Verge Favorites | The VergeThe Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.2025-12-17T20:17:02+00:00https://www.theverge.com/rss/favorites/index.xmlhttps://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1Brandt Ranj<![CDATA[The best thing I bought this year: The Nintendo Switch 2]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8454772025-12-17T15:17:02-05:002025-12-21T09:00:00-05:00
I waited for the Nintendo Switch 2 for a long time. Rumors of an allegedly-real-but-never-released Switch Pro swirled around for years as I watched fewer and fewer AAA third-party games make their way toNintendo’s little console that could. There were always enough first-party titles and indie games to tide me over, but I watched with some envy as games like Elden Ringtook the world by storm, knowing I’d have to wait until Nintendo’s next generation hardware arrived to add them to my Switch library. Now, finally, it’s here.
The Switch 2’s core strength for me boils down to it being a better version of the original Switch. Its 7.9-inch 120Hz 1080P screen looks sharp — yes, an OLED display would have been nicer, but I’m not complaining — and its ability to output at up to 4K, or up to 120Hz at lower resolutions, is a welcome improvement. It can play most original Nintendo Switch games, some of which have been updated through free or paid patches to run at a higher frame rate or resolution.
The only native Switch 2 game I’ve played so far is Mario Kart World, which I picked up as part of a bundle with the system. My most-played game is the original Switch title The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which runs at 4K and 60 frames per second if you get the Switch 2 edition for $10 (it’s a free download if you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription). That subscription also allows me to play a growing number of GameCube games available as Nintendo Classics, including titles I didn’t get to play when I was a kid.
I specifically put off playing games from my backlog, including titles going back several years, until I could play them on a larger display in handheld mode, and I don’t regret my decision. Putting dozens of hours into Octopath Traveler while chilling on the couch with the big-screen handheld was a heck of a lot of fun. Nintendo and third-party developers have also been pretty generous with releasing free demos of Nintendo Switch 2 titles, including Donkey Kong Bananza and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, so it’s possible to sample bigger titles before deciding to pick them up.
My only real complaint with the Nintendo Switch 2 is its 256GB of internal storage, which isn’t enough for folks like me who’ve built up a large digital library of Switch games. Adding more requires you to pop in a microSD Express card, which can be twice the price of than the regular microSD cards used by the original Switch. My hope is that if a hardware revision comes down the line it’ll include an OLED display and at least 512GB of storage. By that time microSD Express cards will have hopefully become more affordable.
The console’s $449.99 starting price came as a shock to many, but it seems fair given its tech specs, and an escalating tariff situation that delayed the Switch 2’s preorder timing in North America and compelled Nintendo to raise the price of the original Nintendo Switch. Nintendo recently announced that it “will shift our primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2 and expand our business around this new platform.” I’ll continue to look forward to exclusive titles making their way to my new console of choice, along with ports of third-party games that I haven’t gotten around to yet.
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Terrence O’Brien<![CDATA[The best thing I bought this year: a portable mechanical keyboard]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8434552025-12-17T11:57:31-05:002025-12-13T10:00:00-05:00
A keyboard perfect for barside writing.
As a writer, I take the tools of my trade relatively seriously. I’m not crazy enough to drop $3,600 on a keyboard, but I also find typing on a MacBook for extended periods of time deeply unsatisfying — and distracting. So this spring, I started looking into distraction-free writing setups, which included an e-reader / writer and a mechanical keyboard.
I started with the Boox Palma 2 because its E Ink screen and limited connectivity could make it a solid distraction-free solution if paired with a good keyboard. After a lot of research, the keyboard I settled on was the NuPhy Air60 V2, with the company’s heaviest tactile Moss switches and the gorgeous NuFolio case in “nostalgic tan,” which is really more of a bold yellow.
Now, I am no connoisseur of mechanical keyboards, but I find the Air60 V2 to be delightful to type on. Its low-profile keys don’t have the same travel and feedback as my regular keyboard or my vintage IBM Model M, but it is still an enormous improvement over my MacBook’s scissor switch keyboard. The Moss switches offer decent-enough thock, but they’re not so loud that I would avoid using the keyboard in public. It might be a bit much for a quiet cafe, but I’ve sat and worked on articles and short stories while seated at a bar and definitely didn’t feel self-conscious about it.
The ability to pair it with three devices means I can move the NuPhy between my personal laptop, my work laptop, and the Boox with ease. It also comes with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, but I’ve had little need for it.
I frequently bring the Air60 with me to get some writing done on quiet nights when I’m bartending. (Come see me at Flagship Brewery Tuesdays and Thursdays.) If I need to use my laptop, the Air60 is designed to fit perfectly over a MacBook keyboard while leaving easy access to the trackpad. But more often I’ll bring the Palma 2. The NuFolio acts as a stand as well as a keyboard cover, and the Palma’s flip case hangs perfectly over the top, creating a nice little self-contained writing setup that is ideal when I don’t want (or need) access to the internet.
I even turn to it at home sometimes. When I decided to start writing fiction again for the first time in nearly 20 years, I installed Obsidian on the Palma and, paired with the Air60, it became my go-to. As someone who frequently relies on timers to stay on task, I found the NuPhy and Palma a panacea for my attention struggles. Part of that is because I actually look forward to typing on the Air60. The feel, the sound, even the color scheme are all deeply satisfying in a way that no laptop keyboard could ever be.
It’s not a perfect solution. The 64-key layout is great for portability, but it can be a bit cramped — I make a few more errors typing on the Air60 than I do on a more generous keyboard. And its shallow angle can be a bit uncomfortable for extended periods of sitting at a desk. But it’s actually perfect with a standing desk (or a bar) or even while resting in your lap.
I wasn’t sure that the NuPhy was going to be a wise use of my limited funds when I bought it earlier this year (I was just over a year deep into unemployment and relying on diminishing freelance assignments). But nine months later, it’s become an indispensable part of my writing routine.
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Brandon Russell<![CDATA[The best thing I bought this year: the Remarkable Paper Pro]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8378772025-12-08T13:31:45-05:002025-12-09T09:30:00-05:00
The Remarkable Paper Pro and Type Folio keyboard case is a surprisingly great combo.
About a year ago, we said you probably don’t need the Remarkable Paper Pro. The e-ink device is equal parts outrageous and luxurious; it’s not ideal for consuming books, and the screen can sometimes feel painfully slow. Then there’s the starting price, which is, quite frankly, ludicrous at $629 (up from $579 thanks to US-induced tariffs). Add in the $229 Type Folio, and holy hell.
Based on that description, most sane people would stay far, far away, and maybe spend their money on, I don’t know, Apple’s latest MacBook Air. We’ve seen Apple’s laptop drop down to as low as $738, making it the more affordable option against the combined price of the Remarkable Paper Pro and Type Folio keyboard case.
And yet, I not only bought the Paper Pro, but it’s the device I find myself reaching for most often when I want to GTD, like write this blog. Not because it’s the best tablet — it’s not — but because it’s a stubbornly single-purpose device. That’s a good thing!
While using it, I’m insulated from a world that’s constantly demanding my attention. There is no Slack app. I can’t doomscroll. There are exactly zero notifications. And instead of hitting me with AI and algorithms, it just sits there, quietly, inviting actual human thought and curation.
That’s the trick. The Paper Pro allows me to focus on what I’m doing, which feels like a small miracle. It creates a narrow lane, and that’s where I stay — no distracting detours or YouTube rabbit holes. In combination with the Type Folio, the experience is an absolute delight. Yes, the accessory is damn pricey at $229, but it’s worth every penny. It attaches to the tablet easily; it’s thin and light; and it doubles as protection.
I’m not that well-versed in keyboards — I use Apple’s Magic Keyboard as my daily driver — but the Type Folio is good. It’s not the most spacious keyboard around, but it’s very comfortable. The keys have a satisfying clickiness and feature a nice soft-touch finish. Some of the keys are backlit, too, allowing me to type well into the night. I still find it a little tricky to fold and unfold, but it’s stable enough to use on my lap when I need to.
Meanwhile, writing directly on the 11.8-inch Canvas Color display with the upgraded Marker Plus stylus (which adds another $129 purchased separately, or another $50 when bought with the Paper Pro) offers a great paper-like feel thanks to the tablet’s textured glass. I can scribble on a blank page or PDF, and there are some built-in productivity templates available, allowing me to use the Paper Pro as a daily planner. Every note I write and type is synced across Remarkable’s mobile and desktop apps, though it requires a $2.99 per month subscription.
Admittedly, I don’t use the Paper Pro to its fullest potential. I don’t often take advantage of the color display and the pen generally stays magnetically attached to the side of the tablet, though I’m trying to write with it more. There are other tablets that are cheaper and offer more capabilities. For me, though, the distraction-free approach and Type Folio are worth the price of admission. If you’re looking for a way to take a break from apps and notifications — beyond bricking your phone — the Paper Pro and Type Folio is an excellent setup.
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Andrew Liszewski<![CDATA[The best thing I bought this year: a Zippo-sized rechargeable flashlight]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8353002025-12-17T10:39:35-05:002025-12-02T11:00:00-05:00
The Wuben G5 is as easy to pocket as a Zippo and a much better light source. | Photo: Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
I was never a Boy Scout, but I have always embraced their “be prepared” motto. When I leave the house it’s never without my everyday carry kit that, among other things, includes wireless earbuds, a small battery, extra glasses — and a flashlight. In fact, I’ve long been on the hunt for what I consider to be the perfect flashlight, and as a result I now have more of them than any one person could ever need. But the $25 Wuben G5 could be my last, thanks to a compact design that pairs clever functionality with lots of illumination that’s easy to adjust.
I bought the G5 as a replacement for the Nitecore TINI 2 keychain flashlight I used to carry. Nitecore’s is surprisingly bright given how small it is, but the lock option that prevents the flashlight from turning on accidentally is far from foolproof. In reality, the TINI 2 would regularly turn on by itself while bouncing around inside my sling bag, draining its battery without me realizing it. You can’t effectively “be prepared” with a dead flashlight.
The G5 also includes a locking mechanism, but in the form of a sliding switch on one side that doubles as a cover for the flashlight’s USB-C charging port. After a couple of months of carrying it around, the G5 hasn’t turned on by itself, and at this point I don’t expect it to. It’s not quite as small as my old Nitecore, but it’s just slightly taller than a Zippo lighter, and still very pocketable.
What I like even more about the G5 is that it’s very good at just being a flashlight. Instead of stepping through brightness presets, the flashlight has a wheel for quickly dialing in exactly how much illumination you need, from just 2 lumens to up to 400. I find its lowest setting more than bright enough to locate something dropped in a dark car, or for searching for something that rolls under the sofa, and keeping it dim boosts the flashlight’s battery life to up to 65 hours.
The G5 is not limited to just white light. It has a second LED whose color can be adjusted by turning the brightness dial, which cycles through the spectrum. Using a combination of double taps and long presses on the power button, the G5 can also flash individual colors or multicolor patterns, which could, in some situations, be a useful way to signal you’re having an emergency.
Other functionality I’ve come to appreciate includes a clip whose position can be adjusted to the front, side, or back of the G5, and that its LEDs are located on a head that can rotate 180 degrees. The base of the flashlight even has a built-in magnet so you can mount the G5 and use it hands-free. In short, it feels like Wuben put a lot of thought into the G5’s design to maximize its functionality.
I’m not going to pretend that everyone would be thrilled to find a flashlight in their stocking on Christmas morning, but I’m betting there’s one or two people on your shopping list who would appreciate a very useful addition to their own everyday carry kits.
Nitecore TINI 2 500 Lumen USB-C Rechargeable Keychain Flashlight
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Sarah SmithersBarbara Krasnoff<![CDATA[What’s on your desk, Sarah Smithers?]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8264122025-11-26T15:57:53-05:002025-11-29T10:00:00-05:00
This custom-built desk is only part of a fascinating (if crowded) office space.
As senior editorial coordinator, Sarah Smithers wears a lot of hats here at The Verge. “The simplest way to put it,” she says, “is that I handle our operations and administrative tasks. Every day is a little bit different. I onboard new employees, send contracts to freelancers (and make sure they get paid), approve expenses, book travel for my coworkers, handle most of our business purchases, and help track our budget.”
Outside of work, “I like to experiment with lots of different crafts and hobbies.” She’s also a big trivia buff. “I would absolutely love to be on Jeopardy one day,” she admits, “even though landing on a Daily Double is far too much pressure and therefore my nightmare.
We asked Sarah about how she created her home workspace.
This is a really lovely room. Where is it located?
Thank you! I live in Jersey City with my husband, Aleks, and our two dogs, Ned and Olive. We bought our rowhouse in late 2018. My office is on the second floor. It’s supposed to be the third bedroom, but it’s pretty small — about 8 x 9 feet. Prior to the pandemic, this was just a bonus room that we called “the reading room” or “the little purple room” because it housed a bookshelf, a chair, and some plants. We also used it for storage.
Aleks and I both primarily work remotely now, so we turned our (much larger) second bedroom into a guest bedroom/office hybrid for him, and I converted this area into my workspace. I clearly still store a lot of stuff in here, though.
Let’s begin with the basics. Could you tell us about your desk and your chair?
My husband and I built my desk together. It was about 95 percent him, but he did hand over the nail gun towards the end and show me where to point and shoot.
We went with a custom build primarily because space is an issue. We anchored the bookshelf to the wall when we first moved in — I even painted around it, so there’s just a sad white wall behind it. So instead of moving the shelf, we just designed my office around it. This was logically the only place to put a desk, so we (really, he) built this one so I’d have as much surface area as possible, while still being able to open the door. It’s small but I love it because it’s one of a kind, even if the design is based off of our coffee table in the living room.
I picked form over function when it came to my chair. I knew I wanted a green one with gold accents. I found this one on World Market. It is not the most comfortable chair in the world, but it looks really nice! That said, my aging back will require a new, more supportive office chair soon.
Tell us about the various tech devices you’re using.
Honestly, I am probably the least techy person at The Verge. I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2020, courtesy of our parent company Vox Media. Sometimes I wish I had a second screen, but I’d have to move too much stuff around to make space for it. I’m also used to solely working out of a laptop at this point. I don’t always want to sit at my desk, and I like being able to move around throughout the day. Sometimes I want to work from my dining room table or from Vox Media’s New York office, and I can just unplug and go.
I’m definitely an Apple gal. I currently use an iPhone 15 and have an Apple Watch Series 10 that forces me to get up, go outside, and walk around. I also have an iPad Air (3rd generation). It was a gift and I mostly treat it like it’s a Kindle. Sometimes I prop it up on a stool so I can watch Netflix in the tub.
I did break out of the Apple ecosystem for my headphones. I bought a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds2 after reading a review on The Verge. I’m not that picky. I like how the rubber ear tips feel in my ears, and they were affordable. Also, they’re purple, a color I am clearly a fan of.
I handle most of The Verge’s purchases, which means I also fill out a lot of credit card authorization forms. I ended up buying an Aurora AS420C Paper shredder so I can destroy those forms after I’m done. It was an entirely unnecessary purchase, but sticking stuff into a shredder is fun!
You end up doing a lot of math when you’re working with budgets. I have an English degree, so I need a calculator. Of course I can access a calculator using my laptop, my phone, or my watch, but I still like having an old-school one on my desk.
There are so many lovely photos and interesting tchotchkes here I hardly know where to start. Let’s start with the photos over your desk and around the room.
Most of my photos are of people and things that I love, but two of them are of complete strangers.
I bought a gold frame at a thrift store about 13 years ago, and when I opened it up to put my own photo in, I found this portrait of an older woman sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard. It made me sad to think about how she got all dressed up and did her hair and makeup to sit for this photo and then just ended up in a second-hand shop. So, I kept her in the frame and named her Gladys. She’s been a fixture in this room since I moved in, but I added the “Employee of the month” placard once this turned into my permanent workspace.
The other strangers are in the round golden frame: it’s a couple on their wedding day. It’s basically the same story as Gladys. I found them while digging through frames at an antique shop and thought they deserved to be proudly displayed in a home.
Then there are all those shelves full of plants.
Oh, I am definitely a plant lady. I am also a pottery enthusiast. I started taking wheel-thrown pottery classes almost two years ago, and began dabbling in hand-building about a year ago. It has been a real challenge for me, but I’m determined to improve — which means I have to practice a lot. My original plan was to replace my existing plant pots with handmade ones, but then the handmade pots started outnumbering the plants, so I had to get more plants, and now I have sixty-two plants in this house. Eleven of them live in this office.
There’s only one north-facing window in this room, which isn’t ideal for sustaining succulents. They like a lot of light! I bought a grow light for them a few months ago and that has been a huge help. I’ve only had one plant death in the past four months!
Thank you! Prior to moving in with Aleks, I used to live with one of my best friends, Liz. She has a background in interior design, and had a Tiffany-style lamp in her bedroom that I always admired. Plus, I was raised Catholic so I’m just naturally drawn to stained glass. I wish I could say that I found this at an estate sale or while thrift shopping, but the truth is I just bought it off of Amazon because it’s pretty.
You seem to have a spoon collection.
I do! My parents started buying me a spoon as a souvenir whenever we’d go on vacation, and I’ve kept up with it throughout the years. I had to expand and get a second rack a while back, so now I keep spoons from trips that Aleks and I have taken together in that one.
I’m really grateful that my parents started this collection for me. Each spoon has a memory attached to it, even my oldest one from a trip to Universal Studios when I was two. I obviously have no memory of the actual vacation, but I do remember that my grandma used to let me take that spoon off the display rack and secretly eat cereal with it when she would babysit me.
Tell us about the flying eyeball.
His name is Icarus. I met the artist who created him, Sammy Jane, at a craft fair a few years back. She practices ethical taxidermy and creates these fantasy creatures called Optopods. They’re very cute and a little bit creepy and I love them so much. I have three others hidden around my house, and have gifted two more to friends. Icarus likes to watch me work, and my dogs like to come in and gently sniff him.
Finally, introduce us to your dogs.
My white dog is named Ned Flanders, and I think he’s around ten years old. Aleks found him on Petfinder right after we moved in together in 2017. He’s actually a former street dog from Cairo who had suffered some abuse. The original rescue agency who picked him up was overcrowded, so they partnered with one in New York and flew him over with about a dozen other dogs. After reading his sob story, I insisted that we adopt him right away.
I am sure he has zero recollection of his former life, because he is now the Most Spoiled Dog in America. He’s also the sweetest, cuddliest, clingiest dog alive. I happen to be his favorite human, which means I am constantly tripping over him and I am constantly covered in dog hair.
My black dog is named Olive Loaf, and she’s eight. I’ve always had dogs growing up, but Ned was my husband’s first ever pet. About eight months after we adopted him, Aleks was like “Okay, but I’ve never had a puppy, either, and Christmas is coming up…”
Olive is definitely my all-time favorite Christmas present. She’s allegedly a husky/boxer/cocker spaniel/pit bull/pug mix and she understands way too much English for her own good. I have to be careful not to say “walk” during meetings, or she’ll lose her mind. She definitely helps make sure I get in at least 10k steps a day.
Photography by Sarah Smithers / The Verge
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Barbara Krasnoff<![CDATA[We found Black Friday deals on our favorite tech, and most are under $50]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8291622025-11-28T10:03:27-05:002025-11-28T10:00:00-05:00
About once a month or so, we here at The Verge like to write about our favorite stuff: pet gear, backpacks, and weird toys, among others. Now that the Black Friday sales are all popping up, we’ve checked out some of the items that we’ve written about in the past — things that we have bought for ourselves and that we really like — to see which are on sale.
So far, we’ve found a lot of low-cost gadgets that are available for under $50, along with some fashionable and very useful bags. Take a look.
For years, I’ve been procrastinating getting a proper phone holder for my car so I can easily glance at GPS directions. I finally got fed up with having an Android Auto-less car enough to finally purchase a wireless phone charger and holder from Amazon. Sure, it’s not a name-brand device, but I was able to easily mount it on my dashboard with the suction cup, and it’s stayed in place since. It also has a neat auto-clamping feature that ensures your phone stays snug inside the holder, and it provides a way better charge than the measly USB cable I had plugged into my car before. — Emma Roth, news writer
I travel abroad a lot, so a reliable charging brick that I can use both at home and while traveling in Europe and the UK (which are all different plugs) is an essential item for me. Minix’s compact 66W 3-Port GaN wall charger is my favorite one — it’s small but mighty. It features two USB-C fast-charging ports and one USB-A port, so I can charge my laptop, phone, and other devices simultaneously in my hotel room (I’m still waiting for hotels to figure out that USB-C is a thing now). But the best part is that it comes with a European and UK wall plug adaptor that I can easily snap on depending on which country I’m in. — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, senior reviewer
I have a tendency to hold on to my phones as long as they work reasonably well, but even the best devices will eventually start to lose battery life — and after over three years of use, it’s not unexpected that my Pixel 6 will sometimes hit the 20 percent mark toward the end of the day. So I recently realized that I’m going to have to start carrying around a portable charger. Eventually, I settled on the not-so-powerful but lightweight Anker Nano Power Bank, which plugs into my phone’s USB-C slot like a small add-on peripheral. The Nano weighs only 3.5 ounces and supplies 5,000mAh of battery power — enough to keep me going to the end of the day. And it comes in several pale colors (I chose Ice Lake Blue), which means I can see it more easily in the dark reaches of my bag. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
My ToAuto soldering station spent a few years gathering dust, but I finally pulled it out of the closet when I started experimenting with game console repairs. It may not be a Hakko or a Weller, but it gets the job done. The station is perfect for a beginner like me, as it heats up to 842 degrees Fahrenheit, comes with numerous interchangeable soldering tips, has steel wool for cleaning, and features a handy rack to hold a spool of solder. So far, it’s helped me do things like solder an HDMI port onto a PlayStation 4 and install new batteries on old Game Boy games. I expect it’s going to come in handy for many future repairs, too. — Emma Roth, news writer
My partner and I were coming back from dinner with a friend the other night, and as the bus roared away, he suddenly realized his wallet was no longer in his back pocket. We called the MTA the next day, and were able to drive over to the local bus depot and pick it up — and the next day, I ordered a Tile Slim for him. I’ve actually been using Tile trackers for my own keys and wallet for a couple of years now, and so as nice as the folks at the MTA were, hopefully, my partner’s new Tile Slim will ensure it’s our last visit there. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
I can’t help but laugh every time I hear “Royal Kludge,” but this is truly the best folding Bluetooth keyboard I’ve used yet — because it’s the only multi-device keyboard I’ve tried that doesn’t fall off my lap! It’s also a mechanical keyboard with swappable keycaps, but that’s just the cherry on top. For me, the important bits are that it’s easy to type on, I can swap between multiple Bluetooth devices instead of re-pairing, I can plug it in with USB-C whenever Bluetooth won’t work, and it spans both my legs while folding vertically rather than horizontally, so it doesn’t just fall into the gap between my legs like so of many rivals do. There really aren’t a lot of multi-device wired/wireless hybrid keyboards out there with USB-C ports. This one’s chunkier than the competition, but it’s a great deal. — Sean Hollister, senior editor
I picked up Hoto’s electric screwdriver because my former boss at The Verge, Dan Seifert, would often pitch it around gift guide season. I’m glad I did, though, because it now sits alongside a handful of tools I use on an almost weekly basis. I wouldn’t suggest using it for real household projects that require some serious torque, but it’s incredibly handy for tightening the legs on my desk, assembling furniture, and making sure my bike seat isn’t going to come off mid-ride. It’s also equipped with a USB-C port for charging, a nifty LED light that lets you ditch the headlamp, and a case for housing the 25 steel bits. Oh, and it really does make for a great little gift. I guess Dan was right. — Brandon Widder, senior commerce editor
Older buildings especially suffer from what I can only describe as loose socket syndrome, where those very convenient modern boxy socket extenders with five different USB and USB-C charging ports simply cannot stay in place and fall right out of the wall because they’re too heavy. After one vacation where I had to charge my phone, watch, AirPods, and laptop in a weird corner of my room with the plug-in charging hub propped up on a strategically balanced mountain of books and sham pillows, I bought this Anker combination extension cord / power strip. It’s not a full power strip — just a cube with a few sockets along with USB and USB-C charging ports at the end of a five-foot cable. I’ve brought it on a few trips since then. It takes up extra space in my suitcase but each time has left me feeling vindicated about the purchase. — Sarah Jeong, features editor
Basically, this is six plug adaptors in one. Depending on which one you get, it might come with USB ports so you can charge multiple devices in one outlet. Granted, it’s bulkier than buying one or two specialized adaptor plugs, but if you’ve got a multi-continent itinerary, it’s a game-changer. What I like about this one from Epicka is that it comes with a spare fuse in case things go sideways with voltage. The only caveat is that, although it says “universal,” it’s technically only the four most common types of plugs. That’ll get you by in most countries, but it’s not a guarantee in places like Brazil, South Africa, or India. Even so, I’ll take this over price gouging at airport electronics shops or having to take time out of my schedule to visit a local hardware store. — Victoria Song, senior reviewer
Childish whimsy aside, Killstar has a decent selection of bags and purses to suit those with alternative fashion tastes, and this Vamped Up backpack is one of my favorites. It can’t fit devices like laptops or larger tablets through the zipper, but it’s plenty roomy enough for phones, wallets, e-readers, and a good handful of pocket-sized essentials. That back-facing zipper placement makes it tricky to steal from, and I find the rubber-like bat design on the front is pretty effective at keeping all the contents dry when rain hits. I’ve linked to the black version, but I own it in a striking red color that gets me hounded with cheerful compliments every time I wear it. — Jess Weatherbed, news writer
For the past year, I haven’t left the house without Alpaka’s 2L Flight Sling bag, which is spacious enough to hold a couple of phones, earbuds, keys, and other everyday carry items I don’t want weighing down my pockets. But for a recent trip to British Columbia, I wanted something similarly sized that could also hold a water bottle, so I opted for Alpaka’s 2L Flow Satchel. It has a similar internal capacity as the Flight Sling but with an extra zippered pocket on the back that ended up being useful for safely stashing my passport, and an expandable sleeve on the side that was large enough to hold the Owala water bottle I was traveling with. The sling is also water-resistant with sealed zippers, which was particularly appreciated during an early morning whale-watching trip, as the morning fog left the outside of the bag soaked but the inside completely dry. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
Two Wheel Gear Pannier Backpack Convertible 2.0 LITE
When I got into cycling last year, I saw a bunch of people with fancy pannier bags and thought, “I want in on that action.” I was riding with a garden-variety backpack on my back, which is a nice way to ensure you arrive at your destination with your back covered in sweat. But I also wanted to be able to carry my bag on my back once I was off the bike. Turns out a company called Two Wheel Gear gets it. It makes a convertible bag with backpack straps you can stash in a pocket for pannier mode. Once you’re off the bike, you snap the straps back together and wear it like a backpack. There’s a laptop sleeve, plenty of pockets, and even a rain cover in its own compartment. Brilliant! — Allison Johnson, senior reviewer
I only have room for one drink holder on my bike, so I’ve found that it’s just far more convenient to carry water on my back with the aptly named CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack. It’s a lightweight backpack that holds up to 1.5 liters of water, which it says is enough for a two-hour bike ride. The backpack also comes with a handy straw that you just lift up and drink from, and keeps your water relatively cool even when the sun is beating down on your back. Aside from storing water, there’s a zipper pocket for car keys, your ID, and other small items. — Emma Roth, news writer
I love a humble piece of bread and butter, but I hate spreading cold, hard butter on bread. Luckily, I haven’t had to since June 2023, when I finally got an airtight ceramic butter dish to store room temperature butter indefinitely. Am I recommending you do the same? No — I’m not prepared to debate anyone on the science behind keeping butter from spoiling. (The FDA says it can be left at room temperature for only one to two days.) All I will say is that the combination of salted butter, an airtight container, and a pair of kids who help me go through it one well-buttered grilled cheese sandwich at a time, has been more than enough to address my own fears. — Sean Hollister, senior editor
I never realized how much joy I could get from a grater until my partner and I picked up a Microplane last year. Whether I’m zesting lemons or creating big, pillowy clouds of grated parmesan for my pasta, the Microplane is an absolute pleasure to use. We still keep a big, blunt box grater around for the occasional vegetable, but the Microplane’s sharper blades are better for absolutely everything else. — Dominic Preston, news editor
One of the first things I did when I got my own place was purchase a food chopper. Perhaps puritan chefs will disagree with my methods, but this saves me so much time. I like to make tikka masala, which requires dicing ginger. If you’ve ever tried to dice ginger, you know that a food chopper would come in handy. This one broke recently, so I’ll probably replace it with a fancier one. — Kylie Robison, former reporter
My wife and I bought this small blender to make ourselves smoothies and protein shakes. It’s now used to make purees for our baby. C’est la vie. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer
For the past few years, the Instant Pot has been a staple in my kitchen. From making rice to slow-cooking stews and even frying up chicken, it can do just about anything. The best part is that the Instant Pot can cook most recipes in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven or on the stove. Rice, for example, takes just six minutes to cook (not counting the amount of time it takes to build pressure), and there’s no fussing with covering the pot or adjusting the heat. Sometimes, it’s just easier — and much less stressful — to let the Instant Pot take the wheel. — Emma Roth, news writer
When I left home for a couple of weeks earlier this year, I was nervous about how I would care for my fish. After waffling between hiring a fish-sitter, plunking in a slow-release feeding tablet, or somehow taking them on the plane with me, I stumbled upon this handy gadget: the Petbank Automatic Fish Feeder. The device clamps right onto your tank and comes with 15 individual compartments where you can store each day’s food, along with a timer that controls how frequently it feeds your fish. Once it’s feeding time, a hatch beneath the feeding compartment opens, releasing that day’s food into your tank. It also comes equipped with a USB-C charging port and promises one to two months of battery life. I had the dispenser feed my fish every other day while I was gone, and it did just that, without even losing a chunk of its battery life. —Emma Roth, news writer
The item that I simply must not forget if I’m leaving home for any sort of multiday visit or vacation is my Tushy portable bidet. There’s a lot that you can’t control during your travels, and that includes the kind of toilet paper you’ll have access to (if any). I don’t need to get specific; using this convenient bidet-in-a-bottle lets me freshen up. The collapsible bottle is easy to clean, it doesn’t leak, and it’s easy to store in its included (and discreet) carrying bag for whenever I might need it next. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
It’s hard to be happy if your feet aren’t happy. When I came back from a week in Scotland, where it can rain at any time, I spent the entire week in either Balega blister resist socks or Darn Tough wool ones. The Balegas are my running socks, and true to their name, I’ve logged hundreds of miles in them with nary a blister. (Did I run during my vacation? No, but I walked a lot.) Wool socks breathe well, don’t stink, and insulate even when wet — essential for rainy conditions or sweaty feet, both of which were in play. Crucially for me, both brands offer extra-large sizes. You’d be amazed at how many brands stop at size 12. — Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor
The Sound Pocket certainly isn’t the best-sounding Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever owned, but it’s currently the one I reach for first. The reason for that is pretty simple: it’s just so small. This is truly a pocket-sized speaker, compact enough to carry in my jeans or tuck into the smallest pouch of my backpack, with a silicon loop on one end for strapping it to the outside in a pinch. It hardly delivers booming bass, but it sounds better than my phone, and is small and light enough that I can always justify packing it. It’s just about the only thing I’m guaranteed to bring no matter where I travel. — Dominic Preston, news editor
There are obviously lots of good Bluetooth speakers out there, but for me, the UE Wonderboom 4 is the perfect one. It’s only $100 (less when it’s on sale), it’s small but loud enough to work just about anywhere, its battery lasts all day and then some, it’s waterproof, and it floats. (All the colors look nice, by the way, but… get the blue one.) There are fancier speakers with more features, but I keep a Wonderboom in my trunk, and it has made me the party hero more times than I can count. — David Pierce, editor-at-large
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Barbara Krasnoff<![CDATA[Our favorite ways to survive Thanksgiving]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8240922025-11-21T09:34:42-05:002025-11-25T10:00:00-05:00
Thanksgiving is an interesting holiday. Some celebrate it as an American tradition. Others look at it as simply an excuse to get together with family to watch some football. And still others just enjoy getting an extra day off from work or try to ignore it altogether. But however you regard it, there are often two areas in which many of us can use help: preparing the traditional Thanksgiving meal and dealing with the stresses that a family get-together can create — especially these days, when conversations around the dinner table may be even more fraught than usual.
Here are some of the strategies that the staff of The Verge use to negotiate holiday meals to help you keep your head together around family and friends.
Prepare fantastic food
Kill them with kindness fat and sugar
I started getting into cooking about a decade ago, and since then have felt uncomfortable rolling up to a party empty-handed. Instead, I go on the caloric offensive. Thanksgiving means bringing a double batch of Millie Peartree’s Southern Macaroni and Cheese, courtesy of The New York Times. It’s food coma-inducing (I’m using three pounds of cheese here, folks), but it is a once-a-year sorta thing.
Truth be told, I’m more of a baker at heart, so I generally rotate the dessert I bring to Thanksgiving and the holidays. I might finally take on a Bûche De Noël if I feel ambitious, and will use Sally McKenney’s recipe if I do. I’m for sure making Lan Lam’s Cranberry Curd Tart with Almond Crust from America’s Test Kitchen and Emergency Chocolate Cake from Milk Street — this is somewhat ironic given the history of those two sites. Both recipes are locked behind paywalls, but there are full videotutorials if you’d like to take them on.
And if you hate cooking and baking, there are no rules against picking up something premade from a bakery or supermarket, or using a boxed mix. — Brandt Ranj, commerce writer
I spent years toiling over mixing bowls during the holidays, my arm left burning after slogging through dense cookie dough with a wooden spoon. But then, I received a hand-me-down KitchenAid Stand Mixer, and it’s been a lifesaver for making just about anything for holiday gatherings: cookies, pies, bread, and even meatballs. My model comes with a couple of different attachments, including a whisk, a flat beater, and a dough hook, all of which make it a heck of a lot easier to get through whatever I’m making. AlI I have to do is toss in my ingredients, choose a speed, and watch the KitchenAid get the job done in half the time it would take me by hand. — Emma Roth, news writer
Make Blue Apron your copilot
I cooked a full holiday meal for a small group a few years ago with the help of Blue Apron and it was a big success. You don’t have to be a member to order meals anymore, and you can pick and choose from mains, sides, and desserts for the holiday meals. It all gets shipped to you with the exact quantities of the ingredients you’ll need along with step-by-step instructions. I appreciated the details about what I could do ahead of time and when. The results were supertasty and I felt so accomplished. — Allison Johnson, senior reviewer
Every Thanksgiving, my partner and I would bring a side dish and a couple of pumpkin pies to the family feast. In the beginning, we were under the impression that it was better to make the pie from scratch (well, sort of scratch — we didn’t create the crust). So every year we’d buy a pumpkin, open it up, scrape it out, remove the seeds… It was quite a production. It also took a lot of time, and sometimes we had to run to the store because we ended up with not enough for the two pies.
Then one day my partner found an article in one of his cooking magazines that basically said, “Hey! Canned pumpkin is fine! Nothing is wrong with it — it’s just easier.”
We were doubtful at first, but it had been a busy year, so we decided to try it. And, yes! The pies came out fine. We still got a lot of compliments. And we were a lot less stressed. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
Board games are a great way to have fun and also distract family members from potentially troublesome discussions. But instead of dusting off that box of Monopoly or Parcheesi, check out Love Letter. It’s the perfect intro to designer tabletop games, because it’s easy to learn, you can start playing in under 10 minutes, and rounds end nearly just as fast — giving people plenty of on and off ramps if they want to join in or bow out.
Love Letter is built around counting and tracking cards in a very small deck. You only get a couple of cards at a time, and each one does a simple task that can knock your opponents (or yourself) out in seconds. And it comes in fun licensed versions, like Marvel comics, Star Wars, and Bridgerton. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer
Look, the truth is, I get through Thanksgiving with nicotine in my lip. But I also tend to forget lots of things when I travel with my kids. To try to avoid that, I use the Ku Xiu Qi 2.2 foldable charging station, the best 3-in-1 charger I’ve used yet. I bought it after my colleague, Thomas Ricker, reviewed it in September and sang its praises. It offers up to 25-watt wireless charging, an Apple Watch puck, and a third pad for my AirPods. All juice up at the same time. No more forgetting chargers.
So now, I just make sure I have this Baseus retractable cable (recommended by David Pierce) in my bag, a single USB-C brick, and the Ku Xiu. — Todd Haselton, deputy editor
Know who to avoid
The number-one thing that’s made my holiday season more pleasant was understanding that it was actually okay to walk away from family relationships that only cause you pain. There are many reasons why that isn’t an option for many people. But I am fortunate enough to not have any financial dependence to worry about. There were several family members who caused me no end of grief over being transgender, and I learned to be okay letting those relationships go.
I spend the holidays with the family who actually loves me, and I don’t talk to the ones who don’t. — Ursa Wright, editor, Decoder
Be the family photographer
If you’re a little socially awkward, hiding behind a camera can be very effective. It’s slightly risky, because an annoying uncle or aunt may ask you, “Oh take this!” or “Get one of so-and-so!” or “Isn’t that cute? Get a picture!” But it usually works out as a net positive, allowing you to drift from room to room or out of certain situations. Is Uncle MAGA sounding off about something again? Well, the nieces and nephews are playing hide-and-seek in the other room, and that treasurable family moment really should be documented.
The other downside is you may be asked to send or post pictures for family members, but that also puts you in their good graces (if you care to be a people-pleaser). And those same photos make easy gifts later on.
— Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer
Just take a walk
When I need to de-stress from the holidays, I go on a walk. It has multiple benefits. I get to breathe fresh air and touch grass. I get some exercise to help burn off whatever baked goods I’ve eaten too much of. I can go buy myself a hot drink. And it’s easy and fun to do in a group, if you need something to get everyone off the couch.
Maybe I’ll take a walk right now. — Jay Peters, senior reporter
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Todd Haselton<![CDATA[The best thing I bought this year: a portable jumper box]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8233792025-11-20T20:03:16-05:002025-11-20T09:30:00-05:00
Having a jumper battery handy for emergencies can prevent a lot of problems for you and your family. | Image: Noco
Hey! We’re kicking off an end-of-the-year series where we’re highlighting some of the best gadgets that Verge staff purchased this year, just in case you need some gift ideas. And it starts with my pick: a battery pack and portable jumper box for your car called the $100 Noco Boost GB40. Sounds boring, right? Hear me out.
The gist is this: It’s a small battery pack with jumper cables, which means you can use its power to jump-start your car instead of having to connect a jumper cable from another car’s battery to yours, then start the other car, wait for a few minutes, and hope your car starts.
I’d heard about gadgets like the Noco Boost GB40 for years, and I’ve seen my share of them on gift guides, but I’d never purchased one. Then the battery in one of our cars died while my in-laws had my kids at the playground. I was out of town, and AAA said it wouldn’t come to jump it unless I was with the car. Bad.
Long story short: the kids and in-laws got home through a mix of Uber and another car, and I planned to jump the dead battery with my other car the next morning. I explained the situation to a friend, and he asked why I didn’t have “one of those battery jump-starter thingies.” He sent me a link to the Noco Boost GB40, and I ordered it for delivery first thing the next morning.
It’s supereasy to use and, thankfully, comes with a partial charge. My wife and I drove another car over to the playground, I attached the Noco Boost GB40’s red clamp to the positive terminal on the dead battery and the black cable to the negative terminal, and waited about a minute. Voilà! The car started right up. I drove it to a mechanic, dropped it off, and had a new battery a few hours later.
Since that car has a new battery, I now keep the Noco Boost in a different vehicle in case that battery ever dies. The device has a flashlight, too, in case you ever need to jump a car at night, and it can charge a phone over USB-C. I didn’t test that, so I’m not sure how fast it charges a phone — but it should work if I’m in a bind.
Anyway, it’s a nice safety gift for loved ones this Christmas. This will be the most boring gift under the tree, and I don’t think anyone will be excited by it, but it’ll be a favorite as soon as they need it.
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Brandt RanjBarbara Krasnoff<![CDATA[Why I love my OXO kitchen scale]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=8128532025-11-10T12:52:19-05:002025-11-10T12:52:19-05:00
Brandt Ranj is a commerce reporter for The Verge, which means, he says, “I spend my time trying to find good deals and the best gear to recommend to our readers.” He also keeps The Verge’s wearables buyer’s guides up to date, but, he adds, “my role requires me to cover a little bit of everything,” including deals on subscriptions. “Products are constantly coming out, so every day it is a little different.”
I come from a long line of bakers who measure everything by feel because the recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. I’m the first person who’s nerdy enough to care about exact weight and ratios when baking, which has gotten me confused looks from my family rather than approval. But the results speak for themselves — my bakes are more consistent because the same amounts of ingredients are used every time. It’s not necessary, but I also weigh out portions of cookies so each one of them is the same size, which is admittedly pretty extra.
I’ve had this scale for many years, and I liked it enough to get another one to keep at my mom’s place when I bake there.
There are loads of kitchen scales out there. How did you choose?
I like OXO’s scale specifically because its magnetically attached digital display can be pulled away from the scale, which is very helpful when I’m measuring a bunch of ingredients in a big bowl. Rather than move the bowl, which could skew the measurements, I remove the display, which stays attached to the base with an admittedly thin cable (so I have to be a little gentle).
How well does it work?
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve used the scale for years and it’s never let me down. Its display is large and easy to read. The buttons are tactile and depress with a satisfying click even if they’re covered in flour. It doesn’t have an IP rating, but liquid ingredients have splashed onto the top of the scale dozens of times, and I haven’t had any issues. In fact, it’s pretty low-maintenance and runs for several months before its batteries need to be replaced. It’s one of those “you only have one job” devices, and it performs admirably.
Is there anything that you’d improve if you could?
So, we’re getting into really nerdy territory here, but here’s the scenario when I use a different scale: pizza making. Some scales have two platforms: one for larger amounts of ingredients, and another that can precisely weigh very light amounts of ingredients (think one teaspoon’s worth of dry yeast). When you’re making pizza, all of your ingredients should be proportioned down to the gram relative to the amount of flour in the dough. (Homemade pizza dough is an incredibly deep rabbit hole — save yourself and start your homemade pizza journey with store-bought dough.)
I also think it would be interesting if the scale had a rechargeable battery, but only if it could be removed and replaced to avoid having to throw out the entire scale once the battery had degraded.
Any other cooking / measuring advice?
If you’re moving from using volumetric measurements (like cups of flour), it’s important to be able to convert that to grams or ounces if the recipe doesn’t provide that information. There’s conflicting information about how many grams is in a cup of flour, but the general consensus is around 120 to 130 grams. However, if the recipe wasn’t developed with weight measurements in mind, things can get a little funky.
My advice is to find recipes that list ingredients by weight, and to look around to see if the ingredient’s packaging or website offers guidance on converting from volumetric measurements. For instance, the King Arthur Baking Company says a cup of its flour converts to 120 grams (the info is actually printed on the bag, which is very helpful).
After a little while you’ll be able to convert measurements in your head, and get to tell people at cocktail parties that a stick of butter weighs about 113 grams. (I’m a really fun party guest, I swear.)
OXO 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull out Display
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Verge Staff<![CDATA[Welcome to our pen-and-paper club]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=7731352025-09-22T12:29:35-04:002025-09-16T08:30:00-04:00
Considering all the tech that we cover here at The Verge, you’d think that the members of our staff would be using their phones, laptops, and other gadgets for all their productivity needs. But interestingly, when we asked people to talk about their favorite productivity tools, there was suddenly an enthusiastic discussion of notebooks, pens, and dry-erase boards.
Welcome to a not-so-secret society where members are concerned with the format of an analog notebook, the quality of its paper, and the available add-ons. Where article ideas, family activities, and interviews notes are jotted down rather than typed. And where productivity can be enhanced not by software, but rather by finding the right type of writing implement to use with your chosen notebook.
Curious? Here are some of the analog productivity tools that we use here at The Verge. They aren’t our only tools — let’s face it, this is The Verge, after all — but they work for us, so they might work for you, too.
After years of experimenting with every to-do app on the planet, I’ve gone back to my analog ways with the Hobonichi Techo — the A5 Cousin and the smaller Hobonichi Weeks. Something about physically writing my stuff with a pen helps me keep track of what’s truly worth my time and what isn’t.
The Cousin is great for visualizing my time on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis. The Weeks version is what I use for both gratitude journaling and tracking my self-care, fitness, and reading. Both books have some extra pages in back for commonplace journaling (aka writing down random knowledge, brain dumps, reference notes, etc.). There’s also a smaller A6 size, if these are too large or skinny. All Hobonichi books have a dot-grid format, and the Tomoe River paper is so thin — but it takes a significant amount of ink to bleed through. I’ve been using these notebooks for almost two years now, and while they’re on the pricier end (especially if you buy them directly from Hobonichi, which is based in Japan, and have to add on shipping costs), they’ve absolutely helped me become a much more productive person and better writer. —Victoria Song, senior reviewer
These seem more like art experiments than functional notebooks, but I love objects that make you rethink how you should use them. I typically have Post-it notes or a spiral notebook on my desk so I can write something down or doodle during a meeting. The L-shaped Sidekick doesn’t take up a ton of space on my desk, opened or closed. The Triangle Notebook is actually great for using on your lap or other unconventional surfaces, as it is pretty sturdy and lays flat on its spine. Both notebooks also encourage me to use my handwriting more, which was a New Year’s resolution I had. —Andru Marino, senior producer
While I have a tendency to be constantly looking for different apps to use for either taking notes or tracking tasks, I have to admit that over the years I’ve gotten more use out of a simple notebook with removable pages than Notion, Keep, or Evernote. Sold by Levenger under the Circa name, the notebooks are bound with plastic discs that let you easily remove and replace the pages. I’ve got a red leather notebook in the Compact size, which is just large enough to write comfortably in, but small enough to fit into my bag. (There are several sizes, ranging from the very small Jotlet to the considerably larger Letter.) Plastic tabs divide the pages into sections; my usual habit is to just open to the first empty page, grab my pen from the attached loop, and write. Later, I can move the page to the appropriate section, remove it for storage, or dispose of it if I don’t need it anymore.
It’s not a perfect system — I often have to remind myself to go through the notebook and dispose of outdated notes. (Also, the Compact size often seems to sell out.) But when I need to quickly jot down a thought, grabbing the Circa from my bag is faster than typing something out on my phone, and a lot more private than recording it. —Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
About a decade ago, my mother bought me a fauxdori (a knockoff Traveler’s Notebook) for Christmas. At first I didn’t quite get it (I already had more than enough journals and notebooks). But then I discovered that the Traveler’s Notebook wasn’t just a notebook, but a whole system of notebooks — and it’s now indispensable to me. There are a ton of different inserts that you can mix and match to suit your needs, from regular dot-grid notebooks to dated planners, and even thick, accordion-fold paper for watercolor panoramas.
After some experimenting, I settled on a system that works for me. First, I have a Weekly + Memo insert where I can put all my important appointments and dates on the left-hand page, and use the grid on the right-hand page as a habit tracker, to-do list for the week, and a scratchpad for when I need to jot something down. Then I have a dot-grid journal where I, you know, journal. Rounding out the setup is a lined insert that is a sort of commonplace book for me to take notes on things I’m reading and collect ideas for articles or songs. I also have a sketchbook that I add in sometimes when I’m feeling arty, but things get a bit chunky with four inserts.
Maybe you don’t need a separate journal and are content to put a single-sentence recap for each day in your planner. Maybe the memo area isn’t essential and a monthly planner insert will suffice. Or perhaps you want to go all in on scrapbooking and get an insert that’s all brown kraft paper. That’s the beauty of the Traveler’s Notebook: it’s whatever you want it to be. —Terrence O’Brien, weekend editor
When I decided to try journaling again (with the aforementioned Traveler’s Notebook) I hoped to make the habit stick this time by making it a luxury experience. Scribbling with a Pilot G2 in whatever branded swag notebook I had laying around wasn’t working. So I decided to invest in a fountain pen. There was no need for me to immediately jump to a $200 pen, but I also wanted something nicer than a $3 disposable Zebra Zensations. I quickly settled on a Lamy Safari (admittedly in part because I found a limited-edition in a gorgeous terracotta orange) and haven’t looked back. I’ve tried a few other fountain pens since, but I keep coming back to the reliable and affordable Safari.
They’re only $30 each, which means you can build a small collection in a variety of colors for pretty cheap. I keep one with my Traveler’s Notebook at all times and one lives in my sling permanently alongside a Field Notes for when I want to travel light. Then I have a third that just lives on my desk. Basically, I am never without a fine writing instrument, and rarely have to resort to the scratchy collection of free pens that have overtaken an entire drawer in my office. That’s important since, if I actually enjoy writing with a pen, I’m far more likely to use it to take notes, update my to-do list, and journal. It makes those things pleasurable experiences, not just a chore. —Terrence O’Brien, weekend editor
I get a small burst of dopamine every time I pop the top of my fountain pen and draw ink across a page. As a casual dabbler in fine art, writing with a fountain pen serves as my small way to make something pretty while also working a job that does not pay me to draw. I’ve tried other pens, like Muji’s multicolored 0.38 pens, Pigma Micron fine-tipped felt pens, and various gel pens with satisfying clicks. But fountain pens are my daily pleasure.
My love has not quite turned into an obsession. I use a Platinum Preppy fountain pen that costs under $10, and I refill the ink cartridge with Waterman ink using a needle that my friend, who is a nurse, gave to me. But I could see myself expanding this into a hobby by daring to try different color inks and, one day, visiting a nibmeister to get a nib ground to perfectly match the slant of my handwriting. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my fairly basic, straightforward fountain pen for what it is: a good way to write a nice line on paper. — Elissa Welle, AI fellow
I’ve tried digital productivity tools for notes and reminders, but I find I remember things better when I write them by hand. I tend to prefer Japanese-made stationery, and I am very particular about the pens I use. For when a fountain pen feels like overkill, my favorite gel-ink ballpoint pen is Zebra’s Sarasa Clip, which comes in a variety of tip sizes. I like 0.5mm for basic note-taking and journaling and 0.4mm or 0.3mm for finer details, like when I need to write small or attempt to write kanji.
The Sarasa line of pens writes incredibly smoothly and vividly, with a noticeable edge over similar ballpoint pens, like Pilot’s G2 (or, god forbid, a Bic pen). I don’t ever find myself having to scribble on scrap paper to get the Sarasa pens going, which is probably my biggest pet peeve with other pens, and it’s easy to get ink refills on Amazon. In my experience, the ink dries quickly on the page, but there’s also the Sarasa Mark On, a smudge- and water-resistant version, for the lefties out there. For day-to-day writing, I simply will not use any other pen. — Kallie Plagge, senior copy editor
Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener
Features a German steel blade for sharp pencil tips.
The Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener is just such a nice little object. It’s reassuringly weighty while still light enough to carry every day. It has one job: it sharpens pencils beautifully. When the blade gets dull I can order a replacement from Blackwing, and I appreciate a little gadget with a lot of life. You do have to apply a bit of pressure to really get it sharp, and sometimes that creates kind of an indented ring on the pencil wood just above the point. Maybe that’s why people use two-stage sharpeners? I don’t know, I’m new to the luxury pencil game. If so, I think it’s an acceptable tradeoff for one-step sharpening. —Allison Johnson, senior reviewer
For reasons I have yet to figure out, I have bounced off of every kind of tool, routine, and method out there for jotting down notes that can keep me accountable. Online tools are typically overly complex for me to grasp and easy to forget about, and I’ve just never taken to a journal or Post-it notes.
Something that’s working for me is a weekly calendar dry-erase board that’s in our kitchen. The one we use from Letterfolk has sections for every day of the week (Letterfolk only makes the monthly version now), plus a sidebar that can be customized to our needs. It also includes magnetized letters and numbers we have to swap out, which is kind of a fun, tactile experience. Whenever my wife and I are feeling overwhelmed, which is frequently, updating the board to reflect what we need can make us feel a little better, whether that’s sorting out what extra food we need for meals, writing out upcoming appointments, or discussing child care. The board doesn’t solve every woe in our lives, and updating it can be a chore in and of itself, but it’s a simple way to make life feel a little more orderly. —Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
