CHRISTINE: It’s kind of like brightening your teeth. You don’t want to brighten them halfway. CAIRA: Just go halfway. CHRISTINE: Yeah. CAIRA: Are you sure? I think that’s a style. CHRISTINE: Yeah. Never go halfway. CHRISTINE: I’m Christine Cyr Clisset.…

If you have an expansive home and don’t mind a larger sensor: Consider the YoLink YS7804 motion sensor, the YoLink YS8003 temperature sensor, or the YoLink YS7704 door sensor. YoLink’s sensors were highly responsive throughout our testing, and in our…

Outdoor security cameras Photo: Michael Hession The worry: You dread the prospect of being woken at midnight and having to arm yourself with a flashlight to go investigate whatever (or whoever) it is that’s causing a ruckus by the back…

75% Our former top pick, the Epomaker TH80 Pro, has been discontinued. It’s still a great keyboard, with a white case, thick keycaps, and the same features as the Keychron V1 Max. But you have to download Epomaker’s less-intuitive software…

I don’t like surprises, especially the kind that cost me money. Our sump pump failed one winter during a flash thaw, but I didn’t find out about it until several inches of water ruined the electronics, books, and furniture in…

This is not a comprehensive list of all the lights and lanterns we’ve tested. We have removed any models that have been discontinued or no longer meet our requirements. Packable lights The BioLite AlpenGlow 500 is super-compact and portable. It…

Swanning around Baggu Made of machine-washable recycled ripstop nylon, this sturdy and sweet bag has a small interior pocket, a zippered top, and a swan beak on the padded strap. Your mom surely has a work-friendly tote or practical handbag…

Avanchy Stainless Steel Suction Baby Bowl Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Top pick This stainless steel bowl has a removable suction-cup base and a lid for saving leftovers. When it comes to feeding kids, durable and easy-to-clean stainless steel accessories are hard…

For anyone who’s thought of taking a try at running an Airbnb, smart devices are practically non-negotiable. With a modest investment in the right collection of gadgets, you can monitor your property in real time in a number of useful,…

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…

CHRISTINE: I’m Christine Cyr Clisset. CAIRA: I’m Caira Blackwell. ROSIE: I’m Rosie Guerin and you’re listening to The Wirecutter Show. Caira, Christine, we are popping in for a quick bonus episode this week to talk about some news that broke…