Ok, so I know that it’s a million degrees out (seriously, I was just out there and it’s hot as shit) and you guys probably don’t want to hear about winter items. Um, but I’m gonna talk about one anyways. Deal with it.
I’ve seen products like the Headphone Beanie (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $16.95) before, offering a musical experience and a roasty toasty noggin. That being said, this one trumps them all. Let’s just begin with the obvious – is the hat comfortable? My average-sized head says yes. As its one size fits all, you might find it slightly less agreeable if you have a Sputnik-size head. The fabric is super soft and it only comes in black, which works well for either trying to look emo or robbing a bank. Another essential facet of this hat is that the headphones do in fact come out for washing. Please, do us all a favor and wash this hat if you’re gonna wear it 24/7 – no one wants to smell old head sweat. The headphone cord runs down the back of the hat so it’s not gonna get in your way and is compatible with any device that uses a 3.5mm audio output. The icing on the cake? Not only is this the best version of this product that I’ve seen/worn, but it’s also the cheapest. Can’t beat that.
Note: if you normally wear earbuds, this is gonna take some getting used to. For starters, you’re gonna have to crank up the volume because unlike those potentially eardrum damaging earbuds, these headphones are placed on the outside of your ears. You know, where they won’t ruin your hearing.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Black beanie with built in headphones
-Works with any 3.5mm audio device
-1.2m wire easily reaches all pocket gadgets
-Removable speaker for washing
-One size fits all
-Comfortable and warm
-Made of 100% cotton
I’m a terrible packer. Either I try to get by with just a few things and end up forgetting all the essentials (try getting dressed without your pants) or I go in the complete opposite direction and basically scoop up everything in my closet before throwing it in a suitcase. That being said, I try to keep my carry-on items to a minimum, but anyone who travels knows that this is no easy task. After you pack a book, magazine, snack, iPod, headphones, crossword puzzle, Sudoku, Mad Libs, and DS, there’s really not that much room left (and yes, I do need all that to travel). And guess what? I haven’t even tried to pack my computer and everything else I need for work, which close to impossible after all that.
In the interest of being both space-saving and functional, the Portable Laptop Cooling Pad (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $23.95) is fantastic. When retracted, it has one fan showing and it looks like half of a cooling pad. But once you extend the pad by pulling out the other end, two more fans appear and you’ve got a big boy cooling pad. This creative design allows you all the cooling power of a regular pad without the added weight and bulky exterior. Like most cooling pads, this one is USB powered and features a small on/off switch on the side. All you have to do is pull the cooling pad open when in use and push to close when you wish it transport it. It’s as easy as that!
This thing is gonna be a godsend when it comes to airports. Just think about the last time you had to go through security and didn’t separate your laptop into its own container because it was wedged into your computer bag next to your oversized cooling pad. That wasn’t fun, now was it? Unless you like being taken into your own special room for some one on one questioning…
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12″ x 6″ x 8″ (retracted)
12″ x 9.5″ x 8″ (extended)
-3 built in fans
-Lightweight and portable
-USB powered
-On/off switch
-Cooling pad surface made of aluminum
I love that it’s starting to get a little warmer, but it’s not for the reason you might think. Sure, it means lazy days hanging by the pool and weekend trips to the beach, and while that’s all very enjoyable, it’s not why I love summer. I don’t want to get all Danny Zuko on you, but if I’m gonna be honest, it’s those summer nights. That’s right, my favorite part of the summer heat is when it’s not hot. Really, it’s more about fact that the whole day could be blistering hot, but at night you need to throw on a hoodie because of the cool summer breeze. What can I say, it’s my fave.
It’s times like those when you need something like the Packin Heat Mini Heating Pad (Plasticland, $7.00) to keep you warm. Operating like your average portable heating packets, these gun-shaped pads look totally badass. I mean, if you’re gonna get called a wuss for being cold in the summer, you might as well try to look cool while doing it, right? This set of two gel-filled hot packs warm up instantly and last for an average of 20 minutes or more. Even more awesome, they’re reusable so you can sport that tough guy look on any cold day of the week.
Summer lovin’ had me a blast
Summer lovin’ happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be
Summer days driftin’ away
to uh-oh those summer nights
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5″ x 3.5″
-Set of 2 gel filled hot packs
-Warm instantly for 20 minutes or more
-Reusable
Sometimes I feel like I have the attention span of a gnat. I’ll be watching TV, get up and make a cup of tea, only to wander back into the kitchen hours later and see the cup of tea on the counter. There’s nothing worse than coming back to a once steaming hot beverage and realizing that it’s ice cold. Well, maybe there are some things that are worse, but this is pretty high up there. I know I could always pop that baby back in the microwave, but that’s not the point. I mean, who knows what else was going on in my kitchen in my absence? Do I really want to take the chance that my tea could have been compromised? I think not, my friends.
I have consulted with that powers-that-be, and the result is the Put A Lid On It (Perpetual Kid, $5.99). In an effort to prevent your hot beverages from experiencing hypothermia, this silicone topper fits over the tops of cups, jars, and even cans to seal in the heat. So not only will your beverage stay molten lava hot (just the way you like it), but it’ll also help prevent spills. And we all know that that’s a feature after my own heart right there. If for some reason you don’t care about preserving hot molecules, then maybe you’ll be interested to know that this lid can also confine odors and keep contents fresh. That’s right, this guy is all about multitasking.
Yeah, I know what you guys are gonna say. You’re gonna go on and on about how this is basically Tupperware and how you already have a ton of it. That may be all well and good, but you know what? You’re never gonna stop buying Tupperware. It doesn’t matter how much you already have because you’re always gonna need/want more. You might as well buy a case of these babies.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4″ diameter
-Works with cups, jars, and cans
-Seals in heat
-Lifts with ease
-Keeps contents fresh
-Confines odors
-Made of silicone
So last night it was pretty warm in my house, like menopausal hot flash temperatures, so I thought I’d turn the heat down and crack open a window. You know, conserve energy, save the planet, that whole deal. Lo and behold, I woke up in the middle of the night so cold I thought I has turned into a popsicle. My teeth were chattering so hard that I thought I was gonna break a tooth, all because I thought I’d be nice to mother nature. Well, that and I thought because my house felt like jungle temperatures when I climbed into bed that opening a window seemed only logical. Foiled again!
Fluctuations in your core body temperature are known to disrupt your sleep patterns, something the Temperature Regulating Blanket (Hammacher Schlemmer, $99.95 – $149.95) seeks to remedy. No one likes going to bed in a perfect homeostasis only to wake up drenched in sweat, especially when you’re sharing the bed with someone else. Then it gets even more difficult to figure out the perfect sleep temperature so that everyone is comfortable. Inevitably, someone will wake up in the middle of the night completely miserable because of a preventable temperature issue. To that end, this blanket utilizes millions of invisible microcapsules along with the aid of NASA technology to keep you content while you sleep. How it works is that the excess heat from your body is absorbed by the blanket when you’re warm and then that stored heat is released when your body temperature drops. This makes it ideal of two people as the fabric will adjust to each individual’s micro-climate without disturbing the other.
Those NASA guys sure know their stuff. I mean, who else would have thought of using a blanket to cool themselves down? It’s either the dumbest or the smartest idea I’ve ever heard. I’ll get back to you when I decide which.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 108″ x 96″ (king)
90″ x 96″ (queen)
80″ x 96″ (full)
66″ x 96″ (twin)
-Available in 5 colors: oyster, white, sage, chocolate, and sky blue
-Adjusts to an individual’s micro climate
-Absorbs excess heat when hot, releases stored heat when cold
-Naturally anti bacterial
-Odor resistant
-Machine washable
-Uses patented technology developed for NASA
-Made of 50% Merino wool and 50% acrylic
