We go through all the inexpensive alternatives that perform well in CR’s testing to bring you the most promising offers on kitchen appliances and gadgets, bath and beauty equipment, headphones, and more.
It is done to assist budget-conscious customers, who shouldn’t have to forgo quality for a low price. The things listed below are on sale for less than $100.
These are just a handful of the top bargains we’re seeing, but we constantly examine everything, regardless of price, to bring you the most recent offers and reductions.
Check out some more fantastic deals on appliances, kitchenware, and gadgets.
Headphones
Beats Studio Buds by Dr. Dre
True wireless noise-canceling earbuds that balance performance and cost well are called “Studio Buds.” Earbuds provide somewhat superior performance.
Still, a select few—notably the Sennheiser CX Plus and the OnePlus Buds Pro—are priced similarly to the Studio Buds.
Even though these earbuds don’t have many features, our professional testers say that the Studio Buds’ noise canceling and sound quality are excellent, especially considering their affordable pricing.
Why it’s a great bargain: Even after Black Friday, these headphones are sold for only $10 extra.
1MORE ComfoBuds Pro
Amazon (White) $55.99 Was: $69.99
True wireless noise-canceling earphones for under $100? That’s not a mistake or a joke, either.
The 1More ComfoBuds Pro is designed to look like Apple’s AirPods, and according to our testers while costing a tenth of the price, they operate similarly.
Why it’s a great bargain: The feature-rich ComfoBuds symbolize a bargain with the on-page coupon that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.
Smart Speakers and Bluetooth
SRS-XB23 by Sony
The Sony SRS-XB23 is a fantastic illustration of when little is more.
It is a reasonably priced, medium-sized speaker that Sony claims are water-resistant, but it lacks bells and whistles like vibrant LEDs that flash in time with the music.
The Sony is a wonderful lower-cost alternative since our testers found the sound to be pleasant despite lacking some of the clarity of the top portables.
Why it’s a great bargain: It costs around $7 more than the cost during the Christmas season.
Flip 5 JBL
Amazon (Black Camoflague) $88.00 Was: $129.95
The Flip 5 is a standout performer in our tests, with ample volume for a medium-sized room and a somewhat bass-heavy sound that should delight less-than-critical listeners.
Although the low-contrast exterior controls are easier to see and operate, Bluetooth connectivity is simple. According to JBL, the speaker is waterproof because of the IPX7 classification.
Why it’s a great bargain: We last saw this model at this pricing a few weeks ago.
Amazon Alexa (4th Gen)
Amazon $79.99 Was: $99.99
The fourth-generation Echo is in every way superior to the first. An advantageous improvement for smart homes is the new Zigbee hub.
Strong, somewhat boomy bass and sufficient loudness to cover a medium-sized space enhance the sound quality.
Despite this, the most recent Echo still cannot match the sound quality of the Sonos One or Amazon’s Echo Studio.
Why it’s a great bargain: If you can’t wait until Prime Day to purchase, this speaker is more expensive than its lowest price of $60, but it’s still a good deal.
Echo Show 8 from Amazon
For the price, Show 8 provides a lot of equipment. The voice-enabled touchscreen might be helpful when you want to follow a recipe in the kitchen, but your hands need to be cleaner.
The sound quality could be better; according to our testers, the treble is shrill, and there are echoes in the crucial midrange.
The Zigbee smart home hub seen on the most recent Echo is also absent from the Show 8.
Why it’s a great bargain: The greatest offer available until Prime Day is only $5 more than this speaker’s lowest price.
Coffee Maker
Bodum Electric Bistro Coffee grinder, Burr
Amazon (Black) $89.95 Was: $143.00
In all of our grind-performance tests, the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder performs well and excels at creating coarse grounds that are perfect for French-press and cold-brew coffee.
Despite having rather confusing settings and being one of the louder grinders in our rankings, this model is also simple to clean.
The Bodum has a timer, an auto-stop function, and 12 grind levels.
Why it’s a great bargain: One of the top grinders that CR has tested is being offered at a substantial discount. Since the previous week, it has decreased by $12 as well.
Optimal Brew by Mr. Coffee BVMC-PSTX91
Consider this offer on the Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX91 if you’re looking for a maker with a heated carafe.
Even though thermal carafes are more difficult to grasp and pour from than glass carafes, according to our testing, this machine does the task well.
It is also very simple to operate and clean and gives superb brew performance.
Why it’s a great bargain: Walmart has reinstated the Black Friday pricing for this coffee machine.
KF7000BK Braun BrewSense 12-cup Programmable
The Braun BrewSense 12-cup Programmable KF7000BK is a terrific coffee maker with a powerful brew performance, an easy-pour carafe, and many useful functions.
Auto-shutoff, a water filter, programming, a cleaning indication, and a permanent filter are some of these characteristics.
Why it’s a great bargain: If you need a reliable drip maker right now, this is still a good value, even if it’s $20 more expensive than the low price we often see during major deals.
KCM1208DG by KitchenAid
Consider this KitchenAid KCM1208DG coffee maker if you like the design of KitchenAid stand mixers.
It functions in a way appropriate to its look and has the recognized all-around metal band from stand mixers.
A permanent filter, a detachable water reservoir, a cleaning indication, an auto-shutoff, brew-strength control, and programming are just a few of its numerous features.
Why it’s a great bargain: With a current discount of $10 off the original price, this brewer outperforms devices that cost two times as much.
Vacuum Sealing
BD8173 Black+Decker Premium
This Black+Decker vacuum sealer is a fantastic alternative. It performs well for both speed and dry-food sealing and almost as well for wet-food sealing (such as marinated meals).
It does have a lower-than-average noise rating, but this is typical for the kind of kitchen item in question.
Why it’s a great bargain: With the current price, this model—which initially costs $130 but usually sells for closer to $100—becomes much more alluring.
Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers
Inspire 2 by Fitbit
Although the Fitbit Inspire 2 fitness tracker has been on sale since the middle of April, the cost keeps decreasing. It is now just $7 higher than its yearly low.
It deserves a position among the best fitness trackers for its easy use, pairing, and readability in low light.
It receives high grades for step count and heart rate accuracy on our tests.
The Inspire 2 also boasts built-in GPS, a capability not seen on many other fitness trackers, and a generous stated battery life of 10 days (we don’t test that trait).
Why it’s a great bargain: The cost is $5 cheaper than the lowest we’ve seen.
Smart House
SL0001 Bosma Aegis Smart Lock
In all of our testing, including the convenience of remote access, the Bosma Aegis Smart Lock SL0001 earns top marks.
Numerous other features of this retrofit smart lock include auto-locking and auto-unlocking, voice and app management through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, electronic keys, an access record, a door open/close sensor, and a tamper alarm to alert you to a potential break-in.
Why it’s a great bargain: After using the on-page discount, it is now just $19 more than the lowest price we observed last year.
VMC2040-100NAS Arlo Essential Indoor Security
Our editors thought the Arlo Essential Inside came in a close second to the Furbo dog camera as the best indoor security camera to monitor your dogs.
The Arlo has the required technologies for keeping an eye on your dogs even though it is officially a home security camera and lacks features like throwing food.
The device’s camera angle and video quality impressed our editors, and its companion app was simple.
Although the setup was a little challenging, and the privacy barrier produces a noise when it turns on that may wake up your pet, the sound quality was impressive.
Why it’s a great bargain: There is a good saving if you already own Arlo smart home products.
Essentials of Self-Care
Slides Ugg Fluff Yeah
For those self-care days, comfort is vital, and these Ugg slides may help you treat your feet correctly.
It seemed like she was walking on clouds, according to our tester, who described them as “comically fluffy.”
However, these are substantial clouds that weigh 1 pound for the pair, which is more than most pairs of slippers. You may wear them outside because of the thick rubber soles.
Why it’s a great bargain: Any discount—let alone one of 30 to 40 percent—is worth considering since Uggs are now in high demand.
Pilates Mats
Yoga Mat Iuga Pro Non-Slip
The Iuga yoga mat is a fantastic choice for inexperienced and seasoned yogis due to its extremely grippy surface and medium padding.
It also has a carrying strap, making it even easier to carry to and from class.
Why it’s a great bargain: The discounted price makes it even more inexpensive, considering that the full price is far less than many similar absorbent cushion yoga mats.
Performance Yoga Mat by Gaiam
The durability of 19 yoga mats via testing. Gaiam’s Performance mat passes CR’s drying and grip tests with flying colors but provides slightly less padding.
A firmer mat may provide greater stability for standing poses and can be easier on the wrists, so that’s only sometimes negative.
Why it’s a great bargain: It is within a few dollars of the lowest price we’ve seen, which is why it’s an excellent value.
Reserved for GreenPan
Amazon (Blush Pink) $94.95 Was: $119.99
The 10-inch GreenPan Padova Reserve frying pan is a good option if you don’t want a whole cookware set but could use one or two new nonstick frying pans (along with an 8-inch version).
The GreenPan is the top-ranked piece of nonstick cookware, much like the above mentioned cookware set.
The eggs effortlessly release one at a time from the pan, leaving nothing behind and passing the food-release test with flying colors.
Excellent cooking evenness is also present. The robust handle keeps it cool to the touch.
The nonstick ceramic coating performs well in our durability testing, although some other skillets perform better.
Why it’s a great bargain: If you get this set at a discount, you will only spend a little over $45 for each pan.
M110 Phomemo Label Maker
The Phomemo D30, which we previously tried and enjoyed, has a larger, bulkier counterpart called the Phomemo M110.
The M110 gives you more latitude when it comes to label size.
The same program is used, and it offers a large selection of fonts, styles, and photos, as well as speedy creation and simple label cutting.
It is less portable than the smaller Phomemo due to its size, and compared to the other label printers, its alignment is less perfect when cutting the label precisely on the cut line.
However, it’s still a good choice for a tough label printer.
Why it’s a great bargain: The on-page discount reduces the advertised price for this flexible label printer by a considerable amount.
