Category: Gaming

Shopping for a Father’s Day gift doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. We’ve rustled up real discounts on WIRED-approved gear. All of it is actually on sale—no fake discounts here—and set to arrive before Father’s Day on June 15.

In need of gift ideas? Check out our curated, hand-picked gift guides, including the Gifts for Dads, Gifts for Men, and Gifts for Golfers.

WIRED Featured Deals:

Tech Deals

Photograph: Parker Hall

The Ambient Weather WS-5000 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent gift for the dad who loves to talk about the weather. This station shows everything from daily rainfall to the current UV index, with the kind of intensive precision only a father could love. You can also pick up a ton of different accessories to measure things like humidity, detect leaks, check your fridge efficiency, and more.

This deal comes around quite frequently, but it’s a match of the best price we’ve seen on some of our favorite headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) have wonderful overall value, with frankly excellent noise cancellation and sound. They’re no longer the newest addition to the lineup, but this pair is still fantastic—lightweight, comfortable, and sleek-looking with the user experience to match.

The Nextbase 622GW is our very favorite dashcam. This deal gets you the base model that records the front-end view of your car, and it’s been on sale for a couple of weeks. The camera is easy to mount and can record video in 4K at 30 frames per second, and it offers clear views of license plates and the vehicle’s surroundings. It’s got solid night vision and image stabilization. There’s also a companion app with options for Alexa-based voice support, video review, and subscription-based SOS alerts in case of an accident. (Though Dad’s smartphone probably has crash alerts, too, so consider those options before shelling out for another subscription.)

Courtesy of Amazon

The Sonos Roam 2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best smart Bluetooth speaker. It’s dust- and water-resistant, has 10 hours of listening time, and is about as big as a 16-ounce beer can. It has fantastic sound and USB-C charging, and it won’t take up too much room when Dad is toting it to tailgates.

Maybe your dad doesn’t need a smart speaker like the Sonos mentioned above. In that case, check out the Beats Pill (8/10, WIRED Recommends). This feature-packed Bluetooth speaker is available in several discounted colors. It has fast pairing, a built-in speakerphone, and the ability to charge other devices. It also has Beats’ Fast Fuel feature, meaning 10 minutes of charging gets Dad five hours of playback time (a full charge gets him 24 hours of battery life).

And finally, for a super-portable Bluetooth speaker option, check out this discount. This speaker has a built-in carabiner, making it perfect for clipping to a camp chair, a belt loop, or a cooler handle. It sounds solid and has on-board controls, plus 12-hour battery life. It’s also durable, with dust and water resistance, and it comes in several Dad-approved color schemes.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

If Dad likes hitting the links, we recommend this golf watch, and this price is a goodie. It’s comfortable to wear and easy to use, with foolproof buttons and seamless setup using the companion app for Android or iOS. It has GPS data for over 43,000 courses, and it can record your score as well as provide range tracking for how far you’re hitting the ball or how far away hazards and doglegs are.

The Nothing Ear (a) earbuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are the best earbuds for most people. They’re super stylish, with a sleek clear charging case, and they also have great sound and decent noise cancellation. They’re also comfortable to wear and have super intuitive controls. Combined with the affordable price tag, it’s hard to find a better pair for the money—especially with this sale price.

The Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ (10/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of our favorite AirPods Pro alternatives. They offer fantastic sound for the money, with clear highs and dynamic bass. It boggled the mind of our reviewers that these headphones were as affordable as they are, and with the sale price, this deal is a no-brainer if you’re on the hunt for the best sound at the lowest price.

This specific gadget isn’t in our list of the best portable chargers, but we generally like Anker gear, and the price is too good not to mention. The 10,000-mAh capacity and 30-watt charging means it’s capable of topping off most phones very quickly. It’s also small at 5.4 inches, and there’s a built-in USB-C cable so Dad doesn’t need to worry about finding a cord.

Home and Outdoor Deals

Courtesy of Birdfy

This is our favorite smart bird feeder. We’ve linked to the version with the solar panel included, but the version without the solar panel is also on sale for $120 ($80 off). Both have been on sale for a couple of weeks. We think the solar panel is worth it, since having to bring the feeder inside to recharge it just adds another chore to the list. The feeder is durable and easy to clean. The camera will send smartphone notifications when a bird is feeding, and it has AI recognition that (usually) correctly identifies the species. Note that the AI recognition does require a separate subscription; you can choose to pay for it ahead of time by purchasing that bundle and save some cash in the process.

Another leftover from recent Memorial Day sales, the Aviron Victory Treadmill (8/10, WIRED Recommends) makes running fun. We haven’t seen a better discount yet. The screen provides access to games and shows, and the deck is nice and low to the ground, so it’s easy to step on and off. The membership that grants access to the fun content costs $29 a month or $288 per year, and there are also optional $299 loadable weights to add strength training. But if you’re OK with the yearly costs, this is a good choice for making home workouts more enticing. Check our guide to the Best Treadmills for more.

I’m in the process of reworking our guide to the best coolers, but this Pelican option is still a good one. It’s durable and waterproof, and the tall, narrow design and small footprint make it ideal for road trips. It also features four cupholders and raised rubber feet so it can double as a small drink table while camping or at the beach.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Celestron 8×32 TrailSeeker (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are excellent binoculars for hiking and birding. They’re lightweight and powerful enough for most people, and the glass is easy to see through, with very few chromatic aberrations coming through—even in bright conditions.

The Dreo Chefmaker Combi Fryer is the best air fryer for roasts, steaks, and chops. The combination function allows this air fryer to reverse-sear cuts of meat—just add water to the atomizer atop the device before cooking. There’s a built-in temperature probe that helps cook steaks and whatnot to your desired rarity before blasting them with heat to brown them. There’s also a companion app with recipes that’ll help you keep track of dinner progress.

Our favorite budget body massager hasn’t sold for less than this. It can target the back, neck, and shoulders, and even the lower back if you get creative. There are four kneading nodes, three intensity settings, and a heat therapy option. It can strap to a chair if you’d like, the remote control lets you easily adjust the settings, and there’s a 15-minute automatic shutoff too.

This is our favorite meat thermometer for kitchen use. It comes with four probes, which connect to the included base station via Bluetooth. Pair it with your phone and the companion app for at-a-glance temperature readings, and customize the experience further with notifications when dinner is reaching its ideal temperature. The system is safe to use for everything from sous vide to smoking, and the app has recipes and guided cooking as well.

Deals on Everything Else

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

These sweatpants are WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu’s favorite of the many pairs he tested. He liked the Cloud Leg Straight even more. That pair is on sale, too, but the most popular sizes have sold out already. Both pairs are supremely soft, made with a cotton and recycled polyester fleece blend, which makes them perfect for lounging around. Despite being so comfy and cozy, they don’t look too sloppy or oversized, so Dad could wear them out and about without feeling too underdressed.

If Dad’s water bottle is gross or dented, consider this replacement. It’s the most durable water bottle we recommend, and it’s available in a lot of neat colors. The slim design fits easily into a cupholder in the car or at the gym. It’ll keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours, it’s leakproof, and it’s dishwasher-safe. It’s reliable and gets the job done—just like he does.

The best protein powder fluctuates in price often, but many different flavors and serving sizes are on sale right now. It offers 24 grams of protein per serving, it’s easy to dissolve, and it has fewer additives than some other brands on the market. It’s also available in a mind-boggling array of flavors. There’s a chance you already know what Dad likes, but if not, the vanilla ice cream flavor linked above is a safe bet.

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The MSI Titan is not for the faint of heart—it never has been. It’s an 18-inch behemoth, fitting into that “desktop replacement” class of gaming laptop. This one in particular is meant for PC gamers who want not just top performance but also some bling.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a gaming laptop with this many high-end features. With a mini-LED display, a mechanical keyboard, and an invisible haptic touchpad, there’s no other 18-inch gaming laptop like it, and that means a flashy price too.

Big and Beautiful

The MSI Titan is massive. It’s 1.26 inches thick at its largest point and weighs nearly 8 pounds. You read that right. Eight whole pounds. Gaming laptops aren’t known for being particularly portable, especially ones with 18-inch screens, but the MSI Titan HX is almost a full pound heavier than the Razer Blade 18.

It’s hefty and well crafted, though, as you’d hope for in a laptop north of $5,000. It’s not a single piece of machined aluminum like the Razer Blade 18, but the magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis feels sturdy. The MSI Titan HX uses a thermal shelf on the back, making the laptop larger but also providing a protrusion for extra ventilation and ports. MSI keeps it fairly minimalist with the all-black interior and silver trim, especially compared to older versions of this laptop. The invisible touchpad makes this feel even more modern. And yet, both the Razer Blade 18 and Alienware 18 Area-51 are more savvy designs in my book.

In the rear, you’ll find the power jack, the HDMI 2.1 port, and the Ethernet. Next to some massive vents, you’ll find three USB-A 3.2. Gen2 ports on the side, along with the two Thunderbolt 5 ports, the SD card slot, and a headphone jack. That’s just about every port you can imagine, but the Thunderbolt 5 ports are the interesting part.

Intel sent me several Thunderbolt 5 accessories to demonstrate just how much bandwidth the new spec provides. I set up two 32-inch 4K 240-Hz OLED gaming monitors, all powered through a single USB-C cable. It’s magical seeing those two high-refresh-rate monitors being daisy-chained together, despite their 240-Hz refresh rates. In the past, Thunderbolt 4 ports were limited to two 4K monitors at 60 Hz.

Even if you don’t have two expensive gaming monitors to connect to, the MSI Titan 18 HX has a really solid mini-LED display onboard. It can hit 414 nits of brightness in SDR and around double that in HDR. That’s not quite as good as the OLED gaming monitors out there, but it’s certainly bright enough to notice the difference in HDR. The color saturation is great too.

You want that 4K resolution when it’s spread across 18 inches of screen, even if you may not always want to play games at that native resolution. It’s incredibly sharp. This really is the best screen you can get on an 18-inch laptop right now, as OLED isn’t common in this larger screen size yet. MSI also offers an IPS version of this panel, as well as a lower-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 240-Hz IPS option.

Unfortunately, the speakers and webcam aren’t as premium. The 1080p camera is noisy, and the six-speaker audio system is mediocre. The speakers are almost irrelevant given how loud the fan noise is, at least when it comes to gaming.

Tricks Up Its Sleeve

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The keyboard is unique and an absolute joy to type and game on. It’s a Cherry MX low-profile mechanical keyboard that feels chunky and tactile. It’s unlike any laptop I’ve ever typed on in that sense, capturing the feel of a mechanical keyboard right on your laptop. My only complaint is that the many keys are not mechanical, such as the arrow keys, the number pad, and the function row. Once you notice, it’s a little jarring.

Honorable Mentions

Aeezo 9-inch frame $90: This frame will do the job, but the app—the Frameo app, rather than a dedicated Azeeo app, which we’ve seen on other cheap frames as well—isn’t nearly as streamlined as pricier counterparts. They’re better that other cheap options we’ve tested, but, like Cozyla, they cross the $100 threshold. If you can spend a little more, the $150 Aura Carver is a much better buy.

Aura Mason for $199: This was the big original favorite from Aura, with a solid frame and the ability to rotate between landscape and portrait mode. It’s still a great frame, but Aura did say they’re sunsetting the model, but it’ll remain available until it’s sold out.

Aura Walden for $299: This frame is essentially the same as the Aspen and Carver Mat but larger, reaching 15 inches across. It’s great for wall hanging or for large great rooms, especially since it has a nice flat back. I love mine for my living room and kitchen combo, since the frame is large enough for me to enjoy the pictures from across both rooms.

Azorpa 10-Inch Digital Photo Frame for $110: This slim frame works well and has a nice affordable price point, and it can be rotated. It also has its own dedicated app, unlike several affordable models that all use the same Frameo app. But the ratio is slimmer than smartphone photos, so I found myself needing to constantly recrop pictures or have an extra border along two of the sides. If you don’t mind a border and want a really cheap frame, this one’s solid.

Cozyla frames: We tried a few from this brand. Photo quality was great and there were solid features like only showing photos that match the current orientation of the frame. I found the app to be frustrating, however, and it comes pre-loaded with unnecessary art images. You can hide them from your frame, but there was no obvious way to remove them from the app entirely. If you happen to find one at a super discount, grab it, but other than that, I’d wait for an update.

Familink 10-Inch Digital Photo Frame for $120: Familink’s frame works with or without an internet connection, thanks to its 4G SIM card. Someone will need to set up an account on the website or app (iOS, Android) so that family members can send photos (or even chats) to the frame. There’s no slideshow feature—the most recent addition shows automatically, and you can manually scroll through. But the screen still looks good.

myFirst Frame Doodle for $130: This frame is aimed at kids, with its cover you can draw on and an app feed that family members can use for photo sharing and chatting. But it’s too expensive for the quality. It was slow and not as straightforward as Aura and no matter how many times I deleted photos from the library, they kept returning.

Pexar 2K Digital Picture Frame by Lexar for $130: This frame can rotate to be either portrait or landscape mode, and has a little stand that attaches via magnet for either position. It’s a fine frame, but the screen isn’t as nice as those for a similar price. The Pexar is made by Lexar but uses a third-party app, Frameo, which works fine but has a weirdly Instagram-like uploader that’s limited to 10 photos.

Skylight 10-inch Frame for $170: This frame was a previous honorable mention, and it’s still a solid frame. We like other frames better for the price, including the new Skylight Frame 2 (especially with its Snap Frame accessories). This one only has 8GB of storage, compared to most other frames having 16GB or more.

Vieunite’s Textura Digital Canvas for $754 (USD shown in cart): Is beautiful for displaying professional art. It’s bright and high-def enough that you don’t lose the integrity of the original painting. It’s extremely expensive, though, even if it cheaper than buying an actual van Gogh.

FAQs

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Honorable Mentions

Photograph: Parker Hall

There are a lot of great soundbars out there, and we don’t have room to feature them all. Here are some others you might want to consider.

LG’s S95TR for $1,000-1,500: LG’s 9.1.5-channel soundbar (8/10, WIRED Recommends) doesn’t perform as well as Samsung’s flagship Q990 series, but it could be a better choice for those with newer LG TVs like the C4, which can connect wirelessly and use its speakers in tandem with the bar for more immersion. It also supports gaming features like 120-Hz pass-through, but only includes one spare input.

Sony Bravia Theater 9 for $1,400: Sony’s follow-up to the potent HT-A7000 flagship soundbar regresses in some key ways. There are fewer inputs (no more analog), a more mundane fabric-wrapped design, and minimal sound settings. The Theater 9’s leaner frame equates to a less meaty and immersive soundstage, but this is still a Sony flagship soundbar, which means great musicality, superb detail, and advanced spatial imaging for 3D audio. Premium features like an HDMI 2.1 input for connecting modern game consoles and advanced integration with newer Sony TVs sweeten the deal, but at $1,400, it’s a pricey proposition.

Vizio 2.1 Soundbar (SV210M) for $170: Vizio’s curvy little combo brings enticing value, with solid sound quality and some cinematic punch from the teensiest subwoofer you’ll ever see. There’s no optical input or remote included, but the Vizio app makes adjusting settings or swapping to Bluetooth simple enough. The main drawback is that dialog sometimes (but not always) gets lost, reducing the main draw of a cheap soundbar. That said, good musical chops and features like DTS Virtual X expansion make it worth considering on sale.

Samsung HW-Q800C for $598: If Samsung’s HW-Q990C everything bar is too rich for your blood, the two-piece HW-Q800C (8/10, WIRED Recommends) could be a good compromise. This bar offers a similar sound signature as Samsung’s flagship bars and many of the same features, packed into a smaller bar-and-subwoofer combo for a notable discount–especially since it’s now almost always on sale.

Sennheiser Ambeo Mini for $700: This pint-sized luxury bar is great for those with money to burn in very small spaces. Sennheiser’s built-in Ambeo virtualization technology brilliantly throws sound all around you for exhilarating TV shows and movies, and offers advanced features like support for Google Assistant and Alexa.

Sony HT-X8500 for $300: Sony’s HT-X8500 is getting harder to find, but it’s still one of our favorite options for those after a single bar with solid bass response and expansive sound, including decent Dolby Atmos virtualization. While it’s pricier than our top bar, it’s a great alternative for those after a bit more, and worth considering while it’s still available.

Sennheiser Ambeo Plus for $1,200: Given the price and the physical dimensions of the soundbar—which doesn’t even include a subwoofer—the Ambeo Plus might look like a poor deal. But thanks to its 400 watts of power and its nine carefully developed and even more carefully positioned drivers, this Sennheiser is capable of big, enveloping sound with a strong suggestion of the sonic height that Dolby Atmos soundtracks thrive on. By way of an encore, it turns out to be a hugely capable wireless speaker when you want to listen to some music, too. —Simon Lucas

The Polk React for $269: This soundbar works if you want to get surround sound eventually but don’t have the cash right now. The Alexa-enabled soundbar is fine on its own, with surround speakers and subwoofers available from Polk if you want to upgrade.

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I also deleted very old emails. To find your oldest emails, click All mail on the left, then on the upper right click the displayed pages to see Oldest instead of Newest. Select all emails on the screen and delete them as needed, clicking through each page of emails to see more. You can also use the “older_than” search operator; type “older_than:1y” in the search bar to see all emails more than one year old. Try “older_than:2y” and so on. (The Gemini bot might also be able to help find older emails here; give it a shot if you prefer chat-style searching.)

For me, after deleting large files and labels, and deleting thousands of old emails, Gmail ran noticeably faster.

One other fix has to do with how many files you view in your inbox. It’s a basic rule of computing, especially in web-based apps: showing less information on the screen means the app doesn’t need to work as hard. Go to Settings, then See all settings. Look for the pop-up next to Maximum page size and select a lower number, say 25. I found this setting did help even in an older, clunky Gmail account from years ago.

Cache Out

I wanted to do more, and I was tempted to clear my browser cache, which is a catch-all solution for speeding up web performance. For every site you visit, files and settings are stored locally, and as those things build up over time, they can slow down your browser. There’s a downside to clearing the cache, though: you’ll lose all your saved sessions and you’ll have to log back into all your websites, not just Gmail. Instead, it’s better to clear the cache just for Gmail.

This might sound onerous, but it’s easier than it sounds: To clear the cache for one site, first go to that site (in our case, Gmail.com). Then, in Chrome, press F12 (or go to View > Developer > Developer tools) to bring up the developer tools. Click on the Application tab at the top, and click Clear site data. This really sped things up for me, even more than deleting large files and labels. I was cooking with gas, but felt like things could still be faster.

Start Over

This is a more dramatic solution, but it’s amazing how well it works. A few years ago, I switched Gmail addresses because my old account was too clogged. I started over with a new Gmail inbox that was sprightly and trim. It felt like buying a brand new car. Of course, the downside is that you have to let everyone know about your new email address. That’s easier than you think.

After creating the new Gmail address, go back to your old one. In Gmail, go to Settings and click See all settings, then scroll down to the Vacation responder. You’re taking a permanent vacation from your clogged email, so set the date range to run all year long. Type a message about how you’re changing emails, and include the new email address.

You can also forward all incoming messages to the new inbox. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab at the top, and type in a new forwarding email. Gmail might prompt you for verification from another device to confirm it’s really you. Then, click Proceed. Gmail will also send a confirmation email from the new email address to your old one. In your old account, click that confirmation link.

You’re all set! Everyone will be notified when they email your old account, and you’ll receive incoming emails in your new account.

Whether you follow these tips to liven up an older Gmail account or start over with a new one, the good news is that you’ll notice a speed-up either way. Even my old Gmail account is now faster than ever.

Out of all caffeinated rituals, Turkish coffee takes the (coffee) cake. That’s because, according to some experts, Turkish coffee isn’t a type of coffee—it’s a cooking method. Commonly seen across Middle Eastern cultures, the beverage looks and acts similar to espresso, served in a small cup and tasting very rich yet very different.

Turkish coffee is made with coffee ground finer than espresso (the ideal Turkish coffee grind has a flourlike consistency) and a brewing process that involves boiling three times. It’s an unfiltered drink, so the coffee grounds eventually settle to the bottom of the cup. The grounds make for a thick drink, but they also play an important role in the auspicious ritual of fortune telling, a practice that ultimately inspired my love for the brew.

My introduction to Turkish coffee was with my sister’s Iranian family (we have different fathers. Her father, Ali, is from Iran). Upon visiting them to celebrate the Persian New Year, my sister’s aunt made Turkish coffee after dinner one evening and a family friend proceeded to “read” the coffee grounds and tell us our fortunes (I dive into the specifics of this process more below). While I cannot adhere to the validity of fortune telling, I will say that the family friend predicted I’d have a son. That was over 10 years ago. At the end of 2024, I gave birth to my first child, a healthy baby boy.

But you don’t have to get your fortune told to enjoy Turkish coffee. You also don’t have to search too far and wide across the coffee forums to find strong opinions about the strong coffee and how it should be made. This was possibly my biggest setback in research, as there are those who suggest beginning the brew with hot water, while others suggest cold water. Some suggest sugar, others without. Some suggest high heat, others low. You might have even seen Turkish coffee being prepared in sand. (The owner at my local Palestinian deli tells me that this is mostly a tourist gimmick.)

So, to the coffee nerds, the anal and the meticulous, if you’re hoping for a “right” way to make Turkish coffee, I hate to disappoint you. Those who make Turkish coffee in their home regularly measure and brew with their heart, and each household has a similar but almost always slightly different method. It’s your preferences that will ultimately guide the ins and outs of your brewing.

Table of Contents

What Is Turkish Coffee?

Turkish coffee is often served in a cup that’s usually no more than 2 ounces. It might look similar to espresso, but while espresso is brewed under high pressure, Turkish coffee is brewed by boiling finely ground (even more fine of a grind than espresso) coffee in a cezve. A cezve (referred to as an ibrik in other countries like Palestine) is a small pot with a long handle, usually holding around 10 to 15 ounces and made out of copper.

Generally, Turkish coffee is boiled in the cezve in three parts. After each boil, a small amount is poured into the coffee cup. The cezve is returned to the stove after each pour until you’ve filled your cups. The process of boiling the coffee multiple creates a thick and frothy coffee that is very strong and very aromatic.

Ideally, Turkish coffee is ground with a traditional Turkish coffee grinder like this. Because Turkish coffee is ground to a fineness that most commercial coffee grinders cannot achieve, your best bet is to buy it pre-ground (I’ve suggested a few brands below). I almost considered using my Sana Grain Mill (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to see if I could achieve the grind, but didn’t want to risk the coffee flavor in my homemade flour.

The Process

Traditionally, finely ground Turkish coffee is mixed with water in a cezve, along with some sugar, depending on your preferences. You’ll bring the coffee to a boil on low/medium heat over an open flame, usually in three parts. The first boil will develop a foam (think crema, as seen in other coffee drinks). This foam is essential to Turkish coffee, as the drink’s frothy thickness makes it stand out from others. Some recipes suggest using a spoon to scoop the initial foam into your prepared cups. Otherwise, you’ll use the cezve to pour it into your prepared coffee cups a little at a time. Put the cezve back on the stove to boil and repeat this process twice more until you’ve filled your coffee cups to the rim.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to note that, unlike other coffee styles in which technicality is prioritized with scales and thermometers, you’ll see neither of these aspects come into play when making Turkish coffee. With roots that date back to the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, Turkish coffee is a drink integrated into and born of a culture. So, think of Turkish coffee like your grandma’s cooking—a recipe acts as a guide, but it is ultimately a process that is led with the heart.

The Tradition of Fortune Telling

You may not place much stock in auspicious practices, and I don’t blame you. But in case you’re curious, there are traditions to be respected.

The fortune-telling process begins once you’ve finished your drink. You’ll place your coffee cup upside down on its saucer. The grounds will drip and scatter, and this is what the fortune teller will analyze to determine your fortune.

Just as my family friend read my coffee grounds on that fateful day 10 years ago, the practice of fortune telling through Turkish coffee should be done by someone who is experienced in the craft. It is strongly suggested that you do not try to read your own fortune.

This act of fortune telling also establishes something important when it comes to Turkish coffee: It’s a social activity—something meant to be enjoyed with company. It’s not a science. A great example of this is my local Palestinian deli using hot water to make its Turkish coffee. Beginning with hot water may go against what some coffee aficionados recommend (beginning with cold water is usually ideal for any brewing process to achieve optimal flavor and extraction), but many places selling Turkish coffee do this to speed up the process and serve their customers more quickly. When making the recipe below, don’t focus on being too technical.

Turkish Coffee Recipe

Yields 2 2-ounce cups of Turkish coffee

Equipment

• 1 cezve
• 2 small (2 oz.) coffee cups

Ingredients

• 2 heaping Tbsp Turkish coffee
• 6 ounces water
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Instructions

Combine Turkish coffee, sugar, and water in your cezve. Stir until combined. Put cezve over a low/medium gas stove flame and slowly bring to a boil over a couple of minutes (if it boils too fast, it’s harder to develop the initial foam). Once boiling to the top, quickly take the cezve off the stove and pour a small amount into your prepared cups (about half an ounce).

Return the cezve to the open flame and bring to a boil. Repeat steps 3 to 4 twice more until you’ve filled your cups to the brim. Serve immediately.

More Great Hubs

Twelve South StayGo Mini

Photograph: Twelve South

Ports are a problem on the iPad. With just one USB-C port on most of them, you can’t charge and use other accessories at the same time. We like the Satechi hub mentioned above a lot, but here are a few others we’ve tested and like. Read our Best USB Hubs and Docks guide for more recommendations.

Twelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub for $60: This tiny USB-C hub might be all you need, and it’s seriously compact. It’s a little taller but narrower than a Zippo lighter, and you get a 4K HDMI port, a USB-A, an 85-watt USB-C port with pass-through charging, and a headphone jack. I had trouble fitting it on an iPad protected by a case, but Twelve South includes a female USB-C to male USB-C cable that solves this issue.

Satechi USB-C Hybrid With SSD Enclosure for $90: Satechi’s four-port hub is a little too large, considering the number of ports you get, but there’s a good reason for that. Pop off the aluminum cover and you’ll find a slot for an M.2 SATA solid-state storage drive (SSD) slot. That means access to an external SSD, along with two USB-A jacks, one 100-watt USB-C pass-through charging port, and a 4K HDMI at the same time. I did not have an M.2 SATA drive to test, but this 1-terabyte card should work. Just know that Satechi’s hub does not support NVMe M.2 cards.

Anker USB-C to Ethernet Adapter for $26: Most people won’t need an Ethernet port on an iPad, but maybe you’re taking a stab at some cloud gaming on your tablet. If so, you’ll need the fastest speeds you can get so your games appear in the highest quality possible. This simple, aluminum USB-C to Ethernet dongle delivered around 700 Mbps download speeds on the iPad Pro in my home, which is what my desktop PC usually hits.

Other iPad Accessories We Like

iPad accessories are endless. Here are some other options that are perfectly fine, though some have issues that put them down a rung.

Zagg Pro Keys 2

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Zagg Pro Keys 2 Keyboard Case for $150: Zagg’s case isn’t as elegant as Logitech’s system, but you can connect it via Bluetooth to two different devices (7/10, WIRED Review). That means you’ll need to recharge the keyboard case via USB-C. It’s more protective, thanks to the folio cover, and it’s a detachable system with a case that’s separate from the slate. But it’s a lot bulkier. The second-generation version doesn’t come with a trackpad either, so you’ll have to supply your own mouse. This one is only available for the iPad Pro (M4), but you can still purchase the first-gen version for the ninth-gen iPad, iPad Air (including the 11-inch iPad Air with M2), and 11-inch iPad Pro, as well as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Logitech MX Mechanical Mini for $140: This keyboard is compact and has satisfyingly clicky keys, plus they’re backlit. It recharges via USB-C, but I’ve only had to plug it in once every few months. It connects either via Bluetooth or a USB-A dongle (or with the included USB-C cable), and the connection is reliable and never fails.

Logitech Crayon Stylus for $65: Apple Pencil not striking your fancy? This Logitech Crayon is a slightly more affordable option, It’s especially great for kids because it’s thicker yet maintains great palm rejection, decent (but not identical) pressure sensitivity, and low latency. Logitech has updated it with USB-C support, so now you can truly ditch that Lightning cable.

Paperlike Screen Protector for $45: This screen cover goes over your iPad’s screen to mimic the texture and friction of sketching on paper. Former WIRED reviewer Jaina Grey said the film is harder to apply than a typical screen protector (make sure you clean your iPad’s screen thoroughly before!). But when you’re done, it adds enough resistance that you’ll find it hard to go back to drawing on glass.

Mageasy CoverBuddy Case (iPad Pro) for $65: Mageasy’s case is compatible with Apple’s Magic Keyboard case and is a great option if you want extra protection for your iPad without adding too much bulk. Like the ESR Rebound case, you can attach and detach it from the Magic Keyboard case without losing out on the extra protection. It comes with a slot for the Apple Pencil Pro or the USB-C version. There’s also the CoverBuddy Lite for the iPad Air (M2).

OtterBox Defender Series Rugged Case for $90: Want a more protective case? Get the OtterBox Defender. It’s available for the previous-gen iPad, 10th-gen iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models. There’s a built-in screen protector and covers for the charging port, volume rockers, and Apple Pencil. There’s also an outer shell with a kickstand you can clip on if you want to prop up the iPad. It’s far too clunky for my personal use, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find more protection for your slate.

Apple Smart Folio for $69: These slim cases and covers from Apple do the job just fine and can even convert into kickstands to prop up your tablet. They’re also some of the best options for the iPad Mini.

Apple Magic Keyboard for $299: If not for its price, this would be one of the better iPad case and keyboard options. It feels great to type on, the trackpad integrates seamlessly into iPadOS, and it even has a USB-C port. It’s a bit bulky, but it’s a great accessory to keep on hand when you need to do some serious typing. It works with the iPad Air (including the M2 version) and iPad Pro. There’s also a folio version available for the 10th-gen iPad.

Apple Magic Keyboard (2nd-gen) for $349: This one is even more expensive than the first-gen. It’s also only compatible with the iPad Pro (M4). But the upgrades are really nice. There’s a larger trackpad, an aluminum palm rest, and a row of Function keys. It’s also thinner and lighter, which is ideal seeing as how the same applies to the latest iPad Pro. However, as with its predecessor, this case is still a little top-heavy.

Moft Float Case for $60: This protective case has a real stand that sits flush on the back. Pull it out and you can prop the tablet up at a decent height and even change the viewing angle (it works in portrait or landscape orientation). It’s wobbly when you tap the screen in floating mode, but I didn’t find this too annoying. It is tough to pull out the stand, but I bite my nails, so this might not be an issue for you.

SaharaCase Folio Case for $30: We tested this case for the iPad Mini, but you can also get it for the ninth-gen iPad and iPad Pro (both models). On the outside is an automatic sleep/wake cover that doubles as a kickstand to prop up the iPad. There’s also a really nice marble pattern on the front and back that makes it stand out. You can also stow the Apple Pencil on the inside, so you don’t have to worry about it falling off.

Speck Balance Folio Case for $45: This features built-in grooves for various adjustable angles, as well as a removable camera cover. There’s a latch in place of a magnetic cover and the Apple Pencil slot sits on the outside. It’s not the most stylish, but it’s protective and lightweight. The grooves are also great for those who use their iPads to watch content. It’s available for the Air, 11-inch Pro, 12.9-inch Pro, and the ninth- and 10th-gen iPad.

OtterBox Symmetry Series 360 Case for $90: This folio for the base ninth- and 10th-gen iPad and iPad Air fixes everything I didn’t like about our top Spigen pick, but it’s pricier. The clear back lets the iPad’s design come through, and while the display cover can fold into the same two viewing angles, covering the screen actually puts it to sleep here. The folio’s latch keeps the whole thing tightly closed, and it also holds any Apple Pencil. The latch does kind of flop around when it’s not closed, though. I don’t recommend buying the Symmetry Series 360 Elite cases for the iPad Pro, as they’re not pleasant to use.

Casetify Selfie by Bonnie Lu Ultra Impact Folio Case for $74: If you’re looking for an iPad case that offers great protection and has adorable prints to choose from, look no further than Casetify’s lineup. We’ve been obsessed with this Selfie by Bonnie Lu case for a few months now—it packs extra protection on all four corners of the device and can withstand drops up to 4 feet, plus the artwork is super cute. It has grooves on the front cover, too, allowing you to adjust the angle of the iPad. We tested this case for the iPad Air, but you can also get it for the 10th-gen iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Pro (both models).

Paperlike Charcoal Folio Case for $65: Designed to feel like a sketchbook, the Folio Case has a polyester fabric cover that feels super high-quality and lightweight. It can also be used to prop up your iPad at two different levels. This case doesn’t come with an Apple Pencil slot, but the large flap closure keeps it from falling out. Although we only tested the Folio Case with the iPad Air, it’s also available for iPad Pro (both models).

Harbor London Magnetic Envelope Sleeve for $123: If the price doesn’t put you off, this is a rather elegant way to protect your iPad. There’s full-grain leather on one side and 100 percent wool felt on the other (and the inside). It feels exquisite. It’s roomy enough to fit an iPad with a case on it, and it’s available for several generations of the base model slate, including the 10th-gen iPad, the iPad Air, and the iPad Pro. There’s a little leather loop to carry your Apple Pencil for extra security. The sleeve has a slot on one side to access the USB-C charging port, but more unique is its ability to double as a stand. It’s not the most versatile stand—you only really get one angle—but it did the job on my lap, which is an impressive feat for such a floppy item.

Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 Tablet Keyboard for $80: If you don’t want a keyboard case, this is a solid alternative. It’s a compact, lightweight, and slim external keyboard that comes with a built-in protective cover. The low-profile scissor keys feel nice to type on, and there’s a convenient shortcut row for functions like volume, screen brightness, emoji, and more. When using it, you’re supposed to flip the cover behind the keyboard—which gives it height for a more comfortable experience. Because the cover has a soft texture, however, it adds bounce when typing. I’m not a huge fan of it, but others might not be as bothered by it. It’s also a bit expensive compared to other options.

Do Not Recommend

These are the iPad accessories we suggest avoiding.

Zagg Pro Stylus 2 for $80: The Zagg Pro Stylus 2 is cute and all, especially in the Yellow No. 2 design, but at $80, you may as well buy the second-gen Apple Pencil or Apple Pencil Pro since they often dip in price. With no support for pressure sensitivity, you also have to tilt the stylus to achieve thick or thin lines, but it doesn’t feel seamless.

Moft Snap Float Folio for $60: Honestly, the idea behind this case is smart, but it’s just a little too annoying to use. It’s slim and barely feels protective, and you can fold it in different ways to prop up your iPad at four angles—kind of like origami. It’s difficult to remember the exact methods for some of these modes at first, but I got used to them, though I had to readjust it on the iPad too many times.

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I’ve covered Google’s AI Overviews since its messy rollout last year, when screenshots of absurdly wrong answers started popping up at the top of search results and going viral on social media. Still, when I first saw images of AI Overviews confidently saying that it’s still 2024 in Reddit posts today, I thought they might be altered screenshots. I mean, over a billion Google users currently see the AI-generated results every month. Surely, such an obvious error would have been caught and patched by now?

I was wrong. Repeating the prompt “is it 2025” verbatim three times gave me three different AI Overview results, yet the first sentence was the same in each result: “No, it is not 2025.” The erroneous results cited multiple websites, ranging from Reddit’s r/AskHistorians to a Wikipedia entry for the year 2025.

The first time I asked Google Search for confirmation of the year, the AI results included a shot at the exact date as well: “It is May 28, 2024.” (I ran these tests on May 29, 2025.) The synthetic gaslighting got wilder, somehow, on the second try: “According to the provided information, for some locations it might be 2025, but not everywhere on Earth.”

However, my third attempt was so nonsensical and riddled with paradoxes that it’s worth publishing the whole thing:

No, it is not 2025. The current year is 2024. According to the provided information, for some locations around the world, like Kiribati, New Zealand, and some parts of Russia and Australia, it is currently 2025. However, the current date is May 29, 2025 in San Francisco, CA [zip code redacted].

The twists! The turns! This AI Overview has everything. Starting off with a claim that it’s actually last year. Then, a repeat of a previous mistake—this time more detailed—about it being 2025 somewhere else in the world right now. A New Zealand shout-out for some reason. Then, a Shyamalan-esque conclusion where it says the real date, paired with my home zip code. Although Google likely knows where I am most waking minutes, having my zip code folded into the AI Overview result did make me feel uncomfortable.

I asked Google about this latest hiccup. “As with all Search features, we rigorously make improvements and use examples like this to update our systems. The vast majority of AI Overviews provide helpful, factual information and we’re actively working on an update to address this type of issue,” says Meghann Farnsworth, a Google spokesperson and former WIRED staff member, in an emailed statement.

Honorable Mentions

We’ve tested dozens of cooling sheets. Here are a few others we like but not as much as the options above.

Bedsure Bamboo Cooling Sheet Set for $60: These bamboo sheets are some of the best affordable sheets we’ve found, though not as cooling as our top picks.

Brooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set for $189: These are a great set of cooling percale sheets that have that super crisp feel to them. I prefer softer sets that keep you just as cool, but these are a great option if you like a crisper touch.

Brooklinen Washed Linen Core Sheet Set for $359: These sheets are fine linen, but they start out rougher than other linen we recommend, and I felt cooler sleeping on the picks above. There’s an updated version of this sheet available, which I’m currently testing, and will update this story soon with my notes.

Cariloha Classic Bamboo Sheet Set for $239: This is a good bamboo sheet set, and fine for cooling properties as well as everything else we love about bamboo. The sets above are lighter, but these are a safe purchase as well. Cariloha’s Retreat Sheets ($339) also come with a securing strap if you have a tall mattress.

The Citizenry Stonewashed Linen Sheet Set for $299: These linen sheets from The Citizenry are my absolute favorite linen. They’re breathable and among the softest linen sheets I’ve tried. They have a slightly heavier feel than Pottery Barn’s sheets, even though they both have a weight of 160 grams per square meter.

Coop Comphy Percale Sheet Set for $179: Like Brooklinen, these are great percale sheets with a more classic, crisp feel—which makes sense, since Coop designs its linens to feel like hotel linens. They’re great to sleep on, but you’ll have fewer color options than you do with Brooklinen.

Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set for $330: These sheets are insanely soft and feel ice cold when you climb into bed, which I love. But these are thicker than Ettitude, above, and they warmed up more after lying in them for more than 10 minutes. These are sheets I’d use year-round, but I still like Ettitude and Nuzzie better for hotter nights.

Luxome Bamboo Luxury Sheet Set for $185: These bamboo sheets are soft and cooling, but are a little heavier than we’d like compared to the rest of our picks. They’re still a great bamboo set for the price, though.

My Sheets Rock the Regulator Sheets for $199: These bamboo sheets are cool and silky to the touch. I didn’t wake up sweaty, but I didn’t wake up as cool as I expected.

Naturepedic Organic Linen Sheet Set for $549: These sheets have a heavier weight while still staying cool and breathable, but they’re a big investment and aren’t quite as soft as our other recommendations.

Parachute Percale Sheet Set for $269: This is another nice percale set, but a little pricey compared to others we’ve tried and loved. WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu says they’ve held up well against his dog, which is a nice bonus, but other WIRED staffers have said newer sets of the sheets haven’t lasted.

Pom Pom at Home Bamboo Sateen Sheet Set for $368: These bamboo sheets are nice and not too heavy, but cost more than the most cooling sets I tried.

Pure Parima Ultra Percale Sheet Set for $230: These Egyptian cotton percale sheets are softer than most other percale, and they are breathable and super comfortable to sleep on. They’re more of a splurge, but not the most expensive percale out there.

Quince Bamboo Sheet Set for $130: These sheets feel much nicer than the price suggests, and they are silky and cool, with a nice weight to them. Not quite as breathable as our top picks, but still excellent.

Rest Evercool Cooling Sheet Set for $299: These sheets were super silky and chilly to the touch, but the top sheet ended up leaving me feeling hot in the middle of the night, even while testing in spring. You can skip the top sheet and save $90, though, if the cooling and antimicrobial technology in these sheets sound up your alley.

Riley Percale Sheet Set for $260: These percale sheets are nice and crisp, but expensive. They’re good sheets, but we were happier with the cheaper options we recommend, or the Pure Parima sheets above.

Saatva Percale Sheet Set for $205: This set is a little more expensive but has only a 200 thread count, making these an extra-light percale set. Even with such a light sheet, it’s still soft and comfortable to sleep on.

Sheets to Skip

When you test so many sheets, there are bound to be duds. Avoid these cooling sheets.

Casper Hyperlite Sheet Set for $139: These sheets are made with Tencel lyocell, making them cool to the touch. They’re super thin too, allowing for good airflow. They are cool to sleep on, but they lost the softness after a couple washes, and they feel too thin to last much longer.

Coop CoolSpa Sheet Set for $179: These nylon sheets are super soft to the touch, but my husband and I both woke up hot when sleeping on these.

Thuma Linen Sheet Set for $315: These linen sheets are incredibly lightweight, but one of the pillowcases split at the seams after just a few washes, so I wouldn’t splurge on these.

Anything with a high thread count: A lot of folks think higher thread count means better sheets, full stop. But that isn’t the full story. A higher thread count makes for heavier, less breathable sheets, so you’ll want to skip the thread counting if you’re running warm. I tend to prefer sheets with a 300 thread count when I want to stay cool at night, and 400 is the highest I’ll usually go. Not all sheets include a thread count, but a missing thread count often means it isn’t high enough to brag about (but in this case, that’s a good thing!)

FAQs

What Makes Sheets Cooling?

There’s a lot of terminology thrown around in the world of cooling sheets and cooling mattresses. Temperature regulating! Airflow! Moisture wicking! Phase-change material! Most of the time, these features come back to how breathable the sheets are. Breathability means moisture can better evaporate, and “temperature-regulating” usually means the sheets are breathable enough to release the heat and moisture from your body.

What makes sheets breathable? Cotton, flax linen, and bamboo have great breathability, but not all sheets are made equally, so material alone isn’t a guarantee. Weave, as in percale’s one-over-one threads versus sateen’s three-over-one, and weight (including thread count) of the bedding comes into play. Higher thread counts are less breathable, and tighter weaves will be less breathable too. The yarn within the fabric is also important, as well as how twisted it is—a higher twist makes for a smoother, cooler feel to the fabric, while a loose twist isn’t as smooth and can trap heat.

Some companies treat sheets with something called phase-change materials, or PCMs, which are substances that absorb and release energy to either heat or cool an area. “PCMs create a microclimate,” says Karen Leonas, a professor of textile sciences at the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. Excess body heat is absorbed by these materials and then released to the body when it’s cool.

These treatments can raise the price of cooling sheets, but they’re not super popular yet, and it’s hard to determine how well incorporated it is into the fabric. “PCMs go through thermal cyclic testing and have shown to last a long time,” Leonas says. “If this is a surface treatment, there is the possibility that some of the microcapsules will be lost due to abrasion.” Parima Ijaz, CEO of Pure Parima, agrees and says these treatments sometimes only last up to 10 washes. There are only a handful of sheets on the market that tout their use of PCMs, and our guide focuses on breathable materials and weaves rather than these treatments. It’s worth noting that PCMs will last much longer on a foam mattress, according to Leonas. If you’re still sweating at night after switching to cooling sheets, try a cooling mattress.

I Got Cooling Sheets. Why Am I Still Hot at Night?

If you’ve purchased cooling sheets and are still waking up sweating, here are a few things to consider:

• Check your other layers: How hot is your comforter or any other blankets you have on your bed? I prefer to sleep with a cooling comforter like Buffy’s Cloud Comforter ($195) to stay cool at night, or will sometimes skip a comforter or blanket entirely.
• Check your mattress: If your mattress is retaining a lot of heat, there’s only so much a set of sheets can fix that for you. Foam mattresses in particular can retain a lot of heat, especially memory foam ones. I really like my organic, breathable mattress from Plank, but we’ve also got an entire guide to cooling mattresses. You can also explore devices like the Eight Sleep Pod 3 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) to help regulate the temperature around your mattress, or add a mattress topper with cooling properties.
• Check the airflow and temperature in your bedroom: Airflow is an important and powerful thing for staying cool. You might find you need to add a fan to your bedroom, or add a temperature sensor to your bedroom to alert a smart thermostat like the Nest Learning Thermostat (9/10, WIRED Recommends) to turn on and cool your bedroom off. (Bonus: the Nest actually comes with both a thermostat and a temperature sensor to pair it with.)

How I Test Cooling Sheets

I’m sure you can guess it: I test sheets by sleeping on them. But I do more than just sleep, of course. I did side-by-side comparisons of different sets to compare weight and breathability. I also spent time sitting in bed awake. It’s not the same as when you sleep, since your body temperature drops at night, and I wanted to see how much the sheets would warm up if you weren’t fully asleep. I did all my testing with either Buffy’s Cloud Comforter ($200) or Cozy Earth’s Bamboo Comforter ($425) over the top sheet, and all of the recommended sets above stayed cool and breathable. All sheets are tested for a minimum of three nights of sleep, usually closer to a week, and are washed a minimum of two times before included in my guide to check for any quality issues.

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Most all-purpose juicers fall into one of two types. Centrifugal juicers or masticating slow juicers that are also known as “cold press.”

A centrifugal juicer offers speed and a lot of power. In essence, it operates a bit like a blender with an added mesh screen to separate juice from pulp. A fast-rotating blade shreds fruit and produce and grinds them up against a mesh screen, often at a speed of thousands of revolutions per minute. Whatever passes through the mesh is the juice.

The power and speed mean centrifugal juicers are often whizzes at processing roots, pineapples, and other harder or dense-fibered produce that might pose difficulty for a slow-press auger. Softer fruits such as berries or leafy greens won’t do so well here, offering lower juice yields or even clogging up the mesh screens. Centrifugal juicers also tend to produce frothier juice, given the high agitation. That said, rotating quickly also makes them quick.

A masticating juicer—sometimes called a “slow” or “cold press” juicer—is both the newest trend in juicing and a much older technology. Basically, slow juicers operate on the same principle as an old-fashioned cider mill, slowly “chewing” and pressing fruit at a much lower rate, which some believe subjects fruits and vegetables to less oxidation and heat and thus preserves more of their essential character.

More verifiably, slow juicers tend to net higher juice yields and less waste than centrifugal juicers and are more effective in particular on leafy greens, soft fruits, and berries. They also add less froth and aeration to the resulting juice and produce more evenly textured results.

Masticating juicers were once loaded into a horizontal grinder and chute, which took some effort and required you to attend to juicing during the whole process. More recently, the advent of vertical masticating juicers from South Korea changed all that—with big hoppers one can load up, shrug, and depart from as the juicer does its work. The majority of juicers we’ve included in our guide, and all of our top picks, are now slow, masticating juicers.

We’ve also included a classic citrus juicer for simple orange, lemon, and lime drinks. These are quite simple devices and mostly the same as each other aside from style and ergonomics. Basically, you press a halved citrus fruit onto the ridged dome of a reamer and turn on the device. The reamer will twirl till the juice is juiced.

Masticating and centrifugal juicers can, of course, juice unpeeled citrus—and the added zest can be quite flavorful in lemon and lime juice. (Actually, this is my preference.) But to avoid such zestiness, you’d otherwise have to peel your citrus before loading into a juicing chamber. The easiest way to juice an orange will always be to halve it and press it against the ridged dome of a citrus juicer.

Courtesy: Wayfair

Others We Tested

Wayfair Sleep 8-Inch Medium Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress for $122: This super cheap cooling mattress consists of 8 inches of regular memory foam with a layer of cooling gel, charcoal, and green tea-infused memory foam (to aid with freshness and odor absorption), followed by a soft comfort foam on a durable high-density foam base to help with all-around pressure relief. The top layer has a breathable, woven jacquard design that helps keep the sleeper cool and has a tight enough foam top to help with reducing motion transfer. The mattress ships right to your door, is compatible with an adjustable base, has a 100-night trial, and a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Wayfair Sleep 13.5-Inch Medium Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress for $280: This 13.5-inch cooling gel memory foam mattress is listed as medium-firm, but is by far the most plush mattress I’ve ever slept on. The top layer is 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam, followed by 4.5 inches of comfort foam, and the bottom is 7 inches of high-density base support foam. This in-a-box bed sprang up to size almost immediately, has low motion transfer, a 100-night trial, and a limited 10-year warranty. This behemoth of a bed was super comfy and literally enveloped my body, but I don’t think I’d want a bed with so little structure for the long term. If you are someone who loves a super-plush bed, then this is the mattress for you.

Wayfair Sleep 14-Inch Plush Cooling Gel Hybrid Mattress for $340: This 14-inch plush cooling gel mattress feels expensive without the price tag to match. It has a top layer of cooling gel that conforms to your body for comfort and has classic pocket coils below for structure and support, with layers of memory foam with varying thickness surrounding the coils (the coils and memory foam mixture helps with low-motion transfer, too). The knit cover and sides help with breathability and the overall “cooling effect.” This mattress is the most plush I’ve tested, but didn’t feel like it lacked structure because of its generous height and coils. I love a plush mattress, but I could see it maybe being a bit too plush for someone with a bigger body, since the first super-soft memory foam layer is on top of a coil system.

Wayfair Sleep Evan 10.5-Inch Plush Cooling Gel Hybrid Mattress for $280: The top is memory foam, then a plush poly foam, wrapped innersprings, and a bottom high-density base foam; the memory foam pillow top aims to relieve pressure points and help reduce motion transfer, it’s made out of hypogenic materials, and has a breathable knit cover to aid in the cooling effect. The bed is compatible with an adjustable base, has a 100-night trial, and a 10-year warranty. This was a super comfortable, true plush mattress. But it wasn’t as breathable as promised, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you sleep hot or want a noticeably cool mattress.

Wayfair Sleep 14-Inch Medium Memory Foam Mattress for $290: This 14-inch medium-firm memory foam mattress strikes a great balance with structured firmness and a memory foam top that contorts to your shape. It’s constructed from CertiPUR-US-certified foams and a cotton-based fire retardant for added safety. The adjustable base-compatible mattress has a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, and a 100-night trial. Although I tend to go for more plush mattresses, it has a great balance between that medium-firm structure and the soft, contorting open-cell memory foam. This bed pleasantly surprised me and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who likes a bit more of a medium-firm feel.

Wayfair Sleep 12-Inch Medium Memory Foam Mattress for $270: This 12-inch medium-firm memory foam mattress has a breathable jacquard pattern covering to help with airflow and a top 2-inch layer of green tea-infused memory foam to help with freshness and odor control, followed by 3.5 inches of high-density foam. The rest is 6.5 inches of more high-density foam. The top layer has a bit more give, and the memory foam contorts to the body’s pressure points while the bottom layers are dense (helping with the firmness). The mattress has good edge support, surprisingly low motion transfer, is adjustable base-compatible, has a 100-night trial, and 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. Like all others on this list, the bed comes in a box. However, it didn’t fully expand until 12-plus hours after unwrapping and is a bit firm for my taste.

One to Avoid

Wayfair Sleep 6-Inch Medium Memory Foam Mattress for $152: This 6-inch memory foam mattress from Wayfair Sleep is labeled as medium on the firmness scale, and looks and feels like a plush camping pad. I will admit, I was very worried when I took this from-a-box mattress out—it was vacuum sealed and didn’t spring up for nearly a day. Once it did, it was still very thin. I measured it and the pad is a little over 5.5 inches. If I put too much pressure on one area, I could feel my hard box spring underneath—I don’t think this would work on a frame without some type of structure below. I struggled with sleeping hot throughout a few of the nights, as the cover is made of polyester and the majority of the mattress is made of high-density foam without the aid of cooling gel or super breathable top fabric.

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Finding the right tent for a backpacking trip is always tricky. You have to balance packed size and weight against livability and how well it stands up to wind and rain. I’ve always erred on the side of a sturdy tent over any weight concerns, which is why I love the Hilleberg Akto, but I don’t always need the Akto.

There is a short season in my neck of the woods called summer, when storms are less likely and temps don’t drop much below the 60s. This is when I’ve been using the Lunar Solo, Six Moon Design’s flagship ultralight one-person tent. After several late and early summer trips around the north woods of Wisconsin and Michigan, it has proved itself a capable shelter. It weighs just 2 pounds, packs down quite small, and checks a whole lot of other boxes on my tent wish list.

Plenty of Space

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

There is no one tent to rule them all, and trying to find one is a mistake. You’re better off with two tents, knowing the limitations of each and using each when it’s the best for the job. Which is to say, I love the Akto, but I also think Six Moon Design’s Lunar Solo is excellent for summer trips when you prize traveling light over withstanding intense storms.

That’s not to say the Lunar Solo won’t keep you dry. It will. The silicone nylon, or silnylon, is plenty waterproof, though you’ll either need to seam-seal it yourself with some Seam Grip, or have the Six Moon Designs team do it for you before they ship it, which costs $35. My testing tent arrived seam-sealed, but being old enough to remember when you had to seam-seal just about every tent, I’ve done it enough times to say it’s not hard should you choose to DIY it.

The Lunar Solo is single-wall, single-pole tent intended to be pitched with a trekking pole. This makes for a very small and light tent but also has two potential drawbacks: structural integrity and condensation. More on those in a moment. Once pitched, the Lunar Solo offers 26 square feet of living space and a peak height of 49 inches, and the vestibule offers 8.5 square feet of additional gear storage. Overall I found the Lunar Solo to be plenty spacious for one person with gear. The rear wall expands out slightly, giving you a place to stash frequently needed items without pushing them up against the tent wall.

The 20D silnylon and mesh walls feel as durable as anything you’ll find at this weight, unless you want to go with a Cuben Fiber/Dyneema tent, but to my mind the high price of Cuben puts it in a different category. The floor of the Lunar Solo is a more robust 40-denier (40D), and has a bathtub shape to help ensure water doesn’t get in. The rear of the Lunar Solo has a 6-inch mesh portion between the floor and the main wall that helps with ventilation.

Any single pole tent is going to struggle in wind, no matter how many guyline points it offers. I did find the Lunar Solo compressed a good deal when I pitched it in high winds on the exposed shores of Lake Superior. It was admittedly not a great campsite from a seeking-shelter point of view, not one I would pick if I wasn’t testing the wind resistance of a tent. But it did convince me that the Lunar Solo needs either a trekking pole or a heavier tent pole than the ultralight pole Six Moon Design provided. (I did a good portion of my testing while bikepacking so I didn’t have trekking poles.)

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is not only about design, fashion, or art, but about solving problems.

Humans have a remarkable ability to connect different pieces of information to solve new problems. I think software engineers can be extremely creative. Now, in the age of AI, human creativity is even more important. In the long term, when humanity becomes a civilization that expands into space, it’s creativity that’s going to make us more competitive in the universe.

That is why we want to make technology “fun” again, to help inspire human creativity. Personally, I was very inspired by Apple when I was younger—the first iPod, the first iPhone—that’s the reason I’m in this industry.

But now the creative companies of the past have become very big and very corporate, and they’re no longer very creative. They’re no longer inspirational for the younger generation. So we are trying to bring that back.

We’re also trying to be very transparent and human in our business efforts. For example, if you watch our YouTube videos, you’ll see that we try to introduce the Nothing team, like our designers and software developers, so that you can get to know them.

This is our way of doing things and our way of thinking. We hope it will encourage more young people to express their creativity.

Carl Pei has long emphasized that he wants to make technology “fun” again.

Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu

Is your strategy working? How’s business?

Looking back on the last four and a half years, I think it is working. We face a lot of problems on a daily basis, but we cannot survive in this industry if we follow the same strategies as other companies. We have to be different.

And the business is growing rapidly. Last year, we grew about 150 percent. However, we still only reached about 0.1% share of the global market, so there is plenty more to do.

It’s nearly summer. The flowers are in full bloom, the birds are well north, and REI is kicking off its annual anniversary sale, the outdoor company’s biggest sale of the year. This year’s REI sale started May 16 and runs through Memorial Day, May 26. Many items are up to 30 percent off, but REI Co-op members save up to 20 percent on any full-price item and an extra 20 percent off any REI Outlet item. To get the discount, add the promo code ANNIV2025 at checkout.

Several other retailers have launched early Memorial Day sales, including Backcountry and Public Lands, plus some of our favorite smaller retailers like Sea to Summit and Zenbivy, along with many others you can find on Garage Grown Gear. We’ve highlighted some deals on gear we’ve loved over our years of testing. There’s something for nearly all our favorite summer activities—tents, stoves, sleeping bags, and plenty of outdoor apparel. Be sure to look at our guides to outdoor gear, like the Best Day-Hiking Packs, Best Tents, Best Sleeping Bags, Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads, Best Rain Jackets, Best Backpacking Water Filters, Best Merino Wool, and Best Binoculars.

Updated Monday, May 26, 2025: We’ve added fresh deals on Bote paddleboards, our favorite REI puffy jacket, Danner boots, merino base layers, and other essential hiking and backpacking gear.

WIRED Featured Deals

The Best Deals on Hiking Apparel

Be sure to check out our guides to the best rain jackets, the best merino wool, and how to layer your clothes to stay comfy in any weather.

REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket

Courtesy of REI

Every year, I repurchase one of these rain jackets for each of my children. It’s hard to find rain jackets that are better value than REI’s. The kid’s version is a 2.5-layer shell with a non-fluorinated (read: PFAS-free) durable water-repellent (DWR) coating, taped seams, and an adjustable hood. These will last all year (at least, as long as your kid doesn’t lose theirs). —Adrienne So

I bought my father, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and husband each one of these shirts last year. Roark Clothing is a small company that makes some of my favorite active apparel, and the Bless Up shirt is the perfect summer shirt. It’s perforated and made from synthetic fibers, so it’s perfect for super-humid beach days when the temperatures are above 90 degrees. —Adrienne So

Fjällräven’s hiking pants—er, sorry, trousers—are legendary, and having now spent most of spring in a pair of these Abisko Trail trousers, I understand why. They’re light but surprisingly warm and especially good at blocking the wind. The G-1000 Lite Stretch recycled fabric gives you a nice, stretchy freedom of movement, and having had Lyme disease already, the ability to cinch down the leg cuffs and keep things out is invaluable. (I’ve also put a good bit of repellant on the fabric with no staining or other damage.) I also like that the G-1000 can be waxed to refurbish the waterproofness (though I haven’t had to do this yet).

Photograph: Smartwool 

I still prefer Darn Tough’s lightweight hiking socks, but these Smartwool socks are a close second and well worth buying at this price. Can you ever have too many wool hiking socks? I’d say no. These are 56 percent merino wool, so there’s a good bit of stretchiness, yet they stay pretty odor-free even after a couple of days on the trail. Grab two pair and rotate them to keep your feet dry and happy.

I haven’t had a chance to add them to my Best Merino Wool Clothing Guide, but these are the best merino ankle running socks I’ve tried. They’re not the highest merino content (54 percent, the remainder is nylon and elastane), but they’re thin, light, and work well with barefoot shoes (and other shoes). They also resist odor surprisingly well for only about half merino. —Adrienne So

This is wildly affordable compared to the other sun hoodies we tested for our Best Sun Protection Clothing guide. WIRED reviewer Jaina Grey found it super soft and breathable, with thumb holes to protect the back of your hands. It’s UPF 50, and it may be a lot easier to get your kids or sensitive family members to wear clothing instead of smearing sticky sunscreen all over their bodies. —Adrienne So

Photograph: Smartwool

The best midweight base layer we’ve tested, this smartwool shirt is perfect for chilly spring and fall mornings. It’s comfortable, though tending to be looser fitting, which is something to keep in mind when layering. The heavy-duty seams (read: sturdier, longer lasting) don’t rub, and sit off the shoulder for more comfort when wearing a pack. At 87 percent merino wool (blended with nylon), these are also very durable while remaining lightweight (10.3 oz for a men’s large).

This is what I bought from this REI sale and thanks to speedy shipping I am wearing it while I add deals to this post. Spring has been decided cool in my area, so I’ve already worn this hat everyday since it arrived. It’s great, slightly oversized, but very soft, stretchy and comfortable. I mean it’s a merino wool beanie, hard to go wrong with one of those. And it’s Fjällräven so it’s well made and should last a very long time.

Huckberry’s Proof 72-hour Merino t-shirt will rank very high in our upcoming guide to merino t-shirts. It’s soft, and the classic fit is loose and comfortable. It doesn’t look overly “sporty,” the way many merino t-shirts do (though there is a slim fit version also on sale for $52 ($20 off) if you prefer that style). This shirt is 87 percent merino wool and 13 percent nylon, which gives it a bit of extra stretch.

Photograph: REI

This REI 650 puffy jacket (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best budget 3-season puffy you can buy. At 10.9 ounces it’s reasonably lightweight and has large hand pockets and some very nice internal pockets for stashing a hat or gloves. The ripstop nylon shell fabric (Bluesign-approved) has proved durable in my testing and I love the waist cinch for keeping out wind gusts. The fit is what you might charitably call boxy, and you probably won’t win any fashion awards, but it doesn’t look bad to me.

Picture “hiking boots” and these are iconic image that will likely spring to mind. Contrary to the name, Danner’s Mountain Light Boots aren’t the lightest, nor are they the most nimble, and the fit is perhaps not as dialed in as more modern designs, but these will last forever. They’re still made by hand in Portland, Oregon, and my editor’s pair is 18 years old and still going strong. Sadly, the women’s version is not on sale.

Backpack Deals

Don’t forget to check out our guide to the Best Day-Hiking Backpacks and the Best Travel Bags.

Courtesy of REI

The Flash 22 is possibly the best-value day pack on the market, especially on sale. I was surprised by how comfortable this thing is, despite the lightweight straps and minimal padding. It carries loads up to 15 pounds without straining the shoulders, and the side stash pockets are fabulously large—big enough for a Nalgene bottle or rain jacket. The Flash 22 is made of 70-denier recycled ripstop nylon, which is on the lighter side, but mine has held up well, even coming through some rough canyon hikes in Utah without any more than mud stains.

The ultralight cousin to the Flash 22, the Flash 18 lacks the hip belt, side stash pockets, and floating lid. What you’re left with is a stripped-down, bare-bones pack that’s great for traveling, since you can stuff it down to almost nothing, stash it in your carry-on, and have a nice backpack whenever you need it. Don’t load it up with more than 8 pounds of gear though, and avoid anything with pointy bits, as there’s no padding here.

One of our favorite day-hiking packs, This Mystery Rack pack was my introduction to wider shoulder straps, which provide more comfort without the bulk of extra padding. The result is a comfortable pack that’s light (1 lb, 6 oz) and packable, making it a great extra pack when traveling. The side pockets are big enough for a Nalgene water bottle and the 25-L capacity carries everything you need for a day. It also fits under the seat of even small planes. This is a great little pack for hitting the trail or just walking around town.

Nemo Resolve

Photograph: Adrienne So

Our favorite day-hiking pack for the eco-conscious looking to travel light, Nemo’s Resolve pack is 100 percent recycled, infinitely adjustable, and repairable, and once it’s reached the end of its life, it can be sent back to Nemo for total recycling. The Resolve has a somewhat strange system of bungees and pull-tabs, instead of straps or webbing, but it’s comfortable, sitting nice and high on your back. At 1 lb, 15 oz it’s pretty light, considering all the hardware that it has on it.

Osprey has been making Talon packs since 2007. This model is the smaller cousin to the 33L version in our guide to the best day-hiking packs. The success of the Talon line is well deserved, the 100-denier high-tenacity nylon (Bluesign-approved) makes for a durable pack while remaining reasonably lightweight (2 pounds, 1 ounce for the S/M size). The dual zippered panel-loading design makes getting to your stuff a snap, and there are plenty of extra pockets inside and outside to help you stash all your gear.

This is the smaller, 20L cousin of our favorite gear hauling daypack, the Mystery Ranch Coulee 30. Everything that’s true of the 30L version (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is true of this 20L model, it’s just a bit smaller. The suspension system is highly adjustable (with two pack sizes for different torso lengths), making it easy to dial in the perfect fit. Note that the deal price varies by color.

Photograph: Mountainsmith

Oddly enough, for someone who isn’t a big fan of lumbar packs, this is probably my most used bag. It’s our top pick for all-day adventures thanks to its array of pockets. The Tour is loaded with stash spaces, allowing my to carry camera, binoculars, snacks, rain jacket, and more. Thanks to the shoulder strap (sold separately, $14) and the ability to tuck away the belt, the Tour can also be used as a shoulder bag. I even modified mine with a couple extra loops to secure it to the handlebars of my bike.

Deals on Running Gear

Courtesy of Xero Shoes

These are the only shoes that have ever inspired me to write 1,000 words. They are really that good. Think of these as the barefoot answer to Chacos. Except where Chacos are like putting tractors on your feet, the Z-Trails flex and bend as you walk, giving your feet the freedom of movement you expect from a barefoot shoe. Despite being sandals, these have 10 mm of cushion, which is a good bit for a barefoot shoe, making the Z-Trail a good option for newcomers.

This is last year’s version of my favorite Salomon X Ultra 5 hiking boots, which I just tested over the weekend in the Columbia River Gorge. Salomon makes our favorite hiking boots—the company offers impressive levels of protection and traction, while being lightweight and remarkably easy to take off and put on. I like how the heel grips so I don’t smash my toes while going downhill, and it’s so sticky that I can climb up rocks like an ant. —Adrienne So

I have worn the women’s version of this shoe for years and years. Altra is the best running shoe if you want a shoe that has a barefoot feel (zero heel to toe drop, big toebox) but retains traction and protection against rocks and prickers. —Adrienne So

These are Altra’s version of the Brooks Glycerin Max—a super-plush, comfy road running shoe. If you want a very cushioned shoe but are addicted to Altra’s big toe box (no need to be embarrassed, I am too), these are the shoes to get. Also, don’t forget to check out our guide to the Best Barefoot Shoes. —Adrienne So

Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad Deals

Confused by the options? Check out our guides to the Best Sleeping Bags and the Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

REI Co-op’s Magma 15 is our favorite bag for shoulder-season trips when the temps might drop more than expected. It has an excellent draft collar that’s very good at keeping out the chill. The outside is a 15-denier nylon ripstop (Bluesign-approved, with a non-fluorinated DWR coating to keep moisture at bay). Baffles are variably spaced and not stitched through, which helps the fill stay put and minimizes cold spots. The Magma doesn’t have a lot of frills; it just gets the job done.

Our favorite summertime car-camping sleeping bag, the REI Siesta Hooded 20, is plenty warm and affordable. It’s also not a mummy bag, because you’re not climbing Denali; why cramp yourself if you don’t have to? The Siesta’s rectangular cut makes for a much roomier, more comfortable bag. The Siesta’s 20-degree rating makes it enough for three-season trips, and unlike most rectangular bags, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on those cold nights.

It’s no longer our top pick for side sleepers, but the Questar remains a good option for those who want more room. It uses what Therm-a-Rest calls W.A.R.M. fit, which stands for “with additional room for multiple” positions. Indeed, this bag is very roomy for a mummy design. I was able to draw my legs up when side-sleeping and spread out considerably more than with most of the other sleeping bags I’ve tested.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

This is our favorite ultralight sleeping bag. There are lighter quilts out there, but when you need the warmth of a mummy bag on those colder nights, this is the best sleeping bag I’ve tested. It also has the smallest pack size of any bag I’ve tested in this temperature range. With the included compression sack, this thing is truly tiny. It’s got most of the benefits of a quilt and none of the negatives. The down fill is PFC-free, 850+ hydrophobic down. The zippers are on the small side, but they slide well and rarely if ever snag on the bag. I’ve slept in this bag down to 20 degrees and never been the least bit cold. If you need something warmer, the 0-degree version—which I spent a good deal of time in this past winter—is also a great deal at $486 ($163 off).

Nemo’s Forte 20 is a 20-degree synthetic-fill sleeping bag, but the comfort rating is 30 degrees. In my testing, this feels more like where you’d want to stay temperature-wise with this bag. The outer shell uses a 30-denier recycled polyester ripstop with an inside liner made from 20-denier recycled polyester taffeta. It does a good job of holding back the moisture that often forms inside a tent, which I discovered after one very soggy night of testing. The fill is what Nemo calls Zerofiber insulation, which is made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled content fibers. The Zerofiber packs down remarkably small—this is the most compact synthetic-fill bag I’ve tested in this temp range—and it retains its ability to trap warmth even when wet.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Our favorite backpacking sleeping bag, the Bishop Pass 30 offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio while also managing to pack down small and not be too expensive. It isn’t perfect, but it strikes the best compromise for most backpackers. I have slept in this bag for more than two weeks, with nighttime temps ranging from 28 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and, yes, it was too much in the heat, but on those warmer nights, I unzipped it and covered myself like a warm blanket. It’s a versatile bag. Note that for the men’s bag, only the long version is on sale. Both the long and regular size women’s 30 bags are on sale.

I haven’t had a chance to write about it yet, but I tested the Bishop Pass 0 over the winter and was pleasantly surprised at how warm it was. I took it out on several nights where temps dipped into the single digits (below the comfort rating of 13 Fahrenheit) and stayed warm. I did wear some merino base layers and a wool hat, but sleeping bag comfort ratings assume this. If you need a colder-weather bag, without dipping into extreme temps (and extremely pricey sleeping bags), this is a good option.

The Zenbivy Bed 25 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is hands-down the most comfortable backcountry sleeping experience I’ve ever had. It wouldn’t be my top pick for extreme situations, but so long as your expected temperatures fit in Zenbivy’s range (the comfort rating is 35 degrees Fahrenheit), it doesn’t get more comfortable than this. The Zenbivy isn’t just a sleeping bag. It’s a sheet, hood, and quilt-style bag that can be combined in various ways.

Zenbivy’s Light Bed is a brand-new option that takes the basic clip design of other Zenbivy beds and lightens up the load. I’ve been testing this bag for several months, and it is everything I loved about the original above, but lighter weight. I’ll have a full review very soon, but if you’ve been tempted by the Zenbivy, but wanted to keep your base gear weight down, this is the option you’ve been look for. The price I’ve put here includes both the bed/sheet portion and the quilt. Note that Zenbivy is having a 25 percent off sale on almost everything on its site right now.

Nemo Tensor All-Season Sleeping Pad

Courtesy of Nemo

Nemo’s new 2024 Tensor-insulated sleeping pads (8/10, WIRED Recommends) have the best R-value-to-weight ratio of anything I’ve tested, and the All-Season is our top pick for backpacking trips. It has an R-value of 5.4 and weighs 18.2 ounces. That alone is impressive, but what I love about the Tensor is that it’s thick, comfortable, and most importantly, nearly silent. The slightly lighter Trail model is also on sale, as is the Extreme Conditions pad, which is the lightest, warmest sleeping pad on the market.

The darling of ultralight hikers everywhere, the XLite NXT is our pick for backpackers looking to shed pack weight but preserve some margin of comfort. The XLite delivers a comfortable night’s sleep while remaining well under 1 pound for the regular size. At 3 inches thick, it’s plenty of protection from the ground, and the R-Value of 4.5 means it’ll be plenty warm in most three-season conditions.

Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT is only marginally heavier than the Therm-a-Rest above. The extra 4 ounces for the Sea to Summit pad gets you quite a bit more cushion too—this is a 4-inch thick pad, compared to the 3 inches of the Therm-a-rest X-Lite, which makes this a better ultralight option for side sleepers. I also like the baffle design better, and it seems to be a little more durable, making this an excellent alternative ultralight pad. Note that this one is an REI Outlet deal; the XT has been replaced by a newer model.

Tent Deals

Check out our Best Tents guide for more WIRED-tested recommendations.

REI Half Dome SL 2+

Courtesy of REI

REI Co-op brand gear represents some of the best deals in the hiking/backpacking market, and this tent is a perfect example. Our pick for Best Two-Person Backpacking Tent, REI’s Half Dome is rugged and lightweight (4 pounds), and offers generous living space for two with gear at a reasonably price. The tent body is made of 40-denier ripstop nylon for durability at the base and on the floor, with 20-denier nylon mesh for the body. The Half Dome comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days, and nice to have. The tent poles are aluminum and interchangeable, which makes them easy to set up and take down.

Sea to Summit’s ultralight Alto (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is designed to keep weight down on your solo adventures. At just 33 ounces for a semi-freestanding tent, it remains one of the lighter options on the market, and at this price it’s hard to pass up. The mesh netting helps keep weight down, though for something warmer, the Plus version, which has less mesh, is also on sale for $275 ($275 off), an equally outstanding deal.

Sea to Summit’s “3-plus season” tents are capable enough in almost any weather while staying crazy light—just 3 pounds and 12 ounces for this three-person model. I used it on a five-day trip to Loon Lake in northern California in early October, a true “shoulder season” trip with daytime highs in the 80s, nighttime lows in the 40s, and overnight winds of up to 60 mph. My favorite design detail is that the pole bag is kept rigid by an insert of opaque white plastic. Clip it to the tent’s ceiling, pop in your headlamp, and illuminate your abode. —Michael Calore

Photograph: Big Agnes

The Big Agnes Copper Spur series is the king of freestanding ultralight tents. I’ve used the two-person and three-person models (on sale for $450) over the years, and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that these are pretty near perfect. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and stable even in strong winds. The steep sidewalls give you more livable space than most tents, and the “awning” design (with trekking poles or sticks) is great. The only complaint I have is the price, but on sale it’s a little easier to handle.

Bikepacking (backpacking on a bike) is awesome, and brands are catching on. Big Agnes was an early adopter among the mainstream brands, designing tents with shorter pole lengths to fit between drop handlebars or in panniers. The Copper Spur UL3 Bikepacking tent is our favorite of the bunch we’ve tested. It weighs just 3 pounds, 11 ounces (1.6 kilos), and has enough space for two (a squeeze for three). It’s also available in lighter, smaller, one- and two-person options, all with twin vestibules and doors, hidden helmet storage, and external webbing for hanging out wet clothes.

Nemo’s Dagger Osmo (8/10, WIRED Recommends) line of tents are reasonably light with roomy interiors. The three-person version (also on sale) has long been my tent of choice for trips with my kids. Setup is simple thanks to the single main pole design (which forks at each end) with a cross pole in the middle. There are two spacious vestibules for storing gear, and if you leave the rain fly off, the mesh room is excellent for stargazing.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Nemo Mayfly (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a three-season backpacking tent with a trail weight of 3 pounds, 8 ounces for the two-person version I tested. Split between two people, each is carrying under 2 pounds. The Mayfly saves on weight by using a semi-freestanding design, which means you have to partly stake it out. It’s on the small side as well, at 27.9 square feet of living space, with two 7-square-foot vestibule areas. I find it plenty livable for two, and the cross pole gives you a wider roof area than most tents this size. I love the white mesh (instead of black) and the super simple clips that keep the rain fly secured.

This is my favorite single-wall ultralight solo tent. I have a full review coming later this month, but after spending quite a while with this tent I’m something of a convert, at least for summer camping. The Lunar Solo makes it easy to combat the main problem with single-wall tents: condensation. Thanks to plenty of mesh, and a top vent in the vestibule (like my all-time favorite backcountry shelter, the Hilleberg Akto (10/10, WIRED Recommends), I haven’t had much issue with condensation in the Lunar Solo. It’s not without its quirks (read the pitching tips), but if you want something more than a tarp, that still weighs just 26 ounces (740 grams), this one is hard to beat.

Biking Deals

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

This is our second best helmet in our guide to the Best Bike Helmets. It’s chock-full of extra features, like a magnetic rear light that snaps off for easy recharging and a pullout tab so that you can easily lock it up on the rack. It comes in a wide array of fun designs and colors. —Adrienne So

The Giro MIPS helmet has rechargeable lights on both the front and back of the helmet. It has an unassuming commuter-friendly design, and of course it has MIPS to protect against rotational impact. —Adrienne So

The CTY e2.1 (7/10, WIRED Review) is our favorite commuter ebike. It’s a class 1 ebike with a 250-watt Suntour HESC motor, a 418-Wh battery, and a whole host of commuter extras, like front suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, big 2-inch-wide tires, gel grips, lights, and a hefty kickstand. It weighs a 54 pounds and has a little less torque than some of our other favorite ebikes, so it might not have quite enough oomph to get you up some of the bigger hills, but for the price it’s a lot of ebike and will serve most people well.

Water Filter and Stove Deals

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The simplest, most convenient method of filtering water, the Katadyn BeFree Water is one of the lightest filters on the market (2.3 ounces, or 65 grams, for the filter and bottle). It’s a great option for when you want to go as light as possible, such as trail running or day hikes. The design of the BeFree is part of its appeal. The filter is inside the collapsible container. Scoop up some water into the container, screw on the lid, and drink. The collapsible soft bottle rolls down to a tiny package, making it easy to stash in your pack or trail running vest.

The MSR Guardian is fantastically expensive, but it’s our pick for trips with sketchy water sources. It’s also heavy and requires pumping, but the Guardian filters down to 0.02 micron, which will remove even viruses. It’s also designed to be self-cleaning, which makes field maintenance incredibly easy. It’s rated to pump 10,000 liters, and because it screws right onto a Nalgene bottle, it’s pretty easy to crank out a couple of liters in hardly any time at all.

This MSR Gravity filter changed backpacking for me. Pumping water for a family of five, day after day on the trail, sucks all the fun out of backpacking. This filter eliminated the pumping and returned my sanity, which is why it’s our favorite backpacking water filter for large groups. All you have to do with this filter is scoop up 10 liters of water in the dirty water bag, attach the hose, connect your water bottle, and sit back and relax. The filter is good enough to keep you safe from all the usual protozoa and bacteria, and the flow rate is a solid 1.5 liters per minute when the filter is clean.

Courtesy of MSR

We’re in the final stage of testing for a backpacking stove guide that will be up very soon, and the MSR PocketRocket 2 will be our top pick for propane canister stoves. It’s simple to use and boils water quickly (about 3.5 minutes for 1 liter at sea level). It’s also more durable and therefore more reliable than the other ultralight stoves I’ve tested. And it weighs just 2.6 ounces.

The WhisperLite Universal is a legend for good reason. It’ll burn just about anything (isobutane-propane, white gas, gasoline, kerosene), making it a great choice for traveling internationally or wherever you don’t know what kind of fuel will be available. Flame control is a little tricky, but we have managed to get it to simmer, as long as the wind isn’t too bad. Just be forewarned that it sounds like a jet engine.

I’m not sure this really qualifies for the “ultralight” moniker, and these pots are unfortunately marred by having a ton of fake influencer reviews out there, but they’re actually quite good. And if you’re cooking for a group, this 3-liter pot is about as light as it gets. This is my go-to pot for family backpacking trips. The hard-anodized aluminum is sturdy and provides good heat transfer. The ceramic nonstick coating makes for easy cleanup (especially paired with the GSI scraper below). You can also nest the 2L version ($49) inside this one for more cooking options on the trail. If you want to go nuts with it, I haven’t tried it, but you can theoretically also nest the 1.3L version ($49) inside the 2L.

Sea to Summit’s Frontier pan is my all-time favorite backcountry cooking vessel. It’s not ultralight to bring an 8-inch frying pan backpacking, but when you’re ready to move beyond boil-in-a-bag food and whatever those disgusting gel tubes are, the Frontier pan is the way to do it. When you want to build a cream sauce from dried milk (it can be done!) or need to sauté those brook trout, a good pan that distributes heat reasonably evenly is indispensable. The Frontier manages to do that, and it has a nice curved edge, making it easy to work with and easy to clean up. The Frontier pan checks all the boxes thanks to its great design and ceramic coating, and it somehow manages to weigh just 13 ounces.

No, it’s not an earth-shattering deal, but this is possibly the best piece of backpacking gear I own. GSI’s pot scraper is the unsung hero of backcountry cooking, turning cleanup from a tedious chore to a couple of seconds’ work. Now, if you seriously burn something, this thing will not save you (boil water in the pan to loosen the burnt bits), but for every other situation, scraping down your pot with this tool will get you 99 percent of the way to a clean pot. I consider this one indispensable; you might as well grab one while it’s a couple bucks cheaper.

Deals on Backpacking Gear

Photograph: Sea to Summit

I’ve noticed that, when trying to lighten their load with a smaller, lighterweight backpack, people then struggle to fit all their gear. The answer for sleeping bags and clothing is this compression stuff sack, which takes my favorite sleeping bag (the Sea to Summit Spark above) and smashes it down to about half the size of the included stuff sack. You can do the same thing to clothing, especially puffer jackets, but also fleece and merino to some extent, free up more room in your pack.

I carry a pillow when backpacking these days, and this Sea to Summit, while not the lightest I’ve tested is one of the comfiest thanks to the down fill topper. I know some people get by using a puffer jacket for a pillow. And hey, if you enjoy laying your head down at night on a lumpy pile of clothes, be my guest, but I’ll be enjoying this nice soft pillow. Pro tip: if you don’t need your puffy jacket for extra warmth in the night, zip it up, tuck the top of your sleeping pad into it, then put this pillow in so it stays in place during the night.

Do you crave a chair when you’re backpacking? If so, this is one to get. It’s just about the lightest on the market at 18 ounces, packs down very small, and solves the number one problem with all pole chairs: the included base pad keeps it from sinking in soft ground.

Heading into bear country this summer? You’ll very likely need a bear resistant way to store your food. In my experience, the BV500 from Bear Vault is the most widely approved option (though always check with the rangers in the area you’re heading to). At 700 cubic inches, the BV500 has room for about 3-5 days of food for 2 (depending on how well you pack). It does weigh almost 3 pounds, and it’s a bummer to carry, but when you need it, you need it—might as well grab one when it’s a little cheaper.

Camping Deals

This chair is the coziest way to hang out around camp. It is somewhat huge, heavy, and awkward to fold up and carry, but so long as you have room for it in your vehicle there’s no better way to relax around the fire with your loved ones.

Nalgene water bottles for half off, what’s not to love? I’ve always preferred the timeless classic to the latest style, which might be part of why I’ve never used another water bottle (well, not counting reusing Smartwater bottles when backpacking). Nalgenes are lighter than stainless steel and, frankly, the only sane option for hiking. Grab two of the big 48 ounce bottles, stick them in the sides of your Mystery Ranch Coulee 30, and your family will never be thirsty again.

This is the built-in straw version of the most durable water bottle we’ve tested. So long as you’re not hiking with it (it’s heavy) this is a great water bottle, and it comes in a variety of fun colors.

Photograph: Coleman

My favorite of Coleman’s current lineup, the Cascade 3-in-1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) features heavy-duty cast iron grates, comes with a cast-iron griddle and grill, and can fit a 12-inch pan and a 10-inch pan side by side. It’s all-around sturdier and more robust than other Coleman stoves, well worth the extra money if you’re serious about camp cooking. That said, the much cheaper stove below will get you by if you’re only using it a few nights a year.

This is our favorite camp stove for most people. Technically this version is a little fancier than our top pick, with electronic ignition and a nice pale green paint job. Is it worth an extra $30? That’s up to you. If it’s not, snag the less fancy version for $59 at Walmart.

Our favorite way to avoid the green propane bottles is this gas growler. This model gets you a 1.2-pound propane tank with a nice padded/insulated sleeve and a handy strap for carrying, and it makes your camp setup look much nicer than a bare tank. It also saves your shins during those inevitable run-ins with cold hard steel that come from lugging around a big propane tank. This size is the equivalent of five green propane bottles.

Photograph: Kieran Alger

I have yet to do a trip with a satellite communicator, but I do understand why people use them. If I were to bring one along, this is the one I’d get. It’s tiny, light (3.5 ounces), and easily stashable. It utilizes the super-fast Iridium satellite network, so you can send a rapid SOS from pretty much anywhere. There are extra features like waypoints and interval tracking, and it plays nice with compatible Garmin watches.

This is my own personal REI purchase for this year, which is a life jacket for my 1-year-old puppy. We do a lot of boating during the summer, and while my spouse insists that dogs can swim, I am not quite sure I trust her. At the very least, it gives my dog a few handles for me to grab if she gets swept away. —Adrienne So

The Petzl Tikka is our favorite headlamp. I’ve had the same one since 2012, and it’s still going strong, which beats every other headlamp or flashlight I’ve tried in that time. The Tikka is not the brightest light. The models linked here top out at 350 lumens, but it’s plenty of light to cook by in the backcountry or trace the source of that transmission fluid dripping off the oil pan. This Tikka runs on three AAA batteries (we recommend Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries) and lasts over 5.5 hours.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Whenever I can, I like to cook over open flame using my firebox stove, which often means cutting wood. The best portable saw I’ve found is this Silky folding saw. It’s light enough to bring bikepacking (5.3 ounces), and it folds down to about 9 inches long, which slips in a pannier no problem. This thing is razor sharp though, be careful when using it in the backcountry.

I like these dry bags for organizing things in my pack. They’re not dry bags in the since that you can submerge them and your gear will be fine, but the 30D silnylon with PCF-free DWR sheds a little rain no problem and makes finding your stuff so long as you use different colors for each thing. I put all my cooking gear in a red bag (red for fire), all my water filtering stuff in a blue bag for, wait for it, water, and so on. I find the 3 and 5 liter bags the most useful, but you can get all the way up to 35L.

NRS straps are a must-have for anyone strapping … well, anything to anything. Whether you’re a river guide cinching gear to your boat or, like me just want to make sure the paddleboards stay on the Jeep roof, these are the best straps I’ve ever used. I have NRS straps that are over 30 years old and still going strong. I find the 1-inch straps the most useful. You can grab a two-pack of 6-footers for $13 or a two-pack of 12-footers for $14.

The 12-foot-long Oru Kayak folds into a small, flat package for storage and transport.Photo: Nicolas Zurcher

Oru’s foldable kayaks are genius—all the boat, none of the size. The lake is light, reasonably fast, and the cheapest way to get into the world of folding kayaks. As with all Oru’s offerings, the Lake folds origami-style into a roughly 30-inch square that’s just 15 inches deep—small enough to fit in a car trunk or hall closet.

The Breeze Aero (7/10, WIRED Recommends) inflatable paddleboard is well-built and durable, and it packs up reasonably small. It’s also one of the most stable paddleboards I’ve tried, making it a good choice for beginners. It’s easy to unpack and easy to use. Inflating is something of a chore with the hand pump, but once it’s deflated, it’s not hard to stow it away again. This deal is on the 11’6″ model (which supports up to 355 pounds).

Photograph: Wired

Leesa

Leesa’s Early Access Memorial Day Sale is code-free, with 30 percent off certain mattresses on its site, plus a free “sleep bundle” that includes two pillows and a microfiber sheet set. Our favorites from Leesa are its cooling mattresses, specifically the Leesa Sapira Chill and the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid. You can score both during the early sale, with the discount shown based on the price we usually see.

Essentia

Canadian mattress brand Essentia is throwing its name into the Memorial Day mattress sales hat, with 25 percent off sitewide and a free gift with purchase. You’ll see the discount applied once you add the mattress to your cart. The brand’s specialty is organic latex mattresses, and we’ve noted that Tatami organic mattresses are on our radar since they give off good pressure relief for those battling with back pain on the reg.

Plank

Just when firm mattresses couldn’t get more firm, Plank mattress said, “Hold my box.” This is a dual-sided mattress with two firmness levels—”firm” and “firmest”—that are ideal for spinal alignment and firm mattress lovers. WIRED reviewer Adrienne So describes hers as sleeping on a wooden floor, in the best kind of way. Use code MEMORIAL30 for 30 percent off the entire site.

Bedgear

Kick into gear for sleep with Bedgear, thanks to the Memorial Day Sale that will get you between $50 and $300 off select mattress models, no code required. Bedgear makes both our favorite cooling mattress—WIRED reviewer Molly Higgins says the H Performance series hit the mark for support and pressure relief, but especially for cooling thanks to its cooling cover—and our favorite cheap mattress, both of which are included in the sale.

Best Memorial Day Pillows and Sheets Deals

Courtesy of Cozy Earth

Cozy Earth

If you’re interested in trying bamboo sheets, our favorite splurge set is on sale right now. Cozy Earth is known for its decadently soft bamboo sheet set, and while there’s a Memorial Day sale already live that gives you a discount for buying three items or more, you can use our code WIRED to get 35 percent off anything on Cozy Earth’s site. We’ve tested tons of Cozy Earth items, from bamboo sheets and comforters to its towels and even socks, and have been impressed at every turn with how soft the items are.

Rough Linen

Linen bedsheets can be a hard sell for some because of the rougher texture, and the name Rough Linen might intimidate you. But linen sheets are not only some of the most breathable sheets you can sleep on (perfect for summer!), they last longer, making for a great investment. They’ll soften up over time, too. Our favorite heavyweight linen comes from Rough Linen, and we’re testing the brand’s smoother linen set next. Score both sheet sets for about 10 percent off right now.

Tuft & Needle

Tuft & Needle makes both bedding and mattresses, including the newest addition to our linen sheets guide. The bedding company’s linen-cotton blend sheets are softer than your usual linen (great for anyone who wants to dip their toes into linen!) but still pack breathability and structure. Tuft & Needle has 40 percent off select bedding right now, plus 20 percent off mattresses, and that sale includes this comfy set. Even my husband, a certified linen hater, said he liked sleeping on these sheets. They’ve also got percale sheets that use Supima cotton, making those softer than your usual percale sheet.

The Citizenry

I’ve slept on every major sheet brand and every type of sheet, and the brand I recommend shopping the most is The Citizenry. This artisanal brand makes he best soft yet breathable percale sheets and the best linen sheets for the price, both of which are organic. You’ll even find The Citizenry’s sheets in the WIRED 101 that lists our 101 favorite gear ever. The sheets are already a great price for what you’re getting and aren’t often on sale, which makes the current Memorial Day Sale so exciting. Everything on the site is 20 percent off, no code required, including both sheet sets we can’t stop recommending.

Brooklinen

Brooklinen is a big favorite in the world of bedding, and the company makes a huge range of products. Sheets! Comforters! Pillows! Towels! Bathrobes! You name it, Brooklinen probably has it, and it’s all on sale for 25 percent off right now for Brooklinen’s Memorial Day Sale. We’re especially big fans of the down comforter and down pillow, but Brooklinen’s super crisp organic percale sheets is one of our favorite sets of organic bedding.

Slumber Cloud

If you’re struggling to sleep as the heat only picks up, Slumber Cloud makes our favorite cooling sheets that use a combination of Tencel lyocell and the brand’s own patented fibers to help you stay cool all night long. I’m usually not a big fan of sheets with special technology and fibers in them, but these sheets aren’t like anything else I’ve tried. Not only are they perfect for summer, but Slumber Cloud is running a 30 percent off Memorial Day Sale on its site, so you can get them for much cheaper than usual. The brand’s cooling pillows are on sale, too, and I found the UltraCool both nice and chilly and pretty supportive (and you get a pack of two!)

Honorable Mentions

Courtesy of Amazon

bkr Spiked Big Bottle 1L for $62: Glass water bottles remain the cleanest, nontoxic, and greenest choice. Bkr’s signature silicone protects the glass from shattering but also adds an edgy, grippy texture. It won’t dent or clang against surfaces, and if you drop it in a crowded room, it lands with silence.

Ello Cooper Twist Stainless Steel Water Bottle for $19: The Ello Cooper Twist Stainless Steel Water Bottle is vacuum-insulated, double-walled, and designed with a screw-on lid and carry handle. The spout is a matter of preference, but I appreciate the ceramic opening, and if you like a chug cap, it’s a solid choice.

Camelbak Eddy+ for $16: The Camelbak Eddy+ is a durable, lightweight, recycled plastic bottle with a straw lid. Adrienne So has had several of these for years. Just be sure to let the chew top air out daily because it’s prone to collecting mold if left damp.

Pura Big Mouth Insulated Bottle for $46: Pura bottles are thin, light, and made entirely from stainless steel, so there’s no plastic or powder coating (which also means they may not withstand drops and bumps). They’re Made Safe certified, meaning they’re made without harmful ingredients. I don’t love the silicone lids, as they’re very thin and floppy, but you can unscrew the whole cap to sip right from the metal rim.

Avoid These Bottles

Water.io Daily+ for $100: This is a bottle that tracks your sips and reminds you to drink, which sounds great, but in practice, not the best. The battery life is short, lasting for 2 to 3 days, and it requires a proprietary charger. For $100, you’d expect more perks, like filtration or self-cleaning tech, but this bottle doesn’t deliver any of that. The water also picks up a metallic aftertaste that is far from refreshing.

Air Up Water Bottle for $40: This bottle uses scented rings to try to trick your brain into thinking it isn’t drinking plain water. WIRED writer Boone Ashworth was unimpressed. It didn’t smell great, and you can’t use the bottle without one of those rings. The beauty of a reusable bottle is that you spend money once and get free water for years. Here, you have to keep buying refills.

Liberty Bottleworks Uninsulated Bottle for $23: The cap of this aluminum bottle is weird, flimsy, and confusingly shaped. Our tester got his fingers stuck in it a few times and said it’s uncomfortable to twist. The bottle’s outer coating isn’t as tough as the matte powder coating on others, and the aluminum felt weak. (He could slightly flex it with his fingers.) Also, unlike with a stainless steel bottle, the interior is covered in a food-grade coating. It’s BPA-free, according to Liberty, but people who want to avoid industrial coatings should steer toward stainless steel.

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Samsung says it performed an internal survey among what it calls its “hardcore gaming” demographic to find out what they wanted in a next-generation gaming display. This demographic is marked by a willingness to pay thousands for the latest PC gaming gear. Sixty-two percent said they expected the next generation to include advanced immersion—the perfect place to test the waters with 3D tech.

“As we’re looking at the demographic, or just the overall consumer base for monitors, especially when you’re talking about premium monitors over $1,000, the overwhelming majority is spending it on gaming,” You says. That’s important because these first 3D gaming monitors don’t come cheap. Despite the surprisingly limited game support at launch, the Samsung Odyssey 3D costs a cool $2,000.

“We’re in that early adopter stage, right? The sticker price is a little bit of a shock to most consumers,” he says. “But we feel like once we get people into the 3D ecosystem, we’ll get more game studios and developers brought into it because they see the total accessible market increasing.”

When it comes down to it, gamers are willing to spend more on an immersive experience, and that’s going to buy time for the rest of the 3D ecosystem to catch up.

3D on Every Screen

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As You notes, even the Odyssey 3D is “so much more than just a 3D gaming monitor.” Whether it’s YouTube, Zoom, or even just full-screen photos, the display can convert 2D into 3D using machine-learning algorithms, adding an artificial layer of depth that wasn’t previously there. While the effect is not as convincing as in games, and DRM limitations restrict the content, it’s an impressive tech demo nonetheless. More than that, AI is enabling 3D to overcome the need for tailor-made 3D content, another one of the main problems with 3D tech in the past. It’s planting the seeds for broader uses that a more mainstream audience can benefit from.

Fattal says gaming is his second-favorite use case for 3D. “3D has that power to convey the human connection a lot better than on a flat screen,” he says, explaining that taking 3D photos and videos of his kids was what made him truly believe in the power of 3D. His dream is a world in which all videos can be taken and experienced in 3D. “Our goal is to end up completely standard on all devices, but especially on cell phones, so that people can chat and take pictures and videos, and share on social media—and all of that should be in 3D.”

It’s an ambitious aspiration, and one echoed by Silicon Valley titans. Apple and Google have been touting spatial photos and videos with their respective mixed-reality ecosystems, where you’ll be able to experience memories with depth. Google also recently showed off Google Beam—a way to convert people in video calls to appear more 3D and lifelike for a more personal touch.

The Apple Vision Pro could never exist without gamers willing to try out the early versions of VR, even with the severe lack of game libraries and uncomfortable headsets. There have always been other use cases for VR, but gaming has always been the main draw. It’s too early to say whether this new era of 3D will have more success going beyond gaming than VR has.

Don’t expect 3D TVs to make a comeback anytime soon—the current implementation makes it so that the 3D tech only works for one person. But for now, companies like Samsung have much brighter hopes for the proliferation of 3D, promising to “triple down” on its 3D monitor lineup in the next year or two. That’s a serious vote of confidence.

The best mirrorless camera for you depends on what you want to do with it. Ultimately, there is no such thing as the perfect camera. Each has its own limitations, and part of the magic of photography is learning how to get around them. What you want to find is the camera best suited to the type of photos you like to take. This can be a complicated process so we put together an entire guide to choosing the right camera, which walks you through all the jargon, acronyms, sensor options, and extra features to help you figure out the best options for you.

Here are some features to keep in mind, depending on the type of images you are interested in making. While all the cameras below have these features, performance varies and some are better at, for instance, low light photography than others.

Sensor size: Yes, I said it doesn’t matter and it doesn’t, but you do need to understand it. For example, if you’re interested in shooting wildlife, a higher resolution sensor, like Sony’s 60 MP sensor in the A7R V, will allow you to crop in on images more than a 24 MP sensor. On the other hand, there’s not much reason to spend extra for more megapixels if you aren’t going to use them.

Autofocus: When I first picked up a camera in the 1980s, autofocus was a brand-new thing. The Minolta Maxxum 7000 was the first SLR camera with an integrated autofocus system and completely changed the way photography worked. The flip side to this is that every single image made before the early ’80s was manually focused, so no, you don’t need autofocus to make a great image. Every camera below has insanely fast autofocus. However, the accuracy varies, so if this feature is important to you, pay attention to those notes.

In-body image stabilization: Often referred to as IBIS, stabilization in the camera body helps eliminate hand shake, allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds and still get a sharp image. This one is especially important for anyone wanting to shoot in low light conditions.

Electronic viewfinder: Often abbreviated EVF, the viewfinder is what you use to compose your shots and there is perhaps more variation here between cameras than any other features. The viewfinder has a huge impact on how much you’ll enjoy using a camera. This is one place I suggest heading to your local camera shop to try out the viewfinder in person and make sure it works for you, especially if, like me, you wear glasses.

Weather sealing: An often overlooked feature that’s important if you want to shoot in adverse conditions. This one is important for landscape photographers. A related feature to look for is a sensor cover that protects the sensor from dust and dirt when changing lenses.

Battery life: Battery life is pretty good across camera bodies these days, but there are still some that are better than others. For example, my Sony A7RII chews through batteries and I seldom head out with fewer than 2 backups, which is a pain.

In-camera JPEG quality: All the cameras here can save your images as RAW files, JPEG files, or both at the same time. However, some cameras produce better JPEGs than others. Fujifilm is especially noted for the amount of control it offers to fine-tune in-camera JPEGs, though Panasonic’s Lumix line has recently added the ability to apply LUTs in-camera, which is also very nice.

Once you’ve got your camera, read the manual and learn what it can and cannot do, and then use it over and over until it is an effortless extension of your mind. Once you have the comfort level, the gear fades into the background where it belongs, and you can focus on making the images you’ve always dreamed of creating.

It’s the long weekend before the unofficial start of summer. It also means Memorial Day tech deals on dozens of our favorite gadgets. If you’ve been waiting until this weekend to hit the Buy button on a particular device, you’re in luck. We’ve found deals on our favorite tablets, laptops, Bluetooth speakers, and more. Happy shopping!

WIRED’s Memorial Day Deals Coverage

Phone and Tablet Deals

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The 2025 iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our top tablet pick. It has an 11-inch LCD screen, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, 12-MP cameras on the front and back, and a USB-C port. It’s powered by an A16 Bionic chip, which is great for getting some light work done (with the right accessories). It’s worth noting, however, that there’s an air gap between the screen and glass, so we don’t recommend this tablet for sketching.

Fire tablets aren’t for everyone, but they’re a solid choice if you prefer Amazon Prime services and apps or you’re looking for a budget tablet. The Fire Max 11 has a nice build quality (metal, not plastic), a bigger screen with higher resolution, a fingerprint sensor, and enough power to handle most tasks. We initially didn’t like it because of its $230 price—just buy an iPad at that point—but this sale price makes it much more palatable.

The iPad Air offers a large, bright screen, powerful performance, and solid battery life, all for a reasonable price. With a fully laminated screen, it’s responsive for sketching and supports the flagship Apple Pencil Pro stylus. With an M3 chip, it’s enough to handle video editing and graphically intensive tasks. You have two size options to choose from, and they’re both on sale.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

This is the iPad Pro equivalent in the world of Android. The S10+ has exceptional performance, multiday battery life, a vibrant display, and long software support (seven years!). It also comes with Samsung’s stylus in the box, which magnetically charges and sticks to the side of the tablet. It won’t replace your laptop, but when paired with a keyboard cover, you can use it to get some light work done. The OLED display is a treat.

This is one of our favorite smartphones at the moment. The Pixel 10 series will likely arrive in August, but the Pixel 9 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is still an excellent buy, especially at this discounted price. There are dozens of smart features that aren’t just AI buzzwords, like Call Screen, which successfully reduces the number of spam calls you get. The triple-camera system is excellent, and the vapor chamber cooling system means the phone doesn’t get too hot when you play mobile games for a short while.

Laptop Deals

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The latest MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent, lightweight laptop. The M4 chip has improved graphics and CPU performance and supports two external 4K monitors. Apple also updated the webcam to a high-resolution 12-megapixel sensor. If you prefer a larger display, the 15-inch model is on sale for $1,075 ($124 off).

If you prefer Windows, the Zenbook S 16 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our go-to recommendation in our Best Laptops guide. It has an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU and Radeon 880M graphics, 24 GB of RAM, and over 14 hours of battery life. Made of Ceraluminum (what the company calls its hybrid of ceramic and aluminum material), it’s also durable and pretty.

At 6.3 pounds, this laptop isn’t ideal for toting around (8/10, WIRED Recommends). But it is super powerful and a great gaming companion. You get features like tunable color backlighting on the keyboard and the ability to tweak various system settings (like fan speed control). It doesn’t have the best battery life like most gaming laptops, but the performance makes up for it.

Bluetooth Speaker Deals

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The Clip 5 is an ideal speaker for anyone on the go. The wide carabiner allows you to attach it to your belt loop, bike, or backpack. Its dust—and water-resistant body means you don’t have to be super careful with it either. In terms of sound quality, you’ll get rich detail and definition that can be modified using the JBL Portable app.

The Sonos Roam 2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite smart speaker. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a speaker you can throw into your backpack or tote bag. It fits in cup holders, too. You’ll get 10 hours of listening time, a dedicated button for Bluetooth pairing, a USB-C port for charging, and an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating.

Photograph: Amazon

The Beats Pill (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the more feature-packed Bluetooth speakers. It has quick one-touch pairing for both Apple and Android, a built-in speakerphone, the ability to charge other devices, lossless audio over USB-C (with supported devices), and a massive playtime. The Pill also delivers big, polished sound, with refined clarity and punctual definition. It has an impressive 24-hour battery life as well.

This tiny Bluetooth speaker from Sony has 16 hours of battery life, dust- and water-resistance, and the option to pair it to a second one for stereo sound. At a little under 4 inches tall, it’s super portable and comes complete with a built-in strap.

Home Office Deals

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

This is our favorite standing desk. With four motors inside the telescoping powder-coated steel and aluminum legs, this desk glides up and down pretty quickly (they are a little loud, though). It also has a simple control panel with the ability to save your preferred height with the press of a couple of buttons. Assembly is simple—it comes with a lot of screws, but the instructions are straightforward.

This is the best desk for cable management. It’s all-metal and magnetic, and Secretlab offers various magnetic accessories like cable anchors, sheaths, and a hook to hold your headphones. On the back of the desk, there’s a trench system that you can open up, route all your cables through, and then close. With a power supply baked into the left column, you can also have one cable running from the leg to your wall outlet while everything else stays hidden.

This office chair delivers the best balance of quality, comfort, adjustability, and price. It has a seat-tilt function for a more active sitting position, the ability to move the armrest to fit wider or narrower bodies, seat depth that can be pulled in or out, and the option to lock the recline in various positions. You can also customize the fabric and leather and add a headrest. If you want a less expensive option, we also recommend the Branch Ergonomic Chair.

The Citizenry’s linen not only feels fantastic to sleep on but comes in lots of colors to go with any color scheme your bedroom might have. Parts of the sheet set (just the top sheet, pillowcases, etc.) can be purchased individually if something happens to one of your pieces.

More Linen We Love

• Extra soft and splurge-worthy linen: Cultiver Linen Sheet Set ($480) is so soft you might not realize it’s linen. My husband didn’t, and he’s a certified linen hater. This set is a splurge, but worth it if you want the benefits of linen and a much softer feel. They’re borderline silky, which feels almost wrong to say when describing linen.
• Best breathable linen: Pottery Barn Belgian Flax Linen Sheet Set ($299) has the most breathable weave I’ve slept on. The airflow is great, keeping me cool even in the hottest times of year. These sheets are a little thinner than the Citizenry’s but not quite as soft.
• Best heavyweight linen: Rough Linen’s Orkney Sheet Set ($540) is perfect for serious linen lovers who wish for heavier linen. These are the heaviest our team has tested, with about 260 gsm (grams per square meter) of linen—most others we’ve tested and recommend are around 160 gsm.

Looking for more linen? Read about every set of linen we’ve tested and our shopping advice in our guide to the best linen sheets.

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The Best Silk Sheets (and Pillowcases)

Silk stays cool and slick when you need it, so you shouldn’t heat up and stick to your bed in the middle of the night. But it also is capable of insulating you decently well to keep you warm in the winter months. Silk is also better for your beauty rest and the reason why silk scarves, bonnets, and pillowcases are so popular. It absorbs less moisture from your hair and skin, so you stay hydrated and don’t lose all your expensive beauty products to your pillow. It also causes less friction, pulling less at your skin during the night. If you’re a side or stomach sleeper where your face makes direct contact with your pillow, silk is a great option to consider. You’ll also find that silk is graded not by thread count, but by weight and density, using the term “momme.” A higher number equals more threads, a higher density, and more durability—and a higher price tag.

Our favorite silk bedding is these pieces from Lilysilk. They’re soft and smooth without being freezing cold. Lilysilk is the only brand of full silk sheets we’ve tested, and it’s very expensive to get a full set—you’re looking at just over $500 for one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases—but the brand offers each piece individually. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano tried the fitted sheet with a percale top sheet and found it cooling and comfortable. If you can spend a little more, Lilysilk has 22- and 25-momme sets available. They’re a little more durable, but 19 is still very high quality.

Other Silk Bedding We Love

• Our favorite silk pillowcase: The Quince Silk Mulberry Pillowcase ($45) is a great value at $40, and it has a better weight for that price than other brands. Quince’s silk pillowcase is 22-momme, where others usually have a 19-momme for that price, and that heavier weight makes it slightly thicker and softer to the touch. It has a zipper enclosure, which I liked since it kept the pillowcase looking polished, and I didn’t have to worry about my pillow wiggling its way out of the case while I tossed and turned in the night.
• A zipper-free silk pillowcase: LilySilk’s 19-Momme Silk Pillowcase ($45) is the same price as the Quince pillowcase, but a lighter weight, though it’s barely noticeable side by side. If you prefer no zipper, though, this is the silk pillowcase for you. It does have a few colors and prints that Quince doesn’t, so you might want to peruse the two brands and choose based on your color preference.
• A budget option: Kitsch’s Satin Pillowcase ($19) is satin, not silk, but former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano said it’s better than similarly priced silk options. If you’re not looking to spend more than $20 to $25, she says to choose this one over the cheaper silk pillowcases you’ll find on Amazon.

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The Best Flannel Sheets

Flannel bedding is made of cotton, but the cotton fibers are brushed out to create a fuzzy texture. Those fluffed-out fibers also are what make flannel so warm and cozy to sleep on—the teased layers of cotton do a better job of retaining heat than other styles of cotton sheets, so you’ll stay much warmer sleeping on these than other sheet styles. They’re great for cooler climates and seasons.

These flannel sheets have a long name, but it’s an accurate one. This set from Lands’ End really is comfy and super soft and was the perfect combination of cozy without being too heavy. I love that these are so soft and warm without making me sweaty—a tall task for a hot sleeper in San Diego, though I did test them during the coldest time of year. I also like that it’s easy to buy Lands’ End as a set or purchase just a top sheet or pillowcases individually if something needs to be replaced.

More Flannel We Love

• If you want brushed cotton instead: Riley’s Brushed Cotton Sheet Set ($160) is soft without being as heavy or hot as full flannel, since brushed cotton only brushes out the cotton on one side of the sheet instead of both sides for regular flannel. This set is a great cozy option for hot sleepers. The queen size is sold out with a flat sheet, but you can purchase a set without one.
• Splurge-worthy, organic flannel: The Boll & Branch Cozy Flannel Sheet Set ($299) lives up to its name with its extra-soft bedding. Not only is it the softest flannel set I tried, but it’s organic, too. It also runs a little warmer, so it’s great for colder homes and climates.
• The popular choice: L.L. Bean’s UltraSoft Flannel Sheets ($139) are definitely soft, but not as soft as our top flannel pick, and they feel lighter too. They’re almost like a warm jersey rather than a flannel. If you’re looking for a light but still soft bedding set, this is a good choice.

Looking for more cozy flannel? Check our guide to the Best Flannel Sheets.

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The Best Organic Sheets

If you’re buying an organic mattress, you probably want to pair it with organic bedding. Otherwise, nonorganic sheets can bring the chemicals and materials you avoided—including anything from formaldehyde and TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates—right back into your life. Even if you have a regular mattress, you can still benefit from choosing sheets that are made of natural, organic materials. Just about any kind of organic sheet can be organic, but it depends on how its materials are sourced and what kind of chemicals the fabric is exposed to.

WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson tests organic mattresses, and these are his favorite organic sheets to pair with them. They’re soft but not overly silky, which is a feeling he doesn’t care for. I’ve also found the organic percale is just a touch softer than Brooklinen’s regular percale. The Brooklinen organic cotton sheets are made from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton and are Oeko-Tex certified. They also have a 300 thread count.

Other Great Organic Sheets

• Softer, organic percale: The Citizenry’s Organic Stonewashed Percale Sheets ($179) has everything I like in a softer percale, using long-staple cotton to make it soft while keeping it ultra soft.
• The best organic linen: The Citizenry also makes Organic Stonewashed Linen ($299), which is our favorite set of linen sheets that are organic to boot. These are lightweight and breathable, but still a little softer than your usual set of starter linen.
• Affordable, organic bamboo: Quince’s Bamboo Sheet Set ($130) uses organic bamboo, and has a nice weight to it. It’s not as breathable as other sets I’ve tried, but it was really silky and available for a great price.

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The Best Cooling Sheets

This is another category where it’s not limited to a certain fabric type or weave, but rather is a general category for any set of bedding that feels breathable and will keep you cool during the night. I’ve found that the best contenders for staying cool at night are percale, linen, and bamboo sheets, but not every set is made equally.

This set, however, is none of those. SlumberCloud’s Performance Tencel Sheet Set uses Tencel, a brand of lyocell fabric, plus Slumber Cloud’s patented Outlast fiber, which uses phase change material (PCM) gel to absorb heat. These sheets are a sateen weave with a four-over-one thread structure, but they feel like a lightweight silky percale. I was amazed how cooling and breathable these sheets are, even with that type of weave, and so soft at the same time. As a hot sleeper sleeping on the third floor in Southern California, I was so impressed by how cool and comfortable I stayed on these sheets.

Honorable Mentions

The following sleeping pads didn’t impress us as much as the ones above, but we’d still recommend them if none of the others strike your fancy.

Kelty Kush Queen Airbed for $100: This PVC-free queen-sized airbed from Kelty includes a pump that makes inflating a snap (make sure you charge it before you go), and the 6-inch-thick pad is plenty comfortable. It is not an insulated air mattress like the REI above, so it’s best for warmer months, but it can double as a spare bed at home.

Sleeping Pads to Avoid

Not every sleeping pad is a winner. We’ve tested and run into issues with the following models.

Exped Flexmat Plus: What if the cheap, light, and indestructible closed-cell foam mats like the iconic Z-Rest and RidgeRest were … giant? It’s a fun idea, but the Exped Flexmat Plus is a noble failure. The problem with this extra-thick, 1.5-inch, closed-cell mat is that, while relatively light, cheap, and indestructible, the foam is hard and spikey. And by “spikey” we mean that it’s literally just spikes that stab you while you sleep. Fans say it requires a break-in period. After six nights on it, reviewer Martin Cizmar begged the dungeon guard for release.

Big Agnes Q-Core: Q-Core pads are comfortable out of the box, with impressive R-value and weight stats for the price. However, you should avoid them. The unique offset I-beam construction that makes this pad so light and comfortable is somewhat notorious for failing—which is exactly what happened to Cizmar after about a year of use. In our experience, which other reviews back up, the welds that hold the top and bottom together are prone to popping apart. After adding air, you’ll have a large lump that grows over time, and duct tape cannot fix it.

Exped DeepSleep: If you’re thinking about an inflatable Exped but are not fully committed to shelling out for the MegaMat 10, you may be inclined to try the thinner and cheaper DeepSleep. Don’t do it. The DeepSleep is 3 inches thick instead of 4, but you’ll feel that inch in your bones. The DeepSleep has rugged 75-denier fabric on top and bottom instead of the soft and stretchy 50-denier polyester you find on the top of the MegaMat and some competitors. The DeepSleep is a sturdy mattress and probably fine for some people, but it’s not the Exped experience most sleepers are looking for. Stick with the MegaMat. —Martin Cizmar

Klymit Static V2: Klymit’s budget inflatable pad is popular with unfussy weekend warriors because of its price point (around $50) and impressive weight (1 pound). In fact, this is why I bought one for my now 10-year-old daughter when we ventured into the backcountry for the first time, with her stuff on my back. She didn’t complain, but when I used it for a night, I found it was flimsy and offered comparable cushion and less heat retention than a closed-cell foam pad like the Z-Lite. The Z-Lite weighs a couple of ounces less, and you won’t have to worry about puncturing it. The more expensive inflatable beds above are great, but if you’re you’re looking for a lightweight budget pick, I’d stay with closed-cell foam.

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Samsung makes everything from smartphones and gaming monitors, to smart TVs and dishwashers. I’m always looking for a sale (I’m assuming you are, too), and I’ve found the best Samsung promo codes to help you save big on your most important tech purchases. At WIRED, we often review the South Korean company’s products, especially Samsung’s vast lineup of Galaxy smartphones, and I’ve rounded up a bunch of Samsung coupons for (virtually) every type of shopper.

$50 Off With Samsung Promo Code and up to $2,100 Off

Right now, Samsung has some of the best deals I’ve ever seen on their best-selling tech, and they’re about to get even better with limited-time trade-in credits, a special offer program, and bundle deals. Shop Samsung’s best coupons and May offers to save up to $2,100 with Deal of the Day discounts on phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, smartwatches, and more tech.

You can also get up to $750 in enhanced trade-in credits on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu rated 8/10 because of its new AI features powered by Google’s Gemini and adaptable settings. And if you have your eyes on the new Galaxy S25 Ultra, now’s your chance to save up to $630 with a trade-in credit (through May 25).

There are a bevy of other Samsung coupons, from discounts for educators to friend referral codes, to help you save on everything from soundbars to wireless chargers to Samsung’s highly anticipated health-based wearable Galaxy Ring. You can also save big on tech purchases with Samsung’s “bundle and save” discounts. By buying products together that you already need, you can save a ton – 40% off select Galaxy Buds, watches and tablets when you order the Galaxy S25 Ultra. You can also get 20% off select Galaxy Books when you order the S25 Series, and save a whopping $1,650 on QLED 4K TVs when you buy an ATMOS Soundbar.

Save up to $500 During the Samsung Memorial Day 2025 Sale

I’m not sure how, but Memorial Day is now a sale day for many brands, including Samsung. Seems sort of sacrilegious to honor those who died in service with discounts and door busters, but that’s show biz, baby! late-stage capitalism for ya (we laugh to keep from crying). Shop the sale to find huge discounts on new tech like phones, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra, where you can save up to $630 with a trade-in, or $230 without and a Galaxy S25 Edge, where you can get up to $750 with a trade-in, plus double the storage. Or upgrade your fitness and wearable tech in time for summer with this deal on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, where you can get up to $325 off, or up to $450 with a trade-in. Speaking of hot wearable tech, when you purchase a Galaxy Ring you can save up to $150. If staying indoors away from the heat is more your thing, the Samsung S90D OLED TV, which we gave a 9/10, WIRED reviews rating, is now $980, a significant discount from its original price. Plus, stay inside with that sweet, sweet A/C and get up to $500 off appliances when you buy 4 or more.

Save up to 30% With Samsung Coupon Codes – Offers Program

One of the hottest Samsung promo codes is a whopping 30% discount for government employees, first responders, military personnel, and educators. Samsung also has offer programs, meaning you can combine your promo code discount with most other offers to increase discounts. Get a pal involved for more savings—when a friend uses your referral code to make a purchase at Samsung.com, they’ll get 5% off their purchase (up to $250 off) and you’ll get up to $100 off per order (with the potential to save $1,000 per calendar year). My insider tip is to sign up for a Samsung Rewards account for even more perks, including exclusive Samsung coupons, flash sales, and updates on the newest Samsung products, like the QLED 8K, select refrigerators, and other home appliances.

Extra $200 Off Samsung TVs With Trade-In Deals

Along with other great tech, Samsung has some seriously nice TVs. The Samsung Frame TV has been trending this year for its stylish ability to blend into your home’s decor. Plus it just feels more elevated than a regular ol’ TV and mount. Some other trending TVs this Spring have been the Q60D, S90C, and the S95D models. Plus, there are tons of TV and home theater deals at Samsung. If you’re in the market for a new TV, it’s worth checking out the 98” QLED Q80C while it’s $600 off and includes mounting for free. You can also take advantage of their Trade-In Recycling Program for up to $200 off when you trade in your old TV—any brand, any size. When your new one is delivered, Samsung will handle recycling the old one, so you can enjoy your upgrade.

$100 Samsung Coupon and Over $1,000 Off Appliances

Although here at WIRED we mostly cover Samsung’s traditional AV tech, they also make top-of-the-line kitchen and home appliances. And right now, you can get $1,000 off a Bespoke Smart Slide-In Electric Range. This range is straight from a The Jetsons fantasy, with an AI Home LCD display, which is pretty much a kitchen robot helper that gives you personalized recipe recommendations, the ability to search for and follow video recipes, and access your favorite apps so you can see who’s at your door through your video doorbell, and more. There’s also a Smart Oven Camera inside, meaning you can check on meals as they cook from anywhere and even share time-lapse videos to show off your skills. When you make a purchase, you can get a $100 Samsung coupon towards future appliance purchases, which will be emailed 35 days after the item’s delivery.

Right now, you can get even more discounts on hot, high-tech Samsung appliances, like an $1,800 off the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub and $1,000 off Bespoke Smart Ovens, with deals on gas, induction, and electric models. This deal includes a free installation service, plus Samsung will haul away your old appliances and recycle them. This futuristic fridge is basically also an iPad, with an AI Family Hub with the large screen and changeable door panels. Plus, there’s AI Vision inside, so you always know what’s inside (and what you need to buy at the store). And the Beverage Center has an internal dispenser or a built-in AutoFill Water Pitcher to get cold, crisp water whenever you want it, whichever way you want.

Stay up to Date on all Things Samsung at WIRED

WIRED also has guides to help determine which Galaxy S24 phone is best for you and how to set up your Samsung Galaxy S25 to ensure you’re getting the most out of its features, as well as advice on which Galaxy S24 series accessories, like cases, chargers, and power banks, are worth the money.

Us nerds here at WIRED also follow CES (sort of the Coachella for tech nerds) for all the updates on tech (almost) no one asked for, and Samsung’s bi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event, where they show off its newest toys. We have a lot of opinions about Samsung’s foldable Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 phones. We are also patiently awaiting new releases of Galaxy Tab tablets, a new line of Galaxy Buds Pro 3 wireless earbuds, and a new series of the Galaxy Watch, with a new design and improved sensors for health tracking.

Memorial Day is fast approaching, because time only passes faster as we get older. You know what else we need as we get older? A better mattress. I can’t rave enough about how much changing my mattress helped my back pain, taking me from starting each day half hunched over to feeling like a springy teen again. While a mattress can’t turn back time, a better mattress can lead to a lot of things: Better sleep! Better support! Less pain overnight!

One of the best times to shop for a mattress is leading up to Memorial Day. We’ve rounded up everything we recommend for a better night’s sleep that’s currently on sale ahead of the holiday on May 26. Everything listed is based on queen size, with the discount listed based on the price we usually see these mattresses and sheets available for.

Looking for more bedding and sleep advice? Don’t miss our guides to the Best Mattresses, Best Mattresses for Back Pain, Best Sheets, Best Pillows, How to Clean Everything on Your Bed, and How to Arrange Your Room for the Best Sleep.

Updated May 21, 2025: We’ve added more mattress and bedding deals and checked that all deals and prices were still live.

WIRED Featured Deals:

Best Memorial Day Mattress Deals

Courtesy of Avocado; Getty Images

Avocado

Here’s a sale that will have you saying “it’s an Avocado [mattress], thanks!” (IYKYK, we miss the Vine days). The organic materials of these mattresses are no joke, though, and provide you with support by way of materials like organic latex. You can use code HONOR15 to get 15 percent off the Avocado Green mattress, or HONOR10 to get 10 percent off the Eco Organic Hybrid mattress.

Helix

The maker of our favorite mattress has kicked off its Memorial Day Sale with a nice discount: 25 percent off with the code MEMDAY25. It’s not the lowest discount we’ve seen, but the lowest these mattresses go is 27 percent off, so it’s pretty close. You’ll also get a free sheet set and mattress protector with the purchase of any Luxe or Elite mattress. The savings shown are based on the usual price we see.

Naturepedic

“Organic” pertains to mattresses too, and this is the central theme of Naturepedic’s mattresses. Organic cotton, wool, and latex work together to lend you both pressure relief and support. And to really push the envelope (or rather, box), you can customize the firmness on both the left and right sides of the EOS Classic mattress. The entire site is 20 percent off with the code MEMORIAL20, which you can apply at checkout for a mattress or the brand’s fantastic sheets.

Nolah

It’s hard to say “no” to Nolah’s Memorial Day deal (and the Evolution Hybrid mattress, if I’m being honest). Yes, it’s an exceptional mattress that was built for relieving pressure and supporting lower backs, but 35 percent off your purchase and two free pillows is pretty sweet. Plus, WIRED readers get an extra something-something ($50 off with code WIRED50). We usually see some kind of sale already underway at Nolah, but these are better prices than you’ll regularly find.

Brooklyn Bedding

Brooklyn Bedding makes a whole lotta mattresses, all made in Arizona! Fan favorites (not just for us but for sleepers out there near and far) include mattresses like the Brooklyn Aurora Luxe Hybrid, which is a whole other level for keeping you sleeping cool. For Memorial Day, you can get up to 30 percent off sitewide with code MEMORIAL30.

Birch

Birch is the organic sister brand of Helix, and it’s running the same early Memorial Day Sale with the code MEMDAY25 for 25 percent off site-wide. While you won’t get extra sheets, you will also get two of Birch’s Eco-Rest Pillows with any mattress purchase. Birch makes both our favorite organic mattress and our favorite mattress topper (organic or not!), and it’s a great choice if you’re looking to go organic in your bedroom. After all, you spend eight hours a day sleeping in there. The savings shown are based on the usual price we see, rather than the full list price.

Some of these Gemini features will be coming to users of Android and Google’s web apps for free, but others (and the more powerful feature sets) will be available via paid subscription. Google’s $20 a month AI Premium service has been renamed to Google AI Pro, and the cost stays the same, though it now comes with more limited features. Google AI Ultra, the company’s full suite of AI services, has increased to $250 per month. That’s $50 per month more expensive than OpenAI’s similar full-suite plan, ChatGPT Pro

Gemini Is an Artist, Actually

Creative professionals and programmers take note: Google’s enhancements to its creative tools will either make your job easier and more productive, or it will render you obsolete.

Jules is an “asynchronous coding agent” that aims to let you take a rough design scribbled on a napkin and turn it into a full-fledged illustration or code, while showing you the work it did along the way.

There’s also a new version of Google’s AI image generator called Imagen 4 that Google claims can generate much more detail in images, like textures in AI-generated paintings or custom text in music posters.

Google also has some new generative AI video tools, like Flow, a tool made specifically for AI movie creation. It lets you upload photos or illustrations of characters, props, or scenery, then animate it all into a short movie using text prompts. If you don’t have photos, you can just type a generative prompt to make the visuals right inside Flow. Then you build a narrative video scene by scene by describing the action in a text box. The company illustrated Flow by showing a generated video of an old man using a giant chicken in the backseat to make his car fly. The video didn’t look that great, and weirdly plastic, but it got the point across.

Also included in the update is an enhanced video generator called Veo 3 that Google says has a better understanding of material physics for smoother and more lifelike animations.

Search Goes Full AI Mode

Last year at I/O, Google unleashed its AI Overviews enhancement to search results, a feature that summarizes results from across the web at the top of the screen for some queries. The results were famously varied, from being just plain busted to having hilarious hallucinations to showing actual plagiarism. Nevertheless, Google is now giving its search experience an even shinier AI sheen.

To that end, Google is making search much more chatbot-oriented with its new AI Mode. This search feature was first announced in March 2025 as an experiment, and now it’s available within the default Google search experience for everyone in the US. AI Mode appears in a tab within your search results, so you can switch over to it with a click if it’s available.

It’s nearly summer. The flowers are in full bloom, the birds are well north, and REI is kicking off its annual anniversary sale, the outdoor company’s biggest sale of the year. This year’s REI sale starts May 16 and runs through Memorial Day, May 26. Many items are up to 30 percent off, but REI Co-op members save up to 20 percent off any full-price item of their choice and an extra 20 percent off any REI Outlet item. To get the discount, add the promo code ANNIV2025 at checkout.

Several other retailers have also launched early Memorial Day sales, including Backcountry and Public Lands, plus some of our favorite smaller retailers like Sea to Summit and Zenbivy, along with many others you can find on Garage Grown Gear. We’ve highlighted some deals on gear we’ve loved over our years of testing. There’s something for nearly all our favorite summer activities—tents, stoves, sleeping bags, and plenty of outdoor apparel. Be sure to look at our guides to outdoor gear, like the Best Day-Hiking Packs, Best Tents, Best Sleeping Bags, Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads, Best Rain Jackets, Best Backpacking Water Filters, Best Merino Wool, and Best Binoculars.

Updated Monday, May 19, 2025: We’ve added deals from other sales, like Sea to Summit, Roark, Altra, and Six Moon Designs, along with some new REI deals on camp cookware and hiking apparel.

WIRED Featured Deals

Backpack Deals

Don’t forget to check out our guide to the Best Day-Hiking Backpacks and the Best Travel Bags.

Photograph: REI

The Flash 22 is possibly the best-value day pack on the market, especially on sale. I was surprised by how comfortable this thing is, despite the lightweight straps and minimal padding. It carries loads up to 15 pounds without straining the shoulders, and the side stash pockets are fabulously large—big enough for a Nalgene bottle or rain jacket. The Flash 22 is made of 70-denier recycled ripstop nylon, which is on the lighter side, but mine has held up well, even coming through some rough canyon hikes in Utah without any more than mud stains.

The ultralight cousin to the Flash 22, the Flash 18 lacks the hip belt, side stash pockets, and floating lid. What you’re left with is a stripped-down, bare-bones pack that’s great for traveling, since you can stuff it down to almost nothing, stash it in your carry-on, and have a nice backpack whenever you need it. Don’t load it up with more than 8 pounds of gear though, and avoid anything with pointy bits, as there’s no padding here.

One of our favorite day-hiking packs, This Mystery Rack pack was my introduction to wider shoulder straps, which provide more comfort without the bulk of extra padding. The result is a comfortable pack that’s light (1 lb, 6 oz) and packable, making it a great extra pack when traveling. The side pockets are big enough for a Nalgene water bottle and the 25-L capacity carries everything you need for a day. It also fits under the seat of even small planes. This is a great little pack for hitting the trail or just walking around town.

Our favorite day-hiking pack for the eco-conscious looking to travel light, Nemo’s Resolve pack is 100 percent recycled, infinitely adjustable, and repairable, and once it’s reached the end of its life, it can be sent back to Nemo for total recycling. The Resolve has a somewhat strange system of bungees and pull-tabs, instead of straps or webbing, but it’s comfortable, sitting nice and high on your back. At 1 lb, 15 oz it’s pretty light, considering all the hardware that it has on it.

Trail Running and Road Running Deals

This is last year’s version of my favorite Salomon X Ultra 5 hiking boots, which I just tested over the weekend in the Columbia River Gorge. Salomon makes our favorite hiking boots—the company offers impressive levels of protection and traction, while being lightweight and remarkably easy to take off and put on. I like how the heel grips so I don’t smash my toes while going downhill, and it’s so sticky that I can climb up rocks like an ant. —Adrienne So

I have worn the women’s version of this shoe for years and years. Altra is the best running shoe if you want a shoe that has a barefoot feel (zero heel to toe drop, big toebox) but retains traction and protection against rocks and prickers. —Adrienne So

These are Altra’s version of the Brooks Glycerin Max—a super-plush, comfy road running shoe. If you want a very cushioned shoe but are addicted to Altra’s big toe box (no need to be embarrassed, I am too), these are the shoes to get. Also, don’t forget to check out our guide to the Best Barefoot Shoes. —Adrienne So

Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad Deals

Confused by the options? Check out our guides to the Best Sleeping Bags and the Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

REI Co-op’s Magma 15 is our favorite bag for shoulder-season trips when the temps might drop more than expected. It has an excellent draft collar that’s very good at keeping out the chill. The outside is a 15-denier nylon ripstop (Bluesign-approved, with a non-fluorinated DWR coating to keep moisture at bay). Baffles are variably spaced and not stitched through, which helps the fill stay put and minimizes cold spots. The Magma doesn’t have a lot of frills; it just gets the job done.

Our favorite summertime car-camping sleeping bag, the REI Siesta Hooded 20, is plenty warm and affordable. It’s also not a mummy bag, because you’re not climbing Denali; why cramp yourself if you don’t have to? The Siesta’s rectangular cut makes for a much roomier, more comfortable bag. The Siesta’s 20-degree rating makes it enough for three-season trips, and unlike most rectangular bags, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on those cold nights.

Nemo’s Forte 20 is a 20-degree synthetic-fill sleeping bag, but the comfort rating is 30 degrees. In my testing, this feels more like where you’d want to stay temperature-wise with this bag. The outer shell uses a 30-denier recycled polyester ripstop with an inside liner made from 20-denier recycled polyester taffeta. It does a good job of holding back the moisture that often forms inside a tent, which I discovered after one very soggy night of testing. The fill is what Nemo calls Zerofiber insulation, which is made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled content fibers. The Zerofiber packs down remarkably small—this is the most compact synthetic-fill bag I’ve tested in this temp range—and it retains its ability to trap warmth even when wet.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Our favorite backpacking sleeping bag, the Bishop Pass 30 offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio while also managing to pack down small and not be too expensive. It isn’t perfect, but it strikes the best compromise for most backpackers. I have slept in this bag for more than two weeks, with nighttime temps ranging from 28 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and, yes, it was too much in the heat, but on those warmer nights, I unzipped it and covered myself like a warm blanket. It’s a versatile bag. Note that for the men’s bag, only the long version is on sale. Both the long and regular size women’s 30 bags are on sale.

I haven’t had a chance to write about it yet, but I tested the Bishop Pass 0 over the winter and was pleasantly surprised at how warm it was. I took it out on several nights where temps dipped into the single digits (below the comfort rating of 13 Fahrenheit) and stayed warm. I did wear some merino base layers and a wool hat, but sleeping bag comfort ratings assume this. If you need a colder-weather bag, without dipping into extreme temps (and extremely pricey sleeping bags), this is a good option.

The Zenbivy Bed 25 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is hands-down the most comfortable backcountry sleeping experience I’ve ever had. It wouldn’t be my top pick for extreme situations, but so long as your expected temperatures fit in Zenbivy’s range (the comfort rating is 35 degrees Fahrenheit), it doesn’t get more comfortable than this. The Zenbivy isn’t just a sleeping bag. It’s a sheet, hood, and quilt-style bag that can be combined in various ways.

Zenbivy’s Light Bed is a brand-new option that takes the basic clip design of other Zenbivy beds and lightens up the load. I’ve been testing this bag for several months, and it is everything I loved about the original above, but lighter weight. I’ll have a full review very soon, but if you’ve been tempted by the Zenbivy, but wanted to keep your base gear weight down, this is the option you’ve been look for. The price I’ve put here includes both the bed/sheet portion and the quilt. Note that Zenbivy is having a 25 percent off sale on almost everything on its site right now.

Nemo Tensor All-Season Sleeping Pad

Photograph: Nemo

Nemo’s new 2024 Tensor-insulated sleeping pads (8/10, WIRED Recommends) have the best R-value-to-weight ratio of anything I’ve tested, and the All-Season is our top pick for backpacking trips. It has an R-value of 5.4 and weighs 18.2 ounces. That alone is impressive, but what I love about the Tensor is that it’s thick, comfortable, and most importantly, nearly silent. The slightly lighter Trail model is also on sale, as is the Extreme Conditions pad, which is the lightest, warmest sleeping pad on the market.

The darling of ultralight hikers everywhere, the XLite NXT is our pick for backpackers looking to shed pack weight, but preserve some margin of comfort. The XLite delivers a comfortable night’s sleep while remaining well under 1 pound for the regular size. At 3 inches thick, it’s plenty of protection from the ground, and the R-Value of 4.5 means it’ll be plenty warm in most three-season conditions.

Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT is only marginally heavier than the Therm-a-Rest above. The extra 4 ounces for the Sea to Summit pad gets you quite a bit more cushion too—this is a 4-inch thick pad, compared to the 3 inches of the Therm-a-rest X-Lite, which makes this a better ultralight option for side sleepers. I also happen to like the baffle design better too, and it seems to be a little more durable, making this an excellent alternative ultralight pad. Note that this one is an REI Outlet deal, the XT has been replaced by a newer model.

Tent Deals

Check out our Best Tents guide for more WIRED-tested recommendations.

REI Half Dome SL 2+

Photograph: REI

Our pick for Best Two-Person Backpacking Tent, REI’s Half Dome is rugged and lightweight (4 pounds), and offers generous living space for two with gear. The tent body is made of 40-denier ripstop nylon for durability at the base and on the floor, with 20-denier nylon mesh for the body. The Half Dome comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days, and nice to have. The tent poles are aluminum and interchangeable, which makes them easy to set up and take down.

Sea to Summit’s ultralight Alto (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is designed to keep weight down on your solo adventures. At just 33 ounces for a semi-freestanding tent, it remains one of the lighter options on the market and at this price it’s hard to pass up. The mesh netting helps keep weight down, though for something warmer, the Plus version, which has less mesh, is also on sale for $275 ($275 off), an equally outstanding deal.

Sea and Summit’s “3-plus season” tents are capable enough in almost any weather while staying crazy light—just 3 pounds and 12 ounces for this three-person model. I used it on a five-day trip to Loon Lake in northern California in early October, a true “shoulder season” trip with daytime highs in the 80s, nighttime lows in the 40s, and overnight winds of up to 60 mph. My favorite design detail is that the pole bag is kept rigid by an insert of opaque white plastic. Clip it to the tent’s ceiling, pop in your headlamp, and illuminate your abode. —Michael Calore

Nemo’s Dagger Osmo (8/10, WIRED Recommends) line of tents are reasonably light with roomy interiors. The 3-person version (also on sale) has long been my tent of choice for trips with my kids. Setup is simple thanks to the single main pole design (which forks at each end) with a cross pole in the middle. There are two spacious vestibules for storing gear and if you leave the rain fly off the mesh room is excellent for stargazing.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Nemo Mayfly (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a three-season backpacking tent with a trail weight of 3 pounds, 8 ounces for the two-person version I tested. Split between two people, each is carrying under 2 pounds. The Mayfly saves on weight by using a semi-freestanding design, which means you have to partly stake it out. It’s on the small side as well, at 27.9 square feet of living space, with two 7-square-foot vestibule areas. I find it plenty livable for two, and the cross pole gives you a wider roof area than most tents this size. I love the white mesh (instead of black) and the super simple clips that keep the rain fly secured.

This is my favorite single wall ultralight solo tent. I have a full review coming later this month, but after spending quite a while with this tent I’m something of a convert, at least for summer camping. The Lunar Solo makes it easy to combat the main problem with single wall tents: condensation. Thanks to plenty of mesh, and a top vent in the vestibule (ala my all-time favorite backcountry shelter, the Hilleberg Akto (10/10, WIRED Recommends)), I haven’t had much issue with condensation in the Lunar Solo. It’s not without its quirks (read the pitching tips), but if you want something more than tarp, that still weighs just 26 ounces (740 grams), this one is hard to beat.

Hiking Apparel Deals

REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket

Photograph: REI

Every year, I repurchase one of these rain jackets for each of my children. It’s hard to find rain jackets that are better value than REI’s. The kid’s version is a 2.5-layer shell with a non-fluorinated (read: PFAS-free) durable water-repellent (DWR) coating, taped seams, and an adjustable hood. These will last all year (at least, as long as your kid doesn’t lose theirs). —Adrienne So

I bought my father, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and husband each one of these shirts last year. Roark Clothing is a small company that makes some of my favorite active apparel, and the Bless Up shirt is the perfect summer shirt. It’s perforated and made from synthetic fibers, so it’s perfect for super-humid beach days when the temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.—Adrienne So

I haven’t had a chance to add them to my Best Merino Wool Clothing Guide, but these are the best merino ankle running socks I’ve tried. They’re not the highest merino content (54 percent, the remainder is nylon and elastane), but they’re thin, light, and work well with barefoot shoes (and other shoes). They also resist odor surprisingly well for only about half merino. —Adrienne So

I still prefer Darn Tough’s lightweight hiking socks, but these Smartwool socks are a close second, and well worth buying at this price. Can you ever have too many wool hiking socks? I’d say no. These are 56 percent merino wool so there’s a good bit of stretchiness, yet they stay pretty odor-free even after a couple days on the trail. Grab two pair and rotate them to keep your feet dry and happy.

REI Co-op Sahara Shade

Photograph: REI

This is wildly affordable compared to the other sun hoodies we tested for our Best Sun Protection Clothing guide. WIRED reviewer Jaina Grey found it super soft and breathable, with thumb holes to protect the back of your hands. It’s UPF 50, and it may be a lot easier to get your kids or sensitive family members to wear clothing instead of smearing sticky sunscreen all over their bodies. —Adrienne So

Camping Deals

Photograph: MSR

We’re in the final stage of testing for a backpacking stove guide that will be up very soon, and the MSR PocketRocket 2 will be our top pick for propane canister stoves. It’s simple to use and boils water quickly (about 3.5 minutes for 1L at sea level). It’s also more durable and therefore more reliable than the other ultralight stoves I’ve tested. And it weighs just 2.6 ounces.

I have yet to do a trip with a satellite communicator, but I do understand why people use them. If I were to bring one along, this is the one I’d get. It’s tiny, light (3.5 ounces), and easily stashable. It utilizes the super-fast Iridium satellite network, so you can send a rapid SOS from pretty much anywhere. There are extra features like waypoints and interval tracking, and it plays nice with compatible Garmin watches.

This is my own personal REI purchase for this year, which is a life jacket for my 1-year-old puppy. We do a lot of boating during the summer and while my spouse insists that dogs can swim, I am not quite sure I trust her. At the very least, it gives my dog a few handles for me to grab if she gets swept away.—Adrienne So

Do you crave a chair when you’re backpacking? If so, this is one to get. It’s just about the lightest on the market at 18 ounces, packs down very small, and solves the number one problem with all pole chairs: the included base pad keeps it from sinking in soft ground.

Nalgene water bottles for half off, what’s not to love? I’ve always preferred the timeless classic to the latest style, which might be part of why I’ve never used another water bottle (well, not counting reusing Smartwater bottles when backpacking). Nalgenes are lighter than stainless steel and, frankly, the only sane option for hiking. Grab two of the big 48 ounce bottles, stick them in the sides of your Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 and your family will never be thirsty again.

Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove

Photograph: Coleman

This is the fancy version of our favorite camp stove. Here you get electronic ignition and a nice pale green paint job. Is it worth the extra $30? That’s up to you. If it’s not, snag the less fancy version for $59 at Walmart.

I’m not sure this really qualifies for the “ultralight” moniker, and these pots are unfortunately marred by having a ton of fake influencer reviews out there, but they’re actually quite good. And if you’re cooking for a group, this 3 liter pot is about as light as it gets. This is my go-to pot for family backpacking trips. The hard-anodized aluminum is sturdy and provides good heat transfer. The ceramic nonstick coating makes for easy clean up (esp paired with the GSI scrapper below). You can also nest the 2L version ($49) inside this one for more cooking options on the trail. If you want to go nuts with it, I haven’t tried it, but you can theoretically also nest the 1.3L version ($49) inside the 2L.

Sea to Summit’s Frontier pan is my all time favorite backcountry cooking vessel. It’s not ultralight to bring an 8-inch frying pan backpacking, but when you’re ready to move beyond boil in a bag food and whatever those disgust gel tubes are, the Frontier pan is the way to do it. When you want to build a cream sauce from dried milk (it can be done!) or need to sauté those brook trout, a good pan that distributes heat reasonably evenly is indispensable. The Frontier manages to to that and it has a nice curved edge, making it easy to work with and easy to cleans up. The Frontier pan checks all the boxes thanks to its great design and ceramic coating, and it somehow manages to weigh just 13 ounces.

No, it’s not an earth shattering deal, but this is possibly the best piece backpacking gear I own. GSI’s pot scrapper is the unsung hero of backcountry cooking, turning cleanup from a tedious chore to a couple of seconds work. Now if you seriously burn something, this thing will not save you (boil water in the pan to loosen the burnt bits), but for every other situation scrapping down your pot with this tool will get you 99 percent of the way to a clean pot. I consider this one indispensable, might as well grab one while it’s a couple bucks cheaper.

At WIRED, we’ve had a long-running obsession with rogues. This is, after all, a publication that was founded in the early ’90s, born of a desire to champion the subversive, disruptive advent of the internet—and the hackers, hustlers, and blue-sky lunatics consumed by the possibilities of a digitized and interconnected planet.

Of course, WIRED had no idea, then, just what those rogues would ultimately unleash: a proliferation of bad actors wreaking havoc across the web; a booming industry of online conspiracy theorists whose dangerous convictions threaten everything from the health of our children to the strength of our democracies; and a coterie of tech billionaires with checkbooks and megaphones that reach from Silicon Valley all the way to the White House. Yes, rogues built the internet and inspired a technological revolution. Now, a mutated and much more powerful version of that same lawless spirit threatens to undo much of the incredible progress that technology and scientific inquiry have unlocked. DOGE Boys: I’m looking at you.

In this edition of WIRED, we’re finding plenty of ways to show you just how roguish, how crooked, and how precarious our world has become. Matt Burgess brings you the inside story of Nigeria’s Yahoo Boys and the “scam influencer” teaching them how to pull sophisticated digital cons on American victims. From Andy Greenberg, a timeline of ghost guns culminating in the one that Luigi Mangione allegedly used to murder a health care CEO in broad daylight—an act that’s turned Mangione into the internet’s most beloved rogue in recent memory. (Scroll down to watch what happened when Andy tried to re-create that weapon himself.) And from Evan Ratliff, the sweeping, bone-chilling saga of the Zizians, a group of gifted young technologists who became the world’s first AI-inflected death cult and allegedly killed six people over several violent, chaotic years.

Scam influencers? DIY guns? AI death cults? Yes, things are rough out there. But we wouldn’t be WIRED without finding—and even creating—a little bit of roguish fun amid the gloom. Elsewhere in this issue, we’ll introduce you to a new and inspiring era of anti-establishment rebellion that’s taking root: Amber Scorah, the cofounder of a nonprofit that helps whistleblowers safely share information with the masses, is one such example. Another is Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, who sat down with Kate Knibbs to elaborate on her vision for a democratized social internet. Plus, our Gear experts will show you the slickest, most villainous products to outfit your supervillain lair.

If you take one thing from our Rogues Issue, I hope it’s this: “Rogue” is by no means a pejorative—even if it feels like more nasty bad actors than ever, perched in the highest seats of power, are running roughshod over pretty much everything. In fact, I’d argue that this moment calls for more rogues rather than fewer. The idealistic rogues. The indefatigable rogues. The new iteration of blue-sky lunatics who can imagine what a better world should look like—and are willing to fight the status quo to get us there. So be the rogue you want to see in the world, and know that WIRED, with every ounce of rebel spirit in our DNA, will be right there with you.