Best fun gadgets of the year

2025: IT DELIVERED DEVICES THAT BROUGHT PURE ENJOYMENT BACK INTO EVERYDAY TECH

- Arthur Goldstuck

Technology carries many responsibilities these days. It tracks our health, organises our work, reminds us when to stand up, drink water, or step away from the screen. But sometimes a gadget earns its place simply because it adds delight.

The most memorable fun gadgets of 2025 made life a little louder, a little lighter, or a little more playful. They reminded us that enjoyment is a legitimate design goal.

This year's winners revealed several distinct strands of what "fun" means in 2025. Some devices revived old pleasures that had slipped through the digital cracks.

Some brought cinematic sound or console-class gaming into smaller, more spontaneous spaces.

And others focused on the physical experience of using tech rather than the spec sheet beneath it.

In each case, the common thread was simple: these gadgets made people smile, and they kept doing it long after the unboxing.

The Mighty 3 is the kind of gadget that would never survive a corporate brainstorming session. It is a tiny, screenless music player that clips to clothing and syncs playlists from streaming platforms.

On paper, it borders on absurd: why carry one more device when your phone already does everything? But that question evaporates the moment you use it. The Mighty 3 liberates listening from multitasking. It strips audio back to its natural role, as a soundtrack rather than another feature.