Someone asked this [0] at the end of last year and I found it really useful for gift ideas. Figured it was worth another go!
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34272687
Hands down my choice is the Pinecil soldering iron: https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-solde...
It's less than $50, it runs FOSS (IronOS) so you own it, and it can be powered by USB or by via a barrel jack so it's ding dang handy.
The Wera Toolcheck Plus has been a great addition to my toolbox
Generally now grab it first, when a job comes up!
https://products.wera.de/en/ratchets_and_accessories_zyklop_...
A shavette/straight razor blade: even after deciding on going 100% bald I still love cutting my own stuff, so I decided to go down the rabbit hole of self beard cutting. Never had more fun, outlining my beard has become one of my favourite pastimes ever. And I can have my beard on point whenever I need to, at no cost. Paid ~20€ for the blade holder, and ~8€ for 400 blades. (Bonus addition: hair clipper. Just make sure you buy one that has a lever and enough RPM)
Audiophile IEMs: there's a lot of stuff under the 200€ mark that can make your ears feel previously undiscovered levels of joy. And if you're listening to music a lot of time, this is a damn good investment. Truthear and Moondrop have a lot of interesting affordable options.
Acoustic panels: if you play music on speakers a lot, getting your room to sound drier can really make you discover new levels of detail. Just don't buy the cheapest polyuretane ones, as they only cause random dips in mid freqs.
Smart watch/band: Nothing too fancy, just anything that can notify me of stuff so I can keep my phone away and avoid picking it up to read a simple text message.
A sous vide machine. It's just a fancy stick that circulates water at a precise temperature, but it makes the most delicious and tender chicken and fish that you'll ever make at home. You can start it in the morning and leave it going while you're out. Then dump the contents into a frying pan for a minute or two to sear the outside, and lunch/dinner is ready.
You do need a vacuum sealer, but the total investment is less than $150, which you can easily recoup when you find that you don't crave restaurant or takeout food as much as you used to.
Noise canceling wireless earbuds. I’ve had both a Jabra and a Beats… very happy with both. Nice for blocking out noise. No messy cables, can use with any device…
I was skeptical, I liked my corded headphones fine. Just turns out these sound better and are way more useful for me.
A Steelcase Leap V2, $150 (and 90 minute round trip pickup) using Facebook Marketplace. I probably got a little bit lucky, but it is definitely worth checking for things like this.
Also, a shout out to my friend who let me try his for 30 minutes since I couldn’t in a store.
A KVM switch with HDMI and USB, makes switching from personal and work computer so much easier
https://shokz.com/products/opencomm2
I am on conf calls and video chats for several hours per day. These are a product I would pay for until I die.
Fountain Pen: https://cultpens.com/products/twsbi-eco-fountain-pen-white
Makes writing a lot more enjoyable for me
Gyroscopic Screwdriver
My brother in law in a general contractor and raved about his new gyroscopic screwdriver a couple years ago. I bought one last month and it's easily the best thing I've bought this year. Under $100 and it's truly a must have. I have the dewalt one, not sure if any other brands make em.
https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCF682N1-Gyroscopic-Inline-Scr...
This is more of request for recommendation for sleep headphones.
I bought a dozen of above headphones for sleep, cheap low profile that is very comfortable to sleep in. Lays flat, no hot pressure points. Only issue is they're wired, and josling in bed means every few months I kill one from wrecking their cabling/connector. They had a cheaper discontinued bluetooth version of the buds I was using prior, but battery levels dropped to less than 8 hours and the battery warning (alarm) plays at 200% volume. I see Mee has a few higher end buds with bluetooth adapter for $80+, but they're still wired behind neck format with proprietary connector that would be cost prohibitive replace to frequently, especially if UI sounds still offensively loud.
Wondering if anyone knows a cheap chifi buds with same form factor that can be paired cheap bluetooth adapter that has quiet UI sounds. I've done a few rounds of searching and have came up empty.
A 96-sheet notebook + a Pentel needle-point pen. I've been feeling some strong headaches lately and the doctor's requested me to stay away from screens as much as possible. I've been using the notebook and this cheap yet nice pen to write down ideas and whatever. It's been a month now and the changes in terms of creativity and mental clarity are quite noticeable.
Muji porcelain toothbrush holder (ingenious design with natural drainage, no gunk accumulation): https://www.muji.us/products/porcelain-toothbrush-stand-d6a5
Toothpaste squeezer (I realize the juice is often not worth the squeeze, but it's fun to squeeze out the last few bits of toothpaste): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SHL6P8V
Egg poacher (no loss of egg content, unlike other poaching methods): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G821F4Q
iPad stand for the kitchen (for following recipes -- works better than scrolling recipe pages on my phone): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091KWQD8B
Aster (https://www.ibik.ru/)
Surprisingly functional multiseat for windows. Lifetime license 50-100 for 2 seats depending on region. Partner's computer went kaput, and used this + steamlink to turn monitor into another computer. I see people online using this to play two seperate games on different "seats". Was planning to get seperate media centre PC, but this worked so well I ended up using money to upgrade PC components. Yeah, it's Russian software, but there's reddit posts dating back a few years. I can see how software/hardware vendors don't like multiseat since less sales, but I see a lot of sense in pooling budget for one extra powerful system instead of buying multiple compute devices. I wish Windows had native functionality.
Edit: Upon search, I am surprised Aster has been mentioned only one other time, 6 years ago in all of HN. Only 4 pages worth of multiseat comment dating back 13 years.
I'll add my own: prescription sunglasses. Game changer.
I got a couple of pocket operators, about $175 in total. Opened up a whole world of electronic music for me. Serious gateway drug. I'm composing again after decades of dry spell.
Wyze Smart Deadbolt. $79, secure, and convenient. You never have to worry about losing a key again. I live in a cold area and it works reliably. The auto lock is so nice so you don’t worry about if you locked the door. Also great to allow guests or contractors in if you can’t go home to let them in. Makes my life so amazing.
This box cutter tool, which is <$12 https://a.co/d/aOxoVOp. It makes opening packages so much easier. It doesn’t have a blade, so it’s much safer to use than scissors or a knife.
In Switzerland, the public post company provides a service[0] which scans your incoming letters (i.e. their content, not just the envelope) and makes it available via the web and an app. I started using this service last December and am very happy. Kinda looks like I am forcing digitalisation upon organisations who don't want to make progress on it :D
It costs 9.99 CHF per month, hence within the limit of the post, and very much worth it.
Portable 16" monitor with 4k resolution and USB C passthrough. Very handy when travelling. It makes me much more productive when working from a hotel room or anywhere else, and it's just about the size of a 16" laptop, but thinner.
Worx ZipSnip 'Electric Scissors' (read: cardboard gun) $45, makes cutting down cardboard, even thick stuff, a breeze:
https://www.worx.com/4v-zipsnip-electric-scissors-wx082l.htm...
Govee smart electric (ceramic) space heater:
https://us.govee.com/collections/space-heaters/products/gove...
I got into Audiobooks this year. I first listened on headphones or just phone loudspeaker (thought it's OK for voice).
Then I bought JBL Go 3 and it's a different experience. The speaker is compact, lightweight and has a nice design. Sound quality / loudness is fully sufficient for voice and does a great job for its size for music as well. It's waterproof, now I listen even while showering. The only downside is lack of battery level indicator.
BTW, Audible subscription is a surprisingly good deal. You can have basically any book for $10 (even those which cost $30 on Kindle).
A subscription to Waking Up: wakingup.com
A Nutr machine so I can make quality nutmilks at home instead of buying store bought stuff loaded with nasty preservatives and very few nuts per serving.
Philips Sonicare 7300 electric toothbrush - this thing is awesome, every time I brush my teeth they feel super clean and smooth like porcelain. $149 one of the best purchases I ever made. https://a.co/d/2fFJgow
Another product that improved my life is AirPods, if you’re into the Apple ecosystem they’re worth every penny.
Canon selfy CP1500 (photo printer). For the colors, the lamination and the software. It's significantly better than competitors' (I use it to match colors when oil painting and Im picky like an engineer). My guess is that competitors have the same HW tech ("4pass thermic sublimation") but not the software and/or color sensors thing.
Spending tracker - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spending-tracker/id548615579. Really simple, offline & with a one-time purchase option.
Manual coffee grinder + French press
$23 Bluetooth earbuds (late to the party)
My Thinkpad Yoga 11e running Manjaro, got this refurbished for $160.
A set of nice flashlights. Why walk around in the dark? Some that I like: Sofirn SP36 BLF, LT1, SC21, HS10. Wurkkos TS10 (and I’ll be getting a TS11 soon.)
Sofrin HS10 headlamp $20. https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-hs10-mini-headla...
All those times you're trying to use a flashlight around the house you probably would be better off using a headlamp. You can also use this as a flashlight too if you're weird like that.
Bifocals from Zenni. $39, stylish, get to brand them myself, and the lenses are better than my local boutique optician ever did at 40 times the price
3M Peltor Premium Plus Earmuffs X3A
https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/v101190004/
They're light, stylish and work amazing. The world quiets down and it's (way, way) easier to go into the flow.
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker
I was blown away by the sound quality produced by this relatively small speaker. It has very rich bass and other frequencies sound very good too. I often carry it around my apartment and use for things like music, audiobooks, calls (unfortunately the built-in mic isn't that good), etc.
MaxiNutrition Hydration Tabs. Much easier to drop into a glass of water than powder-form electrolytes (no messing around with a spoon etc). Also something to keep in your pocket/bag on a longer bar night. I can't guarantee the nutritional value being a nonexpert but at least the convenience is great.
Weighted blanket
This bike multitool. When not biking, it kinda doubles as a fidget toy for me.
https://tacticagear.com/products/m-110-bike-multitool?varian...
I bought this wooden utility cart for about $200 Canadian:
http://winsomewood.com/products/89933
it has helped me immensely in the kitchen in the last few months
iPad pdf reader & annotator designed for sheet music. As a “tech” husband helping out a non technical musician wife it’s a game changer
A natural daylight alarm clock made my mornings a lot more tolerable (I'm up at 5am)
I won't recommend a brand though, while the Philips SmartSleep has nice color and smooth gradients, its so basic it doesn't even have a backup battery
I rather like my 'Mi Precision Screwdriver Kit', magnetic screwdriver set
New running shoes
Flow Club. Hands down the best thing I've ever done in my life.
A trip to a repair shop to fix the rash scratches on my car’s wheel rim with polishing, claying and a repaint, costing $55. All other offers of the service were in the $100~$200 range.
A chair cover. I have a faux leather chair and it would flake, leaving particulates everywhere.
Obligatory noise cancelling headphones. Get a good pair.
Apple OEM chargers. They work so well for fast charging.
An RPi 4, 8GB. I run heimdall, calibre-web, nginx, and PiVPN/wireguard on it.
a 3-in-1 wireless charging pad for $30 from amazon to put on my bedside table.
now I wake up with my phone at 100% every time!
UnRAID Pro license.
for me, ponying up for a calendaring solution - vimcal.com
Personal Capital... It's free but belongs on this list: https://www.personalcapital.com/
CO2 Monitor to let me know when I need to let some new air into my office. Mine is a TFA Dostmann 31.5009, but any model with an NDIR sensor should be fine, there are many choices around 70-150 EUR.