A good baby carrier can be a lifesaver. The right carrier enables mom or dad to hold baby close, while freeing up their hands to get something else done. Some even allow hands-free nursing. ConsumerSearch analyzes hundreds of expert and owner reviews to recommend the best baby carriers from infancy to toddlerhood.
BabyBjorn Miracle
Best Front Baby Carrier
Parents and experts agree that the BabyBjorn Miracle is the most comfortable front carrier for baby and parent available. It can be used for an infant without an insert as well as for older babies with full head control. It distributes the weight on the parent between the shoulders and waist, and carries babies in the recommended wide-leg position.
$119.96
Baby K’tan
Best Sling/Wrap Baby Carrier
Described as “wrap with no wrapping,” the Baby K’tan holds your child close like a traditional wrap, but without the steep learning curve required. It carries the baby in at least five positions and can even accommodate newborn twins. Owners say it’s a great choice for travel because it scrunches up into a small package.
Beco Gemini
Best Convertible Baby Carrier
Parents say the Beco Gemini is one of the most comfortable carriers around, and it feels secure even when they move around a lot. With four carry positions, it’s versatile enough to carry toddlers, and can be used for a newborn without an insert. It’s ranked highly in expert reviews for ease of use and durability.
Deuter Kid Comfort III
Best Backpack Baby Carrier
The Deuter Kid Comfort III is considered by parents to be a must-have for taking baby on outdoor adventures. Its easy adjustments and superb weight distribution make it comfortable for parents of all sizes to wear for hours, even on strenuous hikes. Babies are very well supported for naps and sit up high enough to take in the action when they’re awake.
$399.88
The best office chair should offer solid back and leg support, durable upholstery and plenty of adjustability options so a user can find their own optimum comfort level. ConsumerSearch analyzes hundreds of expert and owner reviews to recommend the best office chairs.
Steelcase Leap
Best ergonomic office chair
Adjustable to the extreme, the Steelcase Leap makes it easy to find a comfortable sitting position no matter what size you are, reviewers say. Customizable lumbar support and a flexible seat back minimize aches and pains, allowing the seat to move with the user’s spine. The Steelcase Leap comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Herman Miller Aeron
Best mesh office chair
An icon of modern design since its introduction in 1994, the Herman Miller Aeron is still a top pick for its breathable, high-quality mesh and customizable features, reviewers say. It gets particular raves for comfort over long work sessions. The chair is available in three sizes, making a perfect fit easy to achieve, and it comes with a 12-year warranty.
Raynor Eurotech Ergohuman LE9ERG
Best leather office chair
The Raynor Eurotech Ergohuman LE9ERG offers all the ergonomic adjustments a worker could want, with the added luxury of leather upholstery, reviewers say. The high seat back and headrest make it a particularly good choice for taller workers, but is a comfy choice for any frame. It comes with a lifetime warranty.
Label makers are handy for all sorts of organization projects. Today’s label makers are more flexible than the clunky pressure models you might remember. With digital label makers, you can change fonts and sizes for the most readable and decorative labels. We examine user reviews to handpick several models that stand out for their ease of use, cost of consumables and flexibility.
Brother P-touch PT-2730
Best label maker
The Brother P-touch PT-2730 is a full-featured label maker that’s loaded with font, style and framing options, and comes with templates and preset formats. This dual-function model can print labels from a PC or Mac computer, and works great as a stand-alone label maker. The PT-2730 comes with an AC adapter plus a USB cable for connecting to your computer.
Brother P-touch PT-D200
Best label maker for most users
The Brother P-touch PT-D200 handheld label maker earns good reviews from experts and mostly positive feedback from owners. It prints labels up to a half-inch wide and on various tape media, including iron-on fabric for labeling clothes. It can print in nine fonts and a variety of text styles, including vertical; print icons or other decorative elements; and even place frames around labels. Up to 30 frequently used labels can be stored in the built-in memory.
Brother P-touch PT-90
Best cheap label maker
If you want a cheap and easy-to-use label maker, the Brother P-touch PT-90 is a great choice. It prints in only a single font but in a wide variety of styles, including vertical. For those who want a little flair for their labels, eight decorative modes are available. Three switchable faceplates are included.
Although dedicated fax machines are losing ground to multifunction printers, they can still be handy if you send or receive lots of faxes. In a bit of a role reversal, many can copy, scan or print from a computer as well, making them a jack-of-all-trades solution. Our editors analyze hundreds of reviews to find the best fax machines for large and small businesses, along with a budget fax for home use.
Brother IntelliFax-4100e
Best office fax machine
For busy offices, the Brother IntelliFax-4100e is the best laser fax machine you can buy. Its initial price is a bit high, but its lower per-page cost makes it a long-term bargain for those who fax frequently. Users praise its fast, high-quality performance, free of errors or paper jams. It also includes printing, scanning and copying functions.
Brother IntelliFax-2840
Cheap office fax machine
The Brother IntelliFax-2840 foregoes fancy features in favor of a hard-to-resist bottom line. This monochrome laser fax machine sends and receives faxes quickly and clearly, and is adept in scanning and copying as well.
Brother FAX-575
Best home fax machine
The Brother FAX-575 is an inexpensive thermal fax that’s ideal for occasional use in a home or home office. Though it’s not appropriate for heavy workloads, reviewers say this fax machine is easy to set up and use, and its print quality is adequate.
Digital voice recorders fill a wide range of roles, from professional models ideal for recording musical performances and interviews to bare-bones models that work perfectly fine for recording lectures and personal notes. Experts and users review a wide range of digital voice recorders. ConsumerSearch analyzes those reviews and name the very best voice recorders for every use and user, based on their performance, usability and bang for the buck.
Olympus DM-620
Best digital voice recorder
A three-microphone setup gives the Olympus DM-620 superior flexibility for balanced recordings in a broad range of situations. The interface is a little challenging for those who aren’t technically inclined, but the great sound quality and 55-foot range of the built-in mics give this voice recorder serious value for capturing meetings and tackling transcribing.
$106.50
Olympus VN-702PC
Cheap digital voice recorder
The Olympus VN-702PC is a great general-purpose voice recorder. Because it only supports MP3 and WMA formats, it can’t deliver the same audio quality as higher-end recorders. However, its overall ease of use and portability earn it high praise among those who want a basic but reliable voice recorder for capturing lectures, personal notes and the like.
Samson Zoom H4n
Digital voice recorder for professionals
Excellent performance and powerful features make the Samson Zoom H4n a standout among high-end voice recorders. Its ability to capture music, voice and sound effects makes it ideal for film projects, professional broadcasts and podcasts, and more. Features include dynamic adjustable stereo microphones and four-track recording capabilities. It’s very expensive, but those who value its features say it’s worth it.
Tornadoes and other violent weather can strike with little warning, but a weather radio can help you stay one step ahead of the elements. Emergency radios, including crank-powered models, can provide an invaluable lifeline during a disaster, when power is out and batteries are gone. Our editors analyze weather and emergency radio reviews and recommend the radios that offer the best combination of features, performance, ease of use and value.
Sangean CL-100
Best weather radio
The Sangean CL-100 is packed with useful features, such as SAME technology, selectable alerts and auto-shutoff when a message ends. When it’s not reporting on weather and other emergency alerts, users say it makes a great clock radio, with good FM reception and sound quality. Build quality is superb, and most find it very easy to use.
Midland WR-120
Cheap weather radio
For those who don’t need advanced features, reviewers recommend the Midland WR-120. It’s Public Alert-certified and SAME-enabled, and most owners find it very reliable. Its biggest disadvantage is that the WR-120 doesn’t allow the disabling of unwanted alerts, but at about half the price of other top-rated weather radios, owners consider it an excellent value.
Etón American Red Cross FRX3
Best emergency radio
The Etón American Red Cross FRX3 has about every feature you could ask for in an emergency radio. It has multiple power sources, including a hand crank and a solar panel, and it moonlights as an AM/FM radio, flashlight and cellphone charger. Users say it’s reliable and easy to use, with great reception and good sound quality.
Ambient Weather WR-111B
Portable emergency radio
The Ambient Weather WR-111B emergency radio is a great addition to any storm survival kit. For such a small radio, it’s packed with features, including AM/FM reception, a flashlight, a solar panel, and a charger for cellphones and other devices. We found some complaints about durability, but Ambient’s customer service gets a big thumbs-up.
Two-way radios, also known as walkie-talkies, are handy in lots of situations. They can help you keep in touch with friends and family around the neighborhood, in a mall, on a cruise ship, or deep in the woods where a cell signal is nowhere to be found. Our editors consider features, range and durability to select the best walkie-talkies, both with and without GPS features.
Midland GXT1000VP4
Best walkie-talkie
Reviewers find that the Midland GXT1000VP4 offers the best blend of features, durability and price. This walkie-talkie has a stated range of up to 36 miles, though users say its actual range is more like 1 to 6 miles. It’s also sturdy and weatherproof, and it includes handy features like a weather radio and a highly sensitive “whisper mode.”
Uniden GMR1635-2
Walkie-talkies for kids
The Uniden GMR1635-2 is an inexpensive two-way radio that owners say is great for kids. Compared to a toy walkie-talkie, users say these offer great range and sound quality. Reports indicate that they are durable given their price.
Garmin Rino 655T
Two-way radio with GPS
The Garmin Rino 655T combines all the functionality you’d expect from a GPS receiver, including a trip computer, with an advanced two-way radio that includes features such as unit-to-unit texting. Transmission range can hit 15 miles line-of-sight in good conditions, or 4 to 5 miles on flat terrain or rolling hilltops.
Why buy a black-and-white laser printer? Because these penny-pinching workhorses print the highest quality text, that’s why. Laser printers are the ultra-fast, ultra-cheap, ultra-reliable mainstays of busy offices. Home users can get a great laser printer for as little as $130 too. We scour expert and owner reviews to pick the best buys.
Brother HL-2270DW
Best Brother laser printer
Many experts — and thousands of happy owners — point to the Brother HL-2270DW as the very best black-and-white laser printer you can buy. It’s small, quick, super-reliable and cheap to run. Networking is easy, with built-in Ethernet and — for those interested in a wireless laser printer — Wi-Fi. Print quality, especially for text, is excellent.
Dell B2360dn
Best Dell laser printer
The Dell B2360dn is an outstanding value for busy offices, experts say. Its beefy memory, processor and 300-sheet paper capacity can handle bigger print jobs, and built-in Ethernet lets several users share this Dell laser printer. It’s cheap to run, and optional add-ons (a $50 Wi-Fi adapter and $150 550-sheet paper tray) unlock even more of its potential.
HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn
Best HP laser printer
The HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn occupies middle ground between home and office laser printers. It’s faster (and costs more) than most personal laser printers, but it’s slower, smaller and at least a little cheaper than a business laser printer. Some top experts — and hundreds of owners — eagerly recommend this HP laser printer despite some downsides.
Samsung Xpress M2835DW
Best Samsung laser printer
If you own a slew of smartphones, tablets and computers to print from, the Samsung Xpress M2835DW could make your life a little easier. This wireless laser printer can print directly from all of the above. Near-Field Communication (NFC) support, which lets you print from compatible devices with just a tap, is added for this year. This is a new model, but based on its predecessor, it’s safe to expect crisp text, brisk speed, low running costs and rock-solid reliability.
The best color laser printers print out sharp text and good-quality graphics and photos at high speed. We look at the best expert and user reviews of color laser printers to find which ones provide top performance. The best color laser printers for busy offices and budget-friendly models for personal use are named.
HP LaserJet Enterprise 500 M551dn
Best color laser printer
Blazing speed, pretty printouts and reasonable running costs make the HP LaserJet Enterprise 500 M551dn an easy pick for busy offices. This workhorse color laser printer boasts a duplexer and 500-sheet paper drawer plus 100-sheet tray, and it can crank out up to 75,000 pages in a month. It includes Ethernet networking — no Wi-Fi, but you can print wirelessly from mobile devices via HP ePrint.
Brother HL-4150CDN
Cheap color laser printer
The Brother HL-4150CDN is quite a bargain: It is relatively inexpensive for a color laser printer, but it’s heavy-duty enough for a small office. It has Ethernet, a duplexer, two paper trays and a robust 40,000-page monthly max — just about everything a small office needs. There’s no Wi-Fi, but you can print wirelessly from smartphones and tablets with Brother’s free app.
Brother HL-3140CW
Wireless color laser printer
Cheap, easy, fast and reliable, the Brother HL-3140CW is the best inexpensive color laser printer for personal use or small workgroups. There’s no Ethernet hookup, but Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct are built in so you’ll be able to print wirelessly from your computers, smartphones and tablets. Text and graphics don’t look as crisp as with pricier models, but still quite good. There’s no duplexer, though.
Why buy a separate printer, scanner and fax machine when you can get an all-in-one printer that does all of that, and often more? Here’s the lowdown on what reviewers say you should look for when searching for the right multifunction printer for your home or office, and our take on which ones are the best.
Brother MFC-J870DW
Best all-in-one printer
Inkjet printers are notorious for breaking down and wasting ink, but not the Brother MFC-J870DW. This all-in-one printer is a solid performer (at copying, scanning, faxing and wireless printing too), an ink miser, and owners say it’s actually reliable. With a 100-sheet paper tray, this is an ideal multifunction printer for personal or home-office use.
Brother MFC-7360N
Best laser all-in-one printer
Laser all-in-one printers are faster and cheaper to run than inkjets — and reviews say the Brother MFC-7360N is the best of the bunch. This black-and-white all-in-one laser printer is an absolute workhorse, speedily churning out text and graphics that look crisper than what you’ll see from any inkjet printer or MFP.
Canon Pixma MX922
Best all-in-one printer for photos
If you plan to print a lot of photos — and copy, scan and fax, too — experts say the Canon Pixma MX922 is your best bet. Photos look beautifully detailed, better than prints from ordinary inkjets or the corner drugstore. Photos and text print quickly, although charts and graphics are painfully slow.
HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One
Wireless all-in-one printer for a small office
In test after test, the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One printer delivers professional quality output at a fast speed, and it also prints good quality photos. Most users appreciate its nifty features (including auto duplexing and a legal paper-sized scanning bed) and easy wireless use.
