10 Fun Tech Gadgets Parents Actually Want

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Every parent has been there — you're trying to soothe a teething toddler while cooking breakfast, cleaning up spills, and trying to get your older children out the door to school on time. Someone's crying, someone's whining, and someone's asking you the same question for the third time. You need dinner on the table by 5:00 so you can make it to tee ball by 6:30. Then there's still homework, showers, dishes, laundry, and pets screaming for your attention. Parenthood is a never-ending parade of to-dos, and the right tech can help you get more done while keeping some of your sanity intact.

Parent-friendly tech can lend a hand with meal prep, cleaning, entertainment, and even helping you get a better night's sleep so you're ready to wake up and do this parenting thing again the next day. Here are 10 fun gadgets parents actually want — and will actually use on a regular basis.

Every parent could use an extra hand in the kitchen, and the Nutribullet Ultra Plus+ Compact Kitchen System provides it. The 3-in-1 system includes a personal blender, a food processor, and a grinder to help you slash your food prep time. It quickly chops fresh veggies, grinds coffee beans, makes pureed baby food, or whips up healthy smoothies in seconds. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, the Ultra Plus+ Compact Kitchen System lets you take back some of that time without sacrificing on flavor and nutrition.

The kitchen system comes with the motor base, a rapid extractor blade for fast blending and cutting, two blending cups in different sizes, corresponding to-go lids, a coffee and spice grinder cup, a grinding flat blade, a food processor bowl, a slice and shred disc, a chopping blade, and a recipe guide. Most of the components are dishwasher safe to help save on cleanup. You can get the complete Nutribullet Ultra Plus+ Compact Kitchen System from Nutribullet for $199.99.

For busy parents juggling work, kids, and pets, the Petcube Cam 360 lets you stay connected to what's happening at home when you're not there. Made for pet parents, this smart pet cam includes a 360-degree pan-tilt rotation so you can see more of any room. It livestreams in 1080p high definition and has an 8x zoom so you can monitor what's happening in greater detail, even in low light conditions. They've also included a two-way audio feature so you can listen and communicate with your pet or anyone else in the house. Offer words of reassurance or just let them hear your voice, because you know they miss you.

Granted, a pet cam doesn't make you any less busy, but it can help you keep an eye on what's going on in your home. Unlike other home security cams like the Google Nest, this pet cam's titling rotation and two-way speaker give you more than just a live feed. It sends you smart notifications when there's activity in your home. Plus, you'll know what you're coming home to — think pet messes, destruction, and chaos — while helping to get you mentally prepared before you arrive. The Petcube Cam 360 starts at $52.99 and has an optional PetCube Care cloud recording subscription plan.

Between your work, their school, and everyone's social lives, parents need to take full advantage of those little pockets of time when they can. The Boox Go Color 7 E-Reader is a great way to do this. 

You can take your personal library with you on the go and enjoy a few minutes of peace during school pickups, sports practices, or even on family vacations. The Boox eReader is portable and includes a full color display to bring your reading materials to life. The e-ink is easy on the eyes even in full sunlight and helps you stay away from traditional LED screens that cause eye strain.

The Boox does more than just hold your books. It runs on Android, so you can download apps to keep your to-do list tidy, play games, or stay up to date on news. The battery lasts for days, and it's small and light enough to toss in your bag without adding bulk. The Boox Go Color 7 E-Reader retails on Amazon for $279.99.

Parents are often the first ones awake and the last ones to go to sleep, which means that the day for the average parent typically starts early. They treasure a good night's sleep, especially if they're still waking up with little ones during the middle of the night. While an early morning might be inevitable, the Hatch 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock can make waking up a little easier.

This unique alarm clock gives you a serene start to the day. Rather than waking abruptly to a blaring alarm sound, the sunrise clock gradually lightens to simulate the rising sun. It aligns more naturally with the circadian rhythm, which might help you feel more energized when you wake. It also doubles as a sound machine with over 20 sounds that can lull you to sleep at night. You can also customize sleep and wake routines from your phone or via the onboard controls. 

The free companion app comes with a ton of bedtime content, like sleep stories, guided meditations, and soundscapes. The Hatch 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock sells on Amazon for $169.99.

For parents with older children who may sometimes stay home alone, the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro gives you new peace of mind. It's a straightforward solution to monitor your front door — or any door — to see who's coming and going from your home when you're not there. 

The 1440 HD video gives you a clear head-to-toe view of visitors at the door. And you don't have to jump through hoops to install it. You can choose a wireless setup with the included mounting tape, so there's no drilling or wiring involved. If you prefer a more permanent setup, the kit comes with everything you need for a hardwire connection.

The door camera also doubles as a door chime. You can choose from 20 unique sounds and eight volume levels, including a barking dog that might be enough to scare intruders away. Two-way audio lets you connect with visitors via the Wyze app. There's no subscription required, although you can choose to purchase Cam Plus to get real-time alerts and store video footage. It's a practical choice for parents who want to keep an eye on their home and get peace of mind for their children's safety. The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro is on Amazon for $99.98.

Between school plays, sporting events, awards days, birthday parties, and the endless other engagements parents have to juggle, paper calendars can be woefully inefficient for parents. The Skylight Smart Calendar is a game changing gadget for busy parents that combines the best elements of a wall calendar with digital convenience. 

Like a traditional calendar, the Skylight Smart Calendar provides a physical visual for anyone in the home to see. It includes a colorful layout that's easy to read and see what's in store for the day. A touchscreen lets you scroll through days, weeks, and months for each person's schedule, and you'll never need to go hunt for a dry erase marker again.

The Wi-Fi enabled smart calendar syncs with Google, Apple, Outlook, and Cozi calendars, tools you might already be using. Each family member gets their own color-coded events, and everything shows up in real time. The optional Plus Plan also adds meal planning to the mix, as well as the option to import all those loose school papers and invitations into your calendar directly. The Skylight Smart Calendar sells for $299.99 and comes with one free month of the Plus Plan.

Keeping kids entertained while on the go can be an uphill battle, especially if you're a stickler about screentime. The Xgimi Mogo3 Pro portable projector lets them have their cake and eat it too — they get high-quality streaming without the brightness of LED screens. This portable projector works great for family movie nights, traveling, or even an impromptu screening at the park or other public space. It sets up quickly, and all you need is a blank wall to start watching your favorite content.

The project is compact and super lightweight, so you can take it pretty much anywhere. It runs on Google TV and has popular apps like Netflix and YouTube built in. The projector also includes dual 5W Harman Kardon speakers and an adjustable stand that lets you use it in more places. You can control the projector from your Apple or Android device and charge it using a wall outlet or a power bank. The Mogo3 Pro retails for $449.

From road trips to full days at water parks and ballfields, busy parents need an arsenal of snacks and drinks within arm's reach. Someone's always hungry, and the BougeRV portable electric car refrigerator is a solid way to stay away from the drive-through. This portable car fridge plugs right into your car's 12-volt power outlet. It runs on your car's battery, but also includes protection to avoid draining it and leaving you stranded with a car full of kids. It keeps everything inside or even frozen, depending on your settings. This means no more soggy sandwiches, warm water, or melting mess.

The BougeRV's 23-quart or 30-quart capacity is enough to hold a variety of snacks, drinks, and even a few meals. Despite its size, it's lightweight and easy to carry, so you can take it from the car to the shoreline without feeling exhausted once you get there. You can choose from five colors and add-on accessories like a solar panel charging station (for when your car isn't running) and a fitted cover. The BougeRV car fridge sells for $199.99.

Between cell phones, iPads, smart watches, laptops for remote work, e-readers, and the dozens of other electronics parents haul with them everywhere, a good power bank is the busy parent's best friend. The Ryobi 18V One+ battery power source is an excellent addition to the parental toolkit. It uses the same Ryobi rechargeable batteries as the other tools in the 18V One+ family, so you may already have several extra batteries at your disposal.

Bigger than the average portable power bank, this mega power supply includes two traditional USB ports and a 120-volt AC power outlet. You can charge cell phones, laptops, and small electronic devices on the go to stay juiced and ready for anything. There's also an onboard LED light to help with small tasks and a bright green power button so you'll know when your power supply is running. You can get the 18V One+150-watt inverter only for $79.97, or get the inverter with a battery and charging kit for $129.00.

Parents strive to keep a clean and tidy home, despite their surroundings sometimes telling a different story. So when there's no time to clear window glass of little fingerprints and sticky residue, a window cleaning robot can come in handy. This robot window cleaner from Tosima includes an auto-spray system and intelligent navigation. Place it on the window and the bot will do the rest.

It can detect obstacles and edges while cleaning in any direction. Strong suction keeps it attached to the glass, while AI helps it plan its route to clean every inch of your windows. You can control the window bot from a smartphone, which lets you start, stop, or adjust your window cleaning routine. It works on all windows as well as mirrors and glass doors, plus it includes eight reusable microfiber cloths to prolong your window washing sessions. You can get the Tosima window cleaning robot on Amazon for $179.00.