Gear

What to buy, what to skip, and what the cheaper one actually costs you.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

GuideWes DunbarNov 6, 20265 min

A cooler that holds ice till Sunday, and when a cheap one wins

A good cooler is mostly a lid, a seal and a few parts you can replace. Here's what to look for, what to skip, and when the cheap one is right.

Gifts for Dad he'll still be using in twenty years

From the Gear archive

Older stories

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

Buy the cheap drill. Never buy the cheap jack stands.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The car kit that matters when the kids are in the back

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

Three knives, and what the cheap ones really cost

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Buy the pad first, then buy the sleeping bag

ReviewDean ShawSep 14, 20262 min

What actually makes a boot last a decade

GuideDean ShawSep 17, 20262 min

Where "buy cheap, buy twice" is true — and where it's nonsense

Gear on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube.

Marques BrownleeNov 6

Meta VR Glasses: What Vision Pro 2 COULD Have Been!

Marques BrownleeNov 3

OLED iPad Mini is The Most Apple Product They've Ever Appled

Marques BrownleeOct 29

Macbook PROLED XDR Impressions: They Said They Wouldn't!

ONE WatchesSep 23

Is This The BEST Affordable Watch of 2026?!

Britt PearceFeb 3

10 BEST Affordable Watch Brands (Seiko, Timex, G Shock & More)

Just One More WatchSep 23

This $50 Watch Is Better Than Rolex, Omega & Tudor! (Sort Of)

WristFind Watch ReviewsJan 9

The 5 Best Budget Watches on Amazon (Under $50)

I Like WatchesSep 14

These Are Some Of The Best Affordable Watches You Can Buy In 2026!

Just One More WatchJan 21

The 10 Best Watches Under $250! 2026 Edition!

ONE WatchesNov 12

12 Best Affordable Watches $50 or Less!

Maurice MovesSep 17

How to build the perfect EDC for you.

Jon GadgetApr 24

My TOP 20 Gear of the last 5 Years

HICONSUMPTIONJun 10

9 Best New EDC Gear Essentials (2026 Guide)

HICONSUMPTIONApr 8

10 Best New EDC Gear Essentials (2026 Guide)

Tech Vista Sep 21

15 EDC Essentials Every Man Will Appreciate | Everyday Carry Gear 2025

Byte ReviewApr 19

My Everyday Carry Tech - EDC 2026!

Gear quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

You work in an office. Nothing you own needs to be tactical.

Combat pens and MOLLE backpacks do nothing for a man with a cubicle. Plain gear does more, and some of it is worth real money.

GuideDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer flashlight should be boring and ready

The light that works at 2 a.m. isn't the brightest one. It's the one with fresh batteries and a switch you can find in the dark.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideDean ShawSep 30, 20266 min

The carbon paddle won't fix your third shot

Fiberglass, raw carbon, 13mm or 16mm. What each one really does on the court, and why the cheap paddle is the right call for longer than you'd think.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

Bespoke only pays when it has to fit your body

Bespoke boots, best London guns and watches built by one man, ranked by what the handwork actually does for you and what you can get close to for less.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Lifetime gear only pays off in four categories

Steel, leather, cast iron and wood will outlive you. Foam, batteries and membranes won't, no matter what the marketing says.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Kids' Outdoor Clothes That Make It to the Third Kid

Snow pants don't die from cold. They die at the knee, the cuff elastic and the zipper pull, and you can buy against all three.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Buy the safe for its steel, then decide where it lives

Most of what's printed on a gun safe box is marketing. Two or three numbers actually matter, and where you bolt it matters as much as what you bought.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Size the generator for the fridge, not the whole house

Most people buy twice the generator they need and still wire it up in the one way that can kill somebody. Do the math first.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Buy the GMRS license before you buy the radio

The blister pack says 36 miles. You'll get about one. What the license actually buys you, and when the cheap pair is genuinely enough.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The axe you need and the hatchet you probably don't

Most guys buy the small one first and swing it the fewest times. Here's how to pick the right length, and what a cheap head really costs you.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The cheap earplugs beat the expensive muffs you didn't wear

Foam plugs cost pennies and outperform most muffs if you roll them right. Everything else in the hearing and eye protection aisle is about whether you'll actually use it.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Store the water first, filter it second

Most storm water plans fail on volume, not purity. Do the gallon math, buy the boring jugs, and keep a filter for the days you didn't plan for.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

What actually fails on a camp stove

Spend on the pot, the lid and the fuel plan. The $20 burner is right more often than the gear shop wants to admit.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

You're not buying a drill, you're buying a battery mount

Pick the cordless platform once and the next fifteen years get cheaper. Pick it badly and you'll own four chargers and a shelf of dead packs.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

6 min

The binocular number that matters isn't the magnification

6 min

The 72-Hour Kit Worth Building, and the Bucket Everyone Skips

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Buy a six-person tent for your family of four

Capacity ratings lie, fiberglass poles snap, and the stakes in the bag are garbage. What to spend on, what to skip, and when the $140 dome is the right call.