LabTested
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Blog
7 Best Car Batteries of 2025, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Our tests are tough by design. We charge and discharge the batteries 180 times while in a 167º F water bath to simulate temperatures under a car’s hood and find out how long they’ll last. Then we put them in a freezer to see how they’ll perform at 0º F, and we track how long they’ll last if you leave…
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Best Convertible Cribs, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
How long do you hope to rely on your convertible crib? This will help guide your choice among the handful of convertible crib types that are available. A crib that converts from mini or bassinet size up to a full-sized bed will give your family more years of use than one that transitions from a standard crib to a toddler…
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Best Infant Car Seats of 2025, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
“Based on almost 1,000 individual car seat installations and nearly 130 crash tests, CR’s infant car seat ratings represent a comprehensive and rigorous program that allows us to make distinctions between the car seat models and clear recommendations,” says Michael Bloch, who oversees child seat testing at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “They show the importance of buying based on…
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Best Cribs of 2025, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
When testing baby cribs, we focus on three main criteria: ease of assembly, construction quality, and how easy it is to change the height of the mattress. Ease of assembly: Is it simple to put the crib together, or is it so complicated that you might find yourself in tears before the crib’s ready to go? Muratore is pretty adept…
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7 Best Sheets of 2024, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Another purchasing point to keep in mind: Claims about pocket size can’t always be trusted. “More than 30 percent of our tested models claimed to fit up to an 18-inch mattress, but their actual pocket-depth measurements were short even before washing,” says Li Wang, who oversees CR’s testing of sheets. None of the sheets in our latest batch of six…
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9 Best Large-Capacity Washers of 2024, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Figuring out the ideal washing machine capacity goes beyond the advertised capacity. Some washer types make more efficient use of the space than others, for example, and the tub size can impact their physical footprint. Below, we detail a few considerations you should keep in mind as you’re shopping around for a large-capacity washer. Tub capacities: Agitator top-loaders typically have…
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18 Best Kitchen Appliances of 2024, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Those results are reflected in our ratings so that consumers will have all the information they need to buy the right kitchen appliances for their home. Below, CR members with digital access can see the very best products across all the major kitchen appliances we test, organized by Overall Score. To learn more, check out our buying guides for ranges,…
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12 Best Home Security Cameras, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Free video storage: Yes, on up to a 512-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately).Optional subscription costs: Through a Tapo Care Premium plan, you get 30 days of cloud video storage, starting at $3.49 per month (or $35 per year) for one camera and going up to $12 per month (or $120 per year) for 10 cameras. For Apple Home users, an…
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3 Best Roofing Shingles of 2024, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Our roofing tests focus on a shingle’s strength and how well it maintains its appearance over time. We use a calibrated machine called an Instron that applies force to shingles to replicate everything from ferocious winds to fallen tree limbs. We test the thickest part of each shingle, which is where the largest number of layers overlap. And we test…
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5 Best Carpet Cleaners of 2024, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
First off, take stock of the layout of your home and the areas you’ll be cleaning. If you live in a one-story house, for instance, you might not need a model with a particularly long hose. “On the other hand, if you have carpeted stairs, you want a carpet cleaner with a long hose, so you can reach up the…
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