab makes it very easy to manage incidents by sending alerts to concerned team members. You can set up a hierarchy of escalations based on incident sensitivity.

You’ll see all the checks on the Uptime’s main dashboard along with a summary of all your checks. At just a glance, you can check variables like total checks, outages, response times, global uptime, and RUM load time. What we like the most is that the dashboard is fully customizable. So, you can start with a clean slate and only add data you want to see on the dashboard.

Overall, Uptime is easy to use and get the hang of. There are a lot of tutorials on the website with detailed step-by-step guides that help you set up and use the account. Sure, Uptime, like most website monitoring tools, does require a bit of getting used to. However, the learning curve isn’t steep, thanks to its huge knowledge base.

Uptime.com: Support

Uptime offers comprehensive support for both existing and potential customers. You can either fill out a contact form on the website, call them directly, or send them an email.

While direct contact with a support agent might be your only and last port of call, you can also check out the extensive library of free resources that’s more than capable of answering any questions you might have. There are detailed blogs, release notes, and API documentations, as well as a quick start guide – a lot of material to help you get the hang of the platform.

Last but not least, you’ll also get premium and priority support if you’re on the Premium plan.

Uptime.com: The competition

Uptime is undoubtedly a great website monitoring option for businesses. However, if for some reason it doesn’t suit your needs, you can consider UptimeRobot.

For starters, UptimeRobot offers a completely free plan with 50 monitors and 5 minutes of monitoring interval. You can run various checks such as HTTP, port & ping monitor, as well as benefit from a handy keyword monitor. UptimeRobot is also much cheaper than Uptime.com.

Even its most expensive plan costs just $54/month (for 200 monitors and 30-second intervals). However, UptimeRobot lacks Real User Monitoring, which is where Uptime.com really shines through.

Uptime.com: Final verdict

Uptime is a comprehensive website monitoring tool that lets you run more than 30 types of checks – both basic and advanced checks. You can evaluate the API status on your pages, micro and extended transaction checks, page speed tests, and real user monitoring statuses.

We liked the immediate response and alert mechanisms as well as the detailed escalation hierarchy that helps resolve issues at the earliest. You can get started with 3 free tools for domain health and speed checks and then upgrade to paid plans starting at $20/month.

The interface is pretty clean, and there’s a lot of knowledge material on the website to help you scale the slight learning curve. Plus, the support is robust with call, email, and contact form support.

Overall, Uptime delivers excellent value for money and is a good option for both small and large businesses.

FAQs How is website monitoring different from content monitoring?

Website monitoring tools track the functionality of a given webpage. It checks whether the pages and its various components are working and reports if there are any unexpected page outages.

Content monitoring, on the other hand, tracks content changes on a webpage and reports whenever there are content updates. It comes in handy for businesses tracking competitors and for regulatory compliance.

Who is Uptime.com best for?

Uptime is a good value-for-money website monitoring tool ideal for both small and large businesses. Free tools like domain health checks and speed tests can help startups with basic monitoring.

Paid basic and advanced checks, starting at $20/month, help businesses draw in more insights from synthetic transactions and real user monitoring. Large businesses can opt for the $285/month Premium plan or build a custom plan from scratch.

We list the best website defacement monitoring service.

Businesses today need to have a constant online presence, which is why website monitoring has become indispensable. As the name suggests, a website monitor keeps an eye on your web addresses and immediately notifies you if there’s any downtime.

Businesses may lose an average of $137-$437 for every minute their website is down. This is where website monitoring tools like Pingdom come in handy. Pingdom runs various uptime and speed checks for your websites and produces data-driven reports so that you can know which parts of your website need attention. You also get stats from real user experience, which helps you identify visitor attributes and overall trends.

Stick around until the end as we’ll explore Pingdom in more detail. We’ll discuss its best features, pricing plans, and in-use experience, besides suggesting a couple of alternatives.

Pingdom: Plans and pricing

Pingdom has kept its pricing pretty simple. There are just two feature-wise plans – Synthetic Monitoring and Real User monitoring. The Synthetic Monitoring plan starts at just $10/month for 10 uptime monitors, 1 advanced monitor (page speed or transaction checks), and 50 SMS alerts.

However, there are as many as 22 options to choose from within this plan with various numbers of monitors, going all the way up to 30,000 uptime monitors. This makes it ideal for businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to multinational mega businesses.

Besides uptime monitoring, this plan offers page speed monitoring, public status pages, alerts, and transaction monitoring. Regardless of the threshold limit you choose, you can add unlimited users, making it good for small teams.

Next is the Real User Monitoring plan starting at $10/month for 100,000 page views. Here too, you have 22 threshold limits to choose from, all the way up to 1 billion pageviews. We love that there’s no limit on the number of sites you can run RUM on and users you can add.

Now, you can choose both these plans simultaneously in any permutation and combination as per your needs, giving you a lot of flexibility. Pingdom also offers a 30-day free trial to test out the platform before committing to a plan.

Pingdom: Features

Uptime monitoring is one of Pingdom’s core features. It keeps an eye on your websites and sends you instant notifications in case of outages. You can choose the mode as well as the frequency of the alerts. For example, critical alerts might require instant notifications, whereas minor issues may be notified an hour later.

Pingdom goes a step ahead and runs a detailed root cause analysis to find out what exactly went wrong. For every incident, administrators can run a traceroute, identify the output from a web server, and analyze response codes from servers. This helps in quick incident resolution.

(Image credit: Pingdom)

Pingdom’s page speed checks are also different from other monitoring solutions. In addition to checking the page load times, Pingdom also examines how various elements like HTML, CSS, Javascript, and images are performing in relation to each other.

It also lets you zero in on the exact element that is slowing down your website. Pingdom’s comprehensive visualizations let you see how changes made on a page affect its speed. The platform assigns performance grades to each test so that you can know at just a glance how your pages have been performing.

Pingdom also comes with a simple transaction web recorder that lets you record a transaction for a check instead of having to code it manually. This makes it easy for non-IT teams to quickly monitor various parts of the customer journey on the website. For instance, you can run tests for simple actions like clicking a button, filling out a form, new user registrations, user login, or even completing payment on the website.

Besides all these synthetic monitoring features, Pingdom also offers a pretty comprehensive Real User Monitoring (RUM) function. RUM monitoring offers detailed insights into how real users access and interact with your website.

This helps you find out where customers spend most of their time on your website with the help of metrics like bounce rates, top browsers, active sessions, and top-visited pages.

Pingdom: Interface and in use

Pingdom’s interface is pretty data-driven, laced with various charts and graphs that help you understand your website performance metrics better. For instance, the top-level dashboards give you a quick summary of how different websites are performing.

(Image credit: Pingdom)

To dig deeper, you can switch to the page-level metrics that focus on specific pages like checkout pages, signup pages, or your blog. Plus, every test and report on Pingdom is color-coded so that you can quickly identify any problems.

For instance, if you’re using RUM, you’ll see a live global map with areas marked in different colors, indicating load times in those regions. What's more, there are detailed timelines with vertical bar graphs for each check you run.

Getting started with the platform isn’t complex at all. You can add a new check in a matter of minutes, for instance. Moreover, there are a lot of help videos on the platform that guide you through the entire setup process.

Pingdom: Support

Pingdom has a dedicated customer portal for technical support, customer service, or product assistance. Here, you can raise a support ticket for any queries you might have. You can even set a priority for the issue you’re facing to get a quicker response.

Plus, you can even reach out to them on call between 8 am and 5 pm Central Time. They have dedicated phone numbers for the US, the UK, and SE regions.

Besides this, there are a lot of resource videos and help articles on the website that solve almost all beginner-level queries you might have.

Pingdom: The competition

HostTracker is a more affordable solution, allowing you to run 25+ URL uptime checks at just $18/month. Plus, you can add additional website checks for just $0.50/month. HostTracker also checks the IP DNS blacklist checker and Google's unsafe websites list to check if any of your websites have been blacklisted for any reason.

Plus, you can run comprehensive database checks along with transaction and speed checks. However, it lacks Real User Monitoring and status pages.

Uptime.com is another website monitoring tool very similar to Pingdom with features like cloud status checks and group checks. It also offers more than 20 types of basic checks, such as SMTP, NTP, UDP, and POP – something you don’t get with most other platforms.

You can run checks from unlimited global locations with as many as 15 locations per check and private location checks. However, Uptime.com is more expensive than Pingdom.

Pingdom: Final verdict

Pingdom is one of the most complete website monitoring tools you’ll ever come across, offering everything you need. It checks for website uptime with detailed root cause analysis and also has a robust speed check feature. Its Real User Monitoring capabilities help you drill down on real-user metrics with parameters like Apdex score, time to first byte, load time, and bounce rates.

The best thing about Pingdom is its visually graphic dashboards. You’ll find a lot of color-coded charts, maps, and graphs, which makes it easy to identify any bottlenecks. Regardless of the plan you choose, you can invite unlimited users to share these detailed and customizable reports with.

Pingdom also gives you a lot of plan options to choose from – 22 tiers each for synthetic and RUM monitoring. This makes it ideal for both small and large businesses. Last but not least, you get a 30-day free trial to try out before committing.

FAQs Who is Pingdom best for?

Pingdom is a comprehensive website monitoring tool, ideal for businesses of all sizes. Firstly, it offers every monitoring feature you may need. From synthetic monitors like uptime, page speed, and transaction checks to complex real-user monitoring, Pingdom covers all bases.

Secondly, it has separate plans for synthetic and real user monitoring with 22 pricing tiers in each plan. Every tier has its own limit on the number of checks you can use. For example, if you want to run only 10 uptime checks, you’ll have to pay $10/month. The plans go all the way up to 30,000 uptime checks, making Pingdom a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.

What is the difference between website monitoring and content monitoring?

A website monitor examines various components of a website through tests like HTTPS, Ping, and TCP ports to ensure the address is online and notifies admins if there’s any downtime.

Content monitoring is an alerting mechanism that notifies users whenever there’s any change in the content of a specific website. For instance, businesses need to constantly monitor their competitors’ websites to track any developments.

Website monitoring is an essential part of the suite of business tools these days. After all, you cannot afford for your website to be down for even just a few minutes. Besides financial loss, it can hurt your brand’s reputation and market image.

Datadog offers top-notch website monitoring software that comes included with Real Time Monitoring (RUM), which is monitoring based on real user interactions. You also get robust synthetic monitoring, which allows you to test every component of your website. Business giants like Netflix, Adobe, Airbnb, and Spotify trust Datadog to manage their infrastructure.

If you want to know more about this all-around website monitor, stick around until the end. In this article, we’ll discuss Datadog's features, pricing, and interface, and also give you a couple of alternatives to consider.

Datadog: Plans and pricing

Datadog has separate plans for synthetic monitoring and real user monitoring, much like Pingdom. However, Datadog goes a step ahead and breaks these plans down further – it offers dedicated plans for API testing, browser testing, and mobile app tests.

The API testing plan costs $5/month for 10K test runs. The Browser Testing plan costs $12/month per 1,000 test runs, and the Mobile App Testing plan costs $50/month per 100 test runs.

There are two plans for RUM too, one with session replay and one without it. The RUM with Session Replay plan costs $1.80/month for 1,000 sessions, while the RUM plan (without replay) costs $1.50/month for 1,000 sessions.

These limits are enough for any small to midsized business, making Datadog an affordable solution. Except for the mobile app testing plan, you’ll only have to pay $18.80/month for RUM and synthetic monitoring. This is cheaper than the likes of Uptime.com, whose plans can cost as high as $67 to $285 per month.

Apart from website monitoring solutions, Datadog also offers a complete security suite with solutions like cloud and application security management, runtime code analysis, CI pipeline visibility, and network monitoring – each function has a separate plan.

Datadog: Features

Datadog’s Real User Monitoring is one of the best across the board. It churns out essential website performance data such as Core Web Vitals and load times by harnessing data from real user experiences.

The best thing about Datadog is that you can view session replays to pinpoint the exact cause and instance of the issue. This lets you collect and process every error, resource, and action during each session. Users' actions can vary from checkout button clicks, taps, and more. You can even track custom metrics that are critical to your performance.

(Image credit: Datadog)

Datadog also offers comprehensive Mobile Real User Monitoring (Mobile RUM) functions that test your app's stability, identify and address app crashes, and assist in resolving any glitches.

Its no-code web recorder makes it pretty easy to build customizable assertions that work on all the latest devices and operating systems. Datadog is also smart enough to avoid any UI changes so that you do not get any false positives.

Datadog’s API tests are ridiculously easy to create. You can access its API Catalog to access your overall HTTP test coverage and then build API checks for any untested endpoints in just a few clicks. Datadog’s AI-generated Synthetics swiftly identify any business-critical flows so that you can create the right test in a matter of seconds.

However, Datadog doesn’t stop at just detecting errors; it also helps in quick resolution by grouping related errors automatically so that you’re not bombarded with error notifications. You can run a simple faceted search to find out more about how these errors started and evolved.

Datadog also has one of the most extensive collections of third-party integrations, allowing you to set up custom workflows with as many as 800+ applications. Apps for various categories such as alerting, automation, caching, incident management, and log collection are available.

Datadog: Interface and in use

Datadog’s dashboards are filled with interactive charts and graphs that give you a quick snapshot of all running website checks. This graphic-oriented approach makes it easy for administrators to spot and resolve any errors.

Adding a new monitor is pretty straightforward. You simply need to select the request type, name it, add the URL, select locations you want to track from, and define alerting conditions.

(Image credit: Datadog)

When you create a synthetics test, Datadog collects data and generates dashboards about your stack, browser applications, overall test performance, private locations, and events. There are similar dashboards for API checks and browser checks, too.

If you’re running RUM, you’ll see a performance summary tab with immediate summaries of each app's vitals, error deployments, and user analytics.

However, given the number of functions and dashboards Datadog offers, you’ll need a bit of time to get the hang of the platform. There are tons of videos on the platform that guide you through the setup and day-to-day use of the platform.

Datadog: Support

Datadog offers decent support with all its paid plans. Chat support is available from 10 am EST to 7 pm EST on weekdays, while email support is available during business hours (8:00 PM Sunday - 9:00 PM Friday EST, excluding holidays). You can expect a reply within 2 hours for business-critical issues and 48 hours for general issues.

While this is good enough customer support, Datadog does offer something better. If yours is a large organization that needs 24/7 technical support, you can purchase Datadog's Premier support plan, which costs 8% of monthly spend ($2,000 minimum). However, you need to make a minimum of a one-year commitment for this plan.

Under this, you get 24/7 email, chat, and phone support, with response times as low as 30 minutes. Besides this, there’s a designated team of global support engineers as well as priority handling for escalations. Simply put, this will be just like having an in-house IT team dedicated to Datadog issues.

Datadog: The competition

Pingdom is a robust monitoring solution offering as many as 44 plans across synthetic and real user monitoring with different check thresholds. This makes it as ideal for small businesses that need to run just 10 uptime tests in a month as it is for large businesses that want to run, say, 30,000+ checks.

Much like Datadog, Pingdom also offers customizable graphical dashboards. Its top-level dashboards provide a quick summary of all website performance and page-level metrics to help drill this information deeper.

If you’re looking for something more affordable and value-packed, Host-Tracker can be a good option. Its plans start from just $9.9/month, allowing 10 website checks. You can add additional websites at just $0.70/site. In addition to synthetic monitoring, Host-Tracker also checks the IP DNS blacklist and Google’s unsafe websites list to ensure your websites aren’t blacklisted. However, it doesn’t offer RUM.

Datadog: Final verdict

Datadog is a one-stop solution for all your website monitoring and security needs. You get both real user monitoring and synthetic monitoring, like API tests, browser tests, and mobile app testing.

Each function is offered as a separate plan so that you have to pay only for the features you use. This is ideal for small businesses with limited needs. Datadog’s extensive information-driven dashboards make it a very intuitive platform. These dashboards are fully customizable, allowing you to drill data down as per your needs.

Plus, Datadog is one of the few monitoring solutions that offer a dedicated plan for premium support, with 24/7 call, email, and chat support. That said, such extensive features also come with a bit of a learning curve. However, there are a lot of resources and videos on the platform to help beginners out.

FAQs Who is Datadog best for?

Datadog is an all-around business solution offering services like security monitoring, network monitoring, log management, and synthetic and real user monitoring. It's ideal for businesses of all sizes since it offers feature-specific plans. For instance, if you only need real user monitoring, you can get started for as low as $1.80/month.

Large businesses can also benefit from customized plans and a dedicated customer support plan that offers 247 chat, phone, and email support – something you won’t get with any other website monitoring solution.

What is website monitoring?

Website monitoring is the process of constantly checking your websites to ensure they're up and running. This is performed by specially designed tools, or website monitoring solutions, that alert you in case there are any unexpected downtimes. These tools also help businesses get insights into how users interact with their websites and improve components that have been slowing down user experience and load speeds.

We've also listed the best website defacement monitoring service.

This review first appeared in issue 342 of PC Pro.

HP offers a staggeringly large array of business laptops, with the 800 series sitting in the mid-range. If you want lower prices, choose the 600 series; for the lightest designs, head to the 1040 or Dragonfly series. Even within the 800 series there’s a huge choice, so if you prefer a 2-in-1 design or AMD chips there will be something for you.

The 840 G9 is based on Intel’s 12th generation Core chips, in this case the i7-1255U. With only two performance cores, it’s no match for the i7-1260P in tasks that exploit multiple threads, but it will blast through everyday jobs with ease. Its low power demands also helped the 840 G9 last for between nine and 14 hours in our battery tests, and if the 256GB SSD isn’t big enough, you can open up the chassis and add a second (but physically smaller) M.2 SSD.

At 1.5kg it isn’t the most portable machine around, but it’s sleek and – for a business laptop – stylish. There’s no Ethernet port, but an HDMI port accompanies two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left-hand side. USB-A ports sit on either side, and while our review unit doesn’t include a nano-SIM slot it is available on variants.

There’s no shortage of security features. On the left you’ll find a smart card reader, with a fingerprint reader tucked under the cursor keys plus a Windows Hello-compatible webcam. HP makes much of the 840 G9’s conferencing abilities, and its 1440p webcam is certainly above average. We weren’t blown away by its Auto Frame capabilities – this works but is stutter-y – but we do love the clear audio picked up by the dual-array mics. These cancel out background noise, too.

HP integrates its Wolf Security package within the laptop, but there’s only a single year’s subscription as standard. If you buy direct from HP, you can triple this – and upgrade the single year of return-to-base warranty to three years of on-site cover – for £179. Be careful, though, as you may end up with a Sure View screen (see our Dragonfly review for its pluses and minuses) rather than the excellent panel in our test unit.

We were similarly impressed by the quality of the keyboard, which combines the excellent traits of quietness with a cushioned yet decisive action. It would be a pleasure to belt out a report on this machine. You can even play music in the background, with one of the better pairs of speakers in evidence here.

This is a well-built laptop that may have taken our Labs Winner award if it wasn’t for the limited warranty and the question marks over which screen comes with which model.

We also rated the best 4K monitors.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: One minute review

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is the company’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, and it’s one that sits at an affordable price ($289 / £299 / roughly AU$481). It supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks and plays a wide variety of disc formats, including SACD. It also features built-in Wi-Fi for streaming from apps such as Netflix and Prime Video.

The Sony UBP-X800M2 delivers picture quality that competes with the best 4K Blu-ray players, showcasing accurate textures, bold colors and excellent contrast. It also demonstrates superb upscaling with both regular Blu-rays and DVDs getting a picture quality uplift. It may not maintain film grain as accurately as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (something for film purists to bear in mind), but it’s still an excellent player. Paired with one of the best TVs, it will serve any home theater system well.

The X800M2’s interface is on the dated and plain side, but it’s very responsive and easy enough to navigate. There are plenty of settings on offer for both video and audio, but frustratingly, its Dolby Vision setting needs to be switched off or on depending on the disc. The player itself is reassuringly sturdy for the price, though the lack of an alphanumeric front panel display is a disappointment.

While the X800M2 may not offer as much as the Panasonic DP-UB820 and doesn’t provide the same value as the step-down Sony UBP-X700, it is still a fantastic 4K Blu-ray player. Pair it with one of the best OLED TVs, and you’ll be happy.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Prices & release date

The UBP-X800M2 provides multiple connections, though not as many as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: May 2019
• Price: $289 / £299 (roughly AU$481)

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is Sony’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, sitting above the Sony UBP-X700. At launch in May 2019, it cost $299 / £350, putting it in direct competition with Panasonic’s mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DP-UB820.

Several years on from launch, prices have remained largely unchanged for the X800M2 in the US, though discounts appear sporadically. In the UK, stock is becoming thin, with most units available second-hand. In some cases, prices have even gone up (quite dramatically in some places), but I'd only recommend buying it at or around its initial launch price.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Specs Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Features

The Sony UBP-X800M2 has a quick 30 second disc load time (Image credit: Future)

• Dolby Vision HDR support
• SACD playback
• Built-in Wi-Fi for streaming

The Sony X800M2 has comprehensive disc support including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD (in multiple formats), CD and SACD, the latter of which is not supported by many 4K Blu-ray players including more premium ones like the Panasonic UB9000.

For HDR formats, the X800M2 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+. (The Panasonic DP-UB820, the X800M2’s closest rival, supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.)

The X800M2 supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (bitstream) and decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD soundtracks. Hi-res audio is also supported via USB, including 24-bit files and DSD (11.2 mHz).

The X800M2 features two HDMI outputs, a coaxial digital audio output, a USB port for audio and video file playback, and an Ethernet port. It has built-in Wi-Fi for streaming, with access to some of the best streaming services, including Netflix and YouTube, and BBC iPlayer pre-installed for UK-based customers. There are no analogue audio outputs as found on the Panasonic DP-UB82, but there is a Bluetooth wireless output for headphones. I tested this feature when watching La La Land, and the connection was solid with only minimal delay.

The X800M2 is responsive during use and its menus are easy to navigate. There are a good number of picture settings, including multiple 4K upscaling options, and there are audio presets to improve the quality of lower-resolution files. While easy to navigate and read, the interface itself is on the plain side, and it has the same outdated look as its more budget Sony UBP-X700 counterpart.

A frustration that carries over from the Sony UBP-X700 is that Dolby Vision must be manually turned on and off per disc; it does not work automatically like on Panasonic players. Instead, with the Dolby Vision setting turned on, the X800M2 forces Dolby Vision on regardless of the disc's content.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Performance

With the UBP-X800M2, pictures have fantastic contrast (Image credit: Future)

• Superb picture reproduction
• Effective upscaling
• Fast load times

The X800M2 demonstrated a short load time in my testing. It took roughly 30 seconds from a disc being loaded into the disc tray to the first logos appearing on screen, which is 5-10 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB820 and a full 30 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB150.

For testing, the X800M2 was connected to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV.

The X800M2 demonstrated superb picture quality. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman, black levels were rich and deep, and contrast was powerful. Textures and details were true-to-life, and the Dolby Vision HDR added extra visual punch. It was a similar story with Oppenheimer: black and white scenes were presented with a full range of gray tones, creating a balanced and dynamic image.

Colors were also presented with plenty of vibrant punch. In the opening sequence of La La Land (in HDR10), the full array of brightly colored clothing on display looked natural, yet vivid. The same was true for a later scene where Mia’s yellow dress is shown against a dark backdrop, though I noticed that the X800M2 has a cooler color palette than my reference Panasonic DP-UB820 player.

The X800M2 also demonstrated brilliant upscaling. Watching the Blu-ray version of The Batman, the picture was very close to the 4K version, with only slightly softer-looking textures. A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man didn’t quite hit 4K quality, but the clean upscaling of textures improved picture quality.

While the X800M2 demonstrated mostly accurate reproduction with films, it did smooth out some film grain, which is something purists will want to take note of. One scene I watched from a Blu-ray of Thief has a high level of film grain, and while this was mostly maintained, the picture looked overly cleaned up compared to the same disc played on the Panasonic DP-UB820. The same situation held for The Batman, an intentionally grainy movie.

The X800M2 played Dolby Atmos soundtracks flawlessly and CD playback was also issue-free.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Design

The UBP-X800M2 has a solid, sturdy design, but the lack of an alphanumeric LED front display is disappointing (Image credit: Future)

• Solid, premium design
• No front-panel display
• Cheap remote

For a mid-range player, the X800M2 has a premium build quality, with a weighty, solid chassis comprised of metal and plastic. The design is typical plain black, but it looks sleek and minimal compared to rival 4K Blu-ray players.

Similar to its step-down X700 counterpart, the X800M2 does not have an alphanumeric LED display on its front panel, making it difficult to easily tell where you are in a movie or see what screen/functions you’re using. It’s disappointing that Sony’s flagship player lacks this feature, which is one that Panasonic’s players provide.

The X800M2’s supplied remote is functional, but sadly feels cheap. It’s an improvement on the smaller one supplied with the Sony X700, but it’s still not as easy to use as the remotes supplied with Panasonic’s 4K players.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Value

The UBP-X800M2 has great overall picture quality but it does favour a cooler color palette, shown here during La La Land (Image credit: Future)

• Good features and performance for the price
• Step-down X700 is a better value

At $289 / £299, the Sony UBP-X800M2 is a great mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, but one that sits in an awkward spot. It has great features, including Wi-Fi for streaming, and its picture quality and responsiveness are excellent for a mid-range 4K Blu-ray player. In the UK, however, the similarly priced Panasonic DP-UB820 with its more comprehensive HDR support is probably the better option. And in the US, the step-down Sony X700 is significantly cheaper than the X800M2 and offers better overall bang for your buck.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player?

The UBP-X800M2 does maintain film grain in older movies such as Thief, but there is some smoothing happening (Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You want superb picture quality
The X800M2's delivers refined detail, brilliant contrast and bold colors, especially with 4K Blu-rays. View Deal

You watch a lot of Blu-rays and DVDS
Your regular Blu-rays and DVDs will benefit from the X800M2's upscaling prowess, which improves textures and colors. View Deal

You want a feature-packed 4K Blu-ray player
With Dolby Vision HDR, Wi-Fi for streaming and a good number of connections and settings, the X800M2 is a well equipped 4K disc player. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value 4K Blu-ray player
The step-down Sony UBP-X700 has similar features and picture for less. And the Panasonic DP-UB820, though slightly pricier, offers significantly more features for the money.View Deal

You don't want to mess with settings
When switching between Dolby Vision and non-Dolby Vision discs, the X800M2 has a frustrating setting that needs to be changed each time.View Deal

You want a modern interface
As you may end up spending time in the settings menus, be prepared to deal with a dated interface. View Deal

Also consider

Sony UBP-X700
The step-down Sony 4K Blu-ray player from the X800M2, the UBP-X700 delivers similar features and performance for less, demonstrating better value. Yes, the X800M2 might beat its picture quality, but not enough to justify the price difference.

Read our full Sony UBP-X700 reviewView Deal

Panasonic DP-UB820
Our best-in-class 4K Blu-ray player choice, the DP-UB820 offers full HDR support and more connections than the X800M2. It may be pricier than X800M2, but the DP-UB820 delivers the ultimate bang for your buck.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820 reviewView Deal

Panasonic DP-UB150/154
A more budget 4K player than the X800M2, the UB150/154 doesn't offer the same performance or features. It's still worthwhile if you're on a strict budget, as it supports a wide variety of discs and HDR10+ high dynamic range.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB150/154 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player

• Tested using a variety of discs including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and CD
• Tested with Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV

For my testing of the Sony UBP-X800M2, I connected it to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED, a TV with Dolby Vision HDR support.

To test the X800M2's video and audio quality, I predominantly used reference scenes from 4K Blu-rays, including The Batman, La La Land, Top Gun Maverick, and more.

I used several regular Blu-rays, including Thief, and DVDs such as The Amazing Spider-man to analyse the X800M2's upscaling.

I also evaluated the X800M2's video and audio settings, its menu layout and its streaming capabilities.

• First reviewed: April 2025
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Turn-based role-playing game (RPG) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is easily an early game of the year contender. It has some of the best visual execution and artistic design I’ve ever seen, some of the most beautiful environment and world building I’ve immersed myself in, and also some top-tier, multifaceted combat that has changed me from a skeptic to a turn-based convert.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5, PS5 Pro
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: April 25, 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deftly carves out its own style despite the clear influence of JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games) that it so readily wears on its sleeve, but not once does it feel like it’s purely imitating other games, or tamely reimagining established elements.

Instead, it delivers a sublimely sombre story with fantastic performances, in a world full of breathtakingly beautiful environments, that has some exhilarating, slick, and rewarding combat that is fantastic to get your teeth into.

There are a few wrinkles along the way that affect some elements of the game such as dialogue, progression and navigation, and the overall pacing a little, but this effort Sandfall Interactive’s small team of developers is as good as some of the best RPG games, and is definitely an early contender for game of the year discussions.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive / Microsoft) A world worth fighting for

As I have touched upon, there are three core elements of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that combine to create its brilliance.

The first is the immensely high-quality and breathtaking setting, environments, and art direction. The entire game is a visual treat, with every map, level, environment, and locale designed with intelligence, but also aesthetic brilliance.

Each and every place in the game is itself a staggeringly beautiful environment. From Giants Causeway-esque volcanic rock coastal areas, to strangely underwater (but not actually underwater) zones and huge mountainous areas where each cliff is a face, to icy stalactite riddled caves and all kinds of lush landscapes in between, there’s never a dull moment.

Navigating is a simple joy too: you can seamlessly switch between characters with the press of a button, and Lune’s smooth gliding movement (the character’s alternative to sprinting) is one of the many simple things that Clair Obscur does tremendously.

This environmental excellence even extends to the overworld used to navigate between the main areas of the game. Much like the map, it has a wonderfully painterly quality to it, and you can move your characters around from a different perspective, almost like miniatures on a tabletop game.

You can engage in battles in this overworld-come-map too and navigate it like almost any other part of the game, while also deploying your camp - your expedition’s hub area where conversations and upgrades happen.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Each main area in the game is largely linear, with some tucked-away ends with rewards for those who explore. You’ll come across expedition flags regularly, too. These remnants of expeditions past act a little like bonfires from Souls games: you can heal your party, tinker with skills and attributes, and replenish your supplies at the cost of spawning defeated enemies.

Everything is further enhanced by the wonderful acting and voice work provided by the game’s cast. Dressed in the dark fantasy Belle Époque aesthetic, stars such as Charlie Cox, Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Kirsty Rider, and Andy Serkis give emotive and powerful performances.

The design of non-player characters (NPCs) and foes contributes to the overall level of artistic brilliance, too. The former are quirky beings named Gestrals, who appear as if they’ve been designed around Salvador Dali’s impressions of living paintbrushes, and the latter come in a variety of forms that beautifully complement the areas in which you find them. There’s some repetition here and there, but generally, each was a joy to face - though a lot of that joy comes from the combat, more on that below.

All in this wonderfully stylish execution and presentation has a cinematic quality at times, and it sometimes feels like you’re playing in a stylish film from French cinema. It’s an incredibly imaginative and unique setting, and with such strong placemaking, it will be a game world that stays with me.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive) Masterfully crafted combat

More than anything else, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s combat is quite possibly the biggest accomplishment in the entire game - despite my heaped praise above.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has what I’d call ‘active turn-based combat’. Built upon the staple turn-based action found in JRPGs, the game adds a small tweak - a tweak that was one of the main things that drew me in initially.

This affects the ‘passive’ part of turn-based combat - i.e. between turns or as enemies engage make their moves, and inserts active actions like dodging and parrying. There are also quick-time events (QTEs) in your moves to enhance the impact and power of your attacks.

This not only means that you can still influence both attack and defense throughout each turn, but the execution of these also elevates the combat masterfully. Foremost because the parries, dodges, and QTEs are all extremely well balanced and can be game changers once you’ve mastered them. They aren’t always essential, and they are hard to time perfectly, but when you nail them, it can turn a losing encounter into a winning one in a split second.

Within each battle, your characters can perform a basic attack to gain one action point (AP), fire their free aim weapon at the cost of one AP per fire, use a potion, or execute one of their many skills, should you have enough APs available.

The points requirement can be an obstacle, but you can swiftly gain APs by dodging and parrying perfectly. This places extra importance on the combat’s active elements, though thankfully, it never feels like you’re being forced to play a specific way.

And there’s also a whole lot more to the combat than APs, dodging, and parrying. An incredible amount more, and the game offers plenty of cogs to its combat wheel that can be a total blast to experiment with as you form impactful loadouts and combinations.

For example, as well as their own weapon types - that you can, of course, upgrade as you go - each character has their own unique skill tree with a variety of options that do different levels of damage for different amounts of action points. There are also Pictos (a sort of rune that can be equipped to offer boosts), three of which can be equipped by characters in their loadout at any one time.

Best bit

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Successfully navigating your way through a battle against multiple enemies turn by turn - either fully planned or on the fly - is superbly satisfying, especially when clawing back victory from what looks like certain defeat by complementing your characters’ attacks and capitalizing on enemy weaknesses.

Lumina points can also be applied to characters, which enables them to make use of Pictos equipped by other party members. Then there are also base attributes which can be boosted with each level-up, and that change in importance depending on the characteristics of the weapon you have equipped.

While each character has a host of skills to use, none ever feel unobtainable as the game isn’t shy about giving you plenty of the items that let you reset attributes and skills. I ended up with nearly two dozen of these left over at the end of my playthrough, despite having used a fair few.

So if you really like skill swapping and experimentation, then you’ll be well served here and you’ll be rewarded for getting to know each style, especially as grander skills open up later in the game. With so many systems to get stuck into, there’s a chance that they may be overwhelming - especially given their unique names and terms - but I appreciate the freedom to create your own style.

Combine this with each party member being very different and can be played in a multitude of different ways due to all of the above, and the options you have are wonderful.

Some of my favorite moments of the combat are when it feels like a chess game - perhaps even after a failure or two first planning multi-character moves in advance to make the most of buffs and a good sequence of blows on an enemy. However, I have also really enjoyed being able to react, relying on parrying and dodging to overcome an unforeseen challenge, reacting on the fly.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative) A superbly sombre story

Forming the bedrock for the wonderful combat and beautiful lands is the extraordinarily gripping story. You play as a party of expeditioners embark on a mission to eliminate the ‘Paintress’ and her effect on the island of Lumière, which means that every year, people above an ever-decreasing age perish is what’s referred to as a Gommage.

Following each Gommage, the populace sends out an Expedition to try and slay the Paintress, with each previous to the 33rd attempt being unsuccessful. Finding out what happened to the past expeditions through lost journals adds further depth to the worldbuilding, pulling you in and ensuring you want to find out more and more.

I was locked into the narrative extremely quickly, with the actors' performances combining beautifully with the setting and the pacing of the setup. There’s no barrage of lore here, though: it hooks into you right from the off. And as the story progresses, you get to know the characters more, get invested in their relationships, and see and meet a variety of interesting parties that all play a part in the narrative.

I’m eager not to reveal any spoilers, as it is riveting throughout and wholly unique in games I’ve played. It’s immediately intriguing, always engaging, and perpetually sombre, dark, and melancholy - though never quite truly bleak. It’s not so relentlessly miserable that it would make folks turn off, but it’s never very far from relentlessly melancholy.

(Image credit: Kepler Interactive)

That’s not to say it’s totally without fault, as some minor frustrations are present.

Dialogue can be a bit disjointed at times, and there are multiple instances where you need to press X to say “Yeah”, for example. This is on top of some more baffling omissions, such as having no journal for quests or minimap, and not being able to quickly compare weapons in character menus or when trading. There are also times when areas drag on a bit, or multi-cutscene narrative moments go on for a while.

Those minor qualms aside, and they are very minor, never impacting on my experience enough to put me off, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a wonderful, beautiful, sombre, exceptional game that I can’t recommend highly enough.

Should you play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Play it if...

You’re after a visual and audio spectacle
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a treat for all the senses. It’s one of the most stunning games I’ve played in terms of its art and environment design, but also audio and voice acting.

You’re not usually into turn-based combat
I’m no turn-based combat lover, but the action in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is fantastic. Mixing both planning-essential turn-based combat with active elements and complementing attacks between party members, the action is always gripping and perpetually rewarding.

You want to be engrossed in a gripping narrative with top-notch acting
If games’ stories are what you value most, then you’ll not be let down by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s wonderful writing and immersive story.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking for simple and straightforward combat
While I feel that the combat in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is generally one of the game’s great strengths, with so many elements and unique phrases, and terminology, it may be overwhelming for those who prefer combat to be straightforward.

You’re after a cheerful experience
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not a truly bleak slog by any means, but it’s certainly not a cheery tale either. If you’re looking for something that’ll be spirit-lifting and feel-good, then this isn’t it.

Accessibility

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a smattering of accessibility options that can be tinkered with. The headline is the three difficulty levels present, which you can switch between at any time to find the right challenge for you.

There’s also an auto quicktime mode for executing attacks during combat, which can certainly take some of the stress out. However, there’s no such mode for defence, which feels like an, albeit very specific, oversight.

Elsewhere, there are customisations for subtitles and good colorblind options, along with camera adjustments, but there are no control customization options available by default.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative) How I reviewed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for more than 40 hours, completing the main storyline (in about 30 hours) as well as visiting every corner of the map I could and carrying out a host of side quests.

I reviewed the PlayStation 5 version of the game on my two PS5 setups: a PS5 Slim combined with an Acer X32QFS gaming monitor and a Yamaha SR-C20A soundbar; and a PS5 Pro teamed with a Samsung Q6F 55-inch 4K QLED TV and Samsung soundbar.

When using a headset, I opted for a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 on the PS5 Slim, and a set of Sennheiser HD 550 headphones, or a SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset with my PS5 Pro. I used a regular DualSense Wireless controller with both machines and played many hours of the game on my PlayStation Portal, too.

I tested the game thoroughly in both its graphics modes, Performance and Quality, and preferred the former, playing the vast majority of the game in it. The smoothness of the framerates - and extra quality on PS5 Pro - made for a slicker experience, especially in the exhilarating combat, but whichever mode you choose, you’ll be treated to an absolute spectacle, visually.

First reviewed April 2025

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller: one-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is a gamepad revival done right. It successfully recreates the look and feel of Sega’s original unit, while adding some very welcome modern flourishes that (mostly) help it to feel like a solid contemporary option - especially for some fighting games and retro game compilations.

The original Sega Saturn controller has always been a winner in my book, with its six face buttons and glorious ergonomic D-pad. That experience has been replicated on Retro-Bit’s version, but you can also expect handy additions in a pair of Hall effect sticks, trigger buttons, and, of course, wireless connectivity. As a result, this could be one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers for you if you get regular use out of those Nintendo Switch Online retro game libraries.

It’s also an impressive value proposition, with a price firmly in that budget-friendly bracket, costing about the same as a standard Xbox Wireless Controller. You’re getting compatibility with PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch here with the included 2.4GHz dongle. But the package also includes a Sega Saturn-compatible V2 receiver, so if you’ve got a Saturn lying around, this is an excellent modern wireless option for that system.

There are some mild annoyances to wrestle with, namely in terms of so-so build quality and the thumbsticks being a little too small for my liking. The newly added Home and Select buttons in the center are also placed in rather cramped fashion. But overall, in terms of retro-inspired controllers, Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn model is certainly among the best.

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller review: Price and availability

• $49.99 / £44.99 (around AU$78)
• Costs about the same as an Xbox Wireless Controller
• Available at Retro-Bit and Amazon

The Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is available to purchase now, either from Retro-Bit’s website or Amazon, for $49.99 / £44.99. In terms of pricing for PC-compatible gamepads, this falls squarely in range of the Xbox Wireless Controller or the GameSir T4 Kaleid.

This is rather impressive value, given the pad’s wireless connectivity options and smart additions like Hall effect thumbsticks though the retro nature of it makes it tough to recommend for a wide range of genres, including first-person shooters or strategy games.

But for some of the best fighting games like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves or Street Fighter 6 (thanks to that six-button layout), it’s a great pick. It’s also a fine choice for the many retro game compilations we see today, including Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and Castlevania Dominus Collection.

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller review: specs

(Image credit: Future) Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller: design and features

Aesthetically, Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is designed after the console’s MK-80116 gamepad. All the original colors are accounted for here, from the pink Start button and triggers to the green, yellow, and blue face buttons. If authenticity is the goal, Retro-Bit has nailed it.

The controller maintains that old-school ‘boomerang’ style silhouette that was common among the fourth and fifth console generations (think the Super Nintendo, Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, and indeed the Saturn). That also means shorter grips and face buttons that are on average larger than what we see on many of the best PC controllers of today.

Despite the retro design, the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller still sits incredibly snug in the hands - its edges perfectly rounded to allow for a comfortable play position. All six face buttons are easily reachable, and the large D-pad rests firmly under your left thumb.

While I like the new additions to this controller, their placement is a little off. The new Home and Select buttons, as well as the two Hall effect thumbsticks, are a little too close to the center of the pad for comfort.

Things aren’t too bad with the sticks (even though they’re a bit smaller and shallower than what I’m used to), but you’ll really have to stretch your thumbs in order to reach those central buttons, to the point where I often found myself looking down at the controller to register their position relative to my thumbs.

Build quality is also something that I wish was slightly better. It’s not overtly nasty by any means, but the controller does feel quite hollow, and you can hear the D-pad shaking about when you rock it around in your hands. The face buttons also feel slightly loose, and the sticks are noticeably notchy as you move them around.

(Image credit: Future) Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller: performance

Thankfully, some of those design shortcomings don’t do much to ruin an otherwise comfortable and responsive play experience. This controller is a particularly good fit for fighting games, as mentioned earlier. The six-button layout is great for Street Fighter 6, and allows your light, medium, and heavy inputs for both punches and kicks to be reachable with your right thumb.

That also frees up the bumpers and triggers for other inputs or macros. In the case of Street Fighter 6, that meant easy macroing for actions like Drive Impact, Drive Rush, and throws. And for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, which is a four-button game, those extra two face buttons came in handy for throw and REV macros.

Helping this along is the truly excellent D-pad. At first, I was unsure of it, as, like the face buttons, it is quite loose-feeling. But during play, it feels exceptionally tight and responsive. Directional inputs for special moves simply weren’t an issue here, thanks to its rounded nature, and I found I could pull them off much more reliably than with traditional four-way D-pads found on other controllers.

Fighting games aside, the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller was also an excellent choice for retro (and retro-styled) games and compilations. I had a blast playing through beat-em-up Streets of Rage 4 with this gamepad. Side-scrollers really benefit here too, with the likes of Touhou Luna Nights, Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection, and Nintendo Switch Online games including Super Metroid and Shinobi 3 feeling well-suited.

On the other hand, I would argue that the controller isn’t the best fit for more contemporary games, particularly first-person shooters. The thumbsticks, while a nice addition, simply don’t have the smoothness to offer a satisfying play experience. Their relative closeness also means that your thumbs may barge into each other as you rock the sticks around.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller? Buy it if...

You love fighting games
Whether you’re playing modern greats like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves or stone-cold classics like Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is an excellent gamepad choice for fighting games.

You’ve got a soft spot for retro design and feel
The controller absolutely nails it in terms of replicating the Saturn controller’s look and feel. Modern implementations like Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity only sweeten the deal.

Don't buy it if...

You only play more modern games
The Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller isn’t designed for the big-budget AAA games of today. And while I don’t personally take issue with that, it’s not one to purchase for your blockbuster single-player adventures or Black Ops 6 multiplayer progression.

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller review: Also consider

If the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller isn’t quite what you’re looking for, consider these similarly priced alternatives.

GameSir Super Nova
GameSir is now well-known for producing superstar controllers that punch above their weight, and that’s no exception with the Super Nova. With Hall effect sticks and tons of customization options, it’s a contemporary choice that doesn’t leave much off the table.

Read our full GameSir Super Nova review

Horipad Turbo
It’s not the most glamorous controller out there, but it’s a solid budget pick nonetheless for PC and Nintendo Switch. Buttons and sticks feel surprisingly nice for a gamepad of this price, and the addition of a Turbo button is a good fit for old-school games.

Read our full Horipad Turbo review

How I tested the Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller

• Tested for a week and a half
• Played primarily on Nintendo Switch and PC
• Compared to the Xbox Wireless Controller and the Horipad Turbo

I tested a variety of games, both old and new, with the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller on both PC and Nintendo Switch over the course of a week and a half. While I unfortunately don’t have a Sega Saturn on hand for testing there, I got plenty of play time with fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

I also played a number of retro collections, including Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

JBL Flip 7: Two-minute review

Meet the news boss, handily better than the old boss and even more of a class-leader than before. JBL has not rested on its laurels with the Flip 7, the latest version of its all-conquering portable Bluetooth speaker series, and the result is an obvious front-runner that will leave its nominal rivals gasping.

You get plenty of power (35 watts, in fact) to motor its two-driver speaker array. You get 14 hours of playback (16 if you’re happy to do without some low-frequency presence). You get Auracast compatibility and the chance to listen to genuinely hi-res content if you hard-wire the Flip 7 to an appropriate source via its USB-C socket. You get access to a good control app, the ability to form a stereo pair with another JBL Flip 7, and your choice of quite a few vibrant finishes.

What’s almost best is the sound the JBL makes. By the standards of small-ish portable speakers, it’s an open and detailed listen, punchy but controlled at the bottom end, has impressive dynamic headroom and the sort of clarity and positivity that eludes all but the very best Bluetooth speakers at anything like this price.

Best of all, though, is the fact that all of this talent, tactility and robustness is yours for $149 / £129 / AU$179. There isn’t as complete an alternative available for anything like as aggressive a price as this.

JBL Flip 7 review: Price and release date

• Released March, 2025
• Officially priced at $149 / £129 / AU$179

The JBL Flip 7 went on sale during March 2025, and in the United States it costs $149. That translates to £129 in the United Kingdom, and around AU$179 in Australia.

That the majority of its most obvious competitors have been directly inspired by previous Flip models is neither here nor there – class-leaders are there to be shot at, and this seventh generation of Flip has a lot to live up to as well as some good alternatives to deal with.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Specs

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Features

• 45 x 80mm mid/bass driver, 16mm tweeter
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 60Hz - 20kHz frequency response

For wireless connectivity, the Flip 7 uses top-of-the-shop Bluetooth 5.4 – it’s compatible with SBC and AAC codecs, which is not anyone’s idea of ‘top-of-the-shop’ but in the context of the product is perfectly adequate.

For the first time, here’s a JBL Flip that can be hard-wired to a source of music. The USB-C socket is used for charging the speaker’s battery, of course, but it can also be used for data transfer and, when connected to an appropriate source, it’s able to churn out genuinely high-resolution (24bit/96kHz) stuff. Just hold down the big, bold ‘play’ button on the speaker as you plug in your USB-C cable and you’ll be ready to go.

No matter your method of getting content on board, it’s delivered to your ears by a 45 x 80mm ‘racetrack’ driver taking care of midrange and bass, and a 16mm tweeter for the higher frequencies. The big driver gets 25 watts of power in order to do its thing, and the tweeter another 10 - and there’s no denying that a 35 watt output in a product of this size is plenty. It’s an arrangement that JBL reckons is good for a frequency response of 60Hz - 20kHz.

Another Flip first is Auracast compatibility. So, as well as being able to form a stereo pair with a second Flip 7 (albeit none of the previous models), you can hook up as many Auracast-enabled products as you like into a single entity for simultaneous playback.

Meanwhile, JBL’s proprietary ‘AI Sound Boost’ technology analyzes the music that’s playing on the fly in an effort to minimize distortion and (according to the company) liberate greater scale and bigger bass. An opposing technology is ‘PlaytimeBoost’ – it reduces low-frequency activity in an effort to eke out additional battery life.

• Features score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Design

• Choice of seven finishes
• IP68 -rated
• Carry strap and carabiner

‘Rugged’ isn’t too strong a word to describe the Flip 7's design. Anyone familiar with previous Flips will recognize the almost-cylindrical shape, the eminently grabbable 70 x 183 x 72mm (HxWxD) dimensions and the rubber’n’fabric construction. By the standards of affordable portable Bluetooth speakers, the Flip 7 looks and feels built to last, especially if you choose the camouflage (or ‘squad’) finish. That said, the other six available colours are all nice enough in their own way and you’ll certainly find something to suit you.

‘Rugged’ is definitely the word to describe this speaker’s durability, though. An IP68 rating is class-leading, and means the Flip 7 is basically immune to dust or moisture unless you really go out of your way to try and disprove that idea. The beach, the pool, the festival… none of these environments should present any kind of problem to the JBL. And the company has enhanced the Flip 7’s portable go-anywhere credentials by fitting a little detachable fabric carry-strap and providing a carabiner in the packaging.

Build quality is great, the choice of materials is judicious, and the standard of finish is beyond reproach. I like to try and find a 'yes, but…' where the design and construction of a product like this is concerned, but frankly I’ve got nothing.

• Design score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Sound quality

• Detailed, direct and confident sound
• Plenty of punch and dynamic headroom
• Rhythmically adept

JBL has turned out plenty of very good portable Bluetooth speakers in its time, and its ‘Flip’ series has generally been very good indeed. So when I say the Flip 7 is the best so far, I don’t say it lightly.

In every area of sonic performance, the Flip 7 outperforms its asking price to an almost startling degree. Operating wirelessly and with a Qobuz-derived 16bit/44.1kHz file of Fugazi’s Waiting Room playing, the JBL is a confident and entertaining listen. It digs deep into the low frequencies, hits with real determination, and shapes bass sounds with such conviction that rhythms are given full expression. There’s plenty of variation at the bottom end, too, thanks to detail levels that are the equal of those higher up the frequency range.

The midrange is balanced and communicative, so a voice as idiosyncratic as Teddy Hill’s during I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) is loaded with character as well as the minutiae of his technique. It exists in a nice little pocket of space, thanks to an open and well-defined soundstage that seems to defy the physics of a small device with a couple of drivers facing dead ahead. The top of the frequency range is bright but not edgy, and just as detailed as everything going on beneath it. Overall tonality is nicely natural and consistent from top to bottom.The Fugazi tune is a good showcase for the JBL’s ability where big dynamic shifts are concerned, but Anxiety by Doechii is an even better demonstration of the speaker’s ability to deal with the more minor, but no less important, dynamics of tonal and harmonic variation. The Flip 7 is an attentive, eloquent performer with the sort of directness of sound that makes every tune seem somehow alert and alive.

Really, there’s no meaningful downside. It’s possible to interfere with the sonic balance JBL has hit upon by playing fast and loose with the seven-band EQ in the app, of course, but why would you? The Flip 7 sounds just right exactly as it comes out of the box.

• Sound quality: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Usability and setup

To be fair it’s difficult to get ‘usability and setup’ wrong when it comes to affordable Bluetooth speakers, but that doesn’t mean some brands haven’t given it a good go. JBL, though, is not one of those brands and the Flip 7 can be set up and used by anyone of reading age.

Control is available using the big, rubberised buttons on the device itself – ‘play/pause’, ‘volume up/down’, ‘Bluetooth pairing’, ‘Auracast’ and ‘power on/off’ are available. The JBL ‘Portable’ app that’s free for iOS and Android is also available - and it’s as stable, as logical and as useful an app as we’ve all come to expect from the company. It offers an indication of battery life, the ability to create a stereo pair, allows you to switch ‘PlaytimeBoost’ on or off, and features a seven-band EQ as well as a selection of presets. You can check for firmware updates and wireless connect multiple speakers for what JBL is confident is “an instant party”.

Some 14 hours of battery life is not to be sniffed at, of course – it turns ‘usability’ into an all-day event. And with ‘PlaytimeBoost’ switched on, you can go for as many as 16 hours if you don’t mind a little shortfall in bass power.

• Usability and setup: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Value

If you’ve read this far, I’d hope you understand the JBL Flip 7 is approaching ‘no-brainer’ status. It offers very decent value for money in every respect: it’s properly made and finished, is built to survive fairly major disasters, looks and feels good, and sounds better than any price-comparable alternative. It has some very useful extended functionality and will play for hours at a time before it needs charging.

What else do you want? Jam on it?

• Value score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Should I buy the JBL Flip 7? Buy it if…

You enjoy energetic, detailed sound
The JBL is adept where rhythms, dynamics and detail levels are concerned, and it is a lively, entertaining listen at the same time.

You’re in any way careless
A class-leading IP68 rating means the Flip 7 is your best choice in pretty much every circumstance.

You like a long listen
As long as you’re not listening at top volume, the Flip 7 should run for an easy 14 hours between charges. That should be long enough, let’s face it.

Don’t buy it if…

You want to involve your older Flip speakers
Flip 7 will only pair with other Flip 7s, it has no backwards compatibility.

You’re in a hurry
Charging from ‘flat’ to ‘full’ takes a relatively leisurely two-and-a-half hours.

JBL Flip 7 review: Also consider

Sonos Roam 2
The Sonos Roam owes a lot to the JBL Flip range, and the current Roam 2 costs a chunk more than a Flip 7, but it’s a very good speaker nonetheless. As long as you can live with the knowledge that the Sonos control app might suddenly burst into flames again, it’s well worth considering.
Read more in our Sonos Roam2 review.

Tribit Stormbox Flow
You could also sacrifice some of the JBL’s hardwearing go-anywhere appeal and save yourself a few quid while gaining a stack of battery life and consider the Tribit Stormbox Flow. No, it’s no looker and no, it’s not exactly a featherweight, but the sound is good and 30 hours of playback at a time is straightforwardly impressive.
Read all about it in our Tribit Stormbox Flow review.

How I tested the JBL Flip 7

• Tested for about a week, mainly indoors but also by the sea
• Played a variety of music types
• Listened to the Qobuz app on iPhone smartphone, FiiO M15S high-res audio player and via USB-C

I used the JBL Flip 7 on my desktop, of course, but it’s an ideal candidate for use on the pebbly and windswept beaches around the United Kingdom's south coast too, and so I took it with me whenever I was near the sea.

I wirelessly connected it to an Apple iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S, and used its new USB-C functionality to hard-wire it to an Apple MacBook Pro, too. It was nothing but a pleasure to listen to every time.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: April 2025

Zapier Interfaces is a relatively new addition to the Zapier suite of apps. It helps extend Zapier’s popular workflow automation capabilities into the realm of no-code app development.

You can use Zapier Interfaces to build custom front-end interfaces, such as client portals, and dashboards that integrate seamlessly with Zapier's automation tools.

In this review we’ll look at the platform’s features, interface and ease of use, integration and extensibility, deployment and maintenance, pricing and documentation, and how it stacks up against its peers.

Zapier Interfaces: Features

Zapier Interfaces provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface builder that you can use to create layouts, and add all kinds of components, without writing code.

You can throw in components such as forms, Kanban boards, link cards, AI prompts, chatbots, and more into your apps. Each of these components can be easily customized, and you can also adjust the layout, colours, and fonts to align the look and feel of your apps to your brand.

(Image credit: Zapier Interfaces)

The platform also offers pre-built templates that cater to several common business use cases. You can start with these templates, and then customize them as per your needs to help save time. There are templates that’ll help collect customer feedback, capture leads, build client portals, onboard new employees, and more.

The core strength of the platform lies in its seamless integration with existing Zapier Zaps. You can easily use Interfaces to connect the various components to Zap triggers and actions, and create automated workflows to power your custom apps.

Zapier Interfaces also integrates with Zapier Tables to help manage and display data. For instance, you can use the platform to create a form to capture customer information, which upon submission triggers a zap to create a new record in a Zapier Table to store the data.

Also, apps created with Zapier Interfaces are responsive, and work across various screen sizes whether viewed on desktops, tablets, or smartphones.

Zapier Interfaces: Interface and Ease of Use

Zapier Interfaces has an intuitive interface that’s easy to get started with.

There are two broad categories of interfaces you can create with the platform. Forms capture information, and Customer Portals, which can be public, or require login. You also have the option to start with a template, or from scratch.

If you start from scratch, the platforms will ask you to select a component to build your first page.

(Image credit: Zapier Interfaces)

Remember, you can have multiple components on a single page. Besides components that gather or display information, you can also add decorative components, such as media, and dividers to the pages.

Components in a page are displayed on the left-side of the platform’s builder. You can click on a component to edit it in the right-hand pane.

Depending on the tye of component, it’ll have various settings for you to adjust and tweak, such as its appearance and behavior. For instance in the Text component you can use markdown to format the text, adjust the component’s width, and change alignment of both the text, as well as the component itself.

Interactive components, such as Forms, give you more customization options, which will vary depending on the type you use. These are usually divided into three tabs. If you add a Form component, you can add and remove fields from the Content tab.

You can also point the form to an existing table, or create a new one from under the Data tab. Then there’s the Actions tab under which you define the action that takes place when something happens on the component.

For instance, in the Form component, an action can be triggered when the user hits the submit button, such as displaying a confirmation message that the form has been submitted. This is also where you create a Zap, or point to an existing one, to automate workflows.

Every page also has a Page Options button on the top that you can use to alter the page’s name, meta title, and even the URL.

In the left sidebar of the builder, you get more options to further personalize and manage different aspects of your interface, such as its theming, and branding, and more.

Zapier Interfaces: Integration and Extensibility

A standout feature of Zapier Interfaces is its deep integration with Zapier's extensive ecosystem, which supports thousands of popular apps. This integration allows you to build apps that interact with a wide range of services, including CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and productivity tools.

You can also link your apps to Zapier Tables to store and retrieve your data. Click the Linked Assets button in the sidebar to see a list of all the connected Zaps and tables in a particular page.

(Image credit: Zapier Interfaces)

Zapier Interfaces also allows you to build apps that accept payment via Stripe. The platform also has a chatbot component that you can use to create a ChatGPT-powered AI chatbot.

The component is currently in beta, but it worked flawlessly for us. You give it a directive on how it should respond to users. Very helpfully, the platform already adds a detailed directive that you can tweak as per your needs.

Zapier Interfaces: Deployment and Maintenance

As it is with no-code apps, deploying apps built with Zapier Interfaces is pretty straightforward.

Click the Settings icon in the left sidebar, where you get the option to specify your own custom subdomain for your app. You can also publish the app to your own domain by heading to the Custom domain option in the sidebar.

By default, all apps are accessible to anyone with the URL. However, you do get the option to control who can view your app by heading to the Access & Users option in the sidebar. Here you get a couple of options to restrict access. You can either lock access with a password, or to a specified set of users.

(Image credit: Zapier Interfaces)

Zapier Interfaces also lets you invite and collaborate with other users using the Share button in the top-right corner.

The sharing interface also has an Embed tab that you can use to embed pages from your app inside another website. You’ll be able to select the page you wish to embed, and adjust its height and width.

Zapier Interfaces: Pricing and Documentation

Zapier Interfaces offers a free tier that provides you with access to enough components and features to explore the platform.

For advanced features, such as custom branding, custom domains, access to OpenAI models, components like Stripe, and more, you can opt for one of the paid plans.

The $20/month Pro plan unlocks access to all components and lets you create a maximum of five apps with up to 20 pages. But to publish apps to custom domains, you’ll need to switch to the $100/month Advanced plan, which also increases the number of publishable apps to 20, with up to 50 pages in each.

In terms of documentation, Zapier Interfaces has a handful of tutorials that’ll help you familiarize yourself with the platform. You’ll find step-by-step guides to create and manage apps, as well as on using the various components.

Zapier Interfaces: The Competition

In the no-code app development space, Zapier Interfaces competes with platforms like Bubble, and Adalo, which offer more extensive development capabilities.

These platforms offer more functionality, and allow for greater customization, but have a steeper learning curve than Zapier Interfaces. Also, while most of its competitors excel at building general purpose web apps, Zapier Interfaces distinguishes itself by its seamless integration with the Zapier ecosystem.

Zapier Interfaces: Final Verdict

Zapier Interfaces provides a versatile platform that you can use to create client portals, dashboards, or internal tools that can enhance your business processes, without writing any code.

However, it's important to recognize its limitations in terms of customization, and extensibility as compared to other general purpose no-code platforms. Its main selling point is its close integration with Zapier workflows.

As we’ve said before, Zapier Interfaces is not designed to be a full featured web app development platform. Instead look at it as a platform to add custom user interfaces to your existing Zapier workflows.

If you want to build apps that automate and interact with data from Zapier's integrated apps, the platform is a wonderful option. Its ease of use and tight integration with the Zapier ecosystem makes it a good choice to help design, deploy, and manage custom web apps that complement your automated Zapier workflows.

Also check our list of the best productivity tools.

Codev is a no-code platform that relies exclusively on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help transform natural language descriptions into web apps. In this review we’ll delve into its features, interface, ease of use, integration and extensibility, deployment and maintenance, pricing and documentation, and compare it with its competitors.

Codev: Features

Codev is one of the simplest no-code platforms, which also makes it one of the easiest to get started with, even for first timers.

As we’ve mentioned, Codev is one of the growing number of no-code platforms that leverages AI to create apps. The use of AI makes it dead simple for non-developers to create web apps without writing a single line of code.

All you need to do is describe your app idea in regular English, and Codev will take care of the rest. The platform will analyze your input to build your app together with all the necessary components, styling, and functionality for the app.

You can then again use AI to keep refining the app. Very helpfully, the platform will keep track of all the iterations of the app, and you can revert to any previous version with a single click.

You can also upload images to the platform, which you can then ask it to use in the app. This is helpful for things like app logos, custom headers, product images, and such.

Besides AI, the platform also lets you customize the broader look, and feel of your apps with just a few clicks. You can, for instance, change the primary color to align the app to your brand, adjust the corner radius, and switch between light or dark modes.

(Image credit: Codev)

Codev can work with the open source Firebase-alternative, Supabase, which uses PostgreSQL to add databases to your apps. You can also use it to roll in authentication services, like user sign ups and logins.

By default, all Codev apps are responsive, which means they can adapt to different screen sizes and devices. This ensures that your apps provide a consistent user experience across desktops, and smartphones.

When you are done, you can also transfer your project to a GitHub repo, which is a helpful feature if you need to make manual code edits to your apps.

Codev: Interface and Ease of Use

Thanks to its limited number of features, Codev has a simple, and straightforward interface, unlike many of its peers. This makes it very approachable, especially if you are new to no-code app development platforms.

Once you’ve entered the prompt, the platform will start building the app, and detail each and every step.

Remember however, that you can only add authentication services, and databases to your app at the start of the app creation process.

One of the good things about Codev is its verbosity. The platform details each and every step in the app creation process. For instance, it’ll tell you how it’s going about putting together the backend (the database structure), and assembling the frontend (user interface).

It’ll also list all the features it has implemented, like contact listing with search, contact creation with form validation, and such. Codev will also list all that you can do with the app in simple language. Finally, the platform will also offer suggestions on how you can improve the first iteration of the app.

Once it’s done building the app, you can preview it on the left side of the screen. By default, the preview shows the desktop view, but you can also switch to the mobile view.

You can also optionally rate the output as well, based on how closely the app meets the requirements you specified in the AI prompt. The platform keeps track of all iterations of the app above the preview. Interestingly, you can switch, and preview any version, before you decide to revert to an older instance.

(Image credit: Codev)

There’s also a button to view the error log, in case it ran into any during the build. If you do get an error, you can use the Attempt Fix button to let the platform resolve the issue on its own.

Unlike many of its peers, Codev doesn’t include a designer to help fine tune the various elements in your app, such as the titles. However, you can use the Select Element option to hover, and mark the elements you want to refine. You can then describe how you’d like to modify these elements to Codev’s AI.

Codev: Integration and Extensibility

Codev relies on the Next.js framework to power its apps. The platform also does

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG) to pre-render the web apps on the server, which helps improve its initial load times, and SEO ranking.

The platform also uses the Prisma Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) to simplify database interactions, and make it easier to build data-driven apps.

As we’ve pointed out earlier, Codev gets its database from Supabase. Earlier, the platform offered a code download feature, but you can now hook it up with your GitHub account, and ask it to transfer your web app to a GitHub repo.

This is especially useful for advanced users who want to manually make changes to the code, or perhaps collaborate with other developers. Remember though, there’s no provision to upload the exported code back into Codev.

Codev: Deployment and Maintenance

Once your app is ready, you can publish it with a single click. By default, the platform will publish the latest version of the app. However, you can publish any of the earlier versions as well.

(Image credit: Codev)

As with its peers, Codev too publishes apps to its own subdomain. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to distract yourself with the nitty-gritties of web hosting. That said, you do have the option to deploy the app to your own custom domain.

Remember however, that any changes made to the app will not be reflected in the deployed version automatically. Instead, you’ll have to manually republish the app, while ensuring you select the latest version of the app.

Codev: Pricing and Documentation

Codev's pricing model offers flexible options in order to cater to a wide range of users, from startups to larger businesses.

The Free tier offers a limited number of features, but is good enough for exploring the platform. You can use it to query the AI 15 times a month, with a maximum of five messages a day.

If that number’s too low for you, there’s the $19/month Lite plan that offers 50 additional AI queries per month, with no daily limits. You can have up to five private projects in this plan, and publish projects to a custom domain as well. This plan also lets you transfer the code for your app to your GitHub repo.

If you are looking to publish more than one app, switch to the $49/month Pro plan, which allows you to publish an unlimited number of apps to an unlimited number of custom domains. The plan also offers an additional 150 AI messages, gives you early access to new features, and access to the platform’s developers.

In terms of documentation, Codev has a handful of tutorials that cover best practices for writing effective prompts, supabase setup, and authentication. The share update, and details about new features via their official blog.

Support is dispensed through Codev’s Discord channel, and Pro users can also seek support from the platform’s developers.

Codev: The Competition

Codev competes against three other platforms, all of which make extensive use of AI to democratize app development.

First up, is the newly launched Hostinger Horizons, which offers more integration like payment gateways. And while it won’t send code to your GitHub repo, it does let you download and edit it offline. Also, unlike its peers, you can interact with Horizons AI using several non-English languages, as well as through voice prompts.

Then there’s Lovable, which can do everything you can with Codev, and then some. For instance, it offers two-way sync with GitHub, pre-built templates, a Figma-like visual editor, and more.

Codev: Final Verdict

Codev’s best feature is its use of AI to design, and debug the app, which makes the platform usable by non-programmers as well.

However, Codev has a limited set of features, as compared to its peers. It also doesn’t have a visual GUI editor, nor any templates to jump start the app creation process. The platform also can only make web apps, and not mobile apps, or even progressive web apps (PWAs).

All things considered, Codev comes across as a barebones AI-powered no-code platform that offers the bare minimum features you need to spin up a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with minimal effort.

Here’s a list of the best laptops for programming.

Cuktech 20 Power Bank: review

The Cuktech 20 Power Bank has a high power output and large capacity, designed for charging laptops and similar devices while traveling. As you would expect from a battery of this ilk, it’s quite a handful. It’s thick across its depth, although thankfully it’s not as wide, nor is it as heavy as I was expecting.

This makes the Cuktech 20 Power Bank reasonably portable all things considered, although it’s slightly more cumbersome than some rivals with similar specs.

Thankfully, the Cuktech 20 Power Bank is still airline safe despite its size, since it falls below the TSA’s 100Wh limit. It’s also useful that this is clearly labelled on the side, so if an agent is ever doubtful, you can at least show them.

Cuktech has tried to inject some interest into its appearance as well, with its two-tone design and translucent front panel, and I did appreciate the linear texture on the sides, which aids grip and feels premium to the touch. However, this is still a rather austere looking brick, albeit one that’s perhaps a bit more sleek than some of the best power banks.

One of the standout features of the Cuktech 20 Power Bank is the screen, which displays various information, such as the battery life and estimated charging time, as well as the wattage, voltage, and amperage for each port in real time. There’s also a handy indicator to tell you whether a port is delivering or receiving power.

Although this information is certainly useful, it’s a shame the display area is quite small. It’s also a shame that given its size, the Cuktech 20 Power Bank only has three ports, as other power banks of this ilk can squeeze in one or two more. Still, at least two of them are USB-C, and both are input and output capable.

The first USB-C port has an output of 140W, whereas the second tops out at 60W. The USB-A port, meanwhile, has a maximum power output of 30W. Despite this, the maximum output doesn’t quite add up to 230W, but 210W – which is still plenty of power for a brick this size.

Charging via all three ports simultaneously is also supported, while an additional trickle charging mode is available for charging low current devices, such as earbuds and smartwatches, which can be activated by double pressing the power button.

It took just under two hours for the Cuktech 20 Power Bank to charge an HP Chromebook Plus, which has a 58Wh battery, from empty to full via the most powerful USB-C port, which is a solid performance. The estimated time given by the bank was accurate for the most part too, closely matching that of the Chromebook’s, although figures went awry at the tail-end of the charge.

The Cuktech 20 Power Bank lost 82% of its charge in the process, which unfortunately means you’ll likely only get one laptop charge out of it, but this is expected given the capacity – and if it did have more juice in the tank, it would likely exceed flight limits. Charging the bank itself took two hours from empty to full in, which is another impressive performance.

When charging the bank itself, it’s a shame that the screen goes off, although fortunately this can be changed in the settings. Also, there’s a handy LED strip running vertically below it that repeatedly fills up to indicate charging, which also looks stylish – for what that’s worth.

I should mention, however, that my first attempt to charge the Cuktech 20 Power Bank failed. After 30 minutes or so, I noticed it wasn’t receiving any charge, despite my cable being attached correctly. I’m not sure if this was because the bank was expecting to deliver an output rather than receive an input, but a simple re-plug fixed the issue. I can also report that I only experienced this once during my testing, so I can only presume this was a one-time glitch.

If you’re looking for another large yet flight-ready power bank, the Anker Laptop Power Bank is a great alternative. It’s slightly cheaper than the Cuktech 20 Power Bank, but it has more convenient features, such as two built-in USB-C cables, one of which can be looped to create a carrying handle. It has less total power than the Cuktech 20 Power Bank (165W), but this is still plenty for many people’s needs.

But if you do need over 200W of total power, in a reasonably portable and flight-ready package, the Cuktech 20 Power Bank is a solid pick for charging laptops and the like on the go.

(Image credit: Future) Cuktech 20 Power Bank review: price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Cuktech 20 Power Bank? Buy it if…

You want plenty of power
With 210W of total power, the Cuktech 20 should be enough for all kinds of devices.

You still want to fly with it
Despite its power and size, the Cuktech 20 is still airline safe, which is helpfully labelled on one side.

Don't buy it if…

You want something small
The Cuktech 20 does a good job of keeping things compact, but it's undeniably thick, which can be inconvenient.

You want something cheap
With all that power comes a high price, and there are some equally capable but slightly cheaper alternatives out there.

Cuktech 20 Power Bank review: Also consider

Anker Laptop Power Bank
Not only does it have the same capacity as the Cuktech 20 Power Bank, the Anker Laptop Power Bank has features two integrated USB-C cables, one of which doubles as a handy carrying loop. It’s about the same size and weight as the Cuktech 20 Power Bank, and is similarly flight-ready, but costs slightly less. At 165W, it’s less powerful – but still not exactly what you’d call weak. Read our Anker Laptop Power Bank review.

Astro A50 Gen 5 review: one-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

Logitech’s Astro sub-brand has a sizeable lineage, offering competition-grade audio solutions for years now, and the A50 Gen 5 is able to easily maintain that status quo at a (slightly) lower price point than the Astro A50 X, one of the best wireless gaming headsets we tested last year.

Much of the Astro A50 Gen 5 is built on the same very impressive foundation. It’s packing graphene drivers, which not only sound great but also contribute very little in terms of weight, while the whole design feels well-built without ever feeling uncomfortable for longer periods of use.

Audio sounds excellent, with a broad soundstage that packs in plenty of bass without distortion and plenty of high-end without tinniness, and I found myself using it for listening to music almost as much as I did for gaming.

Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic are included, as well as the option to pipe in Bluetooth audio from an external source — ideal for anyone looking to crank up a podcast or playlist while grinding in their favorite game.

That flexibility is a common theme with the A50 Gen 5, too, since it can be connected to multiple platforms. While its pricier ‘X’ branded sibling can switch HDMI inputs with a button press, the A50 Gen 5 can do the same for audio.

The same mic from the A50 X is here, too, crystal clear in pressurized competitive moments (or as competitive as you can get within my own skill level) and easy to fold up if you’d prefer to just use the headset as a pair of very nice headphones.

Add to that a fantastic 24 hours of battery life, plus the convenience of being able to rest the headset on the docking station so it’s always ready to go and you’ve got a compelling package — and that’s before touching on Logitech’s G Hub software, which features custom equalizers and Blue voice adjustments.

It’s still not exactly affordable, but if you’re looking for a headset that can work across all platforms, it may be cheaper than buying a dedicated one for each.

Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Price and availability

• List price: $299.99 / £299.99
• Cheaper than Astro A50 X by around £70/$80
• Available worldwide

For $300 / £300, you get a solid package here. Aside from the fantastic headset, that base station really is nifty.

It's well constructed, offering a really handy way to keep your headset charged, while it’s hard to find fault with the build quality of the A50 Gen 5 headset itself.

It’s more premium than mid-range headsets that lean on plasticky shells, and similarly priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.

That rival arguably feels more headphone-like in its design, but offers similar versatility from multi-platform and dual-source output. If you want something that looks a little less like a gaming peripheral, that might be the way to go.

(Image credit: Future) Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Design and features

• Lightweight headset with fold-down mic
• Graphene drivers are lightweight but offer big sound
• Fabric ear cups are comfortable and avoid sweat build-up

Sat next to the pricier A50 X, you’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences, although the red cables on the Gen 5s versus the black cables on the A50 X are a bit of a giveaway.

The A50 Gen 5 comes in black or white, with magnetic cushions that can be taken off and swapped if you feel they’re getting to the end of their life (although even after well over a year of the premium version, it’s not ever felt that way to me).

The mic is identical, too, folding down to mouth level, while the side panel on the other side contains all the inputs. There’s chat and audio mixing on the headset itself, as well as Bluetooth functionality for piping your music through.

It’s comfortable for long periods thanks to being lighter than the old Logitech Pro X headsets I’ve used in the past, while the ear cups never feel like they get too hot. In fact, I prefer them to the colder, more leather-like alternatives (although you can buy a leatherette conversion kit from Logitech).

Onto the docking station, then, and while there’s no HDMI connectivity on the back, there are four USB ports. One is reserved for power, so the math enthusiasts will recognize that there are three ports left.

The ports are labeled for PC, PS5, and Xbox, meaning Switch is absent, but you can plug it into any of them.

You may need to provide your own USB-C cables, though — Logitech only provides one for power and a single cable to connect up other consoles.

(Image credit: Future) Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Performance

• 24-hour battery life plus added convenience of docking station
• 24-bit PC audio, 16-bit on consoles but you’re unlikely to hear the difference
• Connects via USB-C to docking station, but no HDMI ports

The Astro Gen 5, at least to my relatively trained ears as a musician, sounds the same as its premium sibling.

Footsteps from enemies in Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6 are crisp and easy to place, while the direction of gunfire is discernible even with short bursts.

Overwatch Hero callouts sound crisp, while more cinematic titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows feel particularly impressive, notably when rain is falling on rooftops.

It’s worth noting that there’s no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), but despite having a relatively large head, I felt the seal around my ears was tight enough where that never felt like a major concern. Your mileage may vary, though.

Perhaps most impressively, the A50 Gen 5s are fantastic for non-gaming audio, too. If you want to kick back with music, the balanced soundstage pairs with the comfortable headset to make everything feel nice and fresh.

I found listening to rock epics was a great experience, with piano and percussion dancing around each other nicely, while there’s plenty of bass when the situation calls for it, but without the distortion you may get from cheaper headsets.

You can play around with a mixer in the Logitech G app, too, while the aforementioned earcup controls are ideal for adjusting chat and game audio.

Still, audio output is only one-half of the coin, and while I have tended to keep mics folded up in favor of a desktop option with older setups, the mic here is crystal clear at all times.

The Logitech G app on PC can tap into the company’s Blue mic filtering to adjust to get you sounding sweet as a whistle, but even right out of the box, it feels as though you could be standing right next to a teammate as you work on strategies.

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes) Should you buy the Astro A50 Gen 5? Buy it if...

You’re a console and PC player
Being able to switch between your console and PC audio at ease is a huge help for multiformat setups.

You want a clear mic
Whether on Discord or console-based party chat, the mic on the Astro A50 Gen 5 is one of the best we’ve tested.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not looking for multiformat functionality
The Astros are great, but there are comparable headsets with a focus on a single platform that will set you back a lot less.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the Astro A50 Gen 5? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

Astro A50 X
It’s hard not to compare the pricier variant of the Astros with this version. The main draw is those HDMI ports on the base station, which means you can switch between inputs with a button press. If you’re not looking for that functionality, though, you’ll lose very little with the A50 Gen 5s.

For more information, check out our full Astro A50 X review

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Less interested in the multiformat chops of the Astro Gen 5s? The BlackShark V2 Pro remains top of our list of the best wireless headset list thanks to fantastic audio, great battery life, and a premium build — but it’s only for PC.

For more information, check out our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes) How I tested the Astro A50 Gen 5

• Tested over multiple weeks
• Used on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Ti, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X
• Party chat across multiple games used to test the mic, as well as Discord on PC

I spent my time using the Astro A50 Gen 5 across PC and console, switching between Call of Duty Warzone and Black Ops 6, indie multiplayer title The Headliners, and EA FC 25.

For testing the mic, I played some heated games of Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, and Destiny 2 to ensure comms were clear.

First reviewed April 2025

Read more about how we test

Fujifilm GFX100RF: one-minute review

Fujifilm's GFX100RF is the brand's first-ever compact camera with a medium-format sensor, marrying the image quality of the 102MP GFX100S II with an impossibly-small Fujifilm X100 VI rangefinder-style body.

'Compact' is perhaps a stretch, but that's the category that this premium camera falls under by virtue of its built-in lens, which is a super-sharp 35mm f/4 optic with a 28mm equivalent focal length.

Fujifilm has prioritized compact lens proportions over aperture versatility, and the maximum f/4 aperture and lack of optical stabilization are potential dealbreakers. However, for pixel peepers and resolution-craving photographers, the GFX100RF's quality is unmatched in this class, even outdoing the Leica Q3.

Here is the silver version of the GFX100RF. It's also available in an all-black version. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Beyond its image quality, the GFX100RF feels premium in every way. The top plate, machined from a single 500g block of aluminum, is a delight and packed with useful controls, some of which are unique and add a touch of flair, such as the aspect ratio dial.

Fujifilm has somehow managed to include a vast number of external controls without the camera feeling crowded, and it's both unfussy and versatile in use – and a special mention must go to the bright tilt touchscreen that neatly folds away into the body.

Armed with Fujifilm's latest X Processor 5 chip and autofocus skills, the GFX100RF is also a capable performer, even if this medium-format snapper doesn't compete with the speed of smaller-format rivals.

Ultimately, this is a camera that makes a lot of sense, even if its quality will be overkill for most people, as is it price (though I reckon it's good value for what you get). Professional photographers with a penchant for street and landscape photography in particular will find no better compact camera than the characterful GFX100RF.

Fujifilm GFX100RF: price and release date

• List price is $4,899 / £4,699 / AU$8,799
• It's available from early April 2025 in two versions, with a silver or a black top plate
• A premium strap, protective lens filter, lens hood and lens adapter are included

The GFX100RF is a premium medium-format compact with a price tag to match, costing $4,899 / £4,699 / AU$8,799. Still, that's cheaper than the full-frame Leica Q3, and you get a bunch of accessories in the box: a premium strap, protective lens filter, lens hood and lens adapter.

When you consider it's an all-in-one medium-format package with its built-in lens, the GFX100RF feels like pretty good value – other GFX cameras will cost you more, without a lens. For example, the GFX100S II, which shares the same sensor, launched at $4,999 / £4,999 / AU$8,699. However, the GFX100RF is triple the price of the APS-C format Fujifilm X100VI compact camera.

The GFX100RF is available from early April 2025 in two versions, one with a silver top plate, the other all-black.

• Price score: 4/5

Fujifilm GFX100RF: specs Fujifilm GFX100RF: design and handling

• Top plate is machined from a 500g ingot of aluminum
• All-new aspect ratio dial offers popular aspects from legendary analog cameras, including 65:24
• Rangefinder-style body with a 5.76m dot EVF and tilt touchscreen

Cameras machined from a single ingot of aluminum are like buses – you wait an age for one, and then two come along together. First there was the Sigma BF, and now we have the Fujifilm GFX100RF – and I can't overstate just how lovely Fujifilm's premium compact feels in the hand.

It's effectively a premium Fujifilm X100VI, with a negligible size difference between the two cameras (at least when it comes how comfortably you'd carry these cameras around), and is available in black, with a silver or a black top plate – I had a first look with the former, and completed my in-depth review with the latter, and the black-and-silver version gets my vote.

Given that the GFX100RF is a medium-format camera, it's staggering just how compact and lightweight it is. It weighs just 26oz / 735g with battery and card included – that's lighter than any other Fujifilm GFX camera body without a lens attached, and that weight of course includes the built-in lens.

Fujifilm has seemingly prioritized compact lens proportions over aperture versatility. The lens is tiny, and it's super-sharp (more about that in the image quality section of this review), but its maximum aperture is f/4, and it isn't stabilized. Also, if you'd like the GFX100RF fully weather-sealed and lens flare minimized you'll need to add the protective lens filter and hood, which bulk the package out.

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Fujifilm has allowed itself some design touches, such as a dedicated aspect ratio dial, that at first feel quirky but which are very well implemented and ultimately logical given the tech inside, and could just transform how you approach composition.

The front switch, which on the X100VI is used to switch between its optical (OVF) and electronic viewfinder (EVF) displays, here toggles between various aspect ratio and digital teleconverter display options. These include the following: a frame line of your chosen ratio and crop over the full 4:3 image area; the cropped-out area greyed out but still visible; and the cropped-out area black – meaning all you see is the image area of your chosen aspect ratio.

Personally, I would have much preferred the same type of hybrid viewfinder as that utilized by the X100 series of cameras, but here we have an EVF alone.

I know plenty of X100VI users that only use its EVF, but I'm a fan of its optical display, especially since it allows you to see a little outside your frame, which is super-handy for timing street photography shots as your subjects walk into the frame. T

Still, the 5.76m-dot 0.5-inch display works like a charm, and I really appreciate those aspect ratio and digital crop display options. What's more, the 3.2-inch tilt touchscreen is beautifully designed, sitting flush in the body yet easily pulled out, and is clear and bright – Leica should be taking notes.

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Then there's the stacked set of controls that include the crop lever, a command dial and the on/off switch – a lovely design touch, as is the shutter speed / ISO dial.

A joystick makes menu navigation and autofocus selection a doddle. Every control is well made and built to last, while a raised bump on the camera's front provides some grip, though I'd hardly call this a grippy camera.

Ports-wise, on the left side as you're holding the camera there are mic input and headphone out, plus USB-C and micro HDMI, while on the right side are twin SD card slots. There's a hotshoe on the top for accessories such as an external flash.

Overall, it's a comprehensive set of controls for this type of camera, without creating the feeling that there's too much going on around the camera's exterior. I've been able to make quick adjustments with ease, and I haven't really come across any niggles throughout my review period.

• Design score: 5/5

Fujifilm GFX100RF: features and performance

• 6fps with continuous AF, for up to 1,000 JPEGs
• Incredible 820-shot battery life
• Fujifilm's best autofocus performance
• No optical or in-body image stabilization, just electronic stabilization for video

It's fair to say the Fujifilm GFX100RF prioritizes quality over outright speed – such are the trade-offs with a high-resolution medium-format camera.

Still, the GFX100RF is one of the speedier medium-format cameras around, with 6fps burst shooting that'll keep going for up to 296 JPEGs or 40 raws – not bad for such big file sizes. Naturally, you'll need to fit the best possible memory card into the camera, which would be a UHS-II V90 SD card.

You also get Fujifilm's latest autofocus system, which is packed with subject-detection tracking modes that cover humans, various animals and vehicles. Fujifilm hasn't quite got autofocus speed and accuracy to Sony and Canon levels yet, but it's not too far off, plus there's arguably less need for such power in a compact camera with fixed wide-angle lens.

It was good to know, though, that when I composed portraits, focusing was pin-sharp on my subject's eyes.

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When I was first being briefed on the GFX100RF, I had to ask Fujifilm if it had its numbers right when I saw an 820-shot battery life quoted – that's 2-2.5x the number of shots you'd typically expect from such a camera, so it seemed unlikely.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Fujifilm does indeed have its numbers right. Such staying power could be attributed to the camera's leaf shutter, which is a typically less power-hunger shutter than the type used in most other cameras – this is a camera that'll comfortably last all day.

I've already mentioned how the maximum f/4 aperture is, for me, the biggest drawback to the GFX100RF, and the fact that there's no optical stabilization would be a close second. I'm typically a handheld photographer, preferring not to use a tripod, and optical stabilization is a saving grace for maintaining sharp image quality, especially given such high-resolution output.

Neither is there in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which is understandable for such a camera; but no optical stabilization? That's a big miss for photographers. Should you dabble with video, there is digital stabilization, which does a decent job of smoothing out camera shake.

• Features and performance score: 4/5

Fujifilm GFX100RF: image and video quality

• 102MP sensor and 35mm f/4 lens combine for class-leading edge-to-edge clarity
• Maximum f/4 aperture will be a drawback for many users
• Fujifilm's full suite of Film Simulations; video resolution maxes out at 4K

If image resolution and edge-to-edge clarity matter most to you, there's no better camera than the Fujifilm GFX100RF. It marries a class-leading 102MP medium-format sensor with a super-sharp lens – trust me, I've pixel peeped a range of images, and detail is pin-sharp from the center of the frame right out to the very edges.

And I noted these findings while directly comparing the GFX100RF with the Leica Q3, which is an even pricier 61MP full-frame premium compact that previously set the bar for image quality.

Such quality means the GFX100RF is ideal for street and landscape photography, especially given its 28mm full-frame equivalent focal length. Furthermore, the 102MP sensor unleashes unmatched cropping potential; even if the dedicated 36mm, 50mm, and 63mm effective focal length digital crop options don't reach as far as the Leica Q3's 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 90mm options, each option has more pixels.

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This photo utilizes the crop mode with an effective 50mm focal length to get the framing I hoped for from the position I had to take the photo from. Image size is still a huge 35MP. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 6

Here's the full 4:3 image area of the 102MP sensor (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 6

This is the 65:24 panoramic aspect ratio, which I think works really well here (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 6

To finish my process, I opted for the Acros Film Simulation with red filter – a monochrome color profile that brings out the richness in sunny skies (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 6

The aspect ratio dial is an addictive tool. Sure, you can bring in such an effect in editing software, but doing so at the time impacts your creative process. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 6

Back to the full 4:3 aspect ratio (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

I had a blast experimenting with different aspect ratios via the dedicated dial, too, and became hooked on the 65:24 panoramic aspect ratio, constantly seeing the world around me in panorama.

Still, the GFX100RF won't be for everyone. For me, despite its quality, the limitations of the lens' maximum f/4 aperture are a major drawback. That, and the complete lack of image stabilization for photography, both optically and sensor-based, limited the scenarios in which I could get sharp handheld images, even with the lens' subtler leaf shutter.

Furthermore, I love using a lens' maximum aperture for shallow depth of field, even with a lens as wide as this, and for that the 28mm f/1.7 lens of the Leica Q3 is the better pick.

Within its practical use-cases, however, and with the the help of Fujifilm's known and much loved Film Simulations color profiles, I've been able to create images that you'd struggle to believe were made with a compact camera.

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Fujifilm's standard color profile has a high-contrast look. I'm a bigger fan of the natural look (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 7

Despite the limited f/4 maximum aperture, it's still possible to get shallow depth of field if the focus distance is close (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 7

I was able to get properly sharp detail in this night scene using a 1/75sec shutter speed and ISO 3200 sensitivity (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 7

The GFX100RF's impressive dynamic range has kept detail in the sunkissed top left of the building here. Many other cameras would rely on a HDR mode to do the same. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 7

The 28mm focal length is ideal for street photography (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 7

I'd rather a shallower depth of field for this portrait, but alas it's not possible with the GFX100RF (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 7 of 7

Detail is pin sharp, everywhere in the frame (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Optically, if I was to nitpick – and I say this having made direct comparisons with the excellent Q3 – the GFX100RF is slightly prone to lens flare with the sun in the shot. In such instances it's all the more important to utilize the lens hood that comes with the camera, and keep the lens and / or protective filter clean from dust.

Chromatic aberration is well controlled, while bokeh is only okay – the GFX100RF's lens is not the one to pick for buttery smooth backdrops.

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Chromatic aberrations are essentially absent in this scene – impressive. However, bokeh is only okay (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 3

You get lovely sunstars with the GFX100RF, but it is a little prone to lens flare. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 3

Slightly underexposed here, but tones are really nice. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Video specs are solid if unspectacular. Fujifilm has focused on getting 4K quality right, rather than wowing us with 8K resolution. There's 4K up to 30fps in H.265 All-Intra 4:2:2 10-bit, or Full HD up to 60fps, with bitrates up to a staggering 720Mbps.

Using such a high-quality bitrate will naturally create huge file sizes, for which you'll need to use the fastest possible UHS-II V90 SD card. It's also possible to shoot 4K in the even higher-quality ProRes format with a 1,877Mbps bitrate and up to 60fps, but only to an external SSD.

This video quality is backed up by handy video tools, such as a 4EV ND filter and digital-only image stabilization (only for video) that smooths out shake in handheld footage. So while most users will be shooting primarily photos with the GFX100RF, it's possible to shoot some lovely looking 4K video too.

• Image and video quality score: 5/5

Fujifilm GFX100RF: testing scorecard Should I buy the Fujifilm GFX100RF? Buy it if...

You want the best possible detail
The GFX100's 102MP sensor and high-quality lens render detail to a scale – and with edge-to-edge sharpness – previously unseen in a compact camera.

You like experimenting with different looks
Don't be fooled into thinking the fixed 35mm f/4 is restricting – with 102MP to play with, you can crop into images for a perceived tighter lens, and play with various aspect ratios.

You love the retro Fujifilm vibes
From its rangefinder style design to its range of Film Simulations color profiles, the GFX100RF embodies what has made Fujifilm so popular over the last decade.

Don't buy it if...

You want a bright lens
For me, the single biggest drawback is the limitations that come with the maximum f/4 aperture, specifically low-light performance and shallow depth of field potential.

You lack a steady hand
The GFX100RF is should be ideal for handheld use, except that there's no optical or sensor-based stabilization on board. For sharp images, you'll need to utilize a fast shutter speed, a very steady hand, or a tripod.

You're as interested in video as photography
It's possible to squeeze lovely video quality out of the GFX100RF, but there's no doubt that it's primarily designed for photographers.

Fujifilm GFX100RF: also consider Leica Q3

I thought compact camera quality peaked with the 60.3MP Leica Q3, but then along came the 102MP Fujifilm GFX100RF. That said, there's plenty going for the Q3, especially its gorgeous 28mm lens with a wider f/1.7 maximum aperture, and its macro focus mode. Want to know more? I've directly compared these two premium compacts in real-world tests in a GFX100RF vs Q3 article.

Read our in-depth Leica Q3

Fujifilm X100VI

The GFX100RF will be overkill for most people, and for those people its smaller cousin, the popular X100VI, could be a wiser, thriftier choice if you can stomach back-order lead times. Both are rangefinder-style cameras, with the X100VI featuring a hybrid viewfinder that can switch between optical and electronic displays, whereas the GFX100RF just has an EVF. It's 40MP APS-C sensor and 35mm f/2 lens impress too – for many scenarios you might not really notice a quality difference between the pair, and the smaller X100VI is a third of the price. For outright image quality though, the GFX100RF is unmatched.

Read our in-depth: Fujifilm X100VI

How I tested the Fujifilm GFX100RF

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

• I had a pre-launch briefing session and hands-on time with the camera
• Fujifilm subsequently loaned me the camera for a 10-day period
• I've used the camera extensively, and made direct comparisons with the Leica Q3

My time with the GFX100RF was briefer than I would have liked, but plenty long enough for me to get a real feel for the camera and its capabilities.

Taking a deep dive into its key features, including that incredible 102MP sensor, the digital crop and aspect ratio options, and color profiles, has led me to write separate articles, as has my direct comparison with the Leica Q3, another premium fixed-lens compact.

I've also pushed the camera's performance, namely its burst shooting and video recording, and pixel-peeped the quality of the f/4 lens, analysing edge-to-edge detail and bokeh.

First reviewed April 2025

GameSir Cyclone 2: two-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

The GameSir Cyclone 2 is a wireless gamepad compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile, thanks to its various connectivity options.

Its design hardly pushes the boat out, with a near-identical form and layout to the Xbox controller. However, the translucent panels and RGB lighting at least add some vibrancy.

It’s also hard to fault the Cyclone 2 for build quality. It’s light yet solidly constructed, while the plastics are refined for the most part; however, in some areas – notably the grips – the Cyclone 2 fails to match the premium feel of some of the best PC controllers around.

The buttons, on the other hand, are engineered to a higher standard. I personally liked their mouse-click-esque actuation, which eschews the heavily damped approach of more traditional gamepads – although I’m sure there will be gamers who won’t find this as desirable. Thankfully, the sticks should prove less divisive, as I can’t imagine any who wouldn’t appreciate their smooth operation and premium feel.

One aspect of the Cyclone 2 that’s less impressive, however, is the charging dock. Unlike the excellent dock included with the GameSir Super Nova, the one here is less stable, takes up more real estate, and is too difficult when aligning the charging pins, which can easily result in the Cyclone 2 failing to charge even when seated.

GameSir Connect can be used to customize the functions and features of the Cyclone 2, with a wealth of options available – more so than I’ve seen in other gamepad software, in fact. There are multiple curve profiles and deadzone settings for the sticks and triggers, as well as plenty of rebinding options; you can even substitute motion controls for mouse and joystick inputs.

The Cyclone 2 is also impressive when it comes to performance. Those clicky buttons are certainly responsive, while the D-pad offers slightly more dampening but still provides plenty of feedback – a combination that results in accurate and easy actuation.

(Image credit: Future)

The TMR sticks also live up to their promise with their ultra-precise and smooth inputs, while the triggers offer plenty of control despite having less travel and resistance than your typical gamepad.

I didn’t experience any connectivity issues with the Cyclone 2: it linked easily to my PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android smartphone. However, switching between devices on the fly isn’t the most seamless and requires you to memorize various button combinations to achieve this.

I wasn’t able to test the battery life to its limits during my time with the Cyclone 2, but I can say that after a couple of days of varied use, it remained green. Unfortunately, I can’t be more accurate than this, as no percentage is given for battery life in Connect, which is an oversight. GameSir does claim it can last around 10 hours, though, which is on the lower end of the spectrum.

In line with GameSir’s other offerings, the Cyclone 2 is well-priced compared to some of its rivals. It costs the same as the GameSir Super Nova, which uses the technically inferior Hall effect stick technology rather than TMR, but slightly less than the GameSir Tarantula Pro, which has the latter.

GameSir Cyclone 2 review: Price and availability

• $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79
• Available now in two colorways
• Well-priced compared to rivals

The Cyclone 2 costs $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79 and is available now in two colorways: Phantom White and Shadow Black. The edition that includes the charging stand is only slightly more at $55.99 / £55.99 / AU$89. All editions come with a 2.4GHz USB-A dongle and a USB-A-to-C cable.

It’s the same price as the Super Nova, another gamepad from GameSir with a similar design and feature set. This uses Hall effect joystick technology, though, which isn’t considered quite as accurate or as energy efficient as TMR.

If you’re after another TMR controller, then GameSir has another offering in the form of the Tarantula Pro. This is more expensive than the Cyclone 2, but not by much, and it has more buttons to play around with. However, it adopts a layout akin to the best PS5 controllers (despite not being compatible with the console), with its symmetrical sticks and long grips, which some gamers may balk at.

GameSir Cyclone 2 review: specs

(Image credit: Future) GameSir Cyclone 2 review: design and features

• Familiar design
• Good build quality
• Many customizations available

The Cyclone 2 has a familiar look and layout, following the fashion of the best Xbox controllers (despite not being compatible with the platform), with its asymmetrical joysticks and thick body.

Two colorways are available to choose from, although I personally prefer the white option with its red and gold accents, which looks more slick than its black counterpart. Both variants feature a translucent front plate and underlying RGB strips, which add more interest to proceedings.

Build quality is impressive too, considering the price of the Cyclone 2. The light yet solid chassis feels good in the hand, as does its smooth texture. There’s some pitting on the handles to aid grip, but this doesn’t feel as luxurious as the rubberized and silicone materials used by more premium gamepads.

The buttons and sticks are all generously spaced apart yet still easy to access, and feel solid with little wobble. The sticks follow suit, and their thumb pads offer sufficient levels of grip and comfort while feeling durable at the same time.

The two back buttons are similarly well-designed, and they perfectly align with my natural finger placement. Combined with their large size and ergonomic shape, they’re more practical than other back buttons I’ve experienced.

One design drawback concerns the charging dock, which is included with certain editions. It tries to adopt a more interesting form with its splayed legs, but this makes it impractical as it takes up an unnecessary amount of space.

(Image credit: Future)

It also fails to provide a stable platform for the Cyclone 2, as it’s all too easy to knock the controller from it. What’s more, the charging pins are awkward to align, and there were numerous occasions where I’d failed to seat the pad correctly to initiate charging. The dock included with GameSir Super Nova is far superior, and I wish the same design had been used here.

It’s also a bit of a shame that the face buttons can’t be swapped around to match the platform you’re playing on, as you can with the Super Nova, since the Cyclone 2 lacks the same magnetic, removable face plate.

The Cyclone 2 can be customized using GameSir Connect, the brand’s peripheral software for PC. There are an impressive number of tweaks available here, more so than in other tools I’ve tried. You can rebind the buttons to other controller inputs, or to mouse and keyboard inputs. There’s also a macro creator, and up to three inputs can be assigned to a single button, with Continuous Trigger and Turbo modes available.

There are curve and deadzone adjustments for the triggers and sticks as well, while motion controls have plenty of parameters to tinker with, including the ability to substitute them for joystick inputs or even mouse movements. However, this latter feature failed to work with the first review unit I received, even after troubleshooting, so another test unit was issued, which thankfully did work. Hopefully, this isn’t a pervasive issue, but it’s worth mentioning given it’s a potential cause for concern.

GameSir Cyclone 2 review: performance

• Responsive inputs
• Super smooth joysticks
• Clicky buttons won’t be for everyone

In the main, the Cyclone 2 is a joy to game with. Those clicky face buttons feel very snappy and precise, although I’m sure there will be gamers out there who’ll lament the lack of dampening and prefer the more traditional feel.

The D-pad, however, provides slightly more dampening, but still retains the snappy, tactile feel that provides plenty of feedback. It’s also very easy to use, with plenty of accuracy to avoid mispresses. When playing Tekken 8, it was very conducive to the rapid succession of directions, including quarter-circle rolls, which were comfortable to perform.

What’s more, the TMR joysticks held true to their claim, as they felt smoother and more precise than their Hall effect counterparts – although the difference isn’t massive. This was a real boon when I played FPS games such as Goldeneye 64 on the Switch.

The triggers on the Cyclone 2 are quite light and have less travel than those on other controllers. However, I didn’t have any issues performing controlled movements, such as when modulating the throttle and braking while playing Art of Rally. The motion controls proved accurate as well, as I found when aiming bows in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Connecting the Cyclone 2 to various platforms was easy enough, even via Bluetooth, and was as amenable in this regard as the best Nintendo Switch controllers. Hot-swapping between platforms, however, is a little more onerous, as you have to remember various button combinations for changing modes; at least the Home button LED provides some indication on this front. It’s a shame the Cyclone 2 doesn’t include a handy flip switch on the back to toggle between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth modes, as the Super Nova does. But from a performance perspective, I found little wrong with its connectivity.

I didn’t manage to test the battery of the Cyclone 2 to exhaustion, and rather annoyingly, Connect relies on imprecise color codes rather than percentage points for life remaining.

I can say, though, that after a few days of play, the Cyclone 2 remained green, which seems reasonable. However, having reached out to GameSir, it estimated that the Cyclone 2 can last about 10 hours, which is disappointingly low compared to many other wireless controllers – and surprising given that TMR technology is supposed to be more energy efficient.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the GameSir Cyclone 2? Buy it if...

You want plenty of customization
I don’t think I’ve come across gamepad software that offers more customizations than Connect – just about every tweak you could want is here.

You want precise inputs
The clicky buttons and ultra-responsive TMR sticks make the Cyclone 2 a sharp and smooth gamepad.

Don't buy it if...

You want plenty of dampening
If you like soft, cushioned button presses, then the Cyclone 2 probably isn’t for you.

You want a long battery life
GameSir’s 10-hour estimate is nothing special, and many other wireless controllers can do better than this.

GameSir Cyclone 2 review: Also consider

If you're after some great alternatives to the Cyclone 2, then take a look at these recommendations:

Xbox Wireless Controller
The default for many PC and Xbox players, Microsoft’s first-party pad is simple yet capable. Its ergonomics are excellent, while its ubiquity means you can often find one for well below its original price. It doesn’t have anywhere near the same customization options as the Cyclone 2, though, and relies on traditional potentiometer stick technology.

Read our full Xbox Wireless Controller review

GameSir Tarantula Pro
If you want another TMR option, the Tarantula Pro is a great alternative to the Cyclone 2. We found its performance excellent, offering plenty of precision and feedback, while we were also impressed with its sheer number of buttons and features. It’s more expensive than the Cyclone 2, but not by that much.

Read our full GameSir Tarantula Pro review

How I tested the GameSir Cyclone 2

• Tested for several days
• Used on various platforms
• Plentiful gaming experience

I tested the Cyclone 2 for several days, during which time I used it on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android.

I played a variety of games, including Tekken 8, Art of Rally, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and GoldenEye 64, all of which provide a thorough test for the various inputs of controllers.

I’ve been gaming for over two decades, and during that time, I’ve experienced many different gamepads across many different platforms. I’ve also reviewed a number of controllers previously, including other GameSir models.

• First reviewed April 2025
• Read more about how we test

Unboxing & first impressions Specs

(Image credit: Future)

Frame Material and Build Quality: Made with a powder-coated aluminum base, with scratch-proof nylon casters.
Dimensions: Height: 87cm, Width: 51cm, Depth: 56cm
Weight: 8.5kg
Upholstery Options and Materials: Made from a wide range of premium materials, leather, vegan leather, and mesh.
Maximum Payload: 110kg (approximately 17 stone)

Straight away, the chair’s packaging gives an idea of its quality - it is well packed, with each piece individually protected, and the parts are heavy and fit well together.

Admittedly though, this chair is difficult to assemble. Undoubtedly the chair takes two people to put together, and it isn’t an easy task. The instructions weren’t as clear as they could’ve been, and all-in-all, this took about 30 minutes for us to build. We actually managed to assemble it back-to-front at first, but we'd had a long day, so that's probably user error.

The chair is assembled in two halves, so make sure you have a fair bit of room before you start. It's a little fiddly, and there are a fair few parts that you need to keep track of - but it's worth the effort.

The quality of the seat is undeniable, the backrest is thick but breathable, and the material is cool and comfy. As you first sit down, there’s no wobbles or flimsiness, and you can definitely feel the care that has gone into the design.

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $499
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available only in the US - you can find the chair here

At $499, the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro covers the middle ground between some of the most expensive chairs around, and the most premium office chairs.

It is a bit of a step up from the Ergonomic chair ($359), but comes with six more points of adjustment, and a much sturdier build - having taken on five years of customer feedback.

• Value: 4 / 5

Design & Build quality

The Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro looks simple and elegant, you wouldn’t guess it was such a hassle to assemble.

The premium quality of the parts gives the chair a durable feel and a clean appearance, with the mesh design means the chair has great airflow, and the materials give it a really cool feel - even in direct sunlight.

I'm a one of those people who can never sit still, but with all the adjustments that this chair allows, I can get comfortable however I'm sitting, even if I do then switch my position a few minutes later!

I've also got a cat who loves to sit on my lap, and I'm happy to report that the base of the chair is more than wide enough for me to comfortably cross my legs (and for anyone wondering - the material does not collect cat hair at all!).

Particularly great for me (although probably not great for my posture), is the back rest, which you can adjust to pretty much any angle - and the ergonomic support means my back hasn't hurt even after 9 hours of use - and sadly, yes, I have tested this.

The wheels are bigger than expected, but make the chair feel very stable and allow me to swivel off to the printer when I need to.

The chair also has the option for vegan leather, so is suitable for a wide range of customers.

There’s very little wobble at all in the build, except a slight shake in the arms - but the height-adjustable armrests have a nice smooth surface and padding, and are wide and secure enough to keep things like notepads, pens, or even mugs on if you're feeling risky and have your hands full.

A small piece of the back support did snap off quite soon after unboxing the chair, which looked to have been damaged in transit (see below) but overall the quality is fantastic.

(Image credit: Future) In use

The chair sits quite low, I’m 5”7 on a tall day, and the highest the chair goes isn’t as high as I would expect. I can plant my feet firmly on the floor when its at its highest, which isn’t usual in my experience.

There are a lot of options to adjust the chair, with the height, the headrest, arms rests, the recline, and also the seat position. This can make the process of adjusting slightly fiddly, since there are so many different levers. However, it’s great to have such a customizable experience.

The arms rests are a little too easy to adjust for my liking - and knocking them a little means they sometimes rotate a bit by accident. That being said, the arm rests are wide and comfortable, and can even be removed if needed.

The recline on the chair is easy to navigate, but can be a little sticky. I've definitely had a few hours stuck in an ever so slightly too relaxed position so far, but eventually managed to get it sorted.

(Image credit: Future) Final verdict

On the whole, I’ve had a great experience with this chair. I've been using it for a few months now and can say it has made my work from home days a lot more comfortable.

I've personally chosen to remove the top head rest, as it sat a little awkwardly against my neck, so if you're on the shorter side, bare that in mind. That being said, it was easy to remove, it is adjustable, and I don't find myself feeling like anything is missing.

As long as you can find a friend (or maybe two) willing to help with the set-up, it’s worth it. The chair is sturdy and fantastically comfortable, and stays cool even if you’ve been using it all day. I've moved house since I first got this chair, and must admit this was one of the most difficult things to transport thanks to its size and weight, but I did make sure to bring it with me since I enjoy it so much.

It's on the expensive side and it is a little bulky, but if you're looking to invest in a good quality chair that will last, then I recommend considering this chair as an option.

If you’re looking for a reliable chair for everyday use, the Ergonomic Chair Pro is certainly worth considering.