Whew, April really flew by fast! Believe it or not, Mother’s Day is now just two weeks away, so unfortunately, we can no longer keep putting off the search for a gift. Thankfully, though, retailers — likely highly aware of this fact — are discounting a bunch of items today that Mom will love.
First up, some of our favorite robot vacuums are on sale. The cream of the crop, the iRobot Roomba j7, for example, is going for $399 ($200 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from iRobot. You can also buy the iRobot Roomba j7 Plus, which is the same robovac but with an auto-emptying docking station included, at Amazon, Best Buy, and from iRobot directly for $599 ($200 off).
The vacuum is our top pick for many reasons. It features obstacle avoidance, so Mom won’t have to worry that it’ll run into furniture. She can also program it to clean select areas of her home and at certain times, too, either through the app or via a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Plus, thanks to a new update, it can now even double as a security camera. Read our review.
The Roomba j7 features obstacle avoidance that allows it to navigate around furniture and smaller objects that it deems hazardous. Besides cleaning on a set schedule, the j7 can also jump to work via voice commands or the Roomba app.
The j7 Plus is good at avoiding obstacles, features good battery life, and includes an auto-emptying docking station. Additionally, iRobot will replace the vacuum for free if it runs over pet waste within the first year of ownership.
If the iRobot Roomba j7 is out of your budget, you can alternatively gift the iRobot Roomba i3 Evo at Amazon for $244 ($105 off) or for $5 more at Best Buy and Target. You can also buy the Plus model with an auto-empty base at Amazon and Best Buy for $399.99 ($150 off).
The i3 Evo offers the same suction level as the j7, and it’s equipped with two multi-surface rubber roller brushes that help reduce the likelihood of it getting tangled up in hair. It lacks AI obstacle avoidance, but Mom can still program it to clean certain areas in your home. It also offers support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so she can control the vacuum with just her voice.
The best bang for your buck, the Roomba i3 Evo cleans just as well as the j7 but won’t avoid clutter and doesn’t have app-enabled clean zones or keep-out zones. If you can live without those, you’ll be very happy with this bot. You can also pair it with an auto-empty station for $200 more.
The self-emptying robot vacuum is identical to the iRobot Roomba i3 Evo but comes with its own auto-empty base included.
If you wish you could buy the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 but are turned off by the price, the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Controller is one to consider. Right now, the white version is on sale for $104.99 ($25 off) at Amazon, Microsoft, and Walmart. That’s the best price we’ve seen it sell for this year and only $5 shy of the all-time low set during Black Friday. If you prefer other shades, you can also buy the new blue Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Controller at an all-time low of $131.93 ($8 off) at Amazon and Walmart or in red for $2 more at Amazon and Microsoft.
This is the stripped-down version of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Like the Elite Series 2, the Core controller comes with adjustable-tension thumbsticks, a wraparound rubberized grip, and hair trigger locks. However, it lacks rear paddles as well as an extra D-pad. It also doesn’t come with a carrying case or a variety of thumbsticks.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core is functionally identical to the more expensive Elite Series 2 but doesn’t come with the extra D-pad, back paddles, thumbsticks, or charging case.
If you’re in the market for a high-end iPad, you can buy the Wi-Fi-enabled last-generation 11-inch iPad Pro with 256GB of storage in silver right now for $679 ($220 off) from Expercom, which is its second-best price ever. Like the new iPad Pro, the tablet offers a display that supports refresh rates up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and gaming and boasts a lengthy battery life. It doesn’t come equipped with the faster M2 processor, and nor does it feature support for Wi-Fi 6E. Nevertheless, it’s still an excellent performer and a terrific tablet to buy if you’re fine going without those features.
Apple’s iPad Pros from 2021 feature the M1 processor, Thunderbolt 3 port, 120Hz refresh rate, and Face ID.
The latest season of The Mandalorian may be over, but there are still plenty of other shows to look forward to, including a third season of The Witcher. The first batch of episodes will drop in late June, but you can prep yourself now with today’s deal on Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Right now, the streaming stick is available for its all-time low of $34.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
As far as streaming devices go, the 4K Max offers quite a bit for the price. It provides access to a terrific selection of streaming services along with support for Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10 Plus, and Dolby Atmos, allowing for more immersive sound quality. Plus, it offers impressive smart voice capabilities via the included Alexa remote, which allows you to make hyper-specific voice commands like “Turn to ESPN on Sling TV.”
Amazon’s streaming stick has improved performance and now supports Wi-Fi 6. It continues to offer a terrific selection of streaming apps and an easy-to-use interface with the benefit of Alexa voice commands.
A few more deals before we wrap up
- You can buy the popular Lego Bonsai Tree set for $39.99 ($10 off) today from both Amazon and Walmart. The set consists of 878 Lego pieces you can use to assemble a bonsai tree and makes for a beautiful, highly creative Mother’s Day gift.
- Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 5 is still available at an all-time low in various sizes. You can, for instance, buy the 40mm Bluetooth-enabled configuration from Amazon and Best Buy starting at around $219 ($61 off). Unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 5 offers the ability to measure body temperature and analyze body composition data. Read our review.
- Ember is taking $30 off of its popular self-heating smart mugs in black and white until May 9th at 11:59PM PT. Right now, for instance, you can grab the 10-ounce Ember Mug 2 for $99.95 ($30 off) when you use promo code MOMDAY23.
- The Nerf Pro Gelfire Mythic is on sale for $34.99 ($45 off) on Amazon right now. The blaster comes with 10,000 gel pellets, which it can fire at up to 10 rounds per second.
- Amazon’s second-gen Echo Show 8, right now, you can buy the smart display for $84.99 ($45 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The Alexa-enabled device is great for those embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem, with a robust sound and a good camera for making video calls via Zoom. Read our review.
- As a part of its Mother’s Day sale, OtterBox is taking 20 percent off of various phone cases, MagSafe charging stands, portable power banks, and other accessories. You can, for instance, buy this cute flowery iPhone 14 Pro MagSafe case from the highly durable Symmetry Series Plus series for $39.96 ($10 off).