The 2025 Esquire Home Awards

Choosing the right sectional for a large space is a bit of a Goldilocks adventure. Do you want something that looks presentable or something that is easy to flop down on at the end of the night? Can you have something that looks high-end and still have it be easy to clean? The Sundays Get Together sectional does it all. Sturdy, comfortable, and hard to stain (our kids have tried, lest you worry), this piece is designed to go the distance. And the brand’s variety of shapes makes it easy to find your perfect match.

We like to think we’re beyond the basic media console; it’s not really the hottest topic in furniture. But in reality, we all need one. It holds your shit, hides your wires, and gives your TV a home. Getting one that doesn’t look tacky is the hard part. That’s what we love about CB2: good style at reasonable prices. The brand’s wood media console decked out in dark stained wood and a black marble top brings a deep, masculine vibe to any space, adding something artsy without overtaking the space.

Everyone says, “I’ll have it forever,” to justify a big-ticket purchase, but with this table, it’s the truth. It is solid wood and gorgeously crafted, with beautiful and timeless fluting details. But best of all, the removable center leaf means you truly can own it forever. It fits into a small one-bedroom apartment right now as a two-seater, and in the future (hopefully a bigger apartment awaits) it will seat six comfortably. Finally, you’ll be able to host a dinner party in the city and when you retire to the ’burbs. This is the table that will follow you for the rest of your life.

The Esquire staff is competitive about chairs. Finding the best, most comfortable, most asthetically pleasing option has us in a sweat all year. After finding this Arhaus gem, however, we’re feeling like we may be able to take 2026 off from the hunt. The Rourke chair comes in two finishes, natural oak and brown oak, with a textured bouclé fabric and just the right amount of lean. For our money, there’s no better piece for a conversation den in any home, hands down.

It’s easy to take Thuma’s understated silhouettes and minimalist pieces for granted. But it’s worth pausing for a moment to appreciate the stunning simplicity of the brand’s new signature bed. Tool-free assembly, upcycled wood in its structure, and sustainable fabrics are all worthy for consideration—but the ease with which it fits into any room blows them all out of the water. What a magnificent, calming bedroom centerpiece.

Most sleeper sofas are big and clunky and can overtake a space with their heavy look. But West Elm has perfected the recipe. The Dominick Two-Piece Sleeper sectional converts into a queen-size bed no problem at all, but it manages to look elegant while at rest. It could easily feature in a living room or other high-traffic area of your home—no need to hide it in the basement.

Back to Esquire’s internal chair competition... When it comes to reading, drinking, lounging, you name it, we believe in a cozier lounge. Lulu and Georgia’s Baird chair is our pick for a big, plush, and comfortable option with a classic look. There’s a variety of fabrics and patters, and we went a classic checkered pattern in a trendy olive shade. It catches the eye, but it’s something you can mix into any space. Just add a glass of whiskey and a book.

The beauty of pieces made of natural wood is simple: They are each inherently unique. Each will have its own splits and its own variations in color, making it solely your own. The Maelle table from Joon Loloi is made with natural reclaimed French oak and adds an element of artisanal warmth to your lounge space. That it’s easy to clean and arrives all in one piece feels like too much of a bonus to ignore.

Is buying a custom sofa worth it? It depends on what you want, but if you’re interested in creating your very own design for an affordable price, then head on over to Interior Define. The Lee sofa is a classic yet modern shape. You can customize everything from length and depth to cushion type and, of course, choose from over 100 swatches of different fabrics and colors. We tried it in a new chocolate-brown velvet, and the impressive performance fabric has already withstood a few melted-chocolate and wine spills. The brand’s shipping times are long, but it’s worth the wait if you want to create the sofa of your dreams.

Who doesn’t deserve one item in their home that makes them feel fancy (even if it’s surrounded by old dressers and a cheap sofa)? The Athos Bar Cart is perfect for a home in need of an upgrade. With a marble countertop, plenty of storage—always important in New York City—and brass wheels to easily move around, you can’t beat the features on this thing. But it’s the look we love. We feel like Gatsby, and we’re following his lead: Splurge a little, and the rest will follow.

The rise of fast furniture has been horrible for setting quality expectations among buyers, but North Carolina–based Coley Home has perfected a work-around. Its bed-in-a-box option still allows for complete customization when it comes to design, fabric, and accents, but with a headboard insert made of foam, it’s ready to ship in just ten days. The base is still made of wood and wrapped in the same fabric, and the entire piece blends seamlessly.

Back to the chairs. Here we have a chair worthy of display, with a story to match. The newly remade Paulistano was originally designed for the Paulistano Athletic Club in São Paulo. The frame is made of a continuous 17-foot piece of solid steel, with a single piece of beautifully finished cowhide as the seat. A chair this elegant made from two single pieces is ingenious simplicity. It’s currently sitting in Esquire’s archive room because it’s only right that it be surrounded by words from Didion, Hemingway, Nabokov, and the rest of the greats.

How do you improve your home office? Buy an icon of mid-century design, which is easier than you think. You needn’t scour the vintage market. Knoll has reintroduced exactly what you need: the Morrison Hannah Chair. Introduced by Knoll in 1974, the chair is the work of designers Andrew Morrison and Bruce Hannah, who sought “ergonomics without ego.” The chair is stylish and timeless, fitting into—and elevating—any office. It’s also comfortable as hell. You won’t sacrifice your back for great style.

All of us know The Big Lebowski line about a rug tying the room together. But you know what else creates harmony in your living space? A slick bookshelf. Finding the right one—at an acceptable price point—is the challenge. Let me introduce you to the Krossa shelving unit, a sturdy, stylish piece made from walnut. Display your books, candles, vases, assorted knickknacks from abroad, whatever; the Krossa will be the item inside your house or apartment that helps everything else make sense.

There’s no real need for this, and somehow that only makes it better. It’s a stool ... but not really a stool. More of a side table meant to display cool things—or just look cool. It’s well-made and stunning in shape. It’s made to catch the eye and instantly elevates the aesthetic of any room. Herman Miller has been making furniture that lasts a lifetime since before the Great Depression—which means this price tag will fade from memory long before we could tire of this piece.

Work furniture, especially work-from-home furniture, should not be overlooked. Humanscale offers so many modern, comfortable solutions to sitting down at your computer all day. This year, our favorite is the Float micro table. Slide it next to your sofa, lounge chair, or even bed (no shame) when you have a conference call. It’s better than having a desk in our opinion, because it’s a desk wherever you want it to be. If you feel like you still need a proper chair, we love the brand’s World Chair—better than whatever it is you’re currently swiveling around on.

The Adirondack chair is the undisputed champion of deck chairs, and we’re excited to see luxury outdoor furniture maker Outer getting into the game. Its Ascent Adirondack chair is solid, substantial, and made with super-dense polyethylene that’ll withstand the elements. The Ascent’s seat back is at the exact right pitch for maximum lounging. The armrests are wide enough to support your morning coffee or evening cocktail. The whole silhouette suggests summertime sophistication and classic comfort. Add the optional cushion and ottoman and it’s like you’ve moved your favorite easy chair outdoors.

The Stearns & Foster pitch is that this mattress neither looks nor feels like any other mattress on the market. We are here to tell you that this is true. This thing is huge and plush and deep blue. There are proprietary coils and Tempur-Pedic technology, as well as a pillow top and cooling fibers. That sounds like a lot, and that’s because it is, but it has fundamentally changed the way we think about sleep preferences. When comparing mattresses, there is a hyper focus on how soft or firm an option is—how it feels to us. What’s more important, though, is how the piece makes our body feel while it’s in use. With its focus on relieving pressure, this is the first mattress to ever offer us truly weightless sleep. What a sensation.

It matters what you sleep on. So much of your life is spent breathing in whatever is on and in your mattress. (Sorry for the visual.) Yet only recently have people started really paying attention to the materials, the mattress ingredient list. Unfortunately, the old “organic” options have fallen far short of our expectations. Organic mattresses have struggled, particularly with durability, making them the paper straws of the home-goods market. Not anymore. Coyuchi’s Natural REM mattress is incredibly comfortable and clean, but, even better, it feels made to last. And so far it has.

On the Esquire editorial team, we have some notoriously sweaty sleepers. We (the unnamed sleepers) don’t like to admit it, but it’s true. The pillows and bedding we end up fighting over are always the most breathable. So we should have seen it coming that a great cooling mattress was going to have us in a frenzy. The Midnight Luxe model is preferred by side sleepers, and if we had to rate it on a scale from plush to firm we’d throw our dart right in the middle. But where it is truly excellent is in its temperature control. The cooling cover reacts to your own body heat, working against you for a more comfortable rest. And at its most tricked out, there is also an added CoolForce layer that will have you feeling even more chill. (We had to.)

Most good online mattresses are hybrid models, foam on top of coils. But Purple goes a step further with its signature gel grid. On its new Restore Mattress, you have coils under foam, but it’s all topped by the wonderfully squishy gel grid. For couples sleeping together—especially those in a two-sleep-style Goldilocks situation—it has the best motion dispersion, bar none. The gel topping forms to your body type and adjusts how you sleep throughout the night, so whether you’re a back, belly, or side sleeper, you’re bound to find your perfect sleep position. This is a hybrid that could save marriages. And it’s all under $2,000.

Pillows are a big deal. They need to have the exact right feel for you. Our tester (a side sleeper) declared this “the most comfortable pillow ever owned.” We weren’t surprised, since Coop is a longtime Esquire favorite. The brand’s newest model is made from eco-friendly latex that offers just the right amount of fluff and breathability, as well as a customizable fill option that can be made as soft or as dense as you like. It feels truly made for you. Just be careful not to make a mess when finding your perfect fit. But trust us, you’ll never be able to use another pillow again.

If you’ve always dreamed of sleeping on a cloud, cartoon-character style, we hate to say it’s not going to happen like that. (Hopefully they told you that in second-grade science.) You can, however, get a down-alternative comforter from Cozy Earth. The never-clumping recycled-polyester fill and the baffle-box distribution make this comforter perfectly fluffy and so temperature regulated you’ll never want to get up. You’ll find yourself snuggled up in this thing like you’re in that damn cloud.

The Citizenry makes some of the best linen sheets out there, which is why when the brand launched its organic cotton percale line we knew it would be a hit. These sheets are the definition of cool, crisp, and ideal for sweaty summer sleeping. While there are a lot of percale sheets we love, not a ton of them use 100 percent organic cotton. The Citizenry’s transparency mission makes this a purchase you can feel good about. They’re hotel-style sheets made with fabric that’s cleaner than what any hotel would bother paying for. Who doesn’t want that?

It’s near impossible to find great towels at retail for a reasonable price, so impossible that we’ve considered swiping from a fancy hotel or two. We never acted on that impulse, but we’ve all become towel freaks, comparing options at various price points the world over. This year, thankfully, we found a real winner: Weezie’s Portugal-made towels are luxurious and well-priced, and they get better with every wash. The piped edges stand up to use, and the option for a monogram lets you make them your own. Buy a stack for every bathroom you have.

Rugs are another huge category for us. This year, though, there was just one brand that really stood out: Nordic Knots. It’s pretty tough to escape the brand’s social media footprint. Anyone cool, with any sort of following, has this rug. Obviously we needed to try it. The Park Rug is a simple, minimal design that blends into any space. But if you want to go bolder, the brand makes stunning deep shades and fun patterns that will define any space. In the world of rugs, each one from the Scandi company is competitively priced, vacuums well, doesn’t shed, is hand-made, and feels plush as hell. There’s not much else you can ask for.

Okay, well ... there’s one more rug that can make a statement in your home. Your bathroom rug shouldn’t be old, soggy, and boring. A good bathroom accessory makes the space feel more designed, more spa-like. Keep your towels white, fluffy, and soft—but add something plush and cool to the ground for a little something extra. This one from Atlas is easy to clean and has lasted far longer than we thought it would. Whenever a guest uses the bathroom, they notice this and not that it’s an old city bathroom. That’s what you want, right?

If a company tries too hard to sell you on the “performance” of a textile, it’s trying to hide the fact that it’s ugly. Autumn Sonata, our new favorite textiles maker, doesn’t do that. It makes beautiful textiles that stand up to modern life. Founder Lilli Elias and team use an archivist’s eye to develop timeless items, pulling inspiration from traditional fabrics and antique prints. Everything from the shower curtains to towels to table settings looks like an heirloom, as though it’s been around for centuries already. It’s intentional, usable, and better looking than anything else out there. The young brand has found a few lifetime customers here at Esquire.

There are a lot of candles with good scents; Loewe clears that bar easily. But here we couldn’t ignore that this is one candle every single editor wants to have in their home. In 2025, Loewe’s fluted single-scent candles are a signature decor addition from the brand and a hot item around the holidays. They look fucking incredible, and the scent is classic incense: warm, woody, and spicy. It’ll make any sterile apartment—or hotel room, if you’re also a guerrilla candle burner—smell like a home. That’s the height of luxury.

This isn’t a typical award for us, but when we found a dog bed that looks and feels good enough for a human, we couldn’t deny that this was award worthy. Not only is this dog bed orthopedic (!) and comfortable—according to the tester’s dog, who’s not one to hide his feelings—but it looks really nice in a living room. The removable cover is soft and easy to unzip and throw in the washing machine, and so far, despite the dog’s best efforts, there isn’t a single rip or tear in its well-made material. It comes in a ton of fun choices, but this checkered one is the star of the show.

We love an at-home martini but hate a martini glass at home. The delicate bases are asking to be broken. We’re always going to spill over the thin, wide cup. As if reading our mind, Ralph Lauren introduced a martini glass to its Ethan barware line. The glasses are elegant, with smooth, high-shine edges, but they have that little bit of heft we want when drinking at home. It’s the perfect representation of the Ralph Lauren ethos: elegant but always casual, always usable. The Ethan collection is perfect for pre-black-tie drinks or a weeknight on the porch.

For the record, if you’re currently sipping from a plastic cup from Target, we judge you. We know the normal person has finally adapted to the fact that you need good wineglasses, but you need great all-purpose drinking glasses too. Put down the Stanley cup and be an adult. You can drink water from a cool glass too! Okay, now we have that off our chest, our favorite everyday glasses this year are from Nude. Use these for anything and everything. Cocktails, water, milk, whatever floats your boat. We beg you to upgrade whatever it is you have.

We used to think that the perfect mug, if it exists at all, would be hidden away in the cabinet of a bed-and-breakfast in New England or northern California. Sturdy and substantial, but not too heavy, it would feel just right in your hand. But sadly, you wouldn’t be able to find another one like it. Then we discovered the Mug. With its clean, organic design and soothing color palette, it’s as comforting as it is practical. The Mug retains heat as though it were wrapped in a cozy blanket, and it is dishwasher and microwave safe. You don’t have to travel to find it. But it will transport you all the same.

Ginori 1735 is one of our favorite brands of the year. We’ve already written a love letter to the brand’s heritage designs, but what we think you should buy is this incredible espresso cup set. The Oriente Italiano Collection is a true icon from the brand. You’ve likely seen its more colorful pieces somewhere in the world, but the brand decided to go neutral this year and launch a chocolate-brown and light-beige line to add to the collection. The top is made to keep your espresso hot, and the plate completes the whole Italian experience. If you want to be taken seriously, just drink from this set.

There’s something beautiful in the unfussiness of enamelware. It’s like your grandma’s favorite dinner set or your grandpa’s favorite coffee mug: Falcon makes serving sets and cookware that last. It makes heirlooms. Everything is dishwasher and oven safe, and it’s all done in a suite of simple colors, though classic white with blue rim will always be our favorite. Sure, a dinner set like this won’t be your most formal place setting, but it will surely be your most durable. When we’re gone and the kids and grandkids divide everything up, the Falcon dinnerware is going to be fought over.

This pan is big, almost 18 inches across, with a six-quart capacity, even though it’s a sauté pan. It’s huge. It’s so big that All-Clad doesn’t really keep it in stock all the time. The company brought it back this year, so we have to give it a shout-out. If you’re a parent, it’s great for one-pot meals, saucy stuff, and anything that goes from the stovetop to the oven. If you’re a man living alone, it’s the ultimate meal-prep workhorse. There’s nothing else like it.

This is our go-to frying-pan-and-lid combo. We’ve praised Hexclad in the past, and this year we converted more of our staff than ever before. The brand specializes in a hybrid stainless-steel and nonstick approach that sears like steel but cleans easy like nonstick. Putting the fancy hexagons aside, it’s really just an amazing everyday pan, perfect for sautéing, searing, or pan-frying. And you don’t need to baby it or keep it seasoned like cast iron. It’s the rare skillet that is great from the very first time you use it.

The standout from Caraway’s large enamel cast-iron duo, this Dutch oven is a kitchen game-changer. It’s made of cast iron, so it heats evenly and can go in the oven, and its enamel coating makes it less old-timey and temperamental. Everything we’ve made in this Dutch oven has been a hit. From a delicious ragù and braised meats to soups, stews, and stocks, it’s all been delicious. With a capacity of eight and a half quarts, it’s also perfect for meal prepping and cooking for a family.

If you’re watching cooking content on TikTok or the Food Network, you’ve probably seen the celebrity-chef endorsements of Made In. This year, we tried it for ourselves and discovered what all the chefs were promising—high-quality cookware that tells you exactly where it comes from. This three-knife set is an essential starter kit for anyone who doesn’t know where to get into Japanese knives. Each one of these blades has a gorgeous unique pattern crafted from Damascus steel in Seki, Japan. This is the smoothest our knife cuts have felt in years.

It’s no secret that Esquire is bullish on De’Longhi. The Italian brand does at-home espresso better than just about any other maker on the market. New this year, the third-most-advanced machine within its La Specialista collection, the Opera allows for plenty of customization while still being accessible. Setup requires only two to three minutes—even for first-time barista wannabes—and the included double-walled glasses are an excellent touch. The cold-brew setting is promising, and it takes only a few tries before your daily settings feel like second nature.

When it comes to just plain coffee—drip coffee, that is—we went hard on testing. We all agreed that the new design from Aarke is hands down the most aesthetically pleasing coffee maker you can buy, something your guests will ask about. The machine takes up little counter space and makes a delicious carafe very quickly. And when that carafe is made, the hot plate stays marvelously hot, thanks to all sorts of sensors and tech. Bonus: Both the glass and stainless-steel carafes look incredible and keep weird microplastics from killing your buzz.

When it comes swiftness, design, and everyday use, the Fellow Aiden won our hearts. Everything about this coffee machine is extremely intuitive and simple to use. Setup takes less than five minutes. Everything from creating a schedule to brewing a single-serve cup based on setting preferences (light, medium, or dark roast, etc.) is foolproof. It’s sleek and minimal, and it doesn’t take up much space on the kitchen counter. You’ll need to buy your own grinder or use grounds, but this is the coffee maker of the future.

There’s been a lot of discussion about what really makes a good water filter: How many contaminants does it really filter out? Are the brands being truthful about its claims? We did a lot research and narrowed it down to two great options (more on the second one after this). The Rorra scored extremely high on our list for many reasons. First, it’s transparent about its testing regarding how many contaminants it filters out at precise percentages. It was easy to put together, holds a lot of water, and crucially isn’t an eyesore. It also gets bonus points for being made of stainless steel and not plastic.

When you think about outfitting your home, big-ticket items like couches, chairs, and dining tables usually spring to mind first. But what’s more important than the quality of the water you drink? The Sans water filter uses a four-stage reverse-osmosis system to keep heavy metals, microplastics, unhealthy minerals, and more out of your glass. There’s a sensor so that the pitcher auto-refills as well as an instant-hot setting, but best yet is the taste. We can’t emphasize enough how nice it is to always have a pitcher of water ready to go. This stuff is clean.

A toaster? Lame, we know, but small appliances are important. This isn’t a fancy toaster trying to disrupt the space with bells and whistles. Here it’s all about simplicity and design. You just want to toast your bread, and you want to save counter space. Kitchenware brand Bella is here to save your tiny apartment. This toaster’s perfectly compact size won’t ruin your look and is made from nontoxic materials without PFAS. The brand has more small, well designed appliances, but this one is just practical as hell.

If you don’t currently own anything from Nickey Kehoe, you’re truly missing out. We spent quite a few hours browsing the brand’s website and came out with a cart that totaled a month’s paycheck. In the end, though, these were some of the kitchen items that truly blew us away. Its tabletop pieces are unique and well-made, and they look all their own while blending perfectly into your space. This is the next “it” brand based on design and quality that you’ll want to start shopping before more items sell out.

Like we said about seating, lighting is a serious topic here at Esquire. We’re not just turning on a light; we believe in creating an ambience, adding beautiful objects, and perfectly accenting every angle with the right angled glow. This year, we fell head over heels in love with the Buds 2 lamp designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for Foscarini. Italians just do everything better, and this lamp showcases that. It’s sculptural and high design without ever being too serious, perfect sprezzatura. And don’t let the photo fool you, this is larger than an average table lamp, encompassing two separate pieces that we gave the white-glove treatment to in order to avoid smudging. The beige glass shade, what the brand refers to as “Cipria,” creates the perfect relaxing light, and the transparent bottom catches light like a glass of water.

Sometimes, though, you need an inconspicuous floor lamp, one that looks good and blends into the background. Finding one that does both is as hard as it sounds, but Blue Dot makes it happen. The black-marble base gives it a luxe feel, but it also provides a bit of practicality. The weight keeps it nice and sturdy; you don’t need to worry about it getting wobbly. But mostly we loved the slightly atypical lamp shade that gives it shape and dimension without necessarily feeling like too much of a statement. It will let the rest of your furniture pieces be the real highlight.

While every brand on this list is clearly a winner, we have a few sneaky favorites. The Louis Poulsen Panthella is one of them. Originally designed in 1971, it’s coming back in a perfectly portable version. We love a resurgence. Until we had this little thing, we didn’t realize it needed to be a part of our daily routine. Do we carry it around like a Dickens character with a candlestick? No. Maybe sometimes... Regardless, it’s nice to have something that can switch up a space. Working at the kitchen table by night, bring the Panthella. Reading a bedtime story to the kids, bring the Panthella. It’s lightweight and reliable, gives off great light, and comes in a bunch of fun colors.

We’re bullish on laser projectors and art TVs as stylish centerpieces for our living rooms. Art TVs have been perfected for a few years, but we’re just starting to see laser projectors come into their own. The Aura 2 from Xgimi was our favorite addition to the category in 2025. The display is bright enough to handle everything except direct sunlight, and with Harmon Kardon internal speakers, as well as Dolby Atmos and IMAX certifications, it will replace your soundbar as well. As long as you have a white wall, or the will to figure out a screen situation, there’s never been a more elegant TV replacement.

Two projectors and only one TV. We think it’s safe to say we’ve crossed the home-entertainment horizon. The C2 Ultra projector from Hisense takes picture quality and response time to the next level, making it one of the first projectors that feels great to play video games on. It’s designed for Xbox players, but that’s not stopping you from hooking up your PlayStation 5. You will be getting the best out of your movies, games, and TV shows all without needing to have a black box take up half your wall space.

You’ve heard the wonders of 4K. The picture on your screen is so clear you can see the wrinkles on the otherwise Botox’d faces of the actors. But I didn’t understand the wonders of 4K until I mounted this 65-inch TCL on my family-room wall and popped in the 4K DVD of Casablanca. I could practically taste the Champagne, smell the cigarette smoke. Thanks to the Onkyo speakers, I could hear the ambient sounds of North Africa. Whatever you watch—Hollywood classics, the NFL, King of Queens reruns—this TV might rekindle your love of a screen that’s bigger than a phone. Even better is its price tag. You’d be hard-pressed to find a comparable price on a TV of this quality. Spend the money you save on 4K-quality movies.

Introducing Ecovacs’ latest and greatest into your home is a brave thing to do. Our tester’s cat was faced with an instant archrival. The current score is currently: Ecovacs 1, Callie 0. The remarkably slim vacuum (it’s just over three inches tall) picks up pet hair as well as an upright vacuum does—if not better. Plus, the docking station is self-cleaning. The kicker? If you’re currently in the process of Chat GPT-ifying your life, you’ll be happy to know that this model even comes with an AI voice assistant.

You’ve got your big vacuum rig stored in the laundry room, and you get it out when you need to tackle your entire living space, but what about all those tiny corners that could use your attention just a little bit more often? Enter Dyson’s newest handheld. Don’t let the name deceive you. It’s for more than outside the home—it’s just practical as hell. The long-lasting charge on this makes it perfect for storing in your bedroom (think closet!) or, like we currently are, your car, for fuss-free cleanup on the go. The suction is powerful, and your improved mental well-being is only a few zaps away.

We’ve tried a lot of air purifiers. Time and time again, Blueair remains our favorite brand. For years, we’ve been following the brand’s innovative upgrades, but the most recent launch of the 3-in-1 takes the cake. All while using top-notch purifying technology (we won’t waste your time with the jargon; you know how these things work), the device can heat and the cool the air too. Although we’ve tried other devices that attempt the same, no one does it this well, all matched up with a perfect operating system and a sleek, small look. You barely notice it’s even there, but the impact it makes is huge.

If you’ve ever been committed to using a humidifier during those dry winter months, then you understand the absolute pain and horror of cleaning those things. And it’s one of those items you simply cannot ignore cleaning; otherwise you’re just inhaling mold. Carepod knew the struggles and answered our prayers. Never have we tried a humidifier that was simpler, or easier to clean. Just take out the interior bucket, boil it on the stovetop, or clean it with some hot water and vinegar. No annoying tight corners or holes to clean with a toothbrush. The material also is extremely antimicrobial and doesn’t easily let rust build up. The footprint is small, but it makes a huge difference. Lastly, it’s not ugly. In our opinion, Carepod fuckin’ nailed it.

As with Aviron’s rower and stationary bike, the Victory treadmill has a 22" HD touchscreen loaded up with games and guided programs. Plus you can hook up your streaming and social apps—Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, TikTok, and more are preloaded. It’s about half the price of the comparable Peloton Tread+, and though it offers none of the live classes that draw people to Peloton, there is a growing catalog of on-demand coaching sessions and scenic virtual runs. As with the games on Aviron's rower and bike, the games are mostly good in theory, but the entertainment is just right. When I have 30 minutes to get my heart rate up, I’m much more likely to walk some inclines over a Three’s Company rerun on Tubi. But either way, I’m getting those steps in.

Let’s start at the most obvious place: The Ergatta rowing machine is beautiful, more so than any bro-y squat rack or techy wall machine. Even if you never use it, it’s a stunning addition to any home, especially the visible water tank. But you should use it, because the software is perfectly balanced between communal activities—rides with other rowers you know, open rows with rowers you don’t—and solo challenges. The video classes also up the variety; you’ll never be bored again.

The makers of the sexiest outdoor pizza ovens on the market have made a portable iteration that’s every bit as stylish. The Tread has the same sports-car curves as the Gozney Arc, but it’s lighter (30 pounds to the Arc’s 48) and tighter (you won’t get anything bigger than a 12-inch crust in here). The flame arcs over the stone as with the other Gozneys, but because the unit so small, the stone heats up fast. We got ours up to 850 degrees in about 20 minutes on a chilly Los Angeles night. Once you get the hang of the small size, the Tread really shines. The idea is to throw it into its carrying case and take it camping, with an optional stand to keep the unit level, but this guy has made a permanent home in the backyard.