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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Most and Least Reliable Blender Brands

We ask our members about the products they own, and we use that data to make projections about how new models from a given brand will hold up over time. In a previous survey, CR members told us that they expect to use their blenders for about eight years, and 92 percent of all blenders…

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Best Space Heaters of 2025

You might also consider noise, because a loud machine can be annoying if you’re trying to work or watch TV while you warm up your room. Fortunately, many of the space heaters in CR’s ratings earned a very good or excellent score in our noise test, and those that did worse typically had other shortcomings….

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Best Electric Cooktops of 2025

In our labs, we test 30- and 36-inch electric cooktops from brands such as Bosch, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool. We test every cooktop at low and high heat. For high-heat cooking, we use a standardized pot filled with about 4 quarts of water on the largest cooktop burner. We jack up the burner…

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Magnesium Supplements Crash Course: Benefits and Side Effects

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…

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Our Favorite Earbuds for Android Users Are $60 Off

Hunting for a fresh pair of earbuds for your Android phone? The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are currently marked down to just $169 at Amazon, a $60 markdown from their usual price. I spotted the discounted price in three colors, Porcelain, Hazel, and Peony, with Moonstone and Wintergreen already sold out. Photograph: Julian Chokkattu…

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