It's easy to romanticize the "good old days" and yearn for simpler times, but living in 2025 certainly has its perks. There are a slew of modern marvels that I can't imagine my life without: reality television, air conditioning and smart home hacks that make my life easier every day, for starters.
To give you the download on the latest and greatest solutions on the market, lifestyle and tech expert Mario Armstrong stopped by TODAY with the best home upgrades. There's no need to call the handyman or trek to your nearest home improvement store — these picks are all easy to install and available on Amazon. From an automated blind opener to a glass and bottle rinser that gets in every nook and cranny, these problem-solving finds will have you wondering how you ever lived without them.
To see all of our favorite smart home solutions, just keep scrolling.
Smart solutions seen on TODAY
Lisen Retractable Car Charger
When you're relying on your phone to navigate and stay connected on the go, searching for a fallen cable and running out of battery is the last thing you need. Skip the headache with this charger that has multiple built-in, retractable cables to keep your car neat while quickly charging iPhones, Androids, tablets and more. Armstrong calls it a must-have for road trips, everyday errands, school pick-up lines when everyone's battery is low and more.
Jteman Cell Phone Stand with Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Whether you're watching cooking videos, video chatting with family and friends or playing music at home, Armstrong recommends this 2-in-1, multitasking phone stand and wireless bluetooth speaker. It has more than 11,000 ratings on Amazon from customers who use it to prop up their devices and boost sound on bedside tables, desks or countertops.
Etekcity EL11 Luggage Scale
Skip the surprise bag fees and pack this 2024 Travel Gear Awards winner along instead for your next trip. The compact luggage scale is perfect for double-checking weights before your return flight, which comes in handy on trips when you want to bring home souvenirs.
"I personally own this and love it — it's reliable and super easy to use," Armstrong vouches. "For under $10, it pays for itself on the first trip."
Aooshine Touch Nightstand Lamp with Charge Ports (Set of 2)
Editor’s note: Our pick is low in stock, but we found a similar option below.
No more fumbling for cords or wall plugs at night — this simple and smart lighting upgrade streamlines your nightstand so you can charge phones, tablets or watches right at the base of your lamp. Simply tap to adjust the brightness.
Soilsiu Touch Bedside Lamp with Charge Ports (Set of 2)
Hgn Glass and Bottle Rinser for Kitchen Sinks
Instantly rinse bottles, jars, sippy cups or travel mugs with the powerful water jets in this neat hack, which installs in minutes where your soap dispenser was — no plumber needed! To use, simply place the mouth of the cup you’d like to rinse downward on the gadget and press the bottom of the cup lightly to automatically spray water for cleaning.
“Just press and rinse instead of scrubbing,” Armstrong instructs. “It’s great for busy mornings, families with babies or smoothie-lovers!”
SwitchBot Automatic Curtain Opener
SwitchBot Motorized Blind Tilt
Instantly motorize your existing blinds and curtains with SwitchBot's genius invention. Great for tall windows, nursery nap time or hard-to-reach spots, there are no cords to pull — just open or close the blinds right from your phone! You can even set schedules so the blinds open with the morning light or close at night, Armstrong says.
More smart solutions on Amazon
Kasa Smart Plug Mini
This neat gadget allows you to plug in hair tools, coffee makers, humidifiers, lights and more to control them from anywhere. You can use the app to turn it on and off, set it to a schedule and it even works with voice control to connect to your other smart home products.
Wall Charger and Surge Protector
There never seems to be enough space to plug everything in, but this problem-solving outlet extender allows you to charge multiple devices at once. It fits flush against the wall over your existing outlet and features five standard AC outlets and four USB ports, all while protecting your devices from power surges.
TubShroom Bath Tub Drain Protector
Skip the shower clogs with this Shop TODAY-approved drain protector that fits inside, not over, your drain to neatly collect hair and debris. It's got an impressive 4.7-star average rating from over 60,000 customers on Amazon.
Roku Smart Light Strip SE
This peel-and-stick light strip is easy to attach anywhere, from under the cabinets where it's tough to see to behind your TV. You can control the lights using your phone or your voice to change the color, set schedules or sync with the sound coming through your speakers for the ultimate ambiance.
GE LED Motion Sensor Night Light
Night lights don’t have to be an eyesore. This motion sensor version illuminates the path to the bathroom, hallway, kitchen or anywhere else you need a bit of extra light in the middle of the night.
Techkey 128GB Flash Drive for iPhone
Running out of storage on your phone? Deleting your precious photos or paying for more cloud storage aren't your only options. You can free up some space by keeping your photos, videos and other large files on this flash drive that plugs right into iPhones, Androids, laptops and more for easy saving and sharing.
Roku Express 4k+
Streaming just got a whole lot easier! This Roku device with voice control allows you to access your favorite channels and apps seamlessly and in brilliant 4K picture quality. There’s no power adaptor needed to start streaming; just plug it into your TV and connect to the internet, the brand shares.
Amazon Echo Dot
The Echo Dot allows you to ask about the weather, set timers and even control other smart home items using just your voice. It's a great buy for smart home newbies or for outfitting multiple rooms in your home with their own smart speakers.
Ring Video Doorbell
Knock, knock — you know exactly who's there! When you have a video doorbell, you can see, hear and talk to visitors from anywhere, with notifications sent to your phone when motion is detected by your door and sharp night vision. It's a smart buy for monitoring packages, skipping solicitors (but catching other visitors) and 24/7 peace of mind.
Hatch Restore 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock
If you dread the sound of your alarm going off in the morning, allow us to shed some light (pun intended) on a better option. This editor-approved sleep gadget is a bedside clock, sound machine and lamp all in one that gently wakes you with a simulated sunrise and the noise of your choosing so you can start your mornings on a better note.
Zafro Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
Summer entertaining season is right around the corner, and nugget ice makers are the latest "it" appliance making the rounds on TikTok. This countertop option works its magic in just seven minutes and features a one-click self-cleaning function to keep it operating in tip-top shape and churning out perfect nugget ice.
Meet the experts
- Mario Armstrong is a lifestyle and tech expert, podcaster and NBC contributor.
- Shop TODAY is a team of shopping editors and writers who spend hours every day finding the best new products, tried-and-true favorites and more finds available on Amazon that are worth shopping, according to our high standards.
How we chose
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews and even use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.
