Uncomplicated Gadgets For People Who Aren’t Tech-Savvy

Promising review: “I love this so much. The sunflower design is really pretty and its functionally is exactly what I was looking for. It makes for a great phone stand when I’m watching something and it makes my phone a lot easier to hold!” —Jane Diener

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: “I’m a barista at Starbucks so obviously I know how I like my coffee. For a while I was using an immersion blender to froth my milk for my morning cup of coffee but it just wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do. I finally bought this frothed and I’m so so happy with it!! It doesn’t need to be plugged in so it takes up way less space. It is a lot quieter than the blender, and I can use any size cup I want because the frother is so small. Not only can I heat up my milk for a hot coffee, but I can also use it just the same with cold milk for my iced coffee!! Highly recommend this product!!” —Heather Michael

Get it from Amazon for $14.95 (available in 17 colors).

I have one of these bad boys and can validate that it is SO easy to use. I pop my phone into it when I get in the shower and click the lil’ button on the front to start the cleaning process. You can also charge your phone while it’s inside the machine. Fellow germaphobes — you can thank me later.

Promising review: “Bought this along with a set of agar plates to test it for ourselves. We swabbed my daughter’s and husband’s phones before and after use. It does work. We are very happy with the product.” —Ginger

Get it from Amazon for $79.95+ (available in nine colors).

Promising review: “I purchased these to cover the side of my house. Installation was easy and I left them outside for two days to charge. The light coverage was about what I expected from them and do the job well. The motion sensitivity covers all the side and lights turn on. It has rained about three times and still work great and hoping they last for a long time.” —J. Argueta

Get a set of four from Amazon for $39.99.

I have one of these in my apartment and it’s been SO fun to play with — especially now that we’re spending more time at home than ever. My husband and I love challenging each other and feeling like we’re in an old school arcade. It’s a great size for an at-home arcade machine, not too big or too small.

Promising review: “I always was terrible at this game, but my friends loved it. I saw the sale and bought it immediately. Assembly was a breeze, plugged it in, and works just fine. Solid sound, no glitches, no issues whatsoever. Even perfecting my moves. I’m not a professional gamer or anything, so I have no problem with the joysticks or buttons, but I can see how some may. My kids love it. For the price, and excitement, well worth it. Thanks Arcade1Up!” —Mo

Get it from Amazon for $299.72+ (available in five styles).

Promising review: “I purchased these for a friend’s birthday present (he is a sushi waiter) and these are flippin’ AMAZING. I ordered two sets by mistake, but I am totally keeping the second pair for another gift (or for myself!). These are sure to be great conversation pieces and attention-getters. Way to go!” —T. Redwood

Get two pairs from Amazon for $12.97.

I’m obsessed with candles, so it was a no-brainer for my husband to gift me this surprisingly super fun gadget for Christmas. It’s really simple to use and charge, and it really works! I’ll never have to buy another lighter again.

Promising review: “This is seriously the coolest device of my winter holiday. It makes lighting candles a breeze. Yes, there is a weird crackling noise, but that’s a super minor annoyance. It’s a super intuitive device. Plus the lighter with the USB (included), charge for a bit, then pop it open and light ALL THE THINGS; well, candles. I don’t know how well it lights cigarettes or whatever. However, for my personal intended use, it’s awesome!” —Jee W

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

Promising review: “This item is the real deal, very well-made and I love the color. It is the perfect tool to carry in my bag, lightweight, slim and well made. Not at all like the bulky pocket knife my husband takes with him in the car. The five tools seem to perfectly address my needs. The scissor is the feature I use the most, but the nail file is definitely a close second. I particularly love that the end of the file doubles as a screwdriver! It has proved the perfect size for eyeglass repair as well as for opening those tiny screws to the battery compartments in toys and electronic items.” —Gilles Family

Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in 26 styles).

Promising review: “I’ve had this device for a little while now and I absolutely love it! Light detector and motion detector work together to only turn the toilet light on when it senses darkness and movement. I love that there are 16 different colors you can choose from; and with each 16 colors you can raise or lower the brightness which kind of makes color choices even bigger if you consider the different color brightness a new color. You can either leave your toilet light cycling through all 16 colors while on, or you have the option of choosing one of the colors and keeping it on that color. I ended up getting two of these toilet lights for both of my bathrooms and my guests, as well as I, love it.” —Sergio Rios

Get it from Amazon for $14.95.

BuzzFeed writer Rachel Dunkel has and loves this product! She said:

“I have this and — without giving you too much detail about what my butt’s up to — it’s really fantastic. It was really easy to install, works fantastically, and I’m so happy I can easily bring it with me whenever my current lease it up. A worth-it upgrade that I totally recommend. The version pictured above is the Omigo Element, which has rear and front washes. I think this totally suffices, but if you want a touch more luxury, try the Element+, which can also attach to hot water for a warm wash.”

Promising review: “I can’t believe we waited so long to make the switch. The bidet life is where it’s at — so fresh and so clean! The reduction of toilet paper use is a plus. We are saving money and probably some trees. I like having the front and back options on the dial — it helps to get the job done. I would like to eventually upgrade to one of the seat attachment models one day. The Element is incredibly easy to install and all the reference materials provided in the box and on the site was very thorough. No regrets!” —Junahlyn H.

Get it from Omigo for $80.

Promising review: “I have spent hours and hours trying to groom our sofas from millions of tiny lint balls they have acquired over four years. I hoped maybe this de-fuzzer might work… and WOW! This thing works like a lint mower! It’s really easy to use (our 5-year-old ‘mowed’ most of one sofa) and cleaned it out. Really happy with the quality!” —Mrs.Harper

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in six colors and two styles).

Promising review: “I use it regularly to chop many different kinds of vegetables, including onions, celery, mushrooms, and carrots. Works well for apples too. I find that it is a terrific time-saver. It admittedly can be slightly challenging getting all the food pieces out of the chopper parts, but the nylon bristle brush that comes with it makes it a relatively easy job. I have used my chopper almost daily for several weeks now. I am actually finding that I’m more eager to cook since getting this thing.” —Owen Knowles

Get it from Amazon for $21.97.

Now this is a gadget that will earn you the title of Best Gift-Giver. With a single click any gamer will be able to cycle through two different devices without having to unplug ANYTHING. Convenience is key, people.

Promising review: “I purchased this splitter for use with my television and a PlayStation Vita TV console and Nintendo Wii U console. I ran out of ports, so a splitter seemed to be the perfect solution, much better than unplugging devices every time I needed to switch. This product is simple to use: plug the two sources into one side and the output location in the other, and you’re done! It can also be used to split one device to two locations, like displaying a video game or television show on two different monitors. There is a small button you press in the center of the splitter to switch between the output selections. The video quality was good on the display even though it is going through the splitter. Overall, I highly recommend this product to anyone who runs out of HDMI ports on their television. I didn’t find any flaws with the product. 5/5 stars.” —Zero Ehxe

Get it from Amazon for $10.99.

Promising review: “This little light is awesome and super convenient! It’s a powerful little thing that has a good battery life, and within a couple hours you can have it charged from 0 to 100. It comes with the micro-USB charging cable, but you must use your own charging block (i.e. Your iPhone wall charging block works just fine.) It’s awesome having the three different brightness settings on it — you can really see the difference between each one of them. I photograph handmade jewelry up close and the regular flash on my phone blows out the photos. But when I use the Ring Light, it’s always perfect!” —aly.me

Get it from Amazon for $17.99.

Promising review: “I just received this and I LOVE it. It adequately relieved the knots in my neck, the base of my skull, and my legs. I’m going to try my feet also. I’ve been wanting something like this for quite some time and I’m thrilled with this product. This item definitely delivers. I highly recommend it. The price for this item given the relief provided is wonderful.” —Stephanie T.

Get it from Amazon for $49.95.

We’ve all been there — making our coffee or tea only to set it down and forget about until it’s cooled down completely. Thanks to this mug warmer none of us ever have to suffer through another cold cup of caffeine again! It has received over 4K 5-star reviews on Amazon, so you know it’s a big freakin’ deal.

Promising review: “I’m a chronic coffee forgetter. I can’t drink it straight from the brewer (too hot for me) so I set my mug down to cool slightly and often get distracted. Of course I then come back to my coffee to find it’s already cold. I’ve currently got the warmer at my office and it’s working great. I can sip my coffee leisurely over the course of an hour and it’s still nice and warm.” —Elle

Get it from Amazon for $8.99

This diffuser has a whopping 24,966 5-star reviews from VERY pleased Amazon customers. If that isn’t a sign to pick this up, what is? You might as well go ahead and add this set of essential oils to your cart while you’re at it (lavender is my personal favorite).

Promising review: “This is a really great diffuser, especially for a first timer like myself. It’s small and simple and also succeeds in freshening up my entire room. The 30-second burst is great at keeping your space feeling and smelling great throughout the day, while the continuous mode lasts for about six hours so I keep it on while I’m sleeping. Overall, a really great and inexpensive diffuser!” —Pascal Ibe

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in four styles).

My husband’s number one thing he lamented over when we entered quarantine was how much he missed his office’s standing desk. When we had the chance to receive this one to test out he was thrilled. It was sooooo easy to put together — only a handful of steps! Even the most technologically challenged person could use this without stress. You plug it in and *BOOM* it’s ready to go. He loves shifting between sitting and standing all day now that we’re working from home all the time.

Promising review: “The desk is beautiful and is more sturdy than I expected. Assembly is super easy, with only three steps. I chose the reclaimed wood top to match my office decor and it matches perfectly. I stand most of the day now and haven’t had a neck ache since. I highly recommend Vari products for quality, customer service, speed of delivery, and easy of assembly. I LOVE my electric standing desk” —Tammy V

Get it from Vari for $550 (available in five wood styles).