It’s 2019 and there are a ton of awesome gadgets out there just waiting to make your life easier and more enjoyable. Whether you’re looking for a new toy for yourself or a gift for the gadget lover in your life, here are 25 innovative products that are truly deserving of being called awesome.
Our Review
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With over 35,000 Amazon reviews and a cumulative rating of over 4.5 stars, the Amazon Echo Dot can rightly be called the go-to smart home device available today. This little smart hub/speaker gives you access to Amazon’s Alexa, a digital assistant that you can control with your voice to perform over 50,000 functions, including making calls, playing music, adding items to your Amazon shopping cart, controlling Alexa-compatible electronics, and much, much more. And at this price point, the Echo Dot is the perfect gadget for anyone who has been hesitant to take the plunge into smart home technology.
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The TaoTronics TT-DL029 LED Desk Lamp is designed to help you maximize your productivity by creating the ideal lighting for your needs. The lamp’s body is built with three pivot points, each with 180° of motion, which allow you to get the perfect lighting angle even on a cramped desk, and the lamp’s LEDs can be set to one of five brightness levels in five different color modes, giving you ample lighting options to choose from.
Add in the built-in USB port for convenient phone charging and the TaoTronics TT-DL029 LED Desk Lamp is the perfect companion for late-night work. It’s also a great gift for computer geeks!
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What sets the RESTECK Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager apart from other home massagers is its flexibility, portability, and overall quality. In terms of flexibility, the device is primarily designed to be draped around your neck in order to massage your shoulders and upper back, but it can easily be used on other parts of your body like your feet or legs. In terms of portability, the RESTECK’s over-the-shoulder design is essentially hands-free, making it easy to use almost anywhere, including in the car, on planes, or even at work. Finally, in terms of quality, reviews for this product are absolutely glowing, with many people saying it is far and away the best home massager they’ve ever used.
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Very few of us have a deep fryer at home, and those of us that do are often reluctant to use it because of the unnecessary oil and fat it injects into our food. The Ninja Air Fryer is essentially a high-powered convection oven that gives foods the same delicious, crispy caramelization that you expect from deep-fried foods, with up to 75% less fat. The Ninja Air Fryer can also be used for much more than frying; it’s great for roasting, reheating, and dehydrating as well. This versatility is the primary reason why the Ninja Air Fryer is also one of the most popular Christmas gifts.
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Anyone who uses a lighter regularly is familiar with the frustration of being unable to light something because of persistent strong winds. The Sipoe Electric Arc Flameless Lighter solves this problem by forgoing the traditional fuel-and-flame design in favor of battery-powered electric arcs that are not susceptible to being blown out. In addition to this specific use case, the Sipoe lighter makes a great alternative to traditional lighters in all situations. Even if you only use a lighter at home for lighting candles or incense, the Sipoe is infinitely rechargeable, fun to use, and it’s a great gadget to show off to your friends and family.
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The Instant Pot is the hottest kitchen appliance of 2019. It’s primarily a pressure cooker that allows you to make crock–pot–style recipes in less than half the time they would usually take. But the Instant Pot also does much more: You can use it as a traditional crock pot, a rice cooker, a steamer, a warmer, or even as a saute pan. With this much versatility, an Instant Pot makes a great gift for almost any occasion. It’s one of the best Christmas gadgets to have around the holidays and is a worthwhile addition to any home cook’s arsenal.
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The heyvalue Smart Power Strip allows you to power on or off your electronic devices using a smartphone app or smart home device. Each outlet can be controlled individually, and you can even use the partner app to set automatic timers and schedules for specific devices.
The applications for this gadget are endless: Use the app to turn on your bedroom air conditioner while you drive home from work, or use a schedule to automatically power off your electronics at night to save money on electricity. Even if you aren’t interested in the timer or scheduling functions, the ability to control lights, appliances, and most any other electronic using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa—even for devices that don’t come with built-in smart home functionality—should be enough to pique the interest of any tech lover.
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There is no shortage of wireless headphones on the market today, but the Sony WH1000XM3 may just be the best of the bunch. These headphones have a host of excellent features that are found in few if any competing products, including integration with Amazon Alexa, touch controls, smart volume reduction, active noise cancellation, a built-in microphone, and a swivel design that makes storage and transportation a breeze.
Of course, the most important thing with any headphones is sound quality, and this is another area where the WH1000XM3 really shines. Audio is crisp right out of the box, and you can even use the Sony Headphones app to further refine the audio balance to fit your personal preferences. They’re also some of the best bass headphones available right now.
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Wireless cell phone chargers are all the rage in 2019, and the iOttie iON Wireless Fast Charging Station stands out as one of the best. This stylish phone charger doubles as a stand, holding your phone at a 65° angle that is ideal for viewing notifications or videos while your phone charges. The iON also has two separate charging coils, which gives you the option of charging your phone in either portrait or landscape orientations. The ability to charge in landscape is particularly great if you’re someone who likes using your phone to watch videos.
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The Travelambo RFID-Blocking Leather Wallet is an elegant solution to an increasingly common problem: people having their credit card information stolen through RFID scanners. This high-tech wallet shields your personal information from any would-be scammers looking to steal your money, and it looks great while doing it.
These wallets come in many colors and styles. The one presented here is the slim version, medium size, which sports a minimalist design aimed at users who like to travel light with just a few of their most important cards.
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The Fitbit Versa Smart Watch is a great alternative to the more expensive Apple Watch 4. As a Fitbit product, most of the Versa’s smart features are oriented around fitness, including a pedometer, a heart rate monitor, and a calorie tracker, all of which can be checked from the watch’s home screen. Additional smart features include the ability to receive call, text, app, and calendar notifications and the ability to use certain apps, like Spotify, directly through the watch’s touchscreen. In addition to these smart features, the Versa also benefits from a sturdy yet lightweight construction that is water resistant up to 50 meters, and an impressive battery life of around four days of nonstop use.
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Are you, or is someone you love, a drone enthusiast who is looking to take their hobby to new heights? Then look no further than the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Quadcopter, which is the newest model in DJI’s much-beloved Mavic line of drones. Boasting incredible handling in the air, a 31-minute flight time (the longest of any consumer drone), a max speed of nearly 45 mph, and omnidirectional obstacle sensors, the Mavic 2 Zoom and its big brother the Mavic 2 Pro are arguably the best consumer drones on the market today.
Oh, and the Mavic 2 Zoom also comes equipped with an unbelievable camera capable of smart motion tracking and 1080p video streaming from up to eight kilometers away. Simply put, this is a gadget lover’s dream toy.
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If you’ve recently upgraded to a 4K UHD TV but are still using the same media streaming stick you got in 2016, you may not be getting the picture quality that you were promised. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is one of the most powerful media streaming sticks on the market today and makes it incredibly easy to stream media of all kinds, including 4K movies.
4K aside, the Fire TV Stick 4K comes with many significant improvements over earlier Fire TV sticks, both under the hood and in terms of overall user experience. The new remote is also a huge upgrade over previous models and comes with a bunch of great smart features, like the ability to turn on your TV, your receiver, and your Fire Stick simultaneously just by pressing the remote’s power button.
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Do you find that your old-fashioned alarm clock is needlessly jarring, starting your day off with an unpleasant jolt rather than a peaceful transition? Then the Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock may be the perfect gadget for you.
This alarm clock comes with a built-in light that gradually increases in brightness as night turns to morning, mirroring the natural light of the sunrise. This transition enables your body to sense that morning is coming, which makes waking up less sudden and more natural. When it comes time to wake up, the Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock can be set to give off a sound alarm using FM radio or one of five stock alarm sounds.
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There are a million smart home products vying for your attention this year, but the Vector Robot stands out from the rest because it is just too darn cute. Vector is a voice-activated robot/smart assistant with built-in Amazon Alexa integration. Vector can move, talk, take pictures, set timers, show you the weather, play blackjack, and answer a variety of questions. He also responds when he’s picked up or pet, can use facial recognition to identify people he knows, and may even be capable of love.
Okay, he probably can’t love, but you’ll probably love him.
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The Wyze Cam Pan is a super affordable IP camera that allows you to keep an eye on your kids, pets, or home no matter where you are. This cute little camera shoots 1080p HD video, has a 360° horizontal range of motion, built-in motion tracking, two-way audio, and configurable motion- and sound-detection settings. Best of all, the Wyze Cam Pan comes with 14 days of free cloud video storage for video recordings—a service that many other IP cameras charge a monthly fee for.
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The DreamSky Auto Set Digital Alarm Clock is a modern take on the classic digital clock. The coolest part about the DreamSky, other than the gorgeous display and classy design, is that it has an internal battery cell that ensures that it will never lose the correct time, even if you happen to lose power. Simply plug the clock back in and check that it is set it to the correct timezone, and the time will always be correct. Other cool features of this clock include its auto-brightness setting, which automatically reduces the display’s brightness as nighttime approaches; the built-in USB port for convenient phone charging; and the ascending alarm that gradually increases in frequency until it is turned off.
Pro tip: Some users report that the display is a little too bright for them, even on the lowest brightness setting. If you’re someone who is sensitive to light while you’re sleeping, I’d recommend checking out the orange display option, which most people find less disruptive to their sleep.
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The Apple Watch 4 is the premiere smartwatch on the market today. It has a gorgeous overall design, a stunning display, stellar iPhone integration, and a bevy of advanced features that you won’t find in other competing products.
The big changes that come with the Apple Watch 4 over previous editions are the display, which is 30% larger than the Apple Watch 3, the inclusion of a built-in ECG (electrocardiogram) for advanced health tracking, and some under-the-hood improvements that make it run faster and more smoothly. All of this is on top of the other great features that came with previous versions, including the ability to respond to texts and take phone calls, use a variety of great fitness apps, and control other apps, like Spotify.
If you already own an older Apple Watch that you enjoy, the Apple Watch 4 doesn’t introduce any eye-popping features that make upgrading a no-brainer. But if you’re a first-time smartwatch buyer looking for an accessory that goes great with your iPhone, the Apple Watch 4 might be the smartwatch for you.
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Ring made a name for itself with its home security systems, but the company has recently branched out with a new line of fantastic outdoor lighting products. The Ring Lighting Pathlights are part of that line and come equipped with motion sensors that automatically turn on the lights if they detect motion within 15 feet of one of the devices. The lights only turn on when they’re needed, making them a convenient, energy-efficient option for making your yard safer to navigate in the dark.
Ring Lighting Pathlights are controlled with the Ring app and can easily be integrated with other Ring products that you may already have in your home. You may also be interested in some of Ring’s other outdoor lighting products, including these step lights and this floodlight camera.
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Sometimes the best gadgets are the simplest ones, the ones that make you ask yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Enter: the BedShelfie. This product is exactly what you would expect it to be: a shelf that attaches to your bedframe for convenient bedside storage.
The BedShelfie takes seconds to install and supports weights of up to 15 pounds—more than enough to hold a laptop, a few books, and a cell phone. It’s a great option for bedrooms that don’t have the floor space for a traditional nightstand or for people who simply haven’t found a nightstand that fits with their decor. The BedShelfie is also perfect for bunk beds.
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All of us are familiar with the frustration and embarrassment of not being able to open a stubborn jar. Sometimes running it under hot water just isn’t enough, and it’s for those really difficult jobs that you’ll want to bring in The Gripper Jar Opener. This clever product allows you to secure a vicelike grip over a troublesome lid and then show it who’s boss. It’s the kind of gadget that you won’t use all of the time, but you’ll be glad you have it when you need it.
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In today’s digital age, many of us sit at desks all day and have a difficult time maintaining proper posture. The Upright GO Posture Trainer is an ingenious device that tracks your posture throughout the day and vibrates if you begin to slouch. While other posture aids are aimed at giving you physical support that forces you into an upright position, the Upright GO is intended to remind you to actively support yourself. This might be more challenging at first, but it will help you develop and maintain the core strength necessary to make good posture a habit that you carry with you as you go about your day.
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The Kano Computer Kit Touch is an incredibly cool product that provides you with the components and instructions to build your own fully-functional touchscreen computer. Once you’ve assembled the computer, you can use it just like you would use a normal computer: for web-surfing, video-watching, game-playing, and more. The computer also comes preloaded with a number of educational apps that will teach you how to code your own games, art, and music using logic, Python, and Javascript.
The Kano Computer Kit Touch is primarily geared toward younger users and makes the perfect gift for the precocious kids in your life.
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The Dash Mini Maker Electric Griddle is a pint-sized kitchen appliance that is perfect for making pancakes, cookies, eggs, burgers, and more. The griddle is roughly the size of an English muffin, making it best-suited for preparing individual portions rather than family meals. But its small size also means that it takes up almost no room in your kitchen, which can be great for people living in dorm rooms, small apartments, or RVs.
The Dash Mini Maker is backed up by a one-year warranty and comes with a cookbook containing lots of great recipes specifically designed for your new griddle. Alternatively, if you’re more of a waffle person than a pancake person, check out the Dash Mini Waffle Maker.
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The Rocketbook Everlast could be the last notebook you ever buy. While traditional paper notebooks are inevitably filled up and must be replaced with new ones, the Everlast contains unique polyester pages that can be erased and reused indefinitely. Each page is marked with a unique QR code that can be scanned using the Rocketbook app and then saved to the cloud using Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack, Evernote, and more. This allows you to scan, save, and erase your notes to create new blank pages as needed.
The Everlast is a particularly awesome gadget if you are someone who is looking to reduce your environmental footprint, as using the Everlast will save an extraordinary amount of paper over a lifetime of use.