Jessica Monroe

I built my first home gym in a one-car garage, and the single piece of equipment that changed everything was a weight bench. Before I owned one, every pressing movement ended on a yoga mat on the floor, my range of motion was cut in half, and shoulder discomfort was constant. After six months of … Read more

After spending the last six months testing cable machines in my garage gym and helping our team set up home workout spaces for over 30 readers, I can tell you the best cable machines for home gyms are the ones that fit your space, your budget, and your training style. We tested nine top models … Read more

I learned the value of a good hunting binocular the hard way. During my third deer season I tried to spot a buck at 200 yards with a discount-store binocular and thought I was looking at a brown blur. A buddy handed me his Vortex Diamondback HD 8×42 and the same buck had eight visible … Read more

I spent the last three months testing eight fat tire electric bikes across muddy trails, loose gravel, sandy fire roads, and snowy backwoods paths. My goal was simple: figure out which fat tire electric bikes for off road riding actually deliver when the pavement ends. Fat tire ebikes are purpose-built machines. The 4-inch-wide tires float … Read more

I commuted 14 miles one way on an electric scooter for two years in San Francisco, and I learned fast that range claims on spec sheets lie when the road tilts uphill. After my first scooter died halfway home on a cold morning, I started tracking every model I tested, the real-world miles, the charge … Read more

Last summer our team loaded 10 of the most popular rotomolded and wheeled coolers into two pickup trucks and drove them across the high desert for 14 days. We logged ice temperatures every 6 hours, ran 47 ice-challenge tests, and weighed each cooler empty and fully loaded. We did this because finding the best camping … Read more

I spent the last three summers hauling coolers down sandy beach paths, and I learned the hard way that a great beach cooler has to do more than keep drinks cold. It has to roll through soft sand without bogging down, survive the trip back to the car with a full load, and stay ice-cold … Read more

Last October, our team hosted a backyard dinner party for 12 guests on a 55-degree evening. Without heat, everyone retreated indoors after 45 minutes. With the right patio heater in the mix, we comfortably stayed outside for three and a half hours. That night is what sparked this guide. The best patio heaters for outdoor … Read more

Finding the best Smith machines for home lifting changed how I train at home. After 90 days of daily use across my garage gym, I realized a guided barbell system gives solo lifters the safety net they need without sacrificing progression. A home gym Smith machine combines a fixed bar path, a power rack, and … Read more

A vertical climber is a compact cardio machine that simulates the motion of climbing stairs while you stand upright. Your feet move up and down on pedals while your arms pull handles, creating a climbing-like motion that engages legs, glutes, core, back, and arms at the same time. After testing eight different models in our … Read more