Best Large SUVs for Maximum Cargo Capacity

But while automakers readily highlight the overall luggage capacity of their offerings, not all of that generous-sounding cargo room is usable space.  At Consumer Reports, we evaluate SUV cargo room differently. We use an expandable rectangular pipe-frame “box.” We enlarge it enough to just fit through the rear opening and extend it into the cargo…

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Everything You Need to Know About USB Ports and Speeds (2025)

Things get extremely complicated when it comes to the many iterations of USB 3.0. Because all the branding has become inconsistent and unhelpful, we recommend ignoring these labels altogether and just searching for the actual speed ratings. The good news is that many USB hub and docking station manufacturers have started to give up on…

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This Is Why You Should Try Ultralight Backpacking (2025)

I first encountered the ideas of ultralight backpacking in 1994, in an article in now-defunct (and much-missed) Backpacker magazine. It was titled “Less is More,” by Mark Jenkins. (I still have a PDF copy I scanned years ago.) Jenkins wrote about a long trip across Europe and Africa. By the end, he and his traveling…

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Best Weather Stripping and Window Sealing Tapes

In my own apartment, I often feel a breeze coming in through the leaky windows. I can’t install new windows because I’m renting, and even if I could, I wouldn’t know the first thing about them. I’m not a DIYer—or even very good at assembling furniture—so when I look for solutions to these types of…

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Pros and Cons of Inverter Generators

To help you make better sense of your size options, we break our inverter generators into four groups, divided by their output wattage: Large Inverter GeneratorsMost large inverter generators in our ratings weigh from about 150 to about 300 pounds (wheels included). That’s too heavy to haul along on a camping trip or to a…

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