Gear / Buying Guides

Honorable Mentions Photograph: Parker Hall There are a lot of great soundbars out there, and we don’t have room to feature them all. Here are some others you might want to consider. LG’s S95TR for $1,000-1,500: LG’s 9.1.5-channel soundbar (8/10, WIRED Recommends) doesn’t perform as well as Samsung’s flagship Q990 …

Honorable Mentions Aeezo 9-inch frame $90: This frame will do the job, but the app—the Frameo app, rather than a dedicated Azeeo app, which we’ve seen on other cheap frames as well—isn’t nearly as streamlined as pricier counterparts. They’re better that other cheap options we’ve tested, but, like Cozyla, they …

Using an Eero mesh system without the Eero Plus subscription limits you to a basic set of options. You can schedule Wi-Fi downtime, set up a guest network, and use your Eero as a smart home hub. That might be enough for most, but here’s what you get if you …

A Handheld vacuum may not be the most essential household appliance, but they sure are convenient. You don’t have to mess with heavy, cumbersome (and expensive) vacuums that require a plug-in and hazardous cords. Sure, there are cordless vacs to mitigate this problem, but those are also large and can …

Fjällräven’s hiking pants—er, sorry, trousers—are legendary, and having now spent most of spring in a pair of these Abisko Trail trousers, I understand why. If Dad is a hiker, or spends any time at all outdoors, these are a great gift. They’re light but surprisingly warm and especially good at …

More Great Hubs Twelve South StayGo Mini Photograph: Twelve South Ports are a problem on the iPad. With just one USB-C port on most of them, you can’t charge and use other accessories at the same time. We like the Satechi hub mentioned above a lot, but here are a …

Some bike lock makers provide their own internal security ratings for guidance. Those can be helpful, but the most secure locks we’ve tested use standard ratings from objective sources, including Sold Secure, which offers ratings of multiple vehicle types between Bronze and Diamond, and ART, which uses a number scale …

Other Fitness Trackers to Consider Garmin Venu 3 Photograph: Garmin Garmin Venu 3 for $350: There’s nothing wrong with Garmin’s pricier premium hybrid fitness tracker-sports watch. However, its standout feature is that you can take calls from your wrist, and when I tried it with my spouse, he said it …

Honorable Mentions Open earbuds are becoming the hot trend in wireless audio, meaning there are plenty of good options that don’t make our top list. Here are some other pairs worth considering. Earfun OpenJump for $80: Earfun’s OpenJump offer accessible sound and impressive waterproofing in one of the most comfortable …

Honorable Mentions Photograph: Gap Gap Heavyweight French Terry Seamed Wide-Leg Sweatpants for $70: As I mentioned earlier, sometimes nontraditional pants are just a bit too out of my comfort zone, and I found these to be difficult to style. The heavy French terry fabric is nice and warm, and some …