Review

Black Friday is just around the corner, and we’re excited to help you navigate the sea of deals to find the best gaming monitor for your battlestation. Alongside loads of early deals now live down below, we are also here to provide some insight on what’s to come based on past trends and our coverage of 2024 Prime Day and the like. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the latest offers from major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and more, and we’ll also pay close attention to the offers directly from the online stores of various brands like Samsung, Dell, and more. Keep an eye on our Black Friday 2024 hub to stay updated on the best deals and avoid impulse purchases. Whether you’re looking for a high-refresh-rate monitor for competitive gaming or a wide-screen ultrawide for immersive gaming experiences, we’ll help you find the perfect monitor for your setup.

Our annual Best of Black Friday deals features are kicking off today with the upcoming Amazon offers. The 9to5Toys Best of Black Friday posts are designed to provide shoppers a better idea of what’s to come, some expert perspective on the sorts of prices you can expect to see, and to help folks avoid falling into the early deals too soon. The best prices on Amazon’s in-house tech almost always come courtesy of Amazon of course, despite being available at other retailers, so we aren’t sure exactly what the prices will be just yet, but we can offer up some insight on the sorts of discounts you can expect based our extensive coverage of the 2024 Prime Day deals and historical knowledge.

I love leather Apple Watch bands, it’s very much my thing, but I had been on the hunt for something that can provide that sort of timeless, elegant look that I can also wear for hours on end, in any condition, and during just about activity. Traditional leather bands can get a little bit cumbersome and uncomfortable for some folks after extended wearing periods, myself included and especially if its get’s hot or during workouts. So I just had put the waterproof hybrid leather and rubber Nomad Active Band Pro to the test to see if it actually was the solution I have been after. 

The growing number of 15W MagSafe charging stands out there is dizzying. It is becoming harder and harder for brands to differentiate themselves from the pack, but I think Journey has managed to pull this off, even if mostly in an aesthetic way, with its new NOVA 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Station. And now it’s time to go hands-on to see if the price of entry is worth it. 

9to5Toys Steals is a new bite-sized deal format we are launching to enhance our highly-personalized and hand-curated coverage of the best deals across the internet. The 9to5Toys content we all know and love isn’t going anywhere – it’s more motivated and successful than it ever has been. 9to5Toys Steals is just a new way to expand our reach, highlight notable price drops in product categories we don’t already feature on a regular basis, and save you even more money.

Moment has been a staple brand around for years, delivering some of the better camera lens attachments in the game while accommodating them by way of its iPhone 16 Camera Case with the built-in Drop-In Lens Mount. It has been popular among readers for good reason, and it’s time to put its new iPhone 16 model to the test to make sure it’s up to par with the Camera Control button and Apple’s latest handset design. 

We’ve covered the new GoPro Hero 13 and the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, and now we’ve got the latest action camera from Insta360 – the Ace Pro 2 with 8K resolution, dual image-processing chips, and increased battery life. So, which is the best pick for moto-vlogging in 2024? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

After getting a chance to go hands-on with the latest JBL Live Beam 3 recently, we are now diving into some hands-on impressions of the higher-end JBL Tour Pro 3. They certainly come at more of a premium, but we are also talking about one of the most feature-rich wireless earbuds experiences you can buy in the price range. Let’s jump to see if the $300 sticker tag is worth it. 

We have been covering the Peak Design Everyday canvas cases around here for at least a few years now, but this year it has introduced a whole new model made of a vegan Clarino Leather. How does it stand up against the bevy of vegan leather out there? Did the brand right its wrongs from last year’s Action Button mishap? The short answers are it’s very good and yes, it very much did. Scope out our hands-on impressions below.

There’s no shortage of Qi2 chargers on the market in 2024 and we’ve tested a bunch of them here at 9to5Toys, right from Anker’s MagGo 3-in-1 charging station from the first wave of these chargers to ESR’s 3-in-1 Qi2 charger more recently. While they all have different form factors and even multiple charging pads and ports for added functionality, none stand out the way UGREEN’s new Uno Qi2 2-in-1 charging station does with its unique design. I’ve been using it as my main charger over the last few weeks and it has won me over not just with its reliable charging but by adding a touch of personality to my desk.

Peak Design has built a reputation for developing photographer’s tools that translate to just about anybody, whether you’re carrying a camera or not. The company is now releasing a new series of outdoor bags specifically designed for photographers – or anybody – to get on the go with comfort, ease of use, and versatility. They have succeeded.

Atom Studios is a relatively new brand on our radar here at 9to5Toys, but after getting a chance to test out its recently-released lineup, we decided it more than deserved some limelight. While you will find some more traditional cases in its iPhone 16 collection, it is its iPhone 16 Agave Leather MagSafe Soft Snap case that really caught our eye. Head below for our exclusive discount code and our hands-on impressions. 

MUJJO, much like year’s past, was among the first leather case makers out of the gate when iPhone 16 was unveiled. I have been a fan of the brand’s leather treatments for at least a couple generations now, and with some new color options landing for iPhone 16, was excited to give them a test for 2024. While the initial run of these case had a Camera Control button that wasn’t up to the task, it has now re-issued with corrections, readied replacements for early adopters, and I am here to see if it all worked out.

Harber London, a brand well-known around here for creating gorgeous leather carriers and bags, unleashed its new All-Rounder MacBook Sleeve a couple months back, and now it’s time to weigh in after giving it a good test run. I have been and continue to be a huge fan of the brand’s bags – its Overnighter was just showcased in a recent 9to5Toys Travel Kit feature – but this time it is trading out some of the full-grain leather for a recycled fabric and we are ready to serve up our hands-on impressions. 

Today we are talking a hands-on look at the brand new Bose SoundLink Home Bluetooth Speaker. The combination home and on-the-go speaker immediately caught our eye at launch with the retro chic design, and now it’s time to see if its impressive looks and sound quality are worth the price of entry. Head below for our hands-on impressions of the Bose SoundLink Home Bluetooth Speaker in the latest edition of Tested with 9to5Toys.

Today Twelve South is unleashing its brand new MagSafe charging stand, the HiRise 2 Deluxe. Trading out the 3-in-1 setup available on its wonderful HiRise 3 Deluxe for a more compact and streamlined approach, the new HiRise 2 Deluxe delivers a magnetic charging stand for your iPhone with an additional Qi pad hidden in the base for AirPods or another handset. Now available for purchase starting today from Twelve South, we will detail the new release down below alongside some early hands-on impressions. 

The Arc Pulse has been one of the most popular options this year among 9to5 readers, bumper style or otherwise. It would seem more and more folks are looking to leave the Apple design and their color of choice on display while still trying to maintain some semblance of drop protection at the same time, and the Arc Pulse very much does that. But let’s dive in with some hands-on impressions to see how everything shakes out in practice. 

The 2024 Amazon Prime Day deals are now live as part of its fall Prime Big Deal Days event. The October sale is effectively the exact same thing as what we get during the summer sale – massive price drops across a broad range of categories from Apple, Samsung, and Google gear to Amazon in-house tech, smart home products, e-bikes, power stations, just about anything you could ever want for your PC gaming battlestation, charging gear, accessories, of all kinds, and so much more. We will be updating our 2024 fall Prime Day hub with the best deals as they go live over the next 48 hours, so be sure to head back over throughout the event’s duration as we uncover all of the most notable price drops live for this year’s Prime Big Deal Days. 

The best fall Prime Day smart TV deals went live early today (one day before the main event) with even more to come and this is the place to find them all in one place. That includes brands like LG and Sony as well as the value-packed 2024 models from Hisense and TCL alongside Amazon and other budget-friendly solutions. More and more folks are opting for these more wallet-conscious offerings, and frankly so have we as of late. We are already tracking massive deals on the 2024 LG OLEDs – one of the more popular solutions among folks who like to go big-time – alongside as much as $1,000 in savings on the latest from Hisense and TCL. Head below for our collection of the best Prime Big Deal Days smart TV deals and be sure to check back as even more go live over the next two days. 

Today we are going hands-on with the new UAG Civilian iPhone 16 Case. The brand is well known for its ultra-protective solutions for Apple’s handsets, but it is the mid-ranger Civilian that catches my eye first, managing to both offer a notable level of protection without looking (or feeling) like there’s a gigantic chunk of plastic around my phone. Let’s dive in down below with some hands-on impressions to see how this year’s model stacks up against Apple’s latest handset design. 

It’s time for a hands-on look at what might be the only “official” third-party iPhone 16 case with Camera Control (providing you don’t count Beats). We have seen models with the conductive button cover from SUPCASE and Spigen, but OtterBox seems to have had a more official connection to Apple with its implementation considering you can buy it direct from Cupertino’s stores, so let’s dive in and see if the OtterBox Lumen Series iPhone 16 case with Camera Control is any good. 

USB-C hubs have traditionally been functional but forgettable devices with little to no innovation or evolution in their design or utility over the years. UGREEN, however, has found a way to make the mundane USB accessory more interesting by adding a touch of personality and a cheerful face. Its new Uno 6-in-1 USB-C hub — just like the other accessories in its Uno series — offers a playful plugging experience with an LED panel that lights up with a smile when in use. I’ve been using the Uno 6-in-1 as my main hub over the last few weeks and I can finally report on whether this cheap and cheerful gadget is worth the cash.

Nomad’s 2024 iPhone case collection has once again been one of the more popular options among readers and staffers here at 9to5. Its full-wrap Traditional Leather iPhone 16 case is simply gorgeous, and my favorite so far. But now it’s time to look at something a little bit different, something perhaps for folks that like to live on the edge, confident they won’t bounce the edge of the iPhone 16 on the concrete, and those looking to let their new Apple handset shine in all its glorious titanium beauty…we are hands-on with the new iPhone 16 Nomad Magnetic Leather Back case today.

Today we are hands-on with the new Native Union iPhone 16 case collection, and more specifically the (RE) Classic 3.0. In my opinion, the brand has always found a way to stand out amongst the hundreds of case and accessory makers vying for your attention, but it’s now time to see how its latest iteration of the (RE) Classic holds up for iPhone 16 users in the latest entry to our Tested with 9to5Toys series.

Today, Sony is expanding its lineup of lauded audio gear with a pair of new LinkBuds Fit, the LinkBuds Open you see above we have had some early hands-on time with, and the new LinkBuds speaker. The brand has mades waves across the ultra-competitive headphones market with its XM4 and XM5 headphones and wireless earbuds, often times undercutting and, at least for some, outperforming the big-time offerings from Bose, Apple, and others, but today it is focused on the slightly more affordable LinkBuds side of its lineup. Some of the more unique in-ears on the market are getting a refresh for 2024 and are now joined by a new Bluetooth speaker with smart audio hand-off tech as well. 

Today we are serving up some hands-on impressions of the new Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 wireless earbuds. Complete with active noise cancellation and a charging case that features audio retransmission, the brand is well known for producing some of the better sounding audio gear out there, and it’s time to see if the new Pi8 buds are worth a lofty price of admission in the latest edition of https://9to5toys.com/guides/tested/.

Update: Burton Goods has now redesigned the Heritage case with a new 3/4 cutout, completely mitigating the issues I had with the original cutout. You’ll find more details here, and some additional images of the new cutout can be found below. 

Earlier this year Burton Goods made its worldwide debut with a range of absolutely gorgeous leather accessories for your Apple gear. Its leather M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro covers were among the most popular we featured among readers, and now it’s time to go hands-on with the brand’s new Heritage Leather iPhone 16 Case as the latest entry to our venerable Tested with 9to5Toys series. 

Spigen unleashed its new iPhone 16 case collection with just about all of the usual models and styles folks familiar with the brand will already know…with one exception. With the introduction of the Camera Control button on iPhone 16, Spigen is now one of only a large handful of options out there that actually have a case that forgoes the cutout in favor of a button cover that is supposed to translate the multi-gesture action through to the phone. But at under $30 Prime shipped the question is, does it?

Nomad debuted its new iPhone 16 case collection shortly after the new Apple handsets made their first official appearance, and today we are taking our first hands-on look at one of them. The brand introduced a new model this year known as the Traditional Leather Case for iPhone 16 with a complete leather wrap around the sides and I was very interested the first time I laid eyes on it. So let’s dive in and see if this thing really is one of the best leather iPhone 16 case I have seen yet as part of our hands-on Tested with 9to5Toys series. 

While the first two editions of our new 9to5Toys Travel Kit series took us to the Big Apple and the swamps of Virginia and North Carolina, today we are focused on an overnighter wedding closer to home. The bulk of the event is going to be a lightweight affair and will only require a few things – suit, watch, some extras for the groomsmen, and an iPhone for the most part. But because I’ll be checking into a hotel room on the premises, I will need to put together a small kit with some must-have gear for an overnight wedding.

DJI has just released its latest action camera, the Osmo Action 5 Pro. Besides being the next numerical number, this generation also has “Pro” in its name. What gives is that Pro designation? DJI claims 13.5 stops of dynamic range and up to four hours of battery life. Combined with 47GB of internal storage, will it be my new favorite action camera for motovlogging? Stick around and watch the video below to find out. 

Satechi debuted its new Find My passport wallet alongside the rest of the tech industry’s IFA launches, and following a string of models from other brand’s leveraging Apple’s item tracking action. But with Satechi being among our favorite accessory makers out there, and it’s latest release coming along with one very useful feature we have yet to see much from the competition, we decided to get hands-on to give it a run for its money. Head below for our hands-on impressions.

The prebuilt keyboard market is filled with a lot of compelling boards at both budget and ultra-premium price points. While the budget ones leave out a lot of features in the name of cost-cutting, the premium offerings with features like gasket mounting and hefty aluminum chassis demand a prohibitive price tag. There’s a distinct lack of reliable keyboards in the mid-range space offering a good mix of features at a palatable price point, and that’s exactly what Varmilo hopes to change with the new Muse65 Hall Effect keyboard.

Last week Twelve South unleashed what it called the “world’s firs power supply with Apple Find My” with the latest iteration of its PlugBug wall charger. I was already a fan of the now discontinued original PlugBug with its slender, hug-the-wall form-factor, so I was immediately knocking on Twelve South’s (virtual) door to get my hands-on the new Find My model, because Find My is cool and I wish everything I owned had it to be honest. Head below for our hands-in impressions of the new Twelve South PlugBug with Find My in the latest edition of Tested with 9to5Toys. 

Welcome to the second edition of our new 9to5Toys Travel Kit series, and this time around, I’ll be heading down to the swamps of Virginia and North Carolina to visit family in the open window of my otherwise busy schedule (it probably doesn’t help that they are a solid 8 to 12 hours of driving away). There is one unfortunate hiccup, however…they are busy people too, and we’re visiting in the middle of the week. So, to keep our sanity amongst the sleepy quiet of those small towns, I’m going to be counting on these devices to fill the hours where there won’t be much going on – and some for when things are going on. Some of them are strictly must-haves on my trips, some have mixed uses for work and play, some are entirely for play, one is staying behind at home, and there’s even a surprise treat waiting for me at one of my destinations. Head below to learn about my favorite gear to keep sanity strong while in the monotonous swamps of Virginia and North Carolina.

Summer may be coming to a close, but there’s still time (depending on where you live) to get those last refreshing swims in while the hot weather makes its last stand. To truly enjoy days in the waters of your backyard, a clean and balanced pool is vital, and Beatbot has made that maintenance process easier than ever with its Aquasense Pro robot. See more in the video below.

Today, GoPro is announcing its latest flagship action camera—the GoPro Hero13 Black. With interchangeable lenses and a familiar magnetic mounting system, it’s been upgraded with some nice quality-of-life features. Under the hood, resolutions, and frame rates are all nearly identical to the older Hero12 Black. Be sure to watch the video below to see it in action. 

Not long ago, my partner and I brought home a young cat (named Kraydor the Wizard Boy, FYI, and not by me) after he was having trouble getting adopted from our local shelter. Among these first few months, he has been having some…issues with using the litter box – primarily, he refused to use it if it was not immediately cleaned after every use. We had started him off with some pellets that had been recently introduced in our home to fight the odors that linger from typical litter while keeping our floors from being covered in scattered bits. After he instead began relieving himself in random places around the apartment, we tried clumping litter, as our other cat has always preferred it and it allowed Kraydor to better bury his business out of sight, and hopefully out of mind longer than his next visit. This did not work, however, so in a last ditch attempt to save our sanity from having to clean the box every few hours (he’s young and goes regularly), we instead decided to bite the bullet on Whisker’s Litter-Robot 3 Connect, a smart, self-cleaning litter box that manages the worst part of cat companionship.

Anyone who owns a car has likely been in the unfortunate situation of a dead battery at least once – especially when you really need to keep a schedule or make it to an important appointment. Sure, if you have a properly stocked garage you might have a bulky battery charger that you can regularly connect over night to keep levels juiced and ready to go, but for many – particularly city dwellers – living in limited apartment space poses a lot of obstacles to this method. Parking is first come, first serve – plus, running extension cords and leaving the charger out along the streets without staying out with it seems like the best way to have it stolen. That’s where the NOCO GB40 Boost Plus Jump Starter comes in – a portable, multi-capable device that has been an absolute life-saver for years now, particularly in the summer and winter seasons when batteries tend to be sapped by the extreme temperatures without warning. Continue reading to get my hands-on impressions as part of the latest entry to the Tested with 9to5Toys series.

You’re reading Tested with 9to5Toys, where we explore everyday tech essentials that make life a bit easier. Browse through our entire guide for all of the latest reviews, and sound off in the comments below if there’s something you’d like to see featured.

Today we are taking a closer look at the new Spigen ArcField MagFit+ charging stand as part of the latest entry to our Tested with 9to5Toys series. There are loads of magnetic charging stands out there…I mean more than basically anyone can keep track of, but this one does find a way to stand out with the Apple-certified 15W iPhone power, 5W Apple Watch charging, and a bonus 3-in-1 + 1 setup. Check out our hands-on impressions below. 

The humid days and sweltering heat are coming to an end soon. For some, that’s a sad realization, but for the autumn lovers of the world, that means bonfire season is on its way. Solo Stove is a well-known and well-loved brand for all things FIRE. Their smokeless fire pits have become a cult classic, and additional accessories for these fire pits are released constantly. Ahead of bonfire season, I had the pleasure of taking the Bonfire 2.0 Smokeless Fire Pit and the Popcorn Maker accessory for a test run. Spoiler alert: I loved them both. Head below for a more detailed look at my days testing these two products. 

On our very first edition of the new 9to5Toys Travel Kit series, we are heading to the Big Apple with our favorite weekend kit. And by we, I mean me, and this is the gear I plan on bringing with me. This will be a short and sweet trip to NYC for a few days with a more pleasure over work vibe, so I won’t need my full tech kit here, but I still want to ensure my phone is charged up and ready to go, I have favorite leather bag over my shoulder, and my passport ready to go. Head below to check out my favorite gear to bring for a weekend in the big city.

The new Nomad Stand One Max Qi2 magnetic charger has arrived. Harnessing the 15W of power the Qi2 charging standard comes along with, this time around its next-generation Stand One is getting the Max treatment with a new form-factor than the original while maintaining that Nomad look and feel with a metal and glass design as well as the 3-in-1 charging setup for your entire mobile Apple kit. Now available for purchase straight from the brand’s official site, you can head below for more details and some early hands-on impressions. 

Razer is refreshing its immersive gaming headset lineup with the new Kraken V4. This means it delivers big audio and EQ customization and packs Razer’s Chroma RGB. I’ve only had it for a few days, but it is now available, so let’s get it out of the box, and I’ll give you some of my early impressions. Be sure to hit the video below to see and hear it in action.

Today we are taking hands-on look at Oakywood’s latest addition to its desk organization lineup, the modular drawers. Made to perfectly tuck under its Desk Shelf-meets monitor riser, or be used on their own, they were officially unveiled to the public at the top of the month, and after giving them a test run for a few weeks, I’m ready to weigh in. Head below for my hands-on impressions of the new Oakywood desktop drawers in the latest entry to our long-running Tested with 9to5Toys series. 

Troubadour and MUJJO are well known around these parts for delivering high-quality accessories for Apple gear and other tech. The former of which debuted its new Apex Everyday Tote a couple of weeks ago and we have been lucky enough to test drive it in person to see if it deserves to carry around your precious tech cargo. Head below for our hands-on impressions of the Troubadour MacBook Apex Everyday Tote in the latest entry to our Tested with 9to5Toys series.

The world (and life) moves fast and we humans can only do enough in our lives to keep up with it as best we can. One growing aspect that many are trying to find solutions to in the modern world is how to get to all our daily appointments – work, school, social events – in the most affordable and environmentally conscious way. While EVs are certainly the best current answer to the growing questions, they can often fall outside of reach for many due to costs. Solution: conversion kits, like the CLIP, which boasts the title of “the world’s first & only plug-and-play e-bike upgrade.” While many existing kits fall into the category of mountable hub motors, this device, on the other hand, uses inventive new ideas by building upon decades-old technology. That’s why I was absolutely giddy when I was first approached to test out the CLIP and visit the office here in NYC. You can continue reading below to get my hands-on impressions of this ingenious new device – and be sure to check out the short video of my ride too!

Nomad has been on a roll this year with new tech accessory releases, but the most exciting of them, at least for me, is its new Apple Find My Tracking Card. A first for the brand, I had high hopes when I got my hands on one a couple days before the official reveal, and now it’s time to weigh-in after using it everyday for the last month or more. Head below for more details in the latest edition of Tested with 9to5Toys.