The best Prime Day tech deals under $25
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Everyone loves cheap stuff that’s actually good to use or invaluably helpful in your day-to-day. While Amazon Prime Day offers a deluge of deals on no-name tchotchkes and sketchy knockoffs (many of which have inflated, bot-fueled review scores) it does have its fair share of inexpensive hidden gems that are actually worth your money.
We know not everyone is shopping for big, multi-hundred or thousand dollar tech every time a deal comes around, so we’re always on the lookout for sales that fit into more modest budgets like sub-$100 and sub-$50.
Here, we’re rounding up our top picks for Prime Day that are just 25 bucks or less. Some of them may be ho-hum essentials like a USB-C charging cable, but you may be surprised what kind of tech you can get for such little scratch — like some of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers (because Amazon is always thirsty to get its Alexa assistant into your home).
Even though the below prices are very low, you can rest assured they’re all deals we vouch for on products we’ve reviewed, hands-on tested, or own personally and swear by.
Smart home tech deals under $25
TP-Link’s Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switches don’t require a hub and work with Matter, offering interoperability with the major smart home ecosystems. Amazon has the standard models for $19.99 ($8 off) for a two-pack or a two-pack of dimmers for $24.99 ($9 off).
Tapo’s mini Matter-compatible smart plug (Wi-Fi) is just $7.99 ($12 off) for one plug, or $20.99 ($28 off) for a three-pack. They lack energy monitoring, but if that’s not a deal breaker for you it’s hard to beat about $7 each for a smart plug with Matter.
For a similar smart plug that can brave the outdoors, TP-Link’s Tapo Matter Outdoor smart plug (Wi-Fi) is $17.99 ($7 off) at Amazon. It’s got two outlets that can brave the elements.
Tech basics and essentials under $25
Apple’s basic USB-C EarPods are on sale at Amazon for $17 ($2 off), which is as cheap as they get. They’re nothing fancy, but now that the current iPhones use USB-C you can easily take them from iPhone to iPad to MacBook with no fuss. And before you tell me that’s what Apple’s Handoff feature is for on its wireless AirPods, let me remind you that the mics on Bluetooth earbuds suck. Also, sometimes wired accessories are nice since you don’t have to worry about charging them.
If you don’t need 100W of charging potential like the Ugreen cables above, Anker’s two-pack of 3.3-foot USB-C cables can do 60W and get about as cheap as you’re gonna come by for $7.99 ($6 off) at Amazon.
Sometimes you just need a good quality extension cord with a low profile, three outlets, two USB-A ports, and a USB-C port. This 5-foot cord from Tessan does all that is currently just $15.19 (nearly $8 off) at Amazon. While its not the most powerful extension cord its handy for roadtrips and bridging the gap in rooms where you don’t have enough outlets.
If you need a basic, no-frills way to elevate your laptop to eye level, then this Nulaxy Laptop Stand is likely to get the job done. It’s on sale for just $15.86 ($6 off) when you click the on-page coupon at Amazon.
Nomad is running its anniversary sale up against Prime Day, dropping its Sport Case for the iPhone 15 Pro down to $25 ($25 off) as well as the Modern Leather Case for AirPods Pro to $24 ($6 off).
Games and gaming accessory deals under $25
The Nintendo Switch version of 8Bitdo’s Ultimate C controller with Bluetooth is $23.99 ($6 off) in a few fun pastel color options at Amazon, exclusively for Prime members.
Love Letter, a tabletop card game that’s a mainstay in our gift guides, is on sale for just $10.99 ($4 off) at Amazon. This game is the perfect ice breaker at parties, as it’s simple to pick up and play and it gets people casually competing with a fun card-counting mechanic.
Pandemic: Fall of Rome is down to $22.99 ($6 off) at Amazon. The four-player co-op board game has you working together to stave off the fall of the Roman empire, and just like the original Pandemic, which was about a worldwide biological outbreak, even losing can be a whole lot of fun.
Stray on PlayStation 5 is $21.80 (about $8 off) at Amazon. You play as an adorable cat in a dark, dystopian future inhabited by robots, and there is a button to meow. Need I say more? Read our review.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge for the Nintendo Switch is $24.99 ($10 off) at Amazon, its second-best price of all time. The classic-style beat-em-up supports up to six-players in local or online, which is just beautiful chaos. Read our review.
The PlayStation 5 remaster of PSP classic Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is $19.99 ($10 off) at Amazon. It’s a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, starring Zach as the main protagonist, and it makes for great extra lore background if you played or intend on playing Remake and Rebirth.
A four-pack of SCUF Elite Series 2 paddles for the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is $14.99 ($5 off) at Amazon. These are a little shorter than the stock ones from Microsoft, so some may feel they’re a little better balanced for being accessible while not getting in the way. Also, for owners of the Core version of the Elite 2 that did not come with rear paddles at all, this is a cheaper way to add them on.
Miscellaneous and Verge favorites under $25
The Glocusent book light is a favorite among resident Verge bookworms, and it’s selling for $17.99 ($15 off) at Amazon. The neck-worn light easily illuminates what you’re reading without having to clamp anything to your book.
The 14-ounce Yeti Rambler can keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold for hours on end, and it’s currently just $19.50 ($10.50 off) at Amazon. It’s the humble, logical alternative to those pricey Ember mugs many of us love so much.
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Everyone loves cheap stuff that’s actually good to use or invaluably helpful in your day-to-day. While Amazon Prime Day offers a deluge of deals on no-name tchotchkes and sketchy knockoffs (many of which have inflated, bot-fueled review scores) it does have its fair share of inexpensive hidden gems that are actually worth your money.
We know not everyone is shopping for big, multi-hundred or thousand dollar tech every time a deal comes around, so we’re always on the lookout for sales that fit into more modest budgets like sub-$100 and sub-$50.
Here, we’re rounding up our top picks for Prime Day that are just 25 bucks or less. Some of them may be ho-hum essentials like a USB-C charging cable, but you may be surprised what kind of tech you can get for such little scratch — like some of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers (because Amazon is always thirsty to get its Alexa assistant into your home).
Even though the below prices are very low, you can rest assured they’re all deals we vouch for on products we’ve reviewed, hands-on tested, or own personally and swear by.
Smart home tech deals under $25
TP-Link’s Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switches don’t require a hub and work with Matter, offering interoperability with the major smart home ecosystems. Amazon has the standard models for $19.99 ($8 off) for a two-pack or a two-pack of dimmers for $24.99 ($9 off).
Tapo’s mini Matter-compatible smart plug (Wi-Fi) is just $7.99 ($12 off) for one plug, or $20.99 ($28 off) for a three-pack. They lack energy monitoring, but if that’s not a deal breaker for you it’s hard to beat about $7 each for a smart plug with Matter.
For a similar smart plug that can brave the outdoors, TP-Link’s Tapo Matter Outdoor smart plug (Wi-Fi) is $17.99 ($7 off) at Amazon. It’s got two outlets that can brave the elements.
Tech basics and essentials under $25
Apple’s basic USB-C EarPods are on sale at Amazon for $17 ($2 off), which is as cheap as they get. They’re nothing fancy, but now that the current iPhones use USB-C you can easily take them from iPhone to iPad to MacBook with no fuss. And before you tell me that’s what Apple’s Handoff feature is for on its wireless AirPods, let me remind you that the mics on Bluetooth earbuds suck. Also, sometimes wired accessories are nice since you don’t have to worry about charging them.
If you don’t need 100W of charging potential like the Ugreen cables above, Anker’s two-pack of 3.3-foot USB-C cables can do 60W and get about as cheap as you’re gonna come by for $7.99 ($6 off) at Amazon.
Sometimes you just need a good quality extension cord with a low profile, three outlets, two USB-A ports, and a USB-C port. This 5-foot cord from Tessan does all that is currently just $15.19 (nearly $8 off) at Amazon. While its not the most powerful extension cord its handy for roadtrips and bridging the gap in rooms where you don’t have enough outlets.
If you need a basic, no-frills way to elevate your laptop to eye level, then this Nulaxy Laptop Stand is likely to get the job done. It’s on sale for just $15.86 ($6 off) when you click the on-page coupon at Amazon.
Nomad is running its anniversary sale up against Prime Day, dropping its Sport Case for the iPhone 15 Pro down to $25 ($25 off) as well as the Modern Leather Case for AirPods Pro to $24 ($6 off).
Games and gaming accessory deals under $25
The Nintendo Switch version of 8Bitdo’s Ultimate C controller with Bluetooth is $23.99 ($6 off) in a few fun pastel color options at Amazon, exclusively for Prime members.
Love Letter, a tabletop card game that’s a mainstay in our gift guides, is on sale for just $10.99 ($4 off) at Amazon. This game is the perfect ice breaker at parties, as it’s simple to pick up and play and it gets people casually competing with a fun card-counting mechanic.
Pandemic: Fall of Rome is down to $22.99 ($6 off) at Amazon. The four-player co-op board game has you working together to stave off the fall of the Roman empire, and just like the original Pandemic, which was about a worldwide biological outbreak, even losing can be a whole lot of fun.
Stray on PlayStation 5 is $21.80 (about $8 off) at Amazon. You play as an adorable cat in a dark, dystopian future inhabited by robots, and there is a button to meow. Need I say more? Read our review.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge for the Nintendo Switch is $24.99 ($10 off) at Amazon, its second-best price of all time. The classic-style beat-em-up supports up to six-players in local or online, which is just beautiful chaos. Read our review.
The PlayStation 5 remaster of PSP classic Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is $19.99 ($10 off) at Amazon. It’s a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, starring Zach as the main protagonist, and it makes for great extra lore background if you played or intend on playing Remake and Rebirth.
A four-pack of SCUF Elite Series 2 paddles for the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is $14.99 ($5 off) at Amazon. These are a little shorter than the stock ones from Microsoft, so some may feel they’re a little better balanced for being accessible while not getting in the way. Also, for owners of the Core version of the Elite 2 that did not come with rear paddles at all, this is a cheaper way to add them on.
Miscellaneous and Verge favorites under $25
The Glocusent book light is a favorite among resident Verge bookworms, and it’s selling for $17.99 ($15 off) at Amazon. The neck-worn light easily illuminates what you’re reading without having to clamp anything to your book.
The 14-ounce Yeti Rambler can keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold for hours on end, and it’s currently just $19.50 ($10.50 off) at Amazon. It’s the humble, logical alternative to those pricey Ember mugs many of us love so much.