5 Electronics To Buy From Sam's Club On A Budget
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Membership-only warehouses make it easy to save on groceries and typical household items. And while Sam's Club might not be the first store that comes to mind when you need to purchase new electronics, it offers plenty of deals for those on a budget. From large yet affordable TVs to sound bars that'll make your media shine. If you know where to look, you can easily pick up some fresh tech without breaking the bank.
However, digging through websites and physical stores to research the most affordable products can absolutely become time consuming. This is why we've done the hard work for you, digging up a selection of quality electronics that should fit anyone's tight budget. Not only have we leaned on our expertise, but we've also taken into consideration professional and user reviews alike, all so we can come away with the best options while keeping things affordable.
If you happen to already be a Sam's Club member or you've been debating if you should pick up a fresh membership, this roundup is for you. Whether you could use a new laptop, a portable power bank for your phone, or a home security video doorbell to keep an eye on your front door, our hand-picked selection should fit the bill. These are the best electronics from Sam's Club you can buy right now on a budget.
Vizio 50 Class Quantum 4K QLED Smart TV
It often feels like everything is growing more expensive, especially electronics, but TV's have consistently been getting cheaper. Vizio, in particular, has made a name for itself selling affordable televisions with all of the features you'll find in competitors. And one of the most affordable sets at Sam's Club just so happens to be the Vizio 50-inch Class Quantum 4K QLED Smart TV, which will run you only $198. Best of all, one of store's member perks ensures you'll get a 3-year warranty with this smart TV purchase.
Many of the features you would expect from much more expensive TVs are here, from HDR10+, to Dolby Vision Bright+, and Vizio OS, a smart operating system compatible with over 300 apps. This smart TV is Wi-Fi 6-compatible, so your app streams remain lag-free (depending on your connection speed). However, its worth noting this is a 60Hz screen, so any mention of 120Hz for gaming in the Sam's Club listing is referring to motion smoothing, which you absolutely don't want to use for gaming. Still, for the price, 60Hz is totally fine for consuming an assortment of media and playing video games.
At the end of the day, this is a full-fledged smart TV experience at a price any Sam's Club member on a budget could appreciate. Verified Sam's Club users even note in customer reviews that the smart OS experience is comparable to Google TV, with lots of apps.
iHome 5000mAh Magnetic Power Bank
If you've ever been out when your smartphone ran out of power, you're probably already aware how helpful a portable power bank can be. And now that MagSafe accessories are commonplace, it's easier than ever to find the perfect battery pack to pair with your phone's/case's built-in magnet. Particularly, Sam's Club offers the iHome 5000mAh Magnetic Power Bank for less than $20, which typically retails for over $30 on competing storefronts like Amazon.
Beyond its portability and MagSafe compatibility, you can expect this 5000mAh battery pack to deliver 20W power, meeting the minimum threshold for fast charging and allowing users to fully top-off a typical modern smartphone in an hour or two. There's also a built-in screen to always show how much juice is left. A 6-foot fabric-sleeved USB-C cable comes with the purchase, but there is no power brick, so you'll have to supply your own.
Overall, if you're budget conscious and worried about running out of power when out and about, having an extra 5000mAh on hand isn't the worst idea when it can be had so cheaply. Even verified Sam's Club user reviews agree, calling out the convenience of the portable charger, which is a perfect daily companion thanks to its slim design. In other words, you can't go wrong adding this iHome 5000mAh Magnetic Power Bank to your everyday carry lineup.
Asus Vivobook 15
The MacBook Neo may have recently changed the game when it comes to affordable laptops, but there are still plenty of affordable options running Windows too. The Asus Vivobook 15 not only offers more RAM than the freshly released MacBook Neo at 16GB, but also packs 512GB storage and an IPS 1920x1080 screen, with a backlit keyboard to top things off. The $399 you'll pay for it at Sam's Club makes for an absolute steal. The laptop typically retails for $549, so snagging it when it's $150 off shouldn't be passed up.
Despite its large screen, the Vivobook 15 is both thin and light, clocking in at only 3.75 pounds, with a screen that can lie all the way flat if needed. The machine is also privacy-conscious, with a slide cover for the 720p front-facing cam. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 for speedy wireless connections, and with a 42Wh battery powering all this tech, you can get a full workday out of the Vivobook 15, averaging 8 hours of screen time with general use.
You'll be hard-pressed to find a laptop as powerful as the Vivobook 15 at a similar sale price, especially one sporting an Intel Core i5-1334U that's perfect for the rigors of the office as well as schoolwork. Users on social media have posted how it's a worthy laptop for college, with verified user reviews across Amazon (listed at almost double the price), calling out the roomy screen and the chipset's reliable performance. For those on a budget, the Asus Vivobook 15 shines bright in a sea of overpriced mediocrity.
Night Owl 2K Video Doorbell with Chime
Anyone who's had the pleasure of researching smart video doorbells already knows the challenge of snagging an affordable option, especially one without a subscription and paywalled features. With the Night Owl 2K Video Doorbell with Chime, you pay once for the product, and manage it fully yourself. This means you can hook the camera up to an external storage system with Matter support, or even to the cloud, and it has a built-in microSD slot to store your videos locally in a pinch. Plus, since this smart doorbell comes with a chime, you won't have to stress about tying the doorbell into your existing wiring beyond a power source (and the doorbell supports batteries, too).
As a smart device, you can rest assured there's an app available for Android and iOS, called Night Owl Protect, which lets you set up and control your doorbell locally or remotely. Similar to competitors, there's a two-way radio built in so you can give your local delivery person a little fright when you tell them where to leave a package. The unit is also weather-resistant, so you won't have to worry about big storms battering your doorbell to death.
You can snag this smart doorbell for $72.23, and know no other expense is necessary before you're up and running. This compares favorably to the many smart doorbells that cost twice as much and offer fewer features (to push you toward an endless subscription). Verified positive user reviews across storefronts like Amazon and Best Buy call attention to that and the Night Owl's video quality as particular reasons why it's worth the budget investment.
Vizio 5.1 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos
What better way to complement the Vizio TV in this roundup (or the TV you already have) than with a dedicated sound bar that won't empty your bank account? Vizio also sells inexpensive sound bars, and at time of writing its 5.1 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos on sale at Sam's Club for $149, $50 cheaper than competing stores.
This system can actually simulate 360 degrees of sound with the help of built-in support for formats like Dolby Atmos 3D and DTS:X, thanks to its 5.1 design (don't let the bar fool you, there are three speakers inside). Plus, the included subwoofer ensures explosions bang and cars crumple with plenty of booming bass. It's also worth noting that this particular soundbar is only 33 inches long, so when pairing it with a larger TV, say a 50-incher, you won't have to worry about whether the bar will fit on the same stand as your television (some soundbars are too long for their own good).
Built-in Bluetooth support means you can sync your favorite wireless headphones for some silent TV viewing sessions (perfect for anyone with Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids). Verified user reviews on Amazon all seem to agree that this soundbar beats out systems that cost three times as much, though the lack of an included remote means you'll need an app or a compatible Vizio remote, which could be an extra expense. Still, this is a compelling deal for those on a budget, even with that factored in.
Methodology
In order to properly determine the top electronics to buy from Sam's Club on a budget, we not only leaned heavily on our own expertise covering gadgets and technology for over a decade, but also consulted professional reviews, while absorbing verified user reviews across storefronts like Amazon and Best Buy, along with social media posts. This way, we can combine professional knowledge with that of the consumer to come away with a clearer picture of which products are worth everyone's time, and most importantly, money.