The Gadgets and Gear We Couldn’t Get Enough of in September




Gadget Lab






The sound of B&O's H6 headphones ($400) is detailed and perfectly balanced. And those leather pads aren't just gorgeous, they're unbelievably soft. Headbanging has never been this cozy. (Expand the gallery for more details.)—Michael Calore Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




I was initially skeptical of the


B&O H6 headphones

($400). High-priced and slick-looking is usually a bad combo, given the current fashion-over-function trend in headphones. But after spending a few hours sampling lossless tracks on my phone, I was sold. The sound of these Danish beauties is superb in every way, very detailed and perfectly balanced. And those leather pads aren't just gorgeous, they're unbelievably soft. Headbanging has never been this cozy.


—Michael Calore

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



I don't drink wuss coffee. I drink man coffee, and Stanley's Stainless Steel Classic Mug ($20) is as manly as a mug gets.—Michael Calore Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




I don't drink wuss coffee. I drink man coffee, and this is my man mug.


This beast from Stanley

($20) has that hammered finish that looks just like grandpa's lunchbox. It holds 18 ounces of tasty Joe, and the double-walled stainless steel construction keeps it warm until quitting time. The flip-top clips solidly either open or closed, and the L-shaped handle lets me keep my thick gloves on while I sip.


—Michael Calore

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Patagonia's Nano-Air jacket ($250) comes with a unique type of insulation that can be paired with super stretchy, open-weave fabric. Unlike other puffy jackets, this allows excess heat and moisture to escape.—Jakob Schiller Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




Puffy jackets are great for warmth but don’t vent well. That’s because they use tightly woven, non-breathable fabric to keep the insulation in place. For


the Nano-Air

($250), Patagonia developed a unique type of insulation that can be paired with super stretchy, open-weave fabric. This allows excess heat and moisture to escape. It’s a wonderful thing because now I spend less time futzing with layers and more time getting after it.


—Jakob Schiller

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Carefully crafted from hand-tamed elevation data, these little notebooks from Analog ($25 for a pack of three) feature beautiful iso-maps of Mars and various islands here on Earth.—Betsy Mason Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




Carefully crafted from hand-tamed elevation data, these little notebooks ($25 for a pack of three) feature beautiful iso-maps of Mars and islands around the world.


WIRED readers helped decide

which locations would be featured in this first collection of LatLon Notebooks from Analog. I got mine by backing the


project on Kickstarter

, but if you hurry,


there may be a few left

. And look for a new map-themed collection next year (I'm hoping for canyons!).


—Betsy Mason

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



The Trigger Point Grid STK ($35), available in two hardnesses, is the perfect portable tool for rolling out knots and tight muscles.—Christina Bonnington



The Grid STK

($35) is a vast improvement over the traditional old


stick roller

. It’s made of water-resistant foam grooved to mimic the sensations you’d get from a massage therapist when you’re rolling out your legs or back. The soft rubber handles provide a firm, comfortable grip for your torture session. It comes in two densities, in case you need a little extra oomph to get at some deep tissue.


—Christina Bonnington




Fashioned from one humongous piece of cow hide, Saddleback's ruggedly handsome Waterbag is expensive, but it's the last weekend bag you'll ever need to buy.—Bryan Gardiner Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




Sure,


Saddleback's Waterbag

($710) is an immensely handsome piece leather. But it's the small details and adaptability of this rugged weekender that really set it apart. Fashioned from one massive piece of hide, the bag's near seamless construction helps keep the elements out, while its three adjustable straps adapt to any sized load. For major hauls, you can even use it as an open tote or in backback form (with the included strap). After using it on several trips now, I can honestly say it's very close to the perfect carry-on.


—Bryan Gardiner

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Velvetwire’s Powerslayer ($39) is a smarter wall wart: It automatically switches off the power when a device, plugged into its USB port, is fully charged.—Christina Bonnington Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Velvetwire’s Powerslayer

($39) is a smarter wall wart: It automatically switches off the power when whatever is plugged into its USB port is fully charged. This also effectively kills phantom load , which can quietly add up on your energy bill, has been


—Christina Bonnington

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Aether's Compass pants ($475) buck that trend by looking...normal! Crafted of heavyweight canvas and reinforced with D30 armor that stiffens to protect on impact, they’re serious pro-level protection that allows you to blessedly look like an average Joe.—Joe Brown Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




Protective motorcycle gear usually comes in two styles: "old man" and "dominatrix." It's particularly hard to find pants you don't look like a fool wearing, but you'd be a fool not to wear them.


Aether's Compass pants

($475) buck that trend by looking...normal! Crafted of heavyweight canvas and reinforced with D30 armor that stiffens to protect on impact, they’re serious pro-level protection that allows you to blessedly look like an average Joe.


—Joe Brown

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Ploom's new Pax Diamond vaporizer ($250) is dead simple to operate—just click the mouthpiece to turn on the heat. The entire apparatus fits nicely into your front pocket, too, which is great because you want to be stealthy with your pipe tobacco.—Mat Honan Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




I've forgotten exactly what it was I liked so much about Ploom's new


Pax Diamond vaporizer

($250). I think that means it works pretty well. I do know that it’s dead-simple to operate—just click the mouthpiece to turn on the heat, which has three adjustable settings to fit your blend. Meanwhile, the entire apparatus fits nicely into your front pocket, which is great because you want to be stealthy with your pipe tobacco.


—Mat Honan

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Ikea's Pendant Lamp ($70) is a bizarrely elegant cross between thistle down and the Death Star. It's also a mechanical marvel: Instead of dimming the lights electrically, you pull its cords and the entire body explodes to change from a mysterious mood-lit orb to a brightly dappled cubist sculpture.—Liana Bandziulis Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




I walked into Ikea for a shelf, and walked out with


this lamp

($70). I simply couldn't resist its shape-shifting origami aesthetic. Not only is the lamp a bizarrely elegant cross between thistle down and the Death Star, it's also a mechanical marvel: Instead of dimming the lights electrically, you pull its cords and the entire body explodes to change from a mysterious mood-lit orb to a brightly dappled cubist sculpture.


—Liana Bandziulis

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



Hex's soft-shell briefcase ($100) has dedicated, padded pockets for a laptop, an iPad, and all of my power cords and accessories. Even with all that stashed inside, I've still got room for my camera, my rain jacket, and a sandwich.—Michael Calore Josh Valcarcel/WIRED




This $100


soft-shell briefcase

from Hex has dedicated, padded pockets for a laptop, an iPad, and all of my power cords and accessories. Even with all that stashed inside, I've still got room for my camera, my rain jacket, and a sandwich. Most bags capable of such stowage look like something from the Navy surplus depot. But the Hex is classy. And it fits under seat in coach, making it the perfect carry-on.


—Michael Calore

Josh Valcarcel/WIRED



I needed a tent I could set up while wearing fancy-night-out clothes. (Don’t ask.) After a quick trip to the Internet, I was pumping up Kelty's luxurious 4-person Airlift 4 tent ($440) in my dinner jacket. Its supporting “poles,” tubes inflated to 7PSi with the included pump, make pitching a two-minute process.—Joe Brown Joe Brown/WIRED




I needed a tent I could set up while wearing fancy-night-out clothes. (Don’t ask.) After a quick trip to the Internet, I was pumping up Kelty's


luxurious 4-person Airlift 4 tent

($440) in my dinner jacket. Its supporting “poles,” tubes inflated to 7PSi with the included pump, make pitching a two-minute process. Once up, the AirLift is rugged, weatherproof, and comfy, with conveniences like quiet zippers and a vestibule for your nasty gear. At 18 lbs, you won’t be taking this beast backpacking, but it’s a car-camping ace.


—Joe Brown

Joe Brown/WIRED






One of the best parts of our jobs here at WIRED is that we get to test all the new things as soon as they come out. But we often only get a few days to play with something before having to write about it. That can be difficult—getting a clear assessment of an object’s worth when you have to crank out a written review in less than a week. Some products only show their true colors after several weeks, months, or years to experience them, live with them, play with them, and wear them. That’s what we’ve gathered here—things we’ve been testing and love, or the stuff from our lives that we own and never want to let go. This is the gear we want to take everywhere. This is the stuff we want to cook breakfast for. These are the things we love.





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Wired gadgetlab



Editors

Michael Calore

Bryan Gardiner

Senior Writer

Mat Honan

Staff Writers

Christina Bonnington

Tim Moynihan

Reviews Fellow

Liana Bandziulis


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