Product Reviews

A lot of the workout industry is designed around the idea that “You just need to take this for this to happen.” Whether weight loss or studly composition is your goal, I’m sure most have butted heads with this concept at one point or another. Gnarly is a locally based company that provides New Zealand–sourced product, and their pledge is: “You make choices everyday. You can choose not to change. You can stay the same. But that’s not who you are.” Regarding the whey protein, Gnarly recommends two scoops per serving to get the amount of protein they claim is sufficient. Considering the vanilla flavor tastes like some type of fuel, it’s a bit much to get down. On a positive note, this protein has an excellent source of fiber (which is important) and the Chiseled Chocolate didn’t taste half as bad as the vanilla. The $51-ish for two pounds is a bit steep for the average consumer. Second, we have Gnarly Boost, which is designed to both hydrate and maintain excessive amounts of vitamin B12 in your system. The squirt bottle is small and easy way to squirt into your workout water bottle. The price is $18, but if you’re working out consistently, it’s worth it. Last, I tried the Gnarly Pump. When everyone is pushing more and more stimuli, the Gnarly Pump contains a moderate amount of caffeine and about twice as much creatine as the leading brands. Mind you, this is creatine monohydrate, so you will bloat, but for anyone in training, the reduction in soreness and increased recovery time is worth it. It costs $41, which is about standard for pre-workout products. Overall, I’m impressed with these products, despite the unflavorful protein. –Benjamin J. Tilton

The Om Inearpeace earphones pack a punch with their sound output. When listening to the new Have A Nice Life album, I was able to glean each part of the songs flowing into my brain, leaving me sonically informed enough to critique the album on my iPhone while making dinner. The bass comes across as clean, clear and flush with the rest of the tone ranges. What we have here is fine audio that’s easily rendered—just whip these puppies out of their nifty zip-up pouch and you’re golden. The controls on the cord to the diverging earphones is also pretty handy: Hit it once to pause or play, twice to skip forward, three times to go back—you can even answer the phone with it and talk on its mic! I love the cording that attaches the jack to each respective headphone—they seem nearly indestructible while attached to my phone in my pants pocket. The only gripe I had was that the ear-pad thing that actually makes contact with the ear was a bit uncomfortable for my “cute, little ears”—the smallest size (of five) seemed a bit too big. Once snug, though, these earphones provide a great audio experience. –Alexander Ortega