I’m all about reusable water bottles, but you really have to stay on top of keeping all those nooks and crannies clean unless you want to be drinking from a gross lab experiment every day. These cleaning brushes make that an easy task, combining three kinds of brushes into one handy unit:

1. U-shaped silicone brush for removing stubborn stains around the rims of bottles and cups.
2. Stranded wire slit brush for getting down into that narrow groove in a bottle lid where the silicone sealing ring lives, along with the valve where you insert a straw if your bottle lid has one.
3. Stiff corner brush for removing grime and buildup from corner grooves and more.

Those latter two brushes are connected to a swivel point that allows you to swap them around as needed. It also acts as a hanging hole for easily storing the tool on a hook when you’re not using it.

Get a set of three brushes for $13 on Amazon, or a set of six for $20.

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There are many ways to get better sleep, some more lavish than others. However, I always recommend starting small with a great sleep mask that blocks out light and feels comfortable to wear throughout your slumber.

The VHMV Sleep Mask fulfills both those roles superbly, keeping out light completely (even during the daytime!) without overheating your skin. The soft, cooling material and plush memory foam cushioning around the eyes feel almost like wearing a cloud on your face, and side and back sleepers alike find that it stays in place regardless of any tossing and turning they do.

Create your own personal sleep cave without breaking the bank by getting this mask for $16 on Amazon.

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When you’re out hiking on the trail, adventuring through the wilderness, or even bouncing between sketchy hotels while traveling abroad, having a continual source of clean, safe drinking water is absolutely critical. With Grayl’s titanium UltraPress water purifier bottle, obtaining that water couldn’t be easier.

This portable water filtration/drinking system allows you to scoop water from any freshwater source — stream, lake, sink, tap, etc — and press it into clean, safely drinkable water in just 10 seconds. More specifically, it removes waterborne pathogens (99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, and 99.9% of protozoan cysts) while also filtering out particulates, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals.

It’s comprised of an outer titanium cup — which can be used alone to heat water and cook food when necessary — and an inner press (outfitted with an ultra-powdered activated carbon filter) that holds up to 16.9 fl oz of filtered, purified water.

Here’s what the process looks like:

The filter can clean up to 40 gallons of water — across 300 presses or 3 years, whichever comes first — before needing to be replaced. And, thanks to the one-way silicone valve pre-installed in the filter cartridge, the UltraPress is drink-mix-ready, meaning you can add your favorite sport drink mix to your water and get those extra electrolytes when they’re needed most.

Get the titanium UltraPress for $200 on Amazon in your choice of Coyote Brown, Olive Drab, or Covert Black.

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When it comes to installing a bidet in your home bathroom — and I do recommend it, they’re awesome — there’s the expensive washlet route that involves replacing your entire toilet seat with a MUCH fancier one, and then there are simpler and more affordable bidet attachments like the LUXE NEO 185 that install beneath the existing seat.

While the NEO 185 doesn’t offer bougie electric-powered features like a heated seat, warm air dryer, automatic deodorizing filter, or separate remote control, it handles the basic job of cleaning your behind after going #2 quite well. You’ll feel refreshed and clean after every use, in a way toilet paper can never imitate (although you should still keep some around just for drying off with, using only small amounts).

The only downside, if you can call it that, is that once you try it you’ll never again want to use any bathroom but the one in your home.

The two control knobs that extend to the side allow you to (1) adjust the water pressure to your liking, and (2) switch the water flow between rear washing, forward/feminine washing (softer flow), and the self-rinsing function to keep the bidet nozzles clean.

When not in use, the water nozzles automatically retract behind a built-in guard gate to protect against unwanted splashback or debris, keeping them pristine until they’re needed again.

Get the LUXE Bidet NEO 185 for $46 on Amazon. There’s also a NEO 185 Plus model ($58) that has all the same features mentioned above plus an advanced 360° self-cleaning mode and a slide-in hinge design that allows for easier installation (and later, cleaning) without removing the toilet seat.

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Have you ever looked at a sunbeam coming into your house at juuust the right angle that you can see the horrifying amount of dust floating around that was somehow invisible to you before? Or do you suffer from airborne allergens or have a respiratory condition that requires your home be as free of such things as possible? Then the Coway Mighty AP-1512HH air purifier is for you.

I wrote about this gizmo back in 2018, and like so many of the awesome things in our blog archive, there’s a decent chance newer readers have no clue about it. So, I thought I’d mention it once again, at least for people like me who struggle with allergies daily and crave cleaner and higher-quality indoor air.

As I said at the time, it’s a HEPA-certified air purifier that’s about the size of a box fan (but without the noise), and it uses a four-stage filtration system to effectively capture and eliminate airborne contaminants in areas up to 874 square feet in size. The system includes…

1. A pre-filter for collecting large particles like dust and hair.
2. A True HEPA filter that traps 99.97% of microscopic particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen, mold spores, and pet dander. (The HEPA filter only needs to be replaced about once a year, and you might even be able to stretch that to two years like the team at Wirecutter, but the pre-filter may need monthly cleaning depending on how much hair and whatnot it picks up.)
3. An activated carbon filter that deodorizes and filters VOCs to some degree, although there are admittedly better charcoal filters you can find out there for this specific purpose.
4. A vital ionizer that can be independently turned on or off as desired. (Most people prefer to keep it off, from what I’ve seen.)

The Coway Mighty has a built-in air quality indicator that uses colored lights to provide real-time feedback on the air quality in your home. Blue indicates clean air, purple signifies moderate air quality, and red indicates poor air quality.

You also get access to multiple operating modes, including Auto mode (which automatically optimizes the fan speed based on detected air quality) and Eco mode (which turns the fan off as needed to save on energy usage).

Overall, the Coway Mighty AP-1512HH remains a versatile and reliable air purifier that continues to deliver exceptional performance and convenience as the years go by. Whether you’re dealing with allergies, asthma, or simply want to breathe cleaner air, it’s an excellent choice for improving indoor air quality and creating a healthier home environment.

The Amazon list price is $230 and you have a choice between white or black colors.

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As urban commuting without a car (aka “micromobility”) continues to grow in popularity, more and more safety-conscious riders everywhere are on the lookout for the perfect helmet that combines durability with portability.

Enter the FEND One Foldable Biking Helmet, a sleek and convenient option with a collapsible design that doesn’t compromise on safety. Meeting CPSC and EN1078 safety standards, this helmet boasts an impact-resistant EPS foam core and a durable ABS shell, providing reliable protection in the event of a fall or collision.

One of the standout features of the FEND One however is its foldable design, allowing cyclists to easily collapse the helmet when not in use. This compact size makes it ideal for storage in backpacks or bags, ensuring that riders always have their helmet on hand when needed.

Whether you’re riding a bike/e-bike to work, using a manual or electric scooter around town, or keeping it simple and classic with a skateboard, you can ride with confidence knowing this portable and stylish helmet is there to withstand the rigors of your urban environment.

Get it for $119 on Amazon.

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Today we have a more unorthodox form of watch style than a mere reversal of crown placement. I’m talking about the ErgonBand for Apple Watch, which moves the smartwatch from its traditional place on your wrist to a more natural viewing angle near the base of your thumb.

This placement shift seems a bit strange at first, but once you try it you’ll quickly discover how much it minimizes wrist rotation, which is obviously a boon for anyone with wrist problems but also useful for runners and cyclists, people doing weight training, and drivers who don’t want to take their hand off the wheel nor shift their attention down to a clock display.

The band is handmade from a combination of high-quality real leathers that can come in a variety of colors:

As I write this on February 26th, 2024 you can use code PRESENT4U to get $55 off the usual $219–$229 price.

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Dryness and prolonged heat exposure are two of your hair’s greatest enemies, which is why a lot of people will avoid using a hair dryer after showering. It also just kinda sucks to hold one of those things up in the air for half an hour.

However, modern advances in hair dryer technology have been developed to help with this otherwise tedious and time-consuming task. The Panasonic Nanoe is a perfect example.

Rather than simply dumping a bunch of hot air on your head, the Nanoe makes use of a special technology that draws moisture from the air and electrostatically atomizes it into nano-sized, moisture-rich particles (aka “nanoe,” plural) that penetrate hair shafts much more effectively than the regular ions produced by most other dryers.

The result of all this moisture infusion is shinier, smoother hair that’s less frizzy or damaged-looking. It also happens to be good for the skin, so your scalp will thank you too.

Another unique feature your hair and scalp will appreciate is the removable oscillating nozzle attachment, which helps keep your head cool as it moves back and forth (no more hot spots!) yet dries your hair faster and more gently than typical dryers do. Plus, it makes it so you don’t have to move the thing around as much, which is great.

Get the salon-worthy Panasonic Nanoe hair dryer for $160 on Amazon in your choice of Black/Pink Gold or White/Silver.

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Anyone who’s ever experienced even a minor motorcycle accident will tell you that having a pair of tall, solid boots on your feet is just as important as wearing a helmet. It doesn’t take a lot of damage to wreck your lower extremities for life (or worse), and having your bike fall on your leg, foot, or ankle — especially followed by any amount of sliding down the pavement — is a surefire recipe for never walking right again, much less riding.

You only get one pair of legs and feet in life, and if you’re a motorcyclist who cares about your body in the slightest, you can’t afford to skimp on shoddy gear.

I recommend the SMX-6 V2 Drystar boots by Alpinestars, which offer formidable protection without sacrificing comfort. These CE-certified boots are designed for everyday street/sport riding and the occasional track racing day.

They’ve got thick TPU padding in all the right places to provide impact and abrasion protection where you want it, while still offering enough flexibility that you can walk around in them without feeling like a LEGO minifig, at least for short distances. The compound rubber sole is also super grippy, with tread patterns going in all different directions.

While there are a number of SMX-6 V2 models to choose from — including the standard version and a vented edition for hot-weather riding — my vote goes to the “Drystar” boots, which sport a waterproof lining for all-weather performance, yet feel relatively breathable thanks to the sweat-wicking material inside.

You can see how the models in the lineup compare in this video from RevZilla:

Invest in the safety of your body by picking up the Alpinestars SMX-6 V2 Drystars for $330 on Amazon. In the event of a crash, they could mean the difference between a life-changing catastrophe and an incident you walk away from.

Note: The boots do tend to run a bit big, so I’d try going down a full size when purchasing. Women looking for the same boots will want to check out the “Stella” model.

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Gym rings are a fantastic tool for bodyweight training purposes. However, there are some exercises that rings aren’t really suited for — namely lower body workouts. That’s where a suspension weight training system like TRX comes in.

Like rings, a suspension trainer can be set up almost anywhere, allowing you to work out at home, in hotels, at parks and beaches, etc. The difference is that you can place your feet, ankles, or calves in the cradles at the ends of each handle, opening up exercises like hands-free assisted lunges as well as core strength workouts like the atomic pike.

It’s also nice that unlike most rings, the TRX GO handles are covered in a firm foam that offers a more comfortable grip, although if you have particularly sweaty hands during workouts, you might consider wearing gloves anyway so the foam won’t absorb it and get smelly.

Get this travel-ready workout system for $138 on Amazon.

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The last couple months since losing our motorhome have felt like years, but my wife and I are finally starting to get our life back together. We’ve got a new-to-us travel trailer, we’re getting belongings old and new packed into it, and it feels like things will be returning to some semblance of normal soon so we can start traveling again.

However, the mattress that came with this RV… it should be considered a war crime. They might as well have attached some springs to the bed frame platform and called it a day.

Along with those cooling gel memory foam pillows I wrote about the other day, one of the most immediate purchases we needed to make was a new mattress. After doing a good deal of research on various RVing communities, I decided on the S SECRETLAND hybrid mattress-in-a-box, and I haven’t been disappointed one bit.

We opted for the 10-inch-thick Short Queen to fit our rig’s master bedroom, and after the initial 48-hour expansion process, we’ve already concluded that it’s easily the best RV mattress we’ve ever owned. We should’ve made this upgrade years ago.

If I have one quibble, it’s that the very edges of the mattress aren’t quite supportive enough to sit on while putting on shoes, but the space on either side of our bed isn’t really big enough for that anyway. (I also read a long time ago that standing on one foot to put a shoe on the other is good for maintaining your balance skills as you get older, and that’s stuck with me ever since.)

Anyway, I’m really into this purchase and I feel highly satisfied about the value we got for the money spent. The mattress comes in four sizes, each in a variety of thicknesses (thus the price ranges below instead of single amounts):

• Full ($210–$220)
• Short Queen ($250–$310)
• Queen ($210–$340)
• King ($260–$370)

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When you go to shop around and read reviews for new bed pillows these days, the Coop Home Goods Adjustable Loft Pillow is one you’ll come across a lot. And it’s for good reason!

However, not everyone can throw down $72 for a single pillow, no matter how nice it is. Which is why I’d like to point out these cooling pillows from BedStory, which you can get two of for less than what the lone Coop pillow costs.

In similar fashion, these pillows are filled with shredded memory foam infused with cooling gel for a luxurious-feeling sleep experience. And when I say filled, I mean stuffed to the brim — you’ll notice some complaints in the Amazon reviews saying that the pillow is too thick and firm, seemingly unknowing that you can remove any amount of extra fill you like to achieve the desired level of support.

I like that the zippered fill case goes inside a second zippered silk pillow case, the latter of which is easy to take off and wash without having to worry about losing memory foam pieces. The amount of quality you’re getting for the money is pretty awesome in general, actually.

You can get a pair of queen-sized BedStory cooling pillows for $50 on Amazon.

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We’re no strangers to well-made nail clippers around here, but even we can be taken by surprise when we come across something of an especially unique quality. Such is the case with the Takumi no Waza nail clippers by Japanese company Green Bell.

Manufactured in Seki, a city historically reknowned for being the epicenter of Japanese swordmaking and more modernly known as the capital of high-end cutlery and other sharp tools, these nail clippers exude all the craftsmanship and dedication to quality that have made their hometown so famous over the centuries.

In fact, takumi no waza (匠の技) — sometimes romanized as takuminowaza or takumi-no-waza — roughly translates to “master craftsmanship” or “the expertise of artisans,” and once you use these clippers, you’ll see this is not a phrase Green Bell uses lightly:

They have a whole bunch of models, with the G-1008 model arguably being the most “classic” choice.

They cleanly cut through even the thickest nails like butter, with far less pressure needed than you’re probably used to with cheap drugstore clippers. They also just look cooler than most nail clippers. It’s not uncommon to hear people say these are the best clippers they’ve ever used.

Get the G-1008 model for $20 on Amazon. If your personal requirements include a catcher to keep nails from flying, get the G-1200.

Side note: My understanding is that the G-1205 model is the upgraded edition of the classic G-1008, but the difference seems to be rather minimal. They are a little cheaper as I write this (currently $14), so that might sway you one way or the other.

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Whether you’re traveling, camping, mountain biking, or really doing anything away from home, there’s a peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a good first aid kit on hand to address minor injuries whenever they occur.

This little red pouch comes with a surprising amount of stuff inside:

• 1 saline solution (15 ml)
• 1 sheet of 11 moleskin pads
• 1 emergency thermal foil blanket
• 1 CPR respirator
• 2 sterile gauze pads (2″ x 2″)
• 2 sterile gauze pads (3″ x 3″)
• 25 adhesive bandages
• 15 “junior” adhesive bandages
• 2 adhesive knuckle bandages
• 2 adhesive fingertip bandages
• 1 conforming bandage (2″)
• 1 triangular bandage
• 10 safety pins
• 1 tourniquet (1″ x 18″)
• 1 pair of tweezers
• 1 pair of angled scissors
• 20 sterile cotton swabs
• 2 disposable gloves
• 1 first aid tape roll
• 6 antiseptic wipes/towelettes
• 10 alcohol prep pads
• 4 povidone-iodine first aid pads
• 1 quick-reference first aid guide

That’s 110 tools! Or 111 pieces total, if you count the reference guide at the bottom.

The pouch is lightweight and easy to carry around, and it can be stashed in a glovebox, under a motorcycle seat, or in a bicycle saddle pack. It can also be clipped onto the outside of a backpack if you somehow don’t have room to throw it in there.

As of October 25th, 2023 you can get this handy little first aid kit for just $10 on Amazon. The price is normally $20, so snatch this deal up while it’s hot!

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I’ve mentioned before that a slippery pillowcase (which in that previous case was a satin one) is a key part of a long hair maintenance routine, especially for those of us with wavy/curly frizz problems. However, some people find satin a little too slippery to sleep on, and find themselves waking the next morning with their hair resting on cotton sheets anyway, defeating the purpose of the pillowcase.

For those people I recommend a mulberry silk pillowcase like this one from LilySilk, which offers a bit of that soft, slippery feeling without going overboard. It’s also better for hot sleepers like me, because it keeps you cool through the night.

Staying cool while sleeping and waking up with hair that isn’t a wreck = a big win in my book.

You can get this pillowcase in King size for $43 on Amazon. Consider it an investment in better sleep and happier bedhead

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