4 Sleek Tech Finds You Can Actually Buy At Costco
From groceries and household essentials to $1.50 hot dogs and oversized furniture, Costco sells it all and usually at pretty great prices. One of the product categories that often sees good deals is consumer electronics, which is why it's recommended to buy your tech from Costco. While it doesn't have the same expansive selection as dedicated electronics retailers, it does stock up on utilitarian tech, such as this beloved USB gadget, cheap smart TVs, and smart home products.
But, more interestingly, it also carries several high-performance and sleek tech products that you probably don't associate with Costco, including smart rings made from titanium to open-ear wireless earbuds that look like jewelry. These products are typically sold at discounts or with bundled offers, which makes it enticing to buy them at Costco, rather than Amazon or Best Buy. So, here are four such sleek tech items you can actually buy from Costco.
Oura Ring 4
Oura Ring 4 is arguably one of the best smart rings you can purchase right now, and it's available at Costco. If you are someone who prefers to keep track of their health and fitness but find smartwatches a distraction, a smart ring can be a good alternative. Built from titanium, Oura Ring 4 not only looks premium, but is also pretty durable. It features sensors to measure your blood oxygen, heart rate, respiration rate, skin temperature, and movements to inform you about your activity and fitness, sleep quality, stress, heart health, and daily readiness.
In terms of battery life, it's rated to last eight days, meaning you don't have to worry about putting it in its charging cradle every night. One highlight of the version being sold on Costco is the inclusion of an extra charging puck. This way, you can keep it at a separate location, such as your office, to have seamless access to it when you need it without carrying it around with you.
Oura Ring 4 works with both Android and iOS smartphones, and you can buy it in Silver, Gold, and Black colors. Remember, you need an Oura membership to make the most of the smart ring, which costs $6 per month or $70 a year, and increase the overall cost of ownership. Some of its smart rings competitors, such as Samsung Galaxy Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air, have no such subscriptions.
Narwal Freo X Ultra
Costco's robot vacuum selection isn't massive, but you can actually get the Narwal Freo X Ultra in its catalog, which is an excellent robovac that shines at mopping and will set you back $700. As we mentioned in our Freo X Ultra review, there is much to like about it, including the ability to wash and dry the mop, a tangle-free roller brush, strong suction power, and a long battery life. It also comes with an interesting all-in-one charging dock that stores water containers and washing liquid, but lacks a container to transfer debris collected while vacuuming. Additionally, it has a sleek design and good build quality. However, its mapping system could be better and the replaceable dirt bags aren't great.
One good thing about buying the Narwal Freo X Ultra from Costco is that you get a massive accessory kit free with the robot, which includes more items than you would get from the company's regularly sold "advanced accessory kit." This will save you from spending a lot on the accessories in the near future.
Bose Ultra Open-Ear True Wireless Earbuds
Another audio gadget that you can find at Costco is the pair of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. It belongs to an interesting new category of open-fit true wireless earbuds that allow you to listen to music while letting the ambient sounds in normally. These can be a good choice for a number of use cases, such as outdoor walks or runs, or an office setting. Although the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds clip just above your ear lobe and don't get inserted into your ear canal, they deliver a pretty stable fit. This ensures they don't fall off or dislocate even when you are working out or doing intense physical activities.
The Bose earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 and are powered by Snapdragon Sound Technology. They are also rated IPX4 for water resistance to deal with a bit of sweat or water drops. The company claims a battery life of 7.5 hours on a single charge, which you can expand using the case that stores 19.5 hours worth of charge. That said, these Bose earbuds aren't exactly known for their sound quality and could do with better call quality. Costco is selling these for $300 in white or black color options. While the price isn't discounted, you can get a $50 gift card for free with your purchase.
iHome Portable Bluetooth Candle Speaker
If you're looking for a basic Bluetooth speaker that also doubles as a sound and light therapy device and a home decor item, Costco is offering the iHome Portable Bluetooth Candle Speaker. This $30 gadget features a candle-like design and packs a rechargeable battery that can sustain up to nine hours of audio output. You can connect it to your phone or another device and play music, podcasts, and more.
It even comes with various recorded white noise sounds to help you focus or relax. Plus, you can choose from different LED light therapy modes, nighttime lighting, or a flame-effect to mimic candle flicker. There are too many features in this little device. However, many Costco buyers found changing modes by repeatedly pressing the two buttons annoying. Additionally, the sound quality, as can be expected, isn't the most impressive or loud. Otherwise, it's generally well-liked.
How we selected these devices
While choosing sleek tech products that you can buy at Costco, we scoured the big box retailer's online store, including the unique tech gifts category, to pick the most interesting gadgets that are not only known for their good performance, as per reviewers, but also have modern and attractive designs that stand out. All our recommendations are well-liked by Costco shoppers and add value to our daily lives.