The Best Gaming Headsets

Great audio can draw you into a video game with bold effects, realistic details, and immersive soundtracks. A good gaming headset allows you to enjoy all of that while you chat with your friends and teammates, too. But even the best sound quality won’t do you any good if the headset isn’t comfortable to wear for long periods of time. After testing close to 25 new headsets in 2022 and 2023, we’ve found that the Razer BlackShark V2 is the most comfortable, best-sounding gaming headset for the price.

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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 to 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 Men’s and Women’s Cashmere Sweaters

Incomparably soft and wonderfully indulgent, a great cashmere sweater is a welcome and worthy addition to any wardrobe. It’s also an investment—so finding one that looks great, feels comfortable, and will last a long time is especially important.

We tested 25 cashmere sweaters—ranging in price from $50 to $500 each—and came away with six favorites. Our recommendations include an under-$100 men’s and women’s crewneck; a toasty under-$200 women’s turtleneck; a rugged men’s sweater blended with a hint of wool; a stylishly boxy women’s sweater; a long, lightweight women’s cardigan, and a splurge-worthy unisex sweater with personality to spare.

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The Best iPad Pro Keyboard Cases

If you type for any length of time on an iPad Pro, or hope to ditch a second computer entirely, a great keyboard case can turn your tablet into a true laptop replacement. The Zagg Pro Keys (for the iPad Air and for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro) is the best option we’ve found, as it combines a great typing experience with a protective, removable case and multiple viewing angles, all for an affordable price in the category.

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The Best Budget Monitors

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a decent monitor. Asus’ VA24DCP is the best display you can buy for less than $150: It looks nice, it’s well built, and has a USB-C port that can charge your laptop.

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The Best Home Bluetooth Speaker

Using a Bluetooth tabletop speaker is the simplest way to get satisfying sound in the home, since it will work with almost any mobile device and doesn’t require a network connection or the use of a special app to set it up.

Klipsch’s The One Plus is the best all-around home Bluetooth speaker. It has a full, clear sound with surprisingly strong bass for its size, and its operation couldn’t be simpler. Plus, the Klipsch speaker’s handsome, retro design should make it a welcome addition to practically any room.

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The Best All-in-One Computer

An all-in-one computer can be a great family PC or a centerpiece for a home office because the all-encompassing design helps you avoid a mess of display, power, and peripheral wires. However, all-in-ones typically cost more than a laptop or a mini PC plus a monitor, so keep in mind that you’re paying more for that streamlined design.

Although the Apple 24-inch iMac is expensive, it offers the best combination of display quality, performance, and design for the price. For a less expensive alternative with a touchscreen, we also recommend the HP Envy Move.

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The Best Water Flossers

Water flossers, also known as oral irrigators, cost a lot more up-front than string floss. And they can still be pretty uncomfortable to use—get ready to drool. Also, there’s no clear evidence that they’re superior to traditional floss. Yet some people really like the way the water jets feel between their teeth, and some find it’s easier to work with a wand than a piece of string. Of the 14 models we’ve tested, we recommend the Waterpik Ion, a compact traditional water flosser with a cordless charging base. It cleans mouths thoroughly and takes up less counter space than most of its competitors.

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The Best Bike Helmet for Commuters

No one ever plans on crashing their bike.

But if you ride long enough, even the most casual commuter will take a tumble, which is why you should always wear a helmet. (Case in point: I crashed six times while working on this guide.)

Over the past nine years, we’ve tested more than 30 helmets to determine that the Met Downtown Mips is the best bike helmet for most commuters.

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The Best Pizza Stone and Baking Steel

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A pizza stone is the best tool for baking up crispy pies that’ll rival those made by your favorite restaurant, but it can also do so much more. After making more than 50 pizzas, 24 flaky croissants, and 10 loaves of rustic bread on four stones and two baking steels, we think the FibraMent-D Home Oven Baking Stone is the best all-purpose stone for preparing crisp pizza, crusty bread, and golden pastries.

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The Best Wine Glasses

Proper glassware is more than just a flourish for your dining table. The right glass changes how you smell and taste wine, and it should inspire confidence as you swirl, sniff, and sip. With the help of experts, we’ve tasted wine out of nearly 100 brand-concealed wine glasses since 2014 and we think the best everyday choice is the Libbey Signature Kentfield Estate All-Purpose Wine Glass. It’s inexpensive yet elegant, and in our testing it enhanced the aromas of both red and white wines better than most of the competition.

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The Best Gear for Travel

Traveling well can be one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends.

But what does it mean to travel well? We’d say that along with traveling safely (of course), traveling well involves avoiding hassle, carrying a single bag (if possible), and bringing only the necessities.

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The Best Coffee Grinder

If you want to make better coffee at home, the most important tool you can buy isn’t an expensive brewer or fancy filters, but a good burr grinder. No matter how you choose to make your coffee, even the best beans won’t be as delicious if they aren’t ground consistently. We’ve been testing grinders (and using our picks daily) since 2015, and we’ve found that the no-frills Baratza Encore delivers high-quality, ultra-consistent grinding. It is also easy to maintain, clean, repair, and even customize, all for a fair price.

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The Best Smart Water-Leak Detector

Cool water can be refreshing—except when it’s in the form of a puddle that seeps from a toilet. A smart water-leak sensor can lessen the impact of plumbing problems by alerting you the moment they’re detected, whether you’re at home or away. We have yet to find a smart water-leak sensor that is perfect in every way, but the D-Link DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor Kit includes the features and capabilities that are most important. It responds to potential danger quickly, it has a loud onboard siren, and it integrates with other smart devices.

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The Best Lego Sets for Adults, According to Our Staff

When I began picking up occasional Lego sets as an adult, I’d hide the purchase in my bedroom and build with the door shut. The finished diorama would fill me with nostalgic joy—but should an overnight guest arrive, I’d swiftly banish it to the closet the way most folks might do a speed sweep of strewn-about dirty laundry.

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How to Adjust Your Office Chair

Regardless of whether an office chair costs $200, $500, or $1,000, if it isn’t set up right, it’s not doing you any good.

Taking the time to adjust it for your body and the type of work you do is a necessity. A good chair lets you customize the height, seat depth, and armrests and reclines to your body so you’re comfortable no matter your task.

But it isn’t always obvious how to dial in those options for comfort and ergonomics.

Your first step should be pulling out the instruction manual for your chair or looking for an adjustment diagram online. Once you have that, here’s how to dial in all the adjustments for the best ergonomics.

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The Best Memory Foam Mattresses You Can Buy Online

If you crave a slow-sinking, pressure-relieving mattress that will cradle you all night, a foam mattress might be just right. We’ve weeded through dozens of foam-mattress options to recommend five that we think will work for most people.

For a traditional coil mattress or for a mattress that combines springs and foam, see our reviews of the best innerspring mattresses and the best hybrid mattresses.

If you’re on a tighter budget, check out our guide to the best cheap mattresses (under $500).

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The Best microSD Cards

Most brand-name microSD cards are fine most of the time if you need extra space for storing videos or games. But some cards are a bit faster or more reliable, which can make them more versatile and a better long-term value.

After evaluating a dozen new microSD cards, we’ve found that the Samsung Pro Plus and the SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch are the best microSD cards for the majority of phones and tablets, as well as portable gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck.

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Everything You Need to Wrap Gifts, According to a Pro

An exquisitely wrapped gift is truly a beautiful thing to behold, and a thoughtful way to show how much you care—which is why it pains me to admit that I hate wrapping gifts, and I’m terrible at it. (Bah, humbug!)

Rather than grouse my way through another year of sloppily folded corners and botched bows, I reached out to Maureen Lowe, who has professionally wrapped presents (about 300 per season, she estimates) for five years as founder of Creatively Inspired in upstate New York. Here are her picks for the papers, tools, decorative doodads, and workspace essentials that can make your gift wrapping the most eye-catching and enjoyable it can be.

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The 30 Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids

Stocking stuffers are often the final piece of the gift-giving puzzle. Yet this assortment of small gifts needn’t be scraped together during an 11th-hour mad dash to the drug store. Whether they’re part of a long-standing family tradition or a recent addition, petite presents can be as meaningful, thoughtful, and memorable as the big stuff.

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The Best Briefcases

When it comes to carrying your belongings from A to B, there’s no shortage of options out there—but it’s hard to beat the polish, elegance, and timeless allure of a briefcase. While it’s not as ergonomically friendly as a backpack or messenger bag (our preferences for carrying heavier loads), a briefcase will elevate any ensemble.

We put 25 contenders to the test—packing them up with workday essentials and toting them onto trains, planes, and automobiles. Ultimately, three bags stood out for their form, function, and quality: a polished leather investment piece, a spacious waterproof briefcase, and a charmingly rugged oiled-canvas bag that will last a lifetime.

Though all of our picks cost more than $350—spendy, yes, but not unusual for briefcases with this level of craftsmanship and durability—we also found a couple of solid, more modestly priced options, which appear in the Other good briefcases section.

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The 30 Best Gifts for 4-Year-Olds

[Need gifting help? Text us. Using one word only, describe your recipient (try “Dad” or “Kid”) to (646) 350-0385 and receive a handpicked recommendation from our gift experts.]

Many 4-year-olds are learning to master their environments, and they’re starting to negotiate boundaries, push limits, and question everything. Some of the best gifts for 4-year-olds engage their endless curiosity, rapidly developing physical skills, and desire to understand everything around them.

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The Best Balance Bikes

A balance bike may be a little kid’s first introduction to zipping around on their own steam. These bikes help tots learn to steer, brake, balance, and ride—making the eventual graduation to a pedal bike easier than it might be with training wheels.

Kids as young as 18 months may be able to ride a balance bike, and many bikes can keep kids happily gliding along until they’re kindergarten age or older. Kids can ride them outdoors or indoors (if your home has the room) and can use them on family jaunts through the neighborhood. Quality balance bikes also have good resale value, and you can search for a lightly used one if you’re shopping on a budget.

After spending over 60 hours researching and assembling 22 balance bikes, and subjecting them to test panels of highly energetic kids, we’re confident that the Guardian Balance Bike is the best choice.

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The Best 32-Inch TV

“Bigger is better” may be the television industry’s motto, but not everyone is on the hunt for a massive screen. If you’re looking for a smaller TV that’s suitable for a kitchen, dorm room, or bedroom—or if you just don’t want to spend much money—we recommend the Roku Select Series HD.

None of the 32-inch TVs we tested matched the performance or our favorite premium or budget 4K TVs, but the Roku Select Series HD looks better than the competition, is easy to use, and is even good for video games.

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