Best Deals Under $50

The Dash Express Tasti Crisp air fryer is quiet while cooking and easy to clean. But it lacks digital controls, so it’s not quite as easy to use as the digitized Dash Tasti-Crisp DCAF260. Like its sibling, this model’s capacity is 1.9 quarts, less than the claimed capacity of 2.6 quarts. It comes with a two-year warranty, longer than most of the models we’ve tested.

Kate Spade can make even your kitchen more fashionable with this Kate Spade All In Good Taste 888394 2-Slice toaster. And it’s not just a pretty accessory. It earns excellent scores for toasting time and color range, meaning you can have a crispy slice or two toasted just the way you like in a snap. Plus, it’s easy to clean, earning an excellent score in those lab evaluations. This toaster earns only a mediocre score for toasting one slice evenly, but if you generally prefer more than that, this may be the toaster for you. At half its list price, you might also consider snapping one up as a holiday gift for another toast-lover in your life.

The Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus DLC-2A is a 3-cup food chopper that combines great value with solid performance. In our tests, it’s particularly adept at chopping almonds and onions, and grating Parmesan cheese, though other choppers are better at puréeing. This model is ideal if you have limited counter space; it takes up as much as a postcard.

The unassuming, inexpensive Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Programmable 49465R, which typically costs $40, might be easy to miss, but it can brew a mean cup of joe at a fantastic price. It has all the essentials in a basic black-plastic finish. It’s programmable and has an auto-shutoff. What’s more, it does a superb job in our brewing test and can make a fresh pot in just 10 minutes. This model also performs strongly for convenience and carafe handling in CR’s lab tests. But it’s worth mentioning that this model is more prone to overflow, unlike some other models we’ve tested.

This is $6 more than the best price we’ve seen, but that discount was a flash in the pan, and this is still a great price for a budget coffee maker that works well.

The second-gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is basically an updated version of the previous model, with a slightly faster processor, more storage (16GB instead of 8GB), and support for a newer wireless protocol, WiFi6e. It also has a new feature, called the Fire TV Ambient Experience, which has only been available on Amazon’s Omni-series QLED TVs until now. Basically, it lets you see information such as calendars and reminders, control smart devices, and view artwork or photos on the screen when you’re not watching TV.

If you want a reliable pair of noise-canceling headphones under $50, this Soundcore model could be right for you. Soundcore Q20i Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling headphones performed admirably in our tests for noise reduction and sound quality, and they come with a detachable audio cable and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable.

The StackedSkincare Professional Dermaplaning Tool wowed our testers, and it’s reusable. This non-disposable dermaplaner features a smooth, lightweight aluminum handle and a stainless steel blade, with a built-in safety blade guard at the top to help keep your skin safer from nicks. When you are ready to change its blade, you pop off the blade and insert a new one. The aluminum handle is soft but provides enough texture to allow you to grip it, which is important when you’re working your way around your face, and the last thing you want is a razor to slip from your hand.

The Tymo Ring Straightening Comb is back to its lowest price. CR writer and product tester Jodhaira Rodriguez was impressed with how well and how quickly this comb straightened her frizzy, dry hair. It’s shaped like a traditional hair comb with smooth, horizontal teeth. Because of the smoothness of the bristles, hair isn’t gripped as it passes through the comb; it glides smoothly just like a comb does, as long as the hair is detangled. It has five temperature settings that range from 266° F to 410° F, and an auto-shutoff feature that turns the straightening comb off after 30 minutes.

This massager, made famous on TikTok, falls in the middle of the pack in terms of pricing, compared with the other models we evaluated. The reviewer found that the nodes pressed into their neck in an uncomfortable way, but two others who tried it loved it, so you might find the massager is just right or not right at all (but don’t worry—there’s a 30-day return window on Amazon). However, when it came to heat, this massager really shone. It reaches temperatures of 109° F. You can use this massager on various body parts, and it even comes with a car adapter, making it a boon for road trips.

The Papillon Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager Pillow is at the lowest price we’ve ever seen. It checks a lot of the boxes for being the perfect massager. It’s effective and lightweight. In fact, it’s the lightest of all the electric massagers we tried, according to our measurements. It’s also fairly inexpensive. You can use the massager on different body parts, such as your back, neck, shoulders, legs, and feet. It also offers a good amount of heat.

If you’ve been thinking of trying a weighted blanket, now’s the time. This one from YnM did well in CR’s tests, with one staffer saying the glass beads felt pretty evenly distributed. There are a couple of dozen color options, but they depend on the size and weight you choose. And while the blanket doesn’t come with a duvet cover, YnM sells one separately.

The Phomemo M110 is the bigger, bulkier version of the Phomemo D30, which we also evaluated and liked. The M110 offers a bit more flexibility with the size of the label you’re creating. It uses the same app, and has a wide variety of fonts, styles, and images, with quick creation and easy label cutting. Its size, compared with the smaller Phomemo, makes it a bit less portable, and its alignment isn’t as precise when it comes to cutting the label exactly on the cut line compared with other label printers. But it’s still a solid option.

The O-Cedar mop comes with a bucket that wrings out excess liquid and works on all floor types. The mop head itself can be removed and tossed in the wash, giving your mop more longevity, and it also outperformed the other mops we tested for absorption, tackling honey, soda, and dirt with ease. The spinning feature is activated with a foot pedal, making it very easy to use as you move through your home. Bonus: the bucket uses two separate tanks for clean and dirty water.

With a built-in anti-theft security system, this compact sling bag can be a saving grace for those traveling with valuables. “This bag has a slash-resistant mesh barrier in front, sides, and bottom body panels, plus a slash-resistant strap. And the RFID-blocking organizer on the front locking zippered pocket is perfectly sized for a phone,” says Anne McAlpin, author of “Pack It Up: The Essential Guide to Smart Travel.” RFID, or radio frequency identification, prevents skimming theft, which can occur when illegally installed devices capture personal data, such as PINs, for ATMs.

It’s now about $10 more than the best price we saw for Black Friday, but still a decent discount.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Pan & Tilt KC410S 24/7 security camera offers stellar video quality and quickly sends alerts when motion is detected, CR’s tests have found. This low-priced camera also earns a strong rating for data security and a midrange rating for data privacy. It features voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, two-way audio, monitoring zones, person alerts, and alerts for loud noises.

The TP-Link Tapo D210 is one of the most affordable doorbell cameras in our ratings, and it outperforms many of the more expensive models. The doorbell is battery-powered, meaning you don’t have to mess with doorbell wires, and it comes with a plug-in doorbell chime in the box. Features include activity zones, color night vision, local video storage on up to a 512GB microSD card (not included), person detection, pre-recorded responses to ask visitors to leave a message, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Best of all, none of these features requires a subscription.

The Arlo Essential 2K (VMC3050-100NAS) is one of Arlo’s more budget-friendly security cameras. It performs well in our tests and features a built-in spotlight, a siren, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Additional features, such as activity zones, person detection, and cloud video storage, require an Arlo Secure subscription.