What geek doesn’t love a new gadget? Here is a collection of GeekDad and GeekMom writers’ favorite gadgets and accessories that they think would be perfect for you to wrap up and give to someone you care about this holiday season.
Withings ScanWatch 2
Price: $349.99
Purchase: Amazon
Move over Apple, the Withing’s ScanWatch 2 is here. With the ability to keep you up to date on everything from your body temperature to your oxygen levels to EKG, this watch has everything the health-conscious would want to know. The best part is that it syncs with your phone so you can keep all your information in one place and easily share it with your physician via PDF. – Dakster
FILTER by Audeze
Price: $249
Purchase: Audeze Website
The FILTER is an advanced, portable Bluetooth speakerphone that combines A.I.-powered noise cancellation with a beam-forming array of microphones and the amazing thinness of a planar magnetic speaker to let you take your office almost anywhere. The FILTER folds down to the size of your smartphone for ultimate portability, but when you set it up, you have a high-quality conference room speakerphone that will take your meetings, family calls, or even gaming sessions to the next level. Work on the road or make your home office the best it can sound. – KD
Drop SHIFT V2 Keyboard
Price: $219
Purchase: Drop
The SHIFT V2 is a compact full-size keyboard that has undergone several upgrades to enhance its performance and user experience. Its PCB has been upgraded to support 5-pin switches, and its STM32 chipset has been replaced with a new one that offers better QMK performance. The keyboard has also undergone several physical enhancements to its RGB LED lighting and now comes with an updated configurator for on-the-fly keymapping.
It also features Phantom Stabilizers, PORON foam, and IXPE foam to give users a more refined typing sound and feel. All this while still retaining some of the features that the community loved such as the CNC-machined aluminum case, magnetic feet for an adjustable typing angle, doubleshot PBT shine-through keycaps, and dual USB-C ports. – Dakster
Glowforge
Price: $999.00
Purchase: Glowforge Website
The Glowforge Aura is a versatile laser cutter and engraver that can cut and engrave a wide range of materials including wood, leather, acrylic, and fabric. It has a user-friendly interface that allows for easy design creation and upload. It is a perfect gift for DIY enthusiasts, artists, and small business owners who want to add a personal touch to their creations. Check out my full review on GeekDad. – Dakster
reMarkable 2 Tablet and Accessories
Price: $449 for the base tablet, plus more for accessories
Purchase: Amazon
Devices like iPads can do just about everything, but there are a few things they don’t do extremely well, such as providing either focus or a natural feeling of taking notes by hand. The reMarkable 2 Tablet provides both of those features, allowing for both hand-written notes with the Marker and type-written notes with the Type Folio. Writing or sketching by hand feels very natural, and typing on the Type Folio is quick and responsive. Hand-written notes can be converted to text, and everything can sync across devices—including mobile and desktop. It’s an ideal gift idea for someone who goes to a lot of meetings, does a lot of brainstorming, or just wants to create content without any distractions. Read my full review on GeekMom. – JB
Heirloom Video Book
Price: Starts at $49 + $5 shipping
Purchase: Heirloom Website
Heirloom Video Book lets you put your favorite memories (video or still photos) in your hands. Starting at $49 for a 10-minute video book and $69 for a 20-minute video book, you can order your book pre-programmed with your favorite memories or order a blank book to put the memories on yourself. Even if you order a pre-programmed book, you can update it yourself with the included USB-C cable. – DS
Moon Pod Bean Bag
Price: $299 for the Moon Pod, prices vary for accessories and other models
Purchase: Moon Pod
There are countless bean bag options out there, from the more traditional small ones for kids to giant behemoths that take up half of your living room. I think the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle, and the Moon Pod (and its various accessories) hits it just right. This oblong bean bag conforms to your body really well and can be used for sitting, lying down, or any creative position. It has accessories like the Crescent that gives you something like both an arm and backrest, and the Lunar Lift ottoman, as well as extra protective covers including ones for outdoor use. Read my full review on GeekMom. – JB
StarSense Explorer 114mm Smartphone App-Enabled Tabletop Dobsonian Telescope
Price: $349.95
Purchase: Amazon
Dobsonians are some of the easiest, most beginner-friendly telescopes to use, and Celestron has recently introduced an affordable, versatile line of tabletop models. The StarSense Explorer 114mm Smartphone App-Enabled Tabletop Dobsonian Telescope combines a sturdy tabletop base with a nice range of accessories making this a fantastic starter scope. And the StarSense Explorer mount and software allow you to easily find stellar objects with just your cell phone. – PB
Withings Body Scan
Price: $399.95
Purchase: Withings Body Scan
The Withings Body Scan is a smart scale that can measure weight, body fat percentage, and heart rate. It also has a user-friendly app that can track progress, provide personalized health insights, and sync with other Withings products. This makes it a great gift for anyone who is interested in monitoring their health and fitness goals conveniently and easily. – DS
Neptune 4 Max FDM Printer
Price: $550
Purchase: Amazon
I’ve reviewed a bunch of ELEGOO 3D Printers, and each new model prints better, faster, and has more features. That continues with the Neptune 4 Max, which combines fast printing with a generous build volume. You’re able to print up to speeds of 500 mm/s, and with a print volume of 420mm x 420mm x 480mm, you can print large-scale projects like a Mandalorian helmet in a single piece. ELEGOO printers are easy to use, too, so they’re great if you’re just getting started with 3D printing. – PB
G502 X PLUS Millennium Falcon™ Edition Gaming Mouse
Price: $159.99
Purchase: Amazon
The G502 X PLUS Millennium Falcon™ Edition Gaming Mouse combines a nod to the most famous ship in Star Wars with great wireless performance. The LIGHTFORCE hybrid optical-mechanical switch technology brings incredible speed and reliability, as well as precise actuation with a crisp response. LIGHTSYNC RGB features flowing 8-LED lighting with custom Millennium Falcon-inspired thruster animations. And with the free software from Logitech, you can assign button functions and tweak performance to your heart’s content. – PB
E7 Pro Standing Desk by Flexispot
Price: $599.99 and up
Purchase: Flexispot
A standing desk is a must for those who work at a desk all day long, and Flexispot has long made some of the best in the business. The new E7 Pro provides increased leg space, cable management, and a very stable surface that can hold up to 440 pounds of weight. You can select from several different desktop surfaces, varying in size and material. And a 15-year warranty ensures that the desk will serve you for a good long time. – PB
Forté MagSafe Stand
Price: $39.99
Purchase: TwelveSouth
The Forté stand by Twelve South is a physical stand that integrates with an Apple MagSafe charger (that you must already own or purchase separately) to become an adjustable MagSafe charger and stand for your iPhone and your AirPods. The Forté stand comes in two pieces in the box, the base and the charging post that holds the “puck” from Apple’s MagSafe charger. The main functionality that the Forté stand brings is that it securely displays your iPhone at a range of angles and orientations while charging. The charging head can be rotated from having your iPhone in a horizontal position (which is great to use when charging AirPods) or up to 70 degrees down from horizontal (in either a landscape or portrait orientation). Being able to use the new StandBy mode feature (which was new in iOS 17) while charging is also a nice bonus of using the Forté. – SO
Carbon8 One Touch Sparkling Water Maker and Dispenser
Price: $319.99
Purchase: Carbon8
Recently, my family started drinking sparkling water to help curb our soft drink habit. This did the trick, but it also led to us producing a lot more plastic waste. Carbon8 solves both these problems by allowing us to create just the right amount of fizzy water in seconds. This elegant countertop device uses turbine technology to mix water and CO2 instantly and dispense it directly into your waiting glass with the touch of a single button—no specialty bottle required. You can store the removable two-liter tank directly in your refrigerator, so you always have chilled water at the ready. Best of all, microplastics, chlorine, chemicals, or bacteria are easily eliminated by the one-two punch of an integrated filter and a blast of UV light. The result? Great-tasting carbonated water whenever you need it. [Review materials provided by Carbon8] — Z.
Monoprice Dual Driver Bluetooth Headphone with ANC
Price: $69.99
Purchase: Monoprice
Monoprice continues to be my go-to producer for functional, affordable audio goods. The new Dual Driver Headphones with Active Noise Cancelling combines 20mm and 50mm drivers for a perfect blend of highs and lows, and Bluetooth 5 technology means I’m free to move as far as 32 feet away from my laptop while also still being available to take calls from my phone (thanks to its multi-point pairing). And I can easily switch between Hybrid ANC—when I want to block the noise of the outside world—and Transparency Mode—for those times when I need to be aware of what’s going on around me. Designed for all-day comfort and an optimum listening experience, they’re the perfect headphones for everything from working from home to enjoying your favorite podcasts at the gym. [Review materials provided by Monoprice] –Z.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G
Price: Starting at $228
Purchase: T-Mobile
Everyone wants a new phone for Christmas, but even with holiday sales and Black Friday deals, outfitting the whole family is prohibitively expensive. Thankfully, T-Mobile users (and those who use Metro by T-Mobile) can score a full-function 5G phone for a song! The OnePlus Nord N300 5G offers premium specs—including speedy 5G connectivity, 33W wired charging, a 48 MP camera, a long-lasting 5000 mAh battery, and a 90Hz HD+ display—at an unbelievable price. The handsome Midnight Jade color scheme will appeal to the teens on your list, and even adult users will appreciate its sharp Nightscape camera mode (great for capturing images in low light) and its responsive side-mounted fingerprint reader. [Review materials provided by OnePlus] –Z.
