About

Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Wells (she/her) and I write about Pets, Style, and Carry for Wirecutter, a leading product review site owned by The New York Times. In 2020, I received top awards from the Cat Writers’ Association and the Dog Writers Association of America, as well as a Publisher’s Award from The Times for my ambitious efforts driving innovation and impact across the company.

A service journalist at my core, I have a decade of experience showing readers how to be more informed and safer consumers. No matter if it’s teaching them the right way to gift a pet, warning them of the dangers of infant bath seats, or exposing how romantic partners can spy on them, I’ll share with them how to stretch their dollar further while making educated decisions for their families.

I’ve written for ABCnews.com, Consumer Reports, MarketWatch.com, MSNMoney.com, Nautilus, The New York Times, Techlicious.com, TIME.com, TheSimpleDollar.com, TheUptowner.org, Urban Home, the Wall Street Journal Sunday, and Washington Post’s On Parenting, among others. My commentary on diverse literature has appeared in Book Page, Diverse Kids Books, and The New York Times Sunday Book Review. I also contributed to Forty Acres of Fun, an anthology about the history of student life at The University of Texas at Austin.

I have an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and a B.J. (B.A.) from The University of Texas at Austin. I live in New York City with my wonderful husband and two rambunctious pets. In my down time, I volunteer with the ASPCA and DiverseSources.org, a database of industry experts.

My debut picture book, A FAMILY LOOKS LIKE LOVE, arrives May 31, 2022 with Penguin Random House/Flamingo Books.

Other Works

Awards and Recognition

  • Poynter Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media – Class of 2020-21
  • First Place, General Excellence – Dog Writers Association of America, 2020 & 2021
  • First Place, Written Article – Cat Writers’ Association, 2020
  • Publisher’s Award – New York Times, 2018, 2019 & 2020
  • First Place, Lone Star Awards – Houston Press Club, 2010