The Buying Game (Issue 29)
This week's picks include a glucose sensor, Wi-Fi 7 routers, and a small carry pouch.
How I’d spend $500: Dreame Aero Pro Vacuum Mop
If you've never tried a wet-dry vacuum mop, then you're missing out. The ability to roll over spilled cereal, pet hair, or orange juice is great. While robot vacuums and mops are getting good at this type of thing, products like the Dreame Aero Pro offer more powerful suction and downward force. One of the things that's key for this unit is its hot water and air drying dock. You won't have to mess with taking the roller off and rinsing it, or smelling it after the fact.
Price: $380 [with Amazon coupon] (link)
Value Score: Fair
The Aero Pro retails for $450, but as part of its launch, it's on sale for $380 with the coupon on Amazon's site. For that lower price, a fraction of a robot version, this is a great cleaning option.
How I’d spend $150: Dexom Stelo
There are plenty of ways to check your glucose, but none of them have been that great or easy. Dexcom's Stelo is a glucose sensor that you can buy online, apply yourself, and get continuous readings for 15 days. The device connects to an app on your phone and can integrate with Apple Health and Oura Ring to bring even more insights into your glucose readings. I used Stelo for about a month and had a good experience with it.
Price: $99 (link)
Value Score: Fair
The $99 price includes two sensors, which will last you a month. If you don't need to monitor your glucose, that can get costly. But if you do need to keep an eye on your levels, then this is an easy-to-use solution.
How I’d spend $50: Bellroy Cinch Pouch
Bellroy has a bunch of new small pouches. My favorite of the bunch is the Cinch Pouch. It's big enough to hold a power adapter, USB-C cable, earbuds, Chapstick, and several other odds and ends. It could work well for daily use to throw in a tote bag or clip on to a backpack. I plan to use it in my airplane travel bag as a place to throw all the gadgets I use frequently.
Price: $25 (link)
Value Score: Poor
If the Cinch Pouch isn't the right shape or size, Bellroy also has its new Lite Pocket Trio, which comes with three small pouches. I've tried all these, and despite their tiny appearance, they are quite useful.
The winning pick: Dexcom Stelo
A sensor to monitor your glucose level might not be the most glamorous pick, but I do think it's an important one. After spending several weeks wearing Stelo, I have a new appreciation for people who need to keep a close eye on this aspect of their lives. This product is a convenient way to do that. The nice thing is that if you just want to check it out to get more insight into your body, you don't need to do anything other than click buy.
Are you looking for even more picks this week? Here are a few things worth considering.
An expensive pick: TP-Link Deco 7 Pro BE17000
TP-Link's newest Wi-Fi mesh networking system, the Deco 7 Pro BE17000, is a powerful way to ensure your entire home has wireless connectivity. Of course, it might provide a little more than the average home needs, up to 8,500 square feet, but depending on how often you plan on upgrading your Wi-Fi system, this might be worth the splurge. This particular pack comes with three units, each of which has 10 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, and 1 Gbps ports. As more computers and phones support the Wi-Fi 7 protocol, all the Multi-Link and other features will continue to improve speed and performance.
Price: $699 [normally $799] (link)
Media pick: The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is back, kinda. At least a test run episode is out now. It seems like how well it's received will determine whether it gets a full season. While I haven't seen this new episode yet, all the reviews have been off-the-charts positive. It seems like Seth Rogen's flavor of humor and wit has translated well to The Muppets. You can stream the episode now on Disney+.
This week's other interesting deals and product news
- Google announced that its Pixel 10a phone is coming on February 18.
- All the exclusive vinyl records for Record Store Day have been announced.
- The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones typically retail for several hundred dollars, but are on sale for $99—while they last.
- Alexa+ is now available on all supported Echo devices. It's free for Prime subscribers and $20 for non-Prime members.
- Apple Music's Replay is now available for 2026. This feature will show you stats from your monthly listening.
- Sonos is having a Super Bowl sale with 20% most speakers.
- Google announced Project Genie. It's AI-generated worlds that you can explore. It's kind of like creating your own video game in real-time.