It’s officially day two of Prime Day, which, for shopping writers, is like the Super Bowl. We spend a lot of time before, during, and after the two-day event evaluating sales on tens of thousands of products, and many Strategist writers have covered the same category several years in a row — making us pretty discerning about what’s actually a good deal versus what’s skippable. (Pro tip: If you’re not sure, check out the price-comparing site CamelCamelCamel.)
I’ve rounded up 15 Strategist writers’ favorite deals, the best of the best of Prime Day — from a half-off robot vacuum to a $6 travel sleep mask. Think of it as a panel made up of 15 of your fussiest friends. Everything in this article is still available as of 6 p.m. ET, and a few deals have gotten even better. But remember that these deals expire at 11:59 p.m. PT tonight (or 2:59 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 18), so time is of the essence — the best deals are the most likely to sell out. (For more in-depth recommendations from any category, I’ve included links to each article. And if you want all our best picks, check out our hub of the 200+ best Prime Day deals.)
The best deals overall, according to deals writer Sam Daly
Yesterday in her roundup of all the best Amazon Prime Day deals, Sam called out our best overall water flosser (it goes on sale a lot over the year, but we’ve never seen it at 50 percent off); our best-in-class jean, the straight-leg Wedgie, which is over 60 percent off; and the noise-canceling headphones she has had for years, which are under $200 for the first time. But she just added to her list the Laneige lip mask, which is even cheaper today (now 30 percent off, up from 20 percent yesterday) and the LifeStraw water filter, which she rarely sees for half off.
The best sleep deals, according to sleep writer Amelia Jerden
These are all items from our sleep-sale roundup that Amelia has tested, recommends, and doesn’t often see on sale. The Purple Harmony is her favorite pillow (she slept on it just last night) — and at 20 percent off, it’s a great deal. The Hatch sunrise alarm clock is very popular but expensive; while the discount below isn’t huge, it’s rarely on sale. And the Loop earplugs are the lowest price they’ve been in months. Two new top picks she just added to her roundup: our best overall mattress protector for half off and the ugly but effective BedJet cooling system.
The best tech deals, according to tech writer Jordan McMahon
Jordan has been covering Amazon Prime Day for six years and says it’s one of the best times to get a deal on Amazon devices as well as robot vacuums and gaming accessories. Two of his favorite robot vacuums (the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni and iRobot Roomba j7+) and three of his favorite tech products (the Backbone One, Kindle Scribe, and Apple Watch Ultra 2) are all at their lowest prices ever. And while not at its best price ever, the JBL Pulse 5 he zones out to is at a pretty good discount. Read Jordan’s roundup of the best tech deals for more.
The best kitchen deals, according to food and dining writer Emma Wartzman
In her survey of the best kitchen deals, Emma recommends some top-quality kitchen essentials that are rarely on sale, including a coffee machine that’s built like a tank, a mini KitchenAid mixer, a reliable kitchen knife at a really good price, and the trash can everyone asks her about.
The best beauty deals, according to beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst
Prime Day has great deals on beauty tools and luxury skin care, Tembe writes in her beauty-deals roundup. Now is a good time to grab typically pricey skin-care devices like a Solawave or NuFace, both of which are at least 30 percent off. And skin-care treatments from some of her favorite brands, Tatcha and Sunday Riley, are rarely this cheap.
The best fashion deals, according to fashion writer Ambar Pardilla
In her list of the best fashion deals, Ambar found our a thin-but-not-too-thin tank from Madewell, a pair of See by Chloé ballet flats that are more than half off today, and a very good deal on some Free People shorts that were just added to the sale.
The best home deals, according to home writer Lauren Ro
Lauren’s favorite home deals include a versatile 24-inch round mirror that works just about anywhere, a Coway Airmega air purifier (she owns four), and a bidet from Bio Bidet on sale for under $500. She says it’s “one of the best things I ever bought. Once you install it, your bathroom experience will never be the same.”
The best household deals, according to fashion and personal-care writer Arielle Avila
Arielle trawled through Amazon for the best Prime Day deals on boring household stuff. Her favorites include an 80-count box of trash bags (which readers have been buying in droves), Mrs. Meyer’s fresh-smelling multipurpose cleaner, and an excellent deal on the best overall teeth-whitening strips.
The best baby and kids’ deals, according to senior writer Liza Corsillo
Liza has spent the past couple of years testing toys and baby gear (with the help of her 18-month-old son). She rounded up the best deals for kids and babies, including Magna-Tiles (“They’re a good deal any time they’re less than $1 a tile”), a five-in-one toddler gym, the high chair that’s “one of my most essential pieces of baby gear,” and a stroller that’s tough yet smooth to push and has a truly effortless one-hand fold. New to her top picks today are the only shoes her son has worn this month and an expensive but worth it car seat.
The best travel deals, according to travel writer Kat Gillespie
Kat found the best Prime Day travel deals on Travelpro’s lifetime-guaranteed carry-on suitcase, the Strategist’s favorite noise-canceling headphones, a handy device that allows you to pair AirPods to an airplane TV, and a comfortable blackout sleep mask she wore on long-haul flights to Australia and Asia, as well as a great deal on a three-piece luggage set.
The best deals under $25, according to fitness writer Jeremy Rellosa
In his roundup of the best deals under $25, Jeremy found a rare deal on protein powder (“Many protein powders cost, on average, $40 for a two-pound tub — it’s rare to find a two-pound tub for under $25,” he says), a multipack of Liquid I.V. electrolyte powders (“Stay hydrated!”), a deal on Malin + Goetz deodorant, the Yeti Lowball he’s had for almost a decade, and the resistance bands he has been using for two years, down to $7 for five.
The best deals under $50, according to wellness and beauty writer Dominique Pariso
In her list of the best Amazon Prime Day deals under $50, Dominique called EltaMD’s tinted sunscreen and the iS Clinical Cleansing Complex “my go-to combo for keeping my acne-prone skin clear, protected, and even all summer long.” Some other great (affordable) deals: deeply discounted Bluetooth Tile tags so you can keep track of your valuables, more than half-off JBL earbuds for those not in the Apple ecosystem, and one of her favorite perfumes for $20 off.
The best deals on gifts, according to beauty writer Kitty Guo
If you’ve got a special occasion coming up, check out Kitty’s list of the best items on sale for Amazon Prime Day to buy as gifts. Her favorites include CosRX’s snail-mucin essence, a best seller among Strategist readers; a Zojirushi thermos that has been a Strategist favorite (and one of our best travel mugs) for years; and our best overall foot massager, which makes a good gift for almost anyone.
The best vacuum and mop deals, according to home writer Erin Schwartz
In my roundup of the best floor-care deals (vacuums, mops, steam cleaners, etc.), I singled out great deals on a TikTok-favorite mop and a very popular upholstery cleaner as well as the best price I’ve seen on our best-in-class robot vacuum.
The best non-Amazon deals, according to junior writer Bella Druckman
There are a lot of great Prime Day sales not on Amazon, and Bella went through all the non-Amazon deals for the most worthwhile items from reliable brands. She especially likes a deeply discounted dress from Skims, a lightweight cotton quilt, and a set of outdoor beer steins.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.