The 20 most popular things people are buying right now
From essentials to entertainment, these are what our readers keep buying.
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It’s been a weird time for shopping lately—largely due to the coronavirus pandemic. As people have been spending more time at home and settling into a “new normal,” they’ve been purchasing products that not only help them stay safe during this time, but also items that help them feel more comfortable and keep busy.
At Reviewed, our mission is to help people buy the best stuff, and now, more than ever, we are working hard to help consumers find the products they need. Since the pandemic began, we’ve continued to see shifting behaviors from our own data of what you—our readers—are buying. Based on what we’ve seen, here are the 20 most popular items that our readers have been buying non-stop over the past couple of weeks.
1. Cloth face coverings
Retailers have started to make fashionable masks.
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended people wear cloth face covering while in public to slow the spread of coronavirus, many retailers have started producing their own face masks. While these masks aren’t medical-grade, they are better than going out in public without any covering at all. We’ve covered where to buy [quality fabric face coverings], retailers selling stylish face masks, and companies who are donating to communities with the purchase of a mask, and our readers have continued to buy them in an effort to stay safe.
Where you can buy stylish face masks
2. Hand sanitizer
You can still find hand sanitizer at select retailers.
Hand sanitizer continues to be a sought after product, which comes as no surprise. While more retailers have started producing and selling hand sanitizer, individuals keep trying to get their hands on this essential item. While the CDC says that washing your hands for at least 20 seconds is the most effective way to protect yourself against COVID-19, using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol when you’re out running essential errands is still an effective way to eliminate germs. If you are low in stock, you can still find some hand sanitizer on the market.
Where you can buy hand sanitizer online
3. Mother’s Day flowers
Moms loved getting gifted these gorgeous bouquets.
Mother’s Day was earlier this month (May 10, in case you forgot), and while many of us were unable to spend the day with our moms due to social distancing measures, you better believe we still sent them flowers. 1-800-Flowers was the most popular flower delivery service that our readers used, and after testing the service, we found that we like the bouquets delivered by local florists better than the gift boxes available. While Mother’s Day is long gone, you can still send a bouquet of flowers to brighten someone’s day—or your own!
Shop bouquets at 1-800-Flowers
4. Active dry yeast
Everyone is making bread—but you'll need yeast to do so.
If you’ve been on any sort of social media, you’ve noticed that pretty much everyone has been baking bread. But if you’ve wanted to join in and make a fluffy loaf of your own, there’s one issue: active dry yeast is sold out pretty much everywhere in stores. Thankfully, we found a few options online, though most are in bulk. Need a bread recipe? Our cooking writer also showed us how to make artisan bread in just two hours.
Where you can still find active dry yeast online
5. A MasterClass subscription
Take a class from Gordon Ramsay himself.
Some of us have been using our newfound free time to better ourselves with a new skill. And what better way to learn one than a lesson from your favorite celebrity? That’s why MasterClass has been so popular lately. It’s the only place you can learn to cook from Gordon Ramsay or take an acting class with Steve Martin without spending hundreds of dollars on a private lesson. After trying the service, we found the classes we took to be more inspirational than practical, but still completely worth it.
Get an annual Masterclass subscription for $180
6. Cleaning wipes and spray
These necessary wipes are hard to find right now.
Cleaning wipes are really hard to find right now. After hours of digging, you still might not come up with anything (we know the struggle). But thankfully, disinfectant spray is more readily available and is an essential product for cleaning surfaces that may have been in contact with the coronavirus. We’ve been keeping an updated list of every retailer who still has both cleaning wipes and spray in stock.
Where you can still buy cleaning wipes online
7. Toilet paper
Yes, you can still find toilet paper in stock.
Similar to cleaning essentials, toilet paper is a pretty much essential product that people are still after. While we’ve seen an increase in stock lately, it’s still hard to find online. We've been updating our list of places to buy toilet paper online, so you won't have to scour the internet for some.
Where you can still buy toilet paper online
8. The best can opener
Crack open those non-perishables.
Month after month, we see can openers as one of the most popular items people are buying—and with good reason. It’s one of those products that you don’t really think about until you actually need it, and with an initial stock-piling of canned goods for quarantine, our readers really needed one. The EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe is the best can opener we’ve ever tested, so naturally, it was what people gravitate towards. We love that it’s intuitive to use (not all can openers are), durable, and affordable, making it worth it to add to your kitchen drawer.
Get the EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener at Bed Bath and Beyond for $11.99
9. Our favorite mandoline
Chopping veggies has never been easier.
Many of us have been cooking at home more, which has reminded us of one thing: how tedious slicing vegetables is. But a mandoline will help you cut thin, even slices of fruits, veggies, and cheese, so making everything from ratatouille to salad becomes much more efficient. This one from KitchenAid is our favorite mandoline because it expertly sliced every food we threw at it and it has a safety guard to protect your precious digits. Our readers were clearly done with chopping, and have been snagging one for themselves lately.
Get the KitchenAid Adjustable Hand-Held V-Blade Mandoline Slicer at Rue La La for $14.99
10. Discounted All-Clad cookware
Our readers love getting this high-end cookware at a discount.
Cooking is just so much better (and easier) when you’re doing it on some of the best cookware. One major brand that comes to mind is All-Clad, though it tends to be on the pricier side. That’s why our readers love the All-Clad VIP Factory Seconds Sale because they can get this iconic cookware for up to 80% off. There’s one catch, though: these items are “factory seconds,” which means they may have small dings or scratches, but it shouldn’t impact the performance. Even better, there’s currently a sale happening now.
Shop the All-Clad Factory Seconds VIP sale
11. The best meal kit we’ve ever tested
Because planning meals every day is hard.
Although takeout is still an option, we all have some more time to actually cook our meals when we're quarantined. But many of us might be bored of our tried and true favorites. Getting a meal kit delivered will definitely mix up your weekly dinners, and can be ideal for those of us who are trying to avoid going to public spaces or are struggling to get a grocery delivery. We named Home Chef our favorite meal kit delivery service for its high-quality ingredients, easy-to-follow recipes, and exciting flavors, which is probably why our readers have been trying it lately.
12. An affordable robot vacuum
Get this 'bot to do your dirty work.
As we spend more time at home, we’re also trekking more dirt around the house—or we’re just noticing all of it for the first time. Vacuuming every single day is both annoying and tedious, which is why our readers have gravitated towards getting a robot vacuum cleaner. They keep things spic and span in between deep cleans, and the Eufy 11S is our favorite affordable one for its great suction and price range.
Get the Eufy RoboVac 11S Robot Vacuum at Newegg for $159.99
13. Disposable gloves
An extra layer of protection.
While grocery shopping or handling packages, some of us might want to wear disposable gloves to avoid coming into contact with the coronavirus. Many of our readers are taking this extra precaution by purchasing some for themselves. While the Venom Steel Rip Resistant Industrial Nitrile Gloves are the best disposable gloves we’ve ever tested, you’re best getting whatever is currently available. We’ve been rounding up retailers who still have disposable gloves in stock.
Where you can still buy disposable gloves online
14. Our favorite popcorn maker
The best movie night accessory.
Movie night is pretty much every night these days, and you can’t properly watch a movie without popcorn, right? And if you want the best popcorn, avoid that bagged stuff and opt for our favorite popcorn maker, which has been a big seller recently. It works right in your microwave and will produce some of the best-tasting and evenly-popped kernels you've ever had.
Get the Cuisinart Pop and Serve at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $12.99
15. The best bed sheets on the market
These sheets will seriously upgrade your bedroom.
Our bedrooms have become our place for sleeping, for working, for watching Netflix, and for attempting FaceTime dates, so we want them to be as comfortable as possible. That’s why many of our readers have been upgrading to Brooklinen sheets, which happen to be the best ones we’ve ever tested. After trying them, our tester became obsessed with how soft they were and literally did not want to leave her bed, which is everything you can ask for in bed sheets.
Get the Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set at Brooklinen for $149
16. Graduation cards from Shutterfly
People are still sending our graduation cards in quarantine.
While graduations have unfortunately been canceled all across the nation due to the coronavirus pandemic, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be celebrating this major accomplishment. Families are still sending out graduation announcement cards via Shutterfly, which is also our favorite online photo printing service. We love how crisp the images were printed, making it an excellent choice for cards or other announcements.
Shop for cards and more at Shutterfly
17. Popular furniture from Wayfair
There is a ton of indoor furniture on sale at Wayfair.
Wayfair always seems to be running sales, but this month they ran an extra special one that gave back to COVID-19 relief. So not only did our readers score great prices on furniture to spruce up their homes, but 10% of those sales went to Feeding America. The Save Big, Give Back Sale is no longer running, but you can still get up to 65% off top-rated interior items with the Indoor Refresh Sale happening now.
Shop the Indoor Refresh Sale at Wayfair
18. Thermometers
People nabbed a thermometer to see if they had an actual fever.
A fever is one of the major symptoms of the coronavirus, according to the CDC. For those of us who realized they didn’t own a thermometer that meant finally getting one to check our temperatures. Initially, they were out of stock in-stores and online, but thankfully we’ve managed to find a few top-rated ones for sale like this quick read one.
Get the Safety 1st 2-in-1 Quick Read Thermometer at Bed Bath and Beyond for $9.99
19. Materials for mask making
Many turned to DIY face masks to stay protected.
Although some retailers are selling their own cloth face coverings, many of our readers we’re interested in making their own. That’s why they purchased everything from quality cotton fabric to elastic bands to even a sewing machine, so they could work more efficiently.
Where you can buy materials to make your own mask
20. The Nintendo Switch
We need to stay entertained somehow.
One way our readers decided to curb their stay-at-home boredom? Getting a Nintendo Switch. With the release of Animal Crossing New Horizons, pretty much everyone has been trying to get one. Though they’re pretty much sold out everywhere, you can still find the Nintendo Switch Lite in-stock, which is only a handheld device that is ideal for solo play—like Animal Crossing.