Gift shopping on a budget is stressful. Prices sometimes soar around the holidays, making it tough to find genuine bargains. To help, we spent countless hours testing all manner of gizmos and gadgets to bring you expert advice on what is worth buying. These gifts are sure to bring a smile to your loved ones’ faces without breaking the bank too badly, though we know $100 isn’t exactly cheap, either.
Looking to upgrade your home office setup and impress your fellow remote workers? Consider the Logitech Brio 500, a variant of our favorite webcam, which is currently marked down by $35 at Best Buy, bringing the price down to just $95. While not everyone needs a webcam this loaded with features, it’s a good choice for anyone who frequently hosts meetings or presentations via software like Teams or Zoom.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
This upgraded webcam has a 4-megapixel sensor, which results in a sharp image. It’s capable of capturing 1080p video at 30 fps, or you can lower the resolution to 720p to raise the frame rate to 60 fps. It has an adjustable field of view with three options at 90, 78, and 65 degrees, so you can really lock in the perfect picture for that next presentation. The stereo microphone has a stated range of up to 4 feet, so you can sit back and relax and know that you’ll still be heard. You can attach it to your monitor or laptop with either the included clip, or using the adhesive on the mount, which we found stayed nice and sticky even when moving it frequently.
You’ll also get access to a variety of helpful features bundled into the Logitech G Hub software. The classics are here, like autofocus and white balance, or you can let Logitech’s RightSight tech automatically tune everything, including centering you in the frame and zooming to get a good shot of your face. For anyone who needs to demonstrate or show off products, you can easily tilt the webcam down to point it at your desk.
If you’re wondering about the numbers, I did some poking around on the Logitech site, and the cameras have essentially identical specifications. It looks like the Brio 500 is the one that’s sold on most consumer sites with a one year warranty, while the Brio 505 is targeted at businesses, with a longer three year warranty. If that’s important enough to warrant the full $30 price point, you can find that webcam here, or check out the other options on our roundup of the best webcams.
Breaking open the mouse requires only four screws: two covered by one of the mouse’s adhesive feet, and two underneath the removable puck. Covering two of the screws with an adhesive panel limits repairability, since it will slowly lose stickiness over time. After removing the screws, there are two plastic clips up front and two in the back that need to be released. Like any plastic clip, you risk breaking them during disassembly.
Inside the mouse is a single-sided printed circuit board that houses the sensor, micro switches, and the mouse wheel. The overall design is simple; with replacement parts and some soldering skills, repair should be straightforward. The battery is attached to a removable section on the top shell of the mouse using a rubbery adhesive. This adhesive panel stretches and sticks to itself when removed, making it nearly impossible to reuse with a new battery, but it leaves no residue on the actual plastic of the mouse. A new battery should be easy to install using double-sided tape.
The Cobra HyperSpeed’s simple internal design has nothing unnecessary, and no added confusion or failure points. While some other models, like the Logitech MX Master 4 or the Razer Basilisk 35K, boast a lot of premium features (with added complexity), it’s always refreshing to see something only as complex as it needs to be.
Alongside the $100 Cobra HyperSpeed, Razer also offers the $35 Cobra and the $130 Cobra Pro. Compared to the Pro model, the HyperSpeed’s slightly less responsive sensor and scaled-back RGB aren’t huge hits to performance or usability, and the HyperSpeed’s lower weight is a distinct advantage. Compared to the standard wired model, the addition of wireless is a major benefit to both performance and usability. The HyperSpeed’s optical scroll wheel is a definitive improvement over its siblings.
Overall, this mouse is a solid workhorse for gaming and general browsing. It’s fast, comfortable, and compact. The simple yet robust build will stand up to normal day-to-day use. While it doesn’t push the limits of performance or functionality like some of the more expensive esports-focused mice available today, the Cobra HyperSpeed is a great option for someone who doesn’t need cutting-edge specs but wants a mouse that gets things done.
The good news is, these sound way better than the previous generation of Pixel Buds Pro, with upgraded drivers and better processing. They have a wide soundstage, particularly for wireless earbuds, that our reviewer Parker Hall says provides an “energetic and joyous listening experience” and handles a variety of genres with grace.
Google made some big improvements to the active noise canceling as well, boosting it to levels that almost match Bose and Sony, the current top tier of ANC. It’s great at filtering out barking dogs and neighbor noises; only high-frequency sounds manage to evade silencing. They have a great transparency mode as well, with a richer sound reproduction than we’re used to seeing on compact earbuds. You’ll get about eight hours of listening with ANC on, and closer to 12 with it off, which beats the Apple AirPods Pro.
While a lot of companies claim to use laser measurements and careful planning on their ergonomics, they often fall short of excellent comfort, but not Google. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are extremely comfortable, particularly for small ears, and have no trouble staying put, thanks to their rounded, flat shape. With an IP54 dust and moisture rating, they’re just as well suited for yoga as they are getting caught in the rain.
They work particularly well with Android phones, which enable a variety of convenience features like easy pairing and multiple connections. All you have to do is open the case near an Android phone and it will ask if you want to pair. The Pixel Buds app provides some extra features as well, but isn’t necessary, particularly since the Gemini AI features are pretty underwhelming.
While these are great for Pixel and other Android owners, there are better options if you have an iPhone, so make sure to swing by our guide and check out our favorite wireless earbuds for other options.
Aura has been trying for years to get us to mount its frames. The Aura’s first frame back in 2017, the Aura Classic, was wall-mountable, and then Aura’s latest frames, like the Aura Aspen, have had a flat, wall-mountable design. But the downside was the cord running below it for all of these models, which takes away from the clean gallery-wall design it’s otherwise well-suited for, and limits the locations it can be hung.
Now, with the Aura Ink’s truly cordless design, it’s possible to hang it without any cord clutter. The 13-inch screen makes it a little larger than the 12-inch Aura Aspen but smaller than the 15-inch Walden, and is a nice size for hanging. The Ink comes with a little mounting kit of two nails and a small hook that the digital frame clicks into, and it can easily click back off for charging (the charging port is on the side if your hanging spot is near an outlet). I was able to hang it on one of my existing pushpins without issue, and the frame easily blended into my existing gallery wall.
Overall, it’s an impressive feat of technology, though I wouldn’t call it perfect. I’d like to see the front light get a little brighter. It’s considerably more expensive than other digital photo frames, too. But as I look at it on my gallery wall, I have to say that if you didn’t already know it was digital, you’d likely have no idea. If you’re looking for a frame like that for your home, this is the one to get.
You may not need a dedicated webcam at all. It’s actually really easy to use your smartphone’s cameras as a webcam instead, and they’re usually far superior. Recent iPhones, for example, have a feature called Continuity Camera—this works with certain MacBooks and allows you to wirelessly use the iPhone’s camera as a webcam. Apple even sells a Belkin mount that lets you hang your iPhone off the top of your MacBook or external monitor for the full effect.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Belkin
iPhone Mount With MagSafe for MacBooks
Google Pixel phones also now feature wired webcam support. All you need to do is plug in a Pixel to your computer and choose the Webcam option for it to work. You’ll just need a tripod to keep it propped up; something like this Joby GripTight will do the job.
An easy way to improve your existing webcam is to add a light source. Webcams have small camera sensors so they often need a lot of light to deliver good results.
Courtesy of Lume Cube
Lume Cube Mini LED Panel for $70: Something simple like this will do the trick. You can adjust the brightness and the color temperature to match your room’s lighting. It works off of battery power or you can leave it plugged in via the USB-C cable to run for however long you want. The two quarter-inch threads mean you can use any tripod or light stand to mount it on your desk. It also comes with a diffuser to soften the light when it illuminates your face. We have more lighting options in our Home Video Gear guide.
Webcams also have poor microphones. They’ll do the job but you’ll probably sound tinny. There’s a good chance your laptop’s mics are actually better, so try using those instead. Videoconferencing apps let you choose which mic you have to use, so just because you have a separate webcam doesn’t mean you have to use its built-in mic. Another option is to upgrade to a USB mic.
Courtesy of Amazon
Logitech Blue Yeti Nano USB Mic for $98: These microphones are the standard-bearer in the world of USB microphones, and the Nano packs everything most people need in a smaller footprint. Plug it into your computer and once you choose this mic in your video-calling settings as the default, you’ll immediately start hearing the compliments from people on the other end. Read our Best USB Mics guide for more details.
Most videoconferencing software cap the resolution at 1080p for bandwidth purposes, so a 4K webcam may not be necessary at all. However, almost all 4K webcams come with software that lets you crop in or re-frame the image, allowing you to, say, move something in the background of your home office out of frame. This won’t affect your image quality much either, at least compared to cropping in on a 1080p webcam. 4K webcams often have better image quality in general too. They’re more expensive, but if you can afford it, they’ll serve you better.
Also, it’s important to consider that 4K webcams often shoot at 30 frames per second, but often give you 1080p at 60 frames per second, which can be important, depending on the use case.
Understanding Megapixels, Resolutions, and Sensors
What matters with a webcam is the picture quality, but there are a number of camera specs that play into that. For starters, what we usually just call “resolution” is the pixel count of the final image, usually either 1080p, 1440p, or 4K. The sharpness of this final image is important, but it doesn’t alone tell the whole story on image quality.
The camera sensor itself also has a resolution, which is usually referred to in terms of megapixels, which is just the total number of pixels (rather than resolution, which uses a width by height dimension). More megapixels can produce higher-quality images, but the physical size of the sensor is also important. A larger sensor with a lower megapixel count will often result in better images. There is, of course, other important parts of cameras, such as aperture of the lens, which controls how much light is captured and can effect low-light performance. Most webcams have an aperture of f/2.0, but some models that have better low-light performance like the Emeet SmartCam S800 or Insta360 Link 2 have a wider f/1.8 aperture.
And lastly, the image processing has a lot to do with the final quality of the image. Webcams these days use lots of AI-based image processing to sharpen and balance the image around your face, including filtering out noise and smoothing out skin tone. Most of us want this to look as natural as possible, and there’s no question that some webcams are too heavy-handed.
Other Good Webcams
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Emeet Pixy for $128: With its dual camera setup, this adorable little PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera is like having a little robot friend hanging out on your monitor. Like the Insta360 Link 2 or Obsbot Tiny 2, the Emeet Pixy can detect your face and follow you around your setting, as well as respond to hand gestures. The tracking was quite good, though in terms of image quality, it didn’t quite live up to my hopes. It’s 4K and has a half-inch sensor, but it can’t handle tough lighting situations as well as something like the Emeet SmartCam S800. Still, it’s a solid, cheaper alternative to the Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite—and it’s just downright cute.
Logitech Brio 4K for $170: The original Brio from 2017 was one of the earliest mainstream webcams to offer 4K resolution at 30 fps. Logitech gave it a minor update in 2022 with updated software and a privacy shutter, but the old model is still a fine purchase that’s a little cheaper. The white balance is still accurate, and my skin color always looks normal, whether I’m in a sunny room, in limited light, or using artificial light. The autofocus is fast and subtle when refocusing, and the image is razor-sharp. Plus, you can choose from 65, 78, and a superwide 90 degrees for your field of view, giving you some framing options. If you’re using a Windows machine, you can set it up to work with Windows Hello for face authentication to log in.
Courtesy of Dell
Dell UltraSharp Webcam for $156: The UltraSharp Webcam feels incredibly substantial and is solid enough to take with you anywhere. Everything from the webcam body to the stand to the included tripod adapter is made of brushed aluminum. The stand and tripod adapter connects to the webcam body with a magnetic post that makes for a secure mount. The privacy cap connects magnetically and stays put with a satisfyingly strong hold, but it isn’t hard to remove. The inside of the cap is padded with a soft-touch fabric to keep it from scratching the lens. Even the forward-facing part of the stand is covered in soft-touch rubber to keep you from scratching the back of your laptop lid if you get a little reckless when setting up for a Zoom call. You can adjust the viewing angle between 65, 78, and 90 degrees and record in 4K resolution at 24 or 30 frames per second, as well as in 720p or 1080p resolutions at 24, 30, or 60 frames per second. However, the picture quality of the Dell isn’t any better than the Logitech MX Brio. It doesn’t have any microphones.
Obsbot Tiny 2 Webcam for $299: I used Obsbot’s first Tiny 4K PTZ webcam with great results for more than a year, and after switching to the new Tiny 2, it’s just as great. The 4K-capable picture quality looks great, and the camera does an excellent job of following my movement. The company has also really polished its software over the years, offering lots of customization. It can respond to your hand gestures, but you can also buy a remote to control it, making it great for presentations and group video calls. It’s quite expensive, though. We haven’t tested the newer Tiny 2 Lite, but it’s cheaper, more compact, and has a smaller sensor.
Insta360 Link for $180: This 4K webcam is an impressive beast. Mounted on a powered gimbal that rotates horizontally and vertically, the Insta360 Link (8/10, WIRED Recommends) will follow, refocus, and zoom in and out (up to 4X zoom) automatically as you move around the screen. It’ll even zoom in on presentation boards or papers you want to show off on your call. It offers outstanding sharpness, color contrast, and white balance in the choice of recording in 24, 25, and 30 frames per second in 4K resolution. There are dual noise-canceling microphones and a screw mount on the bottom for attaching it to a tripod, too. The only thing it lacks is a physical privacy shutter, but the camera points downward when it’s not in use. The Link 2 is a better buy, but this model has a three-axis gimbal that makes it more versatile than the Link 2’s two-axis gimbal.
Don’t Bother With These Webcams
Courtesy of Adorama
Not every webcam is an upgrade over the built-in one on your laptop. These are the models I tested that ranged from merely unimpressive to ones that made me look like the subject of a second-grade art project.
Microsoft LifeCam Studio for $85: It says it’s a 1080p webcam, but there’s a catch—that’s only for recording video. Using it for video calls restricts you to 720p. My coworkers commented on how out of focus I constantly was. The white balance was so off that I looked more orange than an Oompa Loompa. And the exposure was so blown out that I never stopped looking like I was living through the last scenes of The Lighthouse. There was also a lot of lag in my movements and bad motion blur.
Logitech Brio 500 for $130: This webcam has wacky adjustments. Held onto the base via a magnet, panning it downward often pulled it off the base instead of adjusting the angle, and swiveling it left or right caused it to loosen so much it wouldn’t stay put. That meant I kept having to pull it off the magnetic stand, screw the mount back down, and reposition it—and then not adjust it during the rest of the Zoom. That said, the image quality of its 1080p resolution, white balance, and color contrast was quite good, if not excellent, and it came with a USB-C connection and a physical privacy shutter. The autofocus could stand to be a touch quicker. Other positives are that you can get it in black, white, or pink, two more colors than what most webcams offer.
Logitech Brio 300 for $60: The image quality is lacking on this one. Even in a fairly well-lit room, my picture was grainy. It also did weird things with the white balance as it autofocused. The field of view is quite narrow at 70 degrees and non-adjustable, so the image onscreen is up in your face. You’ll want to scoot back quite a bit so everybody else isn’t looking up your nose. Like the Brio 500, it comes in black, white, and pink, connects via USB-C, and has a physical privacy shutter. There are better options for this price without these image quality oddities.
Razer Kiyo X for $48: The Kiyo X does away with the integrated ring light of the original Kiyo, but it does have automatic white balance and color saturation. Video picture settings can be tweaked in the Razer Synapse app, too. It also shoots 1080p-resolution video at 30 frames per second or 720p resolution at 60 frames per second. Its field of vision is a slightly wide 82 degrees. The built-in mics are nothing to write home about, so stick to the ones in your laptop or grab a USB mic. Sadly, there is no privacy shutter.
Razer Kiyo Pro for $130: Although it looks similar to its cheaper, non-pro sibling, the Pro ditches the light ring and instead relies on software to compensate for low-light conditions. I resented having to download the Razer Synapse app to get a decent image out of the Kiyo Pro. Yes, fine-tuning settings is a very WIRED thing to do, but most people just want to plug their webcam in. Once you fiddle with the app settings, the image is sharp and beautiful. However, it has the same overly obvious autofocusing as the regular Kiyo, and it’s also a little overpriced. It’s not a bad pick, but again, the Logitech Brio can do 4K/30 fps, as opposed to this camera, which tops out at 1080p/60 fps.
Creative Labs Live! Sync 4K for $57: I was skeptical about a 4K resolution webcam for this price, and my skepticism was validated in the wildly strange white balance that turned me and everything faintly orange. It may be the only webcam that made my room look darker than it was. The privacy shutter is a rubber cap you put on and take off. The bit that holds it to the webcam when it’s off is flimsy enough that if you’re rough or careless, you could rip it off, but it’s nice that it isn’t plastic, which would weaken over time. A minor issue is that the black cap blends in with the black webcam and lens, so, at a glance, it’s hard to tell whether the cap is on or off.
Cisco Desk Camera 1080p for $131: Not to be confused with Cisco’s almost identically named Desk Camera 4K. I tried the 1080p, 8-MP version in a variety of natural and artificial lighting, but my fellow Gear Team members and I couldn’t help but notice that no matter how I used it, the video looked overly pixelated. Unless a webcam can make me look as good pixelated as Axel from Streets of Rage, then I want smooth video that looks like it’s 1080p. During Zooms, the Desk Camera 1080p had trouble with focusing and zooming, frequently and jarringly refocusing but never getting it quite right.
While open-source crusaders and techno-libertarians are applauding Universal Audio’s recent efforts to move away from its “walled garden” approach to plug-ins, the truth is that most of the good ones still require the presence of an interface or a processor core to load up and run in your DAW of choice. As we mentioned in the write-up of the Apollo Twin, above: “good” is a massive understatement when describing UAD’s most popular plug-ins.
Its digital re-creations of optical mix bus compressors, legendary reverbs, and warm, vibey tape machines are unmatched by any other prosumer-level manufacturer, and the fact that its hardware powers the CPU-hungry algorithms that apply the magical high-end sheen to your mix makes the pricey leap into the UA universe well worth it.
Direct monitoring on the four included XLR unison preamps is crystal clear, nearly latency-free, and loaded with clean headroom for anything you plug into it. A wide array of inputs like a pair of ADAT I/Os and eight line-level 1/4″ jacks can handle sessions of all sizes, and the UA Console app makes routing, monitoring, and plug-in management a breeze. If you go to a major studio, this is the most common interface you’ll see, often with multiple stacked together for even more channels, which you can do with a single cable between devices. —Pete Cottell
Once the settings are properly adjusted, though, this keyboard performs incredibly well. The actuation distance of each switch can be manually adjusted, meaning it can register a key-press anywhere from the very top of the key-press to the very bottom, and multiple inputs can even be mapped at different distances. The keyboard is responsive, with an 8,000-Hz polling rate, and the low latency barely produces any significant input lag.
This keyboard is wired-only, which might be a dealbreaker for some. It’s a fairly dense, all-metal keyboard that has a significant focus on high-speed use, none of which is necessary for a portable keyboard. While wireless would be nice, it would increase the price of this keyboard and its complexity.
The RGB lighting has over 20 built-in presets, and all of them work well, but the color isn’t perfect. When adjusting the lighting settings, nearly all of them seem to skew heavily toward a cyan/blue tint. This is presumably because of the Magnetic Jade switches’ light blue housing, which is unavoidable without using different switches, but even without switches, the LED diodes seem to be slightly cooler than a true neutral white.
These effects combine to make a keyboard that struggles to have a pure white color even with serious tweaking, especially since the RGB adjustments easily get overwhelmed and start to lag when moving your cursor around on the color wheel. The closest I could get to a pure white was with an RGB setting of [255, 60, 90], which still had a slightly cool tint to it. When set to the “breathe” setting at a low speed with this color, the lighting was choppy as it faded out, and slowly shifted to be red as it became darker instead of maintaining the preset color. When set to a faster speed and using a more standard color setting (like solid blue or green), these quirks disappeared.
Internal Assembly
Photograph: Henri Robbins
The internal assembly is rather simple: The printed circuit board (PCB) and switch plate are screwed together, sandwiching a sheet of silicone between them. This silicone fills the empty space between the plate and PCB, and extends past on the outside edge to create gaskets that the two halves of the case hold in place. With this, the internal assembly is held in place without making direct contact with the outside case, reducing vibration and excess noise.
A series of shallow grooves line either side of the case’s bottom half. These seem to mimic the side sculpts of some limited-run custom keyboards, and they have a functional purpose, making it easier to lift the keyboard. The design is mirrored in the aluminum knob in the top right corner, which has a similar motif. I really like that these designs are not only ornamental but actually have a functional purpose during regular use.
Going further into the aesthetic choices of this keyboard, it loses me a bit with the keycaps. I’m not a big fan of the camouflage design. The shapes don’t always line up across keycaps, and it overall seems tacky. However, the print quality is top-notch, with no fuzziness or discoloration, consistent even along the keycaps’ sides. Because the keycaps are white with multicolored printing on top, the RGB lighting is able to bounce between the white plastic plate and the white undersides of the keycaps, appearing brighter and diffusing more evenly across the keyboard.
With a polling rate of 1,000 Hz (meaning the keyboard sends 1,000 messages to the computer every second), the DeltaForce 65 feels snappy and responsive. This combines with the relatively light Gateron Red switches to make a keyboard that’s effective for gaming while still being comfortable to type on. It doesn’t compare to high-end gaming keyboards with Hall effect switches and 8,000-Hz polling rates, which are going to be faster and more customizable, but for casual gaming, it’s more than enough.
The compact size of the keyboard is ideal for gaming, saving a significant amount of space compared to a full-size keyboard. This allows for more mouse space and lets your hands sit closer together for more rapid movement between the mouse and keyboard. To make up for the loss of the function row up top, you can hold the FN key and press the corresponding number key (i.e., FN+1 = F1), and the FN key can be used with some other keys for the Home, Pause, Print Screen, and other removed keys. The knob in the top right is easy to reach and has a satisfying notchiness to it. It’s programmed to adjust volume by default, but can be remapped to nearly anything else.
Software Quirks
Photograph: Henri Robbins
As far as programmability, VIA is the star of the show here. The DeltaForce65 uses an open source system known as QMK for its programmability, and VIA is an in-browser interface based on QMK that allows for seamless, rapid customization of the keyboard’s layout. The system is incredibly powerful and intuitive to use, and a common capability of many modern mechanical keyboards.
USB hubs should be simple devices, but apparently it’s not possible to make One Port to Rule Them All without things getting a little messy. We have a full explainer here, but if you just want to get the basics before you buy your hub, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Ports speeds matter; version numbers don’t. It’s tempting to look at a USB 3.2 label and assume it’s faster than USB 3.0, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, many manufacturers have started defaulting to writing the speed of individual ports directly onto the device itself, rather than relying on version numbers on spec sheets.
Use Thunderbolt for your most data-hungry devices. Thunderbolt is a beefed-up version of USB, developed by Intel and Apple, that uses the same USB-C port you’re familiar with. These can carry huge amounts of data (up to 40 Gbps for Thunderbolt 3 and 4), which makes them ideal for things like SSDs, 4K and 8K displays, or monitors with ultrahigh frame rates for gaming. We’re now up to Thunderbolt 5, which is slowly making its way into some laptops. (Make sure your laptop port supports Thunderbolt.)
Don’t forget the power. Most USB hubs will draw electricity directly from your laptop to power any devices connected to it, but they obviously need to take up a port to do so. However, some hubs support USB Power Delivery (or USB-PD, sometimes marketed as “passthrough charging”) which allows you to plug a charger into one of the ports on the hub so you can keep charging your laptop while you plug in all your extra gadgets.
If I’ve learned one thing from listening to the entire back catalog of the excellent podcast Real Survival Stories, it’s this: Whether you’re mountain biking Californian trails or kayaking the west coast of England, the proverbial, you know, can hit the fan really fast. When an adventure flips unexpectedly into an emergency situation, the one thing you definitely want is a way to summon rescue, even when you’re far from cell networks.
Until now, tapping into off-grid comms meant carrying a dedicated satellite messenger. But alongside competitors like Google and Apple, Garmin—makers of the best outdoor sports watches—have made it possible to have satellite safety back up strapped to your wrist 24/7. The new Garmin Fenix 8 Pro now packs Garmin’s inReach satellite communication smarts, including satellite-powered text messaging, location check-ins and Emergency SOS–a virtual flare that hails assistance via Garmin Response. Here’s how to use it.
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What You Pay For
First off, you must know that the new Fenix 8 Pro is $200 more than the original Fenix 8. You also need an inReach subscription plan, which starts from $8 per month and rises to $50 per month for the top tier. Picking the right plan depends on how many messages you want to send and how much you plan to use the live tracking.
All inReach packages include the Emergency SOS and LTE services and require a 30-day commitment. Monthly subscriptions are available, and if your tracking or communication needs change, you can also move up or down tiers. For situations when you’re without your phone but still have network coverage, there’s also phone-free LTE calls, voice messages, text messages, and live tracking.
How to Set Up Satellite Comms
From setup to send, I put the new satellite and LTE tools to the test using the Fenix 8 Pro 51-millimeter AMOLED. You need:
A smartphone with Garmin Connect and Garmin Messenger apps installed
A Garmin account (that you sign into on your phone and watch)
A Garmin Messenger account, linked to your phone number
An inReach/satellite service plan–a free trial can be activated during setup
The initial setup is a bit of a faff, involving multiple Garmin apps, creating an account within Garmin’s inReach platform, and lastly, deciphering which subs package you need. Still, the whole process took about 15 minutes and can be done on your phone and the watch. You’ll consider that time well invested if you find yourself stuck in a ravine, being circled by predators, in need of help.
Aer Simple Tote for $139: Have you ever hefted a nylon or leather tote in your hand and realized that slinging it over your shoulder would give you immediate scoliosis? Then you want Aer’s ultra-lightweight, simple sailcloth tote, which weighs less than a pound. Its 15 liters felt surprisingly capacious. I fit two jackets inside on a walk with my kids, and the 3-inch-wide bag tucked neatly under my arm. The two exterior drop pockets fit my Nalgene and Kinto mug, and my phone fits neatly in the exterior zip pocket. The Fidlock closure, in addition to being pretty to look at and use, provided a bit of security but was much less, er, fiddly (sorry) than having to close the bag with a zipper. This is a great upgrade if you are getting tired of carrying everything in your shredded canvas tote from Umami Mart and want a bag that’s not going to get soaked in something questionable if you put it down in the wrong place on the subway. It is a little more expensive, though. —Adrienne So
Cuyana System Tote 16-Inch for $358: The Cuyana System Tote is a modular gear-hauler that shape-shifts with your itinerary. Designed to outlast the churn of fast fashion, this travel tote starts minimal, but the genius lies in its add-ons. A laptop sleeve or insert organizer creates a structure on the go, with dedicated slots for your computer, water bottle, and other work essentials. A System Flap Bag insert doubles as a clutch or in-bag organizer, and a detachable, adjustable strap (also available in a wide model) converts the tote into a crossbody, perfect for hands-free airport sprints if you’re unintentionally trying out airport theory. Instead of stitched-on straps prone to failure, the System Tote’s handles are cut directly from its leather body, minimizing points of wear. The main compartment snaps shut rather than zips, something to know if you’re the spill-averse type.
Avoid This Tote
Calpak Diaper Tote Bag with Laptop Sleeve for $195: This bag was really puffy, but felt bulky, and space was lost to give the puffiness to the bag’s layers. It was somehow too big for everyday use, but not big enough when I needed a lot of stuff brought along for a day trip or long outings. It also didn’t really feel that diaper bag-centric; the only thing “diaper” about it was the baby wipe compartment on the outside, but I would have preferred an exterior pocket to store actual diapers along with it. You could stuff a couple of diapers in the flat front pocket, but it’s not as ideal as other designs I’ve tried. The insulated bottle pockets are handy if you travel with bottles, but feel useless after your baby graduates from bottles (which they graduate much earlier than diapers!) It’s not a bad bag, but I’d recommend a different design for parents and travelers alike. —Nena Farrell
To determine the best travel tote, we put each bag through real-world travel scenarios to see how it performs. That means packing it with laptops, chargers, clothes, and toiletries, testing comfort when worn over the shoulder or carried by hand. We’ll overstuff the totes to check durability, organization, and accessibility. We’ll evaluate how it fits under airplane seats, protects tech gear, and resists wear and weather. If it’s supposedly water-resistant, we’ll take it out in the rain to determine whether it survives without soaking its contents.
We scrutinized every pocket, compartment, and zipper for usability. When it comes to design, we paid attention to the details: interior fabric choices that make contents easy to see, convenient pocket placement, and hardware choices like zippers and zipper pulls. We also paid attention to key design elements, such as the handle length and overall structure.
We prioritized quality and sustainability, and we included eco-friendly brands for environmentally conscious consumers. We also made sure to include an array of fabrics for stylistic variability. Lastly, we considered how each bag stacked up against its price point, ensuring that the quality justified the cost.
Belkin makes some of our favorite Apple accessories, and this Amazon Prime Big Deal Days discount on its 3-in-1 wireless charging tree sees it fall to its lowest price yet. The top pick in our Best Apple 3-in-1 Chargers guide, this charger combines black soft-touch finish pads and a base with a shiny chrome tree that you can hang your iPhone and Apple Watch on, with a charging spot for AirPods at the foot of the trunk.
It has been at the top of our list for a few years now because Belkin has refreshed it with the latest standards. This 3-in-1 has Qi2 support, meaning you can use it with any MagSafe iPhone or Qi2 Android phone. It can recharge your phone at a 15-watt charging rate, and it can also fast-charge the Apple Watch Series 7 or newer (not the SE). The spot on the base is suitable for AirPods Pro or any other earbuds with a wireless charging case.
I love that the phone charging pad is adjustable, and you can stick your phone in portrait or landscape orientation. If you have an iPhone, you can use StandBy mode to transform your phone into a bedside clock. There’s also plenty of room for any kind of Apple Watch strap to droop beneath the watch charging pad.
Everything sits securely in place on this charger, and the broad base keeps it in place, so there’s no accidentally knocking things off and finding an empty battery in the morning. The Belkin 3-in-1 comes with a 5-foot, permanently attached, braided USB-C cable, and the 36-watt power supply you need to charge everything at top speed.
MagSafe grips are hardly the only type of phone grips available. In fact, there are four main other types of grips you can buy.
Cases with attached grips. These are cases with a grip attached to the back. You get a strong and durable grip that will never fall off, but the trade-off is a thicker phone, and these cases typically are incompatible with wireless charging and may not work with other MagSafe accessories.
Clamp-style grips. Also called universal phone grips, these clamp to a phone so you can easily take them on and off, and they’re not limited to a particular kind of phone. The downside is they’re not the fastest to take on and off, and they can sometimes slide up and down the phone.
Adhesive grips. You can stick a phone grip to the back of your phone or case, and while this will typically give you a well-attached grip that likely won’t fall off your phone, the downsides are similar to cases with attached grips. It may block features like wireless charging and restrict you from using other accessories.
MagSafe grips. These grips are all about convenience. You can easily take them on and off, but they only work with devices or cases with built-in magnets. While you can dangle a phone from a MagSafe grip without issue, any additional force could cause the magnets to separate and fling your phone to the ground.
While a printer upgrade might not sound like the most exciting way to spend your hard-earned dollars, the right machine can save you a ton of time and money. My favorite all-in-one printer and scanner, the Epson EcoTank ET-2980, is marked down by $50 on Amazon. It has all the features most home users will need, even daily printers, and is a much better value than ink cartridge, and even some laser printers.
Photograph: Brad Bourque
In my testing, the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 was my favorite printer that included a scanner. I’ve continued to use the EcoTank long-term for the past few months, and I’ve been consistently impressed with the reliability and excellent print quality. I’ve printed photos, flyers for garage sales, and order invoices for my side business selling TCG cards, and everything has come out pristine and detailed. It was surprisingly easy to set up, with ink bottles that don’t drip or leave stains, and very little initial configuration.
While it may seem like a steep price for a new printer, the ink tanks make a huge difference when it comes to value. Epson includes enough ink in the box for thousands of pages, enough for the average home to print for years, and even if you do need more, the replacement ink is much cheaper than cartridges. In my quick and dirty estimates, you’ll generally break even on the more expensive Epson in just two rounds of cartridge replacements, depending on the brand. You’ll also sidestep concerns about subscription plans or first-party limitations.
There are really only two drawbacks to the ET-2980, and they’re both pretty minor. The first is, like any ink tank printer, it would really prefer to stay put. You can secure the parts for moving it, and I’ve had no issues swapping it from one desk to another, or moving it between rooms, but you’ll want to avoid tilting it or leaving it at an angle for too long, lest you end up with a mess on your hands. The other drawback is the paper tray, which has a solid path and good sensing for alignment, but only holds about 100 regular pages, or less than 20 envelopes.
There are so many cables out there, and plenty of solid options did not make the cut. Here are a few I’ve tested and liked.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Twelve South PowerCord for $30: While I don’t think we want to go back to permanently attached cables and power adapters, they offer a simplicity that could be useful for some folks or situations. The PowerCord from Twelve South is thick and durable-feeling, with a tangle-resistant woven (4- or 10-foot) USB-C cable attached to a compact 30-watt (Power Delivery) wall plug.
EcoFlow Rapid Pro for $21: Kept out of a place above by Anker’s cables, this durable charging cable from EcoFlow is a solid choice if you want fast charging, since it can supply 240 watts. It also has tough metal ends, a lovely woven finish, and comes with a cable tie.
Nomad Chargekey for $29 and USB-C Cable for $25: The Chargekey is a handy wee addition to your keyring with 12 cm of braided cable capable of delivering 240 watts and up to 10 Gbps data transfer, though it can be a little awkward to use. I also tried Nomad’s new Kevlar-reinforced USB-C cable, which is also 240 W but only has 480 Mbps data transfer. It feels durable with metal ends and braided cable, but you can get more capable cables for less.
QDOS PowerMotion Ultra for £40: This USB 4.0 cable is a solid alternative to our top picks for folks in the UK, combining up to 240-watt charging with data transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps. It is relatively thick, feels durable, and comes with a lifetime warranty. I like the braided nylon finish and color-matched cable tie. I also tried the QDOS Powerloop (£20), a handy wearable charging cable that doubles as a lanyard strap. It’s thick, woven, and durable, with screw-off ends that reveal a USB-C cable capable of supplying 60 watts of power and 480 Mbps of data.
Chargeasap Connect Pro for $60: Magnetic tip cables can be handy for kids and folks with dexterity issues. The idea is you stick the relevant tip in your device and then attach the cable magnetically when you need to charge. This one also has an LED display to show real-time power usage. It works best if you leave the tips in your devices, but that means they can’t be charged by regular cables, and the tips are very easy to lose if you remove them. Performance-wise, it’s a standard 100-watt charging cable.
Krafted Connex for £30: I like the idea of a Swiss Army Knife–style charging cable keyring, but the execution here is flawed. It does offer USB-A, USB-C, Lightning, and MicroUSB, but the flip-out plugs don’t have any cable attached, so they are not very adjustable, making it tough to plug into some ports. The Rolling Square InCharge X 6-in-1 Cable above is the same price and works far better.
Scosche Strikeline Premium USB-C Cable for $25: This braided cable comes in various lengths all the way up to the 10-foot cable I tested, and it’s a good alternative to our best long cable above if data transfer is more important to you than charging speed because it offers 5 Gbps data speeds, but only 60 watts for charging.
Ugreen Uno USB-C Cable for $10: I love the smiley-faced Uno line from UGreen, but I assumed the display on this cable would show the charging rate. It does not. It just displays smiley eyes when charging and changes when fully charged. I tested the 6.6-foot cable, but it also comes in 1.6-, 3.3-, or 10-foot lengths. It feels durable and is reasonably priced, but it is rated at a very ordinary 100 watts and 480 Mbps.
Native Union Pocket Cable for $30: This wee braided USB-C to USB-C cable is perfect for slipping on a keyring to ensure you are never caught without a cable. It’s a nice design with braided cables, but you only get around 7 inches, and it maxes out at 60 watts. It is built to last from recycled materials, USB-IF certified, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Caudabe ChargeFlex for $25: This was our Lightning recommendation, and it’s still good, but the price has gone up and there’s no need to spend this much. It is a thick braided cable reinforced with Kevlar for durability. There is a leather clip you can use for cable management, and the ridged finish on the connectors makes them easy to grip when unplugging.
Cable Matters Gen 2 USB-A to USB-C cable for $10: This is a good alternative to our pick above if you want faster data transfer speeds (it maxes out at 10 Gbps), but it is limited to 15 watts for charging.
Bluebonnet Eco-Friendly Charging Cable for $25: Bluebonnet (an Austin-based studio named after the Texas state flower) made this cable from naturally biodegradable wheat straw. It promises 50,000 plus bends and uses plastic-free packaging. I love the dappled blue finish and the cream ends. They make it easy to pick this cable out of the crowd. It’s nothing special performance-wise, offering up to 60-watt charging and 480 Mbps data transfer.
RUGD Rhino Power USB-C to USB-C for £11: This is a solid option for folks in the UK seeking a tough cable. It has a braided nylon finish and can withstand a minimum of 100 kilograms of tension and 100,000 bends. It can also deliver up to 60 watts.
Iniu Braided USB-C Cable for $6: This is a cheap, 6.6-foot USB-C to USB-C charging cable that tops out at 100 watts. Data transfer is only 480 Mbps. One end lights up green when it’s charging.
Lindy USB 3.2 Type C to C Cable for $23: These active cables are suitable for hooking monitors up to your computer, and they support up to 8K at 60 Hz and 4K at 120 Hz. They also support DisplayPort 1.4. I tested the longer 3- and 5-meter variants that max out at 60 watts for Power Delivery and 10 Gbps for data (but they’re out of stock). The shorter cable linked here can go up to 20 Gbps. They work well and feel durable, but they’re a bit pricey.
Satechi USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable for $20: Gear from Satechi always has a classy look, and its braided nylon cables are no exception. This one is 6.5 feet, has a Velcro strap, and is capable of 100-watt charging, with support for PD and QC. Sadly, data transfer is limited to 480 Mbps.
Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Transfer Cable for $70: This active Thunderbolt 4 USB-C to USB-C cable matches our top pick with support for 100-watt charging and data transfers up to 40 Gbps. It is 6.6 feet long and comes with a two-year warranty.
Belkin Boost Charge USB-C for $10: This cable maxes out at 12 watts and 480 Mbps. The basic PVC finish is the cheapest, but you can opt for braided nylon too; both come in black or white at 3.3 or 6.6 feet. These cables are USB-IF certified and work as advertised (I’ve been using one in the car for the last few months).
While the Apple devout are already chasing the new Apple Watch Series 11, you and I know that a product announcements means great deals on the previous generation. You can snag a Series 10 Apple Watch with GPS and cellular data (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for just $329 from Amazon. As long as you’re OK with the 42 mm in rose gold, you’ll get one of the more premium Series 10 models.
Photograph: Adrienne So
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Photograph: Adrienne So
The Series 10 version of the Apple Watch had a number of major improvements to key areas over the previous generation. The biggest change was the display, which is bigger and brighter with better off-angle viewing. Our reviewer Adrienne So noted that people actually asked her about the watch after seeing the more vivid faces. Despite the larger screen, this generation slims down in several dimensions, as well as cutting some weight, for an overall more comfortable experience.
If you’re a swimmer, or just like spending time by the pool, there are new water features. A temperature sensor can tell you how cold the lake is before you dive in, and a tides app can help you figure out the best time to paddle out. It all pairs nicely with Apple’s other health monitoring features, which can track fitness across a variety of activities as well as monitor your sleep.
While the battery life is basically the same as the Series 9, Apple made some improvements to the charging. We were able to fully charge the watch via the new fast charger in just about 20 minutes, which means you can use it for sleep, and then have it ready to go for your day while you get ready.
You could certainly spend more and get the newly announced Apple Watch Series 11 (9/10, WIRED Review) with better battery, and the return of the blood oxygen sensor, but if cellular is a key feature, you’ll save some bucks grabbing the older model. While the Apple Watch is one of our favorite smartwatches, it’s for iPhone users only, so Android owners will want to check out our roundup for alternative options.
The loss of soft-touch plastics may seem like a downgrade at first, but I vastly prefer uncoated plastics for long-term use: My MX Master 2S developed unsightly smooth spots on both mouse buttons where the soft-touch coating wore down, and other long-term users have reported the coatings becoming tacky over time.
Photograph: Henri Robbins
The two primary mouse buttons and the scroll wheel are nearly dead-silent. Despite this, they still have clear feedback with a distinct bump and no mushy feeling. In the ratcheting mode, the mouse wheel has a noticeable bump between each scroll. In the smooth mode, the wheel has just enough resistance to be controlled easily, while still spinning freely.
The horizontal scroll wheel on the side permanently scrolls smoothly and has significantly more resistance than the primary scroll wheel. This allows for greater control of the wheel and helps protect against accidental scrolling when moving your thumb. Scrolling is incredibly smooth, without any catching or scratchiness, and the ridged texture of the aluminum wheel feels comfortable and easy to manipulate. Clicking the wheel is still fairly loud, like any mouse. The three side buttons and the top button have a muted click, and it’s not disruptive.
Despite weighing 150 grams, this mouse is easy to glide around a surface. The feet are smooth, sliding easily while still having enough friction for precise control, and the sculpted shape makes it easy to move and lift. While the high weight means it won’t be ideal for competitive, high-intensity gaming, the shape is preferable for longer sessions, whether you’re grinding out dungeons or slogging through spreadsheets.
The sensor is capable of up to 8,000 dots per inch, but most people will likely leave the sensitivity well below that. I didn’t have any issues with input registration, skipping, or shaking, and the sensor felt incredibly precise on all surfaces, even frosted and transparent glass.
Gesture Controls and Haptics
Photograph: Henri Robbins
The MX Master 4’s gesture controls are one of its most prominent features. These have been featured on every generation of the MX Master line, with only small changes across generations. The gesture control button was previously located on the bottom of the thumb rest, hidden underneath the rubber surface, but has now been moved to a standard button on the side, which I found more comfortable and natural to use.
Are you constantly resetting your dated router, or feeling like your streaming isn’t as snappy as it used to be? You might consider upgrading your router, and our favorite Wi-Fi router, the Asus RT-BE58U, is currently marked down by $20 on Amazon. For just $130, you could upgrade your whole house to Wi-Fi 7, and get all the benefits that come with it.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Importantly, the Asus RT-BE58U support Wi-Fi 7, the latest and greatest in in-home wireless internet. If you want to learn more about the benefits of the new standard, make sure to check out our full explainer that breaks down all of the technical details. The practical benefits are speeds up to four times faster than Wi-Fi 6, lower latency, and better handling for more connections to the router. While these devices were expensive at launch, as prices have come down and device support has risen, they’ve become worth the extra price.
The Asus mobile app gives you a surprising amount of control over your Wi-Fi settings without having to dig into the even more detailed admin panel. With excellent feature support, you can configure your network-wide VPN, or create separate networks for smart home devices and guests. If you want added security or parental controls, Asus offers those with no additional monthly fee.
We were impressed with the RT-BE58U’s range right out of the box, with our reviewer Simon Hill saying it covered his two-story, 1,600-square-foot home without any extra help, although he noted that sometimes devices would switch to the slower 2.4-GHz band at the edges of the range. If you think you’ll need extra coverage for your larger-than-average house, you can use Asus’ AiMesh feature to easily add extra routers or range extenders to your setup.
Of course, it still has all the wired connections you’d expect from a modern router, with three gigabit LAN ports, 2.5- and 1-gigabit WAN ports, one of which is also a LAN port, and USB WAN for 4G LTE and 5G mobile tethering. As long as you don’t have an expansive home, the Asus RT-BE58U should cover almost all of it with fast, reliable internet, and it’s easy to set up and configure to your needs, but you can always check out our full roundup of the best Wi-Fi routers if you aren’t sure.
The lack of Bluetooth connectivity is, presumably, for weight savings, but it makes this mouse inconvenient as a travel option. The lack of rigidity already makes traveling with it seem unwise. It’s meant to be kept on a desk.
The mouse has a total of five buttons: The left and right clicks, the middle click, and the two side buttons, which are mapped to “forward” and “back” by default. There are five built-in sensitivity presets, ranging from 400 to 2,000 dpi. These presets can be adjusted, and the number of presets can be decreased. With the default button maps, you can cycle through the presets by holding down the right click and back button for three seconds. The scroll wheel will flash three times to indicate that the setting has changed. It’s a little convoluted. More importantly, the dpi switch only works if the rear side button is mapped to the “back” key. When I remapped this button to anything else, the combination didn’t work.
Photograph: Henri Robbins
Corsair recently unveiled its in-browser Web Hub utility, replacing its iCue software for peripheral management. It’s a vast improvement, being easier to navigate and less issue-prone than its predecessor. With the utility, you can easily adjust settings like polling rate, dpi, and button mapping. However, a mouse this simple really doesn’t have much to adjust. I quickly remapped the side buttons, cranked the polling rate to 8,000 Hz, and never needed to use the software again (outside of testing). The only catch is that in-browser management means you need an internet connection, though maybe you have bigger issues if that’s the case.
The Sabre v2 Pro also includes rubberized “grip tape” stickers, applied to the primary buttons and either side of the mouse. These can improve grip and only increase weight by half a gram, but they don’t make a massive difference in functionality unless you have particularly sweaty hands. More than anything else, it makes the mouse feel softer and provides some added comfort. However, I found that the tape was limited-use. After removing and reapplying it a couple of times, the edges started to peek back when holding the mouse.
By Any Means Necessary
Photograph: Henri Robbins
This mouse has an ethos of lightness at any cost. It weighs practically nothing, to the point that it feels surreal when you’re holding it. You can easily flex the plastic by squeezing either side of the mouse, and pressing from the top and bottom too hard will cause one of the side buttons to actuate. Pressing hard on the mouse from any side causes a small creaking noise to emit from the shell.
