For me, it’s an electric toothbrush. It doesn’t matter if you go with Sonicare or Oral-B, once you start using an electric toothbrush, regular toothbrushes don’t ever feel like they clean your teeth properly. The smooth plaque-free top layer of your teeth that you can feel after using an electric toothbrush can’t be replicated with a regular toothbrush.
- Warm white christmas lights. Diffuse lighting is so much better.
- Induction cooktops. Because gas cooktops are toxic both inside and outside the home.
I still suggest a plug-in induction burner, because they have temperature and autooff timer.
A dedicated portable audio player with support for high-res files (that’s NOT running Android).
You can’t just doom scroll all day, no one can call you, you won’t get any spam texts or emails on it. It’s just you and your music.
I regret giving away my iPod Touch to my sister. I wish I still had it so I can take it on walks without all the notifications from my phone
Any recs?
I’ve bought a Hiby R3 Pro II a while back and it’s amazing. The build quality is top notch, the battery lasts for 20+ hours and it has basically everything one could need; USB-C, Bluetooth with Apt-X and LDAC, a good screen and a balanced output with plenty of power.
Even rudimentary support for Tidal and Qobuz. The only downside is that there’s no storage built-in, but you can use microSD cards up to 2TB.
You probably want to pick something supported by the Rockbox firmware, in case the native firmware is so-so.
If you can find anything which can play standard 16/48 FLAC files then that is all you need. https://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
Electronic countertop scale for the kitchen. Start cooking by mass rather than trying to decide if that’s a half a cup packed or unpacked.
If you regularly store things in jars, a canning funnel. So much easier to pour sauces into jars without spillage.
Bone conduction headphones. Listen to music or talk on the phone hands-free while still leaving your ears open to what’s going on around you.
If you’ve got sore muscles, a percussive massage gun. It looks like a horse vibrator, but it does wonders on a sore back.
A warhammer. Don’t get a sword unless you are actually trained and know how to use and maintain it. A warhammer isn’t going to get bent, chipped, or rusty, and even if it does, it’s still a warhammer and will still smash things just fine. Don’t smash melons or coconuts unless you’re prepared for the biological mess that will get left behind; smash blocks of ice frozen inside of old yogurt tubs instead. Wear goggles.
Cordless drill. I was a die hard corded guy but then I tried a friend’s one during a big move. Went out and bought one the next day.
I also agree, but to take it further, I decided I’d had enough of cables on my circular saw. Got a small, lightweight one, and omg, it’s SO good.
An analog watch. Nothing fancy, just a cheap Casio or Timex or whatever.
Ive had the same Timex for about 20 years now. Had to replace the strap a couple times and the battery, but the time keeping works like a charm and keeps perfect time. Mine is the leather strap with a white face and also shows day of the week and date. Not bad for a watch that cost me $20 a lifetime ago.
I do use a smart watch when im exercising though.
An analog watch is the one thing I can’t leave home without.
Thermal printer. I play a lot of tabletop rpgs and wargames and it helps having the ability to print out handouts without worrying about how much ink I have left!
I needed a Bluetooth speaker for my work PC (I work from home). I got one with a radio tuner as well. I’m fortunate that I have several radio stations in my area that play music I like. I prefer having some music on in the background while I work, but I was getting tired of having to actually think about what I wanted to listen to next. So I’ve been listening to OTA radio quite a bit, and it’s a nice change of pace from streaming music. And it’s not like the radio bits added much to the cost of the speaker.
Edit: also eyeglasses (sure, I’ll count that as a “gadget”). I hadn’t been to the eye doctor in probably 20 years. Hadn’t really noticed any problems but wanted to get my eyes checked since I had just gotten insurance. Doc recommended a prescription and now it’s like seeing the world in HD instead of standard def. If you’re in your late 30s/early 40s and haven’t gotten your eyes checked, it’s possible your vision has slowly degraded over time and eyeglasses will help more than you realize.
Jar opener
If you like pickles
Air fryer
For frying meat without using oil
Slowcooker / Multicooker with a basket.
Throw rice & pulses in it, throw water in it, throw vegetables and fish in the basket.
Turn it on. Do something else. Ding! Meal.
You don’t even have to be on time. This thing will keep it warm.
I’m extremely lazy.Not cheap, but a robotic vacuum. It’s a life saver with a shedding dog.
I’ve been thinking about getting one lately, any suggestions?
This is our third one. I would look for one that can be serviced, is self emptying and has mapping technology.
A bidet. Hands down the best $35 I’ve ever spent
Instant read digital thermometer.
Game changing.
No more over-cooked meats and ending up with tough chicken and rubbery fish. No guesswork if something has reached safe internal temperature. A must have in the kitchen.
Just mentioned this in another thread, but the XTEInk X4 is one of the most focused and portable e-readers I’ve come across. Less than $100 and isn’t locked down so you can load custom firmware on it. For anyone like me who finds most e-readers go unused because they don’t go with you, I’ve yet to find a better option.
I was gonna say my jailbroken kindle. But that affordable mini e-reader has definitely caught my eye.
Water pick - if I keep it in stride wit OP’s post.
A smartwatch or band. You’ll never have to hear notification or ring tones on your phone anymore. In addition, sleep, heart rate monitoring, sports tracking etc. are a big bonus. Cheapest bands are very affordable and obviously there’s no upper limit if you’re a wealthy pig.
Even though I love my old square G-Shock, the pros of wearing my Garmin Vivoactive over it just outweigh the cons.
My Garmin goes with me everywhere. I would recommend a Garmin to everyone. As someone with ADHD who forgets to charge their electronics, having a watch that only needs to be charged once in 8-10 days is absolutely amazing.
A tens unit. Literally the best $30 spent ever.
Can you just attach them anywhere? Do they shock you? Do they help nerve pain?
They do give little shocks, but it feels more like vibrations on the lower settings. I’m not sure about nerve pain, but it helps a lot with muscle aches.
