This story is part of NBC Selected’s New & Notable column, where we highlight our favorite product launches. We will continuously update this article throughout the month with new releases we think you should know about.
Apparel and footwear launches
The Clifton is Hoka’s staple neutral everyday running sneaker, which we also recommend for walking. The latest iteration has soft foam cushioning, a mesh upper, a softer sockliner, reflective detail and a double-lace lock that helps keep the tongue in place while you’re moving. It comes in men’s and women’s sizes, as well as wide and extra-wide styles.
Along with the new Clifton 11, Hoka debuted the Hoka Clifton Pro, which is a version of the shoe that’s designed to be more “performance oriented” — it’s still a neutral everyday trainer, but it’s best for people looking to push their pace or mileage, according to the brand. It has more advanced foam, a more aggressive rocker-shaped outsole and more durable rubber in areas that tend to see extra wear. There’s also reflective details across the shoe and a gusseted tongue that won’t move around much while you’re jogging. The Clifton Pro comes in men’s and women’s sizes, and a wide style.
“While I’ve always loved walking in Hoka sneakers, I’ve never enjoyed running in them — the Hoka Clifton Pro changed that,” says NBC Selected reporter Zoe Malin, who logs more than 30 miles a week. The brand sent her a pair to test, and she’s been using them for 6 to 8 mile runs for about a week. “It’s a solid, no-frills sneaker whose foam achieves a great balance between cushy enough to keep my feet comfortable and absorb shock, but firm enough to give me a nice bounce. I don’t think about them when I’m wearing them, which is always the sign of a solid running shoe, and there’s lots of room in the toe box to prevent squeezing.
I got them a half size up from what I normally wear since my feet swell when I log longer distances, especially in the sweltering summer.”
Just by looking at it, you can tell that the Paramount Max is Saucony’s most cushioned shoe yet. It has very thick foam cushioning, a high-rebound footbed and a wider base, as well as high sidewalls and a segmented midsole, which makes it flexible to better complement heel-to-toe transitions. There’s breathable mesh covering the top of the shoe, and the brand designed the heel to be anatomically accurate so it doesn’t cause discomfort. It comes in men’s and women’s sizes.
“The moment you put your feet in these shoes, you feel taller — the thick foam layer really lifts you off the ground that much,” says Malin, who’s been testing the Paramount Max for about a month after the brand sent her a pair to test. “The foam is super soft and on the springy side, which makes me feel like I’m running on marshmallows. Overall, I find these shoes to be ideal for recovery runs. They take so much pressure off my body since all the foam absorbs shock, and they’re not super heavy, unlike many extra-cushioned sneakers.”
Brooks’ Hyperion Max 4 race training shoe just got an upgrade. Available in men’s and women’s sizes, the sneaker has a thick layer of light, springy cushioning made from two types of foam, which absorbs impact when your feet hit the ground. It’s also made with a nylon plate that helps propel you forward and a rocker-shaped outsole that makes heel-to-toe transitions as quick as possible.
The shoe’s upper is made from a breathable material to allow for constant airflow whether you’re doing high-pace workouts or long runs, and its tongue is attached to the sides so it always stays in place.
Other notable apparel and footwear launches:
Tech launches
It’s been nine years since Sony’s last RX10 digital camera (the RX10 IV) launched, and this new RX10 V is a massive upgrade. Like its predecessor, it’s a digital camera that marries a small image sensor with a larger built-in lens to get extreme zoom in a relatively small package.
The RX10 V has a 25 times zoom (24-600 millimeters, for you photography folks), making it a versatile do-anything camera (travel, sports, wildlife, you name it). But the biggest improvement is autofocus — the RX10 V has Sony’s latest AI tracking autofocus, so it can automatically track subjects like people, animals, birds, insects and vehicles.
Other notable tech launches:
Beauty launches
You know and love Olaplex’s No.7 Bonding Oil, and now the brand is adding a new product to the same collection: the °7 Shine Serum Mist. It’s a two-in-one repair treatment made from a hydrating serum and a lightweight oil that adds shine, which you shake together pre-application. You can use it on freshly styled, dry hair as a finishing touch, or on hair between washes as a quick refresh. The mist also smooths out frizz, reduces breakage and offers heat protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the brand.
“I religiously use Olaplex’s Bonding Oil to break the cast on my curls after I style them, so I love that I can now reach for this mist as a way to revive my hair on days I don’t wash it,” says Malin, who’s been testing the product for about two weeks after the brand sent her a sample. “The mist’s hydrating serum makes my day-two curls bouncy again, while the oil adds much-needed shine to liven them up. A few spritzes of the mist go a long way, so I recommend using a little at a time to have the best control of your results.”
One/Size’s original setting spray is a crowd favorite, and this latest release is a glowy formula that’s meant to leave a soft luminescent finish to your makeup, according to the brand. It has a bronze pigment blend made from coated powders, which help shield from the sun while giving your makeup a sunkissed look. It also includes coconut water and alkanes for added hydration, along with witch hazel to help absorb excess oil. The spray is also available in two shades to suit different skin tones: Caramel Glow, a medium bronze, and Cocoa Glow, a richer, deeper bronze.
Peace Out makes some of our favorite pimple patches, and these pore strips use a similar hydrocolloid technology to help absorb oil, minimize pores and remove blackheads in your nose area, according to the brand. While the hydrocolloid helps lift excess sebum and dead skin cells from your pores, the strips’ retinol reduces the overall appearance of pores on your nose, for smoother, less textured skin. The strips are ideal for congested skin, or oily/combination skin that’s in need of a soft reset.
Aveeno is one of our favorite brands for sensitive skin, and it recently launched its first vitamin C serum designed to brighten your skin. Like most of its popular products, the serum is gentle, noncomedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores) and fragrance-free, so it’s safe for those with sensitive or reactive skin. NBC Selected editor Mili Godio mixes the serum with her everyday moisturizer before applying her SPF. Plus, it layers well underneath makeup, so she never has to worry about pilling or caking.
You might know Native for its popular deodorants and body washes, but it also has some incredible hair care products, too. This month, the brand launched a powder dry shampoo, which helps hair look fresh in between wash days.
“I love the pump applicator because it lets me put the powder in the exact areas I want, like on my part,” says Godio. “The bottle is also small enough to fit in any purse or travel bag I own, so I can take it with me to the office or on vacation.”
Megababe’s Coldies are reusable, wearable products that absorb body heat and feel cool against your skin for up to 30 minutes. Then, they resolidify at room temperature for about an hour before you can put them on again. Coldies come in two styles: a neck collar and bra inserts. You don’t have to freeze, refrigerate, soak or activate them with water — they start working immediately when you put them on your warm skin.
Other notable beauty launches:
Home and kitchen launches
Known for its popular air purifiers, Blueair just launched a new handheld fan as part of its Comfort Collection. The AlwaysCool gets up to 32 hours of battery life and speed levels between one and 100. Plus, it has an LCD screen showing how much battery is left. It comes in multiple colorways, including Cloud Linen and Arctic Sage. The Comfort Collection also includes the new CoolDrift Air Circulator Fan, a powerful and compact fan perfect for desks and tabletops.
While iRobot is known for its revolutionary robot vacuums, including the popular Roomba, the brand recently came out with the Electro Plus, its first-ever handheld upright vacuum. It is a mix of a traditional cordless vacuum that also has the power of a mop. You can use tap water to fill the tank to clean up liquid messes and spills after. Its most unique feature is that it electrolyzes water, giving it disinfectant properties, according to the brand. This way, you don’t have to always use a separate cleaner to disinfect floors.
iRobot also added five Roombas to its lineup, four of which are vacuum and mop combos (the 775, 575, 515 and 415) and one of which is just a vacuum (the 715).
Hasbro recently launched a new line of Play-Doh products for adults called Blooms. Available at Target, Walmart and Amazon, the floral-themed kits come with Play-Doh in pastel shades like pink and yellow and several tools to help turn them into floral arrangements, sort of like a Lego Botanicals set. The kits are available in four versions: Garden, Meadow, Rosy Petite and Wildflower, and aside from being a fun activity, they make for a creative gift, too.
Other notable home and kitchen launches:
Travel and outdoor launches
Béis The Weekender [insert widget]
Béis completely overhauled its core collection of products this month. New-and-improved products include The Weekender, The Mini Weekender and Roller suite (Small Carry-On, Carry-On, Medium Check-In and Large Check-In), as well as the Travel Backpack, Dopp Kit and Packing Cubes (sizes small to extra large). The brand based many of its updates on customer feedback, making adjustments that align with how people travel and use each item, and it refreshed its color options, too.
The Weekender is at the heart of Béis’ “renovation,” says founder and chief creative officer Shay Mitchell. Rather than a wire frame, the newest model has a soft opening with a side-snap connection, which gives you more usable space while packing. It’s also designed with an internal rollback system that gives you easier access to the bottom compartment; more comfortable reinforced, padded straps; and locking zippers for added safety.
To support less deterioration over time, Béis made the bag from recycled poly canvas. It also has a coated compartment and less metal hardware.
Other notable travel and outdoor launches
Why trust NBC Selected?
The NBC Selected staff tries new products regularly, often before they hit stores. Every month, we write about the most notable ones we think you should know about, sharing our first-hand experiences.
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