Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46638331

by krishadi • 6 months ago

91 249 6 months ago

news.ycombinator.com

Curious what items under $100 have made your life better or any meaningful impact.

Revival of this [thread](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23363396) from 6 years ago. Thought it would be fun to have new answers to this :)

skeptrune• 6 months ago

Custom motorcycle handlebar ends and levers. Cumulatively ~$80 and makes my riding experience drastically better.

krishadi3• 6 months ago

I commute by bike daily, and I got some ergonomic handlebar ends and they've drastically improved by experience.

krishadi3• 6 months ago

Some of my best purchases were outdoor clothing I bought some 7 years ago on a whim. I constantly regret not getting some 10 of them, and sadly they don't make these anymore.

- Thermal inner pants from Berghaus - Knitted thermal jacket from Salewa

brodouevencode2• 6 months ago

A good burr coffee grinder.

jherdman• 6 months ago

For less than $100!? Do tell, my friend.

mastermedo2• 6 months ago

I think _good_ depends on your expectations. We have the eureka mignon hacked with a bigger dial and custom burs. Still not amazing consistency. Looking to upgrade in the next few years.

sam_lowry_• 6 months ago

Helikon-Tex Camp Hand Coffee Grinder is 35€ all-metal beast.

mindracer• 6 months ago

KinGrinder are worth checking out, I got the K6 for about £70

brodouevencode2• 6 months ago

Got the Timemore off Amazon for $80 during black Friday. I get that it's not THE best but it works really well.

shoo• 6 months ago

If you are comfortable with a hand grinder, Porlex grinders [1] [2] are excellent. I use one to make a coarse grind for the french press. It's gotten used 4-7 times per week for the last 5+ years and still going strong.

On topic of best purchases under $100, suppose you regularly boil water for coffee or pasta but don't own an electric kettle, consider investing in a cheap white plastic kettle for $5. Fast and energy efficient way to turn electrical energy into boiling water.

[1] https://www.porlex.co.jp/ [2] https://www.porlex.com.au/collections/porlex-grinders

ezekg• 6 months ago

Ergodriven topo standing desk mat - $99

Deltahub carpio 2.0 wrist rest - $35

idontwantthis3• 6 months ago

A no name Espresso machine. I got it as a gift but I doubt it was much more than $100. It works great. I had always assumed I would regret not buying a super expensive one, but it turns out you can have great espresso for not much money.

kasey_junk2• 6 months ago

I would _love_ to know what espresso machine can be had for less than $100.

earlyriser• 6 months ago

I had a $400 espresso machine but finally I'm just using my $50 moka pot. It's way easier and I like the flavour more.

idontwantthis3• 6 months ago

This is what I have. It's not less than $100, but not much more:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP1WXVK8?&linkCode=sl1&tag=lydan...

daringrain327812• 6 months ago

You can have great espresso for cheap(er) but $100 seems suspiciously low. Manual espresso is about the best bang for you buck possible, but that stretches to $200 or more depending on how fancy you want to get.

idontwantthis3• 6 months ago

I have the thing and it works great.

andbberger• 6 months ago

a good mission burrito is like $10 and makes my life better

smurda• 6 months ago

$100 on sushi and I’m still hungry. $10 on a burrito and I’m full for 24 hours

homeonthemtn2• 6 months ago

Yeah because it's the size of a small child

timmmmmmay• 6 months ago

lmao this was also going to be my answer

GaryBluto• 6 months ago

An old, pre-online activation copy of Photoshop that I still use today.

Lerc3• 6 months ago

I think I'm still using a version that was on a magazine coverdisk that was weirdly distributed as a full-version freebie to advertise the release of the all new lock-in edition.

jjcm3• 6 months ago

I was a very heavy photoshop user for ~20 years.

These days I just use photopea for when I need to make a small edit. It suffices for 95% of what I need to do.

xeromal2• 6 months ago

One of those reoriented vertical Logitech mice that reduce wrist pain. Amazing!

dprice1• 6 months ago

Similarly, and also right at $99.99: Evoluent VerticalMouse https://evoshop.biz/evoluent-verticalmouse-medium-p-72.html

IAmBroom5• 6 months ago

Wow. A single picture of the product. And a name. And a price. That website went all-out on their minimalist design principles.

krishadi3• 6 months ago

I use a Logitech MX Ergo that has a trackball, and it's helped me a lot with wrist pain. Using a trackball felt a bit weird initially.

doublerabbit• 6 months ago

And yet was the most common thing in the 90's.

Rivalism at its best. Removing the track balls before the next class got in to the computer room. That then escalated to fork bombing.

The IT techs got pissed that they glued shut the plastic release twist hatch.

:(){ :|:& };:

IAmBroom5• 6 months ago

I got "fashion shamed" by another geek for using a trackball "like it's still the 90s".

I don't put much stock in anything they've ever said, since.

platevoltage2• 6 months ago

A nice tea kettle where the temperature is adjustable.

epolanski3• 6 months ago

What's it for? It's always better to boil water for tea for hygienical purposes, no?

jlamberts2• 6 months ago

Guessing the hygenics depend on your local water supply, but some varieties of tea (and coffee actually) want to be brewed at below-boiling

jasonjayr• 6 months ago

Some teas steep at less than boiling temperature. And I imagine the tea itself may have more risk of microbes depending on how it is stored, and that the temperature drops way below boiling almost immediately upon pouring out.

I wonder if any studies have been done on this....

b_t_s• 6 months ago

Some teas(white and green particularly) are better brewed well under boiling, but even those lower temps kill 99.9...% of pathogens in a few seconds(vs a fraction of a second at full boiling)

timeinput• 6 months ago

I'm sure it depends where one lives, but if your drinking water is safe there's no real reason to boil the water except for proper steeping.

I definitely use boiling water with my bagged breakfast tea, but boiling is too hot for white and green tea (especially fancier teas), and boiling water "scorches" the "delicate flavors" (using quotes since I'm sure there are better / nicer words than those), so you want to steep at 80C or lower depending on the tea, the quantity the vessel, and the process.

platevoltage2• 6 months ago

I found that 200 degrees F makes my tea taste better than full on boiling.

wolvoleo3• 6 months ago

I always use bottled water anyway, our tap water is full of bleach. And just run it up to 100 every few days to sterilise it.

TulliusCicero4• 6 months ago

Seki Edge nail clippers.

They're just so much sharper and more pleasant to use than your average drug store nail clippers, you can really feel the quality. I can barely stand regular nail clippers now.

tartoran3• 6 months ago

Yeah, they're nearly £50, a bit absurd for nail clippers...

TulliusCicero4• 6 months ago

$15-20 on US Amazon. Sucks that it's so much more expensive in the UK.

proee• 6 months ago

Smartwool shirt and socks. no odor absorption so ability to wear without daily washing. Good thermal regulation as well.

jjcm3• 6 months ago

+1 to wool undergarments.

I prefer Unbound Merino to Smartwool for shirts, though Smartwool's socks are better than Unbound.

SCUSKU• 6 months ago

How itchy do those get?

ortusdux• 6 months ago

How do Darn Toughs compare? I've managed to wear through 8 pairs of costco wool socks without loosing any, so the idea of a lifetime warranty sounds promising.

memorydial2• 6 months ago

These really are amazing! I went full smartwool after getting a pair for hiking. I never looked back!

ivm• 6 months ago

Wool poncho for cold seasons is also amazing, it's like wearing a duvet.

neom4• 6 months ago

Pocket operators are really fun to play with when you need a break from work.

mr_o473• 6 months ago

Wow that looks like a cool purchase are they fun to play with like do you get to create your own beats

neom4• 6 months ago

Very fun, you can make loads of things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBOHsKv_ej8 - but mostly it's just something taxing to change the brain channel for me!

ranger_danger2• 6 months ago

What is a pocket operator? Got a link?

neom4• 6 months ago

These are pocket operators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhFIUdICYSA

They can be used on their own or together, frustrating, fiddly, fun. :)

dgently7• 6 months ago

the best. also great replacement for moments when you might pull out your phone by habit if you are trying to unplug or screen detox or whatver.

cheald• 6 months ago

Thank you so much for this. I am absolutely gonna pick up a couple of these for my kids. What a great way to offer creativity on demand!

neom4• 6 months ago

Fun teaching persistence. :) If they happened to make anything fun one day feel free to email me it! I'd love to take a listen. (email is in bio)

TulliusCicero4• 6 months ago

A travel magsafe stand for flights has been really nice. Here's the one I have, but there's lots of options: https://a.co/d/18k9eCa

I use it with both my phone and also the Steam Deck (with a magsafe sticker). Obviously I could use either device just holding them, but it's more relaxing to do it this way.

technothrasher• 6 months ago

Leatherman skeletool knife. Small, rugged, has just the right number of tools on it. I’ve had one for about ten years and it goes in my pocket every day. The one time I managed to break the pliers on it by abusing them really badly, Leatherman replaced the tool under warranty no questions asked.

trueno• 6 months ago

this is straight up the best multitool. knife pliers screwdriver covers so many life moments. always put this thing in my little pocket in my jeans lol haven't had one since it got confiscated at tsa oops. habit. miss this thing

bdcravens• 6 months ago

4 of my 6 animals, which were free. (3 cats, 1 dog) Another was less than $200.

The other one I paid full price for (Miniature Dachshund), and he's an absolute money pit and brings all the drama.

No, we don't have any kids, why do you ask? :-)

agentifysh• 6 months ago

gotta be a tire inflater (not sure what brand) that came with a flash light and works rain or snow powered by car adapter

IAmBroom5• 6 months ago

Be careful buying those, and test them on multiple tires IMMEDIATELY.

I bought a series from Slime brand; every one failed within two tire inflates. Went to Harbor Freight, and bought their most expensive one; it has earned the price since (still under $100).

floxy2• 6 months ago

Project Farm on Youtube for the best reviews of items like tire inflators:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbQ8eEBn68

giardini6• 6 months ago

Walmart $22 pump - difficult to put on the valve stem but pumps OK. Beats a bicycle pump!

sejje3• 6 months ago

Someone gifted me one about ten years ago. I've had to replace the plug end, but the compressor still runs great.

It's saved my butt many times.

Mine is viaair, and the device is dedicated (no flashlight etc)

m4632• 6 months ago

I got the dewalt one that works with their batteries.

awesome.

turn on, set the pressure value, press start and tire will inflate to that pressure and stop.

swappable batteries is important. Some large tires will drain a small battery and you can switch in a new one.

interloxia• 6 months ago

We bicycle a lot. I went with a Bosch USB c handheld compressor. Recommended although non replaceable batteries is a worry in the medium/long term. No trouble for the first two years.

74022• 6 months ago

I have one (NUSTE brand on Amazon) that has a built-in rechargeable battery. It takes up much less room than some I've had.

The ones that plug in to a lighter socket (which sometimes require the car to be running or the ignition switch in ACC position), or have to be clipped to the car battery are not as convenient.

AnimalMuppet• 6 months ago

I have one. The problem with it is that the power cord is not long enough. You can't get it to your own tires.

coffeecoders2• 6 months ago

For work: Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse, Anti fatigue mat

For home: Bidet

For personal: Kindle

mr_o473• 6 months ago

How's your experience has been with the mouse

coffeecoders2• 6 months ago

It's been fantastic. The mouse puts my hand in a natural "handshake" position, which has cut down on the wrist strain I used to get after long hours of work or browsing.

I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

steanne• 6 months ago

magnetic shelving for the side of the fridge greatly expanded upon the cabinet space usable to me as a shorter person.

rambambram2• 6 months ago

Thermal underwear. Entering the 10th year of a 30 euro Helly Hansen long underpants that keeps me warm half the year.

Raspberry Pi 4 that served as my daily driver for around three years.

A couple of dumbbells that got me started with weight training, and kept me going during covid. Together with the basic equipment that I later bought, it saved me hundreds and hundreds of euros in gym memberships.

Best purchase under 10 euros is a simple cube with blank memo notes, that I use for grocery shopping and all kinds of other to do lists.

nyantaro1• 6 months ago

Daily driving a Raspberry Pi 4 as what? If you, don't mind me asking

rambambram2• 6 months ago

As my normie machine to watch Youtube, browse the internet, etc. And as my dev machine as well, including programming and editing images/videos.

I also wrote a blogpost about it: https://www.heyhomepage.com/?module=blog&link=1&post=4

TulliusCicero4• 6 months ago

Azumaya brand kotatsu futons are now my favorite blankets for both sleeping and using around the house, and some of them at least are around $100.

They're fairly thick and very comfortable blankets, I love these way more than any other blankets we have (and we own quite a few different kinds). I'm seriously considering trying out other kotatsu blanket brands too, even the really expensive ones.

epolanski3• 6 months ago

I'm actually jealous of the people that have answers to this questions because I can't come up with any answer even if you multiplied the amount by a 1000.

mmmnnn• 6 months ago

fucking condoms

RattlesnakeJake2• 6 months ago

Are there any other kind?

matheusmoreira2• 6 months ago

Well there are USB condoms which cut the data lines...

giardini6• 6 months ago

Finger condoms (finger cots): https://www.google.com/search?channel=fs&q=finger+condoms

ksherlock• 6 months ago

This guy fucks.

RattlesnakeJake2• 6 months ago

Swiss Army knife

Lio• 6 months ago

Yep same for me. The knife you can take anywhere without alarming people.

Nicely made and always useful.

giardini6• 6 months ago

I'd nursed a foot callus for years that hurt badly when I walked barefoot. Weeks ago, sitting on the locker room bench, I hit my limit. In desperation I pulled out my pocket knife to do some field surgery. A few minutes into it I glanced up to see two guys sitting across the room staring at me open-eyed as I dug into my foot with the tip of that pointy knife (8.5" with 3.5" blade)! I just smiled and dug that sucker out.

Should have gone after that callus a year ago! Amazing how such a tiny thing can aggravate.

But you're right about a knife alarming people. Years ago in another life I opened a similar knife to cut a cable and my boss literally jumped backward and exclaimed in fear. But he came from a place where, when someone pulls out a knife someone else usually gets stabbed.

sodapopcan3• 6 months ago

Shoehorn!

Particularly a long one if you'd like to avoid bending down at all when putting on slip-ons. Of course they are primarily great for saving the backs of your shoes. The IKEA one is perfect (at least for 6'1" me).

IAmBroom5• 6 months ago

STEEL long shoehorns.

Once you break one, you'll spend the money.

sodapopcan3• 6 months ago

Yes, good callout! The one from IKEA is metal (usually not an IKEA fan but some good stuff like this and it's under $100, but of course there are tons of other options).

WithinReason• 6 months ago

wood is better, it doesn't bend

jermaustin12• 6 months ago

Every time I move, I lose mine and get annoyed for years until I buy a new one, then get further annoyed because I waited so long to splurge on a $3 stick.

josefritzishere• 6 months ago

Microsoft Modern Webcam - $50 and the image quality is great.

3M WR209 Wrist rest - $20

Logitech M310 Mouse - $20

alligatorman• 6 months ago

Bidet

Weighted blanket

Shoehorn

mellosouls2• 6 months ago

Sleep buds (flat earbuds you can lie comfortably in). Mine were dirt cheap ones built in to sleeping mask off eBay. Def helped my sleep patterns when I started using Audible on a 30 minute sleep timer with them.

Kindle. Reawakened my inner book-worm many years ago. Library in a pocket. Don't use it so much tho since Audible.

Good quality (sturdy and high lumen) compact tactical torch.

atombender4• 6 months ago

Are you talking about Bose Sleepbuds or Oslo Sleepbuds?

mellosouls2• 6 months ago

Neither, just cheap flat earphones that come in a headband or sleeping mask. I used the term "Sleep buds" as that is what most people will be familiar with as the idea, but they don't go in the ear.

Plenty of no-name ones on eBay for years before Bose took an interest. An example brand though is Musicozy if you want to search. I don't have that brand though and can't testify to them (thinness of phones will be important and will vary between brands).

Ofc mine won't be of similar audio quality to the ones you mention but they are fine for my use at night.

atombender4• 6 months ago

*Ozlo

jjcm3• 6 months ago

I feel like I get a ton of value out of a cheap VPS.

Just having a dedicated IP I can serve small and dumb things from has been fantastic, doubly so now that LLMs can do most of the driving.

https://lowendbox.com/ has a ton of providers, but I personally use vultr (no high or low praise for vultr, but they've been solid and cheap).

aitchnyu• 6 months ago

Which is reliable, costs 2$ per month for 1G RAM, has backups?

memorydial2• 6 months ago

Stanley Classic Legendary Vacuum Bottle 1.0 qt Bialetti Moka Express 6-Cup Aluminum Stovetop Espresso Maker

It's not about the time and money I saved by not having to go to a cafe, its about having a great supply of coffee available for the day.

memcg• 6 months ago

I always look for Stanley's at garage and estate sales. Bought my oldest new 40+ years ago. I have six others now that were $5 or less.

deepfriedbits• 6 months ago

Appreciate everyone adding links to their suggestions!

ultrasandwich• 6 months ago

Aeropress coffee maker. Look up the James Hoffmann recipe on YouTube and you can never drink another coffee style again

jahnu• 6 months ago

Aeropress is great. If you like a large mug of coffee have a try of the Clever Dripper. Had Aeropress at home and CD at work and eventually bought a CD for home because it’s so good.

phoobahr• 6 months ago

It's even better with a "AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap". No dripping, no inversion, and a little extra resistance improves the cup (I think).

wasabi991011• 6 months ago

Love the clever dripper So simple but so easy to repeatedly make a great cup of coffee.

LeafItAlone• 6 months ago

I’ve tried most of the coffee making tools and fads, including the above mentioned recipe. I’ve spent thousands and hours and hours of time chasing the feeling others like you describe.

It was so easy for me to go back to a cheap drip coffee maker and pre-ground coffee. I realized that I’ll never appreciate the flavors and process as much as the investment would call for.

rurp• 6 months ago

My dad is adamant that coffee beans should only be ground right before use because the resulting coffee tastes so much better. I, on the other hand, can't taste a bit of difference; there's no way I could pick out the pre-ground coffee in a blind taste test.

anotherevan2• 6 months ago

I have two Aeropresses so I can make two cups at once for the two coffee drinkers in the house.

I recently got a second shelf rack[1] so they can hang side by side instead of needing to put a plunger in the tube when one is hanging behind.

[1] https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09NL9GDTQ

sceptic123• 6 months ago

I make two cups in one Aeropress, am I doing it wrong?

Scottn13• 6 months ago

I recently upgraded the cheap plastic version to the robust glass one and feel so much better about having hot liquid simmering in it now.

ThrowawayR22• 6 months ago

James Hoffman's pourover and immersion dripper recipes are less muss and fuss, I would say, while still producing coffee that's far better than average.

While on the topic of James Hoffman and coffee, a <$100 device I'd nominate is the insulated heated mugs. I believe he tested the Ember Mug but there are competing models. For those who tend to drink their coffee while working, it's quite a decadent feeling to take a sip without ever having the unanticipated shock of your coffee having gone cold and having to trundle over to the microwave to warm it up (in my case sometimes more than once).

matheusmoreira2• 6 months ago

Sensor Watch.

trevoristall• 6 months ago

[EDJY](https://edjy.com/products/edjy-fingernail-cutter) nail trimmers have been awesome and I will probably only ever use that from now on

Lerc3• 6 months ago

Rechargable, motion sensing led strips for inside my wardrobe. Not a big thing but improved my ability to find things no-end. The only issue is they don't turn on when it is light enough to see and we slightly disagree on how light that is.

Ceramic head tweezers. ~$3 on AliExpress, indispensable for some tasks.

An import die grinder that cost about the same as a new power switch for my Dremel. More powerful, better speed control, better chuck.

The dirt cheap rechargable die grinders. Noisy, not much torque, but cheap enough that you can have a few lying around for odd-jobs. Their low power also means they lack the ability to completely destroy your work in 0.3 seconds. Whereas the one mentioned above managed to shear off a shaft spinning in air when I accidentally turned it up instead of off.

Generaly replacing anything AAA powered by rechargable USBc

lugvruzzle• 6 months ago

Second the rechargeable motion sensing led strips! Dime a dozen on Ali Express. I have them in all the hallways in my house, garden shed, at the front door so I am not fumbling with my keys in the dark. If you mount them with the supplied adhesive magnets you can take them with you as a torch, feels like you are using a minecraft torch.

tim-tday2• 6 months ago

I bought a couple and liked them so I bought 4 more.

atombender4• 6 months ago

What's the brand of LED strip? I got several battery-powered motion sensor LED bars on AliExpress for use in closets. After the first charge they lasted maybe three weeks, then they rapidly faded, and no longer last more than maybe a day, so I've taken them out. I'm curious to hear if there are high quality versions, maybe something that can run off regular AA or AAA batteries so they can be changed when they inevitably burn out.

Speaking of tweezers on AliExpress: I love my $5.99 nail clippers that collect the clippings in a small compartment so they don't fly off everywhere. Super solid stainless steel construction that's considerably nicer than the cheap classic clippers I already had; it it had "Swiss made" on it or something I would have believed them. The ones I found are in a store called OURINER, but there are lots of weird brands making the same thing.

Lerc3• 6 months ago

I just selected a bunch on AliExpress. Some were microUSB some were USBC. Some were a bit temperamental about charging. I usually take that approach with the really cheap items getting things from multiple suppliers so that at least one works. In general the worst I have received is poor quality items, nothing completely broken or fake yet*

I got two seemingly identical super bright panels and one now emits only 5% of the light. They look the same, have been run in the same conditions (and indeed the same housing now) run parallel off the same source. The other one is as bright as when I got it. Maybe one dodgy LED bringing the team down? I'm not yet skilled enough to diagnose problems like that.

*except for the time the store sent me a message to say I should cancel the order because they ran out. I couldn't find anywhere in the ever changing AliExpress user interface to cancel the item, so they sent me an allen key, I logged it as "item not as described" and they paid the refund.

mastermedo2• 6 months ago

Merino wool shirts, undergarments, hats.

Leather gloves.

Bedtime story books.

TwelveSouth Airfly pro airplane bluetooth sound adapter.

Belkin wireless car charger.

Standalone coat racks for the office.

ofalkaed• 6 months ago

Probably some wood working tool, guess if I had to pick it would be my ECE Wedge set smooth plane since it is my most used tool by a long shot and it taught me a great deal about using planes.

bb884• 6 months ago

$50 RTLSDR Kit

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD7558GT

I got this to play around with what's on the air, and now I'm a full blown extra.

jasondigitized2• 6 months ago

What's a full blown extra. I have wanted to pull the trigger on this for a while.

bb884• 6 months ago

Ham radio Amateur Extra. The license after Technician and then General.

The RTLSDR is an easy way to see if you'd like radio or not.

mikewarot• 6 months ago

Have you tried using it with GNU Radio? It's pretty cool to build a signal flow graph, then have it just work, with output to your speakers

bb884• 6 months ago

I've been meaning to come up with my own digital voice signaling system.

futureshock3• 6 months ago

I like this question because I come at it from a very different lifestyle. I’m a digital nomad and I have mostly lived out of a backpack and carry on for the past 10 years. My philosophy is that things have to be worth carrying and they should be very easily replaceable if anything gets lost, stolen or breaks. A few of my under $100 favs:

Universal GaN travel adapter: One of those square bricks that converts from any AC outlet to any AC outlet and has 3 or 4 USB charging ports built in. I got enough wattage to charge my usb-c laptop as well, so one brick takes care of all my devices.

Backup android phone: Our phones are so critical that I keep a hot swappable spare phone on me, currently a Moto G 2025. It’s already logged into all my apps and 2FA. I could throw my iPhone into the Seine and keep on trucking. It even has backup NFC credit cards. I keep a cheap travel eSim plan active on it so that if I am somewhere sketchy I can leave my main phone at home.

Logitech MX Keys Mini: Great portable keyboard. Backlit, usb c and multi-device. Typing this post out on my phone now.

GL-iNet Beryl: The do anything travel VPN router running OpenWRT out of the box. Great for securing and extending sketchy WiFi connections or if you have to work off your phone’s hotspot all day.

Decathalon Quecha Escape 500 23L: Such a great personal item size backpack for the price, less than 40 euros.

BrandoElFollito4• 6 months ago

This is a fantastic, fantastic backpack. I use it when flying and it fits perfectly in the Ryanair & co limits. I took one for each of my kids and all together we pack everything needed for a week+.

cromka2• 6 months ago

Isn't Ryanair limit more like 40l?

3abiton• 6 months ago

Great list (totally agree with backup phone). I now want to know your 100+ gadgets

rkhassen9• 6 months ago

Awesome list. Do you publish more somewhere? Great stuff and thought processes.

Backup phone, vpn router, etc.

Thank you

panos_news• 6 months ago

Universal GaN travel adapter" I actually realized that it's better just having simple adapters, which take up very little space, because the brick tends to fall of the plug.

4d4m2• 6 months ago

I'll save everyone two hrs of research: rolling square currently makes the worlds SMALLEST 65w GAN adapter, game changer for macbooks and travel or everyday carry bag

It's about an inch square in all dimensions with a folding plug - amazing.

Gazoche3• 6 months ago

The backup phone is a good idea, I do this too but unfortunately some banking apps refuse to allow more than one "authorized device" for 2FA :/

GaryNumanVevo• 6 months ago

+1 I tried the backup android phone thing and I got blocked from logging into my Chase and Fidelity apps on my phone!!! Took like 2 weeks with support and a visit to a physical bank branch to resolve the issue.

BatteryMountain• 6 months ago

Same here with the GAN charger. I got myself a 145W GAN charge with one Type-A USB port (charges mouse, bluetooth speaker, toothbrush, body trimmer etc, max 18W) and two Type-C USB ports (45W (charges N100-based Tablet), 65W (charges Ryzen 7 -based HP Laptop)) - it can charge all these things at the same time, while generating almost no heat, no electrical noise. It weighs much less than the 3+ chargers/cables needed by the original setup. I'm amazed about how efficient the GAN charger is. My only irritation with them is that when you plug something in, it re-negotiates all the connections to decide how much power to deliver to each port, so when that happens the devices see a disconnect/reconnect event which can be irritating at times (which can also happens when a device reaches 100%.. and then dipping to 95% and then reaching 100% again.. over and over). But overall best money I've spent on my tech backpack goodies. And maybe 240W/8K/20gbps USB-C cables.

IAmBroom5• 6 months ago

Dual-end pliers, like this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Performance-Tool-W1105-Side-Locki...

There used to be a beefier version that was just perfect; despite over two decades of abuse (dropping off ladders onto sidewalks, letting children play with them...) my first pair is still going strong.

Now you can only buy slimmer knock-offs, but they're still great. Needle nose, std pliers, hex pliers, and wire strippers in a single, rugged tool.

ranger_danger2• 6 months ago

Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket

xnx2• 6 months ago

Nesting silicone bowls with lids. Quiet and good for everything.

oidar• 6 months ago

I want to use silicone bowls and lids, but silicone dishes always come out sticky and cloudy out of the dishwasher (even with rinse aid, whole house filtered water and extra rinse/wash cycles). Other dishes don't have this problem. What's your secrete for this?

xnx2• 6 months ago

That sucks. I haven't had that problem. I can't find the set I purchased on Temu, but this is similar https://dreamroo.com/products/the-round-meal-trio?variant=44...

efortis• 6 months ago

A set of Wera lasertip screwdrivers.

Or, a Knipex Cobra pair of pliers.

rationalist2• 6 months ago

TIL Lasertip:

https://www.wera.de/en/tools/highlights-great-tools/lasertip...

gnatman• 6 months ago

I love my wera kraftform

0xCAP• 6 months ago

Chi-fi IEMs. People have no idea what sound quality can be achieved under 100$.

tmaly3• 6 months ago

The work sharp precision knife sharpener.

I got tired of dealing with wet stones and having to soak them and get the right angle.

This sharpener can sharpen a chef knife razor sharp in less than 5 minutes.

xeromal2• 6 months ago

Can you adjust the angle for different knives? I have one of these in my cart.

tmaly3• 6 months ago

yes, you can adjust angles between 15 and 30 degrees.

jasondigitized2• 6 months ago

Which model?

tmaly3• 6 months ago

I use the elite one that is currently $129 on Amazon

m4632• 6 months ago

- darn tough socks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XG34G8

merino wool, always good temp and dry winter or summer

- fiskars shop scissors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYOISU

cuts through stuff forever, easily, no slip etc

- 3-in-1 cables https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R3R7QDL

(various brands) these make travel easy

You can also do 4-in-1 with usb-a/usb-c

twistedanimator• 6 months ago

My latest favorite gadget is a Wuben G5 light. Very compact, very bright, and has lots of handy features like a swivel and magnet. $20 on Amazon right now.

I have 3 for myself as I like to keep them around the house. I've also bought a couple as gifts for my sons who both really liked them.

sejje3• 6 months ago

I bought one a while back and I want to like it, but it's always turning off right when I need it.

The sliding switch on the side needs more resistance. I bump it accidentally, or it slides itself.

Could be some user error involved.

There's a lot to like about it, otherwise.

blackfawn• 6 months ago

Neat looking flashlight! Can you turn it on and off without having to cycle through other modes? One thing I dislike about a lot of LED flashlights is having to go through dim, strobe, etc. modes before I can turn the light back off.

ThrowawayR22• 6 months ago

The rotary brightness/color control on those feels flimsy. Not a huge demerit for a $20 gadget but still worth mentioning.

sleekest• 6 months ago

A backpod.

I had periscapular pain when sitting/standing for years: no pain in the morning, but it would grow during the day.

My backpod mobilises some stiff thoracic ribs, allowing me to then do exercises through that normal range of motion to strengthen it.

frogperson• 6 months ago

Im having alot of fun with my new RTL-SDR dongle and Baofeng radio. I pretty quickly found SDR++ which really deepend the rabbit hole and generated about 1000 new questions.

A few weeks ago I knew nothing about radio or ham, but im learning alot and having fun. Its been a good distraction from "stuff".

devrundown• 6 months ago

Ham radio is a huge rabbit hole. It's a hobby full of other hobbies within. One of the most fun parts for me is Summits on the Air (SOTA).

You take a small portable HF transceiver up a mountain summit and attempt to make at least 4 contacts. You get points for "activating" the summit and folks at home get points for "hunting" you. You can also spot yourself online and sometimes you'll have a bunch of people from around the world trying to make contact with you.

_lvbh2• 6 months ago

A £20 USB microphone from Aliexpress. The audio quality is so much better than laptop or headphone microphone

refferal• 6 months ago

Which one? Looking for a cheap way to improve my current setup. Thanks!

_lvbh2• 6 months ago

I've never actually compared so I don't know if there's a better one for the price but the one I bought was "Zealsound RGB Recording Microphone With Articulated Arm/USB Condenser Mic with Tripod"

The sound quality doesn't feel crazy but definitely usable for anything I need. Also seems to filter out my laptop fan noise which is much appreciated

KevinMS• 6 months ago

probably one of those super bright one AAA battery keychain flashlights (~$12). Because its attached to your keys you always have it with you, and the smaller and brighter flashlights get, the more useful they become somehow. I'm not kidding, these things are blindingly bright.

daringrain327812• 6 months ago

A 10 foot USB C cable. It reaches anywhere in the room. I can charge my phone in any position in bed. I only recently 'splurged' on this $10 item and it is the best thing ever.

homeonthemtn2• 6 months ago

Seconding this. Dumbest, most obviously useful thing, yet we never think to buy one. My wife and I have our own now.

74022• 6 months ago

I like a 10 foot USB C extension cable; that way I can turn any shorter adapter cable (USB C to micro, A, lightning, magsafe) into a longer cable.

lostmsu• 6 months ago

Small Bluetooth receiver for an older car.

bentobean• 6 months ago

The “Cool Tools” catalog.

nuclearsugar• 6 months ago

I love my Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse since it completely fixed my wrist pain. Also it can memorize 3 different Bluetooth connections and toggle between them via a small button on the bottom.

https://www.logitech.com/en-us/shop/p/lift-vertical-ergonomi...

scoofy2• 6 months ago

Rohm Travel Sound Machine

maxglute3• 6 months ago

Price has gone up a lot, but briefly, multiseat program. Instead of buying a separate gaming/media system, bought one much more powerful system and split it into 2 systems. Setup kind of PIA, but worth it while needed it.

Also an electric travel bidet.

yurishimo• 6 months ago

Can you elaborate? “Multiseat program” is not returning any meaningful search results online.

maxglute3• 6 months ago

Split single computer into multiple independent workplaces, i.e. plug in 2 monitors, 2 mouse, 2 keyboards and 2 users can use same computer at once. The program I used was ASTER multiseat.

gcr• 6 months ago

Is this a gaming console? I have no idea what you mean

maxglute3• 6 months ago

It's software that lets you plug in 2-12 sets of inputs and monitors and let 2-12 users use one machine simultaneously. I spent 70% of cost of 2 mid tier system on a single system highend machine which ends up much more flexible / less idle.

Fezzik• 6 months ago

Sonicare Electric Toothbrush. My grandmother bought me my first one in the 90s. I’m on my third, and that’s only because I take them backpacking. It’s my 1 luxury item on the trail. I know much of it is genetics, but a morning and evening cleaning make my teeth feel amazing and have helped me stay cavity free.

jermaustin12• 6 months ago

Yeah, I lost the tooth genetics race. Brush twice a day, floss 3-4 times a day, still have cavities every visit to the dentist, and need a full on root canal and crown every few years.

Both of my parents have lost half of their adult teeth even though they take care of them, abstain from sugar and processed and/or acidic foods/drinks.

theanonymousone• 6 months ago

A yearly Github copilot subscription :)

RickS• 6 months ago

Small things, mostly from skimming my amazon history. Nothing crazy, but all of these make my everyday life... smoother. Things that were a little bit annoying are invisible now. It stacks up. Raw links, no affiliates or trackers.

* Hakko FX888D soldering iron. I used to hate soldering, and it always came out awful. Perfect soldering is effortless now. It's a delight.

* Oxo 5lb kitchen scale (or anything similar). Cooking in metric is just sane. Excellent for bread.

* The Speakman S-2251 showerhead, with the flow regulator pried out. Was 100 when bought, 3x that now. Reddit voted it the most powerful and high quality showerhead. If you like that kind of thing, it's still worth it at 300.

* Schlage BE365 deadbolts. Can be found on sale under 100. Keyless door entry, supports multiple codes, not smart or connected in any way, battery lasts years.

* Velcro cable ties of various lengths. Every cable in my closet is orderly, and when you're done with one, it never sprawls or tangles.

* ESP32S3 boards. Drastically lowers the activation threshold for oneoff web-connected silliness.

* These little [dimmable lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4Q4D5VP) (in amber). Warm colored, layered lighting all over the house. Huge vibe upgrade.

* [Dimmer leashes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DL7V3CM). These sit between plug and outlet, and provide a separate 6ft cable with a dimmer switch on the end. I use them on my desk to control my zoom lighting, and in bed to dim my shelf lights without getting up.

* Multi-packs of small tools. We have a dozen pairs of scissors, box cutters, etc floating around. Sharpies and mechanical pencils in ~100 packs. Place around the house. It's very nice to not have to look far for these.

* [Masking tape](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R28DGHM) and stickers in many rainbow colors. Useful for knowing EG which cable goes to the PS5 (blue) vs xbox (green).

* [Giant digital clock](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCVV8J98) w/ date, day of week, and temperature. Ended up buying more for other parts of the house because I got so used to looking for it.

* [Ratcheting adjustable belt](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VDMFZB2?) Also loops the belt tip onto the inside, not the outside. The idea of having a belt with adjustment intervals of inches instead of mms, with a tip that flops on the outside feels very silly now.

Scottn13• 6 months ago

The Speakman S-2251 showerhead, with the flow regulator pried out. Was 100 when >bought, 3x that now.

Holy molly! You aren't kidding. I literally have one laying around in my bathroom cabinet that I bought during Covid for, I wanna say, $60? I used it for about a month or two before I decided I liked my previous shower head better (Kohler Forté).

Also, I'm curious why it is so common recommendation across the internet to take out the flow regulators. Even see it mentioned in Amazon reviews. It is bypassing regulations and selfish. It defeats the purpose of everyone doing their part to cut down their water usage, especially in areas that really need it (Arizona, Nevada and California). I still have mine in at 1.75gpm and it rinses me fine. No one needs the Kramer "Commando 450" force.

mid-kid• 6 months ago

~€25, Moondrop Chu 2 headphones. Really good quality for the price, with a bit of care have lasted me for ~3 years now. When one side was going quieter, I could unscrew and clean it. The clear plastic cord is yellowing now unfortunately, will try to buy a new one.

~€80, Anbernic RG35XXSP: Handheld games console that runs (mostly) open source linux distros. Reinvigorated my retro gaming on the go when the OG consoles are too inconvenient to carry around and emulating on a phone just feels bad. Having syncthing on-device means I'll never lose my saves again, and putting new games on it is as easy as dragging and dropping on my PC.

~€5, Mini media keyboard from aliexpress (just any, really): It works like garbage, but I never realized how badly I needed a remote with access to all of the MPV shortcuts for when I hook up my laptop to the TV.

sandreas• 6 months ago

Get a Logitech K400 Plus

nicbou• 6 months ago

After a failed apartment search, I set to make my current apartment as comfortable as possible. These are my game changers:

- French press and v60. Coffee became a ritual I look forward to, not something I drink to achieve a goal.

- Speakers and amp. I got mine used. They are over 50 years old. The amp is a gorgeous object. Listening to music became a full activity. I do it with my coffee. I cannot overstate how much better it feels.

- Wiim Mini. Airplay for 70 year old speakers

- Plants. They make the whole space look better and give you a sense of the passage of time.

- Good pillows, soft sheets. The best of ikea’s sheets is already a massive upgrade. So soft!

- Motion activated leds. It’s nice to reach into the pantry and get light, or use the toilet at night without being blinded. They are magnetic and charge with USB C.

- Robot vacuum. I have a used Roborock S5 that keeps the whole flat spotless at the press of a button.

Gazoche3• 6 months ago

* A USB KVM that lets me share my keyboard/mouse/webcam between my two computers (work and personal), and switch at the press of a button.

* One of those IKEA wall-mounted grate things (SKÅDIS) that you can hang stuff to. IKEA sells hooks for it that turn out to be the perfect size to hold a PS4 controller securely, plus various boxes and mini-shelves that have helped declutter my desk.

* A cheap bluetooth-connected Xiaomi temperature/humidity sensor. You're supposed to use it with the Xiaomi app, but turns out those devices just broadcast their data as an unencrypted BLE feed, so I can just intercept it with a Raspberry Pi and redirect the data to my own Postgres+Grafana setup for recording and monitoring.

LUmBULtERA• 6 months ago

Ikea's new matter over thread temperature/humidity sensor has been pretty great for me so far. For $10, it has a nice pixel display that turns on with you press it, and it paired very fast and easily to HomeKit for me. The standard AAA battery will probably last a long time using Thread -- we'll see.

Scottn13• 6 months ago

LectroFan Classic - Portable fan sounds and noise machine (I have mine set to pink noise). Wife and I use it nightly to drown out distractions. Even pack it with us on vacation now for hotel rooms.

frm882• 6 months ago

New soles and overall cleaning + disinfecting of my Vivobarefoot winter boots. I'm so happy they came up with a repair programme for many of their models, it prolongs the EOL of my foot ware by many years https://www.revivo.com/how-we-repair. It's $ 104.53 as of this posts currency exchange but I think it still counts?

R_D_Olivaw• 6 months ago

Thanks for this, I've been needing winter boots but hate how much tread they have as I am a minimalist and my feet always end up so sore from them.

frm882• 6 months ago

You're welcome. If you are in search of new minimalist winter boots, they also offer a secondhand shop with all shoes refurbished and disinfected. I bought hiking boots there for 1/3 of the price and apart from a few scratches in the leather they are top. They would've gotten the scratches anyways, so good deal for me.

erelong• 6 months ago

Like a gallon reusable metal water bottle; requires less refilling

apothegm• 6 months ago

The book I taught myself HTML from in high school. My entry point to a lifetime of working with software.

bergie• 6 months ago

This thread is going to be very contextual. I'm currently sailing on a small sailboat, and hence the items will be quite different than what would be useful ashore:

* Wacaco Nanopresso - manual espresso pump. Great coffee anywhere off-the-grid. We also have their grinder but that's not listed as it is above the $100 threshold

* Klean Kanteen insulated water bottle - fill up from watermaker water, stays nice and cool

* Seeed T1000-e: waterproof Meshtastic radio that allows me to communicate with our boat and crew also when out of cell coverage

* Shelly 1: WiFi/Thread relay that makes it easy to automate navigation lights and other circuits

* Ruuvi Tag: waterproof battery-powered Bluetooth temperature/humidity/pressure sensor. Battery lasts arpund two years. We have a few of these around the boat, including one in the fridge

Gazoche3• 6 months ago

I should get one of those Ruuvi Tag...I use a similar cheap Xiaomi sensor currently but the battery doesn't last anywhere as long (probably because it has an LCD screen and isn't made to broadcast via BLE continuously).

kmfrk• 6 months ago

Hydro Flask cooler cup. No more rushing to finish cans before they get lukewarm.

Give these people the Nobel Prize as far as I'm concerned.

https://www.hydroflask.com/12-oz-cooler-cup

nmaleki• 6 months ago

Minecraft $26.95. Thousands of hours of gameplay. Ear Fun Free Pro 3 $50 wireless earbuds. Great sound, quick pairing, good noise cancelling, in-app equalizer, great price. Probably buy direct from them, bought from Woot! Amazon once and didn't get a very good model. Web Video Caster $5. I stream tons of content and this lets me connect to just about anything. You can use it for free with ads. Cloudflare domain ~$10/year. Cheapest domain prices and cloudflare works great for everything for me. Harmonica $5. I just keep it in my bag and use it whenever I'm outside alone, keeps me off the phone. Fidget spinner $1. The lighter the better imo. Also my mouse, battery pack, and I love those lazy cell phone holders ~$10 you can put around your neck.

gus_massa• 6 months ago

Electric Fly Swatter

_DeadFred_• 6 months ago

Garbanzo/chickpea flour. When I get hungry, I mix 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup water, some olive oil, some garlic powder, some herbs, some marinera, throw it in into the convection oven in a pie tin 8 minutes, then on the rack 5 minutes, and have a warm, protein/gut healthy fiber rich snack.

Plug in seat heater for my mom's old Jeep XJ that I restored.

Long johns for under my jeans. Wool socks (the socks I just get generic off Amazon).

consumer451• 6 months ago

A high quality, low latency, battery powered bluetooth rx/tx device. The one I bought years ago is the Boltune BT-BA001. [0] It is easily my most used inexpensive piece of electronics.

Use cases:

1. Make your stereo system bluetooth, this includes a nice new pair of powered monitors, or a vintage 70's system.

2. You have an older car, want bluetooth but appreciate high quality audio.

3. You want to make your wired headphones wireless.

4. Buy 2, and make a low latency wireless audio link.

These things are super cool, and are now only $30.

[0] https://www.ebay.com/p/18030903120

oxag3n• 6 months ago

Soft close toilet seat.

For example "Bath Royale Slow Close Toilet Seat" is between $60 and $70.

I stayed in AirBnB in 2021 with soft close seats and I don't know why, but for everyone in my family it felt like a luxury/comfort item. Knowing that there won't be bang, especially at night, especially with small kids, makes a difference. I'd never thought it would unless I stayed at that AirBnB.

4d4m2• 6 months ago

Illy espresso, less acrid than popular American espresso

daza2• 6 months ago

I've recently bought a used Apple TV (4K). Fantastic device, highly recommend this one.

tartoran3• 6 months ago

under $100?

daza2• 6 months ago

Used from kleinanzeigen (Germany). I paid around 90 euros. But it looks brand new :)

etyhhgfff• 6 months ago

A Casio Watch. I no longer have to pull out my smartphone just to get the current time. It also shows current date and weekday. It has a button to activate light so I can easily read the time when it is dark without getting flashed by my smartphone screen. I also use the countdown timer frequently for cooking or as short term reminder. The battery lasts for years. No "smart" functions like getting the news, messages from friends or email notifications. You can put it underwater, swim or shower with it and it still works.

sambapa2• 6 months ago

Sleep: - wax earplugs - buckwheat pillow - a pillow that goes between my knees (I'm a side sleeper)

Above combo has made 6 hour sleep feel like 8 hours and 8 hours feel like I can go the rest of my life without sleep in the morning

Fitness: - gymnastic rings: ultraportable and ultrascalable (from arthretic grandma level to olympic athlete level) workout. I have two pairs and I'm thinking about buying another one.

Fun: - someone already mentioned minecraft lol - wireless buds, I have Jlabs go air pop and I sometimes prefer them over my trusty Sennheisers HD 600 - Ibanez rg565 genesis desert yellow (add another 0 to 100 dollars but I bought it in installments so, technically, I paid less than 100 dollars for it per month, worth it, you can shred the absolute fuck out of it)

Health: - good sunglasses (cat 3 or even better cat 4) - omega 3 and vitamin d : important if you live in unhabitable, gray and cold regions of earth (like eastern europe)

Education: - Anki, free for pc and android, cheap for iphones

sambapa2• 6 months ago

And a basic cheap sonic toothbrush (sonicare)

dulus21• 6 months ago

Silicone Body Scrubber under 10$, Water flosser, Brita Water Filter.

Daily usage for all of them

Altra Escalante running shoes (not daily usage, sadly)

rsanek• 6 months ago

Anki: $25 on iOS, free for Android https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankimobile-flashcards/id373493...

140W Anker charger: like an Apple laptop charger, but with 4 ports instead of one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFCH3C4W

Nu-Salt: for those of us trying to avoid sodium, but still wanting to add salt to food https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MVJTL81

Mineral sunscreen stick: very portable, no mess https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CICLTAI

Waterpik: great alternative to dental floss https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV7RJ9RK

tim-tday2• 6 months ago

I bought a lithium ion jump pack on Ali express for $20. Came in a nice case, starts a car if the battery is dead. Takes up less room than jumper cables. Could be a lifesaver.

ricardolive• 6 months ago

Claude Code Pro ($200, but worth every penny), Tech Talks Weekly Plus, Pragmatic Engineer subscriptions.

Vertical ergonomic mouse (Logitech Lift in my case). My wrist pain disappeared within a few weeks after years of problems (knock on wood).

Kindle Paperwhite (used for < $100).

Drowsy silk sleep mask. It's truly a "buy it for life" item, and it's made a huge difference in my sleep quality.

andyjohnson0• 6 months ago

Soundcore Liberty 5 noise-cancelling wireless earbuds. £75, so $100ish.

Saved my sanity when the infrastructure team decided to set-up a rack mount server in my office "just for a few days, honestly" and I spent two weeks listening to the system fan spooling up every (count them) seventy five seconds. The sound quality is pretty good too.

baranmelik• 6 months ago

Portable charging station

austin-cheney• 6 months ago

I bought a 14tb HDD December 2024, before all the tariffs, for $95. It was completely worth it. It now has 5% free space.

bobthepanda• 6 months ago

Loop earbuds for $30. I keep them on my keys and I have great hearing protection available, and unlike traditional earplugs they filter rather than block noise so I can still hear conversations normally.

dubious2• 6 months ago

tweezerman scissors & Tweezer's

trcarney• 6 months ago

The Anarchist Tool Chest. Its a book about hand tool woodworking and letting go of the notion that you need to buy every tool they make just to make something out of wood. The author espouses a lifestyle I think we all could do a better job of living. Which is basically own fewer, nicer things made by local artisans and craftsman.

I heard somebody on a YouTube video (wittworks) explain why things like woodworking and stuff speak to so many in our profession, "If you work with your mind, you need to rest with your hands". This book helped me unlock a hobby that helps me relax after being at a computer all day without thinking I need a 4000 sq ft wood shop and 10's of thousands of dollars.

agcat• 6 months ago

My egg maker.

romdev• 6 months ago

A chicken?

Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

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