It seems like Prime Day gets more commercialized every year. The deals are advertised earlier, and sometimes aren’t deals at all. Target and Best Buy are scrambling to claim their piece of the pie. Can’t we bring back the original intent of the holiday—sending Amazon absolutely just as much of your money as humanly possible?
With that in mind, I’m here to highlight Lifehacker’s favorite Prime Day offers from the many we’ve highlighted in the past days and weeks. All of the hype aside, these are deals worth paying attention to on stuff that’s actually worth buying. (Note: These deals were live as of this article’s publication but could sell out at any time. Prices are also subject to change; I can’t control what Amazon charges, sorry.)
A new laptop: Apple Macbook Air M1 2020 — $749
Lots of laptops are on sale for Prime Day, but even during the height of discount season, you’re lucky to save more than 10% on an Apple laptop. But right now, you can grab the 2020 Macbook Air with the M1 chip—in fact, the very machine I’m using to type these words—for $150 off the list price of $999. Though it’s a few years old on paper, the Apple silicon keeps it racing along; I plan to keep using mine for at least another five years.
AirPods for under $100: Apple AirPods (2nd gen) — $89.99
I’m constantly in danger of losing my wireless earbuds, so I might as well invest in a pair that will show up in Find My on my phone. The fact that the 2nd gen Apple AidPods are currently on sale for around $90 ($40 off the usual price) makes my buying decision easier.
All the productivity apps you’ll ever need: Microsoft 365 subscription — $69.99 with $20 gift card
I’m obviously a Mac, not a PC, but if my fate was reversed, there’s no way I’d be passing up this deal. Microsoft Office offers the most useful suite of productivity apps around, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. A subscription usually costs $99 a year, which isn’t a bad deal. But a Microsoft 365 subscription for $69.99, plus a $20 Amazon gift card? That’s a great deal.
A super cheap TV: Amazon Fire 4K UHD smart TV — $99.99
I’ve been putting off getting a new TV for years—my current set is a 40-incher I bought way back in 2014—but this deal finally got me to consider an upgrade to the 4K lifestyle with this 43-inch Amazon Fire UHD smart TV for $99.99. Under $100 for a bigger screen with improved resolution and a bunch of smart features? Seems like I’m all set for the next decade.
A smarter smart TV alternative: Amazon Fire Cube — $110
Most new TVs have smart features, but they often don’t feel very smart. If you’d rather eschew your set’s laggy built-in operating system, one alternative is the Fire Cube, which is basically a combined streaming box and Echo speaker that lets you control your entire home entertainment system (and another other Alexa-enabled smart gadgets you own) with the sound of your voice. It’s currently available at its lowest price ever, $110.
An HD projector, because who needs a TV? YOWHICK Projector with 5G WiFi Bluetooth — $110
Maybe you don’t have room for a big TV, or what to maintain that air of “oh, a TV? I don’t actually own one” while retaining the option to watch Wes Anderson’s latest on a huge screen. Get an HD projector. The YOWHICK Projector with 5G WiFi Bluetooth is a decent mid-range model, and you can currently pick one up for $110, some 63% off.
A steal on a great game system: Xbox Series S — $199
What am I going to do with my new TV? I am going to play some new video games. I’m usually at least five years behind the gaming market (I didn’t get a Nintendo Switch until 2021), which means it’s right on time for me to grab a new Xbox, and the cloud-based Xbox Series S is currently available refurbished for $199. I’ll use my savings to subscribe to GamePass for an extra year.
Or read a book maybe? Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 11th generation — $125
TVs, laptops, Xboxes...whatever happened to a good old fashioned book? OK, so maybe reading on an ereader isn’t technically that, but Kindles remain a great way to entertain yourself (or even learn something) while staring at a screen that isn’t backlit. The newest Kindle Paperwhite is perhaps Amazon’s best Kindle ever, and right now it’s $125, a price that matches all-time lows for this model.
A high-capacity air fryer: Philips 3000 Series basket-style air fryer — $79.95
I’ve spent the past 3+ years as one of Lifehacker Senior Food Editor Claire Lower’s editors, which means I have drooled over a large percentage of the many, many air fryer recipes she’s written—yet I never actually bought an air fryer until now. At $100 off the usual price, the high-capacity Philips 3000 Series 4.1-Liter 13-in-1 Basket-Style Air Fryer with Rapid Air Technology was irresistible. Now, what to air fry first?
A stand mixer worth stanning: KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5-quart Tilt-head — $260
You’d better believe Lifehacker baking expert/certified pastry chef Allie Chanthorn Reinmann knows her shit when it comes to stand mixers. I certainly trust her when she says the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is a good buy—especially at $120 off.
A sexy new cordless vacuum: Dyson V12 Detect Slim+ — $449.99
True story: My wife got me a Dyson vacuum as a wedding present, and it has been going strong for the past [mumble] years. But now we live in a house again, and I don’t like carrying it up and down the stairs. Time for a new addition to the family—and at $200 off, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim+ cordless model is pretty damn tempting to me, the weirdo who loves to vacuum.
A robot vacuum to do your dirty work: iRobot Roomba J6+ — $399
Maybe you don’t want to push around a vacuum. Maybe you want the vacuum to vacuum for you. If you’ve been looking to enslave a machine, the iRobot Roomba J6+, which is smart enough to avoid cords and pet messes and empty its own bin, is a great one to start with. At $399, it’s currently 50% off.
An affordable entry-level espresso maker: Hamilton Beach Low-Profile Espresso Station — $69.99
I’ve written a lot about my coffee obsession over my years here, and yet I’ve never owned a dedicated espresso machine, both due to cost considerations and a lack of counter space. But the current $70 deal on the Hamilton Beach Low-Profile Espresso Station finally got me to reconsider (moving to a home with more counter space also helped). It’s iced latte season after all.
Workout equipment to get you jacked: Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells — $313
Look, realistically, I’m not going to buy any dumbbells. I am lazy by nature and nurture. But Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki is decidedly not, and the fact that she recommends these fancy Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells—currently $313.39, more than $200 off—carries a lot of, uh, weight.
A treadmill that’ll get you up to speed: NordicTrack T series 6.5S — $599
I’m not much one for running, indoors or out, but Beth knows what she’s talking about when it comes to running and gym equipment, so I trust her recommendation of the NordicTrack T series 6.5S, currently $200 off.
A fitness tracker worth watching: Garmin Forerunner 745 — $279.99
Beth also knows her stuff when it comes to fitness tracking smartwatches. Personally, I’m fine if my Apple Watch can remind me to stand up once in a while, but if you’re more hardcore, she recommends the Garmin Forerunner 745, currently $220 off.
A LEGO set that will be there for you: Central Perk Building Kit — $42
Building a LEGO set is basically a form of meditation for me, but it’s a pricey hobby, and LEGO seems to rarely go on sale. But one of the sets I’ve been eyeing—this LEGO recreation of the Central Perk coffee shop from Friends—is currently $42, down from $60.
Amuse your kids (and save your sanity) this summer: Reusable water balloons ($40)
My kids love water balloons, but their inept little fingers can’t tie them off for shit, and they usually get water all over the place trying to make them, which means I end up doing it. Then we have a water ballon fight but they either miss with every throw or the balloon doesn’t break, and then they complain about picking up all the little latex pieces. So I just said fuck it and bought this 20-pack of reusable water balloons for $40 (usually $50).
An inflatable hot tub to soak away your stress: Bestway St. Lucia SaluSpa — $255.22
If there’s one thing Claire is an expert in aside from cooking, it’s relaxing in a pool of warm water. She swears by her inflatable hot tub, and one of the models she recommends—the Bestway St. Lucia SaluSpa with 110 jets and a three-person capacity—is currently nearly half off at $255, even cheaper than when she endorsed it yesterday.
A hot deal on a hair dryer: Tensky ionic dryer — $89.99
OK, so I have thin, short hair that air dries in five minutes, but my wife has a lot more of it, and over the course of our relationship she has purchased at least a half dozen hair dryers searching for one that actually works. Maybe she should listen to our resident beauty expert Lindsey Elleffson, who is way into the Tensky ionic dryer, which she calls “salon quality.” It’s currently $100 off.
This post was edited after publication to add 10 more deals.