I’m big on gadgets that make my life easier or more fun — so big, in fact, that I’ve made a list. These 37 Amazon products are handy enough to make it on my wish list, and affordable enough to make it into my shopping cart.
There are new twists on existing products, like the universal knife block that lets you store knives of all different styles and sizes in a single place. Or the Swedish dishcloths, which are like a traditional dishcloth mated with a sponge and had hyper-useful babies.
Then there are creative solutions to everyday problems, like the light-dimming stickers that mask the glow from electronics at night. And the cat litterbox that’s disguised as a large household plant pot.
Whatever your taste, I hope you find something you like among these handy products.
Improve posture, strengthen abs and reduce pain with this multi-purpose wobble cushion
This handy little air-filled disc has so many uses. Stand on it while working out to strengthen abs and improve balance. At the office, slide the wobble cushion behind your back for lumbar support, or sit on it to improve posture and circulation. It’s 13 inches in diameter and has raised massage points on one side to give the cushion grip on the ground and increase blood flow when it’s pressed against your body.
Putting away toys just got fun with these giant LEGO storage boxes
These LEGO boxes look so fun that I have half a mind to buy a bunch of them myself, even though I don’t have a kid. They come in tons of colors, from the standard red, blue, yellow and green to pretty pastels and pops of pink and purple. There are different sizes and shapes that all fit together, so you can stack them and build a tower. Fill them with your standard-size LEGO bricks, or with other toys, books, clothes or whatever you want.
These glasses have a special coating to block blue light, protecting your eyes from strain
Our eyes are constantly suffering strain when we spend extended periods of time on the computer, in front of the TV or under fluorescent lights. This two-pack of glasses decreases eye discomfort and fatigue using an amber tint lens that has UV400 protection and glare reduction. The frames are lightweight and come in lots of cool colors and patterns for men and women.
This bamboo cutting board has an intricate grid that allows you to get precise, even cuts every time
There’s a reason this model of cutting board is called The Obsessive Chef. It’s for those who take pride in cutting every single slice and cube to exact measurements. It’s got guides for medium dice, small dice, brunoise, fine brunoise, batonnet, allumette, julienne and fine julienne. This is the perfect gift for the obsessive chef in your life!
These stacks of books are actually wooden boxes you can use as a hiding place
No one will know you’ve got a secret hiding place on your bookshelf when you display this pair of wooden boxes that look like old books. They’ve got a lovely vintage feel and are sturdy enough to use as book ends for your other (real) books. Stash money, jewelry, paperwork or whatever secret treasures you want to keep hidden.
The whole family can charge up at once with this four-port charging dock
No more searching around the house for cell phones and tablets. Keep them all in one place while charging with this multi-device charging station. This works great for home or the office. Each device fits neatly in its own secure slot and is charged via a short cable connected to a charging port.
Sooth aches all over your body with this cold rolling massager
I can feel the relief now! Just freeze this roller and it’ll stay cold for up to six hours. Then you can use it on your neck, shoulders, knees, back or anywhere you’ve got aches and pains. The cold will help reduce inflammation and soothe muscles, giving you increased mobility and comfort.
Tone your abs in eight minutes a day with this Core Max device
Core Max is designed to combine eight muscle-burning exercises in eight minutes a day, giving you incredible results. The power-assisted rebound system provides resistance and support to maximize results and minimize strain. And Core Max comes with a nutritional guide, digital download workout videos and a fast-results workout chart.
This cool-looking diffuser and humidifier can be controlled with your voice
If you use Alexa or Google Home, you can set this baby up to respond to the sound of your voice. It’s both a humidifier and an aromatherapy diffuser in one, and it’s got color LED lights and a timer function. This device works using 360-degree ultrasonic frequencies that instantly vaporize water and oil molecules into the air, which is healthier than the old heat diffuser method.
The kids will be spinning tunes and scooping peas with this DJ dinner set
Made of food-safe melamine, this mock DJ set is a fun serving tray for the kids, with a spinning record as the plate. It’s got moveable knobs and levers, and a “tone arm” spork. Best of all, this set makes for amazing photo ops.
This set of five Food Huggers keeps your fruits and veggies fresh
How do you keep half an apple fresh in the fridge? A Food Hugger, that’s how. These clever little silicone food savers keep your fruits and veggies fresh so you can enjoy them another day. You get five huggers with this set, and they’re dishwasher safe, so they’re easy to reuse.
Keep your appliance handles clean with these soft felt covers
These clever little wonders give you a soft, easy grip on the handles of your refrigerator, oven and other appliances, leaving the metal clear of fingerprints and smudges. They come in red, grey and black, and they easily attach to handles with a full-length velcro strip. When they get dirty, just remove, wash and pop them right back on.
This four-layer rack and sheers let you harvest, wash and dry your own herbs at home
There’s nothing like fresh rosemary, basil and mint to liven up a meal, and it’s easy to grow these at home with just a small amount of soil. (I’ve found rosemary to be a particularly enthusiastic plant. It nearly took over my yard.) This handy set gives you the clippers you need to cut those fresh herbs. Then just wash them off and spread them in the drying rack, where they’ll be protected from insects and debris until you’re ready to welcome them to the kitchen.
Dim the glare of electronic lights with these little sticky covers
Are you going nuts trying to sleep with the alarm clock shining in your face? How about that annoying flashing light on your electric toothbrush? Mine transmits right out of the bathroom door and into the bedroom, driving me nuts. There are little lights everywhere in this electronic age, and they can really do a number on our sleep quality. This clever product helps with that — and it’s so simple! These little stickers dim the light 50-80%, so you can still read the numbers on the clock, but they won’t keep you up all night.
This handcrafted ceramic mug is designed to fit your hand perfectly and keep it warm
This gorgeous mug was handmade by husband-and-wife potters. It’s specifically designed for a right-handed person, but there are options for left-handers too. Just cradle the mug in your hand and it’ll not only warm your belly with its contents, it’ll warm your hand as it’s wrapped around the smooth curves. This mug will hold 14 ounces, and it’s lead-free and safe to use in the oven, microwave and dishwasher.
Get the perfect pancake every time using this handheld batter dispenser
No more sloppily scooping pancake batter into the pan using a measuring cup. This dispenser, made of BPA-free plastic, lets you dispense batter easily with a squeeze of the hand. You’ll get uniform pancakes every time. And you can use this for other types of batter, too, like muffins, cakes and more. The 3/4-inch-wide opening allows for even thick batter to squeeze through.
Who wouldn’t want to serve their guests cocktails with skull-shaped ice cubes?
This flexible silicone ice mold is kitchy fun. It’s BPA free and makes long-lasting ice cubes that are 2 x 2.36 inches in size. For even more fun, fill the mold with colored water or fruit juice for skulls that glow like the rainbow.
This candy-colored camera takes great instant pics
This adorable little camera in flamingo pink prints out instant photos about the size of a credit card. Though it looks like a toy, it’s a full-service camera with lots of features. There’s a selfie mirror near the lens to help you pose just right for your pic. It’s got automatic light detection and will tell you (via a flashing light) which setting will work best in any given condition. It’s got a close-up lens adapter for zoomed-in accuracy, and a high-key mode that gives you brighter, softer portraits.
This faux plant has a secret: Its hollow pot hides a litterbox
What an innovative design! This large-capacity litterbox looks like a real clay pot, and there’s a lovely faux plant nestled in the top. It has a filtered vent system to control dust and odor. If kitty doesn’t like the planter as his litterbox, you can put a bed inside and let him use it as a sleeping nook.
This keypad for your smart lock system lets you open the door with a simple code
Smart locks are all the rage right now, and this simple keypad is a handy add-on for the August Smart Lock system. Create a unique code of your choice and give it to your dog walker, house cleaner or out-of-town guest so they can get in while you’re away. You can track entries using the August app, so you always know when someone’s in your house.
Keep your art supplies fresh and organized with this three-drawer storage box
Oh how I love organizing my stuff into neatly arranged drawers! I know, it’s a nerdy thing to be excited about, but at least it’s practical nerdiness. Having all your art pastels stored securely in this three-drawer wooden box, you’ll never have trouble finding just what you need for any project. The drawer unit is made of lacquered birch. Each of the drawers has a removable foam lining and dividers that you can adjust or remove as needed. And the unit is made to be stackable, so you can buy multiple and create a mini-tower for colored pencils, markers, paintbrushes and more.
This universal cell phone stand has adjustable height and angle
I love the sleek look of this cell phone stand, which comes in white, black and pink. It’s designed to fit any model of phone in either portrait or landscape mode. For easy viewing, you can adjust the height between 7.1 inches and 8.5 inches and the angle is adjustable between 5 degrees and 85 degrees.
These wobble chairs for kids help strengthen the core and correct posture
It sounds crazy to give a kid a thing called a wobble chair. After all, you’d generally prefer to keep kids from wobbling. But these wobble chairs are specially designed to be good for kids’ bodies. They have a non-slip rubberized bottom that keeps the chairs secure in place. The soft cushion on top allows kids to wiggle and move about without fear of falling over. The design causes them to engage their core more than a typical chair, and the movement distributes pressure evenly throughout the body for healthier sitting.
Use this universal knife block to store all those knives you buy separately
This block accommodates up to 16 knives of any size or shape. You just slide them in and they easily settle into a spot between the flexible plastic rods, creating their own slot like magic. And on the sides of the block, there are sharpeners, making it easy to keep your knives in optimal form. I’ve got one of these at my house and I love it.
Keep your desktop neat by storing your laptop in this vertical holder
When you’re not using your laptop, it’s nice to store it in a way that takes up as little space as possible. That’s where a laptop holder like this comes in handy. It holds your laptop vertically, so you can slide it against the wall and have your desktop totally clear. I also use this sort of holder to secure my laptop when I’m using it with an external monitor. I just plug the monitor into the laptop’s HDMI port and I can work on my desktop monitor using the laptop that’s closed and stored beside me.
This tri-fold makeup mirror with LED lights is an amazing deal for just $16
This one small gadget has so many features! There are 21 built-in LED lights on this tri-fold makeup mirror. It’s got a stable stand with a joint that lets you swivel it 180 degrees. The mirror has three magnification sections for 1x, 2x and 3x close-ups. It can be powered by USB or by four AAA batteries. Just fold it up and take it with you wherever you go!
This outlet extender mounts on the wall or furniture to give you power where you need it
This unobtrusive power hub mounts on the wall (or wherever you want it) and gives you three outlets and three USB ports. What a great idea for beside the bed, where you can handily plug in your phone and other devices. And it would make an ideal companion for when you travel, since hotels rarely have enough accessible outlets to accommodate modern needs. (Just don’t mount it to the wall!)
This nail polish bottle holder will make home manicures a snap
How many times have you gone to dip the brush into the nail polish bottle, only to knock it over? That can be an expensive accident, depending on where it happens. This bottle clamp solves the problem by securing the polish just where you need it while you’re doing your work. It’s got a large sturdy base and gripper feet to keep it securely in place.
Removable rings let you raise this rolling pin to the desired thickness
Never again worry about whether you’re rolling the dough to the right thickness. This rolling pin has removable rings that allow you to set the gauge just right for your project. The discs are 1/16, 1/6, 1/4, and 3/8-inch. There are also measurements (in inches and centimeters) etched into the wooden rolling pin so you get your recipe just right.
This 10-pack of Swedish dishcloths can be used for just about everything
Swedish dishcloths combine the features of a traditional hand towel with the absorbency of a sponge. They’re hard when dry and soft and spongy when wet, so you can use them to scrub dishes and also to dry them. They’re fast-drying, odor resistant, eco-friendly and machine washable. You can reuse them up to 50 times! Talk about getting your money’s worth!
This wireless Apple Watch charger is small enough to fit in your pocket
Your Apple Watch will never run out of power with this wireless charger. It’ll fully charge your watch in 3.5 hours, anytime, anywhere, with no cables or wires. When the battery for your charger is running low, just recharge it via USB.
Make tea for one using this large mug with tea infuser basket
Ditch the mediocre teabags and have yourself a delicious cup of tea made with fresh tea leaves. This large ceramic mug with lid has a removable stainless steal infuser that you can fill with the fresh tea leaves of your choice. The ceramic cup is heat resistant up to 240 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can choose from several fun colors.
Make mini waffles and more with this three-piece set
If you have any doubt about how much people love mini waffles, just take a look at the 55,000 Amazon reviewers who rated this iron 4.7 stars. With this package deal, you get the buyer-fave waffle iron in red, plus a book with 80 delicious waffle recipes, and a set of heart-shaped measuring spoons — all for just $29.99! You can make more than just waffles with this iron, too. Put any kind of batter in it and it’ll cook it into a waffle shape.
This baby monitor holder wraps around and grips whatever surface you attach it to
This universal baby monitor holder is compatible with most baby monitors. It’s got a bendy goose neck that you can wrap around the crib or wherever you want to attach it. Because it’s small and portable, you can take it with you wherever you go. So when you’re spending the evening at a friend’s house, just take this with you and attach the monitor wherever you lay baby down to rest.
This buyer-fave white noise machine has six soothing sounds
Whether you have trouble sleeping or just want to drown out the hubbub so you can get work done, this machine will do the trick. More than 18,000 Amazon buyers have rated it 4.3 stars. Choose from six soothing sounds: white noise, thunder, ocean, rain, summer night or brook. It’s got an auto-off timer and is light and portable, so you can take it with you when you travel.
This gift wrap organizer is a number one Amazon bestseller
This handy zippered box holds everything you need for gift wrapping year-round. The main section holds tubes of wrapping paper, which can be strapped in place to prevent jiggling. There’s also a section for ribbon and bows. On the inside of the lid, there are pouches for gift labels, tissue paper, gift bags and other flat items. The whole thing stows neatly away under the bed or in the closet.