We’re one week out from the next Amazon Prime Day — wait, I mean Amazon Prime Early Access Sale. But you don’t need to wait until then to start getting great deals that don’t require a Prime membership. Amazon is selling a selection of its Fire TV Sticks for up to 50 percent off. Its cream of the crop stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, is $34.99, and you can even get an additional 20 percent back if you trade in an old Fire TV Stick. Though, even if you don’t have an older device to trade, this $20 discount is matching the cheapest price ever on Amazon’s highest-end Fire TV Stick — matching the lightning deal price we saw from Prime Day a few months ago.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is loaded with good specs for its price, including 4K resolution and HDR support with Amazon Alexa voice controls. Notably, it also has Wi-Fi 6 for higher speeds if your Wi-Fi router supports it. It got a nod in our buying guide for being the very best streaming device in Amazon’s ecosystem, and with a $35 price tag, it’s an easy recommendation. Read our review.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)
Amazon’s latest streaming stick offers improved performance and support for Wi-Fi 6. It continues to offer a terrific selection of streaming apps and an easy-to-use interface with the benefit of Alexa voice commands.
Select iRobot Roomba vacuums are on sale across multiple retailers — and that includes our top pick, the Roomba j7 and j7 Plus. The standard j7 is on sale for $399 ($200.99 off) at Amazon, Target, and Wellbots. Or, if you prefer to opt for the j7 Plus and its included auto-emptying docking station, it’s currently around $599 (the same $200.99 off) at Amazon, Target, and Wellbots.
The Roomba j7 gets our top pick for robot vacuums thanks to its great balance of size, suction, features, and price. It’s a very smart bot with a camera that uses AI to actively avoid obstacles, and its mapping software creates a customizable map of your house — complete with optional no-go zones to keep it from getting stuck in troublesome areas. Its roller and brush design also allows for the easy removal of hair. Just be sure to remember to budget for replacement brushes, rollers, and filters a little down the road (as well as bags if you get the cleaning station with it).
iRobot Roomba j7
The Roomba j7 features obstacle avoidance that allows it to navigate around furniture and smaller objects that it deems hazardous. Besides cleaning on a set schedule, the j7 can also jump to work via voice commands or the Roomba app.
iRobot Roomba j7 Plus
The j7 Plus is good at avoiding obstacles, features good battery life, and includes an auto-emptying docking station. Additionally, iRobot will replace the vacuum for free if it runs over pet waste within the first year of ownership.
If you’ve got a little more wiggle room in your budget, the older Roomba s9 Plus is worth your consideration. This model may not be as new as the j7, and it lacks the AI obstacle avoidance, but it’s got higher suction that is especially good for high pile carpets. It also features a D-shaped chassis, so its flat front should be able to get into more nooks, crannies, and corners with a little less bumping or getting stuck. It’s currently on sale for $799 ($200.99 off) at Amazon, Target, and Wellbots.
iRobot Roomba s9 Plus
The iRobot Roomba s9 Plus comes with filters to get rid of pet hair, mold, pollen, and dust mite allergens as well as a square front to wedge itself into corners and more efficiently sweep away debris.
In the market for a gaming monitor that isn’t obscenely expensive or large? Samsung’s 27-inch Odyssey G5 is on a one-day discount at Best Buy for $249.99. That $150 discount gets you crisp QHD resolution (up to 2560 x 1440) and up to 165Hz refresh with FreeSync (and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility) to combat screen tearing, with adaptive refresh rate. It’s also a speedy monitor with a 1ms response time, which is great for twitchy shooters and fast action that may be happening on-screen.
27 inches for a monitor isn’t huge, though it’s still a respectable size for anyone without a ton of desk space. The Samsung Odyssey line is known for some quality performance, but good prices like these aren’t too common. (Though, be aware that the port selection is fairly lean here, as the one HDMI port and one DisplayPort feel like they could have used some more company.) It’s fine for one computer and one console, but don’t expect to make it the hub of your multiconsole and PC setup unless you get an additional switcher.
Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G5 QHD monitor
Samsung’s Odyssey G5 27-inch gaming monitor supports 165Hz refresh, a 1ms response time, and FreeSync at resolutions up to 2560 x 1440. As for ports, it has just one HDMI and one DisplayPort.
More deals to carve out for your Tuesday
- A basic SanDisk 32GB Ultra USB-A 3.0 flash drive is just $4.99 ($8 off) at Woot if you’re an Amazon Prime member and sign in to your account when buying. Though, if you’re not a Prime member or need more storage, Best Buy has the 128GB one for $15.99 ($4 off). These can still often be handy or even necessary depending on your work or hobbies.
- Belkin is selling its Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with MagSafe for $84.99 ($15 off) when you use code FALL2022 at checkout. This is the dual charger version of Belkin’s funky-looking tree charger, handy for charging a MagSafe-compatible iPhone and Qi-compatible AirPods. It’s not as cheap as we saw on Prime Day, but these don’t go on sale that often.
- The last-gen Fire TV Cube is on sale at Amazon for $59.99 ($60 off), though only for Prime members. It’s still a worthwhile streaming box, even with a new model coming — especially if you use a lot of Alexa voice commands, as it doubles as a smart speaker. Read our review.
- Nanoleaf’s Mini Triangles Smarter Kit five-pack is back down to its discounted price of $49.99 ($70 off) at Best Buy. It’s the cheapest way to get into one of Nanoleaf’s arrangements of colorful smart lights to accentuate your wall.