The 31 most popular products Insider readers bought in 2021 - from a book on how to get rich to teeth whitening strips
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Amazon; Walmart; Rachel Mendelson/Insider
- 2021 had a tough act to follow, but there was no shortage of events that determined what we bought.
- Along the way, we found and recommended the best products and services to help see you through.
- Here are the 31 products that were the most popular with our readers this year.
While we'd all hoped that the pandemic would history by now, it continued to dictate many of the products and services we considered and recommended, and moreover, the ones you bought throughout 2021.
And as we all spent more time indoors self-isolating, new hobbies continued to crop up for many. From bread baking to taking online academic courses, people got creative when it came to entertainment. Of course, we also stuck to some classic solutions like streaming our favorite shows and listening to podcasts.
Through all the twists and turns 2021 brought, our Insider Reviews team strove to bring readers timely and helpful information. Whether it was finding the best deals on AirPods, reviewing face masks, or building a comprehensive guide to the best thermometers based on expert advice, we helped our readers navigate these challenging times.
From cockroach traps to umbrellas and steaming devices to dog collars, these are the products that you bought most, and to some degree the ones that defined 2021 AD.
Here are the most popular products of 2021:
Lily Oberstein/Insider
Made with breathable, soft bamboo fabric that doesn't cause moisture to build up from your breath, Halo's Nanofilter mask comes with removable filters that only require changing every 200 hours (give or take). It also has a replaceable latex nose pad under the pinchable clip to give you a tight and comfortable fit, especially with glasses on (no fogging!). Plus, it's black so it matches everything.
Read our guide: The CDC recommends everyone wears a face mask indoors regardless of vaccination status — here are 22 we swear by
A rechargeable vibration dog-bark collarDogRook
Instead of emitting a shock, the Dog Rook Bark Control Collar vibrates when it detects barking. When your dog barks, the collar will administer a short beep, then a longer beep, then a beep plus vibration (there are seven different vibration settings). Once the collar reaches the seventh level, it enters a one-minute hibernation mode.
Read our guide: The best bark collars and deterrents
A microfiber dusterAmazon
It's no surprise that people spent a lot of time cleaning at home this year, so it also comes as no surprise that our home-product expert's top-recommended duster was one of our readers' most-bought products. The specific appeal of this particular duster from OXO? A removable and washable head means less waste and no extra expenditures.
Read our guide: The best dusters we tested in 2021
A travel umbrellaAmazon
Complete with a lifetime warranty, the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella — our favorite in our guide — is supported by nine resin-coated fiberglass ribs, which is what keeps it open and sturdy compared with most other six- and eight-rib umbrellas. And, at under one pound and less than a foot in length when collapsed, it's among the lighter offerings on the market, too.
Read our guide: The 5 best umbrellas of 2021
An economical mousepadSimon Hill/Insider
A mousepad can really tie your home office together, and at $10, the Razer Gigantus V2 hardly breaks the bank for such a major improvement. Our expert favored this one for its balanced surface, speed, and precision as well as the option for different sizes.
Read our guide: The 6 best mousepads of 2021
A best-selling guide to personal financeAmazon
Ramit Sethi's "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" was first published in 2009 and has just recently been updated. In addition to really helpful beginner investing and money management advice, our former personal finance correspondent and Master Your Money expert, Tanza Loudenback, CFP, likes how Sethi introduces the concept of building a "Rich Life" for yourself and how to identify and get over your money hangups. "It's always relevant," Loudenback says.
Read our recommendation: 4 personal finance books that changed my relationship to money for the better
A personal breathalyzerAriana DiValentino/Insider
The BACtrack Trace Professional Breathalyzer was our tester's favorite of the six they tried this year. It puts out the most accurate readings and competed with much pricier options. Readers also bought a similar number of BACtrack's more professional-grade option, the BACtrack S80 Professional Breathalyzer.
Read our full guide: The 5 best breathalyzers to confirm your blood alcohol content is low enough to drive
Our top-recommended first-aid kitAmazon
The First Aid Only All-Purpose First Aid Kit packs 299 doctor-recommended supplies into a compact, soft-sided case about the size of a hardcover book. Neatly organized within, you'll find all the tools needed to assess and treat everything from a scraped finger and a heavily bleeding gash to a mild headache or high fever.
Read our guide: The 5 best first aid kits of 2021 for outdoor adventures, home emergencies, and full disaster prep
A premium streaming serviceTed Soqui/Contributor/Getty Images
Hulu offers a wide variety of shows and movies you can stream at home with short ad breaks for just $5.99 per month. Unlike Netflix, you'll be able to keep up with shows within as little as 24 hours after they've aired, so there's no waiting an entire year for a show's season to be released. If you want to skip the ads, you can upgrade to premium for $11.99.
Read our review: I pay $12 a month for the ad-free version of Hulu even though it costs twice as much as a basic subscription, and I have no regrets
An online course from YaleCoursera
Coursera tops our list of one of the best services we ever tested, and prices for its online courses start at, well, free.
We took Yale University's free course online, The Science of Well-Being, which teaches you how to be happier. It became the most popular class ever taught at Yale, and it struck a chord with online users, too. Available on Coursera, you can audit it entirely for free or choose to pay $49 for a certificate of completion.
Read our review: Yale's most popular class ever is available free online — and the topic is how to be happier in your daily life
A gift card that comes with nearly endless optionsAmazon
An Amazon gift card is about as good as cash these days, considering Amazon sells just about everything. In lieu of more personally aligned gift cards (which can be tricky to choose), an Amazon gift card is about as safe as it gets, letting them shop everything from clothes and kitchen gadgets to skincare and tech all in one easy place.
Read more: 42 gift cards you can deliver right to their inbox for a last-minute gift that still feels personal
A discreet solution for dealing with pestsAmazon
For dealing with common, small roaches, Combat's Max 12-month roach-killing bait stations are your best bet. Based upon our expert interviews, these are the quickest and easiest way to do away with the scuttling foes.
The black discs are compact, discreet and can easily be placed in drawers, under the fridge, behind the toilet, and just about anywhere else you might have an issue, and each of the 18 stations is effective for a year in most circumstances.
Read our guide: The best roach killers and traps
A strong lightning cable for your phoneAmazon
A good phone charger is a daily necessity. We named this cable from Anker our top overall pick and it looks like our readers agree as it was a top reader purchase this year. The Anker PowerLine Lightning cable is the best cord for most people thanks to its durable design, fast charging speed, and excellent price point. Anker's cables are also among the best products we've ever tested.
Read our guide: The best charging cables
A heavy-duty garden hose nozzleConnie Chen/Insider
We name Gardenite's Heavy-Duty, 10-Pattern Metal Watering Nozzle the best you can buy and refer to it as "the Swiss Army Knife of nozzles" because it does it all. Our tester liked its 10 spray patterns, easy adjustments, strong metal and rubber construction, and comfortable handle. And, throughout all of our testing, it hasn't ever leaked once.
Read our guide: The best garden hose nozzles
Compression socks for extra supportAmazon
SB Sox's Lite Compression Socks are our top pick of compression socks for those on a budget. Compression socks are one of those garments that seem gimmicky but science actually backs up their biggest claimed benefit: improving your circulation.
Good compression socks provide strong pressure from the ankle to the upper calf, giving your legs the extra support they need during rigorous exercise, long-haul flights, or long workdays. Thinner and lighter than many of our other picks, SB Sox's design compresses only a little less than our other recommendations but costs about one-fifth of the price of our top pick.
Read our guide: The best compression socks
Unlimited tunes on AmazonAmazon
Services like Spotify often garner more attention, but if you have an Amazon Prime account, then you already have access to basic Prime Music for free, which is a great way to further take advantage of paying for a Prime membership.
On the other hand, you can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited, which comes with 50 million songs. Prime members can get it for $7.99 a month, while non-members will pay $9.99 a month to use it. Between music, podcasts, and more, you won't have any trouble finding ways to get your money's worth — clearly, our readers haven't.
Read our review: Amazon's Music Unlimited streaming service offers surprisingly great value for Prime members — here's what it's like to use
An entry-level smart speakerAmazon
Amazon's Echo Dot series is always popular with our readers year after year. While our tech experts find the Echo Dot 3 to be the best value, readers favored the newer Echo Dot 4.
Currently priced at $49.99, the Echo Dot 4 may be an entry-level smart speaker, but it's tough to beat when it comes to quality for the price. Plus you still have the capability to talk to Alexa (with the same microphone built into its bigger siblings) and its small size can be a serious asset since it fits just about anywhere.
Read our guide: The best Amazon Echo smart speakers and smart displays
A straw that makes any water potableAmazon
LifeStraw is a must-have for campers and most other outdoor enthusiasts because it allows you to drink from pretty much any water source without needing to treat it. It's easy to use and a worthy addition to any camping packing list or emergency kit. Many of us at Insider Reviews keep them in our camping kits, daypacks, and car trunks, and judging by how many of you have bought them year in, year out, it seems our readers do, too.
Read our review: Why the $20 LifeStraw water filter deserves a place in any emergency kit
An improved version of the classic AirpodsCrystal Cox/Business Insider
Apple's Airpods Pro improve on previous designs in several ways, so it's no surprise that our readers bought them up this year. Our tech wizzes on the Insider Reviews team emphatically recommend them over other models for their adjustable ear tips, active noise cancellation, better sound quality, and water- (and sweat-) resistances.
Read our review: I've been using Apple's new AirPods Pro to see if they live up to the hype, and the verdict is a resounding yes — here's why
A brush to easily clean your grillKona
Most people don't enjoy the task of cleaning the grill, but both we and our readers find that Kona's 360 Clean Grill Brush makes it an immensely less loathsome chore. We mince no words when we call it your best bet based on our testing because it works in all directions to scrape away bits of food and built-up soot on the top, sides, and the bottom of the grill.
Read our guide: The best grill brush and cleaning tools
A customizable pillowCoop Home Goods
Our top overall pick for the best pillow after thorough testing, Coop Home Goods' The Original Pillow is ideal for just about any type of sleeper. What sets this pillow apart is the fact that the fill amount is adjustable so you can easily customize it to your preferred sleeping needs. In addition to being praisingly reviewed by verified buyers on Amazon, this pillow is also a favorite among our staff and one of the best products we've ever tested.
Read our review: This memory foam pillow is a hit with everyone I know — it can be customized to support many sleeping positions
A cost-effective teeth whitening solutionAmazon
Crest's 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips are another popular item with our readers year after year because they're an effective, dentist-recommended way to get whiter teeth without breaking the bank. Plus, since they use simple strips, you won't have to deal with any uncomfortable mouth trays. They're also our top choice in our guide to the best teeth whitening kits.
Read our guide: The best teeth whitening kits
Amazon's best, and most waterproof KindleAmazon
If you're on the hunt for a relatively affordable reader, the basic Kindle is all you need, but the Kindle Paperwhite (note, there is a newer Kindle Paperwhite out now) is a worthy upgrade and was the most popular e-reader with our readers this year. Apart from access to thousands of books anytime, anywhere in one slim and easily transportable place, you also get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free when you purchase.
Read our review: Amazon's entry-level Kindle is a great ereader for people on a budget who want to get into ebooks
Guards to protect your furniture from cat clawsAmazon
We must have a lot of cat-loving fans because Furniture Defender's Cat Scratch Deterrents are high on the list of items you all bought most this year.
The clear covers are easy to put over couch ends and won't be too unsightly, but they will keep your furniture looking pristine, no matter how much your feline housemates may try to do what they do. They're not one of our top picks in our guide, but we do recommend them highly.
Read our guide: The best products to protect your furniture from cat scratching
A small but mighty 4K streaming deviceAmazon
In a sea of streaming devices, the Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote is our recommendation for the best Alexa-compatible one and a handy little device streams video in 4K straight to your TV. Some version or another of the Fire TV Stick always makes this list and it's not difficult to see why: its small size keeps it inconspicuous also makes it easy to take on the go so you always have your streaming preferences saved and at your fingertips.
Read our guide: The best media streaming sticks and devices
An affordable skincare mask that works wondersTarget
There are a lot of fancy skincare products on the market that will cost you. But this Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask has been an internet favorite at just $8, and our readers buy mountains of it every year (many rely upon it so much that they opt for the two-pound tub). We put it to the test and had incredible results, especially when mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar.
Read our review: This $8 clay mask is one of the most popular beauty products across the internet, and it's the only thing that has helped clear up my skin
Tax help that could save you thousandsTurbotax
Most of us need some professional help when it comes to the complicated system that is filing taxes. While TurboTax isn't the cheapest service out there, we found it was well worth the money and the best option after putting several products to the test (and you all have proven it's far and away the most popular).
Read our review: I tried 4 online tax programs, and TurboTax saved me thousands of dollars
Environmentally-friendly toilet paperGrove
Hoarding toilet paper may have been more of a 2020 thing, but many of you chose to continue to purchase it online and/or preemptively stock up for the next shortage. For the eco-conscious, Seventh Generation's 100% Recycled Extra Soft and Strong Bath Tissue is the best toilet paper you can buy for the environment based on our research.
Read our guide: The best toilet paper
Wallet-friendly toilet paperStaples
Meanwhile, for those on a budget, Scott is your best bet based upon our guide, and it remained a top purchase among readers in 2021, too. It features 1,000 sheets per roll and gets the job done without hurting your wallet.
Read our guide: The best toilet paper
Jumbo toilet paper rollQuill
While these professional jumbo rolls are typically found in, say, a stadium bathroom, if you seriously want to stock up at home without having to buy multiple rolls, these 1,000-foot Brighton Professional Two-Ply rolls from Quill are a good option, and it would seem some people still seriously wanted to stock up. As supply chain issues continue to loom, there's plenty of wisdom in that.
They're not a top pick in our guide to the best toilet paper, but we still find them well worthy of your pantry if you happen to have the space.
Read our guide: The best toilet paper
A thermometer to check for feversAmazon
Another top product that got bought up quickly due to the pandemic, iProven's DMT-489 Forehead and Ear Thermometer is always good to have on hand at home or in any first-aid kit and as reliable as they come. After rigorous testing and consulting with experts, this is our top choice for the best thermometer you can buy.
Editor's note: This product is selling out fast due to COVID-19 and is currently out of stock.
Read our guide: The best thermometers to check for fevers
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