The Tech desk
Tech Gift Ideas: Gadgets & Gear Worth the Shelf Space
Honest picks for the gadget people in your life — headphones that actually sound great, cameras worth carrying, and small tools that earn their place on the desk.
From the editors
There's a version of the tech gift that nobody wants: a gadget that looked cool in the product photo, sat in the box for two weeks, and ended up in a drawer. We've given that gift. We've received it. We don't write about those here.
The tech we recommend has to earn its shelf space. That means headphones somebody will actually wear on their commute, cameras light enough to bring on a trip, and small tools — chargers, cables, trackers — that quietly make the next year of life a little smoother. We skip the novelty smart gadgets and the stuff that needs a second device to control it. If a gift needs a setup wizard, we figure you'd rather give a book.
The reviews below are organized by what the product actually does for the person receiving it, not by spec sheet. Each one's been through the same test: would we give it to someone we like?
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$$$$Sony WH-1000XM5
The plane started boarding at 7:40 AM, and by the time I'd found my seat and stuffed my bag overhead, I'd already heard the crying baby…
$$Samsung T7 Shield 1TB
A portable hard drive doesn't scream "exciting gift." I get it. But if someone in your life is a photographer, videographer, or just the…
$$$$Garmin inReach Mini 2
My brother-in-law does multi-day solo backpacking trips in the Sierras, often miles from the nearest cell signal.
$$$Anker PowerCore III Elite
My phone died at a trailhead two hours from the nearest town, and I had to navigate back using paper trail markers like it was 1997.
$$$$Meta Quest 2
The first time I put on a VR headset at a friend's house, I walked into a wall. Literally.
$$$Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2
We have thousands of photos on our phones and almost none of them printed. I think about this sometimes when I scroll past a great shot…
$$$Lumicharge LED Desk Lamp
My desk used to have a lamp, a phone charger cable, and a little tray for pens.
$$LEGO Ideas International Space Station
My friend keeps this on his desk at work, and I swear every person who walks into his office stops to look at it.
$$Govee Wi-Fi LED Light Strips
My roommate in college stuck cheap LED strips behind his TV and suddenly our dorm looked like a lounge instead of a concrete box.
$$$Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker
I used to think sous vide was one of those pretentious cooking techniques reserved for restaurant chefs and people who unironically say…
$$$$Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
I wore my first-gen AirPods Pro on a flight from LA to Tokyo, and they were fine. Good, even.
$$$$DJI Mini 3 Pro
The first time I watched a friend's drone footage from a weekend camping trip, I thought he'd hired a professional videographer.
$$$$Garmin Instinct 2 Solar
I once watched a coworker check his Apple Watch battery percentage three times during a day hike. By mile six, he was in low power mode.
$$JBL Clip 4
I keep a JBL Clip clipped to the outside of my shower caddy, and it's been there for over a year.
$$$JBL Flip 6
There's a JBL Flip in every friend group. It's the speaker someone pulls out at the barbecue, the beach house, the tailgate.
$$$$GoPro HERO11 Black
Last summer I strapped a GoPro to my handlebars for a mountain bike ride and ended up with footage that looked like it came from a Red Bull…
$$$$Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
My TV's built-in speakers were fine until I heard what a soundbar could do. The first movie I watched through the Sonos Beam Gen 2 made me…
$$SNOOZ White Noise Machine
I used to sleep with a box fan at the foot of my bed. It worked fine for the noise, but it also blew cold air everywhere in winter and…
$$$Garmin Vívosmart 5
Some people want a smartwatch that does everything. Other people just want to know how many steps they took, whether they slept well, and…
$$CASETiFY Ultra Impact Case
Phone cases are one of those things everyone needs but rarely gets excited about. Most people grab a cheap clear case and call it a day.
$$$Renpho Shiatsu Foot Massager
I bought the Renpho Shiatsu Foot Massager for my mom's birthday, and now my dad uses it more than she does.
$$$$Nintendo Switch Lite
I picked up a Nintendo Switch Lite for a long flight a couple of years ago, thinking I'd use it once and forget about it.
$$$$Garmin Venu Sq 2
Not everyone who wants a Garmin watch needs something that looks like it was designed for a Navy SEAL.
$$$$Kindle Scribe
I used to carry a notebook everywhere. Meeting notes, random ideas, grocery lists, whatever.
$$$Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light Lamp
If you've ever tried to explain to someone why you spent $146 on an alarm clock, you know the look they give you.
$$$Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
Waking up to a blaring phone alarm at 6 AM in a pitch-black room is a terrible way to start any day.
$$$Aura Carver Digital Picture Frame
I gave my parents a digital picture frame three years ago, and my dad still sends me photos specifically so they'll show up on it.
$$$$Steam Deck
Someone in my life has a Steam library with 200+ games. Most of them were bought during sales and never played.
$$$$LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron
There's a specific type of person who sees a $445 LEGO set and immediately starts clearing shelf space.
$$$Bose SoundLink Micro
I have a friend who clips a tiny speaker to his backpack on every hike. I used to think that was annoying until I realized how nice it was…
$$$$Apple iPad (11-inch, A16)
My mom asked me for a laptop recommendation last year, and I talked her into an iPad instead.
$$$$Garmin Instinct Solar
Charging a watch feels like it should be a solved problem by now, but most smartwatches still die after a day or two.
$$Logitech MX Master 3S
Nobody asks for a mouse as a gift. That's what makes the Logitech MX Master 3S such a surprisingly good one.
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