The next time you purchase a new laptop, you might find an option for additional guilt on the checkout page: Some laptop makers have started offering “carbon offsets” that claim to cancel out all the emissions that go into making your laptop. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We spoke to five experts to learn about offsets. We also dug deep into two available offset programs to find out whether they’re worth the money, and if not, to learn what you should do instead if you care about the planet but also need a new laptop.
Shopping for a laptop that doesn’t suck can be a confusing experience. And it’s even more baffling if you’re trying to find a more “sustainable” option. Laptop manufacturers make hundreds of claims—carbon-neutral, ocean-bound plastics, carbon offsets, planting trees—and it’s difficult to sort out which of those are just greenwashing and which approaches actually reduce the environmental harm of making, shipping, and using a laptop. What if there were a way to measure a laptop’s total environmental impact with a single number so that you could buy the “best” one for the planet? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.
After considering hundreds of wet mops and spending six hours testing eight popular models (and five buckets), our picks are the O-Cedar Microfiber Cloth Mop and the O-Cedar Quick Wring Bucket. This duo beat the competition at sopping up rank gutter water, spilled cups of Coke, and every other test we tried.
The Casabella Wayclean Wide Angle Broom is the best indoor broom we found after 125 hours researching 215 brooms, dustpans, and dust mops; interviewing cleaning experts; testing 36 products firsthand; and continuing to use them for years afterward.
Picking up a dedicated air purifier or getting new filters for your central air conditioner are the most effective things you can do to help protect those in your home. (Including pets—the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends keeping an eye out for specific animal health issues related to wildfire smoke.) But you can take cheap, simple, and immediate steps using stuff you probably already own, too, such as a mop and a washing machine. Here’s what we recommend.
Invest in an air purifier
The Coway AP-1512HH Mighty (right) takes up a lot less visual space than our large-space pick, the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ (left). Photo: Sarah Kobos
First, consider a true-HEPA air purifier. We have an extensive guide to air purifiers, but the basic facts are these: According to the EPA, wildfire smoke predominantly consists of particles that are smaller than 10 microns. And true-HEPA air filters are exceptionally good at removing particles of that size from the air. Our top picks, the Coway AP-1512HH and nearly identical Coway Airmega 200M, are well-priced, superb performers, and reliable. They’re powerful enough for rooms up to 350 square feet, which includes most bedrooms and living rooms. The Blueair Blue Pure 211+, our pick for larger spaces, can rapidly clear the air in bigger rooms and open-floorplan homes.
The Coway has been our top pick air purifier since 2015, but in recent years several companies have produced models that approach our high standards, and we’ve added a few new options to include a wider range of price points and aesthetics. These include the Winix 5500-2, the Winix AM90, the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto, and the Levoit Core 400S.
We recommend running an air purifier on high for an hour the first time you turn the machine on. That’ll clear the air quickly by passing the entire volume of air in the room through the filter four to six times. Thereafter, keeping the machine on low or automatic will keep the air clear. Just run it continuously. Noise is usually not an issue; on lower settings, the purifiers we recommend are virtually silent.
Upgrade your HVAC Filters
If you have central air and heating, you may consider a different and cheaper option: upgrading to one of the furnace and air-conditioning filters we recommend. The EPA recommends filters with a rating of at least MERV 13, or, “as high a rating as your system filter and fan slot can accommodate.”
MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value, and is a measure of how well a central-air filter removes particulates from the air. Medium-MERV filters provide much more filtration than the basic MERV 1–4 filters with central-air systems, which capture only pollutants visible to the naked eye, such as pet hair and dust bunnies, but not fine particulates like smoke. If you’re not sure which type you have, these basic filters often come included with the equipment, they’re your least expensive filter replacement option, and they typically look like a see-through mesh of blue or green string.
The medium-MERV filters we recommend, rated MERV 8 to 13, are typically an opaque white, felt-like in texture, and pleated like an accordion. In our guide to furnace and air-conditioning filters, our recommendation is a MERV 12 filter from Nordic Pure. A six-pack typically costs about $40. If they’re not available, we also have MERV 12–equivalent recommendations from Honeywell and Filtrete. This is below the MERV 13 ideal in the EPA’s 2022 guidance; the overall message is really to go with the highest level of filtration that can fit and function in your system.
The filters we recommend, rated MERV 8 to 13, are typically an opaque white, felt-like in texture, and pleated like an accordion. Less effective, basic MERV 1-4 filters are typically green or blue in color, and they look like a loose, flat net of thin string. Photo: Michael Hession
Higher-rated MERV filters can put strain on one of several air-moving pieces of equipment, depending on your system’s age and design. (Read our detailed reporting on the matter in our main filters guide.) Smoky conditions will clog the filters in as little as half the recommended replacement cycle (usually three months), so we suggest simply replacing the filters once the fires are over. Wildfires or not, if your system is more than 15 or 20 years old, it may not be up to the extra effort of medium-MERV filtration. In that case we recommend buying a portable air purifier.
Keep your place clean
Regardless of whether you go with the above recommendations, you have other simple, essentially free steps to take to reduce the problem of smoke in your home.
It may seem obvious, but close your windows. Most of the time, outside air contains fewer particulates than indoor air, so open windows are a good idea. But in wildfire conditions, that isn't the case. Closing your windows will help keep smoke from entering your home in the first place. Minimize entrances and exits through exterior doors, and use any double-door configuration you have (like an attached garage, separate basement entrance, or vestibule) to isolate smoke upon entry and prevent a full waft of it from infiltrating the living space.
Even fine smoke particles eventually drop out of the air and settle on surfaces, including floors. We recommend damp-mopping your floors to pick them up rather than vacuuming, which can simply blow them back up into the air. Our picks for dust mop and wet mop do a great job (I use both) and are inexpensive, durable, ergonomic, and washable. But any mop you own will work. For the record, damp-mopping (with the mop lightly wetted, as opposed to wet-mopping, with the mop saturated) won’t damage wood floors.
Smoke particles also settle on your clothes, skin, and bed. If you’ve spent time outdoors in the smoke, change into clean clothes when you get home. Wash your sheets more often than normal, too. Take a quick shower before you go to bed. And after the smoke clears and the fires subside, clean everything, change all your filters, and breathe easier.
Taking good care of your kitchen knives isn’t just about longevity and value—it’s about safety, too.
A well-maintained knife—with a clean, sharp edge and comfortable, secure handle—is safer to use and helps you chop faster than a dull, banged-up knife. And of course, if you spend big on a nice knife, you want it to last years, even decades, right? Heck, even a $7 plastic-handle paring knife can last for a long time with proper care and maintenance. So let’s talk about the basics of knife cleaning and care.
Stylish sandals are crucial to any summer wardrobe. But not every pair is suited to every occasion. We’ve scoured the internet—as well as the hearts of Wirecutter staffers—to find 11 pairs for just about any situation. Whether you’re in search of strappy sandals that will stop strangers in the street, functional sandals that are equally at home on a hike and out to dinner, or closed-toe sandals that will save you from needing a pedicure, these are the shoes you’ll want to wear all summer.
If you shave any part of your body that’s not your face, a body or “women’s” razor is likely the best tool for the task. Unlike facial razors, body razors are engineered for broad expanses of skin and the slippery arena of the shower. We had 10 people with different hair types and shaving needs compare finalists, and we think the Gillette Venus Original is the cartridge razor system most people will like best.
The latest gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony bring with them new features that, in conjunction with the right TV, can offer the best gaming experience possible. After putting new TVs through our regular battery of tests and then adding an Xbox Series X to the mix, we’ve found that the LG C1 OLED TV is your best choice for high-performance gaming and has every feature that gamers will need for the foreseeable future.
If you want the best-looking TV image that money can buy, choose an OLED TV. With perfect blacks, superior viewing angles, infinite contrast ratios, and better motion quality than you can find on other TVs, OLED displays outperform even the best LCD options—but they usually cost more (though the difference is shrinking). We recommend the LG C1 because it strikes a great balance between price and performance and is loaded with all the latest features.
With travel restrictions beginning to lift, cautiously, around the world, it may be time to dust off old luggage or consider new replacements as you consider even newer destinations. We’ve tested 47 bags over the past five years and are convinced that the Travelpro Platinum Elite is the best carry-on luggage for most travelers. It packs five days’ worth of clothes into standard US carry-on dimensions and has premium build-quality touches you’d expect from a $500 bag at about half the price. It’s a bag that you can rely on for life, even if it’s damaged by airlines—a rarity at any price.
Packable daypacks are a perfect option if you need a lightweight spare bag to stash inside your luggage when you travel. They’re also great if you need an extra bag while running an unexpected errand during your daily commute. After testing 18 packable daypacks, we chose five lightweight, portable, well-constructed bags to fit a variety of situations, including traveling, hiking, and commuting.
When you buy something online, sight unseen, you’re taking a leap of faith. And this is especially true with sofas, which often cost hundreds or thousands of your hard-earned dollars and can be a hassle to return. There are so many styles, types, and sizes of sofa—from buttoned-up Chesterfields to the Dalì-inspired Bocca—that “best” is often a matter of personal taste. After years of research and testing, we’re ready to admit that we can’t tell you which sofa model is the best one for you. But we can walk you through the process and help you balance quality, budget, and space constraints with your unique needs and tastes.
A sex toy known simply as the “rose toy” has gone viral on TikTok, with fans raving about this suction vibrator’s almost supernatural ability to induce powerful clitoral orgasms. We tested a rose toy for our guide to the best vibrators, finding that, yes, the toy lives up to its reputation. However, while some people find it a worthwhile buy, it’s not the most user-friendly suction vibrator we’ve tested.
Contrary to popular belief, your aching back doesn’t need a firm-as-a-plank mattress. In fact, there is no specific mattress that’s best for back pain.
If foam mattresses leave you feeling hot and bothered or simply stuck, a traditional innerspring mattress—inherently more breathable and resilient—may be your dream bed. Today’s innerspring options are worlds beyond the austere, creaky, or overly springy kind you likely slept on growing up. And nowadays you can order one online, often at a price similar to that of a foam mattress. The key is to know what you’re getting. That’s why, over the past two years, we’ve visited more than a dozen mattress showrooms and stores, interviewed experts, and pored over spec sheets to zero in on 20 contenders. We then evaluated those mattresses in our office with testers of different shapes, sizes, and sleep preferences. We’ve also slept on each of the finalists at home. Here’s what we recommend.
Your front door lock is an unsung hero, quietly standing guard to keep thieves and rogues at bay. Smart locks are the superheroes of the species, with special powers that make life more convenient (and a little more fun). Most smart locks come in one of two styles: a deadbolt replacement or a deadbolt adapter (which replaces the thumb turn with a motorized one). We strongly prefer deadbolt replacements, and we recommend the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi, a small, attractive, easy-to-learn model that you can trigger in multiple ways, including by fingerprint or keypad. If you can’t replace your entire lock or don’t want to, the Wyze Lock has sturdy, reliable hardware and software, offers a good-looking design, and is as smart as or smarter than many competing locks, all for about half the price.
If you have a set of Canon or Nikon DSLR lenses or know that you prefer an optical viewfinder and don’t want to spend big on a camera, a beginner DSLR could be just the ticket. The Nikon D3500 is our pick for the best DSLR camera for novice photographers because it offers outstanding image quality for its price and a truly useful Guide Mode that helps you learn along the way. It boasts excellent battery life, easy smartphone connectivity, 1080/60p video with silent autofocus, and intuitive controls in a highly portable and lightweight body.
As we explain here, if you don’t already have some DSLR lenses and don’t dislike electronic viewfinders, or plan to frame your photos on a screen the same way you do with your phone, you should look for a mirrorless camera.
Our favorite TVs deliver superior picture quality for a reasonable price. Right now, our top recommendation is the Hisense U7G LCD TV, which is available in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch screen sizes. But if you want something with even better performance or an even more budget-friendly price—or if you need a smaller size or a TV that’s great for gaming—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.
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.
Prime Day — the annual Amazon-concocted mega-sale coming on July 12 and 13 of this year — will surely flood the internet with a sea of supposed “deals.” And especially given 2022’s raft of inflation-induced price increases, it’s easy to see how many shoppers might panic-buy anything cast as a good deal (whether it really is or not). But take a deep breath. Be calm. Let’s assess Prime Day “deals” clearly and soberly.
We can help you. To separate the marketing traps from the real discounts on quality products, Wirecutter’s experts will be using our research-intensive approach to hunt in real-time for the best Prime Day deals. But before you even start shopping, keep these tips in mind.
After years in the workforce, the transition into retirement is usually one filled with joy and also a bit of uncertainty—many retirees wonder what to do with all of this newfound free time. With that in mind, we’ve gathered our favorite retirement gifts to facilitate adventure, travel, and curiosity so that the person you love makes the most of this new chapter and has fun along the way.
Electric kettles provide a swift and easy way to heat water without using a stove. And many models will even let you set a precise temperature—key for getting the best flavor from coffee and tea. Of all the models we’ve tested since 2013, the Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle continues to be our favorite, thanks to its winning combination of speed, accuracy, and simple controls—and all at a better price than that of most competitors.
Mounting a TV on a wall not only looks nice but also frees up space and prevents your TV from tipping over. If you just need a simple, non-swiveling mount to securely hold your TV in place, we recommend the Sanus VMPL50A-B1 tilting mount for its solid steel construction, easy tilting mechanism, post-install leveling, and ample supply of included hardware. If you’re seeking more mobility to position your TV toward a specific seat or even point it into another room, we like the Sanus VLF728-B2 full-motion mount.
Though Wirecutter has long tested drop protection and scratch resistance for our guides to phone cases, I was never interested in those practical concerns. I spend hours on my phone every day (groan), and I want a case that makes me smile at least some of that time. So since 2015, I’ve carried a custom case emblazoned with an iconic image from the horror classic The Shining. (At least, it’s iconic to me—some people have asked me if snarling Jack Nicholson is my boyfriend.)
