I'm always on the hunt for handy gadgets that make mundane tasks easier. Along with being designed well and easy to use, they should be so clever or insanely useful that I'll wonder how I ever lived without them.
I tracked down 31 amazing gadgets that would've been darn near impossible to find before we had the internet - thankfully, nifty little life-changers like a spaceship-shaped pet carrier backpack and flashlight gloves are a click away. These awesome gadgets would make excellent gifts for most everyone on your list, or just yourself!
We hope you find these useful products as awesome as we do. Just an FYI: we participate in affiliate programs, and may receive a share of sales from links on this page.
This Egg Snack Container Is a Lunch Time Star
Hard boiled eggs are pretty much the perfect snack, and an easy way to add healthy protein to your lunch bag. Problem is, they tend to get squished on-the-go and definitely have an identifiable odor. This cute little egg container keeps your snack safe, contains eggy smells, and comes with a mini spice shaker you can fill with salt, pepper or your favorite topping. It’s great for kids’ lunches or a post-gym snack, too.
This Scrub Brush Helps Keep All Your Fingers Attached
We hand wash our cutting knives to keep them sharp longer, but slippery, soapy hands and razor sharp smooth metal are a dangerous combination. This cutlery scrub brush makes washing sharp things a lot safer since its grippy textured surface wraps all the way around, ensuring you don’t slip. It also cleans both sides of the knife at once, so clean up is fast and easy.
These Dryer Balls Cut Your Drying Time by 50%
In addition to being incredibly cute, this set of two cactus dryer balls is laundry magic. The little spikes help smooth out wrinkles, reduce static electricity, fluff your laundry and make it dry 50% faster, saving you time and money on energy bills. These are especially good for large items or loads, like a bed comforter or load of towels that often need more than one cycle to get completely dry.
These Grill Lights Let You Laugh At Early Sunsets
These versatile magnetic LED lights grab onto any metal surface and throw off bright light to illuminate any task from grilling to auto repair to knitting. We like to grill year-round so these lights would be really handy when it gets dark before dinnertime. The flexible gooseneck lets you point the light exactly where you need it, and the strong magnet means the light stays where you put it.
This Sink Squeegee & Counter Brush Cleans Every Nook & Cranny
No matter how well I think I’ve cleaned the counters, I always find little bits littering the surface from the million spills that happen everyday. This little sink squeegee and counter brush tool sweeps crumbs into the sink and scrapes dried messes off the stove or sink in a snap. It has a built-in handle so you can hang it on the edge of the counter or sink which is nice for those of us who constantly misplace things!
This Food Masher Gets Guac In Your Mouth Faster
Not only does this masher and pot scraper tool make perfect mashed potatoes a cinch, it’s great for making baby food or guacamole. The sturdy metal coil holds your food in place, then you simply push down once on the soft silicone-covered handle to mash. The pot scraper makes clean up easy, and you can even use the masher coil to serve. Yay for fewer things to wash!
This Hair Brush Cleaning Tool Will Disgust & Delight You
Our hairbrushes seem to get filled with hair and gunk so quickly that I’m constantly cleaning them by hand, which takes forever. This metal double-sided hairbrush cleaner zips through tangled, matted strands with a large comb and sweeps out lint with a smaller brush. You’ll be amazed at how much gross stuff you can get out of your brush and how fast it cleans up!
This Car Tissue Holder Is Fancy AF
Whether it’s allergy season or cold and flu season, someone in the car always needs a tissue. The tubes of tissues that fit in your cup holder work pretty well, but they take up valuable caffeine-holder space and not every store carries them. This stylish leather car tissue holder attaches easily to your visor, dashboard or seat back so tissues are always in reach and you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to hunt one down.
This Waterproof Notepad Is Perfect for Compulsive List Makers
Are you a shower multi-tasker? While I scrub away I’m always thinking about all the things on the schedule that day, what to make for dinner, Christmas present ideas, you name it. This waterproof note pad and pencil lets you capture to-do lists or flashes of brilliance before they wash down the drain.
This Sleek Back Scratcher Gets Juuust The Right Spot
This gorgeous copper back scratcher is like an art piece I’d use daily. Its telescoping handle extends to 20 inches then folds back to just over 6 inches, so it takes up virtually no space. There’s also a handy pocket clip so you can keep it on hand for itchy emergencies. So much better than the pen I stick down the back of my shirt that never reaches the right place!
This Posture Corrector Saved My Back
I’ve had bad posture for ages and slouching in front of a computer most of the day doesn't help. This posture corrector is comfortable and easy to wear and I don’t have to constantly remind myself to sit up straight. It’s made a world of difference in my shoulder, back and neck pain and I look taller, too!
This Hot Dog Slicer Makes Hot Dogs Taste Even More Awesome
You wouldn’t think freshly-grilled hot dogs could be improved but this gadget shows they most definitely can. This hot dog slicing tool cuts a grid pattern in the top of hot dogs so smoky grill flavors penetrate deeper, the edges get perfectly crunchy and caramelized and the “slots" grab more of your favorite condiments. This would be a great gift that your favorite grilling fan's never seen before!
This Batter Dispenser Keeps Your Counters Clean
Homemade cupcakes, pancakes, waffles, muffins and crepes are so delicious but sometimes not worth the mess it makes of your kitchen. Simply mix ingredients directly in this 4-cup batter dispenser, then pull the handle to cleanly dispense exactly the right amount of batter. No messy ladles or drippy counters, and you’ll get perfectly sized pancakes and cupcakes that cook evenly. It’s so easy to use even kids can do it by themselves!
These No-Tie Shoelaces Make Any Shoe A Slip-On
These no-tie elastic shoelaces are seriously genius. I just bought two pair for my kid’s sneakers and winter boots - no matter how securely I double-knot her laces, they're untied by the end of the day. These stretchy laces are so easy to use - just lace the shoes then slide on the locking device, trim the laces to fit and snap on the handy cord clip to cover the trimmed ends. The elastic laces let you customize the tension to perfectly fit your foot, and the flexibility keeps that custom fit even if your feet swell throughout the day. I want these on all my sneakers!
This Veggie Peeler Is Like Four Tools in One
This handy veggie peeler is like having four tools in one. You can peel, spiralize, julienne and slice without taking up all your kitchen storage space! I’d use this for julienning carrots for salads since grating them by hand makes a wet, mushy mess, thin-slicing sweet potato chips or spiralizing some zoodles if I’m feeling ambitious.
This Headphone Splitter Lets You Share Audio Adorably
This 3-way headphone splitter is not only cleverly shaped like a twig, but also super helpful since you can share music or audio with multiple friends at the same time. It comes with a keychain attachment so you’ll always have it on hand when you need it. It'd be great for travel when you’re sharing a laptop to watch movies, or for kids to listen to their OWN music in the backseat while you’re playing chauffeur.
This Instant Pot Egg Steamer Trivet Ensures Perfectly Cooked Eggs, Every Time
A few times a week, my husband piles a bunch of eggs into the Instant Pot so we have healthy snacks to grab on the go. Unfortunately sometimes the eggs on top of the pile aren’t fully cooked while the ones on the bottom are perfect. This Instant Pot steamer trivet solves that problem since it keeps the eggs separated so each one is evenly cooked.
This Dog Water Bottle Keeps Pets Happy and Healthy
As much as you love kisses from your pup, sharing your water bottle after a long game of fetch is not super sanitary. I love this convenient pet water bottle that’s small enough to clip onto a leash or carry in your pocket, and easy to operate with one hand. Simply press the “Water" button, and a stream of fresh, clean water flows into the attached drinking basin. When your pet’s done drinking, press the button again and the water flows back in so there’s no waste. Perfect for quenching pup’s thirst wherever the day takes you!
This Milk Foamer Got My Kids to Drink Milk Again
This little handheld milk frother is the most successful secret weapon in my parenting arsenal to date. Kids need calcium, so I was freaking out the day my eldest suddenly decided milk was gross. “Babyccinos" are basically just warm foamy milk and my kids think they’re cool, so I decided to make my own at home with this battery-powered frother. It’s super easy to whip up “fancy milk", smoothies, sauces and salad dressings and it cleans up in seconds.
This Ice Mold Makes Your Cocktails Look Professional
Huge ice cubes are all the rage, especially at posh craft cocktail bars because they melt more slowly and won’t water down your drink like smaller cubes. This set of two silicone ice cube molds makes six each of 2-inch square and sphere shapes. Now your homemade drinks will be as just as impressive without having to pay the ridiculous markup! I love the idea of making popsicles out of the ice balls for parties. Cold brew pop, anyone?
This Scalp Massager Brings the Salon Experience Home
The best part of getting a haircut is hands down the amazing scalp massage during the shampoo. It’s delicious and impossible to replicate at home, until now! In addition to feeling heavenly, this scalp massaging shampoo brush makes your scalp healthier by increasing blood flow, promoting hair growth and exfoliating any potential dandruff. Not to mention the extremely satisfying lather you’ll work up while you’re scrubbing! You can also use it to massage achy body parts, like shoulders and back, while you’re at it.
This Wearable Nail Polish Bottle Holder Makes Manis Easy Anywhere
This ring-style nail polish holder makes DIY manicures a breeze. It keeps your bottle of polish at your fingertips and holds it securely enough that you can paint your nails while lounging on the couch or in bed without risking a nasty spill. This fun and practical polish bottle holder is like having an extra hand!
This Dish Drainer Mat and Rack Is A Kitchen Clutter Buster
No matter how sleek or attractive your dish drying rack is, at the end of the day it’s still an eyesore taking up space on your counter. This genius combination low-profile dish rack and microfiber drying mat is the answer to the clutter problem. It comes in a few sophisticated colors that can blend in with your countertop, and the large drying mat has room for pots and pans that don’t fit in traditional drying racks. When the dishes are dry, it folds up basically flat for easy storage even in teensy kitchens.
This Bottle Opener Will Put a Smile On Your Face
I’m a big fan of every day tools with a sense of humor. This hilarious Luchador Mexican wrestler bottle opener puts your soda or beer bottle in a headlock and makes quick work of that pesky cap. Great as a white elephant gift that people will actually fight over, according to one reviewer!
This Clip-On Drink Holder Is Key for Klutzes
If you’re anything like me, you knock your delicious caffeinated beverage over on your desk at least a few times a week. This handy little clip-on cup holder is small price to pay to protect expensive computer equipment and it also gives you more usable work space since it attaches to the edge of your desk. The new model comes with a little cut out for a mug handle, so it can hold your drink in any bottle, can, cup or mug!
These Fingerless Gloves Should Come Standard in Cold Offices
I, along with many other ladies I know, have constantly cold hands. They get so cold when typing all day in an overly-air conditioned office that you have to cozy up to the printer since it's the only source of heat in sight. These fingerless gloves are perfect because they’re thin enough for typing but keep your hands toasty. I like how the fabric extends a bit down the fingers since those are the chilliest bits!
I'm Obsessed With This Pet Carrier and I Don't Even Own a Pet
This amazingpet carrier backpack looks kind of like a spaceship and lets you conveniently take your little buddy along for any adventure! It has lots of air holes so your pet can breathe freely and a little viewing window so they can see the world outside. Reviewers love using it for air travel with a pet, or just for for bringing indoor pets safely outside on a walk.
This Cute Garlic Peeler Keeps Your Hands Stink-Free
I love cooking with garlic, but I don’t love the ghost of meals past lingering on my hands and under my fingernails from picking the garlic skin off. Use this appropriately-shaped little garlic peeler to quickly and easily remove the skin from garlic cloves, then simply pop the naked garlic out and get on with making something delicious.
This Apple Slicer Is Giving Me Life
As a mom of two ravenous, apple-loving kiddos, I’ve spent countless minutes (hours? days?) painstakingly cutting apples into slices so no one chokes. This sturdy apple slicer and corer easily cuts 16 perfect slices at once, and they’re all equally sized so no one fights over who got the bigger piece. I've used it at least three times a day since I got it and it works amazingly on pears, too.
These Silicone Stretch Lids Take the Frustration Out of Food Storage
When it’s time to store leftovers, one of two things always happens: either I can’t find the right size lid for the container at hand, or the plastic wrap gets all tangled up before I can cover the food. This set of seven various sized silicone lids stretch to fit over all your food storage container shapes and sizes, from smoothie cups to square baking pans. You can even stretch one over any foods with a flat surface, like a halved melon or pineapple! It’s also an easy way to be more environmentally friendly since you’re using less disposable plastic wrap.
These LED Flashlight Gloves Shoot Light From Your Fingers
Maybe it's not as exciting as the ability to fly, but shooting light out of your hands would still be a pretty cool superpower. These stretchy neoprene LED flashlight gloves have bright lights on the pointer finger and thumb which nicely illuminates a wide range of tasks like auto repair, knitting or reading in bed while your partner's asleep, night fishing, checking IDs at a bar, grilling or just looking for something that fell under the couch.
This Compact Plug-in Air Sanitizer Cleans Your Air With Zero Footprint
It kills germs, mold, freshens air and wipes out odors, all while staying nice and small on your wall.People Swear By This Wildly Popular Acupressure Mat
According to reviewers, it hurts at first, but after a day or two, it starts to work its magic.This Tiny Gadget Not Only Charges Your Devices, But Also Adds Bluetooth Functionality To Your Car
Feel like taking that 20th century car into the 21st? Bluetooth amazingness is a ROAV adapter away.These Harperton Nail Clippers Will Be The Last Ones You Ever Buy
If you haven't tried a REAL pair of nail clippers, trust me, you need to. It's a completely different (and far superior) experience from those $2 clippers.
These Big Wool Spheres Will Replace Dryer Sheets
Throw out those dryer sheets and fabric softener. These solid wool balls are a wildly popular solution for soft and static-free clothes.This $8 Invention Adds An Invaluable Footrest To Your Shower
Much like cupholders, I don't understand why more everyday things don't have built-in footrests.
Stop Resenting Your Pets: Clean Up Their Hair From Anywhere For Under $20
The all-rubber construction of the FURremover Broom not only lends to its long-term durability, but also its multi-use utility as a fur-gathering sweeper, and a pee-pushing squeegee.
It'll keep your carpets fur-free and your hardwood unstained, so you can love your pets in all their messy glory without (too much) resentment.
These Stainless Steel Reusable Drinking Straws That Will Help You Save the Environment
The sad truth is that plastic straws are terrible for the environment. But if you love drinking out of straws (like we do), all hope is not lost! These stainless steel straws are perfect replacements. And they come with their very own cleaner brush!With This Gap Cleaning Brush You'll Have The Cleanest Window Tracks On The Block
There is literally decades of dust living in the crevices of my windows right now, awaiting attack by the Trycooling Brush.These Wildly Popular Baking Mats Will Keep You From Scrubbing Stuck-On Messes
Use these handy silicone liners to create a nonstick layer on your baking sheets. They're great for cookies, candies, cakes, biscuits — anything you want to bake in the oven. And they're dishwasher-safe!These Moso Purifying Bags Apparently Have Odor-Killing Superpowers
Thousands of reviewers tout the powers of these bags of activated charcoal, specifically highlighting their abilities to freshen truly nasty old shoes, or even drink up the odorrific remnants of spoiled milk inside a minivan.This Bed Band That Prevent The Dreaded Sheet Slip
Who can get any sleep when your sheets are constantly slipping off?
These brilliant "bed bands" eliminate that problem so you can finally catch some Z's.Using These Dirt Cheap Drain Snakes Will Both Disgust And Fascinate You
When you first snake your drain, you might gag. Then you're gonna wonder where all that hair came from. Then you're gonna be so happy you spent $5 instead of calling in a plumber. Then you still might gag. Then you'll move right on to the next drain.This Section of Chain Mail Will Keep Your Cast Iron Spotless
Yep, chain mail is the best way to keep your cast iron clean.This Blind Cleaner Is the Best Tool for Your Dusty Blinds
The microfiber sleeves are perfectly shaped to capture dust and dirt that gets trapped on your blinds. You can also use this tool to clean your A/C vents (both in your house and in your car).The Popular Tivolo Pancake Pen Will Upgrade Your Pancake Game Immediately
Now THIS is how you pancake.This Handy Magnetic Wristband
There's nothing worse than stopping a project to search for that crucial screw or nail. Well, with the MagnoGrip, you'll have all your necessary hardware close at hand (er, wrist).