👋 Hey there, Ryan here! I’m excited to start writing again focused on helpful topics for software engineers looking to grow their careers. What’s interesting is that after interviewing many distinguished engs from OpenAI, Google, Uber, and Meta, I’ve seen common patterns across their careers that helped them grow. I’ll share those insights here if you don’t have time to listen to their full career stories on my podcast (Spotify, YouTube, Apple).

This week, I wanted to share a gift guide focused on products that will improve your quality of life. As always, nothing I mention includes affiliate links and I’m not benefiting from recommending these products. The list contains things that have improved my life, that I love, and think you will too.

If you think I missed something, please share in the comments!

I came across a bunch of viral threads (ex1, ex2, ex3) on “what purchase under $X made your life better (or made you happier)?” These inspired me to curate the ultimate list that answers this question.

I went through thousands of replies and thought hard about what products have actually made my life better. Here are the best recommendations I have combining my experience with all those replies.

Here’s a list for convenient skimming, my explanations for these recommendations are below them:

Most Impactful Purchases for Quality of Life

• Noise-canceling headphones (~$250): Airpods Pro 3

• Custom ear plugs for sleep (~$200): See an audiologist

• Custom insoles (~$300): See a podiatrist

• Sleeping mask (~$31): Manta Sleep Mask

• High-quality sheets (~$200/set): Garnet Hill Sateen

• Great mattress (~$2,000–4,000): TempurPedic

• Ergonomic mouse (~$100): MX Vertical Wireless

• Heated bidet (~$340): Toto Washlet S2

• High-end office chair (~$1,400): Herman Miller Aeron

• Nice bath towels (~$45 each): Frontgate Resort Collection

• Ad-free subscriptions (~$25/mo): YouTube and Spotify Premium

• Bathroom space heater (~$15): Amazon Basics Space Heater

• USB-C charger (put in every room) (Varies): Top-rated on Amazon

• Ergonomic keyboard (~$144): Kinesis Freestyle2

• Standing desk (~$800): Jarvis Standing Desk

• Sleep temperature control (Varies): Use your AC

• High-end electric toothbrush (~$119): Philips Sonicare 7500

• High-end cordless vacuum: Dyson V11 (~$399)

• Memory foam adjustable pillow (Varies): Top-rated on Amazon

Nice to Haves for Quality of Life

• Wool socks (~$25/pair): Darn Tough

• Nice floss (~$38/4): Cocofloss

• Wallet phone case (~$55): Bellroy 3 Card Phone Case

• Solid microphone (~$99): Samson Q2U

• Good winter coat (~$300): Aritzia Super Puff

• Rechargeable frother (~$10): I use this one

• Electric screwdriver kit (~$29): Hoto Electric Screwdriver Kit

• Japanese nail clippers (~$19): Takumi No Waza G-1205

• Massage gun (~$110): Theragun Relief

Luxuries for Quality of Life

• Temp-controlled kettle (~$145): Fellow Stagg EKG Pro

• Nice tech pouch for travel (~$55): Bellroy tech kit compact

• Fog-free shaving mirror (~$8): I use this one

• Waterfall shower head (~$52): I use this one

• High-quality hair dryer (~$299): Dyson Supersonic

• Nice hand soap (~$46): Aesop Resurrection Soap

• Surround sound speakers (~$1,600): Sonos Premium Set

• Nice finishing salt (~$8): Maldon Salt

• Nice paring knife (~$35): Zwilling Paring Knife

• Nice hand sanitizer (~$16): Aesop Resurrection Hand Mist

• Japanese drinking glass (~$8 per): Toyo Sasaki Usurai Glass

Why I Recommend These (Most to Least Impactful)

An optimized sleep stack: Sleeping well may be the most impactful change I’ve made for my quality of life. I didn’t want my setup to be what prevents me from getting good rest. Here are the most impactful purchases I’ve made to improve my sleep:

• Custom ear plugs for sleep: Go to an audiologist (~$200)

  • Why: Blocks noise better than any other ear plugs, fits perfectly, and doesn’t stick out of my ear so I can sleep on my side. I asked my doctor for a referral to an ear doctor who helped mold my ear to make the plugs.

• Sleeping mask: Manta sleep mask (~$31)

  • Why: Blocking light helps me stay asleep. I prefer sleeping masks to blackout curtains (even though I use both), because sleeping masks travel well. I like the Manta sleeping mask because its shape doesn’t put any pressure on my eyes. I didn’t notice any real difference with the “Pro” version.

• High-quality sheets/pillow: Garnet Hill Sateen Pima Cotton sheets (~$200 for a set)

  • Why: Soft, silky sheets make sleeping much more comfortable. There’s a lot of debate on what sheets are best, but I’ll just recommend the ones I’ve used for the last 5 years. They feel silky and are 100% cotton.

• Sleep temperature control: Just use AC

  • Why: I have the Eight Sleep but often prefer to just cool my room instead using AC. The Eight Sleep chills through conduction (touch) rather than convection (air), which feels a little uncomfortable to me.

• Great mattress: TempurPedic (~$2-4k)

  • Why: A great mattress makes sleeping much more comfortable. There’s no consensus on what is best, so I just went in person and tried a bunch to see what felt most comfortable to me. TempurPedic is a great brand but there are others too.

• Memory foam adjustable pillow: Top rated on Amazon

  • Why: The height of my pillow is the most important part of a comfortable pillow in my experience. Getting one that I can customize to my neck has made a big difference for me. I don’t think brand is too important here; I just got whatever was recommended on Amazon.

Office worker starter pack: These all significantly improved my quality of life while working.

• Noise-canceling headphones: Airpods Pro 3 (~$250)

  • Why: Hands-free calls, better use of “ear time” when doing tasks that don’t need full focus. Noise canceling helps me tune out loud environments.

• High-end office chair: Herman Miller Aeron Chair (~$1,400)

  • Why: Can work longer without back pain. Mesh seat means I don’t get sweaty. Expensive new, but I got mine used for $300 on Facebook Marketplace. eBay works too.

• Standing desk: Jarvis Standing Desk (~$800)

  • Why: Switching between sitting and standing helps my back. I have this one but I don’t think the brand matters much.

• Ad-free subscriptions: YouTube and Spotify Premium (~$25/mo total)

  • Why: What I save in time is worth more than what they charge. Family plans shared with others can help lower the cost.

• Ergonomic mouse: MX Vertical Wireless Mouse (~$100)

  • Why: Way less wrist pain, especially when working long hours.

• Ergonomic keyboard: Kinesis Freestyle2 (~$144)

  • Why: Less wrist strain when typing a lot. This split keyboard works fine, though there’s plenty I’d improve. I’m designing my own now I hope to one day recommend as a better alternative. You can follow along here if you’re curious.

• USB-C charger in every room (~$20 each): Top-rated on Amazon

  • Why: I never have to hunt down my charger if there’s one in each major room.

Most impactful lifestyle purchases: These purchases have all improved my quality of life at home significantly:

• Custom insoles (~$300): See a podiatrist

  • Why: Got rid of any pain in my arches. They scanned my feet and gave me perfectly molded insoles, which I’ve been using for ~8 years now. Fits into any shoe.

• Heated bidet: Toto Washlet S2 (~$340)

  • Why: Bidets clean much better than toilet paper can. Also, a heated toilet seat is an underrated bonus. There’s nothing worse than the feeling of a piercing cold toilet seat.

• Nice bath towels: Frontgate Resort Collection (~$45 each)

  • Why: Plush and soft. Much nicer than regular towels. Makes drying off feel good.

• Bathroom space heater: Amazon Basics Ceramic Space Heater (~$15)

  • Why: I tend to feel cold leaving the shower because of evaporation and lack of clothes. A small space heater (doesn’t need to be expensive) removes this problem.

• High-end electric toothbrush: Philips Sonicare 7500 (~$119)

  • Why: Cleans better than manual brushes. Healthier teeth make life better. ~$100 models are worth it, but more expensive ones don’t add much.

• High-end cordless vacuum: Dyson V11 (~$399)

  • Why: Makes cleaning almost fun. The friction of cleaning is so low that I often clean while I’m listening to stuff to parallelize.

Notes on Nice to Haves

These are almost as good as the above, but I’d be fine without them.

• Wool socks: Darn Tough (~$25 per pair)

  • Why: Tried these after seeing overwhelming support on Reddit. My feet were always sweaty when I used normal cotton socks. Wearing nice wool socks keeps my feet warm but not sweaty.

• Nice Floss: Cocofloss (~$38 for 4)

  • Why: It’s woven floss, so it doesn’t tear easily and grips my teeth much better. Helps me clean my teeth better.

• Wallet phone case (~$55): Bellroy 3 Card Phone Case

  • Why: No longer need to carry a wallet and there’s no chance I forget my ID. Keep in mind it makes your phone thicker though so it’s not for everyone but I find it convenient.

• Solid Microphone: Samson Q2U (~$99)

  • Why: My audio is pristine on video calls and improves how I’m perceived. Microphones get much more expensive than this, but this price point is a sweet spot in my opinion. Going further gets you diminishing marginal returns.

• Good winter coat: Aritzia Super Puff (~$300)

  • Why: I highly recommend getting a jacket you can throw on without thinking that is solid quality and keeps you warm. This one I linked is good, but if you don’t like how it looks, the idea still stands. I never get cold anymore during New York winters.

• Rechargeable frother: This one on Amazon (~$10)

  • Why: Any matcha, supplement, or random drink I mix is convenient to completely mix in with this. It’s also rechargeable, so I don’t need to deal with batteries.

• Electric screwdriver kit (~$29): Hoto Electric Screwdriver Kit

  • Why: Adjustable head fits any need I have. The electric driver also makes it much faster and easier to use. Has helped me with random stuff around the house.

• Japanese nail clippers: Takumi No Waza (G-1205) (~$19)

  • Why: More durable and sharper than basic nail clippers. Relatively expensive, but absolutely cheap.

• Massage gun: Theragun Relief (~$110)

  • Why: Helps with sore and tight muscles, whether from working too much or after workouts.

Notes on Luxuries

These really aren’t necessary, but they do make life more pleasant.

• Temp controlled kettle: Fellow Stagg EKG Pro (~$145)

  • Why: Lets me pick the exact temp, heats fast, and can be set to preheat.

• High-quality hair dryer: Dyson Supersonic (~$299)

  • Why: Dries hair faster and doesn’t overheat.

• Fog-free shaving mirror (~$8): I use this one

  • Why: It’s convenient to shave in the shower and one of these cheap mirrors enables that.

• Waterfall shower head (~$52): I use this one

  • Why: Most places I rented have bad shower heads. Replacing them with one of these was always an easy luxury to add in.

• Nice tech pouch for travel (~$55): Bellroy tech kit compact

  • Why: Helped me clean up the chargers and wires I travel with in a nice form factor.

• Nice hand soap: Aesop Resurrection Soap (~$46)

  • Why: Hydrating, smells great. Not cheap for soap but not too much money in absolute terms.

• Surround sound speakers: Premium surround set (~$1600)

  • Why: Having proper bass and surround sound makes all TV and music sound much more enjoyable. I could probably get better speakers, but the reason I get Sonos ones is they’re convenient to plug and play.

• Nice finishing salt: Maldon Salt (~$8)

  • Why: Big flakes add crunch and texture to snacks and dishes.

• Nice paring knife: Zwilling Paring Knife (~$35)

  • Why: Used my Amex Plat Saks $50 credit to get it free. Great for cutting fruit and random stuff.

• Nice hand sanitizer (~$16): Aesop Resurrection Hand Mist

  • Why: This hand sanitizer smells nice and evaporates without much residue. Makes me want to clean my hands often.

• Japanese drinking glass (~$8 per): Toyo Sasaki Usurai Glass

  • Why: These glasses are so thin yet so strong. I dropped one and it bounced instead of shattering. Also, drinking out of such thin glass feels so satisfying.

I hope this list was helpful inspiration in case you’re looking to do some holiday shopping this coming season. When I was looking up the prices of things to link to I noticed a lot of the stuff is on sale now. Happy holidays!

Thanks for reading,
Ryan Peterman

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