Doug Mahoney

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Christine Cyr Clisset |Caira Blackwell |Rosie Guerin |Abigail Keel |Doug Mahoney

Listen and follow The Wirecutter ShowApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Other platforms Mosquito and tick bites aren’t just annoying–they spread dangerous diseases. In this episode, senior staff writer Doug Mahoney shares proven prevention tips and breaks down the differences between various effective repellents.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Doug Mahoney

Relying on an essential oil bug repellent is taking a risk without much reward. Because these repellents have little oversight and no standardized efficacy testing, you have to take a manufacturer’s word on how long any given option will last, what bugs it repels, or whether it even works at all. In a world with bug-borne diseases such as Lyme, Zika, dengue fever, and West Nile virus, and the risk of infection spreading to new regions, that’s simply not good enough.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Doug Mahoney

The only thing better than a day of sledding is how good the hot chocolate tastes when you’re done. But not all sleds are created equal. Not even close. We sent 12 kids and five adults sailing down multiple hillsides on 27 popular sleds and snow tubes—and by the end, every single tester said the L.L.Bean Sonic Snow Tube was the best. It flew the fastest, slid the farthest, and offered the smoothest ride.

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Annemarie Conte |Doug Mahoney

The mere thought of ticks makes our skin crawl. And the diseases they spread are only getting more common. In fact, the number of tick-borne illnesses reported each year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more than doubled over the past two decades (though during the pandemic there was a drop in reported cases and treatment sought).

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Doug Mahoney

Dana Davis/NYT Wirecutter; source photos by AdobeStockBy Doug MahoneyDoug Mahoney is a writer covering home-improvement topics, outdoor power equipment, bug repellents, and (yes) bidets. Throughout my 10-year construction career and 20-plus years as an aggressive home renovator, I’ve spent a lot of time patching drywall holes. Some were dents from roughhousing kids, others were the result of a relocated outlet, and one or two happened while folks were moving furniture.