The Best Budget Projector for a Home Theater

If you want to create a big-screen movie experience at home on a modest budget, the BenQ HT2060 is the best home theater projector available for around $1,000. Although the HT2060’s performance can’t rival that of the best 4K home theater projectors, it offers good image contrast and impressive color accuracy, so it will make your favorite movies look richer and more engaging than other budget projectors. It’s also bright enough for you to enjoy sporting events and TV shows with some room lights on.

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The Best Toaster Oven

Today’s toaster ovens are like Mini Me versions of full-size ovens, and they’re useful for so much more than making toast. They preheat in just a few minutes and can do everything from reheating leftovers to baking a cake. Larger toaster ovens can even roast a beautiful, golden-brown chicken.

After many hours of testing since 2015—making stacks and stacks of toast, mini pizza bagels, and cookies—we recommend the small Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven and the large Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven, depending on your space and needs.

Some toaster ovens (ones with convection technology, like our larger pick) can even work with air frying recipes, though that may require some adjustments. But if you’re looking to do a lot of air frying in your toaster oven, you may want to check out our separate guide to air fryer toaster ovens.

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The Best Android Phones

Android phones come in assorted sizes and at various prices, ranging from cheap handsets with modest screens to expensive foldable models that can turn from a tablet into a phone.

After spending hundreds of hours testing Android smartphones, we’ve concluded that the Google Pixel 8—which sits in the sweet spot of competitive pricing and great hardware—is the best Android phone for most people.

It offers outstanding software and camera performance, and it costs less than other high-end handsets. It will receive guaranteed software updates for longer than most Android phones, too.

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The Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven

For all the popularity of pod-shaped air fryers, we've always found that convection toaster ovens, which use the same technology, can cook a wider variety of foods more evenly, if a little more slowly. But now, more companies are offering the best of both worlds in “air fryer toaster ovens,” amped-up convection toaster ovens with extra-powerful fans that produce crispy results in a shorter time. After testing dozens of models, we’ve concluded that the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the only one that’s both an excellent air fryer and an excellent toaster oven—but it’s pricey.

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Daylight Saving Time is Ending. Here’s How to Adjust to the Dark.

When the sky starts to turn colors at 4 p.m. and darkens by 5 p.m., my mood plummets with the sun. My eyes feel heavy, I can’t stop yawning, and all I want to do is crawl under my weighted blanket and hibernate through the winter. For the first few weeks after the end of daylight saving time (DST), falling back one hour feels like I’m being punched in the face with sadness then body slammed straight into bed every night. I’m not alone—it’s a tough time for a lot of people.

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Best Buy’s Black Friday Deals Have Begun. These Are the Best We’ve Found.

Early Black Friday sales—shopped judiciously—can be a good opportunity to get a jump on your holiday shopping.

Best Buy is leading the charge with its Early Black Friday Deals for Everyone sale, which promises deeply discounted TVs, laptops, appliances, and more for My Best Buy members and non-members alike starting today. We’ll see additional—and possibly better—markdowns from Best Buy on Black Friday itself, but if you’re looking to avoid the sales brouhaha on the big day, early shopping is the way to go.

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The Best USB Phone Charger

If you’ve ever scrambled out the door with your phone’s battery in the red, you know that power is precious, and the faster you can get it, the better. The Anker PowerPort III Nano is the best option for charging any phone fast: It's tiny and inexpensive, and it can get a fully drained phone battery to more than 50% full in half an hour.

USB-C chargers can top up phones faster than older USB-A models can, and they work with both iPhones and Android devices. Most phones, handheld game consoles, and other devices that charge via USB-C come with a compatible charging cable, but otherwise you may have to buy a cable separately.

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The Best Carving Knife and Fork

The celebratory ritual of carving a beautifully roasted turkey or an impressive beef roast brings people together, and in many homes, the tools you use to slice and fill plates for friends and family during the holidays are just as important as the meal itself.

After putting eight carving knife and fork sets to the test by breaking down and slicing five whole turkeys, two boneless beef roasts, and a ham, we recommend the Messermeister Avanta 2 Piece Pakkawood Kullenschliff Carving Set. It offers an unbeatable combination of value, good looks, and great performance. We also tested two electric knives, and the Hamilton Beach Electric Knife Set With Storage Case is our winner.

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These Cushy Grip Socks Are an Unexpectedly Cozy Slipper Substitute

You might associate grippy socks with toddlers, but they’re actually great for adults too. I’ve used them during labor and after giving birth, while in pilates class, and during a recent stint of physical therapy where keeping my feet planted on the floor was important.

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The Best Smart Home Sensors for Alexa, HomeKit, and SmartThings

When placed around a living space, these low-profile wireless devices are able to detect specific activities, like movement, temperature, or the opening or closing of a door. Then they tell other smart devices how to react—smart lights, plugs, speakers, thermostats, and so on—all in an instant, and without requiring any direct commands or effort from you. Some detect just one activity, while others are multitaskers. Install one and you might solve a single problem—add a bunch and you’re on your way to having a home that runs on autopilot.

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The Best Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat automatically adjusts your heating and cooling systems to keep you comfortable and save you money. But these are not one-size-fits-all devices. The best model for someone who hopes to eke out every last BTU of efficiency and cost savings will be very different from a thermostat for someone who just wants everything to be as simple as possible. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium—our pick for the best smart thermostat—falls into the first category. In addition to offering a wide array of settings to refine your home’s climate control, it has a built-in Alexa smart speaker to receive voice commands without the need for other devices. In our testing, this thermostat did the best job of keeping the whole house consistently comfortable—thanks to its savvy remote sensors and its ability to take humidity into account when adjusting the temperature. For a less complicated option, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat remains a good choice for anyone who is averse to fiddling with settings menus, since its built-in AI does most of the work for you.

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The 31 Best Gifts for Boyfriends (That Are Great for Anyone)

Whether you’re shopping for an established beau, a recent fling, a long-distance lover, or a live-in partner, it can be challenging to find a gift with the right level of intimacy at an appropriate price. As experienced boyfriend wranglers and gift-giving experts, we’ve pulled the very best from Wirecutter’s testing and our staff’s favorite things—the tasty, the practical, the silly, and the provocative—to make sure there’s something here to delight your most special someone.

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The Best Smartphones

There’s no one smartphone that is best for everyone, but we’ve spent hundreds of hours testing scores of phones so that you can find the best one for you. The phone you buy will depend on your budget, your wireless carrier, and which of the major smartphone platforms—Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android—you’re already invested in. But whether you want a top-of-the-line phone or something more affordable, we have recommendations for iPhone and Android, and all of our picks are available for all the major US carriers.

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Most Gift Baskets Are Terrible. These Are Great.

Gift baskets often get a bad rap, and many deserve it for their uninspired or mismatched components: stale crackers, gritty chocolate, Red Delicious apples that are anything but. We wanted to find the standout choices, gift baskets that would be delightful all year long.

After considering more than 125 gift baskets since 2018, we found 23 outstanding options. We found other baskets that we thought were worth mentioning, too. So below our main picks, we included baskets that you may also enjoy.

We also have a section featuring other gift baskets that we recommend, with caveats. In all, that means there are 36 gift baskets to choose from in this guide. (And if you have favorites that you’ve given or received, let us know in the comments.)

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The Best Smartwatch for Android Phones

You can answer calls, send and receive texts, and give commands to a voice-activated assistant on your phone, but sometimes it’s easier to do those things on your wrist—which is where a smartwatch comes in. While the Apple Watch is the gold standard for smartwatches, it works only with Apple's iPhones.

If you’re one of the billions of people using an Android phone, you have a lot more smartwatch options, but most of the watches we’ve encountered are too slow, bulky, or lacking in features to be worth buying. We’ve tested dozens of smartwatches for Android phones, including all the latest models, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 is the best option for most Android phone users.

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How to Clean a Sofa

Sofas are one of the most high-traffic areas in people’s homes, and messes are destined to happen. Stains are the immediate threat, but everyday dust can cause dinginess over time.

To increase a couch’s lifespan and keep it looking fresh, vacuum it regularly, and be prepared to clean up messes quickly.

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The Best No-Show Socks

No-show socks are the unsung—and unseen—heroes of many a stylish ensemble.

Neatly tucked inside a sneaker or slip-on, they leave ankles breezily exposed while protecting feet from the stinky, blister-inducing indignities of going sockless.

But finding the right pair isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Subpar versions have a maddening tendency to creep down, bunch up, pinch, squeeze, and make your feet sweat.

We pounded the pavement in dozens of no-show socks, ultimately landing on five comfortable, incognito picks that suit a variety of tastes, budgets, occasions, and shoe types.

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The Best Tablets

After hundreds of hours of research and testing over the past seven years, we think Apple’s 9th-generation iPad is the best all-around tablet, with all the performance and features most people need for watching video, browsing the internet, and staying on top of email and social media feeds. But we also have recommendations for people who want an Android tablet, a basic ebook reader, or a more powerful tablet for gaming, for handling design and creative tasks, or for replacing a laptop computer.

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The Best Baby Bathtubs and Bath Seats

Giving your baby a bath can be one of the most special times of your day—or, it can be a source of major stress, especially if your wet and slippery tot doesn’t like the water.

After 25 hours of testing 10 baby bathtubs and bath seats with our own infants, we’ve determined that though you don’t need a specialized tub or seat to bathe your kiddo, having one can make the task a lot easier, more fun, and comfortable for everyone involved. Our favorite baby bathtub is the Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling ’n Seat Tub; it’s easy to use, feels safe, and will fit a rapidly growing baby for longer than most.

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The Best Pour-Over Coffee Makers

There’s a reason pour-over is the preferred brewing method at high-end cafés: It’s a simple way to make coffee with intricate flavors that you might not get from a machine. For the best results, start with a good dripper. After brewing more than 150 cups, we found the Kalita Wave 185 Dripper to be the most consistent and easy to master. If you want to brew a truly great cup, we also recommend a grinder, kettle, and scale.

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The Best Smart Plugs

Using a smart plug is the cheapest, easiest way to remotely control any electrical device in your home. Just plug one into an electrical outlet, and add a lamp, fan, or other on/off device. Then set it up with an app, and—boom—you’re making magic.

We recommend the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim (EP25) for inside the home and the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug (EP40A) for outdoor use, since they both work really well on their own and when paired with many other devices.

We also recommend the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip (HS300) if you want to be able to plug in and independently control and automate multiple devices.

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The Best Pen

If you’ve ever had a pen mysteriously wander away from your desk and then had to write with a poor substitute (the kind you might find at a bank or with some company’s phone number on it), you know how important a quality pen is.

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The Best Countertop Ice Maker

If you love cold drinks, a countertop ice maker might make your day. These machines tend to be more alike than different. But whether you want to chill a tumbler of lemonade, fill a cocktail shaker, or ice enough drinks for a party, the straight-forward Magic Chef MCIM22/HNIM27 and the compact Igloo IGLICEBSC26 do the job well.

If you prefer crystal-clear ice, we recommend the Luma Comfort IM200. If nugget ice is your thing, we like the GE Profile Opal 2.0.

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