Are there hidden treasures in Dollarama’s tech section? [Part 1]

Whether it’s fear of an impending recession or you’re just running out of cash and looking to get yourself a new gadget, Dollarama offers a wide range of tech products ranging from wireless speakers, headphones, PC peripherals to wireless chargers, Smart lights, power banks and more for under $5.

However, it’s important to remember that quantity never equates to quality and while there are several tech products available at Dollarama, most of them either offer poor build quality, sound flat or don’t work at all, leaving you feeling like you shouldn’t have shopped for tech in a dollar store. However, if you dig a little, you might be able to find a hidden gem or two.

I scoured my local Dollarama a week ago, and here’s what I found.

Tech1 wireless bluetooth speaker

Tech1 will appear frequently in this article as it supplies a range of tech products to Dollarama. Tech1’s Bluetooth speaker is one of the few products I can stand behind, although it does have some significant limitations.

The speaker comes in black and blue (as far as I could find) and costs $4.75. The company emphasizes the speaker’s water resistance, so I tested it in the shower.

It has a suction cup that allows it to be attached to almost any surface and the speaker holds up well. I haven’t had a problem with the suction cup giving up and the speaker falling (yet). The occasional drop of water landing on the speaker didn’t cause a problem, although I would be wary of submerging the speaker or allowing it to come into direct contact with a jet of water.

The speaker’s Bluetooth range isn’t significant, but should be more than adequate for most. I was able to walk away about two average sized rooms before the sound started to distort. It also comes with a micro USB cable for charging. The speaker’s battery life isn’t great, however; I was able to get just over an hour of playtime on a full charge.

The speaker’s volume is loud, although the bass is non-existent and the vocals on it sound flat and lifeless. It’s great if you want background noise playing while you shower or if you’re someone who enjoys listening to podcasts in the shower. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this $4.75 investment.

Tech1 gaming mouse

If you’re serious about PC gaming, you can should not buy this mouse Tech1 gave the mouse a complete one player Look with RGBs and a gamer-like design, but this thing is far from what a gaming mouse actually is.

The mouse costs $4, so not being wireless isn’t my biggest concern.

The mouse has an optical sensor, but the way it tracks makes me feel like I’m using one of those old mice that had an egg yolk-looking ball underneath. There is a significant delay between moving the mouse and moving around the screen. I would put that down to an extremely low polling rate. Mouse clicks feel forced and have a noticeable lag that makes it almost impossible to play shooter games without being triggered.

The scroll wheel also makes a “plastic” sound when clicking or scrolling, and I’m sure if the mouse had side buttons, those would sound lousy too.

Meanwhile, its size is similar to the Viper V2 Pro, so I didn’t have to make a big switch to a different size. The RGBs are bright and the braided cable is decent and doesn’t interfere with mouse movements.

Despite the few positives, I wouldn’t recommend picking up this mouse even if you’re just starting your PC gaming journey.

Xtreme Lit Hexalite

The Xtreme Lit Hexalites are one of the nicer finds at Dollarama. A pack contains one hexagonal light and costs $4.50. I bought four packs and spent a total of $18 on the lights.

The lights are battery operated, each requiring three AAA batteries (not included). They come with a hexagonal metal sheet that has a 3M adhesive on the back. You simply attach the sheets to your wall in any pattern you like and the lights will magnetically stick to the sheets.

The lights have an on/off button on the back and are touch activated. The Hexalites offer seven color options and are bright enough to be easily visible in a well-lit room, a great choice for someone who wants to get into the hexa-light game without paying more than $200 for the hex Having to spend lights from Nanoleaf or Phillips.

Tech1 wireless charging pad

I have no complaints about the Tech1 wireless charging pad. It charges all Qi-enabled devices at 5W speeds, making it a great investment for overnight charging or for using on your desk.

It features a low-power LED that glows red when idle and blue when charging a device. It doesn’t come with a power adapter, but does have an attached USB-A tail cable that you can plug into any adapters you own.

The pad charges my iPhone 12 Pro in about four hours and is strong enough to charge the phone without having to remove the silicone case.

If you sort by low to high price on Amazon, wireless chargers start at around $8. Considering the Tech1 5W wireless charger is only $4 and works as intended, I’d have no hesitation in recommending it.

Tech1 webcam cover

There isn’t much to see here. It’s just a $1.75 webcam cover from Dollarama that works as intended.

The package comes with three webcam covers, each with a peel-off adhesive. The cover has a sliding mechanism that allows you to show or hide your laptop’s webcam.

The “stickiness” on the covers is impressive as it hasn’t fallen off or come loose after constant fiddling.

If you’re paranoid about your privacy and want extra coverage for your laptop’s webcam when it’s not in use, $1.75 is pocket money for three webcam covers that will likely last you a long time.

What didn’t work

Honestly, I expected more products to fail, but only two turned out to be duds: Electra’s Vortex Stereo Headphones and Stereo Earbuds.

I was dying to try the earbuds as they have a Skullcandy-esque look. I wasn’t too keen on the stereo headsets. I’ve tried both products on an Android phone and on my PC, but they failed on both fronts.

That’s a $4.25 loss for the headphones and $3 for the earbuds.

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