Seriously, worth a scroll.
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I write product reviews for a living. That means I look at, use, keep, and discard a lot of gear. I review everything from small kitchen gadgets to high-end technology. And I’ll be the first to tell you that some of it is so incredible, I proselytize about for years. So when I tell you that I’m a product reviews editor and these are the 50 coolest things under $25 on Amazon, it’s because these are the inexpensive tools that I’m still talking about long after the (virtual) in has dried.
01A handle to make your water bottle better
This paracord handle for a wide-mouth water bottle such as the Iron Flask is an enormous upgrade to your daily carry. It makes your water bottle easy to grab, carry, or clip to a pack by adding a cute handle and a carabiner securely under the lid. There’s even a compass so you can find your way in the wild.
02This tiny portable printer that connects to your phone
Create cute, fun, and useful labels for anything right on your phone with this mini Bluetooth label maker that connects to it wirelessly. Use the app to design your labels and print them out wherever you are. I love to label everything from pages in my bullet journal to spices in the kitchen. Being able to add art and cute designs to those labels without bringing out any fussy equipment is the best.
03The stylish way to prop the washer door open
Discovering that my expensive front-loading washing machine would turn mildewy inside if I left the door closed was a sad day for me. Discovering this washer door prop made it okay again. It sticks magnetically to the front of the washer, conforms to the right shape to hold that door slightly ajar, and looks sort of adorable doing it. It comes in three colors.
04A cute fridge deoderizer
I am a huge fan of functional art. Things that do a job and make me smile at the same time — or create a look that elevates my space to reflect my personality — are an obsession. This fridge deodorizer dude has so much more personality than a box of baking soda! It’s easy to fill him up and set him in with the vegetables and he does a good job keeping the smells in check.
05These sun catchers the cat will love
If you have a big picture window, like mine, where the sun pours in every afternoon, his crystal ball sun catcher grabs that sunlight and turns it into moving rainbows all over the living room. It turns every afternoon into a fun, moving light display full of laser beams to chase. This is a set of three.
06The hair oil that smells like rosemary
Every time I shampoo, I take a moment to treat my long hair with a nourishing oil. It makes my hair stronger and heals split ends while reducing flyaways. This rosemary castor hair oil is so good and will leave your scalp feeling invigorated, all while it hydrates your split ends.
07A better way to make ice
I love ice. Ice trays? Not so much. This ice maker and dispenser lets you have the ice without fighting with irritating ice trays. Fill it with water and toss it in the freezer. It’s watertight so you don’t have to worry about it spilling in there. When you want ice, give it a squeeze to break the cubes apart and pour them right into your glass.
08This fidget toy that’s completely silent
As a full-time writer and editor, staying focused is an everyday challenge. A fidget toy can help, giving my brain something low-key to quiet it while keeping my hands from clicking a pen or picking at something. This one is light, easy to drop in a pocket, and silent making it perfect, especially if fidgeting is likely to bother others.
09A trick for creating space on your bathroom vanity
Getting ready is so much easier if you have space to spread out and do it. But who has a vanity big enough for that? Everyone does. It takes only this foldable bathroom sink cover to create it. It unfolds over the sink to create a big work area that is heat resistant so you can set hot hair appliances down and has textured surfaces for cleaning makeup brushes. It is shaped so you can still access the water faucet.
10These clever food covers for leftovers
I always save that leftover half an avocado, lemon, or grapefruit because you never know when it will be the perfect flavor to add to a salad, cocktail, or sauce. But they tend to get lost in the fridge if I store them in jars or food containers. These silicone food savers let me save them easily, adding them — covered and safe — back to the produce bin. They are great for covering small cans and dip containers, too.
11The cable ties that quickly turn snarled wires into stored tools
I love to organize my gear. Well, to be honest, I mostly love it when my gear is already organized. This pack of 40 self-gripping cable ties makes it fast and easy to turn a snarl of cords and chargers into a usable collection. They are colorful — so you can create a color-code system — and easy to use. Not only do they keep cords from tangling but they turn each one into a storable package.
12An adjustable phone stand that folds up
This phone stand turns an idle, charging, phone into a useful screen. You can glance at it while doing something else — cooking, writing, exercising — and see notifications, the recipe or workout you are trying to follow, and more. It raises the screen to the height you want and folds up so you can take it with you.
13A tiny trash can for your desktop
This countertop trash can makes it so easy to stop the profusion of wrappers, tea bags, and other small detritus that grows on desks and bedside tables. Set it down and you have a place to put all of those. The flip lid gets out of your way but also hides the trash. Cleaning the desk is now a matter of taking out the (little) trash.
14This triangular power strip for a better workspace
The triangle shape of this USB power strip makes it so useful as a desktop power center. It sits neatly on a table offering three standard outlets and three USB ports — one of them USB-C. The lip that holds your cell phone or tablet as it charges makes it even more useful and compact.
15This spiralizer that can turn almost any vegetable into salad
I love salad. But I get tired of the same old greens. This vegetable spiralizer turns carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and other vegetables into delicate salad-ready fixings in seconds. Just push the vegetable through the blade and toss the tasty results into a bowl. It’s great for making quick work of stir-fries and pasta dishes, too.
16These absorbent dishcloths that replace paper towels
Paper towels are handy but the guilt of throwing away all that paper is too much for me. I was so happy when I discovered these Swedish dishcloths. They are just as absorbent as paper towels but you can reuse them again and again, throwing them into the laundry until they are too beat up to use. Then throw them away guilt-free because they decompose. They are pretty, too. They come in 14 patterns so you can switch it up as often as you like.
17This swing arm hook for extra hanging space
These wall-mounted swing arm hooks are perfect in a closet or laundry room as a place to hang clothes that need to air dry. And once they are on the wall, you will find so many uses. That winter coat that eats your whole closet? Hang it here. Or use it as an outfit planning station, purse storage, and so much more.
18A stash box for the toilet paper dispenser
When I saw this toilet paper holder with an integrated storage shelf, I could no longer tolerate my one-purpose toilet roll holder. This is the perfect spot to stash some personal care items, wipes, incense, or whatever you want in it and it takes up the same amount of space. It looks cute, too. It comes in six colors.
19This phone case that grips almost any surface
This silicone suction phone case is the sort of genius thing that I wish I had invented myself. It makes a phone look festive and unusual while making it so much more useful. Stick it to the mirror while getting dressed in the morning. Mount it to the fridge while following a recipe. Press it onto the dash of your car and your phone won’t fly around. Brilliant. There are 14 color combo options.
20These packing cubes that compress
Packing cubes are a traveler's best friend and I would never pack a suitcase without them. This set of compression packing cubes takes the concept one step further by combining compression with organization. Fill them with your clothes, creating a system that makes it easy to find a sock or bra in seconds, and then zip the compression zipper and make that package smaller so you can pack more in the same suitcase.
21A kit for growing your own crystals
Why stop at growing plants? This crystal growing kit lets you grow rock crystals. The kit comes with everything you need to use science to turn three rock seeds into three crystals. The stand lights them up so you can show them off in seven colors or rainbow mode and at three brightness levels.
22This pen-shaped tool kit for cleaning earbuds
If you spend half your day wearing earbuds — and who doesn’t? — you need this cleaning pen. It packs all the tiny tools — sponge, brush, metal tip — you need to get the parts and crevices of your AirPods (or any earbuds) spiffy clean into a tool that’s the size and shape of a pen. It comes in white or black.
23A big ladle that looks like a leaf
This Monstera ladle ticks a lot of boxes for me. Whimsical? Yes! It looks cute hanging from a hook or growing out of a utensil canister. Functional? Absolutely. It strains pasta, removes blanched veggies quickly from the water, and so much more. Also, it adds to the greenery in any home, without asking for water or care.
24A tasty, hydrating lib scrub
A swipe with this lip scrub is a pleasant ritual you can indulge in as often as you like. A mixture of sweet turbinado sugar and rich emollients — shea butter and kukui nut oil — it plumps, hydrates, and exfoliates your lips. Swipe it on and wipe it off. It tastes delicious, too.
25These baking mats that put an end to cleaning up
How did we ever live without baking mats? Did we spend our evenings scrubbing pans? Well, that’s over. These silicone baking mats sit on top of your pan and under whatever you are cooking — cookies, vegetables, steak — and prevent anything from sticking to that pan so there is no pan-cleaning aftermath. The mats go right into the dishwasher. This is three mats in two sizes.
26A strange but satisfying pedicure
I love a good pedicure and this foot peel mask is the strange but true pedicure that’s easy to do but also super effective. Just kick back for an hour with your feet in the serum-soaked socks. Then clean up, forget that ever happened, and go about your life. In about 10 days, you’ll start peeling like a snake as your brand-new, baby-pink feet emerge from the crusty exoskeleton you grew to protect them. This is two pairs so you can do it with a friend.
27A clip-on cupholder for adults
Sure, I’m an adult but who doesn’t need a cupholder for their desk? I know I do. I am prone to knocking over beverages, which is bad when laptops are involved. This cupholder clip won’t let me do that. It’s great for places where you don’t have a coffee table, too. Just clip it to a chair arm.
28A better way to wash your face
I gave up on expensive face wash when I discovered these Makeup Eraser washcloths. Soaps and cleansers trigger my sensitive skin. But these feel so relaxing at the end of the day, loaded with hot water, pressed against my eyes. And they get my face super clean. The microfiber holds lots of water while the tiny fibers remove all the makeup and dirt. I look forward to my end-of-day moment of face-washing Zen.
29This trash can that’s the trick to a clean car
My car was once a mess. But it didn’t have to be. The trick is to have a good car trash can in a handy spot. This one is perfect — roomy, waterproof, and easy to hang from a headrest, console, or side door. It comes with liners and works with grocery bags so all you have to do to keep the car clean is grab the liner (replace it) and dump it in the trash.
30A pretty way to grow plant cuttings
This lovely plant terrarium has turned what was once a messy endeavor — growing new plants from cuttings — into a pretty sciency display. Instead of random jars and glasses, you can dip the feet of your plant cuttings into these pretty bulb jars, all lined up in a wooden rack. It mounts to the wall or sits on a table. It works just as well for cut flowers.
31This mat that makes work easier
Working in the kitchen once left me feeling achy and tired. Then I discovered this anti-fatigue mat and that soft landing under my feet was transformative, letting me work longer with less back and foot pain. It also made the floor less slippery and cold. (The cat likes it, too.) It comes in 15 colors and five sizes so it's easy to fit into your space and decor.
32The bento box that makes packing — & eating — lunch fun
Packing lunch is so much fun with this bento box. It’s creators thought of everything. A complete set of bamboo utensils fit under the bamboo lid. There are two divided layers for food. And the dividers are adjustable so you can pack assorted leftovers and keep all the foods separate. Or put a sandwich and side on one level and dessert and a snack on the other. There are even two cute little sauce jars for dressings and dips.
33This hack for defogging the car windows
That moment when the windshield suddenly fogs up can be terrifying. Especially since it usually happens when the weather is bad and you are too busy focusing on the road to mess around with the air vent controls. This windshield cleaner and defogger makes it easy to wipe and see quickly. And it won’t leave streaks on the glass or a wet spot on your sleeve. Keep one handy.
34These magnetic sheets for mounting art to the fridge
Turn everything from postcards to photos to kids' drawings into fridge — or bulletin board — art by peeling and sticking a magnetic sheet to the back of whatever it is. This is a pack of 10 sheets with adhesive backing that are large enough (8 by 10 inches) to handle full-sized pages or collages but are also easy to cut with scissors for smaller items.
35A better way to eat on a road trip
When the road calls so do road-food snacks, eaten in the car. But that doesn't mean the road trip ensemble has to get splattered with sauce. This dip clip makes eating in the car easier and neater by holding the condiment pack where you can easily reach it — clipped to the air vent. I’m not the only one who thinks this idea is genius. Over 18,000 people give this innovation five stars.
36This touch lamp for easy & pretty lighting
This touch lamp is so convenient to have sitting on a bedside or entryway table — or in the bathroom. Touch it anywhere and it provides a soft glow of light so you can find your glasses, not bump into the furniture, or — if you turn it to a bright setting, read. You can choose from 13 colors and three lighting modes and it comes with a remote. It’s rechargeable so it's handy in an emergency, too.
37A mug warmer that knows when to turn on and off
Discovering my coffee has gone cold is so common in my work that a mug warmer is a necessary tool of the trade. This one with a gravity switch is so convenient. Set the mug on it and it turns on. Lift the mug off and it turns off. It’s also great for scenting the room with a candle without actually burning the candle.
38This magnetic wrist band for easier home repairs
Why go into an assembly project or home-improvement chore with inadequate tools? This magnetic wristband holds all your nuts, bolts, screws, and drill bits handy while you work so you don’t have to dig into pockets or make someone stand there handing you things. Just wrap it on, stick the parts to it, and go.
39The bug swatter that’ll keep your house insect free
I once felt helpless, a victim, when a mosquito buzz whizzed past my ear or a fat fly landed on the counter. Not anymore! When bugs get into the house now, they quickly regret it. This bug zapper turns hunting bugs down into a fun game I can win. The racket is loaded with a 4,000-volt grid that takes down invading insects fast. And it has a built-in flashlight to make finding them easy. It’s rechargeable.
40A soft & comfy under-desk footrest
Sitting at a desk all day has health hazards. Creating an ergonomic workstation is the best way to mitigate those. This under-desk footrest is essential. It elevates your feet, taking pressure off your legs and back as you sit in a desk chair. It’s height adjustable, soft on your feet, and you can flip it over to rock it back and forth to work some movement into your day.
41This table lamp that looks like art
The first step to making my living space cozy and elegant is always lighting. This LED table lamp is a great tool for this. When off, it looks like a modern sculpture. When on, it throws warm light around a small area on a desk, bedside table, or entryway. That creates pools of warm light that boost the look and feel of an interior. It comes in three colors.
42A ring light for better video calls
When you spend a lot of time on video calls, as I do, good lighting is essential. No one wants to go into every call looking haggard or tired simply because of harsh shadows and poor light. You don’t have to turn your workspace into a studio for this. Just clip this adjustable, dimmable ring light to your monitor, above the camera. It will eliminate shadows, throw the most flattering color of light (you get to pick) on your face, and go with you in your travel bag.
43This portable mess kit
Toss this mess kit into your car or camping kit and you will never be caught without a way to eat a civilized meal — whatever happens out there. It has a plate, bowl, cup, utensils, and a tether to keep it all together. It’s all rendered in reinforced nylon so it’s easy to clean and holds up to use.
44The outlet extender that solves your power problems
This outlet extender is genius. It turns one inadequate outlet into all the power you need. Just plug it in and use the center screw to secure it. Instead of two plugs, you now have five as well as three USB ports, one of them the increasingly popular USB-C. It even has a low-key backlit night-light so you don’t have to hunt for a plug in the dark.
45This phone stylus for cleaner, more accurate phone use
Poking inaccurately at a phone or tablet screen with a finger is frustrating. This phone stylus brings the accuracy you are looking for. It also makes it easy to sign things and draw on a screen. And it does all this while keeping the screen from getting covered in fingerprints and germs. It comes in four colors.
46The donut maker that saves the day
When the urge for donuts strikes but you aren’t prepared to leave the house, this mini donut maker will save the day. Pour the batter in and it takes it from there. You can use cake batter, pancake batter, or whatever your late-night cravings and pantry contents dictate. It’s nonstick so cleanup is easy and it comes with a recipe book.
47This headphone stand and wireless phone charger
Keep your essentials together and charged with this headphone stand with wireless charger. Hook your over-ear headphones on the rack and plug them in while your phone rests on the base charging wirelessly. It’s also a color-changing light so your work or game rig will be easy to find and lookin’ good.
48A portable charger that keeps your phone going while you use it
Keeping your phone charged, in these modern times, can be nearly life or death. How can you call for help without a phone? Or get un-lost? This small portable charger will step in when your phone is flagging and keep it going. You can keep using your phone while it works, too. It comes in 12 colors.
49This trick for getting sharp corners when you make the bed
Making the bed doesn’t have to be that hard. This bed sheet tucker makes it easy to get those sharp corners that are evading you. Just slide it under the mattress, pushing the sheet with it. There is something about a beautifully made bed that makes you feel like an adult who is capable of anything.
50A waterproof shower speaker you can take anywhere
Hang this waterproof shower speaker somewhere in your bathroom and enjoy some tunes while you soak, shower, or shave. It’s small. It lights up. And it sounds great. When you aren’t bathing, toss it in your beach bag or clip it to your backpack and go about your day toting a soundtrack.