Everyone is looking for a way to make their lives easier — and a new tech gadget is often a way to do so, especially as a holiday gift. But it can be tough to cut through the noise and figure out what gift each person on your shopping list will actually appreciate and use.
Also: The best Black Friday deals live now
At ZDNET, we test the best tech products all year and are making recommendations for every type of person in your life. To make your shopping experience easier, we made all the picks come from one retailer, Walmart, which has both brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping. Starting today, Walmart has kicked off some great holiday deals for Black Friday.
Whether you’re shopping for someone who loves listening to music, cooking, working out, reading, drinking coffee, or doing other activities, we have a tech product that they will absolutely love. The best part is that some are even on sale.
The best tech gift ideas
- Price: $509 (on sale for $229)
Whether the person you are shopping for has been a long-time homeowner or just moved into their college dorm, there is one thing they can all use a hand with — cleaning. Although cleaning your floors can be one of the most dreadful chores, it is something that has to be done on a pretty consistent basis to upkeep your living space.
That’s why a robot vacuum is such a great gift everyone can enjoy. The Roomba j7+ earned a spot as ZDNET’s best robot vacuum overall because of its impressive capabilities, which include a self-emptying auto-empty base, PrecisionVision Navigation to recognize and avoid common household objects, and multi-surface compatibility.
Although the price may seem steep, you can score a deal multiple times throughout the year, including Black Friday, which is right around the corner. Right now, you can score the Roomba j7+ for almost 36% off at Walmart.
For full review: Roomba j7+ review: A life-changing robot vacuum
- Price: $139
There was a time I refused to drink coffee at home because no matter how strong of a coffee pod I bought for my Keurig, the coffee always tasted watered down. I started wondering whether I’d ever achieve the same hand-crafted coffee shop taste at home — until I was gifted the Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De’Longhi.
With this Nespresso machine, I can make a regular cup of coffee or an espresso shot, which can then be used to make a latte, cappuccino, and more — all at the touch of a button while keeping the flavor of the real thing a barista would make.
- Price: $189 (on sale for $149)
Have a loved one who likes to stay active, work out, or hit the gym but doesn’t own a smartwatch yet? The Apple Watch SE is a gift sure to impress because of its advanced fitness tracking features, long-lasting battery, and, most importantly, simplicity.
If you — or the person you’re shopping for — are an Apple user who needs a watch that fulfills basic functions like fitness tracking, heart-rate monitoring, sleep insights, and crash detection, and offers water resistance and a good battery, the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) is a perfect fit.
Despite being the most budget-friendly model, the Apple Watch SE boasts many of the same health and safety features found in the more advanced Apple Watch models. In fact, the features it doesn’t have — including blood oxygen tracking and temperature taking — are ones that most first-time users would likely not need anyway.
- Price: $24 (save $5)
If you or anyone you know is anything like me, losing things is an everyday activity. Whether it’s my keys, wallet, or remote control, I’m always frantically searching for my belongings — until I started pinging them with AirTags.
AirTags are so simple to set up and track with your iPhone detecting the tag as soon as you unbox it and pull the paper insert out. Then, all you have to do is name it and place it on what you’d like to track, and it will automatically appear on your Apple’s Find My Network.
There are so many uses for AirTags; I have even opted to place two AirTags on my dogs to make sure that if they ever get loose, I will be able to find them. Because of its low price point and compact size, this product could be a great stocking stuffer as well as a stand-alone gift.
- Price: $299 (on sale for $250)
Whether the person you are shopping for loves to cook or bake, this product will facilitate it all. KitchenAids have become a staple in the stand mixer space, and for good reason. This stand mixer has incredible power, making even the most tedious of mixing tasks an easy lift.
For example, meringue cookies are one of my favorite things to make. However, if you have ever made meringue, you know it takes a while to beat the eggs until they fluff up to the perfect consistency. With the KitchenAid, what would typically take me about 40 minutes to beat by hand is finished in a fraction of the time.
There are also many attachments that make the KitchenAid more than just a stand mixer; it is also a pasta maker, ice cream maker, slicer, shredder, and more. Even though it has a higher price tag than many competitors, the high quality of the appliance is worth the investment.
- Price: $79 (on sale for $69)
My Ninja 4QT Air Fryer is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets because of how quick, convenient, and hassle-free it makes cooking food. Whether you are heating up some french fries or making a whole basket of wings, this air fryer is sure to cook anything to perfection.
If you’re making a melty or sticky treat in the air fryer, don’t worry: the Ninja air fryer comes with a nonstick basket that makes cleaning a breeze. The air fryer has a temperature range of 105 F degrees to 400 F degrees, which means it’s capable of cooking as much as an oven could without the hassle of having to preheat and turn on an entire oven for smaller quantities.
To maximize how well it cooks different types of meals, the air fryer has five different settings: air-fry, air roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. These settings make it easy to get the desired results without any guesswork. Plus, it’s BPA-free.
In addition to making your own life easier, an air fryer can also make an excellent gift. Whether someone on your shopping list is an experienced chef or a college student who’s a cooking novice, the air fryer is sure to meet everyone’s different needs and make cooking just a tad easier.
- Price: Varies on phone
Our phones are such a major part of our everyday lives that an upgrade can have a mirage of positive ripple effects. I would know because this fall, I just upgraded from the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 16 Pro, and it has made my life significantly better in terms of enjoyment and productivity.
As part of Walmart’s Black Friday Deals event, the retailer is offering up to a $500 e-gift card with the purchase of some of the latest iPhones. Upgrading to the iPhone 16 lineup qualifies you for a $300 gift card; iPhone 15, $350; iPhone 15 Plus, $400; iPhone 15 Pro, $450; and Phone 15 Pro Max, $500. On top of that, Walmart is offering $1,000 in bill credits with eligible trade-ins. Walmart also has a similar sale, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and Ultra.
- Price: $100 (on sale for $79)
If you are a slow coffee sipper and often end up having to sip on less-than-ideal lukewarm coffee, the Ember Smart Mug seeks to end all lukewarm beverage problems. It can hold 10 ounces of any beverage of choice and can be controlled from a smart app (or without, if the person you are shopping for isn’t tech savvy).
The temperature is set to 135 degrees out of the box, and for safety purposes, it shuts off after two hours. However, it can be customized to last between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit, completely customizable to the user’s liking
I actually can’t live without mine and, as a result, and purchasing one for a holiday gift this year,
- Price: $429 (on sale for $329)
If you know someone who loves listening to music at all times, gifting them the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra will elevate their entire listening experience. These headphones boast excellent Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), great sound quality, and comfort that make the high price tag worth it.
Also: I travel with Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra headphones, and not the Sony XM5. Here’s why
The headphones are available in the colors White and Black Smoke and sport a clean, sleek design, making them aesthetically pleasing for anyone on your list. Another major plus is that the are geared towards Apple and Android users equally, making them a great fit for everyone, regardless of their device’s operating system
- Price: $250 (on sale for $154)
The earbuds landed a spot on ZDNET’s best earbuds, which you can buy in 2024. They are noise-canceling earbuds for Apple users, making them a gift that will impress any Apple user. Not only are they Apple’s most advanced earbuds, but they boast many standout features, including noise cancellation, all-day comfort, and seamless integration with your Apple devices.
One of the biggest standouts is that, as of this year, they have advanced hearing health features, including a include a hearing test to help users assess their hearing health and a hearing aid mode that allows the Pro 2 earbuds to act as an over-the-counter hearing aid.
To put together this list, we first thought of all of the different types of people that you might find on your holiday shopping list and then carefully picked a product that would interest them. To pick those products, we combined our personal experiences with ZDNET’s expertise, which can be found in reviews, best-list, and product spotlights, leading us to pick gifts that are sure to impress your family and friends.
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