Our Top 10 Tech Gifts on the 2025 Wish List
Every year around this time, the office discussion shifts from WordPress updates to holiday shopping. I (Kim) am always on the hunt for gifts that are thoughtful, beautiful, or just plain fun. Meanwhile, Chuck is usually analyzing spec sheets, complaining about battery capacities, or lecturing on why “proprietary charging cables are the devil.”
We’ve scoured the market to compile a list of the 10 best tech gifts for 2025. While we haven’t unboxed these ourselves yet, they are the items at the top of our lists—satisfying both the hardcore nerd (Chuck) and the person who just wants life to be a little easier (Me).
1. Nintendo Switch 2
Kim’s Take: This is arguably the biggest release of the year. The fact that it’s reportedly backwards compatible is huge—it means families don’t have to start their game library from scratch. It looks like the perfect “big family gift” to keep everyone entertained during the Iowa winter.
Chuck’s Take: It’s about time. The reported bump to 4K output when docked is the real story here. The original Switch was running on mobile hardware that felt dated years ago. If the new processor handles frame rates the way the specs suggest, this is finally a console worth buying for the living room.
2. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Wayfarer)
Chuck’s Take: I generally dislike “smart” wearables because they usually look ridiculous. These, however, just look like sunglasses. The tech specs on the camera and AI integration are impressive for such a small form factor. Just remember: you are essentially gifting a Meta data-collection device. Proceed with caution.
Kim’s Take: Putting aside the privacy lectures, these look incredibly stylish. The idea of being able to snap a photo of a holiday moment without fumbling for a phone is really appealing. It removes the barrier between you and the memory. It feels less like “tech” and more like magic.
3. Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker
Kim’s Take: Okay, is this “tech”? Maybe not in the computer sense, but it’s a machine that promises commercial-grade slushies on a home countertop. For the kids? Blue raspberry slushies. For the adults? Frozen margaritas on demand. This looks like the absolute hero of holiday hosting.
Chuck’s Take: It uses a compressor-based cooling system rather than just ice blending, so it qualifies as tech. It essentially brings thermal engineering to the kitchen counter to maintain consistency. As long as the motor is durable enough to handle the torque of semi-frozen liquid, it’s an impressive appliance.
4. Oura Ring 4
Kim’s Take: For anyone who wants to track their health but hates the look of a bulky smartwatch, this seems perfect. It’s jewelry first, tracker second. The design is sleek, and the promise of tracking sleep and stress without a glowing screen on your wrist is a major selling point.
Chuck’s Take: The Gen 4 updates reportedly improve the sensor accuracy significantly, specifically regarding heart rate variability (HRV). The titanium construction should offer decent durability. I’m never a fan of subscription models for hardware, but the data density this ring offers is hard to argue with.
5. Sony WH-1000XM6 Noise Canceling Headphones
Chuck’s Take: Sony has consistently embarrassed the competition in the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) game. The specs on the new V2 processor suggest it isolates frequencies better than anything else on the market. For anyone working in a loud office, that kind of isolation is gold.
Kim’s Take: I call these potential “Sanity Savers.” The idea of pressing one button and having the world disappear is a gift in itself. They look lighter than previous models, which suggests they won’t be uncomfortable after an hour. A great gift for the remote worker in your life.
6. Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder
Kim’s Take: This looks like the most wholesome tech on the list. It’s a bird feeder with a camera that notifies you when a bird lands and identifies the species. It seems like the perfect gift for parents or grandparents who have everything. It’s “nature watching” updated for the digital age.
Chuck’s Take: It’s basically a security camera for squirrels, but the AI image recognition technology is interesting. It claims to identify thousands of species. If you’re setting this up for a relative, just double-check that their Wi-Fi signal actually reaches the backyard.
7. Anker MagGo Power Bank (Qi2 Certified)
Chuck’s Take: The new Qi2 standard is finally hitting the market. This uses magnetic alignment (like MagSafe) but on an open standard, charging at 15W. That is twice as fast as the old generic wireless chargers. A dense 10,000mAh battery that snaps onto the back of a phone is pure utility.
Kim’s Take: This looks like a lifesaver for travel. No cables tangling up in a purse? Yes, please. The built-in kickstand is a nice touch for watching movies on a plane. It’s a practical stocking stuffer that people would actually use.
8. reMarkable Paper Pro
Chuck’s Take: If you know someone who misses writing on paper but hates scanning documents, this is the solution. The latency on the e-ink display is supposedly virtually zero now. It lacks a web browser or email, which is a feature, not a bug. It forces focus.
Kim’s Take: It’s the only tablet that doesn’t look like a distraction machine. For sketching out website layouts or taking notes during client meetings, it looks incredible. The addition of color e-ink makes it feel very premium compared to the standard black-and-white readers.
9. DJI Neo Drone
Kim’s Take: Drones usually look intimidating, loud, and expensive. The Neo is interesting because it’s palm-sized and designed to take off and land right on your hand. It seems cute, safe, and an easy way to get cool videos of the family without needing a pilot’s license.
Chuck’s Take: It’s a marvel of miniaturization. You don’t even need a controller; the AI tracking is designed to just follow the subject. The battery life is short (rated around 18 minutes), but for the price point, the stabilization software makes it a very accessible piece of tech.
10. Apple AirPods Pro 3
Chuck’s Take: I give Apple a hard time, but their silicon engineering team is world-class. The H3 chip specs indicate that audio processing is fast enough to make transparency mode sound completely natural. If the recipient is in the Apple ecosystem, this is the gold standard.
Kim’s Take: The redesign supposedly fixes the fit issues of the previous generation. If that’s true, these are a winner. The case is smaller, the sound is better, and it’s the “safe bet” gift that any iPhone user would be happy to unwrap.
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