4 Cool New USB-A Mini Gadgets You Never Knew You Needed – BGR

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While USB-C is becoming a focal point of the gadget world moving forward, there’s still a place in your setup for USB-A devices. Many laptops still offer USB-A connectivity, and you’ve most likely got more than a few USB-A bricks floating around. So what do you do with those USB-A ports, now that many phones and mobile devices have gone the way of USB-C? Try considering some handy little gadgets for one.

Whether you’re sitting at your desk to work for the day and want to keep your beverage warm, you’re looking for some adjustable ambient lighting, or you want to improve the airflow in your space, there’s something on this list to meet the need. We’ve culled Amazon’s new release best seller lists in the category to find the best USB gadgets. And because they’re all smaller in size, with USB-A connectivity, they’ll fit fairly easily right into a modern desk setup. So if you’ve already checked out our guide on cheap USB gadgets that users swear by, then read on for a few more that are meant specifically for your USB-A port.

With the popularity of premium, rechargeable, self-heating mugs on Amazon, you may be surprised at just how affordable a universal mug warmer is. This Zonopy Coffee Mug Warmer comes in multiple sizes and colors and features a small hot-plate surface that you can place a ceramic mug on to keep your coffee warm. While many of these mug warming setups require a very specific mug that’s proprietary, this one stands out because it’s universal for most standard coffee mugs. 

The warmer features three different temperature settings to dial in the right level of warmth for your specific beverage, and it also offers a handy LED screen to show the temperature the device is targeting. The device is limited to its surface-heated mechanism, so it will heat your beverage less evenly than if you had a mug that heated itself, and as it measures over an inch thick, it’s not quite as sleek as you’d like. It’s also garnered dozens of 4+ star ratings on Amazon, with some users particularly noting the feature set, such as the auto shutoff option. The best part? It connects via USB-A so it’s ready to plug into a computer that can supply the power it needs and keep your beverage warm while you work.

While most of our mobile and personal computing devices are rechargeable in and of themselves these days, it’s still common to need some classic cell-style batteries lying around. But rather than filling up the landfill with depleted batteries, consider these Lankoo Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. What’s cool about these batteries is that you don’t need a special dock to charge them up, as each one features a USB-C port to plug a standard cable in. The package here comes with a multi-ended charging cable that’ll connect with a USB-A brick or port on the other side to charge up multiple batteries at once.

While these look like the standard cell batteries you’ll find at a local convenience store, underneath they actually employ rechargeable lithium-ion technology with up to 2600 milliwatt-hours of capacity. They have been rated for up to 1200 charge cycles and feature built-in overcharge tech. As with any rechargeable batteries, these do require foresight to remember to charge them. The charging speed is also dependent on how much power your brick or source device can put out, too. These batteries have scored a 4.1-star average rating with over 500 reviews on Amazon, some of whom note just how easy they are to charge with the built-in USB ports. The Lankoo batteries are available in this pack in AA size, but you can opt for different sizes depending on the power needs in your setup.

As we highlighted in our remote work gift guide, the right lighting for your desk space is an important way to stay focused, reduce eye fatigue, and set the ambiance for your space. A monitor bar is an LED-based light bar that attaches to the top of your monitor, allowing for top-down lighting that can be angled and adjusted for your needs. This monitor bar from Colorpanda connects via USB-A, so it’ll work nicely plugged right into a USB-capable monitor or your PC, and it’s earned a 4.4-star rating from more than 600 Amazon reviewers. Many of these ratings confirm that the light fits well on their screen and limits glare. While it may not seem mini per se, measuring just 1 inch thick and weighing just over a pound, it’s a small, light device that will tuck out of the way right on top of your monitor.

The light itself supports adjustable brightness so you can switch from task mode to a more ambient situation, and it can span from a cool, crisp 6500K all the way down to 2700K warm light so it’s ideal for a variety of applications and times of day. It also features an adjustable hinge so you can line it up perfectly for the angle you’re after. While there are more advanced versions of this kind of light out there with more color options and smart app functionality, they also cost significantly more. But for right around $25 and an ultra-miniature design, this USB-A-powered monitor bar feels just right for most people.

One of the easiest ways to make your desk setup more comfortable is to go for a little desktop fan, and why not opt for this 4.6-star-rated unit from KIMMOO that plugs in via USB-A. The reason this USB fan is great is thanks to its internal battery that can be recharged, so it doesn’t have to stay tethered to your USB-A port. The fan itself offers speed adjustment up to 100 levels of precision, a 90-degree rotating head, and a digital display to keep track of all of these adjustments so you know at a glance if it’s doing what you want it to do. Some users confirm just how impressed they are with the amount of airflow for this fan considering the size. 

The design itself also looks futuristic with a clear, transparent frame, and a gray fan chassis giving it an industrial look. It’s also available in a purple colorway if you do want a little more personality in the look. While the fan does offer a solid amount of airflow, because it measures just about 6 inches across, it won’t move quite as much air as a larger-format fan. Some reviews also state that even on low settings, there’s some mechanical noise that may be distracting to some. All in all, it’s a solid use of a USB-A port, especially if you need some airflow in your space.

While there is no shortage of USB devices out there, when we set out to compile this list, we had a few key parameters. First, each device has to primarily connect via USB, and ideally via USB-A, to ensure that they are compatible with your extra ports and bricks. Next, the devices had to be reasonably small, in most cases smaller than just a few inches. The idea is that you’ll want to use them with your extra USB-A ports on your desk, so we don’t want them to take up too much space.

Finally, we turned to Amazon’s list of bestselling new items to ensure that they are relatively new and that many other Amazon buyers have already bought them. This helps to ensure that the devices are reliable and worthy of consideration. However, because these are small USB-A devices, they do also tend to be inexpensive, coming in at $20-30. All of these factors make it easy to expand your desktop gadget arsenal.