Do you believe a robot vacuum will do a good job cleaning your house? I have to admit that for many, buying a $2,000-plus vacuum is a big leap of faith. Will it do a good job? Will it save me time?
Robot vacuums are among the hottest-selling items in electronics retailers today. Ecovacs is one of the major brands in Australia and has just launched a new model, the Deebot X8 Max Pro Omni. It’s an update to the X8 Pro Omni (minus the ‘Max’) that launched 12 months ago. I review the X8 Max Pro Omni to see how it compares.
The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Max Pro Omni is a wireless robot vacuum that both vacuums and mops your floors whilst avoiding obstacles.
The X8 Max comes with the vacuum, its base station and a power cord. A disposable dust bag is already installed, but you will need to purchase some Deebot cleaning fluid ($37.50 for one litre) separately to get started. Whilst shopping, a three-pack of Antibacterial disposable dust bags will also come in handy ($29.90).
A self-servicing robot vacuum like the X8 Max is not a discreet appliance. You will notice it, and its placement should be considered for both access and aesthetics. We note that this model has a smaller, more attractive base station.
Base station size comparison: the X8 Pro Omni is on the left, and the new X8 Max is on the right. Image: Angus Jones.
Navigation in your home is a key skill a robot vacuum must have, both to ensure the available floor surface is cleaned and to avoid obstacles. The X8 Max uses Ecovacs AIVI 3D 3.0 intelligent navigation, which uses lasers to map your home. The net result is that the vacuum’s path is not random; rather, it follows carefully planned straight lines, ensuring all areas are covered, and it also adapts to changes, such as the couch being moved a few centimetres or a temporary obstacle like a toy or pet.
Being less than 10cm high means the X8 can travel under furniture and cleaning areas that you may rarely reach with a conventional vacuum.
To clean a hard floor, you need suction of between 4,000 and 8,000Pa (Pa refers to ‘Pascals’, a measure of suction strength), whilst carpet needs at least 10,000Pa. The Max can suck up to 16,600Pa. To aid with carpets, a brush also rotates, essentially beating the carpet to help remove dust. Brushes are prone to hair or thread getting wrapped around them, a problem Ecovacs addresses with its third-generation anti-tangle system.
The Max has a roller mop which is lifted internally whilst vacuuming a carpet to ensure the carpet does not get wet. When a hard floor is reached, the mop spins at 220 RPM to scrub any spills and dirt from the floor. Clean water mixed with detergent is continuously used to spray the mop, and dirty water is removed from the mop to prevent streaking and to avoid moving grime from one place to another.
The Ecovacs robot is round and designed to clean up against walls and into corners. A clever brush with its own sensors sweeps dirt and dust into the vacuum’s path, while the mop can slide aside to ensure edge-to-edge cleaning.
Underside of the X8 Max showing the main and side brushes as well as the roller mop. Image: Ecovacs.
Periodically, the vacuum returns to the base station, where the robot’s dust bin is sucked clean into a disposable dust bag, and the dirty water is replaced with clean water before the robot returns to the unfinished floor areas. Once the cleaning is finished, the dock then washes the mop with hot water before drying it with hot air to ensure all dirt and bacteria are removed.
If you have a house with stairs, the vacuum cannot climb them. You can set up different map zones and carry the vacuum, but you will have to return it midway through its task to empty its waste bin, change its water, and possibly recharge it. In a larger house, you may consider using two robot vacuums.
Ecovacs has a built-in voice assistant, YIKO, which you can give specific voice commands like clean the kitchen. Alternatively, it can be integrated with Alexa or Google Home assistants.
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Max Pro Omni specifications and price
Suction power
16,600Pa
Features
Vacuum and Roller Mop
Navigation
Laser
Dimensions
Robot: 35 x 46 x 10 cm
Base station: 34 x 46 x 50 cm
Price (RRP)
Ecovacs lists the RRP as $2,599, but sells the device for $1,599
To get started with the X8 Max, you will need to fill the clean water tank and detergent dispenser. Once you have logged into the app and paired your vacuum, a simple press of a button starts the vacuum’s mapping of your house or at least the sections it can reach. Once this is done, you can name rooms and even add furniture to the map, though it’s not required. A second button push once this is done will start the cleaning function.
Although not by default, the vacuum can learn from past experience, helping it avoid getting stuck. My test unit has yet to get stuck, but a previous model did learn from getting stuck. The app can also start the robot and schedule times for it to start automatically.
Box contents. Image: Angus Jones.
I am using the X8 Max to clean the laundry, kitchen, family room, hallway, and powder room. This covers 60 square metres, which is either timber-floored or tiled. The vacuum and mop take around one hour.
I estimate that cleaning to the same standard manually took me around 45 minutes to vacuum and mop before. Now, when I say the same standard, I have to admit the robot does a better job, not missing small sections and using clean water rather than water from a bucket. The big test, which I expected the Ecovacs to fail, was to vacuum our medium-length, thick carpet, which, even after many years, still fills our conventional vacuum with wool fibres. I expected the Ecovacs small onboard dustbin to be an issue, but other than extra trips back to the docking station to empty it, it performed flawlessly. Ecovacs quotes the dustbag as lasting 90 days, but I expect that with a pet or longer carpet, this will be shorter.
The robot works well in its default settings, but, as you would expect, there are many customisations available, such as child lock, do not disturb (so it will not run whilst you sleep), room sequence, sensitivity to objects, cleaning intensity, etc. All of this is controlled from the app, which also logs activity and alerts you to issues, including scheduled maintenance. The vacuum has replaceable parts with a scheduled lifespan, and you will receive a notification when they need to be replaced. The app also provides visual guides to fixing an issue or replacing a part.
There are lots of little clever items on this vacuum that continue to impress me. For example, when you remove the base station dust bag, it automatically closes the hole so no dirt or dust can escape.
I must admit I have had older robot vacuums that did not work that well. The Ecovacs X8 Max Pro is a whole different level. I don’t think I will ever go back to manually vacuuming, and with a larger house, I have cut my cleaning time from more than two hours to less than half an hour. That’s a saving of almost 80 hours a year. At the median Australian pay rate of $42.90 per hour, that’s around $3,432, which more than covers the initial outlay.
Who is the X8 Max Pro Omni for?
Even if you think you are a precise vacuumer and do a thorough job, not only does the Ecovacs X8 Max Pro Omni systematically cover every section of the floor, but it is also small enough to fit under lounges, so areas get cleaned that you would otherwise have to move furniture to clean.
If you always want clean floors, this product will pay for itself in six months and give you back ‘me time’. Now if only they had a robot to dust and clean the toilet.
It’s worth noting that Ecovacs lists the model’s RRP as $2,599. At the time of writing, it is being sold for $1,599.
GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Max Pro Omni
The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Max Pro Omni is a nice upgrade that slims down on size, while keeping all the cleaning features of the original X8.
Features
8
Value for money
9
Performance
8.5
Ease of use
9
Design
8.5
Positives
Automated self sufficient cleaning
Easy setup
Works well on thick carpet
Negatives
Does not come with any detergent, so is not ready to go out of the box
Amazon wants to make streaming your favourite movies and TV shows easier with the redesigned Fire TV Stick HD. Slimmer, faster, and dropping the external power requirement, it seems to be the true embodiment of plug-and-play.
At $79, it’s cheaper than Amazon’s low-priced $89 4K model from last year, but the new HD (1080p) version does several things better. One is its use of the faster Wi-Fi 6 technology (compared to Wi-Fi 5 in the Select), in addition to the more recent Bluetooth 5.3 standard for connecting headphones and game controllers.
The 2026 Fire TV Stick HD is also smaller than any other Amazon streaming device. According to the company, it’s “about 30 per cent narrower” than the previous model. On top of that, it’s claimed that the latest HD streaming stick is upwards of 30 per cent faster, turning on quicker and navigating between apps more smoothly.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade in terms of convenience is that this new model doesn’t need an external power adapter. Instead, the device plugs into a TV’s HDMI port, as it always has, and then it draws enough power by plugging a cable into a TV’s USB port.
Amazon says the Fire TV Stick HD can still run off a wall adapter, but the option of TV USB power makes it a more versatile streaming device when travelling. When all you need is the stick and the included USB cable, it’d be easy to bring it to a friend or a relative’s house, or to a hotel room, so you can keep watching your shows away from home.
Available to pre-order now from Amazon, the Fire TV Stick HD officially launches in Australia on 29 April. In the months after release, Amazon will release an accessibility update to add an ‘Adaptive Display’ setting that scales up text and menu items for easier readability.
GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.
Floodlight security cameras require mains power, right? This is what I thought until now. Floodlight cameras are my preferred security cameras, as they serve as a deterrent, provide excellent light for other purposes, and improve the camera’s night vision with bright lighting.
Reolink recently launched the Solar Floodlight Cam, which is completely wireless and requires no mains power to operate. I put it to the test to see if it will become my go-to security camera
The Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam is a wireless, weatherproof, battery-powered Wi-Fi security camera with floodlights that reach up to 1,000 lumens of brightness. This is the first battery-powered floodlight camera I’ve reviewed. Until now, we have seen plenty of spotlight cameras that light up on activation, but their illumination is much weaker than that of a floodlight.
In the box, you will find the camera, with the solar panel already attached to the top of the unit, a USB cable, and mounting hardware. The unit is ready for installation with a drill and the provided special wrench to tighten the bracket once you select the correct direction.
The camera uses dual-band Wi-Fi, which increases its chances of connecting to your in-home Wi-Fi signal. You need to position the camera where it can see what you want to capture and illuminate, and still have Wi-Fi coverage. Otherwise, it will not work.
The secret to this camera is a large 7,800mAh battery and an efficient solar panel to charge it. The battery alone, with no sun, will last up to three months, but this depends on how many times the camera is triggered to record, and the light activates, which drains the battery. Reolink says that, based on average usage, the solar panel will need at least one hour of direct sunlight per day to provide 24 hours of coverage.
The 2K resolution camera is fixed and will capture 150 degrees left to right (side-to-side is 180 degrees). This resolution is adequate, but not for picking up detail at further distances, as there is no optical zoom. The floodlight, which activates on movement, puts out up to 1,000 lumens (equal to an old school 75W bulb or a 10-14W LED bulb). The camera will also trigger at this point and start recording an image, so the recording will be in colour and much more detailed than it would be without light. The camera will capture night vision in complete darkness up to a distance of 10m.
Floodlights. Image: Angus Jones.
The floodlight itself has a few features, like adjustable warm or white lighting, and its brightness is adjustable both manually and automatically based on ambient light. The camera can differentiate between animals, cars and people, and the light can be set not to turn on, for example, if it detects an animal. These adjustments save battery power.
A siren and two-way talk capability also provide additional security features to deter intruders. The camera integrates with both Google Assistant and Alexa smart home systems.
In Australia, the sweet spot for the price of a battery-operated spotlight 2K security camera is $150; for an extra $30, you get floodlights with a solar panel, which is a bargain.
Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam specifications and price
What has surprised me with this camera is that I did not expect it to be so efficient. I have rarely seen the camera below 100 per cent after 10 am.
I have mounted my camera facing north at the back of my house. If I mounted it on the front of my house, between the houses’ architecture and the southerly direction, the solar panel would not get the required hours of sunlight. It does not seem much, but you do need it, so consider if this will work in your location. You could recharge the battery periodically if you don’t have enough sunlight.
Depending on the brand, buying a security camera can come with monthly fees to get it to do what it is supposed to do. Reolink enables you to avoid cloud fees with local storage options. The simplest option is a MicroSD card (up to 512GB), which you insert into the camera itself. Alternatively, Reolink sells a home hub ($200) that also uses SD card storage but centralises it for several cameras, keeping it stored safely inside your home.
The solar floodlight can differentiate between vehicles, people and animals. If you wish, you can change the sensitivity of each category, allowing you to ignore one of them, say vehicles, if you live on a busy road. Each recording will have a corresponding logo to indicate what triggered it, which is handy, especially if you are searching for a specific occurrence. I did find, in low morning light, that although the camera triggered, my walking in front of the camera was detected as a movement rather than a person.
The Reolink app works well on the default settings, until you become more confident with the various settings changes you can make on the camera. Reolink also has a PC application, so you are not limited to viewing from your smartphone. You will need your smartphone for setup, though.
In the live screen view, there are several buttons you can interact with, including taking a photo, recording video, and talking to someone. A button on this and the playback screen will say ‘Low’. Press this, and the words ‘Fluent’ and ‘Clear’ appear. Press ‘Clear’, and the button changes to ‘High’. This refers to high resolution, which enables you to see more detail in the image.
See ‘High’ button at top right. Image: Angus Jones.
Who is the Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam for?
If you are considering purchasing a security camera for your home but do not want to spend a lot to start, the Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam is my new favourite. For the price with floodlights and a solar panel, this self-contained security solution can be placed anywhere you have some direct sun and Wi-Fi coverage. The camera can be accessed from anywhere you have internet coverage, and there are no ongoing costs.
Once you commit to your first camera, it is more practical to stay with the same brand. Reolink offers a wide range of cameras and doorbells that suit different environmental needs, so you can build a security solution tailored to your needs. Having one app is far simpler than having multiple, speaking from someone who has many apps due to my testing.
GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.
Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam
Battery power, combined with the sun, keeps the Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam security camera going all day and all night.
Features
8
Value for money
10
Performance
8
Ease of use
8
Design
8
Positives
Floodlight camera that's wireless
Great price
No ongoing fees
Negatives
Needs some direct sun on panel to recharge, so positioning is important
Samsung has launched quite a few nifty sets of in-ear headphones and smartwatches lately, and they’re all worth a look. But of the extensive range, which Samsung Galaxy Buds should you choose? Which one of the brand’s wearables is best suited to your needs?
To help you, we’ve gone over the current Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Watches you can buy right now. You can’t go too far wrong whichever direction you choose, but some models are an even better fit depending on your needs.
Some of these gadgets are great for everyday use, while others shine brightest for power users. Do you need the best sound quality or the toughest watch? Or are you after something that balances affordability and features?
Read on to find out which Samsung Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Watches are best for you. To make upgrading even easier, many of these devices are on sale as part of Samsung TechFest for a limited time.
At the top of the range is the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, the brand’s best in-ear headphones with active noise cancellation. New this year, the Buds 4 Pro are more stylish, with shorter stalks and a slick brushed metal finish.
These buds have larger woofers, which contribute towards a powerful and full sound across music and spoken-word content, like podcasts and audiobooks. Samsung designed the Buds 4 Pro with even easier customisation, including an adaptive EQ that adjusts the audio based on the shape of your ears.
AI assistants are also easy to access when paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone, letting you translate languages or get quick responses to queries without even needing to get your phone out of your pocket.
Stylish and comfortable, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 feature a more open-fit design, suited to people who are pickier about what goes into their ears. You still benefit from the quiet that active noise cancellation brings, and all the smart AI features when connected to a Samsung Galaxy phone.
Along with a metal finish and high-quality audio, the Galaxy Buds 4 provide crystal clear calls. Its built-in microphone system picks up your voice, even in noisy environments, ensuring you can be heard clearly during phone calls.
These are the buds you choose when you still want premium quality at an affordable price.
Comfortable and even more affordable, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE bring a lot of premium features to a compelling price. Active noise cancellation comes included, as does deep sound and clear microphone audio.
These buds are a good mid-range option for when the budget doesn’t stretch quite as far, but you still want a high level of quality. Like the other Galaxy Buds, the 3 FE lets you translate between different languages in real-time; just pair them with a Galaxy phone, and away you go.
Designed as an everyday smartwatch that has your daily wellness in mind, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is an excellent wearable.
Even thinner than the previous generation of Galaxy Watches, the 8 is more powerful, more comfortable, and even smarter. It’s also easier to read the watch face during the day, peaking at 3,000 nits of brightness, matching the super-durable Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Adept at tracking your workouts and app notifications, the Galaxy Watch 8 is a good all-rounder for Samsung users and the wider Android ecosystem.
Who doesn’t love a good bezel? With the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, you get all the features of the core model, plus a gorgeous stainless steel bezel. In addition to the large touch-enabled watch face, the bezel rotates, providing an intuitive way to navigate between apps. It also looks really cool, which is also important.
Tough and ready for the great outdoors, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is aimed squarely at people who live life to the fullest. Made from durable titanium, resistant to water submersion, and capable of withstanding high altitudes and extreme temperatures, this is the perfect adventure smartwatch.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra tracks your exercise and measures your health metrics, like the rest of the Galaxy Watch range. Here, the main difference is the heavy-duty design, up to 100 hours of battery life, and emergency SOS functionality in case you need help far away from home.
There’s also a handy Quick Button made for endurance athletes, letting you access different sports without delay. It’s customisable, too, fitting around whatever you need it to do.
If you dabble in action sports and spend a lot of time outdoors, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the pick of the bunch.
GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.
Electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) have been creeping into trail centres and bike parks for a few years now, but they still get a mixed reception. The purists grumble about motors, the converts evangelise to anyone who will listen, and the curious majority sits somewhere in the middle, wondering what all the fuss is about.
I used to be in that curious middle group. I’ve been riding mountain bikes since childhood in Canada, where getting out on the trails is practically a rite of passage. That passion followed me through the UK and eventually to Australia, and over the years I’ve owned a variety of cross-country and downhill bikes, from Specialized, Kona, Trek and Cannondale. None had motors. The riding modes were just your legs, the gearing, and how much suffering you were willing to accept on the climbs.
But an eMTB is not a city e-bike. It has no throttle. You still have to pedal, and it still demands fitness and skill. The motor just amplifies what you put in. The real question is what happens to a rider when that amplification comes from one of the most powerful drive systems on the market. After several weeks on the trails and in the city with the Amflow PL Carbon Pro, I have a pretty definitive answer.
You can choose from three frame sizes — I rode the Medium size, which was great for my 5’10” height. Image: Valens Quinn.
Amflow is a young brand, founded in 2023 and announced to the world at Eurobike 2024. If the company sounds unfamiliar, the name behind it probably does not: Amflow is effectively DJI’s entry into the eMTB world. DJI, the company synonymous with consumer and professional drones, has brought its engineering culture of precision sensors, compact motors and straightforward software to two wheels.
The heart of Amflow’s bikes is the Avinox Drive System. The Avinox M1 motor in the PL Carbon Pro packs 105Nm of continuous torque and up to 850W of peak assistance into a unit weighing just 2.52kg.
Specifications and price: Amflow PL Carbon Pro
Motor
Avinox M1 Drive Unit, 105Nm continuous torque, 850W peak (1000W in Boost)
Boost mode
120Nm torque / 1000W, maximum 60 seconds
Battery
800Wh (optional: 600Wh) | Range: up to 157km (800Wh, Eco mode, flat road, 80kg rider)
Charging
GaN 3x fast charger, 0-75% in approx. 90 minutes
Frame
Ultra-light carbon fibre, 2.27kg (M size)
Complete bike weight
19.2kg (M size, with 600Wh battery)
Fork
FOX 36 Factory, 160mm travel, GRIP X2 Damper
Rear shock
FOX FLOAT X Factory, Trunnion (185x55mm), custom tune, approx. 150mm travel
The PL Carbon Pro is built around an ultra-light carbon fibre frame that weighs just 2.27kg. The complete bike tips the scales at 19.2kg with the 600Wh battery fitted, which is genuinely impressive for a full-power eMTB. For comparison, many rival electric mountain bikes in this class weigh closer to 23-25kg, and you feel every extra kilogram when you’re navigating technical terrain or lifting the bike over an obstacle.
The geometry is confidence-inspiring without being intimidating. The 64.5-degree head tube angle gives you stability at speed, while a 77-degree seat tube angle puts you in an efficient climbing position. The four-bar rear linkage is stiff and rattle-free, and I never heard the chain slapping or snapping around, even on rough descents, thanks to the overall design.
The Amflow PL Carbon Pro’s frame design features very sturdy suspension linkages and great geometry for climbing. Images: Valens Quinn.
Suspension comes courtesy of FOX at both ends. The FOX 36 Factory fork up front provides 160mm of travel with a GRIP X2 damper that gives you meaningful control over compression and rebound. The rear FOX FLOAT X Factory shock (185x55mm trunnion) delivers around 150mm of wheel travel, with a two-position lever that lets you firm it up significantly for climbing efficiency. Component quality throughout is top shelf: the drivetrain is SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission with electronic shifting across a 10-52T cassette, and the brakes are Magura MT7 Pro four-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 203mm rotors. This is the kind of specification you’d expect on a high-end non-electric trail bike.
The Fox front and rear suspension setup is very solid with plenty of adjustment options to dial in your ride preferences. Images: Valens Quinn.
Motor, battery and performance
The Avinox M1 offers five distinct riding modes: Eco, Trail, Turbo, Auto and Boost. Eco and Trail speak for themselves, while turbo delivers maximum continuous assistance. Auto is the clever one, adjusting assistance in real time based on terrain and riding dynamics without any input from you. Boost is reserved for the seriously steep stuff, delivering 120Nm and 1000W for a maximum of 60 seconds before stepping back down. There is also a Walk mode that provides gentle assistance when you are pushing the bike on foot, which is more useful than it sounds when you’re pushing it up hill.
The bike I tested came with the 800Wh battery, which Amflow rates for up to 157km of range under controlled test conditions. Real-world range will vary enormously with terrain and mode selection, but I consistently found the battery life to be more impressive than I expected. The GaN fast charger brings the battery from zero to 75 per cent in around 90 minutes, which is fast enough that a mid-ride coffee stop at a cafe with a power point becomes a legitimate range-extension strategy.
At the heart of the PL Carbon Pro is its Avinox M1 Drive Unit and large 800Wh battery. Images: Valens Quinn.
One feature I found myself wishing for is a removable battery. The integrated pack means charging the bike requires access to a power point near wherever you store the bike, which is not always practical. The good news is that Amflow has clearly heard this feedback: the newly announced Amflow PX and PR models feature Avinox’s first removable battery design, which also enables a spare battery for significantly extended range. It’s the kind of practical upgrade that makes a real difference to how you plan longer rides.
In Australia, the motor assistance cuts out at 25km/h, which is the legal limit for power-assisted pedal cycles. In other regions, I think you can get assistance up to 45km/h, which I would love here. On flat ground and in the city, I can’t say that I was too happy to reach this artificial ceiling. On the trails where you rarely run that fast anyway, the assistance on climbs is where the system truly earns its keep.
What it’s like to actually ride
The honest truth about riding the Amflow PL Carbon Pro is that it changes the way you think. The moment the Avinox motor kicks in on a steep climb, a part of your brain that was previously consumed with rationing effort simply goes offline. Suddenly, the question is not “can I make it up this?” but “where do I want to go next?” The entire terrain becomes your playground. I found myself taking lines I’d normally dismiss and tackling climbs I’d never attempt on a conventional bike. It’s not cheating, it’s a completely different experience.
In Turbo mode, my absolute favourite, and thanks to the 10-52T SRAM cassette, even the most punishing gradients become almost effortless. I was pushing so much torque through my pedals that I worried that the chain might break – which it didn’t. The single front chainring setup makes complete sense here, as the range of gearing and the motor’s torque make a second chainring redundant. The SRAM X0 electronic shifting is fast and precise, though during my test, the system occasionally struggled to find one particular gear, so it probably needs a little recalibration.
The SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission (electronic) and high 10-52T cassette give you loads of high-torque pedal options and is a quick shifter! Images: Valens Quinn.
The dropper seatpost is a revelation for steep descents. Dropping the saddle on the fly lets you shift your weight fully over the rear wheel and let the motor and the bike’s geometry do their work. The lever worked flawlessly, dropping the post, but it seemed to stick on the way back up. Minor issue, easily remedied with some lube.
Suspension was superb. The FOX fork absorbed chatter and mid-sized hits with composure, and the rear shock tracked the ground cleanly on rougher trails. At 5’10, I found the riding position comfortable and natural, with good head tube and seat angles. (You can order the bike in three frame sizes to fit your stature.) The Magura brakes deserve a special mention: they are exceptionally powerful and progressive. It took a few rides to dial in the modulation, but once I did, braking confidence was great.
One genuine frustration is the handlebar width. At 800mm, the carbon bar suits wide-open descents and chunky terrain well, but it catches on trees constantly in tighter, technical singletrack. Most experienced trail riders will want to trim a centimetre or two off each end with a hacksaw, and I would strongly recommend doing so before your first proper trail ride. It is a straightforward modification, but it is worth knowing before you head out for a ride.
Tech features: display, app and connectivity
The two-inch full-colour OLED touchscreen is integrated flush into the top tube rather than bolted onto the bar, which is a nice touch. It displays real-time data and lets you swipe between screens for riding stats, estimated range and mode selection. It is easy to read on the move once you know where everything is.
The OLED screen is easy to read, and I love lots of riding stats (left). The Turbo mode is so addictive (right). Images: Valens Quinn.
The bike is designed to be controlled via Bluetooth wireless controllers mounted on the handlebars, so you can switch modes without taking your hands off the bars. On my test unit, however, only one side’s controller successfully paired with the display, which meant I could not set up the dedicated Boost mode shortcut button or access Walk mode via the bar-mounted controls. As a result, I did not get to fully evaluate Boost mode on trails. This appeared to be a unit-specific pairing issue rather than a system flaw.
The Avinox Ride App connects to the bike for deeper customisation: you can fine-tune the power, torque and cadence parameters for each riding mode, set up anti-theft mode (which sounds an alarm and sends a notification if the bike is moved), and track the bike’s location in real time. After each ride, the app records a comprehensive set of data including speed, distance, cadence, power output, torque, gradient, altitude, calories burned and, with a compatible heart rate monitor, your heart rate. Everything syncs to Strava if you want to share with the broader riding community. I liked having this record, and it adds a fitness tracking dimension.
The Magura MT7 Pro, four-piston hydraulic disc, gives you amazing stopping power (left) and mode select buttons for navigating the display (right). Images: Valens Quinn.
PL Carbon vs PL Carbon Pro: which should you buy?
The PL Carbon Pro that I tested sells for $12,499 AUD (on sale from $13,999), and the standard PL Carbon is available for $9,399. The $3,100 price gap reflects meaningful upgrades across the drivetrain, suspension and brakes. The headline difference is the shift from a conventional cable-actuated groupset on the Carbon to the SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission electronic wireless shifting on the Pro. The Pro also steps up to FOX Factory-level suspension at both ends rather than Performance-specification dampers, more powerful four-piston Magura MT7 Pro brakes in place of a two-piston setup, carbon rims instead of alloy, and the FOX Transfer Factory dropper post.
For riders who spend a lot of time on demanding, technical trails, the Pro’s component specification justifies the premium. For those new to the eMTB category or who prioritise the core motor and battery experience over top-tier finishing kit, the Carbon at $9,399 offers the same Avinox heart in a more accessible package. Both bikes share an identical frame, motor, battery options and geometry.
Who is the Amflow PL Carbon Pro for?
The Amflow PL Carbon Pro is an exhilarating, thoughtfully engineered eMTB. The combination of DJI’s Avinox motor technology, premium FOX suspension, SRAM X0 electronic drivetrain and a feather-light carbon frame puts it at the top of what is out there in the full-power trail bike category. It does not try to disguise the motor assistance; it embraces it and builds a ride experience around it that is genuinely different from conventional mountain biking, and genuinely joyful.
The Amflow PL Carbon Pro is quite the looker – how could you not want to take this for a ride? Credit: Valens Quinn
A removable battery would be welcome for more flexible charging options, though Amflow has addressed this in the newly announced PX and PR models.
Who is it for? Someone who loves getting outside on technical terrain, who wants to push further and climb harder than their fitness alone would normally allow, and who appreciates premium hardware. If you are a seasoned trail rider wondering whether an eMTB would compromise your experience, the honest answer is: it won’t. It will just change it, in ways you probably won’t want to go back from.
It should be noted that the PL Carbon Pro is nearing the end of its life as the new PX Carbon Pro looks to be a monster — it has a 1500W motor and supports geometry adjustments to customise it to your terrain and riding style. This means there could be some great discounts on the PL model, and it’s fair to say that the PX will only build on the PL in terms of the quality, performance and fun that it delivers.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Amflow PL Carbon Pro battery actually last?
Amflow rates the 800Wh battery for up to 157km under controlled conditions, and in my real-world testing, it consistently delivered more than I expected. Actual range varies significantly with riding mode and terrain, but battery anxiety was never a factor across the trail rides I did. You could definitely do a day’s ride on a single charge – and there’s the option to change to ECO mode or even stop all power assist if you want to extend the charge. The GaN fast charger brings it from zero to 75 per cent in around 90 minutes, which makes topping up between rides genuinely practical.
Is the Amflow PL Carbon Pro legal to ride in Australia?
Yes. Like all power-assisted pedal cycles in Australia, the motor assistance cuts out at 25km/h, which is the legal limit for this category of e-bike. It also has no throttle, meaning you have to pedal for the motor to engage, which keeps it compliant with Australian road rules. You can ride it on shared paths and bike trails where conventional bicycles are permitted.
Do you need to be fit to ride the Amflow PL Carbon Pro?
Less than you might expect, but fitness still plays a role. The five riding modes give you genuine control over how hard you work. In Turbo or Boost mode, climbs that would stop most riders become manageable regardless of conditioning. Trail and Eco modes let you dial in a real workout if that is the goal. What the motor cannot replace is trail technique, particularly on technical descents, so prior mountain bike experience remains an asset.
How does the Amflow PL Carbon Pro handle tight singletrack?
Confidently, with one caveat worth knowing before you head out: the 800mm handlebar width catches on trees constantly in tighter bush sections. I would strongly recommend trimming the bars before your first proper trail ride. Beyond that, the FOX suspension handles technical terrain well, and the bike feels noticeably more agile than its eMTB rivals, largely thanks to the lightweight carbon frame.
Is the Amflow PL Carbon Pro suitable for someone coming from a conventional mountain bike?
It was for me. I came to it with years on non-electric trail and downhill bikes and found the transition natural rather than jarring. The handling, geometry, brakes and component quality all feel familiar to anyone with a mountain biking background. The motor simply removes the ceiling on where you can go and what you can climb, rather than changing how the bike fundamentally feels to ride. If anything, that is what makes it compelling, but it is still unmistakably a mountain bike.
Amflow PL Carbon Pro
DJI’s drone-making instincts have produced an electric mountain bike that will transform how you think about what’s possible on a trail.
Performance
9.5
Features
9
Ease of use
8.5
Design
9
Value for money
8.5
Positives
Avinox motor transforms climbs that would stop most riders cold
Featherlight carbon frame punches well below the weight class for a full-power eMTB
Top-shelf components
Battery life consistently exceeds expectations, with fast charging for topping up between rides
