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Tech I Actually Use & Recommend 📱 | Apple, Smart Home & Everyday Tech
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items The tech we actually own, use and genuinely recommend. From Apple favourites like my iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, MacBook and iPad to the smart-home tech we’ve used for years, including Ring, Alexa, Philips Hue, Hive and Sonos. I’ve also included th...
Sections
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🍎 Apple Tech I Use Every Day
🏠 Smart Home Tech We Actually Use
🎵 Music, Speakers & Entertainment
🔌 Everyday Tech & Accessories
🍎 Apple Tech I Use Every Day
I’m definitely in the Apple ecosystem! These are the Apple products I actually own and use regularly, from the things that are with me every day to the tech I use for work, browsing and everything in between. Not necessarily the newest version of eve...
My Apple Watch was an unexpected birthday present because I’d spent ages wobbling over whether I’d actually use one. Turns out I absolutely do! 😂
I wear it every day for the obvious things like checking the time, but I also use it to track my steps...
Apple Watch ⌚️
We originally bought AirTags because our kids don’t have phones yet, so they’re a really handy way for us to keep track of where they are when they’re out and about.
They’re tiny enough to pop into a keyring holder or even an AirTag watch strap, and...
Apple AirTag 📍
I’m now on my second MacBook, which probably says everything! My first lasted me around 10 years, so although they’re an investment, I definitely felt I’d had my money’s worth.
My husband bought me my latest one for Christmas in Midnight and I absol...
Apple MacBook Air – Midnight 💻
I’ve just upgraded to the iPhone 17, but I’ve actually been an iPhone user for nearly 20 years! The first iPhone arrived in the UK in November 2007, and I’ve pretty much stuck with them ever since.
It’s probably the piece of tech I use more than an...
Apple iPhone 17 – Mist Blue 📱
All three of our kids have iPads and they get a LOT of use. They use them for the fun stuff, obviously, but also for homework and accessing schoolwork through Microsoft Teams.
They’re particularly brilliant for travelling because the kids can downlo...
Apple iPad 👨👩👧👦
Another Apple product I was convinced I probably didn’t need! 😂 I worried AirPods would constantly fall out of my ears, so I resisted them for ages.
Then my husband bought some, absolutely raved about them and eventually convinced me. Naturally, wh...
Apple AirPods with Active Noise Cancellation 🎧
🏠 Smart Home Tech We Actually Use
The smart-home tech that has actually stuck! These are the things we use regularly at home rather than gadgets that seemed like a good idea and were forgotten about a month later. From controlling the heating to playing music or asking Alexa somethin...
I was sceptical about getting a Ring doorbell, mainly because I wasn’t keen on paying another subscription. We’d previously had a Hive camera, so I wasn’t sure we really needed to change.
I’m converted though! It was really easy to install, the app ...
Ring Battery Video Doorbell 🔔📹
We liked the Ring doorbell enough that we added a separate Ring camera outside our garage for a bit of extra security.
The biggest plus for me is that it all sits within the same Ring app as the doorbell, so I can quickly check both cameras in one p...
Ring Outdoor Security Camera 🏠📹
We have Echo Dots in our lounge and kitchen and they’ve become part of everyday life in our house. We use Alexa for everything from music and timers to controlling our lights and TV.
Ours also link with our Ring doorbell, so Alexa lets us know when ...
Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa 🔊
My son actually asked for this one for Christmas because he loved the shape and wanted one for his bedroom. It does all the usual Alexa things but is a smaller, fun-looking option for a bedroom.
Great for music, alarms and asking Alexa the million r...
Amazon Echo Pop 🌙
We have a larger Echo in our bedroom as well as the smaller Echo Dots around the house. We use it for music, alarms and controlling our other smart-home devices without needing to reach for our phones.
It links with our Philips Hue lights, Ring and ...
Amazon Echo – Bedroom 🔊
We’ve been using Philips Hue smart lighting for nearly 12 years, so this is definitely one of our longest-standing smart-home recommendations!
We have Hue lights at the front door and in our lounge, kitchen and bedroom. Ours are linked to Alexa so w...
Philips Hue Smart LED Bulbs 💡🌈
We’ve had Hive heating for around 10–12 years, so this has definitely stood the test of time in our house!
We have separate controls for the top two floors and downstairs, which is really useful as we don’t always need to heat the whole house in the...
Hive Smart Thermostat & Heating 🏠🌡️
🎵 Music, Speakers & Entertainment
The tech we use for music and entertainment at home. These are the speakers, TVs and other bits of kit that get used regularly by the whole family and that I’d recommend based on actually living with them.
We actually won this Samsung OLED TV in a John Lewis competition, which was a pretty amazing prize! 😂 Having lived with it, though, I would genuinely recommend it.
The picture quality is brilliant, particularly for films, and we have ours wall-moun...
Samsung 55” OLED TV 📺
We also won the matching Samsung soundbar with our TV and it has made such a difference, particularly for family movie nights.
The sound is so much fuller than relying on the TV speakers alone and having the matching Samsung set-up works really well...
Samsung Soundbar 🔊🍿
We love our Sonos Move because we get all the benefits of our Sonos system but can actually take this one with us!
It’s brilliant for taking outside when we’re having friends over or a party in the garden, and we even take ours away with us in the c...
Sonos Move Portable Smart Speaker 🔊☀️
We have Sonos speakers around the house, including in our lounge and Ella’s bedroom, and love how easily everything works together.
Ours link with Alexa and Spotify, so we can just ask for music rather than having to find our phones. You can have di...
Sonos Speakers 🎵🏠
Spotify is probably one of our most-used subscriptions. We use it throughout the house with our Sonos speakers and Alexa, as well as individually on our phones and other devices.
I love being able to create playlists for everything from parties and ...
Spotify Premium 💚
🔌 Everyday Tech & Accessories
The less exciting tech that we probably rely on even more than the big purchases! Chargers, cables, power banks and other everyday accessories that we use regularly and have proved worth buying.
All of our iPads have cases now because I learnt the hard way that an iPad and children without a protective case is not a good combination! 😂
Whenever we get a new iPad, a case is one of the first things I order from Amazon. They’re inexpensive co...
iPad Case 📱
Every time I get a new phone, the first thing I buy is a case. I’ve just upgraded to the iPhone 17 and there was no chance I was risking it without one!
I tend to buy my cases from Amazon because there are so many styles to choose from and they’re r...
iPhone 17 Case 📱
Not the most exciting Apple accessory, but unfortunately an essential! 😂 The Apple Watch needs its own magnetic charger, so it’s something worth factoring in if you’re buying a watch for the first time.
I like having a spare rather than constantly ...
Apple Watch Charger ⌚️🔌
Johnny and I each have one of these beside the bed and they’re so handy. One charging station takes care of our iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods overnight rather than having three separate chargers and cables everywhere.
Everything goes on it at bedt...
3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station for iPhone, Apple Watch & AirPods 📱⌚️🎧
An absolute essential for me, particularly when I’m travelling for work. Between emails, Teams, maps, tickets and everything else I use my phone for, I don’t want to spend the day worrying about finding a plug socket.
I always have a battery pack in...
Portable Power Bank for iPhone & Devices 🔋
Once you start buying AirTags, you quickly realise you also need something to actually attach them to! 😂
I’ve always bought our AirTag holders from Amazon because they’re inexpensive and there are loads of different options. We use keyring-style ho...
AirTag Holders 📍
My MacBook was too expensive to throw into a bag unprotected! I use a laptop case whenever I’m travelling with it, particularly for work trips when it’s going through airports, trains and hotels with me.
It gives it that extra protection from scratc...
MacBook/Laptop Protective case 💻