Gifts for Her – Page 11 – The Review Studio

Liforme Yoga Mat

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, cruelty-free, eco friendly, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Sport, Sustainable, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

By a certain age, or maybe it’s a certain level of fitness, yoga becomes less of a puzzle and more of a necessity. The company Liforme pride themselves on doing things differently to support and encourage the practice of yoga, and do so with their conscientious products. Their ethos to ‘Live for More’ by positively engaging communities is evident on their website, along with some delicious products any yoga fan will adore!

Amongst the products available was this Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat which was sent to us to try out. It’s bright pink, printed with an eco-friendly, non-toxic design of a rainbow mandala and alignment markings which can be described as guides for your feet and hands. This mat is a serious bit of kit for serious yoga people and you can tell just by looking at it. There’s much more science, and thought, behind it than you realise though, as I discovered.

The Liforme Yoga Mat is made with a real natural rubber base (so that it doesn’t slide all over the place) and the top layer is made of eco-polyurethane. In all, the mat is 4.2mm thick but it feels thinner than that. It’s not chunky or clunky at all. The top eco-polyurethane layer is designed to be more grippy than other mats, so that you can practice without worrying about sliding all over the place, and the design is printed with durable yet eco-friendly ink. The same goes for all the designs of the yoga mats available on the Liforme website. The mat weighs in at a hefty 2.5kg though so if you’re used to your yoga mat being light-as-air, this is going to be quite a shock! The weight comes from the quality of the material though.

The dimensions of the mat come in at 185cm long and 68cm wide. That’s 73 inches long and 27 inches wide in old money.

As for the usability, the mat comes with a free carry case, which is needed when you have a rolled-up mat of this size and weight and need to transport it to several lessons a week. The real test is in a yoga class, which is where any yoga equipment needs to prove itself. The bright pink façade is very pleasing especially as you know in a dimly lit room and when you might need to wander around a bit, you can never lose it! The surface is nicely grippy. Grippy enough for a Downward Dog and to not face plant yourself. Liforme call this GripForMe technology and it allows you to use your full body weight in poses and not move an inch. Not even a millimetre for that matter, as I discovered when I was able to more pressure into some of the poses than I usually would. So in some ways, you could say that the Liforme Yoga Mat made me better at yoga as a result!

Liforme as a company have recently been awarded B Corp status. The B Corp status proves that Liforme has high standards of social and environmental impact as their core belief as a company and a quick look at their website proves that their high quality and non-toxic materials are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to responsibility. The mats bio-degrade in 1-5 years (depending on conditions) and believe that they have the world’s most planet-friendly yoga mat.

Truly a treat, the Liforme Yoga Mats aren’t cheap but they are suited to the serious yoga practitioner or fitness expert and look simply gorgeous. The unique design and alignment cues make this yoga mat stand out from all the rest, and a perfect gift too.

Available for £140 (but currently on sale for £105) at:

Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat – Grateful Pink/Rainbow

Oclean X Pro Elite Smart Electric Toothbrush

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, REUSABLE, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this toothbrush for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Did you know that 90% of gum disease and cavities are caused by incorrect brushing? In fact only 1 in 10 people actually brush their teeth correctly (that’s pretty worrying isn’t it!).

Luckily the OCLEAN X Pro Elite is also one of the smartest brushes on the market with a fantastic battery life of up to 35 days and Qi Quick Charge technology enabling it to fully charge in just 3.5 hours!

The X Pro Elite certainly knows its stuff when it comes to oral hygiene and it can help you improve your brushing technique via the Oclean app! The app connects to the X Pro Elite via Bluetooth and gives you derailed analysis of your toothbrushing technique.

Using an ingenious AI algorithm, the X Pro Elite analyses the way you brush your teeth and recommends how you can improve your technique, using a dental model on its 0.96-inch touch screen display which enables you to develop good brushing habits with its 4 modes and 32 intensities for clean mode.

To ensure its users get the deepest clean possible, the X Pro Elite’s motor spins at the speed of sound, delivering a maximum of 42,000 rpm that helps you reach and defeat difficult plaque and stain build ups with ease.

OCLEAN’s new self-developed WhisperClean™ technology also means that the toothbrush emits just 45dB when operating at maximum power: a drastic decrease compared to it’s more pricey big name competitor’s (55-65 dB).

The Xpro Elite also benefits from a wall-mounted holder which was easy to attach to my bathroom wall and it helps to keep it dry to prevent the growth of bacteria.

The OCLEAN X Pro Elite is available to purchase online for RRP £74

More information can be found at: https://www.oclean.com/products/oclean-x-pro-elite

Oclean Flow Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, REUSABLE, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for an electric toothbrush, you will be astounded at both the range available and the price of them! Oclean have launched a reasonably priced toothbrush at less than £25 which is both rechargeable by USB and sonic. They sent us one this week to try out.

The Oclean Flow toothbrush has everything you would expect but at that surprising price. It has Sonic Technology, so that’s sonic speed to the brush oscillation which is 38,000 strokes per minute. It has 5 easy to use brush modes (Morning, Night, Standard, Whitening and General) with a 2-minute smart timer. Flicking through each of the modes is just at the touch of the one on/off button so there isn’t anything complicated to learn or read up about in order to get your routine. You can even do two of the modes back-to-back if you want to go the extra mile.

The toothbrush comes with one brush head which is made of DuPont bristles. I liked the bright orange bristles, which make it much easier to see in the dark mornings! They also act as an indicator to let you know when the brush head needs replacing.

Charging is easy with the USB Type-C lead which comes with the toothbrush. The Type-C port is at the base of the toothbrush which is accessible from a lid which flips open. You know when there is 10% or less charge left in the toothbrush because the round button flashes red to indicate it needs charging. One single charge can last up to 25 weeks though with morning and evening brushing.

When using it, the instructions give you a warning that it may make your gums tingle if you haven’t used an electric toothbrush before, but as I usually do, it wasn’t a problem for me. I liked the firmness of the bristles and how easy it is to use especially with just one control button and nothing too complicated for late at night or early in the morning. The same goes with the 2-minute timer so you don’t have to think much. My teeth were left clean and fresh afterwards, as you would expect!

It is surprising that this brush is so cheap and that it’s aimed at adults and teenagers because it’s rather sophisticated for what it can do, but easy to use. I think most children would be able to use it easily, and the white look and packaging makes it universal for everyone. Perhaps good for taking on holiday, especially with such a long charge amount and the ability to charge from a USB outlet? It’s a fabulous present for anyone and looks like it’s a lot more expensive than it is!

Available for £21.10 at:

Sennheiser Momentum Ear Buds

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Sport, Tech, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.

The first time I had headphones I was a teenager in the 80’s and back then headphones were firmly attached to your Walkman. Thankfully technology has evolved and improved a lot since then and I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to try out the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 earbuds

The stylish grey fabric charging case is nice and solid and closes with a satisfying click. It holds the earbuds securely and once placed in the case the earphones start charging automatically. The USB-C connection makes the case easy to charge and there is also the option to use Qi wireless charging too. A single charge provides 7 hours of playback with the case providing an additional 21 hours of charge, so in total you can enjoy 28 hours of playback before you need to charge. When it does run out of charge, 10 minutes of ‘fast charging’ offers an hour’s playback and a full charge takes just 90 minutes.

Included in the box are four pairs of silicone ear tips, three pairs of ear fins, and a charging cable. The earpieces are IPX4 rated for water resistance, and each earbud has three microphones for voice and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) functionality.

When I first received the earbuds, I found that they had 40% charge, so I was able to use them straight away – all I needed to do was fit the ear fins and then pair them to my phone.

Pairing the earbuds was simple – just touch and hold both earbuds and then select them on your Bluetooth device and they pair to your device easily. The earbuds power off when placed in the case and the lid closed and power on and connect automatically to your device the moment you open the case.

Once paired, I downloaded the Sennheiser Smart Control app. The app not only allows you to control settings on the earbuds but there is also an option to go through a ‘Sound check’ where you select your preferred sound from a choice of 3. There is also the option to set “Sound Zones” where you customise locations you frequent, like your home, gym or workplace and save preferred Active Noise Cancellation and Equaliser settings. Once you enter the radius—set by you on the location map—your settings automatically change to the saved setting when you are in that Sound Zone.

The earbuds feel light, well made, and with IPX4 sweat resistance they are perfect for the gym or when I am out walking.

So I’ve talked about the fit, pairing and app so what is the sound quality like?

Well, it’s excellent, the sound is crisp and clear with no distortion, every song I played sounded amazing, whether it was rock, pop or classical music.

You can also use the earbuds to make and receive telephone calls – if you are playing music it stops whilst you are on the call. I found that the call quality (for both people) was very clear and background noise was minimal.

Answering calls, skipping tracks and turning on/off different modes can all be executed by tapping the earbuds. Once you get the hang of tapping they are very simple to use, the sensitivity is very good and works well all the time.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True wireless 3 earbuds – superior sound, excellent Bluetooth connectivity and a secure and comfortable fit. They are definitely a premium pair of wireless earbuds and anyone receiving them this Christmas won’t be disappointed.

RRP £219.99 available from the Sennheiser website here

Edifier TWS1 Pro True Wireless Earbuds

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I have never had wireless headphones before, and with all the commuting I do and going to the gym, I really should have done before now! Opening these pink Edifier ear buds, it was nice to have them in their own case, which also doubles up as a charging unit. The buds fit snugly in the magnetic case where they snap into place and fit the connectors to charge.

Placing them straight into my ears was obviously the first thing I did, but like any good reviewer, I tried to connect them to my iPhone X without reading the instructions. It turns out that these TWS1 Pro headphones are super easy to set up. From my phone, all I had to do is go to the Bluetooth settings and the headphones were already there. I just clicked on ‘connect’ and the headphones were working, playing the songs from my phone straight away. They turn themselves on when you take them out of the case and turn themselves off again when put back in place.

Using the headphones was easy too. It was just a matter of tapping once (on either ear) to play or pause, twice on the left ear for the previous track and twice on the right for the next track. Volume up and down is a hold on either ear bud. It’s one tap to accept a call and 2-3 taps to disconnect a call on your phone too.

The ear phones stayed in for the whole of my cycle and weights workout which I was surprised about. The sound is balanced between both ear buds but there’s not the best bass on them and I can’t find a way of changing the settings. There’s a long battery life on them and they’re very sharp when listening to audio books etc.

For the price, these are great stocking fillers or for teenager who already have a smart phone. It’s difficult to go wrong with how easy they are and compact but well designed in the case and they come with not one but two sets of spare ear pieces. I am converted to using these headphones now instead of my wire ones for everyday use and I’m not going back!

Available for £59.99 at:

Edifier W240TN True Wireless Noise Cancellation In-Ear Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I love music, especially heavy metal and rock, but my music choices aren’t to everyone’s taste, so a good set of headphones is a must for me.

The Edifier W240TN headphones are the perfect choice for me as they not only look great in a stylish gunmetal black (available in gunmetal black or white finish) they feel comfortable and most importantly the sound quality is astonishing!

I have had in-ear headphones before both wireless and wired that didn’t fit well, had connectivity problems and sounded very tinny.

Thankfully, the Edifier W240TN ticks all the boxes and is a cracking set of earphones with fast charging, meaning you can use them sooner (a 10 minute charge will give you approximately 2 hours of use).

Connecting them to my devices was simple via Bluetooth and the booklet gives a rundown of all the settings available.

When it comes to earphones, one size does not fit all and Edifier has helped with this by including 4 different sized pairs of rubber earbuds XS, S, M and L meaning the Edifier W240TN can fit all.

The active noise cancellation with ambient sound mode is a great feature, meaning you won’t be disturbed whilst listening and you really will be immersed in your music, calls, film or game, etc.

Advanced Bluetooth V5.3AI DNN noise cancellation is another great feature meaning calls using the Edifier W240TN are crystal clear, which is what we all want!

Long-lasting battery life with almost 7 hours playback per charge, the Edifier W240TN has by far the longest battery life I’ve experienced in earphones and I am really impressed with them.

Customized settings can be created via Edifier Connect App, which I downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Overall, the Edifier W240TN are a tremendous pair of earphones, the sound quality is superb, and the appearance is very sleek and trendy, the W240TN is inspired by the shape of a robust piston head and looks effortlessly stylish.

The metallic design carries the legacy of the TWS1 Pro and the finished product speaks volumes about Edifier’s pursuit of style.

The result has an iconic profile that balances modern lines with a retro, almost 80s-like character; think Robocop meets Blade Runner 2049.

RRP £79.99

Available to buy from Amazon

Edifier X3 Wireless Headphones

Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

True Wireless Stereo Earbuds

Qualcomm® aptX™ audio decoding delivers high-definition audio with rich details
Compact and lightweight design for optimum wearing comfort
6 hours of playtime per charge and 24 hours in total with the charging case
Bluetooth V5.0 ensures a stable and faster signal transmission
IP55 rated dust and water resistance for outdoor activities
Easy operation by touch control

Immersive music experience

The crystal-clear sound offer you as close as possible to the sensation of hearing your favorite music live.

24 Hours Play Back Time

6 hours working time per charge for the earbuds, 24 hours of total playback time of full charge by the charging case. X3 wireless stereo earbuds brings extended playback time and enjoyment.

High Fidelity AptX Audio Decoding

AptX audio decoding, 16bit/44.1kHz audio frequency. Decoding rate is up to 352kbps, with CD quality sound.

Stylish and Compact Design

Ergonomically designed earbuds comfortably sit in your ears so you can enjoy your music for hours on end.

CVC8.0 Noise-Cancellation or Clear Communication

CVC V.8.0 noise-cancellation technology reduces environmental noise. Stable signal for clear detailed sound.

Faster Connection

When removed from charging case, the earbuds automatically activate and pair to each other.

IP55 Waterproof For Outdoors Activities

IP55 dust and water resistance. Splash and sweat are no longer a problem.

Bluetooth V5.0 Stable and Fast Signal Transmission

Adopt professional Bluetooth 5.0 Qualcomm chipset with low-power consumption technology and stable signal transmission to extended playback time.

Available to buy at https://www.edifier.com/product-x3.html

Bramblecrest Kingscote Rattan Sofa Set

Home & Garden, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Now that summer is upon us, and the last 2 years of lockdown are gone, we can begin to enjoy the company of others. Some of us may not want to get away this year, but with Bramblecrest sofa sets, it will feel like you’re on holiday!

Bramblecrest Kingscote Rattan Corner Sofa with Square Firepit Table & 2 Benches

The UK company Bramblecrest is based in the Cotswolds and pride themselves on high quality garden items. Started 22 years ago by two friends, they have continued to increase their range, and still design enviable furniture. We were sent the gorgeous rattan Kingscote Sofa Set to review – an 8-seater ceramic topped garden table with corner sofa and two benches which can easily seat up to 10 people. The pièce de résistance in this set is the table top firepit to heat you whilst outdoors, or even use as a BBQ!

The set arrives in pieces but is assembled on delivery by the installation team. The whole set is made of high quality rattan and comes is two colours, Nutmeg and Cloud. Our set is Cloud with Eco-Charcoal fabric cushions, which are included in the price of the set. The table is assembled with a drawer to one side which is where the gas cylinder is placed and connected for the firepit to work. The table top is made of large ceramic tiles (very weather durable!) with the firepit covered by another tile until you are ready to light it. A glass fire surround is also assembled for you which is for safety, but also adds a beautiful reflection to the fire when it gets dark.

The firepit comes with coals which need assembling before it’s lit. It doesn’t take long to arrange them around the gas ring, which is hidden by the mound of coals. You will need to source a 5kg Propane gas cylinder in order for the firepit to work, details of which are in the instructions. This will require a contract if you don’t already have one, and the purchase of the gas. The table is still perfectly useable without the propane though, and the protective cover still allows you enjoy the table. The gas is switched on from the control on the side, so there’s no lighting matches!

The whole set measure approximately 290cm by 290cms which includes two benches. The benches can be moved around easily because they’re light weight, so if you are snug on space you can still accommodate as many people but perhaps with a different configuration. Each bench is 110cm long and can hold up to 3 people although 2 people per bench is probably more comfortable for eating.

The corner sofa is assembled to a width of 290cm. As this is the largest part of the set, you’ll need to measure at least this amount to know if the sofa will be able to fit into your space. The sofas are very, very comfortable. Just sitting on them shortly after they were assembled I could feel the quality from the depth of the seat, the height of the backrest and the cushions- oh the cushions! They are made of a weather resistant material so can stay outside, but there is something about the material and the filling that makes them all warm and cosy. I think the material absorbs the sunlight heat which makes them more comfortable and along with the deep base of the seat, it makes them so relaxing. Even better, they’re made with recycled plastic bottles!

Even after being outside in the rain, the rattan and the fabric dried quickly. I was worried about the fire pit getting wet but it was designed with rain in mind, so there is a drain underneath and the drawer with the cylinder means water just runs straight through. There was no puddling of water anywhere which would warrant needing a clean. However, if you prefer to keep your outdoor furniture in good shape all year, Bramblecrest also sell a bespoke seat cover set which is extremely sturdy. When the rains came over and we were expecting a storm, I put the covers on expecting them to be one-size-fits-all but these covers are made exactly for the Bramblecrest sofa sets, machine stitched with ties incorporated so that you can fit them tight around the furniture in the worst of the weather.

After more than a week of the sofa set being installed, it has changed the dynamics of our family sitting outside. The weather proof covers mean that we can sit outside at any time, and the quick drying fabric cushions mean that the sun dries up any dampness they may hold. The addition of the firepit over the summer will mean that we can keep warmer as the nights become cooler, and have the added benefit of the grill to keep any food warm, allowing us to eat outside for longer into the autumn.

The best part of the Bramblecrest Kingscote Sofa Set? The feeling of being on holiday when you can’t be… the instant Mediterranean feeling of the laid-back sofa lifestyle, with the open fire and comfort of the cosy cushions beats the British plastic chairs any day.

Highly recommended!

Price: £3599.00 available online at:

https://www.bramblecrest.com/sofa-sets/all-sofa-sets/kingscote-nutmeg-rattan-corner-sofa-with-square-firepit-table-2-benches/

Seat Set Covers also for £263.00 available at:

https://www.bramblecrest.com/accessories/covers/sofa-set-covers/kingscote-square-corner-sofa-with-dual-height-table-2-benches-set-covers/