So far this year big names in beauty have either made plans to tap the public markets or found a buyer.

Bloomberg reported in January that Jessica Alba's The Honest Co. is preparing to confidentially file for an IPO. Meanwhile, Estée Lauder agreed to buy a majority stake in skincare brand Deciem at a valuation of $2.2. billion, according to WWD.

Estée Lauder CEO Fabrizio Freda said before the acquisition that the company, whose brands include Becca, Two Faced, and Dr. Jart+, told analysts that it is still "looking into acquisitions and opportunity for reinforcing our portfolio in areas where we have strategic opportunities or strategic gaps."

Sales among high-end prestige beauty brands totaled $16.1 billion in 2020, according to NPD. While that represented a decline of 19% over 2019, certain categories of cosmetics fared better than others: Makeup sales were down 34%, while skincare declined 11%, and fragrances fell 8%. Sales of haircare products increased 7%, according to the data.

Even with the pandemic, many companies like Unilever, Estée Lauder, and others have kept up the hunt for the next exciting beauty brand, said Suzanne Kopulos, co-founder at Beauty Consultants and Strategists, which works with up-and-coming labels. One thing the big players are trying to do is acquire companies that use more novel, clean ingredients, she said.

"That is one of our criteria, first and foremost," Kopulos said. "Whenever we talk to anybody, it's clear product differentiation and innovation."

For brands that aren't ready to work with one of the biggest names in the industry, going public via a SPAC, an increasingly attractive option in a variety of industries, might be an option.

Insider asked beauty industry experts which brands they're keeping an eye on for potential IPOs or acquisitions. Here are 9 brands and groups of companies they pointed to:

Mented

Retailers from Rent the Runway to Sephora signed onto the 15% pledge last summer in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Under the pledge, retailers say they'll dedicate 15% of their shelf space to black-owned brands. 

But whether those brands and their founders have enough support from financiers in the first place represents a challenge to fulfilling that promise, said Kristy Engels, president at the Beauty Strategy Group.

Brands like Mented, a non-toxic, inclusive beauty brand that made its mark on the beauty scene a few years ago with a nude lip color for women of color, have received early-stage investments but have yet to attract the same level of interest as other brands that don't cater to people of color.

"They've been overlooked by private equity," said Kristy Engels, president at Beauty Strategy Group. Whether backers make investments in these brands will be "the true test" of whether they gain space at retailers and succeed in the long run, she added.

Rachel Weingarten, a consultant who works with beauty brands, pointed to Procter & Gamble's 2018 acquisition of Walker & Company, which makes Black-focused shaving brand Bevel, as evidence that companies could make more acquisitions in the area.

Sparitual

Sparitual's products are "for the spa professional and the self-care activist," according to its website. The company's lineup includes vegan nail polish, but the real standout products are its skincare treatments developed specifically for hands.

"They're treating your hands as this part of your body that needs special attention beyond the cheapo hand cream or the fancy hand cream," Weingarten said.

That focus on a specific use helps differentiate the brand from existing options, and could make it an appealing target for a larger player in beauty, Weingarten said. "That's something we're looking for: Does it make me feel special in any way?" she said. "Because EstéeLauder and L'Oréal don't make me feel special at all."

Tula

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Tula got its start in 2014 when it was created by Ken Landis, co-founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics; Dan Reich, a technology entrepreneur; and Dr. Roshini Raj, a gastroenterologist —  a doctor focused on digestive health.

Dr. Raj is the face of the brand which uses bacteria for skin health in the same way that probiotic yogurt uses bacteria to improve digestive health. Its products range from eye balm to acne care and have attracted investment interest from private equity firm L Catterton.

Tula's focus on probiotics and solving specific skin ailments for consumers in a range of ages makes the brand an appealing acquisition target or IPO candidate, said Kopulos. Tula has also offered more products lately that appeal to a wider variety of needs, including an anti-aging line it released last October. "I think that they've probably started to position themselves in a bigger way," she said.

"They speak to a lot of generations of women," she said of Tula. "They have this overall feeling of trying to tell you 'We understand your skin concerns, and here's something that can help you, and it's clean.'"

Supergoop

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Supergoop has raised $8.8 million so far from investors including tennis pro Maria Sharapova. While its products range from hand lotions to body butter, they all have one thing in common: sunscreen-level protection. 

Though the company is private, it disclosed to Inc that its 2018 revenue was $40 million, double its total for the previous year. That number has stuck with lots of people in the beauty industry and made the company stand out in a sea of up-and-coming skincare brands, Kopulos said.

"Everybody's talking about Supergoop because of their SPF skincare," she said. "Everybody's looking at them" as a potential acquisition or investment target, she added.

Perfect Corp.

One of the million-dollar questions for beauty companies is how much of the business that's moved online will stay there even after the pandemic eases. Kenya Watson, intelligence analyst at CB Insights, told Insider that many cosmetics sales will continue to occur online thanks to the full year consumers have had to get used to the e-commerce experience.

"I think more will stay online than if the pandemic had ended in June or July," she said. "A lot of beauty customers are really adapting their habits to online, especially consumers who buy a lot of products who are already familiar with them."

That's where startups like Perfect Corp. come in, Watson adds. The startup's YouCam Makeup app allows customers to try a new shade of eyeliner, lipstick, and other makeup using augmented reality. The company's investors so far include Goldman Sachs and Alibaba, according to Pitchbook.

For a retailer, it could be a useful tool that's better bought instead of built from scratch. "It can do all of these different things, and that helps you in making a purchasing decision," Watson said.

Amika

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Amika was a well-known name in salons and among professional stylists for years before it decided to start selling directly to consumers over the last few years. That's included a pop-up shop in New York's SoHo as well as revamping the chatbot function on its website to accommodate questions from individual consumers instead of salons ordering wholesale, according to Glossy — all things that make it more attractive as a potential deal target.

"Before, they had been a little bit more focused on their salon business, and now they're really embracing more of their direct-to-consumer relationship," Engels said. 

Last year, it ranked among NPD's top 10 best-selling prestige haircare brands. The brand has also expanded its line, targeting consumers with textured hair. 

Huda Beauty

Huda Beauty takes its name from founder beauty blogger Huda Kattan. The company had a valuation of $1.25 billion and counts private equity firm TSG Consumer as an investor, according to Pitchbook.

The brand has become known for products like its Faux Filter foundation. But Engels of Beauty Strategy Group said that the brand's ability to get feedback from its most avid fans and act on it separates it from other beauty labels. In January, Huda released a fresh version of Faux Filter with new features prompted by crowdsourced feedback.

"Huda just does a phenomenal job of mining consumer insights, talking to her community," Engels said. "I think Kylie set the bar on that," she added, referring to Kylie Jenner's cosmetics brand, which Coty acquired for $600 million in 2020.

Function of Beauty

Function of Beauty has raised $167 million from investors including L Catterton, Y Combinator, and BBG Ventures. Its shampoos, serums, lotions, and other personal care products are all customizable, and first-time customers are directed to a survey with questions about their hair texture, how oily their skin is, and other attributes.

But the real genius move is how Function of Beauty then takes that information and applies it to product suggestions and marketing aimed at specific consumers and their needs, Beauty Strategy Group's Engels said.

"They'll know who suffers from itchy scalp and utilize that in their marketing activity," Engels said. The brand "could be poised for an IPO if they keep their current growth trajectory," she added. 

Bulk Homme

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Men's shaving brands from Harry's to Gillette have received attention for several years as they fought each other over razors. But CB Insights's Watson said there are a whole range of brands offering men cosmetics and skincare choices.

Japanese brand Bulk Homme, for instance, makes toner, lotion, and face wash for men and started selling in the US earlier this month.

Hawthorne for Men is another brand the industry is watching for an acquisition. That company sells face moisturizers and shampoos for damaged hair.

These brands could become more attractive acquisition targets as they get into a wider variety of products, Watson said. "We'll continue to see those startups getting funding and men's grooming continue to expand out of shaving products," Watson said. "Men, too, saw skincare and these products as ways to take care of themselves and practice self-care" during the pandemic, she added.

GOP lawmakers and supporters convened for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, where they praised former President Donald Trump, mocked masks, and promoted illegitimate claims of voter fraud.

Some, like Donald Trump Jr., used his stage power to rally the crowd against Big Tech and the mainstream media. Among his targets was Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the third highest-ranking Republican in the House who voted to impeach Trump last month.

The conference, running from February 25 to 28, teemed with top GOP leaders from all over the United States, most of whom largely stood by the twice-impeached former president. 

CPAC marks Trump's first public appearance since leaving office, as he was the headlining guest of the conference.

Here are some of the most striking moments of this year's CPAC:

There was a golden statue of Trump.

Standing at more than 6 feet tall, the statue was unveiled late Thursday. It's a golden structure resembling Trump, with a suit jacket, red tie American-flag shorts, and flip-flops.

Attendees posed with and took pictures of the statue.

The artist behind it, Tommy Zegan, said he spent six months making the statue in Mexico.

"He's wearing a business suit because he's a businessman. The red tie represents the Republican party, the red white and blue shorts represent the fact that he's a patriot," Zegan told the New York Post. 

Zegan said he hopes to sell it for more than $1 million or submit it to a Trump presidential library in the future.

And Trump merch for sale everywhere.

Trump, despite leaving office more than a month ago with the inauguration of President Joe Biden, was a focal point of the GOP conference. 

Attendees came dressed in Trump gear, and speakers alluded to or explicitly referred to his hold on the Republican party. 

"Let me tell you right now, Donald J. Trump ain't going anywhere," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Friday to a crowd. 

Trump, for his part, has embraced the idea that he maintains a strong influence in the party. He's floated several possibilities to remain relevant in politics, such as a potential 2024 presidential run and the formation of a political action committee. His support from top GOP lawmakers indicates that Trump, while out of office, still maintains deep influence in GOP politics. 

Gov. Kristi Noem defended coronavirus handling in South Dakota.

Noem has frequently flouted coronavirus guidelines that have since become regular and expected in dozens of states across the country. 

On Saturday, she slammed Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading coronavirus expert, while defending her own policies that go against guidelines from health officials. 

"I don't know if you agree with me, but Dr. Fauci is wrong a lot," Noem said, receiving applause from the CPAC crowd.

For months, Noem has refused to issue a statewide mask mandate in South Dakota, even as the state earned a reputation as one of the 10 most dangerous when its COVID test positivity rate neared 60% in November.

And despite having the 6th smallest population in the country, South Dakota has the second-highest overall rate of coronavirus cases. The only state that beat out South Dakota is North Dakota.

Roger Stone danced to a rap about Trump.

Convicted felon Stone danced outside the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida.

He arrived at the event without a ticket and began to dance on the sidewalk next to Forgiato Blow, a rapper who's been described as "Trump-loving" by hip-hop outlets. 

Forgiato Blow was at the time rapping about Trump winning the election, which did not happen. 

The two were standing by and dancing near a truck featuring a giant image of Trump in the style of "Rambo" with an assault weapon.  

And he signed autographs.

Stone also posed for pics with onlookers and Trump supporters. 

Conference organizers did not let him to the event since he didn't have a ticket.

Trump in December pardoned Stone, who was found guilty of seven felonies last year in relation to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Mask-less attendees made up the crowd.

Though many attendees wore masks, many others did not. 

And when a CPAC organizer urged the audience to wear a mask, she was met with resistance.

"We are in a private facility and we want to be respectful of the ordinances that they have as their private property, so please, everyone when you're in the ballroom, when you're seated, you should still be wearing a mask," said CPAC organizer Carly Conley.

Attendees shouted "freedom" and booed at the directive.  

It's been almost a year since the WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic. Since then, more than 28 million people in the United States have contracted the virus, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Of that, more than 500,000 Americans have died. 

Many of the speakers who got on stage, which included a wide array of top GOP politicians, did not wear masks. 

Mask-wearing for months has been one of the guidelines that various health agencies have touted as most effective for preventing the spread of the coronavirus in public spaces.

Ted Cruz mocked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Cruz appeared to make fun of Ocasio-Cortez for her response to the January 6 Capitol riot. 

"I thought I was going to die," Ocasio-Cortez said after the insurrection.

"We're gathered at a time where the hard left, where the socialists control the levers of government, where they control the White House, where they control every executive branch, where they control both houses of Congress. Bernie is wearing mittens, and AOC is telling us she was murdered," Cruz said. 

His remarks about her come just days after she raised millions for Texans who were suffering after a storm knocked out power.

During that storm, Cruz fled to Cancún.

A woman advertises a book of Trump's tweets.

A woman walked around dressed as a giant book titled, "Just the Tweets," an advertisement for a book containing the former president's tweets from his first year in office.

Trump was banned from Twitter in January because of his potential to incite further violence following the deadly siege on the US Capitol, during which five people died.

Immediately following Twitter's permanent suspension of Trump, top conservatives began sharing their Parler accounts on the platform, encouraging their followers to gravitate there. 

The former president was infuriated when he learned he was ban. A senior administration official told Politico that Trump went "ballistic." Shortly after Twitter removed his @realDonaldTrump account, the president tweeted from the official @POTUS and @TeamTrump handles. But Twitter immediately deleted those posts as well. 

"Do you miss me yet?"

Former President Trump began his closing remarks by asking a cheering crowd, "Do you miss me yet? Do you miss me?"

Trump, who was expected to speak on the unity of the GOP, said "For the next four years, the brave Republicans in this room will be at the heart of the effort to oppose the radical Democrats, the fake news media and their toxic cancel culture — something new to our ears ... and I want you to know that I'm going to continue to fight right by your side."

"We're not starting new parties. You know, they kept saying, 'he's going to start a brand new party. We have the Republican. It's going to unite and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party. That was fake news."

"Wouldn't that be brilliant? Let's start a new party. Let's divide our vote so that you can never win. No, we're not interested in that."

He spent most of his remarks railing against the Biden administration's immigration policies, executive orders, and COVID-19 response, particularly around vaccines and school reopenings.

"This alone should be reason enough for Democrats to suffer withering losses in the midterms and to lose the White House decisively four years from now," Trump said, setting off a chant of "USA, USA, USA."

"Actually, as you know, they just lost the white house," he added, maintaining the false claim that he won in 2020. "But who knows ... I might even decide to beat them for a third time."

Silicon Valley is a breeding ground for rivalries. 

In a place where world-changing ideas are born and billions of dollars are at stake, it's only natural that rivalries develop between Silicon Valley's power players, ranging from friendly sparring to pointed critiques. 

While some feuds, like the one between Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, appear to be born out of a close friendship and mutual respect, others — like the one between Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel — started over a spurned acquisition offer. 

Here are some of the long-standing feuds, friendly or otherwise, between some of the world's most powerful execs.

SEE ALSO: Billionaire tech mogul Larry Ellison has said he's 'close friends' with Elon Musk. Here are six other tech exec friendships that have thrived in the competitive world of Silicon Valley.

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk aren't competitors in any earthly pursuits, but they're bitter rivals when it comes to outer space. 

Bezos founded his rocket company, Blue Origin, in 2000, while Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. Two years later, the pair met for dinner, and even then, things were getting testy.

"I actually did my best to give good advice, which he largely ignored,"Musk said after the meeting.

In 2013, their rivalry heated up when SpaceX tried to get exclusive use of a NASA launch pad and Blue Origin (along with SpaceX rival United Launch Alliance) filed a formal protest with the government. Musk called it a "phony blocking tactic" and SpaceX eventually won the right to take over the pad. Months later, the two companies got into a patent battle, and soon after, Bezos and Musk took their feud public, trading barbson Twitter.

Once, when the BBC asked Musk about Bezos, he responded, "Jeff who?" For his part, Bezos has frequently criticized the idea of colonizing Mars — a main goal of SpaceX — describing the idea as "un-motivating."

Most recently, Musk appeared to make another dig at Bezos over his ownership of The Washington Post: When The Post reached out to Musk for comment on a report that his attention was drifting away from Tesla, Musk responded, "Give my regards to your puppet master."

Elon Musk and Bill Gates

Elon Musk and Bill Gates don't appear to have a warm relationship, at least if their comments about each other over the last year are any indication. 

Things heated up in February when Gates said during an interview with YouTuber Marques Brownlee that while Tesla has helped drive innovation and adoption of electric vehicles, he didn't buy a Tesla when making a recent vehicle purchase — he bought a Porsche Taycan. 

In response, Musk tweeted that his conversations with Gates have always been "underwhelming." 

Then, in July, Gates said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that Musk's comments about COVID-19 are "outrageous," as Musk has frequently downplayed the severity of the virus and questioned how the US has handled its coronavirus response. 

Musk took to Twitter a few days later to taunt Gates, tweeting, "Billy G is not my lover" and "The rumor that Bill Gates & I are lovers is completely untrue."

Gates has recently critiqued Musk over his space ambitions, telling Kara Swisher "I don't think rockets are the solution" and that he'd rather spend money on vaccines. He also warned against buying into the mania over cryptocurrencies, which Musk frequently promotes on Twitter.

"My general thought would be that, if you have less money than Elon, you should probably watch out,"Gates told Bloomberg.

Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg

There is no love lost between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The two moguls have traded insults over the years, beginning as early as 2014, when Cook said in an interview that "when an online service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product."

In the aftermath of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which private Facebook user data was stolen from 50 million users, Recode's Kara Swisher asked Cook what he would do if he was in Zuckerberg's shoes. He responded: "What would I do? I wouldn't be in this situation."

Zuckerberg was reportedly so incensed by Cook's comments that he asked executives to switch to Android phones.

In a company blog post in 2018, Facebook confirmed the feud between the two execs: "Tim Cook has consistently criticized our business model and Mark has been equally clear he disagrees."

More recently, Cook and Zuckerberg have been at odds over Apple's upcoming privacy update, which will allow users opt out of being tracked for advertising purposes. Facebook has repeatedly denounced the change, saying it could destroy part of its business.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg

For over four years, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have clashed over topics as varied as artificial intelligence and rockets.

The two moguls — one of whom leads Tesla and SpaceX, and the other of whom leads Facebook — haven't exactly kept their rivalry a secret. When a SpaceX rocket explosion destroyed a Facebook satellite in 2016, Zuckerberg issued a heated statement saying he was "deeply disappointed" about SpaceX's failure.

And when Facebook became embroiled in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Musk publicly deleted his companies' Facebook pages, tweeting that the company gave him "the willies."

Then, following the riot at the US Capitol earlier this month, Musk used Twitter to share memes linking the riots to Facebook. On the evening of the rampage, Musk tweeted, "This is called the domino effect," along with an image of dominoes, with the first one labeled "a website to rate women on campus," a reference to Facebook's inception at Harvard University. The last domino was about the rioters.

Kevin Systrom and Jack Dorsey

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey started out as close friends, but had a falling out around the time Instagram sold to Facebook.  

According to the book "No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram" by Sarah Frier, the pair met when they were early employees at Odeo, the audio and video site created by eventual Twitter cofounders Ev Williams and Noah Glass. Dorsey expected to dislike Systrom when he joined as a summer intern in the mid-2000s, but the pair ended up bonding over photography and expensive coffee. 

Systrom and Dorsey stayed in touch even after Systrom got a full-time job at Google. Systrom was an early proponent of Twitter (then known as Twttr) and when he started working on Burbn, the precursor to Instagram, he reached out to Dorsey for guidance. Dorsey ended up becoming an early investor, putting in $25,000. When Burbn pivoted to Instagram, Dorsey became one of the app's biggest fans, cross-posting his Instagrams to Twitter and helping the app go viral soon after it launched. Dorsey eventually attempted to buy Instagram, but Systrom declined, saying he wanted to make Instagram too expensive to be acquired, according to Frier. 

The Dorsey-Systrom relationship appeared to have soured in 2012, when Dorsey found out that Instagram had signed a deal to be acquired by Facebook, Twitter's biggest rival. According to Frier, Dorsey was hurt that Systrom hadn't called him first to discuss the deal, or to negotiate one with Twitter instead.

Dorsey hasn't posted to his Instagram account since April 9, 2012, when he snapped a photo of an unusually empty San Francisco city bus — according to Frier, it was taken the morning he found out Instagram had sold. While Systrom had been quiet on Twitter for the last few years, he's recently begun using the platform again, and the pair even recently had a pleasant tweet exchange.

Marc Benioff and Larry Ellison

Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff met when Benioff began working at Oracle when he was 23. He was a star early on, earning a "rookie of the year" award that same year and becoming Oracle's youngest VP by age 26. He spent 13 years at Oracle, during which he became a trusted lieutenant to Ellison. 

Benioff began working on Salesforce with Ellison's blessing, and Ellison became an investor, putting in $2 million early on. 

But since then, the duo has publicly feuded on multiple occasions. In 2000, Oracle launched software that directly competed with Salesforce. Benioff asked Ellison to resign from Salesforce's board, and Ellison refused (he eventually left the board, but Benioff let him keep his stock and options).

Over the years, Benioff and Ellison have sparred off and on: Ellison once mocked Salesforce, calling it an "itty bitty application" that's dependent on Oracle, while Benioff has called Oracle a "false cloud." And in 2011, Ellison ordered that Benioff be removed from the speaker lineup of Oracle's OpenWorld conference, which Benioff said was because Oracle was afraid he'd give a better speech. 

But throughout it all, Benioff has described Ellison as his mentor. "There is no one I've learned more from than Larry Ellison," Benioff said in 2013.

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates

In the early days of Apple and Microsoft, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates got along — Microsoft made software for the Apple II computer, and Gates was a frequent guest in Cupertino, where Apple is headquartered. 

But the tides started to turn in the early '80s, when Jobs flew up to Microsoft's headquarters in Washington to try to convince Gates to make software for the Macintosh computer. Gates later described it as "a weird seduction visit" and said he felt like Jobs was saying "I don't need you, but I might let you be involved."

Still, they remained relatively friendly until 1985, when Microsoft launched the first version of Windows and Jobs accused him of ripping off the Macintosh. 

"They just ripped us off completely, because Gates has no shame," Jobs later told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, to which Gates replied: "If he believes that, he really has entered into one of his own reality distortion fields."

The duo traded barbs for years, with Jobs calling Gates boring and Gates calling Jobs "weirdly flawed as a human being." Tensions remained high even after Microsoft invested in Apple to keep it afloat, with both Gates and Jobs insulting each other and their companies' products time and time again. 

Still, they clearly respected and admired each other, despite their animosity. When Jobs died in 2011, Gates said: "I respect Steve, we got to work together. We spurred each other on, even as competitors. None of [what he said] bothers me at all."

Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Zuckerberg have never seemed particularly chummy, but the rivalry between the two execs seems to have grown worse in the last few years. 

Facebook has come under fire during the last several months over its decision not to fact-check political ads. In response, Dorsey announced last October that Twitter was suspending political advertising altogether, saying "political message reach should be earned, not bought."

Dorsey also said at an event that month that Zuckerberg's argument that Facebook is an advocate for free speech "a major gap and flaw in the substance he was getting across," and that "there's some amount of revisionist history in all his storytelling."

For his part, Zuckerberg hasn't been shy about criticizing Twitter, saying in an all hands that "Twitter can't do as good of a job as we can," according to leaked audio obtained by The Verge.

In December, Dorsey unfollowed Zuckerberg on Twitter. 

Larry Ellison and Bill Gates

Gates and Ellison may have patched things up these days, but back in the late '90s and early 2000s, they were enemies. 

While it seems like there's no real bad blood currently between the two, there definitely appears to have been a touchy relationship between the them throughout the '90s, mostly defined by Ellison trying to outdo Gates. 

"He's utterly obsessed with trying to beat Bill Gates," former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold once told Vanity Fair. "I mean, the guy's got six billion bucks. You'd think he wouldn't be so dramatically obsessed that one guy in the Northwest is more successful. [With Larry] it's just a mania."

Their animosity partly stemmed from Ellison's close friendship with Steve Jobs, a frequent opponent of Gates. But things took a more serious turn in 2000 when Microsoft was being investigated by the federal government over antitrust violations. At the time, several groups were openly supportive of Microsoft, and Ellison suspected they were being funded by Microsoft itself. He hired private investigators to in an attempt to out Microsoft and help out the feds. 

Eventually, Microsoft lost the suit, and Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO. 

Evan Spiegel and Mark Zuckerberg

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Mark Zuckerberg seemed to get off on the wrong foot right from the start, beginning with what may have been a Spiegel brush-off in 2012. 

Snap had reportedly turned down an acquisition offer from Facebook on threeseparate occasions. 

Spiegel and Zuckerberg haven't been friendly since. Facebook has mimicked many of Snapchat's features over the years — both on its own app and its subsidiary, Instagram — and the CEOs have made jabs at each other in public. In 2018, after Facebook cloned yet another Snapchat feature, Stories, Spiegel said: "We would really appreciate it if they copied our data protection practices also," a dig at Facebook's various privacy scandals.

Steve Jobs and Michael Dell

In 1997, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell was asked for his opinion on Apple, which, at the time, was in dire straits. He responded that he'd "shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders."

That comment irritated Steve Jobs, who told his team in response: "The world doesn't need another Dell or HP. It doesn't need another manufacturer of plain, beige, boring PCs. If that's all we're going to do, then we should really pack up now." At an Apple keynote shortly after, Jobs said Dell's comments were "rude" and told him that Apple was coming for him. 

Dell later softened his comments, saying that he was trying to make clear that he wasn't for hire. 

But Dell rankled Jobs enough that, in January 2006, Jobs sent around this memo to the entire company: "Team, it turned out that Michael Dell wasn't perfect at predicting the future. Based on today's stock market close, Apple is worth more than Dell. Stocks go up and down, and things may be different tomorrow, but I thought it was worth a moment of reflection today."

Mark Zuckerberg and Kevin Systrom

Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram founder Kevin Systrom used to get along well — so well that Zuckerberg bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012.

But in the intervening years, the relationship between the two executives seemingly fell apart. When asked why he left, Systrom said, "no one ever leaves a job because everything's awesome."

According to an April 2019 piece from Wired's Nick Thompson and Fred Vogelstein, Systrom and cofounder Mike Krieger left because of increasing tensions with Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg reportedly became increasingly controlling, banning Systrom from doing magazine profiles without approval, taking away Facebook tools that helped Instagram grow, testing location-tracking while Systrom was out on paternity leave, and adding a new button to Instagram that Systrom detested. 

The long-standing feud between Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook appears to be raging on.

The two tech titans have been feuding since at least 2014, trading barbs over each other's products and business models. But in recent months, their battle has escalated to public jabs, pointed ad campaigns, and even a possible legal dispute: The Information reported in January that Facebook is preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that Apple put a choke-hold on third-party app developers. 

Here's when the grudge began, and everything that's happened since. 

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk escalated his feud with Mark Zuckerberg following the riots at the Capitol. Here are 11 other rivalries that have formed between some of the world's most high-powered tech leaders.

The feud between Zuckerberg and Cook became public in 2014, when Cook lambasted Facebook's business model.

In September 2014, Cook gave an in-depth interview with Charlie Rose that touched on a range of topics, including privacy.

During the interview — which took place in the weeks following the infamous leaks of multiple female celebrities' nude photos stored on their iCloud accounts — Cook espoused Apple's commitment to privacy while denouncing the business models of companies like Google and Facebook. 

"I think everyone has to ask, how do companies make their money? Follow the money," Cook said. "And if they're making money mainly by collecting gobs of personal data, I think you have a right to be worried. And you should really understand what's happening to that data."  

Shortly after, Cook reiterated his stance in an open letter on Apple's dedicated privacy site. 

"A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product," Cook wrote. 

Cook's comments rankled Zuckerberg, who called the claims "ridiculous" and blasted Apple products as being expensive.

In an interview with Time later that year, Zuckerberg was reportedly visibly irritated by Cook's assertions. 

"A frustration I have is that a lot of people increasingly seem to equate an advertising business model with somehow being out of alignment with your customers," Zuckerberg told Time's Lev Grossman. "I think it's the most ridiculous concept. What, you think because you're paying Apple that you're somehow in alignment with them? If you were in alignment with them, then they'd make their products a lot cheaper!"

Their squabble came to a head following the Cambridge Analytica scandal when Cook criticized Facebook's actions.

In 2018, a whistleblower revealed that consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvested user data without consent from 50 million users. 

During an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes in the months following, Cook was asked what he would do if he was in Zuckerberg's shoes

Cook responded: "What would I do? I wouldn't be in this situation."

Cook said that Facebook should have regulated itself when it came to user data, but that "I think we're beyond that here." He also doubled down on his stance that Facebook considers its users its product. 

"The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer — if our customer was our product," Cook said. "We've elected not to do that."

Zuckerberg hit back, calling Cook's comments "extremely glib."

"You know, I find that argument, that if you're not paying that somehow we can't care about you, to be extremely glib. And not at all aligned with the truth,"Zuckerberg said during an interview on The Ezra Klein Show podcast.

He refuted the idea that Facebook isn't focused on serving people and once again criticized the premium Apple places on its products. 

"I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm Syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you," he said. "Because that sounds ridiculous to me."

Privately, Zuckerberg was reportedly outraged by Cook's remarks — so much so that he ordered his employees to switch to Android devices.

In November 2018, The New York Times published a blockbuster report detailing the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Times reported that Cook's comments had "infuriated" Zuckerberg, who ordered employees on his management team who used iPhones to switch to Android. 

Soon after the report published, Facebook wrote a blog post refuting some of the reporting by The Times — but not the Zuckerberg-Cook feud. 

"Tim Cook has consistently criticized our business model and Mark has been equally clear he disagrees. So there's been no need to employ anyone else to do this for us," Facebook wrote. "And we've long encouraged our employees and executives to use Android because it is the most popular operating system in the world."

In August 2020, Zuckerberg jumped in the fray as Apple faced criticism over its App Store policies.

During a company-wide meeting, Zuckerberg openly criticized Apple, saying it has a "unique stranglehold as a gatekeeper on what gets on phones," according to a report from BuzzFeed News. 

Zuckerberg also said that the App Store blocks innovation and competition and "allows Apple to charge monopoly rents," BuzzFeed reported. 

Apple has been facing antitrust scrutiny from Congress and has been strongly criticized by developers — most notably "Fortnite" creator Epic Games— for the 30% fee it takes from App Store purchases. Apple recently blocked an update to Facebook's iOS app that would have informed users about the fee Apple charges.

Apple's latest software update has been angering Facebook since it was announced, as Facebook says the new privacy features could destroy part of its business.

In the latest version if Apple's smartphone operating system, iOS, iPhone app developers will need to ask permission from users in order to collect and track their data. While this will affect any company who makes iOS apps, it will have a direct impact on Facebook's advertising business: It uses data tracking to dictate which ads are served to users. 

In an August blog post, Facebook said it may be forced to shut down Audience Network for iOS, a tool that personalizes ads in third-party apps. 

"This is not a change we want to make, but unfortunately Apple's updates to iOS 14 have forced this decision," Facebook said. 

The complaints from Facebook and other developers led Apple to delay the new privacy tools until next year, saying it wanted to "give developers the time they need to make the necessary changes."

Most recently, Facebook escalated the feud to a full-page ad in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1339183289349918721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I'm pretty certain #Facebook is fighting #Apple to retain access to personal data. #PID#privacy. #fullpagead#wsjpic.twitter.com/029WwaGSs0

In the new ads, Facebook is arguing that the changes will hurt small businesses who advertise on Facebook's platform.

"Without personalized ads, Facebook data shows that the average small business advertiser stands to see a cut of over 60% in their sales for every dollar they spend," the ad reads, which was posted by Twitter user Dave Stangis. 

Apple hit back, telling Business Insider's Isobel Asher Hamilton that it was "standing up for our users." 

"Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not," an Apple spokesperson said.

Facebook said it would help Epic Games, the company behind "Fortnite," in its legal battle with Apple.

Epic Games is heading to trial with Apple next year over its suit claiming that Apple's engages in anti-competitive behavior.

While Facebook isn't joining the lawsuit, it is planning to help Epic with discovery for the trial. 

And Facebook is reportedly working on a lawsuit of its own that alleges Apple has abused its power in the app marketplace.

According to a report from The Information, Facebook is preparing a lawsuit claiming that Apple has forced app developers to follow a different set of rules than Apple-made apps, such as requiring developers to use an in-app payments system, of which Apple takes a cut.  

Facebook has reportedly been working on the case for several months and has considered inviting other companies to join the suit. 

Zuckerberg also lashed out at Apple during Facebook's fourth-quarter earnings call, saying the company frequently interferes with how Facebook's apps work.

When discussing Facebook's suite of messaging apps during the conference call, Zuckerberg made a clear dig at Apple, saying the iPhone-maker made "misleading" privacy claims. 

"Now Apple recently released so-called nutrition labels, which focused largely on metadata that apps collect rather than the privacy and security of people's actual messages, but iMessage stores non-end-to-end encrypted backups of your messages by default unless you disable iCloud," Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg went on to describe Apple as "one of our biggest competitors" and said that because Apple is increasingly relying on services to fuel its business, it "has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with how our apps and other apps work, which they regularly do to preference their own."

"This impacts the growth of millions of businesses around the world," he added.

But Cook hasn't backed down from his view that Facebook's business model of harvesting user data and selling it to advertisers is harmful to consumers.

During a speech at the European Computers, Privacy and Data Protection Conference, Cook discussed business models that prioritize user engagement and rely on user data to make money. Though he didn't mention Facebook by name, Cook made several references that alluded to the platform.

"At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement — the longer the better — and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible," Cook said.

Facebook has launched another ad campaign aimed at proving the need for personalized advertising amid its ongoing battle with Apple.

The initiative, titled "Good Ideas Deserve to be Found," makes the case that personalized ads help Facebook users discover small businesses, particularly during the pandemic. 

"Every business starts with an idea, and being able to share that idea through personalized ads is a game changer for small businesses," Facebook said in a blog post announcing the theme. "Limiting the use of personalized ads would take away a vital growth engine for businesses."

The new campaign is Facebook's latest effort to highlight the value of personalized ads ahead of Apple's privacy crackdown — the new feature is expected to roll out this spring, and Facebook warned during its most recent earnings that it could begin affecting its business as early as the first quarter of 2021.

Last year, American homes doubled as offices, schools, and gyms as consumers sought alternative ways to stay fit in the safety and privacy of their living rooms.

Though the pandemic played a significant role in accelerating the explosion of the digital fitness market, the sector had already been steadily gaining momentum.

The global digital fitness market ballooned to $27.4 billion in 2020, up 32.6% from $6.7 billion in 2017, according to the advisory firm Lincoln International.

In recent years, companies like Peloton and Mirror have made waves with their high-tech machinery and connected platforms, allowing users to digitally track their performance and health from the convenience of home. 

Read more: 11 virtual fitness companies including Apple Fitness Plus and Obé that are vying to compete with Peloton's winning membership model and cash in on the at-home exercise boom

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

Beyond well-known companies like Peloton, emerging brands saw impressive growth this year thanks to the unprecedented demand for alternative forms of fitness.

From digital at-home boxing equipment like FightCamp and Liteboxer, to electro-magnetized resistance training programs like Tonal, these fledgling companies invigorated the fitness industry by introducing unique, high-tech connected exercise systems.

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

SEE ALSO: Meet the 18 executives at Peloton who are leading the digital fitness company's meteoric rise as it plans for $4 billion in revenue by the end of 2021

Fritz Lanman, CEO of ClassPass

Though the ClassPass model was built on connecting consumers to group classes at studios across the country, the onset of the pandemic pushed the company to quickly reinvent itself.

Within 10 days of state-mandated shutdowns, ClassPass enabled 5,000 studios to begin offering digital classes for the first time.

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

According to ClassPass CEO Fritz Lanman, these shifts helped the company's corporate wellness program serve more than 1 million Americans working remotely during what he described as "the most challenging year the fitness industry has endured."

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

Jay Blahnik, director of Apple Fitness Plus

Apple threw its hat in the fitness ring with the launch of Apple Fitness Plus, the tech giant's first digital exercise membership program.

Officially launched in December, Apple Fitness Plus features streaming workouts from trainers around the world, with classes set to Apple Music playlists that connect to Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Up to six family members can use the subscription, which retails for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. 

The effort was spearheaded largely by Jay Blahnik, Apple's senior director of fitness technologies, who holds an extensive background in personal-fitness training. Before his time at Apple, Blahnik consulted on fitness and marketing related strategies with several major brands including Gatorade, Schwinn, Equinox, and Stairmaster, among others.

He was also previously a consultant for two decades at Nike, where he helped develop the Nike+ Run Club app.

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

Jason Goldberg, founder and CEO of Moxie

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

Moxie — which has former instructors from companies like SoulCycle and OrangeTheory — serves as a platform for trainers to host their digital classes and flex their entrepreneurial skills.

Since developing and launching the company this year, Goldberg said it has proved particularly helpful for instructors navigating furloughs and layoffs by providing a revenue stream through streaming fitness classes directly from their living rooms. 

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

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

Heather Andersen, founder of New York Pilates

After training Vanessa Hudgens, Emma Roberts, and James Franco, New York Pilates founder Heather Andersen has found a way to bring her classes to the masses.

Andersen operates five studio locations, and she recently launched New York Pilates World, a streaming subscription platform that allows users to participate in her targeted, repetition-based exercises anywhere. 

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

"The workouts are loaded with information on proper form and purpose so that you are actually learning Pilates while you work out," Andersen told Business Insider.

"We've utilized gaming theory and behavior driving signals designed to trigger serotonin, making your workout that much more satisfying and motivating."

Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills, cofounders of Obé

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

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

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

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

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

Brynn Putnam, founder and CEO of Mirror

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

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

"The really amazing thing about having not just a dedicated display for fitness, but also having a content platform versus a product — so not a bike, treadmill, rower, or specific piece of equipment — is that the full family can use it together," Putnam told Insider earlier this year.

"So you don't have sort of the problem of investing in one type of exercise and then finding that it doesn't suit the whole family.

John Foley, cofounder and CEO of Peloton

If there was one clear winner of the pandemic, it was Peloton. The virtual-fitness company experienced tremendous growth over the course of 2020, as consumers flocked to the brand for its at-home stationary bicycles and treadmills.

In its last quarter alone, the company reported that revenue rose by 232% year-over-year to $757.9 million.

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

"It has truly been a challenging year for the world and our member community," Peloton CEO John Foley wrote in the most recent letter to shareholders.

"We know that Peloton offers a service that many need during this time to sustain their physical and mental health and well-being and we are doing everything we can to get our products to our prospective members as quickly as possible."

Derik Mills, CEO of Glo

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

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

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

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

Aly Orady, founder and CEO of Tonal

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

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

"Coming into this year, we were already seeing strong momentum in the connected fitness space, and the pandemic has really accelerated that trend," Orady told Insider.

"The thing that sets Tonal apart is never before has strength training been so accessible, personalized, and effective. Even when gyms eventually reopen, we think that the new habits people have formed will stick and that the life-changing results they are seeing from Tonal will continue to outweigh other options." 

Lou Lentine, founder and CEO of Echelon Fitness

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

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

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

"Our mission has always been to make connected fitness more accessible and the Echelon brand was built on the core values of diversity, approachability, and inclusion," Lentine told Insider.

"The virtual-fitness boom is here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides and Echelon Fitness will continue to be a leader in innovative, inclusive, and diverse digital-fitness offerings."

Danny Harris, co-CEO of Alo Yoga

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

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

Tommy Duquette, cofounder of FightCamp

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

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

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

"As gyms began closing and people were forced into lockdown, people were quickly inundated with countless workout options through Zoom and other mediums," he said.

"While these streaming options provided people with a starting point to working out at home, many left a lot to be desired. The dedicated connected fitness platforms like FightCamp stood out from the noise."

Michael Horvath (left), cofounder of Strava

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

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

"If there's a silver lining to the pandemic, and there aren't many, it's that it resulted in millions of people discovering and rediscovering running, biking, hiking, and walking," he told Insider.

"While there's hope on the horizon, we're a long way from our communities being back to normal. People keep people active, and that's why Strava is investing in virtual competition and challenges so you always have fun and healthy activities to participate in."

Avrum Elmakis, founder of Clmbr

Clmbr, which is in the presale stage, is a vertical climber that includes a touch display that streams on-demand full-body classes. The company recently made its debut on Indiegogo, where it reached 100% of its sales goal in 20 minutes.

The new company also attracted the attention of a handful of celebrity investors including Jay-Z, Novak Djokovic, Pitbull, and YouTube founder Chad Hurley.

"As a result of the pandemic, consumers are spending more time at home and rethinking what they do there, and that applies to working out," Clmbr founder and CEO Avrum Elmakis told Insider.

"People are adapting, and we have been successful because we have tapped into the modern consumer's sensibilities and the connected features they want for their home gym now and beyond. 

Moawia Eldeeb, cofounder and CEO of Tempo

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

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

"We launched Tempo in February of 2020 and the company is already where I hoped it would be five years from now," Eldeeb told Insider.

"After years of research and development, perfecting its product hardware and software, and finally, committing to now increase studio availability, I'm so proud to see Tempo making a positive impact in people's lives."

Jeff Morin, founder of Liteboxer

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

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

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

"2020 was one of the most stressful and challenging years yet and as an entrepreneur and dad, I've experienced this first hand. I'm grateful that Liteboxer was able to provide much-needed stress relief to American's this year," Morin told Insider.

"We have high hopes for 2021 and are thrilled that Liteboxer will get people happier, healthier, and having more fun next year."

In a sign of the continued bumps in the road to a full economic recovery, the S&P 500 closed down 2.1% during the last week of February amid a deepening bond sell-off. 

Nominal 10-year US Treasury yields have soared by 50 basis points in the past month, rising from 1% at the end of January to 1.5% as of Friday, according to Goldman Sachs. The chart below illustrates why the move was so unusual: It was 2.6 standard deviations above the month-to-month norm.

The fact that nominal rates rose by more than two standard deviations could signify headwinds for stocks.

Goldman said in a Monday client note that stocks had averaged a minus 1% return during months when nominal rates rose by more than two standard deviations and minus 5% when real yields, adjusted for inflation, rose by that amount.

Given such a backdrop, long-duration stocks — which refer to those high-growth, typically tech-oriented stocks that have been surging based solely on investor expectations of future earnings growth — have slumped in performance. 

Goldman's basket of nonprofitable tech stocks, which soared by 204% in 2020 and rose 27% in the first six weeks of 2021, plunged 15% in the past two weeks. 

"The decline of these high-growth firms has been particularly painful given the current record degree of leverage carried by hedge funds and the elevated activity of retail traders, both of whom have recently favored some of these long-duration stocks," David Kostin, Goldman's chief US equity strategist, said in the note.

On the other hand, cyclical and virus-ravaged stocks with negative earnings and falling sales in 2020 have stepped back into the spotlight. These stocks have delivered a median year-to-date return of 22%, Kostin said.

As the economy continues to improve on the broader rollout of vaccines and pending fiscal stimulus, Kostin advised investors to "balance the appeal of promising businesses with the risk that rates rise further and the recent rotation continues."

Specifically, his team handpicked 30 Russell 1000 stocks with the shortest implied equity durations from each sector. Their short-duration status means they have low sensitivity to higher interest rates. These stocks, which are expected to grow their revenues in 2021, have outperformed sector peers during the past two weeks amid rising interest rates. 

The team said the median stock in the list traded at a price-earnings ratio of 19 times and had returned 7% this year as of February 25, compared with the 22-times P/E ratio and 2% return for the median stock in the Russell 1000.

These stocks, along with their tickers, sectors, market caps, year-to-date returns, and 2021 sales growth, are listed below. All data was as of February 25.

SEE ALSO: 3 money management CEOs overseeing $150 billion break down why bitcoin will flourish despite regulatory uncertainty — and explain how the digital currency will continue to mature into the $200k-$400k range

1. Carnival

Ticker: CCL

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $29 billion 

Year-to-date return: 18%

2021 sales growth: 39%

Source: Goldman Sachs

2. PVH

Ticker: PVH

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $7 billion 

Year-to-date return: 6%

2021 sales growth: 19%

Source: Goldman Sachs

3. MGM Resorts International

Ticker: MGM

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $18 billion 

Year-to-date return: 16%

2021 sales growth: 69%

Source: Goldman Sachs

4. Hyatt Hotels

Ticker: H

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $9 billion 

Year-to-date return: 17%

2021 sales growth: 46%

Source: Goldman Sachs

5. Molson Coors Beverage

Ticker: TAP

Sector: Consumer staples

Market cap: $10 billion 

Year-to-date return: 1%

2021 sales growth: 5%

Source: Goldman Sachs

6. US Foods Holding

Ticker: USFD

Sector: Consumer staples

Market cap: $8 billion 

Year-to-date return: 9%

2021 sales growth: 15%

Source: Goldman Sachs

7. HollyFrontier

Ticker: HFC

Sector: Energy

Market cap: $6 billion 

Year-to-date return: 49%

2021 sales growth: 25%

Source: Goldman Sachs

8. Anthem

Ticker: ANTM

Sector: Healthcare

Market cap: $74 billion 

Year-to-date return: -6%

2021 sales growth: 12%

Source: Goldman Sachs

9. Pfizer

Ticker: PFE

Sector: Healthcare

Market cap: $188 billion 

Year-to-date return: -7%

2021 sales growth: 45%

Source: Goldman Sachs

10. Zimmer Biomet Holdings

Ticker: ZBH

Sector: Healthcare

Market cap: $34 billion 

Year-to-date return: 7%

2021 sales growth: 14%

Source: Goldman Sachs

11. Molina Healthcare

Ticker: MOH

Sector: Healthcare

Market cap: $13 billion 

Year-to-date return: 3%

2021 sales growth: 23%

Source: Goldman Sachs

12. Elanco Animal Health

Ticker: ELAN

Sector: Healthcare

Market cap: $15 billion 

Year-to-date return: 3%

2021 sales growth: 40%

Source: Goldman Sachs

13. Air Lease

Ticker: AL

Sector: Industrials 

Market cap: $5 billion 

Year-to-date return: 2%

2021 sales growth: 10%

Source: Goldman Sachs

14. Colfax

Ticker: CFX

Sector: Industrials

Market cap: $5 billion 

Year-to-date return: 18%

2021 sales growth: 15%

Source: Goldman Sachs

15. Manpower

Ticker: MAN

Sector: Industrials 

Market cap: $5 billion 

Year-to-date return: 7% 

2021 sales growth: 10%

Source: Goldman Sachs

16. Micron Technology

Ticker: MU

Sector: Information technology 

Market cap: $99 billion 

Year-to-date return: 17%

2021 sales growth: 21%

Source: Goldman Sachs

17. Corning

Ticker: GLW

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $29 billion 

Year-to-date return: 5%

2021 sales growth: 14%

Source: Goldman Sachs

18. WEX

Ticker: WEX

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $10 billion 

Year-to-date return: 7%

2021 sales growth: 16%

Source: Goldman Sachs

19. Euronet Worldwide

Ticker: EEFT

Sector: Information technology 

Market cap: $8 billion 

Year-to-date return: 5%

2021 sales growth: 18%

Source: Goldman Sachs

20. Analog Devices

Ticker: ADI

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $57 billion 

Year-to-date return: 4%

2021 sales growth: 14%

Source: Goldman Sachs

21. Littelfuse

Ticker: LFUS

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $6 billion

Year-to-date return: 2%

2021 sales growth: 20%

Source: Goldman Sachs

22. Applied Materials

Ticker: AMAT

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $105 billion

Year-to-date return: 32%

2021 sales growth: 22%

Source: Goldman Sachs

23. Lam Research

Ticker: LRCX

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $78 billion 

Year-to-date return: 16%

2021 sales growth: 19%

Source: Goldman Sachs

24. Zebra Technologies

Ticker: ZBRA

Sector: Information technology

Market cap: $27 billion

Year-to-date return: 29%

2021 sales growth: 13%

Source: Goldman Sachs

25. Reliance Steel & Aluminum

Ticker: RS

Sector: Materials

Market cap: $9 billion 

Year-to-date return: 13%

2021 sales growth: 16%

Source: Goldman Sachs

26. Discovery

Ticker: DISCA

Sector: Communication services

Market cap: $25 billion 

Year-to-date return: 71%

2021 sales growth: 11%

Source: Goldman Sachs

27. Dish Network

Ticker: DISH

Sector: Communication services

Market cap: $17 billion 

Year-to-date return: -2%

2021 sales growth: 15%

Source: Goldman Sachs

28. ViacomCBS

Ticker: VIAC

Sector: Communication services

Market cap: $39 billion

Year-to-date return: 68%

2021 sales growth: 8%

Source: Goldman Sachs

29. Comcast

Ticker: CMCSA

Sector: Communication services

Market cap: $239 billion

Year-to-date return: 0%

2021 sales growth: 8%

Source: Goldman Sachs

30. Hawaiian Electric Industries

Ticker: HE

Sector: Utilities

Market cap: $4 billion 

Year-to-date return: -1%

2021 sales growth: 14%

Source: Goldman Sachs

• There's plenty of choice when it comes to iPhone cases, whether style or protection is your priority. 
• The best iPhone cases should protect your phone first and foremost, but without adding too much bulk.
• Check out our guide to the best iPhone accessories, and visit Insider Reviews for more buying advice. 

The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone Pro 12 Max may be in the spotlight right now, but there are many iPhones out there in a variety of sizes. No matter which iPhone you have, a good case is critical for protecting it from drops, scratches, and dirt.

We've tested hundreds of iPhone cases over the years, and there are a few brands that stand above the rest. The best iPhone cases are made with exacting care so that they fit your phone like a glove and offer good protection against life's knocks. All of the case companies we recommend claim to stress test their cases and clearly design them well.

Whether you want a fancy leather case, a folio, a rugged case, or a basic no-frills one that gets the job done — we have a pick for you. We also have advice on how to figure out which iPhone model you have and which cases will fit it here. We're in the process of testing more iPhone cases as well, so check back for more updates.

Here are the best iPhone cases for every model:

• Best leather cases: Nomad
• Best Apple official cases: Leather and Silicone
• Best cases for grip: Speck
• Best simple cases: Incipio
• Best rugged cases: Otterbox and Lifeproof
• Best cases for variety: Case-Mate
• Best unique materials: Native Union
• Best eco-friendly cases: Pela
• The best iPhone cases with unique prints and designs: Casetify
• Best cheap cases: Smartish

The best leather iPhone cases

Nomad makes classic leather iPhone cases that look gorgeous and feel premium.

Pros: Horween leather, durable, decent protection for your phone, not too bulky, folio wallet option

Cons: Only for iPhone 7 or newer, don't specifically support MagSafe

There are a lot of leather iPhone cases out there, but most of them don't offer the kind of protection your iPhone needs. Nomad makes high-end leather cases that are also sturdy and protective.

Its latest Rugged Leather cases combine the style of Horween leather with the durability of a rubber frame, TPE bumper, and raised edges that protect your iPhone's screen and camera bump from falls and scratches. These cases should protect your phone from 6-foot drops.

The brown leather develops a lovely patina as time goes on and it absorbs the oils from your hands. Nomad also makes folio wallet style cases for those of you who like to have your credit cards right next to your phone. If you're not a fan of the folio style, there's always the plain case.

As for MagSafe, Nomad says that it doesn't include the MagSafe hardware in its cases, so the magnetic connection between an iPhone 12 series and a Nomad case will be weaker. Still, it should still charge wirelessly. 

The brand offers cases for the newest iPhone 12 series, as well as the iPhone 11 series, and slightly older iPhone X, XS, XR, and XS Max phones. If you have an older iPhone, you're out of luck, but again, if you have an iPhone 7 or older, it's time for an upgrade anyway.

The best Apple-made iPhone cases

If you prefer Apple official accessories, you're in luck, because the Apple-branded leather, clear, and silicone cases are excellent.

Pros: Silicone and leather options, clear cases, fun colors, perfect fit, Apple-branded, simple style, MagSafe support

Cons: Expensive compared to other brands

Apple makes excellent cases for its iPhones, and you can rest assured that these cases will fit perfectly. The leather and silicone cases are simple, effective, and attractive. You can get the cases in an array of gorgeous colors for the iPhone 12 series, iPhone 11 series, iPhone XS series, iPhone 8, and 7 models. Each case bears a subtle Apple logo.

As expected, Apple's full lineup of iPhone 12 cases fully support the new MagSafe wireless charging feature, which magnetically snaps the wireless charger to the back of the case that makes for a more secure connection when charging wirelessly.  

Apple makes folio style cases, too, that can hold your credit cards safely. The cases are simple and very well made. They offer minimal protection in a slim stylish design. Apple's leather is tanned and finished in Europe, making it super soft and supple.

The only downside here is that you'll pay a premium price for some of Apple's cases when compared to others, but the quality justifies the price and $49 isn't really so bad for a leather case as fine as this one. Apple also sells non-Apple-branded cases from brands it recommends and trusts, so those are also good options.

The best iPhone cases for grip

Speck's Presidio Grip and Presidio2 Grip cases are known for their simple, classic designs and excellent grip.

Pros: Simple designs, great grip cases, multiple styles, protective cases, support wireless charging

Cons: Don't specifically support MagSafe wireless charging

If you always drop your phone but you want a slim case, you should grab one from Speck. The company makes excellent protective cases that have superb grip.

The Presidio Grip and Presidio2 Grip cases, for example, can survive 10-foot and 13-foot drops respectively and they have a great grippy pattern on the back to help keep your phone in your hands instead of the floor.

The Presidio Grip series of cases are made of a pleasing soft-touch material, and come in tons of color combinations and even a few patterns. You can even get the Presidio Grip cases in a clear transparent color with the same grips as the colored versions. Speck also offers a lifetime guarantee on this case, so we highly recommend it over the others, which often have just a one-year warranty.

Just note that Speck's Presidio Grip cases don't support Apple's new MagSafe wireless charging, which might lead to a weaker magnetic connection between the MagSafe charger and your phone. Wireless charging should still work, however. Otherwise, the cases do support normal wireless charging. 

Speck's portfolio of cases has grown beyond its traditional grippy cases, so you can get clear, print, and wallet cases with the high-quality construction and drop protection Speck is known for.

The best simple iPhone cases

Incipio cases are deceptively simple looking, but they offer great drop protection and a sophisticated appearance.

Pros: Simple designs, decent prices, easy to find the right cases for your iPhone, decent drop protection, support wireless charging

Cons: Fewer designs than most, doesn't specifically support MagSafe

Some people just want simple cases that get the job done and blend in. Incipio cases are made for those people. The company makes high-quality, basic cases that just work. You'll find a few patterns, but mostly, you get classic solid colors like black, rose gold, navy blue, and clear.

The DualPro case is one of our favorites and it can handle 10-foot drops even though it's remarkably slim. Incipio has been making this case since the original iPhone came out, so you know the design has been perfected.

The StashBack Wallet case is another ingenious invention of Incipio's making. It has a secret wallet compartment on the back that slides open to reveal up to three cards. It's handy for anyone who hates carrying around a wallet and only has a card or two. The StashBack case is rated for seven-foot drop protection.

Unfortunately, Incipio cases don't yet fully support MagSafe, as they don't contain the magnetic ring that lets MagSafe wireless chargers snap onto the cases. Still, the cases support wireless charging.

The best rugged iPhone cases

Otterbox and Lifeproof are known for their super rugged cases and even their thin cases boast more protection from drops and falls than most.

Pros: Super protective, many styles and colors, slim and thick cases, varying levels of protection based on price, wireless charging support

Cons: Expensive, more protective models don't fully support MagSafe

Most people know Otterbox as the best company for rugged cases that can take a hit, and LifeProof as the place to buy waterproof iPhone cases.

Otterbox still makes its amazing Defender Series cases for the ultimate protection, but the company also has slimmer, more stylish cases for those who still want a protective case, but don't want all the bulk of the Defender case.

No matter which Otterbox, you choose, you get solid protection, sturdy build quality, and lots of fun design options. 

The only downsides here are the price and the bulk of some of the cases, but protection trumps style for many people and Otterbox ensures that you sacrifice less in the style department that you would with other rugged cases.

Lifeproof's cases are equally varied, and if you like to take your iPhone out on or near the water, you need one of the brand's fully waterproof cases.

The best iPhone cases for variety

Case-Mate makes a wide range of different types of cases, including ones with glitter, flowers, and fun prints, as well as classy clear cases and slim leather ones.

Pros: So many fun designs, tons of different styles, wide variety of options, simple cases, relatively protective for stylish cases, supports wireless charging

Cons: Not as protective as some, doesn't specifically support MagSafe

Case-Mate has just about every kind of case imaginable, including ones with glitter inside, flowers, fun patterns, and lots of bling for those of you who want to sparkle. The brand also has understated clear cases and simply lovely leather ones that look more unisex.

The brand isn't afraid of weird novelty cases, either — Case-Mate has squishy-backed cases, ones that light up, and others that look like lava lamps. The cases are fairly affordable, too, with most cases in the $25 to $40 range.

The best iPhone cases made from unique materials

Native Union makes gorgeous, subtle, geometric cases with interesting materials like wood, leather, and canvas.

Pros: Stylish, simple, great materials, classy geometric design, well made, wireless charging support

Cons: Can get pricey, doesn't specifically support MagSafe

Native Union mixes unique materials like wood, leather, and canvas to create high-end iPhone cases that look like no other. Every case is distinctive and different looking due to different grain patterns in the natural materials the brand uses. The different materials are juxtaposed in subtle geometric configurations to create visual interest.

The real marble cases are the most pricey with a $90 price tag, but you can get cases for older iPhone models for as little as $6 on Amazon. Most of the cases cost in the $30 to $50 range, though. All the cases are sturdy and offer decent drop protection.

We've loved Native Union's original take on iPhone cases for years, and its latest iPhone case line up is as classy and cool as ever.

The best eco-friendly iPhone cases

Pela cases are made from compostable materials, so once you're done with your case, it can safely decompose and re-enter the circle of life instead of creating plastic waste.

Pros: Simple designs, biodegradable and compostable, eco-friendly, Pela gives to charity, cases are still protective, wireless charging compatible

Cons: Doesn't specifically support MagSafe

If you hate the idea of plastic waste piling up around the world and floating about the oceans, you'll be glad to know that Pela Case exists. The company makes biodegradable, compostable cases that will decompose when placed in a compost heap after you're done with the case.

Pela uses a special blend of biodegradable materials it calls Flaxstic — a mix of GDH-B1 compostable bioplastic elastomer and flax straw materials. The material is safe and free of phthalates, BPA, cadmium, and lead.

Although the case is only 45% bio-based (new carbon made of plant materials), Pela hopes to reach 100% one day. Regardless, Pela cases will biodegrade in your average compost environment within a range of 6 months to 2 or 3 years, depending on your composting methods.

The cases are carefully designed to fit and protect your iPhone, and the company makes cases for all iPhones from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 12 series. The cases come in a few colors and have a cute speckled appearance, thanks to the materials used.

You can opt to buy special edition Pela cases with a penguin or turtle on them, and up to 5% of the sale goes to Oceana or other charities that aim to save the Earth's oceans. Pela is also part of 1% for the Planet, and donates a portion of annual sales to clean water and clean ocean initiatives.

The best iPhone cases with unique prints and designs

The entire Casetify company and website is a hub for unique case designs made by artists, and it's well worth checking out for a case that's a little different. 

Pros: Huge variety of designs, custom-design your own case, protective, wireless charging support

Cons: Doesn't specifically support MagSafe

Casetify has a wide variety of highly decorated and designed iPhone cases that stray away from the minimalist. You can also custom-design your own case, even choosing what kind of material you want your case to be, like leather, impact-proof, mirror, and so on. If you're looking to give your iPhone and case more of a custom look, Casetify is the place to look. 

The best cheap iPhone cases

Smartish cases are super affordable and the company makes smart wallet case designs that are slim.

Pros: Slim cases, affordable, lots of styles and colors, many support wireless charging

Cons: Not super protective, don't specifically support MagSafe

A lot of people hate paying $50 for a case after they've just bought an expensive iPhone, but cases are still necessary — especially if you have a new glass-backed iPhone. Smartish's cases are cheaper than most, but they're still good quality. 

The company makes lots of different designs, and its many wallet cases are our favorites. Some are folio-style wallets with covers, while others are simple slim cases with wallets on the back. You can even wirelessly charge the new iPhones through some of the wallet cases, because they are so slim.

Silk makes clear, slim, and grippy cases for those who don't want a wallet case. You'll also get a screen protector in the box with some of the cases, which is a nice bonus — especially when you consider the fact that you'll only be spending $12 to $25 on the case in the first place.

How to pick the right case for your iPhone

Which iPhone do I have and which cases will fit it?

There are a lot of iPhones, and not every case will fit every model. As you can see, the screen sizes, dimensions, and camera modules differ between devices.

However, some models do share the same physical characteristics. For example, most cases made for the iPhone 12 should also work on the iPhone 12 Pro. The same goes for the iPhone SE and iPhone 8.

See our table below for more details on how Apple's iPhone lineup compares in terms of size. 

Older iPhones exist, but if you have an iPhone 6S or older, we recommend you upgrade. 

Check out our iPhone accessories buying guide for more

The best iPhone accessories for every model

If you own an iPhone, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to accessories. You can get cases in any color, style, and material. There is an endless array of lightning cables, memory expansion gadgets, screen protectors, and iPhone-related paraphernalia available for you to buy. It can be downright overwhelming.

Which accessories do you actually need? How can you know which brands to trust with your money?

We've rounded up all the accessories you need to make the most of your iPhone. We've personally tested nearly every item in this guide (and heavily vetted the ones we haven't) to showcase only the very best iPhone accessories that you actually need.

Here are the best iPhone accessories you can buy:

• Best lightning cables: Anker Lightning cable
• Best phone grip and stand: PopSocket Grip
• Best wireless chargers: Belkin BoostUP, Mophie, Anker PowerWave 7.5 Pad, PowerWave 7.5 Stand
• Best cases: Nomad, Otterbox, Case-Mate, Speck, Incipio, Nodus, Moshi, Incase
• Best wireless earbuds: Apple AirPods
• Best screen protectors: TechMate screen protector and ZAGG screen protector
• Best cleaning kit: Whoosh! cleaning kit
• Best battery pack: Jackery Bolt battery pack
• Best wireless headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless
• Best iPhone docks: Native Union Dock+
• Best battery pack: Jackery Bolt battery pack
• Best gadget to expand storage: SanDisk iExpand
• Best camera attachment: Olloclip

The pandemic is redefining what what health and wellness means for Americans.

After nearly a year of extended isolation and more than 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, many corporate retailers have seen their attempts to take on the $3.8 trillion healthcare industry go sideways. 

During the pandemic, established industry leaders have struggled to adapt, while newcomers hoping to get a piece of the pie had their hopes dashed by shifted priorities. In February, a preliminary analysis from the nonprofit Altarum estimated that in 2020, US healthcare spending may decline for the first time in 60 years.

In January, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Kroger were gearing up to participate in the vaccine rollout, after 10 months of catering to pandemic era consumer's fears and anxieties by adding curbside pickup, expanding telemedicine, and offering COVID-19 testing.

Much like how tech giants have struggled with their push into healthcare, retailers' sky-high expectations for growth combined with the pandemic's upheaval have also been a stumbling block as they push deeper into healthcare. For all the influence massive companies hold, America's health is still the toughest nut to crack.

Here's how the country's largest retailers are doing in their efforts to shake up healthcare.

Walmart's once-ambitious plan to disrupt healthcare is in flux, with clinic expansion plans slowing since the pandemic hit.

Less than two years after Walmart announced plans to roll out low-cost primary care Walmart Health centers, the retail giant has already begun pulling back from healthcare expansion. Via conversations with eight current and future employees, Insider learned that the company is not on track on earlier projections for clinic expansions. 

In November 2018, Walmart's board of directors approved a plan to build 4,000 clinics by 2029, but those plans have since changed. Three current employees and one former employee confirmed in 2021 there are now no set numerical goals for the clinics.

The goal once publicly announced in 2019, was to do for healthcare what its supercenters did for retail: offer a breadth of services at a much cheaper price point than rivals.

The big box company provided a response to Insider's reporting, saying it continues to "experiment" with Walmart Health centers. Pointing to its pharmacy curbside delivery, COVID-19 testing, and participation in the US's nationwide vaccine rollout, Walmart said the pandemic had reaffirmed its commitment to healthcare. 

Despite early clinics exceeding expectations, Slovenski's departure in August and the pandemic have stifled once aggressive expansion efforts.

CVS Health is connecting the dots between retail pharmacy and primary care.

CVS Health wants to reinvented itself as a place where consumers can combine their healthcare and retail needs.

To kick it off, CVS acquired health insurer Aetna in 2018. The company has since rolled out 650 in-store clinics, known as "Health Hubs" where consumers can get health screenings, COVID-19 tests, and vaccinations. The goal is to have 1,500 Health Hubs across its more than 9,900 stores by the end of this year. 

In February, former Aetna president Karen Lynch took over for Larry Merlo as CVS's CEO. Lynch told Insider she is making it her mission to integrate Aetna and CVS experiences. For instance, in the company's February earnings call, Lynch said CVS had enrolled 6 million people in health plans that offer low or no-cost visits to CVS's MinuteClinics for care. 

The company has also expanded its efforts to include virtual care, a technology-enabled care option made more attractive by the pandemic. Across 33 states, MinuteClinic nurse practitioners are doing virtual visits, Lynch said. The company is currently testing a virtual primary care program with hopes of offering it widely next year.

In November, Bernstein analysts said CVS was "well positioned to reimagine primary care," though they estimated the company generates just $1 billion from care delivery, compared to the estimated $20 billion from healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group.

CVS is also re-entering the ACA individual marketplace via co-branded CVS-Aetna plans in 2022, which could serve as a key source of business.

The coronavirus vaccine rollout has accelerated Kroger's push into healthcare.

In February 2019, Insider spoke to Colleen Lindholz, the head of Kroger Heath, the grocery giant's restructured health and wellness division. Back then, Lindholz laid out a vision of Kroger keeping customers healthy through "food as medicine."

By tracking customer data on the groceries they bought and their Kroger clinic-filled prescriptions, the company wanted to offer customers lifestyle counseling services to nudge customers towards healthier habits.   

Then US healthcare priorities shifted as the pandemic hit. Along with CVS and Walgreens, Kroger's 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics have contributed to nationwide COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts. In February, Kroger announced a partnership with biotech company Gauss for an app-enabled rapid antigen COVID-19 test, pending emergency FDA approval.

Making good on Lindholz's promise to pursue a "food as medicine" approach, Kroger also launched a free virtual nutrition service last May, Supermarket News reported. In October, Progressive Grocer also reported on Kroger's renewal of its GoodRx partnership, signaling the grocery giant's commitment to sway consumers from other prescription drug and healthcare rivals. Through GoodRx, customers can lower their prescription costs through Kroger Rx Savings Club-branded discounts on generic drugs.

Amazon is pushing ahead in healthcare through its pharmacy and virtual care services.

Amazon went through the ringer with Haven, its joint venture with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan, that struggled since its 2018 inception in its mission to bring down healthcare costs,

The company's acquisition of PillPack that same year, however, is a different story.

From Amazon's initial move into the prescription drug business to now, the company has managed to launch its long-anticipated Amazon Pharmacy service. Its November 2020 launch sent retail pharmacy stocks tumbling as the possibility of Amazon encroaching on yet another segment of American life became real.

On top of taking customers from CVS and Walgreens, Wall Street analysts predicted Amazon could snatch business from pharmacy benefit managers, the hidden middlemen that distribute prescriptions, rebates, and discounts for health insurers and large employers.

Amazon Care, the company's primary care option currently in use by its own employees, is set to grow beyond Amazon employees in 2021. In December, Insider learned the company is plotting a national Amazon Care expansion, and plans to roll out its in-house suite of home visits, remote care, and prescription deliveries to other employers. 

Amazon, like other tech companies hoping to enter healthcare, faces pressures from its corporate division to scale quickly. Even so, Amazon's healthcare ventures can serve other purposes, like its pharmaceutical drugs expansion getting more people to sign up for Prime.

"As long as Amazon is improving their offering, they're happy to not make money elsewhere as long as it feeds into Amazon Prime," Josh Mark, a director at AposHealth and former healthcare analyst at CB Insights, previously told Insider.

Walgreens has doubled down on partnerships to counter pharmacy rival CVS Health.

Walgreens is betting its work with partners can help it build a healthcare strategy that goes beyond retail pharmacies.

In 2019, Walgreens closed 150 of its in-store clinics, but kept those that partnered with healthcare providers. Since then, the company has only continued to add to its list of partnerships, announcing plans last July to invest $1 billion into primary care startup VillageMD over a three year time frame.

Walgreens also has an internal healthcare platform project in the works. Details are sparse, but the in-house startup run by a 200-person team is not trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, Walgreens plans to combine services offered by its partners into a singular Walgreens experience. 

"Our role will be an integrator of the best that exists and surrounds the consumer," Walgreens' global CFO James Kehoe said at JPMorgan's annual healthcare conference. 

In the past, Walgreens has struck up partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Kroger, Humana, Verily, and UnitedHealth Group.

Despite collaborating with big names, the company has struggled to define a long-term growth strategy while competitors like CVS Health and Walmart ramp up their efforts in pharmacy and prescription drug delivery, Jefferies analyst Brian Tanquilut told Insider in January.

New leadership could impact what Walgreens does next in healthcare. On March 15, incoming CEO Roz Brewer will begin her tenure. Analysts were split on whether Brewer's retail industry experience at Starbucks would turn the Walgreens ship around, or sink it entirely.

Although relatively quiet, Best Buy has continued to home in on senior consumers.

Since buying emergency device GreatCall for $800 million in 2018, Best Buy has tailored its healthcare technology offerings to elderly consumers hoping to maintain independence in their later years. On its website Best Buy states that its goal is to "make home the center of better health." 

Though Best Buy saw its overall sales grow in the initial months of the pandemic as people facing extended isolation sought out home electronics, the company has laid off workers and cut off hours in recent weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported in February.

On the healthcare front, the company has stayed relatively quiet throughout 2020. Its healthcare leader, Best Buy Health's head Asheesh Saksena stepped down in August, CNBC reported. Best Buy hired IBM Watson Health veteran Deborah DiSanzo to replace Saksena. 

It debuted a new Amazon Alexa-connected flip phone for seniors in September. In October, it launched Lively Mobile Plus, a Kaiser Permanente-partnered pilot remote monitoring tool that's available to Kaiser's 1.7 million Medicare customers.

In less than one month, two employees have publicly resigned from Salesforce, citing discrimination and a culture of microaggressions at the company. 

Vivianne Castillo, a former manager in the firm's design research and innovation unit, published her resignation letter on LinkedIn last week, writing that she endured "rampant microaggressions" as a Black woman. The letter comes weeks after a former Salesforce senior manager, Cynthia Perry, also publicly announced her departure from the company. 

"I am leaving my job at Salesforce because of countless microaggressions and inequity," Perry wrote on LinkedIn. 

The recent news at Salesforce puts a spotlight on microaggressions, or indirect, often unintentional expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, or ableism. They are a form of racism that come out in seemingly innocuous comments by people who might be well-intentioned. 

From telling a new female worker that she "looks like a student" to asking a Black colleague about her natural hair, they can make a workplace feel uncomfortable, unsafe, and toxic. 

Salesforce is certainly not alone in having a problem with racism. Prejudice, bias, and discrimination at work are a lot more common than many business leaders would like to admit. A 2019 survey by Glassdoor of 1,100 US employees found that 61% of US employees had witnessed or experienced workplace discrimination based on age, race, gender, or LGBTQ identity. 

"Because microaggressions are often communicated through language, it is very important to pay attention to how we talk, especially in the workplace and other social institutions like classrooms, courtrooms, and so on," Christine Mallinson, professor of language, literacy, and culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, told Business Insider.

Since microaggressions are so subtle, it's often hard to know if you're committing one or if you're on the receiving end.

"One thing is that they are in a sense ambiguous, so that the recipient is apt to feel vaguely insulted, but since the words look and sound complimentary, on the surface (they're most often positive), she can't rightly feel insulted and doesn't know how to respond," Robin Lakoff, Professor Emerita of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, told Business Insider.

Here are some of the most common microaggressions.

This updated article was originally published in July 2020. 

SEE ALSO: Here's the presentation Google gives employees on how to spot unconscious bias at work

DON'T MISS: There's a war on the way women talk — and it needs to end

'You're so articulate'

"When a white colleague tells a colleague of color 'You're so articulate' or 'You speak so well,' the remark suggests that they assumed the person in question would be less articulate — and are surprised to find out they aren't," Mallinson told Business Insider.

Commenting on a black person's language or speaking habits has a complicated history, and this is a problem that African-Americans especially encounter in the workplace or school.

"We (a white-dominant society) expect black folks to be less competent," wrote A. Gordon in The Root. "And, speaking as a white person, when we register surprise at a black individual's articulateness, we also send the not-so-subtle message that that person is part of a group that we don't expect to see sitting at the table, taking on a leadership role."

What to say instead: Nothing. You can commend people on their specific ideas or insights, but commenting on how people speak is unnecessary.

'You're transgender? Wow, you don't look like it at all'

Telling a transgender person that they don't "look trans" might appear to be a compliment.

But trans people like Elliot Wake know that while these people have good intentions, it's an offensive comment that implies being trans isn't desirable. 

"(T)hey assume if I'm trans, my ultimate goal must be to look as much like a binary cis male as possible — and that trans masculine folk who don't look like cis men have somehow failed that unstated goal," Wake told Bustle. 

It indicates that the speaker feels looking as close as possible to cisgender (those who identify with the gender they were born with) should be what trans people aim for.

"Trans women can be beautiful in our own way without being judged on ridiculous cis beauty standards," Katelyn Burns told Bustle. 

What to do instead: Say nothing. 

'Oh, sorry, wrong person'

If you're an underrepresented minority, and there's one other person of your identity in the room, there's a chance that the majority group will confuse your names. 

"When I started grad school, the intro class was taught by two white women and I was one of two Mexican-Americans in the cohort,"one Buzzfeed reader shared. "They constantly called me Maria, the other girl's name. My name is Alejandra and we look nothing alike."

What to say instead: Learn your coworkers' names. It's a pretty basic concept. 

'Oh, you're gay? You should meet my friend Ann. She's gay, too!'

Adi Barreto wrote for The Muse about a few issues she's faced in the workplace as a queer woman in tech.

One of the things she's encountered: that classic suggestion that many well-intentioned straight people pull out for LGBTQ friends and family — offering to set them up with another LGBTQ person they know. 

"Just because two people you know have one thing in common, doesn't mean they'd be a match," Barreto wrote. "Yes, there are fewer people we can date, but that doesn't mean we don't have standards in personality type, values, and everything else you care about, too."

Barreto added that this would be like setting up a straight coworker with a random straight person you know of the opposite gender — just because they happen to both have the same sexual orientation. 

What to do instead: Say nothing. If your coworker of any sexual orientation wants your help meeting new people, they'll ask you. 

'My boss is crazy'

Calling your female boss "crazy" or "hysterical" has sexist undertones, because these words have a long, problematic history. 

"In the past, especially in 19th century Europe, women who had anxiety or who were seen as troublemakers were often diagnosed as being 'hysterical,'" Mallinson told Business Insider.
"The word 'hysterical' comes from the Greek word hystera, meaning uterus, signifying that the so-called disease was specific to women."

So, when you call a woman "crazy," it suggests that her concerns or actions are illogical, rather than the result of critical thinking. 

What to say instead: Try to understand your colleague's viewpoint rather than ascribing her actions as illogical. If you still don't agree, you could say: "I don't understand her perspective on this"— then ask her for her insights. 

'Where are you actually from?'

Asking someone about their ethnic heritage appears to just be a way to get to know someone.

But for Latinos, Asians, and "people who fall in between the black-white racial binary in the United States," the question gets tiresome, wrote journalist Tanzina Vega in CNN. 

"The next time you want to inquire about someone's race, ethnicity or national origin, ask yourself: Why do I want to know?" Vega wrote. "Or better yet, rather than asking anyone 'where are you really from?' try listening — or letting that person ask you a question — instead."

Receiving that question again and again can imply that a person isn't really American or doesn't truly belong in their country, just because of their appearance.

"The wrong here is that the question presupposes that being a person of color is inconsistent with being American," Dr. Ashley Lauren Pennington told Business Insider.

What to say instead: Nothing. If the person in question wants to discuss their identity, they can bring it up at their own discretion. 

'The way you've overcome your disability is so inspiring'

"Too often do we forget that people with disabilities, too, have to deal with microaggressions on the regular," wrote Wendy Lu, who has a tracheostomy tube, on Bustle. "They can take place in everyday conversations, making them hard to call out unless you want to be looked down upon for making a big deal out of 'nothing.'"

If you have a coworker who has a disability, avoid tropes like telling them their disability is "inspiring," or tip-toeing around it by referring to their disability to a "special need." 

"I want to live in a worldwhere we don't have such low expectationsof disabled peoplethat we are congratulated for getting out of bed and remembering our own names in the morning," comedian and activist Stella Young said at TEDxSydney. 

In other words, you shouldn't be shocked when your coworker with a disability is able to accomplish just as much as their able-bodied peers.

What to do instead: Say nothing.

'Your name is so hard to pronounce'

"The remark suggests that the person in question does not fit in culturally or linguistically, and that their identity is not worth taking time to learn about," Mallinson told Business Insider.

What to say instead: If you can't pronounce a colleague's name, just ask them how to say it. Don't point out that it's foreign or unfamiliar to you. 

'I think you're in the wrong room — this is the programmers' meeting'

Kieran Snyder, now CEO of Textio, told Fast Company about one of her first experiences with microaggressions as a Microsoft employee. She was going to a company lecture on math.

"I walked over a few minutes early, and in the room two men were already seated," Snyder said.

According to Snyder, one of the men saw her and quickly asked if she was looking for a talk on design that was being held nearby. He assumed that, as a woman, Snyder would not be interested or able to go to a math talk.

It appears to just be a helpful suggestion, but it communicates that it's impossible or unlikely that a woman couldn't be an engineer.

What to say instead: Don't assume people don't belong or make them feel as if they're outsiders.

'Do you even know what Snapchat is?'

Those who believe that only those in their 20s and 30s could possibly know about memes and Twitter are stereotyping older people.

And while joking about your gray-haired colleague's texting habits seems innocent, age discrimination is a serious problem in many workplaces. In tech, for instance, older professionals said they have problems getting hired despite a litany of past experience. 

These sort of innocent comments can lead to, say, older workers not getting new training opportunities, being left out of the workplace social circle, and other signs of illegal age discrimination. 

What to do instead: Once again, say nothing. 

'Are you an intern? You look so young!'

"By complementing a woman on her appearance, in a professional setting, you are reinforcing sexist beliefs about women's worth — that first and foremost, women must be attractive, and this is a primary function of their social role," Pennington told Business Insider.

"When an older male colleague tells a junior female colleague 'You look so young' or 'You look like a student,' the comment focuses attention on her appearance rather than on her credentials, and it may subtly undermine her authority on the job," Mallinson told Business Insider.

Remarking on someone's apparent youth also implies that they seem inexperienced or potentially unqualified for their job.

What to say instead: Nothing. There's no reason to comment on a coworker's appearance. If you genuinely want to know their job title, look it up in a company directory.

'Is that your real hair?'

Receiving comments about one's natural hair is a frequent struggle for African-American women in particular. Black women's textured hair is often seen as "less professional" than smooth hair, according to the Perception Institute. 

"My cubicle partner is black and has natural hair," an anonymous reader wrote to Buzzfeed. "She has a pretty big afro, and at least once a week someone asks me if I think her hair is unprofessional, if it violates the dress code, or if it distracts me. No, Kathy. Her hair does not make me feel anything. You, however, leaving your desk and interrupting my work to try and start s--t makes me feel things."

For black women, the bias against natural hair results in higher levels of anxiety about their appearance. One in five black women feel socially pressured to straighten their hair for work, which is twice the rate for white women. 

What to say instead: Nothing. A person's natural hair, regardless of their ethnicity, should be accepted as professional and workplace-friendly. 

(Interrupting) 'Well, actually, I think…'

Men are nearly three times as likely to interrupt a woman than another man.

The New York Times called men interrupting women "a universal phenomenon." And the kicker is when a man parrots the same idea as the woman he interrupted, receiving all the credit for it.

"I can't even count the number of times I've witnessed a woman being interrupted and talked over by a man, only to hear him later repeat the same ideas she was trying to put forward," Grace Ellis told the Times. "I'd say I see this happen … two to three times a week? At least?"

Elizabeth Ames, senior vice president of marketing, alliances, and programs for the Anita Borg Institute, also said this is one of the biggest workplace microaggressions she hears about.

"Another thing we hear a lot is when they share an idea or comment and everyone ignores it, then the male in the room says it and everyone thinks it's the greatest thing," Ames told Fast Company.

What to do instead: Wait for the person to finish their thought. And if you like their idea, give them credit.

'Why do you wear that?'

Those who are Jewish, Sikh, Muslim, or another religion and choose to wear religious head coverings might get overly probing questions at work.

In reality, that one person isn't a representative of their entire religion. If you want to learn more about that religion, you shouldn't ask people while they're just trying to do their job. 

Muslim women who wear a hijab, for instance, often say that people ask them "if they're bald underneath" or if someone is "forcing" them to wear a hijab. 

"Don't stare. Don't judge. Teach others. Know that I'm not somebody to be saved," wrote an anonymous hijab-wearing woman in Everyday Feminism. "Treat me as you would treat anyone else. That's all you need."

What to do instead: Say nothing. If you're curious about why religious people choose to wear certain articles of clothing, read articles or books by those who do it. Don't go around asking random colleagues about their life choices. 

• Flagship TV models are expensive, but there are many affordable smart TVs with solid performance. 
• The TCL 55-inch 5 Series is our top pick thanks to its fantastic balance between price, picture, and size.
• For more TV recommendations, check out our roundup of the best TV deals.

TV pricing has come down a lot in recent years. Gone are the days when buying a 4K TV meant having to spend thousands of dollars.

These days, you can get a nice 4K TV with basic HDR support and plenty of smart TV apps for only a few hundred bucks. You can even find big-screen options in sizes as large as 65 inches without totally breaking the bank.

Of course, there are always trade-offs to keep in mind when buying a TV on a budget. A true home theater experience still comes at a premium, but choosing an entry-level TV doesn't mean you have to settle for poor image quality, a small screen, or a dumb display without the latest streaming services.

I've been covering the consumer electronics industry for eight years, and during that time I've demoed and reviewed numerous TV models at various price points. After testing and researching all the latest TVs on the market, we've selected the best display models you can buy on a budget.     

Here are the best cheap TVs you can buy:

• Best cheap 4K TV overall: TCL 55-inch 5 Series 4K Roku TV
• Best cheap 4K TV for HDR: Hisense H8G Android TV
• Best cheap 4K TV for wide viewing angles: LG 55-inch 4K UN7000 TV
• Best cheap 4K TV with a big screen: Vizio 65-inch V-Series TV
• Best cheap 1080p TV: TCL 40-inch 3 Series HDTV

SEE ALSO: The best HDMI cables you can buy

The best cheap 4K TV overall

TCL's 55-inch 5 Series 4K Roku TV balances image performance, smart connectivity, screen size, and cost better than any other display in this price range.

Pros: 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, quantum dots, full-array local dimming, Roku smart TV system, great price

Cons: Doesn't include a voice remote, doesn't have HDMI 2.1 ports, HDR brightness is limited

If you're looking for a 55-inch 4K TV at an affordable price, then the TCL 5 Series is your best option overall. With solid picture quality, a screen size suitable for most rooms, and integrated support for Roku's convenient smart TV system, this display hits the right sweet spot between features and cost.  

The 5 Series uses a 4K panel with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. That latter feature is missing from some other TVs in this class, and it can provide better contrast when watching Dolby Vision titles on 4K Blu-ray discs and streaming services like Disney Plus.

Another premium picture quality feature that the 5 Series offers but several other budget TVs lack, is expanded color. Unlike the 2019 5 Series, this newer model even uses quantum dots, which provide improved colors that are more in line with much more expensive TVs from brands like Samsung. 

Also new is the addition of full-array local dimming. This feature allows the TV to brighten and darken in specific spots across the screen, resulting in better black levels and highlights. There are 48 zones on the 55-inch model, which is a good amount for a TV in this price range. With that said, brightness is limited compared to more expensive sets, which lessens the impact of HDR.  

Powered by Roku's interface, the 5 Series offers access to a ton of streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and HBO Max. The Roku platform is fairly snappy and responsive, so you shouldn't run into any annoying lag. The 5 Series doesn't include a voice remote, but the standard Roku remote gets the job done for basic controls.

Simply put, the 5 Series has virtually everything that a modern 55-inch 4K TV in this price range should have — and then some.

The best cheap 4K TV for HDR

The Hisense H8G Android TV uses local dimming and quantum dots to provide some of the best HDR performance you can get on a budget 50-inch TV.

Pros: 4K with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, local dimming, quantum dots, Google Assistant voice remote, solid brightness capabilities for the price

Cons: No HDMI 2.1 ports, 50-inch model has less dimming zones than larger versions

Buying a smaller TV on a budget typically means you have to miss out on some advanced features found on larger, more expensive sets. The Hisense H8G, however, totally dispels that notion. The midrange display packs local dimming and quantum dots into a 50-inch panel with Google Assistant — all while maintaining a very affordable price.

One of the most important image features you can look for in a new 4K TV is high dynamic range (HDR). HDR enables enhanced contrast and wider colors for a more realistic picture. The Hisense H8G offers some of the best HDR capabilities in its price range. 

Like the TCL 5 Series, the H8G features quantum dots and support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision. On top of that, the Hisense provides a brighter image for more intense highlights, along with support for HDR10+, which is an advanced format used by Amazon Prime Video and select 4K Blu-rays. 

Google's Android TV system is integrated for extensive app support and smart capabilities, including access to popular services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Peacock, and HBO Max. Google Assistant is also supported via the included remote for reliable voice control.

The 50-inch H8G includes 32 zones of local dimming. This is solid for such a small size, though the 55-inch model steps things up to 72 zones, and the 65-inch offers 90 zones. I reviewed the 65-inch model and came away very impressed by its performance and value. That size is more expensive, but the cheaper 50-inch model remains a fantastic budget option for shoppers who prioritize HDR picture quality. 

Read our Hisense H8G 4K TV (65-inch model) review here

The best cheap 4K TV for wide viewing angles

The LG 55-inch 4K UN7000 TV boasts a 4K resolution IPS screen for wide viewing angles — plus, it has LG's webOS smart TV platform and AirPlay 2 support.

Pros: IPS panel for wide viewing angles, 4K with HDR10, AirPlay 2 support, works with separate Alexa and Google Assistant devices

Cons: Black levels and contrast aren't great, doesn't include a voice remote

Though many of the 4K TVs recommended on this guide offer impressive picture performance, they all suffer from one pesky drawback: lackluster viewing angles. 

This means that colors and contrast tend to wash out when you sit off to the side of the display. Though that's not a problem for people who can plop down on a couch right in front of their TV, it can be an issue for buyers who have to position their seats in other parts of their room.

If viewing angles are one of your main priorities, then the 55-inch UN7000 from LG is one of your best options on a budget. Unlike many TVs from other manufacturers, this LG model uses an IPS panel rather than a VA panel. IPS panels offer improved off-axis picture. In other words, you can sit off to the side of the display without the TV's colors and contrast dramatically degrading. This makes the UN7000 an ideal fit for people with off-center TV placement, or buyers who plan to have a lot of viewing parties with seats all around the room.   

On the downside, TVs with IPS panels have worse black levels and contrast than other displays. This particular model also lacks local dimming or wide color support, and it only offers basic HDR10 capabilities. So, while great for wide viewing angles, this TV doesn't have very good home theater performance in a dark room.

Like most LG TVs, this one supports apps like Netflix, Hulu, and many other streaming services via the webOS platform. HBO Max, however, is missing. Unfortunately, the UN7000 also lacks a voice remote, but you can use the TV with a separate Alexa or Google Assistant device. AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are also supported for easy pairing with Apple products.

The UN7000 is also available in a few larger and smaller screen sizes, but we think this 55-inch model offers the best value. Also, keep in mind that only the 65-, 55-, 49-, and 43-inch models use IPS screens. 

The best cheap 4K TV with a big screen

The Vizio 65-inch V-Series TV is an affordable big-screen display with 4K resolution, Dolby Vision support, and HDMI 2.1 ports. 

Pros: Big display for an affordable price, 4K, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision support, HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons: Image quality is only average, lacks local dimming or quantum dots, no voice remote

Flagship 65-inch 4K TVs can cost a couple thousand dollars, but that doesn't mean that budget buyers always have to settle for smaller screen sizes. In fact, there are several worthwhile big-screen models out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. 

Vizio's new V-Series 65-inch TV is easily one of the best. It's big, it's 4K, it supports HDR, and it even includes HDMI 2.1 ports. That latter feature is especially noteworthy since it's missing from every other display on this guide. 

With that said, even though it includes HDMI 2.1, the V-Series doesn't support next-gen gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) or 120fps. Of course, those features really shouldn't be expected at such a low price point.

When it comes to image quality, the V-Series has solid specifications, but there are some understandable limitations. You get a 4K LCD panel with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision support. While that sounds great on paper, the display doesn't feature quantum dots or local dimming, so overall contrast, brightness, and color simply aren't on par with more expensive models. 

Vizio's SmartCast platform has seen some improvements recently but, while decent, it's not quite as reliable or comprehensive as the Roku, Android TV, or webOS systems. Still, buyers can access a select assortment of popular apps from the TV's on-screen menu, along with support for casting even more from a mobile device via Chromecast or AirPlay. The TV is compatible with separate Alexa and Google Assistant devices, but it doesn't include a voice remote. 

Budget buyers who favor home theater performance over size will be better off going with the smaller Hisense 50-inch H8G or the TCL 55-inch 5 Series, but if you want a large 65-inch 4K TV in this price range, the V-Series offers a lot of value for the money. 

The best cheap 1080p TV

It doesn't have 4K resolution or other advanced features, but the TCL 40-inch 3 Series HDTV is one of the most affordable 40-inch Roku TVs you can buy.

Pros: Very affordable, Roku TV platform with easy access to streaming apps

Cons: Not 4K, no HDR or wide color support, no voice remote, smaller screen size

The TCL 3-Series is about as basic as a smart TV can get. It's the smallest display on this list, it features a 1080p resolution screen instead of 4K, and it lacks HDR support — but when it comes to overall value for the money, the TV is still a worthy option for budget buyers. 

This 40-inch smart TV uses a modest Full HD panel. While you won't be able to watch 4K HDR streams from Netflix, the reality is, most  live TV content is still presented in SDR high definition. With that in mind, this 1080p screen is fine for casual viewing needs. 

Overall image performance isn't as good as the more expensive TVs on this list, but at a screen size of 40 inches, it would actually be hard to see any benefits from an upgrade to 4K. The lack of local dimming is a bit more of an issue, but contrast and black levels are decent considering the low price.

While the included remote doesn't feature voice control, you can pair the TV with a separate Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device.

This definitely isn't a TV geared toward buyers looking for advanced picture quality. Instead, the TCL 3 Series is meant to appeal to people who just want a reliable 40-inch smart TV with easy access to their favorite apps. Thanks to the simple yet effective Roku platform, the 3-Series does just that.

Check out our other TV buying guides

The best 4K TVs

The best OLED TVs

The best Apple HomeKit-enabled TVs

• Having a bike pump in your cycling kit ensures that your tires are always inflated to their ideal pressure.
• There are generally three types of bike pumps to consider: Floor pumps, hand pumps, and C02 inflators.
• Our top pick, the Specialized Air Tool Comp V2, is durable and accurate, and is a great choice for any kind of cyclist.

Bike tires go flat for many reasons and while a flat is never ideal, it's even worse to be caught without the means for fixing it. With a reliable bike pump, you can keep rolling either by fixing the tire itself or inflating a new tube. Regardless of how you use it, it's smart to always have one on-hand and in your cycling pack whenever you head out.

Before shopping, it's important to understand the difference between the three basic pump types: Floor pumps, hand pumps, and C02 inflators. I've included some information on each's advantages and disadvantages, and which are more well-suited to a particular bike or ride style.

To find the best bike pumps, I spent several months riding my bike as often as I could — to the market, to the park, around the block, everywhere. Though flats spring up at any time, I wanted to see how versatile the pumps were in allowing me to fill my tires with air as needed and that they'd function whether I was on the side of the road, camped out at the park, or gearing up at home. 

After finding a stand-out in each category, I also wanted to include both a budget pick and a pump that affixes directly to a bike for added convenience. Below are the five bike pumps that are all deserving of a spot in your garage, on your bike, or in a backpack. At the end of this guide, I've also included some insight into the differences of each bike pump style. 

Here are the best bike pumps:

• Best bike pump overall: Specialized Air Tool Comp V2
• Best for tubeless tires: Pro Team Tubeless Floor Pump
• Best bike pump on a budget: Schwinn Air Center Pro
• Best CO2 Inflator: Lezyne Control Drive
• Best on-bike pump: Crank Brothers Klic HV

Best overall

Specialized's Air Tool Comp features sturdy construction, smooth pumping action, and an accurate gauge making it one of the most reliable bike pumps available.

Pros: Sturdy, well balanced, with an easy-to-read and accurate gauge.

Cons: Only goes to 120 PSI, doesn't seat tubeless

Specialized's Air Tool Comp has one of the most accurate pressure gauges I've tested. When pumping, its dual-stage pressure gauge gets close enough that you don't need to double-check it with a dedicated pressure checker. While it's not digital, the gauge is accurate even at low pressures, where many pumps don't register PSI. Its oversized gauge numbers were easy to read and the gauge has a twist ring that allowed me to pre-select the pressure I wanted while also providing a visual cue when I reached it.

The Air Tool is ergonomic, with a flared, textured no-slip handle, and sandpapery footpads on the stable triangular base. Even with rapid-fire pumping, the pump stayed put. A 41-inch long hose made it easy to pump tires on bikes that were already loaded on a car hitch rack, too. The pump head also has a grip and an easy-to-grasp lever that locks securely onto the valve when flipped open.

Its steel base and aluminum air canister were extremely durable, as well. The twist ring on the pump head is textured for easy removal and replacement, and also allows for easy switching between Presta and Schrader compatibility.

The pump was efficient inflating mountain, gravel, commuter, e-bike, and road tires. It does have a max PSI of 120, so if you're a performance road biker who prefers higher pressure, this isn't the pump for you. When not in use, the hose wraps over the handle and clips to the top of the air canister on both sides.

Best for tubeless tires

It looks like a standard floor pump but Pro's Team Tubeless Floor Pump seats tubeless tires, from road to mountain, without the bulky air reservoirs of other tubeless charging pumps.

Pros: Super durable, seats tubeless tires and inflates any tire, universal head

Cons: Expensive

At the base of this two-in-one pump's air cylinder is a foot lever that lets your choose between charge or inflate mode. To inflate a tire, flip the foot lever up to inflate and the pump works like a normal floor pump. To seat a tubeless tire on a rim, flip the foot lever down to charge and pump the handle as many times as you can to pressurize its reservoir. This pump also makes it easy to switch between Schrader and Presta valves and inflates to 160 PSI. 

The Pro Team Pump's steel base and alloy barrel-over-barrel construction were strong and stable, able to withstand the strained push and pull of canister charging. The rubberized palm pads cushioned my hands and made it comfortable to use, too. 

Oversized numbers in the gauge, which is in the pump's base, were easy to read and this pump works for all types of tires. The head is universal, so I didn't need to swap parts to switch valve types, either. 

Best on a budget

Schwinn's Air Center Pro is the best pump you can buy for the price, with reliable performance and some of the bells and whistles of more expensive pumps.

Pros: Super affordable; head takes Presta and Schrader without conversion; gauge easy to see

Cons: Materials feel cheap, floppy hose

This do-it-all pump will get you rolling on a budget. Schwinn's Air Center Pro is the best pump you can buy that has a modest price tag, reliable performance, and some of the bells and whistles of more expensive pumps. It's versatile, too, allowing you to inflate kids' bike tires, pump up a basketball, or top off your e-bike. 

The two-port Presta/Schrader head has an indicator to remind you when the pump is locked on to the valve and when it's ready for insertion and removal. The metal base and 24-inch steel barrel held up well to daily use and abuse and I appreciated the included sports ball needle and yoga ball inflation cone that stores in a clip-on plastic case.

The 49-inch fabric hose was even long enough to reach bike tire valves with bikes on a car rack. Its gauge in the handle is always close and easy to read and the pump pressurizes a tire to 160 PSI. 

The Air Center Pro features more plastic parts than other floor pumps here and though I didn't test it long enough for something to break, the materials don't feel as high-quality as others in this guide. Pumping was often loud and metallic, too, and the handle gauge necessitates that the hose also directly attaches to the handle. This means it moves with every pump stroke, giving it good reach while also creating some pull on tire valves. 

Best CO2 Inflator

Road bikers, mountain bikers, and any cyclist who prefers to carry less will pass on the pump and pack a CO2 inflator and a couple of air canisters instead.

Pros: Easy to keep track of; precision control knob, works with Presta and Schrader

Cons: Larger and heavier than some other inflators, Co2 cartridges expensive and disposable

With CO2, there's no pumping required. Simply screw the canister into an inflator, press it into your bike's open valve, and open the on/off knob to let air surge in. 

I like Lezyne's Control Drive because the on/off knob let me dispense air more precisely than other inflators, and allowed me to turn off the flow to save some for later. The switch is knurled for a good grip even with bike gloves. The chuck has two heads, one for Presta and one for Schraeder, so there's no need to switch parts to move from one to the other — which can be especially hard roadside or trailside when it's easiest to lose parts during a conversion. 

The 0.8-ounce CNC-machined aluminum inflator has brass internals for long-term reliability. It comes in four colors and works with 16, 20, and 25g CO2 threaded cartridges. The Control Drive comes with a neoprene cartridge sleeve that slips over any size CO2 to protect your hand from canister freeze when using the pump, too. The inflator automatically prevents overinflating, which was especially handy when inflating a road tire with a larger cartridge.

Best on-bike pump

When you're far from home and far from help, you need a pump that's accurate and reliable. Crank Brother's handheld Klic HV is both, and it has more features than meets the eye.

Pros: Small enough to fit into a backpack, inflates up to 100 PSI even though it's a smaller pump, can hold a C02 inflator

Cons: Isn't strong enough to be a full-time, go-to pump

The Klic HV is a plain-looking 10-inch long by 1-inch wide black cylinder when stored on your bike. When in use, its handle flips open into a T so you can wrap your fingers around both sides of the pump shaft for the best grip. Its pump hose features a built-in pressure gauge that stores inside the pump when packed. 

The Klic HV is single action, so it only inflates when you push not when you pull. However, it can still take a mountain, gravel, hybrid, or road tire to 100 PSI, which is ideal for all but the most highly inflated road tires. If you don't want to tire your arm out pumping, the handle of the pump has a screw cap that hides a CO2 inflator.

Unfortunately, this pump doesn't have a universal head but switching from Presta to Schrader is straightforward. Just unscrew its valve adapter from the end of its pressure gauge hose, flip the valve head, and screw it back in. There are no internal pieces to reposition and the conversion is quick and easy. 

The double-sided gauge was easy to read but only useful over 20 PSI. Experiment with this pump before you hit the road so you know how it likes to be held for the most efficient inflation. 

Bike pump glossary

Before buying a bike pump, you'll want to decide which style of pump best fits your needs. Though floor pumps, hand pumps, and C02 inflators all inflate your tires, each comes with its own set of advantages. Avid cyclists may even want to own one of each. 

Floor pumps

These have the biggest capacity and are able to get the most air into your tire every time you pull up and press down the handle. Most use a canister with a handle on a rod that moves an internal diaphragm forcing air into your bike tire. 

Its foot platforms let you stabilize the pump while you're inflating, and the handles accommodate two hands to make pumping easier. These tend to also feature a gauge so you know when you've reached the desired pressure. 

The pump has a chuck or head that clips onto your valve, and most floor pump heads can be switched to work with Presta (a pointy valve) or Schrader (a flat top valve) — some even have ports for both. It's smart to double-check the type of valve your tube uses before purchasing a floor pump, too. 

Floor pumps can also seat a tubeless tire, which is important because many modern bikes use sealant inside a tire to keep the tire inflated, not a tube. Floor pumps are mid-thigh tall, and designed for home use, or for carrying in a car to pump tires at a trailhead or the start of a ride.

Hand pumps

These are made to be carried on the bike, and they typically require a lot more effort to inflate your tire. A hand pump has a much smaller volume canister than a floor pump, so it takes longer to inflate a tire than a floor pump. Some are designed for high volume, which is best for a mountain bike or fat bike tires, and others are best for high pressure, like a road bike tire. 

Hand pumps are usually used as a backup or emergency pump, and not often relied upon as a primary pump. These are small enough to fit in a pack or a pocket, though many also come with water bottle cage mounts for affixing it to your bike. Gauges are less common in hand pumps and most have a valve head attached directly to the inflation canister. 

The pumps with a hose are easier to use but are also likely to snap a valve stem with vigorous pumping. Like floor pumps, most hand pumps have a head that can be swapped between Presta and Schrader valves. 

CO2 inflators

This type of pump is the most convenient and compact inflation tool available for bicycles. They dispense small, disposable metal cartridges and some have an on/off switch so you can save the air you don't need for later. With CO2, inflation is instant, but when you've used up the cartridge, or if your cartridge doesn't have the capacity to inflate your tire to full pressure, you're out of luck until you find another cartridge or borrow a pump.

• The best patio umbrellas provide thorough sun coverage and can stand up to all kinds of weather. 
• We spoke to landscape architects to find traditional and cantilever umbrellas for your budget.
• See also: Where to buy outdoor furniture online

A patio umbrella is an important addition to your backyard if you eat and lounge outside regularly. 

Though it's tempting to buy one off looks alone, remember that "as a functional piece, the most important feature in a patio umbrella is the coverage," as Melissa Lee, the founder and creative director of design firm Bespoke Only said.   

Kevin Lenhart, a landscape architect and design director of online landscape design service Yardzen advised, "Think about the sun pattern in your yard. Even if you have a large space, you might not need a huge umbrella if you're able to angle it to block the sun and shade the area you are enjoying." 

In addition to umbrella canopy size, consider the fabric, which needs to stand up to rain, sun, and wind. Sunbrella, a durable performance fabric that's resistant to fading, stains, and mildew, is a favorite among landscape designers. 

There are two main types of umbrellas: a traditional "market" umbrella, which is usually placed in the middle of a table, and a cantilever umbrella, which is freestanding and brings in the canopy from an angle. You can learn more about the pros and cons of each, as well as other things to keep in mind when shopping for a patio umbrella, here.  

Currently, all of our picks are based on research and expert input. In the future, we plan to test these patio umbrellas and evaluate their ease of assembly, effectiveness, and durability. 

Here are the best patio umbrellas in 2021

• Best patio umbrella overall: California Umbrella, Bridgehampton, Tuuci 
• Best cantilever patio umbrella: Hampton Bay, SunVilla, Crate & Barrel
• Best patio umbrella on a budget: Sunnyglade, Abba Patio, Bluu 
• Best patio umbrella with lights: Blissun, Hampton Bay
• Best patio umbrella stand: Abba Patio, Noble House, Shademobile 

SEE ALSO: The best beach umbrellas you can buy

The best patio umbrella overall

A traditional "market" umbrella is the classic style that works best for most people. It's affordable, easy to use, and widely available in many sizes, fabrics, and colors. Because it's placed right in the middle of a table, it requires less backyard space and is less likely to get in the way of foot traffic. 

The best cantilever patio umbrella

If you have a larger backyard and don't like how traditional umbrellas disrupt table space, you should get a cantilever umbrella. Keep in mind cantilever umbrellas tend to be heavier and more expensive, but there's great payoff in the large amount of shade provided.

The best patio umbrella on a budget

A budget umbrella may lack the sturdiness and longevity of the umbrellas above. Still, we found some solid options with well-designed mechanisms and strong canopies. 

The best patio umbrella with lights

Lighted patio umbrellas offer extra pizzazz and visibility when you're sitting outside on a warm summer night. The best part is they're solar-powered, so you don't have to deal with tangled cords.

The best patio umbrella stand

A weighted umbrella stand or base ensures your patio umbrella won't shake or blow away with the slightest gust of wind. "A good rule of thumb is to take the width of your umbrella and multiply it by 10," said Lenhart. For an 8-foot-wide umbrella, for example, you'll need a base that's at least 80 pounds. Pre-filled stands are more expensive than empty stands, which require you to add sand or gravel. 

Our methodology

We determined the best patio umbrellas through a combination of research and expert input. Using insights and brand recommendations from our experts, we chose two to three options per category, keeping a variety of sizes and prices in mind. We plan on putting these umbrellas through a variety of tests in the future. 

Patio umbrella FAQs

Traditional vs. cantilever umbrella — which should you buy? What are the pros and cons of each?

"The biggest pro of traditional umbrellas is that they get the job done at a relatively low price. They stand up to harsh and windy conditions and require little maintenance. They also tend to be less expensive," said Lenhart. 

Danu Kennedy, design director of creative design firm Parts and Labor Design, likes cantilever umbrellas because "you don't have to interrupt the seating connectivity to place the umbrella, but they tend to be a little more clunky whereas a traditional model is perhaps more easily worked into the aesthetic."

What size umbrella is best for your space? 

In addition to sun pattern, consider the size of the space where you'd like to place the umbrella, as well as the surrounding foot traffic. "Do you have room for a standalone umbrella or should you look for a table that allows for an integrated umbrella? A good rule is to allow for three feet around the umbrella to circulate." said Blythe Yost, a landscape architect and cofounder of online landscape design service Tilly. 

What are the best materials for the umbrella stand and canopy? 

For the stand and pole, look for durable, rust-resistant materials like aluminum, coated steel, and concrete (which is harder to find). Some designers also like teak wood because it weathers beautifully. 

As for the canopy, Olefin and Sunbrella come highly recommended by our experts. "Olefin is a durable, sustainable fabric that requires no water during production and maintains its quality for years. Sunbrella is a leader in outdoor performance fabric — it's easy to clean and has beautiful colors and designs," said Lenhart. 

Once you've figured out size and coverage, how do you find a patio umbrella that fits the rest of your patio style? 

Look at your surroundings, and ask yourself whether you want your umbrella to blend in or pop out. "If you want your umbrella to meld in the natural setting, think neutral colors like white, gray, and beige or even subtle greens and blues. If you want your umbrella to make a statement check out umbrellas in vibrant colors or patterns," said Yost. "If you're in a city we prefer a bold, fun pattern, to add a pop of color to the gray cityscape, but if you're near a lake or beach, the piece shouldn't compete with nature," said Lee. 

How do you maintain a patio umbrella?

If your umbrella is crafted from high-quality materials, it'll stand up to water, sun, and wind, making your job easier. Still, a few small steps can help make your umbrella last much longer. Wipe down the canopy once a month and stand with a soft cloth and a gentle cleanser like mild laundry detergent. "Finding an umbrella with fabric with the color as part of the material, and not dyed, will help retain the color in outdoor conditions," Yost said. 'When it comes to extending the life of your umbrella, it's a great idea to store it when it's not in use. Either bring it in a garage or you can find an umbrella cover for the material and the stand." Just make sure everything is fully dry before you pack it away. 

Glossary of terms 

Traditional umbrella: Also known as a market umbrella, this is the style of umbrella you typically see at outdoor dining setups. The pole goes through the middle of the table and the canopy, which is either circular or rectangular, covers the table fully. Traditional umbrellas are usually lighter than cantilever umbrellas. 

Cantilever umbrella: The base and pole of a cantilever umbrella are offset, bringing the canopy in from an angle. Cantilever umbrellas are heavier, bigger, and more expensive than traditional umbrellas. 

Crank lift: A mechanism that helps you open your umbrella and adjust the canopy tilt by turning a crank handle. This mechanism is easier and smoother, but slower to use, than a push lift and could also break more easily. 

Push lift: A mechanism that helps you open your umbrella and adjust the canopy tilt by pushing a button. The button is typically located at the top of the pole and may be difficult for some people to reach without the help of a chair. 

Sunbrella: An outdoor performance fabric made of solution-dyed acrylic (the UV-stabilized pigment is spun directly into the yarn). It's frequently used in outdoor furniture products because it's resistant to fading, abrasion, mold, mildew, stains, and water. It's strong, easy to clean, and comfortable to the touch. 

Olefin: Also known as polypropylene. A strong and thick synthetic fiber used in many household products like carpeting. It's good for outdoor use because it's resistant to fading, water, mold, and mildew, but it may stain more easily than Sunbrella. 

Check out our other outdoor home guides

• Where to buy outdoor furniture online
• The best patio heaters for outdoor dining
• The best fire pits
• The best inflatable hot tubs

• US Armed Forces veterans and active-duty members are eligible for discounts at many retailers.
• A military ID or an online verification saves service members on everything from apparel to tech.
• For more deals that everyone can take advantage of, check out our master list of sales.

To show gratitude toward veterans and active-duty members of the armed forces, many retailers offer special discounts to active and former military personnel, veterans, families of the Armed Forces, and first-responders.

By presenting a military ID or filling out an application online, eligible shoppers can save up to 50% on everything from new tech to insurance.

To make it easier to navigate, we've rounded up a list of stores offering military discounts year-round and on Memorial Day, below. And though there are a good amount listed, it's always a good practice to ask at any store you're shopping at since many don't advertise, or in case they require in-person verification.

Check out all the stores that offer military discounts year-round:

SEE ALSO: The AmEx Platinum is available to active-duty servicemembers at no annual fee — but even with the fee, the credit card is a great value

Clothes, shoes, and accessories

Adidas: 20% off at factory outlets and 30% off online with online verification.

Allen Edmonds: 15% off regularly priced merchandise after ID validation. 

Alpha Industries: 15% off all items with online verification.

Backcountry: 20% discount on select full-price purchases online for military members, veterans, first responders, and more.

Bonobos:20% military discount for five orders over a course of a year for active-duty service members and veterans.

Carhartt:25% military discount on apparel and accessories for verified military, first responder, and nursing community.

Champs Sports:15% discount on most in-store or online purchases. If shopping online, simply select "Use Military Discount" at checkout to verify your eligibility. 

Cole Haan:20% off for veterans and active-duty members.

Columbia Sportswear: 10% discount for military members through online verification.

Converse: 15% off to all active, reservist, veteran, and retired US Military personnel, as well as the spouses and dependents of active personnel. Verify online.

Dagne Dover: Discounts vary but just fill out this form with your official military email address and the company will send you the discount information.

Eddie Bauer: extra 10% off in-store purchases to all active and former military personnel, veterans, and families of the Armed Forces.

Foot Locker: 15% off most purchases in-store and online. During checkout, click on the "Use Military Discount" link and follow the instructions. 

GlassesUSA: 55% off and free shipping on select styles.

Hanes Outlet Store:10% off with military ID. 

Kohl's:15% off in-store only every Monday for active and former military personnel, veterans, and their families.

L.L.Bean:10% discount to anyone with a valid military ID and online verification.

Moosejaw: 20% off full-price purchases for military members.

Nike:20% discount for active, retired, reservist US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel online and in stores in the US. Verify your eligibility using the form. 

Ray-Ban: 15% off. Click the "Military" dropdown in the shopping cart to verify your status and apply your discount.

Roxy:15% discount on apparel and surfing supplies.

Sunglass Hut: 15% discount for active-duty military, retirees, veterans, and family members by registering through ID.me.

Timberland: 20% discount off select styles online and in-store orders for active-duty military, veterans, and families with valid credentials.

Tommy John: 20% off for military and first responders. Verify eligibility here. 

TOMS Shoes: 10% discount. Verify your eligibility here.

Under Armour:10% off online and in-store for Active Duty, Retirees, Military Spouses, Military Family Members, as well as a 10% discount for First Responders, active Police, Fire, and EMT customers. Verify yourself here to get the discount online.

Vera Bradley: 15% online discount. Verify your eligibility with ID.me.

Yeti: Special pricing for select gear for military members, veterans, and first responders.

Zappos:10% off all purchases made on the site.

Phone and internet

AT&T:25% discount on monthly plan charge.

Sprint:50% off military family lines.

T-Mobile: 50% off family lines for military personnel. 20% off the standard $70-a-month plan ($55) with AutoPay.

Verizon Wireless: Get Unlimited for $30/line and select from different bundles. All government employees including active duty, reserves, and national guard are eligible. This discount is also extended to retired military, veterans, and their families through Veterans Advantage.

Tech

Apple Store:10% off Apple products and accessories for veterans and active military. 

Best Buy: discounts are available at some locations; typically 10% off in store. Best Buy offers half off Geek Squad services for military families.

Dell: 10% off PCs and electronics with an email sent to a US sales agent.

Microsoft: up to 10% off on select products for active, former, and retired military personnel and their families.

Home and hardware

Brooklyn Bedding: 25% off your entire order plus free shipping, verify through ID.me.

Casper: 20% discount off any order with a mattress for active duty, retirees, veterans, military spouses, and military family members. 

Eight Sleep: Get 10% off any product, including custom smart mattresses if you're a firefighter, EMT, or part of the military or police. 

HelloFresh: 50% off first HelloFresh box plus 15% off every HelloFresh Box for a year.

Home Depot:Tax exemption, year-round at all stores to active duty military personnel, reservists, retired or disabled veterans, and their immediate families.

Leesa Mattresses: 15% off for military, first responders, students, and teachers.

Lowes: 10% off eligible purchases. Register here to enroll.

Overstock: Get a free Club O membership and receive 5% reward dollars for every purchase, free shipping, and extra reward dollars.

Sherwin Williams: Get 15% off on paints, stains, and painting supplies to those currently serving, are reservists, or have served in the military.

Home, insurance, and hardware

American Express: Get annual fees waived on any charge or credit card, including the Platinum Card, which offers a number of perks, benefits, and freebies.

AutoZone: Discount varies, so just ask and have a valid military ID on hand. 

Avis:Up to 25% off base rates for U.S military veterans, active-duty military, National Guard & Reservists, and family.

Geico:up to 15% discount your total insurance premium. Check your availability here. 

Liberty Mutual Insurance: Insurance discounts vary for those who are active, retired, or reserved in the U.S. Armed Forces.

• From plastic to wooden to velvet, pants hangers can add style and compactness to your closet.
• Our picks effectively organize your bottoms and help keep them pristine.
• For more clothing hacks, check out our guide on the best closet and drawer organizers.

It may be easy to fold your pants and place them in your drawer, but this isn't always feasible for tight spaces. Plus, hanging pants can help keep away unwanted creases and cut down on ironing time. A good pants hanger should be no-slip, save on closet space, and allow for easy access to find the exact pair of pants you want to wear. Some upgraded hangers even feature unique designs to further maximize space or 360-degree rotating hooks for easier hanging.

From plastic to wooden to velvet, we rounded up the best pants hangers you can buy.

Here are the best pants hangers

• Best for multiple pairs:  Hong Feng 5-Layer Pants Rack
• Best wooden: Nature Smile Solid Lotus Wood Pants Hangers (10-pack)
• Best velvet: Home-it Pants Hangers (10-pack)
• Best plastic: Titan Mall Pants Hanger (12-pack)
• Best value: Doiown S-Type Stainless Steel Pant Hanger

The best for multiple pairs

The multi-purpose Hong Feng 5-Layer Pants Rack works for pants, skirts, and scarves and can be hung vertically or horizontally.

What we like: Stainless steel, space-saving design, can be hung horizontally or vertically

We love a multi-purpose closet organizer, and what better way to bring compactness to small spaces than a 5-in-1 hanger? The Hong Feng 5-Layer Pants Rack can easily hang multiple pairs of pants, as well as skirts and scarves in its segmented compartments. The hangers help compress your apparel to save on space without adding any wrinkles. 

The durable stainless steel structure is sturdy yet lightweight, and you won't have to worry about fabrics getting caught in the hanger with its smoothly-padded, non-slip stoppers. The open-ended design makes it easy to access your pants and doesn't leave any clamp marks. You can attach the hanger horizontally (ideal for closets with a single top rod) or vertically (great for more compartmentalized closet organizers). What's more, it's a great way to organize your denim to distinguish washes and styles.

The best wooden

The Nature Smile Solid Lotus Wood Pants Hangers are simple to use, versatile, and look good.

What we like: Traditional bamboo design, smooth texture, cushioned clamps for hanging

Wooden hangers provide a clean and polished look to your closet and, unlike velvet material, won't be prone to dust or wear and tear. The Nature Smile Solid Lotus Wood Pants Hangers come in a 10-pack and feature a sleek and minimal design, with natural bamboo wood and steel grip clips for your pants.

The wooden hangers are sturdy, while the chrome 360-degree hook allows for easy control when organizing your trousers or midi skirts. The smooth surface also prevents clothes from abrading, so both your clothes and closet organizers will stay in good shape for the long haul.

The best velvet

Home-It's Pants Hangers are super thin but sturdy, and velvet ensures clothes won't slip off.

What we like: Extremely thin design, neutral color, indent for multipurpose hanging

Velvet hangers are winners because they are clean-looking, extremely thin, and easy to throw in luggage for on-the-go travel. Home-It's Pants Hangers 10-pack bundle is ideal to pair with velvet top hangers, and you can hang roughly 50 pants on just half a closet rod thanks to their ultra-thin design.

Not only are they space-saving, but these multipurpose hangers have a strap indent so you have the option to hang tops with your pants. The steel clamps ensure your bottoms won't fall onto your closet floor. One thing to remember about velvet hangers is their attraction to dust, so be sure to wipe them with a towel every so often.

The best plastic

The Titan Mall Pants Hangers are practical, economical, and easy to use.

What we like: Sleek black composition, large non-slip clips, durable chrome hook

You likely already have plastic hangers in your closet, whether you picked up a cheap pack yourself or kept the ones that came with your pants purchase. They're the classic, simple solution for your closet, and the Titan Mall Pants Hangers are a slight upgrade that, with their rotating hooks, can hold more without snapping.

These hangers feature oversized clamps for a firm grip that won't slip. They can hold up to 20 pounds and make finding options at the back of your closet easy with an attached 360-degree rotatable hook. Each pack comes with 12 hangers, making them a particularly economical buy, though they aren't as sleek-looking as wood, stainless steel, or velvet options.

The best value

The Doiown S-Type Stainless Steel Pant Hanger is durable and compact for maximizing space.

What we like: Can hang five pairs per hanger, rust-resistant, modern and lightweight design

The Doiown S-Type Stainless Steel Pant Hanger allows you to hang up to five pairs of pants in one easy system for under $10. 

What makes these an even better value is the material. The stainless steel is durable and rust-resistant, so they'll last and won't snap even under heavy weight. You'll save space, prevent your clothes from tears and scratches, and have a versatile organizer to easily hang leggings, dress pants, and funky overalls alike. Their unique design also prevents pants from slipping off and ending up on the floor without the need for clamps.

• Recently booming Denver is a year-round getaway, offering world-class restaurants, museums, and more.
• It also has easy access to nature and serves as a launchpad for mountain vacations all over Colorado.
• We rounded up the best Denver hotels, ranging from $136 to $259, plus detail COVID policies for all.

Colorado's capital city of Denver has seen dynamic growth in recent years. Whether it's the consistent increase in population or the revitalization of historic neighborhoods, Denver has been among the country's most rapidly growing and changing metropolitan areas. This has also led to an expanded hospitality scene that includes the opening or renovation of countless hotels across the city. 

And while many travelers might consider Denver simply as a brief stopover to some of the Rockies' most iconic mountain towns, especially now during the heart of Colorado's ski season, there's actually plenty to do in the city, from world-class art museums and award-winning dining to easy access to wide-open spaces for hiking or bike riding. Plus, Denver receives roughly 300 days of sunshine. All of this has led to Denver seeing greater visitor numbers than ever before. 

As is to be expected during an ongoing global public health crisis, a capital city like Denver feels differently than it has in previous years, and there are citywide regulations that will impact the way a traveler can and will experience the city. While there are currently no restrictions for entry into the city, and there is also no testing requirement ahead of arrival,  indoor capacity rules, which impact venues like museums and restaurants, can change from week to week. It's always helpful to remain updated on these rules and regulations as pandemic circumstances continue to evolve. 

Additionally, it's vital to keep in mind that there is no guarantee when it comes to safety right now, and every traveler must navigate through these risks based on his or her personal comfort level. We advise that you follow not just local mandates but also the CDC's travel recommendations when it comes to where and how to travel. And, of course, wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash your hands.

With that said, the city has seen a number of new hotels as well as older properties undergo grand renovations, making the hospitality scene more dynamic than ever. The hotels selected here have also implemented thoughtful COVID-appropriate policies to help protect their guests and employees, which we detail below. However, bear in mind that experts have noted that private vacation rentals may be a safer option than hotels right now due to less contact with others. If you prefer a private home rental, start with our list of the best Denver Airbnbs. 

In Denver, it's important to note that many hotels feature resort fees to cover the cost of various amenities like Wi-Fi and fitness center access. Some hotels' fees might include more exciting perks like use of a house car, complimentary food and drinks, and even discounts at neighborhood businesses. The fee usually hovers around $20 per room per night.

The best Denver hotels were chosen with the following criteria in mind:

1. The properties here appeal to a wide range of travelers. Whether you're on a budget, seeking out luxury, or someone who won't travel without your beloved pet, there's something for everyone. 
2. However, we also kept affordability in mind and hotels range from $136 to $259 per night to start.
3. These hotels come with desirable amenities from impeccable decor and rooftop pools to top-notch on-site restaurants. 
4. The hotels were also selected for their prime location in some of Denver's most exciting districts, from the shopping-friendly streets of Cherry Creek to the central neighborhood of LoDo.
5. The hotels here garnered top marks from former guests on sites like Trip Advisor, and Booking.com.

Here are the best hotels in Denver, sorted by price, from low to high.

The Art Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton

Book The Art Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton starting at $136 per night

Located in Denver's Golden Triangle,  known for its countless art destinations, this aptly named hotel is a prime choice for travelers who are interested in exploring the city's robust art scene. The hotel is steps away from the Denver Art Museum, which regularly hosts fantastic exhibits. In keeping with this theme, the hotel is brightly decorated with striking paintings and sculptures from one of the owner's private collection.

The sculptural, glass building is a great complement to the architectural landscape of the neighborhood. And while the rest of the hotel has been dynamically brought to life with this art theme, the rooms are more subdued, with soft woods and subtly bright accents. Due to COVID, the furnishings have been scaled down to minimize high-touch surfaces, but the comfy bedding, LCD TVs, and luxurious bath products from Gilchrist and Soames all remain. 

The hotel's resort fee is $20 (plus tax), but you get this back in a way since you're given a $20 credit to the on-site restaurant, Fire. The fee also covers amenities like premium and a selection of complimentary drinks and snacks.

Trip Advisor ranking: 5 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Booking.com rating: 8.6 out of 10

Pros: Bring your pet; there's no fee and amenities like a bed and a bowl are available. 

Cons: If you're not into art, the hotel's location may not be as desirable, because there really isn't much around it otherwise. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open, but it has implemented many new regulations and protocols, including industry-wide standards like wearing masks whenever indoors and enforced social distancing. Other new protocols include:

• The fitness center can only be used by one party at a time. 
• The onsite restaurant Fire isn't serving lunch or brunch (there is no in-room dining at all), and the hotel's airport shuttle service is currently suspended. 
• Rooms are thoroughly cleaned and sealed for every guest. (You'll see a sticker "sealing" the door upon arrival.)
• More on Hilton's Covid policies can be found here.

The Maven at Dairy Block

Book The Maven at Dairy Block starting at $159 per night

One of Denver's hippest new hotels, The Maven mixes an industrial-chic aesthetic with hundreds of Instagram-ready art pieces. Case in point, the first thing you might notice upon arrival is the giant hand suspended from the lobby ceiling. Or the airstream coffee/bar. The vibe in the guestrooms is very similar, where concrete walls and steel furniture are punched up with colorful murals, floor-to-ceiling windows, and spacious bathrooms. For fitness enthusiasts, the hotel has a fully equipped 4,500-square-foot gym that is currently restricting capacity to eight people at a time.

Its location in the Dairy Block, an artsy micro-neighborhood that was completed in 2018, is a fantastic way to experience the recent revitalization of the LoDo neighborhood. And the $20 (plus tax) daily resort fee affords guests some complimentary and discounted treats from the various businesses around the hotel. For instance, you get a free cup of coffee at Huckleberry before noon, a free taco with the purchase of a margarita at trendy restaurant Bruto, and more. Trust me when I say the $20 pays for itself.

Trip Advisor ranking: 8 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Hotels.com rating: 9.4 out of 10

Pros: There's a generous cancellation policy at the hotel, where a full refund is available to guests who cancel their reservations with at least a 24-hour notice. 

Cons: While there are dog treats available to guests traveling with their pets, there is also a $50 fee for having them stay with you. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open, but it has implemented many new regulations and protocols, including industry-wide standards like wearing masks whenever indoors and enforced social distancing. Additional protocols include: 

• Guests are being allocated every other room, which means no one is occupying the room next to yours unless you request an adjacent room for a traveling companion. 
• Similarly, rooms are only being fully serviced by housekeeping every third night. 
• Valet services have been suspended as has courtesy transportation with the house SUV.
• More on The Maven's Covid policies can be found here.

The Crawford Hotel

Book The Crawford Hotel starting at $179 per night

Located inside the historic Union Station terminal just steps away from the train platforms, The Crawford Hotel could not be more accessible via all forms of transportation. The transformation of Union Station, which included the opening of this 112-room hotel in 2014, is part of the revitalization of Denver's LoDo neighborhood.

The hotel combines old-world elements with modern perks that come with the district's recent growth. For instance, many of The Crawford's guestrooms feature historic architectural details like exposed bricks, wood beams, and elaborate crown moldings that date back to the 19th century, but guests are also in smack in the middle of a fast-changing neighborhood in the heart of the city with bars, restaurants, and cultural attractions right at their fingertips.

Its daily amenity fee ($20 plus tax) is possibly the best in the city. It covers a free scoop of ice cream at Milkbox Ice Creamery, a cup of coffee from Pigtrain Coffee Company, car service within two miles of the hotel, free gym access, and classes at The Oxford Club. It also offers discounts to various businesses within Union Station and throughout Denver. While pets are allowed, there is a steep $50 per night fee.

Trip Advisor ranking: 3 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Hotels.com rating: 9.2 out of 10

Pros: The hotel's location can't be beat for those who want to be close to the action. Inside Union Station, there are shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants that add to the convenience of staying at The Crawford.

Cons: Its location inside Union Station can be a negative for some people as well because there is no private lobby that's reserved for hotel guests. You share the public seating in the station that is also used by commuters, travelers, and sightseers. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open, but it has implemented many new regulations and protocols, including industry-wide standards like wearing masks whenever indoors and enforced distancing. Other protocols include: 

• Turndown service has been suspended.
• Deliveries, such as in-room dining, will be left outside your door. 
• More information about The Crawford's current policies can be found here.

Life House, Lower Highlands

Book Life House, Lower Highlands starting at $189 per night

The Denver location of the Life House hotel brand is one of the newest hotels in town; it opened in November 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. Still, this design-forward property features a ton of cool elements that are quite unique to the local market, including a wine program that's entirely natural.

Tucked away in the Lower Highlands (or LoHi), a hip residential neighborhood with buzzy restaurants, bars, and shops, the hotel is not very close to the main tourist sights of Denver, but it is just on the other side of Union Station.

Inside, the interior decor, inspired by Victorian Industrialism, is all about Victorian-era meets Wild West drama. The medley of floral upholstery and heavy plush drapes mixes with lots of leather (of course), potted cacti, and mountainscape murals, presenting an intriguing visual narrative. Guestrooms are split between bunk-bed rooms and more spacious suites, but both come with Le Labo bath amenities, rain showers, and wellness programming on the TVs. (The hotel even filmed the yoga classes in the actual guestrooms to ensure that you have enough space to comfortably follow along.)

While there are many local-approved restaurants near the hotel, Life House's on-property dining concept Wildflower has been a hit, thanks to potent cocktails and a vegetable-driven food menu of shared plates.

Trip Advisor ranking: 7 out of 16 B&Bs/Inns in Denver

Hotels.com rating: 10 out of 10

Pros: For traveling groups, the hotel's bunk-bed rooms are fantastic. And these are not hostel-like setups; the stacked beds are quite spacious. 

Cons: The walls of the hotel are thin and noise can waft in from just about anywhere. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open and has implemented many new regulations and protocols, including industry-wide standards like wearing masks whenever indoors and enforced distancing. Other protocols include: 

• The hotel has increased the cleaning frequency of both guest-facing and back-of-house spaces.
• Similarly, the hotel (and the Life House brand in general) is built mostly on contactless processes on its mobile app, on which guests can check-in, make requests, etc. 
• More on Life House Hotels' Covid policies can be found here.

Moxy Denver Cherry Creek

Book Moxy Denver Cherry Creek starting at $199 per night

This playful, colorful hotel in Cherry Creek is geared towards hip, millennial travelers. Checking in, for example, happens at the hotel bar and your room key comes with a complimentary drink. The modernly designed rooms are on the smaller side, but feature clever storage solutions as well as wall fixtures for hanging clothing and other personal items. The bathrooms come with walk-in showers but no tubs.

If the more modest guest rooms might seem pared down, the public-facing amenities and social spaces are certainly more exciting. There are complimentary bikes for guests to use during their stay, the bar has a shuffleboard setup, there's a separate ironing room, the gym is full of top-of-the-line equipment, and the adjacent outdoor beer garden is frequented by both locals and guests of the hotel. However, all of the shared amenities may be as enticing amidst the pandemic.

Trip Advisor ranking: 45 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Booking.com rating: 8.5 out of 10

Pros: While the property has a more streamlined list of amenities, its enviable location in Cherry Creek means tons of places to visit are within easy reach. 

Cons: The hotel charges a $100 fee to guests who bring their pet. Considering other hotels with similar overnight rates don't charge for pets at all, this could be a prohibitive expense.

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open, and is following Marriott protocols, including: 

• As far as dining goes, only grab-and-go food options are currently available at the hotel. 
• New cleaning technologies include electrostatic sprayers that allow for touchless disinfecting capabilities and cleaning processes, along with and new regimen changes. 
• In public spaces, the company has required that surfaces are treated with hospital-grade disinfectants and that this cleaning is done with increased frequency. 
• In guest rooms, Marriott has added detailed cleaning practices, requiring all surfaces be thoroughly cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectants. The company will also be placing disinfecting wipes in each room for guests' personal use.
• More on Marriott's Commitment to Clean policies can be found here.

The Ramble

Book The Ramble starting at $229 per night

Located in the heart of River North Art District, Denver's hippest enclave, The Ramble is a cocktail-obsessed hotel that calls Death & Co, the iconic NYC drinking den, its dining partner.  Mixologists actually managed many of the property's food and beverage offerings, from the various dining venues around the hotel as well as the contents of the mini bar. The Ramble's cocktail bonafides has made it a local hangout, too.

But this 50-room boutique hotel is more than just a bar with bedrooms. The interior narrative was modeled after the intrigue of centuries-old French salons. Guest rooms were brought to life with a moody but sexy aesthetic with its velvet headboards, dramatic crystal chandeliers, whimsical wallpaper, and, in some rooms, soaking, clawfoot tubs. 

Its location in one of Denver's thriving new neighborhoods is a particularly big draw for traveling creatives who want to be near new restaurants, buzzing food markets, local distilleries, and indie boutiques.

Trip Advisor ranking: 67 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Booking.com rating: 9.2 out of 10

Pros: There are a lot of creative COVID pivots at the hotel, including the new walk-up window that you can order food and coffee from until noon. This is to limit the amount of people that would otherwise need to enter the hotel lobby.

Cons: There's more of a nightlife vibe here that's not for everyone. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open and it has implemented many new regulations and protocols, including mandatory masks and social distancing. Other protocols include:  

• Its tiny fitness center, small as it was, is now closed. 
• Some of the nicer in-room amenities (like the French Press and stripe bedside throws) have been removed to minimize high-touch surfaces.
• More on the hotel's Covid policies can be found here.

Kimpton Hotel Born

Book the Kimpton Hotel Born starting at $239 per night

Kimpton's design-forward hotel located just steps away from Union Station pays homage to the Rockies with a mountain-inspired interior aesthetic. Pinewood surfaces, including beautiful wraparound headboards, and flannel-like upholstery deliver a wintertime vibe no matter when you visit. Every room boasts soaring, floor-to-ceiling windows and artworks by Denver artists can be found throughout this posh hotel. Pricier room categories come with massive soaking tubs, and depending on which floor you end up on, you could get mountain views.

There are two restaurants in the building: Citizen Rail, which focuses on wood-fire-prepared meals, and Tavernetta, considered one of Denver's best Italian dining rooms. There are also outdoor dining options available. Some of Kimpton's signature brand benchmarks have changed. Unfortunately, complimentary coffee in the lobby has been suspended. Its social hour concept is still going on, but instead of gathering at the lobby for a couple of hours over drinks and snacks, guests of the hotel can grab a glass of wine from Citizen Rail that they can then enjoy in their rooms. 

The hotel charges a $23 (plus tax) resort fee, which among other amenities, includes a $10 credit to Citizen Rail and complimentary access to the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Colorado Athletic Club Union Station. 

Trip Advisor ranking: 16 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Booking.com rating: 9.3 out of 10

Pros: The location is great, especially during ski season as it offers an easy connection to the rest of Colorado via Union Station.

Cons: Some guests have complained that they found the rooms to be too small. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open with new regulations and protocols, including industry-wide standards like wearing masks whenever indoors and enforced social distancing. Additional protocols include: 

• Housekeeping services have been suspended.
• Lunch service — either via in-room dining or at Citizen Rail — has been temporarily suspended, too. 
• In-room spa treatments have been suspended.
• More information about Kimpton's current policies can be found here.

Halcyon, A hotel in Cherry Creek

Book the Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek starting at $239 per night

This good-looking, 154-room hotel in Cherry Creek offers up a contemporary take on the luxury experience. The check-in desk is called the Kitchen Counter, where guests might be offered a CBD drip coffee upon arrival. Rooms are spacious and bright featuring high ceilings, minimalist decor, like shiny subway tiles in the bathroom mixed with gilded fixtures, a yoga mat, and Jonathan Adler bath amenities. 

The public venues are worth getting reservations for ahead of your trip, too, especially because they are often booked out by Denver tastemakers. Local Jones is a great restaurant serving elevated comfort dishes and the basement-level speakeasy whips up some of the best cocktails in town. The rooftop pool scene is also quite a draw. This winter, the space has been transformed into a winter wonderland with a curling floor and telescopes for sky viewing. 

There is a resort fee of $30 per room per night.

Trip Advisor ranking: 1 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Hotels.com rating: 9.4 out of 10

Pros: The hotel's Gear Garage, stocked with everything from tennis racquets to mountain bikes for guests to borrow, is one of the most unique offerings in Denver's hospitality scene.

Cons: The Halcyon offers a massive list of wonderful perks (free coffee, snacks, wine are just a few), but most of them are folded into one of the priciest resort fees in the city at $30 per room per night. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open and has implemented many new regulations and protocols. In addition to mandatory masks in public areas and enforced distancing, new policies include: 

• Masks and hand sanitizers are offered to guests upon arrival.
• Housekeeping has been suspended.
• Staff members are required to sanitize their hands after every guest interaction. 
• More on Halcyon's Covid policies can be found here.

The Jacquard, Autograph Collection

Book The Jacquard, Autograph Collection starting at $259 per night

Located in Denver's ritzy Cherry Creek neighborhood, The Jacquard projects both an upscale and boutique vibe, though it's actually under the Marriott umbrella. The hotel's 201 rooms are known for their spacious blueprints, as well as glistening custom furniture and stunning mountain and sunset views. Design-wise, there's a modern though minimalist style to the interiors, with warm wooden headboards and desk areas that may appeal to business travelers. 

Being located in Cherry Creek, one of the city's most walkable neighborhoods, means there's plenty to do just outside the hotel's doors, whether it's shopping, dining, art-hopping, or biking along a river trail. But guests should make sure to make it up to The Jacquard's rooftop pool and bar. It boasts sprawling vistas of Denver. Similarly, the on-property restaurant Narrative from award-winning chef Paul Nagan is one of Denver's best. Its wine menu is over 750-label strong.

Trip Advisor ranking: 36 out of 176 hotels in Denver

Booking.com rating: 9.0 out of 10

Pros: For those who remain wary of dining with strangers, the hotel's grab-and-go market is stocked with a variety of food and drinks and is open 24 hours a day.

Cons: According to some reviewers, noise can be an issue in some guestrooms. 

COVID-19 status and policies: The hotel is open and is following Marriott protocols, including: 

• As far as dining goes, only grab-and-go food options are currently available at the hotel. 
• New cleaning technologies include electrostatic sprayers that allow for touchless disinfecting capabilities and cleaning processes, along with and new regimen changes. 
• In public spaces, the company has required that surfaces are treated with hospital-grade disinfectants and that this cleaning is done with increased frequency. 
• In guest rooms, Marriott has added detailed cleaning practices, requiring all surfaces be thoroughly cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectants. The company will also be placing disinfecting wipes in each room for guests' personal use.
• More on Marriott's Commitment to Clean policies can be found here.

More great getaway options

• The best Denver Airbnbs
• The ski resorts in Colorado and where to stay
• The best ski resorts in Utah and where to stay
• The best Phoenix Airbnbs
• The best US mountain resorts for all seasons

• A good drill is essential for hanging pictures, fixing wobbly shelves, or renovating your space.
• A cordless drill allows for easy movement around the house without the need for an outlet nearby.
• DeWalt makes our top choice because it's fairly priced, easy to use, and powerful.

Even if you're not an avid DIY-er, it's good to have a drill at home to help hang shelves and perform other small tasks more easily. Using a power tool can save you valuable time and can also prevent hand and wrist aches versus using a screwdriver. And for drilling holes, there's really no viable alternative to using a drill. 

First off, let's clarify something that confuses many people: when someone talks about a drill, they usually mean a drill/driver. The same tool can create holes when outfitted with a drill bit or sink screws when it has a screwdriver bit. "Drill" is used as shorthand, but all of the tools on our list are suitable for drilling holes and for driving in screws.

When choosing the best drill, there's always the budget to consider, but you don't have to spend big to get one that's suitable for most household projects or even for a good deal of commercial-grade work. 

We've included a compact, lightweight drill suitable for use in confined spaces or for working overhead. We also rounded up numerous drills with variable speed control, easy chuck adjustment, and plenty of power. And as they're all cordless, you can get your work done anytime, anywhere. 

Here are the best cordless drills of 2021

• Best cordless drill overall: DeWalt 20V MAX Cordless Compact Drill/Driver
• Best budget cordless drill: Black+Decker LDX120C Cordless Drill
• Best cordless drill for masonry: Makita XPH102 Hammer Driver-Drill
• Best compact cordless drill: Bosch PS31-2A 12-Volt Drill/Driver

The best cordless drill overall

The DeWalt 20V MAX Cordless Compact Drill/Driver is reliable for minor home repairs, DIY projects, or a professional worksite with various speed options.

Pros: Suitable for a wide range of tasks, comprehensive speed and torque control, good price point

Cons: Batteries drain too quickly

The DeWalt 20V MAX Cordless Compact Drill/Driver is a perfect, long-lasting tool that's suitable for most drilling and driving projects in your home.

With the right bit, this drill can power down through lumber, concrete, and sheet metal. It can be set to operate in two different speed ranges, with the option for speeds between zero and 450 revolutions per minute ( perfect for precision drilling), or at up to 1,500 RPM (to help you make short work of even tougher materials like masonry).

The drill's 16 clutch settings help you control the amount of force you bring to bear, helping prevent accidental damage to surfaces or hardware. Also, the drill comes with two 20-volt battery packs, a charger, and a bag that's perfect for transport and storage. 

This DeWalt drill stands out thanks to being both powerful and lightweight. While ideal for home use, it's even suitable for professional use.

The best budget cordless drill

The Black+Decker LDX120C Cordless Drill is similarly-powered compared to higher-end options, but costs half the price.

Pros: Affordable, moderate weight and size, variable speed control

Cons: Underpowered for some materials

Most cordless drills that cost less than this one are so cheap in quality that you'll either get a tool that's not suitable for the tasks at hand or that will break quickly. Or worse, it will be both underpowered and lacking in durability. While the Black+Decker LDX120C Cordless Drill we recommend is budget-friendly, it's certainly not a cheaply made tool.

This drill/driver has an 11-position clutch, offering plenty of torque control for most applications. Its maximum RPM speed of 650 is notably lower than you get with many tools, but that's a suitable rotation for most DIY projects. A built-in LED light helps to illuminate your working space whenever the trigger is depressed, while the drill's modest 3.25-pound weight minimizes strain and fatigue even if said workspace is overhead.

While it's probably not the right choice for the professional framer who needs to sink thousands of screws, this is definitely the right tool for a discerning but budget-conscious amateur carpenter, hobbyist, or homeowner.

The best cordless drill for masonry

The Makita XPH102 Hammer Driver-Drill is a commercial-grade powerhouse designed for drilling into stone, concrete, brick, or other masonry.

Pros: Makes short work of stone and concrete, high RPM and BPM, fast-charging battery

Cons: Occasional smoky smell from the motor

Unlike a standard drill, a hammer drill incorporates a rapid back and forth thrusting motion while its bit revolves. This hammering action, utilized by the Makita XPH102 Hammer Driver-Drill, helps to pulverize hard materials, like concrete, stone, brick, and mortar so you can easily drill into such surfaces. 

The XPH102 is durable and rugged enough for professional use and sealed to resist damage from dust and water, both common factors on a worksite. 

It can whirl at up to 1,900 revolutions per minute, which is much faster than most of the tools on our list. But perhaps even more impressive than the RPMs are the BPMs, or blows per minute. This hammer drill can pound out an astonishing 28,500 small but effective taps per minute, greatly easing the process of drilling into literally rock-solid materials.

And finally, while many 18-volt Lithium-Ion batteries take several hours to reach a full charge, the 3.0Ah battery you get with this drill charges to capacity in just 30 minutes, so you can spend more time working.

The best compact cordless drill

The Bosch PS31-2A 12-Volt Drill/Driver can handle just about every home drilling or driving project with ease — weighing barely over 2 pounds.

Pros: Compact and lightweight, long battery life, precise

Cons: Lower RPM than most cordless drills

The Bosch PS31-2A 12-Volt Drill/Driver weighs 2.14 pounds, a full 33% less than the next lightest weight tool on our list. You can use this drill for hours on end, whether you're working overhead on the rafters or bent underneath the kitchen sink, and your arms and hands will never get tired. And thanks to its compact size, you will be able to maneuver the drill about as needed, especially for cramped spaces like under the sink or in a crawlspace.

With that small size does come some loss of power, of course. This drill's maximum RPM rating of 1,300 is lower than that of most drills, and its maximum torque output of 265 inch-pounds is on the lower side, too. Luckily, most DIY repairs and projects don't need more speed or power than that.

This drill is a standout for drilling into wood, drywall, thin sheet metal (like air ducts), or various composite materials. It's perfectly capable when it comes to sinking screws, too. Bosch's 20 clutch settings help you avoid damaging hardware, while a bright light helps illuminate your work area. And, a power gauge on the side of the tool lets you know how much battery life you have left.

Check out our other DIY and tool buying guides

• The best saws for DIY projects
• The best stud finders
• The best tool kits for DIY home projects
• The best hammers
• The best ladders
• The best levels
• The best rotary tools

Pre-pandemic, it was nearly impossible to walk five feet at any Silicon Valley conference without bumping into a Stanford or MIT grad. 

The tech world is flooded with graduates from just a handful of schools — and it can be a major advantage for founders to have access to a huge alumni network. 

To see which schools are prominent in the venture industry, PitchBook calculated which colleges produced the most venture backed-founders. Their list includes companies that raised their first round of funding between 2006 and August 2020. A school's placement on the list is determined by the number of founders it produced.

Here, in reverse order, are the top 25 schools from the list. 

SEE ALSO: Black and LatinX female founders received record funding last year, but still got less than 1% of total venture funds

25. Dartmouth College

• Entrepreneurs: 438
• Companies: 400
• Capital raised: $11.3 billion
• Tuition: $57,796 
• Startups founded: Generate Capital, Freenome, Lyra Health 

24. University of Washington

• Entrepreneurs: 456
• Companies: 403
• Capital raised: $8.4 billion
• Tuition: $38,166 (non-resident), 11,465 (resident) 
• Startups founded: Cloudera, Gogora, HashiCorp

23. New York University

• Entrepreneurs: 465
• Companies: 431
• Capital raised: $9.2 billion 
• Tuition: $54,880
• Startups founded: DoorDash, Future Finance, Hike 

22. University of Waterloo

• Entrepreneurs: 474
• Companies: 375
• Capital raised: $12.9 billion 
• Tuition: Varies by program 
• Startups founded: Instacart, Wish, Databricks 

21. Brigham Young University

• Entrepreneurs: 475
• Companies: 378
• Capital raised: $8.2 billion
  
• Tuition: $5,790
• Startups founded: Qualtrics, Health Catalyst, Lendio 

20. Duke University

• Entrepreneurs: 484
• Companies: 461
• Capital raised: $11 billion
• Tuition: $57,934
• Startups founded: Radiology Partners, Coinbase, Harry's 

19. Carnegie Mellon University

• Entrepreneurs: 506
• Companies: 447
• Capital raised: $13.6 billion
• Tuition: $57,560
• Startups founded: Affirm, Sea, RigUp

18. University of Southern California

• Entrepreneurs: 520
• Companies: 480
• Capital raised: $17.8 billion
  
• Tuition: $59,260
• Startups founded: Gojek, Instacart, Careem 

17. University of Wisconsin

• Entrepreneurs: 539
• Companies: 480
• Capital raised: $8.8 billion 
• Tuition: $38,654 (non-resident), $10,766 (resident) 
• Startups founded: Databricks, Automation Anywhere, Bird Rides  

16. Brown University

• Entrepreneurs: 542
• Companies: 496
• Capital raised: $20.6 billion 
• Tuition: $59,254
• Startups founded: Gojek, Chime, CommonBond 

15. Columbia University

• Entrepreneurs: 546
• Companies: 510
• Capital raised: $15.3 billion 
• Tuition: $58,920
  
• Startups founded: Compass (New York), DraftKings, Zymergen 

14. University of California, Los Angeles

• Entrepreneurs: 588
• Companies: 554
• Capital raised: $15 billion 
• Tuition: $42,993 (non-resident), $13,239 (resident) 
• Startups founded: Chime, BabyTree, BrightSource Energy

13. Princeton University

• Entrepreneurs: 593
• Companies: 560
• Capital raised: $19.5 billion
• Tuition: $53,890
• Startups founded: Quibi, Nubank, Databricks 

12. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

• Entrepreneurs: 602
• Companies: 509
• Capital raised: $12.4 billion 
• Tuition: $15,000
• Startups founded: Better Place, Gusto, BlueVine

11. Yale University

• Entrepreneurs: 616
• Companies:560
• Capital raised:$15.6 billion
  
• Tuition: $59,950
• Startups founded: 23andMe, Convoy, Dataminr

10. University of Illinois

• Entrepreneurs: 621
• Companies: 575
• Capital raised: $16.4 billion 
• Tuition: $34,338 - $39,432 (non-resident), $16,888 - $21,982 (resident) 
• Startups founded: GRAIL, Affirm, Generate Capital 

9. University of Texas

• Entrepreneurs: 749
• Companies: 686
• Capital raised: $10.2 billion
  
• Tuition: $37,670 - $45,376 (non-resident), $10,582 - $13,260 (resident) 
• Startups founded: Niantic, Zalora, Acorns

8. Tel Aviv University

• Entrepreneurs: 807
• Companies: 673
• Capital raised: $16.1 billion 
• Tuition: Varies by program 
• Startups founded: Generate Capital, Houzz, BlueVine 

7. University of Michigan

• Entrepreneurs: 835
• Companies: 760
• Capital raised: $19.1 billion
• Tuition: $66,698 (non-residents), $31,484 (residents)
• Startups founded: Groupon, 23andMe, Carta 

6. Cornell University

• Entrepreneurs: 888
• Companies: 824
• Capital raised: $28.6 billion 
• Tuition: $58,586
• Startups founded: Lyft, Compass (New York), Rappi 

5. University of Pennsylvania

• Entrepreneurs: 1,021
• Companies: 932
• Capital raised: $22.6 billion 
• Tuition: $53,166
• Startups founded: Snapdeal, Fuze, Wheels Up

4. Harvard University

• Entrepreneurs: 1,100
• Companies: 988
• Capital raised: $41.2 billion
  
• Tuition: $49,653
• Startups founded: Coupang, Affirm, Cloudera

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Entrepreneurs: 1,125
• Companies: 985
• Capital raised: $33.4 billion
• Tuition: $53,450 
• Startups founded: Oscar, Indigo Agriculture, Toast (Boston)

2. University of California, Berkeley

• Entrepreneurs: 1,365
• Companies: 1,225
  
• Capital raised: $36.3 billion
• Tuition: $44,008 (non-resident), $14,254 (resident)
• Startups founded: DoorDash, GRAIL, Flexport

1. Stanford University

• Entrepreneurs: 1,448
• Companies: 1,258
• Capital raised: $47.8 billion
• Tuition: $55,473
• Startups founded: Snap, DoorDash, Robinhood 

• Learning new skills online is often far more convenient and inexpensive than pursuing a traditional degree program.
• Online learners tend to appreciate the flexibility, affordability, and range of options provided by e-learning.
• Below are overviews of 8 of the most popular affordable online learning options, including edX, Coursera, FutureLearn, LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare, Udemy, CreativeLive, and MasterClass.

There's a reason people are turning to online learning en masse. Students can learn at their own pace; save money on commuting, boarding, and a host of other expenses; and dabble in bite-sized courses before committing to a longer program.

Some e-learning platforms are free, while others let you take as many courses as you want for a small payment or monthly fee. With online learning, you can pick up professional certifications, gain skills that help you get hired in a quickly changing market, and even work towards master's degrees.

Whether you want to advance your career or to pick up new hobbies during quarantine, online courses are one of the best perks of the 21st century, and one way the internet is democratizing information — even in the form of free Ivy League courses. All you need is internet access. 

8 of the most popular affordable online learning platforms:

Best free or affordable university courses and certificate programs

edX

Founded by Harvard University and MIT, edX hosts classes from some of the world's leading universities, nonprofits, and institutions, and is currently the only leading MOOC provider that is both a nonprofit and open-source platform. 

edX has more than 100 institutional partners, including Berkeley, MIT, and Harvard, and offers courses in everything from the arts to architecture, economics, law, and more. You can also enroll in MicroMasters, master's programs, or earn professional certificates.

How to get started: Sign up with an email address. Except for professional education courses, edX is free to enroll and audit. If you want a verified certificate, there is a fee (usually between $50-$300, depending on the course). 

Popular classes to consider:

• Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
• CS50's Introduction to Computer Science
• The Foundations of Happiness at Work
• Leading High-Performing Teams
• Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

Browse edX classes here.

Coursera

Coursera has thousands of classes taught by top instructors from some of the world's best universities and educational institutions, including Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and Duke. You can even earn degrees and certifications through the site.

Topics range from public health to personal development.

Each course is like an interactive textbook with pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and projects. You can connect with thousands of other students to debate ideas, discuss course material, or get help in mastering the concepts. And, for a fee, you can also earn certificates for your work, and share your achievements with friends, colleagues, and employers.

How to get started: Sign up with an email address. On average, individual courses range from $29-$99 each for certification, though there are plenty of free courses you can audit. 

Popular classes to consider:

• IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
• Google IT Support Professional Certificate
• The Science of Well-Being
• Deep Learning Specialization
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Browse Coursera classes here.

FutureLearn

FutureLearn, like edX and Coursera, offers thousands of free university courses and paid certificate programs from top schools, nonprofits, and brands. One way it differs from the other platforms is that it's based in England, therefore having more offerings from UK schools and companies as well as a range of international institutions.

FutureLearn offers short courses, Microcredential programs, ExpertTracks, and online degrees.

How to get started: Sign up with an email address. You can audit many courses for free (usually for up to five weeks), pay for individual programs, or sign up for FutureLearn's Unlimited subscription plan, which provides limitless access to hundreds of courses for $189.99 per year.

Popular courses to consider:

• Teaching English Online 
• Computer Programming for Everyone 
• COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application
• A History of Royal Fashion
• Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance

Browse all FutureLearn courses here.

Best subscription plans

MasterClass

MasterClass offers online classes created for students of any skill level, taught by world-renowned instructors in each field, like Gordon Ramsay, Margaret Atwood, and Serena Williams, among others.

MasterClass has more than 75 courses, each broken up into bite-sized, high-quality videos. Each class was created by the instructor and typically includes pre-recorded content, a PDF of a class workbook, interactive assignments, and community activities. Periodically, MasterClass even has opportunities for students to submit work to certain instructors for feedback.

How to get started: If there are multiple classes you'd like to take, sign up for an All-Access Pass ($180 per year or $15 per month) to access unlimited course lessons for as long as your subscription is active.

Popular classes to consider:

• Annie Leibowitz Teaches Photography
• Robin Roberts Teaches Effective and Authentic Communication
• Massimo Bottura Teaches Modern Italian Cooking
• Ron Finley Teaches Gardening
• Alicia Keys Teaches Songwriting and Producing

Browse MasterClass classes here.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is a subscription-based online learning platform that lets you take over 16,000 career development courses, from coding classes to public speaking tutorials. One benefit of this platform is that it offers courses around what companies are looking for based on LinkedIn's hiring data.

Courses are usually made up of short videos, quizzes, and occasional assignments. LinkedIn Learning members will also receive certificates of completion to add to their LinkedIn profiles at no extra charge.

How to get started: You can sign up for a free month with your LinkedIn profile. After the trial ends, the subscription costs $29.99 per month or $19.99 per month for the annual plan.

Popular courses to consider:

• Marketing Communications
• Strategic Thinking
• Communicating with Confidence
• Interpersonal Communication
• Building Self-Confidence

Browse all LinkedIn Learning courses here.

Skillshare

Skillshare offers more than 25,000 classes taught by creators, entrepreneurs, and professionals from around the world. Course topics span various categories such as design, illustration, business, technology, photo and film, entrepreneurship, and writing. 

Each class has short video lessons and a hands-on project for you to work on, which can be shared in class for feedback and collaboration from the community. Skillshare will also recommend classes and "lists"— essentially a curated curriculum for a topic like graphic design or branding — based on your interests.

How to get started: Get a free 14-day trial account with just an email address. You'll have access to free classes on both web and mobile. For full access to all classes and offline viewing, a premium membership is billed $32 per month or $13.99 per month for the annual plan ($167.88 total). 

With the membership, you can enroll in multiple classes at no extra charge.

Popular classes to consider:

• Digital Illustration for All
• Productivity Masterclass: Create a Custom System that Works
• Character Animation Basics
• Discovering Success: 7 Exercises to Uncover Your Purpose, Passion & Path
• Style Your Space: Creative Tips and Techniques for Interior Design

Browse Skillshare classes here.

Best individual classes

Udemy

Udemy has probably the largest selection of online courses, with more than 100,000 video courses and new additions published every month. With frequent sales (and sale prices as low as $10.99 per course), it's often one of the most affordable options as well.

Currently, there are more than 30 million students using the service and courses are available in more than 50 languages. 

Topics range from programming bootcamps to in-depth art lessons.

How to get started: Sign up with an email address to browse courses. With an account, you can buy or gift individual courses, or enroll in one of the free courses offered through Udemy.

Popular classes to consider:

• 2021 Complete Python Bootcamp
• Character Art School: Complete Character Drawing Course
• An Entire MBA in 1 Course
• Learn Ethical Hacking From Scratch
• Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation

Browse Udemy classes here.

CreativeLive

CreativeLive is a learning platform designed specifically for creators, with more than 1,500 classes taught by over 650 industry-leading experts. Each class falls under one of five categories: photo and video; art and design; music and audio, craft and maker; or money and life. Ultimately, the classes are centered around making creativity a habit, be it for personal or professional use.

How to get started: Sign up with an email address. Classes are as low as $20, and you can buy and own them forever — just in case you need a refresher one day.

Popular classes to consider:

• Your Social Media Bootcamp
• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
• Fundamentals of Photography
• Adobe Photoshop CC: The Complete Guide
• Workflow, Time Management and Productivity for Creatives

Browse CreativeLive classes here.

We rounded up the best sales and deals happening online today, including savings at Baublebar, Hydro Flask, and Best Buy.

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 out Business Insider Coupons.

The best deals available right now

The best sales and discounts happening right now

Get 20% off at Baublebar

Shop the Baublebar semi-annual event now. 

For trendy and affordable jewelry, Baublebar is one of our favorite places to go. We love how cute and affordable Baublebar designs are and even found that they really do hold up over time. Now through March 8, you can get 20% off sitewide with promo code SEMI20. Sales from the retailer are somewhat rare, especially ones this good. 

Get 30% off at Hydro Flask

Shop the Hydro Flask seasonal color sale now.

Hydro Flask is holding a rare sale featuring 30% off select past-season colors right now. A handful of colors are included in the sale, so make sure to drop by and check if your favorite is discounted. Hydro Flask bottles are more than just hype; they're lightweight, nearly indestructible, and just downright fun. Good deals on these bottles are hard to come by, so if you see one you like, don't hesitate to add to cart.

Get up to $300 off select laptops from Best Buy

Shop the Best Buy Computing Shopping Event now.

Now through March 14, you can save big on laptops from Best Buy. Laptops powered by Intel processors, Microsoft Surface, Chromebooks, and Lenovo laptops are just some of the included items. There are tons of discounts, so if you need help getting started, try reading our guide to the best Chromebooks here.

Get up to 50% off at UnderArmour

Shop the UnderArmour Outlet Sale now.

Now through March 1, UnderArmour is offering up to 50% off with the code 25OFF75 plus an additional 25% on outlet orders of $75 or more. Shipping is also free with orders of $60 or more. Tons of items are included in the sale, including jackets, shorts, sports bras, and even the UA Sportsmask.

Get up to 60% off at Columbia

Shop the Columbia Web Specials sale now.

If you're on the lookout for some gear to keep you warm, Columbia's Web Specials section is a good place to check. Tons of stuff is on sale there throughout the year and right now you can snag up to 60% off original price with promo code FEB60PLUS applied at checkout. We've tested and now recommend several of Columbia's designs, including winter coats and winter boots for men. 

Get up to 50% off at Rhone

Shop the Rhone Winter Sale now.

We love Rhone's apparel. If you're looking for great athleisure wear for men, Rhone looks, feels, and performs exceptionally well. Right now, the brand is holding a sale with up to 50% off everything in the surplus section — including button-downs, athletic wear, and jackets. Just use code WINTERSALE to get an extra 20% off or, if you're adding more than one item to cart, WINTERSALE30 to get 30% off. The sale ends February 28.

Get 40% off at Sunski

Shop the Full Send Special at Sunski now.

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.

Get up to 30% off from Stio

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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.

These are the best investing books for 2021:

• "Warren Buffet's Ground Rules," by Jeremy C. Miller
• "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," by Ramit Sethi
• "Mastering The Market Cycle" by Howard Marks
• "Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook" by Tony Robbins
• "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" by John C. Bogle
• "Broke Millennial Takes On Investing," by Erin Lowry
• "How I Invest My Money" by Joshua Brown and Brian Portnoy
• "Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money" by Bola Sokunbi
• "Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School" by Andrew Hallam

With social distancing measures ongoing, the stock market still boiling, and a new wave of investment interest created by meme stocks, an investing book might be just the place to turn. A combination of new books on investing and personal finance classics could help you re-focus your investing mindset or start a new habit in 2021.

From timeless advice from Warren Buffett to strategies for wealth-building from Tony Robbins, these nine investing books will help you to regain your investing confidence and improve other aspects of your financial life. 

1. 'Warren Buffett's Ground Rules,' by Jeremy C. Miller

"Warren Buffett's Ground Rules" wasn't written by the famous investor and entrepreneur himself. But, this compilation of letters he wrote to his partners in the early days of Berkshire Hathaway still has lots of prudent advice from Buffett.

The letters outline his investing strategies, most notably his affinity for conservative investing. Buffett focuses on strategies for staying disciplined and growing returns by playing it safe, something everyone could use a reminder of in a market like this. 

Find it here »

2. 'I Will Teach You To Be Rich,' by Ramit Sethi

"I Will Teach You To Be Rich" talks about prioritizing spending to fit your life's priorities, crush your debt, and automate your finances to save more.

It also dives into why investing is so important for growing your net worth and creating a solid financial future. Sethi is a big proponent of long-term buying and holding, and his book explains why it's so much better to invest than to strictly play it safe.

He explains that even in the "down" years, you're better off investing than just saving — something everyone biting their nails over the market should remember right now. 

Find it here »

3. 'Mastering The Market Cycle,' by Howard Marks

Markets move in cycles, and now is an important time to remember that. 

When markets are down, it's easy get discouraged, but "Mastering The Market Cycle" by billionaire investor Howard Marks should quell that. This book focuses on the cyclical nature of investing and markets. It's a solid reminder that what goes up must come down — and vice versa. 

Find it here »

4. 'Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook,' by Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins lays out a step-by-step guide to setting up your investments to weather any storms and your money to stay solid in "Unshakeable." He works with top financial advisor Peter Mallouk to outline the best ways to keep money solid through the ups and downs of financial markets.

Find it here »

5. 'The Little Book of Common Sense Investing,' by John C. Bogle

This short investor favorite focuses on the value of mutual funds. Written by the late founder of Vanguard who created index funds, the book shows the importance of staying the course and letting investments weather the ups and downs of the market. 

Bogle's book also emphasizes his strategy for buying and holding these mutual or index funds, which track stock market indexes. After publishing in 2007, Bogle's advice withstood the Great Recession and has helped investors navigate markets both up and down. 

Find it here »

6. 'Broke Millennial Takes On Investing,' by Erin Lowry

For anyone who started investing a few years ago when markets were up, the wild ups and downs of the pandemic market may be confusing. "Broke Millennial Takes On Investing" is a great primer for anyone who's dealing with a drop for the first time.

This book looks not only at very basic questions, but also delves into tougher topics, like how to ride out a down market. To make it out of a market for the better, Lowry offers practical and easy-to-digest advice. 

Find it here »

7. 'How I Invest My Money' by Joshua Brown and Brian Portnoy

If you've always wondered how your financial planner or that investing expert you see on TV invests their cash, this is the book for you. In this collection of essays by leading experts, the methods these experts use themselves become easy to understand and apply yourself. And, you might just find that the way that top experts invest isn't that far off from your strategy. 

It's not the best for anyone new to investing — think of this as "Investing 201" instead of "Investing 101." But, if you have a solid understanding of the basics and want to take the next step, this book is a great place to turn for practical, new ideas on how to invest your money.

Find it here »

8. 'Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money' by Bola Sokunbi

For anyone who's new to the stock market, a good understanding of the basics is essential. Bola Sokunbi's easy-to-follow guide offers a quick crash course, defining all those terms you've been too afraid to ask about, and offering practical advice on how to start investing the right way. 

This book is a great tool for anyone who doesn't want to be bored with dry investing terms and likes hands-on lessons. While it might focus on the basics too much for advanced and experienced investors, it's an excellent choice for anyone learning from the ground up. 

Find it here »

9. 'Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School' by Andrew Hallam

Written by a schoolteacher who built a $1 million investing portfolio by age 38, this book offers practical investing advice for all ages or income levels. It builds on the basics outlined by some of the other personal finance books, and teaches how to apply them in an accessible way. 

It's a great book for times when the market feels turbulent and chaotic — it includes chapters on why it's worth buying stocks even when the market is falling, and why the trendy stocks aren't the best. It offers  both a crash course in investing and tips to take it to the next level in the same book.

Find it here »