Best and Worst Amazon Purchases of 2020

If you are an avid amazon shopper (or a prime member) then I encourage you to take a look at your order history for 2020 and see what has worked out for you and what hasn’t. Here is a list of my best and worst amazon purchases of 2020. 

BEST PURCHASES

1. Egg holder

If you’re a big egg household like we are, then this is a great purchase. We usually buy eggs in bulk and in order to save space in our fridge and an egg holder is great because it can store things on top of the tray.

2. Nail files and nail clips

For those forced to do their nails at home these days, these nail files cannot be beat. They are great quality and not overpriced (unlike the poor quality, over-priced nail files that are found in grocery and drug stores). Nail clips are also something I’ve purchased and used consistently for removing my shellac, its a great foil-saver.

3. Acrylic computer stand 

This is one of the first things I purchased during the shut down for my at-home office. This computer stand is sleek and minimal helped raised my screen enough to make working more comfortable. It has also freed some real estate on my desk so that I have a larger work space (I like to take written notes throughout the day). I later got a laptop stand which has also been a game changer. Now, both my screens are at eye-level and there is tons of free space on my desk!

4. Bread pan 

One activity that a lot of people (including myself) got into this year was bread-making. It was so nuts that there was a yeast shortage at one point. Thankfully I was able to secure some yeast and bake some delicious loafs. I got tons of use from my bread pan!

5. Popcorn maker

I have always been a popcorn lover (fun fact my first real job was at a movie theatre). A great low-calorie snack (if you’re a calorie counter) is popcorn. I love making my own popcorn because the microwave packets are usually high in calories and filled with a bunch of chemicals and preservatives.

6. Breville Kettle

You will notice that a common theme behind the rationale behind my best “worth it” purchases is the pandemic and the work from home life. We used to have a tiny kettle in an effort to save counter space but it was a pain because I was often re-filling it. I purchased this larger kettle and I am so glad I did. Since I am home more often, I am making 2-3 cups of tea a day. 

7. Bidet

Another purchase we made right before the pandemic and so glad we did because it meant that when people were freaking out about the toilet paper we knew we’d be okay was a bidet. I cannot recommend a bidet more especially for those that are working at home. You will use less toilet paper and it’s just more sanitary. 

8. Bike stand

We really got into biking this summer (so did the entire city apparently; hence the national bike shortage). As a result, we had to figure out storage for our bikes. Unfortunately we don’t have secure bike storage in the parking garage. We have been faced with the challenge of cramming two bikes in a tiny storage locker along with all of our other things. We purchased a bike stand on amazon and it has really been great in allowing us to store our bikes upright in our locker without having to mount anything. 

9. Glass straws 

I have been wanting glass straws for a while now. I use straws to drink tea, coffee, smoothies and even water. I do this to avoid staining my teeth and for water I really find I drink more water with a straw (I know this is strange but it works for me!). I was getting by just using my 3 metal straws that I got in a pack but now that I’m working from home, I really needed more straws to hold me over between dishwasher cycles. I love the glass straws because they allow you to see whether or not they are clean. 

10. Dry brush 

Another habit I’ve gotten into is dry brushing. I have always been into this but I stopped when my old brush got to the end of its life. I purchased a new brush and have been doing this before showering daily (when I remember) and I don’t remember why I stopped! There are several benefits to dry-brushing including soft moisturized skin which we can all certainly appreciate during the winter. 

11. Large exercise mat 

If you’re into doing at home workouts that include HIIT training, you will certainly benefit from a larger mat. This exercise mat is lightweight and is double the width of a typical yoga mat. 

13. Tub tray

I’ve spent more time in baths this year than I ever have. A bath tray is essential in making sure you have all your bath essentials at your fingertips which for me is my ipad and my tea. 

14. Water filter

Ditched our Brita for a water filter that we set up right by our sink. No more buying Brita filters and waiting for water to trickle down a Brita jug before pouring it into a glass to drink. No more taking up valuable real estate in the fridge. This has helped me with my water intake as well – especially during all the time we’re spending at home.

15. Ring light 

Great for zoom calls and also doubles as a tripod for my blog and instagram photos. 

REGRETS/RETURNS

1. Silicone baking mat

I thought this was so clever but when I use these mats in the oven (for roasting) at a temperature over 350 degrees the mat tends to smoke and smell like its burning which I do not enjoy at all. Because of this I exclusively use these mats for rolling out cookie dough. 

2. Fake pop sockets

These pop sockets just did not work from me, they fell off my phone often and the adhesive just didn’t work with the surface of my phone. Total waste of money thankfully they weren’t very costly.

3. Water flosser

I purchased this water flosser thinking that it would eliminate the need to floss, the reviews online were great (another reason why I love amazon). It did a great job at getting food out of my teeth but in terms of my front teeth it really didn’t do that great of a job. When I went to the dentist I was told that there is no effective replacement to manual flossing. Basically, this water flosser was a good compliment to manual flossing but not a replacement. I haven’t used this since and have returned to manual flossing and have not looked back. 

Wow that was a long laundry list of items but the fact that my regrets are not nearly as long as my best purchases really makes me glad. Interestingly enough, I don’t have nearly as many amazon purchases as I anticipated I would have and most of those purchases have made it to my “best” list so I am glad about that!

Take a look at your amazon order history for 2020 and let me know what your favourite and worst purchase is! I am genuinely curious!