13 Gifts for the Tech Lover in Your Life

Every year, the march of technology blesses us with another crop of awesome gadget gifts. Some folks are hoping for new time-saving smart home devices, others want new ways to enjoy their favorite media, and still, others just want some fun high-tech toys. Whatever kind of tech lover you’re buying for, here are 13 gift ideas that will get their circuits humming. 

We all know somebody who takes forever to leave the house because they’re searching for their wallet, keys, headphones, or whatever else they’ve just lost. That’s why smart Bluetooth locator tags have taken off in popularity! Attach these tags to any important object, pair them with a phone, and they’ll never worry about finding their lost stuff again. AirTags are a great choice for those who love Apple products, but high-quality alternatives exist outside of Apple, too.

How high-tech can a backpack get? You’d be surprised! For starters, today’s tech backpacks include protective compartments for devices like laptops and tablets. Sometimes, however, they take things a step further with features like built-in chargers or anti-RFID shields that can help prevent identity theft. If you know somebody who’s always on the go with lots of tech in tow, they’ll love you for this one.

A smart picture frame is perfect for anybody who loves to take pictures (or to change their decorations constantly). Through a simple wireless interface, the user can upload their favorite photos to a digital screen and keep them on display. Many now use cloud storage rather than onboard memory, providing access to an almost unlimited number of photos! 

We could all probably stand to have our phones a little cleaner, and a UV phone sanitizer offers a uniquely fun and convenient way to do it. It’s actually a very simple concept: a little box for your phone that bathes it in UV light for a few minutes, bringing it out clean as a whistle. (We suppose a phone could possibly get a tan this way, too.) 

Projectors today are more powerful, affordable, and compact than ever, so a portable projector makes an excellent gift for anyone who loves entertaining. While their picture quality still can’t quite match a standard projector, the many battery-powered projector models make up for it in sheer versatility and portable size. Throw in a screen and a Bluetooth speaker to complete the package!

Technology keeps on conquering our biggest problems! Your loved one will always know the joy of a perfectly-warmed cup of coffee or tea now that app-controlled smart mugs have arrived. These mugs include a built-in rechargeable battery that keeps beverages at the perfect temperature for over an hour at a time (or longer, in some cases). In the immortal words of Goldilocks, “Not too hot. Not too cold. Just about right!”

In terms of immersive audio, it’s hard to beat music (or a podcast, or whatever) that quite literally comes out of the shower head. Just connect your Bluetooth-enabled shower head to a mobile device to stream audio directly in the shower — while keeping a pleasantly consistent water pressure, of course. Warning: If you buy this for someone in your house, you may find them taking much longer showers than normal, enjoying the crisp audio! 

It was only a matter of time before someone made “Keurig for cocktails” — a ready-made drink mixing machine that dispenses margaritas, Manhattans, and almost any other concoction that can fit into a pre-packaged pod. (One of these is, in fact, made by Keurig itself, although others exist.) It’s the ideal gift for your friend who you bought a smart wine aerator for last year. 

Know someone whose phone is always dying? A portable power bank can ensure that they never have an excuse to miss your texts again! These super-handy battery packs can charge anything from a phone to a tablet to (sometimes) a laptop computer, and the pack stays charged for weeks or even months at a time. They come in all sizes and price points, from affordable and compact personal device chargers to rugged, jumbo-sized versions that can power appliances. 

This isn’t as much of a contradiction as it sounds like! The “gun” is actually called a percussive therapy device, and many people love them for soothing sore muscles after a workout (or even to warm up beforehand). If you’ve got an athletic friend on your gift list, a massage gun could be exactly what they need to recover more quickly and keep pushing themselves to the limit. 

OK, how do you possibly make a pair of sunglasses smart? Why, by adding the ability to capture HD images and video, play music, or use immersive augmented reality overlays, of course! The new breed of smart sunglasses puts all kinds of advanced smart tech inside a pair of shades — some of which can actually look quite stylish. For the tech lover who has to have something cutting-edge and a little outrageous, these are perfect. 

For those with dreams of flight, there’s never been a better time to get into drone flying. Entry-level models have reached an affordable price point, and there are tons of different drone options available. Drones are especially great for photography enthusiasts due to their ability to capture incredible scenic vistas with an attached camera, so consider grabbing one of the many camera-equipped models. 

Many of us are curious about what our pets are up to when we’re gone, and a WiFi-enabled pet camera is just the thing to indulge that obsession. Some of the most popular pet camera models even include remote-operated treat dispensers to encourage pets to hang out near the camera! They’re not just for fun, either! Some include a speaker module to let owners soothe anxious pets or execute training strategies to curb bad behavior.