Product recommendation megathread!

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > Product recommendation megathread!

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Sgs-Cruz posted:

So I'll kick it off with three recommendations:

Travel mug: the best travel mug in the world (I know this, I've tried all of them) is the Contigo Autoseal. Costs about $20 (USD) for a two-pack at Costco, but available lots of places. Thing keeps my coffee hot for 3�4 hours and has a button you push to drink from it, so if you ever knock it over, you don't spill anything. edit: Oh yeah, and the lid doesn't get cross-threaded nearly as easily as other brands. I have a Starbucks travel mug where I swear you have to precision-align the lid with a microscope to get it to actually seal. The Contigo just screws on easily and doesn't leak.

The Kensington SlimType keyboard for the computer. I have been using this for a couple years now and love it. It's a low-profile keyboard so it takes some getting used to if you have used full-stroke keys in the past, but the keys have a very nice feel, and more importantly, it's really quiet (I live in a small apartment). It's also nice and small; important when you have limited desk space and have to fit a lot of papers, books, etc. around you.

Well poo poo..the Mrs and I were just looking for new travel mugs, AND she hates how deep the keys are on my keyboard. Nice first post!

# ¿ Nov 27, 2010 23:09

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 14:13

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

8-16 gig MP3 player at $100 or below that's going to only be used for Audible books. Any preferences?

# ¿ Dec 20, 2010 00:19

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

RazorDX posted:

I'd recommend the Sansa Fuze series, personally. I've had three of the 8gb models (the first two died in the laundry), and I have no complaints. It's small, lightweight, tough (if you don't wash it), and the battery life is stellar. The charging/data port is proprietary, but it comes with the proper cable. It does not use any proprietary software, making it easy and quick to add media.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Video-Player-Black/dp/B001GCQ3KM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1292802008&sr=8-3
Was around $80 when I bought the first one, now it's down to about $65 on Amazon. For an extra $10 you can get an extra 8gb of storage via a SD card and a case/charger set for $75.

EDIT: It does scratch easily, so I'd chip in an extra $3 for this:
http://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Clear-Crystal-SanDisk-Sansa/dp/B001ECP666/ref=pd_sim_e_4
I wish I had thought to buy a protective case when I bought mine, especially seeing how cheap they are.

Literally the perfect post. I was looking at the Fuze +, but apparently they have annoyed people with their audio book controls. Fuze it is! Thanks!

# ¿ Dec 20, 2010 01:17

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

CannedMacabre posted:

Buy an old chair and pay to have it recovered.

Seriously, I got a forty year old PINK office chair out of the 'to be tossed' pile where I work and payed $90.00 to have it reupholstered and new springs put in the seat. I can't find anything in the stores that even comes close for >$500. So, if you can find an OLD chair at an auction, second hand/antique store or even on craigslist, buy it and drop the money on having it recovered to match your decor.

Just be sure that the bottom support and mechanisms are still viable, but even if the seat is torn to shreds and smells like six kinds of cat poo poo, it can probably be saved.

....I don't think he means like a wing back chair. I think he means a wheeled high back computer desk chair.

I think.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2011 17:32

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

CannedMacabre posted:

I was not referring to a wing back either. I was talking about the type of "executive" desk chairs that you find in office stores for $200+, that are not really worth what you pay for. My suggestion is to find one that is older and of better construction. In the case of my chair, several of the springs were broken from years of use and I had those fixed and recovered and still payed less than what you would for a nice, new desk chair.

Just a suggestion though.

Right. Like a cheaper version of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeron_chair

# ¿ Jan 7, 2011 22:22

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

30 Goddamned Dicks posted:

Is this for your home office? Have you considered using a chair other than a traditional office chair? I switched to using a camp chair at my desk about a year and a half ago and never looked back. It's comfy and slouchy and so much better than any office chair ever.

Recommendation:
Broil King Griddle

Got one of these for Christmas and it's amazing! I make myself breakfast every morning, and this now has a permanent position on my stove, since I can cook eggs and bacon/sausage on it at the same time without having to use two pans or the same pan twice. It gets evenly hot (Cooks Illustrated Recommended!), the base part is fully submergeable, it's non-stick, and it's huge- you can easily cook three pancakes on it. Only drawback is it's kinda big, so storage could be an issue in a smaller kitchen.

Griddles are the absolute best. We got one recently for a wedding present and it instantly became a staple. We're not even hambeasts or anything, but the ability to cook a decent sized breakfast all at the same time on the same device is loving awesome. We didn't get this one (we got a Presto model), but still...incredibly useful.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2011 00:42

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

nullandvoid posted:

I looked through the thread and didn't see this (as well as used Google to search this site and didn't see it either), but if you have a .edu email address, you're eligible for one free year of Amazon Prime:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup/info

Free two-day shipping on anything you want. Pretty sure you'll want to cancel around month 11- juuuuust in case Amazon decides to "bill early" for month 13.

There's no reason to ever cancel Prime. Best thing ever. Not only is it free 2 day shipping, but overnight is only 3.99 an item. loving steal.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2011 22:58

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

I'm recently learning some programming and therefore have a few 800 page bigass books. It can get annoying lugging these things around and flicking through them on my desk. Is there like a book-page-holder-propper-upper-thing for very large books to make them easier to handle when you're often following along?

# ¿ Jan 29, 2011 23:03

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

I need a good rechargeable wireless mouse with EXCELLENT RANGE.

We use them in our conference room for our htpc hooked up to the big display at the head of the room, and we've tried the Microsoft Arc Mouse and the Microsoft Laser Desktop mouse (the one with the giant hockey puck receiver) and they both crap out after about 4 to 5 feet. Regardless of their 30 foot claim. Is there a good rechargeable mouse out there with excellent range? I'm looking at the Logitech MX series stuff now.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2011 18:17

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

m.hache posted:

I just bought this: http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_578_581&item_id=029148

Currently I have it hooked up to my computer for my TV in the other room. I would say at it's farthest point it's 18-20ft, through a wall.

I only experienced a little chop once, but it could have been because I was using it on the sofa cushion. I had it running for over 48 hours while I was sick with the flu and couldn't move from the couch.

I've had the MX stuff before and had some problems with the range on the MX revolution. I think the performance mouse is what replaced the revolution. Not sure if they improved the range on that or not but I was getting mouse dropout at like 2 feet.

Thanks guys (and boodocksts!)! I'll probably try this one first because it's only 30 for the set from Amazon and that's not a great loss if it doesn't work out (somebody in the office will use it).

# ¿ Feb 1, 2011 16:06

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Has anybody ever made their own ornament?

As part of Christmas this year, my mom handed out bits of tinsel from her and my dad's very first tree back in the early 60s. I thought it was sweet and would like it to be made into some sort of ornament itselft for me and my new wife to pass on to our eventual kids.

Any idea?

# ¿ Feb 23, 2011 15:59

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

I did think about that! ^^^ But it'd just sit there at the bottom. I'd love to have it look like it was suspended in there..like in a clear resin, but that'd be too heavy for a tree

fordham posted:

Maybe take a picture and show everyone what you have? There's many creative types on this forum.

? It's like 10 strands of old tinsel. I guess I just figured that everyone knew what tinsel was. My bad.

Essentially this:

Click here for the full 1600x1200 image.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2011 17:07

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Coca Koala posted:

Take the strands of tinsel and wrap them around one of those balls, so that there's a nice pattern of criss-crossing lines around the ball. Spray it with some kind of plastic sealant to keep the tinsel on it. Won't be too heavy, will look nice, and neatly incorporate the tinsel into the ornament. Easy to pass on to your kids, easy for you to give them pieces of tinsel from one of your trees so that they can do the same thing if they want.

Great idea! Thanks!

# ¿ Feb 24, 2011 16:38

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Cock Democracy posted:

You can get a Lenovo G560 for about $380. I got one for my mother in law and she's very happy with it. Only downside is that it comes with home premium. It seems like it has good build quality and it has a numerical keypad. It is not exactly light but it's not heavy either. I got it from a newegg special, but you can get it for the same price currently at office depot:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/produc...r:referralID=NA

Home Premiums is perfectly fine and shouldn't be confused with crap like XP Home.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2011 20:46

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

PANDA_HAS_GUN posted:

This seems to be the place to come for help;

Basically the house I am currently living in is extremely old and has very thick brick walls, and we have converted our garage into a study/work room and there is an extension on the other side of the house that we use a lot also. The problem is the wireless in our house only works within the house itself, leaving next to no connectivity in either the garage or the extension.

I was told about homeplugs from a guy on my course and I've been looking into them online but I'm not too sure which one to go for/if any. None of them are made by brands I'm familiar enough with to just purchase without a second opinion.

Thoughts?

Netgear as well as other "reputable" (ie not unheard of) brands make some

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-XAVB101-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B001AGM2VI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302551500&sr=8-1

You can get them for quite a lot cheaper than that though I think.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2011 20:52

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Barnes & Noble now sells the 14oz Contigo Elle Double Wall cups. Picked two up for $10 a piece. I've never been so excited for something seemingly so mundane. Got a blue and a pink one for me and the wife. ha.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2011 19:19

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Easymode posted:

I am looking to buy a hard drive bay RAID storage thing and I can really tell the difference between them or what is best for what I need.

As far as I can tell a Drobo would get the job done but for some reason it gets a lot of mixed reviews.

What I want: To be able to back up large amounts of data on multiple hard drives and have it act as one. I want to be able to replace a drive and not lose any data should one fail. I dont really need a built-in network function. I'd prefer an external usb device with minimal setup.

Is there a better option than a Drobo out there?

What's your budget?

# ¿ Apr 19, 2011 01:21

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

TheManWithNoName posted:

I'm looking for a decent pair of sunglasses. Mostly for driving. I want them to be dark. Really dark. I'm sick of the sun being too bright and having to use the visor with my current pair. I'd like to spend under $50, but I'd go up to $100 if it's really worth it.

EDIT:

Kind of like this style, not full aviators but sort of squared.

Looks like you are looking for the kind that Don Draper wore in Mad Men?
http://www.primermagazine.com/2010/spend/don-drapers-sunglasses

(sorry that's the only reference I can think of at the moment)

The above link has them here for just under $50
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ASIN=B000XXV7P6

# ¿ Apr 25, 2011 17:47

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Sneeing Emu posted:

I'm looking for a charcoal grill for my dad for Father's Day to replace his little hibachi grill. My budget between and my brother is $150 max. Looking at Lowe's and Home Depot, it seems there are 2 different types of charcoal grills, the Weber style kettle grill, and the barrel style hinged grill. I've heard great things about ceramic grills like the Big Green Egg, but those are way out of our price range. Any recommendations?

Weber

Char-Griller

Those prices are too high. I just got this Kingsford Grill at WalMart for 65 bucks and I love it: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kingsford-406-sq-in-Rectangle-Charcoal-Grill-Black/15540518

However I'm actually partial to the barrel grills (wife got me the kingsford as a surprise). Check your local grocery store. Our Kroger has some AWESOME large barrel grills out for $100 right now and they're just like the one you posted except with nice iron grills that are removed in sections instead of the thin metal one piecers. You can see a small pic in this circular: http://krogerdelta.mywebgrocer.com/Circular.aspx?c=76237&n=1&s=10439951&g=15144ab4-3af3-4f45-a904-ab6cd7d41459&uc=269CE20002&page=4

# ¿ Jun 9, 2011 23:52

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Philo posted:

gently caress those things, seriously. One of my earliest memories is being divebombed by one.

Me too. I was lying on an ottoman watching tv and it landed right on the ledge of this armoire that the TV was in. It just sat there staring at me, and me at it....then it loving attacked! Terrifying.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2011 19:41

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Well yes and no. You need high quality cotton (Egyptian or Pima) but you don't want to go too low on thread counts either. I don't like to go below 300 personally, but honestly I wouldn't go much higher than that either.

How somebody might market thread count is one thing, but it certainly does matter.

# ¿ May 13, 2012 18:12

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Koruthaiolos posted:

What's the best grill I can buy with a budget of $125? I need one for a cookout tomorrow so I need to be able to buy it at a store. I'd prefer charcoal but if there's some other kind that's a better bang for the buck I'd probably get it instead.

Any Kroger will have a decent Barrel Charcoal grill for $99.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2012 23:49

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Econosaurus posted:

Anyone got a good bandana recommendation for backpacking/hiking? Preferably cheap. The dozen packs on amazon have really mixed reviews.

I need to check what the brand actually is, but I just received one (courtesy of St. Jude so I have no idea how much it cost) that is essentially just a stretchy piece of fabric in a tube shape. You can use it for 8 trillion things from a headband, to a tube top, to a face mask. It's pretty cool. You see them all the time on Survivor.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2012 23:54

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Sunshine89 posted:

A multiclava?

Found it. The brand I have is a "Tuber'Z"

Everywhere I see it online for purchase is in bulk for promotional purposes.

http://www.insaneproducts.com/products/tuberz.html

They also make a winter version!

http://www.insaneproducts.com/products/tuberz_winter.html

# ¿ Oct 9, 2012 02:04

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

NorskHotDog posted:

I'm tired of wetshaving and I'm ready to go back to an electric shaver. I had a panasonic previously which lasted me 5 years, so I was thinking of getting that brand again.

Can anyone recommend one that is around $100, can be found on Amazon (Prime), and preforms really well?

Does is really come down to whichever one cost the most originally?

Woot, right now, has this Braun Series 3 390 system for $60. About 50% off retail and about $35 off Amazon price.

http://www.woot.com/offers/braun-series-3-390-mens-shaver-2

# ¿ Nov 24, 2012 00:28

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Is there a good waterproof clock/radio mp3 player to put in the shower? I'd prefer it to have some sort of flash/memory card storage for mp3s, but if it reads mp3s on cds that's fine too.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2012 16:58

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

MA-Horus posted:

Camelbak makes a stainless steel insulated bottle with a bite-valve. It's pretty drat durable, and very well insulated.

I bought this to be my dirty santa gift this year at the office christmas party and the colleague that ended up with it loves it.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2013 21:44

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

A good mid-range running shoe. I will be using it for Warrior Dash and most likely just donating it afterwards (they have a huge shoe donation pile). About $60.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2013 17:39

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Pigasus posted:

What are your opinions on the Vibram FiveFingers? I have friends recommending those too.

Ohhh didn't think about those... might have to try them out.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2013 19:45

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

khysanth posted:

I run exclusively in Vibram FiveFingers but I can't really recommend them for hiking.

They offer no ankle support, and you will definitely feel it if you hike any sort of elevation gains. Unless you have the Trek model, most of the small rocks on trails can actually be pretty painful. They're also incredibly slick on wet surfaces.

I have the KSOs by the way.

Thanks for mentioning this. I'm guessing they wouldn't be good for a Warrior Dash then. The entire track is muddy and full of sticks and rocks and off road running.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2013 19:20

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Mercury Ballistic posted:

If you are not used to minimalist running shoes, you should avoid just jumping in a pair and going for a normal run. They take quite a bit of transition and will wreck you if you just strap em on and do what you were before. Even if you're in running shape.

Thanks for this. I was just about to pull the trigger on a set of New Balance MT20s, but I'll just get some regular ones instead.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2013 01:00

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

melon cat posted:

I need a set of earbuds that are really great for jogging while listening to my MP3 player. The ones I have keep falling out of my ears since they're cheap and crappy.

I have these. Although they were like 20 bucks when I got them (price is just because they were discontinued). But holy poo poo they were so much better than ear buds. Great for running; comfortable, out of the way, and you can sweat all over them. Surely there are versions that are similar somewhere.

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHJ07...words=nike+aero

# ¿ Mar 9, 2013 06:37

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

FadingChord posted:

We've got gnats or something in my apartment (for all the filth I may live in, my current apartment is terrible for preexisting reasons). What's a good bug spray that won't also kill me and my girlfriend?

E: Something to keep bugs out, not to keep them off us. Oddly I sprayed some Goo Gone to get rid of mounting squares on the walls from the last tenants (we moved here in August; our landlord is just that bad) and I came back to the find a couple gnats seemed to have flown onto it, then had fallen to the floor, dead.

You also might have little fruit flies. So try cleaning any drains or food disposals you might have.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2013 03:40

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

couldcareless posted:

Looking for a website that sells good quality flasks and offers personalizing/engraving. Anyone have any recommendations?

Red Envelope has one. Unfortunately the only one they have at the moment also has a golf caddy holster attached. But it looks like you can remove it.

http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/golf-flask--accessories-30090453?ref=HomeNoRef&viewpos=8&trackingpgroup=rbarw

edit: Actually that one may have the golfer graphic on it regardless. Booo.

Try eFlasks - http://www.eflasks.com/groomsmen-gifts-engraved-flasks.html

# ¿ Apr 30, 2013 23:33

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

BrokenKnees posted:

Looking for ideas for a boombox. Or maybe a decent set of speakers/soundbar. Nothing too fancy, since I'll be taking it to work in a warehouse and don't want to fret over it getting torn up or busted. The only requirements would be a AUX in and maybe a USB port. Sadly the push into phones/mp3 players has changed the market and I don't recognize any of the brand names so I'm lost from the start of looking for one.

It doesn't have any inputs for traditional media (CD/Tape), but the Jawbone Jambox and BIG Jambox are really pretty drat good in my opinion.

# ¿ May 9, 2013 21:06

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

a glorious hole posted:

What are some good running shoes?

Like Calayndryll said, you should absolutely first and foremost go to a running shoe store (specifically a running shoe store...not like a foot locker in the mall) and get them to determine the technicalities for you. You don't have to purchase it from them, you can turn around and go on Amazon. But you really need to determine proper foot size and where you strike on your foot and if it rolls, etc etc.

It'll be worth it.

That said I have the Nike Air Relentless II and love them:
http://www.amazon.com/Nike-RELENTLE...e+running+shoes

The Frees are great, but they are minimalist shoes and if you don't have experience doing that I recommend either starting out with a more supportive shoe or easing into minimalist running (again you can ask the running shoe store folks about tips and tricks for that).

# ¿ Jun 22, 2013 17:59

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Etrips posted:

Yeah buying a bed definitely takes some time and research.

And do NOT skimp. I mean you don't have to spend 3 grand or anything, but going to one of those lovely Mattress Outlets is going to suck. You'll try out a an awesome "demo" mattress, but the one you actually get is a piece of poo poo.

# ¿ Jun 27, 2013 23:24

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Creepy Goat posted:

Need help. Drowning in dust.

I live in a terribly sealed 'new' house right on a fairly busy road in a semi-rural area, and every day my house has a new layer of visible dust. This isn't a problem really elsewhere because the rooms are big, the dust is spread out, and they're easy to hoover. My study (with sofa-bed that I regularly crash out on) though gets caked in dust each day. I will wake up in the morning and there will be a visible layer of dust on my phone screen. It's not good for my breathing and it's certainly not good for my monitors and white furniture.

So I'm looking for an air filter thing that will suck in and collect the dust/pollen/dirt/nastiness that gets pumped into my office, so that I don't feel clammy all the time when I'm in there and so I don't have to dust and hoover every single day. I'm in the UK!

Also what's your flooring situation like? Wood? Carpet? If it's carpet how thick is it?

# ¿ Aug 10, 2013 02:44

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

Lava Lamp Goddess posted:

Anybody have a recommendation for ear buds that stay easily and firmly in the ear? I've never been able to wear regular ear buds because they simply fall out of my ears no matter what. I'd rather not take my regular bulky headphones out with me hiking.

I absolutely HATE earbuds for exercise. They're uncomfortable, slip and slide, and then they'll allow sweat to collect and muffle the sound for me.

I use these: http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHJ07...ds=philips+aero

Which were about 20 bucks new. They're discontinued (and going for over $100 for some ridiculous reason), so you'd have to find something similar, but they're loving great.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2013 17:49

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 14:13

BonoMan: Feb 20, 2002; Jade Ear Joe

I'm at the computer a lot (animator) and goddamn my wrist is starting to hurt. I'm pretty sure it's the start of carpal tunnel or something of course so I'm heading to the doctor. However I'm looking for a way to take the pressure off of my wrist/forearm on the edge of the desk. I'm going to try to get a standing desk, but is there any other device or something that relieves some of the pressure from those acute points?

# ¿ Sep 3, 2013 23:01

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > Product recommendation megathread!

«‹›2 »