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These brands will do the same job as the more expensive ones...and help you save your hard-earned money.
Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.
2. Instead of an Apple case, try Incipio.
Apple / Incipio / Jeff Barron
Apple cases get the job done, but you pay that premium for it. Incipio will give you the same coverage but for a third of the price.
3. Instead of Shun kitchen knives, try Tojiro.
Shun / Tojiro / Jeff Barron
Shun knives are a prized possession in any kitchen, but if you're just getting into the cooking game, $140 is a lot to pay up front. Try the Tojiro. It's $97 cheaper, and you can put that money toward another knife or accessory.
4. Instead of a Vitamix blender, try Cleanblend.
Vitamix / Cleanblend / Jeff Barron
Vitamix makes solid blenders (the kind that will probably destroy anything you put in there), but shelling out nearly $500 isn't on the table for most people. Cleanblend is a relatively new company that has caused a stir in the blender rankings. It will do just as good of a job, for only $200.
5. Instead of Bose noise-canceling headphones, try Audio-Technica.
Bose / Audio-Technica / Jeff Barron
The Bose QC25 has cornered the market on noise-canceling headphones. If you've ever commuted, you generally see them on trains and planes. If you're looking to join the silent gang who want nothing to do with whatever nonsense is happening around them, take a look at the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b. Their price has dropped substantially, and they have delivered nearly the same value for the money.
6. Instead of a Cuckoo rice cooker, try Hamilton Beach.
Cuckoo / Hamilton Beach / Jeff Barron
Rice is somewhat of a miracle food. It's cheap, it's easy, and it pairs well with a lot of different food groups. Companies like Cuckoo have rice cooking down to a science. But is simply cooking rice worth a $220 appliance? If you're looking for a rice cooker that just cooks white rice well, and cooks a lot of it — look no further than the Hamilton Beach. It has it in spades.
7. Instead of a Le Creuset ceramic Dutch oven, try Lodge.
Le Creuset / Lodge / Jeff Barron
In this test, both of these brands performed exactly the same. At a $265 price difference, you could buy almost six Lodge Dutch ovens for one Le Creuset.
8. Instead of a Dyson vacuum, try Shark.
Dyson / Shark / Jeff Barron
If you're looking for a simple bagless upright vacuum that does what it says on the packaging and does it well, look to the Shark Navigator. The Dyson Ball has some fancier features, but for most people's uses, the Shark will have your floors covered. Or rather they won't be covered, because you will have just vacuumed.
10. Instead of a Nespresso machine, try an Aeropress.
Nespresso / Aerobie / Jeff Barron
I know it's hard to compare a machine to a simple coffee press when it comes to coffee gadgets, but they are both trying to achieve the same result: a solid espresso. With the Aeropress, it may take a little more time, but you'll be able to control more aspects of your coffee than you would with a Nespresso machine...not to mention you can use your own grounds and save money on coffee in the long run.
11. Instead of a Yeti tumbler, try a RTIC.
Yeti / RTIC / Jeff Barron
Yeti and RTIC are two brands that have a strong following. According to this test, the RTIC tumbler performed just as well as the more expensive Yeti across the majority of the temperature tests. Save your money and go for the cheaper one.
12. Instead of a Herman Miller desk chair, try Ikea.
Herman Miller / Ikea / Jeff Barron
I think most everyone would agree that it is worth investing in an object that you use for many hours a day. At the top the of the office chair line, the Herman Miller Aeron Chair sits king at over $900. While it's an excellent chair, most of the time people aren't buying them for their personal use: It's usually the business that is paying for it. So if you want a somewhat comparable chair that keeps up with the more pricey ones, take a look into the Ikea Markus. Readers of Lifehacker agree.
13. Instead of a Harry Josh hair dryer, try Conair.
Harry Josh / Conair / Jeff Barron
The Harry Josh Pro Dryer is one that many beauty editors swear by, but if you're looking for something to just make your hair not wet, then you're gonna be just fine with a Conair Tourmaline. It comes with a diffuser for curly hair, and at less than a pound, it weighs less than the Harry Josh (for when you're trying to get those high angles).
14. Instead of a Dyson room fan, try Seville.
Dyson / Seville / Jeff Barron
There is no denying that the Dyson Air Multiplier has the Seville beat on looks, but for $140 less, you get the exact same features.
15. Instead of a Sonicare toothbrush, try Oral-B.
Sonicare / Oral-B / Jeff Barron
For $140 less than the Sonicare, you can buy an Oral-B that does the same job and is actually superior. The Oral-B is cheaper, has all the features of more expensive brushes, and has a wider range of brush heads.
