You can buy a $20 leather coaster for your HomePod

Sure, yesterday’s big wood staining HomePod news was a bit of a black eye for Apple’s smart speaker, but it’s going to be a boon for one very specific, extremely narrow product category. I’m sure I’m going to get 50 similar pitches the minute this story publishes, but Pad & Quill owner Brian Holmes beat everyone to the punch by alerting us to a $20 leather coaster that’s currently up for pre-order.

I’m not saying you should buy this — in fact, you probably shouldn’t — but it’s there if you want it. And yes, it will, indeed fix the issue of the HomePod’s silicone base leaving circular marks in some wood finishes. It’s not a necessary product — you could even say it’s a waste of 20 of your hard-earned dollars, not to mention a perfectly good piece of leather.

But hey, it’s nothing if not a testament to American ingenuity and the magic of capitalism, addressing the smallest opening in consumer demand with “state-of-the-art surface protection…designed in Minneapolis and handmade by skilled artisans.” Sure, it’s designed to never actually been seen, but you’ll know it’s there, working hard for you and your wood finish, and at the end of the day, isn’t that the most important thing?

In fact, if you’re going to spend $20 on a handcrafted leather HomePod coaster, maybe it’s better that no one actually ever sees it. The thing should start shipping next week, so maybe keep the HomePod in a safe space until then.