Zendure A2 6700mAh Power Bank Review

The Zendure A2 power bank is something of a mini marvel. It's small size betrays a solid construction with a 6700mAh power reserve. You can expect to receive around 80% efficiency.

This Zendure looks tough which is thanks to its dual-moulding design and shock-absorbing capabilities. It is made from tough Polycarbonate material.

The Zendure has one USB output rated at 2.1A which means fast charging times, with enough juice to charge your phone between 2-3 times. However, Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology is not supported.

You can recharge the Zendure power bank in approximately 4 hours which is handy, and means less waiting time for you. The Zendure will also hold its charge for up to 6 months/180 days so you don't have to worry if you haven't re-charged it or used it for a while.

My favourite feature is that the Zendure supports pass-through charging which is an excellent feature. This allows you to charge the power bank at the same time you are recharging your phone.

The Zendure A2 has one button, very minimalist! It uses four LED lighting system to let you know how much power is left, each light represents quarter battery life.

The Zendure A2 automatically starts charging as soon as you plug your device in, which cuts down any work for you. Simply plug in and watch life seep back into your device. You don't have to do anything more!

The Zendure A2 is supplied with a soft carry pouch and a Micro-USB cable with reversible USB connector is included too. A better than average 18-month warranty is included if anything goes wrong.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Zendure A2 6700mAh Power Bank from Amazon

Lavazza Jolie Coffee Machine Review

If I could use one word to describe my first impression of the Lavazza Jolie Coffee Machine, it would be "compact". This coffee machine will suit those of you who are struggling for space in their kitchen. Put an oven glove on it, and the Jolie will be hidden from view!

The Lavazza Jolie is available in a variety of colours, including blue, green, red and white. The colours are fun and vibrant, and you can either match it to your existing decor or add a splash of colour around the kitchen and brighten it up.

Lavazza Jolie Design and Features

This little Lavazza coffee machine is well designed. It seems obvious that someone at Lavazza gave some thought to the design before production went ahead. The internal compartment has two parts, there is a container and a drainer and which are independent of each other. This allows you to throw liquid from the used capsules into the sink, then throw the used pods into the bin. This is quite helpful as I hate the idea of a soggy bin.

The cup platform can also be removed so you can use larger cups and mugs too.

The Lavazza Jolie has one button that has multi-functions depending on what you want it to do. It can be used to switch the coffee machine on/off, or start/stop dispensing. There is an opening into which you can drop your capsules too.  The chrome bar can be rotated to lock the capsules securely into place and to release it after its been used.

There is a 600ml water tank at the rear of the coffee machine which is just the right size for the Jolie. Another feature is that after 9 minutes of non-usage, the Lavazza Jolie  coffee machine will shut itself down automatically.

Using the Jolie Coffee Machine

The Jolie is easy to fill with water and doesn't take long at all due to the small 600ml tank and the fact that the lid can be detached to make it even easier to fill.

Drop an A Modo Mio coffee pod into the shaped recess at the top, rotate the chrome bar forward to lock the pod into place. The Jolie will reach optimal coffee making temperature in approximately 15 seconds.

The Lavazza Jolie will dispense around 150ml of coffee in one go. It is not the quickest machine at dispensing and seems quite slow. Once this is done, rotate the chrome bar backwards, and this will release and drop the capsule into the internal bin.

Make no mistake, the Lavazza Jolie makes an incredible cup of coffee in my view. I loved the aromatic and inviting coffee it brewed. However, the lack of a preset in dispensing coffee means that you have to work out how much you need to get that espresso just right if you have an acquired taste.

Summary

The Jolie does not have a milk function and the milk needs to be frothed separately. However, this is a beautifully simple coffee machine, and makes a gorgeous cup of coffee with the supplied pods.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Lavazza Jolie Coffee Machine from Amazon

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor Review

There are a wide range of baby monitors available, including baby monitors that have added extras like music to soothe your baby. However, this Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature monitor is back-to-basics and is aimed at those that want a monitor that will simply monitor their baby, without sacrificing quality or essential features.

The Tommee Tippee monitor is easy to set up. It's simply a case of plug in and away you go. The different settings are clearly marked and is not taxing by any means.

Tommee Tippee Digital Monitor

The Tommee Tippee Digital Monitor is equipped with a 3 inch colour screen on the parental unit. The images are very clear and you can see exactly what is happening. However, after 20 seconds or so, the screen will switch itself off and come back to life as soon as anything is detected. I quite like this feature, as you don’t have to constantly view the screen to see if there is any change.  There is also a two-way communication function so you can reassure your baby to make them feel safe through the sound of your voice. Another handy feature is the inclusion of a room thermometer, so you can keep a track of room temperature to ensure that it is neither too hot nor too cold.

Tommee Tippee Camera Unit

The camera unit (which is what you put in your baby's room) has an infrared night vision camera (with a zoom function too), and the lens can be adjusted to get the viewing angle just right for you. There is also a night light that can be controlled and adjusted to provide different levels of brightness.

I loved the fact that the unit only sends out noises to the monitor when there is actually a noise to broadcast. This means that it isn’t constantly broadcasting "white noise".

Sensor Pad

A movement sensor pad is also included, and which can be placed between the cot and the mattress. This allows you to monitor the baby's movement and breathing. If there is no movement detected for 20 seconds, then an alarm will sound on the parental unit to alert you to go check your baby. It’s an additional feature, and you don't have to use it if you don’t want to.

In normal use, the battery lasts for just over 8 hours. Tommee Tippee have even gone that extra step to ensure that the camera unit will still function when there is no plug socket nearby. So if you find yourself in a fix, you can just use 4 AA batteries to power up the camera unit.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor from Amazon

Rhino Fruit Infuser Water Bottle Review

Drinking water and keeping hydrated has a huge impact on your health. It's often said that most people don't drink enough water, and I am guilty of that too. Sometimes, I need a reminder as to why drinking water is important.

Rhino Water Bottle Colours

This brings me to the Rhino Fruit Infuser Water Bottle. The first thing that struck me are the vibrant colours. The words that came to my mind were "zesty yellow" and "tangy orange". I don't think that's what they are named, but the yellow bottle just seemed to be screaming for a fresh lemon slice to go with it! Other colours include blue, green, red and grey.

Rhino Design

The Rhino Infuser holds up to 650ml of your favourite cold drink. It is not designed for hot drinks.

Here is a fun fact for you: Rhino's need a lot of water for hydration and to cool themselves. A Rhino's territory will always contain water. I think that's where the reference to the Rhino logo on the bottle comes in.

The bottle itself has a frosted effect with the bottom area (where you put the fruit) is see-through. This is quite handy as it allows you to see the goodness of your favourite fruit infusing the water, and makes water more appealing to drink. You can see the goodness seeping through, and knowing that it's healthy and not infused with any added chemicals or calories. It will save you money too as you don't have to pay for expensive flavoured water anymore. The water bottle is finished off with a chromed lid and a coloured carry handle that matches the colour of the bottle. It's a very stylish bottle and well designed bottle.

Using the Rhino Infuser Water Bottle

You just put your favourite fruit in the bottom compartment, screw the section back on. The more you screw the top section, the greater the infusion into the water. It's simple, effective and lets you control how much extra "zing" you want!

At first glance, it seems like there are too many parts, but once you've used it, there is nothing to fear. It really is leak-proof. I even gave it a few shakes to make sure it didn't leak.

The water bottle has a wide mouth which is easy to drink from, and even allows for some ice to be dropped in on an especially hot day. However, if you prefer a spout/sports top, which is handy when you're out and about and doing physical exercise, then this bottle may not be for you.

The plastic is BPA free, and is easy to clean and re-usable. It is dishwasher safe too.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Rhino Fruit Infuser Water Bottle from Amazon

Vax Air Cordless Switch H85-AC21-B Review

The Vax Air Cordless Switch is a lightweight vacuum that weighs in at an incredibly low 3.8kg. The Switch definitely makes an impression of a quick clean up tool, even Vax themselves describe it as "perfect for any quick pick-up around the home".

The Switch offers you the versatility of switching between upright cleaning, or as a handheld by un-clipping the main body, hence the name I think. It's a handy feature as you can whip out the handheld tool to vacuum up those pesky little spills or even take it with you to give the car a quick clean up.

The LithiumLife battery clips to the rear of the motor housing, and is not heavy at all - which makes the Vac Switch very easy to handle. The battery promises 15 minutes-20 minutes cleaning time on a single charge. Here's a random fact for you: apparently 43% of people globally spend less than 30 minutes vacuuming (Source: Vacuum trends from across the globe). The battery can be recharged through the charger dock. However, my main concern is the 10 hours it takes to charge the battery fully from flat - That's a long time and in practise it means an overnight charge to have it ready to go the next day.

The main head has LED headlights to help you see in those dark areas around your home. There is a removable brush bar for easy cleaning and a crevice tool(for getting into those corners and awkward areas) and charger dock (for recharging the battery).

Vac Cordless Switch Cleaning Action

The Switch benefits from what Vax calls WindTunnel2 technology that provides two channels of suction for powerful cleaning to help you remove deep down dirt across both hard floor and carpets.

In use, the Switch is surprising effective at picking up debris. The rotating brush is quite effective at loosening dirt within the fibres of the carpet, and then swallowing it inside its tummy to leave your carpet much cleaner. However, I found that on areas near the skirting, especially where the floor is uneven, it needs a little more work before it will get the area spotlessly clean.

The Vax Air H85-AC21 is quite effective on hard floors. You can switch off the rotating brush bar (from the handle) and it will pick up dust and debris to leave your hard floor so much cleaner.

You can unclip the vacuum to make it into a handheld tool. When you do this, there is a noticeable loss in suction (when compared to it being a normal vacuum). However, it is more than adequate for cleaning up light dirt and spills and is light and easy to use.

The one thing to bear in mind with the Vax Switch is the tiny bin, it's only has a capacity of 0.35 lites, which means frequent emptying.

Summary

The Vax Air Cordless Switch H85-AC21-B (it's full name) is more a handy tool to help you dust and clean quickly and offers incredible versatility and handling due to its low weight. However, I don't think it can replace a "proper" vacuum on a full time basis, but will gladly work alongside another vacuum to keep your house clean and tidy.

Quirky Queen Verdict

Buy Vax Air Cordless Switch from Amazon

Nutri Ninja Personal Blender BL450 Review

With all the pressures of work and a hectic home and social life, it can be hard to eat healthy, and even more so to get more fruit and vegetables into your diet.

This is where the Nutri Ninja BL450UK steps in, as it offers you a way to pack more vitamins and minerals into your diet by making drinkable smoothies with less hassle.

The Nutri Ninja promises to blend all of your chosen fruit and vegetable, including those bits that you can't use in a juicer. It means more fibre, vitamins and minerals in every sip.

Nutri Ninja Design

The Ninja has quite a small footprint and looks tiny and compact, like a little ninja waiting in the shadows to shred all manner of fruits and veg into pieces! It will easily hide under most cupboards even with the cup on it.

There are 2 cups included: 500ml or 650ml, 2 resealable lids and a single extractor blade. There is a handy recipe book so you can experiment with new flavours and different ideas if you need any inspiration. Don't forget to add water to each blend as its not really made for dry blending.

A big selling point is that the only parts you need to clean are the blade, cup and lid, which is helpful and means you don't have to spend too much time on cleaning. Although everything is dishwasher safe, do remember that the included cups are not microwave safe.

Using the Ninja BL450

The BL450UK is extremely easy to use, there are no buttons for a start. Once you've filled the cup, and put the lid, all you have to do is put the cup into the base, turn it clockwise and push down, this automatically starts the blending at a speed of 21,000rpm - super easy! You have to keep it pressed down to keep the 900w motor running, and once you take the pressure off - the Ninja knows it's time to stop. If you keep taking the pressure off and re-applying it - you get a pulsing motion.

If the Ninja gets too warm it will stop itself from overheating. I found that normally by around 45 seconds or so, there is something ready to drink if you're using easy blendable ingredients like bananas, berries, spinach that sort of things. However, it was obvious that the longer you blended your recipe the smoother it was - too little blending time meant small noticeable chunks! Some fruits and vegetables will take longer to blend.

This is not a quiet Ninja by any standards like the name suggests, it is loud and makes some noise whilst it's working!

Summary

The Nutri Ninja is small and easy to use. If you want a starter to blender to get you going with all those healthy recipes you have then it's just right. It can be used for desserts, soups, dips, dressings, marinades and even meals so it does offer you a range of uses too.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Nutri Ninja BL450 from Amazon

Techsixtyfour Gator GPS Kids Watch Review

The Gator Watch is an interesting idea, it allows for two-way telephone calls and real-time GPS location tracking. Its an alternative to buying your child a mobile phone without the associated baggage of mobile safety, cost and expensive call-plans.

Gator Watch Design 

The Gator Watch is available in a range of colours including black, blue and pink. It has a rubber body and rubber strap, and it is a large watch compared to normal kiddie watches. It definitely has a chunky look to it.  There are a number of buttons on the side with a large LCD display. There is a small charger socket on the rear of the watch too.

The Gator Watch has a dedicated app that allows the user to set up and manage the watch.

Gator Watch Features

The Gator watch has a built-in GPS tracker and a mobile Sim card that allows it to use EE, O2 and Vodafone to get the strongest signal.

The dedicated app (that you download on your iPhone or Android) allows you to programme the watch to call and receive calls from up to 10 numbers. It's a handy feature, that offers reassurance that only safe numbers are allowed through.

Making a call is easy - your child doesn't need to remember any number. By simply scrolling up and down and long pressing the button will allow your child to make a call.

Receiving a call is simple too - just press a button and start talking into the watch. Its fun - super spy style! The built in speaker and microphone do their respective jobs well - and it works.

There is no text/SMS support. However, you do get 60 minutes of outgoing calls from the watch with unlimited calls to the watch. However, bear in mind that there is a £9 per month subscription charge to keep it running (12 months contract) or £11 if you opt for a rolling contract.

GPS Tracking

The Gator Watch app can track the watch and it's wearer on your phone. Once setup, it allows you to track your children or be alerted when they walk a certain distance away from you.

The app will store live data including plotting exactly where your child has been as long as there is a battery and signal. Anything out of the ordinary, and you will know.

Watch Battery

The watch battery can last up to 4 days. However, calls and GPS tracking does use up battery and the more it is used, the quicker the battery will drain and so will need recharging more often. So either you or your child will need to remember to charge it otherwise it won't be of much use.

No Frills

The Gator GPS watch does not offer any added extras like games or gimmicks that will keep your child amused or at the very least give them an incentive to keep the watch charged and with them. If your child falls out of love with it, then you may find its an uphill struggle to convince them to take it with them.

Summary

The Gator Watch is a great little tool that genuinely offers some much needed peace-of-mind for a parent and allows you to communicate with your child when they are out without the need to invest in a mobile phone. The GPS tracking can be a life saver. However, it is only effective if your child actually wears it and keeps it charged, and this is a hurdle that you will have to overcome with the help of your child. You can find out more about the Gator watch from Techsixtyfour.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Techsixtyfour Gator GPS Kids Watch from Amazon

Roku 2 Media Player Review

The Roku 2 (2016 Edition) aims to turn your TV into a smart TV by offering an easy way to watch online TV, video and games. It supports both Netflix and Amazon Prime for starters which should keep you busy for a while. In addition, major catch-up TV services from BBC and the like are supported too.

The Roku 2 is not a expensive device, and it's cheaper price does make it more appealing especially if you just want a streaming device that allows you to watch a wide variety of TV from a range of online services. Even the kids are catered for, with dedicated kiddie apps like Hopster and Baby TV to keep the toddlers entertained.

Excellent Menus and Search System

The ROKU 2 offers an excellent and easy to navigate menu, and you can search by title, actor or even genre. This makes it extremely simple to find exactly what you want to watch. There is also a downloadable app that lets you control the Roku 2 in case the remote control is just too far way or misplaced somewhere around the house.

With the nifty My Feed feature you can mark upcoming movies and TV shows, and the little Roku will alert you when they become available for you to watch. The micro SD card support offers more space for you to store your favourite TV shows and movies too. It's a definite plus point.

Roku Shortcomings

The Roku 2 does not offer a motion enabled remote control (for gaming) like Roku 3 does. There is also no headphone jack or HDMI cable included.

With Siri and Alexa showing off their audio abilities, it is a bit poor that there is no voice search functionality supported by Roku. Although, the suspicion is that the absence is reflected in the price.

Read more on the Roku 2

I would highly recommend reading up on all the features of the Roku 2 on the official Roku website as you can see the range of channels which are included, it is definitely a case of content is king.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Roku 2 from Amazon

Philips ADR810 Car Driving Recorder Dash Cam Review

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for on-board cameras by motorists due to the "Crash for Cash" culture and dodgy insurance claims.

The benefits for having recorded video footage of a bump is self evident. As technology advanced, small cameras with high quality video recording facilities appeared on the market to meet the needs of everyday law abiding citizens.

I found it quite difficult to know what features to look for, apart from the obvious - that it should record! There is so much choice, differing prices and some unknown brands mixed in as well, and it soon becomes a bit of a nightmare finding the right dash cam for you.

Say hello to the Philips ADR810 Dash Cam

Philips is a well know electronic giant and has been around longer than I have been alive - so that's a good start. Throw in the solid, reliable reputation and we now have a very good start.

The Philips ADR810 is quite light which surprised me and weighs in at just 83g. It seems well-made and I didn't think it feels "tacky" at all. It felt "industrial" like it has a job to do and it was here to do it without minimal fuss.

What the Philips ADR810 offers

The notable features include full HD recordings at 30 fps (frames per second), a super wide angle 156 degree lens - so that it can see much more of the road in front and at the sides.

There is a swivel mount with an adhesive pad so once you have attached it to the windscreen, you can remove the camera and the mount still stays in place the next time you want to use it. There is also a handy spare in case you have a little accident.

A lead is included with a mini USB at one end and a cigarette socket plug on the other and its quite long, roughly 4 metres so you can hide it around areas in the car to make the installation look neat and tidy.

The ADR810 has an on/off switch, HDMI out and a micro SD slot. I was disappointed that a micro SD card is not included which delays the process of getting started unless you have a spare one in the house. They are not expensive but it just seems like penny-pinching, and for a big company like Philips it should have been included to enhance the customer experience. The Philips Dash Cam will support any size from 8GB to 32GB.

The Philips ADR810 offers continuous recording by overwriting older data. This is why a higher capacity card will be beneficial as you can store more data before it is overwritten. To put this into perspective, a 16GB micro SD card can hold approximately 200 minutes of HD video.

The 2.7" LCD screen is bright and easy to read and has and up/down arrows and an OK button which you use with the on-screen instructions. There is also and easy capture button in an emergency. When you press this, the ADR810 will include the previous 30 seconds and protect it. You can do the same thing by pressing the small button on the cigarette socket plug which is much more easier and natural in my opinion.

Emergency Recording 

The most important feature is that the ADR810 can record details of an accident through a "G-sensor". It's to do with forces, so if your vehicle abruptly stops or is involved in a crash then the Dash cam will pick up the resulting force of the crash and records the incident. The sensitivity can be adjusted too so you can increase/lower it depending on your driving manner and false alarms. The end result is that the footage will be time-stamped and you can also view it at the scene to see exactly what happened.

The Philips Dash Cam also records your journey times and provide both visual and audible alerts to remind you to take a break when you've been driving too long and may be tiring.

Cons

As the ADR810 has no internal battery, it won't work if the engine is switched off.

Although it stores the date/time/settings for up to 5 days, it will lose this data if you come back to it after this time during which it was not used, so you will have to do it all over again.

The audio quality is not very good although this isn't a deal breaker for a video recording device, it is something to be aware of.

There is no GPS facility but I feel that if this was included, the price will have been increased to reflect this.

Summary

In summary, the Philips ADR810 Dash Cam is small and unobtrusive. It is extremely easy to use with simple controls. Most of the settings are set by default, but can be tweaked to personalise it just for you. The video quality is very very good even in low light which is just astounding for the price point (even more so when you shop around and get the best price).

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Philips ADR810 Car Driving Recorder Dash Cam from Amazon

Fitbit Charge 2 Activity Tracker and Heart Rate Monitor Review

I'm slightly shocked at how much I thought of the Fitbit. It certainly made me realise that I wasn't as much of a couch potato as I imagined

I was surprised to learn that I clocked up some astounding number of steps, nearly 12000 steps or so, which I was quite proud of. Although, I will happily admit that on some days I did feel like I should have done more as the number of steps compared to that figure were quite low and it made me feel that I should get up and go for a walk just to make myself feel that little bit healthier.

The Fitbit Charge 2 is quite striking and I love the minimalist yet functional and slightly rugged look. It doesn't feel like a big blob of technology sat on my wrist and doesn't feel out of place with my outfits.

The Fitstar Personal Trainer App

The Fitstar Personal Trainer app helps you maintain your fitness levels wherever you are. It's actually quite simple to follow with helpful videos to help you progress too. It's almost like a gentle reminder that wants to hold your hand and help you get a little healthier one step at a time.

The Fitstar app can be personalised to meet your fitness levels and match your strength and stamina levels. It allows you to adjust the routine if you're having a bad day and feel like taking it easy, or go full pelt if you have energy to burn on any given day!

A closer look at the Fitbit Charge 2

The Charge 2 has a slightly larger screen than previously, with an OLED display and the customary touchscreen technology. It's very easy to read which is definitely a big plus point. There is a button on the side that can be pressed to show your hear rate - which is quite addictive. I found myself checking my heart rate quite a few times in the day at random moments! The Fitbit Charge 2 also displays calories burnt and steps taken.

The band itself is elastomer which is like rubber (I think) and is nice and soft and not uncomfortable at all. You can also wear it to bed, and this is somewhat encouraged. Although, I feel this is quite a personal preference as to whether you would decide to wear it to bed or not. If you do, the Charge 2 will even monitor your sleeping patterns which is quite interesting.

The Fitbit Charge 2 isn't water proof which is not ideal so don't be wearing it whilst swimming or even when you are having a bubble bath! It is water resistant to some extent so it should be able to withstand a jog in the rain.

The ideal steps on any given day is the magic 10,000 number. When I exceeded it, I did feel smug and satisfied and oh-so-healthy. Although, some days I felt disappointed, and even tried to do a few more extra steps just to feel a little better. In this regard, it sort of does encourage you do that little bit extra which is sort of the point I think. You can also change the 10,000 step goal number to whatever number you like as well to make it more personal to you.

Finally, the Guided Breathing feature is quite fun. The Fitbit will track your heart rate for 30 seconds or so and then sets you a breathing challenge, and you have to see if you can do what you're being told.

Quirky Queen Verdict:

Buy Fitbit Charge 2 from Amazon