How to Make Your Home Safer for Someone With Mobility Challenges

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than a quarter of Americans live with disabilities, and 12.2 percent of those have difficulty moving around independently. Disability is the one minority group that anyone could join through illness or injury. And as we age, muscle weakness and other issues can cause difficulties walking…

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5 Best Toilets of 2025, Lab-Tested and Reviewed

To develop our in-depth toilet ratings, Consumer Reports’ engineers put the fixtures through a battery of tests involving waste removal, bowl cleaning, and drain-line clogs. We also measure how loud a toilet’s flushes are using a decibel meter. Based on performance in these tests, we give each toilet an Overall Score.  To test solid-waste removal,…

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Best and Worst Puppy Pads in Our Tests

Potty training a puppy is not for the faint of heart—especially if you live in a cold climate and are introducing them to the concept of going outside in the snow, rain, or biting cold. There are times when puppy pads are a lifesaver. If you live in a high-rise apartment, are away for most…

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What Is a Reasonable Life Span for a Modern Car?

With modern cars, there’s more to go wrong because you have more systems and technology than previous generations. On the other hand, they’re generally better built because many features are implemented efficiently, such as abilities added via software rather than new mechanical components. Even the metals are more rust-resistant than they were in the past,…

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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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The 73 Best Deals From REI’s 2025 Holiday Sale

Today is the last day of REI’s Holiday Sale. For the past 10 years REI has shut its doors for Black Friday, suggesting that instead potential customers should get outside and enjoy the world around you. That’s great advice, but of course Black Friday is also one of the biggest retail spending days of the…

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