There are only 24 hours in a day — but boy, do we wish we had a few extra every now and then.
Between the back-to-school frenzy and the rush to pack as much as we can into these final few days of summer, we're all scrambling for time right about now.
Luckily, certain items can help us expedite the aspects of our routines that we wouldn't mind shaving some time off of, so we can skip right to the good stuff. To share our favorite hacks, Shop TODAY contributor Makho Ndlovu stopped by Studio 1A with a few of the August bestsellers our staffers (and Amazon reviewers!) swear by. We're talking time-saving finds that help us buy back a few minutes in our day, from boiling water quickly to styling our hair while we sleep.
Without further ado, we’ve rounded up the best Amazon time-saving finds below to help you get the most out of your 24 hours.
Time-saving products seen on TODAY
If you want bouncy curls without the hassle or heat damage, try this overnight beauty hack that just won in Shop TODAY’s first-ever Sleep Awards. It comes with everything you need: a cushioned satin curling rod and two satin scrunchies. Just pop it on before bed, and you’ll wake up with beautiful curls — no blow dryer or curling iron needed!
“This is my overnight hair savior,” reveals associate producer Alexa Arent. “Truly the easiest, quickest, and least harmful way to curl your hair. I wrap my hair before bed, and thanks to it’s comfortable design, sleep like a baby just to wake up with the most gorgeous curls.”
No more guessing if your pasta’s undercooked or mushy! This pasta maker is designed to cook all shapes of pasta evenly every time, so it’s perfect if you’re picky about texture.
“This cooks faster than the usual way, and it’s super easy — just measure, microwave, strain, and you’re done,” Ndlovu explains. “This saves so much time at dinner since you don’t have to constantly stir or add oil — making pasta cooking way simpler and hands-off.”
If you’re tired of tying laces, these shoelace replacements are the simple upgrade you didn’t know you needed allowing you to easily slide your shoes on and off. Since one size fits all, these elastic anchors are great for kids and adults alike. Plus, they’re available in over 20 colors, including a reflective option that’s ideal for runners or bikers.
This peel-off lip liner stain has been going viral on social media, racking up celebrity fans and over 15,000 Amazon customer ratings. Once you apply it and let it set, it gives your lips the perfect shape and a kiss of color that won’t budge all day.
“It’s super easy to use: just trace, wait, peel — no brushes, no smudges, and no fading,” Ndlovu says. “It comes in a few flattering shades, so you can pick one that matches your style or skin tone.”
When it comes to cooking dinner, Ndlovu says the hardest part is usually all the prep — chopping veggies takes forever! Instead of spending all that time cutting, dicing and slicing your produce by hand, try this tool that gets the job done in seconds. It has a non-slip base and soft grip handle as an added safety precaution, plus it comes with seven different blades for chopping, slicing, shredding and grating.
Looking for an easy, cute dress you can wear all day? This versatile option is Ndlovu’s pick. She says little details like a flattering v-neck, comfy sleeves, and pockets make it stand out, with a ton of color options that will look great on any silhouette.
“Wear this for school drop-off, running errands, brunch or work in the daytime,” Ndlovu suggests. “For night time or going out? Add some heels and accessories — done!”
More Amazon August bestsellers and time-savers
Don't have time to blow dry? This brush combines drying and styling capabilities to leave you with a fresh blowout in a fraction of the time.
Tired of reapplying your lip color all day long? We love this peel-off mask for the pop of color it provides with minimal effort. According to the brand, it only takes 30 seconds for this stain to yield hours' worth of results.
Like your coffee cold but don't have time to brew a fresh cup every day? This cold brew maker can brew one quart of coffee at a time, so you can stay caffeinated for days at a time.
Save some time and set your devices to power on when you need them (we're looking at you, coffee machine) with this smart strip. We also think it will come in handy with holiday decorations.
Bike shorts are a staple in our wardrobes for active summer days and layering under dresses to eliminate any chafing. This latest drop from Amazon's own clothing line is a fast favorite because of its buttery soft feel and versatility — there's no debating what bottoms to wear when you've got these in your rotation.
Put down the iron! Wrinkles are no match for this handy spray. Simply spritz it directly onto fabrics from clothing to curtains, give your item a quick tug and watch as it releases crinkles and creases in seconds.
This award-winning sheet mask works while you sleep to help you save time in your skin care routine. It goes on opaque, but as it settles into your skin, the mask turns clear, helping you to wake up to moisturized, glowing skin.
Save yourself the trip to the tailor and use this editor-loved stitching tool instead. Just gather the fabric where you want to place a stitch, carefully poke the needle all the way through and squeeze the handle to stitch — no sewing skills necessary!
We can't always log a full eight hours of sleep, but this eye gel is just about as close to bottling that effect as we can get. The new launch contains key ingredients like retinol, collagen and peptides to visibly firm and lift the under-eye area, blurring lines and helping to fade dark circles over time, per the brand.
Sweater season will be here before we know it! Ease into the cooler months with this vest, which can be worn alone or layered over a collared shirt.
Skip the coffee shop line and tote your homemade iced coffee or tea in this tumbler. It has a whopping 40 ounce capacity and is also a great motivator to drink more water throughout the day. Since we've all been trying to reduce plastic exposure in our kitchens, we especially like that it's lined with stainless steel (the straw included!) to ensure that plastic isn't sitting in your drink all day.
We still have a few more weeks of sandal season, so do yourself a favor and grab this kit to save the time and money of frequent salon visits. According to vice president of commerce Ashley Parrish, this set is “not sexy, but the only thing that works between pedicures for soft feet.”
“For years I have struggled with a greasy/oily scalp,” senior partnerships editor Francesca Cocchi Zabloudil says. “I don’t love traditional dry shampoos because I have such dark hair, and because I feel like they contribute to build up rather than helping my hair feel clean. This is an innovative product because it sprays on wet... If I wake up and my hair is greasy I spray this on, rub it in for a few seconds and it looks like I just had a blowout! Hair strands go from separated and greasy to soft and fluffy. Now I use it multiple times a week and never travel without it.”
Busy mornings shouldn't mean you have to skip breakfast. This sous vide-style egg bite maker is family-sized to produce up to nine perfectly portioned servings in minutes. Plus, the surface doubles as a griddle for extra versatility in the kitchen.
Never wonder who’s at the door again! When you have a video doorbell, you can see, hear and talk to visitors from anywhere, with notifications sent to your phone when motion is detected by your door plus sharp night vision. It’s a smart buy for monitoring packages, skipping solicitors and round-the-clock peace of mind.
Meet the experts
- Makho Ndlovu is a Shop TODAY contributor and on-air expert.
- Shop TODAY is a team of shopping editors and writers who spend hours every day finding the best new products, tried-and-true favorites and more finds available on Amazon that are worth shopping, according to our high standards.
How do you add Shop TODAY as a Preferred Source on Google?
Google’s new Preferred Sources feature allows users to manually select their favorite publishers and news outlets for a more customizable experience tailored directly to the reader. Once you’ve opted to receive our content, you’ll begin seeing more of our recent and trending articles displayed within your Top Stories news feed.
The easiest way to add us as a preferred source is to click here and type in “TODAY.com.” Once the box is checked and you’ve refreshed the page, Shop TODAY content will start appearing in your feed.
How we chose
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews and even use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.
