Welcome back to Your Shopping Cart, wherein we break out the top ten products that you, devoted Strategist readers, have all bought in droves. Think of this as the tl;dr of the Strategist: If your like-minded brethren are buying these items, maybe you’d like to, too.
Mother’s Day gifts certainly dominated the list this time around, including electric massagers (one for moms with sore feet in second, another for those with achy backs in sixth), digital photo frames (an easy-to-use one in third, and one on sale in seventh), and a pretty, colorful bouquet in eighth. The top spot, though, went to a pair of Lululemon work pants that look professional but feel like sweatpants. Further down the list we have some returning favorites, like a subtle musky perfume in fifth (down from third) and a rose-gold lightning charging cable in fourth (up from sixth). We close out the list with two bedding picks: a set of comfy linen sheets and a soothing weighted blanket in ninth and tenth, respectively.
Last week, we noticed these “comfy as sweats” Lululemon work pants were deeply discounted at 62 percent off. We think they’re “ideal for those who would rather not squeeze themselves into a horrendously scratchy and tight pair of slacks on Monday morning, and for those who would like to look presentable while traveling.” Clearly, lots of our readers agreed.
This electric heated foot massager has been a perennial favorite gift since writer Lauren Levy suggested it for a reader looking for the best foot massagers. We also noticed it was one of the top-rated models on Amazon. When we included it in our guide to last-minute Mother’s Day gifts this year, many of you chose to pick one up for Mom, and we suspect she was very grateful.
Another popular Mother’s Day gift, this digital photo frame lets her show off pictures of the kids (and grandkids) even when the family is spread out. As one Amazon reviewer says, “I bought this for my 91-year-old mother. I am far away and even though we have a very large extended family, she was feeling left out. You know, lives get busy. I sent out the email I created for her, and the pictures started pouring in. So easy to set up that she doesn’t have to be tech-savvy to use it. She burst into tears. Those were happy tears, I might add.”
For under $10, this USB lightning cable (an Amazon favorite) is worth keeping in your bag for emergency charging situations. One reviewer raves, “I’ve ordered endless cables, and they all work great for a week and then die. I decided to try this one since it had the lifetime warranty, and I’m so glad I did. It’s excellent and pretty much just like the Apple USB. It charges my phone in the car superfast and even faster via wall charger.” And since it’s rose gold, you’ll always know which one’s yours in a sea of white cords.
Recommended by writer Fiorella Valdesolo, this Egyptian musk oil was the only fragrance she could tolerate during pregnancy — and afterward. She says it’s “clean and mellow and faintly soapy and significantly more refined than my former head-shop variety.” Plus, it was reportedly a “signature scent” of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. After debuting on the list in third place last time, it drops a bit to fifth.
This device is beloved by Amazon reviewers. One writes, “You can manage the amount of pressure you need and where the Shiatsu-type knobs are kneading. The knobs work forward and backward, heat can be added, but are not painful like the original Shiatsu units tended to be.” We recommended this electric back massager for the new mom who needs some relief from carrying her baby around all day.
We suspect this digital photo frame, another hit for moms, got a boost from a big sale earlier this month. We like that it’s “easy to use and managed through an app, so you can send photos to the frame remotely, keeping your mom up-to-date with the latest pictures of her grandchildren and grandpets. Multiple people can share photos to the frame, too, so your mom can get just-thinking-of-you pictures from all of her beloved children.”
Earlier this month, we uncovered some of the best bouquets you could order online for Mother’s Day. This colorful mix of alstroemeria, solidago, and succulents, that we actually featured in one of our “Look What We Found” email newsletters was a top pick. We like that the Bouqs Company will “tell you the name of the farmer who grew and picked your flowers, show you a picture of them, and tell you about their farm.”
These linen sheets jumped onto the best-seller list last spring after writer Lauren Levy sung their praises, raving that “the Belgian flax here is stonewashed for an immediately worn-in feel that only gets softer over time and with each wash.” It’s not surprising to see them back now after the company’s anniversary sale earlier this month, when everything was 20 percent off.
Designed to relieve anxiety and improve sleep quality, weighted blankets work by providing calming deep pressure, like a massage. When Strategist writer Karen Iorio Adelson went in search of the best weighted blanket to give as a gift, she tested out a handful, concluding that “Baloo’s thoughtful design makes it the most comfortable and aesthetically pleasing one of the bunch.”
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
