Who Makes The Viral Minions Wi-Fi Routers & Are They Any Good?
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Whether you legitimately love the Minions or you're pretending to be someone who does as a bit, you're probably aware of the Bob- and Kevin-shaped internet routers from Davolink. Sold under the tech brand's "Smart Air" label, these routers are shaped like characters from the hit movie franchise to make it look like they're just chilling out on your desk or table.
Beyond the different characters, the Bob and Kevin models also differ in features and price. The main difference is the Wi-Fi protocol: The Bob router supports Wi-Fi 6 and is $42.99 on Amazon, while you'll pay $119.99 for the Wi-Fi 6E-enabled Kevin model. Beyond the obvious meme-ability of owning one (or both) of these two, customer reviews suggest they're also solid products in their own right. Bob has a 4.1 out of 5-star rating on Amazon based on 84 reviews, while Kevin has a 4.5-star rating based on 142 reviews. These aren't the biggest sample sizes, but the indications are positive, at least.
What else to know about Davolink's Minions routers
Professional reviews are similarly positive about the Bob and Kevin routers. RTings complimented Kevin's 5GHz and 6GHz bands, its cute design, and its support for separate network names and up to seven distinct service set identifiers (SSIDs) per band. The same outlet was less impressed by Bob's performance, but that's mainly because its Wi-Fi 6 hardware can't compete with Kevin's Wi-Fi 6E, let alone Wi-Fi 7. Nevertheless, the Bob router still has commendable speed and range.
The two models also share several features, including WPA3 network security standards and the ability to function as either a router or repeater. They can also be paired within Davolink's own mesh networking ecosystem for extended wireless mesh coverage. Just be aware that the company's use of the term "Easy Mesh" should not be confused with the Wi-Fi Alliance's EasyMesh standard. They're not the same, and as a result, you might not be able to integrate either into an existing EasyMesh network.