Welcome back to Your Shopping Cart, where we break out the top ten products that you, devoted Strategist readers, all bought in droves. Think of this as the tl;dr of the Strategist. If your like-minded brethren are buying these items, maybe you’d like to, too.
Between the cold weather, a seemingly never-ending flu season, and lots of New Year’s resolutions, January hit our readers hard. But even in a new year, this beloved electric toothbrush is back to its old habits, yet again taking first place (for the second time in a row). A hydrating, budget-friendly moisturizer to soothe chapped winter skin comes in second, and our best-rated pillow for side sleepers rounds out the top three in third (making its 28th appearance on the best-seller list). In fourth place is a humble lip balm that many claim soothes just as well as its more expensive counterparts, and in fifth comes a funky tissue box container that’s new to the list and sure to perk up any cold-sufferer. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we weren’t too surprised to see a best-selling (and expert recommended) silicone lube in sixth (making its 19th appearance on the list). In seventh place, we have another newcomer: eco-friendly silicone bags for food storage. Rounding out this installment are the vitamin-C serum we’ve called a less-expensive alternative to SkinCeuticals, in eighth; a new-to-our-list Baggu tote, in ninth; and a highly-rated nail clipper set, in tenth.
Having appeared on our best-seller list 15 times (and in the number-one spot seven of those times), this electric toothbrush from Oral-B is clearly one of your favorites. Dentists also love it because it “causes a lot of disruption of plaque,” and more than 7,000 Amazon reviewers recommend it, too, thanks to its powerful motor without any “unnecessary gimmicky features,” as one customer put it. If you’re still not convinced this toothbrush is that good, take it from a reviewer who says using it “makes you feel like you just got back from the dentist.”
This drugstore moisturizer has been recommended by dermatologists and experts for dry skin, oily skin, mature skin, sunburned skin, rosacea-prone skin, and even for pregnant women. And, since October, the handy little moisturizer has graced our best-seller list five separate times. That’s likely because it’s not-too-expensive while still packed with hyper-hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Wamsutta’s pillow is now officially the most-recurring product on our best-sellers list, with a whopping 28 appearances over the last two years. According to former Strategist deputy editor Jason Chen, a side-sleeper who found the extra-firm pillow to be the best of a bunch that he tested, this one has “a firm, satisfying spring” that he “ took to right away.”
With holiday shopping squarely in the rearview, readers apparently gravitated away from buying Glossier’s very giftable but pricey Balm Dotcom (which appeared on our last best-seller list) in favor of this far cheaper lip balm that’s still deeply hydrating. Even though it’s just a buck, Amazon reviewers call it a “godsend,” “magic,” even just “the best.” The creme brulee flavor might seem a bit ominous, but don’t worry: While it “smells amazing,” according to one reviewer, it “is faint enough that you’re not tempted to lick it off, and it doesn’t have a flavor.”
With cold and flu season in full swing, readers are clearly reaching for a lot of tissues and — judging by their purchases — want to pluck them from something a bit more exciting than a cardboard box. Making its debut on our list is this house-shaped tissue-box cover, which cleverly turns each tissue into a little puff of smoke coming from its chimney.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re not completely surprised to see this top-rated silicone-based lube returning to the best-seller list. Samatha Bard, a co-owner of Shag in Williamsburg, calls Überlube “one of the highest-quality silicone lubes out there.” It’s long-lasting, so no reapplication is necessary, and it actually looks great on your dresser.
These Stasher food bags are also made of silicone, but with an eye toward eco-friendly lunches and snacks. Nicole Silber, pediatric nutritionist with FoodieKid, told us they’re great reusable food bags for middle-school kids “who find lunch boxes too ‘childish.’” But they’re not just for kids. They make an excellent gift for anyone looking to be a touch more sustainable, and they even come in five different sizes for every type of snack (or snacker).
When writer Dominique Parisio asked dermatologists to recommend the best vitamin C serums, many picked SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. But this Maelove serum was a close second, especially because it’s six-times less expensive. One dermatologist appreciates that it’s a “straightforward formula, which has been proven to protect, hydrate, and nourish the skin.” And Strategist readers seem to love it too, because this is the seventh time this brightening serum has hit our best-seller list.
We told you not to Dillydally on this limited edition Peanuts x Baggu collaboration, and clearly you listened. The whimsical “space Snoopy” bag shot to best-seller-list fame within weeks of its release. While the print may be kooky, expect the bag itself to be no less packable or practical than any of Baggu’s more standard fare.
Though this nail-clipper set took the top spot in our roundup of Amazon’s best-rated nail clippers back in July, it only made our best-seller list late last year. This month, it’s back for the first time in 2020. Nearly 6,000 Amazon reviewers give the Harperton clippers a five-star rating because, as one customer puts it, “They cut very well, very cleanly, and very satisfyingly.”
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
