6 Items Experts Think You Should Buy Before the Tariffs Hit (Plus 1 It’s Fine to Wait On)

Stephanie Carls is the retail insights expert for RetailMeNot as well as an award-winning social media strategist and expert content creator. She’s also a brand ambassador and video host for Ziff Davis Shopping, where she regularly covers shopping trends and discounts and deals.

According to Carls, now is the time to shop smart, not scared. Tariffs are here and changing by the day, but that doesn’t mean you should blow your money without forethought. “Think about any big-ticket purchases you were aiming to make in the next six to twelve months,” she suggests. “If you have a few items on your list that you know may be impacted—i.e. they’re commonly produced outside the United States—it may be smart to buy them now before more price increases take effect.” (Smaller items, like paper towels or lipstick, will get more expensive, too, but at this juncture, they don’t necessarily require a rush spend.) So without further ado, here are six items Carls thinks it’s prudent to purchase ASAP.

Apple users in particular can expect to see an increase in costs, which is a tough pill to swallow given that smartphones aren’t exactly cheap. Ready to upgrade? It’s smart to do so now. The good news? Options abound—for example, the brand-new iPhone 16e.

At this point in time, nearly all of our electronics are manufactured in Asia (or, at the very least, rely on Asian-made parts). This means that pretty much anything containing a battery or a microchip is certain to increase with the new tariffs. If anything from a new TV to a microwave to a Dyson vacuum is on your list, it could be smart to shell out now.

Oof, most of the fabric we wear or leather we carry just so happens to be imported, which means it has the potential to be hit hard by tariffs. This means cheaper clothing from China will most certainly be hit, though luxury items from Europe could also be affected after the 90 day pause. In other words, if there are Chinese-made goods you buy on the regular—think T-shirts, kids pajamas, etc.—you may want to buy in bulk.

Strollers, car seats, even toys are generally manufactured abroad. There’s a chance an exemption will be applied (at least some Congress members are fighting for it), but there’s also the chance it won’t, meaning prices could jump by 50 percent.

Budget brands—often made and shipped from outside the United States—may take the biggest hit here, but locally produced items could also see a price increase. (Materials—like wood, metal, leather and more—are often sourced from outside the United States.) Even IKEA is anticipating an increase in prices.

That Nintendo Switch you were aiming to replace for your kids? You may want to consider buying way way (way) in advance. You see, gaming consoles are yet another category where parts are made outside the United States. (In fact, pre-orders for the brand-new Switch, due out in June, have already been delayed because of tariff plans.)

Per Carls, items like food, water and basic medical supplies are always in demand and less likely to be affected by tariffs, with much of what we consume produced stateside. That said, inflation could affect food prices—such as the cost of eggs—as soon as summertime, so you may want to start bookmarking cost-saving recipes now.