Buying guides
Buying guides by situation: for parents, packing for China, flying with power banks…
Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch with Wi-Fi
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (E26)
Wyze Cam v4Before You Buy: Smart Cameras, Locks, Bulbs and Speakers
Smart home gear is tied to where you live: voltage, bulb base, door size, Wi-Fi band and app all have to line up. Our cards rate all four products here as roughly even.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen
Sonos Ace
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro StandardBefore You Buy Headphones and Speakers: ANC, Earbuds, Sport and Portable
Over-ear ANC, earbuds, sport buds and portable speakers suit different listeners. Check codec support, app requirements and what is missing from the box.
iPhone 17 Pro 256GB
iPhone 17 256GB
Xiaomi 18 Pro 12GB+256GBBefore You Buy a Phone: China vs US Models, SIM, Warranty and Chargers
Pick the type of phone first, then check SIM support, where the warranty is honored, network bands and what comes in the box, since these are where China and US models differ.
Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K)
UGREEN Nexode 65W 3-Port GaN Charger
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 DockBefore You Buy: Chargers, Cables, Docks, Power Banks and UPS Units
Cables and chargers come down to wattage and protocols, docks depend on your computer, and a UPS starts with voltage and outlets. Our cards rate every product here as roughly even.
Sonos Arc Ultra
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd GenBefore You Buy Home Theater Gear: Soundbars and Streaming Sticks
For a soundbar, check your TV's ports and whether you want extra surround speakers. For a streaming stick, check which services work where you live.
PlayStation 5 Pro
PlayStation 5 (Disc, Slim
Steam Deck OLED 512GBBefore You Buy Gaming Gear: PS5, Steam Deck and Controllers
Consoles, handhelds and controllers suit different players. Check disc vs digital, where the warranty is valid, and which account region your content follows.
Xiaomi Router BE6500 Pro
eero Pro 7 (3-packBefore You Buy: Wi-Fi 7 Routers and Mesh Systems
Two Wi-Fi 7 options: a single Xiaomi router and an eero mesh three-pack sold in the US. Check how many of your devices support Wi-Fi 7 and which country the network will run in.
Kingston FURY Renegade G5 2TB
WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB
UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay NASBefore You Buy: SSDs, NAS Units and Memory Cards
Match a PCIe 5.0 or 4.0 SSD to your motherboard, budget for NAS drives separately, and confirm your device takes microSDXC. Our cards rate all four products here as roughly even.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
Lian Li O11 Vision CompactBefore You Buy PC Parts: GPU Models, Case Fit and Cooler Clearance
Match the exact GPU model and memory size, then measure your case, card, cooler and radiator. The China RTX 5090 is a different model from the US one.
Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary (Sony E-mount)Before You Buy a Camera Lens: Check the Mount and Stabilization
Before buying a lens, confirm the mount and sensor format, then check body stabilization and which filters you need to buy separately.
Apple Watch Series 12 42mm GPS
Xiaomi Smart Band 10 NFC
Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mmBefore You Buy Wearables: Bands, Smartwatches, AI Glasses and Smart Rings
Bands, watches, AI glasses and rings each suit different people. Check phone compatibility, region-limited features and subscription costs before you order.
iPad Air 11-inch (M4) 128GB Wi-Fi
iPad (A16) 128GB Wi-Fi
Apple Pencil ProBefore You Buy a Tablet: iPad, Apple Pencil Pro and Kindle
Decide between a tablet, a stylus and an e-reader first, then check Apple Intelligence support, SIM options, accessory compatibility and the Kindle ad version.
MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) 16GB+512GB
MacBook Neo 8GB+256GB
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro) 24GB+1TBBefore You Buy a Laptop or Monitor: Three MacBooks and a 4K Display
Our computer cards cover three MacBooks and a Dell 4K monitor. Choose by workload, then check Apple Intelligence, warranty terms, ports and the exact configuration.