Upgrade your tech-gifting game this holiday season, just for fun! And listen to this while you speed-click and tech shop right through your whole list. I promise it will be so much more fun if you do! We’ve reviewed the reviews, and tested much of this in our own homes — here’s the best of the best list for tech gifts 2020!
Electronics Upgrade: Cool Tech Gifts For The Whole Fam
(Kids, Teens, Him, Her, Them)
In newfound fun: Just when I wasn’t sure what the teen who loves a skull cap, has quite the head of hair, and does school virtually, would love as a small gift, I came up with this hat. And this for the tween, who’s self-styling is perfection, appreciates details, and prefers old-fashioned ear buds, yaaaassss! See how much fun this already is?
For my prego friend, who probably still remembers our excitement when our firsts were born and we discovered plain old stroller hooks — mind blown — this one is Mommy Power and can charge devices for all those new moms and the new baby moms too!
All that family fun and plenty more below! Let’s get technical!
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21
1 | Hat
It’s a skull cap/beanie with built-in headphones!!! AJ is going to love this. And while I’m at it, I’m actually ordering one of them for each of us, in all the colors!
2 | Nest
If you don’t already Nest, trade out what you have for these! interestingly the white are less expensive, and I prefer them best! They make smart temperature control easy, and pretty.
3 | Love
This is a beechwood box, to which, you can send love notes! The box displays messages sent via the included app through the mirrored screen found inside. Whenever a new message comes in, the heart on the box starts spinning!!! How fun is this sweet little gift for together/apart this season? I’m not sure my 8-year-old needs one more way to message me, but…this will at least be a fun way to send and receive them!
4 | Sonos
The sound of these is amazing! Even after we review ALL of the choices on the market, typically with a media expert, this is the system that most of my clients ultimately land on. It’s also easy to start with one piece of it and build as you go. The sound genuinely is beautiful. And fwiw, the speakers look lovely as well.
5 | iPad Pro keyboard
The Magic Keyboard is amazing. I added that and a pen to our package and have no regrets — it’s great for typing, but also has a cool floating cantilever design, that allows you to attach an iPad magnetically and to smoothly adjust it to the perfect viewing angle, and it offers some protection when folding closed.
6 | iPad Pro
This was my first recent, Covid-19 large purchase, last spring and my best one yet, no regrets. It is expensive. No joke, I took all of our old iPads, and an Apple watch someone gifted me that sat in its box for a year, for trade-in, and a scholarship from my youngest brother (thank you Uncle Neal!)…and we got it done. I got this for my youngest, when school-from-home wasn’t going as well as planned. After paying 100% attention to what was happening with her in virtual 2nd grade, for three straight days, I finally just realized how much more independent she might be, if she had this. I’m not saying get a little kid this and voilà school is easy…nope. I’m just saying that recognizing that when she works in her Zoomer language of touch screen and pen, on an Apple device, there is an intuitive thing that happens, where she can solve most of her own problems herself, and navigate without needing help. Hello School District of Philadelphia…can we get one of these for EVERY kid?
7 | Nintendo Switch Lite
These are the things the kids play with most. AJ, my eldest was just called down to explain the difference between the Lite and regular full Switch to me. Apparently, the Lite is great, and far more affordable. Per AJ, it’s smaller, more compact, you can’t detach the controls from the Lite, but it’s more portable. The regular one, you can detach the controls from for multi-person gaming. I asked AJ, ‘do we multiple person game from quarantine,’ he said ‘no, no we do not.’ We play online mom, each with our own. He says he prefers the screen size of the full, but that the Lite is not-so-noticeably smaller. OK, Lite 2020, let’s do it. And so yes, my youngest is getting this, so she can stop asking to borrow her brother’s — is his real point here. Grace Gabriella “big gift” check. That, AJ agrees is a great idea.
8 | Beats Solo 3
Truth be told, one particularly rough year, my mom asked what she could get the kids to help. The kids wanted these; they even went so far as to say they needed them. We had a long talk about need that year. They cost a fortune — I did not have a fortune. My mom was willing to sponsor, and that’s how this happened in our family; we were lucky to have a sponsor. That said, not unlike we do that price-per-wear thing with jeans and leather jackets around here, THAT WAS…lemme count…four years ago? The kids understand that these are valuable and that they have to care for them accordingly. They keep them either charging or in their cases when they aren’t in use. Except for Grace. She wears hers every day, all day, as if they are an accessory. She uses them for school-from-home. AJ is constantly asking, ‘Grace, will you please take those off your head,’ when she shows up for dinner with one ear behind her ear as if she’s a professional DJ, and she just says, ‘Nope.’ She doesn’t sleep in them. But otherwise, um, I’m pretty sure Beats owes my mom cash on a price per use basis. Splurge-worthy, four years in testing, proven true, day after day.
9 | Power Block
These are technically speaking, mine. I have black, red and white. No one is allowed to borrow the red one. The black and white ones go out on kid loan daily, and are required to be returned, charged. They also go out on friend loan…they are an amazing gift, and the single thing that powers me through the day, every day. I’ve reviewed them all, tried most of them myself, and have settled on these particular ones as BEST.
10 | Herb Garden
Indoor growing…kitchen herbs, don’t get any crazy ideas — we’re growing kitchen herbs to cook with here! LED grow lights equal thriving plant growth no matter the weather. Just drop in the included pods, and plug in the self-watering planter. You can also start all the plants inside and then transfer them outdoors in the spring!
11 | Razor Electric Scooter
Electric scooter, that can handle up to 220 pounds, has a top speed of up to 15 mph, and a rechargeable sealed battery for up to 40 minutes of continuous use. What a great way to get to work? To get the mail and paper? To have some fun in your own neighborhood? I wonder if they come with snow tires? — I’m teasing; they do not.
12 | Projector
This though…works even in the snow! You can transpose your phone, iPad or laptop and watch movies on a wall at home or a screen outdoors! This portable led projector is a super-fun family gift while we’re all looking for more family fun, outdoors and in!
13 | Moleskine Notes
I WISH FOR THIS!!! I wrestle constantly with my love for taking notes in a book, and for being able to electronically reference said notes and share them with others. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!! This is a genius solution for those of us who like to bridge both worlds and have a hard time adapting our ways, but really, really want to!
14 | Self–Cleaning Water Bottle
ERADICATES BACTERIA. (If only it could eradicate a lot of other things.) In seriousness, you touch a button AND it self-cleans by intelligently activating every two hours. Most expensive water bottle ever, maybe? However…for those that like it PURE…this might be the perfect gift!
15 | Beautiful Ear Buds
Happy-Nes — tangle-free, colorfully woven cables, these headphones are designed as if they knew the exact path to my 10 year old’s heart! (And ears.)
16 | LED Wall Panels
This is a fun way to decorate a wall, to make your own art, to take a dance party to the next level, to have fun, and just to add a dash of playful ambient light to any room. And yes, it reacts to your touch. Requires no drilling, is fun for the whole family, and makes a wall more fun and more beautiful!
17 | Ember Mug
S laughs at me because there are often, six to ten beverages in front of me-at all times. Collected cans of sparkling water, my “goal water” bottle of the day, coffee leftovers from today, maybe yesterday, possibly the day before. She does’t understand me. THIS mug does. I end up collecting coffee mugs all day b/c they get cold, so I leave what’s left, and make a new one. And then eventually, I combine all of what’s left, heat it, and drink that too. IF…it could just stay hot, well THEN, I would actually finish it. S — this is the gift you can give me, that will give you more peace of mind. And will clean up my work area. We can probably get down to three beverages next to me at all times if I had this. This isn’t all about us though, it’s all about ALL of US working from home…just trying to keep our beverages hot and our own selves cool all at them same time.
18 | Floating Speaker
Pool? Hot tub? Bath tub? Yup. Uses Bluetooth to pair with your phone or other media device. In addition, the link with your phone lets you make hands-free calls and control the camera for effortlessly good selfies anywhere. I’m not suggesting that you selfie in the tub, I’m just saying, you could, by voice control…that’s all. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving. (giggle.)
19 | Mommy Power Stroller Hook
Yes to more Mommy Power for the new moms and the moms with new babies! Great for new moms, and the experienced ones too, a huge step up from what we thought were the brilliance of just a hook to hold things…this one is also a power bank which we can hang bags from AND charge electronic devices anywhere. Super-convenient. I don’t even have a baby, nor a stroller any longer and I might need one of these. Let’s Go!!! Momming is for real, we draw power from all sources. This thing is amazing!
20 | Blue Light Filtering Glasses – For Kids
Good for the kids’ eyes. Affordable, adorable stocking stuffers. Done. (After reviewing all the options, these are best reviewed, and cutest imo.)
21 | Theragun Pro
Yes we’re going to invest in tables, chairs and skills, in time. For now, THIS is my solution to all that aches, tightness, and needs immediate attention. And, I have it on good authority that we’ll use it with the rest of it. Life is hard, muscles don’t have to be. Loosen up. xo A
Some of these are great choices for one of the Eight Nights of Light and/or for stocking stuffers. Some of them are investment-worthwhile splurges as the big gift that will keep on giving! They are all super-fun, and I hope we hit one for everyone on your list! I’m going to repeat Level Up, and get back to shopping more holiday fun! BTW — we have a few extra presents for you. Find more gift guides here, our gift shop here, and shop by price here. xoxo, A
PS: Follow along with me on Pinterest for more Home Inspiration and other random distractions via pretty visuals.
Oh hey, Pinners…
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