Make their lives a lot easier with some smart gadgets
A few years ago, technology gifts were only exchanged between the gadget-obsessed or self-proclaimed nerds. But as advancements happen at a breakneck speed, these gizmos have become intertwined in our “normal” daily lives.
Gifting someone a new smartwatch, headphones, or digital photo frame is no longer seen as a fringe thing to do; it is actually really appreciated. Whether for the kitchen, on your wrist or in the car, tech makes our lives much easier. And the great thing is that you don’t need to know the ins and outs of how something works to appreciate it.
So, as the holiday season approaches, keep in mind ways to help people cook better, read more books or help them around the house. If you need festive inspiration, here are some of the best tech gifts for everyone in your life.
Best kitchen appliances
Let your friends and family wake up to the best smell in the world, the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The sleek coffee maker has a 37-fluid-ounce water tank and can make five different sizes of cups. It is compatible with hot and cold brews, and there are over 40 specialty Vertuo coffee pods to choose from.
Nobody likes to dig into meat that's tough because it's been overcooked. Pair this smart meat thermometer with a mobile device and it tells the temperature at a quick glance. There will be no more steam searing at your recipient's eyebrows when checking to see if the meat is cooked.
Best smart-home devices
Know someone who can do with a vibrant virtual assistant? Amazon’s Echo Dot is the perfect addition to any house, as it streams their favorite music and podcasts, answers any questions they have, and can help them keep track of daily tasks. It's also compatible with smart-home devices, so they can control them with their voice.
If friends and family aren’t the greatest fans of Google's or Amazon’s virtual assistant speakers, but have an iPhone, then the HomePod mini is the only logical choice. This relatively small speaker features 360-degree spatial audio, fully compatible with Siri and smart-home devices (through HomeKit), and comes in several colors.
Best earbuds, headphones and speakers
If your friend has an iPhone, there's no better way to listen to music or podcasts than with Apple’s excellent AirPods. They feature spatial audio that projects sound all around the listener, come with a handy charging and carrying case, and the battery lasts about 30 hours.
Giving the gift of silence on a special occasion is good, but the gift of music is greater. Give your loved ones some quiet this holiday with this excellent pair of noise-canceling headphones. They feature eight microphones to remove ambient sound, have large earcups for comfort, and the rechargeable battery lasts about 30 hours.
Ensure that nobody is left to sit in silence with this powerful portable speaker. It uses True Stereophonic technology to project sound in 360 degrees and is even waterproof. The rechargeable battery lasts about 30 hours, and it features a Stack Mode where your relative can pair more than one together for louder audio.
Best smart notebook and e-reader
Enjoy writing on paper but hate having to type it on a computer? This writing set makes for the perfect gift if a loved one has that problem. Through a special pen and engineered paper, the text is magically transferred to the mobile app, making it easier to share electronically with others.
If you have a book lover in your family, there's no better way to put a smile on their face than with a Kindle. The electronic library holds thousands of digital books, and with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, they can read almost every book published ever.
Best smartwatches
There are few things that so perfectly combine form and function as the Apple Watch. Not only does it look gorgeous, it's also packed with high-tech features that nobody should be without. It's more expensive than most smartwatches, but it has a 41-millimeter display, a built-in blood oxygen monitor, and is compatible with a wealth of fitness apps.
Health enthusiasts enjoy gadgets that help them run faster, eat better and get fitter. This fitness tracker from Fitbit is one of the most affordable ways to keep an eye on personal wellness — it has an easy-to-read display and tracks everything from movements to stress levels.
Best cameras
The memories you make with friends and loved ones should always be cherished, and there is no better way to share the love than with an instant photo. Your relative can capture those smiling and happy moments with this camera that prints high-quality, 2-inch-by-3-inch instant photos in five seconds.
If your loved one is into streaming their gaming antics, you can make sure they always look their best with this gizmo. It features a built-in 1080p webcam that captures footage at 30 frames per second or 720p at 60 frames per second. The ring light has adjustable brightness, and it also offers a built-in microphone.
Best video game consoles and accessories
This is a great bundle for any gamer, as it includes the excellent PlayStation 5 console and the latest Spider-Man game, featuring Peter Parker and Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The console also has an expansion slot so your friend can add additional storage on top of the 1 terabyte of internal storage.
If your relative is new to the Xbox world, this bundle is perfect, as it includes everything they need to get started. It includes an Xbox Series S console, two wireless controllers, one of which comes in the Robot White color, and a digital code that provides access to hundreds of free games for three months through Microsoft’s Game Pass.
The Freestyle 2 is a highly portable projector that lets content stream on almost any surface. What makes this upgrade over the original Freestyle unique is its built-in cloud gaming feature. This projector is the world's first portable projector that allows play of Xbox games without a dedicated console. If your loved one is a gamer, this projector is an excellent gift.
Best virtual-reality headsets
For a fully immersive gaming experience, there's nothing better than using a virtual-reality (VR) headset. The Vive Pro 2 is one of the best VR headsets that offers 5K visuals, a 120-degree field of view, a 120-hertz display refresh rate and built-in speakers. With all these features combined, you can expect an exceptional, seamless gaming journey.
Facebook's VR headset is a budget-friendly option that lets users enjoy virtual reality. It comes with two wireless controllers, three-dimensional positional audio, and compatibility with over 350 mobile games.
More of the best tech gifts
You can help your loved one avoid that heart-dropping moment when you're not entirely sure if everything is OK with your little one in the back seat? That’s where SensAlert comes in. It’s a smart cushion for a child's safety seat, and when paired with a mobile phone, it sends three levels of alerts so no child is left unattended.
The Fire Max 11 is Amazon’s most powerful tablet yet, with an 11-inch display, 4 gigabytes (GB) of random access memory, 64GB of storage and a rechargeable battery lasting about 14 hours. Amazon says it's three times more durable than an iPad, so this would be the perfect gift for someone with butterfingers.
Looking for an excellent streaming box? The Apple TV 4K is a great option, as it features Dolby Atmos for immersive sound, while the A12 Bionic chip enhances audio, video and graphics for gaming and apps. If your loved one has a 4K TV, they can enjoy Dolby Vision while watching their favorite shows on Disney+, HBO Max and other streaming platforms. It is also compatible with the new Siri Remote, AirPods support and AirPlay for sharing from Apple devices.
This AirTag wallet is made from top-grain leather and aluminum and features a built-in pocket for securely holding an Apple AirTag (just in case you were wondering, no AirTag is included). It comes with a lifetime guarantee and includes radio-frequency-identification-blocking technology.
Winter is fast approaching and the days are definitely getting colder, so this rechargeable hand warmer will certainly make for an excellent gift. It has three heating levels, ranging from 95 to 130 degrees, and charges through a USB-C cable.
There is no better gift for grandparents than a digital photo frame that cycles through their favorite images of their grandchildren. This 8-inch frame is made from distressed wood and also features a digital clock and calendar. While it doesn’t have a Wi-Fi connection, images are quickly loaded through a secure-digital (SD) card or memory stick.
The perfect gift for someone who struggles to fall asleep or get up in the morning, this alarm clock is the first of its kind, featuring “personalized content, from bedtime stories to white noise and sleep sounds.” The clock has an elegant design with a text-based display on the front and several buttons on the top. Once the desired wake-up time is set, the alarm starts with a two-phase system that uses soft tones to ease your friend from their slumber. The clock also offers different sleep sounds created by musicians and sleep scientists to help your recipient fall asleep more easily.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a flower pot as cute as this one. But the best part? It has built-in artificial intelligence and more than 49 different animations to ensure your loved one looks after their plant. If you’ve ever wanted to turn a pot plant into a “living” pet, this is the way to do it.
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Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.