Shopping for the holidays can be stressful, with so many gifts out there and so many different wants, needs, opinions, and deals. To help our readers make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of great home tech gifts that you can turn to in your time of need. We have personal experience with each gift we’re recommending.
For the person who has everything except a great night’s sleep:
Purple Pillow and Sheets
Purple’s pillow ($99) is made of a hyper-elastic polymer that cradles your head perfectly while keeping your pillow cool as a cucumber. I’ve been sleeping with it for the last couple weeks and can attest that it’s like laying your head on a cloud. My biggest complaint is that it’s fairly thin so you may need to prop it up higher with a thinner pillow underneath. It also smelled funny after it arrived, but after letting it air out for 24 hours, the smell dissipated. Fantastically, Purple has a 100-night return policy, so give it a shot!
Purple’s sheets ($99-$129) are bamboo-based and are ultra-stretchy for supreme comfort and pressure relief. These sheets are softer and cooler than jersey knit sheets and are 83% more breathable than top-selling Egyptian cotton sheets. Purple’s sheets are supposed to cradle your body better than standard cotton sheets. Our biggest complaint is that because they’re so soft and stretchy, they’re hard to get to look nice once they’re on the bed, but who needs a tidy bed?
Mediflow Floating Comfort Pillow
Thanks to Mediflow’s Floating Comfort Pillow, I’ve received some of the best sleep I’ve had in a very long time. Currently on sale for $49.99, the water-based pillow is really great.
Featuring what the company labels as a Responsive Support system, the pillow features two layers, including the water base and a plump, soft layer that adjusts to your sleeping patterns. You certainly won’t have a bad night’s sleep or buyer’s remorse thanks to the Floating Comfort Pillow.
Nightingale Smart Home Sleep System
If outside noise is making it hard for you to fall asleep at night, then you might want to check out the Nightingale Smart Home Sleep System. Judie’s been testing this, and she’s found that it effectively masks outside noises that otherwise would disrupt her sleep. Her full review will be coming soon, but so far she’s loving it — and loving her better nights’ sleep! The system starts at $149.99 for one Nightingale unit, but if you have a larger bedroom, you’ll want to get the Premium Edition which includes two.
For the family with curious, tech-obsessed kids:
Anki Cozmo Collectors Edition
Anki’s new Cozmo Collectors Edition ($179.99) is finished in a sleek liquid metal color. Cozmo is a real-life robot with a mind of its own. He’ll learn your face and greet you by name, he’ll want to play games with you, he’ll sing to you, and he’ll even want to pounce on your finger with his lifting arms. My daughter was instantly in love with Cozmo as soon as he called her name and asked her to play. She wants to play with him daily. There are so many things to do with Cozmo that we’ve only scratched the surface so far. Our only complaint is that you need to have the companion smartphone app open the entire time you’re playing with Cozmo.
Cozmo recently received an update to its Code Labs feature, that allows kids to learn coding skills. Code Labs provides a visual programming platform that’s really fun and interesting. Check out Anki’s blog post to learn more.
For the home that has everything except amazing WiFi coverage:
Eero Gen. 2 Whole Home WiFi System
Eero’s new 2nd Generation Whole Home WiFi System ($299-$499) is seriously amazing. It blankets your entire home with fast, reliable WiFi with very little maintenance. We’ve been using Eero WiFi in my house for the past two years and have zero complaints. Their customer service is out of this world too! One of our eero Beacons crapped out for one reason or another and they sent us a brand new one, no questions asked! Check out our full review, here.
For the home whose kitchen could use some advanced tech:
Ninja Intelli-Sense Kitchen System with Auto Spiralizer
Ninja’s fantastic new Intelli-Sense Kitchen System ($269.99) is comprised of a high-powered 1200W base and comes with four different attachments, making it a jack-of-all-trades in the kitchen. The 72oz total crushing pitcher makes amazing smoothies with the press of the LED touchscreen and the food processor makes excellent hummus as well. With easy-to-clean parts, the Intelli-Sense Kitchen System is a no-brainer for your kitchen-inclined friends or family. Check out our review, here.
Ninja Coffee Bar
The Ninja Coffee Bar ($199.99) is the perfect gift for coffee connoisseurs. You can make pod-free single serve coffee, multi-serving brews like carafe or XL tumblers, or make a cappuccino using the built-in milk frother. The Ninja Coffee Bar has so many different options, it may make your morning coffee decision much more difficult. Stay tuned to Gear Diary for a full review!
For the home that could be just a little bit cleaner:
Shark ION Robot 750
Shark’s new ION ROBOT 750 ($349.99) represents an excellent value in home robotics. Using Magellan-like navigational skills, the ION ROBOT 750 finds all of the dust, dirt, and crumbs on your floor and beautifully avoids obstacles, including stairs. Compatible with a smartphone app, Alexa, and Google Home, this robot vacuum can work on a schedule or by request. Its battery lasts for about an hour and it can handle multiple flooring changes, like wood to carpet, etc. Check out our review, here.
Shark IONFlex Ultra-Light Cordless Vacuum
Shark’s new IONFlex Ultra-Light Cordless Vacuum ($459.99) is a handheld vacuum that comes with two lithium-ion batteries and a charging dock for longer runtime. The vacuum also flexes to allow you to easily clean underneath chairs and tables. The DuoClean brush is also able to clean carpets and hardwood floor without changing your brush. Finally, the vacuum seamlessly converts to a handvac to replace your dustbuster! Keep an eye on Gear Diary for our full review, coming soon.
For the home that spends tons of money on fancy seltzer:
SodaStream Aqua Fizz
SodaStream’s new Aqua Fizz ($179.99) was designed to be the most premium sparkling water machine in the world. The sleek, well-designed machine allows you to make sparkling water in elegant glass carafes that promise to look good on your dining table. The CO2 cylinder allows you to make up to 60L of sparkling water before needing replacement and the unit comes with 2 glass carafes with fizz-preserving caps. The 2 glass carafes hold about 0.65 liters each, so you may be refilling them a lot depending on how much your family loves sparkling water. The Aqua Fizz is a great gift for those sparkling water lovers out there.
For the musically inclined home:
Yamaha DTX-400K Electric Drum Set
Yamaha’s new DTX-400K Electric Drum Set ($799) is the perfect gift for anyone who loves music and wants to learn how to play the drums. An electronic drum set is especially perfect for parents who want their kids to learn how to play, but who also want to maintain peace and quiet in their house. With an electronic drum set, the sound is transmitted to the musician’s headphones, not echoing around the house! Featuring 10 legendary drum sets, training features, and realistic feeling pads & kicks, the Yamaha DTX-400K is a great choice for kids and adults alike. Stay tuned to Gear Diary for a full review, coming soon!
For the house that could use a bit more security:
Logitech Logi Circle 2
Logitech’s Logi Circle 2 (wired for $179.99) is a personal favorite of mine. I’ve previously covered the Logi Circle version 1 and raved about its features, but had a few grips that seem to have been corrected in the second edition of the popular Home security camera. Featuring FREE 24-hour cloud storage (with paid subscriptions starting at $3.99), night vision and indoor-outdoor capabilities, Logitech also released a much-needed wire-free version ($199.99) that will go great with any household giving you a 1080 HD viewing experience to make sure you’re always in the know of what is going on in your home.