The Best Deals This Week, From Apple Laptops to Sick Shades

Gotta love a three-day weekend, and thankfully, we've got one looming—that means day beers and relaxation are imminent. But in addition to the strong barbecue potential, lack of Sunday scaries, and additional hangover recovery time, we love Labor Day weekend because the sales are fiiiire, fam. 

Every week, we spelunk through sale sections looking for the equivalent of the genie lamp in Aladdin's cave of wonders. Except, instead of Will Smith painted blue popping out of a gravy boat, we're finding you more, like, heavily marked-down laptops, affordable rugs, and nice backpacks.

The news has been rough this week, and we all crave some retail-therapy endorphins, so we've blended together a nourishing smoothie of WFH-ready desks, kitchen-wall-ready art, and grill-ready steaks for you to guzzle. Enjoy, kids. 

A mid-century desk that's equal parts style and substance

Ridiculously highly rated, this swaggy little desk looks straight out of Mad Men and has tapered legs and three drawers for all of your knives, condoms, bottle openers, sticks of natural deodorant, and hoarded Pilot G-2s. Best of all, it's marked wayyy down—as in 50 percent off. 

A framed print that makes summer produce look sweet

This juicy photo comes courtesy of a home decor brand called For Your Guest Bathroom, but we think it would also look killer in a kitchen. (Also, do that many among us have guest bathrooms?) Although, these heirloom tomatoes are so perfectly bright and ripe that they might make whatever you're cooking look a little lackluster; this art print is so rad it will bring on both the culinary and aesthetic drool. 

A 2-in-1 for grillin' shrimp and braisin' shanks simultaneously

Why didn't someone think of this sooner? For their collab with Staub, Food52 came up with a cocotte that has a lid that doubles as a grill pan. That means that you'll save precious cabinet space and also be able to make a grilled cheese and, IDK, wagyu chili (or whatever) at the same time. Genius. Delicious. Yes, of course it was made in France out of enameled cast iron. Pass the baguette. 

Bacon-wrapped steak for your end-of-summer BBQ

If you've never ordered high-quality beef through the interwebs, you might not realize just how much cheaper it is than going out for steak. How much cheaper? Well, you can get four five-ounce filet mignons wrapped in sugar-cured bacon for just 55 bucks right now (that's 50 percent off) from Omaha Steaks—you'd pay that much for just one at your local steakhouse. They'll also show up at your door ready to cook. If we went to a barbecue and were offered a bacon-wrapped filet mignon, we'd cry from joy. Be that grillmaster. (If that cut isn't your thing, everything on the site is 50 percent off right now.) 

Sporty earbuds that aren't afraid of your ear sweat  

Ready for earbuds, but scared of AirPods since they're really expensive and you're prone to losing and breaking stuff? Go for a high-quality but significantly cheaper alternative, such as  these JBL buds, which are waterproof, flexible, and designed for running and exercising. They're loaded with rich bass, and "Bionic Hearing featuring TalkThru Technology," which allows you to hear your surroundings when needed (i.e., crossing a busy street or jumping into a conversation). Plus they have a 25-hour battery life, and are a whopping $115 off right now. 

A new laptop for bAcK 2 sChOoL (or just your WFH setup) 

If you're still working on a battered Dell laptop that's been loafing around your bedroom floor since 2014, it's time for an upgrade. Grab a 2020-model, rose-gold MacBook Air for just $779—an insanely good price. 

The rug that can save your mattress-on-the-floor situation 

West Elm's Labor Day sale has a bunch of cool rugs right now, and this one is our fave. Mattress on the floor: bad look. Mattress on the floor on a really nice rug, surrounded by a bunch of plants: expensive loft vibes. 

Colca Wool Rug, 5' x 8', $420 $399 at West Elm

Cobain-esque shades

Few sunglasses have ever been as iconic as Kurt Cobain's big, round white shades. This pair by Reality combines that too-cool-for-school shape with clear teal for an updated take on the look—and, like all sunglasses, if you're not a coward—they're unisex. (They're some other interesting stuff in UO's sale section right now, like Nike's sporty Canyon Tech sandals, and a Sublime tapestry, LOL.) 

Reality FESTIVAL OF SUMMER sunglasses, $59 $39.99 at Urban Outfitters

A backpack for traveling to Joshua Tree, Spain, or the corner store

When it comes to backpacks, it's all about versatility. In addition to its simple good looks, this Mystery Ranch backpack has an interior water bottle sleeve, a padded laptop sleeve, and tote handles, so it's equally suitable for hitting the library or running through the airport. 

Mystery Ranch Super Market Backpack, $78.95 $59.21 at Backcountry

Lap up those deals, deals, deals! See ya next week. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.