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Quiet luxury, loud luxury, über-luxe—the word luxury dominated the way people defined their style this past year. Not completely by mistake, the word is often assumed to be synonymous with a high price tag, but a luxury can also be something that makes your life just a little bit easier, a little bit more comfortable, or a little bit more beautiful. When we’re talking about your home, sometimes it’s an insanely large sofa, a plush area rug, or even an outrageously well-outfitted wine fridge that will make you feel like you’re living in the lap of luxury. But maybe it’s smaller—a deliciously scented candle or a soft and sumptuous blanket.

During the pandemic, we all went hard on home-buying binges, looking for hacks that would help us carry on while stuck indoors. Once we returned to the real world, though, we rediscovered feeling good for the sake of feeling good. Treating ourselves. Doing it big, even. After getting back out there again and visiting our favorite hotels as well as brand-new restaurants and bars, we instantly forgot about our Snuggie. Being exposed to so much newness, we wanted to surround ourselves with all things linen, cashmere, marble, velvet, and smart tech—and bring it home this year. Thankfully, our favorite home brands delivered. Soho Home designed beautiful furniture. Four Seasons made bedding. CB2 started churning out club-worthy bar items. It’s easier than ever to fill your home with stunning pieces, so where do you start?

We know investing is never simple and shopping for home items is overwhelming. With so many retailers, a ridiculous number of influencers hawking paid partnerships, and prices that make your head spin, it can be damn near impossible to know where to spend your precious moolah. That’s where we come in. Our team thoroughly tests products, and this year I enlisted our entire staff to lounge on couches, road-test the newest smart-home gadgets, sleep under all kinds of sheets, dry off with organic cotton towels, and drink whatever the hell they wanted from the finest glassware—in order to find the best of the best for you. Behold: the finalists for the Esquire Home Awards.

These are real reviews by real people, because, in 2024, honesty means everything on the Internet. While you might find a few robots on this list, they didn’t contribute any opinions—they just did the cleaning.


Best in Furniture

a pair of black hats

JOE LINGEMAN

Best Overall Sofa

Sloan Sofa
Interior Define Sloan Sofa

Now 21% Off

The challenge was daunting: find a sofa that could seat three comfortably, would fit just as well in a city apartment as in a suburban living room, and would provide an instant style upgrade in any setting. It felt like mission impossible. Then we discovered the Sloan. Available in dozens of fabrics and a variety of dimensions, it’s highly customizable. And the sofa’s core design is a rare mix of modern and classic, of cozy and chic. We chose a standard-depth, 95-inch model in chambray. When it arrived, we were stunned that it looked even better up close than in the photos. The cushions are soft but supportive, and the construction is solid. Simply put: The Sloan passes every test.

Best Leather Chair

The Perry Chair
Maiden Home The Perry Chair

A timeless leather chair says a lot about a person. It’s the furniture item that makes every room look just a little bit more expensive. If you get a good one, it will probably last for the rest of your life. When it came to picking our favorite leather chair, we turned to Maiden Home. This luxury brand handcrafts every item after it’s ordered—which is a leading way to be sustainable in the furniture world—in North Carolina with materials of the utmost quality. The Perry comes in a variety of customized choices, but the Tuscan leather is buttery, luxe, and everything you want in a chair that says, “I own this place.”

Best Sectional Sofa

Hampton Modular 4-Piece Sectional
West Elm Hampton Modular 4-Piece Sectional

Now 15% Off

Couches come in so many shapes and sizes these days. There’s a great variety on this year’s list for the important reason that we all just need different things. And as far as a large, plush, cloudlike sectional goes, West Elm takes the cake in 2024. You can read the full love letter to the cozy couch here, but all you need to know is that it blew me away. It makes me feel like I live in a luxurious loft, but it still costs four times less than some of those Instagram-famous ones you see online.

Best Reading Chair

Coastline Lounge Chair
Sundays Coastline Lounge Chair

The team behind the Esquire Home Awards is obsessed with chairs. We want to be comfortable! We also want to be stylish (but not too stylish)! And, for crying out loud, we need it to be a good investment; we want quality. After scouring the universe (read: all available furniture outlets), we’re prepared to make this guarantee: Sundays’ Coastline Lounge Chair is the best—dare we say perfect—reading chair. It looks incredible, but once you’ve plunked down, it’s even better. Generous in size, it begs you to settle in and spread out. Bring a good book or even just a pillow; you’re not going anywhere for a while.

Best Bar Cabinet

Drysdale Wood Bar Cabinet
CB2 Drysdale Wood Bar Cabinet

Now 60% Off

We’re not just awarding this bar cabinet, because, truthfully, it’s sold out. What we’re awarding is CB2’s full line of bar furniture and barware. We’re passionate about spirits here at Esquire, and CB2 is the one big-box home brand that shares that with us. The bar cabinets recall the golden ages of drinking and bar design, either mid-century or Art Deco, and the barware hits the same note. It’s all playful, it’s made with quality wood or marble, and it adds some sophistication to your home bar.

Best Recliner Sofa

Sectional Recliner
Homebody Sectional Recliner

​​I’ll sit at attention on your loveseat if you insist, but when I get home, I want to sink in and stretch out. Homebody’s modular, reclinable couch is relaxation at its absolute apex. Use the built-in buttons (or, better yet, the included remote) to lie back until you’re almost horizontal. As the bag of popcorn slips from your grip, rest assured that the fabric is nearly impervious to staining. And if there’s more than one of you at home, take the leap and invest in multiple recliner seats. After all, everyone deserves a chance to stretch their legs.

Best Coffee Table

Wallace Coffee Table
Soho Home Wallace Coffee Table

It’s amazing how the most simple designs manage to feel the most surprising. Made from a sturdy and stunning Mappa burl, this arched coffee table is a stylish addition to any living room. It has remarkable heft, but the gentle curve feels more inviting than imposing. Rest your feet, art books, or enough snacks for a whole dang party—there’s more than enough room.

Best Sleeper Sofa

Braam Sofa Bed

The perfect space-saving sleeper sofa for your apartment does exist. There are a lot of keywords in there, and if you’re searching for something functional, practical, and good looking, Article’s Braam Sofa Bed offers everything you need. The unique design pulls out into a flat foam bed, so you don’t have to deal with those annoying spring sofa mattresses. Sure, this design might be basic, but the minimalistic and chic configuration is what makes it different—and worth it.

Best Dining Table

Round Dining Table
TOV Furniture Round Dining Table

Getting a dining table shipped to your door that’s affordable and easy to assemble—plus looks good—is always a recipe for an award. This black oak table is exactly that. Because of its sturdy, cylindrical base, it’s a dining-table unicorn. It ships in only two boxes. Setup is just putting the top on and tightening four bolts. It saves space, looks fantastic, and is as sturdy as anything else you’ll find. It’s an incredible design.

Best Dining Chair

Angelo Dining Chair
Rove Concepts Angelo Dining Chair

Now 15% Off

There’s always a balancing act with a dining chair. You want the design to be timeless, but it can’t seem old. You want it to look modern but not like it came off the IKEA show floor. This year’s solution is from Rove Concepts. The Angelo Dining Chair is everything you need. It’s big and comfortable, but it’s not heavy. The shape is modern and inviting but doesn’t resemble that of hotel furniture. And the exposed base gives it just enough visual interest to keep things fun.

Best Bed Frame

Dalton Bed

Stylish and functional bed frames aren’t as easy to come across as one might think, but the Dalton ticks off everything on your list. It’s good looking, space saving, and even affordable. After its arrival, I was so impressed by how well it works in my new bedroom. The rounded, cozy aesthetic, along with the versatility, allows it to easily flow into the room’s style. But the real star? Those storage drawers! Minimal closet space can’t hold me back anymore, because now I’m an adult with a really useful piece of furniture that costs so much less than the competitors’.

Best Bookshelf

The Credenza

We were already fans of the innovative Thuma Dresser, which you can assemble without tools—it won an award last year. Well, the brand deserves another highlight, because the stackable and easy-to-put-together designs now come with a variety of storage options. You can make a credenza for your entryway, a console for your TV, or a bookshelf to store just about anything. Combined with open spaces and drawers and available in four wood finishes, it’s the easiest and most seamless piece you can choose. I have the bookshelf option, and I’ll probably keep buying these as I expand my book collection. That’s why modular designs are so handy these days—they never end.

Best Accent Chair

Greenwich Chair
Jenni Kayne Greenwich Chair

You think you don’t need an accent chair. It’s a little bit smaller. A little bit more delicate. And you—you are a man who likes to be comfortable. Who’s even going to sit in it? you wonder. But if you want your room—living room, sitting room, or bedroom—to feel complete, you need one. (Probably two.) And as of this year, Jenni Kayne makes an ideal model. Low-slung and wrapped in a mini boucle, the Greenwich Chair is timeless. Even better: It serves more than just the eye. This thing is so comfortable you’ll find yourself sinking down into it each and every day.

Best Desk

Copilot Standing Desk
Burrow Copilot Standing Desk

Now 15% Off

Standing while you work can be rewarding physically and mentally. Hemingway stood while he wrote! But standing desks are for dorks—or so I thought. Unlike many of its rivals, Burrow’s Copilot Standing Desk is an impeccable blend of modern and classic. It’s also sturdy, includes a knee drawer for storage, and comes in a range of colors. (I have the woodgrain for a timeless look.) The components that make it rise are tucked away elegantly, leaving you with a piece of furniture that will make any office space look more stylish, whether you choose to sit or stand. Hemingway would approve.

Best Office Chair

Freedom Task Chair
Humanscale Freedom Task Chair

This will sound dramatic—possibly untrue—but I am deadly serious: A new office chair will change your life. For decades, mine was easy on the eyes but stiff and wooden—ultimately, a torture device. Humanscale’s Freedom Headrest was a revelation. It is ergonomic and promises “maximum spine health.” Whatever. Here’s what you need to know: I look forward to sitting in this chair. My back—and my whole body—will thank me. Hours can be spent cradled in its embrace, working, gaming, wiling away the time. I will rise feeling refreshed. It is worth the investment.


Best in Kitchen

a pair of helmets and a glass of wine

JOE LINGEMAN

Best Martini Glasses

Jan Johansson Street Martini Glasses
Orrefors Jan Johansson Street Martini Glasses

If Frank Sinatra and Austin Powers got together and designed a set of martini glasses, I bet they’d come up with a design just like this. With crisscross etching (the brand says the design is inspired by the streets and avenues of Manhattan), these feel retro and classic all at once. Better glassware may not make your at-home cocktails taste any better, but they absolutely make you look and feel cooler. Start here.

Best Wine Glasses

Straight Red Wine Glass
Serax x Vincent Van Duysen Straight Red Wine Glass

Now 53% Off

I know what you’re thinking: The $18 red blend you picked up on the way home from work does not require a collaboration between Belgian glassware brand Serax and architect Vincent Van Duysen. But can it improve it? Can it ever. These glasses made me feel how I want to feel when I’m drinking wine. The tall stem that doesn’t feel delicate and the unusual straight shape are architectural details that will underline the best qualities in a “good wine” and dress up an everyday wine like an occasion. The feeling of the glass in your hand is half the joy of drinking wine.

Best Glassware

Still Glasses
Athena Calderone x Saratoga Still Glasses

Athena Calderone is constantly churning out collaborations that have me sold before I even see the product. Last year, her line with Crate & Barrel was an award winner here at Esquire, but this year it’s her beautiful design for the inaugural Saratoga Supper Club that put these glasses on our list. She designed them with the water company and based them on ancient glassblowing techniques from Japan and Italy. The fluted surface is reminiscent of flowing water, and because each vessel is handcrafted, each is subtly different. Drink your water from one of these and it’ll be the fanciest you’ve felt in a long time.

Best Dinnerware

The Place Setting
Material The Place Setting

Now 15% Off

I won’t mince words: If I spend more than forty-five minutes cooking a dish, I won’t serve it on anything besides this place setting from Material. The Marry Me Chicken you saw on TikTok? It goes on this. Any recipe from the subject line of the NYT Cooking newsletter? It goes on this. Why? These plates and bowls not only look restaurant quality (they come in grotto and dune, for you spice-heads out there), but they feel like it, too—each plate is hand-finished by the brand. All you have to do is find a meal worthy of them. (Seriously: I don’t care how single you are, cook the Marry Me Chicken.)

Best Flatware

Bistrot Vintage Flatware
Sabre Bistrot Vintage Flatware

Sabre’s flatware is by no means new; in fact, it’s quite classic. But the colors in which you can buy them feel fresher and newer by the day. The black ones made it onto our list because, really, by this point you shouldn’t be using anything but. If you still have that $20 set from college, it’s time for an upgrade. The Bistrot set is pricey, but it’ll last you longer than your kitchen appliances—and that’s what we really love here: an iconic French home investment. Buy one in your favorite shade and your next dinner party will feel ten times more elevated.

Best Cookware

Stanley Tucci Stainless-Steel Cookware Set
GreenPan Stanley Tucci Stainless-Steel Cookware Set

We talked to the man himself about this cookware collection. Mr. Tucci said yes to GreenPan because he actually loved the product. The nonstick is perfect for emulsifying pasta sauces, cooking eggs, and cleaning up. But since it’s ceramic, you can throw it in the oven or underneath the broiler with no worries. You can cook a million different family meals in the big sauté pan, and that’s why Tucci asked for that particular shape. Beyond that, the collection is just drop-dead gorgeous—so much so that we’re displaying it on the countertop.

Best Water Filter

Purifier Large

Good water filters are surprisingly hard to shop for. First of all, many brands have become obsolete and have proved that they don’t purify tap water that much. So then you have to worry about performance. Plus: Is it eco-friendly? Is it stylish? Is it easy to clean? In our entire year of testing, we found that the Aarke is the only model that hits every single mark. It’s sleek, it filters water at one of the highest levels, and, most important, the water tastes good! There’s no other option we would recommend more.

Best Kitchen Set

Prep & Boards Set
Caraway Prep & Boards Set

Now 26% Off

If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a kitchen-tools drawer that looks like a war zone. Wooden spoons on top of shears on top of silicone spatulas. Finding anything becomes a whole ordeal. When Caraway dropped its prep set, we were sold. Wooden utensils, German steel knives, and a boatload of functionality—what more do you need? And matching cutting boards to boot? We’ll never buy kitchen tools again.

Best Pan

3.3QT Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan
Hexclad 3.3QT Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan

HexClad has revolutionized the nonstick cookware world. Instead of going fully nonstick, it is more of a hybrid. The hexagons are made with stainless-steel ridges, so the pan sears and cooks more like classic steel than it does nonstick. We love that. But the nonstick material between the steel makes this thing ridiculously slippery. Omelets fly around and you’re never stuck with grit on the pan. But you can still sear a steak.

Best Espresso Machine

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine
Smeg Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine

We’re coffee snobs, but we’re not all coffee-machine snobs. We appreciate fancy grinders and espresso machines that let you adjust the pressure yourself. But honestly, we want something that’s going to look good on the countertop and not be too difficult to use. The Smeg espresso maker is exactly that. It’s more beautiful than anything else on the market. You can grind beans, brew coffee, and foam milk, all with the touch of a few simple buttons. It’s our favorite morning ritual.

Best Coffee Maker

Magnifica Evo Espresso Machine
De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Espresso Machine

We’re big De’Longhi people here at Esquire; I wrote in depth about the Eletta Explore when it first came out. But my current favorite machine from the brand is the Magnifica Evo. It has fewer features than the larger and more robust Eletta option—it’s great for people who live in a smaller space and want less of a countertop footprint. Oh, and most important, they want to spend less money. Because we really don’t make that many coffee variations, this is arguably a better buy for just a fraction of the price. It’s the model I would recommend to anyone looking to get into the fancy coffee-machine game.

Best Blender

Mini Blender Plus
Beast Health Mini Blender Plus

You know and love the Beast blender; we love it, too. Originally launched in 2021, it’s the best and most aesthetic blender on the market. This year, the brand introduced a mini version, and it has since replaced my old one. Sometimes smaller and newer is just better; we really don’t need to live in excess with these kitchen appliances. It blends the perfect amount of smoothie for my partner and me—or when I’m solo. Plus, it comes with handy attachments that make it easy to take a smoothie on the go or even store one for later. Really, if you don’t own one yet, just buy the new mini. You can’t go wrong.

Best Kitchen Cleaners

Ionic Brush Set

Do you really need stylish cleaners for your dishes? The answer is yes. I hate to say it, but one of my pet peeves in life is when people have insanely messy kitchen countertops filled with an array of Amazon cleaners hawked in some ad. No judgment or anything… but doesn’t your life just feel a little more put together when it looks better? Anyway, there’s one way you can start, and that’s with the Ionic Brush Set from Curio.

Best Kitchen Soaps

Kitchen Trio

The home-cleaner market has expanded far beyond antibacterial wipes. There are nontoxic and eco-friendly cleaners, and then there are insanely perfumed luxury cleaners—but these are a totally different category for different types of shoppers. Homecourt just changed that; finally, there are healthy, nontoxic cleaners with beautiful scents that you can enjoy and feel good about using. The founder is none other than Courteney Cox, and the signature scent, Cece, is our favorite choice. What’s more, to go along with our kitchen-countertop-cleanup theme, the packaging looks damn good.

Best Kitchen Sponge

Super Scrubber

A sponge isn’t just a sponge. It’s oftentimes an ugly, smelly, bacteria-filled cleaner that we use for far too long and on far too many items. Sorry to inform you that it’s time to upgrade. Dotti spent years creating the perfect antibacterial, odor-free, food-grade silicone surface scrubber that can do it all. The unique shape isn’t by accident, as it’s made to easily clean edges and spin inside glasses and bottles. Because of its smart properties, the brand boasts that it lasts six times as long as a normal sponge. I’ve had mine for months now, and it doesn’t need replacing just yet. So this fancy sponge upgrade may be $9, but it’ll save you in the long run.


Best in Gadgets

a blue and silver car

JOE LINGEMAN

Best Robot Vacuum

360 Vis Nav Robot

I have been writing about Dyson for as long as it’s been releasing cordless vacuums. Let me tell you, nothing, and I mean nothing, has brought me more joy than the long-awaited and finally released Dyson Robot Vacuum. The brand did right by taking forever to release it, because it’s perfect. It looks like a Dyson (which is part of the whole thing, right?). It’s smart, it performs like a dream, and it honestly feels like the pet you can’t have in your city apartment. It goes under my bed, over my rugs, and through my bathroom.

Best Home Assistant

HomePod (2nd Generation)
Apple HomePod (2nd Generation)

Apple’s move into the home-assistant space has an edge on the Amazon Alexa in a couple vital ways. First, as befits an Apple product, it’s sexy: sleek, soft edges; no visible buttons; and less dystopian looking than my Echo. The HomePod also plays nicely with our Philips Hue lights and Nest thermostat, and most important, when it’s used as a speaker, the sound is fantastic. Siri got bass, and it communicates with our Sonos speakers to create a seamless sonic environment from inside the house out to the backyard. Lastly (and this is just a personal choice), we have our Siri voice set to Irish Male, because it’s simply more fun to spend your day making demands of a chipper and deferential Colin Farrell. Try it yourself.

Best Home Speakers

606 S3 Speakers
Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 Speakers

Let’s start with the way these speakers look: They are gorgeous. Go with the classic oak finish, which will improve the look of any room. Their relatively small size allows you to tuck them into any space elegantly, but don’t let the diminutive proportions fool you: This is serious audio equipment. For novices, they are a significant upgrade from everyday speakers; for audiophiles, they feature a tweeter grille mesh, which was created for the brand’s (pricier) Signature speakers. In other words, your records will sound exceptional. I tested them with a Marantz Model 40n receiver and a Denon DP-3000NE turntable, on which the audio quality was so good I could hear Donald Fagen exhaling cigarette smoke in between tracks on Aja.

Best Laser TV

PL1 Ultra Short Throw Smart Projector
Hisense PL1 Ultra Short Throw Smart Projector

Laser TVs are the new TVs. What’s a laser TV? Well, it’s just a projector. I’m lucky enough to have an apartment with large white walls, and it has completely replaced my TV. What makes this better than a normal projector is the “short throw” feature, which means it sits right in front of your wall—you can put it on your console table where your TV once stood—and it projects flawlessly. The picture is large and clear, and it just keeps getting better as time goes on. I’ve tested and compared a handful of these things, and this year the PL1 from Hisense was the hands-down winner. It doesn’t even need to be fully dark for me to see the picture clearly. But the major selling point here is the price. When the products first came out, they ranged from $5,000 to $10,000, yikes! This is the best model you can get for under $2,000, and now you’re in the same ballpark as a TV.

Best Robot House Mop

Q Revo Robot Mop
Roborock Q Revo Robot Mop

There are pages and pages to write about the smart tech that powers the Roborock. (Like the mapping, or the dirt-detection system, or the intelligent voice assistant, or the ultrasonic carpet sensing.) And while all that may be interesting to the gear heads, there’s a better, more immediate reason to invest in the Q Revo Robot Mop: Your floors are filthy. Even worse, the only person available to clean them is you. Not anymore, folks. Rocky will have those buffed up in no time.

Best Home Security

Battery Doorbell Pro
Ring Battery Doorbell Pro

Now 35% Off

The Ring Doorbell is not a new concept. In fact, it’s in the worst position a tech gadget can be in: old enough to spawn a million imitators, too new to be considered a classic. But the latest iteration is as close as Ring has gotten to a classic. You can now map where you want motion alerts so you don’t get random pings when you’re cutting the front yard. There are also new features like a bird’s-eye view and improved image quality, especially in low light.

Best Air Purifier

HEPA 13 Air Purifier
Sans HEPA 13 Air Purifier

I’ve tested many, many air purifiers throughout the years; they are all just kinda the same at this point. This year, we looked for something new that would blow us away, and the one that did was the Sans HEPA 13 Air Purifier. It’s a winner for many reasons, but most essentially, it works better than so many other models. The small device can cover up to 1,560 square feet of air filtration, removing 99.9 percent of particles—even as small as 0.1 microns in diameter. Basically, this thing fucking works. But there are two other key components here. One, it’s quiet, and a filter that you don’t hear is ideal. Two, it’s sleek and minimalistic. It blends into the background (which is what you want), all while doing a killer job.

Best Appliance

AutoRelease Smart 42dBA Dishwasher
Samsung AutoRelease Smart 42dBA Dishwasher

Now 39% Off

Something I didn’t know I needed until I had it: a dishwasher controlled through an app on my phone. It makes me feel superior. I impress my children with it. Every night, I open the SmartThings app, enter my settings (usually Night mode and Sanitize), hit start, and head off to bed. This has improved my life. The app alerts me when the cycle is finished and reminds me when the appliance needs cleaning. The dishwasher itself has seven settings. Need a quick wash? There’s the Express 60, which completes the cycle in an hour. Got a pile of greasy Tupperware? Deploy the Plastic setting to get them sparkling and avoid any melting. Have a newborn? Clean all your bottles with the Baby Care setting. The device doesn’t just clean your dishes; it offers peace of mind.

Best Wifi Support

Orbi 970 Series Quad-Band WiFi 7 System
Netgear Orbi 970 Series Quad-Band WiFi 7 System

Ours is a pretty Wi-Fi-connected household: the smart TV, the home assistants, the workout equipment, no fewer than two computers open, and constant Zooming and downloading and uploading. Internet slowdowns can throw a wrench into our whole day, and while I was initially reluctant to put an office-style mesh system in place, I’m glad I did. The Netgear Orbi system has just about tripled our download speeds. Our FaceTimes are crisp, and our streaming is hiccup free. Since the base unit and the satellite’s surface area are largely vertical, they don’t take up too much space. (Honestly, it looks like we have just a few big Renuzits around the house.) It’s not cheap, but as work from home turns our house into an office building, it’s worth it.

Best Smart Trash Can

Voice + Motion Dual Sensor Can
Simplehuman Voice + Motion Dual Sensor Can

A trash can isn’t just a trash can when it’s smart. It makes your life easier, and that’s what luxury is really about, right? The Simplehuman human-sensor trash can looks sleek (I have it in black) and listens to me. The robot home devices really do make a difference, and when I cut up fruits or vegetables and say, “Open can,” then slip the waste into my trash and have it close for me, I feel rich as hell. And changing fancy trash-can bags can be a hassle, but not in this case: It’s easy, and that’s worth half the money to me. Truly no hassle here.

Best Air Fryer

Wonder Oven
Our Place Wonder Oven

Now 21% Off

The Wonder Oven is a pure kitchen staple. I live in a tiny apartment with limited countertop space, but this machine is compact enough to be pulled out when I’m cooking and tucked away after dinner. The air-fryer function is amazing for crisping up veggies, and the traditional convection oven can quickly heat up cookie dough—I’m constantly impressed by the variety of functions. It’s like the Swiss Army Knife of appliances—you can crisp, bake, broil, and even steam items. Plus, it comes in numerous fun colors to complement any kitchen aesthetic.

Best Pizza Oven

Outdoor Oven
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven

Here are two words that rarely describe an oven: compact and versatile. And yet those two words—and many more, like smartly designed—define the Ninja Woodfire. It is an outdoor electric oven, roughly the size of a microwave on short, sturdy legs, with eight settings, enabling you to roast a chicken, dehydrate meat for jerky, smoke a pork shoulder (using pellets that load into the side of the oven), and make a pizza (it comes with a pizza stone). Serious pizza makers and meat smokers might find it lacking, but for everyone else it’s an easy, convenient, and affordable way to make a variety of dishes, including leftover pizza. The oven is tucked neatly on my back patio atop an old Ikea table. Nothing beats sitting in your backyard and warming up a slice of pepperoni in your stylish Woodfire.

Best Indoor Smoker

Smart Indoor Smoker
GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker

The idea of an indoor smoker hurts our heads. It just doesn’t make sense—you’re going to set off the smoke alarm or make your house smell like a barbecue joint. But GE Profile’s new smoker avoids either scenario. The pellet-fueled smoker slowly disperses smoke, which keeps you safe and helps reduce the smell. It’s big—able to fit three racks of ribs, a whole chicken, or a pork butt—but it still fits on a kitchen countertop. You can control everything via the GE app, so there’s never a reason to open the door and check your meat. We’re actually seven hours into a sixteen-hour pork shoulder as we type this.

Best Wine Cabinet

Wine Climate Cabinet
Asko Wine Climate Cabinet

Even refrigeration professionals will tell you that wine-cooling systems are on the simple end of the fridge-technology spectrum. So why the hell did my old ones keep breaking? Because I spent years going for cheap! At some point, it becomes time to invest in a more durable piece of equipment. And then, at yet another stage of life, it becomes time to invest in this. With a Scandi design, three temperature zones with precise control, a scan-the-label cataloging system (literally a camera system), and a retractable serving tray, this wine-storage system truly has it all. Remarkably, it’s not intimidating whatsoever. Use it to feel good about protecting your 190-bottle supply, or to show off to your guests. You can’t get more luxurious than this.


Best in Decor & Bedding

a group of candles

JOE LINGEMAN

Best Sheets

Giza 45 Percale Collection
SFERRA Giza 45 Percale Collection

The sheet world has been blown up by DTC brands. Don’t get us wrong, a lot of the new brands are great, but sometimes icons hold status for a reason, and SFERRA is one of them. While sheets this costly didn’t sound great at first, I was told there’s no turning back once you try the Giza 45, and that’s absolutely true. In my many years of sheet testing, only three brands have gained permanent slots in my linen closet. But the Ginza 45 sheets have outdone all of them. They’re cool, crisp, and exactly how you think luxury cotton should feel. This is another luxe investment—buy them once, own them forever.

Best Mattress

Rx Mattress

Saatva’s Rx is exactly what it sounds like: a prescription to help save your back and prevent any ailments while you sleep. It promises to help ease discomfort from chronic conditions like sciatica, arthritis, herniated discs, and scoliosis. I suffer from none of these (yet), but I am forty-three and have two young kids—a condition all its own. Can a mattress treat that? Yes, this one certainly does. It is a seemingly contradictory combination of soft and firm. It supports you while enveloping you. This is unholy, because I never want to get out of bed. I fantasize about this mattress; it’s that good.

Best Towels

Cloud Loom Organic Towels
Coyuchi Cloud Loom Organic Towels

The more I got into sheet and towel testing over the years, the more I realized that materials matter. Not to lead you into a Google search, but a majority of our clothes and linens contain toxins and chemicals—especially nonorganic cottons. Look, it’s the world we live in. But there is something you can do: shop organic cotton. Coyuchi is one of the best home brands of this nature right now, and that’s why we were excited to give the Cloud Loom towels a run. Turns out organic cotton is cozy and softer than usual, and you can just feel great about it.

Best Firm Pillow

Dream Layer Pillow
Purple Dream Layer Pillow

Sleep is personal. There is simply no other person on the planet who runs at your temperature, likes their head at your angle, or favors your positions all at once. So why do we think pillows can be one size fits all? Purple understands that, so this year it launched its most customizable offering yet. The Dream Layer Pillow adapts to your physical structure and positioning, and it comes with removable booster layers to make sure your neck settles in at just the right height. And the temperature-control GelFlex Grid and MicroAir Foam are so good I’m actually starting to think night sweats aren’t just well mitigated but damn near impossible.

Best Soft Pillow

Down & Feather Pillow
Four Seasons Down & Feather Pillow

There are two types of pillow people: soft and cozy versus firm and supportive. If you’re the latter, our other winner might be more suited to you. If you like down feather because that soft and cloud-like pillow is what you want, then Four Seasons made your dream pillow. It’s replaced every other one I raved about for the past five years. And hey, if you want to talk about pure luxury, what’s better than taking home a piece of your favorite five-star hotel?

Best Area Rug

Gute Wool Rug

Generally, I recommend against buying a rug with an eye-catching pattern. Why would you want your guests staring at your floor? This option from Layered doesn’t just break that rule; it destroys it completely. In a neutral colorway and with a pattern that feels as natural as the veins in a stunning marble, this hand-woven, 100 percent wool stunner doesn’t merely warm up a room—it makes any old room feel like home. (And just wait until you feel it underfoot.)

Best Bedroom Rug

Shay Wool Kilim Rug
Quince Shay Wool Kilim Rug

Woven, low-pile rugs can be a gamble. They’re great if you want a beachy texture and an organic feel, but not so much if you’re looking to cozy up a space. This handwoven Quince Rug somehow feels warm in the winter and cool in the summer; it’s soft under bare feet, and the color (we have it in blue) is dynamic. The price point, frankly, makes no sense.

Best Accent Rug

Sheepskin Rug
The Citizenry Sheepskin Rug

Every single word you want associated with your home (warm, inviting, plush, textured, natural, luxurious) applies to this product. As a bonus, it doesn’t take up much space, and it’s not all that expensive, but it will—without question—totally transform whatever area you put it in. What more could you want in a decor flourish?

Best Scent

La Vallée du Temps Candle
Diptyque La Vallée du Temps Candle

Diptyque’s La Vallée du Temps is rich yet soft; it’s sweet but not overly so. Sometimes when I have this candle lit in my home, I can’t decide what its best feature is: the delicious fragrance, the beautiful packaging, or the fact that I can literally use it forever. Its decorative glass case is one of my favorite things to put on display. And the commitment to sustainability (this candle will burn for a while, and when it’s done, you can keep the case and buy a refill for it) ensures that I’ll have a home smelling this wonderful for the foreseeable future.

Best Lamp

Rhea Floor Lamp

Hailing from Spain, Marquina marble (or “midnight marble,” as it’s sometimes called) is one of the most interesting black limestones in the world. Its rich, inky pool is interrupted only occasionally by feather-light white tendrils. The form is imposing (it weighs 210 pounds!), but nothing about the lamp feels loud. No, no, this thing is downright sexy!

Best Bath Mat

Checkerboard Bath Mat
Lulu and Georgia Checkerboard Bath Mat

A bath mat doesn’t have to be a crumpled-up piece of damp terry cloth in the corner of your bathroom. It can also make a statement, feel comfortable, and—get this—even repel water. Lulu and Georgia is known for its beautiful rugs, and this awesome collab—made with one of its best designers, Sarah Sherman Samuel, and featuring a checkerboard print—just brings a little something extra to your space. I went for the long one to cover a large bathroom, and it’s become one of the most complimented items in my home.

Best Bedding

Repose Heavyweight Bedcover
Cultiver x Colin King Repose Heavyweight Bedcover

When designers and cult brands mix, there’s no doubt something amazing is going to come from it. One of our favorite interior designers, Colin King, has had one hell of a year, partnering with brands ranging from West Elm to Cultiver. The linen bed cover is another little luxury that you can add to your space to feel like you’re vacationing in Italy for the summer. Why a linen bed cover? Well, it looks a hell of a lot better than what you currently have going on; we can guarantee that.

Best Blanket

Cuddle Blanket
Cozy Earth Cuddle Blanket

Throw blankets are important, and if you have one you don’t care about, please throw it away. It’s time to get one with meaning, with purpose, and with style. Enter Cozy Earth’s new cuddle blanket. Fuzzy, soft, and insanely heavy, it’s a dream. Though it’s not technically a weighted blanket, it has the effect of one. I didn’t expect to love it, but I really do. I cuddle up to my projector and on my cozy sofa, and once I get under this thing, I’m not coming out.

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