• 

  Topic

  Ageing well

  Health, diet, money, travel and more: tips for living your best life in later years.

Eating well

There's no magic bullet for a long and healthy life, but a good diet is a strong foundation.

• What is the alkaline diet and can it really improve your health?

  Many are vocal about the benefits, but to experts it’s just another fad diet.
• What’s the best tasting black tea?

  We review tea bags from Lipton, Twinings, Madura and more.
• Are nitrates and nitrites bad for you?

  When used in processed meat, these chemicals have the potential to cause cancer, but just how bad for us are they? 
• Is the Kmart Anko pie maker worth buying? 

  Our kitchen expert puts the cult appliance to the test to see whether it lives up to the hype.
• What is a low-FODMAP diet?

  The popular diet claims to relieve symptoms of IBS, but does it really work?
• What you need to know about food recalls

  Why do food recalls happen, and how do you find out about them?
• How to buy the best induction cooktop

  Everything you need to know about choosing an induction cooktop.
• Turmeric's health benefits

  Can turmeric and its extract curcumin really reduce pain, lower cholesterol and blood sugars and improve your brain?
• Is your muesli healthy?

  Nutrition claims, hidden health traps and expensive hipster ingredients. Our in-depth guide to muesli covers it all.
• Review: hold the oil, use an air fryer

  We test low fat fryers, including models from Philips, Sunbeam, Kambrook and Tefal.

Health and medicines

• How to buy the best air purifier

  Picking the best option to clean air in your home.
• Incontinence product reviews

  We test all the continence products we could find on the market, including pads and underwear.
• Osteoarthritis

  How to protect your joints and minimise painful symptoms.
• Probiotics

  The effects of probiotics are modest at best, even when clinically proven.
• Creatine

  There's evidence creatine could help maintain or build muscle in older adults.
• Discount drugs

  Is it cheaper to buy medicine at the supermarket or at your pharmacy?
• Mattress reviews

  How do the online bed-in-a-box mattresses from Sleeping Duck, Ecosa, Emma and more compare to brands from bricks-and-mortar retailers?
• Blood pressure monitor reviews

  We test popular blood pressure monitors in the CHOICE labs, including models from Omron, Kogan, Nokia, AND, Beurer and more.
• Fitness tracker and smartwatch reviews

  We find the fitness trackers and smartwatches that go the distance.
• Running shoe reviews

  We find the running shoes that go the distance.

Technology

• How to use your hearing aid with TVs and headphones

  Don't give up on home entertainment just because you’re hard of hearing. Connect your hearing aid to your TV and headphones. 
• SwissVoice C50s smartphone review

  A smart yet simple phone for seniors.
• Security camera reviews

  We test and review indoor and outdoor wireless security cameras including models from Arlo, D-Link, Reolink, Swann, TP-Link, Uniden and more.
• Personal alarm reviews

  We lab test and review a selection of personal alarms to help you find the best one for an emergency.
• Personal alarms that leave your data exposed

  CHOICE testing reveals widespread information insecurity.
• Noise-cancelling headphone reviews

  We test and review noise-cancelling headphones, including models from Bose, Sony, Bang & Olufsen and Sennheiser.
• Basic mobiles

  We test mobiles simple phones from Alcatel, Telstra, Konka, Aspera and Opel.
• Best NBN plans

  We compare the best performing NBN plans from Telstra, iiNet, TPG and more by how close they get to their maximum speeds.
• How to buy the best antivirus software

  Say 'hasta la vista' to malware on your home computer, tablet or smartphone.
• Australia's best mobile phone plan providers 

  See how the big three telcos (Testra, Optus and Vodafone) compare with other providers for reliability, coverage and value for money.
• A guide to digital estate planning

  How to manage your digital assets for when you're gone.
• Studying online

  Just because school's out doesn't mean you can't keep learning.
• Cordless phone reviews

  We test cordless phones to help you find the best one for your needs, featuring models from Gigaset, Panasonic, Uniden, VTech and more.
• What is 5G and when can I get it?

  How fast will 5G be, when will we get it, and can it replace the NBN?
• Laptop and tablet reviews

  We test the latest laptops, 2-in-1s and tablets that can handle all your computing needs while on the go.

Health cover

• How to choose the best health insurance for seniors

  Our guide to getting the right cover for your needs and budget. 
• Should you choose Gold, Silver or Bronze hospital insurance?

  We help you decide which of the four health insurance tiers is best for your needs.
• Best restricted membership health insurance funds

  Despite their name, restricted health funds may be more open than you think.
• Dump these overpriced Silver Plus health insurance policies

  Many Silver and Silver Plus hospital policies cost more than some Gold policies but provide less cover. 
• Best health insurance extras

  Our extras recommendations can help you find the best value policy, the best cover on a budget, and the best policy for seniors.
• How to buy the best hearing aid for you

  If you're hard of hearing, it might be time to consider a hearing aid. Here's what you need to know.
• What to consider when buying prescription glasses

  With a flood of cheap deals, do you need to spend up big to get a good pair of spectacles?
• Health insurance buying guide

  An overview of hospital and extras insurance, what it covers, and how it works.
• Tips to save on extras insurance

  How to get the best value cover for extras like dental, optical and physio.

Money traps?

It's not easy managing your finances and preparing for the future, but here are some products you might want to think twice about.

• Telstra accused of overselling to seniors

  Many senior customers have stayed loyal to Telstra, but some complain they're being sold products they don't want or need.
• What's the best thing to do with your super in retirement?

  Using your savings more efficiently can give you a better lifestyle at the end of your working life.
• What are reverse mortgages and the Pension Loans Scheme?

  Releasing home equity can give you more to spend in retirement.
• Funeral pre-payment and insurance

  Part 3 of our investigation: How well-meaning advance payments fuel a questionable funeral-plan industry worth billions.
• Self-managed super

  Our guide to taking control of your retirement savings with a DIY super fund.
• DIY will kits

  We look at five DIY will kits and explain how you can draft your own will.
• Tinder charges older people more

  A CHOICE mystery shop reveals the dating app's pricing model could fall foul of discrimination laws.

Living options

When it's time to make the move, what are your options?

• Living with family

  What you need to know about living with extended families under the same roof.
• Retirement village reforms

  One critical NSW reform hangs in the balance. Will the industry get what it wants, or will residents win the day? 
• Retirement villages

  Thinking of buying into a retirement village? Here's what to consider.
• Our guide to aged care

  The main types of care available, fees and charges and issues to be aware of.

Grey nomads

Hitting the road? Our reviews will help you get the gear you need.

• Roadside assistance reviews

  We compare 33 roadside assistance plans, from Allianz, NRMA, RACV, Budget Direct and more, to reveal the cheapest and the best value for money.
• Make sure your home is still insured while you're on holiday

  If you're not upfront with your insurer, you could end up voiding your home and contents policy.
• Compare car insurance with seniors discounts

  Compare the market with unbiased comparisons of 41 car insurance policies to reveal the cheapest and best value for money from AAMI, Coles, Youi and more.
• The best GPS devices and apps

  We test GPS systems and apps in the CHOICE labs, including units from TomTom, Garmin, Navman and apps from Apple, Google and Waze.
• Lemon caravans and the law

  The fast-growing caravan industry seems to be making up its own rules.
• 15 portable BBQs reviewed

  We test barbecues in the CHOICE labs, including models from Weber, Ziegler & Brown, Masport, Everdure by Heston Blumenthal and more.
• Wake up to a capsule espresso machine

  We test manual, semi-automatic and pod coffee machines in the CHOICE labs, including Sunbeam, Breville, Kmart, DeLonghi and Nespresso.
• Should you buy the Aeropress coffee maker?

  Aldi is selling this cult handheld coffee maker for $34.99 in the lead-up to Father's Day - we put it to a quick test.
• Tune in wherever you are with a digital radio

  We test digital radios in the CHOICE labs including models from Sangean, Bose, Sony and more.
• Reading on the road with an ebook reader

  We test ebook readers in the CHOICE labs, including models from Kobo, Kindle and the latest iPad from Apple.
• Portable wireless speaker reviews

  CHOICE independently tests and reviews more than 80 wireless speakers from Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Marshall, Sony, Polk, Yamaha and more.
• Mobile power banks to stay connected longer

  We review mobile power banks that deliver portable power for your smartphone or tablet.
• The best tyres for your camper or car

  We track-test and review a range of tyres from brands like Bridgestone, Goodyear and Yokohama to help you find the best tyre for your car.
• Tyre pressure gauge reviews

  We lab test and review tyre pressure gauges from brands including Michelin, Dr Air and SCA to help you find the best models.
• Portable air compressor reviews

  We test seven 12-volt air compressors in the CHOICE labs including models from Dr Air, Repco, Mean Mother and more.
• Dashboard camera reviews

  We test dash cams in the CHOICE labs including models from Navman, Uniden, Kapture, Garmin, Philips, Gator, Blackvue and more.