All posts in “Cornerstone Buying Guide”

The 4 Best Bookshelf Speakers of 2020

The guide to the best bookshelf loudspeakers of 2020 covers everything you need to know before you buy your next pair of audio equipment. We tested a whole host of speakers to find which ones will make the best addition to your home stereo system.

The Best Bookshelf Loudspeakers of 2020

Bookshelf Speakers 101

1. Q Acoustics Concept 300

Q Acoustics is a relatively new loudspeaker brand on this continent but it’s one that you should pay attention to. Having already made a significant dent in the U.K. and Europe against some rather stiff competition from rivals like KEF, B&W and Wharfedale with its affordable but over-achieving 3000-Series, Q Acoustics is now pushing hard into the high-end with the Concept 300 stand-mounted full-range bookshelf loudspeaker.

Best Overall Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Price: $4,499/pair
From: amazon.com

What We Like: The Concept 300 deliver unrivaled levels of coherency, clarity and presence in a stand-mounted design that can compete with significantly more expensive loudspeakers – not that $4,999 isn’t rather expensive for a two-way bookshelf design. Low-end performance is surprisingly deep and taut making them adept with all kinds of music and they will never be the weak link in your system. The slightly scary-looking Tensegrity tripod stand utilizes cutting edge acoustic isolation and plays a significant role in the sound of the Concept 300 – image solidity and soundstage depth are first-rate. Paired with the right amplifier, these are end-game loudspeakers that also look the part.
What We Don’t Like: The Concept 300 need a really good amplifier to really shine. Not the last word in dynamic punch. Stand design might make you nervous even though they work amazingly well.

2. PSB Alpha P5

PSB have been manufacturing award-winning loudspeakers for over 40 years. Audio industry legend Paul Barton plays a significant role at Lenbrook (NAD, PSB, Bluesound) designing not only the PSB and Bluesound loudspeakers, but also the NAD headphones. Rather than pursue building cost-no-object loudspeakers which Barton could do with his access to significant R&D resources, he has focused on the entry-level and products like the Alpha P5 that are remarkable loudspeakers.

Best Budget Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Price: $400/pair
From: amazon.com

What We Like: The Alpha P5 have a lot of competition below $600 but they manage to win the day with an impressive level of transparency, detail and dynamic punch that works with almost every recording you try. The midrange is superb and the bass response from such a small two-way pair of loudspeakers is resoundingly taut and agile even with electronica and hip-hop and driven with entry-level integrated amplifiers. Also the build quality is very high for the price. You can drive these with 35-50 watts and wipe the floor with any wireless loudspeaker for many years to come.

What We Don’t Like: The Alpha P5 sound a lot better with superior amplifiers and that will force you to stretch your budget. The top end can sound slightly etched as compared to the midrange and low end which are far more balanced. The Alpha P5 start to lose their remarkably coherency when you push them too hard – not ideal for blasting Iron Maiden or Tool at really loud listening levels.

3. Wharfedale EVO4.2

Wharfedale is one of the oldest loudspeaker manufacturers in the world and one of the best at designing affordable high-end loudspeakers that can really reproduce a full-range sound that won’t crush your bank account. The EVO Series is a rather radical departure from the acclaimed Diamond range. They not only look more refined but also sound dramatically more polished and dynamic. They’re built overseas to keep the price down, and you’ll be grateful when you open your wallet.

Best Affordable Full-Range Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Price: $1,000 / pair
From: amazon.com

What We Like: The EVO4.2 sound positively like floor-standing loudspeakers when positioned on solid stands and they don’t require a subwoofer either. Midrange is clean sounding with a warm tonal balance that makes them ideal for a lot of solid-state and tube amplifiers. These are not very hard loudspeakers to drive and they can play very loudly without losing any sense of control or focus. Plus, they’re built like tanks and a remarkable value for the money. AMT ribbon tweeter has remarkable extension and a highly detailed presentation that will illuminate better sounding recordings.

What We Don’t Like: The EVO4.2 require heavy-duty stands – prepare to spend $300-500 for a pair that will do these loudspeakers justice. The slightly laid-back presentation might make some listeners think they are not ideal for rock, metal, electronica – and they would be 100 percent wrong if they don’t give them a chance. Beware: these are capable of taking you down the audiophile rabbit hole where you’ll spend years trying every amplifier you can to see what else they can do.

4. Dynaudio Focus 20 XD

This Danish loudspeaker giant has decades of experience designing and building some of the world’s best midrange/woofers and tweeters, and a real understanding of what 21st-century music listeners expect in an active/wireless system. The Focus 20 XD incorporate a very powerful 150-watt amplifier inside each speaker and support for high-resolution digital audio streaming. Like everything they do, the Dynaudio Focus 20 XD are built to the highest standards and benefit from some 40 years of driver research that give them a serious sonic advantage.

Best Active/Wireless Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Price: $6,000
From: crutchfield.com

What We Like: Some may not immediately like their laid-back presentation, but it works better than most for long-term listening at moderate-to-loud volume levels. Dynaudio builds world-class tweeters and the result is a very smooth, airy and detailed top end that makes even horrible recordings easy to digest. The Focus 20 XD can completely vanish in your listening space on good stands reproducing a deep and relatively wide soundstage. Bass response is articulate. The internal amplifier maintains a really strong grip on the woofer but this loudspeaker is not going to shake your room. If you prize midrange refinement and tonal accuracy over a front-row presentation, the Focus 20 XD will be for you. The ability to tweak the loudspeaker to match your room with the rear controls and app is a huge plus.

What We Don’t Like: Being tied to an ecosystem isn’t going to be for everyone. The laid-back presentation will not excite you right away but the Focus 20 XD will grow on you the more you listen and discover little nuances in each recording. These are not bass crunching loudspeakers for those who need that level of low end punch. Require expensive stands to really strut their stuff.

Why Bookshelf Speakers?

Smart speakers have taken a considerable slice of the loudspeaker market over the past twenty-four months, with Amazon and Google both announcing superior-sounding versions of their Echo and Google Home smart speakers, Apple releasing its first-ever smart speaker, and traditional speaker companies, like Bose and Sonos, also getting in on the action. With their ease of setup, their ability to control your smart home gadgets and answer questions, as well as wireless play with other smart speakers, it’s no wonder that smart speakers have traditional loudspeaker manufacturers running scared.

But there will always be a market for bookshelf speakers. Why? Because stereo sound is special. Music that was recorded in stereo, needs to be listened to in that format unless we are content with listening to single loudspeakers again that attempt to simulate stereo or even surround sound with multiple drivers packed into an enclosure the size of a coffee can. Stereo bookshelf loudspeakers do a rather convincing job recreating the soundstage; the physical space (studio, garage, music hall) where the recording was made and that illusion of being there with your favorite artist is a big part of the experience. They also reproduce the scale of the recording in a far more convincing way; crank Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” through an Apple HomePod and you will discover just how poorly smart speakers reproduce the dynamics of a challenging track.

Active Versus Passive

Wireless smart speakers are also limited by the amplification that the manufacturer has stuffed inside; space limitations almost dictate the use of Class D or switching amplifiers that are more efficient than traditional linear amplifiers, which require large heatsinks to dissipate heat. Class D amplifiers have improved greatly in recent years in regard to sound quality and require less space, are cheaper, and weigh less.

If you really care about sound quality, you have plenty of passive (which require amplification) and active loudspeaker (with built-in amplification) options to select from. Passive loudspeakers are more flexible as you can experiment with different types of amplifiers, DACs, and placement options. Active loudspeakers are a better option for listeners who don’t want the added expense of multiple components, and an equipment rack filled with cables. The trade-off with any active loudspeaker is that you are committed to how the final product sounds. There is no way to try another amplifier or DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) to alter the sound. Active loudspeakers also require at least one of the loudspeakers to be plugged into the wall; limiting how you set the speaker up in your space. One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of affordable passive or active bookshelf loudspeakers for all types of spaces.

Analog or Wireless

It’s also worth considering wireless bookshelf speakers if you want the option to stream audio straight from your laptop, tablet or computer. A lot of newer models have either built-in wi-fi, Bluetooth or both. In addition to being really easy to use, this added connectivity gives wireless bookshelf speakers a few distinct advantages over bookshelf loudspeakers. They don’t require a direct connection to both an amplifier and source, like traditional analog speakers. They have fewer restrictions as to set-up locations or built-in amplification. And they most likely support the streaming services that you already pay for.

In the past, the major Achilles’ heel for wireless loudspeakers was sound quality, but that has taken a major leap forward in recent years, with products like the KEF LS50 Wireless and Devialet Phantoms. Wireless loudspeakers now feature high-performance internal amplification, phono pre-amplifiers, DACs, and support for major streaming platforms such as Spotify Connect, Airplay 2, Tidal, Pandora, and others. The one thing to always remember with all wireless loudspeakers is that they still require a power source — they’ll take up a wall outlet — and some wireless models require a tether from the master loudspeaker to the slave as the amplification is only built into one speaker.

The 14 Best Bottles of Rums You Can Buy in 2020

The definitive guide to the best rum of 2020 explores everything you need to know to get into the rum game, from crucial terms to key label identifiers and a curated list of the best bottles for every boozy situation at every price point.




With rum-focused bars opening at an increasing speed and top-shelf bottles popping up on liquor store shelves across the country, rum has come a long way since the days of pirate-laden jugs and soap-scented vacation crushers. But despite a recent status boost, it’s hard out here for a would-be rum guy. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to get into the rum game, from crucial terms to key label identifiers and a curated list of the best bottles for every boozy situation at every price point.

The Short List

Best Value Rum: Plantation Barbados 5 Years

Average Price: $23
Proof: 80
Distiller: Plantation Rum/Maison Ferrand
Country of Origin: Barbados

It’s not the cheapest on the shelf, but this crowdpleaser from Cognac powerhouse Maison Ferrand is worth every penny. The pot and column still blend sits in spent bourbon barrels for three to four years before jetting across the pond for a one to two year stay in French oak at its lauded parent company’s Château de Bonbonnet. The result is mahogany-hued layers of toasted coconut, orange peel and vanilla, finished with a hit of cinnamon-dusted marzipan.

Best Cocktail Rum: Don Pancho Origenes Reserva 8 Year

Average Price: $35
Proof: 80
Distiller: Don Pancho Origenes
Country of Origin: Panama

A quality cocktail rum should always aim to strike a happy medium—dark but not too sweet, light but not too dry, bold but mutable, interesting enough to stand on its own but mellow enough to cushion an onslaught of sugar and acid. This Panamanian head-turner, aged for a minimum of eight years in used Kentucky bourbon casks, hits all the marks by delivering a steady stream of supple brown butter, vanilla, roasted chestnut, and spiced wet tobacco.

Best Sipping Rum: Foursquare Rum 2007 Single Blended 12 Year

Average Price: $86
Proof: 118
Distiller: Foursquare Distillery (R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd)
Country of Origin: Barbados

Dubbed “the Pappy of rum,” the celebrated distillery behind this limited edition expression is helmed by fourth-generation trader and distiller and renowned rum advocate Richard Seale. This formidable cask strength expression — a pot and column still blend aged separately in ex-Bourbon barrels for 12 years before marrying in the bottle — is as exceptional as it is accessible. Cream and apple pie bursts on the nose while tropical fruit plays across the palate, followed by a rush of toffee and peppery oak that lingers.

Rum Terms to Know


Overproof: Rum bottled at more than 50 percent ABV (or 100 proof).

Column Still: One of two basic rum distilling methods employed since the 19th Century. Setups typically consists of two tall, stainless steel tubes filled with metal plates that extract impurities from heated alcohol vapors as they rise through the system.

Pot Still: The older and more straight-forward of rum’s two basic distilling methods. The typical setup includes a wide pot-shaped kettle topped by a taller, thinner gooseneck which connects to a condenser for trapping and separating heated alcoholic vapors.

Agricole/Rhum Agricole: Rum produced in the French West Indies, namely Martinique and Guadeloupe. French for “agricultural rum,” this category is more strictly regulated and must be distilled from freshly extracted sugarcane juice as opposed to molasses. Rhums Agricole are often brighter, grassier and more herbaceous than their molasses-derived counterparts.

Cachaça: A Brazillian spirit distilled from sugarcane juice and bottled at no more than 54 percent ABV. While not widely considered a true rum on the consumer side, US regulators officially categorize it as one.

Demerara: Rums hailing from Guyana, the name is a reference to the Demerara river. Despite the name, these rums are not necessarily made with high-quality demerara sugar.

Esters: Flavorful chemical compounds produced when alcohol mixes with acid during fermentation and barrel-aging. A rum’s ester quantity signifies the intensity of key taste and aroma components like bananas and tropical fruit.

Dunder: Yeasty, ester-rich liquid left over after distillation is complete. Jamaican distilleries often conserve this funky byproduct and use it to facilitate the fermentation of future batches of rum.

Molasses: The thick, sweet, vicious, and dark-hued syrup left over after raw sugar has been crystallized out of cane or sugar beet juice during the refining process. Fermented molasses serves as the primary base liquid for most of the world’s rums.

Vésou: The French word for the freshly-extracted sugarcane juice used in the production of Rhum Agricole.

Quick Guide to Rum Labels


Proof/ABV: All rum imported into the US must list its alcohol content on its label. Most rum is bottled in the 80 proof range, or 40 percent ABV, with overproof running between 75 percent to 80 percent ABV and flavored rums dipping slightly below to 35 percent ABV. As a rule of thumb, rums between 80 and 110 proof are more suitable for sipping while weaker and stronger rums are better suited for layered cocktails.

Age Statements: Distillers aren’t required to state barrel-aging information, though some elect to anyway. If a label clearly reads “Aged 10 years,” that’s an indication of the final product’s youngest component. Be mindful of brands that add numbers to their names but avoid mentioning “years” (see: Zacapa 23), as these don’t necessarily reflect the blend’s age. The rules around aging rum and age statement requirements differ from country to country, so age statement purists are out of luck.

Rum, Rhum, Ron: Broadly, rum can be separated into three styles: English, French and Spanish. When the label reads “rum,” it’s probably an English-style rum, derived from molasses and produced by a former or current British colony. “Rhum” indicates French-style rums made with fresh sugar cane while Spanish-style “ron” is distilled from molasses and comes from Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands and Latin America.

Country of Origin: Different regions are associated with different fermenting, distilling and bottling practices, resulting in distinct flavor profiles that vary wildly from country to country. In general, English-style rums from Jamaica, Trinidad and St. Lucia are known for their funky, banana-laden boldness and spicy heat; French rhums are often earthier, lighter and more verdant; and Spanish-style rums from Cuba and Puerto Rico tend to be a bit sweeter, rounder and more oily.

Best Budget Rums

Best Value Rum: Plantation Barbados 5 Years

Average Price: $23
Proof: 80
Distiller: Plantation Rum/Maison Ferrand
Country of Origin: Barbados

It’s not the cheapest on the shelf, but this crowdpleaser from Cognac powerhouse Maison Ferrand is worth every penny. The pot and column still blend sits in spent bourbon barrels for three to four years before jetting across the pond for a one to two year stay in French oak at its lauded parent company’s Château de Bonbonnet. The result is mahogany-hued layers of toasted coconut, orange peel and vanilla, finished with a hit of cinnamon-dusted marzipan.

Best Cheap Rum: Cruzan Light Aged Rum

Average Price: $9
Proof: 80
Distiller: Cruzan Rum Distillery
Country of Origin: US Virgin Islands

If you’re looking to jazz up your Coke or spike a tropical party punch without breaking the bank, this Virgin Islands stalwart will do the trick. The newmake spirit is aged on oak for one to four years then filtered to remove the wood-influenced color, making for a surprisingly sturdy white option with light vanilla flavors. It drinks clean and dry, complemented by an relaxed oakiness ideal for mixing.

Best Gateway Rum: Diplomático Mantuano

Average Price: $26
Proof: 80
Distiller: Ron Diplomatico Diplomático
Country of Origin: Venezuela

Spanish-style rums are great sipping rums as they tend to share flavor profiles with familiar brown spirits like bourbon and brandy. This Venezuelan mainstay is a blend of column, batch kettle and pot still rums aged for a maximum of eight years in used bourbon and malt whiskey barrels. Notes of stone fruit and juicy dates dominate the nose, giving way to warm vanilla, chestnut and a tinge of oak that finishes long and dry.

Best Everyday Rums

Best Overproof Rum: Lemon Hart 151

Average Price: $33
Proof: 151
Distiller: Lemon Hart Rum
Country of Origin: Guyana

Overproof rums are tricky. Notoriously powerful, unrepentantly bold and literally explosive, most home bartenders have no clue how to handle them. Here’s a hint: they were made to tiki. Take this brazen Demerara—loaded with salted caramel, fruity esters, baking spices, bitter citrus peel and a heaping spoonful of black pepper. It’s perfect for adding heat, dimension and depth to everything from basic Planters Punches and Hurricanes to more complicated Zombies and Mai Tais.

Best White Rum: Flor De Caña 4 Year Extra Seco

Average Price: $20
Proof: 80
Distiller: Flor De Caña
Country of Origin: Nicaragua

This bargain-priced Nicaraguan refresher opens with a nuanced bouquet of almond butter, vanilla, and orange blossoms followed by crisp green apple, banana, and tobacco on the mid-palate. It’s versatile and reliable and an excellent go-to for warm weather classics like mojitos, punches and daiquiris.

Best Spiced Rum: Chairman’s Reserve Spiced

Average Price: $27
Proof: 80
Distiller: St. Lucia Distillers
Country of Origin: St. Lucia

Spiced rums get a bad rap because the category was long defined by overly sweet frat party juice, rife with artificial colors and other additives. Done right, a good spiced rum goes hard. This column and pot still combo spends five years on American oak before being dosed with an all-natural mix of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, allspice, lemon and orange. After blending, it goes back into the barrel for six months to seal in all those flavors. Herby, refined and intoxicatingly festive, it’s a dessert in a glass.

Best Dark Rum: Koloa Kaua‘i Dark Rum

Average Price: $36
Proof: 80
Distiller: Koloa Rum Company
Country of Origin: USA

Much like its spiced sister, dark rum doesn’t typically make it onto a rum connoisseur’s hit list, but this bottle from Hawaii’s Koloa Rum Company is worth trying (for a solid Dark ‘n Stormy, at least). Distilled in a copper pot still from crystallized sugar, it’s left unaged and instead infused with an extra serving of caramelized sugar for a sexy espresso-toned exterior and a dry, vanilla-laden finish.

Best Gold Rum: Rhum J.M E.S.B. Gold

Average Price: $35
Proof: 100
Distiller: Rhum J.M
Country of Origin: Martinique

Despite tipping the scales at 50 percent ABV and spending just one year aging in re-charred bourbon barrels, Rhum J.M’s award-winning gold rhum agricole exudes remarkable maturity. Complex yet approachable, the spirit ably showcases Martinique’s rich terroir in its brilliant amber hue, snickerdoodle spice and satisfying notes of hazelnut, cedar, fresh hay and banana.

Best Cocktail Rum: Don Pancho Origenes Reserva 8 Year

Average Price: $35
Proof: 80
Distiller: Don Pancho Origenes
Country of Origin: Panama

A quality cocktail rum should always aim to strike a happy medium—dark but not too sweet, light but not too dry, bold but mutable, interesting enough to stand on its own but mellow enough to cushion an onslaught of sugar and acid. This Panamanian head-turner, aged for a minimum of eight years in used Kentucky bourbon casks, hits all the marks by delivering a steady stream of supple brown butter, vanilla, roasted chestnut, and spiced wet tobacco.

Best Upgrade Rums

Best Sipping Rum: Foursquare Rum 2007 Single Blended 12 Year

Average Price: $86
Proof: 118
Distiller: Foursquare Distillery (R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd)
Country of Origin: Barbados

Dubbed “the Pappy of rum,” the celebrated distillery behind this limited edition expression is helmed by fourth-generation trader and distiller and renowned rum advocate Richard Seale. This formidable cask strength expression — a pot and column still blend aged separately in ex-Bourbon barrels for 12 years before marrying in the bottle — is as exceptional as it is accessible. Cream and apple pie bursts on the nose while tropical fruit plays across the palate, followed by a rush of toffee and peppery oak that lingers.

Best Rum to Gift: The Real McCoy 14-Year-Old Limited Edition

Average Price: $75
Proof: 92
Distiller: Foursquare Distillery (R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd) & Real McCoy Spirits
Country of Origin: Barbados

Explosive and sophisticated, this 2019 small batch exclusive was bottled by Real McCoy using 14-year-old juice from Barbados’s legendary Foursquare Distillery. If Richard Seale touched it, you know it’s gold, and this one’s no exception. Initially smacking of clove spice and Big Red heat, each sip is richer than the last.

Best Craft Rum: Privateer Navy Yard Barrel Proof

Average Price: $45
Proof: 110
Distiller: Privateer Rum
Country of Origin: USA

It’s no exaggeration to say that Massachusetts’s Privateer Rum is putting out some of the country’s most impressive and inspired small-batch spirits. Derived from 100 percent Grade A Molasses under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Maggie Campbell, the copper-colored charmer rests for a minimum of two years on new American oak before landing in the bottle at a deceptively quaffable 55 percent ABV. It smells like vanilla and tastes like Dr. Pepper.

Best Splurge Rum: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend 25 Year

Average Price: $250
Proof: 90
Distiller: Appleton Estate
Country of Origin: Jamaica

If you’ve got the cash to burn, this limited edition blend from Jamaica’s iconic Appleton Estate is a bucket-list must. A nod to longtime Master Blender Joy Spence, the elegantly silhouetted bottle is almost as pretty as what it contains; a satiny blend dating as far back as 1981, Spence’s first year with the company. Open the bottle and the room smells like orange zest and ginger. Take a sip and and taste the rum rainbow: butterscotch, marzipan, oatmeal raisin and tropical fruit give way to clove, allspice, pepper and dark brown sugar. There’s nothing like it.

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The 15 Best Office Chairs of 2020

This definitive guide to the best office chairs of 2020 explores everything you need to know to find an office chair best suited to your needs, including ergonomics, price, aesthetics and features.

Long has the doom of sitting been forecasted. Published papers aplenty have argued that a stationary life is shorter and trouble-ridden, and the primary workarounds are many — standing desks, frequent breaks, stretching, taking walks and so on. But none address the simple fact that, sometimes, to get shit done, we simply need to plant ourselves in a chair and get after it.

Luckily, a number of companies are working to beat each other at building the best office chairs, even though they all know it’s not possible. No one chair is the best for everyone, so take our guide with lots of salt. If you can, go to stores and showrooms in your area and sit down, lean back, lean forward, pull levers and ask questions about everything. Your back, muscles, various joints and brain will thank you.

The Short List

Best All-Around Office Chair: Knoll ReGeneration


Beyond taking our “Best Value” category by way of a price most people can swallow mixed with smart design, it received one of the most valuable recognitions in product design — a Good Design Award — after it’s release in 2012.

The ReGeneration is the affordable update to the legendary Generation chair. It adjusts to your weight, posture and weird leaning tendencies on the fly (up to 270 degrees of posture change). It’s also warrantied for a whopping 12 years. It’s the proud owner of various highly-touted sustainability acronyms.

Knoll is the master of the office chair, and the more accessible version of its lauded office seating boasts the most useful functionality, comfort, extra options and looks at the most reasonable price point we found. Make sure to get the mesh-backed version if you run hot, and adding in the lumbar support comes highly-recommended by reviewers (though you may have to contact Knoll or the outlet you intend to purchase from to arrange this).

Best Budget Office Chair: Alera Elusion


Being on a budget does not mean settling for design of a lower quality; it means identifying smart engineering at price points don’t trigger panic attacks. The Alera Elusion, which is also our best option under $200, is just that. It’s mesh-backed and features loads of recline and tension adjustment options for just $190.

If your definition of budget is a bit more expansive, we recommend Herman Miller’s Sayl chair, which is made with better materials and has a better warranty behind it — not to mention a company with a legendary reputation. That said, the extra $200 to $250 you’ll need to shell out for a Sayl makes an impact large enough to favor the more affordable, impressively-built Elusion chair.

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Best Office Chair Brands

Humanscale

An extreme and praise-worthy focus on sustainable, eco-friendly design and gorgeous aesthetics come together with research-backed ergonomics at Humanscale. A through-line can be seen in all Humanscale’s more recent products — simplicity. Simplicity urged forward by the late American industrial designer Niels Diffrient in his partnership with Humanscale, which yielded two of the most notable and respected chairs ever — the Freedom and Diffrient World.

Herman Miller

Herman Miller is the company behind many of the most iconic pieces in the era of mid-century modern but its catalog has far more to offer than famous lounge chairs. When Herman Miller released the Aeron office chair, it instantly became the, or at least one of the, best makers of office seating the world over. The American brand’s most notable office chairs are likely the Aeron, Embody and the newly released Cosm, a fully passive ergonomic chair with a few unique-unto-itself features.

Steelcase

Where Herman Miller and others work in a variety of furniture areas, Steelcase narrows its gaze to furniture with a performance and sustainability bend. The 105-year-old company is unrelenting in its focus on research-guided design, and it is most known for the Gesture, Leap and its auto-adjusting (and fairly new) SILQ.

Allsteel

Allsteel is function and performance driven above all else. It bullied its way into office gear in the early 20th century making steel electrical boxes and lockers (it would take until the middle of the century to add its first chairs) Not all of its seating is beautiful looking (except for the Acuity, which is), but it is all based on the science of ergonomics.

Knoll

Like Herman Miller, Knoll was (and has become again) mid-century royalty. Also like Herman Miller, it didn’t fall off the face of the earth. Knoll still peddles high-end, luxurious home furniture aplenty, but its office seating, the Generation line in particular, is a revelation. Ergonomic, good looking and sold at price points low and high, Knoll covers the spectrum of what you need now and in the future.

Best Budget Office Chairs

As with most products of the budget variety, temper your expectations. There is no sub-$100, $200 or even $500 office chair that does all things for all people, or performs equally to premium chairs. Expect materials that don’t necessarily ensure a long life and may not look stellar. That said, these chairs are ergonomic. Our budget picks are simply the most affordable you can go without sacrificing your health and wellbeing at work.

Best Office Chair Under $100: Flash Furniture High Back Mesh Chair


This mesh-bodied, high-back chair from Flash Furniture is the best and most versatile chair we’ve found under $100. It has an adjustable headrest (ideal for those who like to lean back), holds more weight than most dirt cheap options, has a tilt tension adjustment knob, offers firm lumbar support and isn’t absolutely atrocious to look at. If it’s missing anything (other than quality materials that would drive the price up), it’s adjustable armrests, but that’s the lowest number of serious compromises you’ll find out of seating in this price category.

Best Office Chair Under $200: Alera Elusion Chair


It looks as simple as any other chair you’d run into at Staples, but it isn’t. Alera’s Elusion chair borrows features like a full mesh back for breathability, a waterfall-edge seat cushion to maintain regular levels of leg circulation and more comfort customization than chairs fives times its price.

Its only limiting factors are aesthetics (it is rather boring to look at) and the use of cheap materials, which means it’s likely not a great long-term seating option.

Best Office Chair Under $500: Herman Miller Sayl


This is an affordable take on Herman Miller’s manually-adjusted office chair. The webbed, unframed back is supported by a suspension tower (and inspired by the a notable landmark in the designer’s home city of San Francisco), which allows for a twisting and turning in the chair to remain both comfortable and well-supported.

The arms slide up and down, the recline tension is adjustable, the chair is certified to seat a person up to 350 pounds and it does all this for just south of $500. When the chair released, it took home a flurry of “bests” from judging panels and events, including the Industrial Designers Society of America, International Design Awards and FX International Interior Design Awards. This is no ordinary budget seating.

Best Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergonomic design, to some extent, is present in all seating, but not all chairs can be called ergonomical. By way of built-in automatic adjustments or manually turning knobs and pulling levers, great ergonomical chairs are the ones that conform to the human body, and the best do that to specific human bodies, no matter their weight, height or posture. These are those chairs, in every specific taste and style we could think of.

Best Value Office Chair: Knoll ReGeneration


Value is a function bound to the holy price-quality balance. Our choice is Knoll’s affordable, somewhat recent addition to its line of Generation seating — the ReGeneration. Starting just north of $500, ReGeneration adjusts to your weight, posture and weird leaning tendencies on the fly (up to 270 degrees of posture change).

Knoll is the master of the office chair, and the more accessible version of its lauded office seating boasts the most useful functionality, comfort, extra options and looks at the most reasonable price point. Make sure to get the mesh-backed version if you run hot, and adding in the lumbar support comes highly-recommended by reviewers (though you may have to contact Knoll or the outlet you intend to purchase from to arrange this).

Best Office Chair for a Standing Desk: HAG Capisco Puls


As illogical as it sounds, standing and raising desks do need seats of their own. Portland-based Fully specializes in supplying only the best ergonomic seating for the modern workspace (it’s most known for the Jarvis adjustable height desk), and the Capisco was the very first product it stocked.

It allows for seating in any way that’s comfortable to you — stool seating, cross-legged, side sitting, sitting backwards and so on. Essentially, it encourages non-static working and provides the means to act on that comfortably.

The Capisco Puls is the slimmer, newer and more affordable version ($300 cheaper) of the chair. Looking at the greater standing desk chair market, you could settle for less, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice.

Best Office Chair for Gaming: Vertagear Triigger 275


The proliferation of the racing-style chair as the defacto “gaming” chair is sad and dumb. The best gaming chair is not about immersing the sitter in the game or looking cool — it’s about support, customization and the ability to remain cool for hours.

Vertagear’s Triigger series of chairs is just this, and the 275 model is the best balance of price and useful features. Though we’ve praised chairs that automatically adjust to all users in this guide, gaming requires a chair fine-tuned to the player. The Trigger 275 allows you to adjust armrest height, seat height, backrest height and lumbar support. And because it’s a mesh chair, you remain cooler for longer, and it doesn’t look juvenile (though you can get it with white, red and blue accents).

The brand offers a premium option, too — the Vertagears 350 comes with an aluminum frame and calfskin leather accents for a couple hundred dollars more.

Best Office Chair for Home Use: Blu Dot Daily Task Chair


Blu Dot’s mantra: bring good design to as many people as possible. As such, the Midwestern company’s designs ride the “I could afford that if I wanted to” line more than any modern furniture brand, and it’s all original, sturdy and hardwearing. The Daily Task Chair isn’t a loud or boastful piece to bring into your own home, but it’s interesting, a bit retro and comes with a few foundational ergonomic perks.

Best Mid-Century Modern Office Chair: Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair


The Eames Management chair is from a time gone by, when office hierarchy was defined by corner offices, over-sized desks and, in this case, a luxe mid-back desk chair. What does that mean? It’s behind some others on this list in the ergonomics department, but it’s miles ahead in style. An aluminum frame, MCL leather and a distinctly mid-century look define the Eameses instantly recognizable seat. (Note: if you regularly spend working hours in your home office chair, we recommend leaning toward the more ergonomic-focused options in this guide.)

Best Office Chair for Conference Rooms: Steelcase Silq


A lack of fiddling with knobs and levers is what separates a good conference room chair from the chair at your desk. When people are coming in and out, there’s no time to pull out a manual to adjust the secondary recline tension. Steelcase’s conference room-minded Silq chair is one of the few examples of affordable passive ergonomics. Other than height, everything about the chair adjusts to the sitter automatically.

Best Office Chair with a Headrest: EuroTech Ergohuman


Truth be told, if you’re serious about you’re reclining, you better be serious about having a chair equipped with a headrest. Thinking about reclining sequentially, you press your back against the chair, lean back and your head loses the natural support of your neck and body. This causes you to tense your neck, which creates soreness and leads to further problems down the line.

That’s what chairs like Eurotech’s Ergohuman aim to solve, while limiting sacrifices to the chair’s comfort level. The superb lumbar support, various tension and height adjustments, a very handy pneumatic lift system that raises and lowers the chair smoothly and a supportive (but still comfortable) headrest brought together on the Ergohuman make for office seating that’s equal parts impressive and satisfying to take a seat in (hint: get the all mesh version if it’s available — it’ll stay far cooler than a faux leather seat cushion one).

Best Passive Ergonomic Office Chair: Herman Miller Cosm


The success of Herman Miller’s office seating line is unquestioned (just look at our list), but this might be the largest departure from that line since it began. Where our “Best Value” choice was of the old school of passive ergonomics, Cosm is of the new.

Apart from aesthetics and sizing options (the high-backed Cosm is stunning online and in person), the primary functional difference between the two is a single, completely unique innovation — the ability to use your weight to adjust tension to you without the need to slide your body forward or lift you up at all. This sliding and lifting lifts your legs ever so slightly up, resulting in added tension to the body.

It’s a subtle difference, but one no other company had managed until Cosm. In fact, the only reason Herman Miller didn’t release an auto-adjusting chair prior was its inability to solve the riddle of the lifting legs.

Best Leather Office Chair: Humanscale Freedom


American industrial design legend Niels Diffrient authored many products of great importance, but this was his magnum opus. The Freedom chair marks the beginning of the shift away from manually-adjustable office seating (primarily because most people don’t actually know how to adjust the chairs properly) and to self-adjusting chairs.

Specifically, the Freedom chair handles all recline tension and tilt functionality itself, while still allowing you to slide the seat backward or forward and the armrest up and down. Since its release, a hundred or more self-adjusting chairs have cropped up, but few have done so as elegantly as the Freedom chair.

Its base model ships in a PU leather upholstery (as almost all “leather” office chairs do) with a die-cast aluminum frame, but you can special order real leather upon request.

Best Office Chair for Small Work Spaces: Humanscale Diffrient World Chair


Few manufacturers set out to make office chairs specifically for small spaces. This chair, also designed by Diffrient, has armrests that can be lifted or lowered to slide under a desk when not in use, a back high enough to allow for comfortable reclining and a width on the slimmer end.

Instead of chairs requiring manual adjustment via knobs and levers like most task chairs before it, the Diffrient World adapts to the sitter automatically (it was one of the earlier task chairs to do this). It uses your body weight as a counterbalance to allow for seamless and steady reclining and the whole thing is a springy mesh that’s just tight enough to sink into, but not so much to the point of sagging and stretching. It’s also guaranteed to last for 10 years.

Best Luxury Office Chair: Herman Miller Embody


This is not luxury in the plush leather, animal skin, bedazzled sense; it’s luxury in just how effective it is at what it does. Herman Miller puts it this way: “so intelligent, it makes you think.” It prioritizes and glorifies movement above all else — movement lessens muscle tension and increases blood flow, thereby increasing the amount of time your brain operates at a high level, which in turn makes for better work.

Thought up by the late and great Bill Stumpf (father of the Aeron chair) and designed by Jeff Weber with the guidance of a team of 20 physicians and doctors in physical therapy, ergonomics and biomechanics, it uses the human body as its blueprint — a spine with a flexible rib cage bends and turns are you do, and redistributes pressure to lessen tension.

All told, it’s an expensive, luxury office chair, but not because of whims of fanciness and wealth, but because it is a throne built on the idea that a chair doesn’t have to be a health-negative.

Honorable Mention: Herman Miller Aeron


The Aeron is the chair against which all other chairs are measured. Not even the worthy competition on this list challenge its status as the most influential office chair of the modern era.

Released in 1994, Aeron is the chair that bookended a shift in task seating design, from a form-first to function-first industry. Its critical, commercial and cultural successes are many. It ushered out clean lines in favor of shapes contouring to the human body, and was the first hugely successful mesh chair. It is among the most customizable designs ever conceived. It’s earned a permanent place in the Museum of Modern Art. It’s even 94 percent recyclable, a feature years ahead of its time.

Though the Aeron chair is no longer seating du jour, in style and function, its importance and power is unrivaled.

Will Price

Will Price is Gear Patrol’s home and drinks editor. He’s from Atlanta and lives in Brooklyn. He’s interested in bourbon, houseplants, cheap Japanese pens, and cast-iron skillets — maybe a little too much.

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The 12 Best Cigars to Smoke in 2018

To novices, smoking a cigar can be more intimidating than fun. This definitive guide to the best cigars of 2018 covers everything you need to know before you buy your next cigar, including basic etiquette, know-how and a breakdown of best cigars across different price points and flavor profiles.

Prefer to skip directly to the picks? Click here.

The Short List

Best Cigar for Beginners: Nat Sherman Sterling Series

An approachable, balanced, and affordable cigar with fantastic construction. A prime example of the pleasant nuance of a Connecticut wrapper.
Tasting Notes: Connecticut wrappers impart a creamy, buttery flavor, with notes of cocoa, wood, and toasted bread. This cigar in particular is the perfect pairing with a cup of coffee.
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Price: $132+, box of 10

Best Cigar for the Money: Davidoff White Label Short Perfecto

The quality of the tobacco here is extremely high, and it’s a benchmark of construction. It’s smaller than other Davidoff cigars, meaning it won’t won’t break the bank, and it is an excellent example of a mild-bodied cigar that’s still rich and complex.
Tasting Notes: Starts with hay and buttery smoke, transitioning into earthiness and even a touch of pepper spice in its final third.
Filler: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Price: $18+

Best Cigar for Special Occasions: Illusione Epernay

This box-pressed cigar was designed to cater to the European profile — it’s milder than many Americans prefer — and it was named for the famous Champagne region. Just like a bottle of bubbly, it might be best saved for special celebratory moments.
Tasting Notes: Distinct floral notes give way to honey, coffee and cedar.
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Corojo, Nicaragua
Price: $230+, box of 25

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Introduction

T

o novices, smoking a cigar — hell, just venturing into a local cigar store to buy one — can feel more daunting than fun. The mechanics of properly smoking one (how to draw without inhaling?) don’t come naturally. Faux pas (when to ash the thing?) abound. And then there’s the basic question of which cigar, in a room stuffed with boxes of the things, to buy.

You’re not imagining it: cigar smoking is full of tradition, ritual and enigma. The good news, says Pierre Rogers, is that cigar smokers form a natural, welcoming community — acolytes not just to the rolled leaf, but to lighting them up together.

Cigar smoking is full of tradition, ritual and enigma. The good news is that cigar smokers form a natural, welcoming community.

Community is Rogers’s purview. He’s the founder of PuroTrader, the world’s largest peer-to-peer cigar trading platform, hosted in an online service that also includes community-created cigar ratings, forums and blog posts. Rogers created the service as a searchable e-humidor for collectors after discovering that someone had stolen a single cigar out of a prized box he’d been saving for over a decade. “Initially, we set out to create a way for every collector for free to build an online humidor — a way to catalog their own collection, take notes on each cigar, and then make it searchable. You could log on and look at anybody’s humidor, anywhere in the world. The inevitable conclusion to that was, ‘You got something I want — how do we make that happen?’” he says.

The service’s soul rests upon this shared community. “It’s the best community in the world,” Rogers says. “No offense to wine guys or Scotch guys. But to my knowledge, cigar guys are the only guys in the world that do cigar bombs” — when a random stranger sends the greatest cigars they can get ahold of, with the expectation only of “paying it forward” to the next unwitting smoker. “If anybody’s ever been out smoking cigars, there’s a good chance they’ve met some random stranger, and there’s a good chance that person has just straight up given them a random cigar. It’s happened to me a ton of times. You don’t saunter up to the bar and someone hands you a Macallan 21. But with cigars, it happens commonly.”

So while curious amateurs can certainly learn the hobby on their own, there’s a great chance their local cigar shop is full of resident smokers willing to help out — and, barring that, they can be found online with a few strokes of the keyboard. It won’t take long to immerse themselves in all of the other great things about cigar smoking: the craftsmanship of the cigar itself, more authentic conversation, and even what Rogers calls the “forced meditation” that comes with taking the time to sit down and take some deep, slow draws of fragrant smoke.

Still, a baseline of knowledge will help you focus on those pleasures and making new friends, rather than discerning the difference between a V cut and a straight cut. So I asked Rogers to give me a rundown of cigar etiquette and basic knowledge, along with the cigars he loves most, across a range of prices and through the common categories of mild-, medium-, and full-bodied. Consider them a good starting place to figure out what you like and don’t like.

Cigar Terms to Know

Wrapper: The single leaf that literally wraps the outside of the cigar. It imparts around 60 percent of the cigar’s final flavors. Its flavors have to do with its country of origin, the way it’s grown (in the sun or shaded) and the type of tobacco plant. Different examples include Connecticut, maduro, claro and oscuro.

Filler: The innermost leaves rolled within a cigar, almost always a blend of different types of leaves.

Binder: The tobacco that helps hold a cigar together. It must be the strongest leaf in a cigar, but also imparts flavor.

Ring Gauge: The diameter of a cigar, measured by sixty-fourths of an inch. The bigger the ring gauge, the bigger the diameter.

Head/Cap: The end of a cigar that is cut and put in your mouth. Make sure not to cut off the entire cap, which will unravel the wrapper.

Foot: The end of a cigar that is lit. Smell this end before lighting to get a whiff of all the tobacco inside.

Strength and Body: Are not the same. The strength of a cigar has to do with how powerfully its nicotine affects the smoker; the body has to do with the impact of the cigar’s flavors in the mouth, its mouthfeel, and its overall richness.

A cigar’s wrapper imparts around 60 percent of the cigar’s final flavors. Its flavors have to do with its country of origin, the way it’s grown (in the sun or shaded), and the type of tobacco plant.

How to Smoke a Cigar

Step 1: Cut the cigar.

“Before you light it, you’ve got to cut it. The trick with a cut is when you look at any cigar, any shape, you can see where the roller has rolled an extra cap line between the wrapper of the cigar and head of the cigar. When you cut, you want to cut just above that line. You’re only removing the cap. You’re not cutting into the wrapper. If you cut into the wrapper, i.e. you cut a little too much off of the top, it will start to unravel and fall apart in your mouth. There are several different kinds of cuts: A straight cut is the classic way to do it.” — Pierre Rogers

Step 2. Toast the foot.

“[Use] a match or a butane lighter. You want to use the heat, not the flame. You want the cigar to be a quarter inch to an inch above the flame, and you want to toast the foot of that cigar. Rotate the cigar and toast. You should be literally toasting it. Browning just the edges, just barely. Don’t get any char or flame on the wrapper. — Pierre Rogers

Step 3: Draw and rotate.

“Once it’s evenly toasted, still using just the heat, draw and rotate. That should only take a moment to light it if you’ve properly toasted it, since the cigar is primed to make that happen. The different types of tobacco in there are meant to be smoked in a linear fashion; you don’t want a third of the bottom to be lit, because then you’re only tasting that one piece, and destroying the profile. Another obvious but overlooked tip: when using a match to light, let the head burn off, and only use the stick of wood to light the cigar. Allow the sulfur head to dissipate, because you don’t want to pull any of that into the cigar.” — Pierre Rogers

Step 4: Keep the cherry cool.

“One of my tips about maximizing the enjoyment of any cigar, cheap or expensive, new or old, is to keep the cherry cooler. You do that by taking long, slow, easy draws on the cigar. Don’t take short pulls where you heat up that cherry. That’s a way to create acidity, acridness, and a burnt carbon taste. — Pierre Rogers

Step 5: Taste the cigar.

“Allow the smoke to come into your palate from the tip of your tongue, front to back and side to side. You don’t want to push all that smoke out too rapidly. Just gently exhale the smoke. Obviously, with cigars, you’re not inhaling. It’s just for the flavor. So think about how that flavor hits your tongue. Start with the basic ones. Is it salty? Sweet? Bitter? Sour? Those are basics. We tend to all agree on those things. — Pierre Rogers

Step 6: Ash the Cigar

“The best way to do it is a light touch on the bottashtray ash tray, and roll the cigar to let the ash fall off. The real reason you do it is to control the temperature of the cherry, the lit part. You want to keep it well lit but cool. There’s a perfect ratio. If you don’t smoke your cigar fast enough, because there are no additives in a cigar, it’ll go out. The cherry gets too cool. However if you start puffing away on it, and the cherry becomes really bright, it becomes bitter and acrid, and you don’t want that. So there’s this balance that you’re always trying to strike between keeping your cherry fully lit but as cool as possible.” — Pierre Rogers

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Best Mild Cigars


“A mild cigar is similar to a great cup of coffee with a touch of half and half in it,” Rogers says. “It’s warm and rich, but it’s also soft and very approachable.” According to him, the best examples come from the Dominican Republic; they also tend to have a Connecticut wrapper, which is golden and light in color. “The flavor tends to be very subtle and soft,” Rogers says. “No sharp edges, no bitterness. Something that on a fresh palate with nothing in your stomach you can really enjoy, and it won’t disrupt your day. That’s what a great mild cigar is to me.”

Nat Sherman Sterling Series

Most Approachable Mild Cigar: An approachable, balanced, and affordable cigar with fantastic construction. “They do a great job with all the finesse that goes into it — the branding, packaging, and the nuance of the cigar itself — and at a very reasonable price point,” Rogers says. It’s a prime example of the pleasant nuance of a Connecticut wrapper.
Tasting Notes: Connecticut wrappers impart a creamy, buttery flavor, with notes of cocoa, wood, and toasted bread. This cigar in particular is the perfect pairing with a cup of coffee.
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Price: $132+, box of 10

Davidoff White Label Short Perfecto

Best Short Smoke: “Davidoff is the Mercedes-Benz of cigars,” Rogers says. That means high quality — at a high price. The quality of the tobacco inside is extremely high, and it’s a benchmark of construction. But this smaller cigar won’t break the bank, and it is an excellent example of a mild-bodied cigar that’s still rich and complex.
Tasting Notes: It starts with hay and buttery smoke, transitioning into earthiness and even a touch of pepper spice in its final third.
Filler: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Price: $18+

Foundation Highclere Castle

Best Mild Yet Complex Blend: Nicholas Melillo, the founder of Foundation Cigar Company, hails from “the great state of Connecticut.” That means he has a great appreciation for the light-colored wrapper that bears the Connecticut name, and the creamy smoke it produces. The Highclere Castle uses Nicaraguan filler and Brazilian binder to add complexity to the mild flavors.
Tasting Notes: Creamy, with pepper, citrus, and leather.
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Brazil
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Price: $216+, box of 20

Best Medium Cigars


An increase in the body of the cigar has a lot to do with with how its smoke feels in your mouth. “Is there an oiliness there? A richness?” Rogers asks. “Wine people call it mouthfeel, and it’s no different with cigars.” Medium cigars are what most people end up smoking — they’re a great middle ground. “It provides enough strength that can be paired nicely with everything from a coffee to a bourbon. Flavors tend to be richer, the mouthfeel warmer and oilier. The smoke tends to be denser and richer,” Rogers says.

Illusione Epernay

Best Box-Pressed Cigar: “This is a fantastic box pressed cigar,” Rogers says, indicating its squared-off shape from quite literally being pressed into a box. It was designed to cater to the favored European profile — milder than Americans prefer — and named for the famous Champagne region. And just like a bottle of bubbly, it might be best saved for special celebratory moments.
Tasting Notes: Distinct floral notes give way to honey, coffee and cedar.
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Corojo, Nicaragua
Price: $230+, box of 25

Tatuaje Tattoo Series

Best Spicy Cigar: Founder Pete Johnson and master blender Don ‘Pepin’ Garcia are well respected for making cigars that consistently receive high scores from reviewers. The secret may be “Cuban-esque” flavors, stemming from Cuban-seed Nicaraguan-grown tobacco.
Tasting Notes: More spice and pepper than other medium-bodied cigars, though it also features cocoa, sweet cream and cedar notes.
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano, Ecuador
Price: $146+, box of 50

Camacho BG Meyer Gigantes

Best Big Stick: Part of a bolder series of cigars made by Camacho, the Gigantes is a play on the 6-inch by 54-inch cigar format, with a large ring gauge. But bigger cigars aren’t necessarily more intense: a larger size means more airflow and less density of the tobacco.
Tasting Notes: Grassy and earthy, with subtle spice, mocha, woodiness, and a berry sweetness.
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Habano,
Price: $33+, pack of five

Padron 1926 Series

Best Mellow Smoke: Padron is a beloved cigar-making institution, founded by Jose Orlando Padron, a Cuban refugee living in Miami, in 1964. The 1926 series is their most limited, and the natural wrapper version (as opposed to the darker, pungent maduro) is a mellow, smooth smoke.
Tasting Notes: Caramel sweetness, a cedar-y tang, and notes of black and cayenne pepper.
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Natural, Nicaragua
Price: $56+, pack of four

Ashton ESG

Most Balanced Smoke: While Ashton is generally thought of as an entry-level cigar, the ESG (Estate Sun Grown) jacks up the price tag. “Because of that high cost, it doesn’t get fair press,” Rogers says. Its sun-grown wrapper (as opposed to the more common shade-grown) creates a more oily, pungent leaf.
Tasting Notes: Oily nuts, leather, earth and cedar, with a light, creamy smoke.
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Sun-grown, Dominican Republic
Price: $20+

Best Full-Bodied Cigars


Full-bodied cigars can go in a few different directions, particularly, becoming spicy. “You can have a few different kinds of spice,” Rogers says. “A white pepper, black pepper, or even a cayenne pepper.” Those larger flavors can hold their own against a steak dinner or a peaty Scotch. “But the key here remains balance. Strength is not flavor. When you smoke that cigar, you want the palate to be full of flavor. Rich, complex. That’s what makes a great full cigar — not the strength,” Rogers says.

Arturo Fuente Anejo

Best Cognac Barrel-Aged Cigar: In 1998, the OpusX’s downfall was to cigar smokers’ benefit: After Hurricane Georges created a shortage of wrapper tobacco, the brand switched to Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper aged in Cognac barrels, and the Anejo was born. The OpusX returned, of course, but the Anejo stuck around, treasured for the sweetness that wrapper layered atop the spicy, robust binder and filler.
Tasting Notes: Cognac, oily sweetness, butter and nuts.
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf aged in Cognac barrels, America
Price: $10+

Padron Series 3000 Maduro

Best Maduro Cigar: Padron grows its own maduro wrappers rather than sourcing them, then wraps them around long-aged Nicaraguan binder and filler. The result is one of the most balanced full-bodied cigars around.
Tasting Notes: A “barnyard” earthiness that gives way to cocoa sweetness and oily nuttiness.
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Price: $7+

Ashton VSG

Best Affordable Full-Bodied Cigar: This is Rogers’s pick for an affordable, full-bodied cigar, with plenty of flavor and solid construction despite Ashton’s entry-level price. Its bold flavors are thanks in part to a sun-grown Ecuadorian wrapper that’s oily and rich.
Tasting Notes: Cedar, espresso, and dark chocolate.
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Sun-grown, Ecuador
Price: $12+

Fuente Fuente OpusX

Best Collector’s Cigar: When it was released in 1995, the OpusX proved that Dominican-grown, Cuban-seed tobacco could be the best in the industry. Ever since its release, it’s been considered one of the best full-bodied cigars on the market, and is a collector’s favorite.
Tasting Notes: Cayenne pepper and leather.
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Price: $13+

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The Best Portable, Waterproof Speakers You Can Buy This Summer

This definitive guide to the best portable speakers of 2018 explores everything you need to know before buying your next portable speaker, including what features to look out for and the different options available, along with which portable speakers we feel are best for every type of person.

Prefer to skip directly to the picks? Click here.

The Short List

Best Overall Speakers: Ultimate Ears Megablast and Blast



Verdict: The UE Megablast and UE Blast are the next evolution of the best-in-class portable speakers, the UE Megaboom and UE Boom. They’re slightly larger and more powerful, but the UE Megablast and UE Blast are also the company’s first smart speakers. They support Alexa voice commands and essentially work exactly like an Amazon Echo, but they’re portable so you can take them hiking or to the park. When I originally reviewed these speakers in early 2018, my two criticisms were that they were too expensive and didn’t support Alexa voice commands with Spotify — both of the problems have now been rectified; UE has significantly dropped the price of each speaker and updated its software to support Spotify. | |

Runner Up: Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus



Verdict: The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus is the company’s first 360-degree Bluetooth speaker. It’s loud and powerful, and the audio is accurate and spacious; it’s engineered with dual-opposing passive-radiators and an efficient transducer to eliminate distortion. It’s not the most rugged speaker on this list, but it’s still splash-resistant. And it’s simple design and easily-defined buttons make this traditional Bluetooth speaker very intuitive to use. It also has a built-in mic so you can answer calls without having to take out your phone — super convenient. For anybody who loves Bose, the SoundLink Revolve Plus is an easy next buy. (Even if it does look like a lantern.) |

Best Budget Speaker: Anker Soundcore Flare



Verdict: The Soundcore Flare is new and small portable speaker that produces suprisingly great, room-filling sound. Throw in the fact that in only costs $60, and this is an excellent portable speaker for pretty much anybody. It’s extremely waterproof and has a dedicated button on the outside to boost its bass, in case you like more bass-heavy audio. Additionally, through Anker’s Soundcore app you can tweak the EQ setttings and customize the LED lights that flash on the outside of the speaker.

Introduction

When I was younger, I remember having a dependable portable speaker was everything. It provided the soundtrack to backyard barbecues, pool parties, sports practices and pickup games. Then in my nefarious high school years, it was one of three weekend essentials that we divvied up between our friends — somebody brought the beer, somebody brought the cups and balls, and somebody brought the tunes. It was great.

Today, having a dependable portable speaker is still super important, even if seems like there are so many more types of speakers to choose between, from smart speakers to bookshelf speakers, multi-room speakers to multi-channel hi-fi systems. One of the main reasons is that all those speakers need to be tethered to a wall outlet, which is boring and not conducive to a life on the move. Also, many of our favorite portable speakers have no problem operating in the sun or rain and have long-lasting batteries, which makes them ideal companions for camping, hiking or just picnicking at some park.

The cream of the latest crop of rugged portable speakers — meaning they’re water-resistant and can handle a drop — don’t necessarily look the rugged part, but looks are far from everything. Many of these models are rated IP7, which means they can handle more than just splashes, smashes, snow and sand; instead, they can be submerged in water 3.3 feet deep for up to 30 minutes. That’s not bad for speakers that might look as nice on your bookshelf as they do on the edge of the hot tub.

The Factors to Consider Before Buying

When setting out to buy a portable speaker, there are almost too many to choose from. They come in all different shapes and sizes, with different sound qualities and price points. Also, they also come with many different features. Here’s what you need to look for to make sure a speaker is right for you.

Brand: You’ve probably heard of all the speaker manufacturers on this list, which is a good thing. You want to trust that speaker is not only going to sound good but also last. The other thing with brand, is that many portable speakers on this list work with other like-branded speakers; for instance, you can pair two Bose Soundlink speakers together or two of Kicker’s Bullfrog speakers together for more of a party (or multiroom) setup.

Size and Shape: Portable speakers come in all different shapes and sizes, and generally the bigger the speaker, the louder and better it is going to sound. You also want to consider the shape and design of the speaker. The two most popular shapes these days are 360-degree (cylindrical) or monodirectional speakers. The 360-degree speakers are generally better when placed in the middle of a room while monodirectional are better for stereo audio.

Ruggedness: All rugged speakers aren’t the same. And in order to know how water-resistant or drop-proof a speaker is, you really need to understand IP (Ingress Protection) ratings. The easy way to explain it is that the higher the IP rating of the speaker, the more water-resistant it is — an IP7-rated speaker is more durable than an IP4-rated speaker. You can check out how the IP ratings are explained, here.

Features: Some of today’s portable speakers are more versatile and feature-packed than others. For instance, some speakers like Ultimate Ears’ Megablast and Blast can actually connect to wi-fi and function like an Amazon Echo. Others can pair with other like-minded speakers in a stereo setup. Some have built-in microphones so you can use it as a loudspeaker without having to pick up your phone. And then some have controllable LED lights. Depending on how you want to use the speaker and if you want to deal with a companion app — these are all factors you have to consider.

Voice Assistance: Some of the newer portable speakers have wi-fi connectivity and support a voice assistant, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. This allows you to use speaker similar to an Amazon Echo or Google Home, using voice commands to request songs, answer general queries and control smart home devices. However, you’ll only be able to access the voice assistant when connected to wi-fi or a mobile hotspot.

Battery Life: Bigger speakers tend to have larger and longer-lasting batteries. That said, it varies from speaker to speaker. If you know you’re going to listen to the speaker a lot and you’re also going to have to go days between charges, these are things you should consider before purchasing a portable speaker.

Charge: Most of today’s portable speakers need a micro-USB cable to charge. However, there are some speakers that require a USB-C or AC cable to charge. Knowing what kind of cable might seem like a small thing, but it’s actually really convenient to be able to use the same cables to charge a few of your devices, like wireless headphones, smartphone and computer.

Buying Guide

Best Overall Speakers: Ultimate Ears Megablast and Blast



Verdict: The UE Megablast and UE Blast are the next evolution of the best-in-class portable speakers, the UE Megaboom and UE Boom. They’re slightly larger and more powerful, but the UE Megablast and UE Blast are also the company’s first smart speakers. They support Alexa voice commands and essentially work exactly like an Amazon Echo, but they’re portable so you can take them hiking or to the park. When I originally reviewed these speakers in early 2018, my two criticisms were that they were too expensive and didn’t support Alexa voice commands with Spotify — both of the problems have now been rectified; UE has significantly dropped the price of each speaker and updated its software to support Spotify.

Ultimate Ears Alternatives:

• The UE Boom 2 ($100+) is an older, slightly cheaper, and less powerful version of the UE Blast — it also doesn’t have a built-in virtual assistant. It’s a very good sounding 360-degree speaker that comes in a lot of colors and you can find online for pretty cheap.

• The UE Megaboom ($169) is a larger version of the UE Boom 2. While it’s a still a very good speaker, you can find the newer and better-sounding UE Megablast for even cheaper than the UE Megaboom, so it makes sense to pass on this.

• The UE Wonderboom ($63+) is a really small, ball-shaped portable speaker that’s water-resistant and sounds way bigger than its size. A solid budget speaker.

• The UE Roll 2 ($62+) is ideal for bike messengers or anybody with a backpack. It’s a front-facing speaker — not 360-degree — that’s super portable and comes with strap for those who want to fasten the speaker to their backpack.

Key Specs

UE Blast
Max Volume: 90 dBC
Frequency Range: 90Hz – 20kHz
Drivers: two 35mm active drivers, two 81mm x 39mm passive radiators
Battery: 12 hours
Waterproof: IP67

UE Megablast
Max Volume: 93 dBC
Frequency Range: 60Hz – 20kHz
Drivers: two 25mm tweeters, two 55mm active drivers, two 85mm x 50mm passive radiators
Battery: 16 hours
Waterproof: IP67

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Runner Up: Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus



Verdict: The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus is the company’s first 360-degree Bluetooth speaker. It’s loud and powerful, and the audio is accurate and spacious; it’s engineered with dual-opposing passive-radiators and an efficient transducer to eliminate distortion. It’s not the most rugged speaker on this list, but it’s still splash-resistant. And it’s simple design and easily-defined buttons make this traditional Bluetooth speaker very intuitive to use. It also has a built-in mic so you can answer calls without having to take out your phone — super convenient. For anybody who loves Bose, the SoundLink Revolve Plus is an easy next buy. (Even if it does look like a lantern.)

Bose Alternatives:

• The Bose SoundLink Revolve ($179) is virtually identical to the SoundLink Revolve Plus. It’s just a little smaller, cheaper and doesn’t have the handle. It’s a great alternative if you want to save a little dough.

• The Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker II ($129) is a smaller portable Bluetooth speaker that comes in several colors. It’s a more portable and more playful alternative. Also has a built-in mic to access voice assistants and answer calls.

• The Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker is the cheapest rugged Bluetooth speaker in the company’s current lineup. It’s also really water-resistant (IP7, which is more than Bose’s larger speakers above). No built-in mic.

Key Specs

Frequency Range: N/A
Drivers: N/A
Battery: up to 16 hours
Waterproof: IPX4 (splash-proof)

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Best Speaker for Parties: Sony SRS-XB41



Verdict: The SRS-XB41 is the largest and most feature-packed portable Bluetooth speaker in Sony’s 2018 Extra Bass series. It’s a front-facing speaker, unlike many on this list, so it won’t be able to fill a room as evenly as a 360-degree speaker. However, it can play music really loud with strong bass and surprisingly little distortion. Through its companion app, you can adjust the audio’s EQ, customize its LED lights and pair it with other Extra Bass speakers in a multi-room system. And it has an IP67 rating, so it’s a non-issue if it gets submerged in water or a pitcher of beer. All in all, it’s a good speaker for parties that has a terrific battery life and a bunch of funky features, which you may or may not choose to use.

Sony Alternatives:

• The Sony SRS-XB31 ($118) is the medium-sized speaker in Sony’s 2018 Extra Bass line-up. It’s not as loud and is slightly smaller, but it comes with many of the same features as the SRS-XB41.

• The Sony SRS-XB21 ($70) is the smallest speaker in Sony’s 2018 Extra Bass line-up. It doesn’t have quite the same features as its larger siblings, nor the sound quality, but it’s a solid budget alternative.

Key Specs

Frequency Range: 20hz – 20kHz
Drivers: dual 2.28 drivers
Battery: 24 hours
Waterproof: IP67

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Most Durable Speaker: Kicker Bullfrog BF200



Verdict: Kicker’s Bullfrog BF200 is hefty, weighing in at eight pounds, but it’s one of the toughest and most weatherproof Bluetooth speakers you’ll come across. It comes with a companion app that allows you to adjust the EQ settings and pair it with other Bullfrog speakers. In addtion to a USB port to charge your phone and an aux port, the Bullfrog BF200 is really unique because it has a built-in FM radio tuner. Unlike other Bluetooth speakers, there’s no built-in mic to talk on your phone’s speakerphone.

Kicker Alternatives:

• The Bullfrog BF400 ($350) is virtually the same as the Bullfrog BF200 in look, features and sound quality. It’s just a larger and more powerful speaker.

• The Bullfrog BF100 ($175) is the smallest speaker in Kicker’s Bullfrog lineup. It isn’t as powerful, nor does it have the same battery life, but it’s slightly more waterproof and has a built-in mic so you can talk on the phone.

Key Specs

Frequency Range: N/A
Drivers: two 2-3/4-inch drivers
Battery: up to 20 hours
Waterproof: IP66

Best Budget Speaker: Anker Soundcore Flare



Verdict: The Soundcore Flare is new and small portable speaker that produces suprisingly great, room-filling sound. Throw in the fact that in only costs $60, and this is an excellent portable speaker for pretty much anybody. It’s extremely waterproof and has a dedicated button on the outside to boost its bass, in case you like more bass-heavy audio. Additionally, through Anker’s Soundcore app you can tweak the EQ setttings and customize the LED lights that flash on the outside of the speaker.

Anker Alternatives:

• The Anker Soundcore Flare+ ($100) is a better version of the Flare and will be released later this summer. It’ll have better drivers and a longer battery life, plus a USB port to charge your other devices.

• The Anker Soundcore Motion Q ($40) is a really smaller 360-degree speaker that’s also waterproof. It can be synced with another Motion Q speaker in a stereo pair.

Key Specs

Frequency Range: N/A
Drivers: dual drivers, 360-degree sound
Battery: up to 12 hours
Waterproof: IPX7

Honorable Mention: JBL Xtreme



Verdict: JBL has made some of our favorite Bluetooth speakers for years and its Xtreme speaker is probably the best sounding and most rugged of the bunch. It’s powerful and bass-heavy, yet still sounds accurate, comfortabling handling mid- and high-range frequencies. Through its companion app, you can pair multiple JBL speakers together. It has a built-in mic to answer phone calls. It’s very waterproof. And, because it’s about to be phased out when the JBL Xtreme 2 launches this summer, you can get the JBL Xtreme for relatively cheap.

JBL Alternatives:

• The JBL Xtreme 2 ($300) is the next-gen model of the JBL Xtreme. It’s more waterproof and has bigger drivers, so it’s supposed to sound better with even more bass. You can order the Xtreme 2 now, but it won’t ship until June 23.

• The JBL Charge 3 ($120) is a speaker that’s been around for a few years. It’s significantly smaller and cheaper than the JBL Xtreme, but comes with many of the same features.

• The JBL Flip 4 ($80) is a small waterproof speaker that’s been around for a few years and comes in several colors.

• The JBL Clip 2 ($44) is a small waterproof speaker that comes with carabiner clip, making it easy to attach to a backpack.

Key Specs

Frequency Range: 70Hz – 20kHz
Drivers: four drivers, two bass radiators
Battery: up to 15 hours
Waterproof: IPX7

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I Tried 31 Sets of Sheets to Find the Best to Buy in 2018

This definitive guide to the best sheets of 2018 answers everything you need to know to buy better bedding this year. We tested different 31 different sets to find the best sheets for every type of sleeper, at every budget.

Prefer to skip directly to the picks? Click here.

The Short List

Best Overall Value Sheets: Authenticity 50 Percale Sheet Set

Extra-long staple Supima cotton is the crème de la crème in the cotton world, but you typically have to spend half a month’s rent to the real-deal stuff. Not so with Authenticity 50’s absurdly well-reviewed Supima percale weave sheets. Made completely in the U.S. (“seed-to-stitch,” the website notes), these sheets were our runner-up for best overall percale sheets due to a body that’s light enough to stay cool in the summer, but not so light you’d need to change them in the winter. You’ll be hard-pressed to find the same mixture of craftsmanship, materials and company-wide transparency for less than $200 — and these start at $139.

Best Percale Sheets: Boll & Branch Percale Solid Sheet Set

Boll & Branch’s percale sheets are stellar. They launched in April of this year, and out of the mountain of percale sheets I tested, this set stood out for a couple of reasons: The sheets are a bit airier than the company’s signature sheets, which are made for a cooler (but still cozy) sleeping experience. The percale sheets are made using a plain weave (one-under, one-over) with the brand’s signature organic long-staple cotton, and utilize two very fine plys (layers) that give structure while maintaining maximum breeziness. My partner sleeps hot, I sleep cold and we both agreed these were the best-feeling percale sheets, regardless of the weather outside.

Best Linen Sheets: Rough Linen Sheet Set

I actively tried not to succumb to Rough Linen’s rabid and growing fanbase, but I couldn’t help it — its linen sheets are what dreams are made of: they’re airy, tough and textured. Rough Linen’s sheets arrive slightly stiff (as most traditional linen does) and grainy but soften rather quickly with use and washes. Though some commenters online warned it might take months to soften, I found the sheets significantly softer and more flexible after only a few stints in the laundry machine. I was also happy to find that they weren’t waxy or coated in anything that would cut down on linen’s natural texture. Rough Linen’s sheets are sewn by hand with their Smooth line of linen, which uses a tighter-than-usual weave, making it feel much sturdier than the other brands I tried. At $360 for a queen set, they’re certainly an investment, but their textured-but-not-scratchy feel combined with a durable body and just a damn good-looking bed make them the best of the bunch.

Best Sateen Sheets: Cuddledown Hotel Sateen Sheet Set

It seems everyone on the internet has crowned Cuddledown’s (try and ignore the name) 400-thread count sateen set the champion of sateen. I should note that sateen is not my favorite bedding material — far from it — but for those who take to the buttery softness, heavier, warmer feel and an admittedly gorgeous sheet drape, Cuddledown is pretty damn great. These sheets are made with length to spare (a feature to accommodate all mattress heights), and they proved themselves to be absurdly wrinkle-resistant. The long-staple cotton used makes for a sheet that won’t wear out as quickly as most sateen sets.

Best Sheets Under $50: Target Threshold Organic Cotton Solid Sheet Set

This one wasn’t even close. Target’s hyper-affordable Threshold-branded sheets easily outclassed the likes of Amazon’s best-selling Mellani sheets, the AmazonBasics line itself, two sets of sub-$50 Walmart sheets and two IKEA sets.

Cheap sheets make their cheapness known in a variety of ways — some show lousy stitching and begin to fray after one wash; some arrive with an off-putting chemical smell; others simply feel crappy to lay on. The Threshold sheets set themselves apart by retaining the basic reasons you’d buy a percale set in the first place — they’re crisp, cool, easy-to-clean and reasonably moisture-wicking. And at less than $45 for a queen set and no weird chemical smells, there’s little to no competition at this price point.

Introduction

B

uying decent sheets is confusing, and almost laughably so. What is sateen? Someone told me thread count doesn’t matter anymore — is that true? What in the world do plys mean, and why are there staples in cotton?

All fair questions, and all the result of a decades-long practice by brands bamboozling customers in hopes they’d just buy bedding without thought. Luckily, the reign of the thread-count scammers and quality skimpers is ending. In their place: a wave of direct-to-consumer brands that skip out on distribution and stocking costs in favor of materials and craftsmanship. And with them, mega brands, too, have become at least a bit more honest about their affordable offerings.

Over the course of a few months, I slept on 31 different sheet sets to find out which ones do their job the best. My most important piece of advice to shoppers: buy sheets for you. Sleep hot? Skip sateen. Prefer crispy hotel sheets? Check out the percale selections, and so forth. If neither of those things makes sense to you, fear not; rounded up here is all the bedding jargon you’ll need to know before you get your next set.

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Important Terms to Know

Percale: Also called a plain weave, percale is a balanced weave pattern where yarn is typically threaded in a one-under-one-over pattern. Percale is not a material, though it is nearly always used in reference to cotton sheets. Percale sheets are typically lighter weight, crisper, affordable and matte (read: not shiny). Because of this, percale is the most popular sheet type by a significant margin.

Sateen: Not satin. Known for its luxe smoothness, wrinkle-resistant qualities, and a dulled shininess, sateen sheets are also almost always made of cotton, but bear different attributes than percale. A sateen weave is a tight, unbalanced weave, with more vertical threads than horizontal, making it heavier feeling on the body and limiting airflow more than percale sheets do. Sateen sheets sleep warmer than nearly every other sheet type and material for this reason.

Linen: Made from the flax plant, linen is woven much more loosely because its threads are typically much larger. This gives linen its trademark airiness. But linen is not necessarily lightweight — it’s typically heavier per square inch than sateen or percale cotton, and, due to natural properties the flax plant possesses, is the superior moisture-wicking textile. Linen sheets are often pricier than sateen or percale due to a more involved manufacturing process and lower supply of materials (spoilers: we use more cotton than flax).

Staple: Not what you bind paper together with. A staple signals the length of the cotton fibers used to make the sheet — the longer the staple, the longer the thread, which in turn means fewer threads are needed, creating a more durable fabric that produces less lint. Around 85 percent of cotton produced is short staple, with the remaining 15 percent being long and extra-long staple. Thus, the longer the staple, the higher the quality and cost.

Ply: The number of yarns in each thread. Some sheets will call their constructions two or three plies — this means there are that many yarn strings woven into each thread that makes the sheet. More plies typically means a more rigid, denser construction, which can create the “crisp” feeling you’ll see sheets described with.

Thread Count: The measure of total threads present in a single square inch of sheet. This number is calculated by adding horizontal and vertical threads. Thread count is one factor in determining sheet quality, but can be manipulated by using finer threads or using multiple plies and artificially doubling (or tripling) thread count.

Pilling: Occurs when the ends of fibers become frayed and tangled, picking up dust, lint and other frayed fibers. If a pillow or sheet looks and feels fuzzy, that’s likely pilling. Pilling occurs more regularly when shorter staple cotton is in use, as it’s easier for them to come undone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Best Thread Count?

“Pumped-up numbers with inferior, multi-ply yarn, the [thread count] numbers are often lies to begin with. A higher thread count doesn’t equate to better quality. Stay within the 200- to 300-range and you’ll be good,” said Jimmy McDonald, cofounder of Authenticity 50.

Every sheet maker we spoke with echoed a similar sentiment. Thread count just isn’t a good measure of quality as a standalone figure, apart from exposing sellers who are (probably) trying to rip you off. If you see any sheets above with a thread count of 500 or above, regardless of material or weave, feel free to take that as a big red sign that says “bullshit.” There’s only so many threads you can squeeze into a square inch of fabric, so these higher thread counts are either adding plies to their sheet and counting those as double or artificially weaving in more threads, which is only going to make for a hotter, heavier sheet anyway.

What’s the Difference Between Percale and Sateen?

The vast majority of people sleep on percale — it’s crisp, cool and versatile. Its balanced weave allows air to flow through the sheet, and allows the sheet to stack in areas and “float” above the skin, creating more avenues for air to keep you cool.

Sateen isn’t without its own strengths, though. Its predominantly verticle, unbalanced weave gives it less rigidity than percale, allowing it to fall and drape on a bed more attractively than other weaves. It’s a better choice for people with significantly more sensitive skin, as it’s much smoother to the touch than other popular bedding weaves and materials.

Sateen’s downsides pertain to durability and its knack for insulating too much heat. The imbalanced weave of sateen makes it more likely for pilling, sheen loss and tears to occur, so it will typically show wear more quickly. The weave is also responsible for a detracted airflow, meaning you’ll be warmer than you would be under percale.

What Is “Egyptian Cotton” and Why Does the Type of Cotton Matter?

Egyptian cotton is probably the most famous type of cotton, and rightfully so — real Egyptian cotton is extremely long-staple cotton that can be wound into a long, tight and soft yarn that makes for durable, cozy textiles. Unfortunately, odds are the sheets you bought, even if they say they’re made with Egyptian cotton, aren’t.

Truth is, there aren’t many good ways to determine if a set of sheets is using all real Egyptian cotton, as brands often use a trace amount to claim it as a marketing tool (you can reference this website, but very few brands are registered).

Supima cotton is an American-grown variety of true Egyptian cotton, and fabric must be certified by the American Supima Association to call itself Supima (find an updated list of brands that use Supima here). Most premium brands will use one version or another of long or extra-long staple cotton, which is a good indicator the company is using quality materials. As noted above, the longer the staple, the greater the fabric’s durability. It’s also useful to check for a GOTS certification to make sure you’re getting sheets made without any toxic materials and in an ecologically-friendly way.

Why Does Linen Feel Scratchy at First?

While all percale and sateen sheets are made from cotton, linen is made from flax, which is a different beast altogether. Where cotton is extracted in a fluffy ball called a boll, the fiber used to make linen is a bast fiber that more resembles what you’d expect from a plant product. Bast fibers are taken from the core of the flax plant, and, as such, are not fluffy or pleasant initially — but their tensile strength is naturally higher than cotton.

The roughness of linen sheets when they ship to your home isn’t indicative of their quality — you have to give linen time to break into its charm. Softer qualities are brought out over time through wash and wear. A good rule of thumb with linen (and all sheets, really) is to give it a good wash right when you get it to start that process.

Buying Guide

Best Overall Value Sheets: Authenticity 50 Percale Sheet Set

Verdict: Extra-long staple Supima cotton is the crème de la crème in the cotton world, but you typically have to spend half a month’s rent to the real-deal stuff. Not so with Authenticity 50’s absurdly well-reviewed Supima percale weave sheets. Made completely in the U.S. (“seed-to-stitch,” the website notes), these sheets were our runner-up for best overall percale sheets due to a body that’s light enough to stay cool in the summer, but not so light you’d need to change them in the winter. You’ll be hard-pressed to find the same mixture of craftsmanship, materials and company-wide transparency for less than $200 — and these start at $139.

Best Percale Sheets: Boll & Branch Percale Solid Sheet Set

Verdict: Though not the sheets that made it famous, Boll & Branch’s percale sheets are stellar. They launched in April of this year, and out of the mountain of percale sheets I tested, this set stood out for a couple reasons: The sheets are a bit airier than the company’s signature sheets, which are made for a cooler (but still cozy) sleeping experience. The percale sheets are made using a plain weave (one-under, one-over) with the brand’s signature organic long-staple cotton, and utilize two very fine plys (layers) that give structure while maintaining maximum breeziness. My partner sleeps hot, I sleep cold and we both agreed these were the best-feeling percale sheets, regardless of the weather outside.

Best Affordable Percale Sheets: Target Threshold Organic Cotton Solid Sheet Set

Verdict: This one wasn’t even close. Target’s hyper-affordable Threshold-branded sheets easily outclassed the likes of Amazon’s best-selling Mellani sheets, the AmazonBasics line itself, two sets of sub-$50 Walmart sheets and two IKEA sets.

Cheap sheets make their cheapness known in a variety of ways — some show lousy stitching and begin to fray after one wash; some arrive with an off-putting chemical smell; others simply feel crappy to lay on. The Threshold sheets set themselves apart by retaining the basic reasons you’d buy a percale set in the first place — they’re crisp, cool, easy-to-clean and reasonably moisture-wicking. And at less than $45 for a queen set and no weird chemical smells, there’s little to no competition at this price point.

Best Linen Sheets: Rough Linen Sheet Set

Verdict: I actively tried not to succumb to Rough Linen’s rabid and growing fanbase, but I couldn’t help it — its linen sheets are what dreams are made of: they’re airy, tough and textured. Rough Linen’s sheets arrive slightly stiff (as most traditional linen does) and grainy but soften rather quickly with use and washes. Though some commenters online warned it might take months to soften, I found the sheets significantly softer and more flexible after only a few stints in the laundry machine. I was also happy to find that they weren’t waxy or coated in anything that would cut down on linen’s natural texture. Rough Linen’s sheets are sewn by hand with their Smooth line of linen, which uses a tighter-than-usual weave, making it feel much sturdier than the other brands I tried. At $360 for a queen set, they’re certainly an investment, but their textured-but-not-scratchy feel combined with a durable body and just a damn good-looking bed make them the best of the bunch.

Best Affordable Linen Sheets: Brooklinen Linen Core Sheet Set

Verdict: Linen sheets are notoriously expensive, so “affordable” is relative here. Starting at $229, Brooklinen’s set is as airy as you’d want it to be, but the weave isn’t too loose either, as was common in testing cheaper linens. When compared with the other linen sheets I tested, the Brooklinen set was significantly softer from the get-go (other than Parachute’s garment-dyed set). The low cost, less aggressively-textured feel and a great variety of colors make Brooklinen’s set a rock-solid linen starter set.

Best Sateen Sheets: Cuddledown Hotel Sateen Sheet Set

Verdict: It seems everyone on the internet has crowned Cuddledown’s (try and ignore the name) 400-thread count sateen set the champion of sateen. I should note that sateen is not my favorite bedding material — far from it — but for those who take to the buttery softness, heavier, warmer feel and an admittedly gorgeous sheet drape, Cuddledown is pretty damn great. These sheets are made with length to spare (a feature to accommodate all mattress heights), and they proved themselves to be absurdly wrinkle-resistant. The long-staple cotton used makes for a sheet that won’t wear out as quickly as most sateen sets.

Best Affordable Sateen Sheets: Target Threshold Organic Cotton Sateen Sheet Set

Verdict: Similar to the budget percale category, there isn’t much competition here. Target’s sateen offering blew other similarly-price sateen sheets out of the water in softness and looks. In fact, apart from a bit less natural wrinkle resistance, they were on par with the Cuddledown sheets. The biggest marks against them pertains to breathability, where they’re easily eclipsed by more premium options. But for less than $50 for a set, not everything can be perfect.

Best Sheets for Hot Sleepers: Snowe Percale Sheet Set

Verdict: Incredibly crisp and light. These long-staple Egyptian cotton sheets are assembled and finished by hand in Italy and feel like air conditioning you can wrap yourself up in. Snowe’s sheet, which comes in a very handsome ash grey (among other options), narrowly outperformed the likes of Alterra Pure, Boll & Branch and Coyuchi for this spot by way of a lighter, crisper body and a generous 90-day test-and-return policy (free shipping on purchase and return). My partner nearly always sleeps on top of the sheets — not with these.

Best Sheets You Can Buy on Amazon: Perú Pima Percale Sheet Set

Verdict: Frankly, buying sheets on Amazon is annoyingly tedious. The all-caps descriptions are fluffy, figuratively speaking, and there’s virtually no way to reprimand brands that try to bullshit you. The “Pima” cotton these sheets are made from is not Supima-certified, but it is extra-long-staple cotton nonetheless — and for a really, really solid price at that. Perú Pima has been making these sheets for quite some time, too, and has its own website that’s manned by people who respond to customer service requests. These sound like low bars to hop, but Amazon may very well be the biggest remaining offender in the old bedding-misinformation scheme.

Best-Looking Sheets: Coyuchi Organic Crinkled Percale Sheets

Verdict: Like a well-plated dish can make food taste better, a bed that calls us to it makes sleep better. Coyuchi’s crinkled percale product uses a proprietary low-thread-count weave to create these lightweight, “worn in” sheets. The lower thread count makes them exceptionally airy, yet still heavier on the body — almost like a linen sheet might feel. Pair the sheets and pillowcases with Coyuchi’s traditional percale duvet cover for the coziest, most-photogenic bed imaginable.

Best Eco-Friendly Sheets: Alterra Pure GOTS-Organic Cotton Percale Sheet Set

Verdict: Yes, they’re comfortable, too. Alterra Pure’s percale was the runner-up to Snowe’s percale in “Best Sheets for Hot Sleepers.” The sheets are wonderfully light, but they’re also the most responsibly raised of any I tested. Alterra uses only recycled and reused water during production and emits a whopping zero gallons of wastewater during production. These 100 percent organic cotton percale-weave sheets are made from Fair Trade-cotton bought from farm co-ops that Alterra Pure works with on various sustainability projects. The materials are GOTS-certified and even produced in an eco-friendly, LEED-certified factory.

Not Recommended

AmazonBasics Sateen Sheet Set

Though reasonably well-reviewed on Amazon, AmazonBasics’s sheets aren’t worth the bother. The microfiber set is 100 percent polyester, and it began pilling after two washes. It was also a bit suffocating compared to others in the affordable price bracket.

Mellani Brushed Microfiber Sheet Set

I had high hopes for these sheets, which are among the best-selling on Amazon. Even though the microfiber sheets were lightweight, they didn’t allow for much airflow. The set I ordered arrived with threads already coming apart, a defect amplified after one wash.

IKEA ULLVIDE Cotton-Lyocell Sheet Set

The IKEA ULLVIDE set I tested wasn’t particularly poor, but the ULLVIDE is a single-ply, 200-thread-count sheet using a short-staple cotton-lyocell blend. To translate: it’s more than likely going to wear down. And fast.

L.L. Bean Pima Cotton Percale Sheet Set

Named the best percale sheets available by Wirecutter, these sheets are very, very good for the price, but they didn’t best Snowe’s percale in cool, crispness and they aren’t nearly as affordable as Target’s Threshold percale set. They also fell just short of Boll & Branch and Authenticity 50’s percale sets in soft-crisp balance. I also wasn’t able to verify the material as legitimate Supima, where Authenticity 50’s was.

Parachute Linen Sheet Set

Parachute’s linen sheets occupied much the same space L.L. Bean’s percale set did — very good, but just in between superlatives. A full linen set (fitted sheet, top sheet, pillowcases) from Parachute runs $279 for a queen, where Brooklinen is $30 lower, and I didn’t notice much difference between sleeping, washing and construction. I preferred Rough Linen’s durability and look over it as well. Parachute’s percale sheets performed well early on but lost a bit of crispness after a series of washes.

Snowe Sateen Sheet Set

While the percale sheets were great for keeping cool, I found the sateen sheets were a bit too warm, even for sateen. They’re also not quite as lustrous as the Cuddledown sheet and cost significantly more than Target’s Threshold line.

Rugs Don’t Have to Cost an Arm and a Leg — These Six Are All Under $1,000

Rugs are inexplicably expensive. Yours doesn’t have to be. This selection of six rugs runs the gamut of material and pile, but doesn’t breach the 4-digit deathtrap. Read the Story

5 Best Commuter Motorcycles of 2018

This list serves as a guide to commuter, motorcycles. It’s not an official segment of motorcycles, but certain lifestyles demand daily transportation in and out of urban areas, and a small motorcycle is the perfect answer. The five motorcycles included vary in size, style and price but are all perfect for navigating the daily grind.

Prefer to skip directly to the picks? Click right here.

The Short List

Best All-Around Commuter: 2018 Ducati Monster 821



In the Ducati Monster lineup, the 821 risked falling into obscurity as the middle child. The 797 is prized as the approachable, entry-level Ducati since the Scrambler line spiraled off into its own sub-brand. The Monster 1200 might have a near identical design to the little 797, but if you look closer, it’s a tech-laden superbike with no fairings and serious power. Instead of being a slightly bigger version of the 797, the 821 borrows supersport-level tech from the 1200 and brings it down to an approachable level. It gets the best of all worlds — the controllable and lightweight nature of the 797, plus a little extra shove from the engine and the top-of-the-line tech and control systems from the 1200. And it costs just over $11,000.

Who It’s For: The commuter who doesn’t need the power of a bigger engine, but wants the tech that seemingly only the bigger, more expensive bikes get.

What’s Good: “For some, and understandably so, the 147-horsepower Monster 1200 may prove to be too much bike and the 797 too small and rudimentary. The 821 comes in as the Goldilocks option: it utilizes the same frame, brakes, tank and headlight, the beautiful if intricate, color TFT instrument display and traction control and ride mode system as the more expensive 1200 — but delivers it all in a much more manageable, affordable package. That seems to be the magic of the Monster. The Scrambler may be its own sub-brand, but the Monster has its own following under the larger Ducati umbrella. It offers the same styling with different levels of performance, attracting a wider array of riders. It succeeds with an architecture Ducati got right the first time and has simply fined tuned over the years in small, minute increments like Porsche has done with the 911.” – Bryan Campbell

What to Watch Out For: The term ‘all-new’ for 2018 has to be used loosely. “The engine in the new 821 is the same 821cc Testastretta L-Twin engine from the outgoing model but gets a host of modern hardware from the bigger, more technologically advanced 1200. Looking at the 797 and the 821 side-by-side, you might say they’re both entry-level models; if the 797 is the base model, with no options ticked, the 821 is the upgraded sport package. – Bryan Campbell

Value: There are very few other bikes at this price point with this much technology on board, though that much tech is becoming increasingly more common. Aside from the power deficit and the yellow paint job option, the 821 is incredibly similar to its big brother, the Monster 1200 — a bike that starts around $17,000.

Design: “Ducati’s Monster married a superbike engine to a Super Sport frame and created somewhat of a new genre with the “naked” sportbike — a modern cafe racer of sorts. It was an undeniable hit. It was different. It was beautiful. It could handle the canyon roads as well as a race bike could tackle the track and it came with three different engine options: the M600, M750, and M900. Until now, we’ve had the all-new Monster 1200 and 797; and now, the latest update: the middleweight 821. For 2018, in keeping with tradition, Ducati brought its iconic, entry-level roadster into the modern era with an incredibly minimalistic approach.” – Bryan Campbell

Verdict: “The 821 certainly isn’t a paradigm shift in the Monster universe, but what it gets right is bringing upper-echelon sportbike technology within the grasp of new riders — or riders not interested in spending nearly $18,000 for what should be standard on any modern sport bike.” – Bryan Campbell

What Others Are Saying:
“Stylish yet utilitarian, practical yet exciting, thoroughly modern but consciously linked to its glorious past, the 821, like Italy itself, blends opposing forces in a harmonious whole, forging its own identity in the process. The 821 isn’t just the Monster 1200’s little sibling. It’s a user-friendly package suitable for less experienced riders, but it’s also competent and engaging in ways that appeal to riders looking for a motorcycle distinguished, not by a single dominant sensation, but by the parity of its parts in pursuit of motorcycling bliss.” – Cycle World

“By far the biggest change, though, is to the electronics, and this comes in two parts. First, the old, letterbox-esque LCD dashboard has been consigned to the trash can in favor of a thoroughly modern color TFT display. Second, Ducati have thrown a full-on electronics package as standard at the 821 and that means full ride-by-wire with 8-level configurable traction control, three-level configurable ABS, and three engine maps.” – Ride Apart

“In the end, I think the new Monster would make a fantastic and stylish first Ducati for any rider with more than six months of riding experience under their belt. Ducati wasn’t B.S.-ing when it claimed the new 821 is the “Best Balanced Monster.” – Motorcycle.com

Engine: 821cc L-Twin
Horsepower: 109
Torque: 63 lb-ft
Price: $11,995

Best Value Commuter: 2017/18 Kawasaki Z650



In the middle-weight naked bike category, the bikes are so closely matched that any scrutiny has to be done under a microscope. Pricing is all evenly matched, though the Kawi is one of the more affordable options compared to its Japanese rivals (even on the ABS model at $7,399) and also edges out the competition on styling with lively pearl white plastics and an electric green trellis frame. Where the Z650 really shines is under power in the mid-range, right where you need it for passing traffic in day-to-day commuter traffic.

Who It’s For: The rider who wants to save a money rather than shell out for the absolute best in class but still wants to enjoy tight and twisty back roads on the way home from work.

What’s Good: “Team Green developed this bike as the bigger brother of their own monkey-bike, the Z125 Pro. That means power took a backseat to flickability during development. Which is why Kawi only breathed on their tried-and-tested 649cc parallel-twin engine, opting to smooth out delivery and provide grunt where it was needed most — in the mid-range.” — Matt Neundorf

What to Watch Out For: To be a better bike for a wider audience, Kawasaki set up the front forks more lightly sprung than usual. It makes the bike more user-friendly to novice riders but aggressive riders might overdo it and find the front end diving under hard braking.

Value: For a modern, naked sports bike to have this level performance and a $6,999 price tag hanging off the bars, it’s a bargain.

Verdict: “You feel this as soon as you settle into the saddle. During stop-and-go stints in downtown Santa Monica, there were no struggles to stand flat-foot at lights, and the bike never felt like it could get away from me. The revised chassis geometry and slim, straight bars make 90-degree, grid-street negotiations a breeze, meaning this thing will do well for urban commuters too.” — Matt Neundorf

What Others Are Saying:
“In all, the Z650 satisfies nearly all of the prerequisites for an affordable, mid-level, sport-inspired machine. In terms of performance, nearly all of the systems found on the Z650 have massive amounts of potential to take a rider with little to no experience, and allow for a great deal of maturation to take place; a rider can develop their skills for a good while, before stepping to the next rung on the proverbial ladder.” – Ultimate Motorcycling

“As it stands, the bike is a great addition to the Z family, and proof of what Kawasaki has learned from years spent with the Z1000 and Z800 (both of which will be replaced by the Z900 for 2017). And it’s a great option for those naked bike lovers who’ve been waiting for a mid-displacement twin with Team Green badges on its side.” – Cycle World

Engine: 649cc parallel twin
Horsepower: 63
Torque: 42 lb-ft
Price: $6,999

Introduction

Navigating any concrete jungle can be hell — especially if you call the asphalt wilds your commute. Driving into the city is certified insanity and public transportation isn’t always the most reliable (which is the understatement of the year for any New Yorker). That only leaves one serious option: a motorcycle. In the city, agility trumps power and bulk is the enemy of timeliness. To get to work on time what you need is a slender, nimble bike that looks good and handles well — here are five of the best motorcycles for any city-dweller.

Terms to Know

Sport Standard: A style of motorcycle with an up-right riding position, with handle bars close enough to the rider not to neccesitate and agressive lean or reach.
Naked style: A motorcycle lacking plastic fairings, exposing the engine and transmission.
Twisties: When a road has many, tight and winding turns.
Lane splitting: Riding your motorcycle between the lanes or rows of slow moving cars or stopped traffic. California is the only state in the U.S. to officially legalize lane splitting.
Flickability: The ease at which a bike can be quickly change direction, leaning from one side to the other.

What Makes a Great City Motorcycle?

Surviving city traffic — mad cabbies, delivery trucks and frantic commuters — on a motorcycle requires patience, quick reflexes and steel nerves from a rider and it’s crucial the motorcycle itself can keep up. A compact, slender bike is a good place to start. Dodging potholes and traffic and going for narrow or closing gaps between cars is the norm when you’re cruising down a crowded avenue or side street. To be able to get any of that done with ease a good city motorcycle utilized that smaller silhouette by being lightweight and flickakble. Of course, bigger bikes are at a disadvantage there but if they can hide their weight with a nice and low center of gravity, heavier bikes can ride like they’re half the size.

Power is important but only if it’s in a usable spot in the rev range. There’s no use having chart-topping power and torque if you have to be flirt with the redline to see any of it. Motorcycles that work best on city streets have a healthy low- and mid-range — basically where the engine speed lives when you’re coming off light or traveling at traffic speeds.

When you are dipping and diving, weaving your way through town, your attention has to be at an all-time high. And not surprisingly, if you’re not physically comfortable on your bike, you’re going to be distracted. That’s not just the ergonomics of the seating position either. Although it is incredibly important that you’re not stuffing yourself onto the bike and cramping up your needs, riding comfort also stems from a great suspension setup. A super stiff suspension setup, where you can feel every rut, rock and crack can not only be bone shatteringly uncomfortable but can lead to a nervous, twitchy and unsettled bike.

It’s a tall order to build a bike that’s versatile enough to handle city streets and still have the capabilities to hop on the highway to get out of town. But when manufacturers get the formula right, a city-bound motorcycle can be an incredible asset in fighting back the daily grind.

Buying Guide

What’s in This Buying Guide

5 Best Urban Motorcycles of 2018

Best All-Around Commuter: 2018 Ducati Monster 821



In the Ducati Monster lineup, the 821 risked falling into obscurity as the middle child. The 797 is prized as the approachable, entry-level Ducati since the Scrambler line spiraled off into its own sub-brand. The Monster 1200 might have a near identical design to the little 797, but if you look closer, it’s a tech-laden superbike with no fairings and serious power. Instead of being a slightly bigger version of the 797, the 821 borrows supersport-level tech from the 1200 and brings it down to an approachable level. It gets the best of all worlds — the controllable and lightweight nature of the 797, plus a little extra shove from the engine and the top-of-the-line tech and control systems from the 1200. And it costs just over $11,000.

Who It’s For: The commuter who doesn’t need the power of a bigger engine, but wants the tech that seemingly only the bigger, more expensive bikes get.

What’s Good: “For some, and understandably so, the 147-horsepower Monster 1200 may prove to be too much bike and the 797 too small and rudimentary. The 821 comes in as the Goldilocks option: it utilizes the same frame, brakes, tank and headlight, the beautiful if intricate, color TFT instrument display and traction control and ride mode system as the more expensive 1200 — but delivers it all in a much more manageable, affordable package. That seems to be the magic of the Monster. The Scrambler may be its own sub-brand, but the Monster has its own following under the larger Ducati umbrella. It offers the same styling with different levels of performance, attracting a wider array of riders. It succeeds with an architecture Ducati got right the first time and has simply fined tuned over the years in small, minute increments like Porsche has done with the 911.” – Bryan Campbell

What to Watch Out For: The term ‘all-new’ for 2018 has to be used loosely. “The engine in the new 821 is the same 821cc Testastretta L-Twin engine from the outgoing model but gets a host of modern hardware from the bigger, more technologically advanced 1200. Looking at the 797 and the 821 side-by-side, you might say they’re both entry-level models; if the 797 is the base model, with no options ticked, the 821 is the upgraded sport package. – Bryan Campbell

Value: There are very few other bikes at this price point with this much technology on board, though that much tech is becoming increasingly more common. Aside from the power deficit and the yellow paint job option, the 821 is incredibly similar to its big brother, the Monster 1200 — a bike that starts around $17,000.

Design: “Ducati’s Monster married a superbike engine to a Super Sport frame and created somewhat of a new genre with the “naked” sportbike — a modern cafe racer of sorts. It was an undeniable hit. It was different. It was beautiful. It could handle the canyon roads as well as a race bike could tackle the track and it came with three different engine options: the M600, M750, and M900. Until now, we’ve had the all-new Monster 1200 and 797; and now, the latest update: the middleweight 821. For 2018, in keeping with tradition, Ducati brought its iconic, entry-level roadster into the modern era with an incredibly minimalistic approach.” – Bryan Campbell

Verdict: “The 821 certainly isn’t a paradigm shift in the Monster universe, but what it gets right is bringing upper-echelon sportbike technology within the grasp of new riders — or riders not interested in spending nearly $18,000 for what should be standard on any modern sport bike.” – Bryan Campbell

What Others Are Saying:
“Stylish yet utilitarian, practical yet exciting, thoroughly modern but consciously linked to its glorious past, the 821, like Italy itself, blends opposing forces in a harmonious whole, forging its own identity in the process. The 821 isn’t just the Monster 1200’s little sibling. It’s a user-friendly package suitable for less experienced riders, but it’s also competent and engaging in ways that appeal to riders looking for a motorcycle distinguished, not by a single dominant sensation, but by the parity of its parts in pursuit of motorcycling bliss.” – Cycle World

“By far the biggest change, though, is to the electronics, and this comes in two parts. First, the old, letterbox-esque LCD dashboard has been consigned to the trash can in favor of a thoroughly modern color TFT display. Second, Ducati have thrown a full-on electronics package as standard at the 821 and that means full ride-by-wire with 8-level configurable traction control, three-level configurable ABS, and three engine maps.” – Ride Apart

“In the end, I think the new Monster would make a fantastic and stylish first Ducati for any rider with more than six months of riding experience under their belt. Ducati wasn’t B.S.-ing when it claimed the new 821 is the “Best Balanced Monster.” – Motorcycle.com

Engine: 821cc L-Twin
Horsepower: 109
Torque: 63 lb-ft
Price: $11,995

Best Value Commuter: 2017/18 Kawasaki Z650



In the middle-weight naked bike category, the bikes are so closely matched that any scrutiny has to be done under a microscope. Pricing is all evenly matched, though the Kawi is one of the more affordable options compared to its Japanese rivals (even on the ABS model at $7,399) and also edges out the competition on styling with lively pearl white plastics and an electric green trellis frame. Where the Z650 really shines is under power in the mid-range, right where you need it for passing traffic in day-to-day commuter traffic.

Who It’s For: The rider who wants to save a money rather than shell out for the absolute best in class but still wants to enjoy tight and twisty back roads on the way home from work.

What’s Good: “Team Green developed this bike as the bigger brother of their own monkey-bike, the Z125 Pro. That means power took a backseat to flickability during development. Which is why Kawi only breathed on their tried-and-tested 649cc parallel-twin engine, opting to smooth out delivery and provide grunt where it was needed most — in the mid-range.” — Matt Neundorf

What to Watch Out For: To be a better bike for a wider audience, Kawasaki set up the front forks more lightly sprung than usual. It makes the bike more user-friendly to novice riders but aggressive riders might overdo it and find the front end diving under hard braking.

Value: For a modern, naked sports bike to have this level performance and a $6,999 price tag hanging off the bars, it’s a bargain.

Verdict: “You feel this as soon as you settle into the saddle. During stop-and-go stints in downtown Santa Monica, there were no struggles to stand flat-foot at lights, and the bike never felt like it could get away from me. The revised chassis geometry and slim, straight bars make 90-degree, grid-street negotiations a breeze, meaning this thing will do well for urban commuters too.” — Matt Neundorf

What Others Are Saying:
“In all, the Z650 satisfies nearly all of the prerequisites for an affordable, mid-level, sport-inspired machine. In terms of performance, nearly all of the systems found on the Z650 have massive amounts of potential to take a rider with little to no experience, and allow for a great deal of maturation to take place; a rider can develop their skills for a good while, before stepping to the next rung on the proverbial ladder.” – Ultimate Motorcycling

“As it stands, the bike is a great addition to the Z family, and proof of what Kawasaki has learned from years spent with the Z1000 and Z800 (both of which will be replaced by the Z900 for 2017). And it’s a great option for those naked bike lovers who’ve been waiting for a mid-displacement twin with Team Green badges on its side.” – Cycle World

Engine: 649cc parallel twin
Horsepower: 63
Torque: 42 lb-ft
Price: $6,999

Best Big Engine Bike: 2018 Ducati Multistrada



As far as styling and sound go, the Multistrada can be polarizing. What’s not up for debate, though, is how well the big adventure sport bike rides and tackles turns. The secret is the phenomenal Skyhook semi-active suspension and the clever way Ducati engineers hid the bulk of the Multistrada’s 518 pounds. It has the looks of an adventure bike, but when you start to flick the ‘Strada back and forth, navigating traffic and city streets, it’s easy to forget it can handle a mountain pass or two as well.

Who It’s For: The long distance commuter.

What’s Good: “The high-visibility LED graphic display makes swapping riding modes and adjusting suspension settings a simple task, displaying them in simple, visual terms. With a dry weight of 467 pounds, the Multistrada 1260 feels light and agile, albeit a bit tall (seat height is adjustable from 32.5-33.3 in), which makes maneuvering the bike in and out of parking spaces somewhat difficult if you’re a shorter rider.” — Justin Coffey

What to Watch Out For: “Don’t expect to take the new 1260 off-road, as its 17-inch cast Marchesini wheels are more adept at eating up the asphalt than dirt.” — Justin Coffey

Value: The sports-adventure bike category is a tough one to navigate — nearly every manufacturer offers one at this point and they’re all similarly priced. The Ducati, though, has style to go with its tech and performance.

Design: The Multistrada 1260 feels much like the outgoing 1200cc model. Riding position stays the same – upright, comfortable, with wide handlebars and ample wind protection thanks to the on-the-fly adjustable windscreen. With the longer wheelbase, the new 1260 is more confident in corners, more noticeably so in the faster, sweeping curves on the island of Gran Canaria. — Justin Coffee

Verdict: “Ducati’s Multistrada was designed to offer the owner a variety of options. From taking the long way home to riding the length of South America, the Multistrada is capable of many tasks, although it excels at making twisty (paved) roads disappear into the distance. Locking luggage comes standard (optional aluminum panniers are available from Touratech), as do heated grips, keyless ignition, a tire pressure monitoring system and a quick-shift function (clutch-less up- and downshifts, available on the S and Pikes Peak models). With its upright riding position and multiple ride modes, the new 1260 can transform from a docile urban commuter to an aggressive sport-touring machine with the push of a few buttons.” — Justin Coffey

What Others Are Saying:
“So much of what has made the Multistrada a popular machine since 2010 is captured wholly in the new 1260. The engine is the biggest improvement. Ducati claims six additional ponies over the 1200, but it doesn’t really feel faster. The longer wheelbase makes it less prone to wheelie, I’m sure—mostly it’s how linear the power delivery is that made me smile. It’s happy to lug around town, and has a fat midrange that won’t disappoint.” – Cycle World

“The handling of the Multistrada 1260 is superb for a motorcycle of its size. At a claimed 511 lbs wet and with a 62.4-inch wheelbase, I was pleasantly impressed with how precise and light the front end felt and how quickly the entire motorcycle could be flicked from side to side.” – Motorcycle.com

Engine: 1262 90-degree L-twin
Horsepower: 158
Torque: 95.5 lb-ft
Price: $18,695+

Most Stylish: 2018 BMW R NineT Urban G/S



The heritage line at BMW is a tad confusing. The R NineT that launched the line, though it’s a pretty bike, at $15,000 seems rather tame. It does have the technology and power to warrant a price tag around that limit, but the Urban G/S not only looks miles better, it’s more affordable as well. Granted, though it’s more pared down, tech-wise, it still handles just as well as the R Nine T its based on. A Dakar racer it is not, but while weaving through traffic downtown few things look cooler.

Who It’s For: The rider who wants iconic style and design cues blended into a modern BMW.

What’s Good: “Calling it a new model is a touch misleading, though, because it’s essentially just a restyled R nineT Scrambler — except better looking. A high front fender, nose fairing and the iconic combination of red seat and blue tank graphics over a white paint job bring out the best in the R NineT’s styling. The exhaust differs from the Scrambler’s as well, but the rest of the running gear — like the compact analog-digital combo speedo — is identical. It even comes standard with the Scrambler’s alloy wheels, but the optional spoked wheels (pictured) are the ones you want. As a styling exercise, there’s no doubt the Urban G/S is a home run.” – Wesley Reyneke

What to Watch Out For: Where the original G/S that this bike takes most of its inspiration from was known for dominating Dakar, the Urban G/S is not as off-road savvy. It has a few design touches here and there that would help it do better on a dirt than the R NineT it’s based on, but for the most part, it’s just that: design touches.

Value: It might be a slightly paired down version of the more expensive R NineT, but there’s no doubting it looks better. Saving around $3,000 doesn’t hurt either.

Design: “The Urban G/S’s upright ergonomics make it all-day comfortable, but you’ll eventually pine for a cushier saddle, if you do find yourself in the saddle. Its 485-pound form factor won’t give you supermoto-like levels of handling, but the low center of gravity makes it relatively easy to muscle through turns. It’s a deceptively compact motorcycle.” – Wesley Reyneke

Verdict: “The Urban G/S does have incredible potential to be customized beautifully, to be made unique, to be made your own. If customization isn’t your thing, that shouldn’t turn you away. Out of the box, the Urban G/S is a great-looking and well-performing motorcycle. Even if you won’t actually race across the desert with it, it’ll make you feel like you can.” – Wesley Reyneke

What Others Are Saying:
“The heritage the Urban G/S pays tribute to is reminiscent of the old R80 G/S, a motorcycle that basically invented the adventure-touring category. In its time, dirt bikes were lightweight, single-cylinder machines. The original G/S was a street bike fitted for off-pavement duty, a motorcycle made for exploring. The modern version, the Urban G/S, really is no different..” – Revzilla

“The thing is, while none of the other models have really struck my fancy, I really like the R NineT Urban G/S. BMW seemed more willing to admit the Urban G/S is not an adventure bike but a daily bike for people who loved that first adventure bike and who are moved by the styling..” – Cycle World

Engine: air- and oil-cooled 1,170cc flat-twin
Horsepower: 110
Torque: 85 lb-ft
Price: $12,995

Best All-Electric Option: 2018 Zero DS ZF13.0 +POWER TANK



There’s an argument to be made that motorcyclists have a better understanding of torque than most. Sitting so close to the fulcrum point at the wheel, with any amount of twist from the engine you can easily feel the forces at work. Now consider that one of the defining characteristics of electric vehicles is their maximum torque is available from zero RPM — full power can be instantaneous and available throughout the rev range. When you need to make a last minute pass or get ahead of traffic off the line, an electric motorcycle can spoil a rider. The Zero DS ZF13.0 +POWER TANK is admittedly on the expensive side for the bike that it looks like, however, having 188 miles per charge is a mileage stat not many other bikes can boast. Efficiency is the Zero DS ZF13.0 +POWER TANK, but the way it sends power to the rear wheel is addictive and a great way to spice up any commute.

Who It’s For: The eco-concsious commuter who has a taste for neo-futurism and appreciates that quality power doesn’t mean paying through the teeth at the pump.

What’s Good: Even without the Power Tank option added, the DS gets better city mileage than almost any other bike in its price bracket or power class. Spring for the Power Pack and the DS ZF13.0 increases its range from 147 miles to 188 miles. In other words, more than enough to stifle any lingering range anxiety.

What to Watch Out For: You’re paying for the battery performance, technology and capabilities. Where the Zero falls short is the overall refinement. The plastics seem to be on the cheaper side of the spectrum. But if you can look past that, the DS’s 188-mile range makes it an incredible commuter.

Value: As mentioned, the plastics and overall refinement of the Zero DS falls a tad short, but the better range and money saved at the pump is really why you’re buying this. It’s no electric-assist pedal bike either. Aside from the lack of exhaust note, this is a genuine motorcycle and should be looked at as such. Not many other motorcycles at this price point can claim the same endurance.

Design: The DS design lands somewhere in the gray area between the dirt world and sports standard city bike. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — giving off the peppy character of a scrambler or dual sport while retaining the practicality and comfort of a city bike helps the DS stand out. Oddly, its the complete lack of noise as you ride by that catches the attention of most.

Verdict: There’s a lot to go back and forth on with electric bikes — the lack of sound, the range anxiety, the lack of gears or on some, the pointless gears. But the DS can handle corners well enough (despite being 457-lbs) and will go further than anything else you have in your garage on two wheels. Not to mention it’s one fewer reason to vist the gas station and give them money.

What Others Are Saying:
“Basically, with some cute bodywork and clubman bars, this bike would be the perfect scrambler. Like all Zero motorcycles, it’s best as your daily commuter, but if you really need to do those 100-mile Sundays in the canyons, or just have a long distance commute, there’s always the power tank, which gives it an additional 25 miles at Highway/City combined. That 25 miles of range comes at a price of $2,695 and 44 lbs of added weight.” – Clean Technica

“Zero DS is pleasurable in virtually any riding environment. It’s not your run of the mill electric bicycle “wannabe” motorcycle, but the real deal. If there were a negative issue, it would be that it’s so quiet that other motorists are often unaware of your presence, requiring extra vigilance on your part..” – The Fast Lane Car

Power: Lithium-ion Cell Zero Force Battery
Horsepower: 60
Torque: 81 lb-ft
Price: $16,890
The Best SUVs Under $50,000

Choosing one among the endless many is no easy task. Moreover, since the average price for an SUV 2017 was just under $40,000, it’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. To cover all the bases, we bumped the budget up to $50,000 and chose the best new SUVs you can buy in 2018. Read the Story