Prime Day is here — the big sale you’ve probably been saving up for. So the question is obvious: If you’ve got $500 of your hard-earned money ready to make the most of Amazon’s special event, what should you spend it on?
That’s the question I’ve posed to the experts at Tom’s Guide, and the answers are wide-ranging. Whether you’re looking to up your pizza-cooking game at home, jumping into VR or upgrading your travel tech, we’ve got a ton of products to keep a close eye on for discounts.
So if you want some inspiration on what to look for, read on and see what we think you should be buying.
Our Prime Day wish list: Quick links
- Meta Quest 3 (128GB): was $499 now $429 @ PC Richard & Son
- Roku 65" Plus Series 4K QLED TV: was $499 now $399 @ Best Buy
- Ridge Wallet: was $99 now $69 @ Ridge
- Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven: $349 @ Ooni
- Day Backpack from Mous: $159 @ Mous
- Leatherman Curl: $89 @ Amazon
- Anker Prime Power Bank: $189 @ Amazon
I think I would finally be ready to jump on the Meta Quest 3
With $500 to spend on Prime Day, I think I would finally be ready to jump on the Meta Quest 3, especially if I got a good deal on a bundle with all of the accessories. I used the original PSVR in the past and while I tried out a lot of different games, Everybody’s Golf from Clap Hanz. There’s now a sequel called Ultimate Swing Golf for the Meta Quest and as of now, you can only play it on one of Meta’s VR headsets.
If that wasn’t enough, during my recent trip to Taiwan, I saw how my colleagues Jason England and Paul Antill brought their own Quest 3 headsets and used Travel Mode on the 15-hour flight home. Besides that, I’d also like to try working while wearing the Quest 3 since most of my work is done in a browser and I love the idea of having a multi-monitor setup right in front of my face.
Tuna and sweet corn pizza!?
If I had a back garden of my own, the first thing I’d buy if you placed 500 notes into my palm would be an outdoor pizza oven, like the Ooni Fyra 12. The notion I could own a device that could crisp up a pie just the way I like it in 90 seconds makes me unreasonably excited.
That’s probably because I’m currently stuck with a boring indoor oven that has a real knack for undercooking the bottom of a pizza while simultaneously cremating your toppings. It’s a delight to use. I’m not saying I’m going to start rolling my own artisanal dough if I theoretically bought an Oonie Fyra 12 — they’d almost certainly continue to be supermarket jobs. But any sub $500 product that is going to do me a tuna and sweet corn pizza in under 2 minutes is right up my alley. And yes, I am exactly that kind of monster.
Upgrading my everyday carry
As you may have seen from the many chances I’ve taken to humble brag, I’ve been making up for the couple years of Covid lockdowns by traveling relentlessly. To do so, I’ve been carefully crafting the perfect multi-purpose everyday carry — something for peak productivity and entertainment, which can assist me on my many jaunts to other countries while keeping devices’ batteries topped up.
And, dear reader, I’m so close to achieving this. I’m just a few purchases away from doing so, and I’ll be keeping a close eye for Prime Day deals on the following items to reach perfection.
First, the Day Backpack from Mous would add a nice pop of sage color to my setup, but it’s so much more than that. The 20-liter capacity with nine pockets and a protected laptop sleeve sounds pretty by-the-books, but the central zip means you don’t need to rummage to find items at the bottom, and that minimalist aesthetic made from an ultra-durable water resistant material makes this an ideal candidate for a UK commuter. So far it’s $159, but I’m hungry for any discount on this already affordable price!
Second, a good multitool is a must-buy for any EDC, and it’s always in the most unexpected of situations that you’ll find yourself rueing the day that you decided not to buy one. My target multitool is the Leatherman Curl — not just for that bottle opener that will be great for any impromptu session with the boys, but the medium flat screwdriver bit that’s great to unscrewing the tripod mount off my Sony ZV-E10 camera.
Third, I need a beasty battery. With a 10,000 mAh cell right now, I’m left praying for power outlets wherever I go. Doubling that capacity is the sweet spot between capacity and size, and the (currently) $185 Anker Prime Power Bank is the perfect choice. With the charging base, I can keep this topped at 100% and throw it into my bag before I leave with full confidence in its ability to keep all of my tech charged up.
And finally, I’ve tried various MagSafe wallets on the back of my iPhone 15 Pro, but they come off all too easily in my skinny jeans pockets. So it’s time to get a Ridge wallet for its ultra durability, space for plenty of cards, RFID-blocking capability, space for an AirTag to connect it to your Find My network, and a super low $69 price tag!
Time for a new TV
If I had the spare cash, my one big tech goal at the moment is picking up a new TV. It’s not necessarily the most exciting thing to pick up, but as a streaming writer (and someone who spends a ton of time in front of a PS5), I feel duty-bound to experience shows, movies and games at their very best. However, the general cost of living being as high as it has been has always stood in the way, and I’ve not had the spare cash to invest in a new TV for a while now.
Seeing as my current screen is really starting to show its age, I’ve been doing a ton of Prime Day prep, staring at reviews of all the best TVs (especially the best budget TVs) on the market to try and find a perfect match. It’s difficult to say exactly which model for sure just yet (I’ll wait for the sales to land before I make my decision), but something like Roku Plus Series 4K QLED TV seems like it would be a good fit for me right now. It doesn't break the bank, but offers solid performance for its price range
I'm heading straight for the Steam Deck OLED
If I'm dropping $500 on Prime Day sales, I'm heading straight for the Steam Deck OLED to see if there's any savings to be had. At time of writing, Valve's epic handheld hasn't even had a snifter of a discount. Boo!
While I'm not exactly holding my breath for an epic price slash, I'll be watching carefully because — as mentioned — my current handheld gaming system is a Nintendo Switch launch model. At seven years old, it's about ready to draw its 401(k). And while the Nintendo Switch 2 is right around the corner, the frequency and awesomeness of Steam sales means I'd really like to take the plunge into PC gaming-on-the-go. But with a $449 price tag of the Steam Deck, I need a little Prime Day price cut to tempt me into parting with my cash.
It's DIY Time
I like to consider myself fairly handy around the house; before I call a repairman, I'll try and fix things myself, which has saved me loads of money over the years. I've got multiple seasons of "This Old House" saved on my DVR, and watch "The New Yankee Workshop" on YouTube; During Covid, I remodeled a powder room, and every other week I'm fixing something: screen doors, running toilets, leaky faucets, and more. However, I want to take my woodworking skills a level up.
When I remodeled our bathroom, I used a traditional handheld miter saw and miter box to cut the floor moulding; there wasn't enough to justify me spending a few hundred bucks on a power tool, as much as I wanted to.
However, now I want to get more ambitious and try my hand at redoing all the cabinet doors in our kitchen, and for that, I want something more accurate — and something that will be less of a strain on my arm. This DeWalt miter saw gets great reviews all over the internet, and its double-bevel action means I'll be able to cut angles precisely. It also has an LED light that shines on the board you're cutting, to help you better align the blade with your cut mark.
I've seen other DeWalt power tools go on sale for Prime Day, and I'm hoping this model drops in price, too.
