Can't Wait? Get One-Hour Delivery With Amazon Prime Now

Need some paper towels, shampoo, or batteries—immediately—but don't have any time to make a run to the store? If you live in Manhattan, Amazon has you covered.

The Web-based retail giant on Thursday launched a new service, dubbed Prime Now, which offers one- and two-hour delivery on "tens of thousands" of items, including all the aforementioned necessities, along with things like books and toys. Of course, Amazon is using this new service as a way to get more people to sign up for a $99 per year Prime membership, which is required to use Prime Now.

At this point, Prime Now is only available in select areas of Manhattan, but Amazon said it plans to bring the service to additional cities in 2015. Prime Now is available from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Two-hour delivery is free and one-hour delivery will cost you $7.99.

Just fire up the new Prime Now app, available on iOS and Android, to search for specific items or browse "everyday essentials" like San Pellegrino sparkling water and Fancy Feast cat food; "holiday gifts" like Amazon Fire TV and a Disney Frozen Sparkle Princess Elsa doll; "travel basics" like Pampers baby wipes and a portable air humidifier; and "cold and flu" items like Kleenex tissues and Purell hand sanitizer.

Anyone interested in the service can download the Prime Now app to be notified when it's available in their area. Amazon said it's using a portion of its new building on 34th Street in Manhattan to serve as a hub for delivery of Prime Now orders.

"There are times when you can't make it to the store and other times when you simply don't want to go," Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a statement. "There are so many reasons to skip the trip and now Prime members in Manhattan can get the items they need delivered in an hour or less."

Amazon also has a same-day delivery service in various cities throughout the U.S.

If you're outside Manhattan and need a delivery in time for Christmas, Amazon this week extended its free shipping deadline to Dec. 19, so get shopping if you need something.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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