ben adams

An iPhone SE with an iOttie Universal MagSafe Ring Adapter (right) and phone case. Sarah Witman/NYT Wirecutter The most widely available option is a magnetic ring adapter, which is exactly what it sounds like: a ring of magnets with adhesive…

Photo: Connie Park This sometimes-banned classic puberty book offers a wide-ranging, matter-of-fact discussion about bodies and sex. A longtime favorite, this illustrated book walks girls through caring for the body as it changes. It covers everything from bra shopping to…

Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter Top pick No automatic litter box is perfect, but the Litter-Robot 4 gets a lot right. It’s spacious, reliable, and repairable. And it’s easy to clean and customize for your cat. While no device we tested was…

Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence (Two-Pack) — Staff PickAmazon deal price: $23; street price: $29 What we like: A clear snail mucin concentrate we like that smooths and soothes. Made of 96% snail-secretion filtrate. Thicker…

I purchased this Lenovo Flex 5i laptop for around $420 on sale, and based on pricing history and current market prices for similarly-spec’d laptops, I would assume this would be available for well under $500 most of the time (at…

This powder is a little denser than an average powder, providing super smooth, even application and blending, deep to the deepest skin tones, ensuring that every skin tone gets a perfectly flawless, translucent finish. …

Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Top pick The PowerLock is easy to use, durable, affordable, accurate, and capable of doing its job without additional features that aren’t necessary for around-the-house work. The Stanley PowerLock is the best tape measure for a number…

Kyle Fitzgerald/NYT Wirecutter Through our research, and backed up by our firsthand testing, we found that a good general use duct tape should be around 11 milli-inches (mil) thick, use a natural rubber-based adhesive, and be made using a co-extrusion…

Throwing sneakers into the washing machine won’t hurt your machine, but it can be a risky move for your shoes. In fact, experts generally agree that machine-washing is better at removing odors from sneakers than stains—and should be used as…

Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence (Two-Pack) — Staff PickAmazon deal price: $23; street price: $29 What we like: Two bottles of a staff-liked clear snail mucin concentrate that smooths and soothes, from our guide to…