Photo: Sarah Kobos

Wirecutter’s 5 Most Popular Picks in February 2021

Published February 26, 2021

It was around this time last year when tens of millions of Americans suddenly started taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously. Since then, people’s lives have been upended by forced hermitages and the sad necessity of viewing every human interaction through the lens of viral peril. Mask-wearing has become quotidian for many. And so it’s no surprise that last month two of our recommendations for cloth face masks were among the 20 most-purchased Wirecutter picks (in part, no doubt, because we recently shared new filtration-efficiency lab-test findings).

Our readers remain focused on air quality, too. Our top-pick air purifier once again cracked our list of the top five most popular picks, as did our favorite humidifier (despite some reader criticisms).

Readers also bought more than 4,000 of our top-pick electric toothbrush. Like a new essential oil diffuser, beard trimmer, or set of resistance bands (other top-20 picks), a new toothbrush can be an inexpensive but meaningful upgrade in your self-care routine.

Also popular last month: space heaters and snow shovels for winter weather, kitchen scales and toaster ovens for cooking experiments, dog harnesses for furry friends, screen protectors for iPhones, and vacuum cleaners for all of the dust that appears, seemingly, out of nowhere.

These are the top picks our readers purchased in February:

1. Honeywell HCM-350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier

The Honeywell HCM-350 Cool Mist Humidifier, shown against a pale blue background. — Photo: Michael Hession

The evaporative Honeywell HCM-350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier has been our pick since 2015. It has outperformed more than two dozen competitors in round after round of tests. And in all that time, we haven’t uncovered serious flaws in any of the nine units that Wirecutter staffers have tested across the country. Be warned, though—for any humidifier, cleaning and maintenance are a pain.

2. Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier

The Coway AP-1512HH Mighty, our top-pick air purifier. — Photo: Sarah Kobos

After a sixth round of testing encompassing 42 different air purifiers and more than 450 hours of lab and real-world trials, the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty remains our pick as the best air purifier for most people.

3. Oral-B Pro 1000 Electric Toothbrush

The Oral-B Pro 1000, a top-pick electric toothbrush, shown against a blue background. — Photo: Michael Murtaugh

The Oral-B Pro 1000 is one of the company’s least expensive models, but it comes with all the features most of our experts recommended—including a two-minute timer (with a nice-to-have quadrant alert) and a wide selection of compatible and affordable brush heads—for the lowest price. We’ve recommended this brush since 2015.

4. Steelcase Gesture

The Steelcase Gesture office chair, shown in an office space. — Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald

The Steelcase Gesture requires an investment in excess of $1,000, but if you sit for long periods, it’s well worth the expense—for the support, for the adjustability, and for comfort that will last over a decade. Through multiple test panels involving dozens of Wirecutter staffers trying out office chairs, the Gesture has continued to be a favorite since we first recommended it in 2015.

5. Proper Cloth The Everyday Mask in Cotton (with filter)

Two of our top-pick cloth face masks against a yellow background. — Photo: Sarah Kobos

With various iterations of cotton (broadcloth, chambray, oxford, and pique), linen, and cotton-linen blends, the Proper Cloth Everyday Mask collection reminds us of the kinds of crisp fabrics you might pack for a beach getaway. We tested the filtration properties of its two most popular designs, both with and without the included filter, and we found that, for meaningful protection, you need to opt for the cotton-only design and wear it with the filter.

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