Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter Upgrade pick The Little Red is backcountry-ready for preschoolers. There’s a sleeping-pad pocket on the back of the bag, for added warmth and comfort; you do have to supply your own pad, though. For kids who are older than about kindergarten age, the Wolverine is likely a better fit — it works…
Julie Kim for NYT Wirecutter Using a single baby wipe or slightly damp washcloth, wipe down exposed vinyl surfaces, focusing on hands, feet, and armpits (which tend to get the dirtiest). Apply pressure on body parts with your fingertips and fingernails. But go gently on the head and face, since the coloring of hand-painted features…
After vetting eight toy subscription box services, I ultimately tested the KiwiCo Panda Crates, Lalo Play Boxes, and Lovevery Play Kits, trying multiple boxes from each company over a period of five months. All five of my children found the Lovevery Play Kits and the KiwiCo Panda Crates enticing — even my older kids, who…
External desktop hard drives The SanDisk Desk Drive is a speedy SSD made for desktop use. It has a power cord, which differentiates it from portable SSDs. The power adapter and cord can help with stability for daily backups and use with graphics workstations or gaming desktop PCs. However, if you’re simply just backing up…
Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter Basic window-breaker hammers often come in roadside-emergency kits or even as a freebie from your car dealership. They’re cheap, and they have no moving parts that can break or jam, but they have one serious flaw: They require you to swing them hard enough to break the glass. In an accident where…
Many school-age children are drawn in by the manipulability of a doll’s identity and personality through hairstyles, fashion, and hobby-related accessories. “They may not say it out loud, but older children have imaginary friends,” Golinkoff, the childhood education professor, told me. “They have conversations during quiet moments inside their heads and develop a more private…
Unlike, say, more complex spirits such as whiskey or tequila, there’s never a reason to pay a premium for so-called premium vodka. The picks in our guide to best vodka include Kirkland Signature and Pinnacle, which you’re less likely to find on the top shelf of a bar. Our smart-home team is thrilled to see…
Not all nail clippers are created equal, particularly when it comes to the quality of their blades and their capacity to cut nails cleanly and comfortably. To find clippers worthy of inclusion in this guide, we first incorporated the testing parameters we use when evaluating traditional nail clippers: Sharp, curved blades: Dull blades and straight…
Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter An actually realistic-looking tree Our top Christmas tree pick strikes a sweet balance of cost, realism, and ease of setup. It’s full and generously sized, with branches that actually look convincing. The dual-color LEDs can switch between multicolor and warm white, and offer multiple patterns with flashing and sparkling. Other things to…
In this edition of Clean Everything, our cleaning experts share their tried-and-true methods for getting a bathroom pristine. Sanitizing and disinfecting your bathroom frequently is unfortunately an unskippable chore. But a little regular maintenance can go a long way in reducing the ick factor and cutting down on deep cleans. Below, three somewhat unexpected hacks…