29 Products Under $20 That Mean Business May 2023

Sep 01, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

These babies are so good at their jobs, they deserve a promotion.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "I read all of the comments for these and thought it might be too good to be true so i wanted to give them a try myself and they are SO GOOD!! The reviews are true!! I put these on some heels I to the club and they were super comfortable, and did not slip at all! They even kinda helped my feet not to sweat or slip around in my heels as well. Would definitely purchase again." —Les

Get a set of two pairs from Amazon for $13.97 (available in beige, black, and clear).

Just cut the melon in half, and run the nifty gadget across the flesh — then drop the chunks right into a bowl or storage container! It also comes with a melon baller for scooping leftover melon.

Promising reviews: "This tool is so handy!! I hate cutting watermelon, and this is so fast and easy to use and easy to wash. I cut a watermelon in less than five minutes. It cuts yellow watermelon, too!!! The included baller is great for the small left over, hard to reach places." —Andrea Draine

Get it from Amazon for $12.37.

Lots of reviewer pets love being brushed by it too!

Promising review: "I've spent hundreds of dollars on toys, treats, houses, scratchers, etc for my cats. This is hands down not even close, the best money I've ever spent! I got so much fur off them, and they loved it! They are looking so sleek and shiny, and they are rolling around like kittens they feel so fresh and happy. My cats are still young (all ages 4 and under) so they were pretty well groomed to begin with. I couldn't believe how many knots and snags were hiding in their fur. The whole time I was brushing them, they were purring and rubbing all over me trying to get more. The self cleaning feature is so easy!! A click of a button and all the hair falls off. The brush itself is bigger than what I anticipated. I thought my cats would be afraid of it but once they figured out what was happening, they weren't at all. I got the original brush which I thought would probably feel good (like a good back scratch!) And I was right. They loved it." —Samantha

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

Promising review: "Scummy water bugging you? I just got this gem of a product last night. Popped it into my hot tub and from the picture I attached, you can see that in just about 12 hours, this little Scumbug ate up all the oil and filth in the hot tub. The water not only looks better, but smells better too! Highly recommended!" —Mickey D.

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $14.99.

Promising review: "I would use hair spray to hold my eyebrows and throughout the day I would sweat through it and it wouldn't last. I tried this because the price was great and I’m glad i did. This product is awesome. I’ve had it on my brows for a nine-hour shift and they are still in place! It doesn't dry and get flakey, nor does it feel uncomfortable on the skin. Lastly, I use brow powder and this does NOT affect the look of the powder nor does it smudge it. I will FOREVER buy this product." —Shelby

Get it from Amazon for $8.59 (available in clear, plus four tinted shades).

Promising review: "As soon as I saw this on Shark Tank I bought it. It was exactly what I've been looking for since I started driving with my new grandbaby. Like the grandma in the duo that invented this, I have arthritis in my thumbs. Many times I have struggled to unlock the straps, almost to the point of panic. Because of the stay home orders here, I haven't been able to use my new UnbuckleMe with my granddaughter in tow, but I tried it out without her in the seat and it worked exactly as advertised. Can't wait to use it with my granddaughter!" —Margery Smith

Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in four colors).

UnbuckleMe is a woman-owned small business run by Becca Davison and her mother Barbara Heilman, an occupational therapist and grandmother of four.

The adhesive is strong but removable, so they can be used again and again!

Promising review: "These are, hands down, a complete lifesaver. I recently attended a multi-day conference event, where wardrobe malfunctions were a non-negotiable. Add in mid-Atlantic summer breezes and skirts and well, you have a potential disaster on your hands, right? NO. These babies will keep your hemlines down where they belong, and they work hard without being cumbersome — they're lightweight but dense, can easily be adjusted or moved without removing the backing, and they store in their own case — what more could a girl ask for?" —Etsy Customer

Get a set of four from Dress Strong on Etsy for $15 (also available in multipacks).

Dress Strong is a New York–based, woman-owned Etsy shop.

Check them out on TikTok here.

Promising review: "I love these. They really work. I use them while I'm out with the dogs or in the garden. I put one on my ankle and one around my ponytail. My uncle uses them while he's working on the lawn. He said they work just as well as the spray." —Christina Castillo

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $9.99.

You can learn more about BTI, the bacteria in mosquito dunks, at the CDC. When used as directed, it's not harmful to people, honeybees, or the environment in general. And btw, each dunk is designed to last for 30 days and can treat 100 square feet of surface water, so you can also break them up for smaller areas of standing water. Reviewers say they're also great for fungus gnats!

Promising review: "We had a terrible mosquito problem at our new house and the mosquitos were huge (we live in Texas!). We could not be outside without about 8–10 attacking us and we did not want to have to spray our bodies with anything, so we had to run indoors. I created a mosquito bait trap by getting a large container and filling it with water and adding a bog plant. Mosquitoes love standing water! While I waited for Amazon to deliver these dunks I noticed mosquitoes were loving the water and laying eggs, so there were tons of larvae in there just waiting to grow into big mosquitoes and attack us, too. The dunks arrived and I dropped half of one in the water and the next morning the larvae in there were all dead, and so were some mosquitoes!! And the mosquito population attacking us dropped from 5–10 per person to just 1 now and then!!! The bog plant is fine! I love that these dunks are safe for birds, too, because I recommended these to friends who have a bubbling urn and a terrible mosquito problem. They used one in the urn and it cut down on the mosquito population and the birds can still safely stop by for a drink, as can squirrels." —BGuhl

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $10.47.

If you don't know what makes a Scrub Daddy different from other sponges, let me tell ya: it's firm in cold water (for tougher messes) but soft in warm water (for lighter cleaning). The scratch-free material is safe on tons of surfaces: glass, stainless steel, cast iron, nonstick, chrome, copper, etc. And if you thought the face was just a gimmick, think twice — the eye and smile holes are great for quickly cleaning large and small utensils!

Promising review: "I cannot speak highly enough of this amazing scrubber! It cleans absolutely everything, doesn't scratch nonstick surfaces, has a fun texture, doesn't smell bad over time, and actually speeds up my dish cleaning time. Seriously, this is the best scrubber I have encountered in years. I bought one for several friends and family members for Christmas after seeing it on Shark Tank, and I've already replaced one for myself. This makes a wonderful and practical gift. My son liked it so much he just purchased two more packages to clean their new stainless-steel sink. This product is a great value compared to every other scrubber I have tried, and I have A LOT of them. Finally, it looks great sitting on the counter or in the sink with its smiley face and fun colors. Great value: you can't go wrong with this one!" —Carla

Get a pack of three on Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: "It's gross in the most spectacular way. The amount of disgusting gunk that came out of my face was appalling and I instantly gagged. However, my nose has never felt so clean and smooth for consecutive days. If you have oily skin I definitely recommend washing your face first and apply it to the nose before moisturizing the rest of your face. If I could give this 10 stars I would. Everyone is getting this for Christmas….maybe because it's not cheap." —Justina

Get 10 patches from Amazon for $17.99. You can also shop the original Mighty Patch pimple patches from Amazon for $11.97.

Promising review: "I laughed when I first saw the picture of this item. I thought, well if they don't work, I’ll use them for a costume. But they are amazing at pulling weeds. I use mine for those pesky weeds in the rocks. One pull and you get root and all." —cynthia Williams

Promising review: "This is the third pair I am buying. I bought the first pair for myself. The second and third pair I bought as gifts for friends because the gloves work so well! I can move rocks and dirt around, very effectively, so much more effectively than regular gloves! I highly recommend them." —Rina Woge

Get it from Amazon for $7.95+ (available in two colors and as a pack of two).

It attaches onto any beach or patio umbrella with a 1"–5" diameter. Check out a TikTok of the beach umbrella table in action.

Promising review: "This worked great for our beach trip! It was nice to be able to have everything out of the sand. We had placed it up at the top by the umbrella and down low so we could reach it while on our chairs. I’d definitely recommend this." —TJ

Get it from Amazon for $18.87+ (available in three colors, plus a circular option).

Promising review: "I wish I found this sooner. I could have saved myself so much time, energy, and money. I spent so much time cleaning up food after meals. Food would end up EVERYWHERE! I could never really keep the high chair clean, even with using a silicone bib. And high chairs aren't cheap (not brand new at least). When avocado got stuck in the seat buckle, I started looking for something to help me with the tedious task of meal cleanup. The first time I used this bib I had mixed feelings because my toddler pulled at the fabric that covered the tray table causing the food that was on it to fall to the floor. So, this kept my little one clean but I would have to sit there the entire time and make sure he didn't pull or tug at the fabric so that nothing fell off the tray. Well then I got smarter and placed the fabric on the tray but under the removable tray. Then once everything is in place correctly, place the removable tray over the fabric. OMG!! This is a game changer!!! Cleanup now takes five minutes 👍" —Pomaika’inani

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in five colors).

This is designed for small kitchen fires, is great for grease fires (an evergreen reminder to NEVER throw water on a grease fire), and provides 32 seconds of discharge (4x longer than regular fire extinguishers). And btw, the spray is actually biodegradable!

Promising review: "I bought one for beside the grill, one for beside the stove, one for the laundry room, and one for the car. I think the intuitive, easy to use design is fantastic. We already have the muscle memory for using a spray can. In an emergency, it's so much easier to grab this and use it, and turn a small fire into a non-fire. I don't have time to remember a three step method of fire control when my bacon has gotten out of control on the stove. I'm not a firefighter! I'd really like to have one in every room. Think about it. Isn't it better to immediately contain a small fire than deal with a big one? This could save your life, and your house." —K. Zander

Get it from Amazon for $12.97.

Promising review: "We have a small freezer and no icemaker, and have been using fiddly trays for years. Icebreaker Pop has changed everything! No more leaky ice trays spilling in the freezer, (or on the way to the freezer), and no ice picking up weird smells and tastes from the freezer. Icebreaker Pop is self-contained and easy to use. You fill it up with water –but be careful not to overfill, because it does expand as it freezes. (Physics!) Seal the top and put it in the freezer. Once it's frozen, you lay it on a flat surface, press down hard on it a couple of times on each side to crack the ice, and pull apart with both handles. You now have 18 cubes of clean ice that dispense from the opening, eliminating the need to touch the cubes as you add them to your glass. The cubes are a little smaller than from regular ice trays, but that's okay with us. Icebreaker Pop is also cool-looking and easy to clean; it's made up of three easy-to-separate pieces that are a snap to wash thoroughly. Very happy with this product!" —Leah Koepp

Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in four styles).

Icebreaker is a Texas-based small business established in 2020 by Danish engineer Kim Jensen.

Promising review: "This really does live up to the hype. I was super impressed by how well it lathered up with just a couple of drops, even in cold water. The bottle doesn't take up much room in your pack, and it's even small enough to meet TSA carry-on requirements for liquids. This is a great product that I'll be keeping in my kit for the rest of forever." —JB

Get a 2-ounce bottle from Amazon for $13.99 (available in four sizes).

Promising review: "Before I bought this cheese paper I would do the cheese search in the refrigerator. After buying cheeses, opening them, and then rewrapping them in heaven knows what (namely plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and plastic containers), it was always the same result: moldy cheese. This box contains the paper in sheets plus some stickers that you can write on with the name of the cheese and the date it was wrapped or even sell by date. There are also pictures of a sheep, cow, and goat so the source can be identified by circling or checking one of them! What I also like is that the cheeses can be rewrapped after use and amazingly the stickers still stick! The paper can also be cut to size to wrap smaller cheeses. So far I have noted that the cheeses have stayed fresh with not a trace of mold. I highly recommend this product to all cheese lovers!" —Prairie Woman

Get a package of 15 11x14-inch sheets of cheese paper from Amazon for $15 (also available in larger packs).

Promising review: "This saves the pizza crust from getting burned and delivers a better texture to the crust. It allows the heat to fully penetrate the underside of the pizza and make it a delectable, mouth-watering experience!!!! Restaurant quality!!!!" —Lee

Get it from Amazon for $17.44.

Keep it in the freezer, or just pop it in for 10–15 minutes for a quick sesh!

Promising review: "Absolutely LOVE this ice roller!! It helps wake me up in the mornings. It reduces the appearance of puffiness especially around the eyes! It helps cool me off quickly when needed. It's going to be a lifesaver this summer during the hot temperatures! I have MS and whenever I get overheated, it makes my symptoms flare up. This will definitely be a game changer for me." —Tressie Holden

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in eight colors).

Promising review: "This little ball is genius! It rolls around in my purse, which I live out of. It picks up a lot lint, debris, or even crumbs. It's easy to find with the bright pink. Just remove and wash and it's ready to go again. The price was great and something I can use for years. If you live out of your purse this a must have!!" —dj3biggs

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three colors and a three-pack).

I loooove this essence for whenever I need an added boost of hydration. It absorbs into the skin beautifully!

Promising review: "Light moisturizing that absorbs perfectly into my skin, no irritation at all. Doesn't clog pores. It lasts months and is the best product I've ever bought." —Isaac Worley

Promising review: "If you can get over the ick factor of snail mucin -it is deeply hydrating and helps with hyperpigmentation and acne. Calms inflammation and redness. If you’re having flaky, dry skin from eczema or reactions to retinol use-this helps repair your skin barrier and keep your skin supple. It is a gentle occlusive and seals in moisture. Everyone's skin is different. What works for me may not work for you. But I swear by the essence to help my reactive skin, repair the skin barrier, and helps with my eczema. I will use it forever." —Connie

Get it from Amazon for $23.

Promising review: "I was somewhat skeptical as to whether or not these would work, but much to my delight, they work very well! The real test were the organic strawberries I bought. They've been in the bag in the refrigerator for eight days now and are still edible. Usually when I buy strawberries, they get mushy and moldy within a day or two. The other veggies I've used these bags for are also doing better than they normally do without the bag. More often than I'd like to admit, we buy a bunch of fruits and veggies and they go bad before we eat them. Thankfully, these bags are extending their edibility, so I'm not having to feed them to the chickens and donkeys. I'm very pleased with my purchase and definitely recommend them." —Dallas Shopper

Get a pack of 30 gallon-size bags from Amazon for $10.99.

Promising review: "What a lifesaver! I mean really! My daughter loves her snacks, she also loves to make a mess, give them to the dog, or fill her car seat up with them. Then cry when she has nothing to eat. My wife picked one up at Target and man... we used it so much, we couldn't clean it fast enough. SOOOO we bought a few more. and for less than $5 for two.... this is a no-brainer!" —jeffgrantMEDIA

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $6 (available in two color combos).

Just keep it in your center console or front door pocket. And btw, the seatbelt cutter can come in handy in other situations too, like when this reviewer's dog got tangled up.

Promising review: "My puppy got tangled in her leash, car seat safety clip, harness clip, and seat belt. The release buckles could not even release because it was twisted so tightly. I knew I had to cut her free, it was such a relief when it hit me I had the seat belt cutter under the seat. I never thought I would use it, but so glad I had it today (pictured above)." —Elizabeth

Get two from Amazon for $9.78 (perfect to get one for yourself and one for a loved one).

Check out a TikTok of the bath toy storage bag in action.

Promising review: "We’ve had this for about three months and the suction is great, we haven't had it fall even with kids who tug and yank on it to get their toys out. It also makes bath time cleanup so much easier, and I love how it air dries the toys without much work on my part." —Molly

Get it from Amazon for $12.97.

The white side of the sponge naturally disintegrates, and the orange side is there to clean up any remnants.

Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $11.99. They also make pre-moistened ones that are extra convenient, plus a version for cleaning golf shoes and golf balls!

Promising review: "Does exactly what it says. Rather than getting spackle, waiting for it to dry, sanding it down, and tweaking as needed, this cuts the time/effort down to 1) rub over a place in need of patching 2) wipe off excess. The hardest part is not accidentally getting the product on parts of the wall that don't need it, but that's easy to clean up, so it's not a problem. I used this to patch holes in the wall from a former Wi-Fi router and modem. Other than the color difference from the patch to the paint, you’d never know it was patched. Great price, easy to use." —Amanda

Get one from Amazon for $10.95.

Just spray on (don't add water until you rinse!) and wipe. I'm not joking when I say that the first time I used Dawn Powerwash on a lasagna pan, I almost cried. I will never be without it!

Promising review: "I bought this stuff because my sister swears by it. I've seen the commercials and thought, yeah sure... But first off, the fresh scent smells amazing without being overpowering. Secondly, it cleans oily, greasy stuff like a dream! My husband used my stockpot on his grill burner, resulting it in being COVERED in black sooty stuff. And everything it touched also received a healthy dose of soot. I initially tried the normal Dawn dish soap and while it did clean it up, it was smearing it and not easy to clean. I pulled out this stuff, sprayed a bit on the pot. BOOM, it was literally clean. Seriously, awesome stuff." —Laura Pirkle

Get the starter kit (with one reusable spray bottle and one refill) from Amazon for $8.44.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.