20 Iconic Products From The 1960s

What are your favorite iconic products from the 1960s? The 1960s are an interesting decade, especially for the development of electronics. Manufacturers were steadily embracing transistors over cathode tubes. There were certainly other innovations to be had, as you’ll see throughout today’s list.

Pocket Transistor Radio

Few iconic products are as important as the pocket transistor radio. While it might seem silly now to tout the importance of a little pocket AM radio, it marked an important change in technology of the time. Solid-state electronics would come to dominate the 1970s and 1980s, a trend that has lasted into the modern day.

Electric Shavers

Your dad or granddad likely had one of these. Electric shavers were nothing new, and are one of the most iconic products found in earlier decades. However, the 1960s brought the advent of rechargeable electric shavers. This novel improvement made it a must-have for men around the world.

Color TVs

It seems almost alien to think of a world without color television. The earliest days of television were in black and white, much like popular films of the time. One of the most iconic products of the 1960s comes in the form of the color television. Sony’s landmark model ended up being a highly coveted item for the tech-conscious household of the 1960s.

Kodak Instamatic

Point-and-shoot cameras wouldn’t reach the full height of their popularity until the 1980s. However, the 1960s saw the introduction of such an iconic product. The Kodak Instamatic didn’t require much to get going for the amateur photographer. Film cartridges were easily developed and didn’t risk exposure if properly cared for.

Stand Mixers

One of the iconic products of the 1960s that I appreciate more than the humble stand mixer. In my household, we bake a fair bit, so having the option to take some of the grunt work out of the process is always appreciated. Hand mixers were the norm, but the introduction of electric stand mixers saw them become commonplace.

The Electric Drill

Can you imagine having to get an old-fashioned hand drill out to bore holes in a plank, wall, or other surface? While this was the reality for decades, one of the most iconic products of the 1960s helped to spark the home improvement trend. We were a few decades out from rechargeable power drills, but simply having an electric drill enables homeowners to handle all kinds of tasks.

Go-go Boots

As Nancy Sinatra once sang, “These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do.” One of the most iconic products and fashion trends of the 1960s came in the form of go-go boots. Nancy Sinatra’s smash hit helped popularize them, but you could catch these in nightclubs all over the place in the 1960s.

Miniskirts

Going right alongside go-go boots as one of the most iconic fashion trends of the 1960s are miniskirts. At the mid-point of the decade, fashion shifted away from a continuation of the 1950s to something a bit more risque. Miniskirts were chic and quickly became one of the most enduring symbols of 1960s fashion.

Turtleneck Sweaters

Sticking with fashion for one more entry, it is hard to imagine a piece of clothing as strongly rooted in the 1960s as the turtleneck sweater. You can see it in motion through televised interviews of the day. Everyone from The Beatles to Johnny Carson were wearing turtlenecks, making it one of the most iconic products of the decade. The height of their popularity was in 1967, something fashion magazines dubbed “The Year of the Turtle.”

Barbie’s Dreamhouse

Ruth Handler’s Barbie dolls were red-hot in the 1960s, but there is one important accessory that every little girl wanted. Barbie’s Dreamhouse ended up becoming one of the most iconic products of the 1960s, and for good reason. It is something that has endured well past the decade. Barbie’s Dreamhouse has gone through many iterations, and it still is on store shelves.

Etch-a-Sketch

I had one of these growing up, and I came up in the 1990s. That said, the Etch-a-Sketch is one of the most iconic products and toys of the 1960s for good reason. The concept is simple, you use the two knobs to make line drawings. In practice getting to make a circle or anything that wasn’t at a right angle was a bragging point with your recess chums.

Mascara

Just think, we almost missed out on Susanna Hoff’s iconic eye makeup in the 1980s. The 1960s saw the introduction of mascara in tubes, provided by manufacturer Maybelline. You can see a noticeable shift in makeup trends of the era after its introduction, with lashes getting thicker.

Lava Lamps

Yes, one of the most iconic products of the decade is essentially just a novelty. Lava lamps might be boring to watch after 10 minutes, but they’re still here. The rise of hippie culture in the 1960s probably helped in elevating them to legendary status for the decade. The 1960s were all about change and progress, so a counterculture latching on to a novelty certainly tracks.

Liquid Paper

Few people love seeing pen scratches all over a paper for the sake of corrections. Thankfully, the 1960s saw the end of that. Liquid paper was like magic in a bottle, making it seem like your gaffes never existed in the first place. This might be one of the most iconic products of its day, but it has largely fallen out of favor in the modern office.

Mr. Potato Head

Who didn’t have a Mr. Potato Head growing up? Well, it was introduced in the 1960s. Mr. Potato Head had a decidedly different from during the decade, but he’s certainly got the trappings for one of the most iconic products of all time. Mr. Potato Head required children to have a potato for all of the accessories, which at least cuts down on plastic waste in landfills.

Super-8

Home movies were a luxury for many households during the 1940s and 1950s. The introduction of the Super 8 camera laid much of that rest thankfully. A combination of portability, ease of use, and film cartridges helped elevate Super-8 cameras to one of the most iconic products of the decade.

Slinky

The Slinky wasn’t originally a toy of the 1960s, let’s get our facts straight. However, it launched into the annals of history thanks to the advent of television advertising. The Slinky was always going to be one of the most iconic products of all time, thanks in part to its simplicity, the novelty behind how it works, and just how fun they are for people of all ages.

Lite-Brite

The Lite-Brite came in at the tail end of the decade, launching originally in 1967. It quickly catapulted to one of the most iconic products of the decade thanks to the creativity it encourages. Lite-Brite works on a relatively simple concept, you’ve got a lightbox and translucent pegs. From there, the sky is the limit as to what you can create.

Beatles Anything

Has there ever been a band more associated with a decade than The Beatles? John, Paul, Ringo, and George were the hot commodities of the 1960s, and manufacturers were quick to notice. Beatlemania ran rampant throughout the decade, making for iconic products that immediately harken back to the 1960s.

The Mini

The final item on our list, and arguably one of the most iconic cars on celluloid is the Mini. There is plenty to love about the Mini, especially given the backdrop of the decade. What makes it one of the most iconic products is a combination of things, but the thing I’ll point out is how far it diverges from the norm. This wasn’t a gas-guzzling muscle car, but something light, sporty, and affordable.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Michael Warwick/Shutterstock.com.