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People *swear* by these 55 clever products under $20 on Amazon

We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.

by Christina X. Wood
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Amazon

When I’m looking for a garlic press or a new Bluetooth speaker, I love to hear what my friends think of what they have. But until I find someone who gushes enthusiastically about how a thing exceeded their expectations, I don’t really believe them. I want to hear that they love the thing, whether it’s a phone charger or an egg separator. The same is true of the reviews on Amazon. I’m not looking for the ones that look like they were written by a bot. I want enthusiasm! I want people to effuse and emote the way people *swear* by these 55 clever products under $20 on Amazon.

Cheap, clever and loved my the masses? That’s a trifecta I cannot ignore. I am sorry (not sorry) to say that my Amazon shopping cart is stuffed full of this stuff. Who could resist a bar of soap that’s made of stainless steel but still works? And how about cheap gizmo that turns my old birdbath into a lighted fountain? And what’s not to love about a backpack that fits in my glove box but expands to carry everything you need to climb a mountain? When people swear by a thing in these kinds of numbers, there’s a reason. You are going to want some of this gear in your cart, too.

1. A pair of lights for your toilet bowls

Hook these two lights over the side of your toilet bowl, choose a color, and your bathroom is now equipped with a night light. You can set the light to stay on while the room is dark — for low ambient lighting — or to come on only when it senses motion. Either way, your toilet will be a lot easier to find in the middle of the night.

2. A pair of Bluetooth headphones with a cult following

These over-ear headphones look great, sound great, connect wirelessly, and are comfortable — all for less than $20. And that’s apparently what it takes to develop a fan base of almost 30,000 people because people are raving about these and coming back to buy another pair — or three — in one of the six other colors.

3. This complete collection of stretch lids

There are 18 temperature-resistant stretch lids in this collection and they range in size from 2.5 inches up to 8 inches, which is probably enough to cover every bowl, cup, pan, and cut piece of fruit you will ever want to store in the fridge. They are tinted in three colors but clear enough to see what’s in the bowl.

4. A weatherproof speaker that will go where you do

This cute little speaker keeps right on playing even if you take it in the shower, mount it to your handlebars, or clip it to your backpack. It pairs wirelessly to your phone, lasts 12 hours on a charge, measures just under 4 square inches, and has an optional bike mount.

5. This notebook that works in the rain or bath

Do you journal in the tub, have great ideas in the shower, or write in the rain? This all-weather notebook with 64 pages of durable writing space that won’t disintegrate in water will go where you do. Just write on it with a #2 Ticonderoga pencil or an all-weather pen and you’ll be set. The cover is also weatherproof and available in eight colors.

6. A wall-mounted case so you can use your phone in the shower

Maybe you want to watch videos while you bathe or keep an eye on the pets or kids through a security camera while you shower? Mount this phone holder to the wall of your shower or bath using the included adhesive, snap your phone into the waterproof compartment, and do it. You can even use the touch screen while your phone is safe inside.

7. A slender wireless charger for all your gear

Set your phone, wireless headphones, or anything capable of charging wirelessly down on this slender charging disk and it will give that device the charge it needs — 5, 7.5, or 10 watts — while it’s there. You don’t have to fumble with cables and it doesn’t care what charging cable the phone needs. It also looks great and comes in 14 colors.

8. This kickstand for your phone

Stick this kickstand to the back of your phone and you can stand your phone up at just about any angle for watching videos, joining Zoom meetings, or just so you can see what time it is. It’s made of aluminum alloy and you will hardly know it’s there until you need it.

9. A packable backpack that’s super functional

When you are getting on a plane and your destination involves outdoor activities, it’s difficult to bring everything. Don’t worry about the backpack because this one stores in a bag that’s no bigger than a sandwich and is water-resistant. It also features padded mesh shoulder straps, a chest strap, water bottle pockets, a big main compartment, and two zippered front pockets. Choose from 11 colors.

10. This egg separator that clips to the bowl

When you want to separate the eggs from the yolks — or just make sure eggshell doesn’t get into your batter — snap this egg separator to the side of the bowl you are using and crack away, using its raised sharp edge for breaking the shell. The yolks (and shell) stay in and the whites drop into the bowl.

11. A 12-pack of charcoal fresheners for all your shoes

When your shoes start to develop an odor, simply put one of these deodorizer bags in them and it will neutralize that smell quickly. They are filled with bamboo charcoal, which absorbs and eliminates odors without perfumes or chemicals. They are great for pet areas, the fridge, or your car, too.

12. A moldable glue that can fix anything

Maybe you have a broken dish, frayed wire, or a tool that would be perfect if it had one more feature. This moldable glue will fix anything, even things that aren’t so much broken as missing something. Mold it to the shape you want. Stick it to anything. Then wait 24 hours and it will become a permanent fix that can withstand heat, cold, water, and an electrical charge.

13. A bottle for fast & easy pancakes

Toss all your ingredients into the wide mouth at the bottom of this batter bottle, add the whisk ball, and shake. The batter mixes up super fluffy and all you have to do is squirt your pancakes into the pan from the silicone tip at the other end. Your pancakes will be done super fast and the cleanup is super easy.

14. A filtering straw so you can drink any water

It doesn’t matter if you are heading into the backwoods to camp or facing a zombie apocalypse, you will need water. This filtering straw will make sure you can drink from any water source you encounter, no matter how sketchy. It removes close to 100% of waterborne bacteria, parasites, and microplastics. Just stick it in the water you want to drink and suck.

15. A sand-free beach blanket that fits any beach bag

If your beach bag is overwhelmed by a giant blanket that brings home piles of sand, it’s time to upgrade to this parachute ripstop blanket. It’s water resistant and strong but lightweight and has no grippy fibers that hold onto sand. It also folds into its own tiny carry bag that takes up very little room in your bag. The integrated sand pockets anchor it down.

16. A caddy that keeps all your remotes & gear handy

Slide the flap under your mattress or over the arm of a chair and drop your phone and water bottle into the pockets of this clever storage caddy. There are small pockets for phones and remotes, a tablet sleeve, and a large compartment for files or reading material.

17. The silicone keyboard you can roll up & take along

This roll-up keyboard is waterproof and durable and you can roll it up and jam it into your bag so you always have an input device at the ready. If you spill your lunch on it, it’s easy to wipe clean. And it’s completely silent so no one will hear you typing in the side chat when you are in Zoom meetings.

18. This sterilizer box that adds scent to your cleaned gear

When you clean your phone, jewelry, keys, or wallet with this UV sanitizer box, your stuff will all come out clean and smelling terrific because not only does it eliminate germs and bacteria using UV light, it infuses your stuff with the scent of your choice. Just add a few drops of essential oil, close your gear in there, and wait six minutes.

19. A wall-mounted sanitizer for all your toothbrushes

Get your toothbrushes off the counter where they collect dust and germs and into this wall-mounted sanitizer and everything in the bathroom will be cleaner. Your counters will be free of clutter and up to five of your toothbrushes will get a daily bath in UV light to fight off germs. There’s a holster on the side for the toothpaste, too.

20. These freezing trays so your ice doesn’t taste like freezer burn

Whether you are freezing water, juice, or baby food, you don’t want the end result to taste like the inside of your freezer, and this ice-cube storage system ensures that it won’t. Fill the three trays with whatever you are freezing and seal them inside the storage container while they freeze. It locks closed to seal your creation inside.

21. A knife that’s designed for butter

This clever butter knife was created with your toast-buttering needs in mind. The slots on one side will create curls from a cold butter stick that spread beautifully on a piece of toast and the large hole on the tip will grab a big dollop of butter that also spreads easily. And the serrated edge is great for cutting butter pats.

22. A night light that’s also an aromatherapy diffuser

Choose a favorite color or the one that suits your current mood and enjoy the calming glow of this night light. Or, if the room is dry, add some water to create a humidifying mist that calms dry eyes and coughs. And, for even more mood boost, add the essential oil of your choice to scent the room with a cheerful or relaxing scent. At this price, you could have one in every bedroom.

23. This angry plastic toy that cleans your microwave

Arms akimbo, angry expression, steam blowing out of the top of her head. Why? Because she’s Angry Mama, and she’s here to clean that filthy microwave. Fill her with water and vinegar, microwave her for seven minutes, and when you take her out, the steam will have softened the mess in the microwave so it just wipes away.

24. This knife designed to handle peanut butter

Your peanut butter struggles are about to end. No more PB-slathered knuckles. No more giving up on that last bit in the jar. This knife is durable, long, and curved so that it can stir even a large jar of natural peanut butter and scoop and spread that nut butter beautifully. The curve tip helps you get every last bit from the bottom of the jar.

25. A cherry pitter that also does olives

Drop six cherries — or olives — into this clever pitter and close the lid. It pushes the pits out so you can use them in pies, smoothies, salads, or whatever is in the works. It’s effective, easy to store, and cleans up super fast. Reviewers are effusing with words like, “love,” “keeper,” and “awesome.”

26. A set of telescoping pick-up magnet tools

When you drop tools, nuts and bolts, and especially sewing needles and small metal items, picking them up can be irritating and time consuming. This set of pick-up tools is here to help. There are four sizes that can pick up items ranging in size from very small up to those that weigh 15 pounds.

27. An outlet extender with four USB ports

Plug this outlet extender into any existing outlet and transform it into a charging station for all your gear. It turns two outlets into five standard outlets, three USB ports, and one USB-C port with very little effort. It’s also a surge protector that will protect your equipment from power spikes. Over 12,000 people give it five stars.

28. A fabric shaver so all your clothes look new

This handheld fabric shaver will take that sweater from shabby to like new in a few minutes by removing the pills, fluff, fur, and other debris that’s stuck to your woolens or synthetics. It has two speeds, three shave heights, and comes with two extra blades. You can see how much you have shaved off in the clear dust bin in the handle, which is easy to pop off and empty.

29. These cleaning wipes for electronic screens

If your smartphone or tablet screen has lost its glossy luster, just rub one of these cleaning wipes over it. The scratch- and streak-free formula will wipe away fingerprints and other unsightly smudges while leaving a shiny finish. The wipes are safe to use on TV, laptop, and camera screens, too.

30. These gloves so you can shoot lights from your fingers

Don this pair of gloves when you are working on a car or in any dark space so you can use both hands and still hold a light on your task. There is a bright LED in both the thumb and forefinger and a switch to turn them on and off on the back of the hand. Almost 6,500 people give them five stars.

31. This clever multitool for the kitchen

It might look like a wine bottle, but this clever kitchen tool kit is actually a funnel, juicer, grater, egg cracker, shredder, can opener, egg separator and measuring cup all wrapped into one easy-to-store package. The brightly colored tools stack on top of the measuring cup and the funnel tops it all off.

32. A personal trimmer for everything from brows to legs

This battery-powered trimmer is light, fast, precise and comes with three attachments so you can use it to remove nose hair, trim eyebrows to two lengths, and shave everything from your upper lip and chin to your bikini area and legs. Almost 7,000 people give it five stars.

33. A complete set of resistance bands for a workout anywhere

This resistance band set has everything you need to get a complete workout, whether you are rehabbing an injury or exercising at home or on the go. There are bands that replicate the resistance of weights from 10 to 50 pounds and you can stack those to create a total load of 150 pounds, if you dare. Handles and ankle straps connect to the bands and there is also a complete set of warm up bands. It all fits into its own easy-to-port satchel.

34. These gold under-eye masks that calm & depuff

Press one of these under-eye masks under each eye and let the delicate skin there soak up the nano-active gold, vitamin C, collagen, and hyaluronic acid designed to depuff and moisturize the area.

35. A simple magnetic phone mount for the car

Just snap the phone mount to the air vent of your car and peel and stick the metal plate to the back of your phone. Now, you are ready to drive anywhere with your phone serving as your in-car navigation and communication center. There are two here so you can do both cars or keep one handy for travel.

36. This Bluetooth connected mask or headband

This sleep mask has padded eye cups that completely block out light while pampering your eyes. And when you want to go for a morning run, just push it up to your forehead, pull out the eye pads, and use it as a headband. Whether you use it for sleep or working out, you can listen to music while you do it because there are headphone built into the sides. The controls are on the front and it adjusts to fit.

37. These straps that keep the sheets on the deepest mattress

When your sheets are never deep enough for your mattress, this set of fasteners will stop them from popping off in the night. Just clip the corners and run the adjustable elastic straps under the mattress. This is a set of four and they snap off easily for laundry day.

38. A desktop vacuum that fits in a drawer

Keep this cute little vacuum cleaner handy on your desk for picking paper cuttings, pencil shavings, eraser dust, and cookie crumbs when they happen and your desk will always be clean. It’s small enough to keep in a desk drawer and charges via USB.

39. A clever way to clean your glasses

Brush off your glasses with the brush end of this clever glasses cleaner, then turn it around and scrub the lenses gently between the two carbon microfiber pads on the tweezer-like gripper. Your glasses will be quickly clear of dust, oils, smudges, and everything else that’s blocking your vision.

40. These scrub brushes that attach to your power drill

Instead of applying elbow grease, use these scrub brushes that tap the power of your drill to get bathtubs, fixtures, and floors super clean. There are three shapes of nylon brush that won’t damage delicate finishes: A big round brush, a small round brush, and a bullet-shaped brush.

41. A portable stool for camping or hiking

When you are out in the wilderness for any length of time, you start to understand why the chair was invented. But you can bring this small, portable stool with you so that lesson isn’t so visceral. It weighs only 1.5 pounds, folds up to the size of an umbrella, and unfolds into a comfy seat that holds up to 220 pounds.

42. The outlet protector that’s also a nightlight

If you are babyproofing the house, this snap-on outlet cover will make all the outlets safe while providing some light in dark corners. They are easy to install and easier to use. The outlets close automatically when you remove a plug so the baby can’t accidentally get in trouble. And the light has three settings, including an automatic setting.

43. This light bulb that connect to Wi-Fi

Once you connect this smart light bulb to your Wi-Fi, you can control it via an app to change the color, turn the brightness up or down, or turn it on or off. It offers a whopping 16 million color options to choose from, and it can get as bright as the equivalent of a 60-watt bulb. More than 14,000 reviewers have given the light bulb a perfect five-star rating.

44. These two pairs of blue-light blocking glasses

Blue light stimulates your brain to wake up because it’s in the same spectrum as daylight, so looking at screens that emit it all day and into the night will mess with your ability to sleep. These two pairs of blue-light blocking glasses let you look at the screen while filtering out that blue spectrum and they aren’t tinted so they won’t change the temperature or look of what you are watching. Over 53,000 people give these five stars.

45. A screen magnifier so your phone screen looks bigger

When that small screen starts to look so tiny that you have to squint and lean in, drop it into this magnifier and sit back. It amplifies your phone screen to a 12-inch viewing area that’s great for watching videos, reading, or sharing a screen view with someone. It uses no power or batteries and folds small for storage or travel.

46. A ring light with a tripod & remote

Level up your selfie game and take your Zoom calls up a notch simply by attaching your phone to this ring light on a tripod. The light lets you illuminate your shots with 10 levels of brightness and three colors — from warm to cool — and included the remote can control the camera from up to 10 meters away.

47. This solar pump that creates a fountain anywhere

Drop this solar fountain into a birdbath or other small body of water to create a fountain easily and quickly with no wiring or hassle. All it needs is sunlight. There are several water pattern options and it also lights up at night to create a gorgeous water feature. It turns off if there isn’t enough water, so maintenance is minimal.

48. A pair of battery backups in two different colors

Remember when power banks were expensive? Not anymore. This pair of battery chargers is affordable, cute, slim enough to fit in a pocket, and capable of charging two devices at once. They have three input ports — standard USB, micro USB, and Type C — so you should be able to charge them up with whatever cords you have.

49. A set of five lenses for your cell phone

Snap one of these five lenses onto your cell phone and start getting creative with your photos. There’s a fisheye, macro, wide-angle, telephoto, and circular polarized lens packed into a compact travel case. All you do is choose a lens, snap it on, and start shooting.

50. A big backpack that packs into a small pouch

This large, 40-liter backpack folds up small enough to fit into a pouch you will hardly notice in your luggage or a closet. But when you open it up, it’s full featured with water bottle pockets on the sides, several pockets inside — including a zippered safety pocket and a waterproof pouch for wet gear — and a chest strap to better distribute the weight.

51. These smart outlets to automate lamps & appliances

This pair of affordable smart outlets works brilliantly to connect lamps, appliances, and other items that plug in to your smart home system. They connect easily, stay connected, and add easily to your Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Siri. Or you can just control them through a smartphone app. Well over 60,000 people recommend them and give them five stars.

52. This massage tool for all your aches & pains

When a long day behind a desk or a long workout leaves you groaning and complaining every time you have to move, consider this massage tool that gets into those stiff and overworked muscles and works them out with five levels of percussion and four massage heads for different effects. It’s quiet, comes in nine colors, and is rechargeable.

53. A lap desk so you can work or study in bed

With the soft cushions of this lap desk resting on your legs and the surface adjusted to exactly the angle that’s most comfortable for you, you will be able to work on your laptop or read that big text book for longer and in more comfort than you could with a pillow. And it folds away flat when you are done with it. Over 10,500 people love this thing and rate it five stars.

54. A finger guard for faster, more accurate knife work

Wear this clever finger guard when you are chopping fruits and vegetables and you can cut faster and with better accuracy because you won’t be worried about cutting yourself. You can also cut closer to your fingers without danger. This is a four-pack so you can put them on the kids and anyone else who is helping out in the kitchen, too.

55. A bar of stainless-steel “soap” that eliminates odors

When you rub this soap-shaped piece of stainless steel on your hands as if it were a bar of soap, it magically removes the lingering odors of garlic, fish, and other odiferous foods. Except it isn’t magic, it’s science: the sulfur molecules on your hands bond to the steel and depart your skin without a fight. It works better than actual soap. This is a two-pack and each one will last for years.

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