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My job is to find cool stuff. Throughout the week I spend hours scouring the web for things that are useful, fun, or ridiculously cheap. Often times, these choices coalesce into a guide of like items—for example, 22 things that make traveling way less stressful or the best headphones for an open-plan office. But I often stumble across some pretty awesome gear that doesn’t really fit into a list. So I made a list for those.
Domed sapphire lens magnifier
CountyComm’s thick, sapphire-lens magnifier is a nifty tool for people that need help with smaller text. The domed, scratch-resistant 1.25 inch by 0.13 inch piece of sapphire weighs just 0.4 ounces, making it the perfect piece of EDC gear to keep tucked away in your wallet, pocket, or bag. It’s nearly unbreakable and if you use the code Gear4Life at checkout, you can get 10 percent off. $23.
Kombucha starter kit
Kombucha can get expensive, but it’s good for your gut. If you’re a fan of fermented tea, you know this and feel a slight pain every time you buy a bottle at the store. Buy your own Kombucha kit for the house and save big in the long run. The process is easier than it sounds. The Craft A Brew Kombucha starter kit comes with a glass gallon jug, black tea, a SCOBY—Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast—culture, and organic cane sugar to feed the fermentation. The easy to follow instructions include helpful hints that result in refreshing Kombucha. Best part? You can reuse that SCOBY over and over again. All you’ll have to do is buy more sugar and tea. It’s the symbiotic culture that keeps giving and giving. $40. –
36-inch sound bar
I’ve been all about sound bars for the past couple of months. This Vizio 36-inch 2.1 channel sound bar is a great speaker at an affordable price—just $99. Instead of including a bulky subwoofer, the sound bar has built-in dual subwoofers. It also features DTS Virtual:X which recreates surround-sound without needing to place speakers all around you. This speaker won’t take up too much space around your entertainment area but still provides clear, full sound perfect for films or streaming music. The Vizio bar is Bluetooth-enabled, so you’ll be able to stream from any smartphone.
Hall of Fame Night Light kit
If your child is going to be afraid of the dark, you might as well make them work for their illuminated salvation. The littleBits Hall of Fame Night Light kit is a two in one set that lets your child build a personalized, sound-activated night light or a wrist “Mega Blaster” once they outgrow their fears. The littleBits bargraph bit has five colorful LEDs that can be used with other littleBits kits. $40.
Customized racket
All tennis players have unique strengths, so their rackets should enhance those specific abilities. Choose a racket that suits your playing style whether you’re a power hitter or like to go for more control. First, choose which model you’d like—they have various weights, lengths, and racket head sizes—then you get to customize the details on the racket. In terms of the appearance, you can pick the color of the frame and bumpers, size of the grip, and even put a personal engraving. If you order it by 11/16, there is a guaranteed delivery date of the day before Christmas. $249 and up at Wilson.
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