Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.
Best Smart Wearable to Gift
Meta Ray-Ban Smart Wayfarer
Glasses that can take photos or videos, play music into your ears, and read you a street sign in a different language—weird, but the nerd in your life will enjoy them.
Best Portable Projector to Gift
Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro
There's no shortage of portable projectors on the market, but the issue with most of them is user interface. Xgimi fixed this by actually licensing Google TV for the MoGo 3 Pro. The result is a portable projector that just works seamlessly. Netflix, Disney, Max—it's all there with simple log-in processes.
This is a great one for parents of young kids. Anywhere they end up, they can put together a movie night.
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Best Smart Vacuum to Gift
iRobot i5+
Smart mapping, smart vacuuming, and smart emptying. This is as close as you'll be able to get to telling them they'll never have to clean their floors again.
The tablets that reMarkable makes aren't like the tablets you've used. They're not connected to the Internet, but they can export any type of document to a computer. These are tools for computer workers who want to lock in without constant Slack notifications but still have all the benefits of a modern tablet.
Additionally, it doesn't look that revolutionary, but reMarkable has actually reinvented the wheel here by adding color to an e-paper tablet. It's a wildly complicated feat and opens up a whole new world for the company's work tablets.
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Best Gaming Keyboard to Gift
Highground Clear Obsidian Base 65 Keyboard
Our issue with a lot of gaming gear is RGB lights. We're not huge fans. Highground, however, makes one that still does the colored lights but in more of a GameBoy Color transparent cover way. Hard to explain, but it looks better than anything else.
The Future of Sleep
Eight Sleep Pod 4 Ultra
Here's a gift idea, the Esquire Gadget Award–winning mattress attachment that gives them the best sleep of their life and records better data than any wearable ever could. The Eight Sleep Pod 4 Ultra will cool them off to go to bed, adjust them for snoring in the middle of the night, and warm them up so they can wake up at their desired time. It's the most futuristic item on this list.
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Our Favorite Earbud of the Year
Apple AirPods 4
Hidden among all the other Apple releases was, in our opinion, one of the company's best releases in a long, long time. The AirPods 4 added noise cancellation to Apple's lowest-tier earbud, and it's a master class. If they don't like the gummy ear tips that come on most high-end earbuds, or if they just want something no-nonsense for working out, Apple's new AirPods 4 are a great pick this year.
Best Adventure-Tech Gift
Kodak Pixpro WPZ2
Maybe it's just my friends, but I'm seeing two trends on Instagram. First, everyone is into digital cameras now. They're easier to use than film but a nice alternative to overly upscaled phone-camera photos. Second, everyone is getting outside more.
If this sounds like anyone on your list, a rugged Kodak Pixpro is a fun little gift. They can take it on the slopes, on white-water-rafting trips, wherever. It's damn near unbreakable and great for point-and-shoot amateur photographers.
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Best Tech for a Teen
HP Sprocket Smartphone 2"x3" Printer
If you have a teen in the family, get them this little HP printer that will turn any phone-camera picture into a Polaroid. Kids are already into everything analog, but hopefully this will really kick-start an obsession with physical media.
Best Swimming Goggles
Form Smart Swim 2 Goggles
These might not be ideal for your brother who swam collegiately. But for your husband who swims laps at the YMCA for low-impact cardio? Oh baby, this is as good as it gets. The Form Smart Swim 2 coaches on a whole load of things, but the most useful aspect is that it can beam split times in front of them as they're swimming. No more "Feels like a bad split; I should speed up." They can know exactly where they're pacing.
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Best Mindful Tech Gift
Light Phone II
Sometimes the best tech gift is one that's meant to keep them unplugged. Light is a tech company making our favorite "dumb" phones. These are meant to do the bare essentials like call, text, and give map directions. No Instagram, no TikTok, no additively colorful screen. Give this to someone who wants, or needs, to unplug a bit.
Best Bedside Table Gift
Courant MAG:3
We've written plenty about this thing, but it boils down to this: It's a bedside charger and catchall that looks nicer than any other tech item. The saddle leather gives it a classy look. If they have an iPhone and a messy bedside table, this is a solid option.
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Best Art TV
Hisense CanvasTV, 65-Inch
This year, Hisense released its CanvasTV, and since we're known lovers of Samsung's Frame, we were skeptical. But we have to give credit where it's due: The CanvasTV is the best TV to come out this year. With Google TV running the operating system, it's easy to navigate, and the Hisense screen looks phenomenal. Plus, it undercuts the Frame by a few hundred bucks. This is the best way to jump on the art-TV trend.
Most Versatile TV
LG StandbyME
What will they do with a 27-inch touch-screen TV on wheels? Well, there's a lot. It can be a recipe book in the kitchen. It can be a YouTube how-to screen in the garage. Use it to watch an at-home workout video. At the foot of the bed, it's the perfect size for a weeknight binge. It can do a little bit of everything.
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Best Entertainment Headphones Set
Sonos Arc Ultra
This is the future of watching TV. You have a soundbar that gives you cinema-level sound, and it pairs instantly with headphones for when your partner falls asleep mid-movie.
Best Smart Ring of the Year
Samsung Galaxy Ring
If they're an Android-phone user, especially Samsung, I'd say skip everything else on this list and get them a Galaxy Ring.
Samsung did what everyone has been crying out for from the big phone makers. It made a great smart ring that pairs with any non-Apple phone. Plus, if they have a Samsung, there's access to even more in-depth health tracking. The color options look great. The tech is great. The price is great. The only people who don't care about this release are Apple users, and that's just politics.
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Best Sleep Tech
Therabody SleepMask
Everybody knows somebody who has sleep troubles. For that person, get them the brand-new Therabody SleepMask. It blocks out 100 percent of the light and gently vibrates them to sleep.
Our Favorite Headphones of the Year
Dyson OnTrac
My favorite headphones of 2024 are these Dyson ones. They look totally unique, they're incredibly comfortable, and the sound is as good as that of any other consumer-focused headphones.
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Best Backyard Tech Item
Bird Buddy Solar Bird Feeder
Okay, hear me out ... anyone who's interested in wildlife, over the age of 60, or under the age of 12 is going to love this little smart bird feeder. It gives your ornithologist a direct look at all the birds eating from their little buffet.
Best Smart Grill to Gift
Kamado Joe Konnected Joe
The smartest charcoal grill that has ever been made. It has all the benefits of a classic kamado but with live temp readings and auto ignition.
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