Gear / Deals - ZIPP2

Best iPhone Deals (2023): Carrier Deals, Unlocked iPhones

by crissly | Nov 9, 2023 | Uncategorized

Finding a deal on an iPhone can be tricky. Apple rarely slashes prices on its hardware, unlike other brands. But that doesn’t mean they’re nonexistent. With Black Friday around the corner, carriers are offering some steep discounts on iPhones, though you have to jump through some hoops to nab them. We’ve listed them here in case you’re on the hunt for an upgrade.

Be sure to check out our Best iPhone guide to see which model is right for you, and if you’re shopping the new iPhone 15 range, we’ve got a breakdown of all the models here. (Remember to snag a case!)

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Unlocked vs. Locked

Before we jump into the deals, it’s crucial to understand the differences between unlocked and locked iPhones before making a purchase.

An unlocked iPhone is not tied to any specific telecom carrier. This gives you the freedom to choose any service provider and the flexibility to switch as you please, often without extra charges. A locked iPhone, by contrast, is typically bound to a carrier through the term of the contract or until paid off, restricting the device to one network. This is why we recommend you buy your phone unlocked, but it’s harder to find price cuts on those models. You can ask your carrier to unlock your iPhone, but it’s not the most seamless process.

Deals on Unlocked iPhones

If you’re looking for an unlocked iPhone, your best bet is usually to purchase it directly from Apple. These are rarely on sale, however. Apple has dropped prices on older models by $100 (the iPhone 14 now starts at $699, for example, and the iPhone 14 Plus at $799), but they’re not exactly deals. You can find some sales at big box retailers such as Best Buy.

If you want, you can activate your AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon service directly through Apple when purchasing your new phone. Apple says it will come unlocked, except “when you buy an iPhone with an AT&T Installment Plan. It will be locked to AT&T and will only work on the AT&T network for the term of your Installment Plan agreement.”

Here are a few unlocked iPhone deals we’ve found:

This deal lets you activate the device in your own time for a $50 discount. If you have Verizon, Google Fi, or AT&T, you can activate it immediately through Best Buy for a deeper discount of $730 ($70 off). This iPhone has a big screen and excellent battery life. We have more details about it in our guide on choosing an iPhone 14 model.

This is the same deal as the iPhone 14 Plus above, so you can activate it later on the network of your choosing. You can also get an unlocked model if you activate it at Best Buy for even less ($630), but only if you have Verizon, Google Fi, or AT&T. Our iPhone 14 review has more information, and be sure to read our Best iPhone 14 Cases guide for accessories.

Deals on Unlocked Pre-Owned iPhones

If you’re open to buying a used iPhone (it’s better for the environment!), here are a few sales from Amazon’s Renewed Store. These are discounted, but make sure you check other sites like Swappa and Gazelle to see if you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Deals on Network-Locked iPhones

Despite our recommendation to opt for an unlocked phone, you may still want to purchase through a network carrier due to the various promotions and payment plans they offer. Note that these usually require a contract, and any discount typically comes in the form of monthly bill credits. You usually have to open a new line.

Many carriers also require the trade-in of an eligible device—the definition of which varies depending on the phone you’re looking to get and the carrier and is subject to change at any time. For AT&T, for example, the trade-in phone must be “in good working condition” and sent within 30 days of activating your plan to get an iPhone 15. This trade-in can include everything from iPhone models 12 or newer to various Samsung Galaxy models, the Google Pixel 6 Pro, Google Pixel 7, and Google Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the OnePlus 10 Pro. Check the offer details or additional terms on each carrier’s iPhone product page for the full list of eligible trade-in devices.

166 Absolute Best October Prime Day Deals 2023 (Day 2)

by crissly | Oct 11, 2023 | Uncategorized

Amazon Prime Day Part II is here, and that means a fresh batch of Prime Day deals. Technically Amazon calls this Prime Big Deal Days, but like most people, we think of it as Prime Day Deux. As usual, most of these Prime Day deals require a Prime membership, but you can snag a 30-day free trial to make the most of the event. We’ve been combing Amazon’s website to bring you the best discounts on laptops, tablets, kitchen and home gear, headphones, and plenty more.

We test products year-round and handpicked these deals. Products that are sold out or no longer discounted as of publishing will be crossed out. We’ll update this guide regularly throughout Prime Day by adding fresh deals and removing dead deals.

WIRED Featured Deals

Table of Contents

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Best Prime Day Amazon Device Deals

The discount will apply automatically during checkout once you meet the $40 order threshold on select products. Amazon-branded products range from home essentials like paper towels and batteries to snacks, office supplies, over-the-counter medicines, and more. This deal is an easy way to stock up on frequently-used items for cheap.

Gift card deals are only worthwhile if you’d be spending the money anyway. With brands like Doordash, Instacart, Fandango, and more featured in this sale, chances are you can find a worthy discount. Each card has a unique coupon code listed on the product page. Enter it during checkout to save.

Amazon devices are almost always going on sale, but this is an especially nice deal since it comes with a free smart plug that typically sells for about $20. It isn’t the same exact model, but a similar Kasa plug is the top pick in our Best Smart Plugs guide. The Echo Dot (5th Gen) is one of our favorite Alexa speakers. You can use the included smart plug to do things like ask Alexa to turn off your box fan or turn on a lamp.

Amazon has a bunch of private-label clearance on sale for up to 55 percent off. Want D-cell batteries for $5? Here you go. How about compostable plates for $8? Giant crayons for $9? A truly hideous fanny pack for $12? The point is, there are 10 pages full of random items to choose from, and all of them are cheap. Go wild.

Other Echo Show devices are also on sale, but the Echo Show 8 is our favorite. This product comes with a free trial of Alexa Together, an Amazon service that aims to replicate the tasks of a caregiver. It usually costs $20 per month. Set a reminder to cancel it if you aren’t interested in subsequent charges.

The Echo Studio is the best-sounding Alexa speaker, but it’s also pretty expensive. This price matches a low we’ve seen just once before. It has more powerful sound in general, but the changes are especially noticeable on the low end. Check out our Best Smart Speakers guide for additional details and recommendations.

This matches the price we saw in July for the best Kindle for kids. It’s waterproof and has adjustable warm lighting for reading at night. If your kid is really into the Warrior Cats books, there is a special edition just for them for $120. The standard Kindle Kids is also on sale and it’s a bit cheaper at $80 ($40 off), but it lacks the adjustable warm lighting and waterproofing. Whichever you get, Amazon throws in a protective case, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, and a two-year no-questions-asked replacement guarantee.

The other Kindles are more affordable, so there’s no practical reason to spend the cash for the Oasis. But if you’re like me and love physical page-turn buttons, you may want to consider this one. We think it’s probably due for an update soon though.

Amazon Kindle Scribe with pen on purple backdrop

If you like to take digital notes, the Kindle Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the first of Amazon’s e-readers that lets you write on the enormous 10.2-inch screen like a regular notebook. However, if you want to write in the margins of books, you’ll have to settle for using sticky notes. That’s frustrating given the point of spending this kind of money is to write on it (marking up books is better on the Kobo Elipsa).

The Fire Max 11 (5/10, WIRED Review) is Amazon’s biggest, nicest, and most overpriced Fire tablet. This deal makes it much more palatable. The display and new fingerprint sensor are nice, as is the ability to use the keyboard without resorting to Bluetooth, but the Fire OS operating system leaves much to be desired (like a decent app store). Still, if you’re set on a Fire tablet and you want a big display, this isn’t a bad deal.

Best Prime Day Laptop and Accessory Deals

The 2023 MacBook Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite laptops this year. It has an excellent six-speaker sound system, a 1080p front-facing webcam, and a 10-core variant of the M2 processor the previous year’s model came with. It’s blazingly fast for most normal work and can even handle some light video editing and other heavier tasks.

This is last year’s 13-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) with the M2 chip and Touch Bar. It has the same processor that’s in the new MacBook Air (our top pick for most people) and doesn’t offer any major hardware upgrades except for a fan, which allows the processor to get a little warmer and eke out more power over a longer period of time. This helps if you’re working on pro-level tasks like video editing but can’t spend the premium that Apple charges for its bigger Pro models.

The Razer Blade 14 earned an 8/10, WIRED Recommends award in our review. It has a gorgeous 16:10 display, plenty of USB ports, a full-size HDMI output, and an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, with the option to upgrade to the 40-series, giving it plenty of power to tear through the toughest games. It’s the laptop WIRED reviewer Eric Ravenscraft used through Starfield‘s launch weekend; it has proven its worth already.

Das Keyboard MacTigr against a green background

You may have to click on “See More Buying Options” to see this deal. The Das Keyboard MacTigr pairs well with Apple’s laptops and PCs. It has a dedicated Mac layout, Cherry MX Red switches, a two-port USB-C hub, and a high-quality, all-metal build. It rarely goes on sale.

This is our favorite external keyboard in our guide to Best MacBook Accessories. It’s a great option if you’re a fan of the Magic Keyboard and are looking to fully replicate your MacBook setup. However, this version is fairly bare-bones—it doesn’t come with a Touch ID button or the same function row keys as the M-series MacBooks (that model isn’t on sale, sadly). But it does come with the standard keys like playback controls, a Mission Control key, as well as a number pad. This is also the lowest price we’ve tracked for this keyboard, so far.

The Studio Display (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has a spacious 27-inch display that’s perfect for juggling multiple apps at the same time and a 5K resolution that’s stunningly sharp (there’s no HDR though, so colors look slightly more contrasty and saturated compared to the neutral tones on Apple’s Pro Display XDR). Although it’s pricey, this is an excellent monitor for those who want a really accurate and sharp screen. Equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, along with built-in mics and speakers, it’s ideal for video calls too. This is also the lowest price we’ve tracked, yet.

Razer Blade 14inch Laptop with AMD Ryzen 9 Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070

One of our top picks from our building your own PC guide, AMD’s 16-core behemoth is a killer CPU for high-end 4K or 144-Hz gaming. It has some special requirements. It gets so hot there’s no way you should put it into a PC without a liquid cooler like the Asus ROG Ryujin II Liquid Cooler.

Plugable’s USB-C Triple Display Docking Station is a great choice, especially for anyone using more than one monitor. It supports up to three displays at once (either HDMI or DisplayPort for each). The dock also packs six USB 3.0 ports (two on the front, four in the back) and a gigabit Ethernet port. Whenever you come back to your workstation with your MacBook, all you have to do is plug it in and you instantly have a multi-monitor setup. With an output of up to 60 watts, you can use the dock to charge your laptop too.

Claiming the top spot in our Best USB Flash Drives guide, the SanDisk Extreme Pro balances speed, reliability, and price. The sleek aluminum case has a loop for attaching it to a keyring and a slider to push out the USB-A plug. It is fast, performs reliably (we’ve been using one regularly for two years), and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Best Prime Day Tablet Deals

OnePlus Pad tablets with keyboards attached

The OnePlus Pad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the few Android tablets we think is a worthy iPad alternative. It offers good performance, has great battery life, and an excellent 144-Hz, 11.6-inch LCD display. We strongly recommend OnePlus’ magnetic keyboard, which is also on sale for $100 ($50 off), however, if you purchase directly from the company’s website, you can get the keyboard bundled for free.

The 9th-gen iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite iPad for most people, even though it’s one generation behind. Aside from costing less than the current 10th-gen model, it is still compatible with the same accessories as the first-gen Apple Pencil. It retains the physical Home button with Touch ID at the bottom of the screen.

Google’s Pixel Tablet (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is part tablet, part smart display. It comes with a charging dock that doubles as a speaker, so you can pump out the tunes and get answers from Google Assistant at a moment’s notice. Take it off the charger and you get a full Android tablet experience.

Best Prime Day Watch Deals

Multiple Apple Watch SE models with different watch faces and bands

The 2nd-generation Apple Watch SE is our top pick for most people. It’s the most affordable of what Apple touts as its first carbon-neutral products (when bought in conjunction with the new sport loop, that is). It’s compatible with WatchOS 10, which is where many new health and wellness features show up.

The second-generation Garmin Epix Pro holds the title of Best Outdoor Watch in our Best Fitness Trackers guide and is one of our favorite sports watches (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a bright AMOLED display, battery life that can last through a week of camping, and useful features like redshift mode (for training outside at night), and a flashlight. There’s also an endurance feature, in addition to all the other Garmin proprietary metrics that assess what kind of shape you’re in. This deal applies to the 51-mm size, but the 42-mm and 47-mm sizes are also on sale.

We liked (but didn’t love) the Withings Move smartwatch when we tried it. One of our chief complaints was its lack of heart rate monitoring, but that’s an issue the Withings Steel HR has resolved, adding this crucial feature to what was already an elegant, subtle smartwatch. It has typical analog watch hands, with a smaller monochrome display for basic data, and it won’t buzz your wrist all day with every single notification.

Got an Android phone? We really liked using the TicWatch Pro 5, mostly because its battery stands out among competitors like Google, Samsung, and Apple. We easily get three days of average use, and Mobvoi’s unique dual-display technology lets you stretch the battery life even further. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset, which is a newer and more efficient processor. And we’ve barely seen any hiccups operating this Wear OS 3 watch.

Best Prime Day Phone Deals

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip5 (7/10 WIRED Recommends) delivers a larger cover screen, which means you can do more on the phone without having to open it up. If you or someone you know always complain about how big phones are these days, a folding flip phone might be the answer to those woes. If you want to try a different style of flip phone, the Motorola Razr+ is also on sale for $800 ($100 off).

Don’t want to pay much for a phone? This is one of the best you’ll find for the price (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It lacks wireless charging (see the Pixel 7A below if you really want it), but the AMOLED screen has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, the performance is decent, and the cameras are reliable. The battery also lasts more than a day.

This is our favorite smartphone for most people (8/10, WIRED Recommends), and this is an incredible price (and the lowest we have tracked). It has smooth performance, a nice bright screen, excellent cameras, and even features like wireless charging. The battery life is just OK.

We have a lot of other good cheap phone recommendations here, but this Motorola is fine and performs well for the money. It will only get one OS update (to Android 14), but it will get three years of security updates. It comes with an NFC sensor so you can make contactless payments, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. Read our Best Motorola Phones guide for more.

OnePlus 11 in black and green colors and one showing the screen on a green geometric backdrop

The OnePlus 11 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is fast. The performance is fast, the recharging is fast. It even looks fast. It has a bright, 120-Hz AMOLED screen, great speakers, and surprisingly good battery life for all that. Our main gripe is the IP64 water- and dust-resistance rating, which is not nearly as good as other flagship phones.

Ugreen’s charger is, as the name suggests, a 145-watt charger with a 25,000-mAh battery. It’s surprisingly compact for the power it provides, although at 1.1 pounds, it’s definitely not ultralight. There are two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. What sets the Ugreen apart is that you can actually draw 145 watts while charging. That works out to one USB-C port at 100W and the other at 45W. Very few other batteries we’ve tested are capable of that feat.

The Anker Nano is one of our favorite portable power banks, particularly for phones. It clicks right into the bottom of your device, and even comes in fun colors. This model has a 12-watt Lightning connector but there is a 22.5-watt USB-C version for the iPhone 15 or Android phones for $22 ($10 off). Both connectors fold away when you aren’t using them. If you use a particularly thick case, this may not work. You’ll likely be able to charge most phones fully once before needing to recharge the power bank itself via the included USB-C cable.

We are big fans of the Backbone One (8/10, WIRED recommends) and it appears in our Best Mobile Game Controllers guide. It slides open to cradle your phone and is very responsive, with buttons and bumpers that feel nice and clicky. The USB-C version that is on sale will work with most Android phones and the new iPhone 15 range.

This 2-in-1 charger is featured in our guide to the Best MagSafe Accessories. The price matches the lowest we have tracked. It doesn’t have a built-in Apple Watch charger, but it can top off your compatible wireless earbuds whilst simultaneously charging your iPhone. It charges at the maximum 15-watt rate, and you can turn your iPhone sideways for iOS 17’s new StandBy mode, converting it into a bedside alarm clock.

Anker makes our favorite lists often, including with this super compact 3-in-1 wireless charger. A MagSafe pad charges iPhones up to 15 watts at a slanted angle, and on the side is a standard Apple Watch puck (no fast-charging support). In the space inside the triangle is where you can place your AirPods Pro (or any other wireless earbuds case) to top them up.

This 2.5-inch cube from Anker is a great compact charger. It comes with a MagSafe pad on top (that charges at up to 15 watts), a top section that hinges to a 60-degree angle to reveal a charging surface for your AirPods, and a shelf on the side that has a built-in Apple Watch charger (which can comfortably accommodate any Apple Watch including the Ultra). You’ll also get a 5-foot cable and a 30-watt charger in the box. It supports fast charging too.

We just added this power bank as our top upgrade pick in our guide to the Best Portable Chargers. It’s pricey, but today’s deal makes it more accessible. It charges from zero to completely full in an hour and boasts a whopping 24,000-mAh capacity. And it’s powerful enough to charge laptops and tablets as well as phones and other gadgets. There’s even a built-in display to monitor stats like temperature and remaining battery percentage.

This heavy metal brick is a good option for charging laptops and smaller gadgets. It packs 20,000 mAh and supports a wide variety of fast charging standards. There is one USB-C PD port rated at 65 watts, two USB-A QC ports at 30 watts apiece, and a micro-USB input (though you are best using the USB-C to recharge it). We haven’t seen it go on sale very often.

This travel kit from ESR works well if you want something that can prop your iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation. It can also display your Apple Watch in Nightstand mode, so you can peek and see how long before you must get out of bed. The main body folds open with a MagSafe charging pad for your iPhone and a slot behind for your AirPods. We have seen this dip a little lower, but this is still a solid deal.

The unusual design of Satechi’s fold-up wireless charging stand allows it to charge both phones and a wireless earbuds case (if it supports Qi wireless charging), plus a USB-C port to plug in a third device—not bad for a device that fits in your bag. It has a 10,000-mAh capacity with LEDs to show how much juice is left. The downside is that it is slow, offering up to 10 watts of wireless charging power for phones (7.5 watts for iPhones), 5 watts for earbuds, and 10 watts from the USB-C port.

Best Prime Day Headphone Deals

While its predecessor was one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds around, the WF-1000XM5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is still no slouch. They produce balanced sound, are comfortable to wear, and have active noise cancellation. When using the ANC, they last up to eight hours on a single charge, stretching to around 12 hours without it.

This deal is a match of historic low pricing that we don’t see come around very often. The Google Pixel Buds Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are truly excellent earbuds—particularly if you have an Android phone. They’re comfortable and available in a wide array of colors at this price.

This is an invite-only deal (read more about that below). The Jabra Elite 7 Active top the list of our favorite workout earbuds. They came out in 2021, but are still the smallest, with the teeniest case, and the most comfortable we’ve tried. The rubber tip kept these securely in our ears while running, even while under a beanie that was rubbing against them. You can customize the level of ambient noise you let in via the Sound+ app, and they’re IP57-rated to withstand sweat. You’ll get 8 hours of battery life and up to 30 hours in the case.

If you have an iPhone, these are the best earbuds. The newer USB-C model (8/10, WIRED Recommends), has redesigned audio infrastructure, and remains to have some of the best noise canceling and microphones we’ve heard on a pair of earbuds.

Anker’s Space A40 earbuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are packed with features for the price, with noise canceling, wireless charging, and 10 hours of battery life. Plus, they sound good, are lightweight, and comfortable to wear, which is why our reviewers say they nearly give Apple’s AirPods a run for their money. Anker’s Liberty 4 NC earbuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are another feature-packed pair of buds with great noise canceling, and are on sale for $80 ($20 off).

The Beats Studio Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) were released just a couple of months ago. We wish the battery life was longer and that the controls and EQ options were more robust. But this price makes them more worthwhile, and they do have excellent noise canceling.

These noise-cancelling headphones are our favorite for the office. With advanced signal processing and four microphones built in, these will limit any sound around you, making them great for focusing on work in a busy environment and for Zoom calls. These often fluctuate in price, but we think it’s a great deal.

We like Sony’s standard LinkBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for the open-ear design that allows you to hear what’s going on around you. If you do a lot of city walking, or use your earbuds somewhere that it’s important to be aware of your surroundings, like while feeding lions at the zoo, then these are a great option.

These are our favorite workout headphones for running and biking—any sport where you have to be aware of traffic but still want to listen to podcasts. They also fit under a helmet and have a decent 10-hour battery life.

Best Prime Day Kitchen Deals

The Vitamix 5200 is a staple on wedding registries, but, turns out, you can just buy them too. Like WIRED contributor Joe Ray, I was never really a blender person, but the Vitamix changed that. Whether you’re blending smoothies, soups, or sauces, this mixer is powerful and durable. It’s not cheap (even on sale), but it’s worth it.

If you want a Vitamix, but don’t want to shell out for the 5200, the Explorian is a good, cheaper alternative. This is the brand’s entry-level blender, but it still has a powerful two-horsepower engine that will reduce the toughest nuts to a creamy paste.

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender comes with a 1,500-watt motor base with a 64-ounce pitcher. It features a locking lid with a spout and includes a tamper for pushing down ingredients while you blend. There’s also a good selection of presets, like a purée setting, one for soups, one for frozen drinks, and one for smoothies.

If you’re looking to save on counter space, the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is better suited to smaller kitchens and households. The full-size, 5-quart version is also on sale for $380 ($60 off).

Sous vide cooking is a great way to stop overcooking your food. It’s a handy addition to any kitchen, and the Nano 3.0 is one of our favorite starter precision cookers.

This AeroGarden goes on sale all the time, but the price is right. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe said it was super easy to use. Simply place the seed pods in their corresponding holes, keep the bottom filled up with water, and wait. Just keep in mind that the light is bright—this model would not be ideal in a studio apartment. And it’ll grow herbs like crazy, which is a blessing or a curse depending on how much dill you can use in a given week.

Zojirushi Rice Cooker on a kitchen table next to a plant and food items

Zojirushi’s rice cookers are a favorite at WIRED. The brand uses “fuzzy logic technology” with a microcomputer (hence the abbreviation “micom” in the product name) to make tiny adjustments in heat placement, ensuring that your grains are perfectly done, with minimal effort and no burned or wet spots. We have seen this one dip slightly lower, but this is still a good deal.

We love Le Creuset’s enameled cast iron dishes (the bread pan isn’t on sale, but it’s one of our favorites). This roasting pan is a good size for everything from chicken to a prime rib.

Plastic wrap is annoying. Try these beeswax wraps instead. They’re organic cotton and sustainably sourced beeswax (along with jojoba oil and tree resin), which makes them waterproof (just make sure to use cold water to rinse them; hot water could melt off the wax). See our Best Reuseable Products guide for more great options.

These are a WIRED favorite. They do everything a single-use Ziplock bag does but, of course, they don’t need to be thrown out and are dishwasher-, freezer-, and microwave-safe. You can also use them to keep supplies like screws, crayons, and bobby pins organized.

In addition to Stasher, we also love Rezip reusable baggies. They’re durable, freezer-safe, and easy to clean—just stick them in the dishwasher. They’re also much cheaper than Stasher if you want to dip your toes into reusables. This is the 5-piece set, but there are a bunch of other options discounted too.

The HydroJug (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite water bottles. It’s big and heavy, but it can be a useful tool if you’re often unmotivated to fill smaller, scrawnier bottles. The sale price extends to a variety of colors.

On Prime Day a few years ago, I (Louryn) got a multipack of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and I accidentally conditioned myself to crave them before bed. If you fall into the same trap, or you’re a normal person and you just enjoy a spicy snack from time to time, this is a good and cheap way to restock. Use Subscribe and Save to get the lowest price (or pay the nominal difference of $2 more for a one-time shipment). You can always cancel Subscribe and Save shipments after your first order arrives.

This All-Clad set includes 10-inch and 12-inch frying pans, which is a nice combo for families or anyone who regularly needs larger pans. All-Clad’s D3 stainless steel construction has a very even heat distribution and is pretty durable. Reviewer Scott Gilbertson has seen these warp after about 10 years, but so far it hasn’t happened to his. You can find more All-Clad deals here.

We haven’t been able to try 1Zpresso’s hand grinder yet, but it gets high marks from espresso gurus around the web. It’s over triple the price of our favorite hand grinder, the Hario Skerton Pro ($50), so there are certainly cheaper ways to grind, but the J-Max has always garnered high marks for its ability to deliver a very even fine grind.

The compact pick in our guide to the best air fryers, Ninja’s Max XL is notable for its space-saving design, which leaves countertop space for other tasks such as prepping vegetables. The max crisp setting is perfect for making homemade fries with a nice amount of crunch, and you can even modify conventional oven recipes to work with the Ninja.

The trick-or-treaters are coming (or perhaps just the midnight munchies). In any case, Amazon has a bunch of candy on sale right now, with prices starting at $2. Who doesn’t need a 24-pack of Nerd Ropes?

These are reviewer Louryn Strampe’s favorite coffee mugs, and not just because they’re a brilliant shade of pink. The cups’ construction makes it appear like your drink is floating, and the 16-ounce capacity means more coffee down your gullet.

If you have kids who touch everything dangerous in your kitchen, we recommend the double-walled Zwilling kettle in our Best Kettles guide. It comes with six presets, as well as a dedicated button for making baby formula.

Once our top pick for chef knives, the Victorinox is still a great knife. We really like the nearly nonstick finish—hardly anything sticks to this blade, not even fresh cilantro. It’s a great all-around kitchen knife and well worth grabbing at this price.

Best Prime Day Coffee Deals

What we love about the Breville Impress (6/10, WIRED Review) is that beginners can make good to very good espresso right out of the box. Breville has done a nice job of automating some of the trickier elements of espresso-making. The downside is that we found a good bit of variation from shot to shot.

The Barista Touch is a coffee shop in a machine. You get a built-in burr grinder, a hot water spout, and a digital display to control your brews. Tap the Latte button and the Touch will crank out a latte, even foaming the milk. The results are not as good as what you can do by hand, but it’s a nice option if you’re feeling lazy.

There are dozens of these milk frothers available on Amazon, from dozens of different spammy companies all selling more or less the same device. None of them are outstanding, but I bought one a few years ago and, surprisingly, it’s still going. Use it to froth milk, or for what I do: mixing up matcha tea. Will this one last you years? I honestly don’t know, but at least you’re only out $8 if it doesn’t.

Nothing beats the speed and convenience of an electric kettle for heating up water to a precise temperature. Stovetop kettles can’t compete on any criteria. Plus, if you want to get into pour-over coffee, which many WIRED staffers heartily recommend, your kettle will need a gooseneck so that your pour is precise. The nearly identical EKG+ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has a smooth pour and can hold its temperature for up to an hour before it auto shuts off, although the 2.5-foot cable could stand to be longer.

We go nuts for coffee here on WIRED’s Gear Team, and the ingenious AeroPress is one of our favorite portable coffee makers. It makes a damn fine cup of brew. It also happens to be incredibly easy to use and clean up. This one will make 10 fluid ounces of coffee up to a time, which is about a diner mug’s worth.

Best Prime Day Mattress Deals

Helix Midnight Luxe mattress on yellow backdrop

Enter code DEALDAY25 at checkout to get this deal, which includes two pillows. This matches the best price we’ve seen our favorite mattress reach. The Midnight Luxe has six layers of foam and individually wrapped inner springs. It’s medium-firm and comfortable for almost all sleeping positions. There are other firmness levels within the Luxe collection that we haven’t tested yet.

Casper’s hybrid bed reaches its $1,495 price but is often $1,196 on Amazon. Still, this price is among the best deals we’ve tracked on a bed from the brand that put bed-in-a-box mattresses on the map. This hybrid is a great neutral option. Did you read our guide and have no idea which one to go with? Get this one. It strikes a good balance between soft and supportive, with just enough bounce.

My Green Mattress on bed frame in a bedroom

Enter code DISCOVER at checkout to see this discount. We have seen this dip slightly lower in the past, but the base price has risen since then and this price is lower than recent sales. This is our top organic mattress pick for kids. It’s made from certified organic cotton, wool, and latex.

Enter code DISCOVER at checkout to apply this discount. If you aren’t ready for a whole new mattress, spruce up your existing one with a mattress topper. This organic latex choice from My Green Mattress is our favorite firm topper—it’s 2 inches high, has a zipper if you need to remove the organic cotton cover from the pad, and stays in place nicely without needing any straps.

pink Brooklinen blanket on orange background

This price is for the terra-cotta color only. Brooklinen’s weighted blanket is 12 pounds but feels sufficiently weighty. It’s held up well through many trips in the wash and cat biscuit-making sessions. It’s also prettier than some other options with one side having a nice texture pattern.

We like several Brooklinen sheets, and this is our favorite organic set. They’re soft, but not overly silky and you shouldn’t sleep too hot in them. They are made from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton and are Oeko-Tex certified, which means they’re tested for and do not contain any known toxic chemicals.

This amazing and gigantic blanket will be the focus of its own story in a few weeks’ time. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe loves it. True to its name, it’s massive, measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, so it’s really easy to share—even if you’re a blanket hog like she is. The price matches what we’ve seen during other shopping holidays.

Best Prime Day Smart Home Deals

Govee Lamp illuminating multiple colors in a living room

In our Govee Buying Guide, we selected this as the best lamp. It has a modern design and support for Amazon Alexa as well as Google Assistant. You can select the lighting using your phone or the included remote. This price matches the lowest we have seen.

Turn anything plugged into an outlet into a smart device with a smart plug. Our favorite mini smart plug from Kasa is on sale—usually available for around $17, snagging these great plugs for $6 each is a steal. It’s easy to control and create routines, and these bulbs work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.

Philips Hue’s smart bulb starter kit isn’t a cheap investment, and we usually only recommend it if you’re looking for an upgraded kit. But it is a little cheaper right now to get three bulbs, a smart switch, and Philips’ smart home hub, which you can use with older Philips bulbs and other third-party accessories. It’s the lowest deal we’ve seen on this kit in months.

The Netgear Nighthawk series of routers are well regarded and make up some of the picks in our Best Routers guide. This model isn’t one of the fancy ones, but it’s a solid choice. You get Wi-Fi 6 support, coverage of up to 3,500 square feet, and the USB input means you can connect a storage drive for shared disk space.

Sitting at the top of our Best Wi-Fi Routers guide, this Wi-Fi 6 router is ideal for the average home seeking more reliable Wi-Fi on a budget. It has a slick, black finish with four antennas, performs reliably, and has four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a single gigabit WAN port, and a USB 3.0 port on the back. It is frequently discounted but hasn’t been this low since Amazon’s last Prime Day event.

If you’re battling Wi-Fi dead zones in your house, you may need to add a mesh router to your setup. Our upgrade pick, Eero’s Pro 6E (7/10, WIRED Recommends) makes this process as simple and hands-off as it can be, and each should one covers 2,000 square feet. The brand’s subscription is pricey at $10 a month (the cheaper option was eliminated)—you don’t have to subscribe for it to work but there are nice features like parental controls. This older Eero router is on sale for $45 if you just need something cheap right now.

SimpliSafe (9/10, WIRED Recommends) makes home security easy to set up and expand on as needed with multiple motion, door, and window sensors, plus panic buttons and key fob controllers. The brand has frequent sales—and you’ve probably heard podcast ads with discount codes—but we don’t typically see it reach 50 percent off. We didn’t like the indoor SimpliCam, but it has since been updated and we have yet to test the new one. Several other smaller bundles are also discounted between 40 and 50 percent off with different variations of accessories.

person using smartphone app to control Govee Neon Rope Lights hung on wall

Govee makes some of our favorite smart lighting, and this is our pick for a diffused light strip that can be installed on the wall, stairs, or anywhere else in plain view. It comes with adhesive brackets, so you can make curved shapes like clouds. It supports countless effects in the Govee app and works with voice commands from Google Assistant or Alexa. Read our Best Govee Lights guide for more.

Monster’s digital frame isn’t as good as options from Aura or Nixplay, which top our guide to the best digital frames, but we like it better than most other cheap frames. The 1280p screen gets you crisp photos and you can use Google Assistant or Alexa with it too. If you just can’t imagine spending $150 or so on those other frames, this one works.

If you can spend more than the Monster above, we do prefer our top choices, but Skylight’s 15-inch frame looks nice whether you put it on a shelf or wall mount it. There’s a smaller 10-inch one if you want to spend less.

It’s debatable whether some of the Best Portable Power Stations are truly all that portable, but this one from EcoFlow is easy to carry, with a large handle along the back. The LiFeP04 battery inside is good for 768 watt-hours and perfect for keeping your gadgets charged up on camping trips. The main downside is fan noise.

The smaller version of this recently earned a spot in our Best Portable Chargers guide, and the larger model is our top pick of the Best Portable Power Stations, so the 1000 Plus is definitely worth a look. It packs a 1264Wh-capacity battery, loads of ports, three AC outlets, and is rated at 2,000 watts with a 4,000-watt peak power capability, which means you can plug in electric grills and other small appliances without worrying.

Image may contain Cell Phone Electronics Mobile Phone Phone and Text

If you’re constantly losing remotes, Tile’s Stickers can come in handy. These Bluetooth tracker stickers can be stuck onto remotes, e-readers, or anything else you want to keep track of within a 150-foot range. This is the best price we’ve seen since last year.

Petcube makes some of our favorite pet cameras, and this one holds more treats (1.5 pounds) and larger pieces (up to 1 inch in diameter) than some of the others we tried. The Bites 2 looks good and has an extensive four-microphone array that sounds great both ways. ~~The~~ ~~Bites 2 Lite~~ ~~loses the laser and is made from plastic rather than aluminum, but it’s significantly cheaper, typically at about $100. Right now it’s discounted to $80.~~

Even with the subscription ($3 per month or $30 per year), this video doorbell is one of the cheapest options around, and it made the honorable mentions section in our Best Video Doorbells guide. Video quality is 1080p with a limited field of view, and notifications aren’t the fastest, but it performs reliably. If you don’t want a subscription, consider buying it bundled with Sync Module 2 ($47), which is also half-price right now.

Niu KQi3 Pro electric scooters on a yellow background

This is our favorite electric scooter for most people. It goes on sale regularly, so never pay full price for one. The KQi3 has great range, going 18 to 20 miles for most people. It maxes out at 20 miles per hour, the 9.5-inch tubeless tires offer a comfy ride, and the disc brakes reliably bring it to a quick stop.

Even after trying the newer Withings Body Comp smart scale, the Body+ model is still in the sweet spot for us. It tracks data about your health including body fat, muscle mass, and total body water, and can display charts of your progress over time.

This is an upgraded model of our favorite, the Body+ mentioned above. It adds extra features to keep an eye on your heart health, like its built-in heart monitor that can analyze your cardiovascular health using vascular age data. We found this wasn’t totally worth the extra price on the more expensive Withings Body Comp scale, but the Body Cardio is cheaper normally, and even better on this sale.

Water damage is one of the most frightening and potentially expensive disasters any homeowner can face, but if you learn about a leak swiftly enough you can keep damage to a minimum. This kit comes with four sensors and a hub and uses the relatively long-range LoRa standard to alert you the minute any of the sensors detects water. It is our pick for larger properties in our Best Water Leak Detectors guide.

This chunky doorbell offers 1080p video and a wide 162-degree field of view to help you monitor your front porch. It takes regular AA batteries (but can also be wired) and it comes with an indoor hub that can record video locally onto a microSD card, but also doubles as a Wi-Fi repeater and a chime. It has wide smart home compatibility, and can even be used with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video, which is what earned it a place in our Best Video Doorbells guide.

If you want to stay powered up on your travels, you need a travel adapter, and this one from Epicka is the budget pick in our Best Travel Adapters guide. It works in more than 150 countries and has four USB-A ports on the bottom, plus a 15-watt USB-C port on the side. It has dropped this low before, but not for a while.

Get not one, not two, but four of our favorite smart bulbs for the best price we’ve seen all year. These smart bulbs are easy to use, beautifully vibrant, comes with a variety of present colors, and work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Best Prime Day Home, Apparel, and Personal Care Deals

Therabody’s Smart Goggles (9/10, WIRED Recommends) use heat, vibrations, and light pressure to massage your eyes and temples. The app lets you customize sessions and track your heart rate to help reduce stress and anxiety. It feels amazing, but it’s very expensive—all Therabody products are—and I noticed a small hole in the eye pad after a while. It hasn’t gotten bigger, but it’s worth noting. We’re testing Gravity’s competing eye massager right now. It’s not app-controlled, but it’s much cheaper and we don’t hate it so far.

The TheraFace Pro is a very expensive self-care tool. We liked it, finding it exfoliated away blackheads, cleared up stuffy sinuses from allergies, and even minimized fine lines. But there are also buzzwordy functions that may or may not work, like microcurrent. It hasn’t gone on sale often in its yearish shelf life so if you can afford to spend this much on a skincare device, it’s a good time to grab it. Unfortunately, the hot and cold heads are an additional $99.

Our favorite wearable breast pump is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to bring anywhere. What’s not easy is the price tag you usually find on the Willow Go (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s priced similarly to a standard portable pump right now, though, making it much more worth the splurge.

If you’re shopping for baby gear, a good deal goes a long way with how much stuff you need before little one arrives. While insurance covers some of the cost of pumps, it’s often not all of it. Depending on the insurance you have, this current deal on the Elvie Stride (7/10, WIRED Recommends) may get you closer to the price that your plan will cover.

Our favorite stroller is all-around great: it comes with an adapter for infant car seats, has great suspension without being bulky, and folds down surprisingly close to flat. It’s already a great deal for its regular price, and even more worth purchasing right now. We occasionally see it go a little lower than $300 on sale, but this is a great price to jump on.

A person once asked rhetorically: If you fell in the mud, would you reach for a sheet of toilet paper or a hose? They were talking about bidets, and put that way, it does seem to be a cleaner option. Certainly, it’s gentler on your caboose. The Tushy is affordable and, as far as bidets go, easy to install on practically any toilet. There’s no need for an electrical plug or a hot water hookup, which is why we gave it the recommendation as the best budget bidet that’s non-electric.

Trimming and edging the lines of a beard can be just as time-consuming and aggravating as edging a lawn. Most trimmers on the market make do with too many plastic guides of different lengths—too many—and yet not enough attachments for fine detailing. The Multigroom Series 9000 comes with an adjustable guide from 1 to 3 millimeters, plus a mini-foil shaver, narrow-width head, T-shaped head, ear/nose attachment, and more. Its stainless steel construction is a rarity among consumer-level trimmers, too, and feels solid in the hand, as if you’re a semi-professional barber working magic rather than just a guy in a bathroom mirror.

For larger rooms, you want a larger air purifier, and we recommend the Airmega 250 as the best air purifier for living rooms. Product reviewer Matt Jancer has been using one for years to keep the air inside his New York City apartment clean and pure. Filters tend to be expensive at $60 to 80, but he’s gotten nearly a year out of each filter, so the performance-per-price is worth it, in his opinion. Its automatic functioning will kick the purifier into high gear if heavy pollution is detected, but normally it runs on a whisper-quiet low setting when needed. Even sitting a few feet away, Matt doesn’t notice it.

Enter code WOOF25 at checkout to see this discount. I get compliments on this Diggs carrier every time I bring my cats to the vet. It works for cats or smaller dogs and it feels high-end in its construction, with lots of pockets for you. There are safety features like seat belt clips and a buckle strap and it’s also been crash-tested and gets a five-star rating by the Center for Pet Safety. The only thing I dislike is that you can’t really see through the mesh to make sure your pet is OK, but the company says this is to give nervous pets some privacy and calmness.

A sunrise alarm wakes you up at you set time by gradually brightening and changing the color temperature, or the color spectrum, to mimic real sunlight. It’s a gentler way to wake up than a blaring alarm. Like most sunrise alarms, the WiiM also has a sunset feature for winding down before bed. Of all the ones WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer tested, the WiiM was the easiest to set up and walk the user through its operation on the connected app.

WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer has relied on the 35-pint model to keep his East Coast apartment habitable during sweltering, humid summers. You can set the desired humidity level in 5 percent increments from 35 to 85, and the automatic functioning will turn the machine on and off as needed. It’s not particularly loud for a dehumidifier, and Jancer has to empty the water bin only once per day on his smaller model.

An electric fan is an ideal way to save a bit of money on air conditioning costs and to add a bit of pleasant white noise to boot. Unlike air conditioning, they take only a sip of electricity to run. WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer has been using the Vornado 460 for three summers and says its ability to move an impressive amount of air around a bedroom on the lowest setting belies its smallish size.

This has been on sale for $300 for a little while, but we still like this price. The Dyson Supersonic (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the best hair dryers you can buy. It’s also extremely expensive, so definitely buy it while it is on sale rather than paying full price.

We recommend this hair tool in our guide to the Best Hair Straighteners. We have not seen it drop so low in price before. The flat iron is easy to use and comfortable to hold. We wish it had more temperature settings, but it’s best for finer, wavier hair. If you want something simple that’ll do the trick, and your hair isn’t too textured, this is a solid option.

This multi-styling tool is also featured in our Best Hair Straighteners guide. It comes with round and paddle-brush attachments to get whatever look you’re trying to achieve. The price is a match of the lowest we have tracked.

WIRED readers love LifeStraw filters, and this is the lowest we tend to see them drop in price. We include this product in our guide to the Best Home Emergency Gear. It removes 99 percent of waterborne bacteria and pathogens. At this price, you could pick one up for each member of the family.

This is very similar to a coat we recommended in our affordable cold-weather gear guide. Orolay coats consistently go viral because they’re budget-friendly and warm. While we haven’t tested this exact jacket, the reviews are positive and the price is right. Other coats from the brand are also on sale.

A full review of this bed is coming, but the tl;dr is it’s super comfy with a soft, machine-washable cover and it’s big enough for adults to relax in. If you stare longingly at your pet as they snooze in their tiny beds, you might want to consider investing in your own. It’s expensive though, so the $100 discount is welcome.

The Gravity Move (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite massage guns. It’s compact but works sore muscles with ease. The Move comes with four attachment heads, including a heated one that feels heavenly. We just wish the case was bigger—it only fits the device and one head at a time.

Navigating the sheer amount of printer options available is exhausting. We don’t have a full printer guide just yet, but after my last one died, I bought this one on the recommendation of a fellow WIRED reviewer and have been more than happy with the results. Prints and scans are good quality. It’s also wireless and you can print from your phone too.

You’ve likely seen these candles floating around your feeds and they’re great buys to treat yourself or to gift others. They’re 13.5 ounces, smell good, and are hand-poured in the US. Also astrology is fun, whether you’re actually into it or not—according to the company, I, Nena, having been born on March 28, am reclusive by nature. Accurate!

I (Adrienne) have two pairs of these ear plugs, which are the Best for Sleep in our Best Earplugs guide. They are stylish, have different-sized ear tips, and stay put much more easily than the foam ones that you buy in a giant can. I like that they’re reusable!

This handy tool has been steadily $25 for the last few months. It isn’t a huge discount, but if you have pets, you need this. Roll it across your furniture to trap all the fur in its inner compartment, then just open it up and toss that fur in the trash. It works well and you don’t have to worry about refilling sticky lint rollers.

Dog owners tend to know exactly the genetic makeup of their pups. Cat owners, not so much. Basepaws gives you a chance to learn more about your feline friends. We received PDF reports 70ish pages long detailing breed percentages and it states if they’re a carrier or at risk of several health issues. Any pet can get sick at any time, but it’s nice to know if you’re up against something that you can maybe prevent.

I (Adrienne) am currently running in these shoes, which have a wide toe box and are designed to switch easily between running on trails and roads. They’re incredibly versatile.

Last Prime Day, we were shocked to see that Amazon even carried one of our favorite recycled clothing brands. And lo, here we are, shocked again. This is the price we saw in July for some of the best recycled workout clothes.

Best Prime Day Vacuum Deals

The V15 Detect holds the top spot in our Best Dyson Vacuums guide. At 7 pounds, it’s lightweight, and Dyson has made it simple to convert into a handheld model. Since it’s a Detect model, it also comes with a head that projects a green laser to help you spot microscopic dust—making it easy to catch particles that are invisible to the naked eye.

Lupe’s cordless vacuum (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the best we tried and while it’s cheaper than a Dyson, it’s still very expensive even on sale. The cleaner head has a standard rotating brush and a composite foam roller, and when using its highest setting, that foam creates a strong seal against the ground. Most cordless vacs are best used in between really good cleanings with a more powerful upright vacuum, but the Lupe might be all you need. Unfortunately, it sounds terrible.

This is the best budget-friendly Dyson, and thanks to today’s deal price, the vacuum is even more accessible. It can be converted into a hand vacuum and has a runtime of about 40 minutes. The included attachments will make it easier to get into the various nooks and crannies of your home.

In our guide to the Best Dyson Vacuums, we say this model is worthwhile if it’s priced between $300 and $400. Well, well, well, would you look at that? Looks like the price is right. This is a solid pick for pet owners. It’s similar to the Animal 3, but this model has a self-adjusting cleaner head that automatically raises and lowers the base plate to seal in suction on all floor types. There’s also a motorized brush for added efficiency.

Shark AI Ultra 2in1 Robot Vacuum with iPhone displaying Shark app on purple backdrop.

The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite vac-mop combo in our Best Robot Vacuums guide. It vacuums well and does a thorough job of scrubbing the floors (using the included mopping bin) without getting the carpets wet. It also uses laser navigation to accurately map your home, allowing you to subdivide vacuuming and mopping zones within the easy-to-use app.

The Eufy X9 Pro (6/10, WIRED Review) doesn’t work well as a stand-alone robot vacuum, but it’s the best mopping vacuum we’ve tried. On the bottom of the X9 Pro are two mops that both rotate at about 180 revolutions per minute; it’s both fast and accurate. WIRED senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So says it only took 30 minutes to mop her kitchen (including a spilled half-bottle of syrup without leaving the floor sticky), laundry room, and bathroom. The docking station dries the mops for you too, so they don’t get gross.

Roborock Q5 robot vacuum shown with smartphone app

Roborock recently launched an upgrade to this model, our favorite robot vacuum and our current top pick. WIRED senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So says that, after several years, it’s still the one vacuum she hasn’t unplugged and consistently calls on to clean her house after other robot vacuums have failed.

Shark’s AI Ultra 2-in-1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has an amazing amount of functionality for the price compared to similar robot vac-mops out there, and that’s before this sweet sale price. It uses laser navigation to map your home, and you can use an app to divide it into mopping and vacuuming areas depending on your flooring. The mopping is effective without getting your floors wet, too, and you won’t need replacement bin bags. The price is specifically for the black and gold colorway, but the black and silver model is also on sale (though not as much as the gold version).

This is a match of the lowest price we tend to see for this little green machine. It made our list of the Best Carpet Cleaners and the Best Viral TikTok Gadgets. It’s great for cleaning furniture, stairs, and vehicles.

This is the version of Samsung’s stick vacuum that does not purport to use AI. The good news is that you probably don’t really need machine learning in a vacuum, as I noted in my review (7/10, WIRED Review). This is a great vacuum if your midcentury modern home needs a vacuum to fit in with the stylish decor.

Refresh your rugs with this smart carpet cleaner, which has a clever design and is fairly easy to maneuver. It is great at sucking grime out of your carpet, has a drying mode, and comes with attachments for upholstery. As the upgrade pick in our Best Carpet Cleaners guide, the relatively high price is our main criticism, so it’s worth taking advantage of the discount. It does occasionally drop, but we have never seen it lower than this.

It can be a pain having to lug around a heavy carpet cleaner to deal with a spill or pet-related accident, so this portable, cordless cleaner from Bissell is handy. It is also mercifully easy to take apart and clean after you’ve dealt with the mess. It appears in our Best Carpet Cleaners guide as our favorite spot cleaner.

Best Prime Day Lego and Other Toy Deals

This is not the enormous, 6,000-piece set for adults, but the version for kids. Still, commemorative theme sets tend to increase in value if you don’t open them and hold them for a few years (if you can convince yourself to do that). It was $34 less when this sale first started.

One of the most gratifying parts of parenthood is realizing that your children are now fascinated by the same toys and characters that you loved when you were little. It never fails to blow my mind that my 6-year-old also knows who Optimus Prime is. This action figure transforms from a truck (very cool) into a robot (even cooler!) to save the Earth from the evil Decepticons. This would make a great holiday present.

Adrienne’s 6-year-old son has this playset, which they unfortunately paid full price for in a moment of weakness. It’s incredibly sturdy and has lasted for several years while being stomped on and thrown into battle with other playsets. The Grimlock T-Rex motorcycle is obviously the coolest one, but siblings can share.

Kids will love this durable, portable speaker, as it can handle bedtime stories, music, and other content by slotting in cards. It also features a kid-friendly radio and a sleep mode. This appears in our Best Kids Speakers guide and is suitable for children from ages 3 to 12.

If you have a vase you love, but wish your flowers would last longer, LEGO has the answer for you. Build these artificial flowers that range from roses, poppies, daises and snapdragons to add to your favorite vessel.

Behold this adorable stack of pancakes complete with a butter-and-syrup flower garnish. Have you ever seen a cuter Squishmallow? I highly doubt it. Tons of Squishmallows are on sale for Prime Day. Other options include a narwhal, hedgehog, mushroom, and possum. You can view them all here.

Magna-Tiles are addicting for just about any kid, in the best kind of way. They’re a STEM toy we’re major fans of for a variety of ages. This set lets you build a road and cranes, so it’s a great choice for any construction enthusiast or as an add-on to any current Magna-Tiles owners.

For a hazy few years, WIRED editor Adrienne So says her kids were obsessed with the Lego Ninjago series. (The show was originally commissioned as a limited run and then extended for its popularity.) This is a pretty reasonable price for a biggish 1,060-piece set that looks like a relatively simple build with a ton of minifigs.

This is a 4,049-piece set from the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron, complete with three light-up arc reactors and compatibility with the Iron Man figure (sold separately).

If you’re looking for a more interactive Lego set, look no further than the City Stuntz Ultimate Stunt Riders Challenge. It comes with a 360-degree loop, a ring of fire, an “alien tower” vertical climb, a ramp, two toy motorcycles, and four Lego City minifigures. The three stunt challenges can be configured in a variety of different ways too. This is also the lowest price we’ve tracked for this Lego set, so far.

Best Prime Day TV and Soundbar Deals

Samsung The Frame TV displaying illustration of the Golden Gate Bridge

Anyone who cares about the aesthetics of their space probably doesn’t want to stare at their TV screen all the time. That’s where Samsung’s The Frame comes in. This TV looks like a piece of art when not in use, helping it blend into the background of your well-curated space.

This quantum dot-enabled OLED is the brightest organic LED display that we’ve tested. It has shockingly bright colors to go with its great contrast. Small bezels also aid in a super immersive picture, making this one of the best TVs for brighter rooms.

Amazon’s Fire TVs are a solid and affordable way to get a quality screen for very little money. This 65-inch model has Dolby Vision support for good colors, and you can control it using your voice and Alexa.

The Hisense U8K is among the best-value TVs we’ve ever seen. It features a mini-LED display for ultra-bright colors and great contrast and is super easy to set up and use thanks to the onboard Google interface. Learn more in our full review (8/10, WIRED Recommends).

Hisense is a purveyor of quality mid-tier TVs, and this U7 is no exception. If you’re after a larger screen to enjoy sports, the 144-Hz native refresh rate makes games (both real and virtual) look smooth as silk. I also like that it supports the latest high dynamic range codecs, so you’ll get the brightest, most vibrant colors possible.

If you need a super large screen and you don’t have a ton of cash lying around, this option from TCL is solid. It has support for the latest high dynamic range codecs like Dolby Vision for great colors, and the built-in Fire TV interface features essentially any app you want. It’s not the brightest or prettiest TV ever, but it is big and has bold color.

Nanoleaf’s 4D Kit (9/10, WIRED Recommends) can turn any movie or video game into a beautiful, immersive experience. The kit comes with both a trimmable light strip that fits TVs as large as 65 inches, and Nanoleaf’s 4D camera that captures the TV screen’s colors and projects them onto the wall behind the TV. The larger size is on sale, too, if your TV is between 65 and 85 inches.

The JBL Bar 1300X (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with detachable wireless speakers. You can pop off the two speakers on the side of the main soundbar and place them wherever you’d like without having to worry about whether there are power outlets nearby or having to hide cables. It also has some of the best Dolby Atmos immersion we’ve heard from a soundbar at this price. The only downside is that, without cables, you’ll have to charge the speakers between uses.

Yamaha’s SR-C20A is our favorite affordable soundbar. It’s affordable to tack onto even a very modest TV budget and its 100-watt forward-facing drivers can easily outperform the speakers on most TVs.

We’re fans of nearly everything Roku offers and that includes this Streambar, which allows you to upgrade your sound and your streaming with one device. It’s small enough that it’s ideal for homes where space is at a premium, but still sounds good.

This is our favorite TV to recommend for most people. The mid-tier model (7/10, WIRED Recommends) comes equipped with quantum dot technology and support for every high dynamic range (HDR) format for stunning colors. There’s a game mode too, which uses software that can upscale 1080p to 120 frames per second. It’s worth noting that, unlike older models, this one comes with Google TV instead of Roku. This is also the lowest price we’ve tracked, so far.

WIRED reviewer Jaina Grey has spent a few years with this very large dual-subwoofer soundbar system from Japan. The two huge subwoofers deliver earth-shattering bass, while the two side speakers and rear speakers provide more lifelike reproduction than soundbars that bounce sound off the walls for side and rear noises. It also comes with support for all major object-based surround formats (like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos). It’s great for large spaces, where the extra bass response helps things feel more cinematic. This is also the lowest price we’ve tracked, so far.

For the luxury-minded, this extravagant soundbar from Sennheiser is our top pick. It has massive speakers with some of the best audio quality we’ve seen (or heard, I suppose) of any soundbar we’ve tested. It’s also one of the most expensive we recommend, but its price very rarely dips this low, so if you’ve been waiting for the perfect sale to grab one, now’s the time.

If you’re the type to set up smart speakers and gadgets throughout your home, this soundbar from Yamaha lets you cut down on some of that work. It comes with Amazon Alexa built in, and can control a host of other smart home gadgets. We’ve actually seen this soundbar’s price fluctuate a fair amount recently, sometimes as low as $180, but this is still nearly the cheapest we’ve ever seen it, so it’s a good time to grab one.

Best Prime Day Camera Deals

GoPro recently dropped the price of the Hero10 Black (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to $249, which makes it one of the cheapest action cameras on the market. It’s two generations old, but still a very capable camera. This deal nets you an extra battery, case, small tripod, and other accessories. Check out our Best Action Cameras guide for more buying advice.

An upgrade over our Canon top pick in our mirrorless camera guide, the R5 features a 45-megapixel full-frame CMOS Sensor, staggeringly fast autofocus, excellent subject tracking in continuous AF mode, and dual memory card slots. It isn’t cheap, but this is a pro-level beast of a camera. Note that the deal is on the body only; the lenses are sold separately.

We’ve seen this deal a couple of times in the past month, but it’s still a good one. Sony’s A7 III has been superseded by the A7 IV, but it’s still a very nice camera. The 24.2-megapixel sensor has fantastic dynamic range and the decently fast phase-detection autofocus means you won’t miss those key shots.

I swear by these cards. I have been using them for seven years now without issue (back then they were much more expensive). They’re fast enough for every camera that I’ve ever tested for WIRED, and I’ve never had any issue with them after years of life being tossed around in various camera bags.

I remain puzzled as to why CFexpress cards are so dang expensive, but they are and if your camera uses them (and most modern, high-end video cameras do) this is about as good of a deal as we’ve ever seen.

Our favorite speedy portable SSD, the SanDisk is lightweight, with IP22-rated enclosures so it’ll stand up to life on the go. I have been using this drive to make weekly backups for almost two years now and have had no issues. That said, our friends at Ars Technica, and other users around the web, have noted extremely high failure rates with this drive, mainly with the 2- and 4-TB versions. SanDisk has issued a firmware update, which seems to fix the problem.

Samsung’s T7 external solid-state drives are among the WIRED gear team’s favorites. Lightning fast and reliable, solid-state drives take less babying than hard drives. The T7 Shield comes with a rubberized exterior to protect it from drops and impacts, and it’s also IP65 water- and dust-resistant. It comes with a USB-C cable, fits in the palm of your hand, and doesn’t require an external power source. Product reviewer Matt Jancer has been using several T7s and T7 Shields for three years and has never had even a hiccup. Other capacities are also on sale.

Several WIRED staffers love this little printer that outputs perfectly-sized, small-but-not too-small, Polaroid-like images. Though technically it costs $150, this printer has been hovering at $129 lately, but $78 is still a solid deal. This price is for the black but the other colors are discounted to $99. The larger Canon SELPHY CP1500 printer we tried is also on sale for $99. That’s also a solid price, but not uncommon.

Travel and Outdoor Deals

I (Matt Jancer) have wheeled, lifted, and slung around a lot of budget bags over dozens of trips across the globe, and the Maxlite is the one I recommend as the best budget suitcase. It’s lightweight at 5.4 pounds, reasonably well made compared to the competition, and stands up to the cargo bellies of aircraft without anything more than scuff marks. For a carry-on, the two-wheel rollaboard is my preference, since it offers more interior space than a four-wheel spinner.

Hydro Flask routinely make some of our favorite insulated water bottles. Most insulated travel mugs these days can keep ice water cold and hot coffee warm. What makes Hydro Flask stand out is the durability of their powder coating. I’ve (Matt Jancer) knocked several around for years in gyms, at the base of rock climbing walls outdoors, and rolling around the floorboards of my old car and have never managed to scratch or dent one yet.

When Is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days?

Amazon’s second big sale event runs from Tuesday, October 10 through Wednesday, October 11, 2023. It ends at 2:59 am ET on October 11 (11:59 pm PT).

Will You Need a Prime Membership?

Yes, this event is for Amazon Prime members, meaning most of these Prime Day deals are for subscribers only. If you want to take the ride you need to buy the ticket. In this case, the ticket is $15 a month, and you get free two-day shipping. There are a whole bunch of other Prime Day perks you can take advantage of as well. You can also sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial. Just register before the event and cancel right when the trial ends so you can take advantage of these deals. That said, there are a lot of discounted products available to folks who are not Prime subscribers. Retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are also price-matching some items or throwing their own competing sales.

What Are Invite-Only Deals?

During Prime Day this past summer, Amazon introduced invite-only deals—a system to help make it easier for Prime members to access deals that are expected to sell out quickly—and the company brought it back for Prime Big Deal Days. The feature is only available on select products but it has spread across a variety of categories and price points.

If a specific product is part of the Invite-Only Deals system, you’ll see a “Request Invite” button on the right-hand side. All you have to do is click it for a chance to buy the product at that sale price. However, it’s important to note that there’s no guarantee you’ll receive the invite. You can learn more about the program and how it works in our story on How to Shop Like a Pro During Amazon Prime Day.

When is Prime Day (Prime Big Deal Days)?

The second and presumably final Amazon Prime Day 2023 is happening right about…. now. Prime Day deals started flowing at 3 am EST on October 10 and will continue through October 11.

How to find the best Prime Big Deal Days deals?

WIRED is the only publication posting about Amazon Prime Day. Wait, sorry, looks a handful of other sites are, too. But you should only read WIRED, because we actually vet every deal and compare it to the actual street price instead of an absurd MSRP that you will never observe in the wild. Also, we review the products we recommend and don’t just send you Prime Day deals on junk that will break. It’s only a deal if you need it and it’s good!

Are other retailers running sales?

Amazon Prime Day has inspired many imitators and you’ll find sales from competitors like Best Buy, Target, and the like. Some of these sales are great, and we’ll flag when they are, but others are worth holding off on until Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when WIRED will again be the Internet’s only website with deals posts.

Retailer Sale Pages

38 Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Under $50 (2023)

by crissly | Oct 10, 2023 | Uncategorized

Prime Day is here again. Actually, Amazon’s second coming of Prime Day is now called Prime Big Deal Days—a bold choice, to say the least. We’ll still be calling it Amazon Prime Day, and you hereby have permission from this humble WIRED writer to do the same. If you’re hunting for the best cheap deals, well, you’re in luck. We’ve rounded up the best Prime Day deals under $50— nothing feels more like a deal than when it’s affordable, but it can be hard to find what’s a good cheap deal and what isn’t. We did the work for you (you’re welcome!).

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We test products year-round and handpicked these deals. Products that are sold out or no longer discounted as of publishing will be ~~crossed out~~. We’ll update this guide periodically throughout the sale event.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

Updated October 10: We’ve added more deals ranging from Rezip reusable bags to Magna-Tiles and Legos, and updated this guide with current pricing and any dead deals.

Kitchen Deals

This is the best price we’ve seen all year on these handy beeswax wraps, which have been available for about $16 all summer, that you can use over and over, rather than throwing away plastic wrap. It’s one of our favorite reusable products, and WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson says they’ve lasted him longer than the one-year use the company promises.

Stasher Reusable Bags on yellow background

These are a WIRED favorite and they do everything a single-use Ziplock bag does but, of course, they don’t need to be thrown out and are dishwasher-, freezer-, and microwave-safe. You can also use them to keep supplies like screws, crayons, and bobby pins organized.

This is another four pack from Stasher, but instead of four different reusable bags like the kit above, this colorful set has two sandwich bags and two snack bags. The tie-dye colors make them more fun to throw in a lunchbox or suitcase, too.

Home Deals

Gravity makes great weighted blankets, including this 15-pound budget version. It’s cheaper than most options out there but doesn’t lack in quality. You can add a cover too, which is also discounted, if you don’t want to have to wash the entire thing.

We already love Bedsure’s bamboo rayon sheets for how affordable they are. These sheets are consistently available for $60, so snagging them for a little cheaper is even better. They’re silky and cool, especially for the price point.

This video doorbell is one of the cheapest options around, even with a subscription ($3 per month or $30 per year). It made the honorable mentions section in our Best Video Doorbells guide. Video quality is 1080p with a limited field of view, and notifications aren’t the fastest, but it performs reliably. If you don’t want a subscription, consider buying it bundled with Sync Module 2 ($47), which is also half-price right now.

This AeroGarden goes on sale all the time, but the price is right. I (Louryn) tried this model, and it was super easy to use. Simply place the seed pods in their corresponding holes, keep the bottom filled up with water, and wait. Just keep in mind that the light is bright—this model would not be ideal in a studio apartment. And it’ll grow herbs like crazy, which is a blessing or a curse depending on how much dill you can use in a given week.

This deal beats previous price drops we’ve seen by $15. It’s reviewer Louryn Strampe’s absolute favorite pillow. It stays cool all night, the case is washable, and you can customize how much squishable material is inside. Quote from her: “15/10, Louryn recommends.”

Tech Deals

We prefer Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K Plus, but this one is cheaper and just as capable if you need a streaming device. There are other streaming devices out there, but Rokus remain our favorite for most people. They’re easy to set up and use even if you aren’t super tech-savvy. All the popular services are available.

This pricing matches the lowest we’ve ever seen for this device, which is one of the best 4K streaming devices. It traps you in Amazon’s ecosystem, but if you don’t mind (or you are already fully entrenched), it’s a good deal.

This isn’t a new deal; it’s been active since the last set of Prime Days in July. But before that, the case was usually only available for upward of $45. It’s our favorite overall case for iPhone 14 users, so if you need a great case or want to gift one, this is still a good price. It could go away once both Prime Days are done, or it might stick around. Only the deals gods will know for sure. Many of Otterbox’s cases and accessories are also on sale.

If you’re known for losing your remotes (or if you have a toddler who hides them) Tile’s Stickers can come in handy. These Bluetooth tracker stickers can be stuck onto remotes, e-readers, or anything else you want to keep track of within a 150-foot range. It’s the best price we’ve seen since last year.

The Anker Nano is one of our favorite portable power banks, particularly for phones. It clicks right into the bottom of your device and even comes in fun colors. This model has a 12-watt Lightning connector but there is a 22.5-watt USB-C version. The connector folds away when you aren’t using it. If you use a particularly thick case, this may not work. You’ll likely be able to charge most phones fully once before needing to recharge the power bank itself via the included USB-C cable.

smartphone with iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless charger

What we like best about this phone mount is that you can use it one-handed. The arms automatically close around it when you place your phone against the trigger button; to remove it, press the release bars. There’s also a telescopic arm and ball joint that allows you to tweak the placement and set an ideal angle. We also love the clever magnetic tab that attaches the charging cable to the back of the mount, to keep from having to fish around for it. Plus, it’s super sturdy—even on bumpy roads.

If you’re looking for a trendy case, look no further than this blocky and rectangular one. The bright neon color makes the phone pop. Aesthetics aside, it’s also a fairly well-rounded case. The cutouts are all accurate, the buttons are great, and it comes with MagSafe support. We tested this case with the iPhone 14, but this one is for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple’s dual USB-C port power adapter is an essential accessory if you have a tendency to forget to pack chargers for your devices on the go. With two USB-C ports, you can use it to recharge both your iPhone and MacBook simultaneously. Rated at 35 watts, it’s also powerful enough to recharge an iPad Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and more.

Zagg Invisible Shielf Glass XTR screen protector hovering above iPhone SE

If you’re tired of people glancing over at your display in public, the Glass Elite Privacy 360 will block anyone from seeing content on your screen from the sides. It also feels great and is fairly easy to apply. Our only gripe is that Zagg’s screen protectors are often expensive. While this has hit as low as $29, it’s a solid deal if you’re in need of a screen protector sooner rather than later.

This price is for the large size that fits the latest Kindle Paperwhite. There are two other sizes available for different Kindles and Kobos that are also discounted. Not all colors are on sale, but if you’ve been getting hand cramps during long reading sessions, you might like these. Attach one strap or both on the back of your e-reader and slide your hand in. You can move around without accidentally flipping pages or dropping your reader.

We’ve featured this deal a few times during previous shopping holidays. It’s still a good one. This tablet stand is included in several WIRED guides, including the Best iPad Accessories and the Best Work-from-Home Gear. The stand is lightweight, portable, and easy to use.

We’re fans of Amazon’s eero mesh routers and have a guide for picking the best here. This one isn’t our favorite, nor is it the most recent model, but it’s on a sale if you’re looking to improve your in-home connectivity. It’s just one router, so you might want to take advantage and stock up on a couple to get the complete mesh experience. (It’s also worth mentioning that while the price isn’t as cheap, the Pro version that we prefer is also on sale.)

Smart Home Deals

Get not one, not two, but four of our favorite smart bulbs for the best price we’ve seen all year. These smart bulbs are easy to use, beautifully vibrant, come with a variety of present colors and scenes, and work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Turn anything (well, anything that needs an outlet for power) into a smart device with a smart plug. Our favorite mini smart plug from Kasa is on sale. They’re usually around $17, so snagging these great plugs for $6 each is a steal. It’s easy to control and create routines, and these plugs work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.

The Blink Mini is compact, versatile, and cheap—even cheaper now, thanks to this deal. We found it was reliable with good quality video, but it sits in our honorable mentions because it can’t distinguish between pets and people when detecting motion and you need a $3 per month subscription for it to work. Amazon owns Blink as well as Ring.

If you want good sound and smarts in a nice small sphere, the Echo Dot makes for a great choice. Our favorite version has the built-in LED clock and usually retails for $60, so this is a good chance to get it for a little cheaper (though it’s not the lowest price we’ve seen either; July’s Prime Days saw it get as low as $30). The discount on the clock-free Echo Dot is even better, though, if you don’t want to know the time (time is a construct, anyway).

Amazon devices frequently go on sale, but this is an especially nice deal since it comes with a free smart plug that typically sells for about $20. It isn’t the same exact model, but a similar Kasa plug is the top pick in our guide to the Best Smart Plugs (and is on sale too). The Echo Dot (5th Gen) is one of our favorite Alexa speakers. You can use the included smart plug to do things like ask Alexa to turn off your box fan or turn on a lamp. The version with a built-in LED clock was priced at $30 in Prime Day back in July, so this pricing is solid.

This is basically the same bundle as you get with the aforementioned Echo Dot deal. We think the Echo Dot is a better speaker, but the Echo Pop (7/10, WIRED Review) is arguably cuter. Either way, the price is right, especially with the included smart plug. This is $1 more than we saw on Prime Day in July 2023.

This is the older, still-good version of the Wyze cam that we recommend in our guide to the Best Security Cameras. It can pan, tilt, and zoom. It also has built-in two-way audio so you can tell your dog to get off the couch.

Lego Deals

At 6 and 8, my (Adrienne’s) kids have now outgrown Duplos. But for a few years, Duplos were their favorite toy. Setting action bricks along the track makes the train toot the horn, change direction, or turn the lights on or off. There’s also a squirrel minifig!

This 1,100-piece set can be comes with instructions for 15 different miniature builds. Of course, it can also be used to construct whatever your imagination can dream up. Choose free in-store pickup to save on shipping fees.

~~Amazon notes that this is the first time this set has gone on sale. The overlap between~~ ~~kids who love Disney~~ ~~and love Lego is pretty high. The Nokk horse figure is pretty cool and the drawer actually locks.~~

Games and Toys Deals

This addictive strategy game is all about gathering and trading resources to dominate a randomly generated board of hexagonal tiles. It’s a great game for three or four players and a firm favorite in our household, which is why it made our Best Family Board Games guide.

My (Adrienne’s) 6-year-old son has this playset, which we unfortunately paid full price for in a moment of weakness. It’s incredibly sturdy and has lasted for several years while being stomped and on and thrown into battle with other playsets. The Grimlock T-Rex motorcycle is obviously the coolest one, but siblings can share.

Magna-Tiles are addicting for just about any kid, in the best kind of way. We are super fond of this STEM toy for a variety of ages. This set lets you build a road and cranes, so it’s a great choice for any construction enthusiast or as an add-on to any current Magna-Tiles owners.

General Discounts

The discount will apply automatically during checkout once you meet the $40 order threshold. Amazon-branded products range from home essentials like paper towels and batteries to snacks, office supplies, over-the-counter medicines, and more. This deal is an easy way to stock up on frequently-used items for cheap.

Gift card deals are only worthwhile if you’d be spending the money anyways. With brands like Doordash, Instacart, Fandango, and more featured in this sale, chances are you can find a worthy discount. Each card has a unique coupon code listed on the product page. Enter it during checkout to save.

4 Best Early Prime Day TV Deals (October 2023)

by crissly | Sep 20, 2023 | Uncategorized

Black Friday is almost synonymous with great deals on TVs. The original American shopping holiday has featured bargain televisions going back to the days of big-screen sets that weighed as much as a refrigerator. Amazon’s own shopping holidays are increasingly catching up. In July, Prime Day deals on TVs were plentiful, including screaming sales on sets from LG, Samsung, and Vizio. We expect similar sales for Prime Big Deals Days, Amazon’s new October event which will be on October 10 and 11, 2023.

Maybe it’s the start of the NFL season and fall TV schedule, but some of the current TV deals are actually on par with what we’ve seen on Prime Day. We will have the best Prime Day TV deals in October, tracking prices closely on top WIRED-recommended TVs, soundbars, and 4K streaming devices. In the meantime, here are a few current TV sales to keep an eye on.

Updated September 20, 2023: We refreshed this piece in anticipation of Prime Big Deals Days in October, removing two dead deals and adding a nice sale on our favorite TV for gaming

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We’ve noted the deals that match the Prime Day price from earlier this summer.

Our favorite TV for gamers is on a steep discount right now, down from its normal $2,100. Reviewer Parker Hall had high praise for this model: “Whether you’re passively viewing or actively gaming, the LG C3 is an object lesson in realism, detail retrieval, motion handling, and all the other stuff that goes into truly satisfying image quality.”

Samsung’s Neo QLED panels are some of the best and brightest I’ve ever seen, making them particularly well-suited to brighter viewing spaces. We have not tested this specific model, but there’s built-in Alexa to help you set timers and play Spotify when you’re not watching a movie. This one features mini-LED backlighting for near-perfect contrast and a center pedestal mount that lets you place it anywhere.

Samsung’s Neo QLED panels are some of the best screens for bright rooms, and this pedestal-mounted 75-incher fits perfectly on most TV stands. This model also features mini-LED backlighting, which means you’ll get even better contrast and color highlights, and it has Alexa onboard, which makes it easy to set timers and ask the weather.

48 Best Back-to-School Deals (2023): Laptops, Backpacks, Household Essentials

by crissly | Aug 25, 2023 | Uncategorized

Summer is Fading away, and school is almost back in session (for some, it’s already started!). We scoured the internet for the best discounts on gadgets and gear for teachers, students, parents, and anyone else in the market for back-to-school fare.

Be sure to check out our Best Dorm Gear guide for additional recommendations and gift ideas, plus the Best Student Discounts and Best Teacher Discounts. For more deals, read our guides to the Best Early Labor Day Sales, Best Labor Day Mattress Deals, and Best REI Labor Day Deals.

Updated August 25, 2023: We’ve ~~crossed out~~ deals and added new discounts on tech accessories, headphones, and other gear.

Table of Contents

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If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

Laptop and Tablet Deals

While it was $50 cheaper earlier in the month, this is still an okay price on the best MacBook for most people (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a bright and sharp LCD screen, slim borders for a sleek look, and enough power for everyday tasks. The webcam is 1080p, so you’ll look sharp in all your video calls, and there’s a MagSafe magnetic charging port, so if your roommate trips over the cable, the laptop won’t go flying (the cable will just detach). Read our Best MacBooks guide for more.

This older MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) was the first to use Apple’s custom silicon, but it’s still plenty powerful for sending emails, writing documents, and browsing the web. It uses Apple’s older design, but that might not matter, considering the stellar price. Remember, you can also use Apple’s Education Store to score steeper discounts.

The LG Gram SuperSlim (7/10, WIRED Review) is stunning. The 15.6-inch screen belies just how lightweight and portable this super-slim laptop feels. While unfortunately, the performance doesn’t match up to the price tag, the $400 discount makes the value much better. If you need something powerful, pick another recommendation, but this should work just fine for tasks like homework, browsing, and streaming.

We saw a better discount earlier this month, but this is still a solid price. This gadget is for anyone who wants to enjoy the comfort of a tablet with the productivity of a laptop. The Surface 9’s 12th-gen Intel chip is adept, and you have the option to add 5G connectivity if you want internet access wherever you go. You can read our in-depth thoughts about it here.

The Surface Go 3 is just powerful enough for simple tasks, like web browsing and writing, and it’s lightweight, which makes it great to tote around everywhere. Just remember that you need to buy the Type Cover, which is also on sale for $70 ($30 off), if you want the full experience with the keyboard (though you can also use any Bluetooth keyboard). This has dropped lower in price before, but you can still save some cash if you’re in the market.

This isn’t the prettiest laptop, nor is it the most portable, but it’s powerful enough for some gaming between coursework. The G15 has a 1080p screen with a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, does a good job with heat management, and doesn’t get too loud. The power brick is bulky though. Read more in our Best Gaming Laptops guide.

Want a Linux machine? This is a powerful laptop (8/10, WIRED Recommends) with a great selection of ports, and the default Pop!_OS is simple enough for newbies and experts. Read our Best Linux Laptops guide for more recommendations. You’ll automatically get $100 off the laptop after you customize it to your liking.

This discount may not be available near your location (or only might be available as “Open-Box.” Chromebooks run Chrome OS, so most of your work will be done within the Chrome browser. (You can still install Android apps.) This Acer Spin 714 has a 12th-gen Intel Core i5, which should make it powerful enough for most school and office tasks. It’s compact, despite the 14-inch screen, and you get all the ports, including two USB-C ports, an HDMI, a USB-A, and a headphone jack. Read our Best Chromebooks guide for more picks.

This promotion nets you the magnetic keyboard cover for free ($150 retail value) when you purchase the tablet. We really liked the OnePlus Pad when we tested it (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s an Android tablet, but there are a great many improvements in the software to make multitasking more efficient. The LCD screen is bright and sharp, and it has a 144-Hz screen refresh rate. It’ll get three Android OS updates and four years of security updates.

If you want a Windows laptop straight from the company that manages Windows, we think the Surface Laptop 4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best choice for most. The Ryzen 5 chipset can easily handle more than a dozen tabs in your browser of choice, and its 13.5-inch high-res screen looks nice. You get a USB-C port with a USB-A, plus a magnetic charging port. Read our Best Surface Laptops guide for more details.

This deal is back and even better than we saw last week. The HP Spectre x360 14 is our favorite 2-in-1 laptop. The 3:2 aspect ratio means the screen is square, which makes the laptop especially great for productivity. It’s sleek and slim, with good specs, a nice stylus, and even a USB-A port.

The Kindle Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is expensive, but it hasn’t fallen this low in price before—even on Prime Day. It’s the best (and only) Kindle for taking notes. It can come in handy while note-taking during lectures or annotating text for a class. This model includes the basic pen and 16 GB of storage; larger capacity versions are also on sale, but their price drops aren’t quite as enticing.

This is the first and best price drop we’ve seen for the recently released Google Pixel Tablet (7/10, WIRED Recommends). The tablet itself performs well and looks great, and it doubles as a smart display thanks to the included charging dock. It also has solid speakers—a rare boon for a tablet. Pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard and you can do some work on it, though it’s intended more as a device for home use and play.

The iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has Apple’s M1 processor, giving it laptop-grade power to crush almost any task you throw at it. It has a 10.9-inch LCD screen, Touch ID built into the power button, and support for the second-generation Apple Pencil (which is down to $89 right now). We strongly recommend you pair the iPad with a keyboard like the Smart Keyboard Folio or Apple’s Magic Keyboard.

Backpack and Tote Deals

This is a camera bag, but you need to buy the camera insert separately. Without it, it’s still a perfectly great backpack. The rear pocket can fit a 16-inch laptop (barely), and there’s a stretchy side pouch to fit a water bottle. On the front, the vertical zippered pocket is great for storing smaller items, like chargers and battery packs. The Kodra fabric it’s made of is durable and has a double-layer waterproof coating. We’ve used it for more than two years, and it has held up well.

It’s not the prettiest bag, but it’s lightweight, and the exterior is made of 100 percent recycled polyester ripstop with a water-resistant laminate. Even when it’s packed full, it feels slim. You can fit up to a 15-inch laptop in the suspended sleeve.

You’ll find this backpack in our Best Backpacks guide—and in our Best Recycled Bags guide, because it saves 22 used plastic bottles from landfills. It has a padded, detachable insert with four pockets inside, plus two water bottle pockets.

Prefer a tote bag? This is the top pick in our Best Tote Bags guide. It distributes weight well, and there are tons of pockets for organization, plus a spot for a 16-inch laptop. There’s ample padding to protect all your gear, and the material is weatherproof recycled nylon. It zips closed to keep everything safe.

Router Deals

The Nest Wifi Pro (7/10, WIRED recommends) is one of those set-it-and-forget-it products. It’s super simple to set up and use with the Google Home app, where you can customize settings, set parental controls, and monitor network performance (if you even want to bother). This supports the Wi-Fi 6E standard, so it’s a little more future-proof, and the three-pack means you can set these around a large space (up to 2,200 square feet) to get balanced coverage (you can also just buy a single or two-pack). Read more in our Best Mesh Routers guide.

The Deco X20 is our best budget mesh Wi-Fi system pick. It has great parental control options, and while coverage and speeds are just OK, it was easy to set up the whole thing. It’s a dependable system and hard to beat at this price, especially on sale.

This one from TP-Link is more powerful than the X20 and supports the newer Wi-Fi 6E standard. It’s easy to set up and delivers good performance, though the range can be limited. You can choose to go with the one-pack or three-pack as well, all of which are on sale. We have more details here.

This router (yes, it’s a router) has LEDs on the side, because how else would anyone know you’re a gamer? This tri-band router is one of the best-performing mesh routers we’ve tested and has features that let you prioritize traffic to gaming devices so you can get the smoothest experience in fast-paced online games. The price was $20 lower a couple of weeks ago, but we still think this is a worthy deal.

This Asus is not a mesh router, but it’s the best overall Wi-Fi 6E pick in our Best Routers guide (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It has reliable performance and tons of customization options in the mobile app and browser interface, and it comes with parental controls and network security with no need for a subscription.

Phone and Accessory Deals

Belkin 3in1 Charging Stand for Apple Devices

This is our favorite MagSafe charger and one of the best wireless chargers on the market. I use mine every night and take it with me on every vacation. It can simultaneously charge compatible iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. You can also purchase the stand version for the same price. The discount code (LDAY2023) should show automatically during checkout.

The Pixel 7A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite phone for most people. It has an exceptional camera system, flagship-grade performance, a nice 90-Hz OLED screen, IP67 water resistance, and super smart software that’s helpful. Plus wireless charging too! It’s hard to beat at its MSRP and this sale makes it even more of a steal. If you want to save even more, last year’s Pixel 6A is on sale for $299 ($50 off).

This deal was slightly better last week, but it’s still a great discount. The Pixel 7 Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has more upgrades than the Pixel 7A, such as a larger, 120-Hz screen, a 5X optical zoom camera in addition to the primary camera and ultrawide, plus it has better battery life. The standard Pixel 7 is also on sale for $449 ($150 off) at Amazon and Target, and it shares many of the same features as the Pixel 7A with a slightly larger screen. Just know that a Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to arrive this October.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5 smartphones

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a fun little flip phone. If you buy from Samsung directly, you can toggle on the Education Offers at the top for an extra 10 percent off, plus you’ll get upgraded to the 512-GB model.

Samsung’s new Z Fold5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) folds like a book and is great for multitasking. Buy it from Samsung directly to nab it for $1,530 when you toggle on the Education Offer, and you’ll get the 512-GB model.

This is one of the best deals we’ve seen on the A54 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It lacks features like wireless charging, but you do get a microSD card slot to expand storage, decent performance, and close to two days of battery life.

The Sony LinkBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of our favorite wireless earbuds. The open design has a physical hole in the middle, which allows the wearer to hear what’s going on around them. That makes these especially good for activities like walking or riding your bike to class.

We’ve seen this price a few times throughout the years, but the awfully named Sony WH-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) don’t tend to fall below $278. Adorama is throwing a free power bank from a no-name brand in with your purchase, though you can use other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy if you just want the discounted price. There’s a new generation of these headphones out, but the older model still make our list of the Best Noise-Canceling cans.

These headphones regularly bounce between $279 and $329. The QC45 headphones are comfortable and have excellent noise cancellation. Find more recommendations in our Best Noise-Canceling Headphones guide.

This is a great price for our favorite wireless earbuds. The Google Pixel Buds A-Series (8/10, WIRED Recommends) have great sound, a comfortable fit, and Google Assistant built right in. We wish the battery lasted longer, but it’s hard to beat the value offered here.

The Beats Studio Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) are new headphones and they’re already on sale. They have excellent noise canceling and good sound overall, but the controls and battery life aren’t the best, and we wish there was an adjustable EQ. This price makes their quirks easier to stomach.

We recommend several OtterBox products in various buying guides. Right now if you buy any case or screen protector for an iPhone, you’ll save 15 percent. Read our Best iPhone 14 Cases guide for more recommendations.

You can get 10 percent off one product or 20 percent off two or more when you enter code BTS23TG at checkout. We recommend a few different products from Casetify. There are phone cases, tablet cases, laptop cases, and other fun accessories available in a huge variety of styles and prints. One standout is the Snappy Cardholder Stand—we haven’t tested it, but it’s a kickstand that doubles as single card storage, perfect for student IDs or dormitory keycards.

These are some of our favorite wireless earbuds (9/10, WIRED Recommends), thanks to the excellent noise-canceling tech and the dual dynamic drivers that deliver clean sound. The fit is comfy, and you get up to five hours of listening time with active noise-canceling turned on. The IPX7 rating means it’s fine to use these in the rain or during sweaty workouts.

This is one of the lowest prices we’ve tracked on the Galaxy S23+ (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s one of the best flagship phones you can buy today, with a sharp and bright 120-Hz AMOLED screen, good battery life, tons of power, and a triple-camera system that can consistently capture great photos. The smaller S23 is also on sale for $700 ($100 off).

More Tech Deals

Use code BTS30 to get 30 percent off Satechi’s accessories. Choose from chargers, cables, cases, and other tech peripherals. We recommend the tablet stand, wireless charging stand, and 3-in-1 charging stand to name a few gadgets.

Even though it was $10 cheaper earlier in the week, this is a solid discount on the Garmin Venu Sq fitness tracker (8/10, WIRED Recommends). A newer version of this watch is available, but this original model is still capable, especially for the price. Learn more about it in our Best Garmin Watches guide.

This bad boy can fit so many plugs in it. There are twelve AC outlets, plus two USB-A ports and a USB-C port. The extension cord measures five feet long. If you and your two roommates simultaneously need to charge your phones, laptops, and tablets, you’ll still have three outlets left over. Imagine the possibilities. This is the cheapest price we’ve seen for this surge protector.

The price will show at checkout. This is a match of the best deal we’ve seen for the Apple Watch Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends). A smartwatch makes a great school gift, but the Ultra is overkill. However, if you’re planning on playing sports or participating in intense physical activity, the extra-robust features might be worth the higher price, and it’ll last a full weekend on a single charge. Check out Best Apple Watch Accessories guide for straps, cases, and other goodies.

This model is similar to our top pick in our USB-C hub buying guide. It turns a single USB-C port into a multi-port hub with HDMI, an SD card reader, and even a headphone jack. It also supports pass-through charging.

We recommend this in our guide to the Best Work-from-Home Gear, but it’ll come in handy in a dorm room or first apartment too. It takes up a whole wall outlet, but it turns those two outlets into six. There’s also a USB-C port, a USB-A port, and an optional nightlight.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is one of our favorite streaming sticks for folks who don’t mind Amazon brazenly shoving its content into their face. Just plug it into the back of your TV and use the remote to scroll through a variety of streaming apps. You may also be able to get the non-4K version for $20, but that promotion is limited to specific Amazon accounts—and it’s worth the extra $7 to get 4K compatibility.

“It’s like 10,000 cables when all you need is a wall charger,” or whatever Alanis Morissette said. It seems like you can never have enough wall adapters. Not only is this USB-C charger tiny, but it comes in a bunch of translucent colors like the tech of the ‘90s. It’s capable of delivering 30 watts—so it’ll probably charge up your phone, tablet, and other devices faster than whatever you’re currently using.

This is the best-looking robot vacuum, and it performs well to boot. It has an automatic emptying feature and built-in storage for the various included accompaniments. It also has reliable navigational skills and strong suction. Let this robot do the cleaning while you do homework.

The price has dropped even more on this understated mechanical keyboard with low-profile keys. It’s wireless, and the battery lasts for a really long time if you don’t use the backlighting to light up the keys. It’s also super comfortable to type on. You can pair it with three devices and switch between them with the push of a button.

This is featured as the best keyboard for most people in our Best MacBook Accessories guide. It was on sale for $150 earlier in the month, but this price is still okay. The built-in Touch ID button lets you log in and authenticate purchases. It also has the same function row keys as M-series MacBooks, plus a dedicated Do Not Disturb button and a number pad.

If you plan on spending $100 at Apple anytime soon, this is an easy way to get an extra $10 for your trouble. Apple gift cards can be used in-store or online, but they can also be redeemed in the App Store and elsewhere. If you subscribe to Netflix through your phone, for example, you can apply this gift card to your membership.

The newest Echo Dot With Clock is our favorite Alexa speaker for the bedroom. The built-in digital clock combined with the power of Alexa makes this speaker a particularly great nightstand companion. Alexa might even be able to help with your homework.

This is another deal that matches the prices we saw during Prime Day. The stylish Amazon Echo Pop speaker (7/10, WIRED Review) isn’t the best-sounding in the Amazon Echo lineup—but it’s probably the cutest. The front-facing design is fine for a desk or a nightstand. Just don’t expect this gadget to set the mood for your next house party.

Outlet space can be an issue. This gadget can help. It’ll turn a single wall outlet into three AC outlets, plus two USB-A ports and a USB-C port. We generally like Anker’s gear, and while it frequently goes on sale, this extender doesn’t usually fall below today’s deal price.

Deals on Everything Else

Happy Planners make our favorite paper planners. Several different options are on sale right now. You can choose between various layouts, cover styles, and lengths. Prices start at $7.

I’ve never used these journals, but they have solid reviews and seem a bit like Moleskine knockoffs. Either way, $4 per notebook is a decent deal. There’s a little pocket on the inside cover, an integrated bookmark, and an elastic band closure.

Prices start at 40 cents. Index cards, Crayola crayons, composition notebooks, and pencils are just a few of the things you can pick up for under a dollar. If you don’t have school-age kids, sales like this are an easy way to pick up supplies to donate to local classrooms or school supply drives.

This kettle is featured in our guides to the Best Electric Kettles and the Best Dorm Gear. It boils water quickly, and the blue LED light shows you at-a-glance if your water is ready. Roommates will appreciate the lack of a shrill whistle.

Different colors are available at different retailers, so check another store if you don’t see the one you want. This itty-bitty Keurig takes up very little counter space, making it perfect for dorms or shared living spaces. I have one on my desk. It works exactly how you’d expect it to, though I prefer using an ecofriendly K-Cup and supplying my own coffee grounds. This price matches the deal we saw on Prime Day.

Target is offering discounts on throw pillows, with prices starting as low as $10. This includes floor pillows, which are great for adding seating to small spaces. I’ve purchased a few of them and they’re both comfortable and relatively durable.

Luna weighted blanket on blue background

Use code LABORDAY20 at checkout to save. Luna is featured in our Best Weighted Blankets guide partially because of the sheer number of sizes, weights, and colors you can choose from. A weighted blanket can provide comfort when you’re feeling anxious or homesick—or your roommate is chewing with their mouth open again. Check out our list of early Labor Day Sales for more deals.

Laundry detergent, toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, and other essentials are included in the massive selection of items. Choose at least $60 worth and you can get a $15 Amazon credit back with code BTSSTOCKUP. This deal is a great opportunity to save if you need to restock your frequently used items.

This deal gets you a Costco Gold Star membership, plus a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card (which is basically a gift card you can redeem online or in-store). You’ll also get a coupon for $40 off an online order of $250 or more, but note that it expires in October. This deal is only valid for folks who haven’t had a Costco membership since at least March of this year. If you use the digital shopping card, this is essentially like getting a one-year Costco membership for $15.

Similar to the Amazon deal above, this is an easy way to restock essentials like cleaning supplies and health products. Your gift card will be sent via email once you place a qualifying order. Note that you need to claim the deal through Target Circle, which is free to join.

WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar swears by a similar water-filtering pitcher. It’ll filter impurities out of your tap water so you can cut back on single-use water bottles while staying hydrated. Replacement filters are pretty affordable as well. The pitcher might not fit in a mini fridge, but it should do the trick if you have a bit more space to work with.

College students and teachers can get 20 percent off a qualifying purchase at Target through August 26. These deals are redeemed through Target Circle, which is free to join. Some items are excluded, but this is still an easy way to save on all sorts of essentials—especially if you’re placing a big order.

You always need more power strips. This one has eight outlets, and each can rotate so that one bulky charging adapter won’t block the other outlet. Smart!

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