Amazon is essentially an IRL version of Ariel’s treasure trove, famously detailed in her The Little Mermaid number, "Part Of Your World." Only instead of a cavernous hole 1000 leagues under the sea, all that "neat" stuff is housed on digital shelves across the web. And, instead of useless, "whozits," "whatzits," and, "thingamabobs," Amazon’s best booty is a collection of secret weapon stuff that we never knew we needed and now we that we have it, simply can’t live without — a collection we’ve come to call, the hidden gems.
Since this particular online product ocean runs deep, we decided to poll an in-the-know pool of online-shopping mermaids across the country for their absolute favorite buys. From fashion to tech, beauty, travel, home decor, and health and wellness, the hidden gems’ list ahead covers products so unique that you may be entirely surprised to find they were snagged off Amazon. Scroll on to shop our secret treasure trove of Amazon’s hidden gems — and become a part of a world that’s filled with tiny succulent-shaped humidifiers, formal dresses, the softest shag rugs, sleep support gummies, pop culture coloring books, and more.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
An Affordable Formal Dress
Arianna, 27
How She Discovered It: "I was going to a black tie wedding and didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress, and I had an Amazon gift card so…I googled formal dresses on Amazon and found one with rave reviews. A lot of girls mentioned using it as a bridesmaid dress!"
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "I only paid $40 for it, I got a lot of compliments on it AND have turned multiple people onto the same dress, so a lot of my friends own it as well."
Ever Pretty One Shoulder Long Dress , $45.99, available at Amazon
A Cute Portable Mini Vacuum
Rebecca, 28
How She Discovered It: "I discovered it in the shuk while I was living in Tel Aviv. When I moved to NY I needed one for my new apartment so I searched on Amazon and voila! Now every person who comes to our apartment asks where it’s from and we give them out as gifts. We probably have at least 5 of them stocked in our closet right now."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "It’s just so useful! We keep it on our coffee table and use it at least once a night after we eat by the tv or have company over."
HONBAY Mini Table Dust Vaccum, $8.28, available at Amazon
Heartburn Relief & Sleep Support Gummies
Tina, 30
How She Discovered It: "Found it on Amazon after searching for nighttime acid reflex / sleeping aid."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "I suffer from both acid reflux and have a hard time falling asleep and this product seems to help a lot with both!"
Alka Seltzer Heartburn Relief + Sleep Support Gummies (Pack of 2), $22.96, available at Amazon
A Glamorous Swimsuit
Colette, 28
How She Discovered It: "I spent longer than I’d like to admit looking for a cute black one piece. I read a ton of reviews and finally landed on this one."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "Bathing suits are my least favorite thing to buy, but this one checks all the boxes. It’s well made, comfortable, cost only $25 but looks at least twice as expensive, and most importantly I feel really good in it. It’s the only bathing suit I want to wear for the rest of eternity."
Tempt Me One Piece Ruched Monokini Swimwear, $24.99, available at Amazon
A Mini Succulent Diffuser
Lou, 28
How She Discovered It: "During an internet deep-dive, searching for all things succulent themed."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "I, unfortunately, am a green-thumbless millennial living in the fabulous age of Plant Queens — so, this little essential oil diffuser that’s shaped like a succulent is the perfect solution for a stylish desk accessory that I cannot kill."
Round A’round Cactus Room Diffuser, $32, available at Amazon
An #OldCeline-Esque Alphabet Pendant
Marissa, 28
How She Discovered It: "Googling: Phoebe Philo Old Celine Alphabet Letter Charm"
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "I wanted the Philo-era Céline alphabet charm since it came out a few years ago but it was just out of grasp in price, even for an item I knew I’d wear all the time. After Phoebe left and you could no longer buy it in stores my thirst for the necklace became insatiable. When hunting down my letter with the good intention of buying it from a resale site like eBay, or Vestaire, Amazon’s witchy ways served up this *cough* very similar product. Since it was only $15, I talked myself into this naughty purchase reasoning that it was out of production. Anyway, it looks much better in person than in this photo and everyone including my friend who owns the real thing thinks it’s Céline, until I guiltily tell them it’s from Amazon."
Focal Look 18k Gold Plated Alphabet Jewelry Initial Necklace, $14.99, available at Amazon
A Hotdog Toaster
Sarah, 28
How She Discovered It: "Pretty sure I searched ‘hot dogs pretty’ in the Amazon search bar."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "My little sister was super in to Instagramming food at the time (a la ‘Food in the Air’) and was on a specialty hot dog kick. I got her this toaster, along with a hot dog cookbook called ‘WEINERS GONE WILD,’ to step up her game."
Maxi-Matic Hot Dog Toaster Machine, 2-Slice, $39.99, available at Amazon
A Trendy Down Jacket
Ashleigh, 28
How She Discovered It: "On a social media feed."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "It is the best winter coat I have ever had. It’s warm enough for the cold winters and trendy enough for my hip Brooklyn neighborhood. I own the grey one and always get so many compliments on it. My first response is always ‘Thanks! I got it on Amazon!’"
Orolay Women’s Down Jacket , $129.99, available at Amazon
A Travel Pack
Anna, 28
How She Discovered It: "Browsing through Amazon."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "I travel all the time and I hate checking a bag. I am a strong believer of backpacking over rolling luggage and I was thrilled when I found this gem. It’s the perfect carry on size, has so many pockets/compartments and is super cute in yellow. I always recommend it to people, especially those traveling to multiple countries!"
WASING Internal Frame Backpack with Rain Cover, $49.99, available at Amazon
An LED-Light Baseball Cap
Mia, 31
How She Discovered It: "Amazon search: ‘dog poop solutions.’"
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "I bought this as a present for my dad. He always walks our dog at night and the backyard and neighborhood is awfully dark. It’s hard to hold a flashlight AND pick up dog poop, so this hat offers a very special solution. Dad loved it and so did Skippy."
UltraKey Hands-Free LED Light Baseball Cap , $9.99, available at Amazon
A Bacon Tuxedo Puzzle
Laurie, 28
How She Discovered It: "My boyfriend at the time only had two interests, bacon and puzzles. This is what I gave him for Valentine’s Day."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "’Bacon Tuxedo’ is the greatest phrase I ever heard and still is to this day."
Accoutrements Bacon Tuxedo Puzzle, $38.99, available at Amazon
A Soft Shag Rug
Colleen, 28
How She Discovered It: "I spent weeks looking for a blush colored rug that was high quality and fit my budget and finally stumbled upon this lovely rug!"
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "It’s so soft, fluffy, and pretty and keeps my feet cozy and safe from my freezing hardwood floors. And you can’t beat the price for such a large and high quality rug."
Safavieh California Premium Shag Area Rug (4′ x 6′), $64.98, available at Amazon
A Cat-Shaped Chopstick Plate
Kate, 27
How She Discovered It: "Amazon searched, ‘Cat Spoon Rest’"
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "This is a chopstick rest plate, but I bought it for my mother to use as a coffee-stirring spoon rest. For my entire life she wakes up every morning, makes her coffee, stirs in sugar and cream, and leaves the spoon on the counter. It would then drip and leave a dried coffee blotch stain on the counter. For her birthday I decided to resolve this problem by making the solution super cute — this utensil rest resembles our childhood pet Calico cat, Molly. I upped the ante with this adorable cat-related spoon for her to stir her coffee with. She loved the gifts and to this day, whenever I visit my parents, their countertops are coffee-stain free."
Decole "HAPPY CAT DAY" CHOPSTICK REST PLATE, $20.55, available at Amazon
A Rap Coloring & Activity Book
Gabby, 29
How She Discovered It: "Through brute force and will power searching."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "It was a Christmas gift for my fiancee. She’s extremely Type A and has a hard time sitting still to watch a movie / TV, so this helps her settle down and watch with me."
Shea Serrano Bun B’s Rapper Coloring and Activity Book, $12.95, available at Amazon
Plush Throw Blanket
Lizzy, 30
How She Discovered It: "Searching for large blankets to use while watching TV."
Why It’s A Hidden Gem: "It’s the perfect size that covers my entire body, and it’s super warm and cozy"
Tache Home Fashion Faux Fur with Sherpa Throw Blanket, $44.53, available at Amazon
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Source: Refinery29