Tech gift ideas for everyone

Looking for a holiday gift for your little one? Perhaps your significant other loves to cook? Or maybe you know someone who’s an avid gamer?

No worries, this holiday gift guide has got you covered.

From kids and teens to older adults, this list has got several recommendations to help you add to your holiday cheer. 

And do feel free to check it twice. Regardless if it’s for someone naught or nice there’s bound to be something here for everybody. (This gift guide will also be updated through the holiday season as we test more gadgets and items.)

Category 1: For kids and kids at heart

Let’s start with the ones who love the holidays the most — kids! There’s just something about this time of year that kids just absolutely love. Admit it, you used to be one, too. Heck, even some “adults” might get a kick out of some of these presents. Don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.

LaScoota Sit N’ Scoot

Designed for kids ages 3 to 12, parents can get plenty of mileage from the LaScoota Sit N’ Scoot thanks to its 2-in-1 variable design. 

It comes with an attachable seat for younger children who aren’t coordinated quite yet. For older toddlers and kids, simply take out the seat and they can use it as a regular stand-up push scooter. The double wheels at the front also help with balance — kind of like training wheels in reverse — and it can accommodate riders up to 100 pounds. 

I tested this with my 4-year-old nephew and he has since improved from using it with a seat to kicking and zipping across the neighborhood like a bat out of, um, heck. It’s easily one of my nephew’s favorite toys right now.

Power Pony

“Whoa, what’s that?”

This is the typical reaction I get when people see the Power Pony for the first time. It’s no surprise. It’s not everyday that you see something that’s essentially a cross between a hoverboard and a rocking pony. The Power Pony is akin to kids having their cake and eating it, too, as it allows them to enjoy the fun of a hoverboard — whether it be zipping forward or doing nifty spinning tricks — but in a much safer way. It’s like a hoverboard with training wheels.

The Power Pony can also support up to 150 pounds so don’t be surprised if you see some adults “testing” it for their kids. I’m sure they’re doing it for the children and not just horsing around (yeah, right).

Yvolution YES Electric Scooter

For teens and young adults, perhaps a larger scooter with more power — literally — would be a better option. 

The Yvolution YES Electric Scooter comes with a foldable design for easy transport, bag hooks, a built-in rechargeable battery that can cover up to 15.5 miles in a single charge, plus a headlight for added safety at night. This makes it great not just for fun rides but also as a micro-mobility option for high school and college kids. 

It comes with three speed modes: Walking at 3.7 miles per hour, medium at 11.2 miles per hour, and maximum at 15.5 miles per hour. Throw in a classic, retro design and you’ve got an electric scooter with a unique vibe.

Swagtron EB-6 Bandit Kids Electric Fat Bike

A smaller, kid-friendly version of the Swagtron EB-8 electric bike that we recommended in last year’s holiday gift guide, the Swagtron EB-6 is a smaller off-road e-bike with many of the same features of its bigger cousin. These include 7-speed Shimano gears, dual-disc brakes and all-terrain fat tires that can pull double duty on pavement and trails. 

The EB-6 has a top speed of just under 19 miles per hour in electric mode and its built-in battery can go 20 miles on a single charge. Otherwise, you can go old-school and use pedal power as well. It can also support a little over 264 pounds of weight.

It also just went on sale, making it a great bang for the buck item.

GoDice Smart Dice

Board games seem so 20th century. 

But with the advent of apps and, now, smart dice, those games of yore have gained a modern vibe. Take the GoDice. The smart connected dice can be used with compatible games on your tablet or phone, conveniently inputting the results of each dice roll for you. 

It gives new life to classic games such as Yatze, Backgammon and Farkle, adding new life to family gaming sessions. You can even get a GoDice RPG set that comes with polyhedral dice for games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Category 2: For the home and kitchen

Here are some gift ideas that are cool and practical to boot. Whether it’s for a home cook, a homebody or someone who likes to hang out in the backyard, here are some recommendations to help you get started.

Anova Precision Cooker Pro

Sous vide is a game changer for any home cook, allowing them to cook normally challenging fare such as barbecue beef brisket to moist, tender perfection. You just put your protein in the water bath until it’s ready, brown it in a pan or in the oven and you’ve got perfectly cooked meat. 

I’ve personally been using the standard Anova Precision Cooker for a few years now and it’s made holiday cooking a breeze. The Anova Precision Cooker Pro is a step up, boasting more power for heating a larger amount of water, which is great for bigger pieces of meat or larger batches. It’s also on sale for half off the original MSRP as of this writing, making it an even better deal.

Z Grills 700D4E Pellet Grill

Last year, we recommended the Traeger Ironwood 885 Pellet Grill as one of our holiday picks for really generous gift givers. Admittedly, the Traeger’s $1,599.99 price tag is on the high side so we’re recommending something more affordable this year.

Say hello to the Z Grills 700D4E Pellet Grill.

The Z Grills costs just half — or even less when on sale — than the Traeger, making it easier on the pocketbook. Don’t let its lower price fool you, though. While it doesn’t have the WiFi capability of the Traeger, it remains a great performer, providing excellent bang for the buck. Space is also excellent, allowing you to fit in either five chickens, six rib racks or 29 burgers, which is perfect for big parties. It even comes with not just one but two thermometer probes. One of the best parts about the 7004DE is its built-in storage cabinet, which is a great use of the lower bottom that’s usually just empty space for other pellet grills.

If you’re looking for an affordable pellet grill that still boasts ice quality, this one’s a great option.

Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

This one is for home pizza cooks who want to have their cake, er, pizza and eat it, too.

The Ooni Karu 12 lets you use either wood, charcoal or propane gas to reach temperatures that you can’t get from your regular home oven — up to 950F or 500C. This allows you to quickly cook your pizza while giving it those authentic leopard spots that are the hallmark of authentic, traditional pizza.

Whether you know someone who likes classic Pizza Margherita or want to humor their inner Chris Bianco, this is the perfect for any hardcore pizza lover.

Lupe Technology Pure Cordless Vacuum

Vacuuming often means wrestling with the vacuum cord as much as the dirt that you’re trying to get rid of.

The Lupe Technology Pure vacuum gets rid of those fussy cords by using a rechargeable battery pack, allowing users greater freedom when cleaning floors, stairs and those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. Its adjustable design also means you can convert it from an upright vacuum to a handheld one, making it easy to reach those annoying cobwebs on curtains or the ceiling. Storage is also easy thanks to its smaller size.

All in all, the Pure sucks — in a good way — which is what you want in a vacuum.

Roborock S7 Robot Vacuum

If you’re worried that your significant other might take it wrong if you give a vacuum as a gift, then a robot vacuum might be the way to go.

Roborock’s S7 is a proven robot vacuum that also doubles as a robot mopper. This makes it quite the capable multitasker, whether it be cleaning up carpets or hard floors. A smart sensor also means you can use it on a second floor without worrying about it falling from the stairs.

Add its small size and the S7 is great for smaller apartments and college dorms. More importantly, it does the vacuuming for you, which any gift recipient would appreciate, whether they’re super busy or just plain lazy.

iLive Indoor-Outdoor Dual Bluetooth Speakers

I was going to shoot my own photos of these speakers but that official hula hoop photo is just epic.

Anyway, there are outdoor speakers and then there’s the iLive Bluetooth Outdoor Garden Speaker. Like many outdoor speakers, these feature wireless connectivity as well as waterproof chops for surviving rain, garden sprinklers or proximity to a pool. Unlike your typical outdoor speakers, the iLive Bluetooth Outdoor Garden Speaker comes with removable stakes, providing extra options for positioning as well as added stability. Sound is also good for its size and the speakers can play for up to 20 hours on a single charge. It’s ideal for folks who like backyard barbecues or pool parties.