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The 32 best things we ever bought on Amazon for under $25
The 32 best things we ever bought on Amazon for under $25
Mara LeightonDec 11, 2018, 22:02 IST
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Some of the best parts of shopping on Amazon are the wide selections and low costs, but those things can also make it difficult to root out what's really worth spending your money on.
My favorite way to make sense of what's great on Amazon is by getting recommendations from friends and coworkers.
I asked my Business Insider colleagues about the best things they've bought on Amazon for under $25 and unearthed some interesting finds.
Amazon, land of 1 million things you need and 5 million options for each of them, has quickly become the one-stop shop for an insane amount of online purchases. For me, that's because they have a wide selection, carry most of the brands I want, list them at near the lowest or the lowest prices I've seen in price comparison research (with shipping in mind), and, last but absolutely not least, because I'm a Prime member and the internet has made me a glutton for instant gratification - something that two-day (or two-hour) shipping panders well to.
Some of the best parts of shopping on Amazon are the wide selections and low costs, but those things can also make it difficult to root out what's really worth spending your money on before you've stretched your checkbook too thin. It can also be hard to tell which affordable options are similar (or better) in performance to their higher-priced competitors to save you some money. The huge selection and low costs can be a great advantage if you have the inside scoop needed to navigate them confidently - if not, it can be a huge drain on time scrolling through reviews and trying to parse out who means what they're saying.
My favorite way to make sense of what's great on Amazon is by getting recommendations from friends. As a result, I decided to ask my colleagues at Business Insider about the best things they've bought on Amazon for under $25 - in the hopes of finding some new things to try without wasting time or money discovering them. Hopefully, they're as helpful to you as they were to me.
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Below are the 32 best things we've bought on Amazon that cost us less than $25:
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
"This is the best thing I've ever purchased on Amazon! They are blue-light-blocking, anti-glare glasses, which are super helpful for looking at a computer/phone screen all day long. I don't normally wear glasses, but I wanted to try them out before buying a pair from Felix Gray or Eyebuydirect.com. These are so cute and they actually work... plus they are $8.99! Can't beat it." — Madison Conley
"These are by far the cheapest blue-light-blocking glasses that I've found, and they work really well. I was having headaches nearly every day of my last semester of college from working full-time and taking night classes — both of which relied heavily upon screens. These were truly lifesavers, and I've rarely gotten so much use out of $9. I've written a review of them before, and I'm wearing them now." — Mara Leighton
"Can't say enough great things about this cast iron skillet. It heats evenly and consistently on the stove top, and has zero issues with tossing it directly in the oven or broiler. I use it for roasted chicken, bacon, roasted potatoes, frittatas, eggs, steak, and sauteing veggies. It's also super easy to clean, which is something that scares people away from cooking with cast iron. It's also on Prime." — Stephanie Asymkos
"No $6 has had a more positive impact on my effort to preserve my clothing than the $6 I spent on this bar by The Laundress. I learned about this product from Senior Editor Ellen Hoffman and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've done for my dress shirts. 1 bar has lasted me well over a year, and I just need to wet my shirt collar and rub the bar back and forth a few times before washing. It gets rid of all of the grime and oil from my collars. I was able to rehab shirts that were ready to go to charity or become rags." — Breton Fischetti
A mini waffle-maker that gets the job done and takes up minimal countertop space.
"This teeny tiny waffle maker is small but mighty. For those rare instances when I'm craving a waffle or two, this very small appliance easily gets the job done and stays out of the way when it's stored. It's very easy to use and clean; just plug in and wait for the light, add your batter and close the iron. To clean, wait for the iron to cool down, then wipe with a damp cloth and you're done." — Melanie Winer
"This thing is BOMB. So easy to use and clean, and to spice up my weekend coffees/matcha drinks at home, allowing me to live my best bougie life." — Kirstie Jiongco
A weekly planner that's desk-friendly and doesn't have dates, so it lasts longer than the calendar year.
"I'm very Type A, so I live my life according to the lists I write for myself. I decided I needed a weekly planner pad to set on my desk so that I could better plan out my week, and after much searching, I found this one by Hashi. It has the perfect amount of space for writing, cute designs on the pages, and it's not dated, so it can last beyond the calendar year." — Malarie Gokey
I love my cast iron Lodge pans, but sometimes you need to grip the handle while it's hot, and you obviously can't when it's hundreds of degrees — so I bought a few bright silicone hot handle holders for all my cast iron cookware. Now my hands are safe, and my black skillets have fun colorful handles. — Malarie Gokey
A pair of $13 earbuds that sound like they'd cost way more.
"These Panasonic earbuds were easily the best $12.99 [price at the time] I ever spent on Amazon. The sound quality is fantastic and they're incredibly comfortable. I'm not someone who would ever spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of over-the-ear headphones, so these are exactly right for me." — Andrew Meola
An easy and inexpensive way to make matcha lattes at home.
"With some hot water and matcha powder, this nifty little bamboo whisk saves me from those annoyingly trendy and overpriced $5 matcha lattes." — Kirstie Jiongco
A little 'Tub Shroom' that catches your hair before it clogs the drain.
"Between her curly red hair and my long brown hair, my roommate and I shed a lot. Our tub doesn't have a drain catch and after a particularly effortful session with a plastic drain cleaner, I decided it was finally time to try this viral hair catcher out. This small silicone tool fits into most standard tub drains and collects all the hair before it washes down and clogs your drain. Take it out, remove the hair with a piece of toilet paper, and it's ready for the next shower." — Connie Chen
A smart home camera at a fraction of the cost you would expect to pay.
"I was completely surprised at how advanced this camera was given the very affordable price. Set-up was so easy, and the camera does everything the expensive models do, and possibly even better. Highly recommend." — Melanie Winer
A pack of inexpensive toy mice to keep your cat entertained.
"This $3 pack of toy mice is cheap, but it manages to keep my cat entertained for days on end...that is, until she manages to trap all of the mice under the couch and I have to rescue them." — Ellen Hoffman
A sound machine to replace the sounds of the city at night with nature or white noise.
"I use this white noise machine while sleeping at night to blur out the street sounds of this noisy city. It's also really easy to travel with. Whether you want to blur out the crickets, car horns, loud neighbors, or just need some white noise, it's a must-have for the bedside table." — Chris Roth
The best thing I bought was this front- and rear-facing light set for my bike. There are a ton of these on Amazon for a wide range of prices, so it can be hard to choose one. The Blitzu Gator is incredibly bright, offers a few brightness levels and flash patterns (plus steady light), and charges quickly. It detaches from its' mount easily so you can take it with you when you lock your bike up somewhere. The rear-facing light is tiny but surprisingly bright. — David Slotnick
"These PEDS socks are the only ones I use, and I wear sneakers almost every day. The no-slip gel grips on the heel keep them from falling off and bunching up." — Sally Kaplan
"Sometimes it's fun to have a straw with something, and sometimes it's just practical. I bought these to use in smoothies specifically so I could cut down on the massive amount of waste we all create by using disposable straws (something that even inspired a campaign by the National Parks Service). Once you've made the change, it's not even noticeable in your daily life, and it makes a big difference in the grand scheme of things for the environment. Plus, they come with their own cleaner, so you never have to worry about not being able to properly sanitize them." — Mara Leighton
"I bought this when I needed something slightly more modest than a bikini for a trip abroad. This one is cute, "trendy," fits well, and — best of all — is comfortable! Amazon for retail — they're truly taking over the world." — Kirstie Jiongco
An inexpensive face mask pack that's more expensive at other retailers.
"I buy all my sheet masks as 5-packs on Amazon. This pack from Too Cool for School is $16 on Amazon, while the sheet masks go for $6 apiece at Sephora. You do the math." — Ellen Hoffman
A PopSocket to make gripping a large iPhone less strenuous on your fingers.
When I got my iPhone X, I also picked up a PopSocket grip to make it easier to hold my phone without straining my fingers. I love it because it's practical, keeps my phone secure, and lets me express my crazy cat lady side. — Malarie Gokey
[Editor's note: they come in a variety of colors and designs.]
"My partner gave me this salt lamp for the holidays, and I love turning it on at the end of the day. It provides a nice, warm glow that's bright enough for some late-night reading or just creating a gentle ambiance, which is much appreciated when coping with the chaos of living in New York." — Sally Kaplan
A perfectly sized memory card case.
Ruggard Memory Card Case for 4 SD Cards, $7.26
"I really like this memory card case. It's big enough that I don't lose the cards and they feel secure but small enough to throw into a camera bag." — Navah Maynard
Reusable K-cups for your Keurig or to use as impromptu tea balls for loose-leaf tea.
"I recently got a Keurig for the sake of convenience, but I knew I didn't want to use wasteful plastic pods with it, so I got these reusable ones instead. They work great for their intended use, but I also figured out that they make excellent tea balls for brewing loose-leaf cups." — Sally Kaplan
A super effective foot mask to give you smoother feet.
"This foot mask is the best/worst thing I've ever bought for under $25 on Amazon. My feet are so soft and smooth now, but my team did have to listen to me complain about my feet peeling for two weeks." — Maureen Lamping
The savvy (and very cost-effective) way to shop for home goods that are more expensive in your local store and more cumbersome to bring home.
"Many of us have filtered water pitchers in our fridges, but if you’re anything like me, yours is probably still a holdover from your college days. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I upgraded to a larger, more efficient model and haven’t looked back. Not only am I refilling this container less often, it’s encouraging me to drink more water since there’s always some left." — Brandt Ranj
A slim wastebasket that fits almost anywhere, but also fits a lot of garbage.
"I have probably 50 pairs of shoes, and yes, I do actually wear most of them! I have a variety of shoe storage solutions at home, but this one is by far the best and least intrusive in my closet. It only takes up a few inches of hanging space but holds so many pairs. I can even double up on sandal storage where I have room for multiples." — Sally Kaplan
A water bottle with a time marker that helps keep you keep track of how much water you're drinking.
"I get asked about this water bottle all of the time. I use it at the office, at the gym, and at home. It helps keep me honest about how much water I'm drinking and it's helped me stay more hydrated because of the time marker. I also love the spout, the attached wrist strap, the closure on the bottle (this thing will not leak) and the opacity of the bottle. One of the best purchases I've made in a while." — Melanie Winer
