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The Best Hard-Shell Carry-On Luggage

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 22:31:52 +0000

As a longtime luggage reviewer, I have a somewhat unconscious habit of casually surveying crowded airports to note the kinds of bags people are using as they travel. And over the past decade, the rising preference for hard-sided luggage is undeniable.

Hard-sided luggage looks good. It’s sleek and modern, with a reassuringly minimal exterior (the so-called shell) that, in both name and style, evokes a kind of armor against the world.

But hard-sided luggage is not always the best tool for the job.

Unlike soft-sided bags, hard-shell suitcases won’t squeeze into tight spaces or flex around last-minute souvenirs. They can crack under pressure (literally) and show scratches like a badge of honor (or shame).

Still, when it’s done well, hard-sided luggage does offer real advantages to certain people who find these bags easier to maneuver (due to their rigidity), and they’re also a snap to clean. Over the past several years, we’ve tested more than 40 pieces of hard-sided luggage. We’ve rolled them through terminals, scraped them on subway turnstiles, and checked them on long-haul, multi-leg flights (which often involve mysterious luggage mishaps).

The models we recommend strike the best balance of durability, design, maneuverability, and price. They’re not perfect for every traveler or for every trip, but when you need a suitcase that retains its shape and keeps your stuff safe, these are the bags we trust: a classic all-around pick, an upgraded pick with some refined styling, a good lower-priced option, a carry-on with locking wheels, and a carry-on reinforced by aluminum framing.

The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 21:53:06 +0000

Next to a good carry-on suitcase, the right personal-item bag, with all of your necessities, is key to having a stress-free flight.

Of course, as long as it fits under a seat, just about any bag can be a personal item (what the airlines call any purse, briefcase, or small backpack). But having a great one is especially important if you’re flying basic economy, which may limit you to a single underseat item.

The Waterfield Air Porter Carry-On Bag offers the best combination of organization, portability, and durability for a short- or long-distance traveler. It may be more than some people need, though. We also recommend a rolling bag, a lightweight shoulder bag, and a duffel tote for people who want alternatives.

The Best Garment Bag

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:08:47 +0000

In an increasingly casual era, it seems almost old-fashioned to need, let alone recommend, a garment bag. A bag dedicated to protecting a suit or beautiful dress? There’s something vaguely ridiculous about it.

That is until you suddenly find yourself with a single garment that demands special treatment. And that’s how, in an instant, the ridiculous somehow transforms into the necessary. In other words: wedding season.

Our top pick is a sturdy garment bag that you can travel with as well as store your clothing in at home. We’ve also selected a simple garment bag just for travel and an inexpensive convertible duffel.

Sometimes a garment bag needs to make a statement, almost as much as the dress or suit inside of it. For those occasions, we have two picks: a leather garment duffel and an impressively heavy and well-made leather and canvas garment bag.

However, there’s a good chance you may not need a garment bag at all, so we also have some advice on how to make that decision.

Everything we recommend

Best for travel and storage: Briggs & Riley Classic Garment Bag. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter

The Best Ergonomic Seat Cushions

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:25:35 +0000

A million and one things can distract you from being productive during your workday, but one of the most annoying is an uncomfortable seat. Whether you’re at the office, working from home, or banging out emails from a coffee shop, the last thing you want to do is wriggle around to get comfy. A great…

The Best Photo Book Service

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:10:35 +0000

We live in a digital world overflowing with images and screens. By creating a tangible photo book, you can reconnect with your images and those moments in time. Photo books also make sharing memories with family and friends so much easier.

After conducting more than 120 hours of research and testing (which included creating 29 photo books and consulting with a master printer on the results), we recommend Mixbook as the best online photo-book service. We also have recommendations for a premium album for capturing truly special life events, as well as a great budget option.

Shop Secondhand Like a Pro: How Two Style Experts Thrift a Versatile Look for $250

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:00:31 +0000

Thrifting and vintage shopping have been growing faster than the broader retail industry, with few signs of slowing down. There’s the sustainability element of it, sure, but shopping secondhand for clothing is also a way to experiment with personal style and find items that are unique to you.

To see what that looks like in practice (and to learn how to do it well), we asked two of Wirecutter’s style writers, Alexander Aciman and Frances Solá-Santiago, to put together a work-appropriate outfit of three secondhand items — a sweater, a pair of jeans, and a workbag — for $250 each. They were more than up for the challenge.

Alex is a self-proclaimed outfit repeater who has written extensively about jeans, T-shirts, and other menswear basics, so he went out looking for items that would complement his existing wardrobe. “I want each item to be slightly beyond basic, a teensy bit of a reach for me. Secondhand shopping allows me to do that, because weirder items tend to show up on the secondhand market, and those items are cheaper than they would be at retail.”

Frances has been writing about style for the better part of a decade (including authoring two books in the Little Books of Fashion series, focusing on Bottega Veneta and Celine), and she admits to preferring vintage shopping or thrifting over buying new. “This is especially true when it comes to vintage designer fashion, which I’ve started collecting slowly,” she says. But embarking on this journey, she was a bit cautious. “The budget is tight, especially because jeans, sweaters, and handbags are some of the priciest categories out there. Even secondhand!”

Lisa Fischer and Katie Quinn/NYT Wirecutter

Here’s what they ended up buying, along with some in-depth advice to help you build out your own wardrobe with pieces you’ll treasure for years to come.

Shop Secondhand Like a Pro: How Our Entertaining Experts Set a Full Table for $250

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:00:11 +0000

A good set of tableware — from dinner plates to drinking glasses — can be a big purchase, both financially and philosophically. These are items you might use daily, multiple times a day, for many years, and they can be expensive. You could easily pay over $10 for a single piece of flatware; a nice dinner plate might cost $30 or more. It’s part of why these things are a fixture on wedding registries.

It’s also why tableware is a great thing to buy secondhand. The good stuff is really made to last, often generations, and if you shop with a keen eye and a little creativity, it’s possible to set a gorgeous table for little more than it would cost to host one small dinner party for friends.

For an idea of the possibilities, and some practical tips on finding the best stuff, whether online or in person, we gave two of Wirecutter’s most experienced kitchen writers — Lesley Stockton and Michael Sullivan — a budget of $250 each and asked them to fully furnish a dining table with sets of dinnerware, flatware, and drinking glasses (both came out with enough budget to buy table linens too).

Michael has written Wirecutter’s guides to dinnerware, flatware, and drinking glasses, while Lesley has covered table linens and has many years of food and prop styling experience. Both are experienced thrifters with excellent taste. Here’s their advice on finding gems for your table, whether you need something for your daily bowl of cereal or a special celebration.

Shop Secondhand Like a Pro: How Our Decor Experts Find Worth-It Furniture on a Budget

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:00:06 +0000

Used furniture abounds in thrift stores, vintage shops, and online. But amid the sea of MDF, hopelessly stained upholstery, and questionably “mid-century modern” pieces, it takes a keen eye to find the gems. And it requires even sharper savvy to score a deal when sought-after vintage pieces can easily cost more than new ones.

But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Joshua Lyon and Ivy Elrod, two of Wirecutter’s most experienced home-decor writers. Joshua has authored guides to everything from sleeper sofas to floor lamps to writing desks, while Ivy was an interior designer and owned a furniture, lighting, and design showroom for the past decade. So we gave them each $1,500, and we asked them to document their efforts to buy a trio of secondhand items: a couch, a rug, and a lamp. Here, we’ve captured their step-by-step advice to help you fill your home with treasures, not trash.

The Best TVs

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:59:25 +0000

Our favorite TVs deliver superior picture quality for a reasonable price.

Whether it’s a big-screen 4K OLED TV that delivers the ultimate videophile performance, a great 4K TV on a budget, or a small, 32-inch HDTV for a secondary space, our recommendations always take into account both performance and value.

This article provides an overview of the top picks across all of our TV guides. We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing to find the best option for any space or budget, so read on to find the right TV for you.

If you’re eager to buy a new TV but overwhelmed by all the jargon, check out our TV buying guide.

The key thing to know about modern TVs is that shopping for a new one is less about avoiding a lemon and more about making sure you aren’t paying for features you don’t need or won’t use.

But the good news is that even affordable TVs tend to look excellent if you just want the basics.

So start by asking yourself a few questions:

What kind of content are you going to watch?
What’s the right screen size for the room?
How much control do you have over competing light, such as from lamps and windows?

If you’re not planning on playing video games or watching Blu-ray discs, you probably don’t need a TV with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which tends to raise the price.

If you’re buying for a bedroom, you probably don’t need a huge screen.

And if your intended room is especially bright, you may want to spring for a premium LCD TV since such models get a lot brighter than budget LCD TVs or OLED TVs.

Knowing some of these basic points before you start shopping around can simplify the process and narrow down your viable options.

The Best Gaming Mouse

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:40:17 +0000

If you play a lot of PC games, a more comfortable mouse with fast response times, a precise sensor, more customizable buttons, and pretty lights can be a worthwhile upgrade over a regular ol’ mouse. We’ve tested dozens and dozens over the years to find the best wired and wireless gaming mice for most hand sizes and most grip styles.

The Best Car Phone Mount

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:38:31 +0000

Distracted driving causes thousands of accidents per year and can lead to hundreds of dollars in tickets. If you rely on your phone for driving directions, podcasts, or music streaming, or if you just want to be able to take calls safely, you may want to invest in a car phone mount. We spent more than 30 hours testing 16 phone mounts in one vehicle on both smooth and pothole-ridden residential streets, highways, and mountain roads, and we found that the iOttie iTap Magnetic line offers the best combination of safety, convenience, and stability for holding your phone.

9 Things You Probably Shouldn’t Buy Secondhand

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:25:11 +0000

Thrift shopping can feel like a treasure hunt. You never know what hidden gems you may uncover while scouring packed shelves and sifting through bargain bins. But not every exciting find is necessarily a good one.

Some secondhand items are better left on the shelf, no matter how tempting the price tag. Below, Wirecutter experts weigh in on the product categories you should never buy used — for the sake of safety — and what you can pick up secondhand as long as you know what to look for.

My Partner Thinks My Mini Dustpan and Broom Set Is Pointless. I Think It’s Perfect.

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:11:10 +0000

Not only have I been testing cleaning products for years, but I’m also one of those people who actually enjoy cleaning.

That said, there are plenty of times I don’t want to be anywhere near a microfiber cloth. I hate scrubbing my bathroom, for example, but I love that faint scent of bleach during the first few showers after cleaning that signals a squeaky-clean environment. Admittedly, I tend to enjoy the frenzy that I whip myself into when I’m cleaning before a guest arrives, and I revel in that smug sense of accomplishment when I finally plop down on the couch.

One way to find joy in cleaning, in my experience, is to treat yourself to things that make it a less odious task. Like, why would I go back to a regular sponge when I can use a ghoulish, perpetually happy Scrub Daddy? And why would I use the neon version of said Daddy, when I can spend more on the gray and white ones to better match my kitchen?

That’s where my mini dustpan and broom come in. I ended up ordering this set about a year ago because I had some leftover site credit for Grove Collaborative. When it arrived, my husband, Jeffery, was bewildered. What could I possibly use such a tiny cleaning tool for? Well, let me count the ways.

This Tiny Laundry Tweak Helps Keep Towels Mildew-Free

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:09:45 +0000

Something I’ve had to come to terms with when it comes to living with other people: Not everyone shares the same standards for cleanliness as you do. And no amount of needling and nagging will change that.

Even my husband, Jeffery — whom I consider to be tidier and even more fastidious with organization than I am — has his undesirable habits. But the thing we argue about the most? His bath towels always seem to get that unmistakable mildew smell faster than mine.

It’s a maddening issue because we haven’t been able to figure out exactly why his towels get funkier faster.

We’ve run this through every possible scenario we can think of: Does he not drip-dry as much as I do before getting out of the shower? Does water cling more tightly to bodies that have more hair? Does our bathroom have such poor circulation that our towels don’t get dry enough? Or is my sense of smell so disturbingly keen that I’ll never make peace with the odors in our house?

While the last bit is probably true (I am plagued with my mother’s bloodhound nose), we haven’t landed on anything concrete that would cause this discrepancy in towel smells.

We have tried a number of solutions, however, including: switching to waffle-weave towels that apparently dry more quickly (nope), draping towels over the shower-curtain rod for maximum airflow (helps but doesn’t solve the problem), and even washing towels after every single use (exhausting and kind of wasteful).

In the end, I’ve discovered that the answer to our bath-towel woes is much more straightforward than an exhaustive investigation might reveal, and it’s certainly more cost-effective than tossing our towels whenever the mildew odor lingers. The solution is actually quite simple: a scoop of borax and a hot laundry cycle.

Our Favorite Bath Trays

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 22:59:26 +0000

A sleek bath tray that sits across your tub can provide easy access to everything you may want for an evening soak.

After researching dozens of trays and spending more than 17 hours taking baths with our 13 finalists, we found four trays that should make your evening bubble bath feel like a day at the spa.

The Best Hangers

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 22:03:59 +0000

Good hangers will keep your closet tidy and your clothes neat and free of damage. Great hangers will do so while also looking nice, ideally for many years.

After methodically testing dozens of hangers over several months and using them in our homes for nearly a decade, we recommend Proman Kascade KSA9030 Hangers as the best and most durable general-purpose hangers for most wardrobes.

The Best Cotton Sheets

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:45:23 +0000

I’ve spent about a decade testing sheets at Wirecutter, which sounds like an odd way to spend a career. Sheets are one of those life basics that seem so simple, they’re hardly worth obsessing over. Do they fit on the bed? Do they feel good? What else is there?

Oh, but believe me, I obsess over them. You spend so much time nestled between bedsheets that it’s actually one of the most intimate relationships in your life. They carry sense memories, and feelings of comfort and home, too. They’re with you when you’re sick, they’re with you when you’re tired, and they’re with you when you’re up to something that might involve putting a little Marvin Gaye on in the background.

And cotton sheets are the most basic of basics. You might dabble in linen or treat yourself to flannel, but cotton sheets — the percales and the sateens — are the most common and versatile sheets you buy.

In this guide we’ve included the 10 best sheets we’ve tested over the years: Some are reliable classics we’ve loved for a long time, while others have impressed us more recently, but all of them have earned their keep in our book. With a selection ranging rom a rainbow of solids to modern prints, at prices from around $50 to well over $2,000, you’re bound to find something you’ll love here. I’m sure I haven’t covered everything yet — but give me another decade, and I’ll get there.

Our Favorite Wall Hooks

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:30:53 +0000

In the fight against clutter, the hook is an essential tool. Install a few around your home, and suddenly your jacket, bag, and tangle of necklaces have a place to live. But very few function well and look stylish enough to show off on your walls. We recommend eight hooks that Wirecutter staffers use to help make their day-to-day hustle a little tidier.

The Best Laptops

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 19:55:10 +0000

Smartphones may have captured much of our screen time, but sometimes a task calls for a real computer — and for most people, that means a laptop. For school and office work like creating spreadsheets and editing video, there’s no good substitute for a decent keyboard and a spacious screen. But which laptop you should get depends on what you’ll use it for and (of course) how much you can spend.

Wirecutter’s laptop experts regularly test the most promising laptops, from sleek ultraportables to cheap Chromebooks to powerful gaming laptops and beyond. Here are the best models you can buy in every category, along with advice on how to choose which type of laptop is right for you.

The Best Socks

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 19:34:26 +0000

If you want to get people talking, ask ’em about socks: You’ll be rewarded with a veritable laundry heap of deeply held opinions. I know this because, when I started working on this guide, I asked my colleagues to share their thoughts on the subject. And — within minutes — more than 70 responses tumbled in.

It’s no surprise that socks elicit strong feelings. Lousy ones tap into a host of pet peeves and sensory “icks” (think: itchy fabric, too-tight bands, and bunching seams).

But an excellent pair can spark real delight — serving as the runaway star of an outfit or providing a soft landing at the end of a long day. Some socks even have the power to bring stinky feet to heel.

I put more than 90 pairs to the test, with the help of two Wirecutter style editors, nine additional co-workers, and seven paid testers. We landed on 35 winners that will suit a wide variety of preferences, climates, and budgets. (Although we made sure to find lower-priced options, we recognize that many socks out there — including some that emerged as our testers’ favorites — are surprisingly spendy.)

Read on to find out which socks we’ll be wearing, gifting, and passionately gabbing about for seasons to come.

The Best Comforters

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 19:30:16 +0000

Most good comforters will keep you warm. But an exceptional comforter should also be as light as air, with a soft outer shell that keeps feathers and fluff sealed inside.

After trying dozens of comforters—sleeping with them for hundreds of hours—we’ve chosen six that we like for their loft, construction, warmth, and availability. We think they’re absolutely dreamy.

Our current picks include an all-around great down comforter, a budget down comforter, a budget down-alternative comforter, a cloud-like luxury down comforter, a ready-to-use down comforter, and an affordable goose-down comforter. This guide also includes some other good comforters that we liked and may fit your needs.

The Best Tumbler

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:59:38 +0000

A good insulated tumbler may be all the encouragement you need to stay adequately hydrated throughout the day.

Vacuum-insulated tumblers keep beverages cold for hours, and you can drink from their spill-reducing lids (through either a sipping port or a straw). These reusable drinking vessels, which have grown in popularity over the past few years, are a great alternative to disposable cups and single-use plastic.

After researching dozens of tumblers and testing 11, we’ve decided that the 24-ounce Simple Modern Classic Tumbler is the best one for most people.

Luggage Scales Can Help You Avoid Airline Fees. This Is Our Favorite.

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:38:52 +0000

If you’re anything like me — a souvenir shopaholic, a “just in case” packer, and an avid avoider of fees — luggage scales might be a travel essential. They can help you avoid paying for an overweight bag or at least give you a head’s up before you get to the airport. We even suggest using one in our guide to not overpacking.

Of course, if you have access to a good bathroom scale, you can always use what travel writer Maria Adelmann calls “the math method” — standing on the scale with and without the bag and subtracting your weight. This is how many of Wirecutter’s travel writers weigh their luggage.

But my travel destinations usually don't have a scale, and the weight matters more to me on the flight back home. So packing a luggage scale has saved me from my personal nightmare: Opening and rearranging my suitcase in front of annoyed strangers at the airport. Instead, I know ahead of time if I need to wear an extra layer on the flight to accommodate the cow-themed mugs, handmade soap, or the Rooster of Barcelos figurine I purchased.

While I came into testing as a luggage scale user, I was curious to see how these handy-dandy scales would hold up to the tried-and-true math method. What I learned is that not all luggage scales are accurate. I tested six popular luggage scales, comparing them with the math method for reliability, packability, and ease of use. In the end, I found one luggage scale that was a cut above the rest. The math method is not to be discounted, either, but it can’t travel with you.

The 46 Best Holiday Gifts for 8-Year-Olds

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 15:00:01 +0000

Many kids “level up” at age 8. Around this time, my oldest daughter joined a competitive soccer team, began reading longer, thicker books, and could tackle more arts and craft projects on her own. Sure, she still needed my assistance, but I no longer had to sit by her side, helping her interpret each step of the instructions.

Kids who ultimately pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers may start developing those interests by age 8, said Tamara Moore, a professor of engineering education at Purdue University.

Engineering toys are often recommended for kids ages 8 and older specifically because they have the dexterity to manipulate small pieces, the logic and reasoning skills to follow instructions, and the ability to focus on tasks for longer periods of time. My daughter began building more-complex Lego sets at this age, patiently taking apart and rebuilding a three-in-one project on her own (a gift from her grandmother, she’d redo it each time she visited her house).

Art supplies, craft kits, and creative games can also be a key part of the mix at this age, since many educational researchers have noted the importance of expanding STEM to STEAM, to include an emphasis on art, design, and humanities.

I interviewed Moore, the executive director of Inspire, a research institute in Purdue University’s School of Engineering Education, and her team, along with additional experts on child development, toys, and games. I also relied on the kids of a dozen Wirecutter contributors — plus my three kids and their friends — to find gifts that are likely to engage and delight the 8-year-old in your life. Marilyn Ong, Wirecutter’s kitchen editor, tested multiple popsicle molds with her children. Kalee Thompson, editor on the baby and kid team, compared reams of colored masking tape as well as piles of craft kits — including a winning pom-pom pet set. Editor Joanne Chen inspired us to take our kids to the theater, and editor Ingela Ratledge Amundson gave an illustrative how-to-draw guide to her child’s friend (and then her own son) with much success.

You can find more ideas in our guides to STEM toys we love, our favorite Lego sets for kids, as well as gift ideas for 7-year-olds and 9-year-olds, Or see all our kids gift ideas here.

The 27 Best Gifts for Runners

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 14:27:53 +0000

There’s a specific type of person who loves falling into the rhythmic lull of a long, sweaty run. Whatever kind of runner is in your life — from an avid marathoner to a casual jogger to a newbie kicking off their first Couch-to-5K plan — they’ll likely appreciate something utilitarian, something to aid conditioning or recovery, or something jovial to celebrate the practice itself.

Our favorite gifts for runners range from the practical and affordable (massage ball, running belt) to the strangely intriguing (no-show toe socks, anyone?) to the downright swaggy. Or you could raise a glass to a member of the 26-mile club — with a pint etched with famous marathon routes.

Looking for even more giftable running ideas? Check out our guides to the best running shoes, the best running headphones, and the best running belts.

The Best Flats

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:56:18 +0000

Don’t let their modest name fool you: Flats bring far more than mere practicality to the party. I’d argue that the unrivaled marriage of form and function places this shoe style at the top of the footwear food chain.

When it comes to versatility, flats have pretty much everything else out there beat. A great pair can complement most any outfit, reliably taking you from daytime to nighttime and point A to point B in comfort and style. The concept of “having it all” in life — family, career, fancy glass storage containers for different shapes of pasta — may be a pipe dream, but it is possible to get all that you want out of a single pair of flats.

For this guide, we researched over 60 pairs of flats and tested 27 in person. To be clear: The styles we tried are not walking shoes intended for epic treks, nor are they orthopedic pairs chosen with special support and cushioning in mind. They’re fashion-first offerings.

With that said, we did log real mileage in every pair — bounding around between school drop-offs, work events, and weekend activities — and we weeded out any contenders that failed to hit the right note on the all-important comfort-meets-cuteness scale.

Our nine picks have been selected with a range of budgets and needs in mind. They are perennial styles — including classic ballet flats, mules, Mary Janes, and multiple loafer options — that will stay in step with your wardrobe for many seasons to come.

4 Ways to Style a Button-Up, According to Wirecutter’s Style Experts

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:10:09 +0000

In this edition of The Recommendation, our style experts share their go-to tips for zhuzhing up a button-up. Plus, our new favorite socks and sweatsuits.

“Clothing that was once slotted in the (bummer) category of ‘office wear’ is now up for reinterpretation,” says style writer Nicola Fumo. “Button-up shirts are a shining example of that.”

The 47 Best Housewarming Gifts

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000

A thoughtfully chosen housewarming gift can help a new house become a home. But the last thing anyone who has just packed (and unpacked) all of their earthly possessions needs is stuff for stuff’s sake.

Still, down payments and movers are never easy on the bank account. Gift certificates to Home Depot and Lowe’s are always appreciated for all of the little fixes that come along with a new home. But if you want to support loved ones who have settled into a new space with a gift that’s more personalized, give them something useful, such as a trick empty book or an ingenious syrup dispenser — or just something beautiful that they’re unlikely to buy for themselves but suits their lifestyle.

If you’re looking for other thoughtful gift ideas, check out our best gifts for hosts and hostesses and our favorites for people who work from home. And if you’d like to help your giftee with their home improvements, check out all our picks for the best tools.

The Best Essential Oil Diffusers

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 22:53:31 +0000

An essential oil diffuser offers a simple way to make your home smell nice without the use of scented candles or incense.

After our tests of more than a dozen different diffusers, the Urpower 2nd Gen 300ml Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser—our pick since 2017—continues to be the best choice.

The 30 Best Personalized Gifts

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 20:55:09 +0000

The thrill of seeing one’s name emblazoned on something isn’t reserved just for 7-year-olds scoring mini license plates — everyone feels special unwrapping a gift created specifically for them. In that spirit, we’ve collected our favorite personalized gifts; many, like the bespoke Converse shoes and the personalized Yeti tumbler, are customizable versions of Wirecutter picks. Whether you want to have a gift monogrammed, custom-made, or personalized in another way, these gifts will show the recipient that you were truly thinking of them. Note that most personalized gifts take a little longer to ship.

Looking for other particularly personal gifts? Check out our guides to the best care packages, the best photo gifts, and our favorite gift baskets.

The Best Home Espresso Machine

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 20:40:37 +0000

Making café-quality espresso drinks at home is no longer reserved for coffee hobbyists and former baristas. New home espresso machines have made it easier than ever for a beginner to get started. With just a little practice, you can have lattes and cortados that rival those from an upscale café—all without changing out of your pajamas.

After testing dozens of machines, we think the Profitec Go is the best option for new and skilled enthusiasts alike. It’s powerful and easy to use, and it’s capable of yielding consistent, rich shots with robust flavor profiles.

The Best Portable Grills

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 20:04:24 +0000

Portable grills aren’t just for toting to a campground, park, or tailgate. If you don’t have the space or budget for a full-size grill, they might also be the best option for your backyard. After grilling 80 burgers, 35 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on 10 models, we have recommendations for both gas and charcoal options.

The Weber Q 1200 Gas Grill is our favorite gas model, thanks to its no-fuss convenience and stellar performance. For charcoal purists, we recommend the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″, which is just as capable as a full-size kettle at searing and grilling food to perfection.

The Best Socks

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 17:06:24 +0000

It’s no surprise that socks elicit strong feelings. Lousy ones tap into a host of pet peeves and sensory ickiness (think: itchy fabric, too-tight bands, and bunching seams.)

But an excellent pair can spark real delight — serving as the runaway star of an outfit or as a soft landing at the end of a long day. Some socks even have the power to bring stinky feet to heel.

I put more than 90 pairs to the test, with help from two Wirecutter style editors, nine additional co-workers, and seven paid testers. We landed on 35 winners that will suit a wide variety of preferences, climates, and budgets. (While we made sure to find lower-priced options, we recognize that many socks out there — including some that emerged as our testers’ favorites — are surprisingly spendy.)

Read on to find out which socks we’ll be wearing, gifting, and passionately gabbing about for seasons to come.

The Best Cheap Coffee Maker

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 17:05:18 +0000

When it comes to brewing good coffee, even an inexpensive coffee maker can get the job done. Since 2016, we’ve tested 18 promising cheap coffee makers, and we think the Ninja CE251 is your best option. In addition to brewing better-tasting, hotter coffee than the rest of the models we've tested, it’s easy to program and use, plus it looks great on the counter.

The 42 Absolute Best White Elephant Gifts Under $25

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 17:03:39 +0000

Arguably, the point of a white-elephant exchange (known in some parts as a Yankee swap) is not the gift you take home, but the chaos, competition, and camaraderie of the game. Of course, to get the party going, you need the right gifts — the guffaw-inducing, the ridiculous, the appealingly useful, and the purely delightful. From pickle bandages to a puzzle of pooping puppies (yes, that’s right), below you will find a wide range of affordable ideas that are sure to spark an inspired gift-grabbing spirit.

If you’re looking for more wallet-friendly gifts, check out our guides for gifts under $10, under $50, and under $100, as well as stocking stuffers and Secret Santa gifts.

24 Great Hanukkah Gift Ideas

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:22:32 +0000

So you’ve been invited to eat sufganiyot (Jewish jelly donuts) at a friend’s house. Or maybe you have family members expecting a little something on at least one of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Whether you’re a guest or a host, a Jew or Jewish-adjacent, these Hanukkah gifts will make your loved ones kvell.

While kids might get one big present for Hanukkah, the holiday is generally more low-key gift-wise than that other big December holiday — a gift is just a little something to add some excitement and joy. We’ve picked out these gifts with that in mind. And many of them — delicious chocolate gelt, a build-you-own menorah, and excellent smoked salmon — are the kinds of things you can stock up on if you have a lot of latke parties in your future.

Looking for more gifts to bring to a host or a party? Check out our collections of host and hostess gifts, the best gifts under $25, and the absolute best white elephant gifts under $25.

I Bricked My Phone for 2 Weeks. My Brain Feels Much Better.

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:35:31 +0000

Once I turned 30, I started carrying around an aching nostalgia for the way the internet was when I was a teenager, and how “being online” meant sitting in front of the shared family computer. Now that everyone carries devices that can do more than those kids could even dream of, it feels nearly impossible to log out.

These days, I’m so appalled by my recent screen-time reports that I’m embarrassed to share the stats. But I will anyway: almost eight hours a day. (Yikes.) I’m worried I’m wasting years of my life staring at the stupid screen in my hand. I spend hours at night swiping through videos of moms meal-prepping and strangers getting engaged without absorbing any of it. I can barely watch a 20-minute episode of television without simultaneously playing a mindless game on my phone.

I’ve tried to wean myself off my phone before. I’ve set up screen time limits, downloaded app blockers, turned my bedroom into a phone-free zone, and even went as far as locking my phone in a box. Those tactics worked for a while, but eventually I learned how to sneak around all the defenses I had set up for myself, rendering them ineffective.

The only thing I hadn’t tried, until now, was the Brick, an app-blocking device that I’ve seen ads for during my hours of daily scrolling. It’s a physical device that fits in the palm of your hand and works with a corresponding app to restrict access to the most addictive parts of your phone. The only way to regain access is to tap your phone against the device, which you can do only while you’re right beside it.

When I set out to try the Brick for an article (boss’s orders), I learned that it’s not so much a product but a way to live. After just two weeks, I feel my attention span regenerating, and it has given me hope that I can actually break my phone addiction.

Fake Flowers Are a Perfect Gift. I Said What I Said.

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:14:12 +0000

In this edition of The Gift, we’ve got six gorgeous blooms that will last forever. Plus: great drinking glasses and an adorable butter warmer.

The first gift I ever gave was probably the first one you ever gave, too.

On chilly spring mornings in elementary school, my mom would trim daffodils from our garden, wrap the gooey stems in a damp paper towel and tinfoil, and load me onto the bus. I don’t remember the exact moment of exchange, but I do remember beholding them on my teacher’s desk afterward with newfound smugness. I did that!

Flowers, in all their frivolous, fetching ephemerality, are the perfect gift, one I’ve never been disappointed to give or to receive. But the exact qualities that make them so lovely — their uniqueness, their aliveness — make them very tricky to reliably buy online. Which is how I got into what I’m going to call alternative flowers. Alternative flowers don’t aspire to look real. That’s not the point. But they evoke just as much magic as the real thing. And like a beautiful vase (and unlike a real bouquet), they can last forever.

My love affair started when I peeped a cheery, generous paper pop-up flower bouquet in the principal’s office of my daughter’s school. It turned out to be a fold-flat card she’d received from a student a few years back, but loved so much she kept it around. These ones from Paper Love are both intricate and surprising. The small size is great for a kid, too.
Next came Lego flowers. You’ll have to trust me that acrylonitrile butadiene styrene bricks fashioned into blooms can feel romantic or even chic. The roses are a classic, and I’m dying to give someone the poinsettia this holiday.
I am quite besotted with these wood flowers. They won’t sway in the wind or droop when they need water, but you’d be surprised how realistic and lovely they look in the right vase.
But my very favorites are these handmade paper flowers. They are gauzy, detailed, and pliant, and nearly always sold out, so if you can score even a single stem, go forth. We sent a bouquet to a colleague last year after a surgery, on a day when she’d received several real flower deliveries, too. Our alternative flower arrangement was her favorite — and of course the only one she still has today.
And, lastly, I’ll leave you with a few fiber crafts. These felt flowers are exquisite in person — especially the spring blooms. May I suggest a sprig of lily of the valley, a cherry blossom, or a forsythia branch? They’re a touch larger than life, so you only need a few stems. For something more abstract, I love these pop art pompom bouquets, which are made from deadstock yarn.

The Best Sleeper Sofas

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:09:21 +0000

When someone says “sleeper sofa,” I hear springs creaking and feel a metal bar gouging into my back. I smell the scent of musty basement. I see gaping maws filled with vicious mechanics straight out of a Saw movie, flanked by a landscape of muted plaid.

Aesthetically, sleeper sofas have come a long way since what I remember from childhood, and some of them even look stylish. But after researching scores of models online, trying many in-store and in our offices, and speaking with experts, we found that with sleeper sofas, as with people, it’s what’s inside that truly counts.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed much over the decades. The classic sleeper sofas most of us are familiar with—first sold during the Great Depression—are still often janky at best and dangerous at worst.

But our picks are a bright exception—and all three are models with a pull-out mechanism from American Leather. Our favorite is the Gaines Comfort Sleeper.

The Best Outdoor Projector

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 13:15:24 +0000

Any modestly sized, freestanding projector can work well outdoors for the occasional backyard movie night, provided that you can run power and video to it. But if you’re specifically looking for a more rugged, battery-powered projector to take camping, RVing, and the like, the Nebula Mars 3 stands out for its good brightness, long battery life, and ease of use.

A traditional, non-battery-powered projector like the similarly priced BenQ HT2060 delivers better picture quality and can get brighter overall, so you can pair it with a larger outdoor screen. But its design doesn’t exactly scream “road trip!” like the Mars 3 does.

The 35 Best Host and Hostess Gifts

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000

A host or hostess gift is a lovely way to say thanks for a good time. Of course, a bottle of vino is always appreciated, especially for a dinner party, but some hosts either don’t imbibe or already have their wine pairings on deck. And if you’re staying for longer than an evening, say, for a full weekend, it’s nice to bring something slightly more substantial.

We’ve gathered beautiful, unexpected treasures — such as a handsome enamelware jug and a set of perfect cocktail recipes — that your hosts can enjoy with you or long after the dishes are done.

If you’re looking for more gifts, we also have thoughtful ideas for the best housewarming gifts, cocktail-themed gifts, and stellar gift baskets.

The Best Gear for a Roadside Emergency

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 22:53:04 +0000

A breakdown or flat tire can happen to anyone at any time. And what you have in your car can make the difference between getting back on the road quickly and enduring a long, trying, even dangerous ordeal by the side of the road.

We spent more than 60 hours researching emergency gear and common roadside problems, and we talked with safety experts and mechanics to get their advice. Whether the challenge is a flat tire, a dead battery, or traveling safely during a blizzard—or a pandemic—here are the things you shouldn’t leave home without.

The Best Bluetooth and Wireless Keyboards

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:51:32 +0000

A great wireless keyboard can reduce clutter on your desk and help you type faster and more comfortably — on your computer as well as on your tablet, your phone, or even your TV.

After testing more than 100 wireless and Bluetooth keyboards over the years, we’ve found the Logitech Pop Icon Keys to be the best wireless keyboard because it’s enjoyable to type on, it’s versatile, and it has years-long battery life.

The Dutch Oven That Won My Heart

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:56:45 +0000

“You have to be aligned on your core ingredients.”

That’s what my therapist advised years ago when I asked her the key to a successful romantic relationship.

She was surely referring to the big stuff — you know, kids, money, faith, values. But as a food writer, my mind went straight to the kitchen. Clearly, I should only commit to a lifelong partner who shared my unquenchable passion for food.

But years later, here I am, somehow betrothed to a guy who had the audacity to order a salad — just a salad! — at a swanky sushi restaurant on our very first date. Even worse: His cooking repertoire consisted solely of scrambled eggs and boxed mac and cheese.

And yet, our core ingredients are aligned. I knew this for sure when he gave me a Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven on our first Christmas together nearly six years ago.

It was more than just a pot. It was symbolic of the everlasting relationship we would build, centered around food.

Upgrade pick

A buy-it-for-life Dutch oven

Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven (5.5 quarts)

People pass this durable, high-quality Dutch oven down for generations.

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(price varies by color)

$435 from Wayfair

$435 from Nordstrom

The Best Smart Smoke Alarm

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:23:20 +0000

If you buy only one smart device for your home, make it a smart smoke detector. The best ones don’t just warn you of possible fire or the presence of carbon monoxide—they also have a bevy of useful features that come from being internet-connected. They send you a smartphone alert in the case of an emergency, they alert you to a malfunction or low batteries (without chirping), and they are easily silenced with an app (so you don’t have to hoist a broom).

We continue to recommend the Google Nest Protect as the best choice for most people. It sends speedy alerts of smoke or carbon monoxide to your phone. A voice warning precedes the siren, so you can stop it from sounding if you know it’s a false alarm (burnt toast again?). The Nest Protect constantly self-tests to ensure its sensors are accurate, and it has a motion-activated path light. Also, as smart devices go, it’s a good-looking device.

The Best Notebooks and Notepads

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:23:17 +0000

A notebook is more than just a practical tool. It can be a source of joy, a covetable item that turns an ordinary, everyday task — note-taking, journaling, task-planning, brainstorming, or doodling — into a sublime experience.

Upgrading from a cheap notebook to a high-quality one usually costs just a couple more cents per page (or about $2 to $5 overall), and you’re worth it.

After interviewing experts, researching over 100 notebooks, and writing zealously in 34 of them side by side over several weeks, we have picks in a number of sizes and styles, priced from about $9 to $40 (at this writing). Any of these notebooks will provide an appreciably better writing experience than what you can get from a generic, off-the-shelf-at-Walgreens notebook.

We mention price per page when it’s notable, but our picks average 11 cents per page (at this writing). We also mention paper weight or thickness when that spec is important, but most of these high-quality pages are 80 to 90 grams per square meter (gsm); thicker isn’t always better, but all of the paper in our picks felt substantial and satisfying for us to write on. And most of the notebooks we tested had 7 mm lined ruling (close to college rule), but we note the exceptions below.

13 Spooky Video Games We Love for Halloween

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:49:13 +0000

What better way to celebrate spooky season than with a terrifying video game?

Here’s a list of our favorite scary (or just plain autumnal) video games for pretty much everyone — from grown-ups looking for over-the-top action horror to families seeking cute, seasonally appropriate, and kid-friendly games.

The Best Mayonnaise

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:14:17 +0000

Mayonnaise is perhaps the most polarizing condiment humanity has yet to whip up. But love it or hate it, it’s an undeniable culinary marvel. Just a few basic ingredients — eggs, oil, salt, and vinegar — can be whisked together into a delicately balanced emulsion that’s held in suspension like a tightrope walker on a high wire.

In culinary school, I learned to make mayonnaise by hand with a chef instructor breathing down my neck, which was glistening with sweat. I remember his eagle eye watching over me, silently waiting to see if I whisked too much oil into the egg yolks too quickly. This would cause the precarious emulsion to break, resulting in an unappetizing mess and a major blow to my ego. But with steadfast determination and a little muscle, all of the ingredients came together to form a smooth, spreadable sauce. The chef moved on to intimidate his next pupil, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, you don’t need to don a chef’s toque or give your arm an unwanted workout to enjoy good mayonnaise. After testing 25 jars, we’ve found three options that come close to (and may even rival) what you can make in your own kitchen.

Airplane Foot Hammocks Work Surprisingly Well. But Only Sometimes.

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:57:16 +0000

The first dozen or so times I saw the foot hammock on social media, I wrote it off as a gimmick. But for years now it has been rising in my social media feed like the undead. And after reading a slew of positive reviews, I had to wonder if my instincts were wrong.

Let’s face it: Sitting in an airplane seat has never felt comfortable. After a long flight, I find stretching out my legs on a long walk and stretching out in bed for a long nap to be equally enticing. If a market saturated in neck pillows and other in-flight accoutrements is any indication, the people are desperate for solutions. They’re so desperate, in fact, that they’re willing to try an astronaut-helmet–like pod pillow or a foot hammock — a hanging foot rest that attaches to your tray table. This thing packs down into its own little bag and costs only about $15.

To find out whether the foot hammock actually makes a difference, I talked to foot-hammock lovers and haters. And I sent best-selling Basic Concepts foot hammocks to a panel of three testers to try on long-haul flights. I also spoke with a physical therapist. In some cases, it turns out that the foot hammock actually lives up to the hype — but your height might make a difference in whether or not you'll be a fan.