The Coolest Tech Gift Ideas For 2019
15 Genius Gifts That'll Impress Everyone on Your List, Chosen by Tech-Savvy Experts
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When you want a unique, forward-thinking gift idea that will impress the recipient, where do you go? To the most tech-savvy person in your life, of course. That's exactly what we did for this gift guide of brilliant gadgets ideal for the holiday season. The members of POPSUGAR's Product and Engineering team put their heads together and recommended the best tech presents you should consider for friends and family in 2019.
From a smart pillow that products audio while you sleep to a wireless karaoke microphone that lets you jam out anywhere, these items are so cool, you may end up buying them for yourself. Peruse all the clever picks from Amazon, Nordstrom, and more. Gift shopping just got a whole lot easier.
Garmin Forerunner 935 Running GPS Unit
Garmin Forerunner 935 Running GPS Unit ($372)
"Garmin's newly released Forerunner 935 GPS watch has a much-needed battery life improvement compared to its predecessor, the Forerunner 645, my current watch of choice. For any marathoner, triathlete or data nerd (current or aspiring), Garmin records so much data. During a run or swim, it shows your pace, distance, ascent and heart rate. After, those metrics and others are available in convenient-enough graph formats so you can watch how your heart responded to that gruesome hill. Plus, the watch connects to Strava so your friends and family can cheer you on, or in my case, comment on your general lack of activity in the month of September. (My dad: 'Tara, did you switch to a new, cooler app? Oh, so you've just been sitting on the couch?')" — Tara Kalmanson, Sr. Product Manager
ZEEQ Smart Pillow
ZEEQ Smart Pillow ($60)
"Oh my goodness, this thing is a "must own" if you're like me and you listen to any sort of audio while you sleep and share the bed with a partner. It has eight (yes really) speakers built in, so you can set the volume loud enough for you to hear but low enough not to disrupt your partner's snooze. Oh, and technology aside, it's also just a really comfortable pillow." — Chris Hawley, VP, Engineering
Ring Video Doorbell 2
Ring Video Doorbell 2 ($199)
"Connect your Ring doorbell with Alexa then enable announcements to be alerted when your doorbell is pressed or motion is detected. Talk to visitors through compatible Echo devices by saying, 'Alexa, talk to the front door.'" — Suchi Reddy, Sr. QA Manager
MEATER Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer
MEATER Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer ($99)
"I like cooking and entertaining, but I'm terrible at figuring out when something is done without a thermometer. My wired thermometers are great, but the cords always get kinked and then the readings aren't accurate. This will fix that problem, plus there's an app to notify me, so I can entertain in the living room and not worry about listening for the timer!" — Sabrina Eldredge, VP, Product
Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock
Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock ($115)
"I've been using this alarm for a couple of years now and it was definitely a game changer for my morning (and night!) routine so this year I plan to give to my friend who is constantly struggling with waking up." — Tanya Doiun, Web Analytics Manager
BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone
BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone ($30)
"It easily pairs with your phone, and after that it's karaoke all the time! Karaoke party in your house. Karaoke party at the park. Karaoke party on the bus. If any of that excites you, you need this. In fact, order two for duets!" — Sabrina Eldredge, VP, Product
iRobot Roomba 960 Robot Vacuum
iRobot Roomba 960 Robot Vacuum ($550)
"With a dog that constantly sheds, having a Roomba at home really helps maintain a clean floor through logic based navigation. With the ability to be hooked up to Alexa and/or the iRobot mobile app, it's a breeze to get your Roomba cleaning!" — Daniel Martin, Software Engineer
Kindle Paperwhite
Kindle Paperwhite ($160)
"Instead of lugging around a bunch of heavy books when you travel, just get this Kindle Paperwhite E-reader." — Yilong Li, Fullstack Software Engineer
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($399)
"It's quiet, dries hair fast, and does less damage to hair. What more could a girl want!" — Susan Chin, Sr. Data Engineer
NVIDIA Shield TV Pro
NVIDIA Shield TV Pro ($200)
"The best way to stream Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+ in 4K HDR with Dolby ATMOS sound. It can also play games on Google Stadia." — Mike Patnode, Principal Engineer
Drawful 2:
Drawful 2: ($10)
"This game is perfect for hanging out with your family over the holidays. It's wholesome enough to play with grandma; your phone is the controller, so it's easy for anyone to jump in; and it doesn't take too much mental energy, so it's definitely compatible with crashing on the couch after a big meal." — Chris Hawley, VP, Engineering
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker ($200)
" A smart sous vide device that you can control with an app on your phone. I love the way it cooks egg bites, salmon, chicken, and turkey - very tender and just delicious!" — Tanya Doiun, Web Analytics Manager
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Starter Kit
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Starter Kit ($100)
"The Raspberry Pi 4 can do a surprising amount. Amateur tech enthusiasts use Pi boards as media centres, file servers, retro games consoles, routers, and network-level ad-blockers, for starters." — Yilong Li, Fullstack Software Engineer
Bose Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Bose Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones ($399)
:It provides great noise cancelling along with amazing clarity for calls, also allowing interactions with voice assistants like Alexa." — Shilpa Shetty, Software Engineer
Marvel The Infinity Saga Collector's Edition
Marvel The Infinity Saga Collector's Edition ($1,500)
"Do you really need to ask why?" — Mike Patnode, Principal Engineer
