Amazon Dash Buttons are now available to the general public. Or, at least, the general public that happen to be Prime members. With the push of a button, you can order and reorder products. It’s that simple. You see that you are low on something, you push the button, you get more in a dash (see what I did there?).
So, how do the Amazon Dash Buttons work, and are they the future of shopping?
Dash and Done
A Dash button is a small device that is easy to attach to a wall, cabinet door, or even toilet with a removable hook or reusable adhesive. The thought is that you’ll put it near where you keep and/or use the product that it corresponds to. It connects to your WiFi, and syncs to a selected Amazon account. It has an order button which you use to place orders. The button will flash either green or red when it is pushed. If it flashes green, you can rest easy knowing your reorder is being processed and you’ll get more of what you need soon. If it flashes red, your reorder was not successful. You can track your order statuses on your Amazon app.
The Dash Button is pre-paired with the product that it represents, though you will have some control over the exact product during the setup process. You have to use the Amazon app to set up and manage your orders, and to change the associated product. All the items available with a Dash Button are Prime-eligible, so shipping is always free and has a 2-day turnaround time.
You can also set up order protection on your button so that children, drunk adults, cats, or obnoxious neighbors don’t hit the button continuously and cost you a fortune. With the order protection feature activated, your button will only place an order with your first press – no matter how many times the button is pressed. It will reset once your order is delivered. You’ll also receive a notification each time an order is placed, and you can cancel accidental orders before they ship. However, if you notice you have issues with phantom button-pressing, I recommend you put the button in a more discrete location, out of reach from the general public.
A Dash of Everything
There are currently 100+ brands that have products available through the Dash Button. You can get laundry supplies from All, Tide, Snuggle, Gain, and Clorox. You can stop running out of toilet paper and paper towels, since you can use a Dash Button for Brawny, Cottenelle, Charmin, Angel Soft and more. Even more household items are available, like batteries and cleaning supplies from brands including Energizer, Downy, Lysol, OxiClean, Green Works, Air Wick, Glad, Ziploc, Finish, and Dixie. You can also get a variety of beverage and grocery options using the Dash Button from brands like Zico, Smart Water, Starbucks, Honest, Doritos, Quaker Oats, and Nature Valley. You can also get products in health and personal care, pet, baby, and beauty categories.
Photo from: Wikipedia
