Bidet toilet seats and attachments can offer a more thorough clean than toilet paper alone.
We tested 22 bidets and determined that the Coway Bidetmega 400 was the best for most people.
The water maintains a comfortable temperature and custom pressure, and the bidet is easy to use.
Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky
At its most basic, a bidet sends a stream of water toward your nether regions to clean them. It's more hygienic and economical than toilet paper. Although there are variations of bidets, bidet toilet seats and attachments are the most popular options in the United States.
With bidet toilet seats, you can continue to use your existing seat and easily adjust the water pressure and temperature to your preference. There's no need for electricity and installation is relatively straightforward as far as home DIYs go — which you can read about here.
We tested 22 bidet toilet seats over the course of several months to determine the best ones to buy. You can read how we tested them here, and get right into our top recommendations below.
For a reasonable price, the Coway Bidetmega 400 Electronic Bidet Seat offers all of the common high-end amenities, including a nightlight, warm air dryer, and an intuitive remote controller.
Pros: Strong water pressure, water heated up to 97 degrees in our tests, easy to use, heated seat, warm air dryer, adjustable nozzle positions for front and rear washes, easy to install
Cons: Remote doesn't pair with seat automatically, minimal one-year warranty
The Bidetmega 400 Electronic Bidet Seat is one of three Coway bidets I tested for this guide, this one came out on top because it received high marks in every category except warranty. It only has the industry-standard one-year warranty, while a few other units in our guide offer longer.
The Bidetmega 400 heated water up to a comfortable 97 degrees Fahrenheit in my tests and produced strong enough pressure for a thorough cleaning. Plus, there are four temperature options and three pressure strengths to set the water flow to your needs. The basic functions are intuitive to use with the handy remote control, though I was a little annoyed that the remote didn't automatically pair with the seat once I powered it up. I had to reference the user manual for that step.
The seat fits my toilet well and stays in place. It's wider than most, which I appreciated because I have a larger posterior. The lid of the seat was also supportive and comfortable for sitting.
The Bidetmega 400 features most of the amenities you'd expect from a high-end bidet toilet seat. The blue night light illuminates the toilet bowl, which makes it easy to find in the dark. The dryer has four levels of heat and gets plenty hot. It does an excellent job of drying after washing, which minimizes the need for toilet paper. There are also four levels of seat heating — up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit — or you can keep it off to save energy.
Lastly, the 400 has three preprogrammed cleaning modes: basic, active, and soothing. Basic is designed for general use. The active mode moves the stream of water around for a more thorough cleaning, while the soothing mode offers more gentle care. The Bidetmega 400 is my main bidet, and I prefer active mode.
The best bidet toilet seat for custom water flow control
With the Omigo Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat, you can control the nozzle position, pressure, and spray width to customize the water flow to meet your needs.
Pros: Three-year warranty, three spray width options, seven nozzle positions for the front and rear, easy to use remote controller, strong pressure, simple installation
Cons: Lid is unpleasant to sit on, need to have an outlet near the toilet or an extension cord to operate (as is the case with any electric unit)
What sets the Omigo Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat apart from other bidets in our guide is the adjustable spray width. You can pick from three settings, ranging from a targeted cleaning to a broader wash. Additionally, as with all bidet seats, you can adjust the water pressure, which gets plenty strong. The Omigo Luxury offers seven nozzle positions in both the rear and front, which is more than most electric seats. Alternatively, you can choose to have the nozzle oscillate.
The easy-to-use remote, numerous features, and overall design remind me of my previous favorite bidet, the Brondell Swash 1400, which has been surpassed by a few worthy contenders, including other Brondell models. The Omigo Luxury is about $65 cheaper than the Swash 1400, and in my tests, it did a better job of heating water. I also found the heated seat and air dryer stayed plenty warm.
The Omigo Luxury has an outstanding three-year warranty so you can count on it lasting. Plus, the installation process was seamless, and the seat fit my bowl perfectly and stayed put.
The biggest negative for me is the lid design. It has a 270-pound weight limit, and it's angled forward so much that it's unpleasant to sit on. The seat is nice and has a 330-pound capacity, but don't plan on sitting on the lid while clipping your toenails or performing other tasks.
The best high-end bidet
If you have extra money to spend and are looking for a bidet that provides nonstop warm water, the Bio Bidet Bliss BB2000 Smart Toilet Seat is an attractive solution.
Pros: Strong water pressure, vortex wash, attractive appearance, continuous warm water, hot air drying, heated seat, five nozzle positions for each the front and rear, three-year warranty
Cons: Unintuitive remote control, the nightlight is positioned on the side rather than illuminating the bowl interior
In my testing, the Bio Bidet Bliss BB2000 Smart Toilet Seat performed in all categories. It has an attractive appearance with a stainless-steel look. The remote control with its large, easy-to-read screen is the fanciest I've seen.
My favorite part was the intensity of the water pressure. There are five pressure levels, including a "vortex wash" that is designed to "stimulate bowel movements" with its enema-like pressure. Sensitive individuals will want to avoid this feature, and everyone else should proceed with caution, but testing showed that it works as advertised.
There are three water temperature levels, but even on its highest setting, the BB2000 only got up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This is warm enough for most tastes, but at this price point, I would have liked to have seen higher temperatures. Fortunately, the water stays consistently warm, even during longer cleans.
Installation was a breeze: It only took me about 10 minutes (not counting the time I needed to remove the old seat) and I appreciate that the mounting plate keeps the seat in place without wiggling. The Bio Bidet Bliss is covered by a three-year full coverage warranty.
The biggest negatives I could find were the nightlight and confusing operation. Instead of a night light in the toilet bowl, the BB2000's night light is on the side illuminating the on-seat controls. This might be helpful when sitting on the toilet but it's less so when taking aim while standing up in the middle of the night. Also, I didn't find the remote control to be intuitive. I had to leaf through the user manual to figure out the symbols and how to access all of the functions.
The best budget bidet
The Brondell LE89 Swash Electronic Bidet Seat has many high-end features, including warm water cleaning, hot air drying, and a heated seat, without a high-end price.
Pros: Water gets up to 101 degrees Fahrenheit, heated seat, warm air drying, five front and rear nozzle positions
Cons: Pressure could have been stronger, no remote, the lid isn't comfortable for sitting
I've tested half a dozen Brondell bidets over the years and the Swash 1400 was my main bidet for a long time, but during testing, the LE89 Swash Electronic Bidet Seat worked nearly as well for less than half the price. I was particularly impressed with how hot the water got in my tests — it reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
The heated seat and air dryer also achieved high temps. Plus, there are several comfort settings so you can go with lower temps or even choose Eco Mode, which provides a good balance of electricity use and comfort.
Installation should take you less than half an hour, and you can do it with nothing more than a flathead screwdriver, though you might also want a wrench. I liked how securely the seat fit my toilet bowl without any movement, and it looks nice on my toilet. However, the lid tilts forward and isn't the best for sitting on for long periods.
Aside from a few specialized settings, the controls are intuitive to use, but I don't like that they're installed on the seat so you have to turn to your right to see them. There's no remote controller. This might be a problem for individuals with mobility issues.
The only other negative I found was I would have preferred more powerful water pressure, but I like it stronger. Most people will find that the LE89 is powerful enough for their needs. More sensitive individuals will appreciate the softer end of the five pressure settings.
The best non-electric bidet
If you don't have an electrical outlet near your toilet or just want to give a bidet a try before investing more money, the Tushy Spa Premium Warm Water Bidet Attachment is a stylish, versatile solution.
Pros: Doesn't require electricity, the water gets as hot as your water heater can supply, strong pressure, virtually limitless nozzle positions, nine color options
Cons: Easy for kids to squirt water all over; no high-end features like a heated seat, dryer, nightlight, etc.
For the most part, non-electric bidets aren't as good as electric varieties. However, the non-electric attachments do have their benefits. I think the Tushy Spa Premium Warm Water Bidet Attachment exhibits all of the superior features of the power-free units.
The attachment has a hose that connects to the hot water inlet under your sink. After installing the hose, you may want to tape it to the floor to avoid a tripping hazard. Since you are relying on your home's hot water, the attachment can provide water as hot as your heater is capable of supplying. For me, it was 113 degrees Fahrenheit, which is too hot, but it's easy to adjust the bidet's flow to a more moderate temperature.
If having a hot water hose running along your floor doesn't sound appealing, you can choose the Tushy Classic, which doesn't have warm water. Alternatively, you can skip installing the warm water hose of the Spa altogether.
The Tushy Spa also allows you to control the water pressure intensity and the nozzle position. Since both functions rely on levers, there are virtually infinite intensities and positions, and the pressure at its strongest is much more than you'll need. You'll want to be careful you don't turn it on too high.
Since there are so few functions, the Tushy Spa is easy to use and much less expensive than an electric seat. Plus, since it's just an attachment, you can use it with any toilet seat you want. Another great thing about Tushy is its nine color options.
We tested nearly two dozen bidet toilet seats and attachments while researching this guide.
What else we recommend:
Brondell GoSpa ($9.98): This one is for the serious bidet fans who want a portable option. The GoSpa stayed in my overnight bag and use to do with me anywhere I'd travel. It's a travel bidet with a 13.5-ounce reservoir/bottle attached to a nozzle. You fill the bottle with tap water before you sit on the toilet. Once you're done, you aim the nozzle at the area you want to clean and squeeze the bottle for a makeshift bidet experience.
Brondell Swash S102 Non-Electric ($124.99): This is one of the best non-electric bidet toilet seats I tested. The S102 features a warm water hookup that attaches to the hot water connection under your sink — like the Tushy Spa. The pressure is outstanding, and the overall appearance looks nice. However, the unobtrusive knobs can be hard to read, and as with other non-electric toilets, you're missing a lot of features that make bidets a luxury experience.
Toto C100 ($333.27): I tested three Toto models for this guide, and they're all very good. The C100 has plenty of options for drying, heated seat, nozzle position, and water temperature. The seat fit my toilet well and didn't move around, and the controls are intuitive. However, the controls are attached to the unit so you have to turn to make adjustments.
What we don't recommend:
Toto C200 ($429): This is similar to the C100 but uses a remote control. Unfortunately, I found the water pressure was inferior.
Kohler C3-430 ($496.50): The water consistently stayed at the temperature I wanted, the pressure was strong and adjustable, and the remote control was easy to use once I get the hang of it. But, at this price point, I'd expect the bidet to have a dryer. I also couldn't get this to stay securely in place.
Kohler C3-230 ($974.25): This has a dryer, but it didn't perform as well as the C3-430 in other categories. I couldn't get it to stay in place either.
American Standard Advanced Clean SpaLet 2.0 ($357.44): American Standard has been a trusted name in the bathroom fixture space for nearly a century. The SpaLet 2.0 is a quality unit with excellent warm water and pressure cleaning. Plus, it has plenty of options for a custom wash. However, I feel strongly that if you're going to be spending more than $300 on a bidet seat, it should be able to dry you, and this model doesn't have a dryer.
Our testing methodology
I installed 22 bidets on my Mansfield Waverly Toilet and put them through several tests. The most important bidet factors to consider are performance, ease of use, and adjustment options.
Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:
Ease of use: There are three types of controls used on most bidet seats: on-seat buttons, on-seat dials, and remote controls. The easiest to use are the remote controls because you need to twist to your right to view the other two options, which may be a deal-breaker for individuals with mobility issues. Another way to make bidet seats easy to use is to have clear, simple-to-understand graphics or words that tell you what each button is for. I examined the controls myself and also questioned my wife about her experiences to see if she could figure out the functions without reading the user manual.
Pressure: Whether washing dishes or using a hose, anyone who has used water to clean knows that stronger pressure means an easier, more thorough cleaning. Well, the same is true using a bidet. Since I don't have a device for measuring PSI, this was a subjective test based on my personal experiences. I tend to like very strong pressure. If a unit was strong enough for me and featured at least three pressure adjustment options, including a gentle flow for sensitive people, then it received high marks.
Water temperature: Upping the temperature of the water you're cleaning with will also help. So, I looked for bidet toilet seats that can produce hot water, usually around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not so hot that it will scald you, but warm enough to get the job done. I tested the temperature by running the bidet on its highest water temperature, collecting the water in a container, and measuring it with a probe thermometer. I also looked for at least three temperature options in addition to ambient.
Seat fit and look: If the seat doesn't fit right on your toilet, it won't function properly and will look awful. I took notes on how easy it was to securely install the seat. I also assessed how good the seat felt on my posterior and whether the lid was supportive and comfortable to sit on. Lastly, I looked at how attractive it looks on the toilet. Were the cords and hoses sticking out everywhere? Did the controls look ugly or intimidating?
Nozzle positions: We're all made differently, and we all have different preferences. Bidets should have enough nozzle positions to deliver water right where you want it without making you move around a lot.
Extra features: The best bidets have several less-than-necessary features that just make bathroom trips more enjoyable. At the top of the list is drying. Next is a heated seat, especially on those cold winter mornings. And, if you have a youngster in the house, you'll want a bidet that only activates when significant pressure is applied to the seat, like when you're sitting on it. Otherwise, your young one can send water everywhere.
Warranty: All but four of the bidets we tested have one-year warranties. The four outliers have three-year warranties, and each cost more than $500. In my 5+ years of owning bidets, I've never experienced a malfunction, but if you are particularly risk-averse, you may want to choose a bidet with a longer warranty.
What we're looking forward to testing
In addition to testing our picks for long-term performance, here are the models we are currently testing or looking forward to testing:
Bio Bidet Discovery DLS ($899.99): This is the first bidet toilet seat I've tested that automatically opens and closes the lid. Additionally, it has all the features of high-end models, including a remote, warm air drying, a nightlight, and a five-year warranty.
Bio Bidet USPA A8 Serenity ($549): This is another candidate for our best overall category with its full array of high-end features, including a remote, heated seat, and consistent warm water.
Brondell 33Swash LE99 ($289.99): This is similar to our budget pick, the LE89, only it uses a remote instead of side controls so it will be interesting to see if it has the same high performance at an affordable price.
Toto Washlet C2 ($675): This is an update to the C100 so it'll be interesting to see how the new features perform and whether it outperforms our other picks.
Toto Washlet C5 ($780): This is an update to the C200 so it'll also be interesting to test the new features.
Whisper Bidet ($79): This is a relatively new brand of bidets, so it'd be good to compare it to industry heavyweights like Toto and Brondell.
LUXE Bidet Neo 120 ($36.27): This has a lot of good reviews from Amazon, but reviews can be misleading, so I'd like to test the quality and see how it holds up given its affordable price.
Brondell S1000-EW Swash 1000 ($579.99): There are a lot of high-end features with this bidet, such as self-cleaning stainless steel nozzles and an instant heating system. This would offer a good comparison to our current high-end pick.
Bio Bidet BB-1000 ($499): Bio Bidet makes our best budget pick but this is more expensive and has features like a heated seat, self-cleaning retractable nozzle, and drying function.
Ruiling ATK-1186 ($41.99): Handheld bidets are less popular than seats and attachments, so it'll be interesting to see how this type compares to the others. Installation doesn't look too hard and the price is among the lowest you'd find for a bidet.
SmartBidet SB-1000 ($241.99): Despite the generic plastic-y look, this has a lot of good reviews, so I'd want to put this through our tests and see how it performs.
GenieBidet ($109.98): Non-electric bidet seats aren't very popular and I've mostly seen non-electric bidet attachments. It's also relatively affordable as far as bidet seats go.
Kohler Novita ($246.87): The curved look is a bit different from other bidet seats I've tested. Kohler is also a household brand that more people might be familiar with than, say Bio Bidet, so it might be appealing for those who are new to the bidet world.
FAQs
How do you install a bidet?
All bidet seats and attachments get their water from the same source your toilet does. So, while each manufacturer may have slightly different instructions, the basic installation process includes the following steps:
One step the manufacturer doesn't include is that you should clean your toilet and the surrounding area before you get started. You want a clean working area!
Remove the toilet seat that is currently on your toilet.
Turn off your toilet's water supply (usually located by the wall or floor near the toilet.)
Flush the toilet once or twice to get as much water out of it as possible.
Disconnect the water supply hose where it attaches to the toilet's tank. You may want a bucket handy to catch any water still in the hose.
Connect the T-valve that comes with the bidet to the hose and the toilet tank.
If you have a bidet attachment, you will now mount it to the toilet as you reinstall your seat. If you're installing a bidet seat, you'll install the mounting plate and snap the seat into place.
Make adjustments to the positioning so that the front of the seat lines up with the front lip of the toilet bowl.
Connect the T-valve to the bidet using the hose that comes with the bidet.
Turn on the water supply and check for leaks. If there are leaks, turn the water supply off and make sure the area leaking was screwed in properly. Hand tightening is usually enough, but you may need to use a wrench to gently tighten the connection a little more if the threads are properly seated and you're still getting a leak.
Wash your hands and enjoy bidet life!
Will my bidet fit my toilet seat?
Like toilet seats, there are two shapes of bidet toilet seats — round and elongated.
The best way to determine this out is to use a tape measure and mark from the center of the bolt holes, where the current seat is attached to your toilet, to the front lip of the bowl.
Most round toilets are about 16.5 inches from where the seat attaches to the toilet to the front lip. Elongated toilets measure 18.5 inches. Many bidet seats come in both styles so you should be able to find one that matches your toilet easily.
How does a bidet work?
Basically, a bidet squirts a concentrated stream of water at your rear or front to clean off any debris left behind after going to the bathroom. You can adjust the water pressure based on your comfort levels. While more pressure is likely to get more of the debris, it can also hurt you. So, start with gentle pressure and slowly add more based on your comfort.
Also, the warmer the water, the better the clean. Unless you have a non-electric bidet that gets its warm water from the hot water supply under your sink, you don't have to worry about the water getting too hot. Most models max out at around 100 degrees.
How do I use a bidet?
If you have a bidet with a remote control or side control panel (and most do), continue to sit on the toilet and press the appropriate button — usually "front" or "rear." Hold down on the button until you think you're clean or let it run its timed cycle, and then pat yourself dry (or use the drying cycle if you have one).
If you have a non-electric bidet, you'll usually turn a knob to position the nozzle and then another knob for water pressure. You can find more specifics on usage here.
Is a bidet better than toilet paper?
"Cleaning with a bidet minimizes the amount of wiping and cleans off any residue that can lead to itching, soiling, and infection," says Heidi Bahna, MD, a colon and rectal surgery specialist at Palm Beach Colorectal Surgery. "Excessive wiping can lead to dry cracked skin, bleeding, itching, and pain. Using a bidet can provide better hygiene and pain relief for those after vaginal delivery, those with inflammatory bowel disease, or irritable bowel with frequent bowel movements."
Think about how you clean the rest of your body. You use water to wash your hands, bathe, and shower. You don't just take a dry towel and wipe your body with it. In this way, using a bidet is better than using toilet paper alone.
Do you still need to use toilet paper after using a bidet?
Yes, if you want to make sure you're clean as a whistle, you can use toilet paper. You'll also want to use TP if your bidet doesn't have a drying option.
Are bidets hygienic?
"Is your toilet hygienic? A bidet is no different," says Dr. Evan Goldstein, an anal surgeon and founder of Bespoke Surgical and Future Method. "Keeping your bidet clean is just as important as keeping your toilet clean. Nowadays, bidets are quite simple and easily cleanable with built-in mechanisms to wash the bidet after each use. They're also attached to the same water supply as your toilet and sink, which means it's the same water we ingest when brushing our teeth."
"When it comes to our bodies, we innately have good and bad bacteria inside and on the outside of our behinds," Goldstein says. "That homeostasis is paramount to maintaining equilibrium and using bidets helps foster happy and healthy behinds."
edX, an educational non-profit founded by Harvard and MIT, has reportedly enrolled over 110 million learners in every country in the world, according to the company.
Some of the platform's most popular courses cover increasingly in-demand skillsets like computer science, while many other courses speak to personal interests. Anant Agarwal, edX's founder and CEO, told Insider that the pandemic caused the biggest relative interest increase in personal happiness and religion courses.
Currently, edX offers over 3,200 free online courses, and students can pay a fee anywhere from $25-$199 for a verified certificate to add to their resume or LinkedIn profiles. edX also has longer paid certificate programs such as MicroBachelors and MicroMasters, though all individual courses can still be audited for free.
You can find a demo version of an edX course here, with the popular self-paced courses typically taking anywhere from 6-14 weeks to complete. They include weekly modules with pre-recorded videos that you may watch on a schedule or at your own pace, as well as supplemental readings, quizzes, homework, and optional student discussion forums.
12 popular edX courses, based on enrollment:
CS50's Introduction to Computer Science
Offered by: Harvard University
Enrollment: 2,730,757
Length: 12 weeks
In this introductory computer science course, students learn "how to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently" using concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development.
They also become familiar with programming languages such as C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript, plus CSS and HTML. By the end of the course, students develop and present a final programming project to their peers.
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
Offered by: MIT
Enrollment: 1,304,002
Length: 9 weeks
This course is part one of an introduction to computational thinking, programming, and computer and data science.
Without any prior experience in computer science or programming, you should be able to exit both with an understanding of how to think computationally and write programs to tackle problems.
The class focuses on breadth rather than depth. You'll learn about Python, simple algorithms, testing, debugging, and data structures, as well as gain an informal introduction to algorithm complexity.
Offered by: The University of Queensland Australia
Enrollment: 1,186,478
Length: 8 weeks
This course prepares students for IELTS, the world's most popular English language test, used to test the proficiency of students applying for higher education in English-speaking countries.
Students have immediate access to over 80 hours of interactive practice materials in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It was designed by English teaching professionals at The University of Queensland, and the verified enrollment feature includes extra study materials.
The TOEFL is one of the most trusted English-language tests in the world, and is used as an assessment by over 11,000 organizations, government agencies, and higher education institutions.
Covering the four sections of the test (Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Listening), this course helps students prepare for the types of questions they may get, as well get ready for the actual exam day so they can strive to achieve the best possible score.
Intended for students who completed the introductory CS50 course, this class focuses on database design, scalability, security, and user experience, using the popular programming languages Python and JavaScript. It features many hands-on projects to teach students how to use APIs, interactive UIs, GitHub, Heroku, and more, so that they can leave the course better equipped to design Internet applications.
If you've never learned Linux, this course, taught by Jerry Cooperstein, The Linux Foundation's Director of Training, is a good place to start.
Students gain a flexible knowledge of Linux using both the graphical interface and command line. They come away from the course comfortable with the tools and techniques most commonly used by Linux system administrators and end users in their day-to-day work.
Taught by Harvard Business School, this course explores the complicated and nuanced social issues that arise from emerging markets. Students cover different entrepreneurial sectors such as healthcare, online commerce, fintech, and infrastructure, as well as a range of geographical locations like India and South Asia, China, Africa, Latin America to help students solve problems related to financing, growth metrics, and property rights.
The first course in Harvard's Data Science professional certificate program, R Basics covers the fundamentals of the R programming language, covering functions, data types, popular commands like "if-else" and "for-loop", and data visualization. The course makes it a point to build a strong foundation in R rather than focusing on learning every feature right away — making it an approachable course for beginners.
Meant for students with no background in architecture (but plenty of curiosity), this course covers the achievements of architecture from both culturally expressive and technical viewpoints. Students learn about the common challenges architects face through a aesthetic, technical, economic and political lens.
For students who are interested in pursuing an architecture career, this course can offer continuing education units (CEUs) for American Institute of Architects (AIA). Enroll in the course to find out more.
This Harvard Law course covers everything you might have always wondered about regarding contracts, like what happens if someone breaks it or doesn't hold up to their end of the bargain. Starting from the fundamentals of what a contract is and what it's meant to do, the course also tackles how to best resolve one-sided promises and fraud, making it a great class to audit before signing anything huge.
For those interested in learning Spanish, this course taught by the Spanish polytechnic university Universitat Politècnica de Valencia covers the basics of conversational Spanish. Students learn the alphabet and numbers, as well as basic phrases to describe themselves, their nationalities, or their families. The course also covers some crucial conjugation rules, like using the verb "to be."
Based on one of Harvard's most popular on-campus courses, the online version examines common contemporary issues relating to justice — from income distribution to debates about rights — along with influential texts on morality and justice by Aristotle, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and John Rawls. Students learn to examine these controversial and complex issues through a critical, nuanced lens.
Your mattress is the most important part of your sleep setup, so it goes without saying that finding the right one is critical to your sleep quality and comfort.
I've been testing mattresses for more than four years to determine the best, and while that decision is ultimately subjective, our testing results are objective: you can read how we test mattresses here. Unless noted otherwise, each mattress I tested was a Queen because it's the most popular size. Every one of our picks below performed well in our tests, has a long risk-free home trial, is easy to unbox and set up, and can be returned — although some brands will deduct certain fees.
The Tempur-Pedic Cloud Mattress features contouring foam that cradles sleepers of all body types and sleeping styles while offering outstanding pressure relief and heat dissipation.
Pros: Great heat dissipation, outstanding motion isolation, 90-night trial, 10 inches thick with 3 layers of supportive and comforting Tempur foam that caters to all sleeping types
Cons: A shipping charge is deducted from your refund if you choose to return your bed, unimpressive edge support, no white-glove delivery
The Tempur-Pedic Cloud Mattress arrives in a box now like many other brands; you just open the box, remove the mattress, cut through the plastic, and unroll. Like many foam mattresses, it had an odor that dissipated after a few hours.
There are three foam layers: a soft and responsive comfort top layer, a firmer support layer, and finally, a supportive and durable base. The polyester-blend stretch cover is moisture-wicking and breathes well.
I was struck by how the patented foam contoured to my body and offered impressive pressure relief. I was comfortable on my stomach and side, and my wife, who is a back sleeper, also enjoyed the feel. During testing, I was able to fall asleep within minutes of laying down
Unlike most all-foam mattresses, the Cloud didn't overheat. When I got up at night, the heat dissipated making it cool enough to fall right back asleep when I got back in bed. The Cloud also passed my objective motion isolation tests, and when my rambunctious dog jumped onto the bed in the morning, I barely noticed.
The Cloud also supported my back well. I suffer from lower back pain that flares up when I sleep on an unsupportive mattress. While testing the mattress, I didn't experience any back aggravation.
The biggest negative with is the Cloud's poor edge support. I noticed significant sinking when I sat or laid on the edge of the bed. This isn't a deal breaker; however, couples may want a King for more space without feeling uncomfortable on the edges.
The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress performed well in all of the tests we put it through, which makes it ideal for most sleeping types, couples, and people who tend to overheat at night.
Pros: Impressive 365-night trial period, lifetime warranty, made with CertiPUR-US certified foams, good heat dissipation, great motion transfer, excellent edge support, easy to move with side handles
Cons: Lacks support for stomach sleepers
We chose to combine hybrid and innerspring mattresses for this update because the line between the two categories has blurred so much in recent years.
As with most hybrids, the DreamCloud Premier consists of a combination of individually-wrapped coils and foam. The bed's top layer is high-loft memory foam covered by quilted cashmere. From top to bottom, the other layers are high-density gel memory foam, supportive foam, coils, and a porous foam base.
Despite its heft, the DreamCloud is easy to maneuver thanks to handles on the long sides of the bed. Removing the mattress from the box and setting it up only took about five minutes. While there was a new bed smell initially, the odor dissipated by bedtime.
When it comes to performance, the DreamCloud Premier scored well in every test. It particularly excelled in heat dissipation: within two minutes of getting out of bed, the surface temperature of the bed dropped by 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
The edge support and motion isolation were both excellent, making this a smart option for couples. When sharing the bed with my wife, I didn't notice her shifting position in the night. When lying on the edge of the bed, I still felt supported.
Though it's billed as a "luxury firm," I found the mattress to be soft and preferred sleeping on my side rather than my stomach. Still, I was comfortable enough on my stomach, I just didn't feel as supported. My wife appreciated the cushy feel while sleeping on her back.
What's particularly unique about DreamCloud is its 365-night trial period and lifetime warranty, which is among the most generous of the mattresses I've tested.
Best adjustable airbed
If you and your partner just can't agree on a mattress firmness, the Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed allows you to customize each side to your perfect firmness and the bed automatically makes adjustments based on your body's position.
Pros: 20 firmness options make it ideal for all sleeping styles, good edge support, white glove delivery included with purchase, built-in sleep tracker, automatic air adjustments based on sleeping position
Cons: Hard to move, terrible motion isolation, may not be ideal for hot sleepers
Your mattress should last you for at least 10 years. In that time, a lot can happen to change your firmness preferences. For example, when I lost significant weight, I developed a preference for softer mattresses. Also, if you share a bed with someone, the odds are pretty small that you'll find the same firmness comfortable. These scenarios demonstrate why an airbed with adjustable firmness is a good investment.
The Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed is the best adjustable airbed I've tested. Two features set it apart. First, it has an automatic function that, when engaged, will adjust the firmness of the mattress as you shift positions in the night. Second, the mattress tracks your sleeping and offers custom recommendations in the app (available for iOS and Android).
While I found the adjustable air feature was a game-changer and significantly improved my sleep, the sleep tracking was nowhere near as accurate as my Garmin Forerunner 945 watch. However, even during the month I tested the mattress, Sleep Number made improvements to the app, and a representative for the company said a team is constantly making tweaks to make it more useful.
I appreciated that I didn't have to lift a finger to unbox the mattress. Two Sleep Number delivery people set up the dual adjustable bed frames and King-size mattress in about 45 minutes and made sure the bed connected to my phone and worked correctly.
The separate firmness level settings for each side and good edge support make it a smart choice for couples. However, the mattress failed my motion transfer tests each time, and my wife remarked that the bed felt like a water bed with how noticeable the motion is. Another negative is how hard it is to move the mattress. It's attached securely to the base so if you want to move it, you need to bring the base with you or figure out how to detach the mattress. Both methods require significantly more effort than your standard mattress.
Best latex
The Birch Mattress by Helix is made of sustainable, environmentally-friendly materials and offers firm and soft comfort options to accommodate a number of preferences.
Pros: Above-average firmness, soft topper available for an extra cost, very good motion isolation, made of natural materials, Greenguard Gold certified
Cons: Pillow top is slightly smaller than the mattress and doesn't attach to it, not ideal for side sleepers without the pillow top, no white-glove delivery
From the cover to the latex and the wool, the Birch Mattress by Helix is made of eco-friendly materials. The mattress is Greenguard Gold-certified to be free of harsh chemicals, and it's handmade in the US. The top layer is made of a fire-retardant layer of natural wool fibers with rayon, followed by an organic wool layer for temperature regulation and comfort. The middle layers are made of natural Talalay latex certified by several environmental organizations, including OEKO-Tex, and individually-wrapped coils for support and limited motion transfer. The base is organic wool batting for durability and stability, and the cover is made of GOTS-certified organic cotton.
When I went to unbox the Birch, I found these materials proved hefty. Though it didn't come with special tools or instructions, it was a standard unboxing — remove the bed from the box and cut through the layers of plastic. Within five minutes, the mattress was resting on the bed frame. There was a slight initial odor, though it dissipated within hours.
The Birch Mattress by Helix on its own is firm, but for an extra cost, you can add a plush organic mattress topper to make the bed softer. I tested the mattress with the topper since I prefer a softer feel and I was much more comfortable than laying on the base mattress alone, especially when sleeping on my side. Though, if you like a firmer feel, you might want to skip the topper.
The Birch Mattress is an excellent solution for couples thanks to its outstanding edge support and motion isolation. I performed my motion transfer test on the bed four times, and it only failed once. When I sat on the side of the bed, I felt supported, and when I laid on the very edge, I didn't feel like I was going to fall.
After testing the mattress, I gave it to my 6-foot-5 teenager. He deals with joint pain from constantly growing, and he said the bed helped soothe his pains. We both sleep hot, and the Birch did an adequate job of dissipating heat. However, on hotter nights, he reports the mattress is uncomfortably hot.
Best for hot sleepers
The Purple Premier Hybrid mattress not only has outstanding heat dissipation, but the patented Purple Grid offers pressure relief to all sleeping styles.
Pros: Excellent heat dissipation, great for all sleeping types, free white-glove delivery, outstanding pressure relief, bouncy
Cons: Poor motion isolation, heavy
To measure heat dissipation, I use a laser thermometer and consider how hot a mattress gets and how quickly it returns to its starting temperatures.
The Purple Premier Hybrid is our top pick for a cooling mattress because, based on our temperature tests, it builds up the least amount of heat of any mattress we tried and quickly releases any remaining heat within two minutes of getting out of bed. In my tests, the Purple mattress returned to within three degrees of the ambient temperature in those two minutes. It was almost as if no one had been sleeping on it at all.
The Purple Hybrid Premier mattress is so heavy I needed help unboxing it. Once released from the packaging, we carried the mattress to the foundation. I strongly recommend taking advantage of Purple's free white glove delivery of the Hybrid Premier.
What sets Purple beds apart from other brands is the "Purple Grid," which is made up of hyper-elastic gel polymer "grid lines" with one-inch-square open spaces between. You can choose how thick you want your grid: two, three, or four inches. I chose the three-inch thickness option, sometimes called the Purple 3.
Below the grid is a CertiPUR-US certified polyurethane foam layer, and below that is 7.5-inch pocketed springs. The cover is soft and breathable.
When you first lay down on the Purple, the feel of the grid is noticeable since it's located right under the cover. It's a unique feel that can take some getting used to.
I preferred to sleep on my side when testing the Premier Hybrid, but I was also comfortable on my stomach. I like the responsiveness of the grid, which immediately relieves pressure where you need it to most.
While the Premier Hybrid failed our objective motion isolation tests spectacularly, my subjective experience wasn't so bad. On occasion, my dog was able to sneak onto the mattress without me noticing. Also, I noticed the so-so motion isolation was likely due to the exceptional bounce of the bed, which couples may appreciate.
Best for cold sleepers
We found the all-foam construction of the Nectar Lush Mattress holds heat without causing overheating and has a firmness that will fit a variety of different positions, making it ideal for people who tend to sleep cold.
Pros: Long trial period and warranty, excellent edge support, made of CertiPUR-US certified foam, sleeps warmer than most mattresses, average firmness that will appeal to all sleeping styles
Cons: Poor motion isolation, not ideal for people who sleep hot
Most mattress brands put an emphasis on making products that keep you cool through the night, and Nectar is no different. The company markets the Lush Mattress as offering "dual action cooling." However, in my experience, the Lush Mattress held onto body heat and facilitated a warmer sleep. While this may be a deal breaker for hot sleepers like myself, the Lush is an excellent choice if you have trouble staying warm at night.
The Nectar Lush setup experience varied slightly from the norm in that it came with a safety blade for cutting through the plastic. Out of the packaging, it had a strong new bed odor, but I kept the room well-ventilated, and it was fine by night time.
The Lush has three layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam: a top layer of gel-coated memory foam, a mid-layer higher density memory foam, and a stabilizing and supportive base foam. A poly-blend cover envelopes the layers.
When it comes to firmness, I felt the Nectar Lush Mattress was about average, which should appeal to a broad range of sleepers. While I was comfortable sleeping on my side and stomach, my preferred position during testing was a cross between the two.
If you share a bed with your partner or pets, you might want to consider a mattress with better motion isolation, since the Lush Mattress consistently failed our tests. However, it does have excellent edge support. I felt supported both when I sat and laid on the very edge.
Lastly, one major benefit is the long trial period and warranty. It's among the best of any in our guide.
Best ultra-firm
The Airweave Mattress has a breathable and non-toxic polyethylene core that offers ultra-firm support to all parts of the bed, even the very edges.
Pros: Features a soft insert to transform the bed from incredibly firm to just firm, great heat dissipation, outstanding edge support, decent motion isolation, 100-night sleep trial, machine-washable cover
Cons: Some assembly required, hard to move around, not recommended for side sleepers
The Airweave Mattress is one of the most unique beds I've ever tested — it's modular and it requires more assembly than most mattresses. The polyethylene core is broken into three blocks. You place these on the bottom half of the cover, seal up an inner cover, add the polyester soft layer, and zip on the top of the cover. With this level of assembly, white-glove delivery would be an attractive option. Unfortunately, Airweave does not currently offer this service.
I like that there's a soft layer insert that you can easily remove if you'd prefer an ultra-firm mattress rather than just firm. Even with the soft layer, the mattress was firmer than I'd prefer and sleeping on my side was out of the question. I mainly slept on my stomach and a little on my back when testing this mattress, and I was surprisingly comfortable in these positions. I appreciated how cool the bed slept thanks to the breathable core.
In my experience, mattresses that are less than 10 inches thick are not supportive enough, but at 8 inches thick, the Airweave surprisingly offered plenty of support. With its short stature and light weight — the Queen only weighs 71.5 pounds — you might assume the mattress would be easy to move around, but it's a beast. The blocks cause the mattress to flop, which adds to the difficulty.
The Airweave is a great solution for anyone who loves firm mattresses. The edge support is excellent on all sides and the bed performed well in my motion transfer tests. When I dropped the bowling ball, the soda can rarely fell over on the first impact, but the bed is incredibly bouncy and the can would sometimes fall over on the second bounce.
Best soft
The Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress is ideal for side sleepers who are looking for a plush-comfort bed with great heat dissipation.
Pros: Made with eco-friendly materials, 100-night risk-free trial, good edge support, excellent heat dissipation, the plush comfort is ideal for side sleepers
Cons: Held on to its new bed smell, not the best for stomach or back sleepers, failed motion transfer tests
The Nova Hybrid is one of Casper's newest and softest mattress, which is ideal for my side-sleeping body. When my muscles and joints were aching after exercising, the Nova Hybrid cradled my body and offered pressure relief in all the right areas. This is thanks to the supportive foam layers with ergonomic zones that are firmer around the lower back, waist, and hips, and softer under the shoulders to help align your spine.
The mattress is made of CertiPUR-US certified foam and the cover is partially composed of recycled bottles, making it an eco-friendly alternative. There are two layers of Casper's proprietary "Airscape" foam which are meant to help with the airflow, and the topmost layer has small perforations for breathability.
I tend to overheat in bed, but when sleeping on the Nova Hybrid, I never felt hot, which is impressive since I tested the mattress in the summer. When I used the bathroom in the night, the spot where I was sleeping was cooler when I returned, which helped me get back to sleep faster. The base layer of the mattress features individually-wrapped coils surrounded by a firm border of foam. The border helps the bed's edge support.
With all of the layers of foam and springs, the Nova Hybrid is heavy and flops around as you move it. Fortunately, it comes with handles sewn into each corner to make it more manageable.
The motion dampening properties, however, leave much to be desired. The Nova Hybrid failed my motion transfer tests, and when sharing the bed with my wife and dog, I could feel when either of them moved.
If you're interested in the Nova, Wave, or Original specifically (you can check out our reviews here), and use our exclusive code 'INSIDER' for $200 off any size Nova or Wave, or $100 off any size Original.
Best for back pain
The Leesa Hybrid Mattress has great edge support and motion isolation. The mix of memory foam and pocket springs leads to an average firmness that makes it an outstanding solution for back pain sufferers of any sleeping style.
Pros: Average firmness that will appeal to a broad range of sleepers, edge support and motion isolation are ideal for couples, 100-night risk-free home trial, made of foam and pocket springs for support and breathability, 10-year warranty
Cons: Heavy, hard to move around
For about a year, the Leesa Hybrid was the main mattress I slept on when I wasn't testing others.
The bed features five layers: a cooling premium foam top layer, a contouring memory foam layer, and 14.5-gauge pocket springs that help with breathability sandwiched by two core foam support layers.
My wife and I appreciated that its average firmness suited our backs, stomachs, and sides, and I was especially impressed with its motion isolation — I rarely noticed when my wife got up in the night. The edge support is also great thanks to the innerspring coils that go all the way to the very edge of the bed.
During the time I tested the Leesa Hybrid, I never woke up with back pain, though I have a history of pain back issues. When I wrenched my back trying to put a standing desk together, the mattress provided the pressure relief and comfort I needed to get restful sleep and facilitate the healing process.
However, this is based on my personal experience. If you suffer from back pain, you should always consult your doctor before purchasing a new mattress.
I also encourage you to have someone else set up this bed if you have back pain. I tempted fate and tackled the task on my own. I tested a King mattress for this guide and it weighed 142 pounds. I set up the bed on my own, but I relied on white glove mattress removal once I was done with it.
Readers can score 20% off the Hybrid with our exclusive code "INSIDER" at checkout — you can read the full details here.
The Birch Mattress by Helix is made of sustainable, environmentally-friendly materials and is firm enough to provide the support most heavier people need.
Pros: Above-average firmness, soft topper available for an extra cost, very good motion isolation, made of natural materials, Greenguard Gold certified
Cons: Pillow top is slightly smaller than the mattress and doesn't attach to it, not ideal for side sleepers without the pillow top, no white-glove delivery
Though firmness preferences can vary wildly regardless of your body type, heavier individuals tend to prefer mattresses that are a little bit firmer. This is because firmness provides support, makes it easier for you to adjust your position, and keeps you from sinking in too much. For this reason, we recommend the Birch Mattress by Helix for heavy people who have struggled to find a supportive, comfortable mattress.
The Birch Mattress is made up of a combination of organic wool, organic cotton, OEKO-Tex certified Talalay latex, and individually-wrapped coils. These materials help aid with pressure relief and tend to be more durable.
I weighed about 250 pounds when I tested the Birch by Helix. And, I much preferred sleeping on the mattress with the optional plush organic mattress topper, which made it more comfortable for my side sleeping. Without the topper, I was more comfortable on my stomach. If you're a side sleeper, you may want to try the mattress with the topper. If you don't like it, the topper is easy to remove and can be returned within 100 days of purchase for a full refund.
The biggest negative heavier individuals will want to watch out for with the Birch is its average heat dissipation. If you tend to overheat at night, you might want to consider something cooler, like the Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze Hybrid, or supplement the mattress with a good cooling product.
Best for petite people
The Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress is ideal for petite sleepers who are looking for a plush-comfort bed with great heat dissipation.
Pros: Made with eco-friendly materials, 100-night risk-free trial, good edge support, excellent heat dissipation, the plush comfort is ideal for side sleepers
Cons: Held on to its new bed smell, not the best for stomach or back sleepers, failed motion transfer tests
As with heavier individuals, petite sleepers have mattress preferences that are all over the board. But, in general, smaller and lighter people will benefit from beds that are softer. Since petite folks don't have enough weight to sink into a mattress, they're more likely to perceive firm mattresses as rigid and uncomfortable. So, in order to keep your spine properly aligned, you need something soft, yet supportive that will cradle your body. We think the Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress, which is also our pick for best soft mattress, fits the bill.
Made of a combination of CertiPUR-US certified foam and individually-wrapped coils, the Nova Hybrid is the softest mattress made by Casper, one of the top names in the bed-in-a-box industry.
The Nova Hybrid is the best soft mattress I've tested. Since losing significant weight, my firmness preference has shifted from average to softer than average. And, I found this bed was ideal for my side sleeping. I was particularly impressed with the pressure relief and the outstanding heat dissipation.
Best for side sleepers
The Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress is also ideal for side sleepers who are looking for a plush-comfort bed with great heat dissipation.
As with heavier individuals, petite sleepers have mattress preferences that are all over the board. But, in general, smaller and lighter people will benefit from beds that are softer. Since petite folks don't have enough weight to sink into a mattress, they're more likely to perceive firm mattresses as rigid and uncomfortable. So, in order to keep your spine properly aligned, you need something soft, yet supportive that will cradle your body. We think the Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress, which is also our pick for best soft mattress, fits the bill.
Made of a combination of CertiPUR-US certified foam and individually-wrapped coils, the Nova Hybrid is the softest mattress made by Casper, one of the top names in the bed-in-a-box industry.
The Nova Hybrid is the best soft mattress I've tested. Since losing significant weight, my firmness preference has shifted from average to softer than average. And, I found this bed was ideal for my side sleeping. I was particularly impressed with the pressure relief and the outstanding heat dissipation.
Best for back sleepers
The medium firmness and cradling comfort of the Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze Mattress make it ideal for back sleepers, especially if you tend to overheat at night.
Pros: Medium firmness that suits an array of sleeping styles, excellent motion transfer dampening, sleeps cool, 10-year warranty, white-glove delivery
Cons: Heavy, subpar edge support, expensive, shipping deducted from refund if you choose to return the mattress during the trial period
Back sleepers benefit from medium-firm mattresses, though this can vary based on body type and personal preferences. It also helps if there is zoned support with extra cushioning around the hips and shoulders. Based on these factors and our subjective testing, the Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze Mattress is the best option for back sleepers.
The Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze Hybrid Mattress is designed for cool sleeping, but it also provides outstanding cradling comfort. There's an outer cover that you can unzip and toss in the wash for easy cleaning, and three layers of foam that are geared toward absorbing excessive heat and improving breathability. At the base, the mattress has 1,000+ spring coils surrounded by a supportive foam border that provide support, durability, and breathability.
The PRObreeze is the mattress that my wife and I sleep on when I'm not testing other alternatives. As a hot sleeper, I've found it does an excellent job of keeping me from overheating.
Between my wife and I, we exhibit just about every sleeping style and we both find this slightly-firm mattress works well for our bodies. I also don't feel when my wife or dog are moving around during the night — the motion dampening abilities are outstanding. However, the edge support could use some work. When sitting or lying on the edge, it sinks significantly.
The mattress is heavy and hard to move around. Fortunately, Tempur-Pedic includes white-glove delivery with the purchase of the PRObreeze. Professionals showed up at my house and set up the new mattress in under an hour. My lower back appreciated the break from heavy lifting.
With its plush Euro top and supportive feel, the Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress supplies the ideal balance of comfort and support for stomach sleepers to get a good night's sleep.
Pros: 365-night risk-free trial, lifetime warranty, great for stomach sleepers, good heat dissipation, made of eco-friendly materials, all four sides have two handles
Cons: Not ideal for side sleepers, heavy, sinks significantly when sitting on the side
Stomach sleepers generally prefer the firmest mattresses, though this will vary based on personal preference and body type. A firmer mattress supports stomach sleepers by keeping your spine aligned, protecting you from back pain.
The Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress gives you a slightly firm, comfortable support along with one of the longest trial periods and warranties in the industry.
The firm feel is balanced by a plush Euro top made of organic wool. Next is a layer of Rainforest Alliance-certified Dunlop latex, and the support core contains individually wrapped coils.
For easy movability, the cotton blend mattress cover has two handles sewn into all four sides. This feature is a must since the Awara is one of the heaviest mattresses in our guide. Despite the heft, I set it up without help in about five minutes. The mattress had a strong initial odor that dissipated within a few hours.
As a combination side and stomach sleeper, I much preferred stomach sleeping on the Awara. During the testing period, I didn't have any trouble falling asleep, and each morning I awoke feeling refreshed. I also didn't experience any soreness, which is a common issue for stomach sleepers.
Both the edge support and motion isolation were middle of the road. When sitting on the edge of the bed, I didn't feel like I sunk much, but when I was laying on the edge, I felt uncomfortable, like I might fall off. The Awara also failed the objective motion transfer tests each time, but the mattress is quite bouncy, which some people may like.
Pros: Affordable, 100-night trial, 10-year warranty, made of cooling gel memory foam, excellent motion isolation, four thickness options, great for back and stomach sleepers
Cons: Took a week to expand to full size, poor edge support
The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress features one of my favorite materials to sleep on: gel memory foam. I've found this material does an outstanding job of keeping my hot-sleeping body cool through the night, and the Zinus mattress was no exception.
The memory foam sinks in to comfort the contours of your body while still providing a firmer-than-average support. Because of this, I felt better sleeping on my stomach during testing, rather than my side. Back sleepers may also like the firmness of this model.
The mattress passed my motion transfer tests with flying colors. When I was sleeping on it, my wife and dog were able to sneak into bed without jostling or waking me.
The mattress comes in four thickness options — 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches. I tested the 14-inch Queen. In general, I've found that mattresses that are 10 inches or thinner aren't as supportive, so you should consider the thicker styles.
At under $500, you would expect compromises, and there are a few, but they are easy to look past if you want to save a few dollars. First, the edge support is awful. It's hard to lie on the edges and not fall off. The mattress also took a week to expand to its full size. Out of the box, it was about half its full thickness. The directions suggest it will only take 72 hours to expand, but that was not my experience. It also had an initial odor, but that went away quickly.
At 70 pounds, the mattress is easy to move around, especially since it is firmer and doesn't flop around.
Best luxury
When price is no object, the Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze Hybrid is your best bet with its contouring, supportive, and cooling combination of foam and springs delivered and set up in your bedroom.
Pros: Medium firmness that suits an array of sleeping styles, excellent motion transfer dampening, sleeps cool, 10-year warranty, white-glove delivery
Cons: Heavy, subpar edge support, expensive, shipping deducted from refund if you choose to return the mattress during the trial period
If you want to spend top dollar on a mattress that you'll spend a third of your life on for the next 10+ years, then the Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze Hybrid is your best bet. The patented Tempur material has similar body contouring to memory foam but with added support and pressure relief without the sinking feeling, which is why it's also our top pick for back sleepers.
The PRObreeze mattress is different from other Tempur-Pedic mattresses in that it is designed with a focus on cooling. Tempur-Pedic also offers a similar mattress in the series, called the LUXEbreeze, that offers an even cooler sleep at an even heftier price tag (currently $4,999) though I haven't personally tested it yet.
The PRObreeze is my main mattress when I'm not testing other models. I appreciate the luxury feel and how it cradles my body while keeping me from overheating. And, I don't notice when my dog jumps in the bed thanks to the impressive motion isolation.
If you're really looking to splurge, I recommend pairing the PRObreeze with the Tempur-Ergo Smart Base, which features a sleep tracker to monitor your sleep and makes recommendations for improved rest.
For being in the middle of the pack price-wise, the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress offers an impressive array of features, including excellent support, a firmness that will appeal to most sleepers, and a long trial period and warranty.
Pros: Impressive 365-night trial period, lifetime warranty, made with CertiPUR-US certified foams, good heat dissipation, great motion transfer, excellent edge support, easy to move with side handles
Cons: Could maybe be more supportive for stomach sleepers
The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress won our best hybrid/innerspring category, but we also think it's the best mid-priced mattress you can buy, coming in at $1,599 for a Queen. While this is a bit more than what we'd typically consider mid-priced, DreamCloud's year long trial period and lifetime warranty justify the bump in price for us.
Along with the Birch Mattress by Helix, the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress was one of the only beds we tested to do well in every category we look at. The unboxing process was seamless. Though the mattress is on the heavier side, it's easy to move since it has handles sewn into the left and right sides and doesn't flop around.
The DreamCloud had the biggest raw temperature drop in our heat dissipation tests. The motion isolation and edge support are great for couples sharing a bed, even if they have different sleeping styles, since the mattress' average firmness will appeal to most sleepers. And, the Premier Hybrid is made of high-quality materials, including CertiPUR-US certified foams.
Lastly but importantly, if you don't like the mattress in your first year of ownership, you can return it for a full refund. If you keep it, the bed is covered for life.
What else we tested
We've tested dozens of mattresses over the years, and there are none that we outright don't recommend. Every mattress we've tested could potentially be a good fit for the right individual. However, here are a few that missed the cut for our guide but are worth considering.
What else we recommend and why
Saatva Classic ($1,499): The Saatva Classic was the "best spring mattress" in a previous version of our guide, but we decided to combine that category with "best hybrid." The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid beat it out for that pick. I have not tested Saatva Classic, but my colleague Kylie Joyner did and had a positive experience. She liked the great edge support, free in-home delivery and mattress removal, 180-night trial period (though there's a $99 return fee), and firmness options. Read our full review.
Nectar Memory Foam ($1,198): There's a lot to like about Nectar's flagship mattress. It just wasn't the best in any specific category. I like that you can try it risk-free with a 365-night trial, and if you keep it, it's backed by a lifetime warranty. I found it was softer than average, which was comfortable for my side sleeping. It also has great heat dissipation, excellent motion isolation, and average edge support. However, I would be hesitant to recommend it for back and stomach sleepers because it's so soft.
Bear Pro ($1,295): Despite feeling a little softer than average, I was comfortable on my stomach and side while sleeping on the Bear Pro, and I think its all-foam construction will appeal to all sleeping types. The copper-infused foam, gel-infused foam, and breathable Celliant cover all give the bed impressive heat dissipation. The main negatives are it offers poor edge support and it's a bit pricey for an all-foam mattress. Read our full review.
Brooklyn Bedding Sedona Hybrid ($2,899): The Sedona Hybrid is a luxury mattress made of CertiPUR-US certified foams and up to 1,000 coils. You can test it out for 120 nights risk-free. I liked how hassle-free the unboxing was and how the mattress has handles for easy movability. The average firmness should appeal to a broad audience, but I just could not get comfortable no matter what position I was in. And, while the heat dissipation and edge support are average, the mattress failed my motion transfer tests every time.
Casper Original ($1,095): The Casper Original was our previous pick for the best all-foam mattress, and we still recommend it. We like the Casper Original because it works well for a wide array of sleeping styles, is made of eco-friendly materials, has excellent heat dissipation, and exhibits great motion dampening. However, it does not have good edge support. Read our full review.
Plank by Brooklyn Bedding ($999.20): The Plank was our previous pick for the best ultra-firm mattress. I didn't test this personally, but based on our writer's review, we think the Airweave Mattress is a better option because of its unique design and heat dissipation. We still think the Plank is a great bed with its two levels of firmness, exceptional edge support, and impressive motion isolation. Read our full review.
Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress ($1,799): The mattress has medium-firm support that works for all types of sleepers, and the organic latex is breathable and sleeps cool. Our reporter said that the mattress has great motion isolation so she doesn't feel much movement, but that the edge support is poor. Despite this, we'd still recommend the bed but suggest upgrading to a Queen for solo sleepers and a King for couples so no one falls off the side.
Saatva Solaire Adjustable Mattress ($2,595): The Saatva Solaire has a built-in air pump controlled by a corded controller that allows you to pick from 50 firmness options for your ideal comfort level. I found it worked great, but the motion isolation left a lot to be desired. Plus, you can't find the mattress in showrooms to test it out before buying. Fortunately, there's a 120-night home trial period. Read our full review.
Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid ($1539.30): Amerisleep offers five mattresses, AS1 through AS5, each with a specific benefit. I've tested the AS3, the company's best selling bed, but I much prefer its softer, luxury mattress, the AS5. Due to its soft feel, it's an outstanding solution for anyone who prefers softer beds. Since it sleeps hot, people who get too cold at night may also prefer this mattress. Also, it doesn't have very good edge support and failed my motion isolation tests, so it's better suited for people who sleep alone. Overall, though, I like how it cradled my body.
Allswell Supreme Hybrid ($985): This is one of the best mattresses you will find under $1,000. It features a combination of copper and graphite gel-infused memory foam and pocket coils, which give it a medium firmness that will appeal to many different types of sleepers. The edge support is great but it sleeps hot and is quite heavy. Also, it's only available online and not in showrooms.
Intellibed Matrix Grand ($6,999): The Intellibed Matrix Grand is the height of luxury and features seven layers of high-quality materials, including two gel layers that flex to provide localized pressure relief and to help align the spine. However, at 196 pounds, it's the heaviest mattress I've tested, and at 17 inches thick, it's hard to find fitted sheets that are deep enough to stay on the mattress. I didn't find it particularly comfortable no matter what position I was in, the motion isolation is poor, and the return policy has questionable stipulations.
Testing methodology
I personally tested all of the mattresses in our guide. In addition to sleeping on each mattress for at least two weeks, there are many objective tests I put each model through. The most important factors I consider are comfort, edge support, and motion isolation.
Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:
Comfort: This is a fairly subjective characteristic that is based on the firmness of a mattress, how hot it sleeps, and how supportive it feels. My measurement of firmness is based on testing dozens of mattresses and developing a feel for soft, average, and firm mattresses. I also consider heat dissipation, which I gauge using a laser thermometer to measure the temperature before I lay in the bed for at least one hour, immediately after I get up, and two minutes after I get up.
Motion isolation: If you've ever spent the night with someone who moves around a lot in their sleep, you know how important motion isolation is. Without it, your sleeping partner's movements will jostle you awake throughout the night. To test motion isolation, I place a 12-ounce can of soda pop in the middle of the mattress. Then I drop a 15-pound bowling ball from four feet above the mattress so it lands 12 inches from the can. If the can falls over time and time again, the motion isolation is not very good. If the can stays upright, the bed does an excellent job of dampening motion transfer.
Edge support: To test edge support, I lay on the very edge of the bed and slowly roll off — literally. If I feel like I can roll a fair amount before actually falling, then the bed has good edge support. If I fall easily, then the edge support is not very good. I also sit on the side to put on my socks and shoes to assess how much the edge sinks. I am currently developing an objective measurement that I'll "roll" out in future guides as I collect more data.
Portability: Unless you're constantly relocating or redecorating, it's unlikely you'll need to move your mattress often so this category doesn't weigh heavily in our assessment. Still, it's nice if you can easily rotate your mattress, a task that's important for your bed's longevity. And depending on how your bed is positioned, you may need to move the mattress to put on fitted sheets. I move each mattress several times to see how heavy it feels and if it flops around making it harder to move.
Trial and warranty: I look at the details of the warranty and home trial period, whether the mattress is available in showrooms, and whether there's white-glove delivery. The only way to know if a mattress is right for you is to sleep on it for several nights, so we looked for loopholes in the fine print of the return policy and let you know about them.
Setup: I timed how long it took me to unbox and set up each mattress on my own. Also, I noted any peculiarities to the process. My nose tracks any new bed odor initially and when I go to bed, usually 10+ hours later. Lastly, I look at whether white-glove service is offered and how much it costs.
What we're testing next
We're constantly testing new mattresses and re-testing our top picks to determine the best ones. Here's what we're currently testing:
Nest Bedding Flip Double-Sided Hybrid ($699): This affordable bed is unique in that you can flip it. One side has a medium firmness and the other is firmer.
Olaf by Mellow ($446.80): This is another budget option as we bulk up our coverage in that category. It features four layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam, including gel-infused memory foam for heat dissipation.
The Botanical Bliss by PlushBeds ($3,499): Made of organic latex, wool, and cotton, this mattress is available in three thicknesses and two firmness options.
Idle Latex Hybrid ($1,330): This mattress has individually-wrapped spring coils sandwiched between several foam layers so you can supposedly flip it over and sleep on both sides.
Haven Boutique Mattress ($945): Thicker than most mattresses at 14 inches, we're curious to test if that has any effect on comfort and support.
Purple Premier Hybrid 4 ($2,999): This is the only Purple mattress I haven't tested, and I'm hoping to test it in the near future for a side-by-side comparison of the line. It is similar to the Premier Hybrid 3, only the Purple Grid is four inches thick instead of three.
How to shop for a mattress
Buying a mattress no longer requires heading to a showroom and having a salesperson lurk over you as you lay on a mattress for 10 minutes to decide if it will suit you for the next decade. In fact, we put together a handy guide of what to expect if you're shopping for a mattress online at nine popular brands.
To help you shop for a mattress, we spoke with Dr. Luis Javier Peña-Hernández, a lung and sleep health specialist at PCSI.
Consider your medical conditions
Peña-Hernández first suggests considering your medical history. "The right mattress is the most comfortable one for each person. However, consumers should consider their medical history, like respiratory diseases, allergies, scoliosis, or sleep apnea when purchasing a mattress; so they can make an informed decision regarding what type of materials are in their mattress or what features might prove to be healthier for them," Peña-Hernández said. "Patients with COPD may benefit from mattresses that are designed for adjustable beds because elevating the head of the bed can sometimes facilitate easier breathing."
Know your sleep position
After talking to your doctor, assess your sleeping style and preferred firmness level.
"The most common mattress problem that people report is the lack of comfortability which can result in fatigue or excessive sleepiness," Peña-Hernández said. "It's hard to keep up with the day-to-day when you're not well-rested, and ultimately, it can affect your quality of life. Chronic fatigue can even have implications for your immunity and your health. A good mattress meets the criteria for the specific person's needs and promotes a healthy, well-rested, rest."
Though every person's preferences are different, there are some patterns that certain body types and sleeping styles seem to prefer, according to Peña-Hernández.
Side sleepers:"Vast research exists to support side sleepers benefit from medium-firm mattresses to support pressure point relief," said Peña-Hernández. "Side sleepers can experience shoulder and lower back pain if the mattress is too unsupportive."
Back sleepers: Peña-Hernández recommends medium firmness for back sleepers. "Back sleepers should strive to maintain the natural S-curvature of the spine so the best mattress for back sleepers provides spinal support. A medium-firm mattress will help achieve this by redistributing weight and promoting healthy alignment but still contours to the body to provide cushioning where it is needed."
Stomach sleepers: Firmer mattresses tend to benefit stomach sleepers as well as heavier folks.
Consider body size and preferences
In addition to the above, you should also consider bodyweight and heat dissipation.
"Individuals concerned about their weight and weight-related complications should speak to their medical provider when considering a mattress, said Peña-Hernández. "Overweight individuals should consider a thicker mattress of at least 12 inches thick or more. Thinner mattresses won't provide you with the support you need. Coil mattresses also provide a more durable construction."
Softer mattresses are generally better for petite individuals since lighter individuals (under 130 pounds) don't sink into beds as far. Breus also notes that as people get older, they would benefit from a softer bed to address pain issues. "As we age, our skin gets thinner, which means less cushion."
Firm mattresses aren't necessarily more supportive. Instead, support is based on how well the bed cradles your body and allows your spine to relax. Since different parts of your body push down more on a mattress, such as the hips and shoulders, mattresses that offer zoned support in these areas tend to be more comfortable to a broader range of individuals. These beds also tend to cost more as the construction is more specialized.
If you overheat at night, you'll want a mattress and even bedding that does an outstanding job of dissipating heat. "Hot sleepers should consider sheets and materials made of natural fibers for their breathability," said Peña-Hernández. "Bamboo, cotton, linen, and hemp are good options as well as cooling sheets, especially sheets designed to wick moisture."
FAQs
What kind of mattress should you buy?
There are a handful of popular mattress types to choose from.
Memory foam: When most people think of a bed-in-a-box, they think of memory foam mattresses. These are mattresses with multiple layers of foam that support and contour your body. However, due to the construction, all-foam mattresses also tend to trap heat.
Latex foam: This is usually preferred by people looking for an eco-friendly foam that's cooler and more responsive than traditional memory foam.
Hybrid: These beds combine one of the above foams with spring coils. The coils tend to help with motion transfer and edge support making them a great option for couples. The coils also help with airflow for a cooler sleep.
Spring: Also called innerspring or coil mattresses, these are your more traditional beds. Due to the responsive coils, they offer good support, edge support, cooling, and durability. However, they are generally more expensive and mostly found in showrooms and not online.
Pillow-top: Pillow-tops are usually associated with innerspring mattresses but can be found on any of the above options. This is the smart solution for those who like a soft, cushy feel.
Adjustable or air beds: These beds use an air pump to adjust the firmness of your mattress to suit your needs. They are among the most expensive options but may be an ideal long-term solution since your firmness needs change with time. Couples with drastically different firmness needs would also benefit from an adjustable air bed.
What size bed should you buy?
There are six standard bed sizes. In order from smallest to largest (and usually the least to most expensive), they are:
Twin: If you are a smaller individual who sleeps alone, a Twin (38 inches wide by 75 inches long) will serve you well.
Twin XL: This is the same width (38 inches) as the Twin but 5 inches longer, which makes it better for tall people who sleep alone.
Full: With the same length (75 inches) as the Twin but 16 inches wider, the Full is designed for larger folks or anyone who just wants a bit more space
Queen: The Queen is 80 inches long by 60 inches wide, and is meant for couples who are smaller.
King: The King is 16 inches wider than the Queen and better for larger couples. I recommend it if you are choosing a mattress with subpar edge support and you're concerned about feeling uncomfortable near the edges.
California King: The Cal King is four inches longer but four inches narrower than the King, so it's a smart alternative for taller couples.
For context, my wife and I are both slightly taller and heavier than average, and we share a bed with a dog and a full-body pillow. Queen mattresses are simply too small and uncomfortable for us, though it's the size we test as it's the most popular. We've found a King is more ideal for our needs.
What's the best way to clean a mattress?
Based on expert interviews, my colleague L. Daniela Alvarez put together an excellent guide on how to clean a mattress. The experts in her article recommend deep cleaning your mattress with baking soda and a vacuum every three to six months. However, stains should be treated as quickly as possible using a disinfectant wipe. Or, for harder stains, you may need to use a mixture of dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide.
Some mattresses have removable covers. Check with the manufacturer before removing the cover and attempting to clean it. Some brands may state that their covers are machine washable. If that is the case with your mattress, we recommend that option only as a last resort, and make sure you follow the cleaning instructions carefully.
Lastly, when purchasing a new mattress, you should protect your investment by also buying a mattress protector. We regularly update our guide to the best mattress protectors and encourage you to check out our latest recommendations.
When is the best time to buy a mattress?
Though mattress makers have sales throughout the year, you can usually find the best deals during holiday weekends, like Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
Also, manufacturers tend to start marking down their mattress prices in March as they prepare to launch a new line in June. In March, you'll usually find the widest selection with the smallest discounts. But, as you get into May, the discounts increase while the inventory becomes sparse. We keep a running list of all mattress deals and sales that is updated monthly, and features many Insider-exclusive discounts.
What's the best mattress for back pain?
For years, the common wisdom was that a firm mattress is best for back pain. However, a 2008 study published in Applied Ergonomics found that firmness had no effect on back pain and stiffness. Instead, they found the newness and price of the mattress had more of a bearing.
When shopping for a mattress, it's important that you find a supportive mattress that's right for your body types and sleeping style. You want your spine to stay aligned while sleeping. This generally means a firmer mattress for individuals who sleep on their back or stomach, or for heavier people. A mattress with average firmness or softer is better for back pain sufferers who sleep on their side, are petite, or are older.
Support is also important, and based on my experience testing dozens of mattresses, the cheaper, sub-$1,000 mattresses skimp in this area. I recommend looking for a mattress with zoned support. These offer more pressure relief around the hips, lower back, and shoulders.
Lastly, take full advantage of the home trials offered by all of the companies in our guide. After all, the only way to know if a mattress is right for your back is to sleep on it.
Glossary
There are plenty of terms tossed around in the mattress industry. But, what do they even mean? Here are a few common terms defined:
Edge support: This refers to how well a mattress maintains its integrity to its sides without sagging or sinking. So, a mattress with good edge support will feel just as supportive on the edges as it does in the center of the mattress. On the other hand, if you feel like you're going to fall off the bed when you lay near the edge, that's a sure sign of poor edge support.
Euro top: This is a type of pillow top that is sewn into the mattress cover to provide a plush, yet supportive feel. It's commonly found on hybrid and innerspring mattresses and made of fiberfill, wool, or foam.
Innersprings: Also referred to as coils or just springs, these are corkscrew-shaped pieces of metal, usually steel, that make up the core of many of today's mattresses, including hybrid and innerspring styles. Many modern mattresses use "pocket coils," which are wrapped coils that help limit noise and motion transfer.
Motion isolation/motion transfer: These terms are two sides of the same coin. Motion isolation describes how well a mattress dampens the feel of movement. For example, a mattress with good motion isolation keeps you from being jostled as your partner shifts positions in the night. When a mattress has good motion isolation, it will have minimal motion transfer. A bed with excessive motion transfer has bad motion isolation, meaning you can feel your partner's every move.
You can score ample cushioning, support for long mileage, or just the basics for the occasional jog at an affordable price.
Some of the best athletic brands like New Balance, Hoka, and Brooks have great runners at $100 to $130.
Our top pick, the Hoka One One Rincon, is cushioned, durable, and great for short jogs or multi-hour runs alike.
Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky
I've been running for more than 20 years and, in that time, I've tried just about every type of shoe on the market on every type of run, from marathons, to weekend trail runs, to around-the-block sprints.
Along with Brian Metzler, author of Kicksology, a comprehensive look at the history and science behind running shoes, and Mike Fronsoe, owner of the Fleet Feet specialty running store in Monroe, LA, we've put in thousands of miles on running shoes and have zeroed in on what pairs are worth the splurge — and which are great at a savings.
It's common to come across running shoes at $250 that promise — and, honestly, do deliver — faster times. For the average runner, however, that's more shoe than you'd ever want or need. Thankfully, the market offers its fair share of affordable options, too.
"There are plenty of good, mid-range shoes in the $110 and under market," Metzler told Insider. "The challenge is there's a lot of marketing that goes into selling shoes and that jacks the prices up."
To help narrow down the growing selection of cheap running shoes, I highlighted a few of our favorites that I've enjoyed running in and that takes Metzler's and Fronsoe's advice to heart. At the end of this guide, I've also included some additional information on how to shop for cheap running shoes, as well as the testing methodology I used.
From brands like Hoka One One and Skechers to Brooks and New Balance, these shoes keep you running comfortably while also staying kind to your wallet.
This is a shoe that works for almost any type of runner, including those looking for some speed, anyone who enjoys added cushion, and just about everyone in between.
Pros: Lightweight (only 6.3 ounces in the women's model), cushy ride
Cons: With the differential between the heel and toe stack at only five millimeters, it can take some time to adjust to the shoe if you're used to a bigger offset — expect a couple of weeks of sore calf muscles
Runner's World voted the Rincon an "editor's choice" for a speed shoe in its Fall 2019 Shoe Guide — and with good reason. The shoe delivers what is typically hard to produce: a combination of heavy-duty cushioning and a feather-light weight.
I must confess that when HOKA first came on the running scene some 11 years ago, I was a skeptic. The first iterations of their shoes were big and bulky, and I thought I could never run in something with that much cushion. But there was plenty of buzz around the shoes and I finally decided to give the brand a go a few years ago. I've since tried out several of its models and settled on the Rincon as my favorite for the road.
I've put a couple hundred miles on mine and you'd barely notice the wear. I've worn them for a variety of distances, from a six miler around the neighborhood on up to longer weekend runs in the range of 13 miles. It's a responsive shoe that carries me comfortably on any type of pavement. For $115, it delivers performance and longevity.
Best-selling cheap running shoe
Fleet Feet, Mike Fronsoe, says this is the number-one selling shoe in his store and remains a fan favorite, 12 versions in.
Pros: 13 different color combinations to choose from, tried-and-true design
Cons: Pushes the limits of affordability at $130
Runners hate when their favorite shoe receives an update that changes the feel or ride they've come to love. That's why the Brooks Ghost stays as a perpetual best-seller in many running shoe specialty stores — it's always stayed true to its roots.
It's also an all-around crowd-pleaser that's not too cushy, not too heavy, not too anything. It's designed with the neutral runner in mind and works well no matter your running goal. The shoe is known for its soft ride and it's even able to last up to 400-plus miles.
Best dirt-cheap running shoe
Long known for its street style, Skechers made a push into the running space several years ago and its budget runner is an impressive shoe that has marathon-quality style in its DNA.
Pros: You can't do any better on price than this shoe
Cons: Durability could be an issue if you're looking for a long-haul shoe
Even Olympic marathoner and winner of the Boston Marathon, Meb Keflezighi, runs in a Skechers model, so the brand must be onto something, right? Coming in at just $65, the GOrun Fast Quake is our most affordable shoe.
The Fast Quake is a lightweight trainer and features the brand's 5Gen cushioning and cooling "goga mat" insole. Skechers bills this as moisture-wicking and high rebound, to deliver energy return with every step.
I've run in an older version of this model and liked its flexible sole and lightweight feel. The men's version weighs in at 7.8 ounces, and I can say the fit is comfortable and true to size. The shoe might not go the distance through heavy mileage, but it will get you through a couple of weekly training runs and should hold up for a few months.
Best bang for your buck
The New Balance 880 is the number two seller in Fronsoe's store with him adding that, "you can use this shoe for just about anything. It's firm enough to take to the gym but cushioned enough to run in it on roads."
Pros: A shoe that has something for just about everyone
Cons: The 880 has a wider toe box than some of its comparable models, so for runners with narrow feet, it may not be the ideal fit
I've been a New Balance fan for years and can confirm that the 880 delivers on an all-around basis. I've taken them on roads, black-top paths, and even on softer surfaces like a mulch-covered trail and they responded well each time. It's in its ninth iteration and one of the things I appreciate is that the tweaks New Balance tends to make are smaller, less noticeable ones, so I know I can return to the brands' shoes over and over again and know exactly what I'm getting.
The 880 retails with a price tag of about $125, so it's not the cheapest of our choices but one that still checks most boxes. It features plenty of cushioning, a responsive ride, a mid-level weight at 9 ounces, and a mid-range heel to toe drop at about 10 millimeters. In short, it's the average joe of running shoes and will likely work for most runners.
Best high-cushion cheap running shoe
Hoka One One's Clifton offers premium cushion, a snug, comfortable fit, and can last for hundreds of miles — and it's the shoe many runners think of when mentioning the brand.
Pros: All the cushion HOKA is known for with an embroidered upper that provides a snug fit to prevent feet from slipping.
Cons: The stack height of the sole, which is quite big, can be off-putting to some runners, reducing the sense of ground feel.
That high praise is largely for its trademark cushioning, and the sixth iteration of the Clifton seems to have found the perfect amount to satisfy most fans of its shoes.
Going back to my dislike for overly cushioned shoes, the Clifton surprised me with its performance. I've put in a couple of hundred miles in my pair and find that the soft landing remains, as does the responsiveness I appreciate.
At $129, it hits the upper end of the affordability range but if you have any kind of knee or joint pains, are training for a race or just logging high mileage, or generally like more cushioning, this pair is 100% worth the money.
How to shop for cheap running shoes
Before you dive in on price alone, you'd be wise to visit a specialty running shoe store to try before you buy.
"I get a lot of customers who buy a shoe online, find it doesn't work for them, and then come in to get fitted," Fronsoe said. "Much comes down to how a shoe feels on your foot."
Use your time in a shoe store to try a variety of shoes and figure out what works for you in the price range you're after. Once you know, you can then make it more affordable in a variety of ways. Some stores, like Fronsoe's Fleet Feet location, have frequent buyer programs offering credit after a certain value of purchases. You can also look for sale tables that feature last year's versions of shoes — most brands update shoe models about every nine months, which means a past version then moves to a discounted price.
Finally, you can find decent mid-range models online and at big-box stores like Dick's Sporting Goods. According to Metzler, these stores don't carry the marquee models but they do have pairs that are functional, and that you can put some miles in.
How I tested cheap running shoes
Each pair of running shoes featured in this guide went through a testing process that included everything from sprint work on a track and leisure park runs to longer multi-hour training sessions and race-pace 5ks. When testing, I judged the shoes across these five categories: fit, comfort, performance, versatility, and value. Here's how each factored into what shoes were ultimately selected:
Fit: Just because you're saving a few dollars on a cheaper shoe, doesn't mean it shouldn't still fit correctly — and running in an ill-fitting shoe is an easy way to wear yourself out quicker (or to just be mentally finished with your run before you hit your mile goal). Fit encompasses everything from how the shoe feels when it's first put on, if there are any unnecessary pressure points, and its underfoot feel.
Comfort: Comfort is sort of an extension of fit but goes beyond just how the shoe feels on your foot — it also means looking at how comfortable the shoe stays during a variety of runs. Much of this also comes down to personal preference as some runners prefer highly cushioned shoes from brands like Hoka One One while others like to run on less cushion. The same goes for neutral runners vs. stability shoes.
Performance: If a running shoe doesn't perform how you want it, you'll not feel incredibly motivated to keep running with them. This covers everything from stability underfoot and durability to its responsiveness and design.
Versatility: Though I tried each shoe in a variety of environments, they're not all made to be a jack-of-all-trades style shoe. Some, however, did do well on several surfaces, adding to their versatility as an everyday runner. If it's a budget shoe you're after, it'd be great to find one that works just as well on a treadmill as it does on the road.
Value: Value is more than just the final sticker price. For this, I wanted to see if spending less on a pair of shoes was ultimately worth it long-term — since spending less money more often is equal to (if not more than) spending a lot of money once. Thankfully, there are plenty of impressive running shoes that don't break the bank.
President Joe Biden entered the White House under unprecedented circumstances. He's now a little more than halfway into his critical first 100 days in office.
Just weeks before his inauguration, the US Capitol was stormed by pro-Trump rioters, and former President Donald Trump was impeached for a second time, all during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that, at the time of his inauguration, had killed 400,000 Americans in less than a year.
Biden assumed office on January 20, ushering in a new historic era — rolling out vaccines at an accelerated pace and pushing his $1.9 trillion stimulus package through Congress, the American Rescue Plan.
In a world still physically divided with health safety in mind, White House photographers offered a glimpse into the West Wing and beyond to show the inner workings of the Biden administration:
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, with their spouses First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, appear as a united front on inauguration day.
Biden dangles a mask on his ear while on a call with governors in states impacted by snow storms.
Biden pets Champ, one of the family's two dogs living at the White House.
Kelly Clarkson posed with the president and first lady after interviewing Jill Biden for the "Kelly Clarkson Show" in February.
Biden and Harris talk about the American Rescue Plan with governors and mayors.
Biden poses with the White House dogs, Champ and Major, in the Oval Office.
Biden's administration has rolled out 18 FEMA vaccination sites across the country. He greets members of the military at a center in Houston.
Biden receives a briefing on the coronavirus from top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Vice President Harris visits her husband in the Second Gentleman's Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House.
Zoom meetings become a reality in the Biden administration amid the pandemic.
Harris talks with a NASA astronaut.
Harris swears in Pete Buttigieg, who also ran a presidential campaign, as Secretary of Transportation.
Major and Champ romp around the South Lawn.
Valentine's Day was celebrated at the White House.
Major and Champ romped around the White House grounds.
In early February, the Bidens paid their respects to Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the rioters stormed the building.
While at the Lake House in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden talks to active service members attending Super Bowl watch parties.
The first lady got into science at the McGlothlin Medical Education Center.
Dr. Jill Biden also visited minority-owned small businesses in the DC area.
They toured a food bank in Houston in late February to learn more about how the federal government can combat hunger.
The Amazon Fresh store in the borough of Ealing, west London, is no ordinary supermarket.
Retail giant Amazon opened its first physical store in the UK on March 4 so I decided to go along to see what all the fuss was about.
It operates in the same way as the cashierless 20 Amazon Go stores in the US — you go in, put the items in your bag, and wander back out.
I felt like the world's biggest shoplifter, even when carrying Amazon's green bag with "Just Walk Out" slapped on the side.
The whole shopping experience was hassle-free. There's no dodging trolleys, speed-packing at the till or faffing with credit cards. You get billed after you exit the shop, although my receipt took two hours to come through so I didn't know exactly how much I'd spent until then.
The location is only 2,500 square feet so it's much smaller than a supermarket and it would be a struggle to do a weekly shop in there.
Overall, I was impressed at the organisation, cleanliness and efficiency of the store. What I didn't like was the hundreds of cameras hanging from the ceiling, checking what was going into my bag. It had a dystopian feel.
The food wasn't anything special, but what makes this store pop is its futuristic technology that means an effortless shopping trip.
Here's what happened during my shopping trip to London's new Amazon Fresh and what I bought:
The UK's first Amazon Fresh store is located in Ealing Broadway shopping centre, West London.
My first thought when approaching Amazon Fresh was: why Ealing?
It takes over an hour on the tube to get from central London to Ealing. But the high street is home to some popular household names — the newest being Amazon Fresh.
The doors in the photo above are the exit to the store. The entrance is around the corner where I joined a line, downloaded the Amazon app and got directed by assistants in green jackets.
I visited around 14:00 p.m., just after the lunchtime rush, so the queue wasn't very long. Considering the store has no tills, it noticeably cut down the waiting time.
As soon as you scan the QR code on the Amazon app, you're timed. The receipt showed I was inside the store for a total of 17 minutes and 12 seconds.
To get into the store, you have to scan the QR code on the Amazon app, which opens the green barrier.
Amazon Fresh didn't fail to give a good first impression. As long as you have the Amazon App downloaded, it's a simple scan of the QR code and you're in.
Customers can take their own bags or pick up the medium-sized, reusable Amazon Fresh bags for £1 ($1.40). There are no trolleys or baskets, which made the whole experience much smoother.
But as a pedantic trolley-stacker, shoving things into a bag and not visually having my food in front of me to organise proved a little difficult.
If you look up, you'll see loads of cameras pointing at the shelves. They track every item that goes into your bag.
The main visual difference between Amazon Fresh and other supermarkets were the hundreds of cameras dangling from the ceiling. I felt like I was being watched, even though the cameras were just monitoring what was going into my bag.
On the flip side, it felt safe and secure. If the tech remains reliable, then shoplifting shouldn't be a concern, as customers are tracked as soon as they enter the store via their Amazon account.
The cameras work in conjunction with weight sensors on the shelves to determine which items you've picked up.
Halfway around the store, I realised I was putting items into the bag in a very exaggerated manner to prove I was set on buying the product and had nothing to hide.
The aubergine masala was part of a takeaway deal of two mains and two sides for £10 ($14).
You can't hand items to other people to put in their basket. You have to pick them up yourself.
It's a solo shopping experience. If you pick up an item and pass it to another customer, the weight sensors and cameras will think you put the product in your bag so you'll be charged.
Amazon Fresh sells a range of its own branded food, including pizzas, ready meals and fresh fruit and vegetables at competitive prices.
The retail giant sources its food from British suppliers. Unexpectedly, around one third of the store was taken up by Amazon's own branded products. And it all looks great!
Prices are average but competitive. It's £4 ($5.60) for a medium-sized pizza, similar to other UK supermarkets such as Tescos and Sainsbury's. But Amazon Fresh offered good deals. For the two chicken breasts in the photo above and a side, it's £5 ($7).
The store also had free-from, organic and vegan ranges, as well as lots of popular food brands.
Amongst all the Amazon food, there's an Amazon Hub.
At the back of the store, you'll find the Amazon Hub where you can pick up and return items that you've bought online from the retail company.
In the pharmacy section, there are coasters that you can take to the Amazon Hub to exchange for medicine.
What is usually a pointing game with a cashier behind a till, is now a case of picking up a coaster and handing it into the Amazon Hub to get drugs.
The alcohol is enclosed in a corner with a 'booze bouncer' checking people's ID as they walk out.
The 'booze bouncer' welcomed me into the alcohol corner and proceeded to watch what I put into my bag — on top of cameras watching me. I picked up a beer and on my way out, she asked to check my ID.
When I asked her if I could take a picture of the alcohol section, she told me: "Of course, lots of people are doing that at the moment."
Given that attractions are shut due to COVID-19, the store has become a tourist magnet. There were certainly more tourists than genuine shoppers roaming around in there.
It was also noticeable that everybody in Amazon Fresh was young. This begs the question of whether older people will have the technology to shop there.
You can even get an Amazon Fresh meal deal.
The meal deal section was huge. There's a wide variety of meals, snacks and drinks on offer.
The meal comes at its standard price, then you add any drink and snack on top for £1. Some of the meals were really fancy, such as the lemongrass chicken and edamame mixed grain salad.
Behold Amazon's ready-to-go hot food and bakery with fresh bread baked on site.
Amazon Fresh is ideal for that lunchtime food dash. There was a lot of ready-prepared food, perfect for city workers on the run.
Customers can make a cup of coffee for £2.30. Oat milk was also an option.
At the front of the store, there were two separate coffee machines, one for normal milk and one for oat milk.
The store itself was bright and vibrant with pop music. It felt exclusive.
Amazon Fresh was comparable to a high-quality UK convenience store, such as Waitrose. It was clean, tidy and there was lots to choose from.
The strangest bit was walking out without having to scan the items.
My receipt was emailed to me two hours after I left the store, which I became impatient for because I was eager to know whether the technology had charged me correctly.
It did — it logged every item in the order I put them into my bag.
Silicon Valley continues to dominate global tech investing.
The data firm Dealroom published data Wednesday ranking the top venture-capital firms investing at Series A, the point at which startups take their significant VC funding.
The ranking indicates that US funds still over-index when it comes to successfully identifying and funding firms with the potential to attain multibillion-dollar valuations.
Dealroom assigned points to firms based on the number of startups valued at $1 billion in their portfolios, including those that have a confirmed valuation through an initial public offering or sale. More speculatively, it assigned points based on estimated "futurecorns," startups whose valuation exceeds $250 million, again including those that have exited. Finally, Dealroom accorded points based on how actively the fund had invested in 2020.
Only one European investor was among the 10 most prominent investors globally — Index Ventures, which has bases in San Francisco and London and backed giants like Facebook, Etsy, and Dropbox. In Europe, it has backed the neobank Revolut and the payments firm Adyen.
Yoram Wijngaarde, the founder and CEO of Dealroom, said the fact that numerous top US funds had set up shop in Europe over the past 18 months meant the continent was "firmly on the global investor map."
Here are the top 10 VC funds globally, according to Dealroom:
Sequoia Capital tops the global list for Series A, according to Dealroom. The fund made 206 investments in 2020 including Series A rounds in Evervault, Twin Health, and Tecton. Known for its early investments in Apple, Sequoia boasts some major unicorns in its portfolio such as Klarna, Stripe and SpaceX.
Accel
Accel rolled into second place with 114 deals in 2020. The Palo Alto, California-based fund also has significant operations in Europe through its London office and counts unicorn startups such as Hopin, Monzo, UiPath, and the recently public Bumble among its portfolio companies.
Kleiner Perkins
Kleiner Perkins boasts 83 unicorns or $1 billion-plus exits to its name and counts Brex and Instacart among its current crop.
Andreessen Horowitz
Menlo Park's Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, has built up an impressive portfolio since 2009 with notable names including Twitter. In 2020, a16z led Series A rounds in Deel, Brightside, and Uniswap and has a major investment in the $100 billion startup Coinbase.
Index Ventures
The San Francisco- and London-based Index Ventures has strong roots in both Europe and the US, notably backing the soon-to-IPO food-delivery firm Deliveroo. The firm backed the Series A rounds for companies such as Remote and Grid.ai in 2020 and counts Robinhood and Personio among its unicorns.
GV
Formerly known as Google Ventures, GV has made inroads into global startup funding since its founding in 2009. Dealroom estimates that the fund has the second-most future unicorns (141) in its portfolio among existing giants like Robinhood and Stripe.
Bessemer Venture Partners is another major US fund that has made inroads into Europe in recent years. The LinkedIn-backer has 60 unicorns or $1 billion-plus exits in its portfolio, according to Dealroom. The fund led Series A rounds in the Danish startup Contractbooks and the Tel Aviv, Israel-based Salto in 2020.
Founders Fund
Founded in 2006 by the PayPal and Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel and the Napster founder Sean Parker, Founders Fund has backed some major players. Major companies in its portfolio include SpaceX, the Brazilian fintech Nubank, and the recently public Affirm amid 56 predicted unicorns in the fund, according to Dealroom.
IDG Capital
Founded in Boston but now headquartered in Beijing, IDG Capital is the only Asian fund in Dealroom's top 10. The company boasts major names including the Chinese electric-vehicle giant NIO and Pony.ai in its portfolio. The fund has an estimated 44 future unicorns in its portfolio, according to Dealroom.
Data analytics startup Clari just raised $150 million in a Series E funding round backed by Sequoia – and hit a $1.7 billion valuation in the process.
The California-based unicorn, which helps companies use data to forecast future revenues, is working to disrupt the business intelligence industry, which Insider previously reported would be worth $33 billion globally by 2025.
Clari has more than tripled its valuation from $500 million in 2019, with its latest funding round being led by Twitter backer Silver Lake, alongside investment from the likes of Sequoia, Sapphire Ventures, and Bain Capital Ventures.
The firm counts big-name tech firms such as UiPath, Databricks, and Sumo Logic among its client base. Insider got an exclusive look at the pitch deck Clari used to bring investors on board. Check it out below:
A recent tweet from Burger King UK that read "women belong in the kitchen" on International Women's Day left a bad taste in the mouth of social media users.
It was part of a campaign intended to promote the chain's launch of an initiative to help increase the number of female head chefs in restaurants. But the initial tweet, which was part of a larger thread, was met with anger and confusion from thousands of social media users, with some describing it as tone-deaf.
As anger mounted, the chain said it was a "mistake" to not include the entirety of the initiative in its first tweet. It later apologised in a follow-up tweet, saying: "We hear you. We got our initial tweet wrong and we're sorry."
Read on for other examples of brand campaigns that went off the boil.
Pepsi
Pepsi's "Live for Now" ad was arguably one of the most controversial ad campaigns of the decade. In it, supermodel Kendall Jenner took part in a protest and handed a police officer a can of Pepsi, as reported by Sky News. The ad was met with scathing criticism as it was perceived to be trivialising social justice movements, such as the Black Lives Matter protests, as well as capitalising on them.
Bloomingdales
Luxury department store Bloomingdales faced tremendous condemnation back in 2015, when they released an advertisement that appeared to be inspired by date rape in their holiday season catalogue, per The Wall Street Journal.
The ad featured a woman laughing with her head turned away while a sharply dressed man stared at her. The ad copy read "Spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking."
Consumers took to social media to criticise the inappropriateness and creepiness of the ad, which prompted the firm to issue a public apology via its Twitter account.
"We heard your feedback about our catalog copy, which was inappropriate and in poor taste. Bloomingdale's sincerely apologizes," the company tweeted.
KitchenAid
Appliance manufacturer, KitchenAid set themselves up for a complete corporate Twitter fail, after tweeting a joke about former president Obama's dead grandmother during the 2017 presidential debate, as Insider previously reported.
"Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! 'She died 3 days b4 he became president'. #nbcpolitics".
The tweet was incredibly offensive, which prompted the company to immediately delete it and issue an apology for their actions.
Macy's
In the summer of 2015, more than 700,000 people called on department store chain Macy's to cut ties with Donald Trump, who was president at the time.
Macy's began selling Trump's menswear clothing including, $70 dress shirts, $65 ties, cufflinks, and watches in 2004, as reported by Fortune.
The decision to terminate its relationship with the businessman turned president came after he referred to immigrants from Mexico as "killers and rapists," CNN reported.
Victoria's Secret
Lingerie and clothing retailer Victoria's Secret was heavily criticised for an ad that featured the slogan "The Perfect Body."
The tagline, which referred to the brand's Body' lingerie line, featured images of Victoria's Secret Angels on the company's website and stores in the UK.
The ad sparked the Twitter hashtag #iamperfect as it played on women's insecurities and sent out damaging messages about female body images, The Huffington Post reported.
Aurora Innovation has established itself as one of the top contenders in the autonomous-vehicle industry as it develops self-driving systems for semi trucks and ride-hailing vehicles.
Since its 2017 founding, the company has raised $1.2 billion and formed partnerships with Toyota and Paccar. And in an industry where most major players are owned by a tech company or an automaker, Aurora stands out for its independence. Though it has big-name investors like Amazon and Uber, none has a controlling stake.
Aurora's cofounders — CEO Chris Urmson, CTO Drew Bagnell, and chief product officer Sterling Anderson — have received praise from industry observers, but it takes more than three people to deliver on this tech. Behind these big names are a number of executives who playing critical roles in helping the company bring its computer-operated "driver" to the road.
Chris Urmson, cofounder and chief executive officer
Chris Urmson is one of the autonomous-vehicle industry's pioneers. During the 2000s, he participated in the DARPA-sponsored self-driving-car races that helped launch the industry. After that, he became a founding member of Google's autonomous-vehicle program (now called Waymo). He led the program until he left in 2016.
At Aurora, Urmson has bet big on computer simulations as a key tool for testing automated-driving technology, arguing that simulations are safer and faster than on-road tests (though Aurora does the latter as well). He has also pursued a diversified business model that has led Aurora to develop technology for self-driving semi trucks and robotaxis.
Urmson's vision and reputation have helped Aurora raise $1.2 billion while landing partnerships with Paccar, Toyota, and Denso.
Drew Bagnell, cofounder and chief technology officer
Drew Bagnell was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University for 11 years (he still serves as a "consulting" professor, according to his LinkedIn profile and Carnegie Mellon's website) before becoming one of the founding members of Uber's autonomous-vehicle program, Uber ATG, in 2015. Bagnell left ATG to cofound Aurora in 2017.
"Drew Bagnell is probably one of the top five guys in the world in machine-learning for perception," former Volkswagen executive Johann Jungwirth told Forbes in 2018.
In his profile on Carnegie Mellon's website, Bagnell wrote that he's "interested in designing algorithms that allow systems to observe their own operation and improve performance," a key skill self-driving vehicles will need.
Sterling Anderson, co-founder and chief product officer
Sterling Anderson's autonomous-vehicle career began at MIT, where, according to his LinkedIn profile, he developed a framework to help self-driving cars evaluate their surroundings and make decisions. Anderson joined Tesla in 2014, where he led the development of its Model X SUV and Autopilot driver-assistance feature.
Aurora plans to introduce its automated-driving technology in semi trucks. In 2020, Anderson oversaw the development of a self-driving platform for semis in a 12-week period, which he characterized in a 2020 blog post as "industry-leading speed."
"If you want to get to market with a safe system quickly, you can do no better than to start in trucking," Anderson said in 2020 at an event hosted by The Information.
Dave Maday, vice president of global business development
Before joining Aurora in 2020, Maday spent more than 20 years at General Motors, where he rose through the ranks to become the automaker's vice president of corporate development and global mergers and acquisitions. In an interview with Insider, Maday said he was drawn to Aurora by its high-quality team and "clear, succinct path to market."
Maday helps Aurora move along that path by leading the company's efforts to form partnerships with other firms. During his six months at Aurora, the company has announced partnerships with Paccar, Toyota, and Denso. Maday told Insider he's continuing to look for new collaborators.
"We want to deliver this technology and the benefits of the technology broadly," Maday said. "To do that, you have to work with multiple partners."
Tara Green, vice president of people operations
Tara Green was the chief people officer for Originate before she became Aurora's vice president of people operations in 2020.
When Green joined Aurora, the company said in a blog post that her priorities included building Aurora's workforce and employee-development infrastructure. When Aurora acquired Uber ATG in late 2020, Green was charged with integrating ATG's workforce into Aurora's. Though Aurora did not disclose the percentage of ATG employees who made the move, TechCrunch reported in December that ATG was about twice the size of Aurora, with 1,200 employees.
Sandor Barna, vice president of hardware engineering
Sandor Barna was GoPro's CTO before becoming Aurora's vice president of hardware engineering in 2019.
Barna "knows how to build innovative, high-performance products and bring them to market at scale," Urmson wrote in a 2019 blog post announcing Barna's hiring. Urmson said bringing Aurora's self-driving technology to the road will require a careful blend of sensors, computers, and other hardware. Barna's deep understanding of electrical architecture, silicon, and vision systems are an asset to Aurora, Urmson wrote.
In the same post, Barna said his managerial approach is oriented around guiding his team toward the same goal, rather than micro-managing each assignment.
"I am not going to tell an engineer how to build a circuit board, but I will make sure we're all rowing in the right direction," he said.
Lia Theodosiou-Pisanelli, head of partnerships, product, and programs
As Aurora's head of partnerships, product, and programs, Lia Theodosiou-Pisanelli told Insider her job is to coordinate the efforts of teams across Aurora, including engineering and operations. Before joining Aurora in 2019, she was Lyft's director of business development and strategy, where she focused on automated-driving technology.
Theodosiou-Pisanelli said she's now focused on integrating the Uber ATG team into Aurora's and making sure the company is using the best processes and technologies from each.
"The work we've done just in the few weeks leading up to the acquisition and post-acquisition has been really rewarding and energizing," she said.
Randy Reibel, vice president of lidar
Randy Reibel joined Aurora in 2019, when the company acquired his lidar startup, Blackmore. Sterling Anderson has characterized Aurora's lidar technology (lidar sensors bounce beams of light off nearby objects to measure how far away they are) as one of the company's major advantages.
In a 2020 blog post, Reibel said the lidar technology he developed at Blackmore has a longer range and can absorb more information that traditional units. The next step, Reibel said, is modifying Aurora's lidar units so they can be built on a large scale.
"Our team has already made significant advancements in producing the world's first mass-manufacturable FMCW lidars," Reibel said.
Nat Beuse, head of safety
Though Nat Beuse is new to Aurora, he has a long history in automotive safety. Beginning in 2007, he worked at the US Department of Transportation, where he helped develop guidelines for autonomous-vehicle testing. He joined Uber ATG's safety team in 2018, months after a fatal crash involving an ATG test vehicle exposed concerns from employees that ATG was being reckless.
The Uber accident illustrated the risks of failing to make safety a priority and how a high-profile crash can derail an autonomous-vehicle company's progress: Uber ATG took its test vehicles off the road for months in the wake of the incident. Beuse told Insider that Aurora had strong safety policies when he arrived. He's now focused on bringing ATG's and Aurora's safety teams together and "making sure we have the best thinking of both companies in those policies."
Are you a current or former Aurora employee? Do you have a news tip or opinion you'd like to share? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@insider.com, on Signal at 646-768-4712, or via his encrypted email address mmatousek@protonmail.com.
"By July the 4th, there's a good chance you, your families, and friends will be able to get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout and a BBQ and celebrate Independence Day," President Biden said Thursday, on the one year anniversary of World Health Organization's pandemic declaration.
"This is not the last pandemic we're all gonna face, and we will need to do much, much better next time around," Brown University dean of public health Ashish Jha told reporters on the pandemic's anniversary this week.
"We just can't repeat this performance again, it has been so awful," he said.
Knowing that, here are the four things we could clearly be doing better to live alongside the virus more safely and more tolerably, right now.
1. Forget abstinence. We should be encouraging the right kinds of travel.
There's no reason that grandparents can't fly around the country to see their grandkids this summer, with some level of continued vigilance.
2. Everyone should have cheap and easy at-home COVID-19 test kits.
There is truly no good reason why we don't.
"We have more than enough technology and ability to have widespread antigen testing available for the American people at probably $3, 4 bucks a pop," Jha said. "Cheap, easy."
"You have basically an unregulated bunch of products, nobody really knows how they perform," University of Wisconsin mechanical engineering professor David Rothamer said.
Crowdsourcing creative solutions to such tough design issues is something the federal government has done before. Just ask NASA.
The coronavirus crisis has encouraged a wave of investment in companies that meet tough environmental, social and governance-related criteria (ESG), as investors increasingly demand greater commitment by the corporate world to more sustainable, climate-friendly business practices.
ESG stocks have been some of the biggest winners over the last 12 months and now investors are looking beyond some of the big-name favorites for other companies that will deliver big upside, as they join the seemingly unstoppable trend.
Despite a recent pullback in the broader stock market, hot-ticket ESG names are trading at a hefty premium to the rest of the market, and Goldman Sachs has unearthed some lesser-known gems that look set to yield juicy returns, as capital continues to flow into the green asset class.
"After a record year of ESG equity fund flows in 2020 (+$271 billion), inflow momentum has continued into 2021 (+$99 billion through February)," a team led by Derek Bingham wrote in a note earlier in the week.
The influence of ESG owners has also increased. On average, ESG ownership as a percentage of the total amount of company shares available to own - the float - increased 5% from August 2020 to February this year, to an average of 13% for the names in Goldman Sachs' ESG fund universe, the bank said.
However, a misconception of this statistic is that the rally has been caused solely by increased investment in exchange-traded funds. These passive vehicles make up a larger share of ESG flows, but actively managed flows have also had a significant impact, the note said.
Goldman said active fund flows in the final quarter of 2020 were more than double all fund flows in 2019 for that category.
Fund flows don't look to be slowing down, but the are only a certain number of top-quality ESG stocks out there - hence the premiums they command. Therefore, Goldman have compiled this list of companies that are underowned by ESG funds and that appear currently overlooked:
Actor and model Pamela Anderson is selling her super-modern Malibu home for $14.9 million.
The privately-gated property has a rooftop deck with a fireplace, a sauna, and a separate guest house.
It also looks out onto a private lagoon and has access to a private beach.
The property is owned by Anderson and her bodyguard who she married in December. Anderson is selling the property to move to a house on Vancouver Island, Canada, that she bought around three decades ago and plans to renovate.
This doesn't mean that the rich are fleeing Malibu, however. "The Malibu market has become the destination of choice for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals from across the nation," Tomer Fridman, who is listing the property for The Fridman Group, said.
"Malibu Colony, in particular, is one of Los Angeles's most important enclaves dating back to Hollywood's heyday of '20s glamour," he added.
Anderson is also well known for her animal rights activism, and the property has sustainable features to match, including solar panels and an irrigated vegetable garden.
Those looking to pursue higher returns through index investing might not be as lucky as active stock pickers this time around given that the market is transitioning from lockdown to an economic reopening.
During this transition, the markets have seen massive amounts of stimulus, strong fourth-quarter earnings, and higher expectations for economic growth. These were enough to send valuations and leverage to record levels. But they also enabled three factors that collectively create a supportive environment for stock pickers, according to Boris Lerner, a quantitative strategist at Morgan Stanley.
The first factor that favors active investors is stock-specific risk, or volatility that isn't explained by macroeconomic activity. It has been rising since early 2020 when COVID-19 spread around the world and caused the equity sell-off, he wrote in a note on Thursday.
At the same time, the dispersion of single-stock returns has been widening since April. Right now, there is a sizable difference in returns between outperforming and underperforming stocks, he wrote.
Michael Mauboussin, the head of Consilient Research at Morgan Stanley's Counterpoint Global, weighed in on return dispersion. In another note, he said it offers the "opportunity to generate high returns by owning the ones that go up a lot and avoiding, or even shorting, the ones that go down a lot."
And the final reason why stock-picking is attractive now has to do with the weaker correlations between stocks, as can be seen in the chart below.
The relationship between stocks, or pairwise correlation, has been falling for a couple of months now. Currently, the performance of one stock is less likely to be influenced by the performance of another.
However, these three indicators didn't equally impact all the sectors of the market, Lerner said.
Energy names, for example, have an elevated correlation with one another; stock-specific risk and energy stock returns remain low.
On the other hand, real estate, healthcare, and communication service names "are currently exhibiting high stock-specific risk, wide dispersion, and relatively low correlation compared to historical patterns observed in those sectors," he wrote.
That being said, Lerner and his team looked for attractive sectors across the three market indicators and further screened for stocks with the highest specific-risk levels. They are listed below in no particular order alongside their respective risk levels, tickers, and sectors.
Flying business class between the East Coast and West Coast is normally among the most extravagant flying experiences in the US. The transcontinental flights attract no shortage of well-to-do flyers from businesspeople to celebrities, and airlines go all out to make the experience as luxurious as possible for those that pay extra to sit in the premium cabins.
Flying home from Los Angeles to New York in February, Delta was offering upgrades into its transcontinental first class cabin, known as "Delta One," for a whopping $799. It was too rich for my blood but I got lucky and scored a complimentary upgrade into the cabin as a Delta elite status holder.
Delta had assigned one of its largest jets, the Boeing 767-400, to the route due to the pandemic. And that meant flying in a top-tier business class cabin normally reserved for intercontinental long-haul flying to Hawaii, Europe, and South America, all for the price of a coach ticket in my case.
I was booked in coach for the cross-country flight from Los Angeles to New York but was surprised with an into Delta One just minutes before boarding.
The Boeing 767-400 taking me home had just been upgraded to include the airline's new business class seats and I was more than excited to try them out.
The advantages of flying Delta One begin in the terminal with access to priority check-in facilities and the exclusive Delta Sky Club.
Then when it's time to jet, Delta One passengers can board at any time during the boarding process after pre-boarding, despite Delta's back-to-front boarding policy.
I was among the first on the plane and turned left into what seemed like a different world.
And I wasn't alone as nearly every Delta elite on the flight was upgraded. All 34 seats in the cabin were filled.
I was given seat 8D, a window seat towards the back of the cabin.
I could tell just by looking at the stylish seat that this was going to be a good flight.
I sought out the window seat as it offers additional privacy away from the aisle. And placed on the seat was a pillow and comforter kit, in case I wanted to sleep during the flight.
The first thing I noticed after sitting down was the massive 18.5-inch in-flight entertainment screen.
It came installed with the updated entertainment system from Delta Flight Products, and offered the standard selection of movies, television shows, music, and more.
Other seat amenities including a personal lamp...
Foldable tray table...
Tethered remote to control the screen...
Noise-cancelling headphones...
110v AC power outlet, and USB charging port.
There's even a small mirror that flyers could use to freshen up after a long flight.
This control panel controlled all of the functionality from the seat angle to the "do not disturb" light.
And there was a second panel that could be more easily reached while in lie-flat mode.
Let's head to New York!
A typical business class flight starts with an offer of pre-departure drinks including water, champagne (or prosecco), or juice. But this wasn't offered due to pandemic, along with the hot towel service.
It was immediately clear that this was going to be a more bare-bones flight.
We blasted off from Los Angeles and already the five-hour flight was progressing too quickly. I had just gotten comfortable and already the clock was ticking down to landing.
Fans of looking out of the window, like myself, should opt for one of the even seats along the cabin wall.
Mine offered incredible views of the beautiful California shoreline as we departed westbound before turning back to the east.
Flight attendants began the in-flight service shortly after takeoff. Hot meals were replaced with Delta's new pandemic-era snack and drink bags.
Inside was a bottle of water, salted almonds, a Cliff bar, and a single-use packet of Purell. Needless to say, this wasn't was I was expecting from first class but we are in a pandemic.
But luckily, that wasn't the only option as snack boxes were also offered to Delta One flyers free of charge. These cost around $8-$10 on normal flights.
I chose the meat option that came with a selection of goodies including salami, crackers, cheddar cheese, Wheat Thins, wafer rolls, Goldfish, Skittles, and mint Tic Tacs.
It was far from a normal business class meal but wanting to make the best of out it, I neatly arranged it on my tray table as, after all, this was still business class.
I believe the French call this "charcuterie."
Drinks were limited to bottled water or alcohol, specifically beer and wine. I found it odd that I could order a Miller Lite but not a Coke or seltzer.
The flight was going by way too quickly, I wanted to ask the pilot to slow down just a bit so I could enjoy this more.
The in-flight entertainment screen provided a crystal clear viewing experience. First up was Ben Affleck's Argo followed by Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.
I didn't immediately go lie-flat as I was a big fan of the 45-degree angle setting.
But I did want to test it out so I gradually lowered myself into the setting. It was a bit difficult to get comfortable at first since the space is quite narrow but I ultimately settled in just fine.
I could definitely see myself getting a good night's sleep here on an overnight flight to Europe or South America.
The only complaint was that it was a bit more difficult to watch the movie as the screen doesn't tilt down.
One of the cooler features of the cabin was the mood lighting.
A purple glow filled the cabin for most of the late afternoon into the evening.
It changed a few times as we got closer to New York and made for a more relaxing experience compared to the normal darkness of these evening flights.
The cabin even went red at one point.
I got peckish again over Iowa and flight attendants were more than willing to provide another snack box, so I opted for the Mediterranean option. I believe the Spanish call it "tapas."
The seats aren't fully enclosed suites but it was impossible to tell that there were other people in the cabin thanks to the high walls and dividers.
We neared Chicago after around three hours and I had to make peace with the fact that this flight would soon be over.
It was truly coming to a close when the mood lights ended their show and began illuminating the cabin for landing.
This was my first and likely last time flying in the cabin and I savored every moment. Even flight attendants that frequent this route said that an upgrade is normally impossible for lowly elites like myself.
But even after an extraordinary flight, I would not have paid anything close to $800 for the upgrade, at least during the pandemic. The seat is always one part of the product as the service really does make business class, well, business class.
It's unclear when Delta's first class and business class cabins will return to their pre-pandemic levels of service but the airline is lagging behind rivals American Airlines and United Airlines. But once Delta does restore the cabin to its former glory, flyers will not be disappointed if they choose to upgrade to Delta One on this aircraft.
During the pandemic, however, it didn't feel anything like business class should beyond the spectacular seat.
Its troubled past aside, the Max is still a groundbreaking aircraft and offers attractive amenities for airlines and passengers alike. Airlines love the aircraft's cost-saving economics while passengers will enjoy the ultra-modern onboard amenities like Boeing's "Sky Interior" complete with mood lights and larger overhead bins.
Both airlines had a similar onboard offering but the difference largely came down to how both informed passengers that they'd be flying on the infamous aircraft.
American resumed flying the Boeing 737 Max on December 29, 2020, with one daily round-trip between Miami and LaGuardia. In the months since, the aircraft has been gradually grown to more routes, primarily from Miami.
United only resumed Max flights on February 11, 2021, from Denver and Houston, Texas but started strong with 22 daily flights on its first day, quickly increasing to 32 the next day and climbing.
Booking: Both airlines clearly state the aircraft that are being used for each flight when booking. Here's what it looks like on American's website...
And here's what it looks like on United's. If travelers know to look, they will see exactly which aircraft will be used for their flight.
United takes it one step further, however, with that explicit warning that the customer has selected a flight on the Max.
American doesn't have a clear warning but the Max name is not hidden at any point.
The one exception is that United doesn't immediately show aircraft type on connecting itineraries unless customers select "details." But even then, the warning will still show when reviewing the flight details before purchase.
Winner: United Airlines. The airline makes it very clear that you're flying on a Max and goes a step further to include a heads up once a customer has selected their flights.
Check-in: The Max name remained on both of my reservations during check-in. Here's what it looked like on United...
And here's what it looked like on American.
Winner: Tied. Both airlines did have the Max name displayed during check-in.
At the airport: Both airlines didn't show the Max name at any time during check-in at the airport kiosks.
The only time I saw or heard the word "Max" was at the gate for both flights.
United shows the aircraft type on its digital gate signage...
And American's gate agents make an announcement before the flight that includes informing passengers of their flight's aircraft type, whether it's the Max or not.
Each airport is different for American, however, as Miami airport clearly showed the aircraft type on its signage.
Winner: United Airlines. Digital signage at the gate clearly shows the aircraft type while American doesn't typically show aircraft type on its signage and agents only say the aircraft type once before boarding.
Onboard the aircraft: The Max doesn't have too many identifying features on the inside in either airline's configuration, especially to the untrained eye.
If a passenger got a glimpse into the cockpit, they'd see this highly advanced avionics suite. But the aircraft doesn't scream "Boeing 737 Max" and that's typical of most airliners.
Where flyers can see the aircraft type on which they're flying is the safety card. And this is where United and American took a different approach.
United clearly states "B737-MAX9" on its safety cards...
While American opted to just write "Boeing 737" on its latest 737 Max safety cards since they can be used interchangeably with non-Max 737s.
The Max name was also not included in either airline's safety brief. On United, flight attendants simply used the generic Boeing 737 term.
Winner: United Airlines. Both airlines shy away from specifically saying the word "Max" while onboard the aircraft but United keeps the aircraft's name on its safety cards so that there's no question.
Onboard amenities: Both airlines had a near-identical offering in economy with nothing overly exciting about either.
Aircraft for both airlines are arranged in a two-class configuration with economy class and first class seats.
United currently flies the slightly larger Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft but the difference in size is negligible on the inside. The main difference is a few more rows of seats and a mid-cabin lavatory.
Both airlines have opted against seat-back in-flight entertainment on the Max as part of an industry shift towards streaming entertainment using a mobile device. Flyers will need to download the United or American app to access the content.
Seats on both jets come with device holders to make viewing the content easier.
They can hold anything from an iPhone to an iPad.
And both airlines have 110v AC power outlets at each seat to keep devices charged.
American takes it one step further, however, with the seat-back USB charging port for easy access.
Aircraft of both airlines are equipped with Boeing's "Sky Interior" which gives the cabin an incredibly modern atmosphere.
Overhead bins are larger and allow for more bags to be stowed.
And mood lighting creates a relaxing atmosphere
Both airlines also offer in-flight WiFi. American offers Viasat in-flight WiFi, which gives T-Mobile users a free hour of service, while United charges for all customers.
Free Apple Music for the duration of the flight is also available on American.
But American offers less legroom than United in economy with 30 inches of seat pitch for standard seats.
I didn't notice the difference as much when flying on both carriers and actually enjoyed American's seat just as much as United's. I wouldn't avoid flying on either airline's Max for the seat comfort alone, and I even spent more time on American.
Winner: Tied. Both aircraft are nearly identical in terms of the type of product offered in economy and I found each airline had its own pros and cons that evened them out.
Ultimately, I found United to be handling the Max return to serve the best out of the two carriers.
United clearly did more to try and inform passengers that they were scheduled to fly on the Max while American just handled the aircraft like business as usual. Both airlines have proved that the Max is safe but winning back customer confidence and being proactively transparent will go further than being complacent in the event of skeptical passengers.
Inside the aircraft, there were only minor differences between the two and both offered comfortable and modern products that made the journeys enjoyable.
Netflix's new series "Ginny and Georgia" surged to the top of its popularity rankings this week, while library titles like Nickelodeon's "iCarly" and NBC's "Good Girls" continued to hold strong with users.
Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily top 10 lists of its most popular titles that week. Netflix counts a view if an account watches a movie or TV show for at least two minutes. Netflix's daily lists are based on the previous 24 hours.
Below are Netflix's 9 most popular TV shows of the week in the US:
9. "Marriage or Mortgage" (Netflix original, 2021-present)
Description: "A wedding planner and a real estate agent compete to win the hearts and budgets of spouses-to-be. Will they pick fairy-tale nuptials or a dream home?"
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A
What critics said: "You have to respect the hosts in the end, not just for their generosity but for disguising — so well — how appalled they often are."— Wall Street Journal (season one)
Description: "'Last Chance U' hits the hardwood in East Los Angeles as a coach with strong convictions leads young men who hope to fulfill major college potential."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%
What critics said:"The question is no longer whether Last Chance U is adaptable for new colleges or new sports, but rather how many places the producers want to go. Baseball? Women's soccer? Bring it on."— Hollywood Reporter (season one)
Description: "Best friends Tully and Kate support each other through good times and bad with an unbreakable bond that carries them from their teens to their 40s."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 47%
What critics said: "Chalke and especially Heigl are smart and charismatic enough performers to inject some life into the proceedings and at least make it watchable. But too much of Firefly Lane seems to be going in circles."— Rolling Stone (season one)
6. "Good Girls" (NBC, 2018-present)
Description: "Three suburban moms orchestrate a local grocery store heist to escape financial ruin and establish independence — together."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 87%
What critics said: "While these are promising storylines, the biggest issue remains the same: The main trio somehow still make the same glaringly stupid decisions they did when they were rookie criminals."— AV Club (season four)
5. "Behind Her Eyes" (Netflix original, 2021)
Description: "A single mother enters a world of twisted mind games when she begins an affair with her psychiatrist boss while secretly befriending his mysterious wife."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 63%
What critics said: "A fantastically entertaining magic trick of a TV show, so confident in its incongruous genre mashup that you won't be able to look away."— RogerEbert.com
4. "Cocomelon" (YouTube, 2020-present)
Description: "Learn letters, numbers, animal sounds and more with J.J. in this musical series that brings fun times with nursery rhymes for the whole family!"
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A
What critics said: N/A
3. "Murder Among the Mormons" (Netflix original, 2021)
Description: "High-stakes exploits turn deadly — and shake a global church to its core — in this extraordinary true crime story."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 91%
What critics said: "Amazingly, there's much more of this story to be told, and 'Murder Among the Mormons' does a superb job of telling the tale."— Chicago Sun-Times
2. "iCarly" (Nickelodeon, 2007-2012)
Description: "A cyberstar is born when 13-year-old Carly creates an Internet series with a little help from her best friend Sam and neighbor Freddie."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A
What critics said: "The show's success has been laid to many factors ... But I know the real secret: the sweet, gentle, shy, intelligent, unassuming style of its lead, which apparently was not an act after all."— Newsday(season five)
1. "Ginny and Georgia" (Netflix original, 2021-present)
Description: "Free-spirited Georgia and her two kids, Ginny and Austin, move north in search of a fresh start but find that the road to new beginnings can be bumpy."
Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 68%
What critics said: "The body of the series is a bantery young-adult soap, the head a woman-on-the-edge thriller, and the tail a race melodrama. The creator, Sarah Lampert, must have looked upon her handiwork with proud amusement."— New Yorker (season one)
We've also identified top desktops for other uses, such as gaming, compact spaces, and for those on a budget.
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Laptops have gotten better and better over the years, but the fact remains that size matters when it comes to computers — and with the size afforded by desktop computers, you can get more power, better graphics, and more user upgradability.
When buying a desktop computer, you'll need to consider all the usual things that you would consider for any other computer purchase. A solid processor (CPU) will keep everything you can throw at it running smoothly without stutters or crashes. Memory, also known as RAM, also plays a big role, especially if you plan on running several apps at the same time and gaming, where a computer needs to store and quickly access files associated with those apps. Last but not least is storage and if you want to keep lots of games or files on your computer, you'll need plenty of it.
There are other considerations too. If you're a gamer, you'll need a solid graphics card to ensure that your games can run properly. And, you'll want to make sure you have enough ports and a design that fits in with your style — all while staying within your budget.
No matter what you're looking for from a solid desktop computer, there should be something on this list for you. Here are the best desktop computers money can buy right now.
The Dell XPS 8940 is relatively sleek and stylish, plus it offers solid performance at a pretty low price.
Pros: Inexpensive, lots of ports, sleek design
Cons: Not much graphics performance on low-end models
Looking for a solid all-a rounder? The Dell XPS 8940 desktop is sleek, powerful, and versatile — without breaking the bank. The computer doesn't offer all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a gaming PC, but for everyone else, it's more than enough.
The XPS 8940 is available in a series of different configurations, but the base model is still pretty powerful. You'll get a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, coupled with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage — all for a relatively affordable $600. Upgrade it a little, and you get serious processing power, with up to an Intel Core i9 processor, 64GB of RAM, a 2TB solid-state drive, and a 2TB hard drive. In addition, you can get up to an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card for the gamers out there.
There are plenty of ports on offer by the computer too. You'll get a hefty seven USB 3.1 ports, along with a USB-C port. There's also a DisplayPort, a HDMI port, two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and so on. Safe to say, you should run out of ports, though most of them are on the back. And, you'll get some additional ports if you get a graphics card, which may be helpful for your needs.
We're not the only ones that love the Dell XPS 8940 desktop. The computer scored a very respectable 7.6/10 from PCGamer, while the extremely similar previous-generation 8930 scored 4/5 on Top Ten Reviews. The downsides? Well, there aren't many at this price, except maybe that the graphics on the lower-end models is pretty limited.
The best gaming desktop computer
The Alienware Aurora R11 is well-designed and incredibly powerful — and as such it should be able to easily handle everything the average gamer can throw at it.
Pros: Cool design, very powerful, tons of ports
Cons: Can get expensive
Perhaps you're looking for a workhorse, in which case it's worth considering the Alienware Aurora R11. The computer, built by Dell, offers the top-end performance that you need to run all your favorite games, plus its design ensures that it should look pretty great on any gaming workstation.
As you would expect, the Aurora R11 offers high-end base specs. You'll get a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of Ram and a 1TB hard drive, plus an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. Upgrade it to the max, and you'll get a 10th-gen Intel Core i9 with an absolutely huge 128GB of RAM and a 2TB solid-state drive with a 2TB hard drive too. All that, with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card.
The Aurora R11 expectedly offers a pretty gamer-friendly design, too. It looks like a big oval, with blue lighting at the front. There are plenty of ports too — including three USB 3.2 ports, a USB-C port, and audio ports on the front. On the back, you'll get a massive six USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.2 ports, a USB-C 3.2 port, and more. That's not to mention the ports you'll get as part of your graphics card. Safe to say you should never run out of connectivity options.
The Aurora R11 has gotten excellent reviews since its release. Notably, LifeWire hailed it as the best gaming PC of 2020, while PCMag gave it an impressive 3.5/5. The main downsides noted in these reviews were that the rig can get pricey quickly.
The best Apple desktop computer
The Apple iMac offers a powerful all-in-one design for anyone who wants to remain in the Apple ecosystem.
Pros: All-in-one, relatively powerful, multiple configurations, solid port selection
Cons: Slightly aging design, most will want to upgrade
If you love Apple's ecosystem, then you're probably looking for a desktop computer that will work within that ecosystem. In that case, it's worth buying the iMac, which has long been the go-to desktop for Apple users.
The iMac isn't just a desktop — it's an all-in-one. That means that it has a display built into it, too, so you don't need to buy an external monitor to use with it. No hassle required.
The iMac is pretty high-powered too. The computer comes in two sizes — a 21.5-inch model, and a 27-inch model — and while the 21.5-inch model doesn't have the exact same specs as the larger device, it's still relatively powerful. The base model offers a 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive, while the highest end 27-inch iMac can be upgraded to offer a 10th-generation Intel Core i7, 128GB of RAM, and a whopping 8TB of solid-state storage. You'll even get up to a Radeon Pro 5700 XT graphics card.
The iMac is beautifully designed too, like any Apple product. It's got a stunning aluminum build that will look great on any desk. Around the back is where you'll get ports, including four USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an SD card slot, and a gigabit ethernet port.
The iMac has long gotten great reviews. PCMag gave the 27-inch iMac an impressive 4/5, while Wired gave it an equivalent 8/10. The downsides? Well, notably that while the iMac looks great, it has had the same design for some time now, so it's aging a little. Also, most will want to upgrade to at least 16GB of RAM, up from the 8GB in the base model.
The best compact desktop computer
The Apple Mac Mini boasts a sleek and stylish design, Apple's new processor, and integration with the rest of Apple's ecosystem.
Pros: Sleek design, powerful performance, works with all apps
Cons: More USB 4 ports would be nice
Unless you're seriously against Apple's MacOS operating system, the Mac Mini is the best compact desktop computer right now. It has a sleek and stylish design with enough ports for most, plus it runs on Apple's all-new M1 processor, which is incredibly powerful and makes the transition seamless.
When Apple announced the transition to a new M1 processor architecture, many were concerned that apps built for Intel Macs wouldn't work on M1 Macs, and wondered how difficult switching would be. The answer? It's absolutely simple. Many apps now work with both classic Intel processors and Apple's new processors, and even those that don't can be translated in the background by Apple's Rosetta 2 software. In other words, the worst you'll experience is an app pausing for a second or two before opening, after which it'll run as well as it always has. It's actually kind of incredible.
The only other thing you might be wondering about is whether you should get 8GB of RAM or upgrade to 16GB. I've been using an 8GB model for a few weeks now, and find that even as a power user, it's more than capable the majority of the time. With Mail, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Word, Podcasts, Safari, Reminders, and often both Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro open at the same time, the computer still feels responsive and quick. On the heaviest of heavy days, which included 4K video editing, the computer can sometimes skip a little, and as a result we recommend getting 16GB of RAM if you plan on using those pro-level apps. For most workflows, however, 8GB will be enough.
The only downside to this Mac Mini compared to the last generation is that it has slightly fewer ports. But you'll still get two USB-A ports, two USB 4.0 ports (USB-C), an HDMI port, a headphone jack, and an ethernet port, which should be more than enough for most.
The best desktop computer under $500
The Acer Aspire TC is inexpensive, sure, but it still offers excellent performance for a computer in its price range.
Pros: Inexpensive, excellent port selection, solid performance for the price, customizable
Cons: Lackluster graphics performance
If you want a decent desktop on a budget, there are some great options. Namely, it's worth considering the Acer Aspire TC, which offers excellent performance for the price, plus it can be upgraded down the line as needed.
Despite being low-cost, the Acer Aspire TC has a lot to offer. The base model of the computer comes with a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, but it can be upgraded to offer an Intel Core i7 chip, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 1TB hard drive – though of course, those specs will pass the $500 line.
There's a great-selection of ports on offer too. There are two USB 2.0 ports, a hefty five USB 3.1 ports, a USB-C port, two HDMI ports, and more. Safe to say, you should never run out of connectivity options on this computer.
The Acer Aspire TC has made a name for itself for offering excellent value-for-money, and reviews reflect that. PCMag gave the computer a 4.5/5, which is a glowing score. The only real downsides to the computer are that the computer doesn't offer great graphics performance, but that's somewhat to be expected from a computer in this price range.
What to look for in a desktop computer
As with any computer, there are a few things to keep in mind when you're browsing for your next desktop. For starters, you'll want to think about the operating system (OS) that you prefer: Windows or macOS. Of course, the OS comes down to one's personal preference. A good number of people happen to find that macOS is easier to use than Windows. However, Windows computers are on the cheaper side compared to Macs, and are widely more compatible with various programs and external devices.
You'll also want to think about how powerful you need the computer to be. Most of the computers on this list feature Intel Core i processors (CPUs), which come in a range of models. At the most basic level, the entry-level CPU is the i3, the mid-range is between the i5 and i7, and the high-powered option is the i9. Additionally, gamers and visual media professionals need to consider the graphics card inside the computer, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX series being the highest-end graphics cards available today.
Apart from the processor, there's memory, or RAM, which impacts the overall speed and day-to-day use as well as multitasking capability — we would recommend at least 8GB of RAM; and storage, which dictates how many files, including videos and music, can be stored on the desktop. For this, we'd recommend going for at least 256GB of space to start.
TP-Link's Archer AX50 is an affordable router, but its performance makes it a reliable pick for the best router.
Your router's speed and reliability will affect the speed of every Wi-Fi device in your home.
Today's best routers support the Wi-Fi 6 standard, which is now available at affordable prices.
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The humble router is an often-overlooked device that's key to unlocking great performance from computers, smartphones, tablets, and other devices that rely on a fast Internet connection. Buying the best router you can afford will ensure your home network's performance doesn't become a bottleneck.
Wi-Fi 6, the latest wireless networking standard, helps affordable routers achieve speeds that used to be reserved for the most luxurious models. Mesh networking has improved Wi-Fi reliability in homes with spotty WiFi signals, as well, though it's not necessary in every home.
2021 is a great year to buy a new router. The Wi-Fi 6 standard is now broadly supported by new devices, but it remains a fresh innovation. Today's best Wi-Fi routers will be useful for at least five years.
TP-Link's Archer AX50 is the gold standard in the router market. Affordable yet fast, the Archer AX50 challenges not only its inexpensive competition but also premium routers. You can spend a lot more on a router without seeing a significant boost in everyday performance.
The secret to this router's success is a simple but fast Wi-Fi 6 implementation. The AX50 can't claim the highest maximum bandwidth or the most Wi-Fi bands, but it consistently performs well in many situations.
It can handle real-world download and upload speeds of up to 800Gbps within one room from the router. Its performance will be slashed to half that a couple rooms over, but this remains more than adequate for most uses.
The AX50's range isn't great for homes larger than 2,000 square feet unless it can be placed directly in the center of the house or apartment.
Still, this router is incredible value. It's a great fit for a family of up to four people in a home or apartment smaller than 2,000 square feet.
The best mesh router
The Google Nest Wifi is a mesh network system that combines multiple wireless access points into a single wireless network. This happens seamlessly without additional management. Mesh networks are great for homes with Wi-Fi dead spots that a single router can't fix and are superior to Wi-Fi extenders.
Ease-of-use is Nest Wifi's key feature. Both setup and router control are handled through an intuitive smartphone app. Those who own other Nest devices, or frequently use Google Assistant, will find it instantly familiar.
It even supports Google Assistant. The access points serve double duty as Google Assistant smart speakers. This will be a killer feature for some buyers.
Nest Wifi is an entry-level mesh network with less impressive specifications than competitors. It doesn't support Wi-Fi 6. It also offers just two Ethernet ports per access point, which can be a problem if you connect to multiple devices over Ethernet.
These flaws are forgiven by the price. The two-device bundle, which contains the Nest Wifi router and one wireless access point, is less expensive than many standalone routers. This makes Nest Wifi a great fit if you've found that a single router can't provide acceptable Wi-Fi performance to your entire home.
The best budget router
The TP-Link Archer A7 was once the best value in routers. It's an older model with good performance and range for the price. It doesn't offer Wi-Fi 6, however, and was replaced by the Archer AX21 in 2020.
Why is this router still relevant? Because it's ridiculously affordable. The Archer A7 is barely more expensive than a family dinner at Applebee's. That makes it an attractive option for those who live in a home or apartment under 1,000 square feet.
As mentioned, this router does not support Wi-Fi 6. You can expect real-world performance between 350 megabytes per second and 50Mbps, depending on a device's range from a router. That's mediocre by modern standards, but it's decent if your devices are close enough to the router to see the higher side of that range. This is all you need if your Internet service plan doesn't include speeds above what the Archer A7 can provide.
Setup is easy, and the router's range is good enough to cover most two-bedroom homes and apartments. The router itself is small but still offers the four Ethernet ports found on most routers, so it can handle several wired Ethernet devices.
The best router for value
TP-Link's Archer AX6000 is among the most expensive routers available from the company, and its specifications receive an appropriate boost. The Archer AX6000's maximum possible bandwidth is twice that of the AX50, and the AX6000 has a more robust antenna arrangement that can better handle multiple simultaneous devices.
There's good news for wired Ethernet, too. The Archer AX6000 has eight Gigabit Ethernet ports. It also has a 2.5Gbps WAN port, an uncommon feature that can be useful if you have wired network devices, like network-attached storage, that support 2.5Gbps Ethernet. USB-A 3.0 and USB-C 3.0 ports round out the wired connectivity.
The Archer AX6000 is a large router, measuring about 10 inches on a side and two and half inches thick. It has a square, industrial look that can stick out in a room. This could annoy buyers who can't easily hide the router.
Still, this router is perfect for those who want excellent range and performance without paying a premium.
The best premium router
The Asus RT-88AX is a nice upgrade for buyers who want excellent performance and enough range to handle larger homes, but don't want to stretch their budget into the extreme realm of tri-band routers or premium mesh networks.
This router offers eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, double the ports found on most routers. Although this isn't unheard of in a premium router, the Asus RT-88AX is among the least expensive routers with this feature. It also has a USB-A 3.1 port. This router is a great pick for those who have many wired devices.
Despite these features, the Asus RT-88AX has a conventional, sleek router look. This contrasts with alternatives that have a more industrial design. The RT-88AX is a good choice if you can't hide your router and don't want it to stand out in a room.
The best gaming router
Asus' ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is a top-tier Wi-Fi 6 router. It's a tri-band router, which means it has two 5GHz Wi-Fi bands and one 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band. You can choose to split the 5GHz band between devices, or reserve one of the bands for just a single device that you want to have maximum wireless performance and reliability.
This router is marketed to gamers, but its capabilities are a good fit for large families and large homes. Tom's Hardware found it offers nearly 100 feet of range, and its performance held up well as range from the router increased. The Asus GT-AX11000 is a good fit for homes larger than 3,000 square feet.
The Asus GT-AX11000 has a robust interface with many options designed to provide better control over how devices access the network. Power users and enthusiasts will like this interface.
Wired connectivity is a weakness. This router has just four Gigabit Ethernet ports alongside a single 2.5Gbps LAN port. It also has two USB-A 3.1 ports. Although enough for many homes, its mediocre wired connectivity is odd given the otherwise extreme feature set.
This is also among the most expensive home routers sold today. Its performance, while exceptional, isn't a great value compared to the TP-Link Archer AX6000. However, the Asus GT-AX11000 is a better fit for large homes packed with dozens of wireless devices.
The best mesh router for performance
The Netgear Orbi Pro AX6000 is a fast and reliable mesh network system for large homes. Like the Nest Wifi, this system uses multiple wireless access points to deliver more reliable Wi-Fi connectivity and get around obstacles that might otherwise block Wi-Fi signals.
Netgear's system is far more capable, however. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and has a significantly more robust antenna arrangement. This system even provides four Gigabit Ethernet ports per router or access point, so you can attach plenty of wired devices.
The least expensive Orbi AX6000 WiFi Mesh System bundle includes one router and one access point, which should work for homes between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet. You can add more access points for even greater range. The four-pack system, which has one router and three access points, should work for homes of up to 8,000 square feet.
Other Wi-Fi mesh networks can offer similar specifications, but reviewers currently lean towards the Orbi AX6000 as the best option. Forbes and Tom's Hardware both named it the best Wi-Fi mesh router available.
Price is the only downside. This Netgear Orbi system is three times more expensive than Nest Wifi. Netgear does sell less expensive Orbi systems but, like Nest Wifi, they currently lack Wi-Fi 6 support,
The best value mesh router
Asus' ZenWiFi AX6600 is a great mid-range mesh network that is suitable for most homes. It's among the most affordable mesh options to support the new Wi-Fi 6 standard.
Wi-Fi 6 support leads to excellent performance. CNET and PCMag both named this router an editor's choice thanks to its speed. The ZenWiFi AX6600 can deliver Wi-Fi speeds competitive with the more expensive Orbi AX6000 system in some scenarios. The Orbi pulls ahead at long range, but the ZenWiFi AX6000 is often neck-and-neck with the Orbi when connected to devices 30 feet away or closer.
That's an acceptable compromise for homes and apartments that are smaller than 2,500 square feet. Asus' ZenWiFi AX6600 system also provides smaller, more attractive satellites that will be easier to hide. The system's router has three Gigabit Ethernet ports and a 2.5Gbps WAN port.
While not the most powerful mesh system, Asus' ZenWiFi AX6600 hits a sweet spot of price and performance. It's a great alternative to similarly priced routers which, although packed with more capable hardware, are often more difficult to manage.
Why you should buy a Wi-Fi 6 router
Wi-Fi 6 is the latest wireless standard. It's backward compatible with previous standards but also offers a huge leap in performance.
The maximum theoretical speed of Wi-Fi 6 is 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), up from 3.5 Gbps with Wi-Fi 5. While most consumer Internet service plans can't hit these speeds, they're still useful for devices on your local network, such as network attached storage.
More importantly, the measured real-world performance of Wi-Fi 6 routers blows away their predecessors. A 20 to 50 percent improvement is common. Wi-Fi 6 routers also have better range and see less reduction in performance when handling many devices, traits that are useful in any home.
This comes with an important catch. Both the router and the device connecting to it, such as your smartphone or laptop, must support Wi-Fi 6 to boost performance. If not, the connection will fall back to the Wi-Fi 5 standard (or an even older standard, if you're connecting an ancient device).
Still, Wi-Fi 6 is the way forward. Most new smartphones, computers, and smart home devices introduced in 2021 will support Wi-Fi 6. It will be the expected standard for new devices by 2022.
A Wi-Fi 5 router or mesh network can work well, but only makes sense when pricing significantly beats alternatives with Wi-Fi 6 support. That's why most routers and mesh networks on this list support Wi-Fi 6.
What is a mesh network, and should you buy one?
Mesh networking is the latest trend in wireless connectivity. Mesh networking devices, often sold in packages as mesh network routers, mesh access points, or mesh network systems, provide multiple wireless access points for your network.
Each access point can communicate with its partners to balance network load, which ultimately provides a more reliable home network. The use of multiple access points can also help deliver Wi-Fi coverage to hard-to-reach wireless dead spots, like a basement or a room on the far side of a concrete or brick wall.
This might sound complex, but simplicity is among mesh networking's best features. Most companies that sell mesh networks provide attractive companion apps that are more approachable than a typical router's user interface.
Mesh networks will make standalone routers obsolete in the future. Pricing is all that holds them back. Even the most affordable examples are priced to compete with premium routers. This makes sense; you're getting multiple access points instead of one router. Still, high pricing will turn off many buyers.
While mesh networks are excellent, buyers should beware so-called mesh networking devices that are glorified Wi-Fi range extenders. They're often sold as add-on devices instead of mesh network systems with multiple access points in a single package. The term "mesh network" doesn't refer to any specific technical standard, so the marketing minds at router companies are slapping the term on anything that can extend a wireless network.
What we're looking forward to testing
The release of Wi-Fi 6 means router manufacturers are in the middle of updating their product lines. Most manufacturers have updated their consumer routers to the new standard, but mesh network products and specialty routers are still in the middle of updates.
The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced a new standard, Wi-Fi 6E, in 2020. Wi-Fi 6E adds a 6GHz wireless channel to the options available, alongside the 5GHz and 2.4GHz already supported. This is helpful because congestion on existing bands is a constant issue. The 6GHz band should also provide better performance in ideal scenarios.
Netgear, Linksys, TP-Link, Asus, and Arris announced Wi-Fi 6E routers or mesh systems at CES 2021. The Wi-Fi 6E options announced include:
Arris Surfboard Max AX6600 mesh router
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 router
Asus RT-AX68U router
Linksys Velop AXE8400 mesh router
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 router
TP-Link Archer A96 router
TP-Link Archer AX206 router
TP-Link Deco X96 mesh router
TP-Link Deco X76 Plus mesh router
Most of these options won't be available until the second half of 2021. Though Wi-Fi 6E will improve performance in some situations, you shouldn't hold off on purchasing a router because of this new standard.
2020 was a robust year for companies going public through IPOs and SPACs, and 2021 is already looking to bring more of the same.
SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies, allow companies to go public outside the traditional IPO process.
The increase in SPACs and traditional IPOs could be lucrative for the PR industry as target companies, which often don't have their own investors relations division, call on public relations pros to put their business model in the best light.
ICR CEO Tom Ryan said that his firm's annual revenue increased by 20% year-over-year to $106 million in 2020 due to its work on SPACs. One of the best known IPO players, ICR advised on more than 50 SPAC deals in 2020, equivalent to about 20% of the total market.
Companies going public also have to adhere to financial and information disclosure rules imposed by regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission. That means PR pros have to vet all information disclosed by a company going public.
The growing popularity of SPACs as a new investment opportunity prompted the SEC to caution investors from jumping on the bandwagon "based solely on a celebrity's involvement or based solely on other information you receive" through outlets like social media and newspapers.
Insider identified the top 18 PR pros that work in-house or at firms based on original reporting, publicly available information, and nominations.
The list includes well-known figures like Sard Verbinnen's co-president Paul Kranhold — known for working on Alibaba and Snap's IPOs — and newcomers like Mustafa Riffat, an Edelman EVP who previously worked on the Alibaba and ARAMCO IPOs.
John Christiansen, managing director, Sard Verbinnen & Co.
Co-head of Sard Verbinnen's West Coast offices, Christiansen oversees 45 staffers and has led work on a number of high-profile IPOs.
Christiansen advised on Slack's direct listing and Uber's IPO in 2019 and is also working on real estate company Compass' closely watched forthcoming IPO.
He's advised Virgin Galactic, Luminar, 23andMe, and Matterport during their SPAC mergers and is working with Gores Group and Oaktree Capital on their SPACs.
Moira Conlon, founder and president, Financial Profiles
Conlon founded Financial Profiles in 2007 and has worked on a number of SPACs and IPOs for companies like electronic vehicle charging network ChargePoint and AEye, whose tech supports autonomous vehicles and driver assistance systems. Those transactions were valued at $2.4 billion and $2 billion, respectively.
Financial Profiles is composed of former Wall Street analysts and financial reporters in addition to PR pros and does work on spin-offs, mergers and acquisitions, and other deals. It's handled SPAC work since 2009, starting with Two Harbors Investment Corp.
Before Financial Profiles, Conlon worked for 13 years at MWW-owned Financial Relations Board and at Merrill Lynch's investment banking division and mortgage and money markets origination group. She also had a stint at Abernathy MacGregor.
Keyana Corliss, head of global corporate communications, Databricks
Corliss leads communications at Databricks as the data and AI company explores its options to go public later this year.
Corliss has gotten coverage for Databrick's Series G funding round in CNBC, Forbes, and other publications as well as its partnership with Google Cloud, which was covered by outlets like CNBC and TechCrunch.
Before Databricks, Corliss led global PR and executive communications for Tableau, the data visualization company acquired by Salesforce in 2019. At Merritt Group, Corliss helped Tableau go public in 2013 when it raised $254 million.
Corliss got widespread coverage for Tableau in the lead-up to and day of its IPO.
Don Duffy, president, ICR
Duffy oversees all SPAC accounts at the firm and has advised clients on more than 250 IPOs, SPACs, and direct listings in the past 10 years, including high-profile IPOs for clients like Visa, which raised $17.9 billion and Shake Shack, which raised $1.6 billion.
From January 2020 to March, ICR has advised on more than 80 SPACs, including Paysafe, Hostess, DraftKings, and QuantumScape, collectively raising more than $100 billion in capital.
Duffy advised on ICR's first SPAC transaction when smoothie company Jamba Juice went public in 2007.
Bob East, managing partner and co-head of ICR's healthcare practice, ICR Westwicke
East has led communications and investor relations work for dozens of IPOs and SPACs over the past three years.
He joined ICR in 2019 after it acquired Westwicke Partners, a healthcare investor relations firm that East founded in 2006.
East and his team have since doubled Westwicke's annual revenue to more than $20 million in 2020.
East draws on his background as a Deutsche Bank vet to counsel clients going through the SPAC process, like health and wellness company Sharecare, telemedicine company Hims & Hers, and online therapy provider Talkspace— valued at $3.9 billion, $1.6 billion, and $1.4 billion, respectively. He's also advised on IPOs for telehealth giant Amwell, primary-care startup Oak Street.
In addition, East has worked for SPACs like Longview Capital when it acquired Butterfly, as well as Organogenesis and Gig Capital's combined acquisition of UpHealth and Cloudbreak.
Jeff Fox, managing director, The Blueshirt Group
At Blueshirt, a financial communications firm focused on tech, Fox counsels clients during key financial milestones, including IPOs.
In the past year, Fox led work on healthcare company GoodRx's IPO, streaming company FuboTV, and lending company Upstart.
He's also been key Blueshirt's other big accounts like productivity software provider Asana's direct listing and fintech startup SoFi's forthcoming SPAC IPO.
Garnick joined Gasthalter & Co. from Sard Verbinnen & Co. when the boutique shop launched in 2016.
Since then, Garnick has advised on more than 15 SPAC IPOs that collectively raised more than $7 billion in capital. The mergers from these SPACs total more than $34 billion in market value.
His notable assignments include Social Capital Hedosophia's merger with SoFi, Northern Star's mergers with BARK and Apex Clearing, Vector Acquisition Corp.'s merger with Rocket Lab USA, and Fortress Value Acquisition Corp.'s merger with MP Materials.
Kim Hughes, managing director and co-lead of strategic media, The Blueshirt Group
Hughes has helped The Blueshirt Group become one of the best known financial communications firms helping tech companies go public.
She's worked on transactions like productivity company Asana's direct listing, personal finance startup SoFi's SPAC IPO and telemedicine platform GoodRx's traditional IPO.
Her past work also includes IPOs for business spend management company Coupa, freelance services company Fiverr, and event management and ticketing company Eventbrite.
Jenna Kozel, VP of corporate communications and content marketing, Okta
One of Kozel's biggest career moments was in 2017 when identity management software company Okta went public through an IPO that raised $187 million.
Her communications and media efforts led to 92 articles in places like The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and the Financial Times, Kozel said.
Kozel previously was at Edelman for eight years, where she worked on accounts like AMD, Adobe, and Juniper Networks.
Paul Kranhold, co-president, Sard Verbinnen & Co.
Kranhold has helped the financial and crisis communications giant power come back after a third of its partners left following its stake sale to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2016.
His wins include IPO work like Compass and Ant Financial — the latter of which is expected to shatter records once it receives approval from Chinese regulators. Kranhold also advised on Alibaba and Snap's IPOs.
When it comes to SPACs, Kranhold has helped 23andMe tell its story as the consumer genetic-testing company prepares to go public; worked on SPACs for SoftBank Group; and advised an investor in Blue Owl's SPAC.
Mylene Mangalindan, partner, Brunswick Group
The former Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal reporter has worked six years at Brunswick Group, helping lead some of the agency's most high-profile work.
Most recently, Mangalindan helped run communications for Roblox's direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange in March 2021. She also worked on communications for Fisker Inc. as the company merged with a SPAC in a deal that valued the electric car maker at $2.9 billion.
Mangalindan also worked on traditional IPOs like Pinterest's in 2019 and SurveyMonkey in 2018.
Darren McDermott, partner, Brunswick Group
The former Wall Street Journal reporter has used his communications skills to win new accounts for Brunswick Group since he joined in 2012.
McDermott helped Spotify when the music streamer opted for a direct listing instead of doing an IPO in 2019, an unusual move at the time. He also worked on Roblox's direct listing in March 2021.
He's also handled traditional IPOs for tech companies like Airbnb, Doordash, and Pinterest, and is currently working for Coinbase, which has a $100 billion valuation, as the crypto exchange prepares to go public.
Ted McHugh, EVP, head of investor relations, Edelman
McHugh, who leads Edelman's investor relations practice, has helped build an 18-person team for IPOs and SPACs as the agency tries to broaden its work beyond consumer goods clients it's best known for.
McHugh led financial communications on IPOs for companies like online mortgage provider Rocket Companies, AI company C3.Ai's, and luxury ecommerce site Mytheresa. He also supported the financial communications healthcare team when health insurer Oscar Health went public.
Nicole Phelan, chief of staff, VP of marketing and communications, Luminar Technologies
Phelan oversaw communications and marketing for Luminar as the autonomous vehicle technology company formally launched in 2017 and went public through a $3.4 billion SPAC merger.
She coached 25-year-old CEO Austin Russell for interviews with the likes of NPR, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC Squawk Box, and others.
Her press efforts helped Luminar get widespread media coverage the day it debuted on the Nasdaq.
Mustafa Riffat, EVP, Edelman
Hired in 2020, Riffat is helping the world's largest PR firm compete with more entrenched players like Joele Frank and Sard Verbinnen & Co. by working on SPAC deals like trucking tech company Hyliion's merger with Tortoise.
Before joining Edelman, Riffat worked at Brunswick Group, where he worked on two of the world's largest IPOs in the world: Saudi Aramco when it started trading on the Saudi Stock Exchange in 2019, raising $29.4 billion, and Alibaba's $21.8 billion blockbuster IPO when it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. Also, Riffat advised ZoomInfo when it went public as the first tech IPO during the pandemic, netting the Saas company $900 million.
Ash Spiegelberg, partner and head of the San Francisco office, Brunswick Group
Brunswick Group's San Francisco office head made a name for himself working on high-profile IPOs like DoorDash, Airbnb, and Pinterest.
Spiegelberg has continued his streak this year, leading work on mega IPO South Korean ecommerce giant Coupang.
He's also leading work on Coinbase's direct listing on the Nasdaq, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges that's reportedly valued at more than $100 billion.
Sheila Tran, head of communications, Opendoor
Tran coordinated comms across external PR, internal communications, and investor relations for Softbank-backed Opendoor as the online real estate company went public through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp II, a SPAC led by venture-capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya.
When CEO Eric Wu appeared on CNBC, Tran prepped him for the interview to set the narrative. Wu credited Tran with helping turn that merger into a success when it was completed in October 2020.
Tran is a longtime veteran of the tech industry; she headed global communications and PR at Yahoo when it was acquired by Verizon.
David Wells, partner, Prosek Partners
Wells is helping Prosek, best known for consumer-facing PR and marketing for financial services companies, expand its financial communications by doing more transaction work.
For example, Wells and his team have worked on more than a dozen SPACs, including D and Z Media, one of the few woman-led SPACs, which is seeking a company to merge with.
Wells was tapped to advise Dyal Capital and Owl Rock when they decided to combine in 2021 through a SPAC merger. The plan is to create an entity called Blue Owl Capital with a $12.5 billion market cap.
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