Hey,
It’s Pete Matheson with a new issue of Experiments in Progress.
There's a whole category of gear that never shows up in "best tech" lists because it's too obvious, too boring, or too hard to make a thumbnail about.
This is that list.
The Non-Obvious Must-Haves Nobody Talks About
Here's what I'd actually tell a friend to buy and why👇
🌬️ Rechargeable Dust Blower
A rechargeable electric dust blower (sometimes called an air duster) is one of those things that costs around £40-70, charges via USB-C, and just works.
The tech is simple: brushless motor, magnetic nozzles that swap in a second, usually 130,000–150,000 RPM.
More than enough to clear a keyboard, a desk fan, or the vents on any piece of tech you own.
If you're still using canned air, this is the first thing I'd tell you to buy.
Source: 9to5Toys
🔪 A Proper Box-Opening Knife
This one sounds ridiculous until you've used a genuinely sharp, well-made box knife.
The difference between a £3 cutter from the pound shop and a proper sharp blade is enormous.
I've landed on keeping a decent sharp knife near the desk purely for unboxing.
Source: Hastings Mutual
👟 One Expensive Pair of Shoes Per Year
I'm a buy-one-good-pair-per-year kind of person, and I think it's actually the right call.
Comfortable feet affect everything.
If you're on your feet, walking between rooms, standing at a desk, or just existing — cheap shoes make that worse than it needs to be.
🧲 Magnetic Tech (Cases, Desks, Cable Management)
This is a whole ecosystem that's quietly become essential.
MagSafe-style phone cases — snap onto chargers, car mounts, desk stands without fumbling
Magnetic cable tidies — keep cables from disappearing off the back of the desk
Magnetic desk accessories — modular, moveable, and they don't leave marks
The key insight: once you go magnetic, cables and clip-on accessories feel like a step backwards.
Source: elago
🪑 A Genuinely Good Chair
I've been running a Herman Miller Embody for a while and recently, it's been... surprising me in the wrong way.
Lumbar support that felt right for a while has started feeling less reliable than I expected for the price.
So I've actually been looking more seriously at Secretlab, specifically the Titan Evo.
The case for Secretlab vs. Herman Miller at this point:
Price: Titan Evo comes in under £500. The Embody is pushing £1,700.
Adjustability: Secretlab's modular accessories and multi-directional armrests are genuinely impressive
Practicality: For most people who work and game at a desk, it's the smarter call
Source: IGN
🌿 Garden Tech
Three things that have actually transformed how I deal with the garden:
Husqvarna Battery Leaf Blower (Leaf Blaster 350iB)
This thing is absurdly good. Cordless, powerful, and quieter than any gas-powered blower I've used.
Part of Husqvarna's 40V system, so the battery works across their other tools too. It just cleans up the garden.
Bosch Leaf Blower Vacuum (3-in-1)
Blows, vacuums, and shreds.
The shredder function is the bit people don't expect — it mulches collected leaves down to a fraction of their original volume, which means the bag lasts forever and you get useful compost out of it. Bosch's Universal Garden Tidy range covers this. Gets the job done and then some.
Kärcher K5 Pressure Washer
I've had mine for years and it still performs. Car, patio, driveway — the K5 handles all of it. Up to 1,950 PSI, 350 litres/hour flow rate, and it comes with a Vario Power lance plus a Dirt Blaster for the stubborn stuff.
The difference between a car washed with this and a car washed with a hose is embarrassing.
Source: YouTube
📋 The Boring Upgrades Worth Making
If you're still using… | Upgrade to… |
|---|---|
Canned air | Rechargeable electric dust blower |
A rubbish desk knife | A properly sharp box cutter |
Cheap shoes you replace constantly | One quality pair, annually |
Regular cables and phone stands | MagSafe / magnetic ecosystem |
A £100 office chair | Secretlab Titan Evo |
A garden hose | Kärcher K5 |
Gas leaf blower | Husqvarna 350iB battery |
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