Best-of guide

Best-of guides

Shortlists are the easiest kind of page to get wrong, so the selection criteria come first and the products follow. Nothing is ranked by star rating, sales rank or commission rate. If a product is on this list, there is a written reason for it and a cost you should know about.

7 published pages

What earns a place on a shortlist

The criteria are published on the page before the recommendations.
Every included product states the reason it made the list and where it falls short.
Products are chosen against a specific use case, not a generic score.
An empty category stays empty rather than being padded with weak matches.

Published shortlists

Best-of guideMice

Best Ergonomic Mice For Long Sessions, Picked By Use Case

A mouse that suits a long session depends on hand size, grip angle and weight. Here is which of the three recorded mice answers which situation.

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Best-of guideLaptop Stands

Best Laptop Stands: A Folding Sit-Stand And A Fixed Riser

Two recorded stands: the MOFT Z, which folds flat to 1.3 cm and tilts three ways, and the mStand, a fixed 150 mm aluminium block.

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Best-of guideKeyboards

Best Mechanical Keyboards For Programming, Picked By Use Case

Which mechanical keyboard suits programming depends on whether you plan to remap keys, want a clear desk, or work in a shared room.

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Best-of guidePortable Storage

Best Portable SSDs For Photos And Video, Picked By Capacity And Ruggedness

Both drives record the same interface, the same peak speeds and the same 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB capacities. Ruggedness is what separates them.

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Best-of guideMicrophones

Best USB Microphones For Streaming, Picked By Element And Pattern

The microphone choice is mostly an element choice. A dynamic microphone forgives an untreated room, while a condenser gives more options in a quiet one.

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Best-of guideWebcams