Lots of laptops cost less than $500, but it’s hard to find a cheap one that doesn’t totally suck. We’ve researched and tested hundreds of cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks over the years to find decent models, and we also have advice to help you shop smart when prices fluctuate and our picks go out of stock.
On hot days, few things are as satisfying as reaching into your freezer for a homemade ice pop—but only if you can extract that ice pop in one piece. Having a popsicle mold that’s easy to fill, store, and remove treats from makes all the difference. After researching dozens of popsicle molds, testing 31, and making almost 200 ice pops over the years (as well as eating enough of them to give an army brain freeze), we’ve found that the Tovolo Classic Pop Molds make the most consistent and easy-to-eat pops of all the molds we’ve tried.
Thousands of new board games are published each year, more than our guide to the best board games for beginners could possibly accommodate. Here are a few Wirecutter staff favorites that may not be as approachable for new gamers but have other traits to love. Whether you’re looking for high-level strategy or narrative cooperation or simply something that’s beautiful to see and touch, these are the games that have earned heavy rotation at our game nights—games that we think you’ll love too. If you don’t see one of your favorites, leave a comment so we can expand our collections.
If you’ve browsed any of our coffee coverage, you know that we take our brew pretty seriously. From pour-overs to espresso machines, and from bean roast to brew strength, we have strong opinions about it all. This week, it’s all things coffee at Wirecutter.
No professional wardrobe is complete without a great-looking bag to carry all your gear. For people who have to lug around a work computer, laptop bags are more grown-up than a backpack and offer more storage space than a briefcase. To help professionals find a bag that has killer looks but also functions just as well on the way to the office as it does once you’re there, we spent a month evaluating 23 different laptop bags, and we commuted with our favorites over two weeks.
We don’t want ants in our homes, either. But if you try to kill household ants the wrong way, you can actually split the colony—and make the problem worse. That won’t happen with Terro T300 Liquid Ant Baits, a favorite among homeowners because they’re simple to use, widely available, and filled with an effective, slow-acting poison that targets and eliminates the entire colony.
Whether you prefer a sophisticated dry martini or a refreshing and effervescent gin and tonic, your gin of choice defines the cocktail. If you love gin, you know how it can unfold like a story with each sip: Juniper is the main character, while spices, citrus, and other aromatics play the supporting roles. We believe there’s a gin for almost any imbiber, even the folks who think they don’t like it. If you’re turned off by assertive, sprucy gins, we have a pick for you that’s smooth and bright. If you like old pine boxes in dusty attics and want to capture that sensory experience in a glass, we have a gin for you, too.
The best kids water bottle is easy to clean, made not to leak, and designed so that even a toddler can use it independently. We spent 50 hours testing 15 popular water bottles with kids from toddler to tween and found that the best stainless steel option is the 12-ounce Thermos Funtainer Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw, and the best plastic one is the 14-ounce CamelBak Eddy+ Kids. The 14-ounce Takeya Actives Kids Insulated Water Bottle With Straw Lid is also a great steel option for older kids.
Kids are superheroes for enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have the gear to prove it. Masks remain a must-have in schools, at doctors’ offices, for travel, and in other situations. Over the past year, we’ve looked at more than 100 cloth and disposable masks for kids, pored over scientific studies, talked with health experts and researchers, assessed filtration efficiency in independent lab tests, and tested finalists with a panel of 10 kids, ages 3 to 10.
For years, my husband and I wanted to buy a movie projector, but we couldn’t stomach the steep price. We didn’t want to have a big TV hogging up wall space in our tiny apartment, so we made do with watching movies on our laptop or iPad. We finally ponied up for the BenQ HT2050A, as a family Christmas gift in 2019. Little did we know just what a good investment it would prove to be over the coming year.
Smart shades and blinds that extend, retract, or tilt automatically are indeed a luxury, but they’re also just plain useful. (And they can help save energy and boost home security, too.) Lutron’s Serena Shades are our top pick because they work flawlessly, are the fastest and quietest shades we tested, and are compatible with all the popular smart-home platforms. Also, they look great. If you prefer blinds over shades, we think Lutron’s Serena Smart Wood Blinds are the best smart blinds because they adapt to the position of the sun throughout the day, ensuring you always have the right amount of light without having to adjust them at all.
If you use your phone in the bedroom at night, it’s probably messing with your sleep, even if you mute and dim it. An alarm clock can be a healthy upgrade to a distraction-free bedroom, despite its feeling like a technological downgrade. After a phone-free week of testing, we recommend seven clocks (including analog, digital, and smart versions) for a more peaceful bedroom. They aren’t too bright at night and will dependably wake you up in the morning. And they’ll look nice on your nightstand to boot.
Wi-Fi that sucks can be more frustrating than no Wi-Fi at all, and the culprit in many cases is one router trying to cover too much house. Mesh-networking kits take the weight off just one router, instead spreading multiple access points around your house to improve the range and performance of your Wi-Fi. After spending hundreds of hours evaluating and testing 52 Wi-Fi mesh-networking kits in home and lab environments, we’re confident that the Asus ZenWiFi AC (CT8) set is the best mesh router for most people who need one.
The stinky, sometimes sticky mess that cats leave in the litter box is easier to handle if you have the right cat litter. After two years of testing 17 cat litters, we think Dr. Elsey’s Ultra does the best job of making litter box chores a little easier, because it masks odors, clumps well, and keeps dust to a minimum. Plus, it’s cheaper than many other options—an important factor, considering this is something you’ll use a lot of in a cat’s lifetime.
Garden hoses are unremarkable when they work well, but if they underperform, they’ll drive you insane. After several years of testing—washing cars, gardening, pressure washing driveways, and doing other hosey home chores—we found the Dramm ColorStorm Premium Rubber Hose (50 feet) is the all-purpose garden hose we’d invest in. It’s not perfectly kink-proof—none of them are—but its sturdiness and dependable performance go far beyond that of the twisted, knotted, worthless garbage hoses that probably inspired you to search for something better.
Hose nozzles need to be durable. Hardly anyone gently sets them down and they’re often left laying around, ready to be run over by a car or just stepped on. This consistent low-grade abuse leads to leaks and an unnoticed leak can lead to disaster. Just ask the Wirecutter staffer who had their well run dry because of a leaky hose nozzle. We’ve spent years seeking the best hose nozzles available—including seven new models tested in 2021—and we haven’t found a more rugged and versatile tool than the Melnor 65020-AMZ Metal Nozzle.
Few things are as awe-inspiring as being out under a clear night sky, looking up, and gazing at a seemingly infinite array of stars overhead. So we gathered 10 telescopes, and after five months of star parties we think the Celestron NexStar 5SE is the best telescope for a curious amateur. It gathers enough light for you to view the best features of our solar system, and it gives you enough power to begin to explore deep-sky objects. In addition, this model has an electronic GPS database preloaded with almost 40,000 celestial objects, and after you calibrate the scope, it can scan the skies for you.
Good news: Your dishwasher should get every dish completely clean, almost every time you run it—without pre-rinsing the dishes before you load them.
Even if your dishwasher seems like irredeemable garbage, you can probably get it to work well if you make a few tweaks to your routine. Here’s how to make the most of it.
The perfect air conditioner is one that slides gracefully in and out of your window, cooling you quickly and efficiently with nary a peep, and it’s also consistently available at an affordable price. In other words, it doesn’t exist. But the U-shaped Midea U MAW08V1QWT is the closest thing we’ve found to that ideal. We’ve been researching, testing, and recommending window ACs since 2012, and this Midea model is quieter and more energy efficient than any other window AC we’ve ever tested—and as a bonus, it lets you keep using your window through the summer.
A great air purifier can really improve your life—reducing allergens such as pollen and mold spores, and protecting against wildfire smoke and other kinds of smoke. But to qualify as great, an air purifier needs to be powerful enough to clean the air in a large living room or playroom, quiet and dark enough for you to sleep near it in a bedroom, and inexpensive enough that it’s reasonable to have several spread throughout your home. After eight years, during which we’ve tested 47 different air purifiers, we believe the exceptional Coway AP-1512HH Mighty is the best among them—as we have since 2015. Strong as the Mighty is, its performance is not as singular as it once was, and in recent years many other machines have closely approached our high standards. If you prefer the looks, cost, or other features of our also-great picks, know that they match the Mighty in purifying performance.
IKEA released its Förnuftig air purifier to considerable fanfare in April 2021. Its good looks and low price got it written up favorably in Wired and with appropriate skepticism in Fast Company. Meanwhile, Reddit lit up with questions and opinions, and Gear Patrol reviewed it. We requested a unit to test, which IKEA was happy to send. We knew from its specs that it was unlikely to become a Wirecutter recommendation, but as with the awful Molekule Air and Molekule Air Mini, the sheer amount of hype around the Förnuftig obliged us to run it through its paces and answer readers’ questions about it.
Great workout leggings are a sartorial Swiss Army knife: a technical powerhouse while in motion and a comfortable go-to when pants don’t appeal. Performance wear is expected to do double duty, providing both support and comfort, on the go and at rest. We worked out (and worked from home) in numerous pairs, scrutinizing fabric, fit, performance, and style to find the best pair of workout leggings for however you choose to move.
At Wirecutter, we ship a lot of packages. Most of our staff works remotely, so we need to be able to move tons of products for testing and photography. This was true even before the pandemic, and since March 2020 (when most of our office-based staff switched to working from home), the volume of packages we ship has risen dramatically. We’ve learned that no matter how often you ship, you need both good supplies and the right tools to make the process (relatively) painless. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to ensure that the stuff you’re sending gets where it’s going as quickly, securely, and affordably as possible.
If you are planning to go off the grid or are prepping for an emergency, the EcoFlow Delta can keep your electronic gear running for hours—or even days—at a time. It’s roughly the same size and weight as a small microwave, and it provides a steady stream of power without the noise or exhaust of a gas-powered portable generator. After 63 hours spent testing eight portable power stations, we found that the Delta’s impressive max output, wide array of ports, easy-to-use interface, and rugged exterior helped it stand out from the competition.
Letting a spoonful of smooth, sweet ice cream melt in your mouth is wonderful—but the satisfaction of having made it yourself makes the experience transcendent. Churning your own ice cream isn’t that hard to do, and investing in a great machine will give you consistently delicious results. After testing seven models for our 2021 update and churning more than 40 pints of custard, Philadelphia-style, and dairy-free coconut ice cream, we think the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker (ICE-21) is an affordable, dependable machine capable of crafting some of the best ice cream you can make at home (plus, pros such as Jeni Britton Bauer recommend it). If you’re looking for a compressor model that doesn’t require pre-freezing the bowl, the Whynter ICM-201SB is the best we’ve found in four years of testing.
If your pup’s parentage is perplexing, a dog DNA test could reveal its ancestry. These tests use your dog’s saliva (and the thousands of DNA markers within it) to tell you which breeds make up its family tree. We dug into 17 products, consulted five genetics experts, and collected slobber from five dogs to find that Embark Breed + Health Kit’s sizable breed database, wide array of inherited-disease screenings, and reliable customer support mark it as the best dog DNA test.
My happy place is that chaotic zone of salt and spray where the beach meets the sea, a place of coming and going, flux and exchange. I love to dig my toes into the suctioning sand and feel the swirl of a receding wave. Though often my feet find sharp things in the soft sand—not just gravel and pebbles but also, increasingly and overwhelmingly, plastic. I try to collect the shards, the bits of aquas, whites, and teals, but soon I give up, angry and defeated. There is too much. So much of it is too tiny to hold or even see.
Plugging in a USB adapter is one of the easiest ways to add 802.11ac Wi-Fi access to a desktop PC, especially if you don’t want to (or are unable to) install an internal card yourself. After 50 hours of testing 20 models against a high-end laptop’s internal Wi-Fi, we are confident the TP-Link Archer T4U is the best USB Wi-Fi adapter for most people.
As the world slowly reopens and travel resumes, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the globe-trotter in your life. Whether they’re thrilled to be aloft again or still a bit trepidatious, these gifts will delight. For those raring to go, there’s a selection of items to make flights, hotels, and long lines at customs more comfortable and chic. Or choose momentos and experiences to celebrate past trips and anticipate future expeditions.
You never really know when something will go on sale, but we’ve been tracking deals long enough to see patterns emerge. Here are the best deals we think you’ll find on Wirecutter picks from reliable sellers this month. Bookmark our Wirecutter Deals page for the most up-to-date list of deals.
The Oura Ring is a tiny titanium device that tracks a host of data and aims to provide a clearer picture of what’s happening inside your body. Though it’s primarily a sleep tracker, measuring time spent in each sleep stage, the ring also records your heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, skin temperature, and several other metrics. But does it actually help promote a healthier lifestyle?
Whether you’re on a day hike with friends or an ambitious backpacking route, you need a good pair of hiking boots to protect your feet and stabilize your ankles. After trekking over 1,200 miles and taking more than 2 million steps across all types of terrain in more than 41 pairs of hiking boots over the course of three years, we’ve chosen the La Sportiva Saber GTX (men’s and women’s) as the best hiking boots. These waterproof boots are as lightweight and grippy as trail runners. They held up well over a year of hiking in our tests, and they excel on any terrain, in the heat or the snow.
It’s rare for me to spend most of my day on the phone with other audio writers, discussing the latest news, but that’s what happened on May 17, the day Apple announced it would add lossless audio and Dolby Atmos to the Apple Music streaming service at no extra charge. Unlike lossless audio, which merely promises improved sound quality, Atmos is touted as a revolution in music recording and reproduction. By creating a sense of sonic immersion, with sound appearing to come from around and above the listener rather than from a pair of speakers or a set of headphones, Atmos music offers the potential for more realistic simulations of live concerts and for creative effects normally reserved for movie soundtracks.
Portable Bluetooth speakers are the easiest, most affordable way to spread the sound from your phone or tablet across a room, backyard, or beach blanket. Because Bluetooth speakers come in a variety of designs and sizes, it’s impossible to proclaim any one model perfect for every situation. But we think the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 will appeal to almost everyone. Its full, clear sound and its ultra-rugged, compact design make it a perfect travel companion.
As people age, many may need a support system, including family, caregivers, and a residence that has been outfitted to accommodate the common frailties of age: reduced vision, decreased mobility, increased risk of falls, and more. Smart-home devices can help you care for seniors as they live independently.
Watching fish swim, glug, and blub all day can bring hours of enjoyment. To keep your fish happy and healthy, they need an adequate home—and a decorative jar with a few rocks ain’t going to cut it. After interviewing two aquarists and one aquaculturist, and researching dozens of aquarium goods, we recommend the 20-gallon Marina 20G LED Aquarium Kit as a great freshwater starter tank because it’s the most versatile kit we found.
Although vaccinations are now widely available, recommendations and regulations are continually in flux and masks will likely remain a part of our lives for some time. And even though medical-style masks were all but impossible to find early on in the pandemic (when most were reserved for front-line workers), they’re now much easier to get—and, in some cases, your best bet for the most-protective face coverings. Still, separating the good options from the bad can be tough. In the past several months, we’ve tried 35 models and confirmed their filtration claims with government agencies or our own lab testing, performed in collaboration with Colorado State University. Here we recommend legitimate N95, KN95, and surgical masks you can buy from trusted retailers now.
There was once a time when buying a new laptop charger was difficult and expensive, but computers with USB-C charging have made replacements easier to get and more affordable than ever. The best choice for almost any modern tablet or laptop is Nekteck’s 60W USB-C GaN Charger. This adapter is just as powerful and reliable as a replacement from your laptop’s manufacturer, and it’s smaller than almost any other we’ve seen. It’s safety-tested and certified, and it comes with its own USB-C charging cable, making it a particularly great value at its very low price.
