Best Deals Under $50

In our at-home evaluations, this straightening comb from Tymo Ring worked best for testers with curly hair. It has five temperature settings, an auto shutoff feature, and is extremely lightweight. One tester especially liked that it could straighten the hair right at the root better than the much pricier Drybar Straightening Brush it was tested against.

The Cosori Lite CAF-LI211 is perfect for anyone with limited counter space. This measured 1.7-quart air fryer is packed with appealing features such as a dishwasher-safe basket, preprogrammed settings, and a digital display, but with a footprint of just 9x11 inches, it comes in a small package (and a fairly small price tag, too). What’s more, this model was a standout in our tests, receiving high marks for being easy to use and to clean and remaining at a low volume while cooking. The Cosori Lite comes with a two-year warranty.

The Chefman RJ38-2T air fryer is a small, easy-to-use, basic model with a digital display and a reminder to shake your food for even crispness. After making chicken nuggets and fries in this air fryer, we found it easy to clean. It’s also whisper-quiet. We’ve seen this air fryer dip to this price before, but at this price it’s a steal, given its performance in our tests.

Utopia premium bath towels are 100 percent cotton but shrank the least in our tests, even after 10 wash and dry cycles. We found that they got a bit less soft after washing, however, and experienced some hourglassing. Certified OEKO-TEX, they’re available in plum, sage green, ivory, and lavender, among other shades. They’re usually $35 for a pack of four, so this is a nice discount.

The Bedsure Electric Heated Flannel Blanket is thin but light. Though it’s cozy, it resembles an inexpensive fleece blanket you’d find at a grocery store. One side is striped flannel and the other is linty fleece. The flannel is not the best quality, but it does get hot. And it has the lightest wires of the blankets we evaluated. This is the price for a throw-sized blanket. Other sizes vary in price.

The Leebein Power Spin Scrubber ANS-8050 is a strong scrubber with an incredibly long battery life. It can last about an hour on its highest power mode, so it’s unlikely that it will die on you in the middle of cleaning. If the battery is entirely depleted, however, it will take a while to recharge. (In our tests, it took more than 3 hours.) The scrubber has two speeds: 300 rpm and 400 rpm. It scores well for ease of use because it comes with 8 attachments, the most among the models we tested, including a scouring brush for greasy kitchen areas, a sponge brush for glass, a wool-like brush for polishing a car, and cloth brushes for leather and floor cleaning. It’s also relatively light and features an extension wand that extends up to 50 inches, giving you a wide reach. The angle of the scrubber’s head is fixed and can’t be adjusted. Unlike some of the other models, it comes with an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it can withstand brief immersion in water.

If you want an electric toothbrush that won’t cost an arm and a leg, the Sonicare 4100 is a good choice. This is the standard sale price that’s available more often than not, but it’s much cheaper than other options that rate just as highly in our tests. Although this toothbrush is on the simpler side when it comes to extra features, it still performs admirably when it comes to teeth cleaning and ease of use. It offers two cleaning modes, and it comes with two especially helpful features: a timer and a pressure sensor. It doesn’t offer any connectivity to an app.

In the words of ’80s rock legend Meatloaf, two out of three ain’t bad. A great pair of headphones does three things: 1) fits well, 2) delivers effective noise-canceling, and 3) sounds terrific. This Soundcore model hits the mark on the first two line items. Sound-wise? It’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. The bass is a little bloated, the midrange is not as clear as you’d like it, while the high frequencies have a sizzle that’s okay on your breakfast bacon, but not ideal on your favorite music. But at this price, you can overlook those shortcomings, especially if you’re gifting the headphones to a friend or relative who’s less than picky, or using them for podcasts or a little easy listening.

The TP-Link Tapo C120 is an affordable outdoor security camera that offers impeccable performance for its price. It also offers a ton of features and doesn’t require a subscription to take advantage of them. Those features include activity zones, AI alerts (for people, pets, and vehicles), color night vision, two-way audio, built-in spotlights, and local video storage using up to a 512GB microSD card (not included).

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim EP25 is one of the most versatile smart plugs on the market, offering energy monitoring and compatibility with all four major smart home systems: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. It’s also very easy to use and set up based on our expert evaluations, and it offers decent data security. This four-pack is down to the lowest price we’ve seen for it.

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 like PINs for ATMs.