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Beast Mighty 850 Plus: two-minute review

If you're tired of personal smoothie makers that struggle with ingredients tougher than milk and bananas, the Beast Mighty 850 Plus could be the best blender for you. Rather than running on a rechargeable battery like many of its rivals, the 850 Plus is mains-powered and has a considerably more powerful motor, paired with a tough blade unit.

That means you won't be able to blend a protein shake in the changing room after a gym session, but if you're interested in making green juices and fresh smoothies using tough fruits and vegetables, it'll produce much smoother and more palatable results.

During my tests, it turned kale, oat milk, and blueberries into a very drinkable beverage with no flecks of leaf to get stuck in my teeth. It also totally blitzed frozen blackcurrants, eliminating the gritty seeds that usually make them a troublesome ingredient.

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus can tackle ingredients that lesser blender leave in lumps (Image credit: Future)

The disadvantage of this power is that the 850 Plus is relatively noisy. However, a single blending cycle is enough to tackle just about anything you can throw at it, so you'll only have to endure the noise for one minute.

This is an attractive appliance that comes in a range of colors, so you can pick one to suit your kitchen. (I chose white, but black, muted blue, and sand are other options.) It comes with three different-sized blending vessels (the small one is particularly good for salad dressings), plus a choice of lids for carrying your creations on the move.

The vessels have ridges on the sides that look interesting, but can be an issue if you're using a sticky ingredient like peanut butter, which can get a bit stuck. Beast supplies a long-handled cleaning brush to remove this debris, but almost all the components are dishwasher-safe, and I found this a much easier way to get everything squeaky clean.

Beast Mighty 850 Plus: price and availability

• Available in the US and UK for $149 / £149.99
• Beast Health also offers a more affordable model and a premium one
• Costs more than most personal blenders, but is more powerful

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus is available direct from Beast, and from third-party retailers, including Amazon, for $149 / £149.99. At the time of writing, Beast Health blenders aren't available in Australia. You'll find today's best prices listed below.

The 850 Plus sits in the middle of Beast Health's range of personal blenders. If you want something a little more affordable and don't mind sacrificing some power and accessories, the Beast Mighty 650 costs £119.99 and is only available in the UK.

The company's top-end model is the Beast Mega 1200 Plus, which is priced at $199 / £199.99. Extra blender vessels in various sizes are available to buy separately.

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus is relatively pricey for a personal blender (for example, the Ninja Blast Max and Nutribullet Flip are both around $89.99/£89.99), but the price difference is understandable considering what you're getting for your money. The 850 Plus has a more powerful motor than those other two, and runs directly from the mains rather than a rechargeable battery. It also comes with a bigger set of accessories, including three different-sized blending vessels.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Beast Mighty 850 Plus: design

• Stylish blender with three vessels and a choice of lids
• Controls are very simple to use
• Ingredients can stick in ridges after blending
• Dishwasher-safe components

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus is a particularly stylish blender with a large base that houses its powerful motor and a set of three blending vessels with ridged sides. It comes in a variety of colors, including Cloud White (shown here), Mist (slate blue), Sand, and Carbon Black.

Its vessels have capacities of 415ml, 638ml, and 786ml; the larger two are ideal for smoothies and protein shakes, while the smaller one works well for portions of salad dressing or sauce. You also get a screw-on lid, a drinking lid with a carry cap and straw lid, two drinking straws, and a set of two cleaning brushes (a large one for the vessels and a small one for the straws).

The 850 Plus comes with three blending vessels and an assortment of lids (Image credit: Future)

The large brush is particularly useful if you plan to wash the blender vessels by hand because ingredients (especially sticky ones) have a tendency to accumulate in the grooves on the sides. Many personal blenders can be cleaned by adding water with a squirt of dish soap and running a blending cycle, but the Beast blender needs more thorough cleaning.

Thankfully, the blade unit, blending vessels, and caps are all safe to wash in the top drawer of a dishwasher. and came out perfectly clean during my tests. The only parts of the blender that aren't dishwasher-safe are the base unit and the straws.

Unlike some personal blenders we've tested here at TechRadar, the Beast 850 Plus doesn't have a rechargeable battery. This means you can't use it to blend ingredients on the move, but the fact that it runs directly from the mains means it can offer more blending power than portable smoothie makers.

Its controls are very simple to use, with a large yellow power button at the back and a 'blend' button on the front. Pressing this button once will pulse the blender, and holding it briefly will initiate a minute-long blending cycle.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Beast Mighty 850 Plus: performance

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus lives up to its name, with the best blending performance of any personal smoothie maker I've tested to date.

I started by testing the blender with a particularly tough ingredient: mixed frozen berries. These pose two challenges: first, frozen strawberries are essentially big chunks of dense ice that many blenders struggle to break through, and second, blackberries and blackcurrants are full of tiny seeds that can leave a smoothie feeling gritty in the mouth if not completely blended.

Image 1 of 2

Gritty blackcurrant seeds are no challenge for the powerful motor and tough blades of the 850 Plus (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

One of the lids has a hole for a drinking straw (two of which are provided with the blender) (Image credit: Future)

I added a good handful of the frozen fruit to the blender along with oat milk and a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and was pleasantly surprised when a single minute-long blending cycle obliterated even the largest strawberries to create an icy shake, while also obliterating the gritty seeds.

The 850 Plus crushes ice cubes equally well, and one blending cycle turned a double shot of espresso with ice and milk into a perfect iced coffee.

I also tried the 850 Plus with our standard testing smoothie – Nutribullet's Banana Kale Blueberry Freeze, which often poses a challenge for blenders due to its high content of fibrous green veg. I added the ingredients to the largest blending vessel, then ran a single blending cycle to see how well everything was combined.

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TechRadar's standard test smoothie includes generous amounts of raw kale (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

A single blending cycle produced a smooth and palatable drink, with no flakes of kale (Image credit: Future)

Some blenders (such as the Nutribullet Flip) require a second cycle to break up the kale, but the 850 Plus thoroughly blitzed all the ingredients first time, creating a very drinkable smoothie with no flecks of leaf to stick to my teeth.

The blender averaged around 80dB at the start of a blending cycle. dropping to 75dB once the ingredients started to break down. This makes it one of the loudest blenders I've tested to date, which can be explained by its more powerful motor, but is worth bearing in mind if you're particularly sensitive to noise.

• Performance score: 5/5

Beast Mighty 850 Plus: also consider

If you're not sure that the Beast Mighty 850 Plus is the right blender for you, here are two others to consider.

Nutribullet Flip

The Nutribullet Flip has its blades and motor in the lid, meaning you can easily carry the whole appliance wherever you go. Its smooth design makes it hard for ingredients to become stuck, and it generally works well, though it didn’t handle tough kale and frozen strawberries as well as the Beast Mighty 850 Plus.

Read our full Nutribullet Flip review

Ninja Blast Max

One of the most powerful portable blenders available right now, the Ninja Blast Max makes light work of most ingredients and can be carried around for blending on the move, making it ideal for post-workout protein shakes.

Read our full Ninja Blast Max review

Should you buy the Beast Mighty 850 PlusBeast Mighty 850 Plus score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

One of the more expensive personal blenders I've tested, but you're getting a lot for your money.

4.5/5

Design

Very stylish and supplied with three different sized vessels. Ingredients can get stuck on the ridged sides, but the cups are dishwasher-safe.

4.5/5

Performance

Makes light work of difficult ingredients like fibrous vegetables and frozen fruit with a single blending cycle. Quite loud, but very effective.

5/5

Buy it if

You want serious power

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus has a lot more blending power than the average smoothie maker, so it's a great pick if you want to use more challenging ingredients than protein powder and bananas. Frozen fruit and tough veggies are no match for its motor and blades.

You value versatility

This blender's different-sized vessels make it great for more than just drinks. The smallest one is particularly good for whipping up salad dressing and cold sauces.

Don't buy it if

You want to blend on the move

The 850 Plus doesn't run from a battery, so you'll be restricted to blending in the kitchen. If you want to whip up a shake at the gym after your workout, take a look at the offerings from Nutribullet and Ninja instead.

You're watching the pennies

This is a premium personal blender. You're getting a lot for your money, but if you're on a tight budget, then there are cheaper, though less powerful, alternatives available.

How I tested the Beast Mighty 850 Plus

I used the Beast Mighty 850 Plus for a week, making a variety of recipes, including TechRadar’s standard banana, blueberry, and kale smoothie, which we make with all the personal blenders we test.

I used the blender to tackle ingredients I knew to be particularly tough, including large frozen berries and ice, making sure to select the most appropriate blend setting each time.

I measured the volume of the blender during use with a decibel meter app on my phone.

For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed July 2025.

• Yahoo Japan is betting big that mandatory AI use can unlock workplace innovation
• The company’s plan starts with automating 30% of daily tasks, like meetings and documents
• Internal tools like SeekAI will handle expenses, research prompts, and summarizing meeting notes

Yahoo Japan is taking a bold step by requiring all 11,000 of its employees to integrate generative AI into their daily work, aiming to double productivity by 2028.

The company, which also operates LINE, plans to make AI tools a standard part of tasks like research, meeting documentation, expense management, and even competitive analysis.

The idea is to shift employee focus from routine output to higher-level thinking and communication by letting AI handle the groundwork and create continuous innovation.

Targeting the 30% first

The rollout begins in the more universal aspects of office life: areas like searching, drafting, and routine documentation, which Yahoo Japan estimates take up about 30% of its employees’ time.

The company has already developed internal tools like SeekAI to manage tasks such as expense claims and data searches using prompt templates.

AI will also be used to help create agendas, summarize meetings, and proofread reports, thereby giving staff more room to concentrate on decision-making and discussion.

This move might seem extreme, but it follows a broader trend of companies trying to harness AI as a productivity tool rather than just a cost-cutting one.

Yahoo Japan's strategy assumes that automation is not just an efficiency tool but a workplace standard, but there is growing evidence that treating AI as a complete replacement for human workers may be shortsighted.

A recent report by Orgvue claims, more than half of UK businesses which replaced workers with AI now regret that decision. This speaks to a crucial distinction: while AI can support and streamline, it often falls short in areas requiring nuance, empathy, or real-world context.

In this light, Yahoo Japan’s model, one that promotes AI as a support layer rather than a substitute, might prove more sustainable.

This is certainly a sign of things to come, and from my perspective, generative AI is not here to erase jobs, even although there are reports of people losing jobs to AI in some regions.

AI should only shift what jobs look like by removing repetitive tasks and freeing up space for critical thinking and creativity, where human input remains indispensable.

Yahoo Japan’s approach, if implemented with care and flexibility, might help shape that shift in a more inclusive and less disruptive way.

Via PC Watch

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• Aokzoe mini PC flaunts a red rocket button with no clear functional explanation
• Branding overwhelms the chassis, with buzzwords replacing useful technical or design explanations
• The processor has real muscle, but the product’s direction feels uncertain and unfocused

Aokzoe has announced its first mini PC powered by AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU will soon be launched globally.

The company has remained vague about key technical details, but the announcement has stirred attention for its daring design and ambiguous branding.

The mini PC has been previewed with terms like “AI PC,” “A IPC,” and “Hypermind Drive” emblazoned across its surfaces, leaving its final name uncertain.

Design choices raise questions about purpose and practicality

This device is visually striking with a design that flaunts aggressive angles, bright highlights, and an unexplained red “rocket” button, which feels like a custom or programmable function button, possibly for performance mode.

Mini PCs often lean toward understated forms, but Aokzoe has taken the opposite approach.

Branding is everywhere, with large text and graphics dominating the chassis, raising doubts about whether this machine is intended as a functional business PC or a flashy collector's piece.

Speculation has intensified due to the inclusion of the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, a high-end Strix Halo APU.

This processor is part of AMD’s push into AI-enhanced computing and has only recently started appearing in compact desktops.

Although it holds appeal for demanding tasks like content creation, the lack of detailed specs from Aokzoe makes it difficult to gauge whether this mini PC can realistically serve as a capable video editing PC or handle long work sessions typical in business settings.

At this point, the hardware’s potential seems to outpace the product’s clarity.

Nevertheless, from the official images, the front panel of this device includes a USB4 or Thunderbolt port marked with a lightning bolt icon just before the red “rocket” button.

Next is a full-sized SD card reader, a USB-C port, two USB-A ports (likely differing in speed), and a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones or microphone use.

The company will officially confirm the specs of this device intermittently through social media, avoiding formal release timelines or performance benchmarks.

While a global release has been promised, prospective buyers have little more than renderings and vague labels to assess.

For now, it's difficult to say if the product is serious about computing or simply playing with bold visuals and buzzwords.

Although Aokzoe’s approach is not unique, other brands such as GMKtec and Aoostar are also introducing Strix Halo-based systems.

The likes of HP Z2 Mini G1a, GMKTEC EVO-X2, AOOSTAR’s NEX395, and many more have already been announced.

But these devices are usually not cheap, often selling between the $1500–$2000 price range.

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Graywind Smart Blinds: one-minute review

Graywind offers a wide variety of smart blinds, including zebra, panel track, vertical, Ventian, and wood blinds. They also have a variety of smart shades, including roller, Roman, cellular, dual, and more. They even have smart curtains. Within each category, you can choose from selection of sizes, fabrics, and colors.

Then you choose your motor from five options: Eve Apple HomeKit Motor, Rechargeable BLE RF Motor, Zigbee Alexa Motor, Matter Smart Motor, or Hardwired WiFi Motor. I selected the zebra blinds and the Eve Apple HomeKit motor, since I'd be using my iPhone and HomePod to control the blinds.

I can't say that getting the Graywind Smart Blinds up and running was easy. The screws that were included for installation were not great quality, which meant that they stripped easily. Setup was also a little tricky. Still, I managed to get everything up and running. Once completed, the blinds work exactly as expected. You can set up scenes or automations which allow you to set opening and closing to a schedule or situation of your choosing. You can also control the blinds using your smartphone, voice, or just your hands.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)Graywind Smart Blinds: price & availability

• Starting price is relatively inexpensive
• Can get pricey with upcharges
• Custom fit to many sizes

You can order Graywind Smart Shades, Curtains, and Blinds directly from the Graywind website or you can buy them from Amazon. Prices start at $109.99 (£82.04/169.88 AUD.) I selected the zebra blinds in the charcoal blackout fabric and the Eve Apple HomeKit motor. I also added a solar panel and an extra-long wall charging cable. Blinds in the size and style you see in my photos go for $276.99(£206.59/427.97 AUD) each. It's important to measure your windows carefully if you want the blinds to fit correctly. I chose the outside mount style and made my measurements accordingly.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Graywind Smart Blinds: design

• Tricky installation and setup
• Goes up and down smoothly and quietly
• Blinds can get caught in solar panel charging cable

You'll need to be pretty handy and have access to a drill in order to install the Graywind Smart Blinds. You'll also need to be patient and careful, since the included screws are soft and strip quite easily.

Note that if you're charging the blinds via the solar charger, the blinds can get tangled with the charging cord pretty easily. I've gotten around that issue by not opening the blinds 100%. But I shouldn't have to do that.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Once you get the blinds installed and charged via solar panel or wall charger, you're ready to set them up with your smartphone. I ordered two sets of identical blinds for windows right next to each other; I was able to set up the first one using only the Home app on my iPhone.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

For some reason, I wasn't able to set up the second set that way. I had to download the Eve app on my iPhone and set it up there. Once that was done, I was able to control both sets of blinds via either the Home or Eve app.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

There is also a pull cord that you can use for manual operation, if you wish. One tug on on the pull cord gets the blinds moving in one direction, a second tug stops them, and a third tug gets them moving in the other direction.

Are these the most beautiful blinds I've ever seen? No, and the 'fabric' is plastic. But they look fine, and they do what they are supposed to do.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Graywind Smart Blinds: performance

• Can be controlled so many different ways
• Use with Google, Amazon, or Apple
• Opening and closing mechanism works beautifully

As mentioned above, there are five different types of motors, so you'll want to make your selection carefully. I chose the Eve Apple HomeKit motor, since I have both an iPhone and a HomePod. But you can also choose BLE RF Motor (works directly with the Graywind app via Bluetooth, no bridge needed), Hardwired WiFi Motor (no bridge needed), Zigbee Alexa Motor, or a Matter Smart Motor (which allows use of Alexa, Google, HomeKit or SmartThings). A detailed guide on the site can help you choose the right one for your home if you're not sure.

As mentioned above, I was only able to set up one of the blinds using the Apple Home app; to set up the other one I had to use the Eve app. Another little blip was that one of the blinds wanted to roll the wrong way initially, but I was able to fix that by troubleshooting with the owner's manual.

Once your blinds are all set up, it's easy to control them. You can use your smartphone and tap to select how far open you want them, down to an exact percentage. You can also use the cord to control them. If you don't like the look of the cord and you're not going to use it, you can easily remove it.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

You can also set up scenes and automations, so that your blinds open and close at specific times or in specific situations of your choosing. For example, you could have the blinds open at sunrise and close at sunset. Or, you can set your blinds to open when you say, "Good morning!" and close when you say, "Good night!" Or have them them close automatically when you leave the house and open when you arrive home. I just set mine to open and close to a specific percentage at a specific time. But there are endless ways you can set them up. I tried several different ways and they all worked great.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Graywind Smart Blinds?Graywind Smart Blinds score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

They start pretty inexpensively for custom smart blinds

4.5/5

Design

Design is fine but there are some minor yet annoying flaws

3.5/5

Performance

Once you get everything set up, the blinds are simple to use and perform beautifully

4.5/5

Buy it if

You want to be able to control your window covering in a variety of ways

Graywind offers five different motors so you can use Bluetooth, Alexa, Apple, Matter, or connect directly to your home's Wi-Fi. You can also control them manually with a cord.

You want customization

Graywind has you covered with smart blinds, shades, and curtains in a huge variety of styles, sizes, fabrics, and colors.

Don't buy it if

It's not in the budget

Graywind's prices actually start quite reasonably, but can ramp up quickly for bigger windows and other customizations.

You want ultra-easy installation, setup, and removal

I found these a little tricky to install and set up. You need a drill and some patience to fiddle around. This might not be ideal for renters, since they do have to be screwed in to the window frame.

Graywind Smart Blinds: also consider

Want some other, similar options to check out? Here are a couple of TechRadar favorites to consider.

SmartWings Smart Blinds

These are pretty similar to Graywind's offerings but, but you may find a particular style more appealing. Read our SmartWings Smart Blinds review to learn more.View Deal

SwitchBot Blind Tilt

Looking to spend a lot less? You can use your existing blinds and just add this little guy. You don't even need a drill, which makes this a renter-friendly option. Check out our SwitchBot Blind Tilt review.View Deal

How I tested the Graywind Smart Blinds

I placed Graywind Smart Blinds in two bedroom windows. I tested out the blinds in a number of different ways. I tapped them open and closed using the Apple Home app, Eve app, and Control Center on my iPhone, both at home and away from home using a HomePod mini as a hub. I told Siri to open and close the blinds. I set up an automation to open the blinds a certain percentage 8:00 a.m. and close them at 9:00 p.m. each day. I also used the manual cord to open and close the blinds.

First reviewed July 2025

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• Two new Garmin watches seem to be imminent
• We might get a cheaper Forerunner this Tuesday
• The Venu 4 could follow the recently launched Venu X1

It looks like there are going to be two new contenders for our list of the best Garmin watches in the very near future, with one official tease and one unofficial leak pointing towards new devices in the coming days and weeks.

To start with what we've heard directly from Garmin, the company has posted a teaser for a new watch arriving on July 22 (this coming Tuesday). The outline of the wearable suggests we're looking at a new Forerunner model.

Well-known tipster the5krunner says it's unlikely that this is an existing model launching in China. It's more probable that it's a China-specific Garmin, or it's a completely new model that's going to be launching globally.

Over at Garmin Rumors, the thinking is that the "1XXX" on the teaser image could refer to the price of the upcoming watch, in yuan. If that guess is right, then we'd be looking at a relatively affordable Forerunner compared to the rest of the series.

The Venu 4

The Garmin Venu X1 (Image credit: Garmin)

As for the less official news, Garmin Rumors (via Notebookcheck) has spotted the first ever mention of the Garmin Venu 4 in the documentation accompanying the Garmin Golf app. Garmin hasn't said anything about this watch, but it looks like it might be on the way.

Earlier this year the Garmin Venu X1 was launched, but based on this new information, that wasn't the true successor to the Garmin Venu 3 – although the brief mention we have of the Venu 4 doesn't tell us too much about it.

Given what Garmin has been doing with its other flagship wearable refreshes, there's a good chance the Venu 4 will come with a brighter screen, an updated user interface, a flashlight, and some additional health features and fitness metrics.

However, there have been no other leaks or rumors to date to give us any hints about what's coming. As soon as Garmin makes either of these smartwatches official, we'll of course bring you all the details on TechRadar.

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• AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX workstation CPU has 96 cores and 192 threads
• It is set to go on sale with an expected priced of around $13,000
• Zen 5-based Threadripper offers 26% gain over predecessor but costs 30% more

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX could be the most expensive desktop CPU ever listed at retail, with a rumored price of $13,000.

This price point is more than double that of AMD’s own EPYC 9655, a 96-core data center chip which can be found for just over $6,100.

Built on the Zen 5 architecture and using a 4nm process, the 9995WX targets workstation professionals who need extreme performance in AI, media, design and engineering workflows.

30% price hike

The chip features 96 cores, 192 threads, and a base clock of 2.5 GHz, boosting up to 5.4 GHz. It supports up to 144 usable PCIe lanes and 8-channel DDR5 ECC RAM running at 6400 MT/s.

There’s also 128MB of L3 cache. While the specs are aimed at users with heavy workloads, the high cost puts it in a niche category. No cooler is included and a dedicated graphics card is required.

The 9995WX is part of the new Threadripper 9000 series, with AMD skipping the 8000 line entirely.

It offers a generational improvement over the Zen 4-based 7995WX, including a reported 26% performance gain.

Even so, the price increase over the previous generation is steep, sitting at 30% higher than the 7995WX.

While this could be justified for some niche professionals, it narrows the market to those with extremely specialized needs.

Preorders are expected to open on July 23, with listings appearing on B&H Photo Video and other retailers.

Although AMD has not confirmed final pricing, Videocardz notes patterns across multiple stores point to a consistent number near $13,000.

The rest of the lineup includes 24-core to 64-core models, with price hikes ranging from 4% to 17% over previous generations.

Intel currently lacks a direct workstation-class competitor in this category, and with AMD pushing core counts and prices even higher, the gap remains wide.

This latest Threadripper generation extends AMD’s lead in ultra-high-end desktop processors, at least for now.

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Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: 30-second review

I’ve noticed that lately, possibly since the introduction of SSDs, if the power is cut to a PC, a file might become corrupted, but the operating system is usually unaffected.

But would you take that chance with a server or network hardware on a customer-facing or point-of-business system?

If the answer is no, then the Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS I’m reviewing here might be worth including on the budget, as it’s built specifically for providing the time to shut a system down gracefully.

The catchily named Eaton SMX1500XLRT2UN is a 2U high industrial UPS that can be rack mounted or floor standing, has power outputs for up to eight mains-powered devices, and 1500VA of battery capacity on tap to keep those devices running should mains power fail.

That capacity can be increased either with one of the other SmartPro Tripp Lite models or with an expansion battery that connects to a 48V/50A connector on the rear.

This top-of-the-line model also supports WEBCARDLXE, USB, and even a DB9 serial cable for those who prefer to telnet into infrastructure.

It allows the Eaton SMX1500XLRT2UN to be part of a greater disaster management plan, giving IT professionals the ability to make the best strategic choices in the event of power loss.

This equipment isn’t easy to handle, and the price isn’t especially low, but it's built for the job and not a battery borrowed from an alternative purpose, making one of the best UPS around.

Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: Price & availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• How much does it cost? $1454 / £1460
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from Eaton or through online retailers like Amazon.

The cost of a UPS of this type is directly impacted by the size of the battery, and what features for managing that stored power are provided.

As the Eaton SMX1500XLRT2UN is a top-tier unit in its particular series, it comes at a slight premium due to the extra features like WEBCARDLXE.

That makes the basic price around £1460 Inc VAT in the UK, and $1454 in the USA. In the UK and Europe, Eaton sells mostly through retail partners, but in the USA, this hardware can be bought directly from Amazon.

It should be noted that although the same model number, the US version is designed for 120V equipment, whereas in the UK and throughout Europe it outputs 230V.

Personally, if you are unfamiliar with UPS technology and want to get the right one for your installation, it is best to talk to a partner, because they’ll provide you with all the options and additional information about replacement batteries and expansion.

If you don’t need their expertise, then Amazon will work if you live in a region where these devices are sold through them.

The immediate response to many seeing this price will be that a 1500VA battery can be found for $225, so why pay this much for this equipment?

The devil is in the details, as they say. However, the battery component of this equation is a relatively small part of the exercise, and a 1500VA battery with this type of management, configuration, and expansion potential is likely to cost much more than $1500.

The APC SRT1500RMXLA is similar, with an asking price of $ 1,473 for the 120V model, for example.

There are only a limited number of brands that make these types of devices, and therefore, the price variance is limited.

You can buy cheaper units with roughly the same battery capacity, but they won’t have the features of this hardware and generally aren’t intended to handle the power demands of an entire rack at a moment's notice.

• Value: 4 / 5

Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: Specs

Hardware

Eaton Tripp Lite series SmartPro UPS

Part No.

SMX1500XLRT2UN

Rack Size

2U

Topology

Line-interactive

Phase

Single-phase

Nominal output

208V

Voltage options

200/208/220/230/240V

Max current

10A

Outlets

8x C14

Size

591.8 x 505.5 x 223.5 mm (W x D x H)

Weight

?19.5kg

Accessories

Mounting rails, legs, power cables, USB cable, D89 cable

Warranty

2-year warranty, 3-year with registration

Extended battery

Yes, 48V/50A

Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Heavy duty
• Floor or rack
• Excellent connectivity

The elephant in this room, or something almost as heavy, is the size and mass of this UPS. Its quoted weight is 43.1lb (19.5kg), but if you deploy it to a rack, then the mounting rails add even more weight.

My recommendation would be to never install one of these without the help of another person, because even removing it from the packaging isn’t easy.

Once this giant square metal box is extracted, it can be oriented in two different ways. It can be vertically mounted using two L-shaped feet, provided that they screw into the sides. Alternatively, it is sized to be installed in a 19-inch rack, being 2U high.

For those wanting to rack mount this UPS, I’d strongly suggest putting it in the lower section of the rack, because having this much mass high up is inadvisable. On the subject of stability, it comes with sliding rails that enable easier access to the rear once it's installed. But again, since this will move the centre of gravity, it's another reason not to put this high up in a rack. There are side brackets that securely attach it to the rack, but my concern is that if the rack isn’t securely bolted to the floor, it might overbalance.

On the front of the unit is a plastic facia panel that must be removed before installation; it simply pulls off. Behind it is the battery, and for safety reasons, it is shipped disconnected.

A notable feature of this design is that the entire battery pack can be replaced, extending the unit's life. Once the battery is connected, the facia can be replaced.

One significant feature of the front is a small display on the right side of the unit that features simple button controls. As the UPS can be floor-standing, this would put the display on its side; however, Eaton's approach to this problem made me chuckle.

The obvious solution would be a menu feature for orientation, but Eaton engineers made a cradle for the display that, with the help of a screwdriver, the panel and buttons can be popped out and then put back in after being rotated by 90 degrees.

Interestingly, the Eaton Tripp Lite logo on the other end can also be twisted to be readable in an upright position.

My only issue with the screen is that it isn’t especially bright, and the menu system it allows for navigation is remarkably basic. However, most IT professionals using this equipment are likely to utilise more feature-rich interfaces.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Where this UPS becomes substantially more interesting is on the rear, where all the external connections are located.

Using standard IEC male-to-female cables, the SMX1500XLRT2UN features eight power outlets on its rear, and retaining clips are provided to prevent accidental disconnection. That’s great, but unless the server or other hardware has similar retainers on its power inputs, then it's only half the answer.

What the rear panel also offers is a wide range of potential connections, including two flavours of USB, Ethernet, and even DB9 serial.

Most engineers will probably be fine with LAN access, but the USB option adds the possibility of a server shutting down before the battery is exhausted, even with the use of a software tool.

There is also a substantial port for adding an additional battery, and these come in some large capacities that might keep a substantial server cluster up for more than a few minutes.

From a design perspective, the SMX1500XLRT2UN is built for purpose, possibly overbuilt, and it offers all the bells and whistles that server admins are looking for.

• Design: 4 / 5

Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: User experience

• Command line
• WEBCARDLXE

Lots of things about this hardware made me laugh, but not in a bad way.

I’ve not been an IT Manager for twenty-five years, but there are features in the SMX1500XLRT2UN designed for exactly the type of thinking that was prominent when I was, and even before that.

What I’m referring to here is the PowerAlert Device Manager (PADM) Version 20 Command Line Interface, for its full title. Once you’ve established a network connection to the UPS, it’s possible to connect via SSH via a terminal tool and issue commands.

How many commands? A ridiculous number. The Eaton provided PDF that documents them and what they do runs to 230 pages, and some pages have multiple commands.

Since I left all this insanity behind me some considerable time ago, it’s a struggle to understand why anyone would want to do this. However, conversely, I could imagine a scenario where installing a large number of these and being able to create a script that runs through all the settings you might want to make for all of them could be useful.

Another approach to that problem is a software tool called the PowerAlert Mass Configuration Utility, which allows you to log in to each UPS by its IP number and then make global changes. To implement multiple changes, an XLM file containing a configuration can be saved and then executed on new hardware devices when they are added.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The only issues I have with this software are that it looks like it was designed when Windows XP was supported, and it can’t cope with making changes to different UPS models.

While it doesn’t offer the granularity of the command line or mass-appeal of the app, there is a much more approachable web interface, WEBCARDLXE, that provides the monitoring and easy access that more modern IT professionals would probably gravitate.

What’s missing here is a Cloud service model, although Eaton does offer the PowerAlert Element Manager, which consolidates management utilities for Eaton LX Platform devices.

PowerAlert software offers a complete set of tools designed for overseeing and safeguarding power across different settings, whether from an individual computer or a whole network.

From an IT perspective, the user experience, with the exception of WEBCARDLXE, is somewhat dated. However, Eaton is selling into an ultra-conservative environment that is decidedly anti-change. And therefore, their support for older-thinking and methods is probably serving them well.

• User experience: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: Final verdict

When I first received this item, I was slightly underwhelmed with it, because compared with a battery system like those offered by EcoFlow for home use, it seemed positively prehistoric.

However, I’ve come to appreciate this hardware more, even if I think there are some things to be learned from the likes of the EcoFlow Delta line and similar products.

What this hardware does exceptionally well is provide a decent window of opportunity to elegantly achieve the landing with servers and other network devices, rather than everything entirely faceplanting when the power suddenly disappears.

What it isn’t built for is to keep that equipment running for a sustained period, although Eaton has some alternative options directed more towards those objectives.

With all the connectivity, the servers should be aware of the power loss scenario and have a failsafe that can shut them down in a controlled manner before the SMX1500XLRT2UN is entirely exhausted. Additionally, it's possible to expand the unit to provide a larger time window before that becomes necessary.

What concerns me is that, should you shut a system down during a power loss and then power returns, you need to pray that the power doesn’t go out again within the next 4.5 hours. That seems an inordinate amount of time to restore 1,500VA of power, something the EcoFlow Delta 2 can achieve in under an hour.

That said, the SMX1500XLRT2UN is designed to remain on trickle charge for long periods, whereas the battery architecture of the EcoFlow equipment was designed to be fully exhausted daily. That might well be the reason it takes so long to restore, so I can’t make an apples-to-apples comparison. Faster recovery should be something that Eaton needs to consider, as it creates a significant period of vulnerability after a power loss.

Another point that surprised me about this hardware is that it lacks wireless networking or Bluetooth capabilities, which would enable remote monitoring without the need for physical wires.

I’m not sure why Eaton isn’t interested in wireless networks, but interference can’t be the issue, I’m sure.

An interactive phone application that alerts IT staff to a potential power loss would be ideal, but to achieve that with this equipment is somewhat convoluted. Additionally, it assumes that the computer running the Webcard application, along with its network hardware, including the Internet, is also protected from power loss.

The interconnected nature of this UPS and the hardware it maintains is part of the strategic thinking that needs to be established before it's deployed; otherwise, this is merely an expensive battery.

Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS: Report card

Value

For this hardware spec, this is the price

4 / 5

Design

Built to last and can have its battery replaced

4 / 5

User experience

CLI, global update app and Web UI

4 / 5

Overall

Lacks modern thinking, but does what it needs to

4 / 5

Should I buy a Eaton SmartPro Tripp Lite UPS?

(Image credit: Eaton)Buy it if...

You need a power loss strategy
This isn’t a cheap UPS that promises to keep the power on for a few minutes and your PC safe; it’s much more than that. If you want to have a complete power-loss plan, this is a building block for precisely that.

You like flexible solutions
The ability to bolt extra battery capacity to the basic UPS, and extend battery running time, enables the power support to expand with the hardware it's maintaining.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t use racks
While this UPS can be floor-standing, it’s designed for racking, and not just any cheap model. If it were accidentally knocked over and hit someone, it could easily break an ankle.

If you need to do graphic design, you need dedicated software, ideally installed on a powerful computer.

But CoreDRAW Go is turning that idea on its head, by offering you graphic design software, but from a web browser… so let’s check it out.

CoreDRAW Go: Pricing & plans

(Image credit: Corel // Future)

• This is an online service so you can only access it via an ongoing subscription, although the 15-day free trial is welcome, and so’s the 30-day money back guarantee

Being an online service, CorelDRAW is, you’ve guessed it, only available as a subscription, although you do have two options: you can choose to pay on a month by month basis, which would cost you $10 (or £9) each time, or select a yearly contract, which will set you back $100 (or £95).

There are often discounts on offer, like at the time of writing, Corel reduced the price of each of these by 30%. You’re also free to try CorelDRAW Go for 15 days without even having to hand out your credit card details, and Corel do offer a 30-day money back guarantee, should you decide the service isn’t for you.

You can check out CorelDRAW Go by clicking here.

• Score: 4/5

CoreDRAW Go: Getting started

(Image credit: Corel // Future)

• So many templates and presets are available to you to start a new project with ease. It’s just a shame this service is limited to only two browsers

Whether you grab yourself a subscription immediately or dip your toes in with the free trial, you need to also set up an account with Corel. It's free and can be done at the same time, and will allow you to save your projects to a dedicated personal space on Corel’s servers.

One potential issue is the limited number of browsers that CorelDRAW Go supports: it will only work with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. If you’re not a fan of either, and prefer one of the other many options, I’m afraid you’re out of luck: choose one of these two, or look for another service.

The first place you get to once logged in, is the Home page. From here, you have the option of starting with a handful of blank presets broken down by category, such as Social Media, Poster, and more, or choose to open a file stored on your computer (only .cdr and .svg files are supported).

The bulk of the Home page however is devoted to Templates, and there are more than just the few on display: click on ‘Explore More Templates’ at the bottom of the page, to reveal hundreds more, all organised by categories, with a handy search field to help find what you’re looking for quicker.

The same is true for those blank Presets. Click on ‘More’ to their right, and find a similar pop-up window with hundreds of options for you to choose from.

• Score: 3.5/5

CoreDRAW Go: Interface

(Image credit: Corel // Future)

• A nicely designed interface that offers nothing new to an experienced user, yet makes it easy to immerse yourself into this service

You’ll find the interface extremely simple and well organised. In fact if you’re familiar with other graphic design apps, you’ll feel right at home in no time, delving into CorelDRAW Go. Your tools are located in three sidebars, two of which are collapsable to increase the space devoted to your project.

On the left you have the various tools you’ll be using all the time, from Shapes, Brushes, and Text, to Stock Assets, the ability to import your own objects, as well as your project’s Settings.

Top right is your Properties panel, where you can change various parameters of a selected item. Lower right, that’s where you have control over your layers, where you can select one, create new ones, move them around, and delete them, lock them to prevent further changes, or hide them.

There’s also a menu at the top where you’ll find undo and redo commands (also accessible via keyboard shortcuts), as well as an export option.

All in all, there’s nothing new here, yet that’s a definite advantage, as the muscle memory you developed elsewhere will be of great value here as well.

• Score: 4.5/5

CoreDRAW Go: Tools

(Image credit: Corel // Future)

• A wide range of tools to help you create complex designs in next to no time

CorelDRAW Go has a wealth of tools to help you create projects, and caters to beginners and advanced users alike. Any creation tools you might need can be found in the sidebar on the left. From there, you have access to a myriad of shapes, brushes and text tools.

Clicking on one of these reveals a secondary menu, where you can choose exactly the one you’re after. The shapes for instance are vectors, so you can resize them, without any loss in quality, until they look perfect for your needs by dragging one of the outside handles, or clicking and dragging on a little dot inside the shape to alter its configuration further.

You can do the same with Stock Assets object. You’ll find thousands of ready-made vector images, and millions of photos to choose from and add to your project, and when it comes to fonts, there are thousands waiting for you, ensuring your designs are as unique as they can be.

Of course, the Properties panel is there to make sure you’re able to change an object's colour, or add a gradient, control its outline, transparency and shadow, easily covering the basics of what you need to do. However, CorelDRAW Go has a few fancy tools up its sleeve. It can, for instance, turn a shape into a ‘Mask Frame’, allowing you to drag an image into it, creating a complex masking effect in seconds.

• Score: 4.5/5

CoreDRAW Go: Exporting

(Image credit: Corel // Future)

• CorelDRAW Go has a surprisingly generous number of exporting options, from dpi to file formats

Once you’ve completed your project, it's time to share it with others. That’s where the Export menu comes into its own. You’re offered various choices, from its size (in pixels), to its resolution (from 72 to 600dpi). You also have a selection of formats, including JPEG, PNG, PDF, and SVG.

All in all, CorelDRAW Go is a well rounded graphic design application which has a wide range of tools to help you create unique projects, but perhaps what’s most impressive, is that you’re doing all of that inside a web page. It’s amazing how far web development has gone that you easily forget you’re not working in a dedicated app installed on your computer.

• Score: 4.5/5

Should I buy CorelDRAW Go?

(Image credit: Corel // Future)

Buy it if...

If you’re looking for a graphic design service you can access from anywhere, with a generous number of powerful tools and an interface that’s similar enough to other competing products to hit the ground running.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t fancy subscribing to yet another service, don't like the idea of working within a web browser, or you're using an incompatible browser.

Chomp into 20 hours of new specials.

Roborock Q7 M5: two-minute reviewProduct info

There are a few different M5 options – the robot is the same, but the dock is different:

Q7 M5: Charge-only dock
Q7 M5+: Auto-empty dock
Q7 M5 Max+: Auto empty and water refill dock

For this review, I tested the Q7 M5, with the charge-only dock.

The Roborock Q7 M5 is a relatively basic option from within the Roborock robot vacuum lineup, aimed at the more budget-conscious consumer. Despite the affordable pricing, it's still a capable bot, offering the kind of suction specs I'd expect from a much pricier model.

The design may lack the bells and whistles (and robotic arms) of the brand's newest offerings, but it's still effective in use. As well as sporting a robust build, it has a generously sized dust cup and water tank and bouncy suspension that enables it to clear relatively tall room thresholds with confidence. Navigation is also reliable and mapping accurate.

In my vacuuming tests, the Q7 M5 proved up to the task of clearing up debris, large and small, and sucked up an impressive volume of dog hair from my carpets, too. It did struggle a little with getting right into the edges of rooms, however – more advanced robot vacuums typically have a side brush that can extend outwards, whereas the one on the Q7 M5 is fixed.

The mop setup is rather basic, although the bot still managed to clean up a dried ketchup smear surprisingly effectively. Overall I felt mopping was rather wetter than expected, so it perhaps isn't the best choice if you have delicate wooden floors, for example. The Q7 M5 also lacks the capacity to lift its mop when traversing carpet (not surprising at this price point, though).

The model I tested comes with a compact, charge-only dock, and is perfect for those with small homes, or if you want a cleaner for a less-used floor of a multi-storey home. However, owners of larger homes and/or pets should seek out the "Plus" model where possible; it arrives with an auto-empty dock, which will save you from having to empty the onboard bin too frequently.

That's the short version; read on for my full Roborock Q7 M5 review.

The basic Q7 M5's compact dock means it can be tucked out of the way (Image credit: Future)Roborock Q7 M5 review: price & availability

• List price: $299.99 / £239.99
• Launched: April 2025
• Available: US and UK (AU alternatives available)

The Roborock Q7 M5 launched in April 2025, as an upgraded version of the previous Q7 Max. The brand has plenty of fancier, pricier bots (see the arm-equipped Saros Z70, for example) in its lineup, but the Q7 M5 is designed to appeal to a more budget-conscious consumer.

In the US, the Q7 M5 costs $299.99 direct from Roborock, but was discounted to £239.99 at time of writing. In the UK, the list price when purchased direct from Roborock is £239.99, but at time of writing it was reduced to £179.99. Even at full price, it falls into the budget bracket.

Having tested a few budget bots now, I'd say that even at full price this vacuum offers decent value for the features and performance it delivers, with the discounted prices making it more appealing still. My current favorite robot vacuum around this price level is the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2, which costs $299.99 / £219 at full price. However, the Roborock offers stronger suction specs and slightly more advanced mopping – in that you can switch off that functionality without having to remove the mop pad.

Upgrading to the Q7 M5+ with the auto-empty dock pushes the price up to $429.99, while the Q7 M5 Max+ – with a dock that not only empties dust but also refills the water tanks – is $599.99. Those upgraded options don't appear to be available in the UK, though. In both cases, the list prices are on the high side for what you're getting – although, at time of writing, both models were already available at generous discounts, bringing them more in line with the price I'd expect to pay.

The Q7 M5 doesn't seem to be available in Australia, but there is a Roborock Q7B for AU$399, which looks very similar but has slightly less suction. There's also a Q7T Plus for AU$799, which looks the same as the Q7 M5+ with its auto-empty dock.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Q7 M5 specs

Max suction:

10,000Pa

Robot diameter:

12.8in / 35.3cm

Robot height:

3.9in / 9.9cm

Dock dimensions (W x D x H):

6.3 x 4 x 2.8in / 16 x 7 x 10.1cm

Dust bin volume (onboard):

Requested

Water tank volume:

Requested

Base type:

Charge only (more advanced docks available)

Roborock Q7 M5 review: design

• Robovac with raised LiDAR puck, chunky wheels and charge-only dock
• Fixed, D-shaped, removable mop
• Dust cup and water tank form one removable unit at side of bot

The Roborock Q7 M5 looks similar to other budget-friendly robot vacuums –except, perhaps, a little more robust. A chunky bumper encircles the perimeter, and there's a raised LiDAR turret for navigation (newer Roborock models such as the Saros 10R have done away with this, in favor of a different navigation method, thus offering a lower overall profile). The top surface is a mix of matte and very shiny black plastic, the latter of which attracts much dust – perhaps not the best choice for this type of gadget.

This shiny surface is a magnet for dust and fingerprints (Image credit: Future)

Flip the whole thing over and you'll find the brushroll, which has a "JawScrapers comb" to prevent hair from tangling around it – although it didn't prove very effective in practice. There's also a rotating side brush to catch dirt from around the edges of rooms. On more advanced bots this will kick out to the side as required, but the version on the Q7 M5 is fixed. Roborock has placed the brushes at an angle, so hair slips off rather than becoming tangled – and from my experience, it seems to work quite well in practice.

The wheels are thick with a deep tread, and sit on a spring-loaded hinge, presumably to allow the robot to bounce its way over tall thresholds. Other bots have more hi-tech solutions for this – the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete has little extending feet, for example – but Roborock's approach seems perfectly effective as a budget alternative.

The chunky wheels are set on a spring-loaded hinge, providing bouncy suspension (Image credit: Future)

Slotted into the side of the bot is a unit that holds the dust cup and water tank. The mop pad itself is a fixed, D-shaped style pad, and it can be clipped on and off the main robot. It doesn't feel enormously secure when clipped on, although it didn't fall off at any point in my tests. The pad part can be removed and popped into the washing machine for cleaning.

This unit houses a generous dust dup and water tank (Image credit: Future)

It's a very basic style of mop in that the pad is simply dragged along the floor, wiping as it goes. Fancier bots have mops that press on the floor or vibrate to dislodge dirt, or have dual-rotating discs.

With some budget bots, the mopping is automatically "on", whenever the mop pad is attached. That isn't the case here: you can switch the water off from within the app. However, the Q7 M5 isn't advanced enough to be able to lift up its mop pad when it encounters carpet, which means you might still end up with slightly damp carpets if the bot is making its way over them after a mopping session. (Some premium bots can even drop off their mop pads at their base station when they're not needed.)

Mopping is courtesy of a removable, D-shaped pad (Image credit: Future)

Speaking of the base station, the one included here is very basic and pleasingly compact. It simply charges the robot. In some territories there are sister models available with more advanced docks. If you're dealing with larger amounts of dust, or have a pet, I'd definitely recommend opting for a version with an auto-empty dock.

• Design score: 3.5 out of 5

Roborock Q7 M5 review: performance

• Navigation accurate, but object avoidance is patchy
• Vacuuming is very good; mopping is fine but not amazing
• Sucks up hair (pet and human) well, but it does wrap around the roller

As ever with Roborock, mapping was smooth and navigation reliable. Initial setup simply involved sending it on its way on a "Quick mapping" run, where the bot scoots around – not cleaning, just looking – and builds a map of the space as it goes. On this run, it approached the edge of the top of the stairs repeatedly (and at speed), but stopped itself every time. Good cliff sensors should be a given for any robot vacuum, regardless of price, but I felt reassured nonetheless.

With the map compiled, I could name the rooms and make necessary adjustments. Note that some parts here were slightly buggy, but I'll get into that in the App section.

The bot approached the step edge at speed, but never once took a tumble (Image credit: Future)

To kick things off, I sent the bot out on a whole-floor vacuum, just to get an initial feel for performance. There's a maximum of 10,000Pa of suction here, which is decent, and more in line with what I'd expect from a mid-range robovac. Having checked the dustbin after the run, I could see it had done a stellar job of pulling dust and pet hair from the carpet – the latter of the two being particularly challenging. I'd rate its performance among the best robot vacuums for pet hair, if you're on a budget.

The robot vacuum picked up pet and human hair impressively well (Image credit: Future)

Then it was time for some more formal suction tests. For these, I scattered a teabag's worth of dry tea leaves and a handful of oats onto the carpet, and performed a zone clean of the area. There are five suction modes to choose from: Quiet, Balance, Turbo, Max and MAX+ (I can't help thinking Roborock has gone too hard, too soon, with the naming choices here).

A single pass in Turbo mode cleared most of the oats, but only the top layer of tea. Two more passes in MAX+ and the oats were history, and only a fine scattering of tea remained. That's a super solid result – the tea is purposefully a very tricky test, and it's rare for even expensive robovacs to clear it all.

Image 1 of 3

Tea and oats on a carpeted floor ready for the carpet suction test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

Results after a single pass in Turbo suction mode... (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

... and after two more passes in MAX+ mode (Image credit: Future)

Hard floors are far less challenging to vacuum, so I used the Balanced mode when repeating the test on the tiled bathroom floor. This time, almost all the oats were sucked up on a single pass, and the vast majority of the tea, too. The only real issue was with debris being pinged about; but, thankfully, the robot vacuum would catch any wayward remnants on a later run.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

Moving on to the mopping tests. For this, I smeared a tiny amount of tomato ketchup on the tiled bathroom floor and left it to dry. I then set the bot on a mopping run to see if it could clear it.

There are three options for water level, or you can set the bot to mop and vacuum simultaneously (I prefer to vacuum first, then mop, to minimize the amount of gunk that ends up stuck to the damp mechanisms.)

Image 1 of 4

Dried ketchup smeared on the floor ready for the mopping test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Future)

Despite having a relatively basic mopping setup, the Q7 M5 actually did a pretty good job here. One pass in medium wetness mode was enough for the robovac to begin to lift the smear, and a couple more in max mode saw only a tiny bit remaining.

This is one of the wetter mopping mechanisms I've used, so it wouldn't be a great choice if you wanted something for hard floor that can only stand a little bit of water. Beware, too, that the mop pad doesn't lift, so if the route back from your hard floor to your dock is carpeted, said carpet will end up a bit damp. Overall, the mopping is fine here, but if that's your priority then there are better choices out there.

The fixed side brush couldn't get right into the edges of rooms (Image credit: Future)

Like most robot vacuums, the Roborock Q7 M5 has a spinning side brush designed to flick debris from the edges of rooms into the path of the suction. Here, it worked fairly well but not amazingly – perhaps because it's fixed rather than being able to extend. The bot shifted some of the tea sprinkled along the edge of the bathroom floor, but left more behind.

Roborock says this bot has anti-hair wrap features built into the brushroll. However, on test I found my long hair tangled around the roller. However, the anti-tangle design of the side brush was more effective on this front.

The main brushroll quickly got tangled with hair (Image credit: Future)

Finally, I ran some object avoidance tests. These involved laying out a series of objects – charge cable, socks, dog bowl – on the floor and seeing if the bot would avoid them. Unfortunately, it confidently ploughed into everything I put in front of it, so a bit of a fail on this front. (One useful hack is to activate a "Pet" mode to increase sensitivity to objects, but there was no such option I could find here.

That said, in my real-life tests the bot performed much better. For instance, it skirted the perimeters of chair legs and the base of the toilet cistern, for example, rather than bumping into them. Nevertheless, I still wouldn't recommend this bot to those who have a lot of clutter in their homes.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Q7 M5 review: app

• Encountered a few bugs that I assume will be fixed
• Otherwise well-designed and intuitive

I've used plenty of Roborock robot vacuums and the app has always been great. So I was surprised that things weren't entirely smooth when testing it with the Q7 M5. While there weren't any glaring issues, I did run into several glitches: I was unable to resize a zone properly; the app would forget room names; plus it failed to save a customized cleaning routine, for example.

Click to enlarge (Image credit: Roborock)

There was also a strange bug where the text wasn't resizing properly, so the ends of words would routinely be cut off – do you want to "Mo" or "Vacuu"? I assume most of these are temporary glitches and should be fixed before long.

Otherwise, it's the same well-designed app I'm used to. It's pretty intuitive, well-laid out and easy to figure out from scratch.

• App score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock Q7 M5?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Budget price bracket and deals are common. Not the most advanced, but performance is good for the price.

4 / 5

Design

Robust-looking robot with strong suction specs, raised LiDAR tower, bouncy wheels and a basic mop mechanism. Simple but solid design, lacking the advancements of pricier Roborock bots.

3.5 / 5

Performance

Accurate navigation and very good vacuuming, but mopping is a little wet and object avoidance patchy.

4 / 5

App

Unusually glitchy, but otherwise well designed and intuitive.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You're on a budget
It's not the most advanced robovac on the market, but it's very affordable and deals are common – and performance is solid for the price.

You're short on space for a dock
The dock here is very compact – small enough to comfortably pop under a bed, for example. It's the charge-only type, but if you're okay emptying your own dust bin, it's an ideal space-saving solution.

You mainly want to vacuum
The vacuuming here is excellent. There's an impressive 10,000Pa of suction and it performed very well in my real-world vacuuming tests, too.

Don't buy it if...

You want a really capable mop
Mopping functionality is basic, and quite wet – it's fine for occasional cleanups, but if you're going to be using this function more regularly, I'd suggest opting for a model with more advanced mopping capabilities.

You have a large house or lots of dust
The model on test here has a charge-only dock – if you're dealing with lots of dust or pet hair, you should opt for a model with an auto-empty dock (in some territories you can pick up a M5+, which has an auto-empty dock).

How I tested the Roborock Q7 M5 robot vacuum

I used the Q7 M5 as my main robot vacuum for a week, stationing it on a higher level of my house, which includes a carpeted hall and master bedroom (where a hairy spaniel also sleeps) and a tiled en-suite bathroom. As well as getting a feel for how well it performed in general, I ran specific mopping and vacuuming tests, which included sucking up oats and/or dry tea, and using the mop to clear a smear of dried ketchup off a tiled floor. I also tested obstacle avoidance by laying out common objects to see if the bot would spot and avoid them. I compared the performance, general usability and value for money to other robot vacuums I've tested in the past.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed July 2025

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, July 20 (game #1273).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1274) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1274) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1274) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1274) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1274) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• K

• S

• P

• F

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1274) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1274, are…

• KNEED
• SNAIL
• PINTO
• FEAST

After an easy ride with my first three guesses I was undone by a silent letter.

Without an S and seeing no other letters that could precede the letter N, I had presumed that it would have to start with a vowel so opted for “ended” – but ended up regretting it due to my neglect of the letter K. Sneaky.

Daily Sequence today (game #1274) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1274, are…

• MINER
• CRUST
• GRAPE
• ROBIN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1273, Sunday, 20 July: GRACE, COUNT, EGRET, GIANT
• Quordle #1272, Saturday, 19 July: EARLY, CLICK, TRITE, SPREE
• Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
• Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER
• Quordle #1269, Wednesday, 16 July: UNCLE, NADIR, REMIT, BROOM
• Quordle #1268, Tuesday, 15 July: VILLA, FLECK, TIGER, CRANE
• Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
• Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
• Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
• Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
• Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE
• Quordle #1262, Wednesday, 9 July: SHIRE, SIXTH, SINGE, IMAGE
• Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDE
• Quordle #1260, Monday, 7 July: DROLL, TRUCE, TWIRL, SINCE
• Quordle #1259, Sunday, 6 July: AMPLY, SPAWN, EXTOL, RIDGE
• Quordle #1258, Saturday, 5 July: HAVEN, SNAKE, DREAM, TORUS
• Quordle #1257, Friday, 4 July: FAVOR, SKUNK, GAWKY, FLUFF
• Quordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRET
• Quordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCER

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, July 20 (game #770).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #771) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FREEZING
• FOOT
• EXTRA
• CONTRACTION
• ICING
• SHRINKAGE
• CONDENSATION
• MELTING
• POSSESSIVE
• YADA YADA
• BONUS
• REGIFTING
• FESTIVUS
• QUOTE
• GRAVY
• VAPORIZATION

NYT Connections today (game #771) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Something on top
• GREEN: States of water
• BLUE: Jerry and friends
• PURPLE: A punctuation mark in common

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #771) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: ADDITIONAL PERK
• GREEN: PHASE TRANSITIONS FOR LIQUIDS
• BLUE: CONCEPTS FROM "SEINFELD" 
• PURPLE: WHAT ' CAN INDICATE

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #771) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #771, are…

• YELLOW: ADDITIONAL PERK BONUS, EXTRA, GRAVY, ICING
• GREEN: PHASE TRANSITIONS FOR LIQUIDS CONDENSATION, FREEZING, MELTING, VAPORIZATION
• BLUE: CONCEPTS FROM "SEINFELD" FESTIVUS, REGIFTING, SHRINKAGE, YADA YADA
• PURPLE: WHAT ' CAN INDICATE CONTRACTION, FOOT, POSSESSIVE, QUOTE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I interpret the idiom ‘it’s all GRAVY' as meaning that being alive and healthy is already fantastic and whatever else life brings you is a bonus. Other people may interpret it as an endless supply of free gravy or possibly that everything tastes like gravy, but either way it's a positive thing. Well, unless you don’t like gravy.

Anyway, I digress. Today’s gift from Connections was the wonderful CONCEPTS FROM “SEINFELD” including, in my opinion, its crowning achievement in creating a public holiday for “the rest of us”. An excuse for me to watch a couple of classic episodes in my lunch hour.

Fortunately, I had the other three groups quickly completed before I had to even contemplate the purple foursome.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, July 20, game #770)

• YELLOW: MOVE TO THE MUSIC BOP, BOUNCE, GROOVE, SWAY
• GREEN: INHALATION DRAG, DRAW, PUFF, PULL
• BLUE: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS DRY, GIN, SHAKEN, TWIST
• PURPLE: ___WORD BUZZ, CROSS, LOAN, PASS

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, July 20 (game #504).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #505) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… I fold!

NYT Strands today (game #505) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• BANK
• BRINE
• FLOW
• SHIFT
• TURBO
• WHEY

NYT Strands today (game #505) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #505) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #505) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #505, are…

• KITE
• FROG
• FISH
• CRANE
• BUTTERFLY
• SPANGRAM: ORIGAMI

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

It took me until my fourth word, which was CRANE, to understand the significance of “I fold!”. After that it was a case of finding a letter-O close to an edge and connecting ORIGAMI.

Despite this moment of revelation, today’s search didn’t get any easier – mainly because a crane is the most obvious shape you can make, but also because hundreds of items can be created by folding a square piece of thin paper.

Thankfully, FLOWER and BUTTERFLY were easy to spot, but even though there were only five letters left I still struggled to see HEART (trying “earth” first – maybe you just screw the paper up into a ball).

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, July 20, game #504)

• WRAP
• BIKINI
• SARONG
• TRUNKS
• SANDALS
• SWIMSUIT
• SPANGRAM: BEACH ATTIRE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Indian marathon runner Fauja Singh was 114 years old when he was killed in a hit-and-run.

(Image credit: Vincent Yu)