If you like food and cooking, you probably look to professional chefs to learn what to eat and how to cook, but rarely are the actual kitchen tools they use at the center of the conversation.
We asked some chefs to tell us the best gifts to give someone who loves being in the kitchen, whether that's yourself or another avid home cook in your life. The chefs personally use these products in their professional or home kitchens, so you know that they stand up to some real heat and pressure.
Here are 16 cooking gifts, as recommended by professional chefs:
"It's a must-have for Asian food lovers. You can make rice, congee, even soup with it. It's very versatile and fun to experiment with."— Amelie Kang, co-founder and owner of MáLà Project
"A diamond sharpening steel is a great gift. A sharp knife is essential for any home cook. Hint: Include a link to professional knife sharpening instructions, because this is a simple tool, but if used incorrectly, will take the edge off the knife!"— Kraig Hansen, executive chefat Fable Lounge
"My top recommendation for a gift is the air fryer. It's great for cooking things on the fly and getting the best results. It allows home chefs to enjoy their favorite fried foods without the added fat."— Chelsea Knight, chef de cuisine at Fable Lounge
"This balloon whisk is perfect for a good handle when baking cacao or chocolate goodies at home. We create a lot of our products on-site, and therefore, need the proper tools to be successful."— Oded Brenner, chocolatier and founder of Blue Stripes Urban Cacao
"If you have the counter space, a KitchenAid stand mixer is always worth it. Easy to mix up doughs or mixtures without the extra mess." — Oded Brenner, chocolatier and founder of Blue Stripes Urban Cacao
Starter kits to help them make larb, sisig, spicy bulgogi, and more
"We love Omsom — the sauces and the ladies behind it. Not only are the Asian sauces they've created delicious but they're so easy and versatile to use. It's been heartwarming especially during the pandemic to see how much they've been supporting the Asian community.
They raised over $8,000 for Heart of Dinner, which allows us to then purchase over 1,000 hot nutritional meals from our restaurant partners for seniors and at the same time provides funding to help our restaurant partners and keep them going during this rough time!"— Moonlynn Tsai, co-owner and operator of Kopitiam
A powerful blender to make creamy smoothies and soups
"This blender is great for combining professional power and ease of use at home. It makes perfectly smooth soups and sauces, along with the fastest hollandaise sauce on the planet. It's my favorite kitchen appliance to use on a Sunday morning when making brunch at home."—Brad Warner, corporate chef at Bodega Negra and Tao Group Hospitality
A spice rack to keep their cabinets and countertops organized
"As someone who uses a lot of spices, a rotating spice rack is exactly what I recommend for organization and efficiency."— Tarik Fallous, chef at Au Za'atar
"This small utility knife is a little larger than the paring knife. It's one of my most used knives in the kitchen. It is extremely versatile and is great for more delicate precision cuts."—Tabitha Yeh, chef at Umma by Noodlelove
"One thing I feel lost without is this peeler. I peel everything: veggies, root veggies, squash, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes. It makes it all fast and easy."—Mee McCormick, owner of Pinewood Kitchen
A newly upgraded sous vide cooker that heats water very quickly
"This immersion circulator cooks food to precise temperatures over long periods of time, creating amazing texture in meats and seafood. I love to use it to impress my friends when I'm hosting dinner at my house."— Brad Warner, corporate chef at Bodega Negra and Tao Group Hospitality
Another sous vide model that less than a foot tall and only weighs 1.3 pounds
"I love this sous vide machine because it is small, transportable, and reasonably priced. You can also operate it with the app on your phone, which makes it extremely easy to use."— Leah Cohen, owner and chef of Pig & Khao and "Top Chef" alum
"Aprons from Valentich or Hedley & Bennett are sturdy, fashionable, with pockets in all the right places for your pens, tweezers, towels, and phone." —Tabitha Yeh, chef at Umma by Noodlelove
"There's nothing more gratifying than making your own pasta at home. To make easy ravioli shapes, you can use a stamp to punch out the perfect pasta shapes with any fillings of your choice. Williams Sonoma makes a great option.
If you want an easy pasta maker to do the work, the Philips Pasta maker is a great tool to get fresh pasta at home, without the hassle of mixing and kneading the dough." —Riccardo Orfino, chef at Osteria 57
A one-size-fits-all lid that instantly declutters their cabinets
"I would gift the Made In Universal Lid set to myself, and then probably any other "foodie" out there! I'm sure many can relate to having a plethora of differently sized pots and pans with a million different lids. These Universal Lids fit on all pots and pans, so you only need one — making it a lot easier to declutter and streamline, or as some say, 'Marie Kondo' their kitchen. — Brooke Williamson, co-owner of Hudson House and "Top Chef" winner
A 'smart' waffle maker that automatically adjusts cooking time and temperature
"This is my favorite waffle maker to use on my days off when I am home with my husband Ben and now newborn. The waffles come out nice and crispy on the outside and chewy and tender on the inside. Easy to manipulate, too."— Leah Cohen, owner and chef of Pig & Khao and "Top Chef" alum
It's a good time to be a stock picker. And not just due to the current bull market, but because the risk environment right now is an easier in which active investors can find the best shares to own, according to Morgan Stanley.
This is because the relationship between stocks, known as the pairwise correlation, has weakened signficantly over the last few years. In simple terms, this means stocks are less likely to trade in unison with one another than they have done in the past, meaning that the performance of one stock is less likely to be affected by that of another stock.
This means the idiosyncratic characteristics of each stock can prevail, according to Alix Guerrini, a quantitative strategist at Morgan Stanley.
Additionally, the influence of systemic risk has also reduced, while stock-specific risk, "the bread and butter of stockpicking," has been rising since the middle of March last year, Guerrini said in a recent research note. These two elements have created a very supportive environment for stockpickers looking for their next investment.
To see the effect of this risk environment on stockpicking, Morgan Stanley extract monthly residuals for each index, net of market effect, to show a 6-factor model that includes value, growth, size, low volatility, quality and momentum, he wrote.
"The resulting alpha of fundamental managers is higher (double) when the pairwise correlation is falling, or the stock-specific risk is rising, but slightly lower for quant funds in these periods," he added.
However, this environment is not prevalent across the whole market, as only some sectors have such historically low pairwise correlations, he noted.
For example, technology, retail, real estate, media and telecoms have pairwise correlations under 0.3, which is lower than their 30th percentile since 1990, and are prime targets for stockpicking, compared with the energy, autos and banking sectors.
Morgan Stanley lists the 13 stocks in its coverage that it believes are best placed to capitalize on such a supportive risk regime for stockpickers and for which it has either an equal-weight, or overweight, rating:
This past year has been a wild ride for the stock market.
And it is mostly due to the pandemic that has caused sharp market movements, double-digit gains in some stocks, and an increase in retail trading.
While the entire market was impacted by the pandemic, stocks in industries like restaurants, retail, commercial real estate, and airlines weren't as lucky as the tech names that saw their prices soar to record highs and into bubble territory.
As a matter of fact, shares of renowned names like Apple and Amazon saw increases of up to 70% in their share prices in 2020. Tesla's stock went up 740% that same year.
But as many continue to crowd into the tech sector, it opens up an opportunity to invest in some of the unloved sectors that are primed to rebound this year.
With the increasing prospect of the economy reopening this year on the back of two immensely effective vaccines and one offering good protection, stocks in the airline and REITs sectors have the potential to make a comeback and rise.
In a Feb. 9 note, Raymond James strategist Tavis C. McCourt said that around 58% of airlines and 89% of REITs that the firm covers still trade below their pre-COVID enterprise value, which is a more comprehensive valuation gauge than market cap.
He and his team found names in "'center of the storm' industries" that are expected to generate a total return of at least 15% over the next 6 to 12 months. To put that it into perspective, according to Goldman Sachs, the S&P 500's annual average return in the past 10 years is 13.6%
These are the 12 names excluding the hard-hit REITs sector with strong buy ratings that Raymond James sees significant price upside in as the economy reopens.
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Smart speakers can play music, answer questions, control a variety of smart home devices, and more.
Whether you prefer Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, there are several good options available.
With a single question or command, you can access a wealth of resources, thanks to smart speakers. They let you listen to streaming music or podcasts, get the latest news, check the weather, and even find homework help. Smart speakers also give you a means of controlling a growing number of smart devices that are proliferating our homes.
The market for the devices has come a long way in just a few years. Many have seen major upgrades to the sound quality, and some even offer the added bonus of letting you string together a network of speakers throughout the house. Smart speakers typically run either Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa, though Siri devices are available, too. That's the first decision you'll need to make when purchasing one.
Drawing on our own experience and expert reviews, this list will help you decide which option is best for your needs.
The new-look Amazon Echo is a do-it-all speaker for a reasonable price.
Amazon's flagship speaker went through a major overhaul for its latest iteration. Gone is the tall cylinder that's been the basic design since Amazon introduced the Echo; it's been replaced by a smaller orb, just a little bigger than a grapefruit.
A notable improvement is the audio quality. It has the three-inch woofer introduced into the last generation, and it adds a second tweeter in the front. If you have an older Echo, you'll notice the new version seems louder, with better bass and a richer sound, according to Insider's review. There's also support for Dolby Audio to match the sound quality found in the Echo Plus, which Amazon is phasing out.
You can play music and podcasts from Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, and most other major streaming services. It sounds great, but if you're looking to really blast the tunes, know that the Echo's top-volume level is limited.
The Echo was already one of the most robust speakers when it came to support for smart-home-device integration. Now, it gets a boost with a new built-in Zigbee hub that can automatically connect Zigbee devices. To help make Alexa more responsive to voice commands, Amazon included its AZ1 Neural Edge processor into the new Echo. In the past, this was one area where it lagged behind Google Assistant.
There are lingering privacy concerns, related to how Amazon collects user data. You can take steps to protect yourself. The Echo automatically runs Amazon Sidewalk, which combines a small portion of your WiFi signal with your neighbors' to create an expanded network. The company says it's secure, but you have to manually opt out if you have concerns.
The Sonos One is perfect for the serious audiophile, and it also supports both Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Apple AirPlay 2.
While the overall improvements to the audio quality in Amazon and Google's main smart speakers are notable, they're still not on the same level as the Sonos One. For music lovers in the market for a smart speaker, this is your pick, as long as you're comfortable with its price tag. You can pair it with other Sonos speakers to make a multi-room sound system. It also supports Apple's AirPlay 2, which lets you stream music from Apple devices.
The One speaker also uses Sonos' Trueplay, if you have an iPhone. It uses the phone's microphone to get a sense of the room where it sits, adjusting the sound based on things like whether there are carpets or drapes.
If you have a preference for Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant, the Sonos One lets you choose one or the other. Switching back and forth between the two isn't easy, however. It also can't do everything those two assistants are capable of on their company's proprietary speakers, such as voice calling.
The Google Nest Audio is a solid pick for an all-around smart speaker that will appeal to those who prefer the Google universe.
Google replaced the Home with the Nest Audio as the mid-range offering in the company's smart speaker lineup in 2020. It's got a new look, too. Now it's a cloth-covered, upright rectangle with hidden controls on top, instead of the Home's oddly shaped cylinder.
Most of the upgrades are under the hood, like the audio system which Goole says is 75 percent louder and has more bass. While our review notes that the bass is relatively strong, the size of the speaker does limit some aspects of its performance. Similar to the Sonos One, the Nest Audio can adjust how it sounds, based on its environment. It can automatically get a little louder if it's noisy, for example. Despite Google's improvements in sound quality, we still think the Sonos One has it beat.
The driving factor here is going to be whether or not you prefer Google Assistant to Amazon Alexa. It's a faster and more forgiving AI, so you can talk to it more naturally; Alexa can require more specificity in how you make your requests. It's also got the power of Google's search engine built into it. Smart-home devices from most brands integrate with the Nest Audio, but not quite as many as the Echo, thanks to its built-in Zigbee hub.
For true Apple fans only, the Apple HomePod Mini has great sound quality but limited voice assistant capabilities.
Introduced in late 2020, the HomePod Mini is a relative newcomer on the smart speaker scene. Priced at $200 less than the HomePod, it fulfills many of the same features but without the same high level of sound quality.
We think it sounds better than Amazon's Echo Dot, especially at higher volumes. This is true both for music and phone calls. One big flaw is that the HomePod Mini doesn't support Spotify. You can still use the streaming service, but you'll have to access it on another device, like an iPad or iPhone. There's also the Handoff feature, which lets you easily transfer music from your phone to the speaker, a bit like Apple's AirDrop. That means you'll need an iPhone or iPad to get full use out of the HomePod Mini.
The Mini uses Siri, which makes it a snap to integrate with your most-used iPhone functions, like Messages. While Siri can do the basic tasks expected from an assistant, it's not as robust as Google Assistant and Alexa. That includes the number of smart home devices it can control, which are mostly limited to Apple's HomeKit products.
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is an affordable smart speaker with most of the functionality and all the convenience of larger, more expensive models.
Amazon's Echo Dot also got an overhaul last year. It looks exactly like the full-sized Echo, but it's smaller, about the size of a softball. Like the Echo, you get all the features of Alexa, including a large array of smart-home-device integration. You can also link to your Amazon Prime account. At half the price, it's a great choice if you're looking for a budget option.
It doesn't have everything the full-sized Echo does, most notably the audio quality. This is not the choice for room-filling sound. However, it's fine for listening to music or podcasts in the bedroom or the kitchen while you cook. There's also a 3.5mm port, so you can plug it into a better speaker and still get the benefits of Alexa.
Priced at $10 more than the standard Echo Dot, it's worth having the convenience of a visible clock, which can also display a timer, alarms, and the temperature outside. However, you can also still pick up the third-generation Echo Dot for $40. For those who don't care much about audio quality, it's a better deal than the new, $50 fourth-generation Echo Dot without a clock.
The Google Nest Mini is a budget-friendly smart speaker that lets you take the power of Google Assistant to any room in the house.
If you're looking to test the waters of the smart speaker market or just looking to build on your existing Google smart network, the Nest Mini packs a lot of functionality into a package that fits almost anywhere. A wall hook on the back lets you hang it on the wall, though it does still need to be plugged in like the rest of the devices listed here.
Like other smart speakers of its size, the Nest Mini will disappoint audiophiles. Our reviewer found that it doesn't get as loud as the Amazon Echo Dot, but it does improve on the sound of the older Google Home Minis. The sound quality is fine for smaller rooms, but it's not the same as what you'll get out of the bigger speakers.
Fans of Google Assistant will find its full functionality in the Mini. It connects with a large array of smart-home devices, as well as running the company's powerful search engine. Answers to many of your queries are never more than a second away. It can access most major streaming music services, internet radio stations, and Google Play Books.
The Sonos Beam is a smart speaker designed specifically with the home theater in mind.
What sets the Sonos Beam apart from other smart speakers is that it's designed specifically for watching movies and TV. The 3.0-channel audio playback gets high marks in our review for delivering clear dialog and deep bass to give you impressive sound quality in a relatively small package. It can also connect to other Sonos speakers and a subwoofer. However, the soundbar itself is powerful enough to be the only speaker you need for an excellent home theater setup, which is good since it's considerably more expensive than most other smart speakers.
Like the Sonos One, it works with either Alexa or Google Assistant. You can use Apple's AirPlay 2 to stream music from your iPhone. It does not support Bluetooth connections for audio streaming, which is one drawback. In addition to all the functionality you'll find in those two smart assistants, the Beam also lets you control your television via voice command. With five far-field microphones built into it, you don't have to leave the couch to ask it to turn up the volume.
It is significantly more expensive than most other smart speakers, but it might be the only speaker you need for your living room.
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri: The main question is which voice assistant you want. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant both feature a powerful AI that also works with a large array of smart-home products and services. Alexa has a slight edge in the number of devices and compatible apps it works with, and it also connects to your Amazon Prime account, allowing you to buy things with a voice command. Google Assistant has the power of the company's search engine baked into it, and it's a little more forgiving if you don't word your question perfectly. While they both support most of the major streaming services, like Spotify and Pandora, be sure to check that it works with the apps you use.
Siri is more limited, but if you have a preference for Apple products and HomeKit, it's powerful enough for most needs.
Audio quality: Another primary consideration in picking a smart speaker is how you plan to use it. If you're just looking for an assistant to have on hand in the kitchen or a replacement for your bedside alarm clock, then one of the smaller, more affordable options will work just fine. If you're prioritizing the audio experience, you'll want to consider one of the models designed with that in mind, especially if you want it to be the primary sound system for a larger room.
Google Assistant versus Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri
Which smart speaker you buy may come down to which smart-home products you use or which services are part of your daily routine. Here are some of the major products and services compatible with each one.
Alexa-compatible smart-home devices: Philips Hue, Ring, Schlage Smart Locks, TP-Link Smart Home Products, Leviton, Insteon, SmartThings, Wink, Caseta Wireless, LI-FX Smart Bulbs, GE Link Smart Bulbs, WeMo, iHome Smart Plugs, iDevices Switches, Nest, Sensi Thermostat, EcoBee Thermostat, Lyric Thermostat, August Smart Lock, Arlo Pro, Nest Cam IQ, Rachio Sprinklers, Garageio Garage Door, iRobot Roomba Smart Vacuums, and so many more. You can see the Echo-compatible products on Amazon here.
Alexa-compatible services: Amazon's Alexa supports more than 100,000 skills, and it supports far too many services to list here. Big ones include Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Sirius XM, Uber, Domino's, StubHub, Audible, Dish, NPR, and so many more. You can also buy things from Amazon with a simple voice command.
Google Assistant-compatible smart-home devices: Chromecast, Chromecast-enabled TVs and speakers, Nest, SmartThings, Philips Hue, LIFX Smart Lights, TP-Link Smart Home, Vivint Home Security, Rachio Sprinklers, Logitech Harmony, Geeni Connected Tech, August Smart Locks, Anova Precision Cooker, Insignia Wi-Fi Smart Plug, Belkin WeMo Insight Smart Plug, iRobot Roomba 960, Honeywell Wi-Fi Thermostat, Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker, Lutron, Ring, and many more. See the full list here.
Google Assistant-compatible services: Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music, TuneIn Radio, YouTube, IFTTT, Netflix, Google Services, Domino's, Food Network, Headspace, MadLibs, and more. See the full list here.
Apple's Siri-compatible smart-home devices: Logitech, Eufy, Nanoleaf, Eve, WeMo, August, Ecobee, Philips Hue, Eero, Linksys, iHome, Lutron, Fibaro, Rachio, and FirstAlert all have devices that work with Apple's HomeKit. See the full list here.
Siri-compatible services: For many services, you'll need to access them on your iPhone or iPad, then use the AirPlay 2 feature to stream them to the HomePod. It is compatible with Pandora, however. The HomePod lacks Alexa's thousands of skills, so you can't use the speaker to order a pizza or a car, for example.
What about privacy?
Both Alexa and Google Assistant record your voice as soon as you say the wake words. However, both companies say that the devices are not recording you until those words are spoken. Collected data is then used to make the device smarter in how it responds to your needs and usage patterns. It's also encrypted, giving you an extra level of protection. Both companies do hold onto that data forever.
The primary concern is that your data can be stolen by hackers or used by Amazon and Google for advertising revenue. The speakers can be muted, so they're not listening, but that means you can't easily wake the device when you want to use it. You can delete voice data from your Echo under "manage my device," or have it automatically delete your voice recordings. You should also opt out if you don't want Amazon to use your voice recordings to improve Alexa. Google has users opt in to a similar service, and you can manage the ways it uses your data under the "my activity" settings.
Apple's devices claim to offer the most privacy and security of any smart speaker. The data collected by Apple is randomized and not associated with your account, and the company deletes the data between the queries and its randomized numerical codes every six months. However, the HomePod doesn't have a physical mute button, like the Echo and Nest speakers do.
Diet and weight loss apps help you keep track of your food habits and promote healthy and sustainable lifestyle changes.
The best apps let you track daily food intake and provide expert insight on how to develop and maintain healthier diets.
We spoke to dietitian, Samantha Cassetty, about how weight loss apps can contribute to positive changes in your health.
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Let's face it, when life hits a few bumps in the road, so, too, do our diets and food habits. As the work from home lifestyle continues on, everyone's getting used to spending an inordinate amount of time confined to their homes and home offices. There are shifts in work production, alterations of one's sleep and exercise habits, and drastic changes to what, when, and how food is consumed.
For most, this can lead to a change in eating habits and schedules that are less healthy than they're typically accustomed to, making it challenging to stay focused on their health and fitness goals. Thankfully, there are plenty of excellent resources a smartphone app away designed to help you stay on track — no matter how difficult it seems.
Both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store offer plenty of apps that promote healthy eating and diet habits. But wading through the choices can be both difficult and time-consuming, as even the best apps aren't always right for everyone.
To help sort through what's available, I spoke to Samantha Cassetty, an MS, RD, and national nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City, for a bit of advice — and her thoughts were especially insightful.
"There are many free and paid apps to help you learn how to eat more healthfully," Cassetty told Insider. "The most important thing is to find one that supports a variety of healthful foods in balanced amounts that are right for your needs."
Noom distinguishes itself from other diet and weight loss apps by not just looking at a user's diet and restricting their intake but instead examining a person's entire lifestyle.
Pros: Comprehensive diet plan, assesses a user's entire health profile, offers a food log and calorie tracker
Cons: Expensive
Noom is unique in that it weighs a variety of factors like age, height, weight, activity level, target goals, medical history, and so on. Then, working in conjunction with a health and nutrition expert, it crafts a plan to help them reach their goals.
The program created for Noom users not only suggests which foods to eat but also introduces physical activity and reinforces healthy habits. The goal is to give the user the tools they need to adjust their current lifestyle gradually, making small changes that can be sustained over time. This approach leads to better health and fitness all around, which makes it a more balanced option for those looking to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable fashion.
The Noom app includes features you'd expect, including a food log, calorie tracker, and an activity monitor. Each tool plays a supporting role when it comes to supporting the app's curated health plan, too. They also provide incentives for users to be more active but in a more mindful way, taking into account caloric intake, fitness levels, and a variety of variables.
The downside of Noom is that it's pricey. Plans start at $17 and go up to $59 per month or $199 for a year, rewarding users for committing to more months at the outset. While Noom's well-rounded approach may be the best in terms of helping users to get healthy and fit, it's price point may be a significant hurdle for many.
Weight Watchers has helped people lose weight for decades and does a great job of making the transition to the digital age.
Pros: Familiar diet plans, offers a barcode scanner for use at the store, has more than 8,000 recommended recipes, allows members to attend workshops and coaching sessions
Cons: App can be glitchy at times and can have trouble logging food
The organization's WW app is designed to supplement its proven dietary plan by putting the resources members need right at their fingertips. That includes a massive database of rated foods using the Weight Watchers point system, putting less emphasis on calories and more on total awareness of exactly what foods you're eating.
The app includes far more features than just a food-tracking database, too. It offers more than 8,000 healthy recipes, a barcode for scanning foods at the grocery store, and the ability to get advice from a diet coach at any time. Members can also connect with one another to offer advice and encouragement, while also earning a variety of tangible rewards — such as water bottles and wireless earbuds — just for leading a healthy lifestyle.
Weight Watchers members get access to the WW app as part of their benefits but the company also offers a digital-only plan for just $19.95 per month. This provides access to all of the app's features but doesn't allow digital-only users to attend workshops and coaching sessions. All things considered, that's a reasonable price for a system proven to work well over time.
For those who are more comfortable managing their own dietary choices and would prefer not to pay anything at all, MyNetDiary is an excellent option.
Pros: An excellent app for anyone on a budget, offers food and exercise tracking and a variety of meal planning options
Cons: The advanced tracking options are behind a paywall
While the app does have some premium features, MyNetDiary's free services are very good, too, and great for anyone on a budget.
Those features include food and exercise tracking, meal planning options, graphical charts to map your progress, daily analysis of eating habits, and even access to a large and active online community. And not only are these services free but they don't require the user to create an account. That means your data stays safe and completely anonymous.
Paying for the premium version of MyNetDiary unlocks a number of other useful upgrades, as well. They include compatibility with Fitbit devices, health tracking for those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic, and personalized diet advice from a nutritionist. Those are handy to have if you need them but aren't necessary to see beneficial functionality from this app.
MyFitnessPal encourages users to think about the things they eat, while also helping them become more active at the same time.
Pros: Offers a wide variety of cardio and strength workouts, has a database of over 11 million different foods, features a barcode scanner for use at the store, and its recipe importer gives you info on custom at-home meals
Cons: $50 annual membership required for the full suite of features
Most health experts will tell you the best way to lose weight is to not only watch what you eat but to ramp up your exercise routine, too. While many diet and weight loss apps focus on one side of that equation, they don't always do an adequate job of addressing the other. That's where MyFitnessPal comes in, acting as both a diet and an exercise coach.
MyFitnessPal comes with a database of more than 11 million foods, as well as a barcode scanner for adding entries to your food log. It also includes a recipe importer for evaluating home-cooked meals, which is especially helpful when trying to get an accurate picture of your current eating habits.
Beyond those features, the app includes more than 300 cardio and strength workouts for a more well-rounded approach to your health and fitness. It even integrates with Apple's HealthKit, as well as the MapMyRun, Garmin, and Fitbit apps to more accurately track steps and workout routines.
Thanks to the MyFitnessPal online community, you'll never feel alone either. This active and knowledgeable group is excellent at providing support, advice, and encouragement to other users.
MyFitnessPal is available for both iOS and Android. It has plenty of free features but requires a $50 annual membership to get the full experience.
Best for food tracking
Lose It! allows users to quickly and easily input the foods they've eaten to calculate their caloric intake for the day — and the app is intuitive enough for anyone to use.
Pros: Easy to use food tracking, intuitive app, can take photos of your food to estimate calories, offers a social aspect to connect with other users
Cons: App can be buggy, requires you to be highly specific about some foods
There are literally dozens of food tracking apps available for your smartphone but thanks to its versatility and smarts, Lose It! is our top pick. Users are able to easily add foods by selecting them from the app's extensive database or by scanning the barcode on a product purchased at the store.
You can even take a photo of your meals in order to get an estimate of how many calories it contains. The app includes a helpful water tracking feature that reminds you to stay hydrated throughout the day, too.
All of this functionality is included in the app for free but a basic $19.99 annual membership unlocks additional features. Those features include a built-in Fitbit-compatible activity tracker, macronutrient goal setting, and access to a detailed and powerful meal planner.
An active community of users also provides a social aspect to using the app, which can be helpful when it comes to looking for support and feedback. The app even has weight loss games and challenges to take part in as well, which does a nice job of providing extra motivation.
Rise is the food tracker that doesn't require an extensive amount of time to use — even minimal input can provide users with immense benefit.
Pros: Doesn't require a lot of effort to make use of its benefits, simplifies the diet process, makes use of an easy-to-use food photo system that tracks what you eat
Cons: Expensive at roughly $48 per month
Generally speaking, in order to see positive gains from a weight loss app, users need to put in a good deal of effort. Remembering to log meals and snacks, keeping track of workouts, and staying on top of the latest nutritional information requires a fair amount of time in our already-busy schedules.
To make things easier, the Rise app takes a more streamlined approach. It requires a minimal amount of input from users while still providing plenty of helpful advice to assist in achieving their fitness goals.
With Rise, you won't be scanning bar codes, searching through food databases, or entering individual ingredients into the app. Instead, users just snap a photo of their meal or snack and upload it to their account. Then, a personal nutritionist reviews the photo and offers an analysis based on the goals they've set. This not only provides helpful feedback but adds a measure of accountability that goes a long way towards keeping users on track.
While Rise takes the drudgery out of the process, the simplicity that it provides comes at a price with monthly fees start at around $48 per month. This does make it pricey for a dietary service accessed through an app, though it's still much cheaper than paying for an on-call personal nutritionist — which is essentially what you get here.
Fooducate is the informational tool you need if you're looking to improve your nutrition yet don't know where to start.
Pros: An excellent informative tool to help people become more aware of their nutrition, uses an easy to understand grading system for a variety of foods, offers insightful tips on what to look out for when shopping
One of the best ways to improve your health and all-around eating habits is to bring healthier, more nutritious food into your home. Fooducate is an app designed to help you do just that by keeping users informed about the benefits and drawbacks of what they eat. The app is even smart enough to suggest healthier alternatives to favorite foods, should there be other options available.
Using Fooducate is extremely easy, too. Simply scan the barcode on any product at the grocery store and it provides a letter grade for the nutritional value of that item ranging from A+ to D-. Accompanying that letter grade is an explanation of why the product received the grade it did, including valuable information about the nutritional content it offers.
The app also points out important things to be aware of, including whether or not a product contains added sugars, artificial coloring or sweeteners, or other unhealthy additives. This allows consumers to make more informed decisions at the grocery store, while also assisting with finding healthier alternatives.
Fooducate has other features beyond just scanning products at the grocery store. It also serves as a health tracker, offers insightful diet tips, and provides delicious and healthy recipes. But its engaged and active community is one of its best assets, with users sharing tips and suggestions with one another on a constant basis. That kind of support is an incredibly helpful feature for anyone struggling to eat healthier and lead a better all-around lifestyle.
Using a smartphone to track your diet isn't a new idea as some of the earliest apps on Apple's App Store were aimed at helping iPhone users eat healthier. After all, it's likely you carry a mobile device with you everywhere, making it ideal for providing insights and advice on what you should buy at the grocery store or order at a restaurant.
Some of the apps that are available even create extensive meal plans, provide diet and exercise routines, or offer consultations from dietitians and nutritionists. Others simply track what you eat in order to raise awareness of the calories you're taking in. Cassetty says there are benefits to both and that even basic food trackers are valuable.
"Free tools allow you to track your food intake, which is a form of self-monitoring that's been found helpful for reaching or maintaining a comfortable weight," she said. "They can also expose when you might be grazing or over-snacking, which happens when you're spending more time working at home with a stocked kitchen."
Why making healthy changes takes more than an app
While Cassetty said she finds plenty of value in the use of smartphone apps to track dietary intake, she also urges caution, saying that "unless you're getting the tools and information you need to make lasting changes, it's unlikely you'll be able to maintain any weight you've lost."
She recommends working on developing an understanding of how to balance meals so they fill you up while tasting great at the same time. She also stresses the importance of developing healthier coping strategies rather than turning to food when we're bored, stressed, anxious, depressed, or even happy.
"Rather than focus on a goal weight, I think a better way to go is to focus on small steps you can take to create healthier habits," Cassetty said. "Examples include, limiting soda, upping your veggie intake at lunch and dinner, cooking an extra meal or two, drinking more water, and aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep each night."
Those are words of wisdom, no doubt, but Cassetty also expressed the importance of cutting ourselves some slack when things get especially stressful and difficult.
"I think it's important to be flexible and compassionate with yourself during these challenging times," she added. "You may not be able to eat as well as you'd like or maintain your healthy routines, and that's alright. As long as you're putting in some effort — versus none at all — it's a step in the right direction."
TikTok has become a launching point for a new crop of internet stars and upstart media brands. Many are using the app to build out full-fledged businesses.
But TikTok's recent growth hasn't only benefited newcomers. The app has also been a boon for some traditional media companies.
Publishers like The Washington Post, NPR's "Planet Money," and Yahoo News have turned to TikTok to reach new audiences, adapting their existing content to fit with the app's culture and short-video format.
"45% of our new audience growth in 2020 was from TikTok," Barstool Sports' CEO Erika Nardini told Insider last month.
"TikTok doesn't have to bear the pressure of monetization," Nardini said. "I'm more interested in TikTok on creating content that people like there that works there and then finding ways when we do monetize that it's accretive to the experience."
Insider spoke with 4 media publishers to understand more about their strategies for building an engaged audience on TikTok:
Barstool Sports (12.8 million TikTok followers)
Barstool Sports has built a following of more than 12 million TikTok fans on its main account (and millions more fans on the TikTok accounts of its podcast shows and on-air personalities).
The company told Insider that TikTok was its top source for new audience growth last year.
To build its TikTok audience, Barstool has focused on posting content that fits with what's popular on the app, rather than repurposing its existing IP.
"You've got to study the platform," Barstool Sports' CEO Erika Nardini said. "If you look at a more traditional company or a legacy company or a league, they think about it the opposite way. They're like, 'What do we have rights to and how can we cut this thing up and put this thing in all the places that we can?' They start by looking at themselves, and we start by looking at the platform."
The company's work on TikTok has extended outside the app as well. Barstool is currently partnered with TikTok star Josh Richards to co-host one of its new podcasts, "BFFs."
The media brand Brother already had tens of million of subscribers on Snapchat when its parent company Team Whistle decided to venture onto TikTok.
The company has since attracted more than a million followers. Brother's main TikTok account is a mix of reshared user-generated content and original videos with on-air personalities who host short segments. Recent videos have featured daredevil mountain biking and an impressive display of back flips.
Brother pays close attention to TikTok trends when it considers what videos to post.
"I think you want to be able to participate in trends as they're taking off," Joe Caporoso, EVP of content and brand platforms at Whistle, told Insider. "To properly manage any account day-to-day, whether it's TikTok or any other platforms, a big part of the community management is just kind of having your head in the app every single day to see what's taking off."
"With Brother, it feels a little less like an actual media-publisher brand," he added. "We try to drive it more with the personalities and the people who are actually on camera."
NPR's "Planet Money" joined TikTok in May 2020 and now has around 300,000 followers.
The team built this audience on TikTok by converting its podcast and video content into short, funny economics explainer videos. The group is also part of TikTok's Creative Learning Fund, a fund that pays creators and media publishers to post educational videos on the app.
"We scanned pretty hard looking for other economics explainers on TikTok, and there was like the World Economic Forum posting facts over slow pans of stock photos of cities," Alex Goldmark, the podcast's senior supervising producer, told Insider. "There was almost [nobody] doing something similar in our beat, and so it was a wide-open opportunity to just create a style."
The "Planet Money" team enlisted its 24-year-old production assistant Jack Corbett to host videos. Corbett has become a TikTok star on his own, making a guest appearance in a recent video on The Washington Post's TikTok account.
The team's explainer videos, lo-fi content style (Corbett shoots videos at home using a bed sheet as a green screen), and chats with users in the app's comments section have helped the brand grow.
"Stylistically, I wasn't really looking to try and mimic anything that was on the platform," Corbett said.
The news publisher told Insider that it had grown on the app by using TikTok's built-in features like livestreaming and by posting videos on stories that appeal to a younger audience.
"We play close attention to the topics in the news that Gen Z cares about," Julia Munslow, special projects editor at Yahoo News, told Insider. "So looking at things like social justice issues [and] student loan debt."
Like "Planet Money," the company regularly interacts with users in the comments section of videos. And The Yahoo team often broadcasts events like the White House press briefing using TikTok's "live" feature. Munslow will also use TikTok's "green screen,""duet," and "stitch" effects in videos to drive engagement.
"We're keeping a close eye on trends on the platform to begin with, and then we're really just leveraging all of the features that TikTok has to see what resonates with our audience and what helps us to deliver the news in the most effective way possible," Munslow said.
With winter in full swing, some are seeking a domestic option for a warm-weather vacation, while others may be looking to take advantage of lower prices in East Coast beach areas like Cape Cod and the Hamptons for a crowd-free and calming weekend away.
After all, who doesn't want to wake up to the sound of waves crashing right outside their back porch, or take a moonlit stroll along the sand after the sun goes down? Though, if you'd prefer to cool off in an Airbnb with a private pool instead, we have plenty of options for that too.
For those who are worried about safety when it comes to booking an Airbnb, according to experts, booking an entire home rental may be one of the safest options for travelers right now. Airbnb has also rolled out new Enhanced Clean protocols, though not all hosts are necessarily taking part in the program.
While the urge to get out into the world is strong, there is no guarantee that travel is safe just yet. That's why we strongly encourage following guidelines and advice from leading health organizations including the CDC. It's also prudent to stay up to date on the local and state laws before planning a vacation of any kind, along with being proactive when it comes to wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, and maintaining social distancing no matter where you go.
That said, if a beach vacation is on your mind, from sea to shining blue sea there's no shortage of beautiful beachfront options across the US.
We rounded up some of the top-rated Airbnb beach houses in the US using the following criteria:
Airbnb listing is for the entire home (no awkward bathroom share situations).
All are highly-rated Airbnb listings with a rating of 4.8 or higher.
All listings are right on or next to the beach.
The homes offer strong value in terms of price, offerings, amenities, and location.
Here are the best Airbnb beach houses, sorted by price from low to high.
The charming seaside town of Gloucester, pronounced Glah-Sta, in coastal New England comes alive in the summertime. From long walks on a private beach to romantic dinners on the deck, this one-bedroom beachside retreat will make a great little getaway for couples.
Not only does the property come with a beachfront location, but beach passes are included, which would otherwise run between $25 to $30 per day. You may also book indulgent add-ons from in-house massages to whale watching expeditions directly with the host for added convenience.
While this is a separate guest suite with its own private entrance, the entire cottage consists of three units that are each rented separately. Though, you can combine listings to book the entire property.
This home has availability starting at the end of April.
Rating: 4.98
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts. In addition, the host is offering assigned beach chairs and beach towels to guests, as well as providing a spray bottle of disinfectant for guests to use at their own discretion.
Cozy one-bedroom in North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, $99
A cozy one-bedroom condo set directly on North Topsail Beach in North Carolina, this is a great option for couples or small families looking for a low-key beach getaway. The bedroom comes with a queen bed and there are also two twin bunk beds built directly into the hallway.
Completely renovated in 2020, the apartment has a nautical-beach theme decorated in soft blue and yellow hues. Guests that have stayed here love the location and soaking up the views from the living room and beachfront balcony.
One recent reviewer raved, saying "We thoroughly enjoyed our stay! It was a perfect location right on the beach and just a short drive to places to shop and eat. The place was clean, the decor beautiful, and they even included thoughtful touches such as a snack basket for us to enjoy! And it was one of the most memorable family vacations that we have ever had in this area."
This home still has plenty of open dates available over the next few months.
Rating: 4.91
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Oceanfront condo with a pool in Cape Canaveral, Florida, $139
Serenity awaits at this Airbnb Plus oceanfront condo in Florida's Cape Canaveral. Set on a beautiful private beach, this one-bedroom, one-bath home is a great place to spend your days kayaking, paddle boarding, or enjoying some much needed time by the shared pool.
Within minutes of downtown Port Canaveral and the iconic Cocoa Beach Pier, past guests here loved the sun-filled patio and the cool beach vibes. The carefully curated spot has a dreamy seascape decor that includes pillows embroidered with waves, mermaid lamps, pastel blue accents, and a mirror made of boat oars.
Availability is limited in March and April, but wide open in May.
Rating: 4.88
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Gulf view home on Saint George Island, Florida, $175
A three-bed, two-bath house that's been completely remodeled, this Saint George Island escape in the Florida panhandle offers views of the gulf's emerald waters with easy access to soft sandy shores.
Home to the most unspoiled, serene beaches in the Sunshine State, a particular perk of this listing is the uninterrupted views from the huge deck. The outdoor shower, fish cleaning station, and charcoal grill are additional perks guests will love taking advantage of.
The house is also pet-friendly and allows up to two dogs up to 50 pounds.
This popular home books up fast and has limited availability until August. It may be worth booking a late summer or early fall trip now.
Rating: 4.98
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Spacious beach house in Hilton Head, South Carolina, $193
Located on half an acre along Port Royal Sound, this three-bed, four-bath manse is capable of sleeping up to 10 people. Adjacent to a 40-acre nature preserve, staying here comes with direct views over the sound, plus private access to the beach.
With an expansive, well-groomed yard for playing or relaxing under large oak trees covered in Spanish Moss, the house is also open to those looking to host a small, picture-perfect wedding or retreat with the beach and ocean as the backdrop.
This popular spot still has a few scattered dates open over the next few months.
Rating: 4.88
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
If luxury finishes and panoramic views of the ocean sounds like your kind of vibe, then consider this oceanfront haunt in Saco, Maine. Enjoy coffee or wine from the upstairs balcony before taking a walk along Ferry Beach or Camp Ellis Pier.
Ideal for bigger groups, the listing includes two bedrooms and common spaces that are capable of sleeping up to eight people. Though, the standout draw is no doubt the beachfront location and gorgeous water views, along with the quiet community the house is located in. The home offers the chance to catch particularly stunning sunrises and sunsets.
Other perks include a Smart TV with Netflix, beach chairs, and free parking included in the stay, as well as a digital guidebook handy for helping guests explore the area.
This listing still has several days available in March and is wide open in April and May.
Rating: 4.83
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Waterfront nest cottage in Long Beach, Mississippi, $239
Set on the Mississippi Gulf Coast on ever-popular Long Beach, the nest waterfront cottage features breathtaking views over the gulf, a spacious front porch, and direct beachfront access.
A great option for family vacations or trips with groups, the two bedrooms can easily accommodate up to six people. The large patio with comfy wicker furniture and idyllic views also sets this listing apart from others in the area.
Inside, modern interiors include a spacious kitchen with marble countertops, soaking tubs in the bathrooms, and living room couches that face views of the water.
There are scattered dates open in March and April with full availability starting in May.
Rating: 5.0
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Cozy ocean view cabin in Trinidad, California, $242
Tucked away in verdant Patrick Point State Park in northern California, this rustic two-bedroom cabin features incredible ocean views amid a private forest atmosphere.
Some of the top-rated features include the oversized Jacuzzi hot tub, a picnic area overlooking the ocean, and a fire pit for roasting marshmallows after a long beach day. The yard offers ample space for enjoying time outside away from any crowds, and lucky guests might even spot whales while relaxing in the Adirondack chairs on the lawn.
The house is set on steep cliffs, which means you have phenomenal views, but won't be able to walk right out onto the beach. Instead, you will have to wind your way down to the shores below.
This popular home has a few scattered dates available over the next few months.
Rating: 5.0
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Beachfront home with bay views in Milton, Delaware, $400
Featuring both beachfront and bayfront views, this spacious four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in the quiet community of Broadkill Beach in Milton, Delaware offers unobstructed water views from almost every room.
The home has a coastal design with plenty of natural light and soft tones. The well-equipped kitchen includes unique tiling, a large island, and turquoise bar stools ideal for grabbing a quick bite to eat or enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning.
One room includes bunk beds decked out in comforters with a cute whale pattern for kids. Past guests particularly liked the quiet location and beautiful sunrises over the bay.
This listing tends to book far in advance with the first available dates in May. It may even be worth planning and booking a beach trip for 2022 now.
Rating: 5.0
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Romantic beachfront apartment in Malibu, California, $485
For a little seaside romance, this sweet one-bedroom Airbnb Plus listing is well-placed on the iconic shores of Malibu for sweeping, dramatic views that feel like plucked from a Nicholas Sparks novel.
Light and airy, this seaside haven is impeccably decorated with pristine white fixtures that stand out against natural wood floors and beams. Unique details like a small, wire Eiffel Tower perched on an antique desk and old framed letters and clippings add whimsical charm.
Fall asleep to the sound of ocean waves after enjoying drinks on the deck as you catch a sunset. The comfy deck chairs also beckon guests to curl up for an afternoon snooze by the sea.
This super popular house tends to book almost a year in advance. The first available dates are in December and it may be well worth it to book for 2022 now.
Rating: 4.99
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Beach cottage with amazing views in Cannon Beach, Oregon, $508
This modern beachfront property in beautiful Cannon Beach, Oregon has easy beach access just 100 feet from the front door.
Inside, large picture windows offer unobstructed ocean views and a gas fireplace makes for a cozy spot on chilly evenings. The outdoor shower is a nice way to rinse away sand after a beach day and the addition of an outdoor balcony or a nightly bonfire with s'mores in the yard add nice curbside appeal.
The pet-friendly home is located on a quiet residential street with free street parking, and is within easy access of plenty of shops, grocery stores, and restaurants.
This listing has some availability in March and April and opens up even more in May.
Rating: 4.98
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Chic beachfront cottage in North Fork, New York, $650
Set on a secluded stretch of Long Island's illustrious North Fork, this two-bedroom beachfront cottage is a great place to hang beachside or go wine tasting at one of the area's many charming vineyards.
Wander along the private beach path before dining alfresco at the picnic-style outdoor table. An Airbnb Plus listing, the cottage's chic palette features crisp, minimalist whites and neutrals, creating a sense of serene seaside solitude ideal for a quiet getaway.
This home still has several open dates over the next few months.
Rating: 4.95
COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.
Hairballs are inevitable for cats, but there are plenty of great hairball remedies, medicines, and prevention tools out there.
Our top pick is Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy for Cats, which gently lubricates your cat's digestive tract to relieve hairball-related constipation and to prevent the formation of hairballs in the future.
This article was medically reviewed by Karie Johnson, DVM, veterinarian and co-founder of VIP Vet Visit, a mobile vet service in the south suburbs of Chicago.
In the process of grooming, cats ingest a significant amount of their own fur, which can complicate their digestion. Hair cannot be broken down by the digestive process, and it doesn't pass easily through a cat's gastrointestinal tract so, while some of the swallowed hair is expelled in the stool, the rest of it forms a dense hairball that the cat vomits up.
It is completely normal for a cat to have occasional hairballs. If they occur frequently, however, it could cause a dangerous blockage in the digestive tract. Brushing a cat daily to keep them from overgrooming themselves will help reduce hairballs. If these things aren't enough, however, you might need to consider an alternative remedy.
Remedies for hairballs come in a variety of different forms from high-fiber foods to gels and pastes. Because there are so many options out there, it can be difficult to make a choice. Fortunately for you, we've done the work in researching the different hairball remedies to bring you our top picks, including supplements, lubricant gels, and treats.
Here are the best hairball remedies you can buy for your cat:
Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy for Cats provides quick relief from hairball-related constipation and supports your cat's digestive tract to prevent hairballs in the future.
Pros: Made with mineral and vegetable oils to lubricate your cat's digestive tract, helps your cat safely pass hairballs instead of vomiting them up, comes in a variety of cat-approved flavors, gel formula is easy to administer, comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee
Cons: Some cats don't enjoy the flavor, consistency is a little thinner than some gel lubricants, contains petroleum-based ingredients (except the natural chicken flavor)
If your cat vomits up hairballs frequently or suffers from constipation related to hairballs, you need to act quickly to resolve the problem. One of the most effective solutions for hairballs and related constipation is a stimulant laxative called laxatone. Though some versions of the drug require a veterinarian's prescription, there are also a number of over-the-counter (OTC) options. Our top choice for OTC laxatone hairball control laxatives is Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy for Cats.
Tomlyn Laxatone Gel has been trusted by pet owners for more than 35 years to safely and gently relieve hairballs in cats. This product is made with both mineral and vegetable oils in a palatable tuna-flavored gel that will lubricate your cat's digestive tract, helping him to safely pass hairballs instead of coughing them up onto your floor. In addition to the tuna flavor, this product also comes in maple, chicken, and catnip flavors.
Insider Picks' guide editor Malarie Gokey used it on her cat once with great success. Her cat licked it up off a spoon and went back to normal shortly thereafter.
Pros: Provides a safe and natural way to prevent hairballs, free from petroleum-based ingredients, lubricates hairballs so they can pass through the digestive system, chicken-flavored for palatability, recommended by veterinarians and the National Animal Supplement Council, each bottle contains a one- to two-month supply
Cons: Tablet may need to be broken into pieces for consumption, some cats may not like the flavor, not for use in kittens younger than 12 weeks old
They say that prevention is the best medicine and that is certainly true when it comes to hairballs. In addition to feeding your cat a healthy and highly digestible diet, you might also consider a supplement to promote healthy digestion for hairball prevention. Our top pick for hairball prevention in cats is Vet's Best Hairball Relief Digestive Aid supplements.
Made from all-natural ingredients like slippery elm bark, marshmallow root, papaya, and psyllium seed, Vet's Best Hairball Relief Digestive Aid supplements support your cat's digestive system and lubricate hairballs so they can pass harmlessly through his digestive tract. This formula is free from petroleum-based ingredients and features a delicious chicken flavor. Each bottle contains 60 tablets to provide a full 30 days of hairball prevention for your cat.
The chewable supplements are easy to administer and chicken-flavored to entice finicky cats. Simply break the tab into pieces and feed twice daily for the best results.
The best gel hairball medicine
Not only is this Nutri-Vet Hairball Paw Gel free from petroleum-based ingredients, but it contains natural ingredients that lubricate your cat's digestive tract, support healthy skin and coat, and minimize shedding.
Pros: Free from petroleum-based ingredients, rich in natural oils for healthy skin and coat, gentle lubricants help hairballs to pass safely through the digestive tract, available in chicken and salmon flavor, thick gel is easy to administer
Cons: Some cats may not like the flavor, thick gel may slide off the paw
Useful both for the prevention and treatment of hairballs in cats, lubricant gels work by coating swallowed hair, allowing it to pass through the cat's digestive system and out in the stool. These gels may also lubricate the colon itself to prevent water from being reabsorbed from the stool, keeping stools soft and the entire digestive system hydrated. Many hairball lubricants are made with petrolatum, but some cat owners prefer to avoid refined petroleum products. If you are looking for a petroleum-free hairball lubricant gel, our top pick is Nutri-Vet Hairball Paw Gel.
Nutri-Vet Hairball Paw Gel is 100% petroleum-free, made with natural oils and lubricants to aid in the elimination and prevention of hairballs in adult cats and kittens. This formula also contains nutritional supplements to support healthy skin and coat while minimizing shedding. The gel is available in both chicken and salmon flavors that many cats find delicious, and is easy to administer. Simply squeeze a little gel directly onto your cat's paw for your cat to lick off as a tasty treat or serve on top of his kibble or canned food.
The best hairball prevention treats
Loaded with chicken-based protein and plant-based fibers, these Feline Greenies Hairball Control Smart Bites work to minimize hairball formation and aid digestion while also giving your cat a boost of healthy nutrition.
Pros: Designed by a licensed veterinarian to prevent hairballs; made with plant-based fibers to minimize hairball formation and aid digestion; contains 29% crude protein, 19% crude fat, and 6.5% crude fiber; made with protein-rich chicken; available in chicken and tuna flavor; crunchy outer texture with soft center is appealing to many cats
Cons: Contains petroleum-based ingredients, some cats don't like the flavor, some cats may not like the hard texture
Some cats turn up their noses at hairball control gels or they won't take supplements. If your cat is particularly finicky, or if you're looking for a product to give him an extra boost of hairball protection, hairball control treats might be the way to go. Designed by a licensed veterinarian for hairball prevention, Feline Greenies Hairball Control Smart Bites are our top choice for hairball control treats.
In addition to minimizing hairball formation, these dual-textured treats also provide your cat with healthy nutrients to support overall health and wellness. Feline Greenies Hairball Control Smart Bites are made with a unique combination of plant-based fibers to minimize hairball formation and aid digestion. The treats also contain 25 milligrams of petrolatum per serving to help lubricate the digestive tract, allowing ingested hair to pass gently through without causing a dangerous obstruction. Available in both chicken and tuna flavor and packed with protein, each treat is less than 2 calories.
Insider Picks' guides editor Malarie Gokey gives these treats to her cat regularly, because they help prevent hairball formation and her cat loves to chase them around the house.
Sunscreen should be a part of your daily skin-care routine year-round.
Mineral sunscreens are generally regarded as an effective alternative to chemical ones.
We spoke with celebrity dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman about the need-to-knows for mineral sunscreen.
Every time we step outside, our skin is exposed to harmful UVA and UVB rays. Even 10 minutes of sun exposure per day can add up to significant sun damage over time. Using sunscreen is a simple and necessary step to keep skin looking healthy, and, more importantly, for preventing health risks like skin cancer. During the summer, when the sun's exposure is at its height, it's more important than ever to get serious about protecting your skin.
Recently, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the effects of chemical sunscreens— more specifically, the ingredients oxybenzone and avobenzone — on our overall health. The question of whether or not these ingredients affect our bodies long-term has yet to be answered, but what we know is that they've been found to linger in our blood system after use. If you'd feel more comfortable forgoing any ingredients in question, mineral sunscreens are a great alternative.
On a mission to find a daily mineral sunscreen that blends easily into skin, I reached out to an expert. Dr. Dendy Engelman, board-certified dermatologic surgeon and celebrity dermatologist, stepped in to give us the low-down on mineral sunscreens. Below, we round up seven mineral sunscreens, as recommended by Dr. Engleman and our team of testers.
These are the best lightweight mineral sunscreens in 2021:
Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky
SkinMedica Essential Defense Mineral Shield
Product Card (small)
The Essential Defense sunscreens are non-comedogenic, paraben-free, hypoallergenic, oil-free, and fragrance-free. "Additionally, since they're physical blockers (containing titanium dioxide and zinc), they're good for people with sensitive skin or those recovering from skin procedures," Dr. Dendy says. "Physical sunscreens work better for people with heat-activated skin (ie, rosacea and redness) since they deflect the heat and energy from the sun. The tint in this also helps to minimize and camouflage redness."
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Liquid Face Sunscreen - SPF 50
Product Card (small)
If you're looking for an affordable mineral option, this is it. Neutrogena has a range of sunscreens for different skin types. The Sensitive Skin Liquid Face Sunscreen is a thin, lightweight formula that's hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, oil-free, and perfect for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin. It's non-comedogenic, too, so it won't cause breakouts and feels weightless under makeup or on its own. — Remi Rosmarin, commerce reporter
Colorescience Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen Brush
Product Card (small)
Applying sunscreen in the morning under your makeup is important, but you won't be protected all day unless you reapply. Most sunscreens need to be applied every two hours to stay effective. If you're wearing a face of makeup, reapplying a lotion can be difficult — do you take off the makeup and do it all over again? Or, do you rub more lotion on top of your look and just risk it all? This powder sunscreen solves that conundrum.
The Sunforgettable Sunscreen brush is easy to carry around and use. The tube twists up to reveal a brush that deposits the product for you, and when you're done it fits easily into your purse or pocket. And don't think that just because it's powder it's any less effective — a sweep of this brush over your face will keep your makeup set and cover skin with a protective SPF 50. Dr. Engelman also uses a powder sunscreen brush to reapply during the day. —Remi Rosmarin, commerce writer
Farmacy Green Defense
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This mineral sunscreen uses a few unexpected ingredients to bolster protection from UVA and UVB rays. Alongside titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, the formula includes marigold and black chokeberry extracts. These natural antioxidants not only guard skin against environmental pollutants, but also protect against the blue light emitted from our smartphones, computers, and tablets.
This formula is lightweight, not greasy, and doesn't leave any residue on your face. It's my personal choice for my morning routine. I'm always sure to rub some of this onto my face, whether I'm wearing a foundation with added SPF or not. It goes on smooth, blends in nicely, and doesn't really smell like anything.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Mineral Sunscreen
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With more than 60 beauty awards and over 1,000 Amazon reviews, La Roche-Posay's Anthelios sunscreen is a favorite among dermatologists and beauty editors alike. It's also our top pick for the best facial sunscreen you can buy. The brand's exclusive Cell-Ox Shield technology — a combination of physical sun filters and antioxidants — provides broad-spectrum protection and further protects the skin from free radicals, which cause photoaging.
You can choose from a lightly tinted or non-tinted version, and while the tinted one doesn't pride enough coverage to replace a foundation, it at least reduces the appearance of any film on the skin, especially if you have a darker complexion. While many sunscreens are thick, this lightweight formula is liquidy like a serum, which makes it almost melt into your skin. On some busy mornings, I have run out of the house with only this on my face and still felt like I had lathered on a hydrating moisturizer.
Supergoop! 100% Mineral Smooth and Poreless Matte Screen
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Supergoop!'s Smooth and Poreless Matte sunscreen wants to be your makeup primer, too. It's formulated with natural ingredients like mulberry root to brighten and even skin tone, as well as butterfly bush extract to protect against blue light, which our skin is constantly exposed to these days. A matte finish makes sure you won't look greasy on hot, sweaty summer days. If you're looking for a one-stop mineral sunscreen, one that can be the only thing you put on before leaving the house, this is a great option.
Naturally Serious Mineral Sun Defense Moisturizer
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If you like to keep your morning routine minimal, this mineral sunscreen is a great choice. It's a hydrating moisturizer as well as a physical sunscreen, featuring ingredients like argan oil, vitamin E, and squalane that work to soften skin like your favorite morning cream would. It also gives an antioxidant boost to protect skin from free-radical damage. The formula is lightly tinted, but the color is universal and made to seamlessly blend no matter your skin tone.
FAQs about mineral sunscreen
How do mineral sunscreens work?
Mineral sunscreens (also called physical blockers) contain active mineral ingredients, such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These ingredients work by sitting on top of the skin to deflect and scatter damaging UV rays, whereas chemical sunscreens penetrate deeper and convert UV rays into heat that then gets released from the skin.
Mineral sunscreens are a great choice for people with sensitive, acne-prone, and rosacea-affected skin. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF of 30 or higher, and Dr. Engelman cautions that the product needs to be applied generously and in all areas exposed to the sun, or else UV light can still get between the molecules.
What ingredients to look for when buying a mineral sunscreen
If you're looking to avoid chemical sunscreens and use a mineral option instead, make sure to read your labels. Here are the ingredients you should look for, and avoid, when searching for a mineral sunscreen.
Apple sells several different types of iPads, which means you should be sure to pick a case that fits your specific model.
The best cases offer a combination of protection, utility, and style.
Whether you're looking for rugged protection, a super slim sleeve, or a keyboard attachment, we've got you covered.
Apple's iPads are great for content creation and consumption, and their incredible portability means you can stream Netflix or take notes from almost anywhere. Whether you're using your iPad at home or on-the-go, a good case can protect it from dents, scratches, and other scuffs.
From cases that offer heavy-duty protection to thin covers for preventing smudges, there's a case to fit your needs. Each iPad is a bit different, so you'll want to make sure you choose a case specifically designed for the model you're using. Even iPads that are very similar in design, like the 11-inch iPad Pro and fourth generation iPad Air, differ when it comes to their specific dimensions.
The two goals of any iPad case should be protection and function. A case should protect the iPad from scratches, dents, dirt, and other damage while also adding some utility, like providing a way to prop it up for watching video or offering a keyboard for typing.
The best general use iPad cases provide a mix of both while keeping the tablet thin and light.
We've been covering tech products and testing iPad cases for nearly a decade. In that time, we've seen a lot of great designs and others that aren't worth your time.
ESR iPad cases offer a fantastic mix of protection and function while remaining affordable.
Pros: Affordable price, variety of styles and models, great mix of functionality and protection
Cons: Quality doesn't match cases from Apple and other more expensive brands
I've used several ESR cases over the years on different iPad models, and each has done what I needed it to do: protect my iPad.
The materials hold up well enough over time and don't feel too cheap either. The rubber-like TPU plastic probably won't prevent a dent if you drop the iPad from higher than a few feet, but it has protected it from minor dings when I've bumped it on a door handle in the past.
ESR cases aren't the most expensive or fancy iPad cases, but you won't feel embarrassed putting your iPad in them either. They're simple, utilitarian cases that protect the iPad from the hazards of daily use.
ESR's Rebound Slim Smart Case is the one I recommend for most people because it's affordable and offers protection from scuffs and scrapes. It has a scratch-resistant, transparent back cover and a three-fold front flap so you can prop your iPad up at multiple angles for watching movies or joining conference calls.
Flip the case around and the shallow angle is perfect for typing on the iPad. The case has a cutout for the second-generation Apple Pencil so you can attach it to the side of the tablet and charge it without removing the case.
There are Rebound Slim cases to fit all the different iPad models, but ESR also makes other case variants like the Yippee Trifold or the Urban Premium Folio that should match your needs if the Rebound Slim doesn't.
The best iPad cases for protection
OtterBox's iPad cases protect the tablet more than your average case without adding a ton of bulk.
OtterBox gained its reputation for protecting Apple devices, and its iPad cases are the best for people who want stronger drop protection for their tablet. Whether you want the extra sturdy Defender Series cases or something that looks a bit nicer like the Symmetry Series, OtterBox likely has an iPad case for you.
All of the company's cases have also been drop tested and are backed by OtterBox's lifetime warranty. You can get cases for all of the current iPad models. The Defender cases are extra protective, but a bit bland looking. However, if you want top-notch drop protection, they're a good choice.
The Symmetry Series cases are nicer looking, and many of them are folio style cases that include a front cover for your iPad.
For the iPad Pro models, we like the Symmetry 360 cases because they completely surround the tablet in sturdy plastic and other scratch-resistant materials to protect it from every angle.
When you open the front cover, the iPad Pro auto-wakes and when you shut it, it goes to sleep. The case can be used to prop up the tablet in various positions for viewing or typing. The clear back is nice because it allows you to show off your selected iPad Pro color instead of hiding it.
The case has a locking strap for a secure closure, and it guarantees the front magnetic flap cover stays in place at all times. This is helpful for keeping the iPad protected when you need to quickly shove it into a bag. If you do have an Apple Pencil attached to the side of the iPad for charging and storage, the locking strap will cover the Pencil and keep it secured as well.
If you're looking for a case that will guard against minor and major bumps, there's very little downside to the OtterBox Symmetry Series 360. The case comes in light gray, dark gray, and burgundy colors depending on the model.
Even though OtterBox cases are made to be tough, I appreciate that they still have an attractive design, meaning you don't have to choose between looks and protection.
The best iPad cases from Apple
Apple's own iPad cases come in many forms, including keyboard cases, and strike a compelling balance between protection and minimalism.
Pros: Well made, designed to fit perfectly, attractive designs, auto-wake and sleep features, keyboard case connects seamlessly to iPad
Cons: Expensive, limited colors for each season, no backlit keys on the non-magic keyboards, expensive
Although Apple iPad cases are often expensive and cost more than most of the other options in our guide, they are still excellent. If you want a case that has a perfect fit and sleek look, you can't go wrong with one of these. Whether you want a basic folio or a keyboard case, Apple has an option.
The most popular version of Apple's iPad cases are its Smart Folio cases. The folio wraps around the entire iPad to cover the front and the back from scratches. It utilizes magnets on the front and back to keep the case securely in place, but can be removed at a moment's notice with a little extra force.
Unfortunately, Apple's Smart Folio lacks complete protection, so for the price, you're still not completely covered. The bottom and side remain exposed so your iPad won't escape dents if it's dropped on a hard surface. You'll want to select Apple's option if you don't need a heavy-duty case, but prefer the minimal cover to keep food, dirt, and random objects from messing up the tablet.
Apple's Smart Folio Keyboard case works with its iPad Pro models and fourth generation iPad Air, while the Smart Keyboard case works with the iPad Air (3rd generation), older 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and standard iPad (7th and 8th generation). Both are stellar keyboard options, even though they're very expensive — ranging from $159 to $179 in price.
What does that price get you? The best in class wrap-around case that attaches with magnets for a slim and sleek design. The keys are completely covered in fabric so there's no way for food or liquid to seep underneath and create problems typing.
Probably the biggest feature is that the keyboard case doesn't require any pairing or charging. It connects through the contacts on the iPad and transmits data and power. As soon as the iPad is opened into the typing position it's active and ready to go and as soon as it's folded, it's deactivated and won't register unwanted key presses.
Of course, the newer Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pad Pro costs $299, making all of these other Apple keyboards seem much more affordable. However, it may be worth its high price because of its features. It offers a great keyboard and trackpad, but its unique hinge that doesn't fold completely back ultimately makes it less of a case than the Keyboard Folio and more of a keyboard stand.
The best iPad keyboard cases
Logitech's iPad keyboard cases are backlit, so you can see what you're typing in low-light, and they're more affordable than Apple's keyboard cases.
Pros: Backlit, function keys, native trackpad support on some cases, great typing experience, more affordable than Apple's keyboard cases
Cons: Thicker and heavier than some other keyboard cases
Logitech is well known for making great computing accessories like keyboards and computer mice. Its iPad keyboard cases offer just as good of a typing experience as many of the company's full-size keyboards.
For those with a newer iPad (7th or 8th generation) or previous generations of the iPad Air (3rd generation) or iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Logitech's new Combo Touch Keyboard Case provides a keyboard and trackpad using the iPad's smart connector, so you don't have to mess around with Bluetooth or batteries.
The new Apple Magic Keyboard only works with iPad Pro models and the fourth-generation iPad Air. So for those with an iPad or older iPad Air, this new Logitech case is a great option.
If your iPad works with it, Logitech's Combo Touch is a great pick because it has a backlit keyboard with function keys, an integrated trackpad for mouse support, and it uses Apple's smart connector for easy pairing, data transfer, and power.
The case is made of two separate parts that can be used together or apart. That way, you can detach the keyboard when you don't need it and your iPad will still have a protective case on the back.
Having a backlit keyboard with a built-in trackpad will run you $149, but that price looks affordable compared to the $299 starting price of the Apple Magic Keyboard.
For the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Logitech has a Slim Folio Case with Integrated Keyboard that starts at $119. It also features backlit keys for use in the dark. Instead of a seamless experience, however, this case still requires pairing with Bluetooth and you'll have to charge the keyboard's battery every few months.
The best iPad case for watching video
Multiple viewing angles and a flat foundation make Speck's Balance Folio a near-perfect case for watching video in bed, on the couch, or on a table.
Pros: Multiple viewing angles, flat surface works on uneven locations, complete protection
Cons: Thicker case
Most people use their iPads to watch video, so why not choose a case that makes viewing video even easier?
Speck's Balance Folio is a great choice for binge watchers because of its one-piece, flat foundation.
There's a version of this case for most of Apple's iPad models, including the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (fourth generation), the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the iPad Air (3rd and 4th generation), the iPad (7th and 8th generation).
The case offers 4-foot drop protection, a 1-year warranty, and a 30-day guarantee, so if you're not happy with it or something goes wrong, you can send it back.
The folio case wraps around the iPad and the front cover can be used to prop the iPad up for video viewing. It's stable enough to set on your lap, a table, or most other surfaces.
Speck's Balance Folio can even overcome uneven surfaces to provide a stable foundation for the tablet, whereas Apple's folio case doesn't work as well on a lap or a soft surface like a bed.
The case offers several viewing angles, which is key for movie watching. The multiple positions are also great for video calls and can help you stay in frame no matter where the iPad is propped up.
For added protection, the case has molded cutouts for the iPad's buttons, connectors, and ports. The main downside to these cutouts is that they may limit you to thinner cables and adapters because ones with wider connectors won't fit. The Balance Folio is also thicker than other folio cases, but not so much that it should dissuade you from considering it.
If the folio isn't for you, Speck has a lot of other cases that are simple, protective, and colorful.
Pros: Crafted from single piece of American leather, can prop up for video viewing, has a 25-year warranty
Cons: Camera obstructed when closed, not the best drop protection
Pad & Quill has been making iPad cases since the first model launched and the company has been refining its case-making process since. All of its artisan-made leather cases are classy, beautiful, and well made. The company makes a few different case styles, including the Oxford Leather folio and a few cases that work with Apple's keyboard cases.
You can get the Oxford Leather case for most iPad models, and it comes in Whiskey and Chestnut finishes. Each case is crafted from a single piece of full-grain bridle leather. The folio-style case uses an elastic band to keep it closed and it really gives off the feel of a Moleskine notebook.
To attach the case to your iPad, you'll use Pad & Quill's special "3M locking adhesive." You can remove and reattach the iPad multiple times without leaving any residue behind on your device. The company also sells versions of this case that attach to your iPad magnetically.
You can use the case to prop up your iPad for video viewing or use with a Bluetooth keyboard. The case also accommodates the Apple Pencil 2 and it has an interior pocket to carry a few papers or other documents.
When you open the folio, the iPad automatically wakes up, and when you close it, the screen turns off. The Pad & Quill case features edge protection with edges that rise just above the screen to protect it from drops and scratches. Pad & Quill also offers a 25-year warranty and 30-day "Money-Back Promise" so you can return it if you're not satisfied with it.
The Oxford Leather case does have some downsides. For one, the back camera is obstructed by the elastic strap when you have it closed, and the case does add some bulk. It's not the most protective against drops, either.
The best iPad cases for the Pencil
Soke's fully enclosed, rubberized iPad cases have a special spot to keep the Apple Pencil close, charged, and ready to go.
Pros: Great for Apple Pencil users, rubberized back, covered completely, inexpensive
Cons: Not the best drop protection or the nicest design
Soke's iPad cases come with a special Apple Pencil holder, making them a great option for anyone who also has the stylus. The cases have a dedicated slot for the Pencil that keeps it secure, protected, and easily accessible.
The case covers the iPad completely and has a rubberized back to keep the metal free of scratches. Soke sells versions of this case for most iPads in Apple's lineup, including the iPad (8th generation) and iPad Air (4th generation).
On the version of the case that's for the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil is held on the right side where the charging magnet sits so it can still charge. The front, including the Apple Pencil slot, is covered by a folding top flap that sticks in place, thanks to the front magnets.
While other cases leave an opening for the Pencil on the side of the case, we like this case because the Pencil is fully enclosed inside so it won't be knocked off easily when you're pulling it in and out of a backpack or another bag.
The case can also be propped up at a shallow angle that is ideal for drawing. When it's in this orientation, you can put the Apple Pencil in the provided hole so that the Pencil stands upright and accessible for drawing or notetaking.
The case is fairly affordable, with the most expensive Luxury case for the 2020 12.9-inch iPad Pro costing $32.99, but it should still be fairly protective against scratches, minor dings, and other marks. The materials won't be as premium as more expensive cases, and the drop protection isn't as strong, but it's a reasonably protective case for the price.
What else we considered
The selection of iPad cases is vast and there are plenty of great options available. Beyond our top picks, these considerations didn't quite make the list, but they may work well for some iPad owners.
Urban Armor Gear Cases ($19.95 to $89.95): Urban Armor Gear makes sturdy, durable cases for rugged environments, but we prefer the more varied designs offered by Otterbox.
Moshi Cases ($29.95 to $79.95): Moshi makes beautifully designed tech accessories, but they are expensive. The Versa, an origami-like case is really neat because you can fold it quickly to prop up your iPad. However, some people have reported that the folds can also prevent the case from fully closing. Others have said quality has decreased over the years.
Incipio Cases ($34.99 to $89.99): If you like very simple cases that are fairly affordable, Incipio is a great place to shop. They can be a bit plain and there aren't a ton of options, but they're still a great choice.
Zagg Keyboard Cases ($19.99 to $129.99): Zagg's keyboard cases are really great, though they are expensive, and we think Logitech's perform better.
Native Union Stow Sleeve ($59.95): A sleeve or carrying case is great for added protection when you're taking your iPad on the go. They're not cases, but the Stow Sleeve is well made and can accommodate an Apple keyboard, Pencil, and a few pieces of paper.
ZUGU Alpha Case ($59.99 to $69.99): There's a lot going for the ZUGU Alpha case, including its multiple viewing angles, pencil holder, and beefy exterior. Comparatively, though, it is more expensive and the aesthetics may not appeal to everyone.
Casetify Cases ($72): If you want a fun, colorful iPad case that you can even customize with your favorite photo, you may want to check out Casetify's cases. They are expensive, but the leather construction, fun design, and interior pockets may make them worth it to some people.
We asked a certified professional career coach at TopResume about the skills that can help advance your career.
From strengthening writing skills to mastering public speaking, learning new soft skills has never been more accessible or convenient, thanks to e-learning courses.
Whether you're a college senior starting to look into your post-grad prospects or a working professional with years of experience under your belt, the constantly shifting job market never gets easier to navigate.
It can be hard to wrap your head around all the newly emerging job titles and inefficient, poorly designed application systems, but one area where you always have complete control is your ability to hone your own skills.
If you feel like your school career center failed you or you're not fully equipped yet to tackle the industry of your dreams, online learning platforms like edX, Udemy, and Coursera offer high-quality classes taught by experienced professionals at low costs, on your own time. Learning a new skill from scratch or brushing up on in-demand ones has never been more accessible or convenient.
We asked Amanda Augustine, a career advice expert at TopResume and a certified professional career coach with over 10 years of experience in the recruiting industry, about the top skills that anyone who wants to land a job right out of college or advance their career in today's job market should have.
Here are the skills Augustine said to focus on and the online courses that can help you build them:
Strong written communication skills can get you far.
Whether you're writing your cover letter, following up after an interview, or sending an email to everyone in your department, superb written communication skills are a must. Impress the hiring manager or your boss by optimizing your writing skills. If you struggle to write, conquer that stumbling block with an online course in effective business writing.
It's helpful to be comfortable with public speaking and presentations.
You may not want a job that requires you to present in front of large crowds — however, sound presentation skills are useful in many instances beyond a podium. Employers value professionals who can clearly and succinctly articulate their thoughts one-on-one and during a group meeting.
Whether you find yourself explaining your ideas in an interview room or during a department meeting, strong communication skills certainly come in handy. These online courses can help improve your overall communication skills, overcome public speaking fears, and fine-tune your powers of persuasion.
Don't write off the importance of networking — there are ways to do it effectively while staying genuine.
Love it or loathe it, you can't avoid the art of networking in today's job market. Whether you're looking for a job or wanting to advance your career, a strong professional network is a key ingredient to success.
However, not everyone is a social butterfly with a large Rolodex of connections at their fingertips. If you're not a natural power-connector, as described in Malcolm Gladwell's book, "The Tipping Point," then it may be time to find an online course that will teach you the basics.
Remember, sending LinkedIn requests to random people does not count as networking. Look for courses that will help you go beyond social media to seek out relevant contacts and plant the seeds for a meaningful professional relationship with these connections.
You are your own product and need to sell yourself to potential employers.
In today's job market, it's not enough to have a great resume. You also need to clearly communicate your personal brand — the unique qualities and abilities that make you, well, you— to employers and networking connections online, on paper, and in-person. In other words, you have to consciously manage your personal marketing campaign during the job search.
It should come as no surprise then that marketing professionals have an advantage when it comes to searching for work. Give yourself an edge up on the competition during your job search by getting a crash course in the principles of marketing.
Think of negotiations as a conversation, not a battle.
You may not be vying for a sales position, but don't be fooled. Every professional can benefit from becoming a better negotiator. This valuable skill will serve you well during your job search when negotiating your job offer, as well as when you're on the job.
From negotiating contracts with vendors or clients to working out the details of a prospective employee's compensation package to vying for a raise or promotion with your boss, strong negotiation skills can seriously advance your career. If you're uncomfortable leaving emotion at the door while you hash out a contract, give one of these online courses a try.
Sometimes, the best way to improve your chances of landing the job you want is to develop relevant skills. If you're new to the workforce with little to no professional work experience under your belt, you may need to seek alternative methods to bolster your resume.
Once you have a clear job goal in mind, reach out to people in your network who work in your desired field to find out what skills are in high demand. Then, research sites like Udemy, Envato Tuts+, General Assembly, Coursera, edX, GoSkills, LinkedIn Learning, and SkillShare, to name a few, to find out if there's a way for you to develop those skills while you're searching for work.
This method is also useful for those who want to change careers or move up the ladder and aren't able to build the skills they need within their current position.
We rounded up the best sales and deals happening online today, including savings at Koio, Sunski, and Backcountry.
Deals in this story are subject to change throughout the day. The prices listed reflect the deal at the time of publication. For even more deals and savings across the web, check our roundups for the best Presidents' Day, and Valentine's Day sales, and Business Insider Coupons.
Now through February 18, Koio is offering a rare 15% off sitewide. The brand makes some great shoes that we love— specifically its classic Capri sneakers. We found them to be comfortable, high quality, stylish, and easy to clean, making them well worth the price tag, especially when they're discounted.
A rare sale on some already-affordable glasses, right now you can snag 40% off select Sunski styles. The sale includes 5 styles: the Andiamo, Portola, Original, Mattina, and Olema. We like Sunski for being stylish yet affordable, and right now is a great chance to snag a pair for even less. Sales from Sunski are rare, and we don't expect this one to last too long.
If you're redecorating or just looking for some major furniture pieces, Houzz is a great place to check. Not only does it have a huge selection, but you can also browse for inspiration on Houzz to help you envision what might work well in your space. From now through February 17, you can get up to 75% off a huge selection of rugs, outdoor furniture, lighting, and indoor furniture.
The weather outside may be frightful, but prices on winter gear sure aren't. Right now, Backcountry is offering up to 50% off past-season gear including essentials for hiking, snowboarding, skiing, climbing, and much more. The retailer sells tons of great brands including Patagonia, Black Diamond, Columbia, and even its own Backcountry apparel. The sale ends February 16, so don't miss out.
If you're planning to brave the cold or need a gift for someone who will, Stio is having a great sale right now with some great discounted gear. Styles for men and women including snow and ski jackets, pants, and more are all up to 30% off right now. Though Stio didn't make it into our top picks, it was in the running (and performed well) in our guide to the best men's overshirts.
Now through February 15, Madewell Insiders can get 20% off a huge selection of denim, tees, dresses, and more. It's free to become a member of the loyalty program and, outside of this limited-time sale, you'll get free shipping a rewards points year-round. For more details on the sale, check out our roundup of the best deals here.
Overstock is having a huge Presidents' Day blowout sale right now, featuring up to 70% off thousands of items and free shipping on everything. Highlights include an extra 25% off Safavieh rugs and 15%off select mattresses. This isn't the first sale we've seen from Overstock, but it's still a great chance to pick up some essentials to furnish your home.
Patagonia often offers discounts on past-season apparel in its Web Specials section. Right now, you can snag up to 40% off past-season styles, including apparel and gear for the whole family. Patagonia makes a lot of good stuff and some of our favorites including the Silent Down Parka and Better Sweater 1/4-Zip Fleece Jacket are part of the sale. For more info on the sale, you can read more here.
The maker of our top indoor herb garden pick, AeroGarden, is holding a sale right now. With promo code GROWLOVE, you can get up to 40% off your very own indoor herb garden, including our pick, the Harvest. It's a low-mess unit that requires no potting soil, making it a great addition for any countertop. The sale ends February 28.
For the month of February, Nest Bedding is offering 20% off sitewide with promo code PREzzzDAY. The start-up makes one of our top foam mattress picks, along with a ton of other bedding and furniture for your home. The sale will last a while, but make sure to not miss out on the big discounts before the end of February.
The fight for a $15 minimum wage is not a new one.
But it's increasingly gained traction as Democrats push for it amidst other pandemic recovery measures, and the House and Senate are under Democratic control for the first time in years. President Joe Biden has been an outspoken supporter, reiterating his views again on Tuesday.
"I do support a $15 minimum wage," Biden said during the town hall. "I think there is equally as much, if not more, evidence to dictate that it would grow the economy and, long run and medium run, benefit small businesses as well as large businesses, and it would not have such a dilatory effect. But that's a debatable issue."
Biden said the concerns of business owners for how this rate changes are "totally legitimate," but stressed the importance of a gradual raise.
"We're at $7.25 an hour. No one should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty," he said.
While a majority of Americans support the $15 minimum wage, per Insider polling, it's still a contentious measure. There are concerns over potential employment losses and the big picture impacts.
A recent small business poll by CNBC and SurveyMonkey of over 2,000 small business owners also found that one-third of owners reported that they would have to lay off workers if the federal minimum wage rose to this hourly rate.
To get a closer look at the benefits of raising the minimum wage, Insider looked at the minimum wage as it currently stands and when it may be $15 using various metrics, such as a state's cost of living or the ratio between a minimum wage and a median wage.
The following maps and table take a closer look at the value of the current minimum wage and a proposed $15 minimum wage:
The last time a state saw a minimum wage increase varies. Some minimum wage workers haven't been paid a higher wage since the last time the federal raise was increased on July 24, 2009 as part of a three-step increase mandated by the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.
Other states have been increasing their minimum wages over the years. Nineteen states raised their minimum wages on January 1, and New York state raised its minimum wage on December 31.
Read Insider's full story on the last time every state had a minimum wage increase here.
A common way to look at the minimum wage is to compare it to the median wage.
The median wage is the wage at which half of workers are paid more, and half are paid less. Comparing the minimum wage to the median wage can help identify how states will benefit from a boost to the minimum wage.
The ratio of the minimum wage to the median wage is called the Kaitz index. The higher the ratio — meaning the more people making close to the minimum wage— the more people will benefit from a minimum wage raise, since those near-minimum wage workers are likely to see their pay increase.
For example, New York's median wage per the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2019 was $22.44, and the current minimum wage is $12.50, meaning the minimum wage in New York is 55.7% of its median wage.
Meanwhile, Texas' minimum wage is much smaller than its median wage compared to New York. Texas' minimum wage of $7.25 is 39.7% of its median wage of $18.28.
Read Insider's full story on the Kaitz index here.
It is possible to also look at this ratio with a $15 minimum wage to see how that rate would stack up against what a typical worker earns in every state.
Insider similarly used the median wage of every state to calculate the ratio of a $15 minimum wage to the state's median wage. If the minimum wage was raised to $15, it would be over 60% of the median wage in every state.
For instance, a $15 minimum wage in Massachusetts would be 62.1% of its median wage in 2019 of $24.14, the lowest ratio among the states because Massachusetts has the highest median wage.
Read Insider's full story on the Kaitz index here.
But $15 wouldn't go as far in states with higher costs of living compared to states with lower costs of living.
A $15 minimum wage will mean something different depending on where you live and work. Some states and cities are more expensive to live in than others. This map shows how much a $15 minimum wage will be worth in each state, based on an adjusted value using regional price parities.
This means states with higher regional price parities than the national average, like Hawaii and California, would mean the value of $15 is worth less than the US average value of $15. On the other hand, states with lower regional price parities, like Mississippi and New Mexico, would mean the value of $15 is worth more than $15 at the national average.
Read Insider's full story on how much $15 is worth in every state here.
Assuming a 2% inflation rate over the next few years, a $15 minimum wage in 2025 would be the same as around $13.90 today.
Even if an increase to the federal minimum wage isn't passed soon, there are several states that have scheduled increases rising to an eventual $15 minimum wage. In California, minimum wage workers at places with 26 or more employees will see a $15 minimum wage as soon as next year.
Florida, where a supermajority of voters supported a ballot measure during the election that would raise the minimum wage to $15, will see annual increases that will reach that level in 2026.
Target inflation is 2%, and under this scenario, a federal minimum wage of $15 in 2025 is the same as about $13.86 in 2021.
"I think that under all current forecasts of how inflation is going to play out over the next four years, it wouldn't be worth that much less in 2025 than it's worth now," Harvard PhD scholar Anna Stansbury told Insider.
Read Insider's full story on what a $15 minimum wage would be in 2021, for the federal minimum wage and several states gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15, here.
E-commerce companies have benefitted as people shop from home during the pandemic, and private equity is taking notice.
E-commerce M&A grew 50% between 2019 and 2020 with private equity representing 34% of deals (up from 31% in 2019 and 26% in 2018), according to Pitchbook data pulled by investment bank JEGI Clarity.
KKR and Blackstone are gobbling up warehouses while Providence Strategic Growth backed e-commerce holding company Assembly, showing there's big demand for companies that help merchants sell on third-party marketplaces with services like advertising, design, fulfillment, and analytics.
Chris Vollmer, managing director of strategy consulting at Medialink, cited Shopify tech firm Big Commerce's IPO pop last year as an example of the big exits that PE firms anticipate from e-commerce. E-commerce tech firms also typically have recurring revenue models that appeal to investors.
"There's a lot of reasons why they're hunting around for everything from infrastructure to analytics and user experience," he said.
Amazon dominates US e-commerce, but PE firms are also looking for other firms that are capitalizing on e-commerce, like Shopify, Walmart, Kroger, and international player Flipkart.
Insider identified 10 firms that have invested in e-commerce companies, using original reporting and publicly available information.
Advent International
Advent International is pushing into companies that buy and roll up brands that sell products on Amazon, and retail and e-commerce is a big part of the firm's investments.
"What we're now starting to see is the evolution of e-commerce into marketplaces," said Jeff Case, managing director at Advent International. "It's creating ways for entrepreneurs to be sellers."
The PE firm has invested in two rounds of funding for Thrasio, a company that was valued at $1 billion in July 2020 that acquires and operates brands that sell on Amazon. Thrasio has raised a total of $1.6 billion, according to Crunchbase.
Thrasio has acquired 90 brands including pet odor remover Angry Orange and Bitly Socks and is on the hunt for more consumer product companies that do $1 million to $10 million in annual sales on Amazon.
Thrasio provides these sellers resources like product development, marketing, and supply chain management to accelerate their growth.
Advent International has also invested in consumer brands like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, travel retailer Dufry, and haircare brand Olaplex.
Blackstone
The decline of physical retail like shopping malls has opened up a significant new e-commerce strategy for PE giant Blackstone.
Blackstone started buying and investing in industrial real estate like warehouses more than 10 years ago. The warehouses are leased by Amazon and other e-commerce companies and used as "last-mile logistics" centers to quickly deliver packages to customers.
While other PE firms have also invested in industrial real estate, Blackstone is a giant in the space, owning about 880 million square feet of space globally from 250 deals. A recent deal with LBA Logistics gives Blackstone a 60% stake in 71 warehouses in last-mile hubs like California and Seattle.
Tyler Henritze, head of acquisitions Americas at Blackstone Real Estate, said the firm has gone from buying a broad portfolio of properties — some which could be located an hour's drive away from major cities — to focusing on smaller properties in urban areas.
"We're trying to own warehouse space with as much proximity to rooftops and customers as we can get," he said. "If you look at Amazon's network and where they lease space, that's a good proxy of where we want to go."
He also noted that while Amazon dominates in areas like same-day delivery, retailers like Walmart and Wayfair are also investing in logistics to speed up package delivery.
Investcorp
In January 2021, PE giant Investcorp acquired Unilog, a software company that helps hundreds of small to midsize businesses sell online.
Harsh Shethia, head of Investcorp's India business, said that the acquisition is part of a larger strategy to invest in mid-market companies that bring e-commerce to India, which has lagged in online adoption.
Unilog sells software that sellers use to create e-commerce websites and content. In addition to providing capital, Investcorp helped Indian-founded Unilog build its US business.
Investcorp's other India e-commerce investments include FreshToHome, a grocery service; and logistics company XpressBees.
Shethia expects e-commerce's growth to continue after the pandemic ends.
"Some of the behavior of people is going to shift — we know that this was a breakout moment," he said. "It's a secular, long-term trend."
KKR
PE giant KKR is snapping up warehouses used by Amazon and other e-commerce companies to jump on the online shopping boom.
In a deal with High Street Logistics Properties worth $835 million, the firm in December bought warehouses that cover 9.7 million square feet in cities like Atlanta and Dallas. KKR also acquired two Amazon warehouses in July 2020 for $176 million in Kenosha, Wisconsin, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
All told, KKR owns 32 million square feet of industrial properties in the US.
"We believe that the current environment will lead to continued acceleration of e-commerce penetration which drives demand for large modern distribution centers like the ones we are acquiring," KKR's Roger Morales, partner and head of commercial real estate acquisitions in the Americas, said in July. "Logistics real estate represents a growth opportunity as more and more US consumers migrate to shopping online."
Outside of real estate, KKR's e-commerce investments include Italian e-commerce 3D packaging company CMC Machinery, and is a majority investor in Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu.
Permira
PE firm Permira has invested in three e-commerce companies over the past six months: software company Mirakl, European online marketplace Catawiki, and online marine classifieds company Boats Group.
Mirakl is a big name in e-commerce technology and sells software that helps retailers like Best Buy Canada and Carrefour launch and run marketplaces, letting more sellers do business through the retailers' websites. Permira invested in Mirakl's $300 million funding round in September 2020.
Permira led Amsterdam-based Catawiki's €150 million (about $180 million) December 2020 round of funding. Catawiki is an online marketplace for objects like collectables, jewelry, and art.
Permira's other e-commerce investments include peer-to-peer payment company Klarna, WeddingWire, and online design marketplace Minted. The firm also sold e-commerce software firm Magento to Adobe for $1.8 billion in 2018.
Providence Strategic Growth
Providence Strategic Growth wants to gobble up Amazon tech firms.
The PE firm is backing an e-commerce holding group called Assembly that seeks to be a one-stop shop for e-commerce sellers.
Assembly has acquired four e-commerce firms including Helium 10 and Refersion that help vendors sell products on platforms like Amazon and Shopify.
Matt Stone, managing director at Providence Strategic Growth, said that the goal is to acquire dozens of similar early-stage companies.
Stone said the firm's e-commerce strategy is based on a playbook it's used to roll up companies in other industries like healthcare, payments, and security.
"We have not completed the full marketing stack of what an [e-commerce] customer would need — there's probably 20 to 30 different things that a customer would need," he said. "That's something that we've done in several other verticals that has worked well."
Rockbridge Growth Equity
Detroit-based Rockbridge Growth Equity has invested in digital media and advertising companies, including Amazon adtech firm Quartile Digital in October 2020.
Quartile Digital sells technology to help brands manage and measure their advertising on Amazon and other retail platforms.
Kevin Prokop, managing partner at Rockbridge Growth Equity, said that the firm's investments are geared towards companies that use data to improve digital media and advertising. He cited Quartile Digital's focus on small to mid-size brands as key to solving challenges with e-commerce advertising.
Prokop said that his firm is open to other e-commerce investments, but not advertising-focused ones.
The firm's other investments include GSTV, Robb Report, and White Glove.
Summit Partners
Boston-based Summit Partners has made more than 25 e-commerce investments, and its recent ones show the growing role that advertising and data is playing in the sector.
Its portfolio includes Jungle Scout, which sells software that figures out what people search for and buy on Amazon to help marketers determine what items to sell, how to price products, and see what competitors are selling.
Summit Partners was also an early investor in Klaviyo, including its $200 million Series C funding round in November. Klaviyo pulls customer and sales data from e-commerce platforms including Shopify and Magento to target email and ad campaigns at audiences like heavy spenders, potential shoppers, or newsletter subscribers.
Trilantic North America
Trilantic North America gears its investments towards entrepreneurs and e-commerce brands.
The PE firm invested in two e-commerce companies over the past two years: e-commerce platform Gorilla Commerce and footwear and apparel brand Orva.
Gorilla Commerce owns petcare and home products brands like Gorilla Grip, Sofa Shield and Kangaroo.
Orva helps shoe and apparel brands like Adidas and Ugg boots with services like merchandising and supply chain management.
Amazon's immense marketplace can make it hard for brands to stand out. Jamie Manges, partner at Trilantic North America, said the firm focuses on companies that use data to drive sales.
"Our strategy was to focus on players that we felt had differentiated models and teams that are committed to building businesses as opposed to just selling product," he said.
Vista Equity Partners
PE giant Vista Equity Partners has long invested in advertising and retail technology.
Vista Equity Partners combined its ecommerce investments like Shopatron, a company that helped sellers manage inventory; and e-commerce platform MarketLive into a tech company called Kibo that handles tasks like payments, merchandising, design, and fulfillment for retailers like Jelly Belly and outdoor apparel company Helly Hansen.
The firm is also a majority investor in Numerator, a market intelligence firm that helps retailers and advertisers measure the effectiveness of their promotions. When grocers and retailers struggled to keep up with demand in the pandemic, Numerator focused on providing them with data about what people buy.
Outside e-commerce, Vista Equity Partners' investments include adtech companies Integral Ad Science and Mediaocean.
But this year could be even more significant: CEO Sundar Pichai promised we will see some of the Google's "deeper investments" in hardware play out next year.
Hardware is hard, but Google knows it needs to play in this space if it wants to keep directing people back to core moneymaking products like Search. CEO Sundar Pichai has also said Google has a vision for ambient computing, which will rely on devices such as smart speakers.
Below are 16 power players driving Google's consumer hardware ambitions right now, from smartphones to smart locks. Think we've missed someone important? Contact this reporter at hlangley@insider.com and let them know.
Rick Osterloh – SVP, devices and services
Rick Osterloh is chief of all things hardware at Google. He's also a member of Google Leads, CEO Sundar Pichai's inner circle of direct reports.
After Google acquired Motorola Mobility in 2012, Osterloh led the division and remained president at Motorola when Google sold it to Lenovo in 2014.
But the separation didn't last long – Osterloh returned to Google in 2016 to spearhead a more aggressive push into hardware.
Under his watch, Google has launched its own Pixel line of smartphones, along with smart home devices and headphones. In 2018, four years after Google purchased smart home company Nest, it was rolled into the Google hardware team under Osterloh.
Osterloh is also overseeing a push into new spaces: Google acquired Canadian smart glasses maker North last year. Could Osterloh resurrect the much-maligned Google Glass in a more socially acceptable form? Watch this space.
Rishi Chandra – VP/GM, Google Nest
Rishi Chandra joined Google in 2006 as a product manager on Google Apps, before moving up to oversee Google TV. Now he leads Nest, which includes Google's array of smart home products such as speakers, thermostats, locks, and cameras.
Nest Labs, cofounded by Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, was acquired by Google for $3.2 billion in 2014. When Google restructured into Alphabet in 2015, the division was spun out into its own entity, but a year later, Fadell stepped down. In 2018, Nest was merged back into Google's home devices unit, giving Chandra oversight of the business.
In short, it's been a rocky ride for the smart home division. But Google has only doubled down on the Nest brand under Chandra's watch. Last year, it announced that the group was being renamed Google Nest, and that Google's smart speakers would be rebranded with the Nest name.
Chandra has facilitated a closer integration between Nest devices and Google Assistant, the concierge that powers the company's lineup of smart speakers.
Before joining Google, Chandra was a consultant at strategy consulting firm Bain & Company.
Ivy Ross – VP of hardware design
Google's design guru, Ivy Ross, joined the company's experimental X lab in 2014, where she oversaw development of Google Glass.
But when production on the smartglasses was paused in 2016, Ross moved over to lead Google's product design team, where she currently serves as VP.
Ross, who began her career as a jewelry designer, has helped create Google's iconic product design and feel – the soft materials and colors that adorn many of its consumer products have become unmistakably Google.
Ross's team is working on approximately 25 different products at one time, she said in a WeWork interview last year. "Some are for next year, some are for the year after."
Phil Harrison is a gaming industry veteran with stints running Sony's worldwide game studios and leading Microsoft's Xbox businesses.
All of which made him a perfect choice for Google to poach for its own gaming ambitions. Though he joined the company in 2018, it wasn't until the following year that Harrison was announced as product manager for Google Stadia, the company's game streaming service.
Stadia was Google's big bet that the future of gaming wouldn't be in a box under your TV, but living in the cloud.
One of Harrison's key responsibilities has been to spark up deals to get major game publishers running their games on the Stadia platform, in an effort to take on the established titans of industry.
Early on, the project was met with obstacles. Stadia struggled to bring in users or expand its available library, and game studios told Insider that Google had lowballed them when asking to join Stadia, leaving many to sit the project out.
While Google had ambitions to make its own Stadia games, it recently announced it would shut down its first-party studio, leaving it to focus solely on working with partners. Google then laid off more than 150 people. Needless to say, it's left many people more skeptical of Stadia's potential success and the division under Harrison.
Ana Corrales – COO, consumer hardware
Corrales is responsible with bringing all of Google's consumer hardware products to market.
She joined the company via Nest, where she served as chief financial and operating officer, back when it was its own business under Alphabet. She later jumped over to Google as a VP of the Google Store, global operations, and supply chain.
She's also currently an executive sponsor for Google's Latino Employee Resource Group, HOLA.
Growing up in Costa Rica, Corrales got her first taste for the business world at age 15 when she joined the National Young Entrepreneurs Program and helped build a hair scrunchie business, which she says was later sold to a grocery store chain.
"She is amazingly good at operations and getting the staffing levels they need on the operating side," said one former colleague who asked not to be named. "Which is not usually a strong point for Google's customer-facing operations."
Clay Bavor – VP, virtual and augmented reality
Google's ventures into virtual reality have been largely unsuccessful so far. Its most famous product in this space is Cardboard, a budget way (it's literally a piece of cardboard!) to turn any smartphone into a VR device.
At the time of its arrival, it was also seen as a light ribbing of rivals like Facebook that were pouring billions of dollars into their own virtual reality efforts.
But while none of these projects have stuck, Google still has a vision for the future that includes VR and AR, and Clay Bavor is the man trying to make it happen. Right now, a lot of the action is happening in augmented reality maps and other neat AR tools that work with Google's smartphone cameras.
Before moving to other realities, Bavor worked on Google's consumer and enterprise apps, such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Docs. He also worked on Search and ads products before that.
Brian Rakowski – VP, product management
Brian Rakowski is a key leader on Google's Pixel team, and a company veteran who has climbed through the ranks working on some of Google's most important products.
Before taking on Pixel, Rakowski was a VP on Android and a product manager on Google Chrome, working closely with now-CEO Sundar Pichai.
Rakowski was also the first graduate of the associate product manager program, the in-house talent incubator created by former Google executive Marissa Mayer. As such, we named him a Google rising star back in 2013.
Mark Spates – Product lead, smart speakers
You might consider Mark Spates the face of Google's push into the smart home – he can often be spotted speaking at industry events, laying out his vision for a more connected future.
Spates is currently product lead on Google's smart speakers, where much of his job is about making these devices disappear into the background of our lives, rather than the forefront.
Spates has spent many years working with the "internet of things," and in a past life was the head of Logitech's connected home platform.
One former colleague described Spates as a "turbo charger" for Google's hardware business who's tapped into a huge amount of data about what's happening in the smart home space.
"So when he says 'you've got this right', the engineers and the business people genuinely believe him," they said.
Sabrina Ellis – VP, product management
If you've watched any of Google's keynotes, you might have seen Sabrina Ellis talking up some flashy new features of one of its latest Pixel smartphones.
According to her LinkedIn page, Ellis joined Google in 2011. Before that, she did a near-decade stint at Yahoo where she started out as a senior product manager on the Yahoo address book and calendar – and ended as a VP on Yahoo Messenger.
Matt Vokoun – Fitbit integration and strategy lead
When Google announced its intentions to acquire Fitbit in 2019, Matt Vokoun was assigned to lead work on integrating the fitness wearables company, according to a recent change to his LinkedIn profile and confirmed by a Google spokesperson.
With the new title of Fitbit integration and strategy lead, Vokoun is tasked with absorbing a company with more than 1,500 employees and an existing product roadmap – surely no easy task.
Before that, Vokoun oversaw Google's Pixelbook laptops and (before Google killed them) used to also work on the company's tablet products.
Vokoun joined Google in 2009, starting out in business operations and then spending a few years on the company's Motorola Mobility business (before it was sold off again to Lenovo).
Jason Rosenthal – VP, subscription services
From 2013 to 2018, Jason Rosenthal served as CEO of Lytro, the company behind the pocket camera that could refocus an image post-capture.
When Google acquired a large number of Lytro's employees and assets in 2018 (although it didn't buy the company outright) Rosenthal made the jump over.
He now oversees all of the subscription programs across Google's consumer devices, reporting directly into Rick Osterloh.
Suveer Kothari – VP, devices and services
Suveer Kothari is focused on the business of Google's smart home strategy, including P&L, product planning, and overseeing global launches.
His role also involves scaling Google's various platforms, and working with partners on products from Pixel to Stadia.
Before his current position, Kothari was a senior director on Google's living room products. Before that, he had a number of roles on YouTube and Google display ads.
Dan Kaufman – Head of advanced technology and products/privacy and security
Dan Kaufman has lead Google's advanced technology and products division (ATAP) since 2016. The group has been responsible for several products including Soli, the gesture-detecting radar feature in the Pixel 4.
ATAP was born inside of the Motorola division back when Google owned it. When Google sold the phone maker, it held onto the ATAP group and eventually placed it within the devices and services division. Kaufman also oversees privacy and security for the division.
Like several others on our list, Kaufman keeps an extremely low public profile. In a rare interview with Fast Company last year, he explained how much of his group's focus is on the ambient, post-PC era. That also means more ambitious projects.
"I say, 'Imagine a world in which this thing existed. I want you to forget all your objections. Just go on a fantasy with me. If I could build this, would you want it?'" he told Fast Company, recounting his approach to pitching to the higher powers.
"If I can't get a 'yes,' then it's probably not that good of an idea," he says. "If I get a 'yeah, that'd be great, but how are you going to do that?' .... That's why we're here."
Philip Carmack – VP, general manager of emerging platforms
Philip Carmack oversees the nitty-gritty of building the next generation of Google devices – everything from displays and antennas to silicon management.
He also watches over ATAP (advanced technology and products), the division led by Dan Kaufman and which has been responsible for projects such as Jacquard, Google's smart jacket built with Levi's.
Carmack was previously senior VP of Nvidia's mobile business and vice president of research and development at 3dfx Interactive.
James Park – Fitbit CEO
Google has completed its acquisition of wearables maker Fitbit, making it officially part of Google's devices and services group.
That puts the entire company under Osterloh's watch, but Fitbit CEO James Park (presumably with a new title) will still oversee and steer the Fitbit group.
Fitbit's been focused on its planned roadmap while the acquisition has gone through, but now it's a part of the Google family, we expect the two brands to align more closely in the months and years ahead. Google has fallen far behind in wearables as Apple has eaten up the market– Fitbit is its big bet to get back in the race.
Shakil Barkat – VP, hardware engineering
Shakil Barkat is another of Osterloh's direct reports, and is helping drive the company's wearables business. Barkat joined Google in 2019 from Motorola, where he was corporate VP of wearables and product development.
In between stints at Motorola, Barkat did a year at Apple working on the Mac.
Barkat's role could be about to become more interesting now that Google has acquired Fitbit. The acquisition gives Google a decent shot at become a success in the wearables space, and should give Apple reason enough to worry.
A stand mixer is the crowning jewel of a kitchen, and KitchenAid's stand mixers have been the standard for over a century. They make efficient work of tasks that typically take a lot of time or effort to do by hand, like whipping egg whites to soft or stiff peaks, turning cream into whipped cream, churning out big batches of cookies, and kneading tough, heavy bread doughs.
I've used a KitchenAid stand mixer daily — sometimes all day — while working in professional kitchens for more than a decade. I have years of experience with each stand mixer in this guide: I've broken them, repaired them, purchased them for my own personal use, and am intimately aware of each model's advantages and limitations.
But I didn't just rely on my previous experiences. I researched eight models and put four top-selling KitchenAid stand mixers through a standard set of tests for this guide. I used a King Arthur recipe for bagels, a stiff dough with a 10-minute mixing time; I prepared Compost Cookies (kitchen-sink cookies with five cups of mix-ins including chocolate chips, potato chips, and pretzels) from New York City's Milk Bar; and put each mixer through additional tests to evaluate its capacity, mixing capability, and ease of use. You can read more about how I tested KitchenAid stand mixers in our methodology here, along with how to shop for a KitchenAid and what to make with it.
This popular model balances power, capacity, and size for a mixer that is perfectly designed for most home bakers; plus it comes in more than 45 fun colors.
Pros: Easily accomplishes common cooking tasks, lots of customization options, work bowl has a handle
Cons: Too underpowered if you regularly make a lot of stiff or wet doughs
The Artisan Series 5 Quart model strikes a great balance of power, size, and design. During testing, it quickly became my favorite mixer to use. Tilt-head stand mixers have a smaller base than bowl-lift stand mixers so the bowls tend to be narrower and can feel cramped. You often have to stop the mixer and tilt the head back whenever you want to scrape down the mixing bowl. This wasn't the case with the Artisan mixer; the large bowl of the felt open enough that I could scrape the sides without adjusting the head. The bowl also has a sturdy handle for easy lifting, and provided plenty of room for pouring in ingredients — particularly helpful when adding more than five cups of mix-ins for Compost Cookies.
While it shook a bit when I made bagel dough, it was never overly noisy and I didn't feel like I had to babysit it for fear of it walking off the counter. That said, I don't think I would make multiple batches of bagels in a row to avoid overheating the mixer's lower-powered motor.
This model also offers customization, allowing you to choose from almost 50 color options, engrave your stand mixer or switch out the standard bowl for a patterned ceramic or glass mixing bowl.
Since initial testing, we've continued to use this model at least once a week. It's worked its way through pierogi dough and filling, multiple babkas, and many batches of holiday cookies, and still functions as well (and looks as good) as it did when I first received it. We'll continue to use this model regularly and report on its long-term durability.
The best affordable KitchenAid stand mixer
The least expensive model made by KitchenAid, the Classic Plus has all the quality components of more expensive mixers but it's compact, efficient, and powerful enough to accomplish most tasks for casual bakers.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive, spacious but still maneuverable, can handle most common tasks and occasional tough doughs
Cons: Work bowl doesn't have a handle, relatively low-powered motor, not ideal for heavy use
If you're an occasional baker or just starting to dip your toes into cooking, the KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is a great model to get started with. It's made with the same metal parts as more expensive KitchenAid stand mixers, has a strong motor, and a relatively roomy work bowl. While on the smaller side, it still easily accommodates single batches of common recipes.
An earlier version of the KitchenAid Classic Plus was, in fact, my first mixer. I used it heavily for about five years until it gave out on me while kneading dough for hand-pulled noodles (a notoriously tricky dough, and one known to tax stand mixers). This issue first highlighted to me how most stand mixers break and the importance of choosing a model built for your typical usage.
I tested a new version of this mixer for this guide, and while it happily worked through cookies, egg whites, and even hefty bagel dough without issue, it's possible that with too much heavy use, like making many batches of bagel or pizza dough back-to-back, the mixer can overheat or — in the case of my old mixer — wear down its gears. While the issue is repairable, it requires seeing a KitchenAid repair specialist, which can be expensive, so you're better off purchasing a stand mixer with a wattage that meets your needs from the get-go.
Pros: Largest capacity of any residential model, bowl-lift design provides stability when mixing, wide mixing bowl for adding ingredients, powerful motor that can handle all kinds of doughs, work bowl has a handle
Cons: Heavy, takes up a lot of space, only comes in a few colors
Stiff or heavy doughs like bagel dough, pizza dough, and some noodle doughs require a large amount of power to knead properly, which can be taxing on many stand mixers. The 7-Quart Pro-Line model has a 970 watt motor for powerful and thorough kneading without overheating the mixer. The wider bowl-lift design also provides more stability during mixing, so the mixer doesn't "walk" or shake as much during use.
This is the model I primarily used during a decade of work in professional kitchens. The machine is reliable, nimble, easy to use, and remarkably quiet for such a large mixer. It can handle everything from whipping two egg whites to mixing triple batches of cake batter. KitchenAid claims the 7-quart size can make up to 14 dozen cookies in a single batch, and while I haven't ventured to test the limits of that claim (I love cookies, but I don't need 14 dozen), it made double batches of compost cookies and bagels with plenty of room to spare.
The wide bowl is easy to remove from the mixer, has a large comfortable handle, and provides lots of space for adding ingredients during mixing. Avid bakers and especially those who make bread will appreciate its reliability — these mixers saw heavy daily use when I worked with them in professional kitchens and rarely needed repairs. If you take care of this mixer, it's likely to last you decades.
That said, it's a hefty machine and not the sort of mixer you want to lug around, so it's best for those with ample counter space to devote to its large footprint.
The smallest of KitchenAid stand mixers, this model is the perfect size and strength for occasional bakers, new cooks, and those with petite kitchens.
Pros: Perfectly sized for small kitchens, easy to maneuver, makes single batches of most recipes well, ideal for occasional bakers, a good size for kids, work bowl has a handle
Cons: Too small for double batches, shakes a lot when running at high speed
When I moved into a 600 square foot apartment, every inch felt precious. Since counter space was limited, I needed a mixer light enough that I wouldn't mind hauling it out from a cabinet every time I wanted to bake. The KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer hit all these marks for me.
Measuring just over 11 inches wide, the Mini is about 25% smaller than our best overall pick. While this may not seem like a drastic difference, the Mini is much more maneuverable, and I love that it fits easily under my cabinets or on a shelf. Less surface area also means less to clean, and the Mini's work bowl doesn't hog space in my sink or dishwasher.
Despite being more petite, the Mini is perfectly capable of whipping up a single batch of cookies or biscuits. I've made muffins, pasta dough, bread dough, pizza dough, cake, frosting, and more cookies than I can count in the Mini with no issues or changes to the mixing times called for in the recipes.
When I put my Mini through strenuous tests for this guide, it showed some of its limitations. The work bowl was just able to fit all the mix-ins for compost cookies, but it started to overflow a bit when I turned on the mixer. Bagel dough also came together fine, but the mixer shook and "walked" around the counter during the long kneading time, enough so that I felt like I had to keep an eye on it for the whole 10 minutes it was mixing.
That said, if space is your primary concern or you're an occasional baker, the Mini is a great option for an unobtrusive machine that can do just about anything a full-size mixer can do.
What else we considered
We also researched other KitchenAid models for this guide that we ultimately didn't end up testing. Here are the products that didn't make the cut and why:
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer ($279.99): Previously our best budget pick, the Classic is identical in both function and design to our new affordable pick, the Classic Plus. We confirmed this with KitchenAid, who said the only difference is that the Classic Plus is available in a silver color. There used to be a slight difference between the Classic and the Classic Plus with the former having 250 watts, a slightly less powerful motor than the Classic Plus' 275 watts. However, both models are now being made with 275 watts and are priced the same. Both are great options, and since KitchenAids have been in short supply, buy whichever you can get your hands on. We've seen some retailers still selling the 250-watt version of the Classic, so be sure to check the specs before you buy.
KitchenAid NSF Certified Commercial Series 8-Qt Bowl Lift Stand Mixer ($699.99): Unless you're running a bakery, you don't need a mixer this large or this powerful. That said, if you are operating a bakery or food business, this is the only KitchenAid mixer that is certified by NSF International for commercial use. It has a two-year warranty (double the time of their other mixers) and a strong, durable motor for heavy use. However, home bakers are unlikely to need these extra features, which are designed to withstand hours of heavy use each day.
Our testing methodology
While I drew from my own experience as a food editor working in professional kitchens and using these mixers over many years, I also put each model through a standard set of tests to see how they'd compare to each other. Here's how I evaluated KitchenAid stand mixers:
Size, capacity, and ease of use: I weighed and measured all the stand mixers, including comparing the stated versus functional capacity (the capacity when measured from the bottom of the work bowl to the top of the mixing attachment) of each work bowl. I carried the mixers around and noted how comfortable they were to move and handle.
Power: We consulted the company to learn the power of each motor in watts. Residential stand mixers range from 250 to 970 watts, and mixers with higher wattage motors can mix heavy, wet doughs more readily.
Whipping: I whipped two egg whites to stiff peaks in each mixer, which tests the mixers' control during gradual ramping up of speed. It also tested the larger mixers' ability to function well even with a very small volume of ingredients.
Creaming: I used each stand mixer to make Milk Bar compost cookies, which have more than 5 cups of mix-ins. Not only did this test the functional capacity of the mixers, but also their ability to operate on different speeds — high speed for creaming butter and sugar, and low speed for incorporating delicate mix-ins like chips and pretzels without breaking them.
Kneading: Each mixer was used to make a batch of King Arthur bagels; a stiff dough with a long, 10 minute mixing time. I made a note if any of the mixers shook or walked, struggled, or made excessive noise during this tough task.
Durability: The true test of a stand mixer is how it performs over time. While I included information from my own experience working with these models over nearly a decade, I'll continue to use the stand mixers in this guide and report back on any durability issues.
What we look forward to testing
Our picks encompass most of KitchenAid's offerings, but there are two models we're interested in testing that we weren't able to include this time around:
KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Series 5 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer ($419.99): Previously our best KitchenAid for making bread, this model was out of stock at the time of this testing. I'm of the mindset that if you're going to upgrade from our best overall pick (which is also 5 quarts), it should also offer an increase in capacity. However, this model may be a good fit for those who prepare a lot of heavy, wet doughs but either don't make large batches or are prioritizing cost.
KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer ($499.99): This model offers a slight jump up in capacity from the 5-quart professional model and was also unavailable at the time of testing. It offers 15 colors; the most colors of any of KitchenAid's bowl-lift models. We'd like to see if the slight increase in capacity justifies the big jump in price.
How to choose a KitchenAid stand mixer
KitchenAid makes an overwhelming number of models. Here are some considerations to help you narrow down your selection.
Wattage: The higher the wattage of the motor, the more powerful the mixer will be. Mixers with higher wattage — like the 970 watt motor on the KitchenAid Pro— glide through tough doughs and don't easily overheat. If you bake at least once a week or you regularly make a lot of heavy, wet doughs like pizza or bread dough, then you'll benefit from a larger, more expensive model with a high wattage motor built for power and durability. However, if you're the kind of person who breaks out the stand mixer once a year to make holiday cookies, you don't need the Cadillac of KitchenAids. Occasional bakers will be perfectly well off with 250 or 275-watt models, like the Artisan Mini or the Classic Plus. Lower wattage models can also handle the occasional tough task like kneading bagel dough a few times a year. Be mindful that tough kitchen tasks can be hard on the gears of smaller machines, so give your machine time to cool down between uses if you're making a hard dough in a lower wattage model.
Capacity: The advertised capacity of a KitchenAid mixer is not its actual capacity. The advertised or stated capacity refers to how much the work bowl can hold when completely full. Not only would you have a big mess on your hands if you tried to use a mixer at full capacity, but it also wouldn't operate effectively since the ingredients would actually cover the mixing attachment. Instead, the functional capacity is measured from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the mixing attachment and it's usually about 1 to 1.5 quarts less than the stated capacity. One quart is about the size of a large deli container, so if you have a recipe that regularly makes enough dough to fill four or five of those, opt for a mixer with a larger stated capacity of 6 or 7 quarts. It's also a good idea to buy a mixer with a larger capacity if you make a lot of bread since the mixer needs a fair amount of clearance to knead the dough effectively.
Maneuverability and storage: The bigger the capacity and more powerful the mixer, the heavier and larger the mixer will be. The largest KitchenAid mixers in our guide can weigh almost 30 pounds. Unless you're comfortable regularly lifting an appliance of that size, you'll either need to consider a small mixer or have dedicated counter space. Larger mixers will take up about half the width of a standard size counter and may not fit readily under your cabinet overhang. If space is at a premium, consider a smaller, less expensive mixer.
Colors and customization: For some people, the most important factor in choosing a KitchenAid is the color. If a fun color is your priority, opt for a mixer from KitchenAid's Artisan series. Our best mixer for small spaces and best overall pick are both Artisan mixers and are available in up to 47 different colors. Our best overall pick also offers further customization with interchangeable decorative work bowls in various patterns and materials. The Classic and Pro Line series offer a much more limited color choice — just red and a handful of neutrals.
What to make in your KitchenAid stand mixer
We've put together a number of how-tos for making the most out of your KitchenAid stand mixer. KitchenAid makes more than two dozen different attachments that expand the versatility of your machine and let you make everything from zoodles to sausage to ice cream and more. Most of the attachments operate from the "hub" of the mixer — the portion underneath the metal disk on the top front of the machine. Since all KitchenAid mixers have this hub, almost all the attachments are compatible with every KitchenAid model in our guide. If you're interested in KitchenAid attachments, we reviewed them all here.
Here are some of our favorite things to make with our KitchenAid mixers and attachments:
Fresh pasta: This is one of those tasks that shows the true versatility of a KitchenAid stand mixer. You use the stand mixer and work bowl to make the dough, and then the KitchenAid pasta sheeter or pasta extruder to form the pasta shapes. Read more about how to make pasta in your stand mixer.
Bagels: Chewy bread like bagels are one of the hardest and most arduous tasks to do by hand, which means they're the perfect recipes to outsource to your stand mixer. While writing this guide, I used this recipe by King Arthur and it churned out perfectly springy bagels that reminded me of home in New Jersey.
Tilt head: A common mixer design where the work bowl twists onto the base of the mixer. The head of the machine tilts forward for operation and lifts back so you can attach a paddle, whisk, or dough hook; add ingredients to the work bowl; or use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. These machines have a lever that allows you to lock the head in place so it doesn't accidentally lift during mixing or moving. This style is common in smaller capacity mixers and is contrasted to a bowl-lift design.
Bowl lift: A mixer design where the work bowl sits on a Y-shaped arm extending from the body of the mixer. A lever allows you to raise and lower the bowl. A raised position brings the bowl closer to the mixer head for operation, while a lowered position allows you to more easily add ingredients or add/remove the paddle, whisk, or dough hook. This design allows for more stability during mixing but comes at the cost of a larger footprint.
Hub: A circular port at the front of the mixer head where you place KitchenAid branded attachments such as the meat grinder, pasta cutter, or spiralizer. When not in use, the hub is usually covered by a silver medallion with the KitchenAid logo.
Paddle: A flat, open mixing attachment included with every KitchenAid stand mixer. The paddle is used for mixing ingredients together when you don't want too much air incorporated, such as when creaming butter and sugar, mixing cookie dough, and combining some batters. Think of it as the stand mixer equivalent of a wooden spoon.
Whisk: A balloon-shaped wire whisk mixing attachment included with every KitchenAid stand mixer. The whisk attachment is used when you do want to incorporate a lot of air into the ingredients you're mixing, like when whipping cream, making meringue or frosting, or mixing cake batter. It's used in similar ways to a hand whisk.
Dough hook: A corkscrew-shaped mixing attachment included with every KitchenAid stand mixer. The dough hook is used for kneading bread dough. Typically you'll mix the dough with another attachment such as the paddle, and then use the dough hook to form the dough into a ball and knead it. The corkscrew shape pushes the dough against the sides of the work bowl in an action that approximates kneading by hand.
Attachment: Can refer to the paddle, whisk, and dough hook that come with the mixer, but also used to describe the various accessories you can purchase to extend the versatility of your stand mixer such as the ice cream maker, food processor, or meat grinder.
FAQs
What is the warranty on KitchenAid stand mixers?
Almost all of KitchenAid's stand mixers come with a limited one year warranty, though you can purchase an extended service plan for another three years of coverage.
What do I do if my KitchenAid stand mixer breaks?
When a KitchenAid stand mixer stops working, it can usually be repaired. The machines are designed so that inexpensive gears fail before the core part of the mixer; oftentimes a repair is as simple as replacing a gear. If your stand mixer is still within warranty, you should contact KitchenAid for a replacement. However, in my experience, don't expect much from KitchenAid customer service if you're out of warranty. While plenty of KitchenAid repair videos exist online, you'll get the best results from a paid repair from the KitchenAid factory or by visiting a reputable appliance repair service. Keep in mind that you can void your remaining warranty if you attempt to repair your stand mixer on your own.
Will my KitchenAid stand mixer last a lifetime?
With proper care, it's possible! Keep in mind that technology changes, so it's never a guarantee that a small appliance like a KitchenAid stand mixer will be forever compatible with modern home wiring or safety specifications. (Your grandma's toaster or microwave may still work, but it might not necessarily be safe.) While your stand mixer might not become a family heirloom, you should get many years of use out of it.
How do I use my KitchenAid stand mixer?
I'd start with a solid recipe for something you like to eat often, like cookies or bread. Once you know what you want to make, a well-written recipe should guide you through when to add ingredients, what speed to use, and even when to scrape down the bowl. Recipes from cookbooks or food magazines are usually well-tested and thoroughly written. Some good cookbooks to start with include "Pastry Love,""Black Girl Baking", "Bravetart,""Cook's Illustrated Baking Book", "The New Way to Cake," and "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook." It's also good to keep best practices in mind: avoid overloading the mixer or adding too many ingredients at once, and turn up the speed slowly to avoid kitchen messes. Only operate your stand mixer on a stable countertop or table, and don't leave it unattended while it's running.
Can I use an electric hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?
Electric hand mixers are best used for light batters or frostings where you want to incorporate a lot of air, and it doesn't take a lot of mixing to bring the ingredients together. While the electric mixer is spinning the whisks, you're still responsible for moving the mixer around the bowl. This is much less efficient than a stand mixer where the whisk is rotating, but also moving in a circular motion around the work bowl. Electric hand mixers also aren't very good for heavy doughs or recipes with a lot of varying textures since these tend to get caught in the smaller tines of the beaters. While an electric hand mixer is an efficient way to whip up a batch of brownies or frosting, stand mixers are much more versatile.
Why buy a KitchenAid stand mixer
While there are a number of other stand mixer brands out there — including Breville, Sunbeam, Oster, and Bosch — none are as ubiquitous or revered as the KitchenAid stand mixer. Some people consider purchasing a KitchenAid stand mixer to be a life milestone, and according to The Knot, a KitchenAid stand mixer was the most-wished-for product on wedding registries in 2019. Julia Child's KitchenAid mixer even lives in the Smithsonian Museum. But what makes KitchenAid stand mixers so special?
KitchenAid stand mixers have been around for more than a century. According to KitchenAid, the brand got its name in 1919 when an executive's wife called the first home model stand mixer "the best kitchen aid I've ever had." The name stuck and KitchenAid has been synonymous with stand mixers ever since. While there are a number of great stand mixers from other brands out there, KitchenAid still stands out in a number of ways.
Durability: I've tried almost every brand of stand mixer out there in my seven years reviewing kitchen products, and KitchenAid mixers are the only ones that use an almost all-metal construction. Other brands cut costs by using plastic in part of the design: either in the body of the mixer, on knobs and dials, in the mixing attachments, or even in the gears. Mixers made with a lot of plastic are usually lighter and less expensive, but much less durable. KitchenAid mixers can last for decades because of their strong metal parts. While this stronger construction comes at a premium — KitchenAid mixers are among the most expensive out there — their durability makes them a great investment. Even the most affordable KitchenAid mixer shares this same hearty construction and powerful motor and will last for decades with proper care. There is also a robust network of authorized KitchenAid repair technicians who can repair your stand mixer if something does break.
Stability: The all-metal design makes KitchenAid mixers much heavier than most other brands. While they can be a pain to lug around, the added heft produces an important benefit: more stability when mixing. Lighter machines can shake or "walk" off countertops. The heaviness of KitchenAid mixers helps them stay put.
A mixer for everybody: Many brands that make stand mixers only produce one or two models. KitchenAid makes almost a dozen models with different capacities, power, and price points. This allows you to choose a model that meets your needs and excels at the tasks you perform most.
Attachments: KitchenAid is the only brand that has produced a robust lineup of attachments that extend the versatility of its stand mixers. These attachments can turn your KitchenAid into a food processor, meat grinder, ice cream maker, spiralizer, pasta machine, and more — eliminating the need to buy separate appliances that are often larger and more expensive.
Colors: It's undeniable that one of the major selling points of a KitchenAid mixer is the sheer number of colors available to choose from. KitchenAid offers its mixers in 47 different colors — no other brand even comes close to that much customization. While choosing an appliance based on color may seem silly to some consumers, the ability to pick out a color that matches your personality or decor is one of the reasons people feel such an affinity to KitchenAid mixers.
Not long ago, private equity firms used to view investing in public relations agencies and software companies as a volatile industry.
Recently, that's changed.
Marketing M&A, which includes PR and PR software, grew 2% in 2019 while overall M&A declined 7%, investment bank JEGI reported, highlighted by deals like Platinum Equity's acquisition of Cision and CVC Capital Partners' acquisition of Teneo.
Financial buyers represented 14% of buyers of these firms for the past few years, up from 11% in 2016, said the report.
"It's a growth industry, and they're beginning to see that more and more," said Art Stevens, a mergers and acquisitions specialist that advises on PR agency deals. "They see firms doing rollups and becoming a $100 million business overnight that are 20% profitable at least."
Stevens cited roll-up vehicles like communications firm W2O Group, which more than tripled its revenue to a projected $350 million in 2020 since taking on investors in 2016.
Firms like financial communications agency ICR have also shown that PR can be a stable business. David Tayeh, head of private equity of North America at Investcorp, which acquired a stake in ICR in 2018, said the agency was attractive because of its diversified revenue streams, consistent year-over-year growth rate, and high cash flow.
"There's a level of stickiness that is generally underappreciated in the industry, with contractually recurring or recurring revenue that have proven quite resilient," Tayeh said.
Investcorp is betting ICR is only scratching the surface of its potential as the agency builds out data analytics services and benefits from crisis work as clients seek help defending themselves against social and financial activists, Tayeh said.
Stevens said the coronavirus pandemic hasn't dampened private equity interest in PR and predicts 2021 will bring a flurry of new deals.
Business Insider identified eight firms that have invested in PR agencies and software companies, using publicly available information and original reporting.
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice acquired healthcare marketing and communications holding company Huntsworth in March 2020 for $719 million, betting on strong growth in healthcare, according to Reuters.
Through its healthcare division, Huntsworth owns prominent healthcare communications companies like Evoke and Medistrava Consulting. Its PR division, whose operating profit grew 38% in 2019, contains Grayling, Red, and Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Quiller, and The Creative Engagement Group.
Since the CD&R deal in March, Huntsworth acquired communications and training consultancy Cormis, now part of its 400-person The Creative Engagement Group; and the 800-person medical communications company Nucleus Global.
CVC Capital Partners
PE firm CVC Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in PR powerhouse Teneo in 2019 in a deal that valued it at more than $700 million. Started in 1981, CVC has $109.1 billion in assets under management.
CVC bought out another private equity firm, BC Partners, which acquired a minority stake in Teneo in 2015. Teneo was founded in 2011 by former Clinton advisers Declan Kelly and Doug Band.
With BC's backing, Teneo has more than tripled its headcount to 800 people and acquired a slew of PR firms and other kinds of professional services companies, allowing it to enter new businesses like investment banking and executive recruiting.
However, a source familiar with Golden Gate said Sard's headcount and revenues are up more than 50% since taking on the investment. It's also opened new offices in Hong Kong and Washington, DC.
With Golden Gate's cash, Sard Verbinnen acquired Oakhill Communications in 2020, cementing its presence as a communications and public affairs powerhouse in the UK and Europe. It also built out its research division by acquiring Arc Research.
The firm launched a governance group called SGA, led by the former head of ISS special situations, as well as a public affairs practice led by chairman Bruce Haynes and vice chair Miriam Sapiro, former acting US trade representative for President Barack Obama.
Investcorp
In March 2018, Investcorp acquired an undisclosed stake in financial communications agency ICR. David Tayeh, head of private equity of North America at Investcorp, and principal Warren Knapp lead the ICR account.
Investcorp's investment helped ICR grow its headcount from about 180 people to 250, launch a governance advisory practice, and acquire Westwicke Partners, a specialist in healthcare investor relations.
CEO Tom Ryan told Business Insider he expects ICR to grow revenue in the area of 15% in 2020. Based on revenue figures it provided to ProvokeMedia, that would put its annual revenue at around $100 million.
New Mountain Capital
New Mountain Capital, with more than $25 billion in assets under management, bought an undisclosed stake in W2O Group in 2019, fueling the healthcare PR agency's skyrocketing growth.
The 1,500-person W2O has more than tripled its revenues and headcount since 2016 and expects to grow revenue 50% to more than $350 million in 2020, CEO Jim Weiss said.
Since the New Mountain deal, W2O has made seven acquisitions in influencer and entertainment marketing and social media analytics, including Arcus Medica, ISO.health, Radius Digital Science, 21Grams, Symplur, Discern Health, and Starpower.
W2O has also used the proceeds of the New Mountain sale to build out its technology platforms and data analytics capabilities, Weiss said.
W2O's previous backer was MountainGate Capital.
Platinum Equity
Platinum Equity, a firm with more than $19 billion in assets under management, acquired software giant Cision in early 2020 in a deal valued at $2.7 billion.
Since then, Cision has attempted to merge with its biggest competitor, Meltwater, which the Department of Justice investigated for antitrust concerns. It's also tried selling its largest acquisition Trendkite, which it bought for $225 million.
Under Platinum Equity, Cision hired a new CEO, Abel Clark; and released new features and products like a relationship management solution to help PR pros reach 1.1 billion influencers and journalists in its database and an analytics dashboard and interactive reports.
With that deal, Platinum bought out Cision's previous owner, GTCR, and took the world's largest PR software company private after trading on the New York Stock Exchange for less than 3 years.
Stagwell Group
Mark Penn founded Stagwell Group in 2015 with a $250 million private equity investment led by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Stagwell and MDC Partners, an ad holding company that Penn also leads, have acquired or invested in a range of PR firms, including corporate heavyweights like Sloane & Company, political firms like SKDKnickerbocker, technology focused firms like Allison + Partners, and Finn Partners.
Stagwell Group is also investing in PR technology, launching an AI tool called PRrophet through MDC subsidiary KWT and an influencer marketing platform called Koalifyed, which is being used by Procter & Gamble.
In June 2020, Stagwell announced it was trying to merge with MDC.
Vista Credit Partners
Vista Credit Partners, the credit-investing arm of Vista Equity Partners, gave PR software giant Meltwater a $175 million cash infusion in March 2019.
Meltwater said the recapitalization allowed it to invest in its products after acquiring a string of companies like social analytics and engagement company Sysomos.
Most recently, Meltwater became a publicly traded company through an IPO on Euronext stock exchange that raised $395 million to pay down debt and pursue revenue growth by acquiring customers and through mergers and acquisitions.
The rise of online shopping in the pandemic has investors, consultants, and bankers buzzing about possible e-commerce deals.
Online shopping globally grew 24% in 2020 as in-store sales declined 7%, with online sales expected to account for 21% of total retail spend by 2025, according to a recent Euromonitor International survey.
The growth in e-commerce has struck up deal talks between e-commerce companies and buyers like private equity firms and holding companies looking to invest more in e-commerce. In the past year, Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital acquired Amazon ad agency Orca Pacific and Ascential acquired e-commerce agencies X Target and analytics firm Intellibrand.
"There's consolidation and roll-ups happening within the industry," said Franz Jordan, CEO of e-commerce analytics firm Sellics. "Due to COVID, there is this impression that e-commerce is accelerating, and you have a lot of money with investors and private equity that have discovered e-commerce."
Insider asked e-commerce execs, founders, bankers, investors and consultants which e-commerce companies could be hot acquisition targets in 2021. They named 12 ad agencies and tech platforms, though to be clear, they did not suggest that any of the companies are actually in talks.
Below are the companies in alphabetical order. Where available, we included funding information for private companies.
Why it's an acquisition target:It facilitates commerce across apps
Button is a mobile commerce platform that integrates with apps like Walmart and Samsung Pay to let brands and publishers like BuzzFeed, Walmart, Uber, Groupon and Hotels.com integrate affiliate marketing links, or "buttons," in apps.
Someone looking to redeem reward points on their bank's app, for example, may land up in Walmart's app via Button, or BuzzFeed's Tasty may use Button's technology to drive users to buy ingredients in its recipes directly on Walmart.
One techology, media, and telecom investment banker noted that affiliate commerce is an increasingly popular way for brands and publishers to monetize their audiences, and Button is a hot target because it plays squarely in that space.
Button did not respond to a request for comment.
Harvest Group
Why it's an acquisition target:It focuses on Walmart
CEO Ross Cully founded the Arkansas-based ad agency in 2006 after working at Procter & Gamble in sales and category manaagement roles.
Harvest Group's close proximity to Walmart headquarters and ties with consumer-packaged good brands makes it one of the biggest agencies to handle ad campaigns on Walmart. The agency's services include analytics, merchandising, and marketing.
In addition to Walmart, Harvest Group also helps brands manage campaigns with Kroger and Sam's Club.
"We entertain a variety of strategic conversations on a regular basis," said Cully about acquisition talks. "We are actively looking to acquire businesses that fit our culture and business plan."
Hawke Media
Why it's an acquisition target: It serves e-commerce brands that don't have massive budgets
E-commerce entrepreneur Erik Huberman launched digital marketing agency Hawke Media in 2014 to offer clients customized services like affiliate marketing or brand strategy via month-to-month contracts.
Clients including K-Swiss and Topo Designs have cut down on costs using this company's outsourcing approach.
The agency itself has grown too, with Huberman saying that the agency's profit grew over 4x in 2020 and should more than double in 2021.
As holding companies and newer competitors like S4 Capital snap up e-commerce specialists like Orca Pacific, Hawke Media remains one of the few independent performance-focused ad agencies with scale.
Rachel Tipograph, founder and CEO of e-commerce analytics firm MikMak, said that the agency is hot given its stronghold with up-and-coming DTC brands.
Huberman said that the agency isn't looking for buyers but didn't rule out an acquisition.
"We receive many [offers] and while we aren't seeking an acquisition, we are always open to a conversation as some have lead to incredible partnerships," he said.
Juice
Why it's an acquisition target: It's a performance marketing agency that tries to drive results for brands
Cofounders Michael Lisovetsky and Troy Osinoff started Juice in 2017 after agency careers in audience acquisition.
The independent 50-person agency claims to differentiate itself from other performance marketing shops by hiring people who have started, advised, or grown companies themselves, rather than marketers with only agency experience.
The agency claims to provide results beyond traditional growth marketing metrics and help its clients do things like raise venture capital funding or sell conference tickets for clients.
Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands, and MikMak's Rachel Tipograph said that Juice has a unique approach to tackling the burgeoning e-commerce space that made it a likely acquisition target.
Why it's an acquisition target: It has deep relationships with ad agencies
The 15-year-old marketing tech firms originally helped marketers manage and buy Facebook, Snapchat, and Pinterest ads.
More recently, it's focused on Amazon and is one of a handful of tech firms that is plugged into Walmart, Instacart and Target, helping brands buy ads on their sites.
Kenshoo was cited by sources as an acquisition target, potentially by a holding company, because of its reputation with big ad agencies like WPP and Publicis Media.
Nich Weinheimer, general manager of e-commerce at Kenshoo, declined to directly address acquisition rumors.
"Shifts toward e-commerce accelerated by the pandemic means the point of sale has largely changed for good," he said. "Combined with the growth of Amazon Advertising in the past three years, brands are looking for more direct conversations with consumers through their retail partners via performance advertising."
Why it's an acquisition target: It aggregates e-commerce analytics
MikMak started making QVC-infomercial style shoppable videos for brands touting their products on social media. In 2020, it become an enterprise-software platform to help them manage their sales across e-commerce channels and retailers.
Since then, business has boomed, with MikMak adding three new products and expanding to Canada and Europe in 2020. Its revenue grew over 200% in 2020, per founder and CEO Rachel Tipograph.
The firm counts brands and retailers including Colgate, L'Oréal, Hershey's, Petco, and P&G as clients. In one example, Hershey claimed that it saw its clickthrough rates using MikMak increase up to 15%.
Deepak Sindwani, partner and co-founder at Wavecrest Partners, a growth capital fund that led MikMak's Series A funding, said that the company is an acquisition target because it's leading the way in categories that traditionally lagged in online sales, like consumer-packaged goods.
"One of the few positive impacts of COVID-19 has been e-commerce moving into new categories like food and beverage and auto, and MikMak is growing very fast because they're enabling brands in those categories to understand and embrace e-commerce," Sindwani said.
Pacvue
Why it's an acquisition target: Building adtech for new retail media networks
Pacvue is one of a handful of startups that plugs into the growing number of retail ad networks like Walmart, Target, and Instacart.
The firm sells technology that brands use to manage their ad spending on Amazon. It expanded to other retailers last year when e-commerce boomed in the pandemic. Pacvue says that its business grew 300% in 2020.
Sellics CEO Franz Jordan said there's a growing need for companies like Pacvue to handle ad budgets for big brands that sell on Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
Pacvue president Melissa Burdick did not address acquisition talks.
"This space is more challenging compared to other digital advertising such as search engine marketing," she said. "A good product needs to combine the insights from both advertising and the e-commerce perspective."
Structured Social
Why it's an acquisition target: It's a retail agency focusing on retention
The 3-year-old agency specializes in helping fast-growing digitally native brands with e-commerce services like page design and paid social advertising.
Last summer, it acquired Boundless Labs, a retention marketing-focused ad agency focused on e-mail and text message strategy.
Its offerings, low overhead, and high output makes Structured Social an acquisition target for holding companies looking to make inroads with DTC brands or for a CPG giant that has DTC brands but needs distribution, Nik Sharma said. He also speculated that the agency could merge with other boutique agencies to go public through a SPAC.
Structured Social cofounder and partner Jake Schmidt said that the agency has seen more than 200% growth and remained profitable in 2020.
"We are always interested in having conversations with potential partners who might be able to help us serve our clients and team members better," he said.
The Stable
Total funding to date: $4 million in 2017 in a venture round led by GEN7 Investments, and undisclosed funding from private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners in April 2020
Why it's an acquisition target: It combines aspects of retail including brick and mortar, e-commerce and DTC services
Chad Hetherington founded the Minneapolis-based agency in 2015 to help challenger brands scale their content and commerce strategies.
Since then, it's helped the likes of Cure Hydration, Quip, Ring, and Califia Farms sell on channels like Target and Amazon, which makes it seen as an acquisition target.
The agency merged with retail marketing agency Kreative Sales & Marketing and bought e-commerce tech firm RichContext and Target specialist agency Jacobs Marketing last year.
Hetherington said the agency wasn't exploring acquisitions but was open to conversations.
Why it's an acquisition target: It's building a portfolio of e-commerce and marketing firms
Former advertising exec David Jones left the agency world to found "brandtech" company You & Mr. Jones six years ago. The firm, which is valued at $1.6 billion, has invested in and acquired tech and marketing firms including Pinterest, Niantic, and influencer marketing firm Collectively. You & Mr. Jones' services include helping brands build e-commerce and mobile features to take their marketing in-house.
You & Mr. Jones competes with other holding companies like Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital that are also buying up marketing and tech firms.
Mike Duda, managing partner at ad agency and venture capital firm Bullish, said You & Mr. Jones could be an acquisition target because of its focus on e-commerce.
"With the multiples being done on deals, they have some intriguing assets and could be someone who could be acquired," he said. "These firms are almost like the plumbing for providing data and selling on Amazon."
Jones for his part said that You & Mr. Jones is interested in acquisitions.
"Both the potential size of the market and of our business, which were huge before COVID, have now grown exponentially as major global brands ramp up their digital transformation," he said.
WeCommerce
Revenue: $15 million through the third quarter of 2020
Why it's an acquisition target: It helps brands run Shopify stores
WeCommerce acts as a holding company focused on Shopify, which has become a huge e-commerce player for direct-to-consumer brands.
WeCommerce buys up e-commerce tech firms and companies like app maker Yopify and Foursixty that give sellers apps and tools they need to run a business on Shopify.
While WeCommerce is public, Sellics CEO Franz Jordan said it could be an acquisition target because of its sole focus on Shopify.
WeCommerce did not respond to a request for comment.
Wpromote
Why it's an acquisition target: It's a rare independent performance marketing agency
Entrepreneur Mike Mothner founded ad agency Wpromote in 2001 while attending Dartmouth College to ride the wave of Google's ad business promoting businesses in search listings.
It's since morphed into a performance marketing agency for brands like Marriott and Adobe. Wpromote has deep inroads with Amazon, Facebook and Google and the direct-to-consumer brands that rely on platforms for e-commerce sales.
While agency holding companies like Dentsu Aegis Network and Interpublic Group gobble up performance marketing shops, Wpromote remains one of the few independent performance-focused ad agencies. It got investment from private-equity firm Shamrock Capital in 2018 and it's acquired a handful of companies like Metric Digital to build up its social media expertise.
Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands, said that Wpromote's expertise in building DTC brands with paid advertising makes the firm a possible acquisition target.
Mothner didn't rule out a possible acquisition and said that Wpromote is also looking for its own acquisitions.
"We want to make sure that we have our eyes open to all opportunities, but we're looking to grow the company versus sell the company," he said.
Make your cat's transition to their new home as seamless as possible by stocking up on the essentials before their arrival.
Cats need supplies like a litter box, food, toys, and scratchers to make them feel safe, encourage healthy habits, and provide them with stimulation.
We consulted with two cat rescue organizations and veterinarian Dr. Andrea Moore of Pinnacle Animal Hospital in California to determine the most important supplies to have when bringing a new cat home.
The day you bring home your new cat is full of joy. But while you may be ready for snuggles and play from the moment your kitty arrives, most felines aren't as excited about moving day. Just when they were getting used to the shelter or foster home — bam — here comes another transition. And cats, they aren't the best at dealing with change.
Preparing for the arrival of your new cat ahead of time will help smooth their transition to your home. While it's a no-brainer that cats require a litter box and food, new cat owners may not realize that items like scratching posts, cat trees, calming pheromones, and toys can reduce stress and provide your pet with an enriching environment.
With the help of four experts, we've come up with a list of essentials to have when you bring a new cat home. For a veterinary perspective, we consulted Dr. Andrea Moore, owner and medical director at Pinnacle Animal Hospital in San Jose, California. Staff at two cat rescue organizations also lent their expertise on how to transition a cat to a new home: Danielle Carr, shelter manager at Town Cats in Morgan Hill, California, and Libby Farel-Friedman and Lindsay Franušić, supervisor and assistant manager of adoption programs, respectively, at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley (HSSV) in Milpitas, California.
Here are 19 pet supplies to have on hand when you bring your new cat home:
A cozy carrier for your cat's freedom ride and beyond
A cat carrier is mandatory for bringing your cat home from the shelter, said Franušić. We love Mr. Peanut's refined, comfortable tote, which can unzip to expand to almost three times the size of a regular carrier, making it more comfortable for long travel days.
To help decrease stress and unwanted behaviors like urine spraying that go with it, both Moore and Carr recommend using a calming pheromone like Feliway during your cat's first weeks at home. Feliway mimics the F3 facial pheromones cats deposit when rubbing their cheeks against surfaces in order to mark them as safe.
Earthquake putty to keep knickknacks, vases, and picture frames from becoming playthings
Adhering your knickknacks to shelves and tables using earthquake putty ensures that your favorite picture frame or vase won't end up in pieces on the floor. "When you actually get a cat into your home, you find that they love to explore and get on top of things," said Franušić, adding that putty was a lifesaver for her.
When it comes to a litter box, all of our experts agree that simple is best. You want a box your cat can use "without having to do any tricks," said Moore. And even though self-cleaning litter boxes are convenient, Moore advises against them because the noises they make can frighten cats. At the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, Farel-Friedman said they recommend using a simple uncovered litter box. If you prefer your box to be covered to reduce smells or prevent your dog from getting inside, buy one like Nature's Miracle Oval Hooded Litter Box, which has a removable lid that can be added later on.
An unscented natural litter to make using the litter box appealing
Moore avoids dusty litters, which can cause respiratory issues, as well as perfumed litters with a strong scent. All three of our shelter experts like litters made of natural materials like corn or grass, and Carr's favorite litters are made from pine wood. "I think they're really efficient at neutralizing odors and are really easy to scoop," she said. For more ideas, check out our guide to the best natural cat litter.
For cats with sensitive whiskers, brushing up against the side of a food or water bowl can cause pain and make eating stressful. To prevent "whisker fatigue," Dr. Moore suggested using a flatter dish without steep sides.
Nutritious dry and wet food that your cat will love to eat
While many cats prefer dry foods, they are high in carbohydrates and calories. Feeding a diet that includes wet food can help to maintain weight and overall health, according to Moore. "Wet food is great for cats because it provides more moisture," she said. "It's especially important for males because you want them producing urine so they don't have urinary issues."
Franušić and Farel-Friedman recommended Hill's Science Diet, which comes in several varieties for cats with different needs. There are plenty of other high-quality options, including Nom Nom, a human-grade monthly cat food delivery service.
Irresistible treats for training and high-stress situations
"We use Churu for clicker training and it works wonders," said Carr. Clicker training, a form of positive-reinforcement training that marks correct behaviors with a distinct clicking sound, is an excellent way to teach tricks and address behavior challenges in cats. Churu is great for stressful situations, too. "We have cats who are super stressed and we give them Churu, and it works so well to distract them from what's going on," said Carr. For more ideas, see our guide to the best cat treats.
Tasty dental treats to help promote a happy, healthy mouth
Keeping your cat's mouth clean is essential to its overall health. "Ideally, you should try to teach your cat to have its teeth brushed," said Moore. But if that proves too challenging, dental treats are the next best thing. She also recommended using a water additive for stress-free dental care. For more options, check out our guide to the best dental products for cats.
A reflective breakaway collar to hold your cat's ID tags
If your cat goes outdoors, they need a breakaway collar that will come undone if they get caught on a tree branch or fence, said Moore. We like this durable reflective collar by Rogz, which is the top pick in our guide to the best cat collars.
Stainless steel ID tags to make sure your cat gets home safely
Even if your cat is microchipped, ID tags engraved with their name and phone number can help them make it home safe and sound. If your cat is indoor-only, Moore said they don't need to wear a collar or ID tags. Instead, microchip your cat so that they can be easily identified if they escape.
A comfy harness and leash set for taking your cat on a walk
For indoor cats, the outdoors is a fantasy world of sights, sounds, and smells that many find delightful. According to Moore, leash training "is a safe way to have [a] cat outside and a good activity for the cat and owner to do together." But because being on a leash is not a natural behavior for cats, guardians need to take the time to acclimate their cat to the leash.
A brush for removing excess hair and preventing hairballs
Cats are fastidious, and in the process of grooming, they consume a lot of hair. For long-haired cats, especially, "brushing is really helpful to remove the loose hair that is ready to shed that may get matted if not removed," said Moore. A good cat brush like the Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush can help remove the excess hair and may reduce the frequency of hairballs.
"Cats scratch as a scent marker, to help with their nails, and to relieve stress," said Moore. Plus, your cat will be less likely to scratch your furniture if they have other options. This cat scratcher from Max & Marlow includes a 26-inch scratching post plus two attached toys. For more ideas, check out our guide to the best scratching posts.
"The best toys are the ones where you can interact with your cat. Playing with them helps you to bond better," said Farel-Friedman. Cat wands are a classic kitty favorite, and Carr recommended both Da Bird and Cat Catcher by GoCat. See our guide to the best cat toys for more options.
An interactive food puzzle toy to stimulate your cat’s hunting instincts
"I think food puzzle toys are great," said Carr. "They're really good for cats who are overweight and for cats who are overstimulated. It's more natural, too, because [it mimics the way] cats have to work for their food in the wild." Moore suggested feeding kibble out of interactive food puzzle toys as well as — or instead of — treats.
Flea control is important regardless of whether a cat is indoor-only or goes outside. Most flea treatments are topical, but Seresto also makes a flea collar that many cat owners and veterinarians like. Not all cats will be comfortable wearing a flea collar, but for those that tolerate it, Moore said it's a good option.
A cardboard floor scratcher with tracking balls to promote independent play
All of our experts agreed that there is no such thing as too many scratchers. Carr likes the Bergan Turboscratcher which has a ball in the frame. "Cats get their scratch on while playing with the balls inside," she said. "They can play and entertain themselves so even if you're not home they have stimulation."
A cat tree tower for climbing, scratching, and play
"We definitely recommend cat trees," said Farel-Friedman. "They not only provide cats with the ability of choice, but they also provide them with exercise and stress relief." Dr. Moore agreed: "You want to have vertical space, especially people who have a small living area." The ideal tree has built-in scratching posts and plenty of spots to snuggle up. That's why we like the classic cat tree from Armarkat, which is the budget pick in our guide to the best cat trees.
The set of golf clubs you play with spells the difference between a good and a band round of golf.
Your clubs should include a driver that lets you hit far and straight, irons that hone your approach game, and an accurate putter.
Our top pick, the Mizuno Golf MP-20 Iron Set, allows seasoned golfers to make a variety of shots and helps improve iron play.
Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky
Golf is both exhilarating and maddening. What seems like a relaxing round of golf one minute quickly becomes anything but as you watch yet another sliced shot soar into a sand trap. Even if you talk yourself into thinking you're able to save the day by sticking the next shot within 3 feet of the pin, you still need to sink a putt.
Despite this inherent frenzy of emotion, golf keeps me coming back for more. As soon as I picked up the sport I was hooked and wanted to immediately figure out how I could play better. After some research (and plenty of trial and error) I realized the best place to start was with the clubs I used. Not only did buying my own set allow me to avoid the awful clubhouse rentals but becoming familiar with them helped improve my score.
Of course, new clubs didn't turn me into 2000s-era Tiger Woods but they did help solidify my swing while teaching me how to properly select what to hit and when. This alone dramatically improved my game and showed me that having better equipment was vital to my progression.
The journey to find the right clubs meant testing sets from a variety of brands like Mizuno, Callaway, and Ping; some good, some mediocre, and some great. Though my favorite overall was the MP-20 set from Mizuno, I did come across other clubs that I felt positively impacted my game, like Ping's G400 Driver and the SM7 Wedge from Titleist.
Finding the right clubs often comes down to personal experience and preference, but I outlined how each club and set of clubs below worked for my own personal style. I've also included more information on how to shop for golf clubs at the bottom of this guide.
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 the 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 and are instead made with a copper underlay.
In all, these clubs are about feel, and how that changes between chrome and copper plating, which is something of a throwback to the brand's research and design from decades ago, and something the pros all seem to favor.
Best full set for beginners
If you're an occasional golfer or if you're just picking up the game, the Callaway Strata Set will give you a decent set of clubs for a great price.
Pros: Inexpensive option to receive all of the gear you'll need to start playing, delivers a good level of quality for the price you'll pay, clubs offer a solid ball strike, great starter set
Cons: Not the most durable clubs, includes only the basic clubs, not made for experienced players
There's no question that golf can be a very expensive game. Not only do you have to pay greens fees (and for the first round at the 19th hole bar for missing your 3-foot putt for birdie on number 18), you also have to buy a lot of expensive equipment.
So if you're just starting with golf, and you aren't sure you'll stick with it, you'll love the Callaway Strata Set, which delivers all of the basics that you'll need for a very reasonable price. This set is available in both men's and women's sizes, as well as in both left- and right-handed orientations.
Understand that this Callaway Strata Set has a limited number of clubs. The women's Strata set ships with a driver, 5-wood, 5-hybrid, 7-iron, 9-iron, sand wedge, putter, and bag. The men's Strata set includes a 3-wood instead of a 5-wood and adds a 6-iron and an 8-iron.
You easily could spend as much for one high-end putter or golf bag as you'll spend on this entire set of clubs and bag. That alone tells you this set isn't aimed at low handicap shooters.
Although the durability and quality of the clubs in the Strata set aren't perfect, they work nicely for the inexperienced player who doesn't use them every day.
Best golf driver
Even if we can't hit them consistently, we golfers love our drivers. The forgiving Ping G400 will help you get consistent while delivering excellent length.
Pros: Delivers the length you want from the driver with a more forgiving face for mishits, includes all of the latest technological updates, comes from a well-respected driver manufacturer
Cons: Expensive
Ping has been at the forefront of recent upgrades to drivers, leading the change from a forward center of gravity club to a rear center of gravity. The idea behind the change was to continue delivering the length that forward-weighted drivers have while giving off-center swings a bit more forgiveness.
Ping's new designs have been popular enough that many driver makers have followed its engineering change.
Ping's latest driver, the G400, incorporates the new design with just enough engineering tweaks to make this driver a tremendous performer. The sharp-looking Ping G400 is offered in both men's and women's styles.
Sometimes in a club design, the little things matter. The Ping G400 includes small raised areas on the top of the club near the face that help to reduce friction with the air and give you a little more club speed. Even a slight improvement in club speed can yield several more yards on your drive.
The G400 isn't cheap. So if you're happy with your current driver, you may want to stick with it. But if you're unhappy with your current driver – and honestly, who isn't a lot of the time – the Ping G400 is an amazing piece of golf technology.
Best wedge
Even if you consider a wedge a necessary evil, having a good one, like the Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge, can save you strokes.
Pros: High-end build quality among wedges, delivers the precise control you want around the greens, center of gravity adjustments at different lofts are impressive, maintains similar great design look from SM6
Cons: Expensive, almost too many choices for average golfers to manage
For most people, the wedge in the golf bag is the equivalent of the placekicker in football. You usually don't want to use one, because it means you've made some sort of mistake previously. But when you're forced to use it, the wedge had better deliver for you.
When you want the best control around the greens, a great wedge design is a must. And the Titleist Vokey SM7 family of wedges contains the best features and design that you'll find in this type of golf club, ensuring you can find a wedge — or two or three — that will match your game.
The SM7 gives you a great feel on short approach shots. This is an important feature for any wedge, as you'll be hitting this club with full swings, half swings, and everything in between. You need to be able to trust that you can make a variety of shots with your wedge, and the Titleist Vokey SM7 delivers on that promise.
The design of the clubhead has changed a bit from previous Titleist wedges, including the SM6, which we previously recommended. The back of the club has varying shapes, based on the loft of the wedge, which is available between 46 and 62 degrees. This design affects the center of gravity of the club, ensuring a proper ball strike for the type of loft that's in use.
When using a wedge with a low loft angle, you'll naturally strike the ball lower on the face. Along those same lines, ball strikes higher on the clubface are common with higher lofts. The Titleist Vokey SM7's design adjusts the center of gravity for each different club loft to account for this difference.
There are so many choices and decisions to make that it may overwhelm high handicap golfers. However, if you're a low handicap golfer, the 23 different options with the SM7 wedges will serve you well, allowing you to make almost any shot you could ever need.
Best hybrid club
Among the popular hybrid golf clubs available, the Ping G400 Hybrid stands out with its extra length and ability to keep your swing on path.
Pros: Another great hybrid club from the top manufacturer, delivers extra length versus other hybrids, design helps you maintain a proper swing path, handles all kinds of lies easily
Cons: On the upper end in cost versus other hybrids, performs more like a wood, which some won't like
My first set of golf clubs was an old set, but it had every club in it. It even had a 2-iron. And, for whatever reason, I loved using that club for a lot of different shots. A lot of people struggle with long irons, but my 2-iron was a go-to club for me as I was learning. (Just don't ask me about the rest of my game.)
As I upgraded my clubs, I never found another iron set with a 2-iron, but I still liked hitting long irons. By sticking with long irons, I was late to the hybrid club party.
What a mistake. For mid- and high-handicappers, a hybrid club is a must-have option in your bag. It looks a bit like a small wood, delivers a better sweet spot than a long iron, and can handle a multitude of lies.
If you don't have a hybrid club in your bag yet, it's well past time to add one. And the best option is the Ping G400 Hybrid.
The Ping G400 hybrid delivers an impressive feel that gives you feedback on whether you've made solid contact. The slight changes in the design of the G hybrid versus previous Ping hybrid clubs give it more length. Some players also may notice a slightly faster club speed with the turbulators.
These clubs allow you to make great shots from all kinds of lies, which is why many people want a hybrid club.
How to shop for golf clubs
New clubs feature the latest technologies, delivering better accuracy and shot length than older clubs. If you're confused about what each club can do, here's a quick primer.
Driver: The driver carries the largest club head and the shallowest club face angle of any type of golf club (other than the putter). Drivers have long shafts and are designed to strike the ball off the tee, as the first shot of a hole, rather than off the ground. When struck properly, this club drives the ball further than any other. Some holes are even too short to use a driver.
Fairway woods: Common fairway woods are the 3-wood and 5-wood. Woods with higher numbers have a deeper club face angle and generate more loft. Drivers are also referred to as a 1-wood. A fairway wood is used from a good lie in the fairway when you're still are at least 175 to 200 yards from the green.
Hybrid clubs: A hybrid is a newer style of club, designed to be a mixture between a wood and an iron. Many people find hybrids easier to hit solidly than long irons. They have a greater loft than fairway woods and a smaller head but they have a larger sweet spot than irons.
Irons: An iron is a thin clubface that delivers far more loft than woods. You'll use an iron on an approach to the green, as the grooves in the flat clubface help generate backspin on the ball. That spin, coupled with the higher loft, gives you a better chance of having the ball stop on the green. Irons run from 1- and 2-irons to 9-irons, with larger numbers representing a greater clubface angle and a higher arcing shot with less distance. Because large irons are difficult to strike successfully, some sets don't include anything larger than a 3- or 4-iron, substituting hybrids.
Wedges: Wedges are a subset of irons and have the same shape. However, they have the shortest shafts and the most severe angle on the clubface, giving you more loft and less distance. Sand wedges, pitching wedges, and lob wedges all exist, and the different types of wedges deliver different lofts and clubface angles for tricky shots around the green.
Putters: The putter is the only club you should use while on the green. Some people also use putters from the fringe area around the green but it's not like other golf clubs, as the face is flat with no loft.
