The Tech Gifts Everyone Will Want This Year

It's officially gifting season. Scouted's holiday gift guides are here to help you get through it all. Check all of them out here.

You don’t need to be a tech nerd to appreciate a good gadget. So whether you need a gift for a tech-obsessed gearhead or someone who just needs their life streamlined, we’ve got some gadget ideas for all your friends and loved ones.

Sonos One: Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home are making appearances on gift guides everywhere. And while they sound okay, the Sonos One is a far better option for music lovers. It’s a bit more expensive at $200, but it’s the best whole-house audio system you can buy, and the second generation Sonos One has both Alexa and Google Assistant built-in for full smart home control.

Nomad Battery Cable: There are hordes of good battery banks out there, like the Anker PowerCore line. But most tend to be pretty big, and require a separate cable to charge your devices. That’s fine for a backpack, but if you want an all-in-one solution that can fit right in your purse or pocket, the Nomad Battery Cable is a unique alternative. It has a small, built-in 2,800 mAh battery pack and a durable nylon-braided cable all in one, so you don’t need anything else to stay juiced up.

Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Earphones: Ever since Apple ditched the headphone jack (and every other manufacturer followed suit), Bluetooth headphones have surged in popularity—especially the “true wireless” variety that contain no exterior cables. Apple’s AirPods might be the biggest name in the game, but for superior sound quality, try the Jabra Elite 65t. They’re still widely regarded as some of the best true wireless ‘buds you can buy. (Though I’m personally a fan of the ultra-comfortable Bose SoundSport line, which I reviewed on Scouted last year.)

Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch: In a beautiful blending of aesthetics and gadgetry, Fossil’s hybrid smartwatches bridge the gap between traditional watches and smart wearables like the Apple Watch. Instead of a battery-draining screen, you get a traditional two-hand watch face that connects to your phone and vibrates when you receive notifications, “swinging” the hands to certain positions so you know who’s calling. Fossil carries many styles for both men and women under $200—though you’ll also find options from Fossil’s sub-brands, including Skagen, Misfit, Armani Exchange, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, and others. (Withings also makes their own activity-focused hybrids, too, if that’s your jam.)

NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro: Lots of people just use their smart TV to stream their favorite shows. But frankly, most smart TVs kind of suck. They’re often slower and clunkier than dedicated streaming boxes, not to mention rarely updated with new features. And while cheap streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Stick are awesome, give the gift of top-tier streaming with an Apple TV 4K (for Apple-minded folks) or the NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro (for Android users). With a huge catalog of channels, a great interface, and even the ability to play video games, they’re the two best streaming boxes you can buy today.

Amazon Echo Show or Google’s Nest Hub: If you know someone who’s already decked out their home with smart lights, sensors, and other internet-connected goodies, they probably have a few smart speakers. But they may not have a screen to go with them, like Amazon’s Echo Show (which comes in three sizes; 10-inch, 8-inch, and 5-inch) or Google’s Nest Hub (which comes in two sizes, 10-inch and 7-inch). These devices essentially act as a smarthome dashboard, allowing more fine-grained control of your lights, security cameras, and other gadgets—not to mention a screen for seeing your calendar, watching videos, or getting more detailed answers to all your burning questions.

Ember Temperature-Controlled Mug: I love coffee, but I feel like it spends most of its time being too hot or too cold, with about a 1-minute window where it’s an appropriate temperature to drink. If you have a heavy coffee or tea drinker in your life, get them the Ember mug—it lets them keep their drink heated to the perfect temperature. It comes in 10-ounce and 14-ounce versions in multiple colors, with a 12-ounce travel variant available for road warriors.

A Killer Sous Vide Cooker: If your giftee is a kitchen whiz but still hasn’t tried sous vide cooking—or is using a low-end Immersion Circulator—it’s time to upgrade them with something like the ChefSteps Joule, widely regarded as the finest sous vide machine on the market. It’s small, works with your phone, and gets you perfect results every time.

An Actually Stylish Wireless Speaker: If your friend loves music but you want something a bit more unique than the Sonos, try one of our favorite stylish speakers. Whether they’re a fan of Tivoli’s old-school radio look, Marshall’s guitar amp aesthetic, or Klipsch’s classic gold-trimmed wood, there are plenty of attractive speakers out there that don’t skimp on sound—and many support Alexa and other smart music services, too.

Philips Wake Light: We all know someone who struggles to get up in the morning, whose alarm clock is dented from repeatedly slamming the snooze button. Give them a gentler wakeup next year with the Philips Wake Light, an alarm clock that—instead of an annoying buzzing or loud ringtone—simulates a sunrise at your desired wakeup time. Trust me, they’ll thank you.

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