If your Wi-Fi is faltering, Amazon’s Prime Day shopping event is the perfect time to upgrade. Whether you need a single Wi-Fi router to replace your ISP’s device or want to boost that signal throughout your home with a mesh system, we’ve filtered through the noise to focus on the Prime Day router deals worth considering. All of our recommendations have been tested by WIRED and can be found in our Best Wi-Fi Routers and Best Mesh Routers guides. We’ve thoroughly reviewed the deals’ prices, comparing them to historical prices to make sure they’re real.
Don’t forget to check out our Prime Day live blog and our roundup of the best Amazon Prime Day deals.
We test products throughout the year and carefully select these offerings. We will update this guide periodically throughout the sale.
WIRED’s Featured Deals
Top 5 Mesh Wi-Fi Router and Network Deals
This Asus system has been at the top of our best mesh routers guide for a few years now. It’s a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system that consistently scores well for speed and stability. The two-pack comes pre-paired, is easy to set up, and is powerful enough to cover the average home. It offers Wi-Fi on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, with an extra 5GHz band left over for wireless backhaul (traffic between the main router and the node). I particularly like Asus mesh systems because they come with free, comprehensive security software and parental controls for the life of the routers (no subscription required). They’re also highly customizable, with options like a guest network, traffic prioritization for specific activities like video calls, and more, though people who like set-it-and-forget-it gadgets will prefer a different mesh.
The current champion of our best routers guide (even though it’s not on sale for Prime Day), this affordable router combines a sleek design with reliable performance. It’s a dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) router that’ll be fast enough for most people, and offers adequate coverage for a medium-sized home with an internet connection of 1Gbps or less. With four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a single Gigabit WAN port, and a USB 3.0 port on the back, connectivity is plentiful. Setup is simple, TP-Link’s Tether app is easy to use, and you get basic security and features like quality of service (QoS) included. Unfortunately, if you want more in-depth security or parental controls, you’ll have to sign up for Security+ at $5 per month or $36 per year and Advanced Parental Controls at $3 per month or $18 per year. It’s often discounted, but it’s a good price.
If you want a mesh system to cover your entire home but are on a budget, TP-Link has the X20 system. This dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi 6 mesh is easy to install and performed well in my tests. It’s not the fastest mesh, but if your internet connection is 500Mbps or less, it’ll suffice. Each router has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the vase-shaped design fits easily on shelves or tables. Unfortunately, if you want anything beyond basic security and parental controls, you’ll have to subscribe (Security+ is $5 per month or $36 per year, and Advanced Parental Controls is $3 per month or $18 per year). Even with the subscriptions, the X20 is a relatively affordable way to get Wi-Fi throughout your home.
Amazon’s Eero mesh systems are super easy to use, and I love that they double as smart home hubs with support for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee smart home standards. The Pro 6E (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a tri-band mesh that adds the 6GHz band to the familiar 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. If you have a 1Gbps or faster connection and a lot of devices, this is a great mesh system for you. It worked extremely well in my testing, though the 6GHz band is short-range. The Eero Plus subscription is a pricey add-on at $10 per month or $100 per year, but it adds so much value with parental controls, advanced security, ad blocking, and even a password manager and VPN service.
A travel router is a great way to protect yourself when you’re on the road or on vacation, and the Asus RT-AX57 Go is our current pick. This 5-inch white plastic square has a stand and is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with Gigabit Ethernet WAN and LAN ports that you can plug into a modem or outlet in your hotel room. It can connect to public Wi-Fi, and you can plug your phone into the USB 3.2 port and use it as a hotspot to boost your cellular connection (it doesn’t have its own SIM slot). If you’re connecting your devices at home before you leave, the Asus RT-AX57 Go will make your life easier. (My family is happy as long as they have Wi-Fi!) Despite its small size, it works pretty well and should easily fill a vacation apartment or hotel room. Asus includes security software, parental controls, and VPN support.
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Photography: TP-Link