Best flashlights

CNN Underscored is constantly testing products — be those flashlights, photo printers or food dehydrators — to find the absolute best in each respective category. Our testing process is rigorous, starting out by spending hours of research to find the top products in each category. Once we create a testing pool of products, we test and retest each product multiple times in real-world settings over several weeks or even months.

This year, we’ve already tested several hundred products — from PS5 games to smartphone apps to wireless speakers — to find the best products you need to make life better. Here are the winning products from March.

Vacuums

iRobot robot mops

Best robot mop overall

The compact, inexpensive iRobot Braava Jet 240 is simply the best robot mop for the money. While it doesn’t have the smarts of more expensive models and can’t do double duty as a vacuum, its efficient design and simple pattern-based navigation deliver impressive cleaning.

iRobot robot vacuums

Best robot vacuum overall

The iRobot Roomba j7+ is the best robot vacuum you can buy right now, with impressive cleaning power and smart mapping that creates virtual boundaries to detect and avoid obstacles.

Audio

Wireless earbuds

Wireless earbuds with incredible battery life and comfort

If you're looking to spend less than $100 on a pair of noise-canceling earbuds — and want something stylish and low-profile — it's hard to do much better than the Jabra Elite 4.

An impressible and uniquely stylish set of wireless earbuds

If you're looking to spend less than $150 on a quality set of noise-canceling earbuds — and want something that stands out from the pack — the Nothing Ear (2) are worth it.

Master & Dynamic wireless headphones

A good audiophile option

If you're willing to splurge on a stylish pair of headphones with true audiophile-grade sound (and can live without features like active noise cancellation), the Master & Dynamic MH40 are worth the investment.

Sonos wireless speakers

An excellent small wireless speaker

The Era 100 produces a bigger sound than the Sonos One without increasing the size much and delivers impressive bass for a small speaker. It adds Bluetooth and the option for external sources through a line-in adapter. But the price has gone up again.

Room-filling sound from one speaker

The Era 300 makes it easy to bask in immersive spatial audio; with its wide sound, it feels like you’re listening to more than one speaker. Thanks to crisp treble and deep bass, it sounds good with regular stereo music, too. It’s packed with features, but you pay a premium for the privilege.

Coffee

Braun drip coffee makers

Best drip coffee maker overall

The Braun KF6050WH BrewSense Drip Coffee Maker produced consistently delicious, hot cups of coffee, brewed efficiently and cleanly, from sleek, relatively compact hardware that is easy to operate, all for a reasonable price.

Emergency preparedness essentials

ThruNite flashlights

Best flashlight overall

This affordable ThruNite flashlight features plenty of power, straightforward controls, durable construction and a compact design that’s convenient to carry. 

Fitness

Hydrow rowing machines

Unique rowing experience with a clean, intuitive interface

The Hydrow Rower is a sleek, premium rowing machine that pairs with a $44-per-month All-Access membership. Yes, it offers a kicking cardio and full-body workout, but we loved how it takes rowing back to its roots with live classes filmed at real-world locales. It may be pricey, but if you want to feel like you're rowing on the water, then this home gym rowing machine is for you.

ProForm treadmills

The perfect treadmill for running in smaller spaces

If you've always wanted a treadmill but didn't have the space or the cash for a larger machine, the ProForm Carbon T7 is a perfect compromise. No, it doesn't have the horsepower of larger, pricier treadmills, but you do get a wealth of advanced AI features as well as access to different types of classes with the iFit subscription (which is free for three years). And a smaller footprint paired with a budget price is nothing to sneeze at when you're thinking about adding to your home gym.

Altra running shoes

A cult classic trail runner with even better traction

Fans of the Lone Peak series will love the new 7s for their wide width and upgraded grip, while newcomers to this shoe might be surprised at its lack of cushioning and zero-drop design. Either way, Altra has managed to deliver yet another awesome trail sneaker, with slip-proof laces and just the right amount of breathable mesh.

HydraPak water bottles

A close-to-perfect bottle with a few shortcomings

It isn’t perfect, but the collapsible HydraPak Flux+ 1.5L bottle has an incredible flow rate and a durable exterior, making it a top dog in the market of bottles with built-in filters. Difficulty keeping it clean, particularly in the long term, holds it back from being a perfect option.

Gaming

JBL gaming headsets

A lightweight but solid choice with a thoughtful design

The JBL Quantum 100 headset is a great buy for gamers on a budget, offering a comfortable, user-repairable design and good-enough sound for less than $40.

PlayStation 5 game reviews

The definitive version of a survival horror masterpiece

Resident Evil 4 is an outstanding retelling of the 2005 original single-player story for modern audiences. Everything from the upgraded combat and mobility to the striking audio and visuals go a long way in making this the definitive take on Resident Evil 4.

Kitchen

Nesco food dehydrators

Best food dehydrator overall

With hassle-free operation and consistent drying, the Nesco Gardenmaster offered the best balance of simplicity and performance of any food dehydrator we tested, and is a great choice for anyone looking to preserve herbs, fruits, vegetables or meats.

Sleep

Leesa mattresses

A plush bed in a box that's great for side or back sleepers who appreciate softness

Leesa’s Legend Mattress is an excellent mattress for side sleepers, with soft support to alleviate pressure and back pain and a breathable top cover and ventilated foam layer to keep you cool.

Dodow sleep aids

A useful sleep aid that focuses on calm breathing

The Dodow sleep aid is a unique and useful device. It helped us fall asleep faster and more consistently. It isn’t hard to learn to sync your breath with the light, and once you get used to the process, you’ll feel the results. Just breathe in when it expands and out when it contracts.

Hatch sleep machines

An attractive, multitasking bedside assistant

The Hatch Restore 2 is an all-encompassing sleep machine that uses light and sound to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. The accompanying app gives you access to a library full of colored lights, white noise, sleep stories and guided meditation. But where the Restore 2 really shines is its amazingly pleasant Sunrise Alarm, which wakes you gently and more humanely than the average alarm clock.

Smart home

Tovala smart oven air fryers

A convenient, app-based countertop oven for busy cooks

The Tovala Smart Oven Air Fryer offers a simple, fresh meal delivery service for one and Wi-Fi-connected, one-touch cooking. A great budget toaster oven if you order meals, it jumps to a pricier, less useful purchase if you're more interested in cooking from scratch. However, if you're looking to save time and energy, then this countertop oven beats out supermarket frozen food and takeout.

Software

Meal planning apps

Best meal planning app overall

During testing, we found Eat This Much Premium easy to set up. Its meal customization options and editable grocery lists are a delight to use and we appreciated its comprehensive recipe library. It also had the best online help and customer support of the meal planning apps we tested.

Plant identification apps

Best plant identification app for mobile overall

During testing, we found PlantNet easy to use, accurate and fast. This free app guides you during setup, lets you search by map or flora and suggests you enable geolocation (GPS) to improve its plant identification.

Travel

A.R.C. travel backpacks

The ideal travel backpack if you want to pack for several days away without checking a bag

The Incase A.R.C. Travel Pack is equal parts backpack and suitcase. Its butterfly-style packing system lets you maximize space for packing clothes and other essentials, while it has a separate laptop compartment and plenty of additional pockets. While it's on the pricey side, its durable exterior and versatility make this a solid addition to your travel wardrobe.

Away checked luggage

Best checked suitcase overall

With fantastic internal organization and compression, a durable exterior and comfortable handles, the Away Medium suitcase was the most well-rounded bag we tested, with a great combination of maneuverability, capacity, durability and style.

Work-from-home essentials

Steelcase office chairs

Best office chair overall

The Steelcase Series 1 stood out as one of the most customizable, high-quality, comfortable office chairs on the market, beating out chairs double the price — making it the best bang for the buck.

ReMarkable keyboards

A keyboard attachment that makes typing enjoyable

The brand-new Type Folio for ReMarkable turns the paper tablet into an all-in-one writing powerhouse.

LG monitors

The perfect sub-$400 monitor for your home office

The LG UltraFine 4K is a great sub-$400 monitor for anyone looking to upgrade their home office, offering great 4K picture quality and plenty of ports.

Canon photo printers

Best photo printer overall

In our tests, the Pro 200 turned out prints comparable in quality to much more expensive models, and running costs are relatively low. Straightforward setup and impressive results made it the best value among the photo printers we tested.