You're on the hunt for a home business or side hustle that puts more money in your pocket, and you're not alone. In recent years, Amazon FBA has become a popular way for aspiring entrepreneurs and people in search of freedom to make money.
But where do you begin? And how do you find the best products to sell on Amazon FBA?
In this article, I will go over the top categories, many product ideas, and some important things you must consider when choosing a product.
As you probably know, though, no product is guaranteed to sell. And the challenge with Amazon FBA is that you must invest in inventory, which is expensive and risky when there are no lists of surefire winners.
Having said that, there are some things you can do to improve your chances of success.
How to Choose The Best Products to Sell on Amazon FBA
There are millions of products on Amazon you can sell, but choosing the right product isn't easy. You can test different products, but that's expensive. You can roll the dice and pick just something you like or think will sell, but that's risky.
You'll want to choose carefully to maximize your profit and sales. And speaking of sales, you're probably curious how much people make on Amazon FBA.
According to The State of the Amazon Seller 2023 Jungle Scout, 55% of sellers report sales above $5,000 per month (with 12% falling into that $5,000 – $10,000 per month range).
To narrow your options and improve your chances of successfully joining the 55% selling $5,000 or more, here are some things to consider when choosing a product to sell.
Look for Trending Products
Here are some tips for finding trending products on Amazon:
- Enter a product category into the Amazon search bar and scroll down to the related products and top recommendations for you sections.
- Look at today's deals and current bestsellers (not only on Amazon but ALL retailers)
- Check product reviews (on all retailer sites) to identify hot sellers and potential trends.
- Subscribe to several shopping-related email newsletters from Amazon, Walmart, Target, Wayfair, and other niche-specific retailers.
- Follow Amazon's (and other retailers') social media pages to keep up with the latest news.
- Join various retailers and shopping Facebook groups and follow buyer trends. Which posts are getting the most engagement?
- Search for specific products and related keywords in Google Trends
- Go through YouTube's trending videos to spot trends.
- Use a tool like JungleScout or Helium 10 for product research.
Choose Products That Are Easy to Store and Ship
The last thing you want is a product that's expensive to ship and damages easily. And don't forget storage fees.
Being an Amazon FBA seller is difficult enough, especially if you're new. Adding unnecessary logistical challenges to the mix will only make it harder.
Once you have a list of potential sellers, go with the product(s) that are small, lightweight, and durable.
Look for suppliers who invest in durable packaging. Order a sample and make sure the boxes don't rip easily. Also, make sure there is sufficient packing material inside to secure the product.
Choose a Low Priced Product
Lower prices usually mean lower profits, but they also attract more buyers. They also lead to more gift and impulse sales.
However, the biggest reason you want a low-priced product when doing Amazon FBA is that you're buying it ahead of time. And not just one of them, but potentially hundreds.
Unlike dropshipping, where you buy one-offs with the money you get from the buyer, Amazon FBA requires an upfront investment. The more expensive the product, the higher the risk.
Check Your Competition
Competitor research is critical. If you're selling a popular product with many listings, ask yourself if you can create unique value that sets you apart from your competitors.
- Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Can you price your product better than them?
- Is the product you want to sell dominated by a big brand?
- Does your product have a particular feature or benefit that your competitors don't?
- Are your competitor's major sellers with massive budgets? Can they sell at a loss if they had to? Can they buy ten times the inventory you can?
Choose Products People Want to Buy
This might seem obvious, but many new sellers choose products they like instead of products people want to buy.
If you can find products you like AND people want to buy, that's great… but for maximum sales and profitability, your likes and dislikes should not be your first criteria. Your must choose products people want to buy.
Choose Simple Products
Simple products are easy to understand and use. They're also inexpensive, making them great for beginners with limited budgets.
More importantly, they have fewer moving parts which mean fewer defects and failures.
Another reason to choose simple products is that buyers are more likely to buy them. For example, when it comes to complex products like electronics, buyers do more research and are more likely to stick with reputable brands than take a chance on one they're unfamiliar with.
And don't forget about customer service and support. The products you sell on Amazon have your company name and logo. You are responsible when they don't work. Choosing simple products will save you from many headaches.
With that, here are the top categories for Amazon FBA products…
Pet Toys and Supplies
Amazon FBA is a popular option for many sellers who want to sell products online. However, if you're just starting out selling on Amazon, you might wonder whether or not pet toys and supplies are a good fit for the platform. The truth is, they are!
There are several reasons why pet toys and supplies are ideal for selling on Amazon FBA.
For example, they tend to be highly profitable items that are easy to ship. They are also low-cost to manufacture, making them financially less risky to buy and put on a shelf.
And because they are profitable and relatively inexpensive, they make it relatively easy to scale your business without worrying about inventory costs.
Examples of pet toys supplies include dog clickers with wrist straps, chew toys, cat tunnels, food bowls, brushes, grooming kits, etc.
Home and Kitchen
Home and kitchen products are popular and are generally easy to source.
Many simple kitchen products are good to sell on Amazon, including cookware, bakeware, cutting boards, mixing bowls, and utensils.
Some kitchen products you might not want to sell are knives and sharpening tools, as they may require professional training to use safely. They could also fail, and as an Amazon FBA seller with limited resources, you can't risk injury or property damage by selling dangerous equipment.
However, there are plenty of other home and kitchen products that are safe to sell. For example, you could sell shower curtains, rugs, lamps, mirrors, and even furniture.
And of course, there are many unique home and kitchen gadgets you can test like chillers, sandwich sealers, mag-lev light bulbs, and handheld dishwashers.
The best part about selling home and kitchen products is that many people already shop for these items on Amazon, so you have plenty of potential buyers.
Sports and Outdoor
People love playing sports, and they love the outdoors, whether camping, hiking, fishing, or… choose your adventure.
As a result, there's a massive market for all kinds of sports and outdoor equipment, a lot of it suitable to sell on Amazon FBA.
Some good choices to consider are camping cookware, sleeping bags, hiking daypacks, water bottles, bats, balls, gloves, etc.
Patio and Garden
Pretty much everything you'd find on a patio or in a garden can be sold on Amazon FBA. Not that you'd want to sell it all.
Everything from outdoor furniture to lawn care equipment, backyard toys, and fire pits.
Other items to consider are patio building and maintenance supplies like decking materials, approved stains, paints, etc.
And let's not forget barbeques. While not recommended for first-time FBA sellers (or anyone on a limited budget), you can also sell gas grills, charcoal grills, electric grills, propane grills, or smokers. Without the tanks of gas, of course.
There are also accessories and gardening supplies you can sell. Examples are tablecloths, utensils, serving trays, planters, pots, seeds, and even garden lighting fixtures.
At any rate, there are plenty of options when it comes to selling patio and garden products, making it an excellent niche for Amazon FBA.
Personal Care
Personal care products include everything from beauty to hygiene to health and wellness. Things like toothpaste, deodorant, and moisturizers are sold in just about every grocery store, drugstore, and convenience store.
Therefore, it may seem like a competitive category, and it is. But it's also high volume and price sensitive.
For example, some people spend over five bucks a day on fancy coffee but stress about paying an extra dollar for their favorite toothpaste.
So, you might not make huge margins on most personal care products, but they are simple, and if you can price them right, you'll make sales all day… every day.
It's just a matter of finding the product. There are dozens of sub-categories to choose from, from nail care and hair care to personal massagers and tanning products.
Baby Products
The most important thing when choosing baby products to sell on Amazon FBA is safety. Durability is also important.
Products that are soft, squishy, and non-toxic are a good choice. And it should go without saying, but avoid anything that might be harmful to babies, like products with sharp edges or small parts they could choke on.
Baby products are great to sell because they're easy to ship and simple. Also, parents love them.
Although you can choose from a wide variety of baby products, it's wise to stay away from cribs, strollers, and car seats where safety is a serious issue. In fact, depending on which country you're selling in, the local safety regulations may restrict some of these products.
Examples of baby products you can sell are stuffed animals, soft blankets, socks, hats, educational toys, etc. Make sure all products you intend to sell meet the requirements of all local laws and regulations.
Jewelry
Jewelry is another good product category for Amazon FBA sellers because it's inexpensive to store and ship. It also has broad appeal.
However, you should be aware of the requirements and restrictions regarding precious metals markings and regulations. Buying jewelry from a local jeweler can be risky, and it's even riskier online.
As a result, there are limits to the jewelry you can sell on Amazon.
For less expensive decorative items like friendship necklaces or stainless steel rings, jewelry is generally safe to sell. It's also very popular.
And there are also jewelry accessories that are good to sell on Amazon FBA, like boxes, cabinets, stands, and cleaners.
Print-on-Demand Products (POD)
A print-on-demand (POD) product is made after a customer orders it. This includes a wide range of items.
Some examples include greeting cards, sneakers, posters, calendars, socks, t-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, mousepads, magnets, phone cases, keychains, etc.
You can sell your own designs or buy pre-designed templates. The templates are often cheaper than designing something from scratch, and they also allow you to save time.
Print on demand products are also easier to sell because they are unique, and therefore, they have less competition.
Apparel
Apparel is also great for Amazon FBA because it's relatively inexpensive and easy to ship. It's also small, often in vacuum-sealed packaging, which means lower storage fees.
Make sure to include a size chart and material percentages to minimize a relatively high return rate.
You should also consider buying samples from your supplier to check the quality.
Of course, quality is an issue for any product, but clothes can take a beating, and people also have established expectations. They've been wearing clothes their entire lives, and they know how long something should last.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are also a good choice for Amazon FBA. It's small, lightweight, and increasingly popular. In fact, men's make-up and beauty products are a popular trend today and a market that's expected to grow significantly.
Make-up is also an excellent product to promote on social media sites, including TikTok and YouTube, which are great for driving traffic to your Amazon offers.
In addition to make-up, you can sell cosmetic products like bags, organizers, pads, jars, brush kits, etc.
Games and Puzzles
Games are always popular. There are opportunities to sell products to all age groups, whether board games, card games, floor games, educational games, and so on.
Puzzles are also big sellers, and many have thousands of reviews on Amazon. Like print-on-demand, each puzzle is unique, making it easier to stand out from your competition.
Posters
Posters are great because they have “passion” appeal. They're also inexpensive, so you won't go broke buying inventory.
Some of the more popular categories include celebrities, sports, movies, and vintage posters.
It's not uncommon to find posters on Amazon with hundreds, even thousands, of reviews.
Novelty Items
Novelty items fall into some of the other categories. Cartoon socks, weird chicken hats, and superhero wallets are just a few of the things you'll find in this category.
The challenge with novelty items is that they are hit or miss. The right novelty product could be a viral seller, but because these are not daily necessities, you can easily end up with a dud.
Like all Amazon FBA products, these require research. For example, based on the number of reviews, novelty notepads and T-shirts appear significantly more popular than novelty mugs and pens.
Home Exercise Equipment
Home exercise equipment is another product that's generally easy to ship and durable, making it perfect for Amazon FBA.
You can sell small dumbbells, jump ropes, resistance bands, ab rollers, and so on. Of course, large, expensive items like treadmills, rowers, and workout stations are best to avoid unless you've got a big budget and know what you're doing.
Yoga mats, tri-fold workout mats, posters, and accessories like armband cell phone holders are also products to consider in this category.
Smart Storage
As the cost of housing goes up and the square footage goes down, people need creative ways to store all of their stuff.
From bins to closet organizers to large vacuum-sealed bags and pumps, there are dozens of storage items you can sell on Amazon FBA. And based on the number of reviews, it's an extremely popular category.
Additional Criteria to Consider
While Amazon FBA is a great way to make extra money online, you must also be aware of specific criteria and restrictions. Here are some important ones:
- Hazardous materials and dangerous goods can't be sold through FBA.
- The sale and distribution of any product that is not legal in all US territories are forbidden. These include items like radar detectors, crib bumpers, and throwing knives.
- You cannot sell items larger than 144″ x 96″ x 96″ or weigh more than 150 pounds.
- Products must NOT be illegally replicated, reproduced, or manufactured.
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, are prohibited.
- Supplements and health products must be FDA approved.
- Products with expiry dates must have a remaining shelf life of 90 days PLUS enough time to consume the product.
- Refrigerated, air-conditioned, or frozen items are not allowed.
- Temperature requirements for products are a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 30 degrees Celsius.
- Some products require Amazon's approval before you can sell them.
