The smartest buy right now is not a Prime Day deal

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Amazon’s prime-time TV commercials would like you to think October 6–7 is a countrywide shopping emergency, a five-alarm fire sale on the world’s greatest products. No shade to Kristen Bell, but we see it a little differently.

Yes, there are some great deals out there—we’ve sifted through more than 5,000 to weed out the garbage.

But our shopping philosophy—especially as we ease into the gifting season—is this: Hit buy when a great product hits a genuinely great price. You don’t need a Majora’s Mask “Dawn of the Final Day” countdown to Prime Day.

Some of the best deals we spotted this week aren’t on Bezos’ schedule. They’re great prices on stuff we’ve rigorously tested and genuinely recommend. For example, A/V editor Harry Rabinowitz just flagged my favorite type of deal: A new thing gets announced, and last year’s best thing becomes the smarter buy.

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The Best Premium Open Earbuds Are 33% Off

Bose recently launched the second-gen version of the fantastic Ultra Open Earbuds, and now the originals are heavily discounted. I’ve been testing the new version, and the most important thing—fit and feel—is largely the same between the two. For $100 less, the originals are a brilliant buy. —HR

✚ Plus: These Legendary Bose Over-Ears Are Under $200

Bose QuietComfort Headphones, the quintessential business-traveler cans, are also on sale because of a new launch. I like the new version a smidge more, but these originals are still some of the most comfortable over-ear headphones I’ve tested, with superb noise-canceling. Right now a Like New pair is $189. —HR

Shop here: Amazon | Best Buy

COOPER FLEISHMAN

Executive Commerce Director

All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Learn more.

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ON THE WISHLIST

My toddler and I both love the Hatch Rest white-noise machine and night light, which is now heavily discounted. We have a portable one for travel, too. So I’m very interested in the newly launched Hatch Sleep Clock, a nighttime companion for tossing-and-turning adults.
I finally caved and bought a MagSafe wallet to hold my credit card and work ID. After testing a few, I ignored my colleagues’ advice and went with a Native Union.
I love candles, but for some reason you can’t have open flames in an office building? Rude. I picked up a teakwood reed diffuser and a tiny Coway air purifier (33% off!) to keep the good vibes circulating. If you could use cleaner air in a larger space, WIRED Reviews’ Molly Higgins spotted an equally well priced Shark model.