Actually Good Dorm Decor That You’ll Want to Keep (Even After Graduation)
by Joanne Chen
These quality picks are so smart and stylish, you’ll want to keep them long after you move off campus. (And you can!)
The latest
- Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids
August 16
- I Thought I’d Found a $99 Fix for My Balky Air Conditioning. I Was Wrong.
August 16
- The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags
August 16
- The Best Media Streaming Devices
August 16
- If You’ve Turned Your Home Into an Airbnb, You Need Smart Devices
August 16
- The Best Universal Remote Control
August 16
Daily deals
Price drops on products we already love
For summertime camping
Here are some Wirecutter-approved picks for your upcoming outdoor adventures.
Home
I Thought I’d Found a $99 Fix for My Balky Air Conditioning. I Was Wrong.
by Roy Furchgott
I had high hopes that Flair Smart Vents would cure my inefficient HVAC. They didn’t work as planned, but they pointed to a better fix that might help most homes.
If You’ve Turned Your Home Into an Airbnb, You Need Smart Devices
by Jon Chase
Smart-home gear is ideal for managing short-term rentals, making it easy to keep tabs on your property while offering convenience for your guests.
The Best Electric Toothbrush
by Nancy Redd
We’ve tested 66 electric toothbrushes in hundreds of trials at the bathroom sink. The minimalist yet effective Oral-B Pro 1000 is our top pick.
The Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers
by Caira Blackwell and Joanne Chen
If you regularly sleep on your side, you’ll likely want a cushy mattress that aligns your spine and offers good support. These are our favorites.
Electronics
The Best Media Streaming Devices
by Lee Neikirk
The Chromecast with Google TV has all the features we look for in a media streamer, and Google’s interface is the best at finding and organizing content.
The Best Universal Remote Control
by Adrienne Maxwell
The Sofabaton U2 offers a good physical design and lots of features for the price. Though it has flaws, it’s the best remote we’ve found in a dying category.
How to Clean AirPods, Earbuds, and Headphones
by Lauren Dragan
Despite what the internet says, sucking on your AirPods is not a safe way to clean them. Follow our advice instead.
Sleep
The Best Memory Foam Mattresses You Can Buy Online
by Caira Blackwell
A great memory-foam mattress hugs, cuddles, and cradles you just right. We’ve tested dozens to find three we recommend.
Purple Mattress Review: An Honest Assessment
by Ayanna Redwood-Crawford
Purple’s gridded, jiggly foam may feel weird—or it may be just what the doctor ordered. We recommend trying the mattresses in person before you buy.
The Best Cheap Mattresses (Under $500)
by Caira Blackwell
It takes some effort, but you can find a decent, comfortable mattress that won’t break the bank. Here are five we recommend.
The Best Hybrid Mattresses
by Caira Blackwell
Part coil, part foam, hybrid mattresses have a range of feels. Here are our favorites, plus what you need to know to find one that’s right for you.
Kitchen
The Best Food Dehydrator
by Lesley Stockton
After many hours spent drying 168 pounds of meat and produce, we found that the Nesco FD-1018A Gardenmaster is the most even, efficient dehydrator you can get.
The Best Over-the-Range Microwave
by Liam McCabe
We tested six over-the-range microwaves and found that they’re all very similar, but we like the GE JVM6175 because it’s easier to use than most.
The Best Drip Coffee Maker
by Marguerite Preston and Kathleen Squires
We’ve been testing coffee makers since 2014, and we think the Bonavita Enthusiast 8-Cup Drip Coffee Brewer offers the best combination of convenient features and delicious coffee.
Appliances
The Best Refrigerators
by Liam McCabe
We surveyed 5,000+ readers and analyzed 28,000+ customer reviews and found that among the major brands, LG fridges tend to make their owners the happiest.
The Best Washer-Dryer Combo (But We Don’t Recommend It)
by Andrea Barnes and Liam McCabe
Washer-dryer combos have their quirks, but if you’re short on space and want to avoid the laundromat, these all-in-one machines can be better than nothing.
A Heat Pump Might Be Right for Your Home. Here’s Everything to Know.
by Thom Dunn
Here’s the single biggest change you can make to reduce your home’s energy use.
The Best Microwave
by Rachel Wharton
Most microwaves are nearly identical, but the Panasonic Genius Sensor Inverter NN-SN67HS stands out for its even heating and useful features.
Gifts
15 Gifts for Golfers That They’ll Actually Like
by Samantha Schoech
After canvassing every golfer we know, we came up with gifts to please any linksperson you love.
Most Gift Baskets Are Terrible. These Are Great.
by Gabriella Gershenson, Anna Perling, and Wirecutter Staff
These gift baskets offer the best combination of taste, presentation, and value we’ve found, and we think they’ll delight recipients year-round.
14 Great Gifts for Book Lovers
by Samantha Schoech
Since most bookworms acquire their own actual books, these gifts inspire, support, and enhance the joy of reading.
Outdoors
The Best Picnic Blanket
by Kit Dillon and Dorie Chevlen
After lounging on 19 top-rated picnic blankets, we found that the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket offers the best combination of comfort, durability, and easy cleaning.
I Can’t Get Enough of These Steel Tubs in My Garden
by Jackie Reeve
Behrens steel tubs lend flexibility and style to my garden. Mine have remained rust-free for three springs in the PNW, and are affordable enough to collect.
The Best Smart Bird Feeders
by Rachel Cericola
Delight the bird-watcher in your life with a smart feeder that captures close-up videos and photos and can even identify what species visit.
The Best Trail Cameras
by Kyle Fitzgerald
The Bushnell Core S-4K No Glow Trail Camera is the best trail camera to photograph wild animals, in your backyard or in the backcountry.
Style
The Best Men’s Jeans
by Justin Krajeski
No wardrobe is complete without a great pair of jeans. We found five stylish options that will work for a range of body types and budgets.
I Love These Compression Socks So Much I Bought a Dozen
by Jackie Reeve
I spent most of 2023 testing compression socks for our guide. And when I discovered that they doubled as great gardening socks, I stocked up for myself.
The Best Underwear for Kids
by Nancy Redd
Hanna Andersson’s undies are soft, durable, and cute. Of the 15 brands we tested, they’re also the most resistant to butt-picking.
Travel
The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags
by Kit Dillon
The Waterfield Air Porter Carry-On Bag is a great bag for tech-carrying travelers to slide under an airplane seat. We also have options for other travelers.
The Best Gym Bag
by Kit Dillon
The KNKG Plus Duffel is a versatile, durable bag for most gym goers. We also have options for those who prefer other types of bags, such as totes and backpacks.
The Best Kids Backpacks for School
by Ellen Lee
We’ve been testing kids backpacks for almost a decade. These packs consistently rank among the best.
The Best Slim Wallet
by Jason Chen
A slim wallet is best for your style and your spine. Here are the best slim and bifold wallets, all of which are less than an inch thick.
Health and fitness
This FDA-Cleared Video Game for ADHD Helped Me Focus. But Then I Got Bored.
by Thom Dunn
Can playing a video game help with ADHD? It sounds far-fetched, but this writer tried out a new video game designed to do just that. It worked … for a while.
The Best Smartwatch for Android Phones
by Ryan Whitwam and Roderick Scott
Smartwatches offer a good way to wrangle notifications and track activity. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 is the best option for Android users.
Super Shoes Aren’t Just for Olympians. But Do Casual Runners Really Need Them?
by Alexander Aciman
Super shoes are helping professional athletes break records. Here’s what normie runners need to know before trying them—and what our staff testers thought.
Baby and kid
Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids
by Courtney Schley
We spent 40-plus hours testing more than 50 recommendations from educators, experts, and parents to find the best educational apps and games for kids.
How We Optimize a Morning Routine for Kids
by Joanne Chen
Mornings can be a challenge, especially if you have young kids. Here are some of our tools and strategies for getting everyone up and out the door on time.
The Best High Chairs
by Jenni Gritters and Erica Pearson
Our favorite high chair is one-fifth the price of competitors—and it’s far easier to clean and use.
The Best Backpacks for College and High School Students
by Zoe Vanderweide
Our top backpack picks for the 2023-2024 school year include a sporty-looking ergonomic pack, a bag that’s nostalgic and timeless, and a polished workhorse.
Pets
The Best Dog DNA Test
by Kaitlyn Wells
The Embark Breed + Health Kit is the most accurate dog DNA test we’ve found and will help you unravel your pet’s specific breed background.
The Best Travel Carrier for Cats and Small Dogs
by Mel Plaut
How to keep your animal companion safe in transit in a car or plane.
What’s the Best Vacuum for Pet Hair?
by Sabine Heinlein
We recommend six vacuums that have the tools, power, and maneuverability to tackle pet fur in your carpets, on your couch, or in your car.
Games and hobbies
The Best Drones for Photos and Video
by James Austin
After testing 33 drones, we found the DJI Air 3 to be the best drone for most photographers and videographers.
The Best Notebooks and Notepads
by Melanie Pinola
These notebook and notepad picks offer a satisfying writing experience with different types of pens and pencils.
The Best Ukulele for Beginners
by Brent Butterworth
The Kala Satin Mahogany is our favorite starter uke for beginners. It sounds good, is easy to play, and comes in concert and soprano sizes.
The Best Card Games
by James Austin
Card games may be the simplest kind of game, but that doesn’t mean they’re lacking fun or innovation. We’ve tested 28 card games to find the best of the best.
Software and apps
The Best Website Builders
by Melanie Pinola
Wix is the best way to quickly and easily create an informative, functional, and professional-looking website.
These Video Games Are Fun for the Whole Family
by Haley Perry
Whether you’re playing over the summer or on a weeknight during the school year, we have games for family members of all ages and skill levels to enjoy together.
The Best Cloud Gaming Services Aren’t Great (Yet)
by Haley Perry
If you don’t have access to a gaming PC or console, game streaming services let you play some of the biggest games on your phone or browser—with trade-offs.
Office
The Best Office Chairs
by Melanie Pinola and Kaitlyn Wells
The impressively supportive, adjustable, and durable Steelcase Gesture is still our pick for the best office chair for most people, as it has been since 2015.
How to Organize Life’s Most Important Documents
by Kaitlyn Wells
If your important files dance between a pile on the kitchen table and an unmarked box in the garage, it’s time to develop a proper filing system.
The Best All-in-One Computer
by Dave Gershgorn
If you need a family computer or want to cut down on cords in a home office, an all-in-one computer like Apple’s iMac is worth buying.
How to Shop for a Desktop Computer, From Cheap Towers to Gaming PCs
by Kimber Streams and Dave Gershgorn
Shopping for an already-built PC, whether for office use or gaming, can be confusing. We’re here to help you figure out the specs to watch for and how much to spend.
Cars
The Best Booster Car Seats
by Rebecca Gale
After researching over 50 booster car seats and testing 13, we’ve concluded that the convenient Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is the best overall choice.
The Best Car Vacuum
by Sabine Heinlein
We recommend four handheld vacuums that have helpful tools and the ability to reach into the nooks and crannies of a car.
The Best Electric Vehicle Chargers for Home
by Sarah Witman
After 28 hours of research and 85 hours of testing, we’ve found the best ways to charge your electric vehicle at home.
Money
Wirecutter’s 100 Most Popular Picks of July 2024
by Wirecutter Staff
These are the top 100 things our readers loved most in July, including air tags, portable chairs, bath towels, and more.
We’ve Found the 9 Best Deals Still Available for Walmart’s Anti Prime Day Sale.
by Kaitlin Mahar
Amazon’s 2024 Prime Day sale is July 16–17. But Walmart’s big sale is already here. We sifted through the Walmart Deals sale to find only the best discounts.
Some 4th of July Sales Are Still Going. These Are The Deals That Are Worth It.
by Dan Kim
Not every Fourth of July sale is worth it. We’ve rounded up the best sales on expert-recommended products.
Wirecutter’s 100 Most Popular Picks of June 2024
by Wirecutter Staff and Gabriella DePinho
These are the top 100 things our readers loved most in June, including portable chairs, air conditioners, stylish sun hats, and more.