Buying Guide
The KnowTechie gift guide for almost anyone in your life
Regardless of who you are shopping for, there’s something here for them.
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
Welcome to KnowTechie’s gifting guide for 2020. We know it’s been anything but a normal year, so this year our suggestions range from gifts for your loved ones; to gifts for yourself and your home to make the socially distanced holidays easier to bear.
You’ll be able to find something for almost everyone on your list here, from fitness fans to those who’d rather just chill out in front of a good show. Be the hero this holiday season needs, and don’t forget to get yourself a little something.
READ MORE: KnowTechie’s favorite video games of 2022
If we see anything else that’s a good bet until now and the holidays proper, we’ll add them to the list so check in every so often to find ideas for those on your “nice” list.
Here are KnowTechie’s choices for holiday gifting this year
From ebikes to batteries and everything in between, here are our choices for spreading holiday cheer.
DaVinci IQ2 vape ($295)
In the words of our Managing Editor, the IQ2 is “the classiest vape I’ve ever used,” which is high praise indeed. It’s not just classy, it’s also full of clever tech to customize your vaping experience to your own preferences.
The airflow can be tweaked, so can the temperature, and it even tracks your dosage so you don’t have to. It’s dual-use as well, so works just as well with extract, and the air path is completely metal-free as it goes through glass and zirconia ceramic. We’re not going to tell you to use it with anything illegal, but our current favorite CBD comes from Extract Labs, because we can all do with a little bit of extra relaxation this year.
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Goal Zero power solutions (varies)
This one’s a gift to your future self because the holidays all too often bring storms, and that means the possibility of losing power. Goal Zero has a wide range of large-capacity battery packs, like this Yeti 200X that’s got a 12V car socket, a 120W A/C socket, two 2.4A fast charge USB ports, and a 3A USB-C port with USB-PD that can supply 60W of power.
Of course, recharging it might be a problem if the power is out, so grab a Nomad 20 solar panel, and you can recharge the Yeti during daylight hours.
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Floately (varies)
Give the gift of science this year, with Floately’s unique floating ornaments. Choose from the Volta and its hovering light bulb, the Airsai hovering plant holder, the Luna orbiting moon, and the Nebula dangling Bluetooth speaker. Just like the magnets used to create the floating effect, your gift recipient will be instantly attracted to their new decor. Black Friday adds more savings, use BFCMFLOAT at checkout to get the Airsai or Volta for only $84.
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Cuppamoka ($34.90)
Pour-over coffee is one of the best ways to get the flavor out of your beans, but until now it’s hard to take a pour-over rig when you travel. The Cuppamoka fixes that, by having a filter holder that corkscrews out of the stainless steel cup, so you can get the perfect pour-over, wherever you are.
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Nanofoamer ($74)
To go with that perfect cup of joe, you should gift the Nanofoamer as well. It’s a battery-powered whisk that’s perfect for getting that barista-level of nanofoam in the milk you’re adding to coffee. We suggest getting the kit that comes with a milk jug, because trying to foam milk in a normal mug is messy at best.
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Kew Labs UTS-1 WIRELESS CHARGER ($105)
Give the gift of (near) unlimited power with this snazzy wireless charging pad from Kew Labs. It mounts to the underside of your desk, so you don’t have to sacrifice precious workspace to charge your devices. Even better, it doesn’t require you to cut holes out of your desk, so it’s an easy install. It even works at Apple’s 7.5W fast charge or Samsung’s 9W, so their devices will be juiced up in no time.
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Ekster Wallets (varies)
We love Ekster’s wallets, which marry premium leather with anodized aluminum and have the option of adding a tracking card that uses Chipolo’s network in case the wallet gets lost. Oh, and those tracking cards are charged by solar. Nifty.
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Sonarworks Reference 4 Studio Edition ($299)
If you’ve got any musician friends who do their own recording, Sonarworks has the gift to make their year memorable. The software uses the included microphone to remove the unwanted coloration from your speaker setup or headphones, so you hear a reference sound for your mix. That tweak gives them the confidence to mix their tracks so they’ll sound great on every device, instead of just sounding good in the room that they were mixed in.
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LED Neon Signs
Modern neon signs are so the thing right now – they are trendy, and so on point. From humble beginnings where they promoted businesses with glass tubing and gas filed, to now the modern LED neon sign, being brighter, longer lasting, and far safer. Indoor neon signs are all the rage.
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VanMoof eBikes (varies)
If you’ve got a cyclist on your list, just know that we’re generally difficult to buy for. Maybe less difficult, thanks to VanMoof and their range of stylish ebikes that put tons of tech into classic lines. Both models come with integrated anti-theft tech, like alarms, location tracking, and a kick-brake that immobilizes the rear wheel while activating the alarms.
They’ve got a sale on right now with their legacy bikes on sale for 60% off, so check those out as well while you’re browsing the latest styles.
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Nixie clocks (from $215)
Give the gift of retro greatness, with a Nixie clock from Nixie Dreams. Instead of LCD readouts, nixie tubes use shaped wire anodes and neon, to make it seem like you have neon tubes telling you the time. These models have RGB and UV underglow behind the tubes, auto toggle between time and date, and remote control for ease of use. There’s also an alarm clock on some models, so you can ditch your boring alarm clock and give the soothing glow of a nixie!
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X-Chairs (varies)
This holiday, give yourself the gift of comfort, with one of X Chair’s completely customizable office chairs. From the super-stable base to the firm gas strut, to the woven mesh fabric, every part of this chair is solidly built and designed to support your posture. You can adjust the height and length of the seat, the arms in every direction you can think of, and the neck support really comes in clutch during those long days at the computer. The best things for me are the floating lower back support and the well-designed infinite recline that’s rock-solid even when tilted all the way back. Go on, your lower back will thank you.
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Oakywood (varies)
Upgrade someone’s desk space with Oakywood’s range of stylish accessories. We’re a big fan of the geometric range, which has great items like a solid wood headphone stand with an integrated Qi charger, or the triple charging dock for iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.
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Nomad Goods (varies)
If your recipient loves the smell of new leather, maybe something from Nomad Goods is in order. They’ve got a huge range from Apple Watch bands in leather or exotic metals, to phone cases with premium leather, to more traditional leather items such as wallets with internal Tile trackers.
Whatever their device may be, it’s a good chance you’ll be able to find them an accessory that’ll put a smile on their face.
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Bower & Wilkins PX7 Carbon Edition ($400)
Gift the sound of silence wrapped up in luxury this year, with these active noise canceling PX7 Carbon Edition headphones from Bowers & Wilkins. They’re the headphones of choice of the first-class frequent fliers, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t gift them for home use. The 43mm drivers inside were designed and tuned by the same engineers that made the speakers used at the famous Abbey Road Studios, so they’re a class act all the way through. Thirty hours of playback means they’re perfect for zoning out while getting through the workday, while the carbon fiber composite frame means they’re tough and light.
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Sandman Doppler ($200)
Waking up is never harder than during the winter months, so gift an alarm clock that does so, so much more. The Sandman Doppler has customizable alarm tones, a dashboard that can give you the information you need for the day, and it’s Alexa certified so you can turn it off without searching for the alarm button with bleary eyes. Oh, and it’s got pretty capable speakers, so they can wake up to their favorite music. Rounding things off, there are six USB ports for charging all their devices.
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Moondrop Starfield IEMs ($94)
When Moondrop Studios dropped the Starfield IEMs about a year ago, they quickly climbed to the top of every outlet’s budget recommendation lists. For good reason, they’ve got one of the richest sounds of any sub-$100 IEMs, wrapped up in a brass housing with a glittery coat that reminds me of photographs of the Milky Way. Simply superb from all angles.
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1More TWS ANC ($140)
True wireless headphones with active noise canceling don’t have to cost a bomb, and 1more has some of the best on the market. Dual-ANC microphones filter out external noise, and the Bluetooth 5 connection means less interruptions to their musical enjoyment. Oh, and they’re THX certified, the first true wireless headphones to get that lauded award.
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Function101 Bentostack ($40)
What do you get for the techie in your life that already has everything? Maybe a Bentostack, so they can organize all of their gadgetry in one place, that’s what. It’s the stackable organizer that fits everything from power adapters to cables, to the Apple Pencil, so all of their accessories have their own place to call home.
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Twelve South book covers for your tech (varies)
Twelve South makes quirky accessories for the Apple fans in your life, like the BookBook, which is a zippable case for the iPhone, iPad, or MacBook that looks like a leather-bound book when closed. It’s stylish, helps protect their electronics from damage, and it’s a handy disguise for the matte aluminum we all know instantly as an Apple product.
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360 S7 Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop ($431)
We’re not saying you should buy your friends robovacs this holiday season, as that might send the wrong message completely. Maybe treat yourself to one though, so you never have to push your vacuum cleaner around the house again, or lift up furniture to get to those hard-to-reach spots. The S7 Pro from 360 has lidar mapping, can mop at the same time as vacuuming, and lets you schedule cleaning around your life, so you won’t get woken up in the middle of the night by your robovac bumping into furniture.
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JAXJOX (varies)
Take this holiday period for some self-improvement, with the Jaxjox InteractiveStudio. It’s a fitness center in one handy unit, with smart adjustable weights, AI-powered performance tracking, and both live and on-demand fitness classes so you can fit in your gym sessions whenever you’ve got time to spare.
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SureCall Fusion4Home cell booster ($500)
With the rise in working from home, those airwaves are getting pretty crowded. If your cellphone isn’t getting the amount of reception you need for those important sales calls, gift your family the SureCall Fusion4Home, and make flaky connections a thing of the past. It’ll boost the signal on most of the US carriers, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, on 3G, 4G, and LTE. No more dropped calls, and better call quality for the whole family.
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The Adventure Challenge
Look, we know you shouldn’t be going outside but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some special memories. The Adventure Challenge kits come with books filled with fun adventures to have. The twist? Each adventure is hidden behind a scratch-off window, so you don’t know what you’re doing until you do. No take-backs! Our suggestion? Get one of the kits with the Logography Automat instant camera, so you’re not tempted to check social media while you’re capturing memories of your shared adventures.
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Hex x Halo bags (varies)
Whether you’re buying for a gamer or a photographer, the new Halo range from Hexbrands is a safe bet. Hexbrands makes some of the most usable, durable camera bags on the market, and anyone who grew up with an Xbox loves Halo and the Spartans. And yes, you can fit an Xbox into the Spartan Tech backpack, although we’re not quite sure that the Xbox Series X will fit…
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Reduit Spa Gold ($299)
Give the gift of great skin this holiday. Oh, who am I kidding, once you feel what this magical thing does to your face you won’t want to gift it to anyone. The Spa Gold uses ultrasonics to turn face products into a super-fine mist, which Reduit says makes it absorb into your skin easier, without that sticky feeling that rubbing products into your skin often produces. It’s also more eco friendly, as the skin treatments are inside small Skinpods instead of large, wasteful packaging.
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Hue lighting (varies)
There’s nothing easier to tweak your mood than by instantly creating indoor sunlight, or any other color of light you feel like, with Philips Hue’s range of smart lighting. We love the HDMI Sync Box paired with Hue Play lightbars, and the new Hue Gradient lightstrip, for maximum immersion while watching TV or playing on the latest consoles.
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Lumi from Roli ($269)
Give the gift that will last a lifetime this holiday with the Lumi keyboard from Roli. The bright keyboard teaches learners how to play, in a rhythm-based game that anyone who’s played Rock Band will recognize. Once they build up confidence in their new skills, the app is packed with interactive lessons, real-time feedback, and hundreds of songs to play. You can even add a second Lumi, and have a full-sized keyboard so they can learn how to play with both hands.
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Uber Appliance Mini Fridge ($70)
Gift a minifridge full of their favorite drinks this holiday, and be instantly elevated to ‘favorite’ status. Uber makes a range of Peltier cooled mini-fridges that can all carry at least six cans, perfect for personal bedroom use or even the car. You can even use one in the nursery, so you never have to hunt for milk in the middle of the night.
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There you have it, a whole bunch of gift ideas for the people you care about! And remember, whatever your plans are, please stay safe this holiday season.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- The KnowTechie gift guide for kids and their parents
- The KnowTechie gift guide for gamers
- Here are the best games to look out for in December 2020
- The results are in, Disney+ is the best app of 2020 according to Google Play users
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
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