Buying Guides Archives - Page 2 of 3

May 15, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Home Printer UK 2026: Laser Beats Ink, Every Time

Last updated: 15 May 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Affiliate disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend kit we would put on our own desks.

Printers are the one piece of tech that has somehow got worse over the past 20 years. They jam, they run out of ink the moment you need them, and they cost more per millilitre than vintage champagne. So when we set out to find the best home printer UK buyers can actually live with in 2026, we started from a position of mild rage and worked outwards.

Here is the short version. For most homes the best home printer UK answer is a small Brother mono laser. It is boring, reliable, cheap to run, and the toner never dries out. If you genuinely need colour at home, skip ink cartridges entirely and buy a refillable ink tank such as an Epson EcoTank or a Canon PIXMA MegaTank. That is the whole guide in two sentences. The rest is the working.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Home office, Smart Home, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: AirPrint, best printer 2026, Brother printer, Canon PIXMA, Epson EcoTank, home office, home printer, laser printer, refillable ink, UK printer guide

May 11, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Portable Speakers UK 2026: 12 We’d Actually Buy

Last updated: 11 May 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Long before the AirPods era, before Sonos was on every shelf, before "Bluetooth speaker" stopped sounding faintly novel, there was the Jawbone Jambox. We had one of the original models knocking around for years. Tiny, weirdly heavy, sounded like a pocket-sized rock concert, and felt like the future. Then Jawbone went bust, the Jambox died, and the entire portable speaker world quietly got a lot better. So in this guide to the best portable speakers UK shoppers can buy in 2026, we're rounding up the speakers we'd happily replace that old Jambox with today.

A good portable speaker turns a garden into a festival, a kitchen into a club, and a park meet-up into something worth staying for. A bad one sounds like music playing inside a tin can from three rooms away. Here's how to pick the right one without overpaying.

This guide contains affiliate links. If you buy through our links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Smart Home, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: audio, Bang and Olufsen, best portable speakers, bluetooth speakers, Bose, JBL, Marshall, portable speakers, smart home, Sonos

May 8, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Ethical Phone Cases UK 2026: Compostable, Recycled & Built To Last

Last updated: 8 May 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Your phone case is the thing you touch more than almost any other object you own. It's also one of the most frequently replaced accessories on the planet, and most end up in landfill within 18 months. The best ethical phone cases don't have to follow that script. We've tried cheap Amazon eco cases that fell apart in weeks, and we've tried premium ones that lasted years. The price difference is usually about a tenner. That tenner buys you a case that actually protects your phone and doesn't end up as microplastic in the ocean.

So we set ourselves a simple test. Does it look good? Does it protect the phone? And can we actually verify the sustainability claims? If a case ticks all three, it earns a spot on the list.

Some links in this guide are affiliate links. This costs you nothing extra, and it helps support the site.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Gift Guides, Technology lover

Tags: agood company, Casetify, compostable phone cases, eco phone cases, ethical phone cases, Fairphone case, Gomi, Native Union, Otterbox, Pela case, recycled phone cases, sustainable phone cases, sustainable tech, Wave Case, Woodcessories

May 2, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Wireless Earbuds UK 2026: Honest Buying Guide

Last updated: 2 May 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

The best wireless earbuds UK shoppers can buy in 2026 are better than ever, and the gap between cheap and flagship has narrowed dramatically. Truly wireless earbuds are the one gadget almost everyone owns and almost everyone settles for. You buy whichever pair is on offer, they're fine for six months, then one bud dies and you start the cycle again. This guide is about breaking that pattern: buy the right pair once and enjoy them for years.

We've split our picks by budget and use case, from the £49 bargains that punch absurdly above their weight to the £250 flagships that earn every penny. Plus a few honest words about durability, ecosystems and whether you actually need ANC.

This guide contains affiliate links. If you buy through our links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Published by Stiv in Audiophiles, Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Reviews

Tags: AirPods Pro 3, ANC earbuds, Beats, best wireless earbuds, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, consumer tech, earbuds UK, gym earbuds, noise cancelling earbuds, Nothing Ear, Pixel Buds Pro, Powerbeats Pro 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM6, Soundcore, wireless earbuds

May 2, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Refurbished MacBooks UK 2026: Models, Prices, Tips

Last updated: 2 May 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

A new MacBook Air starts at over £1,000. A refurbished M2 Air with the same performance costs under £700. Same laptop, same build quality, same Apple silicon. The only difference is that someone opened the box before you. Here is our hands-on guide to the best refurbished MacBooks UK buyers can actually trust in 2026, which models are worth your money, and where to get the best deal.

Some links in this guide are affiliate or referral links. This costs you nothing extra and helps support the site.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Technology lover

Tags: Apple Refurbished Store, Back Market, MacBook Air, MacBook M1, MacBook M2, MacBook M3, MacBook Pro, refurbished laptops UK, refurbished MacBooks, refurbished tech uk

April 28, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Phone for Every Budget UK 2026 (iPhone, Android, Fairphone)

Last updated: 28 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

There are too many phones. Every manufacturer releases three tiers, each with two sizes, every year, and frankly it is exhausting. So we have cut through it: here is the best phone for every budget in the UK right now, whether you are team iPhone, team Android, team sustainable, or team "just give me something that works for under £200".

Some links in this guide are affiliate or referral links. This costs you nothing extra and helps support the site.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Guides, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: android, best phone, budget phone, fairphone, iPhone, iPhone 17 Pro, mobile, Nothing Phone, Pixel 10 Pro, refurbished phones, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, smartphones, UK tech 2026

April 11, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Refurbished Phones UK 2026 – iPhones, Androids and Top Deals

Last updated: 11 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

There are two types of people at CoolCuration: those who would sell a kidney for the latest iPhone, and those who would rather eat their own SIM card than leave Android. The office group chat is basically a rolling debate about widgets versus AirDrop. However, there is one thing we all agree on: buying refurbished is the smartest phone move you can make in 2026. This guide rounds up the best refurbished phones UK buyers can get right now, covering flagships, budget gems and sustainable picks from both sides of the divide.

Here is a number that should stop you in your tracks. A refurbished iPhone 15 Pro on Back Market right now starts at around £400. That is roughly what you would pay for a brand new iPhone 16e. One gives you the same chip as an iPhone 15, a single camera and no ProMotion display. The other gives you a titanium flagship with a 48MP triple camera system, ProMotion, and full Apple Intelligence support. Let that sink in.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Carbon conscious, Comparison, Comparisons, Money saving, Technology lover

Tags: Amazon Renewed, Apple Intelligence, Back Market, iPhone 15 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro, refurbished Android, refurbished iPhones, refurbished phones, refurbished phones uk, Samsung Galaxy, SIM only deals, sustainable tech

March 26, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best SIM Only Deals UK 2026: Honest Mobile, Smarty and giffgaff

Last updated: March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The best SIM only deals UK in 2026 are not coming from EE, Vodafone, O2, or Three. They come from the challengers running on the exact same infrastructure at a fraction of the monthly cost. Three stand out right now: Honest Mobile, Smarty, and giffgaff. Each one has a distinct edge, and together they cover pretty much every type of mobile user. Here is what sets them apart.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Technology lover

Tags: 5G, eSIM, giffgaff, Honest Mobile, mobile, MVNO, SIM only deals, Smarty, UK mobile

March 20, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

iPhone 17 vs 17e: Which Should You Buy? (UK Buyer’s Guide)

Last updated: 29 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The iPhone 17 vs 17e decision is one most UK buyers are wrestling with right now. Apple's 17e landed on 11 March at £599, sitting a full £200 below the standard iPhone 17 at £799. Both run the same A19 chip and pack a 48MP main camera, so on paper they look remarkably similar. However, dig a little deeper and the differences start to matter. Whether you care about refresh rates, camera flexibility or simply getting the best value, this guide breaks down every key difference so you can decide with confidence.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Reviews, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: apple, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone comparison, smartphones, tech, UK buyer's guide

March 20, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Smart Speakers UK: HomePod vs Sonos vs Echo Compared

Last updated: 29 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Choosing the best smart speakers UK buyers can actually get their hands on in 2026 is oddly complicated. Apple wants you all-in on Siri and AirPlay. Sonos wants you to forget about voice assistants and just listen. Amazon wants you to talk to Alexa about literally everything, including your shopping list. Three very different philosophies, three very different ecosystems, and a surprisingly wide range of prices.

This guide cuts through the noise. We compare every current speaker worth considering from Apple, Sonos and Amazon. In particular, we cover sound quality, stereo pairing rules, multi-room setups, app quality, ecosystem lock-in, future-proofing and genuine value for money. Whether you want a single kitchen speaker or a whole-home audio system, we will help you pick the right one.

Published by Stiv in Audiophiles, Buying Guides, Reviews, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: AirPlay, alexa, Amazon Echo, Dolby Atmos, Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, HomePod, HomePod Mini, multi-room audio, Siri, smart home, smart speakers, Sonos Era 100, Sonos Era 300