UTR-LR vs UTR from a non techy person (That no one asked for)

Okay, I'll start out by saying I am an enthusiast, not a network engineer. My wife travels internationally very regularly, and I travel domestic regularly. I have a Unifi ecosystem at home.

I bought the UTR when it came out, as it seemed like a great fit for my wife instead of carrying around a glinet router (which she always has trouble with, and hates the size, just to make her kindle and Roku stick work easier). I liked the form factor, and when she wasn't traveling I stole the UTR to take with me. I was finally about to buy a second when the UTR LR came out. I decided to buy it instead of the original because why not.

This is the first trip I've had them together. All in all, they're largely the same. The speeds are similar, performance between the 2 (vs just the hotel wifi) is negligible. No Ethernet port in this room, which is my preferred choice, so I use the Wi-Fi uplink (or my mobile hotspot USB Tether if I have decent cell coverage and am not leaving the room).

A few things I did notice for what it is worth:

1) the UTR-LR is cooler to the touch. Still runs warm, but the UTR is noticabley warmer to me to the touch.

2) The Flip up antenna does make a difference, and seems to be semi directional. The UTR-LR would connect to the hotel wifi at -65db when pointed the right way, and was about -75db in every other direction. The UTR was just about -75 no matter what. Didn't effect me here, but could definitely be a make or break in some spots. With the antenna closed on the UTR-LR, it was about -75db in my testing, and very similar performance to the plain UTR.

3) My wife HATES the flip up antenna, she said it's too clunky and too much hassle to "aim", and wants to stick with the original UTR, it works for her. I'll be keeping the UTR-LR as my router of choice, for what it is worth. I have a GlInet Slate 7 for if we are in an Airbnb or something and need more than just the hotel room for reach.

4) Yet again, another prime example of why I'm okay with Wi-Fi 5… This is what I'm getting… And it's keeping the Roku and 2 tablets up no problem. Better wifi on the router will not improve the speed… If I get a decent Ethernet connection, this thing will do a few hundred in both directions no problem. More than I ever need when traveling.

Either way, here'sy thoughts that no one asked for, but some may find helpful 😂. If you have a UTR, I wouldn't be too worried about upgrading, but if you're buying new, I do think the UTR-LR is worth the extra $20. Not the most scientific test, but just a casual "how I would use it" test.