My Best Purchases of 2025

Lately I’ve been reading far too many pieces titled “My Best Purchases of 2025.” So many, in fact, that I briefly hallucinated that I should probably write one myself.

On the surface, these articles present themselves as annual summaries of things the author has bought—generous, even selfless acts of sharing. Dig a little deeper, though, and they reveal something else entirely: the quiet invasion of a consumerist worldview, and an arrogance so naked it’s almost impressive.

And I honestly have no idea who these writers are. Judging purely by their prose, I don’t find them particularly trustworthy. Why should I take their recommendations instead of, say, the editors of Wired? As platforms multiply, this kind of content simply shapeshifts—sometimes an essay, sometimes a post on Xiaohongshu (Rednote). By habit, I question other people’s lifestyles. More than that, I worry about these so-called authors quietly slipping in ads, converting my attention into revenue.

⸻

Pébéo Acrylic Markers

I don’t know why I need them, which probably means I don’t. I bought them in January and didn’t open them until December. I wrote a sentence on my electric scooter helmet: Crappy Helmet 4 Awesome People. I still don’t know why I made people plural.

KUM Automatic Long Point Sharpener

Every time I use a pencil, it feels insufficiently sharp. This solves that problem. Spending 60 yuan (about $9) on a sharpener, though, feels more like a tribute to my teenage self—the one who never hesitated when buying art supplies.

Kinto Cast 320ml Glass

It’s just a well-made glass. What more do you expect me to say?

Curaprox 12460

My favorite toothbrush at the moment. The bristles are so soft you could use them to brush a glans. I can’t find a better description.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro

When I pack it into my luggage for a long trip, I feel like a complete idiot. But when I’m lying in a hotel bed, waking up miserably in the middle of the night, and my iPhone in StandBy mode tells me it’s three a.m., I realize that if I hadn’t brought it with me, then I’d be the real idiot.

HAY PC Portable Lamp No. 2

As I’ve said before, I’m an uncritical HAY junkie, so all my opinions are biased. To me, this isn’t really a lamp—I don’t need it to light anything in particular. It’s a symbol. That’s all.

teenage engineering EP-133 K.O. II

I’ll be honest: I don’t make music. I’ll even admit that I can’t really use this thing. But it looks excellent sitting on a bookshelf.

KACO POPUP

Included only because my students like it. Yes, shut up. In China, we’re allowed to give students small gifts.

Prince Hydrogen Chrome

Is it a good tennis racket? I can’t say for sure. My tennis instructor, Lee, once told me, “You see, no professional players use Prince.” Still, every time I bring it onto the court, it becomes a conversation starter. Which is unfortunate, because I’m socially anxious—or, to borrow David Letterman’s words for MrBeast, socially awkward.

Apple Magic Trackpad

An inescapable part of the complete Mac experience. Only when you actually use it do you realize how big, how good, how comfortable it is.

GRAZA Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Every time I see the illustration on the packaging, I smile. That’s what a successful product can do.

Ester & Erik LED Candles

Every single friend I have thinks they’re outrageously expensive. But an electronic candle made of real wax—one that will never burn down—is, philosophically speaking, a perfect object.

MOFT Apple Watch Band

Buy one and you’ll understand. Anything I say would be useless.

Kérastase Bain Densité Homme

Before I found this, I thought I’d never encounter a shampoo I genuinely liked. It smells like the kind of man I want to be. Just kidding. One should only want to be oneself.

Fujifilm X-E5

You might say: finally, you bought something that’s at least somewhat expensive. That’s the only reason I’ve included it here. The truth is, every camera I buy is the best camera for me at that moment. I don’t care about cameras. In photography, the more you care about the camera, the further you move away from the art.

A Century of Fiction in The New Yorker (1925–2025)

I need certain objects to make me look cultured and well read.

Other things worth mentioning: a baseball cap embroidered with “I want to play tennis.” A pack of Munken paper. A bottle of JEX lubricant. A handmade glass tube neon lamp. If you are not confused by my lifestyle, this piece has failed.