This story is part of NBC Select’s New & Notable column, where we highlight our favorite product launches. We will continuously update this article throughout the month with new releases we think you should know about.
Apparel and footwear launches
The Ghost is one of Brooks’ most classic, basic sneakers, and numerous podiatrists we’ve talked to recommend them for running and walking. The brand made a few big updates to the newest model. It now has lightweight, nitrogen-infused foam; a redesigned breathable mesh upper that helps lock feet in place; and a soft, flexible tongue that makes it more comfortable as it rests on top of your feet. You can buy the sneakers in men’s and women’s sizes.
The Moon Shoe was Nike’s first-ever running sneaker, and the brand just brought it back. It has a nylon upper, leather accents (including the Swoosh logo, of course) and a waffle sole, giving it the same ‘70s feel with minor modern updates. You can buy the Nike Moon Shoe OG in men’s and women’s sizes.
Relaxed, comfortable, distraction-free and loose workout clothes are having a moment, and Lululemon is meeting the demand with its Yoga and Pilates Collection, which also includes some tighter styles if that’s something you’re into. Many of the pieces are made from mesh and the brand’s Nulu fabric, a stretchy, soft, barely-there material. You can shop styles like cropped tanks, joggers, shorts, tops with built-in bras and leggings.
Other notable apparel and footwear launches:
Tech launches
This is the most exciting fitness tracker launch of the year (so far), says NBC Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz. It’s a screenless wearable that merges Google and Fitbit software together using a new Google Health app. The trackers automatically logs health, fitness and sleep data, and can use Google Gemini to provide fitness, sleep and health insights, coaching, plans and goals.
It’s exciting because it’s a less expensive alternative to Whoop. The Google Fitbit Air costs $100, and doesn’t require a subscription to use. The optional Google Health premium subscription also costs less than Whoop’s: $99 a year, compared to $199, $239 and $359 options from Whoop.
If anyone says “I want the cheapest Garmin watch I can get”, Rabinowitz will now point them to the Garmin Forerunner 70. It’s the brand’s new, entry-level running watch, but has enough tracking and features for most people. It comes with a bright, colorful screen, up to 13 days of battery life, plus many of Garmin’s best software features like Garmin Coach, daily suggested workouts, training readiness, training status and health and wellness tracking.
Bose launched a new collection of home audio products called the Bose Lifestyle collection, which includes the Ultra Speaker, Ultra Soundbar and Ultra Subwoofer. All of the speakers are wireless, and designed to work with each other over your home’s Wi-Fi network (similar to Sonos) — you can control the speakers using the Bose app, Apple AirPlay or Google Cast.
The Ultra speaker, linked above, is designed for easy listening anywhere in your home, or to be paired with the Ultra soundbar for a more surround sound experience.
Other notable tech launches:
Beauty launches
If you want full, plump lips but don’t want the stinging and burning sensation of a traditional lip plumping gloss, you’ll love Tower 28’s new lip jelly. Instead of irritating ingredients like menthol and chili pepper, it has proprietary sensitive skin-friendly, plant-based ingredients that gently increase blood flow to your lips for volume. It also hydrates and smooths lips, plus each of the five shades has a delicious vanilla scent.
Nécessaire is a go-to body care brand for NBC Select staffers, and these latest launches extend their line’s range all the way out to your fingertips. The Hand Wash + The Hand Lotion duo is formulated for gentle but frequent hand-washing, and includes soothing vitamin E, vitamin B and minerals like magnesium and zinc — ingredients that your skin often loses during the hand-washing process, according to the brand.
The duo also includes panthenol and niacinamide for added hydration and brightness, and is fragranced by the brand’s signature Santal scent, with notes of sandalwood, black pepper and jasmine. Each product is also available to be purchased separately.
Dr. Althea makes some of our favorite K-beauty products for sensitive skin, and the brand’s gentle 345 line is popular among our staffers. The latest addition to the line, which launched at the top of the month, is this serum; it’s fragrance-free, lightweight and noncomedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. It also has ceramides and hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin and niacinamide to brighten and soothe irritation, so it’s great for those with dull or uneven skin tone and post-acne marks.
Other notable beauty launches:
Home and kitchen launches
Ecos is a laundry detergent brand known for making products that are safe for sensitive skin, but they just launched a lineup of foaming dish soap sprays. The soap, which is available in lemon and fragrance-free versions, foams up and makes dishes sudsy, similar to Dawn’s popular Powerwash Dish Spray. It’s best for cleaning grease off of dishes, which NBC Select commerce editor Cory Fernandez loves because he dreads the feeling of a dish he thought was clean having an invisible layer of greasy residue.
GreenPan is one of Fernandez’s favorite kitchen brands — he says many of its products are non-toxic, as well as free of PFAS and other “forever chemicals,” and it’s also always innovating its appliances, including this ice cream maker. The device makes soft-serve ice cream, frozen margaritas, slushies with sodas, sorbet and more.
What’s more surprising though is that while other similar appliances require you to freeze the prepared ingredients and/or bowls for a whole day, this treat maker doesn’t require waiting for 24 hours — you can start making soft serve right away.
While KitchenAid has some of the best automatic drip coffee makers available, this month they launched automatic espresso machines. The lineup includes the KF2 ($799.99), KF3 ($999.99) and KF4 ($1,299.99). These appliances make both hot and iced espresso and have a milk frother for homemade foam, though only the KF4 and KF3 also have built-in milk reservoirs.
The KF2 also has an LED screen on the top that shows the pre-set coffee recipes that it makes. Additionally, it has a self-cleaning mode and five pre-set grind settings.
Other notable home and kitchen launches:
Travel and outdoor launches
Instead of a clamshell opening, these hardshell suitcases have top-openings, so they take up less room when you’re digging through them and fit better in tight spaces like hotel rooms, apartments and train and plane aisles. They also have a built-in wheel brake system, which is a first for Away luggage. The Topside bags come in Carry-On, Bigger Carry-On and Medium Trunk sizes. Each bag is also designed with a laptop sleeve, organizational pockets, drawbridge straps, a compression pad and 360-degree spinner wheels.
In addition to the Topside Collection, Away released PackAway closets, which are organizational inserts that turn any suitcase into a portable vertical closet. They come in two sizes: Carry-On and Checked.
JanSport’s Good Latitude Collection is the brand’s first time launching true luggage, and it’s complemented by a handful of other essentials so you can get a full matching set for your next trip. The line includes: a carry-on suitcase, a checked suitcase, a rolling duffel, a duffel that converts into a backpack, two backpacks (30L and 40L sizes), packing cubes, a tech organizer and a toiletry bag.
Each piece is made with durable, easy-to-clean fabric that comes from recycled textile waste, and is available in two colors, with more launching in August.
Other notable travel and outdoor launches:
- Calpak Terra 5-Piece Packing Cube Set
Why trust NBC Select?
The NBC Select staff tries brand new products regularly, often before they hit stores. Every month, we write about the most notable ones we think you should know about, sharing our first-hand experiences.
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