You’ll inevitably drop your smartphone. Once at a theater, my Galaxy Note slipped out of my pocket and fell onto the seat’s metal frame, crushing the side button so that the phone kept trying to activate Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant. The phone was very hot by the end of the movie. A case might have prevented any damage … or not.
A case isn’t a guaranteed form of protection from drops, but it could help, especially if you pair it with a good screen protector. I’ve tested more than 50 cases and screen protectors for Samsung’s Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra smartphones to find the best that offers comprehensive defense at reasonable prices. You’ll also find a few handy-dandy accessories to round out your new phone. Going with last year’s model instead? We’ve got a roundup of cases for the Galaxy S23 series too.
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Unlike last year’s Galaxy Watch5, this year’s Watch6 Classic brings back the fabulous, clicky, rotating bezel (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s fun and tactile and not a feature that you’ll find on many other smartwatches and fitness trackers. Other than that, it doesn’t look or feel too terribly different from the Watch5, which is a good thing. The Watch6 Classic comes in a 43- or 47-mm case, and the standard Watch6, which doesn’t have the mechanical rotating bezel, is available in 40- and 44-mm cases.
The Watch6 runs Wear OS, which means you have access to Google Maps and Google Assistant, and it also has access to Samsung’s fairly robust health features. In addition to the usual suite of SpO2 measurements, auto-workout detection, and sleep tracking, it now has FDA-cleared irregular heart rate notifications and blood pressure monitoring (the latter is not available in the US nor cleared by the FDA). Some features are also restricted to users who pair the watch with Samsung phones, rather than other Android phones, like the ECG. If you prioritize design, you might want to stick with a Pixel Watch; if you don’t have a Samsung phone, you might want to stick to a Garmin. All that said, It’s a fairly capable watch with a fun party trick.
★ Alternative: Stick to a Garmin, you say? Garmin’s entry in this category is the Venu 3 ($470), which has a stainless steel bezel, Corning Gorilla Glass for the lens, and two amazing weeks for battery life. It has Garmin’s multi-band satellite capabilities for workout tracking, along with Garmin’s killer proprietary health software, which now includes a new sleep coach with nap detection, along with Morning Report and Body Battery. However, it is pricey, does not have temperature sensing, and the onboard mic and speakers sound pretty terrible.
You know what’s the least important part of taking a great photo? Gear. The vision you have and the work you put into realizing it are far more critical.
That’s not to say gear doesn’t matter, just that it’s best used in service of something larger. That’s why this guide doesn’t get too deep into the weeds of megapixel counts, sensor sizes, and pixel peeping. All these cameras are capable of producing amazing images. Which one is right for you depends more on your needs than on the size of the sensor.
Still, choosing the right one can be confusing. I’ve spent years testing dozens of cameras in all kinds of shooting scenarios to come up with what I think are the best choices for different types of photographers.
Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, like the Best Camera Bags, Best Action Cameras, Best GoPro Hero, and Best Instant Cameras.
Updated February 2024: We’ve added the Leica Q3, Sony A7C R, Nikon Zf, and updated links and prices throughout.
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The best Bluetooth speakers still have a place near and dear to our hearts, even as we’ve seen better (and more portable) smart speakers creeping into the universe. It’s fun and easy to ask an Amazon Echo or Google Nest speaker to play your favorite track or tell you the weather, but smart speakers require stable Wi-Fi and updates to work. By (mostly) forgoing voice assistants and Wi-Fi radios, Bluetooth speakers are more portable, with the ability to venture outside of your house and withstand rugged conditions like the sandy beach or the steamy Airbnb jacuzzi. They’ll also work with any smartphone, and they sound as good as their smart-speaker equivalents.
We’ve tested hundreds of Bluetooth speakers since 2017 (and many before that), and we can happily say they are still some of the best small devices for listening on the go. Here are our favorites right now. Be sure to check out all our buying guides, including the Best Soundbars, Best Wirefree Earbuds, and Best Smart Speakers.
Updated February 2024: We’ve added the JBL Charge 5 and Tribit Stormbox Flow, as well as honorable mentions for the Tivoli Model Two and Dali Katch G2.
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Most of us tend to use single-use products everyday, but switching even some of them out for sustainable products meant to be reused again and again can help our planet. Plastic is piling up in landfills and oceans; it’s even floating around in the air. It’s sad and frustrating, and unfortunately, the problem can’t be solved by consumers simply cutting down on single-use plastics—corporations need to do their part. But reducing the amount of garbage we produce can give us a sense of agency, not to mention that you can save quite a bit of money by buying a product only once.
The best reusable products are ones you’re going to want to use again and again. So if you prefer the water bottles from your favorite coffee chain or fancy handkerchiefs from a local boutique, that’s what you should get. And if you have a pile of disposable products you want to replace, use them up first. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a bunch of our favorite products. Don’t see anything you need here? Check out some of our other roundups, like the Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products, Best Recycled Bags, Best Recycled Clothing, and for everything else, Our Favorite Products Made of Recycled and Upcycled Materials.
Updated February 2024: We’ve added reusable baggies and lids from W&P, Friendsheep dryer balls, and Pacific eye masks.
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You’ll spend a third of your life on a mattress, which means picking the right one is important. Start with your preferred sleeping position and how much support you need. Here are a few tips.
Should you buy a firm or soft mattress? Generally, heavier people and back or stomach sleepers will do better with firmer mattresses, while lighter people and side sleepers enjoy softer mattresses. Temperature is also an issue: Softer mattresses sleep warmer since your body is sinking into a layer of fabric and foam. Keep in mind that all mattresses have a break-in period, and the way the mattress feels on your first night won’t be how it feels after a week or two.
Do you want a hybrid or foam mattress? The next big question is whether you want a foam mattress or a hybrid model that layers foam with built-in springs. We tend to recommend hybrids because they are more stable and supportive, and they usually stay cooler. Hybrids are often slightly pricier. Foam mattresses tend to be softer, lighter, and cheaper.
What size mattress do you need? The prices below are based on the queen size, but almost all mattresses come in the standard sizes of Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King. You’ll want to buy a mattress based on the size of your bed frame.
How easy is it to set up a bed-in-a-box? Most of these mattresses are delivered in a box, vacuum-sealed, and rolled up. Some are pretty heavy—up to 150 pounds—so be sure you have someone to help you. After you unroll your bed-in-a-box mattress and cut the vacuum bag open, it’ll immediately begin to inflate, so unbox it on your bed frame or near it. We have a helpful guide on how to set up the mattress you bought online with more tips. The mattresses are usually ready to go in a few hours, but most manufacturers recommend giving them two days to reach their normal state.
Should you wait for a sale to buy a mattress? Mattresses go on sale often. If you see one at full price, there’s a strong chance you can save hundreds of dollars by waiting for the next big sale event (every few months).
What if you don’t like the mattress you bought online? Most of the mattresses we have tested and recommend have at least a 100-night testing period and a 10-year warranty. You may want to look at the company’s policy as you may be on the hook for a nominal return fee.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying it, now is a great time to start. The Great Backyard Bird Count—where everyone around the world takes four days to count birds and report them to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society—happens in February. You can join birders around the world in recording your sightings from February 16 to 19, 2024. See the website for more details on how to participate.
To start birding, just slow down, be quiet, and start observing the world around you—it’s full of birds. That said, there are some basic tips and gear that can improve your bird-watching experience, and some others that are just plain fun to have. Thanks to my parents, I’ve been birding since I was born, but whether you’re a veteran bird-watcher or a total newcomer, there’s something here for everyone.
Updated February 2024: We’ve added some notes about the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count, a new pair of Celestron binoculars, a new backpack, two new books, and some more resources for birders. We’ve also updated links and prices throughout.
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Get Some Binoculars
Once you’ve made the decision to start paying attention to birds, the biggest upgrade you can make to your birding life is a good pair of binoculars. Binoculars range greatly in price, from under $100 to well over $2,000. If you’re all in and have the money, by all means, go for a pair of Leica or Swarovski binoculars; you will not be disappointed. I can still tell you every bird I saw during the time I borrowed my friend’s Leica pair.
There’s no need to spend that much, though. The top pick in our Best Binoculars guide are these Nikon Monarch M5 8×42 binoculars. The Monarch M5s strike an excellent balance between optical power, quality, and price. The glass in these provides nice, bright views with little chromatic aberration (the distortions or fringing that you sometimes see around objects in bright sunlight).
★ Cheaper, Similar Echo Show: The second-gen Echo Show 8 ($130) is a little cheaper and is still a great choice if you don’t have your heart set on new features like the smart home hub or spatial audio.
If you aren’t in it for the music, the Amazon Echo Dot With Clock (5th Gen) and Google’s Nest Mini (7/10, WIRED Recommends) will give you most of the perks of owning a smart speaker, and you can use them to make existing speakers smarter on the cheap. The sound is very similar between models, and they have nearly identical footprints, so you can argue that one is better than the other based on the ecosystem alone. We used to prefer the Nest Mini for this reason, but now that Amazon has added a simple clock to the front of the Echo Dot, we like it a bit more.
The tiny display on the Echo Dot With Clock comes in handy. It can tell you when your timers are going to expire in the kitchen or when your alarm is set for the morning. It tells the time too. That makes it a better bedroom and kitchen companion. You can also ask it the weather, have it answer random questions, and play white noise at bedtime to help you sleep. Plus, it presents an easy way to get a smart assistant into the places in your home where you don’t normally listen to music.
Connects to Amazon Alexa.
★ Alternative: The Nest Mini ($49) is also a great mini speaker if you prefer Google Assistant. It’s usually on sale for $25, making it one of the most affordable smart speakers out there. It can do everything the Nest Audio can do, though its sound quality is nothing to write home about.
The pint-size Sonos Roam (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has become our new favorite portable speaker. Reviewer Parker Hall has taken it on road trips, to outdoor weddings, and in the basket of his bike. The simple-to-use Sonos ecosystem works with Google Assistant and Alexa, and the speaker has Bluetooth for when you’re out of Wi-Fi range. It even includes wireless charging, which makes it the perfect speaker to set down at home between trips outdoors.
You’ll get 10 hours of listening on a full charge at medium volume, and the thing is rugged; an IP67 rating means it can survive in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. Hall is not easy on speakers, and his review unit is still going strong. If you’re looking to up your out-and-about game, buy one of these and stash it inside a stainless to-go mug. Just grab a drink along the way.
Connects to Google Assistant or Alexa.
★ Alternative: The second generation of Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 ($279) added Alexa voice assistant to the mix. It’s a beautiful, great-sounding, and durable mono speaker we’ve had on our Best Bluetooth Speakers list for a while, and with Alexa in tow, it’s a good portable option for fans of Amazon’s voice assistant.
This butt-shaped speaker from Sonos (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best way to hear spatial audio tracks—audio that is mixed with more than two channels and can be projected anywhere in a 3D space. (Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music both offer this.) It can project audio throughout your room and can even be paired with a Sonos soundbar to work as Dolby Atmos surrounds in a home theater.
Even if you’re not listening to spatially mixed audio, the speaker still sounds fantastic. It has big, confident bass and details up top, and it can tune itself to your room using iOS or built-in microphones on the speaker. It’s a bit harder to place than the Era 100 above, and is also nearly double the price, but this is still worth considering if you have a larger space or a modern home with a more open floor plan.
Lemur Pro is not the best for graphics-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing (see below for some more powerful rigs with dedicated graphics cards), but for everything else, this is one of the nicest laptops you can get.
Tuxedo’s InfinityBook Pro 14 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a svelte, lightweight laptop that’s dedicated to the open source world. Tuxedo is based in Germany (which is why the price is in euros), and like System76, it has a long history of providing excellent support for Linux. The InfinityBook Pro is Tuxedo’s lightweight, everyday laptop, with an Intel i7 chip, support for up to 64 GB of RAM, and up to 4 TB of SSD storage. There’s also an option to add dedicated graphics in the form of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 card.
The highlight of the InfinityBook to me is the gorgeous 2,880 x 1,800-pixel-resolution screen that’s matte (anti-glare). At 400 nits it’s plenty bright enough to work anywhere. In my testing, the InfinityBook Pro had plenty of power for most tasks and performed well for editing high-res video thanks to its dual-fan cooling design. The battery life is solid, lasting all day, and the custom tools for fine-tuning the power settings are the best I’ve used. Tuxedo’s custom OS (based on Ubuntu) is a great Linux experience, and the website offers extensive documentation and help for new users.
Dell’s XPS 13 Developer Edition was one of the first big-name laptops to ship with Linux, and it remains the lightest, smallest laptop with Linux installed. This configuration sports a 13th-Generation Intel i7-1360P processor, 16 GB of RAM (soldered), and a 512-GB SSD. It ships with Ubuntu Linux 22.04, but in my testing, it will happily run any distro, from Fedora to Arch (Dell support applies only to Ubuntu, though). When you’re on the product page, make sure you choose Ubuntu Linux 22.04 LTS as your operating system (it defaults to Windows).
For more details on the hardware, see our review of the Windows version (6/10, WIRED Review). While performance was poor with Windows, it ran well with Ubuntu. The main drawback to this machine is its lack of ports. There are two USB-C ports, one of which is your charging port. There isn’t even a headphone jack. Dell recently added the XPS 14 and XPS 16 to the XPS line, but so far there’s been no word on whether either will have a Linux version.
Best If You Want a Bunch of Ports
If the Dell’s lack of ports leaves you wanting, this is the laptop for you. System76’s Pangolin (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a 15-inch, AMD-powered monster of a laptop with every port a sysadmin could hope for. This config ships with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, 32 GB of RAM (soldered), and a 250-GB SSD. You can configure the Pangolin with up to 8 TB of storage.
The battery life is good for the size—it lasts all day in most use cases—but it’s not as good as the Dell. The keyboard, on the other hand, is fantastic and a real pleasure to type on. The one downside is the number pad, which forces the trackpad off-center.
Here’s a list of its ports: Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (with DisplayPort support, but not Thunderbolt), three USB-A ports, a 3.5-mm headphone/microphone combo jack, and a full-size SD card reader.
Most Repairable and Future-Proof
If you want a laptop you can upgrade, Framework’s Laptop is the best Linux rig for you. There are a few flavors available. I tested the second release of the 13-inch model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and loved it. The Intel Core 13th-generation series chips with 32 GB of RAM, a 2-TB SSD, and whichever mix of ports suits your needs start for around $1,400. That will ship with no operating system. When it arrives you can install Linux yourself (or opt to ship it with Windows if you need to dual boot). I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but an AMD version is also available. Framework is also taking preorders for a new 16-inch model. The 16-inch model is available with an AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processor.
I tested Ubuntu, which Framework supports, and Arch Linux, and both worked great (though Framework does not officially support Arch). My only gripe about using the Framework is my gripe about almost any Linux laptop: battery life could be better.
Best for Gaming or Video Editing
The System76 Oryx Pro comes in either 15-inch or 17-inch models with 12th-generation Intel processors and Nvidia graphics (either the 3070 Ti or 3080 Ti GPU). There are options for a glossy, OLED 4K screen, up to 64 GB of RAM, and up to 8 TB of SSD space. It’s not cheap, but the Oryx Pro is by far the most powerful laptop on this page. Like the Pangolin above, the Oryx ships with either System76’s Pop_OS! or Ubuntu Linux. Unlike the Pangolin, the Intel chip in the Oryx Pro means it ships with Coreboot, and open source firmware.
OK, it’s corny, but there’s something about the Lenovo X1 Carbon Linux edition that makes me want to install Kali Linux and start probing the coffee shop Wi-Fi. You may have different thoughts when you see it, but this is a slick laptop for those of us who think ThinkPads are, ahem, slick. That slickness comes at a steep price, though. It costs twice as much as some of our picks. This configuration gives you get a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 256-GB SSD (much of this is customizable). This version is also now two releases behind the Windows X2 Carbon, but appears to still be the only X1 with Linux as an option.
I really like the nice 2K (2,880 x 1,800 pixel resolution), OLED, anti-glare screen. I have not had a chance to test this model, but I really like the previous release (8/10, WIRED Recommends,) and the new version is primarily a spec bump. It’s frequently on sale for around $1,300.
Advice If You’re Buying Used
Photograph: Lenovo
One of the beauties of Linux is that it requires fewer resources and maintains support for older hardware far longer than Windows or MacOS. That means you don’t need to spend a fortune on a new laptop; you can breathe life into an old one or grab a used laptop off eBay. I have been doing this for years, working my way through Lenovo’s X-series laptops (starting with an X220, now an T14 Gen 1), but old Dell and Asus laptops are also great for Linux. If you opt to buy used, have a look at our guide to buying used on eBay to make sure you get a good deal.
Sex tech has come a long way in the past 10 years—not only in terms of cultural acceptance and awareness but also technology. Gone are the days of clunky, pink plastic rabbit vibrators and sex toys that feel like knockoff action figures. Today’s toys are designed by sex educators, medical professionals, and some of the world’s greatest sexperts. They feature ultra-premium, medical-grade silicone, robust Bluetooth connectivity, programmable vibration patterns, and multiple motors all designed to help you have a good time.
There’s never a bad time to invest in a little extra self-care. These are the best sex toys, vibrators, smart vibrators, personal wand massagers, and accessories, all of which we’ve personally tested. There’s something here for everyone, every gender, and every body. The language on these products isn’t always gender-inclusive, but we approached testing with a gender-inclusive mindset, testing these with a variety of different genitals, bodies, and partners.
Be sure to check out our other bedroom-related guides, including the Best Vibrators, Best Lubes, Best Mattresses, and Best Sound Machines.
Updated February 2024: We’ve added a section on sex toy materials, updated language describing materials, updated impressions, and updated pricing throughout.
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