When it comes to Christmas shopping for tech lovers, it’s tempting to go straight for smart wearables to support those “new year, new me” resolutions, but tech gifting doesn’t have to be that predictable. Sometimes the best you can give are the small, practical gadgets that just make life run a little smoother. Here are a few ideas to consider for tech enthusiasts — and, frankly, anyone.
Smart mug
If you know someone who makes coffee and forgets about it immediately (so 99 percent of us), a smart mug is exactly the rescue needed for those 9 a.m .Monday morning Zoom calls. The Ember Cup, for instance, lets you set your ideal temperature and enjoy the drink the way you like it thanks to a built-in battery that maintains the heat for up to 1.5 hours … or the whole day if you keep it on the charging coaster.
Portable coffee maker
Some people take their coffee very seriously — and luckily, portable single-portion machines now exist to caffeinate them anytime, anywhere. The Wacaco Minipresso NS2 works with ground coffee, while the Wacaco Nanopresso becomes capsule-friendly with the brand’s special adapter. Both guarantee a proper espresso even in places where hope usually dies (trains, for example).
Massage Gun
If there’s one gift that works for almost everyone — from office workers glued to their laptops to gym bros — it’s a massage gun. It’s basically a reset button for anything from cramped post-workout legs to that mysterious backpain that hits for no reason whatsoever.
For everyday use, budget-friendly models like Pulsio Air or Bob and Brad Q2 Mini are more than enough, but for those who train intensively or deal with deeper muscle tension, professional-grade options like Hypervolt 2 Pro deliver stronger pressure.
Digital notebook
Paper notebooks are genuinely charming, but in reality, most of them end up living their best lives half-filled at the bottom of a drawer. For someone who loves the feeling of handwritting but also wants their notes carefully organized, synced and actually findable, there’s a middle ground: digital notebooks like reMarkable 2. It’s a tablet that feels like real paper but does everything your abandoned notebooks can’t — from converting handwriting into typed text to sending them straight to cloud storage.
Prefer something smaller? The reMarkable Paper Pro Move offers the same handwriting feel in a compact size.
Sunrise alarm clock
Waking up in the morning is already hard enough, but doing it in winter is a whole different kind of torture — especially if you’re not a morning person.
That’s where a sunrise alarm clock comes in. These bedside gadgets imitate natural sunlight and ease you into the day instead of shocking you awake like a regular alarm. There’s a version out there for basically every waking-up style, and if gentle isn’t enough, some models even come with creative options like a goat alarm tone in the Lumie Sunrise Alarm.
Magnetic powerbank
Few things are as annoying as your phone dying at the worst possible moment, usually when you’re lost, late or trying to show someone a silly Instagram Reel. Powerbanks aren’t new, but the magnetic ones that snap onto your phone without cables sticking out everywhere are a game-changer. A good example? Anker Nano Power Bank.
We all know it’s the thought that counts, but giving a little more consideration to matching gifts to friends’s lifestyles will make the season brighter.
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See more gift ideas here in Dispatches’ archives.
Oxana Skibun
Oxana Skibun is a fashion and lifestyle editor who has crafted her stories for print and digital media outlets across Europe, the Middle East and Russia. Raised in Moscow, she now lives in Amsterdam, where she continues writing for international audiences.
