The Strategist Readers’ Choice Award Winners

At least seven dermatologists have recommended this CeraVe cleanser to us. That plus its affordable price and drugstore availability is why it’s long been our top face wash for oily skin.

Strategist contributor Rio Viera-Newton praised Nécessaire’s pH-balanced bodywash for its thick, honeylike texture and elevated scent.

It’s frills-free, but it works. That’s why derms recommend La Roche-Posay’s moisturizer for both teen and mature skin.

The SkinCeuticals vitamin-C serum is admittedly pricey, but there’s a reason it’s garnered such a devoted following. The formula is highly potent without causing irritation and counts beauty scientists and dermatologists among its many fans. Our own writer Tembe Denton-Hurst has been using it for several years: “I’d rather spend close to $200 on a vitamin C I know is going to work than waste money on less expensive products that may or not be doing their job,” she says.

For those with oily and acne-prone skin, Differin is still king. You’ll find it in the medicine cabinets of teens, dermatologists, and beauty writers alike.

A truly excellent drugstore mascara that creates lots of length and volume. “They make your eyelashes ten times longer and darker,” Skai Jackson told us.

Celebrities, Strategist staffers, and our loyal readers all agree: The Laneige sleeping mask is an all-time-great lip product.

The Dyson Supersonic is still the gold standard for hair dryers, reliably appearing on Christmas wish lists every December. It’s a favorite of three Strategist writers, all of whom have very different hair types.

The Shark CryoGlow mask kept one writer’s skin so smooth and breakout-free it got a compliment from her dad.

A callus-smoothing “podiatric miracle” product that’s been a best seller on our site for ten years and counting.

We’re big fans of Uniqlo’s wardrobe basics here at the Strategist, and its white tee is no exception. The U Crew T-shirt is our pick for the best less-expensive white T-shirt because it’s got a thicker, heavyweight feel to it that won’t put your bra on display.

The humble Hanes tee is a tried-and-true classic. It has a nice medium-weight feel but also comes in affordable three-packs, so no need to feel too bad if they get stained or dirty.

One stylist we spoke to said she’s recommended Madewell’s Perfect Vintage jeans to over 150 clients.

We can’t resist a trompe l’oeil moment, especially if it means our pants look like jeans but feel like sweatpants. In fact, Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen loves Rag & Bone’s Miramar collection so much that she owns five different pairs.

There was a time when Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla wore Banana Republic Hayden work pants to an office nearly every day. “Despite my commute, which included a car ride, a trip on New Jersey Transit, some subway stops, and a few blocks on foot, the pants always made it to the office unwrinkled,” she says.

Few brands are as closely associated with the word crewneck as Champion. Chris Black says its sweatshirts are “not fussy, just roomy and warm.”

Comfortable, sturdy, soft, and seamless: all reasons why we declared Natori’s Bliss Girl Briefs the best brief. Readers love them too — they’re an all-time Strategist best seller.

Boxer briefs blend the support of briefs with the length of traditional boxers — and the logo-patterned Calvin Klein waistband is pretty iconic to boot.

Viera-Newton decided to buy this Skims bralette thanks to the vouching of her “bra snob” friends. It also has a one of the largest size ranges we’ve seen: XXS to 4X.

Dansko clogs are one of the original fugly shoes that has come to define the Strategist. They’re worn by restaurant workers, hospital staff, pregnant people, and even Zendaya.

At this point, everyone and their mother likely owns an Away carry-on. It’s been recommended to us by travel experts time and time (and time) again.

When the Strategist team debated the merits of L.L.Bean’s Boat and Tote versus the Lands’ End tote bag, many argued in favor of the Boat and Tote for its stiff, durable canvas; capacious design; and classic monogrammed look. Strategist readers agree.

Our travel writer describes the Trtl Travel Pillow as “a scarf crossed with an Elizabethan collar.” It’s such a ubiquitous favorite that, in addition to earning a spot our Best in Class Hall of Fame, it’s also in our Travel Hall of Fame and our Sleep Hall of Fame.

Our long-running favorite mattress from Saatva will keep just about anyone cozy with a nice balance of support and comfort.

Our best overall pillow suits pretty much any sort of sleeper since you can adjust the amount of fill inside — and it’s priced under $100.

ICYMI: Target’s in-house Threshold line makes some of the best affordable sateen sheets out there. They come in a nice range of colors and patterns and have a surprisingly substantial feel relative to their price tag.

Placebo or real? Either way, it’s working: Using this spray on her feet before bed helped Strategist contributor Diksha Basu reliably fall asleep within minutes, inspiring thousands of Strategist readers to try it too.

Whether you’re recovering from intense workouts or you’re just an achy person, Hyperice’s Hypervolt 3 is our fitness writer’s most-used massage gun for relieving deep-tissue soreness.

The Owala FreeSip is a popular sight among Strategist staffers — 11 of us owned it back in 2023, and it’s still going strong.

In New York apartment kitchens, single-use gadgets need to earn their place. The OXO julienne peeler does just that. Senior kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman uses it more than she ever expected she would to shred carrots, zucchini, and more into uniform strips that are delightful to eat.

Here at the Strategist, we appreciate the very best version of a utilitarian item. When it comes to spatulas, it’s GIR’s silicone one — it doesn’t peel, warp, bend, or pick up smells.

Vitamix has a lot of blenders, but multiple cooks and food-industry professionals have told us they prefer the 750 for its sharp blades and powerful motor. With it, making soups and smoothies is a breeze.

Bialetti’s moka pot is a classic Italian espresso machine that looks very handsome on your stovetop. Plus it’s a tool that Isabella Rossellini can’t live without — she uses it to make two espressos a day.

We’ve tested enough Dyson vacuums to know that pretty much any model you get will be high-powered enough to quickly suck up every last bit of dust, dirt, and hair. Based on our survey results, Strategist readers are on the same page.

A spot cleaner that’s portable, compact, and delightfully designed, described by writer Erin Schwartz as “a Shop-Vac with a shampoo trigger.”

Brooklinen’s bath towels are hefty: Our home writer says they are “extremely thick and sumptuous” and “absorb water quickly and efficiently” post-shower.

Ikea’s moody globe-shaped lamp is a favorite among the designers and creative types we’ve talked to because it’s simple, inconspicuous, and stylish. Pop a color-changing lightbulb inside for best results.

After sitting on 99 couches, our couch expert kept coming back to this one from Crate & Barrel because it is customizable and reasonably priced and boasts some of the comfiest seat cushions they’ve tried.

There’s a reason we avoided Longchamp’s Le Pliage while surveying New Yorkers’ work totes: nine out of ten people on the street were carrying one. The sturdy, lightweight, and basically waterproof construction makes it the Platonic ideal of a work bag.

Lefties have an especially troublesome time finding the right pen, but the Uniball Jetstream is up to the task. It’s been described as “the absolute best pen for lefties” because the thin, oil-based ink dries almost instantly.

It’s sleek, it’s minimal, and it’s been around for ages — hard to go wrong.

One of the heroes of our recent Get Off Your Phone Week, the Brick “returned my phone to being a tool,” writes Strategist contributor Rachel Khong. “I use it, instead of it using me.”

The Bose QuietComfort headphones are the noise-canceling headphones to beat, according to our tech writer. They do the best job at blocking out loud noises, and they have great sound quality and a long-lasting battery life.

Our favorite stroller has been the model of choice for five Strategist parents, plus another four New York staffers. “It’s easy to customize and reconfigure depending on how many kids you’re transporting, and it is so durable and such a pleasure to steer that few parents ever switch to another stroller,” says Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo.

When Corsillo did a little trendspotting during her son’s camp drop-off, she concluded that Owala’s kid-size FreeSip bottle is definitely king.

Brooklinen’s Super-Push robe is the best all-around bathrobe for both men and women. “It’s everything I want a robe to be: comfortable, soft, and absorbent,” says our fashion writer. Plus the limited-edition colors and patterns are especially giftable.

This high-schooler-approved device turns phone photos into Polaroid-style prints just like that.