Super (down) size your tech: 24 small but mighty gadgets
1. JBL GO 4
At just 3.4 inches across, the JBL Go 4 is about as small as Bluetooth speakers come. Yet despite its portability, it brings supreme sound to the table, with shockingly good bass and volume for its small stature. Its various shades look the part too, and its IP67 water resistance and two-hour battery boost mean it'll keep the party going come rain or shine. £39.99, uk.jbl.com
2. PLAYDATE
Love gaming but sick of being stuck at home with a hefty console? Then try the Playdate on for size. This tiny handheld console brings back the whimsy of old-school portables with a slate of new games to enjoy. Its signature touch is the mechanical crank that folds out from the side – wind it forward or back and you can precisely control the action in a range of games. $229 (about £170), play.date
3. ECHO DOT
Amazon's Echo Dot fits a remarkable amount of tech into such a small form factor. Not only is it a phenomenal speaker for your music and podcasts, but it packs in Amazon's Alexa artificial intelligence helper, which can give you weather updates, set timers, answer questions and a lot more. The Echo Dot also pairs up nicely with Amazon's Fire TV and eero products, plus other Echo devices. £54.99, amazon.co.uk
4. OURA RING 4
Smartwatches aren’t for everyone, and if you want to better understand your health without a bulky wrist-worn device, the Oura Ring 4 can heed your call. This smart ring will measure your activity levels, sleep, heart health, cycles, stress and so much more, formulating a near-complete picture of your wellness with easy-to-understand metrics. The eight days of battery life are the icing on the cake. €349, ouraring.com
5. EMBER CUP
No one likes a cold cup of tea, but sometimes you’re just too busy to finish it before it goes off the boil. For times like that, you need the Ember Cup. This ingenious 17-ounce electronic mug heats up your drink and keeps it warm for up to 90 minutes on battery power or indefinitely when sat on its charger. But it goes beyond that with precise temperature controls to tune your brew to your liking. €99.95, ember.com
6. APPLE MAC MINI
Who says you need a suitcase-sized PC to open a perpetual dose of processing power? Apple’s M4 Mac mini shows that good things come in small packages, with its incredible chip chewing through tasks far more demanding than a PC of its size should be able to handle. The M4 Pro chip offers more power if you need it, making the Mac mini one of the best micro-PCs around. €599, apple.com
7. FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI EVO
Polaroid pictures have a certain something, but Fujifilm's Instant Mini Evo has something truly special. Not only has it brought instant photography into the modern age, but it’s done so in a tiny size that really slips into your pocket. It’s all about pairing retro with modernity – its throwback design features a digital display, which lets you choose from 20 different color and film effects to enhance your shots. €174.99, instax.co.uk
8. ENABOT EBO AIR 2
The diminutive EBO Air 2 lets you keep an eye on your home when you are off premises, without the need to set up a complex system of home cameras. Instead, this little robot moves around the house and records what it sees. That makes it ideal for checking on pets and relatives. It’s able to navigate itself, follow family members or pets, and automatically return to its charging dock when needed. €156, enabot.com
9. ROBERTS RADIO REVIVAL PETITE 2
From a distance you could be forgiven for thinking this was a regular sized radio, just further away. The tiny Revival Petite 2 fits in your palm yet offers a sizeable level of audio output, access to a plethora of DAB and FM stations (boosted thanks to the surprisingly long extending aerial), as well as Bluetooth streaming from a device of your choosing. £99.99, robertsradio.com
10. Y-BRUSH NYLONBLACK SONIC ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
The Y-Brush NylonBlack Sonic Electric Toothbrush looks a bit like a gumshield, and it’s this unusual design that allows it to effectively remove plaque in record time. Because it can brush an entire row of teeth at once – plus your gums and gum line – it’s faster than a traditional electric toothbrush and requires less action on your part. £111.99, y-brush.com
11. TWELVE SOUTH BUTTERFLY SE
One of the worst parts of travelling is the rat’s nest of charging cables you need for your tech. Twelve South’s ButterFly SE simplifies the process, as it fits three charging pucks into a compact fold-out design. It works with MagSafe-enabled iPhones, the Apple Watch and Apple’s AirPods earphones – just pair it with a 30W charger or higher. £79.99, twelvesouth.co.uk
12. GARMIN VARIA
When you’re out cycling, it’s not always easy to know when a vehicle is approaching from behind. The Garmin Varia, though, uses a radar system to help keep you safe, sending an alert to your phone or bike computer when something is approaching. Combined with a brilliantly bright rear light and an easy-mounting miniature design, it’s a pocketable safety device that could be invaluable on your next ride. £169.99, garmin.com
13. KEURIG K-MINI MATE
A pod coffee maker doesn’t have to dominate your kitchen, as the Keurig K-Mini Mate’s four-inch frame shows – it’s small enough to fit even the slimmest worktop space. You can take it out and about on vacation, as it’s suitcase-ready and fits travel mugs, too. Its small-scale reservoir accommodates a single-serving’s worth of water, brewing you a good 12oz cup of joe. $79.99 (about £59), keurig.com
14. BROMPTON T LINE CERATECH
Cycling is one of the best ways to get around a city, and if you do it on a Brompton T Line Ceratech, there’s no need to worry about where to stash a bulky bike when you’re done. As you’d expect, it folds down to a fraction of its original size, but the T Line’s ace is its phenomenally lightweight titanium frame – just 7.45kg all-in. It brings quality construction without worrying your scales. £5,499, brompton.com
15. TILE STICKER
What’s the point of having a king’s ransom of top tech gadgets if you keep losing them? The Tile Sticker can stop that happening while hiding unobtrusively out of the way. The company’s most petite tracker sticks to your gear and uses Tile’s network of users to help you find it. It works with iOS and Android, weighs just 6g, and keeps on chugging for three years at a time. £24.99, tile.com
16. SIMO SOLIS PRO 5G
No internet signal? No problem: this pocket-sized Wi-Fi and 5G hotspot brings seamless connectivity on your travels, sparing you the downtime and avoiding the risks of using unprotected public Wi-Fi. Its built-in power bank, rugged design, 48-hour battery life and support for up to 20 devices makes it more than a mere hotspot – just top it up with however much data you need. £310, soliswifi.com
17. PRIMUS MICRON III
Let’s be honest, the Primus Micron III isn’t much to look at. But will you care about that when it’s roasting up a culinary delight in the wilderness? We think not. Its wind-resistant flame can boil a litre of water in under four minutes yet can fold down into a backpack pocket for easy stowing. That lets you focus on the great outdoors, not the boulder-weight burner in your bag. £60, primusequipment.co.uk
18. SENNHEISER BTD 700
You can have the best wireless headphones in the world, but if your audio output is sub-par, you’ll be left disappointed. Sennheiser’s BTD 700 Bluetooth 5.4 dongle is an ingenious way around that issue – just plug it into your laptop and you’ll get support for the aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless streaming codecs – plus Auracast transmission – enhancing your audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. £44.99, sennheiser-hearing.com
19. DJI NEO
DJI’s smallest drone really is a motorised masterpiece. Dinky enough to land on your hand without a remote control, you get some of DJI’s best features – like subject tracking, stabilised 4K footage, and the QuickShots auto shooting mode – in a super-portable 135g frame. It works with controllers, phones, goggles and even your voice, all while boasting excellent image and video capture. £169, dji.com
20. SAMSUNG THE FREESTYLE 2ND GEN
If you’re into projectors, Samsung’s The Freestyle 2nd Gen should be top of your list. It produces an incredible picture for such a small device, casting up to 100 inches on whatever surface you want. Its 180 degrees of motion allow it to project onto the ceiling while you’re in bed, and the built-in all-around sound ensures your listening experience is as immersive as your viewing one. £499, samsung.com
21. FIIO SNOWSKY RETRO NANO
Bluetooth DACs and headphone amps are a great way to boost your audio. But they’re not much to look at. All except the Retro Nano, that is. With a cassette-inspired design and pint-sized dimensions, it shows that mini can still be mighty. It comes with retro-inspired sound presets and interface designs, Bluetooth 5.1, LDAC, and aptX Adaptive audio codecs (and more). £59.99, fiio.com
22. SWITCHBOT K10+
The Switchbot K10+ kills two birds with one stone: not only
is it a robotic vacuum that cleans your house for you, but it does so while
occupying far less space than most cleaners of its kind. Its LiDAR scanner
helps it navigate effectively, while its built-in smarts mean it'll
automatically recharge when needed and resume where it left off. To top it all
off, it’ll empty itself without you needing to lift a finger.
£999.99, uk.switch-bot.com
23. MOTOROLA RAZR 50
The original Motorola Razr rocked the world when it launched in 2004, and now the phone that defined cool is back for the modern era. Fold it down and you get a bright mini-display that can access apps and the camera. But flip it out and you’re greeted with a gorgeous edge-to-edge display, capturing the essence of the original Razr with a decidedly modern high-tech touch. £799.99, motorola.com
24. MEACOFAN SEETLE 8IN PORTABLE BATTERY AIR CIRCULATOR
The MeacoFan keeps you cool and does it in style. It brings the whisper-quiet operation the firm’s products are known for, alongside some smart features like an eco mode that adjusts fan speed based on the ambient temperature. A night mode and glow-in-the-dark remote make it a breeze to use after hours, too. £79.99, meaco.com