Global Courant
Prime Day 2023 is upon us, which means it’s the time of year when my propeller beanie is spinning faster than ever: Amazon’s annual event is rife with gadget deals. Below I’ve rounded up the best, and there’s good news right from the start: many of these products are already discounted. However, keep in mind that some of these deals require an Amazon Prime membership. Also keep in mind that if you have (and use) an Amazon Prime Visa card to pay for your purchases, you may get a higher cashback rate than the usual 5%. (The Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is a good example of this; it’s heavily discounted and earns you 10% cashback if you pay with a Prime Visa.)
WYZE
Wyze makes some great smart-home gear at very affordable prices, so any kind of discount is both surprising and noteworthy. The Cam v3 was already a bargain at $43; now it’s even better. This incredibly versatile security camera works indoors and outdoors – basically anywhere you can provide power and a decent Wi-Fi signal. Features include night vision, two-way audio, people and pet detection, and more. You can continuously record video to an inexpensive memory card or subscribe to Wyze’s inexpensive monthly service to add cloud storage and other features.
VacLife
The cool, compact, affordable VL768 is small enough to fit in a glove compartment, but powerful enough to inflate truck tires, car tires, bike tires and toy balls. It doubles as a backup charger for your phone, making this an extra sweet deal for just $40. What’s not to like? Read my review of the VacLife tire inflator for more information.
EarFun
Try EarFun’s alternative before spending a few hundred dollars on Apple AirPods Pro. At an amazingly good value, these earbuds offer active noise canceling (ANC), in-ear sensing, touch controls and up to seven hours of use on a charge. And speaking of power, the case supports both USB-C and Qi wireless charging. In my testing, the Air Pro 2 sounded very good overall – not on the same level as Apple’s AirPods, but good enough to satisfy most listeners. Certainly the price is a lot more satisfying.
Amazon
This deal competes with the lowest price on record for Amazon’s mid-sized tablet, which features an 8-inch screen, expandable storage, hands-free control thanks to Alexa, and every kind of entertainment you can think of: books, games, movies, music, TV shows and so on. There are a few things I don’t like about the tablet’s interface, but those quirks are easy to forgive at this price point. Read my Fire HD 8 review for more information.
Jedi
Isn’t it about time a robot took over some household chores? The Yeedi Vac X sweeps and vacuums, and while it lacks the laser-guided intelligence of advanced autobots, it can still map your floors and clean only the areas you designate (in Yeedi’s app, where you also set schedules, cleaning modes etc. Even cooler, the Vac X works with Alexa and Google Assistant so you can clean the house without leaving the couch.
Meta quest
The Meta Quest 2 is a phenomenal product, one of my favorite tech gadgets of all time. Put one on your head and you can climb virtual mountains, take on a virtual Darth Vader, put on virtual boxing gloves (trust me, it’s a workout) and much more. Meta raised the price to $399 late last year; here’s your chance to get it again at the original price.
XGIMI
While compact enough to sit on the armrest of your couch, the Xgimi Elfin packs a big home theater punch. The picture is sharp (1080p) and bright (800 ANSI lumens), with surprisingly good Harman Kardon speakers on hand to simplify movie nights. The Elfin even comes with Android TV 10.0 already built-in; the only thing missing is Netflix. (You can plug in any streaming device to add it.) This is a personal favorite, one of the best projectors I’ve tested, and an absolute bargain at $500 (with coupon). Read my Xgimi Elfin review for more information.
