Reviews Archives - Page 8 of 14

March 23, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Review | Worth £219 in the UK?

Last updated: March 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.

The Fairbuds XL review you didn't expect to go like this: Fairphone's over-ear headphones are not the compromise you'd assume. The sound is genuinely fun, the build is impressively sustainable, and there is a single control feature that every major headphone maker should have nicked by now and somehow hasn't. They're not perfect — the ANC and feature set have real limitations — but as a statement of intent about what consumer electronics could look like, these headphones are hard to argue with.

Cool Factor

★★★★☆

4 out of 5 — Stone cold

Published by Stiv in Audiophiles, Reviews, Technology lover

Tags: audio, eco-friendly, fairphone, headphones, noise cancelling, review, sustainable tech, wireless headphones

March 22, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

William Nicholson at Pallant House Gallery Review

Last updated: 21 March 2026

By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture

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

The William Nicholson exhibition at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester is the first major survey of this extraordinary painter in more than 20 years. Spanning his entire career, from bold graphic posters to luminous still lifes and tender portraits, it makes a compelling case for Nicholson as one of Modern British art's most underrated figures. A friend who studied at the Royal College of Art tipped us off, and they were right. This is a show that rewards close looking, and Chichester itself makes for a brilliant day out.

Cool Factor: 4/5 Stone cold

Published by Tristan in Art Lovers, Artists, Arts & Culture, Reviews, Travel lover

Tags: art exhibitions UK, British art, Chichester, days out Sussex, Exhibition review, Modern British art, Pallant House Gallery, still life, William Nicholson

March 21, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Dracula West End Review: Cynthia Erivo Is Spellbinding

Last updated: 29 March 2026

By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture

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.

This Dracula West End review has been a long time coming, because it took a while to process what we saw at the Noël Coward Theatre. Cynthia Erivo, alone on stage, playing all 23 characters from Bram Stoker's novel and delivering what is hands down the best piece of theatre we have experienced in years. It is captivating, beautiful, poetic, powerful and absolutely unmissable.

Cool Factor: 5/5

Cool Factor

★★★★★

5 out of 5

Published by Tristan in Arts & Culture, Reviews

Tags: Cynthia Erivo, Dracula, Kip Williams, London theatre, Noel Coward Theatre, one-woman show, reviews, theatre review, West End

March 21, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Monzo vs Chase UK: Which Bank Account Is Better? (2026)

Last updated: 22 August 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Affiliate disclosure: 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.

After the bigger sign-up bonus?

Chase's refer-a-friend offer pays £50 when you join and deposit £1,000 within 30 days; our referral page walks you through it.

Claim the Chase £50 offer

If you're weighing up Monzo vs Chase in 2026, you're in good company. Both are app-only banks, both are free to open, and both promise to make managing your money less painful. However, once you dig past the slick onboarding screens, the two take noticeably different approaches to savings, cashback and everyday features.

Chase (a trading name of J.P. Morgan Europe Limited) lures new customers with a boosted saver rate and 2% cashback on everyday spending. Monzo, the UK's original fintech darling, counters with powerful budgeting tools, paid plan perks like a free Railcard, and one of the most feature-rich banking apps on the market.

Below, we break down every meaningful difference so you can pick the one that actually fits your life. We also link to both referral offers if you want a bonus for signing up.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Banking, Comparisons, Finance, Investing, Personal finance, Reviews, Saving, Services

Tags: app review, bank comparison, cashback, chase, chase uk, digital bank, fintech, monzo, monzo vs chase, personal finance, savings, uk banking

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

March 19, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

TrainPal vs Trainline: Which Train App Saves More? (2026)

Last updated: 22 August 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.

If you're booking train tickets in the UK, there's a good chance you've used Trainline. It's been around since 1997, and it's the name most people reach for first. But over the past few years, TrainPal vs Trainline has become a genuine debate. That's especially true for anyone who wants zero booking fees and automatic split ticketing. So which app actually saves you more money? We've compared the two side by side to help you decide.

Want money off your first TrainPal trip?

TrainPal books UK trains with zero booking fees, and our referral page keeps the current new-user offer up to date.

Get money off TrainPal

Published by Stiv in Apps, Commuter, Discount, Finance, Money saving, Reviews, Saving, Services, Travel lover, UK Deals

Tags: cheap train tickets, cheap train tickets UK, digital railcard, digital railcard UK, monzo, Monzo railcard, railcard, split ticketing, train apps uk, train booking apps UK, Trainline, Trainline alternatives, TrainPal, TrainPal vs Trainline, travel apps uk, UK trains

March 18, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Octopus Agile vs Tracker: Which Smart Tariff Saves More? (2026)

Last updated: 27 August 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 between Octopus Agile vs Tracker comes down to how much pricing volatility you're willing to accept and how actively you want to manage your energy usage. Both tariffs follow wholesale markets, but they work very differently. Tracker changes your unit rate once per day. Agile changes it every 30 minutes. And while Tracker covers both gas and electricity, Agile is electricity-only.

Quick comparison

Tracker: daily rate, covers gas and electricity, moderate volatility.
Agile: half-hourly rate, electricity only, high volatility but negative pricing possible.
Both require a SMETS2 smart meter (or certain SMETS1 models).
Both have no exit fees.
Both include Price Cap Protect at 100p/kWh for electricity.

If you're exploring Octopus more broadly, keep switching and referral details centralised here: Octopus Energy referral guide.

Decided on a smart tariff?

Whichever you pick, the current Octopus sign-up credit and steps are on our referral page.

Claim the Octopus sign-up credit

Published by Stiv in Energy, Reviews, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: Agile tariff, dynamic pricing, octopus energy, Ofgem price cap, smart energy tariffs, Tracker tariff, UK energy bills

March 16, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Audiobooks March 2026: 7 New Listens Worth Your Time

Last updated: March 2026

By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture

Looking for the best audiobooks in March 2026? Good timing. This month's lineup is stacked: a Ryan Gosling sci-fi blockbuster, an EGOT winner narrating her own courtroom thriller, a Bridgerton favourite voicing ancient Egypt, and one of the most talked-about literary debuts in years. Whether you're after something to binge on the commute or lose a weekend to, we've picked seven standout new audiobooks worth pressing play on right now.

Published by Tristan in Arts & Culture, Reviews

Tags: Audible, audiobook reviews, audiobooks, best audiobooks, book recommendations, March 2026, new releases

March 16, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

I Swear Film Review: A Must-See Masterpiece (5/5)

By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture

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.

This I Swear film review has been a long time coming. Kirk Jones' biographical drama about Tourette's campaigner John Davidson is one of the most powerful, funny, and deeply human films to come out of British cinema in years. It is, quite simply, unmissable.

Cool Factor: 5/5

Published by Tristan in Film, Homebodies, Reviews

Tags: BAFTA 2026, biography, drama, film review, I Swear, John Davidson, Kirk Jones, Netflix UK, Robert Aramayo, Tourette syndrome