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20 Cool Gadgets That Beat Another Phone Case
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items This cool gadgets list collects 20 clever little devices that people actually keep using, from a smart plug for a lamp to a camera feeder that sends the birds to your phone. I am the friend who buys the odd gadget everyone ends up borrowing, and I ha...
Sections
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Start here: the easy yes
For the one glued to her phone
For the home and the hobbies
The one that gets the reaction
Start here: the easy yes
These five are friendly on price and work straight out of the box, from a smart plug and a jar opener to earbuds and a charging station. Grab one if you are shopping on a short timeline or tuck two into a gift bag. Tip: choose the one that fixes some...
I gave one with a note saying ‘try it on the lamp by your bed’ and she texted me a week later that she wanted four more. Setup took her about two minutes, no wiring or tools.
A. Amazon Smart Plug 2-Pack, Works with Alexa
My mom has bad wrists and this is the first thing she reached for after unwrapping it. You press one button and the stuck pickle jar just opens, which is a little bit magic.
B. One Touch Jar Opener
I bought one for my dad who keeps passwords on a sticky note, and he actually switched. It is the kind of gift that sounds boring until they stop getting locked out.
C. Password Vault
My sister wears hers on the train every morning and says the noise cancelling is better than her old pricey pair. The case is small enough to live in a coat pocket.
D. Buy Space A40 All-New Noise Cancelling Earbuds - soundcore US
I put one on my friend's nightstand and her cable mess was gone by the next morning. The seven ports sound like overkill until she plugged in everything at once.
E. Anker Nano Charging Station (7-in-1, 100W)
For the one glued to her phone
Here the list moves into things that make the phone, the desk and the nightstand better, from a desk charger with a screen to sleep earbuds and a lamp that charges. Think about where she spends her evenings. Tip: pick the gadget that replaces somethi...
My brother in law keeps his on the desk just to watch the watts climb. It charges a laptop and two phones at once, which ended the daily fight over the one good outlet.
F. Anker Prime Charger (160W, 3 Ports, Smart Display)
I set one up in my guest room and people ask where I found it. The glow is soft enough to read by and the phone just rests on the base overnight.
G. Bonsai Bluetooth Speaker Lamp with Wireless Charging ...
My friend with a noisy street outside swears by hers and I can finally text her at 7am without a guilt trip. They are small enough that she forgets they are in.
H. soundcore Sleep A20 Wireless Sleeping Earbuds - soundcore US
I gave one to a friend who always lets her coffee go cold during meetings and she has not had a cold cup since. She uses the charging side so much she bought a second for home.
I. Heating/Cooling Beverage Base with Wireless Charging by ...
I got one for the bedside table and it replaced my phone alarm completely, which means no more doomscrolling at 6am. The sunrise style display is gentler than any buzzer I have owned.
J. Amazon Echo Spot (newest), Smart Alarm Clock
For the home and the hobbies
These five suit the person who loves a cosy house and a few projects, such as a streaming stick, a vacuum broom, an old tape converter, a headset for movie nights and a photo album scanner. Tip: match the gadget to the chore or hobby she talks about ...
I gave one to my cousin whose smart TV was painfully slow, and she said it felt like a new TV. It plugs in behind the screen, so there is nothing to find a spot for.
K. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Wi-Fi 6E, Alexa+
I use mine every time the kids drop cereal and it takes about as long as it takes to say it. It is lighter than any stick vacuum I have tried, so my mother in law borrowed it twice.
L. Vacuum Broom
My aunt found a box of tapes from the nineties and played one of her kids singing at four. She cried a little and then converted the whole box in an afternoon.
M. Cassette to MP3 Converter by Sharper Image
I tried this on a long flight and the time disappeared faster than I expected. The earphones are built in, so it is one thing to pack and nothing to pair.
N. Bluetooth VR Headset with Earphones by Sharper Image
My mother in law finally scanned her wedding album and sent copies to everyone in the family. It does a page in seconds, so she did not give up halfway like she did with her flatbed.
O. Rapid Photo Album Scanner by Sharper Image
The one that gets the reaction
These are the gadgets that make people say wow out loud. A pocket photo printer, a bird feeder with a camera, a big power bank, premium earbuds and binoculars that take photos. Tip: pick one splurge and one small pick from the first step, because a s...
I brought one to my sister's birthday and the whole table kept printing photos until midnight. It prints without a cartridge fuss, so nobody has to think about setup.
P. Smartphone Photo Printer by Sharper Image
My dad checks his before breakfast and sends me bird photos by lunch. The first cardinal got him more excited than any gift I have given him in years.
Q. Video Camera Bird Feeder by Sharper Image
My friend who travels for work takes hers everywhere and charged her laptop on a train with it. It is heavy, so I tell people it is for the bag, not the pocket.
R. Anker Prime Power Bank (26K, 300W)
My husband swapped his pricey pair for these and has not looked back. Calls come through clearly even on a noisy street, which was the part he cared about most.
S. Liberty 5 Pro ANC Earbuds for Clear Calls-soundcore US
I took them to a lake weekend and we spent an hour watching a heron and caught it on video. They are easier to use than I expected, even for the kids.
T. 12X Zoom Digital Camera Binoculars by Sharper Image