I enjoy reading books for personal and professional growth, and have recently started focusing more on my health and family time. Around 10 years ago, I would read books on the hustle and pushing your productivity to the brink. However, in the last year or two, things have changed. Today, there is rarely a book I read that does not focus on at least two things. For instance, I recently read the Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. Rather than being about hustling as much as you can to earn a dollar, this book instead highlighted why we make money, as well as discussing the comfort it can provide. But, this book–like many new books–points out that wealth is well beyond just a dollar these days.
Health and time spent with family and friends have both become such key elements to this new definition of success. Over the last year, I’ve made it my mission to ask entrepreneurs, leaders, and people I respect for recommendations on the products they enjoy using to improve their health or prioritize family time. Below are some notable suggestions I received, as well as why they are so useful for these purposes.
1. Vital Infrared Sauna
The Vital+ SaunaPod Infrared is a space-efficient and portable infrared sauna that was designed to deliver the benefits you could expect with a traditional sauna–but in the comfort of your own home. I personally like this more than the permanent ones I’ve seen. The setup is easy so you can move it in different areas or even take it to a new location. This could be the future of some of the permanent health products since consumers like flexibility. Offering four options for Chromotherapy Lighting, this sauna uses infrared panels. These panels generate warmth and heat up to 150°F, as well as the 660nm Red Light technology infrared heat for promoting relaxation, detoxification, improved circulation, muscle recovery, and also healthier skin. Its easy setup and quick heat-up time makes it convenient for people to enjoy spa time. And, they can do so without needing to leave their house, which naturally frees up more time to spend with family.
2. Kinsa Health Smart Thermometer
The Kinsa Health Smart Thermometer offers three types of smart thermometers, all of which provide an innovative and simple way for people to quickly track their body temperatures. These thermometers take convenience a step further by pairing with the Kinsa app, providing users with real-time health guidance, symptom tracking, and personalized care recommendations, which makes it possible to respond to illness faster. Parents can use its smart features to monitor fevers, track medications, and even share health updates with doctors. As a parent, I can confidently say that these types of features really do help to reduce stress and uncertainty during the sick days my kids have. The Kinsa Smart Thermometer offers families peace of mind by helping them save time that’s typically spent worrying about symptoms so they can instead focus more on recovery.
3. YEEDI S14 PLUS
The Yeedi Cube Robot Vacuum and Mop is an innovative one-stop-shop cleaning solution that is designed to keep your home spotless with minimal effort. Not only does it feature a powerful suction, it also offers smart navigation. Additionally, it has a self-cleaning mop that includes a self-drying function, which makes it possible to effortlessly tackle dirt, dust, and spills on carpets and hard floors. For pet owners whose vacuums struggle to keep up with the excess of pet hair on the floor, the Yeedi Cube’s ZeroTangle™ technology prevents hair from clogging the brush when vacuuming. Overall, its ability to automate tedious cleaning tasks helps families avoid the stress that’s often involved with day-to-day floor upkeep, which gives them more free time. I fell in love with these Yeedi products for my family because my wife stopped getting frustrated with me tracking dirt in the house.
4. Skylight Calendar
The Skylight Calendar is a sleek, digital touchscreen that can be connected to wifi and displayed anywhere in the home a picture frame could be; including on the wall. This calendar setup comes in various sizes and also includes a free mobile app users can access remotely from their phones. Having mobile access is helpful if they need to make real-time updates while they’re away. Other notable features I like are that it can sync with popular digital calendars as well as having a simple format that is easy to understand. Its other key features, like customizable reminders, chore tracking, and meal planning help to reduce stress, improve time management, create smoother daily routines, and–ultimately–keeps everyone on the same page. There is no doubt that this user-friendly calendar was designed to help keep families organized and connected so they can spend more time together.
5. Shark Air Purifier
The Shark Clean Sense Air Purifier MAX is a powerful purifier that’s capable of capturing 99.98% of the airborne pollutants found in homes, including dust, allergens, smoke, and pet dander. This purifier uses its Clean Sense IQ feature to monitor the air quality at all times. It can then automatically adjust itself accordingly to ensure an optimal healthy home environment for families to spend time in. Not only that, but it also helps to neutralize odors with its Odor Neutralizer Technology to keep air smelling fresh. I know from experience with seasonal allergies just how much it can impact my sleep. So far, since having this purifier, I’ve not had any issues with my allergies and have been getting better sleep. Minimizing airborne pollutants in the home means fewer allergy-related symptoms. Simply put, this allows people to spend more family time together, instead of worrying about their health.
6. Ninja 12-in-1 Double Stack Air Fryer
The Ninja Double Stack XL Countertop Oven & Air Fryer is a compact kitchen appliance with multi-functional capabilities that make meal prep faster and healthier. Its double-level design allows you to cook two dishes at once using multiple cooking methods. These include air frying, baking, roasting, and more. It drastically cuts cooking time while simultaneously reducing the oil usage for healthier meals. This air fryer features rapid heating technology that ensures crispy, delicious results in minutes. Consequently, this makes it a reliable and hassle-free way for busy families who want healthy home-cooked meals to easily do so. By allowing people to spend less time on meal prep and cleanup, this versatile oven makes it easier to have the best of both worlds when it comes to prioritizing both a healthier lifestyle as well as more time with loved ones.
7. Bathroom Butler Heated Towel Rack
The Bathroom Butler Heated Towel Rack is a practical home gadget that actually has more benefits than you might expect. This gadget is not simply for warming towels for the sake of comfort. Sure, warm towels are great after a shower. But, I am more attracted to the health benefits warm dry towels offer. Its advanced heating technology also helps to prevent dampness that can lead to bacteria and mildew growth. This promotes better hygiene and helps to reduce the amount of towel laundry. So, while this gadget provides a spa-like experience every day, its ability to maintain a cleaner, fresher bathroom environment is the key motivator for me. This heated towel rack ensures everyone can enjoy using cozy and dry towels while also spending less time on washing and drying.
8. LEVOIT LV600S Smart Humidifier
The LEVOIT LV600S Smart Humidifier is more versatile than most humidifiers, offering both warm and cool mist settings that help to alleviate dry skin, nasal congestion, and other common discomforts involved with dry air, especially during the winter months. This is a high-performance humidifier that improves indoor air quality by maintaining optimal humidity levels. In addition to these features, it also has smart app control. Its remote access allows you to easily adjust settings, schedule operation, and even monitor humidity from anywhere. As you can imagine, these features are especially convenient for families who are on the go. In summary, this humidifier creates a healthier and more comfortable home environment. In turn, people can worry less about their air quality and enjoy spending more family time together.
9. ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE
The ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE is a professional-grade meat thermometer designed to provide users with precise temperature readings in just one second. It is ideal for grilling, baking, and cooking. Needless to say, this ensures that people can cook their meals safely, which reduces the risk of having undercooked or overcooked food. Its waterproof design and automatic backlight make it easier to use, whether indoors or outdoors. This meat thermometer ultimately makes meal prep faster and more reliable. This, in turn, makes for a stress-free cooking experience that allows families to enjoy healthy, delicious meals together; all while making more time for family activities.
10. Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
The Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light is a creative lighting solution that simulates sunrise for people to wake up naturally, and is clinically proven to enhance sleep quality. This helps people feel more refreshed and energized upon waking up. It also uses programmable sound therapy that is especially helpful in boosting deep sleep. To do this, it uses gentle sounds that encourage the body’s natural sleep rhythms. So, whether your family has varying work or school schedules, this device helps to ensure healthier sleep habits. As a result, this can significantly reduce the impact of sleep deprivation. Overall, improved sleep promotes better health so people can feel rejuvenated and can be present when spending family time together.
Improving Home Health and Family Time With Innovation
In conclusion, if you want to reset your focus from a constant hustle to a healthier and more fulfilling life to spend more time with family, these 10 home gadgets are the essentials that I would recommend. These tools help with optimizing your home environment to be healthier. But, most importantly, the automation features of these tools allow families to spend less time on things around the home. This way, they can invest that time into enjoying each other’s company.
When investing in well-being and connection over sheer productivity, I believe these gadgets are truly a step toward cultivating a more mindful and enriching lifestyle for ourselves and our loved ones.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by August de Richelieu; Pexels; Thank you.
John Hall
John Hall is the co-founder of Calendar a scheduling and time management app. He’s also a keynote speaker that you can book at http://www.johnhallspeaking.com.