The Best High-Proof Bourbon You Can Buy in 2019

A bourbon myth for you, briefly: any 120 proof bourbon is somehow inherently better than your run-of-the-mill 80- or 90-proof stuff.

“There is a falsity that’s in the consumer base that cask strength is better,” says Fred Minnick, a spirits writer and the Editor-in-Chief of Bourbon+ magazine. “What’s really happening is, a lot of people can’t taste flaws at that strength. If they were to cut it with water and get it down to 90 or 80 proof, they would detect notes they wouldn’t necessarily care for.”

Don’t go pouring the strong stuff in your liquor cabinet down the drain, though. High-proof bourbon (it’s called “cask strength” when it’s unwatered, and therefore the same strength it was when it exited the bourbon cask) remains a beautiful spirit.

Weller first bottled a bourbon at “barrel proof” in the 1940s, but it was only 107 proof. The first bottles to breach the 115 mark came from Booker Noe, at Jim Beam, and a less-remembered bourbon from Willet called Noah’s Mill. Those bourbons weren’t just about firepower. They gave drinkers a chance to taste the bourbons like their blenders had, straight out of the barrel; they added a new tool to the bartender’s cocktail kit; and they introduced a new route — albeit a difficult one for distillers and blenders to traverse — to flavors intensified by the higher alcohol content.

Science backs this up. Ethanol, the alcohol in spirits, is an immense flavor enhancer, but its effects on the taste of a drink are not always straightforward. For instance, scientific studies have found that an increase in ethanol content in a spirit tends to decrease the release of aromatic compounds — higher alcohol, less smells. To a point, a well-balanced high-proof bourbon can amplify certain flavors, like caramel, Minnick says. When distillers control the beast, “you get those special bourbons, where the concentration of the flavor notes are much more powerful.”

It’s a fine line to walk for distillers, let alone buyers. The final lesson? Don’t buy high-proof bourbon for high proof’s sake, but prospect carefully and you’ll unlock liquid pleasures beyond the vale. Here are some high-proof bourbons that walk the line beautifully.

Booker’s 2018 04 “Kitchen Table”

The OG: Booker Noe was a visionary in the high-proof world, one of the first to bottle bourbon at cask strength, unwatered. (Booker’s also claims that he coined the term “small batch” when, really, he popularized it.) That bourbon was called “Booker’s True Barrel Bourbon.” Today, every bottle of Booker’s is bottled at barrel proof, and they pack a serious punch — usually, upward of 125 proof.
Proof: 128 (barrel proof)
Age: 6 years, 8 months, 7 days
Tasting Notes: honey, rye, molasses, spice

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve

Juicy Bomb: Also the doing of Booker Noe, Knob Creek comes from the Beam Suntory distillery. It’s aged nine years, just like every other Knob Creek bourbon, which drinkers will find reflected in its classic vanilla and caramel notes. The extra ethanol seems to amplify the sultry caramel flavor without overwhelming the juicy, light citrus that comes from the rye.
Proof: 120
Age: 9 years
Tasting Notes: vanilla and caramel, with a touch of citrus

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

Award Winner: Heaven Hill’s ubiquitously distributed gem has won serious awards. Elijah Craig small batch variety has been lauded by Whiskey Advocate, Whiskey Magazine and The Whiskey Bible, while the Barrel Proof version was Whiskey Advocate’s 2017 Whisky of the Year. It’s an incredibly dark bourbon, representative of a serious interaction between bourbon and barrel.
Proof: 131 (barrel proof)
Age: 12 years
Tasting Notes: caramel, butterscotch, spice

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

The People’s Champion: Even the widely accessible bourbons on this list cost upward of $80. Wild Turkey’s version goes for around 50 bucks. It’s been around since 1991, a blend of 6-, 8-, and 12-year-old bourbons. Its spiciness follows with Wild Turkey 101s.
Proof: 118 (barrel proof)
Age: 6 – 12 years
Tasting Notes: spice, rye, pepper, oak

George T Stagg

Dream Bottle: Much like Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. — more on him in a moment — George T. Stagg was not known as a great distiller or blender, but rather a salesman. He’d be happy to see a bourbon with his name on it that goes for upward of $800, if it can be found. But inflated as its price may be, this is truly a dream bottle for collectors, fawned over by experts worldwide: winner of Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible World Whiskey of the year from 2004 to 2006, and second in 2012, it was awarded three golds and three double gold medals by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition from 2006 to 2012.
Proof: 124.9 (barrel proof)
Age: 15 years
Tasting Notes: rye, coffee, fudge, dates, dark berries

Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof

Gentle Giant: Colonel Taylor was a benefactor of sorts for the bourbon industry in the 19th century — first as a banker and then as a modernizer of distilling equipment at what today is Buffalo Trace. The standard E. H. Taylor, Jr. bottle and the small-batch version are both bottled-in-bond without an age statement, which means they are at least four years old; the Barrel Proof version also has no age statement. All three use the distillery’s ubiquitous “mash bill no. 1,” shared with a number of other bottles, including Buffalo Trace and Stagg Jr.; get your hands on all three and you can compare how different barrels and proofs make for drastically different bourbons.
Proof: 125 (barrel proof)
Age: NAS
Tasting Notes: vanilla, citrus, plum

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

Wheated Winner: There are few barrel-proof bourbons on the market that use wheat rather than rye. When Maker’s Mark Cask Strength was introduced in 2014, it gave wheated bourbon fans their first crack at a reasonably priced, widely available option. The home-run version for high-proof wheated bourbons is William Larue Weller, which is closer to 130 proof, wins loads of awards but it also costs an arm and a leg. Maker’s Mark is bottled at a much lower proof, which helps balance its sweetness, spice and alcohol heat.
Proof: 111.3 (varies)
Age: NAS
Tasting Notes: cherries, cinnamon, vanilla, dark fruit, molasses

6 New Pocket Knives You Should Know About

This week, Las Vegas isn’t only a hotbed for Blackjack, UFC and shotgun weddings; it’s the home of SHOT Show, the annual trade show for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry (SHOT stands for “Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade”). The show isn’t all guns and ammo though — it’s also a place where knifemakers reveal the blades that they’ll release over the coming year. Here are six of our favorites (so far).

Gerber Fastball

The Fastball is a somewhat tactical but mostly EDC folding knife. It’s made in the United States and uses S30V steel and an aircraft-grade aluminum handle that’s available in three colors. The Fastball is built on Gerber’s B.O.S.S. system, which uses stainless steel ball bearings to provide a super-smooth transition from closed to open, and back again. Its Wharncliffe blade is three inches long, and the knife weighs 2.7 ounces.

Benchmade 365 Outlast

The 365 Outlast is purpose-built for rescue and survival. The knife borders on multi-tool — it has two blades, one drop-point (3.59 inches long) and one that’s blunted and serrated (3.15 inches long), as well as a carbide tip glass breaker and a rescue hook. The knife uses Benchmade’s Option lock, which allows users to lock and unlock each blade separately from the other. The 365 Outlast will retail for $300.

Buck Knives Sprint Collection

For 2019, Buck Knives is releasing a new collection called Sprint. There are variations between the different blades in the collection — blade shape and handle materials specifically — but the unifying factor is an EDC-focused design that’s sleek and modern. Knives in the Sprint Collection will range from $60 to $150.

Zero Tolerance 0393GLCF

Zero Tolerance’s 0393 isn’t new — it was introduced last year — but the details on this new version are. The brand is calling the new look a “working finish,” which is similar in appearance to a stonewash but is more adept at concealing scratches and marks gained during use. Perhaps more notable is the handle’s glow-in-the-dark carbon fiber inlay. The 0393GLCF will cost $350

Kershaw Misdirect

Kershaw has long provided budget-friendly pocket knives that contain practical features, but the Misdirect might be its best looking yet. The knife has a 2.9-inch modified drop-tip blade that Kershaw is calling “reverse tanto,” and a stainless steel handle. Everything about the knife is minimal and good-looking, both of which make for a highly desirable blade for everyday tasks (especially when paired with a $35 price tag).

Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight

The Para 3 Lightweight is another well-known knife that’s receiving a useful upgrade. Instead of the G10 material used by its predecessor, this new iteration uses handle scales made of injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced-nylon and a linerless build, thereby reducing the knife’s overall weight by 30 percent. The drop-point blade is 2.92 inches long and is available with either a plain or serrated edge. This new Para 3 will cost $140.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The 10 Best Travel Mugs Money Can Buy

Travel mugs are one of those banal items that, because of sheer frequency of use, necessitate a little more consideration than the common purchase. One might be tempted to grab whatever mug one sees on sale without thinking too much about the fact that they’ll have to bring it along with them every day. It’s only on repeated use that flaws begin to stick out and you begin to say to yourself, ‘oh, it’s not actually insulated that well’, ‘the cap is leaky’ or simply ‘this looks bad’.

To save you time (and money) in your search for the best travel mugs, we’ve pulled together a list of what we think are the ten best. And it almost goes without saying that these all pair best with the coffee made by the twenty-five best coffee roasters.

RTIC Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Tumbler

RTIC makes top of the line coolers, so it’s no surprise that they also crush in the insulated beverage game. This deep green thermos also comes in 13 other colors. The double wall vacuum insulation keeps each sip hot, so he’ll be sure to think of you in a good light.

S’well Bottle Traveler

The sleek look of teakwood will fit in quite nicely in the office. Pick from a 12-, 16- or 20-ounce bottle that will keep a latte steaming for up to twelve hours thanks to stainless steel and triple-walled insulation. If the wood is too dark, check out the upscale marble, metallic or deep navy colors instead.

Contigo Autoseal Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug

This 16-ounce jet black travel mug will keep any beverage hot for up to five hours, and a cold brew good for 12 hours. The non-slip grip prevents drops, and the lifetime warranty is certainly something to consider.

Thermos 16-Ounce Travel Mug

There’s a reason coffee mugs have handles — the body of the cup gets just as hot as the boiling water you pour in it, so a handle is the best way to combat that. This Thermos is made of all stainless steel (both inside and out), so the handle is a necessity. The vacuum insulation will keep tea hot for up to four hours.

Yeti Rambler 14-Ounce Mug

If you are trying to cut back or limit how much coffee you are drinking, this 14-ounce mug is a great way to help keep on track. It’s practically a single serving (even though it’s several ounces over one cup), but as long as he leaves room for milk, it’s all fair game. Be sure to grab a lid with a Magslider ($10), so you can take it in the car.

Zojirushi SM-SD48AM Stainless Steel Mug

Offered in 12 colors, the Zojirushi is one of the best-rated travel mugs on the market. It also comes in a variety of sizes — pick from 12-, 16- or 20-ounces. It’ll maintain hot beverages for up to six hours, and by that time, you’ll likely on be on your third or fourth cup of joe. There’s a five-year warranty on the heat retention, so you’re essentially getting five years of hot coffee in one purchase.

Ello Campy Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug

If you loves to get outdoors, this backcountry-inspired travel mug looks just like the ceramic mugs that used to be everyone’s go-to for camping. The leak-proof lid keeps things hot and secure for up to five hours. We recommend you pair this with some easy-to-make camp coffee like Kuju’s single serving pourovers or Alpine Start’s instant coffee.

Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Travel Coffee Mug

Hydro Flask’s double-wall, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel water bottles are known to keep beverages cold or hot all day long, and the same goes for its coffee mugs. What we love about this one is that the wide mouth lid is extremely easy to clean. The variety of colors Hydro Flask offers is unparalleled, and the lifetime warranty is ideal to have. Pick from a 12-, 16- or 20-ounce bottle.

Klean Kanteen Insulated Cup

In a perfectly measured eight-ounce cup, this Klean Kanteen single serve mug comes with double-walled vacuum insulation to keep macchiatos hot for up to two hours. If you switch to cold brew in the summer, this will keep it cold for up to 10 hours. Shop now, while it’s on sale!

Aladdin Insulated Coffee Travel Mug

Keep it simple with Aladdin’s stainless steel insulated travel mug in a solid black color. The best part of this mug (aside from keeping your cortado hot) is that when you are done for the day, you can pop it in the dishwasher to clean. No hand-scrubbing with this one.

The 10 Best Indoor Plants for Every Kind of Person

Let’s talk about houseplants. Water them when the soil is bone dry. Don’t put them in front of air conditioners or heating units. Know how much sun each one wants. There, you’ve got almost everything you need to know.

The truth is this: most houseplants sold at shops or online are extremely easy to keep alive. That’s why those shops sell them — because you can’t kill them (without trying). The plants on our list do not run the spectrum of hard-to-keep to invincible, because the vast majority of plants sold are not horticultural puzzles. Our 10 best indoor plants make your home look and feel better, and do so without a whole lot of work from you.

ZZ Plant

For the Clueless Beginner: This is a plant is pretty close to being better off without your foolish hands touching it. Almost. Most notable for thriving in low light areas and with infrequent need for moisture, the ZZ plant is an aroid that evolved in much drier biomes than its cousin plants. This permits it to not give a damn about water for months on end, but you’re better off playing it safe and watering every couple weeks.

Water: Every 2 weeks
Brightness: Low, indirect

Calathea

For the Color-Starved: Though the green is what we’re all here for, it doesn’t hurt to throw in a contrast color or two. Calathea and their red-green leaves are that contrast. They come in medallion (like the one linked here) and rattlesnake varieties, they aren’t terribly picky about sunlight or water and they also happen to move around a lot.

Water: Weekly
Brightness: Medium, indirect

Snake Plant

For the Small Apartment: The mighty Snake, like the ZZ, is close to invincibility. It can grow in any and all light and brightness settings, requires infrequent watering and is generally a plant for the DGAF type of person. Another of its features often goes unmentioned — its spread. Its growth trajectory is upward, not outward, making it an ideal plant for lazy plant parents living in tiny apartments.

Water: Every 2 weeks
Brightness: Any

Umbrella Plant

To Sit Next to the Window: There are many different types of Umbrella plants, but the gist is this: given a healthy dose of sunlight, ample watering and room to grow, this small-ish plant will fill out and take up as much space as needed. A bonus of this quick growth is the ability to guide its growth with frequent pruning, as any segments you shear from the body will be replaced in short order elsewhere.

Water: When top inch of soil is dry
Brightness: Full, direct or indirect

Money Tree

For a Gift: This is a plant shop staple, and in being a plant shop staple we can know one thing: it is resilient as hell. While you should give your Money tree a home with decent sun exposure and you should water it when the soil dries out, it’ll still be there for you after you forget about it for a month (or more). It’s also among the fast-growing plant group, so be sure to put it in a spot that gives it room to fill out a bit.

Water: When soil is dry
Brightness: Medium, direct or indirect

Pothos Jade

For the Impatient: By both the Internet and plant shop owners, the tough-as-nails Pothos vine is among the most-recommended house plants you’ll encounter. It requires intermittent watering (but won’t sulk if neglected), fair to middling sun and grows fast. If allowed to, a Pothos vine will conquer corners and side tables in a couple months. If you enjoy the drama of a good climbing vine, this is the place to start.

Water: When soil is dry
Brightness: Low to medium, indirect

Peace Lily

If You Want Flowers: Full transparency: the huge white flowers of the Peace Lily are not technically flowers — they’re bracts (a modified leaf used to reproduce in the wild). However, they look like huge white flowers, and they bloom throughout the year (and a bit more frequently in the springtime). This coupled with the plant’s broad, deep green leaves and general toughness and you’ve got the ideal flowering plant for the plant newb. The plant is also great about telling you what it needs — if the leaves droop, water it; if its leaves begin to yellow, give it less sun.

Water: When leaves droop
Brightness: Medium, Indirect

Bunny Ears Cactus

If You Want a Cactus: Plant these cacti (which are also called Angel Wings) in a pot with drainage, water infrequently and cacti-specific potting mix and it’ll live as long as you do. As you might expect, infrequent watering and high, direct sunlight is preffered. Its spines don’t grow far from the pads, and it shouldn’t grow more than a couple feet tall in a home environment.

Water: Every 2 to 3 weeks
Brightness: High, direct

Monstera

For that Mid-Century Aesthetic: Monstera Deliciosa goes by many names, but the gist is this — it’s beautiful, it grows quickly and it changes shape. The leaves of the Monstera will grow some, begin to develop holes, then completely open up into a wide slated leaf. Unfettered and in a proper environment, they also grow incredibly fast, so be prepared to pare back new growth to save the plants around it.

Water: Weekly
Brightness: Medium, Indirect

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

Everything You Need to Meal Prep a Week’s Worth of Food

#MealPrep. #MealPrepSundays. #MealPrepping. These are all hashtags with millions of uses in the last month alone. What was once a niche chore for the frugal-minded has become a money-saving movement, complete with Instagram influencers, lifestyle bloggers and t-shirts made exclusively for meal preppers. That’s beacuse the simple task of pre-making lunch for the week ahead is a noble and purposeful use of two hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Luckily, you don’t need much to join the tribe. Here are eight things every meal prepper should have.

Silicone Muffin Pan

Behold, the muffin mold is your key to pre-making breakfast. From low-sugar bran muffins to miniature baked omelletes, the muffin mold is invaluable. This silicone one is perfect for popping out more delicate muffins that stick to metal trays.

Fridgely App

Becoming a meal prepper means knowing how to shop. You become something of a grocery hoarder, one completely unable to resist a good deal on boneless, skinless chicken breasts. That’s what the Fridgely app comes in. Scan your receipt and it logs what groceries you bought (and how much) into a list. From there, you can build recipes you make frequently and it automatically tells you what you’re missing. It even alerts you when your food is about to expire.

Moleskine Weekly Planner

The weekly planner is for folks who aren’t satisfied with the same recipes week after week. Scribble ideas for coming weeks, nutrition info and whatever motivational quotes needed to remain diligent.

Nordic Ware Aluminum Sheet Pans

What’s the least taxing way to cook a lot of food at once? Throw it on a sheet pan and into the oven. Nordic Ware’s aluminum sheet pans are heavier and twice as thick as your typical pans. This means they don’t warp and bend at the whims of your hot oven. They also have much higher walls, so oils and juices don’t spill over and burn into the base of your oven.

Escali Kitchen Scale

Second only to building a healthier budget, diet control is a huge plus of jumping on the meal-prep bandwagon. Whether you’re bulking or trying to drop a waist size, a kitchen scale is of paramount importance to portioning and a consistent diet. This one is accurate to 0.05 ounces.

Anchor Hocking Jars

One of the limits of making meals to eat days later is the inability to keep the sauce, dressing or gravy in the same container as the food (it’ll get very soggy), which is precisely why you need these tiny jars. Whatever sauce or salad dressing you would’ve soaked your lunch with can go in one of these, then shaken back to life when it’s time to eat. It’s also the perfect carrier for overnight oats, another meal prep favorite.

OXO Good Grips Smart Seal Food Storage

OXO’s glass food storage is pricier than your usual plastic stuff, but it’s worth a little extra if you’re bringing lunch to work every day. The four-point seal is a hell of a lot tighter than the flimsy stuff you’re used to, and the glass body won’t bend, brake or melt when warmed up in the microwave (or oven).

Material Kitchen Angled Cutting Board

A final but essential piece of gear: a cutting board that’s up for anything. This one features an angled edge to more easily swipe chopped veggies from board to pan. Flip it over and you’ve got a carving board with extra-deep grooves to catch juices from roasts and the like. It doesn’t hurt that it looks great in a kitchen.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The 25 Best Things to Buy from IKEA

Most people probably don’t want to think about how many hours they’re spent trying (and failing) to navigate the fluorescent maze that calls itself “IKEA.” The Swedish superstore is filled to the brim with amazingly affordable home decor, storage solutions and meatballs. To make the shopping experience less overwhelming for the everyday shopper, we combed through the retailer’s entire online inventory to curate some of its best products.

BILLY Bookcase

One of IKEA’s most popular pieces, the BILLY bookcase can be used for so much more than books — think shoe storage, tchotchke display, temporary TV stand. To boot, it promises one of the easiest assemblies in the entire catalog.

IKEA 365+ Carafe

This carafe owes its brilliance to the cork stopper. Use it to store leftover coffee or homemade juice, and tack a piece of paper to the top with the date on it. Hosting a party? Use thumbtacks and labels to identify the contents.

TRADLOS Honey Dipper & Tea Measure

If you’re in need of a hostess gift or a small token of appreciation, this $3 set makes a super classy present — especially wrapped up with some loose-leaf tea.

KLIPSK Bed Tray

Like breakfast in bed? Make it less messy with this simple tray — there’s a lip around the edge to catch any crumbs and spills, as well as a groove to prop up a book or tablet. The legs also fold up for easy storage.

KRISPIG cake carrier

We chose this cake carrier because of its clever, versatile design: one side of the base tray is smooth, ideal for cakes or pies, while the other has ridges, so you can arrange cupcakes, muffins, etc. It’s also quite tall, so don’t worry about adding another layer to that birthday cake.

RENS Sheepskin

Add instant style to any space with one of these sheepskin rugs. Drape one over a chair for a furry effect, or place one on either side of your bed during colder months.

TEKLA Dish Towel

Do you avoid laundry as much as the rest of us? Grab a few of these towels next time you visit your local IKEA. They’re amazingly inexpensive and they work great as napkins, too.

NORDLI Bed Frame with Storage

If you live in a small apartment, it’s hard to choose between comfort and storage, which is why this bed is a gamechanger. Whether you’re storing clothes, shoes, books or blankets, you’ll be pleased with how much the NORDLI holds.

NYSKOLJD Dish Drying Mat

This is perfect whether your dish rack is constantly overflowing, or if you need somewhere to air dry those bulky pots and pans.

ALLEHANDA Mixing Bowl

Everyone who loves to bake needs one of these bowls. The lid has an opening for a whisk, so your batter won’t splatter everywhere and a spout streamlines pouring. If you need to chill dough overnight or transport a fruit salad, just pop the lid back on.

RANARP Pendant Lamp

The classic, slightly old-fashioned design of this lamp makes it look a lot more expensive than forty bucks.

KANELSTANG Plant Stand

Rattan furniture is on-trend and this plant stand is a bargain. Your call on whether the plant you put on top is real or artificial.

STRANDMON Wing Chair

Over 200 5-star ratings on IKEA’s website sealed this chair’s spot on our list. Harkening back to IKEA’s original 1950s design, it comes in eight great colors and patterns, from understated gray to a vibrant palm print. The removable seat cover is machine-washable, meaning this chair will look brand new for years to come.

LOVBACKEN Side Table

Everyone and their mother will think this distinctive table is a one-in-a-million mid-century modern piece, not an easy-to-assemble find from IKEA. The black and brown combo ensures this table will work with any kind of furniture.

MULIG Clothes Rack

No closet, no problem. This sleek, simple clothing rack comes together quickly and looks great in bedrooms of all sizes.

TROLLBERGET Desk Chair

Not ready to commit to a standing desk? This sleek stool promises to help you “sit actively,” strengthen your spine and give you a healthy posture. Plus it comes with a 10-year warranty.

BRIMNES Wardrobe

This narrow wardrobe is perfect for small spaces beacuse it’s tall, not wide, and holds a lot. Use it in lieu of a coat closet or store everything that won’t fit in your bureau.

PLASTIS Dish Brush

Your hands will never smell spongey again thanks to this handy dish brush. The handle has a built-in suction cup, so you can prop it up by your sink when you’re done scrubbing dishes.

SYLT LINGON Lingonberry Preserves

It’s (almost) impossible to leave IKEA without picking up a jar of this stuff. It feels way more exotic than strawberry jam, even if you eat yours on toast instead of with traditional Swedish meatballs.

BLAVAND Doormat

Whether or not you live with a furry friend, this paw print-patterned doormat will keep mud and dirt outside.

BERNHARD Bar Stool

Reviewers praise the comfort and durability of these sleek bar stools. They’re clean, easy to assemble and, thanks to their minimalist design, look great in just about any setting.

SORTERA Recycling Bin

Stack two of these to separate paper and plastic — or use them to sort laundry, dog food or toys.

APPLARO Outdoor Loveseat

Make the most of your outdoor space with this loveseat, crafted from sustainably sourced acacia wood.

FICUS LYRATA Potted Plant

A fiddle-leaf fig plant for less than $20? That’s right. IKEA’s plant section is underrated and overlooked, but their greenery is as good as on par with the best of them.

LURVIG Pet Bed

Pamper your pet with a comfy new bed — the minimalistic design won’t take away from your decor. Plus, the cushion has a removable cover for easy cleanup.

The One Tool Trainers Always Pack in Their Suitcase

Traveling and staying in shape can be tricky, but with 2018 firmly in the rearview, it’s time to start planning for the year ahead. Vacation calendars reset as do budgets, so if you were waiting for an opportunity to get away, 2019 is it. While we’re all about getting out to the mountains or to the beach, we have to admit that sometimes the weather isn’t quite perfect, or we might’ve gone a little too hard on the hotel buffet breakfast and more intense workout is needed. Sometimes a hotel gym is just sad, leaving you with few options. We called in the experts to hear how they motivate themselves while traveling and to see what exactly they pack in their carry-ons.

Chris Heuisler

Heuisler is in charge of leading over 250 Run Concierge’s in Westin Hotels, which means he’s on the road a lot. “My job is to help guests stay fit and active on the road, so I know how important it is to keep up your routine while traveling,” Heuisler says. Westin has made huge leaps to make its hotels the most travel and exercise-friendly, resulting in partnerships with TRX, Peloton and New Balance. “As I travel frequently from property to property to train run concierges and run races, these are the things I make sure to always have handy to help me stay fit on the road.”

runWEstin Wristband

“This is one of my favorite parts of my runWESTIN garb and something I absolutely never travel without. It includes a small compartment to carry my hotel room key, which is perfect when I am running or at the gym.”

Garmin Forerunner 235

“This has been my go-to watch for three years now. And while I do often enjoy just running in a new city for the fun of it, I’m also keen on tracking my mileage as I do so.”

Dionne Eleby

After performing with Nickelodeon and Norwegian Cruise Lines, Eleby is no stranger to working out on the road. She’s currently a trainer at 305 Fitness.

Resistance Bands

It is lightweight, compact and can be thrown into your carry-on without adding any extra weight to it. It comes in various sizes and resistance levels and can be used for a total body workout. Take them outside with you while you to do exercises in the park, use them while you wait for that connecting flight in the airport, or grab a partner and use them together! They’re just that versatile. I don’t have a specific brand that I go to, but I have found the Perform better bands get the job done.

Joe Holder

Holder can be found jet-setting (for work, naturally) between New York and LA lending his expertise to everyone from fashion models to NFL players to top chefs to the everyman. He’s a zero excuses kind of guy, especially when traveling. “Working out is typically the easiest thing to do when you travel. Honestly, you just have to make time for it. People make it more complicated than it needs to be,” Holder says. “Just research the area before you travel, find some studios and if that isn’t the case, you have your body, feet, or some simple equipment or app to keep you moving. Your hotel will [likely] have a gym, as well, even if it’s small.” Beyond just fitness tools, Holder also travels with a variety of tinctures and proper nutrition. While it sounds like a lot, he has it down to a science.

Lacrosse Ball

“I travel with a lacrosse ball or some massage ball to keep my feet loose, but at the same time you can just use a foam roller in a similar way.”

Nike+ Training Club App

“Equipment is a bit overrated when it comes to travel. I just have running shoes, Nike+ Training Club App and a jump rope.”

Selena Samuela

The former amateur boxer and Shadowbox instructor joined the Peloton team back in May right around when the Peloton Tread classes began.

Punk Rope

“A super important part of your warm-up when training as a boxer is jumping rope. I have always loved to take a rope on the road with me, as it is an incredibly efficient way to get a quick sweat in if you’re limited with space and time. Jumping rope can improve your cardiovascular capacity, your foot speed, hand speed, your agility and coordination. It’s also a lot of fun, and once you get the hang of it, you can get really creative and find your own style and rhythm. It’s a hell of a workout!”

Gerren Liles

The Equinox master trainer and CEO of Vision Fitness travels often for work, and for pleasure, so he’s learned exactly what to pack to keep up with his routine.

Revere

Liles packs both the pre- and post-workout mixes. “These awesome all-natural supplements fuel and re-fuel me when I work out.”

CrossCore Suspension Trainer

“It’s basically a TRX on crack. The straps are on a pulley, which demands greater core engagement to maintain stability through various movements.”

Hyperwear Sandbell

“A compact tool that I can create multi-dimensional movement with load. It challenges my grip strength and allows for dynamic movement like slams and throws.”

Cody Rigsby

As a master cycling instructor at Peloton, Rigsby likely has a sweet home gym set up. The former pro dancer also uses meditation as a tool to find balance while traveling.

Super Sliders

“When I travel I use bodyweight movements to get a quick and effective workout. These sliders are meant for moving furniture but can elevate your core, chest and legs movements. They also fit in any bag including your carry-on.”

Ariel Foxie

A trainer at S10 and Nike, Foxie focuses on mobility and conditioning at the gym. He’s a former national Physique competitor, so working out is essentially in his bones.

Hyperice Hypervolt

“Aside from a decent pair of running/training shoes, you can find me with my Hyperice Hypervolt, a tool used for vibration/percussion therapy. The last thing I want when traveling is my body to be sore, achy and ‘tight.’ Spending a few minutes with the Hypervolt pre- and post-workout can make a world of difference.”

Krystal Salvent

The certified trainer and cycling instructor is definitely active when she travels, choosing to run Ragnar Relays and cycle 100-miles while she’s away from home. Same as Holder, she packs resistance bands and a lacrosse ball — “I use them for many different things. I like to start my workouts with dynamic exercises which help warm me up. Before running, squatting and push movements (i.e. push-ups) I do lateral band walks, banded squats, lateral side steps and clam shells.” Salvent also acknowledges that traveling with a foam roller can be tricky, which is why she grabs lacrosse balls for her glutes, calves and lats before using resistance bands.

REI Force of Nature Nalgene Water Bottle

“Nothing like staying hydrated before, during and after a flight. There’s no waste, it’s good for the planet and I can stay aware of my hydration level.” While this specific one is no longer available, you can never go wrong with a Nalgene.

Skratch Lab Hydration Mix

“This is everything. The only hydration powder that doesn’t make me feel ill, shakey, itchy and gives me a little kick while doing my workout. No need for pre-workouts, and mixes easily alone or with the collagen protein.”

Vital Protein Collagen Peptides

“Great source of clean protein that mixes well in just about anything.”

Rich Velazquez

Velazquez is the COO and and a coach at Mile High Run Club in New York City and tries to keep everything loose when he travels.

Trigger Point Grid Mini Foam Roller

“Training is hard enough on the body. Throw in long car rides, flights, or uncomfortable hotel beds and my body becomes a mess quite quickly. This is why I make sure to bring my mini foam roller, to release the fascia before I head out for my workout. The compact size of the foam roller makes it easy for local travel in a backpack or for longer trips in a suitcase. I never check luggage, so space is not always an option when choosing what to bring with me.”

Corinne Fitzgerald

As a former elite runner and triathlete, Fitzgerald knows the importance of recovery while traveling. The Mile High Run Club coach recommends a tool that can go in every suitcase.

TheraGun

“I’ve recently begun to take my Theragun with me when I travel. It makes quite a bit of noise when used, but does the job of a foam roller in less than half the time! It’s also not hard to throw in my bag, and has an extra battery!”

The Best Garage Equipment To Outfit Your Workspace

The garage is the sanctuary of the at-home mechanic and can be valuable space to a dedicated DIYer. The importance of having the right tools at the right time cannot be overstated, but what about the garage itself? Sure, the tools are the main protagonist, but there are a handful of bigger-picture items your garage needs.

Seal-Krete Garage Floor Epoxy-Seal

Above all else, laying down an epoxy-seal on the garage floor should take precedence. Not only will it help protect the concrete from wear and tear, but it makes cleaning up oil and other liquid spills exponentially easier.

GarageTrac Diamond, Durable Interlocking Modular Garage Flooring Tile

Interlocking floor tiles go one step further in protecting your garage floor and making cleanups easier. The added diamond pattern adds crucial grip – and classic styling – too.

Husky Industrial 15-Drawer Tool Chest

No garage is complete without a tool chest. A 15-drawer example from Husky will do nicely — it’s duarable, supports up to 120 lbs and has power strips and a bottle opener built in.

Big Ass Fans Garage Light

Lighting is crucial in any work space — it’s important you can see what you’re doing and see it well. 13000 Lumens from a Big Ass Fans Garage Light will absolutely do the job.

Triumph Auto Lift

An auto lift is aimed more at the at-home mechanics, but having one makes working on a car exponentially easier. Imagine a world in which you don’t have to literally slither your way under your car to tighten a bolt at some awkward angle. Sounds like garage heaven.

New Age Garage Storage

Having a tool chest is one thing, but proper storage and — specifically, wall cabinets – is is another necessity. New Age Garage Storage offers different sizes as well as modular units that keep all the extra clutter in your garage neat, organized and out of the way.

Avalon Refrigerator

Installing a fridge in your garage sounds like a luxury, but when you’re covered in oil, grease and sawdust, the last thing you want to do is track that mess through your house. Besides… beer.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

Serious About Whiskey? Here Are 9 Bottles You Should Be Drinking

I distinctly remember the first time I realized my own drinking cart needed its first upgrade in the quality department. I was a few years out of college, barely paying the bills, and I’d sipped the sweet, smoky nectar of Lagavulin enough times to develop an inclination for the good stuff. But Scotch was expensive and I’d be jumping from no bottle at all to a moderately pricey one. So I pulled the spoiled brat card and asked my parents to hook it up on Christmas. Frowning a little, they obliged.

How good it was! So good that a few weeks later, when my girlfriend threw me a birthday party at our apartment, I hid the bottle behind my writing desk where no one could find it. Except someone did find it — my own soused self. All that was left by morning was an empty bottle and memories of pouring great, big glugs into the plastic cups of friends, even if they still had beer in the bottom.

Here’s the problem with flippantly drinking the good stuff as an adult: it gets you nowhere as an enthusiast. Which — if you’re not ready to be one — is fine. But at a certain point, most whiskey drinkers make the leap beyond entry-level booze.

Unfortunately, that step up can feel like a financial cliff, especially when it comes to whiskey. Case in point: jumping from Jim Beam to, say, Pappy Van Winkle adds not just one but two extra zeros to the price tag. There is a middle ground, of course, but finding it can be a slippery enterprise. Clever marketers try very hard to get you to spend your hard-earned money on a bourbon or Scotch that’s not that much better than the well.

But if you’re ready to own up, get smart and buy something with a little history, a little weight. Here are a few ideas for your own upgrade, based on what you like drinking now. Choose wisely.

Longbranch Kentucky Straight Bourbon

For the Guy Who Drinks Jack Daniel’s: The stuff that’s good enough for rock stars is good enough for you, right? Of course it is. But stow the Jack for those rare beer-and-a-shot nights with friends. Longbranch takes the mellow, sipping-friendly flavors of Jack and adds a touch of complexity thanks to filtration using both oak and Texas mesquite charcoal, courtesy of Wild Turkey master distiller Eddie Russell (and Matthew McConaughey). All right, all right, all right.
Proof: 86
Price: $40

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey

For the Guy Who Drinks Jameson: Jameson is delicious but have you tried its rival? Powers is made in Dublin, and it shares many characteristics with its Cork-born pal. The Gold Label boasts a higher proof and its high potstill content adds a jolt to the classic honeyed flavors of Irish whiskey.
ABV: 86.4
Price: $38

Elijah Craig Small Batch

For the Guy Who Drinks Jim Beam: Beam is a classic, boasting all the flavors you get from barrel aging in fresh oak. Elijah Craig comes from a different distillery, Heaven Hill; its different iterations have been winning awards left and right, including its barrel-proof version, which won Whiskey Advocate’s Whiskey of the Year award in 2017. The Small Batch version gets you the unique flavors of a small batch, plus a much higher proof than Beam — for only a little more coin.
ABV: 94
Price: $30

Lot 40 Rye

For the Guy Who Drinks Crown Royal: The crown prince of Canadian whiskey has and perhaps always will be Crown Royal. Of course, Diageo bought the brand in 2001, and some might say its whiskey hasn’t been the same since. Lot 40 celebrates the most important ingredient in Canadian whiskies — rye. As a result, its mash bill is spicy and fruity in a way the Crown just can’t match.
ABV: 86
Price: $35

Forty Creek Barrel Select

For the Guy Who Drinks Canadian Club: Canadian Club got its claws in American drinkers during Prohibition and never left. Thank goodness it is cheap and tasty. This stuff is much younger (Forty Creek was founded in 1992) and it’s a blend of whiskies aged in ex-bourbon casks and new American white oak. The flavors are crisp, refreshing and just a little bit more dignified than the stuff Al Capone smuggled in.
ABV: 80
Price: $30

Henry McKenna 10 Year

For the Guy Who Drinks Wild Turkey: People who enjoy Wild Turkey — and its boisterous cousin, 101 — love it for its rich flavors. Henry McKenna is distilled by Heaven Hill and shares a mash bill with Elijah Craig. But its 10-year age statement translates to more interaction with its charred oak barrels — that means bigger, bolder flavors.
ABV: 100
Price: $40

Benchmark Bourbon

For the Guy Who Drinks Southern Comfort: SoCo is, well… SoCo. We’re not judging you for drinking a whiskey liqueur but just like with all bottom-shelf options, there’s room to upgrade. In this case, it’s the work on your end, rather than the price, that gets hiked. Benchmark Bourbon comes from Buffalo Trace with the same mash bill as their base stuff, but it costs less than a Jackson. Buy a bottle; infuse it with your favorite fruits for flavor; enjoy.
ABV: 80
Price: $16

Compass Box Great King Street Artist Blend

For the Guy Who Drinks Dewar’s: Single malt wasn’t always the king of Scotch. (No, we’re not comparing modern Dewar’s to Lagavulin.) But blended Scotch certainly brings a smooth drinkability to the category. Compass Box returns the bar to its heightened state for blends. Their King Street Artist Blend is creamy, with fruity and woody flavors. You can count on all the complexity that makes Scotch great.
ABV: 46
Price: $35

7 Trainers Share Their Home Gym Essentials

Personal trainers make their living working with clients at gyms, but many of them also train clients in their own homes, meaning they have to think on their feet — depending on the tools and machines available. A talented certified trainer can take one look at the gear you have on hand and craft a unique workout that’ll push you to your max. Whether a trainer walks into a full-on basement kitted out with the best gear possible, or just a cleared out corner of your apartment, the key is making do with what you have — creating a challenging workout with what’s available.

To help you get your home gym ready for any trainer (not to mention help you prep for summer), we talked with eight experts to hear about what you need in a home gym. We asked how each of them works out, what tools they always keep on hand and what a perfect home gym looks like. Here are the gear items you need to stock your gym and work your body to the max.

Lindsey Clayton

Barry’s Bootcamp Trainer

Clayton teaches coaches at Barry’s Bootcamp — the intense weights and treadmill workout that has a cult-like following. She also coaches Brave Body Project classes and still finds time to exercise on her own while training for the New York City Marathon. “For me, a home workout needs to be something that I can do with virtually no equipment (hello tiny NYC apartment), and it needs to be fun, quick and have an element of stretch/restorative movement to it as well,” Clayton says. Here are her top five picks.

Woodway Treadmill

“This is hands down the best treadmill on the market. The slatted belt reduces impact and provides more cushion when you land. It feels like you’re running on a cloud. I’m a runner, so on days when the weather isn’t cooperating, it’s perfect to hop on and log your miles that way.”

TRX Trainer

“The TRX trainer and suspension system is the perfect addition to any home gym. TRX uses gravity as your resistance, so you can get an amazing full-body workout and make it as easy or as hard as you want. Because you’re working against gravity on all of the exercises, you’ll automatically get in extra credit work. It’s easy to set up — all you need is a door for the anchor.”

Power Systems Gliding Discs

“[Gliders are] another one of my favorite tools that weigh nothing and takes up virtually no space. They are a great way to mimic moves you’d see on a Megaformer,” Clayton says.

B-Force Bands

“I love resistance bands, especially for glute activation before my run, but they are so versatile you can essentially do an entire workout with just one band.” Check out some exercises using resistance bands here.

Rep Fitness Heavy Weight

“If you don’t want to take up a lot of space, but still want to lift heavy, get one weight or heavy kettlebell that you can use for a unilateral work. Unilateral exercises have been shown to increase muscle mass and solve strength weaknesses between the right and left side of the body,” Clayton says.

George Foreman III

Owner of Everybody Fights

In 2013 George Foreman III opened up The Club in Boston to help share his methodologies. Foreman III finished his boxing career with a perfect record of 16-0 back in 2012, and continues to train to this day. Foreman III’s gym EverybodyFights has expanded since then to include five locations across New York and Boston, with a sixth studio in Philadelphia in the works.

“The key to a great workout at home is to have the ability and space. Treat it like a gym: buy a great mat, maybe set up a rubber floor. A big part of the being consistent and enjoying a workout is the atmosphere,” Foreman III says.

Aquabag

True to his roots, Foreman III recommends a punching bag — and a double-ended bag. “A double ended bag is filled with air, has bands on top and bottom, and helps you work on precision. The more you learn how to box, you can throw fast, powerful and precise punches, and the double-ended bag will give you a great workout without hurting your hands,” he says.

For beginners, Foreman III recommends the Aquabag. “The beauty of an Aquabag is that for a person who doesn’t know how to box, it’s hard to hurt your hand because it bounces back off the bag,” he says.

Concept 2 Rower

“I would not have a gym without one. Especially as a boxer, most of boxing is pushing out and you have to do the recall, pulling the punches to balance it out.”

Sonos

“For music, I stream a playlist on Spotify through my Sonos,” Foreman III says.

Bianca Vesco

Personal trainer and coach at NYSC Lab

Bianca Vesco teaches some of the toughest classes at New York Sports Club Labs. For her perfect home workout routine, Vesco has a winning combination: “a cardio burst, balance and stability training, and strength training,” she says. “I usually have clients do strength and stability together and cardio on its own. There are a million ways to train the human body, and there’s no right or wrong here. You will find a routine that your body responds to through trial and error, so continue to mix it up.”

NordicTrack Treadmill

“A treadmill is necessary for cardio purposes,” Vesco says. “Especially if you live somewhere with a cold winter and can’t run inside, there are no excuses when you have cardio equipment inside.”

Bosu Ball

“This piece is an absolute must. When I take on a new client, I make sure they have a Bosu as part of their home gym. It is one of the most beneficial, versatile pieces of equipment and doesn’t take up much space. Balance and stability work should be part of everyone’s routine. It doesn’t matter how strong you are if you can’t stabilize your movements at the same time,” Vesco says.

Dumbbells

“Having free weights is a no-brainer when it comes to strength training. Not everyone has the room or money to put an entire cable system or barbell rack in their home gym, but there are a few options. Most people I train have a few sets of weights — usually 7, 12.5 and 15 or 20-pounds — however, Bowflex makes an incredible adjustable set that I love.”

David Reavy

Founder of React Physical Therapy

If you’re lucky enough to have a session with David Reavy, he’ll evaluate you from head to toe and tell you what’s working and what’s not. He’s the founder of React Physical Therapy in Chicago and has worked with athletes like Jerome Randle, Mike Magee, Alshon Jeffrey and Paul Davis, among others.

Lululemon Yoga Mat

“[A yoga mat is] great for body weight movements. I enjoy doing exercises barefoot whenever I can to make sure my foot muscles are working,” Reavy says.

Indoor Cycling Bike

“When my time is limited, I can hop on this bike for a quick ride. I typically do 45 minutes for cardio,” Reavy says. “You don’t need much of a warm up since it’s not as high impact as running.”

Lacrosse Ball

“Ideal for self-releases, it’s easier to get at hard-to-hit areas such as hip flexors,” Reavy says.

Mat Forzaglia

Creator of In Time Bootcamp at NEOU

NEOU is the latest streaming workout app (that’s available now through January 1 at no cost) and Mat Forzaglia is one of its lead trainers. A former coach at Fhitting Room, and now coach at CrossFit Fifth Ave, he’s a motivating trainer for the app. He’s the creator of In Time, a HIIT class that streams on the app and is available to play anytime throughout the day as well. To check out NEOU simply download the app, sign up and scroll through classes to find one you’d like to try out. Class times range from 15 to 60 minutes with plenty of variety.

MB Slingshot Hip Circle

“Hip Circle is a must in a home gym or even just my backpack because I use it to activate my hips (i.e. glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors). When sitting for periods of time or getting ready to work out, doing some lateral walks or monster walks will wake your hips right up!” Forzaglia says.

RPM Jump Rope

“Always have a jump rope on hand! I like the RPM jump rope because it is a speed rope. It’s lightweight and thin, allowing me to jump rope faster for a great cardio/endurance workout. Any jump rope will do, but for me, RPM is the way to go.” Forzaglia says.

Rogue Ohio Power Barbell

“A barbell is extremely universal, no matter what exercise you are performing. With a creative mind, the barbell is actually the only piece of equipment you need! I specifically like this barbell a lot because it has very little whip or bend in the bar making it great for building strength no mater what movements you are performing. Also, it will last a long time!” Forzaglia says.

Charlee Atkins

Le Sweat Founder and Master SoulCycle Instructor

Charlee Atkins has been with SoulCylce since 2011 and loves everything about movement and mobility. She’s a certified strength and conditioning coach who also runs Le Sweat, wihch focuses on stretching classes as well as full-body classes. She also plans retreats centered around fitness. Here are a few of her at-home gym picks.

Yoga Blocks

“Every at-home gyms needs a recovery section. Yoga blocks double as props used in yoga/stretching routines, but also add the option of adding elevation or imbalance to your workout – creating the ability to manipulate the intensity of your workouts.”

Pull-Up Assistance Band

“These resistance bands are a step-up from the traditional exercise band. By adding the door anchor (must have!) you can do pull exercises (targeting your back muscles) and these also double as a mobility/recovery tool. The real gem is the door anchor!”

Julian Chua

Master Trainer at CruBox

Crubox has quickly become the go-to boxing gym in West Hollywood. When you walk into a class, you can expect a mix of heavy bag work, HIIT, shadowboxing and core work all with the lights off paired to music. Chua is one of two master instructors at the gym. In addition to the below items, he also recommends dumbbells, a TRX system and a cable machine — “it takes up most of the room in my home gym, but with all the attachments it is the most versatile piece of equipment in my gym.”

Stability Ball

“Workouts with a stability ball are important for a good fundamental base in fitness. If your stability muscles are weak, you’re much more prone to injury.”

Heavy Bag

“The heavy bag is the perfect form of cardio — it can provide both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. It will build total body strength and explosiveness to put the icing on the cake for your fitness. Grab a pair of gloves and a heavy bag — there’s no better way to release your stress than smashing a heavy bag.”

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

When Does a Tiny Tool Stop Being Useful?

Remember when the modus operandi of every tech company was to make everything smaller? Apple’s recent killing off of its endling iPhone SE marked the end of that era, but while pocket space is increasingly taken up by phones, other items, including multi-tools, are shrinking. Phones are bigger so that we can do more with them — so what happens when functional implements shrink? When does a tool become so pocketable that it no longer has any real use?

To answer that question, we surveyed five highly-regarded keychain multi-tools, function by function, to see what works and what doesn’t.

CRKT Pryma

CRKT worked with renowned knife designer Jesper Voxnaes to create the Pryma, the biggest on our list of tiny tools at 3.2 inches. It weighs just under an ounce and has a black stone washed finish.

Pry Bar: After lots of effort, the pry bar at the end of the Pryma did finally help me get into a paint can, but not as easily as the rest of the tools here. It might work better if it was thinner, or if the angles that form its pry end came together to create a finer, narrower edge.

Bottle Opener: A bottle opener is, essentially, a lever with a hook at one end. The Pryma’s longer end is on the wrong side of the fulcrum of this lever, which makes it difficult to open bottles. That said, it did get the job done.

Glass Breaker: I didn’t test this function.

Multi Wrench: The Pryma’s hex wrench has four sizes, and while they aren’t gauged perfectly the do work very well.

Verdict: The Pryma is the biggest of the keychain tools on this list (too big, in my opinion) but that doesn’t mean it offers the most functions. Many of them don’t work that well either, but could with a bit more fine-tuning.

The James Brand Halifax

Less like a multi-tool and more like an engineered bottle opener, the Halifax focuses on high quality materials (titanium), elegant design and just a few functions.

Screw Drivers: The driver on the Halifax proved to be too wide for many of the screws that we came across, but when it did fit, it worked well and didn’t strip the screw.

Bottle Opener: The Halifax provided the easiest and smoothest opening of all the tools on this list.

Pry Bar: The Halifax is just long enough to hold comfortably in one hand to allow for plenty of leverage when prying and scraping.

Verdict: The Halifax has the least amount of stated functions of the tools on this list, and it’s not the smallest either, but it might be the most thoughtfully designed, and it’s the best looking. (It’s also the most expensive.)

Gerber Shard

The Shard looks unassuming, but Gerber packed seven functions into a tool that’s 2.75 inches long and weighs just 0.6 ounces.

Pry Bar: This pry bar worked the best out of all of the tiny tools we looked at, likely thanks to its (relatively) sizeable two-pronged surface area and the angle that it’s set at.

Small and Large Flathead Drivers: Both of the Shard’s flathead drivers work well and are aided by the ergonomic (yet strange) shape of the shard.

Wire Stripper Puller: I wasn’t able to test this function.

Bottle Opener: Provided a smooth opening but you have to align the tip perfectly in one of the bottle cap’s knurls.

Lanyard Hole: I don’t think that a lanyard hole is a function, but yes, the Shard has one, and it’s large enough for various gauges of cord.

Cross Driver: Works well and didn’t seem to strip the screws I turned.

Verdict: Not only does the Shard count the most tools, but those tools also worked as good as or better than the others here. The downside? The Shard’s design includes four pointed ends that make reaching blindly into your pocket for it a potentially hazardous undertaking.

Leatherman 4

Leatherman makes a range of tiny solid-state tools. They’re all fairly similar, but this one offers versatility and includes a dual-sided bit driver that’s stores conveniently with a rubber mount. It’s 2.5 inches long and weighs 0.6 ounces.

Scraper: Yeah, this works. (It also functions as a pry tool, too.)

Bottle Opener: Like the Pryma, the Leatherman 4 could use a bit more leverage for a smoother opening. It worked, but not easily.

Box Opener: Sure, it works on both paper and plastic packing tape, but not with finesse, and not as well as a knife.

Bit Driver: Both the flathead and Phillips head ends of the tiny driver worked well, perhaps better than any of the others here. The one snagging point I have is that the bit is separate from the solid body of the tool and slipped out of its mount occasionally during use.

Verdict: Moving toward the smaller end of the spectrum, sacrifices in utility (and most notably, leverage) begin to dampen. All of the Leatherman 4’s tools work, but not easily (except for the bit drivers).

Malboro & Kane Claw

At 0.7 inches in length and weighing 0.07 ounces, the recently-released Claw is the smallest multi-function tool we’ve ever seen.

Bottle Opener: It worked, but only after figuring out (from watching videos of the Claw) that you have to loop your index finger back through the key ring to get the right leverage over the tool. Armed with that knowledge, I was able to pop the bottle open, abruptly, and not without creating some spray in the process.

Screw Driver: The Claw was too small to get enough leverage on any of the screws I encountered.

Flint: I didn’t have any flint handy to test this function.

Paint Can Opener/Pry Bar: The Claw handled a paint can surprisingly well — as good or better than any other tool on this list.

Box Opener: It works, but not efficiently due to its size. I’d opt for another tool if one’s around or if there are multiple packages to get into.

Verdict: Given that the Claw is about the same size as a Pez candy, it’s surprising that it can perform any of its claimed functions. It did most of them, but not skillfully. Maybe that’s okay though, since its nearly unnoticeable on a keychain.

Final Verdict: When in a pinch, it’s better to have something rather than nothing, and often the best means of ensuring that’s the case is by attaching a tool to something that’s always carried, like a set of keys. In testing these tools, I learned that portability comes at the cost of function, particularly when too many features are packaged into too small of a shape, or when size is overly minimized.

None of these tools will replace a full-sized multi-tool or a well-equipped toolbox. For most situations that call for drivers, scrapers or priers, I have access to these items, whether in my home or my car. For that reason, I’ll continue to carry a bottle opener on my keys and a knife in my pocket — with these two items I’m set to take on the simple tasks.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

5 Accessories to Get More Out of Your Cast-Iron Skillet

The cast-iron skillet may be the only cookware item with its own fan clubs and communities. Through its temperamental heating, hands-on cleaning and occasionally frustrating seasoning process, it prevails as a piece of kitchen gear that inspires loyalty. That’s partly because cast-iron cookware can endure centuries of abuse. These five cast-iron skillet accessories aren’t groundbreaking, but they make cooking in a cast-iron skillet better.

Pot Holders

Despite what pan makers might or might not say, there is no cast-iron skillet handle that doesn’t become scorching hot during use. These silicone holders from Lodge slip on to the handle of your pan and protect your hands from heat up to 450 degrees.

Non-Metal Tongs

In the name of not chinking your cast-iron skillet’s armor (seasoning), please don’t use metal tongs or other kitchen utensils when cooking in it. Oxo’s silicone-tipped tongs are great alternatives to metal-tipped tongs. It’s worth looking into a silicone spatula as well — we recommend Brooklyn-based Get it Right’s version.

Pan Dividers

Felt pan dividers are great at preventing scratches and dings for all the pots and pans you stack in your kitchen, but they’re especially good for stacking cast-iron skillets. It’s easy to scuff the seasoning on a skillet, especially if its relatively new seasoning. This leads to an uneven seasoning layer and an overall bad time.

Chain Mail Scrubber

Where brushes, rags and salt fail, there’s the chain mail scrubber. Its rounded edges remove hardened and dried food from the pan without tearing up your hard won seasoning. It’s also machine-washable if you get it extra dirty.

The Blue Book

The Blue Book isn’t its formal title, but The Book of Griswold & Wagner (as well as a host of other storied labels) is the defactor starting point for any would-be cast iron collector. Its pages are stuffed with photos (more than 1,000 of them) of old cast iron along with the historical context of said pieces. Basically, it’s half catalog, half history book.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The 10 Best Synthetic Down Jackets of 2019

Last Updated January, 2019: We’ve updated our guide of the best synthetic down jackets with the 10 best picks for Winter 2019. Prices and links have also been updated. You can view last year’s best synthetic down jackets on page two.

Editor’s Choice: Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody

Patagonia released the Micro Puff last year, and it’s maintaining its spot as our pick for the best synthetic down jacket of the year. The jacket beats out the others across multiple levels — it’s the lightest jacket on this list but still maintains plenty of warmth, and does so without sacrificing the features that make for a great everyday jacket too, like zippered hand pockets and interior organization with two mesh sleeves.

The only potential downside to the Micro Puff is price, but it still isn’t the most expensive jacket that we’ve come across and the benefits that it provides meet that additional value in our eyes. The key to the jacket’s success is PlumaFill, proprietary insulation that Patagonia has developed that sets a high benchmark for other companies seeking to create warmer and lighter materials. There may be other jackets better suited for specific use cases and needs — they’re likely on this list — but the Micro Puff is the most versatile synthetic down jacket we’ve encountered, and for that, it’s our Editor’s Pick.

Weight: 9.3 ounces
Fill Material: 65-g PlumaFill, 100% polyester
Shell Material: Nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Introduction

Synthetic down has traditionally been regarded as a cheaper, less effective alternative to the real thing, but thanks to advances in technology, synthetics have come into their own, rivaling goose down in many areas and even surpassing it in durability and water resistance. Technologies like Polartec’s Alpha fiber, developed for military use, or Columbia’s proprietary TurboDown, a mix of synthetic materials and goose down, are finding their way into a wider range of products. The result of all this innovation is that consumers in 2018 have access to synthetic jackets that are warmer, better ventilated, lighter and more durable than ever. The fake stuff is here to stay, and that’s a good thing.

Additional contribution by AJ Powell.

What to Know Before You Buy a Synthetic Down Jacket

Down vs. Synthetic

A great insulating piece, be it a jacket or a sleeping bag, is warm, lightweight and packable. Both down and synthetic-filled products offer these qualities, but each has its pros and cons.

Down is found in layers underneath the rougher exterior feathers of ducks and geese — it’s what keeps them warm while floating around all winter, so, naturally, it will keep us warm too. Despite that, moisture is the undoing of down, causing it to clump up and lose its heat-retaining qualities. It also should be noted that while large-scale efforts have been made by big brands such as Patagonia and The North Face, not all down is ethically sourced, and animal cruelty does happen.

Synthetic insulation is man’s attempt to copy down with polyester fibers arranged in different sizes that cluster and trap heat much like real feathers. The artificial version gets the job done and maintains packability and a low weight — plus it’s hypoallergenic. The polyester fibers that make up synthetic products have a higher weight-to-warmth ratio, so they tend to be a bit bulkier. Synthetic does have the benefit of being much more water resistant though; it doesn’t clump when wet like down and it dries much quicker.

As far as labeling is concerned, natural down will always be labeled “down.” You may encounter a fancy first prefix, which usually refers to proprietary waterproofing treatments applied to down, such as Q.Shield by Mountain Hardwear. It should be noted that while the industry is getting better at making down resistant to moisture, no feathers are truly waterproof. Synthetic insulation will also carry proprietary names such as PrimaLoft.

Not sure which to choose? Down is great for cold and dry environments but tends to be more expensive. Take synthetic if there’s a chance it’ll get wet, or if you’re just looking for a break on the price.

Active Insulation

Until Patagonia released its Nano Air Jacket in 2014, active insulation flew below the radar (the concept was first introduced by Polartec in late 2012). Now there are enough companies making apparel that’s both warm and breathable that active insulation can officially be considered as its own category.

Technically, active insulation is a type of synthetic insulation, (a water-resistant alternative to down), but because of some fundamental differences that make it unique, active should be considered on its own. The technology draws its name from its intended use — active insulation garments are insulating pieces that are meant to be worn during activity (unlike, for example, a down jacket one might throw on after activity, once the body starts to cool down).

Every active piece has one feature in common: they’re incredibly breathable. How this is achieved depends on the insulation used in the jacket, and every company uses a different version. Some are proprietary, like Patagonia’s FullRange insulation, and some, such as Polartec’s Alpha insulation, which was originally developed for the US Special Forces, are sourced by a range of companies.

As with other types of synthetic insulation, active insulation is highly water-resistant and compressible. In comparison to regular synthetic insulation, active is the most breathable form of synthetic insulation available today thanks to a construction that prevents the migration of fibers within the piece while allowing for extra stretch and superior moisture management. Many active pieces are designed with an exterior shell that’s also more breathable but is often softer and less water-repellent than what’s found in other synthetic apparel.

All active insulation, no matter the brand, is designed to prevent lots of layer swaps so that it can be worn throughout the entirety of an activity like hiking, climbing or skiing.

The 10 Best Synthetic Jackets of 2018

Best Do-It-All Jacket: Arc’teryx Atom LT

The Atom LT is made with breathable Coreloft insulation, which functions better than down when placed under a shell. Combined with a hydrophobic finish, it does a lot to keep the wearer from getting damp from either weather or exertion. Polartec stretch side panels keep the LT flexible. It’s lighter, snugger fitting, and less bulky than other jackets on this list, which makes the LT an ideal middle layer.

In design and function, the LT is about as simple as it gets, but that’s a good thing. It’s a no-frills insulating layer that’s there when you need it and doesn’t look half bad if when you move from outdoor adventure to local watering hole. The side panels breathe exceedingly well thanks to the aforementioned Polartec stretch panels. I’ve used this jacket for everything from travel, to rock climbing, to snowboarding, to hiking and it still looks the exact same as the day I bought it. — AJ Powell

Weight: 13.4 oz
Fill Material: 60g Coreloft
Shell Material: 20D Tyono, Polartec Power Stretch with Hardface Technology (88% polyester, 12% elastane)
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Best No-Frills Jacket: Rab Xenon X

UK-based Rab Equipment is a mountaineering brand to its core, but that doesn’t mean its innovative technical outerwear can’t be leveraged for use closer to sea level. The Xenon X is the brand’s premier synthetic insulated jacket and it’s dead simple. It’s an insulated jacket with a water resistant shell and that’s it. But it’s also one of the warmest jackets we tested thanks to a hefty serving of Primaloft Gold. The fit can be a bit boxy if wearing on its own, but if you tend to layer over a fleece or other bulky base and midlayers, go true to size.

Weight: 14oz
Fill Material: PrimaLoft Gold
Shell Material: Pertex Quantum
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Best Ultralight Jacket: Patagonia Micro Puff

The Micro Puff the lightest jacket Patagonia has ever made. On the outside, it looks just like any other synthetic insulation jacket, with just a little extra sheen. The outer shell is constructed from a super lightweight, water-repellent ripstop nylon called Pertex Quantum. Instead of using horizontal baffles, as it does with many of its down jackets, or the quilted design exemplified in its Nano Puff, Patagonia applied a unique stitching pattern to create a mostly-continuous maze of channels that prevent the insulation from bunching. The real innovation is on the inside: Patagonia developed a new type of insulation called PlumaFill that’s made up of down-mimicking polyester fibers that are secured together in one continuous, fluffy line.

The result is a jacket super lightweight jacket that doesn’t quite feel like an “ultralight” jacket — it still has two zippered hand pockets and two interior mesh pouch pockets. Jackets that spare no detail when cutting back on weight don’t have these useful everyday features. The Micro Puff is slightly pricier than Patagonia’s other synthetic puffies, but if you’re looking jacket that’s exceptionally lightweight and warm at the same time, this is a great option.

For a more detailed description of the Micro Puff Hoody, read our in depth review.

Weight: 9.3oz
Fill Material: 65-g PlumaFill, 100% polyester
Shell Material: 10-D nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Best Heavy Jacket: Bight Swelter

Bight Gear, formerly known as MtnLogic, takes a group approach to designing and building outdoor gear. That team consists of the 60-plus guides who work at Rainier Mountaineering Inc., the guide service that’s affiliated with the company. Many of these guides spend more than half the year on mountains, and their collective knowledge and preferences are reflected in each piece that Bight produces.

As a product of that process, the Swelter Jacket is designed as a super-warm insulating piece that can be used as a mid-layer during outings that involve lots of exposure to the elements or as an outer layer in more mild conditions. The guides’ input contributed to many of the features that make the jacket great (even when you’re not attached to a rope on a glacier). One such feature is a slightly longer length that prevents cold spots between upper and lower layers, as well as the inclusion of stretch panels on the cuffs that let you throw the jacket in quickly without taking gloves off. The jacket is filled with Polartec Power Fill, which is made up of 80 percent post-consumer recycled materials and makes this jacket one of the warmest on this list.

Weight: 18.7oz
Fill Material: Polartec Power Fill
Shell Material: 20d ripstop nylon
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Most Innovative Jacket: Blackyak Yakutian

In technical outdoor apparel, no company thinks beyond conventional designs quite like Blackyak, and the Yakutian is no exception. Instead of building a jacket with insulation dispersed evenly throughout, Blackyak made the Yakutian with a combination of insulation and stretch panels that don’t have any. These are positioned in areas where the body doesn’t tend to need as much warmth when moving around — like the forearms, shoulders and back. Additionally, the back panel includes laser-cut perforations to help shed heat during a big climb or while wearing a backpack.

Like many of Blackyak’s jackets, the Yakutian is close-fitting and has an almost V-shaped, tapered cut to it. It also has the company’s trademark exterior mesh sleeve pockets, which are unconventional but make convenient receptacles for storing things on the go without unzipping. There’s also an interior chest pocket, which the Yakutian can pack down into for storage and packing. The insulation inside is Polartec Alpha, a type of active insulation that was first created for US Special Forces.

Weight: 18.6oz
Fill Material: Polartec Alpha
Shell Material: front: 88% nylon, 12 % polyurethane; back: 66% nylon, 25% polyester, 9% polyurethane
Waterproofing: n/a

Best Waterproof Insulated Jacket: Patagonia Micro Puff Storm

Patagonia released the Micro Puff jacket last year, and it’s maintained its position as our top pick due to its balance of lightness, warmth and versatility. Much of that is thanks to the PlumaFill insulation inside of it, so it’s no surprise that Patagonia would expand that material into new styles. That’s precisely how the Micro Puff Storm came to be — Patagonia combined PlumaFill with its proprietary waterproof H2No two-layer shell.

The new construction doubles the weight of the Micro Puff Storm compared to the original (it’s 18.7) and makes it slightly less breathable, but for that, you get a real waterproof shell instead of a simple DWR finish and a lot more warmth. Patagonia envisioned the jacket as a belay coat, meant to provide warmth and weather protection when climbers have to remain stationary in the mountains, but the benefits of the jacket expand far beyond those situations. You can wear it skiing, hiking or as an everyday coat. It has two exterior hand pockets with mesh interiors that can act as vents during activity and interior drop-in sleeves.

Weight: 18.7oz
Fill Material: 65-g PlumaFill, 100% polyester
Shell Material: H2No Performance Standard shell: 2-layer1.7-oz 12-denier 100% nylon ripstop with a waterproof/breathable barrier
Waterproofing: waterproof shell, DWR finish

Best Pullover Jacket: The North Face Summit L3 Ventrix ½ Zip Hoodie

Active insulation had been around for years before The North Face created its first jacket to use it. The Ventrix came out in fall 2017 and immediately garnered acclaim (including ours — the original Ventrix jacket made this list). Like other types of active insulation, Ventrix is a breathable polyester insulation, but unlike those other fills, it’s outfitted with laser-cut perforations that open and close with motion. When you’re idle, the perforations remain closed, thereby trapping heat. When you’re active, the perforations stretch open to release heat.

The North Face expanded the collection of apparel that uses Ventrix into jackets for various uses such as running and climbing as well as this half-zip pullover. The Summit L3 Hoodie has all of the benefits of active insulation in a highly versatile pullover design that can be used as a warm mid-layer or as a protective outer layer with wind- and water-resistance. We’ve worn it as both, hiking, ski touring and wandering around town, and have found that it performs as promised. (It’s also very comfortable.)

Weight: 13.6oz
Fill Material: 60-g Ventrix, 100% polyester stretch synthetic insulation
Shell Material: upper body and top of sleeves: 94% nylon, 6% elastane; lower body, hood and underside of sleeves: 100% ripstop nylon
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Best Lightweight Active Jacket: Houdini Wisp

When I first came across Houdini as a brand, I was immediately smitten by its minimal aesthetic and Scandinavian design principles. Its quality is on par with some of the best brands in the world. The Wisp is a prime example. It’s lightweight, breathable and features no obvious branding on the jacket. Even the color of the jacket is subtle, and can easily blend into anyone’s existing wardrobe.

It’s insulated with Polartec Alpha insulation (in a direct application, which features no liner and looks something like sherpa fleece on the inside), and is perfect for summit bids, fast and light winter pursuits and those who tend to overheat in insulated jackets. The exterior is a C9 ripstop material that’s lightweight and features a DWR coating that, if you happen to get caught in a wet winter snow and/or rainstorm, will keep you dry. — AJ Powell, Assistant Editor

Weight: 11.4oz
Fill Material: Polartec Alpha
Shell Material: C9 ripstop
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Best Budget Jacket: L.L.Bean Packaway Jacket

In the synthetic jacket category, L.L.Bean’s Packaway is cheap, but that doesn’t mean it’s low quality. The jacket is filled with PrimaLoft Gold insulation — the same stuff found inside Patagonia’s ever-popular Nano Puff Jacket — that’s enhanced with Cross Core technology, which was initially developed for NASA and uses aerogels to increase warmth without doing the same to weight. It’s water- and wind-resistant, with a recycled polyester shell and two hand warmer pockets as well as exterior and interior chest pockets. All this makes for a jacket that’s just as warm, packable and fully-featured as many others that are so often called best, but for half the price.

Weight: n/a
Fill Material: 60-gram PrimaLoft Gold with Cross Core technology
Shell Material: 100% recycled polyester
Waterproofing: DWR finish

Best Insulated Shirt Jacket: Hill City Thermal Light Shirt Jacket

When Gap Inc. launched its new men’s brand Hill City, everyone (including us) was quick to boil it down to a male version of the company’s women’s athleisure brand, Athleta. It is that in many ways, but in testing out a sampling of the collection in New York’s Adirondack Park, we discovered that it’s also highly-considered and in many cases highly technical. One of our favorite pieces is the Thermal Light Shirt Jacket.

Unlike the rest of the jackets on this list, Hill City went with more of a style angle here. The shirt jacket closes with snap buttons and has a collar that lies flat and away from the chin. But in every other regard, the Thermal Light is built like a synthetic jacket: it has a stretchy water-repellent exterior made of nylon and spandex and is filled with warm PrimaLoft Gold Active+ insulation. It’s lightweight and scrunches up into a backpack at the end of the day. It’s not what you’d wear to the top of a mountain, but that’s precisely why we like it.

Weight: n/a
Fill Material: PrimaLoft Gold Active+
Shell Material: 87% nylon, 13% spandex
Waterproofing: DWR finish

How To Wash Your Synthetic Down Jacket

Most people take their synthetic down jacket for granted, expecting it to perform the same, year after year without any maintenance. Over time though, your jacket becomes compacted and dirty, which inhibits its loft and makes the jacket less warm. To clean your jacket, revitalize its warmth and get it ready for all your adventures, follow our simple guide.

Put your jacket into a washing machine without an agitator. It is easiest to do this at a laundromat, but if your home washer is of the large, front-loading variety, feel free to toss it in there. If you use a washing machine with an agitator, you run the risk of tearing open your jacket — so avoid agitators at all costs.

Wash with Nikwax Tech Wash. Though there are other good tech washes out there (namely Granger’s), we recommend using Nikwax’s Tech Wash. Add the Tech Wash directly into the washing machine, using about three ounces. Follow the directions on the care label of your jacket for specific temperature and cycle settings.

Switch your jacket to the dryer and add tennis balls. Move your jacket over to the dryer, but before you turn it on, add in a package of new tennis balls. As the drier spins, the tennis balls will bounce around inside the drum, breaking up any clumps of insulation and helping dry the jacket completely. This also helps to restore the loft in the synthetic fibers. As for dryer settings, low heat for a long period of time is the name of the game.

Pause the dryer and manually break up any clumps. Every twenty minutes or so, pause the dryer and manually work out larger clumps of insulation. While the tennis balls work well to help break up clumps, you’ll need to put some extra effort in to break them up completely.

Tumble dry until the jacket is completely dry. Dry the jacket until it is dry the entire way through. While moist synthetic insulation still functions well, it’s prone to mold, which will lead to a stinky jacket.

The Gear You Need
Nikwax Tech Wash $10
Tennis Balls $10

Here are 25 of the Best Boutique Watch Companies You Should Know About

James Stacey, in an excellent essay published on Hodinkee in August of 2018, laid out a conundrum in the watchmaking world: watch fans want to buy “microbrand” watches, yet brands hate the moniker.

“[Microbrand] operates as a blanket term for small watch brands that operate online, which lumps quality producers in with scam artists and get-rich-quick schemes,” Stacey wrote, while at the same time, insisting that it was a useful term (legitimate enough to be found on Wikipedia) that could be applied to quality brands.

So what is a “microbrand”? We can likely agree on several parameters: It’s a brand that is independently owned, often run by a single person or a team of a few people; that produces watches in small batches, at a rate of several hundred to several thousand a year; that often outsources at least one significant part of its watches to be made elsewhere, whether in Asia or Switzerland; and that “cuts out the middleman” by selling its watches online, straight to consumers (though some will also sell in retail locations).

This definition does not exclude the ugly parts of the term: Kickstarter frauds and trend-chasers who know nothing about watchmaking can and do check those boxes, without supplying any quality to the mix. But in furtherance of Stacey’s idea—that there are quality microbrands out there, that deserve our attention as buyers and watch lovers, it’s time for a guide to the reputable microbrands, which operate worldwide and produce a vast scale of watches in different styles and price points.

Farer

This British company unveiled its first few pieces in 2015, all of them powered by Swiss quartz movements and made notable by ‘60s-era designs touched by a tropical color palette. They made the jump to mechanical movements in 2016 with a line of three watches powered by the ETA 2824-2. (We particularly enjoyed the Beagle.) In the days since, they’ve added a GMT, hand-wound dress watches, an automatic chronograph, and a dive watch with a “super compressor” case and internal rotating bezel — diversifying their portfolio in all the right ways.

Based In: Great Britain
GP’s Favorite Watches: Aqua Compressor Leven (~$1,385), Beagle Three-handed Automatic (~$1,107)

Autodromo

When we asked Autodromo’s founder, Bradley Price, if he was interested in being interviewed for a story on American watches a few years back, he politely declined. He didn’t consider himself an American watchmaker, per se, he said. In fact, Price doesn’t really cop to being a watchmaker at all. He’s a watch designer, centering his creations around a love of vintage automobiles. Many have been inspired to attempt making a watch that harks back to an old car’s gauges; the consistency with which Price has delivered sharp, novel designs to that effect has floored a loyal fanbase and, more recently, Ford, who this year tapped Price to make their high-end, customizable GT Owners Watch.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Ford GT Owner’s Watch ($11,500), Group B Series 2 Automatic ($975)

anOrdain

There are a number of production techniques you’ll hear often around the “microbrand” world: straps made from locally-sourced leather; hands designed in-house. One technique you will not hear about often is the grand feu enamelling of a dial. This is because the process is a very difficult and highly inefficient one, involving layers of glass applied to a metal substrate in a very hot oven. The six-person team at Scottish brand anOrdain (named after a local loch) builds an entire watch around this process. Their Model 1 is a three-handed automatic in a 38mm case, but nobody who looks at the watch will care much about that: they’ll be transfixed by its vibrant dial, whether in post office red, iron cream, translucent blue, pink, or Hebridean blue.

Based In: Scotland
GP’s Favorite Watches: Model 1 in Post Office Red (~1,326)

Baltic

Baltic’s silver bullet to conquer the heritage and homage boom? Simplicity. The French company uses Asian manufacturing and movements to keep costs below $1,000. Yet their watches capture the essence of vintage timepieces, boiling design elements into a retro concentrate of sorts. Take for instance their newest pre-order, the Aquascaphe — a tool watch that recalls several different dive watches from the 1960s. Fans of vintage dive watches who can’t afford a four- or five-digit watch can get Baltic’s for less than $600 on preorder.

Based In: France
GP’s Favorite Watches: Aquascaphe (~$550) ; Bi-Compax (from ~$614)

Monta

Where other American watch brands have failed, Monta, a maker of bombproof, higher-end steel sports watches, is flourishing. Before creating the brand, its founder, Michael DiMartini, began Everest Straps, which became a darling among Rolex fans (traditionally a tough crowd) for their line of active straps made specifically for Rolex sports models. Monta’s watches feature large, visible dial markings and numerals and are powered by Swiss movements. And, after pushback on their pricing, they’ve adjusted their Oceanking and dropped its price from the original $3,500 to less than $2,000. It’s the highest form of tool watch yet from a microbrand.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Oceanking ($1,925); Skyquest ($1,925)

Unimatic

Made in Italy using Seiko movements, Unimatic’s watches are a minimalist, affordable response to the vintage timepiece trends. Its founders Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziatom are industrial designers who’ve been been making (and selling out) watches in Italy since 2015. One of their latest creations, the U1-E, adds more markings and lines to both bezels and dials; the U1-EM brings to mind the simplistic design bones of the great dive watches that came before, eschewing, for instance, bezel markers in favor of bare, matte black aluminum. Don’t ignore their in-house cases, which are anti-magnetic and water-resistant to 300 meters, or their made-to-order options, which include engraved cases.

Based In: Italy
GP’s Favorite Watches: U1-EM (~$596), U1-E

Orion

Nick Harris got his start modding Seikos in his childhood bedroom. Now, after completing two years at Seattle’s Watch Technology Institute, he’s able to work full-time on his microbrand, Orion. That brand has already produced one watch, the Orion 1, that got Harris’s business off the ground. That watch, a 38mm looker with dress watch bones and a touch of field watch style, sold out quickly. His next batch, the Calamity Diver, was inspired by an entirely different design directive: make a thin dive watch. This meant Harris moving away from the Asian movements he’s known so well to a Swiss-made ETA 2892; the new watches also received ceramic bezel inserts and contoured case backs for better fit. It also means Harris moved in the market from lower-end, Seiko-level prices to upwards of $1,000 — a testament to the quality of the new wave of American watchmaking.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Calamity Diver ($1,495)

Zelos

A huge number of microbrands (and much larger luxury brands) make their watch parts in Asia. And yet, few brands smaller than Seiko, Orient and Seagull had broken through in the microbrand scene until Zelos launched three consecutively successful watches on Kickstarter, starting in 2014. Its founder, Elshan Tang, is a former mechanical engineer. His fascination with watch movements and unique design translates to dive watches with movements ranging from Seiko to ETA and cases made using nontraditional case material like bronze, carbon fiber, and Damascus steel.The Abyss 2 and Helmsman 2 are deep watch forum favorites, but they’re both sold out, or near to it.

Based In: Singapore
GP’s Favorite Watches: Abyss 2 (sold out), Helmsman 2 ($649)

Gorilla Watches

Octavio Garcia, an American born in Chicago, is most famous for his design work at Omega and Audemars Piguet. Lukas Gopp is an Austrian who worked for IWC, Ralph Lauren watches, and AP. That they both left osome of the most prestigious watchmakers in the world to design automotive-inspired, modernist watches that cost $1,000 rather than $100,000 should make microbrand fans’ hearts swell. Their watches aren’t for everyone — when their first watch, the Original, was released, Jack Forster over at Hodinkee wondered aloud whether it was an exercise in campiness or not. Their portfolio has only increased since the release of that watch back in 2016, and they continue to offer bombastic (and perhaps, campy) modernist watches at much lower prices than that of the high-end Swiss competition.

Based In: Switzerland
GP’s Favorite Watches: The Original, Mirage ($1,150)

Dan Henry

There is a concern among those who trouble themselves with such things that microbrands are engaged in a “race to the bottom” in pricing. Many brands on this list prove that’s not the case, but Dan Henry is not one of them. Take the Dan Henry for what it is: Henry, a prolific collector of vintage watches, decided to create a full line of watches inspired by every decade between 1930 and 1970, all of them priced less than $300. That price is bare-bones for finishing QC. But it’s also putting a mechanical watch in your pocket, and many of Henry’s designs are extremely well executed.

Based In: Brazil
GP’s Favorite Watches: 1970 Automatic Diver ($270)

Halios

Halios is a microbrand OG. Since its launch in 2009, it’s focused on making sleek dive watches inspired by 1960s design, with Swiss movements and high-quality finishing for less than $1,000. Its adherence to these tenets has won it both admiration and a consistent state of being sold out (keep close tabs on Halios ahead of their next product launch if you want to land one). Its release in 2018 of the Seaforth GMT, a $900 beauty of a watch with an ETA GMT movement, proves its rabid fans right — and is proof that microbrands have staying power.

Based In: Canada
GP’s Favorite Watches: Seaforth GMT (Sold Out)

Oak & Oscar

Oak & Oscar’s founder, Chase Fancher, has said he wants his watches to be talked about forty years from now. He’s made it a tenth of the way so far. Since 2015, he’s released four watches, each to critical acclaim: The Burnham, debuting the “sandwich dial” style; The Sandford, a GMT with a rotating inner bezel; The Jackson, a chronograph; and now, The Humboldt, a field watch with a 12-hour bezel. The latter is the first watch the brand will make in continuous fashion, rather than in limited-edition batches.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: The Humboldt ($1,450+)

Brew

Jonathan Ferrer got his start in watch design at Movado, during an internship during his junior year at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He founded Brew Watches in 2015. His designs, inspired by industrial espresso machines, helped him raise $40,000 on Kickstarter, and in 2017 he shipped about 200 watches, made from Japanese and Chinese parts assembled in Switzerland. In 2018, he released Brew’s new Retrograph line, his best yet. The rectangular watch has a classic American design bent, with markers to time your espresso pull by. It’s powered by a Seiko meca-quartz movement, and Ferrer assembles it himself, in Brooklyn. The result is a lot more than you’d expect out of a watch inspired by coffee.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Retrograph ($350)

Martenero

Martenero’s been bringing art deco flair to microbrand watchmaking since 2014. The brand’s initial approach included a customizable angle on dressy watches — swap a black seconds hand for an orange one, say, and decide whether that should be set against a navy or white dial. In recent years, that approach has been nixed in favor of providing a number of set colorways and combinations. It still works. And the brand has matured especially with its last two watches, the Edgemere Reserve, an update on the unique nautical look of their original Edgemere, and the Kerrison, which sharpens the aesthetics of the brands earlier, more reserved dress watches.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Edgemere Reserve ($530), Kerrison ($595)

Mercer

The Princeton, New Jersey, brand has made eight watches and is slightly more forward in its capital-P Philosophy than other small brands: “Some big name watch companies produce watches in the same factories we do, yet charge much more,” the brand writes. Mercer’s pricing walks the walk: using lesser-known mechanical movements, like the Seagull ST1901 chronograph and STP 1-11 automatic, as well as Ronda quartz, it keeps watches at or under $600 (or $250 for the quartz).

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Durham ($629), Lexington Chronograph ($529)

Raven

Its watches have been borne, since 2008, out of a self-admitted obsession with Rolex divers. And Raven does the homage watch well: those early models captured the cool style of vintage Submariners, with Miyota movements and without the Rolex price tag. Their current line has kept the cool, but shied away from the Rolex worship. Each chunky diver does its own thing — the Trekker at a smaller 40mm, the Venture at 42mm with pops of color, the Titanium Deep as a bezel-y monster, the Endeavor a 44mm classic and powered by the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2 automatic. Each is under $1,000.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Endeavor ($750), Trekker ($850)

Eone

Eone vaulted to headlines as big as The New York Times in 2015 for its instantly iconic watch that allows users to tell time by touch, the Bradley. Eone’s founder, Hyungsoo Kim, had the idea for the watch when a blind classmate at MIT felt uncomfortable using his talking watch during class. His design uses two magnetic balls to track hours and minutes, one rotating around the dial, the other around the edge of the case. But the buzz about the Bradley was about more than just the clever design. After speaking to blind focus groups, Kim realized the blind wearers were just as worried about the watch’s appearance as a sighted wearer. The compromise between utility and visual appeal led to the final product, a slick, modernist watch that was nominated for the London Design Museum’s annual award. The company now offers more than 20 versions of the watch, with different textures and looks.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Bradley ($285+)

MKII

The name says it all. Bill Yao works alone on homage-style watches that re-imagine classics with updated materials and an obsessive focus on quality control — a “Mark II,” or a second try at the original. Yao harbors few illusions: his watches are pure homages of the greats, like the Blancpain 50 Fathoms, IWC and JLC Mk.11 or the US special operations-utilized Benrus Type I and II watchesd, with similar dimensions and stylings. He adds more affordable movements from ETA and Japanese makers, and, despite his intense (and often laborious) handiwork, the price of the original not-so-magically sinks into the realm that an ordinary guy can afford.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Hawkinge ($595+), Paradive G3 ($895)

Weiss

What does a fully American-made watch look like? Weiss has done more to edge us toward the answer to that question than any other new brand in the past ten years. Their 42mm American Issue Field watch has a case, dial and sapphire crystal made in the US,and its Cal 1003 movement is mostly manufactured in the US, too. Their new 38mm Field Issue opened their classic design to those with smaller wrists, and they just released a very limited edition “Gauge Series” with a cool new, Land Rover-inspired look.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: 38mm Standard Issue Field ($950)

Vortic

Why concentrate on the troubles of modern American watchmaking when you can re-use its beautiful past? It’s not so simple, of course. Vortic, based out of Colorado, custom-designed its cases and a proprietary system to hold the antique pocket watch movements, dials, and hands that are placed inside of them. Their latest line, the Railroad Edition, uses only refurbished “railroad grade” watches made by American companies like Elgin, Waltham, and Illinois.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Railroad Edition ($2,000+)

Coggiola

Nestled in the heart of Italy is a watchmaking company who specializes only in refurbishing and repurposing traditional watches from…England. Sebastian Salvado, an American living in Rome, first began fiddling with English pocket watches from the 19th century in 2005. In 2015 he founded Coggiola Watch Roma, where he makes by hand and with traditional tools, and without the assistance of CNC machines or computers, every part of his watches except for the movements. Many of the finished pieces have no traditional dials, instead showing off the bones of the English movements inside.

Based In: Italy
GP’s Favorite Watches: Gowland Brothers No. 819 (Contact for pricing)

Scurfa

It’s a common refrain among divers who are also watch aficionados: We want to wear our watches in the water! Paul Scurfield, a saturation diver, started Scurfa with that goal in mind—and at least in origin story, says that his watches are made for people whose Rolex divers “exploded” in value, making them a little too precious to use in practice. His dive watches are a value proposition “tool watch” to the T: every piece, from its screw-down crown to its serious Super LumiNova, is aimed at making an affordable dive watch that can survive 500 meters in the deep.

Based In: United Kingdom
GP’s Favorite Watches: Bell Diver 1 S/S Auto (~$414)

Magrette

Founded in 2007 by Dion Wynyard McAsey, Magrette has spent more than a decade building watches aligned with sailing and diving. The large, cushion-shaped watches have a touch of Panerai about them. And, though the company has strong ties to McAsey’s New Zealand roots, its watches have global reach: the straps are made in Canada, the graphic design is based in Taiwan, the dials are from Germany, and the movements are from Japan and Switzerland.

Based In: New Zealand
GP’s Favorite Watches: Moana Picific Diver II ($660)

Nodus

This LA-based brand has made waves since it was founded in 2017. Its Retrospect, a dive watch with sunburst dial, had watch nerds swooning, and promptly sold out. (It’ll return in 2019, according to their site.) Recently, we thoroughly enjoyed wearing the brand’s new Contrail 39, a solid dive-rated tool watch with an interestingly textured dial. The brand’s trick, thus far, is solid design with fan favorites like sunburst dials, paired with affordable Miyota movements and a solid price point.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Contrail 39 ($575)

Pelton

After a stint creating ribbon microphones for the pro audio industry, Deni Mesanovic founded Pelton Watches to bring his horological ideas to life. Crafting handmade dials and machining his own cases, Mesanovic has released several models since his company’s inception in 2016, chief amongst which (to our minds) is the Sector and the Sector LE. These models exhibit Mesanovic’s first completely in-house dial, which requires numerous finishing techniques and 6 hours of work to complete. While his watches are amongst the pricier of the micorbrand movement, the effort that goes into a Pelton watch (and especially the dial) more than justifies its price point.

Based In: USA
GP’s Favorite Watches: Sector LE ($1,749)

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