To kickstart summer, Sonos is having a massive sale of many of its best speakers, soundbars and subwoofers. You can save up to 25 percent.

Welcome to Shop Smarter: A series dedicated to highlighting not just what’s on sale, but why it’s worth owning. Discover more here.

If you’re in the market for one of Sonos’s portable speakers, either the ultra-portable Roam 2 or the beefier Move 2, they are both discounted. (The new Play speaker isn’t on sale.)

Sonos

Need a new soundbar? Sonos is discounting both its Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Arc Ultra and the Beam 2.

Both of Sonos’s signature smart speakers, the entry-level Era 100 and larger Era 300 are also discounted. And surprising, its best stereo speaker, the Five, is also on sale (which is a rarity).

Sonos

Sonos is promoting a lot of other deals, too. You can save big on both its wireless subwoofers and numerous bundled home theater systems. Sonos’s only wireless headphones, the Ace, are also deeply discounted.

Worried about missing the sale? You’ve got time. Sonos’s summer sale is currently live and runs until June 21st. So you’ve got a month to pull the purchasing trigger.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular Sonos speakers that are included in the sale.

Sonos

Save $30

Sonos Era 100

Released in early 2023, the Era 100 is an improved (and more expensive) version of the One speaker. It stands a little bit taller and has an extra tweeter to give it the ability to deliver a stereo sound (which the One was not able to do on its own). It has a 25 percent larger mid-woofer to help it deliver deeper bass, too.

• $189 at Sonos
  $219 (14% off)
• $189 at Amazon
  $219 (14% off)

Sonos

Save $100

Sonos Era 300

The Era 300 is a first-of-its-kind speaker for Sonos, specifically designed to play immersive audio that supports Dolby Atmos. Like the Era 100, the Era 300 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and line-in audio (via USB-C) and thus there are more ways to play audio from it.

• $379 at Sonos
  $479 (21% off)
• $379 at Amazon
  $479 (21% off)

Sonos

Save $120

Sonos Five

Released in 2020, the Five is the largest and most hi-fi standalone speaker (that’s not a soundbar) that Sonos makes. It’s also pretty unique because it has a 3.5mm line-in connection so you can quickly connect it to an integrated turntable. And you can still pair two Fives together and place them vertically, which then designates them as right and left channels for great stereo sound.

• $479 at Sonos
  $599 (20% off)
• $479 at Amazon
  $599 (20% off)

Welcome to “Today in Gear,” your daily snapshot of the most important releases in style, watches, tech, motoring, fitness, home and the outdoors.

Today in Gear: The most important news in the product world, independently curated by our editors. Catch up on other key releases across all the topics you care about.

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto Classic Negroni Limited Edition

Christopher Ward fired a shot across the bow of the luxury watch industry with the Bel Canto, proving the British watchmaker can match high horology at an approachable price (as approachable as $5,000 can get). But the novel chiming-hour complication and hand-finished guilloché dial look better than ever on the limited-edition Negroni reference. Inspired by the watch community’s unofficial cocktail, the dial’s plating shifts between deep red and warm orange hues in response to light. Only 300 pieces are available, and it comes on your choice between two steel bracelets and two leather straps.

• $5,340 at Christopher Ward

MAAP x QUOC

MAAP x QUOC M3 Pro Leopard

The latest collaboration between the Melbourne, Australia-based cycling apparel purveyor and the London-based cycling footwear maker sees the latter’s pinnacle road shoe take on a fast cat-inspired treatment that, as the brands themselves beautifully put it, “celebrates the intersection of biological efficiency and mechanical precision.” All the high-end race-grade bona fides remain, including the tongue-less wraparound construction, dual-dial micro-adjustment system, ventilating laser-cut perforations, unidirectional carbon fiber outsole, vibration-dampening insole and a feathery weight of 8.5 ounces.

• $450 at QUOC

Audi

Audi Q9 Matrix LED Headlights

Audi first debuted its Matrix LED Lights on the A8 way back in 2013, but regulatory boundaries in the United States have kept the tech inaccessible to American drivers. That finally changes with the launch of the new flagship Q9 SUV, as the German automaker has developed a new design that satisfies DOT standards. Accordingly, buyers will enjoy the benefits of much more intelligent nighttime driving. Matrix LEDs continuously shape their patterns in real time and precisely direct light where it’s needed while reducing glare for other road users.

• Learn More

Roadie Brew

Roadie Brew

Roadie Brew is yet another new member to NA beer shelves. But unlike other options out there, it combines a truly 0.0% ABV (most NAs have trace amounts of alcohol) with zero calories.

• Learn More

Anthropic

Anthropic Claude Desktop Buddy

Anthropic extends its AI coding capabilities to a piece of hardware with the Claude Desktop Buddy. Falling somewhere between a Tamagotchi and Clippy, the open-source device provides you with session status, chat activity and tool permission requests for longer coding sessions or when you’re away from your computer. The Buddy’s most playful feature is the ASCII-based facial expressions of the desktop “pet,” giving different animated reactions depending on the situation. It will look visibly impatient from delayed responses or fall asleep when you lie it flat. Pre-orders are open right now for $99.

• $99 at Anthropic

Welp, it almost seemed inevitable. But the funnest Volkswagen Jetta GLI is dead. At least, the six-speed-equipped one is.

Our friends at TFLCar recently had a chat with some VW spokespeople about the specific model. And in that chat, the representatives confirmed the end of the manual option for the fastest Jetta in all the land.

That means all Jetta GLI models after 2026 will strictly be available only with VW’s venerable seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic.

The manuals just weren’t selling

Volkswagen USA

The main reason behind the end of the manual-equipped Jetta GLI will sound all too familiar. But the company apparently cites the lack of sales as the main reason behind the end for the model.

This is even after the fact that the manual was actually the standard transmission for the GLI. The DSG automatic was an optional extra, which could be added for an additional cost.

Volkswagen USA

Not only was the manual-equipped Jetta one of the last models in its segment to offer three pedals. It’s the last Volkswagen in America to provide enthusiasts the choice.

Now, buyers will have to resort to the Honda Civic Si or the Hyundai Elantra N, if one wants a budget-friendly high-performance compact sedan. Even the Civic Si might be on limited time as rumors suggest the next-gen model could ditch the three pedals for a gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

2026 is your last chance to get one

Volkswagen USA

The death of the three-pedal Jetta GLI comes as another strike for manual options here in the United States as the transmission type continues its slow march to obsolescence. Volkswagen even disappointed Golf GTI fans when it discontinued its six-speed manual option.

So, it’s rather unsurprising that the Jetta GLI lost its manual rower as the writing was almost on the wall.

Volkswagen USA

But to try and sweeten the deal and coax manual fans to the Jetta GLI before it goes the way of the dodo, VW made the price for the manual and auto-equipped GLI the same.

For 2026, the Jetta GLI, with either transmission, can be had for around $35,040 to start (without destination).

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

If you’ve been perusing the bourbon marketplace looking for coveted bottles of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. from last decade, you’re in for some good news.

Buffalo Trace has decided to relaunch two expressions that haven’t been sold in years. However, I wouldn’t delete your Google Alerts just yet. These two bourbons aren’t necessarily identical to their ancestors but they’re certainly still worth considering, and for thousands less.

Buffalo Trace

Taylor-made legacy

The Kentucky distillery launched E.H. Taylor around 15 years ago as an experimental brand paying tribute to its namesake. Taylor himself is one of the most important figures in American whiskey history. He founded the Old Fire Copper distillery around 1870, which over more than a century’s time evolved into Buffalo Trace.

Taylor also advocated for federal regulation of bourbon, lobbying for what became the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 (more on that below).

Today, the E.H. Taylor brand is among the most revered in the bourbon industry for its top-tier Buffalo Trace-distilled liquid and commitment to small-batch production rather than large-scale continuous production. As such, many of its most iconic bottlings aren’t returning on an annual basis.

Luckily, Buffalo Trace has decided to re-release two important expressions from the brand’s inaugural decade, but with a caveat.

Buffalo Trace

Four times the grain

First up is the Four Grain Bourbon, which was originally released in 2017. Unlike your average bourbon, which is made from two or three grains (at least 51% of a mashbill must be corn but is often paired with malted barley and either rye or wheat), this batch comes from all four major whiskey grains. Unlike the 2017 and 2018 releases, which were aged for 12- and 13-years, respectively, this new edition was “only” in the cask for 10 years.

Buffalo Trace

Based on the concept of recreating what Taylor may have produced during his heyday, this unusual mixture gives the bourbon a nuanced character on the palate that combines sweetness with spice and grain toast. Tasting notes include vanilla, caramel and chocolate. 

Buffalo Trace

A cure thing

Meanwhile, the Cured Oak Bourbon will be the more eyebrow-raising on the pair. The original was a one-and-done bottling from 2015 as the brand’s seventh-ever release. This 2026 expression drops the age statement from 17 years to 10 years, which might irk those hopeful of finally getting a taste of what they missed out on a decade ago. However, the less ambitious aging might also hint at future releases from this same batch (i.e., you might see an 11- and 12-year version in 2027 and 2028).

Buffalo Trace

Cured Oak gets its name from the process of “curing” the oak staves before the barrel is made. This helps prepare the wood for its eventual interaction with the distilled spirit. Usually, the staves are dried for around 6 months but Buffalo Trace had the idea to increase this time to 13 months. The result is a deeper oak-forward profile, with tasting notes of tobacco, dried fruit, vanilla and toffee for this bourbon.

As a nod to Taylor, both expressions are bottled-in-bond, which requires them to come from a single distiller during a single distillation season, be aged under government supervision for at least 4 years and then bottled at 100 proof.

Availability and pricing

Best of all, the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak and Four Grain Bourbons will each have the suggested retail price of $80 when they roll out this month at Buffalo Trace’s distillery store and select retailers.

Buffalo Trace

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak & Four Grain Bourbons

• $80 at Buffalo Trace

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

The JanSport SuperBreak is about as perennially popular and ubiquitous as bags get. The iconic design is what most people imagine when they think of the Platonic ideal of a backpack.

But just because it’s an everyday carry gear-hauling icon, that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. Case in point: Nike’s Heritage Backpack 2.0 has a similar format, with higher refinement and a significantly lower price point.

Nike

If it ain’t broke …

The classic JanSport is a classic for a reason: it works. Sure, it’s not fancy, but it doesn’t have to be to get the majority of everyday carry hauling tasks done.

It seems Nike has taken note of this, as the Heritage 2.0 closely mimics the overall style and format of a SuperBreak. It has a two-compartment layout, featuring a large main compartment and a smaller, externally accessible zippered pouch.

Nike

However, it’s far from an exact dupe, and there are, in fact, some noteworthy changes that elevate the Nike beyond its predecessor. For instance, the padded shoulder straps are contoured to help take the load off and make for a more comfortable carry.

The pack also has a more discreet side zippered pocket for additional out-of-view storage. But there are also some classic elements, like a mesh water bottle pocket and a top-mounted grab handle.

Nike

Clean and capable

One of the things that helps set this Nike backpack apart is its styling. It’s even more minimalist and clean than other bags like it, offering some refinement you might not otherwise find.

And while it comes in a couple of classic colorways, like black and gray, it’s also offered in more unique and vibrant colors, like coral (what the brand calls “Orange Frost”) and periwinkle (“Hydrogen Blue”). There are six total (eight, if you include the special crystal editions).

Nike

But there are also some functional improvements, too. For instance, the exterior has a D-ring for additional modular attachments (like a keychain or carabiner).

And the back panel doubles as padding for the internal sleeve, which suits laptops up to 15 inches. All told, this bag does a great job of avoiding overcomplicating a legendary silhouette while also elevating it to new heights, both stylistically and in terms of utility.

Nike

Availability and pricing

Nike’s Heritage Backpack 2.0 is now available on the brand’s site for $40 in six unique colorways.

Nike

Nike Heritage Backpack 2.0

• $40 at Nike

This week, Stellantis announced a host of upcoming vehicles as part of its FaSTLAne 2030 turnaround plan. It’s been a lot to chew on, to say the least.

In addition to reaffirming the launch of Ram’s Ranger-fighting Dakota and the promise of upcoming Chrysler models, Stellantis confirmed the return of Jeep’s beloved Scrambler nameplate.

Stellantis

As if that surprise wasn’t enough to fuel your speculation, it turns out Dodge also has a revival inbound. Beyond being affordable, it promises to revive an 80s Shelby great (properly this time, supposedly).

There’s a new GLH on the way

That being the GLH, or “Goes Like Hell.” It’s a name that first appeared on the Dodge Omni as a hot version of the affordable 1980s hatch. Best known for muscle cars, Carroll Shelby also graced an economical compact with some of his performance wizardry.

Stellantis

It’s too early for hard specs, but Dodge’s promised GLH does have the potential to live up to its predecessor in more ways than one. Along with being one of nine upcoming Stellantis models priced under $40,000, it also stands to revive its enthusiast spirit.

That is, at least if word from Tim Kuniskis is anything to go on. During the Investor Day presentations, the Stellantis American brands frontman referred to the GLH as a “true entry-level performance vehicle, a gateway into the Brotherhood of Muscle.”

Stellantis

Abstract as that language may be, thankfully, Kuniskis also put it in plainer terms. He added, “Think of it as the next generation of Hornet, but the way we should have done it the first time.”

While this means that it’ll likely once again take the form of a crossover, the presentation did at least confirm there will be an SRT version as well. Hopefully, that amounts to more than stripes and wheels, as the GLH is a concept that’s still relevant.

Stellantis

A parallel of performance needs

Chiefly because the original also came about when rising oil prices made thirsty V8s impractical. Ford and Chevrolet responded by giving muscle cars smaller engines, while Dodge fielded fuel-efficient compacts and front-wheel-drive models.

That wasn’t without eventually giving such vehicles a dose of performance appeal to drum up sales. To make the mundane Omni a serious hot hatch, Dodge enlisted the help of the one and only Carroll Shelby.

Stellantis

As such, when the Omni GLH first debuted in 1984, it touted upgrades like a 110-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine, stiffer suspension and beefier brakes, as well as more responsive steering and some aluminum wheels.

However, following the addition of a new turbo engine and a corresponding GLH-T option, Shelby took the up-spec Omni even further. For 1986, he ordered 500 examples to create a run of modified versions called the GLH-S (Goes Like Hell S’more).

Stellantis

Along with an intercooler, a larger turbocharger and throttle body, improved cooling and an even sportier suspension setup, the treatment also brought significant grunt. With 175 horses and 175 lb-ft of torque on tap, it put down more than double what a regular Omni could from the factory.

The forthcoming GLH will undoubtedly tip the scales much heavier than the little 2,200-pound hatchback, but Dodge can at least apply lessons from Shelby’s tuning approach. Crank up the boost and make the car handle on rails, and not even the price at the pump can keep grins away. Let’s hope it’s actually a better Hornet when it finally arrives.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

The most remarkable thing about Ressence’s domed dial architecture is that it has proven to be applicable to any watch category. We’ve seen it applied beautifully to a dive watch, dress watch and a very unconventional day-date.

It’s remarkable how well the innovative design works for sporty tool watches like the Type 7. The titanium GMT is remarkably utilitarian and legible (once you know how to read it) for such avant-garde engineering.

Image by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

Ressence debuted the Type 7 in 2025 with a regular-production blue dial and a limited-edition teal dial, and the mechanics of the two new colors remain unchanged. But the additions really flesh out the collection as an all-purpose tool watch, unlike any other.

The Type 7 has a 41mm titanium case with a sandblasted finish accented by polished, chamfered edges. It has an almost tonneau shape, with a flat top and sides that curve down at the lugs.

Image by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

The first thing that jumped out at me when I put the Type 7 on is how light and comfortable it feels on the wrist, which is its strongest characteristic as a sporty tool watch. According to Ressence, the watch weighs only 123 grams.

Striking oil

The Type 7 dial is operated by the Ressence ROCS 7 module, powered by the minute axle of an ETA automatic movement. Once you get your bearings, it is remarkably easy to read because each element of time is isolated.

As with most ROCS dials, the hour is shown on the biggest subdial, a minute track encircling the dial like a bezel is indicated by the large hand as the entire dial rotates and seconds are displayed by the smallest subdial.

Ressence

The Type 7 utilizes the brand’s oil-filled technique. The double-domed sapphire crystal is filled with transparent oil, creating the illusion of a hemispherical shape to the convex Grade 5 titanium dial.

A small but important detail is the oil temperature monitor sitting opposite the hour hand in the large subdial. It goes from blue to red as the temperature rises.

Two timing

As you may have noticed, there is one more subdial on the Type 7. It is a GMT, the first one produced by Ressence when it debuted last year.

Ressence

The GMT dial, like the time, is set via the caseback. An outer ring turns to lock the caseback, making the watch water-resistant to 50m.

When unlocked, the inner caseback disc rotates slowly in both directions to set the time, clockwise to set the GMT and counterclockwise to wind the movement.

Just passing through

The Type 7 is available with two strap choices. There is an integrated titanium bracelet featuring a tool-free sliding micro-adjustment on the clasp.

For a sportier look, Ressence now offers a fitted rubber strap with a titanium pass-through pin buckle. It is color-matched to each dial option.

Image by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

The Type 7 isn’t the most beautiful or advanced watch that Ressence offers, but it is certainly the most functional and approachable, while still providing the brand’s mind-bending dial architecture and unprecedented movement interface.

Availability and pricing

The Tye 7’s new Cactus and Black dial colors are available now from Ressence for $48,500. The original navy blue dial is also still available.

Ressence

Ressence Type 7

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	ROCS 7 module on an ETA automatic
Water Resistance	50m

• $48,500 at Ressence

Everyone, and I mean everyone, was talking about the Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop collab over the past week. Even my father, who would probably struggle to name three watch brands, texted me on Saturday to ask, “What’s up with this Swatch watch?”

However you feel about the Royal Pop and its decidedly chaotic release, and there are a lot of varying opinions out there, there’s no denying that it significantly boosted the name recognition of Audemars Piguet, a brand highly regarded in horological and luxury circles but less of a known commodity among the general public.

Now, less than a week after the Royal Pop’s headline-dominating launch, AP is already going back to the collaboration well for its next watch release. And while the brand’s new collaboration still incorporates some elements of hype culture, I don’t think we’ll be seeing swarms of people congregating outside AP boutiques trying to be the first in line to get one.

Audemars Piguet

Seeing red

AP’s new collab is with Yoon and Verbal, the husband-and-wife cofounders of Japanese streetwear/jewelry label Ambush. Far from a mass-appeal object like the Royal Pop, the new collab is much more in line with what we expect from AP: niche to the worlds of luxury fashion and streetwear, and experimental from a watchmaking viewpoint.

The collab is a member of the Royal Oak Concept family, a more avant-garde and contemporary reimagining of AP’s classic sports watch that frequently acts as a canvas for the brand’s bolder horological experiments, like its previous collaborations with Marvel.

Audemars Piguet

In this case, the watch is a Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon with a few visually arresting updates. For starters, the dial is made of sparkling aventurine glass and is partially openworked to expose not just the tourbillon at 6:00, but also the skeletonized mainspring barrel and some gears of the motion works.

Speaking of the tourbillon, its aluminum cage has been anodized to a brick-red color, marking the first time AP has ever given such a treatment to this decidedly delicate component. The red color really makes the tourbillon stand out even more than usual, especially against the cracked aventurine backdrop.

Audemars Piguet

The hands are blackened white gold and are filled with gray lume to match the black rehaut minute track with printed gray-lumed hour markers. The case measures just 38.5mm across and 11.4mm thick, a compact size seen previously but not often on the Royal Oak Concept, and is made of titanium with a mix of brushed, polished and sandblasted finishes.

The watch includes two rubber straps, one black and one red, both of which feature a unique micro-mosaic pattern on their exterior and a quilted interior. They can be swapped without the use of any tools thanks to a quick-change system built into the case.

Inside the watch and visible through the caseback is a new movement created specifically for this watch. Based on the earlier AP Calibre 2964, the new Cal. 2982 remains a hand-wound, 3Hz flying tourbillon with a 72-hour power reserve but adds an additional jewel and features updated hand finishing, including a blackened mainplate and partially openworked architecture.

Audemars Piguet

Availability and pricing

If there’s one thing this new AP Royal Oak has in common with the Royal Pop, outside of being a collab, it’s that it will be extremely difficult to purchase.

Braving clouds of pepper spray and exorbitant secondary market prices to secure a Royal Pop seems like a picnic compared to attempting to purchase the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon x Yoon & Verbal.

For starters, the watch is exceedingly rare, with just 150 examples being produced. Secondly, it’s crazy expensive, with its SRP of CHF 176,800 currently converting to an eye-watering $224,875.

The Vans Old Skool is not the brand’s first shoe. That distinction is owed to the Authentic. It’s not even the SoCal outfit’s first skate shoe (that would be the Era).

However, there’s a strong argument to be made that it is, in fact, the most iconic sneaker Vans has ever released (and it’s definitely in the top four).

That said, I’m willing to bet you’ve never seen a version of this legendary footwear quite like the formidable, hiking-inspired Vans OTW Old Skool 36 Knot Vibram.

Vans

(Way) off the wall

Overall, the silhouette of this Southern California sneaker icon remains true to its history. This isn’t a completely major departure. That said, even a casual sneakerhead will notice some differences.

That starts with the iconic side strip. For the record, the Old Skool is the first shoe in Vans catalog to feature this signature design element (in fact, it was a doodle originally scribbled by the brand’s founder, Paul Van Doren).

Vans

But this one takes a wholly unique approach, weaving a cord (suede on one colorway and paracord on the other) through this signature element. That cord also weaves through the toe and heel reinforcements, tying it all together (so to speak).

Beyond that, the shoe is pretty stylistically in line with its siblings, which is a good thing. Anything too different and it would lose what makes an Old Skool an Old Skool.

That said, there are other elements that aren’t immediately noticeable that further elevate this interpretation.

Vans

Outdoor sole (and soul)

The classic Old Skool upper is typically made from a standard cotton canvas and suede (with leather making up the side stripe). This edition takes that concept and doubles down on formidability.

The main upper canvas is swapped for a heavy-duty alternative. And the toe, heel and eyelet reinforcements are the same leather as the side stripe. This combination makes the shoe a lot more robust than it might otherwise be. But it’s the underside that gets top marks.

Vans

Instead of a classic vulcanized sole with a waffle pattern, as is typical with the Old Skool (and Vans in general), this OTW edition gets a far more rugged Vibram outsole with a tank tread. Vibram, for the record, is a performance rubber originally designed for mountaineering.

While I wouldn’t call these hikers, the Vibram outsole does means they’re more stable, even on uneven or soggy terrain. And that’s a nice little performance and precision bonus you wouldn’t otherwise expect.

Vans

Availability and pricing

The Vans OTW Old Skool 36 Knot Vibram launches today, May 21, in two colorways for $160 per pair. Sign up on the landing page to be notified the minute it becomes available (unless it has already dropped by the time you see this).

Vans

Vans OTW Old Skool 36 Knot Vibram

• $160 at Vans

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Workwear’s very raison d’être necessitates that it be as uncomplicated as possible, but that lack of outward complexity doesn’t mean tough jackets, pants and boots can’t be elevated in materials and styling.

In fact, sometimes the simplest silhouettes are the most striking.

Carhartt

That’s the case with Carhartt’s latest addition to its premium-focused sub-label, the Crafted Series.

The Loose Straight Drill Painter Double Front Dungaree is an excellent example of the intersection of utility and elegance … and still manages to clock in at less than one hundred bucks.

Work hard, play hard

The Loose Straight Drill Painter Double Front Dungaree is a long and somewhat complicated name for a very straightforward product: a pair of work pants built to handle tough tasks and look good off the jobsite.

Carhartt

Built with rugged yet flexible 9-ounce, 100-percent off-white cotton canvas, the painter pants are inspired by Carhartt’s own century-old workwear designs, complete with thoughtful pocketing, an improved fit and elevated style.

Carhartt

Carhartt

The mid-rise fit sits just below the waist, and the generous room in the seat and thigh make it easy to move during DIY projects, or when you’re commuting or traveling.

The triple-needle stitching, seam-sewn belt loops and reinforced back pockets boost durability in high-stress areas, while the double-layer knees are minimal yet still able to accommodate pads for extra protection.

Carhartt

Multiple tool and utility pockets, including the left-leg hammer loop, make it easy to bring your EDC loadout along or keep every work tool you need within each reach.

Carhartt

Finally, the undyed canvas is designed to break in over time, making these pants more comfortable every time you reach for them.

Availability and pricing

The Crafted Series Loose Straight Drill Painter Double Front Dungaree is available now on Carhartt’s website, retailing for $90.

Carhartt

Carhartt Crafted Series Loose Straight Drill Painter Double Front Dungaree

• $90 at Carhartt

“Shirt.” “Crop top.” “Trail sweater.”

Nike’s most intriguing innovation some time has been called many things since its debut on the back of Caleb Olson at Western States.

But one thing it isn’t is a shoe.

Welcome to Moonshots: A series exploring the big ideas that could reshape the future of products. Discover more here.

According to Nike, the official name is Radical Airflow and runners from LA to Chamonix have eagerly anticipated its arrival for the better part of a year.

Fortunately, it looks like that wait is coming to an end.

Nike

Air it out

At the most basic level, the long-sleeve top exaggerates the effect of traditional mesh.

Hundreds of oversized holes across the arms and torso, which Nike calls “ducts,” not only direct air onto the skin but speed it up.

Nike

“We found that a funnel-shaped construction of larger to smaller gradient holes, uniformly placed, would best ‘funnel’ and accelerate air to the skin,” says Jahan Behbahany, a senior director in Nike’s apparel innovation department.

Nike

This is why, counter to conventional logic, the garment carries long sleeves to cover as much of the runner as possible.

That said, the cropped hem, oversized fit and large cutouts under each arm keep mobility high.

Nike

Nike

As for the material itself, Nike calls it a brand-new engineered knit constructed from recycled yarns.

The brand also claims that Radical Airflow carries a “hydrophilic chemistry” that’s activated by water, which only enhances its cooling properties.

Nike

Availability and pricing

Radical Airflow is already part of Nike’s official race-day outfit for the professional athletes that make up the brand’s All Conditions Racing Department. Eliud Kipchoge also wore it at the New York City Marathon last Novemeber.

Nike

Now everyday runners will have a chance to try it for themselves. Radical Airflow is popping on Nike’s official websites overseas, with a US launch expected in the coming days and weeks. It costs $150.

Nike

Nike ACG Radical AirFlow Nxt

• Learn More

Today, Focal is best known for its elite-level loudspeakers that are pipe dreams for most aspiring audiophiles. As an example, its flagship Utopia III Evo series of loudspeakers can range from $10,000 to nearly $300,000.

Welcome to Shop Smarter: A series dedicated to highlighting not just what’s on sale, but why it’s worth owning. Discover more here.

But not all of the French hi-fi maker’s loudspeakers are as unattainable. In 2023, Focal introduced its most entry-level loudspeaker range to date. While far from cheap, it offered hi-fi enthusiasts a more affordable way to hear the French brand’s signature sound.

Fast forward to the present, and Focal’s entire Theva range is on sale.

Focal

Focal’s most entry-level range

Focal’s Theva range comprises six loudspeaker models that can be configured for either stereo or home theater systems. There’s one bookshelf speaker, three floorstanding speakers, a center channel and a wall-mounted surround sound speaker.

The drivers in each loudspeaker incorporate the brand’s proprietary Slatefiber technology. As explained by Focal, it’s “an exclusive cone known for reproducing a dynamic, rich and balanced sound.”

Focal

Focal

With the range, the lower the number, the smaller the speaker.

The Theva N°1 is the only bookshelf speaker in the range. It features a two-way design and is compact enough to “fit easily into small spaces.”

The Theva N°2, Theva N°3 and Theva N°3-D are the range’s three floorstanding loudspeakers. All three share a similar 3-way design, but the Theva N°2 has an ultra-slim profile and the Theva N°3-D incorporates up-firing Dolby Atmos modules on top of each speaker.

Focal

Focal

The Theva Center is a two-way center channel speaker and the Theva Surround is a two-way surround sound speaker. Both are designed for immersive home theater configurations.

Five of the loudspeaker models in the Theva range come in three finishes: Black, Dark Wood and Light Wood. The exception is the Theva Surround, which only comes in Black.

Focal

Focal

What’s the deal?

Right now, Focal is running a spring sale that shaves 15 percent off the entire Theva range.

This means that the Theva N°1 bookshelf speakers, which normally sell for $1098/pair, are discounted by $160. The Theva N°2 and Theva N°3 floorstanding speakers, which sell for $1,698/pair and $2,198, respectively, are both several hundred dollars off.

The other three speakers, as well as the speaker stands for each, are also being discounted by 15 percent.

Focal

Focal

Worried about missing the sale? You’ve got time.

Focal’s spring sale is currently live and will run for the next six weeks, ending on June 30th.

The deals can be found on several participating dealers and retailers, including Audio Advice, Crutchfield and Sweetwater.

Focal

Focal Theva N°1

• $938 at Audio Advice (Pair)
  $1,098 (15% off)

Focal

Focal Theva N°2

• $849 at Audio Advice (Each)
  $999 (15% off)

Focal

Focal Theva N°3

• $1,099 at Audio Advice (Each)
  $1,299 (15% off)

The Samba never really goes out of fashion, circling back at least once a decade since Adidas debuted them as a football shoe in the ‘50s. 

While we’re currently in a “down” period for the Samba, the streetwear staple is still easily one of the most ubiquitous sneakers in the world. This is owed, in part, to the fact that the kicks have been able to evolve without ever losing their core visual identity. In other words, the Sambas from the ‘80s look strikingly similar to modern interpretations.

Adidas

This is why whenever Adidas decides to put a spin on the formula, everyone takes notice. Take, for instance, the Samba Jane ballet slippers last year or the long-tongued Wales Bonner collabs that put the shoe into fashion territory. 

However, this latest iteration of the Samba might catch on — and get put on — easier than most.

Adidas

Mule log

With the rise of comfort-driven fashion, especially since the Pandemic, mules and slides have become more popular than ever. But with that ascendancy, consumers wanted slip-ons that are actually comfortable for going outside the house.

That’s why we’ve seen big turnarounds for the likes of Crocs and Birkenstocks. Likewise, major footwear brands have made slip-on versions of classic silhouettes. Nike has done this plenty, such as with the Air Jordan 1 Golf Mule or Foamposite-based Clogposite, along with brand-new models like the Calm and Mind 001. 

Adidas

Adidas has dabbled a bit as well, with the Classic Campus ‘80 and Adimule models in recent years. Now, that mindset is being transposed to arguably the brand’s most iconic silhouette ever.

Adidas

Slip-on Sambas

Just in time for the summer, the Samba Mule arrives in three new colorways to go along with the monochromatic Crew White announced back in April: beige with white stripes, off-white with brown stripes, and indigo blue with white stripes. From the front, these look like your standard Samba, except with the heel cut out for an easier on-off.

Adidas

Adidas

Interestingly enough, each pair has subtle distinctions from the others. While the beige and off-white both features woven uppers, the stripes and heel on the latter sports a suede leather texture. As for the indigo, it goes solid leather for the upper, but puts a woven texture on the stripes and saves the suede only for the toe cap.

Adidas

A classic gum sole is underneath all three silhouettes, giving these Samba Mules a strong connection to their lineage.

Availability and pricing

Scheduled to drop this summer, the Samba Mule doesn’t have a listed price as of yet, but you can expect them to hover around the $100 price tag of your standard Adidas Samba.

Adidas

Adidas Samba Mule

• $0 at Adidas

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

While the initial fanfare around the retro sneaker revival trend has calmed somewhat, the movement shows no signs of losing influence or appeal.

Nike’s extensive selection of heritage styles has provided fertile ground for reinterpretation, and the latest take on the godfather of retro runners brings fresh energy to an enduring silhouette.

Nike

Sweet style

First, a little history: the performance-oriented Nike Waffle Racer debuted in 1977 and remained in the Swoosh’s catalog for years, eventually being phased out as technology advanced.

Then, the model was revived in 2020 as the Waffle Racer SE, a lifestyle stunner with performance roots.

Nike

The Swoosh briefly shelved the design in 2021 but officially reintroduced it in late 2025. Heading into summer 2026, we’ve been given a fresh new edition of the sought-after style.

Nike

The new Limelight/Sail/Coconut Milk/Black colorway gives the classically styled sneaker a warm weather-ready reboot. The citrus shade gives the Waffle Racer SE a playful, contemporary attitude.

Nike

Nike

The moccasin-inspired upper is built with a blend of leather and textiles to create a layered, textured look.

Nike

The dual-density foam in the midsole continues to provide cushioning and support, and the iconic rubber Waffle outsole offers grip and traction, as well a nostalgic nod to the original shoe.

Availability and pricing

The Waffle Racer SE is listed on the Nike Indonesia website, retailing for Rp 1.399.000, or approximately $75 USD.

At the moment, there is no release date available for the U.S. market, but keep an eye out as we move further into 2026.

Nike

Nike Waffle Racer SE

• $75 at Nike

When I met acclaimed knife designer Lucas Burnley in Portland, Oregon last summer, I was already a big fan, with his subsequent work only enhancing that estimation.

One thing he said really stuck with me, too, which is that partnering with major knife brands enables him to transcend the inevitable gatekeeping of painstaking customs that sell out in seconds.

Böker

While that statement has a business-minded underpinning, I’ve come to believe it with silhouettes like the Kihon, which is such a winner, Böker continues to drop compelling, affordable variants.

The new collector-class edition is far more aspirational than accessible, but given the jaw-dropping nature of the Kihon-derived Böker Damast Annual Knife 2026, maybe it’s still some sort of bargain.

Upgrades aplenty

Like its predecessors, this special release lives up to its namesake, which references basic techniques of Japanese martial arts. 

Mastering the associated stances, punches, kicks, blocks, and thrusts, performed with the correct spirit and attitude, helps one reach the next level of training.

Böker

Along similar lines, the Kihon leans into the fundamentals through a silhouette that is simultaneously minimalist, functional and refined.

However, the newest iteration departs from its predecessors with streamlined mechanics, homegrown manufacturing and premium materials. 

Böker

Whereas all previous Kihons employ a crossbar lock, the new folder relies upon a classic backlock, with an ambidextrous thumb stud enabling swift, smooth, one-handed deployment.

This particular knife is also notably made not in one of Böker’s Asian facilities but at the HQ in Solingen, Germany. 

Böker

The blade itself is a 3.19-inch drop point made of seriously elevated Damascus steel; 160 layers in a classic ladder pattern, delivering an eye-popping appearance and excellent edge retention to boot.

Opposite that beautiful blade is a handle made from carbon fiber with a dark, marble-like finish, which nicely complements the rippling steel. 

Böker

While the aesthetics may feel paramount, I would be remiss not to mention that the minimal design and fine materials make this knife significantly lighter than its siblings

At just 1.94 ounces, it’s sure to ride light in your pocket, assuming you dare to remove this coveted collector’s item from the included display case, of course.

Availability and pricing

Limited to 999 units, the Böker Damast Annual Knife 2026 is available now for (gulp) $529.

Böker

Böker Damast Annual Knife 2026

• $529 at Böker

Today, it may seem impossible to find a practical vehicle that doesn’t break the bank, with skyrocketing car prices among other things. But Subaru just answered the call with one of its most popular models and it’s refreshingly minimalist.

It’s a new base model Forester, which Subaru just rolled out as part of the model’s mid-cycle refresh. The only catch is that you have to be living in Japan to be able to snag one of these budget-friendly variants.

A $24,000 Forester you can get new, but only if you’re in Japan

Subaru

The new variant is called the Touring. And if that name sounds familiar that’s because Subaru of America also uses the trim name for its top-specification Forester with all the bells and whistles.

In Japan, however, the Forester Touring takes on a completely different mission at the opposite side of the spectrum. Instead, the Forester Touring serves as the model’s base entry point.

The best part: its MSRP starts at the equivalent of around $24,000. And it even comes with the Forester’s otherwise optional turbocharged flat-four.

Subaru

How did the brand accomplish it? Well, for starters, Subaru removed all of the fancy-schmancy safety gear, a system we know as EyeSight.

That added technology really inflates the car’s asking price, as it’s highly advanced and requires a lot of pricey equipment.

Subaru

The JDM Forester Touring also benefits from more basic exterior appointments, such as smaller 18-inch aluminum wheels, black plastic body cladding and even cloth seats on the inside.

Yes, good ‘ol fabric La-Z-Boys. The cherry on top? No blinding LCD screen for the driver. Instead, the JDM Forester Touring makes do with classic analog gauges.

Shining a new light on stripped-down models

Subaru

It’s not often for us Americans to swoon over stripper models devoid of all the niceties we normally expect in our new cars. That’s because our car culture has us always gravitating towards highly equipped cars to satisfy our wants (rather than our needs).

In other parts of the world and in different cultures, however, people tend to be more frugal (read: sensible) with their money. It’s why automakers in Europe and Asia offer basic trim options with very few luxuries.

Subaru

But with new car costs ballooning out of control, even consumerist Americans are lusting for more affordable options. It also builds on a growing demand for cars with less standard equipment, as buyers often report not using most of today’s in-car extras.

Today’s Subaru Forester in America starts just a tick below $30,000. But that model still comes standard with the brand’s signature EyeSight safety suite.

That’s not a bad proposition. However, a $24,000 Forester is an even more enticing one, especially given today’s economic climate.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

This week, Stellantis announced a $70 billion turnaround plan through which its brand portfolio will mount an aggressive product push bringing 60 new vehicles through 2030.

While some releases like the Dakota pickup and the Ramcharger SUV are well-known at this point, there are more than a few other model announcements that arrive as complete surprises.

Stellantis

Among them is a new Jeep Scrambler. Burning brightly but briefly back in the 1980s, the iconic nameplate is now set to make a return for the first time in decades.

An ’80s icon is making a return

The confirmation comes courtesy of the 2026 Investor Day presentation, wherein Stellantis laid out its FaSTLAne 2030 initiative. Among the planned additions for other models in the lineup, there’s a graphic denoting a Wrangler Scrambler variant is inbound.

Stellantis

Now, admittedly, there’s little else to go on for the time being. However, if past vehicles are anything to go by, the new Scrambler stands to be pretty sweet.

Namely, because it has the potential to bring a two-door truck to the Jeep lineup once again. When the Scrambler originally hit the market in 1981, it was effectively a CJ-7 stretched to offer pickup truck utility.

Stellantis

And since that time, Jeep has remained interested in the idea. From early SEMA concepts to Easter Jeep Safari builds like the JK-8 Independence and 392, the brand has looked to the Scrambler both in spirit and in name, rethinking the pickup truck in more ways than one.

Toward that end, it is worth pointing out that Jeep has previously applied the badge to a build based on the Gladiator. As much as it begs to be a single-cab, then, it could very well end up being a four-door similar to its stablemate.

Stellantis

Jeep’s truck gets an SRT version

If there’s any consolation to be had about the possibility of Jeep using the Scrambler badge on anything other than a two-door, it’s that the new Wrangler variant also heralds an SRT version.

Yes, you read that right. As part of Stellantis’s efforts to bolster its enthusiast appeal, the outfit gets free reign to exercise its performance expertise across the portfolio, even beyond the Dodge and Ram divisions.

Stellantis

With past Jeeps, this resulted in badass fire-breathing models like the Grand Cherokee SRT and its even more potent Trackhawk sibling. Considering those SUVs touted V8s rated for 475 horsepower and 707 horsepower, respectively, the Scrambler SRT shouldn’t be lacking in its giddyup.

Moreover, both of those examples boasted plenty of go-fast goodies beyond their powerful engines. Between special sport-tuned suspension, beefy Brembo brakes and extra sticky rubber, SRT’s overhauls cut much deeper.

Suffice to say, then, that a tuned Jeep pickup is a prospect that’s equal parts enticing and unique. No matter the truck’s final cab configuration, not even the Wrangler can lay claim to an SRT badge on the back.

Stellantis

More to come

Beyond the return of the Scrambler, Stellantis’s plans for the Jeep brand also include new SRT Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer variants. While we’ll have to wait for more updates, clearly, there’s a lot to look out for on the horizon.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Technically speaking, all GMT watches are pilot’s watches. When Longines pioneered the complication and when Rolex created the most famous example, they were designed specifically for pilots.

Of course, the dual-timezone feature is predominantly marketed to airline passengers under the “travel” category, but it still looks most at home on a pilot dial. Bremont appears to agree as the brand debuts a new GMT in its flagship aeronautical watch, the Altitude MB Meteor.

Bremont

The look of the new Altitude MB Meteor Time Zones is familiar, with the new complication fitting snuggly into the dial layout introduced with a 2025 overhaul. A couple of minor graphic details were deleted, and others were shifted to make room, but it is essentially unchanged.

It retains the traditional Flieger-style hour and minute hands, joined by Bremont’s signature lollipop seconds hand with an ejection seat ripcord counterbalance.

There is a stencil-style applied numeral hour track, with a date window swapped in at 3:00. One minor alteration is the removal of the date window frame.

Bremont

This new GMT comes in Bremont’s 42mm titanium Meteor case, featuring the proprietary Trip-Tick shock protection system, specifically designed to withstand the impact of being ejected from a fighter jet.

The mid-case matches the Air Force Blue of the vertically brushed metal dial, a special color inspired by the uniforms worn by Britain’s RAF, and now applied to the full Altitude pilot’s watch collection with this release.

Jetsetting

Unlike the Altitude Chronograph GMT, the second timezone lives at the center of the dial. A two-tone 24-hour ring sits inside the hour track, indicated by a short GMT hand, matching the seconds hand with a black stem and red arrow with white lume.

It is worth noting that all four hands feature blue-emitting Super-LumiNova, as well as the hour track, but the GMT track disappears in the dark.

Bremont

Bremont expanded the GMT’s functionality by adding a world time track to the internal rotating bezel. It is marked with 24 major cities to indicate each timezone, which explains the watch’s name.

The world time bezel is part of Bremont’s Roto-Click system. As the knurled crown at 4:00 is rotated, each timezone clicks into place, making it more precise than a typical friction bezel.

With the new complication comes a new movement, the Bremont Caliber BB641 automatic. Built on a Sellita Caliber SW330-2 base, it beats at 4Hz and packs a 56-hour power reserve.

The movement is hidden behind a titanium caseback engraved with the Altitude world travel motif.

Making the band

The Altitude MG Meteor Time Zones is available in full titanium with a Y-link bracelet finished in a vertical brushing that matches the radial brushing of the case.

Bremont

But I’m partial to the black-and-blue nylon NATO strap with titanium hardware offered with the new Air Force Blue collection. It is a far better complement to the dial’s color scheme.

Additionally, a two-piece rubber strap with a leather lining, quick-release pins and a titanium buckle is available.

Availability and pricing

The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor Time Zones is available now from Bremont for $6,250 on a titanium bracelet and $5,850 on a nylon NATO strap or leather-on-rubber two-piece strap.

Air Force Blue is a special-edition color, but this new GMT is a permanent addition to the Altitude collection and will surely be available in additional colors down the road.

Dali (“Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries”) is well known for its elite-level passive loudspeakers. For example, its flagship floorstanding loudspeakers, the Kore, command a price tag north of $120,000.

In recent months, the Danish hi-fi manufacturer has dabbled on the more affordable end of the spectrum, introducing its most affordable pair of bookshelf speakers, the Kupid, which cost $600/pair. It also released the entry-level Sonik loudspeaker range, which starts at $900.

Fast forward to the present, and Dali is doing things differently. Instead of passive loudspeakers for traditional audio systems, the company is introducing its first all-in-one wireless speaker system.

Dali Vega

Dali

One box, complete sound system

The Dali Vega is an all-in-one active speaker with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming capabilities, as well as a wide range of wireless connectivity options. If not used for streaming, you can hook it to your TV, turntable or greater hi-fi system.

In this way, it’s very much built in a similar vein to Naim’s Mu-so 2 or Cambridge Audio’s Evo One. But Dali is claiming the Vega “redefines what is possible from a single-box wireless sound system.”

Dali

Dali

The Vega promises to be a powerhouse of a wireless speaker. It features 10 in-house-developed drivers backed by 400 watts of amplification. This power is spread across eight channels, with 50 watts going to each.

Additionally, the speaker has been integrated with Dali’s proprietary technologies, including Adaptive Stereo Enhancement (ASE), which helps it create a wider, more expansive soundstage than you’d expect from a single speaker.

According to the brand, the system “adapts in real time to the incoming signal, delivering a panoramic effect that fills the room without introducing unnatural artifacts.”

Dali

Dali

Flexible wall mounting?

Most interesting, the Vega is very flexible in its room placement. It can be rested flat on a media console or be wall-mounted in portrait or landscape orientations.

And thanks to another proprietary technology, named Adaptive Orientation Adjustment (AOA), the Vega automatically adjusts its sound based on its position. Dali claims that this technology allows the Vega to optimize “stereo mapping and spatial accuracy in real time.”

Basically, there’s no tuning technology that makes you wave your phone around the room. The speaker tunes itself.

Dali

Dali

The Vega is powered by Bluesound’s platform, BluOS, which supports high-resolution streaming over Wi-Fi. It also allows the Vega to be grouped with other BluOS-compatible speakers and streamers in a larger multi-room system, which a variety of other audiophile brands offer (including NAD, Roksan, Peachtree and, of course, Bluesound).

As far as looks, the Vega is definitely positioned as a luxury speaker. It comes in two real wood veneer finishes (Dark Oak and Natural Oak), and features anodized aluminum accents and a custom woven fabric grille.

Reminiscent of Naim’s Mu-Su 2, Dali has also equipped the Vega with a large tactile volume knob. It’s made of a combination of glass, acrylic, and anodized aluminum and uses an aerospace-grade ball-bearing mechanism to create “a highly tactile feel.”

Dali

Availability and pricing

Dali hasn’t announced exactly when the Vega will be released, but claims it will launch in selected markets in September, with additional markets to follow in October and November.

In the US, the Dali Vega will cost $4,500.

Dali

Dali Vega

• $4,500 at Dali

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Just when you thought the new Land Rover Defender couldn’t get any more badass with the OCTA existing, an even spicier variant may now be in the works. New spy photos recently surfaced, capturing what appears to be a very heavily-kitted Defender test mule doing rounds on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

At first, testing a Defender on the Green Hell might seem like trying to get a fish to breathe out of water. However, Land Rover engineered the latest model to be just as good on the road as off the road.

Moreover, considering what the British automaker managed with the OCTA, the ceiling for what the Defender is capable of is higher than ever.

An updated OCTA in development, or something greater?

Land Rover

With very few details available, barring what can be observed on the test mule, the spy photos could mean two things. The first, more mundane possibility, is that this prototype may just be a facelifted version of the OCTA.

The current Defender, believe it or not, has been with us for six years already. Land Rover introduced the model in 2019 as a 2020 model-year car.

That’s about as long as the industry average for a vehicle’s series production lifecycle. But given the uniqueness of the Defender, it doesn’t quite follow the same standards.

Land Rover rolled out a mid-cycle refresh for the Defender for this year. Put another way, the Defender has plenty of life left in it in its current guise.

The OCTA only came out back in 2024, four years after the standard Defender’s launch. Still, despite being rather fresh, that wouldn’t stop Land Rover from moving onto the next phase. Logically, that would be an updated model.

An OCTA for the trails, or a Dakar special for the road?

Land Rover

The other possibility is that there could be an even more potent Defender in the works. But peeking the details on the prototype, there are similarities to the current OCTA. Such includes the dual snorkels and widened wheel wells.

The test mule appears to be rolling with even beefier and more rugged tires than the OCTAs high-performance street-biased all-terrain rubber. And the prototype also looks to be riding slightly higher.

2026 Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X-R

3 photos

Expand gallery

10

1 / 3

Previous slide Next slide

Return to story

10

1 / 3

Previous slide Next slide

So, these details could suggest that either a more badass Defender could be in the works. Or, if we speculate further, it could be an OCTA geared more towards off-roading than on-roading.

Other speculation, specifically from the spy photographers, also suggests Land Rover could be readying a special Dakar-inspired edition of the Defender for production. The automaker recently competed in the prestigious rally race, with none other than its own OCTA.

Land Rover

The OCTA is undoubtedly extremely capable off-road. But Land Rover engineered the Defender to be just as conquering on the street as it is off the beaten path.

With the sightings of this test mule, the brand has generated a lot of buzz about even more potent OCTA performance potential. Only time will tell what exactly this Defender brings and where it’s headed.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

The next James Bond movie is still a ways away, with the search for the next 007 actor officially kicking off just this past week. But despite that, the superspy officially has his next watch from Omega.

Welcome to Power Moves: Diving deep into the product and brand moves that can change where a category is headed. Discover more here.

That’s because, for the first time ever, Omega has created a watch for a video game. The first James Bond console game since 2012, 007 First Light, is set to drop on May 27, and Omega has launched a new Seamaster as part of the lead-up to the game’s highly anticipated debut.

But the fact that Bond’s new watch comes from a video game isn’t the only thing about this Seamaster that’s surprising. It also breaks precedent with the last four decades of Bond watches.

Omega

A Bond Chronograph?

The release of Omega’s new watch, the Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph 007 First Light, is not entirely unexpected. We had already seen plenty of shots of the watch in various previews of the game, and since it was recognizably not a current member of the Omega family, the smart money was on the brand bringing the timepiece into the real world at some point.

Now it’s here, and the watch itself is surprising. Not because it’s a Seamaster, as Bond has exclusively worn watches from Omega’s aquatic sports watch family since 1995’s Goldeneye, but rather because it’s a chronograph.

The last time 007 strapped a chronograph to his wrist was in 1985’s A View to a Kill. In those days, Bond was a Seiko man, and Roger Moore wore a Seiko ref. 7A28-7020 or 7A38-7060 in the film. The stainless steel, white-dialed chronograph is a significant watch even without the Bond connection, as it was powered by the world’s first analog quartz chronograph movement.

Amazon MGM/ Danjaq, LLC

That wasn’t Bond’s only chronograph, however. Some of Moore’s previously worn digital Seikos had chronograph functions, but more significantly, 007 wore two mechanical chronographs in the 1960s.

The more famous of the two is the Breitling Top Time, equipped with a Geiger counter, worn by Sean Connery in 1964’s Thunderball. Lesser known is the Rolex pre-Daytona Chronograph ref. 6238 that George Lazenby wears as part of his disguise as genealogist Sir Hilary Bray in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

First Light

As for Bond’s latest chronograph, it’s mostly your standard Seamaster Diver 300m Chronograph, but with a few extra bits here and there.

Omega

Its bezel, laser-engraved wave dial and chronograph pushers are all in black ceramic, just like on the standard black Seamaster Diver 300m Chronograph, and the stainless steel case remains a beefy 44mm across and 17.2mm thick.

There are sapphire crystals front and back, with the rear one giving a view of the Omega Cal. 9900 Co-Axial Master Chronometer movement. It’s an automatic featuring an amagnetic silicon balance spring, two mainspring barrels supplying 60 hours of power, an independently adjustable hour hand for quick time zone adjustments while traveling, and a column wheel chronograph capable of tracking 12 hours.

So, why a chronograph? Because in the game, which features a 26-year-old Bond cutting his teeth as an agent, the watch’s subdials are used in gameplay for certain features, and Omega wanted the real watch to be as authentic to the game as possible. The game’s watch also features an electric hacking device and a laser strap, both of which are sadly absent here, so I guess Omega wasn’t too concerned with accuracy.

Omega

There’s little special branding on the watch itself, with just the First Light logo appearing as metallized text on the underside of the sapphire caseback. The NATO strap is also special, as it introduces a new pattern seen in the game and has engravings of “007” and “First Light” on its stainless steel keepers.

The watch features unique styling that matches its appearance in the game. The 3:00 chronograph register, which tracks both minutes and hours on separate hands, has a Bronze Gold PVD ring, and the chronograph seconds hand is given the same treatment with Omega’s proprietary alloy.

The watch’s box is quite special, as it’s a Pelican-style case modeled after the Omega-carrying suitcase from the game. It features 007 First Light branding on the interior and Omega branding on the exterior. Lastly, there are six additional new NATO straps available to purchase separately, each inspired by straps you can get in the game.

Omega

Availability and pricing

While Swatch Group sibling Hamilton has shown itself to be more than willing to collaborate with video games, the First Light watch marks new territory for Omega. While some traditionalists will poo-poo the brand making a video game watch, I think it makes perfect sense.

James Bond is one of Omega’s core pillars, along with space travel and the Olympics. To prop up this pillar, Omega needs to produce Bond watches. It’s now been five years since No Time to Die, and we don’t even know who the next Bond will be yet, so Omega can’t really afford to sit around for another few years while Amazon MGM figures out what it’s doing with the franchise.

007 First Light is slated to be one of the biggest video games of the year, and AAA games such as this can compete with Hollywood today in terms of both revenue and storytelling. It’s the biggest piece of Bond content in years and will need to tide fans over until the next film, whenever that may be. So it’d almost be stranger if Omega didn’t make a tie-in watch for the game.

Regardless of how you feel about the Seamaster Diver 300m Chronograph 007 First Light — I love the classic tool watch styling, but find the watch too big for me to wear personally — it is now real and is available to purchase from Omega for $9,400.

Omega

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph 007 First Light

Specs

Case Size	44mm
Movement	Omega Cal. 9900 automatic chronograph
Water Resistance	300m

• $9,400 at Omega

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Levi’s 501 jeans just might be the most iconic piece of clothing ever made. 

Yet, the history that took place before they came out in 1890 might actually be more interesting, if not slightly more obscure. Before the US railroad expansion, brand names and product names weren’t as important as they are today. Products were local and personal and there was less competition, if at all. 

In the early days, Levi Strauss & Co. simply called its flagship jeans, “XX Waist Overalls” (“XX” for extra-strong denim quality). As their popularity grew, the products needed a lot-numbering system. XX Waist Overalls became the 501 in 1890.

Levi’s

Having amassed a great deal of mythology among enthusiasts, the pre-501 trousers have now been faithfully recreated by Levi’s itself, but they’ll be hard to land.

Legends never die

What established the blueprint for blue jeans as we know them today (so much that TIME named it the “Fashion Item of the 20th Century”), the denim trousers were invented out of practical necessity. With the increase of industry during the mid-1800s, miners, railroad workers and laborers found that their usual pants would tear easily. They needed a solution.

Textile experts discovered that denim served as a suitable way to reinforce pants. But it was Nevada-based tailor Jacob Davis who had the bright idea to use copper rivets to prevent seams from splitting. He partnered with Levi Strauss in 1873, and together they patented the riveted pants design.

Levi’s

Fast forward to 1998 when a man in a Nevada mining town discovered an old pair of jeans during an excavation. Not thinking they were worth much, he decided to get them appraised, only to find out that they were among the oldest pair of Levi’s on record, likely made around the 1880s.

Levi’s

Levi’s

The jeans were sold on eBay by Levi’s for $46,532, and have been kept in the company’s archives since. Known as the 1870s Nevada Jeans, these are the precise pants used as a reference for this latest release.

Jeans to an end

Faithfully reissuing what might very well be the oldest style Levi’s ever made, the clothier equipped these new 1870s Nevada Jeans with period-correct details. This includes the single-stitched arcuate around the single pocket in back, the center-placed leather patch at the waist, the sewn buttons and the button-down fly. It even employs the 1873 patent rivets that were used back then.

Levi’s

However, the most notable design feature is the small tool pocket on the left side. According to Levi’s, this specific style was only implemented for a short period of time. Made here in the US, the denim itself is deadstock 9-ounce plain selvedge loomstate from mothballed manufacturer Cone Mills White Oak in North Carolina.

Levi’s

Levi’s

Availability and pricing

Getting these 1870s Nevada Jeans will be tough. Priced at ¥909,000 (~$5,708), the pants were offered via a lottery system on the Levi’s Japan website. Nevertheless, you might find these pop up on the secondary market, with a markup of course.

Levi’s

Levi’s 1870s Nevada Jeans Reissue

• Learn More

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Welcome to “Today in Gear,” your daily snapshot of the most important releases in style, watches, tech, motoring, fitness, home and the outdoors.

Today in Gear: The most important news in the product world, independently curated by our editors. Catch up on other key releases across all the topics you care about.

John Lofgren

John Lofgren Military Desert Boots in Japanese Suede

Desert boots originated with a lightweight, minimalist design that was cheap and easy to mass-produce during WWII, but John Lofgren doesn’t make shoes that way. The distinguished Japanese brand elevated the humble military chukka with its exacting standards. A leather midsole with a steel shank, absent from the traditional blueprint, is added for enhanced stability and durability. This allows the upper, midsole and heavy crepe outsole to be stitched together. This version uses a luscious Japanese suede upper.

• $530 at John Lofgren (Brown)
• $530 at John Lofgren (Black)
• $530 at John Lofgren (Gray)

Fender

Fender 75th Anniversary Precision Bass

The Fender Precision Bass was the world’s first-ever commercially successful bass guitar. And it has remained an icon (and the bar by which all other basses are measured) for a whopping three-quarters of a century. To celebrate that monumental milestone, the brand has launched a trio of special edition Precision Basses that capture the spirit and lifespan of this legendary instrument. With stunning craftsmanship and high-performance parts, these represent the pinnacle of bass guitars, but they won’t be around forever…

• Starts at $2,000

Ram Trucks

2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee

Ram just recently revealed its most powerful production truck ever. Appropriately named the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, Auburn Hills’ latest hi-po street truck kickstarts a rivalry once thought to be left behind in the ’90s. Geared towards tearing up the pavement and laying down elevens as opposed to storming off-road trails, the Rumble Bee comes in three flavors, all of which determine what lies under the hood. In its most powerful form, the Rumble Bee SRT boasts the company’s iconic and venerable Hellcat 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, good for a whopping 777 horsepower and 680 pound-feet. In the middle is the naturally-aspirated 392 (6.4-liter) HEMI V8 with 470 hp and 455 lb-ft, and the base model rocks the traditional 5.7-liter naturally-aspirated HEMI V8 with 395 hp and 410 lb-ft. Other highlights include exterior street body effects, beefed up brakes and suspension, and other appropriately themed bits both inside and out. Stellantis says Rumble Bee availability will open up in the coming months.

• Learn More

Steele Canvas

Steele Canvas Mini Tote

Made by one of the most respected American brands known for craftsmanship and “Buy It For Life” quality, this compact tote is a great catch-all for everyday use. It won’t take up too much space, but it will be able to house your essentials on the go. Made with a rugged, heavyweight cotton canvas and available in six color options, the Steele Canvas Mini Tote proves bigger isn’t always better.

• $50 at Steele Canvas

Awake

Awake Sơn Mài Guilloché Main

Awake’s latest addition to its flagship Sơn Mài collection adds hand-turned guilloché to the mix, combining the technique with Vietnamese lacquer for the first time ever on a watch dial. The collection comes in three styles, each featuring a different color and pattern: the orange Alba, green Borealis and purple Sunset. The watches also introduce a new 38mm case along with a new handwritten logo for the brand that better reflects Awake’s approach to its handcrafted dials. Each of the three Sơn Mài Guilloché watches is a limited edition of 200 pieces, and all are priced at €3,180 (~$3,687).

• $3,687 at Awake

Over the past year or so, we have written about the titanium-obsessed innovators at Titaner more than a dozen times.

The more I’ve personally covered the brand, the more I admire not only their attractive designs, ambitious over-engineering and precision machining but also another critical attribute.

Titaner

Like fellow EDC standouts Peak Design, Titaner never tackles a product category without a firm conviction that they can do something new, different and better.

The latest example is arguably the best yet: majorly upgrading the oft-overlooked keychain via the versatile new Matrix series.

The Matrix revolutions

I call it a series because the Matrix is not a single carabiner-style keychain so much as four “families” and ultimately six different variants.

The wide variety derives from a previous launch, the travel-focused Trident, which introduced the concept of locking levels.

Titaner

These steadily increasing security measures manifest in a new way with the Matrix, as the individual keychains themselves progress in locking complexity and cost.

What nearly all of them have in common is an innovative, neodymium magnet-based spring structure that uses controlled magnetic repulsion to offer a fidget-friendly “linear damping” effect.

Titaner

Beyond that appealing element, this mechanism boasts a much longer lifespan than a traditional spring, with Titaner promising, no joke, one million presses with no rebound loss.

Thanks to grade-5 titanium, the keychains are also highly resistant to heat, corrosion, impact and more.  

Six-pack of security

With even the most affordable variants superior to most of what has come before, let’s take a quick spin through the lineup itself. 

At Level 1, aka “Quick Access,” we have two offerings. 

First up is the only option with a conventional spring: the ultralight L1-2026, which weighs just 12.3 grams and features zoned carry capability and “autolocking,” whereby the latch springs closed when you let go.

Titaner

Second is the N1-2026, which lacks zoned carry but offers autolocking,  upgrades to a magnetic spring and includes a slot for adding tritium, a self-illuminating sealed glass tube providing 25 years of glow-in-the-dark capability.

At Level 2, aka “Control,” we have a single product, the N2-2026, which differs in one meaningful way from the N1: a 2-mode locking switch below the latch prevents any accidental openings.

Titaner

Finally, at Level 3, aka “Lockdown,” we have three premium products which differ much more when it comes to form than function: the N3-2026, S3-2026 and G3-2026. 

With the only feature distinction being that the N3 alone offers a tritium slot, these top-of-the-line keychains augment the aforementioned locking mode with a third level of security.

To open the latch, you must first pull down the locking tab, then press both the latch and the release button on the opposite side.

Titaner

While that may sound complicated in theory, it’s pretty easy in practice; you can operate with one hand and, I would say, 1.5 fluid motions.

At the same time, you can feel confident that no accidental series of events will ever release the mechanism, and it would be incredibly difficult for a pickpocket to prize it off of you, either.

Availability and pricing

The Titaner Matrix series is available now via Kickstarter, starting at $19. Estimated delivery is September.

Titaner

Titaner Matrix

• Starts at $19

A brand whose name had once been stitched onto backpacks in every American middle school hallway and, before that, was first known for making mountain-worthy adventure packs, quietly dropped a convertible duffel that deserves a serious look from travelers who’ve never once thought to check its website for gear like this.

Out of the hallway and into the terminal

Jansport

JanSport has been making bags since the late 1960s, when it launched out of Seattle as a genuine outdoor gear company before pivoting hard toward the lifestyle market.

Now it’s making a move back toward its roots, and the JanSport Good Latitude Convertible Duffel is the most compelling evidence yet that the brand is done being pigeonholed.

Jansport

The Good Latitude doesn’t look like anything JanSport has produced in recent memory. Gone are the bright color blocking and boxy silhouettes associated with the brand’s heritage.

This bag reads clean, structured and intentional. It’s available in a muted palette that skews toward navy and black, and the overall aesthetic leans toward a premium travel brand.

Jansport

The bag converts between a duffel and a backpack, with padded, stowable shoulder straps that tuck away cleanly when you want to carry it by the padded top handle or adjustable shoulder strap.

The main compartment opens wide for easy packing, and a dedicated laptop sleeve makes it a more practical option right away for any trip that involves a work computer compared to the more rugged North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel or the burly Patagonia Black Hole.

A front zippered pocket, internal mesh organization and a dedicated water bottle sleeve round out the feature set.

Jansport

It’s worth being direct about the trade-offs. The North Face and Patagonia build their flagship duffels from bombproof TPU-coated fabrics designed to survive a river crossing or a cargo hold without flinching.

The Good Latitude isn’t that. JanSport is working with lighter, less technical materials here — a decision that keeps the weight and price down but means this bag isn’t the one to grab if your trip involves anything rougher than a commuter rail or an overhead bin. Think weekend travel, gym-to-office, carry-on capable trips — not base camp approach hikes.

Jansport

For the traveler who prioritizes organization and versatility over expedition-grade durability, the Good Latitude actually carves out a more functional niche than either of its tougher competitors. The laptop sleeve alone changes the calculus for anyone heading to a conference or working remotely.

Availability and pricing

Jansport

The Good Latitude Convertible Duffel offers a 40L capacity and retails for $125, which puts it in a competitive position relative to the field.

The Patagonia Black Hole and North Face Base Camp Voyager and the Peak Design 35L Travel Duffel are all somewhere between $20 – $50 more expensive.

Jansport

The bag is available now directly from JanSport’s website. For everyday travelers who want a bag that does more than one thing — and don’t need it to survive a kayak roll — the Good Latitude is worth a hard look from a brand you probably wrote off a long time ago.

Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a sub-$1,000 automatic GMT sports watch, you’re probably going to end up with something that more or less looks like a Rolex GMT-Master.

Not so with the Arken Alterum.

Although I can’t say the Alterum was created out of whole cloth, as the watch was very clearly inspired by the incredibly cool Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Everest, it’s still highly original at its price point thanks to its titanium case, its clever 12-hour GMT complication and its avant-garde styling.

Because of its uniqueness and, well, because it’s awesome, the Alterum has been pretty hard to get a hold of, with examples selling out in a flash whenever they become available. So if you’ve been pining for an Alterum, listen up, as Arken’s flagship watch is back, and in a brand-new color too.

Arken

Green? Gray? It’s both!

As a follow-up to its prior Black and Anthracite Grey versions, Arken’s latest Alterum comes in a brand-new color called “Sage Grey.” According to the brand, the shade is a desaturated British racing green that can look gray or green, depending on the light. In press photos, it has a very monochrome appearance that seems a perfect match for the Alterum’s no-nonsense tool watch identity.

Outside of the new colorway, the Alterum remains unchanged, which is very, very good news.

Arken

All of the Everest inspirations remain. That means the dial keeps its granular texture, there’s still a 6:00 date subdial set via a screw-down 4:00 pusher, the case is still made of titanium and features an integrated design with a push-button quick-release system mated to a nylon strap with contrast stitching, and the GMT function operates on a 12-hour scale.

The clever movement is a modified Miyota Calibre 9015 automatic that uses two AM/PM indicators, one on the left and one on the right, that are tied to the local hour hand and 12-hour GMT hand, respectively. The uniquely shaped indices, a mix of circles and teardrops, are solid ceramic blocks of Super-LumiNova BGW9.

The alterum’s case is 40mm but measures just 38mm across the bezel and 46mm lug-to-lug, so it wears quite compact. Thickness is 13mm from the bottom of the screwed-in solid caseback to the top of the inner-AR-coated sapphire crystal, a measurement owed to the watch’s 200m water resistance. Like the pusher, the crown screws down, and the case is treated with an anti-scratch coating.

Arken

Availability and pricing

Despite the proprietary movement and engineering on display, not to mention the original design and just overall badassery, the Alterum is stupid affordable. As in, it’s priced well below $1,000.

Arkem lists the Alterum for £630, which currently converts to ~$847. With that low of a price, I expect the Sage Grey to fly off the shelves when it goes on sale, so listen up if you want to snag one before they sell out.

The watch will be sold in two waves. The first limited wave will be on May 23, beginning at 11 am EDT, with watches in stock and ready to ship. The second wave is a preorder that’s unlimited for as long as the window lasts, though Alterum doesn’t give an end date. It starts on May 30 at 11 am EDT.

Arken

Arken Alterum Sage Grey

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Arken Cal. ARK-9015DT2 automatic GMT (Miyota base)
Water Resistance	200m

• $847 at Arken

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Writing about cool new gear for a living, it’s quite easy to get spoiled; for example, I rarely review a bicycle that isn’t some top-of-the-line carbon fiber dream machine that I adore but probably wouldn’t buy.

However, a couple of years ago, I got a fresh perspective during a trip to Spain, when I rented a Canyon Grail gravel racing bike whose frame was (gasp!) aluminum. 

Canyon

During an epic 76-mile round-trip from Barcelona to Montserrat, I loved how steady and sturdy the bike felt on mixed surfaces.

I was also pleasantly surprised that it didn’t weigh me down (too much) on the tough 5.3-mile, 1,880-foot final climb to the 1,001-year-old Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey.

Courtesy of Steve Mazzucchi

Perhaps that’s why I’m so stoked about the brand’s latest release, the new aluminum-framed, adventure-focused Grizl 6, whose combo of features and price makes it something I actually would buy if I were gravel shopping. 

Happy medium

Right off the bat, I should note that the Grizl 6 is part of a three-bike launch that also includes a new Grizl 5 and Grizl 7 ESC, but it’s the only one coming to the US.

That’s fine with me, as it’s my favorite of the bunch (especially in the Off Berry hue that is reportedly headed stateside soon).

Boasting SRAM Apex 1×12 Double Tap shifting performance, Schwalbe G-One RX tubeless-ready tires, a nice price of $1,999 and some impressive tweaks.

1. Frame game

Canyon

The Grizl 6’s refined yet tough new frame comes in 4.2 pounds lighter than its predecessor, putting the overall weight for a medium at 23.22 pounds. From this base emerges a nimble superstar that can handle everything from city streets to single track, within reason.

2. Better bar

Canyon

The sculpted aluminum bars minimize pressure points while 16 degrees of flare boost control when you’re ripping downhill. Meanwhile, a standard 1 1/8” steerer, external cable routing, a round 27.2mm seatpost and a threaded T47 BB standard offer high reliability and user-friendly maintenance.

3. Big wheels

Canyon

Gravel tires just keep getting bigger, and the Grizl 6 jumps on that trend. While it comes with suitably beefy 45mm tires, it has clearance for up to 54mm, equivalent to a 2.1-inch mountain bike tire. If you’re looking to tackle particularly gnarly terrain sans suspension, that volume will come up huge, literally and figuratively.

4. Mounts galore

Canyon

Heading out on an all-day trip or an extended backpacking adventure? This bike offers loads of attachment points for bottles, cargo cages, locks and even a “pizza rack” up front. Canyon knows what it is doing, too, as its shop offers literally dozens of gravel accessories that are perfectly compatible.

Availability and pricing

The Canyon Grizl 6 is available now in one color (Milk, with Off Berry to follow in a few weeks) and seven sizes for $1,999.

Canyon

Canyon Grizl 6

• $1,999 at Canyon

Since it acquired Mystery Ranch, Yeti’s relationship with the renowned bagmaker has looked one-directional at best.

The Yeti Ranchero comes with a three-way zipper system borrowed from the Mystery Ranch Assault series, while the Skala utilizes a microadjustable harness as seen in countless hunting and military bags from the Bozeman brand.

That said, the brands’ latest collaboration proves that the best partnerships go both ways.

Mystery Ranch

Orange is the new black

Available exclusively on Mystery Ranch’s website, a new one-off variant of the Rambler Water Bottle pays homage to wildland firefighters, many of whom depend on Mystery Ranch bags to carry critical gear past the fireline.

Mystery Ranch

It features a matte black base, engraved with unique skull-and-cross pattern.

But as far as Yeti Nation is concerned, the more notable detail might be the top.

Mystery Ranch

Mystery Ranch

Rather than a standard black Chug Cap, the bottle arrives with one in “King Crab Orange,” which Yeti has never included on a previous colorway of its bestselling Rambler Bottle.

Yeti

Yeti

The combination matches Mystery Ranch’s existing “Wildfire Black” colorway, giving the everyday bottle a distinctly tactical edge.

Unfortunately, neither Mystery Ranch nor Yeti appear to be selling the orange top on its own.

However, the Chug Cap is compatible with every Rambler size from 18 to 64 ounces, allowing Yeti collectors to mix and match as they wish.

Availability and pricing

Available exclusively in the 36-ounce size, the Yeti Rambler Bottle in “Wildfire Black” is available now for $50, the same price as other colorways on Yeti’s website.

Mystery Ranch

Yeti Rambler Bottle “Wildfire Black”

• $50 at Mystery Ranch

From lavish Sprinters to terrain-conquering truck conversions, America’s overlanding segment is as vast as it is varied.

Unfortunately, the reality is that most of these rigs require a second mortgage to account for their exorbitant price tags. They invite incredible access to adventure, but they’re not really what you’d call widely attainable.

Nissan

It’s for this reason that Nissan’s Japanese-market Clipper is so tempting. While it’s an undeniably niche vehicle being a kei van, it’s nevertheless the kind of option that we could use here in the States.  

Nissan’s clever Clipper sleeper

Specifically, the Multi-Rack version. Nissan originally introduced the option for the kei van in 2025, and it just brought it back as part of the upcoming model-year refresh.

Nissan

While the updates themselves are relatively minor (inner and outer visual tweaks and added ADAS features), the Multi-Rack itself is worth appreciating. It’s a simple but undeniably slick setup.

As part of the configuration, Nissan fits the rear of the Clipper van with an interior steel frame and some perforated pegboards. In combination with some clever mounting brackets and general-purpose hooks, it’s a system that allows for truly flexible gear storage.

Nissan

What’s more, the Multi-Rack is compatible with an optional bed mat that provides sleeping accommodations. It brings four levels of height adjustment, and it comes upholstered in a durable Cordura fabric.

Of course, at 46 inches across and just over 70 inches across, it’ll sleep one, maybe two max. Still, at the equivalent of a little over $14,000 for the base and some $16,500 for the top-grade GX Turbo, those are conditions I’d bet most would find a way to make work.

Nissan

A case for stateside application

Towards that end, while this kind of tiny camper might seem ill-fitted for markets outside of Japan, it could definitely find a following in the United States. 

Sure, being a kei van, its most potent engine option tops out at 63 horsepower. Even ignoring its easy-to-miss size, that’s enough to make it a nuisance on larger roads or in faster traffic.

Nissan

However, in quieter areas and low-speed city centers, the Clipper could be a hugely popular option for young people and urbanites. Whether hauling gear around town or heading out for a weekend excursion, it promises tons of versatility.

It also wouldn’t be the first kei car to make the jump across the Pacific. Exotic enthusiast vehicles like the Autozam AZ-1 and Honda Beat have long commanded import fanbases, but the appreciation now extends to trucks. With 25-year eligibility, pint-sized pickups such as the Acty and the Carry are both exploding in popularity.

In any case, much as the American market has favored massive engines and sprawling wheelbases, the price of gas will only continue to shift consumer sentiment. With fill-ups costing as much as they do, I know I can’t be the only one dreaming of a tiny fuel-efficient camper like the Clipper. 

Nissan

Availability and pricing

According to Nissan’s announcement, pricing for the Clipper Multi-Rack will start at the equivalent of $14,000 for GX models equipped with two-wheel drive and the naturally aspirated R06A engine. Those with the Turbo and part-time 4WD will start at what works out to roughly $16,500.

Nissan

Nissan Clipper Van Multi-Rack

• Learn More

Utilitarian design is often defined by straightforward form factors built simply to get the job done; that focused mission doesn’t always include looking good, but Snow Peak’s new EDC-friendly pack proves form and function can coexist in harmony.

The Recycled Cordura Backpack mixes technical materials with casual good looks, making it equally capable at handling the outdoors and your daily commute.

Snow Peak

Daily driver

The Recycled Cordura Backpack, as its name suggests, is constructed with durable, recycled 840D Cordura.

Highly technical fabrics aren’t exactly known for their sustainable qualities, but Snow Peak’s pack highlights a material designed to balance industrial-grade, military-spec durability with eco-friendly manufacturing.

Snow Peak

There are tons of functional features to complement that tough-yet-responsible material.

The double-layered bottom allows the pack to stand upright on its own. The front-zip design provides easy access. Multiple styles of pockets, including an inner option and side pockets, offer on-the-go organization.

There are even adjustable straps emerging from the bottom of the pack that allow for larger items to be attached, like sleeping pads or a technical shell.

Snow Peak

This new pack isn’t just rugged enough for camping and your commute; it also looks good enough to fit right in with streamlined daypacks and burlier hiking options.

Snow Peak

Snow Peak

It’s sneakily modular, too, thanks to MOLLE-style webbing on the back, plus daisy chains on the sides and both straps that can accommodate smaller piggy-back packs, EDC tools and more.

Snow Peak

The 39-liter capacity is ideally sized for hauling a laptop and work essentials, or enough supplies for a moderate day hike.

Available in both black and brown color options, the Recycled Cordura Backpack’s earthy, muted aesthetic will blend in anywhere, while its style can’t help but stand out.

Availability and pricing

The Recycled Cordura Backpack is available now on Snow Peak’s website, retailing for $165.

Snow Peak

Snow Peak Recycled Cordura Backpack

• $165 at Snow Peak

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

You don’t have to be a fan to understand why it was such a sad moment when Mitsubishi discontinued its Lancer Evolution. For almost three decades, the Lancer Evo was Mitsu’s direct answer to Subaru’s WRX STI during one of motorsports’ most pivotal moments.

That would be the Group A series of the World Rally Championship throughout the ’90s and ’00s, and beyond.

It’s a rivalry that resulted in one of automotive history’s greatest. One that’s arguably on par with BMW versus Mercedes-Benz in ’80s German touring car championships. Because of this, the Lancer Evolution undoubtedly has a huge cult following, much like its Subie rival.

All that is to say, we’re drooling over this practically brand-new, 722-mile 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Final Edition on Bring a Trailer.

A celebration of the end of an era

Scooterss via BringATrailer

Mitsubishi said farewell to one of its greatest performance icons of all time back in 2016. Not only did Japanese sports car and rally fans mourn its discontinuation, but car enthusiasts in general also poured one out.

The Lancer Evolution has been and remains a major source of inspiration for aspiring and budding car enthusiasts. It first made its fame on the global stage as a homologation special for the World Rally Championship.

And countless appearances in racing videogames and on the big screen only cemented its reputation. The Lancer Evolution is arguably one of Japan’s greatest automotive contributions (among many others).

Not only is it a motorsports hero, but it has also made speed and performance very accessible for the average person. This is all thanks to the Lancer Evo’s relatively huge bang-for-the-buck formula.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

When new, the Lancer Evo could keep up, if not beat, six-figure exotics at nearly a fraction of the cost. At the end of the day, it was still a Mitsubishi with all-wheel drive.

In other words, you could use it every day and even haul your friends, family and all of their things. Very quickly, at that.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

Of course, because the Lancer Evolution’s relatively affordable price point attracted all sorts of go-fast enthusiasts, many examples were driven hard and put away wet. This is especially true with the used market, as it’s a top choice among the Japanese tuner crew.

That’s why we’re falling head over heels for this OEM-plus-modified, ultra-low-mileage example.

An absolute creampuff of a GOAT icon

2015 Mitsbusishi Lancer Evolution X Final Edition – BringATrailer

7 photos

Expand gallery

10

1 / 7

Previous slide Next slide

Return to story

10

1 / 7

Previous slide Next slide

Besides the fact that this Lancer Evo X is a limited-production Final Edition, it’s just one of 1,600 ever made. It was born with rarity.

Furthermore, it’s become virtually impossible to find a Lancer Evolution X in good condition. That’s mainly because the Japanese tuner crowd absolutely jumped on pretty much any opportunity to snag one, new or used.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

But as most seasoned car enthusiasts know, modifying any car is no inexpensive endeavor. Thus, a lot of wannabe Paul Walkers and Dominic Torettos often emptied their bank accounts, went broke and drove an incomplete car that ended up being more trashed than treasure.

So, seeing any Evo X this clean, with this low mileage and with very little modification, is about as perfect as it gets.

Already worth more now than when new

Scooterss via BringATrailer

According to its ownership history, this Evo X Final Edition has changed hands four times, despite its 722-mile odometer. Along the way, it’s picked up a few meaningful upgrades.

These inclde JDM-market Evo X Recaro front seats, a custom Manzo exhaust, an aftermarket short-ram intake, an AMS Performance intercooler and a Tial blow-off valve for the appropriate off-throttle “tsu-tsu-tsu” effect after the turbo spools up.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

As of this article, the bid is hovering at just below $40,000. Which is a lot for any 10-plus-year-old vehicle. It’s also more than what the Final Edition stickered for, which was around $37,995.

So, it’ll be interesting to see how high the auction goes. Regardless, the winner will be the lucky owner of what is among the freshest Evo Xs left in the world.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Since its 2018 founding, Atelier Wen has completely changed the perception of Chinese watchmaking, emerging as a legitimate luxury brand crafting highly competitive watches with dials, cases and bracelets that stand up against any competition in their price range.

Of course, leading the way has been the brand’s flagship sports watch, the aptly named Perception, which debuted to rave reviews in 2022 and received some updates in a second generation two years later.

Now, Atelier Wen unveils the Perception V3, and it displays quality that is leaps and bounds above its already impressive predecessors.

Third time’s the charm

First, let’s talk about what hasn’t changed with the perception. The silhouette is the same, with the same uniquely shaped 40mm 904L steel case still integrated into its flat, tapering, Vacheron 222-esque 904L steel bracelet. The bracelet keeps its quick-release spring bars, and the excellent clasp carries over its two proprietary adjustment systems: a telescoping blade and a push-button microadjust.

Atelier Wen

The dial is also unchanged, which makes sense since it’s the Perception’s signature feature. It still boasts the brand’s signature fish-scale guilloché pattern, hand-turned on a rose engine in the workshop of China’s first master guilloché craftsman. The lumed leaf handset and applied indices are the same, as is the Chinese-patterned minute track in Super-LumiNova.

Now, on to what’s new. The finishing on the case and bracelet, already impressive, has been taken up a notch. There is now more directional brushing and more extensive mirror polishing, which is done by hand, leading to crisper edges and sharper transitions throughout.

These updates apply only to the Ice Blue and Salmon dials, but there’s also an all-new colorway, the first for a Perception dial in four years, in Bamboo Green. It’s paired with a special case and bracelet that are micro-frosted instead of brushed, while maintaining the polished chamfers. It creates a unique look that’s a bit more understated.

Atelier Wen

The crown of the Perception has received a subtle but significant update. It’s more compact than before, and its generic knurling has been replaced by a textured pattern that mimics the minute track. It’s a nice attention to detail that makes the watch feel that much more custom and considered.

But the biggest change to the Perception V3 is what’s inside.

The Chinese-made Peacock movement that’s powered the watch from the beginning, often viewed as the only knock against the Perception, has been jettisoned in favor of a French-made Pequignet Cal. EPM03. This automatic calibre beats at 4Hz, has a 65-hour power reserve, boasts a bidirectional pawl-based winding system and has a stated chronometer-level accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day, adjusted in six positions.

Atelier Wen

It’s a high-end movement with seriously high-end looks to match. The movement’s customized bridges are shaped in the traditional Chinese symbol for wind and are coated with polished blue aventurine lacquer. I’ve never seen a movement decorated in such a way, and it creates a mesmerizing effect when viewed through the sapphire caseback.

There’s plenty of more traditional decoration, too, with nearly every surface of this movement having been gussied up in some fashion. There’s Geneva striping, black-polished screws, anglage, perlage, snailing, frosting and even a 3D etched inscription on the ratchet wheel. It looks, frankly, incredible.

Availability and pricing

Now, here’s where things get tricky. The Perception V3 is a vastly superior watch to the V2. The leveled-up finishing and, more importantly, the high-end French-made movement put this watch in an entirely new class.

Unfortunately, those updates have also moved the Perception to a higher price bracket. The V3 retails for $4,850, a significant jump from the outgoing V2’s launch price of $3,288 two years ago.

I definitely don’t think the V3 is overpriced, but it no longer feels like a steal. It’s kind of on an island at its price point as far as integrated sports watches go.

Atelier Wen

It’s far more expensive than something like the Christopher Ward Twelve, which goes for $1,495 in steel, but it’s still less than half the price of a Zenith Defy Skyline, which arguably marks the entry point to serious integrated luxury sports watches at an even $10K.

Deciding whether or not the Atelier Wen Perception V3 is worth it or not will ultimately depend on the individual buyer. If you plan to become one, you can order the new Perception on Atelier Wen’s website now, with deliveries expected this September.

Atelier Wen

Atelier Wen Perception V3

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Pequignet Cal. EPM03 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $4,850 at Atelier Wen

Whether you like them or not, it looks like Casio’s Ring Watch is here to stay.

What first appeared like a novelty has now pushed through several waves in just 18 months, showing us how much it believes in this concept. And why not? The Japanese watchmaker has always ticked to the beat of its own quartz-powered drum.

Casio

Now, the miniature timepiece for your finger is getting its first collaborative release in tandem with Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin, and it’s easily the most unique iteration so far.

Finger-tickin’ good

To the brand’s credit, Casio has made sure to enhance each new Ring Watch model to justify its existence. Debuting in late 2024, the CRW-001 was a stainless steel model that leaned into the jewelry aesthetic. From there, the brand gave us a gold ion-plated version and even different colored resin Ring Watches under the G-Shock banner that looked more like the original 5600 line (hence the DWN-5600 Nano moniker), and with buckled straps in tow. 

Casio

Since then, other brands have hopped on the trend, with even Timex following suit with a Beams collaboration earlier this year. Regardless, it’s clear we haven’t seen the last of the divisive “fingerpiece.”

Stone-gold stunner

No longer playing it safe with these designs, Casio has now blinged-out the Ring Watch. It takes on the gold CRW-001G, embedding four rhinestones at the top and bottom of the bezel. 

Casio

Casio

Compared to the standard model, the new CRW-001JB-9 puts the brick motif on the dial in gold as well (previously in black) and extends it to the bezel. Most of the design remains intact, except that some of the dial text is removed on the side of the digital display. It removes denotations for “MODE,” “ADJUST” and “LIGHT” to simplify the look. Nods to J Balvin also includes a flower-and-lightning logo on the caseback. 

Casio

At just 19.5mm across, the watch is small but mighty. You still get dual-time capability, along with stopwatch, auto calendar and Time Flash every hour. The Ring Watch comes set in a US size 10.5 but can be adjusted to a size 8 or 9.

Casio

Casio

Availability and pricing

The Casio x J Balvin Ring Watch CRW-001JB-9 carries a $200 price tag and drops online on June 4. Pre-orders open up May 28.

Casio

Casio x J Balvin Ring Watch CRW-001JB-9

• $200 at Casio

It’s not often that a familiar sneaker successfully blends 2000s-era aesthetics with traditional Japanese influences while still preserving the DNA that made it popular in the first place, yet New Balance’s latest take on the beloved 2010 manages to do exactly that without missing a step.

The New Balance x Beams 2010 pays homage to the legendary Japanese clothing brand’s 50th anniversary while preserving the iconic styling that defines the silhouette.

New Balance

True blue

The New Balance x Beams 2010 is a collaboration that feels so natural, you may not even realize this is a partnership sneaker at all.

The new kicks pay homage to Beams’ 50th anniversary through a new Navy variation, which layers multiple shades of blue to create a textured yet classic silhouette.

New Balance

Indigo is particularly significant to Japanese culture; the deep blue shade is found across ancient and modern-day applications, from shibori dyeing techniques to representing the natural beauty of Japan’s oceans and sky.

New Balance

New Balance

The 2010 uses the shade to great effect, starting with a deep blue upper and layering four distinct navy tones across the suede and synthetic panels.

Along with the timeless colorway, there are a few understated nods to the collaboration; the traditional “N” on the lateral side of the shoe is placed asymmetrically, adding a subtle twist.

New Balance

The insole features Beams branding in a matching blue shade, and the tongue also nods to the 50th anniversary.

The 2010 preserves its comfort-focused tech, including Abzorb cushioning in the midsole and Stability Web support underfoot.

Availability and pricing

The New Balance x Beams 2010 will be available on Beams’ website starting May 23rd, retailing for $151 USD.

Beams

New Balance x Beams 2010

• $151 at Beams

Like a good haircut, quality workwear looks best after day one.

Just ask Gretchen Valade, the great-great granddaughter of Hamilton Carhartt, whose new venture celebrates the enduring appeal of hardwearing shirts, jackets and even hats with her family’s name.

Wylie Welling

Third time’s the charm

Named Wylie Welling, the spinoff brand enters summer with its third collection since the inaugural drop in early April.

Wylie Welling

As with previous installments, styles date back over 50 years. Wylie Welling chose them for their “character, utility and enduring construction,” it said in an email to subscribers.

Wylie Welling

Wylie Welling

The new arrivals encompass a pair of early 2000s hats, broken-in t-shirts from various decades and a rare ’90s-era coat in Carhartt’s signature duck canvas.

Most feature one-off detailing and repairs done by teams in Los Angeles and Detroit, including one-off patches that highlight wear, rather than hide it.

See below for a few highlights or head over to Wylie Welling’s website to browse the full collection. Prices start at $65.

Wylie Welling

Carhartt 2000s Deep Red Twill Cap

• $125 at Wylie Welling

Created by Thor Drake of See See Motorcycles, the One Motorcycle Show is the biggest and arguably the coolest custom bike mega-gathering in America.

Held every spring in Portland, Oregon since 2009, it’s truly an invitation to daydream about what’s possible with a set of wheels, a wrench (and, OK, maybe a few other tools) and a vision. 

Royal Enfield

Case in point: one of the stars of the recently wrapped 17th edition just might be the most breathtaking Royal Enfield yet. 

Though it rolled up with minimal fanfare, such a possibility is always in the offing when the great Roland Sands is involved.

Superbike style

Dubbed the Reload 650 by RSD, the bike is a black-and-gold bespoke treatment of Royal Enfield’s oft-customized Shotgun 650. 

A wise choice, given the nameplate’s track record: it’s the same model Winston Yeh’s Rough Crafts reimagined for a near-equally stunning limited-edition release last fall.

Royal Enfield

Though it carries a similar color scheme, the Rough Crafts bike leans ostentatious, whereas the Reload 650 draws its inspiration from 1980s AMA racing bikes. 

Racer-turned-builder-and-businessman Sands clearly has some love for the circuit; he was the 1998 AMA 250GP road-racing national champ, after all. 

Royal Enfield

Toward that end, the bike features retro superbike-derived bodywork, including a striking, angular tail unit and a gunfighter-style solo seat that looks equal parts cool and capable. 

Race-inspired elements show up all over the bike, from the upgraded suspension to the RSD-designed five-spoke Morris wheels, shift levers and footpegs to the glorious 2-1 S&S race exhaust.

Royal Enfield

Meanwhile, RSD crafted a unique front fender strut out of one-piece aluminum, which also serves as a brace, boosting rigidity.

Recalling typical West Coast custom culture, the bike gets a bar riser and straight fit, wide handlebars, putting riders in the classic upright, elbows out position. 

The bike also nods to the Southern California hot rodding scene thanks to a finned aesthetic that carries from the fender strut to the engine to the side covers.

Royal Enfield

Keen eyes will recognize that particular treatment also appeared on RSD’s first collaboration with Royal Enfield, the Super Meteor 650 Chopper from 2023.

In both cases, it’s just one more pitch-perfect throwback touch that stands out from the pack.

Availability and pricing

As you probably guessed, the Royal Enfield Reload 650 by RSD is a one-off. Catch it at the next big custom bike show or make your way to the RSD Store in Long Beach, California, down the road; chances are it will be on their showroom floor.

For what it’s worth, the stock 2026 Shotgun 650 is a great-looking bike in its own right, available in your choice of Sheet Metal Grey or Green Drill starting at $7,299.

Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield Reload 650 by RSD

• Learn More

Right now, Audioengine is having a Memorial Day sale on some of its newest and best desktop speaker systems. In some cases, you can save over 30 percent. The deals run through May 26th or “while supplies last.”

So, what’s the catch? The deals are on “Open Box” or “Refurbished” models. These are speakers that have been used and returned by reviewers or customers.

Less interested? Don’t be. Each one has been “inspected, tested, and prepared” to meet the brand’s standards. So you’re essentially getting a great deal on speakers that work and look like new.

Audioengine

As far as the discounted products, the standouts are Audioengine’s A2+ Next Gen, HD3 Next Gen and HD4 Next Gen (listed from smallest to largest). We’ve highlighted the deals on each of these “Next Gen” speaker systems below.

Each is a powered speaker system that was released in 2025 (so just last year). And each comes in a variety of colors, so you can get a pair that matches your preferences.

Additionally, Audioengine has included its larger powered speaker systems, the A5+, in the sale. There are discounts on its powered subwoofers, headphone amplifiers and other hi-fi components, as well.

Update: Since the sale started, it appears that Audioengine’s two smallest desktop speakers, the A2+ Next Gen and the HD3 Next Gen, have sold out.

Audioengine

Audioengine A2+ Next Gen (Open Box)

These are Audioengine’s smallest, most affordable and most popular desktop speaker system. They are identical to their predecessors but add support for 24-bit audio and a USB-C input. They come in four standard matte finishes: black, white, red and green.

• $195 at Audioengine
  $279 (30% off)

Audioengine

Audioengine HD3 Next Gen (Open Box)

The HD3 Next Gen is very similar to the A2+ Next Gen. In fact, they are the same size, have the same drivers and feature the same 60-watt power amplifier. The differences are that the HD3 Next Gen is available in more premium finishes, features detachable speaker grilles, and includes a dedicated headphone amplifier.

• $244 at Audioengine
  $359 (32% off)

Audioengine

Audioengine HD4 Next Gen (Open Box)

The HD4 Next Gen looks and works exactly like their smaller sibling, the HD3 Next Gen. The difference is that they are substantially bigger and better-sounding speakers. They have 120-watt amplification (twice as powerful) and a larger woofer. Available in three different finishes: satin black, walnut or high-gloss piano white.

• $300 at Audioengine
  $429 (30% off)

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Short of apple pie, blue jeans and fast food chains, it doesn’t get much more American than the Ford F-150. Since the pickup hit the market nearly 50 years ago, it’s been a consistent best-seller, routinely topping domestic charts for trucks and overall vehicles alike.

Of course, that’s with the benefit of home-field advantage. Ford designed the F-series for stateside roads and driving lifestyles.

Ford

It’s for this reason that Hedin US’s latest venture promises to be such a tough challenge. While the importer is making the Ford staple more accessible to Europeans than ever, the truck still amounts to quite a commitment.

Making the F-150 more accessible

In a recent announcement, Hedin confirmed that it will be importing the Ford F-150 XLT to the European market as part of its 2026 lineup.

Now, the outfit first started bringing the Blue Oval’s pickup truck across the pond in 2023 through a select dealer network. Since that time, it’s expanded its reach to include 16 different countries and added both Lariat and F-150 Raptor options.

Hedin

Accordingly, Hedin’s new development is meant to bring the cost of admission down and make the F-150 more broadly palatable. The popular XLT is more of a middling option in the United States, and it’ll serve as the entry point into the Euro range at €64,300.

It’ll be every bit as American as its stateside counterparts, too. Under the hood, power will come from a 5.0-liter V8, and the truck will also retrain its six-up seating configuration, 12-inch display and various other standard features.

Hedin

According to Hedin, the XLT is an especially valuable addition because its cabin offers buyers more flexibility. In markets such as Norway and Denmark, for instance, the rear seats can be removed to allow vehicles to be approved as light commercial trucks.

A commitment to the truck life

While this certainly makes the XLT a more practical option than something like the ultra-focused Raptor, that’s not to say the truck will have an easy time of things in Europe.

Ford

For starters, an F-150 still amounts to quite an investment, even if it’s now priced from €64,300. That works out to roughly $75,000, which makes for a significant premium over the $40,000-$50,000 Ford charges in the United States.

Granted, for some fleet applications, the F-150’s payload and towing capabilities may justify the expense. However, individual buyers had better be pretty committed to the pickup truck lifestyle, as that pricing edges the Ford into performance and luxury car territory.

And that’s not even addressing the many pain points that come with the cultural differences. For instance, full-size American trucks are worlds apart in their bulk, and many European roads can’t accommodate their proportions.

Stellantis

To that end, imported pickups have faced increasing backlash due to their lack of emissions compliance and risks to pedestrian safety. With 7,000 full-size American trucks having entered Europe in 2024 through the Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) scheme, there’s an advocacy group now lobbying to close the loophole for these “monster vehicles.”

Only time will tell whether this ultimately affects Hedin’s F-150s. However, navigating that kind of sentiment could be quite the uphill battle.

Availability and pricing

According to Hedin’s website, the Ford F-150 XLT is now available for order starting from €64,300. Retailers across Europe will take delivery starting in late May.

Ford

2026 Ford F-150

• Learn More

I don’t think it would be too presumptuous to say that Crocs is not exactly known for performance footwear. The brand’s most iconic offering, the Classic Clog, in fact, is much more aligned with casual, low-speed activities.

That might be about to change, as the brand has dropped what could be called its most formidable outdoor-friendly sneaker yet, the Crocs Quick Trail Racer.

Crocs

Better, faster, stronger

The Quick Trail Racer wasn’t developed in a vacuum. It’s actually based on an existing Crocs shoe, the Quick Trail Low. In fact, its silhouette is extremely similar.

However, there are some significant changes that help make the Racer a much more formidable, fast-moving trail sneaker. For instance, while the shoe retains the same bootie-style construction, the Racer’s construction differs from the Low’s.

Crocs

While the Low has a neoprene integrated bootie, the Racer’s is made from a monomesh fabric that’s much lighter and thinner (while still being water-resistant). It also extends from the collar to the toe, whereas the Low’s fabric ends just below the collar.

Secondarily, the Racer gets some wraparound Croslite foam reinforcement elements around the toe, heel and sides, granting it more durability where you need it most.

However, not all has changed. The Racer retains the Low’s adjustable toggle, which helps better secure the collar and is especially useful for keeping the shoe snug on the foot.

Crocs

Hiking soul, Crocs sole

It really wouldn’t be a Crocs shoe without a healthy amount of the brand’s signature, proprietary material, Croslite foam. As mentioned, the wraparound reinforcements are made from Croslite, but so is the midsole and outsole.

That makes this shoe, like its more casual siblings, very lightweight, water-resistant and easy to clean. However, there is a crucial upgrade to the outsole that makes this a far more outdoor-friendly shoe than the bulk of its relatives.

Crocs

Along with the classic Croslite material, the underside of the shoe also has additional “tread zones,” more robust sections that increase its grip on uneven terrain, like you might find out at the campground or on the trails.

It wouldn’t be too much of a leap to call the Quick Trail Racers Crocs’ most formidable outdoor shoes, at least of the last year or so. But who knows; the brand could feasibly outdo itself at any point, even soon. It’ll be interesting to see what the brand cooks up next.

Crocs

Availability and pricing

Crocs’ Quick Trail Racer drops tomorrow, May 21, on the brand’s official site for $110 per pair in two different colorways. However, you can sign up for stock notifications now, so you’ll be the first to know when it launches.

Crocs

Crocs Quick Trail Racer

• $110 at Crocs

Flyknit may be very well experiencing a renaissance. 

In the ‘00s, Nike was desperately trying to come up with an innovation that could do it all: cut weight, perfect fit, provide breathability and reduce waste compared to cut-and-sew uppers. Then in 2012, the footwear brand debuted Flyknit, expanding on the Flywire cables from a few years prior with a material that stretched over the entire upper.

For a while, we saw the fabric all across Nike’s catalog, from runners to basketball shoes to lifestyle sneakers. But knit uppers were quickly becoming an industry standard and, in recent years, Flyknit has seen a significant drop in usage. 

However, that all might be shifting. 

Nike

Super fly(knit)

It seemed like a one-off phenomenon when Hiroshi Fujiwara’s Fragment put a new, fashion-forward Flyknit on the already-viral Mind 002 sneaker (and Mind 001 slide). This wasn’t Fujiwara’s first go-round with Flyknit, having been part of the legendary HTM design collective a decade earlier, along with Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker. Nevertheless, this new take was different.

Made more for lifestyle wear, the Fragment Flyknit wasn’t performance-focused; it was trendy and aesthetically denser, albeit short-lived. We thought it might be some time before this sort of new-wave Flyknit would appear on another Nike shoe, let alone the Mind 002.

Nike

Nike

For its latest iteration, one of the hottest sneakers of 2026 is now getting another Fragment-style Flyknit, but without Fragment branding.

Mind your business

Swapping the standard perforated mesh upper for this funky Flyknit, the upcoming Mind 002 “Barely Volt” colorway almost looks like a performance shoe with its lighter Pure Platinum and Wolf Grey scheme (compared to monochromatic black and charcoal-gray Fragment options). It’s accented with a neon yellow that courses venously through the upper design.

Nike

The yellow is blocked with the signature set of 22 nodes underfoot, aiming to “activate sensory areas of the brain” by moving individually against different parts of your foot. A stretchy fabric on the insole enables the tech, while foam cushioning is used for the midsole.

Nike

Nike

Also like the previous Fragment Mind shoes, this pair features the outdoor-inspired toggle lacing system that lets you easily fine-tune your fit throughout the day.

Availability and pricing

Priced at $145, the Mind 002 “Barely Volt” drops May 27 at 10 a.m. ET from Nike’s SNKRS app. Expect these to go quickly.

Nike

Nike Mind 002 “Barely Volt” Flyknit

• $145 at Nike

Schiit Audio is best known for its affordable desktop hi-fi components, such as the $119 Magni headphone amplifier and the $149 Modi DAC, which perform well beyond their wallet-friendly price tags. (The brand ships everything directly to consumers, which keeps prices low.)

Now, for the first time, the now-Texas-based audio maker has introduced a portable hi-fi component, designed to elevate your listening experience whether you’re sitting at your desktop or riding the train to work.

And keeping with the brand’s ethos, the price tag won’t scare you off.

Schiit goes portable

Schiit Audio

Schiit Audio’s Vestri is a portable DAC and headphone amplifier that connects to your smartphone, laptop or tablet via USB-C and makes your wired headphones sound way better. (Because we all know, the built-in DAC/amp of your everyday gadgets isn’t very good.)

It has a seamless milled aluminum chassis, a glass front with touch controls, and balanced and single-ended headphone outputs. There’s no battery, so it draws all its power from your device.

It’s a no-frills, plug-and-play-ready hi-fi component.

Schiit Audio

Now, there are a lot of these portable DAC/amps out there, made by reputable hi-fi brands. But the Vestri is a standout, according to Jason Stoddard, Schiit’s Co-Founder.

“I joke when I say ‘Vestri is the only dongle that matters,’ Stoddard says. “Which is beyond cheeky, but in a field of 10,000 lookalike products all using the same off-the-shelf technology, it has a grain of truth.”

Schiit Audio

“The only Mesh portable”

The Vestri’s secret sauce is that it’s integrated with Schiit’s exclusive Mesh conversion technology, which combines a time- and frequency-domain-optimized digital filter with an on-board DAC. According to the brand, this results in “sonic performance far above its peers.”

To that end, Schiit is billing the Vestri as “the only Mesh portable.”

Additionally, the Vestri is integrated with the brand’s Unison USB digital technology, which helps ensure that it plugs in and works seamlessly with modern phones, tablets, computers and streamers. 

It also has two headphone jacks, one 4.4mm (balanced) and one 3.5mm (single-ended), and is capable of delivering up to 400mW through its balanced output. Schiit claims that the Vestri can drive “virtually all headphones to their peak of performance.”

Schiit Audio

Availability and pricing

The Vestri costs just $99, making it one of the brand’s most affordable hi-fi components.

It’s available now from Schiit Audio’s website.

Schiit Audio

Schiit Audio Vestri

• $99 at Schiit Audio

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

The battle to answer the call for an affordable small pickup in America keeps intensifying. Now, Volkswagen is apparently readying its own tiny ute.

The Wolfsburg-based automaker’s Brazilian division just teased a new open-bed concept. And if it looks familiar, that’s because it almost is.

It’s called the Tukan, and it’s following in the footsteps of a beloved, yet categorically misunderstood attempt in the Hyundai Santa Cruz. But with a big twist.

While we’d love to think it’s America-bound, it’s likely to remain off-limits to the United States. Still, it’s something for us to drool over.

A true, yet unique blending of the best of both worlds

Volkswagen Brazil

If the funky camouflage wasn’t already eye-catching enough, the latest Tukan is as quirky as it is interesting and cool. At least, it promises to be on paper.

Volkswagen essentially starts with its latest MQB modular architecture-based compact crossover SUV, which looks like the current Tiguan or Tayron. Then, its engineers essentially lopped off the back end, elongated the body and fitted the rear suspension with a conventional solid axle and leaf-spring setup.

It’s as wacky as it sounds, as the Tukan blends the car-like unibody construction of crossover SUVs with an old-school truck suspension design. Normally, most crossovers have more sophisticated multi-link or fully independent rear suspension to deliver a more comfortable and car-like driving experience.

The Tukan takes a rather unconventional approach for the sake of towing and off-roading versatility. That’s because solid rear axles and leaf-spring suspension tend to be more durable and rugged in more extreme conditions.

Volkswagen Brazil

It’s also cheaper to manufacture, repair and maintain, and it uses fewer parts. For a region like Brazil, where getting stuck in a remote location is much more likely, simpler is typically better and more reliable.

VW has long proven the small pickup’s viability

Volkswagen Brazil

For decades, Volkswagen has proven that small pickups are viable and cater to a specific niche. This is especially true in parts of the world where an affordable price point and compact size are essential.

Brazil, along with the rest of South and Central America, is one of them. There, VW has long sold a small pickup and the Tukan is the brand’s next chapter.

Volkswagen Brazil

Named after and inspired by the exotic bird, whose name is also Portuguese in origin, the Tukan will serve as an in-betweener. It will sit above the equally quirky and Brazil-only Saveiro and below the more global Amarok.

The Tukan’s arrival is also a part of VW’s lineup overhaul for the region. The company plans to reveal up to 21 new models for Latin America by 2028, a region that remains one of Volkswagen’s most important.

Volkswagen

To ensure it gets proper attention, the Tukan will reportedly officially break cover during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Hence, the livery-based camouflage and the presence of the national team’s mascot, Selecao.)

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

The act of hitting the open road can be intoxicating, whether you live for it already or you’re still manifesting a life of adventure, self-discovery and escape from routine.

Airstream has long been synonymous with freedom and connection through travel, but its trailers haven’t always been accessible from a size or price standpoint.

Airstream

The World Traveler 22RB Travel Trailer may just change that, opening the road to more people than ever before.

Small footprint, big appeal

The aerodynamic World Traveler 22RB offers a masterclass in combining luxury and functionality into one maneuverable model, which Airstream says is the lightest model in its category.

Airstream

The World Traveler is built on the same chassis as Airstream’s World Traveler global model sold in Europe and Asia, while its narrower and more lightweight construction make it the ideal entry-level option for fans of the brand.

Airstream

The 3,700-pound base weight, 7.5-foot width and 22-foot length come together to create one highly towable trailer that is compatible with a wide range of vehicles, including crossovers, pickups and SUVs.

(Even fully loaded with water, gear and supplies, the new trailer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is rated to 4,500 pounds, making it easy for most vehicles to tow.)

Airstream

Anyone worrying that the smaller footprint means less luxury, fear not; just because Airstream’s newest model is slim and sleek doesn’t mean it skimps on interior amenities.

Scandi style

The interior is a minimalist’s dream, featuring all of Airstream’s standard amenities wrapped in a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic that is bright, light and more spacious than one might suspect.

Airstream

The white aluminum interior walls paired with light laminate cabinetry make the trailer feel spacious, despite its smaller footprint.

The unique V-Shaped primary sleeping area maximizes space, and the dinette converts to either a sofa or bed for more flexibility.

Airstream

The lightweight dual-pane acrylic windows let in tons of light while boosting efficiency.

They open at an angle, increasing air flow in the trailer, and also offer a versatile integrated blackout blinds and screens feature.

Airstream

Campers can pull down the screen to allow airflow, pull up the blind for privacy, or separate both to open the window completely.

This intuitive feature is not available anywhere else in Airstream’s travel trailer line, just one more selling point for this (relatively) small wonder.

Availability and pricing

The World Traveler 22RB is available now via Airstream’s nationwide dealer network, starting at $68,300. 

Airstream

Airstream 2026 World Traveler 22RB Travel Trailer

• Starts at $68,300

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Detroit-based brand Shinola is deeply rooted in Americana. In fact, even its best watches are related to the land it calls home.

Take the brand’s signature dive watches, for example: many are named after the Great Lakes of North America.

And three of the Shinola Monster Automatic Dive Watches have just received a couple of significant upgrades, helping refresh their styling and making for easier, more comfortable daily wear.

Shinola

Rising from the depths

The most significant alteration to these new Monster divers (which include the Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario and Lake Huron) isn’t one you’ll likely notice at first glance, at least not in imagery. That’s because it’s related to the size of the cases.

The original Shinola Monster watches were 43 millimeters in diameter, but these latest redesigned ones have been sized down to 39 millimeters, which is much more aligned with current size trends. It also makes them easier to wear daily.

Shinola

Of the three launches, the Lake Ontario and Lake Michigan editions also have another stylistic alteration. Instead of a flat, single-color insert, they both get mother-of-pearl dials that match their bezels.

This material adds visual intrigue and depth through its opalescence, which catches the light in a way that mimics how light interacts with the surface of the enormous lakes from which the watches derive their names and inspiration.

Shinola

American facade, Swiss heart

Thankfully, the performance and formidability of these watches remain unaffected by the stylistic alterations. That includes their Swiss-made beating hearts.

Housed within the new stainless steel cases (and visible through the exhibition caseback), all three watches have a Sellita SW200-2 automatic movement with a 65-hour power reserve.

Shinola

Furthermore, these are true divers. Their robust cases are rated for depths of up to 300 meters, so you’ll never really have to worry about getting them wet in daily use, and you could obviously use them for legitimate Scuba activities.

Other classic, returning elements include their dive timer bezels, minimalist dial markers, date windows (at 3 o’clock), lumed hands and indices and link bracelets.

Shinola

Availability and pricing

Shinola’s Monster series redesigned watches (the Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario and Lake Huron) are now available on the brand’s site for $2,195 apiece.

Shinola

Shinola Monster Automatic Dive Watch

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Sellita SW200-2
Water Resistance	300m

• $2,195 at Shinola

Welcome to “Today in Gear,” your daily snapshot of the most important releases in style, watches, tech, motoring, fitness, home and the outdoors.

Today in Gear: The most important news in the product world, independently curated by our editors. Catch up on other key releases across all the topics you care about.

WESN

WESN The Polycomb Microblade

Were there to be a Mount Rushmore of tiny EDC knives, WESN’s one-ounce, multi-deploying, frame-locking flagship would most certainly occupy a spot. No wonder the brand consistently introduces new treatments of it, the latest of which is arguably the best yet. Limited to 200 units and selling fast, this black beauty boasts a grade-5 titanium handle with a CNC-machined honeycomb pattern that boosts not only grip but, shall we say, haptic satisfaction. Meanwhile, the 1.5-inch drop-point blade gets upgraded from the standard D2 to durable, edge-retaining, corrosion-resistant CPM S35VN. Bonus: Every “Microblade May” drop comes with the new-and-improved WESN lanyard bead, featuring a two-part bead design that make accessing and carrying your knife easier.

• $150 at WESN

Mercedes-AMG

2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe

After months of teasers and anticipation, Mercedes-AMG just revealed one of its most important cars of the decade: the new AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Not only is it important as one of AMG’s halo cars, it’s also the first-ever ground-up and all-new AMG GT based on the company’s electrification efforts. And to get straight to the point, it’s an absolute monster. Just peek at the specs: up to 1,153 total system horsepower, 1,475 pound-feet of torque, all from three state-of-the-art axial flux motors, one 800-volt Formula 1-derived battery pack with a 600 kilowatt-hour charging capacity, around 285 miles of range, and fast-charging in as little as 10 minutes. The results, 0-60 mph in just 2.0 seconds while keeping the pedal to the metal yields 124 mph in just 6.4. Top speed, 186 mph and a curb weight of around 5,423 pounds.

• Learn More

Vuarnet

Vuarnet Ocean Capsule

Vuarnet gets ready for summer with its Ocean Capsule, which takes inspiration from the French brand’s sailing heritage to outfit three of its silhouettes specifically to perform in marine environments. The Legend 02 Originals, Belvedere 01 and Racing 05 all receive matte transparent blue frames paired with Blue Polarlynx mineral lenses designed for enhanced anti-glare protection, clarity and color perception on the water.

• Starts at $330

Flytanium

Flytanium Beef DIY Kit

The Flytanium Beef is a supersized combo meal at a value menu price, metaphorically speaking, of course. Well, now, Flytanium is offering an even better value for that same killer EDC knife with a bonus for tinkerers and folks who don’t mind a little wrenching. The Beef DIY kit offers the same knife, but you assemble it yourself (with a $10 discount, starting). The kit includes all the parts required to build a complete Beef, plus the tools to do it. And you can even customize a bunch of it (for an additional fee), including the blade, handle scales, colors and more.

• Starts at $60

BMW

2027 BMW M3 CS Handschalter

The Handschalter is BMW’s first-ever manual-equipped M3 CS and the swansong expression for the current generation. As a result, it also ditches the M xDrive AWD system in favor of a true rear-wheel-drive layout. While it doesn’t come with the same 543-horsepower engine found in the regular CS, BMW nevertheless claims that the 473-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six is enough for a 4.1-second 0-60 mph time. After all, as part of its badge designation, this special sports sedan sheds some 75 pounds over the standard M3. BMW is offering the Handschalter exclusively for the U.S. and Canadian markets.

• Starts at $108,450

REI is quietly discounting one of Yeti’s most underrated drinkware offerings — and at $24, it’s an easier addition to justify adding to any outdoor setup before the season peaks.

Welcome to Shop Smarter: A series dedicated to highlighting not just what’s on sale, but why it’s worth owning. Discover more here.

Built for wine, but works with whatever

Yeti

The Yeti Rambler Vacuum Wine Tumbler with MagSlider Lid is on sale for $24, down from $30 at REI right now.

The double-wall vacuum insulation keeps white wine cold and red wine at room temperature for far longer than a standard stemless glass — a genuine advantage when you’re camping, tailgating or sitting on a deck that happens to be in direct sun. And it’ll work just fine holding any other beverage, too.

The 10-ounce capacity matches a standard wine pour, so you’re not compromising the experience for durability.

Yeti

The MagSlider Lid is the detail that elevates this above a generic insulated cup. A magnetic closure slides open and shut with satisfying precision, reducing spills – though it’s not spill-proof – while still letting you drink freely and easily clean it later. It’s a small engineering flourish that matters in real-world use.

As Wired‘s hands-on review reiterates, the cup’s insulation performance and the MagSlider Lid’s functional design make it a strong option for anyone who wants the outdoor-ready durability Yeti is known for in a wine-specific vessel.

Availability and pricing

Yeti

We’ve rarely seen the wine tumbler in these core colors discounted.

Whether you’re buying one for yourself or stocking up to bring a set to the campsite, a 20 percent reduction puts it closer to impulse-buy territory for a product built to last years.

Ducati’s Solid State prototype, LiveWire’s S2 Corsa concept and various other speedy EVs all offer visions of the future of motorcycling through their lightning-fast charging capabilities. However, that’s hardly the only way that bikes are proving the viability of electric powertrains.

The dirt world, for instance, takes a comparatively simpler beat. Brands like KTM instead rely on removable batteries to allow for continued riding.

Radian

All the same, a Dutch startup named Radian has something on the way that’s poised to shake up the status quo. The outfit announced an all-electric moto called the EXR, and it brings a new benchmark for speed.

Quick on the draw

That being the time it takes riders to swap a drained battery with a fresh one. According to Radian, the EXR’s InfiniPack system allows for full replacement in less than 30 seconds.

Radian

For context, some brands don’t build this kind of functionality into their bikes at all. Many of those that do will proudly cite changes taking “minutes” at a time, a comparative eternity.

Mind you, Radian’s figure is also without tools. In competitive applications, the EXR would be a game-changer, but even casual and amateur riders can appreciate that kind of convenience and added simplicity. 

Moreover, Radian’s batteries promise respectable performance in addition to a user-friendly design. 

Radian

According to the Dutch outfit’s claims, the included 8.6-kWh Endurance pack is good for up to seven hours or 72 miles of riding. An upcoming lightweight 5.8-kWh ‘Sprint’ option will cut the curb weight down from 275 to 250 pounds.

Promise in other ways

Beyond its various battery highlights, Radian’s EXR moto does show promise in a number of other respects.

Radian

For instance, it features a 336-V electric motor rated for 70 horsepower and 782 lb-ft of torque. As with the competition, it eliminates the need for a traditional transmission. Instead, riders can tune the torque curve through an accompanying app. 

What’s more, Radian has developed an interchangeable Smart Storage system for the EXR’s subframe. Through various inserts, it allows riders to bring everything from tools to spares without wearing a pack. The outfit also plans to support its customization with 3D-printable files.

Rounded out by a lightweight full aluminum chassis, top-shelf KYB and Brembo components and some LED lighting, it’s made only better by the promise of future motocross and supermoto variants.

Radian

After all, between its ease of ‘fill-ups’ and its integrated storage, the EXR would excel as an urban runabout in more ways than one. I know I’d like to give it a rip once equipped with some street rubber.

Availability and pricing

Radian’s EXR is now available to reserve in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, with availability estimated for Q4 2027. The company has stated that a broader European market rollout is to follow, and pricing is set to start from €14,450 (~$16,770)

Radian

Radian EXR

• Learn More

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Whether or not you’d like to credit Macklemore with the rise of thrifting, it’s hard to deny that secondhand shopping is more popular than ever. 

Back in 2012 — coincidentally the same year Macklemore released his “Thrift Shop” track — Brian Procell opened up his namesake vintage clothing store in New York’s Lower East Side. But this wasn’t your everyday thrift shop. 

Its focus has always been on high-end fashion and rare pieces ranging from Ralph Lauren to Jean Paul Gaultier to vintage band tees.

Procell has since become a beloved staple frequented by celebrities and stylists alike. Designers have used the store as a reference archive for some of their own styles.

Nike

Now Procell collaborates with Nike for the first time in seven years on one of the footwear giant’s most curious silhouettes.

Some backstory

Before we dig into the collab, let’s understand some history. Debuting in 2000 as a line of soccer gear, the Total 90 consisted of cleats, balls, jerseys, and even gloves. The name was a nod to the length of a typical match.

Nike

Nike

Total 90, in its original form, was discontinued by the early 2010s. However, football fans preserved the original cleats in a special place in their hearts. It lived on in some fashion circles, especially during the rise of blokecore.

Nike paid attention and started reviving certain models around 2019 as lifestyle shoes, leading to more consistent releases last year as the Total 90 name celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Following a high-profile collaboration with Palace last year, the sneaker now sees a new vintage look entirely thanks to Procell.

Nike

Couch potato

The new shoe, dubbed “Heirloom,” is based on the Air Zoom Total 90 III and will catch your eye instantly. Managing to look like something you’d actually find in a thrift shop, Procell employs a bouclé-style pattern all over the upper. The mustard, beige and green plaid color scheme is sealed underneath a clear plastic wrap inspired by old plastic-covered sofas from the ‘70s and ‘80s. 

Nike

Nike

The new shoe doesn’t veer far from the spirit of other recent models, with angled lacing, a small Swoosh on the outside and an inward facing “90” logo all accented with black.

Procell has its own branding embossed on the outer heel in a glossy Baroque Brown. Underfoot, you’ll find a basic black and white sole to ground (literally) the colorway.

Nike

Availability and pricing

Priced at $125, the Nike x Procell Total 90 “Heirloom” is set to drop May 27 from Nike’s Snkrs app.

Nike

Nike x Procell Total 90 Heirloom

• $125 at Nike

While Ducati will forever be associated with some of the most fantastic motorcycles ever made, the bikes themselves are not the only hallmark of the Borgo Panigale brand.

A related trait is the Italians’ unwavering knack for crafting machines whose incredible function is matched only by their jaw-dropping form. 

Ducati

As the brand celebrates its 100th birthday, that quality is on full display with the Superleggera V4 Centenario, aka the “most extreme road-legal motorcycle ever.”

But it’s just as evident with a different kind of product, one that produces arguably the most Italian fuel there is.

Carbon caffè

Limited to 1,926 hand-assembled units and rocking a real mouthful of a name, the Barista M3 1926 Limited Edition Carbon Fiber by Ducati blends Swiss precision with Italian racing spirit.

Ducati

Toward that end, the stainless steel construction is augmented with front and back panels crafted from three 1.5mm layers of genuine twill-weave carbon fiber, derived from the same composite found on Ducati’s finest track bikes. 

While that plays a major role in the looks, and it’s tempting to imagine this release as little more than a gimmick, as with the bikes, function follows form on its way to a superior coffee-making machine. 

Ducati

Capable of making a dozen different types of drinks, from espresso to latte to macchiato, the  Barista M3 1926 warms up nearly as fast as the motos go 0-60: thanks to a special heating implement, it’s ready to brew in 7 seconds. 

The machine boasts impressive versatility as well: a dial lets you adjust the temperature from 158 to 205 degrees, depending on the beverage, with separate dials enabling you to choose the size as well as a light, standard or strong octane flavor profile.

Ducati

Real innovation comes in the form of what Ducati calls the “world’s first in-cup milk frother.” Add milk to the included cup (with its own storage slot), place it under the head and induction takes over, creating no-muss, no-fuss café-grade microfoam right in the cup.

Rounding out the feature set is a premium milk steamer, a built-in water filter and a large used capsule tray, accommodating up to 20 Nespresso-style capsules.

Ducati

Oh, and just like the bikes themselves, you’d better believe there’s a Barista by Ducati App, assisting you with service tasks such as descaling and, yes, tracking your coffee consumption stats.

Availability and pricing

The Barista M3 1926 Limited Edition Carbon Fibre by Ducati is available now for €2,599, which converts to just over $3,000 USD.

Only 1,926 units are being produced, and the estimated delivery for the still-in-stock second batch is October.

It’s a poorly guarded secret that professional runners routinely compete in prototype racers.

Lesser known: you can actually buy them. At least in theory.

“Shoes must be available for purchase by any Athletes participating in World Rankings Competitions,” according to World Athletics regulations.

Usually that means a handful of examples set aside for expos and college campuses.

But Faith Kipyegon’s one-off middle-distance spike, used during her Breaking4 attempt last year, looks to be getting a wider rollout than the rest.

Nike

Fastest known shoes

The Nike Victory Elite FK is now available at a handful of retailers, including Heartbreak, The Outpost Running and other accounts across the country.

Heartbreak Hill Running Company

Nike

The shoe takes after the decorated Victory 2, which took home over a dozen medals at Paris Olympics in 2024.

However, it features a unique upper, thicker Air Zoom unit for increased energy return and six spikes, instead of four.

Nike

Heartbreak Hill Running Company

It also comes with a retooled carbon fiber plate, emblazoned Nike’s namesake, the Greek goddess of victory.

Nike

While Kipyegon ultimately failed to hit her goal of becoming the first woman in history to run a four-minute mile, the world record holder still got closer than anyone before or since.

As such, text on top of the tongue reads, “Fastest Known” as a testament to Kipyegon’s blisteringly quick time of 4 minutes and 6.42 seconds.

Nike

Availability and pricing

While the Victory Elite FK is indeed available for purchase, examples appear to be limited to just a few sizes.

The shoe costs $400 at retail, earning another superlative: the most expensive running shoe in Nike history.

Heartbreak Hill Running Company

Nike Victory Elite FK

• $400 at Heartbreak
• $400 at The Outpost Running

If there’s one thing Seiko loves, it’s anniversaries.

In 2023, the brand celebrated its 110th anniversary with a series of commemorative watches. The following year, in 2024, Seiko celebrated its 100th anniversary with another series of special-edition watches. But wait, it gets weirder. This year, Seiko is celebrating its 145th anniversary with yet another round of watches dedicated to the occasion.

So, just what is going on with all of these different anniversaries? Well, 2023 marked 110 years since Seiko made its first wristwatch, the Laurel. 11 years after the Laurel’s 1913 release came the first watch with Seiko on the dial, hence the 100-year celebration in 2024. And this year, 2026, marks 145 years since the 1881 founding of the company that would come to be known as Seiko. Basically, I think Seiko just likes to party.

Seiko

As part of that partying mood, we’ve seen a spate of releases in recent weeks featuring “Seiko Blue,” an allegedly iconic color for the brand dating to the 1960s that I admittedly hadn’t heard of until it started popping up on these 145th-anniversary watches.

The latest “Seiko Blue” model comes from the King Seiko Vanac family of integrated sports watches, and it puts an interesting spin on a retro watch style that’s been experiencing a renaissance lately.

King of kings

The King Seiko Vanac 145th Anniversary Limited Edition features the same sharply finished case and integrated bracelet we’ve come to recognize since the ’70s Vanac was revived in 2025, but it’s sporting an all-new dial treatment.

Seiko

The silver-white dial is engraved with horizontal lines and encircled by an index ring in striking “Seiko Blue.” The contrast of this thick, dark outer layer and the lighter dial interior gives me the impression of a tuxedo dial; a classic, old-school design that a number of brands, from Serica and Oris to Laco and Sherpa, have turned to over the past year.

The white and blue combo is quite fetching, and is further amplified by the hands, which are treated in the same shimmering “Seiko Blue.” The hands and indices are all filled with white Lumibrite, and there’s a framed date window at 3:00.

Seiko