Our Favorite Gadgets and Gear Under $200

While the legendary blue FRAKTA shopping sack will always be our favorite carry-all, this 16-liter bag from in-house IKEA designer Jonas Hultqvist puts many a high-performance fashion tote to shame. Inside, it’s sensibly compartmentalized, including a padded slot for laptops and a removable key-clip, while outside are two yellow-lined open-front pockets and a larger one with a zipper. Carry as a tote, a messenger, or a backpack.

Call it a neck, a snood, a buff, or a gaiter— there aren’t many better, or cheaper ways to keep the chill off. This waffle-knit design benefits from the warmth-without-weight brilliance of UNIQLO’s Heattech fabrics, and can also be worn as a beanie or a headband.

At peak times last season a single day’s lift pass at Deer Valley, Utah, cost $249. Skiing isn’t a pursuit for the frugal, but you can shop cleverly and still look the part on-piste. Wildhorn’s Pipeline goggles combine premium looks, a comfy fit, a wide field of vision, and superb optics. You can even swap out the lenses for just $35 a pop.

Being IP67 rated, the latest UE Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker can survive being immersed in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. By our reckoning, especially given the quality of the audio, the durability of the casing, and the fact it floats make this the best bathroom speaker currently available. In fairness, it’s also one of the finest go-anywhere Bluetooth speakers, with 22-hour battery life, great looks, cool color options, and powerful hotel room-filling sound.

This palm-sized Scandi-style sweater saver will revitalize bobbly knitwear and home textiles. Six blades spin at 9,000 rpm (mercifully shielded from curious fingertips), which provides a much larger shaving area than similar alternatives. A worthwhile investment for anyone looking to extend the life of their clothes, and a game changer if you’ve got a sofa that’s suffering from pilling.

Channel your inner Keith Richards with this bargain all-in-one electric guitar bundle with an amp, guitar stand, cable, gig bag, digital tuner, and a pile of picks. The EastCoast T1 is a fantastically well-regarded entry-level axe that punches well above its weight with its solid Poplar body that offers plenty of tone without being too heavy. The maple neck, topped with a 12-inch radius Maple fingerboard, feels incredibly comfortable, too. The Fender-style 15W Eastcoast amplifier is ideal for practicing, and with multiple volume controls, gain, and reverb, it’s easy to play it clean or get it growling.

Yes, mega-franchise LEGO sets are cool, but they’re rarely rebuilt. Try the endless play (and value) of a huge box of bits—this space-themed set has plans for simple mini-builds, but with 1,700 pieces, there’s lots of leftovers for freestyling fun, and you can supplement with other Classic boxes featuring transparent bricks, wheels, lights, and more. Just don't blame us if you get the urge to smash up your 7,541-piece Millennium Falcon.

Keeping your brogues polished is easy, but when it comes to sneakers, the use of mixed materials, textures, and layers makes maintenance a little more laborious. This dedicated sneaker cleaner from Philips can keep your high tops box fresh for that bit longer. With a little soap and water, the three oscillating brushes (soft for mesh and canvas; spongy for PVC, leather, and suede; firm for soles) will make quick work of the most caked-on kicks.

Tile and Chipolo get honorable mentions here, but AirTags just make life easier for forgetful iOS users. These bottle-cap-sized trackers connect instantly to your iPhone. Once you’ve attached one to your item, it makes it very difficult to lose. Ask Siri “Find my keys,” and the AirTag alarm will sound, but cleverly, if you’ve left something on the bus, it taps into the 1.65 billion Apple devices in the world to help you pinpoint its location.

Roland’s beloved ’80s-era instruments are getting a second life as affordable and extra-portable reissues. The AIRA Compact line includes a 303-style drum machine, a JUNO-style sequencer, and a Kraftwerk-tastic vocal processor. They’re all Midi-capable, with two 3.5-mm ports for daisy-chaining, and even have mix-in/mix-out ports, too.

This DIY jewelry kit lets you design your own solid silver ring.  In the box you have a selection of wax starting shapes plus carving knives, shaping tools, and ultra-fine file. Once you’ve carved the ring to your chosen design, you send it back to Cast using an included envelope (free UK shipping, while US shipping will cost around$26), and they create a mold and cast your ring in silver (gold and platinum for a premium). Necklaces, earrings, and rings with precious stones are also available; there’s even a kit for making a pair of wedding rings.

This weeny 7-cm-wide fisheye film camera takes round images using tiny 110-mm film cartridges. It’s cheap, leaky, creaky, and utterly analog—but you won’t have as much fun with a pricey digital, and every shot is a surprise. It doesn’t require a battery, just like the old days, but to add some lighting razzle-dazzle, you can connect it to a separate flash unit via a standard PC sync cable.