CNN Underscore is constantly testing products – be they flashlights, photo printers or food dehydrators – to find the absolute best in each respective category. Our testing process is rigorous, starting with hours of research to find the top products in each category. Once we create a test pool of products, we test and retest each product multiple times in a real-world setting over several weeks or months.
This year, we’ve already tested several hundred products – from PS5 games to smartphone apps to wireless speakers – to find the best products you need to make life better. Here are the winning products from March.
Wireless earbuds with incredible battery life and comfort
If you’re looking to spend less than $100 on a pair of noise-canceling earbuds — and want something stylish and low-profile — it’s hard to do better than the Jabra Elite 4.
An impressive and uniquely stylish set of wireless earbuds
If you’re looking to spend less than $150 on a quality set of noise-canceling earbuds — and want something that stands out from the pack — the Nothing Ears (2) are worth it.
a good audiophile option
If you’re willing to spend on a stylish pair of headphones with true audiophile-grade sound (and can live without features like active noise cancellation), the Master & Dynamic MH40 are well worth the investment.
An excellent little wireless speaker
The Era 100 produces bigger sound than the Sonos One without increasing the size and delivers impressive bass for a small speaker. It adds Bluetooth and the option for external sources via a line-in adapter. But the price has gone up again.
room filling sound from one speaker
The Era 300 makes it easy to enjoy immersive spatial audio – with its wide-ranging sound, it’s as if you’re listening to more than one speaker. It also sounds great with regular stereo music, thanks to crisp treble and deep bass. It’s loaded with features, but you pay a premium for the privilege.
Overall Best Drip Coffee Maker
The Braun KF6050WH Brewsens Drip Coffee Maker produced consistently delicious, hot cups of coffee, brewed efficiently and cleanly, from sleek, relatively compact hardware that’s turnkey to operate, and all for a reasonable price.
Unique outdoor rowing experience with a clean, intuitive interface
The Hydro Rower is an attractive, premium rowing machine that comes bundled with an all-access membership for $44 per month. Yes, it offers a kicking cardio and full-body workout, but we loved how it harkens back to its roots with live classes filmed at real-world locations. It can be pricey, but if you want to feel like you’re floating in water, then this home gym rowing machine is for you.
The perfect treadmill for running in small spaces
If you’ve always wanted a treadmill but haven’t had the space or cash for a larger machine, the ProForm Carbon T7 is an ideal compromise. No, it doesn’t have the power of big, pricey treadmills, but you do get access to a wide variety of classes with advanced AI features as well as an iFit subscription (which is free for three years). And a smaller footprint paired with a budget price is nothing to sneeze at when you’re thinking about adding on to your home gym.
A cult classic trail runner with even better traction
Fans of the Lone Peak series will love the new 7s for their increased width and upgraded grip, while newcomers to this shoe may be surprised at its lack of cushioning and zero-drop design. Either way, Altra has managed to deliver yet another awesome trail sneaker with slip-proof laces and just the right amount of breathable mesh.
Perfect bottle with a few flaws
It’s not perfect, but the collapsible HydraPack Flux+ 1.5 Liter Bottle has an incredible flow rate and a durable exterior, making it a top dog in the market for bottles with built-in filters. The difficulty of keeping it clean, especially over the long term, keeps it from being an ideal choice.
The Definitive Edition of the Survival Horror Masterpiece
Resident Evil 4 is an excellent retelling of the original 2005 single player story for a modern audience. Everything from the upgraded combat and mobility to the striking audio and visuals go a long way in making this a definite take on Resident Evil 4.
Overall Best Food Dehydrator
With trouble-free operation and consistent drying, the Nesco Gardenmaster delivers the best balance of simplicity and performance of any food dehydrator we’ve tested, and is perfect for anyone looking to preserve herbs, fruits and vegetables, or meat. This is a great option for the individual.
A plush bed in a box that’s great for side or back sleepers who appreciate softness
Leesa’s Legend Mattress is an excellent mattress for side sleepers, with soft support to reduce pressure and back pain, and a breathable top cover and ventilated foam layer to keep you cool.
A useful sleep aid that focuses on calm breathing
The Dodo Sleep Aid is a unique and useful device. This helped us fall asleep quickly and consistently. Learning to sync your breath with the light isn’t difficult, and once you get used to the process, you’ll feel the results. Inhale when it expands and exhale when it contracts.
An attractive, multitasking bedside assistant
Hatch Restore 2 is a comprehensive sleep machine that uses light and sound to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. The accompanying app gives you access to a library full of colored lights, white noise, sleep stories, and guided meditations. But where the Restore 2 really shines is its surprisingly pleasant sunrise alarm, which wakes you up gently and more humanely than the average alarm clock.
A convenient, app-based countertop oven for busy cooks
The Tovala Smart Oven Air Fryer offers a simple, fresh food delivery service for even more Wi-Fi connected, one-touch cooking. A great budget toaster oven if you order food in, it jumps to an expensive, less useful purchase if you’re more interested in cooking from scratch. However, if you’re looking to save time and energy, this countertop oven beats supermarket frozen meals and takeout.
Overall Best Plant Identification App for Mobile
During testing, we found PlantNet to be easy-to-use, accurate, and fast. This free app guides you through setup, lets you search by map or flora, and suggests you enable geolocation (GPS) to improve plant identification.
Ideal travel backpack if you want to pack for several days without checking bags
The Incase ARC Travel Pack is equal parts backpack and suitcase. Its butterfly-style packing system gives you maximum space to pack clothes and other essentials, while it features a separate laptop compartment and plenty of additional pockets. While it’s on the pricey side, its durable exterior and versatility make it a solid addition to your travel wardrobe.
Overall Best Checked Suitcase
With great internal organization and compression, a durable exterior, and comfortable handles, the Away Medium Suitcase was the most well-rounded bag we tested, offering a great combination of mobility, capacity, durability, and style.
Overall Best Robot Mop
The compact, affordable iRobot Braava Jet 240 is the best robot mop for the money. While it doesn’t have the smarts of more expensive models and can’t do double duty as a vacuum, its efficient design and simple pattern-based navigation deliver impressive cleaning.
Overall Best Robot Vacuum
The iRobot Roomba j7+ is the best robot vacuum you can buy right now, with impressive cleaning power and smart mapping that creates virtual boundaries to detect and avoid obstacles.
Overall best office chair
The Steelcase Series 1 stands out as one of the most customizable, high-quality, comfortable office chairs on the market, outpacing chairs twice the price — making it the best bang for the buck.
The perfect sub-$400 monitor for your home office
The LG UltraFine 4K is a great sub-$400 monitor for anyone looking to upgrade their home office, offering great 4K picture quality and plenty of ports.