Prying open the packaging of your new gadget should fill you with excitement, not second thoughts. To avoid the sinking feeling that you have, once again, spent $80 on a device you don’t need, take note of these common pitfalls before you buy.

Say you need a robot vacuum. Like with any device, you’ll find the option that’s stupid expensive, the option that’s cheap enough to make you skeptical, and a lot of alternatives in between. Budget options often offer better value for those who don’t need a vacuum that memorizes your floor plan or mops your kitchen, but cheaper devices can also be a total waste $110 if they fail to get the basics right.

Cheaper goods that are actually duds might break down sooner, or work with fewer devices, skimp on safety features, or take three times as long to do the same job. We’re not saying that every cut-price bit of tech out there is a con—far from it— but bargain basement prices are only one of your considerations. Before you commit to a purchase you need to check what you’re getting yourself into.

So how do you spot a genuinely good value? The reviews are usually useful indicators (and don’t buy something if you can’t find at least a few user reviews). We’d also recommend sticking to well-known brands and brands you’ve dealt with before for most of the time. Don’t rely on reviews you spot on social media, either.

Take smartphones as one example: Extras like waterproofing, wireless charging, and a slot for a memory card may or may not be important to you, but either way you should be checking the whole package to work out why something is priced like it is. Then you can buy with confidence that your money is stretching as far as possible.

Source:https://www.popsci.com/how-to-get-best-deal-tech