Amazon is Back with a second Prime Day this October. Technically, it’s called the Prime Early Access Sale, but let’s be real—it’s Prime Day 2. Just like the event we covered in July, most of the deals are for Prime subscribers, but there are some discounts for nonmembers as well. We’ve spent hours combing through thousands of deals; these are our favorites on WIRED-tested gear, from Alexa-enabled speakers and robot vacuums to laptops and tablets.
The WIRED Gear team tests products year-round. We sorted through hundreds of thousands of deals by hand to make these picks. Crossed-out products are out of stock or no longer discounted. Our Amazon Prime Day coverage page and our Prime Day Shopping Tips will help you avoid bad deals. You can also get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 here.
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Home and Kitchen Deals
Looking for more goodies? We’ve got a separate roundup of more great home and kitchen deals right here.
There are blenders, and then there are Vitamix blenders. I was skeptical, but like my fellow Gear reviewer Joe Ray, the Vitamix made me a blender person. A blender is, essentially, just a blade atop a motor. Everything else just gets in the way. The motor is why the Vitamix is so good. Yes, it is expensive, but it’s worth it. This is the newer version of the classic 5200, and it includes a pulse blend feature.
Whether you want to sous vide or just have a lot of food to freeze, our favorite way to do it is with a Foodsaver vacuum sealer. We haven’t tested this exact model, but my Foodsaver is 10 years old and still works as well as the day I bought it. The vacuum bags are also on sale for $25 ($11 off).
This is the best price we’ve seen in six months for KitchenAid’s smaller stand mixer. It’s not quite as massive as the big 6-quart model, but it’s just as powerful and takes up less room on your counter. It’s also lighter and easier to move in and out of storage.
This is a slight downgrade from our favorite Instant Pot, but it’s still a solid option if you’re in the market for a multicooker. It can pressure cook, slow cook, sous vide, steam, and more.
Our favorite way to avoid the ridiculous waste of K-Cup machines, the Braun MultiServe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a high-end, full-pot coffee maker that can also capably make single cups. It’s still not quite as simple as a Keurig or Nespresso machine, but it works well and eliminates all that plastic waste.
While we haven’t used this exact model, we like Kasa’s other smart plugs. This is a pretty good price for a 4 pack. Note, this only works on the 2.5-GHz band, so if you have a mesh Wi-Fi system that doesn’t let you choose a band, you may need to create a guest network to set these up. Read through our Best Smart Plugs guide for more options.
The Hum nabbed our top recommendation in the Best Electric Toothbrushes guide and a 9/10, WIRED Recommends review score, thanks to its well-featured companion app that presents information on your brushing habits without being pushy about it. Data is stored for up to 10 days, so you can view it at any time before the 10 days is up.
One of our favorite home monitoring ecosystems, there are a variety of SimpliSafe (9/10, WIRED Recommends) bundles on sale for Prime Day. They’re easy to set up, expand, and customize, and proved very reliable in our testing. Best of all, there are no monthly fees if you don’t step up to the optional monitored security plan.
Atlas Coffee Club is one of our favorite coffee subscription services, and right now you can get a subscription for 20 percent off through Amazon. Atlas usually delivers single-origin beans from a different country every month, along with postcards and tasting notes. This deal nets you a 4-pack variety box so you can try it before you commit.
This compact cube-shaped pet cam is marketed toward cats (lasers aren’t the best option for dogs), and they’ll likely have a blast using the Petcube Play 2. The wide-angle camera records in 1080p and features real-time two-way communication. For more pet cam options, see our Best Pet Cameras guide.
This dog treat camera from Petcube is a good-looking, rectangular box with an aluminum base and a black plastic treat bin. Unlike the Furbo, its nearest competitor, it comes with a mounting kit so you can attach it securely to the wall. That means it won’t take up counter space in your kitchen— you don’t have to devote a shrine to your dog in the corner of your living room.
Amazon Device Deals
Prime Day is the best time to pick up a new Amazon device, whether it’s a Kindle, Fire tablet, or Echo speaker—they’re unlikely to get cheaper than this. For a complete list, read our Best Prime Day Deals on Amazon Devices roundup. Read through our Best Kindles, Best Fire Tablets, and Best Alexa Speakers guides for more details.
All the Fire Tablets are on sale right now, but the Fire HD 10 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the largest, speediest, and best for most people. The bigger screen has more pixels (1080p) than its siblings, making it better for watching videos. Thanks to Show Mode, you can turn it into an Echo Show and shout commands at Alexa from across the room. If you need more power, the Fire HD 10 Plus for $105 ($75 off), bumps the RAM to 4 GB and adds wireless charging.
Amazon recently debuted a new Fire HD 8, which is available for preorder, but if you’re in the market for a cheap tablet, this 2020 model is still a good deal. The travel-friendly size, combined with a reasonably powerful processor and USB-C, makes the Fire HD 8 series nearly as capable as its larger sibling. It’s portable enough to take with you anywhere, and its screen won’t torture your eyes when you watch Netflix. You can even use our guide to install the Google Play Store, which makes it much more capable than it is out of the box.
We like the Fire Stick 4K Max for its Wi-Fi 6 support and picture-in-picture feature (allowing you, for example, to check a security camera feed while you watch TV). It’s fast, and the Alexa voice remote works well. If you want to save some cash, the Fire TV Stick Lite is also on sale for $12 ($18 off). Fire Sticks are geared toward Amazon Prime content, and that’s what you’ll get on the homepage. There are apps for other streaming services, like Netflix, but if Amazon Prime isn’t one of your most-used streaming services, you should go with something else.
The special Kids Edition of the Echo Dot has easy-to-use parental controls that allow you to set time limits, filter explicit content, and review activity. The tiger-colored sphere comes with a year of Amazon Kids+; after that it costs $5 per month.
Laptop, Gaming, and Accessory Deals
We’ve got more tech deals in our Best Laptop, Phone, and TV Deals roundup.
Our favorite Surface device for most people, this Surface Laptop 4 comes with 16 GB of RAM, a 256-GB SSD, and AMD’s Ryzen 5 processor. A gorgeous, 13.5-inch high-resolution display, a lovely keyboard, and a stellar glass trackpad round out a solid laptop.
Our favorite budget Macbook is even cheaper right now. The newer M2 Air is more powerful, but we still recommend the M1 MacBook Air if you’re on a tight budget. This model has 8 GB of RAM and a 256-GB SSD. As long as you’re not editing video or doing other graphics-intensive work, the M1 chip should suffice.
Lenovo’s 13-inch, two-in-one touchscreen Chromebook features an Intel Core i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 64-GB SSD. It’s been plenty speedy for browsing the web, watching videos, and light office work. The 13-inch IPS display has a nice antiglare finish, though it’s not very bright—just bright enough to use outside. See our Best Chromebooks guide for more options.
The HP Pavilion line has been a series of reliable, if somewhat boring, laptops for what seems like ages now. This model earns a spot in our Best Budget Laptops guide. It features an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, integrated graphics, and plenty of ports (including two USB-As, one USB-C, an HDMI, and an SD card reader). Our only gripe is battery life, which is acceptable but not great.
We initially loved Acer’s 2021 version of the Swift 3, but it started a little more expensive. Now that it’s more affordable, this notebook is a better buy. It wraps a powerful Intel Core i7 chip, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256-GB SSD in a thin, no-nonsense design with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel IPS LCD display.
This multiport hub is for MacBooks, and it will take up both USB-C ports on the left side of compatible machines. There’s a compatibility list on the webpage—we’ve tested it with the M1 MacBook Air from 2020, but it’s not a sure fit with 2021 or 2022 MacBooks, especially since they have a MagSafe charging port on the same side. It supports charging adapters up to 100 watts and offers a 4K HDMI port, MicroSD card reader, and more.
Our favorite mechanical keyboard under $100 (see our favorite keyboards guide), the Logitech G413 has the same muted black chassis, responsive mechanical switches, and Lightsync RGB lighting that you’ll find in much more expensive Logitech models. It’s an excellent pick if you’re not interested in a decked-out gaming keyboard, or you’re just getting started.
It isn’t as padded as LaCie’s famous rugged drives, but it’s cheaper and delivers nearly the same speed. It has an IP65 rating, which means it’s fine in the rain and protected from dust and sand, and Samsung says it’ll survive a fall from 9.8 feet (though take this with a grain of salt). The T7 line is notable for its built-in security features like hardware-based encryption, but unlike the Touch model, the Shield does not have a fingerprint reader. If you’re in the market for a new drive, read our Best Portable Storage Drives guide for more options.
Our top webcam pick for most people is on sale. This updated model does away with the integrated ring light of the original but offers much better image software. Video picture settings can be tweaked in the Razer Synapse app, but honestly, the Kiyo X looks great out of the box.
Phone and Tablet Deals
Photograph: Apple
The 2022 iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) now packs an M1 processor, the very same that powers the iPad Pro and the MacBook Air, making this hands-down the most powerful tablet for the money. This is the lowest price we’ve seen yet.
This is a good deal on our current favorite iPad for most people. In fact, it’s the lowest price we’ve seen. That said, Apple has updated the iPad around this time of year for the past three years. There could be a new model out soon, and that new model could be on sale for Black Friday.
The recently released Apple Watch Series 8 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite Apple Watch, and it’s already on sale. (The 41-mm version is also on sale for $349.) Most people will be fine with the new second-generation Watch SE, but this model includes an electrocardiogram, an always-on display, a skin temperature sensor for better period tracking, a more accurate heart-rate monitor, and the ability to measure blood oxygen levels. Check our Best Apple Watch Accessories guide for additional recommendations.
It costs a fortune. But it folds! And believe it or not, that extra screen real estate really is nice. Android 12L also makes life on a bigger screen easier thanks to its improved multitasking. The battery life is good, and you get a bright, smooth screen—no crease on the fold.
The smaller of Samsung’s folding phones, the Z Flip4 feels like a “normal” phone when it’s unfolded, but fold it up and it’ll slip into some small pockets. It’s almost like a StarTak, but with a real screen. The battery will get you through the day, but not much longer. Still, if you’ve been wanting a folding phone, this deal is the cheapest we’ve seen.
The Google Pixel 6A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite Android phone, and it also earned our top pick as the Best Cheap Phone. This deal is the lowest we’ve seen. Even when it’s not on sale, the Pixel 6A offers incredible value, with great performance, excellent cameras, impressive battery life, and a nice display. If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this. The Pixel 6 Pro is also discounted to $617 ($282 off) if you want a bigger device and better cameras.
This OnePlus phone (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is speedy, has a bright 120-Hz screen refresh rate, and has a pretty good software support window. Its cameras are not as good as the likes of the Pixel 6 or Galaxy S22. It’s worth noting that this is still more expensive than the newly-announced Google Pixel 7.
Headphone, Speaker, and TV Deals
These deals just scratch the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to read our Best TVs, Best Soundbars, and Best Wireless Headphones guides for more. Our guide on How to Choose the Right TV can also help.
These are some of the best headphones around for the office. Not only do they effectively silence chattering colleagues and overly aggressive typists, but they also offer outstanding call quality. Thanks to Bose’s advanced signal processing and the 700’s four microphones, the person you’re calling will think you’re in a library even when you’re in a crowded open office.
If you’ve been waiting to upgrade your TV viewing experience, this soundbar from Polk is an excellent way to do it. Polk makes solid audio products, and this slim soundbar with a wireless subwoofer is easy to place in most living rooms.
This Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar allows you to get pretty immersive sound from a single unit, thanks to speakers that bounce sound off your walls and ceiling.
This is one of the best TVs you can buy for bright rooms. This deal is a pretty significant discount at this 75-inch size. The QN90B (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is slim and elegant with mini LED backlighting, which gives it excellent contrast even in bright rooms. The screen refresh rate also supports up to 120 Hz for gaming.
We think the X80J is one of the prettiest TVs for the money, and this variant is similarly impressive, especially at this size and price.
Outdoor and Fitness Deals
This is our top pick for most campers in our tent guide. It’s easy to set up, provides good rain protection and three-season comfort, and the price doesn’t break the bank. It used to drop to this price all the time, but it hasn’t in the last six months so if you need a new tent, now is the time to grab one.
We haven’t tried LifeStraw’s water bottle yet, but it works more or less the same as the straw, it just includes the water bottle so you can fill it up and go.
Insta360’s One RS (8/10, WIRED Recommends) brings interchangeable lenses to the action camera. This version features the typical action camera lens and compares well with the GoPro Hero series cameras. See our Best Action Cameras guide for more details.
If you want an action cam and a 360 camera, Insta360’s One RS (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a good way to go. Swapping lenses is simple thanks to the new side-opening case. The interchangeable lens system makes this one more versatile than the GoPro.
Retailer Sale Pages
Other stores have started offering competing deals that don’t require an Amazon Prime membership (and others likely will). Here’s a list of merchants that may be getting in on the action.