15 best tech gifts to spoil a gadget geek this Christmas

Treat the tech-head in your life to something special from our round-up packed with the latest launches

From games consoles to headphones, we’ve hand-picked all the best gizmos

(iStock/The Independent)

We don’t wish to alarm anyone, but Christmas is coming. Forget about October, it’s gone. Halloween? A distant memory. Summer and sunshine? Don’t make us laugh. It’s constant jingle bells from now until next year, which somehow is 2022.

Things look set to be a little different this year, with warnings of an impending present shortage caused not by a gadabout Santa, but a global supply chain snarl-up set to continue for many more months. Shoppers are being advised to start early due to a lack of shipping containers, fewer HGV drivers in the UK and a continuing scarcity of semiconductors, which power the most sought-after electronics.

But while we’re still being starved of the PS5 and Xbox series X, 2021 has still seen a raft of hot new gadgets capturing our undivided attention. From new wireless headphones and earbuds to wireless speakers, new phones and smartwatches, like the iPhone 13 and the Samsung Galaxy Z fold 3, we’ve been spoilt for choice this year.

Looking for some great discounts ahead of the festive fun? Take a look at our round-up of the best tech to gift... or maybe write to Santa for.

How we tested

To give you a helping hand, we’ve compiled a list of the best techie Christmas gifts, ideal for your loved ones. They’ve all been tested extensively by us. We’ve listened to them; typed and gamed on them; sat on our bums, one controller in our hands, for hours, playing Sea of Thieves; ran with them on our wrists; brought them out to the park; lost and found items with them; and called people from across the world with them. Basically, we can guarantee that everything you find here is top quality.

Read more:

• 11 best wireless earbuds for quality sound and noise cancellation
• Best laptops 2021: High-performance devices or gaming on the go
• 7 best VPNs for streaming securely in 2021
• 10 best wireless headphones 2021

We’ll be continuously testing and reviewing the latest new gadgets right up until the big day itself, so check back if you don’t see something you think your loved one will like right away. So, without further ado, here are the best tech-focused gifts for Christmas 2021.

The best tech gifts for Christmas 2021 are:

• Best overall – Xbox series X: £449.99, Argos.co.uk
• Best games console for kids and families – Nintendo Switch OLED: £309, Amazon.co.uk
• Best Android smartwatch – Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: £269, Very.co.uk
• Best Bluetooth speaker – Bang & Olufsen beosound explore: £169, Johnlewis.com
• Best item tracker – Tile mate combo pack: £69.99, Tile.com
• Best Alexa smart display – Amazon Echo show 8, 2nd gen: £107.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best laptop – Huawei Matebook X pro: £1,379.97, Amazon.co.uk
• Best wireless earbuds – Sony WF-1000XM4: £199, Johnlewis.com
• Best robot vacuum cleaner – iRobot roomba j7+: £819, Irobot.co.uk
• Best item tracker for iOS users – Apple AirTag, 4 pack: £80, Amazon.co.uk
• Best Google smart display – Google Nest Hub: £88.89, Amazon.co.uk
• Best wireless Apple headphones – Apple AirPods max: £549, Apple.com
• Best webcam – Logitech C920: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best budget wireless earbuds for Android users – Google Pixel buds A-series: £99.99, Argos.co.uk
• Best portable Sonos speaker – Sonos Roam: £199, Amazon.co.uk

Xbox series X

Best: Overall

Want to pick up the latest games console this Christmas? You’d better start shopping now, because the Xbox series X is one of the most sought-after pieces of electronics this year. Launched in 2020, this is the best Xbox ever made. It’s already backwards compatible with all of your existing games, and has an expanding catalogue of unmissable titles to dive into including Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5.

The Xbox series X is unfathomably difficult to find in stock. So head over to our Xbox stock tracking page to be in with the best chance of picking one up.

Read the full Xbox series X review

Buy now £449.99 Argos.co.uk

Nintendo Switch OLED

Best: Games console for kids and families

The Nintendo Switch OLED is the company’s latest and greatest gaming console, and it ticks off almost everything handheld and tabletop Switch gamers were begging for. There’s a bigger and more handsome 7in OLED screen, an improved kickstand, it’s more solidly built, and you might even appreciate the enhanced speakers. It’s just an all-round great system.

Stock is limited, and it may not be available from our link. Head over to our Nintendo OLED stock tracking page for the most up to date leads.

Read the full Nintendo Switch OLED review

Buy now £309 Amazon.co.uk

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

Best: Android smartwatch

The closest thing Android has to an official smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy watch 4 is an elegant and sophisticated wearable packed with so many biometric sensors and health-tracking features it would make a cardiologist blush. The newest in the series can measure body fat, track workouts, monitor your sleep quality and even tell the time.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy watch 4 review

Buy now £269 Very.co.uk

Bang & Olufsen beosound explore

Best: Bluetooth speaker

A Bluetooth speaker built for the great outdoors, the Beosound explore makes the perfect gift for a loved one or friend whose idea of fun involves hanging around the poncho section of Decathlon. It’s classy, rugged, waterproof, sandproof and designed to survive heavy impacts while sounding great and lasting for days between charges.

Read the full Bang & Olufsen Beosound explore review

Buy now £169 Johnlewis.com

Tile mate combo pack

Best: Item tracker

Attach one of these inconspicuous Bluetooth trackers to your keys, your bag, or anything else you don’t want to lose, and you can then use your phone to see its location and trigger a helpful (and loud) jingle. These are real life-changers, and put an end to frantically searching for your belongings when you’re already running late. The combo pack can be customised to include the super useful, credit card-sized Tile slim, which is designed to fit inside a wallet.

Read more: 8 best key finders to help you track down your stuff

Buy now £69.99 Tile.com

Amazon Echo Show 8, 2nd gen

Best: Alexa smart display

“Alexa, what should I get for Christmas?”. The Amazon Echo Show 8! It’s the company’s latest smart display and it only costs £119.99, so you get a heck of a lot of bang for your buck. There’s an ambient sensing display, a home-monitoring feature, an upgraded processor and a better 13MP camera, which has less intrusive panning and zooming tracking features than the Echo Show 10. The second-generation Echo Show 8 is now the go-to device for those looking for an Amazon smart display.

Read the full Amazon Echo Show 8 review

Buy now £107.99 Amazon.co.uk

Huawei matebook X pro

Best: Laptop

Our laptops have proved the unsung heroes of 2021, enabling many of us to work from anywhere we could find a wi-fi connection, a power socket and a ready supply of coffee. If you know someone whose device is on its last legs, how about a festive upgrade to the fastest and most stylish Windows laptop we’ve tested this year? The Huawei Matebook X Pro is a real powerhouse: speedy, comfortable to use and ready for any task you throw at it.

Read the full Huawei Matebook X Pro review

Buy now £1,379.97 Amazon.co.uk

Sony WF-1000XM4

Best: Wireless earbuds

Launched this summer, Sony’s latest earbuds not only sound great, but are packed with a slate of genuinely useful and clever features. Noise-cancellation adapts to your surroundings and movement, tuning out public transport noise while sitting on the train, but dialling in car engines for safety when walking down the street. When you speak, the earbuds will pause your music and tune into voice frequencies, so you can hold a conversation without removing them. A stylish set of luxury earbuds, these make the perfect gift for those returning to the commotion of the daily commute.

Buy now £199 Johnlewis.com

iRobot roomba j7+

Best: Robot vacuum cleaner

The j7+ is iRobot’s latest mid-range robot vacuum cleaner and is essentially a sleeker version of the more entry-level i7, with a rounded body, a smaller self-contained cleaning base and a nifty little compartment for your spare bags. It packs in all the latest smart technology you’ll ever need to keep your home spotless. It’s the first Roomba to use precision vision navigation – essentially superior obstacle avoidance, so it can dodge around cables, socks, shoes and those pesky laces, but also manoeuvre around your Christmas tree and, yep, any dog poop. We particularly enjoyed that we could see particularly dirty areas in the app, as well as estimate how long it will take to clean a room based on its size. The j7 is smart, small and with its automatic dirt ejection, it knows when to empty itself out into the base. An ideal gift for post-Christmas cleaning. 

Buy now £819 Irobot.co.uk

Apple AirTag, four pack

Got a loved one who is constantly losing their stuff? Meet the Apple AirTag, a disc-shaped tracker that slots neatly around your keys, into your wallet or around the strap of your backpack. Thanks to ultra-wideband technology, turn-by-turn directions lead you straight to your stuff if you’re in range, with just the use of your iPhone, complete with handy vibrations as you get closer. The only issue? You’ll probably need to buy an AirTag accessory, if you want to hook it onto anything. It’s a very Apple product, you see.

Read the full Apple AirTag review

Buy now £99 Amazon.co.uk

Google nest hub

Best: Google smart display

The main dashboard of the connected smart home, the Google Nest Hub can be used to control lighting, raise and lower blinds, lock doors and set reminders. It’s powered by the Google Assistant, meaning it does everything your phone’s virtual assistant does and a little more. In the bedroom it can use radar to monitor your sleep schedule and suggest improvements, but the nest hub is at its most useful in the kitchen for setting hands-free timers, controlling music and displaying recipes and cooking tips.

Buy now £88.89 Amazon.co.uk

Apple AirPods max

Best: Wireless Apple headphones

Did someone say they needed a new pair of headphones? Apple’s new AirPods max over-ears are an absolute dream for any audiophile. They sound stellar – both rich and full – thanks to the 40mm dynamic driver. But our favourite feature has to be spatial audio. The feeling of your favourite tunes coming from all directions around your head is absolutely mind-blowing. And with soft knitted earcups and a knitted headband, you won’t want to take them off.

Read the full Apple Airpods max review

Buy now £549 Apple.com

Logitech C920

Best: Webcam

Anyone who’s been working from home lately will know what a difference a decent webcam can make. The Logitech C920 has you looking your best at Zoom meetings, with software that can track your face to keep you in frame, automatic focusing and colour balance, and adaptive exposure to stop you looking like something from a Japanese horror film when sitting in front of a bright window.

Buy now £59.99 Amazon.co.uk

Google Pixel buds A-series

Best: Budget wireless earbuds for Android users

Ever felt left out when you’ve seen those Apple guys walking around with white stalks hanging out of their ears? Look on in envy no more, because Google has released the Pixel buds A-series, a true rival to the standard Apple AirPods. They’re comfy to wear, pack in a bunch of smarts and look almost invisible in your ears. Better yet, they’re not only the cheapest Pixel buds out right now, but they sound pretty darn good as well.

Read the full Pixel buds A-series review

Buy now £99.99 Argos.co.uk

Sonos Roam

Best: Portable Sonos speaker

The roam is Sonos’s smallest and cheapest speaker and is the company’s first specifically designed for taking out with you on your own little adventures. It’s light, waterproof and as small as a plastic water bottle. But despite its dinky size, it’s still an ultra-powerful speaker, in both tech terms and sound. With features like sound swap, auto trueplay and booming, far-reaching bass, this is your go-to picnic speaker – but it’s also perfect for your bathroom

Read the full Sonos Roam review

Buy now £199 Amazon.co.uk

The verdict: Tech Christmas gifts

The best tech Christmas gift happens to be the most in-demand console around right now – the Xbox series X. It’s the best Xbox that Microsoft has ever made and is an absolute powerhouse. For audiophiles, we’d recommend picking up Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound explore or Sonos’s roam speaker – both are accomplished portable devices.

If you want to give your loved one the gift of never losing their keys or wallet ever again, look no further than the Apple AirTags or the Tile combo pack.

We’ll be continuously adding to this list as we inch closer to Christmas, so if you don’t see something you like right now, check back soon.

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on the best bits of tech and other Christmas presents, try the links below:

• Very discount codes
• Asos discount codes

Want to have a great countdown to Christmas? Have a read of our reviews of the best advent calendars