The Best Tech Gifts for an Upgraded Lifestyle

Amazon Fire TV Cube

4.6

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If you know someone who’s always streaming a new movie or show, the Fire TV Cube is the device for them. It relies on the Alexa-voice assistant and lets you do anything you could do with a remote via voice command instead. You can say “Alexa, open Netflix,” “Fast forward,” or “Turn the volume up,” and Alexa will do just what you asked. All you need to do is plug the Cube into an outlet and then connect it to your TV via an HDMI cable.

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.

Price at time of publish: $120

Nintendo Switch OLED Model

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This list wouldn’t be complete without one of the most popular modern-day gaming systems: the Nintendo Switch. This OLED Model has a gorgeous OLED screen that brings you greater brightness, more vibrant colors, and deeper contrast as you game. It also has an adjustable stand so you can adjust the viewing angle as you play. 

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.

Price at time of publish: $350

Melitta Senz V Smart 2-Cup Pour Over Device

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Coffee lovers will love this app-compatible smart pour over device, which can produce two cups of coffee with each brew. Its built-in sensors monitor the coffee’s brew time and temperature, measure the weight to determine the coffee to water ratio, and predict the coffee’s taste as it brews. You’ll ultimately be able to crack the code to making the perfect cup of coffee, personally tailored to your taste buds, each time.

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. 

Price at time of publish: $150

Brushean Makeup Brush Sanitizer

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For makeup users, the Brushean Makeup Brushes UV Sanitizer will hold your brushes like any other makeup cup, but also features UV-C-light sanitizing that can remove 99.9 percent of all viruses and bacteria from your brushes. 

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.

Price at time of publish: $89

Meural Canvas II

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If you’re looking to splurge on a gift for the art connoisseur in your life, consider this digital art display, which relies on its anti-glare technology and HD resolution to keep everything looking beautifully crisp and undistorted for your viewing pleasure. It’s especially great for someone who’s constantly redesigning their home’s interior, because they’ll be able to say goodbye to those hassle-packed days of taking down old pictures and hanging up new ones. Instead, users can simply upload a new artwork to their Meural Canvas II.

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.

Price at time of publish: $599 for 16 x 24

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2

4.6

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Mugs are timelessly cozy presents, but this temperature-controlled mug adds a layer of practical tech to the classic gift. The Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2 lets you set a preferred temperature for your drink via the Ember app and regulates the temperature accordingly. There’s even an LED display on the mug that will let you know when the mug has reached your desired temperature. 

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.

Price at time of publish: $125

Razer Leviathan V2

4.6

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This compact sound bar packs a punch of powerful, crisp audio that will make you feel like you're sitting in a movie theater as you watch TV or play video games from your PC. It comes with a square-shaped subwoofer that sits on the floor to make sure lower frequencies are properly delivered, which contributes to the great sound quality. The setup is easy, and you’ll only need to use the three included wires to connect your speaker to an AC outlet, your computer, and the subwoofer.

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. 

Price at time of publish: $250

Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones

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A comfortable pair of headphones with great sound quality can make anything you do more pleasant and relaxing, whether you’re commuting to work, cleaning your home, or unwinding alone in your home.  The Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones have incredible active noise cancellation, so they’ll block out the surrounding hustle and bustle of everyday life and allow you to escape into your own world, whether it be by listening to your favorite podcast, song, or audiobook.

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.

Price at time of publish: $329

CamKix Camera Shutter Remote Control

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Tech gadgets tend to be pricey, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a great, budget-friendly tech gift. Take this CamKix Camera Shutter Remote Control for example, which is less than $10 but can revolutionize the picture-taking process for whoever you give it to.

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. 

Price at time of publish: $20

Tile Mate Essentials 4-Pack

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If you know someone who’s always forgetting where they placed their wallet, keys, or some other essential, this pack of Tile Mate Essentials can help make their life easier. The set includes four tracking devices: two Tile Mates, one Tile Slim, and one Tile Sticker. The Mates are small squares with a single whole in the corner so they can easily be clipped onto your keychain, backpack, or water bottle. The Slim looks like a credit card and can be easily tucked into a wallet or luggage tag, and the Sticker is a small circle you can stick to the inside of a glasses case, on the back of a remote, or on a laptop charger.  

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.

Price at time of publish: $80

JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

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Waterproof, dustproof, lightweight, and compact, the music-lover you know will be able to take this speaker anywhere. JBL Flip speakers are popular favorites when it comes to the world of portable sound, and it's understandable why. The JBL Flip 6 produces robust and clear sound, so songs can be enjoyed sans any distortion. 

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.

Price at time of publish: $130

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (12 months)

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If you’re looking to buy something for someone who already owns a Nintendo Switch, you may want to consider giving them the gift of a year-long subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

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.

Price at time of publish: $50 for 12 months

BenjiLock by Hampton Fingerprint U-Type Bike Lock

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For the friend who loves to stay active outdoors and is always zipping around on their bike, this BenjiLock U-Type Bike Lock can be a real-game changer. Rather than relying on keys or a combination code, the lock relies on fingerprints for access. That means the bike rider you know will never have to worry about misplacing their keys or forgetting their combination, and they’ll also have one less thing to keep track of on their cycles. 

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. 

Price at time of publish: $80

Razer Viper Ultimate with Charging Dock

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The Razer Viper Ultimate is everything you could want in a gaming mouse—it’s lightweight, responds quickly to your movements, looks sleek, and incorporates Razer’s signature RGB lighting. The included charging base makes it extra convenient, eliminating the need to connect your mouse to a wire or hunt down a new pair of batteries when the battery is low. You can leave the included charging dock sitting on your desk at all times, and rest your mouse on it as needed.

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.

Price at time of publish: $160