5 Tech Products You Should Never Buy at Five Below
Written by
Seychelle Thomas
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Five Below has tons of products worth your while at lower prices than you’d find at other stores. However, it shouldn’t be your go-to destination for some tech products. Sure, it might be affordable, but if you have to replace a tech item in a month, wouldn’t it be better to save money for a higher-quality product?
Instead of wasting money on these five items from Five Below, put your money to better use by stashing it in your savings account until you have enough for higher-quality alternatives.
Bluetooth Elite Wireless Headphones With Mic
- Price: $7.00
Unless you forgot your headphones at home before heading to the gym, buying these $7 Bluetooth headphones from Five Below probably isn’t worth it. Sure, they look like the more expensive Apple AirPods Max, but you shouldn’t expect the same sound quality or functionality.
YouTuber Nathan Espinoza, who is known for doing tech reviews, tried them out and said in a video that “all of the audio sounds like it’s coming from a microwave.”
Bass Jaxx Bluetooth Vertical Record Player
- Price: $25.00
If you spend your weekends digging through crates to find the best vinyl records, you won’t want to waste $25 getting the Bass Jaxx Bluetooth vertical record player from Five Below.
In a YouTube video from Record-ology, the reviewer noted that while this vertical turntable was fun, it has a cheap platter mat and a “frustrating” tone arm and it’s not the highest quality. Additionally, several commenters on the video said they tested it out on their vinyl collections and mentioned that the sound was tinny and it would almost definitely destroy your vinyl records over time.
Many vinyl records cost far more than $25, so being frugal could actually cost you money instead of saving it if this player breaks your records.
Automatic Floor Sweeper
- Price: $20.00
Who doesn’t want to save time on chores? Spending hundreds on a Roomba self-emptying robot vacuum probably isn’t in the budget, but Five Below’s automatic floor sweeper is missing several features that come standard in other more affordable robot vacuums.
According to this in-depth review from USA Today, it doesn’t have any drop sensors or navigational sensors, so it might take a tumble down the stairs or just spin in circles. And it holds only about 30 minutes worth of a charge, so it’s likely not doing any more than you could do on your own.
Up-Tech Digital Video Camera With Memory Card
- Price: $25.00
Whether you’re making a movie or starting a YouTube channel, you’d likely be better off recording on your phone instead of this digital video camera from Five Below.
The 256-megabyte memory card that comes with it doesn’t have a ton of space, so you’ll likely need to upgrade to a larger SD card if you’re planning to use it extensively.
Magnetic Wireless Power Bank
- Price: $10.00
Power banks from Five Below are almost always hit or miss — and this magnetic wireless power bank may not be worth it. One YouTube review said it charges very slowly.
Considering that you’d probably need a power bank when you’re traveling or out somewhere there are no phone chargers available, you may not want to put your full faith in this power bank if you’re depending on your phone to stay safe or get home.
Editor’s note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location.
More From GOBankingRates
