5 Amazon Finds Solving Problems You Didn’t Realize You Might Have

These are tiny technological gadgets available at reasonable prices. All of the products on this list are under $35, or even less if you can snag them during a sale. That being said, it’s often the case that cheap electronics are among the items you should never buy on Amazon, at least not without taking a close look at customer reviews. Implicitly trusting every review is one of the most common mistakes everyone makes when shopping on Amazon, so it’s important to see the bigger picture. Every product on this list is rated four stars or higher (on a five-star scale) after at least 1,500 customer ratings, with no common issues or defects noted in reviews.

The Cable Matters Right Angle USB-C Adapter Kit comes with two right angle USB-C adapters for $8.99: one with a vertical shape and one with a flat (landscape) shape. These right angle adapters are perfect for situations where you need to plug in a device with limited space. You can’t always thread a USB cable through a tight crevice and bend it enough to fit into the port. With a right angle adapter, you can insert a USB cable directly without having to bend it at an awkward angle. This also helps prevent damage to the cable itself. Bending or twisting a USB cable will damage its internal copper wires, which can ultimately lead to poor connections, cuts, or even complete failure.

Right angle USB adapters come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types. If the Cable Matters bundle doesn’t quite fit your desktop setup, you can find other adapters on Amazon for a similar price, including some that support USB-A and Micro-USB connections.

The Odistar Desktop Vacuum Cleaner is a cube-shaped vacuum cleaner small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It’s easy to keep on your desk or store in a drawer so you can quickly reach it to clean up dust, crumbs or other debris. This USB charging device is available for $19.98, or you can get an AA battery-powered version for $15.98. A handheld vacuum is also great for cleaning your keyboard, and customer reviews also indicate that the Odistar is useful for counters, shelves, and other small surfaces.

Odistar claims its desk vacuum can run for a total of 400 minutes on a single charge of two to three hours. It also has an auto-off feature that kicks in after 15 minutes, increasing the number of uses you can get with just a little juice. This vacuum fits perfectly into the list of Amazon office gadgets that you will use on a daily basis.

The Lamicall Cord Organizers Pack is a pack of six cable holders that you can use to secure wires in place with a spring-loaded locking mechanism. You might not notice how awkward it is to bend over to grab that charging cable, or how obnoxious all those wires actually are, until you use a cord organizer to keep them hidden or within easy reach. The Lamicall organizer uses a residue-free acrylic sticker that can attach to the side of your deck, wall, under a table or other surfaces. At $9.99 for six or $17.99 for a 12-pack, it’s an affordable solution for many chaotic cable setups.

These cable holders feature an 8mm wide cable slot, so most USB cables can easily be pulled out to reach the device you’re connecting to. When you’re done, you can put the cable back in place, where the thicker head of the cable will hook into the bracket itself. Keep in mind, however, that many HDMI cables are 8.5mm or more thick. This is especially true for longer cables, which require thicker copper wire to transmit information with the same efficiency. You may need a different DIY solution for hiding TV cables if you’re dealing with these thicker wires.

The House Gem Mug Warmer is a nifty desktop device that will warm your caffeinated beverage of choice all day long. Mug warmers are a nice addition to a home office setup, especially if you tend to get lost in your workflow only to find that you still have a half-full mug several hours later…and it’s gone cold. Even if you’re not a hot beverage drinker, you might have someone on your shopping list who is, and this warmer makes the perfect choice for useful gifts for remote workers. Available for $30.49, this gadget also works as a candle warmer, so you can use it to safely fill the room with the aroma of your choice when you’re not sipping a cup of coffee.

Many coffee makers come with a warming plate that uses 50 to 100 watts to keep the carafe warm after brewing. In comparison, the House Gem Mug Warmer is a 36-watt device, making it more energy efficient than leaving your brew in the carafe, but it still has enough power to keep your drink nice and warm.

The Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini 15A is a discreet smart plug available for $9.99. It works over a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection and, as the name suggests, features a compact design that doesn’t obstruct other outlets on a power outlet or power strip. Two Kasa mini smart plugs can fit into a standard wall outlet, and if you’re interested, a two-pack is available for $16.99. They can be controlled with the Kasa Smart app or with voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant, although no separate hub is required for basic use. If you have other Kasa devices, they can be used in tandem to enable truly creative ways to use smart switches in your home.

By setting turn-on schedules for your smart plugs, you can use them to solve the ever-present problem of wasting energy. It’s more convenient than turning a power strip on and off every day, and using them to make your home appear “lived in” while you’re away is a common method of increasing your home’s security. However, you don’t have to turn your entire house into a smart home. A standalone set of smart plugs is enough to make a big difference in convenience and energy consumption.