A portable speaker that hasn’t sacrificed quality whatsoever, the JBL Flip 5 Portable is one of the best portable speakers on the market at the moment.JBL’s Flip speakers have always been renowned for their solid, durable structure, and the Flip 5 most definitely carries on that theme. It is completely waterproof with IPX7 water resistance, meaning it is perfect for those shower-singers and those soggy camping trips. If you don’t already have a Bluetooth speaker and are looking for an affordable speaker that can take some knocking around on your next adventure, the JBL Flip 5 is worth it. Its waterproof fabric, quality sound, decent battery life and its portable size makes it a great option for anyone and everyone.

 

Tronsmart T6 Plus Bluetooth 5.0, 40W Portable Outdoor Wireless Speaker

The T6 Plus is a cylindrical portable speaker with high-performance Bluetooth and up to 40W of power output. This speaker is also very durable, with IPX6 water resistance to withstand heavy splashes. Although you might not be able to leave the Tronsmart T6 Plus completely submerged in water, it will take on heavy splashes without issue. Put it like this, if mid-picnic disaster strikes and the heavens open, you won’t need to scurry over and save your Tronsmart.

 

Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Anker SoundCore 2, an affordable, durable Bluetooth speaker is proof that you don’t need to spend outrageous amounts of money to get robust-sounding audio.

For around £30, the SoundCore 2 gives you a sensational 24 hours of battery life, a strong and water-resistant body, and a much better sound than your phone’s speaker to say the least. While it doesn’t quite match up against other speakers in the category in terms of audio performance and quality, the Anker SoundCore 2 is a no-brainer when it comes to finding an affordable speaker that does the job.

 

Tronsmart Force 2 Bluetooth Portable Speaker

With the Tronsmart Force 2, you get a sturdy speaker equipped with an IPX7 waterproof design. At less than half a kilogram, it’s lightweight enough to carry almost anywhere. You also get very good performance from the 30-watt speakers, providing rich stereo audio with decent quality across the whole sound spectrum. It’s safe to say that it is not often to get audio this full at this size. To add, you get a healthy amount of battery, as well as the nifty ability to connect up to 100 speakers, making the Force 2 suitable for both very large and very small applications.

 

Bose SoundLinkColor II

If you’re looking for sound quality, Bose is usually one of the best. So, what if I told you there’s a Bose portable speaker that is durable enough to take with you on your next hike? The £130 SoundLinkColor II is the company’s only splash-proof speaker in their entire range that can stand up to the elements with an IPX4 rating. 

Crafting a speaker to be used outdoors always requires a compromise between size, weatherproofing, battery life and form factor. Thankfully, however, the Bose SoundLinkColor II compromises very little for good sound and, while it’s not perfect, it’s still a great choice for those looking for a wireless speaker to use at the beach or on a hike. 

 

GAMING

Razer Huntsman Elite Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Opto-Mechanical Key

The Razer Huntsman Elite is a sensational full-size mechanical gaming keyboard. Similar to its smaller siblings in the Razer Huntsman family, it’s compatible with Clicky Optical (Purple) or Linear Optical (Red) switches. The unit’s Red switches provide light and responsive typing experience; although some may find them too sensitive leading to more typos than usual, this is mainly personal preference on what feels best for your own fingers.

The build quality is excellent, with dedicated media controls in addition to stunning full RGB backlighting that has under glow LEDs on the keyboard and the wrist rest. All keys are macro-programmable and even the volume dial can be reassigned and configured.

 

Xbox Elite Controller Series 2

The successor of the original Xbox Elite Controller, the Elite Series 2 is a refined version of the original, with upgraded components giving you an extremely high-quality gaming feel. The handgrips now wrap around to the front, giving your palms more grip for those intense battles.

Switch on the quick triggers at the back of the controller to half the pressure needed to activate an RT or LT input. This controller is a must for the more hardcore gamer, with 4 configurable paddles on the back, allowing you to assign buttons to the paddles to make it easier and quicker for you to do input. Although these paddles are annoying at first, once you get used to them, there is no doubt that you have an advantage.

 

HyperX HX-HSCA-RD Cloud Alpha – Gaming Headset

The HyperX Cloud Alpha are a solid wired gaming headphone option. They have a well-balanced sound profile, although they’re quite susceptible to fit, seal, and positioning, so this may vary. Appearance-wise, the Cloud Alphaisrelatively similar to the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II and it matches up to the Cloud IIin comfortability, with well-padded ear cups and a flexible headband that doesn’t suffocate your head.

The Cloud Alpha looks and feelspremium, with it being well-built to have a detachable mic allowing the option of these headphones being used purely for music on a daily basis. Although they are not noise cancelling and don’t block much background noise, the Cloud Alpha is definitely a good option, especially at its price of around £63 which is nothing but a for a HyperX headset.

Nintendo Switch OLED

The Nintendo Switch OLED is a pleasant upgrade from the original Switch, with many issues from the original being ironed out and refined. Of course, the most noticeable improvement is the brand new 7-inch OLED screen. The fresh Switch is equipped with enhanced speakers, a larger kickback stand that now stretches across the entire rear of the unit and slimmed-down bezels to give it a premium look and feel. Although you are paying a few quid extra, with the OLED being available for around £309 compared to the original Switch at £249, it is a clear upgrade from the original Switch and probably worth the extra cash.

Venom PS5 Controller Twin Docking Station

This handy docking station allows you to simply rest your controller on the designated port, skipping out the frustrating and fiddly wires from the equation. Its LED charge indicator glows red when charging, before turning blue when fully powered, making it clear when your controller is fully charged. You can simultaneously charge two controllers, so if one controller runs out you can simply switch it with your spare and keep on playing.

 

HOME TECH

WiMiUS K1 8000 Lumen Video Projector 

A sturdy but stylish number, the Wimius K1 is an affordable but great choice for those family movie nights. Its light feel but tough shell makes it a perfect build for a portable projector, with it coming in a bag that you can store and carry your projector in. Although it requires a significant amount of darkness to operate, its simple set-up and high quality more than makes up for the lack of daytime watchability. On top of all that, it is only £75, making it a good option for when you need a projector.

 

Echo Dot 4th Generation

Sony Xperia 5 III

Immerse yourself in the Christmas action with the Xperia 5 III. Great for multitasking and thanks to its sleek and compact design, the Xperia 5 III will allow you to battle cooking the infamous Christmas dinner while simultaneously streaming music, movies or perhaps hints and tips from cooking experts on its beautiful 120hz FHD+ HDR display.

Sony has done much to hype the 4K, 120Hz panel on the Xperia 1 III, and while the 5 III doesn’t quite match that resolution, on this smaller scale it doesn’t really need to.The 6.1in display on this phoneplays at 1080 x 2520, which at this size is still enough. It’s a solid option if a compact phone is what your after, but keep in mind, the camera is a little tough to master.

 

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest phone in the lineup with a massive, 6.7″ screen that for the first time in an iPhone comes with a 120Hz ProMotion display that ensures super smooth scrolling. The benefit of such a gigantic phone is that it also comes with the biggest battery of all iPhone 13 series. Apple also introduces improvements to all three cameras on the Pro Max, the wide, ultra-wide and telephoto zoom ones, but there is no periscope style long-range zoom like on many Android phones.

Overall, the latest iPhone has not failed to deliver, with an extremely high-quality interface, sleek but simple iconic iPhone design and improvements on size, camera and smoothness, I see little reason to not go for this, that is if you can fit it in your budget.

 

STM Goods ChargeTree Swing

A great gift for that one friend or family member who owns as much tech as possible, the ChargeTree Swing wirelessly charges three devices simultaneously. With space for wireless phone charging, AirPods / AirPods Pro and Apple Watch, the ChargeTree Swing takes up minimal space on a desk or nightstand, meaning you can prop your devices on this device with almost no effort at all.

The added feature of the Swing ‘arm’ allows your Apple Watch face to be visible in nightstand mode whilst charging and means the arm can be swung neatly away when not in use. A handy feature that many other similar devices don’t think about including.

Check out our review of the Charge Tree

 

JOBY PodZilla

Any wannabe YouTubers put there? This simple but effective piece of kit could be right up your street. The PodZilla is a versatile tripod that is flexible enough to allow you to get the trickier shots that you want. Each leg is built with a durable aluminium core covered in grippy rubber, which is good for things such as recording your football match, as no doubt the tripod will be knocked around a bit.

The PodZilla is specifically designed for cameras and other accessories with a ¼” mount and can hold up to 2.5kg. The screw knob on the ball head and built-in bubble level lets the user fine-tune the positioning to get a perfectly level surface, maintaining a steady shot. Although this isn’t the most professional tripod out there, for around £35, it does the job and saves you money when compared to the fancier professional tripods.

 

MagSafe Suction Mount

An interesting take on a phone charging station, the MagSafe Suction Mount takes a whole new view on how you charge your phone. The powerful magnetic connection means you can be confident your phone will stay exactly where you’ve put it whether your battery is dropping midway through baking, or you need some extra charge in the car.

The charger head is adjustable so you can view your phone at whatever angle suits you best, allowing you to use your phone, to an extent, whilst it charges. Although it may be more faff compared to a conventional charger, why not give this cooler and fancier way of charging a go?