Consumer Reports

MANY OF US work hard to meet the ambitious goals we set for ourselves at the start of the new year, especially around health and wellness. Last year, I committed to regularly using my exercise bike, but I fell out of the habit. While CR can’t keep you from breaking resolutions, we can help get you started toward smart and reasonable goals. We often think we can sacrifice sleep despite overwhelming evidence of its powerful impact on our health. Life can get in the way—through anxiety about family issues or inflation tightening its grip. But sleep should be a priority, so we hope this issue can help you get the rest you need, with our experts’ advice on pillows, mattresses, blackout shades, and humidifiers (see page 24). I have begun using…

Expanding Internet Access High-speed internet service, or broadband, is a requirement of 21st-century American life. Seven in 10 of us agree it’s “as important as water or electricity,” according to a nationally representative May 2022 CR survey. Yet millions of Americans still struggle to access or afford broadband at home, and millions more lack a meaningful choice of providers. CR has long urged policymakers and internet service providers (ISPs) to improve broadband access, affordability, and competition. Most recently, in an attempt to shed light on how much Americans actually pay for internet service—and exactly what they get for their money—we invited consumers to share their broadband bills with us. We then analyzed more than 22,000 of them. The effort demonstrated, among other things, that many broadband bills are extremely confusing, making it…

I APPRECIATED PENNY Wang’s excellent article explaining and comparing Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans. It arms me with a clear tool to use when my associates ask about my Advantage plan. My wife and I live in a location with excellent healthcare providers and facilities. We have no need to go outside of our network providers. Therefore, we can afford to enjoy the benefits of an Advantage plan. —Bill Kau man, via CR.org ANOTHER FACTOR TO consider when choosing between traditional Medicare and an Advantage plan that you didn’t mention is portability. I travel five to six months of the year and don’t want to deal with Advantage’s networks and referral requirements when I’m away from home. So I chose traditional Medicare and can go anywhere at any place I happen…

WE DON’T RECOMMEND IT. Some produce, including fruits such as pears, give off ethylene gases that make ethylene-sensitive produce, like broccoli, spoil faster if kept nearby. In fact, many fridges have “crisper drawers” that are designed to keep fruits and vegetables separated, and in a special environment that will keep them fresher longer. In general, fruit lasts longer in low-humidity conditions, while many vegetables last longer in high humidity. Some fridges, like the LG above, let you control these environments via vents on each drawer: For fruits, the vent should be more open to allow for greater airflow; for vegetables, the vent should be more closed for higher humidity.…

Garbage Disposals WE TESTED: 44 models WE TEST FOR: The speed of grinding scraps, how finely scraps were ground down, and noise level during use. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 55 Range: 28-81 BEST CONTINUOUS-FEED Frigidaire FF13DISPC1 $175 81 OVERALL SCORE BEST BATCH-FEED InSinkErator Evolution Cover Control Plus $320 80 OVERALL SCORE QUIET CONTINUOUS-FEED FOR LESS Everbilt US-10-EB1250-PC $135 80 OVERALL SCORE Top-Freezer Refrigerators WE TESTED: 40 models WE TEST FOR: Thermostat control; temperature uniformity; energy efficiency; ease of use, including storage; and more. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 64 Range: 40-83 NICELY ORGANIZED (29”) Samsung RT18M6215SG $930 83 OVERALL SCORE SLIM FOR SMALL KITCHENS (24”) Whirlpool WRT112CZJZ $530 81 OVERALL SCORE LARGE CAPACITY BUT NOT AS QUIET (33”) LG LRTLS2403S $1,050 80 OVERALL SCORE Canister Vacuums WE TESTED: 16 models WE TEST FOR: How well each model cleans carpets and bare floors, including picking up pet hair; how easy it is to push, pull, and carry the vacuum; and more. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 74 Range: 53-84 TOP PICK & RELIABLE BRAND (BAGGED) Miele Complete C3 Marin $1,300 84 OVERALL SCORE SMART BUY FOR…

YES. GIVING THE ENGINE a chance to run before you head out on a wintry day is a good idea because it gives the oil pump a chance to circulate oil through your car’s engine and lubricate all the moving parts, according to John Ibbotson, CR’s chief mechanic. Doing this (plus good regular maintenance) can help keep your vehicle running past the 200,000-mile mark. You don’t have to warm up the engine for more than a minute: Most cars take only a few seconds for the oil to lubricate the engine. So you should be good to go once you’ve settled into your seat, buckled up, and defogged the windshield. You may be tempted to keep your car idling for longer than that to get the heat flowing in the cabin (which…