Best for campers		Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock		SEE IT	A durable option that doesn’t hurt the bank.
Best for hikers		Smartwool Hiking Crew Socks		SEE IT	These socks are made of Merino wool, which will keep your feet warm and dry.
Best solar generator		Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300		SEE IT	Power small appliances while camping.

It feels safe to assume that—after spending the better part of many years cooped up inside classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, and/or dorm rooms—any grad is ready for a change of scenery, especially grads who love the actual outdoors. Once all their schoolwork is done, grades have been entered, and degrees are in hand, these grads will surely feel it’s time some exploits braving the elements, and you can help by giving graduation gifts for outdoor lovers that travel well. Wherever their love for the outdoors takes them, we have you covered with the best graduation gift guide for well-accessorized adventurers.

• Best for campers: Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock  
• Best for grad parties in the backyard or backcountry: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3
• Best for hikers: Smartwool Hiking Crew Socks
• Best for interval training to interviews: Garmin epix Pro and Garmin fēnix 7 Pro
• Best for your grad’s new apartment: Fuzzy Ink Wilderness Print
• Best for outdoor athletes: CamelBak Octane Dart Hydration Pack
• Best personalized gift: Engraved Compass
• Best useful: Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Trekker Knife
• Best thoughtful: Paddywax Candles Parks Collection
• Best for day trips: YETI Packable Lunch Bag
• Best wearable: Outdoor Life Tee
• Best for dirty hiking clothes: STNKY Bag Pro Wash Bag
• Best portable firepit: Colsen Tabletop Portable Fire Pit
• Best fire starter: Pull Start Firestarter
• Best hard cooler: RTIC Ultra-Light 55 Quart Hard Cooler
• Best for post-trail drinks: Hydro Flask 25 oz Ceramic Reusable Wine Bottle
• Best unbreakable glasses: Silipint Silicone Pint Glasses
• Best for ski lodge lounging: Chaco Ramble Puff Ankle Boot
• Best for camp comfort: Therm-a-Rest Honcho Poncho Down
• Best for camp chefs: Opinel Nomad Camping Kitchen Utensil Kit
• Best hiking boot: Vasque Breeze Waterproof Hiking Boot
• Best headlamp: BioLite 800 Pro
• Best solar generator: Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300

Best for campers: Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock  

Wise Owl Outfitters

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If your favorite grad is equipped with just about everything they need to make it through a backcountry trip, get them camping gifts to introduce even more relaxation and fun to their next outdoor escape. A camping hammock is a perfect way to sit back, take a nap, read a book, or drink a calming beverage outdoors. This is the best hammock from Wise Owl and weighs under 2 pounds, including the hanging straps, so it’s perfect for campers who prioritize portability. When packed down, it’s about the size of a grapefruit, so your grad should be able to easily carry it with them or keep it stashed away in their car. Each hammock comes with tree straps and carabiners for easy setup, with no need for any additional equipment. It comes in over 10 colors so that you can choose their favorite. It’s 9 feet long and 4.5 feet wide, with a 400-pound weight limit, which should be suitable for just about any user. You can even grab a two-person hammock (weighing only 5 ounces more) if they tend to go camping with a partner or friend.

Best for grad parties in the backyard or backcountry: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

Brandt Ranj

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No graduation gift guide would be complete without some great speakers. If your recent grad is always on the go—heading out for day hikes, camping trips, beach hangouts, long bike rides, and more—you can’t go wrong gifting them a portable Bluetooth speaker. No matter where they are or what they are doing, a smartphone and a compact speaker will provide the perfect soundtrack for any outdoor activity. The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is an excellent option, weighing under 1 pound and equipped with a flexible handle that can easily attach to a backpack, bike basket, or belt loop. It’s only 4 inches tall, but the small, compact design doesn’t mean you sacrifice anything when it comes to sound. The portable speaker can reach up to 87 decibels (equivalent to standing next to a loud blender or vacuum) and produces full 360-degree sound coverage. This powerful Bluetooth speaker can also withstand the elements and is one of our favorite waterproof speakers for a good reason; it has an IP67 rating, which means it can survive being dropped into a body of water up to a meter deep for half an hour, plus it’s dirt/dust-resistant. In addition, the battery lasts a full 13 hours, so your grad can jam outside all day long. And, if they want to be a party-goer and a party-thrower, you can up the energy with a portable party speaker.

Best for hikers: Smartwool Hiking Crew Socks  

Smartwool

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A hiker is only as good as their socks are strong, so give a grad who loves to ramble amongst the rocks a pair that will last. While socks may seem like a simple gift, a quality pair or two is one of those hiking gifts that can go a long way. You’ll be taking care of an essential need any avid hiker has and investing in their overall outdoor experiences. Take it from us: nothing ruins a hike faster than angry blisters and constant friction. Smartwool hiking socks come in various colors and sizes, both men’s and women’s. From a tried and true brand, these socks are designed for rugged day hikes and moderate backpacking. An elasticized arch brace provides extra support, medium cushioning absorbs impact, and a flat-toe seam keeps things comfortable. Made from Merino wool and nylon, these socks will keep their feet warm even during cold winter hikes. If your loved one likes to embark on a variety of adventures, you can check out Smartwool’s other socks specifically designed for activities like running, cycling, skiing, and more. There’s a reason we listed them as our favorite wool socks.

Best for interval training to interviews: Garmin epix Pro and Garmin fēnix 7 Pro

Garmin

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Whether your grad is thinking more about the backcountry or the boardroom, they could use a smartwatch that helps them get where they need to be when they need to be there. And when it comes to multi-band GPS smartwatches, Garmin makes the best adventure accessories out there. Endurance athletes to purposeful wanderers can benefit from the rugged, sensor-embedded case, metrics-rich displays, and accurate navigation resources found in Garmin’s newest Pro editions of the company’s multisport timepieces—available in multiple sizes and colors with different types of scratch-resistant/solar-charging glass.

Best for your grad’s new apartment: Fuzzy Ink Wilderness Print

Fuzzy Ink

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The perfect grad gifts for outdoor lovers aren’t always the ones they’ll bring on their adventures—they can be ones they’ll appreciate before and after an excursion. A woodsy print or poster is a great present for a graduate who needs a little help decorating their new apartment. At this point, they might have all the gear they need, but what they probably don’t have are elegant pieces that express their personality but also provide a sense of maturity for an adult abode. This print from Fuzzy Ink is an artistic way for your grad to stay inspired. It measures 18 inches by 24 inches and is printed on coated paper with a matte finish, so they won’t have any trouble finding a great spot to display it. This print quietly depicts the beauty and awe that many outdoor enthusiasts find so mesmerizing about being in nature. From the crackling campfire to the expansive display of fir trees, this piece will surely bring joy to a grad who longs to roam around the forest.

Best for outdoor athletes: CamelBak Octane Dart Hydration Pack

CamelBak

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Any outdoor lover knows how important it is to stay hydrated. Whether hiking, cycling, or running, drinking water is key to preventing heat stroke, dehydration, fatigue, and other issues. Of course, a water bottle is the first thing we think of when it comes to H2O on the go; however, bottles can be bulky and cumbersome. So, if you want to get your grad a great outdoor gift that prioritizes function and efficiency, we recommend a CamelBak Hydration Pack. This multisport hydration backpack can hold 50 ounces of water and easily straps to your back with a long drinking tube and trap management to make hydrating hands-free. All they need to do is bite down and suck to get as much water as necessary—no need to stop during a long run or bike ride to grab a water bottle. The 3D vent mesh provides lightweight comfort and airflow, while front harness pockets can hold snacks, sunscreen, and other essentials. Reflectivity strips are added for extra safety during early morning or nighttime exercise. Your grad will be able to get a run in anytime, anywhere, and stay hydrated all the while. If you’re looking for more options, consider our list of the best hydration packs.

Best personalized gift: Engraved Compass

Etsy

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A personalized gift is always a good idea, especially when you’re celebrating a significant achievement. Giving a gift designed specifically for them—something special that only they will have—will let your grad know how much you care for and support them. If you want to give a personalized gift suited for the outdoors, check out these engraved compasses. You can choose from existing mountainscapes or upload your own favorite photos and illustrations to be perfectly recreated on the compass’s cover. Practically any part of the compass can include etching, so you won’t have to choose between a picture or a message. You can even ask for your own handwriting to be impressed on the metal so your graduate can take a piece of you with them no matter where they travel.

A useful graduation gift for the outdoors: Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Trekker Knife

Victorinox

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Outdoor enthusiasts know that it’s essential to prioritize gear that is lightweight, portable, and multipurpose. You will rarely find a seasoned camper lugging around a toolbox, though the need for various utensils and instruments is frequent. From quick repairs to food preparation, a survival tool or multipurpose knife is a helpful gift for anyone who spends a lot of time outside (they can also be pretty practical for indoor use). A Swiss Army knife is practical, classic, and cool. A household name when it comes to compact knives, the Trekker lives up to the hype. Its attached tools include a wood saw, large blade, 3-millimeter and 5-millimeter screwdrivers, wire stripper, can opener, tweezers, toothpick, and more. It’s one of those camping gifts that offer pretty much everything you need to make it through the trek without any issues. A knife like this is a thoughtful graduation gift that they are guaranteed to use for years to come.

Best thoughtful: Paddywax Candles Parks Collection

Paddywax Candles

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A candle is a fantastic gift for any graduate, signifying new beginnings and ordaining their adult apartment, or childhood bedroom, with sophisticated, balanced scents to keep them calm as they figure out their next steps. We’re a fan of scented gifts in general. But if your recent grad pines for the outdoors but doesn’t have time to travel just yet, a candle that brings nature to them is even more highly recommended. Paddywax has created a National Park Service-inspired collection that features the complex aromas of our country’s natural wonders. “Yellowstone” has hints of sagebrush and fir, the “Great Smoky Mountains” features Maplewood and moss, “Acadia” has seagrass and driftwood, while the “Grand Canyon” smells like cactus flowers and fern. Each candle is 11 ounces and has a burn time between 50 and 60 hours. When they’ve used up every drop of wax the candle has to offer, grads can upcycle the jars and repurpose them as plant pots, beauty tool holders, catch-alls, and more. Best of all, Paddywax donates a minimum of $25,000 per year to the National Parks Foundation, so your gift will not only go to your graduate but support the beautiful natural landmarks they love so much.

Best for day trips: YETI Packable Lunch Bag

YETI

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There is only one thing better than a day outdoors, and that is a day outdoors with snacks. Whether they plan on packing a lunch for a mountaintop picnic or bringing a few celebratory drinks to a grad party on the beach, beverages, and munchies are a must-have for your graduate’s next outside hang. A cooler is the best way to keep their tasty treats fresh all day long, so they never have to worry about their food heating up in the sun while they hike or swim. This YETI lunch bag is the perfect gift for grads to take food outside or pack a tasty lunch for their new job. Available in two sizes, a standard box or larger bag, and a variety of colorways, this pack uses Coldcell Flex insulation” technology and a “thermosnap” closure to keep food at the correct temperature, hot or cold. The adjustable grid means you can set the size by simply closing the top hook into any one of the available hoops. That way, the lunch bag can easily fit under a desk or be stuffed with snacks and drinks using all of its available 15.75 inches. This bag will pair well with just about any outdoor excursion, so your grad will be able to pack all the necessities and then some.

Best wearable: Outdoor Life Tee

540Brands

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If you want to get sweet, versatile graduation gifts guaranteed to make them smile, go with cute graphic tees like this one from Outdoor Life. Available in both men’s and women’s sizes, the “Go Play Outside” slogan is a fun way for you to tell everyone you see where your priorities lie. Made from 100-percent cotton and available in five colorways, this T-shirt will complement any hunter, angler, hiker, camper, surfer, sailor—just about any outdoor enthusiast you could think of. The soft material makes these tees particularly great for lounging around a campfire, though we recommend sizing up for maximum coziness—your grad will thank you.

Best for dirty hiking clothes: STNKY Bag Pro Wash Bag

STNKY

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STNKY’s Bag Pro Wash Bag is the simple gift our adventurous grad didn’t know they needed. The zip-up laundry bag can hold all of their dirty clothes during multi-day camping and hiking trips to prevent unwanted odors and bacteria from getting onto their clean ones. When it’s time to wash their clothes, the STNKY bag can be unzipped and turned inside out, at which point the clothes will fall into the washing machine without being touched. The bag itself is also machine washable, which is a nice bonus. Anyone who struggles to stay organized and sanitary during their next outdoor trip will love this gift.

Best portable firepit: Colsen Tabletop Portable Fire Pit

Colsen

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Sometimes setting up a big outdoor fire pit isn’t feasible or reasonable, but that doesn’t mean giving up s’mores for the night. Colsen’s Tabletop Portable Fire Pit runs on the company’s odorless liquid fuel, can be set up and ignited within a few minutes, and produces flame up to one foot tall for roughly 45 minutes. This is the ideal gift for someone who’s into glamping or wants a fire pit they can use indoors and out at any point during the year. The fact that you don’t need firewood to ignite it is particularly important because rainy weather can make dry fuel hard to find. And if you happen to have a grad living somewhere with a sizeable backyard/patio, you can give them a tasteful taste of the campfire life at home with a Solo Stove Bonfire firepit.

Best firestarter: Pull Start Firestarter

Pull Start Fire

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On the other hand, if you’re shopping for someone who spends days upon days out in the woods, they’re going to need Pull Start Firestarter. The fire starter is literally ignited by pulling a string built into its small box. Smoke will begin to billow from the box, indicating that the fire starter will be fully ignited within three seconds. It lasts up to 30 minutes once fully ignited. Beyond the convenience of not having to strike a match, keeping a pack of these around can be helpful during an emergency. It’s very difficult to light wet wood with a match, but prolonged exposure to a fire starter can do the trick. Whether they’re trying to save time or their own life, your grad will appreciate having a three-pack of Pull Start Firestarter in their pack.

Best hard cooler: RTIC Ultra-Light 55 Quart Hard Cooler

RTIC

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No campsite or boat is complete without a cooler that can reliably keep foods and beverages cold for hours—or days—at a time. If you’re shopping for a grad who’s planning a big summer trip, there’s a good chance Ultra-Light 55 Quart Hard Cooler is the perfect gift. The high-capacity cooler has three inches of insulation to maintain a consistent temperature inside, but it was engineered to be nearly a third lighter than the competition. This means it’ll be easier to carry when filled with ice, food, and dozens of cans. A cooler is one of the few gifts that may actually last your grad a lifetime, so it’s important to make the right choice. If you know they tend to pack extra light, RTIC also offers a 32-Quart model of this same cooler. Want more options? Check out more of the best coolers for camping.

Best for post-trail drinks: Hydro Flask 25 oz Ceramic Reusable Wine Bottle

Hydro Flask

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Enjoying a bottle of wine on a mountain sounds like a dream—but wine bottles and hiking don’t exactly mix. Give your grad the gift of sneaky boozing with this ceramic reusable wine bottle from Hydro Flask, which fits one 750 mL bottle of wine. It’s dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning and BPA-free for peace of mind. TempShield double-wall vacuum insulation keeps whites chilled and reds at room temp, and a ceramic-lined interior prevents flavor transfer. Although it’s advertised for wine, we think it’s also perfect for any spirit: Our favorite nature-inspired aqua vitae is Tin Cup Whiskey, cut with water from the Rocky Mountains and named after the tin cups miners used to drink. Need a more traditionally shaped option? Check out our favorite insulated water bottles.

Best unbreakable glasses: Silipint Silicone Pint Glasses

Silipint

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We’ve included the Silipint in our best camping gifts guide, but we think it makes a great gift especially for someone who may be too transient for real drinkware. These shatterproof “glasses” are made of 100% food-grade silicone, meaning you don’t have to deal with dangerous broken glass. Plus, they’re a fun, bright way to reduce the amount of plastic your grad may use between graduation and their very first job.

Best for ski lodge lounging: Chaco Ramble Puff Ankle Boot

Amanda Reed

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Chaco is known for its rugged and arch-supporting sandals, but we think their covered shoe offerings deserve some praise. The Ramble Puff Ankle Boot feels like a down parka for your feet, and they’re perfect for throwing on after a day of skiing or hiking. And, water-resistant rip-stop nylon means they’re not just indoor shoes—they can hold up in the great outdoors. If you’re looking for something that slips on, the Ramble Puff also comes in a clog style just as comfy and dreamy as its boot brethren. Our staff writer lives in both the clog and boot for women—don’t ask her to pick her favorite. Speaking of puffy stuff …

Best for camp comfort: Therm-a-Rest Honcho Poncho Down

ThermaRest

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We all know the importance of having appropriate layers for hiking—but what if you want to stay warm without having to wear the same jacket you’ve worn all day. The Honcho Poncho from Therm-a-Rest (also makers of excellent sleeping pads) combines the lightweight, warm properties of 650-Fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down with a water-resistant 100% recycled polyester shell for a wearable sleeping bag. You can wear it around the campsite or campfire or lay it out in your tent and use it as a blanket. Its front pocket doubles as a stuff sack to make it easy to stow away back into your pack (or to use it as a lite pillow).

Best for camp chefs: Opinel Nomad Camping Kitchen Utensil Kit

Opinel

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These knives are great for a grad who trying to step up their outdoor cooking game. The kit comes with a serrated folding knife, a folding corkscrew knife, a pocket peeler, a beechwood cutting board, and a microfiber cleaning cloth that doubles as a travel pouch. A Virobloc safety ring is attached to all knives/peelers to make it safer to open and transport the kit. Your grad never has to struggle to cut a piece of campfire-cook beef or a hunk of crusty bread again.

Best hiking boot: Vasque Breeze Waterproof Hiking Boot

Tony Ware

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Your grad deserves a new pair of hiking boots for successfully climbing the mountain that is college. This one from Vasque is comfortable—our assistant managing editor (his ankles and dog shown above) says, “Lightweight, breathable, and comfortable to … boot … the Vasque Breeze immediately impressed me by requiring zero break-in, then continued to impress me with its stability and traction.” This means grads can climb the highly-graded mountain of post-grad life and worry more about their rent than getting blisters. They’re waterproof and made of sustainable, durable materials for years and years of adventures.

Best headlamp: BioLite 800 Pro

BioLite

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Grad gifts are all about shiny new things, and this new headlamp from BioLite should excite your night crawler. It packs 800 powerful, bright Lumens to illuminate any dark trails … or the way to the bathroom at night. Your grad will get 150 hours of power on low; seven hours on high; and 8 hours on reserve. It recharges using a micro USB port, and includes a Constant Mode for full illumination without auto-dimming. Plus, 3D SlimFit tech gives you bounceless, slipless, and near-weightless wear. Being comfortable and able to see where you’re stepping? Sounds like a win.

Best solar generator: Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300

Jackery

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Jackery topped our list of the best solar generators, and we love the company’s small-but-mighty portable power station that can be charged by a wall outlet, car outlet, and the sun (!!!). The solar panel isn’t included, but you can get this bundle that solves the lack of solar panel upon purchase. It’s easy to carry at 7.1 pounds and can charge up to six devices while your grad is on outdoor adventures. Your grad may go outdoors to unplug, but you’ll get peace of mind that their phone or other powered essentials won’t die out in the wilderness.

Things to consider when picking gifts for folks who love the outdoors

From lite hiking gifts to entertaining accessories to full-on camping gifts, you can help recent graduates prepare for whatever their next exploration entails. Or, for graduates moving to a new city or starting a new job and unsure they’ll get out much in those early post-grad days, give graduation gifts that remind them of what they love, from naturally scented candles to beautiful nature prints. The key is determining their favorite outdoor activities, skills, comfort level, and existing accouterments, allowing you to match the grad with the gift.

Final thoughts on the best graduation gifts for outdoors enthusiasts

• Best for campers: Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock  
• Best for grad parties in the backyard or backcountry: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3
• Best for hikers: Smartwool Hiking Crew Socks
• Best for interval training to interviews: Garmin epix Pro and Garmin fēnix 7 Pro 
• Best for your grad’s new apartment: Fuzzy Ink Wilderness Print
• Best for outdoor athletes: CamelBak Octane Dart Hydration Pack
• Best personalize gift: Engraved Compass
• Best useful: Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Trekker Knife
• Best thoughtful: Paddywax Candles Parks Collection
• Best for day trips: YETI Packable Lunch Bag
• Best wearable: Outdoor Life Tee
• Best for dirty hiking clothes: STNKY Bag Pro Wash Bag
• Best portable firepit: Colsen Tabletop Portable Fire Pit
• Best fire starter: Pull Start Firestarter
• Best hard cooler: RTIC Ultra-Light 55 Quart Hard Cooler
• Best for post-trail drinks: Hydro Flask 25 oz Ceramic Reusable Wine Bottle
• Best unbreakable glasses: Silipint Silicone Pint Glasses
• Best for ski lodge lounging: Chaco Ramble Puff Ankle Boot
• Best for camp comfort: Therm-a-Rest Honcho Poncho Down
• Best for camp chefs: Opinel Nomad Camping Kitchen Utensil Kit
• Best hiking boot: Vasque Breeze Waterproof Hiking Boot
• Best headlamp: BioLite 800 Pro
• Best solar generator: Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300

We hope this graduation gift guide for grads who love the outdoors has filled you with ideas and inspiration for the perfect present. Whether you’re celebrating a trekking champion, kayaking aficionado, or dedicated camper, you’ll find grad gifts for outdoor lovers that fit their specific interests. After all, a graduation gift, whether it’s hiking gifts or camping gifts, or apartment decor, is about celebrating their accomplishments and encouraging them to follow their dreams while holding onto their passions. 

PopSci wants to help you find the most useful shopping recommendations for the best gifts regardless of occasion or preoccupation. Searching for more unique gifts? Check out our additional expert gift guides, including Best Gifts for Travelers, Sustainable Gifts, Gifts to Turn Any Kitchen Into a Café, New Gear for those New Year New You Resolutions, and Science Toys for Kids.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post A graduation gift guide for grads who love the outdoors: From practical tools to personalized accessories appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

The beginning of summer is a great time to finally get around to those home projects that have been piling up since November. But to do that, you’ll need the right tools for the job, and DeWalt has you covered if you’re stuck with a rusty, crusty screwdriver or a cheap corded drill with barely any torque. The company has discounted its Cordless Drill / Driver Kit to $99—an $80 discount that makes it accessible to many more people (and, coincidentally, makes it an amazing Father’s Day present).

DeWalt Max Cordless Drill / Driver Kit $99 (Was $179)

DEWALT

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We like that DeWalt offers this deal on a full kit instead of just a drill because it will likely be a one-and-done purchase. The company has bundled an extra battery, charger, half-inch drill driver, and carrying case. The only accessory we recommend getting is the company’s 45-piece bit set, which will prepare you for any home repair task. The drill itself has all the features we look for in a tool: power (it rotates up to 1,500 times per second); safety (a locking mechanism); ergonomics (a 3.8-pound weight and grippy handle for easy maneuverability); and thoughtful extras (a front-facing light that shines when the drill is activated). This model is also cordless, meaning you can safely carry it up a ladder or use it in places without an outlet.

Given DeWalt’s reputation and this tool’s power—likely more than you’ll need, but helpful to have when necessary—this is probably the last drill you’ll ever need. The company is confident enough to recommend using it on stone, metal, and wood. Whether you’re attaching new gutters to your home, setting up outdoor security cameras, or want to go overkill when tightening screws on cabinet handles, this drill is up for the task. Just remember to keep at least one battery fully charged, and to store it inside the carrying case when it’s not in use to ensure it lasts a lifetime.

More tool deals to help improve your home (and life):

• DeWalt MAX Orbital Sander, $94.74 (Was $179)
• BLACK+DECKER 40V Max Cordless Chainsaw, $168.36 (Was $199)
• IRWIN Tools 50 Magnetic Torpedo Level, $4.49 ($7.31)
• IRWIN Hammer, $9.99 (Was $17.66)
• REXBETI Folding Saw, $18.99 (Was $32.99)
• Ryobi 5-1/2″ Circular Saw, $47.90 (Was $64.99)
• EFFICERE 24-Piece All-Purpose Master Combination Wrench Set, $29.99 (Was $44.99)
• Performance Tool 40-Piece SAE and Metric Socket Set, $12.51 (Was $17.99)
• Wera Hexagon Flexible Shaft Bitholding Screwdriver, $20.35 (Was $27.43)
• Stanley Wet/Dry Vacuum, $54.98 (Was $59.97)
• GearLight LED Flashlight, $14.95 (Was $29.94)
• GearLight LED Head Lamp, $12.99 (Was $29.94)

The post Get drilling after grilling with DeWalt deals on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best kitchen upgrade		Yummly Smart Meat Thermometer with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity		SEE IT	Let this Bluetooth monitor do a lot of the work while cooking at the grill.
For the aspiring drone enthusiast		DJI Mini 2 SE		SEE IT	Get sky pics without breaking FAA rules.
Best watch		Citizen Men's Star Wars Eco-Drive with Stainless Steel Bracelet		SEE IT	Encourage your dad’s nerdy tendencies (just the good ones) with this Star Wars-themed timepiece.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate dads, or granddads, this Father’s Day: Where would the field of meteorology stand without dads looking out the window, putting their hands on their hips, and exclaiming, “Sure is coming down hard” whenever it rains or snows? Who else pours hours into creating a pristine, luxurious lawn or beefing with the neighbors over tree limbs and property lines? Without dads, society would not have an encyclopedias-worth of corny jokes and a reason to go to therapy. Truly tasteless jokes and trauma aside, here are our recommendations for gifts to make his life easier, light up his face with a smile, or both. 

• Best for the outdoorsy dad: Rux Waterproof Bag
• Best for the device dad: Austere Surge Protector
• Best for the dad that loves to cook: Yummly Smart Meat Thermometer
• Best for the coffee-loving dad: Bruvi Bundle
• Best for the stressed-out dad: Onyx + Rose Feelin’ Good Gummies
• Best for beardy dads: Bevel Beard Trimmer for Men
• Best for the WFH dad: Lillipad 42 Standing Desk
• Best for movie-loving dads: Dangbei Mars Pro 4K Projector
• Best for vinyl-loving dads: Victrola Stream Onyx Turntable
• Best for pizza-loving dads: Ooni Koda 12
• Best for dads with good taste: Terra Delyssa Organic Virgin Olive Oil Gift Set
• Best for stylish dads: Highland Duds Weekender Short
• Best for dads who want to clean up their act: Tineco Pure ONE S11
• Best for gamer dads: Nintendo Switch OLED Model
• Best for handy dads: DeWalt Atomic 20V Max Hammer Drill
• Best for dads who need an everyday carry: Gerber Gear Armbar Slim Drive
• Best for dads with a green thumb: Gardyn 2.0
• Best for dads who just want a new TV: Samsung QN77S95CAFXZA
• Best for dads who crave perfect sound: KEF LS50 Wireless II
• Best for dads who grill: Konnected Joe
• Best for dads who love breakfast: Cuisinart WAF-F40 Double Flip Belgian Waffle Maker
• Best for dads who tailgate: RTIC 52 Quart Ultra-Light Wheeled Hard Cooler
• Best for dads who love the beach: Sunflow Beach Bundle
• Best for the dad who is tired of mowing the yard: Husqvarna Automower 415X Robotic Lawn Mower
• Best for dad relaxing in the backyard: Solo Stove Mesa
• Best for dad working from the backyard: Netgear Orbi 960 Black Edition
• Best for the aspiring drone enthusiast: DJI Mini 2 SE
• Best for the fanboy dad: Citizen Men’s Star Wars Eco-Drive with Stainless Steel Bracelet
• Best to help dad’s short game: Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls

How to shop for the best Father’s Day gifts

Mark your calendars: Father’s Day 2023 is Sunday, June 18. And before the big day comes, you’ll want to ensure you’ve secured a great Father’s Day present. But never fear; there’s something for everyone. You can help fuel your dad’s current interests or get him a gift that sparks a new one. Here are our picks for some of the best Father’s Day gifts:

For the outdoorsy dad: Rux Waterproof Bag

Rux

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From hitting the waves to hitting the slopes, outdoorsy dads need something that will carry all of their (for lack of a better term) crap. Other bags and backpacks crumble when stuffed with hiking shoes, an insulated water bottle, and a few beers—not the Rux Waterproof Bag. This packable, durable bag is waterproof (as the name suggests) and built to last, and comes with a lifetime warranty if it falters before that. It’s seamless, radio frequency-welded (read: made with magnets), and has 360-degree lash points that make it attachable to almost everything. It also rocks as a grocery bag—score! 

For serious power: Austere Surge Protector

AUSTERE

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If your pops is a Device Dad (he has a tablet, a laptop, a cellphone, a smartwatch, and a charger, and that’s just the beginning), they’ll need a surge protector that can handle all those plugs and power. Enter the Austere Surge Protector, which has fire and power spike safety—you never know! The flexible cable helps the surge protector fit nicely into tight spaces. It also has two USB-A and three USB-C ports for even more flexibility. Plus, it has a lifetime guarantee and a five-year component guarantee: If the power strip is responsible for any damage to a plugged-in device, Austere will replace it regardless of value. 

Best kitchen upgrade: Yummly Smart Meat Thermometer

Yummly

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Regardless of whether your dad is getting into Keto or is a strict pescatarian, a meat thermometer is a must-have kitchen device. No one wants to develop a case of food nasties from an undercooked cut of meat in their own home! The Yummly Smart Meat Thermometer requires no wires, thanks to a Bluetooth connection. Dad won’t even need to stand like a hawk over the grill or oven—the thermometer, with a coordinating app for iPhone and Android, sends notifications when it’s time to flip the food, reduce the heat, when it’s done cooking, and how long to let it rest. There are even presets to completely take the guesswork out of getting the perfect medium rare doneness—no “Dirty Work” here. 

For the coffee lover: Bruvi Bundle

Bruvi

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So your dad got a “Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee” mug in Father’s Day past? Give Pops a better coffee system this year with the Bruvi Bundle. The bundle comes with a Bruvi BV-01 coffee brewer, a variety pack of biodegradable 20 B-Pods, a water filter, and a reusable Japanese Knot Bag. The optional mobile app will let Daddio brew a cup of Joe remotely, schedule brews in advance, re-order B-Pods, and access a personal consumption dashboard if they’re super specific about their morning cuppa. It can even fit a 6.5-inch travel mug—we recommend the Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Reusable Mug on that front. 

For the stressed-out dad: Onyx + Rose Feelin’ Good Gummies

Onyx + Rose

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Does your dad need something a bit stronger than CBD? Have you recently learned they were a grass enthusiast back in the day? The Onyx + Rose Feelin’ Good Gummies use HHC, an isomer (minor chemical variant) of Delta-9 THC (the illegal stuff). This provides a similar head and body high to the federally regulated stuff, all while following federal regulations. According to the 2018 Farm Bill, THCs (tetrahydrocannabinols) in hemp are legal provided they have a THC concentration less than .3%—these gummies meet those requirements. Pass if dad is subject to random drug screening. If they’re not, we’re partial to the peach flavor.  We also love CBD prerolls from aptly named company Dad Grass.

Best for beardy dads: Bevel Beard Trimmer for Men

Bevel

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An electric razor is a gift your dad will actually use every day, and this one from Bevel may actually help encourage him to dedicate a little more time to his morning routine. The razor offers pinpoint precision, so he can get the exact shave he wants, and a grippy handle that makes it easy to hold with wet hands. Its battery lasts up to eight hours, so he can use it for several weeks (or one if he’s very particular about his facial hair) without charging it. This is the type of gift your dad doesn’t know he needs, but will really appreciate.

For the WFH dad: Lillipad 42 Standing Desk

Jen McCaffrey

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Home offices can easily become a mess of monitors, coffee cups, keyboards, and tangled cords. But if the dad in your life would appreciate an organized workspace that also empowers them to get out of their office chair, the Lillipad Work Station fits the bill. This electric desk is available in two versions that rise from 6 inches to either a 42- or 48-inch standing height (recommended for people 5’9” and taller). At 67 pounds and 72 pounds each, and with metal legs, these desks are more substantial than many other options on the market but are designed with wheels for portability. 

Advanced functionality doesn’t equal advanced set-up in this case: The Lillipad comes fully assembled out of the box. Dad can plug it in, unlock the safety lock, and use the buttons on the right corner of the desk to raise and lower it to the ideal height for a chair or standing. The 46-inch-wide workspace provides plenty of room for desktops and keyboards, and you can purchase either a single monitor or dual-monitor stand separately. The workstation also features three outlets, three USB ports, and one USB-C port, so dad can plug everything in and charge their devices. And when he’s done for the day, they can easily lower it back down and use the wheels to slide it away for storage. Add a Grovemade Wool Felt Desk Pad to add some soft style to their workstation.

Best for movie-loving dads: Dangbei Mars Pro 4K Projector

Dangbei

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Movies and TV shows can look great on a TV, but nothing beats watching them on a projector, which offers a true movie theater-like experience. Dangbei’s Mars Pro 4K is among the best we’ve tested, offering exceptional visual clarity, color, and surprisingly good sound. It runs Android, which means dad can stream their favorite media without any additional accessories. That said, the Mars Pro 4K has multiple HDMI ports, making it easy to easily connect game consoles and other peripherals. It’s luxe, but Dangbei’s Mars Pro 4K will ensure they have the best home theater system on the block.

Best for dads who love vinyl: Victrola Stream Onyx Turntable

Victrola

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Does Dad go on and on about how much he wishes he could play his Steely Dan albums while explaining that Pretzel Logic is superior to Can’t Buy A Thrill? If so, let him relive his glory days with Victrola’s Stream Onyx Turntable. The sleek-looking, belt-driven deck has RCA outputs so that it can be connected to a traditional home audio system, but its luxe allure is support for wireless audio streaming to Sonos speakers. The record player even offers the option to play music through multiple sources at the same time. Best of all, the Stream Onyx is easy to assemble and operate, as we found out firsthand, and comes with an Audio Technica AT-VM95E cartridge so he can enjoy his collection immediately.

Best for dads who love pizza: Ooni Koda 12

Ooni

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If dad complains how pies and slices just aren’t how they used to be, Ooni’s Koda 12 will allow him to make them to his exact specifications. This portable pizza oven can get up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit and cook personal-sized pizzas in roughly 60 seconds. Ooni has a wide range of pizza ovens, but we like the Koda 12 because of its size and the fact that its fuel source is gas, which is easier to manage and more reliable than wood or pellets for first time pizzaiolos. Ooni’s oven can also be used to roast meat and vegetables on non-pizza nights. Just remember to get dad a pizza peel and Toque to complete the experience.

Best for dads with good taste: Terra Delyssa Organic Virgin Olive Oil Gift Set

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Has your dad continued to tell food stories from his trip around the Mediterranean right out of college? If so, Terra Delyssa’s flavor-infused olive oil can help take him back to those days. The olives are all harvested from Tunisian orchards rather than mixed with ones from different regions, which can impart a different taste. We like this gift set because each oil is infused with a different strong taste—rosemary, chili pepper, lemon, and garlic—which are all good for different applications. He’ll immediately be able to taste the difference, which means you may also be signing up for even more culinary stories from his past.

Best for stylish dads: Highland Duds Weekender Short

Highland Duds

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Add a little pop of color to your dad’s wardrobe with Highland Duds’ Weekender Shorts. The ultra-comfy summer-friendly short pants are mostly made of cotton and very comfortable to wear. Their slim pockets are surprisingly roomy, too. Highland Duds offers the shorts in khaki and grey if he’s less flashy. Help him complete an outfit with the Maverick Long Sleeve Shirt, made from the same materials.

Best for dads who want to clean up their act: Tineco Pure ONE S11

Tineco

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If dad wants to take a more active role in household chores—or has been using the same vacuum since the mid-’90s—Tineco’s Pure One S11 is the upgrade he needs. The cordless stick vacuum can run up to 40 minutes per charge, and comes with various attachments for different scenarios. At 12 pounds, it’ll be easy for your dad to pick up and move around, and all of its controls are conveniently located within reach of his thumb. If dad enjoys his gadgets, he’ll enjoy the fact that the Pure One S11 can be connected to your home’s Wi-Fi connection, allowing him to see how much battery is left on the vacuum and the state of its filter through an iOS or Android app.

Best for gamer dads: Nintendo Switch OLED Model

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The Nintendo Switch is the least-powerful current-generation console, but it’s still the one we recommend for Father’s Day because of its hybrid design. The Switch can be played portably, and the 7-inch OLED HD screen really makes games pop. When dad’s home, they can connect it to a TV or projector to play on a larger screen. The Switch’s extreme popularity is matched only by its deep catalog of games, which can satisfy players regardless of their preferred genre. Whether Pops is playing games as a distraction on a long work trip or taking time to clear his backlog at home, there’s no way this gift will go unappreciated.

Best for handy dads: DeWalt Atomic 20V Max Hammer Drill

Dewalt

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A drill is the type of gift a handy person will appreciate but never expect. This battery-powered model from DeWalt has a compact design but plenty of power for any indoor or outdoor housework. At only 2.5 pounds, a home improvement-minded dad can carry it around easily, and the drill’s LED will make it easy for them to see what he’s doing in dark environments. Despite its size, the drill can rotate up to 1,650 times per minute. A good drill will last a dad a lifetime, and if they’re still making do with a screwdriver—or a drill that needs to be plugged into an outlet for power—this upgrade will make him smile.

Best for dads who need an everyday carry: Gerber Gear Armbar Slim Drive

Gerber

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Power tools are great, but dad won’t be able to use them everywhere, which is why you should equip him with Gerber’s Armbar Slim. The pocket-friendly multi tool consists of a bottle opener, plain-edge blade, and a screwdriver. It even has a belt clip, so he can keep it securely fastened to the inside of his pants pocket like a boss. If your dad is the practical type, he’ll immediately see the utility of each of this tool’s functions, and keep it on him at all times. The screwdriver alone (with a reversible bit, we might add), will likely save him a couple of trips to the garage each month.

Best for dads with a green thumb: Gardyn 2.0

Gardyn

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Does dear old dad wait all year for the weather to be fair enough to grow a garden? With the Gardyn 2.0, they can enjoy growing fresh herbs and vegetables all year long. The indoor garden comes with an assortment of pods containing plant seeds. A water tank on the bottom keeps the plants hydrated, while LED strips provide them with enough light to flourish regardless of the weather conditions. The lights and water pump work automatically so that the plants will be cared for on a continuous basis without any need for much intervention. Dad will have to prune dead leaves and harvest their crops after they’re fully grown, but that’s part of the fun.

Best for dads who grill: Konnected Joe

Kamado Joe

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The Konnected Joe is the ultimate tool for grilling, an incredibly thoughtful gift for a dad who loves cooking meat and vegetables outdoors. The charcoal grill and smoker offer rich taste that a gas grill can’t replicate, with useful smart features. Its front display allows you to monitor the grill’s temperature and the temperature of up to three pieces of meat. An electric fire starter at the bottom of the grill will ignite charcoal briquettes at the push of a button, and they’ll be able to dial in the temperature between 250-700 degrees right from the grill. All of the information displayed on the Konnected Joe’s screen can also be monitored via an app (iOS and Android) on your dad’s phone, which is especially helpful if they’re smoking a large hunk of meat for several hours. The Konnected Joe manages to bring the best aspects of charcoal cooking with the conveniences of the digital world, and we guarantee they’ll be raving to friends and family about it at each cookout.

Best for dads who just want a new TV: Samsung QN77S95CAFXZA

Samsung

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Sometimes dad just wants a new TV to watch his favorite shows and movies—spoil him rotten with Samsung’s QN77S95CAFXZA, a 77-inch OLED set. This is a no-compromise cream-of-the-crop 4K TV with built-in Dolby Atmos speakers, native 120hz refresh rate, and a custom-designed Samsung processor that continually calibrates the TV to make it run as smoothly as possible. It’ll even upscale 1080P video to look crisp on a 4K TV, so his collection of Blu Rays and older TV shows will still look good. Because the QN77S95CAFXZA is an OLED TV, it offers incredible contrast and color reproduction, so videos and games will look as realistic as possible.

One quirk about this TV is that it’s actually so thin that it can basically sit flush on the wall. The set gets connected to a separate box (called the One Connect Box), which has an assortment of HDMI ports and other inputs. There’s no performance hit for this system, but something to keep in mind if you’re setting the TV up for him. Whether he wants to play video games, stream movies, or even listen to music in the background, the QN77S95CAFXZA is the best choice.

Best for dads who crave perfect sound: KEF LS50 Wireless II

KEF

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CDs promised perfect sound forever in the 1980s, but KEF made good on that lofty promise decades later with the LS50 Wireless II speakers. The pair of powered speakers sport a variety of connectors, including an AUX in, Ethernet port, coaxial input, optical audio input, and HDMI port. Those physical ports are complemented by Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 support for direct wireless streaming. KEF says that the LS50 Wireless IIs’ DAC can natively play 24-bit 384kHz audio files with no compression. Each speaker is driven by a 280 watt low frequency amplifier and 100 att high frequency amplifier. If those numbers don’t mean much to you, here’s the upshot: music can sound really, really good and very, very loud through these speakers. If your father loves music more than most people (family excluded, of course), these speakers will rock (or jazz, R&B, hip hop, classicial, reggae, and pop) his world.

Best for dads who love breakfast: Cuisinart WAF-F40 Double Flip Belgian Waffle Maker

Cuisinart

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Breakfast is considered by many to be the most important meal of the day, and Cuisinart’s WAF-F40 will turn waffles from an occasional brunch food at restaurants into an at-home staple. This model can cook two-inch-thick Belgian waffles simultaneously at one of five pre-set doneness levels. If the cook gets distracted, a loud beep will get his attention, so waffles will never get overdone. Getting two waffles onto a plate at once will allow dad (and you!) to start eating more quickly.

Best robot mower: Husqvarna Automower 415X Robotic Lawn Mower

Husqvarna

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Robotic lawnmowers seem like a perfect gift for a lazy pop. But, there are more practical reasons you might want to consider an automower as a gift this Father’s Day. Husqvarna’s surprisingly powerful little mower is great for people who have issues with mobility and can’t get out there to mow on their own. It’s also great for tricky yards as it can cut up to 40 degrees on a slope. If you’ve ever mowed on a steep hill like that, you know it’s not fun. It requires the installation of a guide wire to keep it contained within its own yard, but following setup, mowing is simple. A trio of extremely sharp blades can cut grass as short as 0.8 inches or as long as two inches if you want something more lush. Plus, an onboard object avoidance system means your dad (or grandad) won’t run over a rock and cause collateral damage.

Best for dads who tailgate: RTIC 52 Quart Ultra-Light Wheeled Hard Cooler

RTIC

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A wheeled hard cooler will help your old man get beverages to and from the parking lot, backyard, or beach without straining his arms or back. We like this cooler from RTIC because of its large capacity, thick wheels, lite weight, and overall performance. RTIC says it can retain ice for up to six days if its latches remain closed, which means he can use it for a backyard cookout on Sunday and keep drinks cold for a concert he’s attending the following Saturday. Another benefit to getting a cooler is that it’ll likely last a lifetime, so get ready for many compliments. We like the classic look of RTIC’s white cooler, but it also offers a red, white, and blue variant if he wants to stand out.

For dads who love the beach: Sunflow Beach Bundle

Sunflow

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Whether your dad actually likes the beach or only goes because the rest of the family insists he’ll have a good time out of the house, this bundle from Sunflow will sort him out. It includes the company’s beach chair, which has a flip-over top to keep him in the shade, and a beverage cooler on the side to help keep his thirst quenched. The chair’s angle can be adjusted, so he can find the most comfortable spot, and a dry bag on the right side will keep his belongings from getting sandy. When heading back to the car or beach house, a pair of straps will allow dad to carry this beach chair like a backpack for easy transport.

Best outdoor accessory: Solo Stove Mesa

Solo Stove

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We’re huge fans of the full-sized Solo Stove fire pits, but this mini version fits nicely on a patio table or by the pool. Despite its tiny size, the Mesa relies on Solo Stove’s signature airflow system to create a clean fire with almost no smoke. It starts quickly and cleans up easily, so you can fire it up and make s’mores whenever you want without having to wait for a full-sized fire to die down at the end of the night. Solo even sells miniature firewood specifically meant for use in the Mesa. It’s adorable, but not too adorable. 

Work from the backyard: Netgear Orbi 960 Black Edition

NetGear

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Give your dad a chance to brag about their router. Netgear’s Orbi 960 Mesh Wi-Fi kit can cover up to 9,000 square feet with super-fast connectivity up to 10.8Gbps. That means anyone and everyone can take meetings or stream content in the backyard, front yard, basement, or just about anywhere else he can think of. Wi-Fi 6E technology and Netgear’s quad-band design allow for an absurd number of devices to connect to your local network without bogging everything down. The Black Edition is only available directly through Netgear’s own online shop, which also gets you a free year of the Netgear Armor security tech. It’s advanced enough to do anything a dad needs and reliable enough that you won’t have to play tech support whenever you go to their house.

For the aspiring drone enthusiasts: DJI Mini 2 SE

DJI

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Getting started with drones can be tricky. Not only are they hard to fly, but most drones require registering with the FAA before taking to the skies. The DJI Mini 2 SE is different. It weighs just 249 grams, which fits conveniently under the FAA’s 250-gram limit for registration. Despite its being lightweight and a small size, the Mini 2 SE captures 2.7K video and employs an object avoidance system to keep it away from power lines or other hazardous obstacles.

Best watch: Citizen Men’s Star Wars Eco-Drive with Stainless Steel Bracelet

Citizen

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Your dad’s a nerd, and that’s OK. In fact, we recommend you encourage their nerdy tendencies as much as possible. This Citizen watch is a full-on Eco-Drive model, so it doesn’t require winding. It draws enough energy from light in its environment to keep on ticking. The handsome stainless steel bracelet makes it totally appropriate for work or classy events. But, your pop can always look down and think about Star Wars while they’re wearing it. Find a more versatile piece of nerd merch than that. We dare you. 

To help your dad’s short game: Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Golf Balls

Callaway

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Golf balls make a great gift because it’s hard to splurge on something you might whack way into the woods or chunk straight into a water hazard. Callaway’s Chrome Soft golf balls are versions of the balls pros play on tour—they won’t have to be a pro to play them. These balls promise a high launch angle, low spin off the driver, and high ball speed off the club face. In case you’re not big on golf ball specifics, those are all very helpful things for improving overall scores. The Triple Track design sports three parallel lines on the ball to help Pops lineup shots just right. Dad will think of you and your great gift as they reach into their bag and grab another ball after slicing one across the highway next to the first fairway. 

Final thoughts on the best Father’s Day gifts

You don’t need to sweat over finding a cool gift for your dad this year. If you get him a Father’s Day gift that he’ll be able to use long-term—or, even better, something he can use with the whole family—it’ll be something he treasures. Consider it a success if you find fun presents that complement one of his hobbies or unique gifts that spark interest in a new pastime. And using this gift guide should help narrow down the best options for cool gifts for any and every dad.

The post The best Father’s Day gifts that say, “Thanks, Dad!” appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Summer is just around the corner, meaning backyard cookouts and outdoor parties with family and friends. You can save on the gear you’ll need for more than a seasons-worth of gatherings by shopping the best sales on kitchen items and appliances. From an outdoor pizza oven to a mug that has a basketball hoop, we have you covered.

Ooni Fyra 12 $244.30 (Was $349)

Ooni

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Ooni is hosting a 30% off sale on select pizza ovens and accessories for Memorial Day Weekend, and you can score a $105 discount on the entry-level Fyra 12. This pizza oven runs on wood pellets and can reach temperatures of up to 950 Fahrenheit, necessary for cooking a traditional Neapolitan pie in about a minute. The Fyra 12 reaches its maximum temperature in about 15 minutes so that you can get cooking quickly—you don’t want to leave your guests hungry. If you’re not the one hosting the pizza party, the Fyra 12 is only 22 pounds, so you can easily grab it and go with ease. If you’ve been curious about getting a pizza oven but uncomfortable committing to one due to its price and typical size, don’t skip Ooni’s sale. The company even offers a 60-day guarantee, so you can knock out a few pies without making a full commitment.

Here are more Memorial Day kitchen and appliance deals:

Microwaves

• Breville Compact Smart Toaster Oven $189.95 (Was $229.95)
• TOSHIBA 6-in-1 Inverter Microwave Oven Air Fryer Combo $279.99; $239.99 with Prime member coupon (Was $299.99)

Toasters & toaster ovens

• Revolution R180B Touchscreen Toaster $341 (Was $450)
• Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven $739.99 (Was $949)
• Geek Chef 4 Slice Toaster with Extra Wide Slots $49.99 (Was $79.99)
• Hamilton Beach 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster $22.61 (Was $28.99)

Air fryers & pressure cookers

• Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Electric Pressure Cooker $114 (Was $169.99)
• Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8 Quart 6-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer $165 (WAs $199.99)
• Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker $129.99 (Was $169.99)
• Geek Chef Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo $129.99 (Was $199.98)
• Chefman 2-Slice Pop-Up Stainless Steel Toaster $24.99 (Was $29.99)
• Chefman TurboFry 2-Quart Air Fryer $42.99 (Was $49.99)
• Chefman Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo $124.99 (Was $179.99)
• Chefman Air Fryer 8 Qt with Probe Thermometer $88.99 (Was $119.99)

Blenders, food processors, & stand mixers

• Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor $229.99 (Was $249.95)
• Cuisinart SM-50BC Stand Mixer $179 (Was $299.95)
• KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender $49.99 (Was $59.99)
• Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System $159.99 (Was $199.99)
• Bonsenkitchen Handheld Blender $14.44 (Was $24.99)
• Ninja AMZ493BRN Compact Kitchen System $129.99 (Was $159.99)
• Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer $19.99 (Was $24.99)
• Chefman Immersion Stick Hand Blender $24.99 (Was $29.99)
• CHEFMAN Cordless Portable Immersion Blender 5-in-1 Blender Set $79.95 (Was $99.99)

Coffee & espresso machines

• Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine by Breville, Matte Black $189.49 (Was $219.95)
• Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De’Longhi, 38 ounces, Matte Black $149.25 (Was $199)
• Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker $170 (Was $249.99)
• De’Longhi Magnifica Evo with LatteCrema System $699.99 (Was $899.95)
• De’Longhi Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, 15″, Stainless Steel $149.95 (Was $199.95)
• De’Longhi ECP3420 Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, 15″, Black $139.95 (Was $207.95)
• Mueller 12-Cup Drip Coffee Maker $26.99 (Was $29.99)
• Mr. Coffee Iced and Hot Coffee Maker $44.99 (Was $64.99)
• Miele CM 5510 Silence Automatic Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine Combo $1,599 (Was $1,899)
• Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine $399 (Was $549)
• Famiworths Single Serve Coffee Maker for K Cup and Ground Coffee $46.18 (Was $72.99)
• The Original Glass French Press Coffee Maker by Cafe Du Chateau $24.99 (Was $42.99)
• Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection Automatic Coffee Machine $2,078.52 (Was $2,799)
• Miele CM 5510 Silence Automatic Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine Combo $1,599 (Was $1,899)
• Miele CM 6160 MilkPerfection Automatic Coffee Machine $1,700.52 (Was $2,299)
• Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection Automatic Wifi Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine Combo $2,499 (Was $2,799)
• Miele CM5300 Coffee System $1,079.92 (Was $1,399)Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine $399 (Was $549)

Appliances

• Antarctic Star Compact Mini Refrigerator Separate Freezer $149.99 (Was $179.99)
• FRIGIDAIRE EFR372-MINT 3.2 Cu Ft Retro Compact Rounded Corner Premium Mini Fridge $287.60 (Was $328.95)
• Koolatron 12 Bottle Wine Cooler $186.60 (Was $218.49)
• Koolatron 10 Bottle Wine Cooler, Black $195.50 (Was $229.99)
• NewAir Compact Wine Cooler Refrigerator $222.50 (Was $359.99)
• RCA 1.6 Cubic Foot Fridge, Black $135.60 (Was $163.49)

Pots, pans, and utensils

• CAROTE 8 Inch Nonstick Skillet Frying Pan with Lid $19.54 (Was $29.99)
• Ninja C39900 Foodi NeverStick Premium 16-Piece Cookware Set $369.99 (Was $529.99)
• Get 25% off sitewide at Great Jones with the promo code MDW25
• Caraway 13-piece set $395 (Was $545)
• Lodge 10-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet $19.90 (Was $34.25)
• Meyer Accent Series 6-piece set $179.99 (Was $199.99)
• Mercer Culinary Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 12-Inch $25 (Was $43.99)
• Mercer Culinary Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 8-Inch $14.75 (Was $26)
• Calphalon Classic Hard-Anodized Nonstick Cookware, 10-Piece Pots and Pans Set $169.99 (Was $199.99)
• Bear 2L Electric Hot Pot $23.79 (Was $31.99)
• bredemeijer Cast Iron Tea Cups Set of 2 Green $18.97 (Was $24.95)

Miscellaneous

• MAX’IS Creations | The Mug with a Hoop $24.99 (Was $34.95)
• Brita Large Water Filter Pitcher $29.09 (Was $38.79)
• Meat Slicer, Anescra 200W Electric Deli Food Slicer $119.99 (Was $139.99)
• Cuisinart CBW-201 Butter Wheel Stainless Steel $20.31 (Was $29.99)
• Cuisinart CBP-116 Sauce Pot and Basting Brush Set $13.50 (Was $15.78)
• Weston Professional French Fry Cutter and Vegetable Dicer, Stainless Steel $79.99 (Was $99.99)
• Toshiba Induction Low Carb Rice Cooker Steamer $139.89 (Was $199.99)
• Toshiba Rice Cooker 6 Cup Uncooked $114.75 (Was $149.99)
• Hamilton Beach Electric Panini Press Grill with Locking Lid $31.99 (Was $39.99)
• Ice Cream Scoop $5.59 (Was $12.99)
• Atlas Coffee Gift Subscription $99 (Was $120) 
• Ninja KT200 Precision Temperature Electric Kettle $69.99 (Was $89.99)

The post The best Memorial Day kitchen & appliance deals cook up major savings appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Memorial Day Weekend serves as the unofficial kickoff to summer. There are also deals. A lot of deals. If you’re not interested in spending a lot of money on a single big-ticket item, though, we feel you. That’s why we’ve combed through the web to find the best gear you can get on sale for under $100. In some cases, you can spend under $10. We’ve broken the deals into categories for your convenience, and there’s a little something for everybody, whether you plan to spend the summer outdoors or inside. So before you check out for the long weekend, check out these deals:

The best Memorial Day tech deals

• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds $99 (Was $129)
• JBL Live Free 2 True Adaptive Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $99.95 (Was $149.95)
• JBL Live 460NC Wireless On-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones $99 (Was $129)
• JBL Quantum TWS Noise-Cancelling Gaming Earbuds $99.95 (Was $149.95) 
• Dell E1916HV monitor, $76.52 (Was $109.99)
• Acer R240HY monitor, $99.99 (Was $149.99)
• Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker $29.95 (was $39.99)
• TOLOCO Massage Gun, Muscle Massage Gun Deep Tissue for Athletes $39.99 (was $99.99)

The best Memorial Day appliance deals

• Geek Chef 4 Slice Toaster with Extra Wide Slots $49.99 (Was $79.99)
• KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender $49.99 (Was $59.99)
• Bonsenkitchen Handheld Blender $14.44 (Was $24.99)
• Mueller 12-Cup Drip Coffee Maker $26.99 (Was $29.99)
• Mr. Coffee Iced and Hot Coffee Maker $44.99 (Was $64.99)
• Hamilton Beach Electric Panini Press Grill with Locking Lid $31.99 (Was $39.99)

The best Memorial Day kitchen deals

• CAROTE 8 Inch Nonstick Skillet Frying Pan with Lid $19.54 (Was $29.99)
• Get 25% off sitewide at Great Jones with the promo code MDW25
• Mercer Culinary Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 12-Inch $25 (Was $43.99)
• Mercer Culinary Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 8-Inch $14.75 (Was $26)
• MAX’IS Creations | The Mug with a Hoop $24.99 (Was $34.95)
• Brita Large Water Filter Pitcher $29.09 (Was $38.79)
• Cuisinart CBW-201 Butter Wheel Stainless Steel $20.31 (Was $29.99)
• Cuisinart CBP-116 Sauce Pot and Basting Brush Set $12.50 (Was $15.78)
• Ice Cream Scoop $5.59 (Was $12.99)
• Lodge LDP3 Reversible Grill/Griddle, $34.90 (Was $59.50)

The best Memorial Day outdoor deals

• Panel Sound USAPA Approved Fiberglass Pickleball Paddles Set of 2 $35.99 (was $59.99)
• Franklin Sports Fun 5 Combo Outdoor Game Set $23.47 (was $54.99)
• Everest Mini Hiking Pack, Dark Gray/Black, One Size $12.08 (was $14.60)
• Retrospec Solana 1 inch Yoga Mat $33.79 (was $39.99)
• Etekcity Scale for Body Weight and Fat Percentage $21.99 (was $29.99) 
• TRAKK – Multi Speed & Mode Deep Tissue Massage Roller $39.99 (was $69.99)
• Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Bottle with Flex Cap $27.10 (was $34.95)
• Cuisinart CGS-5020 BBQ Tool Aluminum Carrying Case, $41.52 (Was $59.99)
• OXO Good Grips Grilling Prep and Carry System, $31.99 (Was $39.99)

The post Here are 33 Memorial Day Weekend deals under $100 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Memorial Day Weekend is the official kickoff to summer grilling season, which means it’s time to invest in shiny new equipment to ensure your burgers, dogs, and vegetables come out perfectly every single time. The tools you use can impact not only the flavor of your food but how easy it is to flip, season, and even transfer to and from a plate. The good news is that getting the good stuff means you won’t have to replace any of it for a long time.

Weber Genesis E-325s Gas Grill $899 (was $1,049)

Weber

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if you’re looking for a rock-solid, propane-powered grill with tons of useful features, you’ll have difficulty finding a better option than the Weber Genesis E-325s, especially now that it’s now at the lowest price it’s been in months. It relies on Weber’s patented burner tech, which provides consistent, clean flame to char your grub. Plus, a Sear Station part of the grill gets exceptionally hot for searing steaks or other cuts of meat that thrive under high temps. Plus, it offers several features that facilitate easier cleaning, like easily accessible grease management. That means you can spend more time eating burgers and a lot less time scrubbing old sludge out of your grill.

If you’d prefer the natural gas version, that’s also on sale for $1,219 (down from $1,319).

Everdure CUBE Portable Charcoal Grill $156.99 (Was $199)

Everdure

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The Everdure Cube is the portable charcoal grill every camper, apartment dweller, tail gator, or beach bum could use to cook up a storm on the go. The steel grill comes with a food storage tray and cutting board, which latch onto the top of it to make carrying and prepping your food easier. Similarly, metal handles make the grill simple to carry to and from a car, or indoors to outdoors. Despite its compact size, the Everdure Cube offers 115 square inches of grilling space. Everdure says this is enough room for three medium steaks or six small burgers at once.

Once your grilling is done, you can remove the Cube’s grates, empty out its chamber, wash the storage tray and board, and store. The Everdure offers the cube in five colors, and while the Khaki colorway is marked down to $150 we prefer the pop of the orange option seen above. If you’ve given up grilling due to the lack of space or high cost, don’t skip this deal.

Pellet grill deals

• Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker $499 (was $599)
• Cuisinart CPG-465 Portable Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker $289 (was $499)

The best gas grill deals

• Weber Spirit II E-210 2-Burner Liquid Propane Grill $449 (was $550)
• Cuisinart CGG-750 Portable Venture Gas Grill, $155.99 (Was $199.99)
• Cuisinart CGG-306, $169 (Was $219.99)
• Weber Spirit II E-310, $569 (Was $639)
• Weber Genesis E-435, $1549 (Was $1,649)
• Kenmore PG-A40409S0LB-2 4 Burner Gas BBQ Grill, $449.99 (Was $499.99)

The best charcoal grill deals

• Kamado Joe KJ13RH Joe Jr. 13.5 inch Portable Charcoal Grill, $299 (Was $499)
• Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Kettleman Charcoal Grill, $185.16 (Was $239.99)
• Everdure Fusion Charcoal Grill, $623 (Was $849)

The best grilling accessory deals

• Cuisinart CGS-5020 BBQ Tool Aluminum Carrying Case, $49 (Was $59.99)
• OXO Good Grips Grilling Prep and Carry System, $31.99 (Was $39.99)
• HydroFlask Cut and Serve Platter, $37.46 (Was $49.95)
• MEATER Block, $299.95 (Was $349.95)
• Lodge LDP3 Reversible Grill/Griddle, $34.90 (Was $59.50)

The best Solo Stove fire pit deals (for marshmallow grilling, roasting … whatever)

• Bonfire 2.0, $249.99 (Was $399.99)
• Yukon 2.0, $449.99 (Was $749.99)
• Mesa, $79.99 (Was $119.99)
• Ranger 2.0, $229.99 (Was $299.99)
• Fire Pit Surround, $339.99 (Was $449.99)
• Bonfire Pi Fire, $259.99 (Was $359.99)

The post The best Memorial Day grill deals are sizzling appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Memorial Day Weekend is here, meaning it’s time to score some quick deals before heading out to a cookout or hitting the highway to visit friends and family. While the holiday is traditionally synonymous with mattresses and outdoor gear, you can score discounts on computer hardware that may make returning to work a little easier come Tuesday morning. Whether you’re looking for a computer for an upcoming college student or want to treat yourself to a home office upgrade as you settle into permanent remote or hybrid work, it’s a good time to pick up a new laptop, desktop, or monitor while saving a lot of money. Just remember, these deals can sell out, so if you see something you want, don’t hesitate.

M2 MacBook Pro $1,099 (Was $1,299)

Apple

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Apple isn’t holding its own Memorial Day Weekend sale, but you can save $200 on its latest MacBook Pro by shopping on Amazon. The M2 MacBook Pro has 8GB of RAM (memory), 256GB of storage, and a 13.3-inch high-resolution “retina” display. It runs on Apple’s latest M2 chip, which means it’s capable of resource-intensive tasks like 4K video editing and gaming (if the game has a Mac version) and common use cases like online shopping, video chatting, editing documents, and streaming video. This processor is also energy-efficient, allowing the laptop to get up to 20 hours of life per charge, though the amount you get will depend on how you use the machine.

If you hate passwords, its Touch ID fingerprint reader will allow you to unlock the machine and authenticate yourself when installing software, which is much more convenient. All in all, the M2 MacBook Pro is a laptop we can recommend to anybody, and Amazon’s Memorial Day Weekend deal addresses the one issue we typically have with Apple gear: cost. If you’ve been waiting for a good MacBook deal for work or school, now’s the time to pick one up.

The best Memorial Day laptop deals

• Dell Inspiron 16 5630 Laptop, $1,230.22 (Was $1,299.99)
• Dell Inspiron 3511 Laptop, $859 (Was $949)
• Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3UB, $319.99 (Was $389.99)
• Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51-7617, $509.99 (Was $699.99)
• ASUS TUF Dash F15, $1,449.99 (Was $1,599.99)
• ASUS VivoBook Pro 16X, $1,397 (Was $1,649.99)
• Razer Blade 15, $1,799.99 (Was $2,999.99)
• Razer Blade Pro 17, $1,799.99 (Was $3,199.99)

The best Memorial Day desktop deals

• M2 Mac Mini, $499 (Was $599)
• Dell Inspiron 3910 Desktop, $640 (Was $749.99)
• Acer Aspire TC-1760-UA92 Desktop, $549.99 (Was $619.99)
• Acer Predator Orion 3000 PO3-630-UA15 Gaming Desktop, $1,599.97 (Was $1,699.99)
• ASUS ROG Strix GA35 Gaming Desktop, $3,409.98 (Was $4,299.99)
• HP 2022 Newest All-in-One Desktop, $529 (Was $589)
• HP Envy Desktop Bundle PC, $1,229.99 (Was $1,599.99)

The best Memorial Day monitor deals

• Dell E1916HV, $76.52 (Was $109.99)
• Acer Nitro KG241Y, $119.99 (Was $179.99)
• Acer R240HY, $99.99 (Was $149.99)
• ASUS VG247Q1A, $159 (Was $169)
• SAMSUNG CF39, $159.99 (Was $219.99)
• SAMSUNG LC49G95TSSNXZA, $1,049.99 (Was $1,399.99)
• LG SDQHD, $596.99 (Was $699.99)
• BenQ GW2780T, $199.99 (Was $229.99)

The post The best Memorial Day laptop, desktop, and monitor deals are easy to process appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Apple AirPods Pro 2		SEE IT	Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 offer the best balance of sound, battery life, comfort, and extra features.
Best noise cancellation		Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II		SEE IT	The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II will become the most indispensable gadget for your plane trips or commute.
Best budget		EarFun Air Pro 3		SEE IT	EarFun’s Air Pro 3 earbuds offer better sound than we’d expect from a pair that cost well under $100.

If you’re wondering just how broad the personal audio market has become, consider the vast world of earbuds, ranging from less than $25 to well over $1,000. While wired earbuds still exist, True Wireless (TWS) earbuds have become the most popular option, thanks to improvements in micro-sized receivers that can deliver huge sound. Bluetooth technology has evolved to the point it can all but guarantee seamless connections, while an array of microphones and sensors help keep music and conversations clear. That means TWS earbuds are no longer a luxury item made by a select few companies. Yet there are still times when a wire is the way to go. Whether you’re an audiophile or a devout Apple enthusiast in the market for sports or gaming earbuds, we’ve compiled what you need to know to find the best earbuds that’ll match your needs.

• Best overall: Apple AirPods Pro 2
• Best noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
• Best for multiple devices: Technics EAH-AZ80
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best for gamers: ASUS ROG Cetra
• Best for working out: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best planar-magnetic earphones: 7Hz Timeless AE
• Best budget: EarFun Air Pro 3

How we chose the best earbuds

There are nearly infinite earbuds available—models of all shapes, sizes, and price points—so we relied on hands ears-on testing to determine the best ones currently available. Our tests helped us determine the best earbuds for several specific use cases, like gaming or podcast listening, and let us single out pairs that performed best when using key features like active noise cancellation. Audio quality was paramount when making our selections, so each earbud you see below passes our sound quality tests regardless of how much money you spend.

The most discerning listeners will be able to pick up the subtle improvements on more premium pairs, but each set of earbuds will sound great if you open up a streaming app, find the music you’re looking for, and hit play. Our focus has mostly been on TWS types, which have become the dominant style in recent years, popularized in the mainstream by Apple’s AirPods. The convenience of these earbuds is undeniable, and current-generation pairs from well-known audio companies and newcomers alike offer incredible sound for their size. But we threw in some other options, too. There’s no shortage of new and exciting earbuds, but these are the best ones you can get today.

The best earbuds: Reviews & Recommendations

Whether you’re heading out for a trail run, on an open-world quest, or need to get locked in a work groove, you can get a pair of earbuds to suit your needs. And you can find them below, where we’ve collected some of the best options for any purpose and across every price point.

Best overall: Apple AirPods Pro 2

Tony Ware

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (3)

Pros

• Well-balanced sound
• Solid battery life
• Compatible with Spatial Audio
• Updated case with “Find My” support

Cons

• Best technical features only work when connected to Apple devices

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro—colloquially known as AirPods Pro 2—are the best earbuds you can get in 2023; there, we said it. The latest version of Apple’s true wireless earbuds feature appreciable improvements in audio quality, active noise-cancelling performance, Spatial Audio support, and they come in an updated case with genuinely useful features. In short, it’s the total package, and it should be the default choice for many, especially if you use Apple devices.

In our first impressions, and continued tests conducted over several months of frequent use, the AirPods Pro 2 consistently impressed. The earbuds don’t have a totally flat frequency response, but Apple’s sonic sculpting—a little extra boost to the bottom end and slightly raised mids—doesn’t make songs sound unnatural or artificial. Music with a lot of low-end sounds extra full without bass distortion, while live music, pop, rock, and jazz benefit from Apple’s tweaks. We never found ourselves wanting to muck around with a digital multiband EQ. Apple did the research to determine what would sound good to most people, and it mostly stuck the landing.

The original AirPods Pro earbuds were lauded for bringing premium active noise cancellation to earbuds, and the second generation brings several improvements in this area. The AirPods Pro 2 could block out far more ambient noise—keys being typed, birds chirpings, footsteps—and loud sporadic noises like a New York City subway car clattering on the tracks. It’s not the best active noise cancellation we’ve experienced in a pair of earbuds, but it’s not too far off.

Apple says the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds get up to six hours of playtime per charge, with an extra 24 hours thanks to its battery case. That’s mostly been true in our experience, though keeping active noise cancellation enabled all the time did drain the earbuds more quickly. With one or two 15-minute breaks, you should be able to get through an entire international flight with the AirPods Pro 2’s ANC turned on. If you work in an office, coffee shop, or at home with another people, the active noise cancellation should be sufficient to create a reasonable buffer between you and the outside world.

One of the big bets with the original AirPods was support for Spatial Audio, a type of binaural surround sound you can take on the go. The technology was impressive, if unproven, but Apple has spent the past few years coaxing artists to re-release classic albums or release new ones with a Dolby Atmos mix. The library for surround sound music on Apple Music has exploded, and the AirPods 2 let you take full advantage of it—though if you want the true Dolby Atmos experience, you’ll need to pony up for an Apple TV and surround sound speaker system.

Spatial Audio tracks on the AirPods 2 do sound more immersive than their stereo counterparts, especially if you enable head tracking, which will automatically pan music based on how your head is turned to recreate the experience of listening to music on speakers. Spatial Audio mixes are still hit or miss, but at least there’s a variety of music to choose from. Apple offers a way to personalize the Spatial Audio experience by taking pictures of your face and ears, but we didn’t notice a big difference and performance.

One of Apple’s most unexpected updates to the AirPods Pro 2 was changing its case. The new case has a larger battery, lanyard loupe, and support for “Find My,” which allows you to track the location of your AirPods 2 case in case the earbuds get lost. A built-in speaker can play a chime, making it easier to find. These welcome improvements make a tangible difference in the earbuds’ overall usability. Sometimes it boils down to nice things being nice.

The only potential downside to using the AirPods Pro 2 is that they’re designed to work best with Apple’s other gear, so if you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’ll get a slightly worse experience. The AirPods Pro 2 will still sound the same and have identical active noise-cancelling performance, but features like instant pairing are absent. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something to consider if you live in the Windows and Android world.

Are the AirPods Pro 2 the best-sounding earbuds? No. Are they the best active noise-cancelling earbuds? No, but by offering a great technical and audio experience, they’re the most well-rounded pair. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and we can’t imagine anyone complaining about this pair of earbuds.

Best noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II have the most-efficient noise cancellation of any earbuds we’ve ever tested—to an almost eerie extent.

Specs 

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX7
• Microphones: Yes (4)

Pros

• Best-in-class noise cancellation
• Four microphones per bud
• Bose app is actually helpful

Cons

• Only three pairs of eartips are included

Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II are actually kind of scary. Their active noise cancellation was so effective that sounds I used to test it, like clapping my hands, didn’t produce an audible sound. The difference between what I was seeing and hearing was actually jarring. At some points, the only thing I could hear and feel was my heartbeat, a unique experience compared to my experience with other ANC earbuds. I’m not alone; our associate managing editor was also impressed while commuting with them on the New York City subway.

The reason for this incredible active noise cancellation? Each bud has two microphones instead of one. The mics are located above and below each bud’s ear tip, which also improves your vocal quality while taking calls. This hardware is tightly integrated with Bose’s custom processor, which continually adjusts to filter frequencies with laser precision. This performance comes in a pair of earbuds that’s roughly a third smaller by volume compared to the first-generation pair and comes in a dramatically smaller case.

If you don’t want to experience the full isolation chamber-like experience the QuietComfort Earbuds II can offer, you can adjust their active noise cancellation via Bose’s mobile app, which is better than you’d expect. The app walked us through the earbud’s initial pairing process and made it easy to switch between quiet and aware—noise cancellation and transparency modes, respectively—and allowed us to set two custom modes based on our personal preferences. We opted to create a “home” mode with active noise cancellation at 100%, allowing us to experience the earbuds’ true potential.

On the audio side, Bose updated the QuietComfort Earbuds II with 9mm dynamic drivers and Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the SBC/AAC codecs. We liked how the earbuds’ sounded out of the box and didn’t need to futz around with the digital EQ in Bose’s app—though we were pleased it was present. We could hear each instrument in complex arrangements, even while listening to lossy audio with ANC on. Subtle sounds—like the piano on “Smog Eyes” by Warne Marsh— were as present as prominent ones, a true feat. The earbuds could have heavy-handed treble on occasion, but that had to do with how certain tracks were mastered rather than a technical deficiency on the earbuds themselves.

There’s no shortage of excellent active noise-cancelling earbuds, but the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II currently reign supreme.  

Best for multiple devices: Technics EAH-AZ80

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 7 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (8)

Pros

• Smooth multi-point pairing
• Four microphones per ear
• Compact size
• LDAC support

Cons

• Cost

Technics may be most synonymous with club turntables thanks to its legendary SL-1200 (now 1210MKII), a deck used worldwide by DJs. Still, music listeners (rather than performers) should immediately acquaint themselves with the company’s new EAH-AZ80 earbuds. Their marquee feature is triple multipoint pairing—the ability to keep the earbuds connected to three devices simultaneously—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve had the opportunity to test the earbuds for a couple of weeks, and they’ve become the top pair we’ve tried in 2023.

Let’s start with their multipoint pairing, which works astonishingly well. After pairing the earbuds to a couple of devices, they would automatically connect to both as long as they were within range. If I paused music on the first device, I could hit play on the second, and the audio would immediately start to play. The same was true when I threw a third device into the mix—to be clear, I approach any Bluetooth earbuds multipoint pairing with skepticism, and no earbuds claim to work with three devices. This is very difficult to pull off technically, and the only earbuds that have done it as well are Apple’s AirPods 2. But Apple’s top-tier earbuds only support seamless multipoint pairing when connected to the company’s other devices. The EAH-AZ80s can be multipoint paired with any gear regardless of its operating system.

On the active noise cancellation front, these earbuds stand above the AirPods Pro 2 but not quite at the level of QuietComfort Earbuds II. They blocked out almost—but not quite—as much sound as the latter. Commuters and travelers can turn to Technics earbuds for excellent ANC performance, and it’s up to most of the rest of the audio industry to play catch up. As for how others can hear you through ambient noise, eight high-sensitivity MEMS mics plus advanced noise reduction capture and transmit your voice clearly. Surprisingly, Technics went from off our consumer earbud radar to near the top, but that’s how good the EAH-AZ80s have performed in our tests.

While we were pleased with the earbuds’ technical performance, we were blown away by how good the 10mm free-edge drivers (housed in a custom acoustic chamber) sound. Rich bass, smooth as silk midrange, and clear highs were present each time we hit play. It didn’t matter if we were listening to Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue” for the umpteenth time or catching up with the latest Dawes album released earlier this year; the EAH-AZ80s would continue to reveal new sounds during repeated listenings. These are reference-grade Bluetooth earbuds, especially if you’re using one of the few devices that support the LDAC codec (either a small selection of Android smartphones or a dedicated digital audio player), which offers near-lossless audio quality streamed wirelessly. If you have the right setup and audio files, these earbuds are basically peerless.

All of this performance comes at a cost, and while the EAH-AZ80s aren’t the most expensive earbuds out there, they’re a sizable investment. However, if you regularly bounce between different devices, stream high-resolution audio, prefer smaller earbuds, or can appreciate any combination of the three, we can’t see how these earbuds would let you down.

Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD

Tony Ware

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 11 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (2)

Pros

• Incredible battery life
• Bundled with eight sets of ear tips
• Phenomenal fit

Cons

• They stick out from your ears

Beyerdynamic has been a part of the audio world for decades, impressing us with its mixing headphones, among others, but its latest long-lasting earbuds took us by surprise. While we were pleased by the Free BYRD’s sound and fit, its 11-hour battery life (eight if you leave active noise cancellation off) is in the top tier of true wireless earbuds. If you toggle ANC on and off regularly, you should have no problem getting nine hours of music playback before popping them back into their case. If you do somehow run out of juice during a single listening session, the Free BYRD’s case offers an hour of music playback off a 10-minute charge.

Most true wireless earbuds last roughly five to six hours with ANC turned on—the extra two hours offered by the Free BYRDs make a huge difference on a transatlantic flight, where tuning out the whirring sound of an engine can make the difference between sleep and misery. The Free BYRDs’ battery life is impressive, but it’s not the only reason they’ve made the cut. We were also very taken by the earbuds’ noise cancellation, which only comes up short when compared to the QuietComfort Earbuds II.

While the Free BYRDs didn’t produce the same eerie isolation chamber-like effect as Bose’s earbuds, they did block out a significant amount of noise. When listening to music at 80%, only the loudest sounds—think a sudden, expected clang, or jackhammer on the street—could pierce the bubble. One of the reasons for this impressive performance was that Beyerdynamic includes eight pairs of eartips in the box, so you can find the ones that fit your ears perfectly.

A tight seal around your ear is essential to getting good active noise-cancelling performance, and the Free BYRDs pass that test with flying colors. A tight seal can put unwanted pressure on the inside of your ear, but that was never the case with these earbuds. Another upside: The earbud seal was so tight we could headbang to our heart’s content without the risk of them falling out.

Concerning audio, the Free BYRDs’ 10mm dynamic drivers produced sound on par with our top-rated earbud pick, the AirPods Pro 2. They support SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs in their Bluetooth 5.2 container. In our tests, which included listening to music from different genres and spoken word audio like podcasts and audiobooks, the Free BYRDs never skipped a beat. Everything we listened to sounded surprisingly natural, which is particularly great when listening to people speaking.

Punchy bass, midrange clarity, and never-crispy treble are always a winning combination, as they are here. The sound was so good we never thought about mucking with the digital EQ in beyerdynamic’s MIY app. You can run through a hearing test in the app to tune these earbuds based on how sensitive your ears are to different frequencies, but this is entirely optional. We can’t imagine anyone being upset with the way the Free BYRDs sound out of the box.

You should be aware of the guitar pick-like shape of these earbuds, which makes them protrude from your ears. It’s not that you look silly wearing the Free BYRDS, but they will look different than most modern earbuds. That’s a small price to pay for their great sound, solid active noise cancellation, and exceptional battery life.

Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2

Brandt Ranj

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX5
• Microphones: Yes (2)

Pros

• Made from sustainable materials
• Fast charging support
• Surprisingly good fit

Cons

• Lackluster app

With the Redemption ANC 2 earbuds, House of Marley has made bedfellows out of technology and sustainability without any major concessions. These earbuds—case and all—are made (in part) from a mix of solid bamboo, natural wood fiber composite, and recycled plastics.

In our tests, choosing these materials didn’t impact the Redemption ANC 2s sound, fit, or noise cancellation performance, which is especially impressive considering their relatively low price. They even beat some of our favorite earbuds in the durability department due to their IPX5 rating, which will protect them from damage by sweat or splashes of water—getting caught running in a rainstorm won’t spell trouble. This feature is especially welcome because the Redemption ANC 2 earbuds’ fit is so good that we can easily recommend them for working out. Running and jumping couldn’t dislodge them from our ears.

Active noise cancellation is the namesake feature of these earbuds, and we were pretty pleased with their performance in this area. They aren’t at the level of our more premium earbud recommendations, but that’s to be expected given their sub-$160 price. The earbuds effectively blocked keyboard typing and footsteps, but loud noises like car horns could still be heard prominently. They may not be the best choice for airplane flights, but the Redemption ANC 2s are perfectly suited for office use.

Our experience with the earbuds’ sound was similarly satisfying. We could detect a difference in clarity when comparing the Redemption ANC 2s directly to the AirPods Pro 2 or QuietComfort Earbuds II, but that didn’t dampen our enjoyment of listening to music. If you get these earbuds, you’re not going to be disappointed by the way they sound unless you veer toward audiophile hardware, in which case the Redemption ANC 2s aren’t targeted at you. There was some muddiness in the low end and some sibilance at the high end, but overall the earbuds produced a pleasing sound. You can mitigate some of these audio abnormalities by tuning the EQ in House of Marley’s app, but we were disappointed by how barebones this software was.

Despite this setback, we feel comfortable recommending the House of Marley ANC 2s to anyone who takes the sustainability of their technology seriously. You’ll end up with a good-sounding, great-fitting set of relatively inexpensive true wireless earbuds with a fair lower environmental impact than most gadgets.

Best for gamers: ASUS ROG Cetra

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 5.5 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes (Hybrid)
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (2)

Pros

• Virtual 7.1 surround sound
• Case has an LED
• Price

Cons

• Not the fullest ANC
• So-so audio quality for music

ASUS’ ROG Cetra is a pair of budget-priced true wireless earbuds with features designed for gamers—provided you use the company’s Armory Crate software. One advantage of the ROG Cetras is that the earbuds fit into a hardware ecosystem. ASUS has desktops, laptops, mobile gaming handhelds, controllers, and these earbuds are designed to fit in. Their case has a pleasing rounded-off shape, and opening it reveals an LED—a trademark of PC gaming rigs.

The earbuds themselves feel comfortable to wear and get solid battery life for a pair that costs under $100. We didn’t find ourselves reaching for a charger more than twice a week during our tests, which is on par with earbuds that cost three times the price. The biggest difference between the ROG Cetras and their premium counterparts is noise cancellation. These earbuds support hybrid noise cancellation, which uses external and internal feedforward/feedback mics but isn’t fully effective at blocking noise. Light background sounds would fade away, but moderately loud ones remained audible.

A big draw for gamers who use ASUS Armoury Crate software is the ability to activate the low-latency gaming mode and use these earbuds to create a virtual 7.1 surround sound environment. The effect wasn’t as impressive as Spatial Audio on the AirPods Pro 2, but we could hear some additional separation when the settings were correct. The experience varied from game to game, and ASUS can’t control the sound mixing of each title, so your experience may vary.

We’re recommending these earbuds to gamers because they were designed with this use case in mind. Chiptune music from older and indie games, or explosions and dialogue from newer ones, sounded pretty good, but the ROG Cetra’s 10mm drivers weren’t tuned for music, which didn’t sound very clear. Nuances we could hear with higher-end earbuds were gone on the Cetras, and it was more difficult to discern sounds across different frequency ranges. If you need a pair of inexpensive earbuds to pair with your portable gaming machines, these are a solid pick, but music lovers should look at our other recommendations.

Best for working out: Apple Beats Fit Pro

Stan Horaczek

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: 6 hours single-charge; 24 hours with case
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes

Pros

• High-performance active noise canceling in a compact earbud design
• Secure design stays in ear when running or working out
• Compatible with dynamic head tracking on iOS devices
• Includes pocket-sized travel case and three eartip options

Cons

• No wireless charging
• iOS device required for full functionality
• Not protected against water immersion
• No multipoint pairing

We’ve thoroughly reviewed the Apple Beats Fit Pro, and they’re the best for working out thanks to their sound quality, movement-friendly design, and fantastic iOS compatibility. They contain the same proprietary H1 chip found in Apple’s AirPods, enabling near-instantaneous pairing, steady, reliable connections to iOS devices, and battery life optimization. Like AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro earbuds are also fully compatible with iOS head-tracking and Spatial Audio features for simulated surround sound and immersive media listening. Their inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes make them equally useful on the road and at the gym. We also love the range of colors these buds come in, particularly their unique skin tone range.

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are designed to sit securely in your ears using small rubber wings that rest comfortably against your outer ear along with three sets of variously sized ear tips. A quick optional setup step uses the earbuds’ onboard microphones to test your fit for sound leaks. Once your optimal fit is achieved, the Beats Fit Pro can endure almost every exercise imaginable—from running to rowing—without budging. The earbuds’ conveniently pocked-sized charging case brings their total battery life to around 24 hours. While it would be nice to see wireless charging in a product with this price tag, we appreciate that the case is chargeable via USB-C rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector.

If you work out regularly and are an iPhone user, you’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a better in-ear option because of the snug fit, balanced sound, and seamless iOS connectivity. If you’re sold on the Beats features but are looking for an option with earhooks, the Powerbeats Pro earbuds are also a solid choice.

Best planar-magnetic earphones: 7Hertz Timeless AE

Chris Coke

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Specs

• Style: Wired
• Type: Closed-back earphones
• Frequency Response: 5Hz – 40kHz
• Impedance: 14.8 ohm
• Sensitivity: 104dB
• Weight: 5.5 grams (each earpiece)

Pros

• Very well-tuned, balanced sound
• Full of detail
• Good bass performance

Cons

• Unusual shape 
• Limited soundstage

Unlike dynamic and balanced armature drivers, which comprise most earbuds, planar magnetics feature larger, thinner membranes—contributing to lighting-quick low-distortion transients but often require more voltage to drive. Luckily, the technology has evolved so that planar earphones are no longer expensive unicorns. Still, there has rarely been such a well-tuned option at such an affordable price. The magic of the 7Hertz Timeless AE lies in the tuning of its 14.2mm drivers (powered by double-sided N52 magnet arrays), updated to provide deeper, more impactful bass and smoother treble for hours of easy listening. It’s a warmer sound that delivers an enjoyable amount of detail, combining to make these earphones a well-balanced buy at $249. If you’re into wired earphones and want ones that don’t skimp on the bass, the 7Hz Timeless AE is an impeccable balance of price and performance. The Timeless isn’t perfect, however. It breaks the mold with the divisive, quarter-like shape of its earpieces. You’ll either be ambivalent about the shape or outright hate the shells—there doesn’t seem to be much in between.

And suppose you’ve got $1,500 and want something exclusively yours. In that case, the Campfire Audio Supermoon is an in-ear monitor featuring 14mm, 2-micron-thick planar drivers in solid-body enclosures custom-molded to your ear canals. The bass is textured but controlled, the midrange is dynamic, and the treble is honest (which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the recording). Planar IEMs are really coming into their own.

Best budget: EarFun Air Pro 3

Tony Ware

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 9 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes (Hybrid)
• IP rating: IPX5
• Microphones: Yes (6)

Pros

• Bluetooth 5.3—with support for SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive, plus LE Audio & LC3
• Multipoint connectivity
• 45-hour playtime: 9 hours + 36 hours with wireless-compatible charging case
• Delivers insane performance:price ratio

Cons

• ANC, while good, isn’t going to match premium earbuds
• Mics can pick up wind
• Volume can seem low with some devices
• Not going to rival the sonic separation of earbuds that cost 3x as much (but they cost 3x as much)

There’s cheap, and then there’s a bargain, and the two shouldn’t be confused. The EarFun Air Pro 3 is the latter: budget TWS earbuds that pack ridiculous features and value for $79 (less with regular discounts). Stemmed earbuds in the style of their namesake (the AirPods, natch), the Air Pro 3 earbuds feature active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.3, six mics, 9 hours of battery life, touch controls, multipoint connections, and more in a classic, comfortable ergonomic form factor. If you like the idea of AirPods but not the price, especially if you want that type of earbuds for an Android device, the Air Pro 3 is a top pick.

Bluetooth 5.3—with support for SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive, plus LE Audio & LC3—delivers a low-power, stable signal to feed the 11mm wool composite dynamic drivers higher-bitrate content. Bass is the standout frequency band, punchy without being paunchy, but its confident strut is nicely balanced by fleshy midrange and bright highs. And QuietSmart 2.0 hybrid active noise cancellation up to 43dB ensures you can enjoy that richly appointed range; it’s not Bose-level ANC but proves more than efficient. Plus, there’s a graphic EQ-enabled app to tweak settings and coax clarity. While imaging isn’t the best, and they’re not the most compact, the EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds are great if you want to take some fun thump on your commute and they are the budget ANC earbuds to beat, particularly for fans of modern bass-heavy genres.

What to consider when shopping for the best earbuds

From a secure fit to fabulous sound, the best earbuds can provide what you need. Here are the main things to consider when shopping: 

How can I ensure a good fit?

TWS earbuds have become so popular, in part, because companies have been able to develop earbuds that won’t fall out. The best wireless earbuds include ear tips (typically sized S, M, and L, but sometimes including middle sizes like SM or ML) that fit snugly and comfortably in the canal of your ear. Some models offer flexible wings or fins that fit the concha and make the earbuds feel locked in place, while others come with hooks or malleable wires that curl over your ear to secure things. Deciding on the best design is a personal choice but, thankfully, many models come with multiple ear tip options—most often a mix of silicone (better for quick insertion/removal) and foam (better for isolation)—to give you a good chance of finding a fit that’s right for your ears. 

What if I might get caught in the rain?

The best earbuds offer some water resistance, and you can even find waterproof earbuds. The way to determine how your electronics can cope with environmental intrusions is by checking the Ingress Protection, or IP, rating—two numerals that indicate resistance to liquids and dust. Earbuds can go all the way up to an IP68 rating—meaning they can be fully submerged in over 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes without damage, and won’t be heard by a tumble into the sand at a beach. If you live in a wet climate or work up a prodigious sweat on the treadmill, look for models with higher water-resistance ratings. But if you just need earbuds that can withstand a little drizzle or a few drops of sweat, an IPX4 rating could suffice. Many charging cases for the best wireless earbuds offer their own amount of water and dust protection. However, some of the best budget wireless earbuds sacrifice that added security to reduce costs.  

What if I’m a music-first type? 

TWS earbuds can work for audiophiles. The best earbuds have high-resolution receivers, digital audio converters, custom-tuned drivers, and amplifiers that combine to deliver sound replicating the original recording as closely as possible. Look for the newest 5.2 or 5.3 versions of the Bluetooth protocol with support for codecs (the digital format that compresses and transmits the sound) that match your device to your earbuds. Everyone supports SBC, but Apple prefers AAC, Sony promotes LDAC, and Android devices are likelier to support aptX/aptX HD/aptX adaptive/aptX Lossless. And these various formats operate at varying bitrates, from basic to high-resolution, with the top of the scale minimizing the lossy properties of compression.

Additionally, information like frequency response can tell you how well the earbuds reproduce low tones to high notes—20Hz to 20kHz is the baseline from which to expand—while the maximum decibel output tells you its capability. At the end of the day, the surest test is to see how the buds sound in your ears, but some of the best earbuds offer detailed EQ customization that almost ensures they’ll play music tailored to your tastes. And if you’re looking for the purest signal, it’s always going to come wired.  

What if I need some peace and quiet?

Almost all earbuds provide some amount of passive noise isolation, which means that they are designed with snug-fitting tips that can mute the outside world. Many of the best earbuds, however, offer active noise cancellation (ANC), which means microphones measure surroundings and speakers emit sound waves to neutralize the ambient noise in your environment—the effect makes listeners feel like they are in a cocoon of silence (though some users report a pressurized sensation). Some high-end earbuds step it up to adaptive noise-canceling, which adapts the noise-canceling algorithm based on the sound levels/types or location, and this is often accompanied by a transparency mode, which lets in (and sometimes amplifies) ambient sound when you want to listen to music but also need to hear external announcements, the traffic coming up behind you, etc.    

Yeah, what if I still have devices with a headphone jack?

If you’re an audiophile needing the most full-spectrum sound or a gamer needing the lowest lag, or maybe you’re just traveling and want to plug into the in-flight entertainment, shop for the best wired earbuds. While Bluetooth 5.0 should provide a fairly seamless connection, the only way to entirely eliminate lag or frequency response loss is to plug in—although the best Bluetooth earbuds limit these shortcomings to the point where most users can’t even notice it.

What if I’m taking a lot of calls?

If you want to talk to your helpful virtual assistant or want to handle work calls with your staff, you’ll need earbuds equipped with microphones (and if the earbuds have features including ANC, it’s safe to assume there are mics to spare). Beamforming microphones will focus on your voice rather than the sounds around you, while cheaper microphones may mean your listener will get lost in the chatter if you’re in a busy place. Earbud microphones are typically protected by fabric designed to limit wind noise, but if you have the buds in an amplifying mode rather than a noise-canceling mode, you may find the wind distracting.     

What if I need my earbuds to last all day?

Earbuds offer playtimes anywhere from a couple of hours to the length of a workday. Charging cases add additional hours—or even days—of battery life before needing to be plugged back in (typically with a USB-C connection). While average earbud life is anywhere between four and eight hours, recharging them typically takes 1.5 hours to 3.5 hours. And many of the best earbuds offer quick-charging options that let you gain an hour or so of playtime in a tiny fraction of that time.   

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best earbuds

• Best overall: Apple AirPods Pro 2
• Best noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
• Best for multiple devices: Technics EAH-AZ80
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best for gamers: ASUS ROG Cetra
• Best for working out: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best planar-magnetic earphones: 7Hz Timeless AE
• Best budget: EarFun Air Pro 3

In many ways, the best earbuds are earbuds that you don’t even think about. They fit in your ear without coming loose and they deliver a sound quality as good as live music. Still, shopping for the best earbuds leaves you with much to consider. Set your price point and go from there. Then, determining whether you need features like ANC, transparency, low latency, and customizable sound depends on how you plan to use them and the sharpness of your ear. With the array of earbud options available, you can definitely find the best earbuds for you. Here’s to making a sound choice.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best earbuds in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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Summer cookout season is almost here, and the centerpiece of the action is, well, a grill. Kamado Joe has slashed the price of its 13.5-inch portable Joe Jr. charcoal grill down to $299—a $200 savings and its lowest price ever. This grill has all the features of Kamado Joe’s larger grills in a more compact form, making it ideal for weekend car campers and apartment dwellers with small backyards alike. Plus, its big, orange body perched on a cast iron stand is an aesthetically pleasing conversation starter if the sweet smells of your cooking aren’t enough to get people to come to ask what’s good.

Kamado Joe KJ13RH Joe Jr. $299 (Was $499)

Kamado Joe

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A big part of the appeal of Kamado Joe’s grills is the materials the company uses. Lifting the Joe Jr. grill’s lid reveals ceramic plates that insulate heat around the stainless steel grill grates. The grates can be lifted and replaced with different accessories like a sear plate for different types of cooking. If you plan on keeping the KJ13RH outside all the time, we recommend getting a bundle with a cover, which adds roughly $20 to the price but is well worth the extra couple of bucks.

The grill’s air vent allows you to monitor and adjust its heat and how much smoke is inside without opening it. An analog thermostat on the KJ13RH’s front side makes it easy to keep track of the grill’s temperature, too. Charcoal grills impart more flavor than their gas counterparts, and while they take a little extra time to get going, clean, and maintain, your effort will be rewarded with great-tasting meat and vegetables. If you thought you didn’t have enough space for a grill, or your current one is getting long in the tooth, don’t miss this deal on a compact cookout essential.

Other great deals for super summer grilling:

• Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, $219 (Was $232.80)
• Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, $499.95 (Was $599.95)
• Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker with WiFi, $799.95 (Was $899.99)
• Char-Broil 3-Burner Cabinet Style Gas Grill, $390.81 (Was $470.43)
• Royal Gourmet CC1830S, $119.99 (Was $159.99)
• Papapacks 18 Inch Portable Charcoal Grill, $59 (Was $95)
• Megamaster 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill, $178 (Was $189)
• Cuisinart CGS-W13 Wooden Handle Tool Set (13-Piece), $22.99 (Was $39.99)
• GRILLART Grill Brush and Scraper, $14.82 (Was $22.97)

The post Get a flavorful $200 discount on the Kamado Joe Jr. charcoal grill at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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For city dwellers, air conditioners humming is an omnipresent summer sound, as familiar as the melody of birds chirping and ice cream trucks chiming. But what if it didn’t have to be like that? For the past few weeks, I’ve tried the latest generation of the Windmill AC with WhisperTech, and this efficient, easy-to-install, WiFi-enabled window unit is a game-changer for anyone who wants to keep cool without getting an earful of white noise while working or trying to sleep.

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Overview

• Windmill developed WhisperTech, a new technology that offers the same air conditioning performance while making less noise.
• Installation and setup can take as little as five minutes, and the air conditioner is compatible with most windows that open upward and downward.
• The air conditioner’s minimalist look isn’t necessary, but Windmill’s focus on aesthetics and simplicity extends from the hardware to the software, creating a welcome harmony.

Pros

• WhisperTech lives up to its name
• Can be controlled remotely using a streamlined mobile app
• Incentives are there to make the air conditioner eco-friendly

Cons

• Expensive
• The most powerful model only covers rooms up to 450 sq. ft.

Verdict: If your window unit’s sound irritates you, but you still need a way to beat the summer heat, Windmill’s WhisperTech makes its latest AC hard to beat.

The build

What if an air conditioner didn’t have to suck? This seems like the question the designers at Windmill asked themselves during the development of their first-generation model, which was released a couple of years ago. The company has just released a new energy-efficient air conditioner, which builds upon the successes of the original with a new technology it developed called WhisperTech, which makes the AC up to nine times quieter than traditional models, according to Windmill. After listening to what the 8,000 BTU version does, or maybe that should be what it doesn’t do, I can recommend the Windmill AC with WhisperTech to anyone looking to upgrade from an old air conditioner before the summer, especially if you need a unit for your bedroom.

To its credit, Windmill didn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken in an attempt to make this new air conditioner overly complicated to install or use. It has the same minimalist look as the original model (with its auto-dimming LED display), comes bundled with the same accessories, uses the same app, and has an identical installation process. Windmill simply added a welcome feature, and even offers its original air conditioner alongside the new one.

The setup

Installing the Windmill AC with WhisperTech took about five minutes. All you really need is a single- or double-hung window that’s 23-37 inches wide and can open 14 inches (no through-the-wall, no casement, and no slider windows). The air conditioner comes with strips of insulation, which can be placed on the bottom of your window to prevent outside air from getting in and to ensure your air conditioner fits snugly. The AC unit comes in a single piece, and once it was unboxed, I put it into my window, extended its accordion-like arms, and closed the top window sash on top of it. The top frame of this air conditioner has three holes, which you can use to screw the unit into your window to hold it securely. My landlord doesn’t want any more holes in the window and instead uses a fitted piece of wood between the top window sash and frame to hold AC units in place.

Windmill includes a set of cosmetic side panels, which match the top and bottom of the air conditioner to make the unit look even more sleek, but I actually prefer the out-of-box look. The company went so far as to include a pair of scissors with its air conditioner, so you can cut the panels to fit the exact size of your window—this is a nice touch and impressive detail. The second (and technically optional) part of setting up this air conditioner is connecting it to your home’s WiFi network with Windmill’s app (available for iOS and Android). This allows you to control the AC from your phone at home or remotely (there’s also an included remote if you prefer that when in the house). This might sound like it could be tedious, but Windmill streamlined the onboarding process, and I got it on my WiFi router and added to my many smart devices within about 10 minutes. You can also connect the Windmill AC unit to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control.

The performance

So, how does it sound? It’s weird because I’ve never really listened to an air conditioner before. It seemed unnecessary because the assumption was every AC would sound kind of like a tractor in the far distance. Windmill’s WhisperTech has me rethinking my entire approach. I keep the Windmill AC on eco mode (its default), and my Apple Watch’s microphone registered it at about 57 decibels from roughly six inches away. That number dropped into the 40s when I moved to the couch. This number is impressive because it means you could sit right next to Windmill’s air conditioner all day without it causing any hearing loss—in fact, you’re liable to tune it out as I did.

The reason for this air conditioner’s quiet behavior is the switch from a fixed-speed compressor with a rotary fan to a variable-speed compressor with a linear fan. Switching to more adaptable components allows the Windmill to dynamically cool your room, getting a little louder or softer automatically if need be. Practically speaking, turning up the air conditioner’s fan speed to high, or switching from eco to cool mode, increased the noise some. However, the AC is so efficient at cooling my room that toggling those settings never felt necessary. It’s like the highest gear on a car—rarely important, but nice to have when necessary.

It could be tempting to crank this air conditioner to its highest setting (generally quiet) to cool your room down as quickly as possible, but I never felt the need. Windmill’s air conditioner sucks hot air from your room through a vent on the bottom and shoots cold air out the top. This approach makes the AC much more efficient at cooling a room—I could feel the effects within a few minutes—and gets you to your target temperature more quickly. The eco mode on the Windmill AC, which the company says is 35% more efficient vs. the minimum efficiency standard, works as well as the high cool setting on similarly sized models.

The eco mode will also shut off your air conditioner after it reaches your set temperature rather than continually blasting cool air until you ask it to stop. And if you’re in parts of California and New York, Windmill will also incentivize you to keep the air conditioner on eco mode by offering to enroll you in its Eco Rewards program, which automatically adjusts the AC’s settings to be less burdensome to your power grid. You can opt out of Eco Rewards anytime, but sticking with it can earn you up to $10 in cash or a four-pack of activated-carbon filters (a $65 value), which help protect against fumes, odors, smoke, and volatile organic compounds.

So, who should buy the Windmill AC with WhisperTech?

Plan to purchase an air conditioner in 2023? The Windmill AC with WhisperTech should be near the top of your list, so long as you plan on keeping it in a room that’s not much larger than 365 sq. ft. Its $399 price tag—tack on an extra $100 if you’d like the larger 10,000 BTU model that covers up to 450 sq. ft.—isn’t cheap, but you’re getting what you pay for. The good-looking, easy-to-install air conditioner won’t interrupt you while you work and can keep you cool all summer long.

The post Windmill Air Conditioner review: Silence sounds cool appeared first on Popular Science.

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The radical success of Valve’s Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch has proven a deep appetite for handheld gaming exists, and competitors are popping up left and right in an attempt to take a piece of that pie. ASUS is the latest company to step up to the plate, and if it aimed to create a faster, nicer-looking, better-feeling Steam Deck, the ROG Ally is a resounding success.

The handheld PC game console, available for preorder now and will launch June 11 for $599, is fast enough to play many of the latest titles, offers a surprising amount of customization, and achieves surprising stability for a first-generation piece of hardware. Yet what holds the ROG Ally back from near-perfection is the one piece of the puzzle it couldn’t fully control: Windows.

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Overview

• The ASUS ROG Ally is the first mainstream Steam Deck competitor, and on a technical level, it bests Valve’s popular gaming handheld in almost every way.
• The handheld’s Windows system is more versatile than a streamlined operating system like SteamOS but also increases power consumption and complexity.
• For serious PC gamers who favor customizability and power, the ROG Ally offers the best balance of performance and price.

Pros

• Incredible price
• Excellent performance
• Good battery life
• Ergonomic design
• Smooth-feeling analog sticks
• Expandable storage
• Surprisingly full-sounding speakers

Cons

• Operating system not designed for handheld gaming
• Can be complex to access certain settings

Verdict: The ROG Ally is the handheld gaming system to beat if you can get over the pain of Windows gaming on a portable device.

The ASUS ROG Ally build

I’ve been playing handheld game consoles since the original Game Boy, and I was immediately smitten with how the ROG Ally looked and felt out of the box. Its 7-inch screen is the same size as my Switch OLED edition and the Steam Deck. ASUS’ display is 1080P and supports refresh rates up to 120Hz instead of the 720P 60Hz panel on Nintendo and Valve’s systems. The difference in sharpness and fidelity compared to the Switch was noticeable and made up for the fact that the ROG’s great-looking LCD display isn’t quite as vibrant as an OLED screen.

An analog stick and directional pad flank the handheld system’s screen on the left side, while an analog stick and four face buttons are on the right. A pair of buttons and triggers on top of the handheld are complemented by two on the system’s backside. A headphone jack, volume controls, and power button line the system’s top, along with two vents for the fans.

This is more or less the same button configuration popularized by the Xbox 360 in 2005, which made the ROG Ally feel familiar before I even booted up a game. Four additional buttons give you quick access to common actions, like bringing up the ROG Ally’s performance options and going to a game-select screen. More importantly, the handheld feels great in hand. The angular cut-outs on the front of the device make it easy to grip, while the curves on the back contoured to my hands. ASUS designed the ROG Ally to feel good whether you’re holding it or have it propped up on a desk, and the result is a home run where ergonomics are concerned.

I was pleased—though not surprised—to see the handheld’s USB-C charging port, which ASUS opted to put on the top rather than the bottom of the system. The mass adoption of a single charging port for most electronics is one of the best recent advancements in consumer tech. The ROG Ally’s MicroSD card slot, which can be used to expand its storage to hold more games easily, is also located on top of the system, which makes it immediately and easily accessible without opening the console’s case. In general, my impressions of the hardware have been very positive.

The ASUS ROG Ally setup

ASUS did its best to ensure the ROG Ally’s setup process was as easy as possible. I was greeted with a familiar Windows 11 lock screen. Tapping the OK button—my review unit came pre-configured with a user account but no password—brought me to Microsoft’s desktop. Preinstalled software called ASUS Armoury Crate launched within seconds and brought me to a user-friendly screen where I could log into my Steam and Xbox accounts to download games from their respective digital libraries. The only real roadblock during my setup was navigating to Windows’ WiFi settings and typing in my password.

All my downloaded titles appeared as icons in Armoury Crate, making them easy to launch. This system isn’t as slick as the Switch or Steam Deck’s user interface, but those systems are only designed for gaming. The ROG Ally runs a full version of Windows, which means it could be hooked up to a monitor and be used for Google Docs and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications in addition to booting up the latest PC games.

Overall, the ROG Ally’s user interface is pretty user-friendly. However, it took a little time to get the hang of downloading games and navigating the Xbox Game Pass portal, which is annoying to use on a PC without a keyboard and mouse. Switching the ROG Ally from handheld to desktop mode allowed me to replicate the functionality of a mouse with the right analog stick moving the cursor, but the experience was still kind of clunky. Steam was designed to be used natively with a game controller, and I had no issues there.

Even the ROG Ally’s control panel, which can be toggled with a button press, was neatly organized. This settings menu allows you to switch between quiet, performance, and turbo modes, which automatically ratchet up the system’s processor to the detriment of its battery life. Other settings include changing the screen’s resolution between 720P and 1080P, adjusting the display’s brightness, switching between handheld and desktop modes, and other common controls. It’s clear ASUS wanted to make the ROG Ally as accessible as possible, and it succeeded.

The ASUS ROG Ally performance

I’ll be the first to admit my PC gaming needs are pretty basic, but the ROG Ally still exceeded my expectations. The older and indie titles like The Legend of Heroes: Trails In The Sky, Tales of Zestiria, Hi-Fi Rush, and Tunic all ran without a hitch using the handheld’s quiet setting. I tried more resource-intensive 3D games during my demo at an ASUS event two weeks before my review unit arrived, and those ran great, too—albeit only when the battery-sucking turbo setting was enabled. The only time I ran into trouble was trying to play Jet Grind Radio, which refused to launch no matter how many times I tried playing it. I deleted and re-downloaded it in case of a weird one-time bug, but the system didn’t play nice with SEGA’s high-octane, early-2000s title.

ASUS equipped its handheld with an eight-core Z1 processor, designed in-house explicitly for gaming. The system’s lower-end model comes with the standard Z1, which offers 2.9 teraflops of graphical performance, while the premium system’s Z1 Extreme tops out at 8.6 teraflops. There’s only a $100 difference between both configurations, and I recommend going with the higher-end one if you primarily play PC games. Casual users like myself could get away with the entry-level version without a hitch. Both ROG Ally handheld models are more powerful than the Steam Deck and blow the six-year-old Nintendo Switch out of the water.

I didn’t notice any stuttering or dropped frames when playing my games, which I expected, given their modest system requirements. Still, the experience of playing games on the ROG Ally was so good it felt natural to pick up the system and play. I could hit the power button mid-game, knowing I could return to it immediately once it was time to begin my next play session. The benefit of playing smaller titles with the screen brightness at roughly 75% was I could extend the battery life pretty far. I could get about four hours of gameplay per charge, which has more to do with the inefficiency of Windows than the ROG Ally’s battery size or the energy consumption of my games. There’s simply a lot of overhead to run a game on Windows, which is a shame.

I was happier with the fact that I could play the system for several hours at a time without my hands or arms feeling fatigued. The system’s angled shape made resting the system on my thighs while curled up on the couch feel as natural as holding it in front of me. The system’s 1.34-pound weight makes it feel appreciably lighter than the Steam Deck, which comes in at 1.47 pounds. In handheld gaming, every tenth of a pound counts and can make the difference between putting the system down because you want to and pausing your game session out of necessity.

The ROG Ally’s Z1 processor, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM (memory), 4GB of VRAM (video memory), and 512GB of storage gives the handheld enough overhead to future-proof it for a few years. The reality is playing a handheld PC will always be limiting because there’s only so much space for components and cooling. That said, it’s possible to play many of the latest games at high settings if you’re okay with limiting your battery life or keeping it plugged into a power source all the time.

The ASUS ROG Ally software

Every part of the ROG Ally’s experience that ASUS had direct control over is a grand slam. It’s the platonic ideal of a modern handheld gaming system, and I’m gobsmacked that the company got so much right on the first generation of a product. We’re talking original iPhone levels of hardware polish, and the design team should feel proud of the hardware’s performance, given its incredibly reasonable price.

Unfortunately, the system is hamstrung by Windows, the dominant operating system for PC gaming—and computers in general. It’s laudable that ASUS designed its Armoury Crate software to make gaming on the ROG Ally possible, but there’s no denying the system runs on a general-purpose operating system. Both the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch boot directly into software explicitly designed for games that are optimized for optimal performance. There are no unnecessary background tasks draining power and resources—the streamlined systems can download and play games, that’s it.

There are problems ASUS can’t address or fix because of Windows, even if the versatile operating system opens the door to turning the ROG Ally into an emulation powerhouse for nostalgic gamers who want to relive their childhood alongside playing the latest PC games as they come out. But the occasional awkwardness of navigating an operating system designed for traditional peripherals rather than analog sticks and buttons was a reminder of the ROG Ally’s main limitation.

ASUS’ options to address this issue are limited. It could develop its own operating system like Valve’s SteamOS, but that would take several years and untold resources to accomplish with very limited upside. it could shop the software around to other handheld PC makers, but that would mitigate its market advantage. The company could partner with Valve to launch the system with SteamOS installed. However, that’d require them to get the operating system up and running on custom-designed hardware and disallow gamers from playing titles on Xbox Game Pass or similar streaming services.

The ASUS ROG Ally vs. Valve’s Steam Deck

Many handheld PC gamers will be deciding between the Steam Deck and a Windows-based handheld for their portable gaming; honestly, there’s no right or wrong choice. The Steam Deck has worse tech specs—most notably a sub-1080P display—and a bigger chassis, but the streamlined nature of SteamOS makes it easier to pick up and play. The ROG Ally is svelter and more powerful, but you have to deal with the complexities of Windows and its constant additional power drain. If you’re a serious PC gamer, go with the ROG Ally; if you’re more casual, the Steam Deck is the better choice. If you want to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, well, get the Nintendo Switch OLED.

Final thoughts

The reason I keep harping on the downsides of Windows is that the ASUS ROG Ally is a nearly perfect piece of hardware. It’s better than all of its mainstream direct competitors and undercuts boutique handheld PC makers on price to the point of absurdity. Let me be clear: If you want to play PC games on the go, this is your best option by a long shot. But picking up the ASUS ROG Ally means dealing with the compromises of building a game console running general-purpose software. ASUS has done all it can to make the user experience as seamless as possible, but it’s hard not to think about the grand slam the company could have had if it had complete control over the hardware and software experience.

The post ASUS ROG Ally review: The best way to game on the go appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Austere VII Series 6-Outlet with USB-C PD		SEE IT	In build quality, utility, and performance, Austere’s USB power strip stands unmatched.
Best for larger adapters		Belkin USB Power Strip		SEE IT	If you’re constantly frustrated with the dance of plugging and unplugging electronics because of their bulky connectors, this is the solution you seek.
Best budget		Anker 20W USB-C Power Strip		SEE IT	Anker’s 20W USB-C Power Strip offers excellent performance for an incredibly reasonable price.

A USB power strip solves a common problem: filling every outlet in your home with a power plug for your phone, tablet, computer, smartwatch, or other tech accessories. Power adapters for these devices are small, but they’re taking up valuable real estate that could be used to keep appliances plugged in all the time. If you’ve ever spent any time rearranging power adapters underneath your work desk and getting confused about which one goes to what gadget, you’ll understand the utility of this tech accessory. The best USB power strips will keep your most commonly used portable devices charged and ready for the day ahead without bumping power-hungry ones off the grid.

• Best overall: Austere VII Series 6-Outlet with USB-C PD
• Best travel friendly: Alitayee USB-C Travel Power Strip
• Best design: TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300
• Best for larger adapters: Belkin 12-Outlet Surge Protector
• Best budget: Anker 20W USB-C Power Strip

How we chose the best USB power strips

Our recommendations for the best USB power strips come from a mix of hands-on testing and research. Despite their utility, these are relatively low-tech gadgets with a single job: keeping your devices charged and powered. That said, we factored in their size, how many outlets they have, which USB ports are featured, and any other extra features when determining which ones made the cut. You’ll be able to find a great USB power strip regardless of your power needs, space constraints, and budget. You can rely on our recommendations to remain a permanent, well-used part of your home theater or office setup for several years.

The best USB power strips: Reviews & Recommendations

This may not be the most glamorous gadget, but it’s still important to take the time to learn the ins and outs of all your options. Our guidance can help you make the right choice, so the only thing you’ll have to think about is which gear to plug into your USB power strip.

Best overall: Austere VII Series 6-Outlet with USB-C PD

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

SEE IT

Specs

• Number of outlets: 6
• USB Ports: 5 (3 USB-C, 2 USB-A)
• Surge protection: 4,000 Joules

Pros

• Myriad USB ports
• Sleek look
• Surge protection

Cons

• Price

We’ve been testing Austere’s VII Series 6-Outlet with USB-C PD for several months, and it’s provided rock-solid performance in a well-constructed package. The USB power strip has five USB ports and six outlets. Critically, one of the USB-C ports can supply up to 45W of power, which is enough to charge a laptop. All of this power strip’s USB ports are on the bottom, far away from its outlets. This allows you to organize your area a little more neatly. You’ll never accidentally yank out a power cord when trying to unplug your phone’s charging cable. In practice, this design has worked out really well, and we hope it becomes the industry standard.

We used this power strip’s USB ports to charge phones, laptops, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, Bluetooth earbuds, and other portable devices. The cables fit into the VII Series’ USB ports snugly and securely and never popped out, even when the power strip was moved around. Similarly, we connected computer monitors, powered speakers, vacuums, and everything in between to the VII Series’ outlets and had an identical result. The outlets were spaced far enough apart that we could finagle large power adapters next to one another without incident.

We were continually impressed by the VII Series’ overall build quality during our tests. It’s uncommon for such a basic gadget to look and feel so luxurious. The aluminum Austere used for the USB power strip’s chassis makes it feel as nice as a MacBook. The company even paid attention to the cable connecting the power strip to your wall; it’s thick, braided, and has sufficient reinforcement around the connector so it won’t fray. Austere says its USB power strip can insulate electronics from up to 4,000 joules of power spikes. If you’re in an area with many thunderstorms or your home’s electricity is so-so, this is a big feature.

All of these features contribute to the VII Series’ high price. This is the only USB power strip we recommend that costs over $62, but its performance and build quality are unmatched. If you want each component in your home theater or office to be top-notch, Austere’s VII Series 6-Outlet with USB-C PD is peerless.

Best travel friendly: Alitayee USB C Travel Power Strip

Alitayee

SEE IT

Specs

• Number of outlets: 3
• USB Ports: 3 (1 USB-C 2 USB-A)
• Surge protection: Yes

Pros

• Compact, flat design
• Neat cable storage
• Multiple USB ports

Cons

• Only one USB-C port

Every inch of space counts when you’re packing, which makes Alitayee’s 20W USB C Power Strip a no-brainer for frequent travelers. You can plug up to six devices into its assortment of outlets and USB ports. We’re a little disappointed that the power strip has a single USB-C port since that’s required to charge most portable devices at their full speed, but at least it can supply up to 20 watts of power. Alitayee labeled each of this power strip’s USB ports so that you can differentiate between the charging performance of its USB-C ports. The one with an orange tint supports the QuickCharge 3.0 standard, which can supply up to 18W of power.

Many compact USB power strips are available, but Alitayee’s stands out because its power cable can be curled around a hollow ridge around the side of the device. This makes it easier to pack and remove from a bag. It’s annoying to wrangle a thick cord out of a backpack in the middle of a flight or crowded train, and this power strip will save you from the annoyance. Alitayee says this USB power strip will automatically shut off if it’s overloaded, which is very helpful if you’re charging a device overnight or connecting multiple gadgets to it simultaneously. These are helpful features, but this device is not a surge protector.

If you’re a wanderlust who sees packing efficiently as the only way to go, pick up Alitayee 20W USB C Power Strip.

Best design: TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300

TP-Link

SEE IT

Specs

• Number of outlets: 6
• USB Ports: 3 USB-A
• Surge protection: Yes

Pros

• WiFi-enabled
• Fits in a big smart home ecosystem
• Sleek look

Cons

• No USB-C ports

TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300 is way more technically advanced than our other recommendations and could very well become a central part of your smart home. Each of its six outlets can operate as its own smart plug, which you can manage through the Kasa app on your iOS or Android device. This allows you to change the power state of any device connected to the outlets on and off. You could use this feature to turn on a lamp in your living room before heading to it or turn off your receiver if you accidentally forgot earlier.

These smart features are complemented by three USB-A ports, perfect for charging a smartphone and other smaller electronics. We wish TP-Link would update the HS300 with USB-C ports, but most of its design time was dedicated to ensuring six smart plugs could be operated from a single power strip. Like most of TP-Link’s smart home accessories, the HS300 doesn’t require a hub to work and can be controlled via an Amazon Alexa or Google Home-enabled speaker.

If your current power strip is filled with smart plugs, or you want to have complete control over a cluster of smart-home accessories, this is the best USB power strip you can get.

Best for larger adapters: Belkin 12-Outlet Surge Protector

Belkin

SEE IT

Specs

• Number of outlets: 12
• USB Ports: 1 USB-C, 2 USB-A
• Surge protection: Yes

Pros

• A lot of outlets
• Surge protection
• Wall mountable

Cons

• Bulky

We’ve all had the unfortunate experience of having to move power adapters around on a power strip because they wouldn’t fit next to one another. Belkin’s USB Power Strip makes this a non-issue. Half of its outlets are oriented vertically, while the other half face outward. The second set is spaced far enough apart that any-sized power adapter will fit without bumping into another one. We recommend using the vertically-oriented outlets for slimmer power plugs, which don’t run any risk of interrupting one another.

This plethora of outlets is complemented by two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, which can supply power to small and medium-sized electronics like phones, tablets, and portable game consoles. Belkin’s USB power strip is also a surge protector that can handle surges of up to 4,000 joules, so your devices will be safe in case of a sudden energy fluctuation.

The only downside to using a USB power strip with this many outlets is that it’s larger than our other recommendations. You can mount it to a wall, which is a pretty solid solution, but the power strip’s long power cable will make your setup look a little inelegant. Still, this power strip’s sheer utility outweighs that minor complaint.

Best budget: Anker 20W USB C Power Strip

Anker

SEE IT

Specs

• Number of outlets: 3
• USB Ports: 3 (1 USB-C, 2 USB-A)
• Surge protection: No

Pros

• Price
• Port assortment
• Size

Cons

• Fewer outlets

Anker’s 20W USB C Power Strip is an excellent deal in the entire world of tech accessories, not just its own category. For under $15, you get a compact three-outlet power strip with two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. Its smaller size means fewer outlets than most of our recommendations, which is the only potential flaw. This won’t be an issue if you don’t have too many electronics.

We’re very pleased with this USB power strip’s cubic shape, which allows you to plug three big power plugs into it without the risk of them bumping into one another. It doesn’t offer any surge protection, but that’s to be expected from a power strip in its sub-$20 price range. Anker does offer a seven-point safety system, which can prevent common issues like overloading and short-circuiting from damaging your electronics. Additionally, the company offers an 18-month warranty with up to $200,000 in reimbursement if your gadgets get damaged while connected to this power strip during everyday use.

Anker’s solution should be sufficient if you’re curious about trying a USB power strip or don’t have heavy power needs.

What to consider when shopping for the best USB power strips

Number of outlets

USB ports are the main advantage of getting this type of power strip, but you’ll still need enough outlets for your more energy-hungry electronics. We recommend getting a USB power strip with two or three more outlets than you currently need to account for changes in your work or home theater setup. Travel-sized power strips have fewer outlets because of their smaller size, but you’ll probably have fewer gadgets to plug in while on the go.

Types of USB ports

There are two types of USB ports found on the power strips we’re recommending: USB-C and USB-A. USB-C ports can output far more power, and many newer gadgets can take advantage of that thanks to fast charging features. USB-A ports can output less power, but are still sufficient for charging smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, and other smaller electronics.

Surge protection

Some USB power strips also offer surge protection. A surge protector has mechanisms built into it that prevent fluctuations in power or other abnormalities—like power surges—from overloading and potentially damaging the electronics connected to it. A USB power strip without surge protection will simply provide gadgets with the power they need to run and may have other less sophisticated damage prevention features.

FAQs

Final thoughts on choosing the best USB power strips

• Best overall: Austere VII Series 6-Outlet with USB-C PD
• Best travel friendly: Alitayee USB-C Travel Power Strip
• Best design: TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300
• Best for larger adapters: Belkin USB Power Strip
• Best budget: Anker 20W USB-C Power Strip

A USB power strip is a tech accessory that makes total sense but is easy to overlook. You’ll be able to reduce the number of USB power adapters plugged into your walls and invest in more durable charging cables instead. Our tests have proven that the best of these power strips can make an appreciable difference in the overall quality of a work setup. Having an extra outlet or being free of the annoyance of constantly plugging and unplugging different devices prepares you for different work situations. This is the type of simple upgrade that you’ll be kicking yourself for not making earlier.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best USB power strips in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Rocketbook Pro 2.0		SEE IT	It has the look and feel of a traditional notebook, with support for digital features that actually improve its usability.
Best planner		EVO Planner Daily Journal		SEE IT	Supposedly the product of more than 10 years of cognitive psychology research and development, this notebook is designed to help keep your life organized and your mind goal-oriented.
Best budget		Rocketbook Fusion		SEE IT	We’re surprised at how much value Rocketbook offers with the Fusion rather than gatekeeping the best features for its higher-end notebook.

There will always be a place for pens, pencils, and paper, but a digital notebook can make it a lot more convenient to get your analog ideas onto your computer for editing and sharing. They offer the same tactile feedback as a traditional notebook—doodle, sketch, annotate, write, and edit to your heart’s content—but allow you to digitize them with ease. In some cases, a digital notebook can be an entirely computerized device where you use a stylus to sketch on a touch screen, though these devices stop short of being a full-on tablet like the iPad, which can cause distractions. The best digital notebooks will fit seamlessly into your existing writing workflows with added benefits you won’t get elsewhere.

• Best overall: Rocketbook Pro 2.0
• Best automatic: Moleskine Writing Set Smart Notebook
• Best planner: EVO Planner Daily Journal Non-Dated Weekly Monthly Gratitude Agenda
• Best fully digital: Kindle Scribe
• Best budget: Rocketbook Fusion

How we chose the best digital notebooks

Our recommendations for the best digital notebooks are based on in-depth research and hands-on testing. We considered the most common users: office workers, students, and creatives, and made sure to have an option that would work best for every type of workflow. Of course, all of these digital notebooks will also work for anybody who wants to keep themselves more organized over time. The point of using a digital notebook is having quick access to your notes all the time, so we ensured that our recommendations worked with all the most common cloud services and play nicely with Android and iOS devices.

The best digital notebooks: Reviews & Recommendations

Digital notebooks are still relatively new, so there’s a fair chance you’ll pick up your first one rather than upgrade. The differences between our recommendations are subtle, so consider every factor when determining which one best fits your needs.

Best overall: Rocketbook Pro 2.0

Brandt Ranj

SEE IT

Specs

• Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
• Supported services: Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, box, OneNote, Slack, iCloud
• Fully digital: No

Pros

• Durable hard cover
• Syncs with myriad services
• Comes in multiple sizes

Cons

• Weight

The best thing we can say about our time with Rocketbook’s Pro 2.0 is that it felt just like using traditional paper and pen—albeit really nice ones. Its hard cover gave the notebook a premium feel, though it did add an appreciable amount of weight. This isn’t a big deal, but something to note if you plan on walking around with it. We were particularly impressed with the Rocketbook Pro 2.0’s pen, which felt incredibly good in the hand. It was thick and weighty, yes, but those attributes made it easy to grip and hold. The pen’s tip was large enough that our writing and drawings—however small—were always legible. The pen’s eraser worked well, too, though using it required a little more force than we expected. Once we got the hang of it, writing and erasing was a snap.

Getting digital copies of our pages onto our service of choice was equally simple. We snapped a picture of the page using Rocketbook’s app and chose the place we wanted it synced with. In our case, that was iCloud. Rocketbook automatically generated a folder on iCloud Drive, and we could retrieve any additional pages we scanned in one place on our phone, tablet, or computer. Data from iCloud Drive is accessible through a web portal, so in theory, we could access our notes from anywhere in the world. The quality of your digital copy will depend on your phone’s camera, but if you’ve upgraded any time in the past four or five years, this shouldn’t be an issue. Given the Rocketbook Pro 2.0’s performance, we’re pleased to see its expansion into sticky notes with the same properties.

The Rocketbook Pro 2.0 is a great place to start if you’re curious about digital notebooks. It has the look and feel of a traditional notebook, with support for digital features that actually improve its usability. The ability to pop in different pages allows you to turn the Rocketbook Pro 2.0 into a planner or calendar, which makes it even more helpful.

Best automatic: Moleskine Writing Set Smart Notebook

Moleskin

SEE IT

Specs

• Size: 8.9 x 4.88 inches
• Supported services: Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive
• Fully digital: No

Pros

• Automatic information syncing
• Convenient size
• Pen supports audio recording

Cons

• Cost
• Proprietary charger

If snapping photos of notebook pages to digitize them seems like a chore, your best choice is Moleskine’s Writing Set Smart Notebook. The notebook comes with a smart pen, automatically recording everything you’re writing or drawing onto a digital page within Moleskine’s iOS or Android app. This happens in real-time, so you can watch your progress as you work. You’ll still need your phone or tablet for this system to work, but it is much more convenient. Moleskine’s pen can also record your audio and sync these recordings to your writing or drawings. If you’d like to go back to a place in a professor’s lecture because you didn’t manage to take all of your notes quickly enough, it’s possible to find them more easily.

The downsides to this system are its cost and the fact that you have to recharge the pen for it to work. If you forget to charge the pen, you’re out of luck. It’s particularly annoying that Moleskine decided to design its smart pen with a proprietary wireless charging system. If you lose the cable—or it gets damaged accidentally—you’ll need to get a replacement from Moleskine. Still, the automatic syncing system is so appealing that forgiving these frustrations is possible. If you want a digital notebook that makes you feel like you’re in the future, you’ve found it here.

Best digital planner: EVO Planner Daily Journal

Amazon

SEE IT

Specs

• Size: 9.25 x 5.91
• Supported services: EVO app
• Fully digital: No

Pros

• Two-page spread for weekly planning
• Information broken out into sections
• Goal-centric

Cons

• Won’t auto sync with other services

The EVO notebook is a 90-day productivity-tracking smart notebook with fancy copper gild on its pages. Within the planner, you’ll find daily, weekly, and monthly sections to record your daily activities and what you hope to get done. The notebook—supposedly the product of more than 10 years of cognitive psychology research and development—is designed to help keep your life organized and your mind goal-oriented.

It combines your notes with an intelligent organization system you can capture using its EVO app. Fill out the pages daily, and the app will help you keep track of your progress. There are four versions of the notebook—Alchemist, Architect, Explorer, and Oracle—each designed for different types of thinkers.

Best fully digital: Amazon Kindle Scribe

Brandt Ranj

SEE IT

Specs

• Size: 9 x 7.7 inches
• Supported services: Microsoft Word, Amazon Cloud
• Fully digital: Yes

Pros

• A lot of storage for notes
• Designed for note-taking and annotation
• Doubles as an e-reader

Cons

• Cost

The Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s first foray into making a fully digital notebook, and it’s mostly successful. We used its included magnetic smart pen to jot down notes and annotate books and were pretty happy with its precision. Because the Scribe is an all-digital device, there is no snapping photos of a physical page, erasing and re-using pages, or waiting for a smartphone app to sync. All of your digital notes are recorded in real-time and can be synced to a couple of different sources.

Don’t get us wrong, this is a big-screen Kindle first, which is legitimately useful if you’re an e-book reader invested in Amazon’s digital ecosystem. Reading a book on a large screen increases text size without constantly flipping through digital pages. That said, Amazon is committed to improving the writing experience on the Scribe. The company recently pushed a software update that allowed the device to easily ingest Microsoft Word documents, see nine notebook pages at once, change the contrast of PDF documents when editing them.

These aren’t giant changes, but they do prove Amazon is serious about turning the Kindle Scribe into a serious digital notebook. At the very least, using the Kindle Scribe to take notes rather than an iPad is a lot less distracting due to the lack of notifications.

Best budget: Rocketbook Fusion

Rocketbook

SEE IT

Specs

• Size: 8.8 x 6 inches
• Supported services: Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, box, OneNote, Slack, iCloud
• Fully digital: No

Pros

• Compact size
• Easy workflow
• Price

Cons

• Plain look

What if all the features we liked about Rocketbook’s Pro 2.0 were available in a softcover digital notebook, costing roughly a third of the price? That’s the reality of using the Rocketbook Fusion. It follows the same writing workflow, snapping a photo of your completed page, syncing pages with services, then erasing the page using Rocketbook’s pen. You can’t swap in different types of pages like you can with the Pro 2.0, but that’s the biggest difference, and it doesn’t impact the experience of using the Fusion to jot down notes or sketch.

The Rocketbook Fusion is the perfect choice if you’ve been skeptical about digital notebooks but want to try them. The low financial commitment can help you decide whether it’s worth getting a nicer notebook over time. Frankly, we’re surprised at how much value Rocketbook offers with the Fusion rather than gatekeeping the best features for its higher-end notebook.

What to consider when shopping for the best digital notebooks

Size

A digital notebook is designed to be carried with you to and from a classroom, office, or on a trip, so it needs to be easy to carry. Choose a digital notebook that fits in the bag you usually keep on you, be it a backpack, briefcase, messenger bag, or purse.

Supported services

Many digital notebooks allow you to import and export documents and images from various third-party services like Microsoft OneNote, Google Drive, or Dropbox. For the best experience, choose a digital notebook integrated with the services you use most often.

Fully digital

Most digital notebooks have analog and digital components. You write on physical pages with an actual pen, snap a picture of each page, and end up with a digital copy in an app. Recently, companies have released e-ink e-readers with note-taking in mind. These e-readers come with a stylus and allow you to annotate books, doodle, or jot down ideas. These e-readers are still less functional than tablets, but their ability to double as a digital notebook makes them worth considering.

FAQs

Final thoughts on choosing the best digital notebooks

• Best overall: Rocketbook Pro 2.0
• Best automatic: Moleskine Writing Set Smart Notebook
• Best planner: EVO Planner Daily Journal Non-Dated Weekly Monthly Gratitude Agenda
• Best fully digital: Kindle Scribe
• Best budget: Rocketbook Fusion

Digital notebooks may seem like a fad, but they’re a legitimately useful tool if you write down a lot of information rather than type it. The world continues to move in a digital direction, but some environments—classrooms and in-person meetings—require a notebook. Luckily, digital notebooks have become reliable and affordable enough that they’re easy to recommend to most people. The best digital notebooks will help make your work or school life a little easier and fit seamlessly into your established workflows rather than requiring you to make new ones. This gadget will become more sophisticated over time, and companies can continually update their apps to integrate with new services. Pick up a digital notebook if you’re pleased with your handwriting or want to take all your notes with you everywhere.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best digital notebooks in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Solo Stove is responsible for making our favorite smokeless outdoor fire pits—with the Bonfire 2.0 being a particular favorite after our tests. And right now, Solo offers that model and others at up to 45% off during its Memorial Day Weekend sale. On top of that, much of its collection also comes with a free Solo Stove Mesa, the company’s $119.99 tabletop fire pit, with the promo code FREEMESA. These are some of the deepest discounts we’ve ever seen on these outdoor essentials, and we’re surprised to see Solo Stove launch them so early.

Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 $249.99 (Was $399.99)

Stan Horaczek

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The Bonfire 2.0 is Solo Stove’s mid-sized smokeless fire pit, and it’s the perfect choice for most outdoor patios and backyards. The circular barrel can hold several pieces of wood, while the wide lip directs flames upward instead of outward. Ash from the burning wood falls into an ash pan, where it sits rather than getting burned up. A lot of smoke from fire pits comes as a result of burning ash. Solo Stove updated the Bonfire’s design to make this chamber easily accessible so that you can remove and empty it after every use with relative ease.

Our tests found that the Bonfire 2.0 burned wood more efficiently than a traditional fire pit, was easy to move around, and that its claim to be “smokeless” was mostly accurate. All fire pits will produce some smoke—you’re burning wood, after all—but Solo Stove’s patented design reduced it significantly. A ring of holes at the bottom sucks air in, the air rises through the fire pit (there’s a gap between the fire pit’s barrel and outer edge), and it exits through another ring of holes up at the top.

If you plan on hosting parties this summer or want to extend the time you can use your backyard from spring through autumn, don’t miss this deal. It’s straight fire.

Get these other great outdoor deals:

• Pyle Party Speaker, $99.99 (Was $197.99)
• Sony SRS-XP500, $298 (Was $399.99)
• Alpine Solar-Powered Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker, $69.41 (Was $198.40)
• Brightech Ambience Pro Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights, $35.99 (Was $47.99)
• BLACK+DECKER 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner, $389.99 (Was $439.99)
• SYLVOX 43-Inch Outdoor TV, $999 (Was $1,199)
• Rachio 3: 8 Zone Smart Sprinkler Controller, $198.99 (Was $229.99)

The post Solo Stove’s lit Memorial Day deals include 45% off and a free mini fire pit appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		RTIC Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler		SEE IT	RTIC’s Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler its the sweet spot between performance, aesthetics, extra features, and price.
Best electric		GOSun Chill Cooler		SEE IT	GOSUN Chill Cooler can keep your perishables cold without ice—and it can even run on solar power.
Best budget		Coleman Xtreme Portable Cooler		SEE IT	If cost is your concern, Coleman’s Xtreme Portable Cooler is the cream of the crop.

A well-built, long-lasting cooler for camping will keep your food and drinks cold for hours when you’re away from a power outlet, convenience store, or other modern luxuries. It needs to be rugged enough to get taken in and out of the back of a car, trekked to a campsite, and exposed to rain, snow, sunshine, bugs, and anything else you’ll find out in the wilderness. If your current camping cooler is looking a little long in the tooth, isn’t big enough for the length of your trip, it’s time for an upgrade. Here are some of the best coolers for camping in a wide range of styles for every budget.

• Best overall: RTIC Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler
• Best electric: GOSun Chill Cooler
• Best with wheels: YETI Roadie 60
• Best large: Driftsun 75 Quart Insulated Cooler
• Best soft cooler: Hydro Flask 26L Day Escape Soft Cooler
• Best budget: Coleman Xtreme Portable Cooler

How we chose the best coolers for camping

There are a glut of coolers available on the Internet, but the starting point for the recommendations below started with some of our other stories. The commerce team Popular Science has already covered the best coolers and cooler bags available for all uses. Many of the metrics—size, capacity, price—that went into determining the top picks in those stories were also important here. We paid attention to options from the top brands, and were able to conduct some in-person testing to supplement our research.

Coolers can get expensive very fast—we feel the price is worthwhile since this is a piece of gear that should literally last you decades—but we made sure our selections were relatively affordable. This mentality was a through-line throughout this entire story, not just something we cared about when choosing our budget pick. Overall, you’ll find camping coolers that provide the right mix of performance and value without sacrificing either.

The best coolers for camping: Reviews & Recommendations

Camping has experienced a mainstream renaissance lately, driven in part by the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and our collective desire to be out in the world but away from crowds. When outdoor trips were seen one of the few safe summertime activities, people began investing in camping gear, especially tents and water filters. People are still discovering (or rediscovering) the benefits of spending time outdoors, known in some circles as “nature therapy.” There are a lot of fancy camping gadgets, but a camping cooler is deliberately low tech—at least in most cases. Companies have put a lot of effort into creating materials that insulate your food and drinks for longer periods of time without adding too much weight or bulk. There’s always going to be a tradeoff between size and capacity vs. portability, so it’s important to strike the right balance for your specific needs. Many of the camping coolers you’ll see below are available in multiple sizes, which was done by design. We want to make sure everyone’s needs are met regardless of their situation.

Best overall: RTIC Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler

RTIC

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Specs

• Size: 27.01 x 17.28 x 16.54 inches
• Weight: 13.4 pounds
• Capacity: 54 Qt.
• Style: Hardshell
• Materials: Closed-cell foam
• Price: $219.99

Pros

• Excellent weight to capacity ratio
• Three inches of insulation
• Price

Cons

• No separate built-in compartments

If we could only recommend one camping cooler to suit everyone’s needs, RTIC’s Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler is far and away the best choice. The company considered every angle of this cooler, and engineered one of the best pieces of outdoor gear we’ve ever seen regardless of the category.

The cooler’s 52 quart capacity allows it to hold up to 60 pounds of ice or 70 cans with no ice according to RTIC, which is more than enough space to hold everything you’d need for a two day camping trip. This is one of the biggest camping coolers we’re recommending, but thanks to RTIC’s engineering, it’s also one of the lightest. Despite its three inches of closed-cell foam insulation, it weighs roughly half as much as its competition. This will make a huge difference when transporting the cooler to and from your house.

Little touches, like the T-latches that keep it securely closed, non-skid rubber feet, marine-grade nylon rope handles, and the ability to slip in an optional divider to separate food and drink make it even more appealing. We’re even happy to see RTIC offers this camping cooler in six colorways, so you’re not stuck with a plain white one. We wish RTIC included their divider with this cooler—it’s only $7 on their site—but beyond that we couldn’t find much fault with the Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler.

If you’re looking for a big, light, relatively inexpensive cooler for camping, boating, tailgating, or other all-day outdoor activities, don’t hesitate to pick one up.

Best electric: GOSun Chill Cooler

GOsun

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Specs

• Size: 23.5 x 16 x 19 inches
• Weight: 30 pounds
• Capacity: 42 Qt.
• Style: Hardshell
• Materials: Close cell polyurethane foam
• Price: $649

Pros

• Built-in compressor keeps items cool without ice
• Can be run off solar power
• Separate compartments for fridge and freezer items

Cons

• You have to remember to charge it
• Price

GOsun’s Chill Cooler is the most high-tech option we’re recommending, and while its price is high, it’s arguably the most efficient choice. That’s because it has a built-in refrigeration system, which continually keeps its chamber at a pre-set temperature between -4 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This means you won’t have to dedicate any space to ice to keep its contents cool. The cooler’s temperature is managed by a touch panel on top, which is flanked by USB-A ports and a DC cigarette lighter, so you can charge your phone and other devices on-the-go.

The Chill Cooler’s greatest strength is the ability to keep its contents cool, but its high-tech design comes with one downside: the need to keep it charged. Yes, you’ll need to plug in your cooler, which would make the Chill Cooler a no-go for camping if not for GOsun’s ingenuity. You can connect this cooler to an external battery pack or go fully off the grid by plugging it into GOsun’s Outdoor Solar Table. If you’re camping during sunny summer days, and don’t use the Chill Cooler’s cooling features continuously, you shouldn’t have too many issues with it running out of juice.

There aren’t very many electric coolers available, but GOsun’s Chill Cooler stands out in this category because of its innovative design.

Best with wheels: YETI Roadie 60

YETI

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Specs

• Size: 23.7 x 19.9 x 20.5 inches
• Weight: 29 pounds
• Capacity: 63 Qt.
• Style: Hardshell
• Materials: Polyurethane
• Price: $500

Pros

• Ultra-durable
• Highly portable given its size
• Periscoping handle for easy manuverability

Cons

• Price
• Weight

YETI is arguably the best-known premium cooler brand, and it’s brought all the design chops that make its sedentary gear popular into a wheeled version. The $500 60 Quart cooler is one of the biggest—by capacity—camping coolers we’re recommending, and it’s the most expensive non-electric model, but you’re getting what you pay for.

The biggest benefit to getting a YETI cooler is its durability—they’re literally bear proof thanks to their insulation and well-made latches. If you make the investment, you should be able to keep this cooler for life. One of the biggest potential pain points for a wheeled cooler is, well, their wheels, which are going to come into contact with tough terrain very often. YETI says it uses single-piece tires, which should be able to handle prolonged exposure rocks and dirt just fine.

Portability is the main reason to get a wheeled cooler, and the Roadie 60 excels in this area. Its squat-but-deep design offers the same capacity as a traditional cooler in a more compact form. The Roadie 60’s telescoping handle will reach high enough at its maximum height to be comfortable to roll around, but will contract to the point where it’s out of sight when it’s not needed.

Yes, the YETI Roadie 60 is expensive, but if you want the highest quality rolling camping cooler around and are able to stretch your budget, you won’t find a better option.

Best large: Driftsun 75 Quart Insulated Cooler

Driftsun

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Specs

• Size: 33.5 x 18.5 x 18 inches
• Weight: 32 pounds
• Capacity: 75 Qt.
• Style: Hardshell
• Materials: Rotomolded thermoplastic
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Excellent ice retention
• High capacity
• Built-in bottle opener

Cons

• Large size comes with added weight

If a high-capacity camping cooler is what you crave, Driftsun has you covered with its ultra-large-but-relatively-inexpensive Insulated Cooler. Its 75 quart capacity will comfortably hold dozens of cans with room to spare ice. Driftsun is also confident in this cooler’s insulation, and says it can keep ice solid for up to 10 days—more than enough time for a week-long camping trip if you’re strategic about how long you keep it open. This level of performance is also possible because of the cooler’s locking latches, which will keep it firmly shut.

This may be the largest camping cooler we recommend, but it’s not the heaviest—even amongst non-electric models. We considered portability very strongly when selecting a camping cooler in this category because nobody want to carry it around if it’s too heavy. Many of the coolers in this guide have a capacity of between 50 and 60 quarts, and while a 75 quart option may not seem like a big difference, the ability to carry around the same number of cans with ice is a big deal for long trips. Some of Driftsun’s little extras, like a built-in bottle opener make it a little nicer to use, too.

If you need a big cooler for longer trips—or ones with a larger party—Driftsun’s 75 Quart Insulated Cooler is the way to go. There’s enough space to satisfy the thirst of a big crowd without being too unwieldy to use. This camping cooler’s affordable price is just icing on the cake.

Best soft cooler: Hydro Flask 26L Day Escape Soft Cooler

Hydro Flask

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Specs

• Size: 14.5 x 14.5 x 10.3 inches
• Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Capacity: 27 Qt.
• Style: Softshell
• Materials: Polyester
• Price: $179.95

Pros

• Lightweight
• Relatively high capacity
• Features straps and handles

Cons

• Can’t hold as much stuff as hard shell coolers

If your idea of a camping trip is a one night stay at a campsite for two or three people, there isn’t much of a reason to pack a big hardshell cooler—Hydro Flask’s 26L Day Escape Soft Cooler will more than satisfy your needs. The soft cooler is ultra light, but the insulation Hyrdro Flask uses can keep its contents cold for up to 27 hours according to the company.

Because of the cooler’s relatively small size, you’re likely going to fill it to the brim, and Hydro Flask has accounted for this by offering side handles in addition to a strap, which can make it easier to carry for two people. This seems like a little touch, but it can make a big difference. Additionally, the Day Escape’s strap can be removed and reattached in such a way that you can carry it as a cross-body strap.

We’ve tried some of Hydro Flask’s soft coolers in the past, and one of the features that’s always struck us is the quality of their zipper. This is essential for a soft cooler, because a faulty zipper will let warm air inside, or let liquid leak out. We’re happy to say this has never been an issue for us. If you’re confident that your next camping trips will be short and sweet, and you’d like to be as unencumbered as possible while you’re exploring nature, Hydro Flask 26L Day Escape is the ideal cooler.

Best budget: Coleman Xtreme Portable Cooler

Coleman

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Specs

• Size: 28.25 x 15.75 x 18.25 inches
• Weight: 12.3 pounds
• Capacity: 70 Qt.
• Style: Hardshell
• Materials: Plastic (with Xtreme® technology)
• Price: $79.99

Pros

• High capacity
• Cup holders and seating
• Price

Cons

• No latches to keep the lid closed

Coleman’s Xtreme Portable Cooler doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it makes up for its simplicity by offering the best value we’ve ever seen in a full-sized hard cooler. The Xtreme has a capacity of 70 quarts, yet it’s the lightest camping cooler we’re recommending at just under 12.5 pounds. The camping cooler’s favorable capacity-to-weight ratio is complemented by its sun-$100 price tag and overall performance. Coleman says this cooler can keep its contents cold for up to five days, but we’re skeptical given its lid, which has extra insulation around the rim, but no latches to keep it closed.

Coleman touts the Xtreme Portable Cooler’s extra features, like four cup holders on top, and its ability to be used as a seat or work surface with a 250 pound weight limit. These are genuinely useful auxiliary uses, though the cup holders do reduce the insulation on top of the cooler at four points. Still, these nitpicks are immediately forgivable due to the Xtreme Portable Cooler’s price, which makes it the perfect pick for newer campers who aren’t sure they’ll go out enough times to justify getting a more luxe option.

What to consider when shopping for the best coolers for camping

Size

A cooler’s physical size—including weight—is the first factor to think about when picking the right camping cooler. This isn’t a piece of gear you’re going to want to upgrade on a regular basis. Our recommendations run the gamut, but most of them are roughly two feet wise, and a food and a half wide and deep. A cooler in that size range will weigh roughly 15 pounds when empty. Also consider the amount of space you have in your car, which will likely be packed with a lot of other gear, and on the campsite.

Capacity

A camping cooler’s capacity is measured in quarts, and determines how much space there is inside for your food and drinks. Many companies illustrate the capacity of their cooler by saying how much ice and how many cans it can hold. These rough metrics can be a big help in figuring out which cooler is right for you, so don’t disregard them even if you plan on packing liquid in bottles and dedicating part of its space to food.

Style

Camping coolers come in all shapes and sizes, but we’ve broken them down into two styles: hardshell and softshell. We’ve elected to primarily focus on hardshell coolers in large part because this is the most traditional type. We also have an entire guide to insulated cooler bags—the official name for softshell coolers—so you’re covered if you prefer this style. Softshell coolers look like a tote bag and are a lot more portable, but they can’t hold as much stuff. The solution for multi-day camping trips with a lot of hiking to and from a central camping spot may be to get one of both.

Materials

When possible, we’ve called out the materials companies have used to make their coolers. This has the biggest impact on their ability to keep your perishables cold for extended periods of time. Naturally, coolers with thick insulation will be larger and weigh more, so keep that in mind if portability is your priority.

Price

You can spend a lot of money on a camping cooler, but we’ve made sure most of our recommendations fall under $300, so they’re accessible to the highest number of people. That said, we didn’t shy away from more expensive models if they had a differentiating feature that justified the higher cost.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best coolers for camping

• Best overall: RTIC Ultra-Light Quart Hard Cooler
• Best electric: GOSun Chill Cooler
• Best with wheels: YETI Roadie 60
• Best large: Driftsun 75 Quart Insulated Cooler
• Best soft cooler: Hydro Flask 26L Day Escape Soft Cooler
• Best budget: Coleman Xtreme Portable Cooler

The right camping cooler should last a lifetime, which is more than we can say for most gear produced these days regardless of the category. Advancements in materials and manufacturing, driven by demand, has allowed companies to make big investments in this space. Outdoor activities never go out of style, and the upside is you can use your camping cooler in your backyard, at a tailgate, or even extra fridge space if you’re hosting a party. These auxiliary purposes can help make larger, more expensive camping coolers a little easier to justify, especially if you live in a place where the climate is moderate or warm year-round.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best coolers for camping in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Bose practically invented the noise-cancelling headphone category with the release of its over-ear QuietComfort cans years ago, and it’s brought that same technological prowess to its earbuds. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are the company’s latest model, and they’re the best noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve ever heard—now at their best price. Amazon has knocked $50 off their price for a limited time, which brings the earbuds back down to their lowest price ever. If you travel, commute, or want to listen to music in peace and quiet in a noisy environment, the QuietComfort Earbuds II are a wise investment.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, $249 (Was $299)

Bose

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Active noise-cancelling has become a standard feature for most Bluetooth earbuds over $100, but Bose went above and beyond to eke out as much performance from these earbuds as possible. The combination of Bose’s noise-cancellation algorithm, the earbuds’ fit (which provides passive noise cancellation and creates the optimal listening environment), and microphones are a winning combination. No headphones will block out 100% of outside sounds, but we were continually surprised at how the QuietComfort Earbuds II turned cacophony into background noise. Some noises—typing on a keyboard, the ticking of a mechanical clock, light footsteps—will be completely eliminated even when music isn’t playing.

If you play music at a moderate volume, you probably won’t be able to hear the sound of a bus or train. When listening to music at maximum volume, even loud sounds like the whirring of a jet plane’s engine won’t be audible. Older generations of active noise cancellation technology caused audio to sound wonky, requiring you to choose between how your music sounded and how much outside noise you wanted blocked. The QuietComfort Earbuds II sound virtually identical whether active noise cancellation is enabled or disabled. To that end, the earbuds sound fantastic, with well-balanced audio and no sign of unwanted artifacts like distortion or sibilance.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II are still an investment at their sale price, but they’re a bargain based on their performance. If you care about audio and creating a focus-friendly environment wherever you go, don’t skip this sale.

Here are some other deals that sound good:

• Bose QuietComfort 45, $279 (Was $329)
• Bose SoundLink Flex, $129 (Was $149)
• Beats Studio Buds, $99.95 (was $149.95)
• Beats Fit Pro, $159.95 (Was $199.95)
• Google Pixel Buds Pro, $159.99 (Was $199.99)
• JBL Flip 6, $99.95 (Was $129.95)
• Therabody RecoveryAir JetBoots $699 (Was $899 Note: Only the small and medium sizes appear to be on sale.)
• Deep Tissue Kneading Electric Back Massage for Neck $39 (Was $69)
• Back Massager Neck Massager with Heat $29 (Was $49)
• Boriwat Back Massager with Heat $39 (Was $169, but regularly $60)
• FIT KING Leg and Foot Massager with Heat $78 (Was $110)
• FIT KING Hand Massager with Heat for Hand Massage $69 (Was $110)
• FIT KING Massage Gun $39 (Was $80)

The post The best Bose noise-cancelling earbuds are $50 off at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Fitbit has the most recognizable—and some of the most highly regarded—fitness bands on the market. And, right now, Fitbit has marked down many of its most popular models on Amazon. The Google-owned company’s sterling reputation is based on the quality of its hardware and software—all of the health data your wearable collects is automatically synced with your Fitbit account so that you can measure your progress over time. Fitbit has also introduced more advanced sensors over the years, which can more accurately gauge certain aspects of your health. So, if you’re clinging onto an ancient fitness tracker, it’s likely time for an upgrade. A Fitbit won’t guarantee a healthier lifestyle, but it’ll give you the information you need to make exercise decisions.

Fitbit Versa 2, $101.93 (Was $149.95)

Fitbit

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Several Fitbits are on sale, but we’re particularly pleased with the $48 discount on its Versa 2 smartwatch because the discount brings it down to its lowest price ever. This wearable can record your steps taken, calories burned, heart rate, and sleep cycles. It’s even waterproof, so you can wear it while swimming. There’s even a smart wake feature, which will monitor your REM cycle while you’re sleeping to wake you up at the optimal time. Many of these health tracking features are available on less sophisticated Fitbit models, but its smartwatch capabilities set the Versa 2 apart, making it a solid Apple Watch alternative.

You can use the Versa 2 to make contactless payments using Fitbit Pay or control your smart home accessories using Amazon’s Alexa, which is built into the watch. When notifications come to the watch from your phone, they’ll be easier to read, so you can decide whether it’s worth pausing your workout to address them. The Versa 2 can even run apps like Spotify, so you can switch tracks or start a playlist directly from the smartwatch. This is a lot of functionality from a Fitbit that’ll only set you back about $100 on sale.

Fitbit’s deals aren’t tied to a larger sale and can end anytime. Some models have even sold out already, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Versa 2 is the next one to go. If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive but fully-featured smartwatch, this is the one to get.

Here are more Fitbit deals to get your heart pumping:

• Fitbit Charge 5 $102 (Was $149.95)
• Fitbit Sense 2, $249.95 (Was $299.95)

And here are other great deals that are ongoing:

• Beats Studio Buds $99 (Was $150)
• Powerbeats Pro $159 (Was $249)
• Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine $679 (Was $849)
• Breville Barista Express® Impress Espresso Machine $719 (Was $899)
• Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine $679 (Was $849)
• KBICE 2.0 Self Dispensing Countertop Nugget Ice Maker $339 (Was $459)
• Nugget Ice Maker Countertop – Silonn Pebble Ice Maker Machine with Self-Cleaning Function $224 (Was $279)
• Mueller Nugget Ice Maker Machine $319 (was $399)

The post Get the Fitbit Versa 2 for its lowest price ever on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		iPad Mini		SEE IT	The iPad Mini is the pinnacle of the 8-inch tablet in terms of performance, hardware quality, and software quality.
Biggest screen		Samsung Galaxy Tab 7A		SEE IT	If you want an 8-inch tablet specifically for streaming video on the go, you can’t go wrong here.
Best budget		TCL Tab 8		SEE IT	Often offered at $99, TCL’s Tab 8 is one of the best values in tech when you can grab it on sale; it even comes with a case.

Phone screens have continuously gotten bigger, but there’s still room for the venerable 8-inch tablet. These standalone devices offer more digital real estate for work and play without feeling cumbersome. For years, companies treated their smaller tablets poorly—omitting features present in “full-sized” models—but that’s changed. Today’s “8-inch “mini” tablets have feature parity with their bigger siblings while besting them in portability. The best 8-inch tablets fill a noticeable gap between smartphones and tablets, offering some of the best of both worlds.

• Best overall: iPad Mini
• Biggest storage: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
• Biggest screen: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
• Best for kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition
• Best budget: TCL Tab 8

How we chose the best 8-inch tablets

Our research and testing revealed that the term 8-inch tablet is a little ambiguous because many tech companies have decided to play fast and loose with screen sizes. The iPad Mini, for example, has an 8.3-inch screen, while Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A7 Lite’s display comes in at 8.7 inches. This difference may seem subtle, but every tenth of an inch counts when dealing with tablets this small. We factored in these variations—plus which tablets have the best overall hardware, expandable storage, and battery life—to find five that suit different people’s needs equally.

The best 8-inch tablets: Reviews & Recommendations

There’s a lot more competition in this part of the tech world than you might think, with many tablets having overlapping features and subtle differences. You’ll find the right 8-inch tablet below regardless of your screen size preferences, operating system preferences, or budget.

Best overall: iPad Mini

Stan Horaczek

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Specs

• Screen size: 8.3 inches
• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Storage: Up to 256GB
• Weight: 239 grams
• Cameras: 12 megapixel (front) 12 megapixel (rear)

Pros

• Useful for media consumption and work
• Excellent camera hardware for its size
• App store full of helpful software

Cons

• Price

This entire story could honestly be a meditation on how the iPad mini absolutely smokes any other tablet in this screen size bracket when it comes to performance, hardware quality, and software quality. However, as is typically the case, its cost—roughly three times higher than our other recommendations—will temper anyone’s enthusiasm.

In our tests, there wasn’t a single task the iPad Mini couldn’t do well. Its Liquid Retina screen (2266-by-1488 resolution at 326 pixels per inch) made reading text, viewing images, and watching videos a joy. The LED IPS display’s wide color display (P3) reproduction was especially impressive—it can’t match the performance of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s miniLED screen, but it holds its own. The pint-sized tablet is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip, which is speedy enough to stream 4K video, load high-resolution images, and play Apple Arcade games with no signs of slowing down.

If you’ve used an iPhone or previous-generation iPad, you’ll be familiar with many aspects of iPadOS. Apple’s tablet operating system isn’t as versatile as macOS, but Apple has continuously added features to bridge the gap. The iPad Mini’s greatest software advantage over Android tablets is the App Store, which is loaded with hundreds of thousands of productivity and leisure applications. If you want to work on an iPad Mini, you’ll find the software you need on the App Store, and the tablet is powerful enough to run it.

Apple says the iPad Mini’s battery lasts up to 10 hours per charge, and that’s true, depending on how you use it. You’ll probably get there if you browse the web, listen to music, or stream video with the 500 nits of brightness at 50 percent. Resource-intensive tasks like gaming or streaming video with the brightness cranked all the way up will run down the battery much more quickly.

Taking photos and videos with a tablet is more cumbersome than using a phone, but the iPad Mini’s 12-megapixel camera system is unmatched compared to its competition. Whether you’re video chatting with friends and colleagues or snapping a quick pic of something that catches your eye, you should be very happy with the results. The fact that you can import your photo and edit it in professional software like Adobe Lightroom or Photomator—using the Apple Pencil (2nd generation), if desired—speaks volumes about the iPad Mini’s value.

The iPad Mini is offered in 64GB and 256GB storage sizes—more than the average for an 8-inch tablet—but you can’t expand it with a memory card later on. The base storage tier is fine for casual use, but if you plan on using the iPad Mini for productivity tasks, it might be necessary to bump up to the high storage tier. At that point, you’re looking at a tablet that costs over $600—more than Apple charges for the entry-level model of its higher-end tablets. Adding cellular connectivity increases its price even more.

If you don’t mind spending the extra money, the iPad Mini is in a league of its own. You won’t find a better-looking, better-performing 8-inch tablet—or one that even comes close.

Biggest storage: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

Amazon

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Specs

• Screen size: 8-inches
• Battery life: Up to 13 hours
• Storage: 32GB (Expandable up to 1TB)
• Weight: 337 grams
• Cameras: 2 megapixel (front), 5 megapixel (rear)

Pros

• Tight integration with Amazon’s digital content ecosystem
• Massively expandable storage
• Price

Cons

• Weak productivity app selection
• No native YouTube support

Amazon has steadily improved the quality of its Fire Tablets by adding more memory (3GB), 30-percent faster processors, increasing the battery life, and continuing to allow users to add to the base 32GB or 64GB storage via a MicroSD Card. That final feature is true of most Android tablets, but the Fire HD 8 Plus takes it to the next level by supporting storage expansion up to 1TB. That’s more than enough space to hold a lifetime’s worth of media—which this tablet is best used for.

The greatest strength of the Fire HD 8 Plus is its tight integration with Amazon’s services ecosystem. Your Kindle books, Prime Music library, Prime Video library, and Audible audiobooks will immediately be available when you turn on the device. All of the appropriate Amazon apps come pre-downloaded, so all you need to do is choose which media you’d like to sync with it. If you use Amazon’s digital services and enjoy Alexa, using the Fire HD 8 Plus will be an excellent experience.

The same is true if you want to stream video from services like Netflix, listen to music on Spotify, or download media from either service. YouTube is the only streaming app you won’t find on this tablet; you’ll have to access this service via the web browser. The Fire HD 8 Plus has enough memory and processing power for audio and video consumption, browsing the web, or taking a video conference call. If you want to get work done, though, it’s a different story. The app library available on the Fire HD 8 Plus isn’t as big as Apple’s App Store, and its relatively low-resolution screen (1280 x 800 at 189 ppi) will make using the limited productivity software even more difficult.

That said, you can get the Fire HD 8 Plus and a 1TB MicroSD card for a third of the cost of the iPad Mini. Economically, it’s a better bet if you only need your tablet for reading, watching movies in bed, online shopping, and catching up with friends on social media. If you need to download a cache of shows and films to watch on a long trip, the expanded storage and Amazon’s battery claims—this tablet can last up to 13 hours in their estimation—make it a great travel companion.

Biggest screen: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

Samsung

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Specs

• Screen size: 8.7-inches
• Battery life: N/A
• Storage: 32GB (expandable up to 1TB)
• Weight: 371 grams
• Cameras: 2 megapixels (front) 8 megapixels (rear)

Pros

• Large display
• Expandable storage
• Price

Cons

• Weak front-facing camera
• Samsung not forthright about battery specs

If you’d like to push the boundaries of what it means to be an 8-inch tablet, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is the right choice. Its 8.7-inch 1340 x 800 px (WXGA+) display is the largest screen of any tablet we’re recommending, which will come in handy whether you’re trying to get work done or enjoy a streaming video. The tablet’s other tech specs—an eight-core processor, 3GB of memory, and expandable storage up to 1TB via MicroSD—are impressive given the tablet’s low price.

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite runs on Android, and the selection of apps on the Google Play store is robust enough that you should be able to find productivity apps in addition to the usual assortment of streaming services. The tablet’s large screen and highly expandable storage make it a wonderful content consumption device. However, no experience will match the one on Amazon’s tablets regarding overall user experience. At least you can download the YouTube app on this tablet.

Our only complaint about the Galaxy Tab A7 is that Samsung is not forthright about its tech specs. It touts this tablet’s battery life but refrains from giving a battery estimate on its site. The battery’s capacity is high enough to last several hours between charges, but, unfortunately, Samsung doesn’t give a figure to help set your expectations. If that ambiguity doesn’t bother you, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better Android tablet at this price.

Best for kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition

Amazon

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Specs

• Screen size: 8-inches
• Battery life: Up to 13 hours
• Storage: 32GB (Expandable up to 1TB)
• Weight: 337 grams
• Cameras: 2 megapixel (front), 5 megapixel (rear)

Pros

• Includes a case
• Two-year warranty
• Bundled with Amazon Kids+ subscription

Cons

• Price is steep for a kid’s gadget

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro has the same exact specs as the version of this tablet aimed at adults, but its kid-friendly features help it stand out in the 8-inch tablet space in critical ways.

Amazon bundles each of these tablets with a hardshell case available in a handful of colors and patterns, a two-year warranty against any damage, and a year’s subscription to Kids+. The first two benefits are straightforward, but access to Amazon Kids+ is a bigger deal than you might imagine. Amazon’s child-friendly service gives kids instant, unlimited access to age-appropriate games, movies, TV shows, movies, music stations, and apps. Think of it as baked-in parental controls that allow a child to experience autonomously with their tablet without worries about the trouble they could get themselves into.

We’re happy that Amazon opted to build its kids-edition Fire Tablet with the same hardware as its standard 8-inch tablet because it ensures that your kid can use this gadget for several years without it feeling run down and slow. That’s important given this tablet’s price, which is far lower than the iPad Mini’s, but still pricey for tech aimed at kids. Still, the overall value is there, and if you’d like your kid to stop reaching for your phone constantly, it’s a wise investment.

Best budget: TCL Tab 8

TCL

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Specs

• Screen size: 8 inches
• Battery life: Up to 8 hours
• Storage: 32 (expandable up to 512GB)
• Weight: 310 grams
• Cameras: 2 megapixel (front), 5 megapixel (rear)

Pros

• Price
• Blue light reduction modes
• Expandable storage

Cons

• So-so resolution

TCL’s Tab 8, which routinely goes on sale for $99, offers plenty of value at its discounted price for anyone who needs an 8-inch tablet for lightweight tasks like web browsing, online shopping, and video streaming. The Android 11 device comes with 32GB of storage with the option to add 512GB with a MicroSD card. TCL says this tablet lasts up to eight hours per charge—again, this will depend on how you use it and your screen brightness level.

Despite running Android 11, which is impressive for a budget-priced tablet, we’d still categorize the Tab 8 as being more for media consumption than productivity. Its display is relatively low resolution (‎800 x 1280 pixels), making it difficult to edit photos or video, though text should look OK. Think of this as a big display you can throw in your bag for video streaming on the go—especially if you download media to watch offline. TCL even bundles the Tab 8 with a foldable case, which protects your device and allows you to angle it upward for more comfortable viewing.

One of the Tab 8’s coolest features is its assortment of eye protection modes, which are optimized for tasks like e-book reading. Staring at a screen can start to hurt your eyes after a while, so it’s great to see these features baked into the device instead of forcing you to download third-party apps for the same functionality. All of these little extras are unexpected for such a budget-conscious tablet. If you’re mostly content with your phone, but would like a bigger screen when online shopping or watching random cat videos, give TCL’s Tab 8 serious consideration.

What to consider when shopping for the best 8-inch tablets

Screen size

The definition of what 8-inch tablet is varies from company to company—some hit that mark exactly, while others push the limits to a screen closer to nine inches. A larger screen makes the tablet better for media consumption and productivity, but the additional size will make it more cumbersome to carry.

Battery life

A tablet’s size doesn’t really matter if it’s run out of power, so we only recommend tablets that get at least eight hours of battery per charge. Some 8-inch tablets can last even longer, though the amount of uptime you get will be based on the apps you’re running and your screen brightness settings.

Storage

If you plan on storing a lot of media and apps on your tablet, it’s going to have enough storage to hold it all. Most of the 8-inch tablets we’re recommending allow you to add more storage to your device by popping in a memory card, which can come in handy if your needs change.

Weight

If you’re worried about how much bulk an 8-inch tablet will add to your everyday carry, don’t be. All of our recommendations weigh in at around 325 grams, which is under one pound. Tablets in this size class can typically fit in the small pocket of a backpack.

Cameras

Tablet photography remains popular, and all of our recommendations have both a front and rear-facing camera. The former is useful for selfies or video calls, while the latter will let you take quick pictures of anything around you. Tablet camera systems aren’t as sophisticated as the ones in your phone, but can work in a pinch.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best 8-inch tablets

• Best overall: iPad Mini
• Biggest storage: Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus
• Biggest screen: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
• Best for kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition
• Best budget: TCL Tab 8

There’s a lot of competition in the 8-inch tablet world, which is great to see after years of companies focused on larger-screen devices. Current models from the top tech companies are all suited for media consumption, and some are beginning to be useful for productivity. Shockingly, companies have managed to keep the prices of these devices down while regularly updating them with faster components—Apple is the notable exception, but the iPad Mini is virtually untouchable in its performance. If you’ve been curious about tablets, but haven’t taken the plunge because they were too large and unwieldy or expensive, give an 8-inch tablet a try.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best 8-inch tablets in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II		SEE IT	If ANC excites you, these will get your heart thumping (and they’re so efficient you can hear it happening).
Best for Apple users		AirPods Pro (2nd generation)		SEE IT	Meaningful updates improve all the marquee features and the result, especially with iOS devices, is immediately perceivable.
Best battery lyfe		beyerdynamic Free BYRD		SEE IT	A few extra hours of battery life may not sound like a lot, but it can make a big difference if you’re a big traveler.

The proliferation of noise-cancelling earbuds is one of the most impressive developments in the world of consumer audio—if not consumer electronics. The feature, which sucks up energy and requires both processing power and high-quality microphones, seemed at first like it’d be impossible to implement in gadgets that can fit in your pocket. Early noise-cancelling earbuds were wired, like their full-sized headphones counterparts, and came with a bulbous battery pack that needed to be charged frequently. However, as noise-cancellation technology (and rechargeable batteries) evolved, it came to over-ear wireless headphones, then on-ear wireless headphones, and finally earbuds. There are now plentiful earbuds with active noise cancellation as a standard feature, and they’re not all expensive. If you’ve enjoyed noise cancellation on over-ear headphones, but want the convenience of wearing earbuds, here are the best noise-cancelling earbuds to get.

• Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
• Best for Android users: Google Pixel Buds Pro
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best case: JBL Tour Pro 2
• Best budget: Edifier NeoBuds Pro

What is noise cancellation?

Noise cancellation is a feature and phrase thrown around a lot, but it can mean a couple of different things. First off, there are two types of noise cancellation: passive and active. 

All earbuds with properly fitted eartips provide passive noise cancellation, which happens when a ‘bud creates a tight seal within your ear canal. This physical barrier muffles noise from the outside world, whether your earbuds are turned on or off. Passive noise cancellation is the equivalent of hearing a loud noise in one part of your house and closing the door to the room you’re in. 

Active noise cancellation is what most people think of when they hear the term “noise cancellation.” Active noise cancellation, or ANC, was initially introduced to provide clarity and relief for pilots and passengers to combat thunderous airplane engine noise. In 1989, Bose released the first commercially available active noise reduction headphones, aptly called the Aviation Headset. Since that noise-cancelling device, ANC-equipped personal audio gear has swept the market, letting users tune out everything from a roommate’s constant cooking to construction work next door to the coffee shop where you’re working remotely. But how does it work? 

Earbuds with ANC have microphones that systematically capture outside noises within a certain frequency range. A chip inside each earbud analyzes the sounds you normally hear in real-time, then creates an inverse soundwave to counteract it. The better the microphones and algorithm, the more effective this feature is at reducing noise. 

One of the main reasons active noise cancellation drains so much energy is that it’s running all the time. Sounds from the environment around you change every second, and the earbuds you’re wearing need to adapt on the fly. Oh, and all this is happening while you’re sending audio to the earbuds over Bluetooth, which they need to play. All of this technology is especially impressive with true wireless earbuds because each bud has to do this processing on its own while staying in sync with one another and your device.

The energy drain of active noise cancellation is one of the primary reasons earbud battery life doesn’t improve very much year over year. Gains in battery life through power efficiency or new hardware are immediately “spent” on processors that require more power for better active noise cancellation. Ultimately, the tradeoff is worth it as long as battery life doesn’t get much worse. Plus, you can always turn active noise cancellation off to conserve power in a quiet environment.

How we chose the best noise-cancelling earbuds

Our noise-cancelling earbud recommendations are based on hands-on testing and research. We considered peer recommendations, critical reviews, and user impressions, as well as the PopSci staff’s extensive first-hand experience in personal audio. Below are the factors we considered most highly when deciding which noise-cancelling earbuds to include in this buyer’s guide.

The best noise-cancelling earbuds: Reviews & Recommendations

With these factors in mind, we’ve assembled a list of noise-cancelling earbuds that perform well in every category but excel in one of them. Sometimes, we’ve offered alternatives within the same category to give you even more choices. The earbuds that’ll work best for you depend on your top priority—audio quality, longevity, durability—and budget. In this guide, you’ll find our flagship picks, with some affordable alternatives, but if you want to skip straight to sampling ANC for less, you can also check out the options in our best cheap wireless earbuds guide. We’re happy to see companies continue to push one another (and themselves) to get the highest performance levels into increasingly small form factors.

Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II have the most-efficient noise cancellation of any earbuds we’ve ever tested—to an almost eerie extent.

Specs 

• Battery Life: Six hours (24 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 6.24
• Price: $299.99

Pros

• Best-in-class noise cancellation
• Multiple microphones in each bud
• Fully functional app

Cons

• Only three sets of eartips

The active noise cancellation capabilities of Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II are actually kind of scary. It was so effective in my tests that my brain had trouble processing the fact that things I saw and felt (clapping my hands with a moderate amount of force, for example) weren’t accompanied by a sound. There were points where the only thing I could hear and feel was the thump of my heartbeat, which was a unique experience, to say the least. (And I’m not alone; our associate managing editor was also impressed while commuting with them, and trying them next to the train tracks under a flight path, as shown above.)

One of the most significant reasons for the QuietComfort Earbuds II’s exquisite active noise cancellation is the fact that each bud has two microphones instead of one. The mics are located above and below the earbud’s ear tip and are used to cancel noise while improving the quality of your voice while taking calls. We also have to recognize the processor inside these earbuds, which is phenomenal at figuring out which frequencies to filter with pinpoint precision. And all of this is happening in slimmer ovals, as the latest version of these earbuds comes in at almost a third smaller by volume, while the case has been shrunk by almost 40 percent.

You can adjust the level of noise cancellation you like by using Bose’s impressively competent mobile app for iOS and Android. The app, which walks you through the straightforward pairing process, allows you to switch between quiet (noise-cancelling) and aware (transparency mode) in just a tap. You can also create two additional modes based on your preferred level of active noise cancellation. I created a mode called “home,” with noise cancellation cranked all the way up, and recommend you do the same to see the true potential of the QuietComfort Earbuds II. 

For audio playback, the updated QuietComfort Earbuds II have 9mm dynamic drivers and Bluetooth 5.3 (supporting the SBC/AAC codecs). I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Bose Music app, which also includes a digital EQ to tweak the earbuds’ sound and allows you to update their firmware. I found the EQ unnecessary because the QuietComfort Earbuds II generally sound great, even without hi-res codecs and with active noise cancellation at the maximum setting. I was able to pick out each element in a song, even subtle ones like the background piano on “Smog Eyes” by Warne Marsh. Sounds from the opposite ends of the sounds spectrum—a bass and cymbals, for example—didn’t clash. 

There were a few cases when I found the QuietComfort Earbuds II to be a little treble-heavy, but that had more to do with the way a song was mastered rather than the earbuds’ overall audio quality. You’ll have a good experience whether you prefer listening to Led Zeppelin or Bad Bunny—or enjoy both in equal measure. 

Competition is fierce in the world of noise-cancelling earbuds, but Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II are the current champions. That said, if audio quality is more important to you than active noise-cancelling performance, we can also recommend Sennheiser’s MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. The earbuds’ TrueResponse transducers are capable of the rich, refined reproduction of sounds from 5 Hz to 21 kHz, so they’re as articulate as they are impactful—and solid ANC is a bonus.

Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: The beyerdynamic Free BYRD will likely outlast your desire to listen to music in a single sitting.

Specs

• Battery Life: Eight hours (31 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 7 grams
• Price: $299.99

Pros

• Exceptional battery life
• Comes with eight sets of ear tips
• Great fit

Cons

• Slight ear protrusion

German audio component manufacturer beyerdynamic has a rich history in the audio world (topping our mixing headphones list, among others). We were impressed by the overall performance of its Free BYRD noise-cancelling earbuds. Their marquee feature is battery life: The earbuds could run for up to eight hours with active noise cancellation turned on, and beyerdynamic says they’ll last a full 11 if you turn it off. With mixed use, you should expect to get around nine-and-a-half hours of playtime before popping the earbuds into their battery case, where they’ll offer up roughly an hour of music playback off a 10-minute charge. 

Most of the active noise-cancelling earbuds we’re recommending last around six hours, and while the difference between six and eight may not seem like a lot, it’ll make a big difference on a transatlantic flight. Eight hours of battery life means you may never have to hear the full sound of a whirring plane engine ever again. The Free BYRDs’ battery life helps the active noise-cancelling earbuds stand out but it’s not the only reason they’ve made this list. 

The earbuds have very good noise cancellation performance, and only fall short when directly compared to Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II. We weren’t completely isolated from the outside world when using the Free BYRD earbuds, but they blocked enough sound when listening to music at 80% that only very loud sounds could poke their way through the bubble. This is partly because beyerdynamic includes eight sets of ear tips with the earbuds—five silicone, three memory foam—so I found a set that fit my ears perfectly. The tight seal didn’t hurt my ears and the Free BYRDs never came loose, whether we were headbanging, running, or sitting still.

Regarding audio quality, the 10mm dynamic drivers in these guitar pick-esque earbuds were on-par with what we heard from the AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 (with SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive codecs), there was enough rich detail across the 10Hz – 22 kHz frequency spectrum to fully enjoy any music we listened to and voices during spoken word audio—be it audiobooks, dialogue from TV shows, or podcasts sounded surprisingly natural. We liked how they sounded from the moment we first turned them on—balancing punchy bass, midrange clarity, and plenty of nimble transients—and didn’t feel the need to make any changes using the software EQ in beyerdynamic’s MIY app. 

That app will run you through a hearing test to create a custom tuning based on how well you can hear specific frequencies, but we didn’t notice a huge difference before and after. Your mileage may vary based on the sensitivity of your ears, though, so it’s worth taking a couple of minutes to run through the test. Whether you choose to or not, we can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by how the Free BYRDs sound if you’re already aware of the auditory limitations of using active noise-cancelling earbuds. 

What you should be aware of is the fact that the Free BYRDs will stick out of your ears a little more than your typical pair of wireless earbuds. It’s not that they’re especially prominent, but the feeling is noticeable. The upside is that this makes them easy to install and remove from your ears, but you may be more aware of them than other earbuds depending on the sensitivity of your ears. Beyond that, there’s much to like about beyerdynamic’s Free BYRD. 

If battery life is important to you, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds are another great choice. The earbuds’ audio quality (supporting the hi-res LDAC and 360 Audio formats) and deep app-based customization options, eight-hour battery life, and active noise cancellation are superb. This is because Sony’s custom Integrated V1 processor is responsible for all three features, and you won’t find a similar pair anywhere else. These used to be the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market before the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, and we can’t see anyone being disappointed by them. 

If you want to shave off a little cost but are also willing to lose a little battery life, the company’s slightly newer LinkBuds S are also worth a look. The smaller earbuds inherit some of the WF-1000XM4s’ noise cancellation technology and dynamically change the intensity of that feature based on your environment. Plus, the earbuds have Alexa built-in, so you can control them using Amazon’s smart assistant if you prefer it over Google Assistant and Siri. All this while still managing a solid six hours of charge. Also worth noting is that both Sony models receive multipoint compatibility via a November firmware update. 

Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

Tony Ware

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Specs

• Battery Life: Six hours (30 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 5.3 grams
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Upgraded noise cancellation and audio fidelity
• Expanded tip selection
• Find My feature
• Personalized Spatial Audio

Cons

• Worse experience on non-Apple devices

The second-generation AirPods Pro earbuds (colloquially known as AirPods Pro 2) are an improvement over their predecessor in every way. The jump in the earbuds’ active noise-cancelling ability was especially impressive in our tests. Apple says the AirPods Pro 2, while still only 5.4g each, are capable of blocking up to twice as much noise as the previous generation and, while that metric is difficult to quantify, we noticed the difference immediately. 

We could fully block out the sound of a New York City subway car when listening to music at a volume level of 80%. However, a fair bit of noise was audible when we switched to a podcast. Meanwhile, listening to music at a volume of around 60% canceled out the sound of people walking and talking on a New York City street. Most of the sound from cars was eliminated, too, but we could hear horns when they were honked. 

The AirPods Pro 2’s new low-distortion, high-excursion 11mm drivers are tuned to accentuate bass frequencies and sounded best when we listened to modern pop m​​usic. Classic rock and jazz tunes sounded good, too, but these earbuds were clearly designed to appeal to the average music listener rather than an audiophile. Apple doesn’t offer a digital EQ to tweak the AirPods Pro 2’s sound either. Still, more often than not, you’ll be pleased with what you hear when you hit the play button—especially when paired with one of the newest iOS devices via Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC.

You can pair the AirPods Pro 2 to any device, but connecting them to an Apple device puts the earbuds into a league of their own. Simply opening the case near an iPhone will allow you to pair the earbuds and will automatically add them to your list of Apple devices over iCloud. If you use an iPad or Mac, the AirPods Pro 2 will be paired to them automatically. Additionally, you’ll be able to use Apple’s Find My app to locate your earbuds if they get lost. 

Find My and iCloud syncing are nice-to-have features, but Apple also locked the AirPods 2’s Personalized Spatial Audio inside of its walled garden. This iOS 16 feature allows you to improve the quality and realism of Spatial Audio—de-mixing Dolby Atmos tracks into earphone/headphone-friendly surround sound with head tracking—by scanning your face and ears with your iPhone’s selfie camera. The smartphone will use this imaging to update the Spatial Audio algorithm based on the shape and size of your head and ears. This feature takes about a minute to set up and is enabled automatically, though you can turn it off if you don’t hear a difference (we did, but mainly in spatialized stereo).

Apple updated the AirPods Pro 2’s case with a larger battery (it offers 30 hours of extra battery life instead of 24), has a speaker that chimes when it’s charging, and has a lanyard loop. The AirPods Pro 2’s case can also play a tone when you’re trying to find the earbuds using the Find My App, which makes them easier to locate. Apple made a bunch of meaningful updates to the AirPods Pro 2 over the previous generation, and it’s hard to imagine anyone creating a better pair of noise-cancelling earbuds to use with the company’s other gear.

Best for Android users: Google Pixel Buds Pro

Stan Horaczek

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Why it made the cut: The Pixel Buds Pro takes advantage of Google’s most technically impressive services, whether you’re on an Android device or not.

Specs

• Battery Life: Six hours (30 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 6.2 grams
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Multipoint pairing
• Realtime translation
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• Some features are locked into Google Services

It should come as no surprise that the best active noise-cancelling earbuds for Android users are made by—get ready for this—Google. The Pixel Buds Pro leverages some of the company’s most impressive services and marries them with sleek-looking hardware. 

The Bluetooth earbuds are platform agnostic to some degree, meaning they work identically when paired to hardware running iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, or ChromeOS. Like the AirPods Pro 2, the Pixel Buds Pro supports multipoint pairing, which means you’ll be able to connect them to two devices and hop between them at will. An IR sensor will detect when the earbuds are in or out of your ears, and will start or pause audio automatically based on their state. Google says the earbuds will last up to 11 hours per charge without active noise cancellation enabled, or seven when you keep it on constantly. That’s still an hour longer than the AirPods Pro, which is impressive from a pair of earbuds that’s physically smaller.

On the audio hardware side, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro earbuds are powered by a custom-designed 11mm driver that supports an interesting feature called Volume EQ, which automatically adjusts the way the earbuds sound based on how loudly or softly you’re listening to music. The average listener may appreciate this auto-balancing feature, but audiophiles may shutter at the idea that their music will sound different at different audio levels. Thankfully, you can manually adjust a five-band software EQ if you’d prefer total control. 

The Pixel Buds Pro also supports a raft of other typical-but-nice-to-have features found on many earbuds with active noise cancellation. Their case is IPX2 certified, which means it can be exposed to some water without being damaged, and it can be recharged on a wireless charger. The earbuds themselves are IPX4 certified, which means they’re sweatproof and can be exposed to a fair amount of water, like heavy rain. Touch-sensitive sensors on each earbud allow you to play or pause your music with a tap, change your songs with a swipe, or activate the Google Assistant with a long press.

Speaking of the Google Assistant, that’s the only smart assistant you’ll be able to use with the Pixel Buds Pro, which locks you into the search giants ecosystem. Additionally, some of the earbuds’ most technically-advanced features like real-time translation all happen through Google Translate. This level of lock-in isn’t as severe as Apple’s on the AirPods Pro, but it’s worth noting. If you’ve already bought into the Android ecosystem, that issue isn’t likely to bother you, in which case you should get the Pixel Buds Pro without reservation. 

Another great option for certain Android users is Samsung’s Galaxy Buds2 Pro, which we reviewed earlier this year. The earbuds look, feel, and sound great, but have features that are only enabled when you pair them to a Samsung Galaxy phone. The list of features includes Smart Things Find, Spatial Audio, and 24-bit audio decoding courtesy of the SSC Hi-Fi audio codec. Samsung took a page out of Apple’s playbook this time, and it’s kept us from recommending the Galaxy Buds2 Pro to all Android owners. If you already use a Samsung Galaxy phone, though, they deserve your consideration.

Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2

Brandt Ranj

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Why it made the cut: House of Marley’s Redemption ANC 2s prove you can be a healthy, eco-conscious audiophile. 

Specs

• Battery Life: Six hours (24 hours with charging case)
• Weight: N/A
• Price: $169.99

Pros

• Fantastic fit
• Sustainable materials
• Fast charging

Cons

• Lackluster app

Technology and sustainability are typically at odds with one another, but the House of Marley Redemption ANC 2s prove they’re not always mutually exclusive. The earbuds and their case are made, in part, out of solid bamboo, natural wood fiber composite, and recycled plastics. 

In our experience choosing these materials didn’t hurt the performance of the Redemption ANC 2s, which compare favorably to our other active noise-cancelling earbud recommendations when you factor in their lower price. In addition, the earbuds actually beat our other recommendations in terms of durability thanks to their IPX5 durability rating, which means they’re waterproof enough not to be damaged by sweat, adding to their life-cycle and ours as they can be great for workouts. [Remember: If you choose to exercise in ANC earbuds, enable transparency mode during outdoor runs so you can stay aware of your surroundings.]

We were perfectly happy with the ANC 2’s namesake feature, which allowed the earbuds to block out a lot of noise when listening to music between 80% and 100%. The earbuds could completely eliminate softer sounds—keyboard typing, feet tapping, walking around a home—but louder sounds like car horns could still be heard pretty prominently. Commuters and air travelers will certainly notice a dip in the sound of their train and plane noises, but you’ll still sense that they’re there. 

Similarly, the Redemption ANC 2s sound very good, but audio sounds “veiled” when compared directly to beyerdynamic’s Free BYRD, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II. We couldn’t hear the same level of detail, and the music sounded slightly flatter overall. Some frequency ranges, bass especially, fared better, but we could definitely hear a little more muddiness when listening to very vocal-heavy music. There was also a bit of sibilance and a slight tendency for high frequencies to sound a little too sharp. 

None of this detracted severely from our enjoyment of the music, but the $80 difference between this pair of active noise-cancelling earbuds and a premium pair was certainly noticeable. You can adjust the EQ of these earbuds using House of Marley’s app but the software is extremely barebones. House of Marley’s app is a letdown considering how good the hardware is. 

The Redemption ANC 2s may not be able to stand toe to toe with premium earbuds in the audio and noise cancellation areas, but they have the edge over some when it comes to battery performance. The earbuds get up to six hours of music listening per charge, support wireless charging, and offer two hours of music playback off a 15-minute charge. Similarly, the earbuds are IPX5 certified, which means they can stand up to water better than more expensive pairs.

If you care deeply about the sustainability of your technology, House of Marley’s ANC 2s are the best active noise-cancelling earbuds available right now. They’re also a solid set of earbuds if you’re trying to keep your budget under $200. 

Best case: JBL Tour Pro 2

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: JBL’s Tour Pro 2 is a case study in offering easier, phone-free access to settings.

Specs

• Battery Life: 8 Hours
• Weight: N/A
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Touchscreen case
• Six-microphone array
• Smart ambiance detects sounds and adjusts ANC

Cons

• Price versus the competition

JBL’s Tour Pro 2 are unlike any ANC earbuds we’ve tried. JBL didn’t invent a new shape, battery technology, or audio codec—instead, the company focused on designing an all-new smart charging case. The Tour Pro 2’s case—available in both black and champagne—has a colorful 1.45-inch LED touchscreen on it, which is as bonkers as it sounds. By swiping across the display, you can access up to 14 settings panels without touching your phone.

The touchscreen’s functionality is surprisingly robust, which makes it feel like more of a feature than a gimmick. You can use the case for basic functions like changing your music volume or switching and pausing a track, but the features don’t stop there. Within a couple of swipes and taps you can adjust the earbuds’ ANC/Ambient Aware/TalkThru settings, change their EQ, set a playback timer, or change the spatial sound settings. You can even receive phone notifications, like a basic smartwatch (don’t expect Apple Watch-level integration, but it’s something). Basically, if you can do something inside the JBL Headphones app (iOS and Android), the Tour Pro 2’s case gives you the same options. You can even change the screensaver, so you don’t have to use our logo like in the image above (though you could).

JBL took a cue from smartphone makers and designed the case to go to sleep after 30 seconds. Once it wakes up, you have to swipe across its screen to unlock and access your settings, eliminating the chance of accidentally changing a setting while grabbing the case in your pocket. It feels odd to take some much time talking about the Tour Pro 2’s case, but it’s the standout feature of these earbuds.

Inside the case, you’ll find a pair of sleek but relatively standard-looking stemmed true wireless earbuds with a comfortable fit. They’re IPX5, ready for sweat as you rush through public transportation (the case, however, should avoid a splash). Our limited tests so far have produced positive results—the Tour Pro 2’s adaptive ANC blocked a fair amount of noise when riding on a New York City subway train and walking on its busiest streets, even without the volume cranked up. Rumble fared a bit better than chatter, but the attenuation was solid across the board. The earbuds last a fair amount of time per charge—8 hours with ANC on, with up to 30 more in the case, and I can keep track of both battery levels by checking the screen, naturally. This is great for travelers or commuters who don’t want to plug their buds in to charge every night. On that note, the Tour Pro 2’s case supports wireless charging, which is another nice plus. And it has a “Find My Buds” feature that triggers a high-pitched tone, perfect for finding that rogue earbud that fell in the couch.

As for the sound, first impressions are of a crowd-pleasing V-shaped signature, with energetic boosted bass and slightly goosed highs. JBL is a Harman company, and this is the Harman curve (a target that tries to represent the lively sound of speakers in a room). There aren’t the rich midrange details of the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 or the nimble dynamics of the AirPods Pro 2, but the 10mm dynamic drivers do a great job of conveying all the thump, if not every texture. To my ears, things sound tighter with an iPhone using the AAC codec than on an Android using SBC (the Bluetooth 5.3 Multipoint earbuds will get LE Audio’s Auracast/LC3 codec support in a future firmware for more high-resolution playback). If you want to customize the response, there are five sonic presets (Jazz, Vocal, Bass, Club, Studio), and you can draw and save your own curve with the 10-band EQ. If that feels too involved, take the Personi-Fi hearing test, which will generate a custom profile for you (according to our associate managing editor, who tried it first, the test resulted in less low-end and more highs, which he thinks tracks with the ears of an old former DJ).

If you’d like to try a pair of true wireless earbuds that feel futuristic or don’t want to take your phone out of your pocket each time you need to fumble with a setting or change a song, JBL’s Tour Pro 2 earbuds are well worth checking out. We hope that JBL introduces even more functionality through software updates since this technology feels like it has so much potential.

Best budget: Edifier NeoBuds Pro

Edifier

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Why it made the cut: Edifier’s NeoBuds Pros have no right to have as many features as they do for earbuds so close to $100.

Specs

• Battery Life: 6 Hours
• Weight: N/A
• Price: $99.99

Pros

• Easily accessible sound modes
• Six microphone array
• Fast charging
• LDAC/LHDC hi-res codec support

Cons

• Only comes with three sets of eartips

Edifier’s NeoBuds Pro TWS earbuds may not seem impressive at first glance, but that quickly changes when you realize the noise-cancelling earbuds cost only $100. Name a feature, and the NeoBuds Pro checks the box: active noise cancellation, long battery life, fast charging, hi-res codecs with compatible devices, multiple (adjustable) EQ modes, solid water and dust resistance, in-ear detection, touch-sensitive buds. And, on top of that, great sound from the hybrid driver design combining a high-sensitivity Knowles balanced armature for precise highs with a composite diaphragm dynamic driver for impactful mids and lows. It’s hard to find meaningful features these budget earphones don’t have. 

We won’t say the Edifier NeoBuds Pro will be able to compete with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II in a head-to-head competition of audio and active noise cancellation performance. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pair in this price range. We’re especially impressed by the earbuds’ six-microphone array, which will come in handy for noise cancellation and when taking phone calls. 

Most noise-cancelling earbuds have multiple pre-set sound modes, but Edifier made the wise design choice to map them to the touch-sensitive surface of the left earbud. Tapping on it twice will enable “Normal Mode” while tapping three times will cycle through game mode and spatial audio. It’s helpful to have these settings at your fingertips (literally) rather than having to fumble through an app on your phone. 

The NeoBuds Pro earbuds have the same battery life and fast charging speeds as House of Marley’s ANC 2s, which is even more impressive given their extremely low price. With five hours ANC on (plus 15 hours from the case) or six hours ANC off (and 18 hours from the case), you should be able to get through a trans-continental flight without having to top them up. Similarly, the earbuds have an IP54 durability rating, so water and dust shouldn’t impact them too much, whether heading into work or working out. 

The world of budget audio has expanded enough over the past few years that we can easily recommend earbuds under $100 for casual listeners. We’d prefer Edifiers to include more than three sizes of ear tips with the earbuds to ensure you’ll get a perfect fit, but that’s the only surface-level indication that these noise-cancelling earbuds are designed for people on a stricter budget.

Another pair of budget-friendly noise-cancelling earbuds you should consider is 1More’s AERO, which supports spatial audio and head tracking. The AEROs have 12 preset EQs that you can switch between, and the earbuds can dynamically adjust their noise cancellation based on your environment. The earbuds typically cost $109.99, but Amazon is currently offering a $20 off coupon that takes them under $90.

Another brand that’s really packing in the features for commuters and travelers who don’t want to hear the noise of a train car or airplane but find over-ear headphones cumbersome to pack, much less snooze with, is EarFun. There might not be a buzzword mentioned throughout this piece that isn’t found in the EarFun Air Pro 3 Bluetooth 5.3 earbuds. From aptX Adaptive to Hybrid ANC, multipoint to six Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) microphones, an app with customizable EQ to wireless charging, these stemmed AirPods alternatives factor it all in for under $80. If your budget is very tight, EarFun’s Air S earbuds offer multipoint pairing, aptX support, and a fully customizable EQ for under $70. The Air S earbuds’ six-hour battery life isn’t too shabby, either.

The popularity of ANC has really given audio companies a reason to continually improve the efficiency of their hardware and pursue improvements in digital signal processing and power efficiency. EarFun is definitely a brand that’s really maximizing technological miniaturization.

Things to consider before buying noise-cancelling earbuds

All of the earbuds we’re recommending in this guide are wireless because wired earbuds with active noise cancellation are cumbersome to use. Additionally, many devices—phones and tablets especially—don’t have a headphone jack anymore, so you’d need to carry around an adapter to use this type of tethered processor.

True wireless

There are many types of noise-cancelling earbuds, but we’ve focused exclusively on “true wireless” pairs. This is because most companies are putting their cutting-edge active noise cancellation technology into this type of earbud, so you end up with the best performance. 

The term “true wireless” means that each earbud connects to your device independently, without a cable tethering them together. Early true wireless earbuds suffered from connectivity problems—with devices and between the buds themselves—but that has changed thanks to improvements in the Bluetooth wireless protocols. Now there are all kinds of higher efficiency, higher bitrate codecs (including aptX HD/Adaptive and LDAC) that allow TWS earbuds to take advantage of advanced-resolution formats from audiophile sources, such as the best DAPs (digital audio players). The popularity of true wireless earbuds is such that they’ve also come down in price quite a bit. You’ll pay more for a pair of true wireless earbuds that support active noise cancellation than one without, but you can get away with spending less than $150 and still having a good experience.

Battery life 

We discussed the reality of earbud battery life earlier, but we’re pleased to say that newer pairs last a lot longer than those released just a couple of years ago. You should expect to get at least six hours of playtime from all of the noise-cancelling earbuds we’re recommending—though this will depend on how loudly you listen to your music. If you use active noise cancellation judiciously, you can likely get a couple of additional hours out of them. 

One of the upsides to using a pair of true wireless earbuds is that it comes with a battery case. Your earbuds will be charged any time you’re not using them—so long as you remember to plug the case in every once in a while (most accept USB-C cables, while some charge wirelessly). This accessory will keep your noise-cancelling earbuds safe when you’re not using them, and extend their life by at least 16 hours or so. 

Gummy eartips 

Silicone- and/or foam-tipped earbuds are required for active noise cancellation because they create a tight seal within the ear that insulates your ear canal from the environment and lets all the ANC counterwaves work their magic. In addition, a proper seal is required to experience quality bass response. If you’ve traditionally struggled to keep this style of earbuds in your ear, don’t worry. All of the noise-cancelling earbuds we’re recommending come with multiple sizes of ear tips, and we strongly recommend trying each set out to find the one that fits you best (and the number of third-party ear tips available on Amazon is staggering if you’re looking to emphasize a particular feel or frequency response). If your earbud’s ear tip comes loose, it won’t be able to cancel noise or play audio efficiently.  

Microphones 

Microphones are essential for active noise cancellation to work on earbuds—or any style of headphones for that matter. Every pair of earbuds in our guide has at least one microphone on each bud. 

Multipoint pairing

This is currently a luxury feature that enables your noise-cancelling wireless earbuds to stay connected to multiple devices simultaneously. This allows you to switch from playing music on a smartphone to your computer for a conference call without dealing with settings panels and (re)pairing connections. Maintaining simultaneous connections with multiple devices is tricky, so earbuds with this feature can still be hit or miss.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best noise-cancelling earbuds

• Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
• Best for Android users: Google Pixel Buds Pro
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best case: JBL Tour Pro 2
• Best budget: Edifier NeoBuds Pro

If you love music but live in a loud environment, noise-cancelling earbuds are your best audio investment. They’ll last an entire workday and can block the sounds of keys typing, toes tapping, and people around you talking. If you work from home but want to get out of the house, noise-cancelling earbuds can eliminate the sound of clinking cups at a cafe or people walking around in a park. It almost goes without saying that frequent travelers should consider the best noise-cancelling earbuds necessary.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best noise-cancelling earbuds in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

May the 4th has become the unofficial holiday of the Star Wars fandom, and Amazon is celebrating by offering deals on a lot of cool merch. The discounts are so good you may momentarily forget about the existence of the prequels. Whether you’re interested in learning more about the iconic series’ history or want to equip yourself with a weapon from a more civilized age, this one-day sale has you covered. And if you want to catch up on the original series—or numerous side stories that fill out the universe—while you shop, you can check them out through the Disney+ bundle, which includes ESPN+ and Hulu and starts at $9.99 per month.

STAR WARS The Black Series OBI-Wan Kenobi Force FX Elite Lightsaber, $181.49 (Was $278.99)

Hasbro

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Name a fictional weapon more iconic than the lightsaber—I’ll wait. This model from Hasbro is a facsimile of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s legendary blade, used to cut down Sith and common thieves alike. The incredibly detailed hilt is attached to a plastic tube outfitted with LEDs. When activated, the lights turn the lightsaber into its iconic blue color. Hasbro added to the lightsaber’s realism by building speakers into the hilt, so the blade will make an assortment of sounds when you swing it.

You may require years of intense training on Dagobah to master a lightsaber fully, but Hasbro will allow you to practice in the comfort of your home for a lot less money, thanks to this deal. Whether you’d like to recreate the choreography of your favorite Star Wars scenes or want to keep a piece of iconography from the series on display in your home, don’t miss this deal.

Check out these other Star Wars deals on Amazon

• LEGO Star Wars TIE Bomber, $51.99 (Was $64.99)
• LEGO Star Wars The Justifier, $135.99 (Was $169.99)
• LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest, $111.99 (Was $139.99)
• Hasbro Gaming Operation Game: Star Wars The Mandalorian Edition, $16.49 (Was $21.99)
• STAR WARS The Black Series Boba Fett (Prototype Armor) Toy, $20.49 (Was $26.99)
• STAR WARS Retro Collection Special Bounty Hunters Boba Fett & Bossk Toys, $19.49 (Was $27.99)
• Zak Designs Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child Sculpted Ceramic Coffee Mug, $14.39 (Was $17.99)
• Citizen Eco-Drive Star Wars Men’s Watch, $256.42 (Was $375)
• Simple Modern Star Wars Boba Fett Insulated Tumbler Cup with Flip Lid, $23.99 (Was $29.99)
• Northwest Star Wars Tie Fighter Silk Touch Throw Blanket, $15.75 (Was $34.99)
• The Mandalorian the Child Don’t Make Me Use The Force T-Shirt, $16.09 (Was $22.99)
• Star Wars Vintage Psych Rebels T-Shirt, $16.45 (Was $23.50)
• Star Wars Logo Luke Skywalker Tatooine T-Shirt, $16.09 (Was $22.99)

There is a galaxy of other savings not so far far away …

• Lego is hosting its own sales and promotions on dozens of sets and toys
• Funko is offering Buy 3, Get 1 Free on its entire line of Star Wars Collectible Pops
• Disney’s online store is full of deals on official Star Wars merch
• Casetify has collected its entire limited-edition Mandalorian collection in one place

The post Celebrate May the 4th with the best Star Wars deals on Amazon and beyond appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Sennheiser AMBEO Plus		SEE IT	It offers a striking soundstage for a single unit.
Best 5.1		JBL Bar 700		SEE IT	Detachable rear channels make this bar stand out without forcing you to pack more speakers in your room.
Best budget		Roku Streambar Pro		SEE IT	Roku’s Streambar Pro is one of the best values in the entire world of home theater audio.

It’s more affordable than ever before to take your home media viewing experience to new heights thanks to streaming services, smart TVs, and soundbars. With this increased content availability enriched by new surround sound audio formats, a whole new world of entertainment possibilities comes to light. One of the easiest, most space-efficient ways to drastically improve the quality of your home theater’s audio is by upgrading to a soundbar to give you sound as vivid as the 4K video you’re probably enjoying.

The top soundbars are compact, quick to install, and an unbeatable way to present your movies, music, and video games with elevated volume, clarity, and immersion. Unlike a traditional speaker system with an AV receiver, a soundbar usually requires only a single connection to your television to switch between sources. These systems are often Bluetooth-compatible from the get-go, so you can also sync your tablet, phone, and other streaming devices. If you’re looking for a quick and cost-effective way to upgrade your home theater system, we’ll help you find the best soundbars to do the job.

• Best overall: Sennheiser AMBEO Plus
• Best compact: Bose TV Speaker
• Best 2.1: Samsung BW-H550/ZA Soundbar
• Best 5.1: JBL Bar 700
• Best for music: Sonos Arc
• Best budget: Roku Streambar Pro

How we chose the best soundbars

We’re nerds about everything here at PopSci, but audio is especially special to us. The PopSci writers and editors even include a few certified audiophiles, so we know a solid speaker when we see it. We used a mixture of online research and hands-on experience to survey dozens of models on the market. We were looking for the right mix of fidelity, features, and price.

Most of the items on this list are relatively affordable, and that’s by design. There are some ultra-high-end multi-speaker Dolby Atmos and wireless surround options, but a components system is specific to very demanding users. If you’re looking to get into the soundbar world, these are great models to get you started and upgrade your TV’s puny audio performance.

The best soundbars: Reviews & Recommendations

Every living room, bedroom, and home theater is different, making finding the right soundbar frustrating. Our recommendations—both standalone units and soundbar + subwoofer combos—span various sizes and prices, so you can find the one that suits your space and budget. We also focused on finding soundbars designed to work with additional speakers, allowing you to upgrade your home theater system over time as your budget and space change.

Best overall: Sennheiser AMBEO Plus

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: If you prize dynamic tonality, this is the premier soundbar … with a premium price tag.

Specs

• Dimensions: 41.38 x 4.76 x 3.03 inches
• Surround sound: Simulated 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos
• Subwoofer: Built-in, with an additional wireless subwoofer sold separately

Pros

• Carries on a tradition of No. 1 all-in-one Dolby Atmos soundbars
• Proprietary Dolby Atmos virtualization is convincing and captivating
• Small than its predecessor without too many sacrifices
• Can be augmented with a subwoofer

Cons

• No option for physical surround speakers
• Pricey
• Subwoofer is an additional $599
• HDMI ports are 2.0a, so they don’t support all next-gen gaming console protocols passthrough

Descended from the Sennheiser AMBEO Max, a 40-pound behemoth of a soundbar, the AMBEO Plus is a $1,499 indulgence that’s not quite as extravagant as its predecessor yet remains nearly as affecting. Featuring seven full-range speakers and dual 4-inch subwoofers in its rounded-off chassis, the 14-pound Plus can virtualize a 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos system with striking clarity and precise imaging thanks to proprietary processing (an AMBEO batch physically lights up on the soundbar whenever engaged).

Coming from a venerable brand renowned for audiophile headphones imbued with rich midrange and spacious staging, the AMBEO Plus is every bit a Sennheiser. It’s sonically expressive without even a tinge of artificiality and technically adept enough to conjure every directional cue, even height effects—helped by an automated calibration system. A well-appointed Smart Control app (iOS and Android) lets you tweak soundfield effects, voice enhancement, voice assistants, night mode, EQ, and more, plus view information on your connections/audio streams. Whether watching movies or listening to music, the 400W AMBEO Plus is adept at scale and strength, preserving detail without sacrificing impact—bass reaches nearly 40Hz. The original 13-driver AMBEO—aka the rebranded Max—is still superior in terms of gripping slam and dazzling reflections (and $1,000 more expensive), as the AMBEO Plus folds channels in more like a 5.1.2. Still, the rumble gap narrows noticeably if you pair the AMBEO Plus with the wireless 8-inch 350W Sennheiser AMBEO Subwoofer.

In terms of connectivity, there any multiple HDMI ports with 4K Dolby Vision passthrough, though not 120Hz for gaming. Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony 360 Reality Audio are all decoded, and Bluetooth 5.0, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Chromecast give you access to content from basically any and every source. Yes, the AMBEO Plus is the most expensive soundbar in our selection, but it’s undeniably the best all-in-one soundbar to transform a room with limited room. If you’re investing in an OLED TV, you deserve audio that’s equally vibrant.

Best compact: Bose TV Speaker

Bose

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Why it made the cut: The TV speaker will provide great sound without taking up much space.

Specs

• Dimensions: 4.02 x 23.38 x 2.21 inches
• Surround sound: No
• Subwoofer: None

Pros

• Compact size
• Selectable sound modes
• Voice enhancement

Cons

• No smart features

At 23.4-inches wide the Bose TV Speaker is almost half the size of other soundbars we’re recommending in this guide, but it stands tall when it comes to dialogue enhancement. The teeny, tiny shell houses a three-driver audio system featuring a pair of full-range drivers angled outward and a single tweeter pointed forward. This configuration is designed to offer the best audio quality from a 2.0 soundbar while presenting the widest-possible soundstage. The TV Speaker won’t be able to stand toe-to-toe with longer soundbars when it comes to stereo separation—this is physics, not Bose’s lack of engineering chops—but it’s good to see the company use the space it had as efficently as possible.

You can fill out the TV Speaker’s sound by connecting a Bose wired subwoofer to the system—though the price of adding low-end is $500. Thankfully, this augmentation won’t be necessary, as the TV Speaker’s sound should be sufficiently better than the audio system built into your set. Despite the TV Soundbar’s small size, Bose allows you to connect this soundbar to your TV using an HDMI or optical audio cable. It also features an AUX input, so you can plug an audio device into it directly, and Bluetooth support if you’d like to stream music to the soundbar from your phone, tablet, or computer.

Bose managed to fit most of the features found in its higher-end soundbars into the TV Speaker, but it had to cut support for Amazon’s Alexa. This isn’t a huge deal, but something to consider if you’re looking for a soundbar that doubles as a smart-home controller in your room. If that’s not a concern, and you want a compact audio system for your room, this is the soundbar to get.

Best 2.1: Samsung BW-H550/ZA Soundbar

Amazon

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Why it made the cut: This straight-ahead system doesn’t get bogged down with tons of features you won’t use and, instead, focuses on performance.

Specs

• Dimensions: 33.9 x 3 x 2.3 inches
• Surround Sound: Dolby Audio and DTS: Virtual X
• Subwoofer: Wireless included

Pros

• Great sound
• Included subwoofer
• AI-driven sound adjustments

Cons

• Lacks Dolby Atmos

This Samsung soundbar sports three-channel audio and includes a dedicated center speaker and a satellite subwoofer for powerful, enhanced bass and 3D surround sound effects. It offers superior multi-connectivity via Bluetooth, allowing two smart devices to remain paired at once, and the HDMI ARC interface allows for single-cable audio connections to and from a TV with a compatible port.

Regarding surround, this bar supports DTS: Virtual X to simulate a system with many more speakers installed around the room. Samsung’s Smart Sound technology analyzes the content you’re watching and automatically adjusts its performance to match it best. That also helps keep subtle sounds like ambient horror sounds or important dialog from getting lost. But, if needed, you can manually trigger a Voice Enhancement mode. Want more rumble? A bass boost is available at the push of a button. Need less bass? There’s also a Night Mode.

The relatively basic black design is refreshing compared to more complex devices. It melts into the room, and you hear it but don’t necessarily see it. This is undoubtedly the best Samsung soundbar on a budget (though if you want a truly immersive experience, the $1,699 HW-Q990B is the best Samsung package, full stop).

Best 5.1: JBL Bar 700

Brandt Ranj

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Why it made the cut: This soundbar’s detachable, battery-powered speakers offer a truly authentic 5.1 surround experience.

Specs

• Dimensions: 4.7 x 46.2 x 2.2 inches
• Surround sound: 5.1 Dolby Atmos
• Subwoofer: Wireless included

Pros

• Detachable speakers make it very flexible
• Powerful wireless subwoofer
• True surround sound

Cons

• Long when fully attached

There are a lot of soundbars that list support for surround sound as one of their features, but that’s not really the case. Designers can create a more 3D sound experience by supporting the right audio formats and positioning drivers in different positions to mimic a traditional 5.1 surround sound system, but it’s not the same as having a true multi-speaker system. JBL’s Bar 700 is different.

The 46.2-inch soundbar has a pair of battery-powered detachable speakers, which can be placed behind you to create a true 5.1, Dolby Atmos-compatible system, with the bar handling the front right, front left, and center channels. All of these speakers are synced up to a wireless 10-inch subwoofer, which adds enough bass to round out the sound without being unnecessarily boomy. I was skeptical about whether this system would work, but its 620W of convenient cinematic sound passed every test with flying colors.

It’s worth noting that the Bar 700 is pretty long when the rear speakers are attached, so you’ll need to ensure your media center/credenza has enough space. It’s a soundbar best paired with a TV that’s 55 inches in size minimum, and it’s easily connected via HDMI eARC (plus there’s an HDMI input with 4K and Dolby Vision passthrough). Beyond that, this soundbar is an excellent addition to your living room or home theater. The center channel has enough separation from the right and left that I could always hear dialogue clearly, even in movie or TV scenes with a lot of action. The center driver was good enough that I could also differentiate between different voices even if characters spoke in the same register.

My biggest concern about the Bar 700’s modular speaker system was that attaching and detaching the rear speakers would be a pain, but that was never the case. The magnetic attachment mechanism JBL developed makes these processes easy while also ensuring these additional speakers never accidentally pop out. The only other problem I foresaw with the Bar 700 was desynced audio. JBL mitigates this by running you through a setup procedure using its app (iOS and Android), which takes about five minutes to complete. The soundbar and rear speakers fire off audio to get a sense of the size and shape of your room. Once the setup was complete, I never had an issue with desyncing audio.

Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi-equipped, the Bar 700 Wi-Fi comes with AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music, and Chromecast built-in, so you can cast music/content from your phone if you don’t want to fire up your streaming device. And you can customize modes, voice assistant, and EQ with the JBL app. If you’ve longed for a surround sound system with discrete rear speakers but don’t have enough space (or outlets) to set up separates, JBL’s Bar 700 is a great solution. Just pop off the soundbar’s endcaps, fire up the rears on the couch corners, then reassemble at the night’s end or when it’s time to recharge the batteries (rated for 10 hours).

Like this concept, but want to kick it up several notches? The JBL 1300X is a 11.1.4-channel soundbar with detachable surround speakers and wireless subwoofer, though all those extra channels take the price from $899 to $1,699.

Best for music: Sonos Arc

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: The Sonos Arc is a futureproofed soundbar perfect for music lovers and cinephiles alike.

Specs

• Dimensions: 3.4 x 45 x 4.5 inches
• Surround sound: Yes, Simulated Standalone or True Dolby Atmos with additional components
• Subwoofer: Wireless sold separately

Pros

• Great sound for music
• Support for Dolby Atmos
• Can be augmented by additional speakers

Cons

• Cost

If you want to buy a piece of home theater equipment and not consider upgrading it for a decade, the Sonos Arc is worth its admittedly high price. The Santa Barbara-based company—pioneers in the whole-home audio sector—designs everything in-house, maintaining every stage of design and tuning. And Sonos develops each purpose-built component with compatibility and longevity in mind. The uber-long soundbar has forward, side, and upward-firing drivers (11 total), which we found deliver surprisingly good Dolby Atmos surround sound whether listening to music or watching TV shows or movies.

Your experience will depend on the size and shape of your room, since the effect requires sound to bounce off your walls and ceilings. To offer the best possible experience, we recommend tuning the Arc using the TruePlay setting in Sonos’ app (iOS and Android). Within a few minutes, the soundbar will run a series of tones to get a sense of how your room is set up and optimize its performance accordingly. We’re still partial to multi-speaker surround sound systems, but the $899 Arc is all you really need for cinematic surround sound.

On top of its ability to handle cinema soundtracks and other streaming content, the Sonos Arc delivers crystal-clear sound when listening to music, whether via HDMI, AirPlay 2, or streaming services over WiFi through the Sonos app. Bass is present but restrained, instruments and vocals in the midrange sound smooth, and we never heard sibilance or harsh treble. Again, your experience will vary based on the music you listen to and how well it was mastered. If you’re having trouble with how your music sounds through the Sonos Arc, we’re almost positive it’s not a hardware issue. In our tests, stereo and Dolby Atmos tracks had a very wide soundstage, which made it easy to pick out each instrument in a song individually.

We’re comfortable recommending the Sonos Arc to any music lover on its own. Still, to get the full Dolby Atmos experience, we recommend augmenting it with a pair of WiFi-connected Sonos Era 300 multidirectional speakers and a wireless Sonos Sub. These components will expand the Sonos Arc into a 7.1.4 system, taking over as rear surround/upfiring speakers (along with handling the low end) and leaving the soundbar as the front right, front left, and center channels of a traditional surround sound system. With that setup, you’ll get better sound overall—plus the flexibility to use the six positional drivers of the immersive made-for-Dolby-Atmos Era 300 speakers standalone in other rooms if you want—though it’ll cost you quite a bit to make those upgrades ($449 per Era 300 and $799 for the Sub Gen. 3). Sonos supports its speakers for roughly a decade, so it’s undoubtedly worth building out their ecosystem piece by piece.

If music is as important to you as TV shows and movies, especially if you want to integrate a multi-room audio system, the Sonos Arc is the only home theater purchase you should make in 2023.

Best budget: Roku Streambar Pro

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Why it made the cut: Roku’s Streambar Pro has features you can’t find in soundbars several times its price.

Specs

• Dimensions: 32.2 x 3.9 x 2.8 inches
• Surround sound: None
• Subwoofer: Wireless sold separately

Pros

• Built-in 4K media streamer
• Can be augmented with additional speakers
• Sharp look

Cons

• No surround sound
• No built-in soundbar

We’re typically wary of two-in-one gadgets, but Roku’s Streambar Pro is a very notable exception to our rule. The soundbar actually has an entire 4K Roku media streamer built into it, which you can use to turn an old TV smart. This is especially nice if you’ve recently cut the cord and want an easy way to stream TV shows and movies from online services. You don’t need to use the Streambar Pro’s built-in Roku, but the value of this feature is part of what makes this soundbar such a great deal.

The Streambar Pro’s other strong suit is its surprisingly good sound. We say surprisingly because we didn’t expect quite as much vocal clarity or stereo separation from a soundbar at its price point. If you’ve struggled to hear what people are saying in movies or find the sound of explosions lacking in action-packed sequences, this is your answer. Roku was smart not to pack any surround sound features into the soundbar itself, instead redirecting those engineering resources into developing its Wireless Bass Pro subwoofer and Roku Wireless Speakers. Adding those components will allow you to enjoy your media in true surround sound without connecting them with cables.

It’s telling that Roku bundles the Streambar Pro plus the aforementioned additional speakers in a multi-piece bundle that costs just over $500 (hence its prominence in our best soundbars under $500 roundup, also home to additional options from JBL, Samsung, and Sonos, appropriately). Bose charges roughly the same price for just a subwoofer. There are very few true values in home theater audio, so we couldn’t be happier for Roku’s Streambar Pro to stand out for its audio quality and cost.

Things to consider when buying the best soundbars

How big or small should your soundbar be?

One of the most convenient features of most soundbar systems is the understated form that helps them blend in with your existing entertainment center. It’s generally recommended that you choose a soundbar that doesn’t exceed the length of your television for aesthetic reasons. The length and size of the soundbar don’t always translate to volume and power, so you won’t be making too many compromises by going with a smaller soundbar.

The most important consideration when choosing a soundbar for its size is that it retains flexibility and versatility despite its understated appearance. Many miniature soundbars pack Bluetooth connectivity, subwoofers, and other special features into their cases without a hitch. You don’t have to worry about sacrificing essential features to ensure that your smaller rooms don’t get cluttered. After all, you’re buying a soundbar for its major improvements over your television’s speaker system.

What kind of surround sound are you looking for?

Some basic soundbars offer typical stereo sound, but many have adopted surround sound technology that can add an entirely new dimension to the content you watch. The most relevant thing to notice in modern soundbars is Dolby Atmos. This object-based surround sound standard works with the most popular streaming services and provides an overall excellent experience with some consistency, assuming the sound designer has done something compelling with the 100+ sonic placements available to them.

Balance tuning versus power

An oft-overlooked factor while shopping for a soundbar is its ability to adequately translate cinematic audio and dialogue in the best way for your room. For example, a soundbar with a high wattage rating and high maximum sound pressure level might appear loud on paper. Still, if this sound is muddy or if the device’s design renders dialogue muffled and unintelligible, it completely defeats the purpose of adding a soundbar to your system in the first place. In this way, volume and power capabilities don’t always translate to better sound for your space. Suppose you’re looking to max out your entertainment system’s volume with a soundbar. In that case, it’s important to consider a model combining high wattage and maximum volume with manufacturer-designed tuning.

The system used to tune a soundbar—or any sound system, for that matter—involves using equalization to boost certain frequencies and cut others, which can enhance the audio in home environments. Unless you’re investing in a high degree of sound treatment for your theater room, chances are that there are some undesirable resonances in your space that can exacerbate poorly tuned audio. This effect becomes even more pronounced at higher volumes, so it’s important to pick out a tuned or tunable system if you’re going to listen loud or if you’re in a smaller room. With a properly tuned soundbar, dialogue becomes clear, action sequences retain impact without being ear-piercing, and most importantly, it drastically cuts the need for constant turning up and down of your television volume. If any of these issues apply to your situation, a tuned soundbar is the only way to go.

Is your home a smart one?

Smart home systems run via Alexa and Google Home transform how we live and work around the house and beyond. Activities that were once interrupted by the need to pick up the phone, sit down at the computer, or fumble with a device have been made quicker and easier thanks to voice control integration across a whole gamut of home appliances. And since your entertainment center is a focal point of your time spent at home, it only makes sense to consider a soundbar system that offers voice control compatibility, whether you’re planning on expanding your current smart home system or starting from scratch.

One of the biggest perks of choosing a soundbar with smart home compatibility is its elevated ability to play high-volume music and media while still being able to hear your voice over the noise and execute your commands without turning the volume down or pressing pause. Think of a voice control-enabled soundbar as a more souped-up version of a traditional smart home speaker: you can turn the music up and down, resume and pause programming, check the status of your smart cooker, air quality, temperature, and so much more from the comfort of your seat. A system with this capability also eliminates the need for a separate smart speaker for your TV area or living room altogether, which is a plus if you’re trying to save space or retain a minimalist sense of decor.

Do you want to connect to Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is one of the most prevalent and useful interfaces for wirelessly streaming audio from your devices to your speaker systems, and most soundbars on the market do offer some form of Bluetooth connectivity. Options like this allow the soundbar to work for you and help you get more out of your system whenever you’re listening to music or podcasts around the house. Most televisions don’t come standard with a Bluetooth audio receiver, so not only does this technology open up your entertainment center as a location for streaming audio, but it’s also an incredible improvement over a traditional portable Bluetooth speaker.

Do you need to connect multiple devices?

HDMI is the most commonly used wired interface for soundbars to receive audio from and send it to your TV. Some soundbar systems also use this connection to receive volume information directly from your TV remote. Suppose you’ll deal with sound from numerous sources like Blu-ray players, video game consoles, and streaming services. In that case, it’s important to consider whether your soundbar has enough connectivity to support your needs and how efficiently it can interface with various devices (and that you have appropriately rated HDMI cables). Generally speaking, more connectivity is always better due to the flexibility that it affords, as devices that play well with others make your life easier and require less tinkering. Increased connectivity options come at a price of both cost and size, so it’s important to weigh your needs for flexibility against these factors.

FAQs

Final thoughts on shopping for the best soundbars

• Best overall: Sennheiser AMBEO Plus
• Best compact: Bose TV Speaker
• Best 2.1: Samsung BW-H550/ZA Soundbar
• Best 5.1: JBL Bar 700
• Best for music: Sonos Arc
• Best budget: Roku Streambar Pro

A soundbar is an easy choice for drastically improving the quality of your home theater, thanks to the easy setup and maintenance that these systems provide. The wide range of choices in this product category ensures that there’s an option out there for every budget and need, from compact single-bar systems to fully-fledged surround sound setups. In looking for a soundbar system, consider the size of your space and the connectivity your home theater needs to ensure that your add-on provides the best cinematic experience for you.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best soundbars for 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		KitchenAid Artisan® Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer		SEE IT	This all-in-one kitchen helper can make nine dozen cookies, cut pasta, and spiralize veggies.
Best for professionals		Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer		SEE IT	Wolf Gourmet’s High-Performance Stand Mixer would be the powerhouse of any baker’s kitchen.
Best budget		Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer		SEE IT	Cuisinart’s stand mixer offer most of the performance as its competition at roughly half the price.

Whether you’re a budding baker or an experienced enthusiast, a stand mixer is a must-have in your kitchen. Stand mixers have evolved over the years from burdensome appliances used solely for mixing dough to multi-use devices with attachments to make everything from pasta to ice cream. The best stand mixers not only look great displayed on your kitchen counter, but they are highly functional pieces of equipment that seriously cut down the amount of time it takes to make a cake or whip up a batch of whipped cream. 

A great stand mixer can be a hefty investment, so it’s important to do your research before you bite the bullet. We compiled a list of the best stand mixers in every category so you can find one that your inner baker (and your wallet) will enjoy for years. 

• Best overall: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
• Best for professionals: Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer
• Best small: KitchenAid Artisan Mini Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, 3.5 Quart
• Best style and design: Smeg 1950s Retro Style Stand Mixer
• Best for bread: Kenmore Elite Ovation 5-Qt. Stand Mixer
• Best budget: Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer

How we selected the best stand mixers 

There are more than a baker’s dozen stand mixers worth considering, and the search can feel exhausting and overwhelming. You want to ensure you’re getting the best value for your dollar, but you also don’t want your stand mixer to die on you after just a couple of years. 

We researched the highest-rated stand mixers available in a variety of price ranges and designs to come up with our list of the best stand mixers in six distinct categories. We considered capacity, size, bulkiness, price, design, color options, versatility, and durability when making our list. Finally, we did hands-on testing with some models to determine whether their performance was up to snuff. Whether your top priority is affordability, aesthetics, or function, we have a recommendation for you.

The best stand mixers: Reviews & Recommendations

The best stand mixers should save you time and prevent hand cramps in the kitchen. They should be simple to use for novices, but powerful enough for pros. After carefully researching and testing a bevy of stand mixers, we’ve slotted them into easy-to-understand categories to help you find the best one for your needs.

Best overall: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

KitchenAid

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Why it made the cut: The longtime leader in stand mixers delivers a high-quality, long-lasting appliance in a variety of stylish colors.

Specs

• Accessories included: coated flat beater, coated dough hook, 6-wire wire whip, pouring shield
• Capacity: 5 Quarts
• Dimensions: 14.3 x 9.3 x 14 inches (LxWxH)
• Weight: 26 pounds

Pros

• 10 speeds
• Ample color options
• Ability to transform the mixer into different kitchen tools
• Large 5-quart capacity bowl

Cons

• Expensive
• Heavy and bulky

KitchenAid is synonymous with “stand mixer,” and there’s a good reason for it. The original stand mixer back in 1919, KitchenAid changed the game for home bakers everywhere by automating the manual, labor-intensive processes of baking. The company has maintained many of its original values including mixers that last for decades if properly cared for. 

The Artisan Series mixer features 10 speeds for every level from mixing to kneading. The 5-quart stainless steel bowl has the capacity for up to 9 dozen cookies at once. The paddle rotates in a 59-point pattern (called a planetary pattern) that allows it to cover the entire bowl for complete integration. The tilt-head design makes it easy to add ingredients and clean the bowl and attachments. The bowl is dishwasher-safe, and the comfort handle allows for ease of use that some older models lacked. Another perk is the rainbow of colors available: no matter what your style or wallpaper color is, you’ll be able to find a KitchenAid mixer to match. 

The innovative hub design allows for 10 different attachments, making your Artisan Series mixer an all-in-one kitchen assistant. From a pasta cutter to a veggie noodle spiralizer, these additions will make your life easier in the kitchen from dinner to dessert. The Artisan Series mixer clocks in at a whopping 26 pounds, and it’s larger than some other options, which is important to note if space is a concern.

Best for professionals: Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer

Brandt Ranj

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Why it made the cut: The built quality and performance of Wolf Gourmet’s Stand Mixer cannot be bested, and it’s a must-have if you’re a daily baker.

Specs

• Accessories included: coated flat beater, coated dough hook, 6-wire wire whip, pouring shield
• Capacity: 7 Quarts
• Dimensions: 17 x 10.5 x 17.63 inches (LxWxH)
• Weight: 35.6 pounds

Pros

• Durable build quality
• Rock solid performance with all recipes
• Top-notch design

Cons

• Price

Let’s be clear: High-Performance Stand Mixer is the best-looking, highest-performing, most durable option on the market today, and nothing comes close. We’ll be honest, this is a serious piece of kitchen equipment that will look a little intimidating on a kitchen counter. It’s the largest stand mixer—in size, weight, and capacity—that we’re recommending, so you’ll need a fair amount of space to accommodate it. That said, the larger size allowed Wolf Gourmet to use bigger, higher-powered components, which made a big difference in our tests.

We used this mixer to make bread dough, cookie dough, whipped cream, cake batter, and everything in between. In each case, the recipes we made turned out flawlessly, and we began to push our luck by making double, triple, or quadruple batches of certain ones to push the mixer to its limit. It never caved—its motor never strained, the attachments never bent, and the mixer never shook around violently even when bread dough was being knocked against the sides of its bowl.

For such a luxe piece of equipment, Wolf Gourmet made its stand mixer extremely simple to use. There’s a single red dial with speed settings between one and 10 with half intervals denoted with a dot. The mixer’s bowl fits into a slot at the bottom, then gets raised when you turn it clockwise to be closer to the attachment. When your recipe looks ready, you turn the knob to 0, turn the bowl counterclockwise, detach your attachment, and pull the bowl away.

Every piece of equipment that comes with this stand mixer, from the mixer itself to its accompanying bowl and attachments, is extremely well made. There were no signs of damage after months of baking, and each attachment was easy to clean either by hand or in a machine. Wolf Gourmet’s High-Performance Stand Mixer would be the centerpiece of any home baker’s kitchen, but it’s not perfect.

We’ve decided to name this stand mixer the best choice for professionals because it costs nearly $1,000, which puts it out of reach for most home chefs. You’re absolutely getting what you’re paying for—this is an appliance that should last a lifetime (or more if you pass it down to someone else)—but it’s a big up-front investment. That said, if you’re an avid home baker who wants the stand mixer, this is the obvious choice.

Best for small kitchens: KitchenAid Artisan Mini Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, 3.5 Quart

KitchenAid

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Why it made the cut: The compact version of the classic KitchenAid mixer is cheaper and lighter.

Specs

• Accessories included: flex edge beater, coated dough hook, and 6-wire whisk
• Capacity: 3.5 Quarts
• Dimensions: 14.3 x 9.3 x 14 inches (LxWxH)
• Weight:18 pounds

Pros

• Lower price than the original KitchenAid
• Smaller footprint on your counter
• Lighter weight at 18 pounds
• Same durability and high performance as the original

Cons

• Small capacity bowl
• No splatter shield

You want the quality and durability of the KitchenAid mixer, but you can’t fit it in your small kitchen. The KitchenAid Artisan mixer comes with all the bells and whistles of the original, at a 25% lighter weight while taking up 20% less space on your counter—meaning you don’t have to choose between your stand mixer and your microwave. 

Just like the original, the Artisan Mini Series features 10 speeds from a light knead to a brisk whip, with a powerful, 250-watt motor. The mixer also includes the iconic tilt-head design for easy access and a comfort handle on the dishwasher-safe stainless steel bowl. The mixer provides the same opportunity to use any of the 10 optional hub-powered attachments. The Artisan Mini comes in several colors, including honeydew green and aqua sky blue, so you can get creative with your kitchen style. 

It’s slightly more affordable than its bigger sibling, though still pricey when compared to other options on the market. It’s a reliable, durable choice for those with limited space who don’t need a large-capacity mixer. At 18 pounds, it’s still rather heavy, but much lighter than the original. 

Best style and design: Smeg 1950s Retro Style Stand Mixer

Smeg

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Why it made the cut: Stylist and powerful stand mixer for those who pride themselves on sleek decor.

Specs

• Accessories included: steel wire whisk, flat beater, dough hook, pouring shield
• Capacity: 5 Quarts
• Dimensions: 15.75 x 8.75 x 14.9 inches (LxWxH)
• Weight: 19 pounds

Pros

• Sleek, retro design in several colors
• High wattage with more power
• Large capacity bowl
• Non-stick accessories

Cons

• Expensive
• No optional add-on accessories

Folks who believe that style comes first can’t go wrong with a Smeg stand mixer. The attractive retro design comes in several neutral and pastel colors, including pink, red, blue, and green. The stylish design comes at a high price point, but the impressive features don’t disappoint, either. 

With a 600-watt motor, it’s also the most powerful mixer on our list, making it a better choice if you’re frequently making things like stiff bread doughs. It features a planetary mixing movement that makes for a smooth, complete combination of ingredients. The 10 variable speeds give KitchenAid a run for its money when it comes to versatility. A large-capacity stainless steel bowl can hold up to 5 quarts for bigger baking projects. With a tilt-head design and several different accessories, this stand mixer provides agility in the kitchen. 

Additionally, the accessories come with an all-new coating to make them non-stick and easy to clean. On top of that, they’re also dishwasher safe. If you can swing the cost, the Smeg stand mixer will not only look great in your kitchen, but it will put in the work as a solid stand mixer with a long life expectancy. 

Best for bread: Kenmore Elite Ovation 5-Qt. Stand Mixer

Kenmore

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Why it made the cut: Kenmore’s innovative stand mixer design prevents flour from flying, which is a big boon for bread bakers.

Specs

• Accessories included: steel wire whisk, flat beater, dough hook, egg separator, grater
• Capacity: 5 quarts
• Dimensions: 14.75 x 13 x 9.5 inches (LxWxH)
• Weight: 30 pounds

Pros

• 360-degree splash guard prevents messes
• Pour-in top design actually works well
• Relatively compact

Cons

• Shakes under a heavy load

Bread is one of the deepest categories in all of baking, which is ironic considering the core of many recipes is a combination of four simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. Kenmore’s Elite Ovation is the right tool for bread baking because its innovative design makes dough-making less messy. Many of our stand mixer recipes come with a plastic guard, which prevents dry ingredients from flying everywhere as they’re first combined with wet ones, but Kenmore went a step further.

A removable splash guard fitted into the top of the mixer fits perfectly on top of the mixer’s bowl to create an enclosed environment. There’s a hole open at the top, which allows you to pour ingredients into the mixer’s bowl while it’s working, but we’ve never had dry ingredients fly out of it during our tests. This was true whether we were making banana bread—an admittedly wet dough made with the paddle attachment—hamburger buns, a standard loaf of white bread, or even fresh pasta dough.

The ability to pour extra liquid or flour in through the top of the mixer as it was working was a huge help. We could course-correct recipes on the fly without wasting time turning the machine off and on again. Amateur bakers who are scared of making a mess will appreciate this as much as pros who’ve had the unfortunate experience of getting a face full of flour at the start of bread baking.

Our sole complaint with the Elite Ovation is that it’ll shake if you’re mixing a thick dough at high speeds. If you have it set on a kitchen island, it may rattle your other kitchen tools and appliances. This isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, just something to keep in mind if you’re not going to keep your stand mixer on a solid countertop. This wasn’t an issue when we used this mixer to make thinner doughs or batter, but bread bakers should be aware.

Best budget: Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer

Brandt Ranj

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Why it made the cut: Cuisinart’s stand mixer offers many of the same features as our premium picks at a far lower cost.

Specs

• Accessories included: steel wire whisk, flat beater, dough hook, pouring shield
• Capacity: 5.5 quarts
• Dimensions: 15.75 x 8.75 x 14.9 inches (LxWxH)
• Weight: 19 pounds

Pros

• Easy to use
• Supports lots of accessories
• Price

Cons

• Slightly worse look and feel

The biggest impediment for many bakers who want to go from a hand mixer to stand mixer is cost, but this is one of the few appliances where it pays to spend more money. Stand mixers are complicated machines with powerful motors, so getting an extremely inexpensive one means running the risk of having it break down after a couple of years. If you’re budget conscious but still want a stand mixer that’ll go the distance, your best bet is Cuisinart’s SM-50BC, which can be had for well under $200.

In our tests, the SM-50BC handled typical recipes like chocolate chip cookie dough as well as the more premium picks we’re recommending. It also had some little creature comforts, like making a clicking sound when the mixer’s head was tilted all the way up. Other little features, like how easy its knob was to turn, also stood out. There was definitely a little hit to the overall look and feel of this stand mixer compared to our recommendations, but not in a way that hurt its performance.

For common recipes—cookie dough, cake batter, whipped cream—this stand mixer will offer similar results to one that costs roughly double the price. If you’re looking for a way to cut down your cooking time with those recipes while adding some more complicated ones into your repertoire over time, this stand mixer will help guide you through that journey.

Speaking of journeys, we only used this stand mixer with the included attachments, but we’re pleased by the fact that Cuisinart is expanding its functionality with a wide assortment of accessories. This includes everything from a pasta extruder to a meat grinder. It’s worth noting that these accessories are also a lot less expensive than the ones available for a KitchenAid mixer.

If you’re looking for an entry-level stand mixer to take your baking to the next level, Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer should be the first one to consider.

What to consider when shopping for the best stand mixers

Before you decide on a stand mixer, you’ll need to decide what you actually want to use it for. A basic stand mixer will mix up things like cookie dough, cake batter, and whipped cream. But, some stand mixers are equipped to work with accessories to make things like burgers, pasta, and ice cream. It’s also important to consider how often you’ll use it. Many stand mixers are built to last a lifetime, but those typically come with a higher price tag. 

When choosing a stand mixer for your kitchen, keep in mind your counter space. These machines are typically heavy and a bit bulky, so size may be a consideration for apartment dwellers. Even if you have space to store it, moving it in and out of a cabinet can be a hassle if it’s too heavy. 

Here are some of the most prudent questions to ask yourself as you hunt for your ideal stand mixer: 

Attachments and accessories

If the idea of making pasta from scratch sounds like more effort than it’s worth, then you probably don’t need to worry about getting a stand mixer that allows for all kinds of fancy attachments. A basic stand mixer will meet all of your needs as a baking companion, including whipping, mixing, kneading, and creaming. If you’re looking for an all-in-one kitchen assistant, spring for a stand mixer that has the ability to add on cool accessories. Just make sure to factor the cost of those extra gadgets into your budget. 

Capacity

Stand mixers come in various sizes, so it’s worth considering what kind of capacity you want yours to have. If you’re a professional baker who will be whipping up large batches of batter, cream, and dough every weekend, a 3-quart mixing bowl might not cut it. Working in small batches can get frustrating if you’re in a time crunch and have a lot of work ahead of you. Alternatively, if you’re a hobby baker who whips up a few dozen cookies once a year for the holidays, a huge bowl and paddle may be a hindrance.

Design and footprint

Between your rice cooker, air fryer, toaster, and blender, your kitchen counter might be getting a bit crowded. Consider where you’re going to store your stand mixer before you go for a large-batch mixer. Many folks opt to display their stand mixer on the counter for aesthetic purposes, and because that sucker can be heavy to lug out every time you need it. If counter space is an issue, cabinet or pantry storage is another option. Luckily, there are some great compact options for those who live in close quarters. Some of the options on this list weigh more than 25 pounds and stand well over a foot high. 

FAQs

A final word on the best stand mixers

• Best overall: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
• Best for professionals: Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer
• Best small: KitchenAid Artisan Mini Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, 3.5 Quart
• Best style and design: Smeg 1950s Retro Style Stand Mixer
• Best for bread: Kenmore Elite Ovation 5-Qt. Stand Mixer
• Best budget: Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer

Whether you’re an occasional baker or an aspiring professional, the best stand mixer will make a huge difference in your kitchen. With proper care, these versatile devices can pump out cakes, cookies, bread, pasta, and more for decades to come.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best stand mixers of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

There aren’t many smartwatches that can stand toe-to-toe with the Apple Watch, but Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 is one of those exceptions. The sleek-looking digital timepiece can also display notifications and continuously record key health metrics without intervention, bringing the kind of integration that iOS users are used to over to the Android ecosystem. The best part is that you can snag this smartwatch for $219—its lowest price ever—if you shop at Amazon right now.

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm), $219 (Was $279.99)

Amazon

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One of the Galaxy Watch 5’s greatest strengths is that it doesn’t look like a piece of tech at first glance. Watches are fashion accessories regardless of functionality, and subtlety works in Samsung’s favor. This smartwatch’s 1.2-inch color display is large enough that you should be able to easily read text without feeling like you’re carrying a boat on your wrist. The screen is made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, so it shouldn’t chip if you accidentally bump your wrist against a desk or dumbbell. You can change its watch faces and bands to suit your mood or the occasion, too.

Aesthetics are important, but the Galaxy Watch 5’s tech features help it stand out the most. Samsung says its sensors can analyze your sleep and recommend changes to help you get more rest. Additional sensors can track your heart rate, BMI, body water level, basal metabolic rate, blood pressure, and more. If you’re exercising, the Galaxy Watch 5 can automatically assess how you’re working out and accurately track how many calories you’ve burned based on the activity.

If you’re trying to improve your health or want to know what time it is without pulling out your phone, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 is an excellent option at this price. Just be mindful that it can only be paired with Android devices, which means it’s incompatible with the iPhone.

If you’re already happy with what’s on your wrist, here are some more deals to accessorize your home:

• Ninja CREAMi, $199 (Was $239)
• Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers, $134.99 (Was $149.99)
• Blink Mini, $45.99 (Was $69.99)
• Blink Outdoor (3rd Gen) + Solar Panel Charging Mount, $90.99 (Was $129.98)
• Fire TV Stick 4K, $31.99 (Was $49.99)
• Beelink MINIS 12 Mini PC, $159.20 (Was $219)
• SAMSUNG PRO Endurance 128GB MicroSDXC Memory Card, $15.36 (Was $27.99)
• SAMSUNG T7 Portable SSD 500GB, $59.99 (Was $94.99)
• AcuRite Iris (5-in-1) Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Weather Station $119.99 (Was $172.79)
• AcuRite Digital Weather Forecaster $29.10 (Was $53.99)
• NutriBullet ZNBF30500Z Blender Combo 1200 Watt $103 (Was $149)
• Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade, Self-Cleaning 64 oz Container $379 (Was $549)
• De’Longhi EC9355M La Specialista Prestigio Espresso Machine $699 (Was $899)

The post You can save $60 on the best Android smartwatch at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best home garden		Gardyn 2.0		SEE IT	Gardyn 2.0’s Hydroponics Growing System actually makes it simple to grow plants at home.
Best Water Filter		Hydros 40oz Water Pitcher		SEE IT	A fridge-friendly pitcher that filters water faster.
Best Tech Toolkit		iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit		SEE IT	iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit can empower you to repair your old technology rather than recycling it (or worse).

Spending as little as 10 minutes reading the latest climate statistics can help induce a sense of existential dread followed by a desire to find ways to help. The good news is that behavioral changes can reduce your personal environmental impact, be it thrifting clothes instead of buying new ones, letting native grasses grow on your lawn, taking public transportation more often, or choosing the right type of vegetable oil. Scientific breakthroughs like increasing the production of seaweed can help, too, as does limiting your use of single-use plastics, which sends a message to corporations to stop using as much.

The irony of putting together a list of products in the name of sustainability is not lost on us, but we had rigid criteria for what we selected. Our recommendations are either more Earth-friendly versions of very common items like toiletries and a cutting board, or gadgets that can help you reduce, reuse, or recycle more efficiently. For example, cutting down on food waste—including knowing when to distrust sell-by dates, preserving the leftovers of what you cook in reusable containers, and composting the scraps—is good for the environment and your wallet.

It’s easy to feel hopeless, but changing your habits, lobbying companies and governments to put the environment first, and investing in items that can reduce your personal waste and carbon footprint over time can all contribute to a healthier planet.

• Best earbuds: Urbanista Phoenix
• Best composter: Reencle Home Composter
• Best water filter: Hydros 40oz Water Filter Slim Pitcher
• Best under-sink filter system: Waterdrop 10UA
• Best insulated water bottle: Hydro Flask 20 oz All Around Tumbler
• Best cutting board: Material reBoard
• Best solar generator: Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro
• Best charcoal: The Good Charcoal Company 15.4-pound bag
• Best smart oven: Tovala Smart Oven
• Best tech toolkit: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit
• Best smart thermostat: Google Nest Learning Thermostat
• Best detergent: Poesie Laundry Detergent Sheets
• Best liquid soap: Cleancult Dish Soap
• Best indoor gardening kit: Gardyn Home Kit 2.0
• Best menstrual cup: Saalt Soft Menstrual Cup
• Best printer: HP Smart Tank 5101

Best earbuds: Urbanista Phoenix

Urbanista

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Earbuds are the most convenient style of personal audio due to their portability, and Urbanista’s Phoenix doubles down on that thanks to the solar panel on its case, which can continually recharge them. The panel’s inclusion makes this set of true wireless earbuds larger than most models, but that comes with the benefit of a larger battery. The Phoenix buds can offer up to eight hours of music playback, but its case holds enough charge to offer an additional 34 hours of power. Yes, you can still recharge these earbuds and their case with a USB-C cable, but leaving the case out while you listen to music on a sunny day can top it up. The Phoenix earbuds are competitive with similar models in their sub-$150 price range, including hybrid noise cancellation, IPX4 water resistance, and support for Bluetooth 5.2. If you find yourself with dead earbuds at the most inconvenient times, this is the pair you’ve been waiting for.

Best composter: Reencle Home Composter

Reencle

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Reencle’s Home Composter smooths out many annoying details that make composting undesirable or seemingly too difficult. The aesthetically pleasing device suppresses odors, can handle over two pounds of food waste per day, and may only need to be emptied after one to three months. Its carbon filters can last several years without needing to be replaced, and it only consumes roughly $2 worth of power each month. The key to this composter is the “ReencleMicrobe,” which continuously breaks down food and doesn’t need to be replaced. Thanks to motion sensors that can be activated by your hand and foot, you don’t even need to touch this composter to open its lid. The Reencle Home Composter requires a pretty sizable up-front investment, but considering how much food waste is generated in the United States from farm to table, it can help you do your part.

Best water filter: Hydros 40oz Water Filter Slim Pitcher

Hydros

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Filtered water pitchers aren’t new, but they can help you wean yourself off of buying bottled water. This 40-ounce water filter from Hydros is slim enough to fit next to cartons of juice or milk on the door of your fridge, and its filters can reduce 90 percent of chlorine and 99 percent of sediment from your water. Those filters are made from coconut shell carbon inside a BPA-free casing and must only be replaced after a couple of months. Hydros says its filters are up to five times faster than similar options, so you won’t have to wait as long to fill the container or your glasses.

Best under-sink filter system: Waterdrop 10UA

Waterdrop

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If you want filtered water without losing any fridge space, consider Waterdrop’s 10UA, a filtration system connecting directly to the pipes beneath your sink. The only tool required to install the 10UA is a wrench, which is used to attach the filter to your water line. The 10UA does not require new pipes or power to be installed. Once it’s set up, you’ll get filtered water directly from your tap. Waterdrop says its filter can reduce the amount of chlorine, rust, lead, heavy metals, chemical impurities, and sand while also improving the taste and smell of your water. Each filter can clean up to 8,000 gallons of water, and Waterdrop suggests you replace them once per year. An Amazon deal has brought the 10UA’s price down to under $50, which makes it a particularly good Earth Day investment.

Best insulated water bottle: Hydro Flask All Around Tumbler

Hydro Flask

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If you’re struggling to filter your water, you’ll want to keep it in a safe container large enough to reduce frequent trips to your kitchen. HydroFlask’s All Around Tumbler checks both of those boxes. The Water Bottle is made from BPA-free and toxin-free pro-grade stainless steel. This material can also insulate heat, so your hot beverages stay hot, and your cold ones stay cold. The All Around Tumbler’s 20-ounce capacity should reduce trips to the kitchen for refills. A 28-ounce version is available if you’d like a bigger option. HydroFlask offers the All Around Tumbler in multiple colorways, so you can find one that suits your style.

Best cutting board: Material reBoard

Material

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If you’re starting to rethink the sustainability of your kitchen, you should invest in Material’s reBoard. The cutting board is made of 75% recycled plastics and 25% renewable sugarcane; it’s BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and comes in various colors. This type of cutting board is ideal for use with both vegetables and meat because juices from the latter won’t seep into the pores of the reBoard like they would if it was made out of wood. The reBoard is 14.75 inches long and 10.75 inches wide, which is big enough for most meal prep and carving. Our favorite touch is the reBoard’s circular cutout, which makes it easier to grab and hang.

Best solar generator: Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro

Jackery

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A solar generator is an essential gadget for multi-day camping, but it can also help you increase your renewable energy consumption at home. Jackery’s Explorer 2000 Pro is the top pick in our buyer’s guide because of its high capacity, user-friendly design, and ability to be fully recharged in under three hours when plugged into an outlet. The Explorer 2000 weighs over 43 pounds without the included solar panel, but none of the space is wasted. This solar generator is equipped with three AC outlets, one DC output, two USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports with a total maximum power output of 2200 Watts. If you have a backyard, you could use Jackery’s solar panel to charge the Explorer 2000, and use it to recharge all of your gadgets—and even power electronics like your TV—using renewable power.

Best charcoal: The Good Charcoal Company 15.4-pound bag

The Good Charcoal Company

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Good Charcoal Company has taken on the seemingly impossible task of making grilling less taxing on the environment. It’s made of dense acacia wood that heats to a higher temperature, so you’ll need fewer briquettes to cook your food. Fewer briquettes ultimately lead to less waste. The Good Charcoal Company says it sources its wood from Nambia, a region where the acacia trees are so overgrown that it’s threatening the region’s natural ecological balance. By using this wood rather than needlessly cutting down trees in forests where they’re doing no harm, The Good Charcoal Company’s sustainability story is carried from source to your plate.

Best smart oven: Tovala Smart Oven

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Tovala’s Smart Oven is the only kitchen gadget we’ve tried that reliably helped us cut down on our food waste. The multifunction oven is designed to work with Tovala’s meal subscription, which sends pre-portioned ingredients that can be quickly assembled and cooked. This method is similar to meal kit boxes we’re familiar with but requires a lot less effort. Each meal’s recipe card has a QR code, which the Smart Oven can scan to set its time and temperature automatically. The average time it takes to cook a Tovala meal—from opening the ingredients to sitting at the table—is under half an hour. It’s easy to start the week with an ambitious trip to the grocery store only to end up with spoiled ingredients several days later, and Tovala’s Smart Oven can save you from contributing to that food waste. Sometimes I cook more than I finish; when that’s the case, I reach for some FoodSaver containers to keep leftovers fresh and keep disposable containers out of the trash.

Best tech toolkit: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

iFixit

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It’s hard to know what to do when an electronic breaks, but iFixit’s Pro Tech Toolkit can help you get inside and (potentially) fix the problem yourself rather than tossing it out or paying for a costly repair. The toolkit is a natural extension of the company’s website, which features dozens of guides that provide free step-by-step directions on repairing an iPhone, Android device, game console, and more. What separates this toolkit from the rest is its comprehensive set of screwdriver bits, spudgers, and tweezers. These are precise tools that will reduce the chances of accidentally stripping a screw or tearing a wire accidentally. We’re big fans of the right-to-repair movement currently gaining traction in the United States, and iFixit’s Pro Tech Toolkit makes it easier to participate in this revolution.

Best smart thermostat: Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Google

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What if you could reduce the energy consumption in your home without ever thinking about it? That’s the promise of the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. The Wi-Fi-enabled smart thermostat can track when you’re home and away to intelligently manage your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system. If it learns correctly, your home will always be warm and cool when you need it to be, while giving your HVAC system a break when necessary. This can save you money on your bills over time, and some utility companies will even offer you credit for upgrading your older thermostats. The Nest has other tangible benefits beyond leveraging AI—like allowing you to monitor and adjust your home’s temperature from anywhere in the world. You’re still going to be in complete control of your HVAC system, but seeding some power to the Nest Learning Thermostat once it has proven it’s capable of handling the responsibility can make your home more sustainable.

Best detergent: Poesie Laundry Detergent Sheets

Posie

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Switching from pods and liquid detergents to detergent sheets is one of those no-brainer swaps that you can make without disturbing your regular routine. Poesie’s sheets contain no plastic, no phosphorus, and no fluorescer without impacting their cleaning performance. Plus, detergent sheets are easier to pack on trips if you rent a place with a washer and dryer. We’re recommending a 160-sheet package, which should last you about a year or more if you do laundry once per week. Poesie says you should use between one and four sheets depending on how much laundry you’re doing and how dirty your clothes are. If you’re looking for a quick, sustainable home swap, here it is.

Best liquid soap: Cleancult Dish Soap

Cleancult

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On a similar note, Clean Cult’s Liquid Dish Soap is another eco-friendly product swap that’s easy to make. This three-pack of dish soap is designed to be used with the company’s glass dispensers, but will work just fine if you decide to use any empty container. Clean Cult’s Dish Soap is made from natural ingredients, free from phthalates, phosphates, petroleum-based ingredients, dyes, and comes in a recyclable paper container. You can choose between three scents: grapefruit basil, lemongrass, and wild lavender. Clean Cult says its dish soap uses 90% less plastic than traditional options, and this three-pack should last several months before you need to top up.

Best indoor gardening kit: Gardyn Home Kit 2.0

Gardyn

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Growing a home garden can seem ambitious—especially if you live in a colder climate or an apartment—but Gardyn’s Home Kit 2.0 makes it possible. The hydroponic garden comes with two strips of LEDs that automatically turn on and off on a set schedule to ensure the vegetables and herbs—stored in pods—get enough light to grow. A water tank built into its base will feed liquid through tubes to each of the pods. The tank will need to be refilled once or twice a week depending on how many plants you’re growing and their size, and Gardyn includes plant food to ensure they get their nutrients. You’ll still be in charge of pruning and harvesting your crops, but the Gardyn Home 2.0 takes a lot of the daily maintenance work out of your hands.

Best menstrual cup: Saalt Soft Menstrual Cup

Saalt

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People looking for a more Earth-friendly alternative to tampons and pads can switch to Saalt’s Soft Menstrual Cup instead. The company says it surveyed over 1 million people to tweak the cup’s design to fit as comfortably as possible without compromising its ability to stay securely in place. It offers three sizes of cups to ensure you’ll find one that fits your body. Saalt says it’s made this cup from 100% medical-grade silicone and that it’s free from BPA, latex, and toxins.

Best printer: HP Smart Tank 5101

HP

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We’re ending on printers because most of them are as annoying to use as they are wasteful. The HP Smart Tank 5101 is better than most because it uses ink tanks instead of traditional cartridges. HP says these tanks allow you to print up to 6,000 monochrome and 6,000 color pages before they need to be topped up. The company says this is roughly two years’ worth of ink. This more eco-friendly approach to ink is complemented by the typical features in a printer, like support for wireless printing and the ability to access certain functions like scanning and copying using buttons and a small LCD screen. HP says the printer can print up to 12 monochrome pages and five color pages per minute, which is pretty standard for an inkjet printer. If you’d like to make your home office a little friendlier to the Earth, HP’s Smart Tank 5101 is a step in the right direction—just remember to use recycled paper.

The post The best Earth Day essentials for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

I started testing the Victrola Stream Onyx Works with Sonos turntable the same way I evaluate every turntable: choosing an album I know very well, selecting my favorite track, clearing my head, and listening. This time, however, things took a different turn and an atypical flight of stairs. Seconds after the Stream Onyx’s needle hit decades-old wax on the platter in my basement, I heard music playing from a completely different floor. “I Went to Sleep,” a brief breezy waltz the Beach Boys released in 1969 on the album 20/20, started playing on a smart speaker above me in the living room. I was surprised, not because I was unaware of this feature’s existence, but because Victrola’s spin on wireless vinyl playback worked so effortlessly and expressively … if you meet specific requirements indicated in the product’s name and delivered in its performance.

Victrola

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The build

For the most part, the $599 Victrola Stream Onyx looks like any standard turntable, just with edges a bit more rounded off. Its matte black plinth looks sleek, its modern aesthetic complemented by a silicone slipmat and aluminum tonearm. It’s a solid-feeling 12.13 pounds. And the included dust cover is a custom-shaped shield that fits directly above the platter and tonearm rather than a rectangular canopy clipping to the back and hovering over the entire record player.

Victrola opted to outfit the Stream Onyx with the Audio-Technica AT-VM95E cartridge. This is perfectly fine, though we’d have liked to see them opt for or offer the Ortofon 2M Red instead. That cartridge, which I’ve auditioned in past reviews, offers excellent sonic and tracking performance. It also provides a clear upgrade path to the higher-end Ortofon 2M Blue by letting you swap out the Elliptical diamond for a Nude Elliptical diamond stylus, expanding the high-frequency response from 20,000 Hz to 25,000 Hz with a single part rather than having to spend more to replace an entire cartridge. Still, the Audio-Technica offers a highly competent, low-distortion, entry-level Elliptical diamond stylus and you can always experiment with the six interchangeable styli in the A-T family or get an entirely different moving magnet cartridge later if you desire.

A 2-speed, belt-driven, semi-automatic turntable, the Stream Onyx will begin spinning a record when you move its tonearm—with its easily adjustable counterweight—over a record. And it will stop the record from spinning once you’ve reached the end of a side. However, this turntable does not have auto-return, meaning the tonearm will not return to its original resting place once the music is done. You’ll have to raise, lower, and move the tonearm by yourself, which is made easier by the turntable’s cue lever, which raises the needle above the album so you can lower it down on the right spot with precision. A dial on top of the turntable lets you switch between 45 and 33 1/3 RPM records, and Victrola includes an adapter so you can play vintage 7 inches with no problem.

Turn the turntable around and you’ll see standard RCA (red and white) outputs and a grounding peg. There’s also a universal “figure-eight” power port. We appreciate that Victrola opted for this approach rather than a power cord soldered in because you can swap out the cable for just over $5 if yours gets accidentally damaged.

So far, everything looks pretty standard … until you notice the Ethernet jack, the first indication that this turntable is designed to be networked, whether via cable or WiFi. That’s also related to the turntable’s other eye-catching element: the illuminated control knob on its front panel, with a white LED ring that complements the “Victrola” logo, which allows you to change the volume and output zone because the Stream Onyx is intended to integrate seamlessly with Sonos connected speakers. Yes, you could already broadcast those black circles by wedging a Sonos Port into an existing stereo system, but the Stream Onyx is a much more elegant solution.

The setup

Victrola has been in the business of making audio equipment since 1901, and it’s used the past 122 years to streamline its turntable setup process. The Stream Onyx only took about a half-hour from unboxing to setting up my first record, including connecting it to your Sonos ecosystem through the Victrola app. Victrola provides written instructions, but if you’re a visual learner like myself, you should reference the company’s unboxing and setup video at the bottom of the page for the Stream Carbon, the Onyx’s more luxe $799 sibling (which includes that covetable Ortofon 2M Red mentioned above). The Stream Onyx comes almost completely assembled out of the box, with only a handful of straightforward steps needed to complete the job.

First, I placed the turntable’s platter on top of its deck, aligning the spindle below with a cutout in the platter. Next, I attached a belt that was taped to the top of the platter onto a spindle below. Then I placed a silicone placemat on top of the platter and attached an adjustable counterweight to the tonearm. The counterweight was the perfect weight for this tonearm, so it was unnecessary to adjust it once it was securely in place.

Finally, I removed the headshell from its packaging and plugged it into the front of the tonearm. From there, it was only a matter of plugging the Stream Onyx into an outlet using the included cable and placing the 45 adapter in its place next to the speed selection knob. All of these steps are similar to the ones you’d follow when setting up any belt-driven turntable, although the fact that the belt was already on the platter saved a lot of time and frustration.

With the physical part of the Stream Onyx all figured out, I moved on to setting up its digital component. It’s worth mentioning that, at this point, the turntable was fully functional and, with its built-in preamp, could be connected to a receiver or powered speakers without any issues. If you like the idea of having a record player that could play music wirelessly to multiple speakers in different rooms, but haven’t picked up any Sonos gear, the Stream Onyx is still worth considering as a means of futureproofing your audio setup and giving you more connectivity options down the line.

Connecting the turntable to a Sonos speaker already on my network was easier than I initially thought, thanks to Victrola’s simple—albeit sterile-looking—app, which is available on both iOS and Android. (The turntable also integrates with the Sonos app.) The app instantly recognized my turntable and asked me to provide my WiFi password to connect it to my wireless network (the Victrola Stream Onyx and your Sonos speakers must be on the same network to communicate).

Once my turntable was added to the network, I could select the default Sonos speaker it should play music from. Both in the app and by pressing the volume knob in, you can choose a group of Sonos speakers to play music simultaneously in different parts of your home or in true stereo. I selected my Sonos Era 100, and the app let me know my turntable was paired to the speaker so I could immediately start to play records. The Victrola app also allows you to update the Stream Onyx’s firmware, to see its signal strength to a speaker, and it will enable you to adjust the latency (lag) between the two devices. Lower latency means less time will elapse between when you drop the needle and when you hear music. Still, if the connection between the turntable and speaker is weak, it may cut out, which is why adding a multi-second buffer could be useful.

I never experienced any technical difficulties during my testing, but my multi-router Eero network supports speeds of up to 1Gbps, thanks to my internet plan. If you typically get slower throughput, your best bet may be to set up the Stream Onyx beside your cable provider’s modem and connect those two devices with an Ethernet cable.

The sound

Judging the sound of a turntable can be difficult because so many variables can impact it. The album you’re listening to, the particular pressing, its condition, your stereo receiver, your cartridge, the condition of your needle, the surface and damping where you set your turntable, your speakers, their positioning, and even the size and shape of your room all need to be considered. All that being said, I had a great time during my testing period with the Victrola Stream Onyx. I listened to a variety album, from the aforementioned original pressing of the Beach Boys album to the recent reissue of the Fountains of Wayne compilation Out-of-State Plates.

Victrola’s counterweight provided enough force to keep the needle from skating off a groove even during the occasional pop, but never dug in so deeply as to damage the LP. Analog recordings I listened to sounded better than newer ones recorded digitally and transferred to tape after the mixing and mastering stages. I wondered whether the space Victrola dedicated to wireless components inside the Stream Onyx would impact its performance, but that didn’t seem to matter very much.

The biggest test was how the same album sounded when it streamed to the Sonos Era 100 compared to when it was directly connected to a pair of bookshelf speakers, in this case Fluance’s Ai61s. Victrola’s app allows you to flip between two modes: “Switching” will only play music through a Sonos speaker even if the turntable is hardwired to an audio system, while “Simultaneous” will route audio to both at the same time. I listened to the same music on both systems separately and simultaneously (the latter was admittedly a cacophonous experience).

The powered speaker system ended up winning out, but the fight wasn’t totally fair. The Sonos Era 100 can play music in true stereo thanks to its dual angled tweeter array, but it couldn’t beat the true separation of separate left and right speakers placed a couple of feet apart from one another. The drivers on the Ai61s are also quite a bit bigger, which allowed me to hear a little more low and high-end. While this matchup disadvantaged the Era 100, the differences in performance weren’t as great as I would have expected. There was some detail loss when listening through a Sonos speaker, but that will be true when streaming music to any Bluetooth or wireless audio equipment. Victrola doesn’t provide the Stream Onyx’s maximum bitrate, but the Era 100 can play 16-bit audio at up to a 48 kHz sample rate—a fidelity WiFi can easily accommodate.

Overall, the sound coming out of the Sonos Era 100 was incredibly pleasing. There was still some of that analog “warmth” that has more to do with the way the albums I listened to were recorded and mastered than any one thing in the signal chain. It’s interesting how the results of this test will change over time were I to try the larger multidirectional Sonos Era 300 or future Sonos upgrades (the Five is starting to look a bit long in the tooth). The differences between listening to music through a traditional audio system vs. wirelessly will only get narrower.

The conclusion

With the introduction of the Victrola Stream Onyx, wireless audio has taken another Borg-like step to assimilate pieces of the audiophile world—through headphones and smart speakers and now turntables. Resistance is futile indeed. The move from Bluetooth, an inherently limited wireless streaming standard, to WiFi, which offers far better fidelity and stability over a greater range, is a significant sea change.

Yes, the Stream Onyx is only compatible wirelessly with Sonos speakers, which are costlier than your average Bluetooth party speakers, but this decision ensures a baseline of audio fidelity. Rather than worrying about how the Stream Onyx might sound on thousands of speakers, Victrola only has to test it with a handful. And the Sonos commitment to sound quality underscores the validity of this approach. If you’re open to a closed system and have an LPs listening station but want the freedom to enjoy records throughout your home, it’s hard not to see the Victrola Stream Onyx Works with Sonos turntable as the best option for you right now.

The post Victrola Stream Onyx turntable review: A spin on WiFi hi-fi appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Party speakers are as necessary for social gatherings as food these days when it comes to setting the right mood. GravaStar’s Bluetooth speakers stand out because of their unique, futuristic look, but their appeal isn’t just skin deep. The company fits a multi-driver system in its speakers to deliver deeper bass, clear treble, and smooth mids. The best part is you can save up to $104 on one by clipping a free coupon on Amazon.

GravaStar Mars Pro, $244.96 (Was $349.95)

GravaStar

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We selected GravaStar’s Mars Pro as one of the best party speakers in 2023 because of its sci-fi style, surprisingly high-output subwoofer system, and 15- to 20-hour battery life. The speaker’s body is made of a zinc alloy, each with a slightly different print, so yours will be unique. There’s a touch-responsive volume strip on the top, and it even has LED accents all over it so it’s eye-catching whether at your gaming rig as you blast competitors or on the patio as you blast tunes. If you’re taking your party poolside, the Mars Pro can hang thanks to its IPX7 durability rating, which means it can survive an accidental submersion without incident (though scoop it out sooner than later, as it doesn’t float like the slightly discounted UE WONDERBOOM 3). And you can pair two Mars Pro speakers via Bluetooth 5.0 to create a true stereo setup.

Amazon’s limited-time discount brings the Mars Pro down to its lowest price ever. We’ve highlighted the Metallic Gray model above, but there’s a separate Buy One Get One Free promotion applied if you pair one War Damaged Yellow and one Red model—a savings of $329 that, when combined with the 30% coupon, adds up to a $428.94 discount. These deals aren’t tied to a larger sale and can end anytime; if you’re interested in exploring this otherworldly speaker, prepare for liftoff sooner than later.

Here are other deals that sound good right now:

• JBL PartyBox 110, $299.95 (Was $399.95)
• Beats Studio Buds, $99.95 (Was $149.95)
• GravaStar Sirius Pro Wireless Earbuds, $104.96 w/ 30% clickable coupon (Was $149.95)
• GravaStar Sirius Wireless Earbuds, $62.96 w/ 30% clickable coupon (Was $89.95)
• GravaStar Wireless Earbuds Sirius P5, $55.96 w/ 30% clickable coupon (Was $79.95)
• Bose SoundLink Flex, $129 (Was $149)
• JBL Clip 4, $59.95 (Was $79.99)
• JBL Flip 6, $99.99 (Was $129.95)
• Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker, $21.99 (Was $29.99)
• GNMN Bluetooth Headphones, $23.99 (Was $89.99)
• Ring Video Doorbell, $69.99 (Was $99.99)
• Ring Floodlight Cam, $139.99 (was $199.99)
• Blink Mini, $24.99 (Was $34.99)
• Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Camera, $41.99 (Was $59.99)
• Instant Pot Pro, $129.95 (Was $169.99)
• AOPEN 27HC5R, $109.99 (Was $139.99)
• Beelink SER5 Mini PC, $287.20 (Was $370)

The post GravaStar’s speakers look out of this world, but their price is more grounded than ever appeared first on Popular Science.

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For the better part of two weeks, I’ve made lunch and dinners almost completely from scratch without neglecting my work or partner. This sudden burst of culinary creativity came courtesy of Tovala, an appliance maker and meal delivery service that’s just released its Smart Oven. I’ve tried the $249 countertop multipurpose oven, and it’s the first kitchen gadget that’s reliably got me out of a takeout or thrown-together dinner rut, though not without some compromises.

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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What is the Tovala Smart Oven?

If you look at the Tovala Smart Oven from the outside, it looks like any ordinary countertop smart oven—because it is. The Smart Oven has Toast, Bake, Broil, Air Fry, and Reheat settings, along with buttons that allow you to select the time and temperature of your cook (a Pro edition adds in a steam function, as well as an additional cost). The Reheat button, which has become standard on newer countertop ovens, will set the Smart Oven to 400 degrees for 10 minutes—a perfect way for me to enjoy the warmed jelly donut shown above. At its heart, the Tovala Smart Oven is a 5-in-1 device that wants to fill your stomach with delicious meals while it empties your kitchen of other appliances—maybe not my stand mixer, but countertop ovens feel almost as essential at this point. Still, the Tovala is far from the only multipurpose oven on the market.

None of the Smart Oven’s features are remarkable except for the top-most function button, Scan, and that button makes all the difference. Pushing the Scan button turns on a scanner that reads QR codes printed on recipe cards. These cards are bundled in a small package along with individually wrapped preportioned ingredients that, when assembled, allow you to cook a single-serving meal in roughly half an hour with minimal effort.

Tovala is so confident in the quality of the meals developed by its chefs that it’ll slash the Smart Oven’s price from $249 to $99 if you order meals six times (you pay for the oven upfront when you set up your subscription). Having made roughly a dozen Tovala meals, the Smart Oven is a straightforward gadget to recommend if you’re concerned about eating more healthily, saving money (compared to dining out), and fighting against the choice paralysis that comes with meal planning. Tovala’s system isn’t perfect, but it beats the sinking feeling of realizing you won’t have time to cook as planned.

Setting up the Tovala Smart Oven

The Smart Oven may have a neat trick up its sleeve, but it’s a Wi-Fi-enabled countertop oven at the end of the day, so setting it up doesn’t require much time or technical know-how. After removing the oven from its packaging, I installed the crumb tray into a slot beneath the door, then slid its wire rack into the middle position. Tovala also includes an air fryer rack and baking tray, which can be used if you cook using those functions. Sometimes, the baking tray will be necessary to cook Tovala’s meals. The Smart Oven’s functions are all clearly labeled. The same is true of the appliance’s time and temperature setting buttons.

Once the oven was set up, I downloaded Tovala’s app (iOS and Android), created an account, entered my credit card information, and ordered some meals. It’s important to note that most of Tovala’s meals aren’t pre-made dishes you’re simply heating up. Each is a mini meal kit with fresh ingredients that can be unboxed, prepared, scanned, and put into the oven in about two minutes.

Tovala’s meals start at $9.99 but can balloon to nearly $18 if you choose a premium entree with an optional extra. To keep things fresh, Tovala offers a rotating list of 25 options that appeal to many diets—whether you have a food restriction, allergy, or want to keep track of your calories. You can instantly see which of the meals Tovala offers will fit within your diet by tapping a button under the “meal type.” You can order between four and 16 meals per week and change the number you get each week. You also have the option to skip weeks if necessary or cancel your Tovala meal subscription entirely with no penalties. Tovala will e-mail you about its new menu a few days in advance so you don’t feel rushed when making your selections. If you don’t choose the meals you want by 6 pm CT, Tovala will choose the meals for you.

Using the Tovala Smart Oven

If I had to give Tovala credit for one thing, it’s that the company has perfected the process of getting its meals from a raw state to your plate in under half an hour while requiring virtually no effort. Each meal kit comes in a small paper box with an easy-to-read label (featuring ingredients, weight, and expiration date), a simplified recipe card, and pre-portioned ingredients. There’s no chopping, cutting, or marinating required. Instead, putting together a Tovala meal is a matter of assembly: Remove your protein from its vacuum-sealed plastic bag, place it inside a disposable foil tin, cover it in a sauce, cheese, or other condiments, and similarly prepare a side dish. Once the meal has been assembled, hitting the Smart Oven’s Scan button will allow it to read the QR code on the meal kit’s recipe card and automatically set the correct time and temperature for that recipe. Hitting the Start button will begin cooking your food, and you’ll hear a ding (and get an app alert, in case you’re out of earshot) when the meal is done and ready to be removed.

This plug-and-play cooking style may irk some home chefs who are used to the flexibility of tailoring a recipe to their taste—Tovala does include an optional ingredient with some meals to offer some variability—but the focus here is on sheer efficiency. The truth is that while I love cooking, using Tovala’s Smart Oven to make fresh meals twice a day was refreshing. I didn’t have to plan my lunch hour around meal prepping something for dinner or worrying about whether I was missing an ingredient that would require an inconvenient trip to the store. All the common mishaps that can derail dinner plans were taken care of.

None of this would matter if Tovala’s meals tasted terrible, but that was typically far from the case. The from-scratch meals were very good, including a BBQ Cheddar Chicken Sandwich, Italian Meatballs & Penne in Marinara, Chicken Parmesan, Gyro-Spiced Chicken Breast, Lemon Garlic Rice & Toasted Carrots, and the Kung Pao Chicken & Fried Rice Bowl. In all of those cases, I was impressed with how well-seasoned the meat was, the amount of additional flavor provided by the sauces, and the fact that both the main and side dishes were cooked simultaneously without one element being over or underdone. My only disappointing Tovala meal was its Beef Lasagna, which came preassembled and only needed to be unwrapped and heated up. In this case, the food looked (and tasted) like a leftover rather than something cooked that night.

Tovala’s approach combines the convenience of heating a frozen dinner with the taste of fresh food while requiring no additional kitchen tools or cooking skills. This combination is successful as long as you continue to order food from Tovala, but what happens when you don’t? It turns out Tovala has accounted for this in a few ways. The first is making the Smart Oven compatible with thousands of frozen food items from dozens of companies. A full index of compatible meals is available in the Tovala app, which we recommend reviewing before considering the Smart Oven. If you have a recognized meal, you can scan its barcode using the Smart Oven’s QR reader to set its time and temperature automatically. This is the same behavior you’d get when cooking one of Tovala’s meals. In my tests, the Smart Oven successfully cooked a handful of relatively healthy frozen items from Whole Foods with no fuss.

If you’d like to use the Smart Oven to cook your own concoctions, Tovala’s app contains recipes from the company’s chefs. You can use this digital cookbook to make everything from chicken wings and pigs in a blanket to brownies and roasted shishito peppers. The ingredient list for all of Tovala’s recipes is always reasonable, and the directions are incredibly easy to follow. Most steps are only one sentence long; you can read the entire recipe without scrolling. Just assemble the ingredients, put your dish in the oven, and hit start in the app. It’s clear that the Smart Oven was designed with Tovala’s meals in mind, but this appliance needs to be just as useful if you’ve paused your subscription.

So, who should buy the Tovala Smart Oven?

Waking up with the desire to cook—only to have the traffic report, a long meeting, an unexpected phone call, or some other unforeseen circumstance—derail your plans can be very disappointing, especially if you spend twice the money on takeout and or end up having to throw out spoiled ingredients. Tovala’s Smart Oven can help save you time in the kitchen and cut down on food waste even if you only order four meals per week. If you pause your subscription but later find more time, gather your ingredients or run by the store for your favorite frozen feast. Tovala’s Smart Oven will heat up faster than your full-sized one, and Tovala’s recipes can inspire you on what to cook. Countertop ovens have never been better, but Tovala’s unique approach helps its appliance stand out as a kitchen gadget I’d add to my favorite smart home devices. If you’re a frustrated home cook, the Tovala Smart Oven may help get lunch or dinner onto your table instead of reaching for the delivery app on your phone.

The post Tovala Smart Oven review: Cooking up a winner? appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Grovemade Wood Laptop Riser		SEE IT	If cost is no object, Grovemade’s Wood Riser will make your desk setup more comfortable and better looking.
Best vertical		Satechi Universal Vertical Aluminum Laptop Stand		SEE IT	If you’re optimizing your desk space, Satechi Universal Vertical Laptop Aluminum Stand is the one to get.
Best budget		Amazon Basics Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand		SEE IT	Amazon Basics’ laptop stand proves you don’t have to cut features to save money.

If the shopping gods ever decide to compile a list of things you don’t think you need but actually do, a laptop stand for your desk will probably nab a spot near the top of it. The benefits of them, though not necessarily endless, are indeed impressive. Most importantly, they’re ergonomic—these desk accessories bring laptop screens up to eye level, so you aren’t constantly bending your neck downward and hunching your shoulders forward while you type. A laptop stand can improve your posture while you work as it eases the strain on your neck and back.

They also make it easier to use an external keyboard with a laptop. You can place it at desk level, and if you have a dual-rise laptop stand, you can pull it forward over the keyboard while bringing the laptop screen closer to you. On the non-ergonomic side, a laptop riser will help prevent your laptop from overheating by allowing the air around it to circulate more freely. This slows down the drain on your battery and helps keep your laptop working more efficiently. 

Finally, some stands can be used to make your work area similar to a standing desk, which is a great way to tackle two functions in one item. Just extend it up to a comfortable height so that you can get off your seat and stretch your torso while continuing to reap the posture and back benefits of the best laptop stand for desks.

• Best overall: Grovemade Wood Laptop Riser
• Best riser: Twelve South HiRise
• Best vertical: Satechi Universal Vertical Aluminum Laptop Stand
• Best portable: MOFT Invisible Slim Laptop Stand
• Best budget: Amazon Basics Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand

How we chose the best laptop stands

At their core, laptop stands are single-use tools that function nearly identically to one another, so our research and testing focused on finding the ideal choice for your particular preferences. If you prioritize ergonomics (by way of height adjustment), want to reduce your laptop’s footprint on your desk while it’s connected to an external display, or aim to spend the least amount of money possible without making serious compromises, we have you covered. Our recommendations all come from well-known companies with a solid reputation, which means you shouldn’t ever have to upgrade your laptop stand unless your needs or preferences change.

The best laptop stands: Reviews & Recommendations

When it comes to choosing the best laptop stand for desks, your options might not be quite as plentiful as they are when you’re picking out a laptop to place on top of it, but that actually makes the task less daunting. Plus, you’ve got us to help! And by the way, for those who do their best work while sitting up in bed, don’t worry. We’ve got the perfect laptop stand for you, too.

Best overall: Grovemade Wood Laptop Riser

Grovemade

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Specs

• Style: Riser
• Size: 10 x 9.7 x 8.6 inches
• Height adjustable: No
• Price: $180

Pros

• Beautiful, luxe materials
• Holds laptop at the perfect height
• Feels totally solid

Cons

• Expensive

You’ll find a lot to like with Grovemade’s Wood Laptop Riser. This stand is made up of two pieces: A combo of American black walnut and Eastern Hardrock maple plywood attached to a brushed aluminum frame. The laptop stand is guaranteed to improve the aesthetics of any desk without compromising ergonomics. This laptop stand doesn’t support height adjustment, but it can raise your laptop to the perfect spot for use with an external display. If your computer monitor supports height adjustment, you can make your tweaks there.

One of Grovemade’s clever design decisions was to include a pair of holes in the aluminum part of this frame, which allows you to thread your charging cable through it. This is a nice touch that can help clean desk clutter and give you easy cable management. Aluminum laptop stands can scratch the bottom of your computer—Grovemade accounted for this and covered the top of this stand with soft felt. The company offers its stand in walnut or maple finishes, so select the one that best fits the color of your desk and other tech accessories.

We’ve had the opportunity to check out this laptop stand for ourselves, and the pictures don’t do it justice. The solid feeling of the wood alone can justify its high price tag. During our time with this laptop stand, we never once wished it was height adjustable, which speaks to the time Grovemade spent to make sure it was as ergonomic as possible.

Yes, this laptop stand is roughly three times more expensive than most of our other recommendations, but it’s also the best-looking and packs a lot of quality. If you’re redoing your home office and don’t want to make any compromises, Grovemade’s Wood Laptop Riser deserves a spot on your desk.

Best riser: Twelve South HiRise

Twelve South

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Specs

• Style: Riser
• Size: 11.5 x 3.3 x 4.3 inches
• Height adjustable: Yes
• Price: $68

Pros

• Relatively compact
• Sturdy aluminum frame
• Cutouts encourage constant airflow

Cons

• Designed to work best with MacBooks

Twelve South’s HiRise was designed to match the aesthetics of Apple’s laptops, and while it’ll look best with a Mac, it’ll work just as well with a PC. The all-aluminum laptop stand can be height adjusted between 3.7 and 5.6 inches, which doesn’t seem like a lot—however, that makes a big difference when it comes to comfort. The top of this laptop stand’s V-shaped arms is covered with rubber, which will prevent the bottom of your laptop from getting scratched. This design has the added benefit of promoting constant airflow to keep your computer from overheating.

We’ve had the opportunity to try many of Twelve South’s accessories and always found them to be constructed very well—the company also says they’re designed to last a lifetime. If you need a height-adjustable laptop riser, this is the one we recommend regardless of the computer you use. If you happen to have a MacBook, even better.

Best vertical: Satechi Universal Vertical Aluminum Laptop Stand

Satechi

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Specs

• Style: Vertical holder
• Size: 7.09 x 3.94 x 2.76 inches
• Height adjustable: No
• Price: $44.99

Pros

• Takes up very little desk space
• Adjustable clamp guarantees a snug fit
• Doesn’t block any fans

Cons

• You can’t use your laptop’s built-in screen with this stand

There are many vertical laptop stands available, but this one from Satechi has a unique design that helps it stand out. The stand’s grips can be widened or tightened by twisting a knob on its right side. This allows the stand to grab your laptop snugly to prevent it from tipping over while in use. Satechi says its laptop stand is compatible with laptops between half an inch and one and a half inches, which basically covers about every laptop on the market.

This laptop stand is made entirely from aluminum, except for the inside of its grips, which are lined with rubber to prevent it from scratching the lip of your computer. Your laptop will take up way less of your desktop’s real estate with the help of this vertical laptop stand. That space can be used for other peripherals like a 4K monitor or wireless mechanical keyboard. This laptop stand also helps keep your work area clean, as you can route cables to the underside of your desk, or let them hang off the back. We’ve tested this laptop stand for ourselves and found it works very well. It securely gripped our 13-inch MacBook Pro—the computer didn’t leave the stand when we performed a lift test.

You can’t use your computer’s screen while it’s inside the vertical laptop stand. If you have a big external display, this won’t be an issue, but beware if you’ve gotten accustomed to a two-screen work setup. If this isn’t an issue, you can pick up this laptop stand with complete confidence.

Best portable: MOFT Invisible Slim Laptop Stand

MOFT

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Specs

• Style: Angled
• Size: 8.83 x 6.69 x .12 inches
• Height adjustable: No
• Price: $24.99

Pros

• Foldable design
• Ultra slim
• Very light

Cons

• Stand is designed to be attached to your laptop

If you like the idea of having a laptop stand everywhere you go, MOFT’s “invisible” option is right for you. The ultra-slim laptop stand attaches to the underside of your computer using an adhesive. It’s thin and light enough that you’ll still be able to fit it in the laptop pocket of a backpack, and won’t notice it while you’re walking around.

When you need the laptop stand, you can flip it out and set your computer at a 15- or 25-degree angle. It can’t be height adjusted, but we’re glad this laptop stand has that ergonomic feature. If you’re worried about MOFT’s laptop stand being a permanent addition to your computer, don’t be. You can peel this stand off of your computer at any time, though its adhesive will become less sticky over time. Ideally, you’d keep this laptop stand installed indefinitely, but that may not always be possible.

If you’re fine with the idea of adding a smidgen of weight and bulk to your portable computer in exchange for never leaving your laptop stand at home again, this model from MOFT is the right choice.

Best budget: Amazon Basics Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand

Amazon

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Specs

• Style: Angled
• Size: 9.56 x 7.91 x 0.16 inches
• Height adjustable: No
• Price: $19.15

Pros

• Rubber plates prevent your computer from slipping
• Open-back design
• Price

Cons

• Less ergonomic than many of our other recommendations

Amazon Basics’ Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand lives up to its name, but in this case, basic doesn’t mean bad. Its kickstand flips out from the bottom to position your laptop at an 18-degree angle while lifting it by roughly three inches. When you’re not using it, the kickstand can be retracted to save space. Layers of rubber on the front and back of this stand will prevent it from shifting around on your desk while you’re using it. This is especially important with an angled stand since you’ll likely be using your laptop’s keyboard with it.

Amazon designed its laptop stand with cutouts that both reduce its weight and leave wide open spaces for air to flow in and out continuously. This is a design feature that we wouldn’t expect from a laptop stand that costs far less than $20. It doesn’t have any bells and whistles, but Amazon Basics’ Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand can improve the ergonomics of your home office at an extremely reasonable price. If height adjustability isn’t a must-have feature for you, this laptop stand should suit your needs just fine.

What to consider when shopping for the best laptop stands

Despite having the same function—hoisting your laptop to a more comfortable level—no two laptop stands are made alike. Here’s what to look for when shopping for a new laptop stand:

Style

Laptop stands can be categorized into three distinct types: risers, vertical holders, and angled. Don’t worry, despite their differences, there’s no wrong choice here.

A riser will elevate your laptop to the height of an external display, so it’s the best choice if you’ve got a dual-screen work setup.

Vertical holders will hold your laptop upright while it’s closed, which will optimize your desk space but requires you to hook your computer up to an external display.

Angled laptop stands will prop your notebook computer slightly upward, so you can continue to use its built-in keyboard in a more comfortable way.

Ergonomics

Part of a laptop stand’s appeal is improving the overall comfort of working at a desk all day. Some stands are completely static, which means you can’t adjust the height or angle of your notebook computer, while others give you the flexibility to change both. In our experience, laptop stands that don’t support height or angle adjustments were designed to provide comfort in almost every scenario—keeping your laptop level with most people’s eye lines while sitting down. Still, if you’re particular about the positioning of your laptop screen, this is something to keep in mind.

Size

Many of us consider a laptop stand computer accessory, and while that’s true it’s also a mini piece of furniture on your desk. This means you’ll need to be mindful of how much space it takes up. If you have a large computer or standing desk, this won’t be an issue, but it’ll make a huge difference if you’re working on a smaller space. You’ll need to consider both the width of the stand’s base, and whether you’ll have enough vertical space for your laptop if you’re using an external display.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best laptop stand for desks

• Best overall: Grovemade Wood Laptop Riser
• Best riser: Monoprice Universal Laptop Riser
• Best vertical: Satechi Universal Vertical Aluminum Laptop Stand
• Best portable: MOFT Invisible Slim Laptop Stand
• Best budget: Amazon Basics Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand

The best laptop stands for desks can work ergonomic wonders for your neck and back while keeping your device safe from overheating. Spend a little bit more money for an adjustable model that the whole family can enjoy and a laptop stand that you can use when you’re away from the desk, whether it’s on the couch, at the dining room table, or in bed. You won’t know how you got by for so long without one.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best laptop stands of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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