The Best Deals Of the Week: July 2-6, 2018

Welcome to Deals of Note, where Gear Patrol captures all the best deals of the day. You can also follow all our deal posts in the Deals section. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

AmazonBasic

AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set
Save $23: You’ve heard it before: a sharp knife is the most important tool in the kitchen. So how about 18 of them? AmazonBasics’ Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set, currently 35 percent off the normal retail price, is a solid buy for new, or infrequent, cooks who don’t need top-of-the-line cutlery. It includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, 7-inch Santoku knife, 8-inch bread knife and eight steak knives, among others. They won’t last forever. But at this price, you don’t need them to.

Courtesy

A Pair of Rug Sales
Save Up to 80%: Relatively hidden in the post-July 4th internet deal festivities are two sales the frugal homeowner should browse — both, as it happens, are on rugs. Wayfair and Houzz both have fairly absurd deals going on around the thing you thrown down under your living room furniture and at the entrance of your house.

Starting this morning, Wayfair’s sale has hundreds of rugs — runners to massive area rugs — marked down as high as 80 percent. Lasting until Wednesday of next week, Houzz has a similarly enormous collection marked as low as 75 percent off. Both brands offer free shipping on an item-to-item basis. — Will Price

Forcefield

Forcefield
Save up to 50%: Not all motorcycle jackets and riding pants come with the best armor (some don’t come with armor at all), which, if you think about it, is the same as buying a car without seat belts, airbags and modern crumple zones. Sure, you can buy vintage cars for their style, but it’s just as risky to drive a vintage car now as it was back in the ’70s. Luckily, if you buy gear that’s sans armor, you can add it to your daily gear a lot easier than it is to add airbags to an old Porsche. And today, it’s even more affordable. Forcefield armored base layers and vest are on sale at up to 50% off. Now’s your chance to give yourself modern protection without altering your go-to riding jacket and save some money in the process. — Bryan Campbell

TNF

Get Awesome Outdoor Gear on the Cheap With This Sale
Save up to 55%: Backcountry is holding a major sale on a full range of outdoor equipment from The North Face. Save up to 40 percent on apparel, backpacks, tents and more. — Tanner Bowden

Soludos Convertible Original Espadrilles
Save 30%: As with summer clothing, summer footwear should be lightweight and breathable to keep you comfortable on the hottest of days. A great option for casual wear is an espadrille which typically features a canvas upper, a jute sidewall and a rubber sole. Soludos makes an affordable option called the Convertible Original Espadrille which has a leather heel that can be folded down. Worn with the heel folded down, the shoe takes on slipper-like qualities and adds a much more laid-back vibe to your outfit. Now, these espadrilles are 30 percent off at East Dane and cost just $60 — not a lot to pay for the amount of wear you’ll get out of them this season. — John Zientek

Goruck

GORUCK Special Forces-Approved Gear
Save up to 40%: If you’ve been following along with our coverage for a while now, you probably already know that we’re big fans of GORUCK. And if you’re relatively new to Gear Patrol, (welcome!), we’re big fans of GORUCK. Why? Because the brand’s mission is to build products that can hold their own in war zones but also make sense in everyday life. It’s a lofty goal, but GORUCK has managed to find that sweet spot through expert design.

To serve both of those purposes, everything is built to be super-durable with materials like 1000-denier Cordura nylon and functional features like MOLLE webbing and dedicated laptop sleeves come standard. You’d expect these bags to be overbuilt and bulky, but they’re not. Perhaps it all has something to do with the fact that GORUCK’s founder, Jason McCarthy, spent years serving in the US Army Special Forces and knows exactly what a bag should do. His first foray into product design was making go-bags for staff at US embassy in Côte d’Ivoire.

Now, GORUCK makes a full range of backpacks, travel bags, apparel and accessories. (This fall, it’s coming out with a boot, which we’re particularly excited about.) Most of it is currently on sale too, including its flagship product, the GR1, which is our favorite tactical everyday backpack. Normally $295, you can pick one up for $205 for a limited time. There are also backpacks available in larger and smaller volumes, built for whatever your daily needs may be — it’ll be the last bag you’ll ever have to buy. — Tanner Bowden

Made

Made In Stainless Steel Cookware
Save Up to 25%: Traditionally, premium cookware is pricey. But thanks to the direct-to-consumer wave washing over yet another product category, quality can be had for far less.

If you’re not willing to pay the All-Clad price, you now have options — the best of which being Made In. The brand is made in America, offers premium stainless steel and a tried-and-true 5-ply construction that’s made for durability and performance. The 5-ply structure — that being steel on the top and bottommost layers, aluminum layers and an aluminum alloy core — permit fast and even heating, while still being resilient to warping and degradation. If it means anything, I’ve been abusing Made In skillets at home for six months now and they still look and cook like new.

Fitting for a brand made stateside is a (admittedly modest) July 4th sale. The site is offering 10% off everything in the store, with discounts increasing the larger your cart gets. Value tip: the standard stainless and non-stick skillet kit is just under the $150 price threshold for a bigger discount — add a stainless steel cleaner for $10 for some added utility and a few dollars extra off. Discount applied at checkout. — Will Price

Onia

Onia Linen Shorts
Save 67%: As the summer heat progresses from pleasant to oppressive, consider augmenting your wardrobe with some linen garments. In general, linen fabrics are breathable, highly absorbent and quick drying — essential qualities for keeping your body cool on stifling days. If you’re in need of a pair of linen shorts, Nordstrom Rack has a great deal on a pair from Onia. Available in nine colors, the Austin shorts are 67 percent off and now cost just $40. — John Zientek

Nelson Rigg

Nelson Rigg
Save up to 40%: Most, if not all, ADV bikes don’t come with panniers as standard but can be optioned with them, plus top bags and tank bags. The problem with the factory bags is they tend to get pricey. Right now, you can get Nelson Rigg luggage gear, like tank bags, saddle bags, and dry bags, for up to 40% off. Cargo space is at a premium on two wheels, this an incredibly affordable way to bolster up your bike and live more comfortably out in the wild for the weekend. — Bryan Campbell

Target

Target Threshold Sheet Set
Save 25%: Buying sheets for your bed is supremely obnoxious. It’s an area few of us invest serious time educating ourselves in, yet we use the product every day of our lives and it’s possible there are more bullshit products than quality products on the market. Amazon’s Deal of the Day on Threadmill Home Linen’s sheet sets, marked down more than 60 percent, is a product in the former group.

For one, this brand is unknown — there is no storefront, few reviews and little reputation around the web. More importantly, the brand advertises thread counts which are in what I’m now calling the “bullshit zone.” One set is 600, the other is 800, both far above what is necessary in a bed sheet and what is possible without double weaving or further fabrication.

For your reference, thread count is a measurement of the number of threads in one square inch of sheet fabric — counting both horizontal and vertical threads. In our guide to all things bed sheets, founder of Authenticity 50 Jimmy McDonald put it more plainly: “pumped-up numbers with inferior, multi-ply yarn, the [thread count] numbers are often lies to begin with. A higher thread count doesn’t equate to better quality. Stay within the 200 to 300 range and you’ll be good.” Ariel Kaye, founder of Parachute, agrees, as did virtually every expert we’ve spoken to about sheets and sheet quality.

Instead of getting yourself tangled with a brand that’s relatively unheard of who has planted a red flag atop the products that are part of the deal, get Target’s sheets, which are also on sale. The sheets from the Threshold line not only topped our list of best cheap sheets, they’re lauded by the likes of Business Insider and Wirecutter as well. Usually $55 or so, they’re marked to just above $40 right now, and we’re certain there’s not an ounce of marketing trickery happening, either. — Will Price

Rancourt

Rancourt & Co. Footwear
Save 25%: Maine is something of a mecca for American-made shoes, and Rancourt & Co. is one of the shoemakers helping keep the dream alive. The brand makes tons of moccasins, boots and sneakers hand-crafted in Lewiston, Maine from high-end materials. These exclusive styles for Huckberry are a great example, as they use Chromexel leather from the famed Horween leather tannery in Chicago. Right now, Huckberry is offering a 25 percent discount on a few styles, so while quality, American-made shoes don’t come cheap, this sale makes them just a bit more accessible. — Andrew Connor

Coyuchi

Coyuchi Bedding & Linens
Save Up to 40%: Coyuchi makes very good sheets. More than that, they’re one of a few companies in the bedding and linens business who isn’t actively trying to trick you into spending more on pure bullshit.

To put a long, confusing story way too short: great sheets, towels and anything else that’s made comes from great materials. Coyuchi’s cotton comes from is organic and long to extra-long staple. The staple of the cotton is the length of the fiber pulled from a cotton boll — a longer fiber means fewer fibers needed to make a product, which means fewer areas for pilling and wear to arise. Coyuchi uses this cotton in all of their cotton products; specifically, they use Supima cotton, a specific, certified cotton that’s of the highest quality and durability. Its linen is that of a flax grown in France and woven and extracted in Portugal, and is hardwearing and absolutely mint for hot sleepers.

These materials are typically quite expensive, resulting in more expensive bedding and towels, but right now it’s a bit less so. Coyuchi is having a bit of an unprecedented Summer clearance on its wares — up to 40 percent cotton percale and sateen bedding and towels, as well as linen and jersey products. These are products that we don’t see go on this steep of a sale often — the costs of Supima and better construction usually don’t allow for it. Highlights include bath towels marked down from $48 to $28, steep discounts on cotton sateen sheets and an exceedingly cozy throw blanket that’s almost $100 off. — Will Price

RevZilla

All Velomacchi Gear
Save 20%: Right now, through July 14 you can save 20 percent on all Velomacchi gear at Revzilla. The entire Velomacchi line is inspired by the CEO and designer Kevin Murray’s time spent creating gear for US special ops and the Navy SEALS. It’s essentially military-grade everyday gear so it should have no problem standing up to your commute. — Bryan Campbell

Frye

Frye Edwin Chelsea Boots
Save 58%: Right now, leather boots are probably not on your mind when it comes to summertime footwear purchases, but every once in a while a deal comes along too good to pass up. Today, that’d be this pair of Edwin Chelsea boots from Frye. Made from a durable tumbled leather upper, a sponge rubber bottom, they’ll provide plenty of grip and comfort for years to come. Right now you can pick up a pair from Nordstrom Rack for just $139, a 58 percent discount from MSRP. Get ’em now and save them for when cooler temperatures eventually set in. — Andrew Connor

Ray Ban

Ray-Ban Sunglasses
Save up to 57%: If you’ve always fancied the style of Italian-made Ray-Ban sunglasses, but haven’t been able to stomach the list price, Nordstrom Rack has a deal for you. Currently, three different frames are up to 57 percent off and each one is selling for just $80. You have options including both polarized and non-polarized lenses, and black and Havana acetate frames. If that doesn’t do it for you, Backcountry is offering 25 percent off on a pair of polarized Aviators — they’re more expensive, but a completely different style. — John Zientek

Seavees

SeaVees Sneakers
Save up to 49%: The summer heat is just settling in, but there’s still a chance to score some warm-weather kicks for a good deal. Now at Huckberry, you can save up to 49 percent on a bunch of summer sneakers from SeaVees. Pick from slip-on or lace-up styles with durable vulcanized soles in a range of colorways — prices start at just $45. — John Zientek

Worn and Wound

Worn & Wound Watch Accessories
Save 15%: Every watch nerd knows the watch obsession doesn’t stop at just the watch. There’s a whole world of accessories out there — cases, pouches and tools — that will keep your watch protected and looking fresh. Worn & Wound, in particular, makes some excellent options, and if you’re in need of a new band of a protective case for traveling with your collection, now’s a great time to pounce, as its having a site-wide sale until July 8th. Simply use the code JULY42018 and you can score 15 percent off Worn & Wound’s wide selection of nylon NATOs, leather straps, travel cases, tools and more. — Andrew Connor

Alpinestars

Alpinestars New Land Gore-Tex Jacket
Save 33%: Any long adventure or touring ride will inevitably see a broad spectrum of weather. It might be sweltering riding through a desert during the day, but you better believe the temperatures will drop as quickly as the sun sets. And if your altimeter reading is on the rise so are your chances of seeing multiple seasons along the way — you don’t want to be caught unprepared. — Bryan Campbell

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