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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Photograph: Bee’s Wrap
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.
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.
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.
Photograph: Gravity
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.
Photograph: Amazon
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.
Photograph: Roku
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.
Photograph: Tile
If you’re known for losing your remotes (or, if you have a toddler like I do 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.
We haven’t tested these yet, but they’re the newer version of the pair that we recommend here. Amazon says the battery lasts up to 6 hours per charge. Alexa is built in, should you require on-the-go voice assistant assistance. Find more recommendations in our Best Wireless Earbuds guide.
Photograph: iOttie
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.
Photograph: Cync
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.
Photograph: Amazon
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.