Honest head-to-head comparisons of popular home products. We test so you don't have to.
We tested both. Here are the wins, the losses, and who each is for.
Maria bought a $400,000 Oakland apartment in 2021. Daniel rented one in the same building. Five years later, the buying vs renting calculator said one was right.
I installed the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock in a Chicago apartment for 4 months, then the Schlage Encode in Boston. The deciding factor is not on the spec sheet.
Solid surface shower panels and tile are the two most common shower wall choices for modern bathrooms, and the right answer depends on your situation. Here is the five key differences compared with cost, install, durability, and rental friendliness for each.
I tested ceiling paint vs wall paint on the same kitchen ceiling for 14 months. Here's the real chemistry, the test results, and when wall paint is honestly fine.
I painted 3 renter bedrooms with Behr, Sherwin-Williams, and Benjamin Moore. Same roller, same 4-hour gap, two years of wear. What cheap vs premium paint actually buys you.
For renters, the right cordless drill depends on how many projects you actually do in 2 years. 3 brands, 3 cost tiers, 1 decision rule that beats every brand review.
Not sure if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier? I wasted money on the wrong device for 2 years. Here's the real way to tell: body symptoms, house symptoms, and which Amazon picks actually work — with honest noise, cleaning, and electricity notes.
I tested four vacuum-mop combo robots in two apartments over 11 weeks: a 1,200 sq ft hardwood-dominant Boston walk-up and a 950 sq ft tile-and-LVP Toronto unit. One model was an outright embarrassment; one surprised me. Here's the ranking by apartment layout, not by spec sheet.
See the article for the full comparison.
See how they compare →Is expensive paint worth it? We painted identical walls with all three and measured the difference.
Maria bought a $400,000 Oakland apartment in 2021. Daniel rented one in the same building. Five years later, the buying vs renting calculator said one was right.
I installed the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock in a Chicago apartment for 4 months, then the Schlage Encode in Boston. The deciding factor is not on the spec sheet.
Featured
Solid surface shower panels and tile are the two most common shower wall choices for modern bathrooms, and the right answer depends on your situation. Here is the five key differences compared with cost, install, durability, and rental friendliness for each.
Featured
I tested ceiling paint vs wall paint on the same kitchen ceiling for 14 months. Here's the real chemistry, the test results, and when wall paint is honestly fine.
Featured
I painted 3 renter bedrooms with Behr, Sherwin-Williams, and Benjamin Moore. Same roller, same 4-hour gap, two years of wear. What cheap vs premium paint actually buys you.
Featured
For renters, the right cordless drill depends on how many projects you actually do in 2 years. 3 brands, 3 cost tiers, 1 decision rule that beats every brand review.
Featured
Not sure if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier? I wasted money on the wrong device for 2 years. Here's the real way to tell: body symptoms, house symptoms, and which Amazon picks actually work — with honest noise, cleaning, and electricity notes.
Featured
I tested four vacuum-mop combo robots in two apartments over 11 weeks: a 1,200 sq ft hardwood-dominant Boston walk-up and a 950 sq ft tile-and-LVP Toronto unit. One model was an outright embarrassment; one surprised me. Here's the ranking by apartment layout, not by spec sheet.
Is expensive paint worth it? We painted identical walls with all three and measured the difference.