21 Genius Products That’ll Make You Ponder The Brilliance Of Human Innovation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

A heatless hair-curling headband for overnight curls, plant food spikes that can bring dying plants back to life, and other products that prove that miracles *do* exist.

BuzzFeed Staff

SockDock is a small business founded by Kevin Bunn in March 2017 after he got so frustrated losing socks while doing laundry.

Promising review: "For the last six years, I have lost literally dozens of socks. No one would fess up to having them stuffed in their drawers or crammed underneath their beds. So, it must be the sock gnomes or if you are familiar with Family Guy. I have been using the SockDock for about a month, I've washed about three or four loads and guess what, not one sock lost. It does take some commitment to load soiled socks on the tree, but it's worth the effort. They come out of the wash, and you just hang them up and pull fresh ones off. I highly recommend if you can commit yourself to the process." —S. Peterson

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in five colors).

They're BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and have fill lines on the side of the compartments for half and full cups.

Promising review: "LOVE LOVE LOVE. My freezer is so much more organized now. Gone are the days of having to defrost an entire bag of chicken broth for one cup for a recipe. I now have perfectly portioned 1/2-cup and 1-cup blocks ready to go. They fit easily in freezer bags, take up less space, and make me incredibly happy. There was a lot of attention to detail put into the design and I particularly appreciate the wire inside the rim that holds everything steady — no more worrying about spilling all the liquid on the way to the freezer. Just a fantastic product all around. I purchased this and a cheaper version from another manufacturer at the same time but returned the other product. This one is definitely worth the added cost." —Kate

Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in three colors and multipacks).

Check out a TikTok of the glow-in-the-dark case in action.

Promising review: "It’s a thin silicone case that slips right on and has holes for all buttons and the microphone in the right places. It also has raised dots on the back to make it easy to grip. With the easy-to-see color, I no longer lose my remote in the couch cushions. Highly recommend." —S. Mizrahi

Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in eight colors/styles).

The set includes a curling rod, two hair scrunchies, a claw hair clip, and two duckbill hair clips to set it in place. You can use this on all hair types, but reviewers say it works best when used with damp hair!

Promising review: "Before purchasing, I’d seen a lot of reviews and tutorials on TikTok showing the results. My hair is thick, coarse, and naturally wavy, so I figured this might be a good alternative to rollers that are time-consuming to put in, difficult to sleep in, and ultimately not worth it. And MAN was I right to be hopeful. Wrap pieces of damp hair around it before bed, the tighter the wrap, the tighter the curl. Easy to sleep in since there’s nothing on the back of your head, and my curls are BOUNCY the next morning. My only complaint is that it doesn’t help give any top-volume, but nothing some teasing can’t fix. 10/10. I’ll never go back to a curling iron." —Mariah

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (clip the coupon on the product page to get 10% off this price; available in six colors).

LA Beautyologist is a Black- and woman-owned small business from esthetician Nai Roberts-Smith. She also owns her own studio — The Golden Rx Skin Studio — in LA, where she offers skincare and body treatments.

Get a pair from LA Beautyologist for $25 (originally $27; available in four colors).

It's only compatible with Pilot FriXion pens (one is included with the notebook).

Promising review: "I love it! I will admit that the transition from paper to digital when it comes to notes is not an easy one for me, but this is a fabulous way to sort of split the difference. You still have the action of writing (which I find really important in meetings and brainstorming sessions) but without the consumption of paper and countless notebooks. And, being able to throw things into the cloud makes them accessible no matter where you're working — handy." —Meredith

Get it from Amazon for $17.69+ (available in two sizes and a variety of colors).

Promising review: "If you're like me and living in a space that doesn't have a ton of room let alone space for a big old ironing board, this is the perfect solution. This mat easily sticks with the magnets to the top of the dryer. It's a great space-saving solution. If you're looking to minimize, this is what you want!" —JD

Get it from Amazon for $13.28+ (available in two sizes).

Each spike can be used for 30–60 days, depending on the season.

Promising review: "I always kill my plants but I decided to try again. I just bought five houseplants, and three of them were marked down because they were looking pretty puny. Since I tend to kill them anyway, I figured I would give them a try and save some money. I put one of these spikes in each plant and they all looked so much healthier and happier after just a couple of days. I also added one spike to the only houseplant that I've had for years without killing (I was beginning to think it was artificial) the leaves looked healthier almost immediately. I'm very happy with this product and it was a great price." —victoria

Get 48 spikes from Amazon for $3.62.

ScratchPad for Dogs is a small biz based in Atlanta offering scratch pads and refills.

Promising review: "Love this scratch pad! We adopted our dog almost a year ago and he's been terrified of clippers and grinders since day one. We've never been able to maintain his nails due to his super reactive anxiety around nail care. That's all changed since we got the Scratch Pad a few weeks ago! He took to it right away and his nails have shown significant improvement in just a few sessions!" —Kira Armajani

Get it from ScratchPad for Dogs on Etsy for $42.25+ (available in two styles, three grit levels, and with or without refills).

Promising review: "Love this little steamer! For the price, you can’t beat it. I use it almost daily. My old one was a different brand and would randomly quit in the middle of steaming and need to heat up again. This one has not done that at all, keeps going strong day after day." —Amanda Elizabeth

Get it from Amazon for $22.38.

Check out BuzzFeed's full review of this mini steamer for more deets!!

Promising review: "I don’t usually do reviews on products, but for this one I absolutely have to. I have 3c type hair and struggle with a lot a breakage, unmanageability, and moisture. When my mom mentioned this product to me I didn’t take her seriously because of the simple fact that we have completely different hair textures.

I never would have thought this brand would work on my hair. I have always used ethnic hair products and stayed away from brands such as this one because of the alcohol consumption. I have never in my 22 years felt my hair like this! I feel like I have a completely different head of hair. This product is so amazing and I will FOREVER be using this product in my hair regimen." —Theressa Hailey

Get it from Amazon for $9.87.

Promising review: "This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm an author and tend to get some of my best ideas in the shower. Since it's inconvenient to have a normal pad of paper and pen in the shower and dangerous to have anything electronic, these fill the gap perfectly." —NfRtB

Get it from Amazon for $15.

Get a set of six (to organize 12 mugs) from Amazon for $24.99 (available in three colors).

Mouthwatchers is a small business established by Ronald Plotka, DDS, that specializes in antimicrobial toothbrushes designed to get deeper cleans even patients with "great" dental hygiene might miss with traditional brush and floss routines.

Here's why BuzzFeed writer Emma Lord loves this toothbrush:

I personally bought this a few months ago and love it! I use an electric toothbrush usually, but I feel like I'm getting a much more satisfying clean from these?? Especially because I tend to get yellow stains between my teeth no matter *how* much I floss, and these bristles seem to actually target that a lot more effectively. I've switched to using this in the morning and the electric one at night and definitely see a difference in that area in particular.

Promising review: "This was another one of my TikTok purchases! I was skeptical but my kids hate flossing their teeth so thought this might help in between making them floss. They work amazing! My kids said they could see and feel a different on the first use and I agree! They are definitely with a try! I would suggest not pushing too hard, those tiny bristles really get in there and if you push too hard you nights be sore like I was. It felt like after going to a dental cleaning." —Amy N.

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $9.90.

Youthforia is an Asian woman-owned small business established in 2020 that specializes in environmentally friendly, cruelty-free makeup made with at least 90% renewable ingredients. Plus, all of Youthforia's makeup is designed with ingredients that make it ok for your skin to sleep with it on!

Promising review: "Dewy and glowy. I tried it over makeup and it appeared as a strong pink shade but settled to a flushed, glowy color. I had my little sister try it too because I wanted to see the color change again and it lasted a really long time on her. The texture was smooth and it was easy to rub in and blend out." —Summer

Get it from Youthforia for $36 or from Amazon for $36.

Promising review: "Probably the coolest holder I have ever seen. Bought it for my wife and she loves it and thinks it's cute. I laugh when I look at it, just cool as all! Hangs on all of our pots and pans, stays cool. Easy to clean and looks awesome. Great addition to any kitchen. Works great, does exactly what it is intended to do!" —Logan E.

Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in five colors).

Promising review: "How have I lived without these? Chips and salsa, popcorn, and really anything you don't want to pick up with your bare hands. A dead fly in the windowsill. We designated the black one as the non-food picker upper. These are great for sampling buffet food when friends and family gather. Just don't use the black one." —Mrs. Harris

Get them from Amazon for $7.95 (available in five colors).

PhoneSoap is a small business that creates products to help you keep your phone germ-free.

Promising review: "I love that I can put my phone in there after I get home and it is sanitized in no time at all. I work in health care and I makes me feel better about having my phone at work." —Tammy

Get it from Amazon for $36.99+ (available in six colors).

Check out a TikTok of the pickle juice strainer in action.

Promising review: "I love pickles and olives but hate the mess and pain of pickle/olive brine. I've been known to just drain it out of a jar immediately, even if that means having to throw away the pickles or olives sooner. I randomly discovered these containers from some online article, and knew right away I would be getting one. I now have two but plan on buying more. They're just great. The only thing is, you need to be 100% sure you've got the lids on completely or you will have a disaster on your hands. Check and double check each time you are securing them. The tongs are useful just to have around for anything, too." —Nick

Get it from Amazon for $10.36+ (also available in two colors, with an included tong, and in a large size).

See it in action on TikTok here!

Promising review: "If you are on the fence about getting one of these, GET ONE. It really is as easy as it sounds to have a perfectly cooked egg, no guesswork. Soft-boiled eggs took me about 11 minutes to make. Just have an ice bath ready next to the cooker and let the eggs sit for a minute or two in there...peels come right off :) Makes healthy eating a breeze in the morning! Where has this been all my life!??!?" —rebecca

Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in eight colors and various styles).

Get a pack of 10 (five pairs) from Amazon for $6.99 (available in three colors).

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.