Gadgets and tools 2025
As the year is almost over, I thought it would be fun to share what gadgets and tools I either purchased in 2025, or got the most use out of. Some of these are great gifts for "your wife's husband".
Makita DAS180
The Makita DAS180 is by far the Makita tool I use most often and has a dedicated spot in the house rather than in the tool shed. It's amazing for cleaning filters, blowing dust off electronics, blowing up air mattresses, ballons, and even getting sand out of the kids' hair after a day at the playground.
Chipolo Card
I don't lose my wallet often, but when I do, I'm glad I have the Chipolo Card. They recently released a rechargeable version, which is a nice step toward reducing e-waste compared to their older battery-only models. It works seamlessly with Apple's Find My app and is a great gift for friends and family during the holidays.
Wera Tool-Check Plus
I love Wera tools, and the Tool-Check Plus is one I recommend to a lot of people. It's perfect for those quick fixes when you just need a small screwdriver without digging through the entire toolbox. I keep one in the house and another in my car.
I also pair it with the Kraftform Kompakt 20 RA, which gives you a larger handle while using the same bits from the Tool-Check Plus set.
Homey Pro
Homey handles everything smart in my smart home. It optimizes my heating, charges my car based on hourly energy market rates, and announces doorbell rings and garbage collection reminders through my Sonos speakers. It turns up the ventilation when someone's cooking, disables outdoor sockets when we're away, turns on the towel radiator when the shower light is turned on, and more!
A lot of people swear by Home Assistant, but I really appreciate the "it just works" factor of Homey. Bonus: you can write your own apps using Node 😍
UniFi UPS 2U
I recently replaced my old Eaton UPS with the new UniFi UPS 2U, fitting nicely in my rack with my other UniFi gear. It runs quieter, consumes less power, and has proper monitoring via the UniFi UI.
My home network is set up so that both power and internet connectivity can go out. The UPS will provide backup power for about 30-45 minutes, and I have a 4G backup connection for when the main internet connection drops.
What were your favorite tools or gadgets this year? Let me know on Bluesky!