The Top 30 Items Our Readers Have Bought on Amazon So Far This Year

While you're busy browsing Amazon, do you ever wonder what everyone else is buying? We do too! To find out which products are most popular among Cheapism's readers — especially now that the weather is warming up and folks are itching to get outside — we took a look at the items that have been ordered the most.

Prices and availability are subject to change. Some items may only be available from third-party sellers.

Related: Quiz: Is It Cheaper From Amazon or Walmart?

Price: $9 
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Pop one, two, or even three of these in the dryer along with a load of laundry and you'll never go back to using fabric softener sheets again. That's the enthusiastic consensus from buyers on Amazon, who praise this set of six New Zealand-made wool dryer balls as a scent-free, organic alternative to chemical dryer sheets.

Related: Do Wool Dryer Balls Really Work as Well as Dryer Sheets?

Price: $12
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Food storage containers have been selling like hotcakes (pardon the pun) lately, as have other products to stretch your food dollar. And none have sold more than these BluApple balls. Pop one of these refillable filters in your crisper drawer and keep fruits and veggies fresher longer.

Related: 50 Food Storage Tips to Make Your Groceries Last as Long as Possible 

Price: $39 
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These may not be as fancy as Apple AirPods, but they're a heck of a lot cheaper and seem to do the job just as well in the minds of most Amazon reviewers. They're also water- and sweat-proof, making them ideal for the gym. The case doubles as the earbuds charger and a charging station for other USB devices.

Related: 13 Perfectly Good Wireless Earbuds Way Cheaper Than AirPods

Price: $60
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If you spend all day hunched over a computer, you know how uncomfortable those kinks in your neck, back, and shoulders can be. This shiatsu massager has eight modes, three speeds, and a heating option to soothe angry muscles. It even comes with a car adaptor so you can stay refreshed and relaxed during your commute.

Related: 15 Stylish Office Chairs That Won't Break the Bank (or Your Back)

Price: $172
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Summer may be a few weeks away yet, but in some parts of the country the weather is already heating up. A small manual-control air conditioning unit like this one will cool a room of up to 150 square feet and also help reduce humidity.

Price: $22
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Warm weather also means the return of outdoor pests like mosquitoes, which can turn a backyard sprinkler party or barbecue into a pain in the neck (and everywhere else). Thermacell claims it can create a 15-foot radius of bug protection, and most owners seem to agree.

Price: $15
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Just because you’ve been staying at home for the past several weeks doesn’t mean you should let good grooming fall by the wayside. These nail clippers are a snap to use, owners say, and they’re made in America, too.

Price: $5
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Heat-reflective blankets like this one are designed to help conserve body heat in emergecy situations, like being trapped in a stalled car during a blizzard. But based on user reviews, people use these for everything from staying warm on camping trips to creating cat beds and insulated window coverings.

Related: 16 Emergency Essentials You Don't Want to Be Without

Price: $35
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Whether you're preparing for summer storm season or just prepping, this AM/FM/weather band radio will keep you informed and illuminated (and keep your phone charged, too) when disaster strikes and the power goes out. It's solar powered, and you can also charge it manually with the hand crank. 

Price: $13.50
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Face masks. Social distancing. Covid-19. 'Nuff said.

Price: $21
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Bring your note-taking into the 21st century with this digital notebook. Handwritten pages can be uploaded to the cloud and shared. When the "paper" is full, stick it in the microwave to erase the ink.

Price: $8
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A good pair of fine-point tweezers can be used for so many things, from beauty to first aid. More than 6,000 Amazon buyers give these surgical steel tweezers a very solid average rating, suggesting these will do in a pinch for just about anything. Bonus: They’re available in four different colors.

Price: $10
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These food-saver sheets are infused with fenugreek and aromatics herbs, which can prevent bacteria and fungus from ruining fruits, vegetables, and herbs before you can eat them. One package contains eight sheets, which are recyclable.

Price: $14
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Whether you're baking, grilling, or frying, an instant-read thermometer will guarantee that food comes out perfectly cooked every time. 

Price: $8
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The USB port has proven to be a remarkably durable piece of computer hardware, despite the best efforts of companies like Apple and Google to abolish it. Connect thumb drives, external hard drives, keyboards, and anything else with a USB connection to your computer and plug in to productivity.

Price: $15
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Got a lot of batteries laying about? Organize 'em in seconds with this handy contraption, which also includes a battery tester. Never be caught with a dead AA or 9-volt again!

Price: $20
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Regular face masks are SO six weeks ago. This washable neck gaiter fits snugly around your face — and no elastic or fabric straps to fuss with. Soak it in water, and it doubles as a cooling neck gaiter for outdoor activity.

Price: $56
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Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of Americans have discovered what a webcam is. Among the many models that Cheapism buyers have been snapping up is this one. With its high-definition wide-angle lens, the Avater webcam can capture the whole family sitting on the sofa as they chat with loved ones, and it’s compatible with Skype and other major video conferencing apps. (Looking for more options? Be sure to check out our roundup of Cheap Webcams for Staying in Touch While at Home.)

Price: $13 and up
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Nothing is worse than getting into a boiling-hot car on a scorching summer day. A windshield sun shade like this one can go a long way toward keeping your vehicle from becoming a greenhouse on wheels.

Price: $10
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If you were one of the millions of Americans who received an Instant Pot as a holiday gift or finally succumbed to the hype and bought yourself one, you're going to need some cooking inspiration. Here you are: 800 recipes to prepare everything from beans and grains to meat, fish, poultry, and more — all in a user-friendly, spiral-bound design.

Price: $12
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First-aid products are suddenly hot with Amazon shoppers, none more so than this illustrated manual by the American College of Emergency Physicians. Learn how to monitor vital signs, treat injuries and broken bones, and provide crucial care while paramedics are enroute. Available in paperback only.

Related: 16 Emergency Essentials You Don't Want to Be Without

Price: $57 
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This Revlon hot air brush is a longtime favorite beauty buy, something reflected in the nearly 30,000 Amazon reviews. The ceramic-coated wand is designed to tame tangles, straighten frizz, and make styling a cinch. It's available in four colors.

Price: $4
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How are some of our readers coping with sheltering in place? By cleaning their stainless-steel kitchen appliances, to judge by the popularity of this cleanser.

Price: $31
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There are never, ever enough outlets. This power strip gives you four extra places to plug in, plus four USB ports. And it's Wi-Fi enabled, meaning you can turn it off and on with just a tap of the Meross app.

Price: $31
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Cooking more at home since the whole shelter-in-place thing began? You're not alone. Readers have been snapping up food-storage containers from Rubbermaid and other brands in the past couple months. This three-piece set includes one 6.3-cup and two 17.3-cup containers with lids. (In search of more options? Be sure to check out The Best Food Storage Containers You Can Buy, According to Amazon Reviews.)

Price: $32
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Let your red, white, and blue pride show with this leather-bound, 300-page journal. 

Price: $12
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This brand finished first in our taste test of 13 instant coffees, beating out Starbucks, Maxwell House, Folgers, and other popular choices. It's not cheap; you get just eight packets per box. But our resident coffee snob described it as "hands down the closest in flavor to freshly brewed drip coffee."

Price: $22 and up
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If you're short on counter space or just don't want a traditional dish rack cluttering up the space, this roll-up dish drying rack could be the answer to your dishwashing prayers. Unroll it over your sink or spread it over a towel and let wet dishware drip-dry. Roll it back up when done and stash it away.

Price: $31
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If you've got a large family (or just a whole lot of leftovers), you'll need a really big set of food-storage containers. Just like this one. The 30-piece set of containers range in size from 1/2  cup to 9 cups in capacity. The 3-, 5-, and 7-cup containers have vented lids, allowing steam to escape while they're in the microwave.

Apparently people took a lot of photos while they were stuck at home this spring, because they ordered a lot of photo prints. And they're still snapping up first-aid products, including Nexcare Flexible Clear Tape, Caladryl Clear topical analgesic lotion, specialized shears for cutting bandages, and hand sanitizer, which is almost always sold out, are also big sellers. Also food storage containers, produce savers, and also somewhat surprising to us, mousetraps.