Independent reviews of premium products
Research and buying guides for people who would rather buy once than buy twice. We dig into the products worth paying for and score what actually justifies the premium.
Editor's Choice this season
Best Outdoor SpeakerSonos
Sonos Move 2
The Sonos Move 2 is the best-sounding portable speaker for a patio: real stereo from a single cabinet, up to 24 hours of battery, an IP56 weatherproof build, and Wi-Fi that ties it into a whole-home Sonos system. It is heavy for true portability, leans hard on the Sonos app, and is pricey next to a rugged JBL — but for a premium backyard speaker that also lives indoors, nothing matches it.
Best Frozen Drink MakerNinja
Ninja SLUSHi
The Ninja SLUSHi is the frozen-drink machine that finally makes home slushies effortless: its RapidChill compressor freezes the drink itself, so there is no bagged ice to shave and no blender to babysit. Five presets cover everything from frosé to milkshakes, and it holds drinks at slush temperature for hours. The catches are size (it is big and heavy), a one-year warranty, and a learning curve on the sugar/alcohol ratio.
Best Nugget Ice MakerGE Profile
GE Profile Opal 2.0
The GE Profile Opal 2.0 is the machine that made countertop nugget ice a phenomenon, and it is still the one to beat — the softest, most craveable chewable ice of any home maker, plus a SmartHQ app to schedule batches and a side tank that cuts refills. What holds the score back is ownership: it is expensive, the one-year warranty is thin, GE does not repair its small appliances, and owners have to stay on top of cleaning to avoid mold.
Best Overall Fire PitSolo Stove
Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0
The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 is the smokeless fire pit most people should buy: light enough to carry one-handed, genuinely smokeless once up to temperature, and backed by a lifetime warranty. The 2.0 adds a removable ash pan that fixes the original's biggest annoyance. Just know that the airflow that kills the smoke also sends heat upward, so it warms a crowd less than an open fire — and the steel can rust in damp climates.
Best Overall Pizza OvenOoni
Ooni Karu 2 Pro
The Ooni Karu 2 Pro is the multi-fuel pizza oven we would point most people to. It hits 950°F, cooks a 16-inch pizza, and adds genuinely useful smart features — a larger ClearView door, a Bluetooth temperature hub, and a meat probe — over the discontinued Karu 16. In head-to-head testing it produced pizza on par with ovens costing far more; the main caveats are that the gas burner is a ~$140 add-on and wood firing has a learning curve.
Where we go deep
Home Office
Chairs, desks, and tools built for people who sit for a living.
Kitchen
Appliances and tools that earn their place on the counter.
Audio
Headphones, speakers, and systems worth the listening.
Outdoor
Grills, furniture, and gear that survive the seasons.
Fitness
Home gym equipment that holds up to daily abuse.
Travel
Luggage and bags engineered for a lifetime of trips.
Buying guides, settled
3 picksBest Outdoor Speakers
The right speaker turns a patio into a party. We researched the leading portable speakers for outdoor use — weighing sound, durability, battery, and price — to find the ones worth taking outside. The big question is premium Wi-Fi sound versus rugged value, so we picked a winner for each kind of buyer.
Read the guide
2 picksBest Frozen Drink Machines
Frosé, frozen margaritas, and slushies on demand — we researched the leading frozen-drink machines to find the ones worth the counter space. The big divide is how they make the cold: compressor machines freeze the drink itself (no ice), while party machines shave bagged ice for speed. Here are our picks for each.
Read the guide2 picksBest Nugget Ice Makers
Soft, chewable "good ice" is the reason nugget ice makers went viral. We researched the leading countertop machines — comparing ice quality, output, reliability, and price — to find which ones are worth it. The short version: one maker still makes the best ice, but a cheaper rival gets you most of the way.
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2 picksBest Smokeless Fire Pits
We researched the leading smokeless fire pits — comparing manufacturer specs, expert reviews, and owner-reported reliability — to find the ones worth gathering around. Smokeless pits use a double-wall airflow design to burn off smoke, so you get the fire without the watery eyes. Here are our picks for every kind of buyer.
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3 picksBest Outdoor Pizza Ovens
We researched the leading premium outdoor pizza ovens — analyzing manufacturer specs, expert reviews, and owner-reported reliability — to find the ones worth a spot on the patio. These are our picks across every kind of buyer, from the all-rounder to the portable to the no-expense-spared flagship.
Read the guideHead-to-head verdicts
For a backyard speaker, the Move 2 wins on sound and battery — but the Roam 2 is the one you actually carry.
See the breakdownFor most people the Solo Stove wins on portability, price, and easy cleanup — but Breeo is the better-built oven if you want to cook.
See the breakdownFor most buyers the Ooni Karu 2 Pro wins — it matches the Dome on pizza for over a thousand dollars less.
See the breakdownFresh from the lab
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