Features

digital fitness power players 4x3

Summary List Placement

In 2020, American homes moonlighted as everything from offices and schools to fitness studios, as consumers sought alternative ways to stay fit from the safety and privacy of their own living rooms.

Though the pandemic played a significant role in accelerating the explosion of the digital fitness market, the sector had already been steadily gaining momentum. The global digital fitness market has ballooned to an estimated $27.4 billion in 2020, up 32.6% from $6.7 billion in 2017, according to the advisory firm Lincoln International. In recent years, companies like Peloton and Mirror made waves with their high-tech machinery and connected platforms, allowing users to digitally track their performance and health from the convenience of home.

With gyms temporarily shuttered due to the pandemic, interest in these companies has skyrocketed, elevating stationary bicycles and home gym equipment to some of the hottest pandemic commodities.

Beyond well-known companies like Peloton, emerging brands also saw impressive growth this year thanks to the unprecedented demand for alternative forms of fitness. From digital at-home boxing equipment like FightCamp and Liteboxer, to electro-magnetized resistance training programs like Tonal, these fledgling companies invigorated the fitness industry by introducing unique, high-tech connected exercise systems.

We took a closer look at the 17 digital fitness executives shaking up the industry and identifying innovative ways for Americans to stay fit from home.

Fritz Lanman, CEO of ClassPass

Though the ClassPass model was built on connecting consumers to group classes at studios across the country, the onset of the pandemic pushed the company to quickly reinvent itself. Within ten days of state-mandated shutdowns, ClassPass enabled 5,000 studios to begin offering digital classes for the first time.

In an effort to support its partners, ClassPass also suspended its typical commission from participating studios for five months, and sent all revenue directly to its partners, while also offering flexible membership options for users rethinking their fitness routines.

According to ClassPass CEO Fritz Lanman, these shifts helped the company's corporate wellness program serve more than one million Americans working remotely during what he described as "the most challenging year the fitness industry has endured.

"We democratized fitness, bringing classes from the top studios around the world into your living room," Lanman told Business Insider. "We are optimistic about the year ahead and will continue to offer a range of fitness options that allow members to work out however and wherever they feel most comfortable."

Jay Blahnik, Director of Apple Fitness Plus

Apple threw its hat in the fitness ring this year with the launch of Apple Fitness Plus, the tech giant's first digital exercise membership program. Officially launched this December, Apple Fitness Plus features streaming workouts from trainers around the world, with classes set to Apple Music playlists that connect to Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Up to six family members can use the subscription, which retails for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year.

The effort was spearheaded largely by Jay Blahnik, Apple's senior director of fitness technologies, who holds an extensive background in personal fitness training. Prior to his time at Apple, Blahnik consulted on fitness and marketing related strategies with several major brands including Gatorade, Schwinn, Equinox, and Stairmaster, among others. He was also previously a consultant for two decades at Nike, where he helped develop the Nike+ Run Club app.

"Being more active is one of the most important things we can do for our health, but we know choosing to work out can often be a challenge whether you're very active or just getting started," Blahnik said in a press statement on Apple Plus Fitness.

Jason Goldberg, founder and CEO of Moxie

Jason Goldberg, CEO of Moxie, describes his company is the "Patreon of fitness."

Moxie — which boasts former instructors from companies like SoulCycle and OrangeTheory — serves as a platform for trainers to host their digital classes and flex their entrepreneurial skills. Since developing and launching the company this year, Goldberg said it has proved particularly helpful for instructors navigating furloughs and layoffs by providing a revenue stream through streaming fitness classes directly from their living rooms.

Unlike most competitors, Moxie allows instructors to set their own drop-in rates — which typically range from $15 and $18. Though Moxie takes a small percentage fee of instructors' earnings, there is no cost for instructors to use the platform.

"Each day more than 300 live fitness classes are held on Moxie, and Moxie users completed more than 2.5 million total class minutes in the second half of 2020," Goldberg told Business Insider.

Heather Andersen, founder of New York Pilates

After training celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, Emma Roberts, and James Franco, New York Pilates founder Heather Andersen has found a way to bring her classes to the masses. Andersen operates five studio locations, and she recently launched New York Pilates World, a streaming subscription platform that allows users to participate in her targeted, repetition-based exercises anywhere.

According to Andersen, the company has found success by streaming shorter videos that better cater to the short attention span of Americans and that can be "mixed and matched to make longer workouts more achievable."

"The workouts are loaded with information on proper form and purpose so that you are actually learning Pilates while you work out," Andersen told Business Insider. "We've utilized gaming theory and behavior driving signals designed to trigger serotonin, making your workout that much more satisfying and motivating."

Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills, cofounders of Obé

For Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills, entertainment is at the core Obé, the fitness company they launched together in March 2018.

The former Creative Artists Agency talent agents dubbed Obé the "get fit, not bored" company, with an emphasis on featuring a vast array of on-demand classes across fitness categories. As part of its membership program, Obé includes features like a personalized calendar for scheduling workouts and to help with long-term exercise tracking.

In order to cater to increased demand during the pandemic, Obé launched live evening classes in September and now offers 22 live instructionals a day across 15 types of fitness. According to Mullett and Mills, engagement has increased from 11 classes per month on average to 14 among members year-over-year.

The company has also increased its number of live theme events, with the goal to get "members tuning in the way they would for a primetime special," the founders wrote in an email to Business Insider.

Additionally, Obé recently teamed with HBO Max to develop a weeklong series of custom classes based on the streaming platform's most popular television characters, including Carrie Bradshaw of "Sex and the City" fame and notables from "Game of Thrones."

Brynn Putnam, founder and CEO of Mirror

Fresh off a $500 million acquisition by Lululemon this summer, Mirror has quickly outpaced expectations of both its parent company and investors with forecasted annual revenue of $150 million — up from original estimates of $100 million.

The high-tech fitness system — which doubles as a functional mirror upon which users can stream workouts like yoga and strength training — is now available in 18 Lululemon stores. According to founder and CEO Brynn Putnam, such visibility has further accelerated the company's already "explosive growth" earlier this year.

"The really amazing thing about having not just a dedicated display for fitness, but also having a content platform versus a product — so not a bike, treadmill, rower, or specific piece of equipment — is that the full family can use it together," Putnam told Business Insider earlier this year. "So you don't have sort of the problem of investing in one type of exercise and then finding that it doesn't suit the whole family."

John Foley, cofounder and CEO of Peloton

If there was one clear winner of the pandemic, it was Peloton.

The virtual fitness company experienced tremendous growth over the course of 2020, as consumers flocked to the brand for its at-home stationary bicycles and treadmills. In its last quarter alone, the company reported that revenue rose by 232% year-over-year to $757.9 million.

And though the company experienced a few growing pains — namely supply chain issues due to overwhelming demand — consumer interest has only continued to grow. The company is now on track to finish 2020 with nearly $4 billion in revenue.

"It has truly been a challenging year for the world and our member community," Peloton CEO John Foley wrote in the most recent letter to shareholders. "We know that Peloton offers a service that many need during this time to sustain their physical and mental health and well-being and we are doing everything we can to get our products to our prospective members as quickly as possible."

Derik Mills, CEO of Glo

Compared to the emerging digital fitness companies just now entering the market, Glo has had more than a decade's head start to fine-tune its virtual yoga business.

The company currently has a library of more than 4,000 on-demand classes led by fitness professionals around the world. Since launching in 2008, Glo has expanded to include everything from yoga and meditation to pilates, cardio, and strength training.

"We also saw a trend of our members taking an increased amount of classes related to burnout, sleep, stress-reduction, and other thematic classes to tackle the uncertainty of 2020," Glo cofounder and CEO Derik Mills told Business Insider.

In August, the company began offering live classes in response to members that wanted "more accountability and real-time motivation" to workout amid the pandemic, according to Mills. In recent months, the company has seen an increase in global memberships, with notable upticks in the UK, Australia, and Canada, as well as European countries like Italy and Spain.

Aly Orady, founder and CEO of Tonal

Described by some as "the Peloton of strength training," Tonal is a luxury full-body fitness system. With a $3,000 price tag, Tonal doesn't come cheap, but it uses impressive electromagnetism technology to create weight resistance that complements personalized workouts from a bevy of professional trainers. The digitally connected machine is compact and mounts to the wall, with two handlebars on each side for resistance training.

According to Tonal CEO and founder Aly Orady, the company sales increased by 700% year-over-year in the month of November. The company sold more Tonal systems on Cyber Monday 2020 than the entirety of November 2019, he said.

"Coming into this year, we were already seeing strong momentum in the connected fitness space, and the pandemic has really accelerated that trend," Orady told Business Insider. "The thing that sets Tonal apart is never before has strength training been so accessible, personalized, and effective. Even when gyms eventually reopen, we think that the new habits people have formed will stick and that the life-changing results they are seeing from Tonal will continue to outweigh other options."

Lou Lentine, founder and CEO of Echelon Fitness

Echelon CEO Lou Lentine knew not everyone has the means to afford a Peloton, and seized the opportunity to fill the void in the market for a lower-priced connected bicycle alternative.

Under Lentine's tutelage, the company increased revenue by 505% year-over-year, while growing its membership base by 675% from 2019. Whereas Peloton has struggled to keep up with overwhelming demand, Lentine said Echelon was able to keep up with production on the supply chain side thanks largely to expediting the opening of a new factory.

Today Echelon sells in more than 3,500 locations including retailers like Walmart, Sam's Club, and Costco

"Our mission has always been to make connected fitness more accessible and the Echelon brand was built on the core values of diversity, approachability, and inclusion," Lentine told Business Insider. "The virtual fitness boom is here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides and Echelon Fitness will continue to be a leader in innovative, inclusive, and diverse digital fitness offerings."

Danny Harris, co-CEO of Alo Yoga

Alo Yoga — the athletic wear and fitness brand cofounded by Danny Harris and beloved by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Gigi Hadid — had a big year. Not only did online sales across apparel and its subscription fitness service, Alo Moves, quadruple year-over-over, but the company expanded into new categories like beauty and skincare.

"I believe people are moving towards our way of life, now more than ever during the pandemic," Alo Yoga cofounder and co-CEO Danny Harris told Business Insider. "There is a focus on health, wellness, mindfulness, and holistic living and people want to be in line those values."

Tommy Duquette, co-founder of FightCamp

FightCamp brings the experience of the boxing gym to your home, with a connected interactive bag and gloves and a bevy of trainers that digitally walk you through punches and high-kicks.

According to cofounder Tommy Duquette, revenue in 2020 increased fivefold from 2019, and the increase in demand prompted FightCamp's internal team to grow from 16 employees to 48 this year alone.

Duquette told Business Insider that what sets FightCamp apart is its focus on family fitness, and allowing multiple people to work out at once. According to FightCamp data, more than 52% of users used the program with other family members.

"As gyms began closing and people were forced into lockdown, people were quickly inundated with countless workout options through Zoom and other mediums," he said. "While these streaming options provided people with a starting point to working out at home, many left a lot to be desired. The dedicated connected fitness platforms like FightCamp stood out from the noise."

Michael Horvath, cofounder of Strava

Strava, a fitness tracking app that uses GPS technology to monitor exercises like cycling and running, became one of the top-performing apps in the health category this year. Today it has more than 73 million users, and has an average of 21.5 million uploads a week, which is an increase of 2 million users per month in 2020.

According to cofounder Michael Horvath, Strava's growth can largely be attributed to a rise in Americans flocking to outdoor physical activities in lieu of visiting indoor gyms.

"If there's a silver lining to the pandemic, and there aren't many, it's that it resulted in millions of people discovering and rediscovering running, biking, hiking, and walking," he told Business Insider. "While there's hope on the horizon, we're a long way from our communities being back to normal. People keep people active, and that's why Strava is investing in virtual competition and challenges so you always have fun and healthy activities to participate in."

Avrum Elmakis, founder of Clmbr

Clmbr, which is currently in the pre-sale stage, is a vertical climber that includes a touch display that streams on-demand full-body classes. The company recently made its debut on Indiegogo, where it reached 100% of its sales goal in 20 minutes. The new company also attracted the attention of a handful of celebrity investors including Jay-Z, Novak Djokovic, Pitbull, and YouTube founder Chad Hurley.

"As a result of the pandemic, consumers are spending more time at home and rethinking what they do there, and that applies to working out," Clmbr founder and CEO Avrum Elmakis told Business Insider. "People are adapting, and we have been successful because we have tapped into the modern consumer's sensibilities and the connected features they want for their home gym now and beyond.

Moawia Eldeeb, cofounder and CEO of Tempo

Tempo, a digital home fitness system that includes an attached weight set and a touch screen for streaming classes, launched in February 2020 just weeks before the pandemic hit the United States.

Despite being new to the market, the company quickly saw demand accelerate as Americans sought out alternatives gyms and fitness studios. According to Tempo CEO and cofounder Moawia Eldeeb, Tempo members have increased 20 fold since March.

"We launched Tempo in February of 2020 and the company is already where I hoped it would be five years from now," Eldeeb told Business Insider. "After years of research and development, perfecting its product hardware and software, and finally, committing to now increase studio availability, I'm so proud to see Tempo making a positive impact in people's lives."

Jeff Morin, founder of Liteboxer

Liteboxer aims to emulate the experience of a boxing workout, but instead of a traditional heavy bag, it uses a high-tech machine that allows users to track punches per minute.

According to cofounder and CEO Jeff Morin, Liteboxer provides a "full-body workout while also strengthening one's mental acuity through its interactive boxing experience."

The company first began shipping its products in October of this year, and Morin said sales are already up 70% month-over-month and "continue to rise."

"2020 was one of the most stressful and challenging years yet and as an entrepreneur and dad, I've experienced this first hand. I'm grateful that Liteboxer was able to provide much-needed stress relief to American's this year," Morin told Business Insider. "We have high hopes for 2021 and are thrilled that Liteboxer will get people happier, healthier, and having more fun next year."

futures trader

Summary List Placement

Markets have roared back to new highs since bottoming 11 months ago.

But index gains have been driven largely by megacap tech stocks that have benefited from a stay-at-home environment. Meanwhile, some smaller and more economically sensitive stocks have yet to reach their pre-pandemic levels as earnings have stalled.

That could change in 2021 as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed, with the rollout presumably easing lockdown measures and setting the stage for a momentous economic comeback.

Hopes for a strong economic return got another shot in the arm when Democrats won two runoff Senate races in Georgia. The victories gave them control of the chamber and the ability to pass the stronger stimulus package they desire. Goldman Sachs consequently upped its economic and earnings estimates for the year.

"Following the Democratic victories in the Georgia run-offs, our economists incorporated the likelihood of increased fiscal spending and lifted their 2021 real US GDP growth forecast," David Kostin, the bank's chief US equity strategist, wrote in a January 15 note. "We also raised our 2021 S&P 500 EPS growth rate by 2 pp to +31% ($178)."

To help investors take advantage of the momentum cyclical stocks are expected to see, Kostin and his team put together a list of 22 stocks that meet the following two criteria: a share price still below the February 19 peak and expected earnings that are higher than those in 2019.

"Equity analysts expect 69% of S&P 500 constituents will generate 2021 EPS above their 2019A levels," Kostin said.

"Most stocks that are expected to fully recoup their pandemic earnings losses by 2021 have also surpassed their price at the previous market peak," he added, saying the stocks below "have not seen a commensurate price increase."

The 22 stocks are listed below in ascending order of how far below February 19 levels their prices sat as of January 14.

1. Assurant Inc.

Ticker: AIZ

Sector: Financials

Amount down since February 19: 1%

Source: Goldman Sachs

2. S&P Global Inc.

Ticker: SPGI

Sector: Financials

Amount down since February 19: 2%

Source: Goldman Sachs

3. NortonLifeLock Inc.

Ticker: NLOK

Sector: Information technology

Amount down since February 19: 2%

Source: Goldman Sachs

4. Campbell Soup Co.

Ticker: CPB

Sector: Consumer staples

Amount down since February 19: 4%

Source: Goldman Sachs

5. Moody's Corp.

Ticker: MCO

Sector: Financials

Amount down since February 19: 5%

Source: Goldman Sachs

6. Eversource Energy

Ticker: ES

Sector: Utilities

Amount down since February 19: 5%

Source: Goldman Sachs

7. Cardinal Health

Ticker: CAH

Sector: Healthcare

Amount down since February 19: 7%

Source: Goldman Sachs

8. Gilead Sciences

Ticker: GILD

Sector: Healthcare

Amount down since February 19: 7%

Source: Goldman Sachs

9. Hershey Co.

Ticker: HSY

Sector: Consumer staples

Amount down since February 19: 8%

Source: Goldman Sachs

10. Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Ticker: KMB

Sector: Consumer staples

Amount down since February 19: 8%

Source: Goldman Sachs

11. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Ticker: VRTX

Sector: Healthcare

Amount down since February 19: 9%

Source: Goldman Sachs

12. PulteGroup Inc.

Ticker: PHM

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Amount down since February 19: 9%

Source: Goldman Sachs

13. Aflac Corp.

Ticker: AFL

Sector: Financials

Amount down since February 19: 9%

Source: Goldman Sachs

14. Leidos Holdings Inc.

Ticker: LDOS

Sector: Information technology

Amount down since February 19: 12%

Source: Goldman Sachs

15. Allstate Corp.

Ticker: ALL

Sector: Financials

Amount down since February 19: 12%

Source: Goldman Sachs

16. Concho Resources Inc.

Ticker: CXO

Sector: Energy

Amount down since February 19: 15%

Source: Goldman Sachs

17. W.R. Berkley Corp.

Ticker: WRB

Sector: Financials

Amount down since February 19: 17%

Source: Goldman Sachs

18. Dish Network Corp.

Ticker: DISH

Sector: Communication services

Amount down since February 19: 19%

Source: Goldman Sachs

19. Alliant Energy Corp.

Ticker: LNT

Sector: Utilities

Amount down since February 19: 19%

Source: Goldman Sachs

20. Sempra Energy

Ticker: SRE

Sector: Utilities

Amount down since February 19: 23%

Source: Goldman Sachs

21. Atmos Energy Corp.

Ticker: ATO

Sector: Utilities

Amount down since February 19: 27%

Source: Goldman Sachs

22. Evergy Inc.

Ticker: EVRG

Sector: Utilities

Amount down since February 19: 28%

Source: Goldman Sachs

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Summary List Placement

A durable and reliable carry-on suitcase is a must-have for any traveler.
Hard-side vs. soft-side luggage is a personal preference, so we've included options for both.
We've also included carry-ons at a range of prices to suit various budgets and needs.
Our top hard-side carry-on is from Samsonite and our top soft-side carry-on is from Travelpro.

Waiting in a long line when running late for a flight, having to pay hefty baggage fees, and your shoulder hurting from carting around a heavy duffle bag are all hassles that make a quality carry-on bag a must-have travel item.

A good carry-on suitcase should be reliable, durable, easy to pack, and hold plenty of clothes while still fitting on both domestic and international planes of all sizes.

As someone who pre-pandemic was used to taking more than 50 flights per year and was often in a destination for just a day or two before moving on, I practically live out of my carry-on at times. I've also had checked luggage lost or arrive late enough times to avoid going that route whenever possible, making a carry-on my go-to item even for longer trips.

While my bags may go through a few more rigorous trials than the average leisure traveler, most people are looking for these same qualities in any good piece of luggage.

For this guide, I put 10 carry-ons to the test. You can read our full testing methodology as well as tips on what to look for in a carry-on bag at the bottom of this guide. You can also find additional carry-on options for traveling with kids towards the end of this guide.

Here are the best carry-on suitcases

Best hard-side carry-on overall: Samsonite Centric Hardside Expandable Luggage with Spinner Wheels
Best soft-side carry-on overall: Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Carry-On Spinner
Best budget carry-on: AmazonBasics Hardside Spinner
Best high-end hard-side carry-on: Rimowa Essential Lite
Best high-end soft-side carry-on: Briggs & Riley Baseline Domestic Carry-on Expandable Spinner
Best carry-on for extra space: Monos Carry-On Pro Plus

The best hard-side carry-on overall

Form, function, durability, and an excellent price all meet to make the Samsonite Centric Hardside Expandable Luggage a winner.

Pros: Excellent price for the quality, durable, scratch resistant, wheels easily, expandable

Cons: Handle wiggles a decent amount when fully extended, slightly heavier than other options available

With 20 inches of packable space and coming in at 22 inches including the wheels, this hard-side carry-on suitcase will fit in just about any overhead bin for domestic and international flights with the exception of tiny jumper planes. The polycarbonate twill texture is scratch-resistant with a slightly shiny finish that helps it stand out in an airport crowd.

I've used this bag consistently for more than two years, and while it has a couple of very small white marks upon close inspection, it has overall remained in remarkably good shape — especially in comparison to other hard-side cases I've tried.

Weighing 7.5 pounds, it's easy to lift into overhead bins and a rubberized grip under the top and side handles add extra comfort when lifting. The zippers have good grip and run smoothly without catching and the expansion zipper even has a finger hole for extra ease and agility. There is also a TSA-approved lock on the right side.

The four multi-directional wheels are quiet and making rolling the bag in front of you, beside you, or behind you on almost any surface a breeze, though it was harder to pull on thick carpet.

Despite its small size, I've been able to pack a week's worth of clothes in and the 1.5-inch expansion capability comes in especially handy if you're like me and always end up coming back from a trip with more than you originally packed. While there aren't any fancy extras when it comes to interior storage, it's more than sufficient with a mesh zip close on one side and a strong buckle to keep clothes packed in tight on the other.

The bag's one downside is the adjustable push-button handle. While I've never had any major issues with it and it does have two different heights it can lock into, the handle is a little bit wobbly when fully extended. As is the case with most suitcases, the handle poles do also take up some space in the interior compartment, making it harder to lay items completely flat on that side.

After multiple lengthy trips with this bag, it has stood up incredibly well in terms of durability. There are no dents or major scratches, and from a cursory glance, the bag still looks practically brand new both inside and out. As an added bonus, the bag is also backed by a 10-year warranty.

For the affordable price, this Samsonite carry-on is a serious winner.

Read our full review of the Samsonite Centric Hardside Expandable Carry-On

The best soft-side carry-on overall

The Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Carry-On holds everything you need and then some, but its attention to detail makes it stand out from the competition.

Pros: Durable and high-quality materials, leather detailing, doesn't tip forward even when fully packed

Cons: Easy to overpack

Travelpro is well regarded among serious travelers for a reason. The brand was pioneered by a pilot who knew exactly which small details make a world of difference in a bag, and that thoughtful care and attention is apparent in the Platinum Elite Expandable Carry-On. The brand offers a warranty against defects for life.

This particular bag meets FAA regulations for carry-on sizing at 21 inches. The high-density nylon fabric is durable, stain resistant, and has not torn or ripped at all in the time I've used it. Leather detailing not only adds a sophisticated look but also makes the top lifting handle extremely comfortable compared to those made from plastic. However, the additional handle on the side is a little bit tight even for my small hands.

Holding up to 46 liters and with an expansion option of two full inches, this bag holds a lot more than just your weekend essentials. There are three front pockets of varying sizes, including one that can hold a laptop. The main compartment has the standard layout of a soft-side bag with one deep side for packing most items and a smaller zipper compartment that is half mesh on the other side.

While the handle poles do take up some space, the bag is deep enough that it's not much of an issue. Once buckled, there are also two additional mesh pockets available that are good for holding small items.

Large chrome zippers are super easy to maneuver and the four, large PrecisionGlide wheels made this bag one of the easiest to wheel on every surface, including carpet. The adjustable handle is very sturdy and has a contoured grip making it extra comfortable. At 7.8 pounds, it's a pretty standard weight for a carry-on and is easy to lift.

The bag also comes with several handy extras, including a garment bag, a built-in USB port (battery pack not included), and a removable clear plastic bag attached to the inside for holding toiletries and liquids.

However, I did find that with so many front pockets, the bag was very easy to overpack, especially when fully expanded, which defeats the purpose of having a carry-on if you end up having to check it in after all.

Read our full review of the Platinum Elite Expandable Carry-On

The best budget carry-on

For the casual weekend traveler, the AmazonBasics Hardside Spinner Carry-On is an attractive bag that does the job at an extremely affordable price.

Pros: Very affordable, durable for the price, solid adjustable handle that doesn't wobble

Cons: Marks up easily, may not hold up well over time, no lock

For a bag that costs much less than our top picks, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and look of this carry-on. Made of an extra-thick ABS, it was sturdier than I was expecting and the material only had a little bit of give when I pressed on the top and sides.

It measures 21 inches and is expandable up to 15% for additional packing room. However, I found that it held less overall than the similar Samsonite suitcase we recommend in this guide, making it a good option for shorter or weekend trips.

The interior has one mesh zip side and one side with a buckle. The buckle isn't too sturdy, but it will do the trick of keeping clothes in place as long as you don't overpack that side. The adjustable handle is comfortable and surprisingly didn't wobble very much. The wheels also glided smoothly on nearly every surface (thick carpet gave it a bit of trouble), though they were just a little bit louder than others I tested.

The ribbed exterior has a shiny finish, and other than the AmazonBasics logo on the front, is stylish enough that it won't give away how little it costs. The zippers ran smoothly and for the most part, the bag held up throughout my tests, though it did get marks relatively easily and had a mark on the back after just one use.

That said, some reviewers have complained that after about five or six trips the bag starts to break down, with complaints of broken handles, wheels, and zippers. It's also missing a notable feature: There's no lock, TSA-approved or otherwise.

But for the casual traveler who only takes a couple of trips a year, this is an extremely affordable option that still gets the job done.

The best high-end hard-side carry-on

True to its name, the Rimowa Essential Lite sets itself apart with its light 5-pound weight without compromising on durability or quality.

Pros: Incredibly lightweight, durable

Cons: Not as good for organization, expensive

Rimowa is best known for its distinctive aluminum suitcases frequently spotted on celebrity Instagram accounts. While those bags will set you back a cool grand, the luxury travel brand has alternative high-quality options that won't cost more than your monthly rent.

I was particularly impressed with the newer Essential Lite bag. When it first arrived, I actually assumed a vase I had ordered around the same time had come in an inexplicably large box because it never dawned on me that a suitcase would be that light.

The Essential Lite weighs less than five pounds, which is especially great for chronic overpackers who worry about their bag being overweight. Shockingly, the Lite suitcase actually holds slightly more than the classic aluminum suitcase, too.

To achieve this light-as-a-feather feat, the brand didn't sacrifice when it comes to the quality of the materials. Although the polycarbonate bag has some give at the top when pressed, the suitcase is plenty sturdy. Its thicker glossy coating also keeps it from scratching or marking up as easily as matte-finished suitcases. I tossed it around several times and even after getting jostled around in a moving van, it came out the other side with no dents, scratches, or marks.

If an aesthetically pleasing or eye-catching bag is important to you, you'll also likely enjoy the glossy finish, subtle vertical ribbing, and array of rainbow-hued color choices that range from a candy apple red to a deep teal, along with classic black and white options.

The bag has a TSA-approved lock on top, a rubberized top handle that's comfortable to grip, and a sturdy telescopic handle. The wheels are whisper quiet thanks to cushioned axles and worked beautifully on every surface from hardwood to carpet. I also liked that both sides of the interior had a mesh zipper, which I found made keeping everything organized and in place easier than the typical one-sided buckle system.

The suitcase also comes with a complimentary leather luggage tag and is backed by a five-year warranty. One added bonus of owning a Rimowa bag is that the company not only does in-store and send-away repairs, but also works with a network of luxury hotels that do repairs onsite should anything happen to your bag while you're traveling.

The best high-end soft-side carry-on

The Briggs & Riley Baseline Domestic Carry-On is worth the investment thanks to an impressive compression feature and high-end materials that stand the test of time.

Pros: Durable, high-quality materials, smart and unique features to help fit more in

Cons: Pricey, heavy

With a hybrid fiberglass frame, ballistic nylon exterior, reinforced corners, and smooth YKK zippers, this Briggs & Riley bag is made to withstand the test of time. The bag is incredibly durable and mine has experienced no rips, tears, or marks to speak of.

This suitcase is also full of ingenious tricks that make packing it a breeze and help you sneak in those extra outfits. For starters, the bag has a CX compression-expansion system that increases packing capacity by 25% before compressing back down to fit carry-on size regulations. I tried the feature out myself and it worked beautifully.

The main compartment is extremely spacious and unlike every other bag I tested, Briggs & Riley has taken the smart step of making sure the adjustable handle is entirely on the outside of the bag so no packing room is lost to the poles. That said, it does mean that the poles are visible on the outside of the bag and may make it slightly harder to slide the bag into the overhead compartment.

Like other soft-side bags, it has one deeper side and a smaller side with a zippered compartment. But another smart feature that adds packable room to this bag is a fold-out divider in the smaller zippered compartment so you can stack clothes, fold it in, and then stack more clothes before zipping it all up. The zippered compartment also has an additional small mesh pocket. Sturdy mesh panels clip together to keep the deeper compartment secure.

The wheels expertly navigated every surface, and the handle is sturdy and easy to grip. Two outer pockets on the front add additional space, but I found they didn't expand quite as much as the Travelpro front pockets, which was actually a plus since it wasn't as easy to overpack. There's also a small zippered pocket on the back ideal for keeping your phone (especially when going through security) that also comes with a hideaway ID tag.

The biggest downside to this bag is the weight. At 9.3 pounds, it's heavier than the other bags I tried and could be hard for some people to lift into the overhead, especially when fully packed. It also became front heavy and tipped forward slightly when completely full.

The best carry-on for extra space

If you're not restricted to smaller overhead bins, the Monos Carry-On Pro Plus is a sleek suitcase with extra room inside and a smart front pocket for easily stowing accessories.

Pros: Significantly more packable space, smart front pocket that doesn't protrude when packed

Cons: Doesn't meet all carry-on size requirements, marks up easily

The standard carry-on size for your average flight is 22 inches. At 23 inches, the Monos Pro Plus is just a hair too big for many flights. However, if you mainly take larger cross-country or transatlantic flights where overhead bins are bigger and space isn't usually an issue and relish every last ounce of packable space, this carry-on is worth a look.

It offers 47 liters in packable space, which is more than any other bag on this list. It features one side with a zippered mesh compartment and an alternative side that has a fold-out mesh pocket and two wide and sturdy buckles that help to seriously compress clothes when pulled tight.

But what really sets this bag apart is the front pocket space, which is unusual for a hard-side suitcase. The padded pocket holds a 15-inch laptop and has additional pockets of varying sizes for easily organizing everything from your phone to headphones. Unlike soft-side bags with front pockets, this pocket also zips up to fit its original size even when items are inside rather than protruding out. While some Away bags also feature a front pocket, this one has significantly more pockets for far superior organization. It's also cheaper than other suitcases with front pockets like Arlo Skye and Rimowa.

The bag itself has a simple and chic look and comes in an array of attractive colors like pale pink and royal blue. However, my bag did get several small white marks rather quickly. Though the company does include a small eraser with the bag that worked remarkably well when I tested it out. The adjustable handle is sturdy and doesn't wobble, the YKK zippers didn't catch, and the wheels glided smoothly on all surfaces.

As an additional bonus, the bag is guaranteed for life and has a 100-day trial period.

For those who want to ensure their carry-on fits on all flights, Monos recently launched a smaller carry-on option with a pocket, the Carry-On Pro. However, you do lose 10 liters of packable space, so the Pro is best for shorter trips.

Read our full review of Monos carry-on luggage

The best carry-ons for travel with kids

Traveling with kids makes it significantly more complicated to bring just a carry-on bag. You have no choice but to think of every single thing your kids might possibly require, then pack it where you can actually find it.

You also need space for snacks, entertainment devices, and materials to change your child's bottom mid-air. And of course, you'll need several extra outfits on hand and within reach during the trip — you know, just in case your kid vomits unexpectedly or spills chocolate milk at the worst possible time.

That means your carry-on needs significantly more pockets for organizing and space-saving options will reign supreme. Here are some carry-on options to consider for family travel:

Genius Pack G4 Carry On Spinner ($238): This carry-on has a compartment for everything. Extra pockets you can use to stay organized include a hidden interior lining pocket perfect for shoes, a removable laundry compartment, and separate spaces for chargers, socks, underwear, and more. If you wind up needing extra room on the ride home, a simple pull of a zipper will garner a 20% increase in space.

Biaggi ZipSak Boost ($67.99): If storing bulky luggage is an issue for you, this bag will wow you by folding down so small that it can easily fit under your bed or inside a drawer. It also features a flexible outer shell that makes packing in lots of stuff a breeze. Its exterior pockets are perfect for storing baby wipes, tablets, or snacks, and you can haul this bag in more than one way — either wheel it along like a regular carry on or use the side handle to carry it like a briefcase.

Timbuk2 Quest Rolling Duffel ($128.99): Ideal for families with toddlers and babies, this rolling duffel has multiple exterior compartments perfect for diapers and wipes, bottles and formula, and extra onesies and sleepers. Not only does it roll like a spinner, but you can throw it on your back like a backpack if you need to free your hands. Extra exterior storage compartments are ideal for everything you'll need for your baby in the air, and this bag is still appropriately sized as a carry-on.

— Holly Johnson

What else we tested

Away Carry-On ($225): I've had an Away bag for years and it's another good option. I have found that over the years it's gotten quite a few marks and scratches though, and it's more expensive than the Samsonite bag and not as high-quality or lightweight as the Rimowa bag. That said, I would recommend this bag to anyone who absolutely wants charging capability for their phone or who wants a wide array of fun color options.
Speck 22-inch Carry-On ($200, currently out of stock): This is is a solid option, but I found the Samsonite to be a better value that edged this bag out. That said, it's still a quality suitcase that's durable and comes with a lifetime warranty, though I did find that it marks up and shows signs of wear more easily.
Target Open Story 21-inch Hardside Carry-On($149.99): Travel Editor Emily Hochberg tested out this bag and found it to be another great option at a similar price point to the Samsonite bag. It features a durable but lightweight polycarbonate shell, heavy-duty zippers, quiet spinner wheels, and a telescoping aluminum handle. She also liked the multiple interior compartments for easy organizing and the built-in USB port for use with a power bank or battery charger, though that's not included. However, the lighter colors especially show marks easily and more than one reviewer has noted that the lock didn't work properly. It also doesn't have an option for expansion.
London Fog 20-inch Spinner Carry-On ($139.99, currently out of stock): I couldn't fit in quite as much to this bag as other options I tried. Additionally, it comes in very limited color options and there is no plain black.
Tumi International Carry-On ($750): This is a high-quality, premium bag that will likely last you years. However, the extremely high starting price point is hard to justify.

What we're testing next

Travelpro x Travel & Leisure Carry-On Expandable Spinner ($495): This new collaboration includes an aesthetically pleasing and quality hard-sided carry-on. In a similar price range to the high-end Rimowa and Tumi bags, we'll be testing this to see how it stacks up.
Roam The Jaunt ($495): Lightweight and fully customizable when it comes to color options for the shell, wheel caps, stitching, and more, we'll be seeing how this bag compares to those we already tested.
Kenneth Cole Reaction 'Chelsea' 20-Inch Carry-On ($79.99)&AmazonBasics Softside Carry-On Spinner ($54.83): We haven't found the best option for a soft-side suitcase under $100 yet, but we will be testing both of these options to see if there's a clear winner.

How we tested

For this guide, I narrowed down the field to the 10 top contenders based on my own considerable travel experience and knowledge as a travel editor, as well as additional research and user reviews. While some of these bags I've personally owned and used for several years, others I tested extensively specifically for this guide.

I put all 10 of the bags through the same tests, which considered durability, packability (both ease and how much the bag could actually hold), maneuverability across multiple surface types, as well as the weight of the bag. I also took into account the price point, style, quality of materials, and any extra features the bags included.

Due to the pandemic, I have not been flying recently, but I still mimicked the conditions carry-ons would typically go through in a number of ways. I packed each bag to capacity, rolled them for several blocks on the street, tested the wheels on wood floors, thick carpet, and concrete, stress-tested the zippers, and lifted each bag onto a high closet shelf roughly the same height as an overhead bin.

I even used all of the bags in a recent move where they were thrown around the back of a moving van in a similar fashion to how they might be tossed around on and off a plane by bag handlers to test durability.

What to consider when buying a carry-on suitcase

Size

While this may be the most obvious thing to consider, it's also the most important. Think about how you'll be using your carry-on most frequently and factor that in. For most standard domestic flights, anything 22 inches and under will suffice. However, if you frequently travel on short jumper flights or often fly on budget airlines overseas, you may want to consider going even smaller. On the flip side, if you mostly take large cross-country or transatlantic flights, you might prefer a bag with a little extra space since overhead space won't be as much of an issue.

Hard-sided vs. soft-sided luggage

While people on both sides of this debate swear their preference is the right one, this is pretty much a matter of personal choice. Soft-sided bags tend to have more front pockets you can stuff extras into, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on how prone you are to overpacking and going over weight limits. Hard-sided bags tend to have two compartments of equal size, one on each side, while soft-sided bags usually have one deep side and one small zipper compartment on the other. Your personal packing style will largely dictate which option is best.

Weight

Of course, in general, the lighter the bag, the better. But if weight isn't a huge concern for you, you might like a bag that comes with some extra bells and whistles in lieu of one that's more minimal to save on weight. However, if you frequently take small flights where every last ounce matters, you may want the lightest bag you can get your hands on. If you have mobility issues or trouble lifting bags into the overhead bin, weight will especially be a consideration.

Wheel type

I am a staunch believer in the four-wheel systems that most newer bags have. While some are still adamant in their use of two-wheel bags, I have found four-wheel bags to be lightyears ahead in terms of maneuverability. If you are still living in the two-wheeled past trust me on this: Being able to easily wheel your bag in front of you, beside you, or behind you will change your life.

Materials

Materials will be dictated largely by your budget and choice of hard- or soft-sided suitcase. It can be worth splurging on a more durable option if you travel frequently or just want to invest in a suitcase you'll have for years to come. In general, look for bags that are tear- or scratch-resistant. The most common materials for hard-sided suitcases tend to be aluminum, polycarbonate, and ABS. Aluminum is extremely durable, but also extremely pricey, and ABS is less durable but more affordable. A good polycarbonate bag can hit the sweet spot of price and quality. When it comes to soft-sided suitcases, ballistic nylon is one of the most durable options, but again can mean a higher price point. Regular nylon can still be high-quality while being more affordable, while polyester tends to be a good budget option.

Style

The look of your bag is a very personal choice. Some suitcases are all about function but a bit of an eyesore, while others prioritize aesthetics and come in pleasing pastels practically made for Instagramming. How important a chic bag is, and what exactly that means to you, should be taken into consideration when choosing luggage.

More great travel buying guides

Summary List Placement

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch we've ever tried, and Apple sells it in three different versions.
The $400 Apple Watch Series 6 is the newest model that comes loaded with all of Apple's most advanced health features and its latest processor.
The $280 Apple Watch SE is a great option for those looking to save a little money since it comes with many of the same features as the Series 6, although it unfortunately lacks an always-on display.
The $200 Series 3 is still going strong despite launching in 2017 and delivers the core Apple Watch experience at a more affordable price, but it's better to invest in newer technology if you can afford it.
Wondering how the Apple Watch stacks up to the competition? Here are our picks for the best smartwatches overall.

The Apple Watch has become the world's most popular smartwatch since its launch in 2015, outshining rivals like Samsung and Huawei.

Each new version introduces additional features that make it even more worthwhile. In 2020, Apple introduced the ability to measure blood oxygen levels on the Series 6, for example, and also launched a sleep tracking feature for all models that support watchOS 7.

I've been covering smartwatches and wearables since 2014, and our team of tech reporters and editors have collectively tested every Apple Watch model that's launched. Based on our experience, we have narrowed down the best Apple Watch models you can buy right now.

With all that in mind, read on to see which of the Apple Watch models is best for your needs and budget. You can also read our buying guide to the top smartwatches overall.

Here are the best Apple Watch models:

Best overall: Apple Watch Series 6
Best on a budget: Apple Watch SE
Best for just the basics: Apple Watch Series 3

Updated on 1/21/21 by Lisa Eadicicco: Updated language and added more guidance to the section on factors to consider when shopping for an Apple Watch.

The best Apple Watch overall

The Apple Watch Series 6is the best smartwatch Apple currently sells. It comes with top-of-the-line health features, a brighter always-on display, and fast charging.

Pros: Brighter always-on display, fast charging, more health metrics than any other Apple Watch, many color options

Cons: Expensive, not always clear how blood oxygen readings contribute to overall fitness metrics, battery life is short compared to Fitbit

The Apple Watch Series 6 is Apple's priciest smartwatch, and also its most advanced. The Series 6 comes loaded with new health-oriented features and an upgraded chip from Apple. The biggest new addition is the ability to measure blood oxygen saturation, which refers to the percentage of oxygen your red blood cells distribute throughout the body.

Other improvements include a slightly brighter always-on display and fast charging, the latter of which should make it easier to top off your watch in the morning after wearing it overnight for sleep tracking. However, like all Apple Watches, the Series 6's battery life isn't long enough to last two full days, unlike watches from Fitbit which offer multi-day battery life.

The blood oxygen reader works by shining red and green LEDs and infrared light through your wrist and monitoring the color of the light that's reflected back. Low oxygen levels could be an indication that you need to seek medical care, as the Minnesota Department of Health notes, but Apple says the Series 6 isn't meant for medical use and should instead only be an indicator of overall wellness.

You can take a reading any time on the Series 6 through an app, and the watch can measure levels in the background, too. Although it's great that the Apple Watch can offer a new metric for getting a glimpse into your general wellness, in my experience I found that it can be difficult to know what to make of these readings since they're not meant for medical use.

The Series 6 also comes with all the health and fitness-focused features from the Series 5. These include the ability to detect hard falls, take an electrocardiogram from the wrist, call emergency services internationally, and alert you if noise levels in your surroundings may damage your hearing. It can also track a variety of different workout types, provide more precise location information through its built-in compass, and can track elevation with its always-on altimeter.

The Apple Watch Series 6 has the most to offer when it comes to health tracking, but it also has another critical advantage: an always-on display. That means the watch's screen is capable of showing your watch face even when the display would normally turn off, a useful feature that makes the Apple Watch perform better as a general purpose wrist watch. This feature debuted on the Series 5, which Apple no longer sells, but the Series 6 is the only model in the current lineup to have it. The always-on display is also slightly brighter on the Series 6 compared to the Series 5.

Apple also provides more choice in terms of style for its top-of-the-line watch compared to the SE or Series 3. The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in silver, space gray, gold, blue, and red if you opt for the aluminum finish, while the stainless steel version comes in silver graphite and gold. The titanium model is available in titanium or space black.

The Apple Watch Series 6 comes with more health and wellness capabilities, style options, and features that make it function better as a wristwatch compared to any watch in Apple's lineup. Although the new blood oxygen readings alone may not be worth splurging on the priciest model for many people, the overall experience is the best you can get on an Apple smartwatch for those who are willing to pay.

The best Apple Watch on a budget

With a recent Apple processor and many of the same features as the Series 6, the Apple Watch SE is a great budget-friendly option.

Pros: Affordable price, robust health and fitness tracking features, large display

Cons: No always-on display

You don't have to spend $400 to get an Apple Watch that feels new and fast. For the first time, Apple launched a second new watch alongside its flagship model: the $280 Apple Watch SE.

The Apple Watch SE has many of the same capabilities as the Series 6: it can track the same exercise types, monitor sleep, measure heart rate, detect hard falls, comes with a built-in compass for location tracking, and features an always-on altimeter for logging elevation.

Fitness buffs won't be missing out on much with the SE, but those who want to get a more detailed picture of their overall health and wellness might. That's because the SE lacks the ability to measure blood oxygen levels and take an ECG from the wrist.

With this in mind, the SE is better suited for potential buyers looking for a general-purpose smartwatch that can track their workouts and don't need to keep as close of an eye on their cardiac health.

There's another major feature missing from the SE: an always-on display. This is probably the most critical omission, considering it makes the SE less capable as a wrist watch. Even though the screen turns into a black square on your wrist when idle, it does have the more modern design Apple introduced with the Series 4 that makes it 30% larger than the Series 3's display.

Color and finish options are also more limited on the SE than the Series 6, with Apple only offering an aluminum finish in silver, space gray, or gold.

Still, for the price, the Apple Watch SE is an excellent choice. Although it's missing features like an always-on display, fast charging, and blood oxygen measurements, the overall experience is very similar to the Series 6. I've even called it the best Apple Watch for most people given its more accessible price.

The best Apple Watch for just the basics

Not only is it the most affordable model you can buy, the Apple Watch Series 3 still offers reliable performance and includes features most people would need.

Pros: Solid performance, includes features most people would need, Apple Pay, fitness tracking, great app support, great value, very durable

Cons: Older processor, smaller display, no advanced fitness and health features, Digital Crown becomes less smooth with age, no always-on screen

After using the $200 Apple Watch Series 3 sporadically since it was introduced in 2017, it continues to perform well, making it the best Apple Watch for people on a tighter budget that just want the basics.

Compared to the SE, the less expensive Series 3 has a smaller screen, can't detect hard falls, lacks the ability to call emergency services internationally, doesn't have a built-in compass, and doesn't support family setup.

That last point is a bit disappointing since the price otherwise makes it an appealing option for a child or teenager's first smartwatch. Of course, it's also missing characteristics of the Series 6 like an always-on screen, blood oxygen level monitoring, and the ability to take an ECG.

However, if you don't need those features, the Series 3 still offers the same apps and services available on the pricier SE and Series 6, meaning it has many of the capabilities most people would want from a smartwatch.

Some of the applications we've used the Series 3 for include: Paying for a subway ride, withdrawing cash from an ATM, remotely triggering the shutter button on our iPhone, arming and disarming a home's alarm system, choosing a Spotify playlist, getting directions, controlling smart home devices, waking us up each morning by vibrating on our wrist, and much more.

It also comes in an LTE variant just like the pricier models, which can be a lifesaver during instances in which you've left your phone at home. But like the SE, the Series 3 lacks an always-on display, meaning you must raise your wrist or touch the watch to wake it.

The Apple Watch Series 3 also has many of the same health and fitness capabilities of its pricier siblings, save for the ability to take an ECG and measure blood oxygen levels. One of our favorite Apple Watch features is the Activity Rings, which gamifies three physical activities: movement, exercise, and stand. With a desire to close the rings daily, this has encouraged us to be less sentient.

Even though it's not the fastest, performance is still strong even after three years. I regularly use my Series 3 and never experience any crashes or slowdowns, even after installing new updates.

As for durability, the Series 3 seems very capable. After more than three years, it still doesn't have a scratch. The Digital Crown doesn't rotate as fluidly as when the watch was new, but it still works without problem. Even after swimming in both fresh and saltwater with it and wearing the watch in the shower, it still holds up just fine.

Overall, the Series 3 has performed well after more than three years. But if you were to purchase it new today, there's no guarantee it will maintain its strong performance for years to come.

It uses an older processor and as with all things tech, it will inevitably start slowing down as newer and more demanding apps are released. Although we recommend it for people on a tight budget, do realize that it may have shorter longevity from this point on. If your budget allows, opt for the SE.

When it comes to color choices and finishes, you only have the aluminum case in space gray or silver to choose from.

All told, the Apple Watch Series 3 checks all the right boxes for those who just want basic smartwatch and fitness functionality.

Things to consider when you shop

Like any other tech product, choosing an Apple Watch model depends on your preferences, budget, and how you intend to use it. Here are some factors to consider when shopping for an Apple Watch.

Health tracking: Are you looking for a device for comprehensive health features, like the ability to take an ECG from the wrist? Or do you just want to track your workouts and monitor your heart rate? If your answer is yes to the first question, the Series 6 is your best bet. Plus, since it charges more quickly, it's a better choice for those who plan to use their Apple Watch for sleep tracking. Otherwise, consider the cheaper Apple Watch SE instead.
Watch functionality: If having a smartwatch that functions as a regular watch all the time is most important to you, the Apple Watch Series 6 is the right choice. It's Apple's most expensive watch, but its always-on display and faster charging make it a more capable wristwatch. That's because the Series 6 can show the time even when the screen is idle and doesn't take as long to replenish its battery. While these features are helpful, they're not necessary and mostly just add polish to the experience. If you're going to spend the extra $120 on the Series 6, do it because you're interested in the additional health features it has too offer as well. If these features aren't as important to you, the cheaper Apple Watch SE has plenty to offer.
Material: Depending on the model, the Apple Watch comes in a few different materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium. Each material comes with its own price tag. You can also choose between different colors depending on the version. Apple launched two new blue and red color options for the Series 6 in addition to silver, space gray, and gold.
Bands: Each Apple Watch is paired with a band at purchase, another style choice you'll have to make. Some bands cost more than others. Thankfully, any Apple Watch can be used with any compatible band and you're able to swap them out depending on your wardrobe and mood. Apple also allows you to pair any Apple Watch case with any band through its Apple Watch Studio customization tool when picking out a watch. Other accessory companies make their own Apple Watch bands and sell them at more affordable prices, so you can always add to your collection.
Regardless of which bands and materials you choose, every Apple Watch the company currently sells can run the same apps from the App Store, supports water resistance, and is compatible with the latest watchOS 7 software.

Ramon Laguarta

Summary List Placement

2020 was a year of layoffs and shedding brands at Coca-Cola as the company instituted a new structure and dealt with fallout from the spread of coronavirus.

But PepsiCo, Coke's traditional sparring partner, has so far avoided big changes to its operations. In fact, the company has continued to hire as results soar at some of its divisions, especially those that make snacks and beverages for consumption at home.

Sales to restaurants were still down as much as 40% during the company's third-quarter, which ended September 5. But CEO Ramon Laguarta told analysts during an October 1 earnings call that PepsiCo's overall sales growth accelerated during the quarter thanks to sales of chips and other snacks through its Frito-Lay division in North America. Sales at its beverage brands, including Mountain Dew and 7-Up, have also recovered as of late, Laguarta said.

"We expect our snacks and food business to remain resilient while our beverage business should sustain its momentum for the balance of the year," he said.

With that backdrop, PepsiCo has continued hiring. Its hundreds of open positions include roles in e-commerce and supply chains, two areas where the company has had to make quick changes to meet demand at retailers and adjust to less business at restaurants.

Each year, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification discloses salary data based on visa applications from US companies hiring foreign workers. The companies report the base salaries that they offer current or prospective workers as part of the visa application. Business Insider's research shows that PepsiCo and its subsidiaries recently applied for 139 H1-B visas. While many of the positions were based at either the company's headquarters in Purchase, New York, or its campus in Plano, Texas, some were based elsewhere, such as at brand or manufacturing facilities in the Midwest.

Insider analyzed the US Office of Foreign Labor Certification's disclosure data from 2018 to 2020.

PepsiCo had about 267,000 employees at the end of 2019, with just under half in the US, according to the company's latest annual filing with the SEC.

Many salaries appeared comparable with similar positions at rivals, most notably Coca-Cola. Senior managers at Coca-Cola make $130,760 in base pay on average, according to Glassdoor. At PepsiCo, similar positions make between $131,000 and $167,000.

PepsiCo did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

From IT experts to packaging designers, here are the annual salaries for different jobs at PepsiCo:

IT and Technology roles pay as much as $160,000

IT strategy planning and transform senior manager: The average salary is $160,000, according to two approved visa applications.

PKI (public key infrastructure) engineer: The average salary is $140,000, based on two approved visa applications.

Cyber Security - Global Security Splunk Engineer: The average salary is $132,400, based on two approved visa applications.

CTO analyst: The average salary is $75,000, according to two approved visa applications.

Development and delivery specialist: The average salary is $135,300, according to two approved visa applications.

Development and delivery senior manager: The average salary is $152,700, according to four approved visa applications.

R&D roles can pay up to $140,100

R&D associate manager: The average salary is $99,300, based on two approved visa applications.

R&D senior manager: The average salary is $140,100, according to two approved visa applications.

R&D associate principal scientist: The average salary is $104,700, based on two approved visa applications.

R&D packaging principal engineer: PepsiCo received approval for one role with this title with a salary of $106,300.

R&D principal engineer: The average salary is $121,467, based on three approved visa applications. The three individual salaries ranged between $120,200 and $122,100.

Insight and data roles pay as much as $190,000

Sales category senior analyst: The average salary is $98,000, according to two approved visa applications.

Shopper insights senior manager: PepsiCo received approval for one role with a salary of $131,000.

Consumer insights senior director: The average salary is $192,133, according to three approved visa applications. The individual salaries ranged from $190,000 to $196,400.

Insights senior director: The average salary is $173,400, according to two approved visa applications.

E-commerce roles can pay over $200,000

E-commerce data engineer head: The average salary is $240,000, according to two approved visa applications.

E-commerce product manager: The average salary is $200,000, according to four approved visa applications.

E-commerce data analyst: PepsiCo received approval for one role with a salary of $130,000.

E-commerce data engineer: The average salary is $128,633, according to three approved visa applications. The individual salaries ranged from $115,900 to $140,000.

E-commerce data reporting associate: The average salary is $86,250, according to four approved visa applications. The individual salaries ranged from $85,000 to $87,500.

E-commerce data warehouse associate: The average salary is $80,000, according to four approved visa applications.

E-commerce insight specialist: PepsiCo received approval for one role with a salary of $100,000.

E-commerce senior data engineer: The average salary is $183,333, according to three approved visa applications. The individual salaries ranged from $180,000 to $190,000.

E-commerce solutions engineer: The average salary is $87,200, according to two approved visa applications.

HR roles can pay as much as $136,000

HR operations analyst: The average salary is $86,100, according to two approved visa applications.

HR operations associate analyst: The average salary is $70,000, according to two approved visa applications.

HR operations senior analyst: PepsiCo received approval for one position with a salary of $104,400.

HR operations senior manager: The average salary is $136,000, according to two approved visa applications.

Marketing and design roles can pay as much as $180,000

Global director, design innovation: The average salary is $181,500, according to four approved visa applications.

Design director, structural packaging: PepsiCo received approval for one role with a salary of $186,945.

Senior designer: PepsiCo received approval for one role with a salary of $100,000.

Designer: PepsiCo received approval for one role with a salary of $75,000.

Other roles include supply chain engineers

Risk and compliance specialist: Roles with this title made between $98,470 and $136,800, according to four approved visa applications.

Identity, access management risk, and compliance senior analyst: The average salary is $106,800, based on four approved visa applications.

Supply chain engineering senior manager: The average salary is $130,000, based on four approved visa applications.

Vice president, strategy: The average salary is $334,800, according to two approved visa applications.

Strategy manager: The average salary is $125,000, according to four approved visa applications.

Strategy director: The average salary is $169,367, according to three approved visa applications. The individual salaries ranged from $165,100 to $171,500.

Communications director: The average salary is $172,400, according to two approved visa applications.

Summary List Placement

Over 300 million pairs of sneakers are thrown out annually.
It can take 30 to 40 years for a pair to decompose in a landfill.
Learn about 10 sneaker brands using eco-friendly materials and more sustainable production methods.

The sneaker industry is bigger than ever, and its growth shows no signs of slowing.

More than 23 billion pairs of sneakers are produced every year, but behind the great demand for footwear is an industry so wasteful it's almost beyond measure. Most of these new pairs use virgin plastic, rubber, and petroleum, producing alarming amounts of carbon dioxide. According to sneaker startup Nothing New, about 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown out every year and, on average, it takes 30-40 years for a pair to fully decompose in a landfill.

In the past, most shoppers would have put little thought into exactly how the items they bought were made, but that is no longer the case all around. In addition to demanding trendsetting styles and groundbreaking innovations, the educated consumers of today expect products to be made responsibly.

Sportswear retail expert Matt Powell explained to Insider that younger people are very concerned with how their purchases are affecting the environment. "Sustainability is an important theme in retail, so much so that younger consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products," said Powell. "Brands have long been concerned about making products sustainably, but they're being more forward and open about it."

If you're looking to make better, more sustainable choices, we hear you. We are too, which is why we rounded up this list of brands that are using innovative, eco-friendly materials and more sustainable production methods to make sneakers.

From performance sneakers made by popular brands like Nike and Adidas to fashion-forward trainers from startups like Everlane and Allbirds, you'll find plenty of brands new and old working to set new standards.

Check out 10 brands making more sustainable sneakers:

Cariuma

Shop all shoes at Cariuma here, $79-$159

Founded in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, Cariuma is a sneaker brand that focuses on sustainability. The brand handmakes its sneakers using high-quality natural materials including organic, fair-trade cotton, natural rubber from hevea brasiliensis trees, and leather from gold-rated tanneries using hides sourced from areas that weren't deforested for cattle farming.

The brand ships its shoes directly in the shoebox, which eliminates the need for wasteful packaging. It also makes up for the carbon emissions associated with shipping products by purchasing carbon offsets, which brings its carbon footprint down to zero.

Cariuma's sneakers have an old school look, but with modern comfort. The insoles have a generous amount of memory foam, which make them easy to wear all day long.

Read our full review on Cariuma sneakers here.

Adidas x Parley

Shop all Adidas x Parley for the Oceans sneakers and apparel here, $35-$250

When it comes to mainstream sportswear brands, Adidas is easily the most vocal about its sustainability efforts — and environmental organization Parley for the Oceans has been its biggest collaborator. The two brands teamed up for the first time in 2015 with a sneaker using yarn made from recycled ocean plastic and illegal deep-sea gill nets. They officially launched products to the public in 2016.

In 2020, Adidas made more than 20 million pairs of sneakers made with Parely ocean plastic — a major increase from 11 million pairs in 2019 and 5 million pairs in 2018.

Today, you'll find Parley's recycled materials on everything from running sneakers like the 4D Run 1.0 Parley and Ultra Boost to outdoor shoes like the Terrex Two.

Tread by Everlane

Shop Tread by Everlane Trainers for men and women, $29 to $98

While recycled knits account for a big part of the sustainable sneakers market, Tread by Everlane is for those who still appreciate quality leather. With 94.2% non-virgin plastic soles, leather sourced from the world's cleanest tannery, and laces and linings made from recycled plastic bottles, The Trainer is touted (by its maker, mind you) as the world's lowest-impact sneakers.

Even if you aren't a particularly conscious consumer (although you should be), Tread by Everlane has great appeal. Its style lends itself well to minimalists and lovers of that cut-and-sewn look found on retro running sneakers.

Reebok NPC UK Cotton + Corn

Reebok NPC UK Cotton + Corn unisex sneaker, $79.97

When Reebok first launched the Cotton + Corn NPC UK sneaker, it featured leather accents on the heel tab, but after receiving kickback from Peta, the brand took the initiative to make the shoe vegan. The updated sneaker features a 100% cotton upper, a sole derived from corn, and insoles made from castor bean oil. Even the packaging is 100% recycled.

Nothing New

Shop Nothing New sneakers for men and women now, $95-$108

Founded in 2019, Nothing New is a sneaker startup that aims to positively impact the planet and educate the people that live on it. Unlike most brands on this list that are simply making strides to improve their eco-friendliness, sustainability is at the very core of the brand.

As the name suggests, Nothing New sneakers are made with only recycled materials. The upper is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, while its other components are made from recycled cotton, fishing nets, rubber, and cork.

Beyond the production process, Nothing New offers $20 discounts on new pairs to those who send back their used sneakers. Depending on the condition of the sneakers, Nothing New will clean and donate them or break them down and put the materials back into its recycled supply chain.

Nike

Shop all Nike Flyknit sneakers here.

Shop the Nike Space Hippie Collection here.

Shop all Nike products made from recycled materials here.

Over the last five decades, Nike has continually pushed boundaries in sportswear innovation. While performance has been at the forefront of its designs, sustainability has also been a major factor in recent years. Even though sustainability isn't heavily incorporated into the brand's marketing (compared to Adidas Parley or Allbirds), the brand's work has not gone unnoticed.

In 2018, Nike was recognized by Textile Exchange as using the most recycled polyester in the industry for the sixth year in a row, and from 2010-2018, the brand transformed 6.4 billion plastic water bottles into recycled footwear or apparel.

Nike's signature Flyknit material, which can be found on footwear throughout the brand's catalog, is made in-part with recycled plastic, but the Swoosh is doing more than sustainable kits.

In 2019, Nike also launched sneakers made from Flyleather, a new material made from at least 50% recycled leather fiber. Although there haven't been many other sneakers to release with Flyleather yet, you can expect the material to be included in more future designs.

In 2020, Nike furthered their impact on sustainability by using recycled rubbers on midsoles and outsoles — a feature that could be seen on products everything from Nike SBs to Converse. The most notable use of materials made from recycled trash is the Nike Space Hippie collection. In total, the brand has roughly 900 items available that are made from at least 20% recycled materials.

Converse Renew

Shop the Converse Renew collection here, $46-$95

The Chuck Taylor All-Stars are cemented in footwear as one of, if not the most timeless sneakers on the planet, but Converse has proven that it's able to stay in touch with modern demands. Using 100% recycled plastic bottles to make up its canvas upper, the Renew Collection is the latest example of its commitment to produce more carefully.

The process starts with plastic bottles sourced by the US-based recycling company First Mile. The plastic is then ground up into flakes, melted, rolled into bales, spun into yarn, and weaved into canvas.

The best part about the Converse Renew collection is that shoes are fully customizable and are available in sizes from toddlers to adults.

Allbirds

Shop Allbirds sneakers for men and women here, $95-$115

As the brainchild of New Zealand native Tim Brown and San Francisco-based renewables expert Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds is the wildly popular sneaker startup you've seen all throughout Silicon Valley and New York City. In the first four years, the brand reached a $77.5 million valuation — all thanks to its sustainable footwear.

Love them or hate them, all of Allbirds' designs are undeniably unique and unmatched in comfort. The brand's shoes are made with merino wool or eucalyptus trees for the uppers and sugar cane for the SweetFoam soles. They even made the patent on their SweetFoam material public so that other brands could utilize it as a sustainable alternative. Recycled plastic and castor bean oil also make their way into the inner-workings of the shoes. Allbirds even uses 90% post-consumer recycled cardboard for packaging that serves as a shoe box, shopping bag, and mailer all in one.

We've reviewed everything from the signature Wool Runners to the newer Tree Toppers, and found them to be incredibly comfortable.

Greats

Greats Royale Knit sneakers for men and women, $119

Founded in 2014 by Ryan Babenzien and footwear designer Jon Buscemi, Greats began as an affordable alternative to the luxury sneaker market. The brand's signature style, The Greats Royale, features premium leather, is manufactured in Italy, and only costs $179 — which far less than comparable high-end sneakers.

In efforts to be more eco-friendly, Greats redesigned the silhouette with a recycled plastic knit upper. Seven plastic bottles go into making each pair of Royale Knit sneakers, and in the initial production run alone, Greats removed 75,000 bottles from the ocean.

In addition to the recycled plastic uppers, Greats uses recycled materials to produce the shoe boxes and packaging.

Rothy's

Shop all recycled plastic shoes at Rothy's here, $125-$165

Founded in 2016, Rothy's took over social media and the streets of New York and San Francisco with its recycled plastic flats for women. With such a heavy emphasis on sustainability, it was only right the brand start making other styles including sneakers.

Aptly named "The Sneaker," Rothy's recycled plastic sneaker features a Vans-inspired slip-on look with a recycled plastic upper. Other eco-friendly elements of the shoe include recycled foam insoles, vegan, outsoles made from recyclable, carbon-free rubber and TPU, and vegan and non-toxic adhesives.

To date, Rothy's has repurposed more than 35 million plastic water bottles in its footwear. For now, the brand only makes footwear for women and kids, so if you're looking for shoes in men's sizing, you'll have to check out one of the other brands on this list.

Read more: Rothy's made a sneaker from recycled plastic — here's what they're like to wear

The Best Cookbooks for Bakers 4x3

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Baking cookbooks can help you perfect your pie crust, sourdough bread, or chocolate chip cookies.
We tapped expert bakers Joanne Chang and Amber Croom to share their favorite baking books.
The books cover the basics as well as how to master French pastries and temper chocolate.
Read more: The best MasterClass cooking courses

It's no secret baking is a science — only the right ingredients interact properly to create chewy cookies, flaky pie crust, and airy cakes. Pastry chefs work hard to get those measurements right, and many pass on their knowledge in beautiful cookbooks. Those cookbooks help bakers learn the basics so that they can go on to create delightful desserts of their own. But which ones belong on your bookcase?

I reached out to James Beard Award-winner Joanne Chang (owner of Flour Bakery and Myers + Chang in Boston) and Amber Croom (owner of And 4 Dessert confectionary studio in Baltimore and a "Chopped Sweets" winner) to find out which cookbooks every beginner and expert home baker needs. Many of the picks are classics that have been around for years, with the best now in its second, revised edition.

For those who learn better by watching, I also combed through hours of video to find the best YouTube channel for upgrading your baking skills, plus an online platform that brings some of the best pastry chefs right into your kitchen.

These cookbooks belong in any kitchen library, whether you're looking to perfect your chocolate chip cookies, want to become an authority on French patisserie, or simply love a great homemade loaf of sourdough.

10 great expert-recommended baking books and online baking resources:

Best overall cookbook

"Tartine: A Classic Revisited: 68 All-New Recipes + 55 Updated Favorites" by Elisabeth M. Pruett and Chad Robertson

The original edition of the "Tartine" cookbook was published in 2006 and became an instant classic among pastry chefs, home bakers, and fans of the legendary San Francisco bakery. "It's gorgeous, the pastries are both familiar and special, the recipes WORK," says Chang. "It's so inspiring to read and I love every page." For the award-winning 2019 edition, Pruett and Robertson doubled the amount of recipes with all-new photography, making this a must-have for any cookbook collection.

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Best for beginners

"BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts" by Stella Parks

While new bakers may dream of macarons, it's easier to start with simple American recipes and slowly learn the science behind your bakes. Those two reasons alone are why "BraveTart" is the perfect cookbook to start exploring in the kitchen. Parks not only incorporates great stories for each recipe; she composes each one in a way that professional chefs and home bakers can use, says Croom. "BraveTart is amazing — all of the pastries you grew up with as a kid, but made by a master baker,"adds Chang.

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Best for bread

"My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method" by Jim Lahey

Jim Lahey turned the pastry world upside down with the publication "My Bread," which proved bread machines and exhausting kneading techniques aren't necessary. "He started a bread revolution with his way of baking bread and every loaf I've ever had from this book tastes just like it does in his bakeries Sullivan St Bakery," says Chang. More than a decade later, its flawless recipes are still a must-have for anyone who wants to bake bread at home.

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Best for cakes

"The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Berenbaum

Every home baker has a story about a cake disaster since they are incredibly tricky to get right. Rose Levy Berenbaum's classic "The Cake Bible'' has taught a whole generation of bakers the mistakes to avoid, and everything else you need to know to turn out delicious cakes. "It has every single cake you can ever imagine and Rose is generous with her expertise and knowledge," says Chang."I've learned so much about cake baking just from reading and baking through this book."

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Best chocolate cookbook

"Chocolate: Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts" by Ferrandi Paris

Chocolate makes gorgeous desserts that are a delight to eat, but it can be quite temperamental and frustrates even the most expert of pastry chefs. "Chocolate," from the famous culinary school Ferrandi Paris, gives readers step-by-step instructions to master the medium. "It covers everything from utensils to tempering chocolate," says Croom. "It's like going to a chocolate academy without the price tag, but in book form."

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Best for French pastries

"The Art of French Pastry: A Cookbook" by Jacquy Pfeiffer and Martha Rose Shulman

Mastering patisserie takes time, patience, and a lot of butter. Jacquy Pfeiffer, the founder of Chicago's French Pastry School, created "The Art of French Pastry" as a comprehensive guide that helps readers with the fundamentals and gives easy-to-follow instructions. "You can tell from every recipe in the book that Chef Pfeiffer has years of teaching classic French pastries," says Croom.

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Best for pies

"The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies" by Erin Jeanne McDowell

Erin Jeanne McDowell, whose work is regularly featured in "The New York Times," Food 52, and on Food Network Kitchen, is one of America's foremost experts on pies. In this pie cookbook, "she covers everything you could ever want to know about creating the perfect pie,"says Croom. That includes everything from making the flakiest crusts and picturesque decorations to mastering savory pies.

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Best for baking with whole grains

"Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours" by Kim Boyce

Baking with whole-grain flours can help home bakers create delicious desserts beyond the usual all-purpose flour. "Good to the Grain" features 75 recipes that cover a dozen different whole-grain flours, from buckwheat to teff. "You will learn so much about how different flours enhance both taste and texture of baked goods,"says Chang. Boyce does utilize white flour in her recipes, so this is good for those beginning to experiment with different flours.

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Best online courses

The Butter Book

Created by Chefs Sébastien Canonne and Jacquy Pfeiffer, The Butter Book is a portal to everything a burgeoning pastry expert needs. It houses more than 170 baking video lessons, articles, a glossary, and courses on bread making, classic pastries, and cake decorating. The platform is available for $25 a month, or $200 for a year.

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Best YouTube

Food52

Food 52's YouTube channel is great for exploring new desserts or figuring out your latest baking mistake. The channel features two baking-focused series, "Bake It Up a Notch!" with Erin Jeanne McDowell and "Our Best Baking Lesson." Baking projects do come up in their other series though, like Sohla El-Waylly's "How to Make Any Type of Pound Cake" or Rick Martinez's lesson on buñuelos.

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Conor McGregor

Summary List Placement

Conor McGregor is one of the most dominant fighters in the history of UFC.
Between his astonishing knockout power and notorious trash talk, McGregor rose to become the king of combat sports.
While it might appear as though McGregor was always meant for superstardom, his journey to the top of the fighting world started with humble beginnings.
On the eve of his UFC return against Dustin Poirier, take a look back at the moments that brought McGregor where he is today.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Conor McGregor is one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history.

A two-division champion in UFC, McGregor was for a time considered the king of combat sports, living a lavish life and earning a nine-figure payday with the help of a dubious boxing match against Floyd "Money" Mayweather.

But while McGregor took naturally to the superstar life, it wasn't something into which he was born. Coming from a working-class family from the suburbs of Dublin, McGregor journeyed his way through childhood gyms, a stint as a plumber's apprentice, and eventual worldwide fame as the most "Notorious" fighter on the planet, and the biggest name in the UFC.

Below we take a look a McGregor's rise to the top of the world.

Conor McGregor was born on July 14, 1988, to parents Tony and Mags. They claim he was born with clenched fists.

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Source: Bleacher Report

McGregor would spend his youth in Crumlin, a suburb of Dublin. Once his interest in Manchester United gave way to an interest in fighting, he would train in at the Crumlin Boxing Club.

Source: ESPN

In Dublin, McGregor would meet his now longtime coach, John Kavanagh. After going into one of Kavanagh’s gyms, McGregor beat up two of the best fighters there in a sparring session that he took a bit too seriously. Kavanagh responded by “pinning him and throwing heavy blows until Conor promised he was there for training and not for a street brawl.”

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Source: ESPN

Uninterested in school, McGregor took to plumbing as a trade and did what he could to make it a living for some time. There were times when he would work 12-hour days before heading to the gym to train as a fighter. It was around this time that he started dating his longtime girlfriend, Dee Devlin.

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Source: Bleacher Report

When McGregor gave up plumbing to train full time, his parents disapproved of the decision, so much so he and his father came to blows. "You'll be sorry when I'm a millionaire," he told his father. "I remember saying, at 25 years of age I will be a self-made millionaire."

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That said, he hasn’t forgotten those roots. Just before McGregor left Ireland to train for his fight against Mayweather in Las Vegas, craftsman Trevor Sweeney drove over to his house and dropped off a project he had been working on for six months: a chess set made from plumber’s materials, emblazoned with McGregor’s logo.

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Source: ESPN

"When you look at that board," Sweeney said of the piece, "it represents your journey from an apprentice plumber to a king." That journey began when Conor committed to fighting professionally.

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McGregor took part in his first MMA fight on March 8, 2008, for the London-based promotion Cage Warriors, defeating Gary Morris by TKO in the second round. He would go 4-2 through his first six fights before starting the winning streak that would take him to international fame.

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Source: Bleacher Report

During that run of early fights, McGregor attended his first-ever UFC event, and caught Chuck Liddell’s attention long enough to snag a selfie. It’s the type of encounter McGregor would soon find himself on the other side of often.

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16 years old at my very 1st @UFC event!! I dived on @ChuckLiddell, he didnt know what was happening haha!! #Legend pic.twitter.com/bAGPjiyYDS

Source: ESPN

After his 4-2 start, Conor would win his next eight fights, all within the first two rounds, and become a two-division champion of Cage Warriors. Buzz continued to grow and he was eventually booked for his first fight with UFC.

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On April 6, 2013, McGregor made his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage, winning by knockout in the first round. The win was not only his UFC debut, but later led to the first post to his now (in)famous Instagram account.

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Source: Yahoo

Just a week before that fight he had picked up a welfare check for 188 euros to help him get by, but McGregor took home the prize for Knockout of the Night that night and the $60,000 bonus that came with it. Later in life, he would name his boat "The 188" in memory of those checks.

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Source: ESPN

UFC president Dana White was immediately impressed with McGregor. "Let me put it this away: I'm blown away," White said after McGregor’s debut in Stockholm. "First of all, it's his first fight ever in the UFC. He walked out tonight and got into the octagon like it was his 100th fight in the UFC.” It was the beginning of a profitable relationship.

Source: Yahoo

From there, Conor’s run of dominance continued. He won five more fights, four of which didn’t make it through two rounds, and claimed the interim UFC Featherweight Championship against Chad Mendes.

This put McGregor in a position to face Jose Aldo in a unification bout for the UFC Featherweight Championship. In the lead-up to the fight, McGregor was as cocky as ever, saying "I'm going to unify the belts, I'm going to destroy the [featherweight] division, and then I'm going to take the lightweight division as well."

Source: MMAFighting

On December 12, 2015, McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds. It was the fastest finish ever for a UFC title fight. Again, it was his unstoppable left that did the job.

True to his word, McGregor set out to win in the lightweight division, and a fight with Rafael dos Anjos for the title was set for UFC 196 in March, but dos Anjos had to withdraw after breaking his foot, leading former lightweight contender Nate Diaz to step up on short notice to face McGregor.

Diaz had been training as a welterweight at 170 pounds, and McGregor decided he would gain the weight to meet him there, jumping two weight classes in just two weeks. "Weight should never be an issue," he said. "Champions should be able to go up and down and fight any challenge that comes before them."

McGregor was the heavy favorite going into the fight, but would get caught in the second round and end up tapping out after Diaz locked in a rear-naked chokehold, giving McGregor the first loss of his UFC career.

Despite his shocking loss to Nate Diaz, in 2016 McGregor became the first mixed martial artist to appear on Forbes list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, taking $22 million on the year between his fights with Diaz, Aldo, and a variety of sponsorships.

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Source: Rolling Stone

Additionally, 2016 saw McGregor's profile rise further with a spread in ESPN's Body Issue, with Conor baring all in a photoshoot for the magazine.

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After a series of negotiations that included McGregor being dropped from the UFC 200 for refusing to go on a press tour promoting the fight, "McGregor-Diaz 2" was set for UFC 202.

The fight was a bloodbath, thrilling fans around the world. It would go down as one of McGregor's most memorable performances in the octagon.

In the end, McGregor outlasted Diaz in a rare fight for Conor that went all five rounds. Both fighters would once again receive "Fight of the Night" honors, with Conor winning by majority decision.

Just three months later, he would challenge Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship. The fight was set for UFC 205. In the prelude to the fight McGregor showed his normal confidence, telling his opponent to "Show up, take your ass whooping, and I'll see you later."

Source: Daily Star

Conor would win by TKO in the second round and become a two-division champion. After the win, McGregor said that he would take time off from fighting to wait for the birth of his child.

During that time off, McGregor began pushing for a boxing match against Mayweather, bringing it up at public appearances and on social media like the Instagram post below. Rumors that negotiations were underway began swirling.

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On May 5, 2017, Conor Jack McGregor Jr. was born. McGregor often shows himself as a happy dad on Instagram.

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A month later, it was announced that the fight was officially on. Mayweather and McGregor would meet in the ring in Las Vegas for what would surely be the biggest fight of the year. McGregor made the announcement official with a post on Instagram, trolling the undefeated boxer.

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The build to the fight on August 26 was fast and furious. Both Mayweather and McGregor set out on a four-city tour to promote the fight, trading verbal jabs and obscenities along the way.

At the kickoff to the tour in Los Angeles, McGregor made headlines with his wardrobe, wearing a custom suit with pinstripes that read "F--- You" to anyone who got close enough to see it.

At their next confrontation in front of a particularly frisky crowd in Toronto, McGregor called out Mayweather's rumored illiteracy, much to the delight of those who had gathered to watch the press conference.

But McGregor wasn't without his detractors. He faced accusations of racism after some of his comments on the tour.

Not one to apologize, Conor did not back down, only promising to "break his face" when he met Mayweather in the ring.

Experts didn't give McGregor much of a chance to beat Mayweather, with former champion Mike Tyson saying of Conor simply, "He's gonna get killed."

Additionally, some mocked McGregor for training sessions he made public, especially his bag work and his warm-up routine.

Many were surprised that the McGregor team didn't bring more coaches with boxing experience, but Coach Kavanagh chose to keep things simple, saying "Too much new stuff ... would be a disaster."

McGregor never really stood a chance against Mayweather, and was eventually dispatched by TKO in the 10th round.

But despite the loss, McGregor was still surely pleased with the result, earning a rumored $100 million for his role in the circus of a fight.

Source: MMA Fighting

After the Mayweather fight, McGregor took a bit more time off to enjoy his riches.

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He took in the 2018 World Cup final...

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And did so as a personal guest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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But soon enough, there was reason to tease his return to the UFC.

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His natural opponent was Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Russian fighter who had taken over as champion of the lightweight division in McGregor's absence.

Things came to a head when McGregor bizarrely attacked a bus Nurmagomedov was on ahead of UFC 223, leading to several injuries to other fighters.

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Conor McGregor. Picks up guard rail. Attempts to throw it at bus. ABSOLUTE CHAOS IN NEW YORK. #UFC223 (Via Felice Herrig's IG story) pic.twitter.com/JYQZD7jtKP

McGregor would later explain that he was acting to protect his teammate Artem Lobov, who was confronted by Nurmagomedov at a hotel.

McGregor would be taken into custody and charged with assault for his attack, but ultimately got off relatively unscathed.

And thus, the stage was set for a fight between McGregor and Khabib for the UFC lightweight title.

UFC even used footage of McGregor's attack on the bus to promote the upcoming fight.

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At the fight, Khabib dominated McGregor, eventually forcing him to tap out in the fourth round.

When the final bell rang, Khabib would leap out of the octagon and start a brawl with some of McGregor's teammates, resulting in suspensions for both fighters.

Despite the loss, McGregor was expected to return to the octagon in 2019, having signed a six-fight deal with the UFC ahead of the Khabib fight.

Instead, McGregor shockingly announced his retirement from fighting in March of 2019.

But as is often the case, McGregor's retirement didn't stick, and he began needling for a rematch with Khabib.

But there were other fighters in line for a title shot though, meaning McGregor would have to wait his turn.

In the mean time, McGregor had more trouble with the law.

In March of 2019, McGregor was arrested after an encounter with a fan in Miami, slapping a phone out his hand and stomping on it.

Then in April, McGregor reportedly punched an older man in a Dublin pub after he refused a shot of the Irish fighter's whiskey.

Over the course of the year, the New York Times also reported on two separate accusations of sexual assault against McGregor.

McGregor denied the accusations, saying that "time will show all."

Eventually, McGregor starting focusing on his return to UFC.

Longtime UFC contender Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone emerged as a potential opponent.

Leading up to their fight at UFC 246, McGregor's trainer said his fighter was in the best shape of his life.

McGregor made quick work of Cerrone, knocking the Cowboy out in just 40 seconds after opening the fight with a devastating shoulder charge and ending it with a brutal series of punches.

After the fight, McGregor paid respect to his opponent, and even embraced Cowboy's grandmother in the octagon.

A few months after the fight, McGregor announced his retirement once again, but it wouldn't last long.

By August he was teasing another potential superstar boxing bout, this time against Manny Pacquiao.

But by October, his next UFC bout was in the works, setting up a rematch against Dustin Poirier on Fight Island.

McGregor previous beat Poirier in 2014, winning via first-round knockout.

The two will face off again this Saturday at UFC 257.

After Poirier, there's plenty of other opponents McGregor might take on. He's repeatedly expressed a desire for another shot at now-retired champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

McGregor has also been tied to a potential return to boxing, where a fight against Manny Pacquiao could potentially net $250 million.

There's no telling what the future holds for McGregor.

More Conor McGregor:

Khabib Nurmagomedov responded to Conor McGregor's shock retirement by saying 'there can be only one king in the jungle'

The coach of Conor McGregor, who just retired from MMA, says the ex-UFC star doesn't spend much money because his expensive clothes and cars are 'given to him'

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Conor McGregor hosted his mom's 60th birthday party at the $1,000-a-night Versace Mansion in Miami

Summary List Placement

A quality set of golf irons is important to honing your golf game, as they're responsible for a variety of shot types throughout a round of golf.
Though most sets vary by what they offer, many have a total of six clubs including a 5-iron through a pitching wedge.
Our top pick, the Mizuno MP-20 Irons Set, offers excellent value, is great for a variety of handicaps and play styles, and comes with everything from a 2-iron to a pitching wedge.

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Most golfers know the saying, "drive for show and putt for dough," meaning big-hitting drives from the tee are impressive but those who win tournaments make clutch putts.

However, that saying forgets one huge aspect of the game: Iron play. Hitting an accurate iron shot has the ability to make your putts shorter and thus, easier to make. Strong iron play can even make up for bad shots off the tee — which are an inevitable part of the game, no matter how good you are.

Today's golf irons underwent a number of changes over the past couple of decades, and now deliver greater accuracy and distance for all skill levels. Irons can be expensive, however, so it's important to buy the set that's best for your shot-making skills.

To help you decide which set of irons best fits your game, we've rounded up a few of our favorite sets currently available from brands like Mizuno, Callaway, Titleist, and others. At the end of this guide, we've also included some tips on how to pick out a set of irons, as well as the different styles to keep in mind when shopping.

Here are the best golf iron sets:

Best irons overall: Mizuno MP-20 Irons Set
Best irons for average to high handicap golfers: Callaway Big Bertha Irons Set
Best irons for low handicap golfers: Titleist 718 AP2 Irons Set
Best irons for extra distance: Cobra King Forged TEC Irons Set
Best irons on a budget: Wilson Staff D300 Irons Set

SEE ALSO: The best putters for golfers

Best golf irons overall

If you have enough skill to play with blade-style irons, the Mizuno MP-20 irons are a good value and accommodating of all handicaps.

Pros: Set includes nine clubs, copper underlay for increased softness upon contact with ball

Cons: Probably not a great investment for high handicap players, who will struggle with the blade style

Mizuno has long been one of the leading manufacturers of blade-style irons, which give experienced players the feel and control they need from their irons. And the MP-20 irons are the company's best set of irons yet.

This complete set of irons features a 2-iron through a pitching wedge to give you nine irons in total. It'll cost you a bit, but there's a reason why Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo favor the MP line.

These MP-20 irons are not quite your traditional blade style of iron, instead made with a copper underlay. PGA tour players, during a blind test, chose these across the board because of its softer feel.

Best for average to high handicap golfers

A new design gives the Callaway Big Bertha OS irons improvements in distance and accuracy, even on off-center ball strikes to help golfers improve their scores.

Pros: Excellent design that allows for precise weight distribution in the club face, should deliver more distance and accuracy for off-center ball strikes, long irons are more playable in this set

Cons: Extremely expensive for inexperienced players, may cause some vibration in the hands during ball striking

Callaway has long received high marks for its ability to create high-quality golf clubs, especially irons. The company has put together an impressive collection of design improvements and upgraded technology in the Big Bertha OS irons.

These irons start with an Exo-Cage structure that reduces weight while creating stiffness in the clubhead. Through this design, Callaway is able to keep the weight of the iron low in the clubface and deliver better speed to the golf ball.

Most high handicap players strike the ball lower on the clubface than more advanced players, so these irons will deliver nice results to inexperienced players. All of these features will help average and high handicap golfers have more success in their shot-making with the Big Bertha OS irons.

Average players should notice a significant difference in the long irons in the set, too. If you normally save your long irons for scooping your golf ball out of the pond, rather than making shots with them, you'll actually be able to use these clubs for a shot on the course because of how forgiving they are.

The Big Bertha OS irons contain a larger-than-average sweet spot, allowing off-center ball strikes to stay on target better. The design of these irons also lets the ball speed to remain consistent across a larger section of the clubface, providing extra distance. For a golfer looking to cut his or her scores, having a little extra distance in the irons is helpful.

Best irons for low handicap golfers

The Titleist 718 AP2 irons are its best set of irons yet, especially for low handicap players.

Pros: Minimal but significant design upgrades from previous version, perfect design for low handicap players, long irons will deliver a consistent distance, forgiving clubface design keeps off-center shots on line

Cons: Very expensive set of irons, not really designed for average or high handicap players

The Titleist 718 AP2 iron set has been proven successful on the professional tour, and the same technologies and design features in these irons that appeal to pro golfers also make them an excellent choice for low handicap amateur players.

These Titleist irons are forgiving for any shots slightly struck off-center, which allows you to maintain a precise distance control. Titleist changes the center of gravity from club to club in the individual irons in this set, maintaining a lower center of gravity in the long irons to deliver consistent performance, which is a great feature for people who struggle to hit long irons.

As you move through the shorter 718 AP2 irons, Titleist moves the center of gravity higher on the clubface, delivering a good feel for the shorter shots where low handicap players will want more control.

Titleist uses a steel face insert in its longer irons through the 6-iron. From the 7-iron through the pitching wedge, the club construction consists of a carbon-steel face and body. Along with the steel face insert in the long irons, Titleist placed tungsten in the heel and toe of the 718 AP2 long irons, which keeps the clubface on line and delivers a higher launch at impact.

Best golf irons for extra distance

The black finish on the Cobra King Forged TEC irons will grab your attention, and the extra distance you get from these clubs will impress you.

Pros: New design and materials deliver extra ball speed for more distance, carbon-fiber insert absorbs vibrations at impact for comfortable ball strikes

Cons: You'll pay a little extra for the new features, those with slow swing speeds won't receive a huge distance jump

Part of the reason Tiger Woods began wearing red on the PGA Tour was the intimidation factor. If you'd like your game to deliver a little more intimidation to your regular weekend foursome, wearing red probably won't do it (unless you have a young Tiger's length off the tee and signature fist pump). So consider using golf clubs that provide a little intimidation, like the Cobra King Forged TEC iron set.

These attention-grabbing irons look amazing, but they also deliver some excellent design features that will help you hit the ball farther, which is more likely to intimidate your foursome partners than the occasional fist pump.

The Cobra King irons use a thin steel insert that delivers outstanding distance versus most irons. Additionally, the irons feature tungsten in both the heel and toe of the iron, which helps you keep these irons on the correct swing path, again leading to more distance.

Finally, these impressive irons include a carbon-fiber insert just behind the hitting zone in the face of the club. This absorbs any vibration that you may have from an off-center ball strike, which allows you to finish the swing strong and gain all of the distance you're seeking.

Best golf irons on a budget

The affordable Wilson Staff D300 irons deliver consistently long distances, even when struck a bit off-center.

Pros: Great price point that has dropped recently, delivers more distance than most similarly priced irons, especially forgiving of off-center strikes toward the toe, good all-around irons that deliver fast ball speed

Cons: Clubs don't necessarily excel in any one area, slightly older irons, some people will not like the look of these irons

If, when shopping for new irons, you're undergoing a lot of sticker shock, the Wilson Staff D300 should be more in line with your budget. The D300 set is a little older than some of the irons we've listed previously, but it delivers helpful design features that make it the best set of irons available at a bargain price.

Additionally, most average- to high-handicap players don't need the feel and precise design features more expensive irons deliver. The Wilson Staff D300 will give you what you're seeking: a consistent distance when you strike the ball on the center and a limited penalty when you have a slightly off-center ball strike.

Wilson's irons feature a black urethane material, visible in slots around the perimeter of the clubface. This interesting design feature allows the clubface to flex just a little bit at impact, which leads to the desired combination of ball speed, accuracy, and distance. Roughly three-quarters of the face touches this urethane material, rather than the club head chassis, which allows the flex in the club to keep shots on line.

The Wilson Staff D300 irons have a lightweight feel with an all-steel construction that allows you to generate a high level of ball speed at contact. The extra speed gives you added distance versus others, as these irons (compared with our previous pick, the C200s) have a bit more size to them.

How to shop for a set of irons

A set of irons consists of several clubs, all featuring a similar look. However, each individual iron in the set delivers a different angle of the clubface to the ball, which results in varying distances and trajectories. Irons also have shafts of differing lengths.

An iron set should contain at least a 5-iron through a pitching wedge and include six total clubs. A 4-iron appears in many seven-club sets, while others might substitute a sand wedge. If you want a 3-iron in your set, you may have to search a bit, as many iron sets made for average and high handicap players don't offer longer irons.

Irons are split into groups based on the type of shot they deliver. Those groups are:

Long irons: Long irons produce the greatest distance at the lowest trajectory. Some golfers even use them off the tee for a straighter shot compared to drivers (even though it sacrifices distance). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-irons are considered long irons, although 1-irons are rarely made for today's golfer.

Mid-irons: Mid-irons give you the best mix of trajectory and distance, and they're easier to hit than long irons. The 5-, 6-, and 7-irons are considered mid-irons, and many average or high-handicap players find 7-irons easier to hit accurately than 5-irons.

Short irons: The 8- and 9-iron are short irons, delivering a high trajectory on a short shot into a green with the idea that the ball hits the green and stops close to where it lands. These are the easiest irons for beginners to hit. Wedges often fall into the short iron category but since there are so many different types of wedges, they're often in a category all their own.

There are also two separate styles of golf irons, including:

Blade: A blade-style iron features a thin club head and a small sweet spot in the middle of the clubface. This design allows for more weight behind the sweet spot, providing maximum ball speed and distance on properly struck balls. Blade-style also gives you the most feedback on the quality of the ball strike. Low handicap players get the most benefit from blade irons, too.

Cavity: A cavity-style iron has a cavity in the back of the club. This design allows for more weight around the perimeter of the clubhead, which helps average- and high-handicap players keep the clubface on target throughout their swing. Cavity-style irons became popular in the past couple of decades. The equal distribution of weight is more forgiving for off-center ball strikes, however, this design makes it tougher to control spin and trajectory, as you can with blade irons.

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Summary List Placement

The perfect robe should fit well, feel comfortable, and last for years.
The best robe for most people is the Parachute Classic Bathrobe because it has a secure, adjustable fit and it's soft, fluffy, and absorbent.
We've also highlighted robes more appropriate for lounging and relaxing, including waffle weave, silk, flannel, and linen options.
See also: The best bath towels

Having a robe to slip on after a shower or cinch over your pajamas on a lazy weekend morning isn't exactly a necessity, but it certainly makes daily life a little more enjoyable.

"It's important to invest in a nice robe because it's important to invest in yourself," said Rosy Nuboer, the Romance Planning Manager at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino. "It is an excellent opportunity to remind yourself to relax and have a self-care day."

Of course, there are still specific features to consider as you shop for the best robe, including style, fabric, breathability, and durability.

A kimono-style design is the standard. "Kimono robes offer a classic tailored fit, with wrist-length sleeves, and have a streamlined flat collar," Nuboer said. In other words, you can personalize a kimono-style robe's measurements via its waist tie, but you'll still have enough freedom of movement for tasks like putting on makeup, brewing coffee, or picking up the morning paper.

When it comes to material, plush cotton terry allows you to skip toweling off post-shower, while less absorbent fabrics like waffle weave or silk require a pat-down first. The material also affects the warmth and breathability of a robe, as well as how it holds up over time.

To determine the best robes, we washed all of our contenders three times to evaluate durability and wore each robe while making coffee, washing dishes, reading on a couch, and working at a desk to determine overall feel and comfort. We also noted additional features like pockets and hanging loops. More on our methodology here.

A note on fit

Many of the picks on our list are designed to be unisex, but our picks from Kim + Ono and Natori follow traditional women's sizing patterns. We believe that all bathrobes can be worn regardless of gender, but keep an eye on sizing charts when shopping to ensure you select the right size for you. You may find that bathrobes designed with traditional women's sizing have shorter sleeves or hit higher on the leg.

Here are the best women's bathrobes

Best bathrobe overall: Parachute Classic Bathrobe
Best waffle: Coyuchi Organic Waffle Robe
Best flannel: L.L. Bean Scotch Plaid Flannel Robe
Best linen: Rough Linen St. Barts Robe
Best silk: Kim + Ono Silk Kiku Kimono Robe
Best lightweight: Natori Shangri-La Robe
Best hotel: Four Seasons Spa Robe

The best robe overall

The Parachute Classic Bathrobe is the quintessential cotton bathrobe, featuring a soft, fluffy, and absorbent construction that doesn't weigh you down. We're fans of its secure waist tie, deep pockets, and well-fitting sleeves.

Pros: Not too heavy or light, can be worn right out of the shower, comes in multiple sizes, great fit

Cons: Sleeves are too slim to wear thick clothing underneath, shawl collar may be too thick for some people, may not be suitable for hot climates

The plush, white bathrobe is a perennial favorite for a reason. A clean and fresh style is exactly what you want to shrug on after you've showered away the day's dirt and grime. Plus, who doesn't want to feel like they're living in a luxury hotel suite? Parachute's iteration comes in more colors than white, but the effect still remains if you choose pink, light blue, gray: you'll instantly feel comfortable and look put-together.

The Parachute bathrobe is not only the softest of all the 100% cotton robes we tried, but it's also slightly fluffy and absorbent like a towel. It's made from long-staple Turkish cotton, which is exceptionally durable, and it has a 400 GSM (grams per square meter, a measure of fabric weight). That's a middle-of-the-road weight — not the most lightweight and cool, but not heavy and stifling, either. And if you're not in the mood to towel off, you can put this robe on directly after a shower and it'll do the same job.

In a size medium, the robe falls slightly below my knees (I'm 5'6") and the sleeves hit my wrists. The sleeves aren't wide and they fit closely to my arms, so the overall effect isn't sloppy or loose. The downside is that you might not be able to wear, say, a sweater underneath. The robe fits best over bare skin or light PJs.

To make you feel extra snug and cozy, there's a thick, fluffy shawl collar and substantial, secure waist tie. The front pockets are deep and spacious.

Since the robe isn't especially heavy, you'll be able to wrap up and get ready at your bathroom sink or do small tasks without any trouble. If you stain your robe with food or makeup, it should wash off easily in the washing machine. If you live in a hot or humid climate, I wouldn't recommend this robe because it still has some weight to it, which will feel doubly apparent on a muggy day. On an uncharacteristically warm fall day in New Jersey, I wore the robe outside on my balcony and I didn't feel like I could wear it for hours on end.

The best waffle robe

The spongy waffle weave of the Coyuchi Organic Waffle Robe feels soft and light against your skin. Sustainably produced with organic cotton, it's an excellent choice for those who like to shop with their values.

Pros: Lightweight, comfortable texture, made with organic cotton

Cons: Shrinks after the first wash, pockets easily weighed down by heavy objects, wide sleeves may be impractical

If the first thing you do after checking into a hotel is hit the spa, then this waffle robe will transport you there. First, however, you'll want the right fit. We recommend sizing up because this robe shrinks noticeably after the first wash. If you're normally a size small, go for the Coyuchi small/medium. A medium should choose the Coyuchi medium/large, and so on. On me, the medium/large size hits a little below the knees.

The robe is made from 100% organic Turkish cotton that's GOTS- and Made Safe-certified. A GOTS designation means that the fabric contains at least 95% certified organic fibers and meets environmental and social standards at every stage of processing and manufacturing, while Made Safe signifies that it's free from harmful chemicals.

Together, the soft organic cotton and textured weave provide airy, cool, and non-slippery coverage. Your waist tie won't come undone and there are large front pockets to hold small, light items like lip balm. Unfortunately, they're not thick enough to carry smartphones without being dragged down by the weight. The sleeves are wide and can get in the way of tasks, but you can cuff them.

The robe is absorbent, though not as much as our cotton terry top pick, above. For those who run hot but still want to dry off, it's a light, attractive, and comfortable alternative to a fluffy cotton robe.

The best flannel robe

The L.L.Bean Scotch Plaid Flannel Robe is surprisingly lightweight, considering its notable softness and warmth. It provides neck-to-calf coverage and is so comfortable you'll want to wear it past the holidays.

Pros: Cozy feel, enveloping warmth, not too bulky, comes in many sizes

Cons: Picks up lint and pet hair easily

As dark winter mornings drag on and it becomes increasingly difficult to get out of your flannel sheets, it might be time to consider a flannel robe. It's more than a Christmas morning standby; as long as you value warmth, softness, and coziness, a flannel robe, paired with your favorite hot drink, is appropriate.

L.L.Bean's is an internet favorite thanks to its classic plaid prints, long-lasting cotton flannel fabric, and a relaxed fit that lets you wrap yourself up into a cozy bundle. Insider Reviews deputy editor Malarie Gokey has owned the robe for almost a year and loves it. As someone who runs cold, she appreciates not only the warmth but the fact that the fabric isn't stiflingly thick (a common problem with winter robes).

The calf-length robe feels more like a long flannel shirt and it's easy to move around in. It's also worth noting that L.L.Bean offers a wider spectrum of sizes than the other brands in this guide, from regular and petite (both available in XS-XL) to plus (1X-3X).

It has long, wrist-length sleeves that you might need to cuff back for activities, and both interior and exterior ties to hold the robe together. The front pockets are deep and sturdy.

Like most flannel garments, the robe, unfortunately, is a magnet for stray bits of fuzz and pet hair, so cuddle with your dog at your own risk. Lint aside, however, L.L. Bean's robe is a comfortable, well-fitting option that will get you through many brisk winter mornings.

The best linen robe

The Rough Linen St. Barts Robe is perfect for those who want a breathable warm weather robe with a casual, lived-in appeal.

Pros: Breathable, "dry" feeling, durable, midweight

Cons: Not as soft as other fabrics, shows wrinkles easily

Anything made from linen — be it sheets, pants, or a dress — instantly conjures the spirit of a warm summer night. In this linen robe, it's easy to feel like you're enjoying an island vacation, thanks to its simple style and comfortable, breathable construction.

Keep in mind that linen isn't as soft as cotton. It's more textured and has a "dry" consistency that doesn't cling to your skin. Rough Linen's robe feels crisp and cool and is tightly woven to withstand daily wear and frequent washes. It has a substantial, mid-weight feel that's ideal for warmer climates.

The robe has relaxed, dropped shoulders, so you don't feel restricted, as well as a waist tie that stays securely fastened and large, deep pockets. This was my favorite robe to wear while working and doing household tasks because it felt like the perfect middle ground — it wasn't so luxurious that it enticed me to lay down in bed, but it wasn't exactly something I'd wear in the outside world, either.

On me, a size medium fell to mid-shin and the sleeves hit my wrists. The sleeves weren't too wide and didn't get in my way, though the brand suggests you can always cuff them if they're bothering you. Unlike robes made from more slippery fabrics like silk, this one's sleeves stayed put when folded back.

Linen naturally wrinkles, and it's especially apparent with lighter colors. If you're not a fan of the rumpled look but still like the feel of linen, the robe is available in three darker shades (gray, navy, and black) that partially camouflage the wrinkles. It's also best to take the robe out of the dryer while it's still a little damp, so you can smooth out unwanted wrinkles by hand.

The best silk robe

The Kim + Ono Silk Kiku Kimono Robe is a beautiful and comfortable handcrafted garment you'll treasure, although it does require some special care.

Pros: Handcrafted, one-of-a-kind artwork, lightweight, glossy feel

Cons: Dry clean only, wrinkles easily, one-size-fits-all style

Kim + Ono, a 30-year-old family-owned shop out of San Francisco's Chinatown, pays beautiful and thoughtful tribute to silk kimonos, which originally come from Japanese and Chinese culture.

Each 100% silk robe from the brand features original, hand-drawn, and hand-painted artwork that is then printed onto the robe, making each piece distinct and unique. The robe I tried was a soothing jade color adorned with large orange chrysanthemum flowers, and I thought it was almost too pretty to wear. The site offers a large variety of other beautiful designs to choose from, including cherry blossoms and cranes.

After I stopped admiring the robe to actually put it on, it felt very cool, glossy, and slippery. In addition to an exterior waist tie, there's a thin interior waist tie to help keep everything secure. The robe only comes in one size, and on me, it fell all the way to my ankles. If you're petite, I'd recommend buying one of Kim + Ono's short robes instead.

Though the robe was long, it did have side slits for ease of movement. The sleeves are short (hitting my mid-forearm), very wide, and airy. These open design features made the soft and smooth silk feel even better as I stood by a window or open door, where the breeze could move freely throughout the robe.

The downside of owning a silk robe is that it's more difficult to take care of than your standard cotton terry option. All of Kim + Ono's designs are dry clean only, and the silk creases and wrinkles easily; you'll need to steam or iron your robe on the warm setting to maintain its sleek, pristine appearance. On the plus side, if you're wearing a silk robe you're probably not doing anything active enough to cause too many wrinkles. I use my Kim + Ono robe purely for lounging and relaxing — and it doesn't even have pockets, so I feel even more inspired to leave my phone behind and unplug completely.

The best lightweight robe

If you're looking for a robe with a closer fit, the modal-jersey blend Natori Shangri-La Robe is light, clingy, and stretchy with a flattering drape.

Pros: Lightweight, very soft, close fit

Cons: Draped and closely fitting fabric isn't for everyone, belongings may fall out of side pockets

Although several of the robes on this list — waffle, linen, and silk — happen to be lightweight, Natori's robe is hands-down the softest and most comfortable lightweight option we tried. If you don't like the other specialty fabrics mentioned above, chances are modal jersey will win you over; the slightly stretchy material is commonly used to make underwear and loungewear.

Natori's modal jersey is buttery soft, a little stretchy, and drapes close to the body. But it doesn't cling in an annoying way or make you sweat. The collar is barely noticeable since it's not thick, but it provides comfortable coverage.

This robe is long (about ankle-length on me), and there's an interior waist tie to keep it together. The sleeves are flowy, but they only hit a little below my elbows, making it easy to do everyday tasks. Like L.L.Bean, Natori offers extended sizing, from XS-XXL and 1X-3X.

While the pockets are sizable, they're located on the sides rather than the front, so bigger items like smartphones may fall out. If you stick to smaller belongings, you should be fine.

The pockets were the only feature I disliked. Otherwise, it was the perfect robe to wear in southern California, where it's warm and pleasant year-round. If you're lucky enough to live in a similar climate or want to switch out your fluffy robe for something more streamlined next spring, this is the robe you're looking for.

The best hotel robe

While the Four Seasons Spa Robe is a splurge, its buttery smooth microsuede exterior and incredibly plush lining make it worth the investment. This is a robe that instantly envelops you in warm, cozy comfort.

Pros: Very warm, soft, two sets of waist tie loops for better fit, nice gift packaging

Cons: Less flattering, prone to overheating, expensive

The Four Seasons Spa Robe stands out as the most luxurious robe of the bunch, and you can feel the difference right away. The outside is made from microsuede, which feels like real suede, while the inside is lined with ultra-soft and fine microfiber terry. Wrapping yourself in this robe will instantly warm you up on a cold day, so it's especially suitable for fall and winter.

This is the kind of robe you'll want to lounge in — not only because of its opulent feel — but, practically speaking, you'll overheat if you do anything else. I found that the Four Seasons Spa Robe was most comfortable when I was simply sitting or laying down. Wearing it while cooking or doing laundry made me start to sweat. That said, it's the perfect robe when you want to embrace a lazy day or two and log a frighteningly low number of steps on your Fitbit.

This robe isn't as form-fitting as the other options above, due to its thickness and double fabric layers, but it does have a secure waist tie, along with two sets of tie loops for a customizable fit. The Standard/Large size fell to mid-shin and the cuffed sleeves hit my wrists.

Despite the high-end feel, there aren't any special care instructions to worry about. You can just wash it in a cold cycle and tumble dry on low.

The robe also feels like a pure treat because of its packaging. It comes in a Four Seasons box with a gift tie and it's wrapped in tissue paper bound by a wax seal. Whether the recipient is a loved one or yourself, it's a special and exciting gift to receive and open.

Our methodology

Here's how we tested the bathrobes over a period of five weeks. Knowing that this is a fairly short amount of time, we'll continue to follow these steps in the upcoming weeks and note any changes.

Washed each robe three times and evaluated it for shrinkage, loose threads, color loss, and roughness.
Wore each robe and noted overall feel and comfort, breathability, length, fit of sleeves, waist ties, and any additional features like pockets or hanging loops.
Wore each robe while standing, sitting, and performing regular tasks like making breakfast and working at a desk to evaluate comfort, fit, and freedom of movement.

For sizing and fit reference, I am 5'6" and a women's size 8. If the robe was not one-size-fits-all, I chose a medium or medium/large.

What else we considered

Ettitude Bamboo Lyocell Robe: We liked the cool, slippery feel of this waffle weave robe, but it was a bit dense, and also shrunk significantly after the first wash. We also thought the sleeves were too wide.

Frette Shawl Collar Bathrobe: This soft and fluffy cotton bathrobe loved by luxury hotels was very comfortable, but you can get the same feel for half the price with Parachute's robe.

Four Seasons Bath Robe: Similarly, the Four Seasons robe was comfortable and absorbent, plus the gift packaging was beautiful. Unlike the hotel's Spa Robe, it has a cotton terry construction throughout and other classic features like a shawl collar and double belt loops. Comparatively, it felt less sumptuous and it didn't offer enough distinctive or special features to warrant its price.

What we look forward to testing

Brookstone n-a-p Bathrobe: This plush robe looks very soft and promising, and the price ($50, $40 for Beyond+ members) makes it even more appealing. If it can hold up to frequent use and washes, then we'll be impressed with its value.

Brooklinen Atlantic Robe: The modal-jersey construction is similar to Natori's, which means we expect it to be smooth, stretchy, and lightweight. It's shorter and only comes in two colors, but could still be a solid and slightly more affordable option for a lightweight robe. So far, we love that the waist tie is attached to the back of the robe, so it's always even on both sides and never slips off.

Riley Hooded Waffle Robe: Riley's robe combines a bunch of features we like — waffle weave exterior, cotton terry interior, a hood, and stylish piping throughout. The question is whether it nails all of them.

Matouk Mateo Robe: This sophisticated, striped robe looks like it's made from linen, but it's actually 100% cotton. It comes in a good range of colors and sizes. We wonder if there's enough distinction in its comfort and feel to justify its $185 price tag.

Check out our other bath guides

Casper Mattresses

Summary List Placement

I tested five of Casper's most popular mattresses —Original,Original Hybrid,Wave Hybrid, Element, andNova Hybrid.
Most people will do well with theCasper Original because of its average firmness, accessible price, and excellent motion isolation.
For more buying advice, check out our guide to the best mattresses.

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Casper revamped its entire line of mattresses last year after customer feedback.

It updated the all-foam and hybrid versions of the Original and Wave, and introduced three new mattresses — the Snug, cost-effective Element, and super-soft Nova, which also comes as an all-foam or hybrid. The Essential was dropped. The lineup now consists of eight mattresses — five are sold online at Casper and three (Snug, all-foam Wave, and all-foam Nova) are exclusive to retailers like Target, Zola, and QVC (currently unavailable).

I tested the five that are sold online directly at Casper because that is what's most available and what is most appealing during the novel coronavirus pandemic if you're trying to limit exposure to stores. You can read the full reviews for the Original, Original Hybrid, Nova Hybrid, Wave Hybrid, and Element, and our full comparison of what each mattress offers and what to expect below.

Here are the mattresses we compared

How the specs compare

Casper mattress price

The Casper Element is the least expensive mattress at $595 for a Queen and the Wave Hybrid is the most at $2,595.

The most popular mattress size is the Queen, so we'll compare prices accordingly.

The budget-friendly Element is the least expensive and costs just $595 for the Queen. The all-foam Original is $1,095, and $1,295 for the Hybrid. The super-soft Nova Hybrid will cost you $1,995 for a Queen, and the Wave Hybrid is even more expensive at $2,595.

Since you will be using the same mattress for a decade or more and your quality of life is drastically influenced by your sleep quality, price should not be the only consideration when buying a bed. It's a big factor, yes, but price differences work out to only a few cents a day over the lifetime of a mattress so it's a worthy investment in our opinion.

Casper also has monthly payment plans with low-interest rates, though we never recommend going into debt for any purchase.

Currently, Casper is running a sitewide sale with 15% off all mattresses except for the Element. If the sale is over by the time you're ready to purchase, you can use our exclusive code 'INSIDER' for $200 off any size Nova or Wave, or $100 off any size Original.

Mattress thickness

Because of its low price, the Element also has the most basic construction and is the thinnest at 10 inches. The Wave Hybrid is the thickest at 13 inches.

When it comes to construction, the Casper mattresses get more complex and feature more layers as you go up in price. Here's what you need to know:

Original— 11 inches thick. There are three foam layers: perforated breathable foam on top for increased airflow, a middle layer with zoned support meant to align your spine and provide pressure relief, and a supportive base.
Original Hybrid— 11 inches thick. This mattress has the same construction as the Original but with the addition of innersprings in the base to improve support, airflow, and lift.
Nova Hybrid— 12 inches thick. There are individually-wrapped springs plus four foam layers — breathable and perforated foam makes up the top two with support zones for spine alignment and pressure relief in the second; additional zoned support in the third layer to relieve pressure under the lower back, waist, and hips; and firm edge support around the springs in the base.
Wave Hybrid— 13 inches thick. There are individually-wrapped coils plus five foam layers: three layers of breathable foam, including a top layer with a cooling gel coating; a perforated second layer built for airflow; a zoned support third layer; a layer of cooling gel pods, and a supportive base.
Element— 10 inches thick. There are two foam layers: a top layer of perforated breathable foam for increased airflow and pressure relief and a durable, supportive bottom layer.

Set-up process

Thanks to its firmess level and light weight, the Element is the easiest to move around and set up. The Nova Hybrid and Wave Hybrid are the heaviest and come with handles to help make moving easier.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of set-up, it's worth pointing out that during normal times, Casper offers in-home set-up. This service usually costs about $149 and the delivery team will unbox your mattress wherever you want, take the old packaging with them, and remove your old bed too. Unfortunately, this service has been suspended during the coronavirus pandemic.

I unboxed all of the mattresses by myself, but I'm an old pro. I recommend having a partner or friend help you since there's heavy lifting involved. Each bed came with instructions and took about five minutes to completely unpackage and place on my test bed frame, the Zinus Callie, though you can use the Casper mattresses on any strong and level foundation.

The set up was simple. I emptied the mattress out of the box onto my bed frame, unwrapped the outer layer of plastic, unfolded the mattress so it was flat on the frame, and then removed the inner layer of plastic.

Each mattress gave off a "new bed smell" once released from the vacuum seal. This is why I always unbox mattresses in the morning — it gives them time to air out before I put sheets on them at bedtime. A full day of airing out is needed to be odor-free.

Though there weren't any major differences in the set-up processes, there were a few minor variations with each mattress. The weight of a mattress is a big determinant in how easy it is to set-up and how difficult it will be to move and rotate down the road.

The Element is the lightest at 68 pounds for a Queen, the Original is 79, the Original Hybrid is 91, the Nova Hybrid is 89, and the Wave Hybrid is a back-breaking 111 pounds.

However, weight isn't the only factor in the set-up process. The Nova Hybrid and Wave Hybrid have two handles sewn onto the left and right sides of the bed, which made them easier to move and position. But the handles weren't enough to make up for the heft and floppiness of the Wave Hybrid.

The Nova Hybrid unfolded upside down after you remove the outer layer of plastic so you have to flip it. This was not an issue with the other mattresses, so hopefully it was a fluke, but something to note in case you experience a similar issue.

Firmness level

Though I personally prefer the plush Nova Hybrid, the Original would appeal to a broader range of sleepers with its slightly firmer than average feel.

Firmness is the most important factor when comparing mattresses because it often translates to comfort.

From softest to firmest, the mattresses rank Nova Hybrid, Original Hybrid, Wave Hybrid, Original, and Element. The Nova Hybrid is significantly soft, while the other mattresses are all close to average. The Original Hybrid and Wave Hybrid are average, while the Original and Element are slightly firmer than average. According to Casper, the Element is a medium firmness but in my experience, I thought it was the firmest of the bunch.

Comfort is an incredibly subjective characteristic of mattresses since it depends on several factors that vary by person. Softer mattresses are usually ideal for side sleepers and lighter individuals because it's better at contouring around your body, while firmer beds most often benefit stomach and back sleepers, and heavier people.

When I first started testing mattresses, I preferred slightly firmer than average mattresses, especially since I suffer from chronic back pain. But I recently lost a lot of weight and softer mattresses are preferable to me now. For reference, I'm 6-feet tall, weigh 195 pounds, and prefer to sleep on my side, though you'll occasionally catch me on my stomach.

I'm giving you my life story to illustrate that you should take my comfort assessments with a grain of salt.

Heat dissipation

During our testing, the Nova Hybrid and Original were the most breathable and the Wave Hybrid was the least.

In addition to firmness, heat dissipation is important. I'm a hot sleeper and none of the mattresses caused me to overheat. They all seem to have decent airflow. However, I found the Nova Hybrid and Original did the best in this department. They both kept me cool all night long.

The Original Hybrid did an okay job of removing heat. I didn't feel particularly cool or hot during testing, but after returning from middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, I could still feel some trapped body heat. This is in contrast with the previous version of the Hybrid, which did a better job of dissipating heat.

The Element's heat dissipation was subpar, though not nearly as bad as the Wave Hybrid— it slept the hottest of the mattresses.

Edge support

The Original Hybrid has the best edge support of all five mattresses, and the Element and the Nova Hybrid also performed well in our tests.

If you share a bed with someone, there might be times when you're too close for comfort on the edge. If a bed has poor edge support, you might feel like you're going to fall off, which will affect your sleep. And whether you're transitioning to standing from laying down or putting on your socks and shoes in the morning, it's nice to be able to sit on the bed's edge without it sagging too much.

The Original Hybrid has the best edge support. I could lay on the edge all day and not feel uncomfortable. And when I sat on the edge, it didn't sink much at all. The Element had the second-best edge support, and the Nova Hybrid was also good. When my wife tried to annex the bed by crowding my side, I didn't feel uncomfortable sidling up to the outer margins of these mattresses.

The experience was different with the Wave Hybrid and Casper Original. Both of these models have subpar edge support, though the Wave Hybrid was clearly the worst. I was surprised by how much the sides sagged when I sat on them, and when I laid near the edge, I felt like rolling off. The Original wasn't horrible, but I did fall off fairly easily when on the edge and there was clear sagging.

Motion transfer

The Casper Element has the best motion isolation, and the Casper Original also received high scores in our motion transfer tests.

If you sleep with a partner or pet, motion isolation is going to be one of the most important characteristics to consider when choosing a mattress. If your partner is tossing and turning in the night, you don't want their movements to disturb your sleep.

I've created a motion transfer test based on research and the materials I have available. I start by placing a 12-ounce can of soda upright in the middle of the bed. Then I drop a 15-pound bowling ball from 4 feet above the bed so that its impact point is about 12 inches from the can. It's a good indication that the mattress has good motion isolation if the can stays upright after performing the test over and over. On the other hand, if the can consistently falls over, the motion dampening property isn't very good.

In my tests, only the Casper Original and Element had solid motion isolation. The can stayed upright after each initial drop. With the Casper Original, the can would shift to one side slightly after one drop, and when I dropped the bowling ball a second time without repositioning the can, it fell over. With the Element, I didn't need to readjust the can. I just dropped the bowling ball again and again, and the can stayed upright.

When I performed the test on the Wave Hybrid, the can fell over immediately in some areas but not others. This is likely due to the different support zones built into the mattress, so I'd say this is good but not great.

Both the Original Hybrid and Nova Hybrid failed the motion transfer tests even when I moved the impact point of the bowling ball to 18 inches from the can.

My motion transfer tests were backed up by my personal, subjective experience. I could clearly feel the movements of my wife and dog in the hybrid beds but their movements were less pronounced when we shared the all-foam Casper mattresses.

These results suggest that the all-foam beds might be better for couples sharing a bed, while the hybrid mattresses might be better suited for people who sleep alone, or heavy sleepers who wouldn't even feel any motion. If you get a larger hybrid mattress size, it might be fine for couples.

Mattress sizes available

All five mattresses are available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and Cal King sizes.

Those first three sizes are best for people who sleep alone with Twin XL being ideal for taller individuals and Full beds geared toward bigger folks. The other sizes will better suit couples who share a bed. Cal King is for taller partners, and King is for those who are larger.

To ensure a more objective review, I always test Queen-sized mattresses as it's the most popular size and fits a large group of sleepers. However, my wife and I are a little larger than your average humans and we share a bed with a terrier and a bulky full-body pillow. If I wasn't testing a mattress for work, we would need a King or Cal King instead.

Return policy and warranty

Casper has a 100-night risk-free trial and 10-year limited warranty.

A good return policy is a must when trying out a mattress since the only way you can know if a bed is right for you is to actually sleep on it.

You can try any of the mattresses with Casper's 100-night risk-free trial. Within that time, if you decide you don't like it, just let the company know and it will work with a local recycling center or charity to haul it away for you. You will then receive a full refund within 14 days without any extra shipping charges. There is only one 100-night trial per mattress per customer.

We advise against taking advantage of the generous policy since it can lead to waste — mattresses that aren't recycled usually wind up in landfills.

Each mattress is backed by a 10-year limited warranty. Casper will replace or fix your mattress if you find it has a significant indentation of an inch or more, physical flaws, or manufacturing defects. But you need to make sure you use the bed normally, care for it properly, and utilize a supportive foundation or frame, otherwise the warranty is void.

Brick and mortar locations

The company has showrooms across the country and is available in select Target stores so you can see firsthand what's available before ordering online for delivery to your front door. We suggest calling your local Casper or Target store for updated operating hours and procedures due to the novel coronavirus.

Appearance

The mattresses have similar appearances. They all have a gray border with the name of the mattress at the foot of the bed.

The updated mattresses are all made from high-quality, eco-friendly materials, including CertiPUR-US-certified foams and recycled plastic bottles. The covers of each are made in part from eco-friendly recycled bottles. All but the Element have quilted mattress tops.

The bottom line

I'm a personal fan of the Nova Hybrid for the soft feel, breathability, and excellent edge support, but the Casper Original is the overall better mattress. It performed almost as well as the Nova Hybrid in our tests but the firmness accommodates more sleeping styles and it's about half the price.

While I was testing the new Casper mattresses, the one I most enjoyed sleeping on was the Nova Hybrid. It excelled in two important categories — edge support and comfort. But naturally, comfort is subjective. I'm a hot sleeper who prefers softer mattresses, and the Nova Hybrid slept the coolest and is the softest of the lot, which made it the most comfortable for me.

I think most sleepers will benefit from the Casper Original, which, with its slightly firmer than average feel, was comfortable when I slept on my side and stomach, and my wife was comfortable on her back. This accommodated more sleeping styles. The bed stayed nice and cool through the night, had good motion isolation, and was easy to move. The edge support is subpar, but at almost half the price of the Nova Hybrid, it's overall a solid value.

For couples on a smaller budget, I recommend turning to the Element. It's about $500 cheaper than the other beds, and the only mattress that has both excellent edge support and motion isolation. If you are picky about comfort, though, you may want to look elsewhere because the simple two-layer construction of the Element doesn't afford much pressure relief.

The Original Hybrid is a good solution for a broad array of sleepers with its medium firmness. I'm usually a side-sleeper, but I preferred to sleep on my stomach while testing it. It doesn't sleep too hot either.

The only mattress I'm hesitant to recommend is the pricy Wave Hybrid. Since the motion isolation, edge support, and heat dissipation are subpar, I could only see this as a possible adequate solution for stomach or back sleepers who sleep cold and alone and have the money to spend on a luxury mattress — but it's a stretch.

Obama Bush

Summary List Placement

It's one of the most iconic and unlikely of friendships in the history of American politics.

Since 2009, former Republican president George W. Bush and former first lady Michelle Obama have hit it off, sharing some truly memorable moments.

In 2016, they had a sweet embrace that was impossible to fake. In 2018, Bush handed Obama cough drops on two different occasions — the first at the memorial service for late Sen. John McCain, and the second at the funeral for George H. Bush, Bush's father.

Most recently, the two posed for some pictures during President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony.

Here's their friendship through the years in photos.

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The friendship blossomed in 2009, at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

It would be the first of countless events where former first lady Michelle Obama and former President George W. Bush sat near or next to each other.

It's a relationship that's been partly out of their hands since Obama and Bush are seatmates at official functions — of which they attend a lot.

Obama explained to the hosts of NBC's "Today" show in 2018 why the two always sit next to or near each other.

"President Bush and I are forever seatmates because of protocol – that's how we sit at all the official functions," Obama told the show's hosts. "So he is my partner in crime at every major thing where all the formers gather."

But even when they aren't seated, the couples can be seen together.

After more than a decade of socializing with one another, Obama and Bush are like two peas in a pod.

In 2016, Obama and Bush showed the world their enduring friendship with a sweet embrace.

The two attended the dedication ceremony for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Jenna Bush Hager, Bush's daughter, called it"the hug that went around the world."

In 2016, the pair shared a moment during a memorial service for five police officers who were killed in Dallas.

"Party doesn't separate us. Color, gender — those kinds of things don't separate us. It's the messages that we send,"Obama told NBC News in 2018.

They also sang together.

They sang the Civil War-era song"Battle Hymn of the Republic" to honor fallen police officers who were killed by a sniper during a peaceful protest over the police killing of two African-American men.

Bush also raised a few eyebrows for dancing and lifting his wife and Obama's hands during the somber song.

Bush spoke to People about their friendship in 2017.

"I needle her a little bit and around her, I'm fairly lighthearted,"he said. "[The Obamas] are around serious people all the time and we just took to each other."

He also told Ellen DeGeneres that their friendship surprised everybody.

"That's what's so weird about society today, [the surprise] that people on opposite sides of the political spectrum can actually like each other," he said in 2017.

In 2018, at late Sen. John McCain's memorial, Obama saw Laura Bush hand her husband a cough drop, and asked for one, too.

"I looked over and I said, 'Hand me a cough drop,'"she told "Today."

Bush did as he was told.

A clip of Obama mouthing "thank you" after the handover went viral.

According to Business Insider's Eliza Relman, the moment "became a symbol of bipartisanship and human decency at a time of deep political and cultural division."

In 2018, Obama said Bush was her "partner in crime."

In an interview with Today, Obama spoke about their friendship, after their interaction at the memorial had gone viral.

She said she loved him "to death," and that he was "a wonderful and funny man."

She also mentioned the cough drops had come in a White House box, leading her to ask how long he'd had them. He responded, "A long time — we got a lot of these!"

Then, at Bush's father's memorial in late 2018, as he greeted a line of past and present American presidents, he slyly slipped another cough drop into Obama's hand.

The moment was a bright spot during a sad day for the nation.

In December 2019, Obama defended Ellen DeGeneres when the host was ridiculed for having a friendship with Bush.

DeGeneres was criticized for her friendship with Bush after a photo went viral showing the pair sitting together at a football game.

Obama told "Today" that while they have disagreed on policy, their values were the same.

"We don't disagree on humanity. We don't disagree about love and compassion. I think that's true for all of us. It's just that we get lost in our fear of what's different,"she said.

They reunited once again at President Joe Biden's inauguration.

Because of social distancing, the two sat slightly away from one another with their respective spouses. But they still took the time to squeeze in a few photos — you can see their smiles peaking out from behind their masks.

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Summary List Placement

Kids' snow boots should be warm, waterproof, and simple to put on — lasting through outdoor play time and nature walks.
We consulted parents and experts to narrow down the best kids' snow boots to test for this guide.
We've tested several boots so far and will continue to test more top-recommended pairs as the winter season continues.
Bogs Classics are the best kids' snow boots we've tried so far because of the waterproof, slip-on design and warm lightweight neoprene insulation.

A good pair of snow boots is essential to winter outdoor play, but boots are some of the trickiest types of footwear to buy for children. It's something we may not give a second thought to, but insulation is important to consider when shoe shopping; it can quickly make boots heavy and difficult to run, jump, and play in, while still not being warm enough to prevent toes from getting cold quickly. Age complicates the selection even further: Toddlers don't walk well in heavy footwear, while school-aged children often have to put snow boots on and take them off quickly for recess.

To navigate the hundreds of different kids' winter boots out there, we asked the parents who have challenged their families to spend 1,000 hours outside — a goal that requires going out in every season — to share their favorite kids' snow boots. Then we chatted with experts like Ginny Yurich, the founder of the 1000 Hours Outside movement, and Dr. Dara Jones, MD, a pediatric physiatrist at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery. My children — ages 8, 5, and 1 — wore our top picks on at least one outdoor outing, but we haven't yet had the snow to complete our testing and are continuing to test each pair further as the weather changes.

Choosing any type of footwear for children is different from shopping for adults because children haven't yet developed an arch. Footwear with a flexible sole helps facilitate that development, according to Jones. "Children are born with flat feet, with a fat pad on the bottom of their feet," she said. "The foot arch doesn't develop until around 6 or 7 as the foot muscles become stronger. The only way to develop that is by feeling and gripping the ground under them. It's important [that shoes] support and not interfere with this process."

Snow boots, however, should also be warm and waterproof with enough tread to walk on slippery surfaces. "When we look for snow boots, we look for ones that are rated to below zero, are easy to pull on (many have handles on the sides), have room for thick socks, and are durable," said Yurich.

Bogs Classic, all-weather boots that are flexible and easy to put on, are the most recommended boots by the parents we asked and hit all the must-haves in our criteria. They also earned the approval of my active, tough-on-shoes 8-year-old. We're continuing to test more than half a dozen of the top-recommended boots for an update in early 2021, but these are our favorites so far.

Here are the best kids' snow boots:

Best kids' snow boots overall: Bogs Classic
Best kids' athletic snow boots: Keen Hoodoo III Waterproof
Best kids' all-weather snow boots: Lone Cone Mudboots
Best snow boots for toddlers: See Kai Run Gillman
Best budget kids' snow boots: Cat & Jack Brody
Best warm kids' snow boots: Keen Lumi II Waterproof

The best kids' snow boots overall

Durable, all-weather Bogs boots received high marks from the parents we spoke to and are easy for kids to quickly put on and pull off.

Pros: Made for snow or rain, warm, waterproof, flexible, easy to pull on, variety of colors and patterns

Cons: Take longer to dry, not as light as some options

The most recommended boot brand from 1000 Hours Outside parents, Bogs Classics are waterproof rubber boots that double as rain and snow boots. The boots are constructed from a semi-flexible rubber foot and a soft, neoprene shaft that offers a great range of motion for a fully waterproof boot. Handles at the top made these boots easy for my 8-year-old to pull on and they quickly became one of his favorite pairs.

Bogs' waterproof neoprene material forms the shaft of the boot and continues all the way into the rubber foot to add lightweight insulation that's still rated for -30 F. The lightweight material works with the child's own body heat to keep warmth in, while wicking away any sweat. The design makes the boot suitable for rainy spring and fall days, as well as wearing through the winter. The boot's tread has a variety of patterns — a sign that usually indicates a boot is good for traversing over a variety of different surfaces — though the tread pattern is not very deep.

"I love that I can have just one pair of boots for the kids for both rain and snow — and they can walk in the river," said Rachel Mulry, a Colorado mom of three. "My kids love the handles to pull on. The only downside is the drying time if they happen to get water in them from the top."

While one of our top recommended boots, they are a bit pricey. The Classic style typically retails for about $80. Bogs are also slightly on the heavier side, though my second-grader didn't have any issues running or jumping in them. The Classics come in a variety of patterns and colors from dinosaurs to unicorns, which is an excellent perk since kids tend to prefer wearing something that has their favorite things on them.

The best athletic snow boots

Made with waterproof leather, the Keen Hoodoo III boots feel more like tennis shoes and they look great, too.

Pros: Athletic-like fit, flexible, lightweight, leather, excellent traction

Cons: Shorter shaft, not quite as easy to pull on

Even lightweight snow boots tend to make kids stomp around because of the bulky shape, but the Keen Hoodoo III fit more like tennis shoes, resulting in minimal stomping. My daughter can easily run and jump in these shoes, making them a great option for putting snow-proof, waterproof boots on kids who are always running. Out of all the boots that we have tested so far, these had the most flexibility to bend and move with the child's foot.

Constructed with waterproof leather and textiles, the Hoodoo boots are rated down to -25 F, despite having a slimmer profile. The leather materials help these snow boots look less like a gaudy snow boot and more like a dress boot. With an elastic bungee and strap, the Hoodoo III boots still allow for a snug fit around the ankle and calf, even for kids who can't yet tie shoes. The soles are also generous and look more like those you'll find on hiking boots, which should offer better traction on snow.

While easy to move in, the Hoodoo boots were a little bit tougher for my 5-year-old to put on herself. After a little practice, she can now get them on easily, though not quite as quickly as pull-on boots. Perhaps the biggest consideration, however, is the shorter shaft. These boots are almost half the height of the other snow boots we're testing, so kids will need to have snow pants pulled over the top to walk in deep snow. The entire boot of the little kids' size 11 reaches about 6 inches from the ground.

The best all-weather boots

Made for nearly every season, Lone Cone Mudboots are easy for kids to put on themselves and are more affordable than Bogs.

Pros: Versatile snow and rain boot, easy to put on, variety of patterns, affordable

Cons: Not as well-built as Bogs, narrower fit

Lone Cone Mudboots are made for almost every season. These insulated rain boots are rated for sub-freezing temperatures, but the neoprene construction makes them suitable for rainy spring and fall days, too. While the list of features is similar to Bogs, the boots are often less expensive, typically selling for about $60, depending on the size and pattern.

The bottom of the Lone Cone Mudboots is rubber, which is excellent for weather-proofing, but not as lightweight as EVA-molded boots. The shaft and insulation are made from neoprene, which is flexible and lightweight. Two pull handles at the top make these boots fast and easy for kids and older toddlers to put on themselves. Besides being versatile, easy-to-wear boots, they also come in an excellent variety of patterns. Kids are more likely to wear boots with some of their favorite things on them, and odds are good you'll find it on a pair of Lone Cone boots.

The Mudboots are a little slimmer and lighter than Bogs Classics, which is great for most kids, but may not work for children who typically wear a wide-size tennis shoe. The boots don't feel quite as heavy-duty as Bogs Classics, however, and after a month of use, there's small wear on the heel of the tread pattern. The Iowa-based company tests the boots for 100 hours of play and offers a six-month guarantee against the loss of function.

The best for toddlers

Approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association, the See Kai Run Gilman boots are waterproof and insulated, but also light enough for newer walkers to wear.

Pros: Lightweight, flexible, easy to put on, insulated, waterproof

Cons: Not machine washable

The primary job of shoes is to offer protection — and new walkers will do better learning how to walk without them, Jones said. But that's not an option when heading outdoors in the winter months. The See Kai Run Gilman are lightweight boots that will help minimize the awkwardness of toddlers walking in boots, while still offering waterproofing and insulation rated down to -35 F.

Made from nylon and a rubberized PU, the Gillman boots are lightweight and also offer more flex than a rubber or EVC boot, an important characteristic in shoes for new walkers. The rubber sole still has a bit of bend while creating a good tread. With a fleece lining, my 1-year-old's toes felt nice and warm after pulling them out of the boots.

The combination of a drawstring and Velcro closure made these the easiest boots to put on my squirmy 14-month-old, though a pull-on style may be better suited for older toddlers in that I'll-do-it-myself stage. The boots also fit snugly and didn't just slide off when he kicked. While these boots were the lightest and easiest to put on out of the three toddler boots that I tried, the boots are a bit pricey considering toddler's feet grow too fast to wear them for more than one winter. They're are also not machine washable.

The best budget snow boots

With a rubber-like bottom and drawstring closure top, the Cat & Jack Brody boots have features similar to high-end boots for a third of the price.

Pros: EVA bottom with good tread, drawstring closure, affordable

Cons: Heavy, stiff sole

Kids' feet tend to grow quickly, which makes it tough for many families to spend $80 on a pair of boots that will only be used for one season. The Cat & Jack Brody boots have a lower price point but still hit all the must-haves on our list. They are waterproof, warm boots that are easy for kids to get on and off themselves.

The Brody boots are constructed with a rubber-like EVA bottom with excellent tread and a flexible nylon-blend upper. Velcro halfway up the boots helps them fit snug around the calf, while a drawstring at the top can be tightened to help keep snow out when not pairing the boots with snow pants. They are insulated, but the liner is not removable. While waterproof, Cat & Jack does recommend using a waterproof spray before using for easier cleaning.

I've used Cat & Jack brand boots in the past, and while they were ready to be replaced after one season, they kept my kids' feet dry and warm for an affordable price. While the boots have an excellent list of features, they are a bit heavy and the sole is stiff and inflexible. Unlike most of the boots on this list, the Brody boots are located in the boys' section and don't have as much color and pattern variety. From past experience, I would expect similar performance from the girls' boots with an EVA bottom.

The best warm snow boots

The Keen Lumi II boots are one of the lightest pairs on the list, but include a warm liner rated to -40 F, waterproofing, and a drawstring to keep snow out.

Pros: Lightweight, durable rubber-like bottom, removable insulation, snow collar

Cons: Stiff sole

Waterproofing and insulation usually combine to create boots that are warm, but heavy and clunky. The Lumi II are Keen's lightest pair of snow boots, making them ideal for active snow play. The boots have a long list of features, including one of the best temperature ratings out of all the boots we recommend in this guide. They are light enough that my 8-year-old can run and even jump in them.

The bottoms of the Lumi II boots are made from EVA, a rubber-like material that's lightweight. While the sole construction is good for weight, the bottom is inflexible. That's not uncommon for snow boots, but isn't quite as ideal for more active play or proper foot development in younger kids. The shaft of the boot is made with a waterproof, flexible canvas. A removable liner made from charcoal bamboo adds insulation.

The boots are also easy for my son to pull on, though there are no convenient handles like the Bogs. A single Velcro strap mid-shaft can create a snugger fit, while a drawstring at the top can help cinch the boot shut against the snow. The construction feels like it would last longer than a single winter since the rubber-like material is everywhere that my active 8-year-old tends to put wear patterns in his shoes.

What else we considered

During our research, we considered several recommended snow boots and will continue testing as we update this guide throughout winter.

Bogs B-Mocs: These super flexible snow boots can easily be cleaned in the washing machine, and they are a great, warm option for older toddlers. I had a hard time getting the slip-on style on my wiggly son, however, and found boots with a tongue much easier to put on than the B-Mocs.
Stride Rite Made 2 Play Shay: Lightweight and warm, the Stride Rite Made 2 Play Shay boots can be cleaned in the washing machine. The boots are much stiffer, however, than the See Kai Run or Bogs B-Mocs, and flexibility is most important for the youngest users.

What we look forward to testing

Baffin Mustang: Rated down to an impressive -40 F, the Baffin Mustangs come recommended by several parents. They offer a removable liner, great tread, and a drawstring snow collar at the top.
Kamik Kids Snowbuster: These all-rubber exterior insulated snow boots are recommended by several parents and offer a snow collar and good tread.
Merrell Snow Crush: These athletic snow boots are rated down to -25 F and are waterproof, despite the leather construction. They lack the bump toe to prevent wear that the Keen Hoodoo offer, however.
Northside Frosty: Available for around $30, these budget boots still offer a rubber bottom and flexible, waterproof shaft with a Velcro closure and snow collar. These boots are recommended by parents and reviews.

How we tested

To start our research, we asked the parents and members of the 1000 Hours Outside Facebook group to share their favorite pair of kids' snow boots. Then we consulted four experts: Along with Yurich, 1000 Hours Outside Founder and mom of three, and pediatric physiatrist Dr. Dara Jones, we interviewed Linda McGurk, author of "No Such Thing as Bad Weather"; Richard Louv, author of "The Last Child in the Woods"; and Sunny Hallowell, PhD, PPCNP-Bc, IBCLC, pediatric nurse practitioner and assistant professor at Villanova.

This guide is based on the research from experts and seasoned parents and at least one outdoor outing test on an 8-year-old who's particularly rough and quickly wears holes in cheap tennis shoes, a 5-year-old who's obsessed with dress-up and choosing her own outfits, and a 1-year-old brand-new walker.

We'll update this list as we've had a chance to conduct more thorough testing. While I wait for Michigan's first snow of the season, I will also be putting the boots through testing for waterproofing and heat retention. The boots will also be monitored for signs of wear and feet for signs of blisters.

How to choose snow boots for kids

Choosing the best snow boots depends on a few different factors, including the age of the child, the climate you live in, and the child's activity level. The best boots for areas that only get a few inches of snow may be shorter (and thus lighter) than a pair of boots for an area that measures its snow in feet rather than inches.

New walkers are some of the toughest children to buy shoes for, since the boots need to be warm and waterproof, yet flexible and lightweight. Babies that will be carried in the snow can wear soft-soled booties for warmth, while walking toddlers need a sturdier tread that still flexes with their foot. Most snow boots for toddlers are short in order to allow better movement, so for deeper snow, they'll need to be paired with snow pants pulled over the top of the boot.

Pull-on, insulated rubber boots tend to work well with younger children. "Boots that are all rubber on the outside and insulated on the inside are really good for the younger kids that tend to get wetter and messier than the older kids," said McGurk.

Boots should fit loose enough to allow for a pair of thick socks — Jones recommends trying the shoes on with the winter socks that they'll be wearing to ensure a proper fit. With these socks on, you should be able to fit one finger between the top of the toe and the end of the boot, she said. When walking, the heel should stay in place in the boot, while the toe and midfoot area of the sole should flex with the foot.

All of our experts agreed that wool socks are better than cotton for winter wear. Allowing the air to circulate will also keep feet warmer, so parents should avoid boots that are too small. "Shoes or boots that constrict blood flow can cause feet to become colder," said Louv.

Because boots' thermal performance can depend on several different factors down to a person's own circulation, the advertised temperature isn't an exact science. Temperature ratings, however, can be a good tool for comparing boots to each other. A pair of -40-degree-Fahrenheit boots may not necessarily keep you warm in -40 degrees, but they will typically be warmer than a pair with a -25-degree rating, for example.

When choosing a brand for snow boots, McGurk recommends looking for warmer, tougher gear over style. "Stick with brands that are known outdoor brands that manufacture outdoor clothing for adults," she said. "They know what they are doing."

Where you shop also matters. Multiple experts recommended shopping at sporting goods stores and outdoor retailers rather than the more-fashion-oriented department stores.

Summary List Placement

Shower heads are one of those things you use without a second thought — until it starts sputtering.
The best shower head is fromWaterpik because of its various spray settings and affordable price.
Read more: The best shower curtains
Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

If you think that all shower heads are the same, you might have a second opinion once yours starts sputtering mid-shampoo. A shower head is something you use every day, so it's important to choose one that provides the look, flow rate, and stream settings you need.

After testing nine shower heads and consulting two experts — CEO of Advanced Builders and Contractors Nick Yahoodain and remodeling expert Monica Higgins— the Waterpik High Pressure Powerpulse 9-Spray is our pick for the best shower head.

You can read our full testing methodology here, but essentially, I installed each shower head (this is where my four years as a general contractor came in handy) and used them three times a day, going through the same routine with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. After comparing a variety of criteria, it was clear that the Waterpik performed the best.

If you want to learn about the different types of shower heads, you can skip to the end of the guide. But if you're just here for the best shower heads, keep reading.

Here are the best shower heads in 2021

Best shower head overall: Waterpik High Pressure Powerpulse 9-Spray
Best budget shower head: WASSA High Pressure Shower Head
Best high-end shower head: Moen S6320 Velocity Two-Function Rainshower
Best for low flow: High Sierra All Metal 1.5 GPM High Efficiency Showerhead
Best dual shower head: American Standard Spectra+ Duo

The best overall

The Waterpik High Pressure Powerpulse 9-Spray is affordable, has a variety of useful stream options, and a 1.8 GPM flow rate that meets guidelines in all 50 states.

Pros: Water saving mode, secure cradle, impressive GPM, affordable price

Cons: Plastic construction reduces durability, rubber nozzles are too stiff

For something named so intensely, installing the Waterpik was simple and straightforward. I was able to hand-tighten its connection right onto my existing shower arm and I appreciated the removable label on the hose that clearly indicated which end to attach to the connector and which to screw onto the shower head itself.

Though the mount on the Waterpik model we tested came in a chrome-colored finish, it's actually made of plastic. Visually, you can't tell, but you will notice that it's not as sleek or modern as higher-end models. Nonetheless, it has a nice, functional look to it, and that's what most of us need anyway. It fits snugly and securely into its cradle, and the long neck is ready to be grabbed whenever you want to switch to handheld operation. At this price, I was expecting a cheap, plastic hose, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the metal.

The Waterpik is restricted to a max GPM of 1.8, making it acceptable for use in all US states. Because of this relatively low flow rate, I was surprised when my testing showed it hit 1.5 GPM, nearly hitting its max flow rate at 64 PSI.

The long-handled design of the Waterpik allows it to be completely angled downwards so it's effectively a rain-style unit. The nine stream settings offer a nice variety and include a water-saving pause setting. This is convenient when you want a little break to lather shampoo or while washing your dog.

When I used the Waterpik after a day of yard work in the Florida heat, its Powerspray mode produced an impressive amount of power, easily blasting off lawn debris and layers of bug spray. When I used the PowerPulse massage setting, streams of water would pulse onto my skin, and I was more relaxed than usual during my shower. It was not as powerful as a real massage, it did give some relief to my sore muscles.

The rubber spray nozzles were much stiffer than other shower heads I tested. In my line of work as a contractor and when I tested kitchen faucets, I found that the softer and more flexible the rubber was, the easier they are to clean any mineral buildup inside, so you may need to put a little extra muscle into cleaning this one.

The best budget shower head

Despite its low price tag, the WASSA High Pressure Shower Head generates an impressive amount of power at 1.9 GPM, providing a better shower experience than other models priced much higher.

Pros: Affordable, high flow rate, flexible rubber nozzles

Cons: No options for water flow

Installation was a breeze and WASSA even included a roll of Teflon plumber's tape in the box, which is always helpful in sealing plumbing pipes.

Even though it's made of ABS plastic, the WASSA had a solid feel to it. I was never concerned with it cracking or snapping as I was twisting it into place, and I was surprised with how clean and modern it looked. Its plastic construction doesn't look cheap at all, and the rounded head gives it a clean, modern look. I got the feeling that the company made some effort in this department, instead of just manufacturing the cheapest shape they could. The rubber nozzles are nice and flexible, which are essential for dislodging mineral deposits.

What distinguished the WASSA from other competitors was just how satisfying the shower felt. Its 1.9 GPM flow rate was the highest I tested, and that power was definitely noticeable when rinsing out shampoo and conditioner. I especially noticed how effectively it rinsed my lower body since the stream maintained its strength all the way down to my legs and feet.

The WASSA doesn't have any special features or other stream modes to choose from, but its ball joint is nice and sturdy, making it easy to swivel around and angle the stream where you'd like.

Though this high flow rate may be ideal for some, those with more sensitive skin could find it too powerful, so keep that in mind.

The best high-end shower head

The elegant design, sturdy metal construction, and wide coverage area justify the high price tag of the Moen S6320 Velocity Two-Function Rainshower.

Pros: High flow rate, elegant style, quiet adjustment lever

Cons: Only two settings, somewhat difficult to install

Installing the Moen wasn't as straightforward as other models I tested, due to the short connection that attaches to the shower arm. This wasn't a huge deal, but it did take a few extra minutes to get the threads to catch. This may have been due to my shower arm though, and having a longer one would probably cut down on installation time.

Once installed though, the Moen looked great. Its extra-wide 8-inch face gives it a classic rainshower look, and 100 nozzles let you know it takes functionality seriously. As good as it looks, I think it'd look even nicer with a longer shower arm so it could be angled completely downwards, like a real rain-shower head.

What put the Moen on top of other high-end models I tested was the overall feel of the water, which was surprisingly strong. Its 1.85 GPM was one of the second-highest I tested, and the high flow rate was definitely needed for a wider shower head like this one to work effectively.

Without taking apart the shower head to see how the water flowed, I can't attest to the brand's "self-pressurizing " technology, which claims to force water around the shower head in a circular pattern so that it's three times more powerful. But based on my objective testing, the Moen still had the second-highest GPM.

One of my favorite characteristics of the Moen was the movement of the adjustment lever. Unlike other models that have loud mechanical clicks when you switch from one setting to another, there's a lever that smoothly and quietly transitions from a full-coverage mode to focused rinsing. The entire unit swivels on a ball joint connected to the water supply arm and provides a decent amount of rotation, though its wide shape restricts it more than slimmer models.

Though Moen only offers those two spray modes, I found myself appreciating the simplicity of not having a dozen to choose from.

The best for low flow

The high-pressure water dispersion and solid metal construction of the High Sierra High Efficiency make it ideal for anyone looking to conserve water, abide by their state's low-flow regulations, or just lower their monthly utility bill.

Pros: High flow rate, durable construction, less likely to clog

Cons: Only one spray mode, 1.5 GPM may be too low for some

Installing the High Sierra was a simple process, and its small size made it possible to screw in one-handed, unlike larger bulkier models that require two hands. The small cylindrical shape and lack of adjustment lever also mean that you don't have to deal with straightening it out after installation.

The sturdy construction gives the feeling that you could grip it nice and tight during installation, unlike plastic models that might crack at the connection. Its compact size also makes it easy to reach around and use a wrench to tighten or loosen it, if necessary. The chrome finish is easy to wipe clean and adds a sleek, modern feel to your bathroom. Some people may find it too small though, especially in a spacious shower, and would want a larger option with a little more character.

The overall feel of the High Sierra delivered a dense, pressurized spray, which surprised me coming from such a small shower head. In my testing, I measured a 1.37 GPM flow rate, which was impressive considering the High Sierra maxes out at 1.5 GPM. This efficiency means it's great for those who want a shower head that will produce the strongest stream, while still conserving water. If your main priority is a high flow rate though, and you live in a state that allows 2.5 GPM products, you should probably choose a different model.

In a 2020 Wirecutter review, High Sierra founder David Malcolm explained that the single opening design helps prevent mineral deposits and buildup, something that can occur in the tiny holes of typical low-flow models.

However, this also means that the High Sierra doesn't have any other settings to choose from, so it wouldn't be great for anyone who wants more spray variety.

The best dual shower head

The American Standard Spectra+ Duo has a 9.5-inch rectangular face and strong magnetic dock so you can switch from the main shower head to the handheld one quickly and safely.

Pros: Powerful magnetic dock, easy to install, wide spray coverage

Cons: Plastic components may not be durable, maybe too complicated for a shower head

Despite its bulky size, I didn't have issues installing the American Standard. The main head twisted right onto my existing shower arm, and the hose and wand were simple to attach. The packaging did include plumbers tape, though it came in a flat kite-string spool, instead of the more convenient round spools. Not a huge deal, but I definitely would have preferred the round spool that you can roll around the pipe fitting.

The American Standard can look a bit intimidating at first. It's big and bulky, but in a robust way, with a unique rectangular head and a large, center-set handheld wand. The construction and finish had a nice solid look to it, and even the gray plastic components felt intentional and durable. I liked the look, though it did give me a slight "medical" vibe, which was probably from the gray color of the components. It didn't bother me at all, but someone else might take issue.

The American Standard provided a nice wide spray coverage, and the water droplets were direct and had a dense, soaking feel to them. Unlike most dual shower heads, it didn't lose much pressure when I used the main head and the handheld wand simultaneously. This was surprising considering the relatively low 1.4 GPM I got while testing. The American Standard featured a massage function similar to the Waterpik, but it lacked the strength.

Operating the American Standard does take some getting used to, but it's intuitive once you get the hang of it. In addition to the adjustment clicker on the handheld wand, there's a separate paddle on the main shower head that controls the amount of water used by each one. When pushed back, it focuses all the water pressure on the wand, which has all the extra settings. When pushed forward, it redirects all the water to the main head. Even though this paddle felt sturdy enough, it's made of plastic so I would be concerned about its long-term durability.

I was impressed with how well the magnetic docking system worked. Unlike other magnetic docks that are too weak, the American Standard has a really solid feeling when locked into place, giving you a satisfying "clunk" sound. You do need to give the fixed shower head some support as you remove the wand though otherwise, it'll move around a little. That said, I would rather deal with that issue than a weaker magnet and a handheld shower head that could fall on me during my shower. I also appreciated the plastic connection panel on the fixed shower, which prevented any scratching to the shiny chrome when docking the wand.

What we don't recommend

We tested nine shower heads for this guide after researching more than a dozen, and some didn't perform as well. Here's what we tested and why they didn't make the cut:

HOPOPRO 5-Setting Upgraded Bathroom Showerhead, $19.99: Though it was even cheaper than our budget pick and offered some nice flow settings, the HOPOPRO was just a little too flimsy to beat out the WASSA.

Delta In2ition 5-Spray 6.06 in. with H2Okinetic Technology, $343.95: A shower head should be flawless but the Delta In2ition just didn't have the pressure to be used effectively, and its magnetic cradle was far too weak.

Delta HydroRain Two-in-One 5-Spray, $99.98: Even though the Delta HydroRain had good pressure and its rain-can head was positioned at exactly 90 degrees, its high price tag and bulky size made it too inconvenient to edge out our high-end pick, the Moen S6320.

Waterpik High Pressure Powerpulse XRO-763, $39.98: The cheap and plastick-y Waterpik High Pressure Powerpulse was flimsy to use, and its hose was stiff and very unattractive. It did not give me a good shower and ranked dead last in my testing.

What we look forward to testing soon

Kohler K-22169-G-CP Forte 1.75 GPM Multifunction Showerhead($110.78): The Kohler Forte is a popular model with three distinct stream options. I'm excited to see how it stacks up against the Waterpik High Pressure Powerpulse 9-Spray, especially considering its relatively low price tag.

Kohler Flipside 4-Spray 5.4 in. Single Wall Mount Fixed Shower Head ($49.99): I'm very interested to see how the Kohler Flipside stands up to a flow rate test. Its unique design looks like a lot of fun to use, but I can't help but think that the configuration makes for inefficient operation.

Moen 26008 Attract 6-spray 1.75 GPM Hand Shower and Showerhead Combo($89): The Moen Attract provides a full-sized fixed shower head, as well as a handheld component. This might make for a bulky layout, but I'm interested to see how it stacks up against our current dual shower head, the American Standard Spectra+ Duo.

How we test shower heads

I researched more than 15 shower heads based on reviews from shoppers and other consumer review sites, and tested nine in total. I also leaned on my experience as a residential carpenter for four years and consulted two experts — Nick Yahoodain, CEO of Advanced Builders and Contractors in Los Angeles, CA, and Monica Higgins, a remodeling expert based in Southern California.

I installed each shower head and used it at least three times during the day. I would go through my usual cleansing routine with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and made sure to stagger my showers to reduce the chances of other appliances or household plumbing factors affecting my testing. Showering while running dishwashers or washing machines, or even at the same time as someone else, will increase the demand for your water supply and can sometimes result in a lower flow rate than usual.

After whittling down to my top five, I showered several more times — sometimes consecutively — to get a better idea of how specific features like massage or "power spray" settings felt.

I used five basic categories to compare the shower heads:

Installation and fit: I installed each shower head to the existing shower arm in my shower, timing how long the process took with a stopwatch, and noting any issues that came up. I'll caveat this by saying I've got four years of experience as a general contractor so my installation time will most likely be quicker than yours. Nonetheless, I made sure to note if the installation was easy or not.

Appearance: I took the overall style, design, finish, material, and size into account when comparing the appearance of each shower head, keeping in mind that people may have vastly different bathroom styles, and some options may match better with certain aesthetics.

Overall feel of water: This factor was based on how the water physically felt throughout the shower. I noted the size of the water coverage coming out of the shower head, how focused or dispersed the water droplets and streams were, and how strong and pressurized the water felt overall.

Operation and special features: Along with noting how easy or difficult the unit is to operate and switch between modes, I also made sure to pay attention to any special features, like the number and variety of settings, or interesting operational functions.

Flow rate: I calculated the actual flow rate of each shower head and compared it to the max it could handle. I would fill a 5-gallon bucket for 60 seconds, weigh it, subtract the weight of the bucket, and divide that number by 8.3 (the weight of a gallon of water). This gave me the gallons per minute (GPM) of each shower head.

These flow rates can't be compared exactly across all the products because they all have different flow rate restrictions. But by looking at the max flow rate of the product along with the tested rates I calculated from my shower (which has an average pressure of 64 parts per square inch, or PSI), you get a general idea of how each shower head performs under the PSI of an average household.

Regardless of the style or design, a shower head boils down to whether or not it provides an effective and satisfying shower. This is purely subjective and everyone will have different preferences and priorities, so I made sure to keep consistent and objective notes as I collected my findings.

What is flow rate?

The flow rate indicates how much water can flow out of your shower head, and is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Since 1992, federal regulations have mandated that no shower head can have a flow rate higher than 2.5 GPM, and in some states like California, that limit is even lower at 1.8 GPM. These regulations have been put in place to help conserve water — a 10-minute shower at 2.5 GPM uses 25 gallons of water.

However, when you see a 2.5 GPM shower head model, it doesn't mean that you'll automatically get that flow rate. Your home's water pressure is the ultimate factor that dictates your flow rate, and is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). A high PSI of 80 will probably get you 2.5 GPM, but most US homes hover around 60 PSI, so your flow rate will be lower.

Higgins told Business Insider, "If the low water pressure is an issue, consult with a plumber to boost the water flow by adjusting or replacing the pressure regulator."

While a shower head itself can't increase the flow rate of your home, effective "low-flow" models can limit the amount of pressure lost during operation. Flow rate preferences can differ from person to person where some prioritize high GPM over all else and others prefer a lower flow. Make sure to check with your household so you can effectively take flow rate into account when choosing a shower head.

If you're interested in conserving water, look for shower heads with a "WaterSense" label. This indicates that they meet EPA criteria, and have a GPM of no more than 2.0 GPM.

Shower head types

There are several shower head types to choose from, each with their own pros and cons. It's important to take all these factors into account when shopping for a new shower head.

Fixed: These models are attached directly to the shower arm — the existing water pipe coming out of your shower wall — and usually have a ball joint that allows you to pivot and adjust the angle of their spray. These can be basic models that have just one spray option, as well as multi-functional options that have a range of functions and spray settings.

Handheld: These shower heads sit in a cradle, and can be used like a fixed shower head if you like, but also have a long, flexible hose that allows you to use them as a handheld unit. These are great for rinsing off body wash or shaving cream, bathing your pets, or for cleaning the shower itself.

Dual shower heads: These are a combination of fixed and handheld models, and usually use some type of cradle built into a fixed shower head face. This allows the fixed shower head to be used at the same time as the handheld wand, though this diverts water and can result in decreased pressure. Yahoodain recommends these types of shower heads and designed his own bathroom to have both fixed and handheld options. "Since they're useful for different things, I can choose which one I want. If I want a regular pressure head for cleaning, or handheld for rinsing, or relaxing rain shower, I have the option to choose."

Wall mounted shower heads: The majority of homes and apartments have wall-mounted shower arms, which is why I limited my testing options to products compatible with those fittings. These are your traditional shower heads that are attached to a wall — naturally.

Ceiling mounted shower heads: Ceiling-mounted shower heads allow for larger, rain-style shower heads, but since they're so high up, they usually aren't accessible enough to have different stream settings.

Check out our other bathroom guides

The best shower curtains

The best shower curtain liners

The best shower curtain hooks

The best bath mats

The best bath towels

The best bathtubs

Summary List Placement

From cool summer nights to chilly winter days, everyone needs a couple of good sweaters in their wardrobe.
While we can't offer a "best" overall sweater, we can direct you to five of the best brands to shop for men's sweaters.
Get our top picks from great men's sweater brands including Everlane, Todd Snyder, Naadam, and more.

A cold-weather favorite worn by men the world over, the sweater is something of a maverick in the fashion world. Not just good for keeping cozy on crisp winter nights, sweaters are also excellent options for outerwear, office wear, and classic everyday attire. With this kind of versatility, it's no wonder that the sweater is one of the few types of clothing you'll find multiple versions of in anyone's wardrobe. And when designed simply and classically, a sweater can offer a lifetime of wear, making it one of the best style pieces you can truly invest in.

Crafted from a wide variety of material including heavy wool, super-soft cashmere, knit cotton, and more, the sweater can either be an easy to clean and care-for item of clothing, or something that necessitates a trip to the dry-cleaners. So choose your material with an eye to what fits with your overall lifestyle. If you're not the type to iron your collared shirts, you probably won't want to splurge on an expensive cashmere piece and should stick to the cotton knit options from brands found below. However, if you're the guy who waxes his boots yearly and never leaves his house without a pass of the lint roller, you'll find a few more luxurious brand options on this list.

Check out these great brands to buy men's sweaters and get inspired with the multitude of cuts, materials, and colors you can choose from. These picks will add an instant dash of long-lasting style to your wardrobe.

A note on fit

This guide focuses on sweaters designed for cisgender men. What this means is that these sweaters have a boxier, roomier fit compared to what the industry refers to as "women's sweaters." However, we think anyone should feel free to wear any type of sweater, regardless of gender or how the clothing is labeled. If you're seeking a sweater with a slimmer overall profile, narrower waist, and more cropped style, check out our guide to sweaters for women.

Here are the best places to buy men's sweaters:

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Naadam

Since debuting The Essential $75 Sweater, Naadam has been the go-to for everyone seeking high-quality cashmere that won't break the bank.

Sizing options: XXS-XXL

Dedicated to bringing luxurious cashmere clothing directly to consumers, Naadam seduces men's sweater seekers with ultra-soft sweaters crafted from Mongolian cashmere sourced directly from traditional herders. This innovative process cuts out the middleman, allowing Naadam to sell world-class sweaters at very approachable prices.

Among those sweaters is the brand's first, The Essential $75 Cashmere Sweater, which is exactly what you want in a cashmere classic. Featuring a middle-of-the-road cut that is tailored, but definitely not tight, this sweater works just as well for a casual weekend at home as it does in the office. Another favorite is the texture-heavy Cable Knit Crewneck Sweater (now on sale for $60), made from a cashmere wool blend with a classic fit and traditional vertical braid knit pattern. A little dressier than The Essential sweater, this one looks great under a heavy blazer.

No stranger to environmentalism, Naadam is also taking its sweater business a step further by offering up a version made from 70% closed-loop recycled cashmere blend. Waste not, want not is an adage this brand clearly takes to heart.

And those are just a few men's sweater styles that Naadam has on offer. Turtlenecks, half-zips, cardigans, and v-neck varieties round out the brand's wide range of cashmere and cashmere-blend options — all under $300.

What to buy:

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Marine Layer

Marine Layer's men's sweaters give strong West Coast vibes through relaxed fits, subdued hues, and subtle style details.

Sizing options: S-XL

Bold, boxy, and big, Marine Layer isn't afraid to go heavy on the masculine design when it comes to their men's sweaters. Often created using heavy cotton knits and blended wool materials, Marine Layer's sweaters are thick, warm, and ready to be worn everywhere from an autumnal clambake on the beach to a Sunday stroll in the park.

But not all the brand's options are so large to require undershirts. Some are light cotton knits that are stretchier and more form-fitting, making for a great lightweight option for guys wanting a tailored sweater without the fit being too tight.

And, while the cut and texture of these sweaters might be big and bold, the color palette of Marine Layer tends toward the more muted end of the spectrum. Taking inspiration from life on the California coast, sweaters come in hues of gray, green, blue, and washed out sunset shades of maroon, tangerine, and goldenrod.

Favorites include the chunky Maurice Cardigan ($130, originally $165) made from Merino wool. Pair it with a dark chino for a look as at home on the docks as it is at your next holiday party. Another sweater that rides the line between dressy and casual is the Watson Cashmere Crewneck ($155, originally $195). Super soft with a tonal stripe pattern and a light knit, this sweater works just as well in early spring as it does in late fall.

What to buy:

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Everlane

Known for its minimalist, classic styling and quality construction, Everlane's men's sweater collection is as wide-ranging as it is wearable.

Sizing options: XS-XXL

Rivaling Naadam in its approachable price points backed by enduring materials, Everlane wraps men in sweaters built for comfort, versatility and longevity. Every style at the brand, from its supple Easy Merino Crew ($44, originally $74) to its Felted Merino Rib Knit Crew ($58, originally $98) can be worn just about anywhere — whether it's a work meeting or a romantic dinner.

Everlane's sweaters come in more muted colors like navy, gray, black, green, and burgundy with equally traditional designs such as half-zip, cardigans, crewnecks, and v-necks. Pair these with slick pants and a boot or sneaker and your autumn uniform is complete. We like the brand's No-Sweat Sweater ($64) for its innovative cotton and Coolmax EcoMade (recycled) polyester blend that wicks away moisture — great for guys who run hot. The Easy Merino Crew is another winner with its buttery-smooth finish and fine detailing and makes for a super easy transition from the office to happy hour.

No matter which men's sweater you choose, you can be confident as a consumer with Everlane's promise that the factories they use are ethically run using environmentally-friendly materials.

What to buy:

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Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder's love of sweaters shows in the brand's dedication to both classic cuts and more contemporary fits with brash patterns and bold colors.

Sizing options: XS-XXL

For guys who love to add a little extra oomph to their wardrobe, Todd Snyder is the name to know. The brand's men's sweaters run the gamut from traditional cashmere v-necks to Alpaca wool sweaters and long sleeve knit polos. And it's this depth of selection that adventurous dressers will love. Choose from a quintessential black wool sweater or embrace variety and explore everything from turtlenecks to neon yellow waffle weaves.

Prices for Todd Snyder's pieces reflect their creativity and quality and as such start around $200. While some might consider this a downside, it's important to remember that these pieces are constructed and crafted to last a lifetime and should be seen as investment pieces that can be worn for decades to come.

With so many options to choose from, it's hard to pin down favorites. But with its bold patterning and unique material, the Alpaca Plaid Crew ($229, originally $268) makes for a great addition to any guy's wardrobe. Boasting a soft feel and a surprisingly hefty weight, this sweater not only feels and looks good but will keep you warm even in the coldest of winters.

On the more traditional side, the brand's Cashmere V-neck Sweater ($239, originally $298) takes a streamlined approach to a classic with a medium weight and a thin enough profile to tuck into suit trousers. Keep this in your office for chilly winter days or summer mornings when the AC is cranked a little too high.

What to buy:

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Uniqlo

If you're looking to round out your wardrobe with a few knockaround and statement sweaters on a budget, Uniqlo offers the most bang for your buck.

Sizing options: XXS-3XL

With a reputation based around fast fashion, it might be a little surprising to find Uniqlo on a list of best places to buy men's sweaters. But, despite its reputation for churning out hundreds of designs per season, Uniqlo still takes the time to ensure its materials are as long-lasting as they are good looking.

In fact, two of our favorites from the brand are made from soft cashmere wool — not the scratchy kind. The Cashmere Crew Neck Long-Sleeve Sweater is priced under $80, and comes in eight colors and a slightly boxy fit. This sweater is one worth buying in multiples while the price and supplies last. Designed with 100% ultra-fine merino wool, the crewneck from Uniqlo is a solid sweater staple. The U Fisherman Ribbed Turtleneck, on the other hand, is an almost-futuristic take on an old classic, thanks to its soft, rounded turtleneck and textural ribbing.

Adding to its roster of regular sweaters, Uniqlo also boasts a wide array of cardigans in a variety of colors. While it takes a certain sense of style to pull one off — think Mr. Rogers or Kurt Cobain — the ability to get one at less than $50 makes it worth a try.

What to buy:

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Summary List Placement

An effective smoke detector is one of the most important purchases for your personal safety.
TheX-Sense SC01 is the best smoke detector due to its LCD screen, 10-year battery, and self-monitoring functions.

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

For something so important to home and personal safety, smoke detectors don't seem to get the same attention as home security systems, but this can be a costly mistake. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a working smoke alarm can decrease your risk of dying in a home fire by 54% compared to not having a working alarm — or worse, no alarm at all.

Due to the amount of synthetic material in modern furniture and buildings, home fires can spread really fast. According to the US Fire Administration (USFA), 30 years ago, you had about 17 minutes to escape a home fire; today, it's about two minutes. Choosing a reliable and effective smoke detector can alert you quickly to get you and your family to safety.

I have years of experience relocating and installing hard-wired smoke detectors as a residential carpenter, and leaned on that to test six units to determine the best ones (I go through my full testing methodology here). I also consulted Patrick Andler, a fire investigator with 38 years of experience and a board member of the Arizona Burn Foundation, and Nick Yahoodain, a home remodeler with 11 years of experience at Advanced Builders & Contractors, on how to install smoke detectors, how to use them effectively, and more — which you can read here.

Here are the best smoke detectors in 2021

Best smoke detector overall: X-Sense SC01
Best smart smoke detector: Nest Protect
Best for smoke only: X-Sense SD01
Best dual sensor smoke detector: First Alert SA320
Best interconnected smoke detector: X-Sense Wireless Interconnected

The best smoke detector overall

The X-Sense SC01 features a 10-year lithium battery, carbon monoxide detector, and a color-changing LED to let you know its current status.

Pros: Digital battery level display, doubles as carbon monoxide detector

Cons: Lacks ionization sensor

The X-Sense SC01 responded well in my testing and activated its alarm within two sprays of the aerosol. It had a loud, 85-decibel alarm that was clearly heard from across the 2,700 square foot house I tested it in, and its red LED flashed continuously while the alarm was sounding. The alarm — and the light — shut off simultaneously when the sensor no longer detected any aerosol.

The X-Sense SC01 lacks an ionization sensor and uses only a photoelectric sensor to detect smoke. This makes it marginally less sensitive to flash fires, but also cuts down on the chances of it being set off by nuisance alarms, or false alarms caused by cooking smoke or steamy showers.

Installing the X-Sense SC01 was simple, and with a power drill and pencil, I was able to attach it to the ceiling in about two minutes. Although all the non-hardwired options we tested had essentially the same installation procedure, I preferred the hardware that came with the X-Sense. The anchors are white, so they blended in with the ceiling, and also came in a resealable plastic baggie, which was convenient. Other units used bright red anchors, and cheap plastic pouches you had to rip open. None of these actually affected how well the unit was installed, but the fact that X-Sense took the time to perfect the little things, made me trust that they did the same with the smoke detector itself.

The smooth white finish of the X-Sense SC01 gives it a polished, professional look, and its backlit LCD screen gives the feeling that you're using a high-quality piece of equipment. This screen displays the real-time amount of carbon monoxide in the air, the status of the unit during a test, and a battery level icon. At two inches thick and 5.7 inches in diameter, the X-Sense SC01 is relatively larger than other options I tested, but not by much. Its 0.66-pound weight was light enough to be installed easily but didn't feel flimsy.

The X-Sense SC01 is designed to be relatively hassle-free, thanks to its built-in 10-year lithium battery, and auto-check feature that monitors itself for any issues. This 10-year battery was also one of the reasons Andler recommended the X-Sense SC01 so strongly. He explained that traditional replaceable batteries are frequently removed due to nuisance alarms from cooking or too-hot showers, or to use as a replacement for children's toys in a pinch, and never replaced. This built-in battery does mean that you will need to replace the entire unit when this battery runs out, but as is recommended by the USFA, you should replace any smoke detector every 10 years regardless of the brand or style.

Overall, the value of the 10-year battery, the carbon monoxide detector, and digital readout makes it the best option I tested.

The best smart smoke detector

The Nest Protect features both a carbon monoxide and split-spectrum smoke detector that detects both fast and slow-burning fires, and delivers clear verbal instructions to explain why its sensor was triggered and what you should do next.

Pros: Spoken instructions, phone notifications

Cons: May not be ideal for those not technically savvy, requires three AA backup batteries

The color-changing LED, along with the verbal commands and smartphone notifications, made the Nest Protect fun to test out and operate. My first aerosol test activated its "heads-up" function, which issued a verbal warning that it detected a small amount of smoke. This would be a convenient feature if the smoke was due to burning toast, or another non-emergency — especially for anyone who might get overwhelmed by loud noises. By giving you the chance to resolve the problem before the smoke levels rise, you can prevent the unit from going into full-blown alarm mode. My second aerosol spray was enough for the Nest Protect to assume there was an actual fire, and it sounded its 85-db alarm immediately.

The Nest Protect allows you to silence the unit in the event of a nuisance alarm easily with the large and easy to press test/silence button. You can even silence the alarm from your smartphone, although it doesn't allow for this if the smoke is too heavy.

The Nest Protect technically only uses a photoelectric sensor, but one that has an additional blue LED light component. Nest claims that this "split sensor" design allows the Nest Protect to be more effective at detecting fast fires, by allowing it to detect a wider range of smoke particle sizes. My testing wasn't comprehensive enough to safely back this up, but according to a Nest Protect study, on average, its Heads-Up alert sounded earlier than the other types of alarms tested during smoldering and flaming fires. I should also note that in 2014, Nest recalled the Protect due to a feature that potentially delayed the alarm from going off though there were no reports of homeowners experiencing this issue; it has since been resolved.

The Nest Protect is a hard-wired unit, so installation was a bit more elaborate than the other smoke detectors I tested. This will involve working with and reconnecting electrical wiring, so if you're uncomfortable around that type of thing, you may want to hire a professional. However, if you've got even a small amount of electrical experience under your belt, you should be alright. It took me about 15 minutes to remove the previous unit and connect this one. The instructions walked me through every step of the process, and the included hardware was effective and easy to use.

Setting up the Nest Protect required me to connect to my home's Wi-Fi network and download the Nest app. This took about 15 minutes because the Nest Protect was having a difficult time recognizing and connecting my Wi-Fi. My research didn't turn up much evidence that this connection issue is common for other users, so this could have been entirely the fault of my own Wi-Fi setup.

If your home Wi-Fi goes down like in the event of a power outage, the Nest Protect will continue to work just fine — you just won't get any notifications on your phone. The three AA batteries will ensure the Nest Protect continues to work during a power outage, although the fact that they're replaceable raises the chances of someone removing them and not replacing them.

I really liked the visual design of the square-shaped Nest Protect, which has a clean look with a single large button on the front. This button is surrounded by a ring of light that changes colors depending on the status of the unit. Its 1.5-inch thickness is less than most other models on the market, making it a bit less obtrusive. The 1-pound weight was easy to handle and didn't cause any issues during installation.

Andler described the Nest Protect as "an expensive, but durable model," so if you have the budget, this model could be worth the investment.

The best for smoke only

If you already have a standalone carbon monoxide detector, the X-Sense SD01 is a dependable smoke-detector-only that uses an extra-bright LED to help lead you to safety.

Pros: Ultra-bright escape light, easy to install, auto-monitoring feature

Cons: Lacks a carbon monoxide detector

The X-Sense SD01 has a nice solid feel to it and the large LED escape light gives it a professional look, like something you would see in a commercial building. This light automatically turns on when the alarm is activated, and not only alerts you about the presence of smoke but can also help to illuminate a darkened room. This is an especially important feature as more than half of home fire-related deaths occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to the NFPA. This light would also be extremely valuable in the event of a power outage, a feature that Andler praised and why he endorses the X-Sense SD01 so strongly.

This unit responded well to my tests and activated after two aerosol sprays. I made sure to perform one of my tests at night to best observe the escape light and was very impressed with how bright it was. The light, the 85-db alarm, and a flashing red secondary LED would be effective in the case of a real emergency. These high-visibility features also make the X-Sense SD01 a great option for hallways and stairwells as long as you have one or two on the ceiling as well.

The X-Sense SD01 packs a built-in 10-year battery, so it will last for the life of the unit. You''ll have to purchase an entirely new alarm at that time, but just like the X-Sense SC01, that's when you should be replacing your smoke detector anyway. It's also designed to constantly auto-check itself to make sure its batteries are in working order. In the event of an issue, the secondary LED will turn yellow, alerting you that something is wrong.

The X-Sense SD01 uses a photoelectric sensor, which works with the air flow design of the casing to better detect a variety of fire types. The sensor also analyzes smoke three times before activating the alarm, which minimizes nuisance alarms.

Installing the X-Sense SD01 was a breeze, just like the other X-Sense models, and I had the mounting plate installed and the unit in place within a couple of minutes. The X-Sense SD01 sits 2 inches off the ceiling, 5.7 inches in diameter, and it's very light at 0.63 pounds.

The best dual sensor smoke detector

The First Alert SA320 is an affordable and effective smoke alarm with both photosensitive and ionization sensors, which can cause it to be too sensitive at times. However, there's no denying its effectiveness.

Pros: Has both photosensitive and ionization sensors, has safety features suitable for landlords

Cons: Very sensitive, batteries must be replaced regularly

The First Alert SA320 features both photosensitive and ionization sensors, which is likely the reason why it was the only unit that activated its alarm after a single aerosol spray test.

Although this high sensitivity sounds good on paper, it can also be the cause of frequent nuisance alarms. These alarms, combined with the removable AA batteries, greatly increase the odds that someone will remove the batteries or the alarm itself. The NFPA reported that between 2009-2013, 21% percent of deaths in home fires occurred when smoke detectors were "present but did not operate." It's important to keep this in mind if you're planning to get this unit — after all, the whole point of a smoke detector is household safety.

I didn't experience any issues installing the First Alert SA320. But as I mentioned before, it uses red wall anchors, which aren't ideal if you want to move the unit to a different location in the room. It also has optional locking features to discourage unauthorized battery or alarm removal. There are two pins you can insert into the sides of the unit or by the battery compartment that expand once they're in place to prevent anyone from taking down the smoke detector or removing its batteries. You "unlock" the unit with a flathead screwdriver to depress the pin's teeth. This is a good feature for landlords, or anyone else placing the unit who won't be there to monitor it.

The First Alert SA320 weighs in at 0.9 pounds, sits 2 inches off the ceiling, and its design makes it feel more functional and less clunky. It does lack the polished appeal of the X-Sense models, though it shouldn't be a big factor compared with safety and effectiveness. Andler describes this as "a standard smoke detector at a good cost."

The First Alert SA320 comes with a 10-year warranty, and the AA batteries will need to be replaced every six to 12 months.

The best interconnected smoke detector

The X-Sense Wireless Interconnected comes as a set of six separate smoke detectors with a range of more than 820 feet each, so they can cover small and large spaces safely.

Pros: Small size is easy to install, easy to find silence button in the dark, covers large areas

Cons: Does not have a built-in battery

Even though the X-Sense Wireless Interconnected smoke detectors are smaller than typical ones — only 3 inches in diameter and just 0.2 pounds — they still meet UL 217 standards. They also beeped at the same 85-db level as every other model tested. Their red alert lights were easy to see, and because of their side-mounted position, they reflected off the ceiling to increase visibility. Just like the other X-Sense models I tested, Andler endorsed the X-Sense Wireless Interconnected as a quality product.

Because they are interconnected, all six units will sound even if only one detects smoke, so you'll be notified regardless of where you are in your home when a fire breaks out. They performed effectively in every test I did and were all relatively sensitive, responding within two aerosol sprays. Since the silence button is also the alert light, it was easy to quickly find the button to silence the unit — even in low light. Their advertised range in the open air is 850 feet, and though I wasn't able to test that distance due to limited space, they worked effectively in the 30-foot increments I had them placed.

Each unit was interconnected right out of the box, so there was no additional set up necessary. You can add up to 24 units to the network, but every new set will need to be manually connected to the rest. This process seems pretty straightforward though, and X-Sense's instructions are clear, ensuring this process won't be too complicated.

Installation of the six-pack took longer than other smoke detectors I tested because there were more units to install. Their small size only required two anchor holes per unit, as opposed to the three that the other units I tested needed. This not only made them easier to install but also reduced the amount of damage to the ceiling and walls. Each of the units easily clicked onto its mounting bracket and they were the simplest to install out of all smoke detectors I tested. Like all X-Sense models, their smooth finish gave them a nice, high-quality look.

As I mentioned earlier, removable batteries result in higher instances of people inadvertently disabling their own smoke detectors, so I see the 3V batteries of the X-Sense Wireless Interconnected as a drawback. That being said, X-Sense claims that these batteries can last up to five years without needing replacement.

At around $150 when not on sale, the X-Sense Wireless Interconnected comes out to about $25 per unit, which is a reasonable price and within the range of other smoke detectors that come in a single pack.

What else we recommend

After researching a dozen smoke detectors, we ended up testing six that met our criteria for units you could install yourself. Here's what else we tested and think are worth considering:

First Alert PRC710 ($49.95): The First Alert PRC710 responded well to my tests, and I really liked its slim 1.38-inch profile and light 0.73-lb weight. Although I personally preferred the informative LED screen of the X-Sense SC01, if you're simply looking for a minimal, hassle-free unit that detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, the First Alert PRC710 is an effective choice.

What we look forward to testing

A few smoke detectors didn't arrive on time for me to test, so I look forward to testing them soon. We're also researching smoke detectors for people who are hard of hearing.

First Alert BRK 3120B: This hardwired version of the First Alert SA320 includes both photoelectric and ionization sensors, and usually costs under $25, the lowest of any unit I've tested.

Kidde KN-COSM-IBA: Kidde is one of the most well-known smoke alarm brands out there, and it offers a really wide variety of detector types, styles, and sensor options. This model features voice warning capabilities, a feature I've found to be really useful with other smoke detectors I tested.

First Alert Onelink: I'm interested in how the First Alert Onelink and its smart capabilities will stack up against the Nest Protect.

Testing methodology

For this guide, I personally tested six smoke detectors after consulting with fire and building experts, and doing extensive online research.

I interviewed Patrick Andler, a fire investigator with 38 years of experience and a board member of the Arizona Burn Foundation. This organization — among many other functions — supplies free smoke detectors to low-income housing across Arizona. I also interviewed Nick Yahoodain, a home remodeler with more than 11 years of experience at Advanced Builders & Contractors.

I also used my own experience installing hard-wired and battery-powered smoke detectors in my own apartments and my parents' home, as well as my experience as a residential carpenter, which frequently required the relocation of hard-wired units.

I installed each of the smoke detectors and tested it three times a day for three days. I performed a basic maintenance test according to the manufacturer's instructions (usually just by pressing the "test" button) and then sprayed the units twice with an aerosol spray that mimics real smoke. Most smoke detectors will not activate after a single spray so you will need two three-second sprays to set them off. I found this to be the case with every unit I tested, except for the First Alert SA320, which activated its alarm after only a single spray.

I broke these tests up throughout the day to allow time for the spray to dissipate and the detectors to return to their working levels.

I used several criteria to compare the units during testing.

Installation: I installed each smoke detector on my ceiling according to the manufacturer's included instructions, timing how long it took, and noting how helpful or detailed those instructions were. Aside from the hardwired First Alert, all the units used essentially the exact same mounting procedure, but I made sure to note any differences.

Appearance: I took note of the size, weight, finish, and overall look of each smoke detector after installing units on a white ceiling.

Special safety features: I tested and evaluated each smoke detectors' extra safety features, such as voice or light notifications, removal prevention, and more. For example, even though all the models I tested featured some kind of visual alarm component, the ultra-bright LED of the X-Sense SD01 was much more effective compared to the rest, and could be beneficial to those with hearing issues. Or the straightforward voice commands of the Nest Protect might be preferred by those who might get confused or disoriented by the single alarm siren of the other models.

Operation: Throughout my testing, I made sure to use and observe each mode the smoke detectors offered. This included their testing and silence buttons, how they utilized any LED lights, and whether or not they included carbon monoxide detection.

Maintenance: I took note of the approximate lifespan of each unit, and the specifics of its battery replacement procedures.

Types of smoke detectors

Battery: Smoke detectors can either be hardwired or standalone battery-powered units. Battery-powered detectors are easier to install than hard-wired units and are unaffected in the event of a power outage. Some newer smoke detectors are designed with lithium batteries inside the unit which can last up to 10 years without needing to be replaced. Units that use replaceable batteries typically need new batteries every six months and are vulnerable to tampering and being disconnected during false alarms caused by non-emergency situations like cooking smoke or steamy showers.

Hard-Wired: Hard-wired smoke detectors connect directly to your home's electrical wiring, and typically have a backup battery in case of a power outage. These will initially need some electrical know-how or the help of a professional to be installed, but once the system is set up, it's pretty easy to disconnect and install new units whenever you need them. Yahoodain recommends hard-wired smoke detectors since they're easy to interconnect, so if one goes off, they all go off.

Photoelectric: Smoke detectors use either photoelectric or ionization sensors to detect smoke. Some, like the First Alert SA320 that we tested, use both. Photoelectric smoke alarms use an LED light to detect smoke and are more responsive to slow-burning, smoldering fires than ionization alarms. When smoke particles enter the unit, they disrupt the light beam, which reflects it into a sensor and activates the alarm. These types of sensors are generally superior to ionization sensors because smoldering fires tend to be more dangerous and can go unnoticed for longer periods of time than flash fires, or ones that develop very suddenly and intensely. They also cut down on unnecessary nuisance alarms like which can cause people to remove the batteries out of frustration.

Ionization Sensors: These sensors are typically more effective at detecting flash fires. They do this by utilizing a small amount of radioactive material and placing it between two electrically charged plates. When smoke displaces the radioactive ions, the current between the plates is disrupted, and the alarm goes off. Ionization sensors have a higher chance of detecting nuisance alarms and tend to be much less effective at detecting smoldering fires.

Where to install smoke detectors

Even the best smoke detectors are only effective if they're installed correctly. The NFPA recommends installing alarms inside and outside of every bedroom, and on every level of your home, including the basement. It also recommends installing both photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms or a dual-sensor detector as they can provide more protection than just one type of sensor.

Andler said that smoke alarms should be placed on your ceiling, not on the wall. Since smoke rises and begins gathering at the ceiling first, they have a much better chance of detecting smoke than a wall-mounted detector. As we mentioned earlier, seconds count when it comes to escaping a house fire, so correct placement is extremely important.

Andler also stressed the importance of having additional smoke detectors. He said that in the event of a fire in your home, hallway smoke detectors can sound their alarms much earlier than a bedroom alarm. Seconds count in home fires, and the early warning from hallway alarms can provide the extra time you and your family need to escape safely.

He also recommends having a smoke alarm near — but not inside — the kitchen, to reduce the chances of false alarms. The Arizona Burn Foundation recommends keeping your detector at least 10 feet away from the stove.

Smoke detector regulations

Whichever smoke detector you choose, make sure it meets the standards of Underwriter Laboratories (UL). UL is a third-party certification company that has been developing smoke detector standards for more than 40 years, and with their stamp of approval, you can trust that your unit will do its job.

The UL 217 code covers both "single station" smoke alarms that function as standalone units, and "multiple station" smoke alarms that are interconnected — so when one goes off, they all go off. All the products we tested have this UL 217 certification, and our two combination smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, Nest Protect and First Alert SA320, also have a UL 2034 certification, which covers the CO detector.

Check out other home safety-related guides

The best home security cameras

The best emergency kits

The best first aid kits

Summary List Placement

Hulu is making waves with its original content, like its wildly successful "The Handmaid's Tale."
Other standouts include "The Great,""Woke," and a reboot of "Animaniacs."
Hulu Basic is $6 a month and Hulu Premium costs $12 a month.
See also: A complete price breakdown for Hulu and Hulu Live TV packages

While Netflix was the pioneer of original content and still leads the pack in quantity, Hulu has made a successful effort in the last few years to join the ranks of quality original content providers. Its bread and butter — the must-see, multiple-Emmy-winning series "The Handmaid's Tale"— makes it worth the price of a subscription alone.

But that's not the only series that's gained Hulu its must-subscribe status. Other standouts include "Little Fires Everywhere" starring Reese Witherspoon, the teen drama "Love, Victor," and the comedy series "Woke." In my experience, Hulu has a much higher success rate than Netflix when it comes to their productions, meaning there's a higher likelihood that the Hulu original series you take a chance on will actually be binge-worthy. But still, there's a lot of content to weed through, so we've gathered the best of Hulu's original content below.

If you're not a Hulu subscriber yet, it couldn't be easier to start streaming. Most smart TVs already come equipped with the Hulu app, and it's as simple as registering here and signing in. If you're looking to upgrade to a smart TV, check out our guide to the best affordable smart TVs on the market. If you're not sure what level of Hulu service is right for you, here's an extensive breakdown of all they have to offer and what it'll cost.

Once you're all set up, we suggest you start with one of the shows below to really get a taste of how Hulu is innovating. Our picks represent a range of genres and all of the Originals we've selected are categorized as fresh by critics on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. For more Hulu recommendations, check out our roundup of the best movies on Hulu.

Updated on 01/22/21 by Ben Blanchet: Added "Animaniacs,""Normal People,""Love, Victor," and "Woke."

'The Handmaid's Tale'

Hulu Originals' bread and butter, this series based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name is set in a dystopian future in which women have been forced into sexual servitude. Elisabeth Moss has won two Emmy Awards for her outstanding and emotional performance as June. Three seasons are currently on Hulu, and it's been renewed for a fourth.

'The Great'

Hulu's latest miniseries, "The Great," is a fictionalized and satirical take on the life of Catherine the Great. Rather than offer a historically accurate account of events, the show takes a more playful and comedic approach to its story. The series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult as Peter, and Sebastian De Souza as Leo. All 10 episodes of "The Great" are now available to stream on Hulu.

'Little Fires Everywhere'

"Little Fires Everywhere" is a miniseries currently streaming on Hulu. The show tells the story of the idyllic Richardson family in Shaker Heights, Ohio. When an artist and her daughter arrive in town, the Richardsons' lives are suddenly capsized. Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington star in the eight-episode series.

'Animaniacs'

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner are familiar faces for any '90s baby who grew up with the original "Animaniacs" series. Hulu's reboot of the show finds the characters two decades separated from their original run but with similarly humorous adventures and songs throughout the season. The Warners adapt to their time away from showbiz as do favorites Pinky and the Brain who, in the premiere, utilize memes to take over the world.

'High Fidelity'

Based on Nick Hornby's novel, "High Fidelity" focuses on the romantic trials and tribulations of Rob Brooks (Zoe Kravitz), a record store owner with a penchant for Top Five lists. The book was previously adapted into a movie starring John Cusack as Rob, and this new version switches things up with a female protagonist. The 10-episode first season is now available to stream.

'Future Man'

Produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, "Future Man" is an outrageous sci-fi comedy full of clever observations and gross-out gags. When a janitor named Josh Futturman (Josh Hutcherson) is recruited by two time travelers to save the world, the very fate of humanity is put in peril — with hilarious results. All three seasons of "Future Man" are now available to stream on Hulu.

'Ramy'

"Ramy" is a comedy drama centered on an American Muslim navigating the cultural divide between his Egyptian immigrant community and his millennial peers. The show's star and co-creator, Ramy Youssef, won the 2020 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series. The first and second seasons of "Ramy" are now available to stream on Hulu. A third season is in development.

'Pen15'

Comedians Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star as their 13-year-old selves in a show that captures all of the awkwardness of middle school in the year 2000. The rest of their classmates are portrayed by actual teenagers adding a hilarious twist to this clever comedy. Season one and the first half of season two are currently available to stream. The remaining episodes will debut later this year.

'Normal People'

Based on the novel of the same name, "Normal People" sees Connell and Marianne, both of different economic backgrounds, discover what it means to be "normal" and together in a relationship. The show stars Daisy Edgar-Jones of HBO's "Gentleman Jack" as Marianne, and Paul Mescal as Connell.

'The Act'

In 2015, the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard captured the nation's attention after it was revealed to be orchestrated by her daughter in an attempt to escape Dee Dee's abusive Munchhausen syndrome by proxy. "The Act" chronicles all the twists and turns of this captivatingly complex true crime story.

'Wu-Tang: An American Saga'

Based on the true story of the rise of the Wu-Tang Clan, this miniseries follows Bobby Diggs aka The RZA as he tries to lead his group of friends away from the drug- and crime-riddled streets on New York. The music they create together chronicling their daily struggles and triumphs eventually leads them to meteoric success. The entire first season is currently available to stream, and a second season is on the way.

'Shrill'

Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, an overweight woman who, despite societal pressures, has no interest in changing her body. But she's out to make improvements in other areas, namely her career, love life, and family life, but of course having it all is never easy. Seasons one and two of the comedy from executive producers Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks are streaming now, and the show has been picked up for a third season.

'Love, Victor'

This teen drama is based on the popular movie "Love, Simon" and follows Victor as he adjusts to life at a new high school. The series offers an examination of Victor's family life and his sexuality as he struggles between his interest in his girlfriend and another boy.

'Harlots'

In 18th-century London, Margaret Wells butts heads with a rival brothel owner as they vie for control of the city's underground. Plus, she's got daughters to raise amidst her dangerous business dealings. This British drama's three seasons are currently streaming on Hulu.

'Marvel's Runaways'

These six teenagers couldn't be more different, except one important commonality — their parents are all evil. Now they must find a way to work together to take down their parents' criminal enterprise. Based on a Marvel Comics series of the same name, all three seasons of "Runaways" are available to stream. Though originally developed as a Hulu original, "Runaways" is also now available to stream on Disney Plus.

'Difficult People'

Sign up for Hulu here.

Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner star as best friends navigating life in New York City. They're both struggling comedians, but their careers aren't the only thing they're struggling with. They're, well, difficult people, and they can't stand anyone but each other. All three seasons of "Difficult People" are currently streaming.

'Casual'

Valerie has just gotten a divorce, and now she and her teenage daughter must move in with her bachelor brother, Alex. With Valerie ready to get back on the horse, Alex must help her navigate the craziness of the dating scene — using the dating app he's invented. All four seasons of "Casual" are currently streaming.

'Woke'

This comedy series is packed with cultural analysis as it follows the life of Keef, a Black cartoonist. Keef's life is rocked by an altercation with the police, and afterwards he discovers that he can talk to inanimate objects. Keef's character is based on the show's co-creator, Keith Knight, whose comics in the '90s shed a light on race in America.

'The Bisexual'

Leila has identified as a lesbian her entire adult life, but when her 10-year relationship with Sadie ends, she finds herself attracted to men for the first time. Her new roommate helps her navigate dating both men and women and deal with the upheaval of her entire life and identity. The first season of "The Bisexual" can be streamed now.

'11.22.63'

James Franco stars as Jake, a high school English teacher faced with the opportunity to travel back in time to change the past. His task: prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and discover the answers to one of the most persistent conspiracy theories in American history. The entire eight-part miniseries executive-produced by J.J. Abrams is streaming now.

'Catch-22'

Produced by George Clooney and based on the novel by Joseph Heller, this six-part miniseries follows an army pilot during World War II who's furious that the army keeps increasing the number of missions he must fly before he's discharged. Ever-trying to find a way out, he shirks his duties by injuring himself, feigning illness, and forging the results of his missions. Fun fact: The novel this is based on is where the phrase "catch-22" originated.

'Castle Rock'

If you're a fan of Stephen King, you're familiar with the town of Castle Rock, Maine. A geographical anchor in many of King's works, it's the setting of "Cujo" and "The Dark Half" and is referenced in "IT,""The Mist," and many more. This series gives the town a life of its own, exploring the darkness that continues to plague it, making nods to many of King's novels and short stories along the way. The first two seasons of "Castle Rock" are streaming now.

Summary List Placement

Staying or getting fit at-home doesn't have to require paying for effective programming.
These five free fitness apps offer a sweat for every fitness ability, mobility level, and time constraint.
Our top pick, the Nike Training App, offers the highest quality routines with the most variety of intensity levels, time requirements, and workout types.
Also check out the best workout apps that are worth paying for and the best workout apps for beginners in 2021.

It's both the start of a new year and knee-deep into our home-centric lives, which means if you weren't using an at-home workout before 2021, chances are your restlessness is encouraging you to look into it now. There are a ton of ways to go about working out at home, from grabbing dumbbells and churning out your favorite moves from the gym, to moving through a yoga flow or bodyweight routine on your own. However, many people find it easier — and more enjoyable — to follow programming developed by a trainer or company.

There are countless at-home workout apps available to you. The problem: Almost all cost some amount of money. We'd argue that many of these programs are indeed worth the money, since you're supporting the cost of developing a user-friendly app and of a qualified trainer thoughtfully crafting a routine that will help you build strength or burn fat without risking injury. But considering apps can be incredibly helpful to take the legwork out of programming and to keep motivation up, a monthly subscription shouldn't be the make-or-break factor of if someone gets to leverage this advantage in their fitness journey.

Now, you'll see a lot of apps advertised as "free." But when you look closer, the vast majority of these either have a 7- to 14-day free trial and then require a subscription, or they offer an incredibly bare-bones free option and ask you to pay a subscription to unlock usable features. In short, trying to find a free fitness app that's worth your time can be a truly frustrating experience — especially if your motivation to work out is already waning.

To help, we've gone through and researched and tested numerous workout apps that claim to be free. To be honest, there aren't that many options. But what free programs do exist truly are worth your time. Most notably, Nike Training Club (NTC) lifted their membership fee at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to make it easier for people to de-stress and stay fit and chose to never reinstate it. But we also found great options for free yoga classes, free shadowboxing, and more.

These free at-home virtual workouts not only reprieve you from having to figure out how to see results with just your bodyweight or a single set of dumbbells, but they also offer engaging coaches to keep you going until the clock runs out when it'd be just as easy to press pause and sit on the couch.

Below, you'll find our favorite free at-home virtual workouts that let you break a sweat at no charge.

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

Here are the best free at-home virtual workouts:

Best overall: Nike Training Club App
Best for yoga: 5 Minute Yoga
Best for older adults: YMCA 360
Best for beginners: Life Time Athletic
Best for boxing: FightCamp

The best free virtual workout overall

Previously $15 per month, the Nike Training Club app is now free, offering high-quality streaming strength, cardio, core, upper body, lower body, and full-body workouts.

Pros: Offers tons of workout variety, all taught by expert Nike trainers

Cons: Some workouts are full videos versus others which are just videos of specific individual exercises with a set and rep scheme

Nike Training Club has over 185 workouts, including strength training, core workouts, machine-free cardio sessions, upper and lower body-focused routines, and yoga routines. Each workout ranges from 15 to 60 minutes, so the commitment adapts to your day. Plus, the brief tells you what equipment you'll need — many programs are bodyweight, and many with weights offer modifications if you don't have any — so you know exactly what you're getting.

I'm used to varying my workouts daily — I usually do cardio each morning, either running, a group fitness class, or yoga, followed by a strength training class or body part-specific workout in the afternoon. I'm used to being able to do different workouts each day, and with this app, I was able to keep up the variety in my routine without it ever feeling repetitive.

Nike Training Club allows you to take individual classes or pick from a multi-week program, all of which are taught and programmed by elite Nike trainers. These trainers are really what make the difference — they have a unique ability to keep you engaged and motivated even through a screen, which is a hard feat for virtual workouts. The app also offers nutrition, sleep, mindset, and recovery tips from trainers and other experts, as well.

The best free yoga workout

It's incredibly hard to find a free yoga app, but 5 Minute Yoga offers a quick daily practice to help you find some zen while working out at home.

Pros: Yoga workouts are changed on a daily basis, low time commitment

Cons: Practices are always limited to five minutes

If you're looking to start doing yoga regularly, 5 Minute Yoga asks very little of your time, making it far harder to justify skipping a day. Every day it offers a new sequence, delivered via illustrated asana by asana alongside an on-screen timer counting down how long to hold each pose for (one minute each). After five poses (and five minutes), your daily practice is finished.

For a fee, you can unlock more content and longer routines. But it's near impossible to find any yoga app for free (or rather, one that doesn't require you to start paying after a short trial period), so we'll take what we can get. What's more, if you're totally new to yoga and need help establishing a daily habit, five minutes is long enough to help you de-stress and be introduced to the practice in digestible chunks. --Rachael Schultz

The best free workout for older adults

Stay moving and get familiar with a new routine using the YMCA 360 health and fitness on-demand videos.

Pros: Short and long workout options across several exercise types, keeps time and rep counts for you

Cons: Limited number of total workouts, doesn't offer much variety in fitness level

If you're older and looking to stay healthy, YMCA 360 offers a section of videos specifically for the active, older user. This includes classes like Bootcamp, barre, yoga, weightlifting, Tai Chi, and Y Box.

For the younger crowd, there's even a youth soccer section with drills and a youth sports performance section with exercises to help develop skills — and to keep kids entertained while spending more time inside.

I liked that there was a wide variety of workouts to choose from, especially exercise skills for youth sports, though I mostly stuck with the Bootcamp-specific workouts. These workouts moved at a steady pace and offered exercise modifications to make moves easier to manage. I personally like a bit more speed and energy in my workouts, but these get the job done.

For anyone who likes familiarity with their workouts, and wants to know exactly what they're getting into, YMCA's videos are perfect. Because there's a limited number, you'll be able to try them all and easily identify your favorites to repeat.

The best free workout for beginnners

Members and non-members alike have access to a limited number of cardio, strength, and yoga classes from Life Time Athletic.

Pros: Strength, cardio, and yoga offerings, great for users at a beginner or intermediate level

Cons: Limited variety in fitness level, limited number of workouts, no new workouts added, free subscription only available through Feb 1st.

From the fitness center giant comes Life Time Athletic, an app that allows users to choose workouts based on a few different categories: the muscle groups they want to work, the equipment they have at home, or the type of workout they want to do (cardio, strength, yoga, etc). Each video states the length and optional equipment needed upfront, so you're never caught off-guard.

For light cardio classes, the Life Time Athletic courses are perfect. While I would classify some of the exercises as beginner level, they still kept me moving and elevated my heart rate, which is what I was looking to do.

If you're a Life Time member, you'll be familiar with some of the specific classes like Strike, Warrior Sculpt, and Shred. The workouts are good for any beginner or intermediate users who want to keep moving at home and prefer limited video options to choose from.

The only downside: Life Time plans on instating a subscription model of $15 per month starting February 1, 2021, so don't get your heart set on this program long-term unless you want to pay up. That being said, use it while you can.

The best free workout for boxing

Keep your punches in check while getting in a full-body cardiovascular workout when you download FightCamp.

Pros: Boxing workouts for people of all fitness levels, delivers a full-body workout, more than 350 workout routines

Cons: Programming is mostly boxing-specific, the full FightCamp setup is required for the interactive experience which requires money and space

While FightCamp does offer the option to purchase a bag, gloves, and sensors to track your punches and progress, the brand also offers its actual workout videos via its app for free. This means that anyone who has a bag and gloves of their own, or who wants to shadowbox, can follow the free workouts. You can also let the app know your boxing experience and fitness level and have workouts suggested accordingly.

My New York City apartment is too small for a boxing bag, so I chose to shadowbox during the workouts. Surprisingly to me, I found them to be great cardio. Non-boxers may find it odd to wail away at the air, but the intensity of the workout keeps you moving from start to finish and breaks a good sweat in just 20 minutes.

If you love boxing or boxing-inspired workouts, consider downloading this app. There are more than 350 boxing and bodyweight workouts, so you'll never be lacking in variety.

What else we considered

While testing free workout apps, we came across several other services offering workouts at no cost through Instagram or Facebook Live streams or extended free trials. Here are a few of our favorites that stood out, but ultimately didn't make the cut:

CorePower Yoga: The yoga franchise maintains their class approach through their app, offering everything from foundation-building, beginner-friendly courses to more challenging asanas to routines that focus more on a fitness flow, making this a great option if you want to grow or diversify your yoga practice. This was our top choice for a yoga app when they lifted their paywall at the beginning of the pandemic, but classes are back to being free for just the first seven days for new subscribers, and then require a monthly fee.

Box + Flow: Led by fitness expert, Olivia Young, Box + Flow takes the popular boxing class formula and adds the mindfulness of yoga for a well-rounded, yet intense, workout. The NYC-based brand hosts daily streams of its workouts via Instagram Live, with Young herself leading a few of the workouts. Classes are free for the first seven days for new subscribers and then require a monthly fee.

Camp Gladiator: Participate in live streaming workouts through Camp Gladiators Facebook Live channel, or try its at-home printable routines. These are free always but the site doesn't offer a library of on-demand workouts.

Peloton: Peloton now offers a free trial of its Peloton Digital Membership for 30 days. The app features thousands of on-demand workouts including running, strength, yoga, and cycling — and you don't even need a bike to access them.

Tone It Up: Strengthen, tone, or get in some cardio with founders Karena and Katrina, as well as the app's community of trainers. Choose individual workouts or do a program to follow. It was free in the spring of 2020, but has since reverted back to a free seven-day trial for new subscribers and then a monthly fee.

The Class by Taryn Toomey: Exercise your body and engage your mind with this untraditional form of training. The workouts on The Class help you to release stress and anything weighing you down through repetitive movements accompanied by loud exhales. It's a transformative experience that everyone should try. The app currently offers a free two-week trial.

FitBody: We love the shred, tone, and sculpting programs created by trainer and social media personality Anna Victoria, but it only offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers, and then a monthly fee.

Snap Fitness: Snap Fitness currently offers free 90-day access to FitnessOnDemand.com, where you can stream workouts from Sweat Factor by Mike Donvanik, Nora Tobin, SH1FT, and DailyBurn.

obé Fitness: Join a live workout from a daily schedule of 14 classes, or choose from its library of over 4,000 on-demand workouts including strength, Pilates, dance, HIIT, cardio boxing, and more. It only offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers, and then a monthly fee.

Jazzercise on Demand: Jazz up your usual routine with a little dance party. These workouts combine jazz dance, yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, and HIIT. New users can sign up for a free two-week trial.

Hydrow: Join this brand's free at-home 14-day challenge, which has a mix of 20- to 30-minute rowing (if you have a machine) and mat routines that include yoga, Pilates, and more.

How we tested the apps

Each of these apps was tested not just for their respective use case but also across a variety of categories, including ease of use, variety, effectiveness, and entertainment value. Since each app is entirely free, it was important to create a benchmark for how well they perform and to associate a different kind of value to them without factoring in price. Here's what we looked for in each category:

Ease of use: An intuitive app experience is vital to not only enjoy using it but also to get the most out of it. If an app is cumbersome in its navigation, or makes finding and choosing workouts difficult, then it won't promote much in the way of motivation or desire to work out.
Variety: Though we broke down the guide into specific sections on activities like yoga or boxing, we wanted to see that the apps that fell into the other categories were diverse enough in what they offered to keep the experience fresh and engaging. This means offering more than just one or two workout styles, as well as making available a library of classes.
Effectiveness: This category doesn't necessarily mean results from a fitness standpoint. Though that is important, there's not a way to judge that reliably or to stand behind one person's interpretation of it, so this instead means how well it's able to motivate you to workout, if it's able to push you through to the end of a session, and if it offers enough variety to allow you the chance to learn new exercises.
Entertainment value: If you enjoy working out, you'll do it more often — plain and simple. Even free apps can offer some form of entertainment which can serve as a huge reason to revisit it (and workout) often.

Summary List Placement

Fine jewelry will nearly always cost a bit more than the costume variety, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune in order to have the ring or necklace of your dreams.
Brands and retailers like Catbird, Mejuri, AUrate New York, Stone and Strand, The Last Line, and Vrai are changing the game with beautiful, affordable, and high-quality pieces. These are truly not your grandmother's jewels.

With its inaccessible prices, technical terminology, and nebulous production practices, the world of fine jewelry is intimidating to step into and, for a generation that cares simultaneously about value, style, sustainability, and ethics, often a world that's avoided altogether.

Not too long ago, we wouldn't even have considered buying nice jewelry online. But with direct-to-consumer jewelry companies taking center stage, no middlemen or mark-ups mean that you can pay a palatable price that's closer to the true cost of making that beautiful gold necklace. Plus, high standards for sourcing and production quell any fears that your purchase sets other livelihoods or the environment back.

These online jewelry companies will help you make the decision without overcharging you in the process.

The best places to buy affordable fine jewelry:

Best overall: Catbird
Best for handcrafted pieces: Soko
Best for pure gold: Auvere
Best for playful charms: Ariel Gordon
Best for maximalists: The Last Line
Best for minimalists: Mejuri
Best for affordable gold: Gorjana
Best for on-trend pieces: Stone and Strand
Best for sustainable gold: AUrate
Best for at-home try-on: Verlas
Best for sustainable diamonds: Vrai
Best for customized wedding rings: Holden
Best for engagement and wedding rings: Couple
Best for stackable rings: Gemist

The best overall

Known for its delicate rings and transparent sourcing, Catbird is the epitome of cool, affordable jewelry.

Cool, Brooklyn boutique vibes meet the ease of online shopping at Catbird, where you can find delicate $44 rings alongside sparkly $14,000 engagement rings. It's fully transparent about the source of its materials, and donates 1% of all sales to non-profits including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. In addition to jewelry that's crafted in-house, Catbird is home to other designers and beauty and home goods.

What to buy:

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The best for handcrafted pieces

For handcrafted pieces that won't break the bank, Soko is a go-to.

At the helm of the movement towards "ethical fast fashion" is Soko, a jewelry startup with an innovative, efficient, and empowering model that uses technology to connect with independent artisans in Africa. Soko's jewelry is guaranteed to attract attention, not only for its unique sourcing and manufacturing origins but also for its structural, powerful style. These hand-made pieces are produced from less conventional, but more affordable materials like brass.

What to buy:

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Product Name: Soko Nia Earrings
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The best for pure gold

The pieces at Auvere are investment pieces, but they'll appreciate in value over time.

For top-line luxury, specifically 22- and 24-karat gold, at surprisingly affordable prices, Auvere is the place to go. There's a range of feminine and more masculine designs, so there's something to fit everyone's style. There's no denying that the architectural pieces are investments, but you get what you pay for — pure gold, wrapped into beautiful designs without the mark-up — and they'll only appreciate in value over time.

What to buy:

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Product Name: Auvere Wishbone Pendant and Chain
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Product Name: Auvere Cage Stud Earring (Single)
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The best for playful charms

Ariel Gordon designs cute, delicate jewelry that is meant to be worn over and over again.

This Los Angeles-based brand is a celebrity favorite and it's easy to see why. Launched out of her apartment while Gordon worked as a Hollywood publicist, the collection is made up of pieces designed to be worn over and over again, transitioning from occasion to occasion without losing quality and durability. Its charm pieces, which include animals and flowers, are truly sweet designs that'll brighten your day.

What to buy:

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Product Name: Ariel Gordon Roman Holiday Ring
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The best for maximalists

For those who love bold, beautiful jewelry, The Last Line is a must-shop.

Founded by a Parsons grad and industry veteran, The Last Line wants to be the one and only place you buy all your jewelry. That might not be as ambitious as it sounds considering the brand sells everything from show-stopping rainbow pieces to chunky rings to classic gold hoops. If you thought fine jewelry couldn't be fun or colorful, The Last Line is here to prove you wrong.

What to buy:

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Product Name: The Last Line Pink Tourmaline Perfect Tennis Bracelet
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The best for minimalists

Mejuri provides dainty, minimal jewelry at an affordable price point.

Toronto-based startup Mejuri, founded by a former art director and a former engineer and third-generation jeweler, drops new pieces every week of the year, and without fail, its largely female clientele return again and again to its 14-karat gold, gold vermeil, and sterling silver jewelry that's made for everyday wear. Mejuri's mission is to have women "embrace a daily dose of luxury." With plenty of under-$100 options, it makes fulfilling this mission very achievable.

What to buy:

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Product Name: Mejuri Organic Pearl Large Hoops
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The best for affordable gold

For jewelry that is effortlessly cool, look no further than Gorjana.

If you love the "I-just-threw-this-on" jewelry look, you're going to want to check out Gorjana. If you haven't heard of it already, this Laguna Beach-based brand is well-loved for its range of affordable, gold-plated pieces that range from simple and dainty to funky and trendy, that pretty much all cost under $100.

What to buy:

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The best for on-trend pieces

Ethically sourced and conflict-free, Stone and Strand has its own capsule collection while also curating other like-minded brands on its site.

Stone and Strand produces its own high-end jewelry and curates other like-minded brands on its site, creating an online space where shoppers aren't intimidated to explore fine jewelry. Most pieces are made of 14-karat solid gold — though you can also find more affordable gold-plated options — and the diamonds and gemstones used are ethically sourced and conflict-free. Its first capsule, Good Girl Tools, sets the tone for the types of jewelry you can expect from the rest of the brand: bold, pretty, and wearable for every day.

What to buy:

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Product Name: Stone and Strand Babyheart Signet Ring
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The best for sustainable gold

AUrate offers both minimal, everyday pieces as well as bold statement pieces, so you can create a well-rounded jewelry collection.

AUrate offers both the solid foundation pieces and the unique statement pieces that you'll need for a jewelry refresh. Everything is crafted in New York City, which also means that NYC dwellers can enjoy same-day delivery of 14- and 18-karat gold, AAA pearls, and ethically sourced diamonds (the rest of the country gets free shipping). For indecisive shoppers, Curate is AUrate's personalized jewelry box delivery service that gives you a week to try on five pieces and decide which one(s) you want to keep.

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The best for at-home try-on

If you tend to be indecisive about purchasing jewelry, you'll love Verlas' at-home try-on service.

Investing in a nice piece of jewelry without trying it on first can feel risky. If you can't make up your mind right away, Verlas makes it easy to make sure you'll love your new piece. The brand offers a try-at-home program where you can try any three pieces from the site for 15 days. The test pieces are made of replica materials (like cubic zirconia and brass), but when you're done, you can choose the ones you love best and then order the real deal made with diamonds and gold. If you want to pass on them all, that's okay too. Of course, if you know what you want right off the bat, you can go straight to purchasing it too.

What to buy:

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The best for sustainable diamonds

Skeptical about buying diamond rings online? Vrai helps to streamline the process.

This downtown LA-based company only uses solid gold and Diamond Foundry diamonds, which are physically and chemically indistinguishable from mined diamonds, and created using solar energy. Vrai's simple and timeless pieces will delight minimalists and anyone who hates to be plagued by pages and pages of choices. Couples should take advantage of its free home try-on program for wedding rings, which decreases the pressure of choosing the perfect ring.

What to buy:

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The best for customized wedding rings

Customized wedding rings are super affordable thanks to Holden.

When wedding ring shopping gets so stressful that it detracts from the real experience of starting your life with someone, that's a problem. Holden is making it easy to shop for and customize wedding rings that start at only $249. Simply request a free ring size kit, choose your ring profile, width, metal, karat, and finish, and add an optional engraving, and your rings will be made-to-order with 3D printing technology.

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The best for engagement and wedding rings

Couple gives couples the opportunity to purchase their engagement rings online.

The idea for Couple began when one of its co-founders had difficulty finding an engagement ring for his now-wife and saw an opportunity to also lessen the environmental and ethical challenges of mined diamonds. Couple works with lab-grown diamonds that look identical to mined ones (and are actually of higher quality) so that marriages can start off on the right foot — with trust, transparency, and thoughtfulness. Many of the rings can also be engraved for a truly personal touch.

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The best for stackable rings

If you love a ring stack, you'll love Gemist's wide array of rings that you can layer.

Love a finger full of stackable rings? You'll love Gemist's wide variety of affordable pieces. The brand offers a streamlined at-home try-on process, where you're given three costume rings to play with for two weeks. Enjoy the pieces? Just let Gemist know, and they'll send you the custom pieces after you send your testers back. Gemist also has a variety of earrings, wedding bands, and engagement rings, too.

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Check out our other jewelry guides and roundups

Online Art History classes from across the globe 4x3

Summary List Placement

With travel plans and museum visits disrupted, online art history classes are a great way to learn about cultures around the globe from home.
We rounded up the best affordable art history classes to kickstart or advance your journey into the art world.
Read more: I use Coursera to take all the fun classes I didn't have time for in college, like an art history course taught by the Museum of Modern Art.
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With COVID-19 hindering travel and museum visits, immersive learning opportunities have found a new home online. In particular, online art history classes through platforms like Coursera and edX are an awesome way to learn about visual cultures around the globe from the safety of your own home.

Admittedly, being a novice in the world of art can be intimidating. You may not understand the significance of a piece or the context of a collection. Or maybe you don't know the proper terms used to discuss art or how art museums function. Online classes allow you to learn these things in a private setting, meaning you won't have to worry about certain intimidation factors — like being in an in-person class where everyone seems to know more than you or feeling self-conscious about lingering in front of an art piece for too long.

Whether you're looking to develop skills for your career or simply have fun, you won't regret signing up for an online art history class. Striking the perfect balance between entertainment and education, art history classes let you travel through time and space as they immerse you in the cultures of different regions and eras. These classes can also teach you to think critically about your daily interactions with art, which can enhance your appreciation for it.

Plus, when more people with diverse backgrounds study art, the world of art itself gains a vaster, more inclusive perspective. This is because highly artistic and theoretical realms of study tend to be dominated by people with more privileged backgrounds. However, by de-privatizing knowledge and making education more accessible and affordable, e-learning can help break down the walls surrounding the art world.

It is important to remember top-notch art history courses go beyond encouraging you to remember the facts, dates, and style types of art — they also teach you how an artwork interacted with different places and points in time, as well as how they challenged or reinforced pre-existing ideologies. Exceptional art history classes can also show you how art has developed from era to era and what external socio-political forces catalyzed those changes. Most importantly, epic art history courses grant you the freedom to formulate your own informed opinions about art.

The 14 best art history classes you can take online:

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Museums & Public Art

Tangible Things: Discovering History Through Artworks, Artifacts, Scientific Specimens, and the Stuff Around You

Through an examination of Harvard-owned artifacts, this course unravels the mysteries of museums, archives, and libraries. You will learn about the curator's role in maintaining collections, the processes behind curatorial decisions, and how to discern the intention behind collections — whether it be for monetary purposes, memory preservation, or some other reason.

You will also learn how the arrangement of objects affects how a collection is perceived and interpreted by viewers. This knowledge is particularly valuable since one of the most important powers a curator wields is the ability to frame and contextualize conversations surrounding art — a power rooted largely in the build and organization of their collections.

Enroll for free or earn a certificate for $49.

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ART of the MOOC: Public Art and Pedagogy

If you've ever seen a sculpture in a park or strolled by a colorful mural on the side of a building, you've encountered public art. Public art installations may seem like a straightforward concept, but it has a history of being controversial, from Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc" to Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This Duke course will help you learn about the dialogue and efforts surrounding public art's implementation, reception, and purpose.

This course acknowledges public art as socially engaged art, which is important considering how public art production typically requires consideration of the collective's needs as opposed to the individual artist's needs. Thus, you will learn how public art can incite educational discussions and consequently fuel criticism of pre-existing understandings of art. Amid exploring the intersection of space and art, students will also have the opportunity to conduct their own experiments related to spatial politics.

Enroll for free or earn a certificate for $49.

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Prehistoric Art

Prehistoric Art: Beginning Art for Artists and Designers

When it comes to art history, you will often find a slew of courses covering topics such as Renaissance and modern art. This is largely thanks to the preservation of historical records from these time periods. Since being prehistoric means existing before recorded history, courses on prehistoric art aren't afforded the same luxury as their successors and tend to be more elusive. However, it's the era's lack of documentation that helps make prehistoric art so captivating.

Topics you will study in this course include art from the Ice Age, Spain's Cave of Altamira, Prehistoric America, and Aboriginal Australians.The cave drawings and other carvings you will learn about are crucial, as they grant insight into the thoughts, actions, and daily lives of those who roamed the earth long before us. Prehistoric art may at first appear to be an enigma, but once deciphered, it can greatly inform our understanding of the human experience's early days and development.

Enroll and earn a certificate of completion for $11.99.

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Ancient Art

30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World

Amazon Prime members have access to affordable classes designed by The Great Courses via Prime Video. 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World course begins by contextualizing the relevance of ancient art studies and what it means to be dubbed a "masterpiece," then moves on to examine specific works from across the globe. The lesson wraps up by placing ancient masterpieces in conversation with contemporary works of art.

This course is remarkably entertaining because it's like a virtual travel experience — both geographically and temporally. You'll be transported across the world as you learn about intriguing artifacts, from The Standard of Ur, which depicts scenes of Sumerian life in Mesopotamia, to the Olmec Colossal Heads, stone sculptures found on Mexico's Gulf Coast. You'll learn about Ancient China's bronzes and how they relate to the excavated tomb of female military leader, Fu Hao, as well as how abstract art can be traced back to Ancient Andean Textiles — long before the style became a global phenomenon through mid-20th century artists like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.

Buy the entire season in SD for $58.99 or in HD for $88.99.

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Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology

The Pyramids of Giza are one of the greatest enigmas in the world — chances are you've heard a conspiracy theory or two about how these enormous, enduring structures came into existence. If you're looking to demystify the Pyramids' history, this course is the perfect launchpad for your expedition into the curious, overlapping worlds of art history and archaeology.

By examining the findings of archaeologists who explored the Pyramids, decoding hieroglyphics, and analyzing Egyptian art from the same time the pyramids were created, this course constructs a vivid image of Ancient Egyptian life. It considers the Pyramids not only as perennial architectural feats but also as important cultural and religious objects. There's also a modern element to the course, since you'll learn how advancements in tech are shaping the future of Egyptology.

Enroll for free or earn a certificate for $149.

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Early Modern Period

European Paintings: From Leonardo to Rembrandt to Goya

This course encompasses the Early Modern period of European Art, focusing specifically on paintings. It examines the lives and works of Leonardo da Vinci (Italian polymath), Caravaggio (Italian painter), Velázquez (Spanish Baroque painter), Rembrandt (Dutch painter), Vermeer (Dutch Baroque painter), and Goya (Spanish Romanticism painter).

During the Early Modern period, realistic art that demonstrated an artists' superior technical skill was highly revered and paintings were typically created to depict a story. However, since a painting could only show a snapshot of the plot, viewers were expected to possess a certain level of background knowledge in order to understand the paintings' stories. This course will provide you with the knowledge needed to identify and interpret Early Modern art, as well the language and philosophies to properly engage in conversations surrounding the art.

Enroll or free or earn a certificate for $99.

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19th Century Art

Words Spun Out of Images: Visual and Literary Culture in Nineteenth Century Japan

As an avid manga reader, I enrolled in this course to gain a better understanding of Japan's long history of employing words and images simultaneously to fully tell a story. Artists covered in this University of Tokyo course include painter Watanabe Kazan, writer Yoshida Shōin, and painter Takahashi Yuichi. The instructor, professor Robert Campbell, creates an engaging learning environment by weaving the course material into a wonderful storytelling experience.

In this class, you will learn how samurai often inscribed personal messages on their personal portraits, as well as how artists wrote directly onto their art to describe the occurrences in fictional depictions. Figures portrayed in Japanese paintings were often attributed backstories or context so anyone viewing the art could accurately interpret what they were seeing. This combination of art and text to make art understandable to any viewer stands in stark juxtaposition with Early Modern European artists' expectation that people possess a certain degree of background knowledge when viewing art.

Enroll for free or earn a certificate for $49.

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Modern & Contemporary Art

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Offered by the Museum of Modern Art, this specialization emulates a museum tour and consists of four courses: Modern Art & Ideas, Seeing Through Photographs, What Is Contemporary Art?, and Fashion as Design. The course material is a combination of audio interviews, films, and readings.

Modern art is typically understood to encompass works produced around the later half of the 19th century until the early half of the twentieth century. Throughout Modern Art & Ideas, you will explore how an artwork interacts with its environment and the external socio-political issues of a given time.

Seeing Through Photographs is all about understanding photography's history and development. While examining photos from the MOMA's collection, you will learn about the different artistic, scientific, historical, and journalistic uses of photography.

Contemporary art encompasses art created from around the later half of the 20th century until the present day. What Is Contemporary Art? lets you virtually step inside artists' studios and learn about the materials and intent behind contemporary artworks.

The final course of this specialization, Fashion as Design, explores the cultural importance of clothing and ethical issues surrounding the fashion industry. You will learn how fashion can mirror or catalyze wider-scoped movements, values, and societal trends.

Enroll for free or pay $40 a month until you complete the course to earn a certificate.

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Surrealism

Surrealism is all about depicting the mind's subconscious and liberating the deepest recesses of the human imagination, which means some wildly creative pieces have come out of the movement. An offshoot of Dadaism, Surrealism bestows realistic qualities to unrealistic scenes, embracing the phantasmic and abandoning the rational.

If you're fascinated by the bizarre dream landscapes you sometimes enter while asleep, you should check out Khan Academy's free readings and videos on Surrealism. After all, the movement's artwork is commonly described as dreamlike. The material covers influential artists such as Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, and Man Ray. You will learn about Surrealism's manifestation in mediums such as painting, sculpture, collage, and photography, as well as the role of women, psychoanalysis, and automatism in its creation.

Access to class material is free.

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Global Africa: Creative Cultures

MIT has made efforts to publish a considerable amount of its course materials online via MIT OpenCourseWare. Global Africa: Creative Cultures is taught by MIT professor M. Amah Edoh, and the syllabus combines anthropology, history, and social theory to provide an expansive view of Africa's material and visual culture. The course also shows how Africa's literary, musical, and artistic productions affect and reflect its positioning and interactions within global politics.

Through a combination of videos and readings, you will study ideas put forth by intellectuals such as Princeton professor Chika Okeke-Agulu, Stanford professor Paulla A. Ebron, and acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Under the Instructor Insights course tab, you can read more about the professor's understanding and goals of the course — such as what she means when she refers to Africa as a category of thought. If you're looking to unpack the unspoken power and political dynamics embedded within visual culture, this course material is worth exploring.

Access to class material is free.

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In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting

After the destruction of war, artistic style always seems to go through a reconceptualization and reinvention period. Art can also be propaganda used to either support or oppose war causes. Art and war are thus curious partners, and this course explores their complex relationship.

After World War II and amid Cold War tensions, American art underwent a drastic change as the Abstract Expressionism movement gained footing. The creation of abstract art was considered a prominent ideological front of the Cold War. Due to its divergence from realism, abstract art came to embody ideas related to independence, freedom, and self-expression — all of which America wanted to be associated with its democracy.

Aside from its relation to political conflict, abstract art is also important because it put New York City on the art map since it was the first major art movements to originate in the U.S. With the opportunity to complete studio work and study prominent New York School artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Yayoi Kusama, you're sure to be well-versed in abstract painting after completing this course.

Enroll for free or earn a certificate for $49.

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Architecture

The Cathedrals

Cathedrals are important architectural feats that embody the historical intersection of art, religion, politics, culture, and authority. Not all cathedrals are Gothic, but Gothic-style Cathedrals are the most common and therefore often the most recognized. From the origins of cathedrals in the 1st century to the revival of Gothic architecture in the 19th and 20th centuries, this course explores the five formative phases of Gothic architecture — Romanesque, Early Gothic, High Gothic, Late Gothic, Neo-Gothic.

The earliest stage of Gothic architecture may be dubbed "Romanesque" to pay homage to its Roman roots, but this course follows the history of Gothic cathedrals into their modern-day presence in countries such as South Africa and the United States. 3D cathedral tours make this course a standout immersive learning experience, allowing you to consume the art more authentically than if they were to be shown as 2D photos.

Buy the entire season in SD for $49.99 or in HD for $59.99.

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Functional Art

Art, Craft, Science

Some artworks are created solely to be viewed — others are created to be used and viewed. Objects of the latter category are often dubbed "crafts." Available through MIT OpenCourseWare, this course is taught by professor Heather Paxson and examines both the historical and contemporary creation, consumption, commodification, and value of crafts. The course employs three main methods for analyzing craft art, viewing the examined works through historical, theoretical, and anthropological lenses.

Possessing both exhibition and function value, craft art is uniquely positioned in the art world because rather than being created to serve the art world, it is created to serve people in their daily lives. Examples of disciplines explored in this course include glassblowing, quilting, and the culinary arts — so if you've ever wanted to learn more about cheesemaking, this is the course for you. Overall, you'll be provided with the intellectual toolkit needed to formulate and articulate your own ideas on craft art's interactions with a given culture.

Access to class material is free.

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Pictures of Youth: An Introduction to Children's Visual Culture

Visual culture's dominance is constantly growing amid our world of social and digital media. Yet, even before rapid tech advancements, visual culture has long played an important role in childhood development thanks to the traditional picture book's value as an education tool. After all, mediums that combine words and images can be helpful when learning how to link speech to actions, behaviors, or feelings.

In this course, you will examine trends in children's visual culture, specifically pertaining to picture books, comics, film, and television, as well as the creation and consumption of these mediums. As you learn to think critically about these highly-utilized artworks, you will come to recognize them as functional art. You will also gain a deeper understanding of how access to these creative productions can significantly impact a child's development and imaginative capacities. If you have the means, you may even find yourself inspired to donate children's books to a local school or foundation.

Enroll for free or earn a certificate for $44.

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