The 30+ Best Early Black Friday Deals of 2022

Black Friday used to be the best time of year to buy just about everything for the holidays. But in case you didn’t notice the forests of Christmas trees cropping up in stores as early as September, the landscape has changed dramatically in recent years, and shopping early no longer means waking up at an ungodly hour to stand in line the day after Thanksgiving.

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The Best Massage Chairs

Mechanical massage chairs promise comfort, relaxation, and self-indulgence, but shopping for one can be stressful. You have numerous models to choose from—many of which merely vibrate, rather than knead, or tout dubious features like “air ionization,” “body scanning,” and “chromotherapy.” After testing 16 models from some of the top brands, we think the Osaki OS-Champ is almost as good as a real massage. This chair is comfortable to sit in and sturdily built, and it massages the entire body. Plus, it outperformed more-expensive massage chairs in key areas like heating and reclining.

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The Best Drones for Photos and Video

If you’re an aspiring aerial photographer or videographer, a drone is your ticket to the sky. After test-flying nearly 25 models, we’ve concluded that the DJI Air 2S is the best drone because it combines a high-end camera with the latest autonomous technology for less than $1,000. We also recommend the DJI Mavic 3 and the DJI Mini 2. Pilots of all skill levels will find that DJI’s drones are exceptionally reliable and easy to fly.

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The 59 Best Gifts Under $100

Holiday gift shopping can be stressful, especially if you’re on a budget. With this guide we hope to spare you from the worst of it: All of our recommendations have been informed by thousands of hours of testing and research, and we’ve even organized them by the type of person in your life. If you have up to $100 to spend on a gift, this is what we’d recommend.

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How to Clean and Care for Your Jewelry

Gold not so glittering? Diamonds looking dim? Lotions, household cleaners, improper storage, and everyday wear and tear can take a toll on your jewelry, leaving metals tarnished and gemstones dull. Luckily, armed with a little know-how, you can keep your baubles looking their best pretty easily. We tested a slew of expert-endorsed jewelry care techniques—along with a few popular DIYs—to discover what really works. Whether you’re looking to preserve a family heirloom or just polish up your everyday favorites, we have tips on how to clean, store, and maintain your jewelry so that it shines for years to come.

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The Best Thermometers for Kids and Adults

When Covid or cold and flu season crashes through a community, thermometers can go in and out of stock, forcing many people to pay more than usual for “good enough.” Know this, though: Most fever thermometers will read your temperature accurately. The best ones are also fast and easy to read—so you can quickly figure out what to do if you or a member of your household may be sick. If you’re looking for a digital oral/rectal/armpit stick thermometer, our pick is the Vicks ComfortFlex. If you want an in-ear thermometer, we recommend the Equate Infrared In-Ear Digital Thermometer. And if you’d prefer a contactless forehead thermometer, the Hetaida htd8813c (sold as the iProven NCT-978 Non-Contact Thermometer among other names) is our top pick. We recommend the ThermoWorks Wand No Touch Forehead Thermometer as an alternate contactless option.

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The 22 Best Gifts for Teens

Ready to take on anything, teenagers are growing into their identities as young adults. They’re attuned to what’s happening around them and ripe for new experiences and challenges. And they value their friendships more than ever. Teenagers are also exploring and wrestling with more serious adult themes. “They’re starting to read more grown-up books, watch more grown-up movies, and play more grown-up games,” says Brian Mayer, a gaming, learning, and library specialist in New York City. But on the inside? Even as they start to engage more with the world around them (think: first jobs, community service, social activism), they’re still kids at heart, and they find joy in the silly and the absurd.

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The iPad Is the Best Tablet

Apple’s iPad has long been better than any other tablet you can buy, and each new iPad is a little better than the last. That’s still true with the 10th-generation iPad, which introduces USB-C and a number of quality-of-life improvements. But those new features come with a big jump in price, and Apple is still selling the great 9th-generation iPad, which is familiar, affordable, and offers plenty of power for most people. It’s still great for tablet-y things like consuming content or playing games, and Apple greatly improved the front-facing camera for video calls. That makes the 9th-gen iPad the first one you consider before looking at an iPad Pro or iPad mini, or even the 10th-gen iPad. For most people, it should be the one you end up with.

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The Best Humidifier

The ideal humidifier is one you shouldn’t notice. It creates a comforting indoor condensation level that soothes your skin and helps you breathe more easily, without turning the room into a swampy fog or leaving little drops of moisture on the walls. And it should do this without making the maintenance process too much of a burden. This sounds pretty basic, but it’s a surprisingly tall demand for such a seemingly simple device. After testing dozens of humidifiers over the years, we think the Wi-Fi–enabled Levoit LV600S Smart Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier is the best option out there: It’s quiet, durable, and easier to deal with overall than any other humidifier we’ve tested, with a 1.5-gallon tank that will last all day.

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9 Most Giftable Deals Under $50—Including Toys, Tech, and Beauty Essentials

Santa’s elves have it easy—they have all the resources of the North Pole to craft everything from the perfect stocking stuffers to the most sought-after must-haves of 2022. The Wirecutter Deals team may not have pointy ears or a direct line to the man with the bag himself, but we can help you get a head start on your holiday shopping. From beauty gifts to video games to board games, these are the most giftable deals under $50 we’ve found this week.

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Which iPhone Should I Get?

If you have an iPhone that you’re happy with, keep it. We don’t think you should upgrade just because Apple has released new phones.

But if your current phone is running too slow or is damaged, or if you’re simply ready for an upgrade and want a new phone now, we recommend the iPhone 14. It represents a relatively minor upgrade over 2021’s iPhone 13, but the improved cameras and better battery life build on the already great design and fast processing, with no drawbacks.

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The 27 Best Gifts for 8-Year-Olds

At age 8, many kids are ready to level up to more-advanced toys and activities. A lot of 8-year-olds are playing team sports, getting involved in other clubs or hobbies, and tackling increasingly challenging projects on their own.

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The Best Headphones for Running

There is a little ritual I do before every run. After the required prelude of lacing sneakers, applying Body Glide, and patting pockets to confirm the custody of keys, I put in my earbuds, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and press play. In that moment, I shrug off the worries and responsibilities of the day. For the time being, there is only me, the music, and the movement. The act of propelling your body forward through space can have significant benefits to your physical and mental health, but the hardest part is taking that first step.

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How to Set Up Your Turntable to Sound Its Best

One of the pleasures—or problems, depending on your viewpoint—of listening to music on a turntable is that it takes a bit more work (some call it love) to make the pointy end of a stylus deliver sweet tunes to your ears. Whether you’ve recently bought a new turntable or are using a vintage model, you can probably make some adjustments—often for little to no cost—to help it sound its best. Doing so might also reduce the wear on your records, helping them last longer and bring you more joy over the years.

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The 23 Best Gifts for 7-Year-Olds

As 7-year-olds transition from being little kids to grade-schoolers, they start showing off their ability to engage in complex thinking. Some may be ready for toys and games that require longer-term planning, strategizing, and decision-making, so it’s a great time to incorporate board games that encourage problem-solving, said Brian Mayer, a gaming, learning, and library specialist in New York. “You want something that’s challenging for them and pushes them a little bit.”

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Everything I Did to Flood-Proof My Old House

I vividly remember the night Hurricane Ida hit New York City, in September 2021. My husband, Giovanni, and I were watching a movie as rain hammered menacingly onto our old slate-roof home in Queens. At some point, we paused the film to check on our basement. Bone-dry. About 20 minutes later, Giovanni went to check once more. When he returned, he wailed, “We’re screwed!”

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The 29 Best Gifts for 6-Year-Olds

Most 6-year-olds attend school daily, many participate in extracurricular activities, and just about all of them have strongly defined opinions about what they like and don’t like. Kids this age are also becoming increasingly aware of what’s cool among their peers at any given moment.

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The Best Workout Headphones

Few things will kill your workout vibe faster than a pair of ill-fitting, hard-to-use headphones. The completely wireless JBL Reflect Aero TWS set is our favorite pair of earbuds for the gym. We love its secure fit, simple controls, waterproof design, and ability to block noise. Plus, these earbuds sound great.

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The Best Christmas Tree Stand

Nothing kills the Christmas spirit quicker than a conifer quarrel: the inevitable spat between two people trying to stabilize a newly acquired tree in a finicky, fussy stand. If you’ve opted for a real tree instead of an artificial one and you want to avoid that seasonal struggle, the Krinner Tree Genie XXL is the best stand available. We’ve had it as our pick since 2012, after considering more than 25 stands and testing five, and it’s held up for a number of our staff over years of use.. We also recommend a good pair of Christmas lights to go with your tree, real or artificial.

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The 21 Best Gifts for 5-Year-Olds

By the time kids are 5, they’re developing skills and more-specific interests that open up new gift-giving possibilities. Many 5-year-olds are starting kindergarten, and they’re exploring new subjects and ideas in school for the first time. Toys and kits that let them engage in project-based inquiry—such as performing simple science experiments and exploring nature—can help them make connections between what they’re exposed to in the classroom and what they experience out in the world.

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The 10 Best Alcohol Gifts for Cocktail Lovers

The gift of booze is an excellent choice any time of year. But around the holidays, it’s especially welcome. A well-chosen bottle can bring good cheer or take the edge off after an awkward dinner-table debate. Whether it’s a big-ticket splurge or a thoughtful token, a little something for the bar always has a nice, indulgent feel to it.

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Ready to Get Serious About Vinyl? Start With These Affordable Accessories.

The past 15 years have seen the vinyl format climb its way out of the dustbin of history and become a $1 billion category during the digital age. Americans purchased nearly 40 million new records in 2021 (PDF), and entry-level audiophile turntables are everywhere. If you’ve discovered a newfound passion for the vinyl experience and you want to improve your turntable’s performance—without spending a fortune on new gear—a few well-chosen accessories can make a positive difference.

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The Best Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven is a kitchen workhorse—it’s the one pot that can turn out savory soups and stews, braise meats until they’re fall-apart tender, and also bake crusty bread. A good Dutch oven will last for years, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. After spending hours searing, braising, steaming, and sautéing, we think the Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven cooks just as well as more expensive pots. With design details like roomy handles and a wide cooking area, it stands out from the other ovens we tested.

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Peloton Bike Review: What to Know Before You Buy

If you thrive on the competition and camaraderie of studio cycling classes and are intrigued by the idea of replicating that experience at home, a Peloton Bike could be for you. Becoming a member of the Peloton pack is an investment, requiring roughly $2,000 for the first year and more than $500 each year thereafter. And that’s for the base model. But for a set of indoor-cycling devotees, these recurring costs for live-streaming and on-demand classes make financial sense: Specifically, those who typically take four or more Peloton-style studio classes a week may find the at-home bike and classes to be a superior value in as few as four months.

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The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Under $100

Amazon is back with yet another heavily hyped sale—this one dubbed not Prime Day, but the Prime Early Access Sale. Whatever you decide to call it, this mega-sale offers plenty of Wirecutter picks at substantial discounts ahead of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season. If you’re on the hunt for deals that will deliver cheap(ish) thrills on great products, here are the things we recommend that’ll cost you less than a C-note.

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The Best Gas Stoves and Ranges

We looked at 66 freestanding, 30-inch gas ranges (which typically cost around $1,000), and frankly, it was hard to tell most of them apart. The GE JGB735 is one model that stood out (just a bit) from the pack. It has the sturdiest build and some of the best-looking finishes for the price, without skimping on cooking performance or features.

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