Connect with us

Gadgets

The best crowdfunding campaigns you should be checking out in April

From hearing aids to indoor grilling, there’s a lot of crowdsourcing goodness this month.

siphonysta automatic coffee maker on a table, surrounded by a plant and some mugs crowdfunding campaign
Image: Siphonysta

Crowdfunding is a cool way for innovative products to see the light of day, without the restrictions placed on in-house development at large companies.

It’s also a great place to check out video games from small studios, movies, and even campaigns for social good.

With all of those crowdfunding campaigns competing for your attention, it can be tricky to find ones based on your interests. Let KnowTechie do all the hard work for you, with our picks of the crop for April.

Check out these 12 awesome crowdfunding campaigns this month

So… with how many crowdfunding campaigns there are out there, how do you choose what to back? Well, I use a combination of checking out their campaign page, looking to see if any of the comments on their prior campaigns show dissatisfied backers, and also companies I’ve already had successful pledge fulfillment from.

READ MORE: Check out these 11 awesome crowdfunding campaigns in May

I also tend to stick to gadget areas that I know a bit about, like photography, cooking, maker tools, and writing implements. That way I can judge if the campaign’s aspirations are within reach or not, which adds to my decisions. I’m also picking campaigns with some time left to run, as it’s no fun finding out about cool campaigns after they’ve finished.

So, with all of that out of the way, here are some of the crowdfunding campaigns I’ve found worthy of attention in April:

Olive Max: 2-in-1 Adaptive Hearing Aid & Earbuds

We reviewed Olive Union’s last hearing aids and were pretty impressed. Now they are back, with the Olive Max crowdfunding campaign. Building on that core, this time around they’re 150-percent louder and suitable for up to a severe hearing loss. Adaptive Hearing tweaks the hearing profile based on your environment, which is a big addition. That leads to hearing voices more clearly, with reduced background noise.


Glambank

Everyone’s a creator these days, and every creator needs one thing – good lighting. Glambank and Glambank Pro are portable softboxes, for soft, smooth light wherever you are. Both models have up to six hours of use at max brightness, have fast charging, and are controllable via an app. Oh, and they do dual-duty as a portable power bank.


HydroArtPod

Growing your own food is cool, but it takes soil which is in short supply for most city dwellers. Take soil out of the equation with HydroArtPod’s wall-mounted hydroponic growing system. Grow lettuce, peppers, beans, almost anything you could want, with a self-watering, automatic system that can grow up to 30 herbs or vegetables at the same time.


Syncwire Magta

Got a lot of tech to charge up? Combo chargers are cool, but you often find you don’t need one of the charging methods they include. Magta fixes this with magnetic, stackable, modular components so you can build out the charger you need, not the one the company thinks you need.

The base has 15W wireless charging, two USB-C, two USB-A, and an AC plug. Then there are addons of a 3-in-1 charging stand for Apple devices including the Apple Watch, a two-sided magnetic wireless power bank, and a magnetic ambient lamp.


Arden: The INDOOR Pellet Smoker

It’s finally grilling season. What about all of you apartment dwellers who can’t grill because of leasing agreements? Well, bring the grilling inside with Arden. It’s a countertop smoker designed to keep all the smoke inside. All of the flavor, none of the fuss. The trays and racks are dishwasher safe too, so no greasy pans to scrub.


Lodge Solar speakers

lodge solar outdoor speaker in a flowerbed
Image: Lodge Outdoor

It’s nearly summer, which means it’s time to fill the air with music and the smell of bbq. Bluetooth outdoor speakers are great, but they all have one issue – battery life. Lodge has fixed that by covering its speakers with solar panels, so the 15 hour battery life never becomes an issue.

They can stay outside too, as they’re water and dust proof. As a nice touch, the stand is magnetic, so you can detach the speaker if you’re moving to another part of the yard.


MetMo Driver

Ever seen how a ratcheting screwdriver works? Well, now you have, as the MetMo driver hangs it all out so everyone can see. Welding a ratcheting screwdriver to a hand brace creates a unique tool that’s part fidget toy, part industrial, and all business. It’s even got a fold-down arm, so you can really get all of your body weight behind driving those screws or bolts all the way home.


CURA – 360-degree plant care

Indoor plants don’t always get the best conditions for growth. Either the lighting is wrong, or they’re watered incorrectly, or any number of minute issues that stop them from thriving. CURA fixes that with a hangable ring light for full-spectrum growth, that also integrates automatic watering. The best part? It can be used with any of your existing potted plants, so you don’t have to deal with the messy process of replanting.


Wallganize

We love gadgets here at KnowTechie, and we love gadget organizers even more. The Wallganize crowdfunding campaign sticks on your wall and provides magnetic organizing in the shape of productivity hexagons. Add to that magnetized accessories like pen holders, tissue boxes, and more, and you’ve got vertical space that’s no longer just taking up space.


Lumino

Want the most cyberpunk way to say “walkies” to your dog? This crowdfunding campaign is for you. The Lumino is an RGB leash handle. It’s designed to be comfortable to hold or hang on your arm, but there’s more. It has a hidden poop bag container, a flashlight, and a quick-release leash mount.


Decode everyday backpack

Some of us are starting to go back to the office, and that’s always a good time to buy a new bag. The Decode backpack is full of thoughtful touches, like stash pockets, and a uni-body design that collapses flat for easy storage. All kinds of clever velcro sections organize the inner pockets to your preferred layout, so no more crushing all your gear in a heap at the bottom.


Siphonysta Automated Siphon Coffee Brewing System

We love coffee, and we really love new ways to brew it and this crowdfunding campaign delivers. Siphonysta takes all of the hard work out of the usually complex siphon brewing process, so you get a perfect cup of joe in under four minutes. That’s less time than most electric kettles take to boil. Using blended steam and vacuum to brew, you get the best of your beans, customized to your personal tastes.


Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

More in Gadgets