Articles by Christine Persaud

Every kid wants a tablet, but deciding to invest in an Android tablet for kids is a big step. There are several features to consider: price, parental controls, and perhaps most importantly, durability. The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is a top pick for offering tons of great content for kids, including a protective bumper case and parental controls. You can manage what your kids do and not worry that they might be accessing questionable websites or web content.

Best overall: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is packed with some of the best hardware and software features you could ask for as a parent. Amazon took its top-of-the-line tablet for little ones aged 3-7, loaded it with parental controls, kid-specific content, and wrapped it up in a durable and functional case in lavender, sky blue, or aquamarine. While the screen size might be difficult for smaller toddlers to hold, the provided case does include a fold-out kickstand to prop up the tabl…

A worthy successor

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids

$160 at Amazon

Pros

Large-sized screen for easy reading
Includes one year of Amazon Kids+ for access to eBooks
Includes durable case and worry-free guarantee
Waterproof design
Adjustable light for reading day and night

Cons

Slightly more expensive
Might be too big for younger kids
No AC adapter included

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is a solid upgrade option from the previous generation Kindle for kids, with features that are worth the extra dough, like an adjustable warm light, larger, full-flush screen, and more than twice the rated battery life.

A good budget option

Amazon Kindle Kids

$110 at Amazon

Pros

Includes one year of Amazon Kids+ for access to eBooks
Includes durable case and worry-free guarantee
Slightly cheaper

Cons

Not waterproof
Smaller, lower-res screen
No adjustable warm light
Less than half the rated battery life

If you already own the Kindle Kids Edition and it meets your needs,…

Best for Galaxy users

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

From $530 at Amazon

Pros

Larger, higher-resolution display
Comes with an S Pen
5G connectivity option
Use like a laptop with accessories

Cons

Likely to be expensive
Might be more than you need

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is the obvious choice if you live within the Android ecosystem, offering a compelling tablet experience from one of the best brands in the business. It’s the perfect productivity tool, particularly for a Galaxy smartphone owner, that can be used for work, plus some play during downtime.

Ideal for iOS users on a budget

iPad Air (2020)

From $539 at Amazon

Pros

Decent starting price
Use like a laptop with accessories
Powerful chip
LTE cellular option

Cons

Smaller, lower-resolution screen
Only best for those with other Apple devices
Doesn’t come with Apple Pencil

For those who live within the Apple ecosystem and are on a budget, the iPad Air (2020) is a decently priced entry into the premiu…

The whole shebang

Nest Cam (2021)

$180 at Best Buy

Pros

Set up either indoors or outdoors
Works with plenty of accessories
Receive customized motion alerts
Available in multi-packs
Battery-powered, no wires needed

Cons

Significantly more expensive
Need to subscribe to Nest Aware to get the most out of it

While it’s the much more expensive option, the Nest Cam (2021) offers a host of features that add to its value, including Wi-Fi, the ability to distinguish among people, animals, and cars, 24/7 live view, and more.

Like day at night

Wyze Cam v3

$36 at Amazon

Pros

Set up either indoors or outside
Excels in extremely low light
Free limited cloud storage
Very affordable
Local storage option via microSD card

Cons

An outdoor adapter is required separately
Need to add the cost of a memory card
Not as good for full smart home

The Wyze Cam v3 is a much simpler solution without the bells and whistles. It can record locally with separate add-ons and just might…

The latest version of Samsung’s popular foldable phone is the Galaxy Z Fold 3 — its best yet, with a comfortable, foldable design, wonderful performance, and excellent battery life. Like other mobile devices, you might want to mount this smartphone in the car while driving for navigation, controlling music, or safe hands-free phone calls. That requires a secure mount, but since this smartphone has unique needs due to its foldable design, not every car mount will work. You’ll want one that can secure the device while it’s open to its full size, which is an impressive 7.6-inch spread. There are tons of great accessories you can get for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and a car mount is an often overlooked, but an important one to consider. We rounded up the best Galaxy Z Fold 3 car mounts you can buy right now.

Not just for tablets

APPS2Car Universal Car Mount

Staff Pick

This universal car mount, initially designed for large screen tablets and CD players (remember those?), is also the per…

Big bucks to upgrade

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

From $530 at Amazon

Pros

Larger, higher-resolution display
Comes with an S Pen
5G connectivity option
Use as a laptop with accessories
Samsung DeX support

Cons

More expensive

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a more expensive upgrade to the S6 Lite. Still, it will be worth it for those who aim to take advantage of its new features, including the more prominent, higher-resolution display and 5G connectivity.

Still a decent workhorse

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

From $348 at Amazon

Pros

Affordable
Comes with an S Pen
Use as a laptop with accessories

Cons

No 5G connectivity option
Smaller, lower-resolution screen
No Samsung DeX support

If you just bought a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite recently. It might be too soon to invest so much in a brand-new tablet. The Tab S6 will continue to suit most users just fine, but if you have a reason to upgrade, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a solid choice.

It seems like the concept of acc…

Sleek and feature rich

Fitbit Charge 5

$180 at Amazon

Pros

Battery lasts up to a week
Built-in GPS means you can leave phone at home
Sleek and slim design
Premium tracking features like ECG (coming soon), skin temperature, and SpO2
Affordable

Cons

No voice assistant compatibility
No app support
Limited watch face options

The newest member of the Fitbit family, the Charge 5 combines a slim and sleek design of a tracker with premium features you typically only find in a smartwatch along with built-in GPS and an ultra-bright display. Plus, it comes in at an affordable price, to boot.

Keep track of your life

Fitbit Versa 3

$230 at Amazon

Pros

Fast charge option for battery
Access to apps, voice assistants
Premium tracking features like Sp02, skin temperature
Store and play music from Deezer

Cons

No ECG sensor
More expensive
Only comes with three months of Fitbit Premium

For those who prefer the smartwatch design to get detailed notifications about incomin…

Once upon a time, the idea of a foldable phone elicited “oohs” and “ahhs” at a futuristic concept people never thought they would actually see come to market. Now, several foldable phones have launched, but Samsung is already in its third iteration of its popular model. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 boasts plenty of upgrades compared to the previous generation model, including bigger screens, a better camera, more RAM and storage, and support for the S Pen. It’s a versatile device that you’ll want to do lots with, which requires some of the best accessories. First and foremost, you’ll need a case, and we rounded up some of the best cases for your Galaxy Z Fold 3. But what other accessories can you buy for this smartphone? Here’s what we found.

Protect your investment

Spigen Neo Hybrid S Case

Staff Pick

I’m a sucker for a good deal, and while the ideal option is to go with the Samsung-branded S Pen Folio Cover, you can save a bit of money (and bulk) by opting for this case that is…

Voice control in your kitchen is truly a game-changer. Oftentimes, while you’re cooking up a storm, your hands are either dirty or preoccupied. Imagine as you’re multitasking through meal prep, being able to adjust songs on your playlist, pause a recipe video while you grab an ingredient, or find out how many ounces are in a gram without having to tap your phone’s screen. There are plenty of helpful smart products for your kitchen that come with Google Assistant built-in. Here are some of the best kitchen products that support Google Assistant to help make cook and prep a breeze.

Your guiding chef

Google Nest Hub Smart Display – (2nd Gen)

Staff Pick

Imagine having your own assistant in the kitchen. While this smart display can’t stir sauce or chop veggies, it can playback cooking videos for you to follow along with, let you add items to a shopping list, play music, do measurement conversions, set timers, and more, and it’s all controllable with your voice.

$100 at Best Buy
$10…

The new Nest Doorbell has all the features you would expect from a video doorbell, including smart alerts when activity is detected, the ability to answer the door remotely, and a built-in speaker and mic. But it also adds enticing upgrades, like distinguishing among people, packages, animals, and vehicles, a unique 3:4 vertical camera so you can see people from head to toe (and packages on the ground), wire-free battery operation, and weather-resistant housing. It also comes in at an affordable price, so you’ll have extra dough for Nest Doorbell accessories.

Your in-home monitor

Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

Staff pick

Be able to see who’s at the door and talk to them, completely hands-free, by adding this smart display to the mix. While it’s more a secondary device than an accessory, per se, it works so seamlessly with the Nest Doorbell that it’s worth mentioning as the top choice. Plus, you get all the benefits of a smart display as well, including being able to control other smart dev…