Kelly

Here is the short answer first: the warmest ice fishing boot in our group is the Baffin Impact, rated by the manufacturer to -40 F and below and described by owners as the warmest boot they have ever owned. The Baffin Snow Monster and Eiger carry the deepest published cold ratings of anything we tested, … Read more

Short answer: for welding fumes in a home shop, a tight-fitting half mask or full facepiece fitted with P100 particulate filters is the correct choice, and an N95 dust mask is not. Welding fume carries manganese, chromium, nickel and zinc, and in a one-car garage that plume has nowhere to go. This roundup covers 12 … Read more

A dull chef’s knife tears meat instead of cutting it. You get ragged edges, smeared juices on the cutting board, and a piece that dries out before it ever reaches the pan. That is the single most common complaint we hear from readers who just upgraded from a drawer full of mismatched blades. So we … Read more

A knife sharpening steel, also called a honing steel or honing rod, is a slender rod of hardened steel, ceramic, or diamond that realigns the microscopic edge of a knife that has gone slightly dull, restoring clean cutting performance without removing much metal. We tested ten of the best knife sharpening steels for home cooks … Read more

We have been setting up home podcast rooms for years now, and the question that comes up in every single conversation is the same one: which headphones should I actually wear while I record? The honest answer is that almost any closed-back monitor will get you a usable track, and the difference between a good … Read more

Yes, smart bulbs can be used outdoors, but only if the bulb you buy is rated for the exact spot you plan to put it in. A covered wall sconce, an uncovered porch ceiling, and a rain-exposed post light are three very different environments, and most smart bulbs are built for just one of them. … Read more

The best portable power station for tailgating is the Jackery Explorer 300 if you want something you can carry from the trunk by yourself, and the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 if you plan to run a TV, a speaker and a cooler for the whole afternoon. A portable power station is a rechargeable battery with … Read more

The best GPS dog collars for hunting dogs are the ones that talk to a handheld receiver over radio, not over a cell tower. A satellite-to-handheld system keeps plotting your dog’s position in thick hardwood, on a ridgeline or across a beaver bottom long after your phone shows no bars. We compared eight of them … Read more

The best kids electric scooters for beginners are the Gotrax GKS Mini for ages 6 to 12, the Segway Ninebot C2 Lite for a certified three-mode ride, and the Gyroor H30 Max for a scooter that grows with your child. All three cap the top speed, refuse to start the motor until the rider pushes, … Read more

A STEM subscription box is a recurring monthly shipment of hands-on science, technology, engineering and math projects, age-banded so the instructions match a child’s reading level, and designed to trade screen time for building play. That definition covers a lot of ground, and the brands that fill it best are the ones parents ask about … Read more