If you’re looking for the best webcam to upgrade your home office, look no further than the Insta360 Link 2C Pro. When I reviewed the Insta360 Link 2 Pro (just one letter in the name and a built-in gimbal sets these two apart) a few months ago, I thought the gimbal made it the obvious choice, but how wrong I was — the Insta360 Link 2C Pro is $50 cheaper and can do everything the gimbal version can do.

The Insta360 Link 2C Pro has all of the same perks, including dual native ISO that is effective even in the harshest lighting conditions, and a privacy switch for easy manual control. What makes the Link 2C stand out is the smart modes, which make presenting a breeze, and the AI tracking makes me wonder why we ever needed a gimbal version of this camera.

To find out more about the webcam, you can keep reading this full Insta360 Link 2C Pro review.

Insta360 Link 2C Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 4K/30fps webcam suited with smart modes to make presenting simple
• Who is it for? At-home office workers looking to upgrade their video conferencing setup
• What does it cost? The Insta360 Link 2C Pro is available for $199 / £199 at Amazon
• What do we like? Good value, dual native ISO for low-light, privacy switch for security, smart modes
• What don’t we like? It doesn’t have a gimbal for auto-tracking

Insta360 Link 2C Pro review: Specs

Insta360 Link 2C Pro review: The ups

There’s a lot to love about the Insta360 Link 2C Pro. You get all the perks of the Insta360 Link 2 Pro at a fraction of the price. The image performance is sharp even in low light conditions thanks to dual native ISO, and there are plenty of modes to streamline usage for presenting.

Save money and get the same specs

The Insta360 Link 2C Pro is virtually the same camera as the Insta360 Link 2 Pro. Eagle-eyed readers among you will notice only a one-letter difference in the names, which is admittedly confusing. The only functional difference between them is that the Link 2C lacks a 2-axis gimbal for tracking moving subjects.

But gimbal tracking isn’t something every user needs, and for most workers looking for a camera to support video streaming and work calls, a stationary one is more than enough. You also still get all of the smart modes, same image performance, and same ISO capabilities.

Unless you’re planning to use the camera for presentations, it’s well worth saving $50 by purchasing the Link 2C Pro. If you’re currently using the older Link 2C ($149), it’s worth considering the upgrade to the Link 2C Pro for the larger sensor and better low-light performance.

Image performance

The image of the Insta360 Link 2C Pro is a lot sharper than my usual MacBook Air M2’s built-in camera. The camera has a max resolution of 4K/30fps, which meant that I always looked clear and my movements always appeared fairly smooth. Since you’re likely not using your webcam for anything more advanced than a video call, 30fps is more than enough.

But the 4K resolution also meant that I could see my face in detail, which on a no-makeup day isn’t the best news for me (or anyone watching me for that matter). Thankfully, with the companion software downloaded, you can alter the video resolution. You can also use the camera in 1080p/60fps, 720p/60fps or 360p/30fps, depending on your needs. If you want footage free from blur, 60fps is better to capture faster movements, but as I said, 30fps is likely plenty for work use.

My day-to-day webcam is the built-in unit on the MacBook Pro M2, so when I first used the Link 2C Pro, I was taken aback by how pale I looked. Whereas Mac cameras have a warmth to them, the Insta360 is very cool-toned. This won’t be for everyone, but you can make adjustments to the color hue by using a filter in the companion software, Link Connect.

Privacy switch

On the left-hand side of the webcam, there's a handy switch for closing the privacy lens on the camera. This is very useful for the privacy-conscious, but also in the case of temperamental technology. I’ve found myself in video meetings where my on-screen controls are unresponsive because I’ve got too many tabs open or I’m running too many applications at once, meaning I can’t turn off my camera. This is a great tool to quickly switch your camera off without fuss.

The privacy switch is something you don’t get with the Insta360 Link 2 Pro — since it’s moving constantly on a gimbal, it would be tricky to use a physical control like this.

Easy setup

The Insta360 Link 2C Pro is incredibly easy to set up. The adjustable mount can attach to most desktop monitors and even fit securely to the screen of my MacBook, so it can cope with being attached to a thin screen. The camera attaches magnetically to the mount, so there’s no fussing with slots or sockets. You tap them together and pull them apart, making transporting and storing it very easy.

The Osbot Meet 2 ($129) also uses a magnetic clip-on mount, but has a tendency to fall off from time to time. I didn’t have this issue with the Link 2C Pro.

The camera is powered with a USB-C cable, which plugs into the device you're using to connect. The camera also comes with a USB-C to USB-A adaptor. This was just as easy to set up as the Osbot Meet 4K ($149), which also uses a USB-C cable.

Useful modes

The Insta360 Link 2C Pro has a lot of smart features available through the companion software, Insta360 Link Connect. This is available on macOS and Windows and takes a few minutes to download to your device, giving you access to the webcam settings, including firmware updates.

There is a great selection of modes on the camera to help with professional presenting. These include AI framing, Smart Whiteboard, DeskView and Virtual Background.

AI framing

Although the webcam doesn’t have gimbal tracking, it does have AI framing. This doesn’t move to track but rather zooms and reframes to make sure everyone is in the frame. To test this out, I recruited my colleagues Nikita and Harry, and as you can see, the camera did a good job at accounting for all three of us and our varying heights.

Smart whiteboard

The smart whiteboard feature was very handy when using the camera, as it zooms in to focus on the board after scanning the screen and detecting a whiteboard. It’s ideal for presenting to minimize distractions around the scene.

DeskView

The webcam also has DeskView, which, when enabled, flips the view of the camera. This means that you can view and present whatever is on your desk without having to read or work upside down for the benefit of the camera.

Virtual Background

You can also use a virtual background in the Link Connect app. You could do this in whatever meeting software you use, like Google Meet or Teams, but I think the Insta360 did a good job at cutting around the finer details like the wispy layers of my hair.

Dual Native ISO

The 1/1.3-inch sensor of the Insta360 Link 2C Pro has dual native ISO (where the camera switches between two native ISO ranges to get better results in extreme light or dark lighting), so even in the dark, such as in the image below, I was able to get more of a natural lighting experience.

There isn’t too much noise in the image. It still looks like I’m sitting in the dark, obviously, but it brings back some detail in the frame by lifting the shadows.

Good microphone

There wasn’t much difference in my voice when using my MacBook's native microphone and the microphone of the Insta360 Link 2C Pro.

My voice was clear, and it did a good job of minimizing typing sounds when I was speaking on a call with my colleagues.

Insta360 Link 2C Pro review: The downs

Unless you need a gimbal, the Insta360 Link 2C Pro is virtually perfect. But if it’s across-the-room tracking you need, then you may struggle with this webcam.

No gimbal

As I mentioned earlier, what makes the Insta360 Link 2C Pro camera so great is that you get all the perks of a flagship webcam without the stark price of the Insta360 Link 2 Pro. But in opting for the cheaper option, you are trading access to a gimbal.

One of the things I loved so much about the Insta360 Link 2 Pro was that it followed me wherever I was in the frame, making it an ideal option for recording wider scenes, like presentations.

By contrast, the Link 2C Pro is stationary, so you’re a bit more limited. But this is still fine for office workers who take meetings at their desks and don’t need movement tracking across a wide stage.

The Link 2C Pro has AI tracking, which I mentioned above. This zooms in to keep tracking movements, losing resolution. The Link 2 Pro doesn’t lose any resolution thanks to the gimbal.

Insta360 Link 2C Pro review: Verdict

I think the Insta360 Link 2C Pro is the best webcam option for office workers looking to upgrade their video call setup without breaking the bank. You get all the smart features of the Insta360 Link 2 Pro, just without the gimbal — but if you’re not walking around and presenting while on a call, you really don’t need it. Do you want to be in frame at all times? It’s still no problem with the Link 2C Pro because the AI tracking is just as effective at keeping you and anyone else around you in the frame (albeit at the cost of resolution).

The dual native ISO works well in low-light situations, lifting shadows without grain. The privacy switch is also handy, especially if you frequently need to quickly make camera adjustments.

As I’ve mentioned, the lack of a gimbal could be a deal-breaker for some, but I think it’s worth the sacrifice to save yourself $50.

I admire Lofree for making the Hyzen, the brand’s new dual mechanical/magnetic keyboard. Dual-socket boards are ambitious enough in concept, let alone full scale production. So it’s a brave move from a manufacturer consistently struggling with its firmware, software and reliability.

However… first some context. The Lofree Hyzen isn’t the first gaming keyboard with a dual mechanical/magnetic switch socket. Glorious got there already with the socket on the GMMK 3 HE ($199). Lofree has gone a step further by designing (with Kailh) a dual MX/TMR switch to go in its clever socket.

Thus, claims Lofree, the Hyzen is a huge step forward, bundling into a single package both the typing performance of mechanicals and the gaming performance of magnetic switches. Now, I don’t think it’s as big a step as Lofree thinks it is, but the brand is onto something. And I think the Hyzen could herald some interesting possibilities ahead.

Unfortunately, while this board is in Kickstarter/pre-production, I can’t recommend you pre-order it. Both my Hyzen review samples suffer the usual Lofree problems: janky software and firmware, questionable quality control and a high price (the Hyzen is especially expensive, even for Lofree).

Almost all the other coverage I've seen about this board, especially on YouTube, seems overwhelmingly positive, and that just isn't the experience I've had so far. Find out more in my early Lofree Hyzen review.

April 28th 2026: Many of my issues may be explained by my units being pre-production models, which is why I’ve left this review un-scored for now. I’ve also reached out to Lofree to figure out whether these are known issues and if they’ll be fixed by full production. But when people are being encouraged to invest their money into a Kickstarter campaign, it’s my duty as a tech journalist to tell you all what I actually see in front of me.

Lofree Hyzen review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A hybrid productivity/gaming keyboard with mechanical and magnetic switch compatibility
• Who is it for? People who love the feel of MX switches but want the gaming performance of magnetic
• What does it cost? It's currently in Kickstarter, but will cost $279 when launched
• What's good? The dual compatibility, styling, typing performance and gaming features
• What isn't? The number of QC issues on our units, the janky software, switch issues and high MSRP.

Lofree Hyzen review: Specs

Lofree Hyzen review: The ups

A dual compatible socket plus an innovative switch; gorgeous design and effortless typing — the Hyzen has a lot going for it.

Dual MX/magnetic compatibility

I’ll start off with the obvious: the Hyzen is compatible with both mechanical and magnetic switches. Its socket supports 3- or 5-pin mechanicals, so you can fit your favorite tactile or clicky switches. It also supports magnetic switches, and a decent variety of them, too. The Hyzen is compatible with the stock Kailh Nexus switches; Gateron’s Magnetic, Jade and Jade Pro lines; TTC’s Magneto switches; and more. All you need to do is recalibrate the board once you’ve fitted compatible switches.

This is one of the most important points for me: many magnetic boards, like the Keychron K2 HE ($130), are compatible only with their stock switches. That means anywhere from 1-3 hot swap choices and little variation between those choices save spring weights. The Hyzen isn’t the first to expand on this, but it’s great to finally see wider compatibility coming to the market.

Innovative Kailh Nexus switch

Lofree didn’t just leave it at the socket, though. The stock Kailh Nexus switch (which Lofree co-designed with Kailh for this deck) is also dual MX/Mag in operation. Set it to mechanical mode in the companion software and the switch behaves like a mechanical switch, using contact-based actuation — you can see the mechanical pins sticking out the bottom of the housing!

Set it to magnetic, and the switch actuates based on magnetic positioning. In theory, this gives you the best of both worlds. The feel of mechanical with the features of magnetic. It’s a little pointless, though. It’s only the actuation detection that changes between the modes. The switches feel the same in either mode, so you might as well always leave them in Magnetic mode and choose the actuation distance you want.

They’re very nice to use, though — thanks to the moving stem and contact plate, they feel just like a traditional linear switch. And with a modest 40g actuation force, they’re fairly light and airy. Still, they don’t feel that different to standard linear magnetic switches.

Most importantly, I'm excited to see how this technology can be used in more switches going forward! So kudos to Lofree and Kailh for doing something new.

Plenty of gaming features

In their magnetic mode, the Nexus switches are great for gaming. You'll find plenty of the zeitgeisty magnetic gaming features we’ve come to expect from today's high end gaming boards — although not quite as many as you'll find on boards like the NuPhy Air60 HE ($139) and Field75 HE ($169), or the Lemokey P2 HE ($169) and its gamepad analog mode.

Still, the Hyzen has the big hitters like adjustable actuation, Rapid Trigger, Last Key Prioritization SOCD (A.K.A ‘Snap Tap’), and more. All of this is controlled through the Lofree Web Hub, which I’ll discuss in more detail below.

I lowered the switch actuation down to around 0.5mm for Counter Strike 2 — quick enough to be extremely responsive without running the risk of accidental inputs. I would normally drop lower, to around 0.3mm, but as I’ll cover later, the Hyzen had significant issues with accidental and repeated inputs at the lowest actuation distances. So I needed a decent (0.3mm) dead zone.

Still, at 0.5mm, the Nexus switches were super snappy and responsive, and a joy to use in FPS titles like CS2 and Isonzo. For less intense games like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and Cities: Skylines 2, I scaled the actuation back to my preferred typing distance of 2.6mm.

The Hyzen also polls at 8K, for super low latency. In real terms, you won’t notice a difference between a 1K board and an 8K board in terms of latency — 8K is essentially marketing snake oil. But hey, 8K is technically faster than 1K.

A mean productivity machine

The Hyzen is a serious productivity machine, especially for a 65% board. There’s a neat toggle on the left which turns the number row into Fn buttons, giving you access to productivity shortcuts — which I find especially handy when using macOS at work.

As I’ll cover later, I had some major input registry issues in mechanical switch mode, but in magnetic mode at 2.6mm actuation and with a hefty amount of dead zone dialled in, I was on fire in the type test. I managed to type at 105WPM with 93% accuracy. That’s 10WPM above my average speed at nearly 5 percentage points above my average accuracy.

This is all helped by lovely keycaps. They’re Cherry profile — nothing special there — but finished with a beautiful friction-heavy coating that a) feels great, and b) helps reduce slipping and mistypes.

The keys have a very modest rake, but thanks to a 12-degree rearward pitch angle, the keyboard still feels very steep, and each row is noticeably tiered above the one below. I didn’t get on with this at first, as I’m not accustomed to such a stark difference in the upper- and lower-most key heights. But I got used to it, and it clearly didn’t negatively affect my speed or accuracy!

Captivating construction

The Hyzen is utterly gorgeous to behold. Although I expect nothing else from Lofree. The clean, straight lines; the translucent keycaps; the backlight and desklight; the black digital Fn bar. It’s just so slick. Lofree sent me both the gray and white versions, and I’ve had a really hard time choosing which I prefer. Each look fantastic with the RGB backlighting set to a simplistic white, and the desklight set to red.

Like the Lofree Flow 2 ($149) and Lofree Flow ($159), the Hyzen utilizes a minimalist design ethos. Here, it’s a deliberate attempt to draw focus to the quality of materials used. And they are indeed high quality — thick, machined aluminum alloy for the case; doubleshot PBT keycaps; and an FR4 fiberglass plate. It feels like a premium product.

April 28th 2026: My units are both early production samples, and a few changes will be made to the appearance of final production units. These include the removal of the (ugly, wonkily-printed) “Hyzen” logo on the space bar; and the addition of macOS legends to keycaps, resulting in dual-labelled caps.

A more-ish muted clack

The Hyzen has a rather more-ish sound. Thanks to the FR4 plate and PBT caps, there’s a muted, plasticky-but-pleasing clack. It isn’t addictive as the poppy Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro ($139) or the thocky NuPhy Halo75 V2 ($129), but still rather pleasant.

Thanks to that heavy aluminum alloy case and a decent amount of internal damping, the Hyzen’s sound is nice and tight, with little in the way of echoes or ricochets.

Admittedly, my gray sample has an extremely noisy Space bar stabilizer, which generates a metallic ping each time you hit the key. But I’ll cover this more later on.

Lofree Hyzen review: The downs

Unfortunately, my review units demonstrated poor QC, janky software and switch issues. Then there’s the steep MSRP to consider. The Hyzen is too much of a risk right now for me to recommend.

Poor quality control

Unfortunately, my pre-production units suffer from poor quality control. One of my Hyzens likes to rattle — specifically, it has a very noisy, metallic ping from the Space bar stabilizers. It’s a shame because the other unit has a fairly nice sounding Space bar that Lofree has managed to sound-match fairly well with the rest of the keys (within reason, as it’s still a Space bar).

This isn’t surprising given Lofree’s recent form. Both of my Lofree Flow 2 testers, for example, demonstrated a truly vibe-killing metallic ricochet — a common problem that Lofree has acknowledged to me as QC-related.

A week or so into testing, and with the battery fully charged, one of my test samples then decided to randomly die... before turning back on 30 minutes later. Plus, the zips on both of my test unit cases were far too small, meaning they caught on the zip fabric and both broke — we had to cut one of the cases open to get to the keyboard (Lofree has confirmed it will revise the zips for production models).

Slightly janky software

With mechanical boards, you can get away with simple open source firmware/software like QMK/VIA. But with magnetic boards, whose core performance relies so much on software customization, the open source platforms just can’t cut it. That’s when you need a solid web app like Keychron’s/Lemokey’s Launcher or NuPhy.io.

Lofree Hub will be Lofree’s version of those. Right now at least, it works, but it ain’t polished. My early access version was very janky, taking literal minutes to load the background image (like dial up) and buttons, then lagging in use.

Firmware updating was also pretty clunky, requiring me to download a standalone .EXE (so no updating on Mac) rather than simply updating through the web app, as with Keychron and NuPhy boards.

Hopefully, the final production software will be an improvement on this. But Lofree’s previous proprietary software platforms have been equally janky, and usually get canned by the manufacturer after one or two boards (see my Lofree Flow Lite review). So, again with Lofree's recent form in mind, forgive me if I’m not full of optimism here.

Dead zone required and no MX bounce control

I found the Nexus switches in MX mode difficult to use. Despite flawless performance in magnetic mode, almost setting my PBs, I could only just type 90 words per minute in MX mode at only 87% accuracy. I had repeated/double inputs all over the shop, even after recalibration. MX mode is just crying out for some bounce/debounce settings to iron this out, but the app gives no control over that. I’ve just left the thing in magnetic mode and have reached out to Lofree about the input issues.

In magnetic mode, there were a lot of accidental inputs at short actuation distances. This is normal (although I’ve never had as many issues as with the Hyzen/Nexus switches), and as I mentioned above, I just dialled in 0.3mm of dead zone to fix the issue at 0.4mm and 0.5mm actuation.

April 28th 2026: Lofree has confirmed to me that MX switch issues are known about in pre-production units.

Astronomically high price

Finally, there’s the Hyzen’s high price. There will be some deals for Kickstarter supporters, but the MSRP of the tri-mode variant will be $279. That’s crazy steep — even pricier than high-end magnetic boards like the Keychron Q6 8K HE ($239) and Lemokey L5 HE ($220).

Despite its promising features, given the number of issues I've experienced, I don't think this board warrants its price. If you're gonna charge that much for a deck, it better be polished. Again, the product is in Kickstarter, so the final production model may have these issues ironed out, but there's no guarantee of that, so I can only go on what I see in front of me.

Naturally, with Kickstarter there's always the possibility of rug pulls, too. Lofree is an established brand (why use Kickstarter, then?), so I doubt that will happen here, but I'll always advise extreme caution when it comes to crowdfunding projects — that's especially true here given the Hyzen is so clearly unfinished.

Lofree Hyzen review: Verdict

I love seeing keyboard manufacturers take risks and experiment. Which is why I was so excited about the Hyzen. A dual MX/Mag socket and switch combo has the potential to be the future default setup. In fact, I think it definitely will be. So kudos to Lofree for becoming an early adopter (I’ve no doubt the other big productivity brands will be following suit soon).

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the Hyzen in its current form. It’s beautiful to behold, great to type on, sounds pretty good and offers a range of gaming features. But it’s let down by poor QC, plus janky software and switches. I’m really hoping Lofree can iron out these issues before launch. But then oh my lord there’s still that price.

Lofree: if you’re going to experiment, I’ll back you all the way. But don’t think you can get away with charging double finished-product prices while doing so, for a product that isn’t anywhere near ready for market.

The Lemokey P2 HE is a compact 65% magnetic gaming keyboard from Keychron’s gaming sub-brand. It’s one of the dinkiest keyboards Lemokey sells, and is perfect for gamers who are short on desk space, or who like to move their keyboard around a lot (that’s me).

There’s a lot to love about this little deck, from its wide array of gaming features and responsive magnetic features, through to its effortless type feel and supreme build quality. This is a performance-oriented gaming keyboard that will also stand you in good stead for a whole day of working and typing.

There aren’t too many negatives to live with either, although the board is very tall and has no adjustable feet, which can make it a little awkward to use when gaming. It’s heavy and kinda pricey, too, although both of those are symptomatic of the exquisite build quality, so I’m not complaining too much.

Is this the best gaming keyboard for you? Find out in my full Lemokey P2 HE review.

Lemokey P2 HE review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 65% magnetic gaming keyboard
• Who is it for? Gamers who type a lot and want to customize their deck
• What does it cost? $169 at Lemokey
• What's good? The gaming performance, type feel, customization options and compact design
• What's not? It's tall, heavy and on the pricey side

Lemokey P2 HE review: Specs

Lemokey P2 HE review: The ups

The Lemokey P2 HE is a lovely deck for gaming and typing alike, packing plenty of magnetic gaming performance and superb switches. It’s beautifully built and very customizable, too.

Solid gaming performance

The Lemokey P2 HE packs Gateron’s Double-Rail magnetic switches — the same ones we’ve seen in many other Keychron/Lemokey boards, like the Keychron K2 HE ($130) and Keychron Q16 HE 8K Ceramic ($229). They’re utterly formidable gaming switches, and can rival the fantastic Lekker switches found in the Wooting 60HE ($174).

At your disposal are pretty much all of today’s must-have gaming features. There’s adjustable actuation down to 0.2mm for ultra-snappy and responsive inputs. I don’t go as far as 0.2mm as it results in accidental inputs when knocking keys. But I adjusted the switches to 0.6mm for gameplay on Counter-Strike 2 and Isonzo, and found the switches a joy to use.

There are also multiple selectable and customizable simultaneous cardinal opposing direction (SOCD) resolutions. Namely, there’s Last Key Priority, or ‘Snap Tap,’ which prioritizes the last key pressed when two keys actuate simultaneously. This facilitates super easy counter strafing in games with internal movement accuracy penalties, like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. It’ll get you kicked from CS2 immediately.

There’s DKS, or Dynamic Key Stroke, which allows you to assign up to four inputs per keystroke (two up, two down); Rapid Trigger for repeat inputs without needing the switch to recycle; and a long-press switch, where a single input acts as a continuous input — ideal for automating walking, for example.

You’re short a few features versus, say, the NuPhy Air60 HE ($139) and NuPhy Field75 HE ($169) — namely Mod Tap, which allows you to assign different inputs based on whether a key is tapped or pressed. Other than that, though, the P2 HE really has every gaming feature there is to care about right now.

All of these features are accessed and customized via the Lemokey Launcher web app, which is fantastic. It’s web based, so you can access it from any computer, and so there’s no need to install any bloatware. Launcher gives you access to everything you’d want to customize about the board’s firmware. It’s a far cry from the janky software of the Epomaker HE75 Mag ($99), or the horrible bloatware, Armoury Crate, which you have to install to tweak Asus boards like the TUF Gaming K3 Gen II ($99).

The P2 HE polls at 1,000Hz over wireless and wired connections. This may not sound that impressive given every gaming keyboard manufacturer worth its salt is shouting proudly about 8K polling these days, but trust me, 1,000Hz is plenty fast enough for a keyboard, and I experienced no lag or missed inputs when gaming.

Beautiful to type on

As with all Lemokey and Keychron boards, even though the P2 HE is packing serious gaming heat, the typing experience isn’t sacrificed. Now, this isn’t the most comfortable board out there. The PCB is gasket-mounted which is kinda rare for Hall Effect gaming boards, but the mounting is fairly firm — I’d even go so far as to say the board feels more like a plate or top mounted deck. That’s fine, though, because this is a gaming deck, and you don’t want that PCB/plate assembly jiggling around while you’re at 0.2mm actuation.

Otherwise, it’s a truly lovely board for typing. The results below were my first type test on the P2 HE. Straight out of the gate, I scored 100WPM with above average accuracy. I’m writing this review on the P2 HE, and after some hours of use, I’m even faster.

Like its Keychron stablemate, the Q16 HE 8K, the P2 HE uses Cherry profile keycaps, which is ideal in a gaming-skewed deck. They’re medium low-profile, allowing you to skim across the board quickly and easily, and there isn’t too much sculpting to the keys to get in the way. On a productivity board, I prefer a more typing-focused profile, like the Keychron H2 HE’s OSA or the NuPhy Halo75 V2’s ($129) mSA profiles. But for an all-rounder with a gaming focus, Cherry is perfect.

I utterly adore the feel of the Gateron Nebula switches, too. These are the medium-weight options of Gateron’s Double-Rail line, the others being the lightweight Dawn switches or the heavyweight Aurora switches. I’ve used them all, and Nebula are my favorite. With 40g actuation and 60g bottom out force, they have a medium weight to them — not so heavy to become fatiguing, but just enough to give a springy, elasticated feel that I find a little addictive.

Compact 65% layout

When it comes to gaming keyboards, I’m a sucker for a 65% layout. Strip any more keys, like the 60% NuPhy Air60 HE, and productivity is seriously affected due to losing the arrow keys. The 65% layout gives you just enough to be suitable for daily use, while being perfect for smaller desks or people who like to move their keyboard to odd placements.

If you’re one of the former, the 65% layout gives you plenty of space for your mouse movements and minimizes the impact of the keyboard on your already dwindling space. If you’re one of the latter, like me, who isn’t short of desk space, but likes to put their keyboard way out on the left when gaming, 65% is also ideal.

The 65% layout is also a solid choice if you need to take the board in your bag, to work or a LAN party. However, as I’ll cover in the ‘downs’ section below, the chunkiness and weight of the P2 HE kinda rules it out for that.

Plenty of customization potential

The Lemokey P2 HE is a great shout if you like tinkering with your keyboards. Firstly, there’s all the software tweaks you can make in the Lemokey Launcher web software I covered above. There, you can reassign keys, create and assign macros, flash firmware, customize gaming features, and play around with RGB.

I’m a big fan of Lemokey/Keychron’s per-key and mix-RGB modes, which are fairly new additions to the Launcher software. These make it easy to assign blocks of RGB lighting and change the color of individual keys. This is something I love about the Wooting80 HE ($199) and its wootility.io software, so I’m glad to see Lemokey implementing it too.

Unusually for a Lemokey/Keychron board, the P2 HE has a ball-catch quick-release top case, giving you instant access to the internals to make modifications under the hood. We see this on super mod-friendly decks like the Wobkey Crush 80 ($190) and MCHOSE GX87 Pro ($109), and it’s great to see Lemokey following suit. If you want an even more moddable 65% though, check out the Wobkey Zen 65 ($165), which is equally easy to customize and even comes with all the materials needed to swap out the plate.

Superb build quality

As is customary with Lemokey boards, like the Lemokey L5 HE ($220), the P2 HE is built like a tank. The removable top case is made from thick aluminum, with a smooth finish. The bottom case is utterly gorgeous — again smooth-touch aluminum, with sturdy rubberized feet and a beautiful patterned plastic inlay. Keycaps are doubleshot PBT, which are more resistant to grease and to going shiny over time versus ABS caps. It’s just a fantastically well-crafted deck, which is clearly built to last.

Lemokey P2 HE review: The downs

Despite all its virtues, the Lemokey P2 HE isn’t perfect. It’s very heavy for a 65%, and has no height adjustment, which exacerbates issues with its tall design. And while not outrageously priced, you can get cheaper magnetic decks for less.

Very heavy

For a 65% keyboard, the Lemokey P2 HE is very heavy at 3.15lbs. While you could theoretically take it out and about — if commuting to work or heading to a friend’s house to game, for instance — you wouldn’t really want to. The P2 HE is best suited to sitting stationary on your desk.

If you’d prefer a more portable gaming keyboard, check out the slightly lighter Keychron Q16 HE 8K Ceramic (2.2lbs), the NuPhy Air60 HE (1.18lbs), Wooting 60HE (1.3lbs) or the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini (1.34lbs, $239).

Tall case with no height adjustment

The Lemokey P2 HE has no adjustable feet to let you vary the height and angle of the board. Now, this is normal for keyboards with aluminum cases. In fact, the only aluminum board I’ve ever tested with adjustable feet is the Lofree Flow 2 ($149). The machining needs to be very complex to put feet on an aluminum case, which is why it’s so uncommon to do so.

I’m used to this, and it wouldn’t be a huge problem… if the P2 HE weren’t so tall. The case is very high, with fat squared off edges, making it quite uncomfortable to use at times unless you have a tall wrist rest. At first, I found the case got in the way a fair bit, too. Some angle adjustment would’ve been very welcome here, so this is a problem I’d like to see the industry address in future.

An easy solution already exists — Wooting sells its plastic boards with different sized rubber feet included in the box, which clip into grooves in the case. I don’t see why that wouldn’t work with metal cases either. Until then, I prefer using the much lower (indeed, low-profile) NuPhy Air60 HE.

Kinda pricey

Finally, the Lemokey P2 HE is kinda pricey, costing $169 at Lemokey. Given the gaming features, build quality and easy customization on offer, I don’t think it’s priced unfairly. Other keyboards offering similar features cost a similar amount or more: the Wobkey Zen 65 costs $165, while the Keychron Q16 HE 8K costs $229.

The P2 HE’s biggest competitors are the Wooting 60HE ($174) and NuPhy Air60 HE ($139). Sure, the NuPhy is cheaper, but we’re still in the same ballpark here.

That said, $169 is a lot of cash, and you can get similar features for less. The Epomaker HE65 Mag, for example, costs $99, while the Epomaker HE68 costs just $59. They aren’t built anywhere near as beautifully as the Lemokey, but if you’re on a budget, will perform just as well.

Lemokey P2 HE review: Verdict

I’m really impressed by the Lemokey P2 HE. It packs into a tiny package everything that usually makes Lemokey/Keychron boards so great — gaming performance, type feel, customizability etc — and throws in a long-overdue ball-catch quick-release case for easy modding.

Sure, it’s tall case and lack of feet make it a little awkward to use, and it’s objectively quite a lot of money to spend on a keyboard — but the P2 HE isn’t outrageously priced versus its competition, and more than justifies its MSRP through its features. What a lovable little keyboard!

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K could be one of the best mechanical keyboards for customization newbies, office workers and gamers alike. There’s a lot to love about this board, including the comfortable typing thanks to the responsive switches and OSA keycaps; a great sound profile from layers of foam and a polycarbonate plate; and impressive battery life. The Ultra series brings an upgrade to the original Keychron V3, introducing 8K wireless polling and 660 hours of battery life.

But there are some very minor drawbacks. The board isn’t available in the U.K. at the time of writing, although there are other similar options; the case feels a little cheap, and the Brown Switches that came with the board I tested lacked a tactile bump for gaming.

To find out more details about the board, keep reading this full Keychron V3 Ultra 8K review.

Keychron V3 Ultra 8K review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? An 80% TKL mechanical keyboard
• Who is it for? Typists and gamers who want a comfortable board, and anyone who wants to try keyboard modding
• How much does it cost? $114
• What do we like? The comfortable typing and switches, great sound, scope for customization, and impressive battery life
• What don’t we like? The plastic casing feels a little cheap

Keychron V3 Ultra 8K review: Specs

Keychron V3 Ultra 8K review: The Ups

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K is a great board that offers lots of customization, comfortable typing, and satisfying sound. The impressive 660-hour battery life seals the deal.

Easy-to-actuate switches

The first thing that stood out to me when using the Keychron V3 Ultra 8K was how easy the keys are to type on, and this is all down to the switches under the hood. This board is available with a choice of Red linear, Brown tactile or Banana tactile Keychron Silk POM switches.

The board I tested was preloaded with Brown POM switches, and despite their 55g actuation force, I found them very easy to type with. I didn’t feel any sort of fatigue, even when typing all day at work. The linear switches have polyoxymethylene (POM) stems that reduce friction, creating a smooth, comfortable and effortless typing experience.

When I went back to typing on my Keychron C1 Pro 8K ($59), which uses Keychron Banana Super switches, I felt more resistance when typing, as they have a heavier actuation force of 57g. If you’re a typist by day, I can highly recommend the Silk POM switches.

Flexible type feel

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K has a delicate yet purposeful type feel. It’s lovely to type on. The keycaps are made from double-shot PBT and use Keychron’s OSA profile. The double-shot PBT means that the keycaps have a decent amount of grip for secure typing. They’re also pretty resistant to oils from your fingers, and the embossed letters won’t rub off easily.

Meanwhile, the sloped tops of the OSA-profile keycaps are lovely to type on as they feel like they’re catching your fingers as you hit the keys, creating that purposeful feeling. And since all of the keys rake outward from the center of the board, it’s easy to move to the board’s extremities without stretching.

As you can see from the table above, I had a good typing experience on this board, hitting my fastest typing speeds while maintaining above-average accuracy. The flexible gasket mount helped propel my fingers from key to key, and the comfortable Brown Silk POM switches were ideal for my long typing sessions.

While the Brown Silk POM switches are designed to best suit gaming, on this board, they are also great for long typing sessions and all day in the office. The screw-in stabilizers feel great under the bigger keys, and pretty much eliminate any wobble.

Nice sound

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K’s sound is a muted thock, and there’s no untoward reverb or obnoxious clackiness from the keys. It has the same dampened sound effect as the Keychron K8 Max ($124) and absolutely no harsh clacking like the Redragon Galatin Pro K719 ($79).

This muted sound comes from the polycarbonate plate in the board. This reduces resonance, so the sound of the keys doesn’t ring out as dramatically. This isn’t as effective as the polycarbonate plate and brass damping plate combo in the Wobkey Zen 65 ($165) — which sounds phenomenal — but as a result, that board is very heavy in comparison to the V3 Ultra.

The V3 Ultra 8K has a more dulled sound than the C1 Pro 8K, but I think this makes the sound of the keys far more palatable in a working environment. While you still get the satisfying feel and sound, it’s not as disruptive to the people working around you.

Customization

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K is another highly customizable board from Keychron. It’s hot-swappable, compatible with three or five-pin south-facing mechanical switches. It’s super easy to swap out keycaps and switches with the included keycap and switch puller, and I didn’t face any sort of resistance. The plastic case makes this process much easier, as you get a little flex.

If you want to make any other changes to the inner workings of the board, you can unscrew the casing, which is easy to do as the hex bolts are visible, and you get a hex key included with the board.

To remap keys and customize macro commands, the board is compatible with Keychron Launcher software. You can use this to streamline efficiency in work and gaming by setting up macros. Although this board features ZMK firmware (which has typically been more restrictive than QMK), you can set macros like a QMK board. The benefit of ZMK is typically lower power consumption, which I’ll cover a little later.

Backlighting on this keyboard is also impressively customizable. You can use Keychron Launcher online to create custom lighting zones and assign lighting effects to specific keys with mixed RGB, which is an upgrade from the original Keychron V3.

Decent for gaming

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K has a top polling speed of 8,000Hz over 2.4GHz wireless and wired connections, and features N-key rollover (NKRO). 8K polling is a bit of a gimmick, as 1K is enough to reduce the chances of missed inputs for almost all gamers out there (and 8K risks hogging your computer’s system resources), but it’ll be nice to see for those that want the fastest board out there.

NKRO is useful, though, as it allows the recognition of multiple commands at once from the board. If playing games such as Counter Strike 2 where you want to move, shoot and change weapons simultaneously, this is no problem as the N-key rollover is going to catch all of those commands.

The V3 isn’t a powerful magnetic board, like the Lemokey L5 HE, but it’s more than adequate enough for most gamers. If you do plan on gaming, the lighter Red linear switches will likely be the best to go for, as these will be more responsive than the heavier tactile options.

Typing angles

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K is extremely comfortable to work on all day long because of the adjustable typing angle. I always appreciate this feature on my office keyboards as it allows me to set the board at the perfect height for my wrists. Throughout the day, I also often move around, switch to different chairs or even work standing up. This affects the angle at which my wrists feel most comfortable, so it’s nice to have the adjustment there to accommodate.

The angles you can choose from are 4º (the angle the board sits at by default), 7º, with the shortest feet deployed, and 10º for the steepest angle. Other boards, like the Keychron Q3 HE ($239) have a fixed typing angle, which can mean it’s fatiguing on wrists and forearms.

Battery life for days

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K has up to 660 hours of battery life with backlighting turned off. But let’s be honest, you’re not going to have backlighting turned off. So, battery life, like with everything else, is dependent on usage.

Nonetheless, the battery of the V3 Ultra 8K is very impressive. When I started using the board, it had 50% battery and I used it every day for a week before I needed to charge it at 15%, which is pretty good going since I had the RGB lighting set to the highest setting and I type all day, every day.

The V Ultra 8K series, which includes the V3, has over three times the battery life of the V Max series, so it’s a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to charge their device often or be bogged down by using it wired.

Connectivity options

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K can be used wired or wireless over Bluetooth or with the 2.4GHz dongle, which can be found at the back of the board.

You can use the board with Windows and macOS, and you toggle between these settings with the handy switch at the back of the board. It also comes with macOS and Windows keycaps, making it more convenient to use the two systems.

However, some keyboards like the Lenovo Multi Device Keyboard ($39), geared towards productivity, come with dual-labelled keycaps, which eliminates the need to swap them out if you’re someone who works between operating systems. But since it’s hot-swappable, you can use any compatible keycaps you want.

Keychron V3 Ultra 8K review: The downs

While minor, there are some issues with the Keychron V3 Ultra 8K. It’s not available in the U.K. at the time of writing, and the plastic case is a little cheap-feeling.

Not available in the UK

Unfortunately, at the time of writing this, the Keychron V3 Ultra 8K is not available for purchase in the U.K. If you’re in the U.K. and think this keyboard sounds like the right fit for you, something like the Keychron V3 Max ($99 / £89) would be ideal. This is still part of the V series, so it features a similar build and design. However, the Max version runs QMK firmware instead of ZMK and comes with Gateron Jupiter switches pre-installed instead of Silk POM Switches (they’re both great). It has a weaker battery life and polls at a lower maximum frequency of 1,000Hz, although that’s still fine for almost all gamers.

Plastic casing lacks a premium feel

If you’re looking for something sturdy that won’t move an inch on your desk, even with tapping all day long, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Since the case of the Keychron V3 Ultra 8K is made of plastic, it is extremely lightweight, at just 2.1 pounds. I’ve been taking it on my commute back and forth to the office while I’ve been testing it, and I haven’t even noticed the extra weight in my bag, which is a good thing. But this also means that there isn’t as much downforce keeping it in place on your desk like with heavier boards.

When making modifications to the V3 Ultra 8K, I also noticed that because of the thin plastic case, the keyboard can twist slightly. This could be an issue if you need to exert some force when swapping out switches.

That said, the Keychron C1 Pro 8K, which I use daily, also features a plastic casing, and I have no issues with it staying put on my desk or with it flexing. But it’s worth noting that the plastic casing is what allows adjustable feet on the underside of the board, which is a feature I appreciate. The only metal-cased board we’ve seen with adjustable feet is the Lofree Flow 2.

Keychron V3 Ultra 8K review: Verdict

The Keychron V3 Ultra 8K is an impressively comfortable keyboard that provides a lot of scope for customization while remaining a great choice for use straight out of the box. I can type on this board all day long without experiencing any sort of fatigue, and the gliding Silk POM switches make the experience extra smooth.

The flexible gasket mount and sound-dampening layers provide a muted sound that makes it perfect for use in an office or at home without any major distraction from loud clacking. My only qualms are that the plastic case feels a little cheap and unstable at times, plus the lack of availability in the U.K. Other than that, this is a board that is perfect for pretty much anyone.

What do you get when a gaming headset and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses get a bit busy in the bedroom? You get Razer’s Project Motoko, and after testing them, I’m convinced that this is now so much more than just a headphone/smart glasses mashup.

These debuted at CES 2026 as a prototype that the company promised will be released at some point, at a price that would compete with smart glasses. And at MWC 2026, I got to take another look at them.

Chances are you already know the spec sheet here — a premium pair of cans with two 4K cameras, a Snapdragon chip (that Razer’s not allowed to say what it is, which makes me think it's something new and unannounced), and a promised 36-hour battery life.

But what matters here is this form factor unlocks so much as an AI device, beyond what AI glasses can do. Let me explain.

Mission complete

Given these have the DNA of smart glasses, AI-wise, the use cases on show are your pretty standard affair. Point the dual 12MP cameras at something, ask a question and get answers.

I tested it in a gaming sense (because, Razer) and got rapid feedback on how to use my Minecraft inventory in the silliest way possible.

But then I went further into real-life examples like asking what dishes to avoid on a foreign-language menu based on allergies and asking what to cook with a bunch of ingredients. It honestly felt like going through a game tutorial for life moments.

Responses are fast, with a capture taken and processed within seconds, and the headset is AI model agnostic — open to Gemini, ChatGPT (more like QuitGPT) and more that you can tune to different tasks for a multi-modal experience.

Razer does tout more features coming too, including real-time AI assistance through persistent video, AI-enhanced visual awareness that uses those wide angle cameras to identify details you may miss in your peripheral vision, and even machine learning tools to train robots.

A mass-appeal form factor

The idea of what AI hardware will look like is a question so many companies are trying to answer in so many different ways. One of the most common answers has been smart glasses, but Qualcomm itself (the company behind the chip) finds the idea of camera buds “interesting.”

“If people don’t want to wear glasses, you could have a camera in each one and now you can pretty much do everything that smart glasses can do,” Zaid Asghar, SVP of wearables and personal AI told Tom’s Guide.

Because let’s be honest — glasses aren’t for anyone. Be it from a comfort perspective or a “I don’t want to look like a hipster by wearing glasses I don’t need” side of things, they cause a bigger visual statement than a humble pair of cans.

And that’s why I’m very intrigued by Project Motoko. It changes the dynamic of how you use them from being just something you use every now and then in glasses to something that can be with you at all times.

It’s rare you’ll find me without headphones on my neck or around my head, and chances are you’re the same too. This elevates it to an actually useful AI assistant you’d use on the regular, instead of something you use on vacations to tell you fun facts about buildings.

More from Tom's Guide

• I zoned out and stopped listening to my fiancée — and the Even Realities G2 made sure she never knew
• I tested the MemoMind One AI smart glasses — and I think I’m seeing double
• I tried Lenovo’s mindblowing modular ThinkBook concept — and now I want this in every laptop

I’m lucky. I get to test many of the best gaming headsets out there for my job. That means I literally get paid to play games and listen to music. Yes, I know I have the best job in the world.

Naturally, I need to do quite a bit of research around all the products I test. I don’t read other publications’ reviews before writing my own. But, where possible, I look for online discourse to check for any common issues users are experiencing. Myself and other reviewers often don’t have the luxury of using products for long periods of time, so we can sometimes miss chronic issues that the general public will end up having some way down the line. This isn’t always possible, of course, as we’re often testing products before or just after launch.

Case in point: I recently put the new Audeze Maxwell 2 to the test, and had a scour of Reddit to see what users were thinking; it had been out for a few weeks, so were there any pain points I needed to devote time to investigating?

During my research, I noticed a fair number of comparisons being made between today’s ultra premium headsets. The Maxwell 2 was repeatedly being weighed up against the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite and, interestingly, the much cheaper Fractal Design Scape — which often made discussions thanks to its excellent sound quality.

Well, it just so happens that the bulk of my headset testing takes place at the ultra-premium end of the market, including all of the above. So I thought I’d put together a rundown of my comparisons of them all. I added in another contender, though — the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, which offers many of the Elite’s benefits at a much lower price.

Without further ado, here are some of Reddit’s favorite ultra-premium headsets compared and, most importantly, my winner.

The contenders

This test includes four high-end gaming headsets. The audiophile-geared Audeze Maxwell 2; the extravagantly-priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite; the ultra-premium SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro; and the beautiful Fractal Design Scape.

I've tested all of these headsets extensively. See that dashing gentleman in the image gallery above? Yeah, stop swooning. That's me! Wearing each of these headsets. I'm Pete, senior reviews editor here at Tom's Guide. I've been a PC gamer for well over two decades, so I've used more than a few headsets in my time.

Price

• Audeze Maxwell 2: $329 / £339
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite: $599 / £599
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: $379 / £329
• Fractal Design Scape: $199 / £177

First, let’s talk about money. And there’s a clear loser here: the Arctis Nova Elite, which costs a whopping $599. As I mentioned in my SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review, while it’s a brilliant headset with some awesome features, there’s no way it’s worth that money.

In the middle are the Nova Pro and Maxwell 2, and both are solid in terms of bang for buck — especially the Nova Pro, which can be found for around $299 at Amazon as I write this. From these two, it’ll be down to what you want: more connectivity features and punchier bass from the Nova Pro and its dynamic drivers; or a more refined, audiophile-esque sound from the Maxwell 2’s planar magnetic drivers.

If budget is your primary concern, the Fractal Design Scape takes the cake. It has its issues, as you’ll see throughout this article, but it offers sound quality comparable to the Nova Pro and Elite at a much more palatable price (I won’t say affordable, as $200 is still objectively a lot of money). In other words, it’s punching way above its price tag.

Winner: Fractal Design Scape

Comfort

Three of the headsets here utilize suspended inner headbands, meaning they easily come out on top. Unfortunately, the Fractal Design Scape uses an old-fashioned single padded headband, which started to dig into my head during testing. It’s a shame because the earcups are very comfortable.

The Maxwell 2, while featuring a much-needed earcup redesign from its predecessor, the OG Audeze Maxwell, is still the biggest and heaviest of the headsets by far. And it features a very restrictive adjustment mechanism with only three levels. It’s comfortable but annoying to wear, and its large curb weight means it falls off easily if you tilt your head downwards.

The Arctis Nova Elite and Nova Pro are essentially the same headset in their core design — the differences between them almost all relate to internal hardware, connectivity and features, with one exception that I’ll cover below.

They’re both exceptionally comfortable: the low weight and suspended inner headband allow them to sit like feathers on your head, and the earcups are incredibly comfortable. The Nova Elite pads use a slightly softer-touch faux leather. But is that worth the extra $220? Nope.

Winner: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

Sound quality

This is a really tricky one. All of these headsets offer excellent sound quality. It sounds like a cop out, but this’ll kinda depend on what you want. The Scape’s sound quality is fantastic, with strong tonal separation, bags of clarity in the treble and mids and decent-enough spatial audio. Plus there’s a 5-band parametric EQ to play with. Its frequency response range is a little shorter on the low-end than the other headsets here, stopping at 20Hz. Unlike the other headsets, it’s missing the super low 10-20Hz frequencies that you can feel (rather than hear) during gameplay — the rumble of tanks and artillery in war games, for example.

Both the Arctis Nova Elite and Pro sound similar, although the Nova Elite definitely edges it, thanks to its upgraded carbon fiber drivers and brass support ring for better control over bass frequencies. Still, both headsets are really very bassy. For gaming, this is great — bags of punchy bass down to 10Hz make for an immersive experience. For music, you’ll need to play around with EQ to stop bass overriding everything — especially in mid-heavy music like rock or metal. Both headsets have strong clarity up top though, especially the Nova Elite, and very good directional sound to help with enemy detection in competitive or stealth games.

In my opinion, though, the Audeze Maxwell takes the victory here. Its planar magnetic drivers can start and stop vibrating much faster than dynamic drivers, resulting in a cleaner, crisp sound with very good clarity, especially in high and mid frequencies. The trade off is a lack of power in lower frequencies — bass lacks thickness, so to speak, while sub-bass lacks that skull-shaking rumble. A lot of this can be addressed via EQ, though. In a word, the sound is more refined than the rest, making this the headset for audiophile gamers.

Winner: Audeze Maxwell 2

Microphone

Unfortunately, gaming headset manufacturers routinely cheap out on microphones, resulting in tinny audio. I can kinda see why — after all, a headset mic primarily needs to transmit your voice in game chat, which doesn’t need to be excellent quality.

But if you’re a streamer (and high end headsets are commonly aimed at streamers), you’ll need much better quality. Unfortunately, neither the Fractal Design Scape, Arctis Nova Pro or Nova Elite will deliver that. In my testing, their mics all sounded tinny, fuzzy and far from professional-/broadcast-quality.

The clear winner is the Audeze Maxwell 2, whose microphone sounds excellent — good enough for streaming (although still not as good as a dedicated broadcast mic like the Shure MV6). Its microphone noise cancellation affects audio quality significantly, but that’s common with noise cancellation. And besides, if you’re streaming, you’ll likely be in a quiet environment.

Winner: Audeze Maxwell 2

Features

The Maxwell 2 is the weakest in this regard, with little in the way of additional features except for its microphone noise cancellation, 2.4GHz dongle and companion app (which hosts the equalizer).

The Fractal Design Scape has some very interesting features, including a stand/charging dock that doubles as a pass-through port for the 2.4GHz dongle. There’s also a companion app with a 5-band parametric equalizer, and microphone noise cancellation (via the app).

On the features front, there’s no doubt that the two SteelSeries headsets offer the most. Both feature ANC and MNC; each comes with a USB hub/DAC for 2.4GHz connection, high-res audio streaming, device control and spare battery charging; and each pairs with both the SteelSeries GG/Sonar desktop app and the SteelSeries Arctis smartphone app.

The Nova Elite comes out on top, though, as its USB hub offers more connectivity than the Pro, with 3x Wi-Fi channels (2x PC + 1x console/PC) in addition to the headset’s Bluetooth channel. The Nova Pro, meanwhile, offers only 2x Wi-Fi channels (1x PC + 1x console/PC) and a Bluetooth channel. Again, if that’s worth $220, fair enough, otherwise the Arctis Nova Pro will suit you just fine.

Winner: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite / Pro

Styling & build quality

All four of these headsets offer sublime build quality, using high quality materials and premium finishes. You shouldn’t have a problem with any of them in this department. The only let down is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, whose dials are the same cheap plasticky components found on the $199 SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 — they don’t befit a $199 headset, let alone a $379 one. The Arctis Nova Elite, by contrast, features milled metal dials which are much nicer in look and feel (and I’d bloody hope so, given it costs $599).

The Fractal Design Scape easily takes home the victory here, though. The Scandi-style design looks gorgeous and is complemented by subtle, diffused RGB (which is customizable in the web-based companion software). The materials are super high quality, too, like the metal volume dial on the left earcup. On its charging dock, it just looks so good slotted into place on my desk — it’s a sure fire upgrade to any setup.

Winner: Fractal Design Scape

Battery life

This is another tricky one, because it depends on how we define battery life. Do we mean the hours of play we get from a single charge; or do we mean how much life we get before we're forced into downtime for charging? Both Arctis Nova headsets come with a spare battery that charges in the USB hub while you play, so when one dies you simply switch out and you’re back to playing — no downtime, despite comparatively weak battery life on paper.

I’m going to judge this section on pure battery life, full to flat. In reality, most people game at home near a power source and don’t play for +18 hours at a time (the weakest of these headset batteries lasts 18 hours — the Nova Pro). As long as a headset lasts 8-16 hours, you won’t run out during even the longest sessions and can simply charge up when you go to bed. The Fractal Design Scape’s wireless charging stand makes that especially easy.

However, battery life matters most, in my opinion, if you’re gaming on the move — when traveling, for instance. In that case, it’s all about pure runtime. The Scape’s battery lasts 40 hours with RGB off (20 with it on); the Nova Elite’s batteries last 30 hours each, 60 in total; while the Nova Pro’s batteries last around 36-44 hours total, according to SteelSeries, although, in my testing, it’s definitely on the low side (I was literally watching the battery life go down on the SteelSeries GG app, and after 3 hours of mixed use had lost 25%).

The Audeze Maxwell 2, by contrast, has them all well and truly beat, offering 80 hours — it was actually a challenge to drain the headset in my battery testing.

Winner: Audeze Maxwell 2

Reddit’s favorite premium gaming headsets: Result

Victor: Audeze Maxwell 2

We have a winner! The Audeze Maxwell 2 comes out on top with three wins versus two for the Fractal Design Scape, two for the Arctis Nova Pro and one for the Arctis Nova Elite. I honestly went into this thinking the Nova Pro would clinch it — it costs a similar amount of money as the Maxwell 2 but has that super useful USB hub and excellent sound quality.

Of course, I seriously doubt you’d have many complaints about the Nova Pro, as it’s fantastic. The Scape is also excellent for the money, with crystal clear sound and that handy charging stand, but is slightly let down by its outdated headband design and crappy mic.

The only headset I wouldn’t recommend you buy over the others is the Nova Elite. Yes, it has the most features. Yes, it sounds great. Yes, it’s very comfortable. But is any of that worth nearly $600? Not if you ask me.

The Audeze Maxwell 2’s victory is well-deserved. Sound quality is, for many, the most important aspect of a headset, and the Maxwell’s planar magnetic drivers really deliver here. Its mic is fantastic, it’s comfortable, and (although this is kinda crazy) it’s the second cheapest on this roundup. As I pointed out in my Maxwell 2 review, if you already own the OG Maxwell, there’s no need to upgrade. Otherwise, the Maxwell 2 is the best of the high-end bunch.

Disagree with me? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Or, if you have any other headsets you'd like me to compare, I'd love to hear about those too! You can find full reviews of these headsets linked below.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Audeze Maxwell 2 just ruined every other gaming headset for me — here’s why
• Audeze Maxwell (OG) review: the audiophile’s gaming headset
• I spent a month with the most expensive gaming headset on the market — here’s what happened
• Fractal Design Scape review: Is this the prettiest gaming headset ever made?
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review

If we judged the best gaming headsets on looks alone, the Fractal Design Scape would’ve won the pageant, taken the money and sped off into the moonlight with one or more of the judges’ spouses. Just look at it. Pure Scandinavian grace.

It isn’t just a looker, either. It’s built beautifully and sounds great, with detailed, spacious audio and a wide soundstage. There’s a parametric EQ to play around with via the handy companion software. But the pièce de résistance is the included dock, which keeps your desk uncluttered and charges the headset wirelessly between use.

There are some caveats to those pros. Chief among the Scape’s drawbacks is its microphone, which sounds pretty tinny. Battery life is fairly poor versus the competition, although the charging dock is a major (but not total) antidote to this. And I found the headset a little uncomfortable after a couple of hours.

But could this headset be the one for you? Find out in my full Fractal Design Scape review.

Fractal Design Scape review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A gorgeous-to-behold mid-range gaming headset from Fractal
• Who is it for? Gamers wanting great sound quality and a sleek addition to their desk
• What does it cost? $199 / £177
• What’s good? The sound quality, companion app, styling and wireless charging stand
• What’s not? The mic is crappy, it’s a little uncomfortable and battery life is weak with RGB enabled

Fractal Design Scape review: Specs

Fractal Design Scape review: The ups

Strong audio quality, gorgeous styling, easy-to-use companion software and a super handy charging dock. There’s a lot about the Scape I love.

Strong sound quality

Obviously, the most important aspect a gaming headset needs to nail is sound quality. And the Scape has that covered.

Frequency response isn’t the widest at 20-20,000Hz, so it can’t replicate super low 10-20Hz frequencies. I missed the skull-shaking rumbles of artillery and tanks in Hell Let Loose, which you’ll get (or rather, feel) from headsets with the 10-20Hz range covered. The Audeze Maxwell 2, SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro all go down to 10Hz, while the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro goes down to 12Hz. That said, 20Hz is still plenty low and allows for most deep sub bass.

Up top, 20,000Hz is around the maximum frequency the human ear can perceive, meaning the Scape can provide strong clarity and detail in the treble. The Maxwell 2 (50,000Hz), Arctis Nova Pro / Elite (40,000Hz) and BlackShark V3 Pro (28,000Hz) ostensibly have the upper hand here, covering far beyond the range of human hearing. But you can’t hear what you can’t hear, so anything over 20,000Hz is kind of redundant.

Just like the Maxwell 2 and Nova Elite, the Scape supports (via its 2.4G dongle) wireless streaming in 24-bit/96kHz — that high resolution audio. The PS5 can only output in CD-quality 44kHz/16-bit, though, so PC gamers are the primary beneficiaries here.

The audio itself is very spacious, demonstrated particularly well in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (KCD2). Wide dining halls felt truly expansive, with the clattering of cutlery and the hubbub of feasts in the background. Cellars and tunnels sounded cavernous, with the echoes of water and vocals ricocheting off dank masonry. All rather immersive.

There’s lots of detail in the treble, plus a wide soundstage (which gives three-dimensional sound), making the Scape great for competitive gameplay. Using the Scape’s “Clarity” EQ present on Counter-Strike 2 and in Sniper Elite: Resistance, I could easily detect enemy sound cues, footsteps and reloading sounds, and pinpoint where they were coming from.

Bass is nice and meaty, especially using the parametric EQ (which I’ll discuss later) to add some extra power to those 60-250Hz frequencies. Again, while it wasn’t skull-shakingly deep, there was still a nice punch to the sounds of artillery in Hell Let Loose and Isonzo.

Music

The Scape is a highly competent headset for music, too. That super crisp treble and punchy bass is perfect for electronic music, and worked wonders for the snappy percussion and powerful driving bassline of Sub Focus’s Miracle.

The airy treble and spacious sound work particularly well in lighter or atmospheric songs, like the surreal, disparate elements of Mk.Gee’s Dream Police, all of which sounded three-dimensional and well-defined. Likewise, it’s often easy for the ethereal vocals of Burn Water’s Ikigai to get buried behind the sound’s huge bassline. Not so on the Scape, although I missed a few of the subtler vocal echoes that I could so easily pick out on the Maxwell 2 with its exceptional top-end clarity.

Again, bass is mostly very good, although intensely sub-heavy tracks like Skream’s Sub Island felt a little thin at the lower end, and I noticed the occasional hint of distortion on the most powerful bass thrums of Foreign Concept’s Breaking Again.

Instrument separation is decent, too, and the mid-range is nice and clean. The two distorted guitar riffs of Melvins’ Honey Bucket — a tricky test for mid separation — didn’t get muddied by one another's sludge. I often have to mess around with mids and treble in EQ for this song's riffs to shake free of the bass, and of one another, but the Scape's Balance EQ was perfect from the off. Overall, a strong display befitting $199.

Parametric custom EQ

The Fractal Design Scape’s companion software (covered below) gives you access to a five-band parametric equalizer, which allows you to precisely shape your EQ curve. There are three presents (Depth, Balanced, Clarity), which are all adjustable. You can also switch between these on the fly using a dedicated button on the headset, which I love.

I got on just fine with the base presets. Depth provided a nice boost to bass frequencies and more immersion in louder war games like Hell Let Loose. Balanced suited wider soundstages and musical scores better, in games like KCD2. And Clarity worked well for boosting footsteps in competitive FPS games. Still, I enjoyed dialling in some extra volume to low frequencies on the Balanced EQ, for some extra fatness to the bass.

I called my new custom EQ "Balance+" and saved it as a new custom EQ profile, so it didn't overwrite any of the original three presets (but you can always reset those with a single click). You can then select from the base or your own saved presets ad apply them to slots 1-3, which correspond to a physical button on the headset that cycles through EQ profiles (with an LED to tell you which you're using). This is super handy, and lets you quickly flick between your favorite EQs while gaming, without needing to switch applications.

Browser-based software

The Scape is adjusted via Fractal’s Adjust Pro web app, which I like a lot. Firstly, I’m a big fan of browser-based software to begin with, at least in theory. Browser software naturally means you needn’t install any software on your device, plus it lets you tweak your hardware from any computer. It’s just quicker, slicker and more versatile.

Adjust Pro is pretty good, too. You can update the headset or dongle, tweak the RGB lighting and, of course, adjust EQ. It isn’t anywhere near as comprehensive as SteelSeries’ GG app, with its exhaustive array of EQ presets and multi-channel mixer. But hell, I don’t really need all that. A solid EQ and a way to update the thing, wrapped in a quick-to-open and easy-to-use package? You had me at “a solid EQ”.

Gorgeous design

I love having this thing on my desk. It’s probably the best-looking headset I’ve seen, let alone tested, with the only competition being the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro. Even still, the Razer can’t match the Scape’s sheer Scandi sophistication.

It’s available in black or white and looks just as good in either. That’s saying something, as white is an easy color with which to make a headset look gaudy — looking at you, Alienware Pro and SteelSeries Arctis Nova [insert any model here]. I prefer the black, but I wouldn’t turn down the white variant either.

There are RGB lights in each of the earcups, but these are fairly small and inoffensive. It’d have been easy to ruin the look with tacky RGB, but Fractal has implemented the lighting with restraint and employed a diffuser. The result is that the soft glow of the LEDs enhances rather than spoils the headset’s sleek aesthetic.

Build quality is exquisite, too, helping justify the $199 price tag. The earcups are highly padded and made from high-quality fabric, allowing breathability. The headset feels very sturdy and uses high-quality plastics for the earcups and headband, with lightweight aluminum for the adjustment mechanisms. I love the digital crown for volume on the left earcup. It’s aluminum, feels lovely and has a pleasing level of resistance to stop you turning it accidentally. A far cry from the cheap dials of the similarly-priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 I reviewed immediately before the Scape.

Charging dock

I test a lot of headsets, and storing them is a perennial headache. They don’t sit well unless on a stand, which very few manufacturers supply by default. So kudos to Fractal for supplying a stand to begin with, wireless charging or not. Third-party stands are often shaky and fragile thanks to their thin, upright nature, but the Scape’s stand supports it all magnetically from the bottom. That means a low center of gravity and a very sturdy stand.

Given how good the Scape looks, I’ve chosen to keep it on my desk (instead of my shelf of loose headsets), where it tucks conveniently into a gap between my monitor and speakers. It’s always at hand when I want it, and always charged…

See, the dock’s magnetic attachment points feature wireless charging pads, so the headset is always at 100% when I pick it up. I’ll cover the comparatively weak 20-hour battery life in more detail below, but the dock is essentially a complete antidote to that. Let’s be real: I don’t know anyone who games for 20 hours straight. But if you do, you shouldn’t. So when gaming at home, you’ll always have a charged headset when you start playing.

The dock plugs into your PC via USB-A and also serves as a pass-through hub for the 2.4G dongle, which slots into the underside of the base. Another small feature that helps keep your desk and laptop/motherboard slots tidy.

Fractal Design Scape review: The downs

While I love the Scape, it isn’t perfect. The tinny microphone is its main flaw, although I had some minor comfort issues, and battery life isn’t the best, which could hamper gaming on the move.

Tinny microphone

Unfortunately, the Scape’s microphone is very poor. On day one of testing, I used a work meeting to put the headset through a conference call test. This specific call was a particular toughie, including the entirety of the Tom’s Guide TV/AV and reviews teams.

I entered the call and informed my colleagues I was testing the mic, only to find myself staring at a screen full of scowls. “Tinny,” “quiet,” “distorted,” “Yuck.” And that was the polite stuff. Their feedback was mirrored in my recording tests afterwards. You can hear from the audio clip below that it isn’t a strong show.

This is obviously disappointing on a $199 headset, but admittedly, it isn’t uncommon. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2, also $199, features a similarly tinny mic. In fact, most gaming headset mics are designed to be fine for in-game chat and nothing more.

If you want to (or already) stream, opt for the Audeze Maxwell 2, whose mic is excellent, or invest in a proper streaming mic like the Shure MV6.

Minor comfort issues

I’ve seen online reports that the Scape’s headband is quite tight, resulting in temple pressure and headaches. This’ll depend on your head shape, but I can see where they’re coming from. I initially found the headband a little tight, but the larger earcups gave me the leeway to drop the cans down a little and resolve the problem.

The headband padding is also a little too thin at the front, so the headband itself can dig into your scalp at certain angles. After a few hours, this started to get a little uncomfortable, although a quick reposition solved it. Again, everyone’s head is different, so what’s uncomfortable for me may be fine for you.

I wish Fractal had used a suspended inner headband design, though. I just don’t see why any manufacturer would go for a single padded outer band — an outdated design now. Suspended inner bands are much more comfortable, relieve pressure and should last better too, as there’s no padding to go flat over time.

A few worthy alternatives with suspended bands are the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, Audeze Maxwell 2 and Asus ROG Pelta.

Relatively weak battery life

This is a very soft con, but I can see it being problematic for certain users, so it’s made the list nonetheless. The Scape has a rated battery life of 40 hours with RGB off and 20 hours with it on. And those figures are on point. Each hour I gamed with RGB on, the Scape dropped around 5% of charge.

Compared to other headsets, 20 hours is fairly paltry. The Maxwell 2 boasts 80 hours, while the Alienware Pro and BlackShark V3 Pro can both last 70. The thing is, how often do you play past 20 hours? If you’re doing that regularly, you shouldn’t.

Otherwise, realistically, you’ll never reach the furthest extent of the Scape’s lowest rating before you can charge it. And it’ll live in its dock when not in use, so it’s not like you’ll have to make an effort to plug it in.

Where I can see this being a problem is gaming on the move. If you’re travelling with your Switch 2 or Steam Deck, you’ll need as much battery life as possible. Even the 40-hour RGB-off figure is still half of rivals. The fact remains that less is less, and here, that’s what you’re getting.

Not for Xbox owners

Unfortunately, the Fractal Design Scape is not compatible with Xbox. According to Fractal Design, this is because “Xbox has its proprietary Xbox Wireless protocol that requires certain hardware to be installed for full compatibility. Since we do not have that proprietary hardware, our Scape headset will not be able to connect to an Xbox console.”

So basically, for whatever reason, Fractal Design couldn’t or chose not to license the hardware required for Xbox compatibility. That’ll be frustrating for Xbox users, no doubt. From a tech reviewer’s perspective, we see plenty of console exclusive hardware here, so I’m not holding a grudge against Fractal for this. If you want a premium headset for Xbox gaming, though, check out the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.

Fractal Design Scape review: Verdict

I really, really like the Fractal Design Scape. Aside from the tinny mic (which should only really impact people wanting to stream), most of its flaws are fairly forgivable. I had some very minor issues on the comfort front and battery life isn’t the best, but with the dock, you won’t be running out of juice unless you game in +20-hour stints anyway. The elephant in the room is the lack of Xbox compatibility, but that’s more of a pre-purchase consideration in my mind — we test plenty of console exclusive gear here, so it’s not a huge deal for me.

Anyway, the Scape’s design is gorgeous, and the inclusion of the wireless charging dock is extremely handy, keeping your desk neat and ensuring the headset stays charged. Most importantly, the sound quality is very strong, making this an excellent all-rounder for gaming and music. And come on… just look at it.

There’s something oh so satisfying about having the right tools for the job. With them, everything just seems to fall into place in such a way that you can do your best work almost from muscle memory. But what if you’re behind a screen all day working at a desk? Then the right keyboard, mouse and a few extra accessories can make all the difference.

As someone who both writes and tests new gadgets for a living, I always have one of the best mechanical keyboards underneath my fingers. Then to the right, I use a trackball mouse as doing so helps me avoid unnecessary wrist strain but that wasn’t always the case. I used to use a standard mouse before upgrading to what many call the gold standard for productivity: Logitech’s MX Master wireless mouse. However, it was my old MX Master 2S that inspired me to try out the company’s MX Ergo trackball which led to me ditching traditional mice for good.

At CES earlier this year though, I had a chance to try out the new MX Master 4. The perfect evolution of what makes this mouse the gold standard, what impressed me even more was having a chance to finally go hands-on with the rest of Logitech’s MX Master Series devices. From the highly tactile MX Creative Console to the high-end MX Brio webcam, I loved how all of these devices worked together seamlessly, could be connected using a lone USB dongle and how you could customize them right from within a single app.

A quick hands-on behind closed doors just wasn’t enough though. When Logitech offered to send over a collection of MX Master Series peripherals for me to test out at home, I jumped at the offer. Of course, for accessories this specialized, I knew I’d have to put together a brand new desk setup to do them justice. So that’s exactly what I did.

Here’s what it’s been like going all-in on Logitech’s MX Master Series for the past week along with which of the professional tools surprised me the most and earned a permanent spot on my desk.

About to be professional

Although there are now more than a dozen different accessories — from keyboards to mice to webcams and more — in Logitech’s MX Master Series collection, I hand picked these four based on my workflow.

Instead of the almost MacBook-like keys on the MX Keys S, I went with the MX Mechanical Mini for this desk setup. I prefer a bit more room on the right side of my keyboard, so instead of the full-sized MX Mechanical, I opted for this smaller 65% one instead. Available with either linear red switches, clicky blue ones or tactile brown ones, I went with the brown ones because even though I work from home, I still like a keyboard that I could bring with me to work if need be.

Although I’ve been using the new MX Ergo S trackball mouse for the past year or so, I decided to ditch my thumb-operated trackball to go back to where my productivity-focused peripheral journey started. It has been a while since I had my MX Master 2S but after placing my hand on the new MX Master 4, it felt just like riding a bike after a years-long hiatus. With its new Haptic Sense Panel there was a slight learning curve, albeit a fun and very customizable one.

I’ve used Logitech webcams for years now but the last time I tried out a new one was over four years ago when I picked up the Logitech C925-e back when I first started at Tom’s Guide. I still really like that webcam’s wider lens but I do have one big pet peeve with it: the non-detachable cable. Lucky for me, the MX Brio has a USB-C port at the back and you can use whatever cable you want, that is as long as it’s rated USB 3.0 or higher which is necessary for high resolution and high frame rate video.

Then for the Logitech gadget I’ve always wanted to try since I first laid eyes on it: the MX Creative Console. While the Elgato Stream Deck did initially popularize this category, I was excited to see Logitech’s take on it. Unlike the Stream Deck though, the MX Creative Console takes things to the next level with a companion wireless dialpad. Although I’ve yet to scratch the surface of its true capabilities yet, it’s as fun to play with as it is beautiful to look at on your desk.

With my new Logitech MX Master Series peripherals unboxed, it was time to do what I do best: build a new desk setup around them. For that, I took an existing idea, ran with it and added one of the best mini PCs as well as one of my overall favorites so far to power as well as tie everything together.

Going all in (on screens and peripherals)

The best desk setups are constantly evolving and mine certainly have over time. While I thought an ultrawide monitor would give me more than enough screen real estate to work with, boy was I wrong. To keep up with work chats on a separate screen, I first added a portable monitor underneath my ultrawide which served me well for a few years in fact.

One evening though, I had the realization that when turned sideways, a small 15.6-inch portable monitor was the exact height of my ultrawide’s display. I had to try this out for myself, so I added a portable monitor next to my main display. It didn’t take up that much space at all on the left side of my desk which made me realize I had room for one more on the right side.

Now if my desk was a bit thinner, I could have gotten the bezels of my two portable monitors and my ultrawide to line up perfectly like back when I tried out a triple monitor setup. Instead, there’s a small one inch gap between them but honestly, it bothers me a whole lot less than I initially thought I would. With my displays mounted and all of my cables managed, it was time to add the PC that would tie everything together.

The Khadas Mind is one of my favorite mini PCs yet and for good reason. It’s incredibly small and looks more like an external SSD than a computer, plus there’s a whole ecosystem of accessories for it which use the proprietary Mind Link expansion port on the bottom of the device. Here, I have it connected to the Mind Dock which in addition to a fingerprint scanner on the left and a volume knob on the right, adds a bunch of extra ports around back including two HDMI ports. With the HDMI port on the back of the device and these two extra ones, it's able to drive this less than conventional triple-monitor setup.

Instead of the original Khadas Mind though, I’m using the significantly more powerful Khadas Mind 2S. With an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD under the hood, it’s handled everything my workflow can throw at it and the Mind 2S hasn’t let me down yet.

On the top of my ultrawide, I set up the Logitech MX Brio for video calls. It’s a huge upgrade over the Osbot Meet 2 webcam I was using before thanks to its slightly larger (though still quite small) footprint. What really surprised me when I first tried it out was how well it performed in low light. Even though it was late in the evening with no actual lights on, I still showed up clearly on the camera and everything was in focus.

As for the rest of my Logitech MX Master Series peripherals, I put the MX Mechanical Keys Mini right at the center of my desk with the MX Master 4 next to it. On the left side of my keyboard, I have the MX Creative Dialpad for quick access to both a smaller dial for vertical scrolling and a larger one for horizontal scrolling. Then on the right edge of my desk, I have the MX Creative Keypad with a few key shortcuts programmed to it that I can launch with the press of a button.

With my new productivity-focused, Logitech MX Master Series-inspired triple monitor setup all put together, it was finally time to take it for a spin.

Dialed in without distractions

Having one screen off to the side for notes and keeping up with chats was great but having two immediately made a world of difference. I could work with two side by side windows on my main display and have a full-sized window open on the others. Since I angled both of those portable monitors towards me, it almost feels like I’m sitting in a cockpit with my new Logitech MX Master Series peripherals acting as the instruments.

The MX Mechanical Keys Mini is a joy to type on while being quiet enough that I won’t bother anyone else in my house during my late-night writing sessions. Since this is a low-profile keyboard, there’s less travel distance when pressing down the keys and as such, they almost feel like they’re springing back into place, eagerly awaiting my next keystroke.

I also really like the handy shortcuts Logitech has worked into its function row to let me quickly take a screenshot, mute or unmute the microphone on the MX Brio and more. One thing I still want to try with this keyboard though is its multi-device connectivity. With a tap on F1, F2 or F3, you can quickly switch between multiple computers without the need for a separate KVM switch. In fact, once I eventually break this setup down, I’m thinking of putting together a dual Windows/Mac one with my Mac mini M4 and the MX Mechanical Keys Mini might just be the perfect keyboard for it.

As for the MX Master 4, what else can I really say? It’s a fantastic mouse for productivity and I really like the new Haptic Sense Panel. With a quick press, I can open up Logitech’s Actions Ring which has eight programmable shortcuts. However, when you hover over some of them, you’re taken to another submenu on the outer edge of the ring with even more options.

I still need to dive into the Action Ring further but for now, I’m using the rest of customizable buttons on the MX Master 4 for my favorite keyboard shortcuts and to quickly do things like press Enter without having to take my hand off the mouse.

The MX Creative Keypad and the MX Creative Dialpad were the two accessories from Logitech’s MX Master Series that I’ve wanted to test out from the moment I laid eyes on them. At first, I thought I’d constantly be pushing buttons on the keypad to launch apps and perform other shortcuts but surprisingly, that hasn’t been the case.

You see, when I first set it up, there were a lot of static actions like the time and date preprogrammed to its keys. Instead of changing them, I leaned into their info at a glance functionality and added a few more. As you can see above, I have the time along with the day and week of the year set to the keys on the top row. Then under that, I have the date, the current moon phase and a stopwatch. Then on the bottom row, I have Windows Explorer and Windows Screenshot just a press away with my current system volume in the middle.

Honestly, I thought I’d be pressing all of these keys a lot more often but as someone that used to have a smart display underneath my main monitor, I really like being able to turn my head to the side of my desk and see how far along in the year we currently are. This helps put things in perspective while I love having a stopwatch handy to help keep track of how long it takes me to do certain tasks throughout the day.

For the past few years now, I’ve had a trackpad on the left side of my keyboard even though I mainly use a mouse. This lets me quickly scroll horizontally or vertically without having to take my other hand off my keyboard. The MX Creative Dial has since replaced that trackpad as it lets me use it the exact same way. Out of the box, its larger wheel at the center is set to control your computer’s volume. However, since the Mind Dock already has a knob for that, I’m using the larger one on the MX Creative Dial for horizontally scrolling while I use the smaller roller on the top for vertical scrolling.

Like I mentioned before, I’ve just scratched the surface of what’s possible with the MX Master Series devices Logitech sent over. I currently have the set up for general use across all of the different apps I use everyday. However, there are also app-specific customization options for Adobe and Apple’s creative apps with more integrations for other ones being added at a steady pace.

For now though, I like knowing that regardless of what app or site I have open, all of these extra buttons and dials will do exactly the same thing.

Form meets function

As you would expect from high-end, productivity-focused peripherals, the Logitech MX Master Series ones on my new desk setup look fantastic even when my computer finally gets turned off. Although they are available in pale gray too, the graphite colorway I went with blends in quite well with the black top I currently have on the Uplift V3 standing desk. The same can be said for the Space Gray-like color of the Khadas Mind 2S and the Mind Dock underneath it at the center of my setup.

In addition to looking great though, Logitech’s MX Master Series devices have helped take my productivity to a whole new level thanks to their customization. Instead of a few extra clicks or keyboard presses here and there, I have all of my favorite and most used keyboard shortcuts and actions mapped to their various customizable buttons.

In fact, I almost have too many choices when it comes to accomplishing the same thing. For instance, while I could reach over and press the screenshot button on the MX Creative Keypad, I can also just move my finger up a few rows on the MX Mechanical Keys Mini to take a screenshot instead. Still, it’s great to have options and even if you only add one device from the MX Master Series to your own desk setup, you’ll have plenty.

Now would I recommend going all in on Logitech’s MX Master Series like I did? Well, it depends. If you have a particular keyboard or layout that you love, then you might be better off sticking with that and pairing it with an MX Master 4 mouse. On the other hand, if you want a suite of peripherals you can control and configure from a single app (with a single dongle no less), then you might just want to try going all in as you won’t find a peripheral ecosystem focused on productivity that’s this cohesive anywhere else.

Whether you’re a video editor constantly scrubbing through your timeline or a programmer going through lines and lines of code or even a writer like me, the customization possibilities are almost endless with a full suite of MX Master Series devices. I can’t wait to see what Logitech adds to the lineup next but for now, I’m off to customize the Action Ring on my MX Master 4.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've been using Logitech's MX Master 4 for 2 weeks and it's a productivity revolution
• These are the best office chairs for working comfortably while staying productive
• I added this $30 accessory to my desk setup and it finally let me use dual monitors comfortably for video calls

The Audeze Maxwell 2 is the latest gaming headset from Californian audio manufacturer Audeze (pronounced Awd-Ee-Zee: a rough portmanteau of “audio” and “odyssey”), a brand famed for its high-end open-back audiophile headphones.

Succeeding the original Audeze Maxwell — a headset I’ve also reviewed and been using for around 18 months as I write this — the new model packs the same enormous 90mm planar magnetic drivers. There are a few modest updates, though, including Audeze’s SLAM driver modulators and microphone “AI” noise reduction.

I’ll get this out of the way early: if you’re wondering whether you should upgrade from the OG Maxwell, don’t bother. In its own right, though, the Maxwell 2 is one of the best gaming headsets out there, especially for gamers who moonlight as music connoisseurs.

Find out more in my full Audeze Maxwell 2 review.

Audeze Maxwell 2 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A gaming headset with planar magnetic drivers
• Who is it for? Audiophiles who also game
• What does it cost? $329 / £339
• What’s good? The sound quality, mic clarity, equalizer, comfort and battery life
• What isn’t? The annoying headband adjustment and lack of simultaneous connectivity

Audeze Maxwell 2 review: Specs

Audeze Maxwell 2 review: The ups

The Maxwell 2’s core features are impressive. Planar magnetic drivers deliver a refined (albeit un-bassy) sound profile, the mic is excellent and it’s a comfortable headset to wear for long stints.

Fantastic sound quality

Like its predecessor, the Maxwell 2’s sound quality is solid. Via its 2.4G Wi-Fi dongle, the Maxwell 2 can wirelessly stream 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution audio — the same as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite. Xbox and PS5 can only output CD-quality 44kHz/16-bit, though, so PC gamers are the only beneficiaries of the headset’s full wireless range in-game.

Frequency response is 10Hz-50kHz, meaning any high frequency you can hear, it’ll reproduce. Extension down to 10Hz means the Maxwell 2 can reproduce deep sub bass, while the 50kHz top end delivers increased clarity in high frequencies and a more spacious sound.

Like the original Maxwell, the second iteration headset uses enormous 90mm planar magnetic drivers instead of the dynamic drivers found in most headsets and headphones. Planar magnetic drivers start and stop vibrating much quicker than dynamic drivers, delivering tighter sound with more clarity and definition, plus more bass notes relayed.

The trade-off is volume: more bass notes, less loudness to those notes. To the end user, that means a lack of oomph down low. One Maxwell 2 update is Audeze’s SLAM technology: plates that modulate pressure in the drivers and, according to Audeze, deliver up to 6dB more volume in the bass. In a back-to-back test with the two headsets, the Maxwell 2’s bass felt that much thicker and richer, although I wouldn’t say enough to warrant an upgrade.

There isn’t the sheer “slap-you-in-the-face” bass you’ll get from hefty dynamic drivers, as in the Arctis Nova Elite, for example. Artillery explosions in Isonzo or Hell Let Loose (HLL) felt a little thin through the Maxwell 2 — when I’m in the midst of an artillery barrage, for immersion’s sake, I want to feel it. You can obviously dial up bass substantially via EQ, and the magnetic drivers ensure everything stays clean and distortion-free. But the Maxwell 2 still lacks that super thick, subby power of dynamic drivers.

That said, the pared-back bass isn’t a huge deal in competitive titles like Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), where the Maxwell 2’s flatter sound profile and high-end clarity help with the detection of footsteps. Spatial audio helps here, too, and I was able to detect where enemies were approaching from in CS2 and HLL. Note that the Xbox variant is pricier because it includes a subscription to Dolby Atmos software, although both Xbox and PS5 variants support Dolby Atmos, which is all handled at the source device.

Where I’ve enjoyed the Maxwell 2 most, though, is in immersive, music-heavy titles. The drivers aren’t overly bassy, sure, but their strong extension, balanced profile and wide soundstage lend themselves perfectly to games with magnificent soundtracks and/or elaborate audio effects. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2’s (KCD2) medieval score sounded beautiful through the Maxwell 2, with strong tonal separation — no mistaking your lute for your harp here, thank you very much.

The spacious sound worked wonders for immersion, too. In KCD2, I could feel the dank spaciousness of a medieval Kuttenberg cellar, the echo of each character’s voice on the masonry, the hubbub of the upstairs tavern in the background. I don’t spend much time in medieval cellars, but that’s exactly how I imagine they should sound.

Great for music

Unsurprisingly, given Audeze’s pedigree, the Maxwell 2 is arguably the best headset on the market for music consumption. The soundstage is spacious, and there’s plenty of tonal separation. Just like the original Maxwell, I’d recommend the second iteration for any gamers who also take their music seriously. For $329, these are a decent set of dual-purpose cans.

Lighter, layered productions sound particularly lovely. Mk.Gee’s diaphanous Dream police was a spacious experience — each of the analog, discordant elements perceptible in three dimensions as they materialized and dissipated around me.

Floating through the ethereal intro of Dusky’s atmospheric Falling was equally enjoyable, demonstrating the headset’s airy treble and strong tonal separation: the layers of delay-filled percussion and echoed claps ricocheting and delicately fading in stereo sound, each staccato note distinct from its neighbors.

Falling gets pretty bassy, too, with a deep, plodding, tubular bassline. Again, no points to the Maxwell for pure bass loudness, but everything low was present and clean, if not a little restrained.

For something really bassy, I tried Skream’s Sub Island, an early U.K. dubstep deep cut composed almost entirely of an enormous bass and sub-bass warble. The upper bass notes were relayed nicely; warm and fuzzy but free of distortion. Again, even with some EQ dialed in, I missed a little of the song’s thick, skull-shaking sub-bass.

10-band equalizer

Complementing the inherently strong sound is the Audeze companion app, which has received a wholesale redevelopment for the Maxwell 2… literally — it’s an entirely different app. The previous companion app looked rather dated, so I appreciate the slicker entry this time.

The app’s primary purpose is as a delivery vehicle for the 10-band graphic equalizer — it serves very little purpose otherwise, aside from updating the headset/dongle or adjusting game/chat and sidetone mixing.

The EQ is reason enough for an app, though. And it’s good! 10 bands, 6 presets and 4 custom presets give you a lot of space to play around with sound. Admittedly, I mostly stuck to the Immersive preset, which, as a “U” curve, worked well for general-purpose EQ.

Excellent microphone

The Maxwell 2’s detachable boom microphone sounds fantastic. A day into testing, I used the headset for a work call to reports of excellent sound — clear vocals with a rich, warm and bassy profile. I had no problems communicating in games either, especially playing the strategic Hell Let Loose, which is heavily reliant on mic communication.

In the clip above, recorded without microphone noise cancellation, my voice sounds clear and warm, so I’d recommend the Maxwell 2’s mic to streamers.

For comparison purposes, above and below are two control tests featuring background noise, with no noise reduction applied.

Obviously, there's a fair amount of background noise making it into the recordings, but the sound quality is still great and my voice is clear. Compare these clips to the Noise Reduction samples below.

Noise reduction (Low)

The Maxwell 2 features an “AI-powered” noise reduction (NR) filter. I’m always skeptical of brands bandying the “AI-powered” crap, but the NR turned out to be pretty good (with caveats).

In the clips above and below, the “Low” NR did a solid job at removing background noise. Above, ambient sound from a loud coffee shop backing track was removed while I was silent, and only just crept in when I spoke.

Above, keyboard noise was more noticeable as I spoke, although not too intrusive. This was a better show than the Arctis Nova Elite’s NR, which was fairly poor in comparison.

Noise Reduction (High)

“High” NR works slightly more effectively, cutting more of the ambient sound in the clip below as I speak.

And it’s more of the same story with keyboard noise in the track below.

In both NR modes, though, and especially “High,” audio quality takes a big hit. My voice sounds thin, compressed and clippy. This is a natural drawback of noise reduction, but best not to use NR for streaming.

There’s no microphone EQ, though, which is a shame. Given the Maxwell 2 is marketed as a “professional” gaming headset with streamers included in that sphere, it would’ve been nice to see presets for quickly tailoring sound — as with SteelSeries’ headsets. Still, there are third-party mixing applications that’ll do the job, including SteelSeries’ Sonar.

Comfortable cans

With such fat cans, you’d expect the Maxwell 2 to be comfy, and it is. Those enormous earcups provide plenty of padding, while maintaining breathability. I had no issues gaming for over six-hour stints without hot ears. The suspended inner headstrap, meanwhile, has been resized and widened, for more support and ventilation, and I find it more comfortable than the OG Maxwell’s thin band.

Importantly, the shape of the Maxwell 2’s inner earcup has been widened versus the original to accommodate more users — a big win for me. The OG Maxwell earcup opening didn’t fit my ears properly, causing pressure on my lobes and upper ear. This has also helped mitigate an ongoing problem with the strap adjustment, which I’ll cover later.

I’ve seen mixed reports online about comfort, with some users disliking the tighter fit of the second iteration. Comfort is always going to be a personal affair — what one person finds comfortable, another may not. But in general, I’ve found it to be a very comfortable headset.

Strong battery life

As I mentioned above, planar magnetic drivers generally deliver more clarity, but to achieve loudness, they need to be fed extra power. As such, the battery in this headset is chunky, at 1,800mAh — the same as the original Maxwell.

But that hefty battery also delivers impressive battery life. Audeze claims 80 hours, and I’ve no reason to doubt it. I’ve gamed with this headset for two weeks and still have 64% charge left. For context, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite’s 670mAh delivers 30 minutes per charge, while the Arctis Nova Pro’s 700mAh delivers 44 minutes — although each comes with two for no downtime while charging.

Audeze Maxwell 2 review: The downs

My grievances with the Maxwell 2 are all fairly minor and can be fairly easily overlooked given the excellent sound quality, which, let’s face it, is what you’re paying for.

Annoying headband adjustment

My biggest grievance with the OG Maxwell is the ridiculous headband adjustment. Unlike virtually every other headphone and headset, there’s no sliding stepless adjustment mechanism. Instead, you adjust by unclipping the inner suspended headband and moving up or down to one of three levels.

This is cumbersome and provides nowhere near enough precision. What if, like me, you’re between two levels? The answer: tough. You have to set one side at a different height than the other, resulting in a lopsided headset.

Unfortunately, the Maxwell 2 employs the same system. It’s mitigated somewhat by the reshaped earcups, but still vexes me. Why not employ a sliding stepless adjustment mechanism? If there’s no space on the earcups, fine: add one to the outer handband. The headset’s suspended inner band means Audeze could’ve used any design it wanted on the outer band without affecting comfort.

No simultaneous wireless connectivity

The Maxwell 2 lacks simultaneous wireless connectivity. So, while you can connect to two devices (1x Wi-Fi and 1x Bluetooth), you can’t play the audio from both simultaneously. If you get a call while you’re gaming, your game audio will mute.

It’s incredibly handy to be able to take calls while gaming and hear both. That might sound like a mess, but when done well, it’s more seamless than it might appear. On the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and Arctis Nova Elite, you can mix the levels of each channel using the included USB stations, as per your requirements, to keep the channels balanced. So handy.

Chunky design

The Maxwell 2 is thicker than a bowl of Scottish porridge (that’s oatmeal to those in the U.S.). That’s mostly fine, because it’s primarily designed for home use. But I enjoy using other headsets out and about as typical headphones — not really possible with the Maxwell 2… unless you want to look like you work on the F1 Pit Wall.

The large size and increased weight over the original Maxwell (up from 490g to 560g or 1.2lbs, thanks to the SLAM plates) also makes the Maxwell 2 cumbersome. Tilt your head forward — if you’ve dropped something, for instance — and it’s off.

Obviously, closed-back planar magnetic cans were never going to be small, especially with a 1,800mAh battery. It’s still something to consider based on your wants and needs, though.

Driver tick

This one’s super minor and is common on planar magnetic drivers, but the Maxwell 2 suffers from driver tick. Essentially, the ultra-thin drivers are moved by changes in air pressure, resulting in a ticking sound.

You’ll only hear this when audio isn’t playing or is very quiet, so it isn’t a huge deal, but if you think it’ll annoy you, opt for something with dynamic drivers, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro or Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.

Kinda pricey

What a world we live in, where the Maxwell 2 and its $329 / £339 price tag is now considered mid-range. Thanks, SteelSeries (which launched the Arctis Nova Elite at $600). $329 is objectively still on the pricey side, though.

Now, does that mean it’s overpriced? I don’t think so. This is an excellent gaming headset with a stellar mic and, most importantly, a refined audio profile. Indeed, the Maxwell 2 can (just about) double up as a set of audiophile headphones (and in the audiophile headphone arena, $329 is beginner territory).

Regardless, if you’re on a tighter budget, look elsewhere. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset costs $229; the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and Asus ROG Pelta cost $129; and the Cherry XTRFY H3 costs $99. All scored very highly in our testing, although they won’t deliver the Maxwell 2’s sheer audio fidelity.

Audeze Maxwell 2 review: Verdict

The Maxwell 2 is a solid gaming headset. Its planar magnetic drivers offer refined sound, suiting the headset well to immersive gaming and music. The inherent limitations of the drivers mean it isn’t the bassiest headset around, but what it lacks in loudness it makes up for in fidelity.

The microphone is particularly impressive, sounding extremely clean, with effective noise reduction also on hand to clear up environmental noise, albeit at the sacrifice of recording quality. Battery life is excellent, too, offering weeks of gameplay from a single charge.

Admittedly, the changes made to the formula aren’t substantial enough that I’d recommend OG Maxwell owners dump another $329 into the upgrade. That said, I’m a big fan of the earcup redesign, which has dramatically improved comfort for me over the first model.

My complaints with the Maxwell 2 are mostly just annoyances: the lack of simultaneous wireless connectivity, the frustrating headback adjustment and enormous size of the things. Nothing that’d stop me buying the Maxwell 2, nor make me regret it afterwards.

For years, I've thought of webcams as nothing more than just a simple tool to display yourself in online meetings for work or video calls with friends and family. So, you could say that having an AI-powered webcam turn me into a fully tracked digital avatar in minutes wasn't on my bingo card.

There's a lot to like about the Obsbot Tiny 3, a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) webcam with amazing 4K image quality, snappy body and object tracking, along with a pro-level mic system for audio recording — all in a fittingly tiny, compact package. But one of its unique features is to instantly turn you into a virtual, anime-inspired avatar.

Or, in other words, a VTuber (virtual YouTuber) of sorts. If you're not in the know, these are content creators who use a computer-generated digital avatar to represent themselves on video, moving in real time using motion capture tech. VTubing exploded onto the mainstream around the early 2020s and continues to be a popular trend for streaming, vlogs and more.

Now, never in a million years (and then some) would I think being a VTuber was on my agenda, but the Tiny 3 gave me a taste of the virtual avatar life, thanks to how easy it is to set up.

If anything, it stands as a testament of what the best webcams can do today, even if the feature is still in beta and only comes with a handful of options.

A taste of VTubing

Obsbot's digital avatar feature is VTubing, living streaming, gaming and more, as the company states, and with that comes a host of tracking parameters that include head, leg, finger and face tracking — all for the webcam to capture a full range of movements.

Right now, since it generates a computer-generated 3D avatar, the feature is exclusive to Windows PCs equipped with an Intel Core i7-9700 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 with 8GB of video memory and 16GB of RAM at minimum. So keep that in mind if you're looking to grab the camera and try it yourself.

Otherwise, it's as simple as turning on the feature using the Obsbot Center app and creating your avatar. And, as you can imagine, the options are all very anime-inspired.

You can choose from a selection of six preset avatars, which, funnily enough, all have a name, age and personality type. For example, there's 20-year-old Lyra, who is "sweet yet spirited, lively and warm, extremely sociable!" or 18-year-old Tori with "soft fluffy cat ears with a lively personality, sweet and adorable!" You get the gist.

Unlike other software, including VRoid Studio, that lets you customize your 3D avatar to your heart's content, there's no such thing here on the Tiny 3. So, I chose Chloe, a "fresh sporty boy, full of vitality, casual and friendly!" I wouldn't say I have any of these traits, but such are the perks of assuming a digital identity!

From there, you can pick a scene, like a hyper-green countryside or a sunny beach, a prop to hold (including a leek, randomly) and you're all set to start controlling your avatar.

Now, it's not every day I get to turn myself into an anime character by just setting up a webcam alone, so I was already getting a kick out of moving around and seeing my 3D model mimic exactly what I was doing. Whether I was waving my hand, pointing to the sky or walking side to side, the digital avatar and I were as one.

Well, sort of. There's a slight lag in movements, but not enough to make it jarring. But seeing the character's mouth move as I talked, and smile when I did, shows just how well this PTZ webcam can track particular movements (though this Chloe character isn't able to get angry or sad, even when pulling a big upside-down smile).

In just a few minutes, I had my own digital avatar to use as I please, whether that be for recording content for a YouTube video or on video calls. I found it eerily scary how accurate it was, and how I could completely disguise my identity online. There's even a Virtual Voice feature, although this is still in beta, and I couldn't get it to work.

Gimmicky fun

There's a lot the Obsbot Tiny 3 webcam offers, and its VTuber avatars are a fun addition. But I wouldn't expect this to kick off my new career with an anime-inspired persona, or use it in any upcoming meetings for work. Even if it tracks my body, face and mouth movement incredibly well.

At best, it's a fun feature to mess around with, but I doubt any aspiring VTuber will use this platform as their main way to record content — not when other software like VTube Studio and the like have been around to capture your movements as well. However, if you're looking to dabble in some creative, digital avatar work, the Obsbot Tiny 3 provides.

In any case, webcams are becoming more than just simple cameras for your PC. The Obsbot Tiny 3 shows how they can be reliable tools made for streamers and content creation, whether it be for VTubing or not.

More from Tom's Guide

• I added this $30 accessory to my desk setup and it finally let me use dual monitors comfortably for video calls
• The new Insta360 Link 2 Pro is the webcam to beat — it does everything you could possibly need
• ‘Like a Logitech MX Master 4 but a lot cheaper’: the Keychron M6 8K is now my favorite productivity and gaming mouse

When you’re jumping from one video call to another all day every day, the last thing you want is to be showing the side of your head instead of looking straight on at your webcam. Depending on your desk setup, this is easier said than done.

Attending meetings is only half of the battle though, as putting your best face forward likely isn’t what your job actually entails. Instead, you also need to manage multiple windows and have enough screen real estate to horizontally scroll through spreadsheets at ease or glance over at your notes or calendar while writing up an email.

It's time to free your webcam

For this reason, I often use either a side-by-side dual-monitor setup or an ultrawide monitor with a portable monitor underneath it. With the latter, it’s easy to mount one of the best webcams on top of your display and call it a day. With the former though, things can be a lot trickier.

When you have two of the best monitors next to one another, you’re forced to pick one of them to put your webcam on. Then when you’re actually on a call, you either have to turn your body at an angle or, worse, settle for showing the side of your head while everyone else is looking directly into their own cameras.

After struggling with this age-old dual-monitor conundrum for years now, I finally decided it was time to do something about it without having to say goodbye to one of my all-time favorite desk setups. Here’s how I finally freed my webcam from being relegated to one screen or the other and found a best of both worlds solution that works for me.

From bezel to mount

After putting together a new, dual-monitor desk setup for my upcoming Secretlab Mangus Evo review, I realized that besides gaming, I also wanted to attend meetings from the comfort of my living room. To that end, I needed a way to add a webcam so that the rest of my team could see me but I didn’t want to be stuck having to stare at one screen or the other.

Whether it’s a monitor stand or one of the best monitor arms, I have no qualms about mounting things on the back of my desk. In fact, I actually prefer it since it frees up desk space, makes cable management easier and gives your desk setup a cleaner overall look. The Magnus Evo makes this a little tricky (more on that later) but I eventually decided that a camera desk mount would be the best solution for this particular problem.

While I’ve thought about picking up some of SmallRig’s well-regarded camera accessories over the years, I hadn’t actually had a chance to test out any of the company’s gear. I figured the SmallRig Camera Desk Mount would be the perfect way to dip my toes into the world of professional camera gear, especially since my needs were much more modest. In addition to the mount itself, you also get a carrying case (just in case) a ¼” ball head adapter and a ring light adapter.

I had initially considered using a selfie stick and a small desk tripod I had on hand for this project. Although that would work in a pinch, the SmallRig Camera Desk Mount has a much sturdier build. Likewise, it can be raised from 19 inches all the way up to 35 inches which makes it a lot more versatile than just clipping a webcam onto the top of your monitor.

Even though I planned on using the SmallRig Camera Desk Mount with Razer’s new Kiyo V2 webcam, I wanted to put its stability and weight bearing abilities to the test. To do so, I grabbed my Canon Rebel T6i DSLR camera. I figured if it could hold a ‘proper’ camera, it would have no trouble at all with a webcam on the back of my desk.

Much to my surprise — even though it can technically hold up to six and a half pounds at an incline and just over 22 pounds vertically — the SmallRig Camera Desk Mount held up my old DSLR without any issues. At just $30, not only could this new mount solve my dual-monitor webcam dilemma but it also doubles as an entry-level studio rig. If I ever decide to get back into content creation, I’d have an easy and reliable way to shoot top-down unboxing videos or even time-lapsed PC builds.

With the initial testing out of the way, next came the hard part, actually integrating this new accessory into my desk setup.

Closer to centered

Not everyone of my DIY projects comes out exactly as I had imagined it in my head but this one came close enough. As you can see here, the Kiyo V2 webcam above my desk isn’t exactly centered but still, it isn’t perched on the edge of one of my monitors either. Plus, I still get to have a monitor light bar on top of both displays without having to use yet another adapter to place a webcam on top of one of them.

Just like the Secretlab Magnus Pro I reviewed, the Magnus Evo comes with built-in cable management. However, instead of a full-length integrated shelf that runs along its entire backside, this newer and slightly cheaper, gamer-focused standing desk does come with a cable management tray. Since there’s only a sliver of space between it and the desk, you need to use one of Secretlab’s low-profile monitor arms.

I had hoped that I’d be able to squeeze the SmallRig Camera Desk Mount in between them but unfortunately, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. At first, I tried jerry-rigging a way to use Secretlab’s magnetic headphone hook to mount it to no avail until I came to terms with the fact that it would have to be slightly off center, and not right between my two displays as I had initially planned. After tucking its desk clamp into the back of Magnus Evo’s cable management tray, I managed to squeeze my hand in there to tighten it up and securely clamp the mount to the back of the desk.

Even though things didn’t turn out perfectly as planned, I did solve the problem I set out to finally tackle once and for all. One thing that I really like about having my webcam on its own separate mount is that it — and more importantly its cable — aren’t tied to one of my monitors. As such, I can move my monitors freely without having to worry about tugging on my webcam’s cable or the whole device falling off its perch on one of their respective bezels.

Although the SmallRig Camera Desk Mount doesn’t come with built-in cable management like a monitor arm, its round aluminum pole made securing my webcam’s cable in place quite easy. I just put it right up against the pole and wrapped a few Velcro cable ties around it. After all, this accessory is made for real cameras, not webcams.

Always in frame

Getting the right webcam for your needs is the first step to putting your best face forward in video calls. However, like with ergonomics, positioning your webcam is just as important. Too low or too high and you might as well turn your camera off, but you can only get away with telling everyone else you’re experiencing camera issues for so long.

Sooner or later, you’re going to have to step back and think about the best way to incorporate a webcam into your desk setup. If you’re only using a single monitor, then perched on top of your display may just be the best choice for you. However, if you’re partial to multi-monitor setups like I am, then things are a bit more complicated. Fortunately, after all these years, I’ve finally found a solution that works for me.

Since I review the best standing desks for a living, I’ll inevitably have to move onto the next one once my review of the Secretlab Magnus Evo is finished. With my new SmallRig Camera Desk Mount though, I won’t have to give up my dual-monitor setup and all that extra screen space just to look my best in video calls. It may take a while but I’ve found that if you look hard enough, there’s always an accessory for whatever problem you come across, regardless of how niche it may be.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched my ultrawide display for this dual-monitor setup — here's what happened
• Monitor stand vs monitor arm: how to pick the right one for your display
• I put 3 stacked monitor setups to the test and this is the one I’m sticking with

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is the most expensive gaming headset I can remember seeing. Feel free to correct me in the comments if I’m wrong, but with its $600 MSRP, I don’t think I am.

That’s right! Six. Hundred. Dollars. So what does that get you?

Well, excellent sound quality for a start. The Arctis Nova Elites can mix it with the best gaming headsets out there in the sound department — the Audeze Maxwell being the primary contender (the headset I’ve been using for around 18 months now).

The mic is fairly good, it’s super comfortable, there’s a handy USB hub included and battery life is phenomenal. I’m not sure any of that adds up to $600, though, especially when the headphone and microphone noise cancelation is fairly lackluster.

Could this be the right headset for you, though? Find out in my full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A premium gaming headset from SteelSeries
• Who is it for? Gamers with lots of spare change
• What does it cost? $599 / £599
• What’s good? The sound quality, comfort, battery life and USB hub
• What’s not? The price (obviously) and lackluster noise cancelation

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: Specs

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: The ups

Excellent sound, endless comfort, a handy USB hub and supremely strong battery life — there’s a lot to like about the Arctis Nova Elite.

Fantastic sound

To put it simply, the Arctis Nova Elite sounds fantastic. The headset can handle high-resolution 96kHz/24-bit audio (although Xbox and PS5 can only output CD-quality 44kHz/16-bit). For game testing, I used the headset wirelessly over 2.4GHz via the USB hub to stream sound in hi-res.

Its 40mm drivers are smaller than the 50mm drivers on the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset and the 90mm units on the Audeze Maxwell. But it isn't all about driver diameter — the Maxwell’s are planar magnetic (which are typically larger), delivering more clarity in the highs but slightly less bass. The Nova Elite’s dynamic drivers are made from carbon fiber, with a brass support ring around the edges to reduce movement, shaking and distortions. I’m not sure how much the support ring is actually doing, but either way, audio is very clean, even down to sub bass.

The drivers have a 10-40,000Hz frequency response range, meaning they can replicate a very wide array of sound. The Audeze Maxwell drivers have a 10-50,000Hz response range, but the extra high frequencies are a fairly moot point, as the human ear can only hear up to around 20,000Hz.

10Hz is nice and low, for plenty of bass detail. And indeed, low frequency response is excellent. The drivers were able to faithfully replicate the huge, deep booms of artillery in Isonzo and Hell Let Loose, not to mention the rumbling of approaching enemy tanks in the latter.

Sound separation is also very good. Higher frequencies are generally where you’ll find footsteps and lighter noises, which can give enemies away, but with lesser drivers, these can often get lost and muddied among other sounds. Not so with the Nova Elite. I was able to discern footsteps and puddle splashes among the gunfire, artillery barrages and loud voice chat of Hell Let Loose, giving me an advantage when sneaking around behind enemy lines.

A wide soundstage and spatial audio also help here. During the aforementioned snooping, I was able to discern not just that enemies were approaching me, but also where they were coming from.

Music

The Arctis Nova Elite headset is marketed by SteelSeries as being suitable for daily use as a standard set of headphones. As such, I also tested the headset with an array of music via Qobuz, our favorite music streaming service for audiophiles thanks to its high-res 192kHz/24-bit playback. For music testing, I used the headset wirelessly over 2.4GHz via the USB hub, and over Bluetooth when away from my desk.

Again, sonically, the Arctis Nova Elite performed well. Dream police by Mk.gee nicely demonstrated the headset’s wide soundstage and strong tonal separation. It felt like being sat in the studio as Mk.gee recorded it: bongos on the right; some soft clacky percussive thingy on the left; bass enveloping me on all sides; the lo-fi, discordant riff and Mk.gee’s semi-surreal vocals floating above everything.

Next up, Honey Bucket by Melvins, whose two simultaneous guitar riffs can easily blend together in the mid-tone sludge. Not so here: I could pick ‘em both out with ease.

Listen along to my testing playlist below:

To round off the testing, some bassy stuff: Ikigai by Burn Water, a melancholic, ethereal piece of modern ambient electronica; and Sub Island by Skream, an early U.K. dubstep humdinger and shatterer of my teenage car speakers. The 40mm drivers excelled for both, with powerful, rich sub bass and not a hint of distortion or shakiness.

Admittedly, the sound isn’t quite as refined as a pair of truly excellent audiophile headphones; there’s not quite the same space as I’m used to with my B&O Beoplay H95s, for instance. But for a gaming headset (even an expensive one), it’s a solid showing.

Very comfortable

I find the Arctis Nova Elite headset extremely comfortable. My previous headset was the Audeze Maxwell, but I prefer the taller shaping of the Nova Elite earcups, which feel much more spacious.

The earcup pads are pillowy soft, with memory foam innards and vegan leather outers. The outers are definitely less breathable than on other headsets I’ve used, and I’ve found my ears getting a little hot around the 4-5 hour mark. But nothing the occasional off-and-on-again doesn’t solve.

The suspended headband design — now commonplace on higher-tier headsets — is lovely, helping the Arctis Nova Elite sit weightlessly on your head. I’ve used the headset for numerous 7-8 hour stints with very few complaints, aside from the slightly warm ears mentioned above.

Adjustment of the Arctis Nova is done via sliding the earcups (y’know, the normal way). See, on my Audeze Maxwell headset, adjustment is seriously frustrating. It’s done by moving the inner suspended headband, and there are only three levels of adjustment. I’m in between two levels, the only solution to which is having the Maxwell adjusted higher on one side than the other — this leaves the headset feeling lopsided. After 18 months on the Maxwell, it’s been such a relief to have a headset sitting symmetrically again.

Useful USB hub

The Arctis Nova Elite headset comes with a supremely handy USB hub, which can connect to three devices via USB-C (2x PC/PlayStation, 1x PC/Xbox). There’s also a line-in for an external mic, and a line out for wired playback. This allows you to hook up multiple devices simultaneously and mix the sound.

I only game on PC, so I just had my gaming rig and work laptop hooked up to the hub. I found it incredibly useful during testing to have the sounds of my work calls mixed into the games I was playing for testing. I could work and game at the same time (to an extent).

You can use the USB hub to mix two of the USB channels, although it’s a little crude. You’re better off using the Sonar panel in the SteelSeries GG app, which we’re well acquainted with here at Tom’s Guide from testing previous SteelSeries gear like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5. Sonar is probably the easiest way to keep your channels mixed and audio balanced when using the Arctis Nova Elite, especially if running more than two and/or an external mic simultaneously.

The hub controls are best suited for fiddling with quick, important settings on the fly while gaming, letting you tweak audio levels, EQ, ANC and microphone gubbins without needing to switch to the GG app.

Thanks to the multiple-device connectivity it allows, not to mention the easy control it gives over settings, the hub is probably my favorite thing about the Nova Elite. It has me seriously considering whether I want to return to the Audeze Maxwell.

Fairly good microphone

The boom mic’s core performance is fairly good, as gaming headsets go (although the environmental noise cancelation isn't, as I'll cover later). It’s certainly a lot cleaner-sounding than the mics of the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming headset.

On all my test recordings and on calls with colleagues, my voice is nice and clear. There’s a bit of fuzziness, which none of the microphone EQs helped very much — not even the two broadcast EQ presets — as you can hear in the audio test clip below.

That’s all fine and dandy for in-game chat, although this is a $600 headset, so it ought to be good. It’s important to remember, though, that a headset boom mic won’t ever compete with one of the best mics for streaming, like the Shure MV6 ($149), Shure MV7+ ($279) and Cherry Ngale R ($96). If you’re going to be on stream and do have $600 going spare, I’d recommend you pick up a cheaper headset like the Audeze Maxwell or Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and invest in one of the dedicated mics above.

Strong battery life, no downtime

SteelSeries rates the Arctis Nova Elite for 30 hours per full battery, which I can confirm to be accurate. On my battery test, after around 15 hours of mixed use, I still had 53% of charge remaining.

The battery life doesn’t really matter, though, at least when using the headset at home. In the box are two batteries, one of which you can leave on charge in the USB hub (which has a battery charging port). You charge one while using the other, meaning you always have a fresh battery, so no downtime.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: The downs

The Arctis Nova Elite’s attributes are undermined by its unfathomably high price, and when something is priced this steeply, its other flaws have nowhere to hide.

Ludicrous price tag

Unfortunately, despite all its virtues, the Nova Elite is massively overpriced at $599 / £599. Something we’ve previously loved about other SteelSeries gear, like the Arctis Nova 3 and Nova 5, is the balance of affordability and performance, so it’s frustrating to see the Nova Elite priced so steeply.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a premium headset with some very attractive features, and high-end gear like that will always cost you. But come on, SteelSeries… $600?

The sound is good, yes, perhaps better than the $300 Audeze Maxwell, but there’s really not much in it, and there’s certainly not a $300 delta. I mentioned my high-end B&O H95 headphones earlier — those are about $600 these days, and the sound is much more refined. In other words, $600 is seriously-good-headphone-money. And as good as the Arctis Nova Elite sounds for a gaming headset, I seriously doubt it’d make a recently-$600-poorer audiophile feel pleased with their purchase.

Sure, you get a very handy USB hub and a spare battery, but again, that ain’t worth an extra $300 in my book, either.

Subpar microphone noise cancelation

If SteelSeries’ marketing is to be believed, the Arctis Nova Elite’s microphone noise rejection “removes up to 97% of background noise. So powerful, even a helicopter can't beat it.” Well, I’m not so sure about that.

In the first clip below, I played a coffee shop ambient noise backing track at around 50% volume on my iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is still audible in the recording. There isn't a huge difference between the 'High' and 'Low' settings either.

More importantly, in the second clip below (recorded using the High noise reduction setting), I typed with my NuPhy Halo75 V2 — a moderately loud keyboard — while talking. The keyboard noise is clearly audible. I also had to ask my wife to stop typing during all of my microphone tests, as the light clack of her Keychron V8 Max was also making it through the noise rejection algorithm. Now, I’m no pilot. I haven’t spent much time on airfields. But I’m pretty sure helicopters are louder than coffee shops and keyboards.

The noise rejection isn’t totally useless — it certainly cuts out some background noise. But I’d argue that a $600 gaming headset that’s marketed as being “so powerful, even a helicopter can't beat it” should be able to cut out the sound of a keyboard.

"Best ANC in gaming"?

According to SteelSeries, the Arctis Nova Elite boasts the “best ANC in gaming.” Another rather far-fetched claim. Without anything playing, the ANC is pretty poor. In the office, with the ANC enabled and set to “high,” I could still hear my colleagues speaking and typing on their keyboards.

With media or games playing to help mask sound, things are admittedly better. However, in quieter games, I still experienced intrusive external noise. During some quieter downtime exploring the countryside of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, I could hear my wife’s keyboard, the road noise outside and even one of my dogs crying downstairs (she expects her dinner at precisely 5.30 p.m., and not one minute later). When testing in the office, even with music playing, I was still able to hear colleagues talking around me.

The ANC isn’t awful, and it’s pretty good at cutting lower frequencies, but it certainly isn’t best-in-class. It’s nothing on the ANC system in the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro headset, for instance. And I wouldn’t be satisfied with the Nova Elite’s ANC if using the headset out and about for general daily use.

Earcup caps fall off easily

The sides of the Arctis Nova Elite earcups are covered by a circular plastic cap, which is held in place magnetically when rotated to the correct position. Unfortunately, the magnet isn’t particularly strong, meaning the disks are liable to rotate and subsequently dislodge. This doesn’t affect performance, but it’s annoying and exposes the battery to the elements and/or potential loss.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: Verdict

This has been a supremely tricky review to write. There’s a whole lot of stuff I love about the Arctis Nova Elite headset. It sounds fantastic, is supremely comfortable, has a truly handy USB hub and plenty of connectivity options and boasts phenomenal battery life.

It just costs way too much, which is why I haven’t awarded one of our higher scores that come with a Tom’s Guide Recommended or Editor’s Choice badge. SteelSeries has seemingly based the pricing primarily on the audio quality, and yeah, it’s good, but it doesn’t sound like a $600 set of cans — nor does it sound $300 better than the fantastic Audeze Maxwell. The high price also compounds the Arctis Nova’s other flaws, primarily in the noise cancelation department — with a $600 MSRP, there’s nowhere to hide.

This isn’t a bad headset by any means, which is why I’ve awarded our 3.5-star Good rating. If you wanted a TL;DR, it’d be: good product, silly price.

The Dell Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 is a great, budget-friendly solution for anyone looking to enhance their sound quality in a personal office. So, could it be one of the best computer speakers?

It offers excellent noise cancelation for clear calls on both ends and provides a clutter-free (as long as you’re a Dell monitor user) way to improve audio quality.

However, with limited connectivity options, it may not be for everyone, as it requires a particular setup and works better if you have magnetic fixtures under your monitor screen.

So, is this the conference calling soundbar for you? Keep reading my Dell Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 review to find out.

Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 review: Specs

Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 review: The Ups

The Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 has an understated design with accessible controls that make an office setup look instantly premium. The sound quality for calls is amazing, and the environmental noise cancelation is some of the best I’ve ever used.

Sleek design

The Dell conference soundbar has a very sleek design that is understated and will fit in with any office setup. The grey colour and mesh front make it look really put together, and the lighter grey buttons make the whole thing feel cohesive.

This device is better suited to someone looking for an audio solution for their personal or home office, as it would be disruptive to others working around you. This soundbar gets pretty loud, which is obviously great if you need to be having a conversation with someone on a call, but this is going to distract everyone around you and perhaps let them in on some private information.

The magnetic fixtures on top of the sound bar mean that if you have the right monitor (which I will get to later), you’re guaranteed a clutter-free setup.

Good sound for calls

The speaker has a 52mm speaker that reaches volumes of 90db. I tested out the Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 soundbar by calling my colleague, Erin. I was able to hear Erin’s voice far more clearly than when using my usual MacBook Air M2 speakers or when I use headphones or earbuds.

There was no feedback on the audio, and the soundbar uses Echo Cancelation to deliver an enhanced audio quality. I could tell that the soundbar was working to create a more palatable sound profile, and I was more comfortable taking calls for longer as there was never any tinny sound.

Peripheral management

You can download and use the Dell Display and Peripheral Manager. This helps with the overall management of the device and allows you to install firmware updates. You can also alter some sound settings, including bass boost, speech boost and treble boost. I used the speech boost, which further enhanced the voice on the other end of the call.

Environmental noise cancelation is great

The SB725’s microphone has great environmental noise cancelation capabilities, and my colleague Erin said it made my voice incredibly clear. The microphone has a pickup range of 2.3 meters, but even when I was working in the office with people around me, only my voice could be heard. That’s because of the AI noise-cancelling that works by detecting human voices and focuses on them. This works extremely well and I was able to communicate seamlessly with my colleague.

To really put this to the test, I played music from my phone at full volume and put it on my desk. Erin couldn’t hear it at all. This was really impressive, as I’ve never tested a microphone that was able to totally cancel out music at the highest listening volume.

It also completely canceled out the sound of me typing on my Keychron K8 Max mechanical keyboard.

Affordable

The Dell SB725 soundbar is undeniably affordable. Conferencing soundbars can reach some pretty steep prices, and for under $90, this one offers big sound and excellent environmental noise cancelation.

It’s a lot cheaper than other soundbar solutions available, which often include an integrated camera. Other soundbars we have reviewed have a far higher price point, such as the Poly StudioP15 Personal Video Bar ($449) or the Insta 360 Connect ($1,999), but if you already have a webcam, the SB725 is a great addition to your conferencing experience.

Accessible controls

The controls on the Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 soundbar are very accessible and don’t need to be pressed hard to activate. There are also LED lights behind the controls to show the active buttons.

Specific buttons for answering Teams calls make it easy to use the speaker to streamline your workday if you spend your day jumping from call to call. The buttons also allow you to mute, end the call, and alter the volume with one press. When your microphone is muted, the LED light will remain on so you remember to turn it back on again.

I found the controls easy to use, and while I don’t use Teams at my job, I can appreciate the ease of having the buttons right at your fingertips.

Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 review: The Downs

The Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 isn’t for everyone. You won’t be able to get the clutter-free perks of this soundbar without a Dell monitor, and the short cord to hook it up to your computer makes connectivity difficult at times. It may be a great solution for calls, but not so much for everything else.

Best with a Dell monitor

The Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 attaches to the underside of some Dell monitors magnetically. Dell provides a list of the 40+ monitors that are compatible with the soundbar, so if you already have one of these, the soundbar would be a great addition to your setup.

My Dell P2419H flat panel monitor isn’t one of the compatible models, so I had to precariously balance it on top. It kept falling off whenever something bumped the desk, so I ended up setting it to the side of me.

The cord is only 5.91 inches long, which really isn’t much at all when you’re trying to juggle all of the wires on your desk, and it made it a little tricky to get the perfect angle when using the magnets to attach it to my display.

Good for calls, not much else

So the Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 is great for calls, which is its intended use, but it struggles in other areas. I decided to use it in the same way I’d use my regular laptop speakers, but I was left disappointed by the sound performance.

I watched some YouTube videos with dialogue, thinking it would sound similar to video calls, but the videos sounded super muffled. I also listened to some music through the soundbar, and it sounded pretty tinny. However, I could tell the soundbar was trying its best to isolate the voices of the singers. This soundbar is under $90, making it super budget, so this is to be expected.

Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 review: Verdict

The Dell Pro Premium Conferencing Soundbar SB725 is an affordable and effective choice for video conferencing. And if you have one of the compatible Dell monitors, the user experience is even better.

The soundbar is extremely affordable, featuring a sleek design that complements any setup beautifully. The controls are also accessible and easy to use for making calls and adjusting the volume. The speaker also has incredible environmental noise cancelation capabilities. It can even block the sound of loud music playing in front of my desk and still make my voice sound crystal clear to my colleague on the other end of the call.

It works best with the 40+ monitors that Dell recommends, with the magnetic fixtures, but you can still connect it to any computer — it may just look a little more cluttered. Especially as the short power cord limits where you can place it.

If you need something that can cope with music and streaming videos too, you may want to invest in some of the best computer speakers instead. But if you need something only for daily conference calls in a personal office, this soundbar is a great device for the job.

The Mac mini M4 is easily one of the best mini PCs I’ve tested so far, but because Apple is Apple, it still has some quirks. Whether it’s the awkward power button placement on the bottom of the device, the complete lack of USB-A ports or the eye-watering cost to bump up the size of its internal storage, there is usually a catch.

Fortunately, there are plenty of third-party accessories to fill in those gaps, with Satechi’s being my personal favorite. Once I added the Satechi Mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand underneath my own Mac mini M4, it instantly became the perfect mini PC for my workflow, adding more ports, a card reader and most importantly, an M.2 SSD slot for cheap storage expansion.

Satechi’s accessories are as close to looking first-party as they come, which is why I was taken aback when I saw its latest docking station at CES 2026. The new Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is packed to the brim with powerful ports, but its design is what immediately won me over. In fact, it might be the perfect dock if you have one of the best MacBooks but always wondered what it would be like to have a Mac mini on your desk instead.

No, that's not a Mac mini on your desk

At 5 x 5 x 2 inches, Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is slightly taller than the Mac mini M4, but its finish and curves match Apple’s mini PC perfectly. Made from solid aluminum, this new docking station instantly feels premium. When seen from above, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking it really is a Mac mini M4; I know I almost did there for a second.

On the front, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 10Gbps USB-C port that can also deliver 30W of power, a 10Gbps USB-A port, and both a microSD and SD card reader along with a lit power button.

Moving all that data while driving up to three displays at 8K/60Hz or 4K/144Hz can produce a lot of heat. For that reason, Satechi added cooling vents on both sides of its CubeDock in addition to the ventilation at the rear. Meanwhile, cool air gets pulled in from vents on the bottom of the device.

Around back is where the real connectivity happens. On the far left, there’s an upstream Thunderbolt 5 port where you can connect a MacBook, Windows laptop, or heck, even a Mac mini M4. Then, there are three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports that provide 80 Gbps by default but can boost up to 120 Gbps when your high-res displays need the extra bandwidth. You also get an additional 10Gbps USB-A port and a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port — perfect for plugging directly into one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers.

Finally, the barrel port on the top left connects to the included 180W smart power supply. In total, you get 140W host charging to keep your MacBook or even one of the best Windows laptops fully charged while docked. You also get 30W of power delivery on that front USB-C port, which is enough to fast-charge a smartphone or even a tablet like the iPad mini right there on your desk.

But it will let you skirt the Apple Tax

It might seem tempting to just spend the extra several hundred dollars on storage when buying a new MacBook or a desktop Mac. However, if you’re not working on the go all the time, you absolutely shouldn’t. Instead, buying an internal M.2 SSD and an enclosure is a much more cost-effective solution.

Just like with its Stand & Hub for the Mac mini, Satechi has included an SSD slot on the bottom of the CubeDock. However, this is a massive step up in performance. You can instantly add up to 8TB of storage for your MacBook with transfer speeds up to 6,000 MB/s — roughly six times faster than Satechi's previous hubs. Installation is simple: just open the tool-free lid on the bottom and secure your drive with a single screw.

One thing I’ve always liked about Satechi’s design is the flexibility; you aren’t limited to one size, as the dock supports 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 M.2 NVMe drives. I even spoke with the CubeDock’s product manager on the CES show floor, who pointed out that they made this enclosure deep enough to support SSDs with heatsinks attached. This means you can repurpose a high-performance drive (like the kind you’d add to a PS5) and let the dock's active cooling keep it from throttling during heavy video edits.

Docking at a premium

Satechi’s CubeDock certainly has the looks, along with all the ports and power to earn a place on any creative pro’s desk, but all that power doesn’t come cheap. At $399, the CubeDock isn’t far off from the price of a standard Mac mini M4. However, with Thunderbolt 6 still quite a ways off, this is a docking station you’ll be able to use for maximum performance and productivity for years to come.

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is available for pre-order now on the company’s site and is expected to begin shipping by the end of March. If you’re after a pro-level docking station for your MacBook or even your Windows laptop, you can use the code CES2026 on Satechi’s website until January 31 to save 20% on the CubeDock and the company’s new Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable — though keep in mind that one high-speed cable is already included in the box.

More from Tom's Guide

• I wanted a new laptop dock — here's why I bought a Steam Deck dock instead
• Thunderbolt 5 vs Thunderbolt 4: Everything you need to know
• I tried MSI’s new Pro Max QD-OLED monitor and it fixes my biggest gripes with the Apple Studio Display

2025 was a great year for keyboards and mice, and while the dust settles on a tidal wave of amazing peripherals, I wanted to point out a pair of products I fell in love with that have made their way onto my desk for this year.

The mouse and keyboard combo (unless you’re solely a laptop user) is an inherently personal thing — how do you like your clicks? Your clacks? Your scrolls?

Mine changes depending on the day, but I have found myself returning to a peculiar combo: 8BitDo’s Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard and Logitech’s MX Master 4. It’s a bit like peanut butter and jelly, and it just works — even if the odd couple do look a bit, well, odd together.

Getting it done

I should preface this by saying I’m using these with a Mac (an M3 MacBook Air, in fact), with both connected via Bluetooth just because I tend to shake things up regularly with an ever-rotating carousel of keyboards.

I also wouldn’t use these for gaming - I have SteelSeries, Logitech, and Keychron models for those (it’s not a problem until I admit it).

For work, though, these two are ideal companions - here’s why.

A clicking clack

The Retro 87 mechanical keyboard, in this sumptuous Xbox theming, feels like a relic of a bygone era - not just because of the retro in its name, but it feels like the kind of thing Microsoft would’ve released for the original Xbox console.

It’s not necessarily new in 2025, with other colorways and variants, but just look at how darn cool those arrow keys look!

None of this would matter if the Retro 87 wasn’t a great keyboard in its own right, and its combination of ‘clicky’ keys, a membrane over the keys, and a volume dial that could be spotted in the current season of Stranger Things all combine for a surprisingly comfortable typing experience - even though there are no adjustable angles.

A nice touch is that the keys light up when pressed, but with a slight delay that makes it feel even more fun to just look down at the bright green keycaps.

There are even some huge programmable keys for those moments where you just need to feel like you’re hitting the buzzer at the end of the course on Gladiators, except you can have it activate just about anything instead of a firework show.

While I’m using it on Mac (and occasionally on PC), on Windows you can use the dedicated Xbox button to open the Game Bar which is a nice touch.

My only real gripe is that the included mouse (which also has a handy charging stand) is a little too small for me - but that brings us nicely to…

A new Master

I’ve used Logitech MX Master mice since I began working in this industry in 2019. I went from the MX Master 3 to the MX Master 3S with its quieter clicks, and would have been quite satisfied sticking with that for another few years.

Still, after several leaks, the MX Master 4 was announced earlier this year, and it’s every bit as good as I was hoping. While I feared it would push some kind of AI functionality with its new button, it remains programmable for just about anything.

When used in conjunction with the Action Wheel, which lets you customize a radial menu of shortcuts that can range from a Google Search, to window management on the Mac and just about anything else, it’s a productivity dream.

The scroll wheels are as responsive as they’ve ever been, and haptic feedback is a subtle change that’s most keenly felt (literally) when doing something like snapping to a grid in Photoshop or using the aforementioned Action Wheel.

I also appreciate that it’s much less slippery than its predecessors, with Logitech saying it took feedback on board about how easily prior models were stained and degraded over time.

Odd bedfellows

Positioning a cutting-edge productivity mouse next to a retro-themed gaming keyboard might make for an odd visual choice, but it’s impossible not to feel like it’s a combo that just works for me.

I’ll inevitably switch things up again in the new year, but go on, try it — you might just like it.

More from Tom's Guide

• Your mechanical keyboard is disgusting — here's how to clean it properly in 30 minutes
• I tried this mechanical keyboard with a built-in pointing stick — and it almost convinced me to ditch my mouse
• This space-age keyboard has one cool feature that's been a game-changer for my productivity

I’ll admit it — content creators like me are terrible to buy gifts for. What do you buy the person who already has everything they want? Well, the one thing you’ll notice is that they always run out of space on their phones. Storage anxiety is real when you’re quickly snapping away.

Well, I’ve been testing the $149 SanDisk Creator Phone SSD for the past few months, and this MagSafe storage expansion has not only relieved me of my space stress, but it’s also unlocked a serious upgrade in the content I create while also making my editing flow a whole lot easier.

Speedy saves, smart looks

I’m a sucker for blue tech, and this is an eye-catching drive to say the least! It's super convenient with MagSafe to lock onto the back of your phone. Plus, its impressively thin profile means you can use it with most typical phone clips on a tripod.

It’s also durable with that silicone shell protecting it for big drops while offering IP65 water and dust resistance. But its secret weapon is the exFAT formatting right out of the box, which both makes it compatible with all your devices, and (when plugged into my iPhone 15 Pro) supports video capture in Apple ProRes 4K at up to 120 FPS. It’s an instant upgrade to the type of content I capture.

And since it’s USB 3.0, you’re getting a solid 1,000MB/s read/write speed for all your tasks — something which becomes all the more important when it comes to editing.

No more AirDrop

When it’s time to edit, my usual workflow is simple, but slow: set up an AirDrop and leave my phone for a while. Don’t get me wrong, it’s foolproof in a classic Apple “it just works” kind of way, but it just takes a while.

Now that I’m saving directly to the drive, I can just plug the SSD straight into my MacBook and transfer everything over much quicker. Moving 10 minutes of ProRes video over on AirDrop usually took about 12 minutes, and converting it to a simple H.264 clip isn't as editable.

Now, it takes two minutes, tops, and I can color grade to my heart’s content with the raw data. It’s much faster, and higher quality, too!

Buy now before the price skyrockets

Yes, I know that subheadline is a little bit threatening, but we can’t just view the Creator Phone SSD in a vacuum. It’s a phenomenal last-minute holiday gift for the creator in your life (or to treat yourself), and the price of SSD chips is exploding alongside the cost of RAM.

And while this SanDisk drive has gone up in price, it’s only done so by $5. This is the beginning of the inflection point for portable SSD costs, and in 2026, it can only go one way — up.

So I implore you. If you’ve thinking about snagging a Creator Phone SSD, not only is it a great on-the-go drive for those who fill up their storage fast, it’s probably the last chance to buy before prices go way up.

More from Tom's Guide

• Portable SSD makers don’t want you to know this money-saving hack — here’s how to save up to $180
• This portable SSD changed how I work on the go — and I’m kinda in love
• I'm a creative pro — here's why the SanDisk Desk Drive is the most important part of my desk setup

The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 is a great everyday keyboard for anyone who spends their whole day typing — like I do. This 96% board may not be perfect, but it could still be a great option for typists on a budget looking for one of the best mechanical keyboards. It’s a good choice for anyone who needs a full-size deck while saving a little desk space over a 100%.

The colorful design looks great, and the Mint Mambo switches make typing comfortable. The adjustable typing angle also gives ergonomic support.

But for anyone who needs a serious gaming keyboard, this may not be the one for you, as Redragon doesn’t market it as a gaming deck or even specify the polling rate of the board. The sound of the board is also annoying at times, as it’s pretty clacky and more metallic when pushing the space bar.

If you want to find out more about how I got on with the keyboard, you can carry on reading this full Redragon Galatin Pro K719 review.

Redragon Galatin Pro K719 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 96% mechanical keyboard with a screen to display GIFs on
• Who is it for? Typists who want to add a pop of color to their setup
• What does it cost? The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 is available for $79 / £82
• What’s good? The design and typing are great, the 96% layout is ideal for those who don’t want a full 100% keyboard and the adjustable typing angle gives ergonomic support
• What’s not? The sound can be annoying for some users, and there are no extra keycaps provided for macOS

Redragon Galatin Pro K719 review: Specs

Redragon Galatin Pro K719 review: The ups

Typing on the Redragon Galatin Pro K719 is very comfortable, and the switches create a cozy type-feel. The stylish design is also a big win for this board, and the adjustable feet make it a good ergonomic choice.

Comfortable to type on

The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 is one of the most comfortable keyboards I’ve reviewed — and I’ve tried my fair share.

It may be a 96% layout board, but it takes up the same amount of space on my desk as an 80% board, like the Keychron K8 V2. Redragon says that the size of the keyboard has been shrunk by 20% and measures 15.2 x 5.4 x 1.5 inches. It is certainly a lot more compact than the Redragon K686 Pro SE. You get a number pad on the right side of the board, which I don’t use much, but is a handy addition for anyone who works with numbers and doesn’t want to get a 100% full-size keyboard.

Being a smaller size means that movement in your arms is reduced, allowing you to access the number pad more quickly. The body structure uses a gasket mount, which offers a springy feeling when typing. When combined with the Mint Mambo switches (more on this soon), the Galatin Pro K719 felt lovely to type on.

The PBT OEM keycaps have a uniform height instead of a raked board like Keychron C1 Pro 8K ($54), but the uniform height is still great when combined with the adjustable angle. When using the keyboard at a higher angle, it’s easier to type and hit all the keys. The keycaps are standard-sized, and I didn’t have many issues with inaccuracies when typing, as you can see in the table above.

Adjustable typing angles

There are feet on the Redragon Galatin Pro K719’s underside, which make it possible to adjust the height of the board to make it more comfortable to type on. I personally prefer a higher typing angle as it relieves pressure from my wrists when I’m typing all day long.

The board can be set at three different angles: effectively flat, a little higher with the smaller feet and even higher with the largest feet. I prefer the highest setting as this makes it easier for me to type on and easily reach all of the keys with minimal stretching and muscle strain. It’s not as high as the typing angle on the Keychron K8 Max, but it’s still extremely comfortable.

Satisfying linear switches

The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 uses custom Redgragon/ACGAM Mint Mambo linear switches, which produce no tactile bump or audible click. Redragon describes the type-feel of these switches as “cozy,” and I have to agree. They feel extremely satisfying to type on and very spongy. It feels much more like a casual keyboard than one you would use in an office setting.

The Mint Mambo switches require 40g of force to activate, which is pretty light and didn’t cause much fatigue to my fingers. The Keychron K8 Max ($124), which I recently tested, requires 55g of force instead, and I could feel the fatigue this caused, so I preferred using the Galatin Pro K719 for longer typing sessions. The actuation distance of the Mint Mambo switches is also short, at 2mm, shortening the distance your fingers travel and reducing finger fatigue even further.

While the Mint Mambo switches complement the board (I mean, they’re even green too!), the board is hot-swappable, and its sockets can fit nearly all three-pin or five-pin mechanical switches, allowing you to use switches with a different sound and typing feel if desired.

Stylish design

There’s no denying this keyboard looks good. With the mint and sage green keys to complement the green lettering on the keycaps, this is a cohesive and stylish choice for your computing setup.

There’s also an LCD screen at the top-right of the keyboard, which displays the time, date, battery life, what operating system is in use and other data from the board. Using the knob on the side of the screen, you can also make changes to the RGB lighting and brightness. This design makes it super easy to see all of the settings and adds a modern twist to the board.

But my favorite part of the screen is the ability to download and display GIFs on it. I have a cute mouse carrying a block of cheese to keep me company during my work day. You can change this by downloading the companion software for the Galatin Pro K719 for Windows. This software is pretty easy to use, but not as streamlined as the Keychron Launcher that can be used with Keychron boards, as this is simply accessed through a web link.

Tri-mode connectivity

There are three connection modes on the Galatin: Bluetooth 3.0/5.0, a 2.4GHz dongle that slots into the right-hand side of the keyboard and wired. It also features multipoint connectivity so you can swap between up to three Bluetooth devices and a Wi-Fi connection using key combinations.

I can’t speak to the polling rates of these connections, though, as that information is not provided by Redragon, but we can safely assume that you will get more reliable connectivity over 2.4GHz or wired connections.

Redragon Galatin Pro K719 review: The downs

The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 can sound tinny at times and could benefit from some switch lube on the spacebar stabilizers. Also, there are no alternative keycaps for switching between operating systems, and it’s not the best choice for gaming.

Sound may be slightly annoying

While the Redragon Galatin Pro K719 produces quite a lot of sound, and it looks like it’s going to sound great… but it doesn’t. I love the sound of a clacky keyboard, such as the Keychron K8 Max and the Redragon Eclipse K720 ($99), but the Mint Mambo switches made the sound a little high-pitched and pingy.

The layers of sound dampening of the five-layer sound kit on the keys do a good job at muting the tinny sound when typing. But because of the clip-in stabilizers, the space bar doesn’t benefit from this. It actually sounds like I’m mining in Minecraft because it’s so rickety.

The sound kit features five noise-dampening layers, including 3.5mm PO foam, IXPE switch foam, PET sound pad, bottom socker today and a silicone bottom pad along the silicone gasket. The typing is comfortable, but the sound of the keys is high-pitched compared to other boards, like the Keychron C1 Pro 8K.

No macOS keycaps

Despite being compatible with both Windows and macOS, there are no alternative keycaps if you’d like to use this as a macOS board. As a macOS user, it’s tricky to use this board when needing shortcuts, especially on the function keys. This means that you can’t use functions like app expose, for instance, without memorizing the function keys.

This is fine if, like me, you type by muscle memory, but if you are someone who needs to look at Command keys for shortcuts, it might be confusing. There are other boards like the Keychron K8 Max — or any Keychron board, for that matter — that come with extra key caps to remedy this. There are also boards like the Lofree Flow84 ($169) or the Lofree Block ($169) that have dual-labeled keys, negating the need to swap them out at all.

Admittedly, this is a Windows-biased board, so this isn’t a huge deal, but something to be aware of before you buy if you switch between the two OS’ regularly.

Not recommended for gaming

We can’t recommend this board for serious gamers as there is no polling rate specified by Redragon for the Galatin Pro, so we can’t be sure how it polls over Bluetooth, wired or 2.4GHz connections.

But I wouldn’t recommend it for gaming anyway — even with a decent polling rate — because the keys are super rickety. Many keyboards I like, such as the Keychron 3 HE ($239), have lots of movement in the keycaps, but boards like the Keychron K4 HE ($134) feel far more stable and controlled. Less wobbling means less room for error.

Poor backlighting

The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 uses north-facing switches, and when using the keyboard, this means the light isn’t directed towards the typist. As someone who loves lighting on their keyboard, I wasn’t able to enjoy the lighting as much as on some of my other boards, like the Keychron C1 Pro 8K.

Redragon Galatin Pro K719 review: Verdict

The Redragon Galatin Pro K719 provides a comfortable typing experience thanks to its OEM profile PBT keycaps as well as adjustable typing angles, and the 96% layout saves some space on your desk, too. The Mint Mambo switches are a delight to type on, and because they don’t require a lot of force to activate, typing doesn’t feel fatiguing.

But in areas like the space bar, where the sound dampening isn’t as good, the keys tend to sound tinny. The lack of interchangeable keycaps for macOS is also frustrating, as there are other keyboard brands that offer the choice, such as the Lofree Flow84 or the Keychron K8 Max.

While serious gamers should look elsewhere, the Galatin Pro K719 is a good, budget-friendly keyboard for typists who want to add a touch of whimsy to their desk with a pop of green... and a GIF!

The Keychron K8 Max is a wireless 80% TKL custom mechanical keyboard perfect for daily use, with ergonomic support and a dampened sound. It’s a great board for typing all day long.

Is it one of the best mechanical keyboards? Well, the 1,000Hz polling means fewer missed key inputs, and the position and style of the keycaps make for fast, comfortable typing. The durable build, layers of acoustic foam and damped, clacky sound also make it pretty satisfying to type on.

But it’s starting to enter pricey territory for a Keychron board. There are other models you could pick up for a little less cash, which could be better for your needs. So is it for you? You can find out more in this full Keychron K8 Max review.

Keychron K8 Max review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A wireless 80% TKL custom mechanical keyboard.
• Who is it for? Anyone who needs a comfortable, customizable board for typing all day and gaming in the evening.
• What does it cost? The Keychron K8 Max is available at Amazon U.S. for $124 and at Amazon U.K. for £109.
• What’s good? Fast typing, strong ergos, decent sound and 1,000 Hz polling.
• What’s not? It’s a pretty bland-looking board, and you can get more from cheaper models in Keychron’s range.

Keychron K8 Max review: Specs

Keychron K8 Max review: The ups

The Keychron K8 Max is lovely to type on, with a comfortable and supportive typing experience. It’s also customizable with hot-swappable switches to suit your needs. The board sounds great with layers of acoustic foam to dampen sound, and 1,000Hz wired polling and N-key rollover mean fewer missed key inputs while gaming.

Typing experience

Typing on this keyboard is a real breeze. The combination of the OSA keycap profile and foam cushioning makes it an incredibly satisfying experience. Although the board is tray-mounted and so doesn’t have any flex while typing, the layers of foam damping help it feel almost spongy beneath my fingertips.

The board has an 80% TKL layout, which is my preference for day-to-day work. Not having the number pad on the right of the keyboard means my mouse can be closer, reducing muscle strain. But if you use numbers and spreadsheets a lot for work, you may prefer to use a 100% layout board instead.

The K8 Max uses OSA profile keycaps, which have a medium-tall profile and bevelled tops to cradle your fingertips. The edges of the keys are also rounded, which are far more comfortable than the sharper edges of Cherry or OEM keycaps, in my opinion.

The rake of the board sees the OSA keycaps slope inwards towards the center of the board. My hand was literally being cradled by the keys as I was typing, creating a more natural hand position that reduces finger fatigue. They’re made from double-shot PBT for oil and wear resistance, with a textured surface for grip. Oddly, despite being of the same finish, I found the keys on this board a little more slippery than the keys on the Keychron C1 Pro 8K — my daily driver.

My words per minute result was a little lower than the C1 Pro 8K, as you can see from the table above, potentially due to the slippier keycaps.

There isn’t as much bounce on this board either, unlike the Keychron Q3 HE or the super bouncy Keychron Q1 Pro. The Q3 HE is gasket-mounted, which provides more flex to the board as you type, and you can feel the board move under your hands. I like this effect when I type, as it makes my fingers feel a lot less fatigued, but it’s down to personal preference. On the other hand, the K8 Max’s tray-mounted design offers a stiffer type-feel and less PCB movement for more responsive gaming performance, not to mention a louder sound.

Switches

The K8 Max I tested uses brown Gateron super switches, which are tactile, so you get a nice click sensation when typing. This is very satisfying and makes me feel a little like Roz, the receptionist from Monster’s Inc., but in the best way possible.

The brown switches require 55g of force to actuate. This began to fatigue my fingers a little, as I was having to press down harder on the keys to get them to actuate. However, this can be remedied since the board is hot swappable.

You can also order the board with banana switches, which are still tactile but have a higher bump when actuating the key for a press that feels smoother. There are also red switches if you want a linear key for a quieter typing experience without the audible and tangible bump. This is likely the best option for you if you’re planning on using the board in an office setting.

I usually use banana switches, as despite requiring the greatest actuation force of 57g, they have the shortest actuation distance of 3.6mm, so my fingers don’t need to travel as far — reducing fatigue. The brown switches, on the other hand, have an actuation distance of 4mm, which is the same as the red switches.

Customizable

This is a hot-swappable board, so you’re able to get the best setup for you. Whether you want a board that’s perfect for typing or is a gamer’s dream, there’s scope to achieve exactly what you need.

As I mentioned above, the board is available with either red, brown or banana Gateron switches, so you can choose whichever ones best suit your needs. Even so, if you change your mind, the board is compatible with any 3-pin and 5-pin standard-profile switches.

The K8 Max is also configurable through the Keychron launcher web app. This is browser software, so it's super easy to access from any computer without needing to install software. In Launcher, you can update firmware, remap keys and set up macros or binds. This is perfect for

Sound

While it doesn’t have the retro sound of the Keychron C1 Pro 8K that I love, the Keychron K8 Max still sounds great with a dampened metallic clacky sound. The several layers of acoustic foam and silicone damping inside the board provide a cushioned, dampened sound, making sure you get the initial clack of keys hitting the metal plate, without that sound ringing out too much afterwards.

Built-in ergonomic support

Keychron knows how to make a board that’s going to support you through an entire day of work in the office, then a full evening of gaming. This K8 Max has adjustable feet on its underside to improve the typing angle.

Speaking of typing angles, the K8 Max has plenty. The board sits at 3.4 degrees, the small feet are at 7.7 degrees, and the highest setting is 10.7 degrees.

I like using the highest setting as it is the same as the tallest adjustment on my Keychron C1 Pro 8K, which I use daily. The adjustment makes a huge difference, as this isn’t a feature on the Q3 HE, and I often pay the price with a slight ache in my wrists after using it all day long.

Design and build quality

The Keychron K8 Max feels very sturdy. Although the aesthetic didn’t exactly excite me (more on that later), a lot can be said for the build quality of the board. The frame is made from ABS plastic and aluminium, while the plate is steel, making for a super robust finish. The tray mount also adds to the stability of the board, while the PBT keycaps will stand up to long-term use.

The 80% TKL board measures 13.94 x 4.89 x 1.39 inches and weighs 2.88 pounds. This is the perfect size to sit in front of your computer and provide plenty of functionality, while still giving you space for your notepad and mouse on the side. Even for an 80% TKL, it’s on the heavier side, especially when compared to fully plastic boards like the NuPhy Gem80, which is 2.4 pounds, or the Epomaker TH80 Pro, which is 2.2 pounds.

That said, 80% standard-profile boards aren’t designed to be carried around with you. If portability is a major concern, consider the Lenovo Multi-Device Keyboard or the Keychron B2 Pro.

Compatibility

The keyboard can be used with Windows, macOS or Linux. There’s a switch on the left-hand side of the board, so you can easily change between Windows/Linux and macOS. There are keycaps included for both Windows and macOS, so you can set up the keyboard for whichever system you use most often. But to avoid having to swap out keycaps each time you use a different operating system, you could look at the Lofree DOT, which comes with both sets printed on the keys.

I was able to connect with up to three devices simultaneously with multipoint connection, which was easy to set up. I could easily swap from using the keyboard with my iPad to my computer.

Fast enough

The Keychron K8 Max has a maximum polling rate of 1,000Hz, achievable via a wired or 2.4GHz connection. This rate creates a lower latency, making it better for gaming, where you want to minimize missed inputs. However, this rate significantly reduces when using the keyboard over the Bluetooth connection, as it becomes just 90Hz — this is normal, but just something to be aware of.

When used with a Bluetooth connection, you can get up to 30 hours with the RGB lighting on, so it’s wise to keep the board using Bluetooth while you work and use 2.4 GHz for wireless gaming.

Keychron K8 Max review: The downs

Unfortunately, I think this keyboard is a little too expensive for what it is, with better keyboards available for less.

A little pricey

The Keychron K8 Max is available at Amazon U.S. for $124 and at Amazon U.K. for £109. And while this isn’t breaking the bank in the world of keyboards, where the Lemokey L1 and the Keychron Q3 Max cost $214, there are cheaper boards that can offer similar results.

The board I use daily is the C1 Pro 8K, which is my ideal keyboard for daily typing, and it only costs $54. It’s also incredibly customizable and offers up to 8K polling, so it rivals some of the best gaming keyboards, too. But it only has wired connectivity, so the K8 may win you over there. However, the Keychron K8 V2 only costs $79 and offers all of the same specs, just with Cherry profile keycaps. So, while there is a lot of good about the K8 Max, you can find better elsewhere.

Bland looks

The thing I dislike most about this keyboard is its looks. Granted, it has the classic Keychron black/gray/orange colorway and bright RGB south-facing lighting, but the bland gray and McLaren orange accent keys aren’t for me.

Keyboards don’t have to be boring. For example, the Epomaker DynaTab75 is genuinely beautiful with sky blue keys and a matte finish. And if a cute vibe isn’t for you, head towards a cyberpunk look with the MelGeek CYBER01 with luminous details on a black board. But my point is, there could be more going on than just gray.

Keychron K8 Max review: Verdict

The Keychron K8 Max is an awesome keyboard with a lot to love. The adjustable feet mean it’s comfortable to type on all day long, and the durable build ensures it’ll stay in place on your desk for a long time to come.

The keyboard has 1,000Hz polling when used with a wired connection or the 2.4GHz wireless dongle, which is great for gaming. And it offers a fast typing experience too, which is aided by the Gateron Super switches and OSA keycap profile. The layers of acoustic foam cushioning also mean that the board sounds lovely. It’s a great midpoint between a retro clacky board and a quiet office typer.

Admittedly, I think the design is a little bland, which might be fine for an office environment, but it isn’t for me. The board is a little on the expensive side for what it is, as Keychron produces boards with similar or better qualities for less money.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. I actually love it since it offers everything you could possibly need from a board for the office.

You might have the best graphics card money can buy, but unless you invest in quality peripherals, you’re simply not going to get the most out of one of the best gaming PCs. Investing in the right gear ahead of Black Friday 2025 to get the most out of your rig is crucial to squeezing maximum enjoyment from the latest Steam games.

The peripheral market is incredibly broad in the PC space. To help narrow the margins, ensuring you can find the best deals possible quickly, I’ve decided to focus the following list on the best PC peripherals we've tested this year.

And these are quite some deals, as you can grab the amazing Gamesir Kaleid PC Controller for just $37 at Walmart, and the Cherry XTRFY M50 Wireless Gaming Mouse for a whopping 51% off at Amazon. Even the Lemokey X1 Wired Mechanical Keyboard is down to just $22.

The following input devices have your back, whether you need the point and click immediate accuracy RTS titles demand, or if your PC sits in the living room and you enjoy playing with console-like controls. The list below should help you find peripherals that will make your PC gaming experiences better.

Quick links

USA 🇺🇸

• GameSir Kaleid Controller: was $49 now $37 at Walmart
• PowerA Ops v3 Pro: was $99 now $61 at Amazon
• Cherry XTRFY M50 Wireless: was $69 now $29 at Amazon
• Cherry M68: was $79 now $39 at Amazon
• Lemokey X1: was $36 now $22 at Amazon
• SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini: was $239 now $185 at Amazon

UK 🇬🇧

• Turtle Beach Rematch Core: was £24 now £20 at Amazon
• Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2: was £149 now £128 at Amazon
• Keychrone K2 HE: was £145 now £139 at Amazon

Black Friday PC controller deals

Black Friday gaming mouse deals

Black Friday gaming keyboard deals

Black Friday PC peripheral deals (UK)

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If you’re looking for a simple way to increase your laptop’s storage capacity, SanDisk has released what could be a must-have item in the form of the SanDisk Extreme Fit. Not only will this USB-C flash drive add a ton of storage, it’s also super tiny and convenient to use.

Starting at $26 over at Amazon, this SanDisk Extreme Fit is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variants. The latter 1TB option is $119, which can be pricier than other 1TB flash drives. However, given this drive’s unique design, you’re getting your money’s worth.

Since this drive is so small and unintrusive, you can permanently leave it plugged into your desktop PC or laptop without worrying (too much) about damaging it or your computer. That’s because the design helps it better conform to your device’s shape than a standard flash drive stick. The drive still sticks out, but not by much. I also like how the side of the drive looks like a display.

The Extreme Fit has transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s. That’s not blazing fast compared to SSDs with over 10GB/s speeds, but certainly good for a small thumb drive like this. It will take longer to transfer big files like videos, but if you’re just moving documents or small photo files around, then you shouldn’t be inconvenienced.

Except for the 256GB model that’s currently discounted at time of writing, this SanDisk USB flash drive isn’t on sale across the board. However, with Black Friday fast approaching, it’s possible that we could see a significant discount for all variants of this device. If that happens, we’ll let you know since this is a product many people will no doubt find useful.

Though I don’t often have to transfer files since I upload almost everything to the cloud, there have been times when I could have used a simple thumb drive like this one — especially on the best laptops lacking an SD card reader. Perhaps I’ll buy one (or two) of these to beef up my storage.

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After using the Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless for a couple of weeks, I can say with complete certainty that it relieves aches and pains. I always experience strain in my arms and neck after a long week of typing away at my computer, but the best mouse can put that to rest.

Almost everyone knows that if you work at a computer all day, it’s worth investing in the best setup you can to be as productive as possible. The Contour RollerMouse is quite the investment, but after a thorough testing process, it’s an investment I would recommend making. So I’ve put together a list of what I like and what I don’t like to help you decide if this mouse is right for you.

WHAT I LIKE

Increased comfort all day

As the Contour name suggests, the mouse is perfectly shaped to support your wrists and hands, effectively reducing strain on your arms all the way up to your neck.

I went back to my regular mouse after testing, and within half an hour, I was reaching for the RollerMouse again. I was experiencing aches in my forearms that just weren’t there when I was using the RollerMouse.

Because of the positioning of the roller, any movements when using the mouse are extremely slight, and it means once you get into your most comfortable position on the memory foam wrist rest, you’re pretty much set up for the day.

Customization

I’m pretty picky when it comes to cursor speed settings, and the customizable DPI was more than enough for me. You can adjust within a range of 600 to 2400 DPI by clicking the cursor speed button.

You’re able to click the mouse by pressing down on the roller bar, and there are five levels of click resistance to choose from for this. You can also turn this setting off, but I found it useful as I didn’t need to go back to the button panel every time I wanted to click.

Great battery life

You can get a couple of months of usage from the RollerMouse without needing to charge it. The 2000mAh capacity is big enough to house about three months of power, but not so big that it makes the unit super heavy.

I was able to view the remaining battery life on my macOS settings, which isn’t always possible with keyboards and mice. When it does run out of juice, it takes around six hours to recharge, but it can also be used while it is charging, so there’s no need to stop working.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

Precise control is difficult

I would avoid this mouse if you do a lot of intricate work, such as in Photoshop, because it is very difficult to get precise control.

The mouse is fine, brilliant even, for navigating spreadsheets and working through documents, but where you need a steady hand and control, things can get a little tricky. More confidence with the mouse is something that comes with time, but after trying out a bunch of the sensitivity settings, I still couldn’t achieve the precision I needed in Photoshop.

Expensive

I noted at the start that this is an investment that will be totally worth it for some people. If muscle strain from working at your desk all day is something you struggle with, then this could be the answer. But $400 for a mouse? I’m not entirely sold.

Some vertical mice can help to relieve some of the strain caused by repetitive movements of office work for a fraction of the price. For example, another mouse I use to fight muscle aches is the Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse, and it costs just $27.

The pros certainly outweigh the cons for me, but is this mouse the one for you? You can find out more about my testing experience by reading this full Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless review.

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You can never have too much storage space for all of your photos, videos, music, and other files — but getting enough for all of that data and the rest of your household can cost you a small fortune if you're not careful. Soon enough, you’re spending what you would to subscribe to all of the best streaming services for data you might just want to hold onto for safekeeping but don’t necessarily access every day.

Don’t get me wrong, the best cloud storage certainly has its place, especially if you follow the 3-2-1 backup rule where you keep three copies of all of your most important data: one copy locally on your devices, one copy on one of the best external hard drives, and one copy off-site, using either your cloud storage or the best cloud backup services.

At a time when we’re all dealing with subscription fatigue, these small monthly costs of a few dollars here and $10 there quickly add up. While I haven’t cancelled my own cloud storage subscriptions yet, I have found a better and cheaper way to store all my most important files. And the best part? There’s no monthly subscription, plus I can access my files from anywhere.

I’ve always wanted to set up my own Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, but up until recently, doing so was complicated and expensive. Fortunately though, that’s no longer the case, and after testing out the Ugreen NASync DH4300 Plus ($429, Amazon) for the past two weeks, I can’t believe I waited this long to give my home network the ultimate local storage upgrade.

A NAS for the rest of us

The NASync DH4300 Plus is not Ugreen’s first NAS device — that honor belongs to the higher-specced NASync DXP4800 Plus. While the DXP is geared toward professionals and power users, the DH4300 Plus is strictly for beginners and anyone, like me, who is just getting started with a NAS.

In the box, you get the sleek device itself, a power brick, a high-speed Ethernet cable, and all the screws you’ll need to install either your 3.5-inch hard drives, 2.5-inch SSDs, or even a mix of both.

The DH4300 Plus’s magnetic top pops right off, revealing four drive bays. If you want something smaller or don’t think you’ll need up to a whopping 120TB of storage (that’s four 30TB hard drives!), there’s also the cheaper, 2-bay Ugreen NASync DH2300 with a 60TB capacity.

Keep in mind though, with either model and the rest of Ugreen’s NAS lineup, you will have to provide your own drives. Luckily, Ugreen sent over four 4TB hard drives to get started, though I may swap them out later for faster SSDs or even larger 30TB hard drives to take full advantage of this NAS device’s max storage capacity.

Around back, the ports speak to the DH4300 Plus’s focus: a 2.5 gigabit Ethernet port to connect to one of the best Wi-Fi routers, two USB 3.2 ports for external drives, and an HDMI port. Given this is a NAS, you’ll mostly access your files over the network, but you can plug it into your TV directly for 4K video playback—a great value-add feature! (The port is not used to access Ugreen’s UGOS operating system, but more on that in a bit.)

On the front of the DH4300 Plus, there’s a power button, five status lights, and a handy USB-C port for quick-connecting and syncing external storage.

With everything unboxed, it was time for the fun part: adding storage to the DH4300 Plus.

Pop, screw, click

If you’ve ever built your own PC or added more storage to one, you’ll be right at home setting up the DH4300 Plus. However, even if you haven’t, the whole installation process is easy enough and shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes.

To get started, you just pop off the magnetic top and remove the drive bay enclosures for the number of drives you plan to use. Then, you need to screw your 3.5-inch HDDs or 2.5-inch SSDs into the trays using the corresponding, clearly labeled screws provided in the box.

From there, it’s just a matter of putting each drive enclosure back into the DH4300 Plus and pushing them down until you hear a click. Honestly, it couldn’t be easier, but do take your time and don’t use too much force when inserting your drives.

In just a few minutes, I had all four 4TB drives installed. With the hardware sorted, I powered the DH4300 Plus on. Then, I had to create a UGreen Account, register the DH4300 Plus to it, and wait for the system to boot up for the first time before I could proceed with getting everything configured.

A cloud’s worth of data at your fingertips

I jest, but the numbers don't lie: for most people, even using the DH4300 Plus with a single, large-capacity drive will equate to a whole lot more space than they currently have in their iCloud or Google Drive accounts. For instance, with a free Google Drive account, you get just 15GB of storage. With the DH4300 all set up and even though I’m only using 13.3% of its total storage space, I now have 1,092.3 times more than that.

Although you can access your files on the DH4300 Plus using any web browser, the easiest way to get started is by giving your phone a quick tap on the front of the device. This NFC Quick Connect feature immediately launches the Ugreen NAS app. I’m using one of the best Android phones, but this works just as well on an iPhone or any tablet with an NFC chip.

After configuring how I wanted to have the four hard drives in my NAS work (I chose a protected RAID setup to guard against drive failure and data loss), I headed to the app store within Ugreen’s UGOS operating system. There, I found loads of free apps — everything from media players to utilities — and downloaded a few essential ones to get started.

In addition to Ugreen’s own first-party apps, you can install third-party ones like Firefox or even Home Assistant, which I’m planning to put on my NAS later to control the best smart home devices using a custom dashboard on my phone, tablet, etc.

One of the main reasons I was interested in finally trying out a NAS is that, due to my work testing and reviewing the best mini PCs, I’m constantly switching between computers. I used to grab the nearest flash drive and transfer all of the data off a finished machine, but now I plan on doing that right in my browser using the DH4300 Plus.

Besides transferring data off all of my various flash drives, I decided to grab my portable hard drive and back that up to my new NAS too. I didn't stop there. Once those files were transferred, I went up into the attic, took down a 20-year-old hard drive (pictured above on the left), and successfully transferred all of my old pictures and videos off that vintage disk, too.

In addition to being a less expensive way to store all of your data, another cool thing you can do with a NAS is watch videos from it anywhere. I know most people prefer Plex or Jellyfin, but I was really impressed with Ugreen’s own Theater app. Not only does it make organizing your movie and TV show collection easier, but it also pulls relevant data from The Movie Database (TMDB). That way, all of your video content has thumbnails and ratings, plus the Theater app takes things a step further by also adding actor info and more.

Although I could have hooked up the DH4300 Plus via HDMI to my TV, I found a better and easier way to stream content locally. By installing Ugreen’s DLNA utility (available in the UGOS app store), I was able to use that protocol to have my NAS show up directly in the Roku Media Player app on my Roku Ultra. This let me watch all of our old home movies on the big screen with ease. However, I do prefer using the Theater app on my computer, as it gives me the option to download any missing subtitles.

Back in the summer, my mother-in-law showed up with five crates of old DVDs and Blu-rays that she and my wife had purchased over the years. My next plan (besides trying out Home Assistant) for the DH4300 Plus is to rip all of those old movies and TV shows to build out my own locally hosted, internet outage-free Netflix.

A digital must

Given the sheer amount of data each of us now creates almost daily on our smartphones, you absolutely need a secure and, more importantly, cost-effective way to store it — or you risk losing all of your precious photos and videos. Sure, you could just keep paying more for a phone or laptop with extra storage or rely on external drives and cloud storage, but as I mentioned before, that cycle gets expensive real fast.

Years ago, when I first became interested in NAS devices, there were really only two expensive options: Synology and QNAP. Then though, the former decided to heavily restrict third-party drives on its NAS devices. While that hurt some consumers in the short term, it actually ended up being a great thing for everyone else. With Synology losing its grip on the NAS market due to backlash, Ugreen, Minisforum, TerraMaster, and a bunch of other hardware makers used this to their advantage.

Now, you can get a reasonably-priced NAS setup like the DH4300 Plus I tested out far more easily. While you do still have to bring your own drives, that freedom of choice is now a massive advantage. You simply have a lot more affordable options when it comes to adding a high-capacity NAS to your home network than you used to.

If you’re tired of overpaying for cloud storage every month or just want the peace of mind from knowing that your most important files are backed up safely at home instead of on someone else’s servers, then a NAS could be the perfect, one-time investment for your own digital life.

While I’ve just scratched the surface of what I can do with the DH4300 Plus, I can’t wait to load it up with even more data and try out more apps. For now though, I’m off to start ripping those old DVDs and Blu-rays and set up Home Assistant, so stay tuned.

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The Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless could easily be the best mouse for office workers everywhere. It’s loved by many customers who say they have even repurchased over the years, and it’s not at all hard to see why. It’s comfortable and effectively relieves my aches and pains, all while looking good on my desk.

The premium design and customizable DPI and sensitivity settings make it ideal for most people needing to prioritize productivity. On top of that, the decent battery life also offers months of usage without charging.

But it costs an arm and a leg. Priced at almost $400, I just can’t justify it for anyone other than office workers prepared to invest in a premium, ergonomic setup, or anyone who needs to relieve muscle strain. The adjustment is fiddly, and it’s hard to get precise control for more intricate tasks.

But is it the productivity mouse for you? You can find out more in this full Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless review.

Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless: Cheat sheet

• What is it? An ergonomic mouse (of sorts) designed to relieve muscle strain on your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck.
• Who is it for? Anyone who works from a computer or does a lot of typing and suffers from carpal tunnel-like symptoms.
• What does it cost? At its starting price, the Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless is available for $394 at Amazon U.S.
• What’s good? It’s comfortable and effectively relieves aches and pains. The premium design, customizable settings and battery life are great.
• What’s not? It’s very expensive, fiddly to adjust and proves difficult to use for precise control.

Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless: Specs

Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless: The ups

The Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless is great at alleviating symptoms from the strain of using a mouse and keyboard all day long. It’s very customizable, making it suitable for any productivity needs, and the premium build makes it comfortable for long use.

Eases aches and pains

As the name suggests, the RollerMouse is contoured in the perfect shape to support your wrists and minimize aches from poor typing posture. Not only can this decrease productivity, but it can also cause serious discomfort in your neck and back.

Since using this mouse, I have noticed a marked decrease in shoulder and neck strain. During work, I only had to make small movements with my hands and arms, which was ideal for minimising strain, and the memory foam wrist rest took the weight off my wrists.

However, while some tension in my shoulders was relieved, there are many other ergonomic mouse styles you could try for a fraction of the price, like the Logitech Ergo M575 ($49), which improves wrist pain, or the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Mouse ($25) that can help with hand and arm fatigue.

There is a soft faux leather layer on top, a high-density layer for support, and memory foam for cushioning. When all of these components are together, it makes for bouncy and soft support. The roller is also easy to move and click, and doesn’t require too much pressure.

An option to suit everyone

The mouse can be used wirelessly or wired, but I opted to use it wirelessly to avoid any unnecessary clutter on my desk. There is also the option to purchase a wired-only version of the RollerMouse, which is slightly cheaper at $374 from Amazon U.S., which I would recommend if you don’t mind the clutter of wires.

There are also different shape options for the wrist rests, depending on the size of your desk and the level of support you need. You can choose between Slim, which is the smallest, Plus, which is wider and more sloped for wrist support, or Max, which is curved to support your arms.

I tested out the Slim and Plus rests, but I decided to use the original Slim rest as it doesn’t take up too much space on my desk, and still offers me enough support. The Slim version of the Contour RollerMouse is available for $394 at Amazon U.S., while the Plus version is available for $409 at Amazon U.S.

Customizable sensitivity

The mouse is totally customizable, and this was great for me as I’m pretty picky when it comes to cursor speed settings. And thankfully, there are 10 levels of adjustment for this. These adjustments can also be made from your computer settings, including on Windows and macOS.

The DPI of the mouse can be adjusted from 600 to 2800. I did this by clicking the cursor speed button, which is surrounded by five lights. These lights turn blue for the first five speed settings from 600 to 1400 DPI and then green for the five settings from 1600 to 2800 DPI, so I was able to easily see what setting the mouse was on.

This range means that the mouse can be super responsive, but nowhere near the 8,000 DPI of the Logitech MX Master 3S ($99). The Logitech mouse would be better suited to anyone who needs a highly responsive and sensitive mouse, such as for gaming or quickly working between multiple displays.

There are also five levels of click resistance for the bar. To change this, I held the cursor sensor button down and cycled through with the left click button. But if you don’t like being able to click with the roller bar, you can turn this setting off, too. I found it pretty easy to get used to, but opted for a resistance that wasn’t too sensitive to avoid any misclicks.

Durable build

As you’d expect for a $400 product, the Contour RollerMouse is very well built. It feels totally premium and durable. The base of the mouse is metal and is resistant to scratches and scrapes. It isn’t heavy, though, and is very easy to move around my desk to get the perfect position every day.

Good battery life

The mouse has a good battery life. The 200mAh battery can give you up to three months of use with the mouse, but if you use it all day, every day, you may get closer to a month and a half of use from it. That being said, I have been using the mouse for a month, and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. You can view the remaining battery life in the Bluetooth connection centre on your computer, so you know when it needs charging.

But most mice have a battery life that seems infinite. I have been using the 3Dconnexion CadMouse Pro Wireless ($119) for 8 months, three days a week at the office, and have only charged it once, although it had a rated battery life of two months. The Logitech M650 is also an ideal option for long battery life. Senior Writer Erin Bashford has been using it for over a year without ever needing to charge it. So you should get better than the rated battery life with whatever option you choose.

When the RollerMouse does eventually run out of juice, it’ll take 6 hours to fully charge again. As it’s a static mouse, it can be used while charging and wired to your computer, which is very useful. Just be sure to keep a USB-C cable handy at your desk.

Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless: The downs

While I like using the Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless, getting precise control for intricate tasks is pretty difficult, even with the DPI adjustment. There are components to adjust keyboard height to suit the mouse, but this is only good for slim keyboards, and it is also super expensive.

Precise control is difficult

While the Contour RolloverMouse is a great option for office workers, it’s very difficult to get precise control. When I was using it (or attempting to) for work in Adobe Photoshop, it was hard to keep control of my cursor for more intricate work.

This is largely because clicks and holds are more challenging. I often found myself reverting to my handheld mouse or the built-in mouse pad on my laptop. Using the RollerMouse requires practice.

Keyboard adjustment

The RollerMouse’s height adjustment is quite finicky. The mouse comes with two short and two long keyboard risers, which can lift your usual keyboard to the correct height for the RollerMouse. The adjusters will help bring slimmer keyboards higher to avoid any wrist strain while reaching over the roller portion of the device.

A mechanical keyboard will automatically sit higher, so in some cases, the RollerMouse could be too low to work effectively. But when using the Keychron C1 Pro 8K, which has a depth of 1.13 inches, it was the perfect height. I also tried it out using the adjusters and a slimmer keyboard, and this was also very comfortable.

Expensive

While I like this keyboard for streamlining productivity tasks, the price tag leaves a sour taste in the mouth. At $394 for the regular wireless version and $409 for the Plus version, it is clearly a huge investment, and not one I’m sure I’d make.

For the sake of nearly $400, I’m not sure I could justify the purchase of a computing peripheral, let alone a mouse. That said, for some people, this mouse will be a non-negotiable office addition. I think this is a totally justifiable investment for remote workers who care about taking care of their posture to reduce strain and carpal tunnel symptoms. It’s also ideal for office workers who spend all day sitting at their desks. Even so, you can achieve similar results with far cheaper office products.

For example, vertical mice are an ideal option for making sure your wrist is in the right position for all day long comfort. The Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse is only $27 and effectively reduces muscle strain thanks to the hand positioning. The Logitech Ergo M575 is also a good option to relieve wrist strain and only costs $49. To me, $400 for a mouse is pure lunacy.

Maybe if I made six figures… but I don’t. So this is a pass for me. But if you want to invest in your comfort, then the RollerMouse ticks all your boxes.

Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless: Verdict

I like the Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless. Heck, I even started to love it. But then I quickly came crashing down to earth when I remembered the price tag. $394. It’s a lot.

But there’s a lot to love. It very effectively relieves shoulder and neck pain, all while looking good, thanks to the design. The customizable DPI and click sensitivity are also great for getting settings that suit you, and the decent battery life means it’s good for a couple of months without charging.

Admittedly, the keyboard adjustment is fiddly, and it’s hard to get precise control with the roller control. If you’re massively concerned about keeping your hand, wrist and arm in the most strain-free position, I would look towards a more affordable vertical or ergonomic mouse design first, like the Logitech Ergo M575. Almost $400 for a mouse is crazy — but I have to admit, it’s a worthwhile investment if you’re serious about your ergonomic setup.

Not everything in life is or needs to be about sheer performance. There’s often value in a thing’s abstract or qualitative elements: styling, experience, the way something makes you feel just because it does.

It’s the reason people buy a classic car or a Mazda Miata instead of something that can hit the speed limit. It’s the reason people buy old film cameras instead of a powerful modern mirrorless with Skynet-tier autofocus. It’s also the reason you’d buy the Lofree DOT instead of a mechanical keyboard that excels at, well, anything. Sometimes things are worth buying even if they aren’t perfect. Sometimes they’re worth buying because they aren’t perfect.

In some ways, then, this review is redundant. The DOT isn’t particularly good for typing. It isn’t suited to gaming, either. It doesn’t sound that nice, and it has some typical Lofree drawbacks in the software and battery department. But if you want one, I guarantee that photo up there has already made your mind up for you, regardless.

Alright, alright. I know you’re going to buy it. But should you? Find out in my full Lofree DOT review.

Lofree DOT review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mechanical keyboard that comes in a variety of beautiful guises
• Who is it for? Typists who want a show-offy board for their desk
• What does it cost? It starts from $99
• What’s good? The styling, construction, pricing, start price and poll rate
• What isn’t? The price of some variants, the lack of customizable firmware and uninspiring sound

Lofree DOT review: Specs

Lofree DOT review: The ups

First and foremost, the Lofree DOT is designed to sit on your desk as a beautiful statement piece, which it does. It’s also wonderfully built and excellent to type on, with 1,000Hz polling and an affordable $99 variant.

Utterly gorgeous

The DOT is a statement piece, pure and simple. As I’ll cover below, it isn’t that great at most of the things I usually expect or want a keyboard to be good at. But it isn’t meant to be. And frankly, I don’t care. Just LOOK at it.

The DOT comes in several guises, as I’ll discuss later. My test sample is the pale green DOT 1970s, available in pale pink, too. It’s a throwback to (you guessed it) 1970s Americana, the low saturated case colors, deep contrasting black keys and pops of orange from the ESC key all evoking the palettes of classic warm film stock.

It’s utterly gorgeous. I’ve tested and indeed own many beautiful keyboards (I own about 40 now), including the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, which I own in a similarly retro Commodore 64 variant. None of my boards, save maybe the NuPhy Halo75 V2, tug on my heartstrings quite like this DOT. I find myself looking back at it as I leave the room. I’m damn well smitten.

It looks especially dashing when paired with the matching DOT mouse and keyboard accessory — the latter of which features clicky switches to annoy everyone in the office when I need help with basic arithmetic (that’s quite a lot).

Backlighting is plain white, which I think suits the 1970s variant. Some of the more colorful versions would definitely benefit from RGB, though, so that’s slightly disappointing. Still, at least it has a backlight, unlike budget boards such as the Keychron B36.

Far from a one-trick pony

Don’t fancy Americana? No problem. The DOT has previously been produced in numerous striking colorways, and currently comes in no fewer than five more guises, all of which are equally as striking. There’s another 70s-themed board, the Sugar Color 70s, which swaps the desaturated palette for a vibrant 70s sunset spectrum.

Then there are two make-up themed boards. There’s the Foundation, the inspiration for which is, well, foundation — a soft monochromatic peach design with keycap legends clearly styled after the fonts of cosmetic product labels. And there’s the Lipstick, which is hilarious. The keycaps are a medley of common lipstick colors, from peach through to red, burgundy and mauve. And the ESC key is a lipstick tip!

Next up is the Zero ARTZ, another virtually monochromatic board of white and gray, inspired by terrazzo. Indeed, if you put it on my kitchen countertop, you’d lose it.

And lastly, there’s the Return — the only one whose ethos has me scratching my head. Return is apparently styled after a retro typewriter, yet is clad in dark green with white keycaps — I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a white and green typewriter. It looks great, and the rounded keys are definitely typewriter-y, but those are on every model. Am I missing something here? Is there some legendary white/green typewriter I don’t know about? Feel free to let me know if so.

All these boards differ only in their colors. They all use the same rounded typewriter-esque keycaps (seen on older iterations of the DOT), albeit some are see-through and others are not. They have the same Lofree x Gateron linear switches, the same case, and the same internals.

Beautifully constructed

For such an unashamedly style-over-substance keyboard, I’m surprised at how well the DOT is built. It feels so sturdy, with a moderately (but not too) heavy ABS plastic case. It has just enough weight about it to feel substantial and high quality, without feeling like a cumbersome beast, à la the 4.5lb Keychron Q3 Max or 3.96lb Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro.

The ABS plastic has a very subtly textured surface: a lovely sensory experience. The feet, meanwhile, are made of heavy-duty rubber to absorb impact, prevent movement and raise the board to a comfortable typing angle.

My only reservation is around the keycaps. Sure, they’re PBT, doubleshot using a polycarbonate layer on the inside, and that’s all good — the outer layer of PBT will stand up to wear well. But on the 1970s, at least, the caps have the glossy, slightly tacky-looking finish of humdrum gaming keycaps. I don’t think they fit the board’s aesthetic and otherwise premium construction. I’d have preferred a sleeker matte finish.

Surprisingly satisfying typing

Most of the time, when I see a board with rounded keycaps, I expect a subpar typing experience. Often this is because such keyboards, like the cutesy Logitech Pop Keys and Seenda SK73-3, use rounded keys as a gimmick to distract from things like cheap build materials, poor build quality, rickety sound… or a combination of all three.

Rounded keycaps, if they’re too small, can also negatively affect typing simply through reduced surface area — making it harder for your fingers to find and hit keys when typing. This naturally impacts type speed and accuracy.

Thankfully, the Lofree DOT’s rounded caps don’t fall into either category. They’re primarily there for aesthetics but aren’t a gimmick to distract from otherwise crappy design. At the base, the caps are traditionally square, tapering up to a still-fairly-large rounded top, achieved without a huge amount of surface area sacrificed. That is to say, they’re (just about) large enough to avoid significantly hampering my typing results.

As you can see, my accuracy was only just below average. However, I had to sacrifice some speed to maintain accuracy — that’s down to the reduced keycap surface area. All in all, though, not a bad result.

Typing is also supremely comfortable. Despite me dumping slightly on the aesthetics of the glossy keycaps, they feel lovely under the finger thanks to their slightly textured surface. The DOT is also gasket mounted and features three thick layers of damping (two Poron foam, one silicone) with a further thinner layer of IPXE foam somewhere in the mix, too. The result is a pleasantly cushioned type-feel, with no harsh bottom outs.

1,000Hz polling

The DOT isn’t designed to be a gaming keyboard, but it polls at 1,000Hz over Wi-Fi and wired connections, which is plenty enough for casual gaming and reduces the likelihood of missed inputs.

Affordable… sometimes

Lofree boards are usually pricey and the DOT is, for the most part, no exception (more on that below). However, for some reason, the 1970s is priced much more keenly than the rest of the lineup, at $99. That’s solid mid-range territory and — given the styling, build quality and type feel on offer — frankly a bit of a steal.

Lofree DOT review: The downs

The Lofree DOT’s actual flaws are few in number. Most variants are pricey, and in typical Lofree fashion, the DOT isn’t remappable and has underwhelming battery life. It doesn’t sound particularly nice, either, which I think is a missed trick, and the stock switches are pretty uninspiring, although those two are minor issues.

Unaffordable… sometimes

While the DOT 1970s variant is surprisingly affordable. Unfortunately, the rest of the colorways don’t follow suit. The Sugar Color 1970s, Return and ZERO ARTZ each cost $139, which is a little steep, perhaps, but not beyond the realms of reason, and potentially justifiable given the styling and build quality.

The Foundation and Lipstick variants, however, are priced at a frankly rather wild $189, which I’m not sure I can find a way to justify.

The usual Lofree demons

It wouldn’t be a Lofree board without the usual demons surfacing: firmware and battery life. The DOT’s firmware is not customizable, meaning you can’t remap keys, create macros or flash firmware easily. Obviously, though, price is a factor here. At $99, I can look past the lack of customizable firmware, but on the $189 models, I’d be feeling shortchanged.

Another classic Lofree feature is subpar battery life. The DOT is rated for 30 hours with its white backlight on — surprisingly low given it has a 4,000mAh battery. Other boards with 4,000mAh batteries, like the Keychron Q3 Max, manage weeks with full RGB backlighting. That said, I don’t think this is a huge issue. The DOT is not a board designed or suitable for carrying around with you. It’s meant to sit on a desk, where it can be charged. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and have managed a week’s work on it before needing to charge.

Uninspiring sound

Sound is subjective — some people may love the sound of the DOT. To me, though, the DOT sounds like a cheaper board than it is, with a hollow clackiness to its profile. It doesn’t sound bad — we’re not talking MageGee Sky87 acoustics here — it just isn’t particularly enjoyable to listen to.

Now, I’ll caveat this by saying that I’m not a fan of clacky boards. I much prefer thocky and creamy acoustic profiles. But even as clacky boards go, the DOT doesn’t sound particularly good. Part of that is to do with its switches (which I’ll move onto shortly), but also simply the specific keycap and plate materials used.

I think this is a serious missed trick. The DOT looks so, so good. It looks like it’s going to sound amazing, and that would’ve really completed the package if it were true.

Equally uninspiring switches

A yawn is often what follows me discovering that a board uses Gateron switches. That is, of course, unless they’re particularly interesting variants like the Gateron LP 3.0 switches in the NuPhy Air75 V3 or the Gateron dual rail Hall Effect switches in the Keychron Q3 HE and K2 HE.

Alas, the Gateron switches in the DOT aren’t particularly interesting. They’re standard-profile linears with a middle-of-the-road actuation force of 45g and a moderately spacious 4mm travel — OK for typing, but not really sharp or snappy enough for gaming. They’re quiet, too, contributing to the lackluster sound, and that’s really all I have to say about them. They’re neither fantastic nor awful… nor interesting.

Thankfully, the board is hot-swappable, so you can fit any three- or five-pin mechanical switches.

Lofree DOT review: Verdict

When I review products, I always have to consider the manufacturer’s intention. While not the be-all and end-all, a product’s intended purpose nevertheless plays a large part in contextualizing my judgment.

In Lofree’s very own words, the DOT is “designed to brighten your desk and your day.” Does it do that? You’re damn right it does. I love seeing the DOT on my desk when I get into work each day. And not only is it beautiful to behold, it’s gloriously built and excellent to type on, too, if admittedly not the fastest.

It isn’t perfect, but not every keyboard will be incredible sounding, not every deck will be great for gaming, not every board will have customizable firmware. And the Lofree DOT proves that’s fine. (At least on the $99 model.)

The Lofree Flow Lite84 is the “Lite” version of the already incredibly svelte Lofree Flow84. The original Flow was a gorgeous keyboard with many a lovable trait. It came with beautiful Kailh low-profile switches (always a shortcut to my heart), stunning aesthetics and premium construction. It was a dream to type on, too. Or rather, it is a dream — I still own and use my Flow!

However, the original (OG) Flow had some major shortcomings that prevented a high score and placement on our best mechanical keyboards guide. You couldn’t tweak its firmware or remap the thing, and its battery was pretty puny; both of which made a $159 price tag rather hard to stomach.

The Flow Lite isn’t strictly a successor to the OG Flow — that’s the Flow 2 — but it nevertheless fixes two of the OG board’s major issues and is, I think, a much better keyboard for it.

For the first time, I think I’m about to recommend you buy a Lofree. And that makes me happy. Find out more in my full Lofree Flow Lite84 review.

Lofree Flow Lite84 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A low-profile mechanical keyboard designed to provide a light and airy type feel
• What does it cost? $109 at Amazon
• What’s good? It’s beautiful to type on thanks to super light Kailh switches, it looks great and sounds fairly good. Oh, and you can remap the firmware (finally)
• What’s not? Lofree’s Key Mapper software is a little janky, while the board’s battery life is somewhat mediocre

Lofree Flow Lite84 review: Specs

Lofree Flow Lite84 review: The ups

Typically dashing Lofree looks, delightfully lightweight Kailh switches, a super portable design, software customization (finally) and a reasonable price tag for once. The Flow Lite’s a promising deck!

Reasonable price

The most important topic to touch on is the Flow Lite’s price. This board costs $109, which will sound like a lot to those uninitiated into the world of custom mechanical keyboards. Keyboard nuts like me, however, will know that $109 is solid mid-range territory.

This price point undercuts the OG Flow ($159), as well as both the NuPhy Air75 V2 ($119) and Air75 V3 ($139). Lofree normally sits on the other side of Nuphy price-wise, so in the words of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine: this is a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

Minimalist charm

Thanks to its ABS plastic case, the Flow Lite lacks the high-end scandi edge of the aluminum-clad OG Flow. There are no pops of bright color either, so there’s none of the NuPhy Air75 V3’s cutesy charm. That said, the Lite is still a good-looking keyboard.

I tested the 75% Flow Lite84, but it also comes in a full-size version, the Flow Lite100. There’s a pastel pink colorway, a bright white and the retro beige I used. Each has a sparkling gold scroll wheel up top, but that’s all in the way of pizzazz — the boards are otherwise monochrome with tiny keycap legends, both resulting in a minimalist vibe. They’d all fit well into an office environment or a slick, pared-back desk setup.

It won’t please those looking for the sheer premium impact of the brushed aluminum case of the OG Flow and Flow 2, but it’s important to remember that this isn’t a full-fat Flow. It’s a Flow Lite. It costs $109. It’s plastic, deliberately.

Svelte construction

Despite the OG Flow being one of the last boards I’d have put on a diet, Lofree decided to do just that anyway, using ABS plastic instead of aluminum for the case. The result is a very underwhelming weight reduction of about half an ounce over the OG Flow. Regardless, the Flow Lite84 is still extremely light, which, combined with the low-profile keys, made it easy to carry around in my backpack while commuting.

The Flow Lite is still built pretty well, though. It obviously won’t match the feel of an aluminum-cased board, and there are some rattles to be heard when typing (which I’ll cover shortly), but the ABS plastic used feels of decent quality.

Keycaps are doubleshot, with the outer shot being PBT and the inner transparent polycarbonate for shine-through. That outer layer of PBT will stand up nicely to continued use and is oil-resistant — both helping to avoid shine. I’ve been using the board for about a month with no shine yet visible.

Pleasant sound

For a low-profile board, the Flow Lite sounds rather pleasant. Kailh Specter linear switches and several layers of internal impact damping give a whiff of creaminess to the acoustics. This combines nicely with the airy tap of the lightweight keycaps and the gentle thud of bottom-outs on the plastic plate.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is a lightweight, slimline, plastic board, though. So don’t expect the levels of thock you’d get with an aluminum standard-profile deck like the MCHOSE GX87 or Wobkey Rainy75. It also doesn’t sound anywhere near as refined as the OG Flow or the frankly epic-sounding Flow 2.

The thin ABS case, combined with a fairly firm gasket mount (more on this later), does result in a slight but still audible ricochet sound as you type. It isn’t major, though, and overall the deck sounds fine — not as satisfying as its stablemates or the NuPhy Air75 V3, but much nicer than the NuPhy Air75 V2’s hollow-ish sound profile.

Delightful typing

Type feel is top of the agenda for all Lofree keyboards, and I haven’t tested one yet that disappoints in this regard. But Lofree has paid attention to more than just the feeling under the finger.

Firstly, my jibe about the ABS case saving virtually no weight over aluminum, while true, was holding back half the story. The ABS case is also there to be more comfortable in use than the OG Flow’s aluminum one — it’s softer to the touch, of course, and has smoother edges that don’t dig into your wrists.

The Flow Lite also features adjustable feet, offering either a 3° or 6° incline and helping to reduce wrist strain during extended typing stints. You won’t find these on most aluminum boards, including the OG Flow, as adding adjustable feet to aluminum cases involves more complex machining. The aluminum Flow 2 does have adjustable feet — but one look at the complicated bracket assembly to support them and it’s understandable why most manufacturers don’t do this.

The Lite features Kailh low-profile switches (which never disappoint either). There are two switch choices, both linear, one silent (Hades) and one not (Specter, tested). Each has been deliberately designed for softness, with only 40g of force required to actuate, reducing strain on finger joints over time.

They are indeed incredibly soft switches. My wife (who knows very little about keyboards) took a customary rappy tap of the keys while passing by and instantly remarked on their softness.

While soft, the Kailh switches aren’t quite as floaty-feeling or spacious as the NuPhy Air75 V3’s Gateron’s LP 3.0 switches with their longer (standard-profile-esque) 3.5mm travel. The Gaterons have a slightly firmer 45g actuation force for a little extra tension and elasticity, though, so initially they don’t feel quite as mellow as the Kailhs under finger. All this said, the Lite and Air75 V3 are both hot-swappable, so you can fit different switches if you like.

The Flow Lite’s soft type feel is theoretically complemented by a gasket-mounted PCB. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine, but it isn’t a particularly soft gasket mount, resulting in harsher bottom outs than I’d like — a minor nitpick, but necessary nonetheless.

I’m a big fan of the Lite’s low-profile keycap profile (it’s the same as on the OG Flow). The deep central bevel really suits my typing style and is especially beneficial for my accuracy versus other profiles like NuPhy’s nSA caps. As you can see from the 10fastfingers.com results above, I was more accurate on the Lite than on any other low-profile board, and only slower than the NuPhy Air60 HE.

Customizable firmware

Finally! Lofree has at last blessed us with a keyboard running customizable firmware. The Flow Lite84 can be tweaked using the Lofree Key Mapper software. This is available as both a standalone app for Windows only, and via a web app for macOS users or those who’d prefer not to download software from a Dropbox folder (that’s Lofree’s method of distribution).

Features-wise, it’s fine — it allows you to remap keys, set macros and change lighting settings. All par for the course, but nice to have at last. This software is quite janky, though, as I’ll cover below. But progress is progress and worth praising nonetheless.

Proper polling

Make no mistake, the Flow Lite isn’t intended to be a gaming keyboard. It’s designed for typing and productivity first and foremost with its soft, floaty switches. It also demonstrates a heavy skew towards Mac users, evidenced by the dual-labelled macOS/Windows keycaps and top row of macOS Fn commands.

That said, the board polls at 1,000Hz over 2.4G or wired connections to reduce missed inputs, so if you want to pivot to a spot of casual gaming after work, it’ll suit you just fine.

Lofree Flow Lite84 review: The downs

The Flow Lite84 isn’t perfect. Its software is extremely janky, although definitely still workable, and its battery life is somewhat uninspiring.

Janky software

While it’s great to finally have some companion software compatibility, Lofree’s Key Mapper software is rather janky. It took me three attempts to get the web app to work, and when it did, it forced me into an update.

That’d be fine, only at the same time, the app defaulted the page language from English (which I’d selected) back to Chinese. I must’ve clicked something incorrectly because within a minute it’d failed to update, crashed and I’d bricked my board.

Thankfully, but ominously, Lofree’s site links to a Dropbox with instructions and dedicated per-device web-apps for unbricking bricked boards. My deck was fine in the end. But still, it’s bad juju for boards to be so easy to brick that the manufacturer needs to devote such resources to unbricking them. I’ve tested dozens of keyboards, and I’ve never once bricked one before now.

Key Mapper isn’t going to be a long-term problem. Only the Flow Lite is supported as Lofree has shifted to the open source VIA web-app for the Flow 2. Now, that’s good in a way: if a manufacturer makes good proprietary firmware/software, like Keychron and NuPhy, I’m usually a fan of that — proprietary tends to give manufacturers more freedom to implement new features, while VIA is simply too basic to handle Hall Effect boards, for instance. However, when a manufacturer hasn’t found its feet with proprietary software, like Lofree, VIA is undoubtedly the better shout.

Where does that leave the Flow Lite, though? It’s the only board using Lofree’s proprietary software, which the brand has potentially already given up on, at least that's how it seems. That doesn’t bode well for customizing this board long term. I'm thinking Lofree will return to its Key Mapper software in the future, though, once it has developed everything a little more.

Unimpressive battery life

While it isn’t a huge deal, the Flow Lite84 features the same relatively unimpressive 2,000mAh battery you’ll find in the OG Flow84. Likewise, the full-size Flow Lite100 and OG Flow100 each feature a larger 3,000mAh battery.

The 2,000mAh battery is good for 80 hours of battery life with the white backlight disabled. In testing, the battery was more than capable of giving me a working week before I needed to charge, and that’s with the backlight on. So it hasn’t given me any headaches.

Still, rivals NuPhy and Keychron are putting much larger 4,000mAh batteries in equally thin 75% boards. The Flow 2’s 75% variant features a 3,000mAh battery, so Lofree is starting to follow suit, but is still lagging behind rivals here.

Lofree Flow Lite84 review: Verdict

Lofree boards are always beautiful but flawed. That’s actually kind of endearing if you anthropomorphize keyboards like I do — they have character.

Until now, though, I haven’t tested a Lofree board I’d outright recommend. Their flaws have been too numerous and always compounded by high prices. With the Flow Lite84, though, that’s changed.

It isn’t perfect. The battery life is lackluster, and the software is janky with question marks over its longevity. But while those flaws are worth considering, they’re relatively minor in my book. And besides, I can forgive a couple of issues when a keyboard is fairly priced, which I feel this is.

The Lite represents Lofree’s long-overdue entry into the world of software customization. The styling is on point; the build quality and sound are finely balanced against the lightweight design ethos; and thanks in large part to those beautiful Kailh switches, the typing experience is phenomenal. Lofree is finally hitting its stride, and I’m so, so here for it.

The new HyperSpace Trackpad Pro is the first premium trackpad with haptics, force-sensing capabilities and customizable software for Windows. Much like Apple’s Magic Trackpad, it aims to give Windows users a larger and more precise external trackpad they can use with their desktops or alongside one of the best laptops.

At just over 6.5 inches across, it’s slightly wider than the Magic Trackpad; however, at 4 inches deep, it is a bit shallower. Likewise, it has a raised back and tilts up slightly for improved ergonomics, which helps maintain a more neutral wrist position than Apple’s completely flat glass surface.

The HyperSpace Trackpad Pro can connect to your PC wirelessly over Bluetooth or over a wired connection. It works right out of the box with all of the multi-touch gestures in Windows, but you can also tweak it to your workflow using the company’s Hydra Connect companion app.

Instead of using mechanical switches, Hyper has decided to incorporate 3rd-gen piezo haptic tech into the HyperSpace Trackpad Pro so that every click feels more satisfying across its glass surface while also being more precise. At the same time, its full-force sensing matrix allows you to perform both short and long presses, with the latter also being fully customizable within the company’s software.

Speaking of the companion software, you can also switch between preset profiles for a number of different apps like Microsoft Teams, Google Chrome, Adobe Photoshop and more. However, you can also create your own profiles as well as your own actions, which work like macros for the HyperSpace Trackpad Pro.

Hydra’s HyperSpace Trackpad Pro is now available to preorder on Kickstarter at the early bird price of $90, with orders expected to ship in the first quarter of next year. Once the Kickstarter is done, you’ll be able to purchase one in the U.S., Europe and other regions for $149.99.

I’ve been testing the HyperSpace TrackPad Pro and will share my first impressions along with some more pictures of it in action soon, so stay tuned for more. However, based on my experience so far, it could end up being the next addition to my desk setup.

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I thought upgrading to an ultrawide monitor would give me all the screen space I needed but it turns out I was wrong.

Back when I was still using a standard 16:9 monitor, I used to dream about what it would be like to have a massive display with enough room for two full-size, side-by-side apps or windows. As it turns out though, having what amounts to three screens is definitely better than two, at least for my workflow.

At first, I was easily able to get by with just my ultrawide display as I could write on one side and research what I was writing about on the other. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was met with a massive wrench in my workflow: having to use a workplace chat app to keep up with the goings-on of my team here at Tom’s Guide.

While I stuck with my ultrawide monitor for a bit, having to constantly switch browser tabs to see what was going on every time I got a ping on my phone got frustrating real fast. Although I wasn’t quite ready to switch to a true triple-monitor setup, I came up with another solution that has served me well for the past few years. By putting a portable monitor underneath my ultrawide, I could work like I used to while still being able to check in with my team from time to time. That desk setup remains one of my all-time favorites to this day. However, while putting together a new setup while reviewing a desk, I came up with something equally as useful that puts less strain on my neck and frees up the desk space underneath my monitor. And now, I don’t think I can go back to using that old stacked monitor setup, here’s why.

From stacked to side by side

When it comes to my work, I have no qualms about running out and picking up another one of the best monitors if doing so improves my productivity and my desk setup. However, if I added a regular monitor in landscape mode on the side of my ultrawide, it would easily extend past the edge of my desk. This isn’t ideal, especially if you’re using one of the best standing desks like I am and need a setup that can easily move up and down.

What if I turned that monitor sideways and had it in portrait mode instead you might be thinking. Well, I thought of that too but doing so would introduce a different problem: there would be extra screen space above and below my ultrawide monitor. Still, I do really like the idea of having a wider monitor in landscape mode as my main display and one in portrait mode as a secondary display. It was at that moment that it dawned on me that a 15.6-inch portable monitor, when turned vertically, is the perfect height to match my 34-inch ultrawide display. So that’s exactly what I did as I had one on hand from back when I built a NES-inspired desk setup.

Although it wasn’t always the case, these days, most portable monitors have VESA mounting holes on the back. This way, besides using them at a coffee shop with one of the best laptops, you can also incorporate one into a more permanent desk setup. I had mounted my portable monitor like this before when I tried a stacked monitor setup. However, in the time since, I had forgotten the holes on this one are the less common 75×75 mm kind, instead of the standard 100×100 mm spacing. This isn’t necessarily a problem though as most of the best monitor arms can accommodate displays with either type of VESA holes.

To get my portable monitor ready to mount, I did have to use shorter screws as well as some spacers since the VESA holes on a traditional monitor are deeper. However, you don’t need to worry about having the right monitor stand or monitor arm when mounting a portable monitor as they’re a lot lighter than a regular monitor. For instance, this one weighs just over 900 grams.

With the VESA mount adapter plate installed, it was time to bring my portable monitor over to my Uplift V3 standing desk where I already had my ultrawide monitor set up on an identical stand. It only took one USB-C to USB-C cable to power it and add it to my desk setup. While it did take a bit of back and forth to get it positioned at an angle next to my ultrawide monitor I was ready to put my new dual-monitor configuration to the test.

For more than just work chats

As I mentioned before, the reason I initially added a portable monitor underneath my ultrawide display was to keep up with Slack chats at work. This new side-by-side setup let me do that effortlessly just like before. However, instead of having to look down every time I got a message or someone wanted me to chime in on a headline, I could just look to my right instead. Now I know what you’re thinking, doesn’t that put strain on your neck too? Well, not really. Since I’m either seated in one of the best office chairs or standing at my desk, I simply shift my view with my chair or body, rather than straining my neck to the side.

I initially set out to find a new solution for keeping up with my work chats but I soon found several other uses for this setup. For everything from research to just knowing when my next meeting would start, having a smaller display next to my main display proved invaluable for my workflow.

During those times when I do close Slack or relegate it back to being in a separate tab as opposed to open in its own Chrome window, I found that I could use this smaller display to keep useful info on hand but not necessarily front and center. For instance, while working on my Geekom IT15 mini PC review, I wrote it on the right side of my ultrawide, had the pictures open on the left for inspiration and then, I had its specs open on my portable monitor.

I know this seems simple enough but back when I had a portable monitor underneath my ultrawide, I never used it for anything but Slack or the occasional Gemini chat. Now, I use the side screen like digital scratch paper—similar to having written notes or an instruction manual off to the side of your desk—without clogging up my main display.

Now I don’t always need a chat window or pertinent information open on the side of my ultrawide. During those times, I like to pull up the digital dashboard I made a few years ago using Dakboard. Besides the time, the weather and my calendar, I have an RSS feed at the bottom that shows the latest stories that have gone up on Tom’s Guide so I’m fully aware of what’s been published and which stories haven’t gone live yet.

I know everyone doesn’t have the privilege of working from home and I doubt others need as many separate screens in front of them at all times like I do. However, you could easily put together a similar set up for a variety of different use cases. Maybe you’re a big online gamer and you want a dedicated Discord screen to keep up with your friends. Similarly, if you have one of the best gaming PCs, you might want to have MSI Afterburner or another utility open on the side to monitor your gaming rig’s performance. Likewise, if you’re a coder or even a lawyer, you might want to have a terminal window or even a PDF open on a second screen like this one. The possibilities are really endless.

Still room for more

What started out as a quirky idea on how to use a portable monitor instead of a traditional one to expand the screen space at my desk managed to materialize into a desk setup I’m using right now. In fact, I plan to stick with this monitor layout for some time for a few reasons. Not only is it a bit more useful than having a portable monitor underneath my main display but it also makes my work testing and reviewing the best mini PCs a lot easier.Before, you wouldn’t be able to see the Geekom A9 Max underneath my ultrawide monitor. Likewise, I wouldn’t be able to easily make use of the four USB-A ports on the front and the SD card reader on the side of this mini PC. Now that I’m constantly switching between mini PCs, though, I can no longer afford the luxury of mounting them behind my monitor for an even cleaner desk setup. Instead, I need a layout that’s as versatile as the machines I review.

One thing I noticed while writing this article and particularly when looking at the photo above, there’s plenty of room left on the right side of the Uplift V3. Given that this portable monitor costs just $80 at full price (it’s currently on sale for $67) and I have quite a few more of this particular monitor stand ($32, Amazon) on hand for quickly putting together new desk setups, I’m honestly considering picking up another one to add a third display on the right side of my desk. I’m really tempted to do so but I’ll hold off for now.

If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive and convenient way to add a bit more screen space to your own desk setup, you might want to consider going the portable monitor route like I did. There are also quite a few upsides to doing so too, since you can power a smaller display like this right from your desktop or laptop (if you have a full-featured USB-c port) using a single cable and then if you do want to bring it with you, taking it down and using it as intended as a portable monitor is really easy too.

So what do you think, should I keep this monitor configuration or go back to having a portable monitor underneath my ultrawide. Likewise, is it finally time to go all out and put together a quad monitor setup? Let me know in the comments below and in the meantime, I’m going to see how else I can put this vertical portable monitor to good use.

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As much as I love trying out new technology, the thought of yet another gizmo to keep charged up doesn't fill me with joy. If you're the same, you're going to find a lot to like about Logitech's new Signature Slim Solar+ K980 solar-powered keyboard.

This $99.99/£99.99 wireless keyboard, as the name suggests, is powered entirely by that giant ball of fire in the sky. No charging brick, no cable and no port anywhere on the device to plug it into. All you need to do is switch it on, pair with your PC or Mac and you're up and running.

I've got some experience with Logitech keyboards. At home, I use a Logitech Signature K650, while the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 portable keyboard comes with me out and about. The Solar+ K980 is somewhere in between. It's a full-sized keyboard, so you get the benefit of a number pad and a function row, but the slim profile means it also sits very flat on your desk.

I generally prefer a slightly raised angle when typing, and the K980 doesn't offer any flip-out feet to elevate it beyond what's provided by the protrusion at the top of the board housing all that solar tech.

Although I'd appreciate a slightly steeper angle, I've got no complaints about the keys. The scissor switch buttons have plenty of travel to them, and while they may not win over fans of the best mechanical keyboards, I was able to hit my usual typing speed within a day of starting to use the Slim Solar+ K980.

Logitech is going for the laptop crowd with this device, and it includes one of my favorite Logitech features: Easy-switch. This means you can swap the keyboard between three different devices by just hitting a button. I paired up my Windows laptop, iPhone and Android tablet to the K980 and was able to swap between the three seamlessly.

That transitioning is made even easier when you don't have to worry about cables and charging. The K980 is slim enough to throw in a backpack if you need to, and the fact that you don't have to worry about plugging it in is a luxury you quickly get used to. At the top of the keyboard is the LightCharge bar, responsible for soaking in all that wonderful electromagnetic radiation and keeping the internal coin battery juiced up.

According to Logitech, the keyboard stays charged for up to four months even in pitch black. But, even if you don't get much sun, the Slim Solar+ is actually capable of charging even through artificial light.

That's great news for me because a) it's October now, which means we're on the down ramp to dark winter days, and b) I live in the U.K., which isn't known for Florida-rivalling sunshine at the best of times.

With access to light, Logitech predicts the Slim Solar+ will last for 10 years. That's right, a full decade.

I'm not sure I can really commit at this stage to testing it through until 2035, but for the last week, the battery hasn't dipped below 100% (according to my Windows 11 laptop).

There are, of course, a few drawbacks to be aware of with the Logitech Slim Solar+. First of all, there's no backlight. So even if you did want to test the battery life in total darkness, you wouldn't be able to see what you were typing.

The other factor with any built-in battery is sustainability. Logitech says the keyboard is built to be repairable, and spare parts are currently being sold by iFixit. I don't know what the repair landscape will look like in 10 years, but while swapping AA batteries every few months is a pain, it does mean you can likely go on using that keyboard almost indefinitely. I doubt many users will be able to repair or replace the solar module in the event of a failure that occurs outside of warranty.

So those are a couple of things that might pull you back from hitting the "Buy Now" button. But on the other hand, Logitech has added those creature comforts that make this a great keyboard. There are shortcuts for muting your mic, locking your laptop or turning off your camera. And you can map the customizable Copilot key through the Logi Options+ app to a feature or function you use regularly.

Bottom line

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If I think about it, I have probably typed on a computer keyboard every single day for the past six years. Between completing my college degrees and working, I have been firmly positioned in front of a computer to get the job done.

After simply using my laptop keyboard for a while, I eventually upgraded to a separate keyboard, and let me tell you, it made all the difference. I was able to find boards that worked perfectly with the way I type, supporting me in avoiding strain after long typing sessions.

There are a few of the best keyboards to choose from, but I have put together my top three boards for productivity. These all help me type quickly while steering clear of any strain, and actually look pretty good, too.

Lenovo Multi Device Keyboard

For a small keyboard that you can pop in your bag and take anywhere with you, I always recommend the Lenovo Multi Device Keyboard. It's lightweight at just 6.3 ounces and is super slim.

It has a multi-point connection, so I find it great for being connected to my laptop and iPad at the same time — seamlessly switching between the two when I need to take on different tasks.

The keys are cushioned for smooth typing that is also pretty quiet, so it's an ideal choice for taking to a quiet cafe as it won't cause any disruption.

The 60-hour battery life also means it lasts me about a month before charging again. This, of course, depends on how often you use the board and what for, but given how compact and light it is, this is pretty impressive.

Keychron B2 Pro

Another ultra-slim option is the Keychron B2 Pro. This board is a little bigger than the Lenovo as it has a number pad on the right-hand side, but it's still small enough to fit in my work bag.

With a 96% layout, this board is great for anyone who works with numbers and spreadsheets a lot. It also has a polling rate of 1,000Hz, so any fast typers can rest assured that there will be no missed inputs.

This board has dual compatibility for macOS and Windows, so you can seamlessly transition between the two operating systems with the flip of a switch.

Most importantly, though, the typing is bouncy and comfortable, thanks to the scissor switch design. There is no height adjustment on this board, but it does have a slight incline that makes typing for long periods easy on the wrists.

Keychron C1 Pro 8K

The Keychron C1 Pro 8K is hands down my favorite board. This is far bigger than the B2 Pro and the Lenovo, but it is perfect for my at-home office setup.

It is ergonomic with an adjustable setup that immediately takes any strain off my wrists from typing on a flatter profile board. I think that's part of the reason why I type so fast on this.

And even though I'm typing fast, the board catches everything thanks to the polling rate that can be adjusted up to 8,000Hz. And yes, that does mean you can customize it to be the perfect gaming keyboard, too.

It is very lightweight, but that's because there is no onboard battery. This is a wired-only keyboard, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to make for awesome comfort.

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When I start feeling uninspired, I know it’s time to switch up my work setup. I spend all day, every day, sitting at my desk typing away, so I know firsthand the importance of having one of the best keyboards to work with.

And when you pair one of the best keyboards with the best mouse? Well, then you’re on for a real winner. I know that I can work faster and with more focus if I have equipment I can really trust. I need a stable connection to my computer and, most importantly of all, comfort.

There’s no point in sitting at your computer all day, but being uncomfortable because of the angle of your keyboard or the shape of your mouse. I've just finished testing the Keychron B series combo, which features the Keychron B36 Keyboard and the BM25 Mouse. They both look super sleek together and work like a dream. It got me thinking about whether I prefer uniformity or a mix-and-match approach for my peripherals.

To begin with, the Keychron B36 Keyboard is available for purchase at Amazon U.S. for $39, or the mouse and keyboard combo can be purchased from Keychron directly for $54.

The power of the combo

The best thing about opting for a combo set like this is you know the strengths of the devices will be consistent across both keyboard and mouse. This gives you a level of reassurance if the manufacturer knows what it's doing.

In this case, they're both virtually silent. That means if you work in a shared office space, you’re not going to be distracting your colleagues with clacky keys. Although I generally love the typing sound on a keyboard, working in such quiet gave my mind a little more time to think — I actually ended up liking the quiet.

Both the keyboard and mouse work wirelessly with your computer, so you don’t have to deal with wires all over your desk. Another win for uniformity. Of course, you could pair any old wireless mouse with a wireless keyboard but you may then be stuck with different battery types (coin cell or lithium-ion), charging cable lengths or even charging ports — believe it or not, some budget mice still ship with micro-USB charging.

In this specific case, charging isn’t much of a problem, since the Keychron board has a battery life of 320 hours. The mouse, on the other hand, has a battery life of 98 hours, and while that is much less than the keyboard, it’s still enough to get you through the work week.

When using the 2-in-1 2.4GHz receiver, the mouse and keyboard have a polling rate of 1,000Hz. This means no missed clicks or key presses, so you can be assured the board picks up everything.

Aesthetics

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Having one of the best gaming keyboards that can also double as a typist’s dream has become pretty much essential for me. I need a gaming board that is also comfortable, responsive and bouncy for long days of writing.

On paper, the Redragon Eclipse K720 ticks most of my boxes. The keyboard sounds great, thanks to the bouncy gasket design, and is also incredibly comfortable and cushioned to type on. The TFT smart screen makes controlling the keyboard a breeze, and the hot-swappable switches also make it a personalization haven for gamers. The battery life on the keyboard is decent, too, as this deck can easily last a few days (even though it isn’t the longest we’ve seen).

However, the K720 has a few drawbacks that stop me from getting fully on board. It’s extremely heavy, and the simple fact is that there are better options for gaming available for similar or less money.

You can find out more about my experience with the keyboard in this full Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro review.

Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 75% layout mechanical gaming keyboard.
• Who is it for? It’s aimed at gamers, but I would recommend it for anyone who types a lot, too.
• What does it cost? The Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro is available at Amazon U.S. for $99 and at Amazon U.K. for £97.
• What’s good? It sounds great and is comfortable to type on. The gasket design is bouncy, and the hot-swappable keys make it perfect for customization. The TFT screen is also a cool feature.
• What’s not? There are better gaming keyboards for the money, battery life isn’t the longest around and the board is extremely heavy.

Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro review: Specs

Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro review: The ups

The Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro is a perfectly good gaming keyboard and is very responsive to use with satisfying keys. The 1,000Hz polling means reduced latency, N-rollover means no missed inputs and the hot-swappable switches mean it can be modified to best suit your needs. It performs similarly to one of my favorite keyboards, the Keychron C1 Pro 8K. The TFT screen makes it really simple to know what’s going on with the board.

Gaming performance

The Redragon has a polling rate of 1,000Hz, which is fast enough to ensure the average gamer suffers no missed key inputs. Pro gamers will want something with a higher polling rate, like the Cherry XTRFY MX 8.3 TKL, which offers 8,000Hz polling. But unless you’re competing in esports, you can definitely live with 1,000Hz polling. And besides, the Cherry costs a huge $299.

The Redragon K720 uses Hi-Fi switches, which have an actuation distance of 3.3mm — pretty average for standard-profile switches. And indeed, the switches felt relatively snappy and responsive during gameplay. The switches have an actuation force of 40g, which is moderately light, again increasing responsiveness. The board is hot-swappable, though, so you can fit more responsive switches if you prefer.

As someone who games casually, this keyboard worked well for me. I tested out the board by playing Counter-Strike 2, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Lies of P. The K720 was perfectly responsive, and I didn’t have any issues with missed key inputs. The board had N-Key rollover, so I was able to input multiple commands at the same time, perfect for switching weapons while moving, and to simultaneously crouch/jump and cycle through weapons in CS2.

As I’ll cover later, though, there’s nothing really that special to mark this keyboard out as an exceptional gaming deck.

Customization

As I mentioned already, the K720 is fully hot swappable. The board is compatible with three- or five-pin standard-profile switches, so you can fit whatever mechanical switches you desire. This is good because there’s only one switch choice at checkout — the Hi-Fi switches.

The keyboard can also be customized using the Redragon companion software, which gives you control over keybinds, macros and shortcuts, as well as allowing you to easily change RGB settings.

Typing experience

Typing on the Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro can only be described as a bouncy dream thanks to the gasket-mounted PCB and springy Hi-Fi switches.

It uses a 75% layout, which is a decent compromise between a compact form factor and productivity — 75% maintains the row of Fn keys at the top. It took a second for me to get used to this when changing from my usual 80% TKL layout on the Keychron C1 Pro 8K, but once I did, I had no issues.

The double-shot PBT keycaps of the Redragon Eclipse K720 are rounded to cradle the fingers, making typing super comfortable. The keys at the bottom and top of the board rake, guiding my fingers towards the center of the board while also preventing me from needing to stretch to hit the outer keys. The moderately tall keycap profile meant gliding across the keys felt effortless, and I wasn’t catching any keys accidentally.

Although I wasn’t able to type as fast as I do with the Keychron C1 Pro 8K, I was able to achieve a good accuracy rate with the Redragon keyboard — similar to the results I achieved with the low-profile Keychron B2 Pro keyboard. However, that’s a scissor switch keyboard which, while accurate and fast, doesn’t feel anywhere near as satisfying to use as the Eclipse K720 Pro.

Overall, I would highly recommend this board for anyone who does a lot of typing in addition to gaming. While the K720 Pro is Windows-oriented by default, it is also compatible with macOS, so you can switch between the two easily if you use one for work and the other for gaming.

Sound

Fans of a creamy-sounding board will be pleased to hear that the Redragon has a lovely sound profile. I wouldn’t recommend using it for typing in an office setting, as it is on the loud side, but at home, as part of a gaming setup, it shouldn’t be too loud as to interfere with mic chatter. And the sound is addictive.

The keyboard boasts five layers of sound-absorption material, including a 3.5mm PO foam layer, an IXPE foam layer, a PET sound pad, a silicone impact dampening layer and yet more foam in the bottom case. Combined with the Hi-Fi switches, heavy doubleshot PBT keycaps and the solid aluminum case, the board has a refined, creamy sound free from plasticky clacks and rattles.

TFT smart screen and control knob

One of my favourite features of this keyboard is the TFT smart screen. I haven’t used a keyboard with this feature before, although similar displays are present on many other models we’ve reviewed, like the Epomaker HE65 Mag, the Epomaker Cypher96 and the Gamakay LK75.

The Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro has a 1.41-inch TFT screen, allowing you to onboard control of many features, such as connection type and RGB settings. It also lets you view your connections and battery status, so you know exactly what is going on with the board. I found this particularly useful when checking that I was on the Bluetooth connection setting rather than the 2.4GHz setting, and I didn’t need to flip the keyboard around to check the rear toggles.

With the downloadable software for the keyboard, you are also able to add a GIF to the screen. This is a fun way to add a little personalized whimsy to the board if you don’t care about having the time displayed constantly.

Connectivity options

The K720 Pro offers a single Bluetooth 5.4 channel, a 2.4GHz wireless dongle and a wired connection. This meant I could flick between Bluetooth for work and 2.4GHz for wireless gaming, and when the battery got low, I could simply use the board wired to charge and play simultaneously.

However, with other boards such as the Keychron Q3 HE, you have the option to set up three remembered Bluetooth connections. I find this feature useful, which works across multiple desktops, especially for office work.

Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro review: The downs

While I like the Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro keyboard, there are a few things that I don’t entirely love. It’s super heavy, and while that makes it stable, it’s hard to move. And there are better gaming keyboards out there for similar or less money.

Silver Glitter Frosted Finish

When I read the description of the Eclipse K720 Pro, I was excited to have a glittery finish on my setup. It promises a “silver glitter frosted finish,” so naturally I expected a silver glittery keyboard… but I was let down.

This is a minor qualm, but when I read “silver glitter frosted finish,” forgive me for wanting a silver glitter frosted finish! The top case and bottom case of the board are matte black, until you get up very close to it with a flashlight. If you’re expecting a flashy board from this description, that’s not what you’ll get, although the tiny flecks of glitter do catch the light now and again.

Almost comically heavy

This is a mechanical keyboard with a lot of dampening layers and a chunky aluminum case, so if you are in the market for something that can be moved around on your desk, this won’t be the keyboard for you.

At nearly 4lbs, it’s almost comically heavy, and is especially weighty for a 75%. We’ve reviewed heavier boards before, like the Keychron Q3 Max (4.5lbs) and Keychron Q6 (5.3lbs), but those are TKL and full-sized boards, respectively.

The weight means it’s steady on your desk, but one of the benefits of smaller layout 75% and 60% keyboards is that they can be moved around to suit where your arms and wrists feel most comfortable, so it’s disappointing that the K720 is such a behemoth.

Not the best value for money

If you are looking for a board for serious gaming, there are better and more affordable options. The Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro has a polling rate of 1,000Hz, and while this is great, you can get boards with up to 8,000Hz polling for even cheaper. The Keychron C1 Pro 8K, for example, is only $54, is fully customizable with hot-swapable switches and has 8,000Hz polling.

There are keyboards out there with even shorter actuation that will result in more responsive inputs. The Redragon Blue Siren K654 ($69), for instance, uses switches with an actuation distance of 2.0mm.

Likewise, you can pick up a magnetic keyboard for not much more money, which will offer you plenty more gaming features such as Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation down to 0.1mm for ultra-sharp inputs and customizable SOCD resolutions. The NuPhy Air60 HE ($139) and Keychron K2 HE ($130) are two such boards. The NuPhy is better for mostly gaming, while the K2 HE is ideal for hardcore typists who also demand a solid gaming deck.

Battery life

Redragon doesn’t explicitly state the battery life of the 4,000mAh capacity, but from my testing, I was able to get around 22 hours with half of the battery life. This was just over three days of testing, where I was only using the keyboard for 7.5 hours a day, which equates to around 22 hours of usage.

This isn’t the best battery life performance, especially when there are other boards like the Keychron Q3 Max that can last for up to three weeks on a single charge. Or the NuPhy Air75 V3, whose 4,000mAh battery will net you up to 1,200 hours of use.

Redragon Eclipse K720 Pro review: Verdict

The Redragon Eclipse K720 is a great board, but while it’s aimed at gamers, there’s nothing that really makes this deck stand out as a gaming keyboard. In fact, I’d say it’s better for typing than gaming.

The double-shot PBT keycaps feel great, as do the switches and gasket-mounted PCB. The creamy sound made by the board is very satisfying, while the hot-swappable switches, companion software and onboard TFT screen mean you can customize the board to your desires.

As I mentioned already, though, this isn’t a particularly standout gaming keyboard. It’s super heavy, the battery life is comparatively weak and there are decks out there that offer better features for similar or less money. While it’s a strong board, there are definitely better ways to spend $99.

Finding the space and the budget in your home or apartment for a dedicated home office with a full desk setup can certainly be difficult. While I’m lucky enough that I have the room, many other people are left hunched over their kitchen tables working from one of the best laptops. But after a bit of DIY and plenty of research, I’ve found a better and more affordable solution that will work for anyone, regardless of their space or budget limitations.

Before I started reviewing standing desks, I had a chance to check out a few rolling desks, and to this day, my wife still uses one of them in her classroom. What I love about rolling desks is that you’re not just limited to working in one place. Instead, you can bring your workstation with you.

What if I told you there was a way to combine this feature with the ability to recline while you work? And to top it all off, you can build this same setup yourself using an inexpensive rolling cart from IKEA and one of the best monitor arms. After stumbling upon a video online where I saw someone design and build a rollable workstation this way, I knew I had to try it out for myself.

After a week of tinkering and using my new rollable workstation, it just might be my favorite (and the most comfortable) way to use my laptop yet. Here’s how I put it together, all the products I used and why you too might want to consider building your own, whether you're short on space or just want to recline all the way back in your chair while getting some work done.

Repurposing an IKEA classic

Before I go into the build itself, I want to give credit where credit’s due. One day while scrolling through YouTube Shorts, I came across a video from Tools. Electro. DIY (T.E.D) where he shows off his original rollable workstation and walks viewers through the products he used for the project.

Even though I hadn’t seen his content before, I was immediately impressed with the idea.To that end, I picked up an IKEA RÅSKOG utility cart ($40, IKEA) just like the one T.E.D used in his project to build my own.

Even if you have a hard time putting other IKEA furniture together, the Raskog is very easy to assemble and doing so only took me about 10 minutes. While the included casters or wheels are more than good enough for what you’re supposed to use this utility cart for, I swapped them out for a pair of Uplift Desk’s Soft Roll Desk Casters ($79, Uplift Desk) I had on hand from back when I tried out a desk from the company’s new Collegiate Collection.

In the picture above, you can see how these heavy-duty casters differ from the ones IKEA includes with the Raskog. Not only are they twice as wide, they’re also a lot softer and, unlike the cart’s stock casters, all four of them can be locked in place. Since I’m going to be using this cart with a monitor arm and a laptop (and possibly even one of the best monitors), I figured having extra support at its base makes a lot of sense.

Speaking of the monitor arm, I picked up the exact same model that T.E.D used in his rollable workstation video for a few reasons. I like that the Viozon Monitor and Laptop Mount ($88, Amazon) comes with a laptop tray included and that it has a longer pole than the other monitor arms I have on hand. Its arms aren’t spring-loaded nor do they have a gas cylinder for on the fly height adjustments but you do get plenty of flexibility in regard to how high or low you want to install them on its pole.

The Viozon monitor arm was also very easy to assemble. With it all put together, it was time for the hardest part of this project: drilling a hole through the top shelf of the Raskog cart.

Drilling through wood or other softer materials is easy enough with my power drill but for this project, I picked up a bi-metal hole saw kit online ($30, Amazon). I thought drilling a circular hole large enough for the monitor arm’s pole would be more difficult but once I got started, it was also fairly easy to do.

If you plan on building your own rollable workstation with an IKEA cart, just take your time and go slowly. You also want the hole as close to the edge of the cart’s shelves as possible as that’s where you’ll be installing the monitor arm’s base.

Rollable, adjustable and expandable

With the hole drilled in the top shelf of the Raskog cart, it was time to put all the pieces in their place. The monitor arm clamps onto the second shelf with its pole extending through the hole in the top shelf. I then have one of the arms in the middle of the two shelves with the laptop mount attached.

Whether you have the arm for your laptop in this position or above the top shelf will depend on both your height and whether you’re planning to recline while using it.

The hole in the top shelf is crucial because it allows the pole to extend up while also holding it securely in place. Alternatively, you could just clamp a monitor arm onto the top shelf, but I wanted to recreate the build I saw in that video before making my own modifications.

To give the monitor arm’s base something to clamp onto, I used a few desk samples I had left over from back when I tested Uplift’s headphone stand. Given that you probably won’t have something like this, you can use either scrap wood or some books stacked on top of each other (the heavier the better) to achieve the same thing.

To power my laptop while also weighing the cart down to prevent it from falling over, I used my Jackery Explorer 300 portable power station as it also has two AC outlets in case I want to add a monitor to my rollable workstation or even one of the best mini PCs later on. Weights, bricks, cinderblocks or anything else you have around the house that’s heavy will do the job too. Basically, you want something heavy on the bottom shelf to keep the cart from tipping over once you put your laptop on the monitor arm.

Although this Viozon monitor arm isn’t as versatile as some of the others I’ve tried in the past, I like how you can rotate the laptop mount and easily reposition it. This came in handy for me as I could have the cart on either the left or right side of my chair without having to take the monitor arm down and then reinstall it.

Another thing I really like about this design is that you have plenty of extra space for storage and the option to add to it further later on. For instance, I noticed with the Viozon monitor arm that I didn’t quite have enough room between its two arms to have a larger 27-inch monitor up top and use the laptop mount as a keyboard tray. Given that I have a few more of those wood blocks on hand, I might add a second monitor arm to the top shelf for this very purpose.

With my rollable workstation complete, it was time to put it to the test and see if it really did make a difference when working on my laptop and if I actually could recline in my chair while using it.

Inclined to recline

Seeing someone use a rollable workstation like this one in a video is one thing but trying it out for yourself, especially after all that planning and building it, is another. From the get go, I couldn’t believe how stable it was and I liked how switching out the Raskog’s stock casters for better ones made it so easy to roll around my house. Then when I found where I wanted to work, I just locked the casters and my rollable workstation stayed firmly in place like a rock.

As I mainly work from my desktop at home, I have a smaller, 13-inch ThinkPad that I use while traveling or for those times when I need to get out of the house and work from a coffee shop. At just over 2.5 pounds, it’s very light and my rollable workstation had no trouble supporting its weight once attached to the monitor arm. To power it, I ran a USB-C cable up from the bottom of the cart and secured it on the underside of the arm as it has clips for cable management on its underside.

In addition to standing desks, I also test and review the best office chairs. I recently reviewed the Hinomi X1 and this was the first office chair I’ve tried with a pull-out footrest. In fact, leaning back in it with my feet up at my desk was what inspired me to build my own rollable workstation in the first place after I came across that video.

Working in the Hinomi X1 with my feet up at my new rollable workstation was quite comfortable and I can easily see myself spending hours at a time doing so. However, with a maximum recline angle of 135 degrees, I could only lay back so far. Fortunately, I have another chair in for review right now that can go even farther back.

The LibreNovo Omni is an even more impressive chair in several key ways. I’m saving those for my full review but for this project, the most important feature is its incredible 160-degree recline.

While it doesn’t have a pull-out footrest, you can get this chair with an optional one like I did for my review. Compared to the pull-out footrest on the X1, the Omni’s is even more comfortable as like the chair itself, it features a soft-touch fabric cushion you can really feel your legs sinking into.

Unlike my first attempt, I did spend hours leaning all the way back working in the Omni from my laptop with it installed on the rollable workstation. The monitor arm’s laptop tray can be tilted vertically, and I found this to be perfect for using my laptop while fully reclined. My ThinkPad helped here too since its screen doesn’t stop at a certain angle and you can actually extend it completely flat.

If you don’t have room for a desk at home, chances are you don’t have an office chair either. No need to worry though, as I soon found that my rollable workstation works just as well without one.

No office chair, no problem

In the evenings as I work from my desk, my wife works on her laptop from the couch with one of those lap desks and I know a lot of other people do, too. While convenient, lap desks aren’t ergonomic and over time, they can put a lot of unnecessary strain on your neck and shoulders. Fortunately, working on my new rollable workstation is just as good on the couch as it is from an office chair.

I just had to unlock its casters, roll it over to the couch and I was good to go. With my portable power station on the bottom shelf, I didn’t have to worry about charging my laptop and could just keep working.

I know my 13-inch ThinkPad is on the smaller side, so I swapped it out with one of the best Chromebooks with a larger 16-inch screen that weighs 3.75 pounds for my next test. The monitor arm held it firmly in place, and the included laptop tray’s retractable grips extended far enough out to hold it without any issues either.

With my couch test out of the way, it was time to take my rollable workstation to the holy grail for laptop users: my bed. I unlocked its casters once again and rolled it over to my bedroom where it was just as useful and convenient as it was in my living room.

Remember earlier when I said you may need to move the monitor arm up to the top shelf depending on your height? Well, my bed is a bit higher up than my couch or office chair, so I had to do just that. This is where that monitor arm having two separate arms came in handy. I just installed the second one on the very top of the monitor arm’s pole, detached and then reattached the laptop tray and I was good to go.

Using a more complex monitor arm with on-the-fly height adjustment might be a better choice if you plan to use your own rollable workstation in bed, as that way, you can lie down flat and use your laptop that way. Still, I found that I could sit comfortably in my bed at a bit of an angle and use my laptop with this one perfectly fine.

Overall, my new rollable workstation proved to be just as useful next to my couch as it was next to my bed and I’d still recommend building your own even if you don’t have an office chair.

Surprisingly simple but incredibly versatile

If you’ve ever gone down the DIY rabbit hole on YouTube — maybe you want to build a custom desk with an IKEA kitchen countertop or add some inexpensive shelves that look like built-in ones using IKEA’s Billy bookcases — then you know how easy those videos can make much more difficult projects look. Well, after building my own version of T.E.D’s rollable workstation, this DIY project was as simple to complete as the original video made it seem.

Along the way, I got to put some spare parts and other gadgets around my house to good use, but what I really like about this project is that you don’t have to follow the original design to a T. Instead, you can mix, match and experiment to create something that really works for you.

In total, everything cost me $238, but if I had just used the Raskog’s stock casters or borrowed those hole saw attachments for my drill from a friend or family member, I could have gotten the cost down to just $128 — not bad for a workstation that lets you roll around your house and work while lying down.

I plan to keep using my new rollable workstation like I have it set up now but I also want to experiment with it a bit more to see if I can add a monitor up top and use the monitor arm’s laptop mount as a keyboard tray. I got really close the first time I tried, and with a bit more trial and error, I’m sure I can easily find a solution that works for me.

So what do you think? Do you prefer working on the couch or at the kitchen table or is building a rollable workstation like this one your next big project? Let me know in the comments below and if you have any questions on my build or suggestions on how I can improve it further, I’m all ears.

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From the computer and monitor to the keyboard, mouse and other accessories, a lot of thought goes into putting together the perfect desk setup. But just like with a Windows license after a new PC build, there’s one crucial finishing touch a lot of people (myself included) tend to forget: lighting.

There are many ways to light your desk setup from having one of the best desk lamps off to the side to my previous personal favorite, attaching a lightstrip to the back of your monitor.

Adding one of the best smart lights to the back of my monitor was a real game changer for me, as I liked how biased lighting made what was on my screen more immersive while also reducing eye strain.

Given that I build desk setups for a living as part of my work reviewing the best standing desks, I’m constantly switching between monitors and accessories. As such, I can’t always take the time and effort needed to carefully install a lightstrip on the back of every monitor. I had come to terms with having a less brightly lit desk setup than I would have preferred until I bought a monitor light bar on a whim last year.

The great thing about monitor light bars is that they just light your workspace and not an entire room, which really comes in handy for night owls like myself. Whether I’m writing a story late in the evening like this one or finding a few moments to play some games before bed, a good monitor light bar has become a fixture in all of my desk setups.

While I started with a budget model and then tried out a few midrange ones, it wasn’t until BenQ reached out to me about trying its ScreenBar Halo that I saw how much of a difference a more high-tech one could make in my desk setup. Now though, the company has released the follow-up to its pro-level monitor light bar with a unique feature that makes me feel like I’m living in the future every time I approach my desk.

Here are my initial thoughts on the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 and how one major upgrade makes it the ultimate monitor light bar for any desk setup.

Now with a mount and motion detection

Compared to the original ScreenBar Halo, you get a few more goodies in the box this time around. For starters, it now comes with an AC adapter to ensure it always gets the right wattage. While a seemingly small addition, this one is actually really important. While both the original and the new ScreenBar Halo 2 will work with any USB port, they won’t function properly with insufficient wattage.

At the same time, what was once an optional accessory now comes standard in the box, as BenQ includes a webcam mounting kit that attaches to the top of the ScreenBar Halo 2.

Given that this and most other monitor light bars are designed to be used with a desktop and a monitor instead of a laptop, chances are, you’re likely using one of the best webcams for video calls. While you could have your webcam off to the side with one of these accessories on top of your monitor, you won’t be centered in the frame which is important if you’re taking work-related video calls at your desk.

Besides the AC adapter and the webcam mounting kit, you also get a wireless puck to control the ScreenBar Halo 2’s brightness and color temperature. It’s a big upgrade over the original wireless controller which used three AAA batteries, as it now has a rechargeable battery with USB-C around back for charging.

In order to accommodate both flat and curved displays simultaneously, BenQ has redesigned the ScreenBar Halo 2’s clamp. Previously, you needed an adapter to use the original with one of the best curved monitors but it does come in the box.

The biggest upgrade is visible directly under the light bar in the picture above — that’s the new built-in ultrasonic motion sensor, but more on that later.

Having tested both, I can easily recommend this newer model over the original. Not only are you getting more features and accessories in the box, the rear light on the Halo 2 is now wider and brighte,r and the front light has been upgraded too from a max of 800 lux to 1,000 lux. Plus, that front light also illuminates a wider and deeper portion of your desk.

Likewise, although the original ScreenBar Halo was on the expensive side at $179, I like how BenQ hasn’t raised the price with the ScreenBar Halo 2 even though there are a number of improvements and upgrades all around.

So what was it like to use the upgraded version of the first monitor light bar ever? Impressive to say the least, especially now that it knows exactly when I’m at my desk.

Automatically lit or dialed in

To test out BenQ’s new ScreenBar Halo 2, I mounted it on top of my ultrawide monitor, and as I’m currently using the Hexcal Elevate as my main desk for work, I also installed a Lenovo webcam on top.

This desk is located in a corner of my game room where there isn’t a window close by, so even during the day, I really appreciate the extra light. However, it’s even better at night as I can have just my desk lit while I’m working without having to light up the whole room.

The extra brightness and the wider illumination are immediately noticeable when comparing the Halo 2 to BenQ’s original pro-level light bar. However, there’s one feature that I still can’t get over, and that’s the built-in motion sensor.

Normally with a monitor light bar, I just leave it on while I’m working even when I step away from my desk. On the Halo 2 with motion detection enabled, it turns off when I leave and springs right back to life as I approach my desk.

I know I could set up something similar with a smart lightstrip and a separate motion sensor like I did with the Govee lightbulb in my pantry but I like how I get this same functionality in a single device. Likewise, I don’t have to worry about messing around with an app, and the Halo 2 still turns on and off automatically even when my Wi-Fi goes down.

Getting motion detection set up on the Halo 2 is a breeze too. You just tap on the icon that looks like a person to the left of the BenQ logo on its wireless controller, and you’re good to go.

Another neat feature that you’ll find on the original Halo and the Halo 2 is real-time auto dimming which can be enabled with a tap on the button underneath the motion detection one. This switches the light bar’s brightness to 500 lux, which is the recommended brightness for working to reduce eye strain during extended use.

Unlike some of the other wireless controllers I’ve tried on previous monitor light bars, BenQ’s has a much more high-tech feel to it. Alongside the current brightness percentage of the back light and light bar, you can also see the current color temperature in Kelvin. A lower number here is for warmer, more yellowish light, a mid-range number is for neutral white light and a higher number is for cooler, bluer white light. To switch between various light temperatures, you just tap on the thermometer icon and turn the wireless controller’s dial left or right.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 so far, but I’d have to say the new motion detection feature is my favorite. If you’ve ever tried one of the best monitors with a built-in motion sensor that turns on the display as you approach it, this monitor light bar works in a similar way. However, having your desk instantly become illuminated when it’s time to get some work done has really motivated me, especially now that I have the Halo 2 set up at a desk in a darker room.

Light your desk like a pro

Now would I recommend the new BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 to everyone? Not necessarily. Just like with the best office chairs, I’d suggest trying out a cheaper monitor light bar first, especially if you’ve never used one before.

At $179, the Halo 2 is the most expensive monitor light bar you can buy. For those that like its design but don’t necessarily need motion detection, you can still get the original ScreenBar Halo, too. In fact, it often goes on sale for $30 less than the newer model.

If you want to give your work from home setup the ultimate upgrade and have the budget for it, then I’d easily recommend the Halo 2 over similar offerings from Quntis, Xiaomi, and so on. The fact that BenQ has taken into consideration both flat and curved displays and how most people use a webcam with their desk setups is really useful, too. This way, you won’t have to jerry-rig a solution on your own or have your webcam off to the side of your display with your camera off centered.

Now if you’re trying to add some extra light to your battle station where you play games instead of work, you won’t find any RGB lighting or effects here. For that, the Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar and Asus’ ROG Aura Monitor Light Bar are the best options; they can sync up with one of the best gaming PCs. Likewise, if you’re on a tighter budget and want a splash of RGB lighting on the wall behind your desk, the Quntis RGB Pro+ is a great, more affordable option.

At the end of the day though, figuring out whether a monitor light bar works for your setup is the most important thing. And after trying a cheap one for myself and then testing out both the BenQ ScreenBar Halo and the upgraded Halo 2, paying more does make a big difference.

From how you can dial in the perfect color temperature or set it to auto dim or even turn on when you approach your desk, the Halo 2 is a fantastic monitor light bar, and after using it, I’m already excited to see what upgrades BenQ brings to the inevitable Halo 3.

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Don’t let anyone tell you that press events are glamorous. I stayed in a hostel for the majority of Gamescom, and was promptly shouted at by an aggravated French man named Gérard for waking him up too early (his fault for FaceTiming until 3am).

In many ways, a hostel is sort of similar to a college dorm — shared rooms with very limited space for peripherals. Your tech choices have to be both ultraportable and space conscious, while guaranteeing the best ergonomics wherever you choose to work. If you don’t have these, you’ll never get any work done, and given my frosty relationship with Gérard, I was nervous.

But with the ProtoArc XKM01 Keyboard and Mouse Combo, I never missed a beat. This foldable keyboard combo feels great to use, is ultra portable, and a cinch to set up quickly for peak comfort working in any tiny nook of desk space you can find.

Productive and comfortable wherever I was

The real superpower here is its ultraportability. Everything fits into this durable case that you can throw into your backpack, while adding barely any additional weight to it at just over 1.2 pounds.

And setting it straight up to work again takes literally seconds. The switch for the keyboard is built into the folding hinge mechanism to activate the moment you unfold it, and there’s a switch on the back of the mouse. Oh, and that hinge? It’s built around an internal aluminum structure that has been tested to survive over 10,000 folds.

Even better? Longevity is assured. I got nervous about the battery life on a keyboard this thin and a mouse this small. I went through a week of 8+ hour working days and didn’t face any low battery warnings whatsoever!

Surprisingly impressive ergonomics

But even with this focus on portability, ProtoArc hasn’t forgotten about what’s important here — it has to feel good to use. The keyboard keys have a great tactile depth to them with a nice cushioned impact on each one. It’s not going to be a game-changing mechanical feel, because chiclet boards never are. But this does feel damn good to type on.

Pair that with whisper quiet switches, and a mouse with three DPI levels to work on multiple surface types like wood, mouse mat and glass, and you’ve got a serious productivity-focused setup.

Do I prefer a bigger mouse arch to fill my hand? Absolutely. But in terms of having a quick pointer on-the-go, the subtle curve atop this is more than good enough for a portable workstation like the one I was lugging around.

Ultimate portable workstation

No matter whether it was on the show floor or back in the hostel room, I was working at my best on-the-go with this ProtoArc setup — a real ergonomic tactility with impressively quiet switches so as to not wake up anyone taking a nap.

And feeling like I was going back in time to my college days with these cramped conditions only demonstrated just how this is a phenomenal low cost investment into your studying future. That laptop keyboard and touchpad may be good, but this is on a whole different level.

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After getting two degrees, I know how important it is to be comfortable while you are working. All that typing and note taking takes a toll on you pretty quickly, but with one of the best keyboards, you can type all day with ease.

Choosing the right keyboard to go with your PC or laptop is going to take the strain off your hands and wrist when you are working long hours, meaning you can work harder for longer (sorry).

With back to school just around the corner, there's no better time to pick one up, as many of our favorite models are on sale.

To make sure you know what you are looking for, I put together a list of three deals on Amazon right now for keyboards that we love here at Tom's Guide.

Keychron B6 Pro

Keychron is known for its affordable keyboards and the Keychron B6 Pro is no exception. This budget board is a productivity dream, with bouncy scissor switch keys, like you'll find on your laptop, that are perfect for speedy typing and note taking.

This board can be connect via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle, or used wired, so you can work however you want to. It looks pretty basic, but I think this makes it looks leek and understated when placed in a study setup.

Logitech Signature K650

The Logitech Signature K650 is a lightweight wireless keyboard that's perfect for students who study from their room. It's not one that can be moved around easily but its bouncy keys do make tying pretty fun.

It can only be connected via Bluetooth or USB. It is also spill resistant, making it perfect for those late night study sessions when you need coffee right next to your keyboard.

Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s

The Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s is the perfect board for anyone looking for something a little bit different. It is highly portable since it has a 75% layout and is lightweight.

The real selling point of this board is its incredibly long battery life. It could quite literally last you the whole way through college on a single charge. That's because it has a rated battery life of three years, but this is dependent on how much you use the board.

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A keyboard with fast actuation can drastically improve how you type or play games. Right now, keyboards featuring magnetic switches rank among the fastest, thanks to their adjustable actuation points and rapid trigger functionality. The best mechanical keyboards can rival magnetic keyboards in terms of speed, but the latter can be more consistent in this regard.

We at Tom’s Guide review many of the best keyboards. Because of that, the team and I have gotten to test more and more keyboards with Hall Effect magnetic switches as these peripherals rise in popularity. To that end, I wanted to spotlight some of the fastest keyboards we’ve tried out.

Below, you’ll find a handful of my favorite Hall Effect (or magnetic) keyboards. While not all of these have an 8K polling rate (which is absurdly fast), I guarantee you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your speed, both in typing and in gaming.

Keychron Q1 HE

The Keychron Q1 HE is a 75% Hall Effect keyboard that’s an advanced version of the Keychron Q1 Pro and a metal-cased evolution of the Keychron V1. Like the other keyboards I’ve listed here, the Q1 HE features Hall Effect switches that use magnets for actuation, allowing for adjustable actuation points and multiple actions per press.

These magnetic switches significantly enhance the Q1 HE's gaming performance, elevating it above other Keychron mechanical keyboards and placing it alongside top gaming keyboards such as the Corsair K70 Max and the SteelSeries Apex Pro. Despite its advanced technology, the Q1 HE keeps Keychron's signature feel and sound due to excellent noise and impact dampening, making it equally suitable for typing. Its QMK firmware allows for extensive customization, which can be especially useful if you’re a gamer who’s also a writer like I am.

While the Q1 HE costs a pretty penny, and Hall Effect switches are still relatively new and have limited switch choices, the performance and features make it a worthwhile investment. This Keychron keyboard comes with my highest recommendation.

Keychron K4 HE

If you’re looking for something with elegance, the Keychron K4 HE is sure to turn heads if you work in an office. Its design features tasteful rosewood bits and a nice mix of black and brown keycaps.

This makes it more than just a keyboard — it's a statement piece that can spruce up any work environment. This attention to detail is backed up by a solid build that’s made to last.

This keyboard isn’t just about looks, as it also boasts excellent performance. This versatility comes from innovative features like Rapid Trigger, which lets you press keys super fast, and Snap Tap, for really precise, quick moves.

For gaming, the dedicated Gamepad mode is a huge bonus since you can configure the keyboard for different game genres. The K4 HE also lets you customize individual keys and even combinations, giving you a lot of control and responsiveness.

For typing, the built-in number pad is crucial for data entry, and the responsive switches make typing feel genuinely smooth and efficient.

The Keychron K4 HE’s 96% layout might feel too cramped if you’re used to a full 100% keyboard. And like other keyboards with Hall Effect switches, switch options aren’t exactly plentiful. However, these flaws might be negligible to most, considering all the benefits this keyboard provides.

If you're looking for a high-quality, versatile, and eye-catching keyboard, the Keychron K4 HE is definitely a smart buy.

Lemokey P1 HE

The Lemokey P1 HE is the keyboard that converted reviewer Nikita Anchata into a magnetic keyboard fan. Why? Because this keyboard is not only dependable for productivity, but it’s packed with features that also make it a gaming powerhouse. If you haven’t noticed yet, this is one of the reasons magnetic keyboards are so great.

The Lemokey P1 HE has quad-actuation points that let you assign up to four commands to a single key, while you can adjust the actuation point of every key. You also get a 1,000Hz polling rate and Rapid Trigger, both of which ensure there are no missed inputs. Web-based software makes it very easy to customize the keyboard to suit your needs.

The only flaw here is that the P1 HE doesn’t come with Mac-specific keycaps despite being compatible with macOS. But if you’re like me and need a keyboard that’s compatible with both Windows 11 and macOS, you can easily overlook that. The bottom line is that this is a fantastic Hall Effect keyboard that’s charming to boot.

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I’ve never been a gamer or reached for one for the best gaming keyboards, but everything changed when I picked up the Keychron C1 Pro 8K. When I was younger, I’d sit and watch my brother play video games and be shocked at how quickly he could hit the keys, but now I understand a lot of it is down to the keyboard.

With the right keyboard, your gameplay can be smoother and more reliable. The Keychron C1 Pro 8K can be customized to suit whatever the situation calls for. Need faster switches or comfier keycaps? No problem, the whole deck is hot swappable.

For only $54, this board has a lot to give, and I have to admit, it's made a gamer out of me.

Comfortable typing at a low price

I've used this keyboard every single day for weeks now. It's my reliable keyboard for work in my home office, and then it moves over to the PC for some evening game play. It’s the definition of an all-rounder.

Whenever I test out a new keyboard, it's part of the testing process here at Tom’s Guide to take a typing speed test. And this keyboard gave me the speediest results I've ever had. And these results were down to the comfortable OSA keycaps and the profile of the keyboard.

The OSA keycaps are medium-tall profile with bevelled tops and rounded edges that guided my fingers from key to key with ease. When paired with the Keychron Banana super-switches, the keys are bouncy and propel my fingers across the board.

And the rake of the keyboard is varied from the back to the front of the board, with the top row being the tallest. This allows for easy access to all keys, and meant I wasn’t accidentally hitting any keys on my way back down the board, and every tap was intentional.

The rake is also improved further with the use of the feet on the underside of the board. These can elevate the board from the back to an angle of 8.5º or 10.7º, depending on your preference. This made typing so much more comfortable.

Only a wired option

When I first picked up the board, I thought that it being wired only was a negative thing. But it’s actually something that I have come to appreciate.

A wired-only board will be a no-go for people who appreciate the convenience of multipoint connectivity with Bluetooth or a wireless dongle. But for anyone who isn’t jumping between multiple devices, I think wired is the way to go.

It means I can make the most of the 8K polling rate, not have to worry about the board running low on battery, and make the most of the classic Keychron lighting options. I have also been caught out a few times with Bluetooth connectivity issues on my Laptop, so this completely mitigates that risk.

For speed demons

As I mentioned briefly, the 8,000Hz polling rate of the Keychron C1 Pro 8K is a very big win. It means the board is incredibly fast, and the risk of any missed key inputs is significantly reduced. Although I am no professional gamer, and it will make no real difference to me, the reassurance that every input is caught is ideal.

If you do think this polling rate is unnecessary, though, you can head to the Keychron Launcher site and reduce the polling rate of the board. This will also reduce the amount of power the keyboard needs, and if you have it plugged into your laptop like I do, it will save some juice.

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I type for a living, which means I spend at least eight hours a day with a keyboard. And over time, I've grown extremely fond of the best mechanical keyboards. Many of these are a joy to type on, and if a keyboard is hot-swappable, that's even better, as I can change the switches as needed for a different type of feel and sound profile.

I love a loud, thock-y keyboard like the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical, which, for a good few months, was my work-from-home keyboard... until my partner told me the clickity-clackity loudness was driving her mad. While I love it, I love my partner more, so what did I do to save my relationship (and her sanity)?

I got a silent mechanical keyboard which is, in fact, so quiet that no one would even realize I was frantically typing away: the Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL. And right now, it's at its lowest ever price. The Immersion A3 TKL is currently 44% off and is available for $49 — down from its $89 retail price.

The Immersion A3 TKL is the antithesis of the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical. It's a low-profile keyboard, which means its switches are easier to activate as they have a lower actuation point. The low-profile design also means that I don't have to raise my wrist too much, which makes the keyboard ergonomically friendly — a necessity if you have a sedentary job.

But let's talk about the sound profile. The Immersion A3 TKL features a layer of sponge located between the aluminum top plate and the plastic bottom plate, which absorbs all vibrations, resulting in a quiet typing sound that is as silent as a lamb. As the keyboard is hot-swappable, you can swap the stock switches for louder ones, but I won't be doing that. Still, it's nice to have that option.

I'm not the only one who thinks this keyboard is silent. When I tested it in the office, my coworkers were surprised at just how inconspicuous it sounded. At home, my partner asked me, "Are you actually working right now?" even though I was bashing out a review.

More from Tom's Guide

• Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL review: Silent as a lamb
• The best mechanical keyboards in 2025
• I’ve tested countless mechanical keyboards — these are the only ones I'd buy

The Keychron C1 Pro 8K mechanical keyboard looks exactly like the one that came with my family computer back in the 2000s. But don’t worry, it performs like one of the best mechanical keyboards on the market. It feels incredibly nostalgic to type on, but with RGB backlighting, strong ergonomics and some hefty gaming performance, it adds its own modern twist.

It may be wired only, and the Keychron Super switches proved a little tricky to remove in testing, but everything else is ideal. This is the most comfortable I’ve ever been while typing. The typing angle is adjustable with the board’s retractable feet, and the OSA profile keycaps make for an effortless typing experience, so I was typing faster and easier than ever. It’s lightweight, too, thanks to its ABS case and wired-only design (meaning no battery), for easy positioning on your desk.

Keychron has typically been a productivity brand, with the sub-brand Lemokey making gaming keyboards. However, with a polling rate of 8,000Hz, the C1 Pro 8K is also perfect for pro-tier gamers, demonstrating Keychron’s desire to blend the productivity and gaming spheres more than it ever has.

You can find out more about my experience by reading this full Keychron C1 Pro 8K review.

Keychron C1 Pro 8K review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mechanical keyboard with 8,000Hz polling that is ridiculously comfortable to type on.
• Who is it for? Anyone who needs a comfortable and accurate typing keyboard, but also loves some gaming on the side.
• What does it cost? The Keychron C1 Pro 8K is available directly from the Keychron site for $54 in the U.S. and £75 in the U.K.
• What’s good? It’s ergonomic and has an adjustable typing angle. 8K polling rate and it is insanely fast to type on, thanks to the comfortable keys. The lack of battery also means it’s lightweight.
• What’s not? The wired only connectivity limits your setup, and, for me, the switches were a little tricky to replace.

Keychron C1 Pro 8K review: Specs

Keychron C1 Pro 8K review: The ups

The Keychron C1 Pro 8K mechanical keyboard is perfect for typists and gamers alike. The typing is incredibly smooth, with OSA profile keycaps that rake beautifully out to the edges of the keyboard, making it easy for your fingers to find the right keys. And with a polling rate of up to 8,000Hz, it’s perfect for low-latency gaming — as long as your CPU can put up with it.

Typing experience

I’m going to say it. This is the nicest keyboard I have ever typed on. The keycaps are made out of double-shot PBT and use Keychron’s OSA profile. OSA key caps have a standard, medium-tall profile with sloped, bevelled tops and rounded edges that cradled my fingers as they hit the keys. This is different from the previous C1 and C1 Pro models that used OEM profile keycaps.

The rake of the keys varies from the back to the front of the keyboard — the top row is the tallest, therefore requiring less stretch to hit them from a neutral typing position. This made it easy for my fingers to quickly find keys, giving me the fastest typing experience of any keyboard I have tested, as you can see below.

The PBT key caps offered enough grip without stunning my typing, and were smooth but not slippery. If I were Goldilocks, this would be the keyboard that’s just right. There are also adjustable feet on the underside of the keyboard that offer ergonomic support. The keyboard can be used at an angle of 4.8º, which is the lowest setting, 8.5º with the small feet deployed and 10.7º at the highest angle. The 10.7º setting was the most comfortable for me.

The keyboard is available with three types of Keychron Super Switches: red (linear), brown (tactile), and banana (tactile, Panda-style). I used the Banana switches, which use a relatively long 21.5mm spring for a bouncy typing experience. I’ll discuss the other switches in more detail later.

The C1 Pro 8K uses a tray-mounted PCB, which means the PCB is screwed into the bottom case. This results in a very firm bottom-out when typing, similar to a top-mounted PCB. This is nowhere near as comfortable as softer gasket-mounted keyboards like the Keychron Q1 Pro or Keychron K2 HE.

However, as the C1 Pro is intended to be a responsive, efficient gaming keyboard, it’s understandable that Keychron has employed this mount. If you don’t mind the firmness, you’ll be fine with the red linear switches, although if you prefer a softer experience, I would recommend the longer-sprung banana tactiles, which mitigate this somewhat. If you’re mostly using your board for typing, though, I would suggest a gasket-mounted board like the Q1 Pro or, well, most of Keychron’s lineup.

There is also a switch on the back to alternate between macOS and Windows with ease if you use different operating systems for games and work like I do. The board comes with macOS keycaps installed, but there are Windows keycaps included in the box that are easy to swap out.

Sound

This keyboard has a retro sound to go with its retro styling. It sounds amazing — just like an old-school Macintosh keyboard from the 90s. The case is made from strong ABS plastic to give that retro clack, while two layers of sound-absorbing foam layer and several layers of cushioning foam and film dampen the sound to remove unwanted rattles or pings. Since the metal plate is fixed to the bottom plate, there is also a nice clicking sound when the keys bottom out, although it doesn’t sound unpleasantly metallic like the Keychron Q6 or Keychron Q3 Max.

I love the sound of this keyboard, and it takes me right back to playing video games on the shared family computer in the early 2000s — super nostalgic.

A personalization dream

The Keychron C1 Pro 8K is perfect for anyone who enjoys customizing their keyboard. With hot-swappable switches, meaning they can be swapped without the need for soldering, I found it incredibly easy to simply pop off the keycaps using the supplied keycap/switch puller, but the switches were a different story entirely (more on that later). It is compatible with most three-pin and five-pin switches on the market.

Although the setup of the keyboard when you get it is slightly better suited to productivity — OSA keycaps, Keychron Super switches — the switch compatibility and 8K polling give the C1 Pro a lot of potential for enthusiasts looking for a solid platform to build a custom high-performance gaming/productivity hybrid deck.

And it isn’t just about hardware. The C1 Pro 8K uses open-source QMK firmware, which is customizable via the fantastic Keychron Launcher web app. Launcher can be used to remap the keyboard and assign macros to streamline workflow, or create essential binds and shortcuts. And there’s no need to download companion software to your computer, so you can tweak your board from any computer, as long as you have access to a browser.

Keychron also offers 3D printing diagrams of the C1 Pro 8K’s plate on its website, so modders can print their own if they have a preferred plate material. The C1 Pro uses a metal plate by default.

Switch choices

There are three switch options from Keychron at checkout. The C1 Pro uses Keychron’s Super pre-lubed switches: red (linear), brown (tactile) and banana (tactile, panda-style), with varying characteristics to choose from when ordering the keyboard.

The red linear switches have the lightest operating force and a 19.5mm spring, so they are great for responsive, fast gaming performance.

As for the brown tactile switches, expect “bump” feedback when typing. These have a gentle sound but use a very short 15.2mm single-stage spring and require a firm 55g actuation force, so this won’t be as comfortable as the banana.

The banana super switches are the ones I tested and, as someone who spends all-day-every-day typing, I can say with certainty that they are great to work with. These switches have a much lighter operating force of 47g versus the browns, and a longer two-stage spring, for a bouncy, comfortable feel that somewhat mitigates the firm tray-mounted PCB.

Ridiculously fast

While the previous C1 and C1 Pro boards polled at 1,000Hz, the Keychron C1 Pro 8K has a polling rate of up to 8,000Hz, reducing latency and making this a viable keyboard for serious gaming.

Although the high polling rate is an option, it can prove a drain on system resources. Luckily, you can customize it for your preferred typing or gaming experience. The polling rate can be altered from 125Hz to 8,000Hz in Keychron Launcher. It means you don’t need a keyboard specifically for typing or gaming; this one can do it all. You can also set different profiles in the Keychron Launcher, so you could have one configuration for gaming, and one for work. I played Counter-Strike 2 using the keyboard, and I didn’t notice any latency issues.

Lightweight

The C1 Pro 8K is incredibly lightweight, which isn’t necessarily a must for a mechanical keyboard, but I was able to take it with me on the train in my work bag, and it didn’t weigh me down at all. It weighs just 1.83 pounds, which is far lighter than the 3.91-pound Keychron Q3 HE that I usually use.

The lightweight nature of the board means you can move it around your desk with ease and get the best positioning super quickly. But this difference in weight is down to the C1 Pro 8K’s ABS case and having no battery or wireless hardware, as it’s wired-only.

Affordable

As if it weren’t already good enough, priced at only $54, the Keychron C1 Pro 8K is a total budget dream. For the money, this keyboard is a great starting point for customization. It has all the potential to be an ideal gaming keyboard with the right switches and keys. But equally, it could be kitted out to be one of the best productivity keyboards.

Keychron C1 Pro 8K review: The downs

The downs of this keyboard are very minor, but the wired-only connection may prove annoying to anyone who enjoys a wire-free workspace. The switches can also be hard to remove without the right technique.

Wired only connection

The Keychron C1 Pro 8K is a wired-only keyboard, which can prove slightly cumbersome. One of the perks of having a wireless keyboard such as the Keychron Q1 Pro is that you don’t have wires cluttering your desk.

That being said, this does have its perks, such as the lack of battery, helping make the C1 Pro 8K a lighter keyboard. And you don’t have to worry about polling rates decreasing over wireless connections (as there are none).

Hard to remove switches

Despite being hot swappable, the C1 Pro 8K’s switches were tricky for me to remove, to say the least. After pulling for 15 minutes, I could not get the switches to budge. Tom’s Guide Staff Writer Nikita Achanta, who is well-versed in the world of keyboards, also had trouble with these switches, so it’s not just my lack of muscle. Just to make sure we weren’t losing our minds, we removed the switches of the Gamakay TK75 Pro, and they came out with ease.

However, our Reviews Editor, Peter (who I’m sure is a keyboard whisperer), got the switches off without a hitch — this required him to unclick one of the fastening clips, then lever the switches down before the second fastening clip could be undone. In his words, it was fiddly.

I scratched the plate slightly in my attempts, and while this doesn’t affect the performance or look of the keyboard itself, it was annoying.

Keychron C1 Pro 8K review: Verdict

The Keychron C1 Pro 8K has very easily become my favorite mechanical keyboard. Once you look past the wired-only design and the slightly fiddly switches, it’s totally dreamy.

It’s perfect for any typist, with an ergonomic key rake and adjustable angle. My wrists weren’t straining when I was typing, and the OSA keycaps guided my fingertips to each key with ease. This is the fastest typing result I have had with any keyboard, and that is also largely down to the bouncy and responsive switches.

With 8,000Hz polling, it’s also ideal for anyone who wants to use the same keyboard for office work and serious gaming. And since there is no battery, the keyboard is extremely light, meaning it can be positioned on any gaming desk with ease.

For the price, the customization potential is insane. With Keychron Launcher, it is easy to get the right setup for your ideal productivity use, but the hot swappable switches mean this could become one of the best gaming keyboards, too. I would recommend this keyboard to literally anyone, and the retro look with the signature Keychron lighting is the cherry on top of the cake for me.

When it comes to putting together the perfect desk setup for your needs, a little customization can go a long way to making a great product even more useful.

Don’t get me wrong, the Mac mini M4 is easily one of the best mini PCs you can get today but as I noted in my Mac mini M4 review, it isn’t perfect.

The upgrade from 8GB to 16GB of unified memory is certainly a welcome change as is its powerful new M4 chip and completely redesigned aluminum case. However, after spending 8 months with the Mac mini M4, my original gripes with the device still ring true today.

For starters, the Mac mini M4 doesn’t have any USB-A ports whatsoever. Instead, you get two USB-C ports on the front and three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back. While this is fine if you’re using Apple’s wireless accessories like a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, it isn’t ideal if you have older peripherals you’d rather use instead.

The Mac mini M4’s power button is also in an odd position on the underside of the device. If you leave your computer running 24/7, then this might not be a problem. However, if you like to power your computer down at the end of the day while saving a bit on your electric bill at the same time, it’s less than ideal.

Finally, the base version of the Mac mini M4 only comes with 256GB of storage. This likely isn’t enough for most people and upgrading to a higher storage tier costs $200 each time you do so which makes what is normally a very affordable Mac at $599 less enticing.

While there are a lot of different hubs and stands which address the Mac mini M4’s biggest downsides like this one from Satechi, I recently tried out Orico’s new MiniPro Dock Case. I think I might finally be done customizing my Mac mini for good, especially now that it looks like a mini Mac Pro.

A perfect fit for an easy install

Just like the Mac mini M4 itself, Orico’s MiniPro Dock Case also features an all-aluminum chassis. However, unlike some of the other stands and hubs you can get, this one doesn’t go under or on top of Apple’s smallest Mac yet. Instead, you literally put your Mac mini M4 inside and close the lid.

To prevent scratching and your Mac mini M4 moving around inside it, Orico has outfitted its MiniPro Dock Case with a silicone inner lining that holds the device in place. While the sides of the case have a smooth matte finish, the front and back have those same circular cutouts you’d find on the significantly more expensive Mac Pro.

There are also two carrying handles on top and metal feet on the bottom to complete the look. However, you won’t find any optional wheels like the ones for the Mac Pro but at $699 for the wheels themselves, you’re probably better off without one of Apple’s most expensive optional accessories yet.

Installing your Mac mini M4 inside Orico’s MiniPro Dock Case is as simple as can be. You just push the slider on top to remove its side panel and from there, you just push your Mac mini inside.

I like this approach over some of the other hubs I’ve seen as you get a completely self-contained unit that also keeps your Mac mini M4 safe from scratches. While I haven’t tried it yet (nor do I plan to), I bet the MiniPro Dock Case would also protect the computer if it happened to fall off your desk.

Orico sells two versions of its MiniPro Dock Case: one with a free slot for an SSD and one with a pre-installed SSD. I decided to check out the former as not only is it cheaper but you can also expand its storage all the way up to 8TB. To access the SSD slot, there’s a removable panel on the bottom of the case and you get a pad of thermal paste to put under your SSD to keep it cool once it’s installed.

Opening the bottom panel and moving my 1TB WD-Black SSD from my Satechi Mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand to Orico’s MiniPro Dock Case was a breeze and only took a few minutes. With my Mac mini M4 and SSD both installed, it was time to plug everything back in and take my new faux Mac Pro for a spin.

Ports and power right where you need them

I have to admit that with both the Mac mini M4 on its own and with Satechi’s stand and hub underneath it, I was often inclined to tuck this Apple-powered mini PC out of the way.

Now with it inside the MiniPro Dock Case, I felt like it deserved to be front and center which is why I put it on the left side of the desk shelf on top of my desk. Not only is it now a conversation piece but with the underside of the Mac mini M4 exposed, the computer is getting a lot more airflow too.

Just like with Satechi’s stand and hub, the MiniPro Dock case uses a single cable to connect to your Mac mini M4. One nice touch with this case though is that it’s a detachable cable instead of a hardwired one like on Satechi’s which means you can always replace it later on if you need to. I also like the fact that Orico sprung for a braided white cable as this definitely fits better with Apple’s whole aesthetic.

Around front, you get easy access to both a microSD and an SD card reader at the very bottom. However, there are also large square and rectangular cutouts that allow you to easily reach the Mac mini M4’s front ports.

They sit a bit farther back inside the MiniPro Dock but I actually kind of like this as they blend into the case when you don’t need them but are easy to reach when you do.

Besides its unique look and just how easy it is to add extra storage, the other great thing about the MiniPro Dock case is that the Mac mini M4’s power button is much more accessible. On hubs and stands where your Mac mini sits on top, you still have to reach around the back to access it but this way, it’s just right there by all the ports at the back.

Speaking of rear ports, all of the Mac mini M4’s original ones are contained within a similar cutout on the back of the case. However, in addition to these ones, you also get two USB-A ports on either side under them with an extra USB-C port in between.

At my Mac desk setup, I’m using one of those USB-A ports for the full-size Satechi SM3 Slim Mechanical Keyboard and the other for a trackball mouse from Logitech. While a lot of people have moved on to using Bluetooth for their peripherals, I still prefer 2.4 GHz wireless USB dongles.

The reason for this is that I often move from using one mini PC to another and I just plug one of them in and be ready to go as opposed to having to go through the Bluetooth pairing process each time.

It’s worth noting though that the Logitech Ergo M575S mouse and Satechi SM3 keyboard I’m currently using at this desk setup both have Bluetooth support too.

A whole new way to Mac mini

From the Geekom A6 to the Khadas Mind, there are tons of great mini PCs out there for different workflows and desk setups. However, with the Mac mini M4, there are endless accessories that allow you to customize the look and experience of using Apple’s mini PC.

While you can get a similarly-specced, Windows-based mini PC for the same price or even cheaper, you’re losing out on the ability to customize it after the fact.

Whether you want a hub with more ports, a stand or even an under-desk mount, the possibilities are almost endless. They’re not just for looks either as you can see with Orico’s MiniPro Dock Case and Satechi’s Mac mini M4 Hub & Stand since they both allow you to add additional storage without having to pay the Apple tax to do so.

Whatever option you decide to go with, you always have the freedom to change things up later while bringing over any extra storage you added.

As for me, I plan on keeping my Mac mini M4 in this MiniPro Dock Case for the foreseeable future as not only do I love its unique look but with the computer now standing up vertically, it helps free up even more space on my desk.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses — here’s what happened
• Mac mini M4 — 4 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip
• I didn’t expect this mini PC that looks like a PS5 to be this powerful or customizable — and now I can’t wait to try it out

Since starting this job and spending most of my day locked in at the computer, I‘ve made adjustments to make sure I’m as comfortable as possible. These include a walking treadmill, a comfortable chair and an adjustable desk. But I had never considered that my idea of the best wireless mouse may need to change, too.

The Seenday MOU-302 is a vertical mouse that supports your wrist and forearm to reduce muscular strain. It’s incredibly cheap and is very quiet, so it fits right into an office setting. The two-month battery life is impressive, and the music control knob is the mouse addition you never knew you needed.

However, there are only three levels of DPI adjustment, which means this is not the direction to go if you want a mouse that can cope with gaming, too. The thumb rest grip is also redundant, and the USB dongle doesn’t sit securely inside the mouse.

To find out more about how I got on, you can read my full Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse review.

Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse: Specs

Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A vertical wireless mouse to support your wrist while you work.
• Who is it for? Anyone who works at an office job or finds themselves sitting at a computer for long periods of time.
• How much does it cost? The Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse is available at Amazon U.S. for $27 and at Amazon U.K. for £27.
• What do we like? It is comfortable to use, has a great two-month battery life and you can control your music from the mouse.
• What don’t we like? There are only three DPI levels, no left-handed version is available and the thumb rest grip isn’t effective.

Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse: The ups

Having never used a vertical mouse before, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse is to use for extended periods of time.

Keeps wrist straight

The design of this mouse is ergonomic and upright, supporting your wrist and forearm. With a traditional mouse, your hand has to twist, and this can cause the muscles and tendons in your wrist to strain, leading to long-term health effects like RSI. With the Seenda Mou-302, I could feel the difference from my usual CadMouse Pro, and my hand positioning felt far more natural.

The mouse is set at a 61-degree angle, and the tilt means that your fingers can still rest comfortably without slipping down. I could feel the difference after using it for just a day, and this is not an issue I had noticed before. Now, when I use a normal mouse, I question all of my life choices.

Music control knob

The top of the mouse has a circular knob for controlling music. I love to curate a mean playlist and am constantly listening to the newest music releases while testing the best headphones, so I adore this feature. It meant I could easily crank the volume on tracks I love, and turn it down when I needed to focus.

It works by pressing down on the button to play and pause, and then turning the toggle to adjust the volume, and there is no lag to the controls. The knob doesn’t get in the way either, but is conveniently positioned to move with your thumb and forefinger.

Good battery

The battery life of the Seenda Vertical Wireless Mouse is an impressive two months. After using it every day for the last three weeks, it still has 89% charge remaining. The mouse is rechargeable with a USB-C, so no need for wasteful disposable batteries, and can still be used even when it is charging.

Very quiet

Sometimes the click-clacking of office keyboards and mice can prove annoying and very distracting, so I love that the left and right click buttons are completely silent. The scroll is also silent, which is refreshing from the clicking scroll I was used to.

That being said, the back and forward controls on the left side of the mouse do make a noise when clicked, but I used these controls far less often, so it didn’t make much of a difference.

Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse: The downs

While the Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse is generally lovely to use, there are a few issues that stick out to me.

Slippy thumb rest

The mouse has a thumb rest on the left side, and this has ridges for your thumb to grip. On the top and bottom of the grip, there are buttons that you can use to toggle backwards and forwards between pages.

Because of the positioning of these buttons, my thumb kept slipping, and I accidentally pressed them a couple of times. This was super frustrating as it usually happened when I was in the middle of reading something, changing the page and breaking my flow.

USB is loose

There is a 2.4G wireless USB dongle that is housed in the base of the mouse, but it isn't very secure. It wobbles around as the mouse is moved. Obviously, if you are using the mouse with the dongle plugged in, this isn’t an issue, but I was using the mouse with Bluetooth and was very aware of the shaky dongle.

That being said, there are quite a few mice out there that don’t have anywhere to store wireless dongles. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have lost dongles. The fact that the Seenda mouse has somewhere to store it is great, but it could come loose.

Three levels of DPI

The mouse only has three levels of DPI, and while the range is fine for a productivity and casual gaming mouse, it won’t suit serious gamers who will need higher sensitivity levels.

The three DPI levels are 1000/1600/2400, whereas our favorite ergonomic mouse, the Logitech MX Vertical, has a DPI of 400-4,000 that can be set in increments of 50 DPI, allowing you to fine-tune your DPI precisely. However, the Logitech is a lot more expensive at $99.

No left-handed version

Lefties are completely left out by Seenda in the design of the MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse. There is no left-handed version of this mouse, and because of the vertical design, it’s not like you can just remap the buttons and make do.

If you want a left-handed vertical mouse, check out the Contour Unimouse, which can be purchased in left-handed guise.

Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse: Verdict

I would recommend the Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse as a cheap and cheerful option for anyone who is working at their computer constantly. The mouse offers great wrist and forearm support, and is an addition to my workday that I never realised I needed.

The mouse has its caveats, though. This won’t be the best choice for gaming as there is very limited DPI adjustment. The lack of a left-handed model is an oversight, as even lefties need good wrist support, and the thumb grip could be better positioned so as not to accidentally hit the buttons on the side.

But the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. The long battery life means I don't have to worry about running out of juice, and I love being able to control my music’s volume from the mouse. This is a feature I used more than I realized I would, and now I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to a normal mouse.

A new version of Anker's Nano Charging Station (via AnkerInsider) is now available in the U.S. after popping up in Japan earlier this year.

The desktop charger features multiple AC outlets and USB ports and is listed as a 7-in-1, 100W power output. It features two retractable USB-C cables.

Of the seven outputs, three are AC outlets on the rear of the charging station. One side features two USB ports, a 100W USB-C and a 12W USB-A port.

There is one retractable USB-C cable on each side of the station that can extend up to 2.3 feet in length. Anker claims that it has tested these cables for over 18,000 pulls and bends, and that they should last for up to five years.

The 100W output can reportedly charge a MacBook Pro (M3) to 50% in 35 minutes or a MacBook Pro 14 (M4) to 50% in 30 minutes.

Anker's Nano station features a 1.3-inch LCD display with real-time charging information or the internal temperature of the device. The charger does come with active cooling technology that allegedly measures the temperature over 6,000,000 times daily.

The new Anker Nano Charging Station 7-in-1 is available from Amazon now at $89.99. It's only available in black, although a white variant is expected to launch in Japan at some point.

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• Anker expands power bank recall to include five more products — how to tell if your charger is affected
• Anker's new Soundcore P41i earbud case will charge more than just your earbuds
• Anker’s new Bluetooth speaker takes rugged design to a new level — and it's perfect for your next pool party

Some of the Amazon Prime Day deals have been crazy this year with a ton of products having their prices slashed by over 50%. The same is true for this already budget webcam by Logitech.

The Logitech C270 HD Webcam is currently available for $19 at Amazon. This is a massive 52% off it's usual $39 price tag. So, while this is a budget number anyway, at this price Amazon are basically handing it to you.

• Shop all Prime Day deals at Amazon

Picture this: you're about to join a team call but your screen is black and you camera has, for lack of a better phrase, gone kaput. Total nightmare and the exact situation that I found myself in.

Luckily for me though, I had picked up the Logitech C270 camera when I noticed the hinge area of my MacBook Pro getting stiff. I simply foresaw the issues between the screen and logic board.

I have to say, it has to be one of my best purchases as it totally saved me when I needed to get an important call with my camera on. With an incredibly easy set up, all I had to to was plug it in via USB and I was ready to go.

There is an adjustable clip on the back of the camera that fits most screens, and I was able to attach it to the thin screen of my MacBook as well as the thick screen of my PC monitor. This clip also folds away so you can simply stand the camera on a shelf.

Not only does it look cute, the webcam has a built-in noise reducing microphone that actually sounds better in recordings than the one built-in to my Mac. The auto light correction also works extremely well to deliver a balanced image, even when I have sat with a window directly behind me.

You'll also be glad to find out (as I was) that this webcam is compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. This means you can use GameChat to let other gamers see your face while playing multiplayer online.

Obviously the 720p image isn't as good as more expensive cameras that use 1080p, but as a back-up camera in a pinch, I seriously can't recommend this camera enough. $19 isn't going to break the bank, and for the sake of knowing you can definitely make that online call, it's well worth it.

• Shop all Prime Day deals at Amazon
• YETI sale: up to 25% off
• Prime for Young Adults: 50% off
• Amazon Haul: Adidas, Columbia, from $5
• Lego: deals from $8
• Carhartt sale: deals from $9
• Amazon devices: from $14
• Switch 2: games/accessories from $14
• Outdoor String Lights: just $21
• Samsonite: travel essentials from $31
• Ninja appliances: deals from $44
• TV sale: from $69
• Garmin: from $149

I used to think a universal adapter was just a minor travel inconvenience — one of those checklist items you grab at the airport kiosk and forget in your bag. That was until a failed charger in Barcelona forced me to beg for a café outlet during a Zoom call as my battery crawled toward 2%.

I’ll never forget the look from the barista as I scrambled to find a working plug, my laptop sliding off my lap, the hotspot overheating, and 15 minutes of presentation left to survive. That’s when I realized power is peace of mind, and I needed a better solution.

I found it in the TESSAN Voyager 205 Universal Travel Adapter — a name I hadn’t heard before, but one that quickly earned a permanent spot in my bag.

The setup: clean, compact, and actually thought through

Unboxing the TESSAN Voyager 205, I found premium tech's sleek, no-nonsense look. But it weighed less than I expected. At just 336g, it felt more like a power bank than an eight-device charger.

For the first time in years, I left my usual charger pouch at home — the one filled with international adapters, USB bricks, and backup plugs.

I packed it for a three-country sprint: Lisbon → Prague → Singapore. I didn’t pack any other power bricks. I didn’t need to.

Day-to-Day: What it's like living with it

The first time I appreciated the TESSAN Voyager 205 was at the airport. My seat had one outlet, and I had four devices in the red. Usually, that’s a panic moment. Instead, I pulled this thing out of my carry-on, plugged in my laptop, iPhone, iPad, and earbuds, and sipped coffee while watching four little battery icons turn green.

That became a pattern — coworking desks, Airbnbs with ancient wiring, and hotel rooms with hidden plugs. It always worked, stayed cool, and just… handled it.

At a coworking space in Lisbon, outlets were buried, hard to access, and barely working. However, TESSAN Voyager 205’s generous cable reach and outlet capacity made setup painless.

Later that week, in a Prague hostel lounge, I charged four devices from a single wall plug while others waited for their turn.

Its GaN (Gallium Nitride) core efficiently and quickly delivers up to 205 W total output with zero heat stress. I charged a MacBook Pro and Surface Laptop simultaneously and still had ports to spare. There was no lag, no resets. It just adapts, quietly doing its job while I do mine.

Moments that matter

Throughout the trip, there were small but telling moments when the TESSAN Voyager 205 quietly proved its value, each one reinforcing that I’d made the right call.

• In Prague, I powered my phone from 4% to 53% in under 30 minutes while editing video on my laptop, with zero slowdown.
• In Singapore, I shared the charger with my travel partner. We plugged in two laptops, two phones, and a portable fan. There was no fight for outlets, and there was no overheating.
• In Lisbon, the Airbnb had two working wall plugs. With the TESSAN Voyager 205, we used one and charged six things overnight.

It made me realize how much mental load disappears when power isn't a question mark. It’s not just a charger — it’s a workflow enabler.

What I loved

There’s a lot to appreciate when a piece of gear disappears into your routine in the best possible way. These are the things that stood out to me the most:

• Smart: plug in and forget it. Power adjusts automatically.
• Global: 200+ countries, no adapter guessing.
• Safe: 94V-0 fire-retardant build, stays cool.
• Light: replaces your bulky charger pouch, with no extra weight.

Where it could improve

No device is perfect, and while the TESSAN Voyager 205 impressed me in nearly every scenario, a few minor things are worth noting:

• Stiff prongs: adjust before boarding.
• No wireless charging—would’ve been a bonus.
• Price at $128, but 30% off makes it worthwhile.

Who it's for

If you’re wondering whether this is the right fit for your lifestyle, here’s who I think will get the most out of it:

• Remote workers and digital nomads who juggle laptops, tablets, phones, and accessories
• Couples or teams travelling together who need to charge a lot, fast
• Students, expats, or tech-heavy travellers tired of carrying different adapters
• Anyone who values simplicity and efficiency over fiddling with three chargers and a surge protector

Final Thoughts: This Charger Changed the Way I Travel

I didn’t expect to love a charger, but the TESSAN Voyager 205 quietly became the tech I now won’t travel without. It didn’t just make things easier—it removed friction from every part of my day, from meetings to long train rides.

If you’re building your travel kit for 2025, this should be included, right next to your passport, laptop, and noise-cancelling headphones. Period.

If you’ve been holding out on picking up a Mac mini M4, now is the perfect time to finally pull the trigger as not only is Apple’s smallest Mac yet on sale for Prime Day, so too are my must-have accessories to get the most out of it.

Right now, you can get the Mac mini M4 for just $499 at Amazon. That’s $100 off its normal price after you clip an additional coupon before adding it to your cart. However, if you need even more power, the Mac mini M4 Pro is $140 off and comes with 24GB of memory (instead of 16GB) and even more storage.

The Mac mini M4 is without a doubt one of the best mini PCs you can buy today, especially if you prefer macOS to Windows. Likewise, it’s a great starter Mac desktop for those looking to make the switch to macOS as well as for people that are just tired of having to charge one of the best MacBooks each night.

Compared to its predecessor, the Mac mini M4 is a big step up. Not only does it feature Apple’s M4 chips but the case has been redesigned from the ground up to be smaller and more compact at just 5 x 5 x 2 inches.

At the same time, you now get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front, which means you don’t have to reach around back to plug in a pair of wired headphones or to connect accessories to your Mac mini M4.

Around back, you now get three Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port and a gigabit Ethernet port. It’s worth noting that while the standard Mac mini M4 has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, the pro version features even faster Thunderbolt 5 ports instead.

Unfortunately though, the Mac mini M4 isn’t perfect. Apple still charges an arm and a leg for additional storage and you won’t be able to power on or off the device without lifting it up on its desk. Thankfully, my favorite Mac mini M4 accessory fixes my biggest gripes with Apple’s latest mini PC.

Docked and loaded

Compared to the Mac mini M2, the new Mac mini M4 is a much more capable mini PC thanks to its boosted RAM and faster M4 chip. However, by upgrading, you do miss out on USB-A ports as the latest Mac mini doesn’t have any at all. That’s where a hub like this one from Satechi can help.

Thanks to Prime Day savings, you can pick up a Satechi Mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand for just $79 at Amazon. This is $50 off its normal price and while still somewhat on the expensive side, I consider this hub an absolute must for the Mac mini M4.

Besides all those extra ports up front and the built-in SD card reader, when you flip the Satechi mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand over, there’s a small compartment where you can add an internal SSD. Apple still charges $200 each time you move up a tier from the Mac mini M4’s 256GB SSD. Want to add a 1TB SSD to your Mac mini M4? That will cost you an extra $400 on top of what you’re already paying.

With Satechi’s hub though, you can add any M.2 NVMe SSD to expand your Mac mini M4’s storage by up to 4TB. It’s worth noting that multiple SSD sizes including 2230, 2242, 2260 and 2280 are supported, so you don’t have to look for a particular size if you do decide to add more storage to your Mac mini M4.

Satechi seems to have thought of everything though as around back, there’s a cutout on the left side of the hub. With your Mac mini M4 docked in it, you can reach the device’s power button without having to lift it up off your desk.

Made for Mac but mechanical

Apple’s Magic Keyboards are certainly popular but they pale in comparison to the experience you get when typing on one of the best mechanical keyboards. Instead of feeling a rubber membrane beneath your keyboard’s keys, each key features its only mechanical switch for a more accurate and comfortable typing experience.

Once again, thanks to Prime Day, you can get the Satechi SM3 Slim Mechanical Keyboard for just $83 at Amazon right now. This full-sized keyboard features low-profile switches and comes in either a light gray/white or dark gray/gray color scheme to match the rest of your desk setup. It also has a sturdy aluminum case, so you don’t feel any flexing or bending while typing.

As for connectivity, Satechi’s SM3 mechanical keyboard can connect to your Mac mini M4 over Bluetooth, with the included 2.4 GHz USB dongle or with a USB cable plugged into the USB-C port around back. There you’ll also find a handy on/off switch which is great if you want to save battery life. However, with its built-in 2,500 mAh battery, you can get about 20 days worth of usage or 15 days with its backlight on. Oh yeah, did I mention it has white LED backlighting and shine-through keycaps?

There are 14 LED backlit patterns to choose from and you can turn down the SM3’s backlighting using the F5 and F6 keys right from the keyboard itself. This is also a very comfortable keyboard to use due to its flat keycaps and low-profile design which helps reduce fatigue while typing.

It’s worth noting that unlike with other mechanical keyboards, you don’t have a lot of options when it comes to which mechanical switches you want to use with the SM3.

The keyboard only comes with low-profile brown switches which I personally love. They aren’t clicky like blue switches and they don’t go straight down like red ones. Instead, brown switches have a nice tactile bump to let you know when a key is actuated. They’re great for both a home or office environment too as they aren’t loud unless you have a tendency to bottom out while typing.

If brown switches aren’t for you though, you’re going to want to look elsewhere as the SM3 isn’t a hot-swappable keyboard where you can change out its switches whenever you want. This is because its mechanical switches are soldered to the keyboard’s motherboard. You could still technically swap them out but that would require desoldering the brown ones, adding new switches and then soldering them.

I’ve been using Satechi’s SM3 mechanical keyboard with my Mac mini M4 since it was released and I haven’t had any issues yet. It’s a very comfortable keyboard and I like how I have all of the macOS-specific keys right at my fingertips. However, it does work on Windows and even on Chromebooks too.

A tiny powerhouse

With the extra ports and storage from Satechi’s hub and its SM3 keyboard connected, the Mac mini M4 instantly transforms from a great mini PC to a near perfect one. Even with the base model, I found it could handle my workload which involves having dozens of Chrome tabs open simultaneously while writing and editing.

If you’re thinking about picking up a Mac mini M4, I highly recommend getting these accessories with it. You’ll also need a mouse or, if you’re like me, a trackball mouse and one of the best monitors to complete your desk setup.

While it makes sense to choose a monitor with built-in speakers so you don’t have to buy a pair of the best computer speakers too, it’s worth noting that the Mac mini M4 does have a single speaker inside which should work in a pinch for listening to music, watching content online or even taking video calls.

I’ve wanted to switch back to using a Mac for years now but it wasn’t until the release of the Mac mini m4 that I finally did. The experience was almost perfect and I’m very impressed with Apple’s smallest Mac yet. However, once I added Satechi’s hub and keyboard to the mix, I was finally able to ditch my Windows PC for good.

Anker makes some of the best portable charging accessories you can buy, but the company is now issuing a swift recall of one of its most popular power banks due to potential fire hazards.

In fact, the company is recalling over a million units of the AnkerPower Core 10000 with the model number A1263 — pictured above. The company says the affected units were manufactured between January 1, 2016, and October 30, 2019, and sold between June 2016 and December 31, 2022.

The power banks were sold through the likes of Amazon, Newegg and eBay and if you own one, you should stop using it right away. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these batteries are at risk of overheating and causing a fire.

The commission says Anker has already received 19 reports of fires and explosions and two reports of minor burn injuries.

We often recommend Anker products here at Tom's Guide but this is the third product recall the firm has issued in recent memory. Last year, Anker issued two separate recalls for power banks and speakers due to fire risk. However, this one dwarfs those two.

According to the commission, a staggering 1,158,000 units are being recalled — making this one of the biggest accessory recalls in the U.S. due to a fire risk.

Anker is providing replacement power banks (a different model, the A1388 10,000mAh power bank) or a $30 gift card for affected units. You can find out if yours qualifies by locating the serial number at the bottom and letting the company know through its recall form here.

You'll need to provide proof of the purchase as well as a photo of the power bank with the serial number visible. Anker requests you submit a "photo of the recalled portable charger with the submission date and the word "recall" or "recalled" written on it in permanent marker."

Finally, if you do have an affected Anker 1623 power bank, please make sure you don't simply throw it in the trash. Your municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) collection center may accept this recalled lithium-ion battery or device for disposal.

As the commission explains: "Before taking your battery or device to a HHW collection center, contact it ahead of time and ask whether it accepts recalled lithium-ion batteries. If it does not, contact your municipality for further guidance.

"Consumers will also be required to confirm disposal of the power bank in accordance with applicable laws and regulations before receiving a replacement."

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Logitech has announced a brand new case/keyboard combo for the iPad Pro and iPad Air that could make you think twice about picking up that Magic Keyboard accessory.

The Logitech Flip Folio is the brand’s newest creation and comes in four different colors with compatibility for Apple’s 11- and 13-inch tablets.

The real draw of the Flip Folio is the full-size Bluetooth keyboard that attaches magnetically to the back of the case when you’re not using it. The keyboard has a compact design, but still offers full-size keys and is geared specifically for the iPad, with iPad OS function keys along the top.

It's like being able to stick a version of Logitech's Keys-to-Go 2 keyboard onto your iPad with you wherever you roam.

Although it’s not backlit, the keyboard boasts a two-year battery life and can pair with multiple devices, letting you switch quickly between your iPad and up to two other devices (like your phone — whether Android or iOS), via the three colored keys at the top. The Flip Folio case itself also has a small little lip at the crease of the fold, so when the cover is tucked backwards, you can position your iPad in portrait mode and still have space on the lip to rest your phone next to it.

The case is made from a minimum of 37% certified post-consumer recycled plastic while Logitech says the aluminium in the design is produced using “low-carbon processes”.

“We’ve designed Flip Folio to make the iPad experience both fun and functional, helping you stay focused on what matters,” said Joseph Mingori, GM of mobile and audio solutions at Logitech.

“Flip Folio enhances everyday experiences — from binge watching to checking your social media or emails — by delivering portability and connectivity.”

Price, colors and availability