Cheap stuff that doesn’t suck and is under $25 for Prime Day
We at The Verge love a good gadget or tchotchke, especially when it’s not too expensive. But with the rising cost of just about everything
We at The Verge love a good gadget or tchotchke, especially when it’s not too expensive. But with the rising cost of just about everything these days, many once-cheap gadgets aren’t so affordable anymore. Amazon and other retailers sell all sorts of products from word salad brand names, but only some of it is handy and affordable enough to be worth telling you about. We’re highlighting some of our favorite picks that don’t suck and are on sale for Amazon Prime Day. Some of them you’ve likely seen us recommend before, but there are newcomers, too. Some are simple desk items or note-taking tools that might help you in your work day, and others are purely just for fun — while being nicely giftable. Regardless, they’re all things we have tested or bought that we think are worth your money. 8BitDo Ultimate Mini Wired Controller for Xbox A simple and affordable wired controller for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. It’s size is friendly to smaller hands and its sticks use anti-drift Hall effect sensors. The cute translucent colors are just icing on the cake. Where to Buy $34.99 $20.79 at Amazon (green) Vampliers 5-inch Mini Stripped Screw Remover Pliers An invaluable tool for those of us who make mistakes with screwdrivers. (All of us.) Where to Buy $28.97 $23.18 at Amazon (with Prime) Rak Magnetic Wristband Losing a screw, washer, or drill bit during a repair is a pain, but magnets are here to help. The smarties at Rak designed a multi-section magnetic wristband that’ll let dad keep spares conveniently attached to his wrist, so he can easily grab what he needs (or stow pieces) while he’s at work. Where to Buy $19.99 $15.99 at Amazon Apple AirTag (2nd gen) AirTags might be popular for tracking baggage at the airport, but they’re also handy for keeping tabs on EDC. Apple’s latest trackers can pinpoint items more precisely — and from farther away — than the OG model, and they have a louder speaker. Where to Buy $29 $24 at Amazon $29 at Apple Lamy Safari Fountain Pen The quintessential fountain pen, available in a wide variety of fun colors. Where to Buy $30 $24.68 at Amazon (yellow, with Prime) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus The latest version of Amazon’s zippy Fire TV Stick 4K streams in 4K resolution, as its name suggests, and features support for Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Atmos / Vision, and HDR10 Plus. Where to Buy $49.99 $24.99 at Amazon $49.99 at Best Buy $49.99 at Target SwitchBot Bot If you’ve ever wished you had a robot that could push a button for you, that’s precisely what the SwitchBot Bot does. It’s simple, smart, and works on anything with a button. Stick it on the device you want to turn on or off, and you’re set. Where to Buy $29.99 $19.99 at Amazon $29.99 $20.09 at SwitchBot (with code PDDAY33) Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger (four-port) Ugreen’s Nexode GaN charger can deliver 65W of power across four ports, including three USB-C ports and a lone USB-A port. Its foldable plug and compact design also make it a great travel companion, whether you plan to use it with a phone or laptop. Where to Buy $42.99 $24.69 at Amazon Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb (four-pack) Kasa’s color-changing A19 bulbs support hands-free operation with both Alexa and Google Home. They also don’t require a hub, and can be set on a schedule to turn on in the morning and off at night. Where to Buy $31.99 $25.57 at Amazon Anker Nano Charger (30W) Anker’s tiny USB-C wall charger can supply up to 30W of power, which is perfect for quickly charging your phone and other small electronics. And with foldable prongs, it’s easy to travel with. Where to Buy $19.99 $12.34 at Amazon $12.99 at Anker (with code WS242TQWTR) Time Timer Mod Pomodoro Timer A visual Pomodoro timer like the colorful MOD (Home Edition) is key to helping break tasks into manageable, bite-sized chunks.
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