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Tag: buying guides

  • Best iPad to Buy (and Some to Avoid) in 2024

    Best iPad to Buy (and Some to Avoid) in 2024

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    If you’re purchasing a new iPad, there are a variety of accessories you can buy to help you get the most out of your tablet. Below, we’ve highlighted some of our favorites, all of which you can find in our Best iPad Accessories guide.

    Zugu Case for $50: This is our favorite folio case for the iPad for multiple reasons. It’s not only durable (complete with a rigid bumper), but it has a magnetized cover that stays shut and a flap that allows you to position the screen at eight different angles. The case is magnetic too, allowing you to stick it on the fridge securely. It’s also reasonably priced, comes in an array of colors, and has a spot for your Apple Pencil.

    Logitech Combo Touch (10th-gen) for $160: The Combo Touch comes with a built-in keyboard, trackpad, and kickstand, making it ideal for getting work done on your iPad. It’s also detachable, so you can easily remove the keyboard when you don’t need it. It connects via Apple’s Smart Connector, meaning you never need to tinker with Bluetooth or bother charging it.

    Paperlike Charcoal Folio Case ($70): Paperlike is known for its screen protector, but the company also offers a great case. It’s designed to feel like a sketchbook, complete with a polyester fabric cover that feels lightweight and high-quality. You can also prop your iPad up at two different levels. It doesn’t come with an Apple Pencil slot, but there is a large flap closure that keeps it from falling out. We tested it with the iPad Air, but it’s also available for the iPad Pro (both sizes).

    Apple Magic Trackpad 2 for $110: For a spacious trackpad, the Magic Trackpad 2 is a great choice. Instead of physical buttons, it has Force Touch sensors where you can feel different levels of pressure on the pad. With support for various iPadOS gestures, you won’t have to touch the screen as much. It automatically pairs with your iPad via Bluetooth and recharges with the Lightning port.

    Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard for $43: If you prefer an external keyboard, it’s hard to go wrong with the Logitech K380. It’s lightweight and portable and can be connected to up to three devices via Bluetooth (with dedicated buttons to switch between them). The keyboard is powered by AAA batteries, which lasted us around four months, so you don’t have to worry about carrying a charger around.

    Twelve South HoverBar Duo 2.0 for $80: The HoverBar serves two purposes. You can mount it to the side of your bed, kitchen counter, or shelf (to view content comfortably and hands-free) or you can use the included stand at your desk. With the 2nd-gen version, you can now remove the arm from the clamp and attach it directly to the stand—making it easier to swap between both modes.

    Twelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub for $60: Regardless of the iPad model, ports are limited. This hub from Twelve South has an 85-watt USB-C port with passthrough charging, a USB-A port, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. If you have trouble fitting it on an iPad with a case, the included socket-USB-C-to-plug-USB-C cable will fix this.

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  • 6 Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks (2024): Budget, Smart Apps, and Sleep Sounds

    6 Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks (2024): Budget, Smart Apps, and Sleep Sounds

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    Lumie Bodyclock Active 250 for $140: Looks aren’t everything, but it’s hard to ignore that this Lumie looks and feels like something designed more than a decade ago because it was designed more than a decade ago. Operating it is a pain. Even with the manual in front of me, working the various controls was a headache. Yet it fills up a dark room better than the more directional lamps, although the large vents on the back of the lens cast a peacock pattern of light on the walls. It does a good job of diffusing the light, and it has the usual list of features—a loud alarm, a dimmable clock, a snooze button, and buttons to adjust brightness and the duration of sunsets and sunrises. The Lumie isn’t bad, just expensive for what you get in a market full of newer designs.

    Hatch Restore 2 for $200: The Restore 2 is one of the most handsome sunrise alarms I’ve come across. With its its solid build and fabric-covered front, through which glows the modern, digital clock numbers and main sunrise bulb, it certainly looks and feels like the premium product it is. It’s also available in three earth-tone colors to blend in (or stand out) from your home design, including green-gray Slate, khaki Putty, and muted-bronze Latte. Compared to the original Restore, its aesthetic is more upmarket.

    At first, I was taken aback by the fact that its light bulb is directional, rather than domed. It had sufficient light but didn’t light up my whole bedroom much. Yet in practice, with it on the nightstand 2 feet from my face, it had enough light to rouse me in the mornings and lull me asleep at night. You can customize your wake-up and bedtime routines by choosing from various light settings of different intensity and color temperature, too. One of the Restore 2’s strengths is how its smart app works with its sound machine features. Virtually all of the relaxing nature sounds and white noise sounded realistic, high-quality, and soothing. The crackling campfire and falling rain were my favorites, although sea breezes, birds singing, and wind chimes were particularly pleasant, too.

    One thing that sticks out is the Hatch+ Membership, for $5 per month or $50 per year. All the important stuff, such as the crucial sunrises, sunsets, and library of sleep sounds, is available without the membership, but Hatch+ adds channels of curated music, sound routines, guided rest exercises, and “sleep stories,” which are relaxing stories. In my opinion, it’s not necessary to pay for the membership. The Restore 2 includes plenty of functionality without it. The channels are interesting to have but not at all crucial, and I’d rather keep my $5 per month. The star content of the Restore 2—the sunrise/sunset features and sound library—are included for free anyway.

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  • 15 Best Soundbars for Every Budget (2024): Vizio, Sonos, Samsung, Yamaha, Sony

    15 Best Soundbars for Every Budget (2024): Vizio, Sonos, Samsung, Yamaha, Sony

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    There are a lot of great soundbars out there, and we don’t have room to feature them all. Here are some others you might want to consider.

    Vizio Elevate M-Series for $600: If you want full-featured Dolby Atmos and you like a bit of flair, Vizio’s second Elevate bar is worth considering. Drivers pop out of the side and aim toward your ceiling when Atmos content is playing, giving it a nifty party trick to show your pals. Sound quality is solid too, and we like the compact design and easy setup. However, you will have to route some speaker cables for the rear surrounds.

    The Yamaha SR-C30A for $200: This model SR-C30A soundbar looks very similar indeed to the SR-C20A, and that’s because they’re the same thing where dimensions, specification, and sound quality are all concerned. The difference is that the SR-C30A ships with a compact (335 x 160 x 364 mm) wireless subwoofer for some authentic Hollywood-style rumble and punch. —Simon Lucas

    Sennheiser Ambeo Plus for $1,000: Given the price and the physical dimensions of the soundbar—which doesn’t even include a subwoofer—the Ambeo Plus might look like a poor deal. But thanks to its 400 watts of power and its nine carefully developed and even more carefully positioned speaker drivers, this Sennheiser is capable of big, enveloping sound with a strong suggestion of the sonic height that Dolby Atmos soundtracks thrive on. By way of an encore, it turns out to be a hugely capable wireless speaker when you want to listen to some music, too. —Simon Lucas

    The Polk React for $236: This soundbar works if you want to get surround sound eventually but don’t have the cash right now. The Alexa-enabled soundbar is fine on its own, with surround speakers and subwoofers available from Polk if you want to upgrade.

    The Vizio Elevate P-Series for $799: This is an awesome-looking soundbar with side speakers that swivel skyward when you’re watching content with object-based audio. It’s a nice-sounding bar, and that gimmick is neat, but there are better options for under $1,000.

    Roku Smart Soundbar for $129: If you’re after a soundbar that also doubles as an awesome streaming device, WIRED senior writer Adrienne So swears by the Roku smart soundbar. After she spent years without one, I sent her home with this Roku model, and she was so impressed that she shouted it from the rooftops. Setup is extremely easy, and because it comes with Roku’s simple streaming interface (and support for surround sound, as well as 4K and High Dynamic Range video), you can stream movies and shows from just about every streaming service. You can also add a Roku subwoofer or surround-sound speakers down the line. We encourage getting a sub. We’ve linked to Roku’s Walmart version, named “Onn,” because it looks like the original model is being discontinued. It’s cheaper and slightly weaker but still a lot nicer than standard TV speakers, and it comes with the built-in Roku streaming interface.

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  • 15 Best Electric Bikes (2024): Affordable, Cargo, Folding, Commuter

    15 Best Electric Bikes (2024): Affordable, Cargo, Folding, Commuter

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    You’ve seen the bikes around your neighborhood. They look like so much fun! You want one! But ebikes have so many different specs and price points. Here’s what I would consider, in your position.

    Can I build my own bike?

    Many affordable bikes now come direct-to-consumer—meaning that they are pre-tuned or partially assembled in a box. As Peter Flax recently noted in Bicycling magazine, these bikes do not get nearly the testing or vetting that bikes from a bigger manufacturer get. Unless you’re not riding much or for many miles, or are experienced with modifying your own bike, I recommend working with an established manufacturer that has a dealer network. I also do not recommend a smart ebike. As we can see with VanMoof’s recent implosion, you may have difficulty getting your smart ebike repaired if the company folds.

    Why do some bikes cost more?

    They have higher-end components. Batteries and motors from high-end brands like Bosch and Shimano often are more powerful and cover more distance, with a 90- or 120-mile range, as compared to the 15-20 mile ranges you’ll see on more affordable bikes. However, this may not matter if you have a short commute.

    What terrain do you live on?

    If you live in a flat area, you’re probably fine with a 250-watt motor, which is the European speed standard. However, if you live near hills or haul a lot of stuff, you might want to consider a 500-watt or 750-watt motor and a few extras, like hydraulic disc brakes, which will help prevent you from skidding into traffic.

    I would also look for a mid-drive motor instead of a hub-drive motor. Mid-drive motors are located in the center of your bike and feel more natural. A hub drive is on your rear axle and shifts your center of gravity backward, which takes some getting used to. It can throw you off balance when you’re going up steep hills.

    Follow some basic safety tips.

    Not sure where to start? The biking advocacy group PeopleForBikes recently released their safety education program, E-Bike Smart, which they created in collaboration with the League of American Bicyclists and Bicycle Colorado. Do not leave your bike battery charging overnight, and do not let your children ride your bike unsupervised. An 80-pound child should not be piloting a 65-pound bike, even if the motor makes it possible for them to do so.

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  • 11 Best Weighted Blankets (2024): Cooling, Throws, and Eye Masks

    11 Best Weighted Blankets (2024): Cooling, Throws, and Eye Masks

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    Most of the weighted blankets we’ve tested are worth recommending—and there are a lot of them. However, these didn’t stand out as much as the picks above.

    Quince’s Knit Weighted Blanket for $150: This open-knit blanket costs less than Bearaby’s but is as high-quality and uses a recycled polyester fill. There’s just one 15-pound weight option, and it’s a bit more rigid than what Bearaby offers. I like both models, but if you want a drapey blanket, go with Bearaby. (Quince makes some of our favorite sheets.) Available in 15 pounds

    Luxome Weighted Blanket for $105 to $250: Luxome makes a pair of my favorite sheets, and now I also love its blanket. I tried the one-piece blanket with one side made of bamboo lyocell and the other a plush minky fabric, but there are a few options including those with a separate cover. Lying under the bamboo was extra cooling in the best way. It comes in an impressive amount of weight options. Available in 8, 15, 18, or 25 pounds

    Sleep Number True Temp Weighted Blanket for $200: This blanket comes with a cover that’s meant to stay cool throughout the night and this was pretty accurate in my experience. I found the polyester material to be just slightly scratchy, so I wouldn’t want to sleep directly under it, but I typically layer a weighted blanket over a sheet and comforter anyway. Available in 12 or 20 pounds

    Luna Sherpa Throw for $68: We love Luna’s many options linked above, and this sherpa throw is incredibly soft and just heavy enough for its size. It’s machine washable too. Available in 10 pounds

    Gravity Weighted Blanket for $250 to $300: The Basics by Gravity is our top pick because it’s a great blanket for a great price. This original blanket from the brand is also stellar and is available in more weights, sizes, and pretty colors, but you’ll have to shell out for it. Available in 15, 20, or 35 pounds

    Gravity’s Flex Travel Blanket for $50: Gravity also makes a small 10-pound blanket that folds into its included bag. It’s a bit noisy, like the material of a sleeping bag, but if you need something on the go it’s not a bad option. Available in 10 pounds

    Tranquility Cooling Weighted Blanket for $40 to $50: A lot of budget weighted blankets are disappointing. This one genuinely surprised me. It felt great to cuddle up under, and it’s sufficiently weighty with one soft side and a slinky cool side (that stayed pretty cool). Unfortunately, the one we tried is nearly always out of stock, but there are others available from the brand that might be worth a shot. Available in 15 or 20 pounds

    Thera Weighted Blanket for $79 to $129: This blanket might be the softest thing I’ve ever touched, like petting a furry animal. After my first few weeks with it, however, it ripped and let glass beads take over my bed like sand. I think kitty claws got the best of it, so keep that in mind and treat it carefully. Available in 10, 12, or 15 pounds

    Aricove Weighted Blanket for $170 to $200: This is a fantastic cooling blanket to sleep with solo. It’s nice and thin, so you won’t feel trapped or too hot underneath. Available in 10, 12, 15, 17 20, or 22 pounds

    Casper Weighted Blanket for $169 to $189: Casper is another popular bedding brand whose blanket is classic cool cotton rather than knit or plush, which can get hot. About the size of a throw blanket, it’s dense enough that even the lightest model gives you that comfortably squished feeling, while the heaviest is like a Thundershirt for humans. Casper has frequent sales too. Available in 10, 15, or 20 pounds

    Layla Weighted Blanket for $189 to $239: Our tester loved snuggling with a partner under Layla’s massive king-size blanket. It’s double-sided with one cotton and one plush side. Available in 15, 20, or 25 pounds

    Yogibo Calm Antimicrobial Weighted Blanket for $159: The actual blanket is cool cotton, but the real draw here is Yogibo’s famous cotton-and-spandex blend it uses for its covers. The company says it’s insanely soft, and it isn’t lying. It’s stretchy, smooth, and machine washable (the actual blanket is not). I found that pet hair clings to it though, which is common with softer fabrics. Available in 15 pounds

    Gravid Weighted Blanket for $189 to $199: This blanket comes with a plush or cooling cover (or both), and this is where it shines. There’s nothing worse than a blanket cover with only a few attachment points so that after a few minutes underneath it, everything is twisted and off to one side. Gravid’s cover attaches with a zipper that goes the entire length of the blanket. Why other brands don’t do this is beyond me. Available in 15 or 20 pounds

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  • 8 Best Sleep Trackers (2024): Expert Tips and Research

    8 Best Sleep Trackers (2024): Expert Tips and Research

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    Sleep Routine: Tracker & Alarm for $7/month or $60/year (iOS/Android): You don’t necessarily need a new gadget, because there are several sleep-tracking apps. I tested Sleep Routine on my iPhone 14 Pro. The app provides a report for each night, breaking your sleep into awake, light, deep, and REM. The results seemed accurate and broadly matched the Ultrahuman Ring Air. You can add notes to help it better understand your sleep, and it builds a sleep pattern analysis and shows your statistics over time. The smart alarm function wakes you gently. You can try Sleep Routine for a week before you need to subscribe. The problem? The app can be a bit wonky. A couple of times in a week, I got an error message in the morning with no report or a very short recorded sleep. Annoyingly, there was no indication of why it failed.

    Withings ScanWatch 2 for $350: Wear the Withings ScanWatch 2 (7/10, WIRED recommends) to bed and you will get a sleep score out of 100 in the morning. It covers the same four stages as other trackers (awake, REM, light, and deep) but boasts a PPG sensor for measuring your respiratory rate. It can also track your heart rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels. The ScanWatch 2 provides a wealth of data and advice in the Withings app. But some folks may find it bulky and uncomfortable for sleep, and it had problems distinguishing between light sleep and when I was lying awake in bed.

    Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen for $79: The second-generation Nest Hub uses radar to track your sleep, which means you don’t need to wear anything, but it also has a microphone to track snoring, sleep talking, and other nocturnal sounds. I love the Nest Hub on my nightstand for smart home controls, family photos, and listening to sleep sounds or podcasts in bed, but the sleep tracking consistently overestimated my REM phases and missed periods of wakefulness that other trackers recorded. When I used multiple trackers simultaneously, the Nest Hub was the outlier.

    Muse S Gen 2 Headband for $400: This headband has sensors capable of tracking your brain activity, similar to an electroencephalogram (EEG), alongside an accelerometer and gyroscope, and a PPG sensor to measure heart rate and blood circulation. It’s chiefly a meditation aid designed to help you relax, but it can also track your sleep, recording your heart rate, respiration, time to fall asleep, and how much you moved around to give you an overall sleep score. Sadly, I found it uncomfortable to wear and often woke to discover the sleep tracking had failed, usually because I’d removed it at night. It’s also far too expensive.

    Kokoon Nightbuds for $285: While combining earbuds with sleep tracking is a smart idea, wearing the Nightbuds made it harder for me to fall asleep. These tiny earbuds plug into a curved control unit designed to sit on the back of your head, and they’re relatively comfy since everything is covered in pliable silicone. The companion app plays meditations, soothing sounds, and sleep stories to help you drop off or drown out a snoring partner. You can also connect via Bluetooth to play your own content. The sleep tracking is limited, showing the familiar four phases, sleep efficiency, and consistency, but I often woke to find they had come off during the night and cut my sleep tracking short. I am about to test the Philips Sleep Headphones, but they appear to be a rebranded version of these.

    Biostrap Kairos for $900: This lightweight wrist-worn band has a PPG sensor and accelerometer to track your heart rate, respiration, and HRV. It tracks sleep broken into awake, light, and deep sleep (REM will be added soon), and combines your biometrics to give you a sleep score. It also surveys you each morning on sleep quality, and how refreshed you feel, plus asks about how you felt when you woke and before you went to sleep. It seems quite accurate, but it’s designed for researchers, medical staff, and organizations looking to monitor employee health or study the impact of new services or products, so it’s unavailable for most folks to buy.

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  • 14 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (2024): Over-Ears, Wireless Earbuds, Workout

    14 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (2024): Over-Ears, Wireless Earbuds, Workout

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    Now that the majority of new headphones and earbuds offer at least a modicum of noise canceling, it’d be impossible (and unproductive) to list everything we like above. But if you haven’t yet found your fit, here are some more favorites worth considering.

    Bowers & Wilkins Px7 for $218: It’s no surprise that the Bowers & Wilkins flagship noise-cancelers, the Px7 S2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends), sound good and look great. What you can’t see (or anticipate) is how light and comfortable these headphones are on your head. Frankly, the only reason these headphones are here instead of above is that B&W went and updated them too quickly with the even better-sounding Px7 S2e.

    Apple Beats Fit Pro for $199: The Beats Fit Pro are an aging but still knock-out pair of wireless buds, with great sound, easy-access physical buttons, and solid noise canceling to boot. Add to that six hours of battery life, spatial audio compatibility with Apple Music and other services, and you’ve got one of the best pairs of earbuds ever “designed in California.”

    Sony WF-1000XM4 for $240: Sony’s WF-1000XM4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) still have some of the best noise reduction we’ve heard from a pair of earbuds and offer the same super-customizable sound we love from Sony’s over-ear headphones. These are becoming harder to find, and they’re a bit too large for smaller ears but the extra size allows for fantastic battery life.

    Amazon Echo Buds for $120: Amazon’s second-gen Echo Buds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) don’t provide quite the same silence as the top buds on our list, but they’re still a good low-cost option. Amazon’s built-in Alexa voice assistant lets you set timers, check the weather, and control your buds hands-free. The buds sound pretty good too, making them worthy of consideration several years on.

    Epos/Sennheiser Adapt 660 for $197: Want excellent sound, a comfortable fit, and high-quality noise-canceling tech for less than what you’d pay for Sony or Bose headphones? Check out this collaboration between Epos and Sennheiser. The Epos/Sennheiser Adapt 660 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) sound fantastic, and are some of the lightest noise-canceling headphones I’ve ever worn. They also feature excellent microphones for great silence on calls and Zooms.

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  • 6 Best Cheap Smartphones (2024): iPhone, Android, 5G

    6 Best Cheap Smartphones (2024): iPhone, Android, 5G

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    Motorola Moto G Power 5G 2023 for $200: My main problem with Motorola phones is that there’s no NFC (6/10, WIRED Review), which means you can’t use them to pay your ticket fare on the off chance you left your wallet at home. Motorola also only promises one OS upgrade (with three years of security updates). You can get a much better deal with the devices above. However, there is a headphone jack, a microSD card to expand the 256 GB of storage, and a charger in the box.

    I tested Samsung’s Galaxy A23 5G and found its performance annoyingly slow, which shouldn’t be the case for a $300 smartphone these days. I also don’t recommend Motorola’s Moto G Play 2023, Moto G Stylus 2023, Moto G Power 2022, and Moto G Pure 2022 because the above phones trounce them in every way and don’t cost much more.

    The Nokia G400 5G (6/10, WIRED Review) is a fine phone, but its software policy just isn’t as good as our top recommended devices above and its performance can be stuttery when you juggle multiple apps. The Nokia G100 was OK until the display started locking up and wouldn’t accept touch input. I tried a second unit and ran into the same issue. I have also tested the Doogee S89 Pro, a rugged smartphone. While I didn’t run into any glaring flaws, it’s a pain in the butt to carry around and uncomfortable in the hand, too. Sure, there’s a massive 12,000-mAh battery, but it didn’t last as long as I expected. The company has a spotty record with software updates, too.

    Sort of. Any of our top picks are excellent choices, but if you can wait until May or June, we’ll have a broader lineup to choose from. Motorola will likely unveil more of its budget Moto G lineup soon. TCL will release its 50-series this summer, HMD Global might have some budget devices in tow by July, and we will likely see a Pixel 8A at Google I/O in May.

    Consider Last Year’s Flagship Phones

    If none of these phones have the features you want or they aren’t as powerful as you’d like, your best option is to look for last year’s flagship smartphones, which might be steeply discounted. Sometimes they’re easy to find, but manufacturers may stop selling them altogether. Keep in mind that you’ll lose a year of software support, but that’s often still better than the software support available on cheap phones anyway. The OnePlus 11, for example, has dipped as low as $499. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has started to creep down toward $600.

    5G is the latest cellular network and it’s widespread enough that you should try to stick to phones that support it. It’s not completely replacing 4G LTE, so you’ll see this in your status bar as you roam around the country. You can read more about it here, but in short, 5G comes in two major types: sub-6 and millimeter wave (mmWave). The latter is usually only available in flagship phones and allows you to access superfast speeds, but you’ll rarely encounter mmWave (think select areas in major cities and certain venues, like stadiums and airports). Sub-6 isn’t much faster than 4G LTE, but it has a broader range and is more widely accessible these days. Most of the smartphones we recommend here support sub-6 5G, even ones as low as $200.

    Check Network Compatibility

    If you buy an unlocked phone on this list and try to take it to one of your wireless carrier’s retail stores, they may tell you it isn’t compatible with the network. It likely is. Just use a paper clip or SIM ejection tool to pop the SIM card out of your current phone, then slide that SIM into your new phone. If it doesn’t work at first, reboot the phone or wait a couple of hours.

    If you need a new SIM, try ordering one online from your carrier or see if they’ll give you a SIM when you activate a line in the store (if you’re starting coverage). Tell them you have a phone. Many times, reps will want to sell you a phone; that’s one potential reason they might hassle you into buying a different device in the store. Having said that, please make sure whatever phone you buy will work on your wireless network. Listings on retailers like Amazon should state clearly which networks a device will be compatible with. Also, make sure the listing says the phone is being sold “unlocked.”

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  • 16 Best Wireless Earbuds (2024): Noise Cancelers, Cheap, Luxe, and More

    16 Best Wireless Earbuds (2024): Noise Cancelers, Cheap, Luxe, and More

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    Every month seems to bring new sets of earbuds with longer battery life and more compact designs. As such, we can’t list everything we like. But if you’re still hunting, here are some other recommendations.

    Montblanc MTB 03 for $395: These earbuds are priced out of reach for most buyers, but if you’ve got the cash, you’ll be rewarded with a luxury experience worthy of the brand. Montblanc has called in some heavy hitters from the audio industry to design and voice these buds. The result is a small, comfortable, and quite flashy-looking pair of wireless earbuds that sound really impressive.

    Samsung Galaxy Buds2 for $100: Even several years in, Samsung’s Buds2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are a great value. For cheaper than a pair of AirPods, you get noise canceling, transparency mode, and some of the lightest, most comfortable buds around. Frustratingly, the companion app only works for Android, so iPhone users will miss out on most features. Some people have also had issues with these earbuds causing irritation in their ears. We did not experience this, but if you do, be sure to return the buds immediately.

    Apple/Beats Powerbeats Pro for $180: Apple’s beefy Powerbeats Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) provide a super-secure fit, sound far better than Apple’s standard AirPods or Beats pairs before them, and squeeze an impressive nine hours of life out of a charge. They’re getting long in the tooth and forego now-standard extras like transparency mode and ANC, but could still be worth consideration for those after serious stability.

    OnePlus Buds Pro for $140: These AirPods-esque earbuds sound great, look great, and work just about the same as the Apple product, though they’re designed for Android. If you want that, go ahead. I just happen to think some of the designs above are much sleeker.

    JBL Tour Pro 2 for $250: When I first saw photos of these headphones at CES 2023, I believed that a screen on a pair of wireless earbuds—to see how much battery is left, play and pause music, etc—would be awesome. It turns out that while the earbuds are totally fine and they are totally decent sounding, I don’t need a screen on the case. At all. I don’t think I looked at it once, beyond testing, while using the headphones. So much for that.

    Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 for $179: Sennheiser’s aging Momentum True Wireless 2 are still available, and now at a much lower price point. Apart from fantastic sound, Sennheiser also fixed the bug in the first Momentum pair that drained the battery after a week or so even if you didn’t use them.

    Raycon Everyday Earbuds for $80: These YouTuber-beloved earbuds are actually a decent cheap pair (7/10, WIRED Review). They are small and light, and they come with an IPX6 rating, which makes them great for workouts.

    Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport for $299: The Sport are a great option that come with active noise canceling and a striking design, but the high price keeps them out of the reach of most people.

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  • 5 Best Sturdy Stockings (2024): Tights, Pantyhose, Sustainable

    5 Best Sturdy Stockings (2024): Tights, Pantyhose, Sustainable

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    Whether you call them stockings, tights, or pantyhose, I love wearing them all year round. Sheer black hose make any outfit sultry, and skin-color ones are like leg makeup. Fishnets and patterns are just fun. If you’ve only ever worn pantyhose in an egg from the drugstore, it’s time to level up. Those ones tend to run and tear easily, sometimes after a single wear—or while you’re still wearing them. They may cost you just a few bucks, but once they’ve ripped, they go with the rest of the world’s textile waste—straight to a landfill.

    You don’t have to spend a lot to get hosiery that will last. We tried a few brands that promise durability. We wore them for a few washes and also tugged and yanked and tried to rip them. No tights are going to be bomb-proof, but these ones come pretty close.

    Brenda Stolyar, Nena Farrell, Louryn Strampe, and Jaina Grey contributed testing to this guide.

    Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

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