We’ve researched and tested dozens of potential tech gifts, taking into consideration their functionality and ease of use, as well as the different hobbies and interests your friends and family may have. Some of our top picks include the Fire TV Cube to make streaming your favorite shows easier, the Melitta Senz V Smart 2-Cup Pour Over Device to help you brew the perfect cup of coffee each morning, and the Nintendo Switch OLED to bring you endless gaming entertainment. Here are the best tech gifts for everyone on your list. You can also use the Cube to set alarms and reminders, or answer questions you may have—whether it’s about the current weather or the year a movie was made. Our editors who’ve used the Fire TV Cube rave about the ways in which it’s made life easier. But this device isn’t just a good gift for the tech savvy folk in your life: One of our editors’ grandmother adores the Cube because its user-friendly voice commands allow her to access her favorite shows with ease, even with her poor eyesight and limited dexterity. You can play the Nintendo Switch as a handheld device and take it with you on the go, or you can connect it to your TV to play on a bigger screen. There’s something to play for everyone on the Switch, including role-playing games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Pokémon Diamond, platform games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Odyssey, action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Metroid Dread, and so much more. Function aside, this pour over system’s clean cut and minimalist design means it will look great on any kitchen counter. A wooden frame supports the whole structure, and it has a glass brew tank, a ceramic brew basket, and wooden handles for easy movement. To clean your brushes, all you need to do is press the top down to open the container, insert your brushes and close, then press the button at the top to start the 5-minute long cleaning process. After 5 minutes, you’ll unveil your freshly sanitized brushes. We love that it’s an easy and low-maintenance way to keep your brushes fresh and rid them of any bacteria that may clog pores or cause breakouts. Plus, it’ll look cute on any vanity with its sleek shape and minimalist gold and silver decorative bands. You can also purchase a Meural Membership for $8.95 per month when you purchase the frame—it gives you access to over 30,000 artworks by different artists to display on your Meural Canvas II. The mug relies on a built-in battery to regulate the drinks temperature, and that battery will last for 1.5 hours with the 10-ounce mug, or 80 minutes in the 14-ounce mug. We love that the mug comes with a charging coaster you can use to replenish the battery. However, if you keep the mug on the charging coaster as you drink, the battery will last longer, and your drink will stay at your desired temperature around the clock. Our tech editor, who is constantly switching from playing her favorite video games to streaming her favorite shows while at her desk, uses the sound bar daily. She is impressed at the clarity of the audio it produces. Any gamer or movie buff will love the whole new layer of immersion it brings to their entertainment experiences. Plus, it has the signature Razer RGB light component, with a changing bar of light that highlights the bottom of the speaker. Some headphones can leave your ears and head hurting (especially after a long period of time), but the Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones are designed for comfort. They’re lightweight, and the headband and ear pads are exceptionally well-cushioned and soft, so they won’t feel heavy or apply uncomfortable pressure on your head. Whoever you give these headphones to will be able to listen to any audio for hours without discomfort or distractions from outside noise. This remote connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and the button activates your camera shutter so you can pose for photos the perfect distance away from your phone. You’ll be able to say goodbye to the days of leaving one person out of a group photo to serve as the photographer, as well as the days of running back and forth setting a timer, clicking your screen, and rushing into your photo position. This gadget is perfect for anyone who loves to craft their Instagram feed, decorate their home in pictures, or simply preserve all of life’s fun moments with photos. After downloading the Tile App, you’ll be able to track each of your Tile devices within a 250-foot range and sound alarms from them to make finding your belongings even easier. They’re also all Alexa-, Google-, and Siri-compatible, allowing you to use voice-controls to help you in your search for your lost items. When fully charged, the battery can last up to 12 hours, and its durable case means it’s built to last and hold its own on any adventures they go on. It’s also PartyBoost-compatible, which means it can connect to other PartyBoost-compatible JBL speakers to play music across a larger area of space, making it a great gift for the entertainers and party hosts in your family or friend group. The pack gives you access to Nintendo 64 games, such as Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, as well as SEGA Genesis games such as Streets of Rage 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It’s the gift of retro gaming on a modern system that can bring long-time gamers a blast of nostalgia and newer gamers a taste of old-school entertainment. It also includes downloadable content for more recent games, with the Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Happy Home Paradise for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Plus, you’ll also get everything that comes with a basic Nintendo Switch Online membership. You can also register up to 10 fingerprints on the device, so you can register multiple of your own fingerprints or easily share the lock among friends and family members. The lock’s battery is impressive, capable of lasting up to months on a single charge. The lock does come with a set of two keys as back up, just in case you ever find yourself with a dead battery and needing to manually secure or free your bike. Our tech editor makes a few quick modifications to her desk to take it from a daytime work-from-home base to a night time gaming station, but her Razer mouse never leaves its spot. She says that the low-latency function and smooth movements of the mouse make her want to use it around the clock for anything she does on her computer. The wireless iPhone charger relies on MagSafe technology, which means it can be used to charge the iPhone 12 or 13. It will prop your phone upright, making it easy to check the time or dismiss your morning alarm. There’s another raised MagSafe pad for your Apple Watch, and at the base of the stand, there’s a small impression that can cradle and charge your AirPods case. As a bonus, this charger’s sleek design and the way it neatly arranges and displays your devices means you won’t have to worry about it being an eyesore on your desk or nightstand.
Relevance to Interests and Hobbies
You may be inclined to think tech gifts are only good for friends and family members who are always at their computer, playing video games, or tinkering with a new device—but there’s actually a tech gift for nearly every hobby and interest. Pinpoint your friend’s favorite things to do in their day-to-day life, whether it’s listening to music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or playing video games, and try searching for a gadget that can improve those experiences.
Significance to Lifestyle
It’s also important to consider your friend or family member’s lifestyle when deciding what tech gadget to give them. Think about where and how your friends spend most of their time. Do they have a long commute to work? Do they spend a lot of time in their office or kitchen? Consider looking for a gadget that can make these spaces more comfortable, streamlined, or accessible for them.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Sarah Toscano is a long-time tech and gaming enthusiast whose job revolves around researching and testing tech products as an e-commerce writer. She will evaluate any product that will upgrade her computer or gaming setup, as well as any gadget that helps keep her organized in her day-to-day life (since she has no natural propensity for organization herself). In order to make proper picks for this roundup, Sarah read through various customer reviews and discussion forums and watched video reviews of the products. She also includes some picks that she’s tested herself.