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These Weird Things Under $25 On Amazon Are So Damn Clever

Budget-friendly game-changers.

by Alexa Vazquez
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Originally Published: 
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When it comes to shopping, it’s easy to think that expensive means high quality. I’m here to counter that notion with this collection of hidden gems that can make a huge impact on your day-to-day — and none of them are above $25. It’s the little game-changers: a portable hair tie holder to keep them close or an organizer for your rogue food container lids.

These are queued up to help solve problems you never even knew you had. If you’re ready for some seriously clever, life-changing things, then keep scrolling for a list of 50 products. And with Amazon, they’ll arrive on your doorstep in a flash.

1A Portable Holder To Organize Your Hair Ties

If, like me, you can’t seem to keep track of your hair ties, then you need this portable hair tie holder that keeps them handy and organized. Able to hold up to three hair ties, this holder folds up neatly for compact storage. Clip it onto your keys or bag, or just keep it in your desk drawer at home for easy access. This set comes with three hair ties, too.

2A Magnetic Soap Holder That Frees Up Space & Keeps Things Tidy

To prevent soggy soap from making a mess on your bathtub or kitchen sink ledge, use this magnetic soap holder. A peel-and-stick panel adheres the holder to the surface of your choice, and a metal cap clips onto the soap to magnetize it to the holder. This holder also helps keep your soap dry so it can last longer.

3Some Light-Blocking Stickers To Encourage A Good Night’s Sleep

If you’re bothered by distracting LED lights emitting from your electronic devices, take care of it with this clever set of light-blocking stickers. The set includes 120 pre-cut stickers of varying sizes and shapes. These also work great to block cameras on computers, phones, and more.

4An Over-The-Door Closet Rod For 3 More Feet Of Storage

Able to hold up to 35 pounds, this over-the-door clothing rack adds up to three extra feet of storage without taking up extra space. It’s expandable and can be configured into three different sizes depending on your needs. The low-profile hooks ensure that your door still closes and doesn’t require any tools for installation.

5An Avocado Hugger To Help Keep Them Fresh For Longer

There’s nothing worse than throwing away half of an avocado because it spoiled before you could use it. Now, you don’t have to. This avocado hugger creates an airtight seal to help keep the goods fresher for longer, with or without the pit. Made from BPA-free food-grade silicone, this set includes two sizes and can be tossed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

6A Heatless Curling Set To Minimize Heat Damage

If you’ve been eager to try the heatless curl hack that’s trending on TikTok, this is your sign. This satin heatless curling set includes a rod to wrap your hair around and two matching scrunchies to secure it in place. Comfortable enough to sleep in, this set allows you to create stunning curls without requiring any damaging heat.

7A Silicone Garlic Peeler That Helps Keep Your Fingers Clean

Garlic is an essential part of so many recipes, but it seems like there’s no way to peel it without your fingers absorbing the smell. This dishwasher-safe silicone garlic peeler allows you to easily peel cloves without having to touch them. Just pop in a few cloves, press down, and roll. The cloves (and your hands) come out squeaky clean while the peels stay behind.

8A Plug-In Fly Trap That Doesn’t Use Harsh Chemicals

Put down the fly swatter and harsh chemicals and opt for this plug-in fly trap instead to catch mosquitoes, moths, and other insects. It emits a UV LED light that attracts bugs while a sticky adhesive panel traps them. When it’s full, toss out the panel and replace it with a new one. Plus, the understated design blends seamlessly into your home’s decor.

9These Towel Scrunchies That Help Your Hair Dry Faster

Whether you’re stepping out of the shower or drying off after a dip in the pool or ocean, these towel scrunchies make a great alternative to wrapping wet hair in a towel. The oversize design is made from highly absorbent microfiber, which can help cut dry time and be gentler on your hair.

10A Freezable Lunch Box That Can Keep Your Food Cold For Hours

Keep your lunch cold for hours in this unique freezable lunch box. It has built-in ice packs that don’t take up precious snack space — just pop it in the freezer and pack it up when you’re ready. The roomy design holds plenty of items and has an additional zippered pocket on the outside to store utensils as well as a convenient carrying handle.

11An Ergonomic Apple Corer To Make Quick Work Of Apple Snacks

Made from a rust-resistant, durable stainless steel with a serrated edge, this apple corer removes the center of your apple with minimal effort — just press in and pull out. It has an ergonomic handle wrapped in a nonslip material for better grip and can also be used to de-core pears and bell peppers, or can even stuff cupcakes.

12Some Multi-Blade Scissors To Make Quick Work Of Herbs & Leafy Greens

Rust-resistant and dishwasher-safe, these herb scissors allow you to cut up everything from parsley to kale with precise, chef-level results. With five razor sharp stainless steel blades, you can easily cut herbs and greens without bruising or tearing them in the process. It comes with a cover to keep blades safe and in tip-top shape.

13These Mini Rakes That Make Grabbing & Shredding Meat So Easy

These meat rakes make one of cooking’s most tedious tasks, grabbing and shredding meat, super quick, easy, and pain-free. Use the stainless steel teeth to grab your roasts from the oven, grill, or slow cooker, and then skip the tiny fork and shred your meat efficiently. These rakes are also great for steadying food while you slice it.

14An Ergonomic Hairbrush With Gentle Bristles

The shape of this hairbrush may seem a little funky, but trust me when I say the handle and grip are actually ergonomic, comfortable to hold, and easy to pull through your hair. The knob-free bristles glide through your hair, separating strands to detangle without causing breakage or pulling out strands.

15A Geode-Smashing Kit That’s Fun & Educational

If you’re looking for a fun, educational, screen-less activity for your kids (or yourself, let’s be real), then you’ll love this geodes science kit from National Geographic. The kit includes goggles, a magnifying glass, a booklet, and the option of anywhere from four to 10 volcanic geodes. When the geodes are cracked with a hammer, they open up to reveal beautiful crystals.

16A Foot Peel Mask That Leaves Your Feet Soft & Smooth

Whether you’re trying to soothe cracked heels, combat dry skin, or remove callouses, this foot peel mask is here to help revive and rejuvenate your feet. Thanks to a formula containing fruit extracts and acid, all you have to do is wear these booties for 60 minutes — within two weeks your feet will peel to reveal the super soft and smooth skin beneath.

17This Wash-Off Face Mask With 95% Snail Mucin

This jelly-like face mask is formulated with 95% snail mucin concentrate, a unique ingredient said to help hydrate and exfoliate the skin while also helping treat blemishes. Packed with botanicals like strawberry and licorice extract — along with hyaluronic acid — this refreshing mask is designed to encourage bright and radiant skin.

18This Derma Roller That Exfoliates Your Skin With Microneedles

You can now get a microneedling treatment in the comfort of your own home (and for a fraction of the cost) thanks to this affordable skin-care derma roller. Boasting 540 tiny needles, this roller is designed to exfoliate old skin cells to help your serums and moisturizers better penetrate the skin, which is said to promote smoothing and brightness.

19This Popular Water Bottle With A Built-In Infuser For Fruits & Herbs

Over 1,000 people have bought this water bottle in the last month. What makes it stand out from the pack? It’s not just the large, 32-ounce capacity with a non-slip grip, it’s the ingenious infuser basket inside that lets you add in fruits, herbs, or cucumbers into your water for delicious flavoring.

20These Highly Rated Gold Eye Masks To Combat Tired Eyes

With over 21,000 five-star reviews, these best-selling gold eye masks help to de-puff eyes and brighten the undereye area after just 20 minutes. The nourishing formula is infused with vitamin C, vitamin E, and grape seed extract to help refresh and rejuvenate skin. You can also pop a pair into the fridge to create a more intense cooling sensation.

21These Handy Labels To Easily Identify Cords

Power strips are essential for plugging in multiple electronics, but it can be hard to determine which cord belongs to which device. To make sure that you’re always unplugging the correct one, use these color-coded cable labels you can write on. They also work great to easily identify cords in storage.

22A Lid Organizer To Tidy Up Your Cabinets

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by your messy Tupperware cabinet. This lid organizer makes finding a top for your container a breeze. It has four slots that can be customized and a pull handle so you can easily take it out to search for what you need. It’s no wonder it’s an Amazon best-seller with over 18,000 five-star ratings.

23A Compact Sharpener To Help Restore Dull Knives

Chopping up ingredients with dull knives isn’t just annoying, it can also be dangerous because you need to exert more force to cut things. That’s where this knife sharpener comes in. The tungsten blade works to sharpen knives in three to four strokes and there’s a suction cup base for added stability. This is also super compact, making it easy to store.

24This Easy-To-Use Garlic Crusher That Looks Like A Spooky Vampire

A vampire that loves garlic instead of fearing it? It sounds like nonsense, but this garlic crusher is shaped like a spooky little friend, making the otherwise annoying task of mincing and crushing garlic fun. Just add in your cloves, twist his little head back and forth, and you’ll have recipe-ready garlic in a jiffy.

25This Coffee-Infused Body Scrub That’s So Moisturizing

This body scrub is made with two kinds of coffee, Kona and Arabica, so not only does it smell totally delicious, but the caffeine in those beans can help to increase blood flow and help with certain skin conditions. This exfoliator also has classic moisturizing ingredients like sweet almond oil and shea butter, so it really can do it all.

26A Lightweight Camping Pillow That Compresses Into A Compact Bag

Whether you don’t like using hotel pillows when you travel or you are a frequent camper, it’s really easy to pack this pillow, because it weighs just 9 ounces and can be compressed into a small bag for super easy packing. Despite its lightweight build, this pillow is super plush when unrolled — 4 inches — so it’s nice and supportive.

27This Color-Changing Kit To Transform Gin

Impress dinner party guests with this infusion kit that magically turns your favorite bottle of gin into a colorful masterpiece. The kit uses natural ingredients — blue pea flowers to be exact — that when soaked in your gin, turn it into a deep purplish-blue hue. When the gin is mixed with tonic water, it transforms into a stunning pink concoction.

28These Reusable Sponge-Cloth Hybrids That Last For Months

Not only are these reusable Swedish dish cloths more sustainable, they’ll also save you from spending tons on paper towels. Just one of these cloths can last you between 3 to 12 months (that’s 17 rolls of paper towels!). Suitable to use on any surface, you can pop these into your washing machine or the top rack of your dishwasher to clean them.

29This Callus Remover Designed To Deliver Professional-Grade Results

This callus remover uses fast-acting ingredients, including tea tree oil, to exfoliate, help get rid of calluses, and soften dry, cracked feet. After soaking your feet in warm water for 10 minutes, rub this gel over your feet then buff away dead skin using the tool of your choice (like a pumice stone). The brand says you’ll be left with soft, callus-free feet.

30Some Shatter-Proof Wine Glasses For Outdoor Dinners

These stainless steel wine glasses are perfect for picnics and barbecues alike since they’re both shatter- and rust-proof and have leak-resistant lids. They’re double-insulated to help keep your drinks at the perfect temperature, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. Available in 10 colors, these stemmed glasses are the chicest tumblers out there.

31This Hairline Powder That Creates The Appearance Of Fuller Hair

This hairline powder can be used to touch up roots between color sessions or create a fuller appearance to any hairstyle. The compact container has a puff applicator and built-in mirror so it’s ideal to take on the go. Water- and sweat-resistant, this powder can last up to 48 hours and is easily rinsed out with shampoo. With 14 shades to choose from, you’re sure to find your color match.

32This Best-Selling Magnetic Wristband That Is Super Useful

Whether you’re working on your car, hanging up pictures, or just tinkering around the house, this magnetic wristband will come in handy. It features 10 strong magnets, so nails, screws, and drill bits can be right by you — no need to bend over and dig through your toolbox.

33A Trash Can That’s Made Specifically For Your Car

If you tend to keep fast food wrappers in your car for a little too long (no judgement), then this trash can will make your vehicle clean again. it features reinforced padded walls to keep the garbage contained and a magnetic lid that’s easy to lift but also keeps your car smell-free. This can cleverly has mesh pockets on the side, too, for added storage.

34This Rechargeable Mini-Dehumidifier To Help Banish Mustiness

Hang this mini dehumidifier anywhere, including your closet, car, or bathroom — the silica gels will get to work absorbing excess moisture from the air and fighting odors. When it’s time to recharge, the beads will turn from orange to green. One reviewer said, “[It] has completely eliminated all of our moisture, mold and mildew smells.”

35This Handy Pouch For Extra Storage In Your Car

If your keys, phone, and sunnies end up in every nook and cranny of the car, it’s time to pick up this seat gap organizer. Made of sturdy PU leather, it installs by simply wedging it in the gap between your seat and center console — included foam spacers let you customize the fit and create separate compartments.

36This Reusable Makeup Removing Cloth That Only Needs Water

Skip the makeup remover that dries out your skin, and just use this makeup eraser cloth instead. It only needs water to work and even helps to remove super tricky waterproof mascara. This soft cloth is dual-sided, with one side meant to clean and another that can be used for light exfoliation.

37An Adorable Head & Wristband Set To Wear For Washing Your Face

To keep your hair and sweatshirt adorably dry while you wash your face, use this headband and wristband set made from super absorbent terry cloth. The padded, croissant-style headband keeps hair out of your face while the wristbands prevent water from sliding down your forearms and onto your clothes.

38This K-Beauty Moisturizer Made With 97% Snail Mucin

Made from 97.5% snail mucin, this K-beauty repair cream is a fan-favorite with over 12,500 five-star ratings. Infused with vitamin E and green tea, this potent cream is designed to hydrate and moisturize, leaving your skin bright and glowy. This cruelty-free cream is noncomedogenic, meaning that it won’t clog your pores.

39An Electric Cleaner For Your Makeup Brushes

If cleaning (and drying) your makeup brushes is your least favorite chore, you’re in luck because this electric makeup brush cleaner makes it so much easier. Pour your favorite soap into the bowl and place your brush in one of the eight different-sized rubber collars. Attach it to the electric handle and with the click of a button, your brushes will come out clean.

40This Lip Oil That Helps Hydrate & Plump

Skip the super-pricey lip treatments and opt for this affordable K-beauty lip oil instead. Infused with apple fruit extract and refreshing mint, this formula is designed to moisturize dry lips and plump the area with a glossy finish that’s never greasy. Choose from eight shades, ranging from crystal clear to berry-hued tints.

41A Stainless Steel Cooler For Canned Drinks

This stainless steel can cooler is a major upgrade to your old fabric koozies. Compatible with nearly every 12 oz can, from soda to beer and sparkling water, this cooler has a double-walled insulation that helps keep your drinks ice cold for hours and won’t create sweaty condensation.

42This Toilet Spray That Helps Keep Your Bathroom Smelling Fresh

Put down the air freshener and pick up this Poo-Pourri toilet spray that prevents odors rather than covering them up. Before you go about your business, spritz a bit into the toilet and it will trap odors beneath the water’s surface before it gets the chance to escape from the bowl. Plus, there are several amazing scents to choose from.

43An Easy Melon Slicer To Make Perfect Cubes

Slicing any melon is a difficult, not to mention potentially dangerous, task. Luckily, this melon slicer gets the job done with minimal effort. Once you’ve cut it in half, just push the slicer through the melon and you’ll be left perfectly shaped cubes, no knives required. It also comes with a corer to create melon spheres.

44A Versatile Veggie Chopper That Does The Slicing & Dicing For You

Cutting veggies is arguably the most painstaking task when it comes to cooking, but this vegetable chopper makes it a whole lot easier and faster. Featuring 10 interchangeable blades, you can slice, dice, grate, and julienne with a single push. All of your ingredients are then neatly collected into the transparent bin.

45This Avocado Slicer That Does The Hard Work

This 3-in-1 avocado slicer allows you to more safely and easily prepare avocados. The plastic blade splits the avocado in half without the fear of cutting your hand, while a stainless steel pitter removes the pit with a single twist. The fan blade seamlessly scoops and slices your avocado into seven perfect pieces.

46A Ropeless Jump Rope That Makes Cardio More Fun

To get in your cardio, burn fat, and build muscle — all without going to the gym — you can use this weighted ropeless jump rope. Featuring comfy memory foam padded handles, this jump rope has adjustable cords with small spheres that weight about half a pound. Since it’s cordless, you won’t have to worry about it getting tangled up (or tripping).

47A Comb To Get Mats & Knots Out Of Your Pet’s Fur

To keep your furry friends looking sharp while skipping a pricey trip to the groomer’s, try this grooming comb that helps rid your pets of mats, knots, and tangles. Suitable for all fur types, the comb has an ergonomic, nonslip handle and six curved blades designed to gently brush through hair without pulling, tugging, or pinching.

48A Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack That Saves Counter Space

There are plenty of reasons why this roll-up dish drying rack has over 10,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. For starters, it saves precious counter space since it can be placed over your sink. It also doubles as a cooling rack and acts as a stable surface on which to place cutting boards. Best of all, you can roll it up and store it once you’re done.

49A Backseat Organizer To Entertain The Kids & Keep Your Car Tidy

Hang this backseat car organizer on your headrest to help keep all of your essentials (and then some) neatly tucked away instead of all over your floor. It has a slew of mesh and zippered pockets, several cup holders, and even a tablet holder to keep your little ones entertained on long car rides.

50This Over-The-Sink Colander That Can Be Used So Many Ways

This over-the-sink colander can be used for many things, including washing and drying fruit, straining pasta, thawing frozen food, and even drying dishes. It’s expandable which means that it will fit your sink no matter the size. Plus, it’s dishwasher-safe which makes for quick clean-up.

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