Our favorite product releases this week: Bowers & Wilkins, Calpak, Spigen and more
It's Friday, and that means that we get to end the week by looking back at our editors' favorite product launches from the last seven days. Whether you're just hoping to keep up to date with the latest and greatest releases or are looking to shop them, we've highlighted nine of the most notable drops from around the web.
To close out the week, our deals team of Rikka Altland, Jacqueline Saquin and Elena Matarazzo scoured the web to find the best new product drops. This week brings the launch of a fresh pair of Bowers & Wilkins headphones, a new kids collection from Calpak and a retro-inspired Spigen Apple Watch charger.
These editor-favorite headphones just got better
Move over, AirPods Max. There's a new contender for best over-ear headphones. Bowers & Wilkins has been making some of Altland's favorite headphones for years. Its Px7 lineup has recently been delivering the best headphones money can buy (in her eyes), and now there's a new addition to the collection. The third-generation S3s hit the scene with notable improvements over the pair that Altland has been daily driving for nearly a year.
They still share the same design as previous editions, just with a sleeker build. You can still choose between three colors: black, white and Rikka's favorite, blue. Battery life remains consistent at 30 hours, as well. What changes? There's Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast support and better active noise cancellation. Those new additions pale in comparison to the improved sound quality that makes these a treat to listen to. Altland has spent the past week with the Px7 S3 and is blown away by how rich and full the sound is. Yes, better than AirPods Max and Sony's XM series.
You'll have to pay a premium to enjoy that best-in-class sound, as each pair goes for $449 at retailers like Amazon. That's on par with what Apple and Sony charge for their latest headphones, so it's not entirely out of this world. Altland's final take: If sound quality matters more than ANC, the Px7 S3 are the headphones to buy.
Outfit little travelers from classroom to vacation
School's out, which means it's time for family vacations with your little ones. In time for your travels, a kids collection landed at the staffer-loved luggage brand, Calpak. CNN Underscored's deals editor Jacqueline Saguin exclusively travels with the Luka Expandable Laptop Tote — be it weekend trips or trips abroad — because of its ample storage pockets and durable puffy shell.
Launched on June 19, the Calpak Kids Collection kits out little ones for every adventure, including classrooms, summer camps and trips. That includes backpacks in three different sizes for ages 3 to 12, starting at $68. From $12, snag lunch bags, pencil cases and for an added touch of personality, adorable plush charms that span pizza, flower, dinosaur, rainbow, donut and more shapes. Any purchase also includes two free ice packs to stow in their lunches.
The collection was designed in collaboration with parents on the Calpak team, incorporating thoughtful features such as reflective safety strips, discreet interior name tags and even a dedicated pocket for stashing AirTags in case backpacks get left behind. Match with your little one: The entire line comes in Calpak's signature color palette of Black, Blue, Orchid Pink, Yellow Bloom and Khaki.
Minimize oil but keep a dewy glow
A lightweight moisturizer for summer has finally arrived. Tatcha created an alternative to its bestselling The Dewy Skin Cream, which is thicker and perfect for slugging on dry skin, and made a creamy fluid version. The Dewy Milk Moisturizer is geared towards combination to oily skin, which means it's suitable for those who sweat more during the hotter months.
Our associate editor, Elena Matarazzo, is skin care obsessed and appreciates Tatcha's commitment to a glowing, dewy finish while also combating things like skin oiliness. Tons of brands mattify their products when trying to do so, but Tatcha proves that you can improve skin texture, oil production and more while keeping that dewy finish.
A little goes a long way here, and its velvety moisturizer quickly absorbs into the skin with just one to two pumps. Its ingredient list is packed with antioxidant-forward powerhouses like green tea extract, zinc and Japanese purple rice. This product is light enough to layer with SPF and makeup, and it will become your new favorite way to hydrate all season long for $64.
Charge your fitness tracker in retro style
Spigen's retro Apple accessories are some of Altland's favorite gadgets on the market. From iPhone cases inspired by old school iMacs to charging stands based around the original Macintosh, there's so much charm packed into these functional products. The newest from Spigen, its Classic C1 Charger Stand for Apple Watch, perfectly picks up where previous additions to its stable have left off.
It's based on the Apple iMac G3 from 1998, bringing those same vibes right to your Apple Watch charger. The accessory is a dock for the charging cable that came with your fitness tracker, but it keeps the cord in place on your nightstand or desk. It lets you take advantage of the Apple Watch's Nightstand mode that turns it into an alarm clock of sorts and even comes in iMac G3's original Bondi Blue color, plus two other vibrant colors. Altland will be buying one of these $35 stands for herself.
Summer-proof your skin
Like every other beauty product from the celebrity-founded brand, Rhode's Glazing Mist launch is in high demand. There's already a waitlist started for its latest addition that goes live on June 24. Beyond the buzz, though, the new facial spray proves to be a worthy addition to sensitive skin care routines.
The Glazing Mist boasts a fine mist that dries into a glowy, glazed finish that the brand's founder, Hailey Bieber, is known for. That's all thanks to key ingredients like a trifecta of ceramides that help restore the skin barrier, a soothing form of vitamin B5 (often used in moisturizers) and an amino acid to bind water molecules to skin for hydration during these hot, summer months.
It also touts a fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested and ophthalmologist-tested formula while receiving the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance, which verifies that the ingredients used are safe for eczema-affected skin types. As someone who has suffered from facial and body eczema since childhood, Saguin appreciates Rhode's sibling products, like the Glazing Milk, which delivers a hydrating feel and finish.
For $30, toss its 2.7-ounce bottle into your purse, gym bag and more for refreshing on-the-go spritzes.
Bold prints and hues to liven up your home
Bring the beauty of the tranquil English countryside into your space with Ruggable's new collaboration with Alice Naylor-Leyland, or more commonly known as the face behind Mrs. Alice. She's an interior designer, entrepreneur, blogger and contributing editor at Vogue for fashion and lifestyle pieces.
Matarazzo has been waiting for this collection to drop and has hand-picked four of her favorite designs below. Two things on her list currently are a doormat and a runner for her hallway and dressing area.
Ruggable x Mrs. Alice Bettina Bow Doormat
Add a bit of whimsy to the outside of your front door with this adorable bow adorned mat. It comes in a standard and estate size for larger homes.
Ruggable x Mrs. Alice Audrey Blue Flatwoven Rug
Brighten up living and bedroom spaces with a pop of blue. This dreamy monochromatic rug doubles as a work of art.
Ruggable x Mrs. Alice Skye Blue Multicolor Rug
This thick tufted rug will impress house guests during your next gathering with its intricate pattern. Choose from an area rug, runner and even round design.
Ruggable x Mrs. Alice Garden Party Blue Flatwoven Rug
Put down this white-based rug with no hesitation. Its kid- and pet- friendly fabric can handle the toughest messes with its machine washable and stain resistant design. Those who prefer muted tones and beige variations will appreciate the Ava Ikat Flatwoven Rug. For the most part, this collection is for those who adore vibrant living spaces since each rug design is packed with garden-ready colors and lively patterns. If your indoor space is already equipped with carpets and floor coverings, Mrs. Alice created two outdoor rugs to keep you cozy all season long.
A new pair of budget-friendly buds
Alongside the new headphones from Bowers & Wilkins, Altland also had a chance to try out a recently released pair of true wireless earbuds. So, if you aren't shopping for a premium pair of over-the-ear cans, this launch is for you. CNN Underscored is no stranger to SoundPeats, a brand that made it into our budget headphone guides in the past. Its newest release looks to offer even more value for the price.
The new SoundPeats Air5 Pro features many of the inclusions you'd want from a modern pair of earbuds, from active noise cancellation and long-lasting battery life to more techy features like customizable EQ settings from the companion app and support for the latest audio codecs. All of that comes packed into an $80 MSRP that's even more affordable thanks to a launch discount that takes 25% off when you clip the on-page coupon at Amazon.
Altland has been using these for the past week, and she particularly appreciates their sound quality. They don't quite stand up against something like the AirPods Pro 2 (and their $249 price tag), but that's to be expected. The ANC is solid enough to keep the cacophony of the NYC subway system at bay, and the quoted 7.5 hours of continuous playback is right on the money from her testing.
A fragrance-free lineup for sensitive scalps
If dryness or itchiness are plaguing your scalp, a new haircare routine may be the solution. Introducing Paul Mitchell's Clear Collection, a dermatologist-tested line of shampoos, conditioners and serums that are formulated specifically for sensitive skin and scalp types. You likely recognize the brand from salon visits over the last decade, but the brand is still at the cutting edge of hair by treating scalps with the same attention as skin care regimens.
Packaged in minimalistic bottles indicative of their formulas, the Clear family aims to skip to the root cause of hair issues with frills-free formulas that folks with skin conditions are more likely to tolerate. Less is more in this case: Each product touts a fragrance-free and dye-free ingredient list, boasting fewer than 10 ingredients. Altogether, the entire hair wash and styling system is priced under $100.
Both tagged at $20, the Essential Shampoo is a color-safe, gentle cleanser and the Essential Conditioner is a lightweight moisturizer. Before styling hair, apply the $30 Smoothing Serum for less frizzy hair. Top it off with the $20 Styling Glaze, which offers a soft hold that isn't a chore to wash out afterward.
A luxurious fragrance for those on a budget
Matarazzo has been a fan of Oui The People for years now and appreciates its everlasting commitment to functional body care. The brand even created one of our best-tested women's razors, and it offered the smoothest shave compared to the other 14 that we used. Currently, we're here to celebrate their new multipurpose fragrance mist that launched, which is safe enough to spray on hair and body.
Its Body Water comes in two dreamy-summer forward scents like a lush Orange Blossom and creamy Souk Honey. Both hydrate, moisturize, protect and leave skin refreshed and glowy with its French thermal water-forward spray.
Matarazzo got her hands on a sample of the Orange Blossom and adores its citrus and neroli forward scent. She's been layering it with her other fragrances and appreciates that it's the only one in her collection she can use as a finishing mist on her hair. Its price tag is also relatively affordable at $35, especially with its decent 100 milliliter-sized bottle, multifunctionality and commitment to using high-quality ingredients.
This week also saw the launch of other products our editors deemed worthy of standalone coverage. Shop all these additional launches below, including a new Mac mini accessory from Satechi, the latest Philips Hue ambient smart lamp and more.
Satechi Mac mini USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure
Satechi has a new Mac mini accessory out this week with the launch of this SSD enclosure that expands your computer's storage with an elegant external drive that's the same dimensions as the actual Mac.
Philips Hue Play Smart Wall Washer
Altland has dozens of Philips Hue lights in her apartment and was excited to see that there's a new ambient lamp on the market this week that can add a splash of color to your space.
Elevation Lab Aero TagVault Magnetic AirTag Case
Stick an AirTag on any metal surface with this new TagVault case. It seals your Apple item finder in an IP68 waterproof cover and is perfect for attaching onto a vehicle, tool box, bikes and more.
Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen Speaker in Citrus Yellow
Bose has a new collection of Citrus Yellow speakers. That includes CNN Underscored favorites like the second-generation version of SoundLink Flex. As deals editors at CNN Underscored, we are some of the first people to hear about the latest product news from reader-favorite brands. Our deals team — comprised of senior editor Rikka Altland, editor Jacqueline Saguin and associate editor Elena Matarazzo — is passionate about product launches that we would be tempted to shop, and we enjoy finding a coveted new item (especially one from a brand with top marks from our experts) because it means we're helping our readers make savvy buying decisions.
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