14 Quirky Mini Gadgets That Make Great Gifts

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When it comes time to buy gifts for the people in your life, there's no shortage of options, but that variety can make it difficult to find the right item for everyone. Then there are White Elephants, Secret Santa, and other gift exchanges where sticking within a limited budget is a factor. However, none of that means you can't get something cool and quirky.

Many amazing mini gadgets out there will make for outstanding gifts for just about anyone. They might sit on a desk at work or be used just about anywhere, and there are tons of options to choose from. While you can peruse the depths of Amazon to try and find something, you don't have to.

We've gone through hundreds of quirky little gizmos available online, and found a quite a few that might make great gifts. These aren't necessarily gadgets functional enough to take camping, but anyone loves miniaturized stuff will enjoy them all the same.

There are countless Bluetooth speakers available online, and some of the best versions look like something else entirely. A great example of this is New Wave Toys' M90 Micro Blaster, a faithful, miniaturized recreation of one of the 1980s' most popular boomboxes. Dubbed the "King of Boomboxes," this Bluetooth speaker is a perfect replica of its much larger inspiration.

The M90 Micro Blaster is a 1:6-scale reproduction capable of playing 20 hours of music. It includes two telescoping antennas, a handle, and a volume control dial alongside its dual micro speakers capable of delivering 6 watts of power. The M90 comes in another format if you'd like something larger: the M90 Mini Blaster, which packs in more features in its larger frame.

Both produce excellent sound and are considerably cheaper than the OG boombox from the 1980s. You can usually find them for sale on eBay, or you can get them at various stores online. The M90 Mini Blaster is sold at The Mystery Shack for $249.99, while you can find the M90 Micro Blaster at Queen B Vinyl Cafe for $59.99.

There's been a resurgence of nostalgia-driven products in recent years, and that's been especially true where old arcade games are concerned. With LCD screens and chips becoming so small and so cheap to produce, the door has opened for all kinds of miniaturized arcade machines and similar products. 

One of the better-known brands with a large selection is Basic Fun's Arcade Classics. These are small reproductions of the original game made into an easy-to-hold mini arcade machine. They feature some of the same artwork found on their larger inspirations, and the game included is the same one you'd pay a quarter to play back in the 1980s. Some of the games in the line include "Mortal Kombat," "Pac-Man," and "Tetris."

There's even a playable "Fix-It Felix" from the film "Wreck-It Ralph." Unfortunately, finding those typically requires perusing sites like eBay, but there are plenty of different mini machines available on Amazon. You can find the pictured "Pac-Man" Arcade Classics for $24.97, which is the same price as the company's other Arcade Classics, including the aforementioned and "WrestleMania."

If you're looking for something to give to a fan of puzzles, you can always get them a Cryptex. These devices have been around since the time of Leonardo da Vinci ... at least, that's what author Dan Brown wrote about in his hit 2003 novel "The Da Vinci Code." The same device also appeared in the 2006 film of the same name, though it's not a true historical object.

That hardly matters to fans of the film and the book that inspired it because, real or not, you can buy your very own Cryptex, which makes a great gift for the puzzle-loving people in your life. They come in different colors and work just as they do in the film, so to unlock them, you must enter a five-digit code via their six turntables, each with 26 letters.

These Cryptexes are a fun way to store a message or small gift inside, and they cost between $29.99 and $33.99 on Amazon. If your wallet is feeling a bit more adventurous, you can purchase a film-accurate, authorized working reproduction from Noble Collection, though it's a bit pricier at $195.

A popular trend right now is miniaturizing things into smaller, working items. You can find this in novelty products like Super Impulse's World's Smallest line, which features tiny workable versions of games and nostalgic devices. It's also seen in TinyCircuits' TinyTV 2 Portable Retro Mini TV. 

This tiny TV boasts a screen measuring only 1.14 inches. It also comes with a little remote control and features both pre-loaded and uploadable videos, so you can load it with your favorite music videos, anime clips, or whatever suits you. It plugs in via USB-C, but also holds a charge, allowing for up to two hours of video playback. These look great on a desk and are a fun distraction when the workday drags.

The TinyTV 2 comes in two varieties, including one with a transparent housing, so you can see what its insides look like, and it's as charming as you might imagine. Alternatively, you can get a wood-colored one that looks more like an old CRT TV. You can get one of your own in either format on Amazon for $59.95.

Fans of "The Office" know how much fun it can be to mess with a coworker like Dwight (Rainn Wilson), and now you can too with your very own desktop siege equipment. The catapult is hardly one of Leonardo Da Vinci's most obscure inventions, but he did design one, and Pathfinders' STEM Leonardo da Vinci Catapult Kit will deliver you a miniaturized version.

Of course, this isn't something you take out of a box and fire off rubber band balls with; you have to put it together first. The kit comes with all the wooden pieces you'll need and a step-by-step instruction booklet. It takes about one hour to put together, and once it's completed, you can use it like the real thing.

This is marketed for children to teach them basic engineering, but it's just as fun for adults. The working catapult costs $28.99 on Amazon, and it makes a great gift. If you're not interested in the catapult, Pathfinders also makes a Leonardo da Vinci Trebuchet kit, which is just as entertaining and costs $32.99 on Amazon.

Back in the 1980s, you couldn't visit a science museum without a large plasma ball somewhere. These were a fun way to teach kids about the fourth state of matter and make their hair stick up in all directions. In the '80s, you could find home versions of these at stores like RadioShack and The Sharper Image, but they were pricey.

Fortunately, that's no longer the case, and you can find a variety of plasma balls, often marketed as Plasma Globe Lamps, online. One of the less-expensive options is the Discovery Plasma Globe Lamp, which is sound-sensitive, so it reacts to music, and features the same glowing plasma found in the larger versions of the late 20th century.

The best part about this Plasma Globe Lamp is the cost because it'll run you only $16.99 on Amazon at time of writing. Currently, it's inexplicably discounted from $26.77, so it could cost more when you read this. There are plenty of other options from different stores, but Discovery's model is highly rated on Amazon by its users.

Toys and electronics that rely on magnetism have always been popular, especially those with levitating components. You can find this in a number of products featuring a spinning globe that is suspended between two unseen magnets. The Levitating Globe with LED Light from Moqodi is a fun example of this trend.

As the name and picture imply, this is a desktop lamp with a spinning globe that seemingly floats on its own power. It's held in place by two strong magnets that pull it equally from the top and bottom, leaving it in the center. It spins as well, so it's an interesting way to display a tiny globe. You can purchase it in a variety of colors and styles on Amazon for $36.99 to $41.99.

These make for great gifts, but if you have a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise in your life, you might want to switch it up and get them the Magnetic Levitation Bluetooth Speaker that comes in the form of the Death Star. These are a bit more expensive, and you can buy them on Amazon for $109.99.

There are plenty of cool clocks out there, and while most follow a similar format, there are those that eschew the normal practice of using dials pointing at numbers. One of the better gift options relating to these unusual timepieces is the LED Word Digital Clock from the Sharper Image, which is known for its innovative designs.

The USB-powered clocks are just as easy to set as they are to read. As you can see in the picture, there aren't any numbers for dials to point to ... and there aren't any dials either. Instead, as the time changes, the correct words are lit, so according to the image above, "It is five minutes past eleven."

Because there aren't any dials and space is limited, the clock can only display times in five-minute increments. That will hardly matter to anyone who enjoys unusual clocks, which this certainly is. The LED Word Digital Clock measures 7.75 inches and comes in a variety of colors, including copper, black, rose gold, and silver. You can find them on Amazon for $36.99 regardless of color choice.

For folks who love to read, there are plenty of options, from real books to all kinds of electronic devices. Devices with e-ink screens are popular among e-book readers, because they use little electricity and can hold a charge for an extended period of time. You can buy all kinds of e-ink devices, including multiple versions of the Amazon Kindle, as well as ones from brands from other retailers.

A recent addition to the e-book landscape is the Xteink X3 3.7-inch Pocket E-Ink eBook Reader. This little device measures only 3.7 inches tall and is only 5.1mm thick, and it holds a charge for 10 hours of reading time. It magnetically attaches to your phone, so you don't have to drain your battery reading on it, making the Xteink X3 an ideal gift for heavy readers.

It also comes with 16GB of storage that's expandable up to 256GB, which is more than enough to put a huge library at your fingertips. The best thing about these devices is the cost, as it's only $69 on Amazon in black or grey, making it more affordable than most e-ink readers.

As more products hearken back to yesteryear, you'll find all kinds that look straight out of the 1980s. Another cool Bluetooth speaker that embraces the nostalgic trend is the Divoom MiniToo Retro PC-Style Computer Speaker. This isn't merely a Bluetooth speaker — it also features a working screen and a mini keyboard.

The screen looks much like the monitors of the '80s, sporting limited colors of highly pixelated goodness. These come in the form of more than 70 different clock faces, including one that looks like an early version of Microsoft DOS, an old turntable, and many more. You choose what to display via an app on your phone, and there are tons of options.

The keyboard features several buttons to control the device, including power, mode, repeat, play/pause, and up/down volume keys. It also features a gamepad-style thumbstick to ease in choosing options. Despite looking like an expensive product, the Divoom MiniToo Retro PC-Style Computer Speaker costs only $59.99 on Amazon, where it has hundreds of positive reviews.

If you're looking to purchase a drone, you'll find plenty of options available online. There are drones used for racing, property inspections, extreme sports, and plenty more. Buying one often means spending a lot of money, but you can avoid that by going for an incredibly small gadget. 

The Veeniix V995 Mini RC Drone is a tiny, working mini quadcopter that fits in the palm of your hand, and while it's marketed towards kids, it also makes a fun gift for adults who love to pilot drones of any size. It may be small, weighing only 0.787 ounces, but it's quite capable of doing flips, 360-degree rotation, one-key takeoff and landing, headless mode, circle fly, and it can be operated both indoors and outdoors.

Once it's fully charged, the V995 Mini RC Drone can operate for just over 21 minutes of continuous flight. It alerts you when power requires a return to base, and it's easy to learn to fly and operate. You can buy it in green, blue, or red, each of which will cost you $33.99 on Amazon.

You've seen them while driving down the street, promoting everything from restaurants to used car lots; the Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Guy is a staple of roadside advertising. They're all over the place and make for a fun, eye-catching means of drawing your attention. Now you can own one of your own, though it's a bit small compared to the real deal. 

While the Poen Mini Inflatable Tube Man with Blower is marketed as a gag gift, it's nonetheless a lot of fun to put on your desk to distract your coworkers. Once inflated via the little USB-powered blower, the Mini Wacky Tube Man stands 16.54 inches tall, so while it's smaller than the OG, it's a respectable size for a desktop toy.

These come in a plethora of color choices, from blue and red to pink and yellow, some of which have different faces drawn on them, so there are options galore. You can purchase them for between $12.99 and $15.39 on Amazon, depending on your color and facial expression choice.

You can purchase a tiny television, which offers up a fun alternative to a 70-inch LED TV, but there's another option if retro gaming is what you're really after. The Tiny Arcade Atari 2600 Mini Console 3.5-inch Playable Retro TV & Controller is exactly what it looks like.

This tiny reproduction of Atari's 1970s home console is not only a great representation of the real deal, but it's also playable and loaded with features. The Tiny Arcade Atari 2600 comes with 10 classic games, including "Breakout" and "Pac-Man," and it's truly small. The TV measures just 2 x 2 inches, while the Atari 2600 is just 1.5 x 1.25 inches.

The controller, which actually works, measures only 1x 1 inch, and it's all connected as a self-contained unit. This is an ideal gift for a retro gamer, and it uses AAA batteries, so it's great to take on the go. You can purchase it for $36.99 on Amazon, and you'll enjoy reliving the classics like "Centipede," "Missile Command," "Combat," "Asteroids," and more.

A great gift for children and adults is a microscope, as it makes it possible to see the microscopic parts of the world. There are tons of different kinds available for sale, including old-fashioned ones that look like traditional microscopes and digital devices like the pictured Pocket Microscope with a 2.0-inch IPS Screen from Bmdsae.

This handheld microscope magnifies 1,000 times, and its image displays on the included 2-inch IPS screen. It uses an LED for its light source and features manual focus control at 2MP resolution. The included 600mAh battery lasts for up to two hours of continued use, and it's powered and recharged via USB, allowing for easy portability.

The microscope has 32MB of storage space, allowing for more than 200 high-resolution photographs of whatever you want to see on a tiny scale. You can purchase it on Amazon for $26.99, though other colors are available outside of yellow for $32.39 and $35.98 for purple and pink, respectively. There are other options available when it comes to handheld digital microscopes, but you can't beat Bmdsae's low price.

To find quirky mini gadgets for this list, we shopped around the Internet, looking for all kinds of great deals and interesting products. In choosing the products listed above, we ensured that they each had a high rating of at least four stars from hundreds of users who purchased the device. This provided some user experience in the form of reviews, establishing each product as one we're happy to recommend.

Additional selection criteria come from our writers' experiences, as many have hands-on experience with these recommended products. In terms of cost, while we could have listed out plenty of products that range in the hundreds of dollars, we wanted to keep things light, so most products cost under $100 with only a handful exceeding that amount.

The gadgets also needed to be small and somewhat unusual to be quirky, so we selected miniaturized versions of much larger items, useful but visually interesting products, and more. All of the products needed to also perform as described in their listings, resulting in 14 fun products that consumers can be confident in purchasing either for themselves or as gifts for others.