The 22 Best Tech Gifts to Give This Christmas

The one issue with gadget-related gifting? The underlying tech might be obsolete in a year. Or the device may be too confusing for a giftee — I’ve seen past tech gifts to loved ones sit unused (or even unopened).

Hopefully, you’ll find the tech gifts below to offer something useful, easy to use and worthwhile for the long haul. We’ve got earbuds, speakers and headphones from major audio brands, but also a few funkier “smart” items for the home and some devices that offer a nice mix of retro design and modern intelligence. Plus, you’ll find high-end tech and AI (not your enemy!) in new places.

A few of these items may need some set-up help, but it’s the holidays — consider part of your gift a brief post-gifting tutorial.

Is something considered retro if it was released in 2010? Skullcandy returns to an early design for these ANC headphones, which are packed with modern features (including THX Spatial Audio with head tracking technology) but also feature some nice throwback touches, including an LCD battery indicator and a knurled thumbwheel. And this headset is good for the long haul, literally, with a battery life up to 60 hours. 

Not everyone lives in the Apple ecosphere. This past summer, Microsoft introduced this cool tablet-to-laptop hybrid that offers an integrated AI (Copilot) that’s actually, based on my early tests, quite useful (particularly for more creative projects). Accessorize these with a colorful snap-on keyboard, a Surface pen (that has a dedicated storage space on the tablet) and the Surface Arc Mouse, which conforms to your hand and snaps flat to fit in your bag.

The British premium audio brand recently released the Px7 S3, touting its re-engineered drive technology, all-new design and updated active noise cancellation. The audio here remains superb — very little distortion, detailed, balanced and powerful enough without getting too bass-heavy. If you use a high-resolution music streaming service like Qobuz or TIDAL, these rank up there with Sony for audio excellence.

Now available in a striking Champagne Gold (and three other colors), the AZ100s are stylish, immersive and offer adaptive noise cancellation. Plus, they feature something called Voice Focus AI, which creates a noise-free background for calls. 

The audio brand collaboration with will.i.am includes a line featuring several speakers and earbuds, but the key component on most of them is (don’t snicker) AI. The artificial intelligence here includes personalized radio stations and even AI DJs. If that’s not your jam, it’s also just a really lightweight, vibrant-sounding and surprisingly durable portable boombox.

TCL’s answer to The Frame by Samsung is basically a big, very thin (1.1” deep) screen that doubles as a flush frame for digital art (the set includes an art library, AI art and 350+ pieces of free art). As for the television aspect? It’s a 4K QLED smart TV (utilizing Google TV Smart OS) with an ultra matte anti-glare screen. 

I’m just happy to have a streaming device that gets me Netflix and Prime Video access, but the latest Amazon Fire streamer offers a slew of new options, including Alexa on Fire TV (a soon-to-be-released feature that allows you to utilize Alexa for program preferences and even managing your smart home) and playing Xbox games without a console. 

Spectacular spatial audio and improved active noise cancellation are nice draws, but Apple’s AirPods Pro update now offers heart rate sensing, a hearing aid capability (first introduced in the previous Pro edition, but now with longer battery life) and live translation, if you have an iPhone Pro 15 or later. 

If you’ve picked up the latest iPhone, I highly recommend covering it with something prettier than the armor shells or plastic-y protectors that other brands promote (which seems to be more about durability than aesthetics). This case is crafted from fine-grain Danish calfskin that develops a patina over time, and the interior is lined with a soft Japanese microfibre. It’s tough but handsome, more so over time.

You won’t need cables (or even Bluetooth) to connect this backlit keyboard to your latest model iPad, which doubles as a case and offers an extra USB-C port. Features a built-in kickstand, trackpad and stylus holder. 

Everyone should own one great pen. But not everyone will have access to a pen that uses equal parts physics and magnetic repulsion to “hover” mid-air (bonus: you’re never going to misplace this or lose it in a drawer).

A better, tougher, scratch-resistant screen is the highlight of Apple’s smart watch update, which offers sleep analysis, hypertension alerts and AI-assisted personal fitness “encouragement.” Speaking of fitness, the Series 11 now supports a speedier 5G connection. 

Get access to AI with these stylish glasses (note: you can swap out the frames from daily eyeglasses to a slim, built-in 16MP camera-enabled frame). The A5s also offer instant translation and hands-free music control. Most importantly, these frames don’t look like the early wave of “smart glasses.”

Easily the most fun console on the market — and the most portable — the Switch 2 offers a 1080p screen for close-up play and connections to a TV set for a more traditional gaming setup. Bonus: These magnetic JoyCon 2 controllers convert into PC-like mouse controls for some games.

I’m admittedly skeptical about robot bartenders, but this sleek drinks machine looks perfectly at home on your bar or kitchen counter. And after trying a few drinks (there are over 2,000 adjustable recipes), you’ll end up with more than a few perfectly measured cocktails. Most importantly, the cleaning is automatic, too. 

The vintage-inspired audio brand introduced its first soundbars this year, with the Heston 60 offering a slightly more compact but equally powerful form. It’s retro cool, offering tactile controls, a woven salt-and-pepper fret and a PU leather finish. For more sonic oomph, pair it with the new Heston Sub 200 subwoofer.

The iconic London-based audio brand now offers headphones for true audiophiles. The P100 SE features Class AB amplification, aptX Lossless Bluetooth, a 7-band adjustable EQ, adaptive hybrid ANC and up to 100 hours of listening time per charge, plus user-replaceable batteries and earcups. 

No tech by your bed = better sleep. But for those who don’t want to go fully analog, ARC represents the distraction-free design of days past with a few modern touches. The alarm offers a mechanical chime that’ll gradually wake up, silent clock movement, brightness/nightlight control and a hidden digital display to help you easily set an alarm. One modern touch: It charges through a USB-C cable.

Not only is Rocco the best-looking wine fridge we’ve ever seen, but it’s also the most helpful. Doubling as a bar cart, this beverage cooler features ultra-quiet climate control, extendable shelves and an app that you can use to adjust temperature and lights.

First, and I cannot stress this enough, do not buy someone a scale unless they specifically ask for one. If they do, get them something that’ll tell them something more useful than just weight. Eufy’s C20 offers an easy-to-read display with multiple metrics available without a phone (though you can pair it with an app).

Turn your bedside light on without bothering your partner (please, I can’t get this one fast enough). The clever Nighside offers a gentle ambient light and a focused spotlight for reading. And you can customize the lamp with different patterned fabric shades.

If anyone’s going to get sleep buds right, it’s the people behind the well-known Bose Sleepbuds (which had an iffy launch but greatly improved by the second-gen release). Ozlo’s take are small, comfy and switch from your preferred audio to soothing soundscapes once you fall asleep. You can read our interview with the founders here.

Not just a portable photo printer, the Mini Link 3 creates printable collages (like a photo booth) and adds to your pics before printing with 3D AR effects.