And we’re off! Prime Day is here. Here are our choices for the best deals currently available!
The don’t-miss Amazon device deals of 2019
- The 2nd-generation Echo for $50: Although newer, bigger Echos are very likely coming soon, this is still an amazing deal on Amazon’s flagship smart speaker: 50% off the regular price, $20 less than Prime Day 2018 and the same price you’d normally pay for an Echo Dot.
- The Fire TV Stick for $15: Simply the cheapest-ever way to add Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and tons of other streaming channels to your TV. And despite this being the “entry-level” stick, it comes with an Alexa-powered voice remote.
- The new Kindle Paperwhite for $85: Read without distraction! This new Paperwhite is even better than its predecessor, and this is the lowest price since it debuted earlier this year.
- The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd-gen) for $22: After weeks at $25, the Dot surprised us all by dropping a little more. This is the lowest price ever on a current-gen model.
The Cheapskate’s favorite Prime Day deals
Because I spend 365 days per year eyeballing deals, I thought I’d share the ones I consider especially special:
- The Runtopia S1 smartwatch: $59.99 (save $40). The S1 was already pretty tempting at $99.99, but at this price it’s a must-have for any runner who doesn’t have a running watch.
- The Tribit Maxboom 360-degree Bluetooth speaker: $51.99 (save $18). Clip the $4-off coupon and then apply promo code UVL2GRUA for a best-ever price on this near-perfect waterproof speaker, which plays for up to 20 hours. Note that the company is in the process of changing the product name, so your package might say “Stormbox.”
- The Facebook Portal for $80: Surprised? Don’t be. There are legitimate privacy concerns with just about every smart display (and smart speaker) on the market. I think if you want to have great-quality video chats with distant relatives, the Portal — normally $199 — is a steal at $80.
Optoma UHL55 True 4K HDR projector: $999 (save $500)
Optoma makes some of the best projectors in the biz, and this is a huge saving on what might be an ideal addition to your home theater — or backyard, as the UHL55 is portable, with a carrying handle and built-in speaker. It can even function as a standalone Bluetooth speaker.
Runtopia S1 smartwatch: $59.99 (save $40)
Designed with runners in mind, the Runtopia S1 features a built-in GPS, a heart-rate monitor, and a water-resistant case. It can receive basic notifications from your phone, and if you bring your phone along on your runs, the Runtopia app can provide audio coaching based on your heart rate. Click the on-page 25%-off coupon to snag the extra savings.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro and free Echo Dot: $169 (save $130)
Another deal exclusively for Prime subscribers, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, and Echo Dot bundle drops to just $169 when you add them to your shopping cart. Previously the Ring was on sale for $169 all by itself — the Dot just adds icing to the cake.
Discounted magazine subscriptions (Up to 85% off)
Between now and Prime Day, Amazon is offering deep discounts on a ton of magazines. Reader’s Digest, for example, 10 issues for $8. Martha Stewart Living: 10 issues for $5.49. Men’s Health: 10 issues for $9.99. These are all print mags unless otherwise specified.
Echo Dot: $25 (save $25)
Yep, the third-gen Dot hasn’t been priced this low since November.
Fire TV Recast: $129.99 (save $100)
The Recast is Amazon’s over-the-air DVR, a fee-free option for cord-cutters looking to record live TV. It normally sells for $229.99, so this is a huge savings (and by far the lowest price to date). Just take note that you’ll need to pair it with an Amazon Fire TV device. Those aren’t on sale yet, but they will be soon, no question.
4 months of Amazon Music Unlimited: 99 cents
Compared with music-streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, Amazon Music Unlimited is already a deal at $7.99 per month. This promotion — which requires a Prime subscription and is for new Music Unlimited subscribers only — nets you four full months for just a buck. After that, you’ll be on the hook for the regular rate, unless you cancel.
Apple iPad 128GB: $329 (save $100)
Amazon currently has the 32GB 2017 iPad model for $249 (which is the de facto street price these days). But the better deal is the 128GB model for $329. That gets you four times the storage for the same price you’d pay for the 32GB model at the Apple Store.
Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case: $180 (save $20)
It’s not a huge discount, but it’s something. Apple’s flagship AirPods come with a wireless charging case, a tiny little convenience that is nonetheless super nice.
Don’t care about wireless charging? Amazon also has the second-generation AirPods with standard case for $144.99, a savings of about $14.
1. Over 35% off Vitamix blenders and accessories, including the classic 5200 model that can crush anything you throw its way.
Promising review: “If I added up all the blenders I’ve had in my life it yeah would probably be quite a bit more money spent than what this blender cost. This is an awesome blender takes no time at all to blend smoothies or batter for waffles or whatever. I highly recommend this to anybody.” —Amazon Customer
Price: $279.95 (originally $449.95)
2. 36% off an electric pressure washer to blast away all the dirt, gunk, grease, and grime covering your driveway.
Price: $92.14 (originally $144)
3. 37% off a Hoover automatic carpet cleaner that’ll come to the rescue when your furry friend leaves muddy paw prints on the new rug.
Promising review: “I was a bit skeptical about this product and at the price point, purchased it anyway. I have used it several times already and must admit, the team at Hoover have made an affordable carpet cleaner to rival the rental sector. The Smartwash cleaner indeed removed tough stains from high traffic areas and lifted worn carpet fibers to look like new.” —Joe Parrish
Price: $158.40 (originally $249.99)
4. 40% off a Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven that can go from the stovetop straight into the oven.
Promising review: “I’m so pleased with this Dutch Oven! It’s a great color, and it cooked really well. I seared on the stovetop, then transferred to oven for roasting. It cooked evenly and cleaned up easily! I kept the rubber inserts for storage to protect the ceramic coating. This is exactly what I was looking for and I will get lots of use out of it!” —Erica B
Price: six-quart size for $47.99 (originally $79.80; available in 11 colors)
5. Over 30% off on select Black + Decker products, including a power drill with accessories for all your DIY projects.
The drill comes with 30 accessories including drill and screwdriving bits, nut drivers, and a magnetic bit tip holder.
Promising review: “Awesome drill with a surprisingly small profile and I’m able to fit it in my cabinet with drill bit to install some shelves. The power was way more than what I was expecting which was a nice surprise. The accessories are great and saves me money in going to buy separate drill bits. For the prices, it’s a great deal and it’s definitely useful for little things around the house.” —ssj_100
Price: $39 (originally $99)
6. Up to $250 off Dyson fans and air purifiers, including this 10-inch table fan.
Promising review: “This fan is by far the best small fan I have ever owned! You can set the volume of air you want very precisely and for how long you want it on (timer). Probably the greatest quality of this fan is how QUIET it is; even at medium speed you barely hear it. The remote control conveniently adheres magnetically to the top of the fan, so you never lose it! Then, add in that you can make it rotate and what more could you want! This fan is the best value for the money; it is worth EVERY PENNY!” —Julia E. Scott
Price: $189.99 (originally $328.90; available in three colors)
7. 30% off a Dyson V7 Animalpro+ cordless vacuum that’ll make you dread cleaning day a little less.
This vacuum comes with $60 worth of extra tools: flexi crevice tool, mini-motorized tool, stubborn dirt brush, combination tool, crevice tool, direct drive cleaner head, and docking station.
Price: $279.99 (originally $399.99)
8. 32% off a 12-inch memory foam mattress with a layer of cool gel on top so you won’t overheat in the middle of the night.
Promising review: “Our chiropractor recommend this mattress and now we recommend it to everyone we know. It was comfortable from day one but after about a month of ‘breaking it in,’ we can’t live without it. We are honestly those people who go to hotels for travel and wish we were home in our mattress.” —Dash Deals
Price: queens-size for $235.25 (originally $335.77; available in sizes twin–California king)
9. 20% off a TubShroom (with an attractive chrome top) to catch all your hairs before they clog the drain.
Promising review: “Works and looks great. SUPER easy to clean. We initially bought one of those spiky design ones but it looked disgusting when it trapped hair and it was a pain to clean out. But this traps the hair UNDER the lid so you don’t see it, and the hair comes right off with one tug. Love it. I also love the fact that the main body is rubbery so that when you step on it, it doesn’t hurt.” —Unavailable
Price: $10.39 (originally $12.99)
10. 30% off or more on Waterpik and Sonicare oral care appliances, including the Waterpik water flosser.
It has 10 pressure settings, seven water flossing tips, and 90 seconds of water capacity.
Promising review: “I love this product. It makes your mouth feel so clean. After using it for several weeks, I noticed several things: no more bad breath, no more bad taste in my mouth, my gums are much healthier, no more bleeding, and my teeth are less sensitive at the gum line. This is, by far, one of the best buys I’ve made this year.
This Waterpik has two settings and variable pressure, which is great. The pressure setting goes from very light to heavy pressure on a scale of 1–10. Start out on mild setting and work up to a level of comfort. It has a gum massage setting that is wonderful for sore gums or for a person who grinds their teeth. It’s very soothing. There are a variety of tips, such as for plaque or deep pockets, which are worth looking at and buying if they fit your needs.
I highly recommend for folks with a lot of crowns, receding gum lines, pockets, or if you are not great at flossing due to bleeding or teeth so close that it’s difficult to floss.
It is a good size so storing it is a problem in my very small bathroom, but I don’t care. Other issues — well, there is a learning curve in using it. Everyone I have talked to, who has one, has asked me if I have shot water across the bathroom and the answer is yes. My cat flees the bathroom as soon as I turn on the Waterpik now. So use only warm water until you get the hang of it.
I wholeheartedly recommend this product. I like it so much that I’m buying the portable one for travel, and it’s on my Christmas list for family and friends.” —JS
Price: $39.93 (originally $89.99)
11. 39% off a iRobot Roomba 690 to do all the vacuuming for you.
Promising review: “Wonderful assistant for cleaning every day. I love the flexibility of the schedule feature, and even more, you can use Alexa to control the device.” —Luis lopez
Price: $229.99 (originally $374.99)
Check out other models on sale!
12. 57% off the Instant Pot DUO Plus 60 (six-quart size), which is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, egg cooker, saute, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer ALL IN ONE!
Promising review: “THIS IS A GAME CHANGER. I’m in love! I pretty much only use this thing to cook anymore and I love it. It’s soooo easy to clean and makes amazing food in such a short time! I’ve cooked a ton of things in this but so far my favorites have been: Mongolian chicken, chili (BEST CHILI IVE MADE!), and a 6.5-pound turkey breast! Can’t wait to make a cake in there soon. I absolutely love this thing!!!” —A.Bid
Price: $55.99 (originally $129.95)
Also, check out deals on other Instant Pot appliances!
13. Up to 60% off on Echo Dot and Hue Smart lighting bundles so you can tell Alexa to turn the lights on or off.
Promising review: “I had no idea I’d love Alexa so much — I wake up in the morning and she does the routine I’ve set up, and she’s so comforting and useful and fun overall. My husband and I played Skills trivia games for hours last night. If we had kids it would be even more useful (kid’s workouts, stories, games) — we even had a goodnight story read to us by Alexa and it was awesome. I’m really loving it. The Echo Dot itself is pretty great — the sound quality is pretty good, the bass when turned up is not that great, but if you really want to rock out, you can connect it to other speakers or just use something else instead. I’m really surprised by how much I like the Alexa app (and the Echo Dot), because I’m a little resistant to technology, but it’s pretty easy to figure out and feels like a new little buddy in the home. I’m excited to get some smart home stuff now so I can turn on/off lights, heat, etc. The only tiny issue I have is that for some reason Alexa doesn’t pick up my husband’s voice as much as it does mine — maybe because I’ve used it more? Really cool, though, overall — I feel like Judy Jetson!” —Leah
Price: the Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and a two-pack Philips Hue light bulb combo for $32 (originally $79.98)
14. 24% off a ridiculously attractive futon so your living room can be turned into a guest room when family visits.
Promising review: “For $200, this is a five-star product. It was really easy to put together. It’s a little firmer than what I usually like, but it’s not uncomfortable. I even took a nap on it the other day. It was even a little bigger than I thought it would be. My family of three has plenty of room when we all sit on it.” —Lindy M.
Price: $215.19 (originally $284.99; available in six colors)
15. 45% off a Wi-Fi range extender for getting smooth internet connection throughout the entire house.
Promising review: “This is some serious black magic. I have worked as a network engineer for almost 20 years and seriously doubted how well this technology would function. Boy was I wrong. The devices are extremely simple to setup and the throughput is amazing. Allowed me to extend wired networking into an area of the house that I could not feasibly run ethernet cabling to and the Wi-Fi signal was extremely poor. I highly recommend these if you have a similar need.” —J S
Price: $54.99 (originally $99.99)
16. 44% off battery-powered smart pathlights that’ll illuminate your entryway or sidewalk when motion is detected.
This starter kit includes one Ring Bridge to place indoors so you can get notifications, customize settings, and connect to other Ring devices — all from the Ring app. These lights can be connected with Ring doorbells and cameras to create a fully connected home security system. They work with Alexa when connected to the Ring Bridge to turn on lights and adjust brightness with your voice.
Promising review: “Nice addition to my ring of security. I live on a dark trail so at night it really lights up the walkway and street. The product feels durable and well built. Definitely will be purchasing more in the future.” —Raymond Rivera
Price: four-pack for $94.99 (originally $169.95)
17. 40% off a hard-surface cleaner, which uses high-pressure steam to get into the nooks and crannies basically everywhere in your home from the stove, to the cabinets, to the toilet, and more. You’ll spend less time cleaning and end up with a cleaner home, and that’s a win-win.
The cleaner comes with a 20-foot cord, accessory nozzle, extension hose, flat scraping tool, grout brush, fabric steam, window squeegee, angle concentrator, and detail brush.
Promising review: “I bought this because another reviewer stated it was great for cleaning up after kids and it is!!! I have successfully de-gunked all my kitchen cabinets!! You know, all the gross stuff left behind from cooking and toddler hands. Usually I have to really scrub to get that stuff off. Not anymore!!! Now, I just use a pass or two of the steam and wipe right off. No scrubbing, no chemicals!! I also did the bathroom cabinets, and it was just as easy! Deep cleaning baseboards is a dream! It blasts away all the dust that gets stuck in between the baseboard and the wall. Fantastic around the base of the toilet! (My 3 year-old son AND his father’s aim is off.) I also did the doors. We have paneled doors that collect dust, this made it easy to wipe off. Usually I have to scrub with a Magic Eraser to get all the gunk and finger prints off the doors, but this is even easier. Everything looks freshly painted!!!” —tizpear
Price: $29.99 (originally $49.99)
18. Up to 36% off Anker and Eufy accessories, including a Qi-certified wireless charger.
Promising review: “I’ve had this a little less than a year, about the same amount of time I’ve had a Qi-compatible phone. I loved having it on my nightstand so I could put it on there when I was ready for bed and not have to fool around with a USB cable in the dark. My husband liked it so much I had to get him one.” —Brandon Cain-Terselic
Price: $13.59 (originally $22.99)
19. 20% off an air purifier so you can ~breathe easy~ in your own home.
Promising review: “My daughter has horrible allergies. Every time she comes home from college all she does is sneeze. I change her linens, and I keep her door closed while she’s gone. But we have pets that shed. I purchased this air filter in December while she was home and turned it on when she went to work. By the time she gots home, the room smelled different. Definitely cleaner and so far for the last two weeks, she has not sneezed once. Her bedroom is 12x 2 and we do keep her door closed.” —Kelly
Price: $71.99 (originally $89.99)
20. Up to 55% off on TP-Link smart home products, including smart plugs that can essentially turn any appliance into a smart appliance. They’re compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana.
Promising review: “I love these! I have six of them in my home — with the app, I am able to turn on/off lamps, humidifiers, fans, whatever I have plugged into them. I can set them on a schedule (which is fantastic) or open the app anytime in or away from my home and turn things on or off. I can see when my kids still have their lamps on in their rooms and are supposed to be asleep, etc. I hooked mine up to Alexa and I can just ask her to turn on or off certain lamps. I haven’t been able to truly wire my home to be a smart home, but I bought a bunch of these and now it is.” —TJ
Price: three-pack for $39.99 (originally $54.99)
