Small enough to fit into a duffle when packed, but large enough to seat up to 10 people when opened out, the Gather table from AroundFire might just be the big upgrade to the age-old campfire. It puts the fire front and center, with tabletop space for multiple people to sit around as they grill their food. The setup is lightweight, fireproof, height-adjustable, and accommodates everything from coals to pellets, firewood, or even a portable stove.
Designed to make outdoor barbecues a much more personalized and interactive experience, the Gather is a foldable table small enough to fit in the back of your car when flat-packed. Opening it up takes all of 30 seconds, but once you do, your barbecues will never be the same. Quite like its name suggests, the Gather gets everyone huddled around in a circle with the fire at the center. Each person has their own table-space and can grill their food right where they’re seated like a mini outdoor Benihana. The table features an adaptable center that accommodates a variety of fuel sources, letting you effectively (and safely) set up your outdoor barbecue with no hassle, and no smoke, thanks to the table’s relatively uninterrupted airflow system.
The Gather table sports an all-metal design, which allows it to be robust, lightweight, and completely fire-resistant. The outer table itself is made from double-layer powder-coated steel mesh that’s heat-resistant and fast-cooling, while also being fairly light. The inside, on the other hand, features a setup with modular accessories that you can add based on the kind of fire you want to light. At the heart of it is AroundFire’s mesh pit, which accepts wood, coal, or pellets. The ultra-light mesh comes with a rectangular profile that ensures your fuel is scattered evenly and doesn’t clump to the center due to sagging. Its tight weave also prevents loose sparks from falling down, while ensuring proper airflow so that your wood/coal burns cleanly, completely, and without smoke.
Once you’re ready to grill away, the Gather comes with two grill tops – a standard stainless steel grill that everyone knows and is familiar with, and the woven grill mesh seen on Korean or Japanese grills. The grills fit perfectly into the window left at the center of the table, and are accessible to anyone no matter where they’re seated. If the fire burns too hot, the grills can be elevated a few inches thanks to a kickstand that helps ensure your food gets cooked without charring, and if it’s exceptionally windy, a foldable windscreen lets you guard your fire against gusts of breeze. The foldable windscreen’s individual panels can be used to ‘plug’ the table’s fire-hole, making it a conventional flat table on which you can put food or even place a portable stove.
The Gather table comes in two sizes, accommodating up to 6 or 10 people respectively. Both the Gather Lite and the Gather Grand, as they’re called, are designed explicitly for travel and for providing a zero-compromise grilling experience. They weigh 16 lbs (7.4 kgs) and 20 lbs (9.1 kgs) respectively, and stand at 15 inches (38cm) tall, extendable up to 21.6 inches (55cm) with the leg-risers. Each Gather table is accompanied by the fire mesh that holds the wood/coal, along with a grill plate that goes on top, and a travel bag that helps you carry your table along with you anywhere you go. You can add extra modules to your table by purchasing them separately, like the KBBQ grill mesh, the windscreen that doubles as a tabletop, a camping stove, or even a pair of barbecue tongs.
The Gather Lite starts at a 50% discount of $149, while the Grand has an early bird price of $179. Each table ships globally, and comes with a 2-year rust-free warranty.
We’re witnessing an age of creative explosion. Whether it’s the accessibility of fabrication tools like 3D printers and laser engravers over the past decade, or the rather recent barrage of AI-based tools that allow anyone to be an artist, never has the time been MORE perfect for the independent creator. For just a few hundred dollars, creators can get their hands on consumer-ready high-end prototyping tools, allowing them to build their creations whether they’re hobbyists, small businesses, or artisans. I’d like to think that 3D printers have gotten their time in the sun, but laser engravers still deserve their moment to shine (pun intended). Arguably more easy to use than 3D printers and CNC machines (since you don’t need to deal with CAD software), laser engravers allow creators to build and customize products like no other tool. You can cut through materials like paper, veneer, vinyl, cardboard, and even thin plastic sheets… but more importantly, a good laser engraver also lets you etch onto a vast variety of materials, like metal, wood, glass, and even ceramics.
Enter the LumiTool F20, a compact powerhouse that embodies this new era of creation. Designed to be a tabletop engraver that can also double as a handheld tool, the LumiTool F20 relies on a powerful industrial-grade 20W laser to effectively etch/carve through materials 10x faster than most standard laser engravers. Created for the home user in mind, the LumiTool is powerful but also intuitive, with a user-friendly experience that prioritizes safety while also offering the ability to work on a variety of materials and even surfaces (horizontal, vertical, and even tilted). When paired with the AI features built into LumiTool’s app, it forms an unstoppable combination, offering precision and speed that’s accessible to all.
The LumiTool F20 looks fairly different from any other laser engraver on the market, and a lot of that boils down to what it’s designed for. It comes with a vertical form factor, allowing you to place objects on its bed below and have the laser hover above, etching designs onto it… however, a handle on the LumiTool F20 also allows you to lift it and point it at other surfaces like door nameplates, mirrors, or larger immovable objects. The laser sits on a hinge too, allowing you to tilt it to engrave on tilted surfaces (to avoid warping and parallax during the job).
The heart of the LumiTool F20’s superiority lies in its fiber laser source, a feature that sets it apart from diode, CO2, and infrared lasers. The fiber laser delivers exceptional results on as many as 100+ materials, ranging from the run-of-the-mill wood, paper and plastic to even metals, glass, and ceramic. The sheer power output of the 20W laser allows it to engrave up to 1.5mm in metal, and a staggering 3mm in stone, giving you the ability to deeply carve into surfaces for high-contrast design work. It can cut into sheet materials too, helping make paper cutouts, acrylic profiles, and even sheet-metal stamps with the simple press of a button.
Equipped with LaserDrive Beam Control technology, the LumiTool F20 boasts engraving speeds up to 7000mm/s. That’s 10 times faster than typical hobbyist engravers, ensuring that your ideas don’t just stay ideas for long. Combine this with a high resolution of 8K (sharper engravings without jagged edges) and a fine granularity of 0.001mm, and you have a tool that captures every detail, ensuring crisp, clear, and precise designs every time. In fact, the F20 possesses the unique ability to engrave in color too, relying on laser wavelengths to bring out colors in metals while running a job.
With a remarkable 8K resolution and a fine granularity of 0.001mm, it achieves a striking level of engraving accuracy.
The LumiTool F20 boasts a work area of up to 150mm x 150mm (6 x 6 inches), and has a height-adjustable head that lets you move the laser module up or down, depending on how big or small the product you want to engrave on is. The laser engraver’s user interface is fairly simple to navigate, making it perfect for first-timers or even seasoned engravers. A dual-light positioning system lets you set the engraver’s focus in mere seconds, and single button lets you start or emergency-stop a job. The engraver comes with a removable tinted shield to protect your hands and eyes from the laser’s sparks, along with a pair of safety goggles to enhance protection.
The F20 pairs with a rather intuitive (and innovative) smartphone app that allows you to upload, adjust, and engrave designs. Sure, you can share jobs via a laptop/desktop too, and the folks at LumiTool are working on Lightburn integration too, but the app really helps break beyond the barrier of wires and complicated software. You can share DXF files for precise pathways for cutting jobs, or directly upload images if you want to engrave/etch something like a wooden frame, a mug, hip-flask, name-plate, or any other object. The app lets you share images directly from your mobile, but it also boasts Midjourney integration, letting you create AI-generated images right within the app itself. These novel AI images can then directly be etched onto objects in mere minutes, taking an otherwise week-long workflow and condensing it down to a 5-minute job.
The LumiTool F20 comes as a standalone device, but you can upgrade your kit with accessories like the safety shield as well as modules like a rotary attachment that lets the device etch on curved surfaces, a chuck rotary for more precise curved jobs like engraving on rings, and a slide extension for working on larger canvasses. The regular lens gives the F20 a 110mm x 110mm work surface, but a field lens upgrade unlocks the F20’s 150mm x 150mm potential. The LumiTool F20 starts at $1599 (that’s as affordable as you’ll ever get for industrial-grade engraving equipment), although the bundle with all the accessories will cost you $2299. The app remains free to use, barring the AI features which cost $99 a year. However, early bird backers get the first year free.
New Year New Gear, they say… but before we explore what 2024 has in store for us, here’s a look at our top EDC gear from the year gone by. Our love for EDC only grew in 2023 as we began venturing outdoors again (you know, after the entire 2-year house arrest), and we honestly believe 2023’s been a golden year for the category. Titanium finally went mainstream, with Apple adopting it for their flagship 2023 iPhones, and we saw multiple independent creators taking to platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to bring their EDC visions to life!
So what really constitutes this list and how did we arrive at our top ten? It’s simple, really. All the EDC have a few things in common. They’re built to be compact, robust, highly utilitarian, and have a wow-factor, whether it’s a unique feature, or just stellar craftsmanship. We’ve even awarded a Best EDC Design of 2023 to a certain multitool so scroll ahead to know more about why we loved it so much!
1. Prytium Titanium Multitool by G.S.G (Best EDC Design of 2023)
With a staggering 14 features built into its compact, lightweight, machined titanium design, the Prytium Multitool wins our award for just being the most versatile, capable, and handy piece of EDC money could buy. Perfect for pretty much any situation life throws at you, the Prytium is the kind of EDC you wish you’d have if you were stranded on a desert island. It’s got possibly every conceivable tool from a folding knife to a bottle opener, pry tool, nail file, glass breaker, and even a few wrenches and screwdrivers to get you through a whole gamut of worldly situations, whether they’re mildly frustrating like a hangnail or actual emergencies that require tactical tools.
Why is it noteworthy?
Aside from being made from Grade-5 that is well known for its sheer durability, the Prytium really surprises with exactly how much it manages to pack into its pocket-friendly design. It does so rather cleverly too, offering tritium slots so that your EDC is visible even at night, a deep pocket clip so you can attach your multitool to your clothing for convenience, and my favorite bit, a removable replaceable blade that you can change whenever the old one gets dull… so you spend less time sharpening your blade and more time using it instead.
2. Septimo Multi-tool by Jeremy Valdez for CRKT
The CRKT Septimo Multi-Tool may appear to be your typical pocket knife, but it’s ingeniously designed to offer far more than just a flipper blade. Crafted to combine compactness, ergonomic comfort, and a rich array of features, this versatile tool was conceived by Jeremy Valdez, a seasoned member of the 7th Special Forces Group. Inspired by his vision of the perfect everyday carry multitool, the Septimo (which translates to ‘Seventh’ in Spanish) boasts a 2.86-inch fold-out American Tanto blade with a secure liner-lock mechanism. It also includes a built-in bottle opener, a dual-purpose flathead and Phillips head screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and a handy glass-breaker tip for those tricky situations. Plus, with its convenient pocket clip, you can keep your Septimo Multi-Tool easily accessible, ensuring you’re always prepared for a wide range of everyday situations.
Why is it noteworthy?
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but for the Septimo Multitool, it was more like a strong survival instinct. The origin story of the Septimo is probably the wildest thing you’ll ever hear. A member of the 7th Special Forces, Jeremy Valdez was posted in Afghanistan in 2009 when his helicopter crashed during a combat operation. In the heat of the moment, Valdez realized that the tools he had at the time failed miserably at real-world applications when it came to prying open fuselage, cutting harnesses, and freeing his fellow soldiers from the blazing, mangled chopper wreckage. Some people live in the trauma of such incidents, but not Valdez. He went to the drawing board and came up with the Septimo – a tribute to his fallen brothers and sisters, and an EDC so capable it has literal military experience.
3. Rike Knife S05 by Rike Knife
This knife almost won Best EDC of the Year for just how bonkers-beautiful it is. Intricate to the point of being absolutely impossible to counterfeit, the Rike Knife S05 has one of the most unique Damascus blades we’ve ever seen. In fact, I can say with a degree of confidence that I’ve never seen a blade this beautiful. With a dizzyingly detailed pattern that’s brought about by using different grades of metal that are hammered, forged, and acid-etched to reveal the marbled texture, the S05’s blade is a literal work of art. It sports a clip-point design that folds into a titanium handle that has a marbled pocket clip too. The price of such beauty? Well, given that you’re paying for top-tier craftsmanship, the $550 price tag doesn’t really hurt as much.
Why is it noteworthy?
I’m going to sound like an absolute broken record at this point, but that Damascus blade has my heart. Almost like a piece of psychedelic art, it has something hidden in every corner, from checkers and strips to even Japanese symbols. Oh, and as far as the blade’s sharpness goes, it has a viciously sharp edge that cuts through materials like they’re made of butter.
4. KeyMaster by EDC Monster
I’d like to think that the KeyMaster is key-shaped because of its sheer ability to ‘unlock’ any kind of real or metaphorical door that holds you back. Sure, the key-shaped design means it’s the ideal size to fit on your keychain, but let’s also acknowledge the fact that this key-sized EDC has 14 different tools built in, including multiple wrenches for bicycle spokes as well as hex nuts, a few popular screwdrivers, a fold-out scalpel blade, a bottle opener, and even a miniature scale that has BOTH metric as well as imperial measurements.
Why is it noteworthy?
It’s small enough to sit on your keychain, weighs a paltry 29 grams (1 ounce), and is made from the most durable metal known to mankind. What’s not to love?! The KeyMaster is a handy-dandy EDC for when you need to perform minor repairs or when you need a small knife to cut open boxes, slice paracord, whittle wood, or defend yourself. And when you’re done, crack open a brewski with the built-in bottle opener!
5. Folding Travel Cutlery Kit by Uphold Living
The problem with travel cutlery is that in the interest of portability, it often makes a few unfortunate trade-offs. Take the spork, for instance… a two-in-one piece of cutlery that saves material/space, but is just an odd contraption that nobody loves to use. The Uphold Travel Cutlery Kit possesses the unique distinction of being a rather no-compromise solution. Designed to be as small as a bunch of credit cards, this kit contains not one, not two, but three cutlery sets that you can use just as you would the ones at home. The Uphold kit features a working spoon, fork, and knife that sit flat when not in use, but curve to assume their ergonomic shape when you need them, thanks to clever design and the use of flexible materials at exactly the right points, while relying on food-grade titanium alloy and aluminum alloy for the rest.
Why is it noteworthy?
Single-use plastic spoons and forks are a menace. Not just for the environment, which they pollute by thousands of tonnes every year, but also for humans. Why? Because flimsy plastic spoons and forks don’t offer any robust functionality at all. They bend and flex when you try to cut through food, and they’ll melt if your gravies are too hot. Uphold’s alternative is vastly better. Not only is it made from durable metals like titanium, but it’s also designed to be compact when tucked away, and incredibly functional when you need to dig into your food. The full-length design gives you all the convenience you need while you eat, and the fact that you’ve got a separate knife, fork, and spoon means no more dealing with that spork nonsense.
6. Typhoeus Morphing Knife by CIVIVI
We’re big fans of CIVIVI’s knives in general, but when I laid our eyes on the Typhoeus for the first time, I honestly felt my jaw drop a little. The Typhoeus isn’t your conventional folding knife, because it has a handle that folds too. Once you flip the blade out, you can either use it as a conventional clip-point knife, or fold the handle further to turn it into a push-dagger. This unique format gives you two knives, a conventional one and a hardcore tactical one, so you can cut open boxes and defend yourself with equal effectiveness. The Typhoeus features a 14C28N steel blade sitting within a G10 handle, but our eyes are on the Damascus steel variant that gets an upgraded aluminum handle for a more robust experience.
Why is it noteworthy?
The novel format is exciting and really reinvents a category (knives) that doesn’t see too much out-of-the-box thinking as far as mechanisms are concerned. Plus, with the Typhoeus you really get two knives for the price of one, and that itself should be enough to convince the moderate skeptic!
7. A2 Badger OTF Knife by Tekto Knives
Another one of our favorites remains Tekto’s OTF range. In a world where most portable knives have blades that swivel inwards and outwards, Tekto’s OTF (or Out The Front) knives shoot outwards when you hit the switch on top. The A2 Badger grabbed our eye this year for how compact yet capable it was. It eschewed the spear-point edge seen on most OTF blades for an American Tanto-style blade, crafted from titanium-coated D2 steel, and features a glass-breaker tip on the reverse end of the handle, giving you a knife that’s dangerous from head to toe!
Why is it noteworthy?
We firmly believe that if you’re an EDC enthusiast or even an amateur collector, you NEED to have an OTF knife in your arsenal. The A2 Badger, to that degree, is perfectly compact, well-built, and designed to be reliable and last long. The titanium-coated blade holds its edge remarkably well, and that aluminum handle feels great in your grasp, whether it’s for cutting or for shattering even laminated glass. When all’s said and done, that pocket clip lets you slide your OTF knife right into your jacket or pants, for another day.
8. M-Stand Titanium Multitool by ActMax
The M-Stand proves that there’s always room for more features in an EDC. It might look like your conventional push-dagger, but the M-Stand, as its name suggests, also doubles as a stand for your smartphone or tablet simply by splitting it apart into its two halves. Neodymium magnets hold the two titanium halves together, giving you an EDC you can wear around your neck simply by sandwiching a chain between the left and right elements of the M-Stand. However, when you need to use its vast catalog of features, split it apart and you’ve got two knives that also have built-in features like hex wrenches, a bottle opener, a paracord cutter, pry-bar, fire starter, and the phone stand, as I mentioned earlier. Snap them back together and you’re armed with a rather capable spear-point push dagger that you can wear between your knuckles and use for everything from self-defense to shotgunning a beer-can!
Why is it noteworthy?
The beauty of the EDC industry is its rather low barrier to entry. Sure, you’ve got a few big-name brands that dominate the category, but then an independent small-time creator shows up with a novel design and a Kickstarter campaign, getting the entire EDC community excited to see something new. The M-Stand is that novel design. It’s unlike any multitool we’ve seen. It does its job well, and has a fidget-like quality that’ll have your hands and eyes falling in love with it every single day!
9. Batch #003 Knife by Leatherman
When it comes to multi-tools, Leatherman is practically a household name. Back in 1975, during a European holiday, Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau found themselves encountering leaky hotel plumbing and making roadside repairs to their temperamental Fiat. This experience sparked a brilliant idea that gave birth to the plier-based multitool – a remarkable innovation that Leatherman is renowned for pioneering. Based out of Portland, Oregon, the Leatherman company still champions this category as one of the most functional tools in their catalog, but earlier this year, the company developed a new kind of EDC that caught our fancy. The Batch #003 isn’t your everyday EDC knife. It comes with Leatherman’s proprietary interchangeable blade system. Press a button and you can pop out the old blade for a new one. Unlike most knives with replaceable standardized blades, Leatherman actually makes their own blades in-house, offering you a choice between a drop-point and a sheepsfoot blade, both made from 420HC stainless steel and completed with a stone-washed finish.
Why is it noteworthy?
Aside from being a gorgeous folding knife, the Batch #003’s proprietary blade-changing system sets a standard that I really hope more knives follow in the future. It’s difficult to sharpen some types of blades (especially serrated ones), and discarding a knife for just that fact seems like a truly wasted potential. Swapping blades is a great way to prolong a knife’s overall lifespan. Did I also mention that the Batch #003 comes with its own torx and bit drivers too? Just as a nifty cherry on the cake!
10. 8-in-1 EDC Multitool Scissors by Eiger Design
The world of EDC goes well beyond just knives. It also includes tools, fidget toys, stationery, wallets even… but you’ll be hard-pressed to find an EDC scissor, yet here we are. Perfect for indoor and outdoor culinary adventures, this 8-in-1 EDC Scissor comes apart to double as a set of knives… but what’s more interesting is the fact that it also has a built-in bottle opener, can opener, nut-cracker, and even a fire-starter, all in one handy package. Quite like the M-Stand from before that splits into two, this pair of scissors can separate into its individual halves, giving you two knives, and a variety of multitools on demand. Put them back together and the hefty scissors can cut through hard materials like cured meats too, while also relying on a serrated mid-section to crack through walnuts.
Why is it noteworthy?
This gizmo is the kind your kitchen couldn’t live without, but it’s also perfect for outdoor cooking on a camping trip. Use it as a single scissor, two handheld knives, or by its whole gamut of features… the 8-in-1 EDC Scissors get points for being clever, practical, and reinventing an aspect of life that isn’t just outdoor/lifestyle. Pair it with Uphold’s travel cutlery for the ultimate cooking experience outdoors! Oh, and if you’re looking to buy your own pair of scissors, we recommend checking out the YD Store.
DuoFlip is a new gadget that makes carrying your daily essentials easier. With DuoFlip, you no longer need to search through a messy wallet to find your card or ID. All you need to do is flip it open, and you’re good to go. The design is simple and comfortable, making sure your belongings are secure. It’s the perfect investment for a more organized and stress-free lifestyle. Say goodbye to the hassle of carrying cards and IDs the old-fashioned way.
Carrying multiple items such as a work ID badge, wallet, bag/purse, and phone can be cumbersome and often leads to forgetfulness of crucial IDs or cards when leaving home or the office. Additionally, while contactless card tapping offers convenience and hygiene benefits, current card holders and wallets still require physical card retrieval, making the process tedious and increasing the risk of card loss.
The Solution: DuoFlip – The Flippable MagSafe ID Card Holder
DuoFlip addresses these problems by consolidating your daily essentials (phone, ID, and cards) into one convenient accessory. With its innovative flip design and MagSafe compatibility, DuoFlip allows you to effortlessly switch between two cards with a simple flip for display or tapping. No more fumbling or risking card loss.
Streamlined Card Display and Tapping
DuoFlip features two card slots: one with a window and another covered. This design allows you to securely hold your essential ID and/or cards while keeping them easily accessible. The windowed slot is perfect for displaying your ID, while the covered slot ensures the safety and privacy of your other cards.
MagSafe Compatibility for Seamless Attachment
Designed to seamlessly and securely attach to your phone using MagSafe technology, DuoFlip eliminates the need to remember one more item to bring along. By keeping all your essentials in one place, you can simplify your daily carry and never forget your ID or cards again.
Hassle-Free Transitions with Innovative Flip Design
DuoFlip’s flip design enables seamless transitions between the windowed ID card slot and the covered card slot. This hassle-free solution allows for easy storage, display, and tapping of essential cards without the need for card removal. Say goodbye to the inconvenience of traditional cardholders.
Dual-Sided Card Tapping with Anti-Interference Design
DuoFlip takes card tapping to the next level with its proprietary 6-layer anti-interference card partition design. Unlike other card holders or wallets that claim to support card tapping but deliver poor results, DuoFlip has been extensively tested with over 230 anti-interference material combinations to ensure reliable and efficient dual-sided card tapping every time.
Integrated Phone Stand for Added Convenience
In addition to its primary function as an ID card holder, DuoFlip doubles as a phone stand, offering both portrait and landscape orientations. Now, you can enjoy hands-free video watching and easily make FaceTime calls without the need to find a cup or lean your phone against a surface.
Versatile Accessories for Customized Experience
DuoFlip can be further enhanced with versatile accessories such as a lanyard, lanyard phone patch, or retractor, allowing you to tailor your experience based on your specific needs and use scenarios. Its magnetic design also enables convenient clipping onto your shirt pocket, ensuring easy access and safekeeping.
Premium Materials for Durability and Style
DuoFlip is constructed with tear-resistant fabric for its soft hinges, reducing weight and thickness while ensuring durability. The proprietary 6-layer anti-interference partition between card slots enables proper tapping without signal interference. The exterior of DuoFlip is made of vegan leather, available in three colors, providing a high-quality appearance, comfortable feel, and excellent protection for your cards. All layers are meticulously sewn together to enhance durability and longevity, with over 100,000 flips tested.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
At SleekStrip, we are committed to sustainability. That’s why we have designed the packaging for DuoFlip to be 100% recyclable and space-saving. Whether you purchase DuoFlip online or from a retail store, you can be confident that the packaging aligns with our eco-friendly values.
The development of DuoFlip has been an exciting journey for the SleekStrip team, involving initial research and concept development, design iterations, prototypes, testing, and pre-production setup. The company takes great pride in presenting this innovative design and believes DuoFlip can greatly simplify and streamline your daily life.
It’s a no-brainer that fresh ingredients lead to fresher-tasting food. Whether it’s a salad or a cup of coffee, the ingredients do play a role in overall flavor… but not everyone has access to fresh iceberg lettuce, and not everyone has the time/energy to freshly grind their coffee every morning. It’s common to err on the side of convenience and I’ll admit to drinking instant coffee when I’m in a rush, or when I’m traveling but the folks at Goudveer have a handy solution. The Goudveer F1 casually combines freshness and convenience together, ensuring that you don’t need to compromise on what might just be the first ritual of your day. The F1 is a portable, sleek, wireless coffee grinder that works both automatically as well as manually. With industrial-grade conical burrs and a motor that offers 100 grind settings, the Goudveer F1 gives you access to fresh coffee whether you’re at home, camping in the woods, or even at a minimally-stocked AirBnb in Osaka. The grinder comes with a built-in fold-out collection tray, and lets you hot-swap a motor for one-button electric grinding, or a hand-crank for a more ritualistic hands-on grinding experience. The best part? It’s practically the size of a small thermos, fitting into bags, backpacks, suitcases, or even your tiny apartment kitchen drawer.
Designed in Norway, the Goudveer F1 has all the hallmarks of Scandinavian minimalism, with a simple-yet-sophisticated vertical cylindrical form factor. A faceted outer body with an anodized golden finish reflects light beautifully, while a fold-out clear container collects the coffee grinds, sort of like an inverted spice grinder. The vertical design ensures that all the coffee falls to the bottom, so you don’t need to smack the grinder around to get all the coffee out. Once done, the container slides telescopically back into the grinder, allowing it to have that tiny form factor that makes it such a travel-friendly pick.
The Goudveer F1 grinds at a speed of 1 gram per second, giving you enough for a double-shot of espresso in 15 seconds.
You can alternate between motorized or hand-cranked versions, letting you choose exactly how involved you want to be in the coffee-making process. Adding the motor gives the grinder more height, so we recommend keeping it when you want a quick, good coffee, or switching to the manual mode for travel. To keep things compact, the motor gets replaced with a simple hand-crank when used in manual mode. Rotate the handle and your coffee grinds through, effectively turning into a coarse or fine powder at the speed you like. Once you’re done, a quick rinse and dry should be fine, or if you want to place the F1 in your dishwasher, just remember to remove the motor before you do.
The patented motor and burr drive work efficiently at just 60 decibels
With 100 precise settings to choose from, the Goudveer F1 lets you fine-tune your grind, keeping it coarse for a French press or pour-over, or go superfine for an espresso machine or Turkish-style Cezve. 48mm five-star conical burrs made from high-quality stainless steel let you control your grind in increments of 0.018 mm or 18 microns (for reference, a human hair is 70 microns thick), giving you barista-level consistency. The 120W motor works with the tap of a single button, operating at a fairly quiet 60dB volume and grinding at speeds of 1 gram per second so you’ve got a 15-gram yield in just 15 seconds. The motor is powered by a battery that lasts for 35-50 grinds on a full charge, and charges via USB-C. An auto-stop feature kicks in if something (like a large coffee chunk or a loose staple pin) gets stuck in the burrs, preventing damage.
Charge it with a USB-C charger or even a power bank!
The Goudveer F1 ticks all the right boxes, from its compact size to its durable build, adaptable design, fast-yet-quiet motor, and ultimately its $89 price point which only includes the motorized variant. If you want both motorized and handheld options, a discounted $99 price tag fetches you an adaptable version of the world’s smallest pro-level electric coffee grinder.
Robot vacuum cleaners are quite the fad these days, offering peace of mind by keeping your floors clean without getting your hands dirty. They come with a wide range of advanced features and a variety of designs, but they all have one thing in common. The majority of robot vacuum cleaners come with very large bodies, often justified by the power they pack inside. Bigger isn’t always better, though, and size can even become a liability rather than an asset when dealing with small, cramped areas or difficult corners. That’s no problem for the world’s smallest robot vacuum cleaner, sneaking into tough corners and narrow paths in order to provide a more efficient cleaning experience in a compact and portable package.
With it’s compact design K10+ can reach smaller spaces to clean better.
The SwitchBot K10+ honestly looks too cute to be true. At only 248mm in diameter and 92mm tall, it’s only half the size of run-of-the-mill robot vacuums and might easily be mistaken for a toy. In fact, you can easily lift it with one hand and carry it upstairs or anywhere, which means you can easily move it to rooms that need cleaning in a snap. Despite that diminutive size, however, the K10+ is no slouch, and it’s exactly thanks to its size that it is able to offer more for less.
K10+ features a design that can blend in with any home, making it even less intrusive.
LiDAR Navigation. K10+ allows you to achieve AI level precise mapping and quickly plan cleaning range at a speed of 2080 pts/sec.
K10+ returns to its base station for charging when battery is low, and returns to the last place it cleaned to finish up.
With its smaller diameter, the SwitchBot K10+ can easily navigate narrower spaces without breaking a sweat, deftly reaching the floor between the wall and a closet, underneath the couch, or in between the legs of a side table. Because it’s able to clean areas that most robot vacuums steer clear of, it offers 90% more coverage and significantly increases its cleaning efficiency. Of course, it’s not enough to simply be able to roll where no robot vacuum cleaner has gone before, and this little wonder surprisingly packs quite the assortment of cleaning features that puts it on par with its larger rivals.
Use the app to control the K10+
You might be surprised that the smallest robot vac actually boasts a suction power of 2500Pa, which means that even kitty litter and small pieces of food are no match for this wonder of technology. Even with that much action going on, it is able to keep quiet while it does its job, down to 50dB or 50% quieter than the industry average. It can also mop the floors after it has sucked them clean, and the disposable cleaning pads free you from the hassles and risks of dealing with dirty mops after each cleaning session. Best of all, the large 4-liter dustbin can collect dirt for up to 70 days before you need to take out the trash.
The SwitchBot K10+ is also equipped with plenty of smarts, from SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) self-navigation to obstacle and no-clean zone detection to scheduling cleaning sessions. It can also integrated with smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Siri, and even IFTTT for hands-free voice control. With the SwitchBot K10+, you never have to worry about missing those hidden corners and spots ever again and dedicate more of your time to the more important things in life.
Believe you me, just the way vinyl made its glorious comeback, CDs too will see a resurrection in popularity… and when they do, the Cp1 CD Player will stand out as the most sophisticated-looking player of our time. Combining age-old technology with a clean, minimalist, design-driven aesthetic, the Cp1 is a wall-mounted compact disc player that doubles as wall art. Its all-white design with clear lines and subtle detailing makes it blend perfectly into modern Japandi-style homes. Dieter Rams and Naoto Fukasawa would be proud.
“Streaming may be all the rage, but it often eclipses the holistic experience of a full album,” says the Cp1’s designer Tatsufumi Funayma. “While artists pour their souls into their albums, streaming emphasizes single tracks. NEW Cp1 nudges you to revisit the magic of entire albums, offering a chance to truly understand an artist’s intent and narrative, all while enjoying the accompanying art.” A billion CDs are still produced annually, yet the only way to buy a CD player today is to search for one at a thrift shop, on eBay, or go garage-sale hunting to grab a second-hand one for dirt cheap. The Cp1 changes that by hat-tipping an existing technology that doesn’t get enough credit, and is heavily due for a nostalgic resurgence.
At first glance, the Cp1’s design is a striking balance of retro and modern aesthetics. Look at it and you’re instantly reminded of a Polaroid film with the way it’s designed. It has a border on all four sides, with a thicker one at the base, like an instant photo. The center is where the magic occurs, where you can either observe the CD playing through a clear window, or slide the CD cover’s artwork in, transforming the player into a large retro-style relic of your eclectic music collection. The minimalist front, dominated by the disc tray and tiny display for track-number, exudes a no-nonsense attitude towards music playback. Look on the top edge and you’ll see the Cp1’s controls – simple self-colored tactile buttons that are easy to understand with zero text or labeling, reinforcing the Cp1’s clean design.
Despite its retro functionality, it’s equipped with modern connectivity options like Bluetooth 5.1. This means it can easily integrate into a variety of audio setups, from traditional home stereo systems to more contemporary multi-room setups. A 3.5mm audio jack encourages you to use wired headsets or speakers (as any audiophile will rightfully suggest), a built-in li-ion battery gives the Cp1 portable playback, and a USB-C port on the base lets you charge your CD player (never thought I’d say those words in 2023!) If you DO choose to mount your Cp1 on a wall, each CD player ships with a wall-mount that lets you attach the device temporarily, removing it whenever you wish like you would a wall-hung photo frame.
The Cp1’s transparent window is suitable for displaying photos and pieces of art too. Whether it’s abstract art you’ve created, images off the web, your own photos, or NFTs you may have regrettably invested in. You can slide a print right into the player, allowing it to serve as a larger-than-life Polaroid that sits on your desk or your wall. The Cp1 comes in white and even black variants, although the former is clearly a personal favorite. Even with its built-in battery, it measures a mere 26mm (1 inch) in thickness, which means it won’t occupy much real estate on your wall. The 1800mAh battery offers 7-8 hours of playback on a full charge – that’s roughly 10 or more albums for you to listen to while you relish the music as well as the art on the front facade of your gorgeous CD player from a minimalist future!
They say that ideas never die, but unless a great concept turns into a great product, it really never lives up to its true potential. We’ve always believed ‘crowdfunding’ to be one of the most powerful design movements to emerge from the birth of the internet. Thousands of people rallying from around the world to support a great idea for a useful (or fun) product? What’s more beautiful than that?! Financial constraints become less of a problem for budding creators when people across the globe rally around their efforts, allowing young designers and small teams to still make a large impact without the millions of dollars that large companies channel into product development. Nothing encourages innovation more than fresh ideas getting support directly from the masses. It’s like casting your vote for the kind of designs you believe in, and we absolutely love that! So do the folks at The Crowdfunding Formula, who have helped hundreds of creators bring their designs and visions to life. Dubbed the world’s largest crowdfunding agency, The Crowdfunding Formula set a benchmark this year with as many as 5 of their projects hitting the million-dollar crowdfunding mark in just the past 6 months! For creators, that can be the difference between a concept and a product that’s changing the world, so we sat down with The Crowdfunding Formula to look at some of their most successful projects this year. Who knows, next year it could be your design too! If you’re sitting on an incredible idea but you just need the right catalyst to help turn it into a great product, let this be your inspiration. Here’s a ‘Yanko Design and The Crowdfunding Formula review’ of some of their most noteworthy projects of the year 2023.
01. GoChess: Most Powerful Chess Board Ever Invented
With over $2.6 million gathered from nearly 7,000 fans across the world, GoChess proves that old classics never die – they just need to be reinvented a little bit! This AI-powered chess-board isn’t like anything you’ve seen before. It houses magnets under the board’s surface that move the pieces so you can physically play against an AI opponent. Oh, did we mention, it has a built-in AI that can either play against you or teach you how to play the game. The board is design with back-lighting and squares illuminate to help guide your chess pieces to victory, teaching you valuable gameplay strategies. When you’re experienced enough to play on your own, either challenge GoChess’ AI bot, or play a virtual game against an online opponent anywhere in the world and the board moves their pieces for them! TCF utilized this to help build excitement within the massive chess community, helping raise $600k in just 24 hours. It’s no wonder that GoChess holds the title of the world’s most-funded chess game, and why it’s such a fascinating part of this TCF review.
02. FUELL Flluid: World’s Longest Range E-bike
Boasting a range of 225 miles or 350 kilometers, the Flluid grabbed eyeballs for being the e-bike with the world’s longest range. Keen readers may recognize the name FUELL, Eril Buell’s electric two-wheeler startup that’s been making waves for its electric motorcycles and bicycles. The Flluid debuted on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, garnering support from nearly 600 enthusiasts who helped raise over $1.5 million for the e-bike, earning a solid spot in this TCF review. Erik Buell formed a core part of TCF’s outreach strategy, relying on his decades of expertise in the domain of running his motorcycle company Buell which he relinquished after selling the company to Harley-Davidson in 2003. Aside from that staggering 225-mile range (which can basically get you through a week’s worth of use), the FUELL Flluid also has a 28mph top speed thanks to a 750W motor, a 7-speed gearbox that automatically shifts gears for you, and smart connectivity that lets you check ride statistics as well as monitor your e-bike against theft.
03. FUELL Fllow: 150+ Mile Range and 30 Min Fast-Charging
Set your eyes on the Fllow and you’ll get flashbacks of the good-old Buell days. Designed to forward the legacy of Erik’s legendary cafe racers, the FUELL Fllow is an urban motorcycle with a new electric beating heart that gives it a 150+ mile range, a top speed of 85 mph, and a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of just 3.5 seconds… but all powered by clean energy in the form of a 35kW motor and a 10kWh battery. The Fllow’s design aesthetic indicated its future-forward vision too, with a broad aerodynamic fairing sporting a black and shiny silver colorway with just a hint of green to tell viewers that this wasn’t your average fuel-guzzling motorcycle. Designed by Erik Buell and Frédéric Vasseur, a Formula 1 Alfa Romeo principal engineer, the e-bike gathered a staggering $2 million in funding in just the first 24 hours, hitting a $4 million mark in just 3 weeks.
04. Duovox Ultra: Military-Grade Night Vision Monocular
Now tell me, who in their right mind would pass up an opportunity to crowdfund literal military-grade night-vision goggles?! Equipped with a Starvis CMOS sensor, a 7-piece lens, an IR illuminator, and a 10-hour battery, the Duovox Ultra offers full-color vision up to 1650 feet (500 meters) even in pitch darkness. It’s compact, weighing only 280 grams, and can be handheld or tripod-mounted and used alongside your smartphone which doubles as a viewfinder. With military-grade specs, including 5x optical and 10x digital zoom, 128GB storage, and hands-free smartphone operation, the Duovox Ultra was promoted as a great hobbyist tool, but more importantly, a valuable addition to your camping or survival gear, even providing vision in emergency scenarios and power outages… which explained why nearly 6,900 backers helped over $1.1 million to own this dream spy gadget, and why we just couldn’t resist including this in the YD x TCF review!
05. Oculis Lodge: Special Lodging Experience In Nature
This is a statistical rarity, but did you know architecture has a place in the crowdfunding world too?? Well, just like products, buildings require immense amounts of capital to create so for the folks behind the Oculis Lodge, it made absolute sense to rely on crowdfunding to help build their glamping lodge, partnering with The Crowdfunding Formula to raise more awareness and funding from enthusiastic travelers. Unlike with products where backers receive a final unit of the design, backers for the Oculis Lodge could pledge money and redeem it as a 1, 2, or even a 7-night stay at the property. The lodge, surrounded by 7 acres of pristine nature on the slopes of Mount Baker, was home to multiple domed rooms that could house up to 6 people inside. Each dome had its own skylight, a private patio, and was equipped with smart-home tech, while the lodge itself had every amenity one could ask for, from private saunas and jacuzzis to firepits and yoga spaces… and obviously a stunning view of the mountains set against the clearest skies the state of Washington could offer. Enticed by those spectacular views, more than 1,700 backers pledged $1.2 million to help bring the Oculis Lodge to life.
Envision a suitcase that’s not just for your belongings but transforms how you travel—introducing the Mishatu Voyager Smart Suitcase: a product born from a meticulously executed Kickstarter campaign that redefines travel. Far from being just another piece of luggage, the Mishatu Voyager symbolizes the perfect blend of advanced technology, innovative design, and practical functionality.
Crafted by a diverse and skilled research and development team, the Mishatu Voyager isn’t merely about storing clothes – it’s about elevating your travel experience to be smoother, more enjoyable, and undeniably stylish. Let’s dive into the journey of the Mishatu Voyager and discover how its eye-catching design and intelligent features make it an essential companion for any travel enthusiast. Buckle up as we unpack the Mishatu Voyager – a suitcase reimagining the future of travel, one journey at a time.
Design: Where Elegance Meets Durability
At the heart of the Mishatu Voyager’s allure is its design, which masterfully merges aesthetic elegance with lasting durability. The suitcase’s minimalist white exterior is more than just stylish – it’s a modern statement in travel fashion. This clean and sophisticated design choice not only boosts its visual appeal but also establishes it as a fashion-forward choice for savvy travelers. Its robust polycarbonate shell is critical, offering resilience against the rigors of travel and keeping the suitcase looking pristine over time.
Despite its compact 20-inch frame, the Mishatu Voyager impresses with a generous 33-liter capacity, weighing 12 pounds. This addresses the everyday traveler’s dilemma: efficient packing without compromising space. Its dimensions, 20.67×13.98×9.25 inches, are tailored to meet airline cabin requirements, making it an ideal carry-on. This thoughtful design balances size with capacity, catering to practical travel needs while maintaining a sleek profile.
Functionality is woven into the fabric of the Mishatu Voyager’s design philosophy. Features like Auto-Follow Mode, Assist-Uphill Mode, and Cycling Mode are seamlessly integrated, enhancing travel convenience and efficiency while preserving the suitcase’s stylish exterior.
Auto-Follow Mode: Your Personal Luggage Assistant
The Auto-Follow Mode is a feature that allows your suitcase to act as your personal assistant on wheels. Using advanced sensors and a remote control system, it can follow you autonomously, providing hands-free movement and relieving you of the physical burden of carrying your luggage. This feature is especially helpful in crowded airports and stations, making navigating through the crowds easier without worrying about your luggage.
Uphill Assistance: Making Every Journey Effortless
Navigating inclined paths or hilly terrains is a breeze with the Mishatu Voyager’s Assist Uphill Mode. Activated with a simple tilt, it propels the suitcase effortlessly uphill, addressing a significant pain point for travelers and making the physical aspect of travel more comfortable.
Cycling Mode: Adding Fun to Functionality
The Cycling Mode of the Mishatu Voyager offers an additional layer of convenience and innovation. At the heart of this feature lies a hidden gem: two ergonomic pedals that elegantly pop out from beneath the suitcase’s sleek exterior. These pedals are not just an engineering feat; they transform the suitcase into a comfortable seat, allowing you to take a break wherever your journey takes you.
Imagine the convenience of unfolding the pedals on your suitcase to take a break, savor a snack, or relax and soak in your surroundings. This distinctive feature elevates the Voyager Smart Suitcase beyond a mere travel accessory; it becomes a portable oasis of comfort.
Whether you’re at the airport awaiting a flight, pausing during a city excursion, or need a brief respite in a hectic travel itinerary, the Mishatu Voyager seamlessly conforms to your needs. Its thoughtful, user-centric design transforms the suitcase from a basic travel necessity into an adaptable travel ally, merging practicality with a dash of elegance.
Removable Battery: Compliant and Convenient
Compliance with airline regulations is ensured with the Mishatu Voyager’s removable battery, which is necessary for air travel. This battery doubles as a portable power bank, keeping your devices charged on the go.
One-Click Find Function: Never Lose Sight of Your Luggage
The one-click find function is a boon in crowded spaces, helping you locate your suitcase quickly. This feature is invaluable in busy travel hubs, offering peace of mind and reducing the likelihood of lost or stolen luggage.
App Integration: Complete Control at Your Fingertips
The Mishatu Voyager’s dedicated app enhances your control over the travel experience. With features like real-time tracking, remote control, anti-loss mode, and customizable settings, it caters to the tech-savvy traveler, offering a more secure and personalized journey.
Final Thoughts: A Revolution in Travel Gear
The Mishatu Voyager Smart Suitcase is an all-in-one solution for today’s travel challenges. Its blend of innovative features, such as auto-follow, assist uphill, and cycling mode, with practical elements like a removable battery and a dedicated app, positions it as a leader in travel gear. These features enhance the travel experience and address the practicalities of modern journeys, from security to mobility and convenience.
Described by the folks at Tekto as “Compact and Formidable”, the A2 Badger is an impressive little picket blade that’s sure to be a favorite in your EDC collection.
What’s an OTF Knife you ask? Short for Out The Front, OTF Knives are switchblades with a vertical deploying action. Unlike traditional folding knives with folding/rotating blades, the blade of an OTF knife slides forward and backward out of the handle rather than swinging open on a pivot. This mechanism is typically operated by a switch or button located on the handle. OTF knives are known for their quick and easy deployment, making them popular among military, law enforcement, and outdoor enthusiasts… and if you still don’t own one, this might as well be the universe giving you that sign.
Featuring an oversized lanyard hole, this knife design accommodates a wider range of attachment options, including larger cords and paracords. This enhances convenience and accessibility, especially in low-light conditions or when wearing gloves, making it an ideal tool for any situation.
Pioneered by the folks at Tekto, OTF Knives have a tactile thrill to them that folding knives don’t. There’s always that bit of surprise and a slight amount of recoil associated with activating an OTF knife that you’re bound to fall in love with. The A2 Badger, like all of Tekto’s OTF knives, is deployed by a contoured switch located on the top of the handle, right underneath your thumb. Slide the switch and the blade gets deployed out the front (hence the name). The entire process can be done with a single hand in under a second, and even with gloves on, making the OTF knife perfect for scenarios with split-second consequences.
The A2 Badger button boasts an exceptional grip, ensuring maximum grip and control in any situation.
Its precisely contoured button allows for fast and effortless ejection and retraction of the blade.
Measuring a mere 5.26 inches when open, the A2 Badger is Tekto’s smallest OTF knife sporting a 1.8-inch tanto-style blade made from titanium-coated D2 steel. Although the 1.8-inch blade is smaller than your average pocket flipper, the A2 Badger still is quite a nimble beast, making it a favorite among both enthusiasts as well as tactical personnel and first responders. The tanto-style blade comes with a pointed tip and two sharp edges that make it perfect for all sorts of knife strokes. The titanium-coated D2 steel blade holds its edge incredibly well, taking on benign indoor activities, outdoor excursions, and even tactical scenarios with ease. For getting out of emergencies, the A2 Badger also packs a glass-breaker on the rear of its handle, helping you make quick exits.
With its compact and lightweight design, the A2 Badger is both easy to store and transport, making it a popular choice among outdoor enthusiasts and those with limited space.
Weighing a mere 2.18 ounces and measuring just 3.3 inches when closed, the A2 Badger holds the title of being Tekto’s smallest and lightest knife. It’s built to be ambidextrous, and comes with a 6061 Aluminum handle that houses the OTF mechanism that’s backed by a button lock system so the blade doesn’t slide in while you’re cutting. A pocket clip can be attached to either side of the handle (depending on whether you’re right or left-handed), and a wide lanyard hole allows you to string your A2 Badger to your backpack, around your neck, or even your keychain for carrying wherever you go. The A2 Badger comes in 3 grip color variants – Black, Desert, and OD Green (Olive Drab Green) with a black-coated blade and a 15% discount on its $139.99 price tag.
