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HR teams already have enough to deal with not to need any complex systems, but small and mid-sized organizations lacking in dedicated HR teams risk being left even further behind.

PeopleHR is a cloud-based HR platform designed to meet this challenge by offering businesses scalable tools to handle all of their core requirements, including onboarding, performance management and payroll.

Now part of the Access Group suite of business software solutions, PeopleHR was designed specifically with SMBs in mind by a team from the UK.

Its modular approach allows businesses to select only the features they need while keeping costs predictable, so it’s simple to keep clear of pricier options you don’t need.

More recent developments have included an AI-powered assistant called Evo, which acts as a copilot for HR teams by helping with automation and analytics.

PeopleHR counts more than 7,000 customers on its books from across the UK, and prides itself on being “open and transparent” for all its customers.

• Our guide to the best HR software

PeopleHR: Plans and pricing

Like most HR platforms, PeopleHR has a few different tiers of membership to cater to increasingly demanding needs – in this case, there are four options.

Starter costs £3 per month and includes the AI tools, analytics, absence management and more.

Upgrade to core for £5.50 per month for a more enhanced version of copilot’s GenAI tools as well as expenses management, e-signatures and APIs that support third-party integrations.

These are both available with 14-day trials, but Pro and Elite+ at £8 and £9.50 per month aren’t. They bring features for larger organizations, like employee benefits, rewards and recognition, but they also have important features like time tracking, timesheets, rotating work patterns and performance management.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Features

PeopleHR isn’t short on functionality, with all the key features you’d expect covered. Employee records, absence tracking, document management and attendance monitoring are all there.

But it’s much more than a basic system, because performance management features including scheduling reviews, goal setting, feedback collection and analytics help HR professionals keep tabs on their workers’ progress.

It’s also a useful tool for the recruitment process, with job posting, candidate tracking and application management available through an integrated portal.

All in all, PeopleHR distinguishes its platform into five separate areas: HR (for people management, absence and expenses, automated workflows and timesheet management), payroll, talent, learn and engage (for rewards and recognition, employee benefits and wellbeing).

In recognition 83% of companies see using AI in their business strategies as a top priority, PeopleHR also has its own AI tool built-in – called Evo, it takes care of administrative workloads so that HR workers can focus on the people.

The best part is that the copilot generative AI HR Assistant and the Evo dashboard are available across the four subscription tiers.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Ease of use

PeopleHR is widely regarded as an easy-to-use platform that’s intuitive and self-explanatory. We found the layouts to be simple and the process to look familiar to others on the market, suggesting there shouldn’t be any major learning curves.

Separate tabs down the left site of the web portal reflect different areas of the site (and functionalities).

The built-in AI also helps HR workers to interact with their data in natural language while surfacing analytics more easily, so there’s no major headaches on that front either.

PeopleHR also has a mobile app that workers can use to find things like colleague details in the company directory, holiday and absence allowances, expenses and other documents.

The app can also be protected with biometrics to keep personal data secure.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Support

When you start looking into the pricing of PeopleHR, you’ll notice you can’t just subscribe to a membership and take it from there. You’ll need to chat to an agent and go through an onboarding process, and this training is included as part of the pricing.

Once you’re up and running, though, you may still need support, be it technical or just a query about a feature. Support channels include email, phone and chat, which is really positive, but it’s not necessarily instantaneous. To chat, for example, you’ll still need to book a slot – it’s not a live chat in the sense that many consumers are already familiar with.

There’s also a knowledge base that covers FAQs, webinars, other videos and training opportunities.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Final verdict

PeopleHR delivers a well-rounded, cloud-based HR solution that balances performance and usability well. It’s packed with functions and available in your choice of four tiers to maximize affordability, helping to make it a strong fit for a variety of company sizes.

One of the platform’s main strengths is its modular design, which gives organizations the flexibility to start small and add more over time as they expand, without having to change providers.

Another standout feature is PeopleHR’s implementation of generative AI. With tools like Evo, PeopleHR can automate common HR tasks like approval workflows, reporting and analytics, which the company says comes at the benefit of workers who can then free themselves up to focus on their company’s people.

That said, the platform isn’t without its limitations. For example, some features that we’d consider mainstream are reserved for higher-tier subscriptions, so the cheaper options might not be suitable anymore.

A British-built AI-enabled HR platform for SMBs based in the UK

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I’ve been testing Govee’s update of the Table Lamp 2, and it sounds as good as it looks.

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review

The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL is a smart lamp and Bluetooth speaker combo that enables you to switch up the vibe in moments.

Available to purchase directly from the Govee website or at Amazon, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL has a list price of $179.99 / £169.99. While the price is certainly on the steep side, if you’re already a big Govee fan and want to save space by incorporating a speaker into your smart light setup, this would be a good way to go about it.

Having said that, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL already been subject to a $20 / £20 discount in the Govee Fall sale, which sweetens the deal a little. That's despite the fact that it has only been available in the US for around 11 weeks, and less than a week in the UK, at the time of writing.

(Image credit: Future)

Being so used to the Govee Table Lamp 2, which I happen to have two of, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL looks a little on the chonky side. This is understandable, considering it’s packing a speaker and a 5,200mAh rechargeable battery, which can provide up to four and a half hours of playback if the volume and brightness are set to fifty percent.

There’s a notable difference between the US and UK models when it comes to the power cable. The connector is set at a 90-degree angle in both cases, as the power port is located on the bottom of the lamp, but the US uses a small DC connector, and the UK uses USB-C.

More importantly, the cable for the US model is moulded to a US plug, so you can just plug and play; but in the UK, a USB-C cable is all that’s included, so I needed to source an adapter with a minimum of 35W for it to run efficiently. The first adapter I had to hand turned out to be too low-powered, and the lamp was clearly unimpressed.

(Image credit: Future)

Getting the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL synced with the app and with the WiFi networks in the office and at home was a quick and simple process. There are two separate Bluetooth connections, one for the lamp itself and one for the speaker. I found this a little inconvenient at times, as it seemed I needed to reconnect the speaker in my phone’s Bluetooth settings whenever I’d been out of the room. But overall, it makes sense that it’s set up this way, as one may want to listen to music on their headphones while still enjoying the features of the lamp.

(Image credit: Future)

There are two elements of the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL’s design that provide eye-catching lighting effects. These are the main body of the lamp, as you’d expect, but also the base, thanks to its clever reflective design. Both elements can be used independently or together, so you can have your lighting effects as stand-out or as subtle as you’d like.

The control panel on the top of the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL was simple to use, with a push power button and four touch buttons for the speakers' volume controls, playing and pausing, and a button for cycling through nine customizable presets.

(Image credit: Future)

My favorite way to control the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL – and all the Govee products I’ve tested, actually – is by taking advantage of the voice control via my Echo Dot (5th Gen) or hopping onto the feature-packed Govee Home app.

If you’ve already read some of my other product reviews, such as the highly rated Govee Neon Rope Light 2, you’ll already have some idea of how fond I am of the Govee Home app.

Along with the run-of-the-mill power, brightness, and volume controls, it also boasts over 100 preset scenes, with themes ranging from the ocean to the universe. The Govee Home app offers opportunities to get creative with lighting effects, too, with a finger sketch feature that allows you to decorate the canvas with random colors or drawings before choosing a motion setting and speed, as well as an AI effect generator.

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One small niggle I have stems from the preset audio that plays by default when some of the scenes are selected. I found some of them to be somewhat irritating, especially if they caught me by surprise when cycling through the default presets using the onboard controls. Fortunately, they can be disabled in the app, but only one at a time, so I had to go through and turn them off for all of my favorite scenes that were afflicted.

(Image credit: Future)

The audio quality was as I expected from a JBL speaker, by which I mean it was a solid performer. The treble sounds clean, and I could hear a good level of definition in the high-pitched percussion in the background of Sunny Days by Kolter. The bass lacks some impact, but it still has a good weight to it and isn’t bad going, considering the price. Unless you happen to be an audiophile, you’ll probably be perfectly happy with the audio quality on offer here.

The Dynamic Music feature added some fun when listening to music, especially the Gridding and Ripple effects, and was enjoyed by everyone in my office. I did notice they can struggle to hit the right notes if the track has a lot of different elements, but it’s nonetheless a fun dynamic effect, especially when paired with bass-heavy tracks.

(Image credit: Future)

Overall, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL offers eye-catching and day-brightening lighting effects and a satisfying-sounding speaker for the price. So, if you love the look of the Govee Table Lamp 2 and want a solid speaker to listen to tunes, podcasts, or audiobooks, then you’ll be happy wth the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL.

If you’re in the mood to check out more ambience-altering lighting, then why not take a look at our pick of the best smart lights?

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review: Price and specs

Price

$179.99 / £169.99

Model

H6020

Colors

Lamp Body: RGBICWW, Base: RGBIC

Lumens

600

Dimensions

6.1 x 6.1 x 10.1 inches / 18.9 x 18.9 x 34cm

Connectivity

2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

App

Yes

Control methods

Alexa, Google Home, Matter, IFTTT, Apple Watch, Razer

Speaker

Sound by JBL 2.5-inch 500cc full-range speaker

Additional features

Rechargeable battery

Should I buy the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL?Buy it if...

You want a fun and feature-packed smart light
Thanks to its rechargeable battery, voice control, and the many eye-catching preset scenes and customizable lighting effects, there’s a lot to appreciate here.

You want a smart light and Bluetooth speaker in one
The combination of pretty lighting effects and satisfying audio makes this a versatile smart lamp, whether you have it at your bedside or in your living space.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t want to be interrupted by random audio
The default sounds linked to some of the preset scenes may prove a little irritating.

You want a subtle smart lamp
Whether it’s lit up in bright colors or being used as a reading light, the built-in speaker makes this a pretty hefty smart lamp.

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review: Also consider

Govee Table Lamp 2
If you’re more interested in the smart lighting effects than the audio element of the Table Lamp 2 Pro, then I recommend checking out the previous model. With most of the same features, including a bucket load of preset scenes, customization, and voice control via smart home hubs, the Govee Table Lamp 2 has a lot to offer. Plus, its list price is $100 / £100 cheaper. For more details, and to learn why I awarded it 4.5 stars, check out my full Govee Table Lamp 2 review.

How I tested the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL

• I tested the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL for a couple of weeks
• I tested the different features and customizable settings
• I observed its performance as a smart light and as a speaker

I used the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL on my desk and next to my bed for a couple of weeks.

I followed the setup process on the Govee Home app and explored its features, testing how different scenes looked, and used the creative features to create my own.

I tested the audio quality by listening to different genres of music and bumping up the volume to assess the output at higher levels.

• First reviewed: September 2025
• Read more about how we test

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