Some consider gift cards not the most personal of gifts, but I say that's not the case.They allow you to get exactly what you want with no confusion, and (typically) both gifter and giftee walk away happy.But maybe you received a few gift cards for the holidays and are stumped on what to buy with them — Engadget can help.
Here, we've gathered some of our favorite gadgets and services of the year that are all worthy ways to spend your gift card money, from wireless mice to coffee gear to gaming controllers.Quick OverviewXbox Game Pass Ultimate$15 at AmazonAnker Soundcore Space A40$59 at AmazonPura smart scent diffuser$50 at PuraTwelve South HoverBar DuoMore options$80 at Amazon$83 at Staples$80 at Kohl'sLogitech MX Anywhere 3S$80 at AmazonMiir New Standard CarafeMore options$80 at Amazon$80 at MiiRBackbone One Mobile Gaming Controller$100 at AmazonPeak Design Tech Pouch$60 at Peak DesignCrucial X9 Pro Portable SSD$83 at AmazonUE Wonderboom 4More options$80 at Amazon$141 at Staples$80 at LenovoInstant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air FryerMore options$100 at Amazon$140 at Macy's$140 at Ace HardwareSee 6 moreXboxXbox Game Pass UltimateAn Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription offers hundreds of games from all periods of Xbox history that can be played on the Xbox or PC; many of them can be streamed to phones and tablets as well.It also includes EA Play, which opens up access to even more games.Perhaps the best part of Xbox Game Pass, though, is that it offers access to first-party Xbox Game Studios titles the day they're released, like , and the just-released $15 at AmazonPhoto by Jeff Dunn / EngadgetAnker Soundcore Space A40The Anker Soundcore Space A40 offer the kind of features you’d expect from wireless earbuds that cost twice as much: ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, IPX4 water resistance, a transparency mode, eight to ten hours of battery life and LDAC support.
When we tested them, we found their warm sound to be pleasing right out of the box, but Anker’s companion app makes it easy to customize the EQ curve if needed.And while their ANC isn’t quite as effective at reducing background noise as our top picks, it’s still effective for a noisy office or long flight.For $80 or so, this is a superb value.
– $59 at AmazonPuraPura smart scent diffuserI’ll be the first to say the Pura scent diffuser surprised me.Before testing it out, I didn’t believe such a small device could really inject strong scent into my home.But it didn’t take long before I was proven wrong.
The one I have stays plugged in, resolute, in the family room of my home close to the front door, and as soon as I walk in when the Pura is running, I’m met with the lovely smells of Amalfi lemon, lavender fields or whichever other scent I decided to go with.The Pura can hold two different proprietary scent capsules at a time, so you can create very different vibes based on time of day, occasion or anything else you can think of.The Pura app makes it easy to set diffusion schedules per scent, too, and it can pause diffusion all together if you’re away from home.
Are you going to get whole-home diffusion from this CD-sized gadget? No (maybe try the new Pura Plus for that), but it’ll make the part of your home that it lives in feel much more luxurious.$50 at PuraEngadget / Twelve SouthTwelve South HoverBar DuoIf you likes to use an ereader or tablet to read books or watch TV, you may appreciate Twelve South’s Hoverbar stand.We added it to our iPad accessories guide because it’s a great add-on for those slabs, and it’s just as adept at holding Kindles and Kobos.
The sturdy clamp grasps devices at the right height for both reading and watching, so one can attend to other things such as enjoying a morning bowl of cereal with two free hands.It can either clamp to a tabletop edge or stand on a flat surface with the weighted base (accessories for both configurations are included).— Read more: The best iPad accessories $80 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$83 at Staples$80 at Kohl'sWill Lipman Photography for EngadgetLogitech MX Anywhere 3SWe called the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse” earlier this year due to its compact frame, quiet clicks, and 70 days of rated battery life.
It’s lightweight (95g), its scroll wheel is smooth and, though it may be a little too small for those with larger hands, its ambidextrous, mostly flat shape should be comfy for most.It tracks accurately, plus it can pair with three devices at once over Bluetooth.The catch is that it doesn’t come with a USB receiver in the box, but that shouldn’t be a big deal unless you want something for gaming.
(In which case you should check out our gaming mouse buying guide.) Not having to worry about losing a dongle on the road may be a blessing anyway.$80 at AmazonWill Lipman Photography for EngadgetMiir New Standard CarafeMiir’s insulated stainless steel carafe is everything I ever wanted a Chemex to be.The top is a funneled pour over brewer, complete with pour spout, just like a glass Chemex.
There’s a stopper too, so you don’t lose heat between servings.What’s more, the top part is removable so you can add one of the company’s leak-proof lids for transport.So if you’re thinking of giving a multi-serving pour over maker this year, Miir is a great option for keeping coffee warm for hours.
$80 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$80 at MiiREngadget / BackboneBackbone One Mobile Gaming ControllerIf you primarily play games on your phone, consider picking up the best mobile gamepad on the market.At $100, the Backbone One is pricey, but it easily surpasses competitors like the Razer Kishi in build qualiIty.It also comes with a surprisingly robust companion app that makes capturing screenshots and clips a breeze.
Each new Backbone One controller also comes with complimentary access to services like Xbox Game Pass, giving owners a few different ways to add to their game library.Read more: The best mobile game controllers $100 at AmazonEngadgetPeak Design Tech PouchThere’s a good chance that when you travel, you bring along the gear that means the most to you.Peak Design’s Tech Pouch will give you a way to organize all of your small gadgets and keep everything neatly in one place.
The origami-style pockets can accommodate things like phones, wireless chargers, power banks, adapters, cables and more.Plus the outside shell is water resistant.The bag can stand upright even when open, which will make it easier to find what you need in a pinch, and the exterior pocket has a passthrough opening that will allow you to connect to a power source and charge up items still inside the bag.
The Tech Pouch is roomy without being too big or cumbersome, making it an easy investment for anyone constantly on the go.$60 at Peak DesignEngadget / CrucialCrucial X9 Pro Portable SSDEveryone works with files they don’t want to lose, which means everyone should take care and back up their data.A good portable SSD like the Crucial X9 Pro, the top pick in our buying guide, makes it easy to do so.
It’s more durable and significantly faster to transfer data than a cheaper hard drive, and its water-resistant frame is shorter than a credit card, so it won’t eat up valuable desk space.It’s also backed by a five-year warranty, and while there are technically faster models, most of those are generally overkill.Read more: The best portable SSDs $83 at AmazonUltimate EarsUE Wonderboom 4The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is an ideal Bluetooth speaker for anyone who like to roam around the house during the workday.
Its colorful, rounded design measures just four inches tall and has a built-in elastic loop, so it’s easy to set on a desk, by the couch or in the backyard.With an IP67 water-resistance rating, it’s also equipped for the shower.For something so compact, though, it sounds impressively clear and open.
Don’t expect truly deep bass from a speaker this size, but it’s a natural upgrade over most laptop and monitor speakers all the same.$80 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$141 at Staples$80 at LenovoEngadget / InstantInstant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air FryerAir fryers might seem like just a fad.After all, they’re just compact convection ovens, right? That’s true, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work.
In our experience, pod-shaped air fryers are able to produce crispier foods than their convection oven counterparts and they’re much easier to clean too.If you love the idea of “frying” foods without the oily mess, an air fryer could be exactly what you need.Our favorite air fryer is the 6-quart Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook and OdorErase.
It has a display window so you can check how the food looks.It also uses odor-eliminating filters that help reduce cooking smells – a feature that many air fryers lack.The six-quart size in particular is what we recommend; it’s large enough to fit four large chicken thighs or a whole pound of wings.
The basket internals are nonstick so it’s easy to clean, plus the inner rack is dishwasher safe.Read more: The best air fryers $100 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$140 at Macy's$140 at Ace Hardware
