Our favorite tech gifts: Treat yourself to a new toy with that tax return money

These are the gifts you dream about.

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Credit: GoPro, DJI, SteelSeries, Apple, Nintendo / Mashable Photo Composite

Once upon a time, kids (and kids at heart) longed for the biggest present in the pile. But size doesn’t matter when picking out the best tech gifts. Some of the year’s top gadgets are small enough to fit inside your pocket, and thanks to digital downloads, many popular gaming gifts take up no physical space whatsoever.

Our tech gift guide includes some of the best new releases of the year, most of which we’ve written about and reviewed. From the new Nintendo Switch OLED Mario Red Edition to new Amazon devices, we’ve focused on the gadgets our editors really loved this year — the true drool-worthy I can’t believe you got this for me gifts.

Here are over 50 of Mashable’s favorite gift-worthy gadgets and tech gifts.

Click&Grow Indoor Herb Garden

Best for the (not so) green thumb

The Click & Grow 3 planter can help anyone keep their plants alive, including herbs and veggies that typically require an outdoor garden. It features a built-in reservoir that stores a month’s worth of water, a sunlight-mimicking lamp, and soil mixture that releases nutrients in sync with the plant’s life cycle. You just have to plant the seeds.

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Apple Watch Series 9

Best for a tax return splurge

If your bare wrist mocks you daily, give it the upgrade it deserves by (finally!) treating yourself to an Apple Watch. This sleek piece of modern engineering blows other smartwatches out of the water, with the latest model boasting a faster OS, a brighter display, and lots more. There’s a reason it’s at the top of just about every one of our “best” lists.

Anker Nano Portable Phone Charger

Best for everyone

Everyone can use a little help keeping their smartphone powered up at the end of the day, and Anker chargers like this are always popular stocking stuffers. This small gadget fits into the palm of your hand and has a fold-out USB-C charger (a version with a lightning connector is also available).

Echo Pop Smart Speaker

Best for stuffing a stocking

Amazon’s colorful new smart speaker is more affordable than the previous generation of Echo Dot speakers, yet it offers fuller sound a cooler design. These mini speakers are perfect for checking the weather, listening to music as you get ready, or asking Alexa how many days are left until Christmas.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Noise-Canceling Earbuds

Best for the music lover

Another new release, Bose’s latest noise-canceling earbuds are shockingly good. In our testing so far, the noise cancellation is just as good as we’ve come to expect from Bose (better, in fact), and the company has also introduced a new immersive 3D sound feature. Wireless headphones are always some of the most popular tech gifts, and we’d recommend these over AirPods from Apple any day.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Printer

Best for teens

Ironically, one of the best tech gifts for teens can actually help them get away from screens — at least, for the time it takes to pin their new photo to their bedroom wall. Fujifilm may lack the retro flair of Kodak or Polaroid, but the company makes the best instant cameras and printers.

Ember temperature controlled mug

Best for the hot coffee stan

Tired: Yet another super-niche mug that’ll just chip and take up cabinet space. Wired: A temperature-controlled smart mug that’s probably the last mug they’ll ever need. The second iteration of the Ember mug keeps coffee, tea, or soup between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit (as set on the app) for up to 1.5 hours. Its coaster is also its charger.

Nintendo Switch OLED Model: Mario Red Edition

Best for Mario superfans

Whether you’re a Gen X-er who’s been playing Mario for as long as you can remember, or a 7-year-old who just discovered Mario thanks to Chris Pratt and Jack Black (peaches!), Mario has a certain timeless appeal. Level up your Nintendo Switch console with this special-edition, Mario-themed Nintendo Switch OLED.

A Kindle for reading and writing

Best for bibliophiles

Sure, e-readers are cool — but what if you also want to jot down handwritten notes on the material you’re reading? With its easy-read Paperwhite display, the Kindle Scribe is a first-of-its-kind combination of reading and writing that would make the perfect gift for students with digital texts and deep thinkers who love to scribble notes in the margins of their favorite books.

GoPro HERO12 Black

Best for adventurers

The newest GoPro impressed our reviewers, and it boasts mind-blowing levels of motion stabilization. GoPro has also added the ability to capture vertical video, the better to post montages to TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Best for experienced Switch gamers

While Xbox and PlayStation race to open up new fronts in the console wars, the Nintendo Switch is always there for you. Instead of the combat-oriented blood-and-gore games, you can escape the world with whimsical titles like Cuphead, Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda.

‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’

Best for Marvel fans

Is Spider-Man 2 the season’s most highly anticipated game? If it’s not, it’s damn close. Play as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales in this new video game, because you can never have too many Spider-Men.

Mortal Kombat 1

Best for PlayStation gamers

Mortal Kombat may not be as cuddly-cute as Super Mario, but it’s one of the most enduringly popular video game franchises in the world. Back with a fresh installment, the new Mortal Kombat 1 has been all over Twitch and TikTok since its release earlier this year.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

Best under $100

Looking for tech gift ideas under $100? The popular Wonderboom 3 from Ultimate Ears is priced at $99.99, but it’s almost always discounted to some degree. Anyone who likes to spend time camping, hanging out by the pool, or just hanging in the backyard will appreciate this portable and waterproof Bluetooth speaker.

Oura Ring

Best for the health conscious

As sleek as they’ve become, wrist wearables like the Apple Watch are still too sporty for some folks. The Oura Ring is a chic alternative for the subtly health-conscious crowd. The third generation Oura ring tracks sleep (more accurately than many competitors), heart rate, and daily activity through sensors on the finger. A $5.99/month subscription is required after six free months.

Desktop vacuum

Best for snacking during work

Desks are where crumbs go to die, whether you regularly pop Cheetos while working or ate a bagel on Zoom once and are still seeing seeds in your keyboard. Your giftee will wonder how they ever worked without this mini desktop vacuum within arm’s reach. Be sure to include two AA batteries.

Rubik’s connected cube

Best for hands-on gamers

Not all cool gadgets need to serve some higher purpose; sometimes they can just be fun. This smart, app-connected Rubik’s Cube allows users to compete with others across the globe, sharpen their skills, and track their cube-solving progress over time. It’s a great STEM toy for all ages.

Kodak Luma mini projector

Best for the movie buff

A portable projector gives frequent travelers the option to watch on the big screen anywhere. The Kodak Luma 150 casts movies or TV shows onto whatever surface you choose, with the projection itself measuring up to 150 inches. It’s wireless with a built-in speaker, so no outlets or additional devices are required — a huge bonus for camping.

Flameless lighter

Best for people with too many candles

This iridescent lighter works in even the windiest conditions because its plasma surface replaces a traditional flame. From cigars to candles, this flameless gadget provides a ton of lights on one charge. When the juice runs out, it can be plugged in rather than thrown away.

Portable humidifier

Best for a good night’s sleep

Is the skin on your hands starting to feel cracked and dry? Are your sinuses drying out overnight? Then add this cool mist desktop humidifier to your bedroom. You can even lug it over to your home office and keep it running during the day. This popular appliance will quietly and quickly moisturize your environment.

Soundbrenner Core

Best for the musician

This sick wearable helps guitar players complete multiple set-up steps without fishing out separate devices. The hyped Kickstarter success works as a tuner, decibel meter, and vibrating metronome, as well as a typical smartwatch that can receive phone notifications.

Collapsible Bluetooth speaker

Best for the music buff

A phone speaker just doesn’t cut it when playing tunes for a group of people. This collapsible one is perfect for bumping The Weeknd’s new album on the go, attaching to just about any surface via built-in magnets or an included universal wall mount. One charge offers up eight hours of wireless playback.

PhoneSoap UV sanitizer

Best for the germaphobe

We regret to inform you that your phone is probably dirtier than a public toilet seat. The UV rays inside the PhoneSoap 3 kill 99.99 percent of germs and bacteria, offering better sanitation than just using a wipe. PhoneSoap can also clean keys and AirPods, and it doubles as a phone charger.

Typewriter keyboard

Best for the writer

Living in a high-tech world doesn’t mean you have to give up old technology. This keyboard gives the look and feel of a typewriter but connects to digital devices wirelessly (or through USB) to nail the mechanical feel of a typewriter with the modern blessing of a backspace key.

A flattering Logitech streaming light

Best for live streamers

Whether they work from home or they’re an aspiring influencer, they will definitely appreciate this thoughtful monitor-mounting light. Its full-spectrum LED light casts a true-to-life, flattering glow on all skin tones so they look flawless at all times. It also offers adjustable brightness and color temperature, and custom presets so they can easily switch from morning meeting to Twitch streaming.

Electric corkscrew

Best for the wine lover

Any self-respecting wine enthusiast can probably operate a manual corkscrew in their sleep, but that’s unnecessary elbow grease after a long day. Instead, an electric corkscrew can open even the most stubborn bottles at the push of a button. This well-reviewed one by Secura goes perfectly in a stainless steel kitchen.

LED teeth whitening kit

Best for… anyone who smiles, really

Smile Direct Club’s whitening works three times faster than strips to brighten your smile. The kit listed here lasts for one year, with treatments suggested every three months. To use, apply the whitening gel to your teeth then place the LED mouthpiece in your mouth. The device needs a power source, but can be plugged into an iPhone or a USB, USB-C, or micro USB outlet.

Smart water bottle

Best for hydration beginners

The HidrateSpark 3 is essentially a personal hydration coach — it reminds you to drink water and celebrates when you’ve met your daily goal. A sensor inside the bottle records the number of ounces or milliliters you drink and records them in the Hidrate app, which also syncs with other health apps. The bottle holds 24 ounces, but the sensor recalibrates with your goal as you sip and refill.

A helmet with turn signals

Best for the cyclist

If you worry about them biking in areas with lots of cars, this genius helmet is the perfect gift to help keep them safe and set your mind at ease. It has front and rear LED lights, automatic brake lights, and turn signals that let vehicles around them know where they are and what they’re doing.

3D printing pen

Best for the (bored) artist

Has your creative friend been in a rut with their current mediums? With a 3D printing pen, they can create a hyper-tangible version of the ideas floating in their head. Adjustable plastic filament flow and temperature settings can be managed on the MYNT3D pen’s OLED display.

Egg timer

Best for creating the perfect egg

Boiling eggs can be a tricky game. This timer goes in the pot with your eggs and absorbs heat exactly as an egg does, then changes color to indicate soft, medium, and hard boiled eggs. This gadget adjusts to the number of eggs and level of water to take the guesswork out of boiling eggs. It’s a great tool for home cooks, but especially for people who detest runny eggs.

Lovebox Messenger

Best for someone you love

Gift this to someone and you’ll be able to send them love notes whenever you want. Compose the messages in the Lovebox mobile app and send them to the digital box in your loved one’s home. The heart on the outside of the box notifies the recipient that they have a message, which will display once they open the lid. Corny in the sweetest way.

Crock-Pot food warmer

Best for the office foodie

Waiting in line to use the microwave during the lunch rush at work takes up precious time that could be spent actually eating. This food warmer from Crock-Pot eliminates the need to microwave. Just plug it in and the 20-ounce container begins to heat up and warm your food. It even has a handle for portability.

Laser scissors

Best for the precise person

Cutting crooked lines is a thing of the past with these scissors. They have an attached laser to guide your cut line, making sure you get the straightest cut. The laser is adjustable with two screws, allowing you to aim where you want it. This gadget is great for sewing, crafting, and gift wrapping, though some reviewers noted there is a bit of a learning curve.

The EMBR Wave 2

Best for people who are always hot

Embr Wave cools or warms the wrist, triggering the body’s natural response to temperature change to make you more comfortable. Control your temperature directly on the device or within the mobile app to visually track thermal changes. After three minutes of use, wearers will feel warmer by 4.6 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler by 5.8 degrees.

Solar USB charger

Best for the traveler

Portable chargers are super handy, except when they run out of power. This charger pulls juice from traditional charging methods as well as from its four solar panels. A single charge gives you about nine days of usage. Just make sure the panels are in contact with sunlight and your devices will stay juiced up.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

Best for early adopters

Officially released on Oct. 17, the new smart glasses from Ray-Ban and Meta were one of the year’s most-anticipated gadget releases (second only to the new USB-C iPhone 15). Early reviewers report that the glasses have a very impressive camera given the size and price. We definitely expect these wearables to be high on gift lists this year, but we’ll be honest that Mashable editors haven’t been overly enthusiastic about them. Still, if you’ve got any early adopters on your gift list, here they are.

Razer Kishi mobile game controller

Best for mobile gamers

The Nintendo Switch is cool — but if the games they enjoy live on their smartphone instead, this controller will exponentially enhance their gameplay by turning their phone into a handheld gaming system. It’s available for both iPhone and Android smartphone models, and it’s compatible with hundreds of popular mobile games and cloud gaming services, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Steam Link.

Makeup brush cleaner

Best for the makeup maven

Cleaning makeup brushes is an absolute chore, but this brush spinner makes the once-dreaded process a total breeze. It comes with eight collars to fit brushes of virtually any size so they can wash and dry their makeup tools in a fraction of the time. Their brushes (and their skin!) will be so thankful.

Compact beauty cooler

Best for skincare aficionados

Anyone with a solid skincare routine knows that some things are best served chilled — including face masks, jade rollers, eye creams, and facial serums. This compact beauty cooler keeps skincare products at the optimal temperature to maintain their shelf life and provide a cooling effect to de-puff your skin. It also comes in handy for medications and maybe even a little midnight snack, too.

Cuisinart ice cream maker

Best for anyone with a sweet tooth

This handy appliance lets you make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and sherbet right in the comfort of your own kitchen, all customized to your liking. While it’s the kind of thing someone might not splurge on for themself, it’s an especially thoughtful gift for someone with special dietary needs. Delicious dairy-free ice cream and sugar-free sorbet can be super expensive or flat-out hard to find, but now you can whip some up together.

Gunnar Blue Light-Blocking Glasses

Best for all-day gamers

These blue light-blocking glasses for gamers are the only gift on this list that you don’t have to plug in or charge. Still, we’re keeping them here anyway, and we really do think they’d make a great gift for the gamers in your life.

PlayStation 5 Console (PS5)

Best for late adopters

Remember when the only people who could get their hands on PS5 consoles were the price gougers and their reluctant customers? Good times. Until the new Playstation 5 Slim hits store shelves (or after it inevitably sells out thanks to those same price gougers), you can buy this console via Amazon Prime.

‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’

Best for horror lovers

The multiplayer survival horror game based on the famous 1970s slasher flick has proven to be a huge hit among video game streamers. As you’d expect, it’s incredibly gory, but you already knew that — the name is kind of a giveaway, right? This surprise hit is available for Xbox and Playstation gamers.

Nintendo Switch Lite

Best for young gamers

Your Nintendo Switch may have gotten plenty of love, but do you have a young person or teenager on your shopping list who needs a Switch of their very own? Every time they pick up this handheld console (which will be all the time), they’ll think about you.

Jackery Explorer 300 Power Station

Best for camping

Jackery’s line of Explorer power stations are durable and long-lasting, and they let you keep your phones, laptops, cameras, and other electronics powered up even if you’re camping or visiting a festival. They’re also great tech gifts for dads who want to be prepared for blackouts (or zombie apocalypses).

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headset

Best for multiplayers

SteelSeries makes some of the best wireless gaming headsets in the world, like this reasonably priced model. You can buy versions of this headset for every type of console plus PC gaming, and they’re great tech gift ideas for gamers.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

Best for aspiring influencers

If you’ve never used an electric smartphone gimbal like this, it feels almost like magic as it rotates and spins in your hand. By matching your movements perfectly in real time, this smartphone gimbal provides a steady frame for your viewers (and loyal future fans).

Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System

Best for Dyson Airwrap coveters

Our No. 1 Airwrap dupe, the Shark FlexStyle features the same spinning air (“Coanda”) technology as Dyson’s viral multi-styler — and it’s less than half the price. It can also double as a traditional hair dryer thanks to its swivel-able base. You can bundle it with your choice of three accessories, including a round brush, a diffuser, auto-wrap curlers, and a carrying case.

Google Pixel Tablet

Best for tech upgraders

Google’s new 11-inch Android tablet is elevated by its charging speaker dock, which turns it into a mini desktop TV or smart display. (It’s compatible with smart home devices like thermostats and cameras.) It runs on a zippy Tensor G2 chip and last for up to 12 hours per charge, which beats the current Apple iPads’ battery lives by two whole hours.

Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.

Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she’s not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she’s almost definitely watching a horror movie, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” or “The Office.” You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].

Miller Kern is a New York City-based Deputy Reviews Editor at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews of tech products including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She has five years of experience writing buying guides, gift guides, and deals, and covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.

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