Until this weekend, I had only personally administered two brands of COVID-19 home tests on myself or my children. All of my earlier home testing experience was with:
Both the Abbott and Cue coronavirus tests were easy†for me to use, had straightforward directions, and required only moderate hand strength and dexterity. I highly recommend either of these brands to those with less-than-average manual abilities.
I say this as a person living with a diagnosis of mild, seronegative rheumatoid arthritis whose small joints do not always cooperate with my intent. Those with profound disabilities may require assistance for even these tests, and near-normal eyesight is necessary for every COVID-19 test I’ve tried.
That said, if you can still brush your own teeth effectively, you can probably manage either Abbott or Cue home COVID-19 tests.
In our busy household of five, we keep all of our coronavirus test kits on a dedicated table at the side of the living room, stacked up in order of expiration date.
Having flown cross country in March to visit my father, I consumed several tests in quick succession upon my return, and we quickly worked through our locally purchased Abbott test kits to the more recent Roche branded ones we received free from the United States government.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 2 sets of 4 free at-home tests. Click here to order yours if you haven’t already.
We test my younger child—the one who attends high school in person—every weekend before he goes downstairs to visit his paternal grandfather. Дедушка lives downstairs in our home, but he has his own dedicated space, kitchen, and a separate entrance. Still, age and health status leaves Deda especially vulnerable to a severe case of COVID-19.
We feel grateful to have the means to protect him from an infection we might unwittingly visit upon him by going about our own public lives.
On Saturday, we used one Roche COVID-19 At-Home test kit from a box of four. Fortunately, it was conducted by my hale and hearty teen, administering his own test. I did not anticipate how difficult this test would have been for me, had I been taking one myself, and I was happy to be merely an observer and reader of directions.
Steps five and six of the Roche process would have stymied me, but my healthy child had no real issue with them or with the test in general. There’s a lot of firm pinching involved in those steps, which would be beyond my arthritic fingers.
Our older home educated teen took a test later the same day, and I asked if he wouldn’t mind trying the fourth brand in our personal arsenal: the ACON Labs FlowFlex testeven though this meant using test out of expiry order.
I was curious if it would present similar issues. It did.
FlowFlex was the brand sent out by our health insurance via its preferred mail order pharmacy, Express-Scripts.
We are entitled to eight “free” i.e., included with our employer-provided health insuranceCOVID-19 tests every month for each covered member of our plan. I ordered those for the two household members going to work/school as soon as the benefit was published on the website, and they were delivered about four weeks later. In the meantime, I’d ordered a batch of tests each for the other covered members of our household.
If I order directly from the preferred prescription provider, I don’t have to wait for reimbursement. Paying nothing out of pocket seemed like the best option. Now I know better.
For our household, in the future, if I’m the one who requires testing, I should go to a local pharmacy and purchase Abbott’s BinaxNOW tests instead of accepting the option available via mail-order without any out-of pocket expense. This will be a smarter choice given my manual limitations.
I believe it is highly probable that Abbott’s BinaxNOW, Roche’s COVID-19 At-Home test kit, and ACON’s FlowFlex have similar probabilities of correctly detecting the novel coronavirus responsible for the chaos and societal disruption of 2020-2022. That said, I doubt the ability of the latter to work for me, with my limited hand strength.
Both the Roche and the ACON FlowFlex test require a user to firmly pinch the included vial between one’s fingers for an extended period of time to get an accurate result. I doubt I could do this reliably, repeatedly, for accurate test results.
I did experiment with my teen’s FlowFlex vial post-test to determine that I’m capable of dispensing the mixed drops with that productwithout too much discomfort, but dispensing four drops into the test cartridge is less effortful for some of us with weak phalanges than holding tight to the tube while spinning the test swab therein.I felt compelled to compose and post this particular piece as quickly as possible to share my experience with the world. Had I only tried that first test brand, that I happened upon at my local pharmacy last fall, I would have no idea how tricky other versions of COVID-19 tests might be for those of us with more limited mobility.
It is worth reporting that, if I did not have such limitations to my dexterity, I would prefer the more compact packaging offered by Rocheand ACON Labs over Abbott’s fairly bulky box, especially for travel. The Roche multi-pack uses far less packaging for four tests than two boxes containing two each of the BinaxNOW. Roche/FlowFlex’s volume will be decidedly less if packed in a suitcase.
Aside from the need to firmly grasp a plastic tube for steps five and six (Roche)/step 2 (ACON’s FlowFlex), I would not have such a distinct preference for Abbott’s BinaxNOW over the competitors. That being said, my limitations have settled in as a near constant over the past decade, and I no longer expect my own normal to return to a more median average.
From my perspective, if you require an at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test, and you have limitations to your manual dexterity, you should try to get an Abbott BinaxNOW antigen test or a molecular one from Cue Health.
If your hands are crippled by arthritis, and you must use Roche or ACON Lab’s tests, ask a fully able bodied friend for assistance, if possible.
♦
Disclosure: The author of this post owns 51.044 shares of ABBOTT LABORATORIES (ABT) stock at the time of writing. Abbott Labs makes the BinaxNOW test kit product.
†I find written directions easy to follow and actually enjoy the step-by-step process of assembling LEGO toys and IKEA furniture kits, so my experience may not reflect that of average people.
Everyone should be able to take a rapid home COVID test for an affordable price (IMHO, that would be $5 or less in the USA) as often as needed at this point in a pandemic. In reality, the cheapest tests available to Americans cost at least $10 per swab, and supplies are so limited that even those who can afford tests don’t have access to them.
For those of us fortunate enough to have a little more disposable income, however, there is an option available and in stock for shippingas of January 5, 2021, though at a higher price: the Cue Health Monitoring System.
Cue’s Health Monitoring system is composed of a device called the Reader, COVID-19 test cartridges sold separately, and the Cue Health App which runs on your smartphone.
The company is located in San Diego, California. Cue manufactures its test cartridges andproduces its biochemistry components domestically, in house, to avoid supply chain disruptions such as we’ve all suffered this year.
Cue Reader at home molecular COVID-19 test
My family bought a Cue Reader home molecular test device ($249) at the end of 2021. Test cartridges are sold separately direct from Cue. They’re currently available in packs of three ($225) or ten ($712.50) or bundled with membership services in even more expensive packages.
We used a Cue COVID-19 test for the first time on January 1, 2022 to test our vaccinated but un-boosted teen after a cross-country flight. This was before he spent an hour—still masked, just in case!—visiting his vaccinated, boosted, but vulnerable grandfather.
A Cue COVID-19 test is a molecular test. This is more like a laboratory-based PCR test in quality than the typical home antigen test purchased at a drugstore, but the technical process isn’t identical to the hospital version.
The COVID-19 test is an FDA approved test under Emergency Use Authorization EUA210180, the same level of approval as most other COVID-19 tests and treatments.
Cue’s COVID-19 detection cartridge is a test you perform yourself, at home, with the Reader automatically processing your swab right in your living room or kitchen, bathroom, etc.
There are no samples to ship; no run to the post office or a FedEx drop box is required.
To use the Cue Reader, you swab your nostrils, stick the swab into the otherwise sealed test cartridge you’ve placed in your machine, and initiate processing via your cell phone. You’ll have a result displayed on your phone in about 20 minutes without leaving your house for about $75 per test.
Cue COVID-19 tests are accurate enough to be used for international travel, but to do so requires an expensive, upgraded subscription option that covers medical supervision via video for a certified result. I’ll talk about access to certified tests via “Cue+” membership later in this post, but it’s not required for personal virus screening.Continue reading →
QÔR is one of the many brands that has popped up in recent years seeking to combine modern performance fabrics with stylish silhouettes.
Want to commute by bike but need to meet a certain level of business appropriate attire upon arrival? QÔR could have what you’re looking for.
The same features that work for active commuting are key elements of a successful, compact travel wardrobe: fabrics that launder easily and dry quickly, resistwrinkles, and release odors.
Teen capsule wardrobe TOPS
Teen capsule wardrobe BOTTOMS
While QÔR makes pieces for both men and women, our household made the brand’s acquaintance with the purchase of men’s items for DH and DS1.
Travel capsule wardrobe for a teen boy
In a bid to create a compact, packable travel capsule wardrobe that could take my son almost anywhereI might drag himwith reasonable style, I picked out five† of QÔR’s pieces he could mix and match for our first order from the brand.
He’s a young teen just growing into men’s sizes. His more formal travel pieces will also serve as dress clothes for occasional use at home.
Three QÔR garments are his key travel pieces:
Navy jacket in Italian fleece
Merino hoodie (in grey)
Lightweight grey trousers in a quick dry, technical fabric
We combined these with long- and short-sleeved t-shirts (3 total), a pair of jeans, lightweight knit casual pants (1 pair) and shorts (1 pair), with a synthetic fiber, plaidbutton down shirt to complete* the wardrobe.
Most of the non-QÔR pieces in the capsule came from Coolibar, whose sun protective clothing represents the major part of our family’s summer/outdoor wardrobes.
The colors in the tartan dictated the color scheme for the rest of the wardrobe: navy and grey with touches of white and brighter blue. The t-shirts coordinated in navy, bright blue, and heather grey.
QÔR’s heavyweight navy jacket in a sweatshirt-like poly/cotton blend fleece is nice enough to pass inspection in situations where other men are wearing proper suits. Simultaneously, it is heavy enough to layer for warmth in chilly weather. There is a reasonably subtle, slightly asymmetrical zip closure behind the more traditional three button front to keep out drafts. It is comfortable enough that my son will grab it in lieu of a sweatshirt while lounging around our house.
Aside from the front zip closure, technical features include a zippered chest pocket and a reflective patch mostly hidden under the collar at the back of the neck. My use of flash photography is the reason it is so obvious in the first photo. There is a small, fairly subtle QÔR logo printed on one wrist.
Logo without flash
Logo reflecting flash
Chest pocket unzipped
Chest pocket zipped shut
Though the most expensive QÔR purchase I’ve made, the Italian Fleece Blazer ($158) is also the best value. It is versatile, meets my son’s needs perfectly, and he likes wearing it! If I weren’t afraid he’d outgrow it, I would buy a second right now to guard against its wearing out. A navy jacket certainly won’t ever go out of style.
Like many boys his age, my son prioritizes comfort over fashion. He likes to express himself with graphic tees, and he prefers certain colors over others, but, beyond that, he’d be happy with the same sweatpants and t-shirt combo every day.
Mom (a.k.a., I), on the other hand, expects a somewhat higher standard, especially when we travel together.
I don’t dress in a particularly formal way myself, but I have come to realize that being nicely put together makes city travel easier.
A very casual outfit must be changed to allow for some activities. Modesty restrictions at churches and temples require covering up tanks and shorts, for example, and the same garments are unthinkable for dining at nicer restaurants.
A young man wearing a navy jacket and grey slacks should be welcome every place he wishes to go.
Tank inspection at Vienna Military History Museum
The Italian Fleece Blazer is too thick to seriously consider hand washing during travel. That said, I rarely find a need to wash outer layers like this one whether at home or on the road. I have laundered this jacket once or twice using my home machine and laid it flat to dry. These photos reflect a frequently worn, occasionally washed garment.
One complaint my son has about his jacket is that a larger iPhone 6+ doesn’t fit its zippered chest pocket. He carries it in one of the two welt hand pockets, but it sticks out somewhat and I worry that it isn’t secure.
From my perspective, the jacket would benefit from an interior zip pocket large enough to secure a passport. If it had a rear vent, or, ideally, side vents, I suspect it would be just a bit more comfortable for travel, but my son never complained.
The hefty Italian fleece works for us because we live in New England. For our June trip to Iceland and Austria by way of Belgium and Germany, the blazer functioned best as an outer (heavyweight) layer.
Iceland coast
Köln Cathedral
Brussels, Belgium
Most of my son’s dress up occasions at home are likely to occur around the holidays when our weather is cool. Those living—or traveling—closer to the equator or looking for suits to wear primarily indoors should consider a lighter weight jacket for travel, but this one is great for Northern climes and cold-blooded types.
The Lightest Trouser
While less beloved than his fleece jacket, QÔR’sThe Lightest Trouser ($118, shown here in Steel Grey) lives up to the descriptive moniker. They pack up small and weigh very little. These pants are easy to travel with.
Make no mistake: my son would rather be wearing sweatpants. If he must wear “real pants,” however, he judges these very good. These trousers allow as much freedom of movement as knit sweats or joggers.
Lightest Trousers hold up to rounds of Mini Golf and Pit Put
Segway Tour training run in the Austrian Alps
Like many (most?) men’s brands, QÔR trouser sizing begins at a 30″ waist. My son is narrower than that, and still takes an XS size when available. In a tidy inverse of women’s vanity sizing, it turns out that men hate to be labeled “small”—or, God forbid, EXTRA small!—so options are frequently quite limited. He needs to belt these pants to keep them up, but they don’t look sloppy that way, even on the rare occasion when I insist he tuck in his shirt.
QÔR Lightest Trouser back details
Photos for this post show a young man who should be wearing a 28″/31″ in size 30″/32″ trousers that we hemmed by about an inch.
The polyester/spandex fabric blend is the best and the worst feature of the trousers. No other material would be so easy to travel with. That said, the synthetic does have a sheen to it and a difference in hand that no one would ever mistake for proper wool dress pants.
The week we received them, and before we packed them for Europe, I let my son do what he would if I weren’t around to nag him: he wore the same outfit, including these pants, every day for the better part of a week. He wore them sitting on the the floor to do his school work. He wore them to the gym with his dad. He no doubt wiped his hands on his trousers instead of a towel or napkin, etc.
After five days, I gave them an arms-length sniff test before washing them. No discernible odor. Anyone sniffing a teen any closer a) deserves whatever he gets, and b) is some kind of perv.
I held them up and stared intently: while not as crisp as a recently ironed suit trouser, there were no egregious wrinkles.
After washing in the morning with a load of delicates to simulate hand washing on the road, I hung The Lightest Trousers to dry for the length of a business day. They were ready to wear after dinner when I remembered to check on them—somewhere around eight hours later.
In practice, this held true during our travels, as well. These were the only pants he had with him that I would consider sink washing with total confidence that overnight would be sufficient time to dry. His knit bottoms were just too heavy to consider more than spot cleaning.
Blending in boarding a bus full of scientists in Klosterneuburg, Austria
My son never smelled stinky, his trousers didn’t seem inclined to stain, and they didn’t look sloppy when we dined in a fine European restaurant with my husband’s distinguished colleagues.
These trousers represent a best use case for when synthetic fabrics are a great solution.
Pullover Merino hoodie
Though not my son’s favorite piece to wear, the QÔR 17.5 Merino Pullover Hoodie ($98, shown in Aluminum Grey) in 195 GM, medium/light-mid- weight wool blended with 11% nylon for durability, was a key piece to make sure he was suitably attired for all the conditions we faced.
He brought the pullover with him when conditions didn’t seem to warrant a jacket because it was so compact and easily carried.
He layered it with all of his other pieces when the weather during our Iceland stopover felt more like winter than our expectations for mid-June.
He chose to layer a Frogg Toggs packable poncho on top to cope with the rain instead of bringing a waterproof jacket. He felt this combo was more comfortable, and the poncho weighed less than his existing rain coat, so I approved it for this particular summer trip.
Aside from the days in Iceland with significant rain that required the voluminous poncho, my son looked quite tidy, and pretty equivalent to local teens we saw on our travels. Even in European capitals, his attire compared well to other kids his age.
My son prefers zip front sweatshirts to pullovers. I seriously considered a similar weight alternative, the 190 Merino Full Zip Hoodie ($168), in Indigo Blue or one from another great brand, Icebreaker, to suit that preference.
For an expensive item, I did want to maximize his likely re-wearing of the garment by honoring his preferences. I want these pieces to be part of his everyday wardrobe; a young teen doesn’t need dedicated travel clothes he might outgrow before they’re worn out.
Two major and one minor point pushed me to choose what I thought was more practical over my son’s first choice. Packing bulk and washability were the deciding factors; appearance added weight to my choice.
A zip front and pockets would be bulkier and harder to wash with other delicates. Zippers tend to chew on other items in the wash!
The pullover style has a bit less fabric, fewer layers to delay dry time, and fewer parts that could fail. A zipper could also set off metal detectors during travel, though I suspect that’s unlikely. The extra zip layered beneath his Italian Fleece Blazer would also look a bit less sleek/tidy/nice compared to a pullover’s smooth front.
Finally, as for color, while I thought my son would look great in the lovely Indigo Blue color, grey was the more practical choice for maximum matching flexibility and avoiding stains. He likes brighter, more fun colors, but I was shopping and packing for versatility this time. We already had a second shade of vibrant blue featured in his button front and a t-shirt, so Indigo Blue might not work with every single garment we were packing.
The Pullover Hoodie packed down very small. My son could carry it inside his Tom Bihn Travel Cubelet ($40, Northwest Sky shown) along with his passport, wallet, and iPhone 6+. This compact, 5.7” x 7.3” x 3” bag could even be worn beneath his blazer for security where it counted.
Though packed full with the hoodie inside, all items could be removed and accessed without much difficulty or the inadvertent spilling of other items that occurs when it’s least convenient with a tightly packed bag. Most other hoodies—especially those with zippers—simply would not have passed this test.
Visible branding vs. the tourist who wants to blend in
QÔR branding is generally fairly subtle, though “active lifestyle” features like reflective strips might be visible or displayable with some pieces.
Logos on nice clothes annoy me. This is a pet peeve of mine with some performance brands, too proud of themselves to actually get my business. If I’m spending $50 and up for a merino wool t-shirt, I’d like to let the richness of the fabric speak for itself. I don’t need a corporate sponsor telling the world I buy cool clothes.
Logo without flash
If you can see a label on my clothes, odds are it’s the tag sticking up at my neckline. I’d prefer you let me know so I can tuck it away where it belongs!
QÔR makes quality pieces sold by top notch staff
QÔR quality has been consistently good. We have (okay, I have) washed, dried, packed, and (he has) worn and carried my son’s QÔR-centric wardrobe across America and to Europe over the better part of a year. The jacket and trousers are part of his regular, daily wardrobe. I have yet to notice any wear or tear, and have yet to find so much as a loose stitch to complain about.
Customer service made ordering from an untested brand easy and non-stressful. QÔR staffhavebeen truly exemplary, and they play a big part in making higher prices worth paying by my metrics.
I emailed back and forth, asking many questions about sizing and colors. One rep, Sue, grabbed product from the shelves and sent me cell phone photos of color combinations in response to my request for more information about how different blues and greys might work together.
I was offered free shipping to help make the remote fitting process easier. Policies seemed flexible, with a real dedication to making the shopping experience work for the customer.
Returns and exchanges are also easy. I did a few “back and forth” exchanges in search of correct sizes and preferred style and fit. I’ve come to trust that their guarantee is as straightforward as it seems:
“We’ll take it back if you don’t like it. Without question. At any time.”
Putting it all together makes a (capsule) wardrobe
A wisely chosen travel ensemble can take a tourist virtually anywhere. It needn’t be uncomfortable, either. I think this is as true for teens as it is for grown men and women.
Vienna, Austria
Putting such an outfit together is a skill I’d like to teach my son while he still relies upon me to provide the bulk of his wardrobe.
If he takes up ballroom dancing or joins a performance group that wears tuxedos, he’ll have to sort out travel of that kind for himself. Odds don’t seem to point in that direction, however. His brother, on the other hand…
We packed for two weeks in Europe with no checked baggage, flying on a discount Economy ticket with Icelandair. My son’s entire wardrobe, plus a few items of mine, fit in a Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45.
Teen boy capsule wardrobe packed in Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45
Vienna, Austria demonstrating the futility of rolling suitcases
Combine a few special pieces sewn from easy care, packable fabrics with travel-oriented features like zippered pockets with a kid’s everyday wardrobe. Dress things up a little, but not too much. Keep comfort in mind while assessing good looks. Everyone can be happy. This strategy can take you anywhere in the world.
Though there are lots of great capsule wardrobe posts online, the vast majority are for women, and, then, mostly for young women. While the pace of change in men’s clothing may be slower than it is for that of ladies, both genders enjoy—but also sometimes suffer from—greater choice in what to wear than most people did in the past. Choices give one more room to pack inefficiently, potentially leading to over-filled bags that somehow still fail to contain what’s really needed.
First class Deutsche Bahn compartment on scenic Rhine Valley route from Innsbruck to Köln
The benefits of thoughtful planning and careful packing apply equally to men and women, young and old. In fact, I’d argue that family groups with kids of any age in tow will gain far more from thinking ahead and curating clothing choices than carefree singles do. Just multiply every excess by four, as well as every opportunity for something unexpected to pop up.
Other sources for technical fiber, thoughtfully designed packable clothes
If you like the idea of business-ish styling made with modern performance fabrics for ease of care, bike commuting, or one bag travel, but QÔR doesn’t have exactly what you’re looking for, I can also recommend Ministry of Supply menswear based upon one positive personal experience, Icebreaker for merino, and some of Ex Officio‘s less sporty pieces.
A few related brands I’ve got my eye on but haven’t yet tried include merino dress shirt maker Wool & Prince, Outlier, and British travel clothing specialist Rohan.
Gratitude to the long suffering teen who made this post possible
This post wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of help from and even more patienceon the part of my long-suffering teen. He posed for photos with only minimal eye rolling and answered more than a few questions about comfort and fit in spite of his constant desire to get back to his own interests sooner rather than later.
Without a doubt, my boy is a blessing.
♦
†The other two pieces from our first order were a pair of light grey casual pants and a bright blue, merino wool blend polo shirt. Either of these could work in the travel wardrobe as they fit with the color scheme, but were ultimately not first choices for one bag travel on this particular trip to Europe.
Navy knit pants are dressier looking than light grey ones. My son also prefers the feel of a blend with more natural fibers than synthetic, which the Coolibar version offers. Polo shirts aren’t my son’s first choice for daily wear, so he chose t-shirts to wear when his collared shirt wasn’t required by the day’s dress code.
*There were also undergarments, including a set of long johns/base layers that doubled as pajamas, but my son has no commentary he’d like to add to the internet on the subject of men’s underwear.
A swimsuit was also included. Though he prefers the popular, knee-length, baggy board shorts everyone else is wearing around here, a somewhat briefer version was cheap on Amazon and packed much smaller than his old pair without provoking the teen horror of a fitted Speedo brief…
My son’s preference for short ankle socks packed up small (3 pairs), plus we carried three more pairs of taller, grey socks for colder days and dressier occasions where his ankles needed to be covered.
I felt compelled to compose and post this particular piece as quickly as possible to share my experience with the world. Had I only tried that first test brand, that I happened upon at my local pharmacy last fall, I would have no idea how tricky other versions of COVID-19 tests might be for those of us with more limited mobility.
Though not my son’s favorite piece to wear, the QÔR 
Finally, as for color, while I thought my son would look great in the lovely Indigo Blue color, grey was the more practical choice for maximum matching flexibility and avoiding stains. He likes brighter, more fun colors, but I was shopping and packing for versatility this time. We already had a second shade of vibrant blue featured in his button front and a t-shirt, so Indigo Blue might not work with every single garment we were packing.
Combine a few special pieces sewn from easy care, packable fabrics with travel-oriented features like zippered pockets with a kid’s everyday wardrobe. Dress things up a little, but not too much. Keep comfort in mind while assessing good looks. Everyone can be happy. This strategy can take you anywhere in the world.
Really Wonderful Things 