10 Useful Gadgets That Simply Just Work

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

It can be hard to find worthwhile gadgets that you can get for using around your house. You might be looking for a gadget to solve a particular problem, but you may not know whether the product actually exists, if it’s going to be worth it to buy, or if it’s going to eventually cause more problems than it solves. It can be a real challenge, but when you’re on the hunt for useful gadgets, we’ve been able to uncover several that you can bring to your house and use effectively.

We’ve scoured Amazon listings in order to bring you an assortment of gadgets that you can plug in or charge using a USB or outlet, and that do exactly what they say they’re going to do. To ensure the latter, all items must have at least a 4.2-star rating by customers on Amazon with at least 100 reviews. If they didn’t have more than 1,000 reviews, we also leaned on what the experts had to say to ensure a product was effective. Here’s our full list of 10 useful gadgets that you can get that simply just work.

Keeping track of your electric bills can be a tedious activity, especially if you’re looking for ways to cut back and save a little money each month. Micromanaging every electronic device in your house is normally a good way to do it, which you could do with the TP-Link Tapo Smart Plug. The plug connects to your smartphone through an app, and it gives you a full breakdown of how much energy the devices connected to that outlet use. It comes in a four-pack, allowing you to disperse them throughout a home to find the most effective ways to cut back your daily power usage. We find that it’s one of the most effective and green devices to help you manage your electric bills, alongside other products.

Customers who picked up the Tapo Smart Plug appreciate it for how easy it is to hook up and sync with their Alexa. Many get several of these plugs throughout their home to manage their large appliances, especially for those who want to set up timers with specific outlets. Experts highly recommend it because of how seamless it works alongside nearly all smart home platforms and devices you can find on the market.

Small messes on countertops or at your desk can be tricky to clean up effectively. You might not have the best tools to wipe up every crumb, and your large robot vacuum might not be small enough to use on every surface. The Odistar Desktop Vacuum cleaner can help with smaller messes, using small bristles and an effective fan to pull in crumbs, paper shreds, or anything else that falls onto a desk without having to haul out a larger vacuum to take care of it. Plus, this device is small enough to leave out on a desk without taking up too much room, making it a useful item to keep in a set location or move around the house without too much trouble. It’s one of several devices that solve a problem you realize you had.

Those who have picked up the Odistar Desktop Vacuum find that it works effectively on small messes, and it’s so easy to use that children can effortlessly operate it without too much trouble. Many use it daily to clean up small crumbs and things that pile up that you might not notice until you start to use the vacuum pretty often. When they’re done, emptying the dust box is pretty easy. Not only do several customers use it for their desk, but they’ll bring it to their kitchen counters or dining room table, given how lightweight and compact it is.

Having more power strips and outlets is always useful, but excessive amounts of cords can look messy. That’s where the Anker Nano Power Strip shines. You can attach this power strip to top or side of your desk, clamping it down in place to power anything you want at that station. It comes with six AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C outlets. You can adjust where it goes on your desk, and it is small enough to remain convenient without adding more clutter.

Customers appreciate how useful this power strip is by not only adding nearby outlets to their desk, but also by how little space it takes up. It clamps to the desktop with ease, and it cleans up the all the cords and cables to keep wire management under control. Plus, the overall design and look of the Anker Nano Power Strip is very sleek and discreet for those who enjoy clean aesthetics. Experts recommend it for how good a surge protector it is, and how many outlets are available.

There’s nothing worse than pouring the perfect cup of coffee, but then it goes cold due to a meeting or someone at the door. For those who want to ensure they take a sip from their drink at the best temperature, there’s the Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, making it similar to other tech accessories that change the game for coffee drinkers. It has a smartphone app that monitors the exact temperature of the liquid in the cup, keeps it warm up for to 90 minutes on a full charge, or you can use it all day when you leave it on the charger base. You can adjust the temperature from 120 degrees Fahrenheit up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on your preference. There’s also an auto sleep feature for when there’s nothing inside of it, but it immediately turns back on when you pour a drink into it. 

Reviewers attest to how it consistently keeps their beverage at the same temperature while using it. They avoid having to reheat a drink multiple times as they enjoy it, and the build of the mug is high quality, delivering on the promise the manufacturer makes about keeping drinks warm. Those who use this device daily find that keeping it on the charger is the best way to use it, and the auto sleep features help a lot to not micromanage the device’s settings.

Cameras are a great way to keep track of your pet while you’re away from home, and the Petcube Cam is great option. It comes in a pack of two cameras for you to place in multiple locations of your home to make sure your pet is doing okay. These cameras deliver with 110 degrees of vision, and you can move around to monitor a full room, providing 1080p HD live streaming. If you need to zoom in on anything, there’s an 8x feature. Additionally, if you’re traveling, there’s also a night vision that allows you to see up to 30 feet with the camera. These cameras also have two-way audio, allowing pet owners to calm down their pet’s anxiety.

Many who pick up these cameras recommend them for pet owners who want to check in on their older pets. It’s easy to set up, effective to use through the application, and provides a good peace of mind to quickly check in on things and continue on throughout their day. Others have had positive experiences with Petcube surrounding these products and appreciated the company’s assistance with technical support matters. There are also reviews highlighting the sound and video quality of the pet cubes, noting how effective they are as household cameras.

Having a lighter or a set of matches around for candles can be frustrating, as you’ll eventually run out of matches and the lighter eventually runs out of fuel. You’ll have to replace both of them within a few months. Rather than seek direct replacements, there’s the Suprus Electric Candle Lighter, which uses an electric current to light candle wicks without the use of flame. When you need to recharge the device, you just plug it into an outlet using a USB charging cable, making it similar to the other cheap and effective USB gadget you can get from Amazon. Also, when someone is not using the lighter, it does come with a safety lock to keep it in place to avoid potentially leaving it on after use.

The customer reviews for this electric candle lighter highlight how much they enjoy this item, even after using it for years. Many enjoy that it’s flameless, windproof, and extremely useful in and outside of a home. It’s small enough to take with them camping or to carry around with them to other locations. So long as it has a charge in it, it’ll be good for months before it needs another charge. Some customers have noted that theirs stopped working after a few years, but the company’s customer service sent them a new one, which many appreciated.

Having a smartphone as an alarm has plenty of pros, but there are probably just as many cons, too, including the screen that can just as easily wake you up in the middle of the night. But rather than relying on a typical alarm clock to wake you up in the morning, the JALL Sunrise Alarm Clock utilizes a soft, steadily growing ambient light to naturally wake you up as the sun rises, making it a cool Amazon find that you can add to your smart home gadget collection. The light begins at a dim orange and steadily becomes brighter alongside the sunrise. It also comes with a white noise machine to help you sleep at night, and you can adjust the alarm to function differently on the weekends, allowing you to wake up without the use of an alarm or at different times based on your preference. 

Those who have picked up this product find it to be a useful alarm clock to let them know when to get up without relying on their smartphone. Some have gone beyond this and also use it as a light in their room. One user found this device to be especially helpful in the winter since it’s darker longer and more difficult to get out of bed. The Jall alarm clock brings the light with it, even in those cold and darker months. Others also enjoy using it for the sunset, as well, to know when their day is ending.

Finding ways to remain cool in the summer is an endless activity no matter where you live. To help with immediate relief, there’s the Jisulife Portable Neck Fan, a hands-free device that hangs around your neck to cool you off throughout the day, and it’s one of the many cool wearables you can buy that isn’t a smartwatch. The fans inside the device come with five different speeds based on your preference, capable of cooling you off while you’re sitting at your desk or working in the yard. The battery is expected to work up to 16 hours, but goes down from there based on fan speed, with the maximum fan speed offering up to four hours of use before it needs to recharge.

Customers who have picked up the Portable Neck Fan and left reviews highlight how useful it is, the decent battery life, and how effective the multiple speed options are. Not only does it work well, but it feels comfortable to have around their neck, especially when they’re outside or at outdoor events. When it does need a charge, the device doesn’t take too long to return to a full battery, making it a worthwhile option for anyone who wants to use it consistently, and it stays in place throughout a day. Although others have found similar products at lower prices, the sub-$50 asking price for the Jisulife model is well worth it.

Opening a wine bottle can be a challenging activity. For those who don’t have the best cork openers, it can be exhausting to remove the toppers from a wine bottle carefully, and if you mess it up, the wine can be ruined. To help make this an effortless activity, there’s the Secura Electric Wine Opener, a small device that goes on top of your wine bottle and uses an electronic motor to remove the cork without any effort on your part. You can expect to open up to 30 bottles of wine with a single charge, and it doesn’t take up too much space on a countertop or in your cabinets.

Those who picked up the Secura Electric Wine Opener highlighted in their reviews how different it is compared to others. Those who have had previous mechanical wine openers shared that this one is significantly different, as it’s smaller, easier to use, and the battery life is great. Other reviews are short and simple, highlighting how easy it is to use and how much better it is to remove the corks from troublesome wine bottles. It’s a lightweight device that doesn’t take up too much counter space and is always at the ready. Plus, for many, it looks nice in any kitchen without taking up too much space on the countertop.

Breakfast time can be tricky if you don’t want to deal with a messy kitchen. Rather than relying on the use of several pans, the GreenLife 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker Station comes with space to cook multiple sausages, vegetables, bacon, pancakes, or eggs, and a small underside where you can toast two slices of bread simultaneously. The top griddle is large enough to cook multiple things at once, with a glass top allowing you to watch over it all while it cooks, and you can decide when to take it out based on your preference. Best of all, the device is easily disassembled for simple, thorough cleaning, and it’s ideal for quick use in the morning or while traveling in a camper or an RV.

The customer reviews for the GreenLife 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker highlight how good it is at saving counterspace, allowing them to continue to make meals without too much of a mess. There are others who share how even though it is smaller, it’s still effective, and it doesn’t smoke up while cooking multiple things. Plus, it’s easy to clean up when they’re done, which is always a highlight for anyone who wants to make meals.

When choosing the items for this list of 10 useful gadgets that simply just work, we made sure they were products that could be used on a daily basis. These were effective for multiple people and could be used in several scenarios. We also wanted to pick gadgets that were simple and capable of benefiting the person who used them. Each product is different from the other options and is a specialized item that you could plug in or charge using a USB or outlet. All items have at least a 4.2-star rating by customers on Amazon, with at least 100 reviews. For products with less than 1,000 reviews, we also leaned on what the experts had to say in order to ensure a product was worthwhile.