12 Home Tech Items Actually Worth The Money

If there's one place you should be proud of, it's your bedroom or apartment. However, looking good is one thing, but having functional home tech is what's actually going to make your space 10 times better. And take it from me, you don't have to be a huge tech guy to integrate these into your space or have some of these fully automated. But even just a few of these will make your life better. So I've rounded up the best home tech that is actually worth every dollar you'll spend. Starting off with a banger, let's talk about a projector. This is a recent pickup of mine that I've added to my bedroom, which I'm so glad that I did. Because originally, I was contemplating getting another TV in here, but I didn't want to mount it or I didn't want to buy an additional TV stand. Also, because my bedroom is actually quite small. So if you're working with a small space, last thing you want to do is buy another piece of bulky furniture. The best option I came across is a projector. And after doing thorough research, and by research, I mean asking ChatGBT, I finally landed on the MoGo 4 by XGIMI. I'm pretty sure there's another way to pronounce that. I'm not too sure. But this is a portable projector that actually came with a stand, so you could have it elevated at the perfect height. And I am just so impressed by this thing. First of all, it displays a 1080p resolution at 120 inches, and you could actually make that a bit bigger or smaller. And I actually have it angled a bit weird, but it automatically detects the wall and places the picture where it needs to be. Because I don't have it straight on, I was worried that the picture would look a bit obscured, but it automatically detects the wall and where it's angled, and it looks so good on there. It's actually built in with Google TV, so it's pretty seamless to add all my subscriptions in there. It comes with really good built-in speakers. I'm actually not too familiar with the brand that they've used, but it does sound incredible. But one feature that actually blew me away was whenever you don't want to use the projector, if you just wanted some additional lighting, some nice little ambient aesthetic lighting, this displays customizable colors onto your wall, which looks so cool and nice. I will say this is the most expensive thing on this entire list. Coming in at about $500, which is a lot of money up front, but gotta tell you, way better than spending $400 on a TV, and then, again, having to spend additional money on a TV stand or a wall mount. A couple times I've even displayed this right on the ceiling, which is pretty cool whenever you want to watch something in bed. But yeah, definitely one of the coolest things I've ever got. So on the subject of media, you also need some good speakers as well. And to be honest, I'm not a huge audio buff, but anything that's loud and has good bass is good enough for me. When I say good bass, I don't mean bass that completely drowns out the rest of the noise. I can't stand speakers that do that. But there's not a single guy who won't benefit from good speakers. Whether you're the kind of guy who constantly is playing music, maybe you want to listen to an audible or a podcast, just walking around your bedroom or apartment, it's definitely a great purchase. And these days, these don't have to be crazy expensive either. And also, in my opinion, a speaker that doubles with a smart assistant is also money well spent. Things like Alexa, Google, Siri, any of these, it is so useful to have a speaker that has those. Of course, Google speakers or Amazon speakers are a lot more affordable, but since I have everything connected to HomeKit, I pretty much need Siri in all of my devices. So for me, the HomePod minis are a great option. I've had these for a couple of years and I haven't found the need to upgrade to the bigger one, especially me living in a pretty small apartment. But if you live in a bigger space, maybe the bigger one might be a good option. I have heard the speaker quality on those in person and they are insane. But again, the minis sound really good as well. And another feature that I love that's not exclusive to Apple, but Apple makes it very easy, is being able to group the speakers so they're all playing the same exact thing, especially without lag. Because of this, I'm able to walk from my bedroom to my kitchen to my living room, all playing the same music or piece of media that I want. And it is just so cool to have. But if it doesn't have Siri, another feature that I love that I recommend if you have an iPhone is any speaker with AirPlay. AirPlay is so much better than Bluetooth and not enough people talk about that. You don't have to walk over to the speaker, turn it on and reconnect your phone. If it's always plugged in, you could just pick it up with AirPlay whenever you want. What I love most about it is the fact that if I'm playing music from my phone and I open up Instagram, Instagram real or any stories is not going to be blasting through my speakers because you're just AirPlaying a specific media rather than anything that just comes from your phone. There's got to be something for Samsung. I just don't know. But that's another feature that I look for when it comes to my speakers. Number three, a power strip tower. This is a great example that you don't need to buy expensive pieces of tech that have the latest AI that have any assistance. Sometimes it's just the simple purchases that make your life easier because you definitely could opt for plugins that connect to Siri or anything. And that way you could turn off anything with your voice or your phone. But sometimes you don't always need that for the same exact price as having one outlet that does that. I got this 230 watt tower that comes with six outlets and eight USB ports, four of them being USB-C. And if you don't know, USB-C is a lot faster than USB 2.0. So any extender, I try to make sure that it has that because it's 230 watts. I could charge any device fast, which is especially useful if you have laptops, iPads or anything bigger that requires a little bit more power. And yeah, let's be real. There's not a single guy who won't benefit from additional outlets and having them all in one place is great. Another thing that I look for in these is one that comes with an extender because I don't always want everything plugged in into the wall. That could just leave your space looking messy and unorganized. And of course, the entire goal of all these bedroom videos is making sure you have an aesthetic and functional space. And it's a lot easier to keep all your wires and cords more conspicuous, more tucked away if you're able to have it further away from the wall. This one I got for less than 30 bucks. So like I said, you don't have to drop a ton of money. Okay, next thing is a MagSafe car mount. Having a designated safe space to put your phone on your car is an absolute great purchase, which is especially useful if you don't have a space in your car to connect to Apple CarPlay. But even me who does have CarPlay, having this thing in my car at all times is so useful. From being able to record videos or making sure that my phone doesn't fall between my seats because that's so annoying. I can never get it out of there. This is the easiest installation that I've had when it comes to any MagSafe car mount, especially because you're always able to move this with the suction base. You can keep it on the dash, on your windshield, literally any place in your car. And whenever you want to move it, you're able to unlock it with the quick release suction. And underneath that, it has four layers of nano gel adhesive. And of course, paired with that suction base, it can withstand up to 78 pounds, which is absolutely insane. Because look, if you have an iPhone, it was probably expensive. So me personally, I don't want to take any chances whenever I'm buying something that's supposed to hold my phone. And this one from Andory, I know that I'm covered wherever I put it, especially because that adhesive, I've changed this multiple places in my car. I use this for plenty of different things. It always sticks exactly where I need to. And then of course, it's secured with that suction base. Again, if you don't have CarPlay, it could be very dangerous just driving and constantly looking down at your phone, trying to see where your next exit is. That's extremely dangerous. And you can get pulled over and get a ticket. So if you're using this for maps, I obviously strongly recommend putting this in a spot where you could easily see it, almost like a heads up display. Also, because it's built to have 360 degrees of rotation. So no matter where you put it, you could angle it to make sure that you see it perfectly. And not only can you rotate it where it needs to go, but it's also vertically adjustable, which is so useful. But you could also adjust it to film the scenery if you're driving in a place that has a beautiful view. So if you're a content creator and want to get some cool shots, this is definitely a must have. But even if you just want to record a breathtaking view while you're driving, I love having this thing in my car at all times. And as far as the MagSafe holder, this is a strong magnet, which means it snaps on and locks it into place. And against other competitors, Android clears on how strong that magnet actually is. Because again, I've used some cheaper ones in the past. And whenever I did have a case, I would have to take that off. You don't have to do that with this one. And of course, keep your phone safe, which I really can't stress. Of course, MagSafe is only available on iPhone 12 or higher. So make sure you have one of those. And since the adhesive in the back can be reapplied, like I said, I could film myself wherever I want to put my car. And I could even get some really cool shots of me driving because it sticks so well onto the glass of your car, but also on your dash, because no matter what material your dash is made out of, it's going to be secured into that place. Even if you do have trouble sticking it on, this also comes with another adhesive that you can just stick onto your car and that could help if you're ever facing problems. And I really can't stress the fact that this is never going to make a mess. That adhesive is built with high quality materials, which never leave any residues onto your dash. It's easy, simple, clean to remove and reapply. There's a reason why Andori is Amazon's number one seller for MagSafe car mounts. So I really can't recommend these enough. In case you are interested to pick these up for yourself, that is going to be the first link in the description. Huge thank you to Andori for sponsoring today's video. Okay, now let's move on to some home tech that is going to improve your quality of life. And of course, number one is my most recent purchase, which is my Govee Air Quality Monitor. For the longest now, I wanted to stop guessing on how good the air quality was in my apartment, because if you don't already know, air quality makes a huge difference in your quality of life, especially because I live in a big city, which means tons of cars around. There are so many things going on outside and that is just entering my apartment. That can quickly get you sick. It could even disrupt your hormones or a bunch of different other health complications. So this air monitor tracks several things. First one is the PM 2.5, which means the fine inhalable particles. So if there's anything bad floating in the air, this air monitor tells me exactly how much of that is in my living space. Because like I said before this, I was just guessing. So now that I have a good understanding of what my PM 2.5 rating is, I know I have to blast my air purifier, which we will talk about later. The second thing it tracks is the temperature and humidity. Of course, temperature isn't really necessary. If you have a built-in AC, which if you live in the US is pretty much standard nowadays, that's going to tell you the temperature, but also the humidity. Being able to track your humidity also gives you a good idea whether you need a humidifier or a dehumidifier. Because some places it gets a little bit too much, which again can disrupt your health or damage the things that you have in your home. But yeah, this is just great information to have and these are really cheap, so highly recommend picking one up. But like I said, an air purifier, absolutely essential. Because if you do get that air monitor and you notice that there's just too many bad things floating in the air, you want something to clean that up. And honestly, since getting this, this has been a game changer. You won't notice it until you do get one, but breathing in fresh, clean air just hits different. The air you breathe is just very crisp. In fact, if you can't tell right now, I just came off of being sick. That's why my voice still sounds a bit nasally and I didn't get sick because of bad air quality, but I will say recovering is a lot more effective and a little bit faster when you're just breathing in clean air. And again, because of that monitor, I know I have to have this thing constantly running and I really like this one from Gobi because in the app, it's actually going to tell you the life percentage of the filter that I have inside of this thing, so I know exactly when I need to replace that. And the controls on these are just fantastic. I could pick up my phone and have this thing constantly on, or I could even set some automations to turn this on stronger at night and then in the day, just have it at a low setting. Especially for less than 40 bucks, this was a great home tech purchase that I really do recommend to every guy. Okay, next thing is going to be lighting. This is something that I don't shut up about, but let me tell you, upgrading your lighting is the easiest way to make your home more aesthetic. You could set the vibe, especially if you're listening to music or watching a movie. It looks so sick having ambient lighting. Having smart lighting just makes everything so much better, especially one where you're able to control the colors or the dimness. Because if you have everything just set on high, it does kill the vibe, it does kill the aesthetic. And especially at night when the lights are just dim, you're in your apartment, maybe you're cooking, I'm telling you, you're going to fall in love with your space. And yeah, you could have the most mediocre looking bedroom, but if the lighting is good, your space is going to look way better. Now for these, these don't have to be too expensive. Brands like Gobii sell some really affordable ones, but again, since I have Siri, I have everything connected with Philips Hue, which makes it so seamless to turn everything on, turn everything off, and of course set automations. I could have every single light turn off automatically at a specific time, or I even set it up to where I'm watching movies. I could have all the lights automatically go dim, just have a nice ambient light. Like I mentioned earlier, absolutely everything is going to be linked in the description in case you are interested. Okay, next thing is a clock. Most guys are going to opt for a digital clock, which don't get me wrong, that does look pretty good, but I wanted something more unique. Last thing that I want is to make my entire space look like I got it out of a catalog or Pinterest. So I'm always looking for small little upgrades that makes my space look more unique and interesting, and this clock is definitely the one. The letters on here spell out what the approximate time is. Things like it's five past 10 or a quarter till five. I think that looks so cool. Again, it's just very unique and interesting. People have came into my apartment and were just infatuated by it. I think that is so cool. Also, this thing looks so expensive, but I bought it for less than 40 bucks on Amazon. So not a bad purchase, definitely not essential, but you'd be lying if you say it doesn't look cool. All right, next thing is an adjustable desk. I swear this is the best piece of home tech that I've got for my space. Especially if you're the kind of guy who's constantly at your desk, investing into a good desk is definitely money well spent, especially an adjustable one. I love having the ability to make this standing whenever I want it. And because this one is built so durable, this thing is so stable, it hardly moves. But I will say the higher it gets, the less stable it becomes, but even that being said, whenever it's standing, I've never had anything fall off my desk. I actually find this really useful whenever I'm taking Zoom meetings and I'm using my laptop. I could just raise my desk to make it a perfect eye level, so that way I just look better on camera. And since we're speaking of my desk, here's a few accessories that I think every guy should keep on their desk. First one being is a monitor light. If you're up at night working or studying, last thing you wanna do is damage your eyes. Take it from me, I'm 23 and I recently needed to start wearing glasses. So these days I'm being a lot more conscious on my eye health and one purchase that I made that really helps with that is a monitor light. Because if everything around you is dark and you're just staring straight into a bright light, that could damage your eyes. So you want something to ease your eyes into the monitor and to everything surrounding your monitor. And this one from BenQ is a great option because you could adjust pretty much everything with this light. The brightness, the temperature, this comes with so many useful features that I really can't live without nowadays. It is definitely more on the pricey side. You definitely could find some cheaper ones, but you would be sacrificing a few options. But yeah, whatever's in your budget, just check Amazon and you could find something good. Now the next one, although it's not as essential for every guy, but if you record videos, if you're a content creator or maybe you just take Zoom calls and you want to upgrade the lighting for that, as much as I love that monitor light, it doesn't do that. So recently I bought this light box that I always use whenever I'm filming these kinds of videos or I'm just hopping out on a Zoom call. This thing is small but powerful and the brand Amarin is actually very well-respected as well. But yeah, sometimes I'll be taking Zoom calls and I'll get compliments on how I look. But again, lighting is everything. So I always make sure I have this thing on, which is especially useful if I'm taking any calls in the evening or when the lighting isn't as good as the natural day, this one is great to have. I picked this one up on Amazon for a little less than a hundred bucks. Again, so worth the money. Now, if you want to make some upgrades outside of home tech and just make your apartment or bedroom look so much better, then here's a video where I talk about 25 bedroom upgrades that I think looks good in every space.