Dr. Amanda Foster 
A mobility scooter cover is a fitted, weather-resistant fabric shell that wraps around a three- or four-wheel scooter and seals out rain, sun, dust, bird droppings and wind while the scooter sits outdoors. The fabric is usually Oxford cloth, polyester or vinyl, and the quality of that fabric decides how much protection you actually get. … Read more
When the grid goes down, the cell towers usually go with it. That leaves a shortwave radio as one of the last devices in the house that still receives information from somewhere else entirely. This is our guide to the best shortwave radios for emergency use, covering everything from pocket AM/FM/SW sets that fit in … Read more
The best GMRS radio for off-grid communication is the Midland GXT1000VP4 for handhelds and the Midland MXT275 for vehicles. The GXT1000VP4 ships with two radios, rechargeable NiMH packs, a desktop charger and NOAA weather scanning, and it holds 22 GMRS plus 8 repeater channels across 50 memories with 142 privacy codes. The MXT275 is a … Read more
Sandy soil breaks more swing sets than any other ground condition, and it does it quietly. The legs do not snap and the frame does not collapse; the frame just rocks a little further every month until the bolt holes oval out and the A-frame leans. When you search for the best swing set anchors … Read more
A small-yard plastic playhouse is a molded resin or polyethylene kids’ playhouse whose exterior footprint runs roughly 4 ft by 4 ft to 6 ft by 6 ft, small enough to sit on a patio, side yard or apartment courtyard with about 3 ft of clearance on every side for mowing and drainage. That clearance … Read more
Search for the best playhouses with slides for preschoolers and you will hit the same wall we did: almost every roundup starts at age five and works upward. Parents of three-year-olds are left guessing whether a raised deck is too high, whether a tube slide will terrify their child, and whether the thing will still … Read more
The best climbing domes for backyard play balance three things: a frame stiff enough that it does not flex when a parent climbs on beside a child, grips a 4-year-old can actually hold, and a footprint that leaves room for the six feet of clearance on every side that safety guidance calls the use zone. … Read more
The Step2 All Around Playtime Patio with Canopy is the best outdoor playset for toddlers overall, and it earns the top spot on this list for one simple reason: it is the only set here that works as hard as your toddler does without asking you to become a builder. The removable canopy turns it … Read more
Monkey bars are the one backyard item that quietly builds an adult’s shoulders on a child who thinks they are just hanging around. We spent weeks comparing ten swing sets and climbing frames that include a monkey bar span, checking steel gauge, cedar versus fir, assembled footprint, weight capacity and the complaints owners actually post … Read more
The best seesaws for toddlers outdoors are low-to-the-ground models with easy-grip handles, curved seat ends, and a soft stop at the base of travel so a small child is never lifted off the ground by a swinging plank. The Simplay3 Up and Down Teeter Totter is our top pick for its low seat, one-piece plastic … Read more