My Top 10 Budget Gear of the Year 2025 #technology #highend #gadget

It's time for my budget gear of the year for 2025. Now this is my selection of the top 10 budget items that have impressed me the most over the year and if you want to check out the original reviews I'll link directly to each one in the description down below along with all the product links I can find. And so without further ado and in no particular order let's start things off with my favorite budget power bank of the year. This is the iNu mini 10k power bank and it has an amazing feature set which would impress at any price. Now the first thing to note is the size and weight. This thing is tiny for a 10k power bank and weighs just 160 grams making it perfect for travel. In fact I know of only one other 10k power bank that is lighter than this one and that is this Nitecore NB10000 which is just 10 grams lighter but this one costs a lot more and actually does a lot less. Now the other key feature with the iNu is the power delivery for those devices that support fast charging like the Samsung S24 and some later iPhones. This can charge at up to 45 watts supporting PD, QC and Samsung super fast protocols. iNu tell us it will even charge a MacBook Air to over 40 percent in just 25 minutes. And in order to support that fast charging you need a capable USB C to C cable and the iNu comes with that too in the form of this carry strap and this turns into a USB C to C mini cable. And that can be used to charge the power bank itself as well as being the charging cable for your devices. And the fact that this is not built into the power bank helps to keep the power bank so small and also means the cable can be used with your other gear if needed. Now we have two USB C sockets and one USB A socket which is still worth having as there are still some devices that will only charge via USB A. And there is a basic but useful display to show the remaining battery capacity as a percentage. There are two or three elements that make this great for travel. One is that 10k capacity which to me hits the sweet spot for travel being good enough to charge your phone once or twice depending on what phone you have but not too heavy or bulky to have with you especially with this one. Another is that it will allow pass-through charging so you can charge the power bank whilst it charges your other devices say overnight and then you have that fast charging capability which is great if you are moving from place to place. Now iNu are a big brand when it comes to power banks and appear serious when it comes to product quality, safety and reliability quoting a three-year warranty. And then finally you have the price which comes in at around £30 or dollars which for all the reasons mentioned makes this excellent value too. In fact if I could only take one power bank with me when traveling it would probably be this one. I do like a small and well-featured flashlight or torch that will go in my pocket or pouch or in one of my kits and if you then add great value into the mix then this G5 from Wuben takes a lot of beating. This is just a little bit larger than a Zippo lighter and it's made from anodized aluminium and feels really nice in the hand and weighs just 50 grams which is under 2 ounces. It has this swivel head so you can angle the light where you need it and when you combine that with a flat table standing base which is also magnetic and a pocket clip that can go front or back you then have a light that can go and point almost anywhere and that pocket clip can also be stored out of the way when not needed which is a nice detail and there's also a lanyard attachment point on the bottom. When it comes to the operation there's a sliding lockout switch to avoid accidental activation in the pocket and then that slides up further to reveal a USB-C charging socket and then above that you have the main switch which is combined with a control wheel. There are two LEDs one for white light and one for colored. The intensity of the white light is adjusted with the control wheel and that goes from two lumens which will run for 65 hours on a single charge right up to 400 lumens with a quoted range of 82 meters. Also a double press gives you quick access to that 400 lumen level so you can quickly light things up for a few seconds and then go back to your original light level with another double press which is very useful. Now with the colored light you can step through seven different colors using the control wheel green for night vision red for warning etc and the light can also flash which makes a great emergency bike light or it can strobe in various color pairs as a warning light. There's also a battery level indicator which uses a blue flashing light and if you're running low you can continue to use the light whilst it's charging say from a power bank. Oh and it's fully waterproof too. As for the price this comes in at just over 20 pounds or dollars again amazing value considering all those features on offer. lttstore.com have just released a new black version of their brilliant scribe driver our favorite bolt action pen and lttstore.com are the sponsor of this video so a huge thank you to them for supporting the channel. Now I say it's our favorite pen because this is the pen both Jamie and I use on a daily basis and have done now for over a year and whilst the original is stainless steel the new one has this really nice pvd black coating which is an extremely tough and scratch resistant bonded layer and it also has a brass sliding bolt mechanism and this pen has an interesting backstory because it started life as a screwdriver shaft for the ltt ratchet screwdriver this one here in fact and ltt if you didn't already know is linus tech tips one of the biggest tech channels on youtube with over 16 million subscribers and here's the problem you make 10 000 of these and then you find they are not quite right so what do you do well you machine them down and you make them into pens which is exactly what we have here and although accidental they may be the result is actually a brilliant pen they are super slim with no unnecessary bulk the knurled end provides great grip and you have a thin but very tough and springy pocket clip which works really well then we have the bolt action mechanism with the subtle engraved ltt logo and this is super smooth with a very light spring action which makes this pen insanely fidgety and when it comes to the writing bit this is equipped with a standard parker g2 type refill which in this case is a quality schmidt easy flow cartridge and if all that wasn't enough the price is brilliant too with all the color options coming in at 39.99 canadian dollars ltt a canadian company or 29.99 us dollars and they ship all over the world and that makes this not only one of the best bolt action pens you can buy but one of the best value too this is the nano bag day pack and as soon as i got one of these a few months back it found a permanent home in my sling bag and i've used it countless times since and i use it mainly for those times when i end up picking up some shopping when out and about and don't have a bag with me and don't want to buy another bag for life it would also be good say for carrying a jacket on a walk or perhaps a towel and a few essentials down to the beach or any time when you find yourself unexpectedly needing to carry something and it works because it packs down so small and is incredibly lightweight it's just 33 grams or just over an ounce so it's always ready in my sling bag and i hardly notice it's there until i need it it unpacks in an instant from its pouch and offers a practical 16 liter capacity and has a single ykk zip to ensure nothing falls out and being a day pack or backpack style it keeps your hands free which is why i particularly like this design although there are other styles available too like this even more compact and slightly larger 19 liter sling bag which is ideal for pocket carry now these are made from a technical ultralight ripstop fabric that can hold up to 30 kilograms not that you would want to and packs away with no folding required in just a few seconds and it's available in a vast array of different color options with prices ranging from 15 to 25 pounds or dollars which i think is great value for something this useful the next item is the inateck xl sling which was one of jamie's on our most recent budget battle and it did help him win rather convincingly and when you look at all the features on offer here at the price you will soon see why it has a four liter capacity which is a good mid-size range when it comes to a sling bag and the quality looks and feels excellent and it's lightweight too at 360 grams which is about 13 ounces now the main material seems to vary depending on the color choice jamie went for a black which was a bit smooth and shiny for my taste but i've got the green color here which has a matte finish and a bit of texture which i personally prefer all the bags though use a water resistant 900d polyester fabric and all have this reflective panel on the front for extra visibility at night now the zips are ykk woven in with easy grab zip pulls all of which speaks to the quality as does the use of which includes this quick and easy strap adjuster the quick release buckle and a great compression system to minimize bulk when it's not full on the back we have a flat pocket and this is something i would like to see and this is where you would keep a passport and or a slim wallet or credit cards as it sits against the body giving a bit more security and there are even some card sleeves in here the front pocket is for quick access items and has a sleeve pocket at the back and also a key leash and the main pocket which is accessed via a double zip has a padded divider and elasticated loops and there's some space for bulkier items in the middle and then some stretch mesh pockets flat pockets and a zip pocket and then this bag has something which is rather unique and somewhat unexpected in a budget offering and that is this concealed holder between the front and main compartments which will take a bottle of water or a water bottle even a big one if the sling is not too full and this gives quick and easy access and if the bottle is wet perhaps with condensation that's not going to be a problem because this pocket for want of a better word sits between the two compartments and there is an elasticated strap at the bottom to hold things in place and let any moisture out and the bag strap at the top holds the contents in place so they don't fall out and that also makes this perfect for a compact umbrella which you can now put away wet knowing the bag contents will remain dry then we come to the price and this one here cost me just 23 pounds on amazon which i think is brilliant value and i see the price varies as i film this depending on the colour from around 22 to 40 pounds or dollars so there is a bargain to be had but even at the high price i still think this represents excellent value for money this wallet pouch from 1TG reviewed recently on the channel was an easy pick for this selection for those into their everyday carry this will easily hold a few must-have items including a medium-sized victorinox with lots of room to spare along with cards and the cash and there is a separate zip pocket at the front here for small items or coins the main compartment zips open on two sides giving great access and inside there's a key leash and a sleeve pocket to separate your cards from any bulkier content all the zips are ykk with easy grab shrink wrap zip pulls and the wallet is made from a tough 500d nylon fabric and has a metal deering on the side so you can attach this to a bag or neck strap or you can attach the wallet to your bulky car keys to keep everything together then on the back we have two velcro loops which means you can attach this to your belt or say a backpack making this perfect for travelers especially in those places where pickpockets are a threat so a great quality and with room for your edc essentials and coming in at just 15 pounds or dollars with a choice of colors the next tool mini flagship is a no-brainer when it comes to this year's budget gear of the year it has appeared in several of my kits including the most recent mini altoids kit when it comes to mini multi-tools this one is really hard to beat at any price you have both great scissors and mini pliers with wire cutters normally at this size you would have to choose between the two then you also have a can opener bottle opener a knife a phillips screwdriver and a flathead screwdriver and file and these are all externally accessible and all good to have and the knife is a slip joint so legal to carry in the uk and most other places also it's good to improvements to the model for example the early versions had a weak spot here with this sprung steel element now addressed in later models with this small design tweak so in short nothing else can compete at this size when it comes to the capability of this tool but what about the price well that is pretty impressive too coming in at around 25 pounds or dollars meaning that right now at least no other tool comes close an often ignored and forgotten victorinox knife surprised me this year when i was looking for a super lightweight option for my new super light travel essentials kit and it is this one here the victorinox waiter the name doesn't help of course it suggests this is for wine lovers only but this is in fact a very compact and capable little knife which also happens to be incredibly good value for money at 84 millimeters it's an unusual size for victorinox being smaller than the more usual 91 millimeter knife but it has a practical blade length of 55 millimeters so just over two inches which is much more useful than the very small blade in the smaller knife range it's a one layer tool keeping it super slim and lightweight but it manages to squeeze in the combination tool alongside the main blade and that gives you a flathead screwdriver and pry tool a phillips screwdriver at the end here a bottle opener and can opener it doubles up as both and a wire stripper which is a lot for one small tool and then we have the corkscrew which can do more than just screw corks and the ubiquitous toothpick and tweezers so you actually get a lot of practicality here with the waiter for such a compact tool and in my case i've also added the victorinox eyeglass screwdriver and put a pin in the concealed pin slot underneath the corkscrew this has proved to be a useful addition to my kit and is a great minimal option for those on a budget now the quality of this swiss made victorinox knife is never under any doubt and the value on offer here with the waiter is truly exceptional with this one coming in at just 18 pounds or 22 dollars this is the select for go mini speaker from soundcore and it caught our attention in an outdoor gear review video earlier in the year when we compared it with my jbl go 4 which is one of my favorite travel speakers now the soundcore is a bit heavier too at 265 grams versus 195 grams for the jbl and whilst that might count against it for lightweight travel the soundcore makes up for it with a much greater battery life nearly three times greater in fact at 20 hours versus 7 for the jbl also the sound quality having tried both with different types of music is we feel slightly better from the soundcore 2 and it has a bit more power at 5 watts versus 4 for the jbl which i guess is not too unexpected with room in here for a bigger driver and when it comes to other features both have usbc charging and external controls and both have an ip rating of 67 so they can be submerged in water and therefore ideal for use in the shower or in the rain or on the beach and both offer stereo pairing if you happen to have two of them so apart from missing out on that more compact form factor of the jbl the soundcore does seem to offer quite a lot more for your money and speaking of money that is actually where we see the biggest difference the soundcore happens to be half the price of the jbl with this one costing me just 17 pounds in the uk and i think jamie paid 20 for his earlier in the year and i see it is 20 in the us which it has to be said is brilliant value for what is such a good speaker the ugreen find my tracker is another one we have featured recently standing out for fantastic value great quality and design and a loud sounder but it would seem only available for apple's fan my ecosystem however there is now a version of this which works with both apple and android and uses a rechargeable battery now in first glance these both look just the same but if i turn them on the side you can see this one here is a bit thicker and that's because under this rubber plug there is a usbc charging socket and this is the first tracker i've come across which uses this method of charging which is great to see and with a single charge you get a full year of use like the previous version this has an attachment point so you don't need a separate case and at 80 decibels it's just as loud too and like before it takes just a few seconds to set up in my case using apple's built-in finder app as for the price these cost a little bit more than the replaceable battery version i paid 26 pounds for a pack of four and i see they are around $130 in the us which i think is pretty amazing when it comes to a general use flashlight or torch on a budget i haven't seen a better one this year than the sofern sr12 this has a quality feel with an aluminium body and a glass lens and it has a deep reflector and quality luminous led which combine to deliver a spotlight with a very impressive maximum quoted range of 396 meters or 1300 feet from a 1450 lumen maximum light output the operation is simple and intuitive using a single button switch which also has a built-in battery level indicator light and this does everything you would want a one lumen moonlight mode good for would you believe 480 hours on a single charge then there are four main light levels with instant access to turbo and back again which is ideal in practical use the led and reflector combination means that the 100 lumen light level will easily light the way ahead to get you home and is good for 15 hours on a single charge and there's also a strobe and a lockout mode although i would just untwist the base quarter of a turn to lock out the light to avoid any parasitic battery drain other things to note are a standard replaceable 18650 battery usb-c charging a two-way pocket clip and a lanyard loop and an ip68 rating which means this can be submerged in water and it's also surprisingly compact for an 18650 light with such a deep reflector and then we have the price last time i checked this costs just 26 pounds or dollars on amazon which i would say is pretty unbeatable and there we have it for more gear of the year content you might want to check out this video right here but for now thank you as always for watching and i hope you can join me for the next one