Life

38 Highly-Rated & Affordable Products On Amazon Better Than The Versions You're Using

by Julie Peck

Every day is a great day to live your best life, and here's an opportunity to get started on that with these affordable Amazon products that are legit better than the ultra-pricey versions you're using. I mean, if I could give people one piece of advice, it would be, "Don't settle." That includes shopping: What's better than retail therapy that means you get exactly what you want and don't have to spend a lot to do it? Read on.

For example, few things in life feel more indulgent than a truly great hotel. I'm a huge proponent of splashing out on a luxe stay even in the town where you live because a) other people tidy up and b) there's room service. The other reason: The bed. Now you can get the same experience at home with these microfiber sheets that are literally $30 for a queen set. They're crafted from microfiber so soft they've prompted more than 54,000 people to write reviews, including one person who says they're so soft "... (i)t's like coming home after a long, yucky day at work, and all you want is to crawl your sorry self into bed for the night, and your sheets GIVE YOU A HUG....".

Okay, so you get the idea, and come on, we've all had that day. In short, all these products are just like wine: Do your research, and you really can have quality without breaking the bank.

1The Appliance That Makes Crispy Fried Foods — And Cake

With a basket that's large enough to accommodate six boneless chicken breasts, this air fryer produces crispy and delicious fried foods with much less oil required than traditional frying techniques. Using hot air convection to cook foods, not only is it a great way to make crispy, savory dishes — but you can even make baked desserts using this handy countertop appliance. Easy-to-use digital controls make this fryer a breeze to operate, and it comes with a recipe book to get your imagination going.

2A Super-Sharp Chef's Knife For All Your Food Prep Chores

Featuring a tapered stainless steel edge that's not only sharp but slices through fibrous veggies and meats easily and efficiently, this chef's knife has a durable ergonomic handle that won't slip in your hand, even when it's wet. Weighted and balanced to handle easily, it's perfect for all kinds of food prep, from chopping and mincing to carving for the table. All the materials in its composition are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

3A Flat Iron That Has All The Things: Ceramic, Tourmaline, Ions

Ceramic and tourmaline crystal ion plates combine to make this flat iron especially effective at not only styling your hair, but leaving it silky and smooth in less time. Straighten, curl, or flip: This unit does it all, with temperature settings that range from 150 to 450 degrees so for the ultimate in control over all hair types. The 1-inch width is perfect for any length of hair, and can even style your bangs.

4The Sheets So Soft That Nearly 55,000 Reviewers Have Given Them Four-Plus Stars

"Holy sheet, what a surprise," says one five-star reviewer regarding this microfiber sheet set, which they later characterize as "... perfect for me and half the price of the cheapest ones I had tried yet." If you've bought quality bedsheets in the recent past, I'm sure you know how expensive they are. This four-piece set is less than a week's worth of lattes, available in 38 styles and seven sizes, and according to reviewers, softer than cloud nine — which is where you'll be when you're sleeping on these babies.

5An All-Natural Shampoo And Conditioner Set That Sounds Good Enough To Use On Your Salad

Crafted from organic ingredients that sound like the beginning of a delicious salad dressing, this hair care pair feeds your locks to leave them shiny, smooth, and reconditioned. The great thing about apple cider vinegar is that it also removes the build-up that bogs down your hair (from too much product or hard water) and makes it dull. It also works to give your hair a boost thanks to essential keratin proteins that will lead to renewed growth and vitality.

6These Plush Gel Pillows Are As Posh As Their Name, Plus They're Hypoallergenic

There's nothing worse than a flat pillow, and these pillows will put the ones you're currently using (probably flattened down to the height of a stale slice of bread) to shame. They're also incredibly luxe, engineered with gel that cradles your head down so you'll wake up truly rested. Plus, these hypoallergenic pillows are mold-, mildew-, and dust mite-resistant.

7The Non-Stick Pan That Gets Its Strength From Pure Titanium

Combining hard anodized aluminum construction with a non-stick coating that comes from titanium, this pan delivers long-lasting performance along with reliable handling. It's finished with an easy-to-grip silicone handle that's heat-resistant, so you're safe to pick it up while it's on the stove. The handle is also riveted to the pan body to enhance the durability of the unit as a whole, and it comes with a shatterproof glass lid so you can see your dish as it bubbles away. Both the lid and the pan are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

8The Callus Remover Gel That Works Salon-Like Miracles At Home

Formulated to eliminate dead skin in just 3 to 5 minutes, this callus remover gel is a quick and easy favorite for a salon-quality pedicure treatment right at home. Its blend of powerful ingredients are designed for a short soak that will then allow you to slough corns, calluses, and other dead skin right off with your favorite scrubber or pumice stone, providing an inexpensive substitute for professional pedicures or the perfect way to maintain baby-soft feet in between trips to the nail tech.

9A Bluetooth Speaker That Has Big Sound But Is Small Enough To Go Wherever You Do

This high-definition Bluetooth speaker is small but mighty, and its easy-to-use touch controls make it the perfect partner for laid-back listening everywhere you go. It weighs under 2 pounds, so you can easily throw it in your backpack or carry-on for use while you travel. Use it to make and receive calls via your smartphone, too.

10The Hardside Spinner Carry-On That's One For The Road

Available in four colors, this hardside carry-on is priced to sell and has everything you want from your steady travel buddy. Made from ultra-thick ABS, it's scratch-resistant for long-lasting durability and has a fully-lined interior with a divider. The inside of the case offers three zippered pockets for keeping small items secure, and it's even outfitted with an extra zipper and gussets around the side so that you can expand it for 15 percent more packing room — just in case you run into that must-have while you're away.

11A Blender To Whip Up Everything From Smoothies To Soup

Blend up your green juice in the morning and finish off the day with a delicious milkshake thanks to this blender that delivers professional quality in a sleek, modern design with a 72-ounce capacity. The super-sharp blades make short work of all your smoothie ingredients — it pulverizes ice and hard ingredients like ginger with ease. Completely BPA-free, the blender jar and lid are leak-proof and dishwasher-safe.

12A Mattress Pad That Won't Slip Off Thanks To Its Extra-Deep Pockets

Don't you hate it when your mattress pad comes off of your bed, pulling your sheets along with it, and suddenly you're left rolling around on your mattress in the middle of the night? That's frustrating AF, but you can put an end to it with this mattress pad that features deep pockets, a vinyl back, and elastic all around to ensure that it stays put. An extra-thick, ultra-soft fiber-fill top ensures that you sleep in comfort, too.

13The Curling Iron That Does All The Work For You Hands Free

Even I can make beachy, Instagrammable waves with this curling iron that legit pretty much does it all by itself. Instead of feeling like I need three more hands and Jen Atkin to do my hair, I just guide it into the Instawave and the little prongs on the dial catch my locks and wind them around the 1.5-inch barrel that features ceramic ionic technology to smooth hair and add shine. The dial spins, the hair curls, it spins in the other direction to release, et voilà! No burned hands, no weird creases in my hair, and the variable temperature settings let me control my look.

14This Appliance Is Both A Stand Mixer And A Hand Mixer

Any appliance that does the work of two gets a big thumbs up in my book, and this mixer definitely falls into that category. I love my stand mixer, but it is big and heavy, and my hand mixer was a wedding gift 19 years ago (it's so old, my ex has been married again and divorced since). This is both mixers: it's a stand mixer with a 4-quart stainless steel bowl when you're making, say, angel food cake, but you can detach the arm part and have an adjustable six-speed hand mixer to use on your famous garlic mashed potatoes.

15The Dead Sea Mud Mask That's Ideal For Use All Over Your Body And Your Face

Formulated with Dead Sea mud that's chock-full of minerals that gently extract the toxins from your skin and clean its clogged pores, this mask is ideal for use from head to toe. While the mud purifies, ingredients like sunflower seed and jojoba oil deeply hydrate, chamomile and aloe vera provide a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect, and vitamin A counteracts environmental damage and speeds up healing. All that for just $15, "(a)nd I'm totally in love," writes one five-star reviewer.

16A Barista-Quality Espresso Machine For All Your Favorite Coffee Drinks At Home

With a compact design that doesn't take up much space on your countertop, this espresso maker fits in even the tightest quarters while delivering barista-quality espresso with creamy foam generated from its inline frothing arm. Just one switch means easy operation, and the shatterproof carafe is marked along the side to assist in dispensing just the right amount for each cup. The size — and the price tag — of this little wonder makes it a great buy.

17An Affordable Food Processor That Works Like A Charm

With a capacious 10-cup bowl as well as a slicing mechanism crafted from stainless steel just like the fancy French wedding registry staple, this food processor will whip through all your chopping and puréeing chores quickly and easily. It's outfitted with a built-in scraper attachment that helps keep the ingredients closer to the blades for quicker processing, and high and low speeds give you the ultimate control over the wonderful dishes you'll prepare.

18These Sunglasses Serve Up Retro Vibe At An Affordable Price

One accessory that can instantly take an outfit from basic to beyond, these sunglasses prove that designer names aren't necessary for all-weather eye protection: They're cute and they fend off 100 percent of harmful UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. Available in 20 lens/frame color combinations, they're suitable and practical, too. "I get compliments on these glasses wherever I go! They're lightweight but feel sturdy, and a really cool design," writes one five-star reviewer.

19A Grinder That Makes The Most Amazing Coffee

Every fine cup of coffee begins with the beans, and how they're ground plays an integral role in the resulting taste. This burr grinder has nine settings so you can specify the fineness you prefer to suit both the brewing mechanism you plan to use and the coffee strength you favor — plus, its engineering prevents overheating and preserves the delicious aroma. Quietly grind enough beans to brew anywhere from 2 to 12 cups of coffee at one clip, while the 8-ounce storage housing keeps more beans at the ready.

20A Watch That's As Pretty As A Picture

Stylish and timeless all at once, this watch combines the classic Timex face design interpreted in rose gold with a rose gold nylon band that adds a touch of sportiness to its overall appeal. The slip-through strap design and water-resistant engineering make it a great choice for sports and for everyday use — since it's impervious to sweat and showers — and the company has a full range of interchangeable straps.

21The Plant-Based Serum That Deeply Hydrates Your Skin

Formulated to deeply hydrate without irritating delicate skin, the active ingredient in this serum is a highly-concentrated hyaluronic acid that's 100 percent organic and plant-based. Blended with nourishing vitamins C and E, it's a complete solution for refreshed, revitalized skin that goes on without clogging pores or leaving behind sticky residue — all while delivering potent protection from the environmental damage to which we're all exposed every day.

22An Essential Oil Diffuser That Makes Any Indoor Environment Delightful

Using essential oils can lift your spirits, help you sleep, pep you up in the morning, or alter your mood in many different ways — and this diffuser can deliver that in a fine mist. It also adds essential moisture back to the air, which is essential not only for your skin but for overall air quality, and is really great to help ensure a good night's sleep — or for battling through sinus, cold, and allergy problems. This unit also has an optional color-changing LED display to further enhance the mood.

23An Inexpensive Laptop Stand Can Be Used As A Standing Desk At Work And Everywhere Else

With fully-adjustable legs that rotate through 360-degrees, this accessory provides an inexpensive way to create a standing desk at the office or at home — or to comfortably use your laptop in bed, on the couch, in the kitchen, or any number of places, saving your back, neck, and lap. The legs lock in place when you've adjusted them into an ideal position, and it's equipped with whisper-quiet, USB-powered cooling fans to keep that laptop safe.

24An Argan Oil Mask To Nourish Your Hair

Formulated from a blend of cold-pressed argan oil and other deeply nourishing ingredients — including jojoba and coconut oils, aloe vera, keratin, and green tea — this mask moisturizes and revitalizes damaged, over-processed hair. Designed to both repair existing damage and help prevent future harm from heat styling, it also treats the scalp, and may even stave off hair loss. Plus, this mask is made from only the good stuff: It's cruelty-free and vegan, and free from phthalates, paraben, and sulfates.

25These Food Storage Containers Will Last You A Long Time

Made from high-quality, BPA-free Tritan, this storage set is a great way to take your lunch to work — and it's way more eco-friendly than using disposable bags. It also will enable you to go through your currently extremely chaotic little plastic container cabinet, chuck all it it in the recycling, and get the storage system of a grown-up for once (#goals). Snap-on lids make these containers airtight and prevent leaks.

26A Bath Towel Set That Would Be At Home In A Five-Star Hotel

I have a lot of theories about life, and one of them is that most people have a favorite bath towel. Well, get ready to cheat on That Towel with this towel set from Utopia that's crafted from 100 percent ring-spun cotton so each piece is ultra-soft. They're lightweight yet highly absorbent, and durable for long-lasting use. The set comes with four wash cloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels.

27The Bulbs That Lets You Control Your Light With An App

Why invest in a hub to manage all your lights and appliances at home when you can start with these smart bulbs at a fraction of the cost? Control all three as a group via an app downloadable on the App Store or Google Play and create lighting schedules to deter potential prowlers while you're away from home — or put on light shows while you dance it out after a hard day at work. These bulbs can also be commanded via your Amazon Alexa or Google Home device.

28A Hairdryer That's Lightweight Yet Powerful For Home And The Road

Featuring two heat/speed settings, plus the cool shot button that's apparently the secret of sealing the cuticle for a smooth look, this hairdryer is lightweight and compact for travel but has a powerful motor to get you on your way quickly. A removable end cap means you can clean this model easily to ensure it won't overheat, and a hanging ring gives you extra storage options you'll appreciate.

29One Convenient Palette For All The Contour And Highlighting Options

Made in a soft powder formulation that's cruelty-free and easy to blend, this palette from Elizabeth Mott features three shades for contouring and three for highlighting. Define your bone structure with these paraben-free contour shades, and use the highlighters to bring light to the high points of your face. The inner mirror allows for on-the-go application.

30A Pleather Tote That Comes In More Colors Than The Actual Rainbow

Big handbags are basically my home organization system, and one of these faux leather totes is definitely on my horizon in the very near term — because it's both affordable and trendy. It's big enough to fit my MacBook Pro, my book-of-the-moment, wallet, keys, and of course, all the pointless detritus I have with me at any given moment, so it will clearly fit yours, too. Additionally, it's available in an array of 39 tempting colors ranging from basic to beyond.

31A Lightweight Sweater You'll Wear All Year

Perfect for spring and summer — and cooler days and nights anytime of the year — this lightweight crewneck from Amazon's own line is, like all the brand's products, the product of customer feedback. As a result, it's crafted from a cotton-polyester-modal blend and finished with ribbed cuffs and hem, and even more exciting, it's available in a variety of classic colors.

  • Available sizes: XS-XXL

32This Eye Mask Is Crafted From Mulberry Silk, So It's Ultra-Gentle On Your Skin And Hair

What's the deal with mulberry silk, you say? This eye mask is crafted from the coveted fabric because it's one of the purest silks in the world, making it completely hypoallergenic —or perfect for anyone with sensitive skin. The filling of the mask is also silk, so you're caressing your eyes in comfort without introducing any additional reaction-inducing elements. Lightweight and hand-washable, it won't tangle in the hair.

33An Affordable Duvet Cover Set That's Soft And Comfy

"Really wonderful bedding. Maybe the best I've ever slept in," five-star reviewer Andrew says about this duvet cover set that's under-$25. Think about it: Given that it's available in so many different styles, you could get four and change your whole bedroom around seasonally for right about $100. The polyester microfiber is soft, wrinkle-resistant, and washes like a dream — and it has a hidden button closure and ties so it doesn't get bunched up.

34The Little Unit That Cools The Air And Humidifies It

If you're one of the unfortunate ones whose office or home temperature has just two settings — "face of the Sun" and "windswept Arctic tundra" — this cooling unit is for you. It cools via the process of evaporation, so you're also getting moisture into your surroundings, and features a three-speed fan so you can adjust the amount of air.

35These Bluetooth Headphones Are Great For Getting Active While You Talk

With call and volume controls that are easily accessible, these Bluetooth headphones are perfect whether you're listening to your favorite podcast while on the treadmill or taking a last-minute call while finishing up that tricky spreadsheet. Boosted bass, clear stereo fidelity at both high and low volumes, crisp call audio, and a waterproof coating that is designed to preserve this pair from both sweat and the weather's harmful effects are just some of the features you can count on — for a lot less.

36A Comb And Brush Set That Not Only Styles Your Hair, But Helps Leave It Shiny

A must for anyone with normal to thin hair or hair that sheds all the time, this set includes a brush that's crafted from renewable, sustainably-harvested bamboo that's fitted with ethically-harvested natural boar bristles, designed to invigorate the scalp and redistribute hair's natural oils to boost its health. The comb is also made from bamboo and is great for detangling without snags — plus, it's the perfect size to tuck into a handbag or pocket.

37A Massager That'll Relax Your Neck And Shoulders

An optional heating function compliments the eight shiatsu heads in this massager that's designed to drape around the shoulders and the neck, applying gentle pressure as it soothes and relieves pain. Better yet, the same shape enables you to target thighs, calves, even the soles of your feet — and a 6-foot power cord means you can comfortably use it while laying on the sofa, in your bed, or in your desk chair without needing an extension cord.

38A Raincoat That Has Lots Of Color Options

Incredibly versatile as your go-to for sudden showers, this rain jacket is crafted from lightweight, breathable fabric and cut with a cinched waist that you'll love for casual weekend wear and workday outfits. Since it folds up compactly into its own carrying pouch, it's also a great travel companion, perfect to slide into a carry-on or backpack to ensure you're covered while you're on the road, and it comes in a dozen colors so you're sure to find one that you love.

  • Available sizes: S-XL

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