Three CES 2025 products I’d buy as soon as they’d take my money

While this year was only my fourth time at CES, you don’t need to physically be in Vegas to know just how much vaporware floods the show floor. 

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At this point, it’s almost an expectation for the flashiest, most promising products at the show to be ones that will either never go on sale or cease to exist in a matter of years — when companies, small and large, shift their focuses to the next big industry buzzword.

But if I put all that doubt aside and looked at CES as if it were weeklong programming of QVC, here are three products that would make me yell, “Take my money!”. 

1. Mcon MagSafe phone controller

The rise of MagSafe (and magnetic) accessories has been nothing short of impressive. Even Android phone makers have adopted similar technologies to leverage the abundance of useful, creative, and handy ecosystem of accessories. While King’s CES offering, named Mcon, isn’t a kickstand or battery pack, it does give your handset a flick-out controller pad that turns it into the ultimate portable gaming device.

I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore gamer, but I’ve recently found peace in running emulators on my phones to relive my childhood memories and pass the time, especially on cross-country flights like for CES. With how powerful phones have gotten — some of the best handsets feature some form of thermal cooling and up to 16GB of RAM — it feels like almost a waste not to be gaming on them.

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The Mcon controller plays to my interests by allowing me to simply snap my phone onto the magnetic base pad and flick it open to reveal a nearly full set of control keys, including clicky, drift-resistant Hall Effect sticks. You can connect the accessory to your phone via USB-C or Bluetooth to synchronize inputs. King currently has the Mcon listing on Kickstarter, where pledgers can pre-order the accessory for $99. As for the final price, the company told Lifehacker that it’ll range between $99 and $150.

2. Kirin electric salt spoon

Was this one too obvious? Kirin’s electric salt spoon activates a mild electric current that makes the food you consume with it taste saltier. You can even adjust the intensity of the added saltiness and umami flavoring.

Also: 10 innovative products from CES 2025 that you can buy right now

The catch? The handle, which houses all the tech (including the battery) that powers the gadget, is on the thicker side. And to get everything to work properly, you must press the sensor on the back of the spoon while your food is positioned right on top of the current distribution sensor. For the impatient, this may make or break the dining experience. The ergonomics might also mean that you’ll have to eat like a baby holding a spoon for the first time.

But when the Kirin spoon works, the innovative utensil can greatly benefit those on low-sodium diets or who are watching their caloric intake. I’d easily consider buying one for myself, a family member, or a friend, so long as the learning curve is embraced.

3. LG indoor gardening appliance

LG’s new indoor gardening appliance was one of the few CES announcements that went under everyone’s radar, which made me more excited to discover it on the show floor. See, I have a bit of a houseplant problem; almost every one of my rooms has a potted plant to promote cleaner air quality, stress and anxiety reduction, and improved focus. Those are only a few of the science-backed reasons to have them, by the way.

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The LG indoor gardening appliance functions as a lampshade, with height-adjustable LED growing lights that work with various plants, including leafy greens, herbs, flowers, and fruits. LG says the latest model can maintain up to a twenty-plant, four-seed-kit capacity. Out of sight is the 1.5-gallon water tank that keeps the vegetation hydrated. 

From the live demos I saw, the lamp itself is no larger than your typical side table, making it fit with most home or office decor. And because it’s a smart appliance, you can pair the device with the LG ThinQ app to set cultivation schedules, adjust light settings, and track plant growth.