You don’t need a four-figure Swiss movement to know what time it is—or look good doing it. One of the most wonderful things about “budget” watches today (although it’s kinder, or more appropriate, to say “affordable”) is that brands have learned to take design cues from luxury timepieces while quietly getting very good at the fundamentals: reliable movements, thoughtful materials, and proportions that don’t scream “cheap.” Take a look at the Orient in WIRED’s selection below as a prime example.
It could easily be argued that we’re in a golden age of affordable horology (see our full guide here for definitive proof), where, if you choose wisely, $350 or less can buy everything from a desirable dress watch, or a high-end collaboration, and even a supremely capable and classically chic diver. Pieces that will see you right from sunken wreck to boardroom table. And let’s not forget the retro allure of digital watches right now, either, with the Shark Classic not only being one of our favorites here, but at $70, it’s also the most affordable.
Moreover, should you decide to bag more than a few (and who could blame you at these prices?), we’ve even got the perfect carry case picked out: Nanuk’s IP67 waterproof and dustproof NK-7 resin $175 910 Watch Case (pictured above) with patented PowerClaw latching system—ideal for securing any timepiece collection, be it bargain or big budget.
Expect to save over $600 on the hottest models, including $250 off monitors, for crisp and clear gaming (or writing), 40% off laptops, and up to $1,200 off desktops for true gamers. We’ve rounded up the top Dell coupon codes and discounts so you can save big on pricey tech.
Get 10% Off With Top Dell Coupon Codes
If you haven’t bought from Dell, right now you can get seriously rewarded for switching. Right now, new customers can get 10% off Dell products when you sign up for their email newsletter. Plus, you’ll get additional perks like exclusive offers in your inbox and invites to special sale events, including flash discounts during seasonal sales. Plus, right now you can use Dell promo code AFFBUNDLE10 to get an extra 10% off when you bundle select PCs with accessories. And, save your tech refresh with clearance sale discounts and Dell promo codes today.
Save $450 With Dell Coupons for Laptops, Alienware Monitors, and More
Been wanting to upgrade your WFH or gaming setup? Dell has marked down some of their most popular laptops and monitors during their holiday and tech refresh sale events. There are stellar deals like $400 off the Alienware 16X Aurora (one of the best gaming laptops we’ve seen of its kind), and $450 off the Alienware 18 Area-51. Complete your gaming experience with an Alienware Area-51 desktop for $1,200 off, which includes 50% more processing power. Some other great Dell monitor deals we’ve found include the ability for Rewards members to earn up to 3 times the amount of points (or 9% back) on select Alienware monitors. Plus, you can save $100 on the Alienware 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor, or $120 on the Alienware 27 Gaming monitor, right now. And you can also get 30% off the Dell 24-inch monitor when you purchase any laptop or desktop computer.
We’ve also found steep discounts on some of our favorite WIRED-tested gear, including $160 off the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones (now only $199), and $350 off the Dell 14 Plus Laptop.
The deals don’t stop there though, with discounts on Dell’s best-selling laptops and PCs, including: $200 off the Dell 15 laptop, $500 off the Dell 16 Plus laptop, and 50% off software when you purchase a PC. Whether you want to work-from-home or game-from-home more effectively, check out the latest offers in the Dell deals hub.
Dell has rotating best deals of the week too, like their best-selling monitors, which include Dell 27 Plus 4K monitors (starting at $129), $400 off QD-OLED gaming monitors like the popular Alienware 34 Curved model, plus $350 off Alienware Aurora gaming desktops and $200 off Tower Plus desktop computers.
10% Dell Coupon for Students, Military Members, and Medical Workers
Students, it’s the worst time of your life, you might as well save a little money. Just kidding, life only gets harder from here. Kidding. Again. Maybe. What is not a joke is this deal. Dell is giving students a 10% discount on things students need like Dell XPS laptops and Alienware gaming rigs. No need to say anything about gaming. It’s for your eyes, because they’re starting to bleed from all the term papers.
To the discount, first, make sure you have a Dell account and that the Dell Rewards box is checked. Once you’re enrolled in both, verify your .edu email address through the membership tab of your account. Not a student? No problem, Dell still has some great deals for your computing needs. Beyond students, Dell offers an extra 5% off Heroes discount for military members, veterans, employees, rewards members, and businesses. Verify through GovX or VCS in a matter of minutes to get exclusive pricing and early access to sale events.
Get 6% Back With Dell Rewards Coupons and Financing Offers
Don’t forget that, in addition to the Dell coupons available, there are also limited-time discounts for Dell Rewards program members. Rewards customers get double the points right now, or 6% back on almost everything. This means if you’re signed up with an email, you can get triple the discount, plus, 5% off select XPS and Dell Premium systems. If you open a Dell Pay Credit Account, you’ll earn $100 (or 10,000 points) in Dell Rewards dollars once you enroll in the Dell Rewards program.
Always Get a Discount With Dell Price Matching
Unlike many companies, Dell’s Price Match Guarantee covers competitor prices and if a product drops on the Dell website. Best of all, their competitor price match policy is available before or after you buy. So, when you find an identical Dell, HP, Apple or Lenovo computer, you’ll just need to share the link with a Dell expert through chat or a phone call to get that lower price. If you’ve already purchased the item, but find the product on Dell’s or a competitor’s site within 30 days, share the link through the Order Support portal and you’ll be refunded the difference.
Shop Our Favorite Dell Laptops for Your Gaming or Office Upgrade
Dell’s XPS laptops are the perfect addition to your tech setup. They’re lightweight, small, and plenty speedy. They’re Windows’ rough answer to Apple’s Macbook Pro line. The XPS 13 and upgraded Dell 14 Premium are some of our favorite laptops. Check out the featured laptop offers above to save up to $600, complete with free 2-day shipping and AI-driven PC options powered by Microsoft Copilot technology. If you’re a gamer, you probably already know that Dell makes Alienware, and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is a powerful gaming machine masquerading as your next work laptop. It’s one of our favorite dual-use gaming rigs, making it perfect for students.
Fun fact: You do not need a box spring with a hybrid mattress. This is a recurring question I see, and pocketed coils in hybrids eliminate the need for one. Box springs were designed to give more support and elevate performance to traditional coil beds, which would align certain sections of coils to yield more support. Nowadays, you may actually void your warranty if you use a box spring with a hybrid mattress—be sure to check that fine print.
Our favorite hybrid we’ve tested is the Helix Midnight Luxe, which happens to be our top overall pick in our best mattresses guide. It also utilizes pressure-relieving foams and pocketed coils to provide targeted lumbar support.
Helix Sleep
Midnight Luxe with ErgoAlign
Another awesome hybrid mattress, the Nolah Evolution, seamlessly puts together some superb memory foam and pocketed coils, both of which counteract tension buildup for pressure points. I love it as an option for side sleepers for this reason, but it also works for back and stomach sleepers. The coils also make it easy to move around on, which is helpful for co-sleepers.
Innerspring
This is more of a history lesson than a type of mattress you want to shop for (unless you really love this kind of mattress; to each their own). “Traditional” innerspring mattresses are the firm-feeling beds you probably have early memories of, given that the makeup is just innerspring coils wrapped in a cover. It’s just as squeaky as you probably remember, too, as the coil type used involves connecting every coil to work as one unit.
These are Bonnell coils, and they connect both laterally and vertically. All to say, when you lie down and your weight is pressed into the mattress, all those coils act as “one for all and all for one” and simultaneously compress down. It’s not going to work wonders for pressure relief like modern hybrids will, but it is highly responsive, which means it’ll pop back into its original shape as you move around. So if you’re a sleeper who moves around between sleeping positions, coils are a good feature to have, so you’re getting near-instantaneous support.
Why aren’t traditional coils in the works with mattresses nowadays? According to Merwin, upgraded pocketed coils far outperform traditional ones. “Unlike traditional coils that are wired together and move as a unit, pocketed coils are encased individually, which allows each coil to respond independently to movement and pressure,” he said. “This design minimizes motion transfer, so when one person moves or gets out of bed, their partner feels far less disruption. It also provides more targeted support, contouring to the body in a way that improves spinal alignment and overall comfort.” While you can still find innerspring mattresses with traditional coils out there, they’re typically getting phased out in favor of hybrids. Truth be told, I’ve only tested less than a handful of them over the years. If you’re dead set on this mattress type, all power to you, and have fun on your personal mattress treasure hunt.
The Saatva Classic is one of those modern, rarer beds that rely on traditional coils in the secondary coil layer on the very bottom of the bed. This is to help with overall durability and support, which WIRED tester Nena Farrell has mentioned could be beneficial for those with back pain.
Memory Foam
We actually have NASA to thank for this one. If you google images of those early space missions, it’s no wonder that something was needed to keep astronauts from being jostled around inside rockets; hence, memory foam was born. It’s evolved quite a bit from those initial iterations, especially when Tempur-Pedic came onto the scene in the ’80s with a vision for it to become the basis of sleep products. Today, memory foam stands in a league of its own when it comes to the unique, compressive feel.
Memory foam is more of an umbrella term for all the iterations mattress brands have come up with today, but let’s refer to the mattress manufacturing expert for this one.
“Memory foam is produced by combining liquid polyurethane with various chemicals, like polyols and isocyanates, to enhance its viscosity and density,” says Merwin. Without whipping out the periodic table of elements and giving you a science lesson in the chemical components of this material, here’s the need-to-know: These compounds form a malleable foam that holds teeny-tiny bubbles within it. How it works is, as you lie on it, your body imparts heat onto the surface, flowing into these air pockets, which in turn allows it to become softer to contour around your body.
But for the science enthusiasts reading this, Merwin’s got you covered: “The key ingredient is a polymer that creates an open-cell structure, which allows the material to respond to heat and pressure. This is what gives memory foam its signature contouring or ‘hugging’ feel. During the manufacturing process, the liquid foam mixture is poured onto a moving line, where it expands and solidifies into large foam blocks, which we call ‘buns.’ At a high level, it’s a blend of chemistry and precision that transforms raw materials into a high-quality product.”
To say it’s a natural fit for those who need pressure relief from their mattress may be a bit too on the nose, but it’s arguably the most standout feature of this material. It also lessens the feeling of movement for the most restless of sleepers, which also makes it an attractive option for couples. Arguably, the biggest issue that plagues memory foam is heat retention, since once the heat has entered into these air chambers, it turns into something akin to microscopic saunas that can make the overall mattress into a nightmare for those who sleep warm. This is where the various iterations of foam come into play, as some brands infuse elements like graphite, copper, gel, or more advanced cooling technology like phase-change materials into the foams that they use.
Three layers of foam make up the Bear Original, but its certifications and cooling cover are here to help dispel any rumors that circulate about the downsides of memory foam. You won’t find any eyebrow-raising chemicals here thanks to CertiPur-US and GreenGuard Gold certifications. Plus, you can add on a Celliant cover for a cooler feel.
Bear
Original Foam Mattress
The Nectar Premier is another memory foam option we’ve tested and liked, especially for side sleepers. Its foam layers are stacked so that you feel more pressure relief on top, but get more than enough support via a firmer foam layer at the bottom.
Nectar Sleep
Nectar Premier
Latex
The same stuff that goes into tires, balloons, and sports equipment can also be used for mattresses—and it’s the good stuff, too. Latex acts similarly to memory foam when it comes to pressure relief, but is far more reactive to you moving around. Think of a rubber band snapping back into shape when released; it’s pretty dang close to that. Many brands rely on organic rubber sap to create latex as we know it, and there are two categories of latex foam you’ll usually find with mattresses: Dunlop and Talalay. These names refer to the production process and resulting product, as liquid rubber is poured into molds, torched at high temperatures (called “vulcanization” and yes, I have to resist doing Spock’s “live long and prosper” hand signal every time), and flash-frozen to retain the feel. Dunlop is a firmer latex foam, and hence, firmer feel. Talalay yields a more plush feel. Latex is generally pretty even-keeled when it comes to temperature, too, keeping heat from accumulating within your mattress to maintain a nice, room-temperature feel.
WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson has applauded the organic latex construction of the Birch Luxe Natural, citing great support for the lower back region and good temperature regulation.
Birch
Luxe Natural Mattress
Smart Beds
Smart mattresses offer the ability to adjust their firmness level with the press of a button. They do this via internal air chambers or sensors that adjust coil firmness. To make your bed softer or firmer, you use a remote control or the brand’s accompanying app.
That’s not what only sets this mattress type apart. Some are also outfitted with tech features, such as sleep trackers and auto-adjusting pressure relief layers, as in the case of the Sleep Number p6 smart bed. Smart beds are becoming more refined as sleep tech evolves.
New Year’s resolution season is in full swing, and you’ve officially made it past Quitter’s Day (the second Friday in January, when many people have given up on their resolutions). Maybe you want to exercise more often, or keep better track of your schedule, or hit a certain step goal, or drink more water. Whatever the habit you’re making or breaking, we’ve found some deals on WIRED-tested gear that can help you on your journey.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are the best workout earbuds you can buy. This price matches the best deal we’ve seen, and every color (orange, lavender, black, and beige) is discounted. The design is supremely comfortable, they have great noise canceling and a transparency mode, and they last up to 10 hours depending on your noise-cancellation settings. There’s also a built-in heart rate monitor. These sleek buds have punchy sound and are compatible with iOS and Android devices.
BlueAnt
Pump X
Our favorite over-ears for the gym have cooling ear pads and great active noise cancellation.
Garmin Vivoactive 6 for $250 ($50 off)
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 recently earned the top spot in our fitness tracker buying guide. It looks great on your wrist, and it plays well with both Android and iOS devices. Moreover, it’s accurate, and it has onboard satellite connectivity and a bright, easy-to-read AMOLED display. You’ll get a spate of fitness features, including blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking, heart rate and step counts, and fall detection. There’s an optional Connect+ subscription that costs $70 per year, but we don’t think you need it.
Fitbit
Ace LTE
We like this smartwatch for kids, and most important, our kids like it too.
Apple Watch Series 11 for $300 ($100 off)
The Apple Watch Series 11 finally has a full 24 hours of battery life, which makes it worth consideration if you’ve been in the market for an upgrade. It is both an excellent fitness tracker and smartwatch. It can track all sorts of stats, from the basics like steps and workouts to sleep, hypertension, and blood oxygen. It has been on sale at this price since the holiday shopping season, but it does tend to fluctuate back and forth, and we haven’t seen it sell for less than it is right now. For more recommendations, check out our Apple Watch Buying Guide.
Google
Pixel Watch 4
The best smartwatch for Android owners is repairable, sleek, and at a match of its lowest price.
Apple
Watch SE 3
This budget-friendly Apple Watch is still excellent for those that don’t need the latest and greatest features.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100 Percent Whey Protein Powder for $32 ($18 off)
Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
Optimum Nutrition
Gold Standard 100 Percent Whey Protein Powder
Optimum Nutrition was having a “Quitter’s Day” sale this week, but the powder is also on sale at Amazon. This is the best protein powder overall. It delivers 24 grams of protein per serving, and it’s available in more than 20 flavors, so you should be able to find one that you like. (My favorite is Banana Cream, which tastes like a yellow Laffy Taffy, and WIRED editor Kat Merck’s favorite is Delicious Strawberry, but there are less adventurous options as well.) If you’re working on your gains this year, this is a solid deal worth considering.
Hydro Flask
Standard Mouth Water Bottle
This durable, double-insulated, and affordable water bottle is our top pick.
Hyperice
Hypervolt 2
This massage gun offers excellent value, especially with the discount.
Day Designer Daily Planner for $57 ($21 off)
Day Designer
Daily Planner
This planner has space for a typical calendar and a daily to-do list. Half of each page has blocks of time from 5 am to 9 pm, and you’ll also get a to-do list section and a “three most important things” section. It’s a bulky planner, but if you’re looking for space to fine-tune the minutiae of your day-to-day life, there’s room.
Amazon
Kindle Scribe (2nd Gen, 2024)
Want to read more in 2026? This digital notebook is a hybrid with e-reader functionality and a neat smart pen.
Dreamegg
Sunrise 1
Get better sleep this year with this affordable sunrise alarm, which can help you wake up feeling refreshed.
Boot up the C64U, and you’re greeted by a re-creation of the C64’s menu. Here, you can type in operation commands just as you would back in the day, using the BASIC programming language. Problem: I don’t have the first clue about BASIC. However, in what is possibly the greatest throwback of all, the C64U comes with a spiral-bound, 273-page user guide. It is an absolute tome. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s not a reprint of anything that came with the original, but rather a tailored guide to what the C64U does, where it differs from the C64, and how to get to grips with the computer’s capabilities. Equal parts history book and instruction manual, it starts out teaching you some simple commands and builds up to teaching you how to code. I’m still very much working my way through it, but that tactile approach—referring to the book, trying something out on the computer, back and forth—is a great touch.
Hidden Upgrades
If you don’t fancy having to do homework, the C64U’s own default menu, accessed at any time with a flick of the multifunction power button on the right-hand side of the unit, is a simple list of options and settings. Hit RETURN to go into any section—say, “Video Setup” to adjust whether the C64U outputs in original resolution, in PAL or NTSC modes (surprisingly important, given some games will only work with one display standard or the other), or a crystal clear 1080p with scanlines removed—and back out to save any changes to the system’s flash memory. It’s still a minimalist approach, but feels fairly intuitive.
This is also where you can start playing around with some of the other modern touches of the C64U, like how to leverage its far greater power. Well, “greater” in comparison to 1982. Spec-wise, this isn’t going to threaten any more modern machine, but running on an AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA chip and packing 128-MB DDR2 RAM—compared to the 64 KB of the C64—it blows its inspiration out of the water. While at baseline it replicates the performance of the 1982 hardware, meaning it operates as if there’s only the original 64 KB were there, you can menu-dive to activate a virtualized RAM Expansion Unit, or activate a “Turbo Boost” to accelerate the clock speed to a lightning-fast (in this particular context) 64 MHz.
On an iPhone: Tap and hold on the home screen until the icons wiggle, then drag them around to rearrange or tap the X to uninstall them.
Add Shortcuts for Useful Tasks or Apps
One of the best things you can do is place shortcuts on the home screen to make it easier for them to call or message their closest contacts with a single tap.
On an Android phone: Tap and hold on the home screen and select Widgets, choose the Browse tab, then scroll down to Contacts, choose Direct dial, and select a contact. You can place the shortcut anywhere on the home screen, and they can call that person simply by tapping it. You can add Direct message shortcuts in the same way.
On an iPhone: Use the Shortcuts app. If you create a folder for the home screen, you can potentially add multiple shortcuts. You can tap the plus (+) icon at the top right to add a new shortcut, search for or scroll down to Phone or FaceTime, tap on it again, then tap Contact and pick the contact you want to add. Tap at the top and choose Rename to give the shortcut a name, choose the icon, and Add to Home Screen. You can also tap and hold on the home screen until the icons wiggle and tap Edit at the top left, then Add Widget, and choose Contacts, then select the contact you want to add, but this will require an extra tap when they want to call.
Call contact shortcut on Android
Screenshots: Simon Hill
Consider a Simple Launcher (Android Only)
With Android phones, you can change the “launcher,” which determines the look of the whole interface, including things like app icons and font size.
Samsung phones have an alternative launcher called Easy Mode built in. To toggle it on, go to Settings, Display, and choose Easy Mode. There are loads of alternative Android launchers that you can install, and several simplify the phone experience with big icons. Simple Launcher, Big Launcher, or Senior Home are all worth a look.
On an Android phone: Go to Settings, Display and touch, and choose Display size and text, then drag the slider to adjust. You can also get there via Settings, Accessibility, then Display size and text.
Loop earplugs are some of the best reusable earplugs you can buy. I personally keep a pair attached to my car keys at all times. As a live music enthusiast that frequently travels to some of the loudest music festivals on the planet, I take earplugs seriously. I want to protect my hearing while also ensuring the sound isn’t muddy and muffled. These are worth it, especially when they’re even cheaper with a Loop earplugs discount code. They’re comfortable and reduce noise without obscuring the music, ensuring that you have an excellent experience without compromising your hearing the next day.
Loop earplugs come with multiple ear tip sizes so you can find the best fit, plus a handy carrying case that’ll keep them clean and easy to find between uses. I also really like how they look in your ears. They’re almost like jewelry. They stay comfortable and secure—I’ve worn mine for over twelve hours at a time, and I love them so much that I’ve purchased them with my own money (even without a Loop earplugs promo code). Your ears will thank you later.
Loop Earplugs Quiet 2 Deals: Protect Your Ears and Reduce Noise
The Quiet 2 are the best Loop earplugs for sleep. They can block out up to 27 dB of noise and they’re made out of soft silicone, so they’ll stay comfortable even if you’re a side sleeper. They’re snug, secure, and small-ear friendly. We also appreciate that they come in multiple colors and that they’re easy to clean with some soap and water.
Save 20% on the Sweet Dreams Gift Set: Loop Dream + Loop Engage 2
This Daily Calm bundle is perfect for everyday noise reduction. You’ll get the Loop Engage 2 Plus, which are basically like noise-canceling headphones for your day-to-day life. They filter out just a little bit of noise—16 dB by themselves, or 25 dB with the included Mute accessory—so you can stay engaged in conversations without getting distracted or overstimulated. The Loop Dream are meant for sleep, with an entirely silicone design and a very low-profile fit, and with a Loop earplugs promo code, they’re 20% off.
20% Off Dreamville Gift Set: Sleep Better, Wake Refreshed
This Dreamville gift set bundle is perfect if you’re looking for Loop earplugs for concerts. It comes with the Loop Experience 2, my favorite earplugs for loud music festivals, in a special Tomorrowland color scheme. Now at 20% off with this Loop earplugs discount code, you’ll also get a connector cord that keeps the earplugs attached around your neck for easy access when you need to pop them in and out. Also included is a pair of Loop Dream earplugs for sleep, which will help you catch some shut-eye even if your festival neighbors are partying until sunrise.
Star Student Gift Set: 20% Off for Focused Study and Sleep
Shop this Loop earplugs sale to get two pairs for 20% off that are great for students. The Loop Quiet 2 helps to dampen the noise around you, like when you’re locked in at the library trying to finish up an essay. And the Loop Engage 2 can help you stay focused during long and lengthy lectures when your fellow students are yapping in the background.
Tired Parent Gift Set: Buy One Dream, Get the Second 50% Off
Do you know some parents in need of better shut-eye? This Tired Parent gift set bundle includes two pairs of Loop Dream in your choice of four different colors, with the second part at 50% off right now. These all-silicone earplugs will assist in both falling and staying asleep—whether you’re trying to muffle a snoring partner, a colicky baby, or the too-loud, battery-operated toys that your kiddo got for their birthday, these will come in handy.
If you’re not keen on buying a standing desk, check out the Lifesmart 3-in-1 Treadmill. You can wheel the lightweight machine into any room, place the desk attachment across the handrail, and get to working and walking. The desk’s height won’t accommodate everyone—it was lower than I’d like, and I’m 5’4”. But for quick, basic work like answering emails or sitting in on a meeting, it got the job done just fine.
The 3-in-1 Treadmill gets its name from its ability to serve as a walking pad (with the rail down, the speed tops out at 3.7 mph), a treadmill (with the rail up, you can run up to 7.5 mph), and a workstation (with the rail up and desk attachment on).
It’s easy to set up, and transitioning between the walking pad, treadmill, and work modes is quick and simple (you just need to use a small tool to adjust the rail, which is magnetized so it can live on the rail and never get lost in a junk drawer). You can adjust the speed with buttons on the rails or with a Bluetooth remote, and a screen on the front of the machine cycles through your workout metrics. The sleek, modern design means you won’t be embarrassed to have it out in your living space. The only drawback is that it doesn’t have any incline options.
Quietest Pad
Photograph: Kristin Canning
Photograph: Kristin Canning
Flexispot
Auto Incline Walking Treadmill
This walking pad had the most intuitive setup of any on this list (likely thanks to its lack of a companion app, which oftentimes isn’t really necessary). I was able to set it up in minutes, and the remote connected right away, no Bluetooth pairing required. Like many walking pads, this one has a screen at the front that shows you your workout metrics. If you pause the machine to step off, you can pick right back up where you started, building on those metrics until you turn the machine off. One downside: It doesn’t track steps.
The Auto Incline Walking Treadmill offers a great incline range, going up to a level nine, or 12-percent incline. It’s one of the highest incline capabilities I’ve found in my testing. You can walk up to 4 mph on this machine, and you can connect your phone to play music through the speakers. The remote allows you to take on 30-minute, preprogrammed walking workouts, too, where the machine auto-adjusts the speed throughout (though not the incline). Otherwise, you can use it in manual mode and adjust the settings to your liking.
I test a lot of indoor gardening systems throughout the year, and the midcentury-chic Auk has remained my all-time favorite for herbs. Not only can you plant whatever seeds you want in its coco coir substrate (though it does come with parsley and basil), it takes very little maintenance, requiring only periodic refills of water and nutrients. There’s also no app to worry about, or pumps, or pH testing needed. This makes it a perfect no-muss, no-fuss gift for cooks, gardeners, or anyone at all interested in growing their own herbs.
Courtesy of Auk
Photograph: Kat Merck
Photograph: Kat Merck
I almost never see it on sale, and Auk confirms it very rarely is, so if at any point you were on the fence, this is your last chance post–Black Friday and –Cyber Monday to save $20 to $30 on the bundle (with free shipping!), depending on which finish you choose. This includes the Auk planter itself and everything you need to start growing, including both pump bottles of nutrients and a bag of coco coir. The sale ends on Monday, December 15, so there are only a few more days to take advantage.
The least expensive style is also Auk’s newest release, with a base made of 100 percent cork sourced from Portugal. You can also opt for an oak wood bottom, for $10 more, or darker walnut (shown above) for $35 more. Buyers can choose either black or white for the non-wood portions.
“The new Cork Edition embodies what Auk stands for: natural plants, and natural materials,” said Didrik Dimmen, Auk’s CEO, in a statement. “Growing your own herbs at home isn’t just good for you, it’s better for the planet, too. Less plastic packaging and waste, and now, another natural aesthetic option to match.”
If you’re in the market for a new camera, this holiday season is the time to buy. There are some great Black Friday camera deals available right now, including one on our favorite GoPro, the GoPro Hero 13 Black. There are plenty of other GoPro camera deals, along with some good buys on cameras from Insta360, DJI, Fujifilm, and more.
Updated November 28: We’ve added a new section of mirrorless camera deals, along with a deal on Polaroid’s latest Now camera.
Do You Need a New Camera?
Probably not. Probably what you need to do is spend a lot more time with the one you have, but if buying a new camera makes you feel like maybe you’re getting better at photography, far be it for me to stop you. Hitting too close to home? I feel you. I mean I want a new camera. I want the Sony A7C R, which is an amazing camera. The autofocus is light year’s ahead of my A7R II, the sensor is bigger, the dynamic range is better, and it’s smaller and lighter. What’s not to love? But it isn’t going to instantly make me take better pictures.
To make better images you have to spend time at it. It takes practice, shooting everyday, even if you only have 10 minutes. Walk around the neighborhood and play with different compositions, try shooting in ways you normally don’t. Experiment with different light at different times of the day. Just get out an shoot more. Most of it will be garbage, but you’ll be learning.
If you need a new camera to get you to do that, then carry on, there are some truly great deals to be had right now.
The Best Action Camera Deal
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
GoPro did not release a new model of its Hero action camera this year. Last year’s Hero 13 is still the latest, but it’s on sale for Black Friday anyway. Last year’s GoPro Hero 13 was the first significant change for GoPro’s flagship action camera in many years. The company added an interchangeable lens system, along with Macro, Ultra Wide, and Anamorphic lenses, plus a set of four neutral density filters. The new interchangeable lens system opens up shooting possibilities that simply don’t exist with other action cameras. For some reason, this camera often gets overlooked. It’s just fun to shoot with.
I think the slickest part of the Hero 13’s new lens and filter system is that the Hero 13 Black autodetects which lens is attached and changes the Hero 13’s settings accordingly. This is especially nice for those who don’t want to fiddle with fine-tuning their camera settings every time they change lenses or pop on a neutral density filter. I’ve been using all three lenses for over a year now, and they’re all nice, but the Ultra Wide is my favorite. I mainly use my GoPro to shoot from the handlebars of my bike, so the wider the shot, the better and more immersive the footage becomes, hence my love of the Ultra Wide. The Hero Black ultrawide edition is also on sale.
Everything that made GoPro a household name is here as well, with industry-leading hypersmooth stabilization, all kinds of helpful shooting modes, and support for GoPro’s Quik app. Also note that if you buy through gopro.com, the company includes a year’s worth of GoPro Premium, the company’s subscription cloud storage service. If the GoPro has a shortcoming, it’s the battery life. It’s OK, but not great. I suggest grabbing an extra battery.
So, given that there was no Hero 14 this year, how future-proof is the Hero 13? I would say very future-proof. I will admit, the newly announced DJI Action 6, which has a variable aperture lens, is very interesting, but it’s still an automated aperture rather than giving you a full aperture priority mode. I’m also a little leery of DJI products, given the ban on imports that starts December 23, 2025. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 below is also on sale, and I do love that camera as well, especially with the new accessories that turn it into something more like a point-and-shoot. But in the end, when I head out the door for a ride, or a paddle, or, right now, some snowshoeing, the action camera I reach for remains the GoPro Hero 13 Black.
Other Great Action Camera Deals
DJI
Osmo Action 5 Pro
Our top pick action camera for most people, the Action 5 is a great option. It has better battery life than the Hero 13, and better low light performance, though do keep in mind that support in the US will be limited after December 23, 2025.
Insta360
Ace Pro 2
If you’re going to turn your action camera on yourself, the Ace Pro 2 is our top pick for vlogging. It has a great lens and sensor co-engineered with Leica, capable of recording 8K video at up to 30 fps. My only gripe is the lack of 10-bit color, but unless you’re doing your color in post, you won’t miss it.
Deals on Action Camera Accessories
The Best 360 Camera Deal
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The GoPro Max 2 is the best 360 camera you can buy, and it’s currently $100 off. The dual 14 mm (35 mm equivalent) lenses of the Max 2 each record to a 1/2.3-inch chip, the largest available in a 360 camera. This gives what GoPro calls “True 8K” video, by which the company means that the actual recorded area of the sensor is 8K, whereas other 360 cameras have an 8K sensor, but only record about 6K or 7K worth of that sensor as the actual image. The short story is that the Max 2’s video is sharper and clearer. Couple this with support for 10-bit color in Log files, and you have footage that the competition just can’t match.
Other 360 Camera Deals
Insta360
X5 360 Camera
Our former top pick, the Insta360 X5 is still an excellent 360 camera. It uses twin 1/1.28″ sensors to capture very near 8K video. The dynamic range is impressive, and the color science here is very good though it does tend toward the oversaturated.
Insta360
X4 360 Camera
This is the best price you’re going to see on a 360 camera. The Insta360 X4 has been superseded by the X5, but it’s still a great camera. The video quality is the same resolution as the X5 (8K), but it lacks the X5’s updated sensors, processor, and improved color options.
A Fun, Screen-Free Digital Camera
Photograph: Nena Farrell
What if there were a film camera that captured digital images? That’s what the Camp Snap camera is, the screen-free aspect means that, like film, you don’t know how your images look until later— you can keep photographing without getting pulled out of the moment as much. The Camp Snap can hold up to 2,000 photos on the preinstalled memory card, and it comes with a USB-C cable to download the photos onto your computer. This one is a fun gift to give too.
The Best Deals on Instant Cameras
Photograph: B&H Photo
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 99 is the best Instax camera for those who love manual controls and creative effects. The Mini 99 offers some manual focus and exposure controls, as well as some fun color effects, like the ability to simulate light leaks just like those thrift store cameras collecting dust on your shelf. There are two dials on top of the Mini 99. One acts like an exposure compensation dial, allowing you to adjust exposure value (EV) two stops brighter and two stops darker. I found the L (Lighten) and L+ useful when shooting against snow, which has a tendency to overwhelm small sensors like this one. It’s also good for strongly backlit scenes, though those are still not Instax’s strong suit. The Mini 99 has a 60-mm lens made of plastic. It works out to roughly the same field of view as a 35-mm lens in 35-mm format (or if you prefer, somewhere between 1x and 2x on your iPhone). The shutter is fixed at f/12.7, which means you’ll be relying on the flash in all but bright, sunny, outdoor shots. That said, unlike quite a few other Instax models, with the Mini 99 you can turn off the flash for those well-lit shots, and that means far fewer washed-out images.
Courtesy of Polaroid
Polaroid’s standard Now camera is close enough to the classic Polaroid that you probably won’t notice the difference. The Gen 3 version is an incremental update of the Gen 2, bringing better auto focus and improved flash. Otherwise, it’s the same basic design we love, with a nice chunky body and easy-to-find buttons.
Other Instant Camera Deals
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12
This one is nearly always on sale for Black Friday. It’s our pick for best budget Instax as it manages to be a capable, but easy-to-use camera wrapped in a colorful, bubbly design aimed at beginners.
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 41
The Mini 41 is essentially the Mini 12 in a different body. Same capabilities, but looking more like a “camera” should.
Deals on Mirrorless Cameras
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Nikon
Zf Mirrorless Camera
The Nikon Zf is the camera I would buy if I were in the market for a new camera. It’s all about the knobs and dials. Every setting you need to make an image is accessible on a dial or knob: ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. There’s also a switch to change shooting modes and another to change to black-and-white mode or video mode. Pair that with a great 24-MP sensor and reasonably fast autofocus speeds, and you have a fantastic, reasonably priced camera. The best deal of the bunch here is Adorama’s lens bundle, which comes with a charger, memory card, lens filters, and cleaning kit.
Other Mirrorless Camera Deals
Sony
A7RV
This deal is so good at has its own full write up. This is Sony’s top-of-the-line mirrorless camera at the lowest price it’s ever been. If you’ve been wanting to upgrade, now is the time.
Sony
A7 IV Camera
This is also a great deal on a more hybrid camera, with some video-extras, like 4K/30 fps video oversampled from a 7K sensor region. Be aware that the rumor mill says this one is due for an update, but it’s still a great camera, especially at this price.
The Best Deals on Our Favorite Photo Printing Services
A photograph isn’t a photograph until you print it. Strong words, but I’ll stand by them. Luckily, there are some great deals right now that will let you print your images without spending a fortune.
Photograph: Mpix
Our favorite place to print photos is holding a 30 percent off sale on its print services. Mpix makes high-quality prints at a reasonable price, even when it’s full price, which makes this a great deal. Mpix prints on Kodak Endura paper and offers a variety of paper options. I tested the E-surface, which renders rich, deep blacks and true-to-life colors. It holds up well over time; the images we printed in 2013 look exactly like they did when we got them. We also like Mpix’s books and calendars.
If you need to print gifts for your family, Shutterfly is having a sitewide 50 percent off sale. We’re fans of Shutterfly’s book printing service, which had the best results so far in our testing of photo printing services. We also like the calendars. The printing is good enough, especially for the price, and shipping is generally speedy.
The highest-quality prints in our testing came from Adorama’s Printique service. It would be the top pick in our print services guide if it were a bit cheaper, which, with this deal, it is. You can choose from a range of papers, and they’re listed by their actual names, like Kodak Endura or Fujifilm Matte. I also like the option to print the date and file name on the back of each image.
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