The best of everything, researched and ranked

We buy it, We test it, and tell you which one to get.

Independent buying guides and reviews across home, tech, clothing, luggage and everything else worth owning.

The five packing cube sets in this guide, shown together

Best packing cubes

What packing cubes actually buy you, what they do not, and the one component that decides whether a set lasts a year or five.

Read the guide

Buying guides

Ranked, and re-checked

The four carry-on suitcases in this guide, shown together

Luggage

Best carry-on luggage

Cabin allowances, wheels, and the part that actually breaks. What to weigh up before you buy, and how we will decide the ranking.

4 picks Updated

The three travel backpacks in this guide, shown together

Luggage

Best travel backpacks for a one-bag trip

Carrying a week on your back means trading capacity against the cabin allowance. The measurements that decide it, and how we will rank them.

3 picks Updated

Anker 737 power bank, the long-haul pick

Tech

Best portable chargers for a long-haul flight

The airline rules rule out a good part of the market before performance enters into it. The watt-hour limit, and what it means in practice.

3 picks Updated

Sennheiser Momentum 4, the value pick in this guide

Tech

Best headphones for open-plan offices

Almost every headphone guide tests on a plane. An office is a harder problem and a different one: the noise is speech.

3 picks Updated

Exped Terra 15 down sleeping bag, the best-value pick in this guide

Outdoors

Best sleeping bags for three-season camping

The temperature on the label is usually not the temperature you can sleep at. What the ratings mean and how to read them.

4 picks Updated

Rubbermaid Brilliance containers stacked with flat lids, the top pick in this guide

Kitchen

Best food storage containers for a small fridge

In a small fridge the shape of a container matters more than its capacity. What stacks, what seals, and what survives the dishwasher.

3 picks Updated

Black Diamond Trail Back trekking poles, the top pick in this guide

Outdoors

Best trekking poles

Aluminium or carbon, telescoping or folding. The two decisions that matter, and the pole that suits most walkers without needing to be babied.

4 picks Updated

Camp Chef Everest 2X two-burner stove, the top pick in this guide

Outdoors

Best camping stoves for a car camping trip

When the car carries the weight, a stove can be built for cooking rather than for grams. Why the BTU number on the box does not tell you what you need.

4 picks Updated

Lodge classic cast iron skillet, the first-timer pick

Kitchen

Best cast iron skillets for a first-time owner

Cast iron has a reputation for being difficult that it mostly does not deserve. What to buy first and what the seasoning question really involves.

2 picks Updated

The three checked suitcases in this guide, shown together

Luggage

Best checked luggage for a two-week trip

Capacity, weight allowances and the failure points that matter once a bag goes into the hold. What to weigh up, and how we will rank them.

3 picks Updated

Victorinox Fibrox chef's knife, the top pick in this guide

Kitchen

Best chef's knives under $150

A good knife is the cheapest upgrade a kitchen can have. The steel, the edge, and why the expensive one is not automatically the right one.

3 picks Updated

Coleman Classic Series 65-Quart Wheeled Cooler, the top pick in this guide

Outdoors

Best coolers that hold ice for 48 hours

Forty-eight hours turns out to be a low bar: every hard cooler in the biggest test we can read cleared it. What the extra days cost, and who needs them.

4 picks Updated

In the works

Guides we are researching for now. Nothing is ranked until we have read the testing behind it.