These Cards Claim to ‘Reboot Your Life.’ I Tried Them for 20 Days.

by Mari Uyehara

Our gifts writer recently spent a month living out the instructions from one of our favorite self-care gifts.

Related

What do you need (or want)?

Wirecutter Finder draws on thousands of hours of research and testing to help you make the right decision.

The latest

See everything

Daily deals

Price drops on products we already love

What do you need (or want)?

Wirecutter Finder draws on thousands of hours of research and testing to help you make the right decision.

Digital refresh

Expert tips on how to improve your relationship with your phone.

The Wirecutter Show

An unlabeled jar of pickled veggies, inside a bubble in front of a blue background.

Pickles! (Live From The Minnesota State Fair!)

by Caira Blackwell, Rosie Guerin, Abigail Keel, and Maki Yazawa

From grocery-store dills to homemade sours, world-class pickle experts explain how to find a great pickle and make your own safely at home.
  • Illustration of a blue trash bin overflowing with food waste and trash enclosed inside a translucent sphere. The sphere floats in the center against a solid light blue background.

    So, You Want to Start Composting

    by Wirecutter Staff

    Composting doesn’t have to be smelly or hard. We share clever ways to make collecting kitchen scraps simple and odor-free.
  • A bidet inside a bubble in front of a blue background.

    The Best Bidet for Every Budget (Encore)

    by Wirecutter Staff

    Bidets are for everyone! Listen for expert advice on how to upgrade your bathroom routine no matter your budget.
  • A mattress, inside of a bubble in front of a blue background.

    The Best Time to Buy a Mattress (and How to Get a Deal)

    by Caira Blackwell, Rosie Guerin, Abigail Keel, and Elise Czajkowski

    Rule number one: Never pay full price for a mattress. Our expert shares when to buy, how to negotiate, and how to get the best deal.

Home

Cleaning, Smart home devices, Bedroom, or see all in Home
A black mechanical keyboard covered in hair and crumbs.

How to Clean Your Keyboard and Mouse

by Kimber Streams

Dust, skin particles, and hand oils will eventually accumulate on a keyboard and mouse. Here’s how we clean them.

Electronics

Smartphones, Audio, Computers, or see all in Electronics

Sleep

How to sleep better, Sleep gear, Mattresses, or see all in Sleep
Seven different alarm clocks displayed on tables and books in front of a brown background.

Our Favorite Alarm Clocks

by Joshua Lyon and Dorie Chevlen

We’ve tested dozens of alarm clocks over the years. These seven favorites are stylish, sturdy, and simple to use.

Kitchen

Cooking tools and utensils, Small kitchen appliances, Cookware, or see all in Kitchen

Appliances

Small home appliances, Large home appliances, Vacuum cleaners, or see all in Appliances
Three drip coffee makers plugged in and standing next to one another amongst a cup of coffee and a jar of coffee beans.

These Coffee Makers Make It Easy to Brew Really Good Coffee at Home

by Marguerite Preston and Kathleen Squires

After multiple rounds of testing and many (many) cups of coffee, we’ve found three brewers that make truly excellent coffee.
  • A washer machine with towels and a mesh bag with white shoes inside.

    16 Surprising Things You Can Clean in the Washing Machine

    by Caroline Mullen

    From bed pillows to backpacks, Wirecutter staffers have cleaned plenty of unorthodox things in the washing machine — no scrubbing by hand required.

  • Four blenders, three filled with smoothie mixtures, standing in a row. Two glasses of fruit smoothie are standing between them.

    The Best Blender

    by Lesley Stockton

    After testing more than 25 blenders since 2012, we haven’t found a better one than the powerful, durable Vitamix 5200.
  • Pictured left to right, the Breville BTA720XL Bit More Toaster, the Beautiful 2 Slice Toaster with Touch Activated Display, and the Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster, three of our picks for best slot toasters. There are two pieces of toast in the Cuisinart, three stacks of toast behind each toaster, along with blackberry jelly and orange marmalade, a plate with butter, a cup of coffee, a jar of sugar and a clementine, all pictured on a tan background.

    The Best Toaster

    by Michael Sullivan

    After testing 32 toasters for dozens of hours, we think the Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster is the best, especially for its low price.

Gifts

Surprise Me, Gifts for grown-ups, Special occasion gifts, or see all in Gifts
  • three candles, a bowl filled with nuts and a butter tray on display in front of different colored boxes.

    17 Little Tabletop Doodads You Could Give to Just About Anyone

    by Sri Rain Stewart

    If you’re giving a gift to someone who recently moved or loves entertaining, we’ve gathered some of the loveliest (and niftiest) tabletop gifts to liven up dining spaces.
  • Two cans of canned minnow, and an illustrated rocket flying by.

    The Best Gifts We’ve Brought Home From Vacation

    by Samantha Schoech

    All of the delightful, transportive things we've picked up on our travels that are sure to give you — or your giftee — wanderlust.
  • Books pictured with a candle, a sweatshirt, a hat, a reading light and a candle.

    26 Cool Gifts for Book Nerds

    by Samantha Schoech

    If your giftee is a reader, you’re in luck. We've found dozens of clever, funny, and helpful gifts to improve the reading life.

Outdoors

Outdoor gear, Apparel, Camping, or see all in Outdoors
A selection of rain boots, in different styles and colors, that we tested to find the best rain boots.

The Best Rain Boots for Women and Men

by Eve O'Neill and Kyle Fitzgerald

We’ve found 7 pairs of rain boots that’ll do more than just keep your feet dry—they’ll match your style and environment no matter what you need.

  • Five different dry bags that we tested to find the best, shown with a water bottle, flashlight, and sneakers.

    The Best Roll-Top Bags to Keep Your Belongings Dry

    by Nicole Gull McElroy

    After we tested 22 models on land and water, the durable and watertight Ortlieb Dry-Bag emerged as the standout.
  • A photo of a black pair of rain pants with rain drops on someone wearing a red top.

    The Best Rain Pants

    by Jenni Gritters and Claire Wilcox

    The Marmot PreCip Evo Rain Pants (in women’s and men’s sizes) were waterproof and breathable enough to keep us comfortable on both trails and sidewalks.

  • A person riding one of our picks for best folding bike in a city park.

    The Best Folding Bikes to Make Your Commute a (Literal) Breeze

    by Daniel Varghese

    Anyone who wants to ride a bike without the bulky hassle of lugging and storing a full-size model may want to consider a folding bike.

Style

Travel

Gear, Bags, Luggage, or see all in Travel
Six pairs of compression socks that we tested, in various colors and patterns.

The Best Compression Socks

by Jackie Reeve, Eve O'Neill, and Shannon Palus

Whether you’re buying compression socks at your doctor's orders, for running or working out, or just because, here are the best options in a variety of styles.

Health and fitness

Personal care, Coronavirus coverage, Exercise, or see all in Health and fitness

Baby and kid

Baby, Toys, School, or see all in Baby and kid
A countertop bottle washer next to a sink.

You Can Pay Over $300 for a Countertop Bottle Washer. You Probably Shouldn’t.

by Jessica Bernhard

Bottle washers are kind of a countertop dishwasher for baby bottles and pump parts. They’re increasingly popular but come with some hidden costs.
  • Three baby bathtubs in different colors and styles along with a few toys and a bottle of Aquaphor.

    These Baby Tubs Make Bath Time Easier

    by Michael B. Cohen

    We tested 12 baby bathtubs and bath seats and found three that help make bath time an enjoyable experience for babies and adults.
  • A collage of photos of an iPhone user's children on the homescreen of their phone.

    The Phone Setting That Every Parent Should Try

    by Lauren Sullivan

    I stumbled on a feature in my iPhone’s settings late at night, and I was delighted the next morning by what awaited me.

  • The Best Baby Gate

    by Doug Mahoney

    We tested 20 baby gates to find the Cardinal Gates SS-30 Stairway Special is the best.

Pets

Dogs, Gear for pets, Cats, or see all in Pets
  • Side by side images of a cat and a dog at an animal rescue.

    So You’ve Found a Lost Pet. Now What?

    by Mel Plaut

    Here’s what to do when you find a loose dog or cat, along with some strategies for preventing a lost pet or improving your odds of a quick reunion.
  • An photo collage features black-and-white cats posing on three different cat trees. The cutout images rest over a muted purple and beige backdrop.

    Not-Ugly Cat Trees for Discerning Pets

    by Mel Plaut

    It can be hard to see the forest for the (cat) trees. We tested 17 stable, durable models to find 11 that will fit your decor aesthetic and your cat’s desire to climb, scratch, and lounge.
  • Photo: Michael Murtaugh

    The Best Pet Subscription Boxes

    by Kaitlyn Wells

    We tested eight different pet subscription boxes with seven pets to find that Meowbox and PupJoy Box are the best for your cats and dogs, respectively.

Games and hobbies

Games and puzzles, Music, Holiday and seasonal crafts, or see all in Games and hobbies
A collage image of the Andover Audio SpinBase 2 on a table.

The SpinBase 2 Makes Setting Up Your Turntable System Easy

by Brent Butterworth

We love the Andover Audio SpinBase 2 because it makes setting up a vinyl-record playback system easy, and it sounds shockingly good.
  • A wide view shows multiple open tins filled with colorful Prismacolor Premier pencils alongside scattered loose pencils on a beige background. Small hand-drawn doodles of stars, hearts, and flowers are interspersed between the art supplies.

    The Best Colored Pencils

    by Laura Fenton

    We tested 13 colored-pencil sets with 60 kids and parents, and we found the best sets for most beginners, a good set for the classroom, and a great sharpener.
  • Side view of the BOOoop game pieces neatly arranged on a wooden table.

    The Best Horror Board Games

    by Joshua Lyon and James Austin

    Whether you’re looking for tense thrills, schlocky horror vibes, or even adorable trick-or-treat kittens, these tabletop games are great for spooky season.

  • A tower of boxes for card games with several cards from each games scattered about.

    The Best Card Games

    by James Austin

    Card games may be the simplest kind of game, but that doesn’t mean they’re lacking fun or innovation. We’ve tested 44 card games to find the best of the best.

Software and apps

Wirecutter’s Guide to Data Security, or see all in Software and apps

Office

Home office, Office furniture, Printers and scanners, or see all in Office
A few rows of stacks of business cards with different printing tests printed on them.

The Best Business Card Printing Services

by Erin Roberts

We’ve tested nine of the top business card printing services. Jukebox delivered the best cards of the bunch and was delightfully easy to use.

Money

Deals and sales, Knowing when to buy, Managing your money, or see all in Money
A ballpoint pen, a pair of wireless earbuds, and an air purifier on a gridded background.

Wirecutter’s Most Popular Picks of August 2026

by Wirecutter Staff

The most popular picks of August 2026 included cute bag charms, air purifiers, microwaves, and more.