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Pronto Buying Guides. Just as we scour the web for the best prices, we have our team of guide editors scour
the web for expert opinions and recommendations, user reviews and helpful facts so choosing the right product will
be easier for you.
If you’ve been looking to live out your rock star fantasy or just pick up a new hobby, a bass guitar is a great place to start, but before you form that garage band you need to know a few things. Whether you love rock, jazz, blues or funk, Pronto’s Bass Guitar Buying Guide will help you choose the bass guitar that is best for you. When buying online, make sure you’re familiar with the retailer’s return policy so you can make a return if a bass guitar doesn’t make your heart sing.
Whether you’re looking for an easier way to hem the occasional pair of pants or want more fine control over your quilting, you can find a sewing machine that’s suited to your project and skill level. Knowing which one is right for you can be difficult, especially when you start looking at high-end, computerized sewing machines that can cost as much as or more as quality HDTVs. Pronto’s Sewing Machine Buying Guide will help you choose the best sewing machine for your skill level, projects and budget.
Whether you’re a hobbyist who dabbles in watercolors or a serious student of the fine arts, you need a comfortable and sturdy painting easel to support your work in progress. Painting easels vary widely in price, features and style, so how do you know which one to select for your studio? Your choices will be based on the media you use, the size of the canvases you work with and the places where you paint. Pronto’s Easel Buying Guide will put you on the path to painting like Picasso. Beret on? Brush in hand? Let’s get painting!
Want to become a real life guitar hero? Of course you do. Playing the guitar is probably one of the coolest things you can do (unless it’s an air guitar). Whether you want to shred like Eddie Van Halen, lick them blues like Eric Clapton or rock out like Jimi Hendrix, Pronto’s Electric Guitar Buying Guide will help you find the guitar that is just right for you.
Cloth diapers or disposable? Baby Einstein or Barney? The list of decisions new parents have to make
is endless and can be overwhelming. Fortunately, choosing an infant car seat doesn’t have to be. All infant
car seats manufactured and sold in the United States are required to meet federal safety standards, so you can focus on
Pronto’s Infant Car Seat Buying Guide to help you determine which infant car seat best meets the needs of your baby,
your budget and your lifestyle. Proper fit and installation are critical. Be sure to save the original box, packaging and receipt
and be familiar with return policies (see also Child Car Seat Buying Guide).
Don’t short change your choice of strollers. How the stroller feels and drives can make the difference between great outings and difficult ones. With so many makes and models on the market, how do you begin to narrow your options? You can start by thinking about where you live, where you’ll be taking your child and what you need to bring with you when you go. Have more than one child? There are strollers that can tow the entire family. Pronto’s Stroller Buying Guide takes you through all the points you need to consider before clicking the “buy now” button (see also Jogging Stroller Buying Guide, Baby Carrier Buying Guide).
Got a crib yet? Many expectant moms and dads race to finish the nursery before the baby’s arrival, but it’s not necessary to complete everything. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep in a safety-approved crib, bassinet or cradle in their parents’ room until they are six months old. Still, decorating that nursery is something parents enjoy, and the centerpiece of baby’s naptime and sleep time will undoubtedly be the crib. Before you choose the place where your baby will spend the better part of the next two to three years, let Pronto’s Crib Buying Guide help you identify your purchasing priorities.
Baby swings can soothe parents as much as they soothe their little ones by providing a comforting environment when parents with jangled nerves have run out of ideas to get a baby to sleep. Today’s models offer parents a variety of options to choose from. From traditional hand-wound swings that lull baby to sleep to full-activity centers, there’s a swing to suit just about every need and every budget. Some manufacturers have even based their designs on how the human body moves when it holds and rocks a baby. How to choose one which one works for you and your baby? Let Pronto’s Baby Swing Buying Guide help you decide.
Just like your baby’s crib, a high chair is an essential piece of furniture for new parents. You’ll want it to be durable, functional, easy to clean and stylish. After all, it’s something you’ll use several times a day for a few years before your child is old enough to sit up strongly on his or her own. The type of high chair you choose will depend on your personal style, needs and preferences. Your child's eating habits, age and weight are also contributing factors. Pronto’s High chair Buying Guide takes you through the key shopping considerations so that when you click the “buy now” button, you know you’ve made the best choice for you and your baby.
Most new parents would like nothing more than to snuggle their newborn for weeks on end. Too bad the realities of today’s hectic life mean most moms and dads are up and running within days, if not hours, of returning from the maternity ward. Fortunately, one piece of baby gear is designed to help parents get through their daily routines while providing the physical closeness every infant needs: the baby carrier. Studies show that “babywearing”, or using carriers to hold babies results in happier, healthier children. Pronto’s Baby Carrier Buying Guide can help you decide which of the many styles best suits your family’s needs.
Jogging strollers are showing up everywhere from city streets to country paths and every road surface in between and with good reason: they’re a great way for babies and toddlers to get fresh air while parents get their heart rate up. Although some jogging strollers do offer full recline positions, don’t mistake that for the OK to take your infant running. Infants need to lie flat and you don’t want to kick your child inadvertently when you hit full stride. Doctors recommend waiting to run with your child until they’re approximately 6-7 months of age and can hold their heads up. Even at that age, there are several things to consider before you invest in a jogging stroller and embark on family fitness. Let Pronto’s Jogging Stroller Buying Guide take you through all the points you need to consider before clicking the “buy now” button (see also Stroller Buying Guide).
For parents of little ones, a baby monitor may be the next best thing to cloning yourself. These handy devices, which in their most basic form consist of a transmitter and receiver, allow parents to keep an ear out for — and in some cases even keep an eye on — their snoozing tykes from as far as 600 feet away. That means that while baby naps, mom and dad can garden, change the oil, do the laundry or tend to the myriad other household chores that are often neglected during baby-awake time. With hundreds of baby monitor options to choose from, selecting the one that’s right for your needs can be overwhelming, particularly if you’re not an electronics whiz. Pronto’s Baby Monitor Buying Guide helps simplify the task by zeroing in on the key factors you may want to consider when making your choice.
From the day you leave the hospital with your baby until sometime around preschool, your diaper bag may be the most ubiquitous baby accessory you will ever own. As the name implies, it carries diapers, but it can also be a repository for bottles, wipes, formula, pacifiers, toys, snacks—even car keys. Once designed primarily in plastic, diaper bags have since evolved to include a wide variety of styles and materials that complement all tastes. Pronto’s Diaper Bag Buying Guide will help you find a bag that carries everything you need, matches your lifestyle and eliminates excess baggage.
The humble computer mouse has grown up and become a multifunctional tool designed to optimize your PC experience. Scroll wheels, navigation buttons and optical sensors have complicated the computer mouse buying process, but these innovations allow you to choose a computer mouse that is tailored to the way you use your computer. Pronto’s Computer Mouse Buying Guide will help you find a computer mouse with features you never knew you needed (and that you soon won’t be able to live without).
DVD burners were a costly component for desktop PCs just a couple of years ago. Today, you can get a DVD burner for about what you’d pay for a movie on DVD, and as prices have dropped, consumers have discovered that there’s more to DVD burners than just movies. If your desktop PC is still limited by a rewritable CD drive, it’s time to think about adding the extra storage and versatility a DVD burner delivers.
DVD recorders have officially replaced video cassette recorders as the permanent-storage media for home entertainment. If you’re still clinging to VHS, it’s time to let go and upgrade to a DVD recorder. Most of us are familiar with digital versatile discs thanks to movie rentals, but when it comes to DVD recorders, there are a lot of features to consider before you make a choice.
A video game controller came with your new console, so why get another one? If you’re a PC gamer, you need a video game controller to ease the wear and tear on your keyboard, and you might need a specialized video game controller for driving, flying, or fighting games. Console gamers can get a fuller experience—and perhaps an unfair advantage—with specialized video game controllers designed for the games they love. Not sure what you want? Let Pronto’s Video Game Controller Buying Guide help you figure it out.
Even the most passionate fans of summer will concede that an air conditioner is a great addition to a home. When heat and humidity make it impossible to function, an air conditioner provides cool comfort in the bedroom, office, or family room. Air conditioners have come a long way in energy efficiency, but it’s still important to choose the right size for the job. Pronto’s Air Conditioner Buying Guide will give you the technical and feature information you need to get the best cooling with the least energy use. (Also see Pronto’s Portable Air Conditioner Buying Guide).
Since its introduction in the 1990s, DVD has been the most popular format for Hollywood movies and has become the de facto choice for video gamers, software installation and now music and audio too. Even at its most basic, the DVD player is a technical wonder. The DVD is a high-density optical disk that can hold up to 4.7GB of data and supports multiple and often incompatible technical formats including the ability to play music CDs and is available in a wide-range of shapes, sizes and prices and functionalities, ranging from about $50 to $1,000. Pronto's DVD Buying Guide can help you determine which one's for you (see also Portable DVD Player Buying Guide, DVD Recorder Buying Guide, Combination TV Buying Guide).
Video game consoles used to be a moderately priced form of entertainment, but the new generation of consoles has upped the cost of ownership to the point where you need to carefully consider your gaming investment. Today’s video game console delivers features once reserved for DVD players and home PCs, so it’s as much a multimedia hub as a system for playing the latest version of Madden NFL Football. Which video game console is right for you and your family? It all depends on how you’ll use it.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have been around since 1996 when Palm introduced the Palm Pilot. PDAs took the paper to-do lists and bulky address books into the digital age, storing all your most-needed information in one, portable place. Today’s PDAs are truly mobile computers. With a PDA you can stay connected to the Web, fetch email, as well as perform the functions of your cell phone, MP3 player, digital camera and GPS (Global Positioning System). With so many options available, shopping for a PDA can be overwhelming. Pronto’s PDA Buying Guide can help you narrow down the choices and select the PDA that best suits your lifestyle and needs (see also Smart Phone Buying Guide).
Electric grills have joined the ranks of microwaves, ovens, and stovetops as a popular method of cooking in millions of American homes. Electric grills promise easy cleanup and health benefits, but the best reason to add an electric grill to your kitchen is to whip up quick and easy meals. Thinking of taking the plunge into indoor grilling? Pronto’s Electric Grill Buying Guide can help make sure you don’t get burned by a bad purchase decision.
Grilling meat, fish and vegetables is a great way to eat healthy without sacrificing flavor. It’s no surprise then that gas grills have become one of the most popular grownup toys in recent years. Head to any hardware store or home improvement center, and you’ll see big, gleaming gas grills lined up like new cars in a showroom, some with price tags that rival good used cars. If you’re ready to make the investment, you’ll find that a gas grill is excellent for outdoor entertaining and a great way to vary your cooking. Not sure much grill you need? Pronto’s Gas Grill Buying Guide can help (see also Electric Grill Buying Guide).
A smoker is the tool of choice for those who are serious about barbecue. A smoker provides a primal connection with our past, while infusing your food with true barbecue flavor. Smokers aren’t grills, though some can do double duty. Pronto’s Smoker Buying Guide will help you choose the smoker that’s right for you (see also Gas Grill Buying Guide).
For the cigar enthusiast, humidors are the stylish, practical way to store your goods. Because cigars respond to their environments, you will want a humidor to provide the right moisture for your cigars, help promote their cultivation and protect your investments for years to come. Humidors come in a variety of sizes and models and some humidors fill the gaps in a room’s decor while others can be taken on the road. Pronto’s Humidor Buying Guide will help you find the humidor that’s best for preserving your cigar collection.
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t look forward to your twice-yearly visits to the dentist, but love how your teeth and gums feel afterward. Craving that ‘just cleaned’ feeling at every day? Electric toothbrushes have been gaining popularity in recent years for their ability to clean thoroughly (cleaning those hard-to-reach molars, fighting plaque and keeping tartar at bay), and they can even let you know when you haven’t brushed long enough. If you haven’t made the switch from manual to electric brushing, Pronto’s Electric Toothbrush Buying Guide can help you determine which electric toothbrush will put—and keep—a smile on your face.
Do work and personal obligations keep you busy during gym hours? Investing in a home gym is a great way to keep your commitment to health and fitness, but what are weight stacks, adjustable position cable systems and weight ratios? Where does the advertising talk end and functionality begin? Your options for a home gym and the terminology that goes with them can make shopping intimidating. Pronto’s Home Gym Buying Guide will take the mystery out of purchasing a home gym and help you choose the one that meets your budget and lifestyle needs (see also Exercise Bike Buying Guide, Treadmill Buying Guide, Elliptical Trainer Buying Guide).
Fitness fads come and go, but treadmills are consistently the top-selling piece of home exercise equipment in America. Why? Treadmills are simple to use and they’re extremely versatile. A treadmill will provide a great workout whether you’re a couch potato having a change of life or a long distance runner getting ready for a marathon. Studies show that more people stick to their exercise programs on treadmills than on other machines, so if you want a piece of fitness equipment that won’t turn into a clothes rack, a treadmill is a great option. Pronto’s Treadmill Buying Guide will bring you up to speed on key treadmill features so you can choose one that fits your needs and budget, whether your goal is a mile or a marathon.
A women’s electric shaver is just the thing if you’re tired of suffering nicks and razor burn for the sake of beauty. Women’s electric shavers are also useful for the traveling woman who wants to look her best without packing razors and shaving cream. Women can choose from a variety of electric shaver styles and functions, so if you’re ready to toss those blades, Pronto’s Women’s Electric Shaver Buying Guide will help you find the shaver that’s best for you.
Stair climbers provide an excellent workout for the lower body, targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Stair climbers also provide excellent cardiovascular and endurance-building exercise more efficiently and in less time than other fitness machines. Not sure what to look for when buying? Pronto’s Stair Climber Buying Guide will help you scale the mountain of options available so you find the one that fits your budget, needs and home.
Once you got a taste for the elliptical trainer at the gym, you were hooked. Elliptical trainers, also called cross trainers, help you get a great workout with reasonable effort that doesn’t strain your back and joints. If you’re loving your elliptical trainer workouts and are considering getting one for your home, let Pronto’s Elliptical Trainer Buying Guide lay out the key buying criteria for you so your purchase is informed and worthwhile. The price range for an elliptical trainer is quite large, from less than $200 to more than $4,000, so you’ll want to be sure you know what you want (and need) before making a final decision.
There are many reasons to bring an exercise bike into your home. Maybe you don’t have time to get to the gym for a full workout. Maybe you’re a bicycling enthusiast in an area with a variable climate, or you’re just starting a fitness program and looking for a low-impact way to start exercising. In today’s exercise bike market, there are a number of options available for the beginner to the serious athlete. Pronto’s Exercise Bike Buying Guide will help you find the perfect exercise bike for your skill level and needs.
No longer are wheelchairs frumpy and clunky. A good wheelchair can evoke renewed feelings of independence. New advances in technology have opened the door to innovative designs, and there are almost as many wheelchairs and features as there are personalities. Even for those who can still walk, a wheelchair can help curb or lessen debilitating pain and increase your mobility choices. Wheelchairs can open up a person’s world; no longer will your activities be limited by your physical capabilities. After assessing your health, your abilities and your desires, Pronto’s Wheelchair Buying Guide will help you make your wheelchair-buying decision.
Used for years in high-intensity athletic training, the heart rate monitor has worked its way down, in price and usefulness, to the average person who wants to monitor his or her fitness goals and performance. If you think a heart rate monitor would help you achieve your fitness goals, but your head is spinning from the number of brands on the market and the number of functions they perform, Pronto’s Heart Rate Monitor Buying Guide will help you sort through the options available and find a heart rate monitor that’s simple to use and understand.
A stand mixer may be the home cook’s best friend. Whether you bake for pleasure, or feel like you need a team of elves to keep up with the endless school bake sales and holiday madness, a stand mixer’s appeal is simple: It does most of the work for you, and does it much faster than you could by hand, or even with a portable mixer. Stand mixers can finish off time-consuming steps like beating egg whites or whipping cream in a flash, or put a family-size batch of mashed potatoes on the dinner table in mere minutes. Also, unlike portable mixers, powerful stand mixers can take on heavy-duty chores like blending flour into stiff cookie dough and kneading bread. Pronto’s Stand Mixer Buying Guide will help you choose the best stand mixer for your needs and budget, whether you’re a novice cupcake-baker or a serious home chef (see also Hand Mixer Buying Guide, Blender Buying Guide, Food Processor Buying Guide).
There is “no pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater” than meat cooked in a slow cooker. Rival’s Crock-Pot, the original slow cooker introduced in the 1970s is a household name, but others have entered the slow cooker market spurring innovative cooking options, specialty accessories across a broad range of solid products. No matter which slow cooker you choose, you’ll want yours to have a glass lid to prevent you from doing the one thing you should never do: opening a slow cooker during cooking drastically lowers the temperature, extends cook time and may result in undercooked food. What else should you look for? Let Pronto’s Slow Cooker Buying Guide point the way so you’re cooking in no time.
Whether you’re simply health conscious or trying to shed a few pounds, a bathroom scale can help you know what you weigh and track your progress toward your goal weight. Digital bathroom scales are gaining popularity over analog bathroom scales for their ability to measure more than pounds. Don’t let bathroom scale choices and terminology weigh you down. Pronto’s Bathroom Scale Buying Guide will make finding the bathroom scale you need quick and easy.
Horror stories about identity theft are leading many consumers to buy a paper shredder for the home. While a paper shredder won’t guarantee you immunity from identity theft, it will prevent thieves from stealing personal information from your trash, or from your home during a burglary. Finding the right paper shredder for your home or business is a question of how much you need to shred and how thoroughly you want it destroyed. Pronto’s Paper Shredder Buying Guide will help you find the best tool for disposing of those documents.
Whether you’re starting on a new fitness regime or simply trying to gauge how healthy your current activity level is, a pedometer can help track your progress by counting the number of steps you take in a day, track the distance you traveled and estimate the number of calories you’ve burned. What features do you need in a pedometer? Pronto’s Pedometer Buying Guide will answer this question and steer you toward the pedometer that meets your needs.
Bunny slope or black diamond, skiing is America’s most popular winter sport because it’s an activity that appeals to people of all ages and all levels of athletic ability. You’ll enjoy skiing more if you’re outfitted with the proper equipment, so start at the bottom with skis that are suited to your body and your style for better performance and greater comfort. Skis and accessories can be a substantial investment, but Pronto’s Ski Buying Guide will get you off on the right foot.
Tent camping is a fun and adventurous way to enjoy the natural splendor of the landscape. A tent lets you get back to nature, but it’s important to choose a tent that won’t let nature get to you. With a huge variety of tent choices available, finding the right tent depends on how, and when, you’ll use it. Use Pronto’s Tent Buying Guide to answer those questions and purchase the tent that’s best for you.
Camping stoves may lack the romance of sitting around an open fire, but there are good reasons to consider packing one for your next outdoor adventure. Camping stoves are faster and more efficient than fire boxes and pits, you don’t need to burn up some of the environment to use them, and they present less of a fire hazard to the great outdoors. Some parks now prohibit fires and require the use of camping stoves, so they are essential if a hot meal is one of the creature comforts you need. Whether you’re packing up for a weekend with the kids or striking out solo on a hike to the Himalayas, Pronto’s Camping Stoves Buying Guide will help you choose one that meets your needs.
Whether you’re a seasoned superstar on the PGA Tour or a first-timer eager to start hacking away at your local public course, the thrill of playing with a good set of golf clubs never fades. In fact, the pleasure you derive from your golf clubs is likely to intensify over time as your game improves with every swing and putt. Buying the right set of golf clubs requires a bit of advanced planning so that your golf clubs will adapt to your changing needs. Pronto’s Golf Club Buying Guide will help you find the golf clubs that will lead to more fun—and lower scores—when you’re out on the links.
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute estimates that a careful bicyclist will crash on average every 4,500 miles. Some states require riders to wear a bicycle helmet, and even where it’s not the law, a good bicycle helmet is a solid investment in your health and safety. Pronto’s Bicycle Helmet Buying Guide will help you separate marketing buzzwords from actual performance to find the bicycle helmet for your next ride.
Snowboarding is no longer a fringe sport turned to by those rebelling against the conservative sport of skiing. Snowboarders are showing up at mountains across the country, both the young and more mature slicing through the snow on a lone snowboard. Interested in joining them? Pronto’s Snowboard Buying Guide will help you navigate through the potentially confusing process of buying your first snowboard.
Snowboard bindings are the last thing you probably think of when picking out a new snowboard setup. You know you need a board and boots, but don’t forget about the snowboard bindings that connect your boots to your board while you enjoy a day on the mountain. Snowboard bindings come in different styles and materials and, depending on your riding style, they can make a major difference in performance. Pronto’s Snowboard Binding Buying Guide will explain what you should consider as you’re shopping.
Your child’s first bike is more than just a rite of passage—it’s a way to get good exercise and to start to explore the world around them. Choosing the right kids’ bike is as much a matter of safety as style, as the wrong bike can be hard to ride or even dangerous to your child. Pronto’s Kids’ Bike Buying Guide will help you choose a bicycle that your child will love and that will give you peace of mind.
You can’t play golf without golf balls, but you can play better with the right golf balls. New innovations in technology have resulted in golf balls that soar higher, longer and faster than ever before, making golf balls just as important as clubs when it comes to getting the most out of your game. Choosing golf balls requires you to understand your swing and overall skill level, but Pronto’s Golf Ball Buying Guide will get you started by explaining what’s new on the links.
Whether you ride horses professionally or just as leisurely way to relax, you need the right kind of saddle. Choosing the right saddle not only results in better riding, but it ensures that both you and the horse are comfortable. A well-made saddle provides support and comfort as well as greater security when riding, but only if you match the saddle to the kind of riding you prefer. Pronto’s Equestrian Saddle Buying Guide will help you choose the right equestrian saddle, whether you’re riding for work, show or pleasure.
Inline skating is an effective way to get and stay in shape while having fun at the same time. Besides recreational skating outdoors, inline skaters can participate in a variety of activities including speed skating and hockey. When choosing your inline skates, take into account which type of skating you’ll be doing. Will you be skating around a nearby lake or on a boardwalk? Taking laps at the local rink? Maybe you’ll be meeting up with friends for a game of hockey or testing your speed limits. Different types of skating call for different inline skates, and Pronto’s Inline Skate Buying Guide will help you find the right wheels for your personal style of skating.
If you choose your equestrian bridle wisely, you will not only heighten communication between you and your horse, but you can become a better rider as well. You may be able to ride a horse without a saddle, but it’s nearly impossible to ride without a properly fitted bridle. Without this signaling device, you cannot communicate with your horse. Pronto’s Equestrian Bridle Buying Guide will help you talk to the animal by showing you how to buy one of the most important pieces of your horse’s tack.
Admit it—you’re jealous when you toil away in your driveway with a shovel, clearing a path for your car and a walkway for your mailman while you watch your neighbor come out, start up a snow blower and go back inside a few minutes later with a clean drive and a smug expression. If the time has come for you to join the ranks of people who save time and effort by using a snow blower, you may be intimidated by the technology and terminology. A cup of hot cocoa and Pronto’s Snow Blower Buying Guide will have you shopping like a pro in no time so you, too, can be out in the driveway with a new snow blower.
If you’ve ever had a backyard party ruined by pesky mosquitoes, tried to apply mosquito repellant on a squirmy toddler or are concerned about mosquito-borne illnesses, you should be in the market for a mosquito trap. Mosquito traps interrupt the breeding cycle of this insect by tricking the females (the ones who bite) into entering the mechanism with a scent that mimics the carbon dioxide (CO2) in human breath. Pronto’s Mosquito Trap Buying Guide will separate the performance from the promises so you can enjoy a summer that’s relaxing and mosquito-free.
If you have an itching to tickle some faux ivory keys, an electric keyboard may be just what you’re looking for. But before you can play like Beethoven, you’re going to need to know how to choose the electric keyboard that’s best for you. From Beethoven to Billy Joel, we’ve got you covered. Pronto’s Electric Keyboard Buying Guide will show you what to look for, no matter your musical taste.
Microphones aren’t just for live bands and recording studios anymore. The explosion in podcasting, home recording and desktop filmmaking has made microphones an increasingly common sight in homes. If you want good sound on your projects, or if you’re hitting the clubs to tune up for the next American Idol, you’ll need a quality microphone that captures the full range of sound. Pronto’s Microphone Buying Guide will match you to the best mic for live, studio or home use.