7 Palm-Sized Gadgets You Didn't Know You Needed

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It's probably fair to say that if there are two words that describe the march of technology in the 21st century, they are "miniaturization" and "convergence." Our technology keeps shrinking, but at the same time, it becomes more versatile. Consider your smartphone. It's thin and small enough to fit in your pocket, yet it's taken over the work of several other devices.

In the late 20th century, we'd have to pack a camera, a portable radio, a notepad, a portable TV, a handheld video game console, a laptop computer, and an old-school mobile phone to mimic even a fraction of a smartphone's power. And the smartphone can still do even more besides!

But being a jack-of-all-trades isn't always the best thing. Sometimes what you need is to whip out a tiny, palm-sized gadget that's designed to do one job, and do it well. We rooted through Amazon to identify highly-rated palm-sized gadgets with favorable professional reviews, so you can pretend you're Batman when you're out and about. Why not peruse this list of candidates for your personal utility belt?

The speakers in our phones are rather amazing when you think about it. The typical smartphone these days manages to produce decent, full-range stereo sound using nothing more than a pair of tiny speakers just a few millimeters across. While you might not enjoy listening to music on them much, other content, like YouTube videos or audiobooks, is perfectly palatable.

Yet, no amount of clever engineering can get around the fact that when it comes to speakers, there's no replacement for (air) displacement. That's where the EWA A106 Pro portable Bluetooth speaker shines. It may be palm-sized, which is small for a speaker, but compared to the speakers in your phone, it might as well be a public address system.

It's small enough to keep with you, so if you need to do any group listening or want half-decent music playback without headphones, it's a cheap and instant audio upgrade. It's also extremely popular. It has over 50,000 reviews on Amazon alone (with an average rating of 4.4 stars, no less) and, at around $15 a pop, it's practically disposable, too. At 50% volume, there's a promise of 8 hours of playback, and you can easily top it up from a USB-C source. At the very least, we now have another entry on the list of perfect Christmas stocking gadgets.

In our Insta360 GO 3 action camera review, we found that the camera was an innovative and fun addition to the world of action cams and opened up all sorts of new opportunities because of its size. However, it was held back by mediocre specifications, mainly its 2.7K resolution limit. Well, using what we must assume is technological witchcraft, Insta360 has managed to close that gap with the Insta360 Go 3S, which you can find on Amazon, where it has earned a 4.2-star rating with over 1,000 reviews. 

This little camera now offers full 4K resolution, is IPX8-rated (waterproof down to 33 feet or 10 meters), and uses a magnetic mounting system to connect to accessories. One of the coolest ways to use it is with a magnetic pendant under your shirt, allowing you to chest-mount it without a special harness.

You can expand the 3S into a more traditional action cam using its Action Pod, which contains an additional battery and has a view screen. When you disconnect the GO 3S from the pod, it continues to function as a wireless monitor and remote control. The most important feature, however, is the small size, because it means you can always have an action camera with you, and as they say in the world of sports, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Wireless microphones like the DJI Mic 2 and Rode Wireless GO III are popular solutions for modern content creators who need good vocal capture with minimal setup. Just connect the mics to the receiver, connect the receiver to your phone or camera, and you're ready to start filming. The problem is that these wireless mic kits cost hundreds of dollars!

BOYA says nuts to that, with its Mini 2 wireless lavalier microphone kit. At only $50, this offer not only provides an effective recording solution but is also about the size of a set of wireless buds in a case and promises some form of AI-powered noise cancellation — something you'd expect at a much higher price.

No one is saying these can match the audio quality of more expensive competitors, but they're a serious upgrade over most smartphone microphones, and, most importantly, they let you record sound for your video some distance away from the camera without wires. That makes it the perfect solution for content creators on a budget who want to save space in their kit. Combine the Boya mics with a tripod and a smartphone, and you have the makings of a one-person documentary crew.

The Leatherman Sidekick featured in our list of cheap gadgets and tools from Costco, but even that slick, foldable beauty isn't exactly palm-sized. You'd think that's as compact as legendary multitool maker Leatherman can manage, but maybe you haven't seen the truly tiny Leatherman Micra.

The Micra includes no fewer than 10 tools in a package you can clip to your keyring or the inner loops of a backpack, ready for that unexpected problem. Nestled inside its folding frame, the Micra hides away scissors, a knife, a dual-head screwdriver, a ruler, a nail cleaner, tiny tweezers, a bottle opener, and more. Even though it's small, the tools are anything but a gimmick. There are over 3,800 reviews on the Micra's Amazon page, with real-world consumers awarding it an average of 4.7 stars, indicating that the Micra is more than just a steel fidget toy. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned that it comes in a whole range of funky colors!

There's a never-ending battle between the hackers who want your data and the companies that are meant to keep that information safe. First, we had simple passwords, then ridiculous strong password requirements, then came two-factor authentication, and now passkeys and biometrics. It almost feels like the next step is a DNA sample and a polygraph test, but there's a much simpler solution: a physical key.

Even Apple recommends these physical security keys as the most advanced security measure you can take to secure your personal devices. The YubiKey 5C NFC, with a 4.6-star average rating across more than 6,500 reviews, is a widely supported and affordable key that you can load with your credentials. You can then either use the NFC chip inside or connect the key using USB.

Just one key can store the credentials of over 100 accounts, and it works with all the major providers. Now, you might be thinking that if someone stole your key or you lost it, anyone could access your data. However, the idea isn't to make the key the only factor to gain access. It's a physical authentication factor that's combined with another, such as a password or a thumbprint, and both must be present for it to work. Likewise, you can set it up so that it's only possible to log in to your computer with the key plugged in, so even if someone sees your passcode over your shoulder, as long as they don't also have the key, they'll be locked out.

Iniu's products have made the list of best portable chargers according to Consumer Reports, and the company has developed a reputation for particularly slim and small power banks. But the Iniu SnapGo Mini goes beyond being merely small. This tiny power bank, rated 4.5 stars with nearly 1,000 reviews, is about the size of a car key fob and can comfortably fit on a keyring.

That might not be so impressive on its own, but consider that it houses a 5,000mAh battery, and you have to wonder how they pulled it off. For comparison, that's the same capacity as the battery in the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. 

The neatest trick, however, is the built-in wireless charger for the Apple Watch. Iniu claims, using the Apple Watch Series 10 as an example, that you could get six full charges out of this tiny power bank. That's awesome for travel (and it's TSA-compliant, too), where you might have no easy way to charge your smartwatch for several days. For us, the SnapGo Mini holds the most value as a palm-of-your-hand emergency power source you can always have with you, in case your phone battery dies when you need it most.

A mouse might be pushing the definition of palm-sized, but since the Logitech Pebble Mouse 2 is designed to fit into your whole hand as small as reasonably possible, it counts! You might think that in this age of touchpads and touchscreens, no one would bother carrying a mouse around. However, most of the time it's still the better, more comfortable option if you have the need to use it. People rarely use their laptops on their literal laps these days, so if you've set up shop in a restaurant or at those little desks you get in hotel rooms, then you'll be grateful for a real mouse.

If you're using a minimalist laptop sleeve instead of a traditional laptop bag, then it might not be possible to fit a bulbous mouse in the little pocket most of these sleeves offer. That's when the Pebble is the perfect solution. Its extremely low profile means it can slip into a thin laptop sleeve pocket or other similar receptacle with ease.

It also has an easy switch button with a three-device memory. So you can use it with your tablet, laptop, or compatible phone as needed. It uses the same quiet clicking technology Logitech has implemented in its other mice, so you won't annoy people in a library or office. Best of all, it offers up to 24 months of battery life on a single AA battery, which may be part of why over 1,2000 reviewers have given it an average rating of 4.6 stars on Amazon. 

Deciding which of the world's littlest technological wonders are actually worth carrying around with you all day is trickier than it sounds. When you move into the realm of Lilliput, there's a chance that the tiny and cute gadget in question is really just a gimmick product.

The two most important criteria here are that the device must fit in the palm of the average adult human (no offense to our non-human readers), it must have a real, practical purpose, and it must be so useful that someone who needs it would happily carry it around with them all day.

We only considered items with an average rating of more than 4.0 stars on Amazon's review platform. We supplemented this user feedback with information from professional reviews by trusted publications. The reviewer must at least give the product an overall positive recommendation. We compiled this eclectic grab-bag of awesome little gadgets that can genuinely make your life easier without taking up more space than you can spare.