10 Bluetooth Gadgets And Tech That Are Actually Worth Trying

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Bluetooth is a miracle of modern technology. Unlike Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth enables devices to communicate directly with one another via radio waves. You don't need transmitters or even an internet connection, just a digital handshake between gadgets. This simplicity frees up manufacturers to build the wireless devices of their dreams. Sort of.

When you think of a Bluetooth gadget, items such as Bluetooth speakers and headphones probably spring to mind, and for good reason. Syncing a Bluetooth sound system to a TV frees up ports for other devices and lets you place the speakers anywhere in a room. However, Bluetooth speakers will never sound as crisp as a wired setup. But Bluetooth can do so much more than just send audio signals over short distances. It can transmit data, help you find lost items, and integrate into devices that predate Bluetooth technology (and wireless tech in general) to help them catch up with modern entertainment systems. Read on if you're interested in learning about 10 awesome Bluetooth gadgets that are worth your time and money, placed in no particular order.

Most modern video game controllers run on Bluetooth technology. Some still utilize wired connections, but these are mostly inexpensive (but not necessarily poor) third-party controllers. First-party peripherals such as the Xbox Series X controller and PlayStation 5 DualSense connect via Bluetooth, as do quality third-party controllers.

Plenty of companies sell Bluetooth-enabled controllers, but if you're looking for an inexpensive gadget that doesn't sacrifice accuracy, you might consider an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 or the slightly more affordable Ultimate 2C. While these are only $59.99 and $29.99, respectively, they are durable and more accurate than first-party equivalents thanks to their higher polling rates (how often they send data) and Hall-Effect joysticks.

According to reviews, the latest 8BitDo Ultimate 2 and 2C controllers are comfortable, and testing by Linus Tech Tips shows they have less input lag than even wired controllers. While 8BitDo Ultimate controllers rely on dongles to connect to PCs and consoles, the latest models have a switch that swaps to Bluetooth for Android gaming, although doing so increases latency. Admittedly, some people might prefer a wired controller like the Backbone Pro for mobile gaming, but 8BitDo is a worthy, affordable alternative. Plus, the company offers even more compact and affordable controllers, including the 8BitDo Micro Bluetooth Gamepad and the 8BitDo Lite 2 Bluetooth Gamepad. 

Most modern entertainment devices utilize Bluetooth in some capacity, including many of the best headphones currently available. However, the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is still very much true. If a device that predates wireless technology still works, you shouldn't replace it with a Bluetooth version; just buy something that acts as a wireless middleman.

The AirFly Pro 2 by Twelve South is a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver that plugs into a standard 3.5mm aux port. Just slot the dongle into any compatible device, and you can stream audio from your phone into speakers or beam sound from low-tech gadgets to wireless headphones. The AirFly Pro 2 is perfect for air travel since it is a TSA-approved gadget and works with most in-flight entertainment systems.

Reviews from outlets such as CNET praise the AirFly Pro 2 for its portability, ease of use, and core functionality. However, the review notes that the AirFly Pro 2 has a slight delay and may cause some lip-syncing issues when watching movies and shows. The item is $59.99 if you want it. On a side note, if you want to listen to podcasts in a car that only has a cassette player, while the AirFly Pro 2 won't work, the Arsvita Car Audio Bluetooth Wireless Cassette Receiver should pick up the slack.

We all lose important items every now and then. When that happens, we often scramble searching for them, look in the most likely and unlikely spots, and sometimes have to turn the whole house upside down. These wayward objects are always in the last place we look, but what if we could make it so they were in the first place we look?

Life360's Tile Mate is a simple but incredibly useful tool. The item clips onto everything from bags to keychains and uses Bluetooth to connect to a phone running the requisite app. If you lose whatever is attached to the Tile Mate, simply open the app and ping the device, and it will start ringing until you locate it. The reverse is also true; push down on the Tile Mate, and your phone will start ringing. Oh, and did we mention that the Tile Mate is under $25?

While the Tile Mate works as advertised, reviews from sites such as PCMag point out that certain features are locked behind a subscription ($3 a month or $30 for a year). Plus, while the gadget will help you locate lost items located within the confines of your own house, its reliance on Bluetooth limits its effective range. And unlike the Apple AirTag, you can't replace the battery. But if you're looking for a GPS tracker, Life360 also sells one, although this device, the Life360 Pet GPS, is meant to wrap around your pet's collar, not your keychain.

Watches have come a long way. Now they can tell you the weather, show you your emails, play music, and much more. Smartwatch manufacturers stuff so much into these gadgets that it's a miracle there's still enough room for the clock, let alone the technology needed to monitor your health and send the data to your phone.

There's no shortage of smartwatches on the market, and while you can buy decent, inexpensive Android ones, if you want an exercise-oriented smartwatch, odds are the Fitbit Charge 6 will suit your needs. Like all Fitbits, this gadget can monitor your heart rate, sleep quality, and oxygen intake, and then beam the data into the Fitbit app via Bluetooth so you can keep track of your progress. The Fitbit Charge 6 also synchronizes with Google services such as Google Maps and Google Wallet, so if you want to purchase something quickly, just tap your watch to a compatible wireless kiosk and walk out with your freshly-bought goods.

Outlets such as Wirecutter love the Fitbit Charge 6 for its battery life and suite of features, as well as its integration of Google apps if you're deep into the Google ecosystem. However, as CNET's review points out, in order to control music and get the most out of the smartwatch's health data, you will need not one but several subscriptions. And that's on top of the Fitbit Charge 6's $159.95 price tag. While many wearable enthusiasts recommend the Fitbit Charge 6, it's up to you if you want to add monthly recurring fees to the bill.

Most chefs would probably agree that cooking is more of an art than a science, but there are several exceptions, one being meat. Unless that chicken breast you're cooking in the oven reaches an internal temperature of 165 ℉, you run the risk of contracting salmonella when you bite into it. If you follow a recipe's instructions, you should cook the meat long enough to kill all the bacteria, but it doesn't hurt to use a thermometer.

While you can always use standard analog meat thermometers, smart kitchen tools such as the Chef iQ Sense do so much more. Sure, it can tell you how hot the meat is via a Bluetooth-enabled app, but if you leave the Chef iQ probe in the meat while it's cooking (the device can withstand up to 1,000 ℉), the wireless thermometer can predict how much longer you need to keep your food in the oven or on the grill. And all for $72.27 for a single unit, or $159.99 for three through Amazon at the time of writing.

Reviews through outlets such as Tom's Guide praise the Chef iQ Sense for its wireless functionality and voice alerts. The probe's app helps guide users as they prepare meals, so even neophyte chefs can cook succulent, juicy meat every time. However, without the phone app, the probe is essentially useless. Other options in this market include rival products like the Combustion Inc. Predictive Thermometer or the FireBoard Pulse, but since those are more expensive, the Chef iQ Sense is a great entry point to becoming a master meat chef.

Some people like to listen to music while they're exercising. However, if the songs are stored on a phone, they have to stop what they're doing and fiddle with it if they want to skip a song or answer a call. However, some enterprising individuals invented a mobile remote for just such an occasion.

The Chubby Buttons 2 is a straightforward device. You sync it to your phone, strap the remote to your arm, and start your playlist. Then you can use it to easily play and pause songs, change the volume and track, and answer phone calls without stopping your flow. Plus, thanks to the Chubby Buttons', er, chubby buttons, you don't have to worry about pressing the wrong command. You can even use it in the winter while wearing heavy gloves — perfect for when you have to shovel a ton of snow or need music to pass the time on a winter walk.

For the most part, customers love the Chubby Buttons 2 and enjoy how much it streamlines and simplifies changing songs on their phones. It is also water-resistant. According to one Amazon review, a happy customer installed it on a shower wall. However, early versions of the Chubby Buttons 2 could override keyboard commands, but a firmware update should resolve that issue. Also, some Amazon users have reported connectivity issues and needed several attempts to sync. While the Chubby Buttons 2 is $79.99, which is somewhat expensive for such a seemingly simple item, sometimes you can't put a price on convenience.

The Lego brand is almost 90 years old, yet it still seems to introduce something new and exciting every year. Most people associate Lego bricks with static, buildable kits that cater to just about every fandom under the sun, but plenty of sets use electronics, and not just simple battery-powered lights and sounds.

Lego introduced Mindstorms way back in 1998 and kept the trademark active for several decades. The purpose of the Mindstorms line was simple: Let kids (and their parents) build their own robots, code instructions into their central "Smart Bricks," and watch their creations come to life. Earlier renditions were self-contained experiences, but wireless technology was eventually integrated into sets, most notably with the EV3 kit. Once that happened, users could code commands and remotely control their Smart Brick.

Back when Lego introduced the EV3 version of Mindstorms, users and critics loved the set, with PCMag stating it was an excellent way to teach children how to code. However, that was way back in 2013. Lego Mindstorms, as we know it, was retired in 2022. Lego tried to rebrand the line as Lego Robot Inventor, but even that died out. Currently, the Mindstorms name has been reduced to a set of buildable mini-bots, none of which can be programmed. But if you can find a proper Lego Mindstorms kit in the wild, pick it up; it will be an easier project than combining a Raspberry Pi and Lego bricks into a functional Game Boy.

Maintaining a car takes a lot of time, effort, and cash. Usually, a car will tell you what's wrong, but sometimes you need to bring it in to have someone diagnose the issue. If only there were a handy device that translated vague warning signs into straightforward(ish) explanations.

The BlueDriver Pro OBDII Scan Tool is a little doodad that plugs into your car's OBDII port, reads your car's diagnostic data, and sends it to an included phone app via Bluetooth. Let's say the check engine light is on. When you slot the BlueDriver into the OBDII port, the scan tool and app tell you why that annoying light is illuminated so you can fix the issue yourself and avoid a trip to a repair shop ... assuming you have enough mechanical knowledge to do so, that is. Plus, the Pro version includes a suite of additional features, including the ability to generate repair reports and record live diagnostic data.

Reviews for the BlueDriver Pro OBDII are generally positive, with commenters on the r/MechanicalAdvice subreddit stating it is the "iphone of scan tools" that helps laypeople learn more about their cars. However, as Tom's Guide's review points out, the BlueDriver Pro is larger and heavier than most rival engine code-scanning tools, though not the biggest on the market. Plus, the device lacks an instruction manual, so while the BlueDriver Pro OBDII Scan Tool is easy to use, you first have to look up tutorials on the manufacturer's website. While the scan tool is $119.95, it is an investment that could save you hundreds, if not thousands, on unnecessary car repairs.

It's hard to believe that phones have been able to receive and send text messages since 1992. Granted, typing texts was initially awkward due to a lack of dedicated keyboards, but while physical and virtual keys eventually made the task easier, texting is still nowhere near as easy as typing on a computer keyboard. Thankfully, you don't always have to rely on the phone for typing.

As its name suggests, the Rii i4 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard is a portable keyboard, but it also has additional components such as a trackpad and scroll wheel. This gadget can connect to a variety of devices via Bluetooth. These include obvious platforms such as computers and Android phones, but it is also compatible with smart TVs and consoles — if you use the included wireless dongle. The Rii i4 Mini makes it easier to type out text messages and also navigate the internet and streaming apps. Not even the best Bluetooth keyboards have this much versatility.

Customers who bought the Rii i4 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard seem to love the peripheral. However, some Amazon customers complained that if they turned it off while in 2.4 GHz mode, it would start up in Bluetooth mode instead of 2.4 GHz. Others also noted that the keys had trouble registering when you had to type a word with the same letter back-to-back (e.g., cool, feel, and Mississippi). Still, for only $34.95 at the time of writing, the Rii i4 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard is a solid sell.

Massages are extraordinarily relaxing. However, many people can't hire someone to knead and pound the stress out of their muscles. The company Renpho specializes in wellness technology, such as massage devices. These include massage guns (handheld massagers that you hold like a hair dryer), like the Renpho Power Massage Gun. This relaxation tool pounds muscles with percussion, which helps get rid of pesky knots and aches, and it comes with several heads for different types of pressure. So where does Bluetooth come in? Normally, if you want to change settings, you have to remove the massage gun from the problem area, but the Renpho Power Massage Gun has a phone app that lets you change percussion intensity without moving the device from your muscles. It even has programs that tell you where to massage. Renpho also sells a similar massage gun known as the Power+ Thermacool, which is also Bluetooth-enabled and includes an additional heating/cooling attachment.

Customers on Amazon generally praise the Renpho Power Massage Gun family and say the Bluetooth functionality is a game-changer. However, while these gizmos are mostly good quality, there is a bit of a learning curve to figure out which heads are best for which situations. Plus, some buyers have reported battery issues. Renpho sells the Power Massage gun for $89.99 and the Power+ Thermacool for $119.99. 

For this article, we avoided speakers and headphones as much as possible and instead focused on Bluetooth-enabled devices that covered a wide variety of uses, from utility to entertainment. Of course, completely avoiding sound-related functions was impossible, so we added items like the Chubby Buttons 2 and the AirFly Pro 2, which make using Bluetooth for auditory entertainment easier. For the article, we tried to give utility and entertainment devices an even 50-50 coverage split, but there were just so many utility-oriented gadgets that it ended up being closer to 60-40.

Research consisted of two parts. We began by creating a list of functions, such as meat thermometers and video game controllers, and identified which had versions with built-in Bluetooth. Then we took the collected items and searched for reviews. Only the gadgets with the best ratings made the cut, but we then restricted the article to one entry per function. If we hadn't, half the slides would have been about fitness trackers like the Apple Watch and Amazfit. Also, while most entries focus on the cream of the crop, several feature items that don't have as many or as spectacular reviews but shine in unique ways.