Corded. Application window size: 6x6cm. Six second flash frequency. Lamp lifecycle: 3000 flashes. Five skin type settings. Four hair type settings. Unsuitable for white hair or very dark skin. Can be used everywhere except near the eyes. Supplied with marking plate, cleaning spray, marking pen, optical gel, patches, sharpener, protective glasses. Eight colours available. Replacement lamp available for £90.
Comments
Good points: Clear instructions and useful accessories provided, such as the white pen to mark areas to target. Dark glasses are reassuring and cleaning spray effective. The head is easy to use on small and uneven areas. Worked brilliantly on face, underarms and bikini line, hair needing a single touch up once a month or longer depending on area.
Drawbacks: Bulky to store. Charges between each flash which makes it time consuming to use on the legs.
Cordless. 1 ½ hour recharge. Application window size: 3 x 3cm. Three to five second flash frequency. Lamp lifecycle: 40 000 flashes. Five skin type settings. Unsuitable for white, red, grey and light blonde hair, very dark or sun tanned skin. Unsuitable for facial areas. Supplied with storage pouch, cleaning cloth and demo DVD.
Comments
Good points: Cordless design makes it easy to reach most parts of the body. Simple to operate. Easy to use in bikini area. Compact to store. Long lasting results compared to waxing.
Drawbacks: Small head makes it time consuming to use on legs. A little awkward to use on knee areas.
Corded. Application window size: 3 x 3cm. Two second flash frequency. Lamp lifecycle: 1500 flashes. Five skin type settings. Unsuitable very dark or sun tanned skin. Unsuitable for facial areas. Supplied with three bulbs. Additional lamp available for £25.
Comments
Good points: Results started to show after about two weeks with hair growing back patchier. Painless to use on legs. Hair definitely thinned on bikini and underarm areas, needing only one a week / fortnight top up. Quick to use. Overall pleasing results
Drawbacks: Occasionally get cord caught up with handset. Laser head is hard to press against uneven areas such as knees. Very slow to use on legs and hard to see which areas had been treated leading to some patches being missed as legs are shaved first in preparation. Slight discomfort on underarms and bikini line. Unit head rather large to use with ease on bikini line.
Corded. Application window size: 3 x 3cm. 6 second flash frequency. Lamp lifecycle: 10 000 flashes. Three skin type settings. Unsuitable for red, grey or white hair, very dark or sun tanned skin. Can be used everywhere except near the eyes. Supplied with activator gel.
Comments
Good points: Quick and easy to use on underarms and bikini line. Hair growth notably slowed.
Drawbacks: Time consuming to use on the legs, head size is quite small and back of knees hard to reach. Top up treatment needed about once a week / fortnight.
10 heat settings. Swivel cord. Maximum temperature: 235˚. 267g. Flex length: 292cm. Guarantee: 5 years. Accompanied accessories: heat proof pouch and mat. Auto switch off after 60 minutes.
Comments
Good points: Very easy to use. 10 different temperature settings so user has ultimate control. Excellent results on hair; glided through easily and reached roots well. Quick to heat to maximum temperature, took just 30 seconds. Useful accessories supplied. Plates can be locked for safety. Button lock to stop the chance of accidentally switching settings. Clear digital LCD display showing temperature.
6 heat settings. Black ceramic plates. Swivel Cord. Maximum temperature: 200˚. 254g. Flex length: 290cm. Guarantee: 2 years. Accompanied accessories: iron heat guard, carry pouch, two pin Euro plug. Auto switch off after 30 minutes of no use. Universal voltage. Indicators: ready to use, on.
Comments
Good points: Very easy to use. 6 different temperature settings so user has ultimate control. Excellent results on hair; glided through easily and reached roots well. Quick to heat to maximum temperature, took just 30 seconds. Useful accessories supplied. Plates can be locked for safety. Detailed instructions. Drawbacks: Casing over plates gets quite hot, care needed.
1 heat setting. Ceramic plates. Swivel cord. Maximum temperature: 185˚. 268g. Flex length: 254cm. Guarantee: 2 years. Accompanied accessories: N/A. Auto switch off after 30 minutes of no use. Indicators: On and ready to use.
Comments
Good points: Very easy to use. Excellent results on hair; glided through hair easily and reached roots well. Quick to heat to maximum temperature, took just 20 seconds.
Drawbacks: Only one temperature setting. No safety - lock for plates. Instructions a little vague.
5 heat settings. Swivel cord. Maximum temperature: 230˚. 308g. Flex length: 302cm. Guarantee: 3 years. Accompanied accessories: N/A. Auto switch off. Indicator: On.
Comments
Good points: Detailed instructions.
Drawbacks: Had to pass straightener through hair a few times before satisfactory results were reached. No ready indicator. Controls not overly accessible.
10 heat settings. Swivel cord. Maximum temperature: 230˚. 236g. Flex length: 299cm. Guarantee: 5 years. Accompanied accessories: mat, 4 easy grip sectioning clips. Auto switch off.
Comments
Good points: 10 different temperature settings so user has ultimate control. Useful accessories supplied.
Drawbacks: Had to pass straightener through hair a few times before satisfactory results were reached. Didn't pass through hair smoothly. Controls are easily knocked when straightener is in use. No ready indicator.
1 setting, Ceramic plates, storage bag and heat pad, Universal voltage, weight; 100g, flex length 174cm, max temp 164°C, 1.12 minutes to heat to maximum.
Comments
Easy to use and comfortable, needs to pass over hair a few times to achieve results, a bit to small for someone with a lot of hair, it would take a very long time to straighten a whole head of hair. Good for touch ups.
H3.6cm x W4.6cm x D2.5cm. Records steps and distance (miles or km). Carry strap. Belt clip. Six-step filter.
Comments
Good points: A tiny device with excellent step accuracy on all tests. The filter stops any accidental readings, by only registering when six continuous steps have been taken. Ideal for a novice, this model just records steps and distance in either miles or kilometres.
H5.4cm x D2.5cm round. Records steps, aerobic steps, distance (km), calories, fat burned and current time. Belt clip. Four-second filter. Seven day memory. Battery-saving mode.
Comments
Good points: Records a good deal of useful information. Split screen shows the current time in addition to any other mode selected. Useful battery saving feature which switches off after five minutes of inactivity. Close to full marks for step accuracy, no readings are taken until it has been used continuously for four seconds. Readings for seven days are held and can easily be scrolled through using one of the two control buttons.
Drawbacks: Readings cannot be reset manually but revert to zero the next day.
H3.0cm x W5.4cm x D1.2cm. Records steps, distance (miles or km), calories, and current time. Timer. Neck strap. Ten-second filter. Seven- day memory. Step barometer.
Comments
Good points: Worth the extra if you want a more sophisticated device. It can be slipped into a pocket or hung round a neck and it can take readings hanging in any direction provided it doesn't swing. The screen is surprisingly large and clear for such a compact model and the digits switch round so you can read them from either side. Generally accurate counting.
Drawbacks: Slightly over-counted on one test. The step barometer, is designed to show you your daily average, but is a bit of a gimmick in our opinion.
H4.0cm x W5.0cm x D2.2cm. Records steps, distance (miles), calories. Carry strap. Belt clip. Protective lid.
Comments
Good points: A simple to use and compact model. Useful calorie chart is displayed on the inside of the lid. The clear screen can be viewed while still attached to waistband or belt.
Drawbacks: The distance preference for miles or kilometres must be nominated when purchasing. It slightly over-counted on two of the tests. The belt clip is stiff to use and the lid quite stiff to open. Lack of filter means it takes readings if knocked or shaken.
H6.6cm x W5.0cm x D2.0cm. Records steps, aerobic steps, distance (km), calories, fat burned, current time. Carry strap. Removable belt clip. Four-second filter. Seven-day memory.
Comments
Good points: A versatile model which can be attached to a belt or kept in a pocket. It can take readings in any position. The clear split screen can show two modes at a time. Readings for seven days are held and can be scrolled through easily. More accurate for longer periods of walking.
Drawbacks: Slight over-reading on short journeys. Readings cannot be reset manually but revert to zero the next day.
H4.7cm x W6.0cm x D2.8cm. Records steps, distance (miles or km), calories, current time. Timer. Wrist strap. Belt clip. Seven-day memory.
Comments
Good points: Bulkier than some models tested. The screen can be read while still attached to the belt. The split screen shows two modes of information at a time. It has a useful calorie counting chart inside the lid.
Drawbacks: The distance preference for miles or kilometres must be nominated when purchasing. Inaccurate readings for two of the tests. Lack of filter means it takes readings if knocked or shaken. The belt clip is stiff to use. The lid is stiff to open. The instructions don't say how or where to attach the wrist strap.
H4.0cm x W6.3cm x D3.0cm. Records steps, distance (miles or km), calories. Belt clip. Protective lid.
Comments
Good points: A slim-line model which clips easily on to a belt or waistband and the large screen can be read while still attached to waist. A very clear screen with large digits which are really easy to reset.
Drawbacks: Over-recorded steps on all tests and lack of filter means it easily reads steps when knocked or jogged.
H4.7cm x W7.0cm x 3.0cm. Records steps, distance (km), calories. Step pacer. Timer. Belt clip. Protective lid.
Comments
Good points: Records lots of useful information and has a pacer function to set a rhythm for fast walking or jogging. It has a clear screen and the lid contains a useful quick reference guide. It can be viewed while still attached to the waist.
Drawbacks: Rather bulky. The lack of filter means it easily counts steps when knocked or shaken. Step recording was inaccurate for all tests, consistently over-counting by an average of eight steps.
H6.6cm x W5.0cm x D2.0cm. Records steps, aerobic steps, distance (kms), calories, fat burned and current time. Belt clip. Four-second filter. Seven-day memory. Battery-saving mode.
Comments
Good points: Differs from others by the use of a subscription based website to show you your weekly progress. Feedback is given by email and text. Relatively easy to set up and acts as a useful guide when aiming for the recommended 10,000 steps a day.
Drawbacks: the pedometer supplied is more accurate over longer distances. The website could be more user friendly
H7.2cm x W5.6 x D3.1cm. Records steps, distance (miles or km), calories and current time. Timer. Belt clip. Panic alarm. LED torch. Walking workout CD.
Comments
Good points: More useful as a panic alarm.
Drawbacks: Bulky. Over-counted by an average of 15 steps each time. It has too many controls to make it simple to use and the lack of filter means it easily records steps when it is even lightly knocked.