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New York Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
I Love This Scandinavian Yard Game (And I Don't Even Have a Yard)
Spend a sunny day in a Copenhagen park and you will see at least one group, if not many, throwing a bunch of wooden rods at a bunch of wooden blocks. It might be a quorum of college students chilling with beers, a couple having a picnic, or a family with kids enjoying the sunshine. During the years I lived in Copenhagen, this lawn game — known as the king's game — quickly became a spring and summer staple. On a nice day after work, desperate to get out of our 500-square-foot apartment, my partner and I hit the park, spread out a picnic blanket, popped open two beers, and started counting paces to set up the field. Setting up a petite, garden-size game of kubb at the King's Garden in Copenhagen. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter It was a surprising turn of events because I've never been much of a yard-game gal. Growing up, cornhole felt too basic, croquet had a stuffy air, and I was quickly beaten in badminton by an older brother. And, as an adult, I've mostly lived in yardless apartments. But the king's game is different. It's relatively portable. It's just complex enough to hold your attention but simple enough that you can socialize. It takes skill and strategy but not necessarily athleticism — you can eke out a win over a seemingly more adept opponent. The game — called kubb (pronounced 'koob') in the US — is composed of 10 smaller wooden blocks, or kubbs, one large wooden block (the king), and six wooden batons. Most sets also come with stakes to mark the field as well as a carrying case for easy transport. This versatile, relatively portable outdoor game can accommodate two to 12 players of all ages. It's perfect for outdoor parties, backyard hangs, or sunny days in the park. As with many games, the rules are more complicated to describe than to execute in real life, but it mostly involves throwing batons to knock over the opponent's baseline kubbs. These fallen kubbs are thrown into the field to become field kubbs, which must also be knocked over. At the end, you have to knock over the king, the largest block positioned at the center of the field. (You might be better served by this rules page, which has a fun three-minute explainer video.) Like most kubb sets, the tournament-size set I own comes with 10 smaller wooden blocks, or kubbs, one large wooden block (the king), and six wooden batons, plus stakes and a carrying case. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter As I spent more time in Europe, I played the king's game beyond the park. More than once, I played a post-dinner, pre-dessert game in the yard of a Danish family. I played it in Germany with a group of colleagues, where, incidentally, they called it the Viking game. I began to see its versatility. It was just as enjoyable as a two-person showdown as it was for a party game of 12. You could play it with a bunch of adults or you could play it with grandparents and kids. It was perfect for an outdoor party, for a post-grilling backyard break, or to take along in the car on a chill weekend trip to the country. The game mostly involves trying to knock over these chunky kubbs with batons. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter While I've never played it on sand, dirt, or snow, it's apparently possible. And unlike some of the aforementioned games of my youth, it's relatively portable; it's a yard game you can enjoy even if you don't have a yard. While kubb isn't as well known in the US, it does have a loyal following — including in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, home to the largest weekly league in the world. Eric Anderson, director of the U.S. National Kubb Championship in Eau Claire, told me he loves kubb because it's a strategic game where any one can have success regardless of age, strength, or gender. 'We have had people that are young teenagers and seniors both do well here at the Championship,' he told me in an email. 'It also is a game where players have to interact with their opponent, which isn't always the case in other sports. It can be played at an extremely recreational level and also at a very elite level… both of which are extremely fun.' My colleagues at Wirecutter recommend it, too. It's recently become a top pick in our guide to outdoor games, and before that it was a staple in our gift guides (such as our guides to the best gifts for families and the best last-minute Father's Day gifts). It would make a great housewarming present. Tournament-size pieces — like this baton, king, and kubb — are heftier than garden-size pieces but easier to play with. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter The game is typically sold in two sizes: garden (also called backyard or yard) and tournament (also called standard or regulation*). The garden size has slightly smaller, lighter pieces and tends to be less expensive. Anderson recommends that even casual players stick with the tournament size, if possible. 'The garden/yard sizes make the game more difficult,' he said. 'It is harder to control the batons when throwing, they are much more susceptible to wind, and the kubbs are a much smaller target to hit.' That said, my tournament-size GoSports Kubb Viking Game set is fairly heavy — about 20 pounds — so it's a bit of a workout to walk it to the park. Garden-size sets can easily be 5 pounds lighter. Kubb is also amenable to house rules. In Denmark, I was taught a simplified version that I still use. Once a kubb is knocked over twice — that is, once as a baseline kubb and once as a field kubb — it's taken out of the game. Anderson told me this is one of the most common unofficial rules people play. While the legit rule of keeping all the kubbs in the game requires more strategy and offers teams more opportunities to have a comeback, the house rule does tend to make the game shorter. 'It is ok to make whatever rules you want,' Anderson assured me. If you're playing with kids, you can use fewer blocks, have younger kids throw from the half line, or create a smaller field. You have plenty of options. As for me, I continue to be in the unlikely position of being a yardless yard-game advocate. So while some people may host kubb tournaments in their backyards between dinner and dessert, it gives me the chance to throw batons around in unexpected places. I've played in a castle garden and behind a historic penitentiary, and, eventually, I imagine I'll play in Central Park. Speaking of, I'm off to challenge my partner to a game in the grass behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. *Turns out, not all kubb sets sold as tournament/regulation sizes actually meet official guidelines. If you plan to play in a tournament, be sure to check the legit regulation sizes against the dimensions of the set you want. Serious players may also want to look for a set that comes with six stakes (four for the corners and two for midfield)—many sets come with just four corner stakes. The U.S. National Kubb Championship recommends sets from one of its sponsors, JP's Backyard Games . This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
New York Times
23-04-2025
- General
- New York Times
The Stars of My Paper Planner Are These Lovely Desaturated Highlighters
When I was younger, I painted my room an electric, lime green. Every time I opened the door, my heart filled with joy. Every time other people opened the door, they looked frantic. Then came the caffeine-fueled, late-night study sessions of my college days, filled with page after page of highlighted, neon notes I was somehow supposed to memorize. Color-coding my notes helped me stay organized while studying, but ever since, the fluorescent colors I loved as a kid have filled me with the same low-key panic I felt before a test. That anxious energy isn't what I want to carry into the rest of my adult life — but I still love to highlight. That's why I'm a fan of Zebra Mildliners, chilled-out highlighters that come in pretty pastels and faded fluorescents and add emphasis sans panic to my to-do lists and daily notes. I use my Mildliners to make lists, color-code calendars, highlight priorities, and add a bit of decor to my Traveler's Notebook (and, for many years prior, my bullet journal). Though my days of serious studying are long over, I still use them to highlight books and printed documents. Zebra Mildliners have a chisel tip for highlighting and a fine tip that functions like a regular marker. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter These muted highlighters have a chisel tip and a fine tip, and they come in pretty pastels, faded fluorescents, and sophisticated grays and browns. But they tend to smudge the ink of gel pens. With 40 desaturated colors to choose from — including springtime pinks, understated yellows, wintery blues, sherbety oranges, rich purples, steely grays, and autumnal neutrals like olive and copper — it's the most comprehensive (and sophisticated) highlighter collection I've ever seen. JetPens and some art stores sell singles for around $2, but they are most available in packs of five, bundled under color palette names like 'friendly' and 'gentle.' These chilled-out highlighters come in 40 desaturated colors and are often sold in packs of five. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter They also have two tips: a bold chisel tip ideal for highlighting and a fine tip perfect for your underlining, doodling, and decorating needs. As expected, the chisel tip does its job of precisely covering text. It's not as juicy as other highlighters, but that means lines dry quickly and don't tend to bleed through pages the way inkier highlighters can. The fine tip, though, is what makes Mildliners truly unique — allowing them to essentially function like regular markers. Not only is the tip useful for underlining, but the shades are rich enough that you can also use it to write chunky text, draw shapes, or color in a design. I color-code the calendar in my Traveler's Notebook with Mildliners. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter In fact, I use them so often and find them so versatile that I always take one or two with me on a trip. They're perfect for brightening up my journal, organizing my packing list, and other pop-of-color emergencies that arise on the road, like adding flair to a postcard. I add slashes of color to my packing list as headers for overarching categories (toiletries, clothes) then color-code items I want to put in my backpack or need to collect at the last minute. I've used Mildliners to make my bullet journal more exciting and organize my packing list. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter As a color lover, I was surprised to find I use the mild gray Mildliner most, which is perfect as it is for creating subtle shadows on lettering and other designs. (If you plan to use your highlighter mostly for art-making, Zebra has a version with a brush tip instead of a chisel tip, with a superfine tip on the other end.) Mildliner's primary flaw is that some ink — particularly gel ink — can smudge pretty badly while being highlighted. But not every gel pen is off limits, and there's also an easy solution: Just use a ballpoint. Wirecutter's favorite pen, the Uni-ball Jetstream RT, doesn't smudge at all. Ballpoint pens play nice with Mildliners, but be forewarned that gel pens (such as the Pentel EnerGel RTX, Uni-ball Signo RT1, Pilot G-2, and Zebra Sarasa, shown here) will smear. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter There's another workaround if you, like me, are devoted to your gel pen of choice. I love my very, very smudgable Uni-ball Signo RT1, the fine-tip gel pen of my dreams (and another Wirecutter favorite). I tried to switch to Zebra's Mojiniline highlighters, which are more smear resistant, but they don't come in the same calming shades. Since I apparently can't sacrifice either the Signo or Mildliner, I just highlight first, then write the text on top. If I forget, I underline instead of highlight. It works for me. If I'm going to nitpick, Mildliner ink tends to pool slightly at the beginning and the end of a highlighted line, though this is subtle and doesn't bother me. I also find a few of the colors a little dark for highlighting text. But unless you're all-in on neon, I find it difficult to come up with too many objections. Mildliners tend to be crowd-pleasers, the trifecta of fun, useful, and unique that makes a versatile gift. In fact, our gift team suggests buying a box then distributing them in singles as party favors. The pastel set makes a fun Easter basket goody for older kids, and they're also ideal as stocking stuffers for high school students, college students, and other office-supply loving grown-ups. Mildliners are toned down versions of classic highlighters. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter. Adulthood, I used to think, would be boring. You seemed to lose childhood's color everywhere, trading in bright sugar cereals, holographic stickers, and rainbow leggings for bran, manila envelopes, and beige sweaters. Turns out, I still haven't come around on beige, but I also don't want to live in the neon green room of my youth. Adulthood contains enough stresses that I don't need every part of my life to scream in technicolor. And I really don't need my daily notes and to-do lists to look any more urgent than they already are. Mildliners offer the perfect balance: color, yes, but also calm. This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Maxine Builder. The Uni-ball Jetstream RT is the best pen for most people. It's affordable and quick to dry. And it writes smoothly and won't skip or bleed. Never lend out the Uni-ball Jetstream—it will invariably be 'borrowed' permanently. We looked high and low for fun birthday party favors—including good-quality trinkets and special standalone items—that aren't bound straight for the trash. Many 10-year-olds are on the brink of teenage-dom, and value their friendships, independence, and personal passions.
New York Times
16-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
These Sleek Toiletry Bottles Keep Your Products Airtight. But Are They Any Good?
Although Ries bottles are sleek, easy to fill and clean, and hygienic, they put you in a bit of a double bind. Because they only pump out a bit of liquid at once, they're more suited to products where a little goes a long way. Yet the Ries bottles are designed for toiletries you need a lot of, like shampoo and conditioner, and they only come in two relatively large sizes. They're also bulky and have a limited (and hard-to-read) labeling system. At up to $18 per bottle, they feel pricey for what they are. Ries bottles (left) use an airless pump, Cadence Capsules (middle) are an open jar, and Sea to Summit offers a simple squeeze bottle (right). Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Still, people who generally use small amounts of product might be fine with the bottles' modest dispensing. I could potentially see using Ries bottles for select parts of my travel toiletry kit, like a facial moisturizer. Some people might prefer Cadence Capsules, which come in a wider range of sizes and have endless interchangeable label options, making them especially alluring for those who use a bunch of different products in smaller quantities. With satisfying magnetic parts, they're also surprisingly delightful. But Cadence Capsules concede some practicalities to aesthetics. They're heavy, they're bulky for how much they hold, they're expensive, and the open-jar concept, which requires scooping out product, isn't for everyone. (Notably, while writing this piece, Cadence released adapter lids that may mitigate the latter issue, though we haven't tried them yet.) These plastic travel containers are chic, stylish, and come in a range of sizes. Plus, they have satisfying magnetic sides and interchangeable magnetic labels. But they're pricey, heavy, and the open-jar style isn't for everyone. If attractiveness isn't a big concern, the Sea to Summit bottles are simple, lightweight, and take up very little space. For me, they were hands-down the easiest to use for dispensing everyday hygiene items like shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Each Sea to Summit bottle has a screw top to prevent leaks and a removable insert in the mouth to control how much liquid is squeezed out. They're also translucent, so you can see how much product you have left. However, Sea to Summit's bottles are difficult to label and have a narrow mouth, so they're annoying to fill, empty completely, and clean. At about $33 for six bottles and a TSA-compliant liquids bag (which we like), they're not cheap, but they are the cheapest of the bunch. These basic toiletry bottles are simple, lightweight, and not bulky, plus they have a removable insert to control how much liquid is squeezed out. But the narrow neck makes them more difficult to clean and fill. Maybe there's a reason why toiletry bags are a hodgepodge. If Goldilocks is out there somewhere applying product from the perfect set of containers, I haven't gotten word of it yet. This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
New York Times
12-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
Light Packers Are Obsessed With This $14 Bar Soap Bag. I Found Out Why.
To determine if the Matador soap bag really dried soap faster than other methods, I conducted three tests comparing it with several alternatives (a disposable sandwich bag, a silicone bag, and a plastic case). In each test, I submerged Dove bars1 in water for 15 minutes and then let them dry to varying degrees before I put them in their containers. I conducted several tests to see which container dried soap the fastest. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter In two of the three tests, after hours of drying time, the bar soap from the Matador bag was deemed driest, but only marginally so. In the third test, the bars were not appreciably different from each other. (For the two tests where it wasn't immediately obvious which soap was driest, I had a volunteer blindly rank them.) In one test, I put the bars in their containers soaking wet. After 18 hours, none of the bars, including the one in the Matador bag, had fully dried. In two of the three tests, the soap from the Matador bag was driest, but only marginally so. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter But I was worried that soaking the bar soap didn't accurately mimic the less dramatic way soap tends to get wet in a shower. So for a week, I showered with two bars of soap, one of which went into the plastic sandwich bag and one of which went into the Matador soap bag. This is where the Matador bag really stood out. The bag and the soap inside it always dried before my next shower, while the interior of the sandwich bag and the soap inside never completely dried, even after one 48-hour stint. The Matador bag stood out in real-world testing. Soap in the Matador bag always dried before my next shower, and soap from the (very gunky) sandwich bag never dried. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter I also hated the feeling of pulling the soap out of the slimy, gunky sandwich bag, which I fought the urge to replace over the course of a week. Meanwhile, the Matador soap bag, with its easy-to-rinse opaque exterior, always looked clean. Any gunk inside was hidden from view and totally dry when I needed my soap. Interestingly, Matador's instructions say that the soap will dry faster when the bag is exposed to air, but I didn't find much of a difference in drying time between putting the Matador bag on the counter versus in a toiletry bag. My real-world experience lines up with that of deputy editorial director Maxine Builder, who has owned the Matador soap bar bag for almost a year and uses it to hold her shaving bar, even when she showers at home. Most of the time, she doesn't even think about the bag. 'I seal the bar of soap up after using it, even when it's sopping wet, and when I open it up later, it's dry and ready to go, neither slimy nor soft and mushy,' Maxine says. It's kind of pricey for a simple bag, she admits, but she thinks it looks and feels nicer than a plastic case.
New York Times
25-02-2025
- New York Times
Are Packing Shelves Worth It? Maria Investigates.
Living out of a suitcase is kind of a bummer. I want to be traveling, yes, but for certain things—say, sleeping or getting dressed—I also kind of want to be home. Which is to say, I would like to bring my whole bedroom with me—or at least my closet. Enter packing shelves, which come in a hanging unit and double as a compression system. According to the ads, you simply pack the shelves, squish the system down into a little bundle, and put it in your suitcase—it's essentially a hanging closet organizer you can pack down and take with you. At your destination, un-squish, hang, and voilà! Your closet away from home, no unpacking needed. In hindsight, the whole thing seems too good to be true. But, as a product reviewer and seasoned overpacker, I try to maintain a sense of curiosity and hope. Also, I fell for the marketing. I'd seen packing shelves before and didn't think much of them. Amazon sells several for $30 or less, and has one (usually around $70) that reviewers seem to either love or hate. And then there is the entire suitcase-integrated Solgaard Carry-On Closet. If I'm being honest, I think I might've rejected them for their slightly dorky aura. But when I saw the sleek minimalism of July's Compression Packing Shelves, they suddenly seemed kind of cool. I was drawn in by the sleek minimalism of July's packing shelves. July July's packing shelves also looked legit. That is, they looked durable and thoughtfully designed enough to potentially warrant the $65 splurge (and shipping adds another $15). Plus, we've been impressed with some of July's other items, like the Carry All Backpack, which is a Wirecutter pick, and a promising set of Packing Cells. Had July perfected the art of packing shelves? I decided to find out on a trip to see family over the holidays. I was hesitantly impressed when I first opened July's version of packing shelves. The unit had three open shelves and one zippered pocket (at the bottom), which ingeniously flips inside out to become a storage compartment for the shelves when they're not in use. From the sturdy straps to the smooth zippers, the construction seemed solid. I liked the magnetic buckle on the compression strap and how the S-hooks tucked away into top slip pockets when not in use. July's Compression Packing Shelves set features three open shelves and one zippered pocket, which flips inside out to become a storage compartment for the shelves when they're not in use. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Packed and compressed, the shelves form an awkward lump, about the size of two large packing cubes stuck together. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter The lump fit awkwardly, even in a soft-sided carry-on, which has a more-spacious main compartment than its hard-sided counterpart. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter July's Compression Packing Shelves set features three open shelves and one zippered pocket, which flips inside out to become a storage compartment for the shelves when they're not in use. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter But the problems started early. The S-hooks didn't fit over any of the closet rods in my Philly row home. They also barely fit over the rod in the closet at my destination, a house in Virginia. (I was eventually able to force the hooks on, losing the plastic nubs on the tips in the process.) July's product copy suggests the hanging shelves also fit over 'shower rails,' but none of the bathrooms I was using had these, and a similarly positioned towel rod was too close to the wall for the packing shelves to hang properly. The S-hook didn't fit over any of the rods in my apartment, so I ended up hanging the shelves from a hanger (which eventually snapped in half). Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter The S-hooks weren't the only issue. Only certain items—like larger sweaters—take up the full width and length of a shelf. If you want to use the packing shelves as intended (just uncompress and hang!), then you lose a lot of usable packing space. The other option is to pack the shelves more like they're packing cubes, and then adjust everything when you arrive at your destination, which defeats the purported purpose. To make matters worse, when you compress the packing shelves, they turn into a very large and awkward lump, about the size of two large packing cubes glued together. While the shelves compressed quite a bit, they would have compressed more evenly if July's packing shelves had had two straps instead of one. But I don't think this would have solved the problem of fitting them into my suitcase. As a reviewer of travel products, I have many suitcases on hand, but I couldn't seem to find a single one that fit my lump. With growing frustration and suitcases strewn across my room, I returned to July's product page and found a few pertinent details under the 'specs' tab. Apparently, when fully packed, the shelves are not designed to fit in carry-ons or medium-size checked bags, but rather into large checked luggage, trunk luggage, and some weekender bags. However, the copy also said that, when they're lightly packed, the shelves could fit into medium-size checked bags or carry-ons. Upon repacking the shelves lightly, I found that it was still difficult to fit the slightly smaller lump into any of the shallow compartments of my hard-sided suitcases (carry-ons and medium-size checked bags). They fit least awkwardly into my large duffle, and they kind of fit into my Briggs & Riley Baseline Carry-on, a soft-sided suitcase (and Wirecutter pick) with one larger compartment. This was the suitcase I eventually used when I repacked the shelves in earnest for my trip, but I had to travel with the suitcase fully expanded (that is, no longer carry-on size). I managed to squeeze the fully packed shelves into one side of a Briggs & Riley carry-on, but I had to travel with it fully expanded. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Fully packed, the shelves are designed to fit in large checked luggage and some weekender bags, such as this large duffle. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter I managed to squeeze the fully packed shelves into one side of a Briggs & Riley carry-on, but I had to travel with it fully expanded. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter Caveat after caveat aside, the moment of unfurling the shelves at my destination was a little impressive. I had carried my own little closet with me! And it was pleasant enough to live out of hanging shelves—even if they weren't worth the ordeal of getting them to my destination. Once I'd managed to jam the S-hooks over the closet rod, the weight hung pretty evenly. Hanging shelves have a propensity to tilt forward, but with these shelves it wasn't much of an issue. Mostly, they did what shelves do: I could see all of my stuff and easily pull out what I needed. In addition to storing sweaters and shirts on the shelves, I stored a bra and two small packing cubes of underwear and socks in the bottom zippered compartment. Still, I can't think of a single scenario where I would actually use these shelves as they're intended to be used. They don't fit that well in a carry-on, and if I'm going to bring a massive suitcase, I would want to take more clothes than would fit in a single set of packing shelves. I also don't want the added stress of trying to figure out if my hanging shelves will be compatible with my destination closet. Wirecutter's luggage expert Kit Dillon, who has tested luggage with an integrated packing-shelf system, also finds packing shelves impractical. 'I can't find a single good reason why you would try to fit, with all its additional complexity, a tower of shelves within the already limited space of a personal luggage shell,' Kit said. 'Upon testing and using this novelty, I understand it even less.' Even though I didn't find traveling with the shelves to be worth the hassle (in part because it was difficult to find an accommodating rod), I'll admit that it's pleasant to live out of hanging shelves. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter I can imagine a few scenarios in which packing shelves might be useful. If you regularly pack light, the bulkiness may not be such an issue. The packing shelves could also be useful if you frequently travel by car and can just place the lump in the backseat. However, there's still the issue of whether or not it will fit in the destination closet. You could also bring the packing shelves on a trip, unpacked. Stuffed into their own little container, the shelves don't take up much space in larger luggage or in a car, and the 1.5-pound weight would be negligible. This might be particularly alluring for a longer trip to a single destination where you're aware of the closest situation in advance. For example, if you're going on an extended cruise where there's limited storage space, or for kids going away for the summer who need help staying organized. But if you don't need the compression feature, you might be able to achieve a similar setup using a standard hanging organizer—for $10 or $20. (We like this one from The Container Store because of its stable, triangular hooks, which are also large enough to fit over a variety of rod sizes.) For most people, packing cubes are probably a more practical solution. They have few requirements, they compress clothes well, and they come in a variety of sizes, so they're versatile across situations and suitcases. No, they're not perfect, but sometimes, to get what you want, you have to do something annoying, like take a red-eye or unzip a few packing cubes to hunt down a shirt. If packing cubes are the pinnacle of suitcase organization, I'm okay with that. I am traveling! I have arrived, perhaps, by catapulting 4,000 miles through the clouds! I am living out of a fancy box on wheels! Isn't that miracle enough? This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
