Best & worst buys

A throwaway-price acoustic that plays well enough to keep. Proof that 'cheap' and 'good' aren't always enemies.

A single one already sounds far bigger than it looks. Pair two in stereo — the feature almost nobody uses — and it punches absurdly above its price.

Cheap wired earphones I've bought twice on purpose. Good sound, a braided cable that survives a bag, and no battery to ever die.

The watch that made a smartwatch finally stick for me. I liked it enough to move up to the 6 — which is the highest praise I give hardware.

The cheapest fix for your home internet. A 5-second power blip costs you a 5-minute reboot — and a ranked match. A small UPS erases both.

The gadget-store dream: print anything from your phone. The reality: low-res smudges, and mine has printed maybe ten labels since.

Best-in-industry 50W wireless charging trapped in a stand you can't lay flat. Genuinely great hardware, genuinely pointless next to a 120W cable.