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Kinja Deals

Thursday's Best Deals: Smart Switches, Air Rower, The Evil Within 2, And More

By
Erica Offutt

Thursday’s best deals kick off with smart switches, an air rower, The Evil Within 2, and many more.

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Top Tech Deals

You’ve seen the TP-Link Smart Plug, but did you know they make a smart light switch as well? With a little wiring, you can control any lighting fixture in your house with your phone or your favorite voice assistant (assuming that’s not Siri), no hub required. $30's not quite an all-time low, but it most frequently sells for $35-$40.

The Chase Freedom is a no-fee, cash back credit card that pairs exquisitely with the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve, and its current 5% bonus for mobile wallet usage is even better right now if you shop at Best Buy.

From now until February 4, you’ll get 10% cash back when you check at at a physical Best Buy store using the Chase Pay app and your Freedom Card (up to $300 in purchases). That’s basically a 10% discount on everything Best Buy sells, and as we’ve mentioned before, you can transfer those points to a Sapphire account to get even more value. Just as a baseline, the 3,000 points you earn from spending $300 at Best Buy would be worth $45 in direct travel bookings if you have a Sapphire Reserve, or $37.50 if you have the Preferred.

You have to carry your phone, and you have to carry a wallet (for now), but there’s no rule saying that they can’t be one thing.

The Zero Grid card holder sticks onto the back of basically any phone or case, and holds up to 8 cards, or or fewer cards plus some cash, all while protecting them from RFID skimmers. Plus, it’s one less thing to forget when you leave the house.

Today on Amazon, use promo code WFW4EAZ2 to get any of the eight available colors for about $14, down from $18.

If a regular Wi-Fi router isn’t sufficient to cover your entire home, TP-Link’s Deco M5 mesh system is on sale for just $200 today, one of the best prices we’ve seen.

Rather than relying on a single base station to broadcast through your entire home, this system includes three routers that work together to form a mesh network that can fill up every nook and cranny of your home with sweet, sweet connectivity.

This inexpensive, compact sound bar probably isn’t ideal for your main home theater—it’s only two channels, and doesn’t have a subwoofer—but it would be a massive upgrade for, say, a kitchen or bedroom where you’re still using your TV’s built-in speakers. It’s also wall-mountable, and will also work as a big, loud Bluetooth speaker for your phone.

You can seemingly build just about anything with a Raspberry Pi, including your own miniature game console, and here’s a great deal on the newest Raspberry Pi 3. The kit comes with everything you need to get started, and will only set you back $50 from Wootafter a $5 shipping charge and $20 instant rebate (shown at checkout). For context, the exact same kit goes for $65 on Amazon.

At first glance, this iClever battery pack looks like any bog standard USB battery, but if you look closely, you’ll also find a Lightning input port next to the standard microUSB port. That means that iPhone owners can recharge the battery pack without bringing a separate cable, and you can even plug in both inputs at once to recharge the battery twice as quickly.

Whether you’re taking it to the beach or just catching up on podcasts while you’re in the shower, this $17 Bluetooth speaker features IPX7 water resistance and a 12 hour battery, so it can go with you just about anywhere.

Most laptops don’t have CD drives anymore, which is mostly fine, except for that one time that inevitably pops up every year or two where you really wish you had one. Now, you can for just $10, no extra power cable required.

If you love inky blacks and vibrant colors—and who doesn’t?—this 2017 OLED LG TV is down to $1500 today on MassDrop, or $2300 for 65", about $200 and $500 less than Amazon, respectively.

As you’d expect from any high-end TV these days, that gets you a 4K panel and Dolby Vision HDR, but OLED technology means the blacks will be far richer, and the colors more vibrant than any LCD-based screen you can buy. It’ll still cost you, but your eyes will tell you it was worth it.

Anker’s reader-favorite PowerCore battery packs run the gamut from tiny tubes that fit into your pocket to massive blocks of energy that can power your devices for days at a time. Today’s deal is quite firmly in the latter camp.

The PowerCore Speed 20,000 is one of the few battery packs on the market with USB-C Power Delivery up to 22.5W. That means it can charge a 12" MacBook at nearly full speed, a Nintendo Switch at full power while you’re playing Zelda on a plane, or an iPad Pro significantly faster than the charger it came with (if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable).

Power Delivery works both ways too, so you can actually recharge the entire battery pack with the included 30W USB-C wall charger, which will refill it in a fraction of the time of a standard 2A USB charger.

We saw this thing at CES last week, and while its capacity is slightly smaller than the similarly equipped PowerCore+ 26800, it’s dramatically lighter, and probably the better choice for most travelers. They’ve marked it down to an all-time low $80 today on Amazon, which is $10 less than its launch price, and $20 less than its regular going rate.

If most Bluetooth earbuds ar too large or heavy to stay comfortably in your ears, iClever’s sport headphones are worth a look. The earbuds themselves weigh less than half an ounce each, and having tried them myself, they’re just as light and comfortable as any wired headphones I’ve ever used. Get a pair for just $16 today with promo code QLGPFC43.

Roku came out with a new version of its popular streaming stick late last year, and you can already get it for 20% off on Amazon.

Most of this Gizmodo review of the older model still holds true, but the 2017 model comes with a voice remote, so you won’t have to search for shows with an on-screen keyboard.

Anker’s nylon-braided PowerLine+ cables are durable, yes, but the most important thing is that they just feel great to use. They’re heavy, premium-feeling, and never get tangled. Hell, the Lightning version even includes a pouch to help you control its length.

For a limited time, you can get a pair of USB-C to USB 3.0 cables for just $9 (down from their usual $12), or a single 6' Apple Lightning cable for $10 with code 822ANKER.

VPNs are in the news these days, and with good reason. So if you’re curious to sign up and start protecting your browsing history and personal data (or, you know, getting around websites’ geoblocks), NordVPN charges less per month than a typical trip to Starbucks.

NordVPN has long been one of the most popular and reliable VPN providers out there, and if you sign up for a one-year membership, promo code VIP70 will drop your annual price from $69 to $48. If you’re sure you want to commit, use this link to get a special two year plan for $79 with code 2YSpecial2017, or this link to get three years for $99 with code 3ydeal. Lifehacker has recommended Nord in some previous guides, but if you have any firsthand experience with the service, sound off in the comments!

Top Home Deals

You could live your whole life cooking boxed Barilla pasta, and never once realize how fun and rewarding it can be to make your own. This Kitchenaid pasta roller and cutter set attaches to the accessory port on any KitchenAid mixer, and lets you create your own noodles with multiple shapes in just minutes. $110 is the best price Amazon’s ever listed, so I’d call this deal <kisses fingers like an Italian chef> delizioso.

You’ll probably want a drying rack to go with it.

With the way the weather has been lately, chances are you’re spending a little more time indoors, which means more exposure to allergens, germs, odors, and dust. You can decrease the amount of air pollutants you’re breathing in with an air purifier.

The GermGuardian Air Purifier System features a True HEPA filter (a big deal at this price), a UV-C light to kill bacteria and viruses, and a charcoal filter to reduce odors. This model normally bounces between $120 and $110, and today’s $104 price, after 10% off coupon, is an all-time low.

Weighted Blankets
Weighted Blanket | $135 | Amazon | Promo code WE66O98C

Update: The $140 blanket sold out, but here’s a larger 15 pound blanket for even less. Just be sure to use promo code WE66O98C at checkout to get the deal.

It’s the winter, so you’re probably feeling anxious and tired, a general malaise if you will. If you need a break from all the craziness and just can’t get your brain to turn off for one second, you’re gonna want to check out a weighted blanket. This one is down to $140 once you clip the $10 off coupon, which is an all-time low. Just trust me on this one.

If Fresh Coral Blast is your favorite flavor of Tide Pod, Amazon’s taking $2 off a tub of 81 today, bringing them down to under $.23 per bite load.

This coupon is also available on a number of other varieties, but most require you to place a Prime Pantry order.

Unlike those disposable hand warming packets, this $35 Zippo hand warmer will keep your hands toasty for six hours, then can be charged with the included USB cord, and reused over and over again. Plus, you can use it year ‘round to charge your phone, as it doubles as a 5200 mAh USB battery pack. Today’s price is the lowest it’s ever been, so pick this up before it cools down.

If you’ve been meaning to install a smart lock, today is the day to pick one from Home Depot for up to 40% off. There are essentially two options, one that allows you to unlock the door with your phone, and one that unlocks with a backlit keypad.

As you might have assumed, the phone-enabled locks are the more expensive $199 products, but that’s about $50 - $75 cheaper than they’re listed on Amazon. The keyless keypad locks are $25 - $40 less than usual. This deal only lasts through the end of the day or until the products sell out, so don’t let this slip by.

I believe that winter lounging is at its finest when fully cocooned in a blanket. So upgrade your teeny throw blanket and pick up a couple of these very highly-rated, queen-sized fleece blankets for $19 (about $3 less than usual) and get cozy.

Snickers makes a special 1-pound candy bar that’s designed for slicing and sharing, but we won’t tell anyone if you eat the entire thing yourself. Save $2 by clipping the coupon on the page. Amazon even ships it with reusable cool-packs to keep it from melting en route, not that most of the country would need them right now.

Phillips’ insanely popular Wake-Up Light is here to change your life. This is the best model in the lineup, and includes an FM radio and five different natural sounds to wake up to. Grab it right now on Amazon for $85 after clipping the $25 coupon, the best price we’ve ever seen.

Unlike an unsympathetic traditional alarm clock, the Philips Wake-Up Light eases you awake with a gradually-brightening light that simulates a natural sunrise, which is how humans are designed to wake up anyway. After the light gets you out of your REM cycle and ready to wake up, an audible alarm will finish the job at the time of your choosing. Plus, it also doubles as a very warm and pleasant reading light as you’re getting ready to go to sleep.

The humble and inexpensive cast iron skillet is one of most important pieces of cooking gear you can own, and Lodge’s highly-rated 10” model is back down to $13 on Amazon. If you don’t own one, you shouldn’t hesitate.

Tens of thousands of our readers have bought Instant Pot pressure cookers, and one of the best accessories you can add to your collection is an extra cooking pot, especially at an all-time low $22.

Owning two Instant Pot pots means that you can use your cooker two nights in a row without doing the dishes. What a luxury! Yes, it’s a little thing, but it’ll make your kitchen experience meaningfully better.

For anyone who ever burns the midnight oil, it’s worth investing in a good LED desk lamp...oil’s expensive, after all.

This model from Aukey features adjustable color temperature, which is important for boosting your productivity, and even a USB charging port for your phone. Just be sure to use code AUKELAMP to save.

Dash cams can really save your butt in the event of an accident, and they can even see ghosts, so for $48, it’s probably worth buying one. This model from Aukey includes a 1080p Sony sensor and 170 degree field of view, two different mounting options, and capacitors that are rated to work in temperatures from -4°F to 149°F.

If you’re still living like some kind of wild animal and keeping all your toiletries in a Ziploc bag when you travel or get ready at the gym, upgrade to this hanging toiletry bag for just $10 today (with code B83WJ4V3). The best part is you won’t up use any (often very limited) counter space, as you can simply hang up all your stuff on the back of the door or in your locker when not in use. There are a ton of compartments to keep your stuff organized, and it’s made with water-resistant nylon, so it won’t cause a disaster if anything explodes.

This glass spray bottle can evenly disperse salad dressing and olive olive over your food and help with portion control, or allow you to prepare baking pans with the oil of your choice.

Unlike similar products, this model doesn’t require pumping to aerate the contents. Plus, today’s price is the lowest we’ve ever seen on Amazon, so might as well give it a try.

Tip: You can place the glass bottle in the microwave to melt butter for popcorn, then spray it on to your desired butteriness.

The bestselling, top-rated, and audience-favorite robotic vacuum recently got upgraded to a new and improved model, and you can suck up yours today for just $220 after clipping the $30 coupon on the product page the best deal we’ve seen in several months.

It has the features you guys loved about the first model - remote control, a slim body to reach under furniture, and large dust box, but boasts upgraded suction power, so the vacuum will sense when it needs to use a little extra juice to take care of a mess. It also has slightly larger wheels to easier navigate over door jams and higher-pile carpets, plus a larger HEPA-style filter to better trap allergens and pet hair.

We’ve posted a lot of deals in the past on these coccyx seat cushions, but when use the code 6CPWVGSG, it brings it to one of the best prices we’ve seen to date, and this particular model is one of Amazon’s top sellers. These will improve posture and ease back pain in any chair where you spend a lot of time, from the office to the car to a long flight.

Amazon’s newest sample box is packed with single serve tea and coffee drinks - at least six of them, for $10. That might not sound like a tremendous deal on its face, but it also comes with a $10 Amazon credit to spend on full-sized orders of select beverages (see them all here), so assuming you spend that, it’s like getting the samples for free.

Travel pillows are, generally speaking, unitaskers. They strap around your neck and (hopefully) support your head when you doze off on a train or airplane, but otherwise, they don’t see much use. Omni-Pillow challenges that status quo with a brand new design, and you can save big by preordering it through Kickstarter today.

At first glance, Omni-Pillow looks like your typical U-shaped travel pillow. But untuck the sides from its built-in pockets, and it transforms into a 22" x 12" rectangle of memory foam you can use as a pillow topper in a hotel. Fold that in half, and it becomes thick enough to use as a pillow on its own. Wrap it around your arm, and you can (sort of) comfortably lay your head on a tray table or desk. The material surrounding the memory foam core is water resistant, easy to clean, and most importantly, cool to the touch.

My only complaint is that it takes a little bit of experimentation to figure out the various origami folds you have to go through to transform the Omni-Pillow from one for into another, and there are no instructions or hints printed on the cover itself. But I found all of the permutations to be very soft and comfortable, and if Omni-Pillow helps you get even an extra hour of sleep on a long flight, it’ll be well worth the minimal hassle.

We sort through the noise of Kickstarter to find you preorder discounts worth taking advantage of. Someone on our team has tested a prototype (or final version) of every Kickstarter we cover.

Ka-Bar Tactical Spork | $6 | Amazon

I know this “tactical spork” is designed for camping, but if I owned one, I’d probably use it at home on a regular basis. The best part is undoubtedly the hidden knife that uses the spork handle as a sheath, but the $7 price tag is a close second. Just don’t try to bring it on an airplane.

OxyLED’s T-02 motion-sensing night lights have long been popular among our readers for lighting up dark closets, hallways, and cabinets, and you can get the USB-rechargeable T-02s for just $13 today with promo code MI99EE7M.

You can stick this light basically anywhere in your house, and it’ll automatically turn itself on when it detects motion in the dark. I have these all over my apartment, and they work great.

Forget trying to find quarters under your car seat and paying way too much for 3 minutes of air, and get this $20 tire inflator with code YJX3MVFN. You can fill up your tires whenever and wherever you please for free. Keeping your tires properly inflated helps improve gas mileage so this guy will basically pay for itself. It also works on bike tires.

Top Lifestyle Deals

Rowing is one of the best workouts you can perform at home, so if you’ve got the space for it, you can save about $70 on a highly-rated machine in today’s Amazon Gold Box.

Our deal researcher, Corey, owns this exact machine, and he had this to say:

After trying two other budget rowers, my opinion is that this is as close to a $1500 machine as you can get spending less than $300.

Good: Solid wind resistance level and surprisingly good build quality. Lana and I have used this one regularly for over a year. It also folds easily

Bad: Doesn’t measure in meters (tenths of a mile) and it’s definitely louder than the ones at the gym. And if I’m picky, the bar is straight and not curved.

Just remember that this deal is only available today, so do’t let it float away.

Benefit Cosmetics is by far one of my favorite makeup brands. The products are high-quality and the packaging is one-of-a-kind. I know I’ll be stocking up during their Winter Sale, with up to 60% off some really awesome, including their cult-favorite They’re Real mascara, Hoola Bronzer, and more. Plus, once you hit $35 (which won’t be too hard), use the code SALE35 and get free shipping.

While this Sperry Sale may not include their ever-popular Top-Siders, up to 60% off select boots is a great way to deal with the remaining Winter Weather Advisories that seem to pop up unexpectedly. There are tons of options from ankle to knee-high and even some weatherproof options for those days you don’t feel like breaking out the snow or rain boots.

Update: Use the code SOS2018 and take an extra 20% off styles reduced up to 70%.

Journelle should already be on your radar, and if it isn’t, their Semi-Annual Sale is happening right now. Good bras (read: bras that are supportive, comfortable, and attractive) are rarely under $50. But with the sale going on, you end up with brands like Dita Von Teese, L’Agent, Stella McCartney and more for up to 70% off. Plus, unlike the Victoria’s Secret trips of yonder years, if your boobs are bigger than a DD cup, you’ll actually find something.

Another huge sale from Timbuk2 brings a ton of their excellent bags down to hard-to-resist levels. All custom bags (if you didn’t know you could get a custom bag, now you do) are 30% off. Just start with your base bag, whether it’s their Folsom Laptop Backpack, or the ever-popular Classic Messenger Bag. Then hit the customize button and go to town.

Or, if you just want a no-fuss styles, they have up to 50% off a ton of classic bags.

What better way to get ready for the better weather than discounted Under Armour Outlet gear? They just added a ton of styles to their Semi-Annual Event, with major discounts. From the classic Under Armour long-sleeves to training shoes to their Threadborne microthread technology, this gear is perfect for running outside in the warmer months.


Top Media Deals

The latest Humble comics bundle is all about Attack On Titan, with volumes 1-22 of the main series, plus a guidebook, an art book, and some spin-off series split across four different price tiers. You can get started with the first five volumes for as little as $1, or unlock everything starting at $18, and as always, a portion of the proceeds go to charity.

Top Gaming Deals

Preorder Nintendo LABO Robot Kit | $80 | Amazon

Nintendo’s weird new LABO kits are up for preorder on Amazon for $80 (Robot Kit) and $70 (Variety Kit), and if you want them on their April 20 launch day, I’d recommend ordering it now. LABO kits are basically just fancy pieces of cardboard, so one would hope that we won’t see Nintendo’s signature supply shortages, but that’s probably just wishful thinking.

If you’re a fan of survival horror, you should absolutely pick up The Evil Within 2 for just $20 from today’s Amazon Gold Box. That price is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but it’ll only last through the end of the day, and it could very well sell out early.

If you missed out on all of the PS4 Pro deals around Black Friday, you have another chance to save $60 on the console today on Rakuten with promo code SAVE15. Just note that you won’t see the option to add a promo code if you use guest checkout - you’ll have to log in to a Rakuten account.

One of the most visually-appealing parts of The Last Jedi was the Battle of Crait. The bright white salt, the blood red soil, coming together to emphasize the clash of good and evil. Relive the moment with the Defense of Crait LEGO set, featuring a Ski Speeder (yes, that’s what it’s really called), a command tower, and rotating cannon to recreate the trench scene. Plus, it comes with Captain Poe Dameron, Admiral Ematt, a Resistance Trooper and two First Order Snowtroopers mini-figs.

Update: The PS4 version is sold out.

Dark Souls III ought to occupy you for quite some time, especially at the harder difficulty levels, so getting the game plus both of its main DLC expansions for $20 is a great value.

LEGO’s 1969 piece Saturn V Apollo kit is usually out of stock at major retailers, but Amazon has it for its $120 MSRP right now, which is honestly a great price for a kit that size, let alone such a coveted one. The set lets you build and simulate an entire Apollo mission, from launch, to orbit, to moon landing, to splashdown.

LEGO’s Women of NASA set launched late last year, and it won’t stay in orbit forever, so you might want to grab it while you can for an all-time low $21.

The Humble Monthly subscription plan delivers you a selection of new games (to keep!) every month, gives you 10% off everything in the Humble Store, and donates 5% of each month’s proceeds to charity. If you prefer to play your games on PC, it might just be the best deal in gaming.

Next month’s early access game just just went live, and it’s a doozy. You get Civilization VI, plus the Australian and Viking civilization and scenario packs, all for just $12. You could even cancel your account immediately after downloading the games (not that we’d recommend it, for all of the reasons detailed above), and they’d be yours to keep. Needless to say, that’s the best deal we’ve ever seen on the latest Civ game.

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