Things worth buying, picked properly

Amber, mixed and white settings with stepless dimming from 10 to 100% run from a low glow late at night to bright light for fine print. Clip it to the back cover of a paperback or the edge of an e-reader and bend the gooseneck so the head sits just over the top of the page. Four lights show the charge left, a full charge takes about two hours, and it folds small for trips.

• 12–90 hours per charge
• 3 light colours, stepless dimming
• Lights both pages evenly

What owners say: A very good book light in owners’ eyes, with several brightness levels and a charge that runs for ages. The range of light colours, the low weight and a clip that grips firmly all go down well, and its looks win fans.

A game takes about 15 minutes, or play to 500 points for a longer evening. Three blank wild cards each take a house rule, such as everyone passing a card to the left, then wipe clean for new ones next time, and a Wild Swap Hands card shakes things up. The 112 cards carry colourblind-friendly symbols, for ages 7 and up. Merle Robbins, a barber in Reading, Ohio, made the first decks in 1971.

• 2–10 players, ages 7+
• About 15 minutes a game
• Colourblind-friendly symbols

What owners say: Owners call it hours of family fun and say the rules are simple enough for every age to pick up, so everyone from the youngest player up can join in. They’re happy with what it costs, too.

The pencils come pre-sharpened and are made for mixing and blending: try laying one colour lightly over another before reaching for a darker pencil. Sort them by colour family into a few cups or jars so the right shade is easy to find among a hundred, and keep a good handheld sharpener for even points. Crayola makes them from re-forested wood, in Brazil.

• 100 pre-sharpened colours
• For children and adults
• Leads made not to break

What owners say: Owners like the range of shades and say the pencils are tough, sharpening cleanly without the leads breaking every time. They find them very blendable, and say the set does just what they expected and is good value.

The magnets are sealed into the frames, and in sunlight the tiles throw rainbow shadows. A book of build ideas comes in the box, and working through one together makes a good first project for a three-year-old. There’s no storage bag, so a lidded bin or a fabric tote keeps all 110 pieces together between builds.

• 110 pieces with idea book
• For ages 3 and up
• Fits most other tile brands

What owners say: Owners rate the quality highly, some above their children’s building bricks, and find the magnets strong enough for ambitious builds; small hands manage them easily, and children of every age get pulled in.

The 18/8 steel wears a DuraCoat finish YETI says won’t fade, peel or crack. Unscrew the handle to open the spout, or take the whole cap off to add ice through the wide mouth. At 8.6 cm (3.4 in) across it won’t sit in most car cup holders, so it’s one for the desk, the deck and the dock. It also comes in 532 mL, 1.1 L and 1.9 L (18, 36 and 64 oz).

• 769 mL (26 oz) capacity
• Dishwasher safe
• Finish won’t fade or peel

What owners say: Super durable and built to last, owners say, keeping water cold all day and holding its ice well, and easy to clean. Only the price splits opinion.

Heads up: The Chug Cap isn’t for hot or fizzy drinks, so as it comes this is a cold-drinks bottle.

Alan R. Moon’s game won the Spiel des Jahres in 2004, and this is a refreshed edition of the original map, with 225 plastic trains, for 2 to 5 players aged 8 and up. Keep tickets hidden and only draw more when you’re confident of finishing them, as an unfinished one counts against you; long routes score far more than short ones, so it often pays to save cards for a big claim.

• 2–5 players, ages 8+
• Plays in 30–60 minutes
• Map from Vancouver to Miami

What owners say: Families find it quick to learn and set up, with a pace that never drags and a fair balance of strategy and luck. The pieces feel well made, and it keeps coming back out as a game the whole family enjoys.

The widths go by code, from 005 (0.20 mm) for hatching to 08 (0.50 mm) for outlines and headings. Sakura’s Pigma ink is fade-resistant and quick-drying, won’t bleed through most papers and sits happily under a watercolour wash; give it a moment before rubbing out the pencil underneath.

• 6 black widths, 0.20–0.50 mm
• Waterproof, fade-resistant pigment ink
• Fine enough for hatching

What owners say: Owners use them for writing, drawing and outlining, with no bleeding or feathering, and like the spread of tip sizes. How long the ink lasts is the mixed point.

The light, medium and heavy bands run from about 9 to 32 kg (20 to 70 lb). Sit one on the thighs just over the knees for squats and side steps, or move it down to the ankles for kickbacks once the lighter band feels easy. A small carry case keeps all three together, so the set can live in a backpack, the car or a drawer at work.

• Resistance about 9–32 kg
• Woven fabric loops
• Won’t roll up or pinch

What owners say: The bands stay put without sliding, owners say, and inner and outer thigh work is where they feel them most, moving up a band as they get stronger. How long they last is the one thing that divides them.

Heads up: All three bands are black, and the listing mentions no labels, so mark each one’s strength with a tag or a dab of fabric marker when the set arrives.

It holds 473 mL (16 oz) and keeps drinks hot for up to 11 hours, or cold for 24, by Contigo’s figures. One hand holds, sips and locks it. A hook inside the lid keeps a tea bag’s string tidy, the lid goes on the dishwasher’s top rack, and the steel body is washed by hand.

• Hot up to 11 hours
• Push-button lid that locks
• Tea-bag hook in the lid

What owners say: Coffee stays hot for a long time and nothing leaks or spills, owners say, and they like the lock button; it travels well and cleans easily.

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The USB-C port gives up to 30W, enough to take a recent iPhone or Galaxy to half full in about 25 minutes by Anker’s figures, and the USB-A port up to 22.5W for an older cable, both at the same time. A small LED picks out the ports in the dark, it turns its own power down if it runs hot in a parked car, and Anker covers it for 18 months.

• 30W fast-charging USB-C port
• 30W and 22.5W together
• LED light finds the ports

What owners say: Owners rate how quickly it charges and how much power it packs into such a small plug, and they like having USB-C and USB-A side by side and its blue ring of light.

Featured in Stocking stuffers for adults →