5 Cool Gadgets You Never Knew You Needed – BGR

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Gadget needs differ from person to person. Audiophile gadgets, for instance, may not be very appealing to someone who doesn’t listen to music frequently. However, this list is not intended for those seeking a specific type of product. Instead, we’re showcasing five cool gadgets that anyone can utilize. 

We prioritized feature-rich products that give you the most bang for your buck. Also, all the products are under $50 to keep you from breaking the bank. These gadgets might not be life-changing, but with their broad appeal and low prices, many of them would make great holiday gifts.

We took steps to ensure the products we found are high quality. We achieved this by reading hundreds of user reviews on sites like Amazon and selecting the ones that stand out above the rest, not only in terms of ease of use and functionality, but also in reliability. We also read through professional reviews and took their opinions into account.

If you’re like us, you enjoy a YouTube video or TV show to keep you company while eating. That’s where the Jteman cell phone stand comes in handy. You can attach almost any smartphone to the stand and adjust its height and angle to enhance your viewing experience. But that’s not all this device has to offer. Built-in is an LED Bluetooth speaker that will boost your audio with 360-degree 3D surround sound to drown out distractions.

The speaker also has a built-in microphone for making phone calls. The speaker features face buttons for volume control and playback, eliminating the need to handle your phone every time you want to change media. The device is not relegated to phones, however. You can connect a computer via the included USB-A to USB-C cable and use the device as an external speaker.

The Jteman cell phone stand retails for $28.99, but you can get it on sale right now for $19.99 on Amazon. In addition to its 4.6-star rating, Amazon claims this product is returned less often than similar products. Customers who left reviews generally agreed that the device can fill a room with high-quality sound. A common complaint among customers, though, is that the speaker’s battery does not last long on a single charge.

The FosPower Emergency Weather Radio is a product that’s better to have and not need than need and not have. It can receive AM, FM, and NOAA weather broadcasts (WB) signals. The radio also features an SOS alarm that plays a siren over its speakers and flashes its lights to draw attention. If you happen to be in an emergency and the radio dies, you’re not out of luck. You can power this device using the attached solar panel, AAA batteries, or a hand crank. 

The radio has a 7,400 mWh capacity power bank that can charge other electronic devices. Having a charged smartphone is crucial in an emergency. The radio also features an LED flashlight and a reading light, ensuring you’re never without light.

The $39.99 FosPower Emergency Weather Radio has nearly 40,000 reviews on Amazon, averaging 4.6 stars out of 5. Customers appreciated that the radio was compact enough to take outdoors thanks to its dimensions of 6.2 inches long, 2.1 inches wide, and 2.9 inches tall. They also overwhelmingly agreed it is durable and water-resistant as described. Not everyone was satisfied with this product, however. There were mixed reviews regarding the device’s charging speeds, with some customers writing that the radio does not charge devices as fast as an outlet would. 

You probably don’t think you need a smart light bulb, but you might not have considered what they can do now. A Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Bulb can display over 16 million colors in addition to an adjustable white color temperature. You can pick up a two-pack of these 1000 lumen, 9-watt LED bulbs for $29.99 on Amazon. 

There are two ways to use these bulbs. You can use the free Nanoleaf app to activate features such as color-changing and circadian lighting. The latter automatically adjusts bulb brightness based on incoming sunlight. Connecting one of these bulbs to a Matter-compatible smart home hub such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa gives you complete control. With a smart home ecosystem, you can set schedules, use voice control, and remotely access your bulbs while away from home. A popular feature these bulbs offer is Screen Mirror. With Screen Mirror, you can set up your bulbs behind your screen and have the lights match the content on the screen. This can be done through the Nanoleaf Desktop app. Those who want to use it with a smart TV will need to purchase a 4D Screen Mirror Camera Kit.

Customers on Amazon were generally pleased with the product, awarding it an average rating of 4.1 out of 5. Reviews aren’t all glowing, though. Some users have complained that the bulbs are difficult to connect and respond slowly. However, user experience may vary depending on the smart hub you are connecting to.

This small gadget is for those who feel limited by what they can connect to their MacBook. The $29.95 5-in-1 USB-C Hub from Plugable is designed to provide your MacBook Pro or Air (M1-M4) with additional ports. It plugs into both of the USB-C ports on your MacBook, providing two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, one Ethernet port, and one 3.5 mm audio port. When the hub is attached, you will lose access to one of your two original USB-C ports. However, the USB-C port on the hub supports 40Gbps of data transfer, a 6K 60Hz display, 100W pass-through charging, and 15W downstream charging for any other USB-C gadget you might have.

Two USB-A ports can be particularly useful for anyone who uses an external keyboard or mouse, as they typically connect over USB-A.  Notably, the hub does not block the MagSafe cutout, allowing you to charge your laptop while the hub is attached. On Amazon, the hub is a hit, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. (Granted, the sample size is small since it has fewer than 200 reviews.) Customers who left a review noted that the ports function as advertised, providing adequate power and data transfer speeds. Many noted that the hub complements the MacBook’s aesthetic nicely and does not look out of place as a result. One reviewer did gripe that the hub does not connect when the MacBook has a protective cover. 

The Rocketbook looks like an ordinary notebook, but there’s more to it than that because the pages in this notebook are reusable. With the included microfiber cloth, you can simply wipe off a page and start over. But your notes aren’t necessarily lost. The Rocketbook comes with a free companion app you can use to scan your pages. These pages are stored on the Rocketbook app, where you can group and sort them. The app also features handwriting recognition that automatically types out what you write. You can use this to search for a note you jotted down but can’t locate. The notes you store can be sent to cloud storage services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. 

You can purchase the Rocketbook in various colors in executive size for $34.99 on Amazon. There is also a letter-size option in addition to a choice between dotted or lined paper. The Rocketbook boasts a respectable 66,000 reviews, averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars. Customers noted that scanning the pages was easy to do and that the app does a solid job of organizing notes. Some customers complained that the paper felt strange to write on due to its texture. Some also found the pages difficult to clean.