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New & Notable: Best new products from Away, Beats, June and more

This week: New Beats earbuds, Studs holiday-inspired earrings, aprons from Hedley & Bennett and more.
Image: New and Notable Best new products
Shop new and notable product launches, including clothing from Bonobos, OtterBox devices and tech.Bonobos; Otterbox; Bose; Nurvv
By Zoe Malin

As many states are seeing a rise in coronavirus case numbers and the CDC now recommending avoiding traveling this Thanksgiving, it might be high time to curl up with a book and try your best to enjoy the comforts of home. And you’ve got some great new options: Former President Barack Obama released the first volume of his book, “A Promised Land,” and the 2020 National Book Award winners were recently announced, giving you a long list of works to read this winter. And if you don’t want to wait until Black Friday to shop for your gifts and upgrades this year, there are plenty of early sales and deals across the board, from specific swaths at retailers like Amazon, Wayfair, Target and Walmart, among others, to genre sets like tech sales and deals on pet products.

If you’re still on the hunt for holiday gifts, Lego is releasing a new Roman Colosseum set — available to buy on Black Friday — it’s part of the brand’s Creator Expert line, which is designed for builders over the age of 18 years old. Additionally, consider under-desk elliptical machines as a great present for those working from home, and a shiny new watch from Breitling new collaboration with Outerknown, certainly one of the most extravagant nealy released gifts we’ve come across. Another exciting event in the shopping world is Instacart’s announcement that it’s offering same-day delivery from Best Buy stores nationwide. You can now get select products like printer ink, headphones, computers and appliances delivered to your home if you order online through Instacart. Best Buy delivery via Instacart can also serve as a last-minute gift option.

Beyond the Black Friday deals we’ve been keeping our eye on, lots of brands are coming out with new items in time for the holidays. Bose and Beats by Dre launched new headphones, and Otterbox now offers many of its charging accessories in new bright colors. The June Smart Oven is back in stock with an enhanced third generation model, which could pair well with one of popular face masks purveyor Hedley & Bennett’s limited edition aprons or potholders, a collaboration with Madewell. Here are some of the new products we have on our radar moving forward.

1. Beats by Dre x AMBUSH launch glow in the dark earbuds

In collaboration with Yoon Ahn, the owner and creative director of AMBUSH, Beats by Dre just released a glow-in-the-dark edition of its PowerBeats earbuds. Perfect for high intensity workouts, the earbuds have adjustable ear hooks that ensure a secure fit, as well as a reinforced design that resists sweat and water. One charge gives you 15 hours of listening time, and the headphones also have a five minute Fast Fuel charging option that gives you one hour of playback when their battery is low. Additionally, the earphones are powered by the Apple H1 headphone chip, which means they have stronger connectivity to Apple products like the Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac, and they offer hands-free Siri support. Powerbeats boasts the same powerful, balanced audio as Powerbeats Pro, plus noise isolation, and the headphones have integrated on-ear controls for music, phone calls and voice capability. You can also wirelessly share audio such as songs, podcasts or movies with Powerbeats and another set of Beats headphones or AirPods with Audio Sharing. Powerbeats earphones come with four different sized eartips, a custom AMBUSH carrying case, and lightning to USB-A charging cable.

2. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds — which come in Triple Black and Soapstone colors — allow you to choose how much you want to hear the world around you, or if you want total silence while listening to music. The headphones have adjustable noise cancelling, which personalizes your user experience. They also come equipped with Volume-optimized Active EQ technology, which automatically boosts the lows and highs of audio, keeping sounds balanced as you change the volume. Bose earbuds are made of soft silicone, making them comfortable to wear all day long and ensuring that they stay in place while exercising. The right earbud has a microphone so you can take calls or use your phone’s personal virtual assistant like Siri. They’re weather and sweat resistant, feature an intuitive touch interface, and have a strong Bluetooth connectivity that holds so long as the earbuds are within 30 feet of your paired device. The earbuds charge wirelessly, as well as give you up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge.

3. Otterbox releases charging gadgets in new colors

Fill Christmas stockings and gift bags with brightly colored tech accessories from Otterbox this holiday season. The brand recently released a Blossom Pink colored power bank, as well as 1-meter long charging cords in colors like Rose Sparkle Pink and Cobalt Bolt Blue. Mobile charging kits now come in colors like Rock Candy Blue and Cake Pop Pink, too. Car chargers also get a pop of color, featuring options like Aqua and Orchid Pink. These new shades make waiting for phones and tablets to charge a bit more bearable, and serve as great presents, especially for those working from home or attending online classes. Otterbox also debuted a selection of iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max cases in a variety of colors and patterns. From a White Marble Graphic to a pink and purple Flapper Girl Graphic, there’s something that will please everyone on your shopping list.

4. Away debuts its Holiday Collection for the gift-giving season

Help your friends and family prepare to travel in style with pieces from Away’s Holiday Collection. In addition to The Zip Backpack in five colors, small and large toiletry bags and a passport holder, the Holiday Collection features the brand’s polycarbonate luggage in new high shiny and matte finishes. Walk through the airport with The Carry-On or The Bigger Carry-On — with or without an ejectable battery that charges devices — in styles like limited edition Copper and Sage Matte. If you’re going on a road trip, pack The Medium or The Large suitcase in your car, which comes in a bold Rouge tone and was created in partnership with athlete Serena Williams. Additionally, Away’s Holiday Collection features The Everywhere Bag in two new monochrome colors, and The Original Everywhere Bag, which now comes in three limited edition colors. The Mini and Large Everywhere Bag are featured in the Holiday Collection, too. Away also included its organizational packing and shoe cubes in the Holiday Collection, and The Jewelry Box and The L-Fold Wallet.

5. The June Smart Oven is back in stock with a new, upgraded model

After being sold out for months, the June Smart Oven is back in stock with an enhanced third generation model. The upgraded appliance has five new functions, bringing the total number of cooking modes to 12. It can do everything from bake cookies to roast a whole chicken and even cook a stone-fire pizza. This smart oven has twin convection fans that make for faster and more even cooking. The new model also comes with precision heat control, so you can control each of the oven’s six heating elements individually via the June App (if you want). The app also allows you to preheat the oven, adjust cooking time and temperature, get alerts for when food is estimated to be ready and access to hundreds of recipes. In addition to its high tech touchscreen interface, the smart oven has a camera installed inside of it, so you can watch your food cook through a live video that’s viewable in the app. The camera can also identify hundreds of foods and can automatically cook them via presets. In addition to the smart oven, June sells a handful of accessories, such as a nonstick pan and a food thermometer. The June Smart Oven is available in three bundles, each increasing in price and the number of accessories it comes with: June Oven, June Oven Plus and June Oven Premium.

6. Bonobos WFHQ Pant

These pants are professional enough to be worn to the office when the days of remote work are someday behind us, but they still give you the comfort your work-from-home sweats did for months. New from Bonobos, the WFHQ Pant is made from stretch-knit fabric and moisture-wicking material. They feature an elastic waistband with an interior drawstring instead of a zipper and buttons. The pants are designed with tapered-but-roomy fit, and they’re machine-washable. They come in three colors —Charcoal, Jet Black and Olive Grove— and are available in a variety of sizes and lengths.

7. Bellroy Standing Pouch

While you can store anything from makeup to snacks in this standing pouch, it’s especially useful for those working from home or taking online classes. Use the pouch to keep chargers, headphones and writing utensils nearby. It stands upright, so you can rest it on your desk or couch without its contents spilling out. The pouch also features a loop you can hold while carrying it between rooms, as well as a zipper that keeps everything inside when you’re on the move. The pouch has multiple mesh pockets to organize items, and it lays flat when it’s empty, making it easy to pack into a larger travel bag or backpack. The Standing Pouch — and its larger counterpart the Standing Pouch Plus — comes in three colors: Charcoal, Melbourne Black and Marine Blue. In addition to the pouches, Bellroy recently launched additional and more traditional bags like the City Pouch, Sling Bag and Sling Mini.

8. NURVV Run

A new wearable fitness device, NURVV Run insoles give detailed insight into runs that both beginner and professional runners will likely find useful. The insoles are thin and sit underneath existing insoles in sneakers — so you’re not sacrificing your current corrective measures. They remain connected to a small tracker device that clips on to the outside of each sneaker. They crunch your running data through 32 high-precision sensors that measure factors like running technique, distance, calories burned, pronation, balance, stride length, injury risk and more. NURVV’s app collects and records data from runs, as well as offers live coaching and recommendations for improving your speed to technique, for example. NURVV Run has a battery life of five hours and comes with a USB charger. The device can be worn in the rain, through puddles and even get covered in mud. It can track runs outdoors and indoors, and has a phone-free mode if you want to unplug while exercising. NURVV Run connects to Bluetooth heart rate monitors to provide live zone cues during runs, too, and the device’s data can sync to the Strava app. NURVV is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, as well as Garmin and Apple watches. The insoles come in a range of men and women’s sizes, and are designed to work with any standard-style running shoes.

9. Studs Holiday Collection

Whether you’re celebrating online or in-person, the jewelry featured in Studs’ new Holiday Collection can dress up virtually any outfit. It features dangle, huggie and hoop earrings, as well as studs that come in silver or gold. The Holiday Collection also showcases chained earrings — like sparkly Chained Pavé Butterfly Studs — in addition to two charm hoop earrings: an evil eye and a pavé heart. Studs is selling earring bundles as a part of its Holiday Collection, too, giving you two-to-three pairs of earrings for a discounted price.

10. Guerlain Abeille Royale Repairing & Youth Hand Balm

Prevent dry, cracked hands this winter with Guerlain’s Abeille Royale Repairing & Youth Hand Balm. The rich balm quickly absorbs into skin so it doesn't leave hands feeling sticky, and it can be applied to bare skin or on top of cleansed hands. Among other moisturizing ingredients, this product is made from three types of honey: Corsican honey, New Zealand clover honey and Ouessant Island honey, which is exclusive to Guerlain. Black Bee Ouessant Island honey contains amino acids and is high in fructose-content, both of which aid in the repair of skin tissue.

11. Madewell and Hedley & Bennett partner to make stylish aprons and potholders

Clothing company Madewell teamed up with Hedley & Bennett — known for making kitchen gear and having pivoted to making face masks — to release a selection of limited edition aprons and potholders for the holidays. Aprons and potholders come in three patterns: Bandana, Striped and Contrast-Stitch. The machine-washable aprons are made from lightweight cotton fabric, and have double pen chest pockets, two lap pockets and Vanilla colored straps that ensure a secure fit while cooking. Aprons also have an adjustable neck strap, too. The potholders double as trivets, and feature a bartack loop that you can use to hang them up in your kitchen.

12. Spotlight Oral Care Ultimate Teeth Whitening Gift Set

Spotlight Oral Care added many of its teeth whitening products to this gift set, which you can purchase as a present for others or as a gift to yourself. The set contains 28 Teeth Whitening Strips — 14 upper and 14 lower — to be used for an hour daily with Whitening Toothpaste. Whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide, which is clinically proven to whiten teeth. Spotlight also recommends using mouthwash to further break down any teeth stains, as well as its Comforting Gum Oil that’s included in the set and soothes tender gums. In addition to a White Bamboo Toothbrush, Spotlight included beauty tools in the set that you can add to your self care routine. Enjoy two Lip Sheet Masks, a Gua Sha and an anti-aging jade roller, along with your brighter, whiter smile.

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Zoe Malin

Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor at NBC Select based in New York City, NY. She joined the team in 2020 as Select’s first-ever intern. Zoe specializes in topics like home and kitchen, wellness and fitness, pets and household basics from toothpaste to olive oil. Zoe leads Covid-19 coverage for Select, authoring guides to KN95 masks, N95 masks and Covid tests. She also helped start Select’s New & Notable column in 2020, which she’s written ever since. Zoe covers tentpole sale events including Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and works on articles highlighting minority-owned businesses, like Black-owned coffee companies and AAPI-owned food and drink brands. She’s constantly trying products like sports bras, ice cream makers, tinted sunscreen and more.