When you want to add a little more warmth but are seeking greater freedom of movement than a jacket allows, a vest is the perfect cozy addition. To find the best insulated vest to keep you warm on your most active days, we sent 22 adventurers with 25 vests to nine states and two countries. After all of those adventures, we’ve determined that the Patagonia Down Sweater Vest (men’s and women’s) is the best down vest both for technical performance and for everyday commuter or office use.
Few things in Americana are at once as commonplace and unique as peanut butter. Twist the lid off a jar and the smell is unmistakable; for some of us, it’s a time machine back to the elementary school cafeteria. If you’ve loved this pantry staple since childhood, you probably have strong preferences: smooth or chunky, natural or classic, sweet or salty (or somewhere in between).
When my wife Lindsay and I bought our Queens apartment in 2011, I couldn’t wait to start gardening. We had lucked into a rare New York amenity: a proper big balcony, 7 by 20 feet and all to ourselves. That first winter, I nursed tomato and chili plants from seed under a grow lamp in the back room. In spring, I moved them outside, eyes always on the thermometer lest a late frost arrived. All summer I carefully watered and fed them, hand-pollinating the chili flowers each morning with a small paintbrush. Out of 14 plants, I got one sad pepper and a handful of flavorless grape tomatoes. I didn’t plant anything else for a decade.
There is a little ritual I do before every run. After the required prelude of lacing sneakers, applying Body Glide, and patting pockets to confirm the custody of keys, I put in my earbuds, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and press play. In that moment, I shrug off the worries and responsibilities of the day. For the time being, there is only me, the music, and the movement. The act of propelling your body forward through space can have significant benefits to your physical and mental health, but the hardest part is taking that first step.
If you’ve ever used the words musty, muggy, dank, fuggy, wet, mildewy, or the dreaded moist to describe the air in your home, you may need a dehumidifier. We’ve been testing dehumidifiers for almost a decade, and we’ve found that many of the best perform as expected for a few years, then—maddeningly—die. Our latest hope for a longer-lasting machine that makes life easier in use is the Wi-Fi–equipped Frigidaire Gallery FGAC5044W1. The reality is that all the dehumidifiers we’ve tested perform about the same, but the Frigidaire Gallery’s especially quiet operation and ability to alert you when it needs to be drained set it apart from the competition.
Thanks to our expert journalists’ rigorous tests, you can be sure the top picks in our guides are actually the best of the best. And with the Wirecutter Deals team’s meticulous price research, you can feel confident these discounts are, too.
A portable movie projector combines the convenience of a phone or tablet with the big-screen appeal of a TV. None of these small, portable projectors rival a good TV or traditional home-theater projector in performance, but the Xgimi MoGo Pro comes the closest of any we’ve tested so far. Plus, the MoGo Pro has Android TV built right in, so you can access a ton of movies without having to connect an external media player.
Many kids are notoriously picky about their undies, and for good reason: Irritating wedgies, itchy tags, chafing trims, and scratchy fabrics make a lot of underwear no fun to wear. We spent four months testing 37 styles from 15 different brands. And we’re confident that the soft, durable Classic Unders from Hanna Andersson are the least likely to leave kids whining about what’s covering their behinds.
Easter is just around the corner, which means that retailers are offering up loads of cheap chocolate, plastic grass, and junky toys—all angling for a spot in your kid’s Easter basket. Most of these gifts seem destined for a quick trip to a landfill. If you want to cut the crap but still have a magical holiday, we’ve rounded up some special children’s books, durable toys, engaging activities, and delicious candy, and some high-quality, reusable baskets and bags for presenting them. (Planning to decorate real eggs for the festivities? Here’s our guide to the best Easter egg-dyeing kits.) Hoppy hunting.
Classic, cool, and … yellow under the armpits? Though a great white T-shirt is an effortless wardrobe staple, keeping it looking fresh over the long haul isn’t always easy. But with a little know-how and the right arsenal of cleaning products, it’s possible to revive even the dingiest shirts in your drawer.
If you’re looking for a compact kitchen appliance to bridge that gap between a microwave and a conventional oven, a pod-shaped air fryer might do the trick. An air fryer crisps food like an oven does, but it also functions quickly and conveniently, like a microwave. We’ve tested dozens of models since 2017, and we believe the Philips Premium Airfryer HD9741/56 is the best model out there. It is easy to use, cooks food more evenly and consistently than other pod-shaped air fryers, and doesn’t take up too much counter space.
Spotting my kid gliding down the sidewalk on his Micro Maxi Deluxe scooter can take fellow pedestrians by surprise. How is he so fast? Why didn’t I hear him coming? And where is his grown-up? I can see the questions in their expressions as I jog behind, trying to keep up as he weaves his way downhill.
A clean litter box is essential to the well-being of your cat (and your nostrils).
If the box is constantly full, your pet might avoid nature’s call as long as possible, which can result in serious health problems. Your cat may also be inclined to take their business elsewhere, which is stressful for everyone.
Scooping daily is the rule of thumb, but transferring those scoops to the trash gets messy. And for many, this is a chore that’s all too easily ignored—until the box turns seriously gross.
Reusable water bottles that are both good-looking and functional seem like a necessity in our modern, hydration-obsessed world. But finding the right one to match your personal taste can be a challenge—it depends on what you’re looking for amid the riot of colors, shapes, and features.
I’ve spent the majority of the past 15 years creating budget-friendly DIY projects, pinnable entertaining ideas, and holiday-themed crafts that have been featured on your favorite magazine covers and morning shows. I quickly learned that practice makes perfect—since very few projects go smoothly or look camera-ready on the first try.
If you want an affordable, versatile vacuum cleaner—nothing fancy, but something dependably solid—look for a bagless upright vacuum that costs about $150. It will work well for most people in most homes. (The Shark Navigator line has been our favorite for this style for many years.) But if you’re looking for something different, we’ve also rounded up the best of the rest—from cordless sticks and long-lasting canisters to cheap handhelds and even robots—for all types of homes.
Life is too short to struggle with peeling potatoes or carrots. It’s worth the minimal investment to get a great vegetable peeler.
After more than a decade using the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler and the OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler, we’ve found that both tackle a range of vegetables and fruits far better than other models. We recommend getting the one that suits your peeling style better.
When it comes to getting more bang for your fitness buck, there are few pieces of exercise equipment that offer a better value than a jump rope. An excellent cardio workout, jumping rope burns calories equivalent to running a 7:30 mile, yet it is something that most anyone can do. Plus, ropes are inexpensive additions to a home gym and easily stashed in a gym bag. After researching, measuring, shortening, boiling (!), and using various jump ropes, we’re confident that the XYLsports Jump Rope—with its smooth rotation, comfortable handles, test-topping durability, and value price—is the best rope for most people.
We also looked into jump ropes for kids and found three different styles that should help budding jumpers feel comfortable and confident as they learn the, ahem, ropes.
When you’re starting a garden from scratch or prepping your yard for spring planting, it’s important to know the state of your soil. Adding fertilizer with specific nutrients can make up for any deficits or imbalances, and that will help maximize the growth potential of your chosen plants. But what if your soil contains lead—or something worse?
No matter how much you enjoy dyeing Easter eggs, you may be thinking twice before you head to the dairy aisle for a few extra cartons this spring. The price of fresh eggs has more than doubled since last year, which means you likely want to make every effort to avoid food waste (deviled eggs for everyone, or you can just dye them raw like I do).
No matter how great your office chair is, sitting in it all day isn’t doing your body any favors. But being on your feet constantly isn’t good for your comfort or health, either. An electric, height-adjustable standing desk gives you the best of both worlds. Want a productivity and energy boost? Push a button to raise the desk so you can move a little while working. Feel like leaning back in your chair for some deep focus time? Push another button to lower the desk. After reevaluating our top picks and testing three new models, we’ve reconfirmed that the Uplift V2 is the best standing desk for most people. It accommodates a wide range of heights, it’s stable at even its tallest setting, and it features a greater variety of attractive customization options than you’ll find on any competitor.
The Pax 3 suits new and seasoned cannabis users alike, offering an easy vaporizing experience from start to finish while allowing you to fine-tune the device settings—if you feel like it. Recommended by employees at cannabis dispensaries across the country—and unanimously favored by a diverse panel of testers—a packed Pax 3 lasts several enjoyable sessions, producing pleasing vapors without overheating. Plus, it’s easier to clean than most portable vaporizers.
When you’re choosing an egg-dyeing kit for Easter, it’s easy to be charmed by the cute extras like egg stands, sleeves, and bunny stickers. But what matters most is the color quality.
Since the basic egg-dyeing steps are the same, the results really come down to the dyes, tools, and directions on the box. If they help you achieve beautifully colored Easter eggs with little mess or stress, any trendy dipping, dunking, or embellishing beyond that is what we like to call “Instagram gravy.”
We tested seven egg-dyeing kits side by side to see which ones are worth your time and money. Here’s what we learned.
If you just want a great laptop to do everyday laptop tasks, you should get an ultrabook. By definition, ultrabooks are powerful, thin-and-light laptops with long battery life, which means many of them are good—but not all of them are worth buying. After testing hundreds of laptops over the past eight years and testing 22 ultrabooks so far in 2022, we’ve found that the HP Spectre x360 13.5″ with 16 GB of memory is the best Windows ultrabook for most people.
Testing bed frames might sound like a sneaky way of getting to nap on the job, but it’s surprisingly rigorous. To find our eight favorites, we spent weeks researching frames and several sweaty days unpacking boxes, tightening bolts, and, yes, collapsing into bed. All of our picks are durable, high-quality, and stylish. We also have a guide to our favorite budget-friendly options.
A tense neck that refuses to turn. A lower back that throbs every time you bend over. Super-tight shoulders that seem stuck in a shrug. If any of these common symptoms of back pain sound familiar, you’re probably eager for relief.
Thankfully, there are myriad tools you can use at home that may alleviate your discomfort.
Working is hard, and when your laptop is close to dying, it’s even harder. Fortunately, a high-capacity power bank can save the day when you’re low on battery and outlets are out of reach—or if you need to charge your phone and other small devices during a power outage. The Zendure SuperTank Pro is the best power bank for laptops that charge via USB-C because it fully recharges most laptops at least once and does so as quickly as possible, yet it’s compact enough to carry in a backpack, a laptop bag, or even some purses.
Trudging through rain is rarely enjoyable, but a great umbrella will reduce the misery, keep you (mostly) dry, and easily stow away when it’s not needed. Our favorite is the compact Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella. Its nine-rib construction held up against gale-force winds, and it’s as sturdy as umbrellas that sell for more than twice the price.
Handheld vacuums can go where bigger vacuums can’t. They make it easy to ferret out crumbs between cushions, dirt from car seats, and fur from couches. Since 2013, we’ve looked at 180 hand vacuums and conducted hundreds of hours of research and testing, and we’ve concluded that the Ryobi 18V One+ Performance Hand Vacuum Kit is the best for most jobs. If you regularly contend with a lot of pet fur, consider the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ HHVK515JP07, and if you need a machine for occasional cleanups, try the inexpensive Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean CHV1410L.
