Amazon wants you to Dash to them instead of the store

It’s a pretty common problem to forget you’re out of something when you’re at the store or placing your order on Amazon. Then, of course, when you need what you forgot to buy, you wish there was a better way to shop. With Amazon’s new Dash Buttons and the app on your iPhone, there actually might be a better way to order the items you use the most.

A Dash for this, another for that

The Dash Button was first announced on March 31, and many people thought it was an early April Fool’s joke. Amazon was dead serious, though, and started shipping the palm-sized devices on an invitation-only basis. Now the devices are available for all Prime members, priced at $4.99 each. There are 18 buttons in all, for product brands like Tide, Huggies, Gatorade, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and more.

Using the Dash Buttons

The Dash Button has adhesive on one side for sticking it to a dishwasher, kitchen counter, or cabinet wall. The buttons connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, and you configure your Dash with Amazon’s shopping app. Once set up, a press of a button places your order and you get an email confirmation. This helps prevent accidental orders and mischievous children, as does the fact that Amazon only allows one order to be out for delivery at a time.

Nice concept, but poorly executed

The Dash Button is an interesting concept, but the devices themselves just look garish. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want an advertisement for Tide on the side of my washing machine, or a promotion for Gatorade attached to my refrigerator. I’d just as soon ask my Amazon Echo to order the items for me, to be honest.