Best

__ Best __ - Great stuff - tested and approved in our top-secret labs.

ATHLETIC-NUTRITION ENHANCERS

__ First Class: __
__ Personal Nutrition Counselor __
Attaining peak form goes a bit deeper than the FDA's food pyramid - when it comes to diet, one size does not fit all. Personal nutrition counselors like Kim Ross at Equinox Fitness Clubs can teach you how to best fuel your body. Consultations begin with hair analysis to detect diet deficiencies like low calcium and include menu planning and meal preparation. Find out if milk does your body good.

__ Consultation: US$130, follow-up $78. Equinox Fitness Clubs: +1 (212) 978 0997. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Cytomax __
Workout food shouldn't be hard to swallow - so why are sports bars and potions such bitter medicine? Cytomax, a carbohydrate-rich powder you add to water, is exceptionally tasty, making it easy to replace vital fluids and maintain blood-sugar levels. Flavors are citrusy or bubble-gum sweet, and the apple variety tastes like the real thing.

__ Cytomax: US$20.40/1.5-pound jar. Champion Nutrition: (800) 225 4831, +1 (925) 689 1790. __

__ Coach: __
__ PowerBar Performance __
PowerBars are sticky because their fat content is so low. In fact, the company had to invent a new machine so the bars wouldn't gum up the works. The industrial-adhesive-like texture may be hard to get used to, but PowerBars digest easily and deliver high carbohydrate and medium protein levels to help you attack that next hill.

__ PowerBar Performance: US$1.39/2.29-ounce bar. PowerBar: on the Web at www.powerbar.com/. __

PALMTOP COMPUTERS

__ First Class: __
__ Nino 320 __
Like all new PDAs running Microsoft's lightweight WinCE operating system, the Philips Nino boasts voice memos, a CompactFlash slot for extra storage, and a big sharp screen. Yet among its peers, the Nino 320 stands out for its striking design, logically placed buttons, click-on modem, and healthy 8 megs of RAM.

__ Nino 320: US$499. Philips: (888) 367 8356, on the Web at nino.philips.com/. __

__ Business Class: __
__ PalmPilot Professional __
Sure, 3Com's Palm III has some nice bells and whistles, but its older PalmPilot Pro has all the essentials with a lower price tag. The Pilot's hassle-free synchronization and simple operation are what gave it an edge over its most formidable competitor - the little black book. The no-frills approach continues to win over millions - which means loads of add-on software (golf!) and accessories (wireless modem!).

__ PalmPilot Professional: US$299. 3Com: (800) 881 7256, on the Web at www.palm.com/. __

__ Coach: __
__ Rex-3 PC Companion __
The Rex syncs with your PC to carry all your contact names, dates, and memos in the space of a short stack of credit cards. OK, so you can't directly input information (though Franklin's latest model allows limited data entry). But while other palmtops fit in your pocket, this small wonder sits comfortably inside your wallet - not to mention your budget.

__ Rex-3 PC Companion: US$149.95. Franklin Electronic Publishers: (888) 739 6400, +1 (609) 386 2500. __

VACUUM CLEANERS

__ First Class: __
__ WS 2210C __
Ruwac specializes in industrial applications, ranging from flame-and-explosion-proof systems to vacuums for the US Navy's hair-cutting rigs. At home, the WS2210C slurps up just about anything; for a few more bucks, it can be hooked to a central vacuum system with an outlet in every room.

__ WS 2210C: US$1,800. Ruwac: +1 (413) 532 4030, on the Web at www.ruwac.com/. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Ambiente __
Dirtbag engineers have done more than add a delightfully elegant closure to the Ambiente's dust pouch. With an optional allergen-busting HEPA filter, ratcheted length-adjustable pipe (very kind on the back), and a head that articulates smoother than Gillette's much-hyped razor, this sturdy green machine may indeed be the last vacuum you buy.

__ Ambiente: US$649. Miele: +1 (732) 560 0899, on the Web at www.miele.de/. __

__ Coach: __
__ DC01 __
Britain's James Dyson pioneered the concept of using centrifugal force to spin out dirt particles in a bagless system. Dust and dirt are accelerated to a whopping 924 mph inside funnel-like cyclone chambers. The DC01 has multiple filtration choices, sporty yellow-with-gray styling, and a clear window through which friends can marvel at your domesticated tornado.

__ DC01: £200 (US$330). Dyson: +44 (16) 66 82 72 00, on the Web at www.dyson.com/. __