Editor’s Note: As a collective, the Gear Patrol staff is a wealth of knowledge about products — everyone is an expert in his or her own right. Of course, every story we publish is a testament to that. In our personal lives, we pursue our product passion too. This series is our way of showcasing and sharing our insights on products we inpidually endorse and love and own. Our hope is that you enjoy it all — and perhaps discover something new as you meet our staff over the next few weeks.
I’m the guy who controls the music in the office — yes, I have real power. I set the mood, quite literally, so a little bit of me is in everything (good) we create. If one of my colleagues doesn’t like the tunes, I can change it for a price. A fresh sugar donut or a coffee (medium, hot, light and sweet) goes a long way.
When not in the office, life imitates art, and whatever I’m testing follows me home. Depending on the week, it’s either a new pair of headphones, smart speaker or smartphone. It’s great fun, don’t get me wrong, but it means there’s a lot of ebb and flow in my life. When consistency is this rare, the gadgets that I do keep around have real staying power.
Anker PowerPort (4 Ports)
One of life’s simple pleases is being able to charge multiple devices while only using one wall outlet. And this little beauty enables me to do just that. I can charge my iPhone, AirPods, Nintendo Switch and Sony camera all in one corner.
Buck Mason Slub Curved Hem Tee
Find a black tee that fits well and everything else will fall into place. At least, that’s what life has taught me.
Nintendo Switch
I caved this summer, put my Xbox Live friends on hold and bought a Nintendo Switch. (You couldn’t buy them anywhere online at the time, so I took a long lunch at the Nintendo store in Rockefeller Center. Bingo.) This little console is amazing, or at least a few of the games are; if you’ve seen anybody play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’ll know what I mean. And going against popular opinion, I like the playing the Switch at home on the big screen.
Buy Now (Switch): $300Buy Now (Zelda): $57
Beyond Coastal Lip Balm
Catch me without lip balm, and I’ll give you a medal. Won’t happen. I’ve been using Beyond Coastal for years because it works great and not many other people use it. Nothing’s worse than confusing someone else’s lip balm with your own.
Xbox One S
I’m going to get an Xbox One X when it comes out and shelf this system; I just play too many video games to do otherwise. But until then, this will continue to do just fine.
Apple AirPods
In truth, I use a lot of different headphones. The Beats Powerbeats3 ($200) for running. The V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless ($349) for traveling. And the SteelSeries Arctis 3 ($80) for gaming. But for everything else, there are these AirPods. They go everywhere with me.
Ray-Ban Hexagonal Flat Lens
I’m not much for style. Actually, I take that back. Give me a cool pair of sunglasses and a black tee and I can make anything look good.
Catan: Seafarers Expansion Pack
For all the console games I play, there’s really nothing like sitting down with a few friends and a few beers and trading sheep for wheat. (Note: You need the original Catan board game to use this expansion pack.)
Sonos Play:1
I’ve tested a lot of multi-room speakers in the past year, and Sonos continues to be the best because it’s so easy to use. I have two Play:1s in my house and will probably get more.
The Grail
Firedrake Dragon Sculpture by Nick Bibby
Hear me out. One of my dreams is to have a home office decorated with dragon sculptures. They’d be meticulously detailed, realistic and bloody terrifying, like they could come to life at any moment and bite your hand off. This one by sculptor Nick Bibby is the exact type of thing I’m looking for. Dreams.
All the gear we can’t live without. Read the Story
