4 USB Gadgets From Costco That Are Absolute Must-Haves And 4 You Should Skip

There are so many useful USB gadgets out there, and you can buy many of them from Costco. However, while some provide various benefits, others may leave you disappointed. By utilizing the ratings system of the retailer's website, you can figure out which devices are must-haves and which ones should be skipped.

All of these USB gadgets have one thing in common: They utilize USB technology. How they use it greatly varies from one device to another. No matter the problem that you're trying to find a solution for, there's probably a USB gadget out there that will make things easier for you.

We looked at USB gadgets that are on sale at Costco, then we checked their average ratings and customer reviews to determine whether you should buy or avoid them. We gathered comments on social networks and reviews from reputable websites whenever possible to paint a more complete picture of each device. Our goal is to give you a better idea if each USB gadget should be added to your cart or not.

Whether you love camping or you want to prepare for possible electricity outages, the Duracell 3000 L Tri Power Rechargeable Lantern is an excellent purchase. It's priced right, retailing for $39.99 and has an average rating of 4.8 stars on Costco, based on 232 reviews, including 208 5-star reviews. It runs on three energy sources: An internal battery that charges through its USB-C port, its built-in solar panels, or D batteries. It has a maximum brightness of 3000 lumens that can last for 1.5 hours on a fully charged battery or up to 12 hours with D batteries. It can charge other devices through its USB-A or USB-C port, and it even has a wireless charging pad at the top.

Costco shoppers love that you can power the Duracell 3000 L Tri Power Rechargeable Lantern in multiple ways, as well as how bright it can get. There are a few complaints that smartphones charge slowly when you plug them into this device, but a slow charge is better than no charge at all in an emergency situation. The lantern appears to be a hit among flashlight collectors on Reddit, and according to Esquire, it's "near perfect" as a lighting solution while you're in the great outdoors.

Portable SSDs are among the alternatives that replaced USB drives, and the SanDisk Extreme Go Portable SSD is one of the best options in the market. Its 1TB model is available on Costco for $149.99, and shoppers have given it an average rating of 4.5 stars with 117 reviews. The portable SSD offers read speeds of up to 1,050 megabytes per second and write speeds of up to 1,000 megabytes per second, as well as hardware encryption for added protection. Physically, the device is also well-shielded with its water and dust-resistant design.

According to Costco customers, the SanDisk Extreme Go Portable SSD transfers files quickly, and since it's really small, the device is very easy to carry around. Both PCMag and Macworld praised its competitive price and durability, in addition to its solid performance compared with other portable SSDs.

The Michelin Jump Starter & Power Bank is one of the USB gadgets perfect for gearheads. For $84.99,  this device can jump-start a 6-liter gas engine or a 4-liter diesel engine. It also comes with an LED floodlight with strobe and S.O.S. patterns in white or red, and a power bank with USB-A and USB-C ports that can charge your mobile devices. You'll be using the same USB-C port to charge its LiFePO4 battery. The device apparently does its job well, as it has an average rating of 4.5 stars with 206 reviews.

Many Costco shoppers love the simplicity of the instructions for using the Michelin Jump Starter & Power Bank to jump start their car. There were a few customers who said the power button for the light keeps getting pressed while in storage and drains the charge, so be careful with that. Redditors are also impressed by the capability of this device, with one claiming that it takes less than 30 seconds to jump a car with it.

If you want to take your dual-monitor setup with your laptop wherever you go, you'll want something like the Acer PM1 Portable Monitor. Currently with an average rating of 4.3 stars from 131 reviews, the display provides a 15.6-inch screen with Full HD resolution. It's easy to bring with you everywhere because it's about half an inch thick while weighing about 1.43 pounds. The device connects to your laptop via a USB-C cable, but you can also use its mini-HDMI port to connect to other sources such as video game consoles.

The Acer PM1 Portable Monitor is an HDMI gadget that completely changes how you work. It offers a compact workspace with multiple ports, which Costco customers said boosts their productivity without complications because of its plug-and-play design. Comments on Reddit are mostly the same, focused on the display's portability and ease of use, though Redditors warned that the screen is somewhat fragile and doesn't come with a bag or any protection for travel.

Logitech is a popular brand in the computer accessory space, but the Logitech MX Keyboard and Mouse Combo doesn't live up to expectations with its average rating of 3.8 stars on Costco following 57 reviews. At $99.99, you'll be getting a bundle that includes the Logitech MX Keys keyboard and the Logitech MX Anywhere 2S mouse. They'll connect to your desktop PC or laptop using a single USB-A receiver, and they're compatible with all of the major operating systems.

While the Logitech MX Keys Combo comes with a silent keyboard and a responsive mouse, according to Costco reviews, one of the common complaints is that the keyboard uses a USB-C cable for charging, while the mouse uses a micro USB. That means you'll need two different cables to charge them, and they don't come with the bundle. Another issue that surfaced several times from the comments is that the keyboard has no height adjustment, and the mouse is too small to be comfortably held. Rtings.com also pointed out that the mouse doesn't have a compartment for the receiver, so it's prone to getting misplaced if you're often switching between computers.

For $69.99, the Ninja Blast 18-ounce Portable Blender is a promising device for its purpose of making and bringing your smoothies wherever you go. You'll get two vessels with easy-open sip lids, and a motor base with a start/stop button and a power button. It can also be recharged using a USB-C cable. However, we've identified portable blenders as USB gadgets that are a waste of your money. This particular product fails to meet the needs of Costco shoppers as it has an average score of 3.9 stars following 75 ratings. 

The Ninja Blast 18-ounce Portable Blender suffers from performance issues, particularly its blending power and its battery life, according to Costco shoppers. Redditors also have negative feedback on the device, as they have experienced its blade getting stuck on certain ingredients and its battery draining too quickly. The portable blender has a higher score on Best Buy, but the issues with its battery are still common among user reviews.

Costco is selling a two-pack of the Anker MagGo Magnetic Wireless Charging 5,000 mAh Power Bank for $39.99, which is a very affordable price for a pair of power banks. The device, which charges through its USB-C port, has a battery level indicator and is a compatible MagSafe charger for iPhones, as well as Android phones. It even has a kickstand so you can keep your iPhone in an upright position while it's wirelessly charging. You should think it through before going through with your purchase, though, as Costco shoppers have only given it an average rating of 3.7 stars after 335 reviews.

The Anker MagGo Magnetic Wireless Charging 5,000 mAh Power Bank isn't efficient, with the power bank making the phone that it's charging super hot, according to Costco customers. The device's compact and lightweight design doesn't make up for these shortcomings. A Redditor pointed out that at a capacity of 5,000 mAh, it will only have enough to charge a phone about once, so it should be used for emergencies or when you need just a bit more battery to last the day.

If you don't like your hands getting cold, the Karbon 3D Knit Heated Gloves look like a fantastic USB gadget on paper. For $49.97, these gloves have three heat settings that are enabled by built-in batteries that can be charged through a provided USB-A cable. The gloves' thumbs and index fingertips are compatible with touchscreens, and they have a thermoplastic rubber membrane for water protection. Costco shoppers have only given the gloves a rating of 3.4 stars following 81 reviews.

According to some shoppers on the Costco website, while the quality of the gloves themselves was good, they couldn't feel the heat from the Karbon 3D Knit Heated Gloves even when set on the highest setting. With the heating elements on the top of the glove and around the fingers, as confirmed by a Redditor, the palms are even more prone to cold, especially with the leather material in that area.

For our initial list of USB gadgets that are available on Costco, we looked at every category on the retailer's website to look for devices that use USB connections. This includes using USB ports for charging or transferring data, and in some instances, both at the same time.

We handpicked four USB gadgets with a rating of 4.0 stars and above as must-haves, and another four USB gadgets with a rating of below 4.0 stars as products to skip. We only considered devices with at least 50 reviews, as a lower number may not provide a complete profile of the USB gadget.

The ratings on the USB gadgets by Costco customers are supported by reviews from reputable websites and from people on social networks. With all this information, you should have a better understanding of why we recommended certain USB gadgets for purchase, and for others to be left on the digital shelf.