The holiday season is upon us again, and that means it’s time to start thinking about holiday gifting. If you haven’t given it much thought yet, let us do the hard work for you.
Now, depending on who you’re buying for, you might want one of our other guides. The Secret Santa in you probably wants the under-$25 holiday gift list.
This list is for the truly special people in your lives, the ones that you spend big because you love them big.
Most items on this list are things the KnowTechie staff have personally used, so we know they’ll be well-received. With that out of the way, let’s get on with the best holiday gift ideas for 2023.
Here’s our picks of the best holiday gifts this season
Whether you’re buying for a gamer, a reader, a younger member of the family, or just picking something nice up for yourself, we’ve got you covered for gift ideas this holiday season.
Ocushield Blue Light Screen Protector for MacBook Air & Pro
Experience healthier screen time with the Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Filter for MacBook. Developed by optometrists, it blocks 99% of harmful UV and blue light, mitigating eye strain and improving sleep. Plus, its tempered glass doesn't distort your screen colors. Expert-endorsed, it's your guard against digital glare.
beyerdynamic MMX 200 Wireless Gaming Headset
These gaming headphones are sure to impress, with powerful sound and a clean, crisp microphone for crystal-clear in-game comms. They've also got multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, low-latency wireless, and USB.
Onanoff Cosmos+ ANC Bluetooth Kids Headphones
Worried about your little one's hearing? These BuddyPhones have safe audio limits to not hurt growing eardrums, and this model has ANC so their iPad-playing is undisturbed by the rest of the family.
HHKB - Happy Hacking Keyboard Studio
The HHKB is near-legendary in typing circles, but this new version is different. It's got hot-swap sockets to use any mechanical key switches, a touch-point cursor, and touch-sensitive sections for even more control.
PDP Victrix Pro FS-12 Fight Stick for PS5/PC
This is the ultimate fight stick for fighting game fans, with either a standard joystick or a specially designed button-only layout, both with Sanwa Denshi buttons.
PDP Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller
The Pro BFG is a great controller for PlayStation or PC gamers, with a modular construction that allows them to create their favorite layout. It's also got remappable buttons for even more personalization.
Audio-Technica Turntable Bundle with Speakers
Retro is in again, and that means vinyl is in vogue. There's nothing quite like the pops and crackles from a record spinning, perfect for some nostalgic tracks during the holiday season and beyond.
AT2040 Hypercardioid Dynamic Podcast Microphone
The AT2040 is one of the best affordable XLR microphones for podcasters, livestreamers, and those wanting to upgrade their work-from-home video meeting equipment. The dynamic microphone with hypercardioid polar pickup pattern will pick up your voice with a warm, ready-for-broadcast tone while rejecting off-axis sounds.
AMIRO M2 LumoCube Portable LED Bag Mirror
This thoughtful makeup bag has an integrated, magnetic smart mirror, to always show them in the best light. And it'll keep them organized too, with magnetic compartments to store all their makeup and tools.
Wacom One 12 Drawing Tablet with Screen (2023)
A drawing tablet is one of the best tools any digital artist can have, and Wacom is arguably the best. With a battery-free pen and an anti-glare screen, this drawing tablet will inspire creativity.
Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals
If you know a sim racer, there's a good chance that this awesome wheel and pedals combo is already on their wishlist. Whether they like F1, touring, or rallying, the Logitech G Pro is the wheel to get for their virtual racing adventures.
Nebula by Anker Mars 3 Outdoor Portable Projector
This portable projector has one feature that beats the rest: 1,000 Lumens of brightness. That's enough to use during the day, outside, but why would anyone do that while it's so cold out? Just stay in with a hot cocoa and catch up on holiday movies.
XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro 1080P Portable Projector
Holiday movies are a staple of this season. Watch them from anywhere with this portable projector with 400 Lumens of brightness, great color accuracy, and the ability to power via USB-C to use any power bank.
All-new Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet (2023)
The best tablets for kids are all from the Amazon Fire range, and this all-new 10-inch version is the best of them all. You get a 1080p screen that's bright and colorful, a thin but sturdy case, a year of Amazon Kids+ for content, and two years of ironclad warranty service.
Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer
The Dreo ChefMaker is an airfryer on steroids, able to cook a wide variety of foods and meals without fuss. It's even got an internal probe to keep your meats to the perfect doneness, without drying out as it has a fancy sous vide option where it mists water into the basket during the cook.
PITAKA 3 in 1 MagSafe Charging Station
This MagSafe charger doesn't just charge up Qi-enabled devices on the desktop. It's got a removable battery pack for on-the-go charging, a place to charge AirPods, and a plug-in charger for the Apple Watch.
Sphero BB-9E App-Enabled Droid with Trainer
Give the Star Wars fan in your life their own droid, with this great Sphero BB-9E. Yes, that's the Imperial one, not the cute orange-and-white one, but it'll still be awesome fun zipping around the living room.
Keychron Q6 Wired Custom Mechanical Keyboard
We love Keychron mechanical keyboards for their solid build quality and typing feel, and anyone you buy this for will feel the same way. This model has a fullsize form factor with a numpad, and a handy knob for volume control.
Sphero Specdrums
Get toes (and fingers!) tapping this holiday by giving some Specdrums. These clever musical devices turn color into music, with a tactile way to bop the night away. Use the included color pads, or experiment with anything around the house.
NuFACE Mini+ Starter Kit
Make her eyes light up with this highly sought-after microcurrent set for toning facial skin. It comes with everything they need to get started, with a rechargeable microcurrent device, activation gel, and more, to bring the spa home.
Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra
Have a photographer on your list this year? They'll appreciate this color calibrator, so that their creative vision isn't held back by substandard monitor calibration.
Typhur Dome Air Fryer
You might want to break this one out before the festivities, as the huge cooking area inside the Dome can cook up tons of festive fingerfoods in time for Christmas morning. Plus, you'll have trouble fitting it under the tree.
Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap
Instead of tying yourself in knots trying to decide what to get your photographer friend, a Peak Design carrying strap is a perfect choice. After all, it'll work with any camera, looks great, and has quick-release ends so knots are a thing of the past.
Typhur Sous Vide Station
The Typhur Sous Vide Station, a first-of-its-kind all-in-one design, offers precision temperature control for flawless cooking results. Its user-friendly features, including a large display and a connected app, make sous vide cooking more accessible than ever.
Peak Design Tech Pouch
Everyone can do with more storage for the dongles, cables, and other tiny peripherals of modern, interconnected life. Peak Design's tech pouches are some of the best around, with hardwearing fabrics and tons of useful inner dividers and pockets.
Scosche PowerUp 700 Portable Car Jump Starter
Oh the weather outside is frightful... which means this handy jumpstarter for any car or truck will be a welcome present, and might actually get used right away. Nothing deflates holiday cheer than a flat battery after all.
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charger
Know someone with tons of Apple devices? Chances are they have a rats-nest of cables to charge them all up with. Solve their mess with this highly-rated Belkin charger that supports MagSafe and charges an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once.
SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card
With fast transfer speeds up to 190MB/s, this microSDXC card from SanDisk is perfect for applications needing speedy storage like recording 4K video, or playing video games on a portable console.
WD_BLACK 2TB SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5 Consoles
Instead of getting a game for your favorite PlayStation gamer, how about getting them 2TB of speedy storage to slot into their console? That way, they can install more things and you don't have to worry if the game you buy is right for them.
Micron 2TB 2400 M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe
If you're buying for a portable console gamer or gifting a console as well, this tiny SSD is one of the most cost-effective ways of adding 2TB of storage. That's up to eight times the base storage ready to stuff full of games.
AMIRO R3 Turbo Facial RF Skin Tightening Device
You might have heard about microcurrent for facial toning, but this device also adds RF, IR light, and yellow light to stimulate deep rejuvenation and even tackle those under-eye bags. The gift of a youthful complexion is priceless.
Carved Wood and Resin Case
Carved makes unique, 1-of-1 phone cases for a wide variety of devices, making this a gift special to the person you're buying for. Pick their favorite color palette and pick up a live edge case that nobody else in the world will ever have.
BOOX Tablet Tab Ultra C Pro
Color e-ink tablets are fairly new, and BOOX is leading the pack with its Android-based devices. They're great for the reader on your list, and they can be used for presentations and other productivity tasks too thanks to 6GB of RAM and a speedy processor.
Earthworks ETHOS Streaming and Broadcasting Microphone
This gorgeous XLR mic from Earthworks sounds every bit as good as it looks, with a neutral but still broadcast-y pickup that will make anyone's voice sound amazing. It's also great for budding musicians, as the quick response means every nuance of instruments or songs is reproduced.
Sennheiser Pro USB Microphone Streaming Set
Know an aspiring streamer or someone who spends all day on Zoom? Get them this Sennheiser set with a quality USB microphone and accompanying mic arm so they can get it to the sweet spot for picking up their voice.
H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport Headphones
Know someone who spends more time in the pool than out of it? Give them these waterproof bone conduction headphones so they can soundtrack their swims.
Chipolo Card
Chipolo makes some of the best Bluetooth trackers, which are able to be used on both Android and Apple devices to keep track of whatever, wherever. With up to two years of battery life, the only thing you need to remember is the smartphone used for tracking.
KOBOTIX Real Racer RC FPS Racing Car
This AR-enabled RC car can turn your home into a racetrack. Pop a smartphone into the headset and it'll display a FPS view from the car as it zips around your floors, perfect for hours of fun.
Withings Scanwatch 2 38mm RG White
Give the gift of health with ECG and AFib detection, SpO2, 24/7 temperature tracking, sleep and respiratory insights, activity tracking and more with the stylish ScanWatch 2.
Garmin Venu 3S
Garmin makes some of the best outdoor smartwatches, packed with maps on your wrist, fitness tracking, and the ability to take phone calls without taking your phone out from your pocket.
Nanoleaf 4D – Immersive Lightstrip Kit
The Nanoleaf 4D TV Sync Camera and Smart Gradient Lightstrip Kit is a bias lighting system to make TVs up to 65" more immersive by extending the onscreen colors past the bezels. Lighting effects include 1D white bias, 2D dominant color, 3D multiple colors, and 4D exact match of the onscreen action.
Steam Deck OLED
The Steam Deck OLED has a slightly larger screen at 7.4 inches but the same 1280x800 resolution, HDR support, an upgraded battery at 50Wh, Wi-Fi 6E, and a new 6nm APU that should be better for battery life.
Ekster Aluminum AirTag Wallet
Ekster makes some of our favorite wallets, and the new range adds the ability to add an AirTag to them, so they're easier to find when misplaced. This card holder holds up to six cards with a one-button press to get them out for use.
Victrola Stream Onyx Turntable for Sonos
Add some analog flair to the Sonos lover in your life's system this holiday with the Stream Onyx turntable. It'll pipe 33 1/2 or 45 rpm vinyl into any Sonos device, with a high-precision cartridge to ensure audio quality.
TCL Nxtpaper 11 Android Tablet
The TCL Nxtpaper 11 is an 11-inch Android tablet with a paper-like screen that's perfect for catching up on ebooks, movies, and more. It's got 256GB of storage capacity and a 8,000mAh battery for long battery life.
BACKBONE One Mobile Gaming Controller
The Backbone One is one of the best mobile gaming controllers. Get it in the Lightning port version for anyone with an iPhone 14 or earlier, or the USB-C version for Android fans or iPhone 15 users and give them the joy of physical controls for their mobile games.
Solawave 4-in-1 Facial Wand
The Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand uses red light therapy to use your skin's natural rejuvenation to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and other blemishes. That'll be great for looking our best once the cold months pass.
Ricoh GR IIIx Compact Digital Camera
The Ricoh GR IIIx digital camera is a super-compact 24MP APS-C sensor with a fixed 40mm f/2.8 lens that's perfect for the budding nature and street photographer. Spark their creativity with this powerful, but pocketable camera.
Ricoh C125MF Multifunction Color Laser Printer
The Ricoh C125 MF multifunction color laser printer might not be the most glamorous gift, but you can be sure they'll appreciate how versatile it is for any home office tasks. Scan, print, fax, and copy, with up to 26ppm in full color.
Tidbyt
Tidbyt is a retro-themed digital display that is perfect for gifting. They can use it to show the weather, stocks, low-res photos, or whatever else they can think of. It's a beautiful panacea for the glaring nature of modern notifications.
Twelve South AirFly SE, Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter
The AirFly SE Bluetooth Transmitter is a compact, user-friendly device that bridges the gap between wired audio sources and wireless headphones. It's an essential accessory for those who find themselves crammed in a plane a lot.
We hope we’ve helped with your holiday gifting
Those are our gifting picks for this holiday season so far, although we’ll keep on adding new items as we see them.
Check in every so often so you don’t miss the perfect gift. And if we don’t see each other before the holiday, happy holidays to you and your family from the team here at KnowTechie.
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