Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Hydro Flask's 12 oz Cooler Cup fits "a wide variety of cans and bottles" (if not most), and serves as a normal beverage cup.
• Equipped with a silicone sleeve, it'll keep your canned and bottled beverages colder longer. The silicone sleeve also works as a non-slip coaster when you use it as a beverage cup.
• I left a chilled can out on a table for 12 hours and returned to a crisp, cold drink after work. Here's why I'm sold.

Show of hands, who has a ratty old neoprene koozie they've been using for years?

Of those who raised their hands, how much are you willing to bet it's not bacteria and/or fungus-ridden, and better fit for a scientific experiment than a refreshing beverage?

Whatever you answered, is it really worth the risk?

Hydro Flask's new 12 oz Cooler Cup is made with professional-grade steel — like most double-walled, vacuum-insulated cups and water bottles these days — but this is the simplest, most versatile, and best temperature retention I've found in any of them.

What makes Hydro Flask's Cooler Cup stand tall against the others is the silicone sleeve that fits tightly over just about any 12-oz can you might place in it, and while bottles are a little less consistent, it handles most of them, too (do watch out for slimmer bottles, however). In effect, I've found that it helps 12-ounce cans retain temperature best.

During my process of testing the Cooler Cup, I took a beer from my fridge and left it on the coffee table for a full workday, returning home a little over 12 hours later to find it nearly (if not almost exactly) as cold as it was when I left it.

The other thing I made sure to do was to show it a little abuse and kick it around a bit. I also (accidentally) dropped it into a bunch of still-smoldering ashes. I had to scrub a bit, but it came out shining. (Author's note: The photos you see were taken AFTER abuse.)

It's also worth noting (though admittedly not unique) that it's BPA- and phthalate-free, so you don't need to have reservations about putting your mouth on or near it. And while the cup itself might not be dishwasher-safe, the silicone sleeve is, which might not be so convenient if you're using it as a cocktail glass, but it's a great way to keep a clean layer of protection near the lip of your cans. Otherwise, and let's be honest here, who on earth washes their koozies? Gross indeed. The Cooler Cup gives you a chance to alleviate that little issue, too (even if you've never considered it).

And, I must add, the Cooler Cup does a fine job of substituting for a cocktail glass (or a coffee mug, though you'll have to buy the lid separately).

Hydro Flask offers it in bright, festive colors, too, like Watermelon and Pacific. Don't worry, my drab and clandestine friends, there's Olive, Graphite, and, of course, Black, for you too.

Pros: Versatile, sleek, almost indestructible

Cons: Doesn't fit every bottle on the market (though it's hard to say if any koozie does), doesn't come with a lid (sold separately)

Buy the Hydro Flask 12 oz Cooler Cup from Hydro Flask for $24.95

Buy the (compatible) 10 oz Insulated Wine Tumbler Lid for $7.50

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• Omer Khan is the CEO and co-founder of VividTech, a customer service startup, and he's also consulted for companies like Apple, Barclays, and AT&T.
• As a startup founder, he's had plenty of experience learning how to fail with success, and he now believes there are four qualities that make it possible.
  
• For instance, if you stay focused on helping others and are willing to let go of your ego, you'll be able to face your flaws head-on and will have more opportunities for success.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There are plenty of articles that would unapologetically tell you that success — in business or in your professional life — is often preceded by failure. Many, many failures.

Yes, most of us have heard that we need to fail in order to succeed, because failure is one of life's greatest teachers, but these articles often neglect to mention what kind of mindset actually enables you to push yourself to success, in spite of your human follies and "failures."

I've been in the tech industry for over 15 years, having consulted with Fortune 200 companies like Apple, Barclays, and AT&T and raising money for my startup — with my own fair share of failures along the process. I've determined that to fail with success in mind, you need to be able to do or have these four qualities.

1. Be focused on helping others

If you look around, the world's most long-lasting and successful companies all focus on offering a solution to our problems that we face every day. Uber created a new industry by first decentralizing traditional taxi and car-hailing services. Netflix eliminated our need to go to the video store and made content completely on-demand and convenient.

Now you don't have to be solving world hunger, but even in your day job, it should be focused on solving your company's problems — or at the very least: your boss's.

It sounds painfully obvious, and yet we all tend to have "I, I, I" syndrome instead of focusing on the people we want to be helping (maybe our customers, clients, coworkers, friends, etc.). Rather your compass should move toward "How can I best be helpful for you?" Counterintuitively, when you genuinely help others, such as solving a customer's problem like Uber and Netflix did, that's when more opportunities for success open up.

2. Truly know the worth of what you're doing

In the early years of my startup, I was burning through a large reserve of my savings and was given a couple of investment offers that I had ultimately turned down due to the low valuations and high stakes in the company.

These were decisions that cost me one of my co-founders and many of my initial hires because I could no longer afford to pay them. But despite these setbacks, I stuck it out. I firmly believed (and still do) that getting funding isn't the hardest part, especially if you believe you have a game-changing product or solution. What's more important is understanding your worth and only accepting offers that reflect your value.

This is loosely related to the idea that if you try to be everything to everyone, then you end up being nothing to no one.

3. Be willing to let go of your ego

I always say that motion trumps perfection, which is the equivalent of a well-known engineering phase "Just ship it!"

I've seen too many people remain paralyzed with fear of releasing something early because it's not perfect or they fear they're making the "wrong" decision. This fear stems from your ego — of being afraid to make a mistake and possibly looking silly — but if you spend so much of your time and energy trying to protect your ego, you would be less able to feel enough self-compassion for yourself to help you learn and recover from failures, as this article from Harvard Business Review suggests.

Understand that your ego simply gets in your way, and by letting go of your ego, you can face your flaws and mistakes head-on.

Remember, people do not care about your ego — only what will benefit them.

4. Change what you believe is possible

In my professional life, I cannot recall how many times I said to myself and others, "No, this is not possible." Yet every time I was able to figure it out and also discover that there is a joy in figuring out how to intentionally bend the rules, break barriers, and make things do what they are not supposed to do.

This is the power of what you tell yourself. If you constantly tell yourself that something isn't possible or that you can't do something, you will believe it. This is a self-limiting belief, and these are beliefs that you can change.

The next time you catch yourself saying that you "can't" do something, ask yourself: Can you really not? Try it — you may surprise yourself.

Omer Khan, CEO and co-founder of VividTech, Inc., has over 15 years of experience in contact center engineering and digital customer service, and consulted for Fortune 200 companies, including Apple, Barclays, and AT&T. Having completed Google and Microsoft's acceleration in London and San Francisco, Omer's insights can also be found in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., AIBusiness.com, among others.

SEE ALSO: Richard Branson on the 'million-dollar lesson they don’t teach in business school' — plus 12 more secrets from highly successful people

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 16 clues that foreshadowed Arya's big moment at the battle of Winterfell in 'Game of Thrones'

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• From May 22 through June 2, Nordstrom is holding its huge Half Yearly Sale.
• Discounts of up to 50% span all departments, so we expect many of the best deals below to sell out quickly.

Nordstrom's Half Yearly Sale is going on right now through Sunday, June 2. During the sale, you can take up to50% off thousands of products sitewide. 

We rounded up the best clothing, shoes, accessories, beauty products, and home products you can get from the sale here, but if you're looking for something more specific, like sandals, we've got you covered with the best sandals on sale right here. Hopefully, this means fewer categories you have to go to "page 50" of in results.

And in case you hadn't noticed, Nordstrom isn't the only store with discounts over the long weekend. Here's a list of the best Memorial Day sales and deals to know about for 2019. 

Below, we rounded up some of the best individual deals you should take advantage of before they sell out, but if you prefer to shop by yourself, here's where to shop by category:

• Men's clothing
• Men's shoes
• Men's accessories
• Women's clothing
• Women's shoes
• Women's bags and accessories
• Beauty
• Home and kitchen

Shop our favorite deals from the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale for women, men, and the home below, and click here for the full sale section.

SEE ALSO: All the 2019 Memorial Day sales and deals we know of so far on mattresses, appliances, clothes, and more

Madewell Confetti Floral Ruffle Strap Silk Camisole

$59.99 (Originally $78) [You save $18.01]

Marc Fisher LDT Pella Sandal

$83.96 (Originally $139.95) [You save $83.96]

Whistles Pebble Print Skirt

$143.40 (Originally $239) [You save $95.60]

A.P.C. Sac Gaby Leather Crossbody Bag

$335.98 (Originally $560) [You save $224.02]

Lou & Grey Striped Seersucker Poet Blouse

$41.70 (Originally $69.50) [You save $27.80]

Soludos Embroidered Espadrille

$50.96 (Originally $84.95) [You save $33.99]

Club Monaco Juliuss Crop Pants

$119.60 (Originally $149.50) [You save $29.90]

Boden Nancy Linen Midi Dress

$101.98 (Originally $170) [You save $68.02]

J.Crew Gingham Ruffle Bandeau One-Piece Swimsuit

$54.98 (Originally $110) [You save $55.02]

Madewell Gesine Open Toe Mule

$88.80 (Originally $148) [You save $59.20]

3x1 Stevie Straight Leg Jeans

$117.49 (Originally $235) [You save $117.51]

Smartwool PhD Run Light Elite Socks

$11.37 (Originally $18.95) [You save $7.58]

Nike Air Max 97 Lux Sneaker

$127.49 (Originally $170) [You save $42.51]

Bonobos Riviera Slim Fit Floral Print Cotton Sport Shirt

$58.96 (Originally $88) [You save $29.04]

Joe's Brixton Trim Fit Straight Leg Shorts

$65.66 (Originally $98) [You save $32.34]

Citizens of Humanity Core Slim Straight Leg Jeans

$136.80 (Originally $228) [You save $91.20]

adidas Swift Run Running Shoe

$56.91 (Originally $85) [You save $28.09]

Fossil The Commuter Chronograph Leather Strap Watch

$80.50 (Originally $115) [You save $34.50]

Patagonia Tres 25-Liter Convertible Backpack

$90.30 (Originally $129) [You save $38.70]

Mizzen+Main Bowers Trim Fit Check Performance Sport Shirt

$74.98 (Originally $125) [You save $50.02]

1901 Ballard Slim Fit Stretch Chino Pants

$35.70 (Originally $59.50) [You save $23.80]

Cole Haan ZeroGrand Stitch-lite Wingtip Oxford

$99.99 (Originally $180) [You save $80.01]

Click & Grow Smart Garden Three Self Watering Indoor Garden

$66.96 (Originally $99.95) [You save $32.99]

Le Creuset Signature Five-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Braiser

$350 (Originally $437.50) [You save $87.50]

Nordstrom at Home Faux Fur Throw

$24.49 (Originally $49) [You save $24.51]

Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 Convertible Car Seat

$229.99 (Originally $269.99) [You save $40]

SMEG 50s Retro Style Five-Quart Stand Mixer

$348.90 (Originally $459.95) [You save $111.05]

Anthropologie x All Roads Design Yucca Accent Pillow

$70.40 (Originally $88) [You save $17.60]

Under One Sky Caticorn Hooded Bath Wrap

$20.98 (Originally $35) [You save $14.02]

Hydro Flask 40-Ounce Wide Mouth Cap Bottle

$32.21 (Originally $42.95) [You save $10.74]

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• I use a $14 copper tongue scraper every morning. 
• Tongue scrapers remove bacteria buildup on your tongue for better oral hygiene. Mainly, it means better breath. 
• Despite the fact that it sounds completely made-up, it's a pretty common practice. 

It might seem odd, but I spend about 30 seconds every morning standing in front of my bathroom mirror, scraping my tongue with a $14 copper wishbone.

It's called a tongue scraper, and its primary purpose on Earth is to remove the bacteria on top of tongues that account for as much as 80% of bad breath. It's also supposed to return tongues to their more aesthetically pleasing soft pink, and, in the long term, strengthen overall oral health by keeping the armies of pathogens in the mouth at bay. 

While most of us are probably used to haphazardly pressing our toothbrush into the service of cleaning our tongues, toothbrushes are specifically designed to clean hard surfaces — like teeth — and not the soft muscle of the tongue. For that, you need something more rigid — like a copper tongue scraper — to literally scrape against its flexible top. But, beyond that, I found the idea of brushing bacteria into and around my tongue like a car wash, and undoubtedly onto the bristles of my toothbrush, prohibitively gross on its own. 

After a friend recommended this copper tongue scraper repeatedly, I bought one. (Yes, someone loved this enough to mention a fairly gross ritual to me publicly, multiple times). Ever since, I feel a little queasy when thinking about how many years I went without it. Flossing and brushing are impactful, but once I started using a tongue scraper, it was immediately evident just how much I was missing.

I use the tongue scraper in the morning before I brush my teeth so I have the lowest odds of ingesting any of the natural buildup. To use, you scrape your tongue from back closest to your throat to the front, and then rinse your tool in warm water. Pretty much instantly, I noticed a difference: better color (who knew?) and more confidence throughout the day. While research is limited on the effectiveness of tongue scrapers, what has been published describes it as temporarily effective, though not a fix for ongoing, chronic halitosis. 

You can pick up much cheaper options from Amazon, like this $7 version that inspired more than 1,000 people to sit down and write it a five-star review, but I went with the $14 copper version from Neiman Marcus for a few reasons. 

1. Copper is antibacterial. I didn't want to simply relocate the bacteria from my mouth to somewhere else. I wanted to get rid of it.
2. It looks nice, and if a tool for a relatively gross job can look nice, I've learned it often leads to me using it more frequently.
3. It comes with a small, simple traveling pouch so you can keep up with the practice on the road, and do so without stuffing a tongue scraper into a plastic Ziploc bag — the fastest way to lose your appetite for using it ever again.
4. At the end of the day, $7 more for something I don't mind being on-view in my apartment is $7 worth spending on building a habit. 

All in all, a $7 or $14 tongue scraper is not an essential purchase, but it is a relatively cheap and high-impact way to do away with anxiety over oral hygiene or bad breath hours after you've brushed at home. I bought one months ago, and it's quickly become a daily ritual. 

Black Chicken Remedies Cuprum Tongue Cleaner, $14

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• Everette Taylor is a man of many strengths. The 29-year-old entrepreneur has established himself as a marketing oracle. A millennial with his finger on the pulse of a generation of young adults carving out their own paths, in careers and in life.
• As owner of ET Enterprises, Taylor has started and developed several companies, including the marketing and software firms MilliSense and GrowthHackers, the data-driven social-media platform PopSocial, the drug-addiction recovery app Hayver, and the charitable foundation, Southside Fund.
• But Taylor is not just a serial entrepreneur, he has sought to help other businesses grow. And now he is set on applying those skills in an entirely new arena: the world of fine art. And, true to form, it starts with building another company, called ArtX.
• ArtX is designed to showcase new artists, give them a centralized platform to promote their work, and reach new audiences and collectors.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For Everette Taylor, a 29-year-old serial entrepreneur who has built a tech and marketing empire over the better part of a decade, his latest business endeavor is more than just a career pivot. He wants to redefine the world of fine art.

Taylor has a venerable reputation for his marketing savvy in Silicon Valley. He has built companies with an eye toward growth. His work ethic has earned him considerable success.

As the chief executive of ET Enterprises, Taylor oversees several businesses, including the marketing and software firms MilliSense and GrowthHackers, the data-driven social-media platform PopSocial, the drug-addiction recovery app Hayver, and the Richmond, Virginia-based charitable foundation, Southside Fund.

Now, after having spent nearly a decade immersed in tech, marketing, and data, Taylor has turned his attention to the art world. His new company, called ArtX, is built to elevate artists; showcasing their work, helping build their audiences, and offering them the software and tools they need to run their own businesses and grow their careers.

Redefining the art gallery space

For Taylor, this latest endeavor started with a simple problem. As a successful entrepreneur looking for tangible ways to invest his money, he decided to start collecting artwork. The practice is a long-held tradition among the wealthy who acquire creative works that appreciate in value over time.

But Taylor discovered that breaking into that arena is hard. Sourcing and buying original art is not easy, either. The business of fine art is notoriously insular, and traditional galleries can feel cold and unwelcoming.

Taylor told Business Insider in an interview that the types of art he finds in some of those galleries are also lacking diverse representation.

"There's so many different communities that are creating art that aren't getting a fair opportunity to really show and display their work," he said.

The young mogul, a two-time Forbes "30 Under 30" honoree, spent an hour in Business Insider's downtown Los Angeles office earlier this month to talk about ArtX and what it was like navigating the art world as a young black entrepreneur.

"I would go into galleries and spaces and people wouldn't speak to me or recognize me. I would want to buy art, and I would get the runaround from galleries," Taylor said, recounting the ones that did acknowledge him would sometimes rebuff his attempts to spend any money.

"I wouldn't even be able to have access to those works unless I was a certain person," he said. "I just thought it was very undemocratic and unfair."

Read more:How an LA upstart is redefining the media world by helping Black millennials 'tell their own story'

Shifting the art culture

The way Taylor sees it, the art gallery model is ripe for reorganization on every level.

He says ArtX wants to accomplish that by first showcasing artists of all stripes — including those who are underrepresented in the traditional art-gallery world — highlighting their work and their stories. A look at the ArtX website at the time of this writing reveals one compilation by the Pittsburgh art curator Sean Beauford who paired the works of artist Kerry James Marshall with lyrics from the superstar hip-hop mogul Jay-Z as context for the pieces.

"We want to talk about things that aren't normally written about in the art space," Taylor said. "A lot of the stuff you read about is very academic, so we want to create stuff that's easily consumable for the average person, whether you're someone who holds an art degree from Yale or you're a high-schooler who's just interested in art."

Highlighting diverse perspectives, Taylor said, is key to empowering all artists. During this Wednesday morning interview, he points to the works of the Brooklyn-born Haitian-Puerto Rican artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose work has received critical acclaim.

"The art community is more diverse than ever. It's not like the way it used to be," Taylor said. "Early on, it was such a revelation to have someone like Basquiat operating within a mostly white space. Now there's hundreds of thousands of artists like him — maybe not all equal in terms of talent and skill, but the space looks much different."

They, too, need a platform to build an audience, share their work, and find potential customers, Taylor said.

ArtX is giving artists that platform with the help of its AI-powered tool, ArtX Amplify, which fuels that part of the business, helping creators build their brand on social media, which ultimately translates into sales, Taylor said.

The way forward

On top of his ambition to elevate a new generation of artists, Taylor envisions ArtX as a future e-commerce hub for the art market.

Online art sales have grown in recent years, according to findings compiled by the business insurance provider Hiscox Ltd., which said the online art market grew nearly 10% in 2018 to $4.64 billion.

That's a slight decline from the 12% expansion the market saw in 2017, but what's key here is millennials make up a sizable portion of these art buyers.

According to the 2019 Hiscox online art trade report, 79% of millennials surveyed said they bought art online more than once in the last 12 months. And perhaps most notably, 23% of those millennials said they had "never bought an artwork in a physical space (e.g. gallery, auction or art fair) prior to buying art online." That's an increase from 18% in the prior year, the survey found.

But, money and sales aside, Taylor sees ArtX as the most important chapter of his entrepreneurial career. It's for the culture. "I really want to do things that are impactful, and change the world in a positive space," Taylor said.

"Art is so valuable to who we are as people," he said, recounting an interview during which the artist George Condo declared art is more important than life, "because at least it lives forever."

Taylor paused for a moment, his normally resonant, youthful voice taking a contemplative tone.

"With this project, this is my art piece. This is something I think I can build successfully, and it's going to help people for a long time after I'm gone."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it takes to be an art auctioneer at the largest auction house in the world

• To see the battery on your AirPods, open your AirPods charging case next to its companion iPhone. The battery life percentage of the AirPods and the charging case will pop up at the bottom of the screen.
• You can also enable a battery widget on your iPhone to quickly view the battery life.
• On your Mac, you can view your AirPods' battery life from your desktop.
• If you don't have your paired device with you, open the AirPod case and check the color of the LED.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Oh, AirPods— probably Apple's greatest invention since the iPhone. They're cordless, convenient, and cool looking. While they definitely up your style game, their super sleek design can make it slightly difficult to determine the battery life and any functionality issues with them.

Thankfully, your AirPods have Bluetooth technology that will display their battery life on a paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Here are three simple ways to check the battery life of your AirPods.

How to check AirPod battery life on your iPhone or iPad

If your AirPods are still in their charging case, you can use the following method:

1. Check that the Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad is turned on. To do that, swipe up from the bottom of your screen and verify that the Bluetooth symbol is blue.

2. Hold the AirPods near to the paired device and open the case.

3. A pop up will appear at the bottom of the screen. It will show the battery life of the AirPods and their case.

If you want to see the battery life while you're wearing the AirPods, you can enable the battery widget on your widget page:

1. On your Home page, swipe to the right right to access your widget page.

2. Scroll down and click "Edit."

3. Find the battery widget and click the green "+" to enable the widget. Click "Done" to save.

4. Now you'll see the battery percentage of your AirPods on the Widget page, as well as the battery percentage of your iPhone and any other connected device (Apple Watch etc.).

How to check AirPod battery life on your Mac

If your AirPods are paired with your Mac, you can view the battery life from the desktop. If you're wearing your AirPods you can view the battery life on screen. If you aren't wearing the AirPods, open the case first.

1. On the upper menu bar, you should see a Bluetooth symbol. Note: If you don't see the symbol you can enable it by opening "System Preferences > Bluetooth" and ticking the box next to "Show Bluetooth in menu bar."

2. Click the Bluetooth symbol and verify that your Bluetooth is turned on. You'll then see your AirPods under "Devices."

3. Hover over the AirPods and you'll see the battery life of your left and right AirPods and the case.

How to check AirPod battery life without using a paired device

If you don't have a paired device with you, you can still get an approximate battery life of your AirPods.

Open the case and check the color of the LED. If it's green, the AirPods are over 50% charged. If it's amber, they're less than 50% charged.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to change your AirPods' name, and make them easier to find in Bluetooth menus

• Your AirPods are not water-resistant — here are a few headphones that are

• How to use AirPods and pair them with almost any phone or device

• How to reset your AirPods and save yourself a trip to the Genius bar

SEE ALSO: The best wireless headphones you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I tried the $1,980 Samsung Galaxy Fold and it's impressive for a first-generation foldable phone, though far from perfect

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Driving to and from work every day is brutal. If there's anything that can make your car commute more entertaining, productive, and safe, it's these 12 products. 
• All that time sitting in traffic passes a lot faster when you have an engrossing audiobook playing, your favorite hot beverage next to you, and a soothing eucalyptus essential oil filling your space. 
• There are also accessories that allow you to access your digital life or keep your tech fully charged, so you can use your time wisely as you drive.

While the frustrations of public-transit commutes are a favorite topic of conversation among city dwellers, we also know that a significant chunk of the population drives to work, and they have their own set of daily-commute troubles to deal with. 

There are pros and cons of driving to work. On the one hand, you have your own private space to do whatever you want and you don't have to interact with other people. On the other, you have to pay more attention to the road ahead of you and stay alert as you putter along at 15 mph in rush-hour traffic. 

These car-commute essentials cater to both the advantages and disadvantages of driving to work, helping you be comfortable in ways that would never be acceptable on a subway train, and stay productive or entertained as you keep your eyes on the road. A few of the recommendations come from road warriors who spend at least an hour each way going to and from their office, so you can trust their well-honed techniques. 

Make your car commute more bearable with these 12 accessories. 

SEE ALSO: This $128 tote converts into a backpack in under a minute — it's the most versatile bag I've ever used

A cup that keeps your morning beverage (or breakfast) warm

Hydro Flask 22 oz. Tumbler, $29.95, available at Amazon | Also available at: REI, Hydro Flask

Since you'll have plenty of time during your drive to sip on your drink, make sure you transport it in an insulated container to enjoy it at its best. Hydro Flask's tumblers are a favorite because they keep your freshly brewed coffee hot for the entire ride. One commuter we spoke to even puts oatmeal in it when she's running late and doesn't have time to eat at home. It has a snug fit in your car drink holder, plus it comes with a press-in lid, guaranteeing a spill-free ride. 

A comfortable cushion to support your back and butt

Purple Simply Seat Cushion, $54, available at Amazon | Also available at: Purple

Sitting for extended periods of time is uncomfortable. Introduce this portable seat cushion to your commute and you almost won't mind sitting for so long. It has a squishy grid design but it feels like you're sitting on memory foam. Best of all, you can carry it out of the car right to your office chair. 

Access to hundreds of thousands of audiobooks

Get your free 30-day Audible trial, plus 2 free audiobooks, here

It can be hard to carve out time to read a book, so your commute is probably the best time to catch up on the best sellers everyone's reading, appreciate the classics from a new angle, or finally dive into that book you keep falling asleep to in bed. Audible offers a huge variety of options, so we dare you to say you can't find a book you like in its library. It's $14.95/month, but the first month is free, so load up on those books. 

A strong phone mount

Koomus Pro Cradle-less Smartphone Car Mount Holder, $19.99, available at Amazon

An LA Insider, Inc. commuter calls this car accessory a "game-changer" because the magnet is strong and doesn't slip, unlike many other mounts. It's cageless, meaning you can simply grab your phone and pop it back on to the holder with one hand. It's safer, stronger, and more convenient. 

Cheap polarized sunglasses to keep in the car

Gamma Ray Polarized UV400 Classic Style Sunglasses, $14.99, available at Amazon

Wearing sunglasses every day while you drive is a great preventative measure to keep your eyes healthy. Nice polarized sunglasses cost a couple hundred dollars, but there's no need to spend that much on a pair that'll just live in your car. This pack contains three pairs for just $15. Your drive will be a lot safer and comfortable without the sun's bright rays shining into your eyes. 

A cool, hydrating facial mist

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Rosewater & Facial Spray with Green Tea Duo, $14, available at Amazon | Also available individually at: Nordstrom, Sephora

Revive your tired skin as you go in and out of work with a quick spray of these popular facial sprays. They contain natural but highly effective ingredients like rosewater, aloe, and herbal extracts that'll hydrate and invigorate your skin as you sit in traffic. If you're one of those talented multi-taskers who manages to do their makeup in the car, it also acts as an excellent setting spray. 

An under-$10 car charger

AmazonBasics Dual-Port USB Car Charger, $8.99, available at Amazon

Insider Picks content producer Danny Bakst likes this two-port charger that can charge two devices at once. 

A phone grip that hooks into your AC vents

Scooch Wingback Universal, $14.99, available at Amazon

He, along with Insider Picks reporter Amir Ismael, also loves Scooch's multi-use phone accessory. "Apps like Waze and Google Maps clue you in to traffic updates and police warnings that could cause delays on your normal commuting route. The Scooch Wingback lets me slide my phone into my car's air vent so that I can safely review alternative directions to my destination at eye level." 

A car-optimized Echo smart device

Echo Auto, $24.99, available by invitation at Amazon

Amazon's Echo Auto helps you keep both hands on the wheel at all times. It connects to Alexa through your phone and plays through your car speakers, allowing you to ask for directions, check the news, listen to music and podcasts, and call your family. You can also be productive away from the office by managing your calendar and making to-do lists. With location-based routines, Alexa can automatically start actions when you leave home or the office. 

A leather steering cover that's more comfortable to grip

Valleycomfy Steering Wheel Cover, $21.99, available at Amazon

This soft and thick genuine leather cover feels great in your hands and is easier to grip than the existing material on your steering wheel. It also looks sophisticated and comes in a variety of subtle, stylish colors. It's especially useful in warmer weather because it's breathable and heat-resistant — no more sweaty hands at the beginning and end of the day. 

A Bluetooth headset for motorcycle commuters

Sena 20S-01 Motorcycle Bluetooth 4.1 Communication System, $199.99, available at Amazon

Insider, Inc.'s resident motorcycle commuter recommends this Bluetooth headset that allows him to listen to directions and his favorite podcasts as he rides. The clear audio blocks ambient noise, and you can control the volume directly by turning the knob on the device. Its multi-tasking tech also lets you hold a conversation while listening to music, radio, or GPS. 

An essential oil diffuser that plugs into a USB port

Gurunanda Natural Mist Pluggy USB Plug-In Diffuser, $24.99, available at Gurunanda

This portable diffuser can be plugged in anywhere with a USB port, including your car. There's no water required. All you do is screw a bottle of your favorite essential oil on top and click the button to control how often the mist is released. Thanks to the soothing scents now filling the inside of your car, you'll be much more relaxed for the duration of your commute. 

• You can easily customize your AirPods through an iOS Settings app — whether you're looking to change the name of your earbuds, or adjust its double-tap and ear-detection features.
• If you've just bought a pair of AirPods and are looking to change its default functions, follow the steps below.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple's increasingly popular AirPods offer more than just wireless listening.

Customizing your AirPods will help you control what happens when you double tap each earbud, whether or not you'd like automatic ear detection on or off, and the ability to give them a unique name.

How to customize your AirPods using your iPhone or iPad

Here's how you can adjust each of those settings through your iOS device, like an iPhone or iPad.

Change what happens when you double tap your AirPods

1. In the "Settings" menu, find "Bluetooth" and tap it. Make sure bluetooth is turned on and your AirPods are connected and in range.

2. Once you locate your AirPods in the list of connected devices, click the "i" icon on the far right. This will open a menu where you will find all the customizable options for your AirPods.

3. Under the "Double-Tap on AirPod" section, choose which AirPod you'd like to customize, whether left or right.

4. Options include launching Siri, playing and pausing the audio, skipping to the next track, rewinding to the previous track. AirPods also have the ability to do nothing — this is useful if you're one to accidentally tap your Pods and want the ability to turn the feature off.

Enable or disable automatic ear detection on AirPods

The automatic ear detection for AirPods is when the pods play or pause audio depending on if in your ear or not. This can sometimes be annoying if you are one to frequently take out your AirPods while talking on the phone or listening to music.

To turn it off, slide it. If automatic ear detection is on, the bar will be green.

Change the name of your AirPods

Find "AirPod Name" and click the arrow on the far right.

Type in what you'd like your AirPods to be called, and press done.

For more information, check out our article, "How to change your AirPods' name, and make them easier to find in Bluetooth menus."

SEE ALSO: 

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The Silo Hotel "might well be the most incredible hotel you ever stay in," according to the Evening Standard.
• The hotel opened in March of 2017 in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront neighborhood, and has since been named one of the best new hotels in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and dubbed a "luxury lair" by Harper's BAZAAR.
• What was once a fully-functioning grain silo and the tallest building in sub-Saharan Africa in 1924 is now home to South Africa's most expensive hotel room— the penthouse costs R151,200 ($10,827.73) per night during peak season. 
• A basic Silo Room will run guests R13,500 ($966.24) during the low season.
• Decorated by Liz Biden— cofounder of The Royal Portfolio group of luxury South African accommodations — the hotel is a mix of contemporary and antique. Heatherwick Studio was tapped to design the $40 million architectural face lift and kept the structure's integrity with high suite ceilings and relatively low square-footage.
• On a recent trip to the Mother City — a popular nickname for Cape Town — I stayed in one of four Family Suites, which would have cost R36,700 ($2,626.73) during the time of my high season visit — the hotel gave Business Insider a reduced rate for the night.
• After exploring the grounds, eating at the hotel's restaurant, enjoying the sunset from its rooftop, and talking to staff, I can definitely see why some travelers would want to spend their money here — and I think it's the right call if you have the means.
• As soon as I stepped into The Silo, there was no question I was in the art-loving, African city. The hotel's unique, Cape Town charm combined with its top-notch level of service made for a fantastic stay. The Silo Hotel exudes luxury and style.
• That said, I've stayed in several hotels in and around Cape Town at varying price points, and I think you can find comparable hospitality, amenities, and Cape Town flair without spending more than $1,000 a night.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

SEE ALSO: We tried 11 McDonald's menu items in South Africa that you can't get in the US. Here are the winners and losers.

SEE ALSO: Enchanting photos show what it's like inside Disney's exclusive Cinderella Castle Suite, where guests can stay by invitation only

The Silo Hotel opened in March 2017 at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront, a tourist hub with a shopping mall, ferris wheel, several high-end hotels and restaurants, and a marina. With around 24 million visitors every year, The Waterfront is the most visited destination in South Africa.

Source: Cape Town Tourism, The Royal Portfolio

Prior to this ultra-luxe makeover, the hotel space was the grain-elevator shaft of an abandoned grain silo from 1924 through 2001. The actual silos now house the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa — a completely separate entity from the hotel.

Source: The Royal Portfolio

Now, at 11 stories tall — including the rooftop — this shaft encompasses 28 suites, a spa, gym, a private art collection, conference rooms, and three eateries.

Source: The Royal Portfolio

Since opening the hotel has made several top hotel lists, and was even a contender for Africa's best new hotel, according to CNN. I decided to try it out on my latest trip to Cape Town to see if it was worth the hype.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler, World Travel Awards, Robb Report, The Royal Portfolio, CNN

This was my third trip to the Mother City — the first time I spent around six months there studying and learning the culture. Because of that, I have a pretty good idea of the little things that make Cape Town special, like its bursting art scene, love for music, and affinity for natural beauty.

Cape Town as a whole — I'm talking really big picture here — is a complicated city with stark divisions of class due to the systemic racism of Apartheid. This has resulted in some mega-luxury neighborhoods, including where all the high-end hotels are located.

Source: fin24, The Guardian, The Washington Post, 

My experience with The Silo is that it's the embodiment of almost everything I love about this city. Unlike my experience visiting some of its price-point competitors, that feeling was apparent to me from the moment I walked into the hotel lobby.

I was around half an hour earlier than I anticipated when booking my stay, but somehow the hotel staff knew who I was before I even introduced myself. They greeted me at my Uber and whisked away some of my luggage — I was left carrying only a few bags myself.

The ground floor has an information desk, a seating area decorated with beautiful works of modern art, and an automatic glass sliding door that was so clean I honestly came close to walking into it several times during my stay.

Because of the museum below and next to the hotel, The Silo reception desk is on the sixth floor. This placement makes for a great view and also added a feeling of privacy and exclusivity from knowing anyone can't just walk in off the street and wander around your hotel.

Stepping off the elevator I walked through a mini boutique toward the front desk. I walked up to staff members laughing with each other, smiling wide at me, and welcoming me into their little crew. It immediately took all the boujiness out of the hotel — you know, until I saw all the rooms — and dumped all the charm right in.

I was offered coffee right away — and since it was 9:30 a.m. you better believe I took it — and got checked in. Sensing my need to be fed, they offered breakfast — again, I'm in — and showed me to the main dining area for the Granary Café.

Alex — my lovely waiter — sat me at a table in the corner. Now, "the corner" may sound weird but in this hotel that means you're drowning in sunlight, nestled in the crux of two oversized, pillowing windows. The windows were a key feature for the redesign, they're meant to glisten like gems from the outside — thanks to the geometric shapes made by the crossing of iron beams — and look like they're ever so slightly inflated.

Source: The Royal Portfolio

Alex brought over a menu, and then said he'd bring over the continental breakfast. So the continental was supposed to be an appetizer? Okay! I was just going with the flow.

But the joke was on me. This was no appetizer, this was a perfectly fine breakfast for two: a carousel-looking sculpture adorned with two servings of flavored yogurt, muesli, sliced fruit, berries, a cheese plate, and smoked salmon.

There was also a basket of baked goods including a koeksister — the Cape Malay spiced breakfast doughnut — and an assortment of jams.

Alex was surprised when I said I wasn't ordering a main breakfast dish, but I was perfectly satisfied.

Another staff member came over to let me know my room was ready so I finished up, thanked Alex, and was escorted upstairs. Typically a guest will be given a tour of the hotel and its facilities at this point, but since my tour was a little more extensive we waited until a bit later.

The hotel had reserved a family suite for me and my guest — it's one of 10 duplexes in the hotel. I walked in and, honestly, I didn't know what to look at first. There was this modern staircase directly in front of me, an eight-person dining table to my left, and art on the walls.

As I walked farther inward I saw not one but two sitting areas, chairs on the balcony, and a mysterious red chest clad with mirroring.

Irene BoaVentura, Duty Manager for the Royal Portfolio Group, explained everything I was seeing, like how the window shades work. Then she opened the red case and revealed the minibar.

I immediately wrote it off as I usually don't lay a finger on the minibar for fear of setting off a trigger that will charge me $100 for a piece of candy. But then she said the word that made me come out of my dream-like state: free. Everything in the bar with the exception of four bottles of hard liquor is free for all guests.

That included two bottles of wine, several soft drinks and water bottles, coffee, tea, fresh lime and ginger root for said free tea, and more. She also pointed out two little snack boxes with "Open Me" tags on them and called them a little surprise for later.

Then we climbed the steps ...

... and she showed me both bedrooms, pointed out all outlets with US compatible plugs, and showed me how to work the blinds in my bathroom.

Irene left me to settle in, and I did just that. I spent the next couple of hours photographing every aspect of the suite and then working on some other projects — it was nice to have six seating options for that!

At around 1:15 p.m. my travel partner arrived from the US and we went on a proper tour of the hotel. Irene had us start with the sixth floor and work our way up. We began at The Willaston Bar ...

... which is one of three dining areas in the hotel. Guests can come to the jewel-toned lounge for early morning coffee, mid-day drinks, or dinner.

There's also an elevated lounge dubbed The Library that hangs over the bar. There are a few bookshelves, chairs, and tables for anyone to sit and look out the windows at Cape Town's centerpiece: Table Mountain.

We moved on to the guest rooms upstairs. Every room is decorated completely differently with their own color schemes, unique pieces of art, and worldly collectibles. Some of the furniture was the same — like the mirrored chest and desk — but appeared in different colorways throughout.

There are two Royal Suites in the hotel. Each suite features two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a living space, and a large balcony.

This is where I noticed the similarities in decoration across suites. Even though the Royal Suite had a different color scheme than my Family Suite, it featured the same mirrored mini bar in a different colorway.

I also got to take a look around the one-bedroom penthouse. At R151,200 ($10,790), this suite is the most expensive hotel room in the country.

Source: Business Insider South Africa

If you've got almost 11 grand to spare, you can spend the night eating a private meal at your 10-seat dining table ...

... watch a movie in your private theater ...

... and enjoy a massage on your in-room spa table.

Every room and space in the hotel was decorated by Liz Biden, co-founder of The Royal Portfolio. She has a specific vision that produces excess in just the right amount.

Source: The Royal Portfolio

Moving through the rooms felt like I was walking through the house of an ultra-wealthy collector with an eye for the extraordinary — a whole lot to look at, yet not too much at the same time. It was very my-speed.

The differences and similarities throughout brought me back to the idea that this hotel is Cape Town elevated. It's an explosion of color and wacky quirks in the most sophisticated way.

Moving onto the roof space we parted ways with Irene and explored the limited seating area ...

... rooftop grill ...

... and the Sky Terrace — an elevated portion of the roof offering a 360 degree view of the city.

Back on the main roof deck level there's a glass-rimmed pool stretching out to the edge of the building. The pool itself is pretty small, but it's big enough for people to take a dip and cool off.

Plus, it's got a super modern feel with translucent siding and and an underwater view from one edge.

I spent the rest of the day's sunny hours working from a chaise with this view. It definitely wasn't a bad way to spend the end of a work week.

The bar had a fairly small snack menu. When it got to be around 4 p.m. we ordered a classic South African snack of biltong and droëwors, — two types of dried meat — which came with truffle chips for R160 ($11.34) — we saw them frying the chips on our tour and knew we had to try them. The dried meat is definitely an acquired taste.

While both are fairly salty, biltong tends to be softer and more moist in the center than droëwors, which are pretty dry throughout. You can get biltong at local shops made with one of several meats — the Kudu is my favorite.

There were a few other people enjoying the pool and rooftop, but not many. As the night started to progress, though, more and more non-hotel residents made their way up.

Hotel staffers told us we had to watch the sunset from the Sky Terrace, but there was a private event happening so we were stuck with the lowly luxury rooftop view — boo hoo.

As a non-resident you can access the rooftop for sundowners — the South African term for sunset drinks — but you should make a reservation as much in advance as possible. James de Villiers, a reporter at Business Insider South Africa, came to join us and was almost turned away because the non-residents section was full. The residents section was basically empty, though.

Because of the geography of Cape Town, there are certain parts of the city that may be just five minutes from one another, but offer completely different views. While The Silo's location wouldn't typically offer views of the sun hitting the horizon line, it's the tallest building in the area, which means we were able to see the sun over the buildings and Signal Hill.

My experience with the culture around sundowners in Cape Town has taught me to sit back and enjoy the view, local wine, and meaningful conversation with friends.

My experience with the culture around sunsets in the US has taught me to contort myself until my phone is in optimal photo-taking position, and talk about Instagram captions with friends. Since I was in mixed company — one friend from the states and another from Cape Town — we did a little bit of both.

There's honestly no shame in the sunset-photo game when the sky looks like this.

The Silo had an extensive wine list, so we picked a merlot from La Bri — one of the oldest wine farms in the Franschhoek Valley, which is part of the Cape Winelands.

Source: La Bri

The sun set at 7 p.m., which meant we had a little under an hour to get ready for our dinner reservation at Granary Café — the hotel's main restaurant. We filled that time by popping our "welcome" bubbly ...

... and making a toast of the complimentary sparkling wine and fruit at our suite's dining room table. The crystal flutes were an appreciated touch that added to the luxury of it all.

When I first arrived at the hotel, the bottle of sparkling wine was in a bucket of ice — which the hotel sets up for all guests — on the dining room table with a welcome note. When we came back from the roof we thought it had been removed from the room since we didn't drink it yet. But of course the staff wouldn't just take it away, — psh! — they actually put it in the refrigerator to keep cold after the ice melted.

While Granary Café is a relatively small restaurant, Irene pointed out that most guests will dine out at one of the city's many world-renowned restaurants. But rest assured, the ones who choose to stay in aren't cheated out of that world-class experience.

Source: Time Out

The restaurant is run by Executive Chef Veronica Canha-Hibbert and its menu was overwhelming. I was so happy James stayed for dinner because that meant we got to try more things — starting with cocktails.

If something says "signature" on the menu there's a good chance I'm ordering it. The Rose Ginvino cocktail had Musgrave Pink Gin, chenin blanc, lime, grapefruit, rose syrup, and egg white. It was refreshing and tart — not sweet at all — and the rose petals put it over the edge as sublime. A drink like this at a restaurant of this caliber would have probably cost $16 in New York — it cost R120 ($8.57).

The true mark of an innovative restaurant is the free bread and butter that comes to the table — I firmly stand by that totally opinionated claim. The Granary Cafe delivered with its roll variety — which included an onion ciabatta — and two different spreads: one tasted like truffle but was actually black garlic butter and the other was a mushroom aioli.

We ordered butternut squash gnocchi and an asparagus dish to start, main dishes of three different proteins including one with springbok — a classic South African game meat — and one dish called Cape Seafood Curry — the flavors were inspired by city's Malay quarter. Other than those two dishes, I didn't taste anything unique to Capetonian cuisine.

We also ordered two desserts for sharing. Of course, we just passed everything around the table anyway. The staff thanked us — and everyone else at the restaurant — for joining them with these complimentary after-dessert desserts.

The food was great, but I understand why guests don't necessarily feel compelled to stay. There are so many unbelievable restaurants in Cape Town, and if you're only in town for a few nights it makes sense to venture outside the hotel.

When we got back to our suite we saw that the cleaning staff had been there — which marked the second time they visited since we checked in. They left cookies on our bedside tables ...

... and they had even straightened up our clothes. They arranged all the grooming accessories my friend had left out onto a towel on her desk. Even her retainer case was lined up perfectly above her hairbrush — the staff's attention to detail was truly amazing.

The bathroom — which was roughly the size of my bedroom in New York City — had a beautiful bathtub situated right up against a pillowing window.

The view from our suite's living room wasn't spectacular — it looked out onto neighboring buildings and was right up against the top of the Zeitz MOCAA museum.

The room above us, though, had a better view that looked down into the Zeitz MOCAA sculpture garden seen here.

But it was still pretty. I wanted to take a bath — especially with the gorgeous vials of bubble juice and bath salts all set up — ...

... but my conscience stopped me. Cape Town has been dealing with a water crisis where "Day Zero" — the date that will mark the day this major coastal city runs out of fresh water — is still a looming possibility.

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider, Business Insider, TIME

Even though the city is no longer in a Level 4 crisis — where water was limited on a scale of 100 liters per person, per day — there are still signs everywhere asking people to be mindful of how much water they use.

Source: Pulitzer Center 

Signs reading "Every drop counts" and "If it's yellow, let it mellow" are all over the city, and luxury establishments are no exception. Hotels also ask guests to re-use their bath towels to reduce the amount of water used for doing laundry.

So I couldn't bring myself to fill up a large bathtub. Thankfully the shower also faced the window so there was no loss on that front.

These signs are proof that even the most luxurious places in Cape Town can't escape some of the obstacles that are part of the reality of life here — which includes more than just the water crisis.

This sign greeted me as I first entered the hotel on the ground floor, letting me know that I wasn't immune to load-shedding — controlled power outages across the country in order to reduce the risk of a nation-wide blackout — here.

Source: Eskom

Read more about load shedding: Business Insider South Africa

Despite the power restrictions, generators kept luxuries like heated towel racks working. The towel racks were a cozy touch, but I learned they were pretty standard across several levels of accommodation in the city.

After getting comfy in one of two different robes hanging in my bathroom, I went to make a before-bed cup of Rooibos tea and was happy to find that the kettle in the minibar was already filled with water! It's the little things like this that brought me back to a luxurious state of mind.

The TV only had a few channels, which didn't bother me too much because I was just looking for some background noise to fall asleep to. But if I was paying R36,700 ($2,627.63) per night on this suite, I think I'd want to be able to find something to watch.

The Silo staff kept stressing how great the sunrise would be from the Sky Terrace, so I set my alarm for 5:45 a.m. I was able to watch the beginning of it from my room — thank you giant, east-facing windows — and then headed to the roof for the rest.

It was definitely spectacular from the height of the Sky Terrace, but walking out to the edge of the harbor would have also been great.

From there I went to check out the spa, the gym — which has a great view of Table Mountain from the machines — ...

... and what's known as The Vault. This is the hotel entrance from the underground garage, and it also acts as a private art gallery — the pieces on these walls are for sale.

I also took a walk around the grounds surrounding the hotel. The immediate area dubbed The Silo District has been built up with some shops, galleries, and trendy signage and sculptures like this SILOVE piece.

And there were people outside enjoying these also-trendy spinning stools.

After working up an appetite, it was time for breakfast. Of course, it started with the continental display again, but Alex also brought us a green juice that was super refreshing.

I decided to try out one of the menu items this time. While I watched the avocado toast go by for the person dining next to us, I thought hummus toast was more of a unique choice. Plus, it was seasoned with Za'atar, which really made my decision.

There was someone checking into our suite later that day, so we had to rush back to the room after breakfast and pack up. Typically I live out of my suitcase when I travel, but there was so much closet space that I hung up my jackets.

As I said goodbye to this suite I could never afford on my own, I thought about whether the hotel lived up to the hype and if I'd spend the money on it if I had the means.

Ultimately, the hotel lived up to its hype thanks to its next-level service, modern-art-museum-like decor that embodies Cape Town, and stunning views that are among the best in Cape Town.

If you're looking to spend upward of $1,000 on a hotel, The Silo is where you should do it. Its bright, colorful, eclectic vibe is truly in line with the spirit of the city, and there's no reason why you should settle for a generic hotel that looks like it could be anywhere in the world.

But, having stayed in six different hotels around Cape Town over the past four years — now ranging from ultra-luxe accommodations to backpacker accommodations — I don't think I'd spend the $2,600 a night it costs for a suite again.

I've stayed in another boutique hotel in the Waterfront with tons of charm, equally exceptional staff, and lovely amenities for closer to $300. So, although The Silo Hotel is beautiful, luxurious, and uniquely Cape Town, I'd rather spend the difference on other Cape Town experiences.

Source: Newmark, The Royal Portfolio

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• We're not shy about advocating for products we love (see: 21 game-changing products we swear by in our everyday lives or The 36 best products we discovered in 2018, to name a couple). 
• But just because we love them now doesn't mean we initially expected to. 
• We had our initial doubts about these 21 products — and you may, too — but in the end, taking the leap of faith proved to be rewarding. 

For better or for worse, preconceptions are built into human nature. As product reviewers, we also fall victim to our own preconceived notions about the items we test. 

Our previous experiences with the brand or with similar products can affect how we approach the latest thing we're testing. Combine that with high standards for quality and general skepticism about a market filled with shoddy products, and we sometimes end up with experiences that surprise us in the best way possible. 

If you're feeling hesitant about trying any of these 21 products, we were once right there with you. Testing them revealed that they were actually quite useful, comfortable, or stylish. They overcame our initial expectations to become some of our favorite products.  

We weren't sure we were going to love these 21 products, but now we know we do: 

A waffle maker that lets you skip a trip to the diner

Krups Belgian Waffle Maker, $54.99, available at Amazon

Read our review of the Krups Belgian Waffle Maker here

I assumed that waffles were one of the few foods I would always have to order at a restaurant, but Krups proved me wrong. Its waffle maker is easy to use, simple to clean, and delivers diner-like results in about 15 minutes. I'm generally skeptical of single-use kitchen gadgets, but this one has earned its place in my small, New York City apartment. —Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks associate editor

A popular facial cleansing brush

Foreo Luna 2 Cleansing Brush, $169, available at Amazon and Sephora

Read our review of the Foreo Luna 2 here

Having tried a few different facial cleansing brushes that never made a difference on my skin, I was expecting the Foreo Luna 2 to be another to toss in the pile. But this best-selling brush really does clean and gently exfoliate your skin effectively. I use it a few times a week to keep my skin soft and glowing, and I also love that it has a long battery life. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

A flask with attached tumblers

High Camp Firelight Flask 750, $99.98, available at Huckberry 

Trying to make a better flask in the 21st century sort of seemed like trying to reinvent the wheel to me. The tried and true hip flask is discrete and holds just enough to get you, and maybe a friend, through a tough social function. But the HighCamp Firelight Flask looked like it would also make a great tea thermos. It comes with two double-walled mugs and holds about 750 ml of liquid; I could take it on a hike, on a kayak paddle, or to the park for a lazy afternoon.

The two tumblers fit elegantly over both ends of the “flask” and stay snug thanks to a little magnetic pull. I used it for tea couple of times, and while some heat passed through the double-walled tumblers, it worked just fine.

Then I filled it with bourbon, took it camping and realized the true beauty of the thing: It’s a decanter on the go. Apart from an O-ring in the lid, it is nothing but brushed, heavy-duty stainless steel. No more shattered bottles or spilled spirits on my adventures.

Yes, at $100 it is an investment, but if you’ve dropped and smashed half as many handles in your travels as I have, you’ll also quickly find it to be the shatterproof bottle of your dreams. —Owen Burke, Insider Picks guides reporter

A sleek electric toothbrush

Electric Brush, $40 + $10 refills every 3 months, available at Quip

Read our review of the Quip Electric Brush here

For years the only factor that went into picking my toothbrush was its color — that all changed when I tried a battery-powered one from Quip. The toothbrush vibrates for two minutes with a short pause every 30 seconds so you know when to move to a different part of your mouth.

The coolest thing about Quip is that it's part of a subscription service. Every three months, the startup will send you a new brush head, which you can attach by popping off the old one, and a battery to replace the old one. It only costs $5 per shipment, and ensures that you can use the same toothbrush for years without compromising your oral hygiene. —Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks associate editor

Soft and flexible flats

The Day Glove, $115, available at Everlane

Read our review of the Everlane Day Glove here

Everlane's shoes are very hit or miss for me, so I'm always skeptical of trying new styles. But the Day Glove, which is a favorite among pretty much every woman on the Insider Picks team, was such a pleasant surprise. They're incredibly comfortable (so much so that I recently ordered a second pair!), require zero break-in time, and they're perfect for work. I've walked miles at a time in them over the weekend, and I wear them to the office all the time. Any shoe that can be worn comfortably and confidently on commutes, long walks, and to important meetings is a winner in my book. —Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

Fluffy makeup towels

Makeup Towels (Pair), $40, available at Weezie

Towels made specifically for one thing — like removing makeup — make me think of the joke that women get sold products made laughably hyperspecific, like lotions for an elbow patch, while men get six-in-one bottles of shampoo that can also clean their car upholstery.

But, these towels are actually really nice to have, and I've bought them for friends since getting them myself. They're soft, my nice towels no longer have black mascara stains, and — I'll admit it — it's kind of fun to have a cute set of matching face towels for my daily routine that I don't hate leaving out. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

A luxury shower cap

Shhhowercap, $43, available at Sephora

Read our review of the Shhhowercap here

$40 seems like a lot to pay for a shower cap, but you'll realize how much better this premium one is after a few uses, and you'll end up using it over and over again. The material is more durable and comfortable than one of those sad and flimsy plastic caps. Water slides right off and the cap dries quickly, and it's held together by a secure, silicone rubber band. Another big and obvious draw is that it's available in a variety of stylish prints. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

Headphones that truly stand out among the many we've tried

Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3, $348, available at Amazon

Read our review of the Sony WH1000XM3s here

I’ve been regularly testing headphones for over three years, which is why I’m always surprised when a pair really stands out. Sony’s WH1000XM3s not only sound excellent, but they offer world class noise-cancelling that turns my commutes, walks, and desk into a silent disco. If you love music, or travel often, this pair of headphones deserves a place in your life. —Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks associate editor

A designer clothing rental membership

RTR Unlimited, $159/month, available at Rent the Runway

Read more about RTR Unlimited here

I'm wary of subscriptions (besides for Scribd, the reading app) because I never seem to get enough use out of them. However, RTR Unlimited is an exception — I shop far less, finally felt comfortable enough to throw out clothes I "might wear someday," and have more fun trying trends I would otherwise never buy. It also makes me feel better about pretty much recycling 90% of my clothes. I'm a full 180-degree convert, though the price is a bit expensive if you're not a frequent shopper otherwise. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

A custom shirt

Custom Shirt, from $85, available at Woodies

Read our review of Woodies custom clothing here and here

My typical criteria for picking a shirt to wear into the office is whether or not it’s clean, but Woodies showed me there’s more to it than that. The startup’s custom-fitted shirts actually make me look (and feel) better than anything I’ve bought off the rack. The shirt’s moisture-wicking, stain-repellent material makes it a good choice for every season, and its timeless colors and patterns will never go out of style. —Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks associate editor

Custom chino pants

Chinos, $79, available at Indochino

Read our review of the Indochino Chinos here

I had heard other people's positive experiences with Indochino, but it wasn't until I tried it for myself, that I really understood why the brand was so loved. I customized two pairs of chino pants and it changed my perspective on tailored menswear as being too finicky. Although you can independently measure yourself (which is made easy with a tutorial online), you can also buy your items online and then go into the store for a professional fitting.

I chose to do the in-store measurements and was met with great attention to detail and the best-fitting chinos I have in my closet. And the best part is that they’re cheaper than most brands that sell off-the-shelf apparel. —Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter

A memory foam pillow infused with essential oils

Blu Sleep Products Essential Oil Pillow, $89, available at Amazon

I was never really looking for a scented pillow, but this green tea infused pillow from Blu Sleep has definitely helped improve the way I sleep. While the scent was intimidatingly strong when I first opened the pillow, it has dissipated to a point that I hardly notice it anymore. Overall, the true benefit of the pillow isn't its smell, but the water-expanded memory foam that perfectly cushions your head and gently cradles you into a night of deep sleep. —Danny Bakst, Insider Picks content producer

An insulated coffee mug

Hydro Flask 12 oz Coffee Mug, $29.95, available at Amazon

Read our review of the Hydro Flask Coffee Mug here

I often get so deeply entrenched in checking emails in the morning that I forget to drink my coffee quickly. This mug has saved me from so many cups of lukewarm coffee I can't even count! It keeps my drinks hot for hours, and I like that it's shaped like a normal mug instead of a travel tumbler — it gives me a sense of separation from my morning commute when I carry an insulated thermos to drink from on the train.  —Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

Sunscreen spray that contains natural fruit essences

Hint Sunscreen Spray (6-ounce), from $7.79, available at Hint, Target, and Amazon

Read our review of Hint sunscreen here

Hint is best known for its healthy fruit-infused waters, which is why I was slightly confused and skeptical when it started making sunscreen sprays. The sunscreen turned out to be highly effective, and it smelled great, too, because it's also infused with natural fruit essences like pineapple and grapefruit. Even better, it's oxybenzone- and paraben-free and uses an environmentally friendly spray method. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

Sneakers that mimic what it's like to be barefoot

Kanna Shoes, $130, available at Vivobarefoot

Read our review of the Vivobarefoot Kanna shoes here

I didn't expect to like anything about shoes built to mimic the natural shape of your foot — the idea was too close to the sort of running foot gloves that suburban dads are always whipping past in.

But, having said that, the Kannas totally won me over. They're stylish, impossibly lightweight, and roll up to the size of a pair of socks so they're pretty effortless to travel with. Now, I rely on them for hot summer days when the idea of shoes is oppressive, for occasional runs, and for travel. AT $125, they became a great buy. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

A piece of tech that will solve all your Internet connectivity problems

Plume SuperPod AC3000 Tri-Band Home WiFi System, $385, available at Amazon

Mesh Wi-Fi routers have been popular for a few years now, but Plume's SuperPods take performance to the next level. In my tests, they've been able to create a Wi-Fi network that offers consistent speeds in a medium sized multi-floor home without breaking a sweat. If you've been suffering with internet dead zones, have lots of devices, or haven't been getting the internet speed you're paying for, I can't think of a better home tech upgrade. —Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks associate editor

A warm sweater

Organic Cotton Quilt Snap-T Pullover, $149, available at Patagonia

Read our review of the Organic Cotton Quilt Snap-T Pullover here

I used to not really understand why people loved Patagonia so much. But once I tried this sweater, I got it, and now you can count me in among their cult following. This pullover is incredibly soft and warm, and it's so cozy that I bought one for my partner, too, which also turned her into a believer. I have a feeling we'll both be wearing ours for the next ... forever. —Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

A personalized pillow

Personalized Pillow, $85, available at Pluto

Read our review of the Pluto Pillow here

I'm always skeptical about products that claim to be personalized, but aren't visibly unique — and the Pluto Pillow is the perfect example of that. The brand uses a short quiz to create custom pillows for your comfort and sleep preferences. I worried that the pillows would end up just feeling like a generic soft or hard option, but much to my surprise, the pillow I received met all of my specific requirements. It's been about seven months since I first got it and it's not worn out and flat like many of the other pillows I've gone through. —Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter

Shampoo that doesn't come in traditional bottles

Ethique Eco-Friendly Solid Shampoo Bar for Normal-Dry or Frizzy Hair, $15.20, available at Amazon

Read our review of Ethique Solid Shampoo Bars here

I have rebellious, dry, reconstruction-of-a-cave-woman hair, and I didn't think eco-friendly bar shampoo and conditioner would stand a chance of hydrating and smoothing it satisfactorily. Plus, we often buy into the idea that "green" products — especially beauty products — require us to look worse in order to feel better about ourselves.

This is not the case. These shampoo bars work well and they last far longer than bottles of shampoo that includes water as one of its ingredients (these are super concentrated). It also doesn't hurt that it's founded by a woman scientist. My only tip is to use less than you think you need — it doesn't lather, so most beginners overdo it. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

A silk memory foam pillow that won't mess up your hair

Night Pillow, $149.99, available at Bloomingdales

Read our review of the Night Pillow here

I've tried many pillows (at one point they consumed 60% of my bed), but my favorite, to my surprise, has been this memory foam one encased in a silk pillowcase. At $150, it's not cheap, but here's why it's worth it: the proprietary, machine-washable TriSilk material keeps your hair smooth and shiny and your face clean while you sleep, the black color won't reflect light back into your eyes, the memory foam is light but supportive, and it has a three year warranty. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

An affordable clay mask

Aztec Secret Clay Mask, $10.95, available at Amazon

Read our review of the Aztec Secret Clay Mask here

This hyped-up $11 mask with over 10,000 five-star reviews that's everywhere from the Sephora beauty blogto vlogs with 1 million plus views is the real deal, but it's definitely a labor of love. What I mean by that is that while the clay mask acts like a vacuum for your pores in the 5-15 minutes that it's on, it also might feel like your face is going to fall off in the duration.

You can find my full review here, but basically, I use it because it noticeably helps the clarity of my skin rather than because it's just a fun addition to a girls' night in. In fact, it really isn't fun to wear — but it works. And the fact that it's $11 and so long lasting that it might outlive me is also a bonus. Pro tip: it's usually a few dollars less if you buy it on Thrive Market (currently $6.59). —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

• One brutal sentence embodies the bleak state of money in America.
• "The bottom half of Americans combined have a negative net worth," Ben Steverman wrote in a recent Bloomberg article.
• This comment was based on the research of the French economist Gabriel Zucman, a "wealth detective" who studies wealth inequality and finds the secret money stashes of the richest people.
• In the US, the rich are getting increasingly richer while the middle class and the poor get poorer.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

One brutal sentence sums up the dismal state of wealth disparity in the US.

"The bottom half of Americans combined have a negative net worth," Ben Steverman wrote in a recent Bloomberg article.

This statement is based on the research of the economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, who study wealth inequality. Zucman is a "wealth detective" who spends hours combing through spreadsheets of tax tables, macroeconomic datasets, and international money-flow calculations to find the secret money stashes of the richest people.

Saez and Zucman's research on wealth inequality also found that 20% of American wealth is controlled by the top 0.1% of taxpayers — or about 170,000 families. The top 1% controls about 39% of the country's wealth, and the bottom 90% holds only 26%, despite years of economic growth in the US overall.

"The pie has not become bigger" in the US, Zucman told Bloomberg. "It's just that a bigger slice is going to the top."

Read more: Nearly half of Americans earning $100,000 or more think they're middle class — and it shows that class in America isn't just about money

These statistics are perhaps not surprising considering how many Americans are weighed down by substantial student debt. Millennials are saddled with more than $1 trillion of student-loan debt, Business Insider's Callum Burroughs previously reported.

And it's not just millennials who are suffering. More than 3 million Americans age 60 and older are still paying off their student loans, INSIDER's Kelly McLaughlin recently reported.

Credit-card debt is also on the rise. More than 40% of US households carry credit-card debt, and the average debt balance is $5,700, according to a 2018 report from ValuePenguin.

And about one-fifth of Americans don't have any money saved up, according to a Bankrate survey.

Economists have been sounding the alarm on the ballooning wealth inequality in the US

Thomas Piketty, a leading French economist and one of Zucman's former professors, has been spotlighting findings from the 2018 World Inequality Report, which he coauthored.

The authors found that while the income of the top 1% of American taxpayers made up 11% of the national income in 1980, it now makes up more than 20% of the country's income.

And the income of the bottom half of Americans, which was 20% of the national income in 1980, has fallen to just 12%.

In other words, the country's rich have been getting increasingly richer while the middle class and the poor get poorer.

Read more: A simple chart shows what some economists consider to be the 'most striking development' in 40 years of the US economy

While wealth inequality has also been rising in Europe, Business Insider's Richard Feloni wrote, "this particular rise of the top 1% paralleling the fall of the bottom 50% is unique to the US."

Politicians such as Bernie Sanders, who has consulted Zucman and Saez's data, and Elizabeth Warren have proposed substantially raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans in order to tackle the vast disparity of wealth in the US. Other solutions suggested by economists include investing in universal childcare and free college, dramatically expanding Social Security, and raising the federal minimum wage.

SEE ALSO: Here's a scientific explanation for why rich people think they're better than everyone

DON'T MISS: A simple chart shows what some economists consider to be the 'most striking development' in 40 years of the US economy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: WATCH: The legendary economist who predicted the housing crisis says the US will win the trade war

Insider Pickswrites about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• I love my hair's naturally wavy texture, but have always been frustrated by the fact that it's frizzy, dry, and prone to breakage. 
• I recently discovered that the root cause of my hair problems is something called "hygral fatigue," which is what happens when the hair cuticle absorbs too much water.
• The four-step Aquis Prime Starter Kit ($49 on Sephora) is the only thing I've found that consistently gives me defined, frizz-free curls since it addresses my hair's underlying issue. The entire brand is built around eliminating symptoms of hygral fatigue and boosting hair health. 

I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. I love its naturally wavy texture, but hate that my "good hair days" are so few and far between. Even though I've tested a lot of products in an effort to transform my frizzy, breakage-prone strands into the thick, defined mermaid waves I know they can be, most of them have been underwhelming.

There's a good reason for that though — I was searching for a solution without first understanding the underlying problem. Which, as it turns out, is something called "hygral fatigue." 

"Hygral fatigue refers to the unpleasant symptoms that occur when hair is repeatedly exposed to water," says Britta Cox, founder of Aquis, a hair-care line focused on strengthening strands against hygral fatigue. At first, the concept may seem a little strange — after all, doesn't all hair need to be "repeatedly exposed to water" in order to stay clean? Well, yes. But that doesn't mean that exposure is healthy.

Think of it this way — "Hair is made of keratin, just like your fingernails," Cox explains. "If you soak your fingernails in water for even a few minutes, they get very soft, pliable, and weak. The same thing happens with your hair when it gets wet." The longer hair is damp, the more likely it is to exhibit markers of hygral fatigue like frizz, breakage, split ends, dullness, and tangles, according to the hair care expert.

Sure, hygral fatigue isn't always to blame frizz and damage, but in my case it was. "Hair that is more porous is even more susceptible to [this issue]," Cox shares, noting that the category of "porous" hair usually includes those that have undergone chemical treatments or regularly use heat tools like straighteners and blow dryers. As Cox says, "Unfortunately, that means most of us."

If you're experiencing any of the above hair problems (like I was), the four-step Aquis Prime Starter Kit ($49 at Sephora) might be the solution you've been searching for, since it goes beyond treating the symptoms and actually addresses the underlying cause of said problems.

The system starts working before you even get your hair wet with the Water Defense PreWash ($29), designed to be spritzed onto dry hair. "It helps hair defend itself from getting waterlogged and weak," Cox explains. The PreWash spray does this by infusing hair with hydrating coconut oil, "which penetrates the hair and helps it repel water, so there is less water to cause damage by stretching and swelling the hair." According to the brand, it's also been clinically proven to reduce cuticle swelling by 25%, and that translates to hair that's less likely to break, split, or frizz.

Next comes the Rebalancing Hair Wash ($26)— a very fancy way of saying "shampoo." The cleanser is sulfate-free, so it doesn't strip strands of much-needed moisture and it's pH-balanced so as not to disrupt the delicate hair cuticle. According to Cox, this means you "can cleanse your hair without causing tangles and frizz."

I've found that to be true in my personal experience as well. My curls tend to get knotty as soon as I lather up, but the Rebalancing Hair Wash has a super-smooth texture that makes my hair soft and manageable. Basically, I can run a comb through it afterwards without running into any snags — and as anyone with thick hair knows, that's a major plus.

But perhaps my favorite step of the Aquis Prime system is step three — the Lisse Luxe Hair Turban ($30). It's straight-up magical, and that's not an exaggeration. (OK, fine, it's an exaggeration, but not by much.)

Aquis' Hair Turbantakes the place of your usual towel and instead of using cotton or terry cloth to absorb moisture, it relies on a synthetic material called Aquitex. "It wicks water away from the hair faster and with less friction than regular towels," Cox explains of the hair-care innovation. "By removing excess water quickly and gently, it helps hair regain its strength." 

While the hair-strengthening part is obviously a big benefit, I've found the turban to be most useful in my routine for a more practical reason — it cuts my drying time in half. Aquitex was inspired by the moisture-wicking technology in athletic wear meaning it "has multi-layer channels built in that transport water quickly from your hair into the fabric," says Cox. It's been shown in brand trials to reduce drying time by 50%. 

In addition, the Aquitex turban dries hair without roughing up the hair cuticle, which is what sometimes happens with towel drying. Because it cuts down on drying time, it can even help eliminate the need for a blow dryer, so long as you're okay with a little air-dry time.

You may have noticed the above equation doesn't involve an in-shower conditioner, which Aquis has strategically left that out of the four-step system. Instead, the brand offers a Restorative Leave-In Mist ($26), a leave-in conditioner that locks in moisture, smooths frizz, and creates "bounce" without weighing hair down.

Admittedly, this part of the process is the most confusing. Haven't we always been taught that conditioner is the key to healthy, shiny hair? Well, Cox has a different take on how to properly smooth and soften strands.

"Typical rinse-out conditioners fill in the gaps of raised cuticles so hair feels smooth, but it's a temporary benefit that only masks hair damage and also weighs down hair," she says, noting that heavy conditioners may also slow the drying process and, in her view, leave strands more susceptible to damage.

As an alternative, Aquis created the lightweight moisturizing mist to be used after washing and drying. "This means less water damage with the added benefit of less weight on the hair, which brings back the natural movement and bounce that makes hair look and feel healthier," Cox says.

As someone with a thick, curly head of hair, ditching the heavy conditioner in favor of a few spritzes of a leave-in felt almost sacrilegious at first. I mean, it goes against everything I thought I knew about hair care. So imagine my surprise when, after testing Aquis' four key products, my hair air-dried into the defined, frizz-free, mermaid waves of my dreams. And not just once either.

I can't say that hygral fatigue is definitely at the root of your personal hair problems or promise that Aquis is the solution for you. What I can tell you is that this system has transformed my relationship with my own hair from "love-hate" to "love-love" because now, every day is a good hair day for me.

Shop the Aquis Prime Starter Kit at Sephora for $49 here 

Shop the Water Defense PreWash at Sephora for $29 here

Shop the Rebalancing Hair Wash at Sephora for $26 here

Shop the Lisse Luxe Hair Turban at Sephora for $30 here

Shop the Restorative Leave-In Mist at Sephora for $26 here

SEE ALSO: The best leave-in treatments for curly hair

Join the conversation about this story »

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• The Fan Convertible Clutch ($225) from work-to-play luxury bag brand Lux & Nyx isn't an ordinary clutch. 
• It has an interior organization system, complete with card slots, zippered pockets, and even straps to secure your makeup essentials for easy access to whatever you need. 
• It can also be worn four different ways, so you'll have a smart and stylish bag option for any occasion or use. 

When I'm out and about, nothing makes me more flustered than rummaging through an unorganized bag to fish out the credit card, lip balm, or document I need — always, of course, as a line of impatient people forms behind me or as I hear my ride approaching.

Using Lux & Nyx's newest bag, the Fan Convertible Clutch ($225), however, has turned me into a cool and collected traveler. 

Lux & Nyx is a work-to-play luxury bag company founded in 2017 that also makes stylish duffels, backpacks, and crossbody bags, but one of its most interesting products is this Fan Convertible Clutch. It has a long half-moon shape, can be worn four different ways, and features a smart interior organization system.

When you unzip it, it lays completely flat. It has six card slots, two small zippered compartments, a passport holder, and two straps for small makeup essentials like lipstick and mascara. 

In between these two sides, you can still store your phone or small notebook. But when you zip the bag back up, it's deceptively slim and simply looks like a stylish clutch. 

Below, you can see how I organized the bag. I loved that it combined a bag and wallet in one non-bulky accessory so I could travel light on my feet without feeling like I had to eliminate anything important. 

It comes with an adjustable strap so you can wear it as a crossbody, belt bag, or wristlet, or you can take the whole strap off and hold it as a traditional clutch. I liked it as a crossbody the most since it felt secure and comfortable and didn't take up a lot of space. 

If you only use the zippered pockets and card slots, you can open the bag all the way without worrying about anything falling out. All of my cards and small essentials stayed put no matter how carelessly I unzipped the bag. However, if you decide to keep your phone in the open space, you need to be more careful about not letting the bag flip open — your phone will crash out onto the ground very quickly. 

The bag is made from a material that Lux & Nyx calls Freedom Fiber leather, which is primarily made from fine microfiber bundles that give it the same look and feel of leather. I'd say the final bag isn't as buttery soft as real leather, but it's still pretty soft for how structured the bag is. It's also water-resistant and easy to wipe off any bits of dust or dirt that inevitably collects as you travel. It's currently available in black, and will be available in more colorful options like fuchsia and yellow in the upcoming weeks. 

With this more sustainable construction that doesn't sacrifice aesthetic, the Fan Convertible Clutch is the perfect intersection of function and style. Not expecting the uniquely beautiful bag to actually be useful, too, many of my friends marveled at its secretly well-organized interior. With it, I knew exactly where I could grab my MetroCard, credit card, or lipstick when I needed it. 

Shop the Fan Convertible Clutch for $225 at Lux & Nyx here

Shop all bags at Lux & Nyx here

Join the conversation about this story »

• The Justice Department has charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with 17 counts, including violating the Espionage Act.
• Assange was indicted over the role he is accused of having in obtaining and disseminating sensitive information pertaining to US national security interests in 2010.
• "Assange, WikiLeaks affiliates and Manning shared the common objective to subvert lawful restrictions on classified information and to publicly disseminate it," the document said, referring to the former US army analyst Chelsea Manning, who provided the documents.
• Assange was previously charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in April, and he has been charged with a total of 18 counts so far.
• Assange and WikiLeaks were also central to the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Department of Justice on Thursday indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with 17 new criminal counts, including violating the Espionage Act.

The DOJ has been investigating Assange since 2010 for the role he is accused of having in obtaining and disseminating sensitive information pertaining to US national security interests, and Thursday's indictment was not entirely unexpected.

"Assange, WikiLeaks affiliates and Manning shared the common objective to subvert lawful restrictions on classified information and to publicly disseminate it," the document said, referring to the former US army analyst Chelsea Manning, who provided the documents.

The new charges were part of a superseding indictment returned by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Assange was previously charged by the DOJ in April with one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, bringing the total number of criminal charges against him up to 18.

Thursday's indictment accused him of conspiracy to receive national-defense information, obtaining national defense information, and disclosure of national-defense information. Prosecutors alleged, among other things, that Assange published US State Department cables that included the names of human sources in Syria, Iran, and China. He is also accused of publishing reports that endangered the lives of local Afghans and Iraqis.

"It was explicitly stated in the State Department cables that the identity of sources was to be protected," a DOJ official told reporters on Thursday. "Assange was warned by the State Department not to release the names but he did so nevertheless."

April's indictment, meanwhile, alleged that Assange helped Manning hack a password on a classified Pentagon computer.

In a statement after the first indictment was unsealed, the DOJ said the charge against Assange is connected to the role he is accused of having in the 2010 release of thousands of pages of classified US government documents and videos related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The government characterized the leak as "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States."

"Manning, who had access to the computers in connection with her duties as an intelligence analyst, was using the computers to download classified records to transmit to WikiLeaks," the statement added.

"Cracking the password would have allowed Manning to log on to the computers under a username that did not belong to her. Such a deceptive measure would have made it more difficult for investigators to determine the source of the illegal disclosures," it said.

Assange had been living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London under asylum since 2012.

But in April, British authorities arrested Assange after the embassy withdrew its protection. Shortly after, the DOJ indicted him on the hacking charge.

Assange and WikiLeaks were at the center of the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election.

In an indictment charging 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking into the Democratic National Committee and disseminating stolen emails, Mueller's office mentioned WikiLeaks — though not by name — as the Russians' conduit to release hacked documents via the hacker Guccifer 2.0, who is believed to be a front for Russian military intelligence.

WikiLeaks touts itself as an independent organization, but US intelligence believes the group to be a propaganda tool for the Kremlin. Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo also characterized WikiLeaks as a "non-state hostile intelligence service."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: White House photographer Pete Souza reveals what it was like to be in the Situation Room during the raid on Osama bin Laden

• Your iPhone comes with an audio recording tool that can help you record, edit, and playback long clips of recorded sound.
• The Voice Memos app is easy to use and makes sharing recorded audio simple as well, making it an excellent tool for collaboration or sharing with friends.
• There are also myriad iPhone apps available for purchase that offer even more advanced audio recording and sound edition features.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A couple weeks back, I interviewed the host of a nationally syndicated radio show and podcast (Francis Lam of American Public Media's "The Splendid Table"). We had a two-hour lunch in a restaurant where music and noisy chatter filled the space, yet still I could hear every word he and I had spoken with perfect clarity on the recording I used to help me write a profile on the host.

The recording equipment I used? Nothing more than my iPhone and the Voice Memos app that came preloaded on it.

If you're wondering how to use the Voice Memos app on an iPhone to record notes, meetings, yourself singing in the bathroom, or any other audio, you'll have it mastered in just a few minutes. The app is straightforward and easy to use once you know the few steps.

Just a quick note before we dive in: while the Voice Memos app lets you make surprisingly high quality recordings of the sounds around the phone, what the Voice Memos app won't let you do is record a phone call. But that may be a blessing in disguise, as recording conversations can lead to a litany of legal issues, though there are several quality paid apps you can use to record calls on an iPhone should you need to. 

And for more advanced audio recordings, particularly those geared toward the production of music, podcasts, and the like, you might try Garageband for iPhone, which singer-producer Steve Lacy famously used to record a track for Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning 2017 album "DAMN."  

How to record audio on iPhone with the Voice Memos app

1. Locate the Voice Memos app, which may be in your phone's Extras folder; it says "Voice Memos" under it and has an image of an audio graph.

2. Launch the app, and note the large red circle at the bottom. When you tap that, a recording will commence at one.

3. To stop recording, tap the red square at the bottom of the phone.

And as far as the basics go, that's it — that's how you record audio on your phone. But there are a few other things to explore within the Voice Memos app.

How to edit and export an audio file on Voice Memos 

To rename a recording, tap the word "New Recording 1" (assuming this is your first) and type in a name.

To add more to your recording after you stopped it, tap the three blue dots beside it, then hit "Edit Recording." Scroll to the end of the timeline, hit "Resume" to recommence the recording. Just be sure you scrolled to the end, or you will be replacing audio rather than adding more to the end. You can also crop the edges of the audio file through  the same "Edit Recording" feature. 

To share an audio recording, exporting it to apps or sending it to others, again tap the three blue dots beside a recording and click "Share..." to open sharing options. 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech: 

• How to record a phone call on your iPhone using third-party apps

• How to set up call forwarding on an iPhone through any major phone carrier

• How to edit videos saved on your iPhone

• How to leave a group text on iPhone or mute its notifications when you're tired of them

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

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This startup turns 100 non-recyclable plastic bags into a high-end Bluetooth speaker

• If you're annoyed by that fake shutter sound your iPhone makes every time you take a picture, there are several ways to silence it.
• When the Live Photos option is activated in your Camera app, the shutter sound will automatically deactivate.
• While there is no specific setting for turning off an iPhone's camera sound, you can switch the ring/silent switch on the side of your iPhone to silent (and in so doing, silence your camera as well).
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The fact that you can't simply switch off your phone's camera shutter noise is one of the few galling oversights in the design of the iPhone.  

Through your iPhone's settings, you can silence the annoying faux click of keyboard keys of your typing, you can turn off the lock noise, but when it comes to the camera, there's no setting for silencing phony "ka-ching" noise every time you snap a picture.

The good news is that there are two workarounds that allow you to turn off the shutter noise on an iPhone camera. So whether you're simply annoyed by the iPhone camera sound or you need to snap some photos on the sly, the power is in your hands.

How to turn off the camera sound on an iPhone with Live Photos

If you use the Live Photos feature — the option to make each picture a seconds-long mini video with audio — the shutter noise is automatically silenced. (Note that you can only take Live Photos on iPhones starting with the 6S and newer.)

To turn Live Photos on, launch the Camera app. If you see several concentric yellow circles atop the screen, it's already on. If you see a series of white concentric circles with a slash through them, it's off. Tap those white circles to enable it.

Keep in mind, however, that Live Photos take up a lot more room than still photos.

How to turn off the camera sound on an iPhone with the ring/silent switch

If the ring/silent switch on the side of your iPhone is switched to silent, so too will your camera's shutter sound be silenced. Just flip the physical switch on the left hand side of the phone down (or away from you on older models), revealing the orange color behind it, and you will have turned off the camera noise. But of course, your ringer is now silenced as well.

SEE ALSO: How to stop robocalls and other spam calls from reaching your iPhone

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 9 simple ways to protect your data that don't take much time, but could have huge security benefits

• The 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison is the hardest of hardcore offroading pickups from the bowtie brand.
• The Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison has about $6,000 of upgrades from American Expedition Vehicles, all designed to improve the pickup's ability to go where no midsize pickup has gone before.
• The offroading extras are probably too much for most weekend warriors — they'll do fine with the regular ZR2. But for a tough, tough truck, the ZR2 Bison is remarkably easy to live with day to day.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Once you get into offroading, you invariably start to look for bulletproof vehicles capable of handling any terrain. 

When it comes to midsize pickups, a versatile choice, few are more bulletproof than the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, an upgraded version of Chevy's already robust Zr2. The Bison trim went on sale in early 2019.

Although the Bison is brilliant, it does raise a question: "Can a pickup that's this ready for rock-busting deal with everyday life?"

I set out to answer that question when Chevy let me borrow the truck for a week. I didn't have a choice, and proper offroad testing is somewhat outside our capabilities at Business Insider. But I have no difficulty dropping kids off at school and making weekend runs to rescue houseplants from relatives.

Here's how it went down:

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Say hello to the Bison! The 2019 Chevy ZR2 Bison, to be precise. In a "Red Hot" paint job — truth in advertising, by the way — this test truck stickered at $49,745.

The Bison wasn't our first ZR2. We tested the slightly less hardcore regular ZR2 last year.

Read the review.

We also spent some time with the performance-oriented Colorado Z71.

Read the review.

Our Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison tester came with a crew cab and a short box.

It was nearly identical to the previous ZR2 I sampled, at least on the outside.

One major difference was the front grille treatment. The Bison carries the proud Chevrolet name, while ...

... The previous truck rocked a big ol' Chevy bowtie badge, chrome-edged gold.

So what makes a ZR2 Bison a member of a special herd of pickups? Basically, it comes down to a collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles, a Montana-headquartered company with close ties to Detroit.

"For maximum protection of key undercarriage elements while driving over rocky, jagged terrain, Bison features five skid plates covering the engine oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and front and rear locking differentials," Chevy explained when the new ZR was launched.

"Designed by AEV, these skid plates are constructed of hard, durable hot-stamped Boron steel. AEV-designed stamped steel front and rear bumpers further shield the truck from obstacles. The front bumper contains winch provisions and standard fog lights, with recovery points integrated into the rear bumper."

The upshot here is that while the ZR2 is extremely capable, the ZR2 Bison is capable and then some. If you spend your spare time busting over rocks, climbing hills, and fording rivers — in other words, if you consider pavement something for the weak — then you'll be interested in what the Bison spec has to offer. 

Effectively, the ZR2 Bison is a Colorado ZR2 with an armor-plated underside. Hot-stamped Boron steel! That sounds pretty impressive.

The ZR2 also has locking front and rear differentials and some other offroad goodies; the Bison upgrade adds about $6,000 in extras, including some rather stout-looking floor mats.

The AEV shout-out is genuinely modest, given how robust the modifications to the ZR2 are.

The rear liftgate gets the Colorado V6 badging and the blacked-out bowtie from the Z71.

So, how about that bed? Well, it's as versatile as you'd expect, even if it's a short one (which actually helps with offroading, making the ZR2 Bison easier to handle). I made a long run from New Jersey to the East End of Long Island to fetch a pair of houseplants. As you can seem, I had plenty of room for a hammock, too.

These tires aren't messing around. They also aren't the best from highway cruising, but they weren't outrageously rough or noisy in my testing.

Look behind the rear wheels and you'll find Multimatic offroad-ready DSSV shocks, a leaf-spring suspension, and a full-size spare.

Getting into and out of the lifted ZR2 Bison is tricky. There's no step, but there is a steel tube, designed to provide some assistance without being a mud-magnet or a component that could get ripped off by a boulder.

Let's take a look at the engine!

The 3.6-liter V6 is all motor — no turbos. The engine makes 308 horsepower with 275 pound-feet of torque. A turbocharged four-cylinder, 2.8-liter mill is available, making 181 horsepower but a juicy 369 pound-feet of rock-crawling torque.

My tester sent the power through a stout eight-speed automatic. This combo yields less-than-great fuel economy: 16 mpg city/18 highway/17 combined. My jaunt to Long Island plus a week driving about town meant that I had to top off the tank at least once.

You want old school? How about an ignition key?

Like the ZR2, the ZR2 Bison has a nice — but not overly premium — interior. My tester's was "Jet Black." Front seats were heated, as was the steering wheel.

The infotainment system runs on an eight-inch touchscreen. It lacks map-based navigation features, but it can provide OnStar turn-by-turn directions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. Bluetooth connectivity is a snap, and there are USB/AUX ports for devices. The pickup has 4G LTE WiFi, too.

So what's the verdict?

In my review of the non-Bisonized ZR2, I wrote, "You can sort of think of the ZR2 as a less intense, junior-ized version of the Ford Raptor or the Chevy Silverado Z71."

And I added: "Not that it isn't intense on its own. I think the smaller size and sportier demeanor would quite a lot of fun to take to the desert, maybe more so than bigger and far more powerful high-test pickups."

The ZR2 Bison is the midsize equal of the Raptor — a sort of Raptor junior, with the most extreme offroad market for midsizes to itself until Ford brings out a Raptoradelic version of the new Ranger.

Obviously, I didn't rock-crawl or even get off the pavement in my tester pickup, so I have to give the folks at AEV the benefit of the doubt and suggest that their mods would serve ZR2 owners well. 

So how does the ZR2 Bison function for more mundane duty? 

Like the Raptor, it handles freeway cruising and errand-running quite well. Climbing in and out is a pain, and the MPGs are woeful, but you have excellent small pickup versatility to go along with the offroading cred — and the ZR2 comes with enough creature comforts to take the edge off the truck's rougher demeanor.

The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, a major ZR2 and ZR2 Bison rival, can't give you this. The Taco is a challenging truck to live with when you aren't busting through uncharted territory. Awesome, to be sure, but also uncompromising.

That's a good thing for ZR2 owners. But what about ZR2 Bison folks?

Well, comfort is an added perk. But then again, people who drop the $6,000 extra are likely to spend more time offroad in their ZR2 than on pavement. If you're trying to make a choice, be real: the ZR2 is plenty of truck for folks with day jobs that don't entail daily dirt and jagged rocks.

The bottom line is that right now, Chevy and Toyota offer the most comprehensive lineups of midsize pickups. And in Chevy's case, the brand has really taken the lead in reviving the segment. If you're a serious offroader and you thought Toyota was the only small pickup in town, I've got news for you: the bowtie brand can loosen up and take to the trails — and then some.

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• The Insider Picks team has tested and researched dozens of mattresses, and the Leesa Hybrid Mattress and the Leesa Memory Foam Mattress are the best mattresses you can buy because they suit all sleeping styles. 
• Currently, readers can take 15% off their entire order with the code "BUSINESSINSIDER" at checkout. If your order includes a mattress, you'll also get two free pillows. 
• Check out 14 other Memorial Day mattress sales that are already happening now.

Thanks to the increasing number of people who want to be able to shop online in their pajamas, there is no shortage of direct-to-consumer companies, and a healthy percentage of them are mattress startups. Why? Because you don't have to go lay down on 15 beds while an attendant hangs around to see which suits your sleep style best, there's usually no crazy delivery fee, and you get to try it out in your home without any pressure for 100 nights (as the new industry standard goes). So really, why not?

There are a lot of great direct-to-consumer mattress options to consider, and Leesa Sleep is one of them.

Leesa also happens to be running a Labor Day sale right now — making their already accessible prices even better. Right now, Business Insider readers can get a new mattress for up to $235 off its original price, which is $10 more than what's being offered on Leesa's site. 

Currently, you can save 15% on your entire order with the code "BUSINESSINSIDER" at checkout. If your order includes a mattress, you'll also get two free pillows.

We've covered both the company's bread-and-butter Leesa mattress (full review here) as well as its luxury option, the Leesa Hybrid (full review here), in our best mattress buying guide, but the break down is pretty simple:

• The Leesa Mattress: is engineered with three premium foams for cooling, body contouring, and pressure-relieving core support. Queen Size: $845 (normally $995) [You Save $150]
• The Leesa Hybrid Mattress: combines Leesa's premium foam layers with pocket-spring coils for superior support. Queen Size: $1,440 (normally $1,695) [You Save: $255]

The company itself has done well even in a saturated direct-to-consumer mattress space thanks to an excellent customer service model and give-back program, and of course, its universally comfortable mattresses. Leesa claims its mattresses can comfortably accommodate all body shapes and types of sleepers, and that, because of its original design, you don't have to choose between a firm or a plush mattress.

Skip the awkward showroom, get your mattress delivered to your door, and spend 100 nights risk-free trying it out. No pressure. Especially considering Leesa's heavy Memorial Day markdown, if you're looking for a new mattress, you might want to check out Leesa's options right now.

Get 15% off your entire Leesa order with the promo code "BUSINESSINSIDER".

If you're interested in learning more before committing to a Leesa mattress, these guides will help you out: 

• The best mattresses you can buy
• The best mattresses for side sleepers
• The best mattresses for back pain
• The best foam mattresses
• The best air mattresses
• The best mattress toppers
• The best mattress protectors

Join the conversation about this story »

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• A beach chair is of the utmost importance in ensuring that you have a comfortable day at the beach or any outdoor event.
• The RIO Brands 5-Position Lay Flat Beach Chair is the best beach chair for most people because it's affordable, comfortable, easy to transport, and can recline in five different positions.

When I was a kid, I thought beach chairs were for old people. When it was time to stake out my sand territory, I happily spread out my colorful, oversized beach towel and never thought twice about sitting up. As an adult, I would never spend a day on the beach without a chair. It's absolutely necessary for comfort and for keeping my drink of choice upright and sand-free.

Of course, beach chairs have changed a lot since my childhood. Not only are there more lightweight options, but today's chairs are packed with fun accessories like drink holders, insulated cooler pouches, pockets, attached umbrellas, and much more. In addition, many of them can be transported on your back or over your shoulder.

We've researched to find the best beach chairs you can buy. Our top picks range from simple chairs to special ones with built-in umbrellas or coolers.

Here are the best beach chairs you can buy:

• Best overall: RIO Brands 5-position Lay Flat Beach Chair
• Best with a cooler: Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair
• Best reclining chair with an umbrella: Sport-Brella Recliner Chair
• Best beach mat chair: Picnic Time Beachcomber Portable Beach Mat
• Best quad beach chair: Coleman Oversized Quad Chair with Cooler
• Best backpack chair: ONIVA Fusion backpack chair

Updated on 5/23/2019 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, and formatting.

Keep scrolling to read more about our top picks.

SEE ALSO: The best beach umbrellas you can buy

The best beach chair overall

Affordable and easy to carry, the simple yet sturdy RIO Brands 5-Position Lay Flat Beach Chair will keep you comfortable all day long.

Founded in 1947, RIO Brands focuses on creating beautiful beach and backyard furniture. Made of durable 300-denier polyester and a lightweight, rust-proof aluminum frame, the RIO Brands 5-Position Lay Flat Beach Chair is built to last. It's also built for comfort. Five positions, including a flat position ideal for tanning (or napping!), means you can adjust throughout the day for the perfect lounging mode. The armrests have a no-pinch feature.

The Rio 5-Position is also easy to transport. It's lightweight at 6 pounds, foldable, and comes with an adjustable padded shoulder strap for easy carrying.

There are more than 300 reviews on Amazon, most of which are very positive with an average of 4.1 out of 5 stars. One customer says, "Love this chair! Lightweight, easy to carry, and so comfortable! Even my pup loves it!"

Some buyers complain that it is difficult to get out of the chair, and many others add that they wish it came with a drink holder. If you want a drink holder, you should check out our other picks. The chair comes in more than 15 different colors and patterns, including single-color favorites like Pacific Blue and Turquoise, as well as stripes and tropical themes.

Across the web, professional reviewers, including those at The Strategist and Faveable, consider Rio's chairs among the best for beachgoers.

Pros: Lightweight, affordable, sits close to the ground, durable fabric and frame, carrying strap, attractive designs

Cons: Some people say it is hard to get out of the chair

Buy the RIO Brands 5 position lay flat Beach chair on Amazon starting at $36.74 (pricing varies by style)

The best beach chair with a cooler

The attractive and comfortable Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair is lightweight, easy to adjust, and holds everything from your phone to a six-pack of Coke.

Carry this lightweight chair on your back with comfortable padded straps? Check. Cooler? Yes. Cup holder? Of course. This five-position Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair has all the features you could possibly want in a beach chair.

It allows you to lay flat and comes with a built-in adjustable pillow for extra comfort throughout the day. Two large storage compartments keep you organized. One is insulated to keep your food and drinks cool, too. The contour molded armrest has a hanging cup holder, as well as a phone compartment. A folding towel bar on the back of the chair allows you to easily dry your towels and wet clothes.

The chair is lightweight and its rust-proof aluminum frame is enhanced with durable 600-denier polyester and can hold up to 300 pounds. The chair's back is made of canvas.

There are more than 700 buyer reviews on Amazon with an impressive average of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Buyers love the comfort, convenience, and attractive aesthetics of the Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair.

One verified buyer summed it up nicely: "This chair is perfect! It is super light to carry, yet extremely sturdy. It is comfortable and has lots of nice features. The non-insulated pocket on the back is quite useful for carrying sunscreen, cell phone and keys as it zippers closed so you don't have to worry about dropping your valuables as you walk. …. The insulated pocket is perfect to keep a few cold drinks or snacks in. It kept my drinks pretty cold even without the addition of ice. The reclining feature is easily adjusted, unlike others I've had in the past. Everyone in my family wanted this chair comfort and convenience."

Across the web, professional reviewers, including those at Wirecutter, My Wild Earth, and Beach Giraffe tout the many benefits of buying the Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair, as well as similar Tommy Bahama chairs.

Pros: Lightweight, 5-positions, zippered storage compartments, insulated cooler that can hold up to 7 12-oz cans, adjustable pillow, easy to carry

Cons: Some users claim that the fabric rips apart easily

Buy the Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair on Amazon for $49.99 and up (price varies by color and pattern)

The best reclining beach chair with an umbrella

The Sport-Brella Recliner Chair comes with a swiveling umbrella, as well as insulated cooler and drink pouches.

Sit up, lay back, or nap. You can get comfortable in three different positions with the Sport-Brella Recliner Chair. The chair's umbrella has a 50+ UPF rating to protect you from the sun and a metallic underside to deflect heat. The umbrella is versatile, too. Not only can you attach it to either side of your chair, but it swivels into three different positions to ensure you are always in the shade.

The chair has a built-in insulated pocket that holds up to four drinks, a cup holder, and a zippered storage pocket that has a built in a bottle opener. The lightweight stainless steel frame can support up to 250 pounds.

There are more than 1,400 buyer reviews on Amazon. Reviews are mostly positive with an average of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Some Amazon buyers wrote that they wished the umbrella was bigger and that it stood up to wind better, though.

Pros: Detachable footrest, ample storage, insulated storage, cup holder, detachable and adjustable umbrella, lightweight

Cons: Some users say the umbrella is flimsy

Buy the Sport-Brella Recliner Chair on Amazon for $50.99-$59.99

The best beach mat chair

It's easy to chill out on the chic and comfortable Picnic Time Beachcomber Portable Mat.

The Picnic Time Beachcomber Portable Mat makes fun in the sun simple. The lightweight mat is constructed of durable polyester and features a sturdy steel frame with a fully padded body, while an adjustable reclining backrest allows you to stretch out. 

An oversized zippered pocket holds everything from a magazine to your keys and cell phone. When it's time to go home, simply fold it up (it reduces down to a 21.3 x 2.8-inch package), adjust the shoulder strap, and carry it off. The Picnic Time Beachcomber Portable Map is covered by a lifetime guarantee in case you run into problems.

The mat has an average 4.1 out of 5 stars from Amazon customers have highly positive with the average number of stars coming in at an impressive 4.5 out of 5. Amazon buyers praise the mat's comfort and ease of use.

"We were able to fit two of these in a large suitcase with no problem at all. They were easy to carry to the beach on our bicycles and much more comfortable than sitting on the beach without back support," wrote one verified buyer. Some Amazon customers complain that the chair is smaller than it looks in photos and that it blows around easily in the wind. 

Pros: Lightweight, easy to transport and set up, padded and durable polyester

Cons: Blows around in the wind

Buy the Picnic Time Beachcomber Portable Beach Mat on Amazon for $36.99 and up (price varies by color)

The best quad beach chair

The extra-roomy Coleman Oversized Quad Chair with Cooler is so comfortable and sturdy, it will become your new best beach friend.

The versatile Coleman Oversized Quad Chair will help you relax whether you're deep in the woods, on the sidelines of a sporting event, or watching the waves at the beach. Made of durable polyester mounted on a heavy-duty steel frame that supports up to 300 pounds, this chair also has adjustable rest heights. But it's the beverage holding capabilities that make this chair worthy of a toast. A built-in armrest cooler holds up to four cans, while a mesh cup holder stores one more.

A large storage pocket and another small mesh pocket — perfect for keys and cell phones — are also included. When you're ready to go home, fold up the chair and put it in the carry bag for easy transport and storage. The chair comes with a limited one-year warranty.

There are over 5,000 user reviews on Amazon, most of which are highly positive, with an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Buyers regularly praise the wider width of the seat, as well as the overall sturdiness of the Coleman Oversized Quad Chair.

One customer wrote, "I was looking for a chair that would be easy to carry, strong enough to hold me and with at least one little accessory. My husband and I are both big people, and I needed a chair that would hold us, sitting upright, and not low to the ground so we can sit comfortably and watch our grandkids' ball games (we are pushing 60 and overweight). This chair is very comfortable … These chairs are great; I'm so glad I ordered two."

Several Amazon buyers claim that it is very difficult to get the chair back into the carry bag, while some say it breaks quickly. Still, dissenters make up only 7% of the customer reviews.

Pros: Extra-wide seat, very sturdy, holds four cans in insulated cooler, drink cup, folds up

Cons: Some users claim that the chair breaks quickly

Buy the Coleman Oversized Quad Chair with Cooler on Amazon for $26.21 and up (price varies by color)

The best backpack beach chair

The Oniva Fusion backpack chair by Picnic Time has a table, cooler, and pockets built in so you have everything you need for a day on the beach.

One major problem we all encounter with beach chairs is that we have to carry them. A four-way folding chair eliminates some of the problems with a shoulder strap, but the Oniva Fusion backpack chair has backpack straps that fully free your hands to carry the mountain of other gear you've foolishly, unnecessarily lugged out to the beach — if you're anything like me, that is.

If not, then you can easily manage to fit just about everything you need for a day at the beach into this all-in-one chair because it comes equipped with a side table, cooler, and pockets galore.

What's also great about the Oiva Fusion by Picnic Time is that you can toss in another $30 or so and get a 5.5-foot attaching umbrella, and if you want to ditch the cooler for a day, it's easily removed and reattached.

A couple of Amazon reviewers remarked on the seat's fabric tearing, but even that didn't ruin the chair for one of them. — Owen Burke

Pros: Storage galore, detachable cooler, table, easy to carry

Cons: Doesn't recline, fabric may be on the thin side

Buy Picnic Time's Oniva Fusion backpack chair on Amazon for $85.99 and up

Buy Picnic Time's Outdoor Canopy Sunshade Umbrella on Amazon for $29.95 and up

What to look for in a beach chair

The frame of the chair may be steel, aluminum, or wood. Meanwhile, the chair's seat may be made from marine-grade canvas, polyester, nylon, or cotton. For durability, you should aim for a denier strength (a measurement of fabric thickness and weight) between 420D-600D. Beach chairs typically support weights ranging from 225 to 400 pounds.

If you plan on transporting the chair, you will want to select one that can be carried easily. Some beach chairs fold in half vertically or horizontally, while others fold into three sections. Look for chairs with an attachable sling shoulder carry strap, a separate carry bag with strap, or backpack style carry straps.

Check out our full beach gear guide

The best beach gear you can buy

Summer is a great time to get outside and hit the beach. We've rounded up the best beach gear of all kinds so you don't have to waste precious time indoors looking for good beach gear.

Whether you need a beach umbrella, towel, chair, cooler, grill, toy set, or sunscreen, we have a pick for you.

Click on a link to jump to a topic:

• Best swimsuits and swim trunks
• Best sunglasses and sun hat
• Best beach sandals
• Best sunscreen
• Best beach towels
• Best beach blanket and mat
• Best beach chair
• Best beach umbrella and tent
• Best water bottle, wineskin, canteen, and mug
• Best coolers
• Best picnic baskets
• Best grilling gear
• Best beach toys
• Best beach cart and bag

• Your iPhone can turn on a "Personal Hotspot," or an internet access point, anywhere you have decent cellular service, enabling other devices to get online through your phone.
• The iPhone's personal hotspot can give online access to other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or even a hard lined connection via USB cable.
• Using an iPhone's hotspot to grant other devices internet access can rapidly burn through data, so use the function sparingly if you want to save data.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The most amazing thing about a smartphone is how easily it connects to the internet. From anywhere on the planet with a cell signal, you can connect to the world via email, apps, YouTube, and more, and you can enjoy millions of different websites, videos, music, and every other kind of media out there.

When you have an iPhone, another amazing aspect is its ability to allow other devices to connect to the internet as well. The Personal Hotspot feature allows you to connect other internet-ready devices to the web via your phone's cellular connection.

How to turn on Personal Hotspot on an iPhone

1. Launch the Settings app.

2. Scroll down to and tap on "Personal Hotspot."

3. Tap the switch at the top to toggle your hotspot on.

Your phone is now broadcasting a a Wi-Fi signal that other devices can connect to. An auto-generated password will be displayed beside "Wi-Fi Password." You can tap that password to change it if you'd like.

How to access and use your iPhone's Personal Hotspot with another device

Now, on the device that you want to give internet access to, navigate to your respective Wi-Fi menu. On another iPhone or iPad, this will be in the Settings menu. On a Mac computer, it will be in the right side of the menu bar at the top of your screen. On Windows, it will be in the right side of your taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

You should see the name of your iPhone beside two interlocking rings, or a regular Wi-Fi symbol. Click there, and enter the password from your phone when prompted. In a few moments, your device will connect, and you'll be online.

To connect to the web via your iPhone using Bluetooth, pair the device in question with your phone.

You can also plug your phone directly into a computer (or another device with a USB port) to provide internet through a wired connection. Select the name of your iPhone from the list of networks offering internet access.

And a quick pro tip: if you want to bump anyone off your hotspot without turning off the hotspot altogether, change the password. It will kick anyone using the connection off and you'll just have to enter the new password.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to lock your iPhone with a passcode and make it 'virtually impenetrable' to strangers — from your phone or remotely, if it's lost or stolen

• How to restore your iPhone from a backup after taking the 'nuclear option' of a factory reset

• How to backup an iPhone to iCloud, your computer, or an external hard drive

• 'Why won't my iPhone turn on?': 3 ways to troubleshoot an iPhone that won't restart

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

Join the conversation about this story »

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