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Tech in all its forms has come a long way in both aesthetics and functionality since it first started getting packaged into consumer products. Computers that once took up an entire room now fit into our pockets, and the same device can do the work of a camera, a foldable map, a CD player, and a TV set. But along the way there have always been pockets where what was once seen as obsolete is suddenly missed.
Vinyl records have always managed to find new listeners, film cameras continue to offer a more personal, analog feel than digital cameras, and classic video games are as accessible as ever. In the same regard, CDs are making a comeback, and there are a number of reasons to buy 4K Blu-rays instead of another streaming subscription. Whether it’s another passing trend or the true return of trends gone out of style, tech enthusiasts seem to be feeling nostalgic right now.
There’s no shortage of retro gadgets that are making a comeback out there right now. Whether you find nostalgia in the early days of personal computing, in the portable music styles of the 1980s and 1990s, or in the adventures of throwback video games, we’ve singled out some retro-inspired gadgets that can settle just about any tech enthusiast’s nostalgia cravings.
Divoom MiniToo retro Bluetooth speaker
Since becoming a consumer product in the 1970s, computers have tried to lean towards the sleek side in terms of aesthetics. Those designs were often limited by technology of the times, however, and with bulkier internal hardware came bulkier looking computers. They often sat under chunky monitors and at various points in time, beige was a pretty slick look. The Divoom MiniToo retro Bluetooth speaker taps right into those design trends.
As a piece of modern tech, it isn’t going to compete with what the best Bluetooth speaker brands are putting out there, but it does manage 5 watts of output. Devices can also connect through USB, and songs can be loaded onto a microSD card that can be inserted into the MiniToo. Several customer reviews at Amazon, however, note that this little speaker is more impressive than they were expecting when it comes to audio quality and volume levels.
Overall, the Divoom MiniToo retro speaker is highly regarded among Amazon purchasers. It has a 4.7-star overall rating, with 95% of reviewers rating it favorably. In addition to its functionality as a speaker, alarm clock, and white noise generator, the MiniToo works as a decorative device. The 1.77-inch display comes with more than 70 retro clock faces and animations available in the Divoom app. The MiniToo is regularly priced at $60 on Amazon.
8BitDo retro mechanical keyboard
In the same mold as the Divoom MiniToo is the 8BitDo retro mechanical keyboard. It’s designed with the aesthetics of early computers as its inspiration, particularly the Commodore 64. It taps into a similar beige and black color palette for nostalgia, and also comes with two Super Buttons and a joystick, which 8BitDo calls a Super Stick. The Super Buttons are programmable, to be used however a user prefers.
There are a lot of reasons why enthusiasts choose mechanical keyboards over more mass-marketed options. Typing on mechanical keyboards has a nostalgic feel to it, as they’re more in line with the old keyboards that were used with computers for decades. The 8BitDo retro mechanical keyboard is compatible with Windows and Android, and the C64 edition is priced at $110.
There are cheaper editions available, each of which has some form of nostalgic design to it, including an N Edition that is reminiscent of the Super Nintendo’s aesthetics. The keyboard itself is highly regarded among purchasers at Amazon, amassing a 4.7-star overall rating, with 97% of reviewers giving it a favorable rating. It’s up there with other cool retro gadgets that are actually useful, as it can get 200 hours of battery life between charges and connects over Bluetooth, USB-C, or a 2.4GHz wireless adapter.
JLab Rewind 2 wireless headphones
The Sony Walkman is among the valuable retro gadgets your grandpa might still have, and should such a gadget hit your nostalgia button, so too might the JLab Rewind 2 wireless headphones. Though JLab doesn’t point out any specific source of inspiration, the headphones look very much like what was popular in the 1980s and into the 1990s. The orange foam ear protectors in particular give the Rewind 2 headphones a nostalgic vibe.
But these headphones are a combination of retro styling and modern technology. They have a completely wireless design and connect to smartphones, tablets, laptops, and more over a Bluetooth connection. They even have Bluetooth Multipoint technology that allows them to connect to two devices at once. The Rewind 2’s Wireless Share Mode allows a second person to listen wirelessly from the same source as well.
Purchasers at Amazon have given the Rewind 2 wireless headphones a 4.2 overall rating. Several note a love for the retro design specifically, and when it comes to audio quality, it’s pointed out that these are $27 wireless headphones, but that the audio quality is quite good for that price point. One reviewer even claims the Rewind 2 sound similar to the headphones that came bundled with cassette and CD players in the 1990s, giving them a nostalgic vibe in both form and function.
RayCue Maclock WB-8 retro alarm clock
If you enjoyed the retro styling of the Divoom MiniToo retro computer speaker but don’t want to drop $60 on a Bluetooth speaker you may not necessarily have a need for, a similar but less pricey option is the RayCue Maclock WB-8 retro alarm clock. It’s priced at just $27, which is more reasonable if you simply want to put some nostalgia on display.
Made to look like the classic Apple Macintosh released in 1984, the Maclock WB-8 has a functional LCD screen that displays the time, a calendar, and room temperature all at once. At startup, it even features a classic smiley face animation. As an alarm clock, it can be set up with five different alarm settings. A dial allows users to scroll through the modes, as well as to turn the device off and access different settings.
The nostalgia with this device trickles into its functionality. There’s no accompanying mobile app or wireless connectivity to it. If you have a need for an alarm clock beyond your smartphone, or if you simply enjoy the retro aesthetics, the Maclock WB-8 retro alarm clock has received an overall rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon.
How we selected these retro-inspired gadgets
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Our foremost intention with these gadgets was retro-minded inspiration. We sought out products that truly looked like older products in some shape or form, with functionality acting as our determining factor for each. There’s a lot of retro-inspired knick-knacks out there, but we wanted gadgets that could offer more than just eye candy. In order to ensure we selected products that hold up to their price points, we looked at Amazon reviews, leaning heavily on items that had plenty of feedback based on hands-on experience after purchasing.