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To many, smart-home devices seem like a luxury or a novelty—electronic gadgets that flip on your lights, tweak your thermostat to a comfy temperature, or announce package deliveries. But for anyone who lives with a disability, smart devices are a powerful enabler. These simple-to-use devices can be set up to take care of daily tasks, to keep users in touch with friends and caregivers, and to allow users to live a more independent and empowered life. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/6RzsdUy via IFTTT

When puberty rears its hormonal head, being prepared with the proper products can help “the awkward years” feel much less so. Kids need help figuring it all out. And, given the paltry guidance many parents received a few decades back, many of us do too. “If there’s something about your experience growing up that was horrible or traumatizing for you, you have the ability to make it better for the next generation’s relationship with their changing body,” says Charis Chambers, a Georgia-based gynecologist who goes by @theperioddoctor on Instagram. We talked with experts, crowdsourced with fellow moms and dads, and drew on our own experience as tween parents. And we’ve landed on some basic yet essential tools to help maturing kids learn to care for themselves as they grow. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/vUI9VPn via IFTTT

Your kid could end up sitting in the same convertible car seat for five years or more, so it’s arguably your most significant car seat purchase. We’ve evaluated more than 90 convertible seats since 2017. And after interviewing safety experts and enduring aching muscles from installing literal towers of car seats, we’ve concluded that the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is the overall best choice. This seat does a standout job of encouraging extended rear-facing use—the safest position for a young child. We also recommend the Britax Poplar and Britax Poplar S for those whose top priority is ease of installation. The Clek Foonf is a great pick for families that are happy to pay more for a beautiful but super-heavy (and ultra-sturdy) seat. And the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is our pick for those who are set on an “all-in-one” seat that transitions from infant seat to convertible to booster. A convertible car seat is designed to evolve as your child grows. Once your child has outgrown t...

Most of the latest wireless phone chargers are equipped with magnets to firmly hold devices—including some smartphones, earbud cases, and smartwatches—in place while charging. They take the guesswork out of aligning gadgets with the charger and can potentially provide a more efficient and faster charge. And yet, many devices—even some of the newest phones, such as the Apple iPhone 16e, Google Pixel 9 series, and Samsung Galaxy S25 series—aren’t built to take advantage of this useful feature. They lack the ring of internal magnets that allows devices such as the iPhone 16 and AirPods 4 to snap seamlessly onto any magnetic wireless charging pad, whether it’s on a power bank , a car mount , or a desktop charging station . Fortunately, several cheap and easy DIY options—including magnetic ring or plate adapters , magnetic kickstand or hand-grip adapters , and magnetic phone cases —add magnetic connectivity without requiring you to shell out for a new phone. All of the options we recomme...

Arch pain. Shin splints. Heel spurs. Corns. Insoles that you slip into your shoes aren’t a cure-all for such ailments, but they can promote proper alignment, reduce strain, and provide relief from minor foot pain. And you don’t necessarily need custom insoles to find your fit. Since 2016, we’ve researched and tested 40 different sets of insoles, involving people who regularly experience foot and leg pain, as well as folks who simply find wearing insoles more comfortable than not. We’ve determined that the Enertor Running Insoles offer the best support for people with neutral arches, whether for working out or standing on your feet most of the day. For people with high arches, we like the Superfeet Run Support High Arch insoles; for low arches, we recommend the Currex RunPro insoles. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/cTLDdbM via IFTTT

When wild cats wandered out of the deserts of the Fertile Crescent and into our homes, I bet no one predicted that roughly 10,000 years later we’d be using robots to scoop their poop. Alas, here we are.  If you’re willing to pay hundreds of dollars, you can outsource the unending task of shoveling clumps of cat pee and poop to an automatic litter box. These machines, also called self-cleaning litter boxes, are designed to sift out and sequester waste shortly after your cat does its business, keeping the litter relatively fresh and unsoiled until their next bathroom foray. Many models also have added features, like weight tracking, usage monitoring, and even cameras that can help you figure out which cat is doing what inside the box.  But for their many benefits, these machines cost a lot and are more difficult to set up, maintain, and deep-clean than a regular old plastic litter tray. And despite taking up a lot of space, most of the models currently on the market have a s...

Stylish sandals are a crucial part of any warm-weather wardrobe. But the wrong pair can easily spoil your fun in the sun (think: blistered toes, broken straps, and aching feet). We’ve scoured beaches, boardwalks, and beyond to find nine options that will keep you feeling comfortable and looking good. Whether you’re in search of rugged sandals for hitting the trail, a throw-on-and-go staple , or a breezy, elegant pair to dress up your date night, these are the shoes you’ll want to wear, wherever your feet may carry you this season. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/YqdEF0P via IFTTT

Shopping for sex toys can be intimidating, for first-time buyers and experienced users alike. After 150 cumulative hours of research and testing—interviewing sex researchers, crowdsourcing opinions from enthusiasts, and analyzing data from 11 volunteers who have tried more than 30 different models since 2014—we’ve concluded that the cordless Magic Wand Rechargeable is the best vibrator for clitoral stimulation. And, like all Magic Wand models, it’s also useful as a whole-body massager. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/RxtiGV1 via IFTTT

In this day and age, the average couple is already cohabitating in a house full of things by the time they get married. So the gift-giving tradition of setting up a new home requires a bit of a tweak. A wedding registry is also an opportunity to upgrade those old for-now purchases with lifelong commitments to quality, and we’ve got you covered there. At Wirecutter, we’ve spent years testing the best kitchenware , home tools , and travel gear . To save you some time, we’ve pulled our essential Wirecutter favorites into one ultimate guide of what items you should add to your wedding registry. There are plenty of ideas to suit your needs and interests, whether that’s an earthy dinnerware set or a practical dish drainer. Ideally, a registry should be a mix of big-ticket investment items and less-expensive practical or fun finds, so guests of all tax brackets can joyfully participate in celebrating your nuptials. If you’re looking for other wedding ideas, we have great gift ideas for ...

The moms we know who have little ones running around just want a few quiet hours to themselves on Mother’s Day, which falls on May 11 this year. So if you can make that happen, please do. On the other hand, empty nesters, moms with teens, and grandmas might be overjoyed to be surrounded by family for a nice lunch or brunch. Whatever their stage in motherhood, you can never go wrong with a lush bouquet of pretty flowers or an excellent box of chocolates . We also have plenty of surprising and off-beat gift ideas, like fashionable garden clogs , a handsome dual-purpose bowl , and some high-quality sweats . And check out our gift ideas for new moms , grandmas , and mothers-in-law , plus Mother’s Day round-ups of under-$50 finds and plenty of last-minute saves . from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/XQr8nWf via IFTTT

In this edition of The Gift, we’re making the case for genuinely funny (not junky) gag gifts. Plus, some under-$25 delights and a swanky leather fly swatter. Although I am against junk and clutter and all things future landfill, I am very much pro just-because little gifts—especially those designed to make someone laugh. Yes, usefulness and thoughtfulness are part of my gift-giving mantra, but so is delight. And what’s more delightful than genuine laughter? Especially of the shared variety? I recently put together our brand-new guide to gag gifts just in time for April Fools’ Day, and I stand behind each knee-slapper on the list, especially the Banana Phone , which is funnier than it should be, and this planter that looks like Danny DeVito , because it’s so bizarre but also oddly design-y and cool. And while April 1 is by no means a big gift-giving day, it can be a welcome reminder to inject a little humor into our daily lives. I like to treat it as a sort of annual appointment wi...

 Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Other platforms 23andMe, maker of popular DNA test kits, has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer. Here’s why customers should delete their info before it’s sold. Guest: Wirecutter staff writer Max Eddy To delete your 23andMe data: Log in to your account and select Settings . Scroll to the bottom of the page and select 23andMe data , then View . Download a copy of your genetic information. Select Delete Data and then Permanently Delete Data . In Settings , you can also opt to have your genetic material destroyed. Navigate to the Research and Product Consents section and revoke permission to allow your genetic material to be used in research projects. (Doing so revokes that permission only for future research). 23andMe notes that you have to provide additional verification before your data-deletion request can be processed, and that you must follow i...

You don’t have to own a home to need a basic home toolkit. Anyone who intends to hang a picture, tighten cabinet hardware, put up a shelf, or change a light-switch cover needs a selection of entry-level hand tools. After spending 80 hours researching almost 85 home toolkits, testing 11 for a range of household tasks, and talking to experts about the essentials of any toolbox, we found that Home Depot’s Anvil Homeowner’s Tool Set is the best basic toolkit for most homes, apartments, or dorm rooms. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/k0pBr9l via IFTTT

Cordless drills are more powerful than they’ve ever been. Yet they’ve also gotten so compact and lightweight that you can probably handle one even if you’ve never picked up a drill in your life. Manufacturers like to market them to pros, but don’t be put off: For all of those slightly-more-involved home tasks—from hanging a baby gate to mounting shelving—a drill will make the work faster, easier, and more enjoyable. And you’ll be more likely to achieve solid, professional-looking results than if you used hand tools alone. After drilling over 1,000 holes and sinking at least 60 pounds of screws in drill tests dating back to 2013, we’ve found the DeWalt DCD701F2 Xtreme 12V Max Brushless 3/8 in. Drill/Driver Kit to be the best one yet. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/XSN5c1u via IFTTT

If you turn in for the night by belly-flopping onto your bed, you should consider a firmer mattress that supports and cushions your midsection while keeping your spine aligned. This is important: sleeping on your stomach on an unsupportive mattress can lead to increased back, neck, and shoulder pain . We’ve tested dozens of mattresses, and we recommend six specifically for stomach-sleepers. Firmness levels are subjective, so consider this guide a starting point. Below, we start with the firmest picks (ideal for stomach-sleepers or stomach-and-back-sleepers) and move on to increasingly more cushioned, though still supportive, options (most suitable for stomach-sleepers who sometimes roll onto their side). You can read about other mattresses in our foam,   innerspring , and hybrid mattress guides. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/Bm6iFM4 via IFTTT

In this edition of Clean Everything, we share a few tips for cleaning your tech, including how to make an old laptop feel new again. Plus: the best microfiber cloth and the tiny drawers our charging expert uses to organize her cords. If your laptop is slow to boot up or takes a long time to load apps, you might not necessarily need to splurge on a new one just yet. Tech expert and senior staff writer Kimber Streams has a few simple (and free!) cleaning steps to breathe new life into an older laptop: from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/vu5iqtC via IFTTT

When someone says “sleeper sofa,” I hear springs creaking and feel a metal bar gouging into my back. I smell the scent of musty basement. I see gaping maws filled with vicious mechanics straight out of a Saw movie, flanked by a landscape of muted plaid. Aesthetically, sleeper sofas have come a long way since what I remember from childhood, and some of them even look stylish. But after researching scores of models online, trying many in-store and in our offices, and speaking with experts, we found that with sleeper sofas, as with people, it’s what’s inside that truly counts. Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed much over the decades. The classic sleeper sofas most of us are familiar with— first sold during the Great Depression—are still often janky at best and dangerous at worst. But our picks are a bright exception—and all three are models with a pull-out mechanism from American Leather . Our favorite is the Gaines Comfort Sleeper . from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World ht...

Almost any vessel that holds liquid—from measuring jugs to that half-finished glass of water on your desk—can water your plants, but a well-designed watering can does it better, with less mess and considerably more style. Here we share our four favorite watering cans for everything from houseplants to flower beds. Our picks are intended for gardeners of all ages (we’ve had nearly 20 testers ranging from 9 years old to 70-plus). We researched and tested dozens of cans in a wide variety of garden settings, and our picks include an all-around plastic can for outdoor gardening ; an affordable, all-purpose can for houseplants ; a can with an extra-long spout for hanging plants ; and a small metal can for succulents and small pots . If those don’t work for your needs, we’ve also identified several other good watering cans . from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/EbPj8Z0 via IFTTT

For people with mild to moderate hearing loss, over-the-counter hearing aids could be a more affordable and accessible alternative to a prescription pair. This new and growing category of hearing devices relies on telehealth visits, online- and app-based hearing tests, and advanced earbud tech to give you direct access to a hearing-augmentation device that’s tailored to your needs, often with lower costs and less of the hassle associated with professionally fit hearing aids. But wading through all the styles, confusing names, and legal limitations can make finding the right pair feel overwhelming. That’s why we spent over two years researching this subject and conducted two rounds of independent testing of hearing-augmentation devices that you can buy and adjust from home. These devices range from basic, inexpensive personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) to highly configurable hearing aids sold (at four-figure prices) directly through health-care sites. We know that hearing ...

There’s something extraordinarily cathartic about watching humans doing human things on the internet. A parent artfully folding baby clothes or someone steam-cleaning grout until it gleams nearly turns my brain off, for some reason. But nothing lulls me quite like the soft sounds of skin-care products mixing in palms. Yet the mental calm brought on by watching extensive skin-care videos is often interrupted by a negative, intrusive thought. I fall into a kind of “what are we teaching young people here” spiral, knowing that someone watching these lengthy videos may not categorize them as relaxing but instead as instructive. The truth is that no matter how lovely those videos are to watch, healthy skin doesn’t require a dozen steps. Just a few essentials matter most, and they’re often the least glamorous. Moisturizer is one of those fundamental essentials (along with cleanser and sunscreen) that most people actually do need. And since I can’t even watch a simple video without worrying...

23andMe, maker of popular DNA test kits, announced Sunday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer. And while the company has promised to continue protecting customer data amidst a possible sale, California’s attorney general has warned 23andMe users to delete their information. The company’s decision to declare bankruptcy was not a surprising one. After a 2023 data breach in which attackers gained access to information from close to 7 million customer profiles, 23andMe’s stock price plummeted and the company settled a class-action lawsuit for $30 million. Co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki on social media announced that she is stepping down in order to make a bid for the company, and thanked 23andMe’s 15 million customers. Those customers should delete their information before it’s sold. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/ufAm36O via IFTTT

The very best pizzas require only a few essential ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, tomato, and cheese. Oh, and a powerfully hot oven. You can make pretty good pizza in a conventional oven, but if you’re seeking a perfectly charred yet chewy crust, you might want to invest in a home pizza oven. It will help you make better pizzas, and it will retain plenty of heat as you bake those pizzas, so you can turn out dozens—yes, dozens—of pizzas in a single night. We’ve tested 10 outdoor pizza ovens since 2020, and we think the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Powered Pizza Oven is the best option for most home cooks. This oven’s spacious baking surface and superior heat distribution make it forgiving and easy to use, and it can reach a perfect pizza temperature in less than 20 minutes. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/vHsU8bl via IFTTT

Anyone who wants to learn more about their ethnic roots or discover connections to past and contemporary relatives may be curious about at-home DNA kits. The appeal is obvious: By simply spitting into a tube or swabbing the inside of your cheek, you can unlock genetic mysteries that may stretch back generations. But such DNA testing services also come with inherent privacy concerns , and they’re bound by few legal guidelines regulating the use of your data. The ramifications of sharing your DNA with for-profit companies are continuously evolving, and opting into a recreational DNA test today will likely lead to future consequences that no one has anticipated. If you’re comfortable with that, we think AncestryDNA is the most effective service. We’ve come to this conclusion after more than 90 hours of research and nearly three years of reporting that included evaluating the results from a test panel consisting of every major population group. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real ...

My husband and I perfected the art of co-sleeping when we ditched our contentiously shared duvet and started sleeping with our own blankets at night instead. We didn’t know it at the time, but we had adopted the Scandinavian sleeping method—a practice popular in, well, Scandinavian and northern European countries (and on social media in recent years) where couples share a bed but sleep under separate duvets.  What we did know was that we were finally sleeping comfortably after years of fighting, both literally and figuratively, over the covers. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/lGuj6ZO via IFTTT