One of my favorite parts about working in the Gadget Lab is how gearheads have strong opinions on … pretty much everything. We’re just as likely to hash out our favorite kinds of tape as we are to discuss ebikes, mechanical keyboards, or Android phones. But not everything we love costs hundreds of dollars. I’ve pulled together some of our favorite cheap gizmos and gadgets that make our lives better every day.
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Photograph: Black Diamond
A Versatile Clip
Black Diamond Locking Carabiner
Yes, I was an emo kid who clipped her keys to her pants. But long afterward, I recognized the usefulness of this light, indestructible piece of rock climbing gear. For a mom of two with a dog, carrying a carabiner is like having an extra pair of hands. I keep one wound with a piece of webbing on the handlebar of my kid’s wagon. I can use it to clip my dog’s leash to my pants or strap a stray scooter to the back of a stroller. I keep one on my backpack to carry wet kid shoes. And if any of us ever go into a bar or on a plane ever again, they’re also useful for hanging coats and bags on hooks or the backs of seat pockets. —Adrienne So
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Photograph: Invisibobble
Keep Your Hair Up
Invisibobble
Gone are the days when a hair tie would snap just as I was trying to fix a bun, leaving me to MacGyver something together in a public bathroom. I refer to that dark time as Before Invisibobble. After Invisibobble, the sun shines, the birds sing, and my hair loves me. I was initially scared to put this telephone-cord-looking object into my curls, as I was sure it was a knotty disaster waiting to happen, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it holds my hair without any pulling or tangling, and it leaves me with zero hair ache after a long day. Plus, they’re almost immune to breaking. —Medea Giordano
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Photograph: Aukey
Experiment With Your Phone
Aukey Ora iPhone Lens
For folks who love to read the cereal box at breakfast or the back of the shampoo bottle while doing your business, this Aukey camera bundle is a great way to pass the time indoors. Snap the 10X macro lens to the back of your phone (make sure it lines up with your main camera), and you’ll be able to get extra close to … well, just about anything. I love using it to snap super-close-up photos of plants in my home and my dog’s colorful eyes (when he stops licking the camera). There’s also an ultrawide lens to take in sweeping scenes, which you can save for when we all go outside again. —Julian Chokkattu
