• You can easily forget a Wi-Fi network on a Mac through your Network Preferences.
• This is useful when you no longer want to automatically connect to a network, need to enter a new password, or just want to tidy things up.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Your Mac has a great feature that saves Wi-Fi networks that you've previously signed into, automatically joining the network whenever you're in range of it. However, there are a few scenarios where this may be a burden.

Perhaps you have two networks at home or work, and now only want to use one of them on your Mac. Instead of having to check which one you've connected to every time you turn on your computer, you can remove the one you no longer want to use. 

Maybe the password has changed since you've last signed into a network and for some reason you're not being automatically prompted to enter the new one. Forgetting the network will help solve that problem. 

Or, you could just want to tidy up the long list of saved networks you've accumulated over time.

Whatever the reason it may be, forgetting a Wi-Fi network on your Mac is easy. Here's how.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $1,299 at Apple)

How to forget a Wi-Fi network on your Mac computer

1. Click on the Wi-Fi icon at the top right of your top menu bar.

2. Click "Open Network Preferences…"

3. Click "Advanced…"

4. Find the Wi-Fi network that you'd like to forget and click on it. If you'd like to select multiple networks, hold down the "Command" key as you click on additional networks.

5. Click the minus "—" sign.

6. Click "Ok."

7. Click "Apply."

Read more coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to update your Mac computer to macOS Catalina, to get the latest features and software fixes

• How to change the profile picture on your Mac computer for a customized display

• How to screenshare on a Mac computer, to make presentations and projects easier

• How to turn on Location Services on a Mac computer, for using apps like Maps, Weather, and more

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 lesser-known benefits of Amazon Prime

• Giving gifts is wonderful and wrapping them up in lovely paper is half the fun, so we've rounded up the best wrapping paper and supplies you can buy online.
• We think Target has the best selection of wrapping paper for the most reasonable price, but we also love the gift wrap from the Paper Source, Hallmark, The Container Store, World Market, and Brown Kraft Paper.

Gift giving takes place throughout the entire year to mark holidays and special occasions alike. To many people, one of the best parts of buying gifts is wrapping them up in gorgeous wrapping paper with ribbons, bows, and fancy tags.

Gift wrap adds a layer of beauty and anticipation to every gift, and let's face it, tearing through the paper to find the treasure inside is simply delightful.

We love wrapping gifts as much as we love giving them, so we've rounded up the best wrapping paper and wrapping supplies you can buy.

Whether you want wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes, or the accessories that go on top of wrapping paper, we have a pick for you. We've also included the tape and scissors you'll need to wrap all those presents.

Here are the best wrapping paper and gift-wrapping supplies:

• Best wrapping paper overall: Target
• Best high-end wrapping paper: Paper Source
• Best affordable wrapping paper bundles: Hallmark
• Best classy wrapping paper: The Container Store
• Best off-beat wrapping paper: World Market
• Best recycled wrapping paper: Brown Kraft Paper
• Best scissors: Fiskars Scissors
• Best utility knife:  Stanley Classic Utility Knife
• Best tape for wrapping gifts: Scotch Magic Tape

Updated on 10/15/19 by Lisa Sabatini: Updated pricing, links, and formatting. 

The best wrapping paper overall

Target has tons of wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes, tags, and other wrapping supplies in fun patterns for a great price.

If you want a huge selection of wrapping paper and wrapping supplies to choose from, check out Target. No matter what time of year you need to wrap a gift, Target has a wrapping paper for your needs. Its holiday wrapping shop is incredible, too. You can find just about any pattern you want from fun, silly patterns to classic designs and gift wrap for kids.

You can refine results on Target's website by holiday and occasion, as well as brand to quickly find the best options for your needs. You can even get personalized wrapping paper from Wondershop.

Well-known brands like Papyrus, Minted, American Greetings, Hallmark, and so on sell wrapping paper and supplies at Target, too. 

In addition to wrapping paper, you'll find tons of gift bags, gift boxes, tags, bows, ribbons, and other wrapping supplies. 

Pros: Huge selection, fun patterns, classic designs, wrapping supplies of all kinds, options for other holidays and events

Cons: Not all are eco-friendly 

The best high-end wrapping paper

Paper Source has everything you need to wrap a gift, including gorgeous wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes, tissue paper, and cards galore.

If you care about the presentation of your gifts, you'll love the Paper Source's wide selection of artful wrapping paper and wrapping supplies. You can find everything from classic holiday prints and fun playful designs, to gift wrap that will work for any season.

The company also makes gift boxes and gift bags, so if you hate wrapping presents, you don't actually have to wrap them at all. You'll also find lovely tissue paper, cards, and other decorating supplies like tags, bows, and ribbons.

You don't have to worry about the paper ripping mid-wrap or the tissue paper disintegrating as you remove it from the package — Everything from Paper Source is of the highest quality.

If you're worried about the environment and you care where your gift wrap comes from, you can feel pretty good about shopping at Paper Source. The company uses 30% recycled paper in its solid color papers, partners with sustainable forestry mills, uses recycled materials to make many of its cards, avoids chlorine, recycles ink and all paper scraps, and other eco-friendly practices.

The gift wrapping, boxes, and other supplies are made using high-quality materials, but you can expect to pay a premium for them.

Pros: Great selection of designs; gift wrap, bags, boxes, tags, ribbons, etc. are all sold here; well made; eco-friendly practices

Cons: Expensive

The best affordable wrapping paper bundles

Hallmark is a famous card company that makes affordable wrapping paper bundles that come with everything you need to wrap a gift, including the paper, tags, ribbons, gift bags, and more.

If you have a lot of gifts to wrap, you may not want to spend a lot of money on expensive wrapping paper. Hallmark has very affordable gift wrap bundles that come with everything you need to wrap presents, including the wrapping paper, gift bags, and tags. You can also get the piece separately for good prices.

Hallmark's gift wrap comes in tons of colors, patterns, and styles. You can find fun, festive snowmen beside classic, stately stripes and solid colors. Snoopy and other characters also pop up on certain gift bags in Hallmark's collection.

Single rolls of wrapping paper cost less than ten dollars, and a bundle with 3 rolls of wrapping paper, 10 gift bags, and 32 gift tag stickers costs between twenty and thirty dollars. The bundle is a fantastic deal for people on a budget with a great deal of wrapping ahead of them.

If you're worried that affordable prices also means bad environmental practices, don't be — Hallmark says its "gifting supplies are made with paper from well-managed forests," and "wrapping paper is made in the USA with European paper." It may not be recycled paper, but at least it comes from a relatively responsible source.

Pros: Affordable, bundles are a great deal, fun prints, classic designs, good variety, well made, accessories available

Cons: Not as eco-friendly as some options

The best classic wrapping paper

The Container Store has a nice selection of classic wrapping paper designs for a decent price that's not super expensive.

You won't find cheesy or funny wrapping paper at The Container Store, but you will find classic, simple designs on the store's wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes, and tags. The prices are fairly reasonable, though not dirt cheap, but the quality is unquestionable.

If you're looking for a good deal, you can get a set of three wrapping paper rolls for $10. There are also sets of gift bags, sets of ribbons, sets of tags, and other wrapping supplies.

The Container Store also makes it easy to have your wrapping paper match your gift bags, boxes, tags, ribbons, and bows. When you click on any wrapping paper, the store also shows you other related gift wrapping supplies that match the patterns and color schemes.

Pros: Classic designs, good selection of wrapping paper, gift bags and boxes, nice tags and bows

Cons: Can be pricey, not as eco-friendly as some

The best off-beat wrapping paper

If you want fun, off-beat wrapping paper and supplies with an international feel, World Market has you covered.

After a while, you might get sick of reindeer, snowmen, Santas, candy cane stripes, and other typical patterns. If you've reached that point and you want to try something new, World Market has some unique wrapping papers that have Scandinavian gnomes, cactus plants, llamas, paisley patterns, and more.

You can, of course, find Santa, reindeer, gingerbread men, and other classic holiday-themed designs if you want them, and even those have a unique look. In addition to wrapping paper, you'll also find gift bags, tags, and other wrapping supplies.

And, everything is fairly reasonably priced, too.

Pros: Fun patterns, international flair, decent prices, unique selection, lots  of choices

Cons: Not as eco-friendly as some

The best eco-friendly wrapping paper

Brown Kraft Paper is the ultimate eco-friendly choice for wrapping paper because it's made from 100% recycled paper.

If the thought of thousands upon thousands of trees dying for the sake of producing wrapping paper that most people just discard and don't recycle happens to break your heart, consider an eco-friendly alternative: 100% recycled Brown Kraft Paper.

Yes, it's brown and plain, but this Kraft paper is sturdy, affordable, eco-friendly, and definitely not see-through like cheap gift wrap often is, so it's perfect for wrapping presents. It will also last you a long time and is multi-purpose. Need to pack a box full so objects inside don't bounce around? Brown paper is the answer. 

If you're the artsy type, you can also customize the brown paper by drawing designs on it, layering other colored papers, or by adding cute ribbons and string.

Pros: 100% recycled paper, you get a lot of paper for the price, sturdy paper won't rip, you can personalize it

Cons: It's only brown and therefore plain

The best scissors and utility knife for gift wrapping

Fiskars' scissors and Stanley's utility knife are the best cutting tools you can buy for wrapping gifts.

When it comes to wrapping gifts, you need good scissors and a sharp utility knife at hand. Fiskars makes the best scissors you can buy for just about any task, and its everyday scissors are a great buy. You can use them for cutting wrapping paper easily, thanks to their soft grip handle and sharp blades.

Stanley's Utility Knife cuts perfect straight lines easily and produces clean cuts. The blade retracts for safety, but it is sharp, so keep it away from young kids.

Pros: Both cut well, utility knife is great for clean cuts, high quality, affordable, multiple uses

Cons: None

The best tape for gift wrapping

Scotch Magic Tape is strong, cuts well, and blends right into wrapping paper as you flatten it out.

No gift wrapping station is complete without Scotch Magic Tape. The tape goes on clear and matte, so it blends right into your wrapping paper. It's a strong tape and it cuts well.

If you've ever tried to buy cheap tape from another brand and been disappointed, you know why we're recommending Scotch tape here. It's simply the best for wrapping gifts.

Besides, this 6-pack of Scotch tape is very affordable and it will last you through several gift-wrapping seasons.

Pros: 6-pack, good price, clear tape, matte finish, blends in, cuts well, strong tape

Cons: None

Check out our guide to the best holiday cards you can buy

The best holiday cards you can buy

Holiday cards are a great way to spread the love to your family and friends this holiday season, so we've rounded up the best places to buy cards online.

We've made sure every pick in our guide has great options for whichever holiday you celebrate. We also looked at desirable criteria like designs, customization options, print quality, paper quality, cost, ease of ordering, speed, and extra services. All the cards we picked can be ordered online and sent via good old-fashioned snail mail.

Here are the best holiday cards:

• Best holiday cards overall: Simply to Impress
• Best full-service cards: Minted
• Best budget holiday cards: Amazon Prints
• Best unique holiday cards: Etsy
• Best photo quality custom cards: Artifact Uprising

• An emergency kit is something you should have around, in case an unexpected dangerous event happens.
• You can make your own, or purchase a preassembled kit that has everything you may need.
• The Sustain Supply Co. Four-72 Emergency Survival Kit is our top choice because it not only covers the critical needs like water, warmth, sustenance, and first aid, but it also has lots of redundancies.

Statistically speaking, it's unlikely that you will ever find yourself in a situation calling for an emergency preparedness kit, but it's that word "preparedness" that's the operative. Normally, you can count on fresh water from the tap, warmth, and shelter provided by your home, food at arm's reach in the fridge or pantry or a short drive down the road to the grocery store, and medical aid a quick phone call away. But now and then ... you can't.

Should a disaster strike, whether in the form of an earthquake, tornado, civil unrest, a major storm, or what have you, you may well find yourself cut off from outside help, relying on your wits and depending on the rations and supplies you have on hand. If that ever happens, you'll be glad some rations have a multi-year shelf life, and that your supplies include first aid materials, light sources, fire starting tools, and other such essentials.

One reason many people fail to adequately prepare for an emergency situation is that they overestimate the circumstances required to temporarily disrupt the standard function of society. Something as simple as a ruptured water main could leave you without access to safe drinking water or a major power outage could render all the food in your fridge and freezer spoiled within a day.

In short, it's not the zombie apocalypse that's likely to see you breaking open the emergency prep kit, but instead, a storm that brings trees down across your street, barring your access to commodities and preventing authorities or medical personnel from finding their way to you. In the event of a more pronounced emergency that forces evacuation — such as raging wildfires, a hurricane, or a terror event — you'll also be glad you planned ahead.

But remember, buying an emergency preparedness kit is only the first step in readying yourself and your household to respond to a crisis properly. As my chosen emergency prep kit comes from Sustain Supply Co., I reached out to the brand for some insider insight. I spoke to Brent Stern, founder of Sustain, who offered some sage advice for making the most of your kit.

"When you're in a stressful situation, your ability to problem solve is going to be diminished," Stern said. So he advises people to not only procure supplies but to study what they have. "Take some time, at least a half hour, to go through your kit. Know what's in there and where things are in the bag. And put some cash in ... and any prescription drugs or specific first aid needs" you or a family member might require."

Ultimately, according to Stern, "a good survival kit gives you the ability to be self-sufficient." The emergency prep kits on our list each allow you and a small group to do just that, fending for yourselves for a few days as you wait for the restoration of civil support systems in your area or else hike your way to a safer region.

Here are the best emergency kits you can buy:

• Best emergency prep kit overall: Sustain Supply Co. Comfort4 72-Hour Emergency Survival Kit
• Best emergency kit for severe weather: ER Emergency Ready Tornado/Hurricane Survival Kit
• Best low-cost emergency preparedness kit: Ready America 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit
• Best emergency kit for evacuations: Emergency Zone Urban Survival Bug-Out Bag

Updated on 10/15/2019 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, and formatting.

SEE ALSO: The best first aid kits you can buy

The best emergency prep kit overall

The carefully curated Sustain Supply Co. Comfort4 72-Hour Emergency Survival Kit overs basic needs and offers redundancies in critical areas such as hydration and warmth.

I chose the Sustain Supply Co. Comfort4 72-Hour Emergency Survival Kit as my family's emergency preparedness kit because after looking at many different options, it seemed to be the most thoughtfully curated option. There is simply nothing in this kit that feels superfluous, and there is no glaring omission, either.

Many survival kits have items like toothbrushes and hair combs that might make morning ablutions more pleasant but that really aren't imperative for survival during an emergency. In other words, that means they are just extra weight. The Comfort4 kit, on the other hand, is stocked almost exactly as I would have built up a kit from scratch.

When I got the founder of Sustain Supply Co., Brent Stern, on the phone, I learned how they pulled that off. Stern explained that they used Amazon analytics to determine which prep/survival products people tended to buy at the same time and then made the leading choices of discerning shoppers the products they included in the kit.

Thus the Comfort4 comes stocked with foods that may have a 30-year shelf life, but they actually taste good once rehydrated and cooked. It includes more emergency drinking water than you will find in almost any other emergency kit. The kit also has all the basics, like first aid supplies, fire starters, emergency blankets, a razor sharp knife, and more. But toothpaste and a hairbrush? Not so much. If you feel you need those to survive, you tuck them in yourself.

But there's another reason I chose the Sustain Supply Co. Four-72 Emergency Survival Kit both for my own home as well as for the top pick on this list: redundancy. The kit comes with two lanterns, two flashlights, and multiple chemical snap lights (glow sticks). As noted, it comes with a lot of drinking water, but it also has a water filter included. It has enough fire starting supplies to make more than enough fires for the three days for which the kit is designed to sustain four adults.

Yes, it's expensive. But your safety is priceless. And yes, this kit is kind of heavy, but if you're with other adults, you can spread the weight around or pass the backpack from person to person as needed.

Pros: Thoughtful and comprehensive curation, included rations actually taste good, comes with plenty of water and with filtration system

Cons: Quite expensive compared to other options

The best emergency kit for severe weather

When a storm drops buckets of rain on your home, you'll be glad you have ER Emergency's waterproof bucket filled with all the supplies you need to ride out the storm.

The ER Emergency Ready Tornado/Hurricane Survival Kit is designed to help people safely shelter in place during a serious weather event. For an area prone to wildfires or earthquakes, get yourself a backpack emergency kit. If the natural disaster most likely to ravage your hometown is a hurricane, flood, or some other event involving a whole lot of water, though, then this is the kit for you.

The ER Emergency Ready Tornado/Hurricane Survival Kit packs all of its supplies into a rugged and watertight bucket, so even if your home is flooded, your survival gear won't be damaged. Along with the gear you'd expect in any good emergency prep kit, like first aid supplies, a flashlight, and some rations, this kit also has several tools that will become of paramount importance during severe storms.

These include a utility shutoff tool that can help you turn off an at-risk or ruptured gas line or water pipe, a crowbar that could help force a damaged or swollen door or window, and work gloves and face masks that can help keep you safe in unsanitary conditions. 

What's missing here, though, is a good fire-starting tool. ER Emergency Ready included decent matches, but those will run out in time, so toss in a fire starter kit of your own for good measure.

Pros: Packed in watertight bucket, ideal for areas prone to flooding, comes with several multi-purpose tools

Cons: Not readily portable

The best low-cost emergency preparedness kit

The Ready America 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit has the basics you'll need to shelter in place or cover some ground for a few days.

There are some notable items "missing" from the Ready America 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit. It lacks a flashlight or lantern, with the only light source being two chemical light sticks. There is no blade or tool of any sort. And there is no fire-starting gear, not even a lighter or a pack of matches.

But here's the thing: The basic necessities needed for survival don't actually include a light source, a cutting tool, or even fire. They amount to hydration, nutrition, and protection from the elements, and this low-cost emergency prep kit has you and one other adult covered on those fronts.

The pair of emergency blankets and ponchos can keep you relatively warm and dry even in harsh environs, the food and water rations will keep you sufficiently nourished, and the first aid kit will help with most minor medical issues. 

So while basic, the Ready America 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit is sufficient to check the "Prepared" box off your household to-do list. I recommend you go ahead and add a light, a pocketknife, and some storm matches, though.

Pros: Great low price, high visibility backpack, covers basic needs

Cons: Lacking several key items, backpack itself is low quality

The best emergency kit for evacuations

If you have to leave the area ASAP in the wake of an emergency, you'll be glad you have the ready-to-roll Emergency Zone Urban Survival Bug-Out Bag on your back.

Sometimes you can see trouble on the horizon. Hurricanes don't exactly appear out of thin air, for example. But at other times, disaster strikes without warning. Earthquakes come to mind as events that don't give you the heads-up.

The Emergency Zone Urban Survival Bug-Out Bag was designed for those situations when you find yourself with zero time to spare before you clear out of your home, office, dorm, or anywhere else that is suddenly unsafe to inhabit and unlikely to soon be fit for return.

The Emergency Zone Urban Survival Bug-Out Bag is ergonomically designed and comfortable to wear despite the 15 pounds of supplies loaded into the kit. Within the multi-compartment backpack, you'll find all the gear and rations you'd expect, including food and first aid materials, water and ponchos, a multi-tool pocketknife, and so forth.

What sets this kit apart from the others isn't so much the included items, but the bag itself. Though tactical in composition, the Emergency Zone Urban Survival Bug-Out Bag looks much like an ordinary backpack, easily blending in with the pedestrian traffic in any city. So if you are clearing out without wanting to make a scene, this is the kit to use.

Note that fire-making tools are absent here, so add some before the next bout of civil strife or natural catastrophe strikes.

Pros: Backpack suitable for long hours of wear, subtle pack design draws no attention, good blend of survival and comfort supplies 

Cons: No fire making tools included

Get yourself a first aid kit or ready-to-eat foods from our guides

The best first aid kits you can buy

While you never want to need a first aid kit, should that need arise, you'll be glad you planned ahead and kept some high-quality medical supplies on hand. The First Aid Only All-Purpose First Aid Kit is our top choice because it's compact, carefully curated, and affordable, too.

We also like the Be Smart Get Prepared 250 Piece First Aid Kit for your office because it is OSHA and ANSI compliant and covers the first aid needs of up to 50 people, making it perfect for the office.

If you want a kit that will travel with you, the TripWorthy Compact Travel First Aid Kit is our favorite. Stash it in your car, truck, or boat, and you'll be ready to face minor medical emergencies even when you're miles from home.

If you are cut off from emergency services following a natural disaster or in times of civil unrest, you'll be glad you have the Lightning X First Responder First Aid Kit.

Those who are on a budget will love the Coleman All Purpose Mini First Aid Kit because it costs less than a fancy cup of coffee, but it can help you treat all sorts of minor scrapes, scratches, bug bites, and more.

The best backpacking food you can buy

From a thick, hearty stew enjoyed on the summit of Mt. Whitney to rice and chicken scarfed down beside sacred lakes high in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains to mac and cheese enjoyed while car camping with my young son, I know firsthand how beneficial a hot meal can be when you're far afield.

Fortunately, enjoying a great "real" meal while you camp, trek, or climb isn't all that hard to do provided you planned ahead. None of the meals on this list require anything fancier than a pot, some water, and a stove (or fire) to prepare, and some don't even require the pot.

Here are the best backpacking foods you can buy.

• Best overall: Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles
• Best for easy prep: Western Frontier MRE Meal-Ready-To-Eat
• Best soup: Fishpeople Alder Smoked Wild Salmon Chowder
• Best for vegetarians: Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai
• Best affordable food: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup

• Milan is the financial capital of Italy and a big destination for business travellers around the world.
• The city also has a rich history dating back centuries.
• There are so many other things to explore outside of the traditional sights — from food to art to architecture.
• Read more from this series — Global Experience, Local Connections—to find out how to explore the world like a local.

Milan is Italy's financial capital and hosts its only stock exchange, but its ancient Celtic roots, role in the Italian Renaissance, and status as one of the world's four fashion capitals make it a great city to explore once your business meetings are over. Milan is also home to four five-star Sheraton hotels, such as the brand-new  Milan San Siro. With its 310 well-appointed rooms, swimming pool, terraced garden, and 21 conference spaces, the Milan San Siro is an ideal home base both for work and play. 

Here's how to get the most out of your free time in Italy's big business center.

Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco)

No visit to Milan — business or pleasure — is complete without a stop at Sforza Castle. This 15th century structure is located in peaceful Parco Sempione, one of Milan's most popular parks for relaxing strolls or bike rides. Sforza Castle, home to the influential Sforza family during the Renaissance, houses museums containing priceless works of art, including masterpieces by Titian, Tintoretto, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Usually associated with Florence, Da Vinci actually spent the longest and most prolific stretch of his life in Milan. He was a frequent visitor to the court of Sforza, serving as costume artist and masque choreographer before designing the castle's Sala delle Asse ("Room of Wooden Boards"), inventing his flying machine, and painting "Mona Lisa."

The Cathedral of Milan (Il Duomo di Milano)

It's definitely a tourist attraction, but Il Duomo is a must-see for a reason. Built (and reconstructed) in stages between 1386 and 1906, the massive marble cathedral is the largest Gothic structure in Italy. The bronze statue of the Madonnina (Virgin Mary) atop Il Duomo's highest spire has been a symbol for the city since its installation in 1774. The tourist crowds can be intense, but Il Duomo's beautiful piazza is great for people watching and catching musical performances. Il Duomo's museum, featuring 600 years' worth of liturgical art, is also well worth the visit. 

Aperitivo at Terrazza Aperol

Nightlife is a huge part of Milan's culture, especially the aperitivo, the Italian version of happy hour. Terrazza Aperol's hip crowd, live music, and views of Il Duomo make it a great place to experience aperitivo culture for yourself. Just head to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — an impressive 19th-century covered gallery of shops and cafés right next to Il Duomo — and you'll find Terrazza Aperol on the second floor. Refreshing cocktails and an assortment of Italian-style snacks like olives, mini pizzas, and pasta salad make the aperitivo the perfect antidote for any busy workday. Whether you stay past one drink or cab it to one of Milan's terrific nightlife districts like i Navigli or Corso Como, be sure to enjoy a neon-orange Aperol spritz. And always look at your drinking companions when you toast. Salute!

The Brera District

Home to the Brera Art Gallery (Pinacoteca) and Brera Palace, the cool, artsy neighborhood of Brera is a local favorite. Even though it's within walking distance of Il Duomo and Sforza Castle, its pedestrian-friendly cobblestone streets and lush greenery give it a slightly bohemian feel. Its many cafés, art galleries, and fashionable boutiques make it feel like its own separate community and a great place to get lost and forget about your full meeting schedule.

Eating as the Milanese eat

While many cosmopolitan Milan dwellers enjoy eating out at international restaurants, trying Milan's traditional cuisine is essential. Ristorante Nabucco in Brera offers upscale versions of Milanese classics. Try the polenta with gorgonzola and porcini mushrooms, or a plate of earthy osso buco (cross-cut veal shanks) paired with saffron-infused risotto alla Milanese. Silene Restaurant at the Sheraton Milan San Siro is another great place to try Northern Italian cuisine made with fresh ingredients and foraged herbs. 

For lighter, re-interpreted Mediterranean fare, the club at the Sheraton Diana Majestic is another excellent choice. Wherever you dine, a bitter, herby shot of Amaro Ramazzotti — Milan's famous digestive liqueur — is essential for helping you get a good night's sleep.

Book a room at a Sheraton in Milan: The Diana Majestic, the Milan San Siro, and Milan Malpensa Airport and Conference Center. 

This post was created by Insider Studios with Sheraton Hotels.

SEE ALSO: Tbilisi is the perfect city for your next team retreat. Here are the 4 best activities to try.

SEE ALSO: 3 cities in Poland to put on your next travel itinerary

Join the conversation about this story »

• Google'sPixel 4 smartphones might be brand-new, but they don't look like it. 
• It's still a phone for those who value function over form. 
• The new smooth display makes an immediate impact, and helps make the Pixel 4 feel fresh after the Pixel 3. 
• My biggest concern is that Google didn't give the Pixel 4 an ultrawide camera.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

To my relief — as well as Google's, surely — the Pixel 4 leaks can stop now that the company has announced the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL during its event in NYC.

Despite everyone knowing pretty much everything about this thing, the Pixel 4 was eagerly anticipated. After all, it's the latest smartphone from one of the absolute biggest tech companies in the world. It offers the core Android smartphone software and hardware experience — the ying to Apple's yang.

I've had the Pixel 4 XL for a few hours now, and a few things about Google's new smartphone are already very clear. 

Check it out:

SEE ALSO: Google just announced its new laptop, the $650 Pixelbook Go

At first glance, this thing looks almost identical to the Pixel 2.

The company clearly isn't shy about looking back. With its large forehead, you could easily mistake the Pixel 4 with the Pixel 2. I don't feel like I'm holding a new device. The only giveaways are the thinner bottom bezel, the square camera module, and the single-tone back compared with the two-tone backs of previous Pixels. At the same time, Pixel 4-specific features help make up for that.  

Google's Pixels are still smartphones for people who value function over form.

I get the sense that Google isn't trying to make the best looking smartphone in the world. All of the Pixel phones so far seem to prize function over form. That's not to say the Pixel 4 is ugly, but it's not a stunner like the Samsung Galaxy S10, either. With its rather plain design, the Pixel 4 is classy and understated. 

From the moment you turn on the Pixel 4, the 90Hz screen makes the phone feel like a big upgrade.

The Pixel 4's smooth and fluid 90Hz screen makes Google's latest Pixel phone feel revitalized and helps makes up for its utilitarian design. It gives the impression that the Pixel 4 is a big update over previous Pixels, and even current smartphones with 60Hz screens in general. 

I had thought that Google ditched the fantastic wide-angle selfie camera from the Pixel 3, but the Pixel 4's selfie camera is wider than normal.

There's only one visible selfie camera on the Pixel 4, and some of us at Business Insider were (deeply) concerned that Google had ditched the wide-angle selfie camera from the Pixel 3. 

It turns out that the Pixel 4's selfie camera has a 90-degree field-of-view, which is wider than standard selfie cameras that hover around the 70s for field-of-view. The Pixel 4's selfie camera is only seven degrees shy of the Pixel 3's 97-degree wide-angle selfie camera. It's just close enough to keep me happy after using the Pixel 3 for a while. 

The Pixel 4 might be lagging behind with only two camera lenses.

Google isn't backing down from the Pixel's reputation as the top smartphone camera, and it's not resting on its laurels. The company added new enhancements and features that will surely keep the Pixel camera leagues above the rest.

Still, with two camera lenses, the Pixel 4 trails behind the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S10 and Apple's iPhone 11 Pro that come with the versatility of triple-camera systems. Instead, it's hanging out with the "standard" iPhone 11 and Galaxy S10e's of the world. That would be a good thing had the Pixel 4 been priced closer to the $700 iPhone 11 and $750 Galaxy S10e. But starting at $800, the Pixel 4 sits in between "standard" phones and the ultra-premium models.

To be clear, price tags don't directly relate to how many lenses a phone has. The Pixel 4 has extra "stuff" like its radar-based facial recognition, motion gesture control, and 90Hz screen that other phones don't have.

Only quality time with the Pixel 4 will tell if that extra stuff justifies the Pixel 4's place and price tag among a wide variety of smartphones.  

My biggest concern is that neither of the rear camera lenses in the Pixel 4 are for ultrawide photos, which are starting to become the norm.

As I spend more time with the Pixel 4, I'll be paying close attention to the battery life and the performance it gets thanks to its additional slice of RAM memory, two weak spots with the Pixel 3.

But one aspect of the Pixel 4 is already a disappointment in my book: the lack of an ultrawide rear camera. Google chose a zoomed lens instead of an ultrawide lens with the justification that ultrawide angle lenses are "fun" but zoomed lenses are more useful.

That's a debatable statement. I anticipate myself wishing I had an ultrawide camera while I use the Pixel 4 more often than wishing I had a zoomed lens.

Still, Google has made some major improvements to zooming with its dedicated optical zoomed lens and its fancy Super Res Zooming software magic. If the Pixel 4's zooming is so good that I find it useful, perhaps I'll change my mind. At the very least, it might soften the blow of not including an ultrawide camera. 

• You can easily set up an Outlook email account on your iPhone in the Mail app. 
• You can also choose which functionalities to share between your Outlook account and iPhone, including contacts, calendars, reminders, and more. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Your iPhone's standard Mail app is the quickest and easiest way to receive and send emails from your phone. 

Fortunately, it's easy to add most email addresses to your Mail app, including Outlook, which is one of the most popular softwares for business email accounts. 

Here's how to do it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to set up Outlook on your iPhone in the Mail app

1. Tap on Settings.

2. Scroll down to and tap on "Password & Accounts" (it should be about halfway down the page).

3. Tap on "Add Account." 

4. This will take you to a screen with several of the most popular email applications listed. Tap on outlook.com.

5. A new screen will ask you to type in your Outlook email and password.

6. It will then ask if you want to give the app access to your account. Click "yes" to activate email functionality. This will allow for a seamless integration of calendars and contacts with your Mail app, and also allow you to send and receive emails using your Mail app.

7. You can choose what you wish to share — including email, contacts, calendars, reminders, and notes. You can adjust these settings later on, too. 

8. Tap on "Save" in the right corner of the box to confirm your settings.

9. Outlook should now show up in "Passwords and Accounts."

10. Now go back to your home screen and tap on your Mail app. You should see Outlook listed in your mailboxes.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech: 

• How to easily delete all of your emails on an iPhone

• How to attach a file in an iPhone email using the new format bar in Mail with iOS 13, or in the Gmail app

• iOS 13 allows you to mute email threads in the Mail app on your iPhone — here's how to do it

• How to add a Gmail account to your iPad in 2 different ways

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I cleaned my entire apartment with 4 of Amazon's highest-rated cleaning robots, but I could've done a much better job myself

• It's hard to impress Instagram followers. They seem to have seen it all, including every inch of the planet's surface — every mountain's summit, every crystal clear hot spring, every picture-perfect person posing from every perspective.
• That is, until now: Companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX are developing a new industry of space tourism.
• And space tourists wouldn't be roughing it out there in space like regular astronauts. Soon, the superrich may be sharing selfies from their cushioned space hotel rooms, complete with Netflix, WiFi, and cocktails. 
• Their space-cations may last anywhere from as little as a few minutes to as long as months and be powered by a variety of high-tech aerospace engineering.
• Here's what it might be like to go to glamping in space — if you're wealthy enough.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

SEE ALSO: Photos show why many native Hawaiians don't want a giant telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea

DON'T MISS: Inside Tim Cook's emotional journey to becoming CEO of Apple, replacing his friend and mentor Steve Jobs

This is a hotel room. It may not look like much, but it costs more than any hotel you've ever stayed in. That's because you can look down at Earth while watching Netflix and scrolling through social media. Though this isn't yet real, the deep pockets of the superrich are inspiring plans like these.

Source: The New York Times

SpaceX is another driving force. The company is storming the launch industry with reusable rockets, which make space travel more affordable. As a result, startups are now popping up with renderings of their own plans for space tourism, which now seems poised for a boom.

Source: Business Insider

But space tourism isn’t the end goal for SpaceX, which tech mogul Elon Musk founded in 2002. Musk is obsessed with building cities on Mars and populating the planet with millions of people in cities complete with bars and pizza joints.

Sources: Business Insider (1, 2)

Musk is concerned about civilization as we know it today ending due to severe calamities, ranging from asteroid strikes to nuclear war or profound climate disruption. So he wants to start building colonies on other planets.

Source: Business Insider

To get us there, SpaceX is trying to dramatically lower the cost of access to space. To that end, SpaceX successfully launched and landed a Falcon 9 booster — the largest and most expensive part of a rocket — for the first time in December 2015.

Source: Business Insider

The rockets' boosters can land themselves back on Earth and be reused. This saves millions of dollars per launch.

Source: Business Insider

This trick has made it possible to send more into space for less money — be it cargo, astronauts, or private astronauts (also called space tourists or, per NASA, "spaceflight participants").

Source: Business Insider

Basically, it's making space travel more affordable, though as of yet still only for the superrich: One seat may still cost tens of millions of dollars, according to a recent NASA presentation.

Source: Business Insider

After SpaceX's first successful rocket landing, Musk called for the inevitable — a new space race. He got his wish, as other companies are now working toward their own reusable rockets.

Source: Business Insider

Of all the other private space companies attempting to claim their spot in the race, Blue Origin — founded by Jeff Bezos in 1999 — is viewed as SpaceX’s most significant competitor.

Source: Business Insider

Bezos, who is considered the richest person in the world, says he liquidates about $1 billion a year to fund his private spaceflight operation. Blue Origin's ultimate goal is different from SpaceX's; Bezos wants to colonize space itself rather than planets, like Mars.

Source: Business Insider

Bezos plans for these floating colonies to have ideal, Hawaii-like weather all the time. This means no natural disasters and no bad weather days.

Source: Business Insider

That's a (very) long way off, though. For now, Blue Origin is working toward commercializing space with its own reusable rocket system.

Source: Business Insider

Called New Glenn, it's scheduled to debut in 2020.

Source: Business Insider

As currently envisioned, New Glenn rocket would be larger than SpaceX's Falcon 9 and be reusable at least 24 times before it'd have to be retired.

Source: Business Insider

Bezos is confident about this because Blue Origin has mostly perfected a smaller reusable launch system called New Shepard. The company plans to fly its first paying passengers in a capsule on top of the rocket in 2020.

Source: Business Insider

Blue Origin's space tours on New Shepard can't reach orbit around Earth, and they'd last only about 11 minutes. But each flight would take patrons more than 60 miles above the planet's surface and fly past the unofficial boundary of space in a capsule.

Source: Business Insider

The capsule would detach from the rocket near the highest point of the trip, giving patrons about four minutes to experience weightlessness.

Source: Business Insider

They'd be able to unbuckle their seat belts and float around the cabin during this time. Outside of the capsule's windows, they'd see the deep blackness of space and the curvature of Earth.

Source: Business Insider

But they'd soon have to buckle up in the capsule as the vessel starts falling back to the ground. Parachutes would eventually deploy and retro rockets would fire for a relatively cushy landing.

Source: Business Insider

Business Insider previously estimated that each ticket to ride New Shepard may cost more than $200,000.

Source: Business Insider

Despite SpaceX's ultimate goal of populating Mars, the company is also invested in space tourism. Its trips will be more expensive and last longer than Blue Origin’s, though ...

Source: Business Insider

… and that’s because SpaceX's flight is about more than the journey — it’s about the destination, too.

Source: Business Insider

The company has developed a Crew Dragon capsule for NASA astronauts, but it will have plenty of room for private customers.

Source: Business Insider

Those trips will likely start with weeks- or months-long flights to the International Space Station, a football-field-size laboratory in space. Russia has permitted private astronauts to stay in its modules for many years, but NASA just opened up its own to commercial interests.

Source: Business Insider

But SpaceX is developing a fully reusable rocket system called Starship to get you to space. It may be 100 to 1,000 times less expensive to operate and could also dramatically shorten long-distance travel.

Source: Business Insider

If realized as Musk has envisioned it, Starship would briefly enter space during a long-distance flight — say from New York to Tokyo — and make what's normally a day of travel less than an hour.

Source: Business Insider

Virgin Galactic, another private space company, is also working towards taking tourists into space. And it, too, also wants to shorten point-to-point travel like SpaceX but with a small winged craft called SpaceShipTwo.

The ship starts out attached between two airplanes, drops off after reaching a high altitude, rockets toward space, and then glides back to a landing on a runway. In total each flight may last a couple of hours.

Source: Business Insider

But only four to five minutes of that time will be spent floating in space. The rest of the time will just be spent getting up to cruising altitude. So essentially, it's a similar experience to what Blue Origin offers; it just takes longer.

Source: Business Insider

Regardless, people seem to be on board with the idea. According to Business Insider, Virgin Galactic has already sold at least 700 tickets for future flights priced around $250,000 each.

Source: Business Insider

Though a pilot died in 2014 during a SpaceShipTwo flight test, the company says it has resolved the issue that led to the accident. Company founder Richard Branson also said that he would ride in one of the first flights, in part to show that it's safe.

Sources: Business Insider, NBC

But one of the most jaw-dropping space tourism flights yet planned will be SpaceX's flight around the moon in 2023.

Source: Business Insider

This flight would use the same Starship rocket system it plans to use for long-distance flights. But the trip will take about a week in total to skim past the moon, reach its farthest point, get pulled back to Earth, and land.

Source: Business Insider

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa bought the tickets for this voyage — all of them. Maezawa, who's famous as an art collector, is hand-picking artists as crew members (and an astronaut or two) to make the trip and inspire out-of-this-world creation of new art.

Source: Business Insider

He’s calling the project #dearmoon, and he hasn’t made any final decisions yet, but he said they will come from different artistic disciplines and media.

Source: Business Insider

While these are the plans for space tourism in the near future, private space companies are also already working on renderings that future technology could allow for, like Axiom's plans for space hotel rooms that look like this ...

Source: The New York Times

... or SpaceX's plans for live in-flight entertainment, like this.

Source: Flickr

Reminiscent of "2001: A Space Odyssey," The Gateway Foundation hopes to create the Von Braun Station and have it finished by 2025.

Source: Business Insider

Supposedly, this will include the world's first space hotel, and it's supposed to be luxurious and complete with gravity.

Source: Business Insider

The hotel portion of the station would (in theory) hold 100 guests per week with amenities like restaurants, movie screenings, low-gravity basketball, trampolining, and rock-climbing facilities.

Source: Business Insider

Still, even luggage design companies hope to join the modern space race. Horizn Studios wants to make this suitcase specifically for space travel. It'd be lighter and more flexible than any other suitcase.

Source: Horizn Studios

It's concept even has a smart screen for sharing experiences.

Source: Horizn Studios

But like most visions of space travel, much of these ideas are just that: ideas ...

And even if they weren't, many of us will not be able to afford them ...

... So for now, savor your selfies from airplane windows. That may be the closest to space nearly all of us will ever get.

• You can search your email on an iPhone in the Mail app or in the Gmail app. 
• When you search for emails on your iPhone, both Mail and Gmail will suggest searches, as well as giving you a number of filtering options to find the email you're looking for. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If your email inbox is constantly filling up, important messages can get buried very quickly. 

Luckily, the search function can help you find emails by sender, recipient, subject line, or simply a keyword. 

Both the Gmail app and Apple's Mail app on your iPhone have easy-to-use search functions. 

Here's how to access both of them. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (from $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to search emails on your iPhone in the Mail app

When you look at your email inbox in the Mail app, you may not immediately see a Search box. Swipe down on the mail screen and the Search box will appear. 

1. Once you tap into the Search box, Mail presents you with several suggested generic searches. Tap any of these options, or type or dictate your search terms.

2. When you type or dictate a term, the app will search for any messages that include the term in the sender, subject, or the body of the email. Mail also suggests people and subjects you can search, to narrow your results, and shows you the top hits from your search terms. If one of the top hits is the email you're looking for, simply tap it to open the email.

3. You can also choose to search All Mailboxes or the Current Mailbox. Current Mailbox is the Mail folder you were in when you started your search. Toggle these options by tapping the boxes under the Search box. 

4. Your search results will appear in reverse date order. In the results screen, you have additional choices to filter your results: From, To, and Message. 

5. You can also toggle between All Mailboxes and Current Mailbox in the search results. Tap the spacebar on your keyboard to change the filter buttons to these options.

6. Tap the X in the right of the Search box to exit your current search and start another. Tap Cancel in the upper right corner of your screen to exit search. 

How to search emails on your iPhone in the Gmail app

If you use the Gmail app to check your email on your iPhone, the "Search mail" field appears at the top of your email inbox. To search, follow these simple steps.

1. Tap the "Search mail" field. Google will start by suggesting search terms, based on your most common searches. 

2. If none of the suggestions match your desired search, type or dictate your search terms. To dictate, you can tap the mic icon in the right of the "Search mail" field or use the mic icon in your iPhone keyboard.

3. Once you begin searching, Gmail will offer suggestions, much like when you search on Google. If the sender or subject you're searching for appears, tap that option. If not, tap the Search button at the bottom of your keyboard when you're done typing. 

4. If you dictate your search, Gmail will search as soon as you stop speaking.

5. Gmail will display the search term and the search results in reverse date order. To exit and return to your regular mail view, tap the X to the right of the search terms.

When you search your email using the Gmail app, the search pulls from your Inbox and Sent emails. It won't bring up items you've moved to the Trash folder. 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to attach a file in an iPhone email using the new format bar in Mail with iOS 13, or in the Gmail app

• iOS 13 allows you to mute email threads in the Mail app on your iPhone — here's how to do it

• How to set an automatic 'out of office' email response on your iPhone in the Mail, Outlook, or Gmail app

• How to easily delete all of your emails on an iPhone

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: All the ways Amazon is taking over your house

• Instagram users were sent into a frenzy on Tuesday after the actress Jennifer Aniston joined the platform and posted her first photo: a selfie with her "Friends" costars.
• Aniston accrued 1 million followers in just five hours and 16 minutes, setting a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for the fastest time for an Instagram account to reach that milestone.
• Aniston broke a record previously held by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose @sussexroyal account reached 1 million in five hours and 45 minutes earlier this year.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Move fast and break things" may be Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's much-quoted motto, but he may want to pass it on to one of his platform's newest, record-setting users: Jennifer Aniston.

The 50-year-old "Friends" star joined Instagram on Tuesday morning. If that wasn't enough to cause a stir, the first photo she posted from her account was a selfie featuring her fellow costars from the beloved show: Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), and Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing). 

Almost immediately, news of Aniston's Instagram debut led to an influx of followers, likes, and comments — which spurred technical problems and made it difficult for some users to follow Aniston's account.

Read more:Jennifer Aniston literally broke Instagram after she made her debut with an epic 'Friends' selfie

But while the issues have since been resolved, there are some things that remain broken. Guinness World Records announced on Wednesday that Aniston had broken the record for the fastest time for an Instagram account to reach 1 million followers, reaching the milestone in just five hours and 16 minutes.

Aniston's record-setting Instagram account beats a record previously held by the account @sussexroyal, the official Instagram for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They reached 1 million followers in April in a time of five hours and 45 minutes.

Before that, the record belonged to the K-pop star Kang Daniel, who reached 1 million followers in 11 hours and 36 minutes.

SEE ALSO: The rise of David Dobrik, a 23-year-old YouTuber worth over $7 million who got his start making 6-second videos

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos is worth over $160 billion — here's how the world's richest man makes and spends his money

• While most retailers have a sale section, Everlane takes a slightly different approach to discounting products.
• Its 'Choose What You Pay' model doesn't mean you can pay any price you want, but it does offer up three tiered prices (low, medium, high) to choose from. 
• This alternative sale section is usually available year-round for both men's and women's clothing, but Everlane has added a bunch of brand-new styles to its Choose What You Pay sales event for fall 2019.

Everlane just added more than 50 men's and women's styles to its Choose What You Pay sale section, including its cult-favorite Cashmere Crew sweater for up to 50% off.

Right now, there are nearly 800 styles in select colors that enjoy Everlane's special tiered-pricing option. Some styles are even discounted up to 65%. With popular styles like the Cashmere Crew and Puffy Puff on sale, it's one of the nicer inventory cast-offs you'll find online ahead of Black Friday deals. 

We've tried a lot of clothing and accessories from Everlane, and have collected many favorites over time, so we certainly won't be sleeping on this rare opportunity to save on its high-quality closet essentials. You can find our top 14 picks for men and women from Everlane's Choose What You Pay sale event below. 

According to Everlane, returns and exchanges for Choose What You Pay items purchased online are welcome within 60 days of purchase. Just make sure they're returned unworn, unwashed, undamaged, and with tags still attached.

Shop Everlane's Choose What You Pay sale for men or women.

SEE ALSO: Everlane has dropped a $98 women's flat made of recycled plastic bottles — it might be the most comfortable pair we've ever tried

A classic cashmere sweater

The Cashmere Crew, from $50 (originally $100)

A relaxed-fit pocket tee

The Long-Sleeve Box-Cut Pocket Tee, from $21 (originally $30)

Mid-rise skinny jeans

The Mid-Rise Skinny Jean, from $48 (originally $68)

A puffer jacket for the colder months ahead

The ReNew Puffy Puff, from $80 (originally $160)

A soft, cashmere mockneck

The Cashmere Rib Mockneck, from $93 (originally $155)

An airy silk blouse

The Clean Silk Blouson Shirt, from $77 (originally $110)

A breathable, lightweight jumpsuit

The Japanese GoWeave Essential Jumpsuit, from $72 (originally $120)

A versatile shirtdress

The Modern Utility Shirtdress, from $62 (originally $88)

A warm wool scarf

The Soft Wool Rib Scarf, from $52 (originally $65)

A cozy cashmere sweater

The Grade-A Cashmere Crew, from $70 (originally $100)

A warm flannel shirt

The Modern Flannel Shirt, from $34 (originally $68)

A comfortable long-sleeve crew

The Cotton Long-Sleeve Crew, from $20 (originally $24)

A water-resistant parka

The ReNew Short Parka, from $116 (originally $165)

A soft fleece jacket

The ReNew Fleece Zip, from $48 (originally $80)

• By exposing wine to several minutes' worth of air in just a few seconds, a good aerator is one of the simplest, easiest, and cheapest ways to get the most flavor out of your wines.
• The VinLuxe Pro is the best wine aerator you can buy because its simple and elegant design uses a three-step process that aerates wine beautifully.

Getting into wine can quickly become a rather time-consuming hobby. You can easily spend years learning all about the different types of wines, the regions of the world where they're made, how certain wines should be stored and served, and — most importantly — how to get the most enjoyment from the bottles you've purchased. One of the easiest and quickest ways to do so is to invest in a good aerator. An aerator may, in fact, be the cheapest tool in the amateur sommelier's arsenal, yet it easily ranks among the most important (for many wines, anyway).

Wine is, after all, an organic material, and its flavor and fragrance are subtly affected by everything from the soil the grapes were grown in to how the wine is stored — and exposed to elements such as light — inside glass bottles. Even wine glasses are designed with this in mind, with a bulb-like shape that lets you swirl the wine (thus aerating it a bit) and a narrow opening that directs the released aromas toward your nose.

But what is aeration, exactly? In a word, aeration is the process of wine mixing with oxygen, causing the flavors to "open up" — a rather vague-sounding bit of wine jargon that basically means allowing the hidden flavors of the wine's components to express themselves more fully. This happens when some of the less pleasant wine components (think acids and ethanol), which evaporate more quickly than the good stuff, are "bled off" by aeration, and the nicer flavors and aromas are left behind for you to enjoy.

Not all wines necessarily benefit from aeration, but most will. Fresh wines and wines that have been aged for awhile in the bottle have the most to gain from the process: Young, tannic wines will have their rougher edges smoothed out a bit, while older wines will taste better once they've had some time to breathe after being stored in bottles for years. Also, bear in mind that aeration won't make bad wine taste good, but it will bring out the best of a good wine.

When using an aerator, the process really only takes a few seconds; exposing your wine to oxygen for too long will allow the good flavors and aromas to escape, too. And — although it's a relatively quick and simple process — there are a number of different types of aerators available, from simple handheld designs all the way to modern electric units with built-in dispensers.

We've done the research to smoke out the best wine aerators that cover every need and price point, so read on to find the right one for your next wine party.

Here are the best wine aerators you can buy:

• Best wine aerator overall: Andre Lorent VinLuxe Pro Wine Aerator
• Best electric wine aerator: Aervana Electric Wine Aerator and Dispenser
• Best pouring wine aerator: Soiree Home In-Bottle Wine Aerator
• Best filtering wine aerator: Vinturi V1010 Wine Aerator
• Best aerating wine decanter: Menu Winebreather Carafe

Updated on 10/16/2019 by Lisa Sabatini: Updated formatting, links, and prices.

The best wine aerator overall

A solid handheld design and highly efficient 3-step aeration process make the VinLuxe Pro wine aerator the best tool to enhance your drinking experience.

Decanters are popular among wine enthusiasts as an attractive way to both serve and aerate wine. These glass vessels let your wine breathe, but decanters are big, fairly expensive, and take time to aerate the liquid inside.

A good handheld aerator such as our favorite, the VinLuxe Pro from Andre Lorent, is a smaller, cheaper, and more time-efficient way to achieve the same effect as a decanter in a matter of seconds.

The VinLuxe Pro achieves this with its thorough but surprisingly quick three-step aeration process. First, wine poured into the VinLuxe hits a raised "umbrella" that splashes the liquid around in the aerator's chamber. It then trickles through 32 drip channels, all the while swirling inside the aerator before entering your glass.

This whole process exposes the poured wine to several minutes' worth of air in just a few seconds. Compared to other aerators we've tried, the VinLuxe is notably better at opening up aromas and flavors and reducing the bitter tannic bite of many red wines. About the only thing that could make the VinLuxe Pro perfect is a mesh sediment filter, but that's not a deal-breaker as most wine aerators don't include one.

At its affordable price, though, this is a minor quibble given how well the VinLuxe Pro aerates your wine and how simple it is to use. It's easily the best way to improve your wine-drinking experience.

Pros: Great three-step process aerates wine more fully and efficiently than most other designs, opens up the flavor of wines in a few seconds, excellent value

Cons: No mesh sediment filter

The best electric wine aerator

For one-touch convenience, it's hard to beat the Aervana electric wine aerator and dispenser, which delivers fully aerated wine right into your glass with the press of a button.

Manual wine aerators, whether handheld or in-bottle, are generally pretty simple pieces of equipment. Recent years have seen the growing popularity of electric units like the Aervana, however, which aerates wines beautifully while offering the added convenience of push-button dispenser, effectively turning your favorite bottle into a tap.

The Aervana aerator's operation is fairly straightforward: You attach it to the top of an open bottle, with the Aervana's suction straw placed into the wine. With a push of a button on the top of the unit, this straw "drinks" the wine up into the aerator, where the liquid is mixed with air inside the chamber. The Aervana then dispenses the aerated wine into your glass — no pouring necessary.

The drawback to this design is that, while the suction straw keeps solid particulates out of your glass (as these solids will most likely have settled at the bottom of the bottle), it leaves behind some wine once the bottle is almost finished. This last bit of wine — including any dregs that might be in there — will need to be poured out normally, as the Aervana's straw can't reach it.

This is a relatively minor problem, though, considering how well the Aervana aerator works and how dead simple it is to use. The Aervana electric aerator is very effective at drawing out the pleasant flavors and aromas of your wines while dulling the harsher tannic and alcoholic edges, it's easy enough for anyone to use, and it looks great.

It's expensive, but if you're in the market for the best electric wine aerator, then the Aervana has you covered.

Pros: Turns your bottle of wine into a simple push-button tap, aerates wine as well as any other aerator we've tried, and its mess-free design makes it ideal for serving wine at dinners and other get-togethers

Cons: It's expensive, and the suction straw does not go all the way to the bottom of the wine bottle

The best pouring wine aerator

An on-bottle design like the Soiree Home aerator can open up your wines while offering easy one-handed pouring.

Aside from unique examples like the electric Aervana, wine aerators typically come in two main varieties: handheld designs (like the VinLuxe) and "pouring" ones that fit right onto the bottle. Our favorite, the Soiree Home on-bottle aerator, is a great alternative to handheld models when you just want to pick up a bottle and pour a glass of wine like you normally would without an aerator.

The Soiree Home might be the simplest of all of our picks: The aerator just pops into the opening of your wine bottle and it's ready to go. As you pour, wine enters the blown glass aeration chamber, swirling around inside and mixing with air. Inward-facing dimples in the glass also help to agitate and move the wine around a bit. This oxygenated wine is then deposited right into your glass from a well-designed drip-free spout.

Another nice feature of the Soiree Home aerator is that you can actually control how much air your wine is being exposed to by changing the angle at which you pour. Pouring more slowly will prevent the wine from swirling and splashing around in the aeration chamber, mixing it with less air. Pouring while holding the bottle at a more vertical angle will have the opposite effect, letting a greater volume of wine swirl around through the aerator for more oxygen exposure. However you use it, it aerates and opens up wine exceptionally well.

The Soiree Home's glass construction is certainly part of its appeal, but it's also a potential drawback as it will naturally be more prone to breakage than the more common acrylic aerators, although the newer model is thankfully a bit sturdier.

With such an affordable price tag, it's hard to complain about the Soiree Home on-bottle wine aerator, and it's an easy one to recommend to anyone looking for an alternative to larger handheld aerators.

Pros: Fits right onto the bottle for one-handed aeration while pouring, drip-free design, and you can control the amount of air different wines are exposed to for the best results

Cons: Glass construction is relatively fragile compared to acrylic aerators (although more durable than it used to be)

The best filtering wine aerator

With a removable mesh filter that traps sediment and bits of cork as you pour, the Vinturi V1010 handheld aerator is a great alternative to the VinLuxe Pro if you find yourself frequently dealing with unfortunate "floaties" in your wine.

Aerators serve much the same purpose as a decanter — letting your wine mix with air — but one thing that most aerators don't do is filter out sediments. Decanters are typically designed so that when you pour slowly, any solids that happen to be in the wine are separated from the liquid and stay trapped within the decanter.

For an aerator that can both aerate your wine while removing stuff you don't want in your glass, look no further than the Vinturi V1010. Like the VinLuxe Pro, the Vinturi is a handheld aerator and features a somewhat similar overall design, although it uses a very different process to mix your poured wines with air — one involving some unique fluid dynamics. The Vinturi aerator operates on Bernoulli's principle, which states that as the velocity of a moving liquid increases, its pressure decreases.

As you pour wine into the Vinturi V1010's aeration chamber, it speeds up as it circulates and drains through the air channel in the bottom. The resulting pressure differential "sucks" the surrounding higher-pressure air into the wine, thoroughly mixing the two for a few seconds before the liquid hits your glass. Even if you don't understand the science behind it, the process works, resulting in smoother and more flavorful wine.

The other main thing that sets the V1010 apart is its built-in filter that sits at the top of the aeration chamber. This mesh filter will catch any sediments and lees in your wine, which can be a particular consideration with years-old bottles that have had more time for the suspended solid particulates to settle. The mesh filter is also removable, both for easy cleaning and for allowing you to use the Vinturi aerator without the filter when you don't need it.

Pros: Unique design is effective at fully aerating and opening up wines, easy to clean, solid value, and a removable mesh filter that traps particulate solids and keeps them out of your glass

Cons: The relatively small aeration chamber can overflow of you pour too quickly

The best aerating wine decanter

A unique on-bottle attachment system and an attractive design make the Menu Winebreather carafe our favorite all-in-one aerator and decanter.

One of the advantages of a wine aerator over a traditional decanter is that aerators are considerably smaller, cheaper, and faster at doing their jobs. But let's face it: Decanters look awesome. If you want the speed of an aerator but love the classy aesthetics of a decanter for serving your wine, then the Menu Winebreather carafe combines the functionality of both in a package that works beautifully and looks great.

The Menu Winebreather works through a simple but clever mouth design: A rubber gasket lets you seal the empty carafe neck-down on top of a full wine bottle. You flip the whole thing upside down, and as the bottle (now itself upside-down) empties its contents into the carafe, the wine cascades down the sides of the Winebreather for maximum surface area exposure to air.

After about two minutes (when emptying a full bottle into the Winebreather), the wine is ready to be served right from the carafe like a traditional decanter. Or, if you want, there's no reason you can't simply flip it over again to pour the aerated wine right back into the original bottle if you prefer to serve it that way or want to place it back on your wine rack for later.

This is an excellent design, particularly if you're looking to aerate a whole bottle in one stroke rather than doing it glass-by-glass as with other aerator designs. The Winebreather carafe opens up younger and more tannic wines just as well as other aerators we've tried, and the rubber gasket seals very tightly with no dripping and spilling. It's certainly cleaner, easier, and more headache-free than pouring from a typical decanter  — especially when trying to decant wine back into its bottle.

The Menu Winebreather carafe simply looks great, too, and while it's more expensive than the handheld and on-bottle aerators in our guide (minus the Aervana), it's not at all unreasonably priced when compared to typical decanters which typically ring in at around the same price or even more.

You get both an aerator and an aesthetic tabletop decanter that works well, looks great, and will make most of your wines taste better.

Pros: Does double duty as both a wine aerator and traditional decanter, aerates a whole bottle wine quickly and thoroughly, looks great, and the rubber gasket seals well for drip-free pouring

Cons: No sediment filter, and it's not ideal for aerating and serving small amounts of wine at a time

Check out our wine-related buying guides

The best wine subscriptions you can buy

There are only 149 Master Sommeliers in the United States, but just because you haven't earned that distinction doesn't mean that you can't pick great wine.

We've tested multiple services and their wines (a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!), and have selected some of our favorites for you to try. Whether you've been drinking wine your whole life or are just beginning to discover whether you prefer red to white, we've got you covered.

Here are the best wine subscriptions we've tried:

• Best wine subscription overall: Winc
• Best wine subscription for everyday needs: HelloFresh
• Best wine subscription for sampling: Vinebox
• Best wine subscription for pairing with foods: Blue Apron
• Best wine subscription for personalization: Bright Cellars
• Best wine subscription that evolves with your tastes: Firstleaf

• You can turn the Power Reserve on an Apple Watch on or off depending on your usage and preferences. 
• The Power Reserve mode keeps your watch running even when the battery is almost dead by turning off all features except the time display.
• The Apple Watch tries to enter Power Reserve mode automatically when the battery gets down to 10% remaining.  
• You can start Power Reserve manually by swiping up from the bottom of the watch, tapping the battery percentage, and enabling the Power Reserve button. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While some smartwatches can last for several days on a single charge, the Apple Watch only runs for most of a day — about 18 hours on average, depending upon how you use it. 

To help keep the watch running when the battery starts getting low, Apple includes a mode called Power Reserve, which turns off all watch features except displaying the time. 

If necessary, the Apple Watch can run for a substantial amount of time in Power Reserve mode, and you can turn this on or off at any time. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple Watch Series 5 (From $399 at Best Buy)

How to turn on Power Reserve on an Apple Watch

If your battery gets down to about 10%, the Apple Watch will automatically display a notification asking if you want to enter Power Reserve mode. If you want to continue, tap "Proceed."

You can also enter Power Reserve mode manually anytime you like:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the watch. 

2. Tap the battery percentage remaining button. 

3. On the battery screen, swipe the Power Reserve button to the right. 

4. Confirm you want to start Power Reserve by tapping "Proceed."

How to turn off Power Reserve on an Apple Watch

Once you're in the Apple Watch's Power Reserve mode, the only way to exit is to restart the watch. 

1. To do that, press and hold the Side button for about 10 seconds, until you see the watch restart and the Apple logo appear. 

2. Keep in mind that if your battery is almost completely empty, you might need to charge the watch before it will restart normally.

Read more coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• 'Why does my Apple Watch die so fast?': How to improve the battery life on your Apple Watch in 7 ways

• 'Why does my Apple Watch keep locking?': How to stop your Apple Watch from locking when it shouldn't

• How to change the language on an Apple Watch, and make it differ from the language on your paired iPhone

• How to calibrate your Apple Watch for more accurate workout tracking

SEE ALSO: The best Apple, Android, and Samsung smartwatches you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I cleaned my entire apartment with 4 of Amazon's highest-rated cleaning robots, but I could've done a much better job myself

• You can put LED flash notifications on your iPhone in a few simple steps, which can be helpful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• It can also be helpful to have a visual notification for times when you might be in a loud environment. 
• Here's how to enable LED flash notifications on an iPhone.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Many people prefer to set their phone notifications to vibrate or to make a sound. This can be especially helpful if you don't always have your phone on you or near you. 

But what about those who want to see when they get a notification— and not just when they're looking at their screen? The good news is that there actually is a setting on the iPhone that does just that. 

With this setting enabled, when you get a notification, along with the vibration or sound that you choose, your phone's LED light will also flash. This can be helpful for people who might be deaf, hard of hearing, or simply prefer a visual notification. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

Here's how to enable LED flash notifications on your iPhone

1. Tap the "Settings" app. The app is gray with a gear on it.

2. If your iPhone is running iOS 13, tap "Accessibility," a blue and white icon with a circle and person standing in the middle of it. 

• If your iPhone is running iOS 12 or earlier, scroll down to the third list of tabs and tap "General" at the top of the list, then tap "Accessibility" on the next page. 

3. Scroll down to the list of tabs labeled "Hearing." Tap "Audio/Visual." It should be the third item on the list and have a blue and white icon with an eye and speaker on it.

• On iOS 12 or earlier, this tab will appear as "LED Flash for Alerts."

4. Toggle the "LED Flash For Alerts'" switch to the right by tapping it. It should turn green once LED alerts are on.

5. As an option for iPhones running iOS 13, you can also toggle the switch for "Flash on Silent" to on or off, depending on whether you still want your LED light to flash when you have your phone on silent. When you turn on "LED Flash for Alerts," this setting is automatically enabled.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to 'unzoom' your iPhone by turning off the zoom Accessibility feature in 2 different ways

• How to enable JavaScript on your iPhone if it's disabled, to access most websites in a Safari browser

• How to use and turn off VoiceOver on an iPhone, and disable the audio descriptions and gestures associated with the accessibility feature

• How to zoom in or out in any app on an iPhone using Accessibility features

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch SpaceX's 'most difficult launch ever'

• Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means two of the biggest shopping days of the year are just around the corner. 
• But is Black Friday or Cyber Monday better? When it comes to Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday, there's a lot to consider. 
• Many people think of Black Friday as an in-store shopping holiday, and Cyber Monday as the day to shop online. In reality, online retailers will be offering discounts on both days.
• A good rule of thumb is that Black Friday is a better time to buy newer, big-ticket items. It's also the best day to shop in stores. 
• Cyber Monday is a better day to shop for tech deals and smaller gifts. You'll also see slightly better discounts online. 
• You can also check out all our deal coverage for Black Friday 2019 on Insider Picks, as well as our Coupons page.

For decades, Black Friday was the zenith of bargain shopping. But in the past few years, Cyber Monday has come to replace it as the biggest shopping event in the US. 

Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday better for discount buyers? The short answer is that Cyber Monday has better deals overall — but it's close. 

"When comparing the two days last year, we noticed more savings on Cyber Monday, as consumers shifted their purchasing channels online," said Ted Donath, vice president of communications for the coupon- and discount-shopping browser extension Honey. Honey's research showed that last year's Cyber Monday average savings (per user, per purchase) peaked at 21%, while Black Friday savings peaked at 18.5%.

DealNews also reported last year that it posted more "Editor's Choice" deals on Cyber Monday than it did on Black Friday. 

Read more: Check out all our holiday gift guides

That said, overall savings aren't the only thing to consider. Different products receive better discounts on each day, and the deals that each retailer offers will vary. Once stores have released their Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads, look through them to figure out when (and where) each product you're looking for will see the lowest price. 

Until then, here are a few rules of thumb:

Shop Black Friday for expensive products; shop Cyber Monday for gadgets.

For items you're likely to buy once a year or less, you'll probably find better discounts on Black Friday. Anything you'd buy as a gift will likely see better discounts on Cyber Monday.  

"Black Friday equals big-ticket items," said Steve Koenig, Vice President of Research at the Consumer Technology Association. "With big deals on TVs, laptops, game consoles, and more during Black Friday week, many [people's] purchases end up being for themselves or their own households."

"TVs and appliances, you tend to get really great deals on Black Friday," said Vivek Pandya, Digital Insights Manager at Adobe. "Cyber Monday, you see more of a focus on ... other types of electronics that are newer niche, experimental technologies." 

On Black Friday last year, the most discounted items were televisions (down by an average of 18%) and computers (17.8%), according to Adobe Analytics. The best discounts on toys, by contrast, came on the Sunday just before Cyber Monday. 

The most popular deals of Black Friday 2018 included Nintendo Switch bundles, TVs, iPhones, iPads, Instant Pots, and Roomba robot vacuums, according to sales data from BlackFriday.com. Cyber Monday top sellers also included the Switch, TVs, and laptops, but also included Echo devices, drones, and techy toys.

And Cyber Monday shoppers are a bit more excited about smart home in particular: 17% of respondents to a BlackFriday.com survey said they plan to look for smart home deals this upcoming Cyber Monday, compared to 16% who will look for such deals on Black Friday. 

Shop Black Friday for major stores; shop Cyber Monday for secondhand buys.

"For Black Friday, look to the biggest retailers, the ones who can afford to have smaller margins," said Janet Alveraz, executive editor of the personal-finance publication Wise Bread. "Places like Walmart and Best Buy tend to offer the best deals on Black Friday." The exception here is Amazon, which tends to have better deals on Cyber Monday — as long as you're a Prime member. 

But if you're willing to buy products from resellers, Cyber Monday is a great time to shop on eBay. "You'll find a lot of people reselling items they just purchased on Black Friday," Alveraz said. 

Shop Black Friday for this year's products; shop Cyber Monday for older generations. 

"Latest-generation products tend to be cheaper on Black Friday than on Cyber Monday," Alveraz said. "Cyber Monday is a terrific time for smart home [devices], TVs, and consoles that are older." 

Shop Black Friday if you plan to visit a store.

Despite Black Friday's reputation as a brick-and-mortar shopping day, 68% of BlackFriday.com respondents said they'd spend the day shopping online.

Online retailers, including Amazon and eBay, aren't limited to Cyber Monday; they'll be offering discounts on Black Friday too (as well as the preceding days). The reverse is not true, however; you can't walk into a Target on Cyber Monday and expect to find Cyber Monday-specific discounts. 

Join the conversation about this story »

• Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
• We interviewed experts to find out what to buy on Black Friday and what you should avoid.
• You should buy TVs, gaming consoles, video games, kitchen appliances, and smart home tech. 
• Deals on clothing, toys, Apple devices, and furniture are usually not worth it.
• You can also check out all our deal coverage for Black Friday 2019 on Insider Picks, as well as our Coupons page.

Black Friday is coming.

Okay, so it's still technically over a month away. But hey, it's never too early to start planning.

Some stores have already released their deals, while others are maintaining the mystery. But you can be sure that your favorite outlets, from Amazon to Walmart to Target to Best Buy, will be offering some form of discount on just about any product you can think of. You might be tempted to grab the first deals you see or to buy anything you can get your hands on.

But be careful: Not all deals are created equal. You'll get great value for your money on certain products — but some tend to see better discounts at other times of the year. If you go in knowing what you're looking for, you're less likely to be ripped off by a fancy-looking coupon or to spend money on products you don't need.  

Read more: Check out all our holiday gift guides

To help you get started, we asked shopping experts for the best (and worst) products to buy on Black Friday 2019. 

Here's what to buy on Black Friday 2019:

• TVs
• Smart home devices
• Gaming consoles
• Video games
• Kitchen appliances

Buy it: TVs

Historically, Black Friday has been a great time to purchase big-ticket electronics — especially larger TVs. 

"We expect things like 75-inch TVs to be at a lower price point," said Vivek Pandya, Digital Insights Manager at Adobe. "A larger trend we're seeing of people creating large home-entertainment systems has driven up the demand. With technology like 4K and HDR, it's reaching a point where we're seeing customers pleasantly happy with that, and not being so brand-loyal." 

That said, research TV brands and models before Black Friday arrives. Major retailers will often sell low-quality electronics just for Black Friday; you want to make sure you're buying products you'll like, and products that will last. 

If you're looking for the best value for your money, LG is a good place to start. 

"In 2018, we saw a ton of LG TV deals," said Michael Bonebright, consumer analyst for DealNews.com. "So if you're shopping for a big-screen set, look to LG for the best deals on Black Friday. For instance, we saw a 75-inch LG TV at Dell Home bundled with a $100 gift card for just $1,000 in 2018."

We also saw excellent deals from Samsung, TCL, and Vizio last year. 

Buy it: Smart home devices

Black Friday is the best day of the year to get Amazon Alexa devices for free, according to Bonebright.

"Retailers love to bundle these gadgets into other offers," he said. "Amazon Echo Dots are probably the easiest devices to get. They're typically bundled with electronics like TVs or smart home devices like Ring doorbells." And since Amazon released eight new Echo devices in October, we expect last year's Alexa products (such as the 2nd-Gen Echo Plus and the 2nd-Gen Echo Show) to see discounts as well. 

In a BlackFriday.com survey, 30% of consumers said they hoped to buy smart home gadgets this Black Friday.  

Buy it: Consoles

Black Friday is usually a great time to buy older consoles, especially if you're looking for bundles. In 2018, we saw a number of Xbox One and Playstation 4 packages featuring some of the year's best games at their lowest prices of the year. 

"We expect that the Playstation 4 will be heavily discounted in the form of bundles," Pandya said. "A lot of strong price value there as retailers look to move their inventory of those types of system. A new generation of consoles are on the horizon."

However, there's one exception: Nintendo. The company didn't offer many major deals on the Switch last year, and Black Friday sales on latest-generation consoles (namely, the new Switch Lite) are usually fairly limited. 

Buy it: Video games

From "Apex Legends" to "Kingdom Hearts III," a number of excellent video games came out early this year. Black Friday is an opportunity for retailers to clear out their stock and make room for next year's crop. 

"Gamers should expect to pay $20 to $40 for big-name video games that came out in early 2019," says Bonebright. 

Buy it: Kitchen appliances

Black Friday is usually a good time to buy smaller kitchen appliances, including blenders, rice cookers, toasters, and the like. Retailers will be looking to get rid of basic, budget-oriented devices in particular. 

"Department stores like Kohl's will have a bunch of small kitchen appliances for $5 to $10 as door busters," Bonebright said. "These toasters, blenders, etc. are cheap for a reason — don't expect them to last forever. Still, it's worth picking them up, especially if you're shopping for a college student." 

Here's what to avoid on Black Friday:

Don't buy the following on Black Friday:

• Lingerie
• Apple devices
• Clothing
• Smartphones
• Toys
• Furniture

Skip it: Lingerie

Stores that sell undergarments usually don't pull out their shoelaces for Black Friday; they've already got their eye on the post-holiday period. 

"While stores like Victoria's Secret and Soma will definitely host Black Friday sales, you should hold off shopping for fancy underwear until after the holidays," Bonebright said. "After Christmas, both of these stores will launch huge semi-annual sales that will likely have better deals — and a wider selection — than Black Friday." 

Skip it: Apple products

While many tech companies offer deals on gadgets, we don't expect Apple to be among them this year. The company doesn't usually discount its own products for Black Friday; the best you're likely to find is gift-card bundles or extra trade-in credit from third-party retailers. 

In particular, beware the MacBook. "Apple products are rarely discounted to begin with, but the latest 2019 MacBook models are unlikely to see more than a few dollars off during Black Friday," Bonebright said. "In previous years, some of the best deals for current-gen MacBooks saw the devices at list price, but bundled with free AppleCare." Yawn. 

Skip it: Clothing

You'll see a lot of apparel on sale for Black Friday, especially if you're shopping in stores. But be careful: Even at a discount, there's no need to buy things that won't last, or that you won't wear. It takes time to find garments that are the right size, style, and material for you, and that can be hard to find in the frenzy of Black Friday. 

Instead, experts recommend buying clothing later on in December. Not only will you have more time to shop carefully, but deals are also likely to be similar — if not better. Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that while women's clothing saw steep discounts during Black Friday, the discounts offered in the two weeks that followed were nearly the same. 

"Many clothing retailers now extend and introduce deals all the way into the new year, giving shoppers more time to reach a purchasing decision," said Scott Ruzal, Senior Director of Marketing and Account Strategy at marketing firm DXagency. 

Additionally, when it comes to clothing deals, there's nothing special about the holiday period. Clearance racks are stocked with last season's discounted clothing throughout the year. (For example, don't buy a winter coat in December, no matter the promotion — it'll be half off in a few months). 

"Apparel and clothing, those types of areas are very much informed by seasonality, and their pricing is very much dictated by when things are coming in and out of season," said Pandya. When it comes to Black Friday prices, "we're not expecting to see a lot of change there." 

Skip it: Smartphones

Black Friday usually isn't the best time to buy a new phone — unless you want one of last year's models. 

When it comes to newest smartphones, including the iPhone 11 and Galaxy Note 10 lineups, "they'll be doing promotions, but we don't expect to see a lot of price reduction because they're still very much high in demand," Pandya said. 

We do, however, expect to see decent discounts on older phones, such as the Galaxy S9, as stores make room for next year's devices. 

Skip it: Toys

You probably know many parents who are deadset on getting their kid the hottest new toy this Black Friday. Our advice: Wait it out. Not only are these products very likely to sell out, but they also see their best discounts later in the year. 

"Usually we see certain items that people are really in a manic frenzy to get for their kids," said Pandya. "Things like the Hatchimals and the LOL dolls. Discounting heavily on these items comes in much stronger during the Cyber Monday period." 

Toys also tend to see great sales about two weeks before Christmas. 

Skip it: Furniture

Furniture tends to see its best discounts after the holidays. 

"Historically, things like furniture are cheaper in December," said Janet Alvarez, executive editor of personal-finance publication Wise Bread. "The week between Christmas and New Years is a wonderful week to load up on furnishings, especially things like outdoor grills, and large appliances like ovens and refrigerators. Retailers are desperate to let go of anything in their inventory before the next year starts."

Also, if you already have Christmas decorations, under no circumstances should you buy new ones on Black Friday. These will hit the clearance rack the minute Christmas is over. Your future-Christmas self will thank you.  

• To stop a workout on your Apple Watch, you can use the automatic reminder your watch sends you, or go through the Workout app.
• The Apple Watch is built to sense when you've stopped working out, and send you a reminder to end your workout session.
• After stopping a workout, you can review the details of your exercise by scrolling with the Digital Crown.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple has marketed its Apple Watch as a fitness device, and the Apple Watch's Workout app is designed for just that purpose. The app can help you track a broad range of exercises, from walking and running to cycling, stair stepping, yoga, and more. 

For some exercises (like running, walking, swimming, elliptical, and rowing), the Watch can automatically detect when you start, and will display a reminder for you to start tracking the workout.

Likewise, at the end of the workout, your Apple Watch tries to detect when you're done, to suggest that you end the session. 

If your Watch doesn't display a reminder, you can do it manually. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple Watch Series 5 (From $399 at Best Buy)

How to stop a workout on an Apple Watch

1. If your Apple Watch senses you've finished a workout, it will display a message asking if you want to end the session. If it does, tap "End Workout." 

2. If you need to end the workout manually, start by opening the Workout app. It should already be on the screen, but if it's not, tap the Workout icon at the top of the watch face to open it. 

3. Swipe to the right. You should see the settings page for your current workout session. 

4. Tap "End."

5. After the workout is ended, you can review the details of your session by scrolling down the page with the Digital Crown. You'll see details specific to the type of workout you did, like distance traveled, steps taken, and calories burned. 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to start a workout on your Apple Watch in 2 different ways

• How to save battery on your Apple Watch in 5 different ways

• How to access and use Siri on an Apple Watch in 2 different ways

• How to update your Apple Watch to get the device's latest features and software fixes

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone accessories from cases to lightning cables

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's why phone companies like Verizon and AT&T charge more for extra data

• Whether you like monthly, weekly, or daily calendar options, a paper planner is an essential tool for keeping your life organized.
• The best planner for most people is the Panda Planner with its simple layout and motivational structure that helps you achieve your goals.

Self-improvement is a big business. Who doesn't want to get thinner, fitter, richer, more successful — or just be happier? But to achieve all these things, you've got to get organized. Despite the fact that most of us have some form of electronic calendar on our phones or computers, many people still rely on their paper planning agenda to keep their lives running smoothly.

I'm one of those people. And while I do switch up the brand sometimes, I'm committed to using a planner that breaks down the calendar by the week. Seeing one day at a time — or the whole month — just doesn't work for me.

Some people choose to start fresh with a new planner in January. Others — particularly college students, teachers, and parents — often opt for a 16-month calendar that starts in August or September.

These days, planners usually come with much more than just calendars. In fact, many of the best-selling planners promise to provide you with a whole new lifestyle with features that help you set goals, get inspired, make plans, and keep track of your progress. We've picked out the best planners for everyone, from students and teachers to parents and professionals. 

Here are the best planners you can buy:

• Best planner overall: Panda Planner 
• Best stylish planner: Erin Condren LifePlanner
• Best planner for teachers: Blue Sky Planners
• Best planner for students: Mead Planners
• Best planner for goals: Passion Planner
• Best planner for your desk: Hashi Weekly Planners Pad

Updated on 10/16/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and formatting. Added related guides. 

SEE ALSO: The best school supplies for students K-12

The best planner overall

The Panda Planner promises to keep you on track to achieve all your goals and it comes with free inspirational ebooks.

Michael Leip founded the Panda Planner system to try to get his life back on track when he found himself mired in anxiety and depression after suffering from Lyme Disease, cancer, and traumatic brain injury. The system, which he says is based on scientific strategies for achieving productivity and happiness, worked for him. He is so sure that it will work for you, too, that he offers a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.

So what do you get? A planner with monthly, weekly, and daily sections where you organize your life in writing and also record the things you are grateful for. There is an area to focus on your daily affirmations, exercises, and priorities. In addition, you get free access to six different ebooks and a video series to help you quickly hit your goals. 

This 5.25-by-8.25-inch book, made of natural materials, has an undated calendar that is intended to be used for three to six months. You fill the dates in, so you can choose if the week starts on Sunday or Monday.

Across the web, professional bloggers and reviewers, including those at Inc. and Wonder Mom Wannabe, tout the many benefits of the Panda Planner, and Amazon reviews are highly positive. 

Pros: Unique system, light and portable, six free ebooks, high-quality paper, money-back guarantee

Cons: It is only good for up to six months

The best planner for teachers

An affordable and sturdy Blue Sky planner can help you stay organized in school — and in life. 

The popular Blue Sky planner comes in several sizes and styles. Two of the most common sizes are 5-by-8-inches and 8.5-by-11-inches. The resilient cover is built to last for continued use throughout the year.

The entire planner is printed with soy-based ink on 50% post-consumer waste recycled paper and it's sturdy. Durable coated tabbed dividers are also long-lasting and make accessing information a breeze.

The Planner features full monthly view pages, as well as separate pages with full weekly views for more detailed planning. There are also previous and next month reference calendars. Handy note pages allow you to jot down last minute thoughts or details.

There are also dozens of designs on Amazon, whether you want something classic and solid-colored, a feminine floral print, or a fun geometric pattern.

Fans of the Blue Sky Academic Year Planner tout the attractive design and great format. Around the web, professional bloggers, including those at Pretty Neat Living and Wendaful, love Blue Sky Planners.  

Pros: Attractive design, sturdy cover and construction, affordable, great format

Cons: Some users note that the lines on the pages are too close together to write easily

The best student planner

The Mead Planner will help you remember all your homework assignments.

Mead Planners are great for students because they are affordable and available in many options; they can look simple and grown-up, or young and fun. They're also split up into weeks and have handy academic charts in the back for reference.

The company makes academic and regular planners that span either calendar years or academic years. You can choose between spiral and bound planner styles. Most of the planners have both weekly and monthly views of the calendar. As for the covers, they come in plain or with graphics.

The reference pages are tucked into the front and back of the planners for easy access. Some of Mead's planners are spiral bound but the wires are covered with sturdy cloth to ensure that the wire doesn't snag on anything. The planners come in small and large sizes to suit your needs.

Pros: Simple design, academic charts, good layout

Cons: None

The best planner for setting goals

The Passion Planner offers lots of motivational extras that will have you feeling passionate about your to-do list and your life.

The Passion Planner started in late 2013 as a Kickstarter project. Founder Angelia Trinidad was suffering from "feelings of emptiness" after graduating from college. Her answer? Create a tool that would allow herself, and ultimately others, the ability to define their goals and dreams and then break them down into actionable steps.

So what's inside this 210-page, 8.5-by-11-inch faux-leather black book? Start with the Passion RoadMap. It kicks off with an exercise that helps you define and create actions for your goals in three months, one year, three years, and throughout your life. Weekly layouts, as well as annual and monthly overview calendars, keep you organized, while monthly reflection questions and inspirational quotes keep you focused on your progress.

There is also a "Space of Infinite Possibility" where you can take notes, draw, create, write, or brainstorm. Smooth, extra-thick paper makes it fun to write in this planner.

One Amazon customer writes, "The way you can individualize your goals and make a plan to execute them is incredibly motivating and helpful with the guide and open format. I especially appreciate the end of the month journal questions that help you reflect instead of having no idea what happened because 'time just flies by."

"It took five years to find this great of a planner. The most perfect planner for this dental school student. If you're busy and need hourly breakdowns and spare room for notes, this is the planner for you," another customer writes.

Pros: Motivational, unique concept, high-quality paper, lightweight

Cons: It doesn't come with tabs to easily open to pages

The best fashionable planner

Erin Condren's super-stylish LifePlanner series will keep your life in beautiful balance.

Erin Condren's beautiful LifePlanner comes in several different gorgeous colors and patterns. You can get it in a variety of layouts to suit your needs.

The planner includes quote pages, mini-month spreads, goal setting pages, weekly spreads, lined pages, dot grid paper, and blank pages for note-taking. Each month is tabbed, so you can easily flip through to look back at all the things you've accomplished or ahead to upcoming events.

Condren also added a folder and a pouch to the planner so you can hold important documents inside your planner with everything else. The biggest appeal of Erin Condren's planners is the design. The planners are feminine, colorful, inspirational, and super Instagrammable.

Pros: Beautiful and stylish, hardbound, high-quality paper

Cons: Expensive

The best planner for your desk

The Hashi Weekly Planners Pad is about the size of a keyboard, so it's perfect for using at your desk.

If you want a planner for your desk, look no further than the Hashi Weekly Planners Pad. This cute weekly planner is about the same size as a keyboard, and it's meant to sit at your desk where you work. You could take it with you, but it is a long slim rectangle that's not ideal for shoving in your bag.

It contains enough pages for 60 weeks of planning and it's undated, so it will last until you run out of paper. Instead of dates, you see a Monday through Sunday view. Hashi used 12 fun patterns for the paper, so as the weeks go by, you'll see roses, airplanes, geometric prints,  florals, and even pineapples on the predominantly pastel-colored pages.

There's no monthly view, so if you need that, you'll have to look elsewhere. This is the perfect planner for using at your desk in addition to another planner or the digital calendar on your computer screen.

I use mine next to my desk to plan out articles for the week, but I imagine it'd work just as well for homework assignments or what have you. 

Pros: Weekly view, cute designs, lots of space, undated so it lasts, many pages

Cons: Might not be ideal for carrying around, no monthly view

Check out our other great guides to school and office supplies

The best binders for school you can buy

These binders are built to last the whole school year, and each pick has features that make it a perfect fit for the recommended age group. Here are the best binders for school you can buy: 

• Best binder for school overall: Case-it Universal 2-Inch 3-Ring Zipper Binder with Laptop Holder
• Best binder for elementary school: Mead Zipper Binder with Expanding File, 1 ½ inch
• Best binder for middle school: The Five Star® Multi-Access Zipper Binder, 2 inch
• Best binder for high school: Staples Better Binder, 1.5 inch
• Best binder for college: Forevermore Portfolio Padfolio

The best notebooks you can buy 

Print is dead? Not quite. Chances are you already have a note-taking app on your smartphone or tablet, but despite this technological convenience, many people still prefer to keep a notebook handy for personal reflection and organization. We've rounded up the best of several different styles to help you find a notebook that will match your specific needs. Here are the best notebooks you can buy: 

• Best notebook overall: Miquelrius Flexible Black Leather Cover Notebook
• Best notebook for traveling: Rite in the Rain All-Weather Hard Cover Notebook
• Best notebook for artists: Global Art Materials Travelogue Watercolor Book
• Best notebook for note-taking: Midori MD Notebook
• Best notebook for lefties: Lemome A5 Wide Ruled Hardcover Writing Notebook

• You can connect an iPad to a projector with an adapter cable, through an Apple TV, or with a single cable on certain projectors. 
• Most projectors have VGA and HDMI ports, and you can use either to connect your iPad, provided you have the right adapter cable and a VGA or HDMI cable. 
• You can also connect your Apple TV box to a projector via HDMI, and then mirror your iPad's screen to the Apple TV, so it appears on the projector. 
• Some newer projectors offer a direct connection to your iPad with a single cable, although this is rare. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

An iPad screen is the perfect size for lots of activities — typing emails, creating songs with Garage Band, watching a show while you lie on the couch, and more.  

But for some activities, your iPad's screen can feel a bit small. And if you have to present a slideshow or video to a larger group, the iPad is hardly the right screen to use.

Fortunately, you can connect your iPad to a projector and cast the same images seen on its small screen onto a much larger display. Here's how to do it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPad (From $329.99 at Best Buy)

Apple TV 4K (From $199.99 at Best Buy)

HDMI VGA AV Adapter Converter (From $25.99 on Amazon)

AmazonBasics Mini DisplayPort to VGA Monitor Adapter (From $11.99 at Best Buy)

Apple Lightning to Digital AV Adapter (From $44.96)

How to connect your iPad to a projector with an adapter cable 

Your projector likely has a VGA port or HDMI port, and you will need to get an adapter to connect it to your iPad. HDMI is usually the way to go, as it supports both video and audio, while VGA doesn't support sound. 

Fortunately, it's easy to find adapters that have both VGA and HDMI inputs as well as adapters for one or the other. Just keep in mind that you will also need a VGA or HDMI cable to run between the adapter and the projector. 

You should also double check your iPad port — most iPads have lightning ports (so you'd want a lightning adapter), but recent iPad Pro models have replaced the lightning port with USB-C, so you'd want a USB-C adapter for these iPads. 

How to connect your iPad to a projector with Apple TV

You can also use an HDMI cable to connect your Apple TV box to a projector, but note that you may need to work with the setup menu on the projector for it to find the Apple TV.

Then, with your Apple TV and iPad on the same Wi-Fi network, just swipe up from the bottom or down from the top right to open the Control Center and then tap Screen Mirroring.

For more information on how to connect your iPad to Apple TV, read our article, "How to connect an iPad to your TV in 2 different ways."

How to connect your iPad to a projector with a single cable 

Some newer projectors, like the Bijou portable projector, can connect to your iPad with just one cable.

This projector has a USB-C port, so you'll simply need a lightning to USB-C cable to connect your iPad (unless you have the recent iPad Pro models, in which case you'd need a cable with two USB-C ends). 

You can make the projection bigger by moving it further away from the surface you are projecting onto — Bissou recommends a distance of about two meters.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech: 

• 'Does the iPad have a headphone jack?': Here are the iPad models that have a standard headphone jack

• How to properly clean an iPad's charging port when it won't charge

• How to delete contacts on your iPad, or easily delete multiple contacts at once using iCloud

• 'Why is my iPad so slow?': How to get your iPad running smoothly again

SEE ALSO: The best iPads you can buy

SEE ALSO: The best home projectors you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 lesser-known benefits of Amazon Prime

• To connect your Mac to a Bluetooth speaker, you need to go into your computer's System Preferences.
• The Bluetooth speaker that you want to connect your Mac to should also be set to pairing mode, so your computer can detect it.
• Some Bluetooth speakers may have a simple toggle to become discoverable, but others may require a few more steps.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While your Mac may have a wide access to media, they don't always have the best speakers. 

Luckily, you can project your computer's audio to any Bluetooth-enabled speaker using your Mac's Bluetooth wireless connection. 

The Bluetooth function on your Mac makes connecting to a speaker easy, and allows you to broadcast your music without any physical connections. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $1,299.99 at Best Buy)

Bose SoundLink II (From $199.99 at Best Buy)

How to connect your Mac to a Bluetooth speaker

1. Make sure your speaker is set to be discoverable by other devices, usually by putting it into "pairing mode."

• On some speakers, this can be accomplished by flipping a switch, while others may require a few more steps.
• For example, on an Amazon Echo you will likely have to sign in to your Amazon account to make it discoverable.

2. Once your speaker is in pairing mode, click on the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.

3. Click on System Preferences.

4. Click on the Bluetooth logo in the third row of your System Preferences.

5. Your speaker should be listed under "Devices." If you don't see your speaker listed in your Bluetooth devices, check your device again to make sure it's in pairing mode.

6. Double-click your device's name, or right-click it and select "Connect."

7. Your Mac may then ask you to accept the connection; in this case, simply click on "Accept."

8. Any sound from your Mac will now come through your Bluetooth speaker. 

If you want to disconnect your Mac from your speaker, go back into the Bluetooth menu and right-click on the speaker, and then click "Disconnect."

Once your Mac and your speaker are paired, the speaker should always show up in your Mac's Bluetooth devices list. In some cases, your Mac may default to the Bluetooth for audio as soon as it turns on.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• 'Why won't my Mac connect to Wi-Fi?': 7 ways to troubleshoot your Mac's Wi-Fi connection

• How to hide the dock on your Mac computer in 2 different ways, to get rid of the application icons on your screen

• How to use Parental Controls to block websites on a Mac to help protect children or to increase productivity

• How to set up autofill on a Mac computer in Safari, so you don't have to type in your information each time

SEE ALSO: The best speakers with Google Chromecast built-in you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Apple's Mac Pro 'trash can' was a colossal failure

• A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you'll love best.

In ancient times, a carved stone was considered a very comfortable and supportive pillow, but in today's world, you're probably looking for something a bit softer. Luckily, you've got a lot more to choose from than the people of ancient times.

There's a nearly dizzying array of pillows on display in any bed-and-bath shop, or on the virtual shelves of your favorite online home store. That can make it a bit difficult to choose the best pillow for your needs. Is memory foam best? How about down? Or maybe you're confused about all the different shapes: standard, contour, bolster. Well, have no fear, because we've done the research for you. 

While ultimately, there is no "best for everyone" pillow — personal preference plays a huge part in determining the pillow you'll like the most — we checked out all the top recommendations from consumer buying websites, listened to what pillow buyers had to say, and even tried out some of the pillows ourselves to bring you the pillows most likely to send you off to the land of Nod comfortably. 

Here are the best pillows you can buy:

• Best budget pillow: Le'vista Hotel Collection Pillow
• Best down pillow: Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow
• Best buckwheat hull pillow: Zen Chi Buckwheat Hull Pillow
• Best memory foam pillow: Sleep Innovations Cool Contour Memory Foam Pillow
• Best bolster pillow: Half-Moon Bolster Pillow
• Best gel pillow: Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow
• Best body pillow:Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury Full Body Pillow

Updated on 10/16/2019 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, and formatting.

SEE ALSO: The best sheets you can buy for your bed

DON'T MISS: The best mattresses you can buy

The best pillow overall

The Premium Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow from Coop Home Goods will have you sleeping like a baby with its perfect support and variable firmness.

"Ahhh." That's the sigh of contentment you'll utter as your weary head meets the Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow. It's the third best-selling pillow on Amazon, and it's filled with shredded memory foam. You'll get the support and comfortable "sinking in" sensation of a traditional memory foam pillow, but none of the excessive heat or firmness that can be a problem with solid foam.

What makes the Coop Home Goods pillow particularly wonderful is that it's adjustable. You can unzip the inner pillow cover to add or remove foam until the pillow is just the way you like it. It's also hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant, so you won't wake up sniffly or congested. When it's time to clean the pillow, no problem — Just toss it in your washing machine and dryer. We recommend that you add another pillow or a blanket to balance the load, along with a couple of clean tennis balls to help fluff up the foam.

Coop Home Goods' proprietary shredded memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified, meaning it's guaranteed to be free of chemicals and toxins you really don't want to sleep with, such as formaldehyde, lead, mercury, ozone depleters, PBDEs, phthalates, and TCEP flame retardants. Manufactured in California, the pillow has a 30-day guarantee, so if you don't love it, you can return it with no questions asked.

As one of the highest-rated memory foam pillow on Amazon, 82% of the more than 16,000 customers who left feedback, gave it 4 or 5 stars. Customers call this the best pillow they've ever owned, praise its breathability and adjustability, and love the way it supports their neck and head. As one customer writes, "It's like sleeping on an adjustable cloud." The most common negative comments concern the pillow's odor, which can be strong initially, but fades away within a day or two.

The Premium Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow has a polyester/bamboo cover that is cool and comfortable for sleep, and it's easily removed for washing. Inside, there's an interlock knit cover to contain the foam. Both covers have zippers so you can access the foam for easy adjustment.

Pros: Adjustable loft, very supportive and comfortable, not too hot

Cons: Some initial odor, you have to let it expand from vacuum-sealed packaging

The best budget pillow

If you want excellent support and comfort at an equally great price, the two-set Le'vista Hotel Collection Pillow is what you've been dreaming of.

Just because a pillow is inexpensive doesn't mean it can't also be comfortable. The Le'vista Hotel Collection Pillow (formerly Smart Home Bedding Super Plush Pillow) definitely qualifies on both counts. The fill is a down alternative, meaning it has a similar feel to goose down, but it is made of a 50/50 cotton and polyester blend. While nothing perfectly matches the cloudlike feel of genuine down, this pillow comes pretty close.

The pillows are densely filled, so the support is fairly firm, yet with the soft give that is a hallmark of down. You'll also appreciate the fill's resistance to dust mites and other allergens. Even better for allergy sufferers, you can toss this pillow into the washing machine and dryer without any ill effects or loss of loft.

This is one of the top-selling pillows on Amazon. Out of the nearly 2,500 customer reviews, 73% are 4 or 5 stars. Many buyers commented about the fluffiness of the pillows and loved the way they hold their shape. Others remarked on the hypoallergenic features of the pillow, saying they aren't waking up with a stuffy nose since buying the pillow. Surprisingly for a synthetic fill pillow, many owners claim the pillow sleeps cool.

Nothing is perfect, however, not even the Le'vista Hotel Collection Pillow. A few customers complained the pillows flattened out sooner than they expected, and some people said they were too hard. The pillows are sold as a two-pack.

Pros: Inexpensive, good support, hypoallergenic

Cons: Flatten out, some feel they are too hard

The best hybrid pillow

The Leesa Hybrid Pillow combines the best of both worlds with a firm gel pillow base and a soft quilted top layer.

The Leesa Hybrid pillow is the perfect pillow for anyone who wants the firm support of a memory foam pillow and the soft cushy feel of a down pillow at the same time. The combination seems impossible, but Leesa has done it.

The Hybrid Pillow has a down-like quilted pocket layer on one side, a firmer, ventilated gel comfort layer on the other side, and a removable pillow insert between these two layers. The multi-layered approach makes this a very customizable pillow.

You can take the quilted pillowtop part off and use the firmer pillow base, you can flip it over and sleep on the cool gel side, or you can take the firm center out and just use the fluffy quilted top as your pillow.

I've been sleeping on this pillow for months now and I love it. The gel pillow base is firm enough to make me feel like I'm still sleeping on my memory foam pillow, but the soft, quilted down alternative topper makes it more comfortable to rest my head on the pillow at night. I'm a side sleeper, so I need support, but sometimes my very firm memory foam pillow can hurt my ears if I stay on one side for too long (the human head is heavy!)

I'm not the only person who loves this pillow, either. Several other Insider Picks staffers tried it and loved it. Nonbiased Reviews also recommends it highly.

The only real downside here is that this pillow is on the expensive side. However, given how versatile it is and the fact that it will last you for years, it's well worth the price. It's also not a huge risk because you can use it for 100 nights and if you decide you hate it, you can return it — no questions asked.

If you still have qualms, Leesa's philanthropy should assuage your concerns a bit. The pillow is part of Leesa's One-Ten Program, in which one pillow is donated for every 10 sold. 

Pros: Firm pillow base, soft pillow top, adjustable design, cooling gel layer, 100 night trial

Cons: Expensive

The best down pillow

Down isn't just for the birds. The Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow is so feathery-soft, you'll dream you're sleeping in the clouds.

Some inferior down pillows are really stuffed mostly with feathers. That means you run the risk of being poked by a stray quill. Plus, feathers are not as soft and fluffy as down. The Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow is filled with 100% goose down, which is much fluffier than less desirable duck down, so you'll enjoy a luxuriously comfortable night of sleep.

Royal Hotel doesn't skimp on the down, either. With a 750 fill power and 35-ounce fill weight, you're getting lots of downy comfort in a very supportive pillow that isn't too soft and isn't too firm. Plus, the down is sanitized to remove allergens and bacteria, so you can enjoy the pillow even if you are usually allergic to feathers. The cover of the pillow is 100% cotton, with a 500-thread count, so it's soft and smooth, but strong enough to contain the down.

Amazon buyers love this pillow, with 79% of the more than 500 reviewers giving it 4 or 5 stars. Comments include, "These pillows are wonderfully full and hold their loft through the night," "The best pillows ever," and "Very nice pillows, well-filled and they do not collapse under the weight of your head." Many customers say that the pillows were firmer than they expected, which might be good or bad depending on your preference (Amazon sells this pillow in different firmness.)

Sleep Like the Dead also likes the Royal Hotel down pillows, reporting that 84% satisfaction rate among surveyed customers.

For down pillows, the price is actually quite reasonable, but Royal Hotel only sells the pillows by the pair, making it a more expensive purchase overall.

Pros: High quality down, firm, comfortable support

Cons: Only sold by the pair, may have a faint "feathery" smell at first

The best luxurious pillow

Saatva Dreams Pillow's layered construction allows for a supportive yet soft feel that will keep you sleeping comfortably through the night.

Saatva has taken the same layered concept that has worked so well in its luxury mattresses, and applied it to the Saatva Pillow from Saatva Dreams. If you're looking for a way to add some high-end comfort to your bed, adding a couple of these pillows to your collection of bedding is a worthwhile investment.

I experienced this comfort first-hand and was impressed with the head and neck support it offered. It reaches a perfect middle ground of feeling soft and plush while being just firm enough to keep its shape throughout the night. I never once woke up with a flattened pillow or sore neck.

The "Goldilocks effect" created by the Saatva Pillow is thanks to its three-layer construction. The core of the pillow consists of shredded Talalay latex, creating a foundation of support your head and neck will be grateful for. This core is surrounded by microdenier fiber — a down-like alternative that gives you the same feel of a down pillow with no feathers involved.

The breathable 100% organic cotton cover makes up the third layer, wicking away any moisture and helping you stay cool throughout the night. Put all three layers together and you have a pillow that both looks — and feels — like the type of pillow you'd find on the beds of a 5-star hotel. It comes in queen or king sizes too so you can find the perfect fit for you and your bed.

Back and side sleepers will likely be the most comfortable on the Saatva Pillow, while some stomach sleepers may find the loft too high to sleep comfortably. I typically sleep on my stomach and found that to be the case when in this position. However, when I slept on my back or side, I had no issues. My boyfriend sleeps almost exclusively on his back, and he felt that this pillow helped him sleep more soundly through the night. I also noticed less snoring, so it was a win-win for both of us. If you are a stomach sleeper but don't want to miss out on the luxury, the inner pillow or "core" can easily be removed, giving the pillow a slimmer profile that you may find better suited to your sleeping position. The cover itself can also be unzipped and removed for washing.

There is no skimping on quality here, and while the price does reflect that, the great nights of sleep I've had on this pillow justify the price. At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with investing in better quality sleep. Not only is it good for you, but those you interact with daily will also likely be grateful as well.

I wasn't the only one impressed with both the quality and the comfort of the Saatva pillow. One customer says, "After my great experience with my [Saatva] sheets, I purchased my Saatva Pillow. Even more amazing! You can literally see the quality when you look at it. My neck is supported yet comfortable at the same time." Sleepopolis also gave the Saatva Pillow a positive review, saying the "multilayered construction combines to offer a harmony of fluffy comfort and responsive support."— Kylie Joyner

Pros: Latex core and outer layer of microdenier fiber provide a supportive yet plush feel, removable cover for easy washing, keeps its shape throughout the night, core can be removed to adjust the loft

Cons: Expensive, some stomach sleepers may find the loft too high

The best buckwheat hull pillow

No matter how you like your pillow, the Zen Chi Buckwheat Hull Pillow delivers and it keeps you cool while you sleep.

I've been sleeping on the Zen Chi Buckwheat Hull Pillow for several years now. In fact, I've gone through two of them. I've tried a lot of pillows over the years — memory foam, shredded memory foam, latex, polyester, and several specialty fillings — but I have never stuck with any other type of pillow for as long as the buckwheat hulls.

I'm a restless sleeper and love the way I can squish the buckwheat hulls out flat to sleep comfortably on my stomach, and then bunch them up a few minutes later when I flip over to my side. Plus, as a "hot sleeper," this is the best fill I've found to avoid the dreaded sweaty head wake up.

Zen Chi uses 100% organically grown buckwheat to fill its pillows and 100% cotton for the case. There's a zipper, so you can actually adjust the fill of the pillow. Add more hulls for a firmer, loftier pillow, or remove some if you prefer a softer, flatter feel. And even if you leave the pillow as is, the beauty of a buckwheat hull pillow is its supreme adjustability. Because you can mold the pillow any way you like it, you can support your head, neck, and upper body for the most comfortable sleep.

Out of the more than 700 Amazon customer reviews for the queen size, 75% gave it 4 stars or more. Many buyers commented that it took a couple of nights to get used to the pillow's feel, but once they did, they loved the support and adjustability. Buckwheat hulls are definitely not soft, but thanks to the pillow's beanbag feel, they don't feel uncomfortably hard, either. 

One customer writes, "I thought it might be too hard on my ears, but it's not. I finally wake up without a crick in my neck, which was the case with every other pillow I've ever owned." Many owners also praise the cooling factor.

On the downside, the slight crinkly sound of the shifting hulls bothered some owners. This has never been an issue for me, however. Other customers complain about the pillow's weight, and it is indeed very heavy. Still, the overall comfort outweighs the minor issues.

Pros: Stays cool, adjusts to any position, firm support

Cons: Heavy, noisy, some people find it too hard

The best contour pillow

If you often wake up with a stiff neck, sore back, or aching upper body, you'll appreciate the therapeutic shape of the Sleep Innovations Cool Contour Memory Foam Pillow.

Like all contour pillows, the Sleep Innovations Cool Contour Memory Foam Pillow has two gentle slopes — one slightly higher than the other, so you can choose the side that best fits your neck — with a shallow valley in the center for your head. Unlike most other contour pillows, this one has an upper layer of cooling open-cell memory foam over a core of denser, traditional memory foam for extra support. That means you won't wake up hot and sweaty, as is often a problem with regular memory foam pillows.

The firm, yet moldable support gently cradles your head and neck, relieving the pressure that often leads to aches and pains. The shape of the contour pillow fills in the gap between your neck and the mattress, keeping your spine in proper alignment while you snooze. That's why so many chiropractors recommend contour pillows to their patients.

In customer reviews, Amazon buyers say they didn't like the pillow the first few nights but came to appreciate its unique shape and firm memory foam support over time. Others remark that it took a couple of nights to determine which of the two outer curves best fit their neck. But then, most say they really enjoyed the pillow and had much less pain in the mornings.

One downside, like all memory foam, is that there can be a chemical smell in the beginning, and the firmness might be more than you like. Unlike traditionally shaped pillows, there is only one "right" side to a contour pillow, and it's not a suitable pillow for stomach sleepers.

The pillow comes with a terry velour cover that removes for easy washing.

Pros: Good for those with neck, shoulder, or upper body pain, firm support

Cons: Not everyone likes the shape of a contour pillow, some adjustment usually required

The best bolster pillow

The Cushy Form Half-Moon Bolster Pillow can be used in a handful of ways to ease pains throughout your body.

The Half-Moon Bolster Pillow from Cushy Form is recommended for a variety of orthopedic needs. It provides therapeutic support to multiple areas of your body. Usually used by side and back sleepers to reduce lower back pain, the pillow also eases knee, hip, ankle, and joint pains and is ideal for use after surgeries or during pregnancy.

The unique half-cylinder design allows you to position it in various ways to get support where you need it most. It's especially useful in helping you achieve proper spinal alignment by giving you either knee support for back pain relief, lumbar support while sitting, or leg space while side sleeping. It can also be used as a leg elevator to increase blood flow and reduce varicose veins.  

The pillow has a soft, cushy feel that doesn't easily go flat, thanks to a unique two-layer design of a top memory foam layer outside a supportive foam core. It's hypoallergenic and easy to care for with its removable and machine washable organic cotton cover.

The Half-Moon Bolster Pillow is featured in Prevention and Bedding Pal and holds a 5-star review rating on The Art of Pillows. On Amazon, majority of shoppers gave it 4 or 5 stars.

Amazon customers say that it's the best pillow they've tried. A handful of reviewers do mention it's larger and firmer than expected so it may not be ideal for every body type. Certain reviewers have gripes over the pillow's smell, but others say it goes away once you air it out.  

Pros: Eases multiple body pains, hypo-allergenic, dual-layer foam interior, removable and machine washable cover

Cons: May have an unpleasant odor, comes in only one size that might not accommodate every body type

The best gel pillow

The Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow is as comfortable as it is supportive and helps you sleep easier with its unique cooling properties.

As the name suggests, the Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow is a hotel-quality pillow that is stylish and comfortable, accommodating a variety of different sleep positions and preferences.

The pillow is filled with a super plush gel fiber that isn't overtly advertised as cooling gel, but is simply a different type of filling that has some cooling qualities to it. 

The pillow is also very clean and promises to prevent dust mites, mold, mildew, and allergens out of your pillow. It's also chemical free, making it a perfect for those who struggle with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues.

Although you'll put a pillowcase on it, the Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow does have a classic white on white lined pattern on its cover that's both fade and stain resistant. Cleaning is as easy as just throwing the pillow in the wash.

The Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow is featured on Smart Home Keeping as one of the best pillows and on Pillow Picker as a top choice for preventing neck pain. On Amazon, the pillow holds a 4.4 out of 5-star average rating based on more than 5,600 reviews.

The Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow is the best-selling pillow on Amazon (at the time of this posting). Buyers describe the comfort of the pillow in different ways, using words such as luxurious, and dreamy. Beyond comfort, reviewers also like that it stays fluffy and is hypoallergenic. The critical reviews mainly concerned the pillows being too soft or that they arrived in an unacceptable condition.

Pros: Gel fibers help the pillow stay fluffy and maintain shape, hypoallergenic, machine washable, stain and fade resistant

Cons: No purchase options to choose your ideal firmness or softness level, reports of items delivered damaged

The best body pillow

Which pillow is right for you based on fill type and your sleeping position?

Sorting out the different pillow fills

• Memory foam: Originally created by NASA to cushion astronauts during reentry to Earth's atmosphere, today, memory foam is one of the most popular types of pillow. It's very supportive, conforms to your head and neck, is naturally hypoallergenic, and is especially good for those suffering from neck, shoulder, or upper body pain and stiffness. On the downside, it tends to be hot and is heavy.
• Shredded memory foam: Take memory foam, shred it into small chunks, and you have a supportive, firm, and comfortable pillow filling without the heat and sweat of a traditional memory foam. Shredded memory foam molds and conforms to your body, but if you want it even more customized to your liking, it's easy to push or pull into just the right loft and shape for your sleeping pleasure.
• Down: Real down has a luxurious, "sleeping on a cloud" fluffiness that some people love, and others hate. Down is very soft and lightweight, so it easily molds to the perfect loft and shape for your needs. It's not very supportive, however, and tends to be expensive.
• Polyester: Polyester is the typical fill in budget pillows. It's soft, lightweight, and machine-washable, but not exceptionally supportive or firm. Still, it's a good middle ground between the softness of down and the firmness of memory foam.
• Buckwheat hulls: Buckwheat hull pillows are not nearly as popular in the United States as they are in Asia, but they definitely have their fan club. A buckwheat hull pillow feels a lot like a beanbag; the hulls move freely inside the pillow, allowing you to adjust the shape, loft, and firmness to your liking. This is one of the best pillow fills for those who "sleep hot," as well. However, these pillows are heavy, and the hulls can make a rustling sound as you move.
• Latex: There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love latex pillows, and those who hate them. For those who love them, the firm support with a slightly bouncy feel provides superior sleep comfort. For those who hate them, the usual complaint is that the pillow is just too firm. Latex pillows are heavy and usually expensive, but also very durable, naturally antimicrobial, and not too hot.

What's your favorite sleeping position?

While just about everyone shifts position periodically during the night, generally, you'll favor one sleep position over the rest. And when it comes to choosing the right pillow, your favorite sleep position plays a big role.

• Side sleepers: This is the most common sleep position and the most neutral one for your spine and neck. The right pillow for a side sleeper is lofty enough to fill the gap between neck and mattress and provides medium-firm to firm support. Any fill is suitable, as long as it's the right loft for your body type.
• Stomach sleepers: This undeniably comfy sleep position is hard on your spine, forcing your neck to turn sharply to the side. If this is your favorite way to sleep, make it easier on your back with a pillow that is soft or has little loft. Buckwheat hulls or down pillows are the best choices for those who spend most of the night on their stomach.
• Back sleepers: If you like to sleep on your back, your perfect pillow has just enough loft to hold your head in alignment with your spine without craning your head forward or allowing it to drop back. A medium-firm density is best for this sleep position. Shredded memory foam, buckwheat hulls, or polyester are good fills for back sleepers.

Check out our other great buying guides for bedding

The best duvet covers you can buy

Your cozy down-filled duvet needs a stylish cover to keep it clean and add some spice to your bedroom's décor.

We've rounded up the duvet covers likeliest to suit your style, your budget, and your needs. Here are the best duvet covers you can buy:

• Best duvet cover overall: Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover
• Best affordable duvet cover: HC Collection Duvet Cover Set
• Best zip-up duvet cover: Crane & Canopy's Nova Duvet Cover
• Best high-quality duvet cover: Casper Cool Supima
• Best kids duvet cover: Animal-print Reversible Duvet Cover set from Where the Polka Dots Roam