12 Essential Items We Love Buying on Amazon

If you have trusty Amazon shopping hacks in your arsenal, then you know it can sometimes be tough to trust the reviews alone. However, by looking for patterns from brands you trust you can usually deduce which ones are worthy of a spot in your cart.

That’s the strategy that helped us find 12 essentials that are worth buying from Amazon.

For most people, cat litter is a heavy item that’s difficult to drag inside. So, having it delivered makes sense: you won’t have to schlep it yourself. As for a good brand with solid reviews, we’re fans of Slide litter from Arm & Hammer. One reviewer even called it the “gold standard.”

For $32.99 (with a subscription), you can get one box delivered every month.

Sparkling water has enjoyed skyrocketing popularity as people ditch soda in favor of a healthier alternative. One of the top brands is Perrier; you can get a 3-pack of 8-packs for $22.20 on Amazon. That’s definitely cheaper than at your local grocery store.

Nearly 6,000 reviewers give this item 4.8 stars. And, like cat litter, the heavy lifting can be done by someone else.

Self-care is important, and making sure to take your vitamins is part of the process. And if you want to indulge your inner child while doing so, Vitafusion’s gummy vitamins (150 for $11.88) can do that, too. With over 20,000 reviews giving them 4.8 stars, you can trust you’re getting a good product.

“Delicious and they deliver the vitamins I need,” one customer wrote. “Blood work shows the absorption is real.”

Just as taking your vitamins is self-care, so too is taking care of your oral hygiene. To that end, one of the most popular options on Amazon is 3D whitening toothpaste that’s made by Crest: a true dental brand OG. Over 50,000 folks rate this 3-pack for $11.42 at 4.8 stars.

Reviewers praise the efficacy of this toothpaste, but warn you to keep it off of your clothes and towels lest it bleach those too.

We always try to be as objective as possible, but it’s a challenge when it comes to Biotene’s dry mouth oral rinse. It’s an alcohol-free mouthwash that restores hydration in your mouth immediately, which is especially helpful at night. So why do nearly 20,000 reviewers swear by it?

“This stuff is brilliant, it tastes pleasant, and it's actually quite soothing,” one fan wrote. “I wouldn't be without it now.”

Dr. Bronner’s castile soap is a classic for a reason. It’s versatile, vegan, and checks all the boxes for being climate-friendly. We also love the peppermint scent that tingles when you use it, as do the over 5,000 shoppers who give this $9.99, 8-ounce bottle 4.7 stars.

But don’t expect too much: as reviewers point out, this soap isn’t effective for all the uses that it claims.

If your scalp tends to get itchy and flaky, a good product like Selsun Blue’s dandruff shampoo can be a lifesaver. Priced at $6.98 for an 11-ounce bottle, that’s bound to be cheaper than what you can score at the grocery store. Almost 12,000 ratings give it 4.7 stars.

“My husband uses this product religiously,” a fan of Selsun Blue shared. “It helps with dandruff so much.”

Convenient and effective, disinfectant wipes make cleaning up just a little bit easier. It’s why we love ordering six-packs of 80 lysol wipes on Amazon for a mere $17.50. And if you’re worried about the sustainability aspect, this product meets Amazon’s climate pledge standard.

This lemon and lime scented product has over 12,000 reviews giving it another solid 4.8 stars.

Garbage bags are one of those household staples that you are guaranteed to go through regularly. Plus, anything that helps combat odor is helpful, as long as the product is sturdy. Enter Hefty’s Fabuloso-scented garbage bags, found on Amazon for $14.96.

“The value is unmistakable,” one of the nearly 30,000 fans proclaimed. “[It’s] a great smelling bag that's strong as well.”

Another staple you’re bound to use often is bath tissue – and if the pandemic shutdown in March of 2020 taught us anything, it’s that it is wise to have a well-stocked supply. But don’t spring for the shoddy stuff; even though this 4-pack of 6-packs from Cottonelle is $22.24, it’s both durable and comfortable.

Almost 75,000 customers give this toilet paper 4.8 stars – an impressive tally!

Backaches, headaches, muscle aches – If you have a household full of folks who need pain relief from NSAIDs, stock up on these acetaminophen tablets from Amazon Basic. $10.58 will score you a bottle of 200 pills with 500 milligrams each; much cheaper than the drugstore cost.

“I stopped buying Tylenol because of the price and amount they give you,” one of almost 63,000 reviewers wrote. “This product does the same thing.”

Another money-saving option from the Amazon Basics brand is their 16-count pack of AA batteries, an ecologically-sensitive way to keep all of your remote controls and electronics charged around the house. The best part? It will only set you back $26.45.

The icing on the cake is the more than 115,000 customers who give this product 4.5 stars.

Amazon is the store where you can buy just about anything, but there are some products you definitely want to have. That’s why we did our best to cut through the static and share our favorites with you, backed up by the data.

Even if you’re under financial stress you can find deals that will help you weather the storm. That’s why Amazon became the juggernaut it did.