I have a habit: once every couple of months I open my AliExpress order history and honestly ask myself — what actually stuck, and what’s gathering dust in a drawer? So today I’ve put together ten things that passed this filter. There’s a tablet, a leak sensor for 276 rubles, and a robot that washes windows for me. The range is wild, but every item is on this list solely because I actually use it, not because it looks nice in a picture.
I picked my best finds from Ali that I haven’t talked about yet
Xiaomi Pad 7: An Android Tablet Instead of iPad
Got it in April — haven’t opened my laptop on the couch since
If you need a tablet for movies, YouTube, email, and documents — and you don’t want to pay for an iPad — check out the Xiaomi Pad 7. Inside is the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3, which doesn’t hesitate at all when switching between apps. The screen is big, bright, with excellent color reproduction and smooth refresh rate — it’s a pleasure to look at. I got it in April and since then I’ve forgotten about both the iPad and the laptop on the couch.
Android on tablets has improved significantly over the past couple of years, and Xiaomi uses this smartly: multi-window works properly, apps scale without artifacts. The stereo speakers also pleasantly surprised me — for watching in bed you don’t need an external speaker. For the same money, Apple would give you a basic iPad without a laminated screen, while here you get a full-fledged multimedia powerhouse with performance to spare.
Price: 21,600 rubles
Flexible Glass for Your Desk for Pennies
You can’t see it in the photo, and in real life you don’t notice the film at all — the wood texture shows through as is
A new desk always brings a little paranoia: every cup without a coaster triggers a mild anxiety attack. I solved the issue radically — I ordered a flexible transparent glass for the entire tabletop. Essentially it’s a dense PVC film that lays flat, doesn’t slide, and doesn’t hide the wood grain. Put hot things on it, cut on it — go ahead.
I’ve had it since January, and here’s what I’ll say: scratches do appear on the film, but they’re on the film, not on the desk — that’s the whole point. If it gets too worn, you replace it for 400 rubles and get a perfect surface again. Before, I would have bought a tablecloth, but it doesn’t look great for millennial living, even though the idea is the same.
Price: from 400 rubles
Philips Open-Back Headphones for Calls and Music
50mm drivers and open-back design — your ears don’t sweat even in summer
Closed-back headphones are great until you sit in them for about three hours on a call and realize your ears have turned into heaters. Open-back Philips headphones solve this problem elegantly: 50-millimeter neodymium drivers sit in open cups, air circulates freely, and the sound comes out spacious and natural. Details that got lost in closed headphones simply come to the foreground here.
The construction is lightweight, the headband doesn’t press — you can wear them for hours. On the other hand, there’s no active noise cancellation, and they connect via a 3.5mm cable, but with an adapter they work with any Android smartphone. So overall they’re great. I knew what I was getting.
Price: 4,235 rubles
Sharge: Power Bank with Built-in Cable and Display
The display on the body shows charge and power output — no guessing how much is left
A power bank without a built-in cable is an eternal quest to find a cord again. Sharge has this covered: a USB-C cable is built right into the body, plus two separate ports for simultaneously charging multiple devices. You can plug in a laptop, phone, and earbuds at the same time — there’s enough power.
On the body there’s a display with precise charge level and operating parameters: you can see the output wattage and how much energy is left. Capacity is 20,000 mAh, charging is 165W. For Android smartphones with fast charging this is especially relevant — you immediately know that charging will go at maximum speed. If your backpack always has a tangle of cables and one dead power bank with no indicator — you’ll understand why this is needed.
Price: 5,600 rubles
Sunshade Screen for the Car Windshield
I toss my phone, keys, coins there — everything stays in place, nothing flies around the cabin
A good drive isn’t about horsepower — it’s about the car you get into. If it’s been baking in the sun, you can literally burn yourself on leather seats, and the stuffiness will bother you for another 15 minutes until the AC kicks in. So I ordered this screen and since then I can’t understand how I ever lived without it. It attaches to the windshield perfectly using the visors, doesn’t interfere with the dashcam, and protects from the sun. What more do you need?
The material is dense, doesn’t smell like plastic, stays stable and doesn’t shift around, and then you can easily roll it up and tuck it into the door pocket. My car used to always be hot, but now I always get into an even slightly cool cabin. The main thing — get the version with reflective coating, not just silver spray. On Ozon, by the way, these cost about one and a half times more.
Price: 550 rubles
Polyester Bucket Hat for Summer
Lightweight, dries quickly, folds up and doesn’t wrinkle — exactly what you need in the heat
Summer, sunshine, and a head without a hat turns into a grill by evening.
