These Are the Winners of Lifehacker’s 2026 Gift of the Year Award.
Perhaps this year your spouse will finally want to ditch paper books and switch to e-readers; or maybe you want to help make your parents’ home a little smarter. Ahead of gift-giving season, Lifehacker’s team of tech experts and reviewers has selected the Gift of the Year winners across 15 categories. From smartphones, tablets, and e-readers to fitness trackers, gaming equipment, power tools, and more, here are the items we think will make the best gifts in 2026.
Best Smartphone Gift of the Year: iPhone 17e
If you’re buying a smartphone for someone on your gift list, you have no shortage of options. But for most gift recipients , the iPhone 17e is the best choice. It’s not the best iPhone, but that’s the point. For a starting price of $699, you get an iPhone with a high-quality display, a reliable single rear camera, and the Apple A19 chip, the company’s second-fastest processor at the moment. You sacrifice some features, like a high-refresh rate display, better cameras, and a faster USB-C port, but for most, these won’t matter. Most of us want an iPhone that can take great photos, send iMessages, receive FaceTime calls, and run our favorite apps. The 17e can do all of that without the exorbitant price tags of Apple’s more premium iPhones. If your gift recipient wants an Android phone, that’s a different story, but for Apple fans or anyone who isn’t tied to a specific platform, the 17e makes a great smartphone gift.
Best Tablet Gift of the Year: iPad (A16)
Apple’s best iPad for most people is the one simply called ” iPad .” Sometimes referred to as the “iPad A16” or “iPad (11th generation),” this tablet has all the features you’d expect from an Apple tablet. It has a solid 11-inch display, an Apple A16 chip for running iPadOS 27, a rear-facing camera for scanning documents and taking easy photos, a front-facing camera for video calls, and the ability to use an Apple Pencil if you want. It’s compatible with all apps in the App Store and can run almost all iPadOS features Apple creates—with the exception of Apple Intelligence, but that may be a plus for some. While it’s far from Apple’s best iPad, it’s truly the best for most people—which is why we chose it as the best gift tablet.
Best e-reader gift of the year: Xteink X4 Pro
Our pick for the most coveted gift for readers this year isn’t one of Amazon’s sleek new Kindles , but a tiny 4.3-inch, Chinese-made device capable of cramming hundreds of books into a device not much larger than your library card. The Xteink X4 Pro may have a funny name and a form factor that resembles an e-reader that’s been in the dryer for too long, but it’s packed with features, including a touchscreen and temperature-adjustable backlight, that belie its $99 price tag (that’s $50 less than the cheapest Kindle). Sure, it’ll take some getting used to (the custom firmware is decent, but it’s easily replaceable with alternatives developed by the online fan community), and it won’t work with your existing Kindle library . But once you set it up, you’ll realize its main advantage: it’s small enough to fit in any pocket—or even magnetically attach to the back of your phone—so you can easily carry it with you everywhere and read instead of scrolling through your news feed. After all, the best e-reader is the one you actually use.
The best headphone gift of the year: Sony ULT WEAR wireless headphones.
Choosing headphones can be a daunting task. Some value long battery life, while others are simply looking for a model with the most features. Ultimately, it’s price that separates the best headphones from the rest. However, there’s one exceptional option that offers excellent value and is good enough in most categories to make most people feel like upgrading their headphones: the Sony ULT WEAR headphones . At their new low price, no other headphones offer better active noise cancellation, app ease, comfort, battery life, and sound quality with LDAC support for Android devices. Not to mention the ULT button, which offers two levels of bass boost that will have your head bouncing like you’re in the front row at a concert.
Best Smartwatch Gift of the Year: Apple Watch SE 3
If you’re looking to buy a smartwatch for someone close to you and know they don’t have a clear preference, the Apple Watch SE is likely the best choice. It may not be Apple’s most powerful smartwatch, nor does it have the largest or brightest display, but it does almost everything you’d expect from an Apple Watch. It notifies you from your iPhone, tracks workouts and sleep, and lets you send and receive text messages. It features the previous-generation S10 chip, which is perfectly adequate for watchOS (including Apple Intelligence), and Apple should support it for years to come. You can spend more on a feature-rich watch like the Series 12 or Ultra 4, but for most, the SE is all you’ll ever need from an Apple Watch. And if your gift recipient wants cellular connectivity, the SE can connect to 5G, just like Apple’s more expensive models.
Best Smart Glasses Gift of the Year: XReal xbx a01
These relatively inexpensive glasses with a display have that “wow” factor that’s so impressive on Christmas morning: once the recipient plugs them into any USB-C device, they instantly see a virtual image equivalent to a 147-inch 1080p TV. They’re especially great for frequent travelers and students who can’t decide what to watch, but really, they’re perfect for anyone who enjoys playing games, watching movies, or using a computer. (That means almost everyone.)
The best smart home gift of the year: Amazon Echo Dot Max.
Choosing a smart home gift is no easy task. There are many different categories, and within each, you need to consider a variety of factors, such as platform compatibility, feature set, and price. That’s why I believe the Amazon Echo Dot Max is the best smart home gift of 2026. It supports a variety of smart home platforms, including Zigbee, Matter, Thread, and Alexa. Therefore, your gift recipient will likely be able to connect the Echo Dot Max to most, if not all, of their existing smart home devices, as well as any future devices they may purchase. It’s also one of Amazon’s best smart speakers: it’s not as small as the Echo Dot, so it can fill a room with sound, but it’s also not as expensive as the Echo Studio. For the price, it’s a great balance, given the versatility it offers as a smart home control hub.
Best Gaming Gift of the Year: Steam Deck
No gift will satisfy every gamer, but the Steam Deck comes close. This device erases all boundaries in the world of gaming: it’s a PC the size of a portable console that connects to a TV like a game console. On-the-go gamers will appreciate the portability and touchscreen. Console gamers will appreciate the user-friendly interface, joystick controls, and, finally, the ability to play PC-exclusive games. PC gamers will appreciate the opportunity to leave their desks and play video games on the couch or at the bus stop. The Steam Deck is a sure bet.
Best Home Entertainment Gift of the Year: Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K
You’re unlikely to buy someone a new TV for the holidays, but you can give a media lover a gadget that will make their TV even better. The Philips Hue Play Sync Box is designed to enhance viewing and gaming. It’s an intermediary between the TV and HDMI devices, such as consoles or streaming boxes, that analyzes video signals in real time and instructs connected smart LED strips (and other compatible smart lights) to match what’s displayed on the screen. This is great for creating a more immersive gaming experience and also enhances regular TV viewing by projecting colors behind the screen that complement the image. The result is the illusion of a larger screen and a very cool special effect.
Home Gym Gift of the Year: PowerBlock Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbells.
If you’re working out at home, investing in adjustable dumbbells is a no-brainer, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a “best home dumbbells” list where the PowerBlock Elite adjustable dumbbells don’t rank high. The futuristic cube design is stylish, but more importantly, it’s incredibly space-saving and compact—that’s the whole point of using adjustable dumbbells instead of a traditional weight rack. The dumbbells have flat edges, so you can hold them upright on your lap, and unlike many adjustable models, they’re compact enough to avoid hitting each other when doing overhead or overhead presses.
Best Fitness Tracker Gift of the Year: Fitbit Air
Fitness trackers come in a variety of forms, including watches, rings, and smartbands. I have my favorites in each category, but when it comes to the best fitness tracker for most people, the Fitbit Air is the clear winner. It performs all the basic functions without a subscription, including step tracking, sleep tracking, and automatic workout detection. The battery lasts a week, and the gift recipient has the option to either use the new Google Health app (which I generally like) or skip it and use a third-party app like Bevel. More importantly, it costs a fraction of the price of other trackers, making it more likely to fit into your gift budget than, say, an Oura ring.
Best Digital Gift Certificate of the Year: Personalized Mailing List.
By subscribing to Bespoke Post , you’ll receive a new gift every month, making it feel like Christmas lasts all year long. Unlike some niche gifting services, Bespoke Post allows users to customize their gift baskets: one month they might choose a nature theme, the next a collection of gourmet coffees. They can even skip a month if they don’t like what’s on offer. This is an indispensable gift subscription for anyone looking for a gift for the man who’s hard to choose.
The best power tool gift of the year: the Makita 18V LXT cordless drill and screwdriver.
Makita invented cordless drills in 1978 and has been known for producing high-quality tools ever since. The new 18-volt LXT kit improves on its predecessors with extended runtime, improved motor control, reduced overheating, and reduced dust and particle production. The drill is approximately 70% more powerful than previous models, making it easier to drill into hard materials like pressure-treated wood, and the impact driver features a three-speed mode, allowing you to adjust power depending on the material you’re driving fasteners into. Since a drill and driver are the core of a cordless tool kit, this set, offering extended runtime and greater power, stands out from the crowd—it includes two batteries, a charger, and a tool bag.
The best kitchen appliance gift of the year: Our Place Wonder Oven.
Choosing a gift for the kitchen nook can be challenging, as our kitchens are very personal: some people know what a Dutch oven is, while others store their shoes in the oven. Regardless of who you’re gifting to, the Our Place Wonder Oven is the perfect choice. This countertop appliance combines six functions in one stylish and compact unit. If your recipient has a small kitchen, they’ll appreciate its compact size and how it replaces at least three other countertop appliances (a toaster, an air fryer, and a convection oven), freeing up space. If the person on your list is a seasoned cook or constantly busy preparing meals for the family, they’ll appreciate this appliance because it allows them to easily prepare quick, simple, and healthy meals without turning on a bulky six-burner stove or using 16 pans. It handles frying, baking, roasting, searing, grilling, and reheating with ease, and features a fantastic steam function that ensures everything comes out juicy—even those leftovers you desperately pulled out of the freezer. It also includes everything you need to get started: a wire rack, fryer basket, baking sheet, and crumb tray. And by the way, it looks absolutely gorgeous!
The best tech gift of the year under $50: the JBL Go 4 portable speaker.
Many gadgets are expensive these days, but that doesn’t mean all of them are. In fact, there are plenty of great devices you can buy for friends and family for $50 or less. Our favorite in this category is the JBL Go 4. This portable Bluetooth speaker is small but very powerful, capable of producing quite a loud sound for such a tiny device. You’ll get seven hours of playback on a single charge, plus an additional two hours with the “Playback Boost” feature enabled. The Go 4 is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, so you can take it outdoors without worrying about damaging it. If your friends have their own JBL speakers, not just the Go 4, you can connect them all together for a quick multi-channel speaker system. It’s a truly versatile device, especially considering its size and price. The JBL Go 4 makes a great Christmas gift, a gift exchange, or simply for anyone looking for a portable speaker for home or on the go.