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The Best Men’s Suits

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Conjure an image in your mind of any one of the most dashing men of the past century — Cary Grant, Sidney Poitier, Sean Connery, Tony Leung, Duke Ellington, George Clooney — and he’s probably wearing a suit. People look good in suits, and even in our exceedingly casual era, everybody should have at least one. Fortunately, there’s never been a better time to find a quality suit. Our research led us to dozens of brands offering stylish, well-made suits at a variety of prices. We spoke with five menswear experts, considered hundreds of styles, and tried more than 25 suits in person. Our picks range from around $400 to $1,800. Cheaper suits exist, but you’ll sacrifice quality and looks. And if you can spend over $1,800, consider made-to-measure or bespoke options . The suits we recommend run the gamut from conservative and classic to casual and fashion-forward. The common thread: They’re all stylish, well made, comfortable, and intended to serve the wearer well for many seasons to come...
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All the Things You Don’t Need to Dry-Clean (Even If the Label Says You Do)

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You spent a pretty penny on a beautiful cashmere sweater , wool blanket, or down jacket. But when your investment piece needs a good cleaning, suddenly you’re faced with another expensive prospect: paying for dry cleaning. Fear not! Many pricey, delicate textiles are actually better off being cleaned at home in the washing machine or the sink — even if the label reads “dry-clean only.” And doing so not only saves you money but also extends the life of the fabric. Below, we’ve rounded up all of our expert-backed advice on what fabrics don’t have to be dry-cleaned. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/IlHvrN7 via IFTTT
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The Best Tech and Apps for Your Home Office

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Working from home is all about flexibility — in scheduling, sure, but also in how you set up your workspace. Whereas an IT department might assign your equipment in the office, at home you probably get to choose many of the apps and peripherals you use to get work done. If that sounds like your situation, you’re in luck. We’ve spent more than 10 years finding the best gear across a wide range of categories, and we’ve collected our picks here to save you time and stress. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/uPlkM6T via IFTTT
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Trouble Hearing TV Dialogue? The Right Soundbar Can Help.

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Hearing loss is a growing problem — not just for rock stars but also for people all over the world . Eventually, everyone will lose some of their hearing. One of the first times people tend to notice the difference is when they have trouble understanding dialogue while watching TV, a situation they often attempt to correct by turning up the volume — and in the process, driving other family members out of the room. Soundbar and TV manufacturers have tried to address this problem by adding voice-enhancement modes intended to make the dialogue in movies and TV shows easier to hear and understand. These modes usually boost midrange frequencies, where voices reside, and sometimes emphasize the center (dialogue) channel of surround-sound mixes. They may also compress the sound to make quiet voices sound louder. These modes seem like a great idea, but as a former product-design consultant, I know that audio engineers sometimes put only token effort into creating special listening modes. W...
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The Best Pro Tablets

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Tablets are indispensable tools for productivity diehards, artists, photographers, vigorous note-takers, and other creative professionals. But the best tablet for your situation depends on whether you plan to use it as a secondary device alongside a laptop or as a laptop replacement. Apple’s iPad Pro (11-inch, M5) is the most well-rounded tablet we tested, as the latest version of iPadOS makes it far better for multitasking, and it also has a great ecosystem of apps that are updated frequently. But if you’re looking for a slimmer laptop replacement, the ARM-based Microsoft Surface Pro (13-inch) is best for a full Windows experience. If you don’t want to pay iPad Pro prices, we also recommend the Apple iPad Air (M3) . You miss out on only a few “pro” features while saving hundreds of dollars — the 11-inch iPad Air is $400 less than the comparable iPad Pro model and offers a similar experience. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/b8qg6W0 via IFTTT
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The Best Kids Headphones

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At some point, most kids need access to headphones, whether it’s for school, travel, or simply to save an adult’s sanity. It can be tempting to give children a pair of hand-me-down grown-up headphones, but that isn’t the best option: Not only are the larger size and increased weight less comfortable for younger kids, but the unregulated loudness levels of most adult headphones can lead to permanent hearing damage. Instead, we recommend that you get a good pair of volume-limiting kids headphones, and we have several picks for different uses. Of course, volume-limiting headphones are merely one tool that can assist parents or caregivers in protecting a child’s hearing — they are not solutions by themselves. Several factors lead to noise-induced hearing loss, and reducing headphone volume is just one way you can protect a child’s hearing. But our picks, when used properly, should provide an added level of protection for kids’ ears, as well as peace of mind for you. Readers also lik...
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My Favorite Place to Hang a Curtain Is From the Ceiling

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Hanging your curtains “high and wide” is a classic design trick. By placing your curtain rod closer to the ceiling and making sure it’s wider than the actual window frame, you fool the eye into thinking your walls are taller and your windows are bigger than they actually are. But you don’t need a curtain rod at all. My favorite method to achieve the high-and-wide look is to hang curtains straight from the ceiling on a track. Instead of curtain rings (or rod-pocket mounting), ceiling track comes with gliders, also called carriers, that attach to the curtains and allow you to smoothly glide them open and closed. This approach has a few advantages. When your curtains hang from the ceiling to the floor, they’re uninterrupted by chunky hardware, yielding a clean vertical appearance and helping to make your room appear more spacious. And depending on your fabric choice, they can also look both grand and unfussy. In my living room, I used ceiling track to hang a wall of curtains across se...
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