MetaEfficient Reviews

Organic Men’s Summer Clothing

benjamin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:24:27 +0000

Organic Men's Summer Clothing

Looking sharp while beating the heat is only half the battle when it comes to choosing summer clothing. Many of us like to choose clothes and fabrics that are as healthy as possible, both for ourselves and for the environment.

Here are some of our top picks for men’s organic summer clothing. You can feel good about reducing potential toxins in your closet as well as the environmental footprint of your wardrobe – and look good while doing it.

Prana Ombre Fade Stripe Shirt

With its roots in rock climbing and yoga gear, Prana has long blended technical performance with sustainable production techniques. The Ombre Fade Stripe Shirt offers a regular fit for comfort and warm-weather ventilation. The dobby-texture organic cotton fabric is blended with polyester to give added durability and wrinkle-resistance, and a front button pocket is perfect for securing small items on the go. The shirt is available in blue, green, or orange stripe designs.

You can find the Prana Ombre Fade Stripe Shirt at Amazon for $43.00.

Icebreaker Kent Polo Shirt

Icebreaker Kent Merino Polo Shirt

Another great option for a summer shirt is the Icebreaker Kent Polo. The lightweight, superfine merino wool fabric has excellent breathability in hot weather, and it’s naturally odor-resistant. The slim cut 3-button design is perfect for social or casual office wear.

Note: Although the wool fabric in the Kent Polo isn’t certified organic, Icebreaker strives for sustainable manufacturing practices throughout the production cycle of its products. And sustainably-produced wool can be a great alternative to cotton, since even organic cotton requires substantial water resources during its production.

The Icebreaker Kent Polo Shirt is available for $94.99 at Amazon.

REI Organic Merino Wool Light Hiking Mini Crew II Socks

Merino wool has terrific natural temperature-regulation and moisture-wicking properties. The organic wool used in REI’s Light Hiking Mini Crew II Socks is combined with recycled nylon and polyester yarns for durability, and the socks receive a chlorine-free shrink resistance treatment to help them fit properly after repeated washings.

The REI Organic Merino Wool Light Hiking Mini Crew II Socks are available from REI for $10.50.

Topo Ranch Organic Cotton T-Shirt

Topo Ranch is a small, sustainably-minded company that has attracted a loyal following of low-key cool cats and celebrities alike. They currently have just two retail locations (in Venice, CA and Boulder, CO), but thanks to the magic of online ordering anyone can sport their funky western-inspired designs. These super-soft, 100% organic cotton T-shirts come in a huge variety of colors and styles.

Most Topo Ranch organic t-shirt designs retail for $39. You can browse all the different options at the Topo Ranch website.

Patagonia Compound Organic Cotton Cargo Shorts

Patagonia is no stranger to sustainably-produced clothing, and they deliver again with the Compound Cargo Short. 100% organic cotton ripstop fabric is durable for active use, and the relaxed style is perfect for traveling or summertime hangin’. The shorts offer a regular fit with a 12-inch inseam, and plenty of storage thanks to the side cargo pockets.

The Patagonia Compound Organic Cotton Cargo Shorts are available from Amazon for $55.25.

Ecoland Organic Cotton Boxer Briefs

Ecoland’s boxer briefs are constructed of 95% organic cotton, with 5% spandex added in for stretch. Even the waistband is knit organic fabric, with no synthetic elastic. The manufacturer promises sweatshop-free production, and even the packaging is derived from entirely recycled materials. Reviewers on Amazon love the feel of the fabric, and they note that since the fit can be slightly full, buyers in between sizes may wish to choose the smaller option.

The Ecoland Organic Cotton Boxer Briefs are available for $17.50 from Amazon.

Simple D-Solve Organic Sneakers

If you want to help preserve the Earth by choosing organic clothing, shouldn’t that include the part that actually touches the Earth? Simple’s D-Solve shoes feature organic cotton uppers and laces, plus recycled-rubber soles. And best of all, the EVA cushioning is infused with an additive to help them biodegrade in a landfill once they reach the end of their usable life.

The Simple D-Solve Organic Sneakers are available in a variety of colors at Amazon. Prices range from $58.46 to $69.95.

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Best Solar LED Lawn And Garden Lights

benjamin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:14:37 +0000

Best Solar LED Lawn And Garden Lights

Since LEDs are an efficient light source and draw far less power than traditional bulbs, they are perfect for off-the-grid applications where solar cells charge a battery that powers the lamp. Large-scale applications of this concept include LED road lane markers, but smaller-scale projects like lighting your lawn or garden are perfect uses for them as well.

Keep in mind that most solar LED lights simply won’t be as blazingly bright as a wired halogen lamp, but they can be an efficient and convenient way to illuminate your outdoor spaces – especially in areas where you want to avoid the hassle or expense of wiring.

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Best Baby Bike Seats

Ryan — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:43:56 +0000

Best Baby Bike Seats

Every parent loves to bring their kids along with them for bike rides, and baby bike seats allow them to do this easily. Today, baby bike seats are fitted with suspension systems to keep your baby from rattling. Also, the locking mechanisms are more capable of attaching these baby bike seats to any style of bicycle. They are also more comfortable than ever, so it’s even easier to get your child out on the bike paths this summer with you. Getting your child on the road to fitness and efficient living early is a great way to keep them on that path for a lifetime.

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Chlorine Alternatives For Efficient Swimming Pools

benjamin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:46:58 +0000

Chlorine Alternatives For Efficient Swimming Pools

Cannonball! Jumping into a swimming pool is a classic way to beat the heat on a hot summer day. But clean pool water requires a combination of filtration, circulation, and sanitization. Chlorine has long been the most common tool for keeping pools free of bacteria and algae – but it has its drawbacks, and there are alternatives.

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Efficient Source of Herbs: Mountain Rose

kristy — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:33:53 +0000

When it comes to living well and feeling your best, few things have a larger impact than taking care of your body. But finding the purest, most organic and efficient nutrition for your body — to take care of it inside and out — can sometimes be a challenge. Fortunately, there’s Mountain Rose Herbs, a company that is certified organic through Oregon Tilth and the the USDA, fair trade certified, kosher certified and produces zero waste.

Note From Editor: After testing many Herbal Supply companies over the years, I’ve found Mountain Rose to the most reliable. I like their no-frills approach — they don’t have coupons or free-offers, or other gimmicks. In my experience, their attention is on the quality of the products.

Whether you’re looking for organic herbs and spices, pure supplements or body care products, Mountain Rose Herbs has a product line to meet your unique needs. Check out some of these great finds from their site.

Rooibos Green Tea

Mountain Rose Herbs: Rooibos Green Tea

This organic, fair trade certified Rooibos Green Tea is chock full of antioxidants, trace minerals and nutrients, such as Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium. A light, slightly herbal taste makes it appealing to most palates. Plus, it doesn’t contain caffeine, so you can drink it any time of day without feeling jittery.

This tea is available for $4.25 for 4 ounces at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil

Mountain Rose Herbs: Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil

If you’re a health nut, you’ve likely heard the buzz about coconut oil and its incredible health benefits. Rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids our bodies need, this Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil has been found to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. In addition, studies performed on populations in the Pacific Islands and southeast Asia, where people use coconut oil as a primary source of fat, are considerably less prone to heart disease.

It’s great when used for health from the inside out, but this coconut oil is also great for making scrubs, masks, lip balms, nail treatments, hair care and massage oil. Whether you use it inside or out, the benefits of coconut oil are something not to be missed.

This oil is available from Mountain Rose Herbs for $37.00 for one gallon.

Liver Care Capsules

Mountain Rose Herbs: Liver Care Capsules

If you’re looking to create good overall health, cleansing and nourishing your liver, the organ that has the sometimes overwhelming task of detoxifying the body, is a great place to start. Knowing what to take and how to take it can be tricky, though, when it comes to herbal formulations. Formulas and quality vary greatly from company to company.

Fortunately, Mountain Rose Herbs offers a variety of combination herbal capsules, including Liver-Care Capsules, that are made of organic or ethically wild-harvested herbs without preservatives, additives or anything else undesirable. Plus, their capsules are Vegi-caps and are gelatin free.

A blend of organic Milk Thistle Seed, organic Burdock Root, organic Artichoke Leaf, organic Dandelion Root, wild harvested Oregon Grape Root and organic Turmeric keep your liver functioning at its highest level, ensuring that your body is cleansing itself as efficiently as possible.

Liver-Care Capsules are available from Mountain Rose Herbs for $14.75, as well as an assortment of other great capsules addressing a range of health concerns.

Herbal Facial Steam

Mountain Rose Herbs: Herbal Facial Steam

Many of us know that what we put on our bodies is as important as what we put in them. Sometimes, though, finding that perfect product to keep our skin looking great without parabens and chemicals is nearly impossible.

Fortunately, Mountain Rose Herbs offers a variety of skin-care products that keep your face looking great without harsh chemicals. Their facial steam, for example, formulated from organic herbs and essential oils, is perfect for restoring skin’s vitality and giving your pores the deep clean they need, without scrubbing away healthy oils necessary for proper skin balance.

As relaxing as it is good for your skin, this Facial Steam is available from Mountain Rose Herbs for $5.90.

Dulse Flakes

Mountain Rose Herbs: Dulse Flakes

If you’re looking to get the most possible bang for your nutrition buck, Dulse, a red seaweed harvested in cool waters of the Atlantic coast of Canada and along the shores of Norway and Ireland, is a great place to start. Containing a wide variety of vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene, calcium, iron, potassium and — perhaps most notably — iodine, Dulse flakes have been used for a variety of medicinal purposes and are indicated for their assistance in creating thyroid hormones.

These flakes have a slightly salty taste and can be added to food. A quarter-teaspoon a day provides the minerals you need to keep your thyroid functioning properly.

Dulse flakes are available from Mountain Rose Herbs for $4.75.

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Efficient Outdoor Water Use

benjamin — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:19:56 +0000

Efficient Outdoor Water Use

A recent Metaefficient post offered some ideas for reducing water consumption in your home – but why stop there? Read on to learn about some tips and products that will help you manage water use in outdoor spaces like lawns and gardens. Best of all, you’ll reduce both your environmental impact and utility bills in the process.

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The Best Computer Speakers Under $400

Ryan — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:23:51 +0000

Best Computer Speakers Under $400

The best computer speakers under $400 will fall somewhere in between bookshelf speaker quality and iPod speaker quality. They are specifically designed to boost a weak computer output without causing distortion, as well as providing a decent bit of headroom for volume overall. Good quality computer speakers often provide a good representation of the audio spectrum, especially if they are bundled with a subwoofer. Many models now can be used with other devices such as iPods and iPhones, as well as portable DVD players. While there are many models that are very expensive and aimed more at any type of source, here are some of the best computer speakers designed specifically for this type of source.

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Best Chef’s Kitchen Knives

benjamin — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:27:52 +0000

Best Chef’s Kitchen Knives

A good chef’s knife is the workhorse of any kitchen – it will slice, chop and crush as well as a whole drawer of kitchen gadgets. A quality blade will last virtually forever, avoiding the hassle and expense of replacement, and a well-built knife will make preparing ingredients much more efficient.

A traditional chef’s knife has a blade around 8 inches long, although this may vary according to personal preference. The most popular chef’s knife style is the “German” type, which has a curved edge for cutting with a rocking motion. All of the following knives feature a full-tang design, meaning the steel from the blade continues down through the handle for balance and durability.

Shun Ken Onion Chef’s Knife

Shun Ken Onion Chef's Knife

The Shun Ken Onion Chef’s Knife is a fusion of top-quality materials and innovative design. The 8-inch blade is forged from VG-10 stainless steel, and the ergonomic and moisture-resistant Pakkawood handle provides a comfortable grip with great leverage for cutting. The distinctive layered-steel blade is sharpened to a razor-sharp 16-degree edge – which is terrific for slicing, just be sure to adjust your sharpening technique accordingly. The Shun Ken Onion also comes with the pictured holder, so you can admire the design even when you’re not cooking.

You can find the Shun Ken Onion Chef’s Knife at Amazon for $199.95

Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Inch Cook’s Knife

Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Inch Cook's Knife

The Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Inch Cook’s Knife is a great all-around option that won’t break the bank, and provides a little extra blade length. The blade is stamped instead of forged, so it may require more frequent sharpening, but the metal is laser-cut, quality high-carbon steel with good stain resistance. The polypropylene handle offers a comfortable grip, and it’s triple-riveted for durability. Some chefs prefer the feel of a knife with a bolster (a flared metal edge where the handle meets the blade), but Amazon reviewers like the Gourmet’s lack of bulk and sleeker feel.

You can find the Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Inch Cook’s Knife at Amazon for $67.95.

Kyocera Revolution Series 7-Inch Ceramic Chef’s Knife

Kyocera Revolution Series 7-Inch Ceramic Chef's Knife

The Kyocera Revolution 7-Inch Professional Chef’s Knife is unique, since it features a ceramic blade instead of traditional steel construction. It’s worth noting that ceramic blades hold their edge for a very long time, but users generally can’t sharpen the knives themselves. Ceramic blades can also crack if dropped, or used for tasks like prying. An advantage of ceramic blades besides their sharpness is that they won’t react with certain foods the way metal blades can, so food may stay fresher longer once sliced. The Kyocera Revolution features a molded resin handle, so while overall this knife is lighter than comparable steel models, it still offers good balance while cutting.

The Kyocera Revolution Series 7-Inch Ceramic Chef’s Knife is available from Amazon for $82.17

J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Inch Chef's Knife

J.A. Henckels produces a huge variety of cutlery, and the Four Star line is some of its best. The Four Star 8-Inch Chef’s Knife is forged from high-carbon steel, and its “Sintermetal Component Technology” fuses different grades of steel (for the blade, bolster, and tang) together into a single piece. The hefty blade is also subjected to Henckels’ proprietary ice-hardening process, which according to the manufacturer increases corrosion resistance and edge durability. The bonded polypropylene handle is comfortable in the hand, and extremely durable.

You can find the J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Inch Chef’s Knife at Amazon for $94.99.

Epicurean Wood Composite Cutting Boards

Once you’ve made the investment in a quality chef’s knife, make sure you’re using it with an appropriate cutting board. Hard surfaces like glass are sanitary, but they’re tough on knives. And some softer surfaces can harbor bacteria from the food that’s prepared on them.

An innovative solution is a composite board like those from Epicurean Cutting Surfaces. Epicurean cutting boards are made from a composite material of sustainably harvested wood fiber. The boards are dishwasher safe, and the manufacturer states that while they are soft enough to protect knife blades, they are also non-porous, so they won’t absorb bacteria from foods. The boards are National Safety Foundation approved, and they’re also heat-resistant: they can be withstand temperatures up to 350 degrees, so they can be used as trivets for hot pots or pans.

Epicurean composite cutting boards are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Two of the most popular are the full-size 15” x 11” board ($23.38 at Amazon), and the compact 8” x 6” bar board ($9.56 at Amazon).

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The Best Bike Trailers

Ryan — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:09:08 +0000

Best Bike Trailers

The best bikes trailers are very useful for transforming ordinary bikes into serious load carrying vehicles. Some of the best bike trailers are designed specifically for carrying children, featuring canopies for sunlight exposure, and many are equipped with plenty of pocket and packing room for any extra necessities.

Bikes can tow a remarkable amount of weight — loads in excess of 880 pounds (400 kilograms) have been hauled behind bikes along flat surfaces. Generally though, 300 pounds (140 kilograms) is considered the upper threshold for hauling. Even large pieces of furniture that won’t fit in a car can comfortably be pulled behind a bicycle with the right kind of trailer! Here are some the different kinds of bike trailers available:

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