TunnelBear is an easy-to-use cross-platform VPN program which can help you quickly create a secure, anonymous connection to the web, as well as blocking trackers and bypassing some web censorship.

Installation is hassle-free. You need to create a TunnelBear account before you can use the program, but this is simple enough - just enter your name, email address and password - and it's all handled within the installer.

Using the program is straightforward, too. Choose a preferred country for your VPN (the choice is currently United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and Japan); click the "On" button, and wait. Within a few seconds TunnelBear connects to a VPN server and is ready to use, no further configuration required.

For all this simplicity, there is some real thought here. If the VPN connection is lost, for instance, this doesn't mean your privacy is exposed; rather, TunnelBear's "Vigilant Mode" automatically blocks unsecured traffic until the program can reconnect.

Performance was good, too, at least in our initial tests. It seems that TunnelBear doesn't limit free users to particular servers, or throttle their speeds; the only restriction is a monthly traffic allowance of 500MB. And if that's not enough, paying $4.99 a month ($49.99/year) gets you unlimited tunnelling for your desktop computer and two further mobile devices.

What's new in v146

- Un-bear-able captchas will be handled a little better
- Combed out pesky bugs from bear fur
- Bear witness to minor UI changes
- At least 18.2% more Bear puns