It’s that wonderful time of year where we scramble to find the perfect gift for our loved ones (or just buy gift cards and be done with it) while wearing ridiculous sweaters to house parties, delighting in the merry Mariahmas spirit, and watching Home Alone for the millionth time.
For many, it’s the most stressful time of year which is why we put together this (amazing) gift guide to make your shopping experience easier, especially online.
This holiday season, we’re featuring a carefully curated collection of must-haves headlined by Brown Sugar Babe—the “internet’s favorite body oils” that just might change your life—no, seriously.
Founded by Maekaeda Gibbons who started making her own versions of high-end fragrances as a self-care ritual, the multimillion-dollar empire exploded into one of the most bankable brands in the melanin-thin space.
“This desire in me is to make sure that the girls that look like me feel seen,” said Gibbons in an interview with Essence.
“I don’t think that’s the case for regular fragrance brands. And I use the term regular, meaning their marketing strategy does not include Black women in a prominent way.”
With Black women as 85% of her loyal customer base, Gibbons is primed for an even bigger 2026 with her coveted collection of luxurious products that sell out just as fast as they’re restocked.
Are you a Brown Sugar babe? If so, which oil is your fave? If not, what’s your go-to fragrance? Tell us down below and enjoy (and bookmark) our Holiday Gift Guide on the flip.
Brown Sugar Babe
BSB is everything you need to achieve main character status in any room you’re in. The luxury, the self-care, the swoon-worthy scents (Rich Aunty! Wild Card! Brand New!), it’s an absolute must-have this holiday season, especially if you want to attract a husband or wife.
At this point, you could say they’re the Beyoncé of body oils after moving over 20,000 units during their recent Black Friday sale.
B. Stuyvesant Champagne
The premium French champagne elevates moments with every pop while seamlessly merging tradition and innovation. It’s elegant, it’s prestigious, it’s Black-woman owned.
Elle Vie
There are body butters, scrubs, and shea oils. And then there’s Ellie Vie‘s award-worthy collection of body butters, scrubs, and shea oils made from quality ingredients with self-love at the forefront of the brand’s mission.
Polo Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs Popover Shirt (4th slide)
The salt-washed, sun-faded statement shirt (which was sold out for months but recently restocked on the site) embodies the essence of Oak Bluffs—a town in Martha’s Vineyard that thrived as a cultural haven for the Black community since the early 20th century and continues today.
Cavo
A candle that smells like Direct Deposit alerts, Matcha, Jasmine, Lemongrass, Musk? Yes, absolutely!
(You may want to light this while eating your collard greens on New Year’s Day for a big money bonus.)
Ralph Lauren & Usher’s Ralph’s Club New York Eau de Parfum
This buzzy partnership connects Usher’s modern style with Ralph Lauren’s classic legacy in a distinctive bottle bursting with juicy blackcurrant accord—used for the first time in a men’s fragrance—creamy vanilla, and warm sandalwood notes.
Disney Cruise Lines
The spectacle, the wonder, the magical moments, the Grand Hall—there’s no sailing experience like the Disney Cruise which, if you want to splurge for your favorite family members or parents, can be booked for up to 35% off on the siteright now.
Bombas
You’re probably buying your dad, uncle, and pop-pop socks for Christmas and that’s OK. Most of us are. But this year you should consider leveling up to the ultra-comfortable Merino Wool Blend Calf Socks which, according to Google, are one of the hottest essentials this holiday season.
Gap × BÉIS Sport Sling
The eye-catching denim blue collection blends Gap essentials with the thoughtful design details of BÉIS for a trendy travel piece that balances style and utility.
Medase
The premium zero-proof cocktail brand celebrates wellness, joy, and meaningful connection with high-quality ingredients as an enticing option for the mocktail drinkers.
With flavors like Lemon Drop, Old Fashioned, and Margarita, the bubbling brand gives you the goods without the buzz.
Papatui
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s emerging skincare and grooming brand is an impressive collection of well-made products including an aluminum-free deodorant with science-backed clean ingredients.
Cakeworthy
The dreamy fashion label specializes in unisex streetwear apparel and accessories for the pop culture lover. Looking for a unique gift? They have something for everybody including an epic 40th Anniversary celebration of the Golden Girls.
A new website makes it easy to shop local to support small L.A. businesses
Need a last-minute gift, and don’t want to be something impersonal or imported from overseas and help Los Angeles small business owners at the same time, faster than Amazon?
Local startup Giftphoria.com has Angelenos, at least on the east side for now, covered with fun and niche gifts from Los Angeles small businesses that are curated for the recipient. The one-stop marketplace uses an AI quizzing system that helps you figure out, find, buy, and wrap the perfect gift for any person, powered by gamified quizzes connected to their AI recommender.
The company was cofounded by Californian Anthony “Tony” Dikran Abaci, an Armenian-American businessman, and his partner, Nic Clar, who personally delivers the gifts for a just $7 fee. The small businesses right now are centered in Silver Lake, Hollywood, Echo Park and other area shops, but the partners plan to expand across Los Angeles, and maybe even nationwide.
“Tony came to me with a niche idea: helping people find & buy gifts. He had a hypothesis that people who were ‘bad at gifting’ was more so a lack of convenience. People didn’t know where to find gifts, and they didn’t think far ahead enough to get them in time. As we began hacking a solution, another opportunity made itself clear: local stores were suffering due to poor online visibility, and no one was tapping into the huge inventory they offered,” Clar wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Clar and Abaci spent roughly two months “building a marketplace that helps people to find & buy gifts from local independent stores and get them delivered within 2 hours,” he wrote. At least one terrible gift-giving staff member at Los Angeles plans to put it giftphoria.com to the test as early as possible.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: As Americans head into the heart of the holiday shopping season, many say festive spending feels more stressful than joyful, weighed down by stubbornly high prices and economic unease, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
Large majorities of U.S. adults report noticing higher-than-usual costs for groceries, electricity, and holiday gifts in recent months, the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. Many say they are dipping into savings, hunting more aggressively for bargains, or cutting back on discretionary spending.
About half of Americans say it is more complicated than usual to afford the gifts they want to give, while similar numbers report delaying big purchases or reducing nonessential spending more than they typically would during the holidays.
The findings present a challenge for President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House promising to bring prices down. Instead, inflation remains a persistent drag on public sentiment, much as it was during Democratic President Joe Biden’s term. The poll closely mirrors an AP-NORC survey from December 2022, when inflation was running much hotter, but consumer frustration looked strikingly similar.
Trump’s tariffs have added to inflationary pressures and heightened concerns about economic stability, keeping prices at levels many Americans say remain difficult to manage. The president has rejected those concerns, insisting the economy is strong.
“When will people understand what is happening?” Trump said last week on Truth Social. “When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this point, and how bad it was just one year ago?”
Still, 68 percent of U.S. adults describe the economy as “poor,” unchanged from December 2024, just before Trump returned to office.
White House officials plan to send Trump traveling around the country in hopes of boosting confidence ahead of next year’s midterm elections. But comments he made this week in Pennsylvania, suggesting Americans buy fewer dolls and pencils for children because of tariff-related price increases, contrasted sharply with what many respondents described in the poll, including some who supported him in 2024.
Sergio Ruiz, 44, of Tucson, Arizona, said he is relying more on buy-now-pay-later programs to spread out the cost of gifts for his children. Though not deeply political, Ruiz voted for Trump last year and hopes interest rates fall to help his real estate business.
“Prices are up. What can you do? You need to make more money,” Ruiz said.
The poll found that roughly half of Americans are more focused than usual on finding the lowest price when they shop, while about four in ten say they are tapping into savings more than at other times.
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say they are cutting back or bargain-hunting, but many Republicans are adjusting as well. About four in ten Republicans say they are searching for low prices more than usual, and a similar share reports buying fewer nonessential items.
Public attitudes toward holiday shopping look much like they did in 2022, when inflation surged to a four-decade high. Although inflation has since cooled to about three percent, it remains above the Federal Reserve’s two percent target, and the job market shows signs of slowing.
The survey suggests it is the absolute level of prices — not just the pace of inflation — that continues to strain household budgets. Nearly nine in ten adults say grocery prices are higher than usual, while about two-thirds report higher electricity and holiday gift prices. About half say gas prices also feel elevated.
Consumer spending has held up despite widespread pessimism, but Trump’s tariffs have changed how some people shop. Andrew Russell, a 33-year-old adjunct professor in Arlington Heights, Illinois, said he now avoids online purchases from abroad.
“This year, I only bought things that I can pick up in person,” said Russell, who voted Democratic and worries that heavy investment in artificial intelligence could be forming a bubble that might hurt markets next year.
Looking ahead, few Americans expect meaningful improvement. About four in ten say the economy will be worse next year, roughly three in ten expect little change, and only about two in ten think conditions will improve. Republicans are more optimistic than Democrats, but overall optimism has declined from last year.
Millicent Simpson, 56, of Cleveland, Ohio, said she expects the economy to worsen for people like her who depend on Medicaid and food assistance programs.
“He’s making it rough for us,” said Simpson, who voted Democratic. “He’s messing with the government assistance for everybody, young and old.
I’ve never been a huge fan of jigsaw puzzles, but the pieces of art the Magic Puzzle Company makes for you to assemble are a delight. For starters, each has gorgeous and distinctive artwork — while there are a variety of artists who’ve contributed to the company’s puzzle lineup, they all feel related, packed with color, whimsy and a bunch of secrets you’ll notice as you build. The puzzle pieces themselves are high-quality and solid, something that goes a long way towards making a puzzle fun to put together.
But my favorite part is the fact that once you finish the main puzzle, you’re not done. Each has sections that can slide around after you’re done, which opens up a new middle area to be filled in with a bonus section of pieces. This new addition seamlessly fits into the puzzle and expands on its story. It’s hard to describe, but it’s unlike anything I’ve seen in other puzzles. I’m pretty agnostic about my puzzle-makers, but I am itching to get my hands on more from the Magic Puzzle Company and explore their secrets. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Editor
Know someone who lives in their kitchen. These delicious proof tools make mealtime simpler and make great gifts. I’m going to show you three amazing products, ones we’ve tested, we just love, and they’re unbelievably versatile. First, this warming mat is great for holiday parties and buffets and costs about $40 on Amazon. The temperature, set the timer for it to shut off. This is *** must, must have, especially if you’re doing *** lot of cooking. It’s it’s the holidays and you’ve got big pots and you don’t have much space. If you’re always on the go, check out NutriBullet’s $70 portable rechargeable blender. You can even use your laptop to charge it. You’re at your desk the middle of the day. You’re like, you know what, it’s smoothie time. And what is totally awesome is you don’t have to lug around this the base, the base and just take this. It’s done, boom. Finally, this space saving collapsible steamer and strainer from Williams Sonoma costs just under $30. It pops open like this, and you can either use it to steam or you can fully immerse whatever food you want to cook. Give the gift of self-care. Women’s Health has you covered with gift suggestions that are equal parts relaxing and thoughtful. We have curated *** few of our favorite gifts and products that will make an amazing present for anyone in your life that needs *** little extra rest or relaxation, and don’t we all? First up, the $19 Beauty Sleep fabric spray from Laundreist. Put it on your pillow for *** calming effect before bed. This is *** very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster. There’s also an active wear version that is great for refreshing gym clothes. Next, Nodpod’s $38 weighted sleep mask. So *** lot of sleep masks, when you wrap them around your head. They can be kind of uncomfortable when you’re laying on your back or on your side. This one really takes away that whole issue. And for *** soft, luxurious splurge, Brook Lennon’s super plush robe starts at $95. The Women’s Health editors are obsessed with this robe because it is really like stepping into *** five-star spa when you get out of the shower. Shopping for someone who loves their home, look no further than these Good Housekeeping approved gifts. The three gifts that we’ve chosen here today for the home are award winners and editor favorites from Good Housekeeping for 2025. 1st, something practical and perfect for anyone with *** green thumb. These $14 Fiskers pruning and gardening shears. This pair of shears from Fisker’s cuts easily. Through stems and branches whether you’re pruning house plants or pruning shrubs outside, we love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with *** lifetime guarantee. Next, *** gift that brings peace of mind, the $75 smoke and carbon monoxide detector from Kitty is Ring App enabled and connects to your smartphone. The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger. And simultaneously sound an alarm through all of the connected detectors in your home. And for the home cook who loves *** clean countertop, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum costs about $89. They’re your batch cooking on Sundays like me or baking for the holidays. We all know what *** mess the kitchen counter and stove can look like after this vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen clean up quick and easy. Looking for something special for the beauty lovers in your life? Cosmopolitan has you covered. Cosmo Beauty editors test products all year long. We’re always researching, reviewing, swiping, swatching all of the newest beauty launches. Let’s start small and affordable with *** perfect stocking stuffer. These $9 lip balms from EELF come in tons of colors. You can use them on your own or layered over ***. Lip pencil for *** fun lip combo, but really great stocking stuffer at $9. You can’t go wrong. Next, Dazzle Dry’s fast track mini kit for $39 you’ll get salon quality nails at home. So on average, you’ll get 10 days out of *** Dazzle Dry Manny. You can do it at home. It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally 5 minutes for that fresh from the salon blowout. Multi-stylers are having *** major moment. The T3 Air is *** splurge at $250 but that’s half the price of *** Dyson Airwrap. So there’s one base, and then there’s all these interchangeable parts. This is the blow dryer, round brush, really good for *** bouncy blowout, and then two interchangeable curling wands, super easy to use, works on all hair types, and also comes in three really cute colors. Shopping for the outdoorsmen or woman in your life, Men’s Health has *** few solid picks to choose from. all year long at Men’s Health, our team is testing the latest and greatest in new gear. Like these tumblers, Arctic has been one of Men’s Health’s top cooler brands for years. Now they have *** $20 to $25 happy hour collection. What I love about these is that they’re. Insulated, that means that anything you’re putting into them, whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste for camping trips, the $40 Coast voice control lantern is *** great find. Now these things can operate with *** button press, but you can also activate this little one here and say coast red. And it changes for you and for *** sensible splurge, the Amaze Fit Active 2 smartwatch costs about $100. *** lot of guys on staff have these, including myself. Set up is *** cinch. It’s incredibly easy to navigate and it has *** 160+ workout mode so you can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy in your life.
The ultimate editor-approved holiday gift guide
Our experts from Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and Delish share their top holiday gift picks.
Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We teamed up with editors from Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Delish to round up thoughtful, top-tested gifts for everyone on your list. Cosmopolitan-approved gifts for the beauty lover For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said. For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.” For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.” Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes. For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said. Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief. To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said. Foodie gifts loved by Delish For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said. Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.
For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan.
If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said.
For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.
Elf Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm
Dazzle Dry Fast Track Cherry Mini Kit
Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts
If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.”
For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.
For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.”
Happy Hour Lowball Tumbler
RTIC Happy Hour Pint Tumbler
Coast EAL35R Voice Control Lantern
Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health
To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes.
For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.
If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said.
Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray
Laundress Activewear Fabric Spray
Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe
Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping
For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief.
To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.
For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said.
Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears
Kidde Ring App Enabled Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector
KitchenAid Go™ Cordless Kitchen Vacuum
Foodie gifts loved by Delish
For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.
For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.
For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said.
Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender
Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket
williams-sonoma.com
$29.95
Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.
Know someone who lives in their kitchen. These delicious proof tools make mealtime simpler and make great gifts. I’m going to show you three amazing products, ones we’ve tested, we just love, and they’re unbelievably versatile. First, this warming mat is great for holiday parties and buffets and costs about $40 on Amazon. The temperature, set the timer for it to shut off. This is *** must, must have, especially if you’re doing *** lot of cooking. It’s it’s the holidays and you’ve got big pots and you don’t have much space. If you’re always on the go, check out NutriBullet’s $70 portable rechargeable blender. You can even use your laptop to charge it. You’re at your desk the middle of the day. You’re like, you know what, it’s smoothie time. And what is totally awesome is you don’t have to lug around this the base, the base and just take this. It’s done, boom. Finally, this space saving collapsible steamer and strainer from Williams Sonoma costs just under $30. It pops open like this, and you can either use it to steam or you can fully immerse whatever food you want to cook. Give the gift of self-care. Women’s Health has you covered with gift suggestions that are equal parts relaxing and thoughtful. We have curated *** few of our favorite gifts and products that will make an amazing present for anyone in your life that needs *** little extra rest or relaxation, and don’t we all? First up, the $19 Beauty Sleep fabric spray from Laundreist. Put it on your pillow for *** calming effect before bed. This is *** very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster. There’s also an active wear version that is great for refreshing gym clothes. Next, Nodpod’s $38 weighted sleep mask. So *** lot of sleep masks, when you wrap them around your head. They can be kind of uncomfortable when you’re laying on your back or on your side. This one really takes away that whole issue. And for *** soft, luxurious splurge, Brook Lennon’s super plush robe starts at $95. The Women’s Health editors are obsessed with this robe because it is really like stepping into *** five-star spa when you get out of the shower. Shopping for someone who loves their home, look no further than these Good Housekeeping approved gifts. The three gifts that we’ve chosen here today for the home are award winners and editor favorites from Good Housekeeping for 2025. 1st, something practical and perfect for anyone with *** green thumb. These $14 Fiskers pruning and gardening shears. This pair of shears from Fisker’s cuts easily. Through stems and branches whether you’re pruning house plants or pruning shrubs outside, we love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with *** lifetime guarantee. Next, *** gift that brings peace of mind, the $75 smoke and carbon monoxide detector from Kitty is Ring App enabled and connects to your smartphone. The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger. And simultaneously sound an alarm through all of the connected detectors in your home. And for the home cook who loves *** clean countertop, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum costs about $89. They’re your batch cooking on Sundays like me or baking for the holidays. We all know what *** mess the kitchen counter and stove can look like after this vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen clean up quick and easy. Looking for something special for the beauty lovers in your life? Cosmopolitan has you covered. Cosmo Beauty editors test products all year long. We’re always researching, reviewing, swiping, swatching all of the newest beauty launches. Let’s start small and affordable with *** perfect stocking stuffer. These $9 lip balms from EELF come in tons of colors. You can use them on your own or layered over ***. Lip pencil for *** fun lip combo, but really great stocking stuffer at $9. You can’t go wrong. Next, Dazzle Dry’s fast track mini kit for $39 you’ll get salon quality nails at home. So on average, you’ll get 10 days out of *** Dazzle Dry Manny. You can do it at home. It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally 5 minutes for that fresh from the salon blowout. Multi-stylers are having *** major moment. The T3 Air is *** splurge at $250 but that’s half the price of *** Dyson Airwrap. So there’s one base, and then there’s all these interchangeable parts. This is the blow dryer, round brush, really good for *** bouncy blowout, and then two interchangeable curling wands, super easy to use, works on all hair types, and also comes in three really cute colors. Shopping for the outdoorsmen or woman in your life, Men’s Health has *** few solid picks to choose from. all year long at Men’s Health, our team is testing the latest and greatest in new gear. Like these tumblers, Arctic has been one of Men’s Health’s top cooler brands for years. Now they have *** $20 to $25 happy hour collection. What I love about these is that they’re. Insulated, that means that anything you’re putting into them, whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste for camping trips, the $40 Coast voice control lantern is *** great find. Now these things can operate with *** button press, but you can also activate this little one here and say coast red. And it changes for you and for *** sensible splurge, the Amaze Fit Active 2 smartwatch costs about $100. *** lot of guys on staff have these, including myself. Set up is *** cinch. It’s incredibly easy to navigate and it has *** 160+ workout mode so you can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy in your life.
The ultimate editor-approved holiday gift guide
Our experts from Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and Delish share their top holiday gift picks.
Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We teamed up with editors from Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Delish to round up thoughtful, top-tested gifts for everyone on your list. Cosmopolitan-approved gifts for the beauty lover For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said. For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.” For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.” Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes. For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said. Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief. To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said. Foodie gifts loved by Delish For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said. Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.
For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan.
If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said.
For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.
Elf Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm
Dazzle Dry Fast Track Cherry Mini Kit
Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts
If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.”
For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.
For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.”
Happy Hour Lowball Tumbler
RTIC Happy Hour Pint Tumbler
Coast EAL35R Voice Control Lantern
Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health
To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes.
For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.
If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said.
Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray
Laundress Activewear Fabric Spray
Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe
Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping
For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief.
To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.
For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said.
Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears
Kidde Ring App Enabled Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector
KitchenAid Go™ Cordless Kitchen Vacuum
Foodie gifts loved by Delish
For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.
For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.
For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said.
Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender
Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket
williams-sonoma.com
$29.95
Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.
Once you’ve decided which Apple iPad you want, the next step is finding the right accessories. For getting work done, you’ll likely want a mouse and keyboard. For drawing and note-taking, a stylus is the obvious choice, but we also recommend a paper-like screen protector for added texture. Power banks let you recharge your slate whenever you need to and a hub helps you get the most out of your iPad’s processing power with connections for wired peripherals. After testing (and owning) iPads over the years, we’ve singled out a dozen-plus accessories that help expand what Apple’s tablets can do.
Which iPad generation do you own?
Before you splurge on a bunch of accessories, you should double check which iPad generation you own. There are a couple of ways to do this: first, you can check the back of your tablet for its model number, which will start with an “A” and end with a series of numbers. You can also go into Settings on your iPad, then General and look up the model number in the top section. If you see a series of letters and numbers with a slash (“/“) in it, just tap that to reveal the iPad’s true model number.
The most important iPad details to consider before buying accessories are the charging port, screen size and Apple Pencil compatibility. Most iPads now have USB-C charging, save for the 9th-gen iPad that still uses a Lightning connector (and is on the way out anyway). Make sure to double check your iPad’s screen size before buying a case or a screen protector. As for the Apple Pencil, check out this guide to how to choose the right Apple Pencil to make sure you’re getting the right one for the tablet you have.
Best iPad accessories for 2024
OtterBox
Otterbox is an expert when it comes to protection, as seen with their phone cases, but its Symmetry Series 360 series shows that it has design chops, too. Symmetry cases look similar to the Apple’s Smart Cover, but the clear, scratch-resistant back is sturdy without adding a lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the edge protection is substantial, so you won’t have to worry about damage from the inevitable, accidental bumps your tablet takes. I also like the extra flap Otterbox added that keeps the iPad screen cover closed and holds the second-generation Apple Pencil to the side of the iPad Pros. Symmetry Series 360 cases are available for most iPad models, and while they’re more expensive than some no-name iPad case you might find on Amazon, they’re worth it if you want a great balance of protection and style.
Speaking of cheaper iPad cases that fill up Amazon’s search result pages, some that are actually worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. If you like the look and feel of Apple’s Smart Cover, but don’t want to drop $50-plus on one, both of these brands have dupes that give you that style at a fraction of the cost of the first-party option. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor
Of the plethora of iPad stands I’ve used, Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is the one that has come closest to perfect. The “duo” in the name refers to the fact that the gadget can either prop your iPad up using an arm attached to a weighted base, or the same arm just attached to a desk or table using its included clamp. The stand comes fully assembled on the weighted base, but it’s pretty easy to switch to the clamp thanks to the included instructions and basic tools in the box. If you spring for the latest model, it’ll be even easier thanks to a new quick-switch tab that lets you swap between the weighted base and the clamp attachment with any extra tools.
It wasn’t hard to secure my 11-inch iPad Pro in the vice-grip that is the HoverBar Duo’s tablet clip, although it did take some force to move the arm into the right position. That’s probably for the best because it showed how strong the arm is; it stayed in place without buckling, sliding down or otherwise breaking a sweat. I mostly used the HoverBar Duo with the clamp attachment, which allowed me to use my iPad Pro as a secondary screen while working. The included clamp should fit most desks and tables too, as it can accommodate surface thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.
If you’re willing to sacrifice flexibility for something more elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad may be a good fit. It’s made of a single piece of aluminum with a ledge for your iPad and a few well-placed cutouts that you can snake a charging cable through. The ledge is also wide enough to accommodate most iPad cases. It may not be foldable or adjustable, but its minimalist design will make it an attractive addition to your desk. — V.P.
One of the best Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used recently is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed specifically for the iPad, but it works quite well with it. It combines a lot of the ergonomics and the general look and feel of the MX lineup into a compact and portable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s slightly raised due to its top bar, plus comfortable backlit keys that are a dream to type on. The backlight is one of my favorite features because it automatically comes on when it senses your hands getting close to the keyboard. That way it only stays illuminated when you’re typing, conserving battery life in the long run. Logitech estimates the Keys Mini will last up to 10 days, depending on backlight use, or up to five months without any backlight use.
Logitech’s $100 MX Keys Mini may be on the expensive side, but it’s one that could be both your iPad keyboard and your main desk typing device. It can connect to up to three devices at the same time, allowing you to swap between them quickly with just a press of a key, and it has a few other handy keys too like one that brings up the emoji picker and another that mutes your microphone (quite useful on Zoom calls). But if you want an iPad keyboard that’s even more affordable, or even thinner, we still like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve recommended in the past and you can usually find for between $50 and $70. — V.P.
If you really want to indulge, Apple’s own Magic Keyboard is the way to go. This expensive keyboard case magnetically attaches to the latest iPad Pros and keeps them “floating” above the keyboard and trackpad. We praised the Magic Keyboard for its typing comfort and precise trackpad, but dinged it for its limited range of motion. It’s easily the fanciest keyboard case available for the iPad and it’s one to consider if money is no object — or if you want the most stylish iPad keyboard money can buy. — V.P.
This likely won’t come as a surprise, but the Apple Pencil Pro is the best stylus you can get for the iPad. All models of the Apple Pencil are designed to work specifically with iPads and it shows in their smooth writing performance. The latest stylus has a double-tap feature that you can customize to a certain degree, and pressure-sensitivity allows you to add as much or as little detail as you want to digital artwork. Plus, it still supports wireless charging when you snap it magnetically to the side of your tablet. I highly recommend shelling out the extra money for an Apple Pencil if you’re an artist — you won’t be disappointed. — V.P.
There are other options that are more affordable than the Apple Pencil, though, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s just as good in terms of latency and accuracy — drawing in Procreate was a lag-free experience and my strokes always ended up exactly where I wanted them to be – and it’s even more grippy by default thanks to its oval-shaped design. But as someone who primarily uses an Apple Pencil for digital art, I missed pressure sensitivity when using the Crayon.
Aside from that, the other biggest annoyance is that you have to use a Lightning or USB-C cable to charge it. (Even the newest model for the iPad Pros doesn’t magnetically attach to the tablet for charging.) While I wouldn’t suggest the Crayon for serious artists, I would recommend it for anyone who’s on a strict budget, especially digital journal-keepers, committed note-takers and the like. — V.P.
We called Logitech’s MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse.” It’s light at just 95 grams and the buttons are nearly silent so you won’t bug anyone in the room with your furious clicking. The improved 8K DPI optical sensor works on just about any surface — including, for example, the upholstered arm of your couch. Depending on the color you pick, the MX Anywhere 3S is made from between 61 and 78 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. And the rechargeable battery lasts around 70 days on a charge. This generation doesn’t include a USB dongle (which wouldn’t work with your iPad anyway) but we never noticed any lag in Bluetooth performance in our tests anyway. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter
Working at a computer can be a pain in the neck (literally), so I wanted a way to play with my iPad after work without having to lift my head off the couch. Sure, I could use my arms, but that gets tiring. This Tablift iPad holder looks a little funny, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, but it works exactly as I’d hoped. The adjustable legs are repositionable but quite sturdy once they’re in place, and three slots hold your tablet at different angles, including a forward-leaning one that’s particularly nice for lying down. It’s a little bulky, so I curl up the legs and store it under my couch. The slots and securing clip perform best if your device is naked, though I’ve been able to use it with a Smart Folio attached with little issue. — A.S.
If you plan on pushing your iPad Pro to its limits as a daily driver, you’ll probably need more than the tablet’s single USB-C port. Apple has provided little guidance to which USB-C hubs and adapters work best with the iPad Pros — there’s no MFi certification for accessories like this yet. Some hubs specifically advertise that they work with the newest iPad Pros, and if you want to be extra safe, I recommend buying one of those that comes from a reputable brand.
Satechi’s $100 Aluminum Stand and Hub is a favorite for its foldable design and how it packs ports and charging capabilities into a compact iPad accessory. The holder itself rotates outward, revealing a hidden, attached USB-C cable and a rubber bumper that keeps the stand in place in your desk. On the back edge are a 4K HDMI socket, one USB-A port, a headphone jack, both SD and microSD card slots and a 60W USB-C connection for charging.
I liked the versatility of Satechi’s hub. I could easily use it when I needed to prop my iPad up to watch a YouTube video, and by just plugging in the attached cable, I could switch to using my iPad as more of a work device with all of the necessary connectors in place. It’s also surprisingly light at 10 ounces. Combine that with its foldable design and you have a full-featured hub that can easily be stuffed in a bag. — V.P.
Not everyone needs, or wants, to spend $100 on a dock for their iPad. (If you’re using it as a laptop replacement, it’s worth the investment.) If you’d rather spend less, or just want something a bit more lightweight, Anker’s 7-in-1 USB-C hub is a good choice. It has most ports that you could ever want, with the only exception being an Ethernet jack. The slim dongle houses two USB-A ports, two USB-C connections, SD and microSD card slots and a 4K/30Hz HDMI port. We also like that it provides up to 85W of pass-through charging, which means you can power up your iPad while using Anker’s hub as the main connector between the tablet and its charging cable. Anker makes a couple of versions of this hub, including one that does have that coveted Ethernet port, but it’s hard to beat $35 for the standard 7-in-1 model. — V.P.
Apple and other tech companies are increasingly leaving wall adapters out of their devices’ boxes, so it’s worth picking up a couple that can handle charging a couple of pieces of tech as quickly as possible. Anker’s 45W Nano II GaN adapter is a good one because it can fast-charge iPhones and iPads, plus the gallium nitride technology built into it helps prevent overheating. In just a half hour of charging, I got about a 33 percent boost in battery life on my 11-inch iPad Pro when using this accessory. Gallium nitride is also a big reason why the 45W adapter is smaller than a lot of competing adapters available now, including Apple’s. We also like its foldable design, which will allow it to fit better in cramped spaces and in travel bags. — V.P.
Of all the power banks we tested, the Nimble Champ Pro was the second fastest to refill an iPad. The fastest overall was Mophie’s massive Powerstation Pro, but that one is really overkill if you’re just using it for a tablet. The Champ Pro, on the other hand, has a slim profile, a handy carrying strap and two USB-C ports. On a fifth-generation iPad Air, it moved the battery gauge from five percent to full in under two hours — and it still had enough juice leftover to give it another 75 percent bump. This is the pack I grab when I’m enjoying my iPad on the couch and don’t want to get up to revive its dying battery. — A.S.
If you’re a heavy user of the Apple Pencil or some other stylus, you should consider getting a screen protector for your new iPad. They pull double-duty: Not only do they act as a first line of defense if your iPad goes careening onto concrete, but they can also enhance the digital drawing and writing experience. Using a stylus on an iPad is strange at first because gliding the stylus nib over a glass surface feels nothing like “normal” writing. Matte screen protectors can get closer to replicating the pen-on-paper experience, and they also prevent the stylus nib from wearing down as quickly.
Paperlike
Paperlike is the most popular brand in this space, with matte screen protectors for every model of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and includes guide stickers to help you get the protector positioned properly. The two-pack typically sells for $40 ro $45, depending on the size of your iPad. For something a little cheaper, Bersem’s screen protectors are a great value at $11 for a pack of two. Not only does the matte finish help when you’re drawing or taking digital notes, but it also reduces screen glare and doesn’t interfere with FaceID on the newest iPads. — A.S.
Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has the most satisfying texture of the paper-feel screen protectors I’ve tried. The blur is minimal and the friction between the stylus and the screen is just right for drawing. I miraculously managed to get the Bellemond affixed with minimal bubbles after watching the video linked with the QR code on the box. Two sheets come in a pack, so you can revert to a naked screen for a while then go back to the paper-feel down the road. If you’d like a little more help with proper placement of your screen protector, you might appreciate Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for application. It’s also made from a polymer designed to absorb and protect your screen from impact. — A.S.
All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers that you can reposition make solid alternatives. They offer texture when you’re drawing or writing, but you can remove them easily when you want to watch Star Trek with full clarity. The PenMat from PenTips uses thin magnets along the edges to affix the film to your screen and comes with a plastic sleeve to store the cover when you’re not using it. Application and removal is dead simple, and also, there are no bubbles! The hold is surprisingly secure and the mat has a pleasing, velvety texture. I did notice a few faint squeaks when drawing with the Pencil, which didn’t bother me but might bug those who are sensitive to sounds. — A.S.
Good laptops can do everything desktop computers can do, plus they fit in a backpack when it’s time to work or play elsewhere. One notable difference, though, is the number of ports on a portable computer versus a tower setup. If you want extensive connectivity when you’re at your desk, while still reserving the ability to pack up and go at a moment’s notice, docking stations can get you there. Relying on just one USB-C port on your laptop and a DC power supply, a docking station lets you plug in your wired mice and keyboards, hook up a monitor with HDMI or DisplayPort jacks and transfer data to external drives and SD cards. Determining the best docking station depends on exactly which ports you need and whether the supported standards of each port will deliver the speeds or resolutions you’re looking for. We tested more than 15 highly rated docks to help you determine the best laptop docking station for your needs.
What to look for in a docking station
First and foremost, consider what you need to plug in. This will likely be the deciding factor when you go to actually buy a docking station. Do you need three screens for an expanded work view? A quick way to upload photos from an SD card? Are you looking to plug in a webcam, mic and streaming light, while simultaneously taking advantage of faster Ethernet connections? Once you’ve settled on the type of ports you need, you may also want to consider the generation of those ports as well; even ports with the same shape can have different capabilities. Here’s a brief overview of the connectivity different docking stations offer.
Monitor ports
External monitors typically need one of three ports to connect to a PC: HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C. HDMI connections are more common than DisplayPort and the cables and devices that use them are sometimes more affordable. The most popular version of the DisplayPort interface (v1.4) can handle higher resolutions and refresh rates than the most common HDMI version (2.0). All of the docking stations with HDMI ports that we recommend here use version 2.0, which can handle 4K resolution at 60Hz or 1080p up to 240Hz. The DisplayPort-enabled docks support either version 1.2, which allows for 4K resolution at 60Hz, or version 1.4, which can handle 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz.
You can also use your dock’s downstream (non-host) Thunderbolt ports to hook up your monitors. If your external display has a USB-C socket, you can connect directly. If you have an HDMI or DisplayPort-only monitor, you can use an adapter or a conversion cable.
Of course, the number of monitors you can connect and the resolutions/rates they’ll achieve depend on both your computer’s GPU and your monitors — and the more monitors you plug in can bring down those numbers as well. Be sure to also use cables that support the bandwidth you’re hoping for. MacOS users should keep in mind that MacBooks with the standard M1 or M2 chips support just one external monitor natively and require DisplayLink hardware and software to support two external displays. MacBooks with M1 Pro, M2 Pro or M2 Max chips can run multiple monitors from a single port.
USB ports
Most docking stations offer a few USB Type-A ports, which are great for peripherals like wired mice and keyboards, bus-powered ring lights and flash drives. For faster data transfer speeds to your flash drive, go for USB-A sockets labeled 3.1 or 3.2 — or better yet, use a USB-C Thunderbolt port.
Type-C USB ports come in many different flavors. The Thunderbolt 3, 4 and USB4 protocols are newer, more capable specifications that support power delivery of up to 100W, multiple 4K displays and data transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps. Other USB-C ports come in a range of versions, with some supporting video, data and power and some only able to manage data and power. Transfer rates and wattages can vary from port to port, but most docks list the wattage or GB/s on either the dock itself or on the product page. And again, achieving the fastest speeds will depend on factors like the cables you use and the devices you’re transferring data to.
Nearly every dock available today connects to a computer via USB-C, often Thunderbolt, and those host ports are nearly always labeled with a laptop icon. They also allow power delivery to your laptop: available wattage varies, but most docks are rated between 85 and 100 watts. That should be enough to keep most computers powered — and it also means you won’t have to take up an extra laptop connector for charging.
Other ports
None of our currently recommended laptops include an Ethernet jack; a docking station is a great way to get that connection back. We all know objectively that wired internet is faster than Wi-Fi, but it might take running a basic speed comparison test to really get it on a gut level. For reference, on Wi-Fi I get about a 45 megabit-per-second download speed. Over Ethernet, it’s 925 Mbps. If you pay for a high-speed plan, but only ever connect wirelessly, you’re probably leaving a lot of bandwidth on the table. Every docking station I tested includes an Ethernet port, and it could be the connector you end up getting the most use out of.
Just two of our favorite laptops have SD card readers, and if you need a quick way to upload files from cameras or audio recorders, you may want to get a dock with one of those slots. Of the docks we tested, about half had SD readers. For now, most (but not all) laptops still include a 3.5mm audio jack, but if you prefer wired headphones and want a more accessible place to plug them in, many docking stations will provide.
When you’re counting up the ports for your new dock, remember that most companies include the host port (the one that connects to your computer) in the total number. So if you’re looking for a dock with three Thunderbolt connections, be sure to check whether one of them will be used to plug in your laptop.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Design
Most docking stations have either a lay-flat or upright design. Most docks put the more “permanent” connections in back — such as Ethernet, DC power, monitor connections and a few USBs. Up-front USB ports can be used for flash drive transfers, or even plugging in your phone for a charge (just make sure the port can deliver the power you need). USBs in the rear are best for keyboards, mice, webcams and other things you’re likely to always use. Some docks position the host port up front, which might make it easier to plug in your laptop when you return to your desk, but a host port in back may look neater overall.
How we tested
We started out by looking at online reviews, spec sheets from various brands and docking stations that our fellow tech sites have covered. We considered brands we’ve tested before and have liked, and weeded out anything that didn’t have what we consider a modern suite of connections (such as a dock with no downstream USB-C ports). We narrowed it down to 12 contenders and I tested each dock in a home office, using an M1 MacBook Pro, a Dell XPS 13 Plus and an Acer Chromebook Spin 514. I plugged in and evaluated the quality of the connections for 12 different peripherals including a 4K and an HD monitor, a 4K and an HD webcam, plus USB devices like a mouse, keyboard, streaming light and mic. I plugged in wired earbuds, and transferred data to a USB-C flash drive and an external SSD. I ran basic speed tests on the Ethernet connections as well as the file transfers. I judged how easy the docks were to use as well as the various design factors I described earlier. I made spreadsheets and had enough wires snaking around my work area that my cat stayed off my desk for three weeks (a new record).
Best docking stations
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Host connection: 2 x USB-C | Power delivery to host: 75W (USB-C) | USB-C: 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x 3.1 | USB-A: 2 | Monitor: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 | Aux 3.5mm: No | SD Card: No
The Satechi Dual Dock Stand is different from all the other docks we tested in two respects: it doesn’t require a power source and it goes beneath your MacBook instead of beside it. You could almost classify it as a hub, but I think the high number of ports earns it docking-station status. It plugs into the two USB-C ports at the side of a Mac, which allows MacBooks with M1, M2 or M3 Pro or Max chips to operate dual monitors in extended mode. Unfortunately, MacBooks with standard M1 or M2 chips, can natively only power a second external display in mirrored mode. The new MacBook Air with the M3 chip can only power two displays in extended mode with the laptop lid closed. If you have a Mac with a standard chip and need two monitors, you’ll need a docking station that supports DisplayLink hardware and software, such as the Kensington SD4780P, which is our top pick for Chromebooks.
Since the Dual Dock works without power, it’s a lot easier to set up than other docks with transformer boxes and DC cables. I found it made the most sense to just use the MagSafe connector on the laptop, but you can also supply power to the dock using the non-data USB-C port and it will pass 75 watts to your machine.
Both the 4K and HD monitors I tested looked great and worked well in extended mode. There are two USB-Cs for a webcam and mic, plus two USB-As which could be used for a dongle mouse and a streaming light — that’s likely enough ports for conferencing or even a basic video creator setup. The dock is ultimately limited by the fact that none of the USB-C connections are Thunderbolt and there are only two USB-A sockets to work with. But it’s a great choice for extending productivity in a way that tucks beneath a MacBook, neatly moving the cords to the back of the machine and out of the way.
Pros
Unique design complements MacBooks
Can power two monitors on Macs with M1 Pro or M2 Pro chips
Host connection: Thunderbolt 4 | Power delivery to host: 96W (DC) | USB-C: 3 x TB4 | USB-A: 2 | Monitor: 2 x HDMI 2.0 | Aux 3.5mm: Yes | SD Card: Yes
It’s as though Satechi called me up and asked for the design of my ideal docking station. They didn’t, to be clear, but the manages to get right what so many docks almost do. First off, there are enough downstream USB4 ports to handle a variety of setups, whether you like a monitor array or just want to run a USB-C keyboard at the same time as your webcam and still have a port left over. You also get two HDMI 2.0 connections, an Ethernet jack, two USB-A ports, an SD card slot and a headphone jack.
That’s only a total of 10 downstream ports but for most people they’re the ones that offer the most versatility. The trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports can support up to 8K monitors at 60Hz and 40Gbps data transfers. They can even deliver 15 watts of power if you just need to charge your phone while you work.
You can also hook up your screens via HDMI. MacBook users will need to install the DisplayLink driver to work around Apple’s extended monitor limitations. With the software, even M1 and M2 MacBooks can hook up two external monitors in extended mode. Windows laptops and M2/M3 Pro and Max chips can have up to four extended monitors connected — two via the Thunderbolt ports and two through the HDMI connections (again using DisplayLink tech).
In addition to the goldilocks port selection, the arrangement of those ports is quite logical. From this slim and sleek slab, a host connection lives on one side, allowing for one neat line to your computer. Connections that are likely to stay put (monitors, DC power, Ethernet and Thunderbolts) are all around back, while the jacks you’ll probably switch up more often, such as the USB-A for thumb drives, the 3.5mm jack for headphones and the SD card reader, are in the front. Right next to those is a handy on-off switch, so you can easily turn off all your peripherals at night to reduce your power draw.
The dock delivers on the promise of its clever port selection and arrangement. My dual extended monitors looked great and achieved the advertised refresh rates and resolutions, the data transfers were smoking quick and I was able to (finally) fully connect my very basic setup without compromise: Two monitors, a webcam, streaming light, microphone, keyboard and mouse. I did notice my 4K monitor had the slightest lag when the second monitor was plugged in, but it was minor and only noticeable when displaying the webcam video.
One minor criticism is the DisplayLink and Thunderbolt branding across the front and top. They distract from the otherwise elegant look of the high-end aluminum exterior. One not-so-minor concern is how warm the unit got as I used it over the course of a couple days. At times, it was nearly too hot to hold my hand on comfortably. I never noticed any adverse performance effects as a result, but it’s possible that could become an issue in the long term. As for price, it’s listed at $300; that’s not the most expensive dock we’ve tested, but it’s certainly not the cheapest. But for the performance and thoughtful design, it’s a Thunderbolt dock that could be worth it for a lot of people.
Pros
Excellent array of ports
Ports cleverly arranged
Can support up to four external monitors
DisplayLink driver allows for dual extended monitors on standard-chip MacBooks
Cons
Lay-flat design can take up a lot of desk space without a mount
Host connection: Thunderbolt 4 | Power delivery to host: 98W (DC) | USB-C: 2 x TB4, 3 x 3.2 | USB-A: 5 | Monitor: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 | Aux 3.5mm: 1 x audio combo, 1 x audio in, 1 x audio out | SD Card: SD and microSD
There’s a lot to appreciate about CalDigit’s TS4 docking station: It has a sturdy, upright design with a host connection at the rear and a whopping five downstream USB-C ports, two of which are Thunderbolt 4. Up front, you get an SD and a microSD card slot along with a headphone jack, two USB-C and a USB-A connector. In back, there’s room for four more USB-A devices and two 3.5mm jacks, one for audio in and one for audio out. One area where the dock may feel lacking is in display inputs. It only has one DisplayPort 1.4, but it has plenty of TB4 ports, which you can easily use to outfit a full command center (if you don’t have a USB-C monitor, there are plenty of adapters).
The multi-gig Ethernet jack can handle up to 2.5Gbps, so if you’re paying for a screaming-fast internet plan, this dock can help you take advantage of it. The TS4 can deliver up to 98W of power to your laptop, though like any docking station, the wattage goes down when other items are also drawing power.
The TS4 worked equally well with my MacBook Pro and the Dell XPS13 Plus and was even compatible with a Chromebook. I tested read/write speeds on a Samsung T7 SSD via a Thunderbolt port and got 734 MB/s read and 655 MB/s write speeds on the Mac and 1048/994 on the Dell. Compared to the other docks, that was in the lower-middle range for the Mac and the fastest overall for the PC. On PC, it also handled a 1GB folder transfer to a flash drive faster than any other dock and delivered the fastest connection speeds over the Ethernet. It’s the only unit that let me plug in every single peripheral I had on hand at once. If you’ve got lots of tech you want to use simultaneously (and money isn’t a concern), this is the one to get.
Host connection: USB-C | Power delivery to host: 100W (DC) | USB-C: 1 x 3.1 | USB-A: 5 | Monitor: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DisplayPort 1.2 | Aux 3.5mm: 1 x audio combo | SD Card: No
The Kensington SD4780P Dual 4K typically requires a DisplayLink driver, but any Chromebook made after 2017 supports the connection from the jump. Finding a docking station that works with ChromeOS is tough; of the 12 units I tested, only four connected at all with the Acer Chromebook Spin 514, and one of those four couldn’t run two monitors. The SD4780P uses a USB-C host connection, through which it offers a maximum power delivery of 100W and was able to run both the 4K and HD screens cleanly.
It allows for a wide range of USB-A peripherals through five such ports, but there’s only a single downstream USB-C, so I wasn’t able to use both a webcam and mic at the same time. That means you’ll need to use your Chromebook’s built-in ports if you want more than one of those types of devices set up. The plastic build makes it look a little cheap and I’m not crazy about the lay-flat design, but the host port is in the back, which will make your setup neater. If all you’re looking for is a way to get a few extra monitors and use your wired USB accessories, this is a good pick for Chromebooks.
When I pulled the Plugable TBT4-UDZ Thunderbolt 4 out of the box, I was convinced it would make the cut: It has a practical upright design, an attractive metal finish, and the host connection is TB4. While there are plenty of USB-A and monitor ports, there’s just one downstream USB-C. A modern dock, particularly one that costs $300, should let you run, say, a USB-C cam and mic at the same time. Otherwise, it’s pretty limiting.
Anker 575 USB-C
At $250 (and more often $235), the Anker 575 USB-C could make for a good budget pick for Windows. It performed well with the Dell XPS 13 Plus, but had trouble with the third screen, the 4K webcam and headphone jack when connected to the MacBook Pro. It’s quite compact, which means it can get wobbly when a bunch of cables are plugged in, but it has a good selection of ports and was able to handle my basic setup well.
Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4
Belkin’s Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a contender for a Thunderbolt 4 alternative. It has nearly the same ports as the AD2010 (minus the microSD slot) and an attractive rounded design — but it’s $90 more, so I’d only recommend getting it if you find it on sale.
Acer USB Type-C Dock
Acer’s USB Type-C Dock D501 costs $10 more than our Kensington pick for Chromebooks, but it performs similarly and is worth a mention. It has nearly the same ports (including the rather limiting single downstream USB-C) but both the Ethernet and data transfer speeds were faster.
Docking station FAQs
Are docking stations worth it?
Docking stations are worth it if you have more accessories to plug in than your laptop permits. Say you have a USB-C camera and mic, plus a USB-A mouse, keyboard and streaming light; very few modern laptops have enough connections to support all of that at once. A docking station can make that setup feasible while also giving you extra ports like an Ethernet connection, and supplying power to your laptop. However, if you just need a few extra USB sockets, you might be better off going with a hub, as those tend to be cheaper.
How much does a laptop dock cost?
Laptop docking stations tend to be bigger and more expensive than simple USB-A or USB-C hubs, thanks to the wider array of connections. You can find them as low as $50 and they can get as expensive as $450. A reasonable price for a dock with a good selection of ports from a reputable brand will average around $200.
How do I set up my laptop dock?
Most docking stations are plug and play. First, connect the DC power cable to the dock and a wall outlet. Then look for the “host” or upstream port on the dock — it’s almost always a USB-C/Thunderbolt port and often branded with an icon of a laptop. Use the provided cable to connect to your computer. After that, you can connect your peripherals to the dock and they should be ready to use with your laptop. A few docking stations, particularly those that handle more complex monitor setups, require a driver. The instructions that come with your dock will point you to a website where you can download that companion software.
Does a laptop charge on a docking station?
Nearly all docking stations allow you to charge your laptop through the host connection (the cable running from the dock to your computer). That capability, plus the higher number of ports is what separates a docking station from a hub. Docks can pass on between 65W and 100W of power to laptops, and nearly all include a DC adapter.
Are all docking stations compatible with all laptops?
No, not all docking stations are compatible with every laptop. In our tests, the Chromebook had the biggest compatibility issues, the Dell PC had the least, and the MacBook fell somewhere in between. All docks will list which brands and models they work with on the online product page — be sure to also check the generation of your laptop as some docks can’t support certain chips.
What are some popular docking station brands?
Kensington, Anker, Pluggable and Belkin are reputable and well-known brands making docking stations for all laptops. Lenovo, Dell and HP all make docks that will work with their own computers as well as other brands.
New Bluetooth earbuds are arriving nearly every week nowadays, and while all of that variety can be good for your wallet, deciding which pair is best can also be tricky. After considering things like active noise cancellation (ANC), sound quality and design, the next deliberation is over unique features that big companies like Sony, Bose, Apple and Samsung put in their products. I test dozens of sets of earbuds a year for Engadget, constantly pitting new models against the previous best across all price ranges to keep this list of the best true wireless earbuds up to date. This guide explains why my current selections for the best wireless earbuds made the cut, and offers some shopping advice in terms of everything you need to know before choosing the best true wireless earbuds for your needs.
Battery life: 8 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
With the WF-1000XM5 flagship earbuds, Sony improves its already formidable mix of great sound, effective ANC and handy features. These earbuds are undoubtedly the company’s best and most comfortable design of its 1000X models so far, which was one of the few remaining riddles Sony needed to solve. Sony still manages to pack in more features than anyone else too, including trademark ones like adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat. Add in upgraded drivers, new chips, eight hours of battery life and significant improvements to sound quality and these are Sony’s best earbuds yet. But all of the advancements come at a cost: these are also Sony’s most expensive set of wireless earbuds in the 1000X lineup.
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are a huge improvement over the previous models. These buds have improved sound quality and active noise cancellation, while maintaining all of the conveniences that make AirPods the best earbud option for iPhone, iOS and Mac. When we reviewed them, we found the most impressive feature to be transparency mode, which is more natural sounding than any other earbuds by a mile. You can leave these in during a conversation and it’s like you’re not even wearing them. Of course, fast pairing, hands-free Siri, spatial audio, good battery life, and now, a USB-C charging case that can also power up wirelessly will also come in handy.
Battery life: 11 hours, up to 31 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Google has hit its stride when it comes to true wireless earbuds. Every new model the company introduces is an improvement after its first attempt failed to impress. With the Pixel Buds Pro, Google offers deep, punchy bass, solid ANC performance, reliable touch controls and wireless charging, all in an IPX4-rated package that will be great for Android users. Plus, there are added convenience features for Android and Pixel devices including Google Translate Conversation Mode.
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 26 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP57 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro borrow heavily from Apple’s AirPods Pro in both looks and features. However, Samsung did well to make things like Adaptive ANC and voice commands work well. Some features like Voice Detect could still use some fine tuning, but there’s a lot to like here beyond the basic functionality.
The truly surprising thing about the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is the sound quality. There is some thick, boomy bass when you need it with plenty of crisp detail to complement it. This model really shines when you pair it with a Samsung device to unlock 24-bit HiFi streaming. There’s also a natural-sounding transparency mode that keeps you from feeling shouty during calls.
Battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
The Anker Soundcore Space A40 offer the kind of features you’d expect from wireless earbuds that cost twice as much: ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, IPX4 water resistance, a transparency mode, eight to ten hours of battery life and LDAC support. When we tested them, we found their warm sound to be pleasing right out of the box, but Anker’s companion app makes it easy to customize the EQ curve if needed. And while their ANC isn’t quite as effective at reducing background noise as our top picks, it’s still effective for a noisy office or long flight. For $80 or so, this is a superb value. – Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Since the company introduced the first model, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds have consistently provided the best noise cancellation out of all the wireless buds we’ve tested. It’s not surprising that its most-recent version, the QC Ultra Earbuds, only improved in ANC performance. However, the bigger story here is that Bose finally has the audio chops to compete with the best earbuds thanks to its new Immersive Audio tech. The feature brings spatial audio to all by not requiring specially-made content to use it. Rather than employ music and movies where the sound is coming from all directions, QC Ultra Earbuds put you in the middle of the acoustic “sweet spot” by relying heavily on virtualization. A dedicated gesture for volume controls, better-than-advertised battery life and customization settings round out the spec sheet.
Pros
Stellar ANC
Spatial audio doesn’t require special content
Upgrades with no price increase
Cons
Earbuds are still big
Immersive Audio significantly impacts battery life
Battery life: 7 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Once again, Sennheiser has retained the top spot on this list in terms of pure sound quality. Sure, you’ll find better ANC performance from Bose and a longer list of features from Sony. But the Momentum True Wireless 4 has great detail and clarity. It delivers warm, inviting sound that is enjoyable to listen to for hours on end and even though the bass is boomy when it needs to be, it never overpowers. Those pairing to Android devices can enjoy high-res audio thanks to compatibility with Snapdragon Sound, while the iPhone faithful will get the best experience with Apple Music – especially on Dolby Atmos tracks.
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Most of the best AirPods features in a set of workout earbuds? That’s the Beats Fit Pro. Thanks to Apple’s H1 chip, these buds offer one-touch quick pairing, hands-free Siri and Find My tools. They’ll also allow you to use Audio Sharing with an Apple device and another set of AirPods or Beats wireless headphones for tandem listening or viewing. Balanced and punchy bass will keep the energy up during workouts while good noise cancellation, an IPX4 rating and comfy silicone ear tips make these a solid option outside of the gym too. And there’s plenty of support for Android devices, so these aren’t just a good buy for iOS users either.
Pros
Comfortable design
Good ANC
H1 chip offers quick pairing and switching between Apple devices
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 20 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
One of the biggest surprises this year wasn’t Sony’s unique open-wear LinkBuds, it was the more mainstream follow-up. With the LinkBuds S, the company debuted a more traditionally designed pair of earbuds akin to its premium WF-1000XM4, only this model is much smaller and lighter which leads to a much more comfy fit. These tiny wireless earbuds muster some punch when it comes to sound quality too and support for high-res listening (LDAC and DSEE Extreme) are both onboard. Capable ANC lends a hand with environmental noise and transparency mode can keep you tuned in when needed. What’s more, handy Speak-to-Chat is here and Adaptive Sound Control can automatically change settings based on activity or location. That’s a lot of premium features at a mid-range price.
When it comes to shopping for earbuds, the first thing to consider is design or wear style. Do you prefer a semi-open fit like AirPods or do you want something that completely closes off your ears? If you’re shopping for earbuds with active noise cancellation, you’ll want the latter, but a case can be made for the former if you want to wear them all day or frequent places where you need to be tuned in to the ambient sounds. The overall shape of earbuds can determine whether you get a comfortable fit, so can the size and weight, so you’ll want to consider all that before deciding. And remember: audio companies aren’t perfect, so despite lots of research, the earbud shape they decided on may not fit you well. Don’t be afraid to return ill-fitting earbuds for something that’s more comfortable.
As wireless earbuds have become the norm, they’re now more reliable for basic things like consistent Bluetooth connectivity. Companies are still in a race to pack as much as they can into increasingly smaller designs. This typically means a longer list of features on the more premium sets of earbuds with basic functionality on the cheapest models. Carefully consider what you can’t live without when selecting your next earbuds, and make sure key items like automatic pausing and multipoint connectivity are on the spec sheet. You’ll also want to investigate the volume controls as you’ll often have to sacrifice access to something else to make that adjustment via on-board taps or swipes.
When it comes to battery life, the average set of earbuds lasts about five hours on a single charge. You can find sets that last longer, but this is likely enough to get you through a work day if you’re docking the buds during lunch or the occasional meeting. You’ll want to check on how many extra charges are available via the case and if it supports wireless charging.
Companies will also make lofty claims about call quality on wireless earbuds. Despite lots of promises, the reality is most earbuds still leave you sounding like you’re on speakerphone. There are some sets that deliver, but don’t get your hopes up unless reviews confirm the claims.
Sound can be subjective, so we recommend trying before you buy if at all possible. We understand this isn’t easy at a time when we’re doing most of our shopping online. But trying on a set of earbuds and listening to them for a few minutes can save you from an expensive case of buyer’s remorse. If a store doesn’t allow a quick demo, most retailers have return policies that will let you take earbuds back you don’t like. Of course, you have to be willing to temporarily part with funds in order to do this.
We also recommend paying attention to things like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio and other immersive formats. Not all earbuds support them, so you’ll want to make sure a perspective pair does if that sort of thing excites you.
How we test wireless Bluetooth earbuds
The primary way we test earbuds is to wear them as much as possible. We prefer to do this over a one- to two-week period, but sometimes embargoes don’t allow it. During this time, we listen to a mix of music and podcasts, while also using the earbuds to take both voice and video calls. Since battery life for earbuds is typically less than a full day, we drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent).
To judge audio quality, we listen to a range of genres, noting any differences in the sound profile across the styles. We also test at both low and high volumes to check for consistency in the tuning. To assess call quality, we’ll record audio samples with the earbuds’ microphones as well as have third parties call us.
When it comes to features, we do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as we work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double checked for improvements or regression. If the earbuds we’re testing are an updated version of a previous model, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older buds. Ditto for the closest competition for each new set of earbuds that we review.
Other wireless Bluetooth earbuds we tested
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
The Galaxy Buds 3 combine ANC with an open-type design, which renders the noise-blocking abilities of the earbuds mostly useless. Still, there’s great low-end tone with ample bass when a track demands it. There are also lots of handy features, most of which require a Samsung phone. But at this price, there are better options from Google, Beats and Sony
Sennheiser Momentum Sport
I really like the overall shape of the Momentum Sport earbuds. They’re more comfortable than the Momentum True Wireless 4 and fit in my ears better. What’s more, the body temperature and heart rate sensors work well, sending those stats to a variety of apps. However, that sport-tracking feature works best with Polar’s app and devices, so there’s that consideration. Also, the audio quality and ANC performance isn’t as good as the MTW4, and these earbuds are pricey.
Beats Solo Buds
There’s a lot to like about the Solo Buds for $80. For me, the primary perk is they’re very comfortable to wear for long periods of time thanks to some thoughtful design considerations. You only get the basics here in terms of features and, as expected, the overall sound quality isn’t as good as the pricier models in the Beats lineup. You will get 18 hours of battery life though, since the company nixed the battery in the case and beefed up the listening time in the buds themselves.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Bose created something very unique for this set of earbuds that allows you to stay in-tune with the world while listening to audio content. The clip-on design is very comfortable, but sound quality suffers due to the open-type fit, especially when it comes to bass and spatial audio.
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7
These stick buds have a compact design that’s comfortable to wear and the warm sound profile is great at times. However, overall audio performance is inconsistent and there’s no automatic pausing.
Master & Dynamic MW09
Retooled audio, better ambient sound mode and reliable multipoint Bluetooth are the best things the MW09 has to offer. They’re expensive though, and you can find better ANC performance elsewhere.
Beats Studio Buds +
Updates to sound, ANC and battery life top the spec sheet here, and the new clear color option has some throwback energy I love. But there are some basic features missing, and Beats doesn’t come close to Apple’s natural audio quality in transparency mode.
JBL Tour Pro 2
These earbuds are feature-packed, including a touchscreen “smart case.” They aren’t the most consistent in terms of overall performance though, and I’m not convinced that case provides a lot of utility just yet.
Wireless earbud FAQs
What is considered good battery life for true wireless earbuds?
Most wireless earbuds will last five hours on a single charge, at the least. You can find some pairs that have even better battery life, lasting between six and eight hours before they need more juice. All of the best wireless earbuds come with a charging case, which will provide additional hours of battery life — but you’ll have to return each bud to the case in order to charge them up.
Is sound quality better on headphones or earbuds?
Comparing sound quality on earbuds and headphones is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. There are a lot of variables to consider and the differences in components make a direct comparison difficult. Personally, I prefer the audio quality from over-ear headphones, but I can tell you the sound from earbuds like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 is also outstanding.
Which wireless earbuds have the longest battery life?
With new models coming out all the time, tracking the hours of battery life for each this can be difficult to keep tabs on. The longest-lasting earbuds we’ve reviewed are Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS5TW. The company states they last 15 hours, but the app was still showing 40 percent at that mark during our tests. The only downside is these earbuds debuted in 2019 and both technology and features have improved since. In terms of current models, Master & Dynamic’s MW08 offers 12 hours of use on a charge with ANC off (10 with ANC on) and JBL has multiple options with 10-hour batteries.
What wireless earbuds are waterproof?
There are plenty of options these days when it comes to increased water resistance. To determine the level of protection, you’ll want to look for an IP (ingress protection) rating. The first number indicates intrusion protection from things like dust. The second number is the level of moisture protection and you’ll want to make sure that figure is 7 or higher. At this water-resistance rating, earbuds can withstand full immersion for up to 30 minutes in depths up to one meter (3.28 feet). If either of the IP numbers is an X, that means it doesn’t have any special protection. For example, a pair of wireless earbuds that are IPX7 wouldn’t be built to avoid dust intrusion, but they would be ok if you dropped them in shallow water.
Which earbuds stay in ears the best?
A secure fit can vary wildly from person to person. All of our ears are different, so audio companies are designing their products to fit the most people they can with a single shape. This is why AirPods will easily fall out for some but stay put for others. Design touches like wing tips or fins typically come on fitness models and those elements can help keep things in place. You’ll likely just have to try earbuds on, and if they don’t fit well return them.
What wireless earbuds work with PS5?
PlayStation 5 doesn’t support Bluetooth audio without an adapter or dongle. Even Sony’s own gaming headsets come with a transmitter that connects to the console. There are universal options that allow you to use any headphones, headset or earbuds with a PS5. Once you have one, plug it into a USB port on the console and pair your earbuds with it.
Recent updates
July 2024: Updated our list to include the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
Old-school, upright vacuums left a lot to be desired, and cordless models are here to right many of those wrongs. These types of vacuums tend to be thinner, lighter and easy to maneuver around a home, and you don’t really have to sacrifice suction power anymore to get those benefits. Dyson isn’t your only option anymore either — like the robot vacuum space, there are dozens of cordless vacuums to choose from today. Variety is great, but it can also lead to decision fatigue and confusion. We at Engadget can help make that decision a bit easier. After testing a bunch of the most popular cordless stick vacuums available today, we’ve come up with our top picks, plus loads of buying advice to help you figure out which is the best cordless stick vacuum for you.
Table of contents
Best cordless vacuums for 2024
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Suction power: 240AW | Bin capacity: 0.2 gallon | Battery life: 60 min | Weight: 6.83 pounds
The Dyson V15 Detect is just as impressive now as it was when it first came out in 2021. It’s our top pick because it provides the best mix of features and its suction power is remarkable. Even a few years after it’s initial release, it remains one of the best vacuum cleans out there today.
One thing that was immediately apparent during my testing was that Dyson models just have superior suction, period. That’s not to say a cordless vacuum from another brand can’t get the job done, because they absolutely can. But even in auto mode, all of Dyson’s vacuums did a better job trapping even the smallest dust and debris.
The “Detect” in this model’s name refers in part to the laser “blade” on the Fluffy Optic cleaner head. It does a great job of illuminating floors to clearly show you where the mess really is, and that goes for large debris like food and granules of cat litter, as well as much smaller stuff like layers of dust on an untouched part of the floor. But it’s worth noting that this light is only present on the Fluffy Optic head, a brush roll designed to work best on hard floors. The V15 Detect comes with a few other head attachments, including a Digital Motorbar head that automatically detangles hair from the brush bar as you clean. That’ll be better for all floor types, including carpet, but you won’t get the same illumination effect.
The V15 Detect also has a piezo acoustic sensor that recognizes the size and frequency of the particles it’s sucking up. It’ll show that information on the machine’s LCD display in a neat little bar graph. Is this information useful? Not particularly, but it’s satisfying to clock this while cleaning and see the bars increase and decrease as you move throughout your home. However, this is more of a neat perk than a killer feature; it’s not going to change the way you vacuum your home. But the piezo sensor is also involved in automatically adjusting the V15 Detect’s cyclone engine to better clean particularly dirty floors.
That automatic adjustment is separate from the machine’s three power settings: Auto, Eco and Boost. I spent most of my time in Auto mode, every so often switching to Boost in rooms where I knew I needed a more thorough cleaning. Eco mode is convenient to have if you need to conserve battery life.
But the V15 Detect, like all of the other Dyson machines I tested, really stands out for its suction power. I rarely, if ever, had to go over the same spot twice because the V15 Detect captured all of the dust and debris the first time. In my one-cat household, it’s easy to see tufts of fur on our hardwood floors and tile, but they’re basically invisible on our upstairs carpet. But it didn’t matter if I could see fur or not — the V15 Detect collected all of it. After every cleaning the bin was full and I was consistently shocked by how much cat hair was hiding in my carpet.
As with most cordless vacuums, you get a number of attachments with the V15 Detect. In addition to the Fluffy Optic and Digital Motorbar cleaner heads, hair screw, combination and crevice tools are included in the box. I particularly like the hair screw tool, which is great for vacuuming chairs and couches, and the crevice tool is handy for cleaning car interiors and other tight spaces. The docking station must be mounted to a wall, but it’s separate from the vacuum’s charger, which means you can power up and use the V15 Detect before picking a permanent place for it in your home.
My biggest gripe with the V15 Detect is that it doesn’t have a single-button start like the newer and more advanced Dyson Gen 5 Detect and Dyson V15 Detect Submarine do. You must press and hold down the trigger to vacuum, which requires constant effort. However, that’s a small price to pay considering the complete package you’re getting. At $750, the V15 Detect is a machine on the higher-end of the price spectrum that’s well worth the money if you want an easy to use cordless vacuum that will provide a truly thorough clean every time.
Pros
Fantastic suction power
Includes Fluffy Optic cleaner head with illuminating blade light
Relatively lightweight
Good battery life
Cons
No single-button start
Headlight laser only on the Fluffy Optic cleaner head
Suction power: 500W | Bin capacity: 0.12 gallon | Battery life: 40 min | Weight: 6.8 pounds
I reached for the Tineco Pure One S15 almost as much as I did for the Dyson V15 Detect. It’s slightly less powerful than our top pick, but it’s otherwise very similar and it even has Wi-Fi and app connectivity as well. It handled all kinds of dry messes well and didn’t choke at the first sign of pet hair. It includes Tineco’s iLoop smart sensor, which detects the amount of dirt and auto-adjusts suction power. I also appreciate that its LED display has a big ring that changes from red to blue as it sucks up all the debris in its way, and it has a battery indicator on it as well.
The Pure One S15 Pet has an unfussy design and comes with attachments that are easy to pop on and off. The main cleaning head has a headlight which does a great job of showing you exactly where the worst pockets of dirt are. And, despite its bin being a bit smaller than that on the Dyson, I never had to pause mid-cleaning to empty it.
Unlike the Dyson, though, the Pure One S15 Pet has Wi-Fi connectivity and a companion app, which is about as “smart” as any cordless vacuum gets. It’s a totally unnecessary feature, but Wi-Fi setup is pretty painless, and Tineco’s mobile app will show you things like battery level, filter status and a cleaning log. Filter status is arguably the most useful of them all, since it takes the guesswork out of figuring out when to replace it.
The $500 Tineco machine beat out the $450 Shark Detect Pro for our runner-up spot by only a hair. The Shark is a solid vacuum with a self-emptying base,in the same price range. But the Pure One S15 Pet has stronger suction and did a better job cleaning up big messes. It’s also worth noting that, while Tineco’s vacuum typically costs $500, you can often find it on sale for as low as $350 — a killer bargain.
Pros
Great suction power
Single-button start
iLoop smart sensor auto-adjusts suction power as you clean
Suction power: 450W | Bin capacity: 0.15 gallon | Battery life: 40 min | Weight: 5.7 pounds
Tineco makes a number of cordless vacuums at various price points, but the Pure One S11 is a budget-friendly model at $300 — and it’s often on sale for less. While it was the clunkiest of the Tineco vacuums I tested, it’s still relatively lightweight. It also includes Tineco’s iLoop smart sensor, although it doesn’t have the single-button start that the Pure One S15 Pet does.
The Pure One S11 did a decent job of collecting all kinds of messes, including pet hair, but I did have to go over some spots more than once for the most thorough clean. In addition to the main cleaner head that has built-in headlights, it comes with three extra attachments that make it easy to get into small spaces.
Tineco estimates a run time of 40 minutes for this machine, and I found that to be accurate. That was just about enough time for me to clean all three floors of my house, but if you have a particularly large home, you may need to recharge at some point. Its bin size is also on the smaller side like the Pure One S15 Pet, so there’s a chance you may have to pause to empty it if you’re cleaning up big messes or you have a lot of ground to cover.
But for $300, the Pure One S11 offers a lot of value. It’s arguably best for those who live in apartments or small- to medium-sized homes, or those who just want a no-frills, easy-to-use cordless vacuum without dropping an excessive amount of money. It holds its own against pet hair as well, but that’s coming from a person who only has one cat; you’d be better off getting a stronger vacuum with a larger bin if you have a small menagerie in your home.
Pros
Affordable
Good suction for the price
iLoop smart sensor auto-adjusts suction power as you clean
Suction power: 240AW | Bin capacity: 0.2 gallon | Battery life: 60 min | Weight: 8.3 pounds
Overkill for most, the Dyson V15 Detect Submarine will be exactly what some are looking for: a vacuum with all of Dyson’s signatures along with the ability to wash hard floors. It’s similar to the V15 Detect in power and design, but it comes with Dyson’s “submarine” wet cleaner head that has two water reservoirs (one for clean water and one for dirty) and a brush bar that does all the scrubbing. To wash tile and other hard floors, you fill the clean reservoir with water, reattach it to the head and turn on the machine as if you were just vacuuming. The built-in motor ever so slightly propels the machine in this mop mode, and as you move it around, it sucks up spills and other wet messes into the dirty reservoir while also washing the floor.
In my testing, the V15 Detect Submarine did a great job sucking up spills and a pretty good job cleaning my hardwood and tile, even in spots where there were more persistent stains (although it did take a few passes to fully suss them out). I typically use a corded steamer to wash the hard floors in my home, and while the V15 Detect Submarine doesn’t use heat and can’t quite match up to a device that does, it’s impressive nonetheless for its abilities and convenience.
After my first go-around with the machine, I was excited to use it again primarily because the process is so easy. Instead of getting my steamer out, plugging it in and fighting with its cord as I moved around, I popped the Submarine cleaning head on the Dyson, filled the tank and off I went. It’s worth mentioning, though, that I did have to fill the clean-water reservoir twice to wash the main floor of my home (roughly 800 square feet), which added a few minutes to the process. After each session, you’ll want to empty both reservoirs, clean the brush head and let the whole attachment dry. After that, I found it was ready to go again the next day.
The V15 Detect is a solid vacuum and an above-average mop, but more than anything, it’s convenient. It’s one relatively thin and lightweight device that can clean all of the floors in your home without a ton of extra effort needed on your part and with few, if any, frustrations. But as with anything, convenience comes at a cost: you’ll pay $950 for this model, and no, you can’t just buy the Submarine head separately and use it with a standard Dyson stick vac. If you only have a little bit of tile or hard flooring in your home, it’ll be difficult to justify the cost of the Submarine — but if convenience is of utmost importance and you want one cordless vac-and-mop to rule them all, Dyson’s machine is a great option.
Pros
Great suction power
Includes Submarine cleaning head for mopping and cleaning up wet messes
Suction power: 230W | Bin capacity: 0.8 gallon | Battery life: 60 min | Weight: 5.29 pounds
Tineco’s high-end Pure One Station FurFree deserves a nod here because it was one of the cordless vacuums I tested that I wanted to use the most, and it’s arguably the most convenient option on the list. Not only does it have strong suction power and the company’s iLoop smart sensor, but it docks and charges in a self-emptying base that cleans all parts of the machine — brush, tube and dustbin — after each use.
The freestanding base is a little intimidating when you unbox it, purely because it has more parts than that of any vacuum cleaner I tested (including the Shark Detect Pro). The whole thing, vacuum included, remains relatively svelte; it was easy for me to tuck it into a corner of a room near an outlet. The vacuum itself has a single-button start and, while not quite as strong as the Dyson V15 Detect, did a good job cleaning up all kinds of messes, pet hair included. Run time comes in at 60 minutes, more than enough to clean my whole home, and it supports Auto and Max modes along with the auto-adjusting feature provided by the iLoop sensor.
The Pure One Station FurFree also supports Wi-Fi connectivity, with its mobile app showing you battery life, dustbin capacity and self-cleaning settings. But since the small screen on the docking station gives you most of that data as well, the app is just a bonus.
The biggest selling point of this cordless vacuum is its self-emptying base, which has its own large dustbin that can hold up to 60 days worth of dirt. It’s a plastic canister that takes no garbage bags, so there’s nothing to add to the cost of ownership — simply remove the base’s dustbin to empty into your own garbage can every couple of weeks and then snap it back into place. You can customize self-cleaning settings to do a quick clean (30 seconds long) or a deep clean (60 seconds), or keep it to the auto mode (45 seconds). The machine will clean itself whenever you return the vacuum to its dock, unless you manually disable this feature. I appreciate that the base automatically empties the vacuum’s dustbin during self-cleaning, but it’s also great that it uses gusts of air to clean the vacuum’s brush and tube. Lots of little particles and hair can get stuck in those parts, and with other vacuums, you’re left to clear those out yourself.
The “FurFree” in the Pure One Station’s name refers to the extra attachments that come with the machine that basically turn it into a pet-grooming tool. This will likely be more useful for dog owners, or maybe folks with more amenable cats than mine (she hates all vacuums — cordless, robot, you name it). If you’re not a pet owner, there’s a standard Tineco Pure One Station that’s otherwise an identical machine with the same self-cleaning base, but only comes with regular vacuum attachments, and costs $200 less. FurFree or regular, though, the Pure One Station is a great cordless vacuum that’s made better by its clever and convenient self-emptying base.
Pros
Great suction power
Includes self-emptying base
Base empties bin and also cleans the vacuum’s brush and tube simultaneously
Factors to consider before buying a cordless vacuum
Design and bin capacity
Most of the cordless vacuums you’ll find today have stick designs, with a handle at the top attached to a debris bin, which has a space to connect different attachments at one end. These designs are more versatile than old school vacuums of yesteryear because, while you may use the long stick attachment most of the time to clean your floors, many cordless vacuums come with other attachments as well. Some allow you to clean hard to reach spaces like the interior of your car, while others make it easier to vacuum furniture and clean inside crevices.
Bin volume is worth keeping in mind when you’re choosing a cordless vacuum. The larger the bin, the more debris it can hold, but it might also mean a heavier machine. All of the cordless vacuums we tested had a bin size between 0.1 and 0.8 gallons and all were able to handle cleaning an entire one-pet home (roughly 2,000 square feet) in a single run without needing to be emptied. Anything smaller and you may have to deal with more frequent emptying during each cleaning session.
Some cordless vacuums also have removable, replaceable battery packs, which is super handy. That means you can buy a replacement battery and install it easily, without needing to seek out professional assistance. Also, these extra batteries cost around $150-$200 a pop — expensive, yes, but nowhere near as costly as buying a whole new cordless vacuum.
Suction and power modes
Cordless vacuum suction power is typically measured in air wattage (AW), but you’ll see some that list the power of the motor in wattage (W) instead. Typically the higher the air or motor wattage the stronger the suction power, and often strength is proportional to price — more expensive cordless vacuums tend to have stronger suction power. A general rule of thumb is that those with precocious pets or mess-making children would benefit from a cordless vacuum cleaner with stronger-than-average suction power.
Most cordless stick vacuums will have two different power modes: a “normal” or default power mode that balances suction power with battery life, as well as a “max” or stronger mode that kicks suction strength up a notch. Some vacuums, like those from Dyson, also have an “eco” mode, or one that prioritizes run time over strength.
Separate from power modes you can select yourself, some cordless vacuums will automatically adjust motor strength depending on the detected floor type or the amount of mess in its wake. Not only is this convenient, but it also ensures that the machine is working its hardest only when you need it.
Floor type
The best cordless vacuums will be able to clean any standard floor type — hardwood, tile, carpet and everything in between. As mentioned previously, some can even detect floor type and adjust suction power accordingly. That said, it’s still worth thinking about the types of flooring you have in your home. If you primarily have carpet, you may want to consider a cordless vacuum with the most powerful suction you can afford, since there are more nooks and crannies for debris to get suck in with carpet.
Battery life
Obviously, battery life is important since you’ll probably want to clean more than one room in a shot. All of the cordless vacuums we tested had a battery life of at least 40 minutes in standard cleaning mode. I tested each by cleaning all three floors of my home (upstairs, downstairs and basement) on a single charge with the machine running in its standard (“auto”) mode and none of them ran out of juice before I could finish the third floor. That said, extra battery life can come in handy if you’re switching between power modes since “max” or high-power programs use more energy.
Base style
Most cordless stick vacuums come with some sort of base or mount where the machine lives when you’re not using it. Wall mounts are the most common, but some have free-standing bases where you dock and charge the vacuum. Consider the space in your home where you want the cordless vacuum to live, since it will have to have an outlet or another power source nearby.
Some high-end cordless vacuums come with self-emptying bases that act much like those included with expensive robot vacuums. After cleaning and returning the vacuum to the base, it will automatically empty the dustbin into a larger dustbin that you can then detach from the base when you need to empty it. This kind of base adds an extra layer of convenience into the mix, since you typically will only have to empty the larger dustbin every month or two.
“Smart” features
Yes, some cordless vacuums have “smart” features like Wi-Fi and app connectivity. But before we get into those, let’s talk about the extra perks scattered among these devices. Some models, like the latest from Dyson, include particle sensors that show you how many different sized pieces of debris it’s sucking up in real time. Dyson’s, for example, is a piezo acoustic sensor that detects particle size and frequency and displays that information on the vac’s LCD screen. Tineco’s iLoop sensor is similar, controlling its vacuums’ automatic suction power adjustment and changing a circle on the display from red to blue as you fully clean an area.
Higher-end cordless vacuums may also have companion apps that show things like battery level, filter status and cleaning logs. It’s an added level of convenience, but by no means necessary. Unlike the best robot vacuums, or even the best budget robot vacuums, which rely on their apps to set cleaning schedules, manually control the machines and more, cordless vacuums that you operate yourself really don’t need Wi-Fi or an app connectivity.
Price
Cordless stick vacuums range in price from $150 all the way up to over $1,000. The best ones for most people lie in the middle, in the $400 to $700 range. You’ll notice most of our picks land in the higher end of that range, but for good reason: More expensive machines tend to have more sucking power, which means less time wasted going over the same spots over and over. But does that mean everyone needs the most premium cordless vacuum? Definitely not. We’ve come up with top picks at various price points that should work well for people with different budgets, lifestyles, home sizes and more.
How we test cordless vacuums
Engadget doesn’t have a dedicated lab in which we can test cordless vacuums, but I used each model in my home for weeks. I ran them over hardwood and tile flooring, as well as low-pile carpet. And my first runthrough consisted of cleaning all three floors of my home on a single battery charge. I performed the same cleaning job as many times as possible, but also intermittently cleaned a single floor as needed, or sucked up isolated messes like crumbs, cat litter spills and tufts of pet fur. Over the course of many cleanings with each model, I made note of how loud the machine was, how easy it was to maneuver around my home, how easily it sucked up pieces of large debris (or if it pushed it around my floor instead) and if they got warm or hot.
Other cordless stick vacuums we tested
Dyson Gen 5 Detect
The Dyson Gen 5 Detect has a single-button start and stronger suction power than our top pick, but it’s otherwise quite similar. However, since the Gen 5 Detect is more expensive at $950 (although it does receive discounts at Dyson online), the V15 Detect still provides greater value for your money. The Gen 5 Detect is arguably best for those who want the latest Dyson, or care about getting a more future-proof machine, since it came out just last year.
Shark Detect Pro
The Shark Detect Pro provides a lot of value for the money, but it was ultimately beat by the Tineco Pure One S15 Pet for our runner-up slot thanks to the Tineco’s stronger suction power. The kicker for the Detect Pro is that it includes a self-emptying base in its $450 price, which is super handy. It’ll automatically dump the contents of the vacuum into the larger bin in the base after every cleaning, and you only need to empty the base’s container every month or so. The Detect Pro did a good job cleaning up messes across different types of flooring, and it’ll auto-adjust suction power depending on the amount of debris and whether you’re cleaning hard or carpeted floors. However, it’s not as smooth to use as any of our top picks and its main cleaner head is a bit tall, making it difficult to use to clean under low furniture.
Cordless stick vacuums FAQs
How long does the battery last on a cordless vacuum?
Most cordless vacuums will run for at least 30-40 minutes on a single charge, but you can find cordless vacuums with battery lives of up to 60 or 70 minutes. Manufacturers will outline an estimated battery life for each model, and they’re usually based on using the vacuum’s standard power mode for the entire runtime; if you switch between modes or prefer to use a higher-powered program for improved suction, you’ll drain the battery faster.
Can cordless vacuums be as powerful as corded ones?
Cordless vacuums do sacrifice a bit in overall power when compared to corded models, but that doesn’t mean they can’t handle everyday messes just as well. If suction power is your biggest concern, we recommend springing for a high-powered, high-end cordless vacuum since, typically, the more expensive a cordless vacuum is, the stronger the suction. Also, cordless vacuums have the edge over corded models when it comes to weight and convenience: cordless vacuums are much lighter than their corded counterparts, and you’ll never have to worry about placement or picking a fight with a cord while cleaning your living room.
Are cordless vacuums effective on pet hair?
Yes, cordless vacuums can handle pet hair well, but we recommend getting a model with strong suction power to get the best results. It’s also wise to get one with a larger bin, since pet hair can quickly fill up smaller bins, which may force you to stop cleaning to empty the vacuum before finishing.
We take webcams for granted nowadays. Most laptops (and some desktops) have them built in, manufacturers are starting to catch up to the remote-work trend by making sure that their latest machines have semi-decent cameras on them. But if you spend most of your work day on video calls, or you live stream on YouTube or Twitch in your free time, it may be worthwhile to upgrade your camera. External webcams offer video quality and customizations that most built-in lenses do not, making them a good choice for anyone who needs to put their best face forward at all times. We’ve tested dozens of webcams over the years to find the best webcams you can buy right now — and with Prime Day right around the corner, there could be opportunities to save on your next webcam soon.
Quick Overview
Logitech Brio 500
Best webcam overall
Anker PowerConf C200 2K Webcam for PC, Webcam for Laptop, Computer Camera, with AI-Noise Canceling Microphones, Stereo Mics, Adjustable Field of View, Low-Light Correction, Built-in Privacy Cover
Best budget webcam
Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra
Best webcam for streaming
Logitech for Creators StreamCam Premium Webcam for Streaming and Content Creation, Full HD 1080p 60 fps, Premium Glass Lens, Smart Auto-Focus, for PC/Mac – Graphite
While some newer computers have 1080p webcams, most built-in cameras have a resolution of 720p, so you’ll want to look for an external webcam that’s better than that. FHD webcams will give you better video quality; ideally, you’re looking for something that can handle 1080p at 60fps or 30fps. If you’re considering a cheap 720p webcam, make sure to get one that supports at least 30fps (most will) or, even better, 60fps. However, if your primary concern is better picture quality during video calls, 1080p is the way to go.
Some webcams can shoot in 4K, but that’s overkill for most people. Not to mention most video conferencing services like Zoom, Google Meet and Skype don’t even support 4K video. When it comes to streaming, Twitch maxes out at 1080p video, but YouTube added 4K live streaming back in 2016. Ultimately, with 4K webcam shots having such limited use, most people can get by with a solid 1080p camera.
Field of view (FOV) controls how much can fit in the frame when you’re recording. Most webcams I tested had a default field of view of around 78 degrees, which captured me and enough of my background to prove that I really need to organize my home office. On cheaper webcams you’ll usually see narrower fields of view (around 60 degrees), and those aren’t necessarily bad. They won’t show as much of your background, but that also means you won’t be able to squeeze as many friends or family members into frame when you’re having Zoom birthday parties. On the flip side, more expensive webcams may let you adjust the field of view to be even wider than average.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Autofocus and other “auto” features
Webcams with autofocus will keep the image quality sharp without much work on your part. You should be able to move around, step back and forth, and remain in focus the whole time. Some standalone webcam models let you manually adjust focus, too, if you have specific needs. Devices with fixed focus are less convenient, but they tend to be more affordable.
In the same vein is auto framing, a feature that some high-end webcams now offer. Similarly to Apple’s Center Stage feature, the camera automatically adjusts to keep you in the center of the frame even as you move around. This used to be a feature only available on the most premium webcams, but now you can find it on sub-$200 devices.
You’ll also see other “auto” features listed in webcam specs, most notably auto light correction. This will adjust the camera’s settings to make up for a dimly lit room. If you don’t have bright lights, or often take calls in places where you can’t control the lighting, this feature will be valuable.
Microphones
Most webcams have built-in microphones that, depending on your setup, might end up being closer to you than your computer’s own mics. Check to see if the model you’re considering has mono or stereo mics, as the latter is better. Some even use noise-reduction technology to keep your voice loud and clear. While audiophiles and streamers will want to invest in a standalone microphone, most others can get by using a webcam’s built-in mic.
Design
There aren’t a ton of fascinating breakthroughs when it comes to external webcam design. Most are round or rectangular devices that clip onto a monitor or your laptop screen. Some have the ability to swivel or screw onto a tripod stand and others can simply sit on your desk beside your computer. But unless you really like having people stare up your nose, the latter isn’t ideal. We recommend clipping your webcam to your monitor and ensuring that it’s at or slightly above eye level.
A few webcams go above and beyond by adding hardware extras like built-in lights and lens covers, too. The former can help you stand out in a dark room, while the latter makes it so hackers can’t view you through your webcam without your knowledge.
Price
Most external webcams that are just good enough to be a step up from your computer’s built-in camera cost between $60 and $150. If the webcam has the same resolution as the internal one on your laptop, you should look out for other specs like auto light correction, a wider field of view or an extra-long connecting cable that can provide a step-up in quality or ease of use.
Spending $150 or more means you might get advanced features like 4K resolution, vertical and horizontal recording options, stereo mics, customizable video settings and more. But unless you’re spending hours on video calls each day or streaming multiple times each week, you can settle on a budget webcam and safely skip most of those high-end options.
How we test webcams
We primarily test webcams by putting them through as much real-world use as possible. We examine their design, how flexible they are and how easy they are to reposition, and make note of how heavy they are and if that affects their ability to stay put while sitting on top of a screen. We use each webcam for at least a week straight as our primary camera for all video chats, and we make sure to use the device in different lighting environments to test low-light performance. We also use any built-in microphones as our primary audio inputs on video calls as well. Finally, we test out any proprietary software that’s intended to work with each webcam, tweaking things like field of view, video resolution and effects, and using any special features like Show Mode on Logitech webcams.
Best webcams for 2024
Logitech
Resolution: up to 1080p | Mic: Yes | Software support: Yes | Features: auto-light correction, Show Mode, RightSight, built-in lens cover
The Logitech Brio 500 is essentially an upgraded version of the beloved C920s HD Pro. It shoots the same quality of video — up to 1080p 30fps — but it has a wider field of view, an upgraded zoom, improved auto-light correction, a better mic array and a USB-C connecting cable. The biggest difference I noticed in testing the Brio 500 was the improved light correction. My home office can feel very cave-like when the blinds are shut or when it’s raining, but you wouldn’t know it when on a video call with me. Logitech’s RightLight 4 technology does a great job of brightening the whole shot when you’re in a dim or dark environment.
This Logitech webcam works with the LogiTune software, which lets you customize camera settings like field of view, autofocus, contrast, brightness and more, plus lets you enable Show Mode and RightSight features. The former lets you present things on your desk just by tilting the camera down while the latter will automatically keep you in frame during calls even if you move around. RightSight works much like Apple’s Center Stage feature does on iOS devices, and most people will likely get more use out of this feature than Show Mode. If you prefer to keep things more consistent (or control how much of your background is visible), you can choose from 90-, 78- or 65-degree field of views instead of enabling RightSight.
Logitech also updated the design of the Brio 500. It’s made of recycled plastic and it comes in three different colors that you can match to other Logitech peripherals. The camera attaches magnetically to its base and it easily swivels from side to side when you need to adjust its position, plus it has a built-in lens cover for extra privacy when you’re not using it. Overall, it has the best mix of essential features and handy extras of any webcam we tested.
But $130 might be a lot for some people to spend on a webcam. We think it’s worth it if you’re primarily a hybrid or remote worker, but there is a cheaper option for those with tight budgets. The Logitech Brio 300 has many of the same core features as the Brio 500: 1080p resolution, auto light correction, a built-in privacy shutter and USB-C connectivity. However, you won’t get HDR support, an adjustable field of view, Show Mode or omnidirectional mics (although it does have a noise-reducing microphone of its own). It’s a pared-down version of the Brio 500 and it’ll only cost you $70.
Anker’s cube-like PowerConf C200 webcam has has a lot of the same perks as our top pick, and it’s one of the best budget webcams out there thanks to its $60 price tag. Setup is equally as easy as it was for out top pick – just plug it into your computer or docking station and start using it. You can download the AnkerWork software to edit things like brightness, sharpness and contrast ratio, but I just kept all the defaults.
You’re also able to control the camera’s resolution and field of view with this software, too. The C200 webcam defaults to a 2K resolution, but you can bring it down to 1080p, 720p or even 360p if you wish. Same goes for field of view: The default is 95 degrees, but I bumped mine down to 78 degrees to spare my colleagues a wider view of my messy home office.
I was immediately impressed with the C200’s video quality: 2K is likely more than most people need (1080p should do just fine), but the extra sharpness and clarity is a nice touch. The webcam’s autofocus is quite fast, and its larger f/2.0 aperture captures more light so you stay illuminated even in darker settings.
In addition to a built-in lens cover that you can slide closed for privacy, the C200 has dual stereo mics that actually do a good job of capturing your voice loud and clear. You can also choose directional or omnidirectional vocal pickup in the AnkerWork settings, with the latter being better if you have multiple people speaking on your end.
My biggest complaints about the C200 webcam are that it’s a bit cumbersome to adjust its angle when it’s perched on your screen. Unlike most webcams, Anker’s doesn’t have a short neck of sorts that connects the camera to its adjustable base – it’s just one, chunky piece of plastic that I had to use both hands to adjust. Also, the C200 comes with a USB cable that’s much shorter than others. This won’t be a problem if you’re connecting the webcam directly to your laptop, but it’s not as flexible if you have a standing desk converter or a more complicated setup that requires long cables.
Pros
Up to 2K video recording
Dual stereo mics
Works with AnkerWork software for customizations
Fairly affordable
Cons
Short connecting cable
Can be finicky to reposition on top of your screen
Resolution: up to 4K | Mic: Yes | Software support: Yes | Features: background blurring, face-tracking autofocus, physical shutter
Razer built the Kiyo Pro Ultra as the ultimate video streaming webcam and that’s immediately apparent as soon as you take the webcam out of the box. It’s huge. Its circular frame measures three inches in diameter and about two inches thick. It follows the design language of other Kiyo webcams, but it’s definitely the biggest of the bunch and that’s probably because Razer stuffed a lot into this peripheral. It has the biggest sensor of any Kiyo webcam (1/1.2 inches to be exact), and the company claims it’s the largest in any webcam, period. The Pro Ultra has a F/1.7 aperture lens as well, which lets in a ton of light and results in a super crisp image. It certainly delivered the best quality image of all the webcams I tested, which isn’t a surprise since it can capture raw 4k/30fps (or 1080p/60fps) footage.
Streamers will not only appreciate the high quality image coming from this cam, but also its HDR support, tasteful background blurring and face-tracking autofocus that swiftly transitions from zeroing-in on their face to whatever object they may be showing off to their viewers. It works with Razer’s Synapse software, too, so you can customize your image to your liking, tweaking things like zoom, pan, tilt, ISO and shutter speed. Just know that Synapse only works on Windows devices, so you’ll be stuck with default settings if you’re on macOS or Linux.
The Kiyo Pro Ultra is compatible with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) and XSplit, so most streamers will be able to unbox it and get right to producing content. We also appreciate that you can twist the camera’s frame to physically shutter the lens, giving you more privacy when you need it. Undoubtedly, the Kiyo Pro Ultra is one of the most powerful webcams we tried out and it may even be overkill for streamers just starting out (our final pick might be better for those folks), but serious and professional content creators will love the quality video and customization options they get. If you want a similar level of quality and the ability to tweak settings on a Mac, Elgato’s Facecam Pro is a good alternative webcam. It costs the same as the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, can record video at 4K/60fps and its Camera Hub software works on macOS and Windows.
Of all the webcams I tested, I had the most fun using Logitech’s Streamcam. While it’s a bit weird to say I “had fun” with such an innocuous piece of tech, I found the Streamcam to be remarkable in many ways. First and foremost, the video quality is excellent, coming in at a sharp 1080p/60fps. Details in my clothing came through much better and, whether I liked it or not, so did some of the texture on my skin. The Streamcam was also one of the best video streaming webcams I tested when it came to color reproduction.
All of those perks remain the same even when you’re shooting in low-light conditions. The Streamcam’s auto-exposure feature made up for the darkness in my office on gloomy days with excellent low-light performance. And it has the best kind of autofocus — the kind that you never notice in action.
The dual omnidirectional mics inside the Logitech Streamcam delivered my voice loud and clear during video calls. If you stream often and find yourself without an external mic, it’s nice to know that you could get by with the Streamcam’s built-in ones in a pinch. The microphones also have noise reduction to keep your voice font and center.
As far as design goes, the Streamcam is a bit larger than your standard cam. It’s a chunky almost-square that can easily be positioned on a monitor or mounted on a tripod, and a unique feature of its design is its ability to shoot either vertically or horizontally. I kept mine in the standard 16:9 format, but some content creators and streamers who post to social media often will like the 9:16 format that’s best for Instagram and TikTok. Logitech also made sure the Streamcam was optimized for OBS, XSplit and Streamlabs, so you can use it directly out of the box for your next live session.
Pros
Up to 1080p/60fps video recording
Good low-light performance
Can shoot vertical and horizontal video
Works with OBS, XSplit and Streamlabs out of the box
Resolution: 4K | Mic: Yes | Software support: Yes | Features: Auto-exposure, auto white balance, noise reduction, and autofocus
Everything about the MX Brio Ultrafeels premium, from its sleek aluminum housing to its magnetic mounting clop to the twisting lens cover that gives you more privacy when you need it. This webcam uses a Sony Starvis sensor to record video at up to 4k/30fps, which is more than most people will need but provides a noticeable boost in video quality. The MX Brio also has better dynamic range and low-light sensitivity, making it a great option for someone like me, whose home office can get pretty cave-like on a rainy day.
The mounting clip sturdily attaches to a laptop screen or monitor, but it can be removed as well if you prefer a tripod mount. But the clip is also flexible enough for you to vertically angle the camera downward to activate Logitech’s Show Mode, which lets you more easily show off what’s on your desk while on a video call. That, plus the built-in lens cover, are two stand-out features on the MX Brio Ultra (aside from the stellar image quality), and Logitech even gives you the option to customize your video using companion software that has brightness, contrast, field of view and other adjusters. Admittedly, a lot of these perks are nice-to-haves rather than necessities; we’d recommend the MX Brio Ultra only to those who spend more time on video calls than not, or anyone who has a deep love for the MX lineup of productivity accessories.
Elgato made a few important upgrades in the new Facecam MK.2: it now supports HDR, a slightly wider field of view and a new pan-tilt-zoom feature that can either keep you in the center of the frame at all times or move the camera to follow you as you point to a whiteboard beside you. The latest model supports 1080p/60fps video recording and it has a built-in lens cover that you can slide out from the side when you’re not using the peripheral. Video quality is pretty good, with natural colors, good detail and decent lighting regardless of the available illumination in your space. In addition to its solid overall quality, streamers will appreciate the level of control Elgato’s Camera Hub software provides over things like white balance, exposure, contrast and more, and the fact that the Facecam MK.2 integrates seamlessly with the Steam Deck.
Our previous top pick, the Logitech C920s Pro HD webcam remains a solid option for those with less than $100 to spend and really only need a basic 1080p camera to upgrade their setup. It has a 78-degree field of view, decent microphones and handy privacy shutter built in. The Brio 500 took the top spot away from this model thanks to its advanced light correction, auto-framing and Show Mode.
In order to get all of the features you’d need to get the most comprehensive listening experience possible, over-ear, noise-canceling headphones are likely your best option. Stellar sound quality, powerful active noise cancelation (ANC), reliable Bluetooth connections and more should all be present on a good pair of wireless headphones that offer the complete package. Of course, some companies do this better than others. At Engadget, we review dozens of Bluetooth headphones each year while testing even more to keep our finger on the pulse. For this guide, we selected our top picks based on the best mix of features, including overall audio quality, ANC performance, comfort, advanced audio tools and more. Our seven favorites offer all of the conveniences we’d expect in a set of high-quality wireless headphones, with a range of prices to help you stay within your budget.
How to choose the best wireless headphones for you
When it comes to shopping for a good pair of wireless headphones, the first thing you’ll need to decide on is wear style. Do you prefer on-ear or over-ear headphones? For the purposes of our buyer’s guide, we focus on the over-ear style as that’s what most noise-canceling headphones are nowadays. Sure, you can find on-ear models with ANC, but over-ear designs are much more effective at blocking sound. Speaking of noise cancellation, you’ll want to determine early on if you even want that. If you frequently crank up the beats in noisy environments, you’ll want to not only make sure it’s there, but also make sure it’s good. If you plan to use your new headphones in quieter spaces, skipping ANC can save you some money.
The next area to consider is features. We recommend trying to get the most bang for your buck, but as you’re shopping around you should determine which items are must-haves and what you can live without. And don’t take basic things like automatic pausing and Bluetooth multipoint connectivity for granted, as not all companies include them. We also suggest reading reviews to see how well a company’s more advanced features work. This will help you decide if those are something you’re willing to (likely) pay extra for. Pay close attention to battery life estimates and don’t be easily swayed by lofty promises about call quality.
Sound can be subjective, so we recommend trying before you buy if at all possible. We understand this isn’t easy at a time when we’re doing most of our shopping online. But trying on a set of headphones and listening to them for a few minutes can save you from an expensive case of buyer’s remorse. We also recommend paying attention to things like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio and other immersive formats. Not all headphones support them, so you’ll want to make sure a perspective pair does if that sort of thing excites you.
How we test wireless headphones
The primary way we test wireless headphones is to wear them as much as possible. We prefer to do this over a one- to two-week period, but sometimes embargoes don’t allow it. During this time, we listen to a mix of music and podcasts, while also using the earbuds to take both voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones can be 30 hours or more, we drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent). Due to the longer battery estimates, we’ll typically power the headphones off several times and leave them during a review. This simulates real-world use and keeps us from having to constantly monitor the process for over 24 straight hours.
To judge the best Bluetooth headphones, we consider audio quality by listening to a range of genres, noting any differences in the sound profile across the styles. We also test at both low and high volumes to check for consistency in the tuning. To assess the quality of phone calls, we’ll record audio samples with the headphones’ microphones as well as have third parties call us.
When it comes to features, we do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as we work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double checked for improvements or regression. If the headphones we’re testing are an updated version of a previous model, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competition for each new set of headphones that we review.
Sony’s 1000X line has been our top pick for best wireless headphone for a long time now. Until another company can pack in as many high-quality features as Sony, and do so with a mix of excellent sound quality and effective ANC, the crown is safe. With the WH-1000XM5, Sony redesigned its flagship headphones, making them way more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. We also noticed in our tests that the company made noticeable improvements to the active noise cancellation, thanks to a separate V1 chip in addition to the QN1 that was inside the M4. There are now eight total ANC mics as well – the previous model only had four. This all combines to better block background noise and high frequencies, including human voices.
The 1000XM5 still has all of the features that typically make Sony’s top-of-the-line headphones showstoppers. That includes 30-hour battery life and crisp, clear sound with balanced tuning and punchy bass. A combo of touch controls and physical buttons give you on-board access to music, calls and noise modes without reaching for your phone. Speak-to-Chat automatically pauses audio when you begin talking, and like previous Sony headphones, the M5 can change noise modes based on your activity or location. Plus, this model offers better call quality than most of the competition. The only real downside is that they’re $50 more than the WH-1000XM4 at full price ($400).
An upgraded version of the Px7 S2, the Px7 S2e’s changes are mostly in the sound department. Bowers & Wilkins updated the digital signal processing (DSP) engine for improved performance when streaming music. The changes it introduced include support for up to 24-bit high-resolution streaming from compatible services. The company says it also re-tuned the acoustics for “unmatched detail, dynamics and spaciousness,” which is the more noticeable tweak compared to the previous model. Those promises hold true, too: the Px7 S2e are at the top of our test unit pile in terms of overall sound quality, just like the Px7 S2 has been since their introduction.
Bowers & Wilkins kept the rest of what was so great about the Px7 S2 as well. Reliable physical controls don’t lead to any frustration when you use them and the ANC performance is good enough to block out a lot of distractions. Factor in the refined design and overall comfort, and you’ve got a great set of headphones that rival the best. The Px7 S2e still doesn’t have a lot of the more advanced features that Sony offers, but they sound so good you might not even notice.
Noise cancellation: No | Multipoint: Yes | Battery life: 60 hours | Weight: 1.42 pounds | Water resistance: None
Audio-Technica has introduced affordable wireless headphones in the past, and while they didn’t offer active noise cancellation, they’re still worth considering. The company’s latest is the M20xBT, a Bluetooth version of the A-T’s popular M20x wired cans. For just $79, you can expect a comfortable fit and up to 60 hours of battery life. Bluetooth multipoint connectivity allows you to connect to multiple devices at once and physical buttons provide reliable on-board control. The design isn’t as refined as the company’s pricer models like the M50xBT2, but you get the bulk of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper options so good.
While we haven’t tested the newly renamed QuietComfort Headphones, these cans replace the Bose QuietComfort 45 in the company’s lineup so that’s why they’re on our list. These new wireless headphones are nearly identical to the previous version, except for the added ability to adjust ANC levels and save custom modes. You’ll still get the best noise-blocking performance of any headphone company alongside a supremely comfy fit and 24-hour battery life. Multipoint Bluetooth is here as well.
Back at CES 2022, Panasonic announced the EAH-A800: a new set of active noise canceling headphones under the iconic Technics brand. While most of the features are what you see on any number of wireless headphones, one figure stood out. The company says you can expect up to 50 hours of battery life on the A800, and that’s with active noise cancellation enabled. While we haven’t put them through the full review analysis, I have already tested them on a long flight. The ANC is impressive and they’re comfortable enough to avoid becoming a burden after several hours. Sound quality is also quite good (there’s LDAC support, too) and there are enough features here to justify the premium price tag.
While Master & Dynamic is known for its design prowess, the company’s over-ear headphones were due for a refresh. With the MW75 that debuted in June, the company opted for a look that takes cues from its MG20 gaming headset and mixes them with a combo of aluminum, leather and tempered glass. The company’s trademark sound quality returns with multiple ANC modes and ambient sound options for a range of situations. At $599, the high-end looks don’t come cheap, but if you’re looking for something beyond the pure plastic fashion of most headphones, M&D has you covered.
Apple’s AirPods Max are premium, well-designed headphones that incorporate all of the best features you find on standard AirPods: solid noise cancelation, spatial audio and easy Siri access. However, their $550 starting price makes them almost prohibitively expensive, even for those with Apple devices. There are better options available at lower prices.
Sony WH-CH720N
While the WH-CH720N are a great affordable option, we prefer the Audio-Technica in the budget category. Sony’s cans are lightweight with good sound quality, but ANC struggles at times and they’re made with a lot of plastic.
Beats Studio Pro
The Studio Pro lacks basic features like automatic pausing, and multipoint connectivity is only available on Android. Moreover, they’re not very comfortable for people with larger heads. Overall sound quality is improved, though, and voice performance on calls is well above average.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Bose’s latest flagship model has a lot to offer, but its trademark Immersive Audio feature can be inconsistent across different types of music. There’s still world-class ANC, excellent comfort and a clearer transparency mode, but for the price, the non-Ultra model is a better choice right now.
Master & Dynamic MH40 (2nd gen)
The MH40 are a great set of headphones if you favor crisp, clear and natural sound that isn’t overly tuned. This pair showcases the company’s affinity for leather and metal too, but limited customization and short battery life for non-ANC cans kept this set from making the cut.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8
The company’s trademark pristine sound is on display here, but the Px8 are more expensive and not nearly as comfortable as the Px7 S2.
FAQs
How can you tell the quality of headphones?
I typically look at three factors: design, sound quality and features. In terms of design, I’m usually looking to see if the build quality of the headphones feels cheap and plasticky. Plenty of companies use plastic, but they can do so in a way that doesn’t look or feel like budget models. For sound quality, I want to hear a nice, even tuning where highs, mids and lows are all well represented. No overly boomy bass or scooped out mids. I also want good clarity where you can pick up fine details and an open, immersive soundstage. Features is typically a distant third, but if a company doesn’t cover basic functionality (automatic pausing, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth, etc.) it can be an indication of overall quality.
How do I choose the best quality headphones?
“Best” can be pretty subjective, but I always recommend going to a place where you can listen to the headphones you’re thinking about buying before you commit. Sometimes this isn’t possible, so you’ll want to check return policies. I also recommend doing some research to determine what your priorities are in a new set. Are you an audiophile who wants the best sound quality? Is powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) the most important? Would you rather have conveniences like automatic pausing?
Which brand has the best headphones?
Sony consistently tops our list with its 1000X line. This is mostly due to the combination of sound quality, ANC performance and the truckload of features these headphones pack in. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are better sounding options and other companies, like Bose, offer more effective noise cancellation. But when you add everything up, no one comes close to the full slate of tools Sony puts in its premium headphone line.
Do expensive headphones sound better?
Exorbitant price tags don’t mean better audio quality. Bowers & Wilkins’headphones are on the high end for wireless noise-canceling models and they sound amazing. However, Audio-Technica’s M50xBT2 is much more affordable and doesn’t have ANC, but these headphones have a warm, natural sound profile that I find very inviting. At the end of the day, it will come down to personal preference, but you don’t need to spend a lot to find great headphones.
The best smartwatches can help you stay fit, look at your phone less and do things like set timers and alarms more conveniently. They’ve become some of the ultimate phone accessories too, giving you the ability to stay connected while feeling a bit less tethered to your handset. The smartwatch space is pretty crowded now, but there are a few manufacturers and models that stand out among the rest. We’ve tested and reviewed most of the biggest smartwatches available right now — these are our current favorites, plus advice on how to pick the best smartwatch for your needs.
What factors to consider in a smartwatch
Compatibility
Apple Watches only work with iPhones, while Wear OS devices play nice with both iOS and Android phones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are also compatible with Android and iOS, but you’ll need to install a companion app on your smartphone.
The smartwatch OS will also dictate the type and number of third-party apps you’ll have access to. Many of these aren’t useful, though, making this factor a fairly minor one in the grand scheme of things.
Price
The best smartwatches generally cost between $300 and $400. Compared to budget smartwatches, which cost between $100 and $250, these pricier devices have advanced operating systems, communications, music and fitness features. They also often include perks like onboard GPS tracking, music storage and NFC, which budget devices generally don’t.
Some companies make specialized fitness watches: Those can easily run north of $500, and we’d only recommend them to serious athletes. Luxury smartwatches from brands like TAG Heuer and Hublot can also reach sky-high prices, but we wouldn’t endorse any of them. These devices can cost more than $1,000, and you’re usually paying for little more than a brand name and some needlessly exotic selection of build materials.
Battery life
Battery life remains one of our biggest complaints about smartwatches, but there’s hope as of late. You can expect two full days from Apple Watches and most Wear OS devices. Watches using the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support extended battery modes that promise up to five days of battery life on a charge — if you’re willing to shut off most features aside from, you know, displaying the time. Snapdragon’s next-gen Wear 4100 and 4100+ processors were announced in 2020, but only a handful of devices – some of which aren’t even available yet – are using them so far. Other models can last five to seven days, but they usually have fewer features and lower-quality displays. Meanwhile, some fitness watches can last weeks on a single charge.
Communication
Any smartwatch worth considering delivers call, text and app notifications to your wrist. Call and text alerts are self explanatory, but if those mean a lot to you, consider a watch with LTE. They’re more expensive than their WiFi-only counterparts, but cellular connectivity allows the smartwatch to take and receive phone calls, and do the same with text messages, without your device nearby. As far as app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will let you glance down to the watch face and see if you absolutely need to check your phone right now.
Fitness tracking
Activity tracking is a big reason why people turn to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece should function as a fitness tracker, logging your steps, calories and workouts, and most of today’s wearables have a heart rate monitor as well.
Many smartwatches’ fitness features include a built-in GPS, which is useful for tracking distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will want something water resistant, and thankfully most all-purpose devices now can withstand at least a dunk in the pool. Some smartwatches from companies like Garmin are more fitness focused than others and tend to offer more advanced features like heart-rate-variance tracking, recovery time estimation, onboard maps and more.
Health tracking on smartwatches has also seen advances over the years. Both Apple and Fitbit devices can estimate blood oxygen levels and measure ECGs. But the more affordable the smartwatch, the less likely it is that it has these kinds of advanced health tracking features; if collecting those kinds of wellness metrics is important to you, you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
Engadget
Music
Your watch can not only track your morning runs but also play music while you’re exercising. Many smartwatches let you save your music locally, so you can connect wireless earbuds via Bluetooth and listen to tunes without bringing your phone. Those that don’t have onboard storage for music usually have on-watch music controls, so you can control playback without whipping out your phone. And if your watch has LTE, local saving isn’t required — you’ll be able to stream music directly from the watch to your paired earbuds.
Displays
Most wearables have touchscreens and we recommend getting one that has a full-color touchscreen. Some flagships like the Apple Watch have LTPO displays, which stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These panels have faster response times and are more power efficient, resulting in a smoother experience when one interacts with the touchscreen and, in some cases, longer battery lives.
You won’t see significant gains with the latter, though, because the extra battery essentially gets used up when these devices have always-on displays, as most flagship wearables do today. Some smartwatches have this feature on by default while others let you enable it via tweaked settings. This smart feature allows you to glance down at your watch to check the time, health stats or any other information you’ve set it to show on its watchface without lifting your wrist. This will no doubt affect your device’s battery life, but thankfully most always-on modes dim the display’s brightness so it’s not running at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper devices won’t have this feature; instead, their touchscreens will automatically turn off to conserve battery life and you’ll have to intentionally check your watch to turn on the display again.
NFC
Many smartwatches have NFC, letting you pay for things without your wallet using contactless payments. After saving your credit or debit card information, you can hold your smartwatch up to an NFC reader to pay for a cup of coffee on your way home from a run. Keep in mind that different watches use different payment systems: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Wear OS devices use Google Pay, Samsung devices use Samsung Pay and so forth.
Apple Pay is one of the most popular NFC payment systems, with support for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 different countries, while Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer regions. It’s also important to note that both NFC payment support varies by device as well for both Samsung and Google’s systems.
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Tracks: Sleep, activity, calories, stress | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular (optional) | GPS: Yes, built in | Water resistant: Yes | Assistant support: Siri | Display: Always-on Retina touchscreen | Weight: 38.7 grams | Battery life: 18 hours
When Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 9 in September, the company appears to be focusing on ways for you to interact with the device without having to touch the screen. It introduced a new Double Tap gesture that’s based on its Assistive Touch accessibility tool, allowing users to use a pinching action to navigate the system. If you’re unable to use your other hand to swipe, for example, you can Double Tap to bring up your Smart Stack or dismiss an alarm.
The feature is not something you can utilize throughout the entire watchOS interface, but when it does work, it could make little tasks a lot easier. Dismissing timers while cooking or starting a workout tracker when you’re already in the middle of your run are just some ways Double Tap could be very helpful.
Apple also brought on-device Siri processing to the Series 9, thanks to its new S9 system-in-package (SiP) processor. This way, the assistant responds slightly more quickly, but, more importantly, it can answer you even when you’re offline. It might not be able to pull web results when you’re disconnected, but it can at least control your music and timers. Later this year, Siri Health Requests will arrive, allowing you to ask it for your sleep, move and workout data, too.
Throw in a new Find My iPhone interface thanks to a second-generation ultra wideband (UWB) chip, brighter screen (that also gets dimmer at night), as well as a refreshed interface via watchOS 10, and the Series 9 feels like a meaty upgrade from its predecessor. The increased focus on Siri and touch-free interaction methods is also another advantage that the Apple Watch has over its competitors, and the company remains the king of the smartwatch category. Though it still lags its rivals on sleep-tracking, the Series 9 definitively beats out last year’s Series 8 to be the best smartwatch available now and the best Apple Watch for most people.
Tracks: Sleep, activity, calories, stress | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | GPS: Connected GPS | Water resistant: Up to 50m | Assistant support: Amazon Alexa | Display: Always-on touchscreen | Weight: .16 ounces | Battery life: Up to 6 days
Dropping $400 on a wearable isn’t feasible for everyone, which is why we recommend the Fitbit Versa 2 as the best cheap smartwatch. Even though Fitbit has come out with the Versa 3 and 4, the Versa 2 remains our favorite budget watch because it offers a bunch of features at a great price. You get all of these essentials: Fitbit’s solid exercise-tracking abilities (including auto-workout detection), sleep tracking, water resistance, connected GPS, blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking and a six-day battery life. It also supports Fitbit Pay using NFC and it has built-in Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. While the Versa 2 typically costs $150, we’ve seen it for as low as $100.
The best smartwatch for Android users has long been one of Samsung’s Galaxy watches. Though Google may have given the company some competition with the debut of the Pixel Watch last year, it still trails behind on battery life and built-in features. And with the Galaxy Watch 6 series this year, Samsung continues to reign as king of the Android smartwatch space.
One of the company’s biggest advantages is its hallmark spinning bezel, which went away in 2022 only to be brought back in last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. This model not only resurrects the fidget-spinner-esque ring, but also manages to be smaller and lighter than before. The bezel is slightly thinner, while still offering a smooth, tactile way to navigate Wear OS 4 without tapping at the screen. It’s not a huge change from the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, so if you’re wondering about upgrading based on size alone, don’t expect much of a difference. You’ll appreciate that the displays are brighter, though, and therefore easier to read in direct sunlight.
What makes the Galaxy Watch 6 more compelling than previous models are its updated health and fitness tracking tools. The onboard skin temperature sensor now works overnight to help keep track of ovulation and menstrual cycles, while new sleep-coaching tools offer greater insight on how to get better rest. The company also added an irregular heart rhythm monitoring feature and will alert you if it detects anomalies in your cardio patterns. Runners will also appreciate the new personalized heart rate zones, which will help keep you precisely in the cardio ranges that are right for you, rather than those generated based on population data.
As usual, the Galaxy Watch 6 series also brings processor upgrades and some battery life improvements, alongside more apps optimized for your wrist. All told, the set of software updates coming to this year’s model, including support for Samsung Wallet (instead of just Pay), make the Galaxy Watch 6 more useful than before. Just know that if you have a slightly older model, most of these will likely trickle down to your device soon. If you’re considering trading in for a newer model, it’s worth paying attention to the actual hardware differences. For Android users thinking of getting their first smartwatch, though, the Galaxy Watch 6 or Watch 6 Classic are the best all-rounded option available.
Pros
Good battery life
Customizable workouts with accurate auto-detection
Yes, there are still companies out there trying to make “fashionable” hybrid smartwatches. Back when wearables were novel and generally ugly, brands like Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen found their niche in stylish smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You also have the option to pick up a “hybrid” smartwatch from companies like Withings and Garmin – these devices look like classic wrist watches but incorporate some limited functionality like activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. They remain good options if you prefer that look, but thankfully, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten much more attractive over the past few years.
Ultimately, the only thing you can’t change after you buy a smartwatch is its case design. If you’re not into the Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, all of Samsung’s smartwatches have round cases that look a little more like a traditional watch. Most wearables are offered in a choice of colors and you can pay extra for premium materials like stainless steel. Once you decide on a case, your band options are endless – there are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps available for most major smartwatches, and for both larger and smaller wrists, allowing you to change up your look whenever you please.
Other smartwatches our experts tested
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is probably overkill for most people, but it has a ton of extra features like extra waterproofing to track diving, an even more accurate GPS and the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. Apple designed it for the most rugged among us, but for your average person, it likely has more features than they’d ever need.
Apple Watch SE
The Apple Watch SE is less feature-rich than the flagship model, but it will probably suffice for most people. We actually regard the Watch SE as the best smartwatch option for first-time buyers, or people on stricter budgets. You’ll get all the core Apple Watch features as well as things like fall and crash detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS, but you’ll have to do without more advanced hardware perks like an always-on display, a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG monitor and a skin temperature sensor.
Google Pixel Watch 2
Google made many noteworthy improvements in the Pixel Watch 2. Unlike the first iteration of the smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 2 is actually a solid contender when positioned next to the likes of the Apple Watch and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch. In our review, we praised its excellent heart rate measurements and health insights, plus it has stress management tools that excel over similar features provided by its competitors. However, software quirks and confusing data representations prevent it from earning a spot on our top picks list.
Garmin Forerunner 745
Garmin watches in general can be great options for the most active among us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is an excellent GPS running watch for serious athletes or those who prize battery life above all else. When we tested it, we found it to provide accurate distance tracking, a killer 16-hour battery life with GPS turned on (up to seven days without it) and support for onboard music storage and Garmin Pay.
If you’ve been interested in investing in a home theater projector, you’re not alone. Devices in this space have come a long way over the past few years, making them better than ever and more accessible to boot. No longer the clunky, dim models of the past, the latest machines are brighter, sharper, more compact and easier than ever to install. But most importantly, they have much improved image quality now and they can achieve screen sizes that no regular TV could. If you want a true, big-screen viewing experience, a good home theater projector is the best way to get it.
But the projector space is vast, with dozens of options running from ultra-short-throw to portable to long-throw. There are also a lot of terms to understand, like lens shift, LCD vs. DLP, laser vs. lamp illumination and more. In this buying guide, we’ll help you understand everything you need to know before purchasing the best projector for your needs within your budget, and detail our topic picks across all of the different types of projectors available today.
The technology: LCD and DLP projectors
Here are the basics: Traditional projectors generally use two types of technology, LCD and DLP. They’re fundamentally different systems, with their own advantages and drawbacks.
The rise of ultra-short-throw projectors and brighter long-throw models, meanwhile, has been powered by falling prices in laser illumination technology. Lasers are a far better solution than lamps, because they’re brighter and last far longer — up to 30,000 hours instead of 6,000. That’s essentially a lifetime of use (about 10 years).
Most projector manufacturers now use DLPs, or digital light processing units, manufactured nearly exclusively by Texas Instruments (TI). The heart of the tech is an optical semiconductor called a digital micromirror device (DMD) that contains millions of aluminum mirrors. Those tilt either toward the light source (on) or away from it (off) at up to 5,000 times per second.
Budget projectors like BenQ’s HT3550i use TI’s 0.47-inch DMD, while higher end models, like the Samsung Premium LSP9T use the 0.66-inch chip. Both use mirrors that tilt by +12 and -12 degrees for white and black, but TI recently unveiled a new 0.47-inch 4K-capable DMD with +/-17 degrees of tilt, which should enhance both brightness and contrast.
DLP projector makers include LG, Optoma, LG, BenQ and Panasonic. The benefits of the tech are portability, high contrast, less fringing and cheaper projectors, especially 4K and ultra-short-throw models. The biggest drawback is the rainbow effect, or bright red/blue/green artifacts that affect some viewers more than others.
LCD tech, meanwhile, uses a prism to split a light source into red, green and blue beams. Those then pass through LCD displays containing the image and converge via another prism before passing through the projector’s lens.
Epson is the primary user of LCD tech, along with Sony, Sanyo and others. LCD projectors tend to be sharper, more efficient and more color accurate, but have lower contrast ratios and can experience image degradation over time. In general, they’re also more expensive.
What to look for in a projector
Ultra-short-throw
Since the last time we updated our guide, ultra-short-throw projectors have become the hot new category, offering several benefits. You can mount them close to the wall like a TV, with no need to run wires through the walls and ceiling, but still get an immersive image as large as 120 inches — something that’s impossible with a TV unless you’re very rich. They use brighter lasers that never need to be replaced — and because laser light is collimated, focusing is eliminated.
They’re also physically less awkward to install than a ceiling-mounted projector, though that doesn’t mean installation is super easy. To get the perfect screen fit and alignment, you must place them an exact height and distance from your wall or screen. This can be quite a pain, as I’ve discovered.
You also need a perfectly flat wall or projector screen, because ultra-short-throw projectors beam up at an acute angle, so any imperfections will show as shadows. For that reason, you can’t use a roll-down screen because they have slight ripples.
For the best results, particularly with a lot of ambient light, you should use an ambient light-rejecting (ALR) screen. Those have small ridges that reflect light from below back to your eyes, but absorb any light (ie ambient light) that comes from above. For one of those, you’ll need to budget at least $450 and way up. Some projectors, including models from Epson and HiSense, come with ALR screens.
Elite Starling
Brightness and contrast
Home theater projectors generally range in brightness between 2,000 to 4,000 lumens, but you’ll need to take those figures with a grain of salt. Some models might actually hit 3,000 lumens or more, but cranking the lamp to that level will hurt the image quality and lifespan of your bulb. Also, some manufacturers tend to exaggerate maximum brightness.
As a point of reference, many 4K flat panel TVs nowadays can hit 1,000 nits of brightness, but the brightest consumer projectors only display between 100 and 150 nits from the screen. That’s not as big a deal as it might seem, because projector images are much larger and meant to be used in dark rooms, where your eyes will automatically adjust to the light and “brighten” the image.
Contrast is also substantially different on home theater projectors. Unlike OLED TVs, projectors don’t allow for zero black levels because of ambient light, reflections and other reasons. You also can’t have local dimming zones found on LED TVs for true blacks. Some projectors do have a dynamic iris to improve the contrast scene-by-scene, but those can often produce a “pumping” effect, with the image dimming or brightening in mid-scene.
Mounting and fan noise
A big advantage of regular long throw projectors is that you can mount the projector and screen on the ceiling, using zero space in your room. If you plan to do that, don’t forget to budget for a mounting bracket and any necessary long cables, including extra power for Google’s finicky Chromecast. Also, keep in mind that it’s easier to mount a lightweight home theater projector, and DLP models are usually lighter than those with LCD tech.
Some projectors are noisier than others, and usually the more you spend, the less noise you get. Many of the new 4K DLP projectors, when operating in 4K mode, are particularly noisy. There’s one other (cool) thing: if you have a portable projector or even one that is relatively easy to take down and put up, you can take it outside for magical night screenings under the stars.
HDR and resolution
As related to projectors, these things could each take up an entire article. In fact, they have — for a deeper dive, take a look at Projector Central’s excellent takes on HDR and resolution.
On the resolution front, only expensive projectors have native 4K resolution; indeed, most movie theaters still use 2K projectors for various reasons. However, there are many relatively inexpensive DLP projectors that use pixel-shifting to attain 4K resolution. That system emits each pixel four times while moving it to the correct position for a 4K image, all in less than 1/60th of a second. As such, it puts as many pixels on the screen in the same amount of time as a 4K native projector — and visually, it performs nearly as well.
On the other hand, Epson’s LCD “4K enhanced” projectors also have 1080p resolution, but the image is just shifted twice, not four times. So, those projectors are not 4K natively or otherwise, but do produce double the pixel count of a 1080p projector. If you really want a 4K native projector, you’ll have to pay: two of the cheapest ones are Sony’s VPL-VW295ES ($5,000) and JVC’s DLA-NX5 ($5,000).
HDR is a very different animal on projectors compared to TVs. As mentioned, projectors can’t produce anywhere close to the amount of light required (1,000 nits) to qualify as true HDR. Rather, they use a technique called tone-mapping to fit the entire HDR gamut into a lower brightness range.
For that reason, among others, almost all projectors only support HDR10. Only one uses Dolby Vision (the Xiaomi Laser Cinema 2, only available officially in China), and just a couple of models work with Samsung’s HDR10+ — and those are Samsung’s own Premiere 4K models. However, most support a wider 10-bit color gamut that allows for superior color reproduction.
Samsung
Optics
If you’re mounting a short- or long-throw projector between five and 25 feet, you might need to consider the zoom range and whether the projector has a lens shift option. A decent zoom range will make it easier to mount the projector where you want with the screen size that you want.
Lens shift, meanwhile, is used if the projector is mounted higher or lower relative to the screen than recommended by the manufacturer (or any horizontal distance off center). That creates a trapezoidal shaped image, but by dialing in some lens shift, you can optically square it up. Otherwise, you might have to use a “keystone correction,” which digitally stretches or shrinks part of the image, resulting in noticeable distortion or pixel artifacts. Digital correction might not work in gaming modes either, for some projector models.
Gaming
If you’re interested in a gaming projector, you’ll want to look up the refresh rate and input lag figures. Some new projectors from Viewsonic, Optoma and others offer up to 240 Hz 1080p refresh rates and input lag settings down to 4 or 5 milliseconds. However, some projectors designed more for home entertainment have very poor input lag and refresh rates at just 60 Hz.
Portable projectors
Finally, portable projectors have become popular enough to merit discussion this year. They’re relatively cheap, compact and portable and can run on batteries – making them ideal for entertainment outside or while camping. These outdoor projectors are not nearly as bright as others, of course, but are more designed for a fun night of entertainment under the stars.
Engadget picks
As with previous updates, I’m dividing projectors into ultra-short-throw and long-throw categories. As mentioned, ultra-short-throw models have rapidly established themselves in the market due to the extra performance and convenience, and all manufacturers sell at least a couple of models. Within the ultra-short-throw category, We’ll compare two price categories: under $7,000 and $3,500, with three projectors each. In the long-throw category, we’re again looking at projectors under $1,000, $2,000 and $6,000, with three products in each range. Finally, we’ll take a look at the best portable projectors.
Best UST projector under $3,500: LG CineBeam HU715Q
LG
Native resolution: 4K | Brightness: Up to 2,500 lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, USB, AirPlay 2 | Display type: DLP
LG’s nice-looking HU715Q is the new king of ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors due to the picture quality, tech on offer and reasonable $3,000 price. With a 20,000-30,000 hour laser light source, it delivers 2,500 ANSI lumens, along with accurate colors across 86 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut – enough for most HDR content. And speaking of that, it supports both HDR10 and HLG, along with frame-by-frame tone-mapping.
Rival models offer similar specs, but the HU715Q trumps them in sound and technology. The 20-watt 2-way stereo speakers have a great sound quality on their own, but you can supplement them with Bluetooth speakers from LG and nearly any other brand to create surround sound. The standout feature, though, is LG’s webOS smart TV capabilities that give you Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+ and other apps, all with full 4K HDR support and surround sound, including eARC output for Dolby Atmos and lossless audio. It also supports HDMI 2.1 and better still, full 4K (4,096 x 2,160) rather than just UHD.
Optoma’s CinemaX P2 made our list last year, but it’s one of the best projectors now because the price has dropped considerably. It delivers 3,000 lumen brightness, impressive contrast ratio and accurate colors with 80 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It’s not quite as sharp as the pricier projectors, as it uses TI’s 0.47-inch rather than 0.66-inch DLP tech, though you’ll still get a near-4K image.
The CinemaX P2 may also better match your living room decor, as it comes in white rather than dark grey like the P1. The 40-watt NuForce Dolby Digital 2.0 soundbar is one of the best on any ultra-short-throw projector, as well. On the downside, it does offer apps but they’re not as good as you’ll find on, say, Google’s Chromecast.
BenQ V7050i
BenQ’s first UST laser projector is at the top end of the price scale at $3,500, but it offers some impressive capabilities. Light output is a bright 2,500 ANSI lumens and it delivers a full 98 percent DCI-P3 coverage for as good an HDR experience as you can get on a projector. You also get a Filmmaker Mode to see colors as the directors intended. It’s powered by Android TV so you get all the streaming services and apps you want, along with apps, games and more. The downside is the lack of decent speakers, as it only offers dual 5-watt speakers with clear sound but limited bass.
Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS300W
If you’re okay with 1080p projection, Epson’s EpiqVision Ultra LS300W is a very interesting option because of the design, excellent sound, built-in Android TV and extreme 3,600 ANSI lumen brightness. That allows for a wide color gamut with no rainbow effect, excellent connectivity and very good sound without the need to buy a soundbar or surround sound system. Best of all, it’s priced at just $2,000, making it one of the cheaper short-throw projectors out there.
Best UST projector under $7,000: Samsung Premium LSP9T
SAMSUNG
Native resolution: 4K | Brightness: Up to 2,800 lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, USB, AirPlay 2, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Display type: DLP
Ultra-short-throw projectors are a hot enough entertainment category that Samsung decided to re-enter the market with two high-end models as part of its Lifestyle TV series. The LSP9T is the premium model and it certainly brings some premium specs. With separate red, green and blue lasers, it covers 106 percent of the full Rec.2020 color range (147 percent of DCI-P3) — something we’ve rarely, if ever seen on any TV or even pro monitor.
It delivers a very bright 2,800 lumens and a 1,500:1 ANSI contrast ratio. As it uses TI’s higher-resolution 0.66-inch DLP chip (with pixel shifting), you get as close as you can to true 4K without investing in a native 4K projector. Finally, the LSP9T is the first projector on the market rated for HDR10+ — Samsung’s answer to Dolby Vision. On top of all that, the LSP9T delivers 40 watts of audio using Samsung’s Acoustic Beam technology, while offering Samsung’s well-regarded Tizen-powered Smart TV platform.
If you need the brightest possible image, Epson’s LCD-powered EpiqVision Ultra LS500 ($3,899) delivers. It’s rated at up to 4,000 lumens, making it one of the brightest ultra-short-throw projectors in any price range. It also supports HDR modes in HDR10 and HLG and is sold with both 100-inch and 120-inch ALR screens, making the price effectively lower. The main drawback is that it only offers double the pixels of 1080p, rather than four times like competing DLP tech. It also offers a relatively weak 10-watt built-in speaker system.
HiSense L9G
This is HiSense’s new $4,300 flagship UST that uses a tricolor laser to achieve high brightness (3,000 ANSI lumens) and an incredible 107 percent BT.2020 HDR coverage, topping even Samsung’s formidable LSP9T. It has a powerful 40W Dolby Atmos sound system and built-in Android TV with Google Assistant and Alexa. Best of all, that price includes a 100-inch ALR Daylight screen, or for an extra $500, you can get it with a 120-inch ALR cinema screen.
Best projector under $1,000: Viewsonic PX701-4K
ViewSonic
Native resolution: 4K | Brightness: Up to 3,200 lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, USB
There are very few 4K projectors available under $1,000, and Viewsonic’s $900 PX701-4K is one of the most recent. For the money, it offers impressive performance. You get 4K HDR with 3,200 lumens of brightness via TI’s .47-inch DLP chip. More importantly for gamers, you can get a 1080p signal at up to 240Hz with a 5-millisecond input lag time. The drawbacks are a limited 1.1x optical zoom, so you’ll need to make sure it fits in your space.
For around $700, the BenQ HT2050A is still one of the best budget 1080p projectors. It delivers where it counts with the best contrast (ANSI 1,574:1) and color accuracy in its class, and is reasonably bright as well, with 2,200 lumens in “vivid” mode. On top of that, it comes with a 1.3x zoom and vertical lens shift option for maximum installation flexibility. The drawbacks include slightly excessive fan noise, rainbow effect and red-tinted 3D.
Optoma HD146X
If you’re looking to spend a little less on a budget projector, the Optoma HD146X is your best option. Using DLP tech, it delivers 1080p at up to 3,600 lumens with excellent brightness, color accuracy, contrast and black levels. You also get decent (16.4-millisecond) input lag for gaming. The drawbacks are a single HDMI port, 1.1x optical zoom and poor built-in audio.
Best projector under $2,000: BenQ HT3550i
BenQ
Native resolution: 4K | Brightness: Up to 2,000 lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, USB, Chromecast, AirPlay 2 | Display type: DLP
BenQ’s 4K HT3550i is an update to last year’s HT3550, but with a huge addition: Android TV. With that, you get multi-platform wireless projection from Android and iOS devices via Chromecast or Airplay — a huge plus compared to rival projectors. As before, it offers reference-quality 4K color reproduction in both HDR and SDR that’s a match for projectors costing triple the price. Contrast is excellent thanks to the dynamic iris, though brightness is limited to 2,000 lumens. It has a 1.3x zoom and vertical lens shift option, plus a surprisingly good built-in speaker. The fan noise is still present, but less than before.
For extra brightness and speed for gaming, the answer is Optoma’s all-new, $1,600 4K-capable UHD38. It cranks the lumens up to 4,000 and like the Viewsonic PX701-4K, offers 240Hz gaming at 1080p with one of the lowest latency figures we’ve seen yet in a projector at 4.2 milliseconds. Otherwise, you can do 4K 60 Hz gaming with 16.7 milliseconds of lag, which is very quick for 4K. It’s optimized more for gaming than entertainment unlike BenQ’s HT3550i, but it can still handle HDR10 and HLG. It supports both zoom (albeit just 1.1x), but also vertical and horizontal lens shift.
Epson Home Cinema 4010 4K Pro
Epson’s $2,000 Home Cinema 4010 4K Pro is the Cadillac of under-$2K home projectors thanks to features like 2,400 lumen brightness, dynamic iris, and motorized zoom (2.1x), focus and lens shift. This Epson projector delivers in picture quality too, covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color space in cinema mode with both HDR10 and HLG. It also offers near-4K quality using 1,920 x 1,080 LCD image chips with pixel shifting. The drawbacks are lack of support for 60Hz 4K due to the HDMI 1.4 ports.
If you need that, want to pay a bit less and don’t care about the motorized focus, Epson’s $1,700 Home Cinema 3080 4K Pro is the way to go. It offers similar features like HDR10 and HLG, but supports 4K 60p thanks to the HDMI 2.0b ports. There’s no motorization and the zoom drops to 1.6x, but it supports generous tilt, shift and zoom ranges.
Best projector under $6,000: Epson Home Cinema LS11000 laser
Epson
Native resolution: 4K | Brightness: Up to 2,500 lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, USB, AirPlay 2, Chromecast | Display type: LCD
Fans of Epson’s LCD projectors will be interested in this model, which received a big update in the form of a laser light source. That bumps the brightness to 2,500 ANSI lumens, and the three 1080p LCDs use a pixel shifter to quadruple the resolution to something close to true 4K. It offers very accurate colors with HDR10 and HLG capability, but is also great for gaming thanks to the 120 Hz refresh rate, 20-millisecond input lag and HDMI 2.1 support. You also get a 3-way motorized lens, scene adaptive correction and more for $4,000.
Optoma’s $6,000 UHZ65LV also uses a long-lasting laser light source to deliver a 5,000 lumen image, much brighter than any lamp-powered projector. It also delivers true 4K resolution up to 60p, thanks to the TI 0.66-inch DLP chip. The extra brightness and contrast make it ideal for HDR10 or HLG content. It also comes with desirable features for a long-throw laser projector, like a 1.6x zoom and vertical lens shift.
LG CineBeam HU810PW 4K
Speaking of long-throw laser projectors, LG’s $3,000 CineBeam HU810PW is another excellent pick at a much lower price point. There are some compromises, as the laser light pushes out a lower 2,700 lumens (that’s still a lot), and it has a smaller 0.47-inch DLP chip that delivers slightly lower perceived resolution. However, it has dual blue and green lasers which help it deliver accurate HDR colors with an excellent 97 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It also offers a 1.6x zoom with lens shift and an HDMI 2.1 port that allows for 4K at 60p with up to 12-bit color depth. It comes with LG’s webOS, so it supports Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services without the need for a dongle.
Sony VPL-VW295ES
If you’re looking for a true, native 4K projector, Sony’s $4,500 VPL-VW295ES is the least costly option out there. It’s by far the sharpest 4K projector in this roundup, thanks to Sony’s proprietary 4K SXRD native DCI 4K (4,096 x 2,160) panels. It also delivers extremely accurate colors, with 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and HDR10/HLG support. You also get niceties like a 2.06 zoom lens with powered zoom, lens shift and focus. The main drawback is a relatively dim 1,500 lumen brightness, but it’s a top pick if picture quality is paramount above all.
Best budget portable projector: Xgimi MoGo Pro
XGIMI
Native resolution: 1080p | Brightness: Up to 400 lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, USB, Bluetooth
Xgimi is a relatively new brand, but has started to gain traction thanks to its lineup of portable projectors. The best mini projector is the MoGo Pro, which can be powered by a battery (with two hours of playtime) and is small enough to fit in a backpack. But this mini projector still delivers a detailed and reasonably accurate 1080p image, while offering automatic focus and vertical keystone adjustment. It even comes with Android TV, giving you all the streaming options you can need – all for $600.
This $470 model is designed specifically for outdoor entertainment, so it’s battery-powered and splash and shock resistant – making it your best bet for backyard movie nights or for watching sports events, camping and more. It’s also one of the brightest portable projectors out there and has a battery life of up to three hours. This outdoor projector only delivers 720p resolution, but it does come with a streaming app in the form of Aptoide TV.
Anker Nebula Solar HD
This 1080p projector has a pretty rich feature set considering the $600 price including a battery. This portable projector delivers 400 lumens for reasonably bright outdoor use, has a reasonably powerful 2x3W speaker system with Dolby Digital Plus, comes with Android TV and has a built-in stand for easy adjustment.
FAQs
Are 4K projectors better?
Yes, because higher resolution is more noticeable on larger screens, so 4K is particularly useful with projectors since they beam images up to 200 inches in size. That being said, brightness and contrast are more important.
Is a projector better than a TV?
Projectors can provide a more immersive experience thanks to the large screen, but they’re not necessarily “better.” Since you usually have to dim the lights with a projector, TVs are superior for everyday use.
Is 2000 lumens bright enough for a projector?
Yes, 2000 lumens is easily bright enough, even with some ambient light in the room. However, the image will still be hard to see with the windows open on a bright day.
Should I get a 4K or 1080p projector?
That depends on your budget and needs. If your budget is below $1,000, look for a 1080p projector with the best brightness and contrast. Between $1,000-$2,000, you’ll need to weigh whether brightness or 4K resolution is most important. Above that, choose the brightest 4K projector you can afford.
What are the best projectors in daylight?
The best projectors in daylight are ultra short throw (UST) models, as they have the brightest and sharpest image. However, they generally cost more than $2,000.
Much like the ubiquitous Instant Pot that trended before them, air fryers can be a useful addition to your kitchen. While they excel at making things super crispy without excess oil, many of them are true multicookers with different cooking modes like bake, broil and dehydrate. Regardless of if you get a traditional pod-style air fryer or a larger air fryer toaster oven machine, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to use your new appliance for more than just crisping up chicken or french fries. If you’re still on the fence about buying one, or don’t know where to start looking for the best air fryer for you, we at Engadget can help. We’ve detailed our top picks below, along with buying advice that will help you decide which air fryer model is right for you.
What does an air fryer do?
Let’s clear one thing up first: it’s not frying. Not really. Air fryers are more like smaller convection ovens, ones that are often pod-shaped. Most work by combining a heating element and fan, which means the hot air can usually better crisp the outside of food than other methods. They often reach higher top temperatures than toaster ovens – which is part of the appeal.
For most recipes, a thin layer of oil (usually sprayed) helps to replicate that fried look and feel better. However, it will rarely taste precisely like the deep-fried version. Don’t let that put you off, though, because the air fryer, in its many forms, combines some of the best parts of other cooking processes and brings them together into an energy-efficient way of cooking dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch.
You probably know the “Instant” brand from the line of very popular Instant Pot pressure cookers, but did you know that the company makes great air fryers too? We’re especially impressed by the Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook and OdorErase, which features a clear viewing window so you can see the air fry basket while your food is cooking, plus an odor-removing filter. In our testing, we found that it didn’t completely eliminate smells, but it seemed significantly less smoky when compared to our Breville Smart Oven Air. We love its ease of use intuitive controls, the easy-to-clean nonstick drawer basket, plus the roomy interior – it’s big enough to fit four chicken thighs. Plus, this top pick heats up very quickly with virtually no preheating time.
A slightly more affordable option is its predecessor, the Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart. It lacks the viewing window and the odor-removing filters, but it still has the same intuitive control panel and roomy nonstick interior. If you want an even bigger option, Instant also offers Instant Vortex Plus in a 10-quart model that has a viewing window and a rotisserie feature.
Pros
ClearCook window lets you see your food as it cooks
Capacity: Up to 10-quart | Type: Pod-shaped | Cooking functions: Fry, broil, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate | Weight: 19.80 lb
Most machines can make one thing at a time, but Ninja’s Dual Zone digital air fryer can handle two totally different foods simultaneously. Available in 8- and 10-quart capacities, this dual-basket air fryer isn’t compact, so it won’t be a good option for those with small kitchens. However, if you have the counter space, it could be the best air fryer to invest in especially if you cook for a large family. You can prep two totally different foods, like chicken tenders and brownies, at the same time with totally different cooking modes, or use Match Cook to prepare foods in the dual baskets the same way. The heating zones are independent, so if you only want to fill up one side with french fries and leave the other empty, you can do that as well.
We appreciate how quickly the Ninja air fryer heats up (there’s little to no preheating time at all) and how it runs relatively quietly. It also has a feature called Smart Finish that will automatically adjust cooking times so that your fried chicken thighs in the first chamber and asparagus in the second will finish at the same time, so you don’t have to wait for one part of your meal to be ready while the other gets cold. In general, dual-zone air frying capabilities aren’t necessary for most people, but those who cook often will get a lot of use out of machines like the Ninja Foodi.
Pros
Two separate chambers for cooking different foods
Smart Finish feature adjusts cooking times so foods finish simultaneously
Not only is the Instant Vortex Mini budget-friendly with a $60 price tag (and you can often find it on sale for less), but it’s also the best small air fryer on this list. Most air fryers will take up a lot of precious countertop space, but this two-quart model is great for those who don’t have a lot to spare. The Vortex Mini can air fry, bake, roast and reheat, and you can control the temperature and cook time using the dial sitting in the middle of its touchscreen. Unlike some of the other, more expensive air fryers we tested, which have a variety of modes and settings, the Vortex Mini is dead simple to use. Just plug it in, press the preset cooking method of your choice, customize the temperature and cook time and press Start. The machine will beep about halfway through the cycle to let you know when to flip your food, and it’ll chime again once it’s finished.
Arguably the biggest caveat to the Vortex Mini is also its biggest strength. It’s so compact that cooking more than one thing, or a lot of one thing, won’t be easy. But I was able to cook a whole block of tofu cut into cubes (with a bit of overlap) and reheat (and re-crisp) leftovers in it for myself and my fiancé with no problems. Overall, this compact air fryer will be hard to beat for those with tight budgets and tiny kitchens.
Listen, most people don’t need the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. But if you love to cook, have a large family or throw a bunch of parties, you’ll likely get a ton of use out of this machine. This stainless steel countertop oven is a beast, measuring one cubic foot, so be prepared to carve out some space in your kitchen for it. But its size allows it to cook an entire 14-pound turkey and fit things like a five-quart dutch oven and a 9 x 13 pan inside of it. This large air fryer basically acts like a second oven, or even a primary one if your main oven is out of commission.
As the best air fryer toaster oven on this list, it’s quite capable and its size helps since you can spread your food out to ensure things are as crispy as possible. It also helps that you can cook a lot of servings at once, which will make it easier if you’re preparing snacks like bagels for brunch, appetizers for a party or a side dish for a family dinner. In addition to air frying, it has a number of other cooking modes including toast, broil, bake, pizza, dehydrate, slow cook and proof. Despite the “smart” moniker, this model doesn’t have app connectivity – but you can get that feature if you upgrade to the Joule. That’ll allow you to get push notifications when your food’s ready, and the companion app also has guided recipes which you can follow along with. Unsurprisingly, like most Breville gadgets, both the Joule and the standard Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro are quite expensive, coming in at $500 and $400, respectively. But if you’re looking to add the versatility of a multi-use machine to your kitchen, Breville has you covered.
You can separate most air fryers into two types and each has different pros and cons. Convection ovens are usually ovens with air fryer functions and features. They might have higher temperature settings to ensure that food crisps and cooks more like actually fried food. Most convection ovens are larger than dedicated air fryers, defeating some of the purpose of those looking to shrink cooking appliance surface area. Still, they are often more versatile with multiple cooking functions, and most have finer controls for temperatures, timings and even fan speed.
You may never need a built-in oven if you have a decent convection oven. They often have the volume to handle roasts, entire chickens or tray bakes, and simply cook more, capacity-wise, making them more versatile than the pod-shaped competition.
The flip side of that is that you’ll need counter space in the kitchen to house them. It also means you can use traditional oven accessories, like baking trays or cake tins, that you might already own.
Pod-shaped air fryers
Pod-shaped air fryersare what you imagine when you think “air fryer.” They look like a cool, space-age kitchen gadget, bigger than a kettle but smaller than a toaster oven. Many use a drawer to hold ingredients while cooking, usually a mesh sheet or a more solid, non-stick tray with holes to allow the hot air to circulate. With a few exceptions, most require you to open the drawer while things cook and flip or shake half-cooked items to ensure the even distribution of heat and airflow to everything.
That’s one of a few caveats. Most pod-shaped air fryers – there are a few exceptions – don’t have a window to see how things are cooking, so you’ll need to closely scrutinize things as they cook, opening the device to check progress. Basket-style air fryers also generally use less energy – there’s less space to heat – and many have parts that can be put directly into a dishwasher.
Some of the larger pod-shaped air fryers offer two separate compartments, which is especially useful for anyone planning to cook an entire meal with the appliance. You could cook a couple of tasty chicken wings or tenders while simultaneously rustling up enough frozen fries or veggies for everyone. Naturally, those options take up more space, and they’re usually heavy enough to stop you from storing them in cupboards or shelves elsewhere.
As mentioned earlier, you might have to buy extra things to make these pod fryers work the way you want them to. Some of the bigger manufacturers, like Philips and Ninja, offer convenient additions, but you’ll have to pay for them.
Air fryer pros and cons
Beyond the strengths and weaknesses of individual models, air fryers are pretty easy to use from the outset. Most models come with a convenient cooking time booklet covering most of the major foods you’ll be air frying, so even beginners can master these machines.
One of the early selling points is the ability to cook fries, wings, frozen foods and other delights with less fat than other methods like deep frying, which gets foods the crispiest. As air fryers work by circulating heated air, the trays and cooking plates have holes that can also let oil and fat drain out of meats, meaning less fat and crisper food when you finally plate things up. For most cooking situations, you will likely need to lightly spray food with vegetable oil. If you don’t, there’s the chance that things will burn or char. The oil will keep things moist on the surface, and we advise refreshing things with a dash of oil spray when you turn items during cooking.
Most air fryers are easy to clean – especially in comparison to a shallow or deep fryer. We’ll get into cleaning guidance a little later.
With a smaller space to heat, air fryers are generally more energy-efficient for cooking food than larger appliances like ovens. And if you don’t have an oven, air fryers are much more affordable – especially the pod options.
There are, however, some drawbacks. While air fryers are easy enough to use, they take time to master. You will adjust cooking times for even the simplest types of food – like chicken nuggets, frozen French fries or brussels sprouts. If you’re the kind of person that loves to find inspiration from the internet, in our experience, you can pretty much throw their timings out of the window. There are a lot of air fryer options, and factors like how fast they heat and how well distributed that heat is can – and will – affect cooking.
There’s also a space limitation to air fryers. This is not a TARDIS – there’s simply less space than most traditional ovens and many deep fat fryers. If you have a bigger family, you’ll probably want to go for a large capacity air fryer – possibly one that has multiple cooking areas. You also might want to consider a different kitchen appliance, like a multicooker, sous vide or slow cooker to meet your specific cooking needs.
You may also struggle to cook many items through as the heat settings will cook the surface of dishes long before it’s cooked right through. If you’re planning to cook a whole chicken or a roast, please get a meat thermometer!
Best air fryer accessories
Beyond official accessories from the manufacturer, try to pick up silicone-tipped tools. Tongs are ideal, as is a silicon spatula to gently loosen food that might get stuck on the sides of the air fryer. These silicone mats will also help stop things from sticking to the wire racks on some air fryers. They have holes to ensure the heated air is still able to circulate around the food.
Silicone trivets are also useful for resting any cooked food on while you sort out the rest of the meal. And if you find yourself needing oil spray, but don’t feel like repeatedly buying tiny bottles, you can decant your favorite vegetable oil into a permanent mister like this.
How to clean an air fryer
We’re keeping clean up simple here. Yes, you could use power cleaners from the grocery store, they could damage the surface of your air fryer. Likewise, metal scourers or brushes could strip away the non-stick coating. Remember to unplug the device and let it cool completely.
Remove the trays, baskets and everything else from inside. If the manufacturer says the parts are dishwasher safe – and you have a dishwasher – the job is pretty much done.
Otherwise, hand wash each part in a mixture of warm water, with a splash of Dawn or another strong dish soap. Use a soft-bristled brush to pull away any crumbs, greasy deposits or bits of food stuck to any surfaces. Remember to rinse everything. Otherwise, your next batch of wings could have a mild Dawn aftertaste. Trust us.
Take a microfiber cloth and tackle the outer parts and handles that might also get a little messy after repeated uses. This is especially useful for oven-style air fryers – use the cloth to wipe down the inner sides.
If Dawn isn’t shifting oily stains, try mixing a small amount of baking soda with enough water to make a paste, and apply that so that it doesn’t seep into any electrical parts or the heating element. Leave it to work for a few seconds before using a damp cloth to pull any greasy spots away. Rinse out the cloth and wipe everything down again, and you should be ready for the next time you need to air fry.
How to find air fryer recipes
Beyond fries, nuggets and – a revelation – frozen gyoza, there are a few ways to find recipes for air-fried foods. First, we found that the air fryer instruction manuals often have cooking guides and recipe suggestions for you to test out in your new kitchen gadget. The good thing with these is that they were made for your air fryer model, meaning success should be all but guaranteed. They are often a little unimaginative, however.
Many of the top recipe sites and portals have no shortage of air fryer recipes, and there’s no harm in googling your favorite cuisine and adding the words “air fryer” on the end of the search string. We’ve picked up some reliable options from Delish, which also has a handy air fryer time converter for changing oven and traditional fryer recipes.
BBC Good Food is also worth browsing for some simple ideas, as is NYT Cooking, with the ability to directly search for air fryer suggestions.
And if you have a killer recipe or unique use for your air fryer, let us know in the comments. What’s the air fryer equivalent of the Instant Pot cheesecake? We’re ready to try it.
After testing dozens of Bluetooth speakers, one thing was clear to me: there are plenty of good options for most consumers out there. That’s both a blessing and a curse, though, because it can quickly get overwhelming when you go to buy a new one ahead of your next camping trip or beach outing. I tried out a number of speakers at all different price points, from sub-$100 models to high-end, $500 and up gadgets, and most of them sounded pretty good upon first listen. But in comparing them head-to-head, that’s when I began to suss out the nuances among the best-sounding ones. Ultimately there’s no best portable Bluetooth speaker for everyone, but there are plenty of good options at various price points that should fit most use cases. These are our favorites.
Factors to consider before purchasing a portable Bluetooth speaker
Weather-proofing
IP ratings (Ingress Protection) are the alphanumeric indicators you often see in a product’s spec sheet that define the tested resistance of a product to both solid objects (dirt, dust, fingers?) and water. It’s usually a combo of two numbers with the first indicating solid object ingress and the second being water. The former goes from 0 (no protection) to 6 (dustproof). The water-resistance rating goes from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protected against immersion and high pressure jets). When an X is used instead of a number, that means the product wasn’t tested for resistance. If it’s waterproof, it may have some innate resistance to solids, but there’s no guarantee.
IP67 is a common rating these days indicating highly resistant and potentially rugged speakers suitable for outdoor adventures. These are safe for quick dunks in the pool or tub and should be more than OK in the rain or in the shower. They’re also good options for the beach, playground and other rough environs.
Additionally, speakers with ports and a high rating will often include a tight-fitting cover over the charging or auxiliary ports. If you plan on using the ports, that may limit the product’s rated ability to fend off the elements.
Consider the IP rating and also how you plan to use your Bluetooth speaker when making your decision. It may be worth splurging on a better sounding model with a lower IP rating if you’ll mostly be using it indoors, for instance.
Battery life
The focus of this guide is on portable Bluetooth speakers, and while “portable” can be a relative term, these devices are generally for people who are likely to find themselves far from a power outlet. These days, around 12 hours of runtime seems to be the baseline but obviously, the more battery life you can get out of a speaker, the better.
That said, be careful when looking at battery specs, as they frequently list a maximum runtime (“up to” x amount of hours). This usually means they tested at a low to mid volume. If you like your tunes loud, it can often end up cutting the expected usage time in half or more. Luckily, some manufacturers also list the expected hours of battery life when used at full volume and that transparency is appreciated.
Additionally, if your Bluetooth speaker also happens to have WiFi connectivity, they’re usually designed for always-on functionality. Unlike normal Bluetooth speakers that go to sleep after a short period without use, these will usually stay awake (to listen for your commands) and slowly run down the battery. If you’re out and about, you’ll want to remember to turn these speakers off manually when not in use to maximize battery life.
Range
Bluetooth range is tricky business. Some companies list their product’s longest possible range, usually outdoors and in an unobstructed line-of-sight test environment. Other companies stick with a 30-foot range on the spec sheet and leave it at that, even though they may be running Bluetooth 4.x or 5.x. That’s likely underselling the speaker’s potential, but unpredictable environments can affect range and there’s little point in promising the moon only to get complaints.
I’ve seen signal drop issues when crouching down, with my phone in the front pocket of my jeans, and barely 30 feet away from a speaker inside my apartment. I ran into this issue across several devices regardless of their listed Bluetooth connectivity range.
If you’re hosting a patio party and duck inside, it’s wise to have the source device remain close by just in case. It’s hard to gauge what aspects of any environment may interfere with a Bluetooth signal. In general, take range specs around 100 feet or more as a perfect-world scenario.
Latency
This is a minor mention for those out there who use a speaker for their computer output, or as a mini soundbar solution for setups like a monitor and streaming box. It’s annoying to find that your speaker’s latency isn’t low enough to avoid lip sync issues. Luckily, it seems that most speakers these days don’t often have these problems. Only a handful of the few dozen speakers I tried had persistent, noticeable lip-sync issues. Aside from occasional blips, all of our picks worked well in this regard.
If you plan to frequently use a speaker for video playback, look for devices with the most recent Bluetooth versions (4.x or 5.x) and lower latency codecs like aptX. Also make sure the speaker is close to the source device as distance can be a factor. To avoid the issue altogether, though, consider getting one with a wired auxiliary input.
Best Bluetooth speakers: $50 to $200
Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget
Features: Built-in power bank to charge other devices | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Assistant support: None
If you’re just looking for a small speaker that can kick out some decent volume, the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 fits the bill. The audio quality here is fine; it doesn’t stand out in terms of fidelity, but the volume you get from this affordable little speaker is what makes it a good choice. If you’re bopping about outdoors on your bike or chilling in the park, it’s usually more about portability and volume anyway. The rubbery rear strap works well on relatively thin things like belts, backpacks and bike handlebars.
While it’s small and affordable, the speaker supports USB-C charging for your devices in a pinch and you can wirelessly connect two of them for party mode or stereo sound. It also supports voice assistants for both iOS and Android users.
Features: IPX7 waterproof, custom EQ settings using companion app | Battery life: Up to 13 hours | Assistant support: None
Soundcore has been releasing some very able speakers lately and one of its newest is a quality personal portable. The Motion 300 is of the pint-sized variety, but offers 30-watts of punchy and bright output. It’s IPX7 rated so it can handle a bit of water, and it works with the Anker Soundcore app that allows a fair amount of customization from EQ settings to button brightness. It also supports hi-res audio using the LDAC codec for Android users with a compatible device.
The Motion 300’s size and frequency range don’t quite allow for a ton of bass, but it’s relatively loud and thumpy, especially when it has surfaces to reflect off of. Soundcore has even extended its high-frequency range to 40kHz, and while its utility is debatable, the Motion 300 does sound crisp in the high-end spectrum. You can also enable adaptive audio, which helps optimize its sound delivery depending on the speaker orientation (on its back, standing up or hanging from its removable button-fastened strap).
The speaker’s design merges a funky style with office-machine chic, from the playfully speckled soft touch exterior to the metallic, logo-emblazoned grille. Its 1.7-pound weight and clutch-purse size makes it better as a handheld or stowed in your bag rather than hanging from a backpack or bike handlebars. Ultimately, you get great sound in a small package with features you can tweak to your liking, all at an approachable $80 price tag.
Features: IP67-rated design, support for stereo pairing | Battery life: Up to 14 hours | Assistant support: None
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is a tiny yet powerful portable, delivering the biggest sound in its size range that we tested. It’s still a cute, barrel-shaped small speaker with a nubby little strap that probably needs a carabiner to help attach it to most things. But this refreshed model includes a couple of bright new colors, an extra hour of battery life and improved wireless range. With an IP67 rating on top of the company’s five-foot drop test durability, it can go with you almost anywhere and survive to tell the tale.
The audio quality is punchy and bright enough for what you’d expect at this scale and price range. Although there’s no app support or connectivity with the rest of the Ultimate Ears speaker lineup, you can easily pair it with speakers like the Wonderboom 2 or Megaboom 3 for stereo sound. There’s also an outdoor mode button on the bottom that boosts the mid and high range to help the audio carry over a greater distance.
Features: IPX7 waterproof, custom EQ settings using companion app | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Assistant support: None
This nondescript wedge of a wireless speaker could easily slip under your radar, but it’s worth a listen. It has a bright and bassy output, which is helped along by Qualcomm aptX support for hi-res audio. This Anker Soundcore device has a solid, slightly heavy build with a metal front speaker grille, a soft-touch rubberized exterior (that loves your greasy fingerprints) and IPX7 water resistance. While it’s not the lightest or most portable, it has good sound, especially for the price. Plus the app offers EQ customization, so you can fine tune to your liking.
There’s also a 3.5mm aux input for wired connections. That’s fortuitous, as we found that this small speaker works well as a mini soundbar alternative and the wired input offers a foolproof connection.
Features: IP67-rated design, support for stereo pairing | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Assistant support: None
JBL’s Flip 6 deserves high marks for overall sound quality, durability and volume considering its size, and those features make it the best JBL speaker for most people. As with most JBL speakers, it has a good dynamic range from solid lows to crisp highs with volume tipped towards higher registers. The cylindrical shape works well on its side or even standing on its end to save desk space. It has a capable carrying (or hanging) strap and raised buttons you can discern in the dark.
The JBL Portable app gives you a 3-band EQ to customize the sound profile if desired and if you have two Flip 6 speakers, you can run them as a stereo pair. If you happen to have a mix-and-match assortment of different PartyBoost-enabled JBL devices, you can connect multiple speakers for a bigger sound.
Features: Built-in mic for assistant support and phone calls, IP67-rated design | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Assistant support: Google Assistant, Siri
While the $99 Bose SoundLink Micro is half the size, we found that it’s definitely worth the extra $50 if you trade up to the SoundLink Flex. While it’s still not a room filler, the speaker offers some bright, dynamic finesse to your tunes, along with a significant amount of bass for its size. It’s similar to the scale of a small clutch bag, with a very small strap for carabiner-type hanging. Much of the exterior is sheathed in soft-touch silicone, except for the powder-coated steel speaker grilles. Like others in this range, the speaker is IP67 rated so it can handle the elements and sound good doing it.
Setup and connecting to the speaker should be done from within the aptly named Bose Connect app. You can also turn off voice prompts (which can become annoying) and pair with similar speakers for either party mode or stereo.
Note: Some users running Android 12 may encounter connectivity issues with the Bose Connect app. The company is working to resolve the problem.
Features: IP67-rated design, support for stereo pairing | Battery life: Up to 30 hours | Assistant support: None
The recently released Emberton II Bluetooth portable from Marshall has a bumped up set of specs that make it a better value than the previous gen. This clutchable rectangular slab still has a pair of 10-watt full-range drivers and passive radiators to deliver the brand’s signature sound. It may not be the loudest in its size range, but it focuses more on balanced output than raw power. There’s still 360 sound as well, making it a good companion for small get togethers. Although, with its 60hz low end threshold, you’ll find a better bass response when there are surfaces to reflect off of, and not so much if it’s in the middle of a table.
This new model now offers up to 30 hours of listening on a charge (10 hours better than before) and a more rugged IP67 rating. There’s also a new ability to pair with another Emberton II or Willen II using the new “Stack Mode”. The range between them is limited, however, so stacking them probably is the best way to go. Additionally, Marshall is offering a more environmentally friendly product than before, using 50 percent post-consumer plastics in its construction.
Features: Built-in power bank to charge other devices, IP67-rated design, support for stereo pairing | Battery life: Up to 20 hours | Assistant support: None
If you’re willing to spend a little more for bigger sound, more hours of battery life and a USB-C port to charge your devices, the midrange JBL Charge 5 is a great upgrade over the Flip 6. It has the same bright output and capable low end, but in a slightly larger package. If you’re looking for a smallish portable speaker, but something capable enough to entertain a few guests, this works.
Features: Retro design with carry strap, 3.5mm aux input | Battery life: Up to 15 hours | Assistant support: None
The Orange Box portable Bluetooth speaker from legendary guitar amp maker Orange is essentially a no-frills product with great analog sound and ‘60s-era bohemian chic. For Orange Amp fans, it’s a faithful mini-version of a classic (although you can’t plug in your guitar). It’s not particularly heavy, but it is a bit chunky and the wooden frame means there’s no waterproofing or ruggedness rating. Battery life is average with up to 15 hours run time and you’ll want to keep track of that DC power cable since it doesn’t support any USB charging.
That said, we like this speaker in part for its natural charm and unique design (at least as far as Bluetooth speakers go). There’s a 3.5mm aux input, a mechanical power toggle switch, a cool domed power light and several dials for volume and EQ. The front-facing grille is audio transparent fabric emblazoned with the classic Orange logo. It’s also a proper piece of kit built for a long life, with authorized repair centers across the globe.
Most importantly, you get both analog and digital amps pushing 50 watts of bright, clear and unadulterated output with plenty of low end, at least for nearby listeners. It also supports aptX, so if you have high-quality files or hi-res streaming, you’ll get the most out of it.
This speaker is ideal for Orange Amps fans or those who like no-fuss operation, natural analog sound quality and generally want a mid-sized device they’ll keep close to home. Most styles of music sound great on the Orange Box, but the speaker really shines with songs that have live instrumentation or anything that can benefit from an analog touch.
Features: IP67-rated design, support for stereo pairing | Battery life: Up to 20 hours | Assistant support: None
Marshall launched the Middleton in January 2023 and positioned it as the new flagship for its portable Bluetooth speaker line. It’s the largest of the company’s IP67 rugged portables (measuring 4.3 x 9 x 3.75 inches) and offers a significantly louder output, with 50-watts of 360-degree sound. There are dual woofers and tweeters for the front and back, with passive radiators along each side. It also offers Stack Mode, which lets you pair with any other Middleton, Emberton II or Willen speakers nearby to expand your listening experience.
The Middleton can be managed through the Marshall Bluetooth app, but it also includes most of those same controls on the top. There’s a Bluetooth button (which doubles as the Stack Mode control) and a multi-use joystick for power on/off, volume control and track selection (forward or back). You also get bass and treble controls, which are a welcome addition and a first for one of Marshall’s speakers without physical knobs.
It has that traditional Marshall look, made with a soft-touch exterior composed of 55-percent post-consumer recycled plastic and is 100-percent PVC free. It also has a carry strap you can easily fit your hand through. Any dust, dirt or prints on the outside can be scrubbed off with a damp cloth, and even the exposed USB-C and 3.5mm input port components are waterproofed. That USB-C port can be used to recharge the speaker, or power up your other devices with its 9,600mAh battery.
Of course audio purists should know that it only supports SBC, but the sound quality is still top notch for most people. And while Marshall devices are usually priced at a slight premium, the good sound quality and decent low-end capability definitely makes this model worth checking out.
Features: IPX4-rated design, Wi-Fi connectivity | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Assistant support: Alexa, Google Assistant
We did test a couple smart home speakers, including the Bose Portable Smart and I decided to compare it with its closest Bluetooth equivalent: the Revolve+ II. While that’s best suited for portability, has a loud bright sound that will carry outdoors and long battery life, its low end is a little less pronounced than its smart companion. If you’re willing to spend more and appreciate bass, the Bose Portable Smart speaker is a big improvement. It has a well-rounded low end and a bright dynamic sound with plenty of nuance that makes for a great listening experience.
This 360-degree portable comes as a combo WiFi/Bluetooth speaker primarily geared toward smart home use with the occasional outing. It’s rated IPX4, so not the most weatherproof, but good for casual outdoor listening. The battery is rated for up to 12 hours, but since this is an always-on smart device, you’ll need to be more attentive at keeping it topped up. There’s a charging dock accessory for use around the house, but as an away-from-home portable, you should power it down when not in use.
Smart features: WiFi, voice and app control, support for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Chromecast (built-in), Apple AirPlay 2 and SimpleSync connectivity with Bose Bluetooth speakers.
Note: Some users running Android 12 may encounter connectivity issues with the Bose Connect app. The company is working to resolve the problem.
Features: IP67-rated design| Battery life: Up to 15 hours | Assistant support: None
If you’ve enjoyed any of the smaller JBL speakers out there and are willing to spend a bit more, the Xtreme 3 is a good all-around choice. It’s big enough to warrant a shoulder strap, but still only about the size of a football. There’s a pleasant dynamic sound here with hefty lows and a lively high end that seems slightly better balanced at this size than the smaller options from JBL in this range.
This is easily a favorite if you want something under $400 with a little more gusto than your average portable, but still being IP67 weatherproof. It has enough output to breathe life into a small soiree or backyard hang, although while it’s quite loud, it’s best when it’s close by or indoors where the bass can resonate to its fullest.
Best high-range portable bluetooth speakers: $450 and higher
Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget
Features: IPX2-rated design, support for multi-host functionality | Battery life: Up to 20 hours | Assistant support: None
If you didn’t know about Marshall’s history in amplifiers and rock music, the design should clue you in. The Tufton is the largest portable Bluetooth speaker from the company, looking much like an amp itself (as do most of them). It has physical knobs at the top and a carry strap to help move it about. While it may appear as rugged as concert gear, it’s less impervious to the elements as some with just an IPX2 rating, so it’s protected from light splashes from above.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the brand, the rich and distinctly thumping output may make you one. We felt pulled into the sound while listening to the Tufton, a bit more than most other speakers we tested at this scale. It’s dynamic, warm and, dare we say, analog in its audio presence. It’s also multi-directional with a supplemental driver on the back along with a bass port.
There’s no app to adjust the EQ, just the physical controls including a Bluetooth connect button, a power/volume knob and two for bass and treble. Once powered on, you can use the volume knob to set a max headroom and adjust volume on the fly from your source. The bass and treble knobs help you choose the tone of your adventure, from a purely flat soundscape to an enhanced one. We just wish you could see the dial indicators in the dark. Other features include aptX support and quick-charge capabilities that provide four hours of listening time in just 20 minutes, plus great standby battery life.
Features: IPX4-rated design, support for multi-host functionality | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Assistant support: None
The UE Hyperboom is an all-arounder with good looks, portability, plenty of connectivity options and a loud and punchy (albeit compressed) output. The technical fabric exterior (which now includes a white option) lets it live among your furniture without screaming “party box,” while the optical input offers a possible TV speaker alternative. The large capacitive buttons on top let anyone adjust the volume, pause or play the music and select from two concurrent Bluetooth connections or a hardwired input (3.5mm or optical). On the edge with the silicone carrying handle there are the wired ports, plus one for charging USB devices and another for power. You can expect to get up to 24 hours of battery life, and the Hyperboom is good at holding a charge on standby.
This capable and loud (roughly 100dB) speaker will please most people as long as the party is of primary concern over fidelity. The ability to remotely power your device on or off using the UE app is also a welcome feature. Plus you can easily expand the sound to other Ultimate Ears Boom speakers (except Wonderboom) using the PartyUp feature. The IPX4 rating means a few spilled drinks won’t hassle it, but it’s not the best Bluetooth speaker choice for all-weather adventures.
Features: App connectivity with custom sound profiles, swappable battery | Battery life: Up to 40 hours | Assistant support: None
The Soundboks Go is a great speaker if you’re looking for a portable Bluetooth option that provides a big sound for larger spaces, although it comes at a price. This unpretentious black rectangle is half the size of its more professional sibling the Soundboks Gen 3. It packs one 10-inch woofer and a 1-inch domed tweeter, both powered by two 72W RMS amps for massive sound and chunky bass, even at a distance.
At 20 pounds, this party speaker is fairly easy to lug around and looks about the size of carry-on luggage. You can even get the optional shoulder strap, which helps for longer missions. It has a flexible TPE handle on top, silicone bumpers around the edges and ABS+Polycarbonate exterior and grill. The IP65 rating also marks it as a resilient device in most environments.
The sound makes a big statement here. Output levels are rated at up to 121dB, with clear mids and highs projecting clearly across large areas. The low end also has a significant presence at a distance, matching up with 40Hz frequency response. It’s definitely capable enough to support large gatherings.
The speaker is easy to connect to via Bluetooth and the partner app offers EQ customization, audio profiles and OTA firmware updates. There’s a solitary 3.5mm stereo input on the Go, but its wireless expansion shines, letting you connect up to five Soundboks Gen 3 or Go speakers at the touch of a button with its built-in SKAA wireless support.
Lastly, the battery pack is removable, swappable and also long-lasting for a speaker this size; at low to mid volume, it’s rated at up to 40 hours runtime. For transparency, Soundboks also lets you know to expect around 10 hours of play at full volume. You can also run this while charging, but there are strict warnings about keeping the volume low while doing so (it’s not recommended unless you’re desperate).
While there’s a lot to like about the Sonos Roam, there are plenty of other Bluetooth speakers with more features and better battery life. In our review, we gave the Roam a score of 87, praising it for its good sound quality, durable waterproof design and ability to work well within an existing Sonos speaker ecosystem. But the price is just fine at $180, and we found Bluetooth speakers that offer more at lower price points. Plus, the Roam taps out at 10 hours of battery life, and all of our top picks can run for longer than that on a single charge.
Monoprice Soundstage3
The Monoprice Soundstage3 offers relatively big sound at a midrange $250 price, with a variety of inputs rarely found on a portable Bluetooth speaker. The boxy, minimalist design is no nonsense, even if it’s more of a less-rugged, bookshelf-styled homebody. While the speaker puts out crisp highs alongside booming lows, we found the bass can overpower the rest of the output, so it’s not for everyone. And after using the speaker for many months, we also found the low-slung, poorly labeled button panel along the top can be a bit annoying to use. If you want a speaker for road trips, favor mids and highs, and plan on using physical buttons for volume control and input selections, there are better options out there.
JBL Boombox 3
Fans of JBL’s bluetooth speaker sound profile who want to crank up the volume, but also want a rugged and portable option, may enjoy the JBL Boombox 3. It’s a decent grab-and-go speaker with a very loud output, although it’s not as good as some of the loud-speaker styled options for long-throw sound and big outdoor areas. However, the price for this speaker line remains prohibitively expensive compared to other options with big sound that cover a bit more ground. If the JBL brand is your thing and you like the rugged, portable form factor, we recommend looking for discounts, or shopping around and exploring the available options including the (less portable) JBL PartyBox series.
Soundcore Motion X500
Soundcore speakers have generally been good and often reasonably priced. The Motion X500 loosely falls into that category. It has a tall, metallic lunchbox vibe with a fixed handle and pumps out a respectable 40 watts of crisp, clear sound for its size. It can get pretty loud and serves up a good dose of bass, although its primarily a front-facing speaker.
There’s LDAC hi-res audio support for Android users, but the main selling point on this is spatial audio. This is done through an EQ change and the activation of a small, up-firing driver. There’s a slight benefit from this if you’re up close and directly in front of it, but it’s not a total game changer for your listening experience. The original pre-order price of $130 made it a decent option in terms of bang for your buck. But it went up to $170 at launch, making it less appealing even if it’s still a good middle-of-the-road option if you want small-ish, clear and loud. If you can find one on sale for the lower price, it’s definitely worth considering. There’s also the larger and louder X600 ($200) if the overall concept is working for you.
FAQs
How does a Bluetooth speaker work?
Bluetooth technology lets devices connect and exchange data over short distances using ultra high frequency (UHF) radio waves. It’s the frequency range that’s carved out for industrial, scientific and medical purposes, called the 2.4GHz ISM spectrum band. This range is available worldwide, making it easy for companies to use with devices for global markets.
Bluetooth speakers include this tech, which lets them communicate with source devices like smartphones, tablets or computers in order to exchange data. The two devices pair by sharing a unique code and will work within the proscribed range for the device and Bluetooth version.
Ever since Bluetooth 4.0 was released over a decade ago, new iterations usually improve on range, use less power and offer expanded connectivity with features like multipoint (allowing more than one device to be connected at the same time, for instance).
Who should buy a Portable Bluetooth speaker?
If you want to play music while you’re out-and-about on something other than headphones, a portable Bluetooth speaker is probably what you want. There’s a broad range of devices for all types of circumstances. Many adventurous people will want a relatively lightweight portable that’s rugged enough to handle the elements while also packing enough charge to play for hours on end. Others may simply need a speaker they can move around the house or use in the backyard. In this case, you can choose larger less rugged models that may offer better sound.
The number of portable chargers on the market now is staggering, but they are some of the most useful tech accessories you can get. Small power banks with built-in connectors are easy to toss in a bag so you always have a backup. Bigger batteries with multiple ports and laptop-level capacity can power a mobile workstation far from wall outlets. And mid-capacity models can give a quick charge to phones, tablets, ereaders — even game controllers so you can keep playing without sitting too close to a screen. New battery packs come on the market all the time, so we continually test the most notable models to help you decide which one will work best for your needs. According to our tests, these are the best power banks you can get right now.
What to look for in a portable battery pack
Battery type
Nearly every rechargeable power bank you can buy (and most portable devices) contain a lithium-ion battery. These beat other current battery types in terms of size-to-charge capacity, and have even increased in energy density by eight fold in the past 14 years. They also don’t suffer from a memory effect (where battery life deteriorates due to partial charges).
One drawback you may have heard is the possibility of lithium ion batteries catching fire. To limit the danger, battery packs require internal mechanisms to limit things like voltage and pressure. While you should still make sure a battery isn’t exposed to unnecessary stress like excessive heat, damage from drops or operating in freezing weather, battery packs are considered safe enough to bring on an airplane. According to the TSA, external batteries rated at 100Wh or less (which all of our recommendations are) can fly with you – just make sure you stash them in your carryon the next time you fly as they aren’t allowed in checked baggage.
Capacity
Power bank manufacturers almost always list a battery’s capacity in milliamp hours, or mAh. Smaller batteries, say those that can charge a smartphone to between 50 and 75 percent, tend to have a 5,000mAh capacity. Larger batteries that can recharge laptops and tablets, or give phones multiple charges, can exceed 25,000mAh. Unsurprisingly, the prices on most batteries goes up as capacity increases, and since batteries are physical storage units, size and weight go up with capacity as well. If you want more power, be prepared to spend more and carry around a heavier brick.
You might think that a 10,000mAh power bank could charge a 5,000mAh phone to 100 percent twice, but that’s not the case. In addition to simple energy loss through heat dissipation, factors like voltage conversion also bring down the amount of juice that makes it into your phone. Most manufacturers list how many charges a battery can give a certain smartphone. In our tests, 10,000mAh of battery pack capacity translated to roughly 5,800mAh of device charge. 20,000mAh chargers delivered around 11,250mAh to a device, and 25,000mAh banks translated to about 16,200mAh of charge. That’s an average efficiency rate of around 60 percent.
Ports
Since Apple finally ditched the Lightning cable and adopted USB-C, we’re getting closer to a standard for charging connections — and all of our picks have at least one such port. But plenty of other devices use older interfaces, like USB-A and microUSB ports, plus Lightning for older iPhones. You can find cables with just about any combination of those connections, so when you’re picking out a battery, just check that one end of your preferred cord will fit.
When a battery pack has more than one charging port, they usually serve different functions. You’ll typically see at least one port labeled “in/out,” which means you can use it to both charge the bank and charge your device. While USB-A output ports can power up smartphones and other small devices, they can’t charge larger devices. Plus, they aren’t as fast as USB-C ports overall. That’s something to keep in mind when you’re deciding which ports and charging cables to use to connect your phone to the pack.
There’s even more variation among USB-C ports themselves, with different ports on the same device supporting different power transfer rates. What that means in practical terms is an iPhone will charge just fine plugged into a power bank’s 18W port. But to properly charge, say, a MacBook or similar laptop, it’ll need the extra juice supplied by a 100W port (which larger power banks can offer). Power banks with more than one port can also charge multiple devices at the same time, but speeds and the overall charge delivered will be lower.
You’ll also want to consider your charging cable. For anything larger than a smartphone (and to access fast-charging capabilities) you’ll want to use USB-C ports and cables. But not all cables are created equal, even when they have the same USB-C plugs on the end. If you want power delivery from a 100W USB-C power bank port, you’ll need a 100W-rated USB-C cable. Luckily, power banks capable of delivering 100W tend to include a compatible cable. For any devices that don’t, we’ve tried and liked Anker’s 100W USB-C cable. For smaller devices, we used this 60W cable from Nimble and we don’t recommend bothering with cables under 60W. For around $20, higher-capacity charging cables will make sure you’re not wasting time with connections that limit your potential power transfer.
Design
For the most part, these rechargeable batteries have a squared-off, brick-like design, though many nod towards aesthetics with attractive finishes and detailing. While that doesn’t affect how they perform, it’s a consideration for something you’ll interact with regularly. Some portable power stations include extra features like MagSafe compatibility, a built-in wall plug or even a kickstand. Nearly all have some sort of indicator to let you know how much available charge your power bank has left, usually expressed with lighted pips near the power button. Some of the newer banks take that a step further with an LED display indicating remaining battery percentage.
How we test portable battery packs
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Before we even put our hands on a battery pack, we did extensive research. We considered brands Engadget reviewers and staff have tried over the years and we checked out customer ratings on retail sites like Amazon and Best Buy. Here’s the full list of power banks we’ve tested, which range from small wireless banks to large, multi-device batteries.
MagSafe-compatible
Low capacity (≤10,000mAh)
Mid capacity (10,001 – 20,000mAh)
High capacity (20,001mAh+)
We’re continuously updating this guide as companies release new products and we test them. We remove some products as we find better top picks, and we add updated specs and prices where necessary. For testing, we used each battery with some combination of an iPhone 15, an iPhone 14 Plus, an iPhone 11, a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, a 5th-gen iPad Air and an M1 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro. I charged one phone battery at a time, even though some packs are capable of multiple-device charging. I charged the phones and tablets from between zero and five percent until they were 100 percent full (or until the power bank was dead), and didn’t use the device while they charged other than to power them on and enter the unlock code.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
I used the charging cable included with each power bank to charge the Galaxy S22 Ultra, MacBook Pro and the iPad Air. For the iPhones, I used the USB-C to Lighting cable that Apple provides. In the case of the lower-capacity power banks that didn’t include a cord or included one with USB-C to USB-A connectors, I used this 60W-rated USB-C to USB-C cable.
For reference, here are the battery capacities of each device we used for testing:
I noted the times for each charge and the number of charges each bank provided. I also paid attention to things like ease of use and overall design. Here’s what made the cut for best portable power bank:
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Capacity: 10,000mAh, 15W | Ports: One USB-C in/out | Cable: USB-C to USB-C| Number of charges iPhone 15: 1.64 | Charge time iPhone: 4 to 100% in 2h 26m and 0 to 70% in 1h 8m
Anker’s MagGo Power Bank was one of the first Qi2-certified products to come on the market, and the new standard has made the brand’s popular MagSafe/kickstand model much faster. It brought an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-full in about 45 minutes. For reference, it took our former top pick in this category an hour and a half to do the same. It’s similarly faster than Anker’s previous generation of this model, the 633, as well. After that initial refill, the MagGo 10K had enough left over to get the phone up to 70 percent on a subsequent charge.
In addition to faster charging speeds, this Anker power bank adds a small display to indicate the battery percentage left in the bank, plus the approximate amount of time before it’s full (when it’s refilling) or empty (when it’s doing the charging). A strong MagSafe connection makes it easy to use the phone while it charges and the small kickstand creates a surprisingly sturdy base for watching videos and the like. If you twist the phone to landscape, StandBy mode kicks in.
The power bank did a fine job of charging our Galaxy S23 Ultra, but the lack of support for Qi2, even on the newest Galaxies and Pixels, means the most popular Android will simply charge at a slower rate — and won’t benefit from the zero-effort magnetic alignment. There’s also a single USB-C port for recharging, so if you need to fill up something without wireless capabilities, you can.
Capacity: 5,000 mAh, 22.5W max | Ports: One USB-C and one USB-C connector | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges Galaxy S23 Ultra: 0.65 | Charge time: 0 to 65% in 1h 2m
The Anker Nano power bank is impressive for how much charge it delivers in such a small package. It’s the exact size and shape of the lipstick case my grandma used to carry and has a built-in USB-C connector that folds down when you’re not using it. That means that, in addition to being ultra-portable, you also don’t need to remember to grab a charging cable when you toss it in your bag. There’s also a built-in USB-C port that can refill the battery or be used to fill up a different device with an adapter cable. You also get four indicator lights that let you know how much charge remains in the battery.
In my testing, the 5,000mAh battery provided enough charge to get a depleted Galaxy S23 Ultra back up to 65 percent in about an hour. That’s relatively quick, but the Nano is also small enough that, with an adequately sturdy connection, you can use your phone while it’s charging without feeling too awkward. The charger’s small size also makes it a good pick for recharging earbuds.
For a little more juice and an equally clever design, Anker’s 30W Nano Power Bank is a good option. It’s bigger in size and capacity (10,000mAh) and includes a display indicating the remaining charge percentage. The attached USB-C cable doubles as a carry handle, which is a nice touch. That cable is in/out and there’s another USB-C in-out port in addition to an out-only USB-A port.
Capacity: 10,000mAh, 18W max | Ports: One in/out USB-C, two USB-A out only | Cable: USB-C to USB-A | Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 1.36 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 50m, 0 to 50% in 36m | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 1.33 | Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 33m, 0 to 50% in 45m
BioLite is probably better known in the outdoor community than the tech world, and it’s fair to say that the Charge 40 PD is geared more towards camping trips than urban commutes. But this battery simply outperformed the others in its category. The rugged, yellow-accented exterior is a refreshing change from the standard shiny black of many tech accessories. It also has a rubberized finish and feels solid enough to handle the bumps and jolts of riding around in a purse or messenger bag all day. It gave both the iPhone and the Galaxy one and a half charges, which means it’s plenty capable of reviving a dead phone a couple of times when you’re out and about.
The Nimble Champ gets an honorary mention here because it’ll also deliver a few reliable fill-ups and comes in a rugged package. It delivered a full charge to the iPhone in two hours plus 22 percent more in 16 minutes. It gave the Galaxy a full charge in an hour and 37 minutes, then got the phone from dead to 41 percent in 50 minutes. At the same $60 price point as the BioLite, Nimble gets extra points for being one of the few B-Corp-certified personal tech manufacturers out there, meaning they’ve committed themselves to higher environmental and social standards, and took the time to prove it through B Lab’s certification process.
Capacity: 15,000mAh, 18W max | Ports: One in/out USB-C, one in/out USB-A | Cable: USB-C to USB-A | Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 2.33 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 2h 2m average, and 0% to 33% in 27m | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 2.33 | Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 35m and 0 to 37% in 33m | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.31 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 23m and 0% to 31% in 38m
At the medium-capacity level, you can charge multiple devices at once or power up something larger than a phone. The Otterbox Fast Charge power bank only lists 15,000mAh of capacity, but it performed nearly as well as the 20,000mAh batteries while costing about $30 less. Over the month and a half I spent testing battery packs, this was the unit I grabbed the most when my own devices dropped to empty. It has a stylish exterior with a gray faux leather finish and copper detailing. A little bigger than a deck of cards and weighing just over 11 ounces, it’s a nice looking accessory that feels solid.
It filled up both smartphones twice, then replenished each an additional third. I introduced the iPad to the mix here and got a full charge plus an extra third. The Otterbox also lost very little battery power while sitting dormant, which means if you carry it around on the off chance that you’ll need it, it should have plenty of power when the time comes.
Capacity: 20,000mAh, 65W | Ports: Two USB-C in/out | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 2.95 | Charge time iPhone: 5 to 100% in 1h 39m average | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 2.99 | Charge time Galaxy: 5 to 100% in 59m average | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.83 | Charge time iPad: 5 to 100% in 1h 55m and 83% in 1h 21m
Nimble’s Champ Pro battery delivers a screaming fast charge and got a Galaxy S23 Ultra from five percent to full in under an hour. That’s faster than every other battery I tested except for Anker’s 737, our high capacity pick — and that model costs $30 more. It lent nearly three full charges to both an iPhone and Galaxy device and has enough juice to refill an iPad more than once. The battery pack itself also re-ups from the wall noticeably faster than other models, so it’ll get you out the door quicker.
The company, Nimble, is a certified B-Corp, meaning they aim for higher environmental and social standards and verify their efforts through independent testing. The Champ Pro uses 90 percent post-consumer plastic and comes in packaging made from paper scrap with a bag for shipping back your old battery (or other tech) for recycling.
The unit itself feels sturdy and has a compact shape that’s a little narrower than a smartphone and about as long. The attached adjustable lanyard is cute, if a little superfluous, and the marbled effect from the recycled plastics give it a nice aesthetic. You can charge devices from both USB-C ports simultaneously, and both are input/output plugs.
My only qualm was with the four indicator lights. On a second testing round, it dropped down to just one remaining pip, yet went on to deliver a full fill-up plus an additional top off after that. That said, I’m glad the indicator lights under-estimated the remaining charge rather than the other way around, and the accuracy seemed to improve after subsequent depletions and refills.
Capacity: 25,600mAh, 60W max | Ports: One in/out USB-C, two out only USB-A | Cable: USB-C to USB-C, includes 65W wall adapter | Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 3.67 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 38m average and 0 to 67% in 40m | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 3.93 | Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 57m average 0 to 93% in 59m | Number of charges iPad Air: 2.14 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 7m average and 0 to 14% in 13m
If you want something with a lot of charge that transfers quickly, go for the Anker PowerCore III Elite 26K. It was for the most part the fastest bank we tried, capable of delivering the largest amount of charge in the shortest period of time for the iPad and Galaxy. The 737 fully charged our S22 Ultra three times, with enough power left over for another 93 percent charge – and those full charges completed in under an hour on average. That’s on par with wall charging. The numbers for the iPhone were slightly less staggering, but still impressive, going from zero to full in about an hour and a half. The iPad charged completely twice, and did so in just over two hours, which is also close to that device’s wall-connected charge speeds.
While it’s great for multiple full charges on a given smartphone, I should point out that the 737 has three ports, but only one of those provides USB-C charging. If you want to charge more than one device at a time, you’ll have to use the lower-efficiency USB-A ports for a couple of them. That said, this bank not only costs less than the other high capacity batteries we tried, it also includes a 65W PowerPort fast charger, which goes for $34 on its own.
The design is nothing groundbreaking, with a glossy black exterior and a metallic-looking finish on one side. It weighs a little over a pound and has the same general form as an old school TI-85 graphing calculator. Its single button has eight lighted pips to show you how much charge it has left.
Pros
Fastest recharge speeds in our tests
Enough capacity for multiple phone or tablet refills
Capacity: 27,000mAh, 140W max | Ports: One USB-C in/out, one USB-C out, USB-A, 100W AC | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 3.75 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 40m average and 75% in 46m | Number of charges iPad Air: 2.15 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 1h 56m and 15% in 19m | Number of charges 16” MacBook Pro: 0.65 | Charge time MBP: 10% to 75% in 1h 29m
The TSA’s 100-watt-hour battery limit translates to around 27,000mAh for lithium ion batteries. Mophie’s Powerstation Pro AC is so massive it necessitates a grab handle and get close to the edge of that max carry-on size. You probably won’t find a larger, acceptable portable power bank — after all, an on-the-go charging brick is pointless if you can’t travel with it. I took this one through security at two airports and no one gave it a second glance.
To power your mobile work setup, the Powerstation has four ports. Three of them are the usual USBs, but there’s also a three-prong AC outlet. Most current devices charge via USB (and doing so is more efficient than using a power adapter between the cable and power bank), but older devices and certain mobile workstation accessories — speakers, lights and printers come to mind — might only power up through a basic wall plug. Just be sure to hold down the status button until the light turns red to turn on the AC port.
The AC plug powered most small appliances I plugged into it, including a small speaker, an HP printer and various LED lights. The 100 available watts isn’t enough to continuously push a charge through the 140W power adapter that ships with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but via the USB-C port, it was able to charge that laptop from 10 percent to 75 percent in under 90 minutes.
The four lighted LED indicators will tell you when the battery is full. Unfortunately, it’s not the best indicator of when the bank will run out of juice. It charges for quite a while with four and three pips lit up, but then quickly cycles through the last two dots before it dies. So it might be better to just remember how much you’ve used the brick rather than relying too heavily on its indicators.
Smaller devices like a smartphone will get numerous charges; I got nearly five refills on an iPhone 11, and two charges and some change on an iPad. The Powerstation Pro AC was even a little faster at both tasks than our previous pick for a mobile command center. That said, this bank is overkill for a simple mobile device fill-up. At 2.6 pounds, it makes the most sense as a power source when you’re working in the field with multiple components.
The Zendure Supertank Pro is also a great pick. It’s slightly smaller at 26800mAh but has a lighted LED display that indicates exactly how much charge remains and how much you’re using. It has four variable-wattage USB-C ports, a tough exterior and comes with a semi-hard case.
Capacity: 20,000mAh, 200W max | Ports: Two USB-C in/out, one USB-A, charging pins | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 3.75 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 48m average and 75% in 47m | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.54 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 11m and 54% in 47m
Not only does Anker’s new 20,000mAh Prime power bank look pretty slick, it’s also easier to recharge — as long as you pony up for the companion base. Magnets help align the pins so you can just plonk the battery down and move on with your life. The set will run you $200, which is pretty spendy for a battery bank, but if you consider that the base offers extra ports (one USB-A and two USB-C), you can also use it as a power hub for other devices, which takes some of the sting out of the price.
The battery itself has the same three ports as the base and a blocky, upright design. The case is a textured metallic plastic with a high-polish, built-in screen and rounded corners. It tells you how many watts are flowing out to each device and displays the overall remaining charge within the battery. When you press the power button, it takes a moment to wake. But the extra processes that run the screen don’t seem to slow the battery down or diminish the power it has to give. Its charge times and capacity was on par with the other 20K batteries I’ve tested.
I’ve been pretty careful with my review unit, but I’d be worried that the sleek and shiny finish will get wrecked with regular use. It does come with a faux-suede pouch to carry it in, but I doubt anyone will use that regularly — after all, the whole appeal of the Prime’s base and battery set is the low-hassle efficiency.
Capacity: 15,000mAh, 32W max | Ports: One USB-C in/out, one USB-C in, one USB-A | Cable: USB-A to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 2.99 | Charge time iPhone 11: 0 to 100% 2h average and 0 to 99% in 1h 45m | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.17 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% 2h 23m and 0 to 17% 15m
Plenty of battery packs are built to withstand drops and other abuse, but very few are waterproof or even water resistance. It makes sense; water and electrical charges aren’t good companions. The Nestout Portable Charger battery has an IP67 rating, which means it can handle being submerged in water for a number of minutes, and Nestout claims a 30-minute dunk in a meter of water shouldn’t interfere with the battery’s operation. I couldn’t think of a likely scenario where a power bank would spend a half hour in three feet of water, but I could see a backpacker traversing a river and submerging their pack for a few minutes, or a sudden downpour drenching all of their gear. So I tested by dropping the battery in a five gallon bucket of water for five minutes. After drying it off, the unit performed as if it had never been wet.
The water resistance comes courtesy of screw-on caps with silicone gaskets that physically keep the water out, so you’ll need to make sure you tighten (but don’t over tighten) the caps whenever you think wetness is in your future. The company also claims the battery lives up to a military-standard shock/drop specification which sounds impressive, but it’s hard to pin down what exactly that means. I figured it should at minimum survive repeated drops from chest height onto a hard surface, and it did.
As for charging speeds, it wasn’t quite as quick as our recommendation for a mid-capacity bank. The Otterbox charged an iPhone 14 Plus to 80 percent in about an hour and the Nestout got the smaller iPhone 11 to 80 percent in the same amount of time. Another thing to note is that the supplied cable is short, just seven inches total, so you’ll likely want to use your own cord.
Nestout also makes accessories for its batteries, which I found delightful. A dimmable LED worklight snaps on to the top of the battery while a small tripod holds them both up. The portable solar panel reminded me of a baby version of Biolite’s camping panels. Nestout’s version refilled the 15,000mAh bank to 40 percent in under three hours, which sounds slow, but is actually fairly impressive considering the compact size of the panels. This is also a blazingly hot summer, so I’d expect better performance in more reasonable weather.
The Blade 2 from Baseus has a unique, flat shape that’s just a little wider than an ereader — which may make it easier to slip into a low profile laptop bag. It charged a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra considerably faster than any other battery bank we tried, getting it from four percent to full in just over an hour. It then filled the phone back to 62 percent from dead on a second charge in about a half an hour. But $100 is a lot for a standard power bank that holds fewer than two full charges. But if you can find the Blade 2 on sale, snap it up.
Anker MagGo (6.6K)
Anker’s 6.5k MagGo is pretty similar to our top pick for a MagSafe-compatible battery pack. It supports the Qi2 charging standard and props up your iPhone so you can use it or enable StandBy mode while powering up. This one even lets you set the viewing angle from 30 to 65 degrees. It was speedy in getting an iPhone 15 up to 50 percent in about 40 minutes. But for the added bulk, it doesn’t have as much capacity as the 10K MagGo, holding just enough juice for a single full charge plus about 5 percent. But it is $20 cheaper, which may be key for some.
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Shopping for the special woman in your life can be tough, especially when you don’t know what they want. To make your Mother’s Day shopping just a little bit easier, we’ve rounded up the best gifts for women, including personalized gifts, gifts under $50 and tech gifts. Whether she likes to dance in the living room to her favorite tunes or destress with a long hot bath, here are the 24 best gifts for her.
Yves Saint Laurent Feminine Fragrance Must-Haves
I love these scents from Yves Saint Laurent because of how long it lasts and its not overpowering. These smaller samples are great for the girls who want to try out the scent but not commit with a full-size.
Benefit Liquid Lip Blush & Cheek Tint
Beauty influencers using lip stains as blush has become a trending makeup hack. What I love about this product is that it comes in five different shades and goes well with any skin tone. You can layer it or apply it under your favorite lipgloss to get your desired tint.
Brooklinen Super Plush Robe
If she loves to lounge after a long day of work, get her this Brooklinen Plush Robe. It’s made from soft Turkish cotton and also has built-in pockets for any snacks she needs. Buy it now in 10 different colors.
Spanx Faux Leather Leggings
These are some of my favorite leggings, thanks to their slim fit and seamless design. It’s available in multiple sizes and in both petite and tall options.
For the cook in your life, get the Cosori air fryer. This appliance can air fry, bake and reheat, plus it comes with a dishwasher-safe basket for easy cleanup.
This portable speaker can clip onto her work tote, beach bag or travel carry-on. It is both waterproof and dustproof and comes with 10 hours of battery life per charge, according to the brand.
Instant cameras are a great way to immortalize your favorite memories. This 1-pound camera also has a built-in selfie mirror and automatically adjusts exposure and flash settings, depending on your environment.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
These earbuds are a crowd favorite for their excellent noise-cancellation features and comfortable fit. They come with four ear tip sizes and are both sweat and water-resistant.
This essential set comes with a blush, mascara and brow gel. You can also customize the set to include her favorite shades.
A Little Pampering Gift Set
She’ll get a soy candle, body oil, shower steamer, soap and unscented lip balm in this gift set. Choose between lavender and citrus scents and give her the gift of relaxation this Mother’s Day.
BAIMEI Gua Sha & Jade Roller
A jade roller can help massage your skin and a gua sha can reduce the appearance of fine lines, This affordable set has both and comes in a pre-packaged gift box.
A smartwatch can help her track fitness stats and monitor her sleep. It can also sync her texts and calendars from her smartphone. Choose between two sizes and multiple band colors to personalize this gift for her.
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2
This smart mug can keep her tea or coffee warm for up to 80 minutes. It’s hand wash only but has a scratch-resistant coating for durability.
Crocs Men’s and Women’s Unisex Baya Lined Clogs
I love these baya-lined crocs because they give you the comfort of a clog and keep your toes warm in this cold weather. You can even wear these around the house as slippers.
Cariuma makes sustainable sneakers and plants two trees for every pair of shoes sold. These canvas sneakers are extremely comfortable for long hours of wear, in my personal experience, and pair well with both my casual and work fits. Choose between 17 colors with this environmentally-friendly gift for her.
Cozy Earth Bamboo Pillowcases
These soft, breathable pillowcases are available in various colors and come with a 10-year warranty. They come highly recommended by Cozy Earth shoppers on the brand’s website and are also currently on sale.
If she’s a gamer, get her a pair of new gaming headphones from HyperX. These padded over-ear headphones come with a noise-canceling microphone and a flexible aluminum frame for a better fit.
Every woman needs a good pair of hoop earrings, and these ones from Gorjana are gold-plated and feature a lightweight design. They’re also versatile enough to wear with both casual and evening outfits.
MasterClass offers online courses from industry professionals in acting, writing, cooking and more. Gift them an individual membership or buy a duo membership so you can both learn a new skill together.
This pan does the job of 10 different pieces of cookware, including sauteeing, frying, searing, boiling and baking. The new version is oven-safe and available In four limited edition colors.
You Got This Stretch Bracelet
Little Words Project is known for its motivational and customizable bracelets, and this one features the phrase “You Got This” on it.
For book lovers, get the Kindle Paperwhite, which is both waterproof and has an adjustable display. It also has a 10-week battery life, according to the brand, so she’ll rarely need to spring for a recharge.
Victrola Vintage Record Player
This retro-style record player doubles as a portable speaker and a decor piece. It weighs under three pounds and connects to your device wirelessly via Bluetooth.
* By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.
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Shopping for the special woman in your life can be tough, especially when you don’t know what they want. To make your Mother’s Day shopping just a little bit easier, we’ve rounded up the best gifts for women, including personalized gifts, gifts under $50 and tech gifts. Whether she likes to dance in the living room to her favorite tunes or destress with a long hot bath, here are the 24 best gifts for her.
Yves Saint Laurent Feminine Fragrance Must-Haves
I love these scents from Yves Saint Laurent because of how long it lasts and its not overpowering. These smaller samples are great for the girls who want to try out the scent but not commit with a full-size.
Benefit Liquid Lip Blush & Cheek Tint
Beauty influencers using lip stains as blush has become a trending makeup hack. What I love about this product is that it comes in five different shades and goes well with any skin tone. You can layer it or apply it under your favorite lipgloss to get your desired tint.
Brooklinen Super Plush Robe
If she loves to lounge after a long day of work, get her this Brooklinen Plush Robe. It’s made from soft Turkish cotton and also has built-in pockets for any snacks she needs. Buy it now in 10 different colors.
Spanx Faux Leather Leggings
These are some of my favorite leggings, thanks to their slim fit and seamless design. It’s available in multiple sizes and in both petite and tall options.
For the cook in your life, get the Cosori air fryer. This appliance can air fry, bake and reheat, plus it comes with a dishwasher-safe basket for easy cleanup.
This portable speaker can clip onto her work tote, beach bag or travel carry-on. It is both waterproof and dustproof and comes with 10 hours of battery life per charge, according to the brand.
Instant cameras are a great way to immortalize your favorite memories. This 1-pound camera also has a built-in selfie mirror and automatically adjusts exposure and flash settings, depending on your environment.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
These earbuds are a crowd favorite for their excellent noise-cancellation features and comfortable fit. They come with four ear tip sizes and are both sweat and water-resistant.
This essential set comes with a blush, mascara and brow gel. You can also customize the set to include her favorite shades.
A Little Pampering Gift Set
She’ll get a soy candle, body oil, shower steamer, soap and unscented lip balm in this gift set. Choose between lavender and citrus scents and give her the gift of relaxation this Mother’s Day.
BAIMEI Gua Sha & Jade Roller
A jade roller can help massage your skin and a gua sha can reduce the appearance of fine lines, This affordable set has both and comes in a pre-packaged gift box.
A smartwatch can help her track fitness stats and monitor her sleep. It can also sync her texts and calendars from her smartphone. Choose between two sizes and multiple band colors to personalize this gift for her.
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2
This smart mug can keep her tea or coffee warm for up to 80 minutes. It’s hand wash only but has a scratch-resistant coating for durability.
Crocs Men’s and Women’s Unisex Baya Lined Clogs
I love these baya-lined crocs because they give you the comfort of a clog and keep your toes warm in this cold weather. You can even wear these around the house as slippers.
Cariuma makes sustainable sneakers and plants two trees for every pair of shoes sold. These canvas sneakers are extremely comfortable for long hours of wear, in my personal experience, and pair well with both my casual and work fits. Choose between 17 colors with this environmentally-friendly gift for her.
Cozy Earth Bamboo Pillowcases
These soft, breathable pillowcases are available in various colors and come with a 10-year warranty. They come highly recommended by Cozy Earth shoppers on the brand’s website and are also currently on sale.
If she’s a gamer, get her a pair of new gaming headphones from HyperX. These padded over-ear headphones come with a noise-canceling microphone and a flexible aluminum frame for a better fit.
Every woman needs a good pair of hoop earrings, and these ones from Gorjana are gold-plated and feature a lightweight design. They’re also versatile enough to wear with both casual and evening outfits.
MasterClass offers online courses from industry professionals in acting, writing, cooking and more. Gift them an individual membership or buy a duo membership so you can both learn a new skill together.
This pan does the job of 10 different pieces of cookware, including sauteeing, frying, searing, boiling and baking. The new version is oven-safe and available In four limited edition colors.
You Got This Stretch Bracelet
Little Words Project is known for its motivational and customizable bracelets, and this one features the phrase “You Got This” on it.
For book lovers, get the Kindle Paperwhite, which is both waterproof and has an adjustable display. It also has a 10-week battery life, according to the brand, so she’ll rarely need to spring for a recharge.
Victrola Vintage Record Player
This retro-style record player doubles as a portable speaker and a decor piece. It weighs under three pounds and connects to your device wirelessly via Bluetooth.
* By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.
We’ve kicked off 2024 with a slew of new processors from Intel, NVIDIA and AMD, which means there should be plenty of refreshed laptops on the horizon. This year, the term you’ll probably hear the most is AI PCs, that is, computers with neural processors designed to speed up AI tasks. While it’s not necessary for you to buy a laptop just for the sake of AI this year, it’s a good thing to keep an eye on for future-proofing as more companies bring the likes of Microsoft’s Copilot or ChatGPT to their systems. Some notebooks even have dedicated Copilot buttons on the keyboard to make it easier to summon generative AI help.
Even if you’re willing to wait out the AI hype while you shop for your new laptop, there are still plenty of other specs to consider. Should you pay extra for more memory, or get a notebook with a larger screen? We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of the latest laptops to come up with top picks for the best laptops you can buy right now, along with buying advice that will hopefully help demystify the market.
Editor’s Note (3/5/24): Apple just announced the new MacBook Air with M3 in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, available now starting at $1,099. We knew this was coming: at the end of 2023, the iPhone maker updated its MacBook Pros and the 24-inch iMac to run on M3 chips, so it was only a matter of time until the latest silicon showed up in the company’s lightest notebook. The new chipset is the biggest change in the new Air machines, aside from support for Wi-Fi 6E and up to two external displays. But the additions have pushed the M1-powered Air out of Apple’s official lineup; the company’s no longer selling its first Air laptop powered by an M-series chip (although it’s still available at other retailers), and the MacBook Air M2 has now become its “budget” option with a starting price of $999. We’ll put the new M3-powered machines through their paces soon with full reviews, so you may want to hold off until then to choose the best laptop for you. However, if you’re in dire need of a new laptop, our current recommendations below still stand.
What to consider before buying a laptop
Price
You probably have an idea of your budget, but just so you know, most modern laptops with top-of-the-line specs cost between $1,800 to $2,000 these days. That doesn’t mean you won’t find a good system for under $1,000 — a grand is the base price for a lot of premium 13-inch ultraportables, with chips like Intel’s Core i3 or i5 series. And if that’s too expensive, you’ll still have respectable options in the $600 to $800 range, but they might come with older, slower processors and dimmer screens. You could also consider configurations with AMD’s processors, which have become more reliable and speedy in recent years, while sometimes costing less. I’ve included our favorite budget-friendly model in this best laptop buying guide but we have a list of more-affordable laptop picks that you can check out as well.
Operating system: Apple, Windows or Chrome OS
After working out how much money you want to spend, your next decision is what operating system to choose. As expected, that’s slightly easier for people who prefer an Apple MacBook. Now that the company has brought its M-series chips to the whole lineup, with the Pro models sporting the third generation of those processors — your only real considerations are budget, screen size and how much power you need.
Over on Team Windows, however, the shift to ARM-based chips hasn’t been as smooth and it’s quite unlikely you’ll be considering one in 2024. Though Apple laptops have been able to bring huge increases in battery life while maintaining (and in some cases improving) performance with their own silicon, PC makers have been limited by Windows’ shortcomings. For now, it’s still safer to stick with an Intel or AMD processor.
As for whether you want a PC with a dedicated AI button on the keyboard, that depends on how often you see yourself using Microsoft’s CoPilot generative tools. Given we’re only just seeing the first slate of AI PCs, it would be wiser to wait out the hype and see what improvements might come over time.
Finally, if you don’t really need your laptop for a lot of complicated tasks and mostly want it for Netflix, shopping and Google Docs, it’s worth remembering there’s a third and fairly popular laptop operating system: Chrome OS. If you do most of your work in a browser, then a Chromebook might be good enough, and they’re usually more affordable, too.
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget
Connectivity
It’s worth pointing out that some recent models have done away with headphone jacks. While this doesn’t seem to be a prevalent trend yet, it’s a good reminder to check that a machine has all the connectors you need (otherwise, you’ll have to spend more money on the necessary adapters). Most laptops in 2024 offer WiFi 6 or 6E and Bluetooth 5.0 or later, which should mean faster and more stable connections if you have compatible routers and devices. While 5G coverage is more widespread now, whether you need support for that depends on how much you travel and your need for constant connectivity sans-Wi-Fi.
Display size
Where you plan on taking your laptop also helps in deciding what size to get. Many companies launched new 14-inch machines in the last year, straddling the line between ultraportable and bulkier 15-inch laptops. For most people, a 14-inch screen is a great middle ground. But if you’re worried about weight and want a more portable laptop, a 12- or 13-inch model will be better. Those that want more powerful processors and larger displays will prefer 15- or 16-inch versions.
See Also:
Photo by Devindra Hardarwar / Engadget
Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina | CPU: 8-core M2 | GPU: Up to 10-core | RAM: Up to 24GB | Storage: Up to 2TB | Weight: 2.7 lb (1.24 kg)
As a Windows user, I find myself reluctant to name an Apple MacBook the best overall laptop. But I can’t deny that Apple’s transition to its own Silicon has made its machines better. The latest MacBook Air M2 is a worthy sequel to the M1 that came out in 2020, bringing a fresh design and a performance boost that all users will appreciate. It’s been our top pick for the best laptop available now basically since it launched thanks precisely to that refreshed design and increased power.
However, that’s not to say the M1 was a sluggish machine — quite the contrary. We found it to be impressively fast, and the M2 only builds on top of that excellent performance. It’s probably overkill for a MacBook Air, but that means it will serve most people well for both work and play. Plus, its impressive 16.5-hour long battery life should be enough for anyone to get a day’s worth of work and then some.
As for its design, we like that Apple took a more uniformly thin approach here and retired the wedge shape of the previous model. The MacBook Air M2 also has a lovely 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, interrupted only by the top notch which holds its 1080p webcam. Its quad-speaker setup is an improvement as well, and all of these small hardware changes add up to a machine that looks and feels more different than you may expect from its predecessor.
The 13-inch Air is certainly the way to go for anyone that prizes portability above all else. However, if slightly more screen real estate is tempting to you, don’t sleep on the 15-inch MacBook Air M2. This laptop does everything that 13-inch model does well, while giving you a larger screen to work with in a still-svelte package. It doesn’t side-step the very Apple issue of having a little less RAM and storage than we’d prefer in its base model (8GB, 256GB SSD), but that doesn’t hold it back. It’s one of the best MacBooks we’ve used recently and it gives fans of the Air lineup a new configuration to consider.
Our top pick for the best Windows laptop has long been Dell’s well-rounded XPS 13 series and it remains the best laptop for anyone that doesn’t want a Mac. Yes, the XPS 13 Plus lacks a headphone jack, but the XPS 13 is a well-rounded laptop and still one of the best-looking PCs out there.
Like its predecessors, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a lovely OLED display with impressively thin bezels and packs a roomy, comfortable keyboard. It also features a new minimalist design that looks more modern but remains sturdy. I’m not sure about the row of capacitive keys at the top in lieu of traditional function keys, but I’m confident that the laptop’s 12th-gen Intel Core processors will provide a healthy performance boost from the last model.
If you’re not sure about the changes Dell has made to the XPS 13, or if you definitely need a headphone jack, the older generations are still solid options. There’s also the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro series, which feature beautiful OLED screens and sharper webcams in thin and light frames. I also like Microsoft’s Surface Laptops, and the most recent edition offers great performance, versatility and good battery life, albeit in an outdated design.
If you can’t tell by now, we really like the Zephyrus G14. It’s shockingly compact, at just 3.5 pounds, and features AMD’s new Ryzen chips paired together with its Radeon 6000M graphics (we’d recommend the Ryzen 9 model with an RX 6700M for $1,400). While its 14-inch screen is a bit smaller than our other recommendations, it looks great and features a fast 144Hz refresh rate. We also like its retro-future design (some configurations have tiny LEDs on its rear panel for extra flair) that still manages to incorporate plenty of ports. While the G14 has jumped in price since it debuted, it’s still one of the best gaming notebooks around, especially since ASUS has finally added a built-in webcam. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter
Our favorite Chromebook is Lenovo’s Flex 5 Chromebook, which Engadget’s resident Chrome OS aficionado Nathan Ingraham described as “a tremendous value.” This laptop nails the basics, with a 13-inch Full HD touchscreen, a great keyboard and a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor. Its 4GB of RAM and 64GB SSD may sound meager, but in our testing the Flex 5 held up in spite of this constraint. It’s also nice to see one USB-A and two USB-C ports, eight hours of battery life and a 360-degree hinge that makes it easy to use the Flex 5 as a tablet. That’s a bonus, especially now that Chrome OS supports Android apps. Though the Flex 5 is two years old by now, this Lenovo Chromebook is a solid deal at around $400. In fact, you can sometimes find it on sale for as little as $300, making it a great option for anyone who needs a basic machine for things like web browsing and online shopping but doesn’t want to spend a lot of money.
If you’re looking for a budget laptop priced around $800, your best bet is the HP Pavilion Aero 13. For around $799 (or often less when on sale), you’ll get a Full HD screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and surprisingly thin bezels, as well as a comfortable keyboard and spacious touchpad. Importantly, the Aero 13 provides solid performance and relatively powerful components compared to others in this price range, with an AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor and Radeon graphics. Plus, this pick for best budget laptop has a generous array of ports and all-day battery life.
For those who need their laptops to occasionally double as tablets, the Surface Pro series is our pick for the best 2-in-1 laptop. Compared to notebooks with rotating hinges, tablets with kickstands are often much slimmer and lighter. The Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft’s latest 2-in-1 laptop model and if you’ve had your eye on a Surface for a while, just know to get the Intel version of this machine rather than the ARM model. In our testing, we found that the 5G ARM version of the Pro 9 was much slower than a flagship convertible should be and that’s mostly due to the fact that lots of the Windows apps readily available on Intel’s x86 hardware have to be emulated to work on Microsoft’s custom ARM SoC. Considering you’ll pay at least $1,000 for any Surface Pro 9 model, you might as well get a configuration that has as few limitations as possible.
While we have our gripes about the Pro 9’s overall ergonomics, it’s undoubtedly one of the thinnest and lightest laptop alternatives you can get. It’s attractive and has a gorgeous 13-inch display, and we still consider Microsoft’s Type Cover to be one of the best you can get, period. They will cost you extra, though, so be prepared to shell out another $100 to $180 for one. Microsoft’s Slim Pen 2 is another highlight, and it will be a must-buy stylus for anyone that loves to draw or prefers to take handwritten notes. Overall, if you want a machine that can switch seamlessly from being a laptop to being a tablet, the Intel Surface Pro 9 is one of your best bets. Of course, if you’re married to the Apple ecosystem, you should consider an iPad Pro.
What is the average battery life of a laptop per charge?
Battery life will vary depending on the type of laptop you have and what you use it for. Gaming laptops have some of the shorter average battery lives in the notebook space because playing laborious titles causes battery to drain faster. You can expect between five and eight hours of life on a single charge with most gaming laptops, but don’t be surprised if you actually get less use per charge if you’re doing heavy things with it. As for regular laptops, you can expect roughly ten hours of life on the best models, but some will fall on the lower and higher ends of the spectrum.
What is the best storage capacity for a laptop?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to laptop storage. Most of the best laptops will have configurations with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options, and we think most people will be served best by either of the two middle options: 256GB of 512GB. If you use your laptop to store tons of documents and files, or photos and videos, we recommend springing for extra built-in storage or investing in a portable SSD with which you can backup your most important files. It’s also worth noting that Chromebooks tend to come with less built-in storage — 32GB, 64GB or 128GB — since Chrome OS encourages users to save their files in the cloud rather than on a device.
