The Best Deals on the Web For September 18, 2018

PublishedSeptember 18, 2018

$35 Fire Tablets, a fuzzy logic rice cooker, and BioLite’s brand new HeadLamp lead off Tuesday’s best deals from around the web.

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Best Tech Deals

Amazon’s ultra-affordable Fire tablets are no iPads, but they’re pretty damn good for the price, and that’s especially true today. Prime members can currently grab the 7" model for $35, or the Fire HD 10 for $110. The 10" tablet includes a 1920x1200 IPS display and stereo speakers, making it a great portable TV for the price, but you can’t go wrong either way.

Just note that the base Fire 7 only includes 8GB or storage, and the 10" has 32GB, but you could expand either of them with a discounted microSD card.

For one day only, Amazon’s matching its Black Friday discount on the 4K/HDR/Dolby Atmos-packing Fire TV.

While they last, you can snag the streaming ~~box~~ ~~stick~~ dongle for $40, a $30 discount, and a match for an all-time low. This is one of the best streaming devices you can buy at any price, so if it’s been on your wish list, don’t miss this deal.

Apple and LG teamed up to create one of the only 5K monitors on the market, and amazingly, one that can be driven by a single USB-C cable, if you have a compatible Mac. It’s tough to swallow (but honestly, not outrageously priced) at its usual $1300, but it’s a lot more tempting for $650 as a refurb.

The 22" 4K version is also on sale for $270, which isn’t quite as great a deal, but it’s the best discount we’ve seen on it in quite some time.

$53 for a Logitech Harmony remote is a great deal on its face, but the real reason to buy this model is the included Harmony Home Hub.

The Hub allows you to use your iPhone, Android device, or even an Amazon Echo to control everything a Harmony remote can (which is basically any piece of home theater gear you can think of). So even when you inevitably lose the included remote behind the couch cushions, you’ll still have multiple ways to take control of all of your home theater gear.

Considering the hub alone sells for $76 right now, getting the hub plus a remote for $53 is an unbelievable deal.

The fact is that picture differences in most sub $1K 4K TVs are unnoticeable by most of us unless compared side-by-side with other sets. For just $398, this 60-Inch Hisense 4K Smart UHD TV is a massive value. Sure it only has three HDMI inputs, and only supports HDR10 instead of Dolby Vision, but at this price and size, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value.

External Bluetooth transmitters and receivers with 3.5mm jacks have been around for years, but this model from Anker raises the bar with support for optical (SPDIF) audio.

The little box can both receive and transmit Bluetooth signals, and includes SPDIF in and out ports to connect it to your TV or high-end audio equipment. Plus, it can even pair to two pairs of headphones simultaneously when transmitting, which would allow two people to, say, listen to the same TV over headphones to avoid waking up someone in the next room. It even includes an optical audio cable, which doesn’t normally come cheap. It normally costs $46, but it’s marked down to $33 right now, matching the best deal we’ve ever seen.

If you own external monitors and they can be VESA mounted, there’s really no reason not to. It raises them to an ergonomic height, gives you lots of positioning options, and most importantly, clears up some valuable real estate on your desk. This mount can hold two screens up to 27" each, and it’s just $24 today.

Whether you’re getting a new iPhone, keeping your old one, or even if you’re an Android user, Anker’s big iPhone charging sale has a deal or four that you can take advantage of.

There are too many deals to list here, but we’ve included them all in this post.

Update: AT&T has matched this deal. It works basically the exact same way, but you have the option of a 30 or 24 month payment plan.

It’s unusual for Verizon to offer big incentives on the first day of iPhone preorders, but if you know a friend or family member that could join your plan, this is actually a pretty stellar deal.

All you have to do is buy two iPhones (the XS, XS Max, X, 8 Plus, and 8 are eligible, but not the XR), put at least one of them on a new line, and sign up for Verizon’s device payment plan, which divides the price of the phone over 24 monthly installments. Do this, and you’ll receive a $29.16 bill credit each month for two years, or effectively $700 towards a new phone. That’ll effectively get you the 8 Plus or the 8 (at 256GB) for free, or knock a big chunk off one of the newer models.

Walmart’s latest HDTV blowout isn’t a massive TV, but if 50" is all you need, $280 is a great deal for this Sharp 4K set. Unlike a lot of TVs at this price level, it has smart apps built in, and even HDR (though obviously, not Dolby Vision). We posted this a little over a week ago, but if you missed it then, the deal is back in stock.

While any modern microSD card will work in your home security or dash camera, Samsung’s Pro Endurance model is designed specifically for this kind of constant writing and rewriting, and is rated for up to five years of nonstop use. You don’t need that for your Nintendo Switch or a phone, but for certain applications, it’s worth the price premium. Get all three capacities for all-time low prices today. Update: The 64GB is sold out, but the others are still available.

For lighter uses, Samsung’s excellent U3 cards are still marked down to all-time low prices as well.

AmazonBasics makes pretty much everything at this point, and generally speaking, it’s a brand you can count on to be affordable and of good quality. While Amazon runs discounts on individual AmazonBasics products with some regularity, a whole bunch of it is on sale right now.

A few favorites are below, but dozens of other products are included, so head over to Amazon to see the full list.

VPNs have been in the news, and whether you want to get around video geoblocks, circumvent proxy filters, or just keep prying eyes out of your browsing data while using sketchy public Wi-Fi, reader-favorite Private Internet Access has a deal to fit your needs.

Private Internet Access doesn’t do much in the way of discounting, but they offer exclusive pricing and packages just for our readers that you won’t find anywhere else. Here are your options, and what you’d pay if you bought the same plan elsewhere:

One month for $6 | Usually $7
One year for $35 | Usually $40
Three years for $90 | Not offered to the general public at all

These deals are only for our readers, but we aren’t sure how long they’ll be available, so go ahead and sign up while you can.

Best Home Deals

This 4.4 star-rated Gorilla Cart is built like a tank, and can hold 1,200 pounds worth of children, plants, boulders, or anything else that fits inside. And if it doesn’t fit, the walls are even removable, so you can haul larger loads. You might not have an immediate need for it, but $90 is a terrific price, and it’s only available today.

Zojirushi is known for making really good rice cookers and really good water bottles—a totally normal combination of products—and both are on sale in today’s Gold Box.

You may be thinking that $125 is a big chunk of change for a rice cooker, but it’s not when you learn about how this machine uses complex fuzzy logic to cook your rice very precisely.

“Fuzzy logic” is a way of describing situations that cannot be described in absolutes: yes or no, true or false, white rice or brown. Fuzzy logic is used in automated technology that must sense and adjust for various factors, like mixing cement (depends on humidity) and changing traffic lights (depends on traffic). In rice cookers, fuzzy logic can take into account the type of grain, its age and hardness and its desired consistency. Frequent rice cooks who work with a variety of grains and have room on the countertop will not be disappointed by the performance of these machines.

This is the best price of the year.

There’s also a 135 oz. water boiler included in the sale, which can heat water to a precise temperature for tea.

On the bottle front, you can choose from 16 oz, 20 oz, or a food jar, but they’ll all keep contents hot or cold for hours on end.

Many dogs, my own included, suck down their food with the speed of a Shop Vac, which is endlessly amusing, but not all that great for their digestion. Luckily, these discounted bowls include lots of crevices and channels that slow down the kibble foraging, and encourage your pup to chew properly. The price varies a bit by size and color, but all three are only $7-$9 in today’s Gold Box.

Sugru is right up there with binder clips and the Raspberry Pi in Lifehacker’s pantheon of must-have gear, and you can stock up today with eight packs from Amazon for just $16, or about $4 less than usual. Unfortunately, it’s only available on the black pack at this time.

The computer in your car is a treasure trove of information about gas mileage, engine performance, maintenance issues, and more, but without an OBD2 scanner, most can only communicate with you through the primitive language of dashboard warning lights.

Luckily, two such scanners from Kobra are on sale right now, and both can sync to your phone and work with third party apps to track and record anything and everything about your car. The Bluetooth model ($8 with code CDJHZKQZ and a 20% on-page coupon) will only work with Android, but the Wi-Fi one ($13 with code 2DR4T5CD and a 20% on-page coupon) supports iOS as well.

You don’t think you need a portable car jump starter until you suddenly really, really need a portable car jump starter. This one’s only $30 from Walmart today, which is one of the best prices we’ve ever seen on one of these, and at 600A, has enough juice to crank most engines.

Anker’s ever-expanding family of dash cams just got a new member, and it’s $20 off at launch.

The Roav DashCam S1 looks just like the original model that we reviewed on The Inventory, but it shoots 1080/60 instead of 1080/30, giving you twice as many opportunities to get a clear shot of a license plate. An upgraded Sony image sensor improves low light performance, built-in GPS lets you log your trips, and it even comes with a 32GB microSD card and two port car charger in the box, so you’ll have everything you need to get started.

Update: The campaign has raised over $4,000,000, but it ends this week, so get your pledge in now if you want to save.

Peak Design, maker of our readers’ favorite camera bags, is diving headfirst into the travel market, and their new backpack and accompanying accessories work together to adapt to your travel needs of the moment.

Consisting of a backpack, a tech cube, a toiletry cube, packing cubes, and specialty camera cubes, you can mix and match various parts of the line for each trip. Not taking a camera? Take the camera cube out and add another packing cube (or just shove some more clothes into the cavity it left). Keeping your clothes in a carry-on? Compress the bag to make it easier to fit under an airplane seat. The cubes fit perfectly inside the bag like LEGO blocks, so you can pack a ton of gear, and still keep everything neat and tidy.

Beyond the OCD-friendly cube system, the backpack itself has a ton of interesting features of its own. You can unzip it from the back, the front, the top, or even the side while it’s dangling on one shoulder. You can carry it like a backpack, like a suitcase, or slip it over your luggage handle. In addition to the cavernous main compartment where you put your cubes, there’s also a small outer compartment that can hold additional flat items like clothing and documents. You can also unzip an expansion zipper to increase the backpack’s capacity from 45L to 55L, and even remove the divider between the compartments to use it as one big-ass duffel bag. It really is a bag for all occasions.

The Travel Line is currently on Kickstarter for 20%+ off MSRP (basically unheard of for Peak gear once it’s available in stores), and it’s closing in on over $3,000,000 in backing.

You could live your whole life cooking boxed Barilla pasta, and never once realize how fun and rewarding it can be to make your own. This Kitchenaid pasta roller and cutter set attaches to the accessory port on any KitchenAid mixer, and lets you create your own noodles with multiple shapes in just minutes. $102 is the best price Amazon’s ever listed, so I’d call this deal <kisses fingers like an Italian chef> delizioso.

You’ll probably want a drying rack to go with it.

Amazon makes its own toilet paper now (under the Presto! brand), and Prime members can save $3 on a 24-pack of the soft or strong variety when they clip the coupon and use Subscribe & Save. Because there’s just no need to flush your money down the toilet.

Anker’s Roav brand, the manufacturer of an incredibly popular dash cam, also makes some seriously smart car chargers. This one’s only $13 today with promo code VIVAFF22.

The SmartCharge F0 is an FM transmitter that takes the Bluetooth signal from your phone, and rebroadcasts it the FM radio station of your choice, giving you truly wireless audio and handsfree calls in older vehicles that don’t have Bluetooth or even an AUX jack built in. And since this is an Anker brand, you also get two high speed USB charging ports.

If the main reason you want smart bulbs is to turn your lights on automatically at night, and off during the day, you can skip the Wi-Fi enabled bulbs and just get these Philips LEDs instead. Equipped with a built-in light sensor, they’ll turn themselves on and off automatically based on the light around them. The three pack is down to $18 right now, an all-time low.

At 3,500 running watts (4,000 surge), this Sportsman generator could damn near power your entire house, or the most high-tech tailgate party in the entire parking lot, and it can be yours for $270 today from Walmart, which is about as cheap as you’ll ever see a generator this powerful.

Onboard, you get four 120V outlets, plus an RV outlet if you want to power your camper. Plus, it can run off both propane and gasoline, so you’ve got some flexibility.

Firstleaf is an online wine club that learns your preferences, offers tons of options, and most importantly, saves you money compared to buying from the store. It’s a solid deal any time, but it’s even better for our readers today.

Every new Firstleaf member gets an introductory delivery with three bottles of wine for just $15, plus $5 shipping. Considering that you aren’t locked in and can cancel any time, that’s a bargain. But it gets even better for our readers, as promo code Kinja will waive the $5 shipping charge, for a limited time. That’s three bottles of wine (all of mine had MSRPs over $20) for just $5 each shipped, with no commitment.

You can read more about the service in my review, but if you choose to remain a member (I did), every box thereafter includes six bottles for $80, plus $10 shipping.

KitchenAid mixers are an essential part of every kitchen. If your kitchen is still lacking one, pick up this KitchenAid 5-quart Artisan stand mixer for $210 today from Walmart. That’s one of the best deals we’ve seen on a non-refurb, and a great addition to your kitchen as Thanksgiving dinner draws ever-closer.

Best Lifestyle Deals

Consider, if you will, the headlamp. I’m willing to bet that you’re picturing an elastic strap with a big lump on the front containing the light and the battery. That is, after all, how most of them are designed. But BioLite has a different idea.

The makers of that incredible camp stove that charges your phone are back with the HeadLamp, a blindingly bright wearable light that puts the battery behind your head, and uses modern LEDs to create a lamp up front that’s thin, comfortable, and extremely bright.

The light itself toggles between modes with the press of a button on the top of the assembly (the button is a little hard to find and press by touch, my one real complaint about the HeadLamp), and you get the option of a wide or focused beam in multiple intensities, a strobe light, and a red lamp for when you don’t want to wake up a tent mate, or mess up your eyes before a stargazing session. And despite the light enclosure’s thin design, you can also swivel the lamp downward at multiple angles to fit your needs.

The battery on the back is connected to the light by a thin cable, most of which runs inside HeadLamp’s extremely comfortable headband. This is a modern, USB-rechargeable gadget—no bulky AAs to be found—and can run for a whopping 40 hours at minimum brightness, or 3.5 at full blast. And trust me, at 330 lumens, it’s bright.

There are no smartphone-connected features, RGB LEDs, or, like, Alexa support here, which is probably a good thing. While HeadLamp takes cues from modern electronics, it’s still just a head lamp at the end of the day, albeit a very nice and thoughtfully designed one. I wore one around at the Outpost trade show earlier this month, and everyone who saw it was jealous.

You can preorder it starting today on Kickstarter for $49, ($13 off MSRP, apparently), and backers will also receive an exclusive light-diffusing carrying case that turns the HeadLamp into a hanging lantern for your tent. BioLite is promising delivery in time for the holidays, and they have a good track record.

You can always save big at REI Outlet, it’s basically REI’s clearance page, but now you can take an extra 15% off your entire order with code OUTSEPT18. Some very notable items are included too, like Marmot’s Precip and Minimalist, both of which landed top spots in last week’s co-op for Best Rain Coats, while Smartwool is our reader’s favorite everyday men’s sock maker.

Other deals include outerwear, leggings, flannels, camping gear, and more from your brands like Patagonia, the North Face, and Arc’teryx to name a few. You should never need a reason to get outside, but this extra savings will make it that much easier.

Shop Lucky Brand’s One-Day Sale and save 50% on favorites in the women’s and men’s collections. Choose from dresses, jackets, shirts, sweatpants, shorts, and more. It’s a flash sale though, so you have to get your order in today.

Sitting is killing you, but you have a lot of options to get off your butt at work with today’s Flexispot sale on Amazon.

Inside, you’ll find a fully electric standing desk, a monitor riser that sits on your existing desk, a standing desk mat, and even a bike desk, all marked down to—are you sitting down?—the lowest prices ever listed on Amazon. The deals are only available today though, so don’t wait too long.

I can’t say I’ve used Urban Decay’s Naked Ultimate Basics Palette, but I’m told it’s an essential component to many a makeup collection. Nordstrom Rack has it marked down to just $25 right now, and I know enough to know that’s a really good deal.

Even without a sale, J. Crew Factory is typically a bargain, but when you get 40% off site-wide and up to 75% off clearance items using code QUICK, you’ve got legitimate steals on your hands. With the site-wide sale you can score new arrivals like flannels, sweaters, and denim while the clearance offers up shorts, dresses, tees, and more. Both offers valid through 9.18.18.

TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) massagers seem a bit like pseudoscience, but every time we post a deal on one of these things, we hear nothing but rave reviews. In fact, I use one occasionally after exercising, and it does seem to reduce muscle pain. At the very least, it feels cool.

Naipo has long made popular physical massage products, so an electrical alternative seems like a natural progression.

Grab some CAP cast-iron kettlebells and perform quick and efficient workouts from home. 10lb bells are just $8, but you can get them as heavy as 80lbs, if you want to become the largest in charge.

Best Media Deals

Sorting through the deluge of (mostly mediocre) online recipes can be a slog, so it’s worth taking a look at this Kindle cookbook sale. All 140+ included books are marked down to $5 or less, including books from celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, and practical options like Instant Pot cookbooks. A few of our picks are below, but head over to Amazon to see the rest.

The Hero’s Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild—Creating a Champion looks like it’ll be the ultimate holiday gift this year for the Zelda fan with everything, and preorders just got marked down to $60, from the usual $100. And if you order now and it gets any cheaper prior to release, you’ll automatically be charged the lowest listed price.

This deluxe slipcase edition features the royal blue worn by the Hylian Champion and includes the Creating a Champion art book with an exclusive cover, a map of Hyrule printed on cloth, an art print of the Champions’ photo Link hangs in his Hateno home, and a beautiful glass replica of a spirit orb.

Grab the complete Jurassic World: 5-Movie Collection in 4K for the all-time low price of $65. The 6-disc pack is a limited edition steelbook that features HDR for each movie and is heavy with behind the scenes features and commentary. Relive the imaginative classic Jurassic Park from 1993 all the way through this year’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Blu-Ray and DVD available for $47 and $37 (also all-time lows), respectively.

Best Gaming Deals

Who doesn’t love a good, innocent game of Mario Kart to unwind and disconnect from the tumultuous news cycle? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Switch is down to $45 right now at Walmart, so grab the deal before it gets blue shelled.

Now to open Twitter for the first time today!

Blocks By Speks Desk Toys | $24 | Speks | Promo code KINJA20

There’s no such thing as having too many desk toys, and Blocks by Speks are some of the best I’ve played with so far.

Blocks are straight or L-shaped plastic blocks with magnets inside. They snap together into a bunch of different shapes, and are rewarding whether you’re trying to build something cohesive, or just idly fiddling with them in one hand while you use your mouse in the other, which is how I usually find myself playing with them.

Our readers can grab a set for $24 today with promo code KINJA20, plus free shipping. If you want to look ahead to the holidays, they’d also make great stocking stuffers.

This LEGO set is practically bait for fishing fans. The old fishing shop set is over 2,000 pieces, and includes a removable roof and swiveling back wall for easy access of the inside. It normally sells for $150, but for a limited time, you can get it for $130.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never get a Victory Royale, but I might just win at Fortnite Monopoly, now up for preorder for $20. This isn’t just a skin over standard Monopoly rules; it’s a totally new game:

First choose a character: pick from 27 awesome outfits. Then, it’s time to battle. The action die lets players pick up health packs, build walls, and damage their opponents. Every time a player passes go they unleash the Storm; avoid it or lose HP. Like in the Fortnite video game, the last player standing wins!

Just remember that if you want to emote, you’ll have to learn the dance moves yourself.

Logitech’s G602 is more than enough gaming mouse for most people—we’re talking 250 hour battery life, 11 programmable buttons, and per-user programmable DPI settings—and it can be yours for $30 today, the best price we’ve ever seen.

Preorder 2nd Breakfast Board Game Table | $500 | Kickstarter

There are people who occasionally pull out a copy of Catan or Scrabble for a game night, and then there are people who spend a couple hundred bucks on Gloomhaven, or play through the roguelike Pandemic Legacy with the same group for months on end. This board game table is for them.

The 2nd Breakfast board game table is up for preorder on Kickstarter, and even with the earlybird discount, it costs $500. That’s an investment (though actually fairly cheap, as gaming tables go)! But if board games are a major hobby of yours, it’s totally worth it. Each table includes the following:

Removable playfield
Eight USB charging ports
Clear acrylic cover
Two A outlets
Reversible leaves
Four trays
Two double cup holders
Two single cup holders

When you aren’t playing, the leaves cover up the play surface, transforming the table into a regular looking dining room table without any garish, gaming-centric design details.

I think it’s safe to say that game night will be at your place in perpetuity once this arrives.

I don’t know what Overwatch! is but I guess everyone with a PC loves it and can’t stop playing it. And now subscribers to Humble’s October bundle, which unlocks on Friday, October 5 at 1 p.m. EST, can get it for $12 along with the other yet-to-be-named games. That’s $8 cheaper than buying on its own.

As always, Humble Monthly is only $12 per month (or $11 if you prepay for a full year), and every game you get is yours to keep forever, even if you cancel.

Outside of major sales events like Black Friday, Xbox One controllers don’t drop to $40 very often, so if you think you might want one, now’s the time to place your order. These are the newest models with built-in Bluetooth, so they’ll also work with your PC without an adapter. Available in black or white.