20 movie gadgets that you can actually own right now

From the big screen to your door

The futuristic sci-fi tech you see in the movies isn't quite as unobtainable as you might think - you can now pick up a lot of these gadgets and gizmos for yourself, even if they're not quite as powerful or versatile as the hardware you see up on the big screen.

We've cheated slightly by including a couple of replicas (rather than fully working versions) and a couple of products launching in the near future, but we hope you enjoy this wander through movie gadget heaven. Just hide your credit card before you start reading.

1. BB-8

BB-8

Did you hear about the new Star Wars movie that hit cinemas recently? If you've taken a shine to the rolling BB-8 droid in the film then you can get hold of your very own replica. [£129/$149.99, Sphero]

2. Force FX Lightsabers

While we're on the topic of galaxies far, far away, these are perhaps the best real-life lightsaber replicas you can get hold of at the moment, with sounds, multiple colours and more. [$30+ (£21+), Ultra Sabers]

3. Star Trek Phaser

From Luke and Leia to Kirk and Spock - this real-life Star Trek Phaser won't actually stun anyone but will give you the feeling that you're actually inside the Starship Enterprise. Sort of. [£119.95/$149.95, The Wand Company]

4. Martin Jetpack

We've been promised James Bond-style jetpacks for a very, very long time and next year you can buy one from Martin Jetpack, assuming you have enough spare change available. [$150,000 (£104,500), Martin Jetpack]

5. Apple Watch

Apple Watch

Smartwatches have existed in the movies for a very long time, and now they really are here: choose one from Apple, or an Android Wear model, or an alternative like the Pebble. [£299+/$349+, Apple]

6. Iron Man Suit

You can't actually fly around or shoot lasers with this, but who's to know, right? Turn up at your next party or book club meeting looking exactly like Robert Downey Jr in his suit. [$2,699+ (£1,880+), Full Body Armours]

7. Batman Grapnel Gun

Batman has always had some tasty gadgets to his name, like this grapnel gun: squeeze the trigger and you get 11 feet (about 3.4 metres) of rope to play around with in for your crime fighting. [£29.99 ($43), Forbidden Planet]

8. Gest glove

Those of you looking to emulate Tom Cruise in Minority Report might want to give the Gest Glove a look - it connects to smartphones, tablets and computers via the magic of Bluetooth. [$199 (£140), Gest]

9. Swegway hoverboard

Swegway hoverboard

Genuine hoverboards are on the way from the likes of Hendo and Lexus (maybe) but in the meantime you can make do with a wheeled version like this black Swegway contraption. [£239.99 ($345), iSwegway]

10. Men In Black Neuralizer

Sorry, this is just a prop replica - not actually a device that can wipe memories - but it's impressively built nevertheless, and there are embedded light and sound effects too. [$399 (£280), Factory Entertainment]

11. Transformers

Of course you can buy Transformers of all shapes and sizes, albeit on a smaller scale than the stars of the 1980s animated series and then the film franchise that launched in 2007. [£4.99+ ($7+), Toys R Us]

12. Universal translator

You probably already own this one: it's just a smartphone with Google Translate (or your translation app of choice) installed on it, giving you instant access to hundreds of languages. [Free, Google Translate]

13. Oculus Rift

Oculus Rift

Virtual reality headsets have featured in movies for decades, from Lawnmower Man to Inception, and this year you can finally get your hands on some genuinely powerful VR kit. [£499/$599, Oculus]

14. Touchscreen table

We've seen impressive touchscreen tables in a multitude of spy, sci-fi and action films, and you can get hold of your very own from Ideum and various other sources, for a price. [Enquire for prices, Ideum]

15. Thermal Imaging Camera

You can now have your own thermal imaging camera, like the one used by the eponymous alien in the Predator movies, but you might have to spend a few years saving up first. [£1,599 ($2,300), Uttings]

16. Self-driving cars

Autonomous cars have featured many times in the movies, from Total Recall to I, Robot, and the Tesla range now has a limited number of self-driving features (and more on the way). [£51,500+/$60,700+, Tesla]

17. TRON Lightcycle

Tron lightcycle

Few bits of movie gadgetry are as iconic as the lightcycles from the TRON movies, and limited edition replicas have been built - the last one sold for $77,000 (around £54,000). [Sotheby's]

18. Ghostbusters Proton Pack

Again an authentic, full-sized replica rather than an actual ghost-capturing laser gun, but this proton pack will have everyone fooled and will make you feel just like Bill Murray. [£500 ($715), Etsy]

19. Jibo Social Robot

Robot companions have a long and illustrious history throughout the age of cinema, and Jibo is one of the newest (and smartest) bits of kit you can get (soon) for your home. [Pricing TBC, Jibo]

20. Spy glasses

Seen in many a film but perhaps most famously in Mission: Impossible, spy glasses let you record what you're watching discreetly. As Google Glass is no longer on sale try this cheaper Neelam pair. [£64.99 ($95), Amazon]

David Nield

Dave has over 20 years' experience in the tech journalism industry, covering hardware and software across mobile, computing, smart home, home entertainment, wearables, gaming and the web – you can find his writing online, in print, and even in the occasional scientific paper, across major tech titles like T3, TechRadar, Gizmodo and Wired. Outside of work, he enjoys long walks in the countryside, skiing down mountains, watching football matches (as long as his team is winning) and keeping up with the latest movies.