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Rowkin Micro Touch wireless Bluetooth earbuds review

REVIEW – Back in January of this year, I reviewed the Rowkin’s Micro Wireless earbuds and liked them quite a bit. So I was happy when Rowkin recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing their latest Micro Touch Bluetooth earbuds. I didn’t hesitate to accept their offer because I thought newer meant that they would be even better than their previous version. Was my assumption correct? Let’s find out.

What is it?

Rowkin Micro Touch wireless Bluetooth 5.0/Bluetooth BLE earbuds are exactly what you would guess that they are. They are earbuds that connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth and don’t have a cable that connects the left earbud to the right earbud.

What’s in the box?

  • A Pair of Bluetooth Earbuds
  • Charging Case
  • USB Charging Cable
  • Ear Tips: Small, Medium, Large

Design and features

Except for a smaller battery charging case, the new Micro Touch earbuds do not look much different than the previous generation of Rowkin’s wireless earbuds. That is until you look closely at the earbuds. Then you notice that the small bullet style earbuds lack the multifunction button on the end of each bud. Instead, all you find is the Rowkin logo and a tiny LED.

The reason why these Bluetooth earbuds don’t have a physical button is that they are controlled by touch. All the features that were accessible by pressing the button on the older earbuds are now accessible by tapping, double tapping, triple tapping, and even touch and holding. But more about that in a minute.

Let’s get back to the battery case. As I mentioned earlier, the battery charging case that is included with the new Rowkin micro touch earbuds is smaller than the previous case. This black plastic case holds the earbuds in place with magnets and has a spring loaded cover.

I like the case except for two things. First, it’s a little difficult to remove the earbuds because only about a quarter inch or so of the earbuds stick out from the slots. If your fingertips are dry, it makes it tough to get a grip on the ends of the earbuds to extract them.

The other issue that I have with the battery charging case is that you can’t see through the lid on the case to see the charging status of the earbuds like you could with the previous case. You have to open the lid to check if the LEDs are pulsing red while charging or have turned off to mean that charging has completed.

Fit, comfort, and sound quality

As far as fit and comfort, the Micro Touch earbuds are no different than previous versions of Rowkin’s earbuds. If you tried them before and they didn’t work/fit in your ears, this new version will not be any different. For me, they fit pretty well except that I am never able to get a good seal on the right earbud due to something weird with the shape of my ear. If you can’t get a good seal then music will not sound as good. This is especially true for music with a lot of bass. Without a good seal in your ears, bass will be sorely lacking.

If you can get past the lack of bass, do they sound ok? Not really. I don’t have the previous version of the Rowkin earbuds to compare with, but from daily testing with Spotify, Google Music, Amazon music, YouTube, and Netflix, I have been disappointed in the sound quality of these earbuds. They just sound blah to me no matter what I listen to.

Don’t touch me there!

And then there are the touch features. That has to be cool right? Wrong. I hate them. Yes, that’s a strong thing to say but that’s how I feel. For one thing, when you have the earbuds in your ears, the touch-enabled surface can be partially blocked by your ear like it is for me (see image above). So, when I try to tap the earbud, I’m only able to tap half of it and the earbuds rarely recognize what I’m trying to do if it’s something other than toggling between play and pause.

Then there’s the fact that you’ll need to remember that some touch commands have to be performed on the left earbud and some on the right earbud. Here are the commands that are supposed to work.

It’s frustrating when you have to pull out your phone to skip to the next song while you’re working out because the touch controls don’t work and you look like a moron tapping your ear over and over again with no results.

What I like

  • Small size
  • Charging case

What needs to be improved

  • Sound quality is mediocre
  • Hard to remove earbuds from charging case
  • Touch controls don’t work very well

Final thoughts

I wondered if I was being overly negative while working on this review but was “happy” to find out that another person shares my feelings. Our own Bill Henderson happened to see the pictures for the review when he was working on one of his own posts and he emailed and asked me if I liked the Rowkin earbuds. I summed up my feelings with three words: they completely suck. Bill had similar feelings. Sorry Rowkin.

Price: $119.99
Where to buy: Rowkin and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Rowkin.

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Rowkin Micro Touch wireless Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Turtle Beach Stealth 300 Headset review

REVIEW – I’ve been an avid gamer since I could pick up an Atari joystick. During the last decade, online gaming has exploded, and with it, the need for gaming headsets built for clear communication and long play sessions. That’s why I was stoked to try out the Stealth 300 Headset from Turtle Beach.

What is it?

The Turtle Beach Stealth 300 is a wired, amplified stereo gaming headset that provides clear, powerful audio as well as a sensitive, flip-down mic. In addition, the headset pipes in the mic audio, allowing you to hear and adjust the volume of your own voice inside the headset, avoiding talking louder than necessary.

Hardware specs

  • 3.5mm Audio Connection compatible with PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch as well as mobile devices
  • 20Hz – 20kHz Speaker Frequency Response
  • 50mm speakers with Neodymium magnets
  • Rechargeable 900mAh Lithium Polymer for up to 40 hours of gaming per charge
  • Flip-up Omni-Directional mic
  • Mesh Fabric Headband Material with Foam Cushioning
  • Over-Ear (Closed), Fabric (Black) Ear Cushion with Memory Foam Cushioning

What’s in the box?

  • Stealth 300 Gaming Headset
  • Micro USB Charging Cable
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Turtle Beach Sticker

Design and Features

The Stealth 300 is the first over the ear headset that I can recall being able to stand wearing for longer than an hour or so. I’ve owned several pairs of standard headphones and have always regretted those purchases, simply because they would end up hurting the top of my head, or press my glasses into my temples. But this headset is a different story.

The earphones fold to the side so it packs a bit flatter in a backpack.

It’s worth noting that this is a wired headset and that the wire is not very long, but that’s really a design feature since most of the situations you’d find yourself using it would be with a wireless PS4 or Xbox controller in your hand. The wire only has to reach down to your lap. It’s also compatible with the Nintendo Switch… I tested out the one game I had that used voice chat – Fortnite – and it worked very well.

Fit

The engineers who designed the fit of these headphones must have had the same issues with over the ear headsets as I had. Too much force on top of the head, causing discomfort rubbing against my hair, too much force against the frames of my glasses, and sweaty ears from ear cushions that seal in heat.

With the Stealth 300, I experienced none of those. I tried them in several-hour gaming sessions and they remained cool, comfortable and nearly weightless. The headband and ear cushions are breathable and wrapped in soft fabric. The ear cushions, in particular, feel like they have a double layer of foam, a softer foam that allows the frames of your glasses to interact with the material, and a layer of firmer memory foam to conform to the contours of your head.

This double layer of foam does allow for some sound leakage, though it’s not as bad as open-ear style headphones. Other people in a quiet room would be able to hear the sounds.

Sound Quality

I thought the sound quality was fairly impressive for the price range of these cans. They’re plenty loud, due to the amplified sound, powered by a rechargeable 900mAh battery. The headphones come with 4 built-in (but not customizable) EQ presets: bass boost, signature sound, bass and treble boost and vocal boost.

The volume control, mic volume, power and EQ settings button.

I personally didn’t hear much of a difference between the 4 settings, some slight changes in the amount of bass and treble, but I may need to test them some more under different non-gaming conditions, like listening to music or a movie.

I did watch one movie wearing the headphones and they sounded great. I think most movies and games are pretty heavy with the bass, anyway, so those big 50mm speakers pushed out some decent sound.

Microphone

A lot of thought was put into the way the microphone works. The flip-down mic is situated on the left ear and is activated once deployed in the down position. The mic turns off once it’s flipped up, in case you need to speak without broadcasting to your teammates.

The mic flips down with a snap. Flipping it back up disables it in case you need to have a quick chat with another human in the room.

One of my favorite features is something they coined as Variable Mic Monitoring. Anyone who has used a gaming headset with a mic attached knows all too well the muffled sound of their own voice shouting over gunfire, music, and explosions. Before you know it, you’re practically screaming at your own team trying to hear yourself over the chaos.

But with the Stealth 300, there is an additional control that adjusts the volume of the mic input being fed into the headphones. So when you talk, you hear your own voice inside the headset, sort of like a musician’s monitor. The omnidirectional mic is strong enough to pick up a nearby conversation and ambient noise, so if someone in the room is trying to get your attention, you’d be able to pick that up in your headphones as well.

What I like

  • very comfortable for extended use, even over glasses
  • audio feedback in the headset from the microphone is awesome
  • sound quality is great

What needs to be improved

  • some light sound leakage through the headphone cushions

Final thoughts

The Stealth 300 is an excellent headset, and without a doubt, the most comfortable I’ve ever come across. This headset can be purchased for Xbox One or PS4 in a color scheme that matches your hardware (Green for Xbox and blue for PS4), however, I believe either color will work with all of the compatible hardware. If you need a good wired headset with an excellent mic and comfort to spare, look no further.

Price: $79.95
Where to buy: Turtle Beach and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Turtle Beach.

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Turtle Beach Stealth 300 Headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 21, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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CISNO Electric Portable Espresso Machine review

REVIEW – I have spent most of my life growing up and living in the greater Seattle area and am without a doubt a coffee snob/connoisseur. I detest Starbucks and will go miles out of my way to find espresso that isn’t burnt and bitter. On my travels finding good/tolerable coffee on the fly is sometimes difficult. Yelp helps but depending how far I’m out in the middle of nowhere, often it’s a lost cause. Thankfully, the CISNO electric portable espresso machine is engineered to make coffee where ever, whenever you want/need a worthy cup of joe…

What is it?

The CISNO electric portable espresso machine is a thermos-sized, all-in-one solution for having coffee on the go, at the office, in the car, in the middle of nowhere, etc. This compact, battery operated coffee maker uses Nespresso pods to produce your favorite caffeinated beverage when there is no coffee shop in sight.

Design and features

The CISNO electric portable espresso machine is made from ABS plastic and food grade plastic. The material and build quality is rugged, well engineered, and nicely constructed. It generates 15 bars of pressure and produces 1.35oz of espresso per Nespresso capsule. It is definitely designed to be portable, able to be powered by removable lithium ion battery, AC power adaptor, or 12 volt car charger.

Operations:

Using the CISNO is simple and relatively mess-free, all you need is water (preferably boiling water) and a few Nespresso pods. First, you insert your favorite Nespresso capsule into the base of CISNO and screw on the cap sealing the bottom chamber.

Then you flip the portable espresso machine over and fill the water reservoirs with 50ml of water. As I mentioned, the hotter the water the better. If you use room temperature water the CISNO takes approximately 8 minutes to heat the liquid to 194℉/90℃. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery can do this three times before having to be recharged. If you use boiling water, there is no wait/heating time and the CISNO can produce 80 shots of espresso before needing to be plugged in.

Once sealed, you simply press the power button and the CISNO gets to work. The thermos design also includes a screw on cup that you can (obviously) drink from. The CISNO portable espresso machine can be battery operated or directly plugged into a wall socket or into the 12V power port of your car, boat, etc. Above the power button are three blue LED that let you know the battery level and charging status.

Specifications:

  • Body material: ABS
  • Cup material: Food Grade Plastic
  • Water heating temperature: 194℉/90℃
  • Pouring temperature: 158℉/70℃
  • Optimum pump pressure： 15 bars
  • During infusion pump pressure：12-8 bars
  • Water reservoir capacity： 50ml
  • Espresso shot：1.35oz
  • Lithium battery： 28.86WH
  • Total voltage： 11.1V
  • Capacity of drinking cup： 200ml
  • Effective length of power cable： 1500mm
  • Dimension： 3.2*3.0*9.9 inch(L x W x H)
  • Weight：1.0kg

Package contents:

  • CISNO portable espresso machine
  • Battery Pack
  • 12V Car Charger
  • AC Adaptor

Well…how good is it???

As I mentioned, the CISNO espresso machine uses OriginalLine Nespresso capsules to brew the coffee. The Nespresso capsules are compact, easy to transport, readily available, and non-messy. They also come in a multitude of flavors and strengths…my preference is Roma (strong, full-bodied, smooth, non-nutty). Each capsule produces a 1.35oz shot of espresso. So, I need 2-3 capsules for my americano. I’ve found you can get the Nespresso capsules for about $0.70 each. Thus, each cup of coffee is about 2 bucks, for me at least. That said, even though it is relatively inexpensive to use, this gadget isn’t really about saving money. The CISNO was created to make/have good espresso where and when you might not normally be able to.

While not as high as the typical Nespresso machine, the CISNO produces 15 bars of pump pressure and does a solid job of pulling the flavor and richness of the coffee from the capsules. If you want to use your own grind coffee, a reusable stainless SealPod is required.

What I like

  • Portable all-in-one espresso solution
  • Well made from quality materials
  • Very transportable
  • Uses easy to use/find Originalline Nespresso capsules
  • Makes an excellent cup of coffee/espresso
  • Battery operated but comes with wall and car chargers

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

I admit the CISNO electric portable espresso machine is a relatively niche device but for those who need a shot of worthy coffee far off the beaten path, it definitely gets the job done. It’s compact, efficient design is easy to transport with you whether in your backpack, desk drawer, car, saddlebag on your bike tour of Europe, etc. Since you can select your favorite Nespresso capsule to use, odds of making excellent espresso on the fly are very good.

Price: $119.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by CISNO.

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CISNO Electric Portable Espresso Machine review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Sonos PLAY:5 speaker review

REVIEW – I have been a Sonos fan for years and continue to slowly expand my collection in my attempt bring music to all corners of my world. The Sonos ecosystem and hardware bring excellent sound, connectivity, and control to where ever you desire. My Sonos world consists of a pair of Ones in my bedroom and Connect:AMP wired to outdoor speakers on our patio. So, when Julie asked if I’d like to try the PLAY:5 I jumped at the chance. I have been wanting to try Sonos’ biggest, baddest speaker for a while now.

What is it?

The PLAY:5 is Sonos’ largest wireless streaming music speaker to date, both physically and from a sound experience as well. The PLAY:5 is jam-packed with a complex set of speakers producing incredibly rich detailed sound, all within a surprisingly compact space. This stylish, minimalistic design works very well in pretty much any room.

Design and features

As I stated, the second generation Sonos PLAY:5 is packed full of speakers including: three tweeters, three mid-woofers with six Class-D digital amplifiers perfectly tuned to match the six dedicated speaker drivers and the acoustic architecture.

The second generation PLAY:5 has a cleaner, softer physical design than its predecessor with round edges and small rubber feet on the bottom and sides allowing for either horizontal or vertical orientation.

Placement and Setup:

The PLAY:5 can fill nearly any space you have in your home…sure, if you have a 10+k sqft house you might need a few.

But overall the sound the PLAY:5 produces could rattle a majority of the pictures and windows in the average home. In my case, I am installing it in our living room/dining room area for holiday music/parties if nothing else 🎄. As you can see here, even though it is Sonos’ largest music speaker, the PLAY:5 is pretty unobtrusive and fits nicely into nearly any setting.

I also tried the PLAY:5 in our relatively massive garage (aka the Garagemahal), an 1800 sqft space with 12 foot ceilings that the single speaker filled nicely. But if I was going to permanently go that direction, I’d probably splurge on a pair of the PLAY:5’s (and who knows perhaps the Sonos Sub as well) in that void. While not weather or waterproof, the PLAY:5 is humidity/moisture resistant and would survive in this sort of space just fine. Which is key here in the great Pacific Northwest.

Setting up the PLAY:5 is simple with the Sonos app, taking 5 minutes tops and included: connecting to my wireless network, updating the PLAY:5’s firmware, and using TruePlay tuning to tailor the sound to the space. TruePlay tuning made a surprising difference in the sound experience. The PLAY:5 sounds good right out of the box but once you customize any Sonos speaker to the space it is in makes all the difference.

I placed the PLAY:5 at the far corner of our house from our wireless router, the signal has to go thru multiple walls including a huge brick and mortar fireplace. I was a bit worried the speaker would have connectivity issues but it connected to our network without issue and has not glitched yet. Though if the wireless range is a problem, the Play:5 has an ethernet port on the back you can hardwire the speaker to your router.

In addition to power and ethernet, the last port on the back of the PLAY:5 is a line-in, auto-detecting 3.5 mm connection for attaching other audio devices to the speaker.

Sound Quality:

Point blank…the PLAY:5’s sound quality is stellar. At all volume levels the music experience is impressive; the PLAY:5 produces clear, rich, full sound. The Play:5 fills the middle floor of our home with music easily at a relatively moderate volume setting. I tested its range on a variety of music types from classic rock to the 1812 Overture, all sounding excellent. There was no distortion, no matter how high I cranked up the volume, the PLAY:5 delivers big, precise response on all levels. The bass is deep, bold, and not muddled. I could go on & on, but Sonos has yet to disappoint me on sound quality.

Sonos Ecosystem:

One of the best features of the Sonos universe is its overarching functionality, meaning how you manage, control, and what you can play on your speakers. You have always been able to play a multitude of streaming services (Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, etc) on your Sonos systems but the addition of AirPlay 2 and (optional) Alexa integration have made living in the Sonos world even easier and more seamless, all with greater functionality.

Manual Controls:

While I manage my Sonos speaker via my iPhone 99% of the time, the PLAY:5 has top-panel touch controls when need be.

Specifications:

Audio:

  • Six Class-D digital amplifiers perfectly tuned to match the six dedicated speaker drivers and the acoustic architecture.
  • Three tweeters create the crispest and clearest high-frequency response.
  • Three mid-woofers ensure you’ll hear the faithful playback of mid-range vocal frequencies plus deep, rich bass—without distortion, even at high volumes.
  • Phased speaker array (three drivers on top and three on the bottom) creates a wide stereo soundstage that directs the sound left, right, and center.
  • Audio line-in. An auto-detecting 3.5 mm connection.
  • Adjustable bass and treble controls let you customize your sound by individual room or groups of rooms

Power & Networking:

  • Auto-switching 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz AC universal input.
  • Connects to your home WiFi network with any 802.11b/g, 2.4 GHz broadcast-capable router for uninterrupted wireless streaming.
  • One 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. Wire directly to your router to operate your Sonos if WiFi is unstable, or use the Ethernet port to provide Internet access to non-wireless devices if you’re using Boost setup.

Physical:

  • Dimensions – H x W x D 8.03 x 14.33 x 6.06 in. (203 x 364 x 154 mm).
  • Weight – 14 lbs. (6.36 kg).
  • Finish – White or black matte enclosure with graphite grille.
  • Touch-interface controls & lights
  • Capacitive touch controls for volume up/down, previous/next track, and play/pause. LED indicates Sonos component status and mute status.

What I like

  • Vibrant, full rich room-filling sound
  • Clean minimalistic look/style
  • Easy setup
  • Tailored room configuration via TruePlay
  • Excellent wireless range
  • Humidity/moisture resistant

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive

Final thoughts

The Sonos PLAY:5 is the best wireless speaker I have ever used or heard to date…hands down walking away. The sound quality is excellent, producing a rich, full listening experience. I can only imagine what a pair of them would sound like. Add the Sonos ecosystem/app, optional Alexa integration, and AirPlay 2 support makes bringing music to your world easy and seamless. We all know Apple and others are doing their best to gain smart-speaker market share but all fall far short of the universe Sonos only continues to improve upon.

Price: $499.99
Where to buy: Available from Sonos or Adorama.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Adorama.

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Sonos PLAY:5 speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 19, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer review

REVIEWS – A couple of years ago, I reviewed the EGO Power+ 530 CFM Blower. I had never used a battery powered yard tool before and absolutely fell in love with its convenience and awesome power. I’m still using it—in fact, I got rid of my corded blower and haven’t missed it at all. I’m now reviewing the new EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer and let’s just cut to the chase. It’s great. In fact, it’s better than my trusted Stihl gas trimmer in every way—except for usage time. More on that later.

What is it?

The EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer is just that—a trimmer. Mentally, I still call trimmers weed wackers, but I think that’s a brand name so “trimmer” it is. The EGO string trimmer is the latest in a line of trimmers EGO has produced. This one comes with a carbon fiber split shaft and what EGO calls POWERLOAD string loading. 

Specs

  • Auto-Wind Head
  • Carbon fiber shaft (with lifetime warranty)
  • 15” cutting swath
  • Dual-feed spiral twist 0.095in. line
  • Hi-efficiency brushless motor
  • Variable speed control
  • 5-year limited warranty
  • 2.5Ah battery with Charger

Design and features

Like their other products, the EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer is made of durable green and gray plastic housing—except for the carbon fiber shaft. This shaft arrives folded in two that needs to be straightened and locked down with a provided hex key (allen wrench). The only assembly is attaching the protective debris shield and handle. I was ready to trim and edge in minutes. It’s a good thing I photographed the trimmer when it was new and shiny because after one session, it looked like it has been used for years (see end of review). 

The trimmer I reviewed comes with a 2.5Ah battery and charger. If you already own some EGO products and have enough batteries, the trimmer can be purchased sans battery at a lower price. Yes, the battery always dies sooner than I like, but the EGO batteries run at full power until they need recharging with no power fade—a great feature. Extra batteries can always be purchased, but they are not cheap. I never understood why batteries cost so much when bought separately. The battery will hold its power for 30 days, so there’s no worry if it has been sitting for a while. The battery can also be left in the charger—it won’t overcharge.

The charger has small red and green lights that tell the battery’s condition. Red means a dead battery. When charging, the green light will blink until the battery is fully charged and the light becomes a solid green. The charger has an internal fan to keep from getting too warm while charging. 

Along with my now shelved Stihl gas trimmer, I have an older corded electric trimmer that I’ve almost never used for one main reason—and it’s not the cord. The corded trimmer was either full power or off. There is no variable speed trigger like gas models have. Chalk up another win for EGO, because the POWERLOAD String Trimmer has a variable speed control that works just like a gas trimmer. You never realize how important that is until you don’t have it. Another nice feature is that the trimmer only runs when the trigger is pulled. Once the trigger is let go, the motor stops—so the battery is only in use while the trimmer is spinning. With gas trimmers, the engine runs constantly whether the trimmer is trimming or not.

The String Trimmer has what EGO calls POWERLOAD. It’s a silly term for a welcome and cool feature. To load string into the trimmer, all you need to do is cut the length of string you need (for me, it’s a little over two outstretched arm’s length—not very precise). Then just feed one end into and through the trimmer head. Pull the string through until you have equal lengths coming out of both sides of the trim head. Lightly hold the string creating a tiny bit of tension. Then press the POWERLOAD button and watch it wind into the head. It winds slowly enough so that there is little chance of the string disappearing completely into the head requiring you to start over. It’s really that easy. Loading string is now something I look forward to instead of dreading. Okay, I’m weird.

As the string becomes too short, just tap the head on a hard surface and the line will feed out automatically. I was able to trim around chain link fences, edge sidewalks and cut through the toughest grass and even thin branches that crop up in my yard around trees. You might think that almost all trimmers do this trick and you would be correct, But not all trimmers are this quiet and vibration-free. In fact, I when I began using it, I worried if it was operating at full power because it was so quiet.

With the battery attached, the POWERLOAD String Trimmer has a nice balance to it—not too heavy on either end. This balance and its lighter weight helps keep arms from tiring out too soon. It weighs less than my gas trimmer. 

One thing I noticed is that the debris shield could be larger or maybe redesigned, because I would occasionally get hit by flying stuff. This might be a more serious issue if you do yard work in shorts—I don’t.

What I like

The EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer Is a pleasure to use. I can grab it and go—no gas, no cord. Just slide the battery into place and start trimming. The sturdy build quality, indestructible shaft and quiet brushless motor make this trimmer—dare I say it—fun to use.

What needs to be improved

The shield only adequately protects legs from flying debris. 

The included battery lasts about 20 minutes depending on how hard the trimmer is working and other factors. That’s not very long. I have 2 batteries, so it’s not as big an issue for me, but extra batteries are expensive. Keep in mind that EGO’s batteries will fit all of their products, so if you have more than one EGO tool, the ability to swap batteries is a big plus.

Many EGO products are not available from local Home Depot stores—only online at the Home Depot website.

Final Thoughts

The POWERLOAD String Trimmer is much, much quieter than my gas trimmer and it also doesn’t vibrate my arms into numbness like the gas model does. And there are no gas fumes! It’s great that technology today allows a battery trimmer that matches the power of a gas model. After using the EGO for many days, I can’t imagine going back to my gas trimmer.

Price: $229.00
Where to buy: Home Depot
Source: The sample for this product was provided by EGO.

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EGO Power+ 15” POWERLOAD String Trimmer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 18, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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