The Best Gifts for the Techie in Your Life (2026)

Techy gizmos make great stocking stuffers or Secret Santa gifts for friends, family, or coworkers. In fact, we’ve collected them in our comprehensive list of the Best 40 Techy Gifts under $100—that should give you plenty to parse through.

But this list is not that. These are the big tech products that really got us amped up—many of which launched this year. They’re more expensive than what you’d buy for an acquaintance, but if you’re looking for a big reaction on Christmas morning from your kids, spouse, or significant other, one of these should do the trick.

Updated October 2026: I’ve changed up this list to include new recommendations.

For Health Nuts

Oura has a lock on the world of smart rings, and we’ve been loving the latest model, which came out this July. Because the Ring 5 is smaller and more comfortable than before, WIRED reviewer Boutayna Chokrane says she often forgets she’s even wearing it. That’s crucial for something you’re supposed to wear at all times, including while sleeping or during workouts. It’s billed as a “proactive” health and fitness platform, giving you data on everything from sleep patterns to predictive blood pressure signals. It’s likely not worth upgrading from the previous version, but for the fitness and health nut in your life who doesn’t own one yet, the Oura Ring 5 is the best smart ring you can buy.

For Tech-Friendly Families

We already have smart speakers. We have iPads. We have digital photo frames (or, at least, your parents do). So, a dedicated device that serves merely as a digital calendar might seem superfluous. Maybe it is, but reviewer Nena Farrell absolutely swears by them. As someone with a busy family who struggles to sync our calendars, I get the appeal: a calendar on a larger screen in your kitchen or living room, visible to everyone who walks by, certainly sounds convenient. It’s not just a list of events, either. It also has a meals page to plan and organize family dinners, plus tasks to keep everyone on top of chores. And this latest 15-inch model, the Skylight Calendar 2, is the best so far.

For Typists

Photograph: Henri Robbins

It’s not only our favorite Keychron keyboard—it’s the best overall keyboard you can buy. Launched in early 2026, this mechanical keyboard has a mid-century modern vibe, made of wood and metal. The 75 percent layout gives you everything you’ll likely need in a compact size, with all the usual Keychron features, such as hot-swappable switches, double-shot keycaps, and the usual excellent build quality. Unlike other mechanical keyboards you may have tried, this one is low-profile, which means the travel distance on each key isn’t quite as long, and it’s designed for typing first and foremost. It’s a great office companion, and it’ll be a smoother transition if you’re coming from a more generic rubber-dome model like an Apple Magic Keyboard.

The Best Tablet, Hands-Down

This year has been a quiet one for the iPad. The iPad Air M4 came out in the spring, but since then it’s been nothing but price increases across the lineup. That’s why the original iPad makes more and more sense. While it’s not as cheap as it was even last year, the 2025 model delivers great performance for casual productivity and entertainment. It’s for taking on trips and leaning back on the couch with a book. In other words, it’s not a tablet made for work. Still, for basic work tasks, you can pair it with a Magic Keyboard Folio, which has a trackpad. The latest design also has a centered camera positioned for landscape use, making it more natural for video calls.

For the WFH Spouse

You know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Logitech MX Master 3S has long been the most popular productivity mouse you can buy, so expectations for its successor were high. Thankfully, the MX Master 4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) delivers without rocking the boat too much. There’s now haptic support in the thumb rest, and you can press here to activate the virtual Actions Ring. You can customize the ring in the Logi Options+ app to launch apps, open websites, insert symbols, or even type text—the options are nearly endless.

It might not be worth upgrading from the MX Master 3 or 3S, especially since the polling rate hasn’t changed, but the MX Master 4 has taken the reins as the go-to wireless mouse for serious office workers. If you know someone who would appreciate a mouse that not only offers great ergonomic support but also feels extremely high-quality in the hand, look no further.

For more ideas for home office products that make great gifts, check out our comprehensive guide to the Best Work-from-Home Gear.

For AI Adopters

Open Vision Engineering

Pocket

Whether it’s the Rabbit R1 or Humane Pin, AI hardware has been a big flop so far. But this year, we finally started to see devices that are actually interesting and potentially useful. WIRED contributor Christopher Null tried out all the new product category of AI notetaking devices, which can dictate, record, summarize, and translate seamlessly using large language models. Pocket was among the top recommendations. It magnetically attaches to the back of your phone and can even record phone calls without needing to keep it on speakerphone. Many AI notetakers require a paid subscription, while Pocket offers a substantial free option and only requires Pocket Pro as an upgrade for unlimited history.

The Best AirPods

With all the earbuds we review, you might think our audio experts are above something as common as AirPods. But Apple really nailed it this year with the AirPods Pro 3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s been almost three years since Apple updated its noise-canceling earbuds, and the latest model adds a new ear tip design, supports real-time translation, and delivers vastly improved noise canceling and longer battery life. According to our testers, the earbuds last up to eight hours with noise canceling on, enough for more than a full day of work. All that makes this pair the best AirPods ever made.

For Outdoorsy Action Stars

GoPro has a new premium camera, and it’s one of the most expensive action cameras you can buy. But our camera expert and outdoors enthusiast, Scott Gilbertson, says it’s totally worth it. The new model, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro, has a larger 1-inch sensor than the Hero models, letting it shoot up to 8K at 60 fps. That might sound like overkill, but 8K lets you crop and zoom in on what you capture on your adventures while exporting to 4K without a big hit to image quality (unless you’re fortunate enough to own an 8K TV). Scott also praises the new slow-motion mode, shooting up to 4K at 240 fps—even when zoomed in. The older GoPro Hero 13 Black is still a great option if you want to save some money, but the Mission 1 Pro’s upgrade in image quality is noteworthy for a camera this small.

For the Coffee Snob

The best espresso machines cost well over $1,000 and take up your entire kitchen counter. They aren’t exactly very “giftable.” The Breville Bambino challenges that assumption. It’s only $300, yet it has many of the same features as more expensive machines, such as a thermoblock for instant heating. Of course, as a smaller, budget option, it’s missing some things, such as automatic milk frothing. But according to our resident coffee expert, Matthew Korfhage, pairing the Bambino with a solid grinder gives you “beautiful cups with counter space to spare.” Who wouldn’t want that?

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