The Best Deals of the Day: September 17, 2018

Welcome to Deals of Note, where Gear Patrol captures all the best deals of the day. You can also follow all our deal posts in the Deals section. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

Vitamix

Vitamix S50 Blender
Save $39: Buying a Vitamix (or any other performance blender) is not a decision one takes lightly, and is typically reserved for the person who already knows or has researched what a Vitamix is capable of (hint: it’s not just for milkshakes). One overlooked aspect of buying a Vitamix, however, has nothing to do with its performance and has everything to do with a far more boring subject — square footage. The 5200 and the E310 (the two most accessible, popular models for home use) both take up a lot of countertop space when in use and cabinet space when in reserve.

Vitamix’s S50 blender, however, does not have this issue and is made to the same rigorous, unbending specifications its bulkier cousins are (that is to say its motor, blades and component, performance-related parts are all materials that do not wear down easily). More specifically, the S50’s base takes up 49-square-inches of real estate, where the other two take up 63 (the 5200) and 84 (the E310). The S50 also comes with two blend chambers — one for single-serve smoothies and a typical blender top — where the other two come with just the standard blend chamber. — Will Price

EchoRiver

EcoFlow River Backup Batter
Save $160: Backup batteries were once seen as overkill, as unnecessary for all except paranoid doomsday preppers. Now they’re just another common tech accessory that many tote around on a daily basis. These types of batteries are small, and usually only good for a few phone or laptop charges, which is sufficient for the needs of most. For those who need even more power though, there’s the River.
EcoFlow calls the River a power station, and it designed it to replace a gas generator that can be used base camp-style to power everything from small devices to mini fridges. The portable lithium-ion battery houses 11 ports — including four USB ports, two USB-C ports, two AC and DC outputs, and a 12-volt car port — that can be used at the same time for a total output of 500 watts. They can all be used at once too, as the unit will appropriately regulate the flow energy to each device that you’re powering.
Maybe it is overkill if all you need is a backup charge for your iPhone, but if you’re in search of a real power solution for off-grid pursuits, or something to have in a pinch when the power goes out, the River is an entirely viable option. Right now it’s also on sale at Huckberry for 23 percent off, which makes it $160 cheaper. — Tanner Bowden

Levis

Levi’s Denim Trucker Jacket
Save 61% Truth be told, there are but few singular items of clothing worthy of the word “essential.” Among them are a good pair of boots, well-worn jeans, a cozy hoodie and, at least stateside, a denim jacket. And there’s no more affordable, less fussy or more iconic design than that of Levi’s denim trucker. Unchanged (for the most part) since 1962, its shape and design is the standard to which you compare all other denim jackets. One-hundred percent cotton, machine washable and supremely cool, the Levi’s trucker is 61 percent off today on Amazon, making it $35. — Will Price

New

New Balance Sneakers
Save up to 35% Off: Boston-based New Balance could easily be called a heritage running brand. Founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company, the brand mainly sold supports until 1960, when it manufactured the world’s first ripple sole running shoe. In 1972, the current chairman of New Balance, Jim Davis, bought the company, and with only six associates working to build shoes, began to lay the framework for a manufacturing network in the Northeast. The rest, as they say, is history.

The brand’s running and lifestyle sneakers are an industry standard, manufactured in factories in Maine, Massachusetts and overseas. If you’re looking to pick up a pair of classic kicks, you can save up to 35 percent on a range of New Balance sneakers now at Nordstrom Rack. Including the 574, the 520 and the 515, among others, prices are all very reasonably priced and cost $65 or less. — John Zientek

Bondhus

Bondhus 9-Piece Wrench Set
Save $13: Anyone who uses Allen wrenches a lot knows the necessity of always having the right sizes available — and trying to do any kind of work without the right piece of equipment can be a total nightmare. But thanks to this deal, you have no excuse for those gaps in your toolbox.

Bondhus uses a proprietary material for these tools called Protanium™ which is up to 20% stronger than what other toolmakers use. And if you’ve ever broken off the end of a wrench trying to loosen a difficult bolt (I have) you’ll understand why this matters.

The wrenches also feature balldriver ends for angled fits, allowing you to work on hard-to-access spots easier than with standard wrenches, and the chrome-like finish makes them corrosion-resistant and easy to keep clean. All in all, this nine-piece set would be a great buy for their regular price of $23, and at only $10 this set is a downright bargain.

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