When a year comes to a close, we like to look back at what you guys enjoyed on Cool Material from the last 365 days and what you didn’t. And while we’ll use the latter category to help make tweaks to what we post, we figured we’d share the stuff you seemed to dig the most. Here are the 15 most popular products we posted in 2014.
15. The Dash – Wireless Smart In-Ear Headphones
The world’s first smart earphones were one of the biggest Kickstarter projects of the year raising over $3 million. Link
14. TIK – The World’s Thinnest and Lightest Keychain
EDC products were hot this past year, and in the name of space, there was this clever little keychain. Link
13. Leatherman Hail + Style PS
They claim it’s TSA-friendly, and that makes it one of the handiest multi-tools for travelers. Link
12. Compact Folding Survival Bow
Maybe the popularity of The Walking Dead had something to do with this zombie apocalypse-approved bow being so popular. Link
11. Toyota Tacoma Polar Expedition Truck
We’ve had a mild winter so far, and the only one sad about that is this truck. Unfortunately, the one-off is no longer on the market. Link
10. Gerber GDC Money Clip with Hidden Blade
Another popular everyday carry item from the past year is this money clip from Gerber. The razor-sharp secret blade gives it a cool leg up on other money clips. Link
9. Popcord Phone Charger
Surprisingly, we still hated the battery life on our devices in 2014. For a charger you won’t leave at home, go with Popcord. Link
8. Ring – The Smart Ring that Controls Your Devices
We’ll admit, we were excited about the potential of this Kickstarter (as were the many, many backers). It turned out to be a pretty big disappointment based on reviews, but that doesn’t mean the idea wasn’t interesting. Link
7. Everlane Lightweight Bomber Jacket
You know what? We’re really fucking glad this made it as one of the top products of the year. It’s not some crazy gadget promising to change your world, it’s just a well-made, affordable, and good-looking jacket. That’s something we appreciate. Link
6. QALO Ring – The Wedding Band For the Gym
Wrecking an expensive wedding ring while doing some deadlifts kinda sucks. The solution? The QALO Ring. Link
5. The KLAX Multi-Tool
Need an ax but don’t have one around? Let the KLAX turn any appropriate stick or piece of wood into one for you. Link
4. Furtif Evercut Knives
You only need to sharpen these bad boys once every 25 years. Now that’s low-maintenance. Link
3. Lotus C-01 Hyperbike
With the ability to go 0-60 in a wrinkle-removing 2.6 seconds, this Lotus hyperbike is basically a land rocket. Link
2. The Pocket Torch
The simple device holsters your lighter and turns it into a mini torch. Simple but clever. That’s what we love. Link
1. Earin – Earbuds That Charge in Your Pocket
Not only are these earbuds wireless and small, but the case doubles as a charger so they can stay juiced on the go. They crushed it on Kickstarter and will be available early in 2015. Link
