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Kinja Deals

Monday's Best Deals: Google Routers, Rice Cookers, Toolsets, and More

By
Chelsea Stone, 
Shep McAllister, 
and Corey Foster

A Google WiFi system, a Vitamix, and a 170-piece toolset lead off Monday’s best deals from around the web.

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Best Tech Deals

One of these days, all of our gadgets will charge over USB-C exclusively. But until then, we’re going to have to carry around USB-C and old-style USB chargers to keep everything up and running. Luckily, this Anker wall charger has one of both: A 30W USB-C PD port for your laptop and Nintendo Switch, plus a Quick Charge-compatible PowerIQ 2.0 USB port.

It also includes folding plugs and a USB-C to USB adapter, which is always useful to have around. Use promo code ANKERB23 to get the bundle for $30.

Vizio’s 5.1 channel sound bars changed the game by bringing surround sound to people who didn’t want to buy a receiver or run a ton of wires around their living room, and now, you can get your own setup for just $148.

That includes a 32" sound bar with your three front channels, a wireless subwoofer that you put in the back of the room, and two wired satellite speakers that plug into the subwoofer, and serve as your rear channels. I’ve had a very similar setup from Vizio for years, and absolutely love that I can just plug it straight into my TV, with no fuss.

Update: Back in stock! The last two times we’ve seen this, it’s sold out within hours.

While we see deals on Sonos’s smaller speakers from time to time, the room-filling Playbar hardly ever goes on sale. While supplies last though (which, if history is any guide, will not be for long), Sonos has refurbs in stock for $549, or $150 less than buying it new.

Like all Sonos refurbs, the Playbar includes the company’s standard 45 day return policy and a full one year warranty.

Half of your electronics charge over USB these days, so it makes sense to buy power strips that include both AC outlets and USB ports. For just $12 with promo code 6YI3ALOA, this Aukey power strip includes four of each.

Google Wifi is one of the highest profile competitors in the exploding mesh router market, and our readers’ favorite mesh system. If you have a big house, and could make use of a three-router array, Amazon and Walmart are marking down the system to just $250, within $1 of the best price they’ve ever listed.

If your external storage needs extend beyond a handful of photos and a modest music collection, this 8TB external drive should have enough space for just about anyone. And at $139, it’s also never been cheaper.

Samsung’s U3-rated microSD cards are some of the fastest and most popular options out there—I have the 128GB model in my own Nintendo Switch—and all four sizes are down to all-time low prices today on Amazon.

The 32GB card has been $7 for a few weeks, but the 64GB just dropped from $15 to $14, the 128GB went from $30 to $25, and the 256GB dropped from $70 to $60.

If you need extra space for your action cam, smartphone, tablet, Switch, or anything else, these are extremely fast cards, and extremely good deals.

Anker’s original PowerLine Lightning cables were our readers’ favorites, and while they’ve been iterated on in the years since, the originals remain far nicer and stronger than Apple’s own cables. For a limited time, you can grab a 6' cable in white for just $8, or about $3 less than usual.

Anker’s soda can-sized Capsule portable projector was a crowdfunding hit last year, and it really did deliver on its promise. But there were a few obvious areas for improvement, and Anker tackled all of the big ones with the brand new Capsule II, now up for preorder on Kickstarter.

So what’s new?

1) Resolution: The original Capsule’s standard definition 480p has been bumped to 720p, so your videos should look a lot crisper. Easy win.

2) Brightness: The first Capsule’s 100 ANSI lumen bulb was fine in a dark room, but the Capsule II’s is twice as bright, which means you’ll be able to get a usable picture in more lighting conditions, and at larger screen sizes. I saw it firsthand in a fairly well-lit event space, and while not as bright as a TV screen or a full-sized projector, it was definitely bright enough to watch a movie.

3) Software: The original Capsule had a version of Android installed, but it was pretty janky, and didn’t have access to Google Play. This time around, the Capsule II ships with Android TV 9.0 onboard, with access to the vast Google Play app store, which means you won’t have to rely on your phone for casting content.

There are a few other minor differences of note, including the inclusion of USB-C Power Delivery for fast charging, an improved speaker, and autofocus. It is a bit bigger than the Capsule (which will remain on sale for the time being); Anker calls it “pint sized,” rather than soda can-sized, which was pretty cheeky of them. Whatever beverage you compare it to though, it’s still very small for a projector.

Kickstarter backers can preorder the Capsule II right now for $399. Anker’s touting a $599 MSRP for the Capsule II, and while there will surely be discounts after it comes out, Anker’s previous crowdfunding projects have, in hindsight, legitimately offered prices to backers that weren’t matched on Amazon for many months after release, if ever.

If you ever bought a Capsule I prior to this Kickstarter going live, you’re also eligible for a $100 rebate when you preorder the Capsule II. Check out the bottom of the campaign page for details.

While it doesn’t have the best picture quality out there, it’s tough to complain about a 65" 4K TV for $550, a 55" for $320, or a 49" model for $250. Both include HDR, though with a distinct lack of specs on the page, I’m going to assume that’s not Dolby Vision. And while they doesn’t have apps onboard—pretty typical at this price level—they do have Chromecast built in, so you can stream video easily from your phone, which is very rare at these price points.

Just when you thought you had car chargers pegged, Anker went out and made the smartest one you’ve ever seen.

Similar to the Nonda Zus, the Roav by Anker SmartCharge Spectrum connects to your phone over Bluetooth while you drive. When you turn the car off and the Bluetooth connection breaks, the Roav app will mark down your parking location on a map, so you can find your way back.

Perhaps more usefully, every time you start your car, the SmartCharge will also log the health of your car battery, so you can track its charge over time from your phone, and get a replacement ready before you get stranded in your office parking garage on a Friday evening.

Those features alone (along with Quick Charge 3.0 charging) would make this worth $16 (with promo code BGREXLF6), but it does have one last trick up its sleeve: A customizable accent light. The LED ring around the USB ports can display 16,000 different colors, and you can choose your favorite from the app to make it perfectly match (or stand out from) your car’s own dashboard lighting.

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:

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

If you cook rice regularly, a great rice cooker will save you so much time and stress over the years. This top of the line Zojirushi model is down to the best price we’ve ever seen, and includes an induction heating pressure system, which cooks rice more evenly than traditional methods.

You may be thinking that $339 is a big chunk of change to spend on a rice cooker, and it is. But, when you learn more about how this machine uses fuzzy logic to cook your rice precisely and perfectly every time, it makes more sense.

“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 larger model can cook up to 1.8 liters of rice at a time and has killer reviews, so treat yourself before the price goes back up.

Grabbing breakfast or lunch with coworkers can be a great way to break up the day, but more often than not you’ll just wallow in your own indecision before ordering a bad $12 sandwich.

Break the cycle with Soylent, a nutritionally complete meal replacement shake that now comes in a variety of flavors (no, green is not one of them). The 20% discount will apply to your first Subscribe & Save shipment, which you can always cancel after you get your first box.

Prices vary by flavor, but you can get 12 bottles of most flavors for $31 with this deal, or a 2.3 pound tub of powdered Soylent for just $27.

Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to buy a whole 14-piece cookware set when you know you only need to replace a few pans. This Cuisinart 7-piece set is a good middle ground, and comes with all the basics like a skillet, two sauce pans, and a stock pot.

These pieces feature aluminum cores in the bases, though that aluminum doesn’t extend up the sidewalls like you’d see in more expensive cookware. But still, they should heat up quickly and evenly, and boast a solid 4.1 stars with over 600 reviews.

We could all use a Monday morning (OK, any morning) boost. This Toddy Cold Brew System, now just over half-off at $17 on Amazon, will do the trick. In case you’re not up to date on your coffee talk, cold brew is lauded for having less acid than a traditional hot brew, so it’s better for caffeine aficionados with sensitive stomachs. It’s also easier on your morning routine: A batch of brew will stay fresh for up to two weeks. And this set includes the brewing container with handle, two reusable filters, a rubber stopper, and a glass decanter so you can enjoy authentic coffee shop vibes in your own kitchen.

You can’t keep buying new pairs of socks and underwear forever; at some point, we all have to buckle down and do our laundry. Make the process slightly less painful by taking advantage of this detergent deal: Amazon is offering a $3 coupon on 100 oz bottles of Tide today. At just $9 after the coupon (that’s about $.14 per load), now’s as good a time as ever to clean up.

If you use your blender twice a year to make margaritas, this deal isn’t for you. If you mix smoothies and blend soups multiple times per week though, it might be worth investing in a powerful Vitamix, and this refurbished model is down to $300 on Amazon today, or $200 less than buying it new.

The Vitamix Ascent has the powerful motor and clean design you’d expect from a Vitamix, plus wireless connectivity that allows it to detect what kind of jar you’re using, and connect to an app that can enable 17 different blending programs for over 500 recipes. Even if you never use the smart features though, it’s still a really, really good blender, and it even comes with a five year warranty.

When the weather outside is frightful, all you need is a fireplace and a very cozy blanket. (That’s how the song goes, right?) Prepare to hibernate when those colder temperatures roll in with this objectively snuggly Eddie Bauer Fairisle Sherpa Throw in Midnight, now available on Amazon for $19.

The blanket’s pattern will add a seasonably appropriate pop of color to any living room, and the whole 50 x 70 inches of fabric is definitely big enough to envelop your entire body comfortably. It’s also reversible; the other side is a super soft sherpa material. Heads up, if you’re looking for me over the next few months, I’m on my couch hiding under this throw until spring.

LED strip lights can add a ton of personality to seemingly boring spaces, and you can save on two different lengths today.

In addition to a variety of colors and brightness levels, these Minger strips include app control and a built-in microphone that allows the lights to pulse and change according to ambient noise, which makes for a pretty great party trick. I actually installed a similar strip—without the app support—above my kitchen cabinets (pictured here), and usually just leave it set to one color, but the effect is fantastic.

Even if you don’t do much DIY work, you should probably have a screwdriver extension shaft in your toolbox. These let you access awkwardly placed screws that regular screwdrivers can’t reach, and this $8 one (with promo code JLU2RCS3) even comes with a full set of bits.

Our general rule of thumb for mechanics tool sets is that anything under $.50 per piece is usually a good deal. This set from Stanley easily hits that threshold at $63, even though it includes some stuff you wouldn’t normally find in a mechanics set, like a tape measure and some pliers. Just note that this price is only available for Prime members.

Joseph Joseph’s Cut & Carve cutting board is double sided, dishwasher safe, and angled to collect juices. One side even has spikes to hold your meat in place while you carve. No, it’s not as pretty as a butcher block, but it’s a functional cutting board that you’ll find yourself using every night. Get the black one for $18 today, down from the usual $20.

Even if you don’t have any infants at home, baby wipes can be great for getting deodorant marks out of your shirt, polishing up your earbuds, and generally cleaning up gross things. Late last year, Amazon makes its own in-house brand of wipes, and you can get 720 of them for just $14 today.

They’d be awfully generous as Halloween trick or treat giveaways, but these Snickers bars actually have two bars in each pack, making them great for sharing (with yourself). Get a box of 24 packs (48 bars total) for $25, which should keep your sweet tooth at bay for awhile.

If you care about your knives even a little bit, you know that you should never put them in the dishwasher. This Joseph Joseph BladeBrush will make cleaning those knives (and any other utensil) that much easier.

Today’s price of just $8 is $2 less than usual.

Filling up landfills with plastic bags full of dead leaves is terrible, but this discounted mulcher can turn all that yard garbage into useful compost. Just set up the assembly, attach a bag underneath, and start dumping leaves into the bowl on top. A heavy duty string trimmer at the bottom can mulch up to 53 gallons of leaves per minute, so you can be back inside in time to watch football.

Still don’t have your Halloween candy yet? This 33 oz. bag of mini Hershey’s chocolates is under $13 after you clip the $1 coupon, with Prime shipping to have it in time for the big night. Just, uh, save us some of the Cookies ‘N’ Cremes.

When it comes to measuring food temperature, ThermoWorks, and specifically its Thermapen, has the market pegged. The Classic model has a rare discount down to $59 right now, the best price we’ve ever seen, so grab one for yourself, and a few more as holiday gifts.

There is a newer model of this available, which includes a rotating, backlit display, longer battery life, and better water resistance, but the actual nuts-and-bolts temperature measurement is exactly the same.

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.

Best Lifestyle Deals

You might not think of Woot as a place to buy clothes, but today only, they’re blowing out a ton of Columbia shirts and pants for both men and women. Everything here is priced at $30 or less, including fishing shirts, tees, and the peak of fashion: convertible pants.

Amazon is continuing a recent run of private label apparel sales, this time focusing on the Goodthreads and 28 Palms menswear brands. Goodthreads is full of everyday men’s essentials like chambray shirts, hoodies, and boxer briefs, while 28 Palms looks like stuff you’d buy from Tommy Bahama. I’m not sure the 28 Palms stuff is really in season at the moment, but there’s something for everyone amongst the Goodthreads discounts.

If you’re looking to up your watch look, you can do it on the cheap with Fossil’s semi-annual sale, happening now. Over 1,000 watches, hand bags, belts, wallets, and other accessories are loaded up in Fossil’s sale section, and you can get them all for an extra 20% off at checkout with promo code BOO20. So what are you waiting for?

Eyeshadow palettes are pretty much always a worthwhile buy—who wants to mess around with individual eyeshadows anyway?—but this Morphe blowout is a particularly rare find. The Morphe 35-Color Nature Glow Eyeshadow Palette (35OM) is currently up for grabs on Groupon for $19. (The palette normally goes for $24.) And not only are you getting a plethora of shadow options, but you’ll get a ton of use out of each and every one of them. All the shades are ultra wearable warm-toned neutrals in either a matte or shimmer finish, perfect for every day makeup artistry.

And that’s not all: Groupon is also offering up six other palettes, including the more glittery Fall Into Frost Eyeshadow Palette (35F) and the aubergine-themed Plum Eyeshadow Palette (35P), both of which have strong potential as this year’s holiday party go-tos.

Fall flowers are a thing, sort of. The point is to prep for spring by planting the seeds for pretty blooms in the autumn months, a.k.a. now, so they’ll be at their peak by winter’s end. If you’re working with a lot of yard space, might we suggest these daffodils from Burpee, which are currently $54 for 150 mixed-color bulbs.

Not only are daffodils one of the happiest flowers in our professional opinion, but they’re also relatively easy to grow. All it takes is mixing fertilizer in with the soil, then placing the bulbs 6 to 8 inches underground and about 4 to 6 inches apart in an area that’s fully exposed to sunlight or with some light shade. After that, it’s just a matter of time before you’re prancing your way through your own personal field of flowers, Sound of Music-style.

Nailing that grooming routine can be a challenge for anyone, but this You Dirty Dog Men’s Premium Grooming Set takes all the guesswork out of the process. The kit includes a sleek navy dopp kit, in which you’ll store your new face wash, shave cream, aftershave, and a comb, plus some very helpful operating instruction for the truly clueless. The best part: The whole shebang will only set you back $20, but the convenience of the thing is basically priceless.

Timbuk2 makes bags of all shapes and sizes these days, but they’ll always be known for their classic messenger. Amazon’s blowing out this handsome, medium-sized model in grey for $48 today, or about $20 less than usual. I use a Timbuk2 messenger when I travel, and I absolutely love all the pockets and organization options.

When I first navigated to this deal on women’s apparel, I had to double check which site I was on. Amazon is taking up to 50% off a whole bunch of their own clothing brands — and a good amount of the items are actually chic.

The standouts of this sale include a ton of on-trend outerwear from Amazon’s label, called Haven, and a pretty solid contingent of shoes from brands The Fix and 206 Collective (I’m particularly interested in the duck boots, slides and block-heeled ankle boots, just saying). If there was ever a good time to stock up on new styles for winter, it would be now.

Amazon seemed to go from having zero private label fashion brands to having one for every conceivable style of clothing seemingly overnight, and today, it’s Buttoned Down that’s getting the spotlight.

As you’ve probably guessed, Buttoned Down is a menswear brand that offers button down men’s shirts, as well as pants, ties, and even socks to complete the worker drone look. None of it is exciting, but these sorts of clothes are the backbone of most men’s wardrobe, so it’s nice to have a new, affordable option.

For a limited time, a bunch of Buttoned Downs wares are on sale for about 20%-50% off, including lots of non-iron dress and business casual shirts for under $30 (or even under $20, if you can abide by discontinued patterns), and pants under $50. There are tons of fits and styles available, so surely you can find a few affordable basics that your closet currently lacks.

There is a light at the end of the seemingly never-ending skincare tunnel, literally. The Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask is a breakout-clearing marvel (and one of our favorite collagen-boosters), and now, it’s available on Amazon with a $7 coupon. The mask covers your entire mug, and delivers powerful targeted blue light, effectively zapping acne-causing bacteria, and red light, which reduces inflammation. The whole treatment is gentle enough for daily use, and it’s safe for those who are prone to irritation. Plus, it sort of makes you look like Iron Man.

Best Media Deals

Netflix can be fickle about keeping your favorite shows available for streaming. One day, you’re in an eight hour 30 Rock coma, and the next, they’re gone in a flash. So if you have a show that you really love, it can be worth buying it on an old-fashioned Blu-ray or DVD.

Today only, several complete series box sets are on sale in Amazon’s Gold Box, including Chuck, Smallville, and even Friends. Head over to Amazon to see all of your options.

Love to read but don’t have the time to sit down and actually read a book? Sign up for Amazon’s audiobook service, Audible, during this extended trial offer for Prime members.

For a limited time, Prime members can get three months of the service for free, rather than the typical one-month trial. That entitles you to a new book of your choice each month, plus two free Audible originals of your choice. Plus, every book you choose is yours to keep, even if you cancel. The offer is available to new subscribers only.

Note: After the three month trial ends, you’ll automatically be charged $15 per month, so be sure to cancel if you don’t like it.

Best Gaming Deals

Shadow of the Colossus On PS4 Pro

If you never played the original Shadow of the Colossus, or even if you did, it’s worth picking up the remaster for your PS4, especially for an all-time low $20. If you were a big Breath of the Wild fan, this should scratch a lot of the same itches.

Arcade1Up’s 3/4 sized arcade cabinets look stunning, include multiple games, and are a steal at $300, especially since they were supposed to cost $400, according to the original announcement. They’ve been mostly out of stock at Walmart for the last few months, but four of the five are available to order once again, so if you’ve got the space and the love for old arcade games, you’ll have one of these in your home this week.

Note: The Galaga/Galaxian cabinet is sold out, but the other four are available, with free two day shipping.

Update: Back in stock, if you missed it last week.

Nintendo’s Labo Robot Kit will be a ton of fun for your kids. Right? Your kids. Definitely not you. So uh, get your kids the kit for $60 on Amazon right now, a $20 discount. You can even stash it to use as a holiday gift in a couple of months.

We’ve previously shared deals (still available!) on Red Dead Redemption 2 bundles for the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, but if you can get by without the latest and greatest hardware, Walmart’s offering up your choice of Xbox One S 1TB bundles, plus a copy of RDR2, a PowerA wired controller, and a $5 Xbox gift card for just $259. That’s less than the MSRP for the console by itself!

I understand that the NES Classic is meant to feel as authentic as possible, but really, I’d be okay breaking the illusion to use a wireless controller. 8Bitdo makes a wireless controller designed just for the NES Classic, with the same nightmarishly pointy rectangular design, and it’s just $22 on Amazon today. It even includes Turbo A and B buttons, if you’re a dirty cheater.

Still need an NES Classic? They’re in stock right here.

If you could use a spare Xbox One controller, Amazon’s marked this standard black model down to $40, complete with a microUSB cable. Considering that the battery isn’t rechargeable, and most PCs have Bluetooth, I don’t think the cable is all that necessary, but it doesn’t hurt.

And if you missed it yesterday, the Sport White model is also on sale, though it’s more expensive.

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