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These are the best tech deals from the Amazon Big Spring Sale — save on headphones, speakers, gaming gear and more

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The Amazon Spring Sale continues today, and among all of the clothing, outdoor and home products on sale, there are a few good tech deals to be had. Unlike regular Prime Day, the Big Spring Sale is not exclusive to Prime members, which is great for any and all shoppers with items to check off on their lists. However, it’s also not like Prime Day in that the number of tech deals available is much less than that of Amazon’s summertime deals event. If you’re on the hunt for a new pair of wireless earbuds, a power bank or a cordless vacuum, though, we at Engadget are here to help. We’ve scoured Amazon’s site to find the best tech deals to come out of the Big Spring Sale — check them out below.

Best Spring Sale deals on Apple devices

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

Apple’s AirPods Pro are once again available for $180, which is a new record low for the latest iteration with a USB-C charging case. Apple normally sells the noise-canceling earphones for $249, though we often see them go closer to $200 at third-party retailers. Either way, they remain our favorite wireless earbuds for iOS users, as they provide an array of perks when paired with an iPhone, from faster pairing to hands-free Siri. Useful ANC, a superb ambient sound mode and a pleasingly warm sound profile help beyond that. Their battery life and mic quality are just OK these days, but this pair should serve you well if you’re all-in on Apple. We gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a review score of 88 back in 2022. 

$180 at Amazon

Apple

The second-gen Apple Pencil is down to $79, which is one the best prices we’ve seen. It’s important to note that it’s rumored that we’ll see new Apple Pencils when new iPads come out sometime within the next month — but if you already have an iPad and have been looking to snag this accessory on discount, now’s your chance. This is the Pencil that works with most of the latest iPad models and it magnetically snaps to the sides of the tablets for safe keeping. It’s one of our favorite iPad accessories thanks to that, and its generally stellar, little-to-no latency performance.

$79 at Amazon

Best Spring Sale deals on headphones, earbuds and speakers

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Our favorite pair of budget wireless earbuds has dropped to a new record-low price of $50. The Anker Soundcore Space A40 impressed us with their solid sound quality, comfortable fit and impressive active noise cancellation for the price. We think they’re a great value at their normal $80 price, so this sale makes them even more attractive. In addition, they have good battery life and support for multi-device connectivity and wireless charging. They may not have the best call quality, and they don’t support automatically wear detection, but otherwise you’re getting a nearly-full package for a great price.

$50 at Amazon

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are back on sale for $328. This isn’t an all-time low, and it’s a deal we’ve seen numerous times over the past few months, but it’s still $70 off the noise-canceling cans’ list price. The XM5s are the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones thanks to their comfy fit, solid active noise cancellation (ANC), clear mic and handy bonus features. They’re bass-heavy by default, but you can adjust their sound profile with EQ tools in Sony’s companion app.

This XM5’s predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM4, is also worth a note at $248. Again, that’s not an all-time low, but it’s about $50 below the pair’s average street price in recent months. This older model has many of the same benefits as its successor, plus its earcups can fold up, which makes the design a little easier to pack away. Its call quality is worse, however, and it’s not quite as light on the head. We gave the XM5 a review score of 95 in mid-2022, while the XM4 earned a 94 way back in 2020.

$328 at Amazon

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

One of our favorite pairs of budget wireless earbuds, Amazon’s latest Echo Buds are on sale for only $35 ahead of the Spring Sale. These buds have an open design, which means they purposely let sound in so you can stay more aware of your surroundings. They support adjustable EQ and, unlike many other earbuds at this price, auto-pausing and multi-device pairing. And, as to be expected, they have Alexa built in so you can call upon the voice assistant when you need to while wearing them.

$35 at Amazon

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

If you’re not tethered to Apple, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are another set of high-end earphones we recommend. Right now they’re down to $249 at Amazon, Bose.com and other storefronts. That’s a $50 discount. We’ve seen this price a few times before, but it still matches the best deal we’ve tracked. Bose says the offer will run until March 31.

We specifically highlight the QuietComfort Ultras in our buying guide for their noise-canceling prowess, as they do a superlative job of muting outside noise and allow you to lower the intensity of the ANC if it ever becomes uncomfortable. They’re another pair with a somewhat bass-heavy sound out of the box, but they don’t sound sloppy, and unlike the AirPods Pro you can customize their EQ through a companion app. That said, they don’t support wireless charging or multi-device pairing, and their six-to-seven-hour battery life isn’t anything special. The earpieces themselves are also fairly large, though we wouldn’t call them uncomfortable. We gave the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds a score of 88 in our review last year.

$249 at Amazon

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

The Beats Studio Buds + are back on sale for $130 in various colors, which is roughly $20 off the true wireless earbuds’ average street price and $40 off Beats’ list price. The only time we’ve seen them go for less was a brief drop to $120 around Black Friday. This deal is also available at other retailers, including Target, Best Buy and B&H.

We gave the Studio Buds + a review score of 84 last year. As Beats is an Apple subsidiary, this pair provides many of the iOS-friendly perks you’d get from a set of AirPods, such as faster pairing, Find My tracking, hands-free Siri and Control Center integration. Unlike AirPods, they offer similar features on Android as well. A comfy fit, decent ANC and a mostly neutral sound profile also help. However, other AirPods features like audio sharing and automatic device switching (with Apple gear) aren’t supported, nor is wireless charging or wear detection. And the ANC and audio quality are a step down from the AirPods Pro. Still, if you dig the style and want to save some cash, the Studio Buds + are worth considering.

$130 at Amazon

Jabra

One of our favorite headphones for running is on sale for a near record-low price. Jabra’s Elite 8 Active earbuds have dropped to $160, which is only about $10 more than the best price we’ve seen. They’re rated IP68, which is one of the best protective ratings we’ve seen on workout earbuds. Jabra even put these buds through military-grade testing, so it’s fair to say they can take a beating. They also have great sound quality (that has spatial sound with Dolby Audio), good ANC and HearThrough transparency mode, multipoint connectivity and an easy to use mobile app. Also included in this sale are our budget top pick, the Jabra Elite 4 Active, for only $90.

$160 at Amazon

Google

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are down to $139 from $200. The 30 percent discount doesn’t bring the earbuds to their all-time low, but this is the cheapest we’ve seen the Google Pixel Buds Pro so far this year. These are our choice for the best wireless earbuds for Android

Engadget’s Billy Steele gave them an 87 in his review thanks to the addition of solid active noise cancellation, punchy bass and reliable touch controls. They also offer IPX4 water resistance so you can take them on a run without worry. The buds get up to 11 hours on a charge and 31 hours in total with the case. And when it’s time to recharge, wireless charging makes a refill a little easier. One catch is the call quality isn’t as great as it could be, but if you’re primarily using them for music and podcasts, you may not notice. 

$139 at Amazon

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Sonos has kicked off a new round of discounts on its soundbars and portable speakers. The deals include the Sonos Move 2 for $359, which is $70 off its usual going rate and the second-best price we’ve seen outside of a very brief drop to $349 last year. The Sonos Ray soundbar is $56 off and down to an all-time low of $223, while the higher-end Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is available for $399, a $100 discount. The Sonos Sub Mini subwoofer is also down to a low of $343, which is $86 less than usual, while the compact Sonos Roam SL is $32 off at $127. A few speaker bundles are also discounted. These offers are available at several retailers, including Amazon, B&H and Sonos.com. Sonos says they’ll run through March 25.

None of these devices come cheap, but they all deliver relatively clean sound, easy pairing with other Sonos hardware, AirPlay support and an app that (mostly) makes it simple to set up and stream music. The Move 2 is a hefty yet powerful battery-powered speaker for those who are more concerned with sound quality over portability. The Roam SL doesn’t sound as rich, but it’s much more travel-friendly and has a better water-resistance rating. (It lacks built-in mics, though.) The Ray is an entry-level 2.0-channel soundbar meant for smaller rooms and budget buyers. The Beam is a 5.0 model with a more expansive sound, an HDMI eARC port and voice assistant functionality. It also supports Dolby Atmos, though it can’t take advantage of that quite as much as larger models. The Sub Mini, meanwhile, is a handy way to beef up the bass response of an existing Sonos system. You can check out our reviews of the Move 2, Ray, second-gen Beam and Sub Mini for fuller breakdowns of each device.

$359 at Amazon (Move 2)

Best Spring Sale deals on Anker devices

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Soundcore

As part of a larger portable speaker sale, Anker’s Soundcore Motion 300 has dropped to $64, which is a record low. It earned a spot on our favorites list thanks to its solid sound quality featuring crisp highs and generally punchy, bright audio. Its IPX7 design weighs only 1.7 pounds and the built-in loop makes it easy to attach to a bag to take with you on the go. It also works with Anker’s Soundcore app, which lets you customize EQ, button brightness and more.

$64 at Amazon

Best Spring Sale deals on smartphones

Google

Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have been discounted for the Spring Sale, down to $499 and $749, respectively. Both run on the Google Tensor G3 chip, and they have great battery lives and excellent cameras. We consider both of them to be the best Android phones available right now thanks in part to those features. Google also added a number of actually useful AI features like Best Take and Magic Eraser for photos, and more accurate voice typing and article summaries for the Google Assistant.

$499 at Amazon

Google

Our favorite midrange smartphone, the Google Pixel 7a is on sale for $374 right now, which is a record-low price. That almost puts it within our “budget” price range ($350) for Android phones, so while it’s still a splurge pick, it’s arguably the best Android phone you can get in that price range at the moment. It runs on Google’s Tensor G2 chipset, plus it has a lovely 90Hz touchscreen, long battery life and an excellent camera array that takes impressive photos in all kinds of light situations, and good selfies, too. While there are plenty of good budget Android phones available today, you won’t find one that offers a better value than the Pixel 7a when on sale like this.

$374 at Amazon

Best Spring Sale deals on gaming gear

Meta

Our favorite budget-friendly VR headset is down to a new low for the Amazon spring sale. You can grab the Meta Quest 2 for only $199, which is $50 off its usual price. There’s no better VR headset for those who don’t have a lot of spend, and the Quest 2 holds its own even among the newest models. It’s completely cordless and comfortable to wear for long sessions, it comes bundled with Meta’s solid motion controllers and there’s a huge library of titles that you can try out with it.

$199 at Amazon

Elgato

The Elgato Stream Deck Mk.2 in white is back down to $130. This is another deal we’ve seen pop up periodically in recent months, but it’s $20 off the device’s usual street price all the same. The Stream Deck is a macro keypad we recommend in our guide to the best game streaming gear. It has 15 programmable hotkeys that you can set to perform different commands, from launching an app to activating smart lights to triggering on-screen GIFs and sound effects. It’s really meant for content creators and power users first and foremost, but if you think you could benefit from having a bunch of shortcuts within arm’s reach, this is a decent time to pick one up.

$130 at Amazon

PlayStation

Bundles that pair the PlayStation 5 with a digital copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 are still $50 off, bringing the standard model down to $449 and the digital-only version down to $400. These deals aren’t tied to Amazon’s Spring sale, but larger discounts on the PS5 have been uncommon, so this is still a good opportunity if you’ve been looking to take the plunge. The offers are available at several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy and Sony’s PlayStation Direct store. Sony says they’ll last through March 31. My colleague Nathan Ingraham gave Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 a glowing review last year, calling it a “perfectly balanced game with gorgeous graphics, delightful combat and traversal systems, a compelling storyline and characters, plenty of challenge and a huge map to explore.”

$400 at Amazon

Best Spring Sale deals on smart home tech

Google

The Google Nest Thermostat is on sale for $100 ahead of Amazon’s Spring sale, which is about $10 more than the best price we’ve seen over the past year but $30 below its typical going rate. We’ve highlighted this entry-level smart thermostat in past gift guides. Compared to the higher-end Nest Learning Thermostat, it has a cheaper plastic frame, doesn’t support remote temperature sensors and can’t learn your heating and cooling tendencies to make automatic adjustments throughout the day. That said, it’s a more affordable way to remotely control your home’s climate, and it still supports features like HVAC monitoring and voice assistant control. It’s also compatible with the Matter standard, unlike the pricier model, so it can work with third-party platforms like Apple Home.

$100 at Amazon

TP-Link

TP-Link’s Deco XE75 mesh Wi-Fi system with three nodes is on sale for a record low of $310 in this spring sale. It tops our list of the best mesh WiFi routers you can get right now thanks to its simple setup, solid performance and overall great value for the money. There aren’t a lot of frills here, either with the nodes themselves or with TP-Link’s companion mobile app, but that makes for a straightforward experience that complements the system’s excellent performance nicely. 

$310 at Amazon

Shark

The self-emptying Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum is 46 percent off for the Big Spring Sale. That makes it $350, which is $300 off the regular price and not too far away from its record low. This model is a variant of one of our top robot vacuum recommendations and comes with a base that holds up to 60 days of dirt and has a HEPA filtration system to capture dust and allergens. It uses 360° LiDAR to map your home, has an app to set schedules and even works with Alexa or the Google Assistant for literally hands free floor cleaning. 

$350 at Amazon

iRobot

The is the runner up in our and thanks to the Amazon Big Spring Sale it’s now half price, making it just $300. That’s not quite an all-time low — it was $2 cheaper for much of February — but still a significant discount on one of our recommendations.

Engadget’s Valentina Palladino found this one to have powerful suction and an easy-to-use app. She also appreciated the upgraded obstacle detection that particularly avoids pet poop. The bot does take a couple runs before it can create a full map — and it doesn’t clean while it does that, so be prepared to wait a little after unboxing before your floors are truly on auto-pilot. 

$300 at Amazon

Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The Tineco Pure One S15 is the runner up pick in our cordless vacuum guide and right now it’s on sale for $349, but an addition clippable $25 coupon brings the final price down to $324.

This model is slightly less powerful than our top pick from Dyson but it handles dry messes well — including pet hair. It also automatically adjusts suction power depending on the amount of dirt it detects through the sensor. It’s app-connected, though that feature is admittedly not super necessary in a cordless vac. Still, it can help keep you apprised of your filter and battery levels.

$324 at Amazon

Best Spring Sale deals on Amazon devices

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

As part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, the Paperwhite Signature is getting a $30 discount — it’s first sale since Black Friday last year. The catch is that this deal is exclusively for Prime members. The Signature Edition is an upgrade over the standard Kindle: It has a larger, 6.8-inch screen, 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting warm front lights and wireless charging capabilities. It also comes standard without lockscreen ads, a great perk since you usually have to pay upwards of $20 to remove those on other Kindle models. 

$160 at Amazon

Amazon

A number of Amazon’s Fire tablets are on sale right now, including the new Fire HD 10 for $95. That’s about $15 more than its record-low price, but it’s still a decent deal for this time of year. Updated in 2023, the Fire HD 10 has a 10-inch 1080p touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 13 hours of battery life and it charges via a USB-C port. We still think Fire tablets are best as secondary devices rather than daily drivers — that slab you keep next to the couch to check email or shop online on the fly, or by your bedside to read books and comics. And when they’re discounted like this, it’s much easier to justify getting a secondary device like that in the first place. A bunch of kid-friendly Fire tabs are on sale, too, most of which come with a childproof protective case, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.

$95 at Amazon

Blink

A variety of Amazon Blink devices are now discounted as part of the site’s Big Spring Sale. A three pack of the new Blink Outdoor 4 is down to $150 instead of $260. That’s a 42 percent discount and the lowest price we’ve seen this year (the set hit an all-time low of $135 for Black Friday). 

If you just need one camera, take advantage of the sale on a single Blink Outdoor 4. It’s currently down to $65 from $100 — a 35 percent discount.

The Blink Outdoor 4 came out last August with a lot of upgrades including a larger field of vision, up to143 degrees and better low-light sensitivity and image quality. Blink claims the devices will go for two years before needing their AA batteries replaced.

$150 at Amazon

Best Spring Sale deals on other tech

SAMSUNG

The Samsung SmartTag 2 is on sale for only $21 for the Big Spring Sale, which is only $1 more than its record-low price. It’s one of our favorite Bluetooth trackers and it’s easily the best one for those with Samsung smartphones. Its finder network is large and its setup with the SmartThings Find app is quick and painless. If your stuff with the tag is left somewhere, you’ll get alerts when Lost Mode is activated. You can also just use the app to locate your items if you misplace them nearby. Out of all the Bluetooth trackers we tested, we liked the design of the SmartTag 2 the best thanks to its oblong shape, big keyring hole and support for colorful cases.

$21 at Amazon

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

The Google Pixel Tablet makes a good smart display and tablet hybrid. Right now the 11-inch slate-plus-dock is back down to $399 at multiple retailers for the 128GB model. In addition to Amazon you can save at Target and the Google Store. This matches the lowest price we’ve seen and works out to $100 below the variation’s usual going rate. If you need more storage, the 256GB version is $150 off and available for $449, also an all-time low. 

Engadget’s Cherlynn Low gave the Pixel Tablet a score of 85 in her review last June, and we mention the device in our tablet buying guide, though it’s not one of our top picks. But if you’re looking for a tablet that can also be your smart home command center, this is a good pick for controlling smart home devices, showcasing photos, streaming music with the improved speakers, and even cast video from your phone.

$399 at Amazon

Plugable

Plugable TBT4-UDZ gets a mention in our guide to the best laptop docking stations and right now it’s 20 percent off and down to $239. It’s a rare discount for the brand and the lowest price we’ve tracked. We were a little disappointed that the dock only has one downstream USB-C port, but it has plenty of USB-A and display connections and worked well with the MacBook and Dell laptops in our test, but didn’t work with a Chromebook.

$239 at Amazon

Best tech deals available elsewhere on the web

Max

New subscribers can get 40 percent off a Max subscription when you pay for one year upfront. If you want to go all-in on the highest tier, which gives you ad-free viewing and 4K streaming, it’ll cost you $140 for the year (roughly $12 per month). The most affordable tier will set you back a total of $70 for the year, which works out to about $6 per month. Considering how often streaming prices have increased recently, a sale like this is a great time to invest in a year of access to shows like The Last of Us and movies from outlets like Studio Ghibli and A24.

$70 at Max

Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Our top pick for the best cordless vacuum cleaner, the Dyson V15 Detect, is on sale for $600 right now directly at Dyson. We’ve seen this model drop to $550 in the past, but this remains a great sale on a cordless vacuum that’s typically priced at $750. The “Absolute” models are much the same as the standard models, but you can typically only get Absolute versions at Dyson.com. Also, this model has HEPA filtration, a built-in tool and an exclusive gold color. Otherwise, it’s the same as our top pick, which impressed us with its excellent suction power, lightweight design and good battery life. In general, we found Dyson stick vacuums to provide the strongest suction power of any brand we tried, and the V15 is noticeably stronger than older models like the V8. It comes with a number of attachments as well, including the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that illuminates your floors with a laser of light so you can see exactly where the most debris is as you clean.

As part of the Big Spring Sale, Amazon has a similar version, the V15 Detect Complete, for $690 as a Prime exclusive. The main difference here, aside from the lack of HEPA filtration, is that you get a standing dock with Amazon’s model, which will be handy if you aren’t keen on mounting your new cordless vacuum to a wall.

$600 at Dyson

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

We’ll move beyond Amazon for our last few deals this week. First, a configuration of Apple’s 14.2-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is down to $1,799 at B&H. That’s close to an all-time low and comes in $200 below Apple’s MSRP. We gave the latest MacBook Pro a review score of 90 last year. It’s more Mac than most people need, especially after the recent refresh of the MacBook Air. But for video editors, 3D designers and other professional types who need more power, a wider port selection and a brighter display, it should still fit the bill.

$1,799 at B&H Photo

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is back on sale for $80 at Amazon subsidiary Woot, a $20 discount that matches the lowest price we’ve seen. This is a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard we recommended in our retro gaming gift guide late last year. You’d mainly buy it for the aesthetic, as it looks like a companion piece for an old NES. Beyond that, it’s sturdily built, it works wirelessly and it comes with a pair of giant “Super Buttons” that you can customize to perform different macros. It’s comfortable for typing as well, though its clicky Kailh Box White V2 switches are fairly noisy. It also lacks any kind of backlighting. The stock switches are hot-swappable, however, so you can easily replace them if needed.

$80 at Woot

Larian Studios

The latest Steam Spring Sale is underway, bringing an enormous range of PC game discounts along with it. There are simply too many deals for us to list everything, but some highlights include the acclaimed CRPG Baldur’s Gate 3 for $54 (a small but rare discount), the frantic platformer Pizza Tower for $13.39, the recently released Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $56, the FPS compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10 and the VR adventure Half-Life: Alyx for $20.39. These big Steam sales are always a good time to grab some older classics for dirt cheap, too: The two Portal puzzlers are available for $1.48, for instance, while the co-op shooter Left 4 Dead 2 is just a buck. Valve says the sale will run until March 21. 

Outside of Steam, the Epic Games Store has commenced its Spring Sale as well. The selection there isn’t as large, as usual, but it does include some well-reviewed exclusives like Alan Wake 2 for $40 and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for $30. Before you go padding your backlog on either store, though, we’d recommend using a price tracking site like IsThereAnyDeal to ensure you’re getting a genuine discount.

$54 at Steam

Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget

However technologically impressive a foldable smartphone may be, they’re seriously expensive. A $500 discount can help if you’re ready to grab one. The Google Pixel Fold is one of our favorites, and it’s now down to $1,299 at the Goole Store. It beats the largest discount we’ve seen for the unlocked 256GB model, by $100. If you need more storage space, Google has the 512GB model for $1,419, another $500 discount and record low.

The Pixel Fold is the runner-up pick in our guide to the best foldable phones, and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 85 in his review last June. 

The discount is part of a larger sale Google is hosting on its storefront right now, perhaps in response to Amazon’s event. 

$1,299 at Google

Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

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18 REI Deals: Tents, Backpacks, Sleeping Bags, and Outdoor Gear

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The snow is melting, or it would be, if there had been any this year. Whatever the case, it’s March, which means outdoor retailers are slashing prices to clear out last year’s gear. The thing about last year’s gear is … it’s still great gear, and now it’s cheap. Here are our favorite deals from REI’s annual Member Sale, which goes through March 11. We’ve gone through the REI site and picked out the best deals from all the gear we tested last year.

If you’re not an REI member, fear not. The deals are open to anyone; members just get some extra discounts. If you’re not a member and you want to become one right now, you can make a $50 purchase, add a membership to your cart for $30, and get a $30 gift card.

If you’d like some more buying advice, have a look at our guides to the best tents, best sleeping pads, best camp stoves, and best hiking gear.

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REI Deals on Tents

Photograph: Big Agnes

The superlight Copper Spur HV UL tent is our favorite bikepacking tent. It weights just 3 pounds, 11 ounces, features twin vestibules and doors, DAC Featherlite NSL poles, and external webbing for hanging out wet clothes. There are also some nice bike-specific extras, like hidden helmet storage. The poles fold short and fit between drop handlebars. Our one gripe is that you’ll need to carry hiking poles if you want to create two awnings from the vestibules, which seems like an odd requirement for a tent aimed at bike riders. It you’re worried about space, grab one of the Big Agnes hammock-style Gear Lofts ($20), which create a huge stash space without cluttering up the tent floor.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur series is the king of ultralight tents. I’ve used both the two-person and four-person models over the years, and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that I have nothing left to complain about. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent that’s very livable, with steep sidewalls to maximize interior space. Mesh pockets help with gear storage and give you a place to stick your headlamp for dispersed light. The ingenious “awning” design makes getting in and out a snap. I recommend sizing up; this three-person tent is a good choice for backpackers who don’t want to be too close to their partners.

We haven’t tested Big Agnes Tiger Wall line, but it’s generally very similar to the Copper Spur line. The difference is the Tiger Wall tents are lighter, using lighter fabrics (a 15-denier floor versus the 35 in the Copper Spur). That does make them less robust, but what you lose in durability you make up for in weight savings. The Tiger Wall UL 2 is 8 ounces lighter than the Copper Spur UL 2. If you’re an ounce counter, this is the tent for you.

Deals on Backpacks, Daypacks, and More

Photograph: REI

REI’s Flash backpacks are perfect for a bag you can keep by the door and grab on a spontaneous trip to the trails. It’s just big enough to carry a rain jacket, lightweight insulation layer, lunch, sunscreen, and water. This is last year’s version, but it’s still a great pack. The Flash 18 is another great pack, but we like the external water bottle pouch on the 22L version.

Mystery Ranch was once a little-known pack company with a cult following. That’s probably going to change now that Yeti has acquired it, but at least I’ll be able to assume everyone has heard of Mystery Ranch and skip intros like this. I have been testing the newer version of the Gallagator, which has wider chest straps, which I like better, but at this price I can live without the wide straps. You still get the three-zip system that made Mystery Ranch a legend. The 13L version is also on sale for $50 ($20 off).

Photograph: REI

I have not tested the Glacier, but if I were in the market for a gear-hauling monster, this pack would be high on my list. The Mystery Ranch packs I have tested all have one of the best suspension systems for making absurdly heavy loads comfortable. I know everyone obsesses about ultralight packing, but with three kids tagging along … “ultralight” is not a word I use. Mystery Ranch packs are well-made, durable, and if anything over-engineered (that’s a good thing).

If you want to dip a toe into the ultralight waters, Granite Gear’s packs are a good way to do that without overspending (which is easy to do in the ultralight backpacking world). With a 50-liter capacity (3,051 cubic inches) and weighing only 3 pounds, 1.6 ounces, the perimeter has a good weight-to-strength ration. I found the suspension system allowed for a number of different carries, letting my shift the load depending on terrain. The spring-steel rods on the sides give the pack a 40-pound load rating, but in my testing it feels and rides best at about 25 pounds.

Deals on Camp Gear and Binoculars

Photograph: REI

It’s big, but the Stargaze is the closest you’ll come to bringing a La-Z-Boy in the woods. I’ve been testing one for a few weeks now and I love it. It’s easy to set up and break down, comfortable to sit in. I don’t recommend trying to eat in it, and using the cup holder can be risky, but it’s very comfortable. My kids can curl up in it like a papasan. I should probably add that my wife hates it, so it’s not for everyone. You might want to try one out at your local REI if you can.

Before Stanley took over the internet, Hydro Flask was the choice of outdoorsy folks, and we still love this water bottle. It’s not on sale, but Hydro Flask’s 6-oounce mug is the best coffee mug I’ve ever had. Well, the lid isn’t the best, but the mug is outstanding.

The key to backcountry organization is the stuff sack. Everyone needs more stuff sacks. I like these mesh Sea to Summit bags because the color-coded draw cords make it easy to figure out what’s where, and there’s a handle on the bottom that makes it easy to pull them out of your pack. This set includes 5-liter , 8-liter, and 13-liter sacks. They’re all made of 150-denier black mesh, which has held up well in my testing.

Photograph: Nocs Provisions

These are wonderfully compact and light (11.8 ounces) binoculars, and the price is right. The image quality could be better, but you get good magnification with a waterproof (IPX7 rating) and fogproof design. The rugged construction and rubberized grip make these a great option for kids.

REI Deals on Sleeping Bags and Pads

Photograph: REI

Mountain Hardwear’s Bishop Pass bags rank high in our forthcoming guide to sleeping bags. This is the Gore-Tex model, which nets you the Windstopper membrane, which is windproof and weather-resistant. It’s not the waterproof Gore-Tex you find in rain jackets, but I’ve found it fares better than regular nylon against a dew-covered tent wall. The 15 degree model here uses 650-fill-power goose down, which earns it a tested comfort rating of 26 degrees. I found it plenty warm down below that in my testing, but I do sleep warm. The 0-degree model is also on sale for $352.

We have not tested any Big Agnes sleeping bags, but we’re looking forward to trying them, because if they’re anything like the company’s tents it’s hard to go wrong. The 600-fill-power DownTek down is PFC-free water repellent down. That doesn’t mean it’s harmless, but it’s a step in the right direction. The shell is made of recycled 20-denier polyester ripstop nylon with a PFAS-free water-repellent finish. The comfort rating is 23 degrees.

We say if you’re going to go big, go big. The MegaMat Max 15 is big in every sense of the word. This is the beefy, ultra-luxury pad that started the trend of huge car camping pads. The MegaMat doesn’t pack down as small as our top pick, the ThermaRest Mondo King (not on sale), but it has more insulation and makes a great option if you sleep cold. The MegaMat Max 15 Duo is also on sale for $375 ($125 off)

If you’re thinking about an inflatable Exped but are not fully committed to shelling out for the MegaMat above, there is the DeepSleep. The DeepSleep is 3 inches thick instead of 4, and we don’t like it nearly as much, but it is a sturdy mattress and probably fine for some people. But it’s not the Exped experience most sleepers are looking for. We say stick with the MegaMat above.

Photograph: Exped

Exped’s Ultra 7R is our favorite 4-season sleeping pad. It offers (as the name suggests) an R-value of 7 in a pad that weighs under 2 pounds for the wide version. And I do suggest going for the wide version. I found the regular to be a bit on the narrow side, and the weight difference (5 ounces) doesn’t justify the lost sleeping space. I used this pad down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and was very comfortable (in a 20-degree bag). Exped rates it to –20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nemo’s Tensor series are some of the best ultralight sleeping pads on the market. As with most things in this sale, this is last year’s model, but having slept on both this and the new one, at this price go with the old. The Tensor is thick, comfortable, and most important, dang near silent. I hate that swish of nylon that’s pretty much synonymous with backcountry sleeping and there’s very little of that here.

All the Sea to Summit sleeping pads I have tested were ultralight models, and my overall gripe is that they weren’t quite enough padding. That’s where this Comfort Plus comes in. At 3 inches thick you aren’t going to feel that pea—or small twig. It’s 2.2 pounds, which is heavy, but sometimes a comfortable night’s sleep is worth a few more ounces.

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Rebuilding a Game Gear from the 90s with a Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi powered Game Gear retro handheld games consoleThe nostalgia of the Sega Game Gear is undeniable for those who grew up in the ’90s, but imagine taking that sentiment and infusing it with today’s technology. This is exactly what happened when a defunct Game Gear that was revitalized using a Raspberry Pi, the already iconic credit-card-sized computer that has become a staple in modern DIY electronics projects.

The result is a handheld console that not only pays homage to its roots but also delivers a performance that far exceeds its original capabilities. Check out the video kindly created by Jeff Geerling to learn more about the rebuild process in the parts you need to purchase to transform a broken Sega Game Gear into a  retro gaming handheld.

The Game Gear, once a fierce competitor to Nintendo’s Game Boy, has become a collector’s item, with fully operational units becoming increasingly scarce. The ingenious solution to this scarcity is to repurpose a non-working Game Gear, which not only preserves the essence of vintage gaming but also showcases the creativity of tech enthusiasts. The process begins with acquiring a custom kit from Zega Mame Gear, designed specifically to integrate a Raspberry Pi into the Game Gear’s shell. This kit is essential, providing all the parts needed to swap out the outdated hardware for something much more powerful.

Raspberry Pi powered Game Gear retro handheld console

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The transformation requires careful attention to detail. The Raspberry Pi must be meticulously installed into the Game Gear’s housing, and the original controls need to be configured to work with the new setup. This project is not just about technical prowess; it’s a labor of love that taps into the joy of hands-on crafting and the satisfaction of breathing new life into a classic device.

Once completed, the revamped Game Gear becomes a testament to the evolution of gaming technology. The Raspberry Pi at its core allows for the emulation of a variety of classic gaming systems, a feat that demonstrates just how far technology has come. This small device can now do what was once thought to be the domain of much larger, more complex machines.

The sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing this project is profound. It’s not just about playing games; it’s about the journey of resurrecting a piece of history and pushing the boundaries of what modern technology can do. The door is now open for more projects like this, encouraging enthusiasts to merge their cherished gaming memories with the technological advancements of today.

Transforming a Sega Game Gear with a Raspberry Pi is more than a mere technical exercise. It symbolizes a bridge between different times, combining the nostalgia of childhood gaming with the progress of contemporary tech. It’s a rewarding challenge that, once achieved, offers a unique sense of pride and a greater appreciation for how far gaming technology has come. This project is an enticing venture for both avid gamers and DIY hobbyists, venturing into the world of handheld console emulation with a fresh perspective.

Image Credit : Zega Mame Gear

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Top News





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