We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
My job is to find cool stuff. Throughout the week I spend hours scouring the web for things that are useful or fun or ridiculously cheap. Often times, these choices coalesce into a guide of like items—for example, Apple Watch accessories that are worth your time, nine products to give your kitchen some smarts, or items to elevate your binge watching. But I often stumble across some pretty awesome gear that doesn’t really fit into a list. So I made a list for those.
Mic check, mic check
If your Valentine loves watching you make a fool out of yourself belting cheesy ’80s tunes, consider turning your apartment into a romantic, private karaoke den. The portable VERKB mic, which connects to Bluetooth-enabled devices, has two built-in 6-watt speakers that provide 360-degree sound. It holds a 2600mAh charge—or enough for about 100 renditions of Love Shack. You can also record your performances for blackmail fond memories. $40.
Set the mood
Any karaoke bar worth your time has disco lights, and your living room can have them, too. This lamp has three lighting modes, which means you can make the lights sync with the music. They can also strobe and slowly change colors. $12.
Candles, obviously
If you want to set the mood, but don’t want your entire apartment smelling like fire or flowers, these heart-shaped, smokeless candles are a decent way to go. Plus you get 50 of them for $15. They burn for about an hour and a half and can float in water. Even if all you do for Valentine’s Day is light all of these, it’ll likely be the most romantic thing you’ve ever done. Just don’t set your home on fire. Please.
Bottoms up
These shot glasses aren’t Valentine’s Day or karaoke-themed, but they are super freakin’ cute. The set of Mason Shooters has eight, two-ounce glasses with accompanying silver lids. To make the drinks more Instagrammable, you make the shots all the colors of the rainbow. $13.
Tips for lyrics
To get karaoke-bar-style TV lyrics, pull up the karaoke version of your song on Youtube. With something like Apple TV, pulling your phone display onto the big screen is pretty straight-forward. Most other smart TVs and products, including Roku, have Youtube apps.
Interested in talking about deals and gadgets? Request to join our exclusive Facebook group. With all our product stories, the goal is simple: more information about the stuff you’re thinking about buying. We may sometimes get a cut from a purchase, but if something shows up on one of our pages, it’s because we like it. Period.