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WIRED
15-05-2025
- WIRED
Tweak This Fan's Airflow Any Which Way by Twisting Its Arms
Even though I've been testing fans at WIRED for a year, it's not often a fan stops me in my tracks. Shark's new TurboBlade fan—released in March 2025—surprised me the minute I saw it fully assembled. Are we sure this is a fan? Is it not a windmill? A speaker? Some kind of high-tech ionizer device? Not since the Dyson series of fans has a manufacturer gone this bold with its design. And in spite of its name, the TurboBlade is actually bladeless. In other words, air gets sucked in through a cleanable screen dust trap on the fan's base and is pushed out through the top, without visible spinning parts or motors. It makes for a clean, seamless aesthetic (in black or white, both with gold-toned accents), minus the worry about dust, grime, or little wayward hands or pet tails. Get in Formation The TurboBlade's setup is quick—the handful of disassembled parts are all labeled, and it didn't take me more than about five minutes to fit them together. The fan's main form looks like a T . There's a base that looks like a small overturned bucket, out of which sprouts a telescoping plastic pole that can turn 360 degrees, topped with a 31.5-inch bar with a tapered front. A 13-inch segment on each side is where the vents are; each segment is articulated so it can be rotated straight up, straight down, or anywhere in between. This design means the airflow is technically more concentrated, but with the TurboBlade it's not as noticeable as it is with fans of a similar narrow-gauge outflow design, like Vornado's Strata. Photograph: Kat Merck The TurboBlade's top bar can also be turned to make the fan into an I shape, allowing for the airflow to go higher and/or lower. As a T the TurboBlade's height ranges from 30 to 38 inches, and as an I it's about 45 to 53 inches. The whole thing can also oscillate up to 180 degrees (with settings at 45, 90, and 180). Between the varying heights, 10 speeds, oscillation degrees, angles, and rotations, this is about the most customization for airflow you can get. There's no app associated with the fan, and it's not smart, but there is a remote (spares are $15) that can stick magnetically to the top of the fan. The remote is surprisingly useful—unlike other fans that just have on/off and speed increase/decrease, this one also allows for changing the mode (Sleep, BreezeBoost, and Natural Breeze; see below), oscillating, and adjusting the angle. Photograph: Kat Merck A Different Plane So the TurboBlade is unique, certainly, but it is billed as a tower fan. This is a tough row to hoe in the current tower fan space with models like Dreo's MC710S, which is also tall and doubles as an air purifier, or Vornado's new Ara, which is both more powerful and looks like it belongs in a high-end apartment. The TurboBlade's vibe, on the other hand, is more freak than chic. On max speed the TurboBlade registered a respectable 1,043 feet per minute on my anemometer, on par with most classically shaped tower fans. However, I felt like the farther away I was from the fan, the more precisely I had to angle the vents in order to feel the breeze, especially when the fan was on low speed. A whole-room air circulator it is not. The other problem is the noise. This is not to say the TurboBlade is loud; my decibel meter registered 53 dB on even the highest speed setting, which is even on the quiet end for a fan of this size and strength. But even on the lowest speed, the TurboBlade's volume was not much less—around 40 dB—likely due to the motor's pronounced, jet-engine-like whine. This is especially evident while using the Natural Breeze specialty setting, which is meant to emulate being outdoors with an occasional rising and falling 'wind.' I attempted to test this one afternoon while reading on my couch, but the repeated starting up and stopping of the jet engine sound was so distracting I had to turn it off almost immediately. I fly at least four times a year, and closing my eyes, I would fully believe I'm taxiing on a Boeing 747. Sleep Tight In addition to Natural, other TurboBlade specialty modes include BreezeBoost, which temporarily turns the fan up to max speed for a bit before bringing it back down (for an immediate cooling sensation—it's important to remember a fan can't actually lower the temperature of a room), and Sleep, which silences beeps, dims lights, and switches to a speed 'optimized for sleep.' In testing this mode, I especially appreciated the TurboBlade's height and horizontal outflow, which seemed tailor-made for a bed. I also liked that, at 15 pounds, it's easy to move around. The automatic Sleep Mode wind speed is about 433 feet per minute—just soft enough to be felt (provided the angle is right) but not so high that you feel like you're in a wind tunnel. At about 40 dB the noise was evident and louder than other fans' lowest speeds but not so loud that I found it distracting, although many online commenters did. In any case, though this may not be the best general-use tower fan, it likely has some very specific use cases (needing to direct airflow both up and down, or high and low) for which some people will find it invaluable. If you're not sure if this is you, there's a two-year warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it for yourself.
WIRED
27-04-2025
- WIRED
The Parallelle Traveller Is the Best Makeup Toiletry Bag I've Ever Used
If a Transformers toy existed for grown women, it would be Parallelle's Traveller series of toiletry bags. Ribbed on the outside like Optimus Prime's boots, the Traveller looks like a typical (albeit stylish) makeup bag on the outside, but peer inside and you'll see a warren of different-sized pockets and loops and adjustable dividers. Unzip the bag all the way around, fold the sides down, and voila—there are all your travel toiletries, standing upright and fully in order, in a makeup organizer just like you'd have at home. When you're done, flip the sides up, pull the zippers back to the top, and it's back to being a travel bag, sturdy and secure enough to toss in a suitcase sideways or even upside down. Keep It Contained The Traveller is the brainchild of Annie Fan, a career designer of private-label bags for other brands. She liked to take a SoulCycle spin class before work, but found herself either forgetting her makeup and toiletries, being unable to find them in her bag, or having to lay out all her items on the communal counter. In 2022, she set out to design her own bag: the ultimate travel cosmetics bag. 'When I started designing the Traveller, structure was key,' Fan says. 'It needed to function like a portable vanity—keeping everything visible, secure, and exactly where you need it, without the need to unpack.' As for the design procedure, it was a matter of constant fine-tuning. She ultimately went through 60 prototypes to ensure she got the design precisely the way she wanted it. "Every detail had to be carefully considered, from the flexibility of the layout to how everything stays organized and accessible,' Fan says. Today, there are now four sizes of Traveller, all with the same sturdy, vegan leather and water-resistant cotton exterior. There's the Small, with nine pockets, two divided compartments, two mesh pouches, and five loops for brushes or other items; Medium, with 16 pockets, three divided compartments, and four mesh pouches; and Large, with 20 pockets, three divided compartments, and six new pouches. There's also a new 'Brush' version, which stands 9.6 inches tall and has 13 wall pockets for brushes and other toiletries, a zippered pouch, and a spacious 'floor' for full-size products. Photograph: Kat Merck Road Tested I tested the Medium and Brush Travellers on a recent five-day family trip to both a hotel and Airbnb in Louisiana, and I can confirm both serve as a veritable clown car of skin-care products and makeup. Once I arrived at my destination, I placed a Traveller on the bathroom counter, unzipped and peeled the sides down like a banana, and there were all my products—fully visible, no worse for wear from being tossed around in my suitcase, and easy to grab and replace. Even though I have tested more than 20 toiletry bags in the past year, I was still impressed. Photograph: Kat Merck
WIRED
09-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- WIRED
Which GoRuck Backpack Should You Buy?
I was first inspired to try rucking last year after reading this New York Times article, which suggests, 'if you have anything that weighs anything in your house, put that inside [a] backpack and simply go for a walk.' One hike with a cookbook-stuffed JanSport and an injured rhomboid muscle later, I found myself researching proper rucking backpacks. A $255 Rucker not being in my budget, I settled on GoRuck's 15L bullet. Billed as a daypack, the Bullet has the same 210D Cordura back panel and under-shoulder straps as the Rucker but a slimmer profile and less weight capacity. It can still fit a Ruck Plate in one of its three interior pockets, or a 20 lb. or 40 lb. sandbag in the main compartment, which helpfully opens flat. (I use a 20 lb. bag of rice from Walmart.) There's no hip belt, so I probably wouldn't attempt to go above 20 lbs., but for an average-sized woman in her mid-40s, I've found the Bullet to be perfect for short to moderate hikes. Weight feels evenly placed, the padded straps don't dig in or shift, and there's a D-ring inside to attach a hydration bladder, as there are no water bottle pockets. It's also the perfect size to double as a regular backpack for school or travel, and for $35 more you can spring for a version with a laptop compartment to make it a work bag. —Kat Merck $160 at GoRuck (Classic, 15L) $195 at GoRuck (Laptop, 16L) The GR3 is available in either 35L or 45L sizes, with the latter being the largest possible bag that's still TSA compliant. Perfect for travelers that haven't yet learned how to travel light, the GR3 can carry everything you need for two weeks on the road (or a lifetime if that's more your style). The GR3 is made of the same materials as the other GR series packs and like the GR2 has two compartments. They're just much bigger compartments. It is in fact difficult to convey just how big this bag is except to say that if you're like me—under 6 feet tall—you will look slightly ridiculous with the GR3 on your back. For that reason, and the fact that I don't need this much space, I much prefer the GR2, which, despite being nearly the same capacity, is much more svelte. One nice feature of the GR3 that the GR2 lacks is side compression straps (with buckles). These make the GR3 somewhat compressible, keeping it more manageable when it's not completely full, but even with these, and even on the 35L version, this is still a big pack and there's no hiding that. That said, if you need the room, the GR3 is the pack to get. GoRuck, should you read this, please consider a GR2 with compression straps.
WIRED
09-03-2025
- WIRED
GHD's Chronos Max Hair Straightener Brings the Tech, but Not the Heat
If you've had your hair dyed, cut, or styled with any regularity in professional salons, odds are you've encountered a GHD-branded hair tool. A longtime favorite of hairstylists, the company has been around since 2001 and is known for both its devotion to technological innovation and its tools' longevity. ("I've had the same GHD for 10+ years" is a typical comment on any beauty- or hair-related subreddit.) GHD's regular Chronos, Platinum+, and wet-to-dry Duet Style are all top picks in our guide to the Best Hair Straighteners, so of course we were first in line to test the company's newest release, the Chronos Max, hot off the presses in February 2025. Like most GHD tools (GHD, in case you were wondering, stands for 'Good Hair Day"), the universal-voltage Chronos Max feels solid and high-quality, as befits a hair straightener north of $300. It also plays a convenient little chime to let the user know it's been turned on, is preheating, or is turning off, and the 8.8-foot cord has a swivel attachment on the iron's back. (Unlike other flat irons, though, it curiously does not come with velcro to help bind the folded cord.) The original Chronos ($229) has been around since 2024, but the principal difference between it and the Chronos Max is the Max's larger 1.75-inch-wide plates, designed specifically to handle 'thick, long, and curly hair'—just like mine. Turning Up (or Down) the Heat I have been using a flat iron on my long, 3a curly hair nearly every day for the past 33 years, and I found many things to love about the Chronos Max during my two-week testing period. The chime, for one—even though the Chronos only takes about 30 seconds to heat up, I had no idea how convenient it was to press a button and not have to continually stop what I'm doing to check to see if a light had turned off or stopped flashing. I also loved the sturdiness of the body. So many hair straighteners nowadays are made with such cheap plastic they practically feel hollow, but the GHD is solid, weighing in at 12 ounces without the cord—just enough heft to feel substantial, but not unwieldy. Video courtesy of Kat Merck Perhaps the most curious feature, however, is its single temperature setting. That's right: one button, 365 degrees Fahrenheit. No more, no less, no adjusting. WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar experienced this for the first time while testing the original Chronos, and liked that it ultimately forced her to do less damage to her hair. As someone who's spent their entire life cranking every straightener up to max temperature to obliterate any trace of curls or frizz, though, I admit I was dubious. Meredith Kirkland, a stylist of 20 years and GHD's senior national education manager, says it's actually a myth that coarse or curly hair needs a tool with higher heat. 'All of our hair is made out of the same material, it's just shaped differently,' she explains. More specifically, the shaft of a straight hair is perfectly round, while a curly hair's is flatter, or more oval. Photograph: Wired
WIRED
30-01-2025
- General
- WIRED
The Best Heat Protectant Sprays
Photograph: Kat Merck R+Co Bleu Hypersonic Heat Styling Mist for $36: This high-tech-looking aerosol in a recycled aluminum bottle was a favorite during the early weeks of testing—I liked its protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and its frizz-fighting properties. However, it does use a polymer and resin complex to smooth hair, and over time I noticed it was leaving a sticky residue on my hands and heat tools. Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blowdry Perfection & Heat Protectant Creme for $12: I have thick, unruly hair, and this cream protectant felt like it actually made my hair unmanageable and harder to style. It may speak to its effectiveness, but I felt like I had to take too many passes with a titanium flat iron turned up to max temperature. IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray for $34: This aerosol felt like it dried my hair out a bit, and it has the same unpleasant scent as the 4-in-1 (above). I didn't care for it in a liquid spray, but it was overwhelming in aerosol cloud form. Reverie Milk Anti-Frizz Leave-in Nourishing Treatment for $44: I loved this lightweight cream's spicy botanical scent, stylish glass bottle, and the fact that it protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (according to Reverie; it does not say so on the bottle). Unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing for my frizz. Sutra Heat Guard Heat Protector for $18: Imperceptibly scented and light, this pump spray seemed promising for use on dry hair, but it had the same issue as Briogeo's Farewell Frizz—even after multiple passes at high temperatures, my hair was unmanageable and would not cooperate with the flat iron. Chi 44 Iron Guard for $19: This drugstore stalwart works well to protect from heat while also tamping down frizz, and the new Botanical Bliss scent is an improvement over the original formula's. However, it left a sticky residue on my hands and heat tools. Sutra Heat Guard Blowout Cream for $24: I love Sutra's IR2 hair straightener, so I had high hopes for this thick and almost fragrance-free cream that's meant to protect up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and reduce drying time, but my hair felt dried out after use. Milk_Shake Lifestyling Thermo-Protector for $18: I usually love Milk_Shake products, but this aerosol spray felt like it dried out my hair and amplified my already hard-to-handle frizz after blow-drying. It also did not add a discernible amount of shine as promised. FoxyBae Cool AF Heat Protectant + Biotin for $13: I like the cheery design of this pump spray bottle, as well as the fact it can be used on wet or dry hair. However, it didn't seem as effective as other brands and was greasy when used on dry hair. Drybar Hot Toddy Heat Protectant Mist for $28: This keratin- and paraben-free aerosol spray was quite pleasant to use for touch-ups, but it was just a little too lightweight to have any real effect on frizz. R+Co Chainmail Thermal Protection Styling Spray for $36: I appreciated this spray for its ability to add lots of visible shine, but the aerosol nozzle was not as targeted as I'd have liked, creating such a wide-ranging, fine-mist fog that it was nearly impossible not to breathe it in. I also found the cologne-like scent overwhelming.
