An all-over-the-place assortment of stood-behind products culled from this very website that appears in the most recent December issue of New York Magazine.
Best in Class
When our tech writer, Jordan McMahon, set out to test robot vacuums, he was determined to find one that would match the strength of his upright model. The iRobot Roomba j7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum sucked more (in a good way) than the competition; after several weeks of use, McMahon trusted it to remove all the dust and dirt on his floors with barely any follow-up required. The robot has two tough rubber brushes that rotate in opposite directions and additional ones on its side to reach into corners. It also mapped McMahon’s home without any hitches using sensors and a front-facing camera. You can get cheaper Roombas, says McMahon, but they all come with sacrifices that dampen the experience. This one is a pleasure, down to the satisfying (and, admittedly, loud) sound it make swhen it empties its haul into a bag after the robot returns to its dock.
Strategist Hunt
I Found a Pan to Replace My Nonstick Cookware
Well-seasoned carbon-steel pans are known to be durable, much like cast iron but with a slick surface that works like nonstick models. I recently bought this one in two sizes during a sale and have since used both nearly every day—to fry an egg, pan-roast Brussels sprouts, cook up fried rice, make pancakes, and more. To clean them, I use a soapy sponge, rinse with water, dry with a dish towel, then heat them on the stove with a bit of Misen’s seasoning wax. –Winnie Yang
Celebrity Shopping
“This lip product is a revelation: It never gets feathery or goopy, and after a couple of minutes, once the color dries, it does not move. You can wear this to dinner, then go to a bar, and it will not come off until you forcibly take it off with makeup wipes. I wear this red shade if I’m going to an event.”
“I am obsessed with olives, but I’m not going to carry around a glass jar. These come in a bag and are more seasoned than others I’ve tried. If there are multiple people in the car when I’m traveling for Summer House, we go through a whole bag.”
“This was my first film camera—it used to belong to my dad—and to this day, it’s the film camera I use the most. It’s very big and heavy, but it takes the most beautiful pictures. I used it to document my trips to
Please Advise
In his latest column, Chris Black responded to a reader hoping to branch out from what is usually considered the most versatile shoe in any closet.
“The boat shoe has had a big year, and this pair is the sexiest low-key version I’ve found. The loafers come in several flavors (black deerskin, black suede, and brown suede), and while they’re an investment, they will never go out of style.”
“Some may find these loafers too dainty, but I have always loved how they look with jeans, shorts, and a suit or tuxedo. You can choose between a leather or rubber sole.”
“I have been campaigning for the driving shoe to make a comeback for a few years. The suede will age nicely, and the ‘rubber pebble’ sole is very comfortable.”
“This timeless classic can be kept in the mudroom and worn with almost anything. The pebble leather molds to your feet, and the shoes slip on and off very easily.”
Ask a Cool Person
These are the button-down sweaters that three of them reach for most often. –Brenley Goertzen
Personal stylist Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin likes to wear cardigans in place of tees. She says this one is the ideal weight for that. “It’s machine washable and maintains its quality,” she adds.
“I never outgrew my ’90s obsession with roll-necks and cable knits,” says author Hannah Selinger. This chunky cardigan goes with casual and tailored shirts.
“This is one of the staples in my wardrobe,” says brand consultant Aemilia Madden. It works across seasons. She loves the slightly relaxed fit.
Beauty Brief
Everyone, no matter their natural lip color, can look good in brown liner and
clear gloss. To perfect the pout, I spent much of the summer and fall cataloguing and testing new brown liners and found that the consistency and tone of this one were just right for me. The tip is sharp, applies smoothly, and doesn’t feel slippy. In fact, of all the new liners I tried, this is the only one still in my rotation six months later. Not surprisingly, it pairs well with Ami Colé’s lip glosses, which I like a lot too. –Tembe Denton-Hurst
Trust Me, I Should Know
As an avid pickleball player trying to preserve what little sporting ability I have left, I take all kinds of precautions to prevent on-court injuries. Here, four things that help. –Ganda Suthivarakom
All pickleball players are only one errant ricochet away from a black eye.
I bought an additional set of transparent lenses for the frames of these cycling glasses. They offer wraparound coverage, good scratch resistance, and no lens distortion, and the adjustable nose pads squeeze tight like a clothespin.
When pickleball pro Andrea Koop plays, she often has one of these compression sleeves on her right arm. I used one when recovering from tennis elbow so I could continue playing with minimal pain. The sleeves go on tight and stay tight, even after trips through the laundry.
This bendy rubber churro is absolutely essential for healing tennis elbow. I use it for eccentric (meaning muscle-lengthening, not weird) exercises to relieve pain and strengthen my forearms. This model offers the right amount of tension for me, and I found YouTube tutorials very helpful for learning to use it.
Pickleball involves
a lot of lateral movement, so it’s important to have shoes that offer side- to-side stability. The K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2 Wide may be the only tennis shoe that can fit around my bunion.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
