Here are some of REI’s best Labor Day sale deals
Summer is winding down, but REI’s Labor Day sale is here to help save you some bucks on gear that’ll let you get the most out of your upcoming outdoor expeditions. There are many, many discounts, from men’s and women’s clothing and REI Co-op gear to equipment for camping and hiking and more. The sale runs through September 7th, 2026.
In case you weren’t aware, REI members can take an extra 20 percent off a single outlet item with the coupon code LABORDAY26. A lifetime membership is only $30, and there are a number of items available where the discount covers that upfront cost.
If you’re open to suggestions on what to check out during the sale, I’d like to call particular attention to Darn Tough socks while they’re 25 percent off. These are some of my favorite socks for cycling and working out, thanks to their supportive fit and variety of color options. Notably, they feature a lifetime warranty for both normal wear and inadvertent damage. You can ship them back to Darn Tough, or bring them to a partnered retailer, for a credit or replacement. That said, these socks live up to their name, and they rarely develop holes through normal use.
Here are a few other deals we’ve featured before on The Verge that we are confident outdoorsy types will enjoy.
Garmin InReach Mini 3 Plus
The Mini 3 Plus is identical to the standard model in that it allows you to stay connected while off the grid; however, it also features an audible siren and the ability to send photos and voice messages, in addition to standard texts.
Where to Buy:
REI Siesta Hooded 20 Sleeping Bag
The Siesta prioritizes comfort with a roomy rectangular shape that gives you space to stretch out. The synthetic sleeping bag features an insulated hood — one that’s spacious enough to accommodate a real pillow — along with multiple zipper configurations so you can vent your feet or fully unzip it into a quilt-like blanket.
Where to Buy:
JBL Charge 6
The Charge 6 is a robust, IP68-rated portable speaker with up to 28 hours of battery life and support for lossless audio over USB-C. Like the JBL Flip 7, it can also analyze your audio to deliver clearer, louder sound and reduce distortion at higher volumes.
Where to Buy:
MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove
The PocketRocket 2 is a single-burner canister stove that can boil water in as little as three and a half minutes. It’s lightweight, foldable, and compatible with most isobutane-propane fuel canisters, making it a great pick for backpackers looking to shed weight.
Where to Buy:
JetBoil MiniMo Cooking System
JetBoil’s cooking systems aren’t for ultra-light backpackers; however, the MiniMo is incredibly straightforward to use, comes with a 1-liter pot, and heats water in as little as two minutes, making it suitable for everything from freeze-dried meals to a well-deserved cup of cocoa.
Where to Buy:
Zippo HeatBank 6 Pro Rechargeable Hand Warmer
Zippo’s rechargeable, IP57-rated hand warmer offers three heat settings and up to six hours of runtime. It can also serve as a 24-lumen flashlight or a 5,200 mAh power bank in a pinch, though, unlike most warmers, it’s only sold as a single unit.
Where to Buy:
Half Dome 2 Tent (with footprint)
REI’s inexpensive, three-season tent is easy to set up and offers plenty of space for two people, with built-in pockets for stowing gear and large roll-up doors. It’s certainly not the lightest offering you can buy, but at this price, it’s an easy recommendation for first-time backpackers and anyone looking for a solid tent for car camping.
Where to Buy:
Kelty Low Loveseat
The Kelty Low Loveseat is a sturdy, low-profile camp chair built for two. It features a steel frame, a padded seat, and extra-large cup holders for your drinks or gear. It also includes a padded roll-tote storage bag, making it easy to transport when it’s folded down.
Where to Buy:
1Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project
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One viral blog post declared that 1Password "Supports the Ethnic Cleansing of Europe" because of the donation. Others on social media asked for suggestions for alternative password managers so they w …
Amazon’s AI assistant can now spot fake emails from the company
Amazon is trying to combat impersonation scams with a new feature that allows you to use its AI assistant to determine whether an email, text message, or phone call actually came from the company. With the update, you can ask Alexa for Shopping about a message you received, and it will use AI to compare it "against a record of every message Amazon has sent," while also analyzing its contents, formatting, and the sender.
As noted by Amazon, the assistant will only confirm that a message is real if it's "completely certain." An example shared by Amazon shows a customer asking, "Did Amazon just text me an OTP from 98626? Message came around 4: …
Range Rover’s new EV looks just like a regular Range Rover — that’s refreshing
I think automakers are finally getting the memo. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel with its new electric vehicle, Range Rover just made one that looks nearly identical to its lineup of gas-powered SUVs. They didn't try to pass off some sleek, spaceship-looking pod as a Range Rover. Sometimes familiar designs are the way to go.
Of course, under the surface the Range Rover Electric is nothing like its internal combustion engine sporting brethren. Twin permanent magnet 260kW electric motors are powered by a double-stacked 118.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, with an estimated range of 330 real-world miles.
The all-wheel drive system puts out …
The best tech and gadgets announced at IFA so far
The doors to Europe's largest consumer tech show haven't opened to the public yet, but there's already plenty of news coming out of IFA 2026 in Berlin, Germany. If you're already struggling to keep up with what has been announced, here are some of the best new gadgets and upgrades from the show - including more competition for Apple's MacBook Neo, an excellent portable controller for gaming-on-the-go, and a concept handheld designed to balance work and play.
To catch up on everything announced at IFA 2026 you can follow The Verge's complete coverage right here.
Acer Project DualPlay Mini Concept
Flipping the gaming laptop script, Acer's l …
Researchers fear safety disaster ahead of OpenAI’s Astra release
OpenAI is on the cusp of releasing its most powerful AI model yet, Astra, following weeks of delays to shore up safety protocols after its agents attacked real targets during testing. As details about the model trickle out, researchers are warning it "may be the single worst development for AI security/safety to date."
Shortly after OpenAI said on Tuesday that it had delayed Astra's release to work on safety issues, The Information reported that Astra shows far less of its "thinking" than other frontier AI models, sparking concern it could be dangerously hard to monitor.
Most top AI systems today are built using a technology known as a tra …
The Trump administration is supporting OpenAI in the NYT copyright lawsuit
The Trump administration has intervened in The New York Times' copyright lawsuit against OpenAI, making an argument in favor of the AI lab.
The landmark lawsuit, filed in December 2023, alleging that OpenAI unlawfully trained its AI systems on articles from The New York Times and seeks to recoup "billions of dollars" in damages from both Microsoft and OpenAI. This week, the Trump administration filed a statement of interest in the case, supporting OpenAI's argument that it's fair use to train an AI model on copyrighted text.
"The New York Times seeks to narrow fair-use doctrine to exclude the training of OpenAl's large language models (L …
Google is sending MrBeast into the wilderness, armed with AI
MrBeast will feature Gemini, Google Health, and the Fitbit Air in upcoming videos as part of a multi-year partnership with Google. The deal will kick off with a video featuring Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson turning to Gemini for wilderness survival advice:
First up on September 5 is a new MrBeast video following Jimmy and his crew as they attempt to survive some of the most extreme and treacherous climates on Earth. Teams will race to navigate three of the planet's most unforgiving landscapes - the jungle, the desert, and the Arctic - using Gemini to help them identify dangers, survive brutal weather changes, and stay one step ahead.
Google …
Google dodges another breakup attempt
US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema declined the Justice Department's request to make Google sell off parts of its ad tech business, accepting milder remedies to restore competition to markets it illegally monopolized for years.
Brinkema said she would adopt most of the behavioral changes proposed by the parties, with some modifications. But those won't become public until the parties meet to work out any additional proposed revisions and to review the judge's opinion for confidential information that must be redacted. They could include proposals like restricting Google from using self-preferencing ad auction tactics or letting third-p …
Continuous glucose monitors are about to get more complicated
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here.
My mom was a dramatic woman prone to overreacting. When I was a snotty teen, I told her she needed to take several chill pills. Most of the time, I was right. Back in 2004, when she was swearing in Korean and hurtling down the highway in a Honda Odyssey that had no business going 20mph over the speed limit, swerving in and out of traffic as I vomited bile into a plastic baggie, I have to admit that she was right to rush me to th …