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Snow Helmets Recap

14 Mar

helmet recap

No snow helmet we found scored more than 1.5 stars, which was pretty surprising.  We thought that since snow helmets are somewhat simple products that don’t require too much labor to manufacture, and since they’re pretty bulky to ship across oceans, we would be able to find a company that manufactures domestically.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.

helmet signThis doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy and use a snow helmet next time you’re out snowboarding or skiing.  These things can save your life!  Our goal here is to help you make the most informed purchase you can.

Of the helmets we reviewed, we have a 3-way tie for most American-made, each coming in with 1.5/5 stars: RED, K-2, and Giro.  All these companies do their R&D in the country and they are still US-based, but they all do their manufacturing and sourcing in China.  RED is part of Burton, still owned by its American founders.  K-2 is owned by the public company Jarden and traded on the NYSE.  And Giro is part of a company owned by a US private equity firm.  All three companies offer helmets in many style at various prices, so you should be able to find something you like that fits in your budget.

Helmets made by Smith Optics scores 1/5 stars.  Smith also does its R&D in America and manufactures in China, but it is owned by an Italian company.

Most helmets are injection molded out of common plastics like ABS, polycarbonate, and foams of various sorts.  While there is some labor involved in decorating the helmets and assembling all the straps and cushions, I didn’t think it would be too difficult to manufacture a snow helmet in America.  Since no company does it, it seems like the financials just don’t make sense.

Here’s a list of the snow helmets we reviewed:

Smith Optics Helmets

Giro Helmets

K-2 Helmets

RED Helmets

Hope everyone is enjoying the snow season!  Be safe out there and wear a helmet!

On a side note, I had never heard the term “snow helmet” until starting research for this.  I had only heard the terms “snowboarding helmet” or “skiing helmets”, but it makes sense to have an all-encompassing term.  I learned something new!

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Wrap-around Ear Warmers Recap

19 Jan

Man wearing 180s, with snowboard

Ear warmers have been an interesting category.  None of the four products we reviewed scored higher than 1.5 out of 5 stars.

These low scores are not entirely unexpected though.  All of the ear warmers we reviewed require a fair amount of manual labor (primarily sewing that can’t be completely automated).  And as a category, ear warmers also aren’t the types of products that can command a “premium” or “hand-crafted” type of price.  As a result, every ear warmer we found was manufactured in Asia of entirely overseas-sourced materials.

But the low scores don’t mean you should give up and walk away empty-handed.  There won’t always be a completely American-made option…especially as manufacturing becomes further globalized.  When that happens we recommend doing the best you can.  It’s why we started American Alternative in the first place!  We’re here to help you make a decision when there isn’t an obvious answer.

So of the four ear warmers we reviewed, we recommend either the 180s or the Ear Mitts.  The differences between these two products and the other two ear warmers that we reviewed were very small, coming down to the percentage of the design and specification are based in the US.  Both the 180s and the Ear Mitts also happen to be highly reviewed for quality and comfort on Amazon.com.

Personally, I have a set of 180s and I think it’s a complete necessity whenever I go outside (180s also happen to be very popular where I live).

Here’s a complete list of the ear warmers that we reviewed:

180s Ear Warmers

H2W EarPro Warmers

Riverstone Goods Ear Warmers

Ear Mitts*

*I am aware that the inclusion of Ear Mitts in a “Wrap-around Ear Warmer” category is technically cheating because they don’t wrap around the back of your head.  But I meant for the category to cover ear muffs that don’t go over the top of your head, so Ear Mitts counts.

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Binders Recap

5 Dec

binders recap image

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been reaching out to companies to learn more about their binders and their manufacturing process.  In an American Alternative first, we are wrapping up a category without single 5-star rated product.  All the companies we reviewed are US-based, but their products all have at least a significant component of the binder, if not the entire thing, made overseas.

Binders are fairly simple products – two pieces of cardboard or plastic that protect papers held in place by what is usually 3-rings.  There are always differences in styling, but since functionality is pretty much the same across the board, we’ll recap all our binders in one section.

Binders:

We have two binders tied for highest rated with 4 stars each – Guided Products’ ReBinder and binders from Naked Binder.  Both companies are based in America and do almost all of their manufacturing domestically.  The only component made overseas are the steel 3-ring holders, which are imported from China.  For styling options, ReBinders come in a functional cardboard color while some of the Naked Binders come with a colored cloth-backed spine.

Not too far behind with 3.5 stars are the binders from Russell+Hazel.  With a good portion of their material sourced domestically and assembled in the US, Russell+Hazel offers a different aesthetic from the ReBinder or Naked Binders.  Also, all their binders have inner covers that are dry erase boards, which seems really convenient.

Bringing up the rear are the binders manufactured by some rather large corporations.  Avery-Dennison is a Fortune 500 company, but their binders get 2 stars from us.  Avery has manufacturing centers around the world, so while some binders are made in America, many are made in China and Mexico as well.

ACCO brands’ Five Star binders come in last place.   The lowest scoring binder on our list is Five Star’s Poly Binder.  This binder is made overseas, but ACCO gets some points for being a US-based company.

ACCO’s Five Star Flex Hybrid Notebinder manages a slightly higher score of 1.5 stars, but it is also very different from any other binder on this list.  The binder’s cover is just two plastic sheets held together by cloth, and the rings which are usually 3 metal rings connected down the spine are actually individual plastic rings.  Every other binder manufacturer seems to import their metal rings from China, but this simpler style of binder looks like a great candidate for being fully made in America.  I don’t think it would be hard to source the materials and mold the plastic rings domestically.  Let’s see if somebody out there will take this to heart.

Here’s a complete list of each of our binder reviews where you can find a more in-depth analysis of each company and their binders.

Naked Binders

ReBinder

Russell+Hazel

Avery Binders

Five Star Poly Binders

Five Star Flex Hybrid Notebinder

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Charcoal Barbecue Grills Recap

21 Aug

Weber One Touch Gold

Over the last several weeks, we’ve researched many different charcoal barbecues ranging from the iconic Weber One-Touch Kettles to the awe-inspiring Kamado Joe ProJoe.  Among the grills we reviewed, we found three distinct groups: portable, standard, and kamados.  Of course, those aren’t the only types of charcoal barbecues out there, but they are the three categories where we’ve reviewed enough products to be able to draw conclusions and make recommendations.

Portable Grills:

If you’re looking for a small, portable barbecue grill, we highly recommend the Weber Smokey Joe.  It’s essentially a miniaturized version of the classic Weber kettles, featuring the same look and the same high-quality construction as its full-size counterparts.  The Smokey Joe is assembled and almost all of its parts are materials-sourced and manufactured in Weber’s Huntley, Illinois factory, earning the grill a 5/5 American Alternative score.  In comparison, the Charbroil Charcoal Table-Top and Weber Charcoal Go Anywhere grills are only designed and engineered in the USA.  They are sourced, manufactured, and assembled in China.

Standard Grills:

For a high-quality, standard-sized barbecue grill we recommend either a PK Grill or one of the Weber One-Touch Kettles.  Both of them are designed and manufactured in America, receiving 5/5 star reviews.  They also both come from longstanding American brands that have great histories behind them.   Between the two of them, the Weber One-Touch Kettles are more affordable and come in a multiple configurations to suit your exact needs and budget. The PK Grills are more expensive but feature a unique rust-proof Aluminum construction.  The PK Grills are also slightly more American-made (both grills round to a 5/5 score but the Weber One-Touch Kettles received a slightly lower raw score).  At the end of the day though, either would make a great choice over the Chinese-made Charbroil 600-Series American Gourmet or the Char-Griller barbecue grills.

Kamados:

Finally, for the ultimate step up in quality and versatility (and price) in a charcoal barbecue, there are the ceramic kamado cookers, which you can use to grill, steam, roast, and bake.  And among these exotic barbecues, we recommend the Primo kamados such as the Primo Oval Jr and the Primo Oval XL.  Unlike the Kamado Joe ClassicJoes (which scored 1.5/5 stars) or the better known Big Green Eggs (which scored 2/5 stars), the Primo kamados are entirely made in the USA for a 5/5 star American Alternative rating.

Note that we also reviewed the Kamado Joe ProJoe and gave it a 5/5 star rating like the Primo kamados.  But despite the fact that the ProJoe is entirely made in the USA, we can’t compare it with the other kamados on account of its whopping $8000 price tag.

Here’s a list of all the charcoal barbecue grills that we reviewed (click the links to go to our full review of each of the grills):

Charbroil Charcoal Table-top

Weber Charcoal Go Anywhere

Weber Smokey Joe

Charbroil 600-Series American Gourmet

Char-Griller

PK Grills

Weber One-Touch Kettles

Big Green Eggs

Kamado Joe ClassicJoe

Kamado Joe ProJoe

Primo Oval Jr & Oval XL

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