Tech Buying Guides, Sorted by What You Need

Two questions come up whenever you shop for tech: which one should you buy, and is the expensive one worth it? This page is the map to the site’s buying guides, grouped by what you are shopping for. Each entry says in a sentence or two what the guide decides and how it gets there. Prices, picks and test results stay on the guides themselves, next to the date they were checked.

Start with the table if you already know what you want. Browse the sections if you are still deciding.

Start with what you are shopping for

Phones, watches and wearables

These guides cover the things you carry every day. The iPhone and Apple Watch guides were written after Apple’s September 2026 event, and the smartphone ranking was updated for it.

Smartphones ranked by lab tests

iPhone and Android phones ranked mainly on published lab measurements rather than launch-event claims, from the flagships down to budget models, with foldables and a flip phone included. It also covers what the September launches changed for anyone buying this fall.

Which iPhone should you buy?

Every iPhone on Apple’s store after the September 2026 event, sorted by budget. The guide names the model that suits the typical buyer, says who should pay more or less, and explains why one model is the one to skip.

Which Apple Watch should you buy?

Apple’s three watch lines side by side, with the case for each: the default for the typical iPhone owner, the one for health features, and the one for battery life and the outdoors. It also settles the size and cellular questions.

3-in-1 chargers for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods

Five chargers that power all three devices from one plug: three for a nightstand or desk and two that fold for travel, plus three budget picks. It gives each maker’s price and what is in the box, and shows which iPhones, watches and AirPods cases get the fast charging on the label.

Best chargers for iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Duo

Eight chargers for the wall, the nightstand and the car, each checked against Apple’s own figures for the phone’s fastest wired and MagSafe charge, with a speeds-by-model table. It also covers what a lab test found when a charger lacks the Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS) feature the iPhone 18 Pro asks for, and whether a laptop charger will do.

What is a GaN charger, and do you need one?

What a gallium nitride (GaN) charger changes compared with an older brick, how much wattage an iPhone or MacBook can use, and the GaN chargers that cover an iPhone and a MacBook.

Power banks on planes, by airline

How many power banks each big US airline allows, the 100 watt-hour (Wh) limit, whether you can use one during the flight, and how to read the rating on yours. It also covers the airlines abroad that ban using them on board and the change due in January 2027.

Smartwatch pros and cons

Read this one before the watch guides if you are not sure you want a smartwatch at all. It prices three years of ownership including subscriptions, sums up what accuracy studies found, and compares a smart ring with a watch.

Fitness trackers, from bands to smart rings

Bands, watches and rings from the cheapest one worth owning up to the subscription trackers, with the up-front price and the multi-year cost side by side. It shows which ones charge a monthly fee, how to choose by battery life, and which measurements to trust.

Which Amazfit should you buy?

Amazfit’s main budget watches side by side, from the cheapest Bip to the rugged T-Rex and the Balance, with what the cheaper models leave out, whether any of it needs a subscription, and what an iPhone owner gives up.

Is an Oura Ring worth it?

The ring plus three years of the membership, what the app still shows without it, what to check before buying one as a gift, and the rings that charge no monthly fee.

Is WHOOP worth it?

WHOOP’s three memberships priced over three years, what each tier adds, how a gifted membership works, and how WHOOP compares with an Oura Ring.

Which Meta glasses should you buy?

Meta’s AI glasses side by side at Meta’s price: Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 or the cheaper Gen 2, the camera-free Audio, the Meta Glasses line, the Oakley sport pairs and the Display with a screen in the lens. It shows which models take which prescriptions and what to know before buying a pair as a gift.

Apple Find My trackers

Trackers that work on Apple’s Find My network, for keys, bags, wallets and luggage. The guide spells out the fine print that listings leave out: which network each tracker uses, what battery it takes, and what only Apple’s own tag can do.

The cheap phone still exists

Not a buying guide, but useful before you shop for a phone: why phone prices went up in 2026, what a cheap phone gives up now, and whether prices are likely to come down.

Headphones, earbuds and computers

Wireless earbuds under $100

Budget earbuds judged on the makers’ spec sheets and independent lab measurements, with an overall pick and picks for noise cancelling, value and features. The traps section shows which box claims tend to fall apart under testing.

Premium noise-cancelling headphones

Over-ear noise-cancelling headphones ranked mainly on lab measurements instead of marketing decibels, from the flagships down to budget models, plus a tier for earbuds. It closes on whether now is a safe time to buy.

Which AirPods should you buy?

Apple’s AirPods line-up at Apple’s price: the guide’s default pick, when the Pro or the over-ear Max is worth paying for, and which features need a newer iPhone. It also covers buying older models on sale and buying AirPods as a gift.

Wired noise-cancelling earbuds

The few wired earbuds with noise cancelling, what powers it, which phones and laptops they plug into, over-ear headphones that keep noise cancelling on a 3.5 mm cable, and plain wired earbuds if you don’t need it.

Affordable laptops for students

Five student laptops measured against a minimum spec, across Mac, Windows and Chromebook, with a spec comparison table and a note on when a cheaper Chromebook makes sense. The guide also lists the traps in budget configurations, from too little memory to low-resolution screens.

Which Mac mini should you buy?

The main Mac mini M6 and M5 Pro builds at Apple’s price, how much memory to buy from Apple’s own advice and reviewers’ tests, and when an external SSD or a dock with a drive slot beats Apple’s storage upgrade.

Home, smart home and clean air

Ring vs Blink: which costs less with the plan?

Ring’s and Blink’s cheapest doorbells and cameras plus three years of each brand’s plan, what still works with no plan, the no-subscription options, and the doorbells that work with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video.

The cheapest smart home that works

Beginners often get stuck on whether a device works on its own or needs a hub you have to buy, and this guide answers it with a table of what each label on the box means. It prices three complete starter setups and points out the hub many homes already own.

Which Govee lights to buy

Govee’s lights sorted by job, from permanent roofline lights to Christmas tree strings, TV backlights and room lighting, with what Apple Home owners need to know about Matter.

Is a Skylight Calendar worth it?

What a Skylight wall calendar does without a subscription, what the Plus plan adds over three years, and the cheaper screens that do some of the same job.

Smart thermostats that pay for themselves

The savings printed on the box set against the certified figure, then the payback worked out for the popular thermostats across a range of annual heating and cooling bills. It covers rebates, the wiring check to do before you buy, and when a smart thermostat saves you nothing.

Robot vacuums: what the tests say

Robot vacuums ranked mainly on published lab measurements rather than suction numbers, from budget models to self-emptying mop stations. It also covers the new Roomba from a maker that went through bankruptcy, and what not to buy.

Air purifier brands to trust

Air purifiers ranked mainly on independent lab measurements, with the two models too new to test flagged, sorted by room size, noise and budget, with a pick for wildfire smoke. The guide also names the companies caught in recalls and settlements, shows a do-it-yourself option, and explains how to vet any brand in a couple of minutes.

Coffee and kitchen

Compact espresso machines

Small espresso machines from the cheapest up to the mid-range, compared in plain English: what each costs, who it suits, how much work it takes, and whether it fits your counter. It answers the Ninja question and the choice between pre-ground and fresh-ground coffee.

Premium coffee makers

High-end drip coffee makers compared on brew temperature, carafe type and warranty. The guide explains what the Specialty Coffee Association badge on the box means and gives straight answers on Cuisinart and Bunn.

Which wireless meat thermometer should you buy?

Leave-in probes that report to a phone, from one probe to two and from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi, how hot each can go, and the USDA’s safe cooking temperatures, with a note on the instant-read thermometers worth keeping beside them.

Gaming, virtual reality and movie night

Game consoles reviewed

Every current console and handheld gaming PC compared, with the five-year cost including the cheapest online subscription. If it is a gift, an early section gives the one question to ask so you do not buy into the wrong ecosystem.

What to buy before GTA VI

Grand Theft Auto VI needs up to 212 GB, so this guide starts with storage for PS5 and Xbox, then covers pro controllers, the official headsets, gift cards and whether a new 65-inch TV makes sense for a game that targets 30 frames per second.

Switch 2 accessories worth buying

The Switch 2 accessories worth buying, sorted by job, with what already comes in the box and which original Switch accessories carry over or should be skipped.

VR headsets for gaming

Virtual reality (VR) headsets compared on what else each one needs (a console, a gaming PC, or nothing), age limits and the real cost to start playing. It has a gift checklist and says whether to wait for Meta’s next headset.

Retro gaming consoles: every way to play

The right retro machine depends on which consoles you want to play, and this guide sorts them by what each can handle: cheap handhelds, stronger all-rounders, machines that play your original cartridges, and fully licensed collections. It prices the used-hardware route and explains the rules on downloaded game files.

Which Fire TV Stick should you buy?

Amazon’s HD, 4K and 4K Max sticks compared at Amazon’s own prices, plus the older 4K Plus still on sale. It explains what the new Vega system on the HD and 4K drops, which apps work on it, how to give one as a gift, and when a Roku or the Google TV Streamer is the better fit.

Portable projectors, ranked by real lumens

This guide ranks portable projectors on measured brightness instead of the number on the box. It works out how bright a backyard screen needs to be, why the battery runtime on the box belongs to the dimmest mode, and how far back to set the projector.

Power, outages and internet

For the cold months, the Winter Guide puts these next to the snow, heating-bill and EV-in-the-cold pages.

What size power station do you need?

One formula and the real draw of a fridge, a sleep apnea machine, Starlink, a laptop and a sump pump, worked out from spec sheets and federal energy labels. Start here before you buy a battery: it answers camping, work-from-home outage days, space heaters and the whole-house question.

Power station brands to trust

Power station brands compared on warranty terms, Trustpilot scores, battery chemistry and price per watt-hour, from the premium names to the budget shelf. It explains why the battery chemistry, lithium iron phosphate (LFP), matters more than the brand, and how to pay less than list price.

Power station vs generator

The cost per kilowatt-hour of a gas inverter generator against a battery power station, a daily outage-load table with the three-day totals, the noise and carbon monoxide figures, and the maintenance each one needs. It also says when the generator still wins.

Which solar panel works with your power station?

The compatibility check for pairing a panel with a power station: the voltage rule that protects the charge port, a connector decoder, and what wiring two panels together changes.

Every Starlink dish decoded

How to identify the dish you already have, then the kits you can buy in the US side by side, with what each draws and costs. It ends with which dish fits a home, a camper or a boat.

Starlink Mini: buy it, rent it, or keep it on standby?

The yearly cost of owning a Starlink Mini for camping, road trips and home outages, compared with renting one. It covers the plans and the standby option, battery power, and the routers and mounts that make it work.

Starlink Mini accessories worth buying, and what to skip

For a Starlink Mini: a car adapter, a battery pack with the right kind of port, a tripod adapter, vehicle mounts and a case, sorted by the job each one does, plus what already comes in the box and what Starlink itself says to avoid.

Which Starlink mount do you need?

Starlink’s mounts matched to each dish and to what you are fixing it to: a shingle roof, a wall, a pole, the roof ridge, a vehicle or the ground. It gives Starlink’s own prices and fit limits, and what is already in the box.

Which router should you use with Starlink?

When your own router helps a Starlink setup and when it doesn’t, with mesh, single-router and travel picks.

Do you need an inReach if your phone has satellite SOS?

When the satellite SOS on a newer iPhone or Pixel is enough, and when to carry a Garmin inReach, a ZOLEO or a personal locator beacon instead. It adds up each one’s device, activation and plan costs over three years, including how to keep Garmin’s SOS on a suspended plan.

Which Starlink do you need? The picker

A short quiz about where you will use it, how you will power it and how much you will use it, which returns the kit, the plan and the accessories to buy.

Getting around: scooters, drones and electric cars

Best electric scooters

The independent range tests this guide collects show scooters falling short of their advertised range, so it compares its picks from Segway, NIU, GOTRAX and Apollo on real-world range where tested, hill climbing and riding in the rain, and names the fastest pick from a major brand. It explains the safety certification to insist on and maps the street rules in Washington, California and New York.

Camera drones for photography

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has added “Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country” to its Covered List, the list of communications equipment “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States”. This guide explains what that means for the DJI drones already on shelves and for new ones, then picks the camera drones still worth buying. Weight changes the rules too: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says “All drones must be registered, except those that weigh 0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams) and are flown under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations.” The guide covers that line and whether to buy used.

Which EV is right for you? The matchmaker

A short quiz on budget, new or used, body style, range and where you can charge, which returns your top electric vehicle (EV) matches and a straight verdict on whether an EV fits your life at all.

EVs ranked by buyer

Ranked lists for specific buyers: apartment dwellers, tighter budgets, three-row families, towing, used-car shoppers, beginners and road trips. The EV catalog lets you filter the whole list by budget, body style and all-wheel drive.

New electric cars for 2026

Every significant new electric car announced for the US market, with prices, ranges and on-sale dates taken mostly from the makers’ own announcements, with each figure’s source named. Read it if you are willing to wait for something that is not on sale yet.

Which Tesla is right for you?

The Tesla picker covers the whole lineup, new and used, with the battery and self-driving hardware differences explained. If you are shopping used, the used Model 3 guide shows what each model year costs and what to check before you buy. Once you own one, the Tesla owner’s guide collects every Tesla guide on charging, winter, battery health and running costs; for any other make, the EV Owner’s Guide does the same.

Tesla accessories worth buying, and which to skip

For a Model 3 or Model Y: the floor liners, tire inflator, glass-roof sunshade and console trays that fit each model year, priced from Tesla’s own shop, plus the add-ons Tesla’s owner’s manual says to avoid, including screen protectors and seat covers.

Which home charger should you get for a Tesla?

Tesla’s Wall Connector against the cheaper chargers, and which one fits your car, your outlet and your budget.

Which NOCO Boost to buy, and will it jump a Tesla?

NOCO’s Boost jump starters matched to engine size, from the GB20 for small cars to the GBX155 for the biggest engines, plus Manual Override for a battery too dead to detect and which Teslas a Boost can jump.

Which Tesla mattress should you buy?

Tesla’s own camping mattress against the thicker and shaped ones, which fit each model and year, and what each pump plugs into.

EV charger installation cost

What a home charger costs to buy and install, the electrical questions that decide the bill, and the federal credit for home chargers that has now ended.

Gas savings calculator

Enter your own miles, gas price and charging mix to see what switching to an electric car saves on fuel each year.

Gifts

Two of the guides above have a gift section near the top: the game console guide gives the one question to ask before buying a console as a gift, and the VR headset guide has a three-point gift checklist.

Tech gifts under $100

Memory-chip shortages pushed some popular gadgets over the line this year, and this guide lists the tech gifts that still come in under it at the maker’s own list price. It also covers what fell off the list and three rules for buying tech gifts this year.

Best kids tablets

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Kids, its Android-based Kids Tablet 8 or 11, or an iPad, sorted by age, with what each one includes in the box and what the Amazon Kids+ subscription costs once the free months run out.

Which instax camera should you buy?

Every instax camera Fujifilm sells, compared by print size and features, with what the film costs and which models print from a phone.

Which Polaroid camera to buy

Every Polaroid camera from the pocket-size Go to the manual I-2, compared by price, film and picture size, with what each photo costs and what the Pikachu, Sylveon and Poké Ball editions add.

Which smart telescope should you buy?

ZWO’s Seestar S30 Pro and S50 Pro against DWARFLAB’s DWARF 3 and DWARF mini on the makers’ own specs and prices, what named reviewers saw from city and dark skies, which ones come without a tripod, and the return windows to know before wrapping one.

Which Yoto should you buy?

Yoto’s audio players for young children, Player or Mini, what the cards and the optional club cost, and how Yoto compares with a Toniebox.

Which Bambu Lab printer should you buy?

Bambu Lab’s 3D printers for a beginner or an upgrade, printer-only or Combo, what filament costs, and a checklist before giving one as a gift.

Which Cricut should you buy?

Cricut’s Joy 2, Explore 5 and Maker 5 compared on Cricut’s own specs and prices, what each one can and cannot cut, what Cricut Access adds over the free app, and what a machine costs over two years with the subscription.

Which xTool laser should you buy?

xTool’s laser engravers and cutters compared on xTool’s own specs and prices: diode, CO2, fiber or UV, Class 1 or Class 4 safety, the smoke extraction and other add-ons you also need, and xTool’s store or Amazon.

Tech Christmas gifts for cats

Five cat gadgets worth giving, from a hidden-prey toy and a water fountain to a treat-tossing camera, a timed feeder and a self-cleaning litter box, with what testers found and the catch on each.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the prices?

On each guide, not here. Prices change too often to repeat on a list page, so each guide keeps its own and says when it was checked.

Which guide should you read before buying?

If you know what you want, use the table at the top. If you are weighing a big purchase, read the explainer before the picks: smartwatch pros and cons before the watch guides, what size power station before the brand guide, and the EV matchmaker before the ranked EV lists.

Is there a guide for Tesla owners?

Yes. The Tesla owner’s guide collects every Tesla guide on charging, winter, battery health and costs.