An air fryer works by rapidly circulating hot air and a small amount of oil to fry foods. The oil and air work in tandem, transferring heat via conduction (the direct contact of the hot oil) and convection (the heavy rotation of hot air). The air-fry function works the same way in a wall oven…
Spend any time at all researching outdoor gear, whether it’s a new tent or a new rain jacket, and you’ll quickly find yourself awash in a confusing array of jargon. Silnylon, polyurethane, X-Pac, cuben fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)—what are these things? What none of them are is perfect. Each has its own weight,…
Despite their safety benefits, five-point harnesses are not actually required for car seats, strollers, swings, seats, or any other kind of baby gear. “A five-point harness, while used on almost every car seat restraint excluding boosters, is not required in the U.S.,” says Michael Bloch, who leads child car seat project tests at Consumer Reports….
Members chimed in with their thoughts on a retailer’s mattress selection, prices, sales service, and customer support, as well as whether floor models were clean and delivery was on time. We also have ratings for web support and website usability. Leveraging these responses, we created ratings for each of these areas for 25 retailers, including…
Don’t judge the pressure by eyeballing a tire. Modern tires bulge slightly, making them look a little underinflated, even when they’re not. This effect can be exaggerated on a soft surface, such as a dirt road or gravel driveway. At least once a month, use a tire gauge to check the pressure in all four…
Our experts say that a handheld leaf blower will work well for most people, especially if you’ve got a modest yard with only a few leafy trees. Battery handheld blowers now make up the lion’s share of models that CR tests, and they’re a particularly good choice because they are lighter weight and quieter than…
Still, knowing how much cargo your minivan or SUV can carry is a challenge. While automakers are happy to highlight the overall luggage capacity of their offerings, not all of that cargo room is usable space. Having a lot of space doesn’t do much good if the cargo opening is narrow, short, or oddly shaped. …
That’s why Consumer Reports tests all the sedans on the market and gives them an Overall Score, which is a weighted composite of a vehicle’s performance in our road tests; the latest reliability and owner satisfaction results from CR’s exclusive Auto Surveys; the results from government and insurance industry crash tests; and the availability of automatic…
This year marks a decade of REI’s observance of the consumer high holy day, Black Friday. 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…
While we have not yet had a chance to run the new M5 MacBook Pro through our suite of lab tests (we have to buy it first), we will update this article with the results and analysis once that testing is complete. In the meantime, this guide can help you understand how the current models,…