Father’s Day is nearly here. Hopefully, you already got a gift for dads you care about, but if not, here’s a quick, easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys a good comic strip. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes contains every one of Bill Watterson’s beloved strips made during the comic’s ten-year run from 1985 through 1995, packed in three deluxe hardcover books, for $89.48 at Amazon when you check the on-page coupon. The set originally sold for $225, but it’s often available for around $130. This is the best price I’ve seen it sell for.

The lighthearted, kid-friendly comics couldn’t be more different from Watterson’s darker, adult-themed The Mysteries, which brought him out of retirement with its 2023 launch.

If you’re thinking of getting dad a book, but aren’t sure Calvin and Hobbes is the right pick, there are some good deals happening on gorgeous hardcover versions of The Lord of the Rings and other tales in the franchise. The deluxe slipcase hardcover version of The Lord of the Rings that includes illustrations by the author J.R.R. Tolkien himself is $105.14 at Amazon, its lowest price in about a year.

He can go further back in the lore with Silmarillion, the prequel to The Hobbit and to The Lord of the Rings. It, too, is illustrated, comes in a bold hardcover, and is down to its lowest price in a while. The book costs $30.50 at Amazon, while the slipcase hardcover version of The Hobbit that contains illustrations is $81.41.

If you’re looking for a cheap Father’s Day gift that delivers more than you’d expect for the price, Nothing’s Ear (a) are a good option. The wireless earbuds are currently on sale as part of a larger early Prime Day sales event, making them an even better value than usual. Right now, you can buy them at Amazon in black complete with Nothing’s slick translucent charging case for $53.20 ($47 off), which marks a new all-time low. You can also buy them in yellow (Amazon, Nothing) and white (Amazon, Nothing) for just $3 more.

The Nothing Ear (a) are one of our favorite affordable pairs of wireless earbuds, and for good reason. They offer a surprising number of features for their price, including a low-latency gaming mode that helps reduce lag while playing games. Nothing phone owners can also access ChatGPT with a quick pinch gesture, while support for multipoint Bluetooth pairing lets you stay connected to two devices at once. The earbuds also work with Android Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, making setup quick and painless.

More importantly, they nail the essentials. The earbuds deliver expressive, enjoyable sound, while offering noise cancellation to cut down on distractions. Nothing has also improved voice call performance with AI-powered voice isolation, which helps your voice come through more clearly in noisy environments. Three sizes of silicone ear tips are included to help you find a secure fit, while their IP54 rating provides protection against sweat and light rain. Battery life is solid, too, lasting up to eight hours before you need to recharge.

Read our hands-on impressions of the Nothing Ear (a)

More good deals from Nothing’s sale:

Built-in television speakers are almost always underwhelming, so getting a soundbar is the best way to elevate any and all content. If you want to get the most for your money, Amazon’s Fire TV Soundbar Plus with a subwoofer and satellite speakers provide a bigger sound than a standalone soundbar like a Sonos Beam. Ahead of Prime Day, the system dropped to $380 (previously $490). That’s the lowest price we’ve seen on the 5.1-channel kit.

The soundbar supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for spatial audio (though, it lacks upward-firing speakers that make spatial audio more noticeable), and features three full-range speakers, three tweeters, two subwoofers, and a center channel designed for clear dialogue. It features optical audio, plus an HDMI eARC port that communicates with compatible televisions for simple, unified controls.

The subwoofer and satellite speakers wirelessly connect to the soundbar, unlike some similarly-priced systems that have wired satellites. The Fire TV Soundbar Plus offers four equalizer profiles to suit different content needs: movie, music, sports, and night mode, the last of which minimizes bass and makes dialogue sharper. Beyond using the soundbar with your TV, you can also play music from your mobile devices with its Bluetooth support.

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If you had asked me a week ago to recommend a thinner alternative to PopSockets’ magnetic phone grips, I would have told you to buy the OhSnap Snap Grip 5. Ask me now and I’ll redirect you right back to the company that accidentally invented the phone grip in 2012 when trying to come up with a better way to wrangle Apple EarPods. PopSockets’ new Low-Pro is its slimmest phone grip yet, and it’s not only thinner than OhSnap’s latest, it’s also more functional and more comfortable to hold.

Available starting today exclusively through Apple in four colors (it will be available from PopSockets’ online store and other retailers starting on July 29th), the $39.99 Low-Pro Grip is launching at the same price as the Snap Grip 5. I’ve been a devoted fan of OhSnap’s grips for the past few years and recently upgraded to the Grip 5, but after testing the PopSockets Low-Pro for just a week, I’m ready to jump ship.

The last PopSockets grip I used was the Kick-Out Grip and Stand that debuted last year and did a better job than the OhSnap Grip 4 as a phone stand that worked well in both portrait and landscape mode. But at 7mm thick when collapsed, I found the Kick-Out Grip would occasionally get snagged when slipping my phone into my pocket. I’ve never had that problem with either the 2.5mm-thick Snap Grip 4 or the 3mm-thick Grip 5.

The new PopSockets Low-Pro falls somewhere between OhSnap’s last two offerings at 2.6mm, which the company compares to the thickness of a pair of dimes or a toothpick. It’s definitely thin, but you have to look incredibly close to see the height difference when comparing the Low-Pro and Snap Grip 5 side by side. If you were going by touch alone the difference in thickness is imperceivable.

Far more noticeable is how the two grips feel between your fingers when you’re holding your phone. The Snap Grip 5 carries forward a design that uses a set of interlocking flexible arms that attach the base of the grip to an extending disc. It’s a unique approach that OhSnap has improved and strengthened since The Verge’s Victoria Song had a Snap 3 Pro break nearly three years ago. But while the durability is better, the Snap Grip 5’s flexible arms still aren’t the most comfortable. They’re not painful by any means, but using the Snap Grip 5 has always felt to me like I’m sacrificing the comfort of a PopSockets grip for something more svelte.

With the Low-Pro, you get the best of both worlds. Instead of plastic arms or the traditional PopSockets design that features a collapsing squishy cone, the Low-Pro uses what the company describes as a “one-piece polymer” expansion layer connecting a pop-out disc to the grip’s base. It looks like a tube that’s been sliced full of diamond-shaped holes to help it collapse compactly, but it’s made out of a squishy material that makes the Low-Pro feel softer and more comfortable to hold at any angle. My fingers occasionally get sore during prolonged one-handed doomscrolling sessions using the Snap Grip 5, but that hasn’t been an issue with the Low-Pro.

Both grips double as a phone stand, but the Low-Pro does it better. With the Snap Grip 5 you can tuck one edge of its extending disc into a notch on the base and use it to prop your phone up. But it’s limited to just one angle, and it works better with your phone laying sideways than standing up vertically. Surrounding the base of the Low-Pro is a hinged metal ring that folds out at any angle, so it works as a stand in either orientation. The base of the Low-Pro is a little wider than the Snap Grip 5 as a result, but the size difference is negligible.

There is a reason to still consider OhSnap’s Snap Grip 5 over PopSockets’ Low-Pro. Both accessories allow your phone to stick to metal surfaces, magnetic mounts, and wireless chargers with the grips attached, but the magnets on the Snap Grip 5 are stronger than those in the Low-Pro. The Snap Grip 5 always remained securely attached to the back of my iPhone 16 Pro when removing it from a magnetic wireless charging stand, but the Low-Pro consistently remained behind stuck to the stand.

If you regularly mount your phone to magnetic accessories like this, such as relying on a car mount to use your phone as a GPS device, there’s a very good chance the Low-Pro could get frequently left behind and forgotten. If you don’t, then PopSockets’ new Low-Pro Grip is a worthy alternative. It’s not the thinnest grip ever created, but PopSockets has improved on OhSnap’s design in a few important areas that make a grip a tempting accessory, even if you’re trying to keep your phone as thin as possible.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

If your electricity bill climbs every summer, a smart thermostat could help keep cooling costs in check. The Amazon Smart Thermostat is an excellent option for its price, especially today. It’s down to just $57.99 at Amazon as a part of Amazon’s early Prime Day sale, which is the best price we’ve seen since Black Friday.

For a smart thermostat that costs under $100, the Amazon thermostat offers a lot of helpful features. One of its most useful is its ability to  learn and adapt to your routines, reducing the need to constantly tweak the temperature yourself. It’s also compatible with most 24-volt HVAC systems, and adjusts itself accordingly depending upon whether or not you’re asleep or at home. The app lets you create schedules and monitor energy usage as well, giving you a sense of how much AC you’re using so you can make adjustments before your next utility bill arrives.

Plus, it’s a particularly good buy if you’re embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem. It’s compatible with Amazon’s Alexa, allowing you to adjust the temperature using voice commands or the mobile app. You can also create Alexa Routines so it can work alongside other compatible smart home devices like Amazon’s $44.99 ($25 off) Smart Air Quality Monitor, setting up automations that adjust your home’s temperature when certain indoor air quality conditions are detected. So long as you’re fine going without native temperature sensors, this smart thermostat is an excellent value for the price.

Read our Amazon Smart Thermostat review.

Amazon’s earlier-than-usual Prime Day doesn’t begin until June 23rd, but there are several even earlier deals on must-have products that you can check out right now. To name some examples, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are selling at their cheapest-ever price at Amazon and Walmart (though, the sale keeps playing peek-a-boo). Also, you can grab Ring’s latest battery-powered doorbell for $60 off and it includes a free Indoor Cam Plus with purchase. There are also enough early Apple deals and discounts on fantastic robovacs that we’ve spun up coverage ahead of next week.

While the pre-Prime Day deals are looking good so far, you may not see the brands or products you’re looking for — hopefully, those deals will come later in June. Still, we’ve only included early deals that meet the criteria we hold for all our commerce coverage: they’re good products sold at attractive prices.

We’ll update this post frequently ahead of Prime Day.

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Headphone / earbud deals

• Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 have been available at their lowest price to date for the past week or so. Originally $249, the noise-canceling, wireless earbuds are $179 at Amazon and Best Buy — no membership required. Walmart has a product page that lists $169 as a sale price, though it’s out of stock at the time of publication. The AirPods Pro 3 are the latest earbuds from Apple, packing better bass and active noise cancellation than their predecessor, plus the ability to do some light fitness tracking, among other niceties. Read our review.

• The AirPods 4 on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for $99 ($30 off). Apple’s entry-level earbuds offer richer bass than previous generations along with a more robust IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. They match the latest AirPods Pro in voice call quality and work well with other Apple devices too, though they lack more advanced features like active noise cancellation. It might be a pro or con to some that this model simply rests in your ear. They don’t create a tight seal like the AirPods Pro.

Smart home deals

• The 8-piece and 14-piece Ring Alarm Pro home security systems have gotten big discounts ahead of Prime Day. The smaller kit of the two is $209.99 ($90 off) and includes a base station (it doubles as a eero 6 Wi-Fi router), a keypad, four contact sensors for doors or windows, a motion detector, and a range extender for the alarm. The 14-piece set doubles the keypads, contact sensors, and motion detectors. Both include a 30-day trial to Ring Protect plan, which will cost $19.99 per month after the trial.

• In addition the Echo Dot Max linked right above, Amazon has switched on several deals for its latest smart speakers and displays. The Echo Show 8 is down to $124.99 (originally $180) at Amazon, and the bigger Echo Show 11 is just a little more, costing $149.99 (down from $219.99) at Amazon. If you want bigger sound than the Echo Dot Max can provide, the Echo Studio is your best bet, costing $174.99 (originally $219.99) at Amazon — its best price yet. Finally, Amazon’s Echo Spot that’s great for nightstands is down to $44.99 from $80 at Amazon.

Smartwatch / wearable deals

• Fitbit’s Charge 6 fitness tracker has dropped to its lowest price yet at Amazon, costing $79.99 (originally $159.99, but usually around $100). It’s a solid alternative to Google’s $99 and screenless Fitbit Air. The 2023 Charge 6 features an OLED screen, a haptics-based button, plus the ability to ping you with notifications. Read our review.

Misc. deals

• While not a gadget deal, Walmart is offering a big discount on annual subscriptions to its Walmart Plus service. Originally $98, it’s $49 for a year, which includes early access to its own Prime Day-equivalent sale, not to mention free shipping on order $35 and up, and a host of other benefits.

• The Baseus AM52 10,000mAh power bank that can deliver Qi2.2 25W wireless charging speeds is cheaper than ever for Verge readers. Through June 30th, you can head over to Amazon and use the code THEVERGECODE to nab one for $42.99 — considerably cheaper than the $63.99 price that Prime members have access to. Read about the AM52’s performance here.

Tablets and e-reader deals

• Amazon’s Fire 7 Kids tablet is steeply discounted ahead of Prime Day. The 32GB tablet that includes a bumper case, one year of access to a suite of kid-friendly content, and a two-year hardware warranty is down to $64.99 at Amazon (originally $129.99). There’s nothing spectacular about the specs, but it’s a good-enough tablet to withstand whatever your kiddo does to it. The two-year warranty is “worry-free,” which Amazon defines as “if it breaks, we will replace it.” The 16GB version is $54.99.

• While Amazon’s latest 16GB Kindle Paperwhite typically costs $159.99 on its own, there’s now a fantastic deal happening on the 32GB Signature Edition tablet that supports wireless charging. A $154.98 bundle that also includes a metallic jade cover and a Kindle-branded, cream-colored sling bag is available now at Amazon.

Gaming deals

• For a limited time, you can get a $15 promotional gift card when you buy a $100 Newegg gift card. It’s always nice to get a little more for your money, especially if you plan to buy pricey PC components, be it RAM, an SSD, or a graphics card.

• Through June 19th (or until supplies last), Woot is offering new customers a small, but welcome $15 discount on the Nintendo Switch 2 console. The $449.99 device drops to $434 with the code NEW15 used at checkout. I know, I know — it’s not much. It may not even cover sales tax associated with the purchase, but a deal’s a deal.

Home entertainment deals

• Amazon’s Fire TV Soundbar Plus that also includes a wireless subwoofer and two satellite speakers is down to $379.99 (originally $489.99), it’s best price to date. It’s a solid sound system if you don’t want to spend a bunch of money. The soundbar supports HDMI eARC and optical audio for inputs, and it can connect to devices via Bluetooth. My interest in this model has been piqued ever since RTINGS named it one of its favorite budget-friendly soundbars.

• Marshall has knocked down prices for some of its home audio products, including its amp-inspired Acton III plug-in speaker. Originally $299.99 (though frequently $200 or so), it’s down to $179.99 in all colorways at Amazon. The Stanmore III that’s bigger and even more powerful, with RCA inputs for plugging in a record player, is $249.99 at Amazon. It’s a much bigger price drop for this one, considering it typically sells for around $300.

I recently published a buying guide on the best Qi2 power banks. Out of seven feature-packed batteries, I really dug the Baseus AM52 10,000mAh power bank that has a built-in USB-C cable. It’s fast at Qi2.2 wireless charging for iPhones, and it’s quick with wired charging, too. And now, it’s an unbeatable value thanks to a new exclusive deal. Verge readers can use the offer code THEVERGECODE at Amazon to get one for $42.99 (usually $20 more for Prime members, or $80 outside of a deal).

The AM52 is far from the only choice that iPhone users have when it comes to a MagSafe-compatible power bank. In addition to its charging merits, the Baseus model is easy to recommend for those who don’t use a case. It’s the only model I tried that has a soft-touch material where it connects magnetically, nixing the possibility of scratching your iPhone.

As you’ll see if you read through the buying guide, other power banks with similar specs are just as fast at charging gadgets. Some are faster, particularly when it comes to wired charging (I used a USB-C power meter to verify speeds). However, what the AM52 lacks that some of its competitors have — a cooling fan, a kickstand, a display for charging remaining — isn’t as much of an issue with a big discount.

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Hoping to catch some World Cup matches while spending as little money as possible? You have a few options for finding a few days of free streaming, although you may choose to eventually pony up some money. That, or get creative by combining multiple offers to make it through the whole tournament.

We found a handful of streaming services that are showing all of the World Cup matches. Most of these free trials require you to be a new subscriber, though you might just be able to use a different email address than before.

FuboTV

All FuboTV plans can stream every World Cup match, and each includes a five-day free trial for new members. The least expensive plan is $9.99 for the first month after the trial period, then $19.99 per month after that. Paying for one month after the trial should cover you through all (or most) of the finals, and is likely the least expensive way to watch every match.

My Best Buy Plus and Total members can claim an extended 30-day free trial, as long as they’re new to FuboTV.

Peacock

There’s a Peacock Premium Plus trial offer if you sign up using your Amazon account that will grant you seven days of free access before you’re charged $15.99 per month. I was able to access the offer on an Amazon account without Prime, but your mileage may vary.

We also found multiple ways to potentially claim free Peacock through other paid subscriptions. Some Xfinity Internet plans include Peacock Premium, which you can learn more about on the company’s support page. Walmart Plus members can claim either Peacock Premium or Paramount Plus Essential, but only one at a time, with a 90-day cooldown between switching.

YouTube TV

New YouTube TV subscribers can access a 10-day trial for the Sports plan, which includes Fox and 35 other networks. After the trial, the membership will renew for $54.99 per month for the first year, a $10 per month discount from the normal membership.

Fox One

The Fox One streaming service includes World Cup matches, and new subscribers can access a three-day free trial when signing up. After that, the plan costs $19.99 per month to continue watching, and includes both live and on-demand content from Fox.

If you’re planning on traveling anytime soon, Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones are a great companion for long flights and train rides. Not only do they offer excellent noise cancellation, but they also retain the foldable design of their predecessor, making them easy to pack in a carry-on. They’re even easier to recommend today, now that they’ve dropped to a new low price of $379 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. 

The over-ears improve upon their predecessor with better noise cancellation and support for lossless audio over a USB-C cable, allowing you to enjoy higher-quality sound from compatible devices. Bose also added a new Cinema Mode that helps make movies and TV shows feel more immersive while making dialogue easier to hear, along with an improved transparency mode that surpasses the predecessor’s capabilities of reducing sudden loud noises. Battery life is better too, with the headphones lasting up to 30 hours on a single charge — a six-hour increase over the first-generation model. 

Bose has also added a few other conveniences, including the ability to automatically enter a low-power standby mode when stored in the included case or laid flat. Plus, the headphones automatically power on and reconnect to a paired device when you put them on. At the same time, the new model retains soft ear cups and a comfortable, lightweight design that’s easy to wear for hours a time. Support for multipoint Bluetooth pairing remains as well, allowing you to stay connected to two devices simultaneously, so you can watch a video on your laptop and answer calls from your phone.

Whether you’re planning a backyard barbeque or a World Cup watch party, Govee’s Table Lamp Classic can help set the mood with color-changing lighting effects. Right now it’s down to just $59.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, which is its best price yet.

The rechargeable lamp can last up to 30 hours on a single charge, so it should have enough power to last for multiple hangouts. It’s easy to carry to wherever you need a little extra light. Just bear in mind the lamp isn’t weather resistant, so you’ll want to keep it away from the pool and bring it inside if it’s going to rain. It’s also not particularly bright, shining at up to 500 lumens at peak brightness.

The lamp supports adjustable color temperatures ranging from a warm 2700K glow to a cooler 6500K. It also offers dozens of preset scenes and colorful lighting effects — even one that can sync to your music. If you want something more personalized, Govee’s app even lets you generate custom lighting effects with AI. 

Better yet, you don’t have to leave your seat to make changes. The lamp supports Matter and works with major smart home platforms, allowing you to control it with your voice or through Govee’s app.

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A few more Verge-approved deals 

• JBL’s Charge 6 Bluetooth speaker is on sale in gray for $79.95 ($70 off) at Woot with a 90-day warranty, which is its best price to date. The speaker is rugged, with an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, plus it can double as a power bank, making it a great companion for outdoor adventures. It can last up to 28 hours on a single charge, and delivers good sound quality via Bluetooth. The Charge 6 supports lossless audio playback over USB-C.
• The Moto Tag is on sale for $19.99 ($10 off) at Amazon, which matches its all-time low and is the best price we’ve seen since February. The excellent Bluetooth tracker works with Google’s Find Hub network and stands out from other Android-friendly alternatives by offering ultra-wideband support. On compatible phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S26, that means it can help you track down misplaced items with precise, turn-by-turn-style guidance, similar to Apple’s AirTag.
• The Keurig K-Elite Single Serve Coffee Maker is down to just $99.99 (about $110 off) with code HAPPYDAD at Keurig, which is its best price of the year and $10 shy of its all-time low. The machine can brew five cup sizes from four to twelve ounces and features an iced coffee setting that starts with a hotter brew to extract more flavor from the K-Cup before cooling things down so as to not melt your ice completely. It also comes with a large 75-ounce water reservoir allowing you to make up to eight cups before having to refill, along with an on-demand hot water function for tea and oatmeal.

The platform-agnostic Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse is discounted to $89.99 at Amazon ($30 off), matching the best price we’ve seen so far this year. While it may look like a somewhat ordinary mouse, it has a unique second scroll wheel near the left thumb that’s surprisingly useful for horizontal scrolling in spreadsheets. You can connect the mouse to Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, and Linux systems using either Bluetooth or the included USB-A 2.4GHz wireless adapter.

This mouse has six buttons in all, and they’re impressively quiet and customizable through Logitech’s software. The company claims its USB-C rechargeable battery lasts for about 70 days of use, though it ran down slightly faster than that in our review. It’s not really an issue, though, since you can use it while it charges.

The newer $119.99 Logitech MX Master 4 has haptic feedback that triggers when you press the thumb rest. It’s cool, but the feature (plus a few other minor improvements to the MX Master formula) might not be worth paying $30 more to get.

Read our Logitech MX Master 3S review.

You can save on a big set of outdoor security cameras ahead of Prime Day. Amazon has a five-pack of Blink cameras with a video doorbell included that’s marked down to $166.99. The bundle includes a Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+, five Blink Outdoor 2K+ cameras, and a Blink Sync Module Core. The doorbell is typically $70, and each camera generally retails between $80 and $100, so you’re saving at least $200 by grabbing them all in the set.

The video doorbell captures video in 1920 x 1920 with a 140- degree field of view, and can last for months on three AA batteries. On the other hand, each outdoor camera shoots at 2560 x 1440 with a 135 degree field of view, and Blink claims that two AA batteries can power a camera for up to two years. Both the doorbell and outdoor cameras feature color night vision in low light and two-way audio.

One important thing to note is that the Sync Module included with this bundle is the basic Core version. If you want to save video locally, you’ll need to upgrade to the $49.99 Sync Module 2. Alternatively, you could pay for a cloud storage plan that starts at $11.99 per month. It includes video storage for up to 60 days. The  free plan only supports live viewing and motion notifications.

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Other deals to consider

• Normally $40 each, a two pack of 45W Anker Nano Chargers is currently $55.98 ($24 off) from Anker when you use coupon code WS24QCL740 at checkout. These compact chargers have foldable prongs that tuck away neatly for storage, and a handy display with a cute little animated face that shows charging status.
• The Marshall Emberton II Bluetooth speaker is discounted at Amazon to $92 ($28 off). The stylish speaker has a rugged IP67 rating, enough juice for up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge, and the company claims it provides 360-degree sound. You can pair multiple Emberton II speakers with each other, or other Marshall speakers, like the Middleton, for a stereo experience.
• If a dad in your life is always craving a good cup of coffee, AeroPress is offering 20 percent off select brewers and bundles for Father’s Day, including the standard Clear and Colors line and the Clear XL, when you use the code FATHER20 at checkout. You can also save $50 on a Barista Bundle that includes a manual grinder with titanium burrs.

Even at full price, the Roborock Q10 S5 Plus offers impressive value, boasting features typically reserved for pricier robovac models at a fraction of the price. That’s especially true today. It’s down to just $269.99 ($280 off) at Wellbots when you apply promo code NEW10, which matches its all-time low and is the best price we’ve seen since Black Friday last year. If you prefer a different retailer, you can also buy it at Amazon and directly from Robovac for $10 more.

The robovac is one of our top picks if you’re on a budget, with good AI-powered obstacle detection and navigation that helps it clean around clutter without getting stuck. It also boasts automatic carpet detection and a mop that can lift itself over rugs, so you don’t need to worry about carpets getting wet. The flat vibrating mop pad also impressed us in testing and is particularly gentle on delicate floors, able to scrub away dirt effectively without leaving them soaked. When it finishes cleaning, the included dock automatically empties the robovac’s dustbin and recharges the bot, reducing the amount of maintenance required.

Of course, there are some compromises Roborock made to keep costs down. Unlike Roborock’s much pricier $1,600 Saros 20, the Q10 S5 Plus can’t climb taller thresholds, and its 10,000Pa suction isn’t nearly as powerful as the Saros’ 36,000Pa system. The dock also lacks conveniences like automatic mop washing and water-tank refilling, meaning you’ll still need to handle those tasks yourself. Still, for under $300, it’s hard to complain given everything else the Q10 S5 Plus brings to the table.

Nothing is more frustrating than buying a new pair of headphones, an OLED TV, or a laptop just to find out that you could have gotten it for cheaper somewhere else just a few days or weeks later. That’s why, in order to keep customers happy and prevent them from shopping elsewhere, some retailers offer price-matching policies in which they promise to match a lower price found elsewhere. That kind of information comes in handy no matter the time of year, but it’s especially helpful during shopping events like Amazon’s Prime Day 2026 sale, which kicks off June 23rd and lasts through June 26th.

What follows are the price-matching policies for a number of major retailers. There are a few things to note here. First, every retailer has its own set of rules and restrictions. We’ve summarized some of them here, but we recommend visiting the provided links and reading the policies carefully. Second, most retailers that serve as a marketplace for other sellers, specifically wholesale retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club, don’t offer any protections, and many traditional stores won’t match their prices.

Lastly, there are always exceptions to the rules. If you’re looking for a deal on a product and you know it’s available for a lower price elsewhere (or it was previously offered at the same retailer), it never hurts to call or chat with a customer service rep and ask if they’ll match the price. You have nothing to lose but time, and there’s always a chance they may find a loophole or make a special exception.

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Amazon

Amazon doesn’t offer price matching. Full stop. You can contact customer support, but even if you’re an Amazon Prime customer, it’s not likely that they’ll help you out.

That being said, Amazon does offer a liberal return policy, meaning you can often return an item you purchased from Amazon if it’s available for less elsewhere (or at Amazon). Then, you can just repurchase the product wherever it’s cheapest.

Target

Target used to let shoppers price match identical items sold by select retailers, including Amazon, but no longer does so. Under its current policy, shoppers can only request a price adjustment if they find an identical qualifying item for less than they paid on Target.com, at their local Target store, or through an eligible Target Circle deal. Target will also price match Target Plus Partner (the retailer’s name for third-party sellers) items if the same Target Plus Partner on Target.com has it for less, or with a Target Circle deal. Price matches can be requested at the time of purchase or within 14 days after purchase.

To request a price match, you’ll need to show the online price or digital version of the ad and provide your original receipt or packing slip; screenshots and photos aren’t accepted. Alternatively, you can call for online purchases at 1-800-591-3869 or chat online via contactus.target.com.

However, that Target’s policy excludes in-store price matches from other Target stores. It also can’t be combined with Target Circle Bonuses, Target coupons, Registry coupons, or gift card promotions, and doesn’t apply to clearance, closeout, liquidation, damaged, used, open-box, refurbished, pre-owned, or rent-to-own items. In addition, Target won’t match prices between items sold directly by Target and those sold by third-party Target Plus Partner sellers.

Best Buy

Best Buy’s Price Match Guarantee states that a product could be eligible for a price reduction if it’s new, identical to the competitor’s product, immediately available at a qualifying competitor’s store or on its site, and not shown on Best Buy’s exclusion list — that includes “items for sale the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving.” Items must have the identical model number and color. However, disclaimer here: Best Buy only matches prices that are available to all customers and does not match membership-exclusive, loyalty-program, or paid-member discounts, thus it excludes events like Amazon Prime Day.

To get the difference, you have to contact Best Buy via its on-site chat and provide the ad or website with a lower price point. Alternatively, you can call 1-888-237-8289 or visit any Best Buy or Pacific Sales store. Approved retailers include Amazon, B&H Photo, Apple, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart. Items must be sold directly through the store, too, not a third-party seller.

Best Buy will also, upon request, match an in-store or online price that was lowered during the return and exchange period, which typically lasts up to 15 days. Keep in mind that the return window on most products is 60 days for both Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members.

Walmart

Walmart doesn’t price-match competitors, though Walmart’s online store offers price matching on items purchased from Walmart stores if the item is in stock at Walmart.com.

However, the policy doesn’t apply to residents of Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. Additionally, it doesn’t apply to special event prices, like those seen during Black Friday. Walmart also does not retroactively price-match items purchased on Walmart.com that have dropped in price after the time of purchase. The retailer doesn’t price-match items purchased from Walmart Marketplace retailers or third-party sellers, either, and Walmart says the ultimate decision for a price match comes down to the store manager on duty when you make the request.

Apple

While we’ve seen claims that Apple will price-match up to 10 percent on products bought at certain major retailers, there is no official policy on the company’s website.

If Apple reduces the price of an Apple-branded product within 14 days of when you receive it, you can visit an Apple Store or contact Apple Support at 1-800-MY-APPLE to request a refund or credit for the difference. However, this doesn’t apply to special promotional pricing, such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals.

B&H Photo

B&H says that it might be able to honor a current lower price or match the price of a competitor, but it does so on a case-by-case basis. You have to contact its customer service team using the on-site chat, email, or by calling 1-800-606-6969 / 1-212-444-6615. If approved, B&H Photo will price match one identical item per customer.

Costco

Costco does not price match with competitors. However, according to its website, it will issue a credit for the difference between the price a member paid and the promotional price if you bought the item online at Costco and requested the credit up to 30 days before the price change. If you bought the product from a Costco warehouse location, visit the membership counter at the store where you made the purchase. Costco doesn’t price-match items purchased at Costco warehouses with items purchased on Costco.com.

Dell

Dell will price-match identical products from Dell, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, HP, Apple, Lenovo, and several other retailers. Dell will not match prices available at Costco or Sam’s Club. You can call 1-877-275-3355 or chat online to run a price check, but you’ll need to provide a link to the competitor’s product. Dell outlines the specs you’ll need to compare to determine whether an item is eligible for a price match before you contact them, and before you make a purchase.

You can also contact the company about a price difference within 30 days of purchase. However, Dell doesn’t match membership-only pricing or the exclusive discounts you’ll find during Amazon Prime Day. Items that are discounted as a Deal of the Week or Daily Deals through Dell’s Member Purchase Program are also ineligible.

eBay

eBay doesn’t offer price matching on purchases made during the week of Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, but it does provide a generous price guarantee on select items outside that window. If you buy an item marked with the “Best Price Guarantee” badge — or one featured in eBay Deals — and find a lower price from an approved competitor within 48 hours, eBay will give you 110 percent of the price difference in the form of a coupon. That means you’ll receive a coupon worth the full difference plus an extra 10 percent, which you can use toward your next eBay purchase. Approved competitors include Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.

The products must be new, unopened, and identical to the competitor’s item. You have to contact eBay Customer Service, and if they verify your claims are legitimate, you will receive the coupon and be able to use it toward your next eBay purchase. Only one item can be price-matched per day, however.

GameStop

GameStop does not mention an official price-matching policy on its website. In 2022, however, GameStop tweeted that the store will price-match items sold and shipped by Amazon as long as they’re available online or in-store. Although GameStop only mentioned Amazon in the tweet, others have reported that the store will price-match items purchased from Target and elsewhere.

Google

If a request is made within the standard return period, Google will match online pricing from select retailers — specifically Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, B&H Photo, Signifi, and Target. It doesn’t, however, match preorder pricing from other retailers or carrier deals. The product must also be in stock and identical, right down to the color and configuration. Plus, you need to provide a public link to the promo page or product listing to verify the lower price, and that item must be currently in stock. Items sold by third-party sellers are ineligible for a price match.

Amazon Prime deals are eligible for price matching, but other members-only discounts aren’t. Other exclusions apply, too, including wholesale and educational pricing; mail-in offers and coupons; product bundles; clearance, open-box, refurbished, and pre-owned items; and products sold by third-party sellers on a competitor’s website. Google will only provide a price match on smartphones and other products with data plans if they’re unlocked devices.

You may also receive the difference if the product you purchased from the Google Store drops in price within the standard return period, though you’ll need to contact Google directly to get the price match or correction.

The Home Depot

The Home Depot will match the price of identical, in-stock products from other retailers, except for membership-based wholesalers. The retailer must be able to ship the item to your location, so prices from regional retailers are ineligible. The price-match policy does not apply to special events like Black Friday, clearance prices, used and refurbished items, or rebate offers. You may request a price match within 30 days of your purchase.

You must bring the ad or listing to the register in-store. (You can also request price matches for online purchases that are shipped to the customer.) For online orders, you’ll need to provide the exact SKU for the item on both the competitor’s and The Home Depot’s sites. To request a price match over the phone, you can call 1-800-430-3376. Additionally, The Home Depot will only honor requests submitted by the original buyer.

HP

According to HP’s website, the company will match the current pretax price for new comparable PCs and identical HP printer, display, and accessory model numbers from nationally recognized online retailers, such as Dell, Lenovo, Amazon, Staples, Newegg, and Best Buy. The specs have to be the same to get a price match on PCs, but the product model number does not need to be identical.

You must ask for the match at the time of purchase by calling 1-800-888-0229 or via chat. You can’t request a price match via email, and the policy doesn’t apply to items purchased during promotional periods. It also doesn’t apply to membership stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, items purchased through a third-party vendor on an approved site, or items purchased using financing.

HP also offers price protection on HP-branded products. If a price drops during your 30-day return window, you can request an adjustment by emailing myhpsales@hp.com. This doesn’t apply to products purchased during certain seasonal sales events, including Fourth of July promotions and deals offered during Thanksgiving Week and Cyber Week.

Lenovo

Lenovo matches pricing on comparable PCs from Lenovo, HP, or Dell with the same key specs as long as they’re sold through a list of recognized retailers. That list includes bigger stores such as Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Newegg, and B&H Photo, as well as direct competitors such as Dell and HP. The comparable PC must also be in stock and readily available from both Lenovo and the competing retailer, and you have to contact a Lenovo sales rep with specific details about the specs and availability of the product you’re inquiring about in order to facilitate the match.

That said, you can’t use coupons or special discounts when requesting a price match, and the policy doesn’t apply to membership stores like Costco. The policy also doesn’t apply to “Marketplace” items where third parties fulfill the order, so double-check that you bought the product directly from the retailer. Build-your-own models are also ineligible for a price match. Lenovo’s separate Price Guarantee program, meanwhile, is limited to five eligible Lenovo products per customer per year.

Lenovo also offers a price guarantee refund for laptops and personal desktop computers bought from Lenovo.com within 30 days of purchase. To receive a refund, you must contact Customer Care and provide proof of the lower price for the identical product offered on Lenovo.com. This policy doesn’t apply to doorbuster or clearance products, however.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s will match the price of identical, in-stock products when you present an ad, product listing, or photo from a qualifying online or local retailer, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. The product must be purchased directly from the retailer and not a third-party seller, however, and it doesn’t apply to special sales events like Black Friday and other holiday promotions.

Additionally, Lowe’s doesn’t match prices from one Lowe’s store to another, nor does it match any rebate discounts or those available only to a select group of customers (such as loyalty clubs). Clearance, seasonal, buy one get one free, and custom made items are also ineligible for a price match. To request a price match, you can head to the store, call 1-877-465-6937, or chat online.

Microsoft

Microsoft will refund you the difference if it drops the price of an in-stock physical product purchased online from the Microsoft Store within 60 days of your purchase being delivered.  The same policy also applies if you find the identical product on sale at a lower price at a qualifying retailer such as Amazon or Best Buy, though it doesn’t extend to the Surface Hub, HoloLens, Windows DevKits, or digital products.

Furthermore, some eligible products are subject to specific retailer exclusions. For example, price matches for Surface products at other retailers are limited to Amazon and Best Buy, while Xbox products are limited to the two aforementioned retailers as well as Target, GameStop, and Walmart. The price match policy excludes products from third-party sellers, clearance items, bundles, rebates, and prices only available after guests log in.

You’ll need to contact Microsoft’s Sales and Support team at 1-800-642-7676 within 60 days of delivery to request a refund. If you purchase an item from a Microsoft Experience Center, you’ll need to return to that location with your receipt. In both instances, Microsoft will credit the difference between the price you paid and the current lower price to your original payment method, which typically takes between three and five days to process.

Newegg

Newegg no longer matches prices from competing retailers. The company only price matches eligible items sold and shipped by Newegg (not third-party sellers), and the product must be identical. The lower price must also appear on Newegg.com within seven calendar days of your purchase. If approved, Newegg will issue the difference as credit that can be used on the site or app for up to 365 days. 

The match won’t apply to rebates, coupons, financing offers, bundles, clearance items, open-box and refurbished products. The policy also doesn’t apply to prices found at third-party marketplace sellers, or products on sale during major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Sam’s Club

You can request a price match against other Sam’s Club stores, but not competitors. Note that this doesn’t apply to items marked down or on clearance.

Update, June 11th: Updated to reflect current retailer policies.

Woot is hosting a small, but welcome deal on the Nintendo Switch 2 through June 19th. New customers can save $15 on the $449.99 console with the code NEW15 used at checkout. Sure, these are microscopic savings, but come September, the Switch 2 will rise in price to $499.99, so any deal is worth telling you about.

Nintendo recently hosted a Direct presentation where it unveiled a bunch of new games — including several remakes and remasters — coming to the Switch 2 this year and in 2027. One of the most notable announcements was a modern reimagining of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that’s coming later in 2026. Even though the Switch 2 is barely over one year old, its future looks bright (even if it seems to be playing things a little safe currently), and there are already plenty of great games to play on the console.

Following the launch of the surprisingly popular Kobo Remote, Boox has released its own device to ease the burden of reaching for an e-reader’s touchscreen that’s an arm’s length away. The Tappy isn’t Boox’s first page-turning remote, but its design takes a much different approach to the company’s slim but boring B.T. Remoter. The Tappy feels like a mashup of wireless remotes, fidget toys, and macro pads, with a healthy dash of retro charm. 

While the Kobo Remote looks like a streaming dongle accessory with a design that prioritizes ergonomics, the Tappy can be best described as a miniature keyboard distilled to just two buttons that draws its design inspiration from a retro typewriter. It’s not as comfortable to hold as Kobo’s accessory, but it’s small enough to sit discreetly in your hand. There are also four rubber feet on its underside so it won’t slide around if used on a desk, and it’s available in two very glossy color options: olive green and a bright orange that I tested.

Tappy’s two round buttons don’t use actual keyboard switches but they have about a quarter-inch of travel and are satisfying to press when you’re in need of something to fidget with. Out of the box, the buttons are labeled with a pixelated heart and steaming mug of coffee, which I just don’t understand. I immediately switched to the included alternatives that are instead labeled with an X and an O, but more customizability, even if it was just a sheet of stickers I had to apply myself, would be preferred. Forward and back arrows, or even just a plus and minus, would be welcome alternatives to what’s included.

Pairing the Tappy to a Boox device is easy, but don’t misplace the fold-out quick start guide that walks you through the process. After powering it on using a sliding metal switch on the side, you put the remote into pairing mode by holding down both buttons for about two seconds until a single LED on the side flashes blue. From there, you just need to connect to it through your Boox device’s Bluetooth settings. When you power it back on in the future, it reconnects automatically.

The buttons’ default functionality is Reading mode that turns pages forward and back or controls volume when outside a reading app, but the Tappy can be switched to two other modes. Multimedia mode changes the buttons’ functionality to skipping tracks in music, video, podcast, or audiobook apps, while Browsing mode lets you scroll up and down through long webpages or social media feeds for as long as you’re pressing either button.

Pressing both buttons for about five seconds switches modes, which causes the LED to momentarily flash green. Repeating that process cycles through Reading, Multimedia, and Browsing modes, and every time you switch, a notification pops up at the top of your Boox device letting you know the current mode. But it’s not persistent and can be easily missed. A trio of labeled LEDs indicating the Tappy’s current mode or even having the single LED display a different color for each one would make it easier to know what mode it was in at a glance, especially when using the remote with other devices.

While Tappy works best with Boox e-readers and tablets running the company’s V4.2 firmware or later (which includes recent hardware like the Boox Palma 2 Pro), it can also be used with other Android mobile devices, and iPhones and iPads, with varying levels of functionality. The functionality is supported in both the Kobo and Kindle Android apps, but not in the iOS or iPadOS versions. However, I was able to use the Tappy on my iPhone and OnePlus phone to scroll webpages, control music playback, and adjust the volume.

The bigger challenge when using the Tappy with non-Boox hardware is you don’t get the useful pop-up notifications letting you know which mode you’ve just switched to. And without any LED indicators, the only way to know what mode Tappy is in is to just press the buttons and see what happens. Did the volume go up and down? Great, you’re in Reading mode and are just two switches away from the Browsing mode you want.

Other e-readers from companies like Pocketboot or BigMe are supported, according to Good e-Reader’s testing, but I had no luck getting the Tappy to work with the Kobo and the Kindle. That’s unfortunate because while I still regularly enjoy using the Kobo Remote for reading at night, I would happily abandon it for the Tappy. The tiny remote has already replaced my Apple Watch for skipping tracks when streaming my iPhone through my HomePod, even if its buttons occasionally get accidentally pressed when it’s bouncing around my pocket. At $29.99 it’s the same price as the Kobo Remote, but its buttons are more satisfying to use and it’s more than just a one-device accessory.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

Apple’s upcoming watchOS 27 update will bring Siri AI and other exciting features to the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer Apple Watch models. If you’re contemplating an upgrade, all colorways of the GPS-enabled 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 — the latest model — are on sale for $299 ($100 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Target, matching its best price so far. You can customize your look by picking up a discounted Apple Watch band at Woot, starting at $14.99 ($35 off).

Apple’s Series 11 watch is a solid upgrade, especially for those who are still using an Apple Watch Series 6 or older. Battery life is one area where you’ll see big improvements, with up to 24 hours on a single charge. It also has a more durable, scratch-resistant design and bright, wide-angle OLED screen. While it has the same S10 chip as the $219 Apple Watch SE 3 that we recommend to most people, the Series 11 has a host of extra features, including hypertension notifications, an ultra-wideband chip, a brighter (and more pixel-dense) screen, plus a depth gauge, to name most of the differences.  

As previously mentioned it’s one of a few Apple Watch models that will support watchOS 27 when it arrives this fall. The update will bring a redesigned app grid, custom Wallet passes for cards that use barcodes or QR codes, and new Siri AI capabilities. Beyond asking Siri AI to handle a range of tasks from your wrist, it will also be able to surface information stored across your Apple devices, and let you continue conversations after starting them on your iPhone.

Read our Apple Watch Series 11 review.

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Three more ways to save 

• You can buy the Beats Studio Buds Plus wireless earbuds for $99.99 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, Target. That matches their best price so far this year, and includes the slick translucent option we were particularly fond of. The Studio Buds Plus deliver a good combination of excellent sound, solid noise cancellation, and comfort, while working well with both Android and iOS devices. They’re also water-resistant and last up to nine hours on a charge, with swappable ear tips for a more secure fit. Read our review.
• Fujifilm will be releasing a new Instax Mini 13 on June 25th, but if you’d rather save some money — or pick up a fun Father’s Day gift — Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 12 is on sale for $79.95 ($14 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is one of its better prices in recent months. While it lacks Mini 13’s self-timer, the Mini 12 is an excellent instant camera, producing clear, natural-looking prints and offering a simple, beginner-friendly experience that’s easy for all ages to enjoy.
• The last-gen 11-inch LTE-enabled iPad Air with 128GB of storage is on sale for $499 ($250 off) at Best Buy, putting it at the same price as the Wi-Fi-only model. Its M3 chip isn’t as powerful as the newer M4’s, but it’s still fast, and it touts support for Apple Intelligence. It’ll be compatible with iPadOS 27 when it’s released in the fall, which adds Siri AI updates and makes transferring files to an external drive faster, among many other improvements. Read our review.

Ahead of Prime Day, Walmart is offering the best price we’ve seen yet on the Apple AirPods 3 wireless earbuds. Originally $249 (though commonly selling somewhere between $200 and $220), they’re $179 at Walmart, presumably for a limited time. If you have an iPhone, these are the best wireless earbuds you can get at this price.

The AirPods Pro 3 are one of the three sets of earbuds that our A/V reviewer John Higgins always keeps in rotation. He appreciates their stellar active noise cancellation and sound quality, and for being super simple to use. Depending on the shape of your ears, they might not be ideal for workouts (the fin-equipped Beats Powerbeats Fit could be a better pick), but no other set of earbuds comes close when it comes to packing in as many features, especially at this low price.

Read our AirPods Pro 3 review.

The Google Nest Cam with Floodlight is marked down to $179.99 ($100 off) at multiple retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, and directly from Google. This weather-resistant outdoor camera captures 1080p video across a 130-degree diagonal field of view, with snappy notifications and great customization options.

Even without a subscription, the camera can store the past three hours of video, and offers notifications when it detects motion from people, vehicles, or animals. You can enable continuous recording and 30 or more days of saved video with a Google Home Premium plan, starting at $10 per month. While the field of view isn’t as wide as some competitors, the Nest Cam with Floodlight shoots clear video, even in the dark thanks to its color night vision. 

You can easily adjust the camera and floodlight behavior from the Google Home app, including settings for different timing and motion-sensing responses, and incorporate them into your smart home routines for when you’re home or away. Even if the power goes out, its backup battery will let the camera keep recording, and it has enough internal storage to log up to one hour of events.

Read our Google Nest Cam with Floodlight Review.

I have been an audio reviewer for 20 years. My time as a freelance headphones panelist at Wirecutter, and the multitude of reviews I’ve written for sites like Reviewed, Digital Trends, IGN, and now The Verge, have given me the chance to listen to hundreds of earbuds. Some were truly excellent, and some were pretty hideous. Honestly, they tend to blur together as I move from new earbud to new earbud. But when something worthwhile comes around, it gets and holds my attention. These are the three sets that I reach for most often right now.

For ages I relied on the Apple AirPods Pro — first the Pro 2 and then the Pro 3. But the new $170 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro have been my go-to earbuds for the past month. I’m using them to listen to Lofi Girl as I write this. Their sound quality is really good after you use the Soundcore app to fine-tune the frequency response (out of the box the bass is too high, which causes vocals to get muddy and snare hits to be muffled). They fit my ears securely, and since they have an IP55 rating, I could see myself using them on a run in a pinch — though I prefer running with my Powerbeats Fit buds (see below). And they also support the LDAC high-res audio codec with supported devices (sorry, iPhone users).

Noise cancellation is also top-notch and comparable to more expensive earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 3 (which we’ll get to in a few paragraphs). The Soundcore buds let in a little more midrange, but handle low-end drone with no problem.

But call quality is the Liberty 5 Pro’s greatest strength. I’ve never heard earbuds that block out as much ambient noise, allowing me to sound clear on my calls and in meetings. Whether it’s a squawk from the family parrot that’s a couple feet to the left of my desk or the Los Angeles traffic as I walk around my neighborhood, nothing distracts my conversation partners from what I’m saying. And many don’t even believe it when I tell them the amount of noise around me.

The Liberty 5 Pro have some nice extra features, including voice controls, AI translation (with the Soundcore app), and a case with a 0.96-inch TFT touchscreen and wireless charging. For $60 more, the Liberty 5 Pro Max’s case adds recording with an AI transcription and summary, but they cost $230 and the earbuds are exactly the same as the 5 Pro. I wouldn’t bother with the upgrade unless you really need to record and transcribe things regularly.

Battery life with ANC on is below average, listed as only 6.5 hours (or a total of 28 hours with the case), and that number goes down if you’re using features like hi-res audio. I find myself needing to charge the case every couple days.

It also takes some finagling to switch the earbuds between paired devices. I regularly use my work MacBook, my iPhone, and my iPad during the day, and the earbuds can only be connected to two at a time. So I find myself regularly needing to disconnect from one to allow them to work on another.

In those cases I fall back to my Apple AirPods Pro 3. When I’m using Apple products, I don’t have to think about them. I just take them out of their case and they work. When I open my iPad to watch a show on HBO Max or the Dropout app, the AirPods will seamlessly switch over to the new device and alert me with a pop-up notification.

The AirPods sound a bit better than the Soundcore, although it’s not a drastic difference. And they still deliver some of the best noise-canceling performance available.

They also have a plethora of features that only work within the Apple ecosystem. Live translation on supported iPhones works decently, and their case supports magnetic wireless charging. They have Find My for if (when) you lose them, and even a hearing test. There’s also a heart rate sensor that integrates with the iOS Fitness app, and the buds are now IP57 (the Soundcore are IP55, so their water protection isn’t as strong). Although, even with the heart rate sensor and IP rating, I don’t like using the AirPods as workout earbuds for one specific reason.

Even though fit has been improved on the AirPods Pro 3 compared to the Pro 2, I still have issues with it. It’s not a concern as I sit at my desk, but a light jog or run and they start to work their way out of my ears. Earbuds fit is such a personal thing, since everyone’s ears are shaped differently, but for me, Apple has never nailed it. I also don’t like the stem design, to put it mildly. It’s iconic, sure, but also exceedingly frustrating to use when I’m running. I’m constantly jostling them loose as I try to change the track, adjust volume, or switch to a different ANC mode.

That’s where the Beats Powerbeats Fit come in. Because of their wingtip design, I never worry about them coming out of my ears, and yet they’re comfortable throughout my workout. The in-ear design also keeps out of the way of sunglasses, which is one reason I prefer them over the ear hooks of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. And even though Beats are owned by Apple, the earbuds are not locked into the Apple ecosystem. They can connect to Android phones and still offer the same functionality with the Beats app.

There’s still a drawback to the Fit as workout earbuds: their IPX4 rating. I don’t sweat profusely near my ears when I work out, and I live in the dry Los Angeles climate, so humidity and rain aren’t huge issues for me. I’d be cautious about running in heavy rain, but they should still be okay in most situations.

The past year has seen an influx of open earbuds. They offer great environmental awareness since they don’t go fully into your ears — but they don’t sound as good as in-ears because they don’t go fully into your ears. It affects the bass response in particular, but also the overall balance. I don’t think the tradeoff is worth it, and the Powerbeats Fit have a fine transparency mode when I need to pay attention to my surroundings. If you don’t like putting things in your ear holes though, something like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are a good option.

Most people don’t have earbuds coming into and out of their lives as I do, and most people don’t need or want three different sets of $200-ish earbuds. If I had to pick one, I’d choose the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro. Not only are they the cheapest of the bunch, they’re versatile, sound great, and have incredible call quality. With their IP55 rating, you could even use them for workouts. All three are excellent earbuds, and if you feel the need to stay within the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 3 are a good choice. But to me, the Soundcore Liberty Pro 5 are the standout.