YOUR AD HERE »

Gear review: Overall wellness for the new year

Osprey duffel.
Courtesy photo

The new year offers an opportunity to focus on health and well-being. Here are just a few products to support that journey.

Osprey 120L Transporter Wheeled Duffel

Adding a travel bag to a wellness gear review may, at first, sound out of place. But it’s at the top of my list for rejuvenation. After an overly busy 2024, I needed some R&R, so we packed this wheeled duffel with dive equipment and headed to Turks and Caicos for the holidays. I’m always concerned about how bags will hold up to what seems like increasingly harsh handling. Two out of three of my last suitcases have been significantly damaged. But not this one. Despite scuff marks indicating that baggage handlers took absolutely no care of my new duffel, the durable Transporter held up without a scratch, tear, or broken part. The 120-liter capacity accommodated two BCDs, fins, wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and more, all weighing in under 45 pounds, with its 8-pound empty weight. It’s a breeze to travel with, due to its oversized, easily maneuverable wheels, sturdy but lightweight aluminum frame, long pull handle, and four padded handles. Weather-resistant material keeps everything dry with PFC-free, DWR coating. Its large inner and outer pockets help keep items organized, and the large opening makes equipment and clothing retrieval simple.



Regularly $360, check sales price, osprey.com

Opinel Bon Appétit Steak Knives and Opinel Grilling Set

Opinel grilling set.

So many New Year’s resolutions revolve around eating healthier, and this set of four knives and grilling set make it all the more efficient — and fun. The straight-edge, 4-inch stainless steel knives smoothly cut through just about anything, from strawberries to steak. I love the wooden, olive handles for their sophisticated style, but I’ve been eyeing the “Pop” color scheme, which adds a fresh, spring-like brightness with orange, lime, dark pink, and purple handles. The riveted wood handles also come in three other fun color combinations. Established in 1890 and made in France, Opinel has built a reputation for its quality and aesthetics. It’s also known for its clever design, integrating folding knives and interchangeable tools into handles. In this grilling set, the removable spatula inserts into the beechwood handle of the included folding knife; the handle also includes a bottle opener. The extra-long tongs flip whatever you’re grilling and include a grill lift at the end of the handle. The set makes packing for camping simple, while also remaining convenient for home grilling.




Knives, $55 for colors, $64 for wood; grilling set, $130, opinel-usa.com

Laird Organic Performance Mushrooms and Prebiotic Daily Greens

Laird mushrooms and greens.
Courtesy Photo

Laird Superfood makes meeting health and fitness goals simple and delicious. Its Organic Performance Mushrooms contain four mushrooms — chaga, cordyceps, lion’s mane, and maitake — to support energy, mood, cognition, and immunity. Just stir a teaspoon into your coffee, tea, smoothies, or soup. I don’t like mushrooms, but I’d never know this product contains them; they blend right into whatever I’m drinking. Laird’s Prebiotic Daily Greens deliver 13 vitamins and minerals, including manganese, magnesium, and seaweed-derived calcium, along with vegetable, fruit, and prebiotic fiber blends and adaptogenic mushroom extracts from reishi, shiitake, and rhodiola. Unlike other green drinks, this one doesn’t taste uber-green; rather, it’s more sweet and citrusy. It also comes in convenient single packs for traveling. Neither of these products contain any added sugar or preservatives, the latter of which means ingredients tend to settle in the bottom, so just stir more; don’t worry: They’re not gritty. I also greatly appreciate the easy open-and-close super-seals on all of the Laird products, which keep them fresh and safe from spills.

$25 for 45-serving performance mushrooms, $60 for 30 servings of greens ($48 for recurring subscription), lairdsuperfood.com

BOROUX Legacy Compact Water Filter System and Water Level Spigot

Boroux water filtration.

Pure, clean water is essential for health, and this 1.8-gallon Boroux filter is a great countertop device for that. I liked the larger, 3-gallon one, except it looked a little too bulky on my countertop. But this one, at 17.5 inches tall, allows me to keep it on my upper, breakfast-bar countertop and still easily fill it with my extendable sink-faucet handle. The sleek black finish doesn’t collect fingerprints as readily as stainless steel, and it comes with a canvas tote to take to, say, my parent’s house when I’m there for a while (they still refuse to get a “real” water filter). The true test of a water filtration system is how it works. This gravity-fed system removes an alphabet of contaminants, from alachlor to xylenes. Independent, accredited labs have proven it removes 81 contaminants, including BPA, chlorine, lead, mercury, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and more. It comes with a lifetime warranty, and its two filters last for up to 12,000 gallons. Spending an additional $45 for the Water Level Spigot is key; the 10-inch housing sits outside the unit, blending in, but also indicating the water level, so you never run out of pure water.

$315, see sale price, boroux.com

GALYNA DREAM Night Rejuvenating Crème, REPAIR Healing Balm, and Pain Relief Cream

GALYNA cream.
Courtesy Photo

In a study researching skin metabolism, GALYNA’s formulas enhanced skin metabolism by up to 50% within 24 hours, promoting cellular regeneration. Its night cream promoted collagen production more than seven times than the base formula. I saw a bit more skin elasticity and appreciated that it was heavy enough in our high, dry elevation not to evaporate soon after application, like other formulas I’ve tried, while also not feeling heavy or sticky. Studies showed that the healing balm stimulated keratin 17, a crucial protein for wound healing; I used it on one stubborn little wound that wasn’t readily going away, and it disappeared. Each formula includes CBD, known for its anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. The pain cream targets sore muscles, joint pain, and inflammation and helped relieve my sore muscles, but I’m hard-pressed to find a formula that makes a huge dent in recent back or knee-joint pain. I do enjoy its pleasant warming, soothing sensation without a strong smell, and it also helped a recent thumb-joint ache I had.

$47-$55, galyna.co

More Like This, Tap A Topic
entertainment
Activities & Events


See more