For me, it’s an electric toothbrush. It doesn’t matter if you go with Sonicare or Oral-B, once you start using an electric toothbrush, regular toothbrushes don’t ever feel like they clean your teeth properly. The smooth plaque-free top layer of your teeth that you can feel after using an electric toothbrush can’t be replicated with a regular toothbrush.
A dedicated portable audio player with support for high-res files (that’s NOT running Android).
You can’t just doom scroll all day, no one can call you, you won’t get any spam texts or emails on it. It’s just you and your music.
Water pick - if I keep it in stride wit OP’s post.
Robot vacuum. My floors are spotless except for some areas you’d never walk on and I only need to do some spot cleaning every month or two.
Dishwashers are awesome too, watch Technology Connections’ video on YouTube if you think your dishwasher doesn’t do a good job. It’s likely just how you’re using it. Priming the hot water before running, using powder detergent instead of liquid or packs (booo), and using the pre-wash and rinse aid will have even the gnarliest dishes coming out spotless.
Love my robot vacuum! As someone who works 12+ hours a day, it’s such a life saver. We have had our Roborock for 4 years now and it has 0 issues. Any issues I had were easy fixed by just opening the thing up and cleaning inside.
Absolutely love watching Technology Connections. Dude improved my dishwasher game by 400%
An analog watch. Nothing fancy, just a cheap Casio or Timex or whatever.
Ive had the same Timex for about 20 years now. Had to replace the strap a couple times and the battery, but the time keeping works like a charm and keeps perfect time. Mine is the leather strap with a white face and also shows day of the week and date. Not bad for a watch that cost me $20 a lifetime ago.
I do use a smart watch when im exercising though.
An analog watch is the one thing I can’t leave home without.
A small countertop water cooler/dispenser with a refillable filter bottle on top. (if you have the floor space, a stand up cooler is usually more energy efficient tho)
Something like this:
With one of these on top: https://www.zerowater.com/products/filtered-water-cooler
Clean filtered water, both boiling hot and almost ice cold, on-demand. Filling water bottles, cups, making hot chocolate, tea, instant noodles, even just starting to boil a pot using pre-heated water, taking so much less time. I love this thing.
When it comes to filters:
Zerowaters products specifically come with a Total Disolved Solids meter measuring in parts-per-million.
I was previously using a Brita filter jug which poured into a second filter from Aquapur ontop of my cooler.
My Tap water: 143ppm
Brita filter: 139ppm
Brita+Second filter: 87ppm
Replaced both with a single zerowater filter: 0ppm
After pulling close to 30 gallons through that filter its risen to ~8ppm (they want you to replace it at >6)
This is more of a tool, but I have a set of 4” knipex cobra pliers that are perfect for around the house. Just small enough to fit into about any space, super grippy, and you can easily make minute adjustments to the plier spacing. I’ve used them more than any other tool I own.
Oh, and noise-canceling headphones (ideally over-the-ear). Instant quality of life upgrade.
Just mentioned this in another thread, but the XTEInk X4 is one of the most focused and portable e-readers I’ve come across. Less than $100 and isn’t locked down so you can load custom firmware on it. For anyone like me who finds most e-readers go unused because they don’t go with you, I’ve yet to find a better option.
I was gonna say my jailbroken kindle. But that affordable mini e-reader has definitely caught my eye.
