The 25 most popular things our readers bought in May
From meat thermometers to hair dryers, there was some smart shopping this month.
Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Whew, May was quite the shopping month. Between Mother’s Day, Memorial Day sales, and college graduations, our readers had plenty of reasons to buy something. But we like to think you are all are smart shoppers and won’t just make a purchase because of a low price. No, you're the smart shoppers who read reviewers and buy products that are actually worth the money even at full-price—and we like to think we help you at least a little bit.
From reporting on the best sales and price drops to testing and reviewing top products, we’re experts on shopping smart and we like to share our advice with our readers. Last month, some of our readers shopped some major Memorial Day sales from popular retailers like Wayfair, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie, while others purchased tried and true cooking products like our favorite meat thermometers and can openers for the upcoming barbecue season. Overall, May was a hodgepodge of incredible and sometimes random products.
Check out the 25 most popular things our readers bought in May to get some shopping inspiration for yourself in June.
1. A bright flashlight to light the way
Light the way with this powerful, yet small flashlight.
When the upgraded version of our favorite affordable flashlight went on sale for its lowest price, our readers went nuts and with good reason. The Anker Bolder LC90 is zoomable, has 900 lumens, and is rechargeable—meaning you won't have to deal with those odd-sized batteries flashlights typically take (and you tend to never have when you need them). It’s great for everything from walking the dogs at night to dealing with a power outage, and we’d still recommend it even at its normal price. Thankfully, it's one of the many Anker products that goes on sale often enough that you can score a deal if you're patient.
Get the Anker Bolder LC90 Rechargeable Flashlight at Amazon for $27.99
2. A writing tablet for school and doodling?
This board is doodling for the high-tech.
Although we haven’t specifically written about this writing tablet, the insights we get from Amazon revealed that some of our readers apparently bought a ton of them in early May. It’s basically an electronic whiteboard, so you can doodle or take notes on it and easily erase it all without the mess of whiteboard pens. At less than $10, you could get one for your child (or yourself) to doodle on instead of using your tablet or phone.
Get the LCD Writing Tablet at Amazon for $8.99
3. The best pillows for sweet dreams
Sweet dreams await.
When it comes to a good night’s sleep, we couldn’t recommend the Xtreme Comforts pillows enough. They’re the best bed pillows we’ve ever tested because you can adjust the level of “stuffing” to your liking for the best sleep of your life. The memory foam stuffing molds right to your head and the bamboo cover allows for ventilation, so you don’t wake up sweating in the middle of the night. Our readers (and tester) can attest to this, which is why they keep buying them.
Get the Xtreme Comforts Pillows at Amazon for $49.99
4. A unique tool to unclog your drain
Stubborn clogs are no match for this snake.
If you have any hair at all, you’re probably familiar with the occasional sink or bathroom clog. You know, the ones that are so massive that even liquid clog removers can’t manage to tackle it. People swear by this flexible snake, which is 8 inches long and has 4,000 micro-hooks, to solve their hair blockage woes without dumping chemicals into the water. And since it’s under $10, you might want to pick one up so you have it when you need it.
Get the FlexiSnake Drain Millipede Hair Clog Tool at Amazon for $5.28
5. Home decor and furniture from Wayfair’s Memorial Day sale
This sale was the best time to upgrade your summer home decor.
Memorial Day was a great time to save on appliances, mattresses, and apparel—but our readers flocked to this massive furniture and home decor sale at Wayfair. With discounts up to 70% off, this Wayfair sale was the perfect opportunity for lots of our readers to refresh their homes before the summer. Some of their favorites were items like a stylish boho rug and simple set of patio furniture. If you missed out on the sale, don’t worry: Wayfair runs sales on different departments all the time, so you can almost always save on everything from living room furniture to outdoor decor.
Shop Wayfair for budget-friendly home furnishings
6. A shower curtain that prevents mold
Stop worrying if something's growing in your shower liner.
Think about the last time you’ve cleaned or replaced your shower curtain. It was probably long ago, and, unfortunately, your liner also probably has a lot of mold and mildew on it (gross!). A lot of our readers decided to invest in a mildew-resistant shower curtain liner this month to help prevent more ickiness in their showers. This one made from non-toxic, chlorine-free PEVA material, which is specially treated to prevent mold and bacteria from growing. Not only is it a cult favorite and super cheap at under $10, but it also went on sale in May, giving our readers the perfect excuse to buy.
Get the LiBa Mildew Resistant Shower Curtain Liner at Amazon for $8.99
7. The best meat thermometers on the market
You honestly can't have grilling season without a good meat thermometer.
We’re officially in grilling season, people! To make perfectly seared meat on the grill, you’re going to want a really good meat thermometer—and Thermoworks makes the best of the best. During May, four of our favorite meat thermometers were on sale: the ThermoPop, the Thermapen Mk4, the ChefAlarm, and the DOT. Although the sale has since ended, we still recommend getting any of these meat and grill thermometers to seriously upgrade your summer barbecues.
Shop meat thermometers and grilling accessories at ThermoWorks
8. An oil diffuser that might be better than a candle
Waft in the smells of springtime with this diffuser.
Don’t hate me, but I believe that essential oil diffusers are better than any candle. You can choose scents like lavender, mint, and eucalyptus that will run for hours on end without potentially burning your house down. Innogear makes the best essential oil diffuser we've ever tested because it has a large water reservoir and can run for nearly 11 hours on its intermittent setting. Plus, it gives off a soft glow almost like a candle, but in several fun colors.
Get the InnoGear Upgraded Version Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser at Amazon for $14.99
9. Both electric and manual can openers
Whether you prefer electric or manual, our readers love these can openers.
When I first moved into my apartment, my can opener went missing—and believe me, you do not want to be caught without one when you're hangry. Attempting to open a can of beans with a knife is not only time intensive, but also dangerous and will completely ruin the blade(trust me, I learned the hard way). Apparently, our readers were experiencing similar woes and picked up both our favorite electric can opener and our favorite manual can opener. Both are super affordable too at under $20 each.
- Get the Cuisinart Deluxe Electric Can Opener on Amazon for $16.49
- Get the EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener on Amazon for $13
10. The best noise-canceling headphones
Keep out unwanted noise so you can actually enjoy your music.
Sony’s WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones made headlines recently with features like the ability to how much or how little you want to hear and pausing music with the touch of an ear cup. As fate would have it, the day we named these bad boys our top pick for noise-canceling headphones, Drop (formerly Massdrop) was selling them for $70 off, which was the major sale for these new headphones that we actually found to be better than the classic Bose QC IIs. Although they’re not currently on sale, we’d still recommend these headphones for their comfort and noise-canceling abilities.
Get the Sony WH-1000XM3 Noise-Canceling Headphones at Amazon for $348
11. Home Depot’s appliances and home furnishings from their ‘Memorial Day’ sale
Home Depot's sale featured everything from robot vacuums to home decor.
Memorial Day had us all dreaming about upgrading our kitchens for the summer season, and with Home Depot’s Memorial Day sale, that dream was a little more attainable. There were a ton of incredible deals on appliances, home furnishings, and so much more for the holiday weekend, and to say we were excited is an understatement. Our readers gravitated towards front load washers and air fryers for healthier summer cooking. As of when we wrote this list, the sale was still going so you might still be able to score a good deal.
Explore the Home Depot sale section to find more great deals
12. Clothes, shoes, and accessories from Nordstrom’s Half Annual sale
Our favorite brands and styles we're on sale at Nordstrom during the month of May.
Whenever there’s a Nordstrom sale, you need to run, not walk, to get the best deals on the site before they sell out. With their Half Annual Sale offering up to 50% off popular brands and styles, our readers sprinted to the checkout page. This massive discount made it the perfect time to upgrade their spring and summer wardrobes, and I know my wallet is still hurting from the sale. This year, our readers bought things like the oh-so-popular Zella leggings and these trendy Sam Edelman open-toed mules.
Shop Nordstrom for the best styles and brands
13. Graduation pictures and party invites from Shutterfly
Is it just me, or do graduation invites look better when they're on sale?
College graduation is a special time filled with iPhone photos of the ceremony followed by a ton of graduation party invites. To print out their precious memories and send out invitations, our readers took advantage of a sale from Shutterfly, which also happens to be our favorite online photo printing service. Shutterfly has sales going on all the time, so you might want to check it out for a unique photo-themed gift for Father’s Day, upcoming weddings, or other events (hint, hint).
Shop for photo prints, invitations, and more at Shutterfly
14. Our favorite hair dryer at its lowest price
The only thing better than a good hair dryer is a good hair dryer on sale.
There’s a huge difference between a good hair dryer and a great hair dryer—and that difference is drying time. The Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000 only took 22 minutes to bring our tester's hair from wet to styled when others took close to 30 minutes, which is why we named it the best hair dryer we’ve ever tested. Earlier this month, we found it on sale for $169 (its lowest price ever!) at Dermstore, and our readers obviously jumped at the deal. Although the price is not that low currently, you can find sales fairly often, especially if you sign up for Dermstore emails or follow them on social (they often run sales that are exclusive to social promotions, FYI).
Get the Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000 at Dermstore for $199
15. A simple label maker
Warning: Making labels will become addicting.
Label makers are one of those things you don’t think you need, but actually use all the time if you have one. They’re great for organizing things and are basically the adult way to put “mine” on something to keep it from your roommates. When this one from Brother went on sale for just $10, our readers did not miss a beat and are now labeling everything to their hearts' content. We loved that it was small and comfortable enough to hold with one hand, and it comes with a spool of sample tape so you can label right away.
Get the Brother P-Touch PTH110 Label Maker at Amazon for $27.80
16. High-end cookware from Sur La Table
Instant Pots and kitchen knives were among the things bought at Sur La Table's sale.
If you love cooking or just having a pristine kitchen, then you probably idolize iconic brands like Le Creuset, All-Clad, and Staub. Unfortunately, this gorgeous cookware is usually just out of budget for most us, but every-so-often you can find a killer sale that makes these brands actually affordable. When Sur La Table had a warehouse sale for up to 75% off, our readers went for the upgraded Instant Pot Ultra and treated themselves to the iconic Staub Heritage Coquette. Even though the warehouse sale is over, you can still usually find similar brands in their clearance section.
Shop Sur La Table’s clearance section
17. A luggage scale to prevent pesky overweight fees
Don't let baggage fees weigh you down.
With summer travels looming, you need to be prepared. Not only should you be packing the proper things for a beach trip or camping excursion, but you also need to make sure you don’t overpack and pay absurd overweight fees on your next flight. This $10 luggage scale can be a lifesaver and prevent the embarrassment of pulling items out of your bag at the checkout counter and cramming them into your already overstuffed carry-on. It’s also the best luggage scale we’ve ever tested because it’s incredibly accurate for the low price, so we’re not surprised people have been grabbing these before their summer vacations.
Get the LCD Display Luggage Scale at Amazon for $8.99
18. An affordable sharpener that keeps knives razor-sharp
Sharpen your knives without breaking the bank.
Instead of replacing your dull knives, you can give them a refresh for just $6. This inexpensive yet well-designed sharpener has coarse grit for dull, damaged knives and a fine option for polishing and quick touch-ups. It works so well that we've featured it on numerous cult-favorite lists and we're not surprised our readers keep buying it.
Get the KitchenIQ 2-Stage Knife Sharpener on Amazon for $5.49
19. A hilarious book for recent graduates
This hilarious book is just what a new grad needs.
Post-college graduation can be a scary, sad time, so our readers wanted gift their new grads some hilarious advice to lift their spirits. This cheeky book is a fun parody of Dr. Seuss's Oh! The Places You'll Go! that will spark some nostalgia but offer something new to the giftee. It might provide some life advice, but it will definitely provide a few laughs.
Get Oh, The Sh!t You Don't Know! at Amazon for $9.56
20. Clothing, accessories, and home decor at Anthropologie
From candles to clothing, Anthropologie had sales on everything in May.
In May, we were blessed with a ton of incredible fashion and home decor sales, including a few at Anthropologie. The retailer had a huge Mother’s Day sale that offered 25% off everything, making this posh, sophisticated store a complete free-for-all. During the sale, our readers bought tons of the coveted Capri Blue Candle, a simple LBD called the Lincoln Center Dress, and these sandals slides that are perfect for summer.
Shop Anthropologie for stylish clothing and decor
21. A set of jar grips for the toughest seals
Tough jar? No problem!
Being without a jar grip has had me doing everything from using rubber bands to bashing the lid with a butter knife in an attempt to open my favorite pasta sauce. That’s why a set of jar openers is so important to have handy, and we love that this set comes with three different shapes that are designed to work with different sized jars. They’re weird but they actually work, and clearly our readers struggle with opening jars as I do, considering they bought so many this month.
Get the Prepworks by Progressive Jar Grips at Amazon for $3.45
22. A classier alternative to the red Solo cup
The classic red solo cup just got a huge upgrade.
Once you graduate college, it’s finally time to move away from the classic plastic red cups of backyard barbecues and beer pong tounaments and upgrade to a classier drinking vessel. I’m talking about the copper Solo cup, known as "The Party Cup." We're pretty certain our readers probably gave these out graduation gifts, so their new grads could continue the party in the real world with a little more elegance.
Get the Fred & Friends “The Copper Party Cup” at Amazon for $16
23. The best Kindle on the market
This is the best e-reader for your summer travels.
With vacations and more free time in the summer, there’s no better time to read a good book, in my opinion. In the warm weather, you can be whisked away to historical fiction world or immerse yourself in a YA fantasy novel (we don’t judge). When traveling, I don’t like lugging a bunch of books around, which is why I love carrying my Kindle with me.
The Kindle Paperwhite happens to be the best e-reader we’ve ever tested because it has twice the amount of storage than it did before and it's waterproof, meaning it’s safe to read at the beach, pool, lake, or bathtub. Plus, Amazon holds weekly Kindle book sales on Sundays, and you can usually find top titles for just $3 or $4.
Get the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon for $129.99
24. Our favorite affordable robot vacuum
Have this 'bot do your dirty work.
During the summer, even if you have centra air, the last thing you want to do is take time out of your day to vacuum your home. That’s where a robot vacuum comes in. It’ll keep your home nice and tidy until you find the time (and the will) to actually deep clean your floors. If you’re looking for a ‘bot on a budget, then we recommend the Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S. It’s our favorite affordable vacuum because of its excellent suction and quiet operation—all at a reasonable price point.
Get the Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S at Amazon for $224
25. This cleaning brush for electronics
Take care of those crumbs lurking in your laptop for good.
Every single day, our various devices are at risk for accruing crumbs, fuzzies, and Cheetos dust. To keep them clean and free of debris, many Amazon reviewers recommend this popular electronic cleaning brush to gently sweep away crumbs and wipe away smudges on their devices. Our readers must have had some dirty keyboards and smudgy screens because they seemed to purchase quite a few of these.
Get the OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush at Amazon for $4.95