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Inventions such as the lightbulb and telephone are so commonplace today it’s hard to imagine what life was like without them, and there are some recent innovations that future generations may think about the same way. Look no further than TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2025,” which gives a glimpse into the future with entries such as a household robot that can do laundry and autonomous big rigs.
The list also includes plenty of more compact and affordable concepts that would make excellent gifts this holiday season. Here’s a look at eight of the most giftable inventions of 2025.
Lotus Ring
The Lotus ring is an ingenious product intended to make life easier for people with accessibility concerns. Designed by former Apple engineer Dhaval Patel, it allows users to toggle power switches on and off from up to 30 feet away. You don’t even need to stand up; all you have to do is point in the direction of the switch and press a button.
Lotus rings slide onto your pointer finger just like any typical ring, and they don’t require Wi-Fi or any complicated technical setup. The only additional step is to place specially designed magnetized covers onto any standard wall switch — the ones that control overhead lighting, power up fans, etc. Once those covers are in place, point your finger toward the switch and press the small button on the ring, which emits an infrared signal to flip the switch.
Imagine lying in bed and darkening the room without getting up or turning the lights off for movie night while sitting on the couch. If you know someone who would love that idea, order here to try out a Lotus ring for 45 days with a money-back guarantee.
Shark CryoGlow Face Mask
Skincare can require a lot of trial and error to figure out which products work best for you. But SharkNinja’s new CryoGlow LED face mask is among the most innovative skincare products worth considering, thanks to a new cooling feature that reduces puffiness.
Developed under the guidance of dermatologists, these masks use high-energy LEDs and infrared lighting to stimulate collagen production and kill bacteria. While that feature is common in other face masks, it’s the cooling plates that distinguishes this mask from others on the market. These cold metallic plates gently rest against your face to reduce redness and puffiness.
You can select from a variety of treatments such as a 6-minute red light treatment meant to firm sagging skin, an 8-minute blue light program that targets acne, or a 15-minute treatment that cools and soothes the areas under your eyes. Purchase a CryoGlow face mask here to treat your loved ones to the gift of high-tech skincare.
Crowd Compass
While our cellphones have location features that can be shared with others, it can be difficult to find people in large crowds when the cell service gets throttled. That’s precisely what happened to inventor Chris Dimoff when attending a musical festival, inspiring him to invent the first battery-powered, water-resistant, GPS device that uses radio waves to connect with your crew.
Know as the Crowd Compass, this handheld device doesn’t require any network to use, and pairs with an unlimited number of devices. Its built-in screen allows users to see exactly where others are in relation to them, and allows for direct messaging over radio networks. The device is water-resistant, battery-powered, and holds a charge for up to 24 hours.
Not only is the Crowd Compass ideal for attending major events or busy places with friends and family, but it’s also useful for first responders such as EMTs who need to maintain communication with or without cell service in emergency situations. Get the Crowd Compass here and never worry about being separated from your friends or family again.
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Camp Snap
Cellphones can be a major distraction, which is why parents often limit their children’s usage and many schools have banned the devices altogether. But in taking away a kid’s phone, you’re also hindering their ability to capture photographic memories. Enter the Camp Snap, a clever solution that looks like an old-school disposable camera.
But what makes Camp Snap so ingenious is that it’s actually a digital camera without any screen, so you can give it to your children without worrying about their screen time. It’s the first product of its kind capable of holding hundreds of photos (up to 500 images can be taken with each charge) that can be easily downloaded to any device afterward.
It’s perfect for sending with your kid to school or summer camp (hence the name), so they can capture memories while staying off their phone. You can order one here, and explore Camp Snap’s other options such as a screen-free digital video camera.
VASA Waterwheel Pet Fountain
A common problem with pet fountains is they’re hard to clean and are often full of stagnant water that becomes a breeding ground for germs. VASA Pet set out to solve this problem with a drinking fountain featuring an innovative waterwheel instead of a pump to keep water moving, which helps prevent bacteria from forming.
The rotating wheel is dishwasher safe and designed to be easy to clean. And this fountain doesn’t have any complex parts or motors, so you can break it down and reassemble it in seconds.
The company claims the machine’s wheel sanitizes the water so it’s 99.999% germ free, which makes the fountain especially suitable for senior animals, diabetic pets, or any other furry friends who may be more at risk by drinking contaminated water. Grab a VASA waterwheel fountain here as a gift for the pet lover in your life — their fur babies will undoubtedly thank you.
Manta Sound Sleep Mask
Manta Sleep has always been at the forefront of designing products to help you achieve the shuteye you deserve, but its new eyemask might be its best invention yet. Much like other high-quality sleep masks, the product is designed to fully black out light and is also side-sleeper friendly so you won’t feel any discomfort. But what makes this product extra special are the two Bluetooth speakers built into the ears, which lull the user to sleep with music, white noise, podcasts, or whatever they choose to listen to.
According to Manta co-founder and head of design Ben Schwarz, you won’t feel any discomfort when wearing the mask, as “it’s a very thin speaker component embedded in a foam sandwich.” So block out the bright lights and obscure any loud noises that may be keeping you awake at night, and purchase a Manta Sound Sleep Mask for a friend or loved one here.
Aura Aspen Digital Photo Frame
How do you pick just one memory to print out and frame at home? With so many photos in your phone’s camera roll, it seems impossible to choose. But thanks to Aura Frames’ new edition of the Aspen digital frame, you can have them all in the same resolution as seen on your cell phone and minus any glare. The unique frame features a slim design (just 1.1-inch wide), an anti-glare matte screen, and the ability to display in either portrait or landscape mode.
Aura Frames, which was founded by former Twitter chief scientist Abdur Chowdhury, unveiled its first digital picture frames back in 2012. This new model is designed to have the exact same aspect ratio as smartphone cameras, making it the perfect way to display any of your photos in their original form.
This 12-inch frame comes with a high-definition, anti-glare display and takes just a minute to set up and pair with your device. The frame cycles through any photos you choose to add and can even play up to 30 seconds of video with sound as well as live photos from any Apple iOS device.
Additional features include adding captions for context, scanning old printed photos of loved ones from pre-smartphone times, and adjusting the brightness so the photos come through as vividly as you’d like. For the photo-lovers in your life, grab an Aspen digital frame from Aura here.
Aurzen Ultra Portable Projector
Portability is a must-have in the modern world. Thanks to Aurzen, we now have a patented Z-shaped projector that folds down to half the size of a cellphone with a unique design that enables it to broadcast both horizontal and vertical video. Despite its small size, it still blasts images in 720p resolution, meaning the picture comes through in crystal-clear HD quality.
When you think of projectors, you probably think of those bulky machines used in school classrooms with a mess of tangled wires. But Aurzen’s ZIP Tri-Fold Portable Mini Projector is just an inch high when folded, making it smaller than the average wallet. There are also no wires or any complicated setup, meaning the projector is ready to use in seconds.
Set it upright to broadcast movies horizontally or turn the device onto its side to watch any vertical social media-style videos. You don’t even need Wi-Fi, allowing you to set it up even if you’re on a camping trip in the middle of the woods. Aurzen claims it to be the smallest foldable mini projector ever and the world’s first with a tri-fold design, and it can be yours by clicking here.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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