Talking Cars 489: Best & Worst Cars of 2025

Main theme: Following our year-end tradition, we present our own version of “Wrapped” by gathering a wide range of staffers at CR’s Auto Test Center to share their picks for the best and worst cars that Consumer Reports tested in 2025! This goes beyond our usual podcast panelists, sharing a look behind the scenes while giving…

Read More

7 Best Automatic Litter Boxes (2025), Tested and Reviewed

Compare Our Picks Others We Tested Photograph: Kat Merck Els Pet Orbitie for $260: This is one of the least expensive lidded automatic litter boxes. It functions much like the more expensive models, with an internal 65-liter-capacity orb that rotates and catches clumps with a plastic grate, depositing them into a bag-lined box below. The…

Read More

12 Best Kids Headphones (2025), Hearing Protection and More

Protect Those Headphones Satechi 2-in-1 Headphone Stand Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Even durable headphones are easy to damage. We have lost pairs to folks standing on them, cats and robot vacuums attacking the cables, and chairs rolling over them. I have learned that a stand or holder is worth the investment if it keeps those cans…

Read More

Best Innerspring Mattresses of 2025

Sleek foam mattresses may dominate in the virtual bedrooms of our social feeds, but innerspring mattresses are far more popular in real life. They account for 53 percent of those purchased new since 2015, according to Consumer Reports’ 2023, 2024, and 2025 Mattress Brand Comfort and Satisfaction member surveys of 75,317 mattresses. (Only 24 percent…

Read More

13 Best Matching Washer and Dryer Sets of 2025

Compatibility can include the option to stack a pair of machines using a special hardware kit. It could also mean machines sync up with each other to optimize performance. “Pairs come in a variety of styles,” says Allie Chilicki, a CR market analyst. “Most pairs have similar cycles, so if the washer has a casual…

Read More

Meta Wins Blockbuster AI Copyright Case—but There’s a Catch

Advocates for the idea that AI training is transformative still see Chhabria’s ruling as a win. “Judge Chhabria ruled today, bottom line, that training generative AI models on copyrighted material is clearly transformative, and absent proven market harm is fair use,” says Adam Eisgrau, the senior director of AI, Creativity, and Copyright Policy at the…

Read More

OpenAI’s Unreleased AGI Paper Could Complicate Microsoft Negotiations

A small clause inside OpenAI’s contract with Microsoft, once considered a distant hypothetical, has now become a flashpoint in one of the biggest partnerships in tech. The clause states that if OpenAI’s board ever declares it has developed artificial general intelligence (AGI), it would limit Microsoft’s contracted access to the startup’s future technologies. Microsoft, which…

Read More

What Type of Mattress Is Right for You? (2026)

Fun fact: You do not need a box spring with a hybrid mattress. This is a recurring question I see, and pocketed coils in hybrids eliminate the need for one. Box springs were designed to give more support and elevate performance to traditional coil beds, which would align certain sections of coils to yield more…

Read More