prime day er as good time as anyone else to drop money on Amazon devices. This is when you can take advantage of the best deals. Whether you’ve been looking at a Kindle e-reader, an Echo smart screen, or a Fire tablet, Amazon has a host of its own gadgets for sale during the annual two-day event. We have gathered all our WIRED approved devices below.
The WIRED Gear team tests products year-round. We sorted through hundreds of thousands of offers by hand to make these choices. Deleted products are sold out or no longer discount. Our Amazon Prime Day cover page has the latest stories, and our Prime Day Shopping Tips will help you avoid bad deals. You can also get one 1-year subscription to WIRED for $ 5 here.
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We are big fans of Kindles at WIRED for several reasons – they are easy to use, reliable and work as intended. They can hold thousands of books, a month’s battery life and more. If you want to explore more options than the ones listed below, be sure to check out our guide to the best Amazon Kindle.
Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is our favorite to suggest to most. It has a bright 6.8-inch screen, a bright screen (with adjustable warm lighting), and it is waterproof – making it a great option if you like reading by the pool, on the beach or in the bathtub. It’s a great alternative to the more expensive Kindle Oasis below.
If you have extra money to spend, the Paperwhite Signature Edition (8/10, WIRED recommends) comes with a few more features than the standard Paperwhite. The screen can automatically adjust the brightness based on the lighting in your environment, the page turning speed is faster and there is more storage space – the Signature version has 32 gigabytes, while the standard has 8 gigabytes. We recommend this if you listen to many audiobooks.
The basic Kindle (8/10, WIRED recommends) is the best option for those who want a super-simple e-book reader. It has a 6-inch E Ink touch screen and a built-in headlight for reading at night. You also get 8 gigabytes of storage, which can hold around 5,000 books. This is also the lowest price we have tracked.
For a luxurious experience, you will want to take with you Kindle Oasis. It has an aluminum housing, a large 7-inch screen with automatic brightness adjustment, tactile page-turn buttons and fast performance. It is worth the high price if you are looking for a Kindle with many features.
We believe the Kindle Kids Edition is a solid, affordable e-book reader for kids – it’s also at the lowest price we’ve seen yet. Amazon offers a protective case, a free one-year Amazon Kids + (where parents can add books to their child’s library, set readings, add age filters and more) and also a two-year warranty with your purchase.
If you want something more robust than the Kids Edition, you’re better off with Paperwhite because it’s waterproof. With the 6.8-inch, you also get a larger screen than the 6-inch screen on the standard model.
We have tested a wide range of speakers and smart screens, in addition to those below. You can read our best echo and Alexa speaker guide for multiple Alexa powered devices. If you want to go beyond Amazon’s very own, check out our best smart speaker guide and guide to best smart screens.
Amazon Echo Show 8 is our favorite Alexa-powered smart display. The 8-inch screen is a great size for watching movies, reading recipes, making video calls (it has an automatic panning and zoom function to keep you in frame), checking your calendar and much more. Its compact size also makes it a great addition to your kitchen table or bedside table. We have also never seen it fall so low in price.
In our review of the Echo Show 5, we criticized the device for its small screen – because it is a little too small to navigate comfortably. But it is still a good option if you want a smart screen that is compact enough to fit on your desk or bedside table. It also has a physical mute button and a camera shutter release for privacy. However, if you want a larger screen, we recommend the Echo Show 8 instead. It often fluctuates in price, but it is the lowest we have seen.
We have crowned the Echo Dot (8/10, WIRED recommends) as the best Alexa speaker in our buying guide. The spherical speaker fits anywhere in the house and fills the room with 360 degree sound. Thanks to Alexa, you will also stay up to date on the weather and news along with the ability to set timers and alarm clocks. Worried about privacy? There is a physical button that allows you to turn off the microphones as well. It’s also $ 5 cheaper than its lowest selling price.
It’s hard not to smile at the panda and tiger prints on the children’s edition of Echo Dot. In addition to fun prints, the smart speaker comes with great sound quality, parental controls and a free year of Amazon Kids + with access to Audible books, Alexa skills and games.
Echo Buds (8/10, WIRED recommends) includes a wealth of features, including noise reduction, wireless charging and customization via its connected app. But we especially love these Alexa integration earphones, so you can check the weather, set timers and update your shopping list via voice commands – all while listening to your music. These earphones dropped to $ 50 in April, but this is still a solid deal.
Interested in a Fire tablet? We do not blame you. They are affordable, skilled and practical boards – although the software could use some improvements. Also, be sure to check out our buying guide on the best Amazon Fire tablets.
WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson says the Fire HD 8 is “one of the best values available for a tablet.” It has an updated processor for fast performance, an HD screen and 12 hours of battery life. If you want additional features like more RAM and wireless charging, Fire HD 8 Plus is also on sale for $ 50 ($ 60 off).
Fire HD 10 (7/10, WIRED recommends) is our favorite Fire tablet of them all. The latest version has a brighter screen, solid battery life and extra RAM for smoother performance. We also recommend HD 10 with Bluetooth keyboard, which is also on sale for $ 170 ($ 25 discount). It comes with a free vintage of Microsoft 365 and is an ideal setup to get some light work done.
If you want a bigger screen, there is also the Fire HD 10 Plus. The 10.1-inch screen, complete with 1080p resolution, is a great option if you plan to use it to watch movies, TV shows and videos. It also has a little more RAM than the standard 4 gigabyte version.
We believe that the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is the best Fire tablet for kids. It has the same features as standard Fire tablets, but also comes with a durable case and two-year warranty – so Amazon will replace it if your child accidentally breaks. As with Amazon’s other devices aimed at children, this one comes with a one – year Amazon Kids +.
For those with older children, we recommend the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro as it is larger than the Fire HD 8. It is more expensive, but in addition to a larger screen, children can also request to install apps from a Kids app store – which parents must manually approve. It also comes with a less powerful protective case.
Do not buy older Fire 7 tablets
Amazon’s previous model Fire 7 tablet is for sale, but we do not recommend it. That ny Fire 7 is not terrible – it is still terribly small, but it is more powerful than previous models – but at this point, the 2019 model, which was never great, is almost useless.
If you love watching most of your content on Amazon Prime, you may want to add a Fire TV Stick to your entertainment system. It prioritizes Amazon content over other popular streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, but still offers access to all the major streaming services. Also, be sure to check out our Buying Guide Best TV Streaming Devices for more options. It’s also worth noting that all three streaming sticks below are at the lowest prices we’ve tracked yet.
Photo: Amazon
It streams in HD – not 4K – and has the same interface as the rest of Amazon’s smart devices. The remote also comes with volume and volume buttons along with Alexa Voice, which you can use to start and search for programs using your voice.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max is our choice for Amazon loyalists, as the menus are targeted at the company’s Prime Video app and the purchase of content from its store. It also comes with a number of upgrades compared to its predecessor, including more memory (2 gigabytes versus 1.5), a picture-in-picture feature to pull up your security camera feed, and Wi-Fi 6 support.
We suggest Fire TV Stick Lite if you have a standard HD TV and have no plans to upgrade to a 4K TV. The Lite version comes with access to all major streaming apps and a more basic version of the Alexa remote – without dedicated buttons for Netflix, a button for TV power or volume controls. But you can download another app for it.
Other deals on Amazon devices
Eero’s 6 Mesh System is super easy to set up and use. In our test, we had solid coverage and stable connection. And since Eero is owned by Amazon, you also get support for Alexa. It’s worth noting that it’s one of the slower systems we’ve tried (it had long distance issues), but it should work fine for most.
Halo View received an honorable mention in our Best Fitness Trackers buying guide. It is also at the lowest price we have seen. It is affordable, comfortable on the wrist and has an easy-to-use companion app. WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So, however, says she does not like how it pushes business partnerships or tells you to dress down to your underwear to measure your body’s rapid composition.