Best of 2020

Here are my picks for the ten best items I’ve reviewed in 2020, along with a giveaway!

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Testing 5 Popular Car Phone Holders (2022)

Giveaway

The giveaway ended on December 31.

Quick Links

Here are some quick links to all of the products in my Best of 2020, and be sure to scroll down to see the more complete writeups and embedded videos.

• WowBacon: Buy | Original Video
• Townew: Buy | Original Video 
• Retractable Stool: Buy | Original Video
• Granitestone Pro: Buy | Original Video 
• Lock Laces: Buy | Original Video
• Aurora A3: Buy | Original Video 
• Coldest Water Bottle: Buy | Original Video
• Coop Pillow: Buy | Original Video
• Allett Wallet: Buy | Original Video
• Ninja Foodi Oven: Buy | Original Video
• Swopt: Buy | Original Video
• LifeFuels: Buy | Original Video
• UFO: Buy | Original Video

Ten Best Products of 2020

Below are my picks for the ten best products I reviewed in 2020, along with three honorable mentions. I sifted through over 150 products that I reviewed in 2020 to come up with this list, so I hope you enjoy it. Note that not all of these products are necessarily new in 2020, but they were all reviewed by me in the calendar year of 2020.

10. WowBacon

My countdown starts with a very unusual kitchen gadget called WowBacon. It allows you to make bacon in your microwave, completely splatter-free. Although there are a lot of “splatter-free” gadgets out there, this is one that actually delivers on that promise.

Buy WowBacon here.

Watch the full WowBacon review below.

9. Townew Trash Can

I never envisioned placing a trash can in a best of the year video, but here we are. Although I was initially impressed with the Townew, I wasn’t quite sure how much I would actually use it. Now that it has been 9 months since my original review was published, I can tell you that I use it on a daily basis and I’m quite happy with it. Yes it is expensive and requires refills, but it’s a gadget-lover’s dream, a good conversation piece, and actually serves a function. I’m a fan.

Buy Townew here.

Check out the full review below.

8. Retractable Stool

This is a product that was being marketed on social media by a number of different vendors in late 2019 and early 2020. After trying it out, and in the ensuing 9 months since that review, I’ve found this rather simple product offers a wide variety of uses. Its primary use is a stool, although there are other uses for it that I’ve found for it.

Buy the retractable stool here.

Watch the full video:

7. Granitestone Pro

In 2018 I reviewed the original Granite Rock pan, which was later rebranded as Granitestone, and I raved about that pan at the time. I still use it, too. So in 2020 when I found out that the company was releasing a “Pro” version of the pan, I knew I had to try it out, and I was not disappointed. The GraniteStone Pro series takes what was already a great pan and improves on it. This and the original are still my go-to pans for daily use.

Purchase the Granitestone Pro here, and don’t forget to use the code “JAMESWHITE” on checkout for a 20% discount (you may need an account for it to work).

Below you can watch my full GraniteStone Pro review.

6. Lock Laces

I realize that shoelaces aren’t exactly the most sexy gadgets to include in a “Best of” compilation, but Lock Laces are as close to sexy shoelaces as you’ll probably find. This is a new take on traditional shoelaces that allow you to “tie” and “untie” your shoes in one motion, with less dexterity required. At a reasonable $8, Lock Laces make a great stocking stuffer for someone with a vast shoe collection and laces that need replacing.

Buy Lock Laces here.

My review of Lock Laces can be seen in the video below.

5. Aurora A3

In early 2020 I envisioned a comparison of several “tiny” flashlights to see if I could find one that was big on features and easy on price. Although I managed to assemble a rather solid list of competitors, I found the Aurora A3 flashlight to edge out the rest, and has become the flashlight affixed to my keychain. The Aurora A3 is bright, compact, and reasonably-priced.

Buy the Aurora A3 flashlight here. 

In the video below you can find my full review of the Aurora A3, which I picked as the best among the 6 small flashlights I compared.

4. Coldest Water Bottle

After receiving numerous requests to review both Hydroflask and The Coldest Water Bottle, I decided to compare them due to their striking similarities. While I assumed they would perform similarly, I was quite surprised to find that the Coldest Water Bottle handily out-performed the Hydroflask in my unscientific tests.

Buy the Coldest Water Bottle here.

Check out the full video in which I compare the Coldest Water Bottle to the Hydroflask.

3. Coop Home Goods Pillow

Upon completion of an epic 6-week comparison of five pillows, I decided on the Coop Home Goods pillow to edge out the Purple Harmony Pillow as my top choice in that video. My reasons for picking the Coop are that it is fully adjustable by means of adding or removing filling, and the cost is less than half that of the Purple. I’ve tested a lot of pillows over the years and the Coop is certainly one of the best.

Buy the Coop pillow here.

Below is my full 6-week comparison in which my twins assisted me in evaluating the five most requested pillows on my YouTube channel.

2. Allett Wallet

In early 2020 I sifted through a stack of unsolicited products sent to me to review on camera. One of those was the Allett Wallet and at first glance it appeared to be a garden-variety wallet. After transferring the contents of my existing wallet, however, I realized the value that this wallet provides. By making the wallet slightly wider and having two rows for facing cards, the contents of my old bulky wallet were be transformed into an impressively thin profile in the Allett. I recommend this wallet on a weekly basis.

Note: The version I use is the Leather Original Slim Wallet!

Buy the Allett here.

The Mail Time video below is where I first tried out the Allett wallet.

1. Ninja Foodi Oven

In late 2019 I tested out the Ninja Foodi Grill and liked it so much that I decided to test out the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven in January 2020. Because I had given the similar Power Air Fryer Oven 360 a positive review about a year earlier, I decided to compare that with the newer Ninja. To my surprise, the Ninja was head and shoulders above the Power Air Fryer Oven in every test I threw at it. I use this little oven for everything from warming up leftovers to cooking full dishes.

Buy the Ninja Foodi Oven

Be sure to watch my full review of the Ninja Foodi Oven below, and see how it beats the Power Air Fryer Oven 360 quite handily.

Honorable Mentions

Swopt

A broom isn’t exactly the type of gadget that most people believe needs improvement, but the people at Swopt have managed to find a way to add enough features to the tried-and-true broom to warrant a closer look. With the Swopt cleaning system, you get interchangeable handles and brushes, allowing you to stock up on brushes with only one or two handles. It’s a simple yet elegant solution, and one I have found quite useful.

Swopt is overpriced on Amazon, so I suggest buying direct at swoptcleaning.com.

You can watch my full review of Swopt below.

LifeFuels

LifeFuels is a water bottle that allows you to create your own custom drinks right in the bottle. This is achieved but the use of flavor pods which reside in the bottle itself. Upon first glance, most consumers notice one of two things about the LifeFuels water bottle: It’s interesting rocket-ship design, or the hefty $150 price tag and recurring cost of flavor pods. If you’re someone who needs to increase water intake and who loves gadgets, LifeFuels may be for you, provided the cost doesn’t dissuade you first.

Buy LifeFuels here.

You can watch my full LifeFuels review below, or read my full written review here.

Levitating UFO

When I tested out three levitating gadgets earlier this year, I tried out products in three different price ranges. Although the two higher-priced items were both impressive, I have to give a nod to the floating USB speaker lamp. Yes, it is expensive… but it is a beautiful, interesting, and functional product that has been a constant conversation piece. There is just something fascinating about a floating UFO playing the latest music from Spotify…

Buy the UFO speaker here.

Watch the complete video featuring this and two other levitating items.