This year’s Fourth of July weekend brings an unfortunate heatwave. Perhaps one silver lining? It’s nice weather for staying inside and doing the online shopping you’ve been meaning to. Brands and retailers are currently slashing their prices on everything from household essentials to tech gadgets, and we’ve hand-picked the best of the best that we’ve tested ourselves.
As research-obsessed consumer journalists, we’re not just looking for steep price drops. We track price history and look for uncommon discounts on products we’ve used ourselves, from brands we trust such as Brooklinen, Caraway and Fitbit. Here are our 27 favorites.
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Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set
Cozy Earth’s bamboo sheets first put the brand on the map in 2010, and after rigorous testing, it’s not hard to see why it took off. The semi-slick and cooling viscose fabric has this magical way of melting night sweats, yet its soft texture feels like an extension of your most-loved blanket or sweater. Get the set for 15% off with code GUARDIAN15 from 2 to 6 July.
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Shark ChillPill Cooling System
If anyone’s ever told you to “take a chill pill”, you can now honor their wishes with this viral three-in-one cooling device, now 13% off and its lowest price ever. Like Sali Hughes, the Guardian’s beauty columnist, you can hold the cool plate against your skin to instantly cool down, which she describes as “simple, effective and arguably the best bit”. Use the fan to stay dry and the misting function to bring some hydration back to thirsty skin.
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Coleman Pro 25-Quart Hard Cooler
Should alfresco dining be on your itinerary, the best cooler we ever tested is now 25% off as part of REI’s 4 July sale. Keeping food and drink cool as a cucumber for up to three days, it’s a solid option for multi-day off-grid trips and festivals alike. “Its water drain is well designed, with only minimal liquid remaining after tipping, and I appreciated the inclusion of both side-handles and a padded and adjustable shoulder strap,” according to Linda Geddes, a reviewer.
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De’Longhi Stilosa Espresso Machine
You’re not imagining it: one of the best manual coffee machines we’ve ever gotten our hands on is now hovering at around $100, down 33% for Best Buy’s Fourth of July sale. While Sasha Muller, Filter reviewer and coffee expert, concedes “the steam wand lacks oomph”, he said, “with a bit of practice, it serves up silky hot milk with a dense microfoam. The result? Great espresso, wonderful flat whites, moreish cappuccinos.”
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Miasun Beach Tent
If your Fourth of July celebrations are taking you beachside, Rhiannon Evans, a Filter contributor, recommends this portable beach canopy, now 35% off. It “has you covered” in a heatwave, and it’s complete with a sun protective coating for extra protection. Unlike the glaring sun, its playful prints ranging from graphic floral to pale stripes are easy on the eyes.
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Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker
An active dad recently told us his favorite features of the spec-packed Fitbit Charge 6 smartwatch are its ability to track heart rate, steps, sleep and stress. Get insights into your own health with this waterproof smartwatch with a seven-day battery life, all for 47% off, its lowest price ever.
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Anyday 12-Piece Glass Round Dish Set
Your food storage containers can either help or harm your ability to enjoy leftovers and an otherwise organized fridge. These non-toxic glass containers that you can cook in (really!) have been essential in helping Emily Farris, a Filter contributor and kitchen expert, feed her family the safe way. “After using them for just a few months, I noticed my family was wasting less food – and I was doing fewer dishes,” she said. Get 25% off this 12-piece set with code FIREWORKS from 3 to 6 July.
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Check-In Closet Original
If the idea of unpacking and repacking your suitcase once you get to your destination sounds stressful, Tobey Grumet Segal, a Filter contributor, has a better idea: this Solgaard suitcase with built-in removable, self-standing shelving, which “shifted my packing strategy considerably”, she said after taking it on a three-week trip to Bangkok, Bali and Melbourne. Grab it before your next trip while it’s 15% off.
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Philips Hue Signe Smart Table Lamp
With their hands-free operation and customizable settings, smart lights make life at home infinitely easier and better looking. Upgrade your space with this smart table lamp, which Nirave Gondhia, a Filter contributor, calls a “beautifully designed technicolor lamp [that’s] as much a light feature as it is a light fixture”. Style it in your space for 35% off.
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Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer
Fun-scented hand sanitizers are a trend we can get behind, especially when you consider the amount of germs you might be picking up during all of summer’s pool parties. This budget-friendly gift for folks of all ages (especially beloved by tweens) is now 20% off in all varieties from Wild Watermelon to Confetti Cake, and we can see it serving as a travel-sized staple in your carry-on too.
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Alpaca Gear Box, 2-Pack
Safely stash your camping, biking and hiking essentials with these 45L gear boxes, now 25% off for the pair. “These sturdy, stackable bins seal tightly so everything stays dry and clean – and I love their clear lids that allow me to quickly peek at what’s inside without having to open them,” said Paige Triola, a Filter contributor and outdoor enthusiast.
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Bagsmart Electronics Organizer Travel Case
In transit, those cables, chargers and bite-sized tech devices can soon turn into one giant indiscernible ball (or worse, misplaced). Keep them organized and ready to use fresh out of the gate with this tech organizer complete with numerous expandable mesh compartments. Samuel Gibbs, a consumer tech editor, recommends this zippered wallet style organizer, now 23% off, which is “small enough to shove in your hand luggage”.
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Caraway Summer Celebration Bundle
Your cookware – and guests – deserve an upgrade in the thick of summer entertaining, and there are few more reliable options than this 31-piece nonstick and non-toxic Caraway cooking set, now 35% off until 6 July. In kitchen expert Emily Farris’ review of every Caraway item worth owning, she noted: “These pots and pans are super slick right out of the box, and compatible with gas, electric and induction cooktops.”
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Bugaboo Butterfly 2
If you’ll be jet-setting with your little one in tow this summer, don’t miss the chance to save $100 on my go-to travel stroller that has saved the day on numerous occasions, now at its best price ever. Chief among its standout features are its generous sunshade that keeps my toddler out of harm’s way, its spacious storage bin to keep all our essentials on hand and its TSA-compliant size when folded that allows me to store it in the aircraft’s overhead bin and avoid checking it.
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Brooklinen Super-Plush Turkish Cotton Bath Towels (Two-Pack)
Towel off in comfort with the “spa-like” towels we declared the best value after testing 16 different styles. Jon Chan, a Filter reviewer and textile pro, was impressed by the absorption of their dense Turkish cotton construction, as well their vast variety of colors, from cloud white to striped botanical green.
Brooklinen offers 20% off sitewide until 5 July, which includes the linen shower curtain we praised in our guide to the best shower curtains and the down comforter we recommended as a wedding gift.
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Coop Original Adjustable Pillow
Coop’s Original Adjustable Pillow is something of an OG in the pillow space, setting the standard for comfort and versatility with its customizable fill. When Filter tester Kori Perten decided to invest in quality sleep with this pillow, “My world shifted. My slumber soothed. I never looked back,” she says. Don’t sleep on this 20% off deal for the brand’s extended Fourth of July sale.
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HexClad Essential Damascus Steel Knife Set
Your dull knife is making meal prep far less efficient and safe than it needs to be. When we asked the pros about their go-to knives, two chefs called out HexClad for their unmatched value and quality. “I’ve just got a set of fabulous knives from HexClad,” says chef Andi Oliver. “They’ve got a gorgeous weight to them, they’re affordable and they feel quite chic.” This six-piece set is now a steel at 44% off.
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Chaco Z/1 Classic Sandals
Chaco’s Z/1 sandals (also available in men’s sizes) are known to be some of the most comfortable and popular on the market, making their discount of 25% that much more surprising. Beyond their “delightfully absurd durability”, according to contributor Heather Balogh Rochfort, you can add to their longevity by repairing soles, straps, webbing and more through the brand’s ReChaco program.
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Le Creuset Signature 6.5-Quart Round Dutch Oven
If you’re ready to invest in a cooking vessel resilient enough to pass down to your grandchildren, this Le Creuset Dutch oven on sale for 37% off will let you do it without waiting in a four-hour line. “You can’t get much better than a Staub or Le Creuset when it comes to Dutch ovens,” according to Megan Wahn, a Filter contributor and kitchen expert.
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Béis The Tote Luggage Set
Jetting off somewhere exciting this weekend? Filter contributor Tobey Grumet Segal swears by her Béis The Tote Set, which includes a soft tote and hardshell carry-on bag. “This one-two punch lets me pack and organize my things inside built-in pouches and zippered pockets in the suitcase, while the roomy tote can hold bulkier gear like shoes, a pair of PJs for overnight flights, my makeup bag and a water bottle,” says Grumet Segal.
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Medicube Zero Pore Toner Pads
Medicube’s viral K-beauty toner pads deserve the hype, says the Filter US commissioning editor, Karen Yuan. A combination of pore-clearing lactic and salicylic acids help these pads remove dead skin cells for smoother skin. “Every time I use them before applying makeup, my base foundation also applies more easily and looks smoother,” says Yuan. Add them to your routine while they’re 39% off at Amazon.
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Dyson Gen5detect Cordless Vacuum
Dyson’s powerful vacuums notoriously don’t come cheap, so take this opportunity to score our favorite vacuum for deep cleaning for 24% off. “In tests, this vacuum performs so well that I tend to use it to tidy up after testing, if other vacuums have fallen short,” says the reviewer, Andy Shaw. It comes with two floor heads and multiple attachments for a cleaner home from every angle.
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Spri Flat Resistance Bands (Three-Pack)
As a personal trainer, if I had to recommend one budget-friendly yet effective tool worth introducing into your at-home fitness routine, it would be these rubber latex resistance bands. And that’s exactly what I did in my guide to the best at-home gear. Despite the low price, they haven’t warped or stretched in the decade I’ve owned them. You get three resistance levels, all for 32% off.
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JBL Flip 7 Speaker
The JBL Flip 7 is just a flippin’ cool gadget to bring to your next pool party, and tech aficionado and Filter contributor Christine Persaud agrees: “I used this speaker both at home and on vacation in Mexico to listen to tunes on the beach, and it was a hit with the teenagers especially,” she says, noting it outperforms models in the sound department double its price. Nab it for 33% off.
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Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
When we asked celebrity chefs about the kitchen appliances they can’t live without, Jen Carroll of Bravo Top Chef named this Cuisinart air fryer, now 27% off. “I use it to speed up the cooking process in my classes, but also in my everyday life to roast, air fry, broil, toast and bake,” she says. My parents also have one on their countertops, and it’s by far their most-used appliance.
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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
If you’re looking to tune out the world, don’t miss this all-time-low deal of 40% off on expert-approved noise-cancelling headphones. “Bose’s latest top of the range headphones break new ground with a more premium look, advanced connectivity, immersive spatial audio and a supremely comfortable design,” says Samuel Gibbs, the Guardian’s consumer tech editor, in his four-star review of these headphones.
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Arne Jacobson Station Table Clock
On your quest to limit your screen time? This design-forward analog alarm clock lets you keep your phone out of sight, and out of mind. Catherine Price, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, recommended the Station in our guide to reducing screen time. “After seeing all your notifications, you’re guaranteed that you’re going to start your day on someone else’s terms,” says Price, whose husband uses this model.
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Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
GoSun Sport-E solar oven review: a fuel-free way to cook outside, even with no sun
Cloth napkins, a classy cutting board and more: 15 hosting essentials you can use every day
The eight best Bluetooth speakers in the US, from portable to party-powering
