Shopify Bazaar

 Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio If you've ever bought a cell phone, an appliance, or any other high-value item, you've likely felt pressured to buy an extended warranty for peace of mind. However, these protection plans rarely pay off for most people. In this episode, Wirecutter senior writer Liam McCabe explains why extended warranties are generally a “terrible investment,” how incredibly profitable they are for warranty companies, and the very few instances when paying for extra coverage might actually be worth it. This episode covers: The difference between manufacturer and extended warranties: A manufacturer's warranty is automatically included for free as a promise against defects (usually for 30 days to a year). An extended warranty, on the other hand, is an optional, extra-cost protection plan that you have to actively choose to buy. Why you probably won’t use an exten...

Few things are as pleasurable as a toasty fire in the backyard on a chilly evening. But if you find that the accompanying smoke dampens that pleasure, or if your neighbors prefer to keep their bedroom windows open to catch the cool air, you might consider using a so-called smokeless fire pit, which eliminates some (but not all) of your fire’s smoke and most of the ash. We spent four months testing (plus years of long-term testing) nine fire pits in Hawaii and California. In the end we chose two as our top picks: the Solo Stove Classic Bonfire , for most people and small backyards, and the Tiki Patio Smokeless Fire Pit , for people with larger yards or those who enjo y its more patio-inspired look. However, finding the right fire pit for you is a matter of personal choice and depends largely on your needs and personal style. We have picks that are lightweight and easy to move around , aesthetically unobtrusive for a patio , great for cooking over , affordable yet ed...

Luxury is not one-size-fits-all. For the kitchen aficionado, it may be the Ferrari of ice cream makers . For a carpenter, a titanium hammer might excite and delight. With that in mind, we scoured our pages and polled our colleagues, testers, and writers to discover the most opulent, excellent items they’ve encountered. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/qdp1gce via IFTTT

In this edition of The Recommendation, we share our picks for sun season, including cute (and protective) sun hats and superior vanilla ice cream. Over the years, we’ve evaluated nearly 100 sunscreens — and come away with six standouts that offer ample protection, play nice under makeup, and suit a wide range of skin types. Some of our newest finds include an unfussy, fragrance-free option and a weightless, fast-absorbing lotion that can replace your moisturizer. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/csVNZWO via IFTTT

Welcome to Ask Wirecutter, where deputy editor Annemarie Conte helps you figure out how to make the most of your stuff in real life. If you have a shopping conundrum for our advice columnist, submit it using this form or via Annemarie's Instagram , where she posts question prompts for you. Dear Wirecutter, I feel like I have to buy a new garden hose every year. What hose should I be buying? I’m a sucker for the soft ones, since they are so much easier to wrap on to the hose stand. What should I be doing next winter so they last? We rely on a small network of splitters and connectors to have water both in front and out back off a single faucet in the front. Some combination of pieces end up needing to be replaced every spring. SF Dear SF, Wirecutter has had a guide to garden hoses since 2013. That’s over a decade of deep garden-hose knowledge that we can pass along to you. So you came to the right place! If there’s one thing to take away from this article, it’...

For those who love to get outside, May has it all: lush greenery, warming temperatures that usually don’t approach those of sweaty mid-summer, and timely sales to help you replace a tent on its last legs or buy those new hiking boots you’ve had your eye on. REI’s Anniversary Sale pops up annually in May, and it’s one of many sales from purveyors of outdoor gear that we’re monitoring right now. Not every sale price is worth jumping on, and not every discount rises to the level of the best price we’ve seen in recent months, but if you’re looking to upgrade, the outdoor sales that are live right now provide the best prices available on the broadest cross-section of outdoor gear we’ll see this season. We’ve rounded up our favorite deals on expert-recommended gear from REI (and other retailers) so you can get in on the action. Note that for this sale, REI members get an additional 20% off one full-price item and one REI Outlet item with the code ANNIV26 . For more infor...