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Home Assistant is closing out the year with its 2025.12 release, bringing major quality of life improvements, an overhaul to automation building, and a brand new area for testing preview features. There's a lot coming that should give users more intuitive control over their smart homes.

What are the best noise-cancelling headphones of 2025?

Even the best value headphones will feel lacking if they don't come equipped with halfway decent noise cancellation. Besides, there are simply too many headphones on the market (our testing pool gets bigger by the month) for you to pay hundreds only to get subpar ANC. So, which brand comes out on top?

For most people, we think the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) offer the best overall value, with the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC. However, if you're looking for the best active noise-cancellation overall, we have to give it up to the Sony XM6 headphones. Fortunately, there are no bad choices here.

To help you wade through the top options from brands like Apple, Beats, Bose, Sony, and Sonos, Mashable editors and reviewers tested dozens of headphones and earbuds. From flagship models to budget buds, we picked out the best options at every price range.

SEE ALSO: How we test headphones and earbuds How do noise-cancelling headphones actually work?

Even cheap headphones can block some noise from the outside world. And you can always blast your music loud enough to drown out nearby conversations and street noise via passive noise cancellation. However, if you really want to turn the volume of the world down to the limit, then you need headphones with active noise cancellation.

Active noise-cancelling headphones electronically cover up the sounds coming from your surroundings. They use internal microphones to listen to the world around you, then invert the noise and send it to the speakers. The idea is that both the output and the input will cancel out, leaving you with near-silence. The best over-ear headphones also create a tight seal around your ears, providing an extra layer of passive sound blocking.

Testing the Apple AirPods Max headphones, which didn't make the final cut for this guide. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Getting up close and personal with Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

If you've tried a pair of noise-cancelling headphones before and haven't been impressed, don't be discouraged, as not all ANC performs equally. For instance, cheaper ANC headphones may have a more noticeable hissing sound that you'll hear when the noise cancellation is turned on, which can be distracting for some folks.

Other headphones may be great at blocking low tones, but more prone to letting in high-pitched tones. Typically, premium headphones will yield better results all around, but we have budget picks below that still do a solid job.

In the past, not many wireless earbuds featured active noise cancellation that was comparable to over-ear headphones, but newer iterations like the AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds hold their own in the ANC space. However, even these earbuds can't quite get the same seal (or fit as many mics) that headphones can, so if you're looking for maximum silence, stick with over-ear headphones.

Recent testing updates

• December 2025: We removed the Dyson On-Trac headphones from this guide. While they had unbeatable battery life when they were first released, that's no longer the case.

• December 2025: We added the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 as the best sports earbuds.

• December 2025: We added the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 headphones as the best splurge.

• September 2025: We replaced the original Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds with the updated second-gen model.

• July 2025: We added the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

• February 2025: We added the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds as our favorite earbuds pick under $100, replacing the Beats Studio Buds+.

• August 2024: With a heavy heart, we said goodbye to the Bose 700 headphones as our recommendation for the best noise-cancelling headphones with adjustable ANC.

Family sedans may not dominate headlines like SUVs, but in 2025 they offer some of the strongest value, comfort, and day-to-day usability on the market. With new models prioritizing quiet cabins, improved ride quality, and the latest driver-assist tech, shoppers who overlook this segment may be missing out on vehicles that deliver far more refinement than their price tags suggest.

Remember DeepSeek, the large language model (LLM) out of China that was released for free earlier this year and upended the AI industry? Without the funding and infrastructure of leaders in the space like Google and OpenAI, the team behind the DeepSeek R1 model was able to create a viable competitor to Gemini and ChatGPT.

This week, the DeepSeek team released two powerful new models, DeepSeek-V3.2 and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale — and once again they are totally free to use.

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DeepSeek's China-based team says that DeepSeek-V3.2 provides equivalent levels of performance as OpenAI's GPT-5 and described the model as "your daily driver." DeepSeek-V3.2 is more for the same everyday tasks that you'd seek out from a AI assistant chatbot like ChatGPT.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, on the other hand, appears to be competing with the more advanced AI models like Google's Gemini 3.0 Pro. DeepSeek describes the model as having "maxed-out reasoning capabilities" and shared testing results showing DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale acing numerous LLM reasoning benchmarks. 

"DeepSeek-V3.2 is our first model to integrate thinking directly into tool-use, and also supports tool-use in both thinking and non-thinking modes," DeepSeek said in a statement announcing the models posted to its X account.

Basically, as the DeepSeek team describes it, the latest model is able to mimic human reasoning and utilize tools like search engines and calculators. Furthermore, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is for mathematical needs, with the team sharing the models' "gold medal" results from taking tests such as the International Math Olympiad.

DeepSeek says it is setting out to “push the inference capabilities of open-source models to their limits and explore the boundaries of model capabilities.”

How does DeepSeek-V3.2 compare to GPT-5?

The biggest difference is that DeepSeek's models are open-source. In short, they're tools that can be applied to specific problems. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is a closed-source, general-purpose AI chatbot that combines multiple models into a single user experience.

So, while it seems that the latest DeepSeek models stack up to ChatGPT and other models contextually, it should also be noted that it is primarily a text-based model and not one for images, video, or other media. And, of course, DeepSeek's models are free, while users have a very limited number of prompts with the free version of ChatGPT.

So far, on the popular AI leaderboard LMArena, the new DeepSeek models have lagged behind the likes of GPT-5 and Gemini 3. And in terms of feature set, ChatGPT still offers a more complete, all-around experience.

How can you try DeepSeek-V3.2?

Users currently looking to utilize DeepSeek-V3.2 can do so right now on DeepSeek's website, API, and app. You can head to the DeepSeek platform and try it right away.

However, as of now, the DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale model is only available through DeepSeek's API. The API access for DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale does incur a cost; however, it is 10 times cheaper than its competitors' models, with a cost of 42 cents per million tokens.

DeepSeek last upended the industry nearly a year ago. Since then, a lot of advances have been made with other models. We'll soon see if DeepSeek's latest models continue to disrupt the industry.

Microsoft has quietly rolled out a partial mitigation for the high-severity Windows LNK vulnerability, CVE-2025-9491, which multiple state-sponsored groups and cybercrime gangs have been exploiting as a zero-day. This security flaw lets attackers hide malicious commands inside standard Windows shortcut files.

How to choose the best headphones

We won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite audio brands put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and active noise cancellation.

All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and the best open earbuds, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.

To help you pick your pair, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut). Here, you'll find the top headphones of 2025 for noise cancellation, music, price, and wired connections.

What about wired headphones?

We focused primarily on the best wireless headphones for this guide. While wired headphones have their fans, wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us. If we had to pick, we'd recommend the Marshall Mode earbuds as our top wired pick. Some of us are also fans of Apple's EarPods.

Other headphones we've tested

Most recently, we tested the JBL Tour One M3 headphones and the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, and we may add them to this guide in a future update. We also tested the Marshall Major V headphones and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones, both of which had excellent sound profiles and easy-to-navigate custom equalizers on their companion apps. Ultimately, they didn't make the cut on our final list for a couple of reasons. With the Major V headphones, we love that their claim of 100+ hours of battery life held up under our testing, but we found them to get uncomfortable after a couple of hours. We also would have appreciated ANC at their $149 price point.

For the B&W headphones, we loved their design and premium feel in addition to their truly impressive sound, but we found that their ANC was only so-so. If you're willing to spend $399, you can find a better balance of sound and ANC in the Sony XM5 headphones.

We've also tested the Sonos Ace headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones. And while we loved them both for sound quality and noise cancellation, they fare in the way of AirPods Max — left out of our recommendations for their high price points.

In the testing pipeline

For our future updates, we're testing out more budget noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones.

Recent updates to this guide

• December 2025: We replaced the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds, which are no longer available, with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 sports earbuds.

• December 2025: We removed the Marshall Mode wired earbuds, as they're frequently out of stock.

• December 2025: We added the Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Headphones as the best headphones under $100.

• December 2025: We added the Sony XM5 headphones, originally released in 2022, as our new honorable mention pick.

December on HBO Max will see its fair share of holiday content, but as far as new shows and movies are concerned, we’re venturing deep into documentary territory with a plethora of music stories about Paul Anka, Wizkid, Jeff Buckley, and Counting Crows. We’ll also see the debut of three highly anticipated, long-awaited movie sequels, along with the first comedy special from SNL star Sarah Sherman, and a new Hard Knocks series focused on the NFC East.

SAVE $1,150: As of Dec. 3, get the Anker Solix F2000 portable power station for $849 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,999. That's a discount of 58%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Anker Solix F2000 portable power station $849 at Amazon
$1,999 Save $1,150   Get Deal

We've seen Cyber Monday come and go, but there are still plenty of reasons to shop when it comes to Amazon. The retailer has a wide variety of items on sale, including cold-weather and off-grid essentials, like portable power stations. If you're looking for something to rely on if you lose power due to winter storms or you just need a backup for camping or other outdoor activity, we've found one that you can use for a variety of situations and then some for a great price.

As of Dec. 3, get the Anker Solix F2000 portable power station for $849 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,999. That's a discount of 58%.

SEE ALSO: The best Cyber Monday deals on portable power stations: Jackery, Bluetti, and DJI at record lows

This portable power station boasts 2,048Wh of capacity, with 2,400W of continuous output and a surge of 2,800W. If you end up needing more power, it is compatible with an additional battery as well, so you can net up to 4,096Wh. It has a long-lasting battery too, so you can rely on it for the long term.

It also has wheels and a special handle to make it much easier to tote around, as it's not especially light. It's 26 pounds, but it has such a large capacity that it's worth wheeling around and taking with you, even at this bigger size. Since it has a light as well, you can actually see what you're doing with it when the power is off. It's also got you covered with two USB-A, three USB-C, four AC, and one 30-amp port.

Grab this power station and be ready for whatever happens this winter, whether you need it or not. It's always good to be prepared.

AT&T confirmed it will be terminating its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs as a bid to win Federal Communications Commission (FCC) favor.

The telecommunications giant has been awaiting FCC approval on a billion dollar spectrum license purchase made in 2024, and made a commitment to scaling back its DEI efforts earlier this year. According to a letter sent to the agency, AT&T has shuttered any and all roles, employee groups, and programs related to DEI policies.

SEE ALSO: AI safety report: Only 3 models make the grade

"The legal landscape governing diversity, equity, and inclusion (‘DEI’) policies and programs has changed," wrote the company. "AT&T has always stood for merit-based opportunity, and we are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination today."

It's not the first mobile carrier to acquiesce to the administration's anti-woke crusade. The FCC, headed by Trump-appointed chair Brendan Carr, has been on a concerted mission to eliminate DEI programs across the telecommunications sector, including pressuring companies to terminate their commitments in order to win approval from the agency.

In May, Verizon ended its DEI policies to win a $20 billion bid for ownership of broadband provider Frontier Communications, which included removing all DEI language from internal and external materials, ending diversity hiring bonuses, and dissolving human resources departments dedicated to DEI. Competitor T-Mobile made the same compromise in July, terminating DEI programs to win two deals with the FCC.

Carr has previously launched anti-DEI probes of major entertainment and broadcast companies, including Disney and ABC, as well as publicly-funded media, like NPR and PBS. In addition, the agency has slashed at affordable broadband and fiber-optic plans, which predominately help low-income and rural communities, as part of the Trump administration's attack on Biden-Harris equity projects.

AT&T has also been a leader in affordable connectivity projects, including bringing fiber-optic broadband internet to Indigenous communities and explicit commitments to closing the digital divide.

"Companies should remember that abandoning fairness and inclusion for short-term gain will be a stain to their reputation long into the future," said FCC Democrat Anna Gomez in a statement following AT&T's announcement.

SAVE $503: The 40-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor is on sale for $696.99, down from the list price of $1,199.99. That's a 42% discount and the lowest we've ever spotted at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung 40-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor $696.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $503   Get Deal

Winter is nearly here and that means it's time to consider what your gaming set-up looks like. If you're feeling like you deserve a nice treat to round out 2025 (you do), there's a great gaming monitor that's still sitting at a Cyber Monday sale price.

As of Dec. 3, the 40-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor is on sale for $696.99, marked down from the normal price of $1,199.99. That's a major 42% discount that takes $503 off the usual price. It's also the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: Don't miss the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 still at its best-ever price after Cyber Monday — save over $100

If you've never had the joy of gaming with a massive curved monitor in front of you, today's deal is your sign up make this happen. It's a game-changing (sorry) way to experience your favorite titles. Samsung always shows up with great features on gaming monitors so you know you're in good hands. There's the 180Hz refresh rate and the one millisecond response time for seamless gameplay with this monitor.

Before you jump on this deal, make sure this model will happily fit on your desk or the dining room table. We're looking at 36.5 inches wide and 11.9 inches deep with the included stand on this model.

While the 40-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor is still sitting at a Cyber Monday sale price, give your gaming set-up the upgrade it deserved before winter holidays kick in.

Raspberry Pi just announced software updates for its growing suite of AI products. This is coming with full support for the AI HAT+ on the Trixie release of Raspberry Pi OS and a brand new debugging feature for the AI Camera.

For the last month or two, we've been hearing plenty about Samsung's next major software update, One UI 8.5, which will still be based on Android 16 and packed with new features. Now, a big leak revealed all the exciting features that are about to arrive.

Last year's Spotify Wrapped was widely received online as a boring, plain mess. By that standard, Wrapped 2025 has been a stark raving success.

In case you missed it, Wrapped dropped on Monday and Spotify loaded it with updates in changes. (We've got all the details at Mashable.) Spotify added new features like Listening Age, Clubs, Top Albums, and much more. Spotify itself noted during a press event this week that it had seen pushback to the 2024 Wrapped heading into this year. So far, it seems people have liked the changes and a return to form for one of the internet's favorite days.

SEE ALSO: What are the Spotify Wrapped clubs? What you need to know.

And not a moment too soon for Spotify, which has suffered one PR disaster after another these days — most notably widespread protests and defections over its CEO's military ties and the platform allowing ICE recruitment ads.

But the internet cannot help but share its taste in music on Wrapped day and that rang true on Wednesday.

so about spotify wrapped…

[image or embed]

— Sighmon (@sighmonsayss.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:10 AM

That’s right it’s the song of the year, “MacArthur Park Suite” by Donna Summer

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— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:40 AM

Spotify Wrapped is a yearly reminder that something is very wrong with me.

[image or embed]

— Mike Drucker (@mikedrucker.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:43 AM

wrapped is a humiliation ritual for me

[image or embed]

— payton mitchell (@paytmitch.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:29 AM

Get off my lawn

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— Stone Cold Jane Austen (@abbyhiggs.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:33 AM

My Spotify wrapped age is 62. My actual age is 44. No notes.

— Jenn 🩷 (@alldolledup44.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:39 AM SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Spotify Wrapped 2025

There were also folks who posted about not wanting to see Wrapped posts or about leaving Spotify this year.

I canceled my Spotify subscription this year so they sent my Wrapped through my living room window attached to a brick

— amy brown (@amybrown.xyz) December 3, 2025 at 8:43 AM

Spotify wrapped is canceled, post your Wikipedia wrapped

[image or embed]

— Jam2go (@jam2go.com) December 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM

SAVE $450: As of Dec. 3, you can get the iRobot Roomba Plus 505 Combo for just $549. That's 45% off its list price of $999.99 and its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba Plus 505 Combo $549 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $450.99   Get Deal

The Roomba family tree grew in 2025 with eight new models, and of course, Amazon put them on sale for Black Friday. While many of the best Cyber Week robot vacuum deals are no longer available, one of the new Roombas is still chilling at its Black Friday discount if you're in the market.

As of Dec. 3, you can still get the iRobot Roomba Plus 505 Combo for $549. That's 45% off its list price of $999.99 and its lowest price since its debut earlier this year.

As the name suggests, the 505 Combo is both a robot vacuum and a mop. This model is one of the first Roombas with self-washing and drying mopping pads that costs under $1,000 (the other being the 405 Combo). It uses iRobot's PerfectEdge technology, which means its two spinning mopping pads can swing out from the vacuum to clean deep into edges and corners. Mashable's robot vacuum reviewer Leah Stodart said, "This hinged pad design is one I've experienced in a few Roborock models now, and the attention to detail has been a game changer for me, especially near the kitchen counters."

The Roomba 505 Combo also features small obstacle avoidance, which Stodart says is a "navigational non-negotiable." It ensures your robot vacuum won't drag around pet waste or eat your charging cables.

For a Roomba with all of these features, its $999.99 list price is understandable. At its $549 Black Friday price, it's a total steal.

Home Assistant is a free, open-source, and independent smart home platform, but did you know there’s a company called Nabu Casa chipping in behind the scenes? If you want to pay to make remote access and cloud backup as easy as possible, that’s where your money goes.

The comet called Clarke isn't done with Earth yet. And the new clip from Greenland 2: Migration gives us a terrifying taste of what is yet to come.

In the nerve-shredding post-apocalyptic thriller Greenland, a comet big enough to kill a planet sent family man John Garrity (Gerard Butler), his wife (Morena Baccarin), and their child to flee everything they knew and most everyone they loved, in search of safety in a bunker in the titular country. But who wants to live the rest of their life in a bunker, right?

Greenland 2: Migration picks up five years after the events of the first film. And while the Earth took a pummeling from Clarke, the planet is still standing. There's even talk that the crater from the biggest piece of the comet that hit ground has made a natural paradise with fresh water, clean air, and green land (see what I did there?). But the trick is getting there.

Butler and Baccarin reprise their roles as husband and wife, joined this time by Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit, The Long Walk) as their diabetic son, Nathan. But in this clip from Greenland 2: Migration, it's clear that the bits of the comet still orbiting the planet can bring fresh hell to those below. And as the trailer previously teased, there are plenty of new threats for the Garrity family to face in their ongoing quest for survival.

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, Greenland 2: Migration opens in theaters on Jan. 9.

'Tis the season to wrap piles of presents, send out dozens upon dozens of greeting cards, make hundreds of cookies — and feel the stress of all the obligations of the holidays weighing on you like Santa's sleigh, reindeer and all!

If the holidays' fast approach is getting you stressed, you're not alone! But fret not, because Pluto TV, the free streaming service from Paramount, has two gifts for those of us who need an outlet to blow off some seasonal steam.

First, there's Pluto TV's new Holidays Are Brutal collection, which features an array of action-packed movies, like Charlie’s Angels, Rush Hour, The Expendables, The Rock, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Gladiator, The Mask of Zorro, Transformers 1-4, Blade 1-3, The Mummy, and The Mummy Returns.

And in honor of the Holidays Are Brutal collection, Pluto TV has built holiday-themed rage rooms in 10 cities across the U.S. where you can enter a festive space and unleash your inner action hero by smashing ornaments, thrashing gift boxes, and taking the term "decking" the halls in a violent direction. Per Pluto TV's press release, "The holidays pack a punch, but with Pluto TV, you can punch back!"

Best of all, access to both the streaming titles and the rage rooms are free.

How can I get into the Pluto TV holiday rage rooms?

Pluto TV's The Holidays Are Brutal Rage Rooms will open one day only, Dec. 11. All you've got to do to get in on this furious fun is sign up at the link.

Participating locations for Pluto TV’s The Holidays Are Brutal Rage Rooms are as follows:

• New York: The Ragery (153 Essex St. New York, NY 10002)

• Dallas - Fort Worth: The Secret Chambers (513 Alta Mere Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76114)

• Chicago: The Angry Cactus Lounge (2525 N. Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60647)

• Houston: Break Life Houston (5805 Centralcrest St., Houston, TX 77092)

• Atlanta: Total Rage ATL (3982 Austell Powder Springs Rd, Powder Springs, GA 30127)

• Philadelphia: Rage Philly (8043 Craig St., Philadelphia, PA 19136)

• Los Angeles: Rage Ground (120 E 11th St., Los Angeles, CA 90015)

• Washington, D.C. : Kraken - Penn Quarter (840 E St. NW Washington, DC 20004)

• Raleigh-Durham: Wreck It Rage Room (4122 Bennett Memorial Rd. STE 105, Durham, NC 27705)

• Phoenix: Breakthrough Smash Room (3414 W. Union Hills Dr. Suite #8, Phoenix, AZ 85027)

So, fill out the form. And ready yourself for a smashing good time!

To check out The Holidays are Brutal collection, visit Pluto TV.

UPDATE: Dec. 4, 2025, 9:32 a.m. This post has been updated with new information regarding the location of the Atlanta rage room.

SAVE 50%: As of Dec. 3, you can get the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 (G185) Combo Robot Vacuum & Mop for $399, down from $799.99. That's a 50% discount or a $400.99 price cut.

iRobot Roomba Plus 405 (G185) Combo Robot Vacuum & Mop $399 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $400.99   Get Deal at Amazon

Cyber Monday has come to a startling halt, but not all the best deals are dead. This year, the robot vacuum category honestly beat out almost every other sale we tracked. There were tons of great discounts, and the best part is that many are still live right now, including lingering deals on Roombas and Roborocks.

SEE ALSO: What is the best robot vacuum for pet hair? My cats and I have been testing options at home.

As of Dec. 3, you can get the high-end iRobot Roomba Plus 405 (G185) Combo Robot Vacuum & Mop with AutoWash Dock for $399, down from $799.99, saving you $400.99. This is a massive discount, and it’s a damn good deal considering we’re two days post-Cyber Monday.

This is the model you want because it practically manages itself: the robot mops, washes its own pads, and empties its own bin for months at a time. It’s seriously impressive, especially because it’s equipped with spinning DualClean Mop Pads and SmartScrub technology for deeper, down-and-dirty cleaning. Plus, the intuitive sensors automatically lift the mop pad when the robot moves onto carpet, keeping your rugs dry and safe.

Spotify Wrapped 2025 is here — and we've all got badges.

Spotify noticed the underwhelming reviews for last year's Wrapped and jam-packed its latest offering with features and updates. We've got you covered on all those details at Mashable. But perhaps the most prominent of those updates are the new clubs in 2025 Wrapped. You might be confused about what those things actually are, but we'll explain.

What are the Wrapped clubs and roles?

In short: The clubs are a clever, cute way to group your musical taste.

"Clubs show off your listening style in a whole new way," wrote Spotify on a page explaining the clubs. "Your Club captures the emotional qualities of your year in music. That includes the moods, genres, and musical terms that defined what you listened to most."

The six clubs are: Club Serotonin, Cloud State, Cosmic Stereo, Full Charge, Grit Collective, and Soft Hearts. They each come with a cool, illustrated badge of sorts. Spotify has further details on the clubs, but the names are somewhat of self-explanatory. Soft Hearts (my club) are the sensitive folks, Cloud State likes peaceful music, and Full Charge loves a party, for instance.

From there, Spotify also gives you a role within the club, based on the dynamic you bring to the group. Here's how they define those roles.

Credit: Spotify Credit: Spotify

So really, the badges and roles are a fun way of letting you know the kind of music you're into and how you consume it. It's like getting sorted into a house or clique. Take your badge and wear it with pride.

In the Venn diagram of tablets and books, our favorite e-readers fall perfectly in the middle. They're thin and portable like a tablet, but without the distraction of the internet. The best Kindles and e-readers stuff thousands of books — a full library, really — into a tiny frame.

And having tested a lot of e-readers and tablets for Mashable, I can tell you the Amazon Kindle lineup comes closest to perfecting the devices. All over the internet, you'll find TikTok users enthusiastically singing the praises of the Kindle and how to make the most of it. For parents, Kindles are a screen you don't have to feel guilty about. For avid readers, Stuff Your Kindle Day and Libby let you cross every last item off your annual reading list. You can even buy Kindle accessories like remote page-turners and gooseneck stands so you don't have to hold your Kindle while reading.

So, if you're ready to invest in an e-reader, I can help you find the best Kindle for your reading list.

Meet the newest generation of Kindle e-readers Can't decide between the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite? We put them head-to-head.. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable SEE ALSO: I read over 50 books a year. Here are my favorite e-readers.

A lot has changed since the Kindle first debuted in 2007. While it was released just a few months after the first iPhone, the Amazon Kindle has received fewer updates. As of 2025, we're on the 12th generation of Kindles; the latest arrived in October 2024. Every model — the basic Kindle, the Paperwhite, Signature Edition, Scribe, and Kids models — all got upgrades. And unfortunately, the Kindle Oasis, a waterproof model with page-turning buttons, was discontinued.

Kindle's first color e-reader arrived in late 2024, and as of July 2025, the Colorsoft lineup includes three models. The Colorsoft is the second most expensive option among Kindles, and after finally getting our hands on a model, we've added it to this guide.

As of Sept. 30, 2025, Amazon also announced a revamped Kindle Scribe. The new model is exceptionally thin and has a front light for a brighter display. Plus, the new Colorsoft edition of the Scribe lets you annotate, journal, or sketch in color. However, as of November 2025, neither the Kindle Scribe nor Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is available for preorder yet, but we'll update this guide once we've fully tested the devices.

No matter which model you choose, all of the latest Kindles are lightweight, easy to use, and compatible with Libby, so you can support your local library (and get free books, of course). Basically, it's hard to make a bad decision in this product category.

So, what's the best Kindle for you? Let me help you decide.

Which Kindle is right for you?

If you're concerned about buying the newest tech, that's not an issue. There are six updated Kindle models for sale, as well as older editions still in stock.

Before you choose a Kindle, you need to ask one question first: Do you want it to be waterproof? If you prefer reading near a body of water — whether in the bath, by the pool, or at the beach — that immediately narrows down your options. Since the Kindle Oasis is no longer available, your waterproof options are the Kindle Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, Colorsoft Signature Edition, and Paperwhite Kids.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition settings screen. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Beyond water resistance, here are a few other features to consider:

• Display size: The basic Kindle has a 6-inch display, while the largest has a 10.2-inch display.

• Storage capacity: Kindles range from 16GB to 32GB of storage capacity.

• Battery life: The new Kindles generally have outstanding batteries. On the low end, they last up to six weeks per charge, while others last up to 12 weeks.

• Writing capability: The Kindle Scribe is the only model that allows you to write with the included stylus. 

The latest Kindles all boast a maximum brightness of 94 nits and a 300 ppi, high-resolution display with zero glare, so you can enjoy sharp text and images at any viewing angle. Kindles are also equipped with WiFi connectivity, allowing you to download all the reading material you could ever want. Plus, you can listen to audiobooks on Audible via the built-in Bluetooth connection.

Not to mention, out of all the e-readers I've tested, Kindles have the best compatibility with Libby. I love the digital platform because I can read for free and support my local library. Some other e-readers require you to download your library e-book to a computer and then upload it to an e-reader, but with Kindles, your e-books are sent straight to your device with a click.

And if you were a die-hard Kindle Oasis fan and are attached to page-turning buttons, you may need to stray from the Kindle line-up. Now, your best bet will be the Kobo Libra Colour.

How to get free e-books on Kindle With just a click, transfer your Libby e-book to your Kindle device. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Your Libby ebook will automatically populate in your Kindle library. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The best way to read free e-books on a Kindle is with Libby. Libby allows you to borrow e-books through libraries, and all you need is a library card. Through the Libby app, borrow books and then select the "read with Kindle" option, which allows you to send these e-books to your Kindle library.

Another option for finding free e-books is through Stuff Your Kindle events. These are author-driven events that offer limited-time deals on e-books, often making them heavily discounted or totally free.

How to make the most of your Kindle

Through our testing and daily use, we've spent a lot of time with Kindles, learning how to make the most of them. We've written extensively on all the ways to maximize your Kindle, so be sure to browse through our guides and explainers:

• How to make the most of your Kindle: 8 features you need to use

• The best Kindle accessories for reading in luxury

• What is Stuff Your Kindle Day? The best way to fill your e-reader with free books

• I've read hundreds of free Kindle books with Libby. Here's how.

• What is Kindle Rewards? Earn free credits when shopping the Kindle store

• What is Kindle Unlimited? A library of books at your fingertips for just $12 a month

• Where to get free e-books: Load up your e-reader without spending a dime

• Prime members can get a free e-book every month with Amazon First Reads

• How to download EPUB files on your Kindle

• 8 Kindle features you should be using

• How to delete books from Kindle