5 Amazon Basics Gadgets That Users Swear By

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Amazon has branched out to numerous sectors and countless niches in its rise to its current position as one of the biggest brands in the world. One of its tools in this endeavor has been the Amazon Basics brand, an in-house brand that sells a multitude of products across numerous categories like office supplies, exercise equipment, and home goods. Naturally, there are plenty of gadgets and electronics sold under Amazon Basics as well, and some of them have been quite well-received by shoppers.

Amazon Basics' electronics selection includes various small gadgets and accessories, with a particular emphasis on power solutions, audio equipment like microphones and speakers, and data storage. Since all of these products are Amazon-branded, they are generally cheaper than comparable products from the major electronics brands. While it would be fair to be wary of cheap, store-brand products in some cases, Amazon shoppers swear by these gadgets, with large numbers of reviews providing impressive scores.

All the products we've selected have at least 4 out of 5 stars in user ratings and over 3,000 reviews. That's why they're among the top Amazon Basics gadgets you can pick today.

While it would be nice to have huge, powerful speakers for your PC, not everyone has the cash or desk real estate to facilitate such a setup. If you want something a little smaller and simpler, Amazon Basics has a couple of options available. One of the most popular alternatives is the Amazon Basics Stereo 2.0 Speakers, available for $14.20.

These plug-and-play speakers connect to your PC or laptop via a 3.5mm audio jack to provide simple, pleasant audio enhancement. You can still control the volume from your device if you like, though the speakers themselves also have an in-line cord if you just want to do it by hand. The basic version is colored black, and there's a silver version for a few dollars more. Both have a cool blue underglow effect, just for a little extra personality.

At the time of writing, the Amazon Basics Stereo 2.0 Speakers are an Amazon's Choice product, with over 77,000 users giving them a cumulative 4.4 out of 5-star rating. Users were surprised by the quality of sound these speakers deliver in spite of their size, making them especially good for improving sound on laptops. One user notes that, if you max the volume out, the sound can get a little distorted, but they liked the speakers in spite of that.

Letting your PC or smartphone be subject to constant power blackouts or brownouts is not good for its electrical components, and that's not mentioning how inconvenient power interruptions are when you're working. To solve both problems, try the Amazon Basics UPS Battery Backup and Surge Protector, the cheapest version of which is available for $59.32.

An Uninterruptible Power Supply is an offshoot of a surge protector that not only protects whatever's plugged into it from dangerous power surges, but also uses an internal recharging battery to provide a few minutes of extra power during shortages, so you can safely turn off your devices. The Amazon Basics UPS has a 400VA/255W internal battery, which can provide about six minutes of extra power at half load. It has three battery-backed outlets for devices you want to keep on and three surge-protected outlets for simpler protection, and it's small enough to fit comfortably on your desk.

Over 14,000 Amazon shoppers have given this UPS a cumulative score of 4.1 out of 5 stars. Several users attest to its effectiveness during power surges and outages, as well as its longevity. One user noted that the UPS lasted for about five years before its effectiveness started to decrease, which is still a pretty good value.

You have to replace your charger when you lose it, but there's a distinct chance that whatever you get won't be as good as the original or will cost more. For a good middle ground between cost and effectiveness, there's the Amazon Basics USB-C Wall Charger, with the 65W version available for $24.26.

This simple folding wall charger delivers 65 watts of power to any USB-C-compatible device, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. It has integrated protection against over-voltage, overheating, and power surges, and is made with Gallium Nitride components that waste less power and produce less heat. The actual charging speed you get out of it will depend on what you're charging, but it's compatible with most fast charging systems, with the exception of Samsung PPS fast charging.

The Amazon Basics USB-C Wall Charger is an Amazon's Choice product, with a 4.5 out of 5-star rating backed by over 7,600 user reviews. Buyers agree that the power delivery and speed are more than sufficient for quickly charging most personal devices, with one user saying it charged even faster than their old Apple-branded charger. The only notable complaint, as one user points out, is that the charging prongs are a little loose in some outlets.

One of the first and foremost names in microSD cards is SanDisk, which sells compact storage on Amazon in various capacities and prices. If you're looking to save a couple of dollars on your next microSD card purchase, though, you can get an Amazon Basics microSDXC card in most of the same storage sizes for slightly less money than a SanDisk card. An attractive model offers 128GB for $15.99.

The Amazon Basics microSDXC cards are designed to store a variety of data for quick and easy retrieval. The model users recommend has read and write speeds of 200MB/s and 150MB/s, respectively, and can be inserted into all kinds of devices like smartphones, cameras, laptops, drones, and gaming consoles (though it won't work with a Nintendo Switch 2). For an extra bit of convenience, all cards come bundled with a microSD to standard SD adapter, letting you insert them into devices with an SD card slot.

Amazon Basics' microSDXC cards are another Amazon's Choice product, with over 4,200 users giving them a cumulative score of 4.7 out of 5. Several users swear that these microSD cards have faster read and write speeds than other major microSD brands. 

Modern smart home frameworks like Amazon Alexa allow you to interlink the devices in your home and control them all remotely with your phone and voice. Simple smart accessories will make your home feel more luxurious with just a bit of tech. Of course, not everything is smart home-compatible, so they may not be able to join the system on their own. If you want to get those random gadgets in on the fun, plug them into the Amazon Basics Outdoor Smart Plug, available for $23.99.

This simple peripheral is meant to serve as an intermediary between your external outlets and the devices connected to them. Just connect up to two devices to the Smart Outdoor Plug, then connect it to your standard outlet. Once it's in, you can easily sync the plug up with the Amazon Alexa app on your phone to remotely power it on or off. You can also use the app to set up schedules, having whatever's plugged in activate or deactivate at particular times of day. Don't worry about leaving the plug outside, as its IP65 waterproofing will protect it from rain and errant water splashes.

The Amazon Basics Outdoor Smart Plug has a user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on over 3,200 user reviews. Several buyers praise the ease with which they set the plug up on their Alexa framework, using it for outdoor lights and utilities like bug zappers. The only complaint in the top reviews says that Alexa is a bit fussy with setting schedules, though they concede that's more a problem with Alexa itself than the plug.

Amazon Basics products may be cheaper on average, but it's always important to stick to highly-regarded products no matter the price. This is why, in order to select these products from the Amazon Basics Electronics department, we focused on items with a user rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars. Additionally, to ensure these scores were properly weighted, we narrowed further to products with at least 3,000 user reviews.