Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers
You may have noticed some posts from our friends at the Strategist on the Cut. They’ll be dropping in every now and again, sharing their expertise on the basics you don’t have time to research and the weird and wonderful things you don’t yet know you need.
I’ve spent most of this week hunting for actually good early October Prime Day deals. There aren’t many (much of what is on sale is random or not deeply discounted), but I’ve rounded up a handful that are worth your time.
Luckily, there are plenty of very good sales elsewhere right now. Madewell’s biannual Insider sale is on, and some products are an extra 40 percent off, making them veritable steals. At J.Crew, senior editor Hilary Reid noticed a rare cashmere sale (20 percent off!) and alerted our resident cold-weather expert, Minnesota native Brenley Goertzen. She rounded up your best bets there. Goertzen also updated our guide to Strategist-approved products on sale at Nordstrom right now (most of which is apparel, as usual). As for beauty deals, everything at Kosas is 20 percent off, and writer Kitty Guo sniffed out the best deals from Ulta’s Fall Haul sale.
For those who have been inspired by Tabletop Week, you should definitely check out the Sur La Table anniversary sale, which junior writer Bella Druckman searched through to find all the best discounted kitchen goods. And on the home front, Crate & Kids is having an excellent sale on baby essentials, all of which are 20 percent off. After taking a scroll and selecting some favorites — with the help of senior writer and baby expert Liza Corsillo — I also dipped into the regular sale section and found some more cute kids’ things, including an organic-cotton lovey for just $10.
As always, make sure to sign up for the new Strategist Sales Alert newsletter to receive each day’s best deals in your inbox. And if you want even more deals, sign up for our regular email newsletter, which includes deals just for newsletter subscribers.
Mosser Glass Rose Dinnerware
I thought I’d end Tabletop Week by pointing out these pink plates and bowls that are 25 percent off at Coming Soon.
Sur La Table Bistro Round Dinner Plates
There’s still a little time to shop Sur La Table’s anniversary sale before it ends on Sunday night. Two Strategist staffers recommended these bistro plates in our recent guide to the best dinner plates.
All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel Saucepan With Lid
Our favorite saucepan is $60 off. It heats up evenly and has a drip-free pouring rim, which will limit cleanup time later.
Maison Balzac Cello Apron
Tabletop Week–adjacent: a kitschy linen apron.
Material Kitchen The Linen Napkins
Material is retiring some of its products, which are now up to 63 percent off. This is an incredible deal on a set of four flax-linen napkins (that shakes out to just over $5 apiece). They come in six colors.
Material The Soft-Edge Turner – Sale Colors
My favorite spatula is the cheapest I’ve ever seen it.
Photo: Courtesy of the Vendors
Material Kitchen The Kids Set
And this mini-spatula and -whisk set that comes with a kids’ cooking card game would make a perfect gift for your sous-chef-in-training.
Figmint 5-Piece Mini Kitchen Utensil Set
If you prefer wooden utensils, this all-in-one set at Target is just $8.
Madewell The Harlow Wide-Leg Pant
Writer Ambar Pardilla put together a comprehensive guide to shopping the Madewell Insiders sale. The gist: If you’re a Madewell Insider (which is free to sign up for with an email), all full-price items are 25 percent off and all sale items are an extra 40 percent off. These pants are a favorite of several Strategist staffers, including New York deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff. She says, “They truly make me feel like I’m wearing pajamas to work.”
Madewell Denim V-Neck Midi Dress
Pardilla likes this denim dress more than the Alexa Chung for Madewell one (and I have to agree).
Madewell The Devoe Shirt
I am loving the teeny checkered pattern on this button-up.
J. Crew Oversized Cashmere Wrap
There’s a rare sale on cashmere at J.Crew right now. Strategist contributor Diksha Basu introduced us to this “low-maintenance” shawl. Even when draped over “whatever crumpled shirt” she has on, she’ll still get compliments on her outfit.
J.Crew Cashmere Shrunken Crewneck Sweater
Senior editor Hilary Reid owns this slightly cropped sweater in three shades (and is eyeing a fourth).
Lucky Brand Crewneck Supima Cotton T-Shirt
One of the only other good deals in menswear this week, besides Madewell, is the cache of Lucky Brand tees on sale at Nordstrom.
Rothco Vintage Canvas Crossbody Bag
Fall essentials are up to 40 percent off at Urban Outfitters. I love the little tabs on all the zippers of this cross-body bag.
Hunter Original Tall Waterproof Rain Boot
The best rain boots are 30 percent off (in matte black).
Toast Tiered Asawa Check Linen Dress
Writer Lauren Ro alerted the Strategist Slack chat about an excellent sale going on at Toast. I’m eyeing this gingham dress, which would definitely look cute layered over a turtleneck.
Toast Cotton Herringbone Workwear Pants
These cobalt-blue carpenter pants have a subtle herringbone pattern.
Crest 3D White Whitestrips Glamorous White Teeth Whitening Kit
Earlier this week, writer Arielle Avila rounded up all her favorite dental-care products on sale. Crest makes several of our favorite teeth-whitening strips, and these are on sale for just over $2 per treatment.
Euthymol Original Toothpaste
I found a trio of perennial Strategist favorite Euthymol. It hails from the U.K. and “tastes like those pink wintergreen lozenges in my nana’s candy bowl,” writes contributor Caroline Weaver.
Origins Peace of Mind On-the-Spot Relief
Ulta’s Fall Haul is back, and writer Kitty Guo sniffed out her top picks from the sale. Recently, she’s been using Origins’ peppermint-scented “sensory treatment” for a quick pick-me-up during the day.
Naturium Glow Getter Body Oil
Naturium’s body oil made our best-in-class list because of how effectively it reduces dullness, improves the texture of skin, and leaves behind a lasting glow.
Kosas Revealer Concealer
Kosas is currently having its annual Friends and Family sale, which means its entire site is 20 percent off. The brand’s concealer is such a staple in writer Tembe Denton-Hurst’s routine that “when I accidentally left it at home while traveling, I immediately purchased another so I wouldn’t have to go without.”
Kosas Kosasport LipFuel Lip Balm
The packaging initially drew my eye to this lip balm, which contains both hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to hydrate lips. It comes in three your-lips-but-better shades, as well as classic clear.
Voluspa Baltic Amber Classic Candle
So very many Voluspa candles are 25 percent off at Nordstrom — but only through the end of the month, so don’t dillydally.
Brooklinen Weighted Throw Blanket – Sale Colors
Brooklinen’s weighted blanket won’t cause overheating. It’s 40 percent off in two colors, which is a really good deal for the brand to offer.
Article Svelti Stackable Dining Armchair
Article’s got some deals going on that are even better than they were during Labor Day. This Strategist-approved dining chair — I have the armless version and love it — is 25 percent off in teal (pictured here) and blueberry.
Article Nivos 32” Coffee Table
It’s almost unheard of to find a coffee table this nice-looking for under $200.
LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2024
Now that October is just a few days away, it doesn’t feel too early to start looking for advent calendars. This one would be great for Star Wars fans of all ages.
BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss
Dozens of baby essentials are 20 percent off at Crate & Kids. We crowned BabyBjörn’s baby bouncer our best-overall pick. It’s durable, easy to clean, and easy to store.
Lalo the Chair
Our best high chair for infants is actually as useful as it is beautiful. Senior writer Liza Corsillo says her baby loves getting in the chair and “bangs his head around a lot from excitement, but the padded cushion means he never hurts himself.”
Mushie Silicone Baby Bib
This silicone bib is lightweight and flexible, and it has “a deep and generous trough that catches everything our kids’ mouths miss (which is a lot),” write Strategist contributors Fanny Singer and Greta Caruso.
Nutribullet Baby Steam and Blend
Liza says this makes baby food a breeze.
Mushie Paint Palette Press Toy
And her youngest son would often sit and pop this paint-palette toy for 20 minutes straight.
Leanne Ford Design Bird Organic Cotton Lovey
This soft-looking lovey is only $10.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet
Pretty much the only early October Prime deals worth shopping are from Amazon’s in-house brands, but those deals are really good. This is the lowest price I’ve ever seen on this Fire tablet!
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
