Cheap stuff that doesn’t suck and is under $25 for Prime Day
We at The Verge love a good gadget or tchotchke, especially when it’s not too expensive. But with the rising cost of just about everything these days, many once-cheap gadgets aren’t so affordable anymore. Amazon and other retailers sell all sorts of products from word salad brand names, but only some of it is handy and affordable enough to be worth telling you about. We’re highlighting some of our favorite picks that don’t suck and are on sale for Amazon Prime Day. Some of them you’ve likely seen us recommend before, but there are newcomers, too. Some are simple desk items or note-taking tools that might help you in your work day, and others are purely just for fun — while being nicely giftable. Regardless, they’re all things we have tested or bought that we think are worth your money. 8BitDo Ultimate Mini Wired Controller for Xbox A simple and affordable wired controller for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. It’s size is friendly to smaller hands and its sticks use anti-drift Hall effect sensors. The cute translucent colors are just icing on the cake. Where to Buy: $34.99 $20.79 at Amazon (green) Vampliers 5-inch Mini Stripped Screw Remover Pliers An invaluable tool for those of us who make mistakes with screwdrivers. (All of us.) Where to Buy: $28.97 $23.18 at Amazon (with Prime) Rak Magnetic Wristband Losing a screw, washer, or drill bit during a repair is a pain, but magnets are here to help. The smarties at Rak designed a multi-section magnetic wristband that’ll let dad keep spares conveniently attached to his wrist, so he can easily grab what he needs (or stow pieces) while he’s at work. Where to Buy: $19.99 $15.99 at Amazon Apple AirTag (2nd gen) AirTags might be popular for tracking baggage at the airport, but they’re also handy for keeping tabs on EDC. Apple’s latest trackers can pinpoint items more precisely — and from farther away — than the OG model, and they have a louder speaker. Where to Buy: $29 $24 at Amazon $29 at Apple Lamy Safari F