This bike comes with a few major caveats. It’s a direct-to-customer bike, and we contracted with a local service to assemble it at my house. However, several parts were missing or unusable, and we had to wait a day for replacements. This is an issue if you’re assembling it yourself. Also, the company claims that…
Plastics that support modern life are inexpensive, strong, and versatile, but are difficult to dispose of and have a serious impact when released into the environment. Polyethylene, in particular, is the most widely produced plastic in the world, with more than 100 million tons distributed annually. Since it can take decades to decompose—and along the…
That’s a lot to ask for from a pair of eyeglasses. So Consumer Reports set out to determine which in-person and online glasses stores deliver the goods. Our Fall 2022 survey collected responses from more than 11,450 CR members about their prescription eyeglass purchases in the previous 24 months. Respondents provided feedback on the retailers…
But there has been negative news about gas ranges. Outside studies and CR’s own testing have found that cooking on a gas stove may produce byproducts that are bad for the environment and can pose risks to the respiratory health of certain vulnerable people. While research is ongoing, one thing is clear: Ventilation is critical…
Suddenly, everyone is obsessed with magnesium supplements. It’s the key ingredient in #sleepygirlmocktails, powders stirred into tart cherry juice and prebiotic soda, a wellness cocktail for anxious millennials. Your coworkers are popping magnesium glycinate before bed instead of melatonin, because it allegedly cures insomnia, constipation, and existential dread. Folks seem especially concerned with optimizing their…
How time flies. I first reviewed the original Urban Arrow in 2020, when my kids were 3 and 5. Back then, nothing delighted a couple of preschoolers more than strapping into a big, motorized cargo bike and scooting around town, shrieking, with the wind blowing in their tiny faces. Alas, they are now 8 and…
Momentum for space development is growing on a global scale. The rocket company SpaceX, led by CEO Elon Musk, has been carrying out numerous missions since putting its partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket into service. The company now boasts the highest launch frequency in the world, and this has helped boost the number of rocket…
The team members went through a process of incrementally determining what elements and molecules the bacterial strain could grow on. They already knew it could use oxygen, so they tested other combinations in the lab. When oxygen was absent, RSW1 could process hydrogen gas and elemental sulfur—chemicals it would find spewing from a volcanic vent—and…
While sleek styling and a dazzling array of features might impress, what’s most important is a range’s ability to perform some very basic tasks really, really well, day in and day out. And that’s what we zero in on when we’re choosing the best electric ranges. Here’s what our recommended ranges have in common: They…
Buying a direct-to-consumer bike can be almost as big a gamble as investing in cryptocurrency. While a customer is not likely to lose their shirt investing in a new electric bike, buying a poorly made one may result in a serious crash or catch the garage on fire. For these reasons and more, it’s wise…