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After trying some of the top spas in Mykonos, I found the ones that actually deliver both relaxation and luxury, without going overboard on price. I didn’t expect finding a spa in Mykonos to be this confusing. There are a lot of options, and most of them look great online, but once you actually start looking closer, they’re not all offering the same kind of experience. Some feel like full luxury setups, others are more relaxed and part of a hotel stay, and a few surprised me in ways I didn’t see coming. I ended up trying a few of them during my summer trips to Mykonos, and this list is based on what actually stood out once I was there, not just what looks good in photos. 1. Rochari Spa – Best Overall Spa Experience HOTEL WELLNESS: At Rochari Spa, this ended up being the one I kept thinking about long after the trip. I didn’t go in with high expectations, it felt more like a hotel add-on than a destination spa, but that’s exactly what made it stand out. Nothing felt forced or overly curated. After the treatment, I sat by the pool longer than I planned... no rush to go anywhere. It didn’t feel like a place where you check in, get your treatment, and leave. It felt slower, more personal, like it naturally became part of the stay. It’s not trying to compete with the larger luxury spas on the island, and that might throw you off at first. But once you’re there, that’s exactly why it works so well. ARRIVING AT ROCHARI: Getting there didn’t feel like arriving at a typical spa, and that’s actually part of the appeal. It’s tucked into the hotel in a way that doesn’t immediately announce itself, so I wasn’t sure what to expect walking in. The first few minutes were almost too quiet, like I might be early, but then everything settled into place. The staff felt relaxed and natural, not overly formal, which made a difference right away. There wasn’t that slightly stiff, rehearsed welcome you sometimes get at higher-end spas. It felt easy, like people just come and go without it turning into a production. That initial hesitation faded quickly, and by the time the treatment started, it already felt more comfortable than I expected. SIGNATURE TREATMENT: I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try an authentic holistic massage called the Polynesian Exotic. This ritual Massage uses an authentic Monoi de Tahiti, the holy oil of Polynesia, and was beyond exhilarating. The massage has a magical way of balancing the energy flow in your body to promote a sensation of total relaxation and overall wellness. My therapist, George, used this precious nectar (which smells fantastic by the way) from my head down to my feet, following the energy lines of my body. He described the energy as mana, and the nectar as an aid used to balance your spiritual center. Using his forearms, George utilized a gentle pressure to absorb tension and stress, while also relaxing those extra tired areas. Add in the amazing fragrance, I felt like even with my eyes closed, I could actually see the colors of the energy. Talk about paradise. HAMMAM EXPERIENCE: After my first massage, I didn’t actually plan on going back. I was feeling pretty chill, but then I did what I do best — took a nice vacation nap. Except I took it in the sun. I’m lucky I woke up before getting a sunburn, but now that I had a nice crisp tan, I kind of wanted to keep my body feeling and looking nice. I ended up doing a body treatment at the hotel hammam, which is essentially a steam room. You start in the hammam steam room for about fifteen minutes, with essential oils being rubbed into your body. Then your entire body and face are wrapped in zeolite and lava mud for a total body exfoliation. After your therapist rinses your body down, they finish the experience off by massaging an organic olive oil soap into your body. After one last final rinse, my body literally exuded hydration, and I somehow felt so rested even though I hadn’t even taken a nap. OVERALL ATMOSPHERE: What stayed with me wasn’t one specific treatment or feature, it was more the overall feeling of being there. It never felt crowded or rushed, even though the hotel itself wasn’t empty. I expected to hear noise from outside or feel that typical hotel energy creeping in, but it stayed surprisingly calm. I also love how most of the products used at the spa are Greek, but it was cool to find out that they also feature Phytomer, which is a French skincare brand. It’s known for its signature ingredient, Oligomer. Oligomer is a seawater concentrate, the brand’s first ever ingredient, dating back to 1972. It’s packed with trace elements and minerals, each boosting and re-energizing your skin. You can even purchase the products right at the spa if you want to bring a little of that luxury home. You better believe I did. That said, if you’re expecting something packed with facilities, you might feel like it’s a bit limited. But if what you care about is how the whole experience feels while you’re actually there, it hits that balance really well. The bottom line is, I went on vacation to relax my mind, and walked away feeling better physically than I have in years. BEST FOR: This is the one I’d pick if I wanted something that feels natural, unforced, and genuinely relaxing without turning it into a full-day commitment. It works especially well if you’re staying nearby or want something that fits easily into your day. It’s great for couples, but also for anyone who doesn’t enjoy overly formal or structured spa environments. If you’re expecting a large-scale luxury setup with multiple pools and wellness areas, this might feel underwhelming. But if you just want a treatment that actually slows you down and stays with you afterward, this is easily one of the most satisfying options on the island. 2. Ginkgo Spa at Santa Marina – Best Luxury Spa Experience ENTERING THE SPA: Walking into Ginkgo Spa at Santa Marina, this felt different almost immediately, and not in a subtle way. There’s a quiet confidence to the space that makes it clear you’re stepping into something more structured and high-end before anything even begins. I initially thought it might feel too polished or overly formal, but it never crossed into that territory. It’s noticeably more refined than other spas on the island, and at first I wasn’t sure if that would make it harder to relax. After a few minutes, though, it actually had the opposite effect. Everything felt handled, almost like you don’t need to think about anything once you’re there. It doesn’t have that slightly imperfect charm of smaller spas, but if what you want is a complete, well-orchestrated luxury experience from start to finish, this is exactly that. HAMMAM & FACILITIES: The setting is where this place really separates itself. Being part of Santa Marina changes the entire feel, especially with the private beach and the way the property flows. Even getting to the spa felt like part of the experience, not just a transition. Inside, the space is clean, spacious, and very intentional without feeling cold. There’s enough room to move and settle in without it ever feeling empty or staged. There’s also a proper hammam setup, which is rare on the island and adds a more complete, ritual-style experience. One thing I noticed is how controlled and quiet everything feels, even though it’s part of a larger resort. It manages to feel private without being isolated, which is not easy to get right. At the same time, you’re still aware you’re in a high-end hotel environment, not completely removed from it, which gives it more of a resort spa feel than a hidden escape. TREATMENT MENU: The treatment menu is where the luxury positioning really becomes clear. It goes beyond basic relaxation and leans into more structured, purpose-driven treatments. There’s a mix of advanced facials, body therapies, and longer sessions that combine multiple steps into one experience rather than keeping everything separate. The menu felt more considered than typical spa lists, like each treatment had a clear intention behind it. At first, it almost felt like I needed to choose more carefully instead of just picking something simple. But once I did, it made sense. This is not a place for quick, interchangeable massages. The treatments feel designed, not just listed. If you’re looking for something fast and uncomplicated, it might feel a bit much. But if you want something that feels elevated and thoughtfully put together, this is where it stands out. WHO SHOULD VISIT: This is the one I’d pick if I wanted a full luxury spa experience where everything feels predictable in the best possible way. It works especially well for couples or anyone staying at Santa Marina who wants something that matches the level of the hotel. If you prefer something more relaxed, slightly imperfect, or intimate, this might feel a bit too structured. It’s not a place you stumble into and feel like you discovered something hidden. It’s more intentional than that. But if what matters is consistency, atmosphere, and a polished environment that delivers exactly what you expect, this is one of the strongest options on the island. 3. Amazon Mykonos Resort & Spa – Best Boutique Spa BOUTIQUE ATMOSPHERE: At Amazon Mykonos Resort & Spa, this felt different almost immediately, but in a quieter, more understated way. It’s smaller, more relaxed, and noticeably less structured than the larger hotel spas, which I ended up appreciating more than I expected. I initially thought it might feel a bit minimal after seeing some of the bigger places on the island, but that didn’t last. It quickly settled into something more personal, like the pace naturally slows down instead of being guided step by step. It doesn’t try to create a full “spa day” experience, and that’s exactly what makes it work. At the same time, it doesn’t have the depth or range of a larger resort spa, so if you’re expecting that level of variety, it might feel limited. But as a boutique experience, it feels intentional and easy to enjoy without overthinking it. DESIGN & FLOW: The design pulls you in without making a big statement. Everything feels clean, modern, and open, but not staged or overly styled. I remember noticing how the space manages to feel airy without being exposed, which isn’t always easy in Mykonos where design can lean heavily into dramatic visuals. There’s a calm, steady atmosphere that doesn’t rely on anything flashy. At one point, I thought it might feel too quiet, but it actually made it easier to settle in. You’re still aware you’re inside a boutique hotel rather than a dedicated spa complex, so it doesn’t create that fully immersive, separate world feeling. But the trade-off is that it never feels crowded or overwhelming, and the space stays consistently relaxed. MASSAGES & FACIALS: The treatment menu stays simple, but in a way that works in its favor. It’s built around classic massages and facials, without trying to layer in too many variations or complex options. I was expecting something more elaborate at first, but it kept things straightforward. There isn’t a single standout or signature treatment that defines the place, and on paper that might seem like a drawback. But in practice, it makes the whole experience feel lighter and easier. There’s no pressure to compare or choose between overly similar options, you just pick what you need and settle into it. It doesn’t go into highly technical or specialized territory, so if you’re looking for something advanced or very targeted, it might feel limited. But for a clean, well-executed treatment that doesn’t turn into a full production, it fits the boutique concept perfectly. IDEAL FOR: This is the one I’d choose if I wanted something relaxed, personal, and easy to fit into the day without planning around it. It works especially well if you’re staying at the hotel or nearby and just want a good treatment without committing to a larger spa setup. It’s also a strong option for couples who prefer a quieter, less formal environment. If you’re looking for a full luxury spa with extensive facilities and longer, more immersive sessions, this probably won’t meet those expectations. But for a boutique experience that feels calm, straightforward, and genuinely low-pressure, it does exactly what it should. 4. Mykonos CIEL Spa – Best Spa For Couples SHARED EXPERIENCE: At Mykonos CIEL Spa, this was the one that actually felt like a shared experience, not just two people booking treatments at the same time. From the start, everything is set up in a way that naturally keeps you together, without forcing it. It didn’t feel segmented or structured around individual steps, it felt continuous. At first, I though it might lean too heavily into that “romantic spa” idea, but it never became staged or uncomfortable. Instead, it stayed relaxed and easy, like you’re moving through it at the same pace without needing to think about it. It is clearly designed with couples in mind, so if you’re coming alone it might feel slightly off. But if you’re there with someone, it works in a way that feels natural rather than planned. VIEWS & ATMOSPHERE: The setting is what immediately pulls you in. There’s a moment where you just pause without planning to, mostly because the view takes over before anything else does. I expected it to rely too much on that, but it actually holds its balance. The atmosphere stays calm even with everything around it, which isn’t always easy in Mykonos. Even in the quieter moments, you still notice the wind moving through the space or distant movement around the property, which keeps it feeling connected to the island rather than completely sealed off. It feels open and connected to the island rather than completely shut off from it. That can go either way depending on what you’re looking for. If you want a fully enclosed, silent spa environment, this isn’t that. But if you want something that feels more alive and part of the setting, it works in its favor. COUPLES TREATMENTS: The treatments are clearly built around shared experiences rather than individual sessions. There are dedicated couples options that go beyond just being in the same room, with longer rituals that flow from one part to the next without interruption. I noticed that the structure of the treatments leans heavily into that continuity, combining massage, relaxation time, and the setting itself into one experience. Some of it feels more sensory than technical, where the pace and atmosphere matter just as much as the treatment. I thought it might focus too much on the experience side, but it didn’t take away from it. It’s just a different priority. If you’re looking for highly targeted or results-driven treatments, it might feel a bit light. But if the goal is to share something that feels different from a standard spa visit, this is where it stands out. WHO THIS SPA FITS: This is the one I’d pick for couples who want something that feels like part of the trip, not just another booking. It works especially well for a special occasion or just carving out time together that feels a bit more intentional. If you prefer a quiet, fully enclosed spa where you can completely disconnect, this might feel a little too open. It also doesn’t have the same range of facilities as larger resort spas. But if the goal is to share something memorable, with a setting that actually adds to the experience, this one does that better than most. 5. Althea Spa Retreat at Mykonos Grand – Best Hotel Spa Experience HOTEL SPA EXPERIENCE: At Althea Spa Retreat at Mykonos Grand, this was the one that felt the most naturally connected to the actual hotel stay, and I noticed that almost immediately. It didn’t feel like something separate that you need to plan your day around, it just fit into the rhythm of being there. I went in expecting a fairly standard hotel spa, but it ended up feeling more complete than that. Everything runs in a way that feels easy and intuitive, nothing rushed, nothing overly structured, but also not loose or disorganized. It’s not about standout features here, it’s how seamlessly everything fits into the stay that makes it work. It doesn’t hit you with one big standout moment at first, and that might make it feel a bit understated compared to other places on the island. But the longer I spent there, the more that consistency started to stand out, and it’s what made the whole experience feel comfortable from start to finish. CALM SURROUNDINGS: The setting leans more toward calm and functional rather than dramatic or over-designed, which I actually appreciated more than I expected. I initially thought it would be more visually impressive given the location, but it keeps things more restrained. The space feels open enough to relax without trying too hard to create that fully immersive, resort-style spa environment. I thought it might feel a little too simple, but it never really crossed that line. Instead, it stays balanced, easy to move through, easy to settle into. You’re still aware that you’re inside a hotel, and for some people that might take away from that completely detached spa feeling, but it also makes the whole experience feel more accessible and less formal. TREATMENT MENU: The treatment menu is balanced in a way that doesn’t try to impress on paper but makes sense once you actually go through it. You get a mix of classic massages, facials, and body treatments that lean more toward relaxation than anything highly technical. I was expecting a clear signature treatment that defines the place, but it doesn’t really go in that direction. Instead, everything feels consistent and straightforward, which actually makes choosing easier. Some of the longer treatments combine multiple elements into one session, so you still get that extended spa experience without having to piece it together yourself. It doesn’t go deep into more specialized or advanced treatments, so if you’re looking for something very targeted or unique, it might feel a bit limited. But for a well-executed, no-friction experience that fits naturally into your stay, it works exactly as it should. WHO IT’S BEST FOR: This is the one I’d pick if I wanted a reliable, easy spa experience as part of the stay, not the main reason for the trip. It works especially well if you’re already staying at Mykonos Grand and don’t feel like leaving the property for a treatment. If you’re looking for something highly immersive or visually striking, this probably won’t be the one that stands out the most. It also doesn’t have the same scale or variety of facilities as some of the larger resort spas. But if what matters to you is comfort, consistency, and how smoothly everything fits into your day, Althea Spa Retreat does that better than most.

We tested the best bassinets and bedside sleepers to see which ones make sleep routines easier. We hope our hands-on reviews help you make a smarter purchase. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. Semphis - Best Bedside Bassinet KEY TAKEAWAY: Makes nighttime feedings and check-ins much easier by keeping baby right beside the bed. BEDSIDE USE: Being able to keep my baby right next to me has made nighttime feedings and quick check-ins so much easier and a lot less stressful. HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT: The adjustable height lined up perfectly with my bed, and I really like how secure it feels once attached. That was one of the things I was most worried about before buying it. WHEELS: The wheels are also a huge plus. I can move it around the house easily during the day, and the wheels lock firmly in place when needed. BUILD QUALITY: Assembly was quick and straightforward, and the overall quality feels sturdy and well made. The mattress seems comfortable for baby, and the breathable sides give me extra peace of mind. DESIGN: I also really like the versatility of the 3 in 1 design. It feels like something that can adapt as your needs change, which makes it feel like a great value for the price. Buy it on Amazon today for: $99.99 with FREE returns 2. Ezebaby - Best Rocking Bassinet KEY TAKEAWAY: Very sturdy compared to other bassinets I tried. FIRST IMPRESSION: I originally ordered a different bassinet from Ezebaby before this one, and it was terrible. I was really disappointed considering how expensive it was. BUYING DECISION: So yes, it probably sounds ridiculous that I decided to order another bassinet from the same company after that experience. But somehow this one ended up being completely different, and I’m really glad I gave it another chance. ROCKING FEATURE: The rocking motion on this bassinet is smooth and gentle. The first bassinet I tried had this awkward choppy movement that never felt right, but this one rocks much more naturally. HEIGHT SETTINGS: I also love that it has multiple height settings. It actually adjusts really high, which was a huge plus since my bed and mattress sit pretty high up. WHEELS: The wheels are also much better compared to the other bassinet. It rolls smoothly across both carpet and hardwood floors without getting stuck or feeling difficult to move around. STORAGE SPACE: The space underneath is surprisingly roomy too, which ended up being really useful for storing extra baby stuff nearby. BUILD QUALITY: Overall, I’m just really pleased with this bassinet. It feels much sturdier and better designed than the first one I bought from them. Buy it on Amazon today for: $159.99 with FREE returns 3. BCOL - Best Simple Bassinet KEY TAKEAWAY: Practical for parents who want a basic bassinet without extra features. FIRST IMPRESSION: This bassinet is very basic, which is exactly what I wanted. There are no automatic motions, no buttons moving it around, and no built in music playing constantly to soothe the baby. ASSEMBLY: Putting it together was really easy. We had everything assembled in probably less than twenty minutes without much frustration. DAILY USE: I bought this bassinet a little over a month before my baby arrived, and now after using it for several months, I finally feel comfortable sharing my experience with it. STORAGE: One thing I really like is the storage space underneath. I keep extra bassinet sheets there along with swaddles and sleep sacks, so it’s nice having those things nearby instead of scattered around the room. HEIGHT SETTINGS: The height is adjustable, although my bed sits pretty high, so we keep the bassinet at its tallest setting and place it near the end of the bed. CRADLE MODE: It does have a cradle mode, but you have to manually push it yourself for it to rock. Again, it’s definitely a simpler bassinet. One thing I actually ended up liking is that when my son moves around after waking up, the bassinet makes enough noise for me to notice he’s awake. Weirdly enough, that gave me some peace of mind because I always worried I wouldn’t wake up when he needed me. BEDSIDE FEATURE: One side of the bassinet can be lowered, which would probably work really well for bedside feeding setups. I personally feed and soothe my baby on the couch instead so I don’t wake my husband during the night, so I didn’t really use that feature much. WHEELS: Since my son was born, we’ve moved this bassinet back and forth between the bedroom and living room constantly. The wheels make that really easy and smooth. SAFETY CONCERN: The only real thing that made me nervous was the Velcro strap system underneath the bassinet. The bottom section attaches to the lower frame using four small Velcro straps wrapped around the support bar underneath. In my tired mom brain, that sounded scary at first. BOTTOM LINE: So far though, everything has held up fine. My son has slept in it since coming home, and we haven’t had any major issues. I only had to tighten the straps once. I still think the company should consider using something sturdier than velcro eventually because I can definitely see some parents worrying about it like I did. Buy it on Amazon today for: $109.99 with FREE returns 4. Pamo Babe - Best Travel Bassinet KEY TAKEAWAY: Practical for both travel and everyday use around the house. FIRST IMPRESSION: We have a new generation of grandkids visiting now, so we needed something that could be stored easily and set up quickly whenever we had visitors staying for a night or even a full week. After comparing several different brands and models, we ended up choosing this one. SETUP: The setup process was extremely easy. It came out of the carrying case quickly, and the instructions were barely needed because everything was pretty straightforward. COMFORT: The bottom pad felt sturdy and padded enough that we didn’t feel the need to add another mattress. My grandson weighs around 25 pounds, and he both played and slept in it comfortably without any issues. WHEELS: The wheels on one side make moving it around very easy. We regularly moved it between the bedroom and living room depending on where we needed it during the day. STORAGE: The storage compartments underneath ended up being really useful too. We keep extra burp cloths, swaddles, and sheets there, so it helps a lot if you’re short on storage space. SAFETY: Once the wheels are locked, everything feels very secure and stable. I also like being able to move it around the house easily while still keeping an eye on the baby during the day. CLEANING: It’s also very easy to clean and folds back into the carrying case quickly when it’s no longer needed. That part makes it much more practical for occasional visits and travel. DAILY USE: This ended up working really well for both infants and toddlers, which was important for our family since we have grandchildren at different ages and more on the way. Buy it on Amazon today for: $129.99 with FREE returns 5. Newton Baby - Easiest Bassinet to Clean KEY TAKEAWAY: Breathable, and much easier to clean than most popular options. FIRST IMPRESSION: As new parents, we spent an absurd amount of time researching bassinets before our baby arrived. We actually ordered the Newton Baby Bassinet just days before giving birth because we became completely obsessed with finding the right one. SLEEP QUALITY: The biggest thing for us has been how well our baby sleeps in it. The bassinet feels cozy and secure, and the breathable mesh sides gave me a lot of peace of mind during those early newborn weeks. BEDSIDE USE: The bedside sleeper setup has been incredibly convenient. I love being able to keep my baby right next to me during the night for feedings and soothing without constantly getting fully out of bed. HEIGHT SETTINGS: The adjustable height feature also worked really well with our bed. It lined up easily, which made reaching over and checking on the baby much simpler during the night. CLEANING: One thing I did not fully appreciate until becoming a parent is how important easy cleanup is. We have washed almost the entire fabric portion of this bassinet so many times already because of spit up and random messes. Every single time it comes out looking brand new again. MATTRESS: The waterproof mattress has also been really helpful because accidents stay contained and wipe up easily instead of soaking through everything underneath. DESIGN: I also genuinely love the overall design. It looks modern and simple without taking over the entire bedroom. It blends in much better than some of the bulkier bassinets we looked at before buying this one. BUILD QUALITY: The construction feels sturdy and stable too. I never had that nervous feeling that the bassinet was uneven or tilted awkwardly like some of the other models we considered. DAILY USE: At this point, it has become one of the biggest parts of our nightly routine. Between the easy bedside access, simple cleaning, and overall comfort, it made those early months feel much more manageable. Buy it on Amazon today for: $299.99 with FREE returns 6. BabyBond - Best Bassinet for Moving Around the House KEY TAKEAWAY: So easy to move, that it's particularly helpful for everyday life with a newborn. DESIGN: I really like the overall design. It looks modern without standing out too much, and it blends into our home nicely instead of looking bulky or overly baby themed. 3-IN-1 FEATURE: The 3-in-1 setup has been one of the best parts. We keep it beside our bed at night and move it into the living room during the day, so it’s constantly getting used in different rooms around the house. ROCKING MODE: The rocking feature has also helped during some very long nights. There were definitely a few moments where that gentle movement made a big difference. BUILD QUALITY: The bassinet feels sturdy and well made overall, which gave me peace of mind because my baby moves around a lot while sleeping. Even with movement, it still feels stable and secure. SIZE: I also like the size. It feels roomier than some of the other bassinets we looked at, and it never felt cramped. There’s enough space for a small blanket and even a little stuffed toy. MATTRESS: The mattress feels comfortable too. It’s not overly soft, but it’s also not uncomfortably firm. ASSEMBLY: Assembly was very easy. My husband had it put together in under twenty minutes, and thankfully the instructions were simple to follow. WHEELS: The wheels make moving it around the house really easy, even one handed sometimes, which helps more than I expected. STORAGE: The storage underneath ended up being one of my favorite features. We keep diapers, blankets, extra clothes, and other essentials down there so everything stays within reach. DAILY USE: We were looking for something safe, cozy, and practical for our baby’s first few months, and this bassinet has really worked out really well for us. We’ve used it every single day since it arrived. Buy it on Amazon today for: $229.99 with FREE returns

If you're looking for an electric dirt bike for your kid, it‘s important you get one you can rely on. These affordable options are incredibly durable. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. The dirt bikes I review in this article are simply fantastic (and make great gifts). But if your kids aren’t quite ready for a full-sized dirt bike yet, check out our Best Ride-On Cars for Kids guide. It features some fun, beginner-friendly options. Both dirt bikes and ride-on cars are ideal for kids who tag along on range days or outdoor trips. They give them something fun to do, while you’re practicing, setting up or taking a break. Now that brings us to the main event. I’m talking about my ultimate ranking of the best dirt bikes for kids. Hope you enjoy reading it. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. Razor MX650 - Best Electric Dirt Bike for Trails KEY TAKEAWAY: Makes maintenance dramatically easier than our gas dirt bikes. RIDING EXPERIENCE: After twenty years of riding bikes, I can officially say that I’ve tried out pretty much every bike on the market. Not only have I tried out trails through forests and hit the pavement at race tracks, I’ve taught myself everything about these bikes, from how to build them from the frame to how to service them. In other words, I know bikes. BEGINNER EXPECTATIONS: After reading all the reviews, some partially negative, I’ll come out and say it clearly, of course this isn’t going to compare to dirt bikes worth thousands of dollars. This baby is a quarter of the price, so adjust your expectations accordingly, but don’t lose hope entirely. So far, this electric bike is one of my favorites, and for a lot of reasons. With an electric bike, the maintenance is so much easier. You don’t have to change the oil, the brakes are so much simpler (think an actual bicycle) and there’s no carburetor. Seriously, this really can’t be more simple. A lot of used bikes cost this price, and this one is brand new, so keep that into consideration, too. AGE RANGE: I bought this for my eight year old daughter, despite the warnings that say this can’t be used for kids younger than teenagers. It’s really not that complicated, and I stand by the fact that it’s not meant for just teenagers. Think about it. This is safer than a fifteen-year-old driving an actual vehicle. So yes, even though it's designed for teens, this is the perfect dirt bike for 8 year olds. Moreover, based on my neighbor's experience with her kid, I can confidently say that this option can definitely pass also as a serious electric dirt bike for 10 year olds. ADULT RIDING: While I bought this for my kid, I admit, I love this thing maybe just as much, if not as much, as her. And I ride it just as often. I’ve tested it on the same paths I bring my actual dirt bike and seriously have zero issues. HILL CLIMBING: It is important to note that the gear for this bike is designed for flat ground, so when you try to take it up a hill, it loses most of the power. However, that might just be because I weigh more than my daughter. When she goes uphill it loses a little bit of power, but not nearly as much as when I do it. Fortunately, I know how to fix this so I can ride uphill (new rear sprocket for those wondering). BATTERY LIFE: I’ve read some reviews that the power sucks, but that hasn’t been my experience. My daughter can ride it for hours, and even with my weight, it still goes over an hour. BOTTOM LINE: It gets the job done, and is super rugged and has a durable exterior that has to withstand both me and my daughter falling off. One hundred percent, this thing is worth it. Get it from Amazon now: $699.00 & FREE Returns 2. Hiboy DK1 - Best Electric Dirt Bike with Speed Modes KEY TAKEAWAY: 3-speed modes make this feel safer for younger riders. BUILD QUALITY: Talk about good quality! Some of it is indeed plastic like some reviewers have mentioned, but the outside frame is straight metal and it feels great. So it really is great for playtime, for adults and kids haha! The durability is just great, and it has no issues hitting those potholes or tree roots. I only wish I had a bike like this when I was a kid! EASY ASSEMBLY: Setup and assembly went super smooth, too. You just have to insert a few bolts and then you’re good to go. REALISTIC DESIGN: It’s super sleek and nice to look at. It looks like a real motorcycle and is awesome at teaching kids how to balance and steer. MOTOR POWER: I really liked that there were three-speed modes so it couldn’t go too fast, and those who were less experienced could go slower. You’ll need it, too. The bike was a lot more powerful than I expected, seriously. When I was putting it together, I hit the throttle too hard and it left a mark on my floor, so just be careful with that! BATTERY LIFE: I love how long the battery lasts, just over ninety minutes! It takes about five hours to charge, which really isn’t bad when you consider that other bikes can take an entire night to charge up. If it didn’t die, I’m pretty sure my kids would never get off it, so I actually really like that it’s electric. A gas powered one would get way too pricey with how much my kids like it. BOTTOM LINE: It’s durable, sturdy, has one of the longest battery lives (much longer than I expected) and has some really great safety features that really make me not have to worry about my little boy going crazy on this. The 300 W capacity and the design of it really make this stand out against cheap models. It’s one of the best bikes for the younger kids. Highly recommend it! Get it from Amazon now: $449.99 & FREE Returns 3. Razor MX350 - Best Electric Dirt Bike for Beginners KEY TAKEAWAY: My nephew picked this up surprisingly fast for his first dirt bike. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I’m so happy I went ahead with this purchase for my nephew. Delivery was a lot faster than I expected, which was awesome, and from the outset, it has a sleek design, and just looks great in general. EASY ASSEMBLY: Took less than half an hour to set up. So, yeah, it really is super effortless to put together. TOP SPEED: The speed maxes out at fifteen miles an hour, which is not bad at all. It essentially means that I don’t have to worry about him going too fast. BATTERY RANGE: As an electric motocross bike, it’s rechargeable, which is so much easier to use. The battery lasts just under ten miles, averaging about 8 or 9, depending how long you charged it for. So it can last long enough to ensure a return trip home (just make sure to measure the distance in advance). And it's really super easy to charge. I don’t like it going down below fifty percent battery, so I recommend you charge it full at night since it takes a while to recharge. SAFETY GEAR: If you’re concerned about safety, I’d suggest going all out with a helmet, pads, and starting slow. MOTOR POWER: Powerful motor that has no issues riding up steeper hills and lasting for longer rides. FAMILY TESTING: My nephew loved it so much, I got one for my kids too. I personally tested it, and it's so stable and well-made, so I can safely state that this is an electric motorcycle for 10 year olds, and maybe even 12 or 13 year olds. Of course, it depends on the height and weight of your kid. Our 10 year old loves riding through the hood, and does it in style now. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, it’s low maintenance compared to a gas powered bike, so it’s also a lot cheaper to keep in good condition. My nephew loves this thing so much, and has learned a big lesson about responsibility (especially after the first night when he forgot to charge and it was going to take a longer ride to show it off to his friends. He never forgets to charge it now.) He also had to learn about safety in order for me to let him use it at full speed. He takes it really seriously, which I love, and I’m glad to have an opportunity to show him the importance of responsibility. This is a great beginner friendly electric motorbike, and I highly recommend it for the kiddos (and the adults who haven’t grown up!). Get it from Amazon now: $499.99 & FREE Returns 4. Razor RSF650 - Best Electric Dirt Bike for Pre-Teens KEY TAKEAWAY: Arrived almost fully assembled and was ready-to-ride in minutes. PRE-TEEN RIDERS: Even thought this is advertised for ages 16 and older, this is the perfect electric dirt bike for 12 year olds. Let me tell you why. With four kids, I knew I needed a good quality bike to keep them entertained. And when I say I have a lot of bikes, take my word for it. We have bikes for the tracks, for the road, for the forest, and all different sizes, too! Now when it comes to my younger kids, this electric bike is the best possible one I’ve found so far. By the way, my kids are 7, 9, 12, and 13 years old. DELIVERY EXPERIENCE: Shipping was super fast by Amazon, and it even let me set up a time frame to make sure it was delivered even when I needed it to. The box was in perfect condition too! MINIMAL ASSEMBLY: It’s a few hundred bucks more than my 2-stroke 47cc, but trust me when I say that it’s worth it. Why? Because when it’s delivered, it’s pretty much already assembled. You just have to connect the handlebars, and there you go! I mean it, you just had to slide in the handlebars which was easier than it sounds. Everything else was already put together. It only took like ten minutes to open out of the box and set up. And the brake handles were already installed and set up nicely, which was an added benefit. RIDER WEIGHT: It has a weight range between 50 to 200 pounds. I mean not really, but that’s how much my son and I weigh respectively, and it still worked for both of us. It can be a little jerky for the lighter riders, but I don’t really see any other downside. It’s all positives, really. AGE RANGE: Based on my experience, this is the perfect electric motorcycle for 12 year olds, and also for 13 year olds. Now, keep in mind that it does ride faster for lighter kids, and can take a little bit of weight gaining speed for heavier folk like me. My 14 year old son, for instance, was able to drive it at full speed and had no issues with the suspension and shock, it worked smoothly and just as it should. BOTTOM LINE: Razor really created a good looking bike and it performs so well. Brakes are solid, wheels are smooth, and suspension is great. So it’s really a great tool to teach kids how to balance and steer if they ever want to eventually ride on a real motorcycle. Just remember that although it’s small, it’s still a machine, so make sure you wear pads and a helmet! Get it from Amazon now: $839.99 & FREE Returns 5. HYPER GOGO EL7 - Best Electric Motorcycle for Small Kids KEY TAKEAWAY: I liked being able to raise the speed gradually as my kids got more comfortable riding. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This electric motorbike exceeded my expectations! My two sons think I’m the coolest mom on the block now. They’re so in love with it and I love seeing how much fun they have! ASSEMBLY NOTES: The video goes with the manual, so just keep that in mind. There were some extra pieces that I still can’t figure out where they go, but I’d rather more than less! TIRE & BODY DESIGN: The directional tires are cool, but make sure you focus on the rotational arrow. The little gas tank thing comes off if you crash but it’s not a big deal. SIZE & FIT: It looks tiny at first, but my kids are both just under fifty inches tall and it fits them just fine! I think they have about another seven or eight inches before they outgrow it but for now it fits perfectly! SPEED SETTINGS: I love the speed settings so much. When they first started playing on it, we started with the slowest setting, which worked great on flat ground and short grass. The middle setting was better for them for climbing hills, and the fast speeding was for extra fun! BATTERY LIFE: Battery life was super great too. In nearly forty five minutes at the lowest speed, we lost about one battery notch, although the faster you go, the faster you’ll lose battery so just keep that in mind! Assembly was super fast, but definitely watch the video to give you extra help. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, my kids love this so very much, and I really couldn’t be happier. They’ve both started telling everyone else at school and now other parents are asking me about it, and I’ll definitely send them in this direction. I really can’t recommend this bike enough! Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns 6. Razor MX350 - Best Budget Electric Dirt Bike KEY TAKEAWAY: The low seat height makes this easier for younger kids to control. FIRST BIKE: I decided to go all out with getting my son his own bike. This one was advertised as an electric dirt bike for 13 year olds. Honestly, it’s super durable and stable. My son already knew how to brake and use the throttle on my bike, while I dealt with the balance and steering, so he picked this baby up really easily. BEGINNER FEATURES: I’s great for beginners, but you’ll need something a little more upgraded if you want to do technical riding. Specifically, if you lightly touch the brake lever, the motor will shut off completely like a kill switch, and I think this is good for newbies. PERFORMANCE: The powerful motor is great through uneven terrain, hills, and even wooden trails and dirt paths. Just be mindful of super steep hills, it won’t work as well. There’s no real suspension, so it does get a little banged up if it falls, but that’s not terrible, because there’s a rear brake which definitely helps. However, my son is still taking it easy so avoids bumpier areas. Another thing, I like that the chain is covered so it can’t rip his clothes when he rides. And I also love that he can reach the ground when he sits on the seat, since it’s low, as that was the main reason I bought it for him. LIGHTWEIGHT BUILD: This bike is about fifty pounds, so it's light enough that when he does inevitably fall, it doesn’t crush him. BRAKE REACH: I have another son who's four years old. The brake is better suited for an adult, so it might be better suited for older children, as my four year old has to remove his hand to actually grab the lever. Once he manages to grab it, though, he has no problem holding onto it. You can adjust part of it so it moves a little closer, and I recommend that for the kids with smaller hands. BATTERY LIFE: The battery is simply amazing. It lasts over an hour non-stop moving. And with a top speed at 15 miles per hour, you really can’t beat that! Now, charging takes a few hours, so I recommend plugging it in overnight when the kids are sleeping. PROS: Affordable Lightweight Power that is ideal for younger kids Perfect seat height for shorter kids Good battery Foldable foot pegs Durable build Very quiet Tires have a pretty good grip Rear wheel can lock on pavement CONS: Lacking suspension Brake perch is better suited for adults Low power for steeper hills Recharging can take a while Swapping battering requires tools BOTTOM LINE: This is a great beginner bike if you’re not entirely sure how passionate your kids will be. I recommend it as a good starter before you drop thousands on what some of these projects can cost. It’s a great value for the cost, and I can see the whole neighborhood enjoying it. And the good news is that, by the time your kid outgrows it, you’ll know if his passion is real enough to spend the big bucks on a better quality, long lasting bike meant for more advanced riders. Great for the price point and younger kids. Definitely recommend! Get it from Amazon now: $399.99 & FREE Returns 7. Razor MX400 - Best Electric Dirt Bike for 7 Year Olds KEY TAKEAWAY: I liked that the motor cuts power if kids hit the brake and throttle together. FAMILY RIDING: My seven-year-old has been wanting to follow in his dad’s footsteps (he rides a Harley), so we decided to start him with a beginner bike, and this was a perfect starter option. I wanted him to understand the importance of taking care of his own things, so I bought this electric bike as a reward/teaching tool. Plus, I really wanted him to learn how to ride a motorbike! He’s about as adventurous as they come, so this was perfect for that purpose. SAFETY FEATURES: There’s no clutch, but I like that both the throttle and brake are on the correct side as a gas powered motorcycle, making it an easy transition. I like that as a safety feature, there’s a cut off that comes in when the throttle and brake and hit at the same time. Often, when a beginner rider panics, they usually react by hitting the brake and throttle at the same time, so this kill switch is a way to help them from hurting themselves. PROS: As an electric bike, maintenance and upkeep is so easy. You don’t have to pay for gas, don’t have to change the oil, no carbs or plugs to fix or maintain. Because there’s no real engine, there's no parts that will get super hot and burn my son’s legs. For a seven-year-old it goes super fast, and you don’t really need more speed than this! Battery lasts a solid amount of time for a good run time. CONS: I’m not a huge fan of the basic on and off switch that operates as a throttle. I don’t think it’s the greatest for beginners, however a controller and throttle bought after the fact could fix this issue, but this is really personal preference. Since it lacks a suspension, it’s super bumpy to ride off the pavement. I still feel like it’s a bit fast for a kid of my son’s age. A sprocket change could add extra torque for hills, while also limiting the fastest speed. BOTTOM LINE: Maybe I’m being a little picky with the cons, but that's just because my husband rides motorcycles. For a first electric bike, this one really does what's needed, and what’s most important is that my son loves it! So this really is an excellent option if you're looking for an electric dirt bike for 7 year olds. I mean, for the price, and how much my kid loves it, it’s awesome. Maybe it takes a bit of time to charge, but I just do it at night and that works. So as a first bike, it’s everything I was looking for and more. Get it from Amazon now: $399.99 & FREE Returns 8. Best Choice Ride On - Best Ride-On Motorcycle for Toddlers KEY TAKEAWAY: The realistic lights, sounds & styling really sold my son on it. SHIPPING & DELIVERY: It shipped really fast, and the packaging was amazing. I had to change the delivery location a day before I got it, and customer service was fast, and delivered it to where I needed it in time. MISSING PART: The one I got was missing a bolt, but it still worked just fine! Nonetheless, I contacted customer service. They asked for a photo, and shipped the missing bolt. I got it three days later. EASY ASSEMBLY: It wasn’t even hard to assemble. I’m an average sized woman who works out maybe three days a week and I put it together in under an hour. SIZE & FIT: My three year old is average size for his age and he loves this thing. I was nervous it wouldn’t fit him, but he sat perfectly on this bike. I think he will definitely have a few extra years on it since even my nine year old daughter can ride it, which is awesome because now I know what to get her for her Christmas. FEATURES: It has real, working lights, a siren (which can annoy parents, but it's worth it!), and even a radio! Yeah, he plays the same song on repeat, but his smile supersedes that. EXPERIENCE: My son was so happy when I gave him this bike, now all he wants to do is ride it, even in the snow! We’ve compromised with letting him ride it around inside until the snow melts, but it works great even inside. He loved it so much, I bought another for a cousin who also has a three year old. She says she put training wheels on it so that her son would have more balance, and it worked perfectly. She says she wishes it had a reverse button, but that’s okay! She reckons it will be good for her son for another two years. PROS: It goes slow enough that I don’t have to run after him, but fast enough that he still has fun. I do think we're pushing the limit for the age range, but it works great. It was also in his favorite color. MINOR CON: My son’s finger hurt from pressing the button after about an hour, but he may have been hitting it too hard. BOTTOM LINE: What a great value, for real! It really looks like an actual motorcycle and arrived in great shape. And, also, it’s durable, and has a speed that matches how fast I walk. Really happy I went with this bike. So this really is a wonderful option if you're in the market for an electric dirt bike for 3 year olds. It could also work well for 5 and 6 years olds, and even nine year olds (if they're not too big). However, if you're after a gift for teens who’ve outgrown these smaller bikes, our Best Hoverboards roundup features more advanced rides they might be into. I actually got one of those scooters for myself. Get it from Amazon now: $139.99 & FREE Returns

We've tested the best cheap lawn mowers on the market, including lightweight options for women and seniors. Read our hands-on reviews. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. It’s not easy to find a lawn mower that's both affordable and easy to handle for everyone, even for women and seniors who prefer something lightweight. We tested several popular models and ranked them by affordability, durability, and, of course, comfort. However, if you'd rather let a machine do all the work for you instead of pushing a mower yourself, you might consider switching to a robot lawn mower. Now, You also need to understand that mowing alone won’t fix every single lawn issue. For instance, if your grass is patchy or thin, the problem might be thatch buildup, and you might need a tool like the Sun Joe dethatcher, which is designed to remove that layer so that your lawn grows healthier. Now, back to budget lawn mowers. Here's my ranking, along with some hands-on reviews. I hope this guide helps you make a better decision on your purchase. 1. Greenworks 40V - Best Lightweight Lawn Mower for Seniors KEY TAKEAWAY: This lightweight mower handled my tall Alaska grass much better than expected. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: My Fiskars mower was great until the grass got too long and then it just didn't do what it was supposed to do. I live in Alaska, so summers are pretty much all daylight, which means that I'm getting a lot of sun, and a lot of sun equals loooooong grass. My old one also didn't scoop up the leaves when they fell. I ended up having to use a neighbor's gas powered mower just to get the job done, and it seemed kind of pointless. BUYING DECISION: As a result, I was hesitant about trying out another electric option, but I'm so happy I did. Gas mowers are dirty, loud, and a pain for maintenance so I knew I'd eventually need an electric, I just wanted to make sure that the one I bought was actually a good one. Enter the Greenworks lithium powered one - absolutely amazing! SIZE: I was worried that it might be too small, but when it first arrived, the size surprised me. It's not as massive as a gas one, but it was definitely larger than I expected. BATTERY & CHARGING: All you need to do is charge the 40V battery and follow the instructions for the electric start. No pulling on a cord! Finally! If the battery is fully drained, it takes about an hour and a half to two hours to recharge completely. FIRST USE: I was nervous about the intensity of the power, but surprisingly, it snapped right into motion. Even better, it even managed to cut down the eighteen inch tall grass by my driveway, the area I never touch. RUNTIME: In the intense Georgia heat, I can only work outside for about an hour at a time, and this mower’s battery life aligns perfectly with that. By the time I’m ready to take a break for some agua, the battery is also running low, which is great, because sometimes if I’m not reminded to take a break, I won’t. That being said, I want to buy an extra battery to extend my working time when I need to continue haha. MULCHING: I've used it to bag up my leaves, and without the bag it also functions as a mulcher, which is an extra plus. Some people complained it doesn't have a lot of suction, and yeah, obviously, it's not gas powered. But for an electric one, it works great, and at the end of the day, it still gets the job done. DURABILITY: One thing to keep in mind with this mower is that it’s made of plastic, so make sure you’re being nice to it. While it can handle some knocks and bumps, it’s not built to endure heavy abuse. I’ve seen people handle metal lawnmowers quite harshly, but that approach won’t work with this one. SAFETY TIP: A crucial safety tip: always remove the battery before turning the mower on its side to work underneath it! TALL GRASS: Even with the heavy rain and humidity here, which causes the grass to grow rapidly, this mower can handle it. The grass in my yard can grow tall, unsightly stems that reach up to a couple of feet high, but this mower manages to cut through it by adjusting the blade height to its highest setting. Once the height is reduced, I can readjust the cutting level to a lower setting. EASY HANDLING: If you’re a tiny woman, or if you’re old, (both things that I am) then this is the mower for you! It’s incredibly lightweight, especially when compared to a regular full size gas powered lawn mower. There’s no need to worry about transporting gasoline or dealing with spark plugs and other maintenance tasks typical of traditional mowers. BOTTOM LINE: For a regular yard that isn’t allowed to get too out of control, this little mower is a dream, and I love how easy it is for me to move it around. I don’t feel like I’m breaking my back to do it. It's not the cheapest on the market, but you get what you pay for, so you're not going to be disappointed when you get this thing working. I definitely recommend it! Get it from Amazon now: $349.99 & FREE Returns 2. PowerSmart - Best Cheap Self-Propelled Lawn Mower KEY TAKEAWAY: Although setting it up took literally a couple of minutes, it was the clean cut quality that impressed me most. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Talk about a great investment! After one use, I already know that this is a mower I'm going to use time and time again. Not only is it lightweight enough to maneuver easily, but the result was crisp and clean. DELIVERY: Upon delivery, the box looked a little manhandled, and the delivery man just kind of tossed it on the ground, which annoyed me. Obviously not the manufacturer's fault, but still, it's important to note that nothing was damaged (just look at the picture), which goes to show that they did pack it well. Box damaged, but product intact! EASY SETUP: The instruction and manuals and the provided oil were in a separate packaging inside the box which was an awesome plus. Setup was smooth and the instructions were helpful and easy to follow. Took me about five minutes to get it together. No kidding! ASSEMBLY: In regards to assembly, I really liked that I don't need a wrench to tighten the gas cap. It clicks effortlessly in place. I also like how I can store the pull cord by the handle, it's an added perk. Like any other mower, it took a few pulls to get it going, but once it did, it ran as smooth as glass. I really can't complain. PERFORMANCE: There's a handle grip, but I found it wasn't necessary, as nothing pinched when I held down the cord with the bar. It really moved nicely, even considering how tall my grass was, and that there were quite a few tree branches and roots in the ground (I live in the country). So it just goes to show you that the blade really is awesome, just like the ads say. MAINTENANCE: I recommend letting it cool down when you're done, just so it doesn't overheat. I also like to wipe the excess grass off the blades just to keep it cleaner. BOTTOM LINE: In all honesty, if you're looking for a great quality mower at an affordable price, this is it! Get it from Amazon now: $269.99 & FREE Returns 3. BLACK+DECKER - Best Lawn Mower for Small Yards KEY TAKEAWAY: Working with this mower-trimmer felt more like vacuuming than traditional lawn mowing. BUYING RESEARCH: After some in depth research, I decided to take a leap and give this baby a shot. I really wanted to know the measurement between the mower and trimmer, but couldn't find the answers online. SIZE: After purchasing my mower, I decided to just measure it myself. From the ground to the operating button, the mower height at its lowest setting is 22 and a half inches. From the same distance, the mower height at its highest setting is 31 and a half inches. Personal preference, I like the lowest height, and it worked perfectly. Yeah, it's on the smaller side, but that's kind of the point. And you do use it like a vacuum which doesn't bother me, but if you hate vacuuming you might get annoyed. It's not the most manly looking thing to use but who cares when it gets the job done? VACUUM STYLE USE: Luckily, I didn’t experience any of the issues others mentioned. Although it sounds a bit like a small shop vac, I find it absolutely adorable and incredibly fun to use. It’s practically identical to vacuuming, both in motion and width, so if you dislike vacuuming, this might not be the tool for you, but I have no issue with it. And if anything, my boyfriend has now started asking to help with the yard (he loves vacuuming lol). NOISE LEVEL: My only complaint is that it is a little loud, like a vacuum, but really it's not a big deal. This thing is so cute, and I love it! TRIMMER ATTACHMENT: There is a thin part that attaches the trimmer to the mower, so be careful when you click them into place, or it might break. I found an easier way to do it, though. I hit the pedal and then gently slide the trimmer in before letting go of the pedal. In other words, I gently press the pedal, seat the trimmer fully, and then release the pedal to lock it in place. This method should help prevent the plastic lock from wearing down too quickly. EXTENSION CORD: Naturally, like most tools, it doesn't come with an extension cord, but I don't really care about that, I have a few laying around. I did purchase a new fancy one just for this product, only to find out it didn't work, which was kind of annoying, but then I realized that exact old one I had laying around worked even better. You definitely want to make sure the extension fits well, though, so if it seems loose, I'd probably try something else. VALUE: I mainly purchased this as a solution to paying for lawn care. My yard is that annoying size that doesn't seem worth shelling out the money to pay monthly for a company, and yet it's large enough that when the grass gets too long, it looks sloppy. This mower hit the sweet spot, doing exactly what I needed, and I really can't complain! MAINTENANCE TIP: Important thing to note. If you don't like raking, then I recommend mowing weekly so you won't have to worry about those longer pieces of grass! BOTTOM LINE: With this lightweight, nifty little edger/mower, I can maintain my yard weekly and enjoy doing it myself. After just one round of mowing and quick edging, my yard looks better than it ever has! I’m thrilled with this fun trimmer and mower combo and I’m super proud to call it my new toy. Get it from Amazon now: $89.00 & FREE Returns 4. American Lawn Mower Company - Best Manual Reel Lawn Mower KEY TAKEAWAY: Switching from gas to this reel mower stopped my sneezing fits. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: As someone who deals with pet and food allergies, I get how frustrating they can be. And when I was using my old gas powered mower, I was convinced I was allergic to grass. Every time I mowed, I’d be sneezing non stop, and it drove me crazy. I was so tired of strangers on the street being like, “girl, do you need help?” No actually, I don’t. A ‘bless you’ would suffice. I digress. HEALTH BENEFITS: Anyways, a light bulb finally went off in my brain (probably from a sneeze), maybe it wasn’t the grass causing the problem…Maybe it was the gas fumes and all the debris being kicked up by the mower. And so began my journey to get an electric mower. And wooo, I’ll tell ya! When I switched to this reel mower, my sneezing fits nearly disappeared. It turns out I wasn’t allergic to the grass after all, it was the gas powered mower. Go figure. LEARNING CURVE: I’ve bought this mower twice now, and while it does take a little bit of time to figure it out, it’s really worth it, I promise! Don’t run it over rocks or roots! Seems simple, but it does take time to figure this stuff out. I learned that the hard way with my first one, which damaged the rear stabilizer wheel. It was pricey to replace, so I ended up getting a new mower instead. I did get four good years out of the first one, though, so I definitely got my money’s worth. BLADE SHARPENING: The newer model seems to have addressed the issue with the rear stabilizer wheel, and the blades are noticeably sharper. You can even sharpen the blades yourself with a sharpening compound by removing one of the wheels and cranking the mechanism backward. There are plenty of guides online that explain how to do this, even for older models you might find at yard sales. Now that I know how to use it properly, I expect this mower to last me well beyond four years. OVERALL BENEFITS: One of the big advantages of this mower is that it doesn’t require any gas, which is seriously life saving. You save money, and you get a decent workout in the process, my mom would say it’s like pushing a baby carriage, but I think she only says that because she’s having grandma fever and is partially convinced that me mowing my own lawn will keep a man away from me (as if). TIME SAVINGS: Anyways, back to my point…It’s a time saver since you don’t have to deal with filling the gas tank, checking the oil, or unclogging the blades. I find that it takes me about the same amount of time to mow as it did with my old gas mower, but now I can just enjoy the fresh air and appreciate nature as I go. ASSEMBLY: It’s also super easy to assemble, and you don’t need a lot of hand or wrist strength, though you will need some when it comes time to sharpen the blades. OBSTRUCTIONS: The only real downside is that small objects like twigs and leaves can get caught in the blades and bring the mower to an abrupt stop. It’s a bit annoying, but it’s just part of the learning curve if you want to avoid raking every time you mow. BOTTOM LINE: I highly recommend it. I also love the vibrant red color of this mower. Fire truck red, if you will! It’s a beautifully engineered piece of equipment, and I only wish I’d made the switch sooner. Take good care of it, and it’ll take good care of you. At least that’s what I tell myself. And my mom when she’s getting annoying about me still being single. Get it from Amazon now: $89.99 & FREE Returns 5. WORX - Best Quiet Cordless Lawn Mower KEY TAKEAWAY: The self-propelled feature worked great once I learned how to manage battery use. OVERVIEW: Affordability was the name of the game when I went searching for a good mower, but man, I'm really pleased with how quiet this thing is. I think this is a great option for those who have under half an acre, but I do have to warn you - it's not the most friendly option if you care about the environment. This worked great on grass under seven inches, and while it's not the most powerful mower I've ever used, the silence on it is really impressive. It's super smooth to use, and it's so lightweight, that without the batteries it feels like a kid's toy. In other words, when my son hits the teenage years, he's not going to be able to say it's too heavy to mow the lawn haha. DELIVERY & PACKAGING: It was delivered in two boxes which was awesome. Although the shipping box was damaged on one end, the mower inside was perfectly fine. Be cautious, though, this isn’t a lightweight mower, so you’ll want to be careful when taking it out of the box. I’m pretty strong, but it still took some work. ASSEMBLY: It only took five minutes to put everything together, which is essentially just putting the handle bar on. They do offer clips to attach the cord to the bar, which was a nice touch. Adjusting the mower height and the handle height is a breeze, showing how much thought went into its design. STARTUP PROCESS: When you're starting it, make sure to hold the throttle before sliding to the starting switch. You really have to hold the throttle tight, or else the mower will turn off. BATTERY COMPATIBILITY: This mower does work with the same batteries that power the WORX trimmer, which I love and is super convenient. However, the batteries that come with the mower are slightly larger and even feature a charge indicator button, which is a nice touch. One thing I noticed is that the trimmer batteries, even when fully charged, only lasted long enough to edge down the driveway and to the curb. But the larger batteries that came with the mower managed to power through almost the entire front side of my lawn on their first charge. BATTERY COVERAGE: I found that one battery charge should cover about a quarter of an acre, and it does stutter a little on taller grass, but so did other battery powered mowers I found. BATTERY DRAIN: I did read some comments about battery drain when using the self-propelled feature continuously, which makes sense given the weight of the mower. To preserve battery life, I avoid using the self-propelled mode on the easier parts of my yard. HEIGHT SETTINGS: It has a few different height settings which I really liked, however the lowest setting makes it look more like a golf course than a typical lawn. I guess that's just personal preference, but I thought it went too short. There's seven settings, and I really liked setting five, it got the grass to about three inches. While I can’t provide exact square footage, I just really love how well it mows my yard, and I’m just so happy I bought it. EASY HANDLING: I really appreciate how easy this mower is to handle. It was simple to assemble, light enough for me to carry down the steps with one hand, and it starts and stops effortlessly. Plus, it’s not too hard on my hands when mowing, and the noise level is quite reasonable. TIPS: Always release the self propeller bar before making 180-degree turns or pulling the mower backward. Avoid using the self-propeller bar when starting the mower, or it will pull away quickly. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, I really do recommend this thing. This mower is truly impressive. It’s built so well, was really easy to set up, and I had zero issues getting it started. It gets moving with no hassle and cuts the grass evenly and neatly, and I’m OCD so that’s important to me. Of course, you need to get used to it, but once you get the hang of it, this mower is a joy to use. I feel very confident with it now after a couple of mows. Just a couple disclaimers: I do own a separate edger, which helps to make the yard look a little nicer. And yes, I understand fossil fuels hurt the environment, and while I do like electric powered tools, I don't think using this thing is going to save any polar bears or turtles, but who knows, maybe I'm wrong. I read a lot of reviews before going with this one, and I have to say, I'm really happy with my purchase. Get it from Amazon now: $379.99 & FREE Returns 6. EGO Power+ - Best Electric Lawn Mower for Women KEY TAKEAWAY: Even at 70 years old, I had no trouble handling this lightweight mower. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: As a seventy year old woman, I’ve always taken care of my own yard, and wasn’t about to stop now. And my yard ain’t no small thang. It’s about two thirds of an acre. Still, aging does make tasks like mowing a bit more challenging. So when my old gas mower finally broke down, I knew I needed something new, but I was a little hesitant about switching to a rechargeable battery mower. Would it hold a charge long enough to finish the job? Would I like it? I’m happy to say the answer to both is a resounding yes! It takes me around forty five minutes to mow, which is perfect because this mower handles that time frame perfectly. ADJUSTMENTS: I had no issue adjusting the mowing height either, mainly because the machine is so light and all the wheels adjust simultaneously. I also love how easy it is to change the handle height, and when I’m done, the handle folds down for compact storage in the garage. EASY OPERATION: It’s just so convenient and I’m not used to how easy it is. I can shut it off anytime I need to, whether to pull a few weeds, grab a drink, or just take a quick break, and it starts right back up with the push of a button. So different from my gas one. No more worrying about choking the engine or dealing with that awful gas smell. Plus, I’m doing my bit to reduce my environmental footprint. POWER RESULTS: I have two batteries, and I usually go through them both during each mow. Afterward, I recharge them for about half an hour each, and then they’re ready to go the next time. Compared to my last mower, the EGO gets me double the power on one single charge. Not only can I mow my entire lawn, but it still has extra battery left. LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN: This mower is so much lighter than my old gas powered one, which makes it much easier to maneuver and does less pain on my back. QUIET OPERATION: The quietness of this mower is another pleasant surprise. My six-year-old grandson James and I can have a full conversation while I’m mowing. But I do wonder how long the mower will last. PROS: Obviously the power is great, but it's not just that. Changing the battery is super easy, and considering this is a self propelled mower, I also walk away with energy left in me, which I definitely didn't feel when I had to push my last mower. It fills up the bag from behind, and it has high lift blades which makes it awesome. It comes with lights, so I can even mow at night, which I really love. It comes with a plastic deck, which means I never have to worry about it rusting. CONS: The batteries don't show the fuel gauge, which is something it should have if I'm paying this price. Because of the high-lift blade, it seems to switch up the speed when left alone. Because of how the front of the machine juts out, t's definitely not an edger, and I'll probably need a weed whacker to get the fine sides unless you cut super close. It takes a little bit of time to slow down, and you need to wait until the blade completely stops before starting it back up. There's only one charger, and considering there's two batteries, that's kind of annoying. BOTTOM LINE: Despite having arthritis, my mowing days are far from over. And I actually look forward to them! Even these mild flaws, wouldn't stop me from purchasing this baby again. I bought it late last fall and only used it once before winter set in. But so far, so good, I’ve mowed around thirty times this summer without a single problem. I definitely recommend it for the ladies getting up there in years! I’m proof that age doesn’t need to be the end of taking care of your yard! It really is the best push lawn mower I've ever used. Five stars from me. Get it from Amazon now: $749.00 & FREE Returns 7. Makita - Best Heavy-Duty Cordless Lawn Mower KEY TAKEAWAY: Felt solid and quiet right from the first use. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Just a heads up before you read any further, this is a review on my first impression, not a review based on years of using this thing. But this thing is built like a tank and there's a lot of details taken into consideration. I love how the bag fits, and it turns so smoothly I really enjoy using it. BLADE PROTECTION: Even when the blades are stopped, the drive mechanism still works, which is awesome. I can lug it up my gravel driveway without spraying gravel everywhere. And it makes the sharpness of the blades last. WEIGHT: Now beware - this puppy is heavy. The listed weight is 99 pounds, but I'd venture to say it weighed a bit more than that. NOISE LEVEL: Even so, it's really so quiet! I was able to carry on a full conversation with my neighbor while using it. When have you ever heard of a mower doing that? PERFORMANCE: It takes me probably just under an hour and a half to mow my entire lawn, and the battery was still more than sixty percent full afterward. Keep in mind, battery drain will vary depending on factors like the height of the grass, the number of hilly areas, and the speed you set for the self-propeller. This machine provides more than enough power to meet my mowing needs. VALUE: Yeah, it was one of the more expensive mowers I found in my research, but you really do get what you pay for. This thing is all about quality, so I look at it as more of an investment than anything. This thing might outlive me. BOTTOM LINE: Would I buy it again? Definitely. Do I think it will last? You betcha. I'll update when I know more for sure, but first impressions are real for a reason. If you're on the fence, take the leap. You won't regret it. Get it from Amazon now: $787.99 & FREE Returns 8. Gardena SILENO Minimo - Best Robot Lawn Mower for Small Yards KEY TAKEAWAY: Once the boundary wire was installed, this mower handled daily lawn maintenance effortlessly. OVERVIEW: If convenience is what you're looking for, then this baby is for you. If you hate mowing, then this is exactly what you should get. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. Yeah, there's a little set up to get it going, but it's so worth it once you roll it out. Honestly, after living in Florida and seeing how much it goes back and forth between rain and sunshine, I should have bought this a long time ago. Just keep in mind, this mower isn't about reaching perfection. But it will make your yard presentable, and personally, that's all that matters for me. GETTING STARTED: It's not too hard to get set up, but I do recommend watching a few videos online to make sure you get the hang of this thing. Unboxing it was easy. It's pretty compact, but the instructions are longer than necessary, so watching a quick video will give you all the information you need to get it going. GETTING STARTED: Before giving it a whirl, I'd definitely recommend clearing your yard from large debris. And then once you do that, the hardest part will be creating the border around your yard for the collision control. It's what makes this thing great, and gives you full control, and trust me, it's definitely worth the time it takes to get it set up. WIRE INSTALLATION: You'll use the provided wire to outline the yard, and the wire leads back to the main station where it gets the power. There is a little wire cutting, and it can be tricky, but if you follow the steps, you'll figure it out. I'd never done it before, and I managed to figure it out. You can either bury the wire or use stakes to keep the wire in place. Just make sure that you keep the stakes closer together otherwise the mower might get caught in the wire. The videos show this better than the instructions. Essentially, you'll just have to keep the stakes about two feet away from each other. INSTALL WIZARD: Once you power it up, you'll just use the install wizard which will walk you through the steps for your preference and the schedule you want it to function on. FIRST RUN: Before you let it go on your own, I'd make sure that you keep an eye on it for its run just to make sure it's working well. I'd mowed my lawn about a month prior to trying this out, and it worked well. I don't know if it will be able to mow over longer grass, just keep that in mind. APP FEATURES: This mower comes with a Bluetooth control which allows you to have easier access to it. It might seem like it doesn't, but just flick on the app and turn the power on the mower on and off and then it will pop up. It should come up on your phone pretty fast, and it's definitely a more effortless option for controlling the mower. WEATHER PROTECTION: If you live in an area where the weather can change at the drop of a dime, I definitely recommend using the cover for the charging station. It makes it so you don't have to worry if it will get damaged when it rains, which is an added relief. It does say it's built to use in all weather, but I'd take that with a grain of salt and err on the side of caution. LOW NOISE: This model of mower is super quiet, more so than I was expecting. I only heard it whine once when it went over some taller grass, but even then, it worked great. And let's be real, I'm not going to be outside listening to it the whole time. That's the beauty of having it do the work for me. One thing is for sure, it's definitely not going to wake up any neighbors like normal gas powered mowers. BOTTOM LINE: It's light, but it also hasn't gotten jammed up anywhere. Keep in mind, you may still have to touch up some areas with a trimmer or edger, but when it comes to making your yard presentable, this is going to do the job! I definitely recommend it, and trust me, it's worth the investment! Get it from Amazon now: $649.99 & FREE Returns

I live in a 70-year old house, where a ceiling fan really makes a difference in temperature. Here's my ranking, based both on style and energy efficiency. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. 1. Honeywell - Best Large Ceiling Fan KEY TAKEAWAY: The airflow improved once I adjusted the blade pitch correctly. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: I have a Honeywell thermostat so I’ve already been pretty happy with this brand, but I still wasn’t entirely sure how it would work as a fan. And I’m so happy to report that it has been above and beyond what I wanted. My husband installed the fan for me fortunately so I didn’t have to worry about that, but unfortunately for him, now I want to replace all the fans in our house with this brand haha so it looks like he has some work ahead of him. PACKAGING ISSUE: These fans are so quiet, and everything I wanted, I ended up buying two more in both the nickel and copper color. I will say that the copper one arrived in an already used box with the wires cut. It was clear someone had returned it after not wanting it and the manufacturer didn’t even glance inside it before reselling it CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Fortunately, I purchased this with Amazon Prime, so it wasn’t much of an effort to return it and get a new one. Even that being considered, I would still purchase this again and again. AIR MOVEMENT: Just a recommendation based on some of the negative reviews I saw… there were some comments about there not being enough air movement. Make sure you put the pitch at fourteen degrees or more if you’d like to increase the air movement. It’s an easy fix. LIGHT SETTINGS: You can control the brightness of the fan by pushing the remote to each side to make it dimmer or brighter. Just read the directions people. OUTDOOR USE: It’s not an outdoor fan, so if it stops working when you install it outside, that’s on you and your lack of ability to read very basic directions. Even if your fan doesn’t get wet, there are still environmental conditions that will affect how it works outside. Not that complicated people. PRODUCT BRANDING: A friend of mine from upstate New York also got this model. I really think he got a seriously defected item, but I decided to tell you about his experience as well. I think it's worth reading if you're considering purchasing this item. Thing was, all his original fans were starting to fail, mainly because they’re from the 80s, and he thought the parts weren't holding anymore. He decided to try out this fan on a test run because he's always been a fan of Honeywell products. Plus, the price point was affordable so he figured it wouldn’t hurt. He wasn't happy. On the inside of the box, there’s all these warnings about how Honeywell isn't connected to the product and that a Chinese manufacturer paid Honeywell to have the name on the product. Like what? Talk about false advertising. Not to mention what it says about the Honeywell brand in general and that they’re just willing to sell their name for a profit that has nothing to do with their own products. INSTALLATION: He says that installing it took him forever. The instructions sucked, and the design of the product in general was frustrating. You have to install the remote receiver on the top of the fan mount and that leaves like no room to work with it. You have to remove the shipping block that’s screwed into the fan, but the manual fails to tell you that you need to keep the screws that are holding the block on because you’ll have to reuse them when installing the lights. Seems like a pretty basic thing to include in there. And the worst part is that you don’t even figure it out until the end when you’re looking for the screws that are supposed to come with the product and you realize that it doesn’t have any. FEATURES: After he finally got it put up, the light had a weird flicker to it. he does appreciate that the light dims (this wasn’t in the description of the product), but it’s aggravating because the fan makes a loud humming sound at pretty much any speed you run it at. The remote is bad as well. So cheap. You have to be standing at the perfect angle in order for the fan to even register it. And the worst part is that you can’t control the fan without the remote. BOTTOM LINE: All in all, I am pleased with this fan, but my friend prefers his broken one than all the nonsense it took to get this thing to barely work. I do recommend it. But he says - look elsewhere for fans. I do think he got a defected item, but make your own decision. Get it from Amazon now: $229.99 & FREE Returns 2. Chriari - Best Modern Ceiling Fan KEY TAKEAWAY: Moves serious air without becoming noisy. SELLER OPTIONS: I used this fan to replace my last fan, which was pretty, but just really not functional in the slightest. I conducted a short research and found this one. First, you should know that Amazon has a lot of sellers for this fan (about an average of 10), so it’s important to keep in mind that some of them don’t allow for sloped ceilings. This specific maker was the only one that came with two remotes and three rods. BLADE DESIGN: There are three rods (blades) instead of five, but they’re strong and thick and really circulate some serious air. They rotate in two directions which is awesome, but the fan needs to be on for that to work. INSTALLATION: Now let's talk about ceiling fan wiring. In terms of the installation recommendations, I’d say that the instructions were for the most part easy to use but you did have to remove the blades to add in a ring. When you’re installing the downrod, I’d recommend removing the hanger ball off of the rod so you can get the wire through the shaft. The wire between the receiver and the motor use the typical coloring for electric wiring, and since that was something I was familiar with, I had no issue with it. However, if you’ve never done electrical work, I’d be careful with that. I ended up using the middle rod and as a result, the wiring from the bracket to the motor is on the longer side. With the installation, the fittings are really tight, but again once you can figure that out, it works really well and is definitely worth it! FAMILY USE: My sister got this exact same model. Her son had some issues with the installation, but once they got past that, they’ve found that six speeds work really well. She told me she didn’t realize how much they needed it until their old fan was gone. LIGHT SETTINGS: Honestly, it was the reviews that really sold me on this, specifically about the brightness. It’s so bright that it takes a little getting used to. If there’s a dimmer switch in this, I haven’t been able to find it, although it can be adjusted to cool or warm light, but it’s not the easiest to figure out. SPEED SETTINGS: I will say that the speeds of the first and second setting are similar to the same speed, just like three and four are similar, and five and six. But there is a noticeable difference from the lowest to the highest. REMOTE BATTERIES: You’ll need two triple A batteries for the remote and I definitely recommend using it. LIGHT MODES: My favorite feature is the three light tones that vary from bright to soft white to a warmer yellow. I love it. AIR CIRCULATION: I've been using this fan every night, during every season, and found that it really helps me circulate the air. I feeI I can breathe so much better at night now. REMOTE ISSUE: The only thing that annoys me is the cover for the battery on the wall remote was kind of difficult to close. BOTTOM LINE: For the most part, I’d say that it was pretty easy to mount up and it’s on the lighter side when it comes to its weight. It was extra convenient that it came with a mounting ball and a socket. I would say that I had it all up and running within forty five minutes, and yeah, the task was daunting, but once I got started on it, it went pretty straightforward and easy and the end result was definitely with it. The fan is super quiet, too, and it somehow just manages to put out the perfect amount of air! It looks modern, it's made of solid wood, and it's super affordable for what you get! Ten out ten stars! Get it from Amazon now: $179.99 & FREE Returns 3. Obabala - Best Outdoor Ceiling Fan KEY TAKEAWAY: The breeze mode made our porch feel much cooler at night. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: My house was under construction as we were building a new porch. We decided to replace our older fans with indoor and outdoor versions. I really wanted a quiet, good looking fan, so after some research, I ended up getting these fans. I bought them because of the styling and I liked that the wood blades were solid and it was rated for outdoor temperature and weather. A coupon was offered so I ended up picking up two of them. At first I had a few regrets. I honestly considered sending these fans back, but at that point, I figured it would take more effort to do that than to just figure out how to make it work and stick with it. INSTALLATION: The instruction manual is completely worthless. The photographs look like they are designed for a different fan and the explanations don’t even make sense. They describe using things like suspenders but don’t give any information on what a suspender even is. None of it is even explained. My husband even knows how to install fans, and yet this one gave him a lot of trouble. The videos online were helpful, but the model of the fan wasn’t exact, and he ended up having to watch about five videos to figure out how to make it work. REMOTE CONTROL: The remote that comes with the fan is really annoying, and although it took some time, I figured out that in order to change the type of light and the level of brightness, you have to repeatedly hit the on and off button. Surprise, surprise, this was never mentioned in the manual. There’s a button on the fan that changes the direction of the blades and it’s situated on the remote in the worst possible spot. So it’s actually easier to hit that button than anything else. There’s a fan off button, but no fan on button. Again, not listed in the manual. LIGHT PROGRAMMING: With the remote, you have to turn the light on and off and this lets you cycle through all of the color temperatures. When you land on the one you want, set it as a default and just leave the light on. After you put the light on your chosen color temp, hold down the light on and off button and let go once the LED light turns off. Then you’ll need to wait about five seconds and the next time you switch the light on and every time after your preference will be set. If you want to clear your preset, just turn the light on and off super fast and that will reprogram it. CUSTOMER SERVICE: I had no issues with customer service. I contacted them really easily to get the warranty up and running. I just sent a quick email and sent them the Amazon invoice. I also managed to ask them about programming stuff and they communicated quickly and effortlessly and answered all my questions. I was surprised. FEATURES: One of my neighbors purchased a couple of these fans - the indoor version of this model - and he says that his contractor had no issue installing them. He says that they perform really well, that they’re on the quieter side, and that they have a lot of light and speed options. He says the breeze mode lets it move faster and it slows down, too. He had no issue setting the light temperature either, but just keep in mind that it resents when you cut off the power to it, so to avoid that, keep the power to that on and use the remotes to control it. Pretty easy solution, he says. BOTTOM LINE: It kind of seems like that once it’s installed, you have to circle back through the different color brightness every single time, but I actually figured out how to set a default temperature. It’s been a few months since I’ve had these fans and I’m upgrading my review from four stars to five stars. While the issues about the remote and the manual remain the same, I still like them. They look good, and they work very well. That’s what matters. So, overall, this is definitely the fan I was hoping to get and I’m really happy with it. Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns 4. Sofucor - Best Ceiling Fan for Living Rooms KEY TAKEAWAY: I was surprised how much airflow this produced without sounding loud. PURCHASE RESEARCH: I needed a new fan in my living room when the old one died, and I mainly wanted something that fit with our contemporary design and actually worked well. I ended up doing some in person research and shopping around before going online to get this fan, and I ultimately settled on this one because the price and the design are what I want. Also, the reviews were great, and they didn’t lie. The appearance of fans is more important to me than anything, and I chose these because they looked the most sleek and visually appealing. CUSTOMER SERVICE: When the fan arrived, it had screws missing, but they got back to me almost immediately and shipped me the missing pieces back. INSTALLATION: I don’t have much technology knowledge, so I had an electrician install it so I didn’t have to pull my hair out when I put it in. He liked it so much, he ended up snapping a picture of it to give to his other clients. My brother got the same model for his cabin, and he says that after putting the fan together, he installed it without much work and it’s been working well ever since. FEATURES: The remote control works really well and lets you adjust the color temperature in three different lighting options. You get six speeds, which is what I hoped for when it came to how well the fan worked. There’s also an option to reverse the fan blades depending on the season and I love that. An even added benefit? There’s a two and four hour fan timer. It's a nice plus to have! Also, even when you set the fan to its highest setting, there’s no noise and you can definitely feel the air moving around. LIGHT ISSUE: My only complaint was that at night the light started glowing kind of weird. After reaching back out to customer service, I found that it was about conductivity and they instantly shipped me what I needed to fix it. Now that it has everything it needs, it works great. PROS: It's really nice looking Most of the fans I found on the market were fake wood and I liked that this one is real Installation was super easy as it comes with a plate that easily mounts to your ceiling It has six speed settings Air circulation is super strong You can use the remote to reverse the fan direction which is super convenient CONS: The light engine is a weird color that I plan to replace The motor has an audible sound to it…not completely silent The remote is extra complicated for what it does BOTTOM LINE: I love this ceiling fan! It’s quiet, it fits nicely into our home, and the customer service is top-notch. I would give it more than five stars if I could! That’s how awesome it is. I’m really happy I did my research! It’s not expensive, so I can’t complain in that regard. For that price, it’s a good looking, functional fan. Get it from Amazon now: $160.64 & FREE Returns 5. Ocioc - Best Small Ceiling Fan KEY TAKEAWAY: I actually had to lower the fan speed because the airflow was so strong. INSTALLATION: First off, I need to come out and say that I had an electrician install this for me, and that made all the difference in the ease of this thing. They had no problem installing it. AIRFLOW: I need a good quality fan in my house, I always run on the hot side and I wanted something that produced quality air. This definitely does that. I ended up having to turn the speed down. It worked so well! REMOTE CONTROL: So far, I love the remote control that comes with this fan. It lets you change the brightness of the light temperature and I think it has a good memory, too. When you switch it on and off, you can pick the temperature you want and it will automatically return to that. FAN TIMER: Having the ability to set a timer for the fan is a huge plus, too. MULTIPLE UNITS: I ended up getting two more units in different colors, and I’m so happy I did! They fit perfectly into each of my small bedrooms and circulates a really good amount of air. I installed the additional units myself. The installation was straight forward, the instruction manual was clear, and the full color photos were helpful. For compact ceiling fans with moderately sized blades, they packs a pretty hefty punch, and that’s exactly what I was hoping for! PROS: Quality is durable and well made Wasn’t difficult to install (although an electrician did it) Definitely a quiet fan Output is solid and it circulates a lot of air The blades can alter directions and it works for both winter and summer Excellent remote control Low price CONS: There is a delay when you turn the lights on and there’s an audible sound when do you so as well. It seems like on the description of the product that it’s advertised that the brightness is controllable - but I didn’t see any information in the instruction manual on changing the colors or brightness of the light. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, the motor is super powerful and the light is on the bright side which is what I hoped for. It looks like it’s advertised - as having multiple color temperatures like daylight and amber - but I didn’t see anything in the instruction manual that gave information on this. I only use the daylight option anyways so it doesn’t make much of a difference, but that’s something to be aware of. So I’m really happy with this purchase. And, in case you've wondered, though there was no info in the manual about how to change the light, I figured it out on my own. Get it from Amazon now: $54.99 & FREE Returns 6. WarmiPlanet - Best Budget Ceiling Fan KEY TAKEAWAY: Performs better than I expected for the cheap price. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: My husband and I purchased this so we could replace our older fan that used a chain to control it. We wanted something affordable, with a lamp. We've done some online research, and ended up ordering this fan. It was on sake when we got it, which made it even more affordable. MANUAL QUALITY: The directions are really terrible. I’ve installed a lot of fans and have a pretty good idea how to go about it and this is the first time I’ve run into actual issues. There’s only five pictures in the manual and zero words. Like talk about a lack of effort. There’s more info on how to install batteries than how to install the actual fan. INSTALLATION TIP: Be aware that if you order the metallic fan, one side of the blade is painted white and the other is silver, and it’s kinda hard to differentiate which side goes where, especially since the manual was black and white. If you look super closed at the image in the manual there’s a tag that says this side up. Besides that, the fan is great. QUIET OPERATION: When it’s on and working, it’s on the quiet side and doesn’t vibrate or make any humming sounds. But sometimes, when it’s on loud, it’s super noisy. Maybe I’ll get used to it, but still, it’s annoying. LIGHT BRIGHTNESS: I will say that the light isn’t as bright as it could have been and my older fan definitely gave off more light. I ended up having to install brighter ceiling lights in it after installing the fan. It’s an easy fix but kind of a hassle. FAN PERFORMANCE: That being said, it still moves the air around in the living room well and operates the way it's supposed to. The remote works, but it doesn’t seem like there is much difference in the fan speed between four and six, but that might just be me being nitpicky. LIGHT DELAY: There are some odd features on this thing. When I turn the light on, there’s a delay for the actual light bulb to come on. But when I use the remote to turn it on, it’s almost instant. FEATURES: My neighbor installed it and he says that the light on this thing is just okay. He loves that the blades are super extended, and because he had expanded his living room, it just fits really nicely into the room as a whole. He also loves how the remote can change the direction of the blades and he doesn't have to touch the fan at all to do it. He likes rotating the fan blades as he finds it helps keep it working and circulates the air over and over. He says it’s just super nice that it can work that easily with the remote. He also loves how many speeds it has. Despite some of the other reviews, he says he has found that it’s super quiet on all the different speeds. He's had it just under a month and had it on continuously that whole time. It has worked super well. DESIGN: One of my clients really likes this model as well. He says it has a sleek, nice, and modern look to it. It’s got a stable mountain base and it arrived at his house super well-packed with all the necessary parts. He didn’t even attempt to install this thing himself. Not his wheelhouse. He hired an electrician, and he one hundred percent recommends people do that. Although he did connect the fan blades together… that part wasn’t hard. He says the design is user-friendly. BOTTOM LINE: I’d say that the directions could be better, the noise level at high is annoying, and the delay is weird. It’s a pretty fan, and it seems to circulate the air really well. I think it’s worth it, but just keep that in mind. Get it from Amazon now: $139.99 & FREE Returns 7. Hunter - Best Ceiling Fan with Pull Chain KEY TAKEAWAY: This three-blade fan moved more air than the older five-blade model it replaced. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: My old fan, the one this one replaced, had five blades, and for that reason, this fan, with three blades, gave me hesitance. I wasn’t sure if it would cool things the way I expected it to. Surprisingly, it somehow moves more air than my five blade fan, and cools things off a lot faster than my older fan. I ended up calling an electrician, mainly because I couldn’t find the breaker in my house, so yeah, the ease of installation wasn’t the best. I think if you’ve switched out a fan in the past you can probably figure out how to do this, but that’s likely a subjective experience. REMOTE VS CHAIN: I wanted this model because it didn’t come with a remote control and I just wanted the very basic ability to turn it off and back on. I’m kind of questioning whether or not I should have gotten a model with a remote, but I have so many remotes on my coffee table, I kind of just wanted to make it easier. Turns out that didn’t exactly make it easier. I live in Florida and the summers are hot HOT and sometimes the air conditioning doesn’t cool down as much as I would like it to, so being able to have a fan that I can just turn onto high would make my life easier, and it’s annoying to have to use the chain for the fan all the time. Yeah, I sound lazy, but unless you live in Florida, you don’t understand how humidity in summer can exhaust you! FAN ACCESS: I’m on the shorter side, so I have to use a step stool to reach the chain. I should have gotten the remote, but at this point I’ll probably just get an extender for the chain. Ultimately, it’s up to you. I’m just glad I have a fan that works again, and this one definitely does. INSTALLATION: It’s definitely not the easiest I’ve ever installed. It’s straightforward for the most part, but the housing for the lower switch is difficult, mainly because the switch that controls the air flow is connected to the housing of the upper switch, and it’s difficult to get the wire bundle and switch module set up around the lower cover. You’ll understand more when you try to get it together, but it’s as complicated as it is to explain. Eventually I did get everything put together, there was just a learning curve to it. ENERGY USE: After a month of having this fan installed, I've found that it actually uses less power, which is just awesome. SUNROOM INSTALL: My neighbor says he was able to install this fan by himself and it really wasn’t that difficult. He just followed directions and figured it out on his own. It looks great in his sun room, and that’s saying a lot considering his ceiling is actually green haha. Somehow it actually compliments it really nicely. WORKSHOP AIRFLOW: My best buddy owns four of these fans, and for the most part he's happy he got them. But he does say that his older, larger fans moved air around a little quicker in his shop. It’s about 1200 square feet, and although those fans seemed to cool things a little faster, we’ve found that these newer fans actually move way more air around. He says he thought the older fans were working because it got cool fast, but he's realizing that they were actually defective in the actual purpose of what fans are supposed to do: move air around and circulate it. He can now actually feel real air moving in the garage! It's so much cooler now, and he's really happy that he made the decision to get these. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, I am really happy I ended up getting this fan. It’s quiet, and it moves the air around really well. Just keep in mind that installing it can be tricky. Obviously an electrician is an easy answer for that. Get it from Amazon now: $131.76 & FREE Returns

Need to paint a ceiling or tuck away clothes on top shelves? I’ve rounded up step ladders for home use that don’t tilt or waver while you're standing on them. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. 1. HBTower - Best Step Ladder for Seniors KEY TAKEAWAY: No wobbling at all, even on the higher steps. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I must say, buying this step stool has made my life soooo much easier. It's incredibly sturdy and can support up to five hundred lbs. While I don't need that much capacity, it's still reassuring to know it's built tough, cause I’m kinda clumsy. STABILITY: When I stand on it, there's literally no wobbling, which is a huge relief. It folds up easily and fits right into my coat closet near the kitchen, making it super convenient. I had been postponing washing my kitchen cabinets because my old step stool felt too flimsy. The day this one arrived, I tackled those cabinets without any issues. It didn't budge, and I didn't need anyone to hold it for me. HOUSEHOLD TASKS: I’ve used it for nearly everything, like all the chores I hate. Now I can change light bulbs on the higher ceilings in my house or paint trim. I’m a girl, so it’s nice to not ask for a man’s help for once haha. STEP HEIGHT: And even cooler, I only use up to the fourth step, which is cool because I’m only five foot five. I can also comfortably hold onto the top rail, though I haven't felt the need to use that fifth step, and that’s a nice plus since heights make me kind of queasy. INSTRUCTION ISSUES: One important thing to note though: the instructions for the hardware were kinda confusing, it's not the usual nuts and bolts. Personally I think they could use clarifying. YouTube became a good friend haha, the videos online help. BOTTOM LINE: Unfolding it is also a breeze, and it stays securely in place. I highly recommend this to anyone in need of a reliable, sturdy step stool, even if you don't need the full five hundred pounds. It's lightweight, easy to fold, and takes up minimal space. Oh, and one last plus, it arrived sooner than expected and came pretty well-packaged. And the fact that it was fully assembled was a bonus. So for the price, it's a great ladder, but if you’re planning on doing professional work with it, and you know, if you’re a heavier dude who is planning on carrying stuff on it, maybe do a bit more research. Anyway, for my needs, it's truly worth every penny! Get it from Amazon now: $134.99 & FREE Returns 2. SocTone - Best 3-Step Ladder KEY TAKEAWAY: Fits perfectly in our RV without taking up much space. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: It’s a step above our old ladder - no pun intended. Every time I used our two step ladder and had to climb to the top, I felt like I was about to fall over! I knew there had to be a safer way. And yep! That’s why I took the jump and got this three step ladder! STURDINESS: This ladder seems pretty sturdy for my standards, though it can wiggle a tad when climbing up. I never felt unsafe, though. The biggest drawback is the shelf on the handle, it's not level, but that might just be me being a perfectionist. Just because with using things with an indentation, they might slide off if you’re not careful. I think it can be fixed pretty easily though. RV USE: We also needed a ladder for our RV loft bed and I really like how wide the steps are and the safety handle makes it comfy for our son to join in and climb too. As long as you keep all legs on a flat surface, you can use it without worrying about falling, and I find I can clean all my RV windows now without panicking that one wrong move will lead to a broken neck. ASSEMBLY: Didn’t have any problems with the assembly or with folding it up. It's almost flat when folded, making it super easy to store in the RV, where space is on the limited side. STORAGE: It actually fits in the same place as our two step ladder. But it’s easier to close and open and you know it’s closed completely because it makes a clicking sound when you close it up. BOTTOM LINE: I really can’t say enough good things about it. Other than the uneven tool thing, which I can fix easily, I highly recommend this for anyone needing a ladder that’s portable and reliable! Get it from Amazon now: $69.99 & FREE Returns 3. Louisville Ladder - Best Fiberglass Step Ladder KEY TAKEAWAY: Rock-solid on both concrete and grass. VALUE: I finally took the plunge and bought a seriously solid ladder. For the price, you'd expect something flimsy, right? Nope. Def not. Just plain wrong! And it really came in handy when I moved from a high-rise to a house and realized I needed a decent ladder. BUILD QUALITY: This ladder is rock solid. I've used it all over my front and backyard, and it's steady on both grass and concrete. No wobbling or feeling like it's going to tip. The fiberglass body with aluminum steps is a winning combination, and the hand tool caddy on top is a lifesaver. Plus, with the fiberglass build, I don't have to worry about accidental contact with live wires, it's a shock-free zone. Can’t get cooler than that. Better safe than sorry is what my momma always told me. STORAGE: Storing it in the garage is so easy, too . Some folks say it's a bit heavy, and it is, but it’s stable, so that’s kind of the point. THREE HUNDRED SUPPORT: A lot of the ladders I checked out only supported two hundred two fifty pounds. I'm a bigger guy, and I knew I'd be lugging heavy tools up and down, so the three hundred support on this one was perfect. HOME DELIVERY: It's also so great that it got delivered right to my door, no need to rent a truck for pickup. BOTTOM LINE: After years of using those worn-out six-foot ladder and a couple rusty three-foot stools, all while praying to the Gods that I won’t fall and break my neck, I can’t scream it from the rooftops loud enough how happy I am to finally have this thing. It’s now a staple in my new house. And... the magnetic strip on the top plate holds my tools, too. That’s just a really nice touch. So, really, it’s everything I’ve wanted and more! Woo! Highly recommend this ladder for its sturdiness and safety. Get it from Amazon now: $159.99 & FREE Returns 4. Little Giant Ladders - Best Multi-Position Ladder KEY TAKEAWAY: Feels more like professional equipment than a ladder. SAFETY CONCERNS: Not all ladders are created equal, who knew? I didn’t, until I’d had enough buying cheap ladders. Of course, living life on the edge is fine, but after a close call with my son, I realized I needed something better. My kid’s a big dude for eighteen, (about six foot three, a hundred and ninety pounds), and the old ladder shifted and broke under his weight. That was terrifying. LIke out of a horror movie. I finally decided to invest in a Little Giant. OSHA RATING: Initially, the price made me hesitate, but after reading about its OSHA ratings and industrial use, I was sold. This ladder was even on Deal of the Day, making it an even better buy. The Little Giant is solid, feels like a tank, and the adjustments are smooth. It's got wheels, which make it easier to move around, and despite its sturdy build, it's not much heavier than my old one. I feel way more secure on this ladder, and it's worth all the money. Life is priceless, after all. VERSATILITY: The Little Giant really lives up to its reputation. The deal I got on it was a stroke of luck. It's also been great for all sorts of tasks, from gutter cleaning to trimming branches. I really like all the adjustments, too and how simple and precise they are. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it's used by professionals and the military. VALUE: I'm happy I chose quality over saving a few bucks. It’s an investment, but a meaningful one. Both my son and I agreed there's no comparison to the cheaper ladders out there. BOTTOM LINE: The Little Giant feels like a fortress. The wheels make it easy to move, and the extension feature is a game-changer. It's a bit of a workout to set up, but following the instructions makes it manageable. It's a sturdy, reliable piece of equipment, and one I would hands down buy again. Get it from Amazon now: $298.99 & FREE Returns 5. Best Choice Products - Best Steel Step Ladder KEY TAKEAWAY: Ideal for quick everyday jobs around the house or yard. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: I got this ladder to prop up a fan to blow smoke back at my chain-smoking neighbor, true story haha! The smell was unbearable, and this ladder solved my problem. STEEL BUILD: It's solid and heavy, but in a good way. Balancing on chairs, the sofa, crates, or kitchen counters was just asking for trouble. It doesn't seem like it'll tip over easily. I'm sure it'll be great as an actual ladder too, though I haven't used it for that yet. It's got a nice slim design, which is a plus. HOME USE: I also got sick of lugging a six foot ladder from the garage every time I needed to reach high shelves. This ladder is a good lightweight option, too. CONS: One gripe is that the steps feel a bit flimsy, but not sure if I’m imagining it, cause I don’t think they'll break. They do give a little under my a hundred and ninety pounds, which is a little unnerving if you ask me. Some extra bracing would go a long way to making it feel more solid, and I think I may try to stabilize it extra when I use it. Still, for the price and its utility, it gets the job done. The sticker on the top step annoys me. I mean, it's an annoying mess to peel off. Maybe I'll try some chemicals on it. Still, I'm not displaying it as decor, so it's no big deal. FAST DELIVERY: This ladder arrived so much faster than I expected and it didn't need any assembly, which was a nice perk. BOTTOM LINE: It also holds up well (once you figure out the little lock hook under the first step), and it's very portable and well-built. All in all, it's a solid buy and I’m happy with it. Get it from Amazon now: $39.99 & FREE Returns 6. DiamondForge - Best Budget Step Ladder KEY TAKEAWAY: Genuinely felt really sturdy for such an affordable ladder. STURDINESS: This is one seriously sturdy step stool if ya ask me! Says it can hold up to three hundred and thirty pounds, and it's rock-solid even when my wife or I stand on the top step. HANDLE HEIGHT: The handle is convenient for climbing but doesn't reach high enough when you're at the top, so you'll want to hold onto something else if you're up there. I mainly use it in the kitchen to access those high cabinets that conveniently hold our nicest glassware (yes, that’s sarcasm). No more breaking glass with this thing! It's slightly taller than the countertops, so it's perfect. STORAGE: It does weigh around twenty pounds, so plan to store it in the same room rather than lugging it around. It folds flat and slides easily alongside the refrigerator. The back legs stick out a bit when opened, but just turn it sideways, and you're good to go. I’m a kitchen climber through and through now. BUDGET OPTION: It was kinda a spur-of-the-moment purchase, but I’m sick of those un safe tactics and standing on wobbling chairs. My brother always would bring a ladder over to clean my gutters, and give me crap I didn’t have my own so this year I decided to get my own, be safer, and prove him wrong. This ladder is rugged and sturdy, and the price was lower than I expected. As a bigger guy, I’m happy to see it supports some good weight. Oh, and I also cleaned my gutters with it, and it was so much easier thanI expected. I felt safe using the third step, too, which I’ve been wary about on other ladders. So, yeah, if you’re on a budget, this is definitely good. SENIOR SAFETY: After a lot of research, I bought this Delxo to test it out for myself, but also to see if it might be good for our mother, who is getting up there in years. She broke her arm after falling off a step stool not that long ago so I wanted to give her a safer option, and I can definitely say that this does the deed. It's light enough to carry, has nice deep steps that don't hurt the bare feet, and the sides and top bar to hold onto. BOTTOM LINE: It’s good for me, and will be great for momma. Oh, and it folds easily and fits behind the laundry room door. I couldn't ask for anything more. Happy camera over here. Get it from Amazon now: $42.23 & FREE Returns 7. HBTower - Best Portable Step Stool KEY TAKEAWAY: Compact enough even for very small spaces. PANTRY USE: We needed a step stool for our small pantry, something that wasn't too big but could still help us reach the top shelves. This Delxo fit the bill perfectly! It's compact enough to fit in the pantry and sturdy enough to get us up high. FEATURES: It folds and opens easily, has non-slip black pads on the steps and feet, and doesn't rock when you're standing on it. The curved top handle is great for steadying yourself and makes it easy to move around. We store it against the pantry wall, so it's always handy. It's also great for changing overhead light bulbs and hanging pictures. WEIGHT LIMIT: Some reviewers mentioned pads coming off and steps bending, but we didn't find that to be true with ours. Just keep within the weight limit, and you're honestly good to go. QUALITY COMPARISON: The last step stool I got from a big box store, wobbled and felt way too flimsy, and the straight back handle made it uncomfortable to use the top step. We returned it and ordered this one instead, and we're so glad we did. The Delxo stool is much better quality, feels solid, and stays grounded when open. The curved, foam-covered handle provides good legroom and protects the walls when stored. The large rubber covers on the steps offer non-slip footing. MULTI-PURPOSE: We've used it for painting, decorating, and even as an extra chair for visitors. It's sturdy enough for a two hundred and seventy pound person (me!), though the release catch could be easier to use. FAMILY USE: My wife is short and hates climbing, so she also wanted a step stool that wouldn't wobble. This one is fantastic for her, too! How cool is it to find something that works for both of u? BOTTOM LINE: The back legs being one solid piece adds to its stability, which is great. It also has a handy handrail (see what I did there haha) at the top for steadying yourself. It opens and closes smoothly and can support up to three hundred and thirty, so it's built to last. The steps have nice treads, too. I'd recommend this to anyone needing a step stool, especially the elderly. It's 11 lbs but doesn't tip over easily. Even my seven year old grand baby can carry it. Great quality and worth every penny! Get it from Amazon now: $44.99 & FREE Returns 8. OSCO - Best Folding Step Stool KEY TAKEAWAY: At my age, having a step stool that feels so secure is a huge relief. SENIOR SAFETY: I'm seventy three and only a hundred and ten pounds, and half my back is fused due to polio surgery when I was a kid. I'm always wary of using anything that isn't super secure because one fall could be disastrous for me. This step stool has been a godsend. I plan to get a few more. BUILD QUALITY: My last one, from a different brand and much more expensive, pinched my fingers badly twice. This one opens and closes easily and feels very secure on various surfaces like tile, cement, dirt, and grass. I use it almost daily in the kitchen for top shelves. It's well-constructed, and the gray color is a nice touch. The handle is great for leaning against, and I really appreciate the peace of mind this stool gives me. COMPACT DESIGN: I was so over dragging around a dining chair around the house, so I opted for this folding step stool. It's compact when folded, light to carry, and has a secure grip handle. It's sturdy enough to use as a temporary chair. MULTI USE: I organized my kitchen cabinet and plan to replace the curtains next. It does everything I expected. MINOR DOWNSIDE: The only downside is the numerous unremovable stickers on the metal pipes and steps, but that's a minor issue. GIFT OPTION: My best friend is sixty and five foot three. I ended up getting this ladder for her birthday, too. She’s had her fair share of step stools, and agrees with me that this one tops them all. BOTTOM LINE: After years of awkwardly reaching for things, this was a relief to finally get. Talk about the right tool for the job. Despite what some negative reviews and ratings said, I’d say that this is a very nice, quality stool! This stool is functional, sturdy, and easy to use, the best I've owned. Oh, I must add–no one paid me for this review, just sharing my honest opinion, here! This is a great buy and worth it. Trust me! Get it from Amazon now: $59.99 & FREE Returns 9. Wiberwi - Best Step Ladder with Tool Bag KEY TAKEAWAY: Side rails made this one feel much safer. SIZE: As a woman in my 60s, I needed something manageable, strong and stable, but of the perfect size. This ladder is the ideal size. Not too big, not small. Medium if you will. SIDE RAILS: Look at those rails! Seriously the coolest thing ever. The rails being on both sides let you go higher than you'd expect. TOOL BAG: The storage pouch is a fantastic bonus for holding screws and tools while you're on the ladder. I’m a handywoman by trade, so this was important to me. WEIGHT: It's a bit heavy to carry, so keep that in mind, but that makes it stable and really safety is the most important thing, especially at my age where one broken hip is a down spiral. So yeah, it’s a trade-off for the stability it offers. It's always nice when you get exactly what you need, and this ladder felt hefty in the box but it’s quite easy to move once assembled. WEIGHT SUPPORT: At two hundred and forty pounds, I was a bit skeptical about its sturdiness, but it’s very stable when used properly. Again, the side rails add a safety factor that I really appreciate. ASSEMBLY: Assembly was also straightforward, the top part slides on, and the safety arms require a wrench and screwdriver for the screws and nuts. STEP SIZE: The steps are large enough to sit on if needed. Let me explain... I needed a ladder I could sit on while working, and the top step of this one is big enough for that. I can even touch the ceiling while seated, which is eight feet high, though that might not be the case for everyone. BOTTOM LINE: The steps are large and grippy, and overall, it really is a great product. I'm very pleased with this purchase and would highly recommend it, especially for seniors looking for a strong and stable ladder. Get it from Amazon now: $99.98 & FREE Returns 10. HBTower - Best Step Ladder with Handrails KEY TAKEAWAY: It gave me more confidence reaching high smoke detectors around my house. TOOL HOLDER: I bought this step stool because I loved the tool holder, how sturdy it felt, and that the handrails offered an extra level of safety. I'm a senior, so having something that won’t topple over when I climb is really important. It’s an excellent option for anyone doing climbing, both in the kitchen, and in years! KNEE-FRIENDLY: At sixty four years old and with a knee replacement, I find I can climb to the fourth step easily. It wobbled slightly on the different floor surfaces, but I figured out a solution by placing a rubber-backed rug under one leg and that pretty much solved the problem. MINOR CON: Keep in mind that the space between the handrails is a bit on the tighter for anyone carrying some extra weight. A few more inches of width would make it perfect. FOLDING: Opening and closing it is pretty easy, you just fold it up. ASSEMBLY: Assembly isn't hard at all. I mean, it was easy to assemble and I like that I can move it around, assembled. STEP GRIP: The steps have a good grip, too and I really like how the stability feels when I stand on it. ANTI-SLIP STEPS: Each step has these anti-slip bumps that just hug my shoes or feet. HOME TASKS: Now, I can reach smoke detectors and change batteries without trouble, or without having to bother anyone for help! BOTTOM LINE: I ended up buying another one as a gift for my wife to help her water indoor plants safely. Both of them arrived super early and included all the necessary tools in the assembly process. I just can’t say it enough, but the side handles are the longest I’ve ever seen on a step ladder, making it very safe. I also got it at a great price, but even at full value, it's worth it for the quality and safety. Get it from Amazon now: $95.99 & FREE Returns

For years I've been writing about the art of making the perfect espresso shot. Here’s my personal ranking of the best countertop espresso machines. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. 1. Breville - Best Espresso Machine with Grinder KEY TAKEAWAY: Built-in grinder and pressure gauge make dialing in espresso shots faster and easier. HOME LATTES: If you love lattes anywhere near as much as I do, this espresso machine is probably going to change your whole morning routine. I honestly can’t say enough good things about it. With the amount of coffee I drink, I figured the machine would basically pay for itself within a year, even factoring in beans, milk, and all those random cleaning bits and pieces. DAILY MAINTENANCE: A little honesty up front, keeping up with regular maintenance makes all the difference. Every single morning, after I make my coffee, I’ve gotten into the habit of wiping the steam wand, purging it, then wiping again. You really want to get around the tip, in those tiny spots, and if you keep up with it, you’ll never have to use the pin to poke out stuck milk. Once I’ve got my steamed milk poured, I like to run a shot of water through the showerhead, right into my empty mug. No coffee filter or grounds. Just flush out any leftover coffee debris. I swear, it keeps every cup tasting as clean as the first one. WATER FILTERS: This is one of those small things that makes a big difference. Change your water filters every couple of months or about every sixty uses, whichever comes first. Doing this really does cut down how often you need to descale, and it helps the machine last longer and makes the coffee taste better. You’ll still need to descale it now and then, but less often. I think the manual that comes with the machine is super helpful, not just for maintenance, but also for figuring out the best way to pull a shot or make a drink you saw online. And, if you ever lose the manual, you can always find the instructions on their website. I ended up using Gold Tone replacement filters for this machine. They’re pretty affordable and work just fine, at least in my experience. WATER RESERVOIR: Whatever you do, don’t let the water run out. Seriously. If it happens once or twice by accident, you’re probably fine, but if you make a habit of it, you could do some real damage to the machine. I check my water reservoir a couple times a week, just to be safe. WEEKLY CLEANING: So here’s my weekly cleaning routine, and it sounds like a big chore but it takes about five minutes. Empty and rinse the drip tray once or twice a week, depending on how much coffee you’re making. At least once a week, take the tray out and give it a proper hand wash. I do the same with the tools, the tool bin, and the portafilter filters, trust me, residue builds up in weird places. The spouts on the portafilter actually twist off, so you can really get in there and clean. It’s one of those little details that helps everything stay fresh. GRINDER ROUTINE: Don’t forget the grinder. Every time I switch to a new kind of bean, or after going through a couple pounds of coffee, I clean out the grinder and hopper. I just use the included brush and a dry paper towel, never water, because you don’t want things rusting or getting gunky. If you want to be really thorough, you could use a vacuum to get any leftover coffee out, but I hardly ever need to. STAINLESS EXTERIOR: The outside of the machine is technically stainless-plated, not solid stainless, so it’s smart to give it a quick wipe with a damp cloth every day and a more careful cleaning once a week. Always dry it with a clean towel so it stays shiny. I make sure to clean underneath the coffee and steam nozzles too, because milk and coffee splatter can build up without you noticing. BUILT-IN FEATURES: Built-in grinder, Some people like a separate burr grinder, but I find this one works great and it’s easy to keep clean. I keep my beans in a separate container and scoop them in as needed. The frother is way better than the one on my old, cheaper machine. There’s a little clean me light, which is perfect for forgetful people like me. It keeps me on top of maintenance. Stainless finish looks gorgeous, though not every inch is metal. The pressure gauge is a game-changer. I would never go back to a machine without one. It makes it so much easier to dial in the right espresso shot. The tamper is just right, feels solid and balanced. It makes perfect pucks of coffee that pop right out. Hot water dispenser is a really handy touch. All-in-one, so you don’t need a separate grinder cluttering up the kitchen. Just makes consistently good coffee, which is what matters. Manual is full of genuinely helpful tips and info. Automated cleaning cycle for the grouphead, this is actually really helpful. There’s a copper dosing tool that looks great and feels fancy. Comes with all the little tools you’ll need for cleaning the filters. MINOR DRAWBACKS: The top and bottom sides of the machine are plastic, which isn’t as pretty as the metal parts. Water tank needs refilling pretty often and it’s also plastic. The bottom water tray fills up quicker than I’d like, but it’s easy enough to empty. The coffee grind separator could be better, but it does keep grinds out of the water tray, which helps with any weird smells. Not a cheap machine, but after looking at my old coffee shop bills, I’m convinced it’s worth it. Filters for the water tank can be a little pricey, so I usually use filtered water from my fridge. The lowest grind setting on double can be too much. Not a dealbreaker, just something to keep in mind. LONG-TERM ISSUES: Some parts wear out over time, especially the o-rings. The manual points out where to check. You’ll likely need to replace them every so often, especially around the portafilter. Sometimes the machine will start making a weird buzzing noise or might even leak water from the bottom. This usually happens because of a solenoid valve issue, often around the six month or one year mark. WARRANTY SUPPORT: If you’re still under warranty, take a quick video and reach out to customer service. They’ve been good about fixing or replacing things. If you’re out of warranty, there are repair services that can handle it for you. If you’re brave and good with DIY, you can find replacement parts online, but definitely don’t try that if you’re still under warranty. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, for the price, you’re getting a ton of features and a machine that feels like it belongs in a real coffee shop. I think that's the bottom line here, no? Buy it on Amazon today for: $692.99 with FREE returns 2. De'Longhi - Best Automatic Espresso Machine KEY TAKEAWAY: Just one button handles almost everything from grinding to brewing. DAILY PERFORMANCE: I’ve actually owned two of these espresso machines over the years, and just to give you a sense of reliability, my first one lasted more than nine years. Not bad for a machine you use daily. This thing is an Italian design but built in China, and it’s what they call a super-automatic. Basically, you hit a button and it grinds your beans, tamps them down, and shoots nearly boiling water through to give you fresh espresso. It’s kind of amazing how much work the machine does for you with almost no effort. KITCHEN FIT: If you’re like me, the first question is always, where the heck will I put this thing? I saw a lot of conflicting measurements online. Some places say it’s seventeen by thirteen by eighteen inches, others list it as fifteen point three by eleven by fourteen point four. So, I went ahead and measured my own machines, just to be sure. Here’s what I got: Width is eleven inches,Depth is about fourteen and three-quarters,Height is fourteen inches. You’ll want to leave another inch or two of wiggle room at the back for the power cord. Also, you’ll need some extra space above if you plan to open the bean compartment lid without moving the machine. I don’t have quite enough space to fully open the lid under my cabinets, so I just pull it forward when I need to add beans. No big deal, but something to know. The cup warmer and ground coffee chute on top will also need a few inches of extra height, but it’s easy enough to pull the machine forward for those moments. PACKAGE CONTENTS: What do you get in the box? You get the coffee machine and a one-time-use bottle of cleaning solution. My first machine came with an instruction DVD, but my newer one did not. BUILD MATERIALS: The body and drip tray are silver-gray plastic, and the slotted drip tray cover is shiny stainless steel. That metal part does scratch up pretty quickly from your cups, so it shows some wear after a while. Sometimes I wish there was an option for a tray that never scratches, but, you know, just one of those little things. SOUND LEVEL: Heads up, this machine is definitely not quiet. It makes plenty of noise grinding beans, brewing, and steaming milk. If you’re up before everyone else, just know you’ll probably wake up the whole house. To me, this is just part of the espresso machine experience. MINERAL BUILDUP: Do yourself a favor and stick to bottled water, unless you’re blessed with good soft water at home. I used regular tap water in my first machine, and even with regular descaling, mineral buildup was a real hassle. Now I just grab a few jugs of drinking water from the grocery store each week and the machine runs so much smoother. WATER RESERVOIR: The water tank is on the right and pulls out from the front. It’s only see-through on the side, so if you put the machine right up against a wall, you can’t check the water level unless you slide it out. You won’t get a warning until it’s totally empty, which means sometimes you push the two-cup button and end up with only half a cup. Been there more than once. BEAN STORAGE: You open the top left lid to add beans. It isn’t airtight, so I never fill it to the top, I just pour in what I’ll use from a separate airtight container. If you go through a ton of coffee, you might not care about beans sitting out. There’s a grind size knob in there too. I leave mine alone, but you can adjust it if you really want. Once the beans are in, there’s no easy way to get them out, so keep that in mind. If you want decaf in the evening and regular in the morning, you can use the ground coffee compartment up top for one of those. BREW OPTIONS: This is one of those machines that only does espresso-style coffee. That’s normal to me, but if you want classic American drip, this isn’t going to do that. You can choose one or two cups at a time, and it uses steam through fine, tamped grounds. For bigger cups, you can use the two-cup button, or hit the single-cup button and then press and hold again for more. The size and strength are easy to adjust with two knobs: one for water amount, one for coffee strength. I always crank up the strength. TWO-CUP BREWING: If you want to share, you can put a cup under each of the two nozzles. I almost never do this because, let’s be honest, I want the whole thing for myself. The nozzles move up and down, so you can fit different mugs. AMERICANO OPTIONS: You can make an americano by adding hot water from the steam wand first, then brewing your espresso on top. You can also just run more water through your grounds using the beverage size dial and the single-cup button, holding it down to make a bigger, milder cup. The machine makes it easy to play with. ESPRESSO CREMA: This machine can pull a nice long shot with good crema on top. The amount of crema you get depends on your beans, but I’ve had really tasty results with all kinds. BEAN COMPATIBILITY: You don’t have to buy special espresso beans. I’ve run everything from oily to non-oily, and the machine handles them both. Personally, I like a medium roast from Guatemala, but everyone’s got their favorite. MILK FROTHING: The frothing wand swings out on the right. Just a heads up, if you put the machine next to a wall on the right, it can be awkward to use. There’s no built-in milk container; you use your own cup or pitcher. I just grab a glass measuring cup. Cold milk works best for frothing, and for some reason, two percent milk gives the nicest texture. The first few seconds, the wand shoots out water before turning to steam, so let that go before sticking it in your milk. I’ve never managed any fancy latte art, but I did once make a face that kind of looked like Kramer from Seinfeld. HOT WATER: It can make hot water, but it’s mostly steam, so it isn’t the best for tea. Still works in a pinch. MACHINE CLEANING: This machine needs a bit more attention than your basic drip coffee maker, but it’s worth it. Used grounds get pushed into a container on the left, and when it fills up, a light comes on and you have to empty it before making more coffee. The machine counts pucks based on when you last opened the door, so don’t just open the front without emptying the grounds, or you’ll end up with a mess. The infuser needs a rinse every week or so. Just turn off the machine, open the front, and pull out the drip tray and infuser. Give it a rinse, dry it off, and put it back. Super easy once you’ve done it a few times. Descaling is important too. The machine will let you know when it’s time. I use bottled water now, but I still follow the descaling routine with EcoDecalk solution. It keeps everything running smoothly. BOTTOM LINE: Overall, it's not cheap, but I think it's worth it. At some point it might pay for itself, but if the reason you're considering it is to save money, look elsewhere. By the way, my husband was so surprised by the engineering inside this machine, he took pictures to show off the heavy-duty insides and all the tubing. Bottom line is, it makes good coffee. Buy it on Amazon today for: $899.95 with FREE returns 3. CASABREWS - Best Budget Espresso Machine KEY TAKEAWAY: Pulls surprisingly good espresso for the price. HOME ESPRESSO: I run a coffee shop, so I’m around big pro machines all day, La Marzocco, Mahlkonig grinders, the works. At home, I wanted something simple and affordable that could actually make a solid espresso. That’s how I ended up with the Casabrew, and honestly, for the price, this thing really surprised me in the best way. Right out of the gate, it pulls a really good espresso shot. The steamer, it’s not nearly as powerful as what I’m used to at the café, but it still gets the job done. You just have to be patient since it takes quite a bit longer to steam milk. That’s not a dealbreaker, just something you’ll get used to after a couple of tries. VALUE: I’ve tried plenty of other home espresso machines, including Breville. Those are nice but also way pricier, three times more, easily. The Casabrew can hang with them, and I like it better in a few ways. The look is really classic and simple, so it doesn’t have all those odd shapes and extra gadgets that clutter up the counter. It’s more like using a classic wine key instead of some robo wine opener your parents bought as a gag. PRESSURE GAUGE: The pressure gauge is actually useful here. It helps you make sure you don’t tamp too hard or overload the portafilter, so your espresso comes out right. PERFORMANCE: Every single home espresso machine I’ve tried has its own quirks. None of them can compete with the ten thousand dollar machines at the shop. They just don’t have that kind of power or speed, but if you learn the ins and outs, you can still pull a great shot. Mess it up and your espresso ends up weak or bitter, and your milk won’t have the microfoam you want. This Casabrew is more of a pony than a stallion, but it’s reliable once you get to know it. I use it every day and the whole process, start to finish, only takes a few minutes. ESPRESSO ACCESSORIES: If you get one of these, grab both a small and a medium stainless steel steam pitcher. That way you’re set for everything from cortados to cappuccinos and lattes. A scale makes a huge difference too, I use a Hario V60. Weigh your grounds and you’ll notice your espresso gets a lot more consistent. I also like to preheat my cups with water from my electric kettle, so the drink stays hot. If you’re not super fast at first, don’t stress, just warm up your drink in the microwave until you get the hang of it. Honestly, no one’s judging but maybe your dog, and even then, you’re safe. ESPRESSO ROUTINE: Power on the machine to let it preheat, Grind fresh coffee for espresso only. Good grinders aren’t cheap, but they last. I use a Mahlkonig, Pop a dry portafilter on your scale, zero it out, and add about ten to twelve grams of grounds. Tap the side gently to level them, then tamp lightly with the included tamper. Go too hard and you’ll end up with a bitter shot, so just keep it gentle. Heat your cup with hot water, dump the water, then hit the double pull button. Most café drinks start with a double shot, so that’s what I do. I usually cut the pull a little short for espresso shots, but let it run longer if I’m adding milk. LATTE ROUTINE: Get your coffee prepped first, but don’t pull it just yet. Preheat your cup if you want a hot drink. Line up all your milk stuff, so you’re not rushing around. Fill your pitcher about halfway with whole milk, Turn on the steamer and let it build pressure, Put a mug under the wand and turn the knob to clear out water until you see steam, Rest the tip just below the surface to add air, then drop it a bit deeper so the milk swirls and gets nice and silky. The Casabrew takes longer to steam, so just give it a minute, When the pitcher’s too hot to hold, it’s done. Set the milk aside and cover it to keep it warm, Wipe down the steam wand right away with a damp cloth, then give it a quick blast of steam to clean it out. Now dump the water from your cup, set it under the portafilter, and pull your double shot. Pour in the milk, try your best at some latte art, hey, maybe today’s the day, and enjoy. TUMBLER USE: I usually pull my shots into a double walled stainless tumbler. It holds the heat, has a lid, and gives me a minute to clean up before I even drink. This way, my espresso stays hot, even after I’ve wiped down everything. MISTAKES TO AVOID: If the pressure gauge drops into the black, you probably tamped too hard or overfilled the basket. You’ll get bitter, undrinkable coffee. Don’t tamp at all and your shot will be weak with no crema. Never use stale pre ground coffee meant for drip, or you’ll wonder what went wrong. It just doesn’t work for espresso. LEARNING CURVE: There’s a learning curve. Making good espresso at home is easy once you’ve practiced a bit, but a lot of folks give up too fast and blame the machine, or the beans, or even their spouse. Stick with it, and your drinks will be as good as what you get at a lot of coffee bars, maybe even better, though I’m still a little biased about ours at the café. DAILY RITUAL: I love a good cup at my favorite café, especially when the whole ritual makes you feel part of something. But making coffee at home has its own rewards, saves money, feels cozy, and it’s pretty satisfying when you nail it. People who love coffee should do both, in my opinion. You get the best of both worlds. Buy it on Amazon today for: $139.99 with FREE returns

A quality robot vacuum should help you get rid of dust and pet hair with minimal effort. I tested the best options on Amazon, and here’s my ultimate ranking. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. 1. iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ - Best Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair KEY TAKEAWAY: Running it daily cut down pet hair so much that I upgraded and bought a second unit. BACKGROUND: I never thought I’d be the person to own one of these but alas, I hit thirty and I guess I’m an adult now. And well, look at that, I loved it so much, I bought an extra one lol. I have a small farm of dogs and cats, and knew I needed some help with cleaning. SCHEDULING FEATURES: These things are life savers, mainly because they’re time savers, and I now have so much free time to do things that matter to me, other than just sweeping pet hair all the time. I can set it on a schedule and then just let it do its job. The one I keep in my bedroom, I have to empty manually, and it takes like two minutes to do it, no biggie at all. I got the i3+ as my second one and it self empties, which is freaking awesome. NAVIGATION SYSTEM: There’s definitely a difference between the two. The one I keep in the bedroom is kind of aimless, but the i3+ is so freaking smart. She has a pattern and a method to how she cleans and only took about an hour and a half of moving around the area to figure out where she was going. She can take anywhere from forty five minute to an hour and a quarter to clean, and she does such a good job. Yes, she’s a she :) Then she just drives straight back to her base and empties herself into the bin and then she’s good to go. She knows where to go because of the map, and she even picks up cat litter! BOTTOM LINE: Overall, I'll admit I have to get under the couch manually, but it's not a big deal at all, and I only have to do that like every other month. However, I understand why some people might want to do it more if they like the house extra clean. So my bottom line is, for the money - it serves its purpose. You can set a pretty solid schedule and it works well. I love it so much, I can’t say that enough! Buy it on Amazon today for: $425.37 with FREE returns 2. RoboRock Q7+ - Best Smart Robot Vacuum KEY TAKEAWAY: Super-detailed mapping system made it feel smarter than most robot vacuums. SETUP DIFFICULTY: I work in IT, so I have a pretty good grasp on how technology works. I'll admit setting this thing up would take some time because it's not super intuitive if you aren’t tech savvy. But once you do, it's really awesome. INITIAL SETUP: Double check that it has a full charge before getting started. Before set up, make sure you download the app. Instruction manual is pretty bland, but still helpful to read. When setup is ready, all you have to do is open the app to start the the wireless connection, but if yours doesn’t support 5GHz, make sure you pick 2.4GHz. After set up is done, make sure you update the firmware. Open the app and go to settings; go to ‘Firmware Updates’ and check it if there is an update ready. Again, double check that the robot has a full charge, and it will tell you when the update is complete. ROOM MAPPING: The robot generates a map, so to save it, you’ll need to go into settings and enable that first. In the settings, go to manage maps, hit enable, then map Saving, (it will say beta). And from there you can program the levels in your home. Now your robot is ready to clean! You’ll only need to move it if it asks. PROS: Cleaning (5 stars): Suction is strong on both hardwood and carpet, throw rugs, and runners. I love that you can change the vacuum’s power in the settings, and this helps making a difference when it comes to the overall performance. Pattern/Navigation (5 stars): The robot sensors are great, meaning the engineering and software is too. Its pattern goes back and forth in an overlapping pattern that ensures really great cleaning, without wasting energy. It has zero issues spotting objects and moving around them. The Cliff sensor is great, and the robot doesn’t bump into things or get stuck under stuff, meaning it has more time to clean the floor. You can tell it's actually a smart robot. Mapping (5 stars): It can map the room so easily once you get the settings enabled to save the map of your room. Without that, it’s going to be difficult. You can play around with features like room or zone editing, spot cleaning, and even add no go zones. Keep in mind that this is in the BETA stage and bugs happen, and because you have to enable it, you’re essentially agreeing to a user acceptance testing. In other words, instead of complaining about it not working, send in an email and help explain how it can be better. It’s essentially what you’re agreeing to with this thing. Features (5 stars): You can manually adjust the power, you can have it go out for spot cleaning by clicking a spot on the map, you can control with a remote, schedule things, map your area, add a no go zone, look up cleaning history, access updates, and make schedules. Really endless! Durability (5 stars): Time will tell, but so far, you can tell that this thing is a beast and one that is likely to last! Drive train looks strong and durable. CONS: Dust Bin (3 stars): Tiny dust bin is tiny. Very, very tiny. They said eventually there’s gonna be an automatic dumping dock, and thank god, because at this point, I’m changing this thing way too often. Personally, I feel like automatic dumpsters should be the standards for these things. Documentation (3 stars): Lacking. Not much elaboration on what the machine can do. BOTTOM LINE: Just do it. You won’t regret it. This thing is a life changer! I'm not kidding. It's not cheap. I mean you can find less expensive options, but this toy really does an unbelievable job. I'm serious. My best friend got one and she's just as satisfied as I am. I might get a second one if they lower the price. Buy it on Amazon today for: $429.99 with FREE returns 3. Shark IQ - Best for Daily Cleaning KEY TAKEAWAY: Daily use dramatically reduced pet hair buildup. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: First time robot user here. I'm pretty satisfied with it. It works well and it's really nice-looking. I've been using it for a while, and this is what I have to say: PREP WORK: Lots of prep work to get this going. You’ll need to tape stuff down, and move smaller items that could get in the way. However, connection to WI-FI was easy. MODEL CONFUSION: Model number is different from the one listed on Amazon which is a pain when dealing with tech support. ECO MODE: ECO mode means that battery lasts longer which is better for mapping. OBSTACLE RECOVERY: Can get stuck, but often unstuck itself. CHARGING CYCLES: Over two hours it docked itself twice. ROOM COVERAGE: Missed a few areas first time around, but ended up going back and doing it again. BRUSH DESIGN: RV1000AE, my previous model, had a self cleaning brush which stops hair from wrapping around it, and this model doesn’t have that, which I thought it did. The multi service brush isn’t the same thing. Furthermore, the self cleaning brush can’t be attached separately to this model. Without this, I had to manually empty the dustbin a few times because all the hair got bunched up. BOUNDARY STRIPS: You’re also going to need boundary strips to delineate the area of where the robot should and shouldn’t go. And they’re not included. LAME. LONG-TERM UPDATE: Originally, I gave this three stars, but now I’m changing it to 5. Why? Well, running it daily means less pet hair, and the dust bin isn’t getting so full and tangled. It also finished the mapping of my house in under five hours, which was faster than other reviews had said. Make sure you put the ‘charge and resume’ feature on, especially when you’re mapping the house, so that way it can recharge and go back to redoing it. I’m not sure yet if the no go zone in the app is going to be a good enough alternative for the boundary strips, but I’m still going to play around with that. It’s really sucking up so much stuff, even when it’s in ECO mode, and it’s not that noisy either. The other modes are just louder and go through more battery faster. It still is worth it to me. Buy it on Amazon today for: $477.00 with FREE returns 4. iRobot Roomba 694 - Best Entry-Level Roomba KEY TAKEAWAY: Six months of daily use made cleaning noticeably easier to manage. MENTAL LOAD: I get overstimulated really easy! And when that happens, I kind of just buckle down and sit in my mess, not wanting to clean anything at my home, even though I know it will make me feel better. I knew I needed a solution to make my life easier, and to clear out my mental health some, and so I decided to finally invest in this Roomba. After six months of using this thing, I feel like I can finally give a fair review. PROS: Extra filter included. Effortless set up. Automatic vacuum with a mind of its own! Convenience. Hour and a half of battery life. Fits under my bed. Can spot clean on its own or under instruction. No hassle to take apart to clean. Effortlessly goes over uneven surfaces. Great cleaning across hard wood, carpet, and linoleum. Even vacuums cat litter. Rarely gets stuck. Sings when it goes back to its home base so you know where it is. CONS: Dust bin is on the smaller side, meaning you’ll have to empty it frequently. Occasionally need to babysit it to make sure it gets everything I need cleaned. On the louder side. I work remote so it can be challenging having it running while I’m working, and definitely would not want to run this while I’m asleep. Battery occasionally dies even though it’s on charger; essentially it’s getting knocked off the base. Designed for surface cleaning and not deep cleaning in cracks or corners. BOTTOM LINE: Without a question, I would buy this thing again, hands down. But I think I would still update to a more pricier model. I’ve definitely recommended it to everyone I love. For under three hundred bucks, it’s a steal if you ask me, but the babysitting and the battery stop me from giving it a full five stars. Buy it on Amazon today for: $258.49 with FREE returns 5. Lefant M210 - Best Budget Robot Vacuum KEY TAKEAWAY: Cords and clutter caused constant problems. CLEANING LIMITATIONS: I hoped that this thing would stop eating cords if it didn’t have a brush. Negative. Still ate the cords. But I wanted to write a longer review anyways. OBJECTS TO AVOID: The two rotating brushes in the front eat everything that isn't nailed down. Especially those string like materials. Here’s some stuff it will eat, that will likely kill it: Shoelaces Yarn All the string Leaves Hair ties USB cables Rugs that aren’t nailed down Every toy my cat has Dog poop PROS: The app is pretty good, even though it forgets to save the maps. I like that I can change the suction power. The quiet mode is a nice touch, too. CONS: It will slide under your couch, and then raise up, essentially getting stuck. So it gets stuck under your furniture. I’m fairly certain it lacks a touch sensor. Has even eaten my throw blankets, and even tried to eat my low hanging vine of my plants. If the battery dies, you can’t use the find device option, so it's pointless lol. Don’t you dare pick it up during a cleaning cycle, or else you’re going to reset the map and forget where its charging base is. The prep work is not worth it. I’m cleaning for the cleaner at this point. The remote is hard to figure out (although the manual helped). CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Lefant reached out and offered amazing support to help resolve a lot of these issues. It’s not perfect, but the customer support is really helpful. BOTTOM LINE: Now that I use it regularly, I'm pretty satisfied. I didn’t even know how much dog hair I had on the floor until I saw how much this picked up! So while the suction power wasn’t a five stars, and considering the pros and all the cons, this one is 'okay' for a cheap robot vacuum. You just need to get your expectations right and not expect it to perform as a $1,000 vacuum. Buy it on Amazon today for: $199.99 with FREE returns 6. ILIFE V3s Pro - Best Robot Vacuum for Hardwood Floors KEY TAKEAWAY: Handled hardwood, tile, and throw rugs far better than I expected for the price. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It’s only been a week and a half since I’ve met my new robot friend. I named him, Laurel. It really felt like Christmas morning when I unwrapped this thing! I did follow the directions that said to charge Laurel overnight before testing them out, and despite my excitement, I did that! Only after I tested him out first haha. I had to at least see how he worked! Even without a full battery, it was still so freaking cool. And it was also so cool that Laurel knew how to get back to his little home charging station all on his own. INSTRUCTION MANUAL: It’s probably a good idea to review the instruction manual to get comfortable with how to use the remote first. I’m glad I spent the time to figure that out because it was a little tricky. So, yeah, definitely read the directions, first. You’ll thank me later. DIRT PICKUP: Laurel charged in about four hours and then I released him to the world, and woweeee! Turns out that the floors I thought I kept clean, are in fact, not lol. There’s so many spots and crevasses where dirt, dust, even fur can accumulate. After one trip around the ol’ abode, my floors are shiny and spotless. Squeaky clean if you will. And now my back is thanking me. I used to have to clean under the bed and it was a whole pain in my butt, and now I don’t have to even think twice about that. Mr. Roboto Laurel does it for me! I know a lot of people hate robots, but if they’re making my life easier, I’m all for it! MULTI-SURFACE CLEANING: I have a combo of hardwood, tile, and then use a variety of throw rugs over everything for decorations, and believe it or not, Laurel has no issue cleaning all of these! Now, that being said, I don’t think these things are designed purely to clean carpet. They’re definitely better on wood or tile than rugs, but I would say it still does a pretty fair job on the rugs. OBSTACLE LIMITS: There are some humps and bumps that Laurel can’t climb over, and honestly I don’t mind. I like being able to pick up things like the dog water bowls to make it easier so Laurel doesn’t bump into anything. CLEANING TIME: I’d say it takes under three and half hours to clean my house, sometimes closer to three. ROOM COVERAGE: He sometimes goes back over the same spots, but I kind of like it, cause I think it makes sure everything is covered. Really if I have any advice, just believe in your friend. They know what they’re doing. PREP WORK: Organizing things in advance is never a bad idea. I would definitely recommend picking up all those leftover chords, cat toys, hair ties - you get the idea. SENSOR PERFORMANCE: Laurel’s sensors slow him down as he’s approaching furniture so he won’t bump into anything super hard. After he’s done cleaning, he goes back to his home base, and my only real advice for that is to make sure that you keep a few feet of space clear around the charging spot. Oh, and definitely clear out that dustbin after every use. NOISE LEVEL: I will warn ya - Laurel isn’t super loud, but he’s also not silent either. You’re going to hear him. But that doesn’t bother me! I’ve come to associate the sound with a clean house, and what more can you ask for? BOTTOM LINE: I find that having this thing do most of the work for me, lets me clean more in general. I kind of have to pick up after myself to begin with, so overall, it’s just made me cleaner. So there you have it. Love my new friend Laurel, and I’ll take a hunch and guess that you will too! Buy it on Amazon today for: $239.99 with FREE returns

Hiking once a week helped treat my insomnia, and now I fall asleep and stay asleep. Let me tell you how nature became my best luxury escape. If you're like the thirty-odd percent of people who have struggled with chronic insomnia, then it's likely you're no stranger to tossing and turning at night. For those who struggle with it, insomnia can be incredibly stressful and frustrating, not to mention, seriously exhausting. After spending so many sleepless nights staring up at the ceiling, just hoping that you'll be able to get a little bit of shut-eye, it's normal to want to give up hope. However, don't give up just yet! While insomnia (which is often characterized by not only the inability to fall asleep, but also to stay asleep) can be a fairly serious sleep disorder, there's still hope for you yet. I, too, struggled with insomnia, often laying in bed for hours before finally rummaging through my medicine cabinet in hopes that I could find something to knock me out. Then I discovered hiking, and suddenly all of my sleep woes became a thing of the past. Wait, Hiking Once A Week Can Cure Insomnia? With so many doctors and pharmaceutical brands out there trying to peddle their cures, it may seem surprising to realize that the cure to chronic insomnia can't be found inside a medicine bottle. In fact, it won't even be found inside your house. The answer to a good night's sleep is actually outside, and you can find it while on a nice, long nature hike. Hiking is not only a fantastic cardiovascular workout. It's also remarkably soothing and calming to the mind. But how does that explain how hiking can cure insomnia? A brisk, stimulating hike should seem like the very opposite, and in fact, might even seem invigorating. It just doesn't hold water. Ah… but wait. Once you look at the science behind it, it actually starts to make sense. Improved Health And A Better Night's Sleep First and foremost, if you want to understand how hiking can help you sleep better at night, then you need to take a look at it from a health standpoint. For many people who struggle with insomnia, it's important to realize that this sleep disorder is actually a secondary disorder. That is, your insomnia is actually a side effect of something else going on inside your body. Take, for instance, sleep apnea. While the exact cause of this sleep disorder can depend on a number of different factors, cardiovascular health does play a large role in it. For people with sleep apnea, they often wake up many times in the night due to periods of not breathing (the "apnea"). By improving your cardiovascular health, you can minimize the incidences of periods of apnea, securing a better night's rest. This goes for other health considerations too. Research has shown that people who struggle with hypertension also have trouble with sleeping. By taking the time to get into shape with hiking, you can reduce your symptoms of hypertension. This means that you'll be more likely to fall asleep the moment your head hits your pillow. These findings are also true for many other conditions. If you treat the condition, then you can treat the resulting insomnia. Hiking, Cardiovascular Exercise And Rest You might be thinking that exercise is the last thing you need when you can't sleep. After all, we've all heard of the "runner's high," that period of extreme happiness that follows a good workout. The same can be said for hiking, and if you're feeling extra perky and chipper, doesn't that mean you'll also struggle with sleep tonight? Nope. While hiking can release endorphins, a hike in the middle of the day doesn't automatically translate to poor sleep at night. Studies have shown that if you raise your heart rate a little bit during the day, you will actually sleep better at night. If you think about it, it makes sense: exercise can help tire you out, meaning you'll be more likely to rest better at night. And because hiking is considered a form of gentle exercise, you don't even need advanced training to do it. The Mental Benefits Of Hiking Once A Week Finally, you don't want to overlook the mental benefits of hiking. There are quite a few ways that hiking can help boost your mental wellbeing, quickly leading to a better night's sleep for you. For starters, hiking can help calm and relax you. This can quiet down the internal "chatter" in your head that is keeping you up at night. With all of your anxieties put to rest when you hike, you can be put to rest when you go to bed. In addition, exposure to natural sunlight can help improve your circadian rhythm. That is, it can help bolster your sleep-wake cycle, allowing your body to recognize when it's finally bedtime. With so many of us stuck indoors all day, chipping away at our jobs on computers, taking the time to get outside to enjoy a hike (even if it's just for an hour or so) can make a world of difference when combating chronic insomnia. If you've been fighting with your body to allow you to rest at night, you're not alone. Millions of people struggle with insomnia, making it one of the most common disorders out there. However, by making hiking a regular part of your current lifestyle, you can finally kick your restlessness to the curb. With so many known benefits of hiking, why wouldn't you want to start a hiking habit today? Your body - and your mind - will thank you for it!

La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa is tailored for hopeless romantics. With iconic views and personalized service, good luck trying to bid adieu. Ah, Paris. The city where Hemingway sought inspiration, Kim and Kanye married, and Emily Cooper became a household name. Regardless of why you’re visiting, choosing where to stay can be a picky business, especially if you’re like me, hailing from a small town where the only hotels are the Motel 6 and the Red Roof Inn. But considering Paris is one of the most visited cities in the entire world, it’s no surprise there are countless options for accommodation. So how do you pick just one? Well, for me it was easy as pie. I kid you not, I took one look at La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa online, and it was like I’d stumbled upon a haven my heart recognized. So come along with me as I explore this 19th century gem, the smallest hotel in Paris, and yet one that carries unmistakable grandeur. Trust me, it’s worth the splurge! Location: Heart of the 8th Arrondissement La Réserve is tucked in the 8th arrondissement, or 8th district. And yes, I had to google the definition, because I only speak French in my dreams. Spoiler alert: The hotel is in the heart of the city, baby, smack dab where you want to be. And if you’re seeking elegance and luxury, then you’re in luck. Only a ten-minute walk from the hotel is Champs-Elysees, a world-famous boulevard that gives Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue a run for its money. Literally! Shop at high-end boutiques and taste fine dining. As they say, don’t come to Paris with no Monet! The hotel is so perfectly located, you can simply go down the walkway along the Seine River to the famous Love Lock Bridge, where couples link padlocks on the railing (and so many Hollywood rom-coms had been filmed). Of course, you can’t enter the heart of Paris without visiting its most iconic landmark. The Eiffel Tower is just a half-hour walk from La Réserve, although panoramic views are offered from many of its suites. But what if your toes are sore from all that walking? Then ask your concierge for access to your very own courtesy car. Yep. That’s fancy with a capital F. Rooms & Suites: Boutique Luxury Now what about the actual lodging? When I travel, I’m all about diving headfirst into the adventure. I don my explorer’s hat, soak up the culture and connect with new people. So usually my hotel is just a place to rest and rinse off. But then came this trip, where I suddenly found myself unwilling to leave my room. As someone who lives in a one-bedroom studio the size of a closet, I yearned for some extra space on my vacation. La Réserve has rooms ranging from a generous 430 square feet to a whopping 2370. History buffs may drool over the antique furnishings, but my floor-to-ceiling window did it for me. Each room offers something unique, whether it’s access to charming courtyards or unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower. Here’s the kicker: No detail is forgotten. From personalized linens to in-room workout gear to a complimentary mini-bar, there’s something for everyone. And don’t get me started on the swanky marble bathrooms. But wait! We’re not done yet. A private butler is assigned to EVERY room. Craving your favorite meal? Done. Need help packing? Yep. Looking to unwind with a beloved novel? You’ve got it. Breakfast: Fresh French Plates You’re not going to find week-old coffee and stale bagels here. Breakfast at La Pagode de Cos, one of La Réserve’s restaurants, is a gastronomic experience. With a menu crafted by top local chefs and inspired by French culinary traditions, prepare for an explosion of your taste buds. If you’re still seeking a morning haven to unwind in, look no further than the Duc de Morny Library. Available for guests only until noon (and open to the public afterwards), the library is a warm, cozy space where you can lose yourself in a story, sip some tea, or just embrace an atmosphere of elegant sophistication. Spa: Pool, Gym & Wellness Services ‘Spa’ is in the name for a reason. Even though La Réserve has an intimate, boutique feel, it doesn’t skip on amenities. Channel your inner Michael Phelps in the 52-foot indoor pool, train like Schwarzenneger with your very own personal trainer at the gym, or erase a few wrinkles like Ms. K in the luxury spa. With this kind of self-love, your friends won’t even recognize you when you reluctantly return home. Dining: Parisian Dishes & French Wines After a day of exploring, I always get a little hangry, so dinner is first on my list when I arrive back at my hotel. I’ll confess: I’m an unapologetic foodie, yet my relationship with all things meals is tinged with a pint of pickiness – and perhaps a slight fear of stepping out of my culinary comfort zone. There are only a select few restaurants where I’ll taste-test more than one item on the menu. Le Gabriel, La Réserve’s Michelin-starred gem, is undoubtedly one of them. During my week-long stay, I took the plunge and tried it all. Every dish offered a delicious masterpiece of flavors that was (honestly!) an existential transcendence. It forced me to question my life long self-induced picky status. I mean, who knew I’d melt for salmon? Overall: An Intimate Luxury Stay So, yeah, as you can tell, I’m head over (French) heels. I came to Paris to explore, and instead I discovered it was possible to fall in love with a hotel as much as a city. I can only describe it as a cultural crossroads where Parisian charm meets American hospitality. And sure, the level of luxury and privacy may be geared for literal Queens, but even regular folks like me walked away feeling like royalty. La Réserve – Je t’aime. Paris – I hope our paths croissant again.

Calling all my intrepid London-bound explorers: If you’re seeking a central retreat for your next adventure, the legendary Ritz should be first on your list. Money can’t buy you happiness, but it sure can buy you a ticket to London and a long weekend at The Ritz. Trust me, I speak from experience. Once I pinned my destination and slid on my fedora, I began to channel my inner Indiana Jones and prepare for my first adventure across the pond. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a famed explorer. And with this location in mind, I had no idea what I was about to experience. The Tube? Chinwag? The Queen’s Guard? I didn’t know this language! And surely, my heavy southern accent was going to make me stick out like a hog on a spit. But what is life without a little adventure? So what did I do? I picked the only place in town where I’d feel pampered and taken care of, and where I could rub elbows with literal royalty. Listen, it’s not every day a small town girl solo-travels to a far off land. So while I had to break open a few (aka many) piggy banks to make it happen, the Ritz became my real destination. Location: Heart of Piccadilly First up–where is the Ritz located? Prime real estate, that’s where! The Ritz London sits directly on Piccadilly avenue, a vibrant street running through the heart of the Mayfair District, a treasure chest of fine dining, history, and all things fancy. An effortless stroll would take you past historic landmarks to the theaters in the West End, or to the lawn of Green Park. And if you’re hoping to marry into royalty, well, Buckingham Palace is right next door. Prince Harry may be married, but I hear Viscount Althorp is still a bachelor. A girl can dream, okay? Rooms & Suites: Classic London Luxury Staying at the Ritz isn’t just about reserving an accommodation. It’s a voyage back in time. Built in 1906, the hotel boasts antique furniture, marble bathrooms and crystal chandeliers. My suite was so reminiscent of 18th century England, I began to wonder if the Duke of Hastings and his Bridgerton Brethren were hiding around the corner, waiting to sweep me off your feet. Yes, it’s possible to be a hopeless romantic and an explorer, thank you very much. If imaginary characters aren’t enough of an inspiration for you, then previous famous guests may tickle your fancy. Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Onassis, and Queen Elizabeth are just a few of the Ritz London’s previous adoring fans. Extra perks you can’t ignore? Every suite has a two-to-one guest to staff ratio. And if you have extra cash to burn? You’ll get a free casino membership to boot. Breakfast: Fine British Morning Plates You can’t call yourself London’s most iconic luxury hotel unless you make sure your guests are well fed. Enter the Ritz Restaurant. Because let’s be real, when you have the reputation you do, why name your Michelin-starred dining establishment anything else? With a menu inspired from the best seasonal British ingredients, you're definitely in for a treat. Of course, meals in England aren’t complete unless you add in a cup of good old-fashioned British tea. So wander over to the elegant Palm Court, where gilded walls of gold bathe you in a morning glow as a live pianist sings your praises. Let me be mawkish from a moment. It’s the hopeless romantic in me. Choose from 18 different tea options and remember – pinkies up! If you’re traveling with little ones, you can even pick from a specific tea menu for children. This is a family affair you won’t want to miss out on. Fun facts: The Ritz London is the only hotel in the UK to staff a certified tea master. It’s also the only one that requires jackets and ties for men. Sneakers and jeans are a big no-no. Gym & Spa: Small but Well-Equipped I rarely work out on vacation, but this wasn’t an ordinary trip. This was an adventure, one that demanded countless steps during my daily explorations. To my surprise, The Ritz prides itself on an updated gym, a pleasant feat for a hotel built in 1906. The spa and salon also offer an array of services, ensuring I would look my best when I undoubtedly crossed paths with my future partner who’d crown me Duchess of Warbleton! (Yes, I made that up.) Dining & Drinks: Refined British Dining Evenings at the Ritz bring us to the core of the adventure. Start your night with drinks at the Rivoli Bar. If you’re anything like me, dressing up may feel a little odd, but it’s definitely recommended. Then order the Marie Antoinette so you can rewind back to a bygone era. The original neoclassical design would surely get you in the right mood. Once you’re flushed and full of warmth, make your way back to the Ritz Restaurant for a whole new menu of delicacies curated by top chef John Williams. Try not to feel fancy as you sit beneath the glistening chandeliers and marble columns. And with a view of Green Park, how could you possibly ask for more? Just remember to bring your dancing shoes as weekends include live entertainment. Talk about puttin’ on the Ritz. Service: Polished & Personal As my expedition reached its last day, I couldn’t help but make some final notes to round out the last weathered pages of my travel journal. A few gems to note: The manager of the concierge, Michael de Cozar, has held the position for a whopping forty-six years. Oh, and did you know you can hire a private chauffeur who will also supply you with insider secrets of everything London. And your ride? A one of a kind Rolls Royce Phantom. Pro-tip: If you stay in one of the signature suites, you’ll receive a complimentary one-way airport transfer in this fancy Phantom. Value: High Cost for High Quality My expedition proved that some destinations are truly worth the money. Not only did I feel welcomed, but I absorbed history and returned home with a newfound sense of grace and elegance… and maybe a slight British accent. Dare I say, Mr. Jones himself would tip his hat. So get your compass out and aim it at The Ritz London. Mark my words, you won’t regret it!

At Shibui Spa in TriBeCa, get ready to indulge in authentic Japanese treatments that promise to heal your body and mind. Here's my hands-on review. It all started with my old friend, Anxiety. When he rears his ugly head on days that end in Y, a level of pain ripples through my shoulders and makes itself at home. Only one thing relieves it - massages! So when I found myself with a crick in my neck and a knot in my spine, I knew there was only one answer: a traditional Japanese treatment. After receiving a massage at Manhattan's Shibui Spa, I discovered a kind of relief I didn’t know existed. So if you’re a lover of massages and have ever been on the fence about visiting Japan, trust me. When you’re done reading this, you’ll be ready to book your plane ticket. I usually get a 90-minute massage when my pain is extra bad. It’s more of a treat than a necessity, mostly because it’s more expensive. But the luxury of Shibui Spa was so enticing, I took the plunge and used the "I’m on vacation" excuse to reward myself. Over the course of a week, I indulged in four different treatments: two 90-minute massages and two 60-minute ones. Let me tell you about these four treatments I had at that spa throughout the week. Traditional Japanese Shiatsu - 90 Minutes If you’re craving a relaxing, full body massage, but prefer to keep your clothes on, then this ninety minute traditional Japanese massage will definitely hit the spot for you. Literally. It amazed me how the massage therapist managed to hit those difficult spots even over my clothes. My massage therapist used ancient Japanese massage techniques using her hands, knees, legs - and even her feet - to stretch and maneuver me into these twisted positions, essentially turning me into an acrobat without the effort. Every stretch, every maneuver… I mean, I didn’t even know my body could bend like that. And in the blink of an eye, it was like those knots evaporated. And trust me, ninety minutes won’t seem long enough once they get going. It not only relieved the tension in my muscles, but suddenly I could rotate my neck further than before. I even regained the flexibility in my rotator cuff that I hadn’t experienced in years. It’s a physical and mental treat, one you’ll be trying to schedule into your calendar again and again. I mean, I literally did just that. And... this massage is what led to me trying out all the other services Shibui Spa had to offer. Omakase: Shibui’s Signature Massage - 90 Minutes I was ready to take the plunge with this one, and I’m so happy I did. If the 90 minute Traditional Japanese Shiatsu with clothes was great, I couldn’t wait to strip away the barriers between my muscles and my therapist's toolbox, aka her hands. Initially, I was slightly nervous about doing this without clothes on, mainly because I was in New York City. However, Shibui Spa went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, ensuring the entire experience was completely private. Over the course of an hour and a half, the therapist worked away, her technique gentle, yet firm, alleviating tension I didn’t know still existed in my body. It was like the energy was activated beneath my skin sending vibrations down my body. As an added benefit, the high-quality oil used throughout the massage removed the friction, allowing my massage therapist to dig even deeper. The entire experience created this air of relaxation. This massage was more than just a vacation treat, it reminded me of a different, healthier way of life, which is the entire goal of a Japanese massage: breathe, relax, and move. Traditional Chinese Reflexology - 60 Minutes Our feet don’t just take us from A to B, they carry the weight of the world we hold inside us. Regardless of whether you spend your entire day on your feet, at work, or like me, frolicking across the sand on vacation, the 60 minute foot massage was practically a spiritual experience. The therapists here specialize in reflexology, which essentially means they apply the perfect amount of pressure to points on your feet that are believed to be connected to different organs and parts of your body. Regardless of whether or not you believe in that, you don’t need to be a spiritualist, or even a doctor, to recognize that there are benefits to this type of work. Going in, I expected the foot massage at Shibui Spa to be my least favorite. Strangers touching my feet? Eek. I mean, I didn’t even have pain in my feet. And yet, within five minutes, it was clear that this was going to be my favorite treatment. Foot massages are known to increase blood flow and circulation, which moves oxygen to the rest of the cells in your body. And seriously, half way through, I was convinced that my breath was deepening, that my lungs were expanding. I also get occasional migraines, like once a month. They’re not as debilitating as some people, but enough that I need a solid sleeping pill to get through it. In the weeks after this experience, I found that my headaches settled and softened, not flaring up in the slightest. Probably most surprisingly, this foot massage improved my whole mood. Apparently they can also lower blood pressure and help with anxiety, and while I may need a few more sessions to see that, I honestly believe it. One thing is for sure, after this foot massage, I had one of the best nights of sleep ever. Healing Birch Massage - 60 Minutes Have you ever gotten a full body massage, only to tell them to focus on your upper back area, near your shoulders and neck? Yeah, that’s typically me. That anxiety thing. When I’m stressed, I scrunch up my shoulders, forget to breathe, and hello knots and pain! I also have poor posture, so that doesn’t help. For that reason, I was probably most excited for the 60 minute post-workout massage. An entire hour just to focus on the area that’s the most painful? Yes, please. My massage therapist went to town on the knots in my neck–tapping, prodding, rolling–pretty much any verb you could think of. The stiffness not only dissipated, but I could literally feel the knots flatten out. And at one point, I swear that the therapist literally took the knot and moved it down my shoulder blade, through my arm, and out my fingertips. Needless to say, my pain not only vanished, but my spine felt straighter and my posture better. The best part of all of it? I suddenly regained mobility in my neck, flexibility I had thought I’d lost with age. Turns out these cricks aren’t just about old age, and they can actually be relieved with a little effort. By the end of the session, I discovered that it was actually normal to be able to swivel my neck side to side without feeling shooting pain down my back. Final thoughts? Shibui Spa is my new best friend in Manhattan, so I may be moving to New York some time in the future...