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When I was in high school, there were TV ads for a vibrating handle that took Gillette Atra blades, called the “Freedom Blade”. The vibration was supposed to make your hair stand up on end, so it could be more easily cut close to the skin. I don’t think they sold very many of them, or at least, the commercials didn’t last long. A few years ago, I heard a rumor that they’d been bought by Gillette, and now there’s the M3 Power, the latest in their line of triple-bladed Mach 3 razors.

The Mach 3 has never been the closest of shaves, but it excels at comfort. It’s possible that I’ve never cut myself once in many years of using one. It does very well with long swaths and 3-day growth, but I always finish up with a Sensor for closeness. The M3 Power does better than its predecessor, and it’s even more comfortable. It is particularly good around the corners of my mouth, which are hard to get at.

The vibration is a small thing, but I find that it has a noticeable effect. Given a choice, I’ll take it.

Buy the M3 Power from Amazon.

I like the Reach Access flosser. My dentist is always telling me I should floss more. Like most people, I just find it a pain. I’ve tried a few flossing assist tools over the years, but this is the first one that really hit the sweet spot between ease of use, convenience, and disposability. It’s long and thin, so it fits in the cup with my toothbrush. For each use, there’s a small removable plastic U with a string of floss between it. I still feel like a little bit of a bad person for throwing away excess plastic when I don’t have to, but at least my gums are clean. I suppose that the environmental impact is less than it would be for periodontic surgery.

Buy the Reach Access Flosser from Amazon.

Okay, it’s somewhat predictable. It seems like everyone’s talking about the Dyson vacuum cleaners these days.

But you know what? They’re right. There are a few new models on the way, but this is really the workhorse upright (and according to their website, is actually more powerful than the newer DC14). I’m relatively convinced that it doesn’t matter which one you get - they’re ALL far better than other vacuum cleaners.

Even after six months - I want to use it more often. I have a few complaints, but minor ones, and they’re dwarfed by the good things. There’s no cord control, but I guess that’s just an extraneous piece to break. There are extra tools that don’t have “a place” on the main unit. They’re extra, and optional, but they don’t fit anywhere. Again, this is minor, but I’d have preferred it if the extra brushes couldn’t get lost.

And now - the good things. It cleans well, it actually “doesn’t lose suction”, and you get visible feedback on how much dust/paper/cat hair/whatever you’re actually picking up. No bags or filters to replace, and it’s easy to empty. Every piece is well-engineered, and all of the connectors are solid. Just about every bit of the suction path can be opened in case something gets stuck, and all of the sections fit together with satisfying clicks, so you know when you put them back where they’re supposed to go. The extension brushes have vents so they don’t get caught in fabrics.

I sold two previous vacuum cleaners to try this one, and I’m glad I did.

Buy the Dyson DC07 from Amazon.