Need Some Holiday Gift Ideas? Our Gift Guide Can Help!

Need some holiday gift ideas for this season? Read on!

I know, it’s late in the season, but if you’re anything like me, you tend to wait until you’re down to the wire to shop for gifts. That’s OK because Amazon can come to the rescue and will deliver in time, right? So whether you’re shopping for someone for Christmas, Chanukah, Festivus, or all or none of the aforementioned, you’re sure to delight someone (or yourself, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself!).

Nintendo Classic – $60

Just about every gaming fan wants a Nintendo NES Classic this holiday season, but they’re very difficult to find and sell out very fast once they are in stock. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one, the $60 Nintendo Classic is a guaranteed hit for any gamer. It’s loaded up with 30 retro gaming classics from Nintendo, including Mario 1, 2, and 3, the original Zelda, Final Fantasy 1, Mike Tyson’s Punchout, and much more, packing a ton of gamer nostalgia into a tiny package.

If you can’t find an NES Classic in stock (they sell out quick) and you don’t mind spending a bit more, you could always spring for a modern console, like the Xbox One S or Playstation 4 Pro too.

Portable Bluetooth Speakers

With the debut of iPhone 7, Apple is antiquating everyones favorite 3.5mm AUX audio port and headphone jack, and it’s sure to be removed from future Apple products as well. One way to enjoy the transition is to get a good set of portable Bluetooth speakers, which wirelessly sync to an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or PC. They tend to be small enough to fit just about anywhere and have battery power so they’re portable enough to tote around with you as well as being discrete around the house.

Portable Bluetooth speaker sets range widely in price due to their features and quality, but here are a few popular choices for different budgets:

• Cambridge Soundworks OontZ Angle 3 – $30
• Anker Premium A3143 Speakers – $60
• Bose Soundlink Speaker II – $130
• Bose Soundlink Mini – $190
• RIVA TURBO RTX01B Premium Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – $300

Amazon Echo Dot – $50

The Amazon Echo Dot is a wildly popular little hands-free voice controlled device that receives commands to perform tons of different actions, and uses Amazon Alexa to speak and report back to you.

You can get the time, weather, news headlines read to you, play music or the radio, request rides from Uber or Left, order pizza, order directly from Amazon, and so much more through compatible third party functions.

It’s kind of like Siri, except it’s generally considered to be more accurate, more responsive, connected directly to Amazon, and it’s a separate little device that can be anywhere in your house, ready for you to talk to it. Nearly everyone with an Amazon Echo loves it, so these are sure to be a popular gift, particularly if you’re buying for someone who has an Amazon Prime account.

Smart Plug – $40 and up

Smart Plugs are wi-fi connected power plugs that can be remotely controlled through iOS apps or virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. Essentially this means you can control a power outlet through your iPhone from just about anywhere, but they also serve regular timing functions like turning on a light at a designated time.

There are tons of options available on Amazon with a myriad of features, but two popular choices are the the KooGeek, which works with Siri and Apple Homekit, while the WeMo works with iPhone and iPad through an app, and with Amazon Alexa.

Discounted Gift Cards

Amazon is selling mailable gift cards at 20% discount for many popular stores, retailers, and restaurants. How can you beat that? Sometimes giving the gift of choice is the best way to go, particularly for those who are a bit more difficult to shop.

And if you can’t think of a particular store or restaurant for someone, you can’t go wrong with the wildly versatile Amazon gift card which can come in just about any denomination, and arrive as physical card or email.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

The all new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is beautiful, fast, innovative, and would make a fantastic gift if you’re a bigger spender and want to splurge a bit. Maybe even for yourself?

• MacBook Pro 15″ with Touch Bar – $2800
• MacBook Pro 13″ with Touch Bar – $1800
• MacBook Pro 13″ without Touch Bar – $1400

Happy Holidays!