Gift Guides 2022

36 must-have tech gifts that are actually worth the money

No poring over spec sheets; no additional Googling; no wrong choices.

Nothing Ear Stick wirless earbuds
Raymond Wong / Input
We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

If you’re looking to gift someone a gadget this holiday, there’s a chance you might be feeling slightly overwhelmed.

Whether you’re looking for wireless earbuds, laptops, or gaming gear, the options are seemingly endless. That doesn’t mean you have to let a wide selection get the best of you.

We’re going to make it blissfully easy. Below is a mega list of our absolute favorite tech gifts broken down into categories. No poring over spec sheets; no additional Googling; no wrong choices. All of these gadgets are winners in our book.

Best laptops

A good laptop is one that has tons of power, strong battery life on the go, and a solid keyboard and trackpad. All of the below laptops do.

Best Tablets / e-readers

We know that tablets and e-readers haven’t really changed much in the past few years — they’re thinner, faster, and have better displays — but that’s also what makes them so great. If you don’t have a tablet or e-reader, there’s no better time to get one. And if you already own one, maybe it’s time to replace it if it’s sluggish.

Best smartphones

Price creep for smartphones is a real concern, especially in these economic times. But why pay full price when you don’t have to? Premium phones don’t need to cost premium dollar, unless maybe you’re shopping for an iPhone 14 Pro / 14 Pro max, which is facing extended delays for shipping.

Best gaming gear

We’re all gamers here at Inverse, and we don’t discriminate between casual and hardcore. Games are games — they’re fun. Whether you’re Team Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, or PC, this is some of our favorite gear.

Best earbuds / headphones

The variety of wireless earbuds has really ballooned over the past few years. That’s great because you don’t need to shell out for AirPods (although you totally can). We’re big on wireless earbuds and headphones with active noise cancellation, like the ones below.

Best smartwatches

Smartwatches finally got interesting this year. It’s no longer an Apple Watch-takes-all field. Google and Samsung really showed up. Nothing like healthy competition to push down prices and keep Apple on its toes.

Best streaming devices

You like TV? We like TV. Watch your TV on something that’s not your tiny phone screen or tablet.

Best e-bikes / e-scooters

The transportation world is getting more electrified, and while electric cars are the future, personal electric mobility is just as fun and varied. Don’t believe us? Check out these great e-scooters and e-bikes.

Best subscriptions

Just because some subscriptions are getting more expensive (hello Netflix!) doesn’t mean all of them aren’t worth it. There are still some really good values.

Related Tags