Tag: Buying Guides

The Best Crossplay Games for Consoles and PC

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However, as shooter veterans know, playing with a keyboard and mouse provides a considerable advantage in terms of aiming. So if you’re on a console, you can choose to turn off crossplay and stick to players on your own platform. PC players, on the other hand, are stuck with the feature turned on, so just hope you’re better at clicking heads than someone with a control stick.

Available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch.

Deathloop ($60)

Courtesy of Bethesda

Arkane Studios, the team behind widely popular games like Dishonored and Prey, introduced Deathloop as a whole new franchise in 2021. In this game, you take on the role of an assassin named Colt who finds himself stuck in a time loop while trying to take out eight different targets. Fail to take out even one, and the loop starts over, but this time you start with more knowledge and experience.

As a bonus, Deathloop also has an invasion system that, in WIRED staff writer Will Bedingfield’s opinion, is the game’s best feature. Invasions let players, well, invade each other’s games. After a certain point, you can play as Colt’s rival, Juliana, and try to prevent other players from succeeding. This feature has some limited crossplay. Xbox players can play with PC players who bought the game via the Microsoft Store, while Steam users can play with Epic users.

Available on PC (Steam, Epic), Xbox, PlayStation.

Genshin Impact (Free)

Courtesy of Mihoyo

In developer miHoYo’s action RPG gacha game Genshin Impact, players can join each others’ adventures to tackle challenges together by sharing a UID code. This works across all the platforms the game supports, including Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Android and iOS. The company has also announced a Switch version but hasn’t announced a release window. When it does arrive, it should also be cross-compatible with all the other platforms.

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Eric Ravenscraft

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September 2, 2024
The Best Smart Rings to Rule Them All

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There is plenty to consider when buying a smart ring, so use these tips to help you narrow your choice and get the best from it.

Size: Some smart rings come in standard sizes, but there is some variation, and half sizes are rare. Most manufacturers will send you a free sizing kit, enabling you to wear a dummy ring for 24 hours to ensure you get the right fit. (You may have to buy the ring directly from the manufacturer to get this kit for free.) You should absolutely do this. Bear in mind that your fingers swell and shrink over the day. Your smart ring should be snug to enable the sensors to measure accurately, and it will work best on your index finger (though the middle or ring finger can work).

Finish: All the smart rings we tested combined tough titanium with a sensor array on the inside, but the coatings and colors vary. If you are hard on rings, a silver or gold finish will likely suit you best, as there is less risk of damage. My Oura and Ultrahuman rings with black finishes have visible scratches and chips after a few months. The Oura and Amazfit rings have tiny dimples to help you align the sensors. While I prefer the smooth finish of the Ultrahuman, I suspect correct placement aids accuracy enormously.

Care: If you want to avoid damage, you should remove your ring when working with tools, weight lifting, washing pots and pans, or even cleaning the sink. If your ring is likely to rub against a surface, take it off. I found this was a bigger problem wearing a ring on my index finger than with the middle or ring finger. I scratched the Oura and Ultrahuman rings when gardening, moving boxes, and using a dumbbell. Titanium is also tough enough to damage surfaces in your home. I gouged the porcelain of my sink and marked the inside of a mug with the angular Ringconn. All the smart rings we tested are water resistant, so you can swim or shower without taking them off.

Charging: Smart rings come with a charger and cable, but you will generally have to provide your own wall adapter. From dead, they take anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours to fully charge, but you should avoid letting the battery run down completely, or you run the risk of losing data. We tested the smart rings above with all the bells and whistles turned on, so our battery life estimates are lower than the manufacturers claim.

Features: Most smart rings will track your sleep, heart rate, and temperature. If you want to keep an eye on your sleep and health unobtrusively and comfortably, smart rings are ideal. Fitness tracking varies, with most smart rings offering basic step counts and movement, some offering manual workout tracking, and only the Oura and Galaxy Ring offering automatic workout recognition. But you can expect more depth and accuracy from a traditional fitness tracker or smartwatch. Combining a smart ring with an Apple Watch or Fitbit makes for a seamless experience, allowing you to take off the watch and let it charge at night without gaps in your tracking.

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Simon Hill, Adrienne So

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September 2, 2024
We Pored Over Hundreds of Tomes to Find the Best Reading Lights

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Reading before bed is a great way to relax. But getting the right balance of light can be tricky. We want to illuminate the text without disturbing sleeping partners, kids, or roommates. Warm light that is not too bright is also better to help you feel drowsy. Special reading lights may be the answer. They come in a surprisingly wide variety of shapes and sizes, but all will light up your page, not your whole room.

We have tested a library of reading lights over the last few months, tucking into tomes as blissfully unaware partners slept, and these are the very best reading lights for bookworms. There are several kinds of clip-ons, wearable lights, and a bedside lamp among our picks, as well as a tempting alternative to book lights.

Avid readers will also want to check out our Best Gifts for Book Lovers, Great Tech Books, and Best Science Fiction Books guides.

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Simon Hill, Brenda Stolyar

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September 1, 2024
The Best Bikes for Kids of Every Age and Size

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Most people think I bike with my kids because I like exercise or because I want to combat climate change. Neither is true (or, the entire answer, at any rate). No, it’s just that sitting in pickup or drop-off lines in a car makes me want to yeet myself straight into the path of an oncoming 18-wheeler. Now that my kids are 7 and 9, and old enough to bike with me, it’s also much more fun to watch them hop curbs and swing their legs and shout, “We live in a jungle!” than it is, again, to wait for traffic lights to change.

The WIRED Gear team has many children, and we enlisted many of them to test these kids’ bikes on rides to school, on the trails, or around the park. These are our top picks for every age and size. Don’t see a bike for your kid here? Let us know, as we will continue to test and update these picks. And if you’re looking for a bike for yourself, check out our Best Electric Bikes, Best Cheap Ebikes, and Best Electric Cargo Bikes for Families guides.

Updated September 2024: We added the Early Rider Bella Velio, the Linus Lil Roadster, and the Cleary Meerkat, and added a slide on balance bikes. We also updated links and prices.

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How to Buy a Kids’ Bike

Bikes are expensive. It’s tempting to future-proof your purchase by buying a bike a size or two bigger, for your child to grow into. Do not fall into this trap! Not only is it uncomfortable, it’s unsafe. How would you expect to control a bike that was two sizes too big for you?

Sizing by age range is also risky; for example, my 9-year-old daughter is half the size of some of her peers (sorry, sweetie). To find the correct size, you’ll either have to measure your kid’s height or their minimum inseam length. Children’s bikes are measured by wheel size, so a 12-inch bike refers to a bike with 12-inch wheels, and so forth. When you get the bike, see if your child can stand over the frame with flat feet comfortably on the ground. Make sure your child can get on and off easily and that their hands can reach the brakes and shifters if the bike has them.

Other factors you might want to consider:

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Adrienne So

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September 1, 2024
6 Best Snack Subscription Boxes to Satisfy Every Craving

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I love snacks. I’m a grazer—someone who likes to eat small amounts of things throughout the day, so I usually have a hodgepodge of various foods scattered throughout my home. I’m not picky. I’ll try sweet, savory, salty, or spicy. But I do get bored quickly. Aside from a few old standbys, I’m always on the hunt for new things to try.

Enter snack box subscriptions: For a recurring fee, you can get a package of goodies delivered to your door every month. But which snack boxes are worth your money? Which one gets you the most bang for your buck? Which will best fulfill your hankering for something tasty? I, and my taste buds, did the research for you. I tested 14 popular snack boxes, and these are my favorites (and ones to avoid).

Be sure to check out our many other guides, including Best Meal Kit Delivery Services, Best Coffee Subscriptions, and Best Bar Accessories.

Updated August 2024: We removed services that have shut down and updated pricing and photography.

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Louryn Strampe

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September 1, 2024
The Best 360 Cameras to See the World Around You

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It’s a small world after all, and these cameras can capture all of it at once, giving you a 360-degree view.

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Scott Gilbertson

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September 1, 2024
The Best Invisible Hearing Aids

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Stigmas should be stigmatized. Whether we’re talking about mental health or wearing cargo pants, the world would benefit from less societal shade. When it comes to hearing aids, these often-bulky devices can age a wearer faster than gray hair or referencing Jefferson Airplane deep cuts. But despite often being associated with seniors, more than 9 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 59 have some degree of hearing loss. Still, the stigma is enough to keep most of these people from even considering an assistive listening device, not to mention other factors like high costs and a difficult-to-navigate market.

But invisible hearing aids are, as the name suggests, difficult to see by others when they’re worn. While completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the most “invisible,” they’re not available over the counter and need to be inserted by a professional audiologist. In this roundup, we’ll take a look at the best in-the-ear (ITE) devices, sometimes referred to as in-the-canal (ITC). Because of their small stature, they often have fewer technical features than some of the larger, less-subtle behind-the-ear (BTE) options, but they can treat mild to moderate hearing loss, often quite well.

To aid in my research, I recruited the help of licensed audiologist Ruth Reisman, who recommended devices based on analysis conducted in a scientific lab (the real deal), ensuring these aids met the performance standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). I also conducted hands-on testing with more than 20 products, evaluating quality and comfort in a wide array of settings to ensure an accurate representation of the user experience. For more details about our process, refer to our general hearing aids guide.

Updated August 2024: We’ve added the Sony CRE-C20.

Compare Prices and Key Features

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Christopher Null

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August 31, 2024
The Best Compact Cameras That Really Fit in Your Pocket

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I was recently thumbing through a photo book at the library and ran across a double-page spread of a crowd surrounding a celebrity taken in 2008. The photo itself wasn’t great, but something jumped out at me—everyone was holding a compact camera. Canon Powershots, Nikon Coolpix, Sony Cybershots, and others I didn’t recognize littered the scene. Fast forward a few years, shoot the same image, and those cameras are now smartphones.

I get it. The phone is always with you and good enough for the selfies and snapshots most people capture. But … shooting with your phone isn’t much fun. I think this is why we’ve seen a huge resurgence in interest in compact cameras. People love “vintage” compact digital cameras, and some laughably bad cameras from the early aughts are selling on eBay for more than they did new, thanks to viral videos. To save you from overspending, I’ve tested and ranked all the compact cameras I could get my hands on—these are the best point-and-shoot cameras I’ve tried.

Check out our many camera buying guides, like the Best Mirrorless Cameras, Best Action Cameras, Best GoPro Hero, Best Instax Cameras, Best Camera Bags, and our step-by-step instructions on How to Choose a Camera.

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What to Look for in a Compact Camera

If you want to upgrade from your smartphone to a dedicated camera, there are three key things to look for:

Size and weight: If it doesn’t fit in your pocket, are you going to carry it around? Part of the appeal of a pocket camera is that, ahem, it actually fits in your pocket. Except for the Fujifilm X100VI, all the cameras in this guide are small and light enough to carry in your pocket.

Image quality: The larger the sensor the better, but also, the better the lens, the sharper and more contrasty your images will be. I’ve mainly suggested fixed-lens cameras for this reason; they typically have faster, sharper lenses.

Extra features: Phones are decent snapshot cameras, but they rarely have good macro lenses, built-in neutral density filters, or fast autofocus. If you’re investing in a pocket camera, look for nice extras like these.

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Scott Gilbertson

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August 29, 2024
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things (for Under $30)

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Saving cash is never a bad thing. When words and phrases like “inflation” and “cost-of-living crisis” are all over the news, finding value for money has become even more important. WIRED’s Gear team has tested a broad range of products across many categories—many of which, handily, cost under $30. This guide brings together those top value-for-money picks into one list.

The choices here are useful for any time of year, but if you’re specifically looking to spend thriftily for a holiday or birthday gift, check out our 25 Amazing Gifts Under $25 for ideas. And dive into our other buying guides for more recommendations.

Updated August 2024: We’ve refreshed this guide with our current favorite budget finds.

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Gear Team, Louryn Strampe

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August 27, 2024
Our Favorite Hoodies for Style, Comfort, and Warmth

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You might not know anything about the Apple Vision Pro, but you probably have at least seen the picture of Cool Hunting founder Josh Rubin wearing an Eyn Vas hoodie while testing it. That’s because it’s how most of us—and by us, we’re including you—look most of the time (or want to look, anyway). A hooded sweatshirt can be a statement piece, but you’re also probably wearing one over your pajamas, while working out at the gym, or pulled over your head on a long flight. Most of us keep our hoodies around for years. There are so many different fabrics, cuts, price points, and styles, that you can never have enough hoodies in your closet.

Do you find yourself overwhelmed? Is it mentally and emotionally difficult to replace the threadbare one in your closet right now? We’re here to help make it easier. The Gear team waded through a ton of hoodies—OK, it wasn’t hard—and picked our favorites at every activity and price point you can imagine. Need to complete the look? Check out the rest of our buying guides, including the Best Barefoot Shoes and the Best Merino Wool Clothes.

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Brenda Stolyar, Adrienne So

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August 25, 2024
Our Favorite Outdoor Security Cams for Your Home or Business

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We have tested several other outdoor security cameras. These are the ones we like that just missed out on a place above.

Safemo Set P1 (2-Pack) for $350: I love the idea of a simple kit like this, where you just plug the hub in, connect it to your router, and install the pre-paired cameras. Each has an optional solar panel to keep the battery charged. The Safemo app is well-designed, video goes up to 4K, and this entirely local system boasts 32 GB of storage (expandable up to 4 TB). It even has locally processed person, vehicle, pet, and package detection. The person detection was mostly accurate (it occasionally flagged my cat), and the vehicle detection flagged my robot lawnmower (close enough) and an inflatable donut that blew across the backyard, but false positives were rare. What prevents me from wholeheartedly recommending this impressive debut is the lack of 2FA (Safemo says it is coming) and connectivity issues where one of the cameras would occasionally disconnect from the hub and be inaccessible in the app. This always righted itself without me moving anything, but worryingly, it happened a few times. If you plan to up the resolution to 4K from the default SD, you will need fast internet, especially to view the live feed, which I found was choppy and pixelated at 4K, though recorded videos were sharp and detailed.

X-Sense Smart Security Camera for $50: This affordable camera comes with a solar panel to keep the battery topped off, a slot for a microSD card (up to 128 GB), and records 1080p video. There is also a spotlight and two-way audio, but, as the price suggests, the quality is limited. The 60-day cloud storage, AI recognition, smart notifications, and activity zones require a subscription starting from $5 per month. The live feed was quick to load, but some alerts were slow to come through, and it occasionally missed motion that other cameras picked up. That said, for this price and in the right spot, this camera could be worth a look.

Imilab EC6 Dual 2K WiFi Plug-in Spotlight Camera for $180: With dual 2K lenses, this security camera can cover a fixed spot and simultaneously track a subject. The bottom camera offers pan/tilt controls. It works via the Xiaomi Home app, making it an easier sell if you already have a Xiaomi phone or other gadgets from the Chinese brand. You can insert a microSD card for local storage or subscribe for cloud storage. The person detection and tracking worked well in my tests. The video was mostly crisp, but movement was sometimes a bit jerky, and fast-moving subjects can get blurry. It does have WDR but could use HDR to prevent bright areas from blowing out.

Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera for $70: This is the most affordable way to try Arlo’s wares, and it’s a solid security camera. Setup is a breeze, the 1080p footage is clear, and the rich notifications are the best, but you need an Arlo Secure subscription ($8 per month for one camera, $13 for unlimited). Compared to our top pick, the Essential has a narrower field of view and lacks HDR, so it loses details in bright and dark areas. I also tried the Essential XL ($100), which is the same camera with a much larger battery (4x longer lasting).

AlfredCam Plus for $50: The AlfredCamera app allows you to turn your old smartphones into security cameras, but the company also has its own line of budget cameras. The AlfredCam Plus has an IP65 rating, can record video at up to 2K, and comes with a 64-GB microSD card. You get a 9.8-foot cable with it, but you will need a power adapter. The ad-supported free version offers seven days of cloud storage for video clips. Sadly, you need a subscription at $6 a month or $30 a year to unlock 14-day cloud storage, smart features (including person detection, scheduling, and zones), and better quality video for the live feed and recordings.

Ezviz H3C for $60: I had issues setting this wired camera up because it can only connect to 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, but once up and running, it proved a decent performer. The Ezviz app has 2FA and allows fingerprint unlock, which is handy. There’s also onboard AI for person detection, a spotlight, black-and-white night vision, and two-way audio, though it’s laggy and poor quality. The video quality is decent at up to 2K, and the live feed is fast to load. All in all, it’s not bad for the money. I also tested the Ezviz EB8 4G (£299), which is quite similar to the H8 Pro we recommend above, except it can connect to 4G mobile networks—this means it doesn’t require Wi-Fi, though you will need a SIM card and cell service plan.

Imou Knight Spotlight Camera for $180: A smart design and solid feature set make this an attractive security camera for the right spot. It can record at up to 4K with HDR, has a 600-lumen spotlight around the lens, and can take microSD cards up to 256 GB (sold separately) to record locally. The app offers a wide range of features, including detection zones, cross-line alerts, and human or pet detection, though the AI sometimes gets it wrong. Sadly, the low frame rate (15 fps) too often results in blurry footage, but this came close to snagging a spot above.

Reolink Go PT Ultra for $220: If you need a wireless security camera that can connect to cellular 3G or 4G LTE networks, you could do worse than this offering from Reolink. It’s a pan-and-tilt camera that can record up to 4K video on a local microSD card (sold separately), or you can subscribe for cloud storage. It has a wee spotlight and decent color night vision, and it comes with a solar panel to keep the battery topped up. The detection is reliable but doesn’t always categorize subjects correctly. Loading time and lag will depend on the strength of the signal. Just make sure you check carrier compatibility and get a SIM card before you buy.

Swann AllSecure650 4 Camera Kit for $700: This kit includes four wireless, battery-powered cameras and a network video recorder (NVR) that can plug into a TV or monitor via HDMI. The cameras can record up to 2K, and footage is crisp and detailed enough to zoom in on, though there is a mild fish-eye effect. The night vision is reasonably good, but the two-way audio lags and sounds distorted. I like the option to view all camera feeds simultaneously, the backup battery in the NVR makes it a cinch to swap batteries when a camera is running low, and everything is local with no need for a subscription. Unfortunately, the mobile app is poor, camera feeds sometimes take several seconds to load, and there doesn’t seem to be any 2FA. The NVR interface is also clunky to navigate with the provided mouse.

Arlo Pro 4 for $140: This camera was our top pick, and it is still an excellent buy that is widely available. Its successor, the Pro 5, has slightly better battery life and enhanced color night vision, but there isn’t a huge difference. This camera provides crisp, clear footage; responds swiftly; and has an excellent detection and notification system, but you must also factor in the cost of an Arlo subscription starting from $8 per month for a single camera.

Reolink Argus 3 Pro for $70: There’s a lot to like with this security camera, not least the affordable price. It offers 2K video, local or cloud storage, two-way audio, a siren, and person recognition. The live feed loads fast, and it’s cheap to buy a solar panel accessory for power. The app is a little confusing, but Reolink recently added 2FA. I also tested the Reolink Argus PT with solar panel ($104), which is a solid pan-and-tilt camera with an otherwise similar feature set. Both Reolink cameras also support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

Eve Outdoor Cam for $242: This stylish floodlight camera must be wired in, and installation is tricky (you may want an electrician). It can replace an outdoor light to give you motion-activated light (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. But as a HomeKit camera, you will need an Apple HomeKit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Sadly, the video and sound quality are average; it only works on 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, and there’s no Android support.

Toucan Wireless Outdoor Camera for $100: Toucan’s wireless camera resembles our top pick from Arlo with a smart magnetic mount and easy installation. The 1080p video is good in ideal conditions but struggles with mixed lighting (no HDR). The two-way audio is passable. The app works well and loads the live feed quite quickly, but this is cloud-only, which means you need to subscribe (from $3 per month) if you want tagged events, more than the last 24 hours recorded, or to download more than five videos per month.

Toucan Security Light Camera for $120: You can simply plug this camera into an outlet, and it comes with an 8-meter waterproof cable. It has a motion-activated light (1,200 lumens), records 1080p video, and supports two-way audio. I found the footage quite detailed, but it struggled with direct sunlight. You can record locally on a microSD card (sold separately), and you get 24 hours of free cloud storage, but it has limitations. Plans start from $3 per month. Even with motion detection set to the lowest sensitivity, this camera triggered too often during testing, and there’s no way to filter for people, so I got frequent false positives (blowing leaves, moths, and birds all triggered alerts).

Blurams Outdoor Lite 3 for $50: This is a feature-packed security camera for the price, with support for pan, tilt, and zoom functionality; spotlights; siren; motion tracking; continuous recording; and two-way audio. You can store footage locally on a microSD card (sold separately) or subscribe to a cloud plan. Video quality is reasonable, but the app is very glitchy and loading the live feed was inconsistent (sometimes it just buffered indefinitely).

SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera for $150: A solid set of features, crisp 1080p video, and support for HDR sounds tempting, but you need a Simplisafe security system (9/10, WIRED recommends) and monitoring plan to make this camera worthwhile, making it too expensive for what you get. (The Arlo Pro 4 offers better-quality video and more features.) It may be a useful add-on for existing SimpliSafe customers, though.

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Simon Hill, Adrienne So

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August 25, 2024
The Best Handheld Gaming Consoles
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It feels like a distant memory by now, but right before the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, it seemed like portable gaming was on its last life. Mobile games had gobbled up huge portions of the market, and most modern games required a lot of power to run on devices like the Nintendo 3DS. Fast-forward to today, and there are more ways to take your games outside the living room than ever.

This is a bit of an odd category because, to be quite frank, many of the devices currently on the market aren’t very good. Valve’s Steam Deck kicked off a wave of manufacturers looking to compete with the Nintendo Switch, but many of their offerings are rushed, buggy, or just not a great way to play games. A few have risen to the challenge, and I’m comfortable saying that there are finally some good options to choose from. I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing as many gaming handhelds as I could get my grubby hands on—these are the best.

Be sure to check out our other gaming buying guides, including the Best Retro Gaming Consoles, Best Mobile Game Controllers, Best Steam Deck Accessories, Best Switch Accessories, and Best Gaming Laptops.

Updated August 2024: Added new info on how to choose the right gaming handheld for you, and info about Asus Rog Ally software updates. We’ve also added new photos.

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What to Look For in a Gaming Handheld

The Switch may have set a new standard for portable gaming, but in the time since, the category has gotten increasingly complex. New platforms, new control schemes, and a range of battery life that runs the gamut from several hours to “don’t stray too far from a charger.” With that in mind, here are a few factors to keep in mind when deciding which one is right for you:

Platform: The Switch runs games that were designed (or at least adapted) for the Switch. Easy enough. Other handhelds can be a bit more complicated. On the Steam Deck, for example, Valve uses custom software and the Proton compatibility layer to make games run and play well on a handheld. Some handhelds just run Windows directly (which has its drawbacks). Make sure to see what games you want to play are available on which platform and how well they run before you buy.

Picture: If you’re gonna stare at your gaming handheld all day, it may as well have a great display. Many devices, like the Switch and the Steam Deck, have OLED variants with incredibly crisp, vibrant displays. However, better doesn’t always mean, er, better. Screens with higher resolutions and faster refresh rates can also drain more battery.

Power: Speaking of battery life, that’s one area where gaming handhelds can vary wildly. Some devices, like the Switch and the Steam Deck, are optimized as much as they can be for battery consumption. Still, running graphics-heavy games like Tears of the Kingdom will always use more battery than simpler games like Stardew Valley. On handhelds that run less optimized operating systems like Windows, battery can drain even faster. If you plan to use a lot of heavy battery-draining features or games, then you might want to pick up a portable charger.

Performance: The Switch notoriously runs on an underpowered processor compared to its competitors. Yet, its games make the most of it by being optimized for the hardware they run on. When it comes to games that were designed for Windows (whether they run on the Steam Deck, or Windows handhelds directly), they can require a lot more power to get the same kind of performance. Faster, more powerful processors can mean you’ll get a more fluid gaming experience. But, once again, keep in mind that faster processors use up more battery, so be sure to balance performance with power drain.
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Eric Ravenscraft

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August 24, 2024
The Best Dorm Gear for Heading Back to College

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Whether you’re an incoming freshman or returning to dorm life, picking the right stuff for college can be tough. On one hand, you want to have quality gear that won’t let you down by midterms. On the other, the inevitability of crushing debt looms in the years to come, so you want to be frugal wherever possible.

This guide is filled with all the stuff you might need: an affordable (but capable) laptop, a versatile backpack, coffee gear, audio gadgets, and fun tech to make dorm life more livable. You don’t need every single item in this list, so spend only where you think is necessary.

Updated August 2024: We’ve added new products for the new school year.

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If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

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Brenda Stolyar, Gear Team

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August 21, 2024
The Best Back to School Gear for High Schoolers

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It’s time for the youngsters to head back to school. For some, they’ll be entering the Wild West (aka high school). Whether they’re a trembly-kneed freshman or a seasoned senior, there’s a chance they need some good gear. We assume you have the folders and pencils covered, but what about backpacks? Laptops? Products that’ll hold up well and look cool to their peers? We’ve got you covered with these tried-and-tested picks.

Make sure to check out our other related guides, including the Best Dorm Gear, Best Middle School Gear, and the Best Discounts for Students and Teachers.

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Louryn Strampe

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August 20, 2024
The Best Pizza Ovens to Make the Perfect Slice

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There’s a reason why pizza is the menu choice of picky preschoolers, hungry teenagers, and discerning foodies alike. Homemade pizzas are a complete meal. They’re irresistible, easy to make, and customizable for a wide range of dietary preferences. Until recently, an aspiring pizzaiolo had no choice but to crank up their kitchen oven to the standard 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Now there’s a wide variety of home pizza ovens that can heat up as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit—the perfect temperature for making a crisp Neapolitan pizza in minutes.

I test pizza ovens over the course of a few weeks, using homemade dough (I like Ooni’s classic pizza dough recipe), store-bought fresh dough, and frozen pizzas. I also use an infrared thermometer to make sure the temperature of the cooking surface is consistent (and is what the built-in thermometer says it is). Pizza ovens are also quite a bit more versatile than you might think—I also use them to sear steaks, quick-cook salmon, and pan-fry broccoli. These are my favorites. For those with limited access to outdoor spaces, I’ve included indoor options and an oven that fits on a small deck, balcony, or patio.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Portable Grills, Best Grills, and Best Camping Stoves.

Updated August 2024: We added the Solo Stove Pi Prime, the Breeo Live Fire Pizza Oven, the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven, the Ooni Koda 2 Max, and the Piezano.

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just ~~$2.50~~ $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.

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Adrienne So

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August 19, 2024
The Best Hearing Aids We’ve Personally Tested and Vetted With an Expert

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for those with hearing challenges, there’d long been just one option for dealing with it: an expensive, bulky hearing aid prescribed by a doctor. That changed in 2022 when the US Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter hearing aid devices, giving consumers access to a vast and growing array of alternatives. Today, there are more hearing aids than ever, and they come in all different shapes, sizes, and most importantly, prices. How does a $100 hearing aid compare to a $5,000 prescription device for treating mild to moderate hearing loss? We’ve been testing products for the past two years to answer that question.

To help us out with this analysis, we brought in an expert. Licensed audiologist Ruth Reisman analyzed all of these hearing aids in a scientific lab setting, approving only models that amplified noises at safe levels. At the same time, I did hands-on (ears-on?) testing of these hearing aids around my home, outside, and in noisy environments.

We found plenty to like on the market today—and plenty of aids we’d avoid. The Jabra Enhance Select 300 has the current crown as the best hearing aid, with the Eargo Link and Sony CRE-C10 close behind. Here’s our complete roundup of the best prescription and over-the-counter hearing aids we tested and approved.

Updated June 2024: We’ve added the Jabra Enhance Select 500 and Linner Mars.

Compare The Best Hearing Aids

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What to Consider Before You Buy

Every person is unique, and so are their hearing loss needs. To find a device that suits your needs and lifestyle, consider these factors. For more tips, check out our guide on How to Buy a Hearing Aid.

Hearing aids shouldn’t bankrupt you. With such a steep price and minimal insurance coverage, it’s no wonder why so many people put off hearing loss treatment. Between audiologist visits, hearing aid orders, custom fittings, and maintenance, it’s justifiable that you might postpone treatment rather than fork over your credit card. It’s vital you know your budget before you start browsing for hearing aids. Many brands offer trial periods where you can test out the device for a set number of days and, if they’re a bad fit, return them free of charge.

It doesn’t have to be obvious that you’re wearing a hearing aid. Despite cartoonish media depictions of hunched-over seniors screaming “WHAT?!” at every person who tries to talk to them, hearing loss doesn’t discriminate by age. With nearly 10 million Americans under the age of 60 affected, more should be taking advantage of the sleekly designed hearing aids on the market. Similar to the stigmas that keep people from seeking mental health treatment, the hearing loss community is plagued by self-consciousness when it comes to wearing these devices. Modern in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids have come a long way in subtlety.

Opt for a professional hearing test over an online one. While online and app-based tests are a good way to dip your toes in and see whether you have hearing loss, a detailed audiogram that only an in-office visit can provide is a far better option. A hearing professional can use this audiogram to calibrate hearing aids to your specific needs.

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Christopher Null

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August 19, 2024
The Best Projectors for Your Home Movie Nights

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Projectors offer larger screen sizes and a more cinematic viewing experience than their TV counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they’re easier to set up. That’s why we have an entire guide to How to Buy a Projector to check out!

Unless you’re going for a portable option, you’ll want to make sure you have a projector mount ($20) and audio cables properly routed to the location of your projector. This is because setting up full-size projectors to fit your screen, be in focus, etc., can be a pain, so once you get everything dialed in, you’ll want to leave it as-is.

Make sure you get enough lumens (how bright your projector will get at its peak, the higher the number the better). Over 2,000 lumens is a good starting space for any kind of lit viewing, but we recommend 3000 or above if you’re viewing in a bright room.

Another thing to bear in mind before you get a projector is just how much space you’ll need to properly set it up. In most cases, you’ll need 10 to 15 feet between the screen and the projector (be sure to check the “throw distance” listed by the manufacturer in the manual) to achieve screen sizes over 100 inches.

Without a completely dark room, the image can look washed out and be hard to see. If you don’t have a room without windows, consider getting blackout curtains. For more detailed information on how to set up a projector after it arrives, I highly recommend this video.

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Parker Hall

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August 18, 2024
The Best Back to School Gear for Middle Schoolers

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Remember starting middle school? Your first locker. Your first time navigating halls between classes. Your first stress breakout. Middle school can be a little intimidating, but while you can’t hold your kid’s hand as they try to find their algebra class, you can get them prepared with a backpack that won’t break and a laptop that won’t crash. We’ve polled and pestered our adolescent loved ones and rounded up the best WIRED-approved back to school gear that they’ll actually like.

Don’t see anything you like? Be sure to check out our other back-to-school guides, including the Best Laptops, Best Tablets, Best Laptop Bags, Best Student Email Discounts, and Best Dorm and College Gear.

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just ~~$2.50~~ $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

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Louryn Strampe

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August 17, 2024
The Best Field Recorders for Portable Audio

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Yes, you currently have a device in your pocket capable of capturing audio—your phone. But, the quality of the audio from those tiny microphones leaves a lot to be desired. You’ll easily overwhelm the mics if you try to capture an impromptu jam session with your band. You’ll never get solid stereo imaging of your environment. And echoey lecture halls will reduce any speaker to a muddy mess.

There are plenty of reasons to pick up a field recorder. They can be used to capture lectures at school, record audio for a video shoot, serve as a mobile podcast studio, collect samples to use in your music, and even create IR (impulse responses) for building custom audio effects.

There is also the act of field recording itself—going out and capturing the ambient sounds of the world around you. If you’ve never dabbled before, I can’t recommend it enough. It can teach you to listen more closely to the world around you and make you more observant.

If you work with audio in any way, even as a hobby, a good handheld field recorder is a must-have. Below are our current favorites. Be sure to also check out our guides to the Best Recording Software, the Best Wired Headphones, and the Best USB Microphones. If you’re interested in recording at home as well as outdoors, be sure to check out our guide to leveling up your home recording studio.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

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Terrence O’Brien, Parker Hall

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August 16, 2024
The Best Pizza Ovens to Make the Perfect Slice

[ad_1]

There’s a reason why pizza is the menu choice of picky preschoolers, hungry teenagers, and discerning foodies alike. Homemade pizzas are a complete meal. They’re irresistible, easy to make, and customizable for a wide range of dietary preferences. Until recently, an aspiring pizzaiolo had no choice but to crank up their kitchen oven to the standard 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Now there’s a wide variety of home pizza ovens that can heat up as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit—the perfect temperature for making a crisp Neapolitan pizza in minutes.

I test pizza ovens over the course of a few weeks, using homemade dough (I like Ooni’s classic pizza dough recipe), store-bought fresh dough, and frozen pizzas. I also use an infrared thermometer to make sure the temperature of the cooking surface is consistent (and is what the built-in thermometer says it is). Pizza ovens are also quite a bit more versatile than you might think—I also use them to sear steaks, quick-cook salmon, and pan-fry broccoli. These are my favorites. For those with limited access to outdoor spaces, I’ve included indoor options and an oven that fits on a small deck, balcony, or patio.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Portable Grills, Best Grills, and Best Camping Stoves.

Updated August 2024: We added the Solo Stove Pi Prime, the Breeo Live Fire Pizza Oven, the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven, the Ooni Koda 2 Max, and the Piezano.

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just ~~$2.50~~ $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.

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Adrienne So

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August 15, 2024