Top Tech Gifts Guide for 2020
We’ve surveyed the BEI staff and the items below are our top Tech Gifts for both giving and receiving this holiday season. As you shop, please keep our tips from the recent blog on The Season for Scammers. And, just so you know, we have tried a few of these products, but some are simply things we’d love to own!
Santa’s SUPER Nice List – Tech Gifts Over $100
Josh recommends the Logitech Harmony family of Remote Controls. A smart-home command center you can carry around the house to control your expanding home technology—from TVs and gaming consoles to security systems and Alexa. So awesome! ($69.99-$299.99)
Mike has his eye on the – Sonos Move Battery Powered Wireless Smart Speaker. It’s great for getting a very good portable sound in any room or outside without needing AC power. It can be your only Sonos speaker or a great addition to your system. It sounds great! ($399)
The Linksys Velop Mesh WiFi System is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with multiple people working from home or doing distance learning. If your Zoom and/or Teams calls disconnect or have bad video and sound quality using your Internet Service Provider’s Wireless Router, then this system will really boost your WiFi performance. Mike says, “we were having constant video lag and call disconnection until we installed these in our home.” ($199-$299)
For the vinyl lovers in your life, check out these two turntables that Joe R. recommends from Audio Technica. The Wireless AT-LP120XBT for $299.99 and the more affordable AT-LP60XRD for $139.
Ryan M. always has great ideas for tech gifts. This year he recommends this Nvidia Shield TV 4K HDR Streaming Media Player as the perfect family gift this year. ($249.99) He also loves this Ring Alarm 5-Piece Kit for all your home security needs. ($139.99)
Nothing brings people together like food. Make sure your main dish is cooked perfectly this year with your own Sous Vide! Josh recommends the Breville CS20001 because of its compact size and great reviews! You won’t miss eating out with this in your kitchen arsenal! ($149.99)
Sure to Make Someone Smile – Tech Gifts Under $100
“Hey Google, Tonia has her eyes on your Alexa competitor—Nest Audio!” It’s sleek and eye-catching while also a great option for lovers of the various Google platforms. ($99.99).
Brett thinks that any Caps fan has to have the Special Great Eight/Ovechkin Edition if they also love gaming. “I know I’m hoping to unwrap this on December 25th!” ($99.99) Brett, the ultimate Star Wars fan, also has his eye on this cute Remote Control Child (baby Yoda)! ($69.99)
The TaoTronics TT-DL050 Stylish Metal LED Desk Lamp with Fast Wireless Charger is a next level lamp and charger for your desk or nightstand. Josh thinks it’s a must-have tech gift for anyone working from home and we could not agree more! ($99.99)
Jim loves the Amazon Fire Tablet. He says that for $50 it is a terrific eReader, web browser, and camera. However, please note that this is the ad-sponsored price. There is an additional fee of $14.99 to remove the ads. Still a great deal in our book!
This DroneX Pro slips in at $99. Jennifer plans on taking this on her next vacation to capture the perfect shot! We recommend checking with local and FAA guidelines before using!
The Upright GO Original provides a smart posture reminder to those of us who’ve been working from home in non-ergonomic chairs for months, says Josh. We know you just sat up a little straighter, too! ($79.95)
Perfect Gifts for Anyone on Your List – Tech Gifts Under $50
Josh loves this Lenovo – Smart Clock with Google Assistant. He says “It’s inexpensive and it beats picking up your phone off the nightstand to look at the time, snooze alarms, check the weather, or issue commands to your smart devices. The display auto dims at night, so it is great for sensitive sleepers! ($34.99)
Jason commandeered a wireless phone charger from his daughter and has it on his nightstand. “I love it.” Let’s hope his daughter doesn’t read our tech gifts guide before he can grab her one for under the tree! ($34.99)
This portable Power Bank by T-CORE is small and light. It can charge almost any device you have, too, and it would actually make a really cool stocking stuffer! Joe R. is a big fan! ($29.99)
Perfect Stocking Stuffers – Tech Gifts Under $20
Mike recommends looking into options to turn an old iPhone or Android smartphone into a really great webcam. “I recently did this for my old Samsung Galaxy S6 and it works GREAT! And you get much better video quality than a $50 webcam plus you can zoom in/out and use the flash on the phone for extra light.” ($5-$8)
This 5-pack of iPhone/iPad charging cables belongs here since you can divvy them up among the iPhone/iPad users in your house. Jason says, “these are always in high demand with my 3 kids, who are either selling them or losing them at a rapid rate!” ($12.99)
Jennifer gets instant gratification with this cute little tablet and phone screen cleaner! It’s sort of an add-on for almost any of your tech gifts! Check out the ScreenKlean for each of your stockings. ($15.99)
