All posts tagged: u up

What to Know About At-Home STI Tests: Pros, Cons, and Recommendations (2026)

What to Know About At-Home STI Tests: Pros, Cons, and Recommendations (2026)

If you’re the kind of person who gets nervous or squeamish at the doctor’s office, you might find that collecting your own samples doesn’t freak you out as much as someone in a white coat doing it. Depending on where you live and your transportation situation, at-home STD tests might be more accessible than visiting a clinic or making a doctor’s appointment. And you can pay for them out of pocket, which might be a better option based on your health insurance. Finally, and unfortunately, sexually transmitted infections have a stigma attached to them. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of checking up on your sexual health—far from it, in fact—but at-home tests might be a better option if you’re concerned about what others may think. The Cons of At-Home STI Tests At-home STI tests are expensive. Depending on your specific health care situation, they might be more affordable, and many of them are FSA- and HSA-eligible or may be covered by insurance. But if you live in an area where there’s free testing through your city …

Many Adjustable Bed Frames Have a “Zero Gravity” Feature. I Tried It for a Week

Many Adjustable Bed Frames Have a “Zero Gravity” Feature. I Tried It for a Week

On earth, zero gravity mode isn’t about feeling weightless so much as feeling supported using gentle elevation to nudge your body and legs into a more relaxed alignment. This distinction matters. “Most claims about sleep benefits tend to be exaggerated in the marketing world,” says Erin Flynn-Evans, director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center. “What really matters is whether such claims can stand up to scientific scrutiny.” NASA’s research simply documents posture in space—not how people should sleep on Earth. Benefits of Zero-Gravity Sleeping Semantics aside, the claims around zero-gravity sleeping are compelling. “Short-term, people notice less tossing and turning and deeper comfort. Long-term, it supports spinal alignment, reduces inflammation, and helps the nervous system shift into true rest and repair,” says Annie Schlecht, a sleep consultant and occupational therapist who also practices craniosacral therapy. According to Schlecht, the gentle elevation can ease specific issues like lower back pain, sciatica, hip and joint discomfort, arthritis, and leg swelling. Keeping the upper body slightly raised can also benefit people with reflux, snoring, …

Sex Toys for Every Type of Body and Ability (2026)

Sex Toys for Every Type of Body and Ability (2026)

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to toys aimed at providing accessibility or inclusion, just like there isn’t one type of disability. Very few toys or brands are actually made with disability at the forefront, the exception being Cute Little Fuckers, a queer,- trans-, and disabled-owned sex toy brand. (I tested three of the brand’s toys, above.) So instead, I thought of my own needs as someone with upper-limb disabilities, and I talked to other disabled folks, including those who use wheelchairs or have lower-body disabilities, to find out what they look for in their sex toys. This included tools like slings, pillows, and chairs that help with positioning during sex (or solo play). (More on that below.) Since I have a vagina and upper limb disabilities, many of the toys I tested were aimed at people like me, but many, like app-connected G-spot and clitoral toys, have similar versions with the same in-app features, except for people with penises or those that prefer anal play. I took many factors intro consideration, including weight, …

The Best Smart Sleep Pads for Your Most Efficient Sleep (2026)

The Best Smart Sleep Pads for Your Most Efficient Sleep (2026)

Sleep tech only seems to be getting more pervasive, permanent, and pricey. One day, you start checking your sleep rings on your Apple Watch, the next, you find yourself shopping for smart mattresses that require you to rethink your entire bed, fans that blow cool air under your duvet, and subscription apps that promise sleep coaching with hyper-granular data. Smart sleep pads are a good middle ground. They don’t require you to replace your bed and frame, strap anything to your body, or radically change your routine. They just sit on or underneath your mattress or pillow, and quietly do their thing—from tracking to temperature regulation—while you sleep. Some smart sleep pads adjust temperature, while others monitor movement or ever-so-slightly influence your sleep patterns. Either way, they’re easy to live with, which feels closer to how we think tech should behave at night. I tested several sleep pads on the same bed, during a Midwestern winter, to see which ones truly felt like they made a difference, and which felt more like experiments than solutions. …

19 Best Food Gifts to Buy Online, as Tested by Our Tastebuds (2026)

19 Best Food Gifts to Buy Online, as Tested by Our Tastebuds (2026)

Letterly’s custom gift trays are ideal for event-based gifting. Choose your combination of numbers, shapes, or phrases, and then choose your filling. Options include artisan popcorn, flavored mixed nuts, dried fruit, candy, chocolate, and a few mixes of those options; there are choices for vegan and Kosher diets as well. Button the whole thing up with an optional “Thank You” or “Happy Birthday” message on the outer cardboard sleeve. The trays are plastic-wrapped for safe transport, and you can include a gift message as well. Limited-edition holiday collections are available, too, like the “Love” or “XO” trays for Valentine’s Day. My mixed fruit and nut tray was filled with tasty treats, including pistachios, candied almonds, macadamia and Brazil nuts, dried kiwi, apricot, pineapples, apples, raisins … it was a smorgasbord of goodness. I think a larger tray would be a good gift to bring to a party, but I was perfectly happy to munch on the “25” I received over the course of a few days. Is it the most personal gift in the world? …

8 Best Couples Sex Toys (2026), Tested and Reviewed

8 Best Couples Sex Toys (2026), Tested and Reviewed

Other Sex Toys to Consider Here are a few other toys that aren’t as great as the picks above but are still worth a try. Lelo Tor 3 Courtesy of Lelo Lelo Tor 3 for $169: If you love cock rings but would love them even more if they were app-enabled, then meet the Lelo Tor 3. While at first the Tor 3 looks very snug, this ring is extremely flexible, making it a perfect fit for all penises or strap-ons, if that’s how you prefer to use this device, as it’s designed to stimulate the clitoris when paired with a partner who has a vulva. Although you can score a whopping two hours of playtime with Tor 3, it’s paramount that you don’t exceed 30 minutes of restricted blood flow to the penis. And if at any time things start to hurt—not in a good way—remove the ring immediately. The Tor 3 doesn’t have the pinchable arms that the Dame Hug has, so it’s up to the users to be cognizant of time limits …

Forget Hinge or Bumble. This App Promises a Personal AI Matchmaker

Forget Hinge or Bumble. This App Promises a Personal AI Matchmaker

“On the matchmaking app, if we ask you a question and your tonality changes in the response, it cues to us that you may not be telling us the full truth. And so we’ll ask you that same question in two or three different ways throughout your experience,” Cohen-Aslatei says. “We built this to mimic what a matchmaker would do for a client. The LLM is tracking pitch and tone change in your voice because we want to make sure that we have an accurate understanding of who you are and what you’re looking for.” After answering dozens more questions about lifestyle, future goals, boundaries, family, attraction, hobbies, and more over the course of a few days, Tai told me it’d take the information provided and get back to me. Two days later, I received my first two potential matches. I Love You, Alive Girl As a 31-year-old woman, I put my ideal age range at a healthy 26 to 40 years old. My first two matches were 23 and 47. One was not alive …

The 20 Best Sexy Gifts for Lovers (2026)

The 20 Best Sexy Gifts for Lovers (2026)

Others Tested Photograph: Molly Higgins Aurelia Lingerie Subscription Box Starting at $100 (Monthly): A monthly lingerie subscription box is sure to keep things spicy. This small, Canadian-based lingerie retailer has human-curated lingerie subscription boxes and size-inclusive lingerie (they carry bra sizes A-M and panties XS-4XL). When you begin the lingerie subscription service, you complete a style quiz that asks about your style preferences, and a human stylist creates a unique box for you or your partner. The box also includes a guide to measuring your cup size, troubleshooting tips, a measuring tape, and a zippered net case for washing delicates. Photograph: Molly Higgins Underclub Subscription Box Starting at $38 (Monthly): With Underclub, you can give both a practical and sexy gift to your lover every month. Subscribers can choose between a bralette set with a matching top and bottom or two pairs of underwear bottoms delivered each month. When you sign up, you’ll be asked a series of questions about your personal preferences and a stylist will curate an underwear box for you. The bra …

The Best Date-Night Boxes of 2026, Tested With My Hinge Dates

The Best Date-Night Boxes of 2026, Tested With My Hinge Dates

Same as the Five Senses deck above, this scratch-off card set happens in sequence, with optional “level up” cards to really push intimacy, and separate cards for each partner with secret directions. For this date, you’ll both bring a red item that you show at certain points to signify that you’re open to physical touch. Then you’ll go out to dinner and have intentional conversation, and every time a partner pulls out the red item, you’ll follow the prompts to initiate increasingly intimate physical acts, ranging from hand holding to neck kisses. So there we were, at Illegal Taqueria, edging each other over al pastor tacos (I kid). Many of the cards urged a partner not to interrupt or solve problems, but ask questions and talk dirty. My date said, “I think this may be for couples who hate each other.” I had to agree. The second part of the date involved driving and stoplights, but since we were in Brooklyn, we walked down the trash-filled sidewalk and pretended to be a suburban couple on …

Best Valentine’s Day Gifts (2026): Legos, Karaoke, Digital Frames, and More

Best Valentine’s Day Gifts (2026): Legos, Karaoke, Digital Frames, and More

Valentine’s Day is a sneaky one. It’s easy to let grabbing fun and unique Valentine’s Day gifts fall to the wayside while you recover from the Christmas holidays, but it’s not one to miss if you have a partner you want to shower with a little extra love. If you’re feeling too wiped to shop, good news: I’ve got you covered. I’ve rounded up some of our favorite ideas for the year’s most romantic holiday, from Lego sets you can build as a date and date boxes filled with ideas to last you all year long to gorgeous flowers you can get delivered in a snap and cozy robes you’ll want to lounge in together. This guide all the Valentine’s Day gifts we’re excited to give this year. Curious about what else we recommend? Don’t miss our Gifts for Lovers, Gifts for Moms, Gifts for Plant Lovers, Gifts for People Who Work from Home, and Best Blind Boxes for more gifts and shopping ideas. Table of Contents AccordionItemContainerButton For a Gift That’s a Date My …