Today in Gear: The Day’s Best Product News

While we’re impressed with Lightyear‘s (a motoring startup born out of a group of engineering students from the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands) solar-powered car and focus on vehicles that can create more energy than they consume, the team’s first car was far from cheap. The Lightyear One, which boasts integrated solar cells, had an impressive 450-mile range, but a staggering $170,000 price tag. Lightyear’s follow-up to the One is a more exciting opportunity, aiming to hit production sometime around 2024 or 2025 and retail for closer to $34,000. With the combination of solar-powered motors and more accessible pricing, we’re hoping that excitement around Lightyear’s potential (on top of a recent round of investment from earlier this year) brings its models closer to on-road reality. We’re not just talking about EVs today though. From details on Jordan Brand’s first-ever Gore-Tex sneaker to Rapha’s handmade-in-Milan espresso machine and Benchmade’s new collector’s cutlery set, this is Today in Gear.

Find the smartwatch style that fits your fandom with MobyFox.

MobyFox

One of the best things about modern-day smartwatches is their ability to be customized on a dime. No one understands this more than MobyFox, a brand that specializes in creating high-quality straps and smartwatch watch face designs that celebrate some of the biggest names in pop culture. Best part? MobyFox’s bands are designed to pair with virtually any major smartwatch — whether that’s an Apple Watch (including the new Series 7) or a slew of other Samsung or Android watches.

Gore-Tex winterizes and waterproofs the Jordan I for the first time ever.

Nike

For the first time ever, Jordan Brand has winterized one of its styles with Gore-Tex waterproof fabrication, starting (fittingly) with the Jordan I. Dropping in a set of monochromatic, sneakerheads will appreciate the “Nike Air” branding on the tongue, on top of the waterproof nubuck leather on the overlays, lined, Gore-Tex inner bootie and Gore-Tex’d underlays and toebox.

Rapha releases limited-edition handmade espresso machine with Rocket Espresso.

Rapha

Since 2007, Milan-based Rocket Espresso has been focused on building hand-crafted espresso machines for coffee connoisseurs. Now it adds cyclists to its client base with the release of a Rapha collab R58 machine. Limited to just 100 models, the R58 features inclined boiler technology (for temperature optimization), a high-grade rotary pump and a touch screen display.

Benchmade drops collectors edition set featuring Damasteel and carbon fiber.

Benchmade

I cannot tell a lie, I’m a sucker for a Damasteel knife. Benchmade’s latest set takes full advantage of the eye-catching metal with Arctic Storm Fat Carbon handles with marbled carbon fiber bolsters. Including a chef knife, utility knife and paring knife, each blade is backed by SelectEdge technology (for guaranteed-to-be-super-sharp blades) and presented in a gift-ready walnut wood case.

Brian Eno thinks your turntable could look a whole lot cooler.

Paul Stolper

A collaboration between London’s Paul Stolper gallery and musical multi-hyphenate Brian Eno, this acrylic turntable comes complete with integrated LED lights, which can separately illuminate the base and platter in a variety of different colors. Limited to just 50 pieces, the almost James Turrell-like color display feels more like an art piece than a proper vinyl player.

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