Wirecutter’s 5 Most Popular Picks in January 2021
It’s a January tradition: Thousands of Wirecutter readers 1) realized that their air was dry, and 2) bought one of our humidifier picks to resolve it. The Honeywell HCM-350 was once again very popular (despite criticism, which we always take seriously), and in fact over the past year demand for our top pick has been so high that it has been in and out of stock for weeks. Fortunately, we have six other picks for a range of needs and spaces. Three of them joined the Honeywell in the top 20 this January, and as we say in our guide, the best humidifier for you is whichever one you’re willing to deal with and maintain. Don’t miss our important advice on how to clean a humidifier, as they’re notoriously more work than many folks realize.
In a small but surprising shift, our favorite nonstick pan was unseated from its top-five spot in January by thin, inexpensive pieces of glass: namely, iPhone screen protectors, which can save any iPhone owner a lot of time and money—even those of us who don’t self-identify as clumsy or accident-prone. Here’s to helping your shiny, tiny new computer last a little bit longer.
Also popular last month: yoga mats and resistance bands for at-home workouts, meat thermometers and kitchen scales for cooking with precision, dog harnesses for neighborhood walks, convection toaster ovens for folks who took our advice about not buying air fryers, beard trimmers and bathroom scales for health and grooming routines, handheld vacuums and cordless vacuums for cleaning, and essential oil diffusers for ambiance.
These are the top picks our readers purchased in January:
1. Honeywell HCM-350 Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier
Simple, quiet, effective, and easier to clean than any other option, the HCM-350 has consistently come out on top in several years of humidifier testing.
Read more: The Best Humidifier
2. Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier
Perfect for bedrooms, playrooms, and living rooms, the Coway Mighty is one of the best performing, most durable, and most economical purifiers we’ve tested.
Read more: The Best Air Purifier
3. Oral-B Pro 1000 Electric Toothbrush
The Oral-B Pro 1000 offers the most important features for the lowest price: a two-minute timer, an easy brushing process, and compatibility with the largest range of brush heads.
Read more: The Best Electric Toothbrush
4. Vornado EV100 Humidifier
The Vornado EV100 isn’t quite as easy to use as our top humidifier pick, but it’s great at keeping the humidity consistent and distributing it around the room.
Read more: The Best Humidifier
5. Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector for iPhone 12 and 12 Pro
Spigen’s tempered glass meets our expectations for clarity and scratch resistance. And for about the price of a movie ticket, you get two pieces of glass, so you can share or have a backup.
Read more: The Best iPhone Screen Protectors
Rounding out the top 20:
- Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart Dog Walking Harness: The Best Dog Harness
- Bodylastics Stackable Tube Resistance Bands: The Best Resistance Bands
- Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo: The Best Meat Thermometers (midlevel pick for enthusiasts)
- Urpower 300ml Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser: The Best Essential Oil Diffusers
- Levoit Classic 200 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier: The Best Humidifier (budget pick)
- Black+Decker 20V Max Lithium Pivot BDH2000PL: The Best Handheld Vacuum
- Tramontina 10-Inch Professional Restaurant Fry Pan: The Best Nonstick Pan
- Etekcity EB9380H: The Best Bathroom Scales
- Levoit LV600HH Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier: The Best Humidifier (for large, very dry spaces)
- Escali Primo Digital Scale: The Best Kitchen Scale
- Cuisinart Chef's Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1: The Best Air Fryer Is a Convection Toaster Oven
- Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352: The Best Vacuum Cleaners
- Levoit Core 300: The Best Air Purifier (budget pick)
- Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 7000 MG7750: The Best Beard Trimmer
- Yoga Accessories 1/4″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat: The Best Yoga Mats (budget pick)
Mentioned above
- A good humidifier can make indoor air more comfortable without constant maintenance.The Best Humidifier
- We’ve cooked mounds of eggs and more in 27 nonstick pans since 2016, and we recommend the slick and durable Tramontina 10-Inch Professional Restaurant Fry Pan.The Best Nonstick Pan
- A screen protector can be a critical shield against breaking that expensive iPhone, and we’ve researched dozens to find the best, easiest-to-install options.The Best iPhone Screen Protectors
- After testing 49 yoga mats and using our picks for years, we’ve determined it’s worth investing in a quality mat that will last. The JadeYoga Harmony Mat is our top pick.The Best Yoga Mats
- We spent 25 hours testing 11 sets of resistance bands to find the best resistance bands for most people.The Best Resistance Bands
- We tested 37 instant-read meat thermometers and probe thermometers for speed, accuracy, and price. Here are our top picks.The Best Meat Thermometers