Welcome to Dupes Week

After using Honest Company’s chemical-, fragrance-, and synthetic-material-free diapers for his first kid, writer Steven John says that, following the birth of his second, he turned to Cloud Island — which also offers comfortable, absorbent diapers free of those worrisome ingredients. John admits that Cloud Island, as a brand, lacks the trust that Honest Company has built among consumers over the years — and that its diapers don’t come in as many playful prints or patterns. But they do cost ten cents less per diaper than Honest Company’s, which John notes “can add up to hundreds of dollars over the course of a year of diapering.”

“This is for sure the simplest way to re-create everything a private karaoke room has to offer minus the $300 bar tab,” according to writer David Lerner Schwartz. Part Bluetooth microphone, part wireless speaker, this so-called karaoke system even has a retractable holder for your phone — making it a fun surprise to whip out at parties, as well as an unexpected wedding or engagement gift, he adds. Just don’t expect a recording-studio-quality solo: “It’s really more akin to singing inside the trunk of a Ford Taurus than a large music hall.”

Rena J. Mosteirin can see the Milky Way from her backyard at night and even has attended some meetings held by the Springfield Telescope Makers Society — a Vermont-based group that sets up homemade telescopes annually at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. But if you’re also interested in getting a closer look at celestial bodies, she recommends that you buy this pair of Nikon binoculars instead of a telescope. They’re easier to use than a telescope, she explains, and they still let you see moons and stars. Plus, she writes, “The beauty of binoculars is they fit right in your backpack. And you can also grab them to go bird-watching or whale-watching, or spying on your neighbors; if you happen to live next to a bear sanctuary, it can get pretty interesting.”

Though it’s a face scrub, not a lactic acid treatment, this NOTO Resurface Scrub leaves Robin Reetz’s face feeling softer than it did after she used Sunday Riley’s cult-y Good Genes. In fact, she writes, “I continue to be amazed at how babylike my skin feels with twice-weekly use of the stuff, which gets it smoother than did the Clarisonic, the $65 Tatcha Rice Polish, the $80 Drunk Elephant Babyfacial, and even the $125 exfoliator from La Mer I have used.”

Hannah Howard owns a handcrafted Japanese chef’s knife, which she bought right after college and loves. “In my hand, it just feels right,” she writes; but “so do the colorful ceramic knives in this set of six that costs less than $24.” They don’t pick up funky smells, they’re featherlight, and they can even survive a trip through the dishwasher.

Searching for a T-shirt that she could both work out in and wear to work, Priya Krishna found an Outdoor Voices top for $55 that fit the bill — until it was replaced by this shirt from 32 Degrees, gifted to her by her mom. “In both cases, you basically get an exercise top disguised as a nice top. In both cases, the fabric is breathable and comfortable and doesn’t get damp spots at the armpits, perhaps due to a comparable form of cooling technology,” she writes.

Steven John recently bought a new MacBook Pro, which has just two USB-C ports, and realized that he needed a bunch of Apple dongles in order to connect his external monitor and wireless mouse. Turns out the Apple Store guy recommended that he buy this hub adapter from Anker instead of a dongle from Apple, which he describes as “simply too expensive. The Anker model I use has two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and both an SD and a Micro SD slot — and it’s never given me any problems.”

“Apparently Italic uses the same manufacturers as the Frettes of the world before selling directly to consumers at factory prices, thus eliminating extreme markups,” writes Chloe Anello of this cotton sheet set. And after putting them head to head against a pair of (very expensive) Frette sheets, she concluded, “I actually slept better on the less expensive version.”

Using this drugstore brow pen from Maybelline, Crystal Martin says, “I get a naturally thick brow effect that is not unlike that of microblading. Without any of the pain (or $$$$).” Granted, it’s not permanent, or even semipermanent, like microblading is, but, “I’m here for a look — dark, dense, natural — and the pen does that better than any product I’ve tried.”

Our senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson surveyed trainers and fitness instructors to find the best athleisure dupes, and they recommended a bunch of less expensive options — including Forever 21 leggings that look like they’re from Carbon 38, Reebok shorts that recall Patagonia Baggies, and these patterned leggings that are “very reminiscent of these Lululemon Align leggings — but for less than a third of the price.”

After admiring her mother’s Christofle dinnerware, Charlotte Klein found this Winco flatware that’s a “a near-identical version on Amazon, beaded detail and all.” She writes, “They’re not as heavy or substantial as the Christofle; each piece is not personally made by a silversmith in Normandy, France. But they’ve made me appreciate the idea of elegant flatware.”

Our beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton first learned about Hourglass’s Scattered Light Eyeshadow in the shade Aura while watching a video on Rosie Huntington-Whitley’s YouTube channel, but was shocked when she realized it cost $29 at Sephora, so she held off. Then, she went to Ulta: “When I tried its $6 Super Shock Wave Eyeshadow in the shade ‘Frog,’ I gasped — really, I did! Just like the Aura, this shadow gave off a super-buildable, subtle but beautifully prismatic shimmer — something you could wear as easily to a meeting as you could on your actual wedding day.”

“Hanna Andersson offers great kids’ pajamas and a lot of other great clothing, too,” writes Steven John, and though the kids’ PJs from Primary don’t have the same fun prints, “After a couple of washes, Primary cotton PJs are just as soft as Hannas. In fact, if I were going just by the feel, I might not be able to tell the difference.”

“To be clear, I did not buy the Docs derbys (which are also available at Urban Outfitters and SSENSE) because I thought they looked like Prada. They honestly didn’t remind me of Prada until I encountered myriad admirers who thought they were Prada,” writes our columnist, and resident Cool Guy, Chris Black, before admitting, “I think what really gets people assuming my Docs are Pradas is when I put them on after sending them for a serious polish at Cowboy Shoe Repair on Broome Street (the Docs come buffed, but I want to SHINE).”

“What could really be the difference between cleaning your apartment with a Shark instead of a Dyson?” asks Margaret Rhodes. The answer: Not much. The Shark kept up with the Dyson in all of her tests, from vacuuming a low-pile Turkish rug to picking up a box of white sugar, and the Shark is a fraction of the price.

Tom Ford’s Lip Blush is a clear lip balm with gold flakes in it “that, upon contact with your mouth, transforms into a flattering pink,” says Or Gotham. It’s also sold out everywhere. But Winky Lux’s Flower Balm has a near-identical texture and effect, for just $16. “So if you’re looking for the type of cosmetic that would make your enemies feel bad about themselves, there’s really nothing quite like Tom Ford. However, since that option is currently really only available at a 100 percent markup on Amazon, you can find peace in knowing that there is Winky Lux.”

The air purifier from Blueair that Steven John bought “does a superlative job scrubbing the air clean in a space up to 430 square feet” for $525; it’s got three different air-speed settings and removes 99.97 percent of airborne pollutants. But so does this $200 Elechomes air purifier (though it only covers 350 square feet).

Robin Reetz was intrigued by “this $760 ‘technical canvas tool vest’ I saw on Need Supply Co. The luxury brand Ganni seemed to be doing something similar, albeit in shearling, and the look had also trickled down to Stussy.” But instead of spending hundreds on this trendy vest, she turned to Amazon: “It seemed to have a slightly oversize fit, mesh panels, a Yeezy-esque  neutral tone, and more pockets than I’d know what to do with. At $20, I felt like I could afford to give it a shot. And I was right.”

Rio Viera-Newton polled her beauty-obsessed Instagram followers to find the best beauty dupes, and they came prepared with tons of excellent recommendations, like this La Mer dupe. According to esthetician Sofie Pavitt, “The ingredient list is essentially identical (except La Mer has petrolatum). The only other big difference is La Mer has a lot of antioxidants. The seaweed alpha hydroxy acid in La Mer isn’t, in my opinion, a reason to spend the extra money on it. I would just use the Nivea alongside a cheaper AHA exfoliating product.”

Steven John owns seven sleeping bags, and his favorite is the Synthesis 20, from Sierra Designs, which costs $150. “But it’s also surprisingly similar to one that costs just $30, the Sportneer 20F Ultralight Mummy Bag,” he writes. They have a similar design, are nearly identical in weight, and “for the record, I’m 6’2” and I fit in both bags with ease, even with my head tucked into the hood, which can be cinched tight on both sacks.”

Anna Zahn, L.A.-based lymphatic massage specialist and founder of the spa Ricari Studio, recommends many “inexpensive gadgets you can use at home to replicate the results of pricey esthetician-grade or brand-name devices” to her clients, and we found some of her favorites, including this less-expensive, at-home high-frequency electrical-current treatment.

Yes, Chloe Anello admits: Clé de Peau’s $70 concealer is really good at hiding dark circles under her eyes. But so is Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind concealer: “My dark circles don’t creep through midday, and if I ever need a rare quick touch-up, it’s just a refresher; I’m not starting over as if I never applied anything to begin with. Plus I can feel more liberal in applying the stuff — I can purchase seven of them for the price of one Clé de Peau.”

“My boss, the director of photography here at New York, is the type of person who serves sea urchin at her dinner parties,” writes Graylen Gatewood, explaining, “And so I guess it came as a bit of a shock last month when she glanced down at my feet and asked — in a way like she didn’t really need to ask — if the slides I was wearing were No. 6.” In fact, she was wearing these Vince Camuto wedge sandals, which she bought on Amazon.

“Unlike Earth Balance, which is, in my opinion, thoughtfully branded margarine, Miyoko’s is made out of real ingredients like coconut oil and cultured cashews (which gives it a great tang that’s slightly more intense than cultured butter’s and makes me think it’s good for my gut health),” explains Katheryn Erickson. It’s expensive, even when compared to fancy conventional butter, but she notes, “my Alabama-born best friend, who knows a thing or two about butter, was fooled into eating Miyoko’s for months by his health-freak boyfriend and was none the wiser. It’s just that good.”

“I am a skin-care price whore,” admits our beauty columnist Buzz Bissinger. But he’s started thinking of his $80 La Mer facial spray as “fine wine, only to be used on special occasions.” So for everyday use, he turns to this Olay mist. “It only features some 17 ingredients — my favorites being the white mint and refreshing cucumber water, which makes it feel slightly more bracing — but goes on effortlessly and is just as easy to carry around, as its bottle is basically the same size.”