The internet wants you to buy a lot of tech gadgets. Most of them are unnecessary. But some small accessories are genuinely useful and cheap enough to be no-brainer purchases. Here are five I have used for at least a year.
1. A 65W USB-C charger that can charge basically anything
What: A GaN USB-C charger with at least 65W output and multiple ports. Brands like Anker, UGREEN, Baseus all make good ones for $25-40.
Why: It charges your phone, your laptop, your tablet, your headphones — all from one charger. You can travel with one charger instead of three. The "GaN" technology makes it small enough to actually carry.
What I use: Anker 735 Nano II 65W. About $50 but on sale all the time. Charges my MacBook Air at full speed plus my phone simultaneously.
2. A USB-C cable that does not feel like garbage
What: A braided USB-C cable rated for at least 100W and USB 3.1 data speeds.
Why: Most cheap USB-C cables are slow at data transfer or limit charging speed. A good one charges fast, transfers files fast, and does not fray after six months.
What I use: Anker 765 USB-C cable. About $20. Three years and counting, no fraying.
Avoid: Random gas-station cables, anything under $10, any cable that does not specify wattage and data speeds.
3. A magnetic phone mount for the car
What: A vent-mount or dashboard-mount phone holder that works with magnets. Costs $15-25.
Why: Phone mounts that grip your phone are slow to use and break the phone case. Magnetic mounts let you slap your phone on and grab it off in one motion. Way better for navigation.
What I use: A generic vent-mount magnetic holder I bought for $12 three years ago. Still works perfectly.
Note: If you have an iPhone with MagSafe, the magnets in the back of your phone work directly with most magnetic mounts. No magnet ring needed.
4. A small Bluetooth tracker (AirTag or equivalent)
What: Apple AirTag if you are on iPhone, Tile if you are on Android. About $25-30 each.
Why: Stick one in your wallet, one in your bag, one on your keys. When you lose any of them, your phone tells you where it is. The first time it saves you a frantic morning search, it has paid for itself.
What I use: Three AirTags. One in wallet, one on key ring, one in my travel bag.
Note: AirTags work way better on iPhone because they use Apple's "Find My" network, which has hundreds of millions of devices. Tiles use a smaller network and are less effective at finding things in the wild.
5. A USB-C SSD that is small enough to keep in your pocket
What: A portable SSD with USB-C connection. 1TB models are around $80-100. 500GB models are $50-60.
Why: External backup, file transfer, working on big files away from your computer. Faster than USB drives. Smaller than hard drives.
What I use: Samsung T7 Shield 1TB. About $80. Roughly the size of a credit card. Has saved me at least three times when I needed to move big files between machines.
Note: If you do not work with big files, you do not need this. But if you ever back up photos, edit videos, or move work files between computers, it is genuinely useful.
What I am NOT recommending
A few things that get hyped a lot but I have found unnecessary or worse than the alternatives:
- Wireless chargers: Slower than wired, generate heat, often do not charge through cases. Wired is just better.
- Smart plugs: Useful in specific cases but most people do not actually need to control any of their plugs from their phone.
- Bluetooth speakers under $40: They all sound bad. Save up for a $100 one or use the speaker on your phone.
- Phone stands for your desk: Maybe useful if you watch a lot of phone videos at your desk. Most people do not.
The takeaway
The good cheap gadgets are mostly the boring ones. Cables. Chargers. Trackers. They do not have apps or marketing hype. They just work for a long time.
The hyped gadgets — wireless chargers, smart everything, single-purpose Bluetooth devices — are where most people waste money. Skip those, buy the boring stuff, save your money for something you actually want.
