• The durable Anker PowerLine Lightning cable remains our favorite in 2021.
• Anker's cords are affordable, available in multiple sizes, and Apple-certified.
• Check out our guide to the best iPhone accessories.

Even in 2021, charging your iPhone isn't always as convenient as it should be. Sometimes the cable you own simply isn't long enough, or perhaps it's starting to fray or fall apart. And if you own several Apple devices, you probably often feel like you never have a Lightning cable handy when you need it.  

Whether you need an extra-long cord, a super-short one, or the most durable one in the world, there are plenty of options out there when shopping for a new Lightning cable.

It's important to note that we only recommend Lightning cables that are MiFi-certified by Apple. Many cheap cables do not come with this certification and have proven to be dangerous or ineffective. Thankfully, our team has tested and researched many different models over the years to find the best Lightning cables available.

Here are the best Lightning cables you can buy:

• Best Lightning cable overall: Anker PowerLine cables
• Best long Lightning cable: Native Union Night cable
• Best tough Lightning cable: Fuse Chicken Titan cable
• Best light-up cable: Monoprice Luxe Series Lightning Charge & Sync cable
• Best universal Lightning cable: Nomad Universal Cable

The best Lightning cable overall

The Anker PowerLine Lightning cables are the best cords for most people with sturdy design, fast charging speed, and a fair price.

Pros: Made from durable aramid fiber, lots of lengths, 18-month warranty, fast charging, reinforced stress points, MFi certified by Apple

Cons: None

When it comes to Lightning cables, you can't beat Anker's PowerLine Lightning cables. These cables have it all: They're fast to charge your iPhone or sync data, they're durable, and they're affordable. You can also get a Lightning-to-USB-C cable for fast charging your iPhone.

The cable is strengthened with Kevlar and the stress points near the Lightning charger and the USB connector are reinforced for added durability. They're slightly wider than the connectors on Apple's cable, but the Anker cable should fit most iPhone cases.

In testing, Anker bent the PowerLine cables more than 5,000 times to ensure that they last. The company also offers an 18-month warranty and it has a great reputation for following through when users have problems.

Anker's PowerLine Lightning cables come with a Velcro tie to help you wrangle up any extra cord length you don't need. It also makes traveling with your Lightning cable easier. You can get the cable in black, white, blue, red, or gray. 

Reviewers agree that Anker makes excellent cables for a very reasonable price. Digital Trends, Best Products, and The Wirecutter give Anker high marks.

Anker's lineup of PowerLine Lightning cables is so good that The Wirecutter recommends every single length option as the best buy in its guide. PowerLine cables come in 1-foot, 3-foot, 6-foot, and 10-foot lengths to suit everyone's needs. We can't help but agree that Anker makes the best Lightning cables you can buy for a great price.

The best long Lightning cable

The 10-foot Native Union Night cable makes charging your iPhone super easy when you need a long, strong, stable Lightning cable.

Pros: 10-feet long, weighted so it doesn't fall, covered in sturdy woven fabric, 12-month warranty, MFi certified by Apple, it bends but doesn't break

Cons: Expensive

If you've ever struggled with a short cord, you'll absolutely love Native Union's weighted Night cable. Not only is it 10 feet long, it's also durable and has a weighted knot that keeps it from pulling your iPhone off the table while it's charging.

Native Union makes its Lightning cables out of braided nylon, which is strong and durable. It also means that the cable doesn't tangle as much. There are four layers of material protecting the cable's wires: braided nylon, a TPE rubber sleeve, a tinned copper braid, and a grounding layer. Inside all those layers are wires that are also protected and reinforced — some of them even have Kevlar fiber inside.

Native Union is so confident in its Lightning cables that it put them through a 10,000 bend test to see whether they would break or fray, and the cables survived. The company also offers a limited lifetime warranty, so you know this cable is built to last.

Insider Reviews' Malarie Gokey has used the Native Union Night cable for the past five years as her main charger, and it's never let her down. She's bent it all sorts of ways and it still hasn't frayed at all. She typically uses the weight to keep her iPhone on her nightstand while charging it, but notes that it's easy to adjust when the weight anchoring the cord is needed elsewhere. The cable comes in several fun colors, too, so it looks nice in any home.

The Night cable is also highly rated by users on Amazon and Native Union's website and is recommended by many tech publications.

The best durable Lightning cable

The Fuse Chicken Titan Lightning Cable is so strong that it can survive a chainsaw.

Pros: Made from industrial-grade flexible high-strength steel, lifetime guarantee, MFi certified by Apple, it's pet proof, and it survived a chainsaw attack, so yeah ... it's durable

Cons: Expensive

Dog ate your Lightning cable? We've heard that one before. Luckily, there's a new, nearly indestructible Lightning cable available for your iPhone. The Fuse Chicken Titan cord is so tough that its creators literally took a chainsaw to it, and it survived. 

Fuse Chicken's cable is covered in two layers of flexible steel, so it's extra tough, but it's also stiffer and heavier than most Lightning cables. You can twist it into any shape you want or even tie it in knots, and the Titan cord will be just fine.

It also has a limited lifetime warranty, so if you do find a way to break it through normal use, you may be able to get it replaced. Just don't be like The Verge and take a sword to it, hammer it on an anvil, or slice it with a sander — that kind of barbarism will, apparently, cut the cord.

The neck of the cable that's right next to the Lightning charger is wider than Apple's cable for added strength. The only downside is that the wider neck may not fit into the cutout for the charging port on some iPhone cases.

Although it's not a super long cord, the Titan is 3-feet long, which should be more than enough for most people's needs. Fuse Chicken makes other cable lengths, too, including a short keychain style.

User reviews on Amazon are positive, and the tech site Digital Trends recommends the Titan as one of the best Lightning cables you can buy.

The best light-up Lightning cable

The Monoprice Luxe Series Lightning Charge & Sync Cable lights up to let you know your phone is charging and it's durable.

Pros: Sturdy cable, MFi certified, available in many lengths, lights up when charging, lifetime warranty

Cons: Expensive

Monoprice makes lots of great cables for charging up your phone, and it has a stellar lifetime warranty that promises to replace broken cords. Of all its cables, the Monoprice Luxe Series Lightning Charge & Sync Cable stands out with its LED status light, which glows orange or green depending on your iPhone's charging status.

It's nice to know the progress of your phone's charging at a glance, and we love peeking over to see whether our iPhone is fully charged. The light is subtly placed right in the connector next to your phone, so it's easy to see.

The cable itself is well protected by a layer of braided nylon and there are metal enclosures around the connector and LED to ensure that the cable stays strong at its weakest points. Like all of Monoprice's cables, this one has Apple MFi Certification, so you don't have to worry about the quality standards behind this cable.

We've been using the cable for a few months now without any issue and can confirm that it's sturdy and well made. It's quickly become our favorite for juicing up at my desk during the work day.

The best universal Lightning cable

The Universal Cable by Nomad can charge any phone with its Lightning, Micro USB, and USB-C ends.

Pros: Works with all phones, MFi certified, strong, five-year guarantee

Cons: A bit pricey

If you live in a multi-device household, you need this Universal Cable from Nomad. It has Lightning, Micro USB, and USB-C ends to charge any phone and many other devices, too.

The core cable is USB A to Micro USB, and it measures 1.5 meters in length, so it's long enough to stretch a bit. You can also wrap up the excess cable with the included tie.

The cable itself is 10K Mil-spec flex tested and Apple MFi approved. Its braided ballistic nylon covering keeps it strong and prevents fraying even with intense use. Nomad guarantees that the cable will last at least five years, which is pretty impressive.

We tried out one of these cables and loved it. It's the only cable you'll ever need. No matter what devices you, your friends, and your family carry, this cable can charge them — no questions asked.

Nomad also sells regular Lightning-only cables and ones that are made of Kevlar for extra durability.

What else we considered

We try a lot of Lightning cables, and while they all do charge our iPhones, some are just more durable, well-made, and affordable than others.

We test these cables by using them day in and day out over the course of years and months to determine which ones are actually worth spending more than $10 on.

Here are some more cables we tried and liked, but didn't end up recommending in this guide.

• Belkin: Belkin's duratex cable is one of our favorites for its durability and nice design, but it is more expensive than the ones from Anker and doesn't have other standout features that set it apart. To be clear, it is still a great cable and you won't be disappointed if you buy it.
• Syncwire: Syncwire's cable is good, relatively affordable, and very simple. Because Anker's cables are both slightly more robust and also cheaper, this budget cable didn't make the cut.
• Apple: Apple makes a great Lightning-to-USB-C cable for fast charging iPhones, but it is more expensive and less durable than Anker's MFi-certified cable.

Lightning cables that we're looking forward to testing next

• Nomad Kevlar: These cables come in 0.3 meter, 1.5. meter, and 3 meter sizes and are reinforced with double-braided kevlar. This might make it a worthy choice for those who want some durability in a Lightning cable but don't need protection that's as extreme as the Fuse Chicken Titan cable's nearly indestructible design.
• Nonda ZUS Super Duty Cable:This 4-foot Lightning cable has a right-angle plug for more convenient charging. 
• Fuse Chicken Stainless Steel Chainmail:This Lightning cable is 1 meter  in length and is encased in stainless steel chainmail links, making it another possible choice for those looking for extra protection.
• Anker 180-degree Lightning cable: This newly released 3-foot ft Lightning cable features a 180-degree connection that is optimized for iPhone gaming. 
• Monoprice Atlas Flex Series:These kevlar-reinforced nylon braided cables come in lots of fun colors with lengths of up to 6 feet.

Check out our other iPhone accessory buying guides

The best phone chargers you can buy

Without a charger, your smartphone is nothing more than a pricey paperweight, so we've rounded up the best phone chargers of all kinds.

Some people might need only one of the units from this list to meet all their charging needs, while others who are always on the move might be wise to grab two or even three of the chargers to cover their bases.

The best iPhone cases for every model

We've rounded up the best iPhone case companies so you can find an excellent case for your iPhone no matter the model number or your style.

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.

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.

• Heat protectant sprays are necessary to maintain healthy locks while styling. 
• These sprays are especially important for people with thick, long or color-treated hair. 
• We spoke to experts about what a head protectant is and how to use it properly.

If you frequently use heat-based tools or dryers to style your hair, heat protectants are an absolute necessity. These sprays add a barrier that coats the hair follicle so that heat-styling tools don't burn your strands or zap away moisture. 

"Often the product will have a formula that will coat the hair shaft and offer heat protection up to 428-degrees," says Penny James, a trichologist and owner of Penny James Salon. "Then a smoothing effect on the cuticle to give the shine."

When you continuously use high heat on your hair, it can cause the hair's keratin proteins to break down and the hair cuticle to crack. It can also cause all moisture to evaporate from the inside-out. For color-treated hair it can even cause the pigments to adopt an unflattering brassy tone. Heat protectants work by forming a very thin film over the follicle of the hair that acts as a protective barrier. 

We spoke to James and celebrity stylist Dimitris Giannetos, who regularly works with Camila Cabello and Meghan Trainor, to find out how you should be using heat protectant sprays in order to make your style last. You can check out their tips here, but first, read on for the best heat protectant sprays we've tested. 

These are the best heat protectant sprays in 2021:

Davines Hair Shield

Hair Shield (small)

This product contains dimethicone and a couple of other silicones to protect the hair from high heat. It also smells amazing and leaves hair looking super shiny. And if your hair is static-prone, you're in luck. Davines Hair Shied really cuts down on static, so it's a perfect heat protectant for winter. Because it's so lightweight, this is perfect for people with thin and fine hair. It still leaves a nice, even coat throughout your strands that also help prevent humidity.

IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray

Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray (small)

I would say that Good Behavior's heat protectant is one of the more heavy-duty formulas on the list — in a good way. It works to smooth and hold styles while protecting against heat up to 450-degrees.  This is great for all hair types, and should definitely be used during the summer. That said, make sure you aren't using this every single day as it will create a bit of build-up. 

COLOR WOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray

Dream Coat Supernatural Spray (small)

The first time I used this spray, I was shocked by how thin it is — it has the consistency of water. That said, this is a total game-changer for the summertime, and Giannetos agrees. "It makes the hair so shiny, it looks like glass," he says.  While you have to make sure to section-off your hair as your spraying this product in order to evenly coat it, it really holds your style for days on end.

CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray

Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray (small)

This is the first heat protectant I ever used. Chi's Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray smells amazing, and it doesn't have any buildup issues, so you can use it multiple days in a row without worry. It's great for every hair type, but because it coats the hair so well, it can definitely feel a little damp when applying. So if you have very fine hair, it's a good idea to wait a few seconds after applying before using your hot tools. 

Oribe Balm D'Or Heat Styling Shield

Balm D'Or Heat Styling Shield (small)

This heat protectant from Oribe smells great and adds in just enough texture so that you feel like you really have some hold in your hair as you're styling. It also produces substantial shine and softness that really lasts. This is especially great for those that have super fine or greasy hair — even those looking for a dry shampoo alternative. It really coats each hair follicle to add both texture and heat protection.

R+Co Bleu Hypersonic Heat Styling Mist

Bleu Hypersonic Heat Styling Mist (small)

Beauty fans are most likely familiar with R+Co already, but the brand has recently launched a couture line: R+Co Bleu. This mist from the line, in particular, is phenomenal. It offers heat protection up to 450-degrees and leaves the hair feeling flexible so that you can update your 'do over the next few days. This is great for all hair types, as it coats each strand evenly and provides a texture that isn't super drying. It also helps keep styles looking great by acting as a humidity shield. 

OUAI Heat Protection Spray

Heat Protection Spray (small)

Like all Ouai products, this heat protection spray smells absolutely divine. The nozzle is super effective and evenly coats the hair so well that you wind up using less product. It definitely makes the hair much shinier and humidity-proof. 

This is a perfect spray for fine to thick hair. It will add volume, shine, and a smell so divine you'll want to spray it all over. Just make so to position the bottle at least six inches from your head as you apply — it applies pretty heavily if you don't. 

Living proof Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray

Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray (small)

In addition to acting as a heat shield, Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray almost works as a texturizer and dry shampoo. I've noticed that my hair appears to stay cleaner for longer when I use it. In fact, it's great on hair that's greasy or working toward oily. If your hair is freshly shampooed, it might be a little drying. 

Amika The Wizard Detangling Hair Primer

The Wizard Detangling Hair Primer (small)

Not only does this evenly coat your hair to protect it from heat styling tools, but it's also great when used as a detangler as well. Make sure that you apply it to your hair when you're fresh out of the shower, as that's how it works best. It's really great for all hair types — even hair that is damaged or needs a trim. Its detangling properties make it so much easier to drag a comb through, so you never feel like you're pulling on your knots. 

Gisou Propolis Infused Heat Protecting Spray

Propolis Infused Heat Protecting Spray (small)

Just because this product is all-natural doesn't mean you have to worry about it being less effective. It's great for all hair types, but particularly for those hoping to really prevent additional damage. In addition to protecting your hair from heat styling tools, Propolis' spray is great for staving off sun exposure on your strands, which can be drying and damaging. Make sure you spray it on when your hair is wet from the shower so that it's fully coated as soon as you hit it with a blow dryer. 

Ghd Heat Protectant Spray

Heat Protectant Spray (small)

Ghd's spray provides such a lightweight, even coating that you'll hardly notice it at all. It's great at protecting from harsh hot tools — it truly feels like it even distributes the heat for faster styling. This incredibly lightweight spray is great for all hair types and protects against humidity.

Bumble and Bumble Bb.Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer

Bb.Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer (small)

This is one of the best options if your hair is really dried out from past damage — or from putting off a haircut. It's intended to be applied to damp hair, so it's best used directly out of the shower. Like the name suggests, Bumble Bumble's Hairdresser's Invisible Oil also contains lots of oils so that moisturize your hair and keeps frizz at bay— even if you're going to be outside or exposed to humidity. It also protects against UV rays and even works as a detangler. 

For a recent slew of powerful Wall Streeters, there is such a thing as life after Goldman Sachs. 

While all Wall Street firms experience a natural degree of attrition, something anomalous is happening at Goldman Sachs, where, since November, there has been a string of senior exits spanning divisions from investment banking to consumer and wealth management.

Those exits fall in line with a broader trend at the bank of big-name departures since CEO David Solomon has take over. Goldman Sachs has looked to shrink the size of the bank's partnership, the firm's most elite designation, under Solomon. 

The exodus began in November, with the departure of Gregg Lemkau, the former co-head of the global investment-banking division, who left for the Michael Dell-backed investment firm MSD Partners, where he recently started as CEO.

Since then, a steady stream of big names from across the firm's business lines have jumped ship. Some exits this time of year are to be expected, given annual cash bonuses have now hit bank accounts and stock-based comp has vested, but the departures also come after some big internal shakeups and as Goldman is looking to execute on ambitious multi-year targets. 

Some have left for Goldman clients, as is the case of Nick Giovanni, former head of the investment bank's prestigious technology, media, and telecommunications division. Giovanni departed in January to become the chief financial officer at Instacart, the home-delivery service that has thrived during the pandemic and has reportedly tapped Goldman bankers to lead an IPO planned for this year.

Others have gone to hedge funds and investment firms and — in the case of a recent exit from the firm's consumer group — a potential future rival of Marcus, Goldman's Main Street-friendly banking and personal-finance offering.

We rounded up recent high-profile departures from Goldman Sachs, plus included some details on where they are headed.

A representative for Goldman Sachs declined Insider's request for comment.

Karen Seymour

Role at Goldman Sachs: Executive vice president and general counsel; member of management committee

When she's leaving: End of March

Where she's headed: Sullivan & Cromwell

Karen Seymour, Goldman's general counsel who helped steer the bank through the headwinds of its damaging 1MDB crisis, is leaving the firm at the end of March. Seymour was also a partner and member of the bank's management committee. 

She is returning to the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where she will be a partner, according to a memo sent by CEO David Solomon on Wednesday.

Seymour is a veteran of Sullivan & Cromwell, having been a co-managing partner in the firm's litigation group in the past. She also spent time as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. Seymour began her career at Sullivan & Cromwell in 1987, according to her LinkedIn page. 

In his memo announcing her departure, Solomon called Seymour's contributions to the firm "outstanding."

"Karen has played a significant role in helping navigate many of the most challenging legal issues affecting our firm worldwide," he wrote, naming among them the 1MDB settlement and her work to restructure Goldman's legal department.

Kathy Ruemmler, Goldman's head of regulatory affairs, will succeed Seymour as general counsel and chief legal officer, according to a second memo Solomon sent on Wednesday. 

Ruemmler joined Goldman in 2020 from the powerhouse law firm Latham & Watkins, where she chaired the firm's white collar defense and investigations business. She also held various posts in the Obama administration.

Bloomberg first reported the news of Seymour's departure on Tuesday.

Eric Lane

Role at Goldman Sachs: Co-head of asset management; member of management committee

When he's leaving: In the coming weeks

Where he's headed: Tiger Global Management

Eric Lane, the global co-head of the asset management division at Goldman Sachs, a partner, and a member of the firm's powerful management committee, will retire from the firm in the coming weeks, according to an internal memo sent earlier this week by David Solomon, the firm's CEO.

"Over the coming weeks, Eric will work closely with Julian Salisbury, co-head of the division, to effect a smooth transition," Solomon wrote in the memo, which was viewed by Insider.

Salisbury, who is co-head of the asset management division, will become the group's sole head going forward, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said.

Lane is heading to Tiger Global Management, which manages a hedge fund business in addition to a venture capital group, where he will take on a new role as the firm's president and chief operating officer, according to the Financial Times, which cited an investor letter sent by Chase Coleman, the founder of Tiger Global, and his partner Scott Shleifer.

Stephanie Smith

Role at Goldman Sachs: Head of operations for consumer wealth management

When she left: Unclear

Where he's headed: BlackRock

Stephanie Smith is reportedly leaving Goldman Sachs to join BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager. 

Smith, a longtime Goldman executive who most recently was head of operations for consumer wealth management, has been one of the few Black female partners at the firm. 

The asset manager had "tried and failed to recruit her about five years earlier," per a New York Times reportin early March. 

Omer Ismail

Role at Goldman Sachs: Head of consumer business

When he left: March 1

Where he's headed: Walmart

They're two brands that seem like they are worlds apart — one, an upmarket global bank that caters to the world's financial elite, and the other, a mass-market retailer known for its affordable prices on everyday consumer goods — but they have one thing in common: A drive to launch personal-finance offerings.

This week, Walmart poached Omer Ismail, a Goldman Sachs' partner who was just a few months into his new role heading up Goldman's consumer business, including its retail bank Marcus. 

Ismail didn't come alone either. He's joined by David Stark, another partner who was involved in the development of the Goldman-backed Apple Card, the firm's first foray into consumer credit. Stark was also the recent recipient of a promotion as well, as he was selected to head the consumer business' large partnership strategy team. 

Together, they'll help spearhead Walmart's consumer financial services startup efforts, Bloomberg was first to report, adding that their departure caught senior consumer and wealth management execs off-guard. 

Stephanie Cohen, the co-head of consumer and wealth management at Goldman, wished her former reports well in a post on LinkedIn on Monday.

"Thank you to Omer Ismail and to David Stark for their leadership and expertise as we scaled our rapidly growing business. I wish them both the very best in their next chapter," Cohen wrote.

Ram Sundaram

Role at Goldman Sachs: Head of currencies and emerging-markets 

When he left: February

Where he's headed: Unclear

Ram Sundaram, a Goldman partner involved in engineering some of the bank's most complicated and eyebrow-raising trades, departed the firm in February. He had been Goldman's head of currencies and emerging-markets business.

Sundaram was named a Goldman partner in 2008. He was closely involved in the design and sale of the trades the bank did for the Malaysia development fund known as 1MDB. In 2020, the bank reached a $3.9 billion settlement over its role in the trades. Sundaram, a 20-year veteran of the bank, has never been implicated in the scandal. 

Bloomberg first reported Sundaram's exit in February.

In the past, Sundaram held a number of senior positions in Goldman Sachs' global markets business, including head of FICC emerging markets Latin America trading and co-head of the global currencies and emerging markets business before becoming its sole head.

Adam Dell

Role at Goldman Sachs: Head of digital product for the consumer and wealth management group

When he stepped down: January 2021

What he does now: Advisory director 

Goldman partner and digital product head for the consumer business Adam Dell retired from his position and the firm's rarefied partner class, according to a memo sent January 19th viewed by Insider. Dell has stayed on as an advisory director. 

"I'm coming up on three years at the firm and it feels like the right time to look to the next chapter," Dell told Insider in January. "I appreciate how supportive Goldman has been as I consider what's next. I will say that I still see a lot of opportunities to build new things in financial services."

Dell joined Goldman in 2018, following the firm's acquisition of Clarity Money, the personal financial management app he founded in 2016. Under his leadership, the Clarity Money team was folded into the Marcus digital bank. 

Just two weeks after Dell's departure was announced, Marcus told customers it would shut down Clarity in March, offering Marcus Insights, launched last October, as an alternative financial education tool for customers. Data gleaned from Clarity users served as inspiration for Marcus Insights, Dell said in a note to customers.

Nick Giovanni

Role at Goldman Sachs: Head of the TMT group within the investment-banking division

When he left: January 8, 2021

What he does now: Chief financial officer at Instacart

Nick Giovanni was the head of Goldman Sachs' technology, media, and telecommunications group until January, when he departed the firm to take on a new role as the chief financial officer at Instacart, a Goldman client.

Giovanni, who was also a partner at Goldman, started his new role on January 27.

Sam Britton and Matt Gibson, veteran Goldman Sachs bankers, took over leadership of the TMT group as co-heads.

TMT is one of Goldman's top franchises within its investment bank. The group handles deals for tech clients the likes of eBay, HP, Netflix, IBM, Slack, and PayPal, among others. In 2020, it worked on both mergers and IPOs including the largest software IPO of the year (Snowflake), and the largest acquisition of the year (client S&P's $44 billion all-stock purchase of data firm IHS Markit).

Sheila Patel

Role at Goldman Sachs: Chairman of asset management 

When she stepped down: December 31, 2020

What she does now: Advisory director

Sheila Patel, the former London-based chairman of Goldman's asset management unit, stepped down as chair and one of the firm's partners, and took on a new role as advisory director to the firm, effective January 1. 

Patel first joined Goldman in 2003, and was named partner three years later. She has held other senior roles across Goldman, including co-head of equities distribution in Asia. Before joining Goldman, she was head of trading strategy at Morgan Stanley for seven years.

As part of a reorg announced in September, Goldman Sachs Asset Management was folded into a standalone asset-management division, which also includes the firm's merchant-banking business. Meanwhile, a new standalone consumer division was created that includes retail bank Marcus as well as wealth-management and private banking.

Gregg Lemkau

Role at Goldman Sachs: Co-head of global investment-banking division; member of management committee

When he left: December 31, 2020

What he does now: CEO at MSD Partners

Gregg Lemkau, co-head of the firm's investment banking division since 2017 and a member of Goldman's management committee, departed the firm at the end of 2020. He was succeeded as co-head of the division by Jim Esposito, Goldman's global co-head of its global markets division, who stepped into Lemkau's role on Jan. 1.

"As co-head of IBD, Gregg has helped lead our efforts to continue to solidify and grow our preeminent investment banking franchise around the world," David Solomon, Goldman's CEO, wrote in a memo in November that was viewed by Insider.

"During his more than 28-year tenure at the firm, he has advised on hundreds of transactions, and has spent significant time advising our clients across all sectors globally while working in our offices in the US and in Europe," Solomon added.

Lemkau has since taken over the Michael Dell-backed firm MSD Partners, leading an investment firm that manages more than $15 billion in assets.

In a post on Medium.com on December 31, Lemkau's last day at Goldman Sachs, he wrote a sentimental parting message.

"Thank you for letting me be part of the greatest franchise on Wall Street. It has been a daily privilege to work alongside such depth and breadth of talent, from our assistants to our operations team to our engineers to our bankers," Lemkau wrote his Goldman colleagues.

"Your relentless commitment to excellence and teamwork, while putting clients' interests first is unparalleled," he added.

Shannen Balogh, Dakin Campbell, and Carter Johnson contributed to this reporting.

• Slow cookers are available in a large variety of sizes and price points, all depending on your needs.
• We like the 6-Quart Programmable Cook-and-Carry Crock-Pot, as it is easy to operate, and has a low price point.
• If you're interested in a multicooker like an InstantPot, we have a guide dedicated to them here.

Many people like comfort foods, especially during the winter months. Unfortunately, most are time-consuming to prepare and cook. As a result, it's easy to turn to greasy takeout instead.

But if you'd prefer homemade comfort foods, a slow cooker is the answer for a busy household. This simple kitchen appliance allows you to combine the ingredients in the morning before work, set the cooking time and temperature, and return hours later to a great-tasting, complete meal. 

Slow cookers are available in different sizes, with the capacity measured in quarts, usually ranging from one to 10 quarts. Although, sizes of four to six quarts are the most common. 

Most slow cookers allow you to cook at low, medium, or high-temperature settings for several hours, and many automatically switch to a warm setting after the cooking time has expired so food won't overcook. Some advanced slow cookers will even allow you to set an exact cooking temperature and start-time, while others double as pressure cookers. Here are our top picks to fit all your slow cooking needs.

Here are the best slow cookers in 2021

• Best overall: Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook-and-Carry
• Best high-end slow cooker: All-Clad 4-Quart Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert
• Best programmable slow cooker: Breville 6-Quart Fast Slow Pro
• Best mini slow cooker: Proctor Silex 1.5-Quart Slow Cooker

SEE ALSO: The best Crock-Pots

The best overall

The 6-Quart Programmable Cook-and-Carry Crock-Pot is big enough for a crowd with a lockable lid for easy transport and has programmable cooking times.

Pros: Locking lid with gasket, programmable timer, large capacity, stainless steel finish, and modern appearance

Cons: Might cook too hot on low setting

Sometimes, a product is so synonymous with a product category that its brand name becomes a preferred term used in everyday language.

It's understandable, as Crock-Pot slow cookers were first on the market and have dominated for a long time. The company continues to offer excellent quality slow cookers, including the Crock-Pot Programmable Cook-and-Carry.

You can set cooking times from 30 minutes to 20 hours and leave your worries behind. Just set the timer for your desired cooking time before you head out. The Crock-Pot will cook your dinner, and then automatically switch itself over to the "Warm" setting once the time is up.

The 6-quart capacity is great for larger families and will fit a six-pound roast inside, several pieces of meat along with vegetables, or a whole chicken — and you'll still have room for carrots and potatoes.

We also like its long timer, modern appearance, handles, and locking lid. That locking lid with a sealing gasket is another fine feature, which prevents spills when traveling with the cooker to a picnic, potluck, or tailgate party.

The Crock-Pot does have the tendency to run too hot on the "Low" setting. Note that both the "Low" and "High" settings of a Crock-Pot reach the same maximum temperature of roughly 210 degrees. It just takes longer to reach the maximum temperature on low. — Michelle Ullman and Kyle Schurman

The best high-end slow cooker

The 4-Quart All-Clad Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert looks beautiful on your countertop and cooks everything to perfection without making you do anything.

Pros: Gorgeous, 4-quarts is a good size, decent price, ceramic insert is sturdy, easy to use

Cons: Pricier than some slow cookers

The 4-Quart All-Clad Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert is the perfect size for cooking meals for a small family or a pork butt for pulled pork. All-Clad is famous for its beautiful high-end stainless steel appliances and cooking utensils, and this slow cooker lives up to the brand's lofty reputation.

Not only does it look gorgeous on any countertop, but it also works extremely well. The slow cooker is very easy to operate with just a few buttons and no complicated settings. It has a 26-hour programmable timer and warm, low, and high-temperature settings so your food is cooked to perfection.

The removable black ceramic insert and glass lid are easy to hand wash or pop right in the dishwasher. The lid's handle is made from silicone, so it never gets hot to the touch. You may also leave this slow cooker cooking all day without fear of burning the house down, and will come back to a delicious meal.

I use this slow cooker regularly to make beans, stews, and pulled pork for the meat-eaters in my life. I toss the ingredients in, set the temperature, and let it do its thing while I'm at work or out on the weekends. It makes meals super easy to prepare with minimal effort.

The ceramic insert can break if you handle it too roughly, but if you treat it the way you treat other ceramics like coffee mugs and plates, it won't — just be careful and don't smash it against anything.

All-Clad guarantees the slow cooker for two years, so contact the company if you run into problems. — Malarie Gokey

The best programmable slow cooker

It's expensive, but The Fast Slow Pro 6-Quart from Breville successfully slow cooks and pressure-cooks food in one easy-to-use appliance.

Pros: Offers strong pressure cooker and slow cooker functions, eight different slow cooker pre-set modes, excellent build quality, six quarts of capacity works well for many people, large LCD screen is easy to read

Cons: Extremely high price versus other slow cookers, may be too complex for some people

The Fast Slow Pro 6-Quart slow cooker from Breville carries a high price compared to other slow cookers, which means it won't work for some people. But it justifies the big price tag by offering a multitude of features to cook big meals however you need.

The Breville cooker works as both a pressure cooker and a traditional slow cooker, so you can make just about anything with it. And, by performing the work of multiple appliances, it saves on storage space in the kitchen cabinet.

The Fast Slow Pro makes slow cooking easy with eight different pre-set programmable cooking modes. There's also a custom time and temperature setting and using the various settings is easy because of the large, clear LCD screen on the side of the unit.

This is a good option for those looking for a multi-use appliance, as it will likely prove too complex for basic cooking needs.

The best mini slow cooker

If you need a slow cooker that's better suited for preparing meals for just one or two people, you'll love the size of the Proctor Silex 1.5-Quart Slow Cooker.

Pros: Small slow cooker is perfect for cooking appetizers for a party, small unit works great in kitchens where storage space is limited, has padded lid and latch strap for transportation, nice size for meals for one or two people

Cons: Will be too small for some families, doesn't always cook food evenly

Slow cookers often seem like they're all about cooking big meals for a busy family. But slow cookers don't discriminate against people cooking for just one or two. The Proctor Silex 1.5-Quart Slow Cooker is a mini slow cooker that's great for preparing small meals.

This very simple slow cooker includes three temperature settings that are controlled by a knob. The smaller capacity also means a smaller size, which takes up less space in your kitchen than a more traditional slow cooker. This particular cooker is also ideal for an RV, on a large boat, or in other settings with limited storage space.

In addition to meals for one or two, it's also great for cooking appetizers, dips, sauces, or snacks, and is small enough to carry to a friend's house. The rubber seal on the lid and the latch strap also helps to prevent spills.

However, it's worth noting that the Proctor Silex 1.5-Quart slow cooker doesn't cook as evenly as some larger slow cookers.

Safety considerations for slow cookers

Some people are understandably nervous about using a slow cooker, as this appliance is designed to run while no one is home. Others may have a sentimental attachment to the slow cooker grandma used but feel unsure if it's safe enough by today's standards.

Before using any slow cooker, read through this list of guidelines and safety measures from NBC News to ensure your unit is safe to use.

• Clean the base: Keep the portion of the slow cooker with the heating element clean. If a previous recipe has spilled onto the heating element, you need to wipe off the old food and clean it to keep it from burning when cooking the next meal.
• Electrical cord: Inspect the slow cooker's power cord carefully. Make sure it hasn't been melted or frayed. Old slow cookers may have fabric insulation around the electrical cord, which is no longer considered safe.
• Overcooking: Even on the high setting, slow cookers only reach temperatures of about 250 degrees, so you don't really have the same concerns about overcooking and burning the food as you might when leaving food unattended in an oven, where temperatures of 350 degrees to 450 degrees are more common.
• Test the temperature: An older slow cooker may no longer be able to reach a high enough temperature to safely cook raw foods. Test it by filling the slow cooker with room temperature water at least two-thirds of the way. "Cook" the water on the low setting for eight hours and then use a thermometer to ensure the water has reached at least a 185-degree temperature.

Check out our guides to the best Crock-Pots, Instant Pots, and pressure cookers

• The best Crock-Pot slow cookers
• The best Instant Pots and multicookers

• Measuring cups are a must for baking and cooking to ensure ingredients are precisely added.
• Bellemain's set is our favorite for dry ingredients, while Pyrex's set is the most accurate for wet ingredients.

A good set of measuring cups allows for hassle-free baking of your favorite chocolate chip cookies and lemon blueberry muffins alike. We rounded up the best ones with careful attention to both dry and wet ingredients:

For dry ingredients: Cheap plastic sets and flimsy metal ones never last very long — either the handle snaps off or it bends under the least amount of pressure. We recommend you invest in a good sturdy pair of stainless steel measuring cups or thick plastic ones, though the latter won't last as long. 

For wet ingredients: Look for a sturdy set of glass measuring cups. Plastic measuring cups for wet ingredients always seem to get stained, and the plastic can absorb and transmit unwanted flavors to your ingredients. You should also check for metric measurements, comfortable handles, clear marking, and a good spout for pouring the wet ingredients. 

We listed our top picks below. 

Here are the best measuring cups of 2021

• Best overall for dry ingredients: Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set
• Best overall for wet ingredients: Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set
• Best magnetic set: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Best on a budget: OXO Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups
• Best for scooping: Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

The best overall for dry ingredients

The Bellemain 6-Piece Measuring Cup Set ensures accurate measurements for your dry ingredients and will last you for years of baking cakes and pastries.

Pros: Durable construction, accurate measurements

Cons: No markings on the insides of the cups, no warranty

The Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set is made of stainless steel, and thanks to each cup's flat bottom, they won't tip over. Each cup is made with dishwasher-safe stainless steel and I haven't had any issues with bending or pieces snapping off. I also like how the pieces can be stacked inside each other for easy storage.

All cups include both metric and imperial measurements, which are clearly noted on the handles. While there aren't markings on the inside of the cups, the six-piece set does cover all the standard measurements: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, and 1 cup.

The edges aren't terribly sharp, which is useful for folks without dishwashers (or who just prefer to hand wash their cups). And thanks to the wide handle, you won't have these measurers slipping out of your hand. — Lulu Chang, Former Freelance Writer

Though Bellemain doesn't offer a structured limited lifetime warranty plan, you can contact the company via its online form. 

The best overall for wet ingredients

The Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Setis a kitchen staple that is durably-designed and clearly-marked to measure wet ingredients.  

Pros: Durable glass design, doesn't absorb odors, clear metric and imperial measurements, easy to clean, good spout for pouring liquid ingredients, two-year warranty

Cons: None

When it comes to measuring wet ingredients, there's only one brand that comes to mind: Pyrex. The company has been making glass measuring cups for wet ingredients for 90 years, and it's still the top brand among bakers and chefs. The Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set is ideal for any recipe with its 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-cup measurers. 

Although these measuring cups are made of glass, they are very sturdy and shouldn't break easily. The glass is also nonporous, so it doesn't absorb odors or flavors the way plastic inevitably does, and these cups won't warp or melt in the presence of hot ingredients. 

Pyrex guarantees that you can pop its measuring cups in the oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, or dishwasher without any problems, so you can get a lot of use out of this set. The company also offers a two-year warranty in case of any defects or problems.

More importantly, though, Pyrex's measuring cups offer accurate measurements and clear markings in cups, ounces, quarts, and milliliters. The spout pours well without dripping and the handle is comfortable to hold, too.

The best magnetic set

The OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps is an easy-to-use set that measures dry ingredients with great accuracy.

Pros: Sturdy stainless steel, magnetic stacking cups, clear etched markings, sturdy handles, limited lifetime warranty

Cons: No metric measurements

If you don't want to pay more than $20 for a set of measuring cups, the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps are your best bet. These durable cups come with excellent grippy handles and clearly etched measurement markings. And, you don't have to worry about bent or broken handles either, thanks to its thick steel construction.

The handles have magnets inside and, though not terribly strong, they stick together when you stack them (and have enough force to hold the cups in place in your cupboard).

The set comes with 1/4-cup, 1/3-cup, 1/2-cup, and 1-cup measurements, and the only complaint we have with the set is the lack of metric measurements. But, most people won't need to measure in milliliters, anyway. There's also a matching set of teaspoons if you want your baking gear to match.

With the OXO Better Guarantee, the brand has you covered with a limited lifetime warranty in case your cups become less sturdy or damaged.

The best on a budget

The OXO Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups are a comparable yet affordable alternative to other high-end stainless steel sets.

Pros: BPA-free plastic, half measurement lines, comes with a scraper, clear measurement markings, affordable, limited lifetime warranty

Cons: Plastic isn't as durable, no milliliter markings

The OXO Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups snap together for easy storage in your cupboard and make it easy to measure dry ingredients for any recipe with clear markings for half and full measurements.

OXO includes a scraper with the cups to level off ingredients as you bake. The measurement of each cup is engraved in the handle and colorful measurements are stamped on the sides. Those marks typically wear off over time, so it's good that OXO made indelible markings on the handle, too.

The inside of each cup also has a half-measure line for when you need to cut a recipe in half. Like some of our other picks, these cups don't have milliliter markings but most US buyers won't need these. And, though the cups are made of plastic, they are BPA-free and relatively sturdy.

And, like our best magnetic set, the OXO Better Guarantee applies to the brand's plastic set as well. 

The best for scooping

The Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups are narrower than most, which makes them perfect for reaching into a jar of sugar or bag of flour without damaging the cup or container.

Pros: Shovel-like shape makes for easy scooping, great grip (for right-handed folks), accurate

Cons: The rubber grip isn't totally sealed to the handle, which could allow for some buildup; no warranty

Most measuring cups are indistinguishable when it comes to their design, but that's not the case with the Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups. Considerably narrower than the other cups you might find, and more closely resembling a large spoon than a cup, I've grown particularly fond of this set as it's extremely useful for scooping dry ingredients.

They perform well in terms of accuracy of measurement, and the "Grip-Ez" aspect of the product's name comes into play with the rubber coating on the handles, which makes grabbing the cups comfortable. There's also a small indentation in the handle that allows your pointer finger to rest comfortably as you're scooping. Be warned though, it's designed for right-handed folks, and lefties may find the notch a bit less user-friendly.

The Norpro comes in a set of five, so you'll get 1/8 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup in your collection. Better still, the 1-cup measure actually features markings on the inside of the cup. Because the rubber grip isn't completely sealed to the handle, ingredient buildup is possible. Another downside is the product's lack of warranty coverage, but its two-part steel construction makes it break-resistant. 

Check out our other kitchen guides for baking gear

• The best measuring spoons
• The best baking cookbooks according to professional bakers
• The best baking mats
• The best baking sheets
• 11 baking tools every beginner needs, according to professional bakers
• The best casserole dishes
• The best cooling racks
• The 4 best KitchenAid stand mixers
• The best loaf pans
• The best muffin pans
• The best mixing bowls
• 15 baking kits and subscriptions that give you all the ingredients you need to make delicious cakes, cookies, breads, and more

• Non-fiction audiobooks are an easy and flexible way to learn something new on the go.
• Plus, narration — especially when the text is read by the author themselves — adds emotion and passion to any story.
• We've rounded up readers' favorites, from humor and history to memoirs and self-help.

As an avid reader, I was growing frustrated with my limited available free time to read. Formerly obsessed with podcasts and perpetually disinterested in reading non-fiction, I found that audiobooks were an incredible way to learn during my commute. Passionate narration from audiobooks shed the textbook-like feeling I often associated with non-fiction reading, especially with memoirs narrated by their own authors.  

Audiobooks have grown tremendously as readers discovered they can fit stories even into the busiest schedules. With more and more services offering audiobook streaming — such as Libby, Audible, and Google Play— readers are finding audiobooks as a perfect alternative to physical books. Personally, Libby has quickly become my most-used app. Since it works like a library, I love putting audiobooks on hold, my queue naturally shuffling as more become available. 

I chose these non-fiction audiobook recommendations based on how well the narration enhances the reading experience. While I've listened to the majority of these personally, the others come heavily recommended to me by other bookworms. So whether you're looking to expand your understanding of society, hear life lessons from a famous actor, or learn about an event that happened long before you were born, below are some recommendations to get you started.

27 great non-fiction audiobooks:

Memoir

A painful account of assault and healing

by Chanel Miller (button)

Chanel Miller was previously identified as Emily Doe when her victim statement went viral during Brock Turner's trial. Now, in her memoir, Chanel recounts her story and process of healing but also encourages us to reexamine how we respond and recover from trauma. Being able to hear Chanel's voice adds such powerful emotion — don't be surprised if you shed a few tears over the course of this memoir.

Standout quote:"My pain was never more valuable than his potential."

Michelle Obama's moving life story

by Michelle Obama (button)

Michelle Obama manages to feel like your personal mentor as she tells her life story from her childhood, to meeting and falling in love with Barack, to the hidden challenges of being First Lady. Divided in three sections — Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More — the memoir is as inspiring as it is an honest peek behind the curtain of the Obamas' lives.

Standout quote:"Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?

Barack Obama's first presidential memoir

"A Promised Land" by Barack Obama (button)

If getting through a 768-page memoir feels daunting, the audiobook — narrated by a president especially known for his compelling oration — might be a more approachable option. Hearing beloved former president Barack Obama speak passionately and powerfully in a genuine account of his campaign and presidency makes the 29 hours of the audiobook fly by.

Standout quote: "Whatever you do won't be enough," I heard their voices say. "Try anyway."

Anthony Bourdain's exposing stories about restaurant life

by Anthony Bourdain (button)

Listening to an audiobook often turns a story into an experience, and hearing the late Chef Anthony Bourdain tell honest tales of classic kitchens is one that will resonate with any reader. This memoir is vulnerable in the sense that it is unyieldingly genuine, never skirting around hard (and often shocking) subjects and reminding us of the legacies great chefs leave behind. 

Standout quote:"Good food and good eating are about risk."

Jessica Simpson's raw narrative of her battles

by Jessica Simpson (button)

In this extremely vulnerable memoir, Jessica Simpson outlines the deepest struggles of her life. While most of us see her as one of a long line of blond pop stars in the Britney Spears era, her book details pressure from a media label; unhappiness and manipulation in relationships; and even struggles in her church, all told with a candid voice. As a bonus, the audiobook also includes new songs inspired by her writing.

Standout quote:"Sometimes we are all so afraid to be honest with ourselves because we know that honesty will lead to somewhere."

Trevor Noah's engaging essays from his life

by Trevor Noah (button)

Born of a Swiss father and a Xhosa mother, Trevor Noah's birth was illegal and for many years, he was hidden from the government. Though sometimes serious and unsettling, Trevor Noah's memoir is delivered with warmth and humor as he navigates a world in which he wasn't allowed to be born. 

Standout quote: "We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited."

Self-Help

Compassionate advocacy for mental health support

by Lori Gottlieb (button)

When Lori (a therapist) starts to go to therapy herself, she begins to take a deeper look at why we go to therapy (and how it can change our lives). Told in memoir form, this audiobook advocates for mental health by weaving Lori's personal journey with therapy with those of her patients, showing how anyone can benefit from booking a session.

Standout quote:"But part of getting to know yourself is to unknow yourself—to let go of the limiting stories you've told yourself about who you are so that you aren't trapped by them, so you can live your life and not the story you've been telling yourself about your life."

A framework to improve your life

"Atomic Habits" by James Clear (button)

A self-help meets how-to book, this bestseller aims to help you improve your life by focusing on how you change your habits to reach your goals, no matter what they may be. By addressing the systems of change, it gives readers clearly defined strategies and practical examples to apply to their own lives. 

Standout quote:"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

A moving guide to self-compassion

by Pema Chödrön (button)

Frequently hailed as the type of book that comes into your life exactly when you need it, Pema Chödrön uses Buddhist teachings to help a reader learn how to work and communicate through stressful or difficult periods in life. This book encourages you to have compassion for yourself, your loved ones, and humanity. 

Standout quote:"The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently."

A way for introverts to find their voice

by Susan Cain (button)

Arguing that our society dramatically undervalues introverts, former attorney (and fellow quiet person) Susan Cain demonstrates that there is space for people who aren't extroverted or loud. Using research, personal anecdotes, and success stories, Cain not only helps more reserved people feel seen — she shows them where caution and quietness can be an enormous strength.

Standout quote: "There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas."

A roadmap to finding yourself

"Untamed" by Glennon Doyle (button)

Half inspirational memoir, half self-help book, "Untamed" welcomes us into Glennon Doyle's life as she raises her children, leaves her husband to marry her wife, and encourages us to be brave and untamed in a world that often wants to keep us in cages. 

Standout quote:"This life is mine alone. So I have stopped asking people for directions to places they've never been."

A key to building resilience in the face of crisis

by Sheryl Sandburg and Adam M. Grant (button)

Grief can feel isolating and terrifying but with this audiobook, you can learn how to take care of yourself and others after experiencing loss. When Option A is no longer available, we can learn to make the most out of Option B. 

Standout quote:"I am more vulnerable than I thought, but much stronger than I ever imagined."

A manual for becoming an empathetic and daring leader

by Brene Brown (button)

To become caring, empathetic, and effective leaders, we must overhaul the impersonal culture we've been taught and return to humanity. Based on two decades of research, Brené Brown teaches us how to become and raise daringly vulnerable leaders through real strategies and demonstrated applications. 

Standout quote:"At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized."

Comedy

A memoir on honest, funny, and sometimes gross life advice

by Ali Wong (button)

Narrated in letters to her daughters, comedian Ali Wong shares enlightening wisdom through personal stories of motherhood, making it as a comedian, reconnecting with her East Asian heritage, and "trapping" their father into marriage. 

Standout quote:"You have suffered enough." That became my mantra for motherhood from there on out. You have suffered enough. If you can make it easier, make it easier, and don't feel guilty about it."

A mortician answering kids' questions about our post-mortem bodies

Big Questions from Tiny Mortals (button)

A dark subject matter made light, this book has no business being as funny as it is. Caitlin Doughty, a mortician, takes the most asked questions from kids ("What would happen if you die on a plane?" or "What would happen if you swallowed a bag of popcorn before you were cremated?") and applies sarcasm and humor to answer them all without leaving the reader feeling heavy about death. 

Standout quote:"Sometimes death can be violent, sudden, and unbearably sad. But it's also reality, and reality doesn't change just because you don't like it."

A severely funny memoir on accomplishments and setbacks

by Colin Jost (button)

It's been a pattern for famous "SNL" cast members to write memoirs, from Tina Fey to Amy Poehler, but Colin Jost will have you laughing in the first five minutes with his ridiculous stories, self-deprecation, and long list of all the names he's been called. 

Standout quote:"No one in comedy (or any field, really) succeeds in a vacuum. And the faster you find friends who challenge you and sometimes make you jealous, the faster you'll grow as a comedian (and regress as a human)."

Exceptional storytelling of Greek mythology

by Steven Fry (button)

Stephen Fry's audio contributes significant entertainment to a complex tapestry of Greek mythology, relating classic stories to our modern world through pathos and humor. Through this chronological collection of short stories, you'll undoubtedly learn something new about Greek myths (while savoring all of Fry's witty interjections). 

Standout quote: "Gaia visited her daughter Mnemosyne, who was busy being unpronounceable."

History

An immersive narrative into the American caste system

Book (button)

Shaped on the deeply researched premise that America was built on a caste system, this book is profoundly thought-provoking and challenges how we've always understood America's culture, economy, and politics. 

Standout quote: "We are responsible for our own ignorance or, with time and openhearted enlightenment, our own wisdom."

A vivid experience of a historical day

An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett Graff (button)

This audiobook is a compilation of first-hand accounts from September 11th, 2001. To put it lightly, it's an emotional experience, heightened by the individual narrations from each storyteller. 

Standout quote:"Sen. John Glenn, a dear friend, came by. I said, "Did you see that? A pilot flew into the World Trade Center." He said, "Pilots don't fly into buildings. That wasn't a pilot."

A new exposition of an infamous school shooting

by Dave Cullen (button)

A definitive account from an investigative reporter who followed the story for 10 years, this story challenges what we knew about one of the most notorious school shootings in America's history. 

Standout quote: "The final portrait is often the furthest from the truth."

A chronicle on how racism shaped American history

The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (button)

The narration keeps this expertly written book moving at a fast pace, capturing a full image anti-Black ideas in America. If you like this one, Ibram X Kendi and Jason Reynolds wrote a shorter, anti-racist companion: "Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You."

Standout quote:"The beneficiaries of slavery, segregation, and mass incarceration have produced racist ideas of Black people being best suited for or deserving of the confines of slavery, segregation, or the jail cell."

Social Justice

A collection of essays on being a better feminist

Notes From the Women that a Movement Forgot (button)

This book turns a light on the blind spot of feminism: racial inclusion. Through a collection of essays, Mikki Kendall argues how food insecurity, access to medical care, and gun violence are all feminist issues, often forgotten by the larger feminist movement. 

Standout quote: "For a movement that is meant to represent all women, it often centers on those who already have most of their needs met."

A YA Pride read on the account of a hate crime

A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives, by Dashka Slater (button)

In this queer YA non-fiction, two very different teenagers' lives intersect for only eight minutes a day. A single impulsive interaction involving a lighter and a skirt leads to two hate crime charges and severe burns, changing both of their lives forever. 

Standout quote: "There are two kinds of people in the world. Male and Female. Gay and Straight. Black and White. Normal and Weird. Cis and Trans. There are two kinds of people in the world. Saints and Sinners. Victims and Villains. Cruel and Kind. Guilty and Innocent. There are two kinds of people in the world. Just two. Just two. Only two."

A straightforward conversation about race in America

by Ijeoma Oluo (button)

With a clear and authentic voice, this book tackles structural injustice head-on. Each topic begins with a personal narrative before diving into invaluable knowledge to aid in anti-racist learning and living. Blunt and passionate, Oluo teaches in such a way that these lessons naturally become a part of your life. 

Standout quote:"When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else's oppression, we'll find our opportunities to make real change."

A personal account of Blackness in a white world

Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (button)

Greatly personal in the trenches of America's racial divide, this story shows how a world that outwardly appears to value "diversity" above all else still fails to conquer racial injustice. By no means written to comfort white people, Austin Channing Brown explores being a Black woman in a world built for white people but how embracing and including Blackness could change the world. 

Standout quote:"Our only chance at dismantling racial injustice is being more curious about its origins than we are worried about our comfort."

An eye-opening read on race and the prison industry

Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (button)

An accessible telling of an extensive issue, this book exposes the concept that slavery has transformed to the current mass incarceration of Black men. Michelle Alexander, a lawyer, uses inarguable statistics to arm anti-racist readers in the fight for equality. 

Standout quote:"The nature of the criminal justice system has changed. It is no longer primarily concerned with the prevention and punishment of crime, but rather with the management and control of the dispossessed."

A guide to the difficult questions America needs to ask

by Emmanuel Acho (button)

An invitation for people to have honest and difficult discussions about racism in America, this book is a follow-on to Emmanuel Acho's successful internet series, acknowledging that these conversations must happen in order to make real progress.  

Standout quote:"There is a fix. But in order to access it, we're going to have to have some uncomfortable conversations."

• Reusable shopping bags and totes allow for sustainable grocery shopping week after week. 
• As more states are placing fees on plastic bags, bringing your own bag is a simple and smart solution.
• The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System is our top pick for its simple, space-saving storage. 

A durable, reusable shopping tote is versatile for groceries, library books, and retail returns, among other errands. Whether stored on your passenger seat or inside your trunk, it's an easy carrier for your items and will save time otherwise spent unloading too many plastic bags.

Of course, reusable bags have the added benefit of being sustainable. Most are made of nylon or canvas and come in all shapes and sizes. Though they look similar on the surface, there are subtle differences that make some perform better (and last longer) than others. Some, like our top pick, come with their own storage solutions, and others are sturdier than the competition.

Here are the best reusable shopping tote bags of 2021

• Best reusable bag overall: BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System
• Best reusable canvas bag: Baggu Duck Bag
• Best reusable waxed bag: Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag
• Best reusable bag on a budget: Easy Fold Bag Reusable Grocery Bags 3 Pack
• Best insulated reusable bag: Veno Bag Insulated Grocery Bag
• Best large reusable bag: Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag

The best reusable bag overall

The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes with multiple nylon shopping bags, a pouch for on-the-go storage, and an affixed clip to attach to your shopping cart.

Pros: Comes with multiple bags, storage pouch, clip for shopping cart, water-resistant material

Cons: Limited designs

The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes in a set of five or 10 sustainable, machine-washable nylon shopping bags. They're ideal for transporting groceries and are especially unique for their compact pouch that holds the bags when you aren't using them.

Aside from their smart storage, there's a clip on one end of the pouch that attaches to a shopping cart so you don't have to juggle bags in the middle of the produce aisle. Each bag holds up to 50 pounds yet can easily be stored in your purse or glove compartment. BagPodz's material is water-resistant, too, so you won't have to worry about leaks in the event of a spill. 

The best reusable canvas bag

The Baggu Duck Bag is a sturdy canvas tote suitable for a variety of lifestyles and purposes.

Pros: Durable, machine washable, multiple handles

Cons: Not as large as some picks

For a reusable, practical, and multipurpose shopping bag, the Baggu Duck Bag is our favorite canvas tote. You could easily take it from the office to the grocery store because it snaps shut, has an interior zipper pocket, and two sets of straps: top handles and shoulder straps.

Despite the deep compartment, its restrictive shape makes it better for smaller runs than your big weekly shopping haul. It will last you a while, too, as the machine-washable, artfully-worn fabrics are thicker and more durable than some of its nylon counterparts. 

The best reusable waxed bag

The Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag is a sustainable take on old-school paper bags and will last you for years of grocery trips.

Pros: Durable waxed canvas design

Cons: Only has top straps

The Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag is made of waxed material that's stain-resistant and easy to clean. It's also vegan, so it's free of beeswax and leather.  Though not machine washable, the 16-ounce bag is an all-in-one carrier for cereal boxes and baked bread alike.

The brand also sells reusable produce bags, which would make a nice addition to any sustainable shopping routine.

The best reusable bag on a budget

Easy Fold Bag's Reusable Grocery Bagsare an affordable set of three nylon bags that conveniently fold for your shopping trips.

Pros: Affordable, machine washable

Cons: Fabric is a little shiny, not as sturdy as other picks

If you're not looking to splurge, Easy Fold Bag's Reusable Grocery Bags are a great option. The set comes with three ripstop nylon bags that fold easily. They're machine-washable, too, so it's a practical option for your essential items. 

They're also extremely functional and come in three colors for less than $10.  They aren't as sturdy as some of the pricier options, but if you're looking to reduce waste on a budget, the bags' reinforced stitching should last you a good while. 

The best insulated reusable bag

Veno Bag's Insulated Grocery Bag is a durable, boxy tote that will keep your vegetables and other perishables cool.

Pros: Made with 80% post-consumer recycled material, aluminum covered thermal insulation, can hold up to 30 pounds, flexible fabric sides for odd-shaped items

Cons: May be bulky to carry

For days when you're hopping from the grocery store to the library to the post office, it's important for your perishables to remain cool and fresh. The Veno Bag ensures just that with its aluminum-covered thermal insulation, ideal for avoiding unnecessary pit stops home before heading out for other errands.

A novelty feature of this tote is its recyclable fabric sides which allow for simple storage of irregularly-shaped items. Though the box style may make it inconvenient for carrying, the added bonus of temperature regulation doesn't make it a dealbreaker.

The best large reusable bag

The Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag is great for buying canned goods and other items in bulk, holding up to 50 pounds at a time.

Pros: Holds up to 50 pounds, machine washable, folds into a small square

Cons: Short handles, shapeless

The Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag comes in a host of cute colors and patterns, is durable and flexible, and is made of 100% ripstop nylon. Despite its large capacity, it folds down to a neat 7-by-7-inch square for easy storage. 

The material is both thin and strong, too, allowing for hassle-free carrying. And, when you've unpacked your goodies, just throw it in your washing machine before its next use. 

Check out our other grocery guides

• The best places to buy groceries online
• The best places to buy fresh seafood online
• The best meal kit delivery services
• The best pre-made meal delivery services

• A good scraper will effectively remove snow and ice from your car's mirrors and windows for safety. 
• The Hopkins SubZero is our top choice thanks to its flexible blade, built-in squeegee, and extendable handle. 

On far too many frigid winter mornings, scraping snow and ice off of your car is an unavoidable chore. Fortunately, ice scrapers and snow brushes allow you to remove the top layer of snow and then chisel away at the ice coating the windows.

For areas that see huge volumes of snow, you might need a larger snow broom type or find it necessary to invest in a snow cover.  

I own four different snow scrapers and while that may sound excessive, it meant I knew what to look for when rounding up the best car ice scrapers and snow brushes below.

Here are the best ice scrapers and snow brushes of 2021

• Best car ice scraper overall: Hopkins SubZero Ice Crusher
• Best car brush for deep snow: Auto SnoBrum 
• Best heated car ice scraper: Perfect Life Ideas Heated Snow Ice Scraper

The best car ice scraper overall

The Hopkins SubZero Ice Crusher is an all-in-one removal tool with a flexible blade, built-in squeegee, sturdy snow broom, and extendable handle.

Pros: Sturdy construction, flexible blade, built-in-squeegee, lightweight, comfortable handle

Cons: The ice-crushing teeth are located opposite from the scraper, so you'll have to flip the tool if you're crushing and scraping

Winter is unpredictable — one morning you might have a light dusting of snow on your windshield, and the next you could find yourself cracking through ice just to be able to see out of your car. That's why the  Hopkins SubZero Ice Crusher is our favorite, versatile tool. It combines ice-crushing teeth, a flexible scraper blade, a heavy-duty broom, and a squeegee head to make quick work of clearing everything from frost to heavy wet snow. 

While the SubZero is 51 inches while extended, it collapses into a 32-inch unit, making it easy to store. It features a soft foam grip and weighs less than half a pound — both important details that lessen arm strain when you're chipping away at stubborn ice. 

The best car brush for deep snow

The Auto SnoBrum will help you clear snowdrifts without scratching glass, auto paint, or vinyl wraps.

Pros: Ideal for heavy snow load removal, gentle on paint, long pole provides great reach

Cons: Insufficient for stubborn ice

The Auto SnoBrum is particularly great for clearing off deep snow because of its telescoping handle that can extend from 26-inches out to 46-inches in length, giving users of most heights (and arm lengths) easy access to the entirety of the windshield, hood, and even the roof of most vehicles.

The foam head is sturdy enough not to bend or buckle even as you push against heavy snow load, yet gentle enough not to scratch the exterior of your car — that includes auto paint, window and windshield glass, and even those more delicate vehicle vinyl wraps.

Here's the catch: This is not a true ice scraper, so for thick, stubborn layers of ice, you're going to need a different tool with a harder edge. But for snow alone, the SnoBrum is ideal.

The best heated car ice scraper

The Perfect Life Ideas Heated Snow Ice Scraper is lightweight, easy to use, and clears your windshield. 

Pros: Reduces effort needed to loosen ice, long power cord, power indicator light

Cons: Rather flimsy plastic housing

There is no magic bullet when it comes to removing ice from your car's windshield, but Perfect Life Ideas' Heated Snow Ice Scraper measures up. The heat it generates melts the ice so you'll spend less time scraping. The unit plugs into the DC outlet (otherwise known as the cigarette lighter) in your car and features a 12-foot long cord that should allow access to all of the windows of your vehicle. Ford Excursions and Chevy Suburbans are possible exceptions, however.

Beneath the scraper, a simple heat coil quickly warms up the tool, helping you to break up and remove ice so you'll exert less force. 

Check out our other guides to car accessories and snow gear

• The best tools to keep in your car
• The best car bike racks
• The 5 best snow blowers
• The 5 best snow shovels
• The best snow and ice melt
• The best winter boots

• A streaming device can transform your TV into a smart display with access to popular services.
• Our top pick is the Roku Ultra thanks to its large library of apps, 4K support, and smooth navigation.

The world is changing. Gone are the days when a cable subscription was required to watch all the latest TV series. These days, you can find plenty of quality shows on streaming platforms. Of course, the best way to watch these services is on a TV, and there are plenty of devices out there to help you stream your favorites on the display of your choice. Before buying a specific player, however, you'll want to consider a few things.

First, it's important to ensure that the streaming device you pick includes support for the apps you use the most. The most popular services, like Netflix and Disney Plus, are supported on virtually all streaming players, but some services are missing from certain devices.

Next up, you'll want to keep in mind the specs of your TV. Not all streaming sticks and boxes are able to handle 4K resolution or HDR playback, so if you have a 4K TV, you'll want to get one that can stream 4K videos; the reverse is also true, as a non-4K TV won't be able to take advantage of 4K playback.

Last but not least, it might be worth considering the ecosystem you're most plugged into. For example, Android users might be able to get more use from an Android TV or Google TV device, while those using an iPhone or Mac might prefer the Apple TV.

Through research and testing we've picked the best streaming sticks and boxes you can buy to turn your dumb TV into a smart one. 

Note: All of the below products require access to the internet over Wi-Fi or Ethernet in order to stream content. 

Here are the best streaming boxes and sticks:

• Best streaming box overall: Roku Ultra
• Best budget streaming box: Roku Express
• Best high-end streaming box: Apple TV 4K
• Best streaming device for Google users: Google Chromecast
• Best streaming stick for Alexa: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
• Best streaming box for gamers: Nvidia Shield TV

The best streaming box overall

The Roku Ultra streams in 4K and HDR, has voice search, and comes with a remote control that has programmable shortcut buttons.

Pros: 4K HDR streaming, Dolby Vision and Bluetooth, voice remote, lots of apps, improved Wi-Fi connection, Ethernet, USB port

Cons: Doesn't support HDR10+, a bit pricey

The Roku Ultra has virtually everything a buyer could want out of streaming box. It supports 4K video at 60 frames per second and HDR playback. If you have a 4K TV, this model will help you get the most out of your display.

The Roku OS features a huge library of streaming channels with access to all of the major services, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus, Paramount Plus, and HBO Max. Just connect the box to your TV via the HDMI port, and install all your favorite streaming services to get started.

As mentioned, the Roku Ultra supports HDR, which means that it'll show richer colors and better contrast when playing back HDR-enabled videos on a compatible TV. The lastest Roku Ultra model also adds support for the advanced Dolby Vision format, which should improve HDR quality even more on Dolby Vision displays. 

Of course, to take advantage of 4K content, you'll need a decent internet connection. The device can connect to your internet through Ethernet or over Wi-Fi, so choose the method that's fastest and most convenient.

The Ultra also comes with a voice remote so you can adjust the volume and search for content with your voice. If you're watching at night, you can plug in a set of headphones to the remote to not disturb others — a pair of earbuds are included. 

Bluetooth support is included as well for streaming music to the player, and the Roku Ultra even supports AirPlay 2 and HomeKit for easy connectivity to Apple devices. 

The Roku Ultra is the most versatile and reliable media player in this price range, and we like that it's the most universal of the products. There are cheaper alternatives with less advanced features, but we think this model is the best choice for most people with a 4K TV.  

• Read our Roku Ultra (2020 model) review here

The best budget streaming box

The Roku Express is one of the most affordable streaming boxes you can buy, and it offers a great interface with basic HD playback.

Pros: Cheap, compact design, easy-to-use, built-in OS

Cons: No 4K or HDR, no voice remote

For buyers who want a simple and inexpensive streaming solution, the Roku Express is the perfect fit. This model is about as basic as they come, but for the money, you're still getting a capable HD streaming box with a built-in user interface and remote.

Perhaps the best thing about the Roku Express is how easy it is to use. The new compact design makes it one of the smallest standalone streaming boxes there is, and the package comes complete with an HDMI cable for simple setup. The interface is well-designed and extremely easy to navigate with access to all the major services you could want.

Of course, there are downsides to the Roku Express. Unlike the Roku Ultra, which is our overall favorite, this model lacks a voice remote, and it's missing a USB port for playing external video files or Bluetooth for music streaming from a smartphone. The Roku Express also does not offer 4K streaming or HDR, so we recommend this model for people who have a TV that doesn't include those features.

For buyers who do need 4K on a budget, though, there's a very similar Roku model, the Roku Premiere, that might be a better fit for you. The Roku Premiere is a lot like the Roku Express, but it adds support for 4K, HDR, and AirPlay for a bit more money.

That said, the Premiere is sometimes on sale for the same price as the Express. When the Premiere is discounted, it's actually the better value of the two. If there are no deals, however, and all you need is basic HD streaming, there's little reason to pay extra for a model more powerful than the Roku Express.

The best high-end streaming box

The Apple TV 4K is an ideal streaming player for enthusiasts who want easy integration with the rest of Apple's products.

Pros: Well-designed interface, 4K and HDR with Dolby Vision support, can serve as a HomeKit hub

Cons: A little pricey

If you're looking for a device to better integrate with your iTunes account, iPhone, and other Apple devices, then you'll want to look into getting an Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K boasts a number of great features, and as the name suggests, this version streams in 4K and HDR, which is great for those of you who have 4K TVs and want the best home theater playback.

As you would expect from an Apple product, it's well-designed and will look right at home amongst your other entertainment devices. On the back, you'll get a power input, HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. That way, you can have a more stable internet connection for streaming 4K video.

One of the best things about the Apple TV 4K is Apple's tvOS operating system, which is super easy to use, especially with the included Siri Remote. As mentioned, it can stream in 4K and has HDR support for improved contrast and colors. Like the Roku Ultra, the Apple TV 4K also offers Dolby Vision for better HDR performance on select services and TVs. 

And with Siri, you can use your voice to search for content. Plus, you can access music, podcasts, games, and hundreds of apps, or cast or mirror content from an iOS or macOS device using AirPlay wireless technology. In addition, the Apple TV 4K can even serve as a HomeKit hub for Apple's smart home ecosystem.

The Siri Remote connects to the Apple TV via Bluetooth, so no line of sight is required. While the remote is elegant and the touch-capability makes navigation easier, it's so slim that it can be easy to lose or slip out of your hand. An alternative is to use the Apple TV Remote app on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, which handles the same functions but makes things like typing much simpler.

On the downside, the Apple TV is notably more expensive than some other streaming options from Roku and Amazon. Most people who aren't invested in the Apple ecosystem will be more than happy with the less expensive Roku Ultra instead.

We don't think you can go wrong with either — the deciding factor comes down to budget and the ecosystem — but the money spent on an Apple TV is well worth it.

• Read our Apple TV 4K review here

The best streaming device for Google users

Unlike older models, the new Chromecast with Google TV can play apps right from the device, rather than having to rely on casting from a separate smartphone.

Pros: 4K HDR with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, Google Assistant voice remote, built-in interface and casting capabilities

Cons: Some apps are currently missing 4K HDR playback, minor glitches, no Apple TV app

Google's newest Chromecast model offers a sizable step forward in performance and usability over older versions. Though our previous pick in this category, the Chromecast Ultra, needed a separate phone, tablet, or computer to stream apps from, the Chromecast with Google TV actually features its own built-in interface with an extensive library of services. 

You can still cast apps from a mobile device if you'd like, but the on-screen selection makes it much more convenient to find your favorite shows and movies right on your TV screen. This makes the Chromecast a more worthy competitor to similar compact streaming players, like the Fire TV Stick 4K.

Powered by the new Google TV platform, the Chromecast offers access to a huge collection of apps,. In fact, the only major app currently missing is Apple TV. 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos playback are supported for select services as well.

On the downside, a few key movie apps, like Vudu, FandangoNow, and Movies Anywhere, are currently limited to HD and SDR. This is especially disappointing since these apps do offer 4K HDR playback on other streaming devices, like the Roku Ultra. It's possible that these apps will receive updates for 4K in the future. 

From a design perspective, the new Chromecast features a similar puck-shaped form factor as older models, complete with a dongle connection that hangs from your TV's HDMI port. Unlike older models, however, the latest version now includes a handy voice remote with integrated Google Assistant support. 

We encountered a few isolated glitches while testing the new Chromecast, but the device offers impressive value, especially for buyers already invested in Google's ecosystem.    

• Read our Chromecast with Google TV review here

The best Amazon Fire TV

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K streams video in 4K straight to your TV.

Pros: 4K streaming, Alexa voice control, affordable, compact, support for HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision

Cons: Missing a few notable apps like Vudu, FandangoNow, Google Play, and Peacock

Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K comes with 4K and HDR playback capabilities, including support for the more advanced HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats. Like other streaming stick, this slim dongle plugs right into the HDMI port on the back of your TV. It also comes with an Alexa voice remote for easy access to play, pause, stop, volume up/down, and more.

Fire TV 4K works with Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube, Hulu, and many other video streaming apps. Since it's part of Amazon's ecosystem, Fire TV is also compatible with Alexa voice controls on other Amazon products, like an Echo Dot. You can tell Alexa to play "Game of Thrones" without lifting a finger.

The streaming stick has a fast processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi to ensure smooth streaming on your TV. So long as your Wi-Fi is good, you shouldn't have a problem.

It's also very affordable for a 4K streaming stick and includes extensive HDR format support for its price. In fact, it's one of the only players on the market with HDR10+ capabilities, which will improve color and contrast on Prime Video when watching HDR videos through an HDR10+ TV. 

If you're buying the device for features like Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, however, you might be disappointed by Prime Video's surprisingly limited support for those formats. A few key apps are also currently missing, including Peacock, Vudu, Google Play, and FandangoNow. If that's a deal-breaker, you'll have to grab a Roku, Apple TV, or Android TV player instead.

• Read our Fire TV Stick 4K review here

The best streaming player for gamers

The Nvidia Shield TV doesn't just run Google's Android TV, it also supports 4K streaming and can even pair with a controller for gaming.

Pros: 4K support, Dolby Vision capabilities, support for a separate gaming controller, Android TV operating system, powerful processor

Cons: Expensive

If you're more plugged into the Android ecosystem, you might want something that comes preloaded with Google's Android TV. If so, there are few better devices than the Nvidia Shield TV. Though pricier than other players, the latest model is the ultimate streaming device for buyers who want beefy specs. 

Like our top pick, this media streamer supports 4K HDR with Dolby Vision for even better performance on Dolby Vision TVs. Google Assistant voice control is integrated as well.

The Shield TV is also the best streaming box for gamers. In addition to the included standard remote control, you can add a separate gaming controller for playing games from the Google Play Store or through GeForce Now cloud gaming. 

When it comes to raw specs, the Shield TV incorporates 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. The device is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra X1+, which is one of the most powerful processors used in any streaming device. This extra muscle even allows the device to take advantage of advanced upscaling technology, which can make HD videos look better on 4K TVs. 

Unlike most streaming players, the Shield TV features a unique cylindrical design which takes the form of a compact tube that is meant to be placed behind a display. This style won't be for everyone, but it makes it easy to hide the device out of sight.

For buyers who want even more power, there's also a Shield TV Pro model to consider. This more expensive version features a more traditional rectangular shape and upgraded specs with 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and two USB 3.0 ports.

The standard Shield TV, however, is still plenty powerful, and is a better overall value for people who want an Android TV streaming player that's capable of gaming.

• Read our Nvidia Shield TV review here

Check out our other related buying guides

The best streaming services you can sign up for online

After you cut the cord and purchase a streaming player, you'll have to decide which services you'd like to subscribe to. Popular platforms include Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, Hulu TV, HBO Max, and more. Each service offers its own selection of content and features can vary between them. With that in mind, we've rounded up the best streaming services to help you choose which is best for your needs.

The best music streaming services you can subscribe to

Movies and shows aren't the only things you can stream online via a media player. Music services are also very popular, offering on-demand access to all your favorite tracks. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, and YouTube Music are all great options for different needs. With that in mind, we've detailed which music services are right for different buyers.

The best cheap TVs

TV performance and smart connectivity can differ a lot between models, especially when you're shopping on a budget. After testing and researching several TVs, we've picked the best affordable models you can buy.

• When shopping for kids' clothing, consider upcoming growth spurts, holidays, seasons, sales, and your child's taste.
• Well-made kids' clothing won't wear out as quickly and can be handed down later.
• We did the research and testing to find the best kids' clothing stores and brands for kids of all ages and needs.

Both new and seasoned parents know the struggle of buying kids' clothing. Whether it's for a baby's first birthday or a teen's school dance, it's difficult to avoid spending too much on clothes that almost immediately get stained, torn, or outgrown. 

Even though I love and work in fashion, my daughter spent most of her first year in hand-me-down onesies. Now that she is approaching her second birthday, I'm itching to dress her in cuter clothes. But it can be daunting to sort through the variety of kids' clothing online.

Quality and prices vary widely, and finding the time to navigate a retailer's website is no easy feat. Add to that kids' often-changing preferences and the struggle of finding functional yet on-trend clothing. To help guide you, we've looked at many retailers. For each one, we considered the range of styles, sizing inclusivity, quality of materials, and prices. 

Here are the best places to shop for kids' clothes

• Best baby clothes: Janie and Jack
• Best baby clothes on a budget: Carter's
• Best toddler clothes: Tea Collection
• Best toddler clothes on a budget: Old Navy
• Best kids' clothes: Maison Me
• Best kids' clothes on a budget: H&M
• Best adaptive kids' clothes: Appaman
• Best adaptive kids' clothes on a budget: Cat & Jack at Target
• Best tween clothes: Nordstrom
• Best tween clothes on a budget: Kohl's
• Best teen clothes: American Eagle Outfitters

The best baby clothes

Janie and Jack baby clothes make every day a special occasion with their fun prints and high-quality fabrics.

Janie and Jack's clothing run true to size, which makes online ordering easy and fast. The brand offers a large selection for infants and a variety of pieces, including bodysuits, sweaters, dresses, and swimsuits, as well as accessories like shoes, hats, socks, and bows.

The colors and fabric look new even after repeated washing, though we do recommend line-drying the garments because cotton can shrink in machine dryers. My daughter lived in her Janie and Jack swimsuits this past summer, and the material did not droop or fade in the sun. 

What we like:

The best baby clothes on a budget

Carter's offers a large selection of affordable baby clothes that hold up well after repeated washes.

For everyday staples, Carter's is a reliable brand with value packs and simple styles that are great for babies who may cycle through several outfits in a day. There are cute bodysuits and sleep sets, as well as hoodies, jackets, shoes, and other accessories. Carter's runs frequent sales, but even pieces that are full priced are budget friendly. 

I have a variety of Carter's pieces that have been handed down from at least two other parents, and the garments are still in good shape. The cotton does shrink a bit after a while and some pieces run big, but there have been no noticeable tears or holes. 

What we like:

The best toddler clothes

Tea Collection offers everyday and special occasion toddler clothing in unique prints and patterns on soft fabrics.

Tea Collection pieces are some of my favorites for their distinctive prints and patterns. The quality of the fabrics, buttons, and seams on the garments is on par with adult clothing, and the designs are practical, modern, and inspired by global styles. With the exceptional quality comes a higher price tag, however. 

Though items are machine washable, using a delicate cycle and skipping the dryer will help them retain their shape and color. The brand also donates 10% of their profits to charitable organizations like the Global Fund for Children and the Homeless Prenatal Program in their home city of San Francisco, California.

What we like:

The best toddler clothes on budget

Old Navy is a budget-friendly one-stop shop to outfit your toddler and the whole family.

The quality of Old Navy clothing exceeds expectations when considering the brand's ultra-low prices. The patterns are fun and cheery, and the versatile pieces have great value. For example, toddler pajamas come in fun prints for just $10. Its vast inventory includes basic sweats and tees, jackets, blouses, button-downs, dresses, jeans, pants, shorts, and swimwear as well as accessories like socks and shoes.

I've found that their sleepwear runs small, but other pieces are true to size. While the clothing won't hold up as well as our top pick for toddlers, Old Navy runs frequent sales, so stocking up for the entire family is budget friendly.

What we like:

The best kids’ clothes

Maison Me is Maisonette's in-house label with classic everyday designs that hold up to wear and tear.

Maison Me garments are made to last with pieces constructed from thick and sturdy fabrics that won't wear out. The classic designs include traditional polos, plaid dresses, lots of striped pieces, and adorable florals. One of my favorite pieces that I tested with my toddler was a pink two-piece track suit that was ideal for play. I also found the leggings and drawstring pants were comfy and well-made.

The brand recommends machine-washing its clothing on cold and tumble-drying on low for optimal care. In my experience, this preserves both the quality and size of the garment.

What we like:

The best kids’ clothes on a budget

H&M has a diverse selection of organic clothes, all at bargain prices. 

H&M's environmental consciousness, budget-friendly prices, and diverse selection make it a great option for rapidly growing kids. The colorful prints, fun details, and prices are hard to resist. I started shopping there when my daughter was a baby, and as she grew, I continued to buy their affordable eco-friendly clothes. 

H&M offers kids' clothes up to age 10 and a more sophisticated line for ages 8 to 14. They also sell accessories like tights, hats, shoes, and hair clips. If your child is Frozen-obsessed like mine, you'll also love H&M's partnerships with Disney, among others. The offerings are well-made, true to size, and wash easily.

What we like:

The best adaptive kids' clothes

Appaman's Adaptive line caters to kids who have challenges with dressing, thanks to thoughtful and unique design features.

Appaman's Adaptive line features accessible versions of its most popular clothing to empower kids to dress themselves. An ideal line not only considers accessibility but also style choices that are on par with non-adaptive lines, according to Debbie Stone, founder and executive director at Pop.Earth, a nonprofit committed to providing wellness options for people with autism and developmental disorders.

Garments have Velcro closures, magnetic zippers, and internal pant loops for dressing one-handed. Velcro ankle cuffs allow for prosthetics, orthotics, and other medical devices. The selection is somewhat lacking, with 42 pieces at time of publication, but the garments wash and wear exceptionally well. Though on the pricier side, the quality is unparalleled.

What we like:

The best adaptive kids' clothes on a budget

Target's Cat & Jack line includes clothing with abdominal access, snap closures for easy dressing, no tags, flat seams, and thumb holes to keep sleeves in place.

A major retailer like Target can broaden the range and accessibility of adaptive clothes. "At Pop.Earth, a charity for autism and special needs, I hear from numerous parents how important it is that clothing lines pivot to include these people," said Stone. Cat & Jack is a favorite of the parents I polled, and while its adaptive offerings are somewhat limited, the prices are unbeatable. 

Cat & Jack makes leggings, pants, polos, tees, dresses, swimwear, jackets, and more. Like Carter's, the clothing wear and wash well despite their lower price point. Garments also come with a one-year return policy with receipt if you're not satisfied.

What we like:

The best tween clothes

Nordstrom has a wide variety of tween clothing from popular brands and one of the best return policies.

Nordstrom is one of my favorite places to shop as an adult, and the options for tweens are just as impressive. There are well-known brands like Ugg, Hannah Banana, and Steve Madden, and a variety of other lesser-known brands that are equally cool among the tween set. Prices run the gamut, and offerings include everything from Nike and Adidas sweatshirts to sparkly, formal dresses. If you're looking for a deal, there are great sales around the holidays as well as during its annual July sale.

Quality depends on the brand you buy, but I've found that pretty much everything I've purchased at Nordstrom withstands wear and tear. The product pages include recommended care instructions if you want to know before you buy. Nordstrom also offers free shipping and returns as well as local curbside pickup.

What we like:

The best tween clothes on a budget

Kohl's has tons of affordable brand-name clothing, and Kohl's cash can get you even more savings.

Kohl's is a go-to for tweens, thanks to its reasonable prices on brand-name items, including clothing from Levi's and Under Armour. You can shop by price on the website, with thousands of offerings from $6 to $20. You can also sort by age range, occasion, and size, including extended size options.

Many pieces have printed designs or phrases, but there are basics as well. Some of the lower-cost clothing may be a bit thin and flimsy. Though they won't last multiple seasons, they are great for messy art classes or sports practice. 

What we like:

The best teen clothes

American Eagle Outfitters has an excellent selection and range of size options, and its rewards program is budget-friendly.

American Eagle's basics and on-trend styles make it our top pick for teen clothing. It also beats out the competition in terms of affordability, thanks to its rewards program and sales that often include savings of 25%. Between AEO and Aerie labels, the selection is vast. Denim styles include the brand's bestselling high-waisted jeggings and straight fit jeans. You'll also find tees, sweatshirts, blouses, dresses, joggers, comfy loungewear, swimwear, and accessories like socks and shoes.

American Eagle has a rewards program, which offers cash rewards, members-only sales, a birthday coupon, free shipping, and returns. Garment construction can sometimes be irregular — crooked seams or an uneven hem on a dress, for example. However, the jeans last for years and get more comfortable after multiple washes.

What we like:

What else we like

While the following stores and brands didn't quite make the cut, if you haven't found what you're looking for among our top picks, consider the following.

Gap Teen: Through its new eco-friendly initiative, NXT Gen Gap, Gap offers quality basics with an ethical backstory. However, its inventory and deals fall short of our teen pick, American Eagle Outfitters.

Mori: Mori makes excellent sleepwear for babies and toddlers, but it doesn't have much of a selection for everyday clothing.

All The Babies: This organic, vegan line is mostly limited to cozy sweatshirts and cotton bodysuits. It runs a program that donates used garments to families in need.

T.J. Maxx: We love T.J. Maxx for great deals on name-brand clothing, but it doesn't offer a large variety of sizes online. Shopping in-store also takes time and is hit or miss. 

J.Crew: J.Crew has high-quality, well tailored pieces for the whole family. While its children's clothing lasts a long time, the garments are quite expensive.

• Key West is one of the most popular US destinations thanks to its laid-back, tropical vibe. 
• Its stunning beaches are family-friendly, but it's equally great for couples and solo travelers. 
• We rounded up some of the best Airbnbs in Key West, ranging in price from $147 to $447 per night.

As a long-term Florida resident, my family and I love to take the three-hour road trip down from Miami to Key West. It's one of those places that we find ourselves returning to year after year thanks to its beautiful beaches, historic attractions, and fantastic food. 

Some of our favorite beaches are Smathers Beach and Fort Zachary Taylor Beach, which is a National Historic Landmark and home to a Civil War fort. 

Key West is only about four miles long and two miles wide, and most of the shopping, dining, and nightlight is situated on Duval street, the main road that runs down the middle of the island, from the Gulf to Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. Whether you want to be at the heart of the action or opt for a more tranquil beach getaway will largely dictate the best location for your stay.

Regardless of where you're based, you won't want to miss dining at Blue Heaven and Santiago's Bodega in the Bahama Village, and no trip is complete without stopping in for a slice at the Southernmost Key Lime Pie Shop on Duval. Get a dose of culture at The Key West lighthouse and The Key West Museum of Art and History, or do as we do and take your kids to Mallory Square to watch the various street performers and the sunset celebration that takes place every night. 

While Key West offers a tropical paradise with no passport necessary, it's important to remember that there's still risk involved with traveling during the pandemic. It's always important to follow guidelines from the CDC, wash your hands, wear a mask, and social distance. Also consider if you're traveling to or from a hot spot area and take extra precautions if so. 

With that in mind, if you do decide to soak up some sun in Key West, Airbnbs can be a safer option for travelers right now because of the added space and limited interactions with others.  

We rounded up the best Airbnbs in Key West based on the following criteria:

1. All listings are for the entire home, per current expert safety recommendations.
2. All listings have at least a 4.7 rating and excellent recent guest reviews.
3. We've chosen properties that range from $147 to $447 per night, but beware that through the end of March is considered peak season for this area, when prices tend to be at their highest.
4. While all of the properties listed have some availability as of the time of publishing, keep in mind that because of its popularity, properties in Key West are often booked months in advance, so be sure to plan as far in advance as you can to snag the best spots.  
5. These properties are located close to the beach or within walking distance to popular Key West attractions on Duval Street.

Here are the best Airbnbs in Key West, sorted by price from low to high. 

Central-based studio one block from Duval, $147

Book this central studio starting from $147 per night

Located just one block from Duval Street, this studio apartment is an ideal base for a quick getaway. There's also a private parking spot, which is a serious perk when visiting Key West as parking comes at a premium. 

This first-floor studio is small but well laid, with a Queen-size bed and a separate kitchen and dining area, complete with granite countertops. A large wooden wardrobe easily allows travelers to unpack and settle in. The unit is part of a historic building and though simple in decor, it has all the necessities and even boasts a deck with a small sitting area. Past guests rave about the property's cleanliness and its proximity to many of Key West's major attractions. 

Visit the famous Sloppy Joe's Bar, opened in 1933, or the nearby Key West Butterfly Nature Conservatory. You'll also find plenty of shopping and restaurants right nearby. 

This spot is popular, but has a few scattered dates open over the next few months.

Oceanfront studio on a private beach, $199

Book this oceanfront studio starting from $199 per night 

This second floor, oceanfront studio is a rare property in Key West at this price point, which means that bookings fill up quickly. The condo has a King-sized bed and a large balcony that overlooks the Atlantic ocean. As an added bonus, the home also includes access to the pool and hot tub on the property grounds, though these are shared amenities. 

Visitors will get the best of both worlds with the beach and nightlife right at their fingertips, as this condo is just a five-minute walk to Duval street. There's also a free garage parking spot that comes with a unit. The studio sits on its own stretch of private beach, so guests can go for a swim or lay out on lounge chairs that are provided by the property. 

Inside there's a collection of wood and wicker furniture and a plush armchair in soft, pastel tones. The bedroom has four plantation shutters that look out to views of the ocean and ample closet space to unpack. There's also a small fridge and microwave at your disposal, though there isn't a full kitchen. 

This listing books up well in advance. While there are a few scattered dates open over the next several months, you may want to consider booking a winter trip now. 

Sailing yacht, $224

Book this sailing yacht starting from $224 per night 

One of most unique properties in Key West, this spacious yacht is ideal for adventurous travelers. Nicknamed "The Someday Soon", the yacht features three sleeping areas with a setup that's especially ideal for families, including a Queen size bed in the aft cabin, a Full-size bed in the midship, and two Twin beds in the forward cabin. 

The yacht is a vintage Mason boat with a mid-century modern interior that includes turquoise accents, carved wood trim, and polished wood floors. The eating area has a comfy breakfast nook and large windows that open up to let in the light. If you want to eat your meals on board, there's a four-burner gas stove, an oven, and a refrigerator and freezer in addition to a grill on the deck. 

The full-size bathroom has a shower and lots of storage space under the sink. While the vessel is roomy inside, there's also lots of seating outdoors. The cockpit is furnished with taupe and turquoise cushions and pillows, making it an ideal reading retreat.  

As an added option, the booking comes with a day sail, and the marina can provide a captain at an extra charge. Guests are also welcome to use the marina amenities like the heated pool and the gym. 

This boat has a few open dates in May and June, with more dates opening up starting in July.

Modern townhome right on Duval, $225

Book this modern townhome starting from $225 per night 

This large townhome puts guests at the heart of the action, thanks to its location right on Duval. Large spaces at this price point are hard to come by in Key West, so this property is a gem for families or larger groups. The inside has been recently renovated with calming neutral tones and standout features include two comfy couches with pops of colorful pillows and a round wooden dining table that seats five.  

There's a parking spot included, although you probably won't need your car during your stay since many of the most famous Key West restaurants, like DJ's Clam Shack, are only feet away. 

The lower level of the townhomes includes an open floor plan with a kitchen, dining room, and full bathroom. Upstairs, the pitched roof makes the bedrooms extra cozy and there's also a sitting nook. 

This home has some availability in May and June, but fully opens up starting in July.

Cozy cottage with a hot tub, $243

Book this cozy cottage with a hot tub starting from $243 per night 

A great property for families, this large cottage is loaded with rustic charm, from the wood paneling throughout the kitchen to the retro bathroom fixtures. Each bedroom is outfitted with a plus, King-sized bed, and the living room boasts a comfy sofa and side chair along with a dedicated workspace.

The home has a fenced backyard with a beautiful garden area. The outdoor oasis includes a private hot tub, a bamboo enclosed outdoor shower, and a patio dining set that seats four. 

It's tough to beat the location, just one block from Duval street, and there's a parking spot included. The cottage is also walking distance to Mallory Square, which is home to the best street entertainers and sunsets in Key West. If you're a pet owner, you can bring your pooch to this dog-friendly property. 

This popular listing has limited availability over the next few months, but availability is subject to change.

Colorful condo steps from Duval, $250

Book this colorful condo starting from $250 per night 

The huge deck and central location make this condo in downtown Key West a prime choice. Aptly named Bella Vita, or "good life," the property has a wrap-around porch with white Adirondack chairs for relaxing or some good old-fashioned people watching during downtime.  

The interiors are decorated in bright, cheery colors, including orange and turquoise walls, a red leather sofa, and blue accent pillows. The large master bedroom has a King-sized bed, a desk/vanity space, matching bedside tables, and a sound machine to enjoy a peaceful sleep. and the bathroom has an indulgent frameless glass walk-in shower. The galley-style kitchen includes bar seating at the kitchen counter. 

The ground-floor condo is also close to nearby bike and scooter rentals, so you can cruise around the island in style. 

This home has availability starting in July. It typically books well in advance, so it's worth planning ahead and booking a late summer or even a fall or winter trip now.

Cheerful condo near Mallory Square, $280

Book this cheerful condo starting from $280 per night 

With a large, shaded balcony overlooking the nearby cluster of Victorian-style homes and located within a quiet gated community in the Truman Annex, it's no surprise that this listing gets a near-perfect rating. 

The inside of the condo is painted in bright yellows and blues, creating a sunny vibe that matches its location. The living area is found upstairs and includes plenty of seating options for lounging around, including a contemporary sofa lined with oversized pillows and a velvet armchair.   

The dining area seats up to five, and the kitchen was recently updated with white shaker cabinets and gray stone countertops. There's a porthole above the kitchen sink that gives it a slight maritime theme, which continues with seascape art and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with model ships and starfish. 

The historic Hemingway house, Maritime Museum, and Truman White House are all close by. The condo is also a short walk to Zachary Taylor Park, one of the top public beaches in Key West. Bike rentals are only a block away, and the condo includes bike storage for guests.

Currently, the owners require a 28-day rental commitment, though that may change in the coming months.  

Tropical Old Town bungalow close to the beach, $304

Book this tropical bungalow starting from $304 per night

Step inside this breezy bungalow located in between Key West's Art Gallery District and the Historic District, two pedestrian-friendly areas of Key West. 

The interior of the unit is bright and airy, decorated in complementary shades of coral, lime green, and blue. The main living area has an open floor plan and the kitchen has a two-tier island that overlooks the living room. Relax on the cream-colored couch that's adorned with palm leaf printed pillows under a palm leaf fan to really get into beach mode. 

A matching palm leaf fan is found in the bedroom, which also boasts an elevated deck with a hot tub and high-top dining setup. Back inside, the bathroom has a spacious walk-in shower, and there's a full-size washer/dryer in the hallway. 

There's a shared courtyard space with a pool and a grill, and the property is also less than a mile from the beach, so after you settle in, you can make a beeline for the warm waters.

This home still has a few dates open in May and June, with more dates opening up in July and August.

Secluded hideaway with a private hot tub, $311

Book this secluded hideaway starting from $311 per night

Tucked away in historic Old Town, this quaint cottage is great for those who want want to be close to the action on Duval Street (only half a block away), and who also value their privacy. 

The space is decorated in a tropical theme with green and turquoise linens and dark wood furniture. The kitchen features new cabinets, granite countertops, and full-sized stainless steel appliances. There's also a deep brown leather sofa bed in the living room that's within eyesight of the open-plan bedroom. Both the bedroom and the living room have large French doors that lead out to the deck, creating a relaxing indoor/outdoor setup when fully open. 

The spacious deck is the real selling point of this property, with a four-person jetted hot tub,  rattan patio seating, and a grill for making meals al fresco. The property even includes a large mango tree that has been lovingly preserved by being integrated into the design of the deck. 

There's also a shared pool about a block away, and the cottage is within walking distance to the famed Cuban Coffee Queen and the free Duval shuttle bus. 

This home still has a few dates open in May and June, with more dates opening up in July and August.

Historic Key West suite in Old Town, $447

Book this historic Key West suite in Old Town starting from $447 per night 

Guests staying at this property get to experience a piece of Florida history. This suite is part of a property in Old Town that was built in 1889, and it's only three blocks from Duval Street. 

Though technically a guesthouse suite, the first-floor accommodation has its own entrance and is entirely private. The kitchen has modern appliances, warm recessed lighting, and a dining area with an expandable table. In the sitting area, there's a loveseat that can fold out into a bed and a folding screen that can be used to create a private sleeping space.

Outside, there's an expansive deck and a wicker patio set with a coffee table and an ottoman, ideal for sipping coffee in the morning or cocktails in the afternoon. The grounds of the yellow guesthouse feel like a secret garden, with a brick path winding around the tropical landscaping to a pond. Guests can also access a pool that's shared with other units. Past guests have described this listing as a "tropical paradise."

This home still has a few dates open in April and May, with more availability in June and July.

More great Florida Airbnbs

• The best Airbnbs in Miami
• The best Airbnbs in Orlando
• The best Airbnbs in Florida

For some, the $100,000-and-up Mercedes-Benz S-Class just isn't luxurious enough. For them, there's the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

It's a lavish land yacht that will carry an eye-watering MSRP of $184,900 when it hit dealers this summer, the carmaker announced Wednesday.

Mercedes took the wraps off of the 2021 version of the sedan during an online event in November, revealing a revamped exterior design and a host of new, ultra-luxurious features inside the cabin. It stands to reason that, since Maybach owners don't spend much time in the driver's seat, most of the exciting interior upgrades can be found in the back seat. 

And — with a wheelbase that's several inches longer than the standard S-Class— there's plenty of room back there for swanky features like massaging leg rests, a multicolored ambient-lighting setup, champagne flutes, and copious amounts of wood trim. 

Although most of us will never know such luxury firsthand, you can take a virtual look at the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 below:

The new-for-2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sports a new design with an exclusive, imposing radiator grille.

It comes in ten two-tone paint options, a signature Maybach feature.

You can also tell it apart from a standard Mercedes offering by the Maybach lettering up front …

And by the illuminated Maybach emblem on the C-pillar.

The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 has a wheelbase that's seven inches longer than the standard model, and is larger all around than its predecessor.

It's powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 with a claimed 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, and it rides on cushy air suspension.

However, you don't spend deep six figures on a Maybach for its classy look or its performance, you do it for its palatial interior packed with optional and standard luxury features.

The leather seats have more massaging capability than before, now offering up ten preset programs, two levels of intensity, and massaging calf rests.

Naturally, the seats are climate-controlled as well, and they now include neck and shoulder heating functions.

The "executive rear seat plus" package swaps the standard bench seat for two individual rear seats separated by a center console.

Even the Maybach's new rear airbags are fancy, deploying in a "gentle manner," according to Mercedes.

The electronic rear doors swing open at the push of a button and can be operated from the driver's seat.

The doors have flush-mounted handles that pop out when they're needed.

Buyers unsatisfied with the leather-to-wood balance in the cabin can now opt for wood trim on the front seat backs.

They can also potentially outfit their vehicle with up to five screens, including a digital gauge cluster, a 12.8-inch center touchscreen, a rear tablet, and two rear-mounted displays.

The entertainment system comes with two wireless headsets.

Other options include a refrigerated cubby and a champagne flute set with spots on the armrest to hold them.

The silver-plated flutes cost $830 each on Maybach's website.

Some other standard features include 64-color ambient lighting, a fragrance system, and powered window shades.

For extra comfort, Mercedes outfitted the Maybach S-Class with an active noise-canceling system.

Mercedes says the upgraded drive-mode selector now delivers smoother acceleration in "Chauffeur mode."

Mercedes said the new model will arrive at US dealers in the middle of 2021.

• Wearing hiking pants instead of jeans offers protection against the elements and moisture management.
• The best hiking pants are stretchy, have a gusseted crotch for movement, and handle dirt and sweat.
• Our top pick, the Columbia Saturday Trail Pant, is durable and versatile with zip-off legs.

If you're headed out for an easy day hike, throw on a pair of hiking boots and whatever shorts or leggings you have lying around and just get out there. But if you're off on a technical hike with the sun blasting down on your and rock scrambles, or on an overnight backpacking trip, you'll be a lot happier if you wear hiking-specific pants.

Read more: 10 hiking essentials for spring

Women's hiking pants are made for movement and comfort, with many featuring stretchy fabric and a gusseted crotch so you can stretch, reach, and twist without restriction. What's more, most pairs have features that protect against the elements, like UPF to offer sun protection for your skin, DWR finishes to repel water, and abrasion-resistant patches so you won't tear the fabric as you scoot over big rocks. 

Hiking-specific pants are also designed to be worn with a backpack, meaning you won't typically find excess fabric or unnecessary belt loops on the waistband capable of causing pressure points or becoming uncomfortable. The best hiking pants aren't just for hiking, either, but perform well enough for you to wear while traveling or running errands around town.

You'll also want to find a pair that's sun-, dirt-, and water-resistant, even if you hike in an area that doesn't always encounter intense elements or weather changes. And finally, fit is a vital consideration, and not just how it feels around your waist. Some pants come in a variety of lengths and its always better to have excess coverage and roll up your pant legs as opposed to not fully protecting your lower legs. 

To help you sift through the growing market of hiking pants, we rounded up a few pairs of our favorites from brands like The North Face, Columbia Sportswear, and Eddie Bauer. At the end of this guide, we go into more detail on how we tested the picks.

Here are the best women's hiking pants: 

• Best hiking pants overall: Columbia Sportswear Saturday Trail Convertible Pant
• Best wear-anywhere hiking pants: Prana Briann Pant
• Best capri-style hiking pants: The North Face Aphrodite 2.0 Capri
• Best hiking pants for mountaineering: Eddie Bauer Women's Guide Pro Pants
• Best hiking leggings: Fjällräven Abisko Women's Trekking Tights 

Best hiking pants overall

Tough, abrasion-resistant stretch nylon fabric makes the Columbia Sportswear Saturday Trail Convertible Pant a great option for women looking for one garment that does it all.

Pros: Zip-off legs, gusseted crotch, made of stretch fabric that repels water

Cons: They run small so it's smart to size up

Size range: 2-16 in short, regular, and long

Hikers will love that the legs on these zip off, adding an extra layer of versatility, allowing you to switch to shorts if need be. When worn as pants, a subtle flap covers the zipper to avoid snagging on anything as you hike.

A gusseted crotch allows for full freedom of movement and the pant's articulated knees won't pull up or feel binding when you're stepping up or down. Side-zip security pockets safely hold an ID or credit card while leg hem cinches keep out bugs and debris. The fabric is rated for UPF 50, meaning you're able to wear these in the sun without having to worry about getting burned, too.

The comfortable stretch fabric repels water and resists stains while breathing and wicking moisture away from your skin to keep you dry and comfortable. These pants feature a mid-rise design, come in three different lengths, and have enough give in the fabric to fit a variety of body shapes and sizes. Consider sizing up, though; they run small. 

Best wear-anywhere

The Prana Briann Pant pant is able to do it all, from trekking through the backcountry to remaining comfortable around the house for daily use.

Pros: Stretch fabric is perfect for a variety of use cases, features SPF 50+ protection, repels water, available in three length choices

Cons: The fitted, skinny leg style may not be suitable for everyone

Size range: 00-14 in short and regular

These stretchy, slim fit pants don't scream technical trail attire and are perfect as a travel pant, allowing you to wear them at a city tour, a hike, or while out to dinner with friends.

Stretchy and water repellent, the Briann stays comfortable no matter if you've been in them for hours or days, and they won't look saggy or worn down. Made from durable, abrasion-resistant stretch nylon, the pants quick-dry moisture, offer SPF 50+ protecting, and repel water. They're designed as a mid-rise pant with belt loops and a button closure. Prana offers the Briann in three length choices and seven different colorways.

Best capri-style

The Aphrodite 2.0 Capri from The North Face features oversized leg openings, making them cool in hot weather without leaving you as exposed as a pair of shorts.

Pros: Capri style keeps you cool in hot weather without completely exposing your legs, adjustable drawcord allows for a custom fit

Cons: Fit runs big

Size range: XS-3X

The waistband is two inches wide, so it won't dig or chafe, even when you're huffing up a steep incline or hauling a heavy backpack. An adjustable drawcord at the waist lets you easily cinch the pants for a customized fit.

The North Face manufactured the Aphrodite from durable, breathable fabric that quickly wicks and dries, allowing them to stay comfortable whether you're hiking in the rain or breaking a sweat. A concealed zippered compartment inside the hand pocket secures valuables like car keys and its triple-stitched seams can endure miles of hard use. The shirring on the legs adds flair, so you could throw these on over your yoga tights en route to class if you don't feel like walking around in Lycra.

Best for mountaineering

Made for professional mountain guides, the Eddie Bauer Women's Guide Pro Pants are lightweight, packable, and constructed from a stretchy fabric that lasts for years of hard use.

Pros: Features UPF 50+ protection, highly durable, zippered pockets able to hold plenty of loose gear like phones, wallets, etc.

Cons: Sizing can be a little tricky

Size range: 0-16

These pants are rugged and durable enough to survive anything the outdoors throws at you, and feature a treated water-repelling finish and UPF 50+ protection.

The Guide Pro Pants offer a style reminiscent of a pair of stretch jeans and feature two hand pockets, a button waist, and belt loops. Zippered pockets on the thighs are big enough to hold a phone, wallet, or ID, too. They're styled as a mid-rise pant and come in seven different colors.

Eddie Bauer designed these for women with a somewhat curvy figure, so check the sizing guide before choosing which pair to buy.

Best leggings

The Fjällräven Abisko Women's Trekking Tights are very comfortable with stretch fabric, a very flattering fit, and reinforced at the knees and butt for durability and protection if you fall, slide, or need to scoot.

Pros: Stretchy, reinforced in key areas, wide waistband, gusseted, flatlock seams reduce chafing, interior drawcord for better fit, gear loops, phone pocket

Cons: Expensive, limited sizing, too long for short folks, can get hot during sunny summer hikes

Size range: XS-XL

Like most millennials, I prefer to wear leggings over pants in pretty much every situation, especially during exercise. The Fjällräven Abisko Women's Trekking Tights are ideal if you want a close-to-body feel and flattering fit on a more technical hike. 

Made from 82% nylon and 18% elastane, these tights are the perfect balance of stretchy and durable. They're breathable and sweat-wicking, though they're a little too thick for hot summer hikes. The best part about these tights are the reinforced knees and butt areas, which offer abrasion-resistance on the areas you're most likely to scrape against the ground slipping, sliding, or scooting.

They also have a convenient phone pocket for quick pics on your hike, and an interior drawcord for a tighter fit around the waist if you need.

The downside is they're quite pricey. But if you hike a lot or are heading out for a big trip where you need reliable, durable bottoms, the splurge may be worth it. —Rachael Schultz

How we test

Each of the hiking pants featured in this guide went through a series of on-trail tests to see how well they compared based on these four categories: Fit, function, versatility, and value. Here's how each category factored into which hiking pants I ultimately included:

• Fit: A hiking pant's fit is perhaps the single most important category when assessing whether it's worth spending money on or not. When testing, I looked for everything from how it felt to wear casually, how it held up on both casual and technical hikes, and whether it remained comfortable enough to wear post-trail. 
• Function: There is plenty of women-designed outdoor apparel that skimps when it comes to including functional pockets (or any kind of storage), so this was a key consideration. Even if you tend to hike with a pack, there's still a need for being able to store a smartphone or your keys in a pant pocket, instead of fishing them out of your bag all day. 
• Versatility: Being able to wear a pair of hiking pants outside of its singular intended purpose is important for a couple of reasons: You don't always have the time or space to change right after a hike and if you're investing in quality pants, you should be able to put them to use in other scenarios.
• Value: Value is less the final sticker price as much as it's the combination of the three categories above as well as how much it costs. I often subscribe to the idea that it's better to spend more on something that's built to last than to spend less, more often on an inferior product. 

The hottest investing trend on Wall Street over the past year faces a reckoning as shares of many high-profile special purpose acquisition companies have plunged over the past few weeks. 

Fast-rising bond yields and interest rates not only sent high-flying tech stocks into correction territory but also triggered a broad sell-off in SPACs. The IPOX SPAC index fell 20% from its February peak. The $75.4 million Defiance Next Gen SPAC Derived ETF (SPAK), which tracks a basket of pre-merger and post-merger SPACs, was down 16.84% in the past month. 

Several investors now stand to profit if the sell-off continues: the 20 most-shorted SPACs have collectively amassed $2.7 billion in short interest, according to data provided to Insider by Ihor Dusaniwsky, the managing director of predictive analytics at S3 Partners.

Meanwhile, SPAC investors are taking the broad slump differently.

Evan Ratner, a SPAC portfolio manager at Easterly Investment Partners, said the boom — driven by retail and institutional investors alike — happened at such a rapid pace that the market needs time to digest. 

"The banks have pushed a ton of supply into the market and we are kind of in a digestion phase because there's so much SPAC paper out there that people need to stop and refocus," Ratner said in a recent interview. "I think it's going to take one or two really good deals to get announced to get people to wake back up and say these things should trade at a premium again."

The market sell-off can also prove lucrative for those who know how to capitalize on SPACs trading below their net asset values.

Julian Klymochko, who runs the active SPAC-focused Accelerate Arbitrage Fund (ARB), said he was "very happy" to see the correction because his arbitrage strategy works best when he can buy SPACs at or below NAV and sell them at a premium after a deal is announced.

"A lot of the high fliers came down very hard. We own mostly SPACs a discount now," Klymochko said in a recent interview. "We've been buying like crazy over the past few days because there's a ton of SPACs available below cash value, that's a solid arbitrage."

To be sure, SPAC issuance has continued at a record pace despite the recent slump, with 239 SPACs having raised $76.9 billion this year as of Wednesday, according to SPAC Research. 

That's part of the reason why Mark Yusko, who runs the Morgan Creek Exos SPAC Originated ETF (SPXZ), remains optimistic. 

"We had the big run-up in a number of names, and certain SPACs were overvalued," Yusko said in an interview. "We think the SPAC boom is really just getting started, and we think it will be more than half of IPOs, maybe three-quarters of IPOs at steady state."

As of Wednesday morning, a lot of SPACs had rebounded amid a broad market rally. However, the SPAC market remains inefficient and inaccessible to some investors. 

Matthew Tuttle, who manages the SPAC and New Issue ETF (SPCX), said in a recent interview that most of the wirehouses such as Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley prohibit their brokers from selling SPACs.

"That just didn't make any sense, so at some point, that will change and a whole group of retail investors will be able to come into these," Tuttle said. "And that'll be interesting to see whether you get kind of a second boom when all the people who work with wirehouses are buying SPACs."

For now, some investors have capitalized on the recent slump in SPACs by betting against them. Dusaniwsky at S3 Partners compiled the 20 most heavily-shorted ones for Insider. 

Listed below are their tickers, short interests as percentages of floats, fees, and short interest amounts (rounded to the millions), according to the analytics firm. 

SEE ALSO: A 22-year Baillie Gifford veteran shares 2 stocks on the right side of seismic technological changes — and explains why the firm makes early bets on ambitious companies with long-term visions such as Tesla and Alibaba

1. Churchill Capital Corp. IV

Ticker: CCIV 

Short interest as a percentage of float: 14.55%

Fee: 3.82%

Short interest amount: $732 million

Source: S3 Partners

2. Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. V

Ticker: IPOE

Short interest as a percentage of float: 25.23%

Fee: 8.07%

Short interest amount: $356 million

Source: S3 Partners

3. Star Peak Energy Transition Corp.

Ticker: STPK

Short interest as a percentage of float: 20.79%

Fee: 3.82%

Short interest amount: $183 million

Source: S3 Partners

4. ChargePoint Holdings

Ticker: CHPT

Short interest as a percentage of float: 3.41%

Fee: 54.07%

Short interest amount: $161 million

Source: S3 Partners

5. dMY Technology Group, Inc. II

Ticker: DMYD

Short interest as a percentage of float: 16.72%

Fee: 1.70%

Short interest amount: $73 million

Source: S3 Partners

6. ArcLight Clean Transition Corp.

Ticker: ACTC

Short interest as a percentage of float: 12.42%

Fee: 23.07%

Short interest amount: $57 million

Source: S3 Partners

7. VG Acquisition Corp.

Ticker: VGAC

Short interest as a percentage of float: 10.11%

Fee: 1.45%

Short interest amount: $53 million

Source: S3 Partners

8. Property Solutions Acquisition Corp.

Ticker: PSAC

Short interest as a percentage of float: 14.31%

Fee: 19.82%

Short interest amount: $50 million

Source: S3 Partners

9. CIIG Merger Corp.

Ticker: CIIC

Short interest as a percentage of float: 11.04%

Fee: 20.32%

Short interest amount: $50 million

Source: S3 Partners

10. TPG Pace Beneficial Finance Corp.

Ticker: TPGY

Short interest as a percentage of float: 7.18%

Fee: 14.07%

Short interest amount: $45 million

Source: S3 Partners

11. Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp.

Ticker: NGA

Short interest as a percentage of float: 11.08%

Fee: 7.07%

Short interest amount: $45 million

Source: S3 Partners

12. Collective Growth Corporation

Ticker: CGRO

Short interest as a percentage of float: 25.08%

Fee: 8.32%

Short interest amount: $44 million 

Source: S3 Partners

13. Atlas Crest Investment Corp.

Ticker: ACIC

Short interest as a percentage of float: 7.58%

Fee: 2.82%

Short interest amount: $42 million 

Source: S3 Partners

14. Pershing Square Tontine Holdings Ltd.

Ticker: PSTH

Short interest as a percentage of float: 0.69%

Fee: 0.30%

Short interest amount: $38 million 

Source: S3 Partners

15. Butterfly Network, Inc.

Ticker: BFLY 

Short interest as a percentage of float: 1.47%

Fee: 1.95%

Short interest amount: $36 million 

Source: S3 Partners

16. Jaws Acquisition Corp.

Ticker: JWS

Short interest as a percentage of float: 3.69%

Fee: 1.57%

Short interest amount: $34 million 

Source: S3 Partners

17. Stable Road Acquisition Corp.

Ticker: SRAC

Short interest as a percentage of float: 13.78%

Fee: 12.57%

Short interest amount: $33 million 

Source: S3 Partners

18. Finserv Acquisition Corp.

Ticker: FSRV

Short interest as a percentage of float: 9.76%

Fee: 5.32%

Short interest amount: $33 million 

Source: S3 Partners

19. VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings

Ticker: VIH

Short interest as a percentage of float: 9.91%

Fee: 2.82%

Short interest amount: $28 million 

Source: S3 Partners

20. GigCapital3, Inc.

Ticker: GIK

Short interest as a percentage of float: 8.87%

Fee: 2.57%

Short interest amount: $26 million 

Source: S3 Partners

Insider Intelligence estimates that advertisers will spend nearly $1 trillion on global advertising by 2024.

At any given time, dozens of big advertisers are looking to hire ad agencies to handle that spending.

To make these and other key decisions, many brands hire from a little-known category of firms called management consultancies or search consultants. These consultants act as gatekeepers, deciding which agencies get to compete for advertisers' business.

There's a lot of money at stake. Search firms can charge big advertisers $150,000 to $350,000 for each six-to-nine month search, said Tom Denford, co-CEO of search firm ID Comms.

The field is dominated by a few firms, but competition is heating up as former ad execs enter the fray. Some insiders expect the consulting giants will also get more active in the field. KPMG doesn't conduct standalone searches, but the firm just hired a former Flock Associates exec to expand its US marketing consultancy. And search firms also compete with marketers' own procurement departments, which many use to save time and money.

Agencies also spend thousands to win advertisers' business every year, and as their budgets get tighter, they need to be up on the consulting firms and know which brands to pitch.

The search space took a hit over the past year as clients cut budgets and delayed hiring new agencies, but several execs said the last few months have been their busiest ever. Consulting firm R3 Worldwide, which tracks agency searches globally, counted more than 6,000 in 2020, compared to 5,600 in 2018 and around 4,500 in 2017.

Insider identified the following top 13 firms, listed in alphabetical order, based on existing and original reporting.

AAR Partners

Full-time employees: 5

Recent clients: Brown-Forman, Audible, Self Financial 

One of the oldest search consultancies, AAR Partners has been backed by private equity since List Partners acquired it in 2018.

The firm started in 1975 as Advertising Agency Register, providing a catalog that marketers could use to confidentially review the then-rapidly growing number of ad agencies, said president Lisa Colantuono.

AAR makes most of its money from agency searches in areas such as creative, media and PR. It also makes money charging agencies to be included in the registry, with annual fees ranging from $450 to several thousand dollars depending on an agency's size and services it receives.

Colantuono said she doesn't engage in the "pay-for-play" practice that has been a sticking point, because she doesn't only recommend agencies in her directory. She said most contracts she arranges last more than three years.

AAR recently expanded its services to advise agencies on issues like intellectual property and help marketers who want to run their own agency searches.

Ark Advisors

Full-time employees: 2

Recent clients: Prudential, Hotels.com, Visit Philadelphia

Founded 13 years ago by former execs at ad agencies and brands like Kraft Heinz, Ark Advisors works with small advertisers all the way up to big names like Tiffany & Co., said owner Ken Robinson.

The firm pitches itself as having extensive knowledge of agencies of all sizes and not charging agencies directly for its services.

Ark Advisors also helps marketers evaluate their contracts on an annual basis.

Robinson said the agency search business has been healthy during the downturn, but sees a full recovery being months away because CMOs aren't ready to commit to long-term spending.

Ebiquity

Full-time employees: 520

Recent clients: Unilever, BMW, Enterprise

One of the biggest companies by headcount, the firm has a strong presence in Europe and Asia, while it faces stiff competition from MediaLink in the US.

CEO Nick Waters, who previously worked at WPP and Dentsu, said the firm focuses exclusively on media-buying agencies, running an average of 100 searches per year.

But most of Ebiquity's revenue comes from auditing marketers' ad planning and buying to make sure they're spending money effectively and their agencies are delivering.

When Accenture folded its auditing practice last year, Ebiquity picked up more than a dozen of Accenture's top clients.

Ebiquity ran just 60 searches in 2020 due to the pandemic, but Waters said he's seen a significant uptick in recent months as marketers review their capabilities and see that hard-hit agencies are more likely to accept lower fees.

Flock Associates

Full-time employees: 60

Recent clients: McDonald's, Johnson & Johnson, Ford

Around a third of Flock Associates' revenue comes from agency searches. Another third involves helping clients manage talent and the rest concerns improving marketing processes and helping CMOs with their tech and data strategies.

In recent years, the firm created a new agency model at Omnicom for McDonald's and helped Ford hire new agencies, review its handling of commercial production work, and rewrite its contracts with WPP.

Revenue should return to pre-COVID levels by late 2021 as more brands look to optimize their marketing, CEO Simon Francis predicted.

In addition to other agency search firms, Flock competes with big-name consultancies like McKinsey, BCG, and KPMG for top clients like McDonald's and Johnson & Johnson.

ID Comms

Full-time employees: 40

Recent clients: T-Mobile, Hershey, Lindt & Sprüngli

ID Comms, founded by former Nike and Dentsu execs, specializes in helping big brands in Europe and the US review their ad budgets and search for ad agencies.

The firm recently acquired PJL Media to expand the media auditing service that goes with the search process. Co-CEO Tom Denford said demand has increased since a 2016 Association of National Advertisers report uncovered alleged kickback schemes among media-buying agencies.

The firm recently created a project management system so marketers can find an agency without sharing proprietary information via email.

ID Comms prides itself on turning down big brands that are just looking to cut their agency costs, which Denford said hurts the agencies' business and commoditizes search firms' work.

Joanne Davis Consulting

Full-time employees: 4

Recent clients: TD Bank, Intel, Buffalo Wild Wings

Joanne Davis founded the firm in 2000, and her pitch is that she avoids conflicts of interest by only taking fees from marketers and not agencies. She maintains a free agency database and also doesn't do media audits, which she said can motivate consultants to find problems in hopes the client will hire them to do an agency search.

Joanne Davis Consulting also trains marketers on how to write agency creative briefs, documents that say what a company wants in an ad campaign; and acts as an intermediary to agencies and clients that don't want to launch searches, she said.

During the pandemic, Davis said her firm helped many marketers renegotiate their agency contracts, often helping them get lower agency fees.

The New York-based consultancy also works with Amsterdam-based search firm Scan International. Davis said her new business pipeline is full and expects many big brands to search for agencies this year.

MediaLink

Full-time employees: 125

Recent clients: Walmart, Walgreen's, JPMorgan Chase 

MediaLink is the best-known US consulting firm, due to its role organizing industry events like CES and the Cannes Lions Festival where its execs are known for connecting CMOs with agencies. 

CEO Michael Kassan said agency searches are 20% of the firm's revenue and growing. He said another 10% comes from events, 10% from executive searches, and more than half from advising marketers in areas like M&A and restructuring.

MediaLink had a tough 2020, with losses and top execs laid off. But Kassan said it's been busy in recent months with several big-name projects, like Walgreen's agency search and this year's first all-virtual CES.

MediaSense

Full-time employees: 70

Recent clients: Coca-Cola, Sanofi, Kraft Heinz

MediaSense is running the industry's biggest agency search, for Coca-Cola, and Graham Brown, co-founder and CEO, said he expects 2021 to be a busy year for agency searches after a relatively quiet 2020. 

The majority of its business comes from helping brands get the most value out of their ad dollars. MediaSense has a presence in Asia, India, the US, and Europe and boasts long-term relationships with most of its clients.

Pitching is expensive and time consuming for agencies, and Brown said it could be a tough year for them. He said MediaSense tries to manage expectations for agencies and clients.

"We have a sense of responsibility to these people," Brown said. "To our clients first and to the people pitching."

Pile & Co.

Full-time employees: 8

Recent clients: Comcast, CVS Health, Post Consumer Brands

Boston-based Pile & Co., founded in 1987, is one of the older management consultancies. President Meghan McDonnell, who has been with the firm since 1999, said that familiarity has helped the firm compete as new consultants enter the industry and marketers increasingly use their procurement departments to find agencies.

"Plenty of times, clients come to us and we find that the issue is not changing agencies but putting in a process to improve a relationship or change up the team that's on the business," she said.

McDonnell said business initially slowed in the pandemic but picked up as clients started spending again.

R3 Worldwide

Full-time employees: 100

Recent clients: Philips, Samsung, Nestle China

Founded in 2002 by former agency exec Greg Paull, R3 Worldwide is one of the largest search firms, with big clients in China, India, and Europe.

Paull said a big share of R3's business involves consulting to marketers to improve their agency relationships, as it's done for client Colgate-Palmolive and its agency WPP for the past four years.

Paull said for agencies wanting to be known to R3, he recommends they reach out and share their most recent work.

The pandemic didn't have much of an impact on R3's revenue even though searches slowed down because business in China picked up and the firm's marketing consulting work stayed steady, Paull said.

"A lot of clients just want an opinion on how they're doing," he said.

Rojek Consulting

Full-time employees: 4

Recent clients: White Castle, Planet Fitness, Signet Jewelers

CEO Lorraine Stewart said that unlike other firms that focus on costs and capabilities, Rojek focuses on agency culture in doing searches, as it did for Signet jewelers and its Kay, Zales, and Jared brands.

Most of Rojek's revenue comes from search fees, but during the pandemic, it started selling agencies new tools to develop data-based organizational profiles, position themselves in the market, and plan M&A.

2020 was busy for Rojek, with marketers dropping agencies, seeking lower fees, or shifting toward a performance-based model. Stewart said the new tools would help the firm grow as agencies pay more attention to culture in the remote work environment.

She also predicted that the health and wellness industry would be especially active in 2021 as insurance companies, hospitals, pharma giants, and medical equipment makers reassess their marketing in the pandemic.

Roth Ryan Hayes

Full-time employees: 7

Recent clients: Home Depot, Enterprise Holdings, The National Football League

Roth Ryan Hayes was founded as Roth Associates in 1988 by Dick Roth, a longtime consultant who died in early 2021. Today the firm is run by CEO Matt Ryan and partner Chris Hayes, to whom Roth sold a controlling stake in 2016.

Ryan is a former WPP, Havas, and IPG exec, and said his team stands out because of its longstanding agency experience. He said while the firm does its own research as part of a search, agencies can get on his radar by winning awards or sharing their work with the firm.

"When we do a search, we do a lot of digging around on our own based on the marketer's criteria," Ryan said. "It's not a requirement for an agency to be in contact with us."

Select Resources International

Full-time employees: 9

Recent clients: Sam's Club, Humana, McDonald's

30-year-old Select Resources International does agency searches for marketers, inviting around 800 agencies to compete in searches each year, CEO Catherine Bension said.

Recently, it helped Sam's Club pick WPP's VMLY&R as its main agency in one of the first completely remote pandemic searches. In 2017, it helped McDonald's consolidate its US franchise agencies to seven from 60. 

Around 65% of its business comes from execs it has worked with in the past, like CMOs moving to new companies, Bension said. SRI also has a PR search practice that's based in Nashville.

In recent years, the firm has shifted to helping clients take greater control of their data and production work and with diversity and inclusion efforts.

SRI also has a subscription program that guarantees agencies meetings with the firm, and it consults with marketers preparing to renegotiate agency contracts.

• The right cycling shoe can mean the difference between a great ride and terrible foot pain.
• I tested 11 pairs and consulted a SoulCycle instructor and a podiatrist to find the best spin shoes.
• Our top pick, the Giro Cadets, deliver superior breathability, support, and comfort.

Whether you're the proud owner of a new Peloton or you're tired of sweating in rental shoes at a studio, a great pair of cycling shoes is an integral part of enjoying your spin class and getting a great workout. The wrong pair of shoes could lead to cramping, discomfort, or blistering, and the best cycling shoe is the one you don't have to think about at all.

But the cycling shoe market is broad, and Olympic road cyclists, mountain bikers, and SoulCycle lovers all have different needs. This means there's not exactly a one-size-fits-all spin shoe designed to tackle it all.

For help narrowing down what to look for, I consulted with two experts: NASM-certified personal trainer and spin instructor, Nicky Swierszcz, who spoke on fit, sizing, cleat styles, and shoe designs, and, Dr. Ryan Minara, D.P.M., Chief of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and former Podiatry Captain for the New York City Triathlon.

My actual testing comprised 11 separate pairs of cycling shoes worn over hundreds of miles worth of spin classes. The intent was to find a pair capable of providing the most supportive and comfortable ride in both an at-home and in-studio spin setting. My top picks balance value and comfort to ensure you get the most out of your workout. 

A note on gendered shoes

Athletic shoes tend to be gendered not because of style but because of slight differences in the typical morphologies of male and female feet. Male feet tend to be slightly wider in both the toes and the heel, but according to Dr. Minara, this may not be true across the board. He stressed the importance of trying any athletic shoe on — regardless of whether or not it's designed for men or women — before you use it in order to ensure you're getting the right fit for your foot shape and size. 

Several of the shoes we recommend come in both men's and women's sizing, but individual comfort and fit matter much more than the gendered label on the shoe.

Here are the best shoes: 

• Best BOA spin shoes overall: Giro Cadet (Men's and Women's)
• Best velcro spin shoes overall: Pearl Izumi Quest Studio (Men's and Women's) 
• Best BOA spin shoes on a budget: Specialized Torch 1.0
• Best velcro spin shoes on a budget: Shimano RP1

Best BOA overall

The Giro Cadet cycling shoe comfortably cradles your foot as you ride thanks to the combination of a BOA closure and comfortable ankle padding that doesn't make the shoe feel bulky.

Pro: BOA closure tightens uniformly, Velcro straps stops toe shifting, nice padding around ankle, split tongue, breathable, very lightweight

Cons: Slippery when walking around off the bike, runs slightly small

After testing 11 pairs of cycling shoes, you might think they'd all start to blend together, but the Giro Cadet shoe very quickly set itself apart. The BOA closure allows for uniform tightening across the shoe which led to an exemplary feeling of security, and the added Velcro strap ensured that my toes didn't shift back and forth as I rode.

It's the shoe I favored for personal use, so it's also the pair I clocked the most miles with. There's no considerable break-in process, so I was able to have productive rides right out of the gate, and the shoe has done nothing but get more comfortable over time. Where lesser shoes caused pinching, hotspots, and occasional numbness, I was able to all but forget about the Cadets and get lost in my ride — a surprisingly tough metric for some of these shoes to hit. 

I have a high instep, so where other shoes would cut into the front of my ankle, the Cadet compensated for it with a flexible tongue that has a slit cut down the middle of it to account for the tendons that flex in that area as you ride.

The Cadets are lightweight and breathable and have enough padding in the ankle to keep you comfortable without adding considerable bulk to the shoe. I did find that the Cadets ran about a half-size small, so size up if you're between sizes.

Giro Cadet Men's: 

Giro Cadet Women's:

Best Velcro overall

Engineered specifically for a high-heat, high-humidity spin class setting, the Pearl Izumi Quest Studio shoe is exceptionally breathable and sweat-wicking. 

Pros: Developed for studio use, antimicrobial mesh upper stays breathable, familiar fit for SoulCycle riders, three Velcro straps make shoe highly adjustable, good grip when walking around off the bike

Cons: No split tongue, long Velcro straps may hang over side of shoe slightly, runs small

If you're a frequent SoulCycle rider, the fit of the Pearl Izumi Quest Studio will likely feel quite familiar. The cult-favorite spin studio pairs with Pearl Izumi to create the rental shoe you've likely used many times. While the Quest Studio isn't exactly the same, it's similar enough that when I first slipped my feet into them, I recognized it immediately. SoulCycle fans making the first leap to their own pair of shoes might want to choose this one for the familiarity alone.

Aside from a familiar fit, the Quest Studio still stands out as a great shoe on its own. Many cycling shoes that spin class enthusiasts opt for were originally developed for road cycling, but the Quest Studio — as its name suggests — was developed specifically for a studio setting. Increased breathability and sweat-wicking take the fore to compensate for a hot, sweaty indoor environment thanks to an antimicrobial mesh upper.

Three Velcro straps make for a highly adjustable shoe with plenty of room for those who may need to keep one section looser to adjust for wide feet or a high instep. I did find the straps were pretty long, so if you're tightening them all the way, there might be some overhang, but nothing that gets in the way of your ride.

My one complaint is that many cycling shoes have a notch in the top of the tongue to account for the tendons at the front of your ankle, and the Quest Studio is missing that. If you're sensitive to pressure in that area, it might cause some discomfort. I found myself noticing it a bit during sprints.

Pearl Izumi Quest Studio Men's:

Pearl Izumi Quest Studio Women's: 

Best BOA on a budget

A BOA closure automatically ups the cost of a cycling shoe, but the Specialized Torch 1.0 manages to keep it affordable without compromising on quality or comfort.

Pros: More affordable than a typical BOA shoe, added padding under tongue, fits true to size, lightweight, comes in bold colors

Cons: Velcro strap at toes is thin, no specialized women's/men's fits, compatible with Look Delta cleats only

Where many cycling shoes limit their color palettes to black and white with the occasional pop of color, the Torch 1.0 shoes from Specialized go bold with offerings of neon red, green, and blue. Of course, you can still get a black or white pair if you want to keep it simple, but those bold colors — along with the very friendly price point for a shoe with these features — were what first attracted me to this pair.

The shoes back up some flashy presentation with a very similar closure style to the Giro Cadets. A BOA closure gives you excellent uniform support, while a Velcro strap towards the toes aims to prevent toe shift. The Velcro strip on the Torch 1.0s isn't as robust as the one on the Cadets, so I'm not sure it does a ton of work, but it does add some peace of mind.

A unique feature of the Torch 1.0s is some additional padding under the tongue, which gives you a bit more comfort on the upstroke as you pedal. It's nothing that affects the fit of the shoe too drastically, and it doesn't add any bulk, but it's a nice touch on a part of the shoe that is often neglected.

Though Specialized sees the Torch 1.0 as a beginner road cycling shoe, it checked all my boxes for a great shoe for spin class — supportive fit with no pain points or hot spots, great ventilation, and my mind wasn't on my feet while I rode.

The main shortcoming here is that Specialized doesn't offer a specific men's or women's fit, so if the construction of the shoe doesn't work for your foot's anatomy, there's no alternative fit to try. The Torch 1.0s are also the only shoe we recommend that isn't compatible with SPD cleats, though we recommend Look Deltas for spinning anyway.

Best Velcro on a budget

The Shimano RP1 is outstandingly comfortable with an upper that's plusher than many other cycling shoes, but with only two Velcro straps, the fit isn't quite as adjustable as other pairs.

Pros: Excellent padding makes for a comfortable ride, fits true to size, good grip when walking around off the bike

Cons: Only two Velcro straps, no specialized women's fit

Many cycling shoes are incredibly streamlined for increased aerodynamics and therefore aren't always the cushiest. A few of the shoes I tried had so little padding that it affected my ride in a negative way, but the Shimano RP1 shoe has plenty of padding — probably more than a road racer would want. But their loss is the spinner's gain. The RP1 really cradles the foot for a comfortable ride.

It's also the most budget-friendly shoe I tested, but it's still constructed from excellent materials including nylon mesh panels for breathability and a ventilated glass-fiber-infused sole. Shimano is also one of the most trusted players in the cycling market, producing cycling gear for a century and cycling shoes in particular since the '80s. 

The concession you'll have to make with this shoe lies mainly in adjustability. The shoe's closure consists of only two Velcro straps, and the top one does the bulk of the work. I found this shoe felt less secure around the middle part of my foot unless I really tightened the top strap. In doing that, I found it created some hot spots in my instep if I overtightened. With some practice, I was able to find the sweet spot for a comfortable ride, but you simply won't get the same custom fit of a three-strap shoe.

The RP1 also only comes in a men's fit. I didn't notice any major differences in how the RP1 fit me when compared to a women's engineered shoe, but it does have a bit of a wider toe box than a women's fit. Regardless of your gender, this is going to be a great option for those with wider feet.

What else I tested

Giro Trans BOA ($160): The Giro Trans BOA was this close to being the best overall BOA cycling shoe in this guide. It's got excellent support thanks to the BOA/Velcro closure combo, is breathable thanks to mesh ventilation panels, and I think it just looks cool. 

But Giro is slowly phasing it out in favor of new models. It's also only available in a men's fit starting at a size 39, so those with smaller feel could be out of luck. The Trans BOA only supports Look Delta cleats, while the Cadet supports both Look Delta and SPD, so the Cadet is the more versatile shoe all around.

Tomasso Pista ($125): The draw of the Tomasso Pista is that cleats come included and pre-installed on the shoe, which is great for beginners. But recently, the price jumped up by nearly $40. It was previously available for around $85, which would have made it a great budget buy. 

The quality of the shoe itself is lesser than some of the other equivalently-priced models I tested, and the fit felt bulky in a way that other shoes didn't, so it's just not worth it at the increased price.

Giro Empire E70 W Knit ($160): I was first intrigued by this shoe because it had laces — a rarity in the cycling shoe market. And those laces ended up being its downfall, not because they performed poorly but because I was constantly worried they would get caught in my pedals or come untied during my ride. They never did, but the stress wasn't worth it. 

I did appreciate how lightweight these shoes were, though, and the breathability provided by the knit upper was top-notch.

Fizik Tempo Powerstrap R5 ($120): The Velcro closures on this shoe are unique in that the bottom one crisscrosses the shoe to pull it tight in a more uniform way than a strap that merely crosses over the top. But the upper was much stiffer than other shoes I tested and lacked the padding around the ankle I had hoped for. The lack of flex led to cramping for me. I had high hopes for the unique design, but was ultimately disappointed.

Shimano RP4 ($94): The Shimano RP4 takes a unique approach with its BOA closure. Instead of having the wire tighten the whole shoe, it pulls a wide strap over the instep closed. I had a problem with how far up the strap came on the shoe, causing it to dig into my ankle and make for a very uncomfortable ride. I think a BOA closure is better suited to securing the shoe itself rather than a single strap.

Giro Techne ($100): The Techne is Giro's version of the classic three-strap Velcro cycling shoe. The fit and the ventilation were pretty baseline, but the three straps created a lot of bulk on the shoe that made it feel more unwieldy. Pulling the straps tight led to a lot of overhang. While none of this affected the ride, the shoe was simply beaten by better performers in the space.

Pearl Izumi Select Road v5 ($82.50): This was another shoe I really liked that fell victim to being phased out by the retailer. Another offering from Pearl Izumi, it felt very similar to the SoulCycle rental shoe I'd grown accustomed to. But at this point, it's only available in very limited sizes. If you can snag it in your size on sale, it'll be a great budget buy. 

How we test cycling shoes

After consulting Swierszcz about what criteria to look for in a well-made cycling shoe and top brands on the market, I narrowed my picks down to several pairs of shoes in a variety of styles. I received samples from the brands and tested 11 pairs of cycling shoes at low- to mid-range price points that still offered the durability and high-quality construction of a good cycling shoe. I wanted to test the difference between BOA closures and Velcro, and I threw in one that laced up for good measure. 

Here's everything I considered while testing:

Value: Cycling shoes come in a wide range of budgets, and serious road cyclists may spend upwards of $500 on a pair of shoes made from top-of-the-line materials that can give them a competitive edge on the bike. But if you're only clipping in to ride a stationary bike in a spin studio or at home, there's no need to drop so much cash.

I limited my selections to shoes that cost, at most, $200. Swierszcz said to expect to spend at least $100 on a pair of cycling shoes. Shoes below that price point will start to suffer in the quality of materials used to construct the shoe.

Ride test: I wore each pair of shoes for at least three 45-minute spin classes — a combination of pre-pandemic in-studio classes and rides on my SoulCycle at-home bike — to test for fit and comfort. My top picks were worn for several more rides to test beyond the break-in process. Throughout my rides, I took mental notes of any hot spots or discomfort I felt with each shoe. The best shoes were ones I didn't have to pay attention to at all. Getting lost in my ride — and not worrying about foot pain — was the best marker of a good shoe. 

I also noted how easy they were to take on and off and how easily I was able to walk around in them off the bike.

My top picks are the shoes that best balanced quality, comfort, and value.

Long-term testing: We acknowledge that issues may crop up with long-term use, and we want to test these shoes for their longevity and ultimate value for your investment. We are continuing to test each of our top picks, and we will update this guide with any issues we encounter.

How should a spin shoe fit?

Both Swierszcz and Dr. Minara repeatedly emphasized that the most important fit factor in choosing your cycling shoes is an adequate feeling of support for your entire foot. You want the shoe to fit snugly so your foot doesn't slide back and forth as you pedal. Friction from loose shoes can cause blistering and a general feeling of instability on the bike.

A shoe that's too tight can cause cramping, numbness, or tingling in your foot as you ride. Numbness is the most common problem Dr. Minara sees in cyclists who wear ill-fitting shoes, especially in those who have wide feet. "Many cyclists will also develop a very specific problem called a Morton's neuroma," Minara told Insider, "Which is inflammation of a very specific nerve called the common digital nerve."

Swierszcz often sees riders overtightening their shoes. "It's a psychological thing," she said. "People think the tighter their shoe is, the more secure their foot will be and they won't fall off the bike or whatever their fear might be. You want something that feels supportive and stable but isn't squeezing your foot. The less you have to think about your feet as you ride the better your experience is going to be."

As with any shoe, the more you wear a cycling shoe the more it molds to the shape of your foot. Some tightness can be overcome by breaking the shoes in, but don't continue to ride with a shoe that's exceedingly uncomfortable or takes away from the quality of your ride. 

"Don't take it for granted if your foot hurts. There's usually a reason for it, and that reason usually can be addressed," said Minara. Ignoring pain can lead to prolonged issues both on and off the bike. If you're having trouble finding a shoe that fits properly, Minara also suggested consulting a podiatrist to discuss a custom orthotic — and bring your cycling shoes with you when you do.

One of the hardest parts of shopping for a cycling shoe is navigating different brands' sizing charts. Cycling shoes are measured in European sizes, but each brand's sizing scheme deviates slightly. Some brands also don't offer half sizes. In that case, Swierszcz recommends sizing down. The best advice we have for ensuring you get the right size is to simply try them on. All the retailers we link to have a buyer-friendly return policy so you can exchange for a new size if necessary. For each of our picks above, we explain how sizing tends to run.

BOA vs. Velcro

A BOA closure employs a ratcheting dial that tightens a stainless steel wire to close your shoe. Twisting the dial clockwise makes the shoe tighter and pulling the dial upward releases the mechanism.

BOA closures have two distinct advantages: speed and uniform tightening. With the simple twist of the dial, your shoe is perfectly tightened and you're ready to hop on your bike. Releasing the dial allows you to slip the shoe off your foot in one swift motion. In a triathlon, every second counts — just as it does when you're late to spin class.

All the BOA shoes we recommend in this guide have just one dial, and therefore one wire that's doing the work of tightening your shoe. That wire adjusts uniformly as you tighten it, meaning your entire shoe will be adjusted proportionally, providing immediate support for your entire foot. This is important for preventing hotspots or pain points. The disadvantage, though, is that you can't personalize the fit quite as much.

Velcro closures use the same technology you sported on your light-up sneakers as a kid, but that doesn't belittle their effectiveness. It's one of the simplest ways to secure a shoe when laces are going to get in the way. A shoe that features multiple Velcro straps also allows for a more personalized fit — simply pull as tightly as you need for each section of your foot to feel supported and secure. Those with higher insteps or wider feet can choose to keep one section of the shoe looser for more breathability or to mitigate uncomfortable tightness. Swierszcz has a wide foot, so she takes advantage of this flexibility. "If I've been teaching a lot, I'll keep the center strap a little bit looser, just so my foot can breathe doesn't start cramping."

Look Delta cleats vs. SPD cleats

Almost every top spin bike on the market requires you to clip your shoes into the bike pedals in order to ride — that's why you're shopping for special shoes for spin class, after all — but the mechanism by which your shoe attaches to the pedal varies. The piece that clips in is called the cleat, and there are several styles on the market, but the two most prominent ones are SPD cleats and Look Delta cleats.

SPD cleats, or two-bolt cleats, attach to the sole of the shoe at two points. They sit at the center of the ball of your foot and provide a localized point at which the power transfers from your foot to the pedal. 

Clipping in and out of the pedals is a bit easier with SPD cleats than Look Deltas and so are favored by mountain bikers and those who ride in traffic who may have to react quickly to changing conditions. SPD cleats are also considerably smaller than Look Delta cleats and are therefore easier to walk around in off the bike.

Look Delta cleats, or three-bolt cleats, attach to the sole of your shoe at three points in the shape of a triangle. One point reaches toward your toes and two points sit at the ball of your foot. This provides a much larger surface area that attaches your shoe to the pedal creating a most stable base for your foot.

Swierszcz prefers a Look Delta cleat because of the increased support they provide. Because of the larger clip-in mechanism, Look Deltas can be more difficult to clip in and out with, especially for beginners. This leads to a disadvantage if you need to unclip quickly, but in a class setting, you won't have to worry about accidentally coming out of your pedal and losing your rhythm.

All the shoes we recommend in this guide are compatible with Look Delta cleats — and if you're just using your shoes for spin class, that's the type we recommend. Both Peloton and SoulCycle use a Look Delta cleat system as do many smaller spin studios and home bike brands. In fact, Peloton supports only Look Delta cleats unless you were to swap out the pedals entirely for ones with an SPD hookup. Both the At Home and in-studio SoulCycle bikes have dual-sided pedals — one side supports Look Delta cleats and the other supports SPDs, so you can ride with whatever cleat you prefer.

How to attach Look Delta cleats

Most cycling shoes don't come with cleats included, so you'll need to buy them separately and therefore attach them yourself. Look Delta cleats are easy to install — simply screw the three bolts into the bottom of the shoe. The cleats have some vertical allowance so you can position them closer to your toes or closer to the arch of your foot depending on your preference and riding style. 

Swierszcz recommends beginners centralize their cleats over the bolt holes and allow them to adjust themselves over time as you ride. "Everybody's physiology is set up slightly differently. Range of motion and pedal stroke are going to be different from person to person, so start with your cleats in a neutral position and let the repetitive motion break them in over time as you ride." 

That said, you shouldn't notice too much movement in your cleats from ride to ride. That's likely a sign that you didn't tighten the bolts enough. If that happens, reset them to center and make sure to tighten down your cleats a bit more.

Unilever is already one of the world's largest consumer companies. But it has huge plans for 2021 and beyond.

While the company's results have generally been stable during the pandemic thanks to sales of products like food, beverages, and cleaning products, the company has indicated some changes are in order for its portfolio. Unilever CEO Alan Jope said earlier this year that an IPO for its tea business as well as the disposal of some small beauty and personal care brands were both likely in 2021. 

On the flipside, he added that Unilever is looking to beef up its operations in areas like plant-based foods, skincare, and hygiene. Many of those efforts will focus on its three key markets, Jope said: India, China, and the US.

Currently, the company has dozens of job openings. While some focus on specific brands, others are focused on the company's data and supply chain capabilities. 

Other big food, beverage, and personal product players like PepsiCo and Impossible Foods have also kept hiring in spite of, or even thanks to opportunities provided by, the pandemic.

Each year, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification discloses salary data based on visa applications from US companies hiring foreign workers. The companies report the base salaries that they offer current or prospective workers as part of the visa application. Business Insider's research shows that Unilever recently applied for 20 H1-B visas. While the positions were located around the US, many were listed in New Jersey, where Unilever has its North American headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, near New York City.

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

Unilever employs about 155,000 people around the world. While a minority of those are employed in the US, UK-based Unilever frequently applies for visas for its workers to come to the US from abroad. 

Unilever did not respond to Insider's request for comment on this story. 

Many salaries at Unilever appear comparable to or slightly below those for similar positions at rival companies. Unilever's average salary for a reliability engineer was $51,376, with more specialized engineering roles coming close to $100,000, according to the visa data. Meanwhile, reliability engineers at Nestle made an average of $104,897 per year, according to Glassdoor.

Salary is usually part of a compensation package that typically includes bonuses and benefits.

From data scientists to brand managers, here are the annual salaries for a range of jobs at Unilever:

Brand-specific management roles can reach well into six figures

Chief financial officer, Pepsi-Lipton: The average salary is $127,535, according to two approved visa applications. 

Global brand director: Unilever received approval for one role with this title with a salary of $189,613.

Digital data specialist, skin cleansing: The average salary is $85,587.50, according to two approved visa applications. 

Supply chain professionals can make more than $90,000

Business analytics specialist, supply chain: Unilever received approval for one role with this title with a salary of $87,630.

Digital supply chain, senior data engineer: The average salary is $92,768, according to two approved visa applications. 

Engineers can make more than $98,000

Reliability engineer: The average salary is $51,376, according to two approved visa applications. 

World class manufacturing, reliability engineer: The average salary is $98,345, according to two approved visa applications. 

Other roles

Associate category channel development manager: Unilever received approval for one role with this title with a salary of $81,661.

Business Intelligence Specialist: Unilever received approval for one role with this title with a salary of $77,750.

Quality manager: The average salary is $110,000, according to three approved visa applications. 

Data scientist: Unilever received approval for one role with this title with a salary of $66,435.

• Online wine clubs deliver cases of wine and help you learn more about wine and develop your palate. 
• Winc has straightforward ordering, reliable shipping, good curation, and informative resources. 
• It's the top pick over our many years of testing and always in tune with the latest wine trends. 

This content is intended for readers 21+. Please drink responsibly. If you or anyone you know is dealing with alcohol abuse, get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) provides a free, confidential, 24/7, treatment referral, and information service.

The world of wine — with all its varietals, regions, tasting techniques, and pairing rules — can seem intimidating and difficult to navigate. Online wine clubs, however, aim to bring these barriers crashing down and make the process so easy you don't even need to leave your house. 

These monthly or quarterly subscriptions typically send you wines that fit your existing tastes while helping you expand your horizons and discover new favorites. 

"No one is born with a great palate," said Vanessa Price, a sommelier, wine writer for New York Magazine, and author of Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World, "they develop it over time. The more you expand your experiences with different types of wine, the more evolved your palate will become." 

Since you might not have the time or energy to do all the work, a wine club can fast-track that evolution. 

"Generally, wine clubs are great for those who want to be introduced to new things, but who may not be confident enough yet to select new things for themselves," said David Hamburger, director of special events at Acker, the oldest wine shop in America. "A good wine club should be somewhat instructive, sharing with members enough information about each wine to provide background, but also allow members the flexibility to enjoy it their own way — with a recipe, or food pairing suggestions." If you need extra guidance on how to taste or store your wine, head over to our FAQs here.

Safe and reliable shipping standards, subscription flexibility and customization, and unique, high-quality offerings are also important factors to keep in mind. 

With every service below, our bottles arrived on time and securely packaged. Member experience was also great across the board. You can easily skip shipments or cancel your subscription directly from your online account. 

Remember, an adult 21+ years old must be present to sign for the wine shipment. 

Here are the best wine subscriptions in 2021

• Best wine subscription overall: Winc
• Best for value: Firstleaf
• Best for sampling: Vinebox
• Best for natural and organic wine: Plonk
• Best for sparkling wine: Mumm Napa
• Best curation: Parcelle Wine Drop

SEE ALSO: The best wine openers and corkscrews you can buy

The best subscription overall

The modern wine club model is nearly perfect in Winc's hands, from its large and on-trend bottle variety to its streamlined browsing and customer rating system.

Pros: Wines are all based on consumer interests and trends, easy-to-navigate interface, many varietals

Cons: Wine info and notes are only online, a la carte stock goes quickly

As a new member at Winc, you start by taking a quick quiz that asks about your tastes and preferences. Then you're matched up with wines that align with your "Palate Profile," and from there you can create your own cart of wine selections. In addition to the suggestions presented to you, you can browse by category. The shop features clear ratings from other members and easy-to-digest descriptions of each wine.

This design provides a good balance of guidance and personalization — you get suggestions but you also have the freedom to pick out other wines that catch your eye. 

Winc works directly with vineyards and makes all the wines it sells, producing over 664 wines from 78 grape varieties and 97 regions across 12 different countries since launch. You may see some of these wines also sold at Whole Foods, Vons, and Kroger stores. Since Winc uses subscriber data and ratings to inform new wine production, the wine you see will line right up with emerging trends. 

On the downside, this rapid production model means it can be hard to re-purchase some of your favorites, so it's best not to get too attached to a particular bottle. 

I've tried Winc a few times over the last couple of years and always found something I liked while further developing my tastes and preferences. It's through Winc that I've grown to appreciate Chenin Blanc from South Africa and how I realized I'm not a fan of Touriga Nacional, a dry red wine popular in Portugal.

You can only see each wine's tasting notes and descriptions online, which is a bit inconvenient as you try out your monthly shipment. However, the online-first system ultimately works in your favor because you'll have your entire order history and personal notes all in one place to reference later.   

Since the wines are based on your preferences, there aren't any seasonal or holiday offerings.

Read our full review of Winc here.

The best subscription for value

You'll never have to pay more than $15 a bottle at Firstleaf, where the quality and personalization are top-notch.

Pros: Flexibility to swap out pre-selected bottles in your order, attractive intro offer, good overall value

Cons: May take a few boxes/rounds of ratings for the system to understand more specific preferences

Like Winc, Firstleaf has you start out with a quiz so it can better understand your preferences.  When you're finished, it serves up six wines it thinks you'll like, and you can read about each one and decide whether you want to make any swaps. However, you only have six swaps per shipment. So, Firstleaf is that nice "Goldilocks" service where you have a bit of control, but you're still steered in the right direction. 

To draw you in, Firstleaf has a very competitive introductory offer of $39.95 for six wines, including shipping. Afterward, the price goes up to $80, plus $9.95 shipping, but you're still only paying $15 for each bottle, many of which are industry award winners.

After you've tried every wine in your monthly shipment, you can rate them online. This step is important because Firstleaf will use your ratings to become smarter and hone in on an even better curation for you next month. As your wine knowledge and tastes evolve, so too will the service. 

I've had the chance to try Firstleaf a few times in the last couple of years, and it's always been reliable. I appreciate that I don't have to do quite so much work in picking out the bottles and that the main effort only comes afterward, once I've tried everything. 

On top of the existing value of the service, there's a strong referral program: if you share Firstleaf with a friend, they'll get $40 and you'll get $40. 

Firstleaf has seasonal offerings, typically around the holidays, for wines that pair well with fall and winter foods. 

Read our full review of Firstleaf here. 

The best subscription for sampling

Vinebox packages European wines in sleek and distinctive single-serving glasses so you can try nine different kinds without committing to whole bottles.

Pros: Good sampling size, memorable packaging, useful info cards

Cons: Can't always find or buy the full bottle in the shop, sells out frequently 

It's easy to distinguish Vinebox from the pack: you get no less than nine wines, neatly packed into individual glass tubes and accompanied by a well-designed informational booklet, all stored in sturdy yet gift-worthy packaging. 

Each quarter's box is pre-curated so you can't customize it to your tastes, but you'll have plenty of fun sipping and sampling each wine. The best part is that you won't feel bad opening and finishing a whole "bottle" because it's only a single serving. Vinebox's design is great for casual wine drinkers who hate commitment, plus it's convenient and practical because you don't even need a bottle opener or corkscrew to enjoy your drink. 

If you do happen to fall in love with one of the samples, you can make use of the $15 credit given to you each quarter. This can be used towards a purchase of the full-sized version. You may also want to gift this unique and beautiful box to a friend whose wine preferences are eclectic or unclear — with so many varietals packed into every shipment, they're bound to enjoy at least one.

The particular box I received featured all light and medium-bodied wines, which I just so happen to enjoy. But it would've been even better to see some full-bodied wines represented, for additional variety and range. 

Vinebox has a popular seasonal offering that only comes around the holidays, an advent calendar called 12 Nights of Wine. The limited-quantity box costs $129 and contains 12 glasses of wine, and it usually sells out, so be on the lookout in the winter. 

Read our full review of Vinebox here.

The best subscription for natural wine

For natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, you can rely on Plonk to take care of the expert vetting, thoughtful curation, and spot-on food pairing recommendations.

Pros: Only natural wine offerings, pre-curated, easy to skip shipments or cancel your subscription 

Cons: Pricey, cannot be personalized

Plonk, which is British derogatory slang for cheap, low-quality wine, provides wines that are anything but. The online club focuses exclusively on natural wines that are grown with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable vineyard practices, meaning they don't contain pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or commercial additives (like colorants or artificial sugars). There's also an impressive selection of sulfite-free and unfiltered bottles. 

If you're interested in the specific distinctions among the terms "natural,""organic," and "biodynamic," founder Etty Klein breaks them down here.

Plonk prides itself on selecting and importing wines from small, boutique winemakers and lesser-known wine regions, flouting big industry names to give you a carefully vetted selection. While other online wine subscriptions may offer natural and sustainable options, few can boast both the convenience and range of Plonk's one-stop natural shop. 

When you sign up, you have your choice of an all-red, all-white, or mixed variety box, with either four, six, or 12 bottles per shipment. What the included informational printout lacks in glitzy presentation, at least compared to other services, it makes up for in precise tasting notes and ultra-specific food pairings courtesy of Food52. For example, one of my favorite Plonk discoveries, a 2019 Pinot Noir from Margaret River, Western Australia, should be enjoyed with stuffed peppers with lamb, orzo, and halloumi cheese. 

Plonk has seasonal offerings throughout the year, including a Thanksgiving bundle and a sparkling wine sampler around the holidays. 

The best subscription for sparkling wine

If you like celebrating with a bubbly drink, Mumm Napa has more than enough variety with its quarterly wine club. It uses French techniques to make its delicious wines and offers discounts, exclusive events, and free tastings for its members. 

Pros: Great variety and high-quality production of sparkling wine, informative booklet included, many membership perks 

Cons: Total annual price is expensive, may not be suitable if you're seeking sparkling wines made from different producers 

Mumm Napa has roots that go back to the 1800s with the French Champagne house G. H. Mumm & Cie. The parent company of Mumm Napa, Mumm is one of the largest producers of Champagne globally. Its Napa Valley vineyard continues to use traditional Champagne-making techniques to make its sparkling wines, the best of which are showcased in the Club Vivant subscriptions.

The Collector's Edition club ships quarterly and costs $200-$275 per shipment, depending on the bottle variety. It contains six full-sized bottles per shipment, including the winery's signature DVX annual release wine and limited production wines. You'll also get a detailed pamphlet of notes for each wine. 

I loved the sparkling Pinot Noir and the Brut Reserve, and the pairing suggestions (like truffle popcorn with the Brut Reserve) were helpful and spot-on. I also appreciated the general variety that the club provided, from the sparkling rosé to the sparkling chardonnay. I have more experience with still wines, but Mumm Napa's carefully produced assortment showed me that sparkling can be just as diverse and fun. It also gave me an excuse to celebrate exciting moments in my life, no matter how big or small. 

In addition to the actual wines, there are perks like 20% off Mumm Napa sparkling and still wines, 20% off gift shop purchases, and 30% off club selection re-orders. You'll also get access to exclusive wines and invitations to virtual events. The membership is even more worth it if you live close to Napa — once a month, you can enjoy a complimentary select tasting for up to four people (note: this may be temporarily unavailable due to restrictions from the novel coronavirus pandemic).

The best subscription curation

Parcelle Wine Drop combines a truly unique selection of bottles with an informative yet unpretentious wine education from Michelin-starred sommeliers.

Pros: Pre-curated, unique variety, beautiful info cards, impressive expertise

Cons: Not personalized, could buy the bottles individually for less

I love Parcelle's Wine Drop because it has the feel of a cool and exclusive local club but it ships nationwide. Parcelle is based in New York City and enlists the curation and expertise of Michelin-starred sommeliers like the former wine directors of Eleven Madison Park and Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. 

The experience indeed feels like you're asking for wine recs at a restaurant. It's arguably even better because your three wines also come with beautifully illustrated info cards and a copy of Parcelle Press, a mini journal that is, again, visually stunning. 

Founder Grant Reynolds told Insider Reviews, "The Wine Drop is our shortlist of our favorite wines to have around the house at that time of year. Nothing too fancy but always smart, a bit different, and from small producers focusing on making wines unique to the place they are from."

If you prefer more customization, you'll probably enjoy one of our other picks more, but if you want to leave it up to the pros, try Wine Drop. All three wines I received were hits, and they helped me realize a new love for orange wine. 

Depending on the wine, the total cost of the individual bottles could come out to less than $95. The Wine Drop I received in September 2020, for example, was $85. In other months, the total may be more. While fluctuating prices may be a dealbreaker for some, I found Wine Drop's tight curation and immersive experience to be compelling enough reasons to continue my subscription. 

Each month's Wine Drop has a different theme so the selection is curated and intentional. For example, March 2021's trio focuses on transitional wines "that suggest the sunshine ahead." 

What else we tested

What else we recommend and why

Eater Wine Club: We always look to Eater to find local restaurants and bar recs, and now it's making use of its expertise and community connections to curate a monthly wine club. The new club, which launched in late 2020 and sends you four bottles of wine every month, has already featured cool, memorable themes like Greek wines and celebration-worthy wines that aren't Champagne. I loved that the roster of monthly curators and wine experts hailed from all over the country so that even in the midst of a pandemic, it felt like I was traveling to and exploring a new food and wine scene. As a member, you'll also be invited to a virtual tasting with each month's curator and receive an exclusive newsletter. 

SommSelect: An impressive roster of sommeliers picks out the wines in this Sonoma-based club. I've been trying The Explore 4, which is built around a monthly theme. The first box I received contained wines from all over the world: Swartland (South Africa), Northern Piedmont (Italy), Southern Rhône Valley (France), and the Finger Lakes (New York). The accompanying booklet was among the best produced and most helpful of all the clubs I've tried so far, filled with useful information about each wine and a glossary that instantly deepened my wine knowledge. 

What we do not recommend and why

Usual Wines: Usual Wines' single-serving beaker bottles are certainly eye-catching and memorable. However, the company only offers its subscriptions in red, rosé, and brut, and these wines don't change month-to-month. On the plus side, its wines contain no added sugars or sulfites, and the grapes come from sustainable farms. If you're looking for a straightforward subscription you don't really have to think about, Usual Wines is a good candidate. Otherwise, our picks above provide better opportunities for education and discovery. 

Acker Wines: Acker has wine clubs for a variety of budgets and levels of enthusiasm, from the $89/month Access Club to the $999/month JK Club for fine and rare wines. Acker's Access Club seems promising for wine amateurs, but it's geographically limited to New York City residents. The next club level up jumps to $299/quarter for three bottles, which may be inaccessible for many shoppers.  

Elicit Wine Project: Elicit Wine Project helps incubate and launch cool, innovative wine brands, so if you're tired of seeing the same stuffy labels, you'll like shopping here and putting together your own subscription box. The downside is that there aren't many varietals to choose from right now. Perhaps as the service grows, we'll see a better variety. 

What we're testing next

Picked by Wine.com: Long a reliable place to shop a huge variety of wines, Wine.com now has its own personalized club for the people who get instantly overwhelmed when they land on the site. You set your preferences for wine type and price range, and you'll be assigned to your very own personal sommelier, who will pick out six wines for you every one, two, or three months. 

The Grand Tour: This club by online and brick-and-mortar shop Verve Wine takes a geographic approach to wine discovery by highlighting four bottles (usually two red and two white) from a different region each month. Why does the region matter? Well, soil, climate, and topography all affect the winemaking process and the final product.  

The Sip: This Black-owned bi-monthly subscription service focuses exclusively on sparkling wines for all your bubbly needs. In addition to three flights of luxury sparkling wine, you'll get priority access to new wine releases. It's the perfect wine club for people who are always looking for an excuse to celebrate. 

Primal Wine Club: Another natural wine club that looks promising is Primal, which offers red, white, and mixed wine clubs as well as education about the oft-confusing world of natural, biodynamic, and organic wines. The price per bottle is on par with Plonk's, so the points of differentiation we'll be looking for are curation, variety, and reliability of delivery. 

Wine How-tos and FAQs

How to store wine

Do: Lay the bottle on its side in a cool dark place, preferably in a cabinet lower to the floor. 

Don't: Stand it up on the counter or leave it in direct sunlight. 

Do: Store your opened bottle in a wine fridge so it can keep a little longer. 

Don't: Store wine in a regular refrigerator. "The same qualities that keep your food fresh will not have the same effect on your wine," says Price. See our guide to the best wine coolers and fridges. 

How to taste wine

Go slow and use the right techniques. "Tasting wine to learn something about it is different from just knocking a glass back casually with friends," said Price. "Take the time to think about what you are tasting. Make sure you stick your nose in the glass and really smell the wine. When you drink it, coat your entire palate. After you swallow, think about how long the flavors and textures linger in your mouth." 

The sommelier and wine writer also recommended starting a tasting group with your friends or family. "Pick a theme and have everyone bring a bottle within that theme. For example, if you want to understand Syrah, the line-up should include a Northern Rhône (FR), Barossa Valley (AU), Stellenbosch (ZA), Paso Robles (US), and Tuscany (IT) bottling amongst others. Each person should bring their bottle wrapped so you can't see the label (don't forget to take the neck foil off, that one is an easy giveaway!), and put the wines out for everyone to taste and guess which wine is which. It's helpful to write your tasting notes down so you see how you progress over time. The entertainment value goes up even more when afterward you discuss your impressions as a group, enjoying the wines you brought with friends."

How to choose the perfect wine for a gift 

Make it personal. "The best way to gift a bottle of wine is to know a little piece about the recipient. Whether it's a birth year or wedding vintage, a favorite place, or just their personal taste, those small things will make a gifted bottle of wine far more special," says Hamburger. 

What's the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine? 

All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. Champagne refers specifically to sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France. Because of this geographic distinction, that means there are only certain grapes — like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — that can be used to make Champagne.

Check out our other wine guides

• The best wine glasses
• The best wine openers and corkscrews
• The best wine coolers and fridges

• A quality dish drying rack effectively separates dishes, is designed for easy water run-off and drying, and is easy to clean.
• PremiumRacks is our top pick because it's customizable and can hold more than just dishes.
• Check out our best dish mats guide, too.

Even if you have a dishwasher, there are some kitchen items that aren't dishwasher safe. For instance, you should always wash your knives by hand. And, you will extend the life of your cookware by cleaning it with old-fashioned elbow grease.

Aside from bamboo knife blocks and silicone mats, the most popular dish rack materials are stainless steel and hard plastic, though both have their pluses and minuses. Some cheaper brands use stainless steel that may rust, while plastic dish racks are more likely to break. For the most part, you're unlikely to experience these problems with the dish racks we recommend below.

We rounded up dish racks that are foldable, roll-up, and are ideal for different counter spaces so you can simply wash and dry. 

Here are the best dish drying racks of 2021

• Best dish drying rack overall: PremiumRacks Professional Dish Rack
• Best roll-up dish drying rack: Surpahs Over the Sink Roll-Up Dish Rack
• Best foldable dish drying rack: OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack
• Best dish drying rack for small countertops: Chef'n DishGarden Dish Rack
• Best two-tier dish drying rack: iSPECLE Stainless Steel Two-Tier Dish Rack

The best dish drying rack overall

The PremiumRacks Professional Dish Rack can hold twice as many dishes as other racks and can be configured in various ways.

Pros: Holds a lot of dishes, several different configuration options, rust-resistant, one-year warranty if ordered on company's website

Cons: Difficult to assemble

What sets the PremiumRacks Professional Dish Rack apart from other racks is its customizability. You can choose where to place the cutting board and three cup holder attachments, microfiber mat, knife and wide utensil holders, and the two drainboards. Also, the top shelf is removable and can be positioned either front to back or side to side. However, the customization can also make it tricky to assemble at first.

Because of the rack's material, it typically resists rust and other oxidative elements, a plus if you live in a coastal area. Though it can hold many dishes and does a solid job of keeping water off the counter, it may not be fit for smaller kitchens. 

In addition, PremiumRacks offers a one-year warranty on all of its dish racks if you order from the company site.

The best roll-up dish drying rack

If you're working with limited counter space, consider using the Surpahs Over the Sink Roll-Up Dish Rack to turn your sink into a drainer.

Pros: Can be stored away when not in use, ideal for small spaces, heat-resistant, non-slip silicone design, lifetime warranty

Cons: Small capacity, may not be able to use the sink while dishes are drying

Let's face it — dish racks are essential for washing and drying dishes, but most take up more counter space than you'd like. The Surpahs Over the Sink Roll-Up Dish Rack combats this with its flexible design that rolls up for storage.

Surpahs' silicone construction keeps the unit slip-free and heat-resistant up to 400 degrees. It's also easy to clean and stays in place, though you may not be able to use the sink when it's set up atop your sink. 

For extra protection, Surpahs backs its roll-up dish drying rack with a lifetime warranty when shopping on Amazon or from the company site.

The best foldable dish drying rack

The OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack is durable and well-designed to organize dishes, glasses, and flatware. 

Pros: Folds up for easy storage, holders for several different kitchen items, rust-resistant; replacement or refund options with OXO Better Guarantee 

Cons: The side drain spout makes it difficult to expel all water

The feature that sets the OXO Good Grips Convertible Foldaway Dish Rack apart from competitors is that the spout, legs, and side walls fold up for compact storage either vertically or horizontally. The rack has two utensil holders that are divided into three compartments each, which keeps flatware separated for easy organization. There are six slots for standing plates and cutting boards. Finally, there is also an array of tines for cups and glassware. Water drains directly into your sink thanks to its side drainage spout, though its location may make it difficult for all of the water to be expelled.

For people with limited kitchen space, this is a great, versatile option. Additionally, its various compartments fit most items in your kitchen and make it easier to put them away once they are dry.

OXO's Better Guarantee offers replacement or refund options if you're not happy with your purchase, too.

The best dish drying rack for small countertops

With its unique angled design and compact footprint, the Chef'n DishGarden Dish Rack is ideal for smaller kitchens.

Pros: Angled design for easy draining, compact enough to fit in a sink

Cons: Water tends to drip on the counter, limited capacity

The Chef'n DishGarden Dish Rack has a  circular design and angled layout that's ideal for almost any nook and cranny in your kitchen. There are five legs: two front legs that are an inch high, two middle legs that are 1.5 inches, and a back leg that is two inches. This allows water to drain out of the spout, though the dish rack tends to leave water on your counter space.

The prongs are shorter in the back and longer in the front to give the illusion that the whole unit is flat. As a bonus, the rack is small enough to use in-sink, or you can opt to use it with a drying mat.

The best two-tier dish rack

The iSPECLE Stainless Steel Two-Tier Dish Rack is a foolproof organizer for holding more dishes without taking up extra space. 

Pros: Space-saving design, rust-resistant, can hold up to 110 pounds, adjustable feet, comes with three water trays

Cons: May be too tall to fit under kitchen cabinets, no warranty

If you're looking to save space and maximize the amount of kitchenware you can dry at a time, the iSPECLE Stainless Steel Two-Tier Dish Rack is one of our most unique picks. It's able to hold 17 plates and pots on top and 18 bowls at the bottom.

The drying rack comes with three water trays (one underneath the top tray, one at the very bottom, and one underneath the utensil holder on the side) to ensure no water spills onto your countertops. The easy-to-assemble adjustable feet make it ideal for uneven surfaces, too.

Though it's a great space saver, it may not fit spaces where overhead cabinets hang lower than usual because of its height. And, though there's no warranty, it's durable and built to last.

Check out our other dishwashing guides and roundups

• The best dish drying mats
• The 4 best dishwashers
• The best dish soaps
• The best kitchen towels
• The best sponges
• The best casserole dishes
• 8 tableware startups changing the way we shop for dishes

The road to the White House is not for the faint of heart, certainly not when hitching a ride with Donald Trump. 

But with the former president effectively locking down the 2024 Republican nomination process until he announces whether he'll seek a second term, becoming Trump's running mate may be the best for which a big group of ambitious Republicans can ever hope.

If he chooses to run — a decision that could still be a year or two away— Trump is expected to ditch former Vice President Mike Pence and seek a woman or a minority candidate to bolster his image, advisors told Insider this week.

But a presidential ticket sometimes coalesces under strange political conditions, whether it stems from a busted tire on a campaign plane, which helped secure Pence's spot with Trump, or an impulsive urge to balance out the candidate's age, which landed then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 2008 nominee John McCain.

And if Trump's history in business and politics is any guide, his only calculation for selecting a running mate would be winning.

Even in defeat, the political riches for a Trump 2024 running mate could be great: incessant attention, a launchpad for a 2028 presidential run. But the peril could be incalculable if Trump wins — you need to remember only the events of January 6.

Here are five kinds of vice-presidential possibilities — based on Insider interviews with Trump advisors and Republican strategists from across the ideological spectrum on the right — who might ride the Trump train through 2024.

5. Former Vice President Mike Pence: back to the future

A reunion ticket seems about as unlikely to happen as Trump apologizing to Pence for what happened on January 6, when a mob of Trump supporters hunted for Pence inside the US Capitol. 

Yet Trump's and Pence's top two advisors, Jason Miller and Marc Short, respectively, have said both men talk regularly and that everything is OK.

Pence still has all the makings of a candidate in 2024. He's stepped out in public more recently. He maintains a deep well of support among social and religious conservatives who voted for Trump in 2020. And while Pence refused to personally block the US Senate's certification of states' presidential electoral votes on January 6, no other elected official has shown Trump such fealty during the past four-plus years.

"Doesn't that buy you anything in Trump's world?" one veteran Republican strategist said of Pence's unflinching loyalty to Trump.

But Pence is also patient and has had his eyes on the White House for well over a decade now. And at 61, Pence is young enough that he could feasibly run for the White House in 2028 or 2032. (President Joe Biden is 78.)

The bigger question is whether Pence could endure another four-year dance with Trump. 

Pence's value to Trump is clear: He's a bridge to both the party's billionaire donor class and its social-conservative stalwarts. But Trump could just as easily find the same qualities in plenty of other Republicans, from Sen. Rick Scott of Florida to Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

4. MAGA wunderkind: Marjorie Taylor Greene? Another far-right upstart?

Trump's love for television is legion.

And now the former president has more time than ever to soak in the cable shows. People seeking an audience with Trump have often used cable news to appeal directly to him. In 2016, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump wanted to pick former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to run with Trump because he appeared regularly on Fox News and was a familiar face to Trump.

So who will catch Trump's TV eye in 2024? One strategist suggested it'd be someone among a new generation of hard-right bomb tossers, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory.

But would another TV star or far-right crusader add anything to a Trump 2024 ticket?

Trump's advisors in 2016 told him when he was eyeing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Gingrich: "You already got one pirate on the ship. You don't need two."

Their point: Trump doesn't need an attack dog or attention grabber when Trump himself fills those roles.

3. The governors: managing expectations

On the campaign trail, Trump liked touting Pence's executive experience from his time as governor of Indiana. And governmentwide executive experience would be a clear complement to Trump, who often avoided the business of leading government agencies during his four years.

Two of the stars Republican White House watchers are keeping tabs on: Govs. Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Ron DeSantis of Florida. But the GOP is rife with other ambitious governors who could emerge as Trump running mates, including the presidential aspirants in Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas and a Trump favorite, Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina.

If Trump blocks their paths for the 2024 presidential nomination, then four years with Trump could be an attractive consolation prize.

They could make the same gambit that Pence and his team did in 2016: bet that Trump would lose, then vault to the front of the pack for 2020. Pence did not win that bet.

2. 'Women and minorities'

Trump and his team have highlighted how Trump increased his support from Black and Latino voters, even if he still lost both groups handily to Biden and the Democrats. 

Some Republicans said Trump could attract even more support from racial and ethnic minorities if he ran in 2024, particularly if he tapped a nonwhite or Latino running mate. 

Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas were floated as two options by one strategist. The conservative social-media influencer Candace Owens was also suggested as a possibility.

And Trump's advisors have pondered pairing Trump with a rising-star woman on the right for years. Remember speculation that Trump might dump Pence in favor of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley?

"You need somebody who has a little bit different background, not the old white guy," one Trump advisor said.

1. All in: a Trump family member

Trump and his oldest children have been teasing the idea of a dynasty for years. But the only Trump to ever appear on a ballot remains Trump himself. 

Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump appeared to be eyeing a run for the opening US Senate seat in North Carolina, but Republicans close to Trump said that was unlikely.

Kushner and Ivanka Trump have retreated from Trump's political orbit recently. 

This has left politicking squarely in the hands of Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Republicans around the former president have regularly floated Trump Jr. as a prospective White House candidate. 

But one strategist wondered if Trump wouldn't just pick his own son as a way of passing down the crown.

Trump flirted with the idea of selecting his daughter Ivanka as his running mate in 2016. It took Paul Manafort, then Trump's campaign chairman, weeks to convince Trump that it would look bad to pick his own daughter to become the vice president if he won.

While different members of the same family have become president — Bushes, Roosevelts, Harrisons, Adamses— no major presidential candidate has ever run on a ticket with a close relative — not that historical precedent has ever stopped Trump.