Gift Guide: Our Picks for the Gadget Lover

We all know them: the people who are always first in line to get the newest smartphone, and whose whole home was smart before you even knew what that meant. They’re the ones you call when you’re having trouble with your printer and your TV won’t turn on. And they’re the people whose watches are connected to their phones, which are connected to their computers, which are connected to their doorbells, which are connected to their refrigerators, or something like that. They’re the gadget lovers. And you’ve got one (or a few) to shop for this holiday season. Here’s a list to help you.

If your loved ones live far away, you’re undoubtedly looking for ways to stay connected. For gadget lovers, there are lots of awesome gifts that fill this need! For something unique, we love the Brookstone® Friendship Lamp. You can connect up to 10 of them and use them to communicate messages like “Hello” or “I love you.” Customize the lamps to light up different colors for different family members or friends. It’s great for families who live all over the place!

If you haven’t yet heard of the Facebook Portal, that’s OK. You will. The Facebook Portal with Alexa Built-In lets family and friends join a video chat (with a smart camera that pans, zooms, and widens automatically to find you, of course), control music, watch the news, check the weather, and control a smart home. If your gift recipient prefers the Google Assistant, we recommend this two-in-one that comes with a Google Nest Hub Max and a Google Home Mini. They can leave you video messages, make video calls, play music, ask questions, and set reminders.

If your gift recipient prefers the Google Assistant, we recommend this two-in-one that comes with a Google Nest Hub Max and a Google Home Mini. They can leave you video messages, make video calls, play music, ask questions, and set reminders.

For any techie who’s recently had a baby, a smart nursery is definitely key. And for a new parent, there’s nothing quite like the gift of peace of mind. The Google Nest Cam Indoor Security Camera allows parents to monitor any room in the house via their iOS or Android device. They can watch the baby remotely, get motion and sound alerts, and access 24/7 live video streaming. It even has infrared night vision. (Bonus: It can be used as a pet cam when you’re away from home!)

If you want to get new parents something seriously useful, we can’t get enough of the Itzbeen™ Pocket Nanny™ Baby Care Timer. Taking care of a newborn is no easy task, and this tracker is super helpful. They just push a button after a diaper change, nursing, or feeding, and the timer keeps track of how long it’s been since each task. It also has a nursing reminder to help new moms remember which side the baby last fed from. Trust us, these things are easy to forget when you’re sleep deprived! So simple, so brilliant.

There’s one thing pretty much all proud mamas and papas have in common: They can’t stop taking pictures of their little one. With the SimplySmart Home PhotoShare 8-Inch Friends and Family Smart Frame, they can easily share photos and videos from their smartphones, email, or social media. The 8GB memory stores more than 1,000 images, videos, or messages.

Sometimes a cool product comes along that we couldn’t have dreamed up no matter how hard we tried—like a way to drink a glass of wine without ever opening the bottle. The Coravin™ Model Eleven Bluetooth®-Enabled Wine Preservation System is a splurge, but for a wine lover, it’s an awesome gift. The Coravin™ uses a needle that goes into the cork and pressurizes the bottle, we assume either through the magic of science or actual magic. The user then pours the desired amount of wine, and the bottle remains closed, allowing the user to have a glass from a fancier bottle without having to drink the whole thing or waste the wine. This version comes with an LED display that shows shows when it's time to pour, recharge, and replace the capsule. It also has Bluetooth®, which you can use with the Coravin Moments app to optimize argon gas usage, know when to clean, and know when to charge.

If you’re looking for something great that’s less pricey, go with an electric wine opener. Nothing ruins a bottle of wine like trying to open it with your waiter’s corkscrew, messing it up, breaking half the cork off, and ultimately having to push the bottom half of the cork into the bottle so that you can drink the wine. If you say you’ve never been there, you’re lying. This electric version from Brookstone™ eliminates that vino faux pas effortlessly and completely.

Going in a different direction, the host or hostess with the most(est) also definitely needs a set of outdoor speakers. We love these because they’re both Bluetooth®-enabled and solar-powered.

We didn’t know we needed Dyson to make a hair dryer. Then they made a hair dryer, and we realized we totally needed Dyson to make a hair dryer. And if you’re gifting someone who’s beauty obsessed, or who loves doing their hair, they need this too. It’s sleek, it’s quiet, it gives salon-quality results super quickly, and yes, it’s definitely a splurge. But if that’s what you’re looking for, it doesn’t get much better than this.

We believe it’s been scientifically proven that it’s impossible to effectively get ready for a night out (or for work) without playing some boppin’ tunes while you’re doing it. For the makeup aficionado, go all-in on this mirror. It’s big, it’s distortion-free, it’s magnifying, and it has full-spectrum lighting, including three dimmable hue adjustments. It also comes with Bluetooth® technology and a USB charging port.

For beauty buffs on the go, we love the simplehuman® Mini Countertop 5-Inch Sensor Mirror in Brushed Stainless Steel. It’s portable, foldable, and has 10x magnification. It also lights up automatically as you approach it with sensor activation. It provides full-color variation, since hotel and Airbnb lighting definitely can’t be trusted, and it has a USB charging point, which is great, since outlets are always at a premium when you’re away from home.

We all know at least one person who loves their home office setup. Whether it’s a full room or a folding table and chair in the corner, there are people who just love their home workspace. If you have that person on your list this year, get them the Qi Wireless Charging Desk Lamp. It works with most devices and includes a USB port as well.

If you’re looking for a great stocking stuffer, the Bendyman Phone Stand and Booklight from Walter + Ray is great for travel. It holds e-readers, phones, and small tablets, and also functions as a flashlight. Plus, it’s so cute!

Every neatnik needs an iRobot® Roomba®. It makes it so you can vacuum every day (all day if you want—go wild!) without having to stand up and run the vacuum every day. For neatniks who are also techies, we highly recommend the iRobot® Roomba® e5 (5150) Wi-Fi®-Connected Robot Vacuum. It works really well, they can run it every day, and it’s pretty fun to watch. They can also customize and control how you clean with the iRobot HOME app, Alexa, or the Google Assistant. Even if they already have a vacuum they love, the iRobot® Roomba® works great as an additional pet hair, dirt, and debris picker-upper to use between cleanings.

You know when you have your headphones plugged into your phone and the phone falls, and for one terrifying second you’re standing there wondering whether your phone screen is going to crack or you’re going to get whiplash? And then one of those things actually happens? If you’re buying a gift for a techie who has everything, but is still using headphones on a wire, change that predicament immediately.

For pretty much all things, we love this version from Brookstone®. They’re noise-canceling, which makes them great for commutes, airplanes, or for when they really need to focus on something.

For something smaller, the Sharper Image® True Wireless Earbuds will fit literally anywhere your loved one needs to bring them, and they won’t have to worry about them running out of battery while you’re out, since they charge in their case (though they will have to remember to charge the case!).

To tie our last gift recommendation back to one of our first ones, a set of TV headphones is great for someone who still doesn’t have wireless headphones, but it’s also ideal for someone who just had a baby. TV headphones allow you to watch your favorite shows without disturbing those who need sleep. It’s also good for if you want to listen to the TV from another room, say, while cooking, and don’t want to turn the volume up to 100.

Happy gifting!