The Five Coolest Home Improvement Innovations I Saw at Inventors’ Corner at the Inspired Home Show.
Inventors are like musicians: the ones we can name are rich and famous, but most will never achieve fame. While many new products seem more like gimmicks than actual benefits (TikToker Xabi Lame has famously built a career mocking silly “innovations”), I can’t help but root for a certain type of inventor: those brave enough to have a small idea that has no chance of making millions but can at least improve people’s lives in small ways. At The Inspired Home Show, I spoke with several inventors who are striving for just that.
What is The Inspired Home Show?
The Inspired Home Show, held in Chicago from March 10th to 12th, is North America’s largest home and living event. The show brings together buyers from major retailers—such as home improvement stores and large chains selling kitchenware, appliances, and cleaning products—as well as brands from around the world showcasing their latest products and innovations. The show is held annually, and this year I attended as a new homeowner to see what was coming to stores this year and learn more about the more than 2,000 brands offering home goods, tools, and appliances.
What is Inventors’ Corner?
The Inspired Home Show is divided into four exhibition halls: “Clean & Harmonize,” “Dinner & Decor,” “Electrical & Home,” and “International Supplies.” A special area is dedicated to the “Inventor’s Corner,” where several dozen startups set up small booths showcasing their niche home improvement innovations they hope will catch on.
Inventors’ Corner has a presentation-style atmosphere. Unlike established brands like KitchenAid or Hamilton Beach, Inventors’ Corner features two rows of friendly and chatty entrepreneurs—convention outsiders and visionaries—standing in front of identical, specially designed booths, all eager to share their innovations and convince buyers that they deserve to be the next big thing. Realistically, few of them will succeed, but I saw at least five innovations that were just cool, creative, or useful enough that I couldn’t help but root for them.
ErgoCup is a finalist for the Global Innovation Awards.
The ErgoCup is the kind of product that I usually roll my eyes at, wondering if anyone needs it. But when I met Gerald, the guy who handcrafts each ErgoCup, I was holding a coffee and he asked me to hold the ErgoCup. When I did, I had to admit, it felt nice to hold—much nicer than the mugs I have at home.
The ErgoCup is designed for people with dexterity and grip issues, but it’s also a well-designed mug that’s more comfortable to hold, as gripping is virtually eliminated. It’s not a product you’ll find in stores—they’re handmade, not mass-produced —but it’s a unique, handcrafted item that feels special and makes people ask where you bought it. The ErgoCup is a finalist for the 2026 Global Innovation Awards in the Outstanding Product Design category.
The Geo mince tool is both a spatula and a potato masher.
The Geo is specifically designed for grinding ground beef (or ground meat in general), allowing users to fluff it easily and evenly. It’s a cross between a spatula, a masher, and a slotted spoolie, and it’s the kind of tool you wouldn’t know you needed until you tried it. Another award finalist for its unique and useful design, the Geo is worth considering if you frequently prepare ground beef. It costs just $16 .
Liddy is the first interlocking, stackable pot lid system.
When I learned about Liddy, my first thought was that this system had surely existed long before. My second thought was that I wanted one to replace the clutter of pot and pan lids cluttering several of my cabinets and drawers. Liddy is billed as the world’s first interlocking, stackable pot lid system, which can replace up to six different lids ( universal pan lids exist, but they don’t interlock or stack). It comes in two sizes and is designed to fit any standard pot or pan, then tucks neatly into a compact storage rack. The lids are dishwasher safe, eliminating confusion about which lid goes with which pot, and cost only $50 to eliminate the clutter of pot and pan lids.
Alpha QuickFind is a customizable data organization system.
Alpha QuickFind is a solution for organizing your small-item drawers: a self-contained drawer system designed to store various items (pens, batteries, stationery, decks of cards, cables, loose change, and small tools), turning chaos into order. Essentially, it’s the grown-up equivalent of a trendy pencil case at school, freeing up your small-item drawer for other uses. Of course, for $300 , you might prefer to keep your small-item drawer.
My Snapboard is the first snack board designed to keep deli meats cool.
My Snapboard is a freezer snack board that keeps food cold while it’s on display. Its simplicity and clever design means you simply pre-freeze the board, say, before a summer picnic, and its patented design will keep your food cool despite the summer heat. If you’ve ever taken deli meats to the park or had a picnic outdoors, you probably know how quickly spreads melt, vegetables wilt, and cheese becomes soggy. My Snapboard is designed to easily solve this problem. It costs $50 for the black and white version or $60 for the more sophisticated wood-effect version .