Welcome to the Strategist, a site for helping you shop the internet. It is written by journalists (not robots), and is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Our goal first and foremost is to help you find the best version of whatever it is you are looking to buy, while introducing you to the stuff (a Japanese nail clipper that cuts with the precision of a Santoku knife, for instance) that you didn’t know you needed. We’ll test things ourselves; we’ll call up 40 interior designers to find the best-looking and most comfortable couch under $2,000; we’ll investigate how a certain coat from a certain retailer became a nationwide phenomenon; we’ll write odes to products that we’d happily do an infomercial for; and we’ll ask Anwar Hadid about his favorite hand soap. To give you a taste of what we do, here are some home hacks we’ve written about.
I’ve Become a Stapleless-Japanese-Stapler Convert
This staple-free Japanese stapler binds sheets of paper with an almost magical origami-inspired paper-folding technique, instead of metal staples, and managing editor Maxine Builder is such a fan that she labeled hers. Read more here.
The Plastic Mushroom That’s Saved Me Thousands in Plumbing Fees
The Antimicrobial Sponge That Tells Me When It’s Time to Throw It Away
After a horrifying study about sponge bacteria resulted in the sponge-gate of 2017, writer Sam Todd recommended these quick-drying foam sponges with a scouring pattern that fades to the point of replacement. Read more here.
This Color-Changing Night-Light Is the Best (Legal) Mushroom Trip
Senior editor Anthony Rotunno, who is regularly disturbed by jarring light on his 3 a.m. trips to the bathroom, was gifted the “most life-altering mushroom you can legally buy” from his mother-in-law: this automatic, color-changing, mushroom-shaped night-light. Read more here.
Real Anthuriums Cost $20 a Stem, So May We Suggest a Faux Anthurium?
The anthurium is a status flower, but at $20 a stem, Strategist editor Katy Schneider suggests that you opt for a faux dupe in lieu of a fresh one. Read more here.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
