Five CES 2025 products I'd buy as soon as they'd take my money

While this year's CES felt more bustling than ever, you didn't need to physically be in Vegas to know just how much vaporware flooded the show floor. 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.

Also: CES 2025: ZDNET's 25 products that impressed us the most

But of all the product unveilings and announcements that took place, five products, in particular, caught my eye and made me verbally exclaim, "Take my money!". Here are my top picks for the things I saw at CES that I'd actually spend my hard-earned money on.

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.

Also: CES 2025: These 9 best mobile accessories have impressed us the most

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 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.

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. Narwal Flow robot vacuum

If CES wasn't embellished with 100-inch+ TVs and far-reaching EVs, it would easily be "The Robot Vacuum Show." Of the dozens of robot vacuums that roamed the demo floors, including Roborock's Saros Z70, which features a mechanical arm to pick up objects, the one that resonated with me (and my colleague Maria Diaz) the most was the Narwal Flow.

While the 2-in-1 robot can fulfill the same cleaning tasks as other vacuum and mop combos, it features a practical technology that Narwal calls Deep Carpet Boost. When cleaning carpets and rugs, low or high pile, the Narwal Flow can lower its brush roller to apply added pressure while shifting in counter-directional movements to pick up any dust, hair strands, and dirt that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

Also: I test robot vacuums for a living, and this one has the most useful cleaning feature I've seen yet

According to Maria, who saw the robot vacuum in action, "While it was some of the fluffiest carpet I'd ever touched, Narwal's robot vacuum dug deep into the carpet fibers to remove grains of salt that had been worked into the fabric." The Narwal Flow is expected to be released in June for $1,600m, which is not cheap by any means. But with my current Roomba showing its age and the impending shopping events later this year, I'll likely make the switch in due time.

3. 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 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 people 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.

4. 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 factors are only a few of the science-backed reasons to have plants, by the way.

Also: I saw LG's StanbyMe 2 TV, and it's better than its viral successor in almost every way

The LG indoor gardening appliance functions like 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 20-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 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.

5. ShiftCam Planck SSD

ShiftCam has long been on my radar for its mobile-centric accessories geared towards photography. While I went into CES expecting the company to expand on its various lens adapters for its iPhone series, it instead launched a new USB-C SSD that turned out to be an even bigger hit for me.

The Planck is a USB-shaped adapter that plugs directly into your iPhone or Android, offering up to 1,050 MB/s of transfer speed and support for ProRES video recording at 4K 120FPS. At just 10 grams, it's minimal, portable, and very practical for content creators who mostly shoot with their phones. I did a lot of that at CES.

ShiftCam will launch the Planck on Kickstarter next month, listing the 1TB and 2TB capacities for $189 and $299, respectively.