After its Super Bowl ad, the Temu shopping app catapulted into the top 5 in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Offering a huge range of products and more deals than you can shake a stick at, Temu’s main goal seems to be to undercut competing retailers like Amazon and Walmart.
But how much can you really save using Temu? While there's a lot of stuff on Temu you probablly don't need — mini soybean milk maker anyone? — there are plenty of practical items for sale on Temu too. So I’ve prepared a quick comparison of popular tech products on Temu to see how good the values really are.
How much can you save on Temu?
Lenovo ThinkPlus LP40 wireless earbuds
When I checked out the Temu website, the No. 1 best selling item in the electronics section was the Lenovo ThinkPlus LP40. These candy-colored wireless earbuds look like an attractive fake AirPods alternative. The fact that they come from a brand I’ve heard of before gives me confidence that they might sound decent, but we haven't tested them.
I also found the Lenovo ThinkPlus LP40 on AliExpress and Walmart. The Lenovo ThinkPlus LP40 buds cost $10.48 on Temu, which beat Walmart’s asking price of $26.42. However, AliExpress has the buds starting from $5.14 as an “exclusive first order price.”
MagSafe Magnetic Leather Card Holder
Another popular purchase on Temu was this MagSafe Magnetic Leather Card Holder. According to users on Temu, it effectively holds between two and three cards and has a soft leather finish. Costing $2.68, it’s dirt cheap, but this listing has plenty of positive reviews to back it up.
The cheapest MagSafe compatible card holder I could find on Walmart went for $6.99, while Amazon got two dollars cheaper at $4.99. It's hard to compare the quality of this sub-$3 Temu wallet to the $59 iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe from the Apple Store but it does undercut other retailers.
Microdrive 32GB Memory Card
You can never have enough storage, and the Microdrive 32GB Memory Card is hard to pass up at just $2.98. This microSD memory card has a regular sized SD card adaptor, and works in cameras, Nintendo Switch consoles and more according to reviews. The same memory card is available for $14.71 at Walmart, nearly five times more expensive.
It’s not too hard to find microSD cards with lots of storage and fast data transfer speeds, and you don’t need to spend a fortune. As an example, the Samsung Evo Plus 64GB microSD card goes for $10.99 at Amazon at time of writing. But if you’re not concerned about performance and just want some extra storage for your devices, the Temu option is tempting.
Baseus 20W Magnetic 6000mAh Power Bank
A good power bank is a tech lover’s best friend. This Baseus 20 Magnetic 6000mAh Power Bank snaps to the back of your iPhone and can keep it juiced up when it's running low. Baseus claims it can charge your phone to 50% in about 30 minutes, and Temu users praised this power bank for its lightweight design and portability.
You can get the Baseus power bank on Amazon for $29.60 at time of writing, while Temu offers it for $26.48. Unless you need fast Prime shipping, Temu wins this round. But if you want my personal recommendation? Go with our best portable charger, the Iniu 10000 mAh Portable Charger. I couldn’t find it on Temu, but you can get it on Amazon for $19.
Nintendo Switch OLED
Now we’re getting to the heavy-hitters. It’s difficult to find dollar-off discounts on current gen consoles like the Nintendo Switch OLED, so I’d jump at the chance to recommend a good Nintendo Switch OLED deal. The question is, is this a good deal?
A Nintendo Switch OLED will run you $344 at Amazon right now. The cheapest price I’ve ever seen the Nintendo Switch OLED go for was a $324 flash sale at Woot. However, Temu is smashing that price out of the park, offering the Nintendo Switch OLED for $315. Some users reported even bigger discounts by way of coupons or special offers, too.
However, before you rush to hit purchase, I recommend exercising caution. This Nintendo Switch OLED listing claims to be genuine, but there are currently only 55 reviewers backing this up. They also specify that this is a console from Hong Kong, coming with a Hong Kong power adaptor. Unless you want a Switch solely to use on your next Hong Kong trip, you’ll need to buy a power adaptor for your region separately.
Bottom line
It looks like Temu does deliver cheaper prices in many cases compared to Amazon, Walmart and other retailers. But it can be hard to know whether to trust if you're going to get that item shipped to you and if the products are indeed legit. We would definitely read up on Temu's shipping and return policies that we've summarized before you buy.
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