• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet Kris
    • FAQs
    • Media
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Home Tour
    • Master Bathroom
    • Kitchen
    • Kitchen Eat-In Area
    • Family Room
    • Living Room
    • Home Office
    • Laundry Room
    • Master Bedroom
    • Craft Room
    • Dining Room
    • Garage
    • Guest Room
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Patio
    • Powder Room
    • Teen Blue & White Bedroom
    • Teen Boho Chic Bedroom
  • Projects
    • Room Remodels
    • DIY Projects
    • Decorating Tips
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
  • Subscribe
  • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Faves
    • Shop My House

Driven by Decor logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet Kris
    • FAQs
    • Media
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Home Tour
    • Master Bathroom
    • Kitchen
    • Kitchen Eat-In Area
    • Family Room
    • Living Room
    • Home Office
    • Laundry Room
    • Master Bedroom
    • Craft Room
    • Dining Room
    • Garage
    • Guest Room
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Patio
    • Powder Room
    • Teen Blue & White Bedroom
    • Teen Boho Chic Bedroom
  • Projects
    • Room Remodels
    • DIY Projects
    • Decorating Tips
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
  • Subscribe
  • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Faves
    • Shop My House
×

Updated: Jul 5, 2022 by Kris Jarrett

12 Cool Gadgets on Amazon!

Love gadgets? Me too! These 12 cool gadgets on Amazon are my faves!

I’ve always been a gadget girl. Even as a kid when I went to the mall with my friends, while they just wanted to shop for clothes, I could spend hours in Brookstone messing with all the gadgets 🙂 Today I’ve gathered together my 12 favorite Amazon gadgets to share with you! They include everything from a nightlight that’s integrated into an outlet cover to light your way at night to a simple gadget to keep hair from clogging your shower drain and a handy meat chopper for taco night! Ready to see? (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})

1. Outlet Nightlight

This SnapPower Guidelight found {here} is an outlet wall plate that has a built-in LED nightlight – it’s awesome! You get all of the benefits of a night light without losing access to any of your outlets, plus it doesn’t require batteries or wiring. The “installation” is ridiculously simple – you simply turn off the breaker to the outlet, remove the old outlet plate, pop this one on (the two prongs on the back fit around the two sides of the outlet),

Have and LOVE this! A simple snap-in outlet cover that has a built in nightlight!

screw the plate on and then flip the breaker back on. Literally under five minutes from start to finish! They’re perfect for bathrooms or to light up a hallway at night. I have them in two of our bathrooms and in the hallway outside of my girls’ rooms so they can make their way to the bathroom at night without having to leave a light on:

The perfect way to light your hallway with a nightlight without using any outlets! Great for bathrooms too and simple to install!

You can find the exact one that I have {here} in either the standard outlet version or one that works with Decora outlets.

2. Laser Level

If you do a lot of home improvement projects or even if you just have a grouping of art you need to hang, a laser level is a must-have gadget! Without it, there’s no way that I would have been able to get all of the art prints around our TV level and perfectly lined up with each other! My technique for hanging multiple pieces of art like this was to have Jeff hold the laser level while I put down painter’s tape along the line of the laser beam. A single row of lined up art is super quick and simple but even my more complicated wall only took about 15-20 minutes to get everything taped off:

How to hang art level in a gallery wall arrangement without putting extra holes in the wall!

Then centering a hanger at the exact right spot and hanging each piece is a breeze. I knocked it out with no extra holes in the wall and perfectly straight art – yay!

Great tip for lining up multiple pieces of art so that they're straight and level! Definitely the way to go with a gallery wall! Room Sources: Rug  |  Rattan chair  |  Ceiling light  |  White tassel pillow  |  Media console (no longer available but {this one} is similar)  | Acrylic coffee table (no longer available but {this one} is similar)  | See {this post} for links to artwork and all other sources

I’ve also used my laser level for wallpapering, installing trim, hanging shelves and all sorts of other projects. The exact laser level I have is no longer available since I’ve had it for years but {this laser level} is a budget-friendly option that gets great reviews.

There are also several gadgets you can use to hang a single picture or mirror level such as {this Hang-O-Matic Picture Hanging Tool} that gets good reviews – I’ve never tried it, have you?

Gadget to help you easily and quickly hang pictures on the wall!

3. Meat Chopper

This meat chopper (found {here}) is one of my newer kitchen gadgets – it says on the listing that it’s something you always needed but never knew existed and it’s so true! I had a similar one from Pampered Chef for years that finally bit the dust but I actually like this one better and it’s cheaper. It works so much easier and faster than a spatula for breaking up ground beef or turkey, especially if it’s not 100% unthawed when you go to cook it.

Love this meat chopper for ground beef and for mashing up avocados for guacamole! One of my favorite Amazon gadgets!

I use it for smashing up my avocados for guacamole too! And it’s dishwasher friendly so super easy to clean.

4. Dog Water Bottle

I got {this dog water bottle} for Cricket a few months ago and wish I had known about it years ago! I bought it for when we travel back and forth from CT to NC but it’s so handy that I’ve started taking it on long walks with her too. You fill it up with water and can throw it in your travel bag without any worry of leaking (or it has a loop you can use to tie it on a backpack) and then when you want to offer water to your dog, you simply toggle a button to unlock it and then press a button to allow water to flow into the little bowl part where your dog drinks it:

This dog water bottle is awesome for travel and for walks too! One of my favorite Amazon gadgets!

I’m also intrigued by a gadgety water bottle for myself – {this smart water bottle} glows to remind you to drink if you haven’t picked it up in an hour. I’m terrible about drinking water throughout the day and wondering if this might help. Have any of you tried it out with success?

5. Smart Garage Door Opener

Jeff bought {this smart garage door opener} for our NC home last year and definitely one of the coolest gadgets on Amazon! You simply plug in the wifi hub, attach the sensor to the back of your garage door, and connect it to the app on your phone. It works with most garage door openers but double check the product listing info for compatibility with yours.

Love this smart garage door opener that you can use from anywhere!

Once installed, you can use the app to open and close your garage door from anywhere (including when we’re states away in CT). It’s a great way to let someone into your garage without giving them your keypad code or clicker. You can also invite others to be able to use it with their guest feature (for example, if you want someone to check on your home while you’re on vacation). And my favorite part is that if you’re like me and sometimes drive away not remembering if you closed the garage door or not, a quick check in the app will tell you if you did and allow you to shut it if needed.

6. Electric Can Opener

I shared this new kitchen gadget on Instagram Stories a few months ago but don’t think I ever shared on the blog! It’s a can opener that’s electric (I found it {here}) and does all the work for you but it’s small enough to throw in a drawer:

Love this electric can opener - one of my favorite Amazon gadgets!

Why is it better than a manual can opener? I love that it opens the can under the rim instead of on top of it so you can actually place the lid back on (which is really nice for things like canned dog food that you only use part of and want to throw in the fridge for use later in the day).

Love how this can opener cuts under the edge of the lid so you can place it back on top in the fridge!

And it’s great for those who have trouble using a manual can opener due to issues like arthritis too.

7. Ember Mug

I bought {this Ember Smart Mug} for Jeff as a Christmas gift since he’s an all-day coffee drinker and he’s told me now about 50 times how much he loves it! It’s different from a regular coffee heating pad/plate because the mug also keeps the coffee piping hot for up to 1.5 hours off the charging coaster (FYI, the charging coaster needs to be plugged in – the cord on ours is lying behind the mug where you can’t see it in the pic):

One of my favorite Amazon gadgets - a smart mug that keeps your coffee hot on AND off the heating plate!

Using the Ember Mug app you can set the temperature of your coffee to the precise temp that you like best and receive notifications. As of today, the price on Amazon has gone up quite a bit since I bought it – you can also find it {here} for less right now. And if you want to get really fancy, you can get the larger size Ember mug {here} with a personalized monogram on it.

8. Programmable Light Switch

We’ve always been terrible about remembering to turn our outdoor lights on at night and off in the morning so several years ago we bought {this programmable switch} that turns your lights on and off for you! It was simple – we just swapped the switch for our outdoor flood lights with this programmable one…

Love this programmable light switch that turns our outdoor lights on and off automatically! A favorite Amazon gadget!

and now they automatically go on at sunset and off at sunrise (you can also specify your own on and off times or put it on random mode which is nice for when you’re on vacation).

Love my programmable timer that turns our outdoor lights on and off automatically! Porch sources: Black lantern sconces  |  Planters  |  “oh hello” doormat

It comes with detailed instructions so was a pretty simple DIY but as with anything electrical, hire an electrician if you aren’t 100% comfortable with doing it yourself.

If you want to make multiple lights throughout your home “smart”, my favorite way to do that is with Caséta by Lutron’s smart lighting system. We have it in five rooms of our home and LOVE all of the functionality (especially being able to control the lights remotely when we’re away) – begin with {this starter kit} and build out your smart lighting system from there!

9. TubShroom

If you’ve got girls with long hair, you know that hair clogging the shower drain is issue. This TubShroom found {here} fits any standard sized drain and does an awesome job of catching hair before it can clog up your pipes:

This Tub Shroom is awesome for keeping hair from clogging your shower drain! One of my favorite Amazon gadgets!

To install, you simply take off the current drain cover (which typically screws off) and insert the TubShroom. I have the stainless steel version but you can also get a plastic version in multiple color options {here}. And if your drain cover is the type that moves up and down depending on whether you want to shower or fill a bathtub, you probably want {this version of the TubShroom} that includes a stopper.

10. Smart Kup Car Cup Holder + 11. Drop Stop Seat Gap Filler

If your car has a cup holder that’s too small for your coffee mug or water bottle, {this Smart Kup} is the simple fix! It fits all of my chunky water bottles (including my Hydroflask) that my regular cup holder doesn’t accommodate:

Love this car cup holder that fits large water bottles and mugs with handles too!

And I love that it has a cut-out on the side for a handle so it fits my favorite travel mug that doesn’t work in the standard cup holder! (Yikes, I didn’t realize how dusty my car was until I saw this pic 😂)

While we’re talking about car gadgets, I also swear by {this “Drop Stop” seat gap filler} that goes between your seat and the center console on each side:

OMG I need this in my life! A car seat gap filler so there's no more cell phones or anything else falling down in that hard to reach spot between your seat and center console!

I used to lose my cell phone and other stuff down in that crevice all the time 🙈 so totally love having it!

12. Robot Vacuum

{This Shark IQ Self-Empty Robot Vacuum} is a newish gadget of mine that I’m pretty smitten with! While a lot of robot vacuums just bounce around the room and miss spots, the Shark IQ goes methodically back and forth so nothing is missed. When it’s done, it automatically returns to the base, empties, and is ready to go for the next time you need it. It also maps out your entire home and then you can boss it around and tell it which rooms to clean! I haven’t had it do the mapping of our home yet but it’s a feature I’m anxious to try out.
This robot vacuum is a favorite for keeping our house clean between deep cleanings! Definitely a favorite Amazon gadget!
I still do heavier vacuum cleaning with my Dyson or Shark cordless vacs that have more powerful suction than my robot vacuum but having the Shark Robot Vac has definitely cut down the number of times I vacuum. Check out {this post with details on Shark vs. Dyson cordless vacuums} for more on those!
That’s the last on my list of 12 cool gadgets on Amazon! I  have a bunch of favorite kitchen gadgets that I didn’t include in this post since I’ve already shared those with you – if you missed it, you can check out my 15 favorite Amazon kitchen finds {here}.
My 15 Amazon kitchen favorites!
And check out my favorite Amazon home decor finds {here}.
My Amazon home decor favorites!
XO,
  • Pin
  • Share
  • Email

Categories: favorite things

✉️FREE EMAIL SERIES ✉️

5 Secrets to Reinventing Your Home on a Budget

Simple tips to instantly transform five rooms in your home!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. debra @ 5th and state says

    February 21, 2021 at 2:34 pm

    Hi Kris

    Once again I did not want this to end! Off shopping!
    Debra

    Reply
  2. Margaret says

    February 21, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    Love the dog water bottle! It was in my lab’s Christmas stocking 😉 and I wasn’t sure if she’d like it. Sure enough, she drinks right out of it!
    Curious about the can opener – we’ve tried so many and so often they miss places if the can top rim is bent. How does this one do with that?
    Love all these ideas – I’m a gadget gal too!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 21, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Margaret – I haven’t had any cans it hasn’t worked on yet but I’m also not certain I’ve tried it on a bent can… (I’ve only had it for about 4 months)

      Reply
  3. Jaimie says

    February 21, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    Just put a bunch of stuff in my cart. Did not see a link to the can opener. Can you please put the link in??? Thanks!!!

    P.S. Great stuff that you NEVER think of!!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 21, 2021 at 4:35 pm

      Sorry about that – thanks for letting me know. I just added it!

      Reply
  4. Susan says

    February 21, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    I always love your posts, Kris! I noticed your measuring spoons above your best pizza cutter. Can you tell me the brand or where you purchased them? I need some new ones that fit into spice jars, because my current ones that are round, do not fit into most spice jars.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 22, 2021 at 12:02 pm

      Sure! They’re linked in this post on kitchen gadgets: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/amazon-kitchen-gadgets/ They’re great because the one end is small enough to go into those smaller jars plus they stay together nice and neatly in the drawer 🙂

      Reply
  5. Patricia says

    February 22, 2021 at 4:31 am

    Love the list of gadgets. Added 4-5 to my shopping bag, but I don’t see a 9th item.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 22, 2021 at 9:30 am

      Ha! You’re right – there were 12 in the post but I messed up the numbering – just fixed it 🙂

      Reply
  6. Joy says

    February 22, 2021 at 11:57 am

    Hi Kris..
    You left out the “back” in back and forth on the shark … After “methodically”.
    About the can opener … I’ve had several brands over the years . I make big pots of Sunday sauce and they always seem to lose their steam after 4 large cans of tomatoes. I gave up. Is this one worth trying? Can I do 6 cans without switching to my manual?

    Thanks!
    J

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 22, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Thanks for catching that! Honestly I don’t know that I’ve opened more than two cans at a time but when I was trying to get a photo of it in action, it went around the one can 5-6 times without slowing down so I would guess it could handle it…

      Reply
  7. Dan says

    February 22, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    I enjoyed the list of 12 items. I’m ordering a couple of items and I’m looking forward to more gadgets.

    Reply
  8. JoeHx says

    February 23, 2021 at 1:13 pm

    The nightlight sounds like a good idea if you have toddlers (like mine) that like to pull the “old” style nightlights out of the socket & play with them.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      March 11, 2021 at 10:01 am

      Didn’t think of that but so true!

      Reply
  9. Carolyne Zink says

    February 23, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    Loved your web site. Who knew there were so many great things out there. I am amazed. Thank you so much.
    Hope you have a great day and happy. Shopping Carolyne

    Reply
  10. Jen says

    February 23, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    You should check out Bestie Blow Dryer Holder by Bestie Brands.

    It holds your hair dryer for you while you’re drying your hair so you can use both hands! Genius ❤️

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      March 11, 2021 at 10:02 am

      That sounds amazing – will definitely check it out!

      Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    February 24, 2021 at 8:35 am

    Why do you turn the lights on at night? We should save energy, not waste it!

    Reply
    • Kathleen says

      April 24, 2021 at 9:09 pm

      My last home was on the end of a cul-de-sac with no street lights and as a single female, I felt more safe having a light on the outside that I could regulate, just like Chris showed. When I bought the place, there were motion lights around the outside of the house but if there was any wind in the air, the wind would set them off, and then my place looked like Luna Park! So I wound up turning them off.

      Reply
  12. Skye Bleu says

    February 24, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    I too, am a Gadget girl. I could completely relate to hanging at Brookstone while others shopped for clothes. I love Hardware stores too. 😉 I am 64 and still love Gadgets. Great article.

    Reply
  13. Tiffany says

    February 25, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    Do your smart lights blink before turning fully on? Our contractor had talked me into some and I’m now switching them back to regular lights because I do not like that aspect. He said it was the connecting via bluetooth that was creating that blink. Would love to find some that don’t do that!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 25, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      I highly recommend the Caseta by Lutron smart lighting system that I linked to – you use regular light bulbs but instead swap out the switch so they function just like they normally would but you can also control them with your phone or by voice with Alexa. And they don’t blink before turning on 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

✉️FREE EMAIL SERIES ✉️

5 Secrets to Reinventing Your Home on a Budget

Simple tips to instantly transform five rooms in your home!

Meet Kris

Kris of Driven by Decor

Popular Posts

All images on DBD are copyrighted and taken by me unless otherwise noted. If you'd like to use any of my images, please request their use via my Contact page.

I am a participant in several affiliate advertising programs (including the Amazon Associates program) and earn fees from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my full disclosure statement {here}.

To view my privacy policy, go {here}.

Copyright © 2022 · Driven by Decor