We write about hundreds of products every week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites: expert-recommended essentials, life-changing stuff you didn’t know you needed, newly launched gizmos, and very good deals we uncovered while trawling the vast online-shopping universe — including Sohla El-Waylly’s non-medicated treatment for decongestion, a convertible mini-crib that’s designed to grow with your child, and a long-lasting, Strategist-tested foundation that’s safe to sleep in.
A sleek keychain that’s highly customizable (and giftable)
Chris Black has thoughts — and so did many of our Instagram followers when we shared his latest column on key holders that aren’t carabiners. While you may not be, as Black puts it, all done with the skater-boy staple, he suggests buying a nice keychain because the “metal you use to unlock the door is not an accessory,” he says. Black recommends fully customizable Various Keytags, which he’s gifted several times over the years: “This does force you to get creative, but I have faith.”
R.L. Stine’s “costume” that he debuted on the Today show
It’s hard to picture R.L. Stine not wearing his signature Robert Graham black button-down, but we recently got the (wholesome) origin story behind his uniform — or “costume,” as he calls it. The author, whose new book, Goosebumps House of Shivers #1, is out now, was appearing on the Today show for the first time when he first “got scary as an author.” But Stine says he didn’t know what to wear, so his wife suggested a black top. “Maybe if you dressed in black, you wouldn’t just look like somebody’s dad,” she told him.
The rice cooker that’s survived six of Phoebe Sung’s moves
When Cold Picnic co-founder Phoebe Sung moved into a studio apartment in Boston 18 years ago, her dad gave her this Taiwanese rice cooker, which is nearly identical to the model she had growing up. Because the space lacked a designated kitchen, Sung says the appliance did a lot of heavy lifting, from cooking rice, dumplings, and Chinese sausage to making broth and even bastardized risotto. Sung still uses the “little tank” daily and says it works just as well as it did before six moves and several drops down stairs and off of moving trucks. And while she did buy a second version of the same model, Sung says she can’t bear to part with the older one. “I’ve become so acquainted with it and learned how to make rice exactly how I like it (a little bit sticky and not so fluffy),” she says.
A Magsafe phone stand for the techy (or TikTok-obsessed) person in your life
Last week, Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon rounded up the best giftable tech products to buy before they sell out, with picks ranging from headphones and video games to folding phones and this snap-on tripod stand. McMahon says it works great for recording hands-free videos or making FaceTime calls, but it’s also excellent for watching TikToks while sitting at your desk. “It won’t help them cut down on screen time, but it’ll give their hands a nice break,” he says.
The body butter Kourtney Kardashian introduced to Stacey Bendet
“When I was living in Malibu, Kourtney Kardashian sent me a sample after they made it for the first time,” designer Stacey Bendet says of this body butter she now stockpiles at home. Bendet describes the fragrance as earthy without being overly perfumey and says the formula is ideal for dry skin because it absorbs quickly. The hefty container also lasts for a while, Bendet says, adding that she uses it three times a week.
A festive Baggu stocking that caused a commotion in the Strategist group chat
We have plenty of ideas when it comes to the small and delightful items that could go inside, so it’s only fitting that we bring you the best stockings to stuff by polling editors, interior decorators, and production designers. This option from Baggu caused quite a stir in our team Slack when it launched, so Strategist writer Kitty Guo tried one out herself. She says the recycled nylon exterior is sturdy, and the design is roomy enough to accommodate several petite gifts. It also comes in five prints, including the brand’s signature smiley faces and strawberries, but Guo opted for this festive green-and-lilac candy stripe.
Sohla El-Waylly’s neti-pot alternative
Chef and restaurateur Sohla El-Waylly, a self-proclaimed “chronically very stuffy” person, counts this suctioning nasal cleaner among her favorite things. El-Waylly says she used to take Benadryl constantly until her husband got her this game-changing device, which she describes as a “battery-operated neti pot.” It quickly pushes liquid through her nose so El-Waylly can smell the food she’s cooking and breathe through her nose again.
An emergency radio that’s slim enough to stash inside your work bag
In our roundup of the best emergency radios, this compact model was named our top pick for keeping in your work bag. Pete, the Texas-based survivalist behind the YouTube channel the Roaming Prepper, says if you experience an emergency like a terrorist attack or a blackout while at work, “you can pop it on and start getting information,” even if cell-phone lines are jammed. He also recommends this radio for city dwellers because it weighs less than a pound but still packs a flashlight, reading light, and SOS alarm. It has a relatively small internal battery, but can be charged four ways: with AAA batteries, a USB cable, a built-in solar panel, or by hand crank.
A convertible mini-crib for extra-small nurseries
As seen in our guide to the best (nice-looking) cribs for babies, this Babyletto bed comes recommended by Rebelstork founder Emily Hosie, who says the compact size was an excellent fit for her city nursery. Measuring around a foot shorter than an average full-size crib, the Gelato Mini can convert into a toddler bed — a process that was “beyond easy and seamless,” Hosie says — plus it can be transformed into a daybed or twin bed with the appropriate kits. The crib also comes with a height-adjustable mattress and is available in four colors, including white and walnut.
A foundation with a “glass-skin” finish you can sleep in
In last week’s installment of The Strategist Beauty Brief, Guo tested Youthforia’s new active-infused Date Night foundation, which the brand says is safe to sleep in. When Guo spoke to the brand’s founder, Fiona Co Chan, she explained that she would have appreciated a product like this when she began dating her now-husband. After sleeping in the formula for three nights, Guo concluded that the weightless finish has a blurring effect without cracking, and while there was some transfer to her pillowcase, her skin still had a subtle evenness in the morning: “I certainly wouldn’t advise wearing it for a month straight, but if you’re meeting up with a hot Hinge date, you can rest easy.”
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
