This year, the tech gifts you should buy for people in your life – in no particular order
There are no rules. If you want to celebrate the physicality of paper while also improving the digital well-being of someone you love, why not invest in a high-quality, durable notebook? I have spent many an afternoon joylessly scrubbing the soybean notes scribbled on my friends’ scrapbooking (oh my God, this will be the black-hole effect you’re working towards).
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
Amazon Echo Dot
A partnership between Amazon and Google, the Echo Dot (£30) plays nicely with an array of other smart-home gadgets (Ableton, SmartThings), from energy management to security. In short, it’s a fantastic device for a tiny price. The Dot is also easy to replace, comes with four months’ free listening and connects to the equivalent of five Google Assistant smart-home devices for free.
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
BlackBook Messenger Box
For any paper-obsessed friends or family members with an inconvenient work-away-from-home lifestyle – or for yourself if your partner has urged you to leave the rat race forever – BlackBook Messenger Box (£50) provides everything they’ll need to write and type up for free. The compact, portable unit comes with a separate label maker and compact, flat, wired and rechargeable printing facilities; it is designed for typical four-day weekends and will easily squeeze into a car boot for long car journeys.
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
Guardian Christmas shoppable advent calendar Photograph: Guardian
Guardian Christmas shoppable advent calendar
Perfect for those living in fear of being ignored for an entire week, why not stockpile everything from the Guardian? The world needs a little Guardianiness – and it’s now available in a festive shape. Books are priced at £1, CDs are £1, The Guardian Christmas advert is £1 and Guardian Unlimited the one – and for £10 you also get three Guardian Legend gifts and dozens of money-off codes. Includes: Guardian Legend Promo Codes for Marmite, whisky, curry, gin, and beauty brands as well as first and second editions of all Guardian Classic novels.
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
Sunblazer hooded suit, from £120, hm.com
I’ve spent the past few years fighting an uphill battle against the Winter cold, but I’ve finally embraced the sun shade. Despite its recent rebrand from Prada, the Sunblazer (£120) is a classic British blazer – and it does seem to have won the war against the black weather hats most people default to. Made from velvet, the Sunblazer is sleeveless and has enough stretch for any occasion and is available in either navy blue or hot red, as well as a multi-colour palette. If you want a bag, it’s got an interior pocket that can fit a laptop, phone, papers and other essentials.
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
Coolest Cooler – UK-manufactured
Let’s just say I don’t give a damn about it keeping my dog cool while you’re making dinner at the weekend. I particularly don’t care for the “world’s smartest cooler” branding on the underside. But my parents know, they always bring the Coolest Cooler to Britain. This two-door, waterproof cylindrical cooler (£349.99, coolestcooler.com) is as smart as it looks. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and has enough storage to freeze a small house, and stores up to six bottles of cold drinks within its compartments. There’s enough capacity for a picnic, too. It’s available in raspberry, and you can wash up, don’t worry.
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
Schubert’s Vintage Ginger Beer Set
A must-have for anyone who’s much further north than me, Schubert’s Vintage Ginger Beer Set (£13.90, uk.schubert.com) includes a vintage-style mug, bottle opener, tumbler and scale, as well as a tin of the bone-ish liquor. The product is made in Belgium. Don’t even bother with the Great British Ginger Beer.
• BEST TECH GIFTS THAT ARE NOT GADGETS
Fossil Q Wander smart