Prime Day has slowly shifted from Black Friday in the summer to one of the many trading days which seem to happen almost all the timeThis year, the shopping event of the season feels a lot more uninspired and pointless. So instead of bombarding you with pleas to spend money on a new vacuum cleaner, Gizmodo would rather present the worst offers For some of the strangest products. Even then, we scratch our heads trying to find the lowest prices on products we regularly see on sale.
Again, we must reiterate that many of the deals you find on Amazon can be misleading. While you may find a good deal on that hot tech product compared to the listed base price, the product is almost permanently discounted. Sites like CamelCamelCamel and applications like Keep a Offer a price history to see how often your product is on sale. Amazon isn’t immune to some pretty dubious deals. Amazon Echo Show is sold at the same price or almost as this Prime Day. The 55 inch Amazon Fire TV is on sale for $329 but was nearly $50 cheaper on Prime Day last October.
This year, it seems more than ever that many gadget makers aren’t celebrating Amazon’s fake holiday like they used to. If I’m looking at something I’ve wanted for a while, like the Ember 2+ Travel MugI can get it with 10% off for $180. The same product was selling for $160 on Amazon last month. Apple AirPod Pro 2nd Generation is $170 on Amazon and Walmart. However, they were at the same low price about a week ago, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to jump on them right away if you’re having second thoughts.
And you really shouldn’t stick to Amazon either. Walmart held its sales event last week. Nintendo Switch Lite is still $160 instead of $200 if you don’t want to wait for the Switch 2.
That doesn’t mean you won’t find some great deals on July 16-17. Meta Quest 3 The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is currently $430 for the 128GB version (around what it was on Walmart last week). The rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 is hitting a low of $700 for Prime Day, but that doesn’t mean you should immediately shell out $700 for Apple’s most expensive outdoor watch on a whim.
Senate committee cites Amazon for unsafe working conditions on Prime Day
It’s also worth remembering how much of an impact Prime Day has had on Amazon employees. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee released a preliminary report report Tuesday, showing that Prime Day regularly forces warehouse workers to work longer and harder. Based on hundreds of interviews with Amazon staff, the committee said Workers may receive twice as many requests as usual.
The report also includes charts provided by Amazon showing that Prime Day 2019 resulted in a 45% injury rate among workers. This includes both serious and minor injuries that do not need to be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel emailed Gizmodo that the report “draws broad and inaccurate conclusions based on unverified anecdotes and misrepresents years-old documents.” The spokesperson added that Amazon has reduced its minor injury incidence rate by 28% since 2019.
Let’s take a look at the worst Prime Day deals we’ve spotted.
The scariest therapeutic mask that will also make your face glow with menace
SDKWDH of LED therapy mask This isn’t the kind of mask that immediately grabs you, unless you have, well, particular tastes. It can produce seven colors on different spectrums to illuminate your face, and while I can’t speak to its effectiveness, I can proclaim how creepy this mask looks. The added bib to illuminate your neck gives it more of a “most dangerous prey” look.
How Many Pickleballs Do You Need to Play Pickleball?
I guess the answer to that question is not 400 pickleballs. Because if you want, you can get a pack of 400 Franklin Brand Pickleballs for $549. Should you go for such a ridiculous number? Maybe if your partner tends to hit balls into the next county. The 3-pack comes to $10, which isn’t very exciting when it’s regularly that price, even when it’s not Prime Day.
For the love of all that is holy, stop buying Catan
I played Catania. I’ve played Catan a lot. It’s fun enough, but it’s pretty damn tiring even after the second time you play it. So many better games don’t rely on a variable dice roll to collect the right resources. Try Splendor, Concordia, or Space Base. Even Ticket to Ride is a better game than Catan. Oh, and the deal isn’t great either. It’s slightly discounted to $37, but the game has been down to $25 in the last few months.
Of course, a pack of markers is definitely worth $30.
There are no real issues with Expo’s dry erase markers, but don’t assume they usually cost $30.42 MSRP. The 12-pack of markers is on sale for about $8, but if you like their price history, the average is about $18. This is another case of a company setting the price higher to make it seem like you’re still getting a good deal. This isn’t even the lowest price they’ve offered, as it’s already sold for just over $6. Nice try, Expo.
And you know what? Same goes for you, Sharpie. A dozen markers for $7 is a good deal, but don’t pretend to sell them for $21 when the highest price they’ve ever gone for is $13.
Yes, you will feel cool. No, you will not look cool.
This IceDoo Recovery Pod is only good for one person at a time, and for some reason, you can get it for 90% off or just $100. It’s a 46-inch-tall pod, so you’ll still have to curl up in your big ice tub to feel that refreshing, shocking relief. But let’s also cut the jokes. This massive ice bath usually sells for around $120, so you’re only saving $20 instead of hundreds.
It’s supposed to fold up for easy transport, and product images show a man carrying it across what appears to be the wild tundra. I have to ask, how the heck are you going to transport ice into the wild, too?
You don’t need a Keurig machine, much less Amazon-branded coffee pods
Keurigs and others pod coffee machines are simply one of the most wasteful ways to make coffee. You produce more plastic waste than necessary, and what you get is often not worth it. Even “recyclable” K-Cup pods are they not recyclable. So if you’re looking at those Amazon brand coffee pods and wondering if they’ll taste better than your regular blend, please consider buying another coffee.
We definitely do not recommend giving your DNA to 23andMe
If you are not familiar with DNA data collection services like 23andMeyou should know that you are giving up a lot to understand your genetic heritage. Late last year, journalists revealed Hack Cost 6.9 Million 23andMe Customers’ DataSome of this data included genetic information about users, the company confirmed to Gizmodo.
So we really can’t stress enough how problematic services like Ancestry.com and 23andMe are. It doesn’t matter whether their DNA kits are for sale or not; it’s just about keeping your DNA safe.
That’s too many snacks
Why buy a few bags of Cheetos when you can buy six small bags, plus a bunch of Doritos and some gross SmartFood white cheddar popcorn? Oh, that sounds like a lot, but let’s face it: Unless you’re throwing a party dedicated to producing more trash than necessary, or you want to be the worst house on your block during Halloween, you’re not going to eat all those small bags of chips, popcorn, and extra-salty pretzels all by yourself. You also don’t need 40 bags of Frito and friendsespecially since you’re saving just over $5.
