It breaks my heart, but the cold weather has arrived here in New Jersey. The leaves are turning. The days are shorter. And it is getting COLD. Before we know it, winter will be in full swing. Thankfully, I’ll be warm this winter thanks to the Men’s Venustas Heated Jacket 7.4V. It’s comfortable, and it’s heated. Yep, it’s heated.
We sing the praises of Roku often here. Their user interface and general streaming ecosystem are simple to navigate but offer everything you’d want, from casual users to people building powerful entertainment systems. They’re branching out further now, taking their smart home integration to the next level with their own brand of smart home products!
If you struggle to fall asleep because your bed is too hot, too cold, too hard, or too soft, and if you and your partner can’t seem to find a mattress that will work for both of you, maybe it’s time to try something like the Sleep Number Climate360 Smart Bed. It’s billed as the first-ever bed to actively cool, warm, and effortlessly respond to each sleeper. Although pricy, the Climate360 Smart Bed sounds brilliant.
Amazon is coming for literally everything in your home. Your books, home security, entertainment systems, car — even how you sleep — can all be connected, and Amazon wants to be that connection. The slew of new Amazon hardware and software features they announced this week shows they’re impressively close, and we are slightly overwhelmed just thinking about it all!
LIVSN Designs is a relatively small company, but their products are great, and I’ve become a huge fan. I reviewed their Flex Canvas Pants and Flex Canvas Shorts, and they have become two of my favorite garments. They are tough, comfortable and, I think, look great. Now, the LIVSN Designs Reflex Shorts have also earned a place in my closet.
If you’ve been holding off on buying a radar detector, waiting for the absolute latest and greatest, you’ll be interested to know that the ESCORT MAX 360c MKII is out today. If even faster response times, even further detection range, and fewer false alerts sound good to you, you will want to check it out.
Even if you don’t consider sitting to be the new smoking, daily sitting for long periods can cause negative health issues; many of us don’t have a choice. We buy adjustable desks that can go from sitting to standing height with the press of a button. But now what? Standing still for long periods, especially on hard floors, is uncomfortable. And surprise! Standing all day comes with its own host of health problems. The WalkingPad A1 Pro Foldable Under Desk Treadmill might be the perfect solution, as long as you can master the fine art of walking as you work.
I think we can all agree that the last few years have left everyone a little … on edge. It’s been exhausting lurching from one disaster to the next, and we’re all looking for ways to ease those frayed edges. One of the techniques that can soothe your anxiety and help your sleep is a weighted blanket, so when we were offered the chance to review the Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter, we jumped on it!
Fall is on the way, and that means jacket time arrives soon. I’ve had a well-loved leather jacket Judie bought me as a gift, but when Angel Jackets reached out and offered a review sample of their dark brown men’s leather car coat, I jumped. Even so, I couldn’t help but wonder how nice a <$300 leather jacket could possibly be, especially when it is currently selling for just $199. The answer is, “Very nice!”
Thanks to the folks at TVape, we recently had the opportunity to review the Zeus Arc GTS Hub. It’s a great portable vape, but what impressed us the most was the new pod system that lets you quickly change out your dry herb load. TVape also sent the Arizer Argo, which offers a different approach to quick loading and swapping.
My son is very hyperaware of germs right now. He’s worried about things being dirty, and we spend an inordinate amount of time sanitizing everything. So when PhoneSoap brought their impressive UV light technology to a larger device called the PhoneSoap HomeSoap, I immediately volunteered to test it!
We have done a lot of cooking on Gear Diary, but we rarely have used charcoal. Sometimes burgers are just better cooked over some hot coals. Last night I fired up the grill using The Good Charcoal Company’s Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal for the first time. How did The Good Charcoal perform?
Whether camping, traveling, or simply shopping in the city, we often need a way to keep food and drinks cold or frozen. Grocery shopping means a long drive, and insulated grocery bags are often insufficient. The Bodegacooler Portable Freezer (TWW75) 80-quart Dual Zone portable cooler and freezer is the perfect answer for all these situations.
Another IFA is in the books, and the following are the products we thought demanded special attention; one or more of them might just make your life healthier, easier, more productive, or more fun! After scouring the announcements and choosing the products for our Best of IFA 2022 list, all I have to say is, “what a time to be alive!”
Last February, I reviewed Nomad’s foray into the analog space with its Nomad Pen. It’s a beautiful, well-balanced pen that is 134.5mm long. 9.8mm thick, weighs 32g, and is made from high-quality aluminum and stainless steel. At $49.95, it is an affordable piece of daily-use luxury. Now Nomad has upped their game and introduced the Nomad Pen in Titanium.
Slice makes cutting tools that are durable and easy to use, but most importantly, their ceramic blades are finger-friendly and safe. Whether your goal is always to be prepared or you regularly have a lot of cardboard boxes that need opening and breaking down (raises hand), Slice has a knife that will get the job done. I was sent the Slice Folding Utility Knife and the EDC Folding Knife to try; both knives have features that make them different from and, yes, likely safer than using their metal blade equivalents. Let’s take a look.
Many years ago, my grandmother had a computer. She was super excited to keep in touch with me when I went to college, and she mostly used it to email me and play solitaire. Unfortunately, it eventually proved too complex for her, and she reluctantly gave it up. Technology has made a huge leap forward in the intervening 20 years, and now people have significantly more options for keeping in touch with elderly relatives. GrandPad thinks they have developed a smooth and easy way to keep grandparents and families connected. Does it work? Read on to find out!
Smartwatches are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean there’s no niche for a dedicated fitness tracker. Sometimes, you want that laser focus on your health over every notification possible. Amazon thinks they can get a foot in the door with the Amazon Halo View. We’ve put it through its paces to see if it can compete for wrist space among some stiff competition. The Amazon Halo View is a delightfully lightweight companion. It comes in at around 21g, which is just slightly more than half the weight of an Apple Watch. It’s quite slim and doesn’t interfere with wrist movements when…
Three years ago, we reviewed the Zeus Arc GT. The small, compact device combines superb industrial design with the latest vaping technology. Now the company is back with a new model; the Zeus Arc GTS Hub Kit includes a vape that looks quite similar to its predecessor. Under the hood, there are significant improvements to the vape, but more importantly, it’s now part of a larger ecosystem.
It’s hard to believe that this long, hot summer is finally nearing its end, and it won’t be long before our kids are back in the classroom and our older kids are back at University. Here’s our 2022 back to school gift guide — it’s loaded with suggestions not just for those heading to school but also for the parents and grandparents who’ve just made it through a third pandemic summer.
When I started wearing clothes made from merino wool, it was all about the base layers. In recent months, I’ve come to appreciate that some companies are also using merino wool for more traditional clothing; the Isobaa Mens Merino 200 Long Sleeve Polo Shirt is a prime example.