All posts tagged: WIREDTested

The Best Laptop Tote Bags to Buy (2026), WIRED-Tested and Reviewed

The Best Laptop Tote Bags to Buy (2026), WIRED-Tested and Reviewed

Published by skeptic

Compare Top 6 Tote Bags Honorable Mentions Courtesy Boutayna Chokrane Tory Burch Perry Tote for $395: The Perry Tote is another one of those designer bags that transcends trends and functions as a fashionable work tote. Much like Leatherology’s Alex Laptop Bag Set, I wouldn’t use it as a lunch bag, but it’s definitely the type that radiates authority when you want to make an impression. Perhaps a coffee shop date? Made from Italian pebbled leather, it wears incredibly well over time. You can also take off the logo charm. It features a zippered laptop compartment in the center, plus three slip pockets to keep your possessions in order. Nordstrom Le Pliage for $165: I spent most of my high school and college dodging the Longchamp Le Pliage hype. But when my mom handed down her well-loved Le Pliage tote, I finally got it. This tote is the equivalent of a classic white tee: timeless, versatile, and built to last. This bag is roomy enough to fit all the travel essentials—laptop, notebook, snack stash—without feeling …

9 Best Windows Laptops (2026): WIRED-Tested Laptops to Buy

9 Best Windows Laptops (2026): WIRED-Tested Laptops to Buy

Published by skeptic

You’ll want to read our extensive guide on How to Choose the Right Laptop, but for the basics, you’ll want to decide what category of laptop you need. Most people should buy a 13-inch or 14-inch laptop, and spending around $750-$1,000 is a good place to start. You should expect a laptop around this price to get good battery life, have a decent screen, perform well enough for basic tasks, and have a comfortable keyboard and touchpad. You should also expect at least 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. Anything more than that gets into premium territory where you’re paying for higher specs, more performance, or extra features. If you want something with a discrete GPU for either gaming or creative workflows, you’ll need to spend more than this. A laptop like the Dell 14 Plus is the ideal example of what you can get while shopping in this price range. You can even find laptops with OLED panels, up to one terabyte of storage, depending on how good the discounts happen …

8 Best Laptops (2026), WIRED-Tested and Approved

8 Best Laptops (2026), WIRED-Tested and Approved

Published by skeptic

Compare Top 8 Laptops How Much Should You Spend on a Laptop? AccordionItemContainerButton If you’re shopping for a laptop, you probably have an idea of how much you want to spend. But some context might help put things in perspective. The cheapest laptops cost around $200, but they can range up to $5,000. Meanwhile, the average amount people spend, according to the best data we have, is around $750. That lands decidedly in the midrange, spitting between the more expensive devices that are over $1,000 and the budget-tier machines you find below $700. When we talk about pricing, it’s often the “starting” price of the laptop, meaning the lowest-priced configuration. This is really important to consider, as you want to compare devices apples-to-apples as much as possible. For example, a cheaper laptop might start at $750 with 256 GB of storage, while a more premium laptop might start at this same price but come with 512 GB or even 1 TB of storage. Increasingly, you can find some really decent laptops around this price, some …

3 Best Cheap Gaming Laptops (2026): WIRED-Tested and Approved

3 Best Cheap Gaming Laptops (2026): WIRED-Tested and Approved

Published by skeptic

Most cheap gaming laptops share a lot in common. They’re all usually between 0.8 and 1 inch thick and tend to have bare-bones gaming-capable hardware. Here are some of the key specs to look for: Display: 15-inch or 16-inch display. Depending on the aspect ratio, they’ll have basic displays with a standard 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200 resolution. You won’t find higher-resolution panels on gaming laptops under $1,000. Also, take a look at the refresh rate. 144 Hz is the standard, but the higher the better for less motion blur and smoother animation. While OLED and mini-LED are more common in higher-end gaming laptops, all budget-oriented options use LED IPS. CPU: The latest processors from Intel and AMD will all be here, and in the budget tier, the differences aren’t as significant as in higher-end options. For AMD, that’s usually either the Ryzen 5 220 or Ryzen 7 250. Intel’s latest gaming chips in this price range are Intel Core Ultra 5 225H or Core Ultra 7 240H. While Intel has announced its …

9 Best Cat Water Fountains, WIRED-Tested and Reviewed (2025)

9 Best Cat Water Fountains, WIRED-Tested and Reviewed (2025)

Published by skeptic

Compare Our Picks Others We Tested Photograph: Molly Higgins Petlibro Capsule Fountain for $37: This Petlibro fountain is a solid, inexpensive choice. It’s made from BPA-free plastic, has a five-layer filtration system and a stainless steel top reservoir, there’s a transparent water tank for easier monitoring, and it comes in a bunch of cute colors. The spout is tall and has a continuous flow, making it ideal for cats who love to drink from faucets. However, it’s not connected to an app, so you’ll have to monitor water levels and set manual reminders for filter replacement and cleaning. The plastic is also harder to clean, and it has a wired pump, which makes cleaning trickier (water and electricity are never an ideal combo). It’s a solid model that’s worked effectively, but there are better options out there at this price point. Photograph: Molly Higgins Petkit Eversweet Max for $80: This techy automatic fountain can be either cordless or battery-powered (lasting up to 83 days), and the drinking bowl is made of stainless steel, but the …