Wirecutter Reviews Reviews
(I’m writing something every day for #100days. This is post 46/100.)
Remember pitchfork reviews reviews? I miss that thing.
As a loyal Wirecutter user, I thought I’d reflect on 2 years of Wirecutter purchasing with brief reviews of the things I’ve bought because of Wirecutter reviews.
Item: Panasonic Lumix Waterproof Camera
Status: Returned.
Review Review: Took shit photos underwater. That was all there is to it. I had vision of being this guy:
Instead, I ended up with 60 washed out photos of sand.
Item: UE Miniboom Bluetooth Speaker
Status: Love it.
Review Review: Small, but packs a punch. Perfect for traveling. Although the real talk here is that I got given a Jawbone Mini Jambox for speaking on a panel at SXSW and that’s the thing I use the most now because the bluetooth works better and it looks cooler.
Item: Sony MDR7506 Professionals
Status: Good stuff.
Review Review: Love the sound for the price. But no mic/volume control on the headphones, super-long and heavy cord which ain’t travel or pocket friendly and quick disintegration on the earpads.
Item: Kryptonite Series 2 Bike Lock
Status: Love it.
Review Review: 2 years in SF and still haven’t had my bike stolen (touch wood).
Item: Klean Kanteen
Status: Love it.
Review Review: After years with those fiddly caps that end up smelling like the inside of a used boxing glove, the simplicity of this bottle just makes it the best.
Item: EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale
Status: Good stuff.
Review Review: Cheap and simple. Does the job. #1 Best Seller on Amazon for good reason.
Item: Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor
Status: Meh.
Review Review: The wife loves berry smoothies. The problem is that this thing sends milk all over the kitchen every time she makes one. Maybe we’re doing it wrong?
Item: Yeti USB Microphone
Status: Good stuff.
Review Review: Cheap and simple. Hasn’t kickstarted my podcasting career in quite the way I’d hoped, but that’s on me and not the USB mic.
Item: CumulusPRO Standing Desk Mat
Status: Good stuff.
Review Review: MyFitnessPal gave us all standing desks and this stops leg ache.
Item: uni-ball Jetstream Pen
Status: In the bin.
Review Review: After a MyFitnessPal board meeting, I found a Zebra F-301 left behind on one of the tables. Been hooked ever since.
Item: Incipio iPhone 6 Case
Status: Love it.
Review Review: Slim-lined and saved me from at least 10 cracked screens.
Item: The Hoover Linx
Status: Meh.
Review Review: Small machine, tiny head, makes for laborious carpet cleaning. Maybe the only upside of the San Francisco rental market is that our tiny apartment doesn’t take long to vacuum.
Item: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Shower Caddy
Status: Good stuff.
Review Review: Hard to get excited about the mundane, but this thing does its job.
Item: Yoga Accessories 1/4'’ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat
Status: In the bin.
Review Review: Like ice-skating with your hands in down-dog. Don’t do it!
Item: Sonos
Status: Love it.
Review Review: In spite of some of the most frustrating software this side of Apple Maps, the Sonos speaker is a beauty and the alarm function is a game changer when you wake up every morning to the new Nils Frahm album.
Item: Vizio E-500i
Status: Good stuff.
Review Review: Crappy sound, but for a 50-inch TV to cost $700 and look this good it’s a no-brainer.
Item: MEHAZ 660 Professional Nail Clipper
Status: In the bin.
Review Review: Worst buy ever. These things are tiny! What sized hands did the reviewer have? These things took 9 chops to get my big toe done. Regrets baby, regrets.
Item: TuneBand
Status: Returned.
Review Review: Thought I was being trolled. Even if you won this band in one of those claw arcade games, you’d still throw it in the bin.
Item: Anker Lightning to USB Cable
Status: Love it.
Review Review: Bought 3x.
Item: SOL REPUBLIC Relays
Status: Returned.
Review Review: Even more of a letdown than the MEHAZ 660! These things block your ears, so you can hear your heart beating in your ears and every time your teeth click together, it’s like someone set off a rat trap beside your ear. Shocking. Returned and bought a new pair of Bose Soundsports.
So, in two years, 20 purchases:
Love its: 6
Good stuffs: 6
Mehs: 2
In the bins: 3
Returneds: 3
❤ u Wirecutter (mostly).
