BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More

Or, 27 ways to upgrade your life, because you deserve it, you magnificent person, you.

I am a writer and editor based in Washington, DC whose work has appeared at Bustle, The Toast, and others; my book Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark was published in 2019.

Promising reviews: “Long-lasting ice, easy to handle! I love this tumbler. If you like your drinks cold and you use ice, you have to get one. Better than some of the more expensive ones I've bought in the past because I fill it with ice in the morning and still have ice in it by the end of my work shift. The handle on top is super convenient when your hands are full too!” —Stefanie 

"Not only do these 40-ounce cups keep drinks cold for almost two days, they also have carrying handles, which really come in handy." —Julieanna

Price: $19.46+ (available in two colors)

Promising review: “This coffeemaker will not disappoint!! We have owned several of these Cuisinart coffeemakers over the years. They don't last forever, but while they do last, they make excellent coffee. I am not a coffee snob, but I do grind my own beans, and I use paper filters, because the gold filter allows sediment to come through. My only gripe is not knowing about these coffeemakers sooner. We love that it makes 14 cups, keeps the coffee hot until we pour it into a Bunn airpot, and coffee never goes to waste at our house.” —Pam

Distracting roommates? Noise-cancelling headphones. Loud coworker? Noise-cancelling headphones. Construction blaring right outside your window all day while you’re trying to concentrate? Noise-cancelling headphones. Get a good set of these in your How To Survive Daily Life tool kit, if you don’t already have some. It’ll help so much.

Promising review: “Impressive! Especially for the money, ya can't beat these. I'm picky about headphones, I wear them all day at work sometimes, so the fit, the sound and the durability all matter to me. They're completely comfortable, I used to get headaches over time from other headphones, but not at all with these. The way they fit over my ears and have a noise cancelling mode makes them perfect for my noisy job. AND, I even dropped them in the water when I was jumping out of a boat, let them dry over night, and they're as good as new. Can't go wrong with these!” —Brandon

Price: $59.99+ (originally $79.99+; available in five colors)

Promising review: “I need these in every color!!! These are the cutest, softest, most comfortable lounge pants I have ever owned. Cute with the pleats in the front. Feels like silk against your skin. Perfect length. Can be worn in any weather.” —sara

Price: $20 (available in sizes XS–5X, three inseam lengths, and eight colors)

Pro tip: This jacket is a bit oversize, so reviewers recommend sizing down for a more tailored fit.

Promising review: “It's giving high-end! Listen to me… This jacket is soooo good! The fit was great; I love the cinched-waist detail and the bold silver zipper. It's lined, but not heavy. It's worth money, that's for sure. I recommend this jacket to anyone!” —Alacia

Price: $45 (available in sizes XS–4X and two colors)

Promising review: “I don't use anything else! A dermatologist recommended this to me. Now I don't have any sensitivity issues and will forever use this face soap. I was apprehensive at first because the name sounded too fancy (expensive), but it does last a long time, and you don't need to use that much. Definitely get it if you need a soap that will clean and not irritate your skin. Pro tip: Use their face cream. It's a very large amount for the price, which will last you forever and a half.” —CJ

Promising review: “New favorite moisturizer! I have tried so many brands and so many dry/eczema skin moisturizers. Most give me a burning sensation, and the moisture doesn’t last. This one feels so good going on, like it’s quenching my skin’s dryness and doesn’t need reapplying midday. It also doesn’t burn or make me break out! I wish I could see when it’s going low for reference, but I will definitely be buying more!” —nfischer13

Price: $9.99+ (available in three sizes and individually or in a two-pack)

Promising review: “Instant cooling relief for my allergy eyes! As we enter allergy season when summer meets fall, I develop puffy eyes, and I've tried everything. I ran into this product on the Walmart app website, and I read that it was good for combination skin, and that's me. It really helped with getting my skin back to its normal look, removing the discoloration from all the irritating itchiness. It has a brightening effect, and I did notice tightening, which surprised me because so many promise that with no results, but this, I truly felt, has an instant cooling effect that gives you relief. It's like a big lip balm stick for your eyes. I say that because it contains caffeine, vitamin E, green tea oil, and hyaluronic acid. It doesn't leave them greasy or with any white cast. So convenient to take in my purse!” —Angela

Promising review: “Holy grail! This is the best mascara I have ever used, hands down. If you take your time and put on a few coats, it will totally look so long. Not quite false lashes, but that depends on your natural length. If you have kind of long lashes, I don't see why it would not look false. I have short lashes, and I was surprised by how long they can get with this mascara. Also, the price is right. I always get this brand. For waterproof, let it dry in between coats, and for regular, don't let it dry in between coats, and you will see the difference.” —anonymous

Price: $4.97+ (available individually and in a two-pack and in two colors)

Promising review: “Best chair ever! This chair is so comfy!! It's so high quality — the cushion is fluffy and so comfortable, the base is sturdy and amazing quality (metal with a wood look on the outside). I could literally sit in it for hours. It's so cute and trendy and you NEED IT!!” —Lily

Promising review: “This throw blanket is so comfy, you can fall asleep if you are wrapped up in it like a cocoon!” —Raymond

Promising review: “Works like a charm! Easy setup! Slim product design! Works great! We have a long two-story house, and we couldn’t get a strong signal from the back, where our router is, to the front or upstairs. This extender was put at the front of the house below our two-story section, and WOW! Connectivity upstairs is awesome. We can now stream on TVs, run several handheld tablets and game devices, and a desktop computer and printer without a hitch! Moving from one room and one floor to another is no problem! Highly recommend!” —Rhonda

Y’all, I’ve been using Logitech mice for years — decades, even — and they have never steered me wrong. They fit really nicely under the hand; the buttons press well and click satisfyingly; and the scroll wheel is just *chef’s kiss.* My current one is finally on its way out after many years of heavy use — and I am heavily considering swapping it for this one in that beautiful blue colorway. Ugh! So pretty!

Promising review: “Exceptional mouse that survives mauling and works! Is it a mouse? Yes. Is it fancy? No. Is it cute? Yes. Does it do what it needs to do? Absolutely. Does it survive being mauled by a puppy AND still work? Yes. Have I ever replaced one due to it not working? No. Does it connect with ease? Yes. Is it really that cute? Yes (everything purple is cute). Would I recommend? Yes. Do I need anything more for basic laptop use? No. Do I love this mouse? Yes. Do I use it for hours on end every single day? Yes. Have I replaced the battery? Yes. (once a year maybe?) Is it affordable? Yes. Do you really need anything more? No. Should you buy this mouse? Yes.” —Kathy

Price: $9.88+ (available in four colors)

Promising review: “Just get itttttt! I love it! 😭🥰 Not only is it aesthetically pleasing (and comes exactly as described), this thing is so smooth and feels so great to the touch, and is so quiet! It's lightweight and the perfect small size. Not what you'd call compact, but definitely smaller than your regular keyboard, all without sacrificing all the needed keys. And at this point, there are no connectivity issues. Still testing out battery life, but so far so good! Great purchase! Truuust me, you won't regret it.” —anonymous

Friends, I am very particular about my pens — and these? These are my pen of choice. They’re sturdy. They click satisfyingly. And, crucially, they write super smoothly — no skipping, ever. I also appreciate that the barrels have a subtle window on them so I can always see the ink level; I never, ever get caught with a pen that has secretly run out of ink on me.

Promising review: “You can't beat these pens. Back to buy more, as these pens always disappear from my office. I work in a large agency that supplies office products, but they cheap out on pens. I make it a point to have a personal stash of these for my desk, bags, auto. They simply are the best pens on the market. Work even when freezing cold, write smoothly with no globs, ink dries quickly. I have horrible handwriting and find my notes are easier to read when I use this pen. I wish they offered blue ink in smaller sets, but will settle for black because they are so good.” —Plainman

Promising review: “So many uses! Good price. I had gotten these to use in our camper, to help keep things from rolling around while we travel. But when I saw a review with a recommendation for using them in the bathroom medicine cabinet, I got excited. I had no clue that the long thin blue organizers would fit there, and immediately had to order more. They work beautifully! This variety size pack is great for the price. I am using the larger gray ones to hold my Christmas cards as I finish them, while await the time to drop them in the mail. There are just so many uses for these things, as the flexibility of them makes it easy to maneuver them into tight places. They are light, and easy to keep clean.” —Brenda

Promising review: “NO STEP STOOL NEEDED! This item is perfect! With the extendable handle, you can reach places like cobwebs in the corners of ceiling where cobwebs accumulate. Who knows where they come from! It reaches behind and under the sofa without having to move it. Just the greatest little duster.” —anonymous

Look. I got a fancy, bagless, cordless stick vac similar to this one a few years ago. And although it seemed like an absolute extravagance at the time, I have never once regretted that purchase. I can vacuum my entire, three-floor townhouse — which also houses three cats and all of the loose cat hair that goes along with them — in about 45 minutes. 100 percent worth the investment.

Promising review: “IMPRESSED! This item exceeded my expectations and has made my cleaning so much easier! I’m impressed by the pickup power. I can do my entire small home on one charge! We have two dogs and two cats, and it’s amazing what this vac picks up… from both carpet and wood floors!” —RaeLynne

Promising review: “I absolutely loved this!!! It got year-old Kool-Aid off my counters, and it whitened the bathroom grout with a scrub. I sprayed it directly on the floor and mopped with my spin mop and very hot water... It works great in tubs, too!” —rebecca

Price: $4.94+ (available individually or in a three-pack)

Promising review: “Mind BLOWN! 🤯 I can't get over what a miracle worker this stuff is! I was so bummed that my brand-new pan had these cooking marks on it — they weren't washing off. So I did some research and people recommended Bar Keepers Friend. It's inexpensive. It works fast with minimal effort. And my pan looks brand new again! 🙌🙌 The attached photo shows the before and afters of the inside and the bottom. Customer for life!” —anonymous

Price: $2.64+ (available individually and in multi-packs)

Promising review: “It totally works! The price of this product seems a bit high at the outset, but it was totally worth every penny. I've been dealing with dry and cracked fingertips that would bleed and were very painful. I used a prescription ointment at night and moisturizer during the day, but they only mildly improved the problem, and the cracking returned quickly. I tried the Working Hands cream (following the directions on frequency of application) and started to see results immediately. I've been using the product consistently for a week, and my fingertips are almost back to completely normal. I've been able to go to bed at night without the painful stinging in my fingertips. This product has made a huge difference in my quality of life. If you're someone who's suffering from dry and cracked fingertips. Don't hesitate to try this product. If you follow the directions and keep on top of the application, then it will work.” —Bill

Promising review: “Best I've ever had — can't go wrong with this one! Best Dutch oven I've ever owned. Well designed, heavy and quite beautiful. The lid itself has an interior dimpled surface to collect steam and drop it evenly throughout the interior of this Dutch oven. Has an additional Bakelite lid handle, but I like the one it has right out of the box. The item was packaged extremely well. There was a triple layer of boxes to protect it during shipping. Very thoughtful. The coating inside is flawless and durable. The exterior color is vibrant and chip resistant. All in all, this is a fantastic piece of cookware for a great price — well worth the money.” —Scot

Price: $39.97+ (originally $49.97+; available in nine colors)

Promising review: “Worthy of the money! This is a must-have item! I've used them consistently and no longer waste produce (looking at you, strawberries). This is the second set I've purchased, and the newest ones no longer have the green inset on the bottom, so I will see if they perform as well. I estimate that I've managed to keep berries for at least two weeks after purchase without molding as long as the produce is fresh when purchased.” —Gigi

Promising review: “This is the easiest to operate. It works amazingly well whether you use any of the five methods. Your food always comes out perfectly!! It takes up very little counter space and is beautiful sitting out. I would recommend this purchase to anyone. It's definitely a great price point, and its basket seems bigger than 3 quarts. It holds a lot! If looking for a great addition, this is really the way to go!!” —NoName

Price: $49.96 (available in nine colors)

Promising review: “I highly recommend this. Everyone in our house has long hair, clogging our shower drain constantly. We had to snake out our shower every couple of weeks. The Shower Shroom has completely stopped that issue! It's very easy to clean. I loved it so much that I ordered the Sink Shroom for the bathroom sink, and it's excellent also. Highly recommend these two products.” —kortney

The six-piece set includes two bath towels, two hand towels, and two washcloths.

Promising review: “These are the BEST towels! Just buy them! I love these towels! They're such great quality. Thick and luxurious. They wash very well. I've bought several sets, and I highly recommend them. Great value for the price. They seem high-end.” —Jean

Promising review: “Best mattress we have ever bought! We have cheaper and more expensive mattresses. This is by far the best. It has the perfect softness and firmness. We bought this to replace a guest room mattress. It's hard to explain, but my wife and I are now thinking about replacing our much more expensive master bedroom mattress with this.” —customer

Price: $178+ (available in sizes twin–king)

* Upgrade Your Kitchen Without Breaking The Bank: 27 Walmart Items That’ll Transform Your Cookspace

* Fun Walmart Products…Because Every Purchase Doesn’t Have To Be A Practical One

* Walmart Products That Come Highly Recommended From Reviewers

* Things From Walmart That’ll Help Your Whole House Give Off Cozy Fall Vibes

* Walmart Products So Practical, Buying Them Feels Like The Responsible Thing To Do

* Walmart Products That'll Make New Parents Feel Like They've Got An Extra Pair Of Hands

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.