The term "gadget" has developed a little bit of a nerdy reputation over the years, conjuring images of high-tech trinkets that likely have no use to anyone who's not a one percenter or an early adopter. But we like to think of a gadget as any item that makes life easier — and that’s precisely what makes them such awesome gifts.

A great gadget is all about ingenuity. It provides a foolproof solution to a daily struggle that society should have solved long ago. (Giving up on chips and salsa because you couldn't open the jar? In this economy? No way. You’re going to open that jar, damn it!) This means some of the best gadgets aren't high-tech at all. They're simply the result of outside-the-box thinking.

But let's not equate "gadget" with "dinky last-minute gift that'll get lost in a junk drawer," either. The good ones typically achieve a nice balance of coolness and utility. They run the gamut from time-saving kitchen tools and car hacks to self-care solutions and entertainment enhancers, assisting us with all sorts of pesky little issues in every realm of our lives. And, when purchased with a specific person's needs in mind, gadgets make great gifts.

Here are 49 of Mashable's favorite gift-worthy gadgets and tech gifts.

Topics Gadgets

purple plants in white planter on countertop

Credit: CLICK & GROW

Self-watering planter

Best for the (not so) green thumb

The Click & Grow 3 planter can help anyone keep their plants alive, including herbs and veggies that typically require an outdoor garden. It features a built-in reservoir that stores a month's worth of water, a sunlight-mimicking lamp, and soil mixture that releases nutrients in sync with the plant's life cycle. You just have to plant the seeds.

Buying Options

$74.95 from Amazon

Credit: Dell

PROMOTED

Chromebook 3110 laptop from Dell

Best laptop for kids

Kids can be rough with their tech, which is why it can be hard to justify spending a lot on their first laptop. This Chromebook from Dell is priced just right and the Chrome Education Upgrade makes this perfectly suited for school-aged kiddos, plus WiFi 6 and optional LTE means students can learn from basically anywhere.

Buying Options

$249 from Dell

White cube with silver band in the middle on desk next to mouse and keyboard

Credit: ODISTAR

Desktop vacuum

Best for snacking during work

Desks are where crumbs go to die, whether you regularly pop Cheetos while working or ate a bagel on Zoom once and are still seeing seeds in your keyboard. Your giftee will wonder how they ever worked without this mini desktop vacuum within arm's reach. Be sure to include two AA batteries.

Buying Options

$16.98 from Amazon

dog with paws on table next to black waffle iron with bone-shaped treats inside

Credit: DASH

Dog treat maker

Best for the pet parent

Dash, the brand known for its mini countertop appliances and cute colors, makes a dog treat maker. What looks like a quesadilla maker on the outside features eight bone-shaped, nonstick molds inside. It's a great gift for a dog parent who'd prefer to pick their own ingredients, or someone who's looking for a side hustle.

Buying Options

$29.99 from Amazon

Credit: DREAMFARM

Pizza scissors

Best for the pizza fanatic

Society has surpassed the need to touch everyone else's slice of 'za with your own fingers. The Scizza is just what it sounds like: scissors specifically for pizza that use a curved blade to slice without tugging at cheese and toppings. It doubles as a serving device.

Buying Options

$30.56 from Amazon

Credit: GoCube

Rubik’s connected cube

Best for hands-on gamers

Not all cool gadgets need to serve some higher purpose; sometimes they can just be fun. This smart, app-connected Rubik's Cube allows users to compete with others across the globe, sharpen their skills, and track their cube-solving progress over time. It's a great STEM toy for all ages.

Buying Options

$59.95 from Amazon

Brown bag hanging from hook attached to blue magnet stuck to table

Credit: BAGNET

Instant purse magnet

Best for bag aficionados

There are few things more disheartening than realizing your bathroom stall doesn't have a hook for your bag. This bag magnet — the Bagnet — instantly creates a hook on almost any surface, including bathroom walls, tables or benches, or the back of a chair. Bagnets come in a ton of fun designs, from leather to a vinyl pop Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Buying Options

$25.99 from Bagnet

Hand using white pet hair remover on wooden surface

Credit: CHOMCHOM

ChomChom pet hair remover

Best for anyone with a pet who sheds

A furry friend can be the pet itself or a human friend who's constantly covered in pet hair. The ChomChom tackles pet hair and lint on surfaces like furniture and carpet without wasting adhesive strips like a traditional lint roller. Its super satisfying manual operation and serious effectiveness has blown the minds of TikTok users.

Buying Options

$31.95 from Amazon

Credit: KODAK

Kodak Luma mini projector

Best for the movie buff

A portable projector gives frequent travelers the option to watch on the big screen anywhere. The Kodak Luma 150 casts movies or TV shows onto whatever surface you choose, with the projection itself measuring up to 150 inches. It's wireless with a built-in speaker, so no outlets or additional devices are required — a huge bonus for camping.

Buying Options

$219.99 from Amazon

people looking at each other in car with tools hanging from mirror and seat

Credit: RESQME

Car emergency tool

Best for anyone with a car

This emergency tool is the rare gift that you hope they won't have to use, but it's a thoughtful add-on for anyone who has a car. The well-reviewed Resqme tool is a seatbelt cutter and window breaker, housed in a palm-sized keychain that comes in a bunch of colors.

Buying Options

$16.99 from Amazon

Credit: SKIN GYM

Face sculptor beauty roller

Best for beauty fans

Skincare TikTok is big on at-home face sculpting with devices like this one Skin Gym. The two-headed massager doesn't require batteries and can be tossed in a toiletries bag for a makeshift spa treatment on the go, like de-puffing after a flight or kneading after sitting in jaw-clenching traffic.

Buying Options

$69 from Ulta

Person putting coffee grounds into coffee press

Credit: BODUM

French press travel mug

Best for the coffee connoisseur

Get out the door on time without sacrificing your coffee's flavor with this French press travel mug. Instead of waiting for a brew to finish, this mug can produce freshly-pressed coffee in minutes. Just add coarsely ground beans, add hot water, and seal the lid.

Buying Options

$38.50 from Amazon

Credit: OXO

Avocado slicer

Best for the avocado toast obsessive

Sometimes the hardest part of eating fruits and veggies is actually getting past the skin. This nifty gadget helps you cut into avocados with ease, remove the pit with the twist of the wrist, and separate the flesh into thin slices. This slicer may actually be all you need to prepare an avocado in one convenient tool.

Buying Options

$11.49 from Amazon

hand holing red jar to white under-cabinet opener

Credit: THE GRIP JAR OPENER

Under-cabinet can opener

Best for pasta and salsa fiends

We've all pushed that expensive organic salsa to the back of the pantry because of a stubborn lid. This space-saving solution doesn't add to drawer or countertop clutter — it attaches to the underside of a cabinet like a really strong sticker.

Buying Options

$29.95 from Amazon

Credit: SIPOE

Flameless lighter

Best for people with too many candles

This iridescent lighter works in even the windiest conditions because its plasma surface replaces a traditional flame. From cigars to candles, this flameless gadget provides a ton of lights on one charge. When the juice runs out, it can be plugged in rather than thrown away.

Buying Options

$15.95 from Amazon

person with legs raised holding kettlebell

Credit: BOWFLEX

Bowflex adjustable kettlebell

Best for working out at home

A home workout can be just as versatile as a gym one if you have the right tools. An adjustable kettlebell, like this favorite from Bowflex, can target different muscle groups (or make weighted squats more comfortable) than dumbbells without a huge storage footprint. Turn the dial to adjust between six settings, ranging from eight to 40 pounds.

Buying Options

$149 from Amazon

Credit: STAN SCHROEDER/MASHABLE

Soundbrenner Core

Best for the musician

This sick wearable helps guitar players complete multiple set-up steps without fishing out separate devices. The hyped Kickstarter success works as a tuner, decibel meter, and vibrating metronome, as well as a typical smartwatch that can receive phone notifications.

Buying Options

$229 from Soundbrenner

cool mist humidifier pushing out wet air in front of a plant

Credit: Pure Enrichment

Portable humidifier

Best for a good night's sleep

Is the skin on your hands starting to feel cracked and dry? Are your sinuses drying out overnight? Then add this cool mist desktop humidifier to your bedroom. You can even lug it over to your home office and keep it running during the day. This popular appliance will quietly and quickly moisturize your environment.

Buying Options

$29.98 from Amazon

hand holding phone to which black speaker is attached

Credit: POW AUDIO

Collapsible Bluetooth speaker

Best for the music buff

A phone speaker just doesn't cut it when playing tunes for a group of people. This collapsible one is perfect for bumping The Weeknd's new album on the go, attaching to just about any surface via built-in magnets or an included universal wall mount. One charge offers up eight hours of wireless playback.

Buying Options

$54.99 from Amazon

Credit: CUISINART

Cuisinart defrosting tray

Best for last-minute cooking

Waiting for frozen items to thaw is an agonizing part of cooking — one that you could solve for a friend with this defrosting tray. The highly-conductive aluminum material comes to room temperature quickly and brings frozen food along with it. No running under hot water or microwaving is required.

Buying Options

$23.82 from Amazon

hand putting phone into black and silver sanitizing case

Credit: PHONESOAP

PhoneSoap UV sanitizer

Best for the germaphobe

We regret to inform you that your phone is probably dirtier than a public toilet seat. The UV rays inside the PhoneSoap 3 kill 99.99 percent of germs and bacteria, offering better sanitation than just using a wipe. PhoneSoap can also clean keys and AirPods, and it doubles as a phone charger.

Buying Options

$63.96 from Amazon

red utensils in pots of pasta, sauce, and meatball ingredients

Credit: RACHAEL RAY

Lazy utensils

Best for the anti-spoon rest crowd

What may look like your average colorful cooking utensils are actually a game changer for messy countertops. This "lazy" set of a spatula, solid, and slotted spoon feature a notch in the handle to safely rest the utensil on a pot or pan rim. Spoon rests? Suddenly obsolete.

Buying Options

$24.99 from Amazon

streaming light on top of laptop next to webcam

Credit: Logitech

A flattering Logitech streaming light

Best for live streamers

Whether they work from home or they're an aspiring influencer, they will definitely appreciate this thoughtful monitor-mounting light. Its full-spectrum LED light casts a true-to-life, flattering glow on all skin tones so they look flawless at all times. It also offers adjustable brightness and color temperature, and custom presets so they can easily switch from morning meeting to Twitch streaming.

Buying Options

$59.99 from Amazon

bottle and glass of wine next to blue and silver bottle opener

Credit: SECURA

Electric corkscrew

Best for the wine lover

Any self-respecting wine enthusiast can probably operate a manual corkscrew in their sleep, but that's unnecessary elbow grease after a long day. Instead, an electric corkscrew can open even the most stubborn bottles at the push of a button. This well-reviewed one by Secura goes perfectly in a stainless steel kitchen.

Buying Options

$19.38 from Amazon

person using black typewriter and holding white mug in other hand

Credit: QWERKYTOYS, INC

Typewriter keyboard

Best for the writer

Living in a high-tech world doesn't mean you have to give up old technology. This keyboard gives the look and feel of a typewriter but connects to digital devices wirelessly (or through USB) to nail the mechanical feel of a typewriter with the modern blessing of a backspace key.

Buying Options

$249.99 from Amazon

Credit: Lumos

A helmet with turn signals

Best for the cyclist

If you worry about them biking in areas with lots of cars, this genius helmet is the perfect gift to help keep them safe and set your mind at ease. It has front and rear LED lights, automatic brake lights, and turn signals that let all the vehicles around them know where they are and what they're doing.

Buying Options

$149.95 from Amazon

Credit: MYNT3D

3D printing pen

Best for the (bored) artist

Has your creative friend been in a rut with their current mediums? With a 3D printing pen, they can create a hyper-tangible version of the ideas floating in their head. Adjustable plastic filament flow and temperature settings can be managed on the MYNT3D pen's OLED display.

Buying Options

$97.99 from Amazon

one blue tooth whitener in box with white fluid and one attached to phone

Credit: SMILE DIRECT CLUB

LED teeth whitening kit

Best for... anyone who smiles, really

Smile Direct Club's whitening works three times faster than strips to brighten your smile. The kit listed here lasts for one year, with treatments suggested every three months. To use, apply the whitening gel to your teeth then place the LED mouthpiece in your mouth. The device needs a power source, but can be plugged into an iPhone or a USB, USB-C, or micro USB outlet.

Buying Options

$40 from Smile Direct Club

Credit: STARFRIT

Potato peeler

Best for the fruit and veggie lover

Skip the tedious step of manually peeling produce for a recipe with this automatic peeler. To use, place a potato in between the sharp holders, push a button, and watch as the machine peels your food in one continuous curl. A paring knife is included to cut out any blemishes. Arguably the best part of this gadget is its name — the Rotato Express. You get it.

Buying Options

$25.99 from Amazon

Blue water bottle with green center next to phone with bluetooth symbol

Credit: HIDRATESPARK

Smart water bottle

Best for hydration beginners

The HidrateSpark 3 is essentially a personal hydration coach — it reminds you to drink water and celebrates when you've met your daily goal. A sensor inside the bottle records the number of ounces or milliliters you drink and records them in the Hidrate app, which also syncs with other health apps. The bottle holds 24 ounces, but the sensor recalibrates with your goal as you sip and refill.

Buying Options

$59.95 from Amazon

Teal and white ice shaver with clear container next to plate of fruit

Credit: MANBA

Manual ice shaver

Best for ice chewers

Not having an ice dispenser means that if you want ice, it's got to be cubed. But this manual shaved ice maker is easy to whip out if they want some crushed ice to snack on — or if they're in the mood for a snow cone. It comes with a free ice cube tray.

Buying Options

$31.99 from Amazon

Hand wearing a gold ring on index and middle finger

Credit: OURA

Oura Ring

Best for the health conscious

As sleek as they've become, wrist wearables like the Apple Watch are still too sporty for some folks. The Oura Ring is a chic alternative for the subtly health-conscious crowd. The third generation Oura ring tracks sleep (more accurately than many competitors), heart rate, and daily activity through sensors on the finger. A $5.99/month subscription is required after six free months.

Buying Options

$299 from Oura

Credit: NORPRO

Egg timer

Best for creating the perfect egg

Boiling eggs can be a tricky game. This timer goes in the pot with your eggs and absorbs heat exactly as an egg does, then changes color to indicate soft, medium, and hard boiled eggs. This gadget adjusts to the number of eggs and level of water to take the guesswork out of boiling eggs. It's a great tool for home cooks, but especially for people who detest runny eggs.

Buying Options

$8.19 from Amazon

wooden box with red heart-shaped piece and white smooth heart next to it

Credit: LOVEBOX

Lovebox Messenger

Best for someone you love

Gift this to someone and you'll be able to send them love notes whenever you want. Compose the messages in the Lovebox mobile app and send them to the digital box in your loved one's home. The heart on the outside of the box notifies the recipient that they have a message, which will display once they open the lid. Corny in the sweetest way.

Buying Options

$139.99 from Amazon

Credit: Linda's Essentials

Oven rack edge guards

Best for the baker

These silicone guards attach to oven racks to provide a heat-resistant surface for any accidental slips or bumps that would result in burns. This pack comes with two guards that are heat-resistant up to 446 degrees.

Buying Options

$12.95 from Amazon

Black mug next to coffee press and toast

Credit: EMBER

Ember temperature controlled mug

Best for the hot coffee stan

Tired: Yet another super-niche mug that'll just chip and take up cabinet space. Wired: A temperature-controlled smart mug that's probably the last mug they'll ever need. The second iteration of the Ember mug keeps coffee, tea, or soup between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit (as set on the app) for up to 1.5 hours. Its coaster is also its charger.

Buying Options

$129.95 from Amazon

Blue and white crock pot with veggies inside

Credit: CROCK-POT

Crock-Pot food warmer

Best for the office foodie

Waiting in line to use the microwave during the lunch rush at work takes up precious time that could be spent actually eating. This food warmer from Crock-Pot eliminates the need to microwave. Just plug it in and the 20-ounce container begins to heat up and warm your food. It even has a handle for portability.

Buying Options

$40.29 from Amazon

Scissors casting red laser on blue paper it's cutting

Credit: BITS AND PIECES

Laser scissors

Best for the precise person

Cutting crooked lines is a thing of the past with these scissors. They have an attached laser to guide your cut line, making sure you get the straightest cut. The laser is adjustable with two screws, allowing you to aim where you want it. This gadget is great for sewing, crafting, and gift wrapping, though some reviewers noted there is a bit of a learning curve.

Buying Options

$12.99 from Amazon

Black lid on clear container with onions

Credit: CAMBOM

Manual veggie chopper

Best for quick meal prep

This food processor is completely manual — you pull a cord to kickstart the chopping. It effortlessly cuts through vegetables, nuts, and herbs with the pull of a lever rather than electricity. The bowl holds up to five cups and is dishwasher-safe.

Buying Options

$11.99 from Amazon

Person's arms wearing rose gold wearable

Credit: EMBR

The EMBR Wave 2

Best for people who are always hot

Embr Wave cools or warms the wrist, triggering the body's natural response to temperature change to make you more comfortable. Control your temperature directly on the device or within the mobile app to visually track thermal changes. After three minutes of use, wearers will feel warmer by 4.6 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler by 5.8 degrees.

Buying Options

$299 from EMBR

Credit: HILUCKEY

Solar USB charger

Best for the traveler

Portable chargers are super handy, except when they run out of power. This charger pulls juice from traditional charging methods as well as from its four solar panels. A single charge gives you about nine days of usage. Just make sure the panels are in contact with sunlight and your devices will stay juiced up.

Buying Options

$56.99 from Amazon

Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

A Kindle for reading and writing

Best for bibliophiles

Sure, e-readers are cool — but what if you also want to jot down handwritten notes on the material you're reading? With its easy-read Paperwhite display, the Kindle Scribe is a first-of-its-kind combination of reading and writing that would make the perfect gift for students with digital texts and deep thinkers who love to scribble notes in the margins of their favorite books.

Buying Options

$339.99 from Amazon

man playing with razer kishi mobile gaming controller

Credit: Razer

Razer Kishi mobile game controller

Best for mobile gamers

The Nintendo Switch is cool — but if the games they enjoy live on their smartphone instead, this controller will exponentially enhance their gameplay by turning their phone into a handheld gaming system. It's available for both iPhone and Android smartphone models, and it's compatible with hundreds of popular mobile games and cloud gaming services, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Steam Link.

Buying Options

$44 from Amazon

Credit: CouchConsole

A spill-proof couch caddy

Best for binge watchers

If they just don't have room for a table (or they somehow still manage to spill their drink all over their couch or bed), this gyroscopic, self-balancing cup holder is the perfect solution to keep their drink upright on the most uneven surfaces. It also has space for snacks and remote controls, and a notch to hold up their smartphone for easy viewing.

Buying Options

$69.99 from Amazon

turqouise stadium seat on white background

Credit: Sports Beats

Bleacher seat cushions

Best for the soccer mom

If your giftee's kids play a lot of sports, then they probably spend the majority of their time on uncomfortable bleachers. This lightweight and portable solution has an ultra-thick seat cushion, supportive backrest, cup holder and zippered pocket. Best of all, it easily folds flat and can be carried via its built-in shoulder strap. It also comes in lots of different hues so you can coordinate it with the team's colors.

Buying Options

$48.99 from Amazon

Credit: Luxe

Makeup brush cleaner

Best for the makeup maven

Cleaning makeup brushes is an absolute chore, but this brush spinner makes the once-dreaded process a total breeze. It comes with eight collars to fit brushes of virtually any size so they can wash and dry their makeup tools in a fraction of the time. Their brushes (and their skin!) will be so thankful.

Buying Options

$29.99 from Amazon

Credit: Macally

Car cup holder tray

Best for roadtrippers

Refueling your belly while on the road can be a messy ordeal — we only have so many hands after all. But this clever innovation converts a cup holder into a sturdy, rotatable tray (and without blocking the cup holder itself). It even has a notch to hold your phone upright so you can enjoy a little entertainment with your meal before hitting the road again.

Buying Options

$39.99 from Amazon

Credit: Finishing Touches

Compact beauty cooler

Best for skincare aficionados

Anyone with a solid skincare routine knows that some things are best served chilled — including face masks, jade rollers, eye creams, and facial serums. This compact beauty cooler keeps skincare products at the optimal temperature to maintain their shelf life and provide a cooling effect to de-puff your skin. It also comes in handy for medications and maybe even a little midnight snack, too.

Buying Options

$49.99 from Amazon

Credit: Cuisinart

Cuisinart ice cream maker

Best for anyone with a sweet tooth

This handy appliance lets you make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and sherbet right in the comfort of your own kitchen, all customized to your liking. While it's the kind of thing someone might not splurge on for themself, it's an especially thoughtful gift for someone with special dietary needs. Delicious dairy-free ice cream and sugar-free sorbet can be super expensive or flat-out hard to find, but now you can whip some up together.

Buying Options

$69.95 from Amazon

Leah Stodart

Senior Shopping Reporter

Leah Stodart is a Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable. She covers shopping trends, gift ideas, and products that make life easier, specializing in vacuums, TVs, and sustainable swaps. She graduated from Penn State University in 2016 and is watching horror movies or "The Office" when she’s not shopping online herself. You can follow her on Twitter at @notleah.

Miller Kern

Deputy Reviews Editor

Miller Kern is the Deputy Reviews Editor at Mashable, where she's been covering products and shopping since 2019. If there's a hot new product or a trend going viral on TikTok, Miller's ready to put it through the wringer to see if it's worth the hype.