These 3 products are Costco’s Hardware Buying Team Picks for March

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you take a picture of yourself shopping at Costco? A large multipack of toilet paper? Rotisserie chicken, perhaps? What might not be your first thought is hardware, but in case you didn’t know, the retailer offers all kinds of tools, machines, and equipment for building, repairing, and improving the home. There are even appliances you can buy at Costco that can save you a trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s when you do your grocery shopping.

Obviously, you need a membership to enter a brick-and-mortar Costco, let alone shop there. With membership, you also get a free subscription to Costco Connection, the company’s official magazine. The Costco Connection is more than a product catalog – it includes interviews, recipes, health and wellness tips, book recommendations, and more, many of which subtly promote items you can buy at the store. More direct marketing comes in the form of product guides from Costco’s various buying teams, which help select which products the retailer should stock its shelves.

Most likely, Costco’s shopping teams are made up of professionals who know what they’re talking about. The recommendations are – you shouldn’t buy something because someone says you should, but these options can at least point you in the right direction so you can look at them and decide if they are something you can use yourself. Here are three options the Costco hardware buying team suggested this month.

You won’t find AR Blue Clean on SlashGear’s list of top washer brands, but that’s more because it’s a top-notch company than to blame for its quality. Annovi Reverberi (AR) was founded more than sixty years ago in Italy, Blue Clean is its pressure washer brand, and its XWM2300 Electric Pressure Washer is one of March’s picks for the Costco buying group. The 2300 in its name comes from its maximum pressure – 2,300 psi. Its rated pressure is 2,000 psi and the machine has a rated flow of 1.2 gallons per minute, although you can achieve a maximum of 1.3 gpm.

The tool is powered by a 13-amp motor with an aluminum pump head and a fully automatic stop system. It can be used in three different ways, including hand-held thanks to the built-in handle. It weighs a little less than 35 pounds, so if you find it too heavy, you can also move it around, as it sits on four 2.8-inch swivel wheels that can cover the space. With the included brackets, you can also mount it on the wall for permanent use in the garage or workshop.

In addition to the mounting bracket, the pressure washer comes with a 35-foot cord, an M22 trigger gun, a steel rod, a 25-ft hose, a 27-oz quick-connect foam cannon, and three quick-connect nozzles that allow for multiple controlled spray patterns. According to Costco Connection, the AR Blue Clean XWM2300 Electric Pressure Washer is available both online and in Costco warehouses, although it may not be in stock at all. Its price may vary by location, though you can expect to pay around $200 for one.

These days, you can try all kinds of gadgets designed to help you sleep better, but you don’t have to sleep (pun definitely intended) with good old-fashioned light. Nightlights aren’t just for kids who are afraid of the dark – if you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom or get a glass of water, enough light without turning on the lights or fumbling to change can help you fall asleep easier.

Nightlights come in all shapes and sizes but a low-key versatile one is the SnapPower Guidelight 2-LED Outlet. Rather than taking up valuable plug space, the light is integrated directly under the outlet cover. This also makes it easier to connect or disconnect something in the dark. Its dusk-to-dawn light sensor saves juice by making the LEDs work only in low light. It will gradually fade as the room becomes brighter with the rising sun. The night light emits 1.25 lumens at a neutral/cool 3,700 K color temperature.

It snaps into place and all you need to install is a screwdriver to remove the old outlet cover. You also won’t need to worry about replacing it anytime soon, as LEDs are designed to last 25 years. The hardware buying team at Costco recommends 3-packs of the product, which allows homeowners to light a trail of directional lights down a hallway or simply match the aesthetic of a room. You won’t find the SnapPower Guidelight 2-LED Outlet Cover 3-pack on Costco shelves, however, as it’s currently only sold on the retailer’s website.

DeWalt makes many vacuums and wet/dry vacuums, but its line of DeWalt Stealthsonic Wet/Dry Shop Vacuums stands out for its low operating noise. This may be what prompted Costco’s hardware buying team to recommend its 8-gallon model in the March issue of Costco Connection. Large and small models are also made by DeWalt, but the 8-gallon variant offers a middle ground that users may find best suited for their workshop, garage, or home.

Costco Connection describes the machine as having a 5.5-horsepower motor, but it appears to only be available in the 4-hp model. Despite this respectable amount of suction power, the vacuum doesn’t sound above 65 dBA, which Costco and DeWalt say is 50% quieter than a standard, non-stealth model. It is also said to last three times longer, in part due to its stainless steel tank. The hose is also designed to resist crushing.

The wet/dry vacuum is equipped with 360-degree wheels and a 15-foot cord for easy portability. It comes with several accessories, including a disposable dust bag, standard filter, foam filter, hose, extension wands, and adapter. It also includes multiple attachments for more precise suction – round brush, nozzle, utility nozzle, and floor nozzle. The DeWalt 8-gallon Stealthsonic Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum is available both online and at brick-and-mortar Costco warehouses. Currently, the product’s online price is $99.99, but its in-store price may vary by location.