19 Fancy Gadgets That Won’t Leave You Broke
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There’s having money, and then there’s looking like you do. Those of us who can’t always afford the top-of-the-line have to find ways to cover the essentials and also make rent. Still, with a few key items, you can look a lot fancier than your wallet would otherwise allow. Here are our picks for 19 innovative gadgets that make you look richer than you are.
Super Scroller
Logitech Pop MouseThis modest mouse is available in eight colors, including a predictably bland black and white, but it’s this mint, lilac, and sunshine-yellow combo that has us lusting after it. Gamers looking for IPS precision and DPI sensitivity need not apply, but it offers extras you wouldn’t expect on a bargain-priced peripheral, like support for multiple devices, generous use of postconsumer recycled materials, and a separate top button that can be assigned a task—or a specific emoji if you’re inclined—via the Logi Options+ App. A color-matched wireless keyboard is also available.
Less Discursive Cursive
Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain PenA testament to timeless design that, despite the price tag, can happily mix with Montblanc in the boardroom. Nobody will think less of you when you whip out this classic Kaweco fountain pen. Made in Germany since 1911, the Sport—identifiable by its gold accents and octagonal barrel—can be customized with your choice of five nib thicknesses. With a length of just 4.1 inches closed, but 5.1 inches when the cap is posted on the end, it hides easily in a pocket but feels great to grip as you sign that big-money contract.
Port Authority
HyperDrive NET 6-in-2 USB-C Hub2025 marks the 10th anniversary since Apple removed all the useful ports from its laptops. Whether you celebrate or commiserate, chances are you still find yourself needing an extra input now and then. For that, we have HyperDrive's hugely practical, impressively designed six-in-one USB-C hub that includes a gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, and twin USB-C, plus a pair of USB-A 3.0 ports for hooking up anything a little more old-school. The hub’s aluminum enclosure matches the color of your MacBook’s shell, and its shape makes it feel like a natural extension of the laptop instead of some alien appendage. Check before you buy, as not all current MacBooks are compatible.
Fix-It Fixation
Hoto Precision Screwdriver Pen (Manual)This alloy aluminum screwdriver from Hoto is outfitted with 24 steel precision bits including Phillips, Torx, Slotted, Hex, Pozidriv, Square, and Security, meaning you can fix your sunglasses and smartphone with one handy gadget. Each bit head has a different shape at each end for maximum practicality. Magnetic fasteners inside the pen barrel keep things tidy. We’ve yet to find a more elegant multi-tool at any price.
Staples Center
Papier Tigre Cobalt Pink StaplerWhile we patiently wait for the arrival of the paper-free office, we can use this happy little powder-coated steel stapler to bind up to 20 sheets together in one quick pinch. The beautiful and affordable tool—whose shape is evocative of a smiling cetacean—can hold 150 size-10 staples when fully loaded. It’s also available in an equally jolly blue and green color combination. Papier Tigre has shops in Paris and Tokyo and ships globally.
Economic Ergonomics
Herman Miller Oripura Laptop StandPortable, foldable and, given Herman Miller’s exclusive reputation, unfathomably affordable, this stand props your laptop at an angle that reduces strain on your eyes and your back. It folds flat for easy transportation and requires no assembly. With cable slots to keep your workspace tidy, it can manage laptops with screens from 11 to 16 inches. It’s also 100 percent recyclable, with no-slip pads and a choice of pale yellow, mint green, or white matte finish.
- Christopher Mitchell
Beat Savior
Arturia MiniLab 3Harlan Howard needed three chords and the truth. Beck insisted on two turntables and a microphone. These days, the potential for musical brilliance requires little more scratch than a nice meal out for two (and, well, some talent). Arturia’s MiniLab 3 is a velocity-sensitive, 25-key, plug-and-play MIDI controller that has 16 RGB-backlit pads, eight rotary encoders, four sliders, and capacitive touch sensors for pitch bend and modulation control. Loaded with software and millions of samples via Analog Lab Intro, Loopcloud, Ableton Live Lite, and more, it’s a one-stop digital audio workstation offering the potential for pro-quality production whatever your experience level.
Head Bangers
Koss Porta Pro On-Ear HeadphonesWhen Koss first launched these perennially cool headphones, Prince, Madonna, Kenny Loggins, and Van Halen were jumping up the charts. And despite all the advances in wireless technology, these old-school wired on-ears still sound great, with dynamic drivers delivering an impressively wide frequency range and solid bass. The slightly open design isn’t great for noisy commutes, but the folding design, adjustable headband, and “Hip to Be Square” ’80s aesthetic can’t be beat at this price.
Speaker Koozie
Soundskins for SonosConceived as an easy and affordable way to keep your Sonos speakers from gunking up your decor, Soundskins are 3D-knitted textile covers made to snugly fit the 12 main Sonos speaker shapes. The brainchild of Arno Ruijzenaars, founder of Leff watches and Amsterdam’s Vanmokum design studio, these sleeves are acoustically inert and have no impact on the speaker’s output but do an excellent job of adding texture to a relatively sterile piece of industrial design. Ideal for when you need a change but don’t want a whole new system.
Spun Up
Moondrop Discdream 2We love playing CDs, but as audio tech has advanced astronomically since the bygone days of the Discman, the best way to spin that plastic today is to use a thoroughly modern player like Moondrop’s newest Discdream. It has everything required of a quality CD player, like shock absorption and an accurate motor drive, plus some 21st-century upgrades like the latest hi-res audio chips, a clean and powerful headphone amplifier, and a USB-C rechargeable battery for nine hours of listening.
Easy Listening
Nothing Ear (a)It took a lot of listening for Parker Hall, senior editor of product reviews at WIRED, to crown these AirPod clones as the best earbuds for most people, but that speaks to just how good they are. Nothing’s stylish yellow buds come in a funky clear charging case and offer excellent sound and noise cancellation for Android phones as well as iOS handsets.
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Good Pairing
Opinel Paring Knives No. 112The stainless steel knives from Opinel deserve a spot on the podium in the EDC hall of fame. While virtually everything from the famous French brand is worthy of celebration, its folding knives for the field often get more attention than its nonfolding blades for the kitchen. Change that with this set of four colorful paring knives. They have wonderfully sharp 4-inch stainless steel blades and solid hornbeam wood handles, and they provide superb control for peeling and slicing with precision.
Caffeine Fiend
Bodum Programmable 12-Cup Coffee MakerThere are plenty of decent and affordable coffee machines, but when it comes to countertop cool, you’ll find nothing better than this adorable MoMA Design Store exclusive made by the Swiss kitchen stalwart Bodum. This ’80s-inspired 12-cup machine uses a showerhead positioned over the brew basket to distribute hot water evenly to the grounds, creating some well-balanced magic juice. It automatically shuts off 25 minutes after the pot is done.
Star Treks
Novesta Star Master 99 BeigeSave your carbon plates for race day. Novesta's timeless plimsolls are made by hand from natural rubber, cotton, and canvas using traditional techniques barely updated since the Slovakian brand’s inception in 1939. Aside from being supple and supportive, the thick vulcanized soles are instantly recognizable, and they give the shoes a no-nonsense style that looks sharp with any cut of jeans, slacks, skirts, or dresses. Get them as either high-tops or the classic lows—or one of each.
Glow Up
Bask Florence Hygge LampValue is an impossibly subjective concept, but it would be a mean-spirited individual who couldn’t find value in this delightful LED lantern. First, Bask is an independent lighting company from Minneapolis and not a faceless brand lurking in Amazon’s darkest corners. Second, this lamp, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, is impressively well made; the glass and metal enclosure houses a 2,600-mAh battery and an LED offering a golden, diffused light.
- Christopher Mitchell
Funnel Mate
Ikea Uppfylld FunnelIngvar Kamprad founded Ikea in 1943 when he was just 17. The Swedish megacorp has evolved a bit since then, and along the way it has managed to infiltrate our homes—no matter our style or budget—in a way that no other retailer can claim. The principles of price, quality, function, and form remain, and nowhere is this better illustrated than with the Uppfylld kitchen collection. The funnel is our favorite. Even for its sub-$1 price, all it needs to do is simply work, but the thoughtful pop of color, ridged surface, and gently fluted body elevate it admirably.
Total Camp
Sea to Summit Frontier Collapsible KettleThis space-saving wonder from Sea to Summit is for ultralite outdoor types who refuse to compromise on the quality of their coffee. Weighing just 7.1 ounces, it features a collapsible design that squishes down to an impressively flat disc. When fully extended, it manages a 1.1-liter capacity. The base is made of hard-anodized aluminum, so heat from your camp stove conducts efficiently. The nylon handles are reinforced with glass to insure against jiggly pours. Also, the rim is nice and wide, so you can use it to cook dinner too.
Hot Wheels
Lego Ferrari F40 SupercarWIRED managing editor Mike Dent is a Lego fiend who is always happy to spend his days piecing together the most elaborate of sets, but even he concedes that in the case of this budget-priced 318-piece F40 Ferrari, less is definitely more. Measuring just 6 inches long, this perfectly proportioned set, designed to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, was personally approved by Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari and includes faithful (if blocky) reproductions of the car’s iconic rear spoiler, rims, and interior.
