Brandon Foster

I spent six weeks testing upholstered counter stools in three different homes, including my own kitchen island. My husband, a 6’2″ skeptic, and my neighbor’s two toddlers all took turns sitting, climbing, and yes, spilling things on them. By the end, I had a clear picture of what separates a great upholstered counter stool from … Read more

I tested nine swivel bar stools over six weeks in my own kitchen and three friends’ homes, and I learned something fast: the difference between a stool you tolerate and one you actually love comes down to three things — the seat height match, the back support angle, and how smoothly the swivel actually turns. … Read more

Finding the best round storage ottomans for bedrooms changed how I think about bedroom organization. I spent three months testing 12 different options in a real 11-by-13 foot bedroom, and the results surprised me. A round ottoman with hidden storage doesn’t just tuck away blankets — it doubles as a vanity seat, a side table, … Read more

There’s a reason front porches across America feature rocking chairs in nearly every nostalgic photograph. The gentle back-and-forth motion does more than pass the time. Medical research shows rocking lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and reduces cortisol levels. After testing more than a dozen models on our own porches over the past three months, we … Read more

I spent eight weeks testing rocking chairs in real nurseries with three different families – one in a 600-square-foot Brooklyn apartment, one in a suburban Texas home, and one in a converted attic nursery in Portland. I sat through 47 feeding sessions, listened to babies fall asleep, and watched parents nurse, bottle-feed, and try to … Read more

When I moved into my first one-bedroom apartment, I carved out a corner by the window and dropped a papasan chair in it. That single decision turned an empty 4×4 foot space into my favorite spot in the entire home. Since then, our team has tested more than two dozen models over three years to … Read more

I spent the last three months hanging, swinging, and curling up in eight different indoor hanging chairs to figure out which ones actually earn a permanent spot in a bedroom. My team tested each model for at least two weeks of daily use. We measured comfort across long reading sessions, checked how each chair handled … Read more

I spent the last three months testing hanging egg chairs on my own patio, sinking hours into each one with a book, a coffee, and the occasional afternoon nap. What I found surprised me: the difference between a budget pick and a premium one isn’t just about how it looks, but how it holds up … Read more

I sank into my first oversized bean bag bed during a movie night at a friend’s house about three years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. That 6-foot monster swallowed two of us whole during a Marvel marathon, and I left that night convinced I needed one at home. Since then, our team … Read more

If your teen spends hours in front of a console or PC, you already know that a stiff office chair kills the vibe faster than a low battery warning at 90%. After six weeks of testing gaming bean bag chairs with my nephew and his friends (ages 13 to 17), I can tell you that … Read more