10 ‘boring’ (but useful) tech deals you should grab during Prime Day

Right now, big deals on splashy products dominate the headlines—supercharged PCs (and components), fancy TVs, expensive vacuum cleaners. But you can save money on less dramatic items during Amazon Prime Day, too.

Cables, lighting, desk accessories, chargers—these everyday products sound boring, but life sucks when you don’t have them on hand. When the discounts are this good, it’s a smart time to replace, restock, or finally bite the bullet.

Here are my 10 favorites of the bunch.

A gas monitor arm to save desk space ($35)

I always recommend a monitor arm as a desk accessory. And not just any kind, either—specifically, a gas monitor arm. It’s one of the best upgrades for a setup, especially if you share the space with others. Adjustments to height and tilt are very smooth, and it frees up a ton of tabletop space.

This fan-favorite Huanuo model is at one of its lower prices right now, just $35. (I still boggle at how cheap that is compared to what I paid for my mount.) This version supports 13- to 32-inch monitors, VESA 75×75 and 100×100 mount brackets, and up to 19.8 lbs in weight.

High-wattage USB-C cables ($9+)

Older USB-C cables can’t always support laptop charging, especially for more powerful models with higher wattages. So for most people, picking up a couple of 100W cables (like this Anker two-pack of 6-footers for $9) will ensure all your devices charge at max speed. This particular deal is for nicer, nylon braided cords too, with the option of red or white cables if you pay an extra buck.

Have a super energy-hungry laptop? Grab this two-pack of 6-foot 240W Anker USB-C cables for just $10.

Get two 100W USB-C cables for $9

A compact, multi-device charger ($24)

A single, small charger can juice up all your devices—and for many people with a 45W laptop, phone, and tablet (or portable gaming console), this $24 UGREEN 65W 4-port GaN charger can take on that job adequately.

Need to funnel more energy to your gear? Consider this $46 Anker Prime 100W 3-port model instead, which still can provide 65W of charging off the primary USB-C port when you have a second device (e.g., phone) plugged into a secondary port.

Get a 65W GaN charger for $24

A 14TB external hard drive for backups ($170)

You shouldn’t compromise on backing up your PC. Syncing your files to a Microsoft, Google, or Apple account isn’t enough—you can accidentally delete files on both your computer and in the cloud, for example.

An easy way to keep copies of your files is on a separate local drive—and one with a lot of storage, like this 14TB Western Digital external desktop hard drive, is perfect for the job. You get plenty of room for all your files and multiple versions of backups.

Get a 14TB external desktop hard drive for $170

A portable light for use around the house ($24)

Our editorial director Jon Phillips swears by these $24 Letour LED Tubes as a cheaper alternative to a lantern. He grabs one for all kinds of dark corners—under the hood of a car, a dark closet, or even whatever room he’s in during a power blackout. You recharge them via a USB cable, and they hold a charge for long stretches. (He says he only charges them twice a year!)

Get a rechargable LED tube light for $24

A five-pack of future-proof Ethernet cables ($27)

Prefer a wired connection for your devices? Your current Ethernet cables could be limiting your speed. Such a discovery prompted my colleague Mark Hachman to upgrade his outdated setup with Cat5 cables to the latest Cat8 spec. Cat5 maxes out at 100Mbps, lower than many common internet plans.

If you’re in his same boat, jumping to Cat8 with this five-pack of cables costs just $26 and will future-proof you for years—currently, plans from Comcast, AT&T, and other ISPs still lag behind Cat8’s max of 40Gbps. Your own home hardware hasn’t caught up yet either, as most PCs still top out at 1Gbps or 2.5Gbps right now.

One nice touch about this particular set of Cat8 Ethernet cables? They’re color-coded, so you can easily tell apart devices plugged into your router or network switch.

Get a five-pack of Cat8 Ethernet cables for $27

A power bank for your devices while away from home ($30)

Whether embarking on summer travel or just heading to and from your usual haunts, a power bank will keep your phone running all day. For $30, you can choose between 20,000 mAh models from Belkin, Mophie, and Anker right now. I personally favor the Belkin option, since you can choose more than just black as a color—you’re less likely to mistake yours for someone else’s.

Get a 20K mAh power bank for $30

A chair with good ergonomics ($120)