You do, however, need to pay a monthly subscription fee to get accurate notifications and to be able to see the timeline of when the door is locked and unlocked, and by who. Otherwise, you’ll just get a notification that the lock was used without specifying what exactly it did. The app will show you if the lock is currently locked or unlocked, but vague notifications and lack of a history aren’t exactly helpful. I also had a connection drop at a random hour of the night. Seeing a vague notification that something happened at 12:30-something in the morning completely scared me that my home had been robbed overnight. It hadn’t, but I didn’t know that until I signed up for a subscription to see my history.
Photograph: Nena Farrell
After that incident, I chose the Standard Plan ($7 a month) that’s designed for self-monitoring my home. There’s also the Pro Plan ($25 a month) that includes a professional monitoring service, but that’s designed for Abode’s larger smart-home systems rather than just the lock.
Speaking of, while you don’t need to use the Abode Lock with Abode’s other security setups and hubs, it can add onto those as an accessory. Abode has three security hubs and starter kits to choose from: the basic Abode Kit ($140), the Smart Security Kit ($280), and the Iota All-in-One Security Kit ($330). Each of these has a different type of hub—the main differences are that the cheapest hub doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit, and the iota has a built-in camera. All three work with the same accessories, though, so you could upgrade down the line and reuse any accessories you received. Adding a hub lets you create automations within the Abode app, so I could set up the Abode Lock to unlock when I arrived home.
You can also use the Abode Lock with smart home systems without needing a hub, but you’ll still need one of the subscription plans. Amazon’s and Google’s ecosystems work with all three hubs, as do Sonos and Bose products, but you’ll need one of the more expensive hubs if you want it to work with Apple HomeKit.
Door Stoppers
Photograph: Nena Farrell
The Abode Lock, for all it can do, can’t tell you whether your door is closed–just if the lock is in the locked position. Some smart locks come with door sensors so you can see whether your door is both locked and closed in one place.
Abode’s lock can’t do this, but all of its hubs come with a Mini Sensor ($25) that can be used on doors and windows, so any hub package could help solve this issue to a certain degree. It certainly isn’t as seamless as being a single device that can do both, though, if it’s something you’re worried about. My door, crappy rental that it is, has a loose knob that sometimes doesn’t believe in closing until we re-screw it together, so this missing feature is a bigger issue for me than most folks with better (or just normal) doors.
Since Abode’s main business is its full security system, it makes sense to have some features you can access only by going all-in on Abode. Still, you can enjoy several features right out of the box with just the Abode Lock alone, and no one outside your home will be the wiser.
It takes more effort to use a toothpaste tablet than your standard toothpaste. You’ll want to chew it a few times and move the remnants of the powdered tablet around your mouth to get it all over versus unevenly dispersed. It’s not hard to do, but some aggressive chomps before brushing your teeth might not be the evening workout you’re used to.
The toothbrush will help distribute the tablet and foam it up, but I’ve found it’s easier to distribute it as much as you can from the get-go. You’ll also want to use a wet toothbrush to add more moisture to achieve maximum foam. There are plenty of nights where I grab two tablets instead of one, if I feel like one isn’t enough foam for my teeth that day.
It’s a weird sensation that takes some getting used to; it feels much more powdery and dry than the gel toothpaste most people use, and if you don’t chew it up well enough you might not feel like your teeth got cleaned at all. My husband tried toothpaste tablets and hated the texture and feel immediately. It took me about a week to get used to it, but now I can’t go back.
Sweet Tooth
One of the big reasons I can’t go back is because whenever I try regular toothpaste, I’m struck by how sugary-sweet it tastes.
Toothpastes don’t have sugar in them—at least not ones that are approved by the American Dental Association—but they do have some kind of sweetening agents to make it taste better. Colgate, a major toothpaste maker, lists saccharine and sorbitol as common sweetening agents. Both of these are artificial sweeteners and are used to cover the flavor of the less tasty ingredients.
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Some tablets also use sweetening agents. A popular choice is xylitol, which Huppy, another toothpaste tablet maker, says is “a natural sweetener that wards off unwelcome bacteria.” It’s also listed as an ingredient in my Bite tablets. Xylitol isn’t artificial—it’s found in plants and fruits— and there is some limited research to support that it can reduce plaque and protect enamel when used in dental settings.
It’s a niche interest, but I’m always curious about peoples’ relationships with their pans, particularly the weight. Some people like or don’t mind them heavy, and some need them to be light. Recently, I found myself drawn to a heavy honker from Kuhn Rikon, parking it on the right rear burner of my stove while I tried to figure out where to store the pan before realizing it was already in the perfect spot.
The pan in question is the Swiss manufacturer’s Black Star, a 9-pound skillet in the size I tested, with a 24-centimeter cooking surface that’s 32 centimeters from rim to rim. It’s functional and good-looking, and at just over 9 pounds, it weighs a lot, even compared to the competition. At $250, too, it certainly costs a lot, especially when compared to something like a classic Lodge cast-iron pan, which weighs about a pound less and costs a mere fraction of the import.
Smooth Operator
I should state here that while I love cooking with cast-iron pans, including my Lodge skillet, I don’t treat them as fetish objects. Their level of seasoning comes and goes, but I rarely run into issues with sticking. I wash them with soap and water, which often frightens those fetish people. At least they can relax knowing I’m not an animal who runs mine through the dishwasher.
For example, some pan manufacturers recommend a break-in process, where you sizzle up potato peels with salt, in oil that has a high smoke point. This removes a layer of corrosion protection and begins to season the bottom of the pan, and then you’re on your way.
One key difference between the Lodge and the Kuhn Rikon is the incredibly smooth cooking surface on the Black Star. I’ve read that with use, the more nubbly surface of classic Lodge pans becomes seasoned enough that there’s little difference between its nonstick-ness and that of smoother models. That said, smoother always feels cleaner and more luxurious to me, and the Black Star was smoother on the day it arrived then my Lodge has become after years. Right out of the box, I stuck it over a burner and scanned the surface with a thermal camera. Everything looked nice and even as the pan heated, with no notable hot or cool spots.
One change from what I’m used to was using a model with two helper handles, Dutch-oven style, instead of the more classic cast-iron skillet style with one helper and one “regular” handle. This freed up a little space on the stove and made it more tidy. Once I got used to it, I didn’t miss it. (At this size and weight, the regular handle on the Lodge isn’t terribly useful, anyway.) I came to enjoy the Kuhn Rikon’s flared sidewalls, which made it a bit easier to access or flip the pan’s contents with a spatula. They also gave it a sort of extra cooking surface where I could lean food—bit of a cheat, but not an option at all with a more vertical wall.
Best Practices
Leaving a pan on the stove even when they’re not in use has probably been a thing since the invention of pans, stoves, and laziness, but doing it with this good-looking, high-performing pan had a great side effect, which is that I cooked more.
On my induction stove, the pan, which also comes in a slightly smaller size, handled the way all induction pans feel to me on there, like a sports car or precision instrument—fast to heat up, stable, and predictable. The combination works so well that it almost feels futuristic. The only improvement I could think of has to do with the stove, not the pans. It would be nice if the burners went all the way out to the edge of pans this large.
Something I enjoyed noticing was how little I used my traditional nonstick pans while I had this one in for months of testing. With that smooth bottom and a slick of butter or oil, I didn’t really need a nonstick. Yes, there are recipes where nonstick is the best option, but not that many, and that industry is in tumult. Teflon is on the outs, and ceramic tends not to work as well and wears out fast. On the Kuhn Rikon, if the scramble (or anything) I was cooking stuck a little, I could lean on my thin-bladed metal spatula and scrape the bottom clean without worrying about harming the surface. Easy peasy, no PFAS-zy.
Keep hearing about the joys of air frying? Providing a faster and healthier way to cook fried foods with little to no oil, an air fryer has become something of a kitchen staple. It works much like a convection oven to circulate hot air around your food—only it’s more compact and increases your time savings. Think guilt-free crispy chicken, homemade fries, and donuts that are not only simple to make but come with easier clean-up compared to using a traditional deep-fat fryer.
With smaller capacity interiors to heat and shorter preheating times, an air fryer can be a quicker way to cook than your standard oven—potentially saving you money off your energy bills if used wisely. (Just make sure it’s large enough to cook what you need, otherwise you’ll be using it multiple times—which will defeat its energy-saving purpose.) Multifunctional in design, some air fryers come loaded with preset cooking modes for baking, roasting, dehydrating, grilling, and reheating. They can tackle a range of meat, fish, and vegetables effectively, as well as sweet treats: steak and sweet potato fries, homemade apple crisps, a warm banana loaf. Here are WIRED’s top picks to suit a range of ingredients and price points.
Check out more of WIRED’s top kitchen tech and accessory guides, including the Best Electric Kettles, Best Latte and Cappuccino Machines, Best Chef’s Knives, and the Best Gear for Small Kitchens.
Update April 2024: We’ve included three new options including the versatile Ultenic K10 Air Fryer, added information on caring for your new air fryer and asked one of Europe’s best new chefs for her air frying tips and tricks.
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Here’s what you need to think about when you shop for smart leak detectors and install them in your home.
How do water leak detectors work?
Water leak detectors can detect water pooling, and some can also detect water dripping or even humidity rising. Premium water leak detectors monitor the flow of water in your pipes. All connect to a hub or directly to your Wi-Fi network to send alerts when they detect a problem.
What kinds of water leak detectors are there?
Some water leak detectors have cables with sensors on the end, some have water-sensing cords, and others are self-contained with sensors on the top or bottom or both. You have the option of extension nodes with some detectors. At the premium end of the market, you can get water leak detectors that must be fitted to your pipework to measure the flow of water and even automatically shut it off when a leak is detected.
How many water leak detectors do I need?
Unless you have a single problem spot or appliance you want to monitor, you will likely need multiple leak detectors. Think about the areas you want to cover when considering what kind of detector would work best for you and how many of them you need.
Where should I put my water leak detectors?
Anywhere you have concerns about a potential leak, so under sinks, behind toilets, next to washers, humidifiers, water heaters, and other water tanks. If you have a problem area where you have had a leak before or an aging appliance you are worried about, those are good spots to place water leak detectors.
How do water leak detectors alert you?
All the smart water leak detectors we tested send push notifications when there’s a leak, but some also send emails and texts. Most have some kind of built-in alarm sound, but some offer separate sirens or can be configured to send alerts through smart speakers or other devices. It’s worth checking whether your pick supports disconnection alerts to warn you when the connection is lost, which may happen if power or Wi-Fi goes out.
How are water leak detectors powered?
Most detectors are battery-powered, but you can get some that plug directly into outlets. You can set and forget plug-in detectors, but batteries give you more flexibility with placement, and the companion app will typically warn you when the batteries need to be changed.
Do water leak detectors need a Wi-Fi connection?
Most smart water leak detectors connect directly to your Wi-Fi router or a hub, so make sure that you have a decent signal wherever you are installing them. Most of the devices we tested only connect to Wi-Fi on the 2.4-GHz band. Remember that they need internet access to alert you to any leaks or problems when you are away from home. If your internet goes down, they will simply act as local alarms.
Can water leak detectors integrate with my smart home?
While companion apps and mobile notifications are typical, some detectors support smart home standards, which allows you to access detectors in your chosen smart home app and set up triggers or automation. For example, you could set a water alert to flash your smart lights or select a temperature that triggers heating or air conditioning to turn on.
Can water leak detectors shut off the water?
With some high-end systems, you can install a water-monitoring device with an automatic shutoff function, enabling any leak detection to shut off your water supply. But these systems are usually expensive and may require professional installation.
Can water leak detectors also monitor the temperature or humidity?
Some smart water-leak detectors can also monitor the temperature and humidity, potentially alerting you to the danger of frozen pipes or damp environments that could indicate a leak nearby. You can generally review the temperature and humidity over time, so you can immediately spot any notable changes that need investigation. With smart home automation, you can also trigger heating or fans at certain levels to reduce the risk of damage.
Never in my life did I think I’d own a home, but I was fortunate enough to close on my first house last fall. Yet as I moved into my new space—after nearly a decade of renting in New York City—I was overwhelmed with anxiety. Anything and everything that went wrong in the house was now the responsibility of my wife and I to solve. Is something wrong with the boiler? Find someone to fix it. Got water damage? Find someone to fix it, fast.
I’m a little handy around the house. I recently installed a smart thermostat and smart shades, I painted several rooms, and I successfully followed the California patch method to fix some holes in my drywall. Most of these experiences start with me watching several YouTube videos (HomeRenoVision is excellent). But there are a lot of jobs I just don’t feel comfortable doing myself. That’s where Thumbtack comes in.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
It’s like the Yellow Pages and Uber mixed into one app built for homeowners, where you can find and hire a professional in your area for nearly anything you need to do in your home. There are vendor reviews from other customers with photos of the completed work, plus you can chat with and book these experts through the app. Thumbtack as a company has been around for more than 15 years, so its database is enormous—there are 300,000 local professionals across the US. Best of all, the app is free; the company charges professionals a matchmaking fee, and it doesn’t place any pressure on you to pay them through its app.
Today, Thumbtack is unveiling a new version that evolves the app from a way to find home professionals into a project manager for your home. I’ve been playing around with the new update over the past week—it’s only rolling out for iPhone right now, with Android to come in a few months—but it’s already giving me a little more peace of mind.
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One Task at a Time
The previous owner of my house left several business cards and leaflets for plumbers, roof specialists, and the like in a few of the drawers. For some of the initial work I wanted help with, I tried Googling the details of these people as well as researching local handymen, but it was hard to get a sense of how much a project would cost if I hired them, and whether or not they’d be reliable. That’s when I remembered it was my home inspector who recommended Thumbtack.
Ever since then, I have used the app several times in the past few months. I’ve hired an electrician to install new outlets and my security cameras. I’ve had some folks come to move and install a washer and dryer, to recaulk baseboards, and even to mount a TV. Thumbtack is built for homeowners, but there are certainly a few things renters will find useful as well, like if you need help assembling furniture, mounting items, or moving.
The app does a great job of auto-filling my queries and pointing me to the terms industry professionals use. Thumbtack’s director of product, Alexis Baird, says the new update also leverages Meta’s Llama 2 large language models to better map your searches to professionals, who may use more precise terms and proper lingo in their profiles to showcase their expertise.
You’ve got a dilemma. You love to cook, and you love to eat, but your kitchen has no room to prepare meals. Seriously, it’s like gerbil furniture. You could just declare all hope lost and rationalize eating out night and day. But you and I both know it’s a lot healthier and cheaper to cook for yourself.
As someone who lives in New York City, I know a thing or two about small kitchens. Over the years, my colleagues and I have tested various pieces of furniture and other kitchen gear to help make cooking in a small space easier (and saner). Don’t forget to check out our other buying guides, including the Best Cookbooks, Best Chef Knives, and Best Pots and Pans.
Updated March 2024: We’ve added the Umbra Tug paper towel holder, Oxo spatula set, Le Creuset Revolution scraping spoon, and PUR faucet water filter.
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Maximize Storage Space
Schmidt Brothers Acacia
Photograph: Crate & Barrel
Magnets are hidden beneath this wood, wall-mounted bar that can house your knives. That means they won’t chip or dull your knife blades like an all-metal bar. Skip the countertop knife block—not only does it take up counter space, but it also dulls the knife blades more quickly.
Photograph: Amazon
Getting those pots and pans onto the wall will free up precious drawer and cabinet space. This bamboo and aluminum rack holds up to 30 pounds, but mine has been rock-solid and sturdy even with a full set of stainless-steel cookware and cast-iron skillets. If you’re mounting into drywall and not studs, pick up some E-Z Anchors. If you don’t have room for a shelf, a hanging bar will still get skillets, saucepans, and woks out of your way.
Le Creuset Stoneware Utensil Crock
Photograph: Le Creuset
Store your cooking utensils in a ceramic container if you’re low on drawer space. This has enough room to hold all your spoons, spatulas, and tongs and is available in several colors. You can also get the 1-quart version for $35.
Photograph: Amazon
WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu lives in New York City and has seen his fair share of tiny kitchens. He’s used this Simplehuman wall-mounted paper towel holder for years with zero problems. You can use a few simple screws to mount it into drywall (it’s easy to patch the holes with some spackle if you’re renting). Replacing a roll is dead simple too. Why take up precious counter space with a paper towel holder when you can mount it instead? If you prefer a countertop solution, I’ve used this Umbra Tug holder ($17) for years, and its weighted base and rubber-coated stem make it easy to tear a small amount with one hand.
Photograph: Amazon
Tight on refrigerator space? Swap from a pitcher filter to a faucet-mounted filter to free up quite a lot of space on your fridge shelves. The sales literature says it’ll filter 100 gallons, which should mean about three months of usage before it needs a replacement filter. You can buy a PUR Filter Replacement two-pack for $25. I cook a lot at home and make a lot of coffee, so my filters tend to last about half that, but knowing that it’s removing potential contaminants from my food and drinking water makes the regular filter replacements well worth it. A color-coded light activates whenever you run the filter, so you’ll know when to replace the filter. My previous model lasted more than seven years, and the replacement I bought last month looks nearly identical.
Photograph: Stove Shelf
WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu has been using the StoveShelf for more than a year and loves it. It’s a smart way to save some counter space, and it’s easy to clean. This is just a sheet of metal with magnets at the base, and it sticks to the top of a stove, making it super easy to install. You’ll need to make sure this part of your stove is metal and not plastic, and that there are no buttons or switches that might be blocked (like an oven light). The rear guard ensures that nothing falls into that gap between your stove and the wall. I’d make sure to avoid putting any cooking oil there.
Photograph: Amazon
You don’t need to use precious counter space to store fresh fruit and vegetables. Leave your tomatoes, potatoes, and stone fruit out of the refrigerator and regain some prep space for knife handling and mixing bowls.
Function Home Kitchen Storage Cabinet
Photograph: Function Home
Here’s another one that WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu bought in 2022. This pantry storage system will take up some floor space, but if you can swing it, you can save so much counter space, and it’s especially great for anyone with limited cabinets. It’s daunting at first because it comes in what seems like a million pieces; it took Julian around four hours to complete with no issues. But in the year he’s had it, it’s worked perfectly and has been a boon to keeping his kitchen less chaotic. The doors shut magnetically. Just measure the height of the shelves to ensure your spices and other pantry items will fit.
Photograph: Gneiss Spice
Rather than use a wall-mounted spice rack, WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe sticks magnetic spice jars to her refrigerator. She likes Gneiss Spice, which comes in several ready-made kits. You can also specify the spices you want.
Consolidate (and Downsize) Your Cookware
Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven
Photograph: Amazon
A Dutch oven can replace several single-use pots or machines. I’ve used mine to steam oysters, slow-cook stews, and make barbecue, and the durable, nonstick enameled surface requires less care and attention than bare cast iron, although I prefer a non-enamel one for baking bread.
How often do you use that quesadilla maker or steaming basket? One multicooker can replace several specialized machines. Aside from being a pressure cooker, steamer, sauté pan, rice cooker, yogurt maker, food warmer, and slow cooker, it has 13 customizable settings for pressure-cooking everything from beans to soup to poultry. Read our Best Multicookers guide for more recommendations.
Photograph: Amazon
These silicone Oxo spatulas come in three different sizes. All are nonstick and gave me no issue with clinging to even the stickiest doughs. Not once did one slip out of my hands—no doubt thanks to the extraordinarily grippy surface.
Photograph: Amazon
Plenty of recipes ask you to scrape the bottom of the pan or Dutch oven to dislodge all the delicious bits of ingredients that caramelize and stick to it, but your options for what to dislodge it with are somewhat limited. Metal spoons can scratch the finish off cast-iron or nonstick pans. Plastic is too slick for the job. Enter the beechwood Revolution, which is firm enough for scraping but won’t harm delicate pots and pans. Sure, it’s expensive, but its ergonomic handle is comfortable for long cooking sessions, and the flat edge meant that I didn’t once come up against a sticky layer that I couldn’t break free of the skillet bottom.
Photograph: Target
A stand mixer on the countertop is a powerful kitchen tool, but it takes up a lot of valuable space. Consider a hand mixer you can stash inside a cabinet or drawer instead. It’s not quite as able to power through the thickest of doughs, but I’ve had no trouble mixing up chocolate chip cookie dough and Irish soda bread dough with this KitchenAid hand mixer, and it spins fast enough for me to make whipped cream.
Ninja 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
You don’t need that many knives. Ditch the 10-inch knife set: An 8- or 9-inch chef’s knife, a smaller paring knife, a bread knife, and maybe a couple of specialty blades will suffice. This general-purpose chef’s knife is recommended as our top choice for most people in our chef’s knife buying guide, thanks to its ability to hold an edge and its near-nonstick surface.
Photograph: Great Jones Goods
WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe makes most of her meals in this cross between a skillet, a frying pan, and a sauté pan. “It doesn’t shine in one area over any other,” she says, “but it’s sturdy, it heats up evenly, and the stainless-steel surface cleans up easily in the dishwasher.”
Photograph: Source Amazon
If you don’t have enough prep space to handle a knife safely, a food processor can slice and dice up to three cups of ingredients at a time. WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano loves using hers to make fresh pasta sauce.
Add Prep Surfaces
Catskill Craftsmen Maple Cutting Board
Photograph: Wayfair
Cutting boards take up a ton of room during meal preparation. Buy one that’s made to fit over your sink, like this solid maple cutting board. Hardwood is easier on your knife blades than bamboo, too.
Photograph: IKEA
Mounting a drop-leaf table to a nearby wall can free up space in the middle of your kitchen and make it easier to walk around. Aside from offering a place to eat, it’s 20 by 36 inches of additional counter space that swings down and away when not in use.
Photograph: Amazon
Burner covers add space to your cooktop by making a place to set down an extra cutting board or utensils. This bamboo workstation can cover half your stovetop. Get two for a continuous flat surface over all four burners.
Photograph: Wayfair
For a tiny kitchen, stick with a rolling kitchen cart that measures 36 inches (91 centimeters) wide or less, such as this one that measures just under 30 inches (76 centimeters). It has a solid butcher-block top, three hooks for oven mitts and hanging utensils, and locking wheels. You can tuck it into a corner of your kitchen and wheel it out when you need more counter space.
How to Move in the Kitchen
Photograph: photoguns/Getty Images
Here are some tips from WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson, who worked in the restaurant industry for six years and knows his way around tight cooking spaces:
Dyson doesn’t stick to chronological order when naming its stick vacuum models. Sometimes it skips numbers, and sometimes it’ll introduce a lower number as a later model than a higher number. For example, Dyson introduced the V15 immediately after the V11, and then the V12 after the V15. In the broadest sense, the numbers seem to loosely grow larger with each passing release—the V11 is newer than the V10, and the V10 is newer than the V8. But Dyson’s naming system is cryptic enough that even we can’t predict what the subsequent model will be.
Dyson also has a lot of sub-models, because its naming scheme isn’t confusing enough. Each one has a different number of included tool attachments and accessories. Every model (V7, V8, V10, V11, V15, etc.) seems to introduce new sub-models, so the list just keeps growing, and then there are discontinued sub-models that show up as old stock on websites, typically on sale.
Detect isn’t exactly a sub-model, but rather part of the name of the V15 Detect and V12 Detect Slim. It refers to the laser detection system that measures particle size and count to customize suction power.
Absolute is usually the king-of-the-hill version with the most attachments. We can’t list them all, because they vary based on parent model, but expect a variety of brush nozzles, crevice attachments, and motorized roller heads to scrub tough grit off hard floors and out of deep-pile carpets.
Allergy used to mean that it came with an upgraded filter that traps 99.99 percent of bacteria and dust so it expels cleaner air than regular models, but after the V7, all Dyson stick vacs started including the upgraded filters. It’s largely a legacy designation now, and it hasn’t been used on newer models.
Motorhead sounds fancy, but it’s the low-end sub-model that comes with a motorized head, a couple of basic brush and crevice tools, and that’s about it. It’s mostly a holdover from the V7 days. Dyson has found other names for basic sub-models.
Origin, Fluffy, and Animal come with relatively few attachments. The Fluffy and Animal don’t come with any unique attachments particular to usefulness in cleaning up after pets; it’s just become shorthand for “base model with fewer attachments.” The same is true for the Origin, although its name makes more sense.
Dyson isn’t above combining sub-model names too. The more names Dyson slaps onto a model, the more attachments it comes with. For example, the V8 Animal Pro comes with more stuff than the Animal, but the Animal Pro+ comes with even more than that.
Trying to choose the best meal kit delivery service? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options. Whether you’re going vegan, cooking for a family of six, or are a complete newbie in the kitchen, there’s probably a service that caters to your needs. Some meal kits provide ingredients paired with recipes, while others send groceries or premade meals. All of them are meant to make the process of planning and cooking meals more convenient.
I’ve spent a couple of years testing more than two dozen meal kits. Few are outright bad, so go with whatever seems like the best fit for your way of life. I’m an experienced home cook, and I don’t have dietary restrictions, but I looked for plant-based meals along with more omnivorous options. I also had help taste-testing from lifelong vegans, finicky children, and my cat (by accident). Taking into account the recipes, ingredients, ease of use, amount of packaging waste, and the fact that every home chef has different needs, I recommend the services below.
Updated March 2024: We adjusted pricing and added more tips to help you decide whether meal kits are right for you. We’ve also added links to weekly menus.
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You’re going to be sleeping for roughly 23 years of your life on average, so it makes sense to give some thought to what you’re lying on. These natural beds, bedsheets, and linens are easier on the environment and your health—and they feel like a dream.
Conventional mattresses often have questionable materials in them. Everything from formaldehyde and TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates can end up in nonorganic mattresses. How much these substances impact you isn’t scientifically settled, but one way to avoid possible harm is to get a mattress made from natural, organic materials. Most natural mattresses are made of a combination of wool, natural latex, and cotton. The construction is similar to conventional mattresses but without the chemicals.
Members of the WIRED Gear team have been testing mattresses for several years, and we have slept on every mattress on this list. We are always testing more, but these are our favorites right now. In general, we recommend hybrid mattresses with a core of individually wrapped springs because they feel more supportive and have better airflow, so they don’t sleep as hot. You may also find our Best Mattresses guide helpful. All of the prices below are for queen-size models unless specified.
Updated March 2024: We’ve added Antipodean’s organic wool duvet and sheets. We’ve also updated prices and links throughout.
Table of Contents
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The Best Organic Mattress
The Avocado Green hybrid mattress is the only mattress my wife and I agree on. She likes a soft mattress, and I prefer a firm one. This model somehow manages to be both without being too much of either. After nearly two years of sleeping on it, there’s zero sagging or other issues.
There’s a one-year trial, a 25-year warranty, and free shipping available on all Avocado mattresses. Like other mattress-in-a-box options, the Avocado arrives compressed. If you prefer a soft feel, there’s a pillow-top option, or you can add a mattress topper, like the company’s luxurious (and sustainable) Alpaca fur mattress topper (see below).
The Avocado Green is 11 inches thick and made from organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton. It’s also not toxic. It contains no polyurethane, fire retardants, memory foam, or chemical adhesives, according to the company. A class action was filed earlier this year against Avocado alleging that the company’s mattresses do in fact contain toxic chemicals, but the suit was dismissed and, according to court documents, “individual claims in the case had been ‘fully resolved.’” In this case, I would argue that “perfection” is the enemy of “better,” and all the mattresses on this page use fewer chemicals than conventional mattresses. That remains a good thing for both you and the Earth, as it reduces the ecological impact that manufacturing incurs.
Another Great Organic Mattress
The standard model from Birch has been our pick for side sleepers who want an organic mattress (see below). Birch’s new higher-end Luxe model is, likewise, a great side-sleeping mattress—though its medium-firm feel and structured support should make it a solid pick for most sleeping styles. The Luxe is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic and uses natural latex with no polyurethane-based foams.
This offering from Birch employs multiple layers of wool plus a layer of individually wrapped coils for support and cushioning. The Luxe adds a pillowy Euro top and an extra layer of blended cashmere, which gives it truly exceptional temperature regulation. The coils offer full lumbar support and are arranged to cradle your spine while maintaining a satisfyingly stiff edge on all four sides. WIRED reviewer Martin Cizmar’s sleep rings have been spinning themselves closed during his month of testing this mattress.
It’s assumed that most mattress shoppers are selecting between soft and firm, or trying to find a middle ground acceptable to partners with different preferences. But what if your tastes change with the seasons or how achy your muscles are after a long, active day? The Zenhaven lets you choose a side.
Saatva’s Zenhaven is made of organic latex protected by an organic wool liner and an organic cotton cover. The two sides, labeled Plush and Firm, don’t vary as much as dedicated soft and firm mattresses, with the company claiming an 18 percent difference in the two, but it does offer a nice change of pace. Beyond that, the Zenhaven is pricey but extremely well built (and heavy—this is not a mattress-in-a-box). It has great edge support, sleeps neither hot nor cool, and will last you years.
Best Solid Latex Mattress
Solid natural latex mattresses can last for decades and strike a perfect balance between support and softness. However, because all-foam latex mattresses are solid blocks of vulcanized sap, they’re cumbersome and usually expensive. Also, because they’re so heavy, they’re often made and sold by local mattress companies that vary widely in reputation.
Turmerry aims to solve this problem by offering organic latex mattresses with three or four layers of natural foam that are zipped into an organic cotton cover. Each layer comes wrapped for shipping in a solid hunk of latex that feels like a cannonball. (Those layers are just light enough to be shipped by major carriers and for you to lug up the stairs.) Turmerry uses the Dunlop process to make latex, meaning it’s denser and more supportive than latex mattresses made using the Talalay process. The Turmerry system has foams of slightly varied firmness.
