This Titanium Sports Watch Has the Coolest Dial I’ve Ever Seen at This Price

Norwegian independent brand Straum has only been around for five years, but the brand has already become known for its premium, nature-inspired dials and its innovative integrated designs. Both signature traits are on full display in the Frozen Metal Titanium, which uses the same 38.7mm x 11.5mm Grade 5 titanium case and integrated bracelet as the flagship Jan Mayen. Both are bead-blasted with mirror-polished accents for a rugged yet luxe finish, and the bracelet attaches and detaches via the brand’s toolless push-button “Straum Coupling” system. What sets the Frozen Metal apart is the dial, which features an all-new treatment meant to mimic the appearance of frost forming … and it does an uncanny job of it. A new crack-textured pattern is overlaid with a white galvanic frost treatment at the edges of the dial that gradually gives way to silvered bare metal at the center. The dial is accented by new blue PVD hands and applied indices for icy cool contrast.

Designed by Geoff Blauvelt of TuffKnives, the Deadite boasts a strong blend of style, functionality and, well, toughness, qualities only bolstered by the introduction of a crossbar lock, which makes one-handed retraction of the blade just as swift and smooth as deployment is via the ambidextrous thumb stud. Other highlights include a majestic 3.52-inch clip-point blade made of budget-conscious 14C28N (or rippling Damascus steel in two pricier variants) and a hand-filling handle made of micarta, aluminum or PEI.

Salomon updates its lightweight, versatile road runner with the new Aero Blaze 4. Helping it achieve its ~8-ounce weight, the shoe comes with an updated OptiFoam² midsole for balancing cushioning and energy return. According to the brand, this 4th-gen silhouette has a “more responsive rebound compared to the previous version while maintaining soft landings.” The brand has also fine-tuned the ski-inspired ReverseCamber geometry for a more natural roll through your stride. The road-focused Contragrip outsole returns here, but this time around, the upper has been revised with a new engineered mesh for better airflow when it’s warm.

Rossmönster bills the Loft as the first American-made, molded-body 144-inch Sprinter purpose-built for serious adventure travel, and the result is a vehicle that stands much taller than its size suggests. Along with a queen-size elevator bed that lifts to open a living area and dinette, it also brings an expanding shower that doubles as a mudroom, triple-hatch rear access and other modular features. Finished with white oak cabinetry and four-season insulation, and equipped with everything from a full wet bath to a 130-liter refrigerator/freezer, it packs tons of creature comforts into its compact package.

As America’s 250th birthday approaches, brands continue to release patriotic, limited-edition products. Olight is getting in on the celebration with its new ArkPro Stars and Stripes Limited Edition, which sees its popular flashlight reworked with red, white and blue accents, and a weathered finish that provides built-in patina. To complete the package, commemorative America 250 engraving nods to the anniversary. The ArkPro’s full feature set remains the same: four light sources, a magnetic tail and USB-C charging, all in one flat EDC form factor.

Kia recently rolled out some updates to its popular compact hybrid crossover, the Niro. Helping to freshen up the model are some new exterior and interior aesthetic updates, including redesigned front and rear bumpers, revised trim bits and appointments, and upgraded equipment. The latter updates occur mainly with the driver assist functions. The revised 2027 Niro also gains updated Highway Drive Assist 2 and Forward Collision Avoidance 2, as well as Kia’s latest Connect Car Navigation Cockpit, which enables over-the-air sat-nav capabilities for greater convenience and more accurate navigation assistance. Otherwise, the ’27 Niro remains unchanged under the hood, with its 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated inline-four and electric motor assist.