Gear review: Fun and Functional

From clean water and healthy smoothies to music, reading, and nurturing relationships, this review covers fun and functional items.

Outdoor Tech BOLT Magnetic, Water-resistant Bluetooth Speaker

With its ultra-strong magnetic back grip, this speaker is perfect for golfers, grillers, campers, tailgaters, and other adventurers. Granted, I didn’t let my husband roar down the road with it magnetically bolted to his Harley, but it firmly adhered to his rear fender. It was designed for golf carts, and it definitely holds up to bouncy terrain on a cart. The water-resistant Bluetooth speaker is great for après; we’ve placed it on our car while grilling in the parking lot while gentle snowflakes fall, and it just keeps going. Outdoor Tech is all about supporting outdoor lovers in immersing themselves in nature while still remaining connected to the modern world, so they’ve included the ability to charge other devices with this speaker. Of course, the real question when testing speakers ultimately resides in how they sound, and this one delivers solid acoustics without a tinny or dull sound. And, at just 1 pound and 7 ¾ long with a wrist strap, it’s extremely portable.

$79.95, outdoortechnology.com

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Talking Hearts Couples Edition

Choose from playful or thoughtful categories: Either way, the 200 questions in Talking Hearts’ cards stimulate interesting conversation. Each side of the 100 cards contains a playful or thoughtful question. It’s sorta like “The Newlywed Game,” which I faithfully watched late at night for the first few years of our marriage, quizzing my husband with dreams of someday competing on the show. The upside of Talking Hearts is: You don’t have to spill all of your secrets into television land (of course, you don’t win that fabulous trip to Jamaica, either). Talking Hearts has made road trips more entertaining. You can also play a home version of “The Newlywed Game” with other couples to see how well each person answers for their partner. Some playful cards can get a little deep, depending on how you answer; for example: If you had an hour to talk to our pets, what would you talk about? Others are simple, like: What’s the last product you bought from an ad? Or: What reality TV or game show would you want to be on? (Obviously, that’s a no-brainer for me.) Thoughtful questions can spark a new focus within a relationship; one card asks: When do you feel the most connected to me? Another asks: What’s something I’ve done recently that gave you heart eyes? Whether you go deep or silly, at $16.99, these cards are way cheaper than therapy.

talkingheartsgame.com

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Tifosi Smirk Prescription Glasses

Tifosi’s prescription glasses benefit both far-sighted and near-sighted eyes. Whether you need readers to snuggle up with a good book after skiing or a prescription to see far, these make all the difference in the world. An option to upgrade to progressive lenses means you can read a book as a passenger in a car with the readers, yet still look up and clearly see road signs or the landscape. They’re designed for an active lifestyle, with shatter-proof, polycarbonate lenses that offer protection from UV rays. You can also opt for prescription sunglasses. The lenses are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear and fit my smaller face well, yet they look good on my husband’s larger face, as well. With rubber nose pads that actually increase grip as you sweat, they don’t slide down your nose, so they’re great for sports. I love how the crystal denim frame accents my blue eyes without overpowering them, but frames also come in honey, black, aqua, electric blue, and matte blue tortoise.

From $99.95, tifosioptics.com

Boroux Legacy Water Filter System

My under-mounted water filter is about a year overdue for a filter, so when I drank water from this Boroux water filter, I could really “taste” the difference, in that it had no taste. The two included filters last up to 12,000 gallons, and you can double that by adding two more filters. This gravity-fed water filter system removes an alphabet of contaminants, from alachlor to xylenes; independent, accredited labs have proven it removes 81 contaminants, including BPA, chorine, lead, mercury, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and more. And, it comes with a lifetime warranty. This 9-inch-diameter, 23-inch tall unit sits on a countertop, or you can buy a stand for $30. We keep it by our sink for easy filling directly from the faucet, but it is large. I do wish it had a small, transparent vertical “window” to see how full the lower chamber is; I always have to guess, adding small amounts of water at a time, because, one time, the bottom was fuller than I thought, and I ended up overfilling the top, causing water to leak all over my counter. Other than that small detail, which I’ve learned to circumvent, this is a great system, especially if you don’t want an under-mounted filter.

$320 ($20 extra for white or black), boroux.com

Wolf Gourmet Pro-Performance Blender

I start my mornings with smoothies, so I was pretty bummed when my HealthMaster, which I regularly pureed carrots and apples in for years on end, started groaning and smelling like a burning motor. But, I actually like my Wolf Gourmet Pro-Performance blender better, partially because the bottom of the blender is transparent, so I can really see how clean it gets, and also because it’s not as loud. And, it’s backed by a 5-year limited warranty. The 2.2-horsepower motor propels the blade over 200 miles per hour, allowing me to easily make sauces, soups, and smoothies. I mostly use the pre-programmed smoothie setting, so I don’t have to worry about burning out the motor. It’s one of four pre-programmed settings, along with ice crush, puree, and soup, the latter of which warms the contents. You can also use the manual setting. The 64-ounce, BPA-free container allows for large batches, which I love. The emulsion cup lets me add ingredients slowly to make dressings or marinades. The unit comes with a red knob, but you can mail-order a black one for free (shipping included). The only slight problem is: I’ve had this for just over two weeks, and the black “R” on the START/STOP button is starting to wear off on the bottom. It’s not a big deal, but it is surprising given the company’s reputation for quality.

$349.95, wolfgourmet.com