The best holiday gifts for tech heads

All products featured on this page were selected by Toronto Life’s editors. However, when you purchase an item through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

See our full holiday gift guide.

Earplugs

It’s a noisy time to be alive. Turn the volume down on abrasive sounds—concerts, crowds, toddlers—with Loop’s Experience 2 Plus earplugs. $60

Label maker

Organization enthusiasts will be unstoppable with the Brother P-Touch PT-E105. This hard-working tool even has customizable layouts. $60

Digital camera

Cut down on screen time with Camp Snap’s screen-free point-and-shoot digital camera. It has a vintage look and a long-lasting battery. $92

Kid-friendly phone

With Pinwheel phones, moms and dads can choose from a selection of Android devices that come pre-loaded with parental controls. Starting at $99

Kids’ microscope

Encourage wee ones to explore everything with this cool tool that goes up to 200x magnification. BBC educational slides included. $120

Smart laptop with built-in AI

This Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14’’ Chromebook Plus is ideal for those who want to work smarter, not harder, while also enhancing productivity and creativity. It’s designed to handle everything from video editing to seamless multitasking with premium built-in AI tools, including smart productivity suggestions using Help Me Read, photo editing with Magic Editor, access to Google Gemini assistant on your home screen and much more. $599

Teensy record player

With a motor, amplifier and speaker packed into a 12-­centimetre officially licensed VW van replica, this may be the world’s smallest vinyl player. $150

Film camera

The Lomomatic is a super-slim, pocket-sized camera that uses 110 film—a beginner-friendly format that yields fresh, sharp, artsy shots. $159

Colour e-reader

Give the gift of glare-free reading—now in colour. The Kobo Clara Colour has Libby and Pocket integration, so readers can borrow from (most) local libraries. $180

iPhone keyboard

Turn an iPhone into a circa 2007 BlackBerry with the Clicks Keyboard. It clicks, it clacks, it absolutely slaps. $200

Alarm clock

For those looking to spend less time snuggled up to their smartphone, the Loftie clock has customizable tone, volume and day-of-the-week settings. $205

Portable webcam

This webcam was designed to be used with laptops for upgraded image quality. Weighing less than 50 grams, it’s tiny, intuitive and has a built-in directional mic. $205

Wireless speaker

Tivoli specializes in stylish, vintage-inspired audio devices. The PAL BT—a Bluetooth-­enabled AM/FM radio—has just three easy-to-use knobs. $279

Bird feeder camera

What could be better for the birder on your list than an AI-powered, smart-camera-­equipped feeder that sends close-ups directly to their phone? $330

Smart ring

The Oura—more discreet (and chic) than a smart watch— provides sleep, workout, and fertility and pregnancy insights, all at your fingertips. From $469

Matcha maker kit

Get the matcha party started with this kit that includes a sample of three blends, a Japanese cotton tea towel, a cleaning brush and a Cuzen matcha maker. $491

Dumbphone

Unlike most cellphones, this one is designed to do very little and last a long time. The new Light Phone III can call and text and comes with a basic camera. $689

Noise-cancelling headphones

Dyson’s new headset—this time without the air purification add-on no one asked for—offers a clean, balanced sound and customizable look. From $700

Video camera

Made for filmmaking, vlogging and streaming—in sharp 5.3K resolution—GoPro’s Hero12 Black Creator Edition is a mobile content studio. $740

Long-lasting speaker

The OB-4 by Swedish electronics brand Teenage Engineering is an all-in-one speaker, radio, looper and sampler. Stellar sound guaranteed. $760

Scent diffuser

A turn of the discreetly placed knob on the dapper Fleur Mécanique II controls the intensity, duration and frequency of scent dispersal. $975

Portable power station

For serious doomsday preppers, the Jackery Explorer 1000 can power eight devices at once. It also has an easy-to-read display and weighs about as much as a microwave. $1,299

Portable TV

At last—a suitcase TV, just as Inspector Gadget foretold. LG’s StanbyME Go packs 27 inches of LCD goodness into a travel case with speakers. $1,498

Ultra-thin laptop

Designed for creativity on-the-go, this HP OmniBook Ultra Flip Laptop seamlessly blends power, mobility and style. Leveraging the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, it allows you to do more in less time with generative AI, enhanced video conferencing, and AI-enabled photo and video editing. Featuring a lightweight and sustainable flip design built for multitasking and extended battery life, plus a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen with micro-edge display, let it spark imagination. $2,399

E-scooter

The Apollo Pro is what you’d get if a Tesla Cybertruck and a Mac had a baby. It has 12-inch wheels, a solid aluminum unibody and high-tech app features. $4,299

Electric van

Former hippies, rejoice. Volkswagen has reimagined its iconic bus for the electric age. The long-awaited ID.Buzz has a 377-kilometre range, a heat pump to reduce winter driving anxiety and extra-spacious seats. $80,631