The best thing I bought this year

From vibe-setting lamps and clever organisers to ergonomic tech, kitchen heroes and subscriptions that encourage small daily rituals, this is a roundup of the things the Mint team bought in 2025 that genuinely made life better

Deep relief

When enthusiasm collides with the limits of a 55-year-old body, a call for help lands on a foam roller or deep tissue masseur. Nowadays, it is Dr Physio’s Shiatsu Massager that’s my go-to fix for a sore lower back, neck, glutes, hams, or quads. Its three settings and the fact it can be moved to the precise spot that needs unknotting has the junior and me fighting for it most evenings.— Josey Puliyenthuruthel

The right type

To say the mechanical gaming keyboard I bought this year is excellent is an understatement. Since I got the Aula F75 Pro, it has attracted interest from Mint’s entire Delhi newsroom. It looks minimal, but has a dash of bling thanks to its inlaid LED lighting.— Shouvik Das

Screen-sized fun

I owned a 9th Gen iPad for years but the size limited its use. I did a lot of reading on it, but it was too unwieldy to carry, a problem that vanished when I traded it in for the iPad Mini. The perfect middle ground between a phone and a laptop, the Mini is now my go-to ebook reader, YouTube player, and the device that holds my social media apps. It has certainly lessened my phone use and doom scrolling urges. — Bibek Bhattacharya

Drinking decor

This month, I blended dark and white rum, infusing it with Caribbean spices. That creation (top class) needed an exquisite bottle. I bought a crystal decanter from a brand called Vilon on Amazon, which looks classic and expensive—but it isn’t. This purchase now sits proudly on my centre table, my best ode to Bacchus yet. — Goutam Das

That's my jam

I love driving, but Delhi’s endless traffic tests my patience. This year, I got a clip-on mini cymbal for my car. It’s a crash drum that attaches to the AC vent and lets me play my favourite beats instead of just listening, and with friends aboard, it sparks full-fledged jam sessions through every gridlock. — Pratishtha Bagai

Starry nights

People my age are​ active vibe-hunters, and the vibes must always be immaculate. On one such hunt, I found my Astronaut Projector Lamp, which turns any room into a space odyssey. It’s perfect for that hard day's night–you sit around with friends or cosy up and watch a movie with a colour-changing nebula on your ceiling. It cost me about ₹1,200 on a quick commerce site earlier this year, but it is even cheaper now. Plug it into a socket, press a button on the Astronaut's back, and you're good to go. It works as a nightlight too, and does not consume much power. When Delhi's winter skies are cold and foggy, it literally gives you a private sky. Bonus feature: the Astronaut's hands move, so he says hi. — Manas Pimpalkhare

Keeping time

An analogue timer that cost less than ₹2000 has been my best purchase this year. It’s corrected my attention deficiency, and I use it instead of my phone for whatever it is I need to: pomodoro work sessions, boiling eggs and pasta, to wake up from a short nap. — Somak Ghoshal

Pot-head

I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets even though I’m running out of counter space. This year, the Instant Pot Duo 3 has been given pride of place, and it has quite changed the way we eat. No more messing around with “how many whistles?” because you can set the pressure and the time you want it on for, plus I am convinced food cooked in it tastes and smells better because it traps flavours more efficiently. — Shrabonti Bagchi

Joy of froth

Gone are the days of enjoying a slow cup of hot filter coffee in the mornings, freshly brewed and heated in my saucepan. Now the milk is hurriedly heated in the microwave, with decoction usually made the previous night. Which also means, no foam. I sighed self-pityingly about this for months till we got a milk frother (definitely something good south Indians would scoff at, and I initially did.) But now I’m so grateful I can enjoy a frothy cup of coffee even if I'm carrying my toddler, and even if it's had later, when cold. — Dakshayani Kumaramangalam

Perfectly creased

I struggle to fold clothes. The creases never fall in line, the sleeves refuse to align. Somehow the laundry looks better after having tumbled out of the washing machine than after I fold it. I had been itching to buy the board that Sheldon Cooper uses in theBig Bang Theoryto get that perfect shirt fold, and this year I overcame the rolling eyes of family members to purchase one—in fact the exact same blue one from the series. For a clumsy clothes folder like me, this is a true gamechanger. My closet, for one, doesn’t look like a tornado ran through it, and I get the folds done at a rapid pace. — Avantika Bhuyan

Portrait mode

If you work on long blocks of text, like I do, you might want to try a computer screen that can be swiveled vertically. Take any brand that you like per the screen resolution you want and a budget that works for you. I paid Rs.25000 for a LG-made 27”, 4K UHD. — Josey Puliyenthuruthel

Get a lift

I have always envied the housekeeping staff at five-star hotels. What was the magic wand that helped them lift those heavy mattresses and tuck in the clean linen so immaculately? Until a friend introduced me to a product that’s a blend of utility and smart design: the mattress lifter stand and bedsheet tucker tool. Place the wedges between the mattress and the cot, and fold the sheets in with the precision of an origami artist. The best bit: most options available online don’t cost more than Rs. 400. —Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran