Rate this post

*Featured image credit: photobyphotoboy / Shutterstock.com

What would happen if a beauty queen, an adventure guy, a quirky girl, a nerd, and a few aerobics instructors, and a television loving chef all began their own YouTube channels? It would probably look a lot like what’s happening on YouTube today.

These days, there are tons of YouTube channels to choose from. Some are perfectly suited to your interests and others that don’t interest you at all.  But when it comes to finding your thing, there’s something to find for everyone. Here’s a look at some of the most popular YouTube channels out now to help you decide which ones are worth tuning in to. 

Extra Credits

Got the logo of your favorite game tattooed on your arm? If so, you’re probably among one of the many who believe that games matter, and if 14 seasons and over 300 episodes of Extra Credits are anything to go by, you’re not alone.

Extra Credit is the brainchild of Daniel Floyd and James Portnow, and it’s pretty safe to say these guys live, breathe, and eat (not so sure about the last one) games. Their website explores games, how they’re designed and built, and even discuss how they can be built better.

Extra Credits talks about how games can be used in politics, education, medicine, schools, and communities. Looking to earn some extra credit? Try this YouTube Channel and see if you can place on the top of the leaderboard.

Binging with Babish

While most of us are laughing over the Chef’s Chocolate Balls on South Park, or getting grossed out by the Simpsons’ Grilled Crayon Sandwich, the mysterious Mr. Babish is figuring out to make them. Not only that, but he’s sharing the recipes with a whole crowd of YouTube viewers on his Binging with Babish YouTube channels.

Now don’t get the wrong idea. This isn’t some kids cafeteria experimentation, Babish has your back. He makes sure all the dishes are palatable before he shows you how they’re made, even if it means the grilled crayon sandwich will be a little less colorful. He even offers a lower carb healthier version of the spaghetti tacos.

Another thing you’ll notice about  Babish is his stylishness. His quick edits make his cooking look seamless and his voiceovers are fast-paced and witty. Each episode begins with a clip of the show or movie that gave Babish his inspo, with a few snippets thrown in to keep it lively. His dishes are also pretty stylish.  Check them out on Binging with Babish, you’ll be a lifelong fan.

The Slo-Mo Guys

You really have to love the Slo-Mo Guys, if not for their “bordering on obsessive” fascination for slo-mo cameras,  then the lengths they will go to entertain their audience.

At first, Gavin and Dan seem like two guys with a typical case of arrested development. They spend their time filming things on Gavin’s (or is it Dan’s slo-mo camera). Smashing six-foot water balloons, popping popcorn, Dan (or is it Gavin) falling backward on an exploding waterbed, smashing axes through a deodorant can, let’s just say these guys have a lot of time on their hands.

However, it soon becomes clear that the Slo-Mo Guys have a darker side when they become guinea pigs for their own slow-motion experiments voluntarily getting shot with pellet guns, lab coats get bloodied and things turn ugly. Tune in to see what happens next!

Fitness Blenders

No Hans and Frenz, “Pump You Up” SNL skit here. Fitness Blenders Daniel and Kelli pride themselves on their “No Gimmick” approach to advertising their workout videos. As fitness training partners and husband and wife team, the couple offers over 500  videos sorted according to targeted muscle groups, difficulty level, length of time and inclusion of equipment, and the best part is they’re free to use.  Plus, with over 25 years of experience and over 33 million hits, the couple is set to burn up YouTube along with some unwanted calories.

Carli Bybel

If Simone Giertz is quirky, Carli Bybel is probably her polar opposite. You would be much more likely to find a stenciled message with butterflies surrounding it rather than an automated arm in her kitchen. She most definitely wouldn’t come within arms reach of anything that might threaten to put her lipstick on less than perfectly. 

Carli Bybel is a girly girl, make no mistake about it. Her YouTube channel is all about beauty fixes and tips, plus everything comes with a big message about positivity.  Plus, none of her beauty secrets are off limits. She goes into extreme detail about every product she applies and how she’s applying them.  She also puts on quite a lot of makeup and spends a lot of time on her hair,  which provides for some pretty long episodes.

However, judging from the fan adoration, it seems that there is little doubt that most of her followers would watch her read the phone book. With over 5 million subscribers, Karli is the top vlogger in her category. If you can find it in the cosmetics aisle, you’ll find it here.

Dude Perfect

What do you get when you mix a bunch of grown men in t-shirts, shorts and backward baseball caps with a huge nerf rifle, a sliding pond and a few targets? A lot of testosterone, mindless entertainment and the recipe for an episode of Dude Perfect, a channel about a bunch of twenty-something former college roommates who challenge each other to new and unheard of (in more ways than one). Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail miserably, but either way, they emerge with their senses of humor intact.

Whether you’re a  man who wants to see the beautiful results of male bonding, a woman who wants to get a closer look inside the door of the man cave, or a child looking for entertainment that you can appreciate, Dude Perfect is perfect for you.

Jenna Marbles

From the looks of her 200th video, it seems that Jenna Marbles has done a lot with her life. She’s shared a sandwich with her boyfriend without cutting it. She’s turned her chihuahua upside down without it seeming to get bent out of shape.  She’s gotten drunk on numerous occasions, with and without pizza – as is evidenced by the old boxes under her bed. She’s fallen off bridges and performed a spiritual group dance in which all the dancers wore children’s animal backpacks on their shoulders, she’s laughed, she’s cried and she’s done things that look like a little bit of both, still trying to figure those out.

She also tells her audience that no one knows what they’re doing and if they say they are, their lying and that they’re welcome to join her on her journey by tuning in to the Jenna Marbles YouTube channel. Seventeen point five million subscribers already have.

Apartment Therapy

Want a slice of life along with a slice of real estate? Apartment Therapy is a therapeutic YouTube channel that takes the viewer inside the apartments and the lives of the renters who live in them. It explores the renter’s biggest challenges as well as their biggest (DIY) triumphs. It takes the viewer from Kellie in Brooklyn who finally found peace with her “really long hallway” to Rob and Natasha on the Lower East Side who were able to revolutionize their kitty litter box. A slice of life and a slice of some really cool décor, tune in to Apartment Therapy for a little dose of inspiration.

Screen Junkies

Are you that film watcher? The one that punctuates every thrilling adventure or twisted plot with a, “Yeah, right,” or a, ”Really?’ The one that ruins the films for everyone else? If so, there’s a whole community of screen junkies like you and they’re not about to let the film and tv business go unaccountable.

Screen Junkies is a YouTube channel dedicated to keeping television real. With its running commentary, The Honest Trailers series ensure the viewer ends up as disillusioned with the industry as the Screen Junkies themselves.  Other perks include its  “Who Would Win?” Movie Fights specializing in pitting imaginary scenarios pitting the likes of “The Little Mermaid against the Lion King, and Aladdin. Also, look out for “The Craziest Interviews You’ve Never Seen” and other fan favorites, such as “Watching Fifty Shades Darker with my Mom.” (Yikes)

Luxy Hair Style

Say good-bye to  the idea of “throwing it up into a ponytail.”  With the tutorials and videos on the Luxy Hair YouTube channel, there is no longer an excuse.

Want 10 quick extension hacks? Looking for the secret behind heatless hair curling? This channel offers comprehensive tutorials on everything from the most complex styles to the five minute- running out the door quick fixes. 

Fun For Louis

If there’s anything more exciting than embarking on a different worldwide adventure 365 days a year, it’s probably watching a crazy Australian with dreadlocks do it.

Never mind that Louis Colton can accomplish in one trailer sequence more than most of us can in a lifetime. The fact is Louis loves his life, and anyone who watches his channel can’t help but become immediately infected by his joie d’ vivre. One day he’s on a terrifying London rooftop mission that would put James Bond to shame and the next day he’s hooking up with the Boy Scouts of St. Louis. That’s just the way Louis rolls, not everything he does is life-threatening, but its always life-enhancing.

While admittedly, not everything that’s “fun for Louis”  is fun to the next guy, Louis makes it look fun, which is probably why his YouTube channel is so popular. He’s also not afraid to celebrate his mistakes as well as his victories, which also makes him extremely relatable. Watch at your own risk and don’t be surprised if you catch a little bit of the adventure bug while you’re at it.

Simone Giertz

Do you ever worry about artificial intelligence taking over the world? Well with Simone Giertz, you probably don’t have to. The robots she makes may be artificial, but they have very little to do with intelligence.

Who is Simone Giertz? Quite simply, she’s the potty-mouthed young lady and host of the Simone Giertz YouTube channel, dedicated to making robots that perform some of the least essential tasks. She’s got an automated arm designed to whip up breakfast that ends up whipping all the milk and cereal off the table, and a lipstick applier that makes her look like Betty Davis in Sunset Boulevard. Not to mention, she’s become a talk show darling. Ellen(Degeneres)  loved her wake up machine that consisted of rubber hands pummeling the sleepers face and Stephen Colbert couldn’t get enough of her tooth brushing helmet.

Either way, this girl is worth checking out. You won’t want to miss a minute of her robo disasters or her quirky personality.

Thomas Heaton

While there are many photography tutorials, Thomas  Heaton sets himself apart with his instinct for the landscape and his lack of pretension. When you’re watching the channel,  you get the feeling you’re more of a passenger on his journey than a student.  With Thomas’ emphasis on the beauty of the land and excitement of the mission, his tips and advice seem almost secondary.

Nonetheless,  what really distinguishes Thomas is the quality of the photography itself. This YouTube channel is worth checking out just to see his masterful workmanship, astounding photography and high level of production. If you’re looking to learn or just to appreciate, tune in to Thomas Heaton and his camera’s eye view of the world.