The Aircove’s Wi-Fi 6 raw speeds tested average for a router sold at the current price. We recorded an 845Mbps single device average at close range, putting it in line with two similarly priced routers we’ve tested, the ASUS RT-AX68U and the Reyee RG-E5.

But by the time we reached our 40-foot marker outside, the Aircove fell way behind the competition in our tests. We recorded a 413Mbps average at that point, more than 200Mbps slower than the Reyee model. The gap was just as wide at 120 feet, with the Aircove averaging 191Mbps versus the Reyee unit at 330Mbps.

Keep in mind that we benchmarked the Aircove without assigning our test devices to a VPN. The results reflect the raw transmission speeds between our local test server, the router, and our test devices. Speeds from VPN use are heavily dependent on the connection from the modem/ONT to the remote destination, so we chose not to evaluate this router based on external VPN connectivity.

However, we provide benchmarks later in the review to illustrate how ExpressVPN affects the speed of a 500Mbps internet plan.

So, this is a weird one. The Aircove is a VPN-first router, so you won’t find anything here, as seen with the competition, like parental controls, media sharing, or ad blocking. That limited feature set makes it a hard sell as a primary router, especially for businesses and homes that need means to manage how and when users access the internet.

On the flip side, since the Aircove is a VPN-first router, it excels in that department. You can group devices and have them connect through a VPN server in Tokyo, for example, while another group may use a VPN server in Madrid. The drawback is you can only use an ExpressVPN subscription—no other VPN subscription works with this router.

The bottom line here is you may be better off with the original GL Tech Flint model if you need more than basic networking and explicit ExpressVPN compatibility. The Aircove is not really meant for anyone other than ExpressVPN customers even though you can use it without an ExpressVPN subscription.

What we wish the Aircove did better

• Parental controls
• Ad blocking

Unlike the original GL Tech Flint router, the Aircove doesn’t have parental controls. There’s no way to set filters or block internet access at specific times. ExpressVPN suggests using OS-specific controls like Screen Time and Family Sharing (Apple), Google Family Link (Android), or Family Safety (Windows).

And unlike the original Flint router, there’s no ad-blocking component. Flint uses AdGuard Home, launched in October 2018, which blocks video and in-app ads for all devices connected to the local network. It also hides you from analytics systems and online trackers.

The Aircove is simplistic in design. It’s probably the size of a thick 7-inch tablet with four large antennas you can bend back up to 180 degrees. There’s no multi-gig or link aggregation to be had here, so the most real-world wired speeds you’ll get is sound 940Mbps—perfect for those gigabit-but-not-quite-gigabit internet plans and slower.

The Aircove has a 2×2 stream configuration on both bands. That’s fine in a small home with very few wireless devices. But if you have a larger family with dozens of devices trying to access Wi-Fi simultaneously, you’ll experience slower speeds and latency. We always say the more streams, the better.

Finally, the Aircove has a Sync button and a USB port you can’t use—at least, not at the time of this review. A rubber cap plugs into the USB port when you take it out of the box, which we thought was just for protection, but after digging into the interface, there are no means to use the port. Perhaps ExpressVPN will add features for the Sync button and USB port in the near future.

Believe it or not, we had this router up and running after four steps—not 10 steps or 12 steps or what seems like a gazillion steps, as seen with other router setups. There was no MAC cloning confusion or manual time zone adjustments. The process was insanely quick, although we didn’t sign in to ExpressVPN until after the setup. Even then, all we had to do was enter our activation code, and voila! We were rolling with a new network. Kapow!

The interface is nearly identical to the ExpressVPN account dashboard. On the Aircove router, the Dashboard displays all your device groups—up to five—while the collapsible side menu breaks down what little settings this router has into three categories: VPN Options, Network Settings, and Advanced Settings. The color scheme is easy on the eyes too, although a Dark Mode option would be ideal.

ExpressVPN doesn’t provide a mobile app to manage the Aircove, so you must enter the router’s web address into any browser, just like you would on a desktop or laptop. The interface shuffles and condenses to work beautifully on a smartphone screen. We love this idea, actually, because the user experience is the same across any device you use, unlike other router setups where the mobile app lacks a lot of settings made available in the web interface.

The bottom line here is the router’s lack of all the “expert” settings makes it extremely easy to use for anyone. Disabling band steering, for example, is just a two-click process. But there are drawbacks to this simplistic design too, like the inability to see what band your devices currently use, which should be a staple in any Wi-Fi router interface. It was an annoying lack of information while we performed our tests, for sure.

Ultimately, if you want complete control over your home network, such as changing the transmit power or enabling AP mode, this router isn’t for you.