These are the best health and beauty products of 2021

For a fitness tracker that keeps tabs on all aspects of your health—fitness, sleep, and stress—you can’t beat the Fitbit Charge 5. In addition to counting your steps and reminding you to move, this tracker has a built-in GPS and quick-start exercise modes so you can easily record workouts. The sleep tracking is accurate and lets you review insights on your sleep phases, heart rate, and estimated oxygen variation. Not only does it track your sleep habits, but it helps you build better ones by reminding you to wind-down before bedtime. The Charge 5 also includes electrodermal activity sensors that help evaluate your stress levels, which Fitbit rates on a scale of one to 100 that you can view in the app. Read the full review.

There’s a reason “home exercise bike” is synonymous with “Peloton.” With the Peloton Bike+, you’ll look forward to cycling each and every day with the streaming live and on-demand classes and the super-engaged community. The Bike+ is easy to use, thanks to its size adjustability, swiveling screen (so you can take off-bike classes without craning your neck), and “auto-follow” setting (which adjust the resistance along with the instructor's cues). What's more, Peloton’s classes are unmatched in both quantity and quality and we had so much fun taking them, we almost forgot we were pedaling our legs off. Read the full review.

Lululemon’s The Reversible Mat 5mm is our favorite yoga mat, hands-down. It has just the right amount of cushion to provide a soft landing pad for your joints, but enough support that you’re not wobbling all over the place in balancing poses. Its tactile polyurethane surface and textured natural rubber base give a fantastic grip no matter which side you place face-up, and that reversible versatility makes it great for both yoga workouts and as a base for other types of exercise, like ab work. Read the full review.

The intent of buying adjustable dumbbells, apart from their space-saving size, is that you can use just one pair for your entire workout at whatever load is appropriate for each individual exercise. So above all else, you'll want there to be a seamless transition from one weight to the next. Bowflex’s SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells are our top pick because they’re easy to rack and adjust, comfortable to hold, and have some of the smallest weight increments of the dumbbells we tested, which make them great for a variety of exercises. Read the full review.

Connected rowing machines are one of the latest home fitness trends to help you level up your cardio routine. Rowers not only get your heart rate up—they engage 86% of the muscles in your body, according to one study. The best rowing machine, or "erg," that we’ve tested is the NordicTrack RW 900. It has 26 levels of electromagnetic resistance and 10 levels of air resistance that are easy to adjust manually, though the rower’s “auto-adjust” feature can automatically change your resistance to match that of your instructor's during class. Whether you want to complete your own workout or get guidance from an instructor, the NordicTrack RW900 is the way to go. Read the full review.

Just because treadmills are classic pieces of cardio equipment, that doesn’t mean they have to be basic. The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 offers a variety of resistance levels ranging from a -3% decline to a 15% incline, a roomy belt for wide strides, and a sturdy-yet-springy belt that makes for comfortable walks, runs, and sprint intervals. In addition, the treadmill's 10-inch touchscreen display connects to the workout platform iFit to offer guided running or walking sessions, filmed in beautiful locations and instructed by top running coaches. Read the full review.

When it comes to massage guns for easing out sore muscles, you can’t beat the Theragun Elite. This model has five speed levels and comes with five attachments, so you’re sure to find the right combination of speed and pressure to alleviate any pain or soreness at just the right intensity. And for those who aren’t sure how to maneuver a massage gun, the Elite connects to Therabody’s app, which features guided massage sessions for various muscle groups and adjusts your gun’s intensity settings automatically to match the prompts. Read the full review.

Treat yourself—and your feet—with the Renpho foot massager. It has three intensity settings and an optional heat setting, which allow you to customize your massage experience. We enjoyed every massage setting on the Renpho, which may not sound like much—can foot massages really be bad?)—but there were some massagers we tried that we barely felt or nearly crushed our poor feet. But with the Renpho, we felt more comfortable, relaxed, and satisfied after every use. Read the full review.

Buying glasses online doesn’t have to be a hassle. EyeBuy Direct offers glasses at a variety of prices, quick shipping, and one of the best virtual try-on features we tested to make it easy to picture yourself in your new frames. With EyeBuy Direct, we think everyone will find a pair of glasses they’ll love. Read the full review.

There are many reasons you may be thinking of switching to a menstrual cup from traditional period products. Perhaps you heard that you can save money over time or that they’re better for the environment than the typical single-use options. While picking a menstrual cup is a personal choice, we think the AllMatters cup (formerly known as OrganiCup) is the best out there for most period-havers, thanks to its ease of use and all-day comfortability. It’s soft enough that it’s easy to fold and insert, but sturdy enough that it won’t slip around while in use. Read the full review.

For the most detailed look at your heritage from a DNA testing kit, we recommend AncestryDNA. As the original digital DNA testing platform, AncestryDNA has the largest database to use for testing and tracing. We found that AncestryDNA gave the most detailed breakdown of our genes, including interesting information to put the findings into context, and was most likely to connect us to genetic relatives, known and unknown. Read the full review.

A hair dryer is arguably the most important hair styling tool you can own, as it can take your strands from sopping wet to dry and sleek in a matter of minutes. At least, that’s what you can expect with the Bio Ionic GrapheneMX Professional Dryer, the best one we've tested. Depending on your hair type and desired results, its powerful airflow can dry your hair in as little as five minutes and style it in less than half an hour. It’s also comfortable to wield, thanks to intuitive buttons and a lightweight build. Read the full review.

Skip salon appointments and achieve your own voluminous blowout at home with the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer. This clever appliance took our tester’s wavy-curly hair from towel-dried and damp to dry, sleek, and full of body in a matter of 20 minutes—a process that could take up to an hour with a hair dryer, round brush, and flat iron to achieve the same bouncy, shiny results. It's also so well priced it could pay for itself in one salon visit. Read the full review.

When you want ultra-sleek strands, the best tool to turn to is a flat iron. Our pick, the Hot Tools HT7122BG Professional Black Gold Micro-Shine Flat Iron, has 4.25-inch-long plates that can tackle larger swaths of hair at a time to reduce your styling time. The straightener has a temperature range of 205°F to 455°F to adjust based on your hair’s density, and the result is a shiny, frizz-free ‘do. As a bonus, the iron lights up and chimes when it’s reached your chosen temperature, eliminating any guesswork. Read the full review.

If curly locks—be it beach waves or tight ringlets—are your go-to style for your naturally straighter strands, consider getting acquainted with the GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand. The wand tapers slightly for a more natural-looking curl, heats up quickly to 365°F, and has a textured barrel that prevents your hair from sliding while you’re styling. Read the full review.

Receiving a customized box of beauty products right to your door is kind of like having a personal shopper, and who doesn’t want that? We tested a slew of beauty subscription boxes and recommend Boxycharm for its great value of quality grooming products. The monthly box includes five full-size makeup and skincare items from a variety of well-known brands, such as Glamglow and Clarins. Read the full review.

We deemed the cheekily named Manscaped Lawn Mower 4.0 an effective hair trimmer for “down there.” Thanks to an LED light and a comfortable-to-hold handle, the trimmer makes grooming in delicate areas easy and safe, leaving things tidier and the skin nick-free. Read the full review.

For a designated beard trimmer, you cannot go wrong with the Wahl Lithium Ion+ Stainless Steel Grooming Kit. With it, you can achieve a quick, comfortable, and precise trim, and its long-lasting, rechargeable battery makes the process hassle-free. Read the full review.

Using the right tools for application can make or break your makeup look. The Real Techniques Everyday Essentials set of makeup brushes includes dedicated options for applying foundation, setting powder, blush, and eyeshadow, and a sponge for dabbing and blending complexion products. Each brush feels comfortable against the skin and precisely applies cream or powder products. Read the full review.

The right razor should leave your skin feeling silky smooth and never irritated. Our pick after testing a dozen for body-hair removal is the Gillette Venus Extra Smooth Swirl. Its flexible design maneuvers around the contours of knees or ankles well, includes enough lubrication to glide on the skin, and has a larger head to cover more surface area at a time. Read the full review.

Whether from weather or frequent handwashing, no one should suffer from dry, cracked hands. Tackle this nuisance with our favorite hand cream, Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, which offers a creamy consistency that absorbs quickly into the skin. The light, herbaceous scent won’t bother sensitive noses, and the flip-cap, squeeze-tube packaging makes it ideal for application any time, anywhere. Read the full review.

Almost everyone owns a hair brush; not everyone owns a great one. The Urtheone Boar Bristle Hair Brush, made of both nylon and boar bristles, has a rectangular paddle shape that rakes through more hair at once and expertly detangles along the way. It feels more durable than other brushes we tested with its weighty wooden handle, and it comes at a much more reasonable price than some similar competitors. Read the full review.

Taking a bath is already a great way to relax and unwind, but adding a fragrant, skin-conditioning bath bomb into the water can only elevate the experience. For a set that contains a variety of scents and colors, go with the LifeAround2Angels Bath Bomb Set. Each bomb feels moisturizing on the skin and transforms any old bath into a cozy, atmospheric experience without staining the tub. Read the full review.