If you've got a loved one who loves nothing more than cutting-edge stuff that pushes the boundaries of modern living, we've got good news for you: these days, that stuff is everywhere. And it's more than just the wired world of smartwatches and tablets. Innovation has bled into every corner of the retail market, from kitchenware to workout gear to, in some select cases, even your wardrobe.
To give you a taste of what we're talking about, we've rounded up 23 of the latest and greatest technologically advanced gifts on the market. If there's a tech whiz in your life—or just someone who wants everyday existence to be as seamless and easy as possible—you're sure to bring a smile to their face.
1 | Golden Fleece Laser Cut Seamless Trench by Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers$648; buy now at brooksbrothers.com
Farewell and good riddance, all ye stiff-and-structured trench coats. Hello and welcome, Golden Fleece Laser Cut Trench, from Brooks Brothers. Thanks to a highly technical construction process (that, like a crazy-cool spy flick, involves literal lasers), this coat features best-in-class comfort, functionality, and breathability. And, as you can see, it looks great, too.
2 | Professional Touchscreen Blender by Ninja
Jet$99; buy now at jet.com
Smoothies are the easiest way for most busy folks to get in their daily recommended servings of fruits and veggies. Thing is, most pedestrian blenders take way too long (and leave behind unwanted chunks). Not the Ninja. It has a sweet touchscreen with Auto-iQ presets for effortless blending, plus blades up and down the agitator for speedy, efficient shredding power.
3 | Timberline 850 Pellet Grill by Traeger
Traeger Grills$1,699.99; buy now at traegergrills.com
For some, grilling perfect steaks is consider an art that requires years of well-honed technique. For everyone else, the time to learn just doesn't exist. Enter: the electric pellet grill, which pretty much does all the hard stuff for you. And this one, from Timberline, takes the set-it-and-forget-it ease of a pellet grill up a notch with a special WiFIRE controller that lets you control smoke levels and temperatures, and set timers, too, all right from a handy smartphone app.
4 | Mavic Air Drone by DJI
DJI$799; buy now at dji.com
If you're looking for the best-possible shots (either video or photo), a pro-quality drone, like the Mavic Air, is all but mandatory. One of a handful of stellar drones from DJI, this one offers a portable design with high-end features: a 4K camera on a three-axis gimbal, a 21-minute flight time, and environmental sensors that scan in three dimensions to limit crashes.
5 | Powerstation Plus by Mophie
Mophie$79.95; buy now at mophie.com
Even though most of the latest smartphones pack all-day battery life, it's a safe bet to carry around some extra juice, whether you're heading out-and-about in the concrete jungle or the real one. The Mophie Powerstation Plus is about the size of a regular smartphone but offers enough power to charge an iPhone X for 20 hours or an iPad for 5 hours. Plus, you'll never have to fumble around for tucked-away cords: this thing comes with an integrated Lightning cable.
6 | Nebula Mars II Projector by Anker
Amazon$499; buy now at amazon.com
Nowadays, everyone and their mother has a luxurious flat-screen with a ginormous display and crystal-clear video quality. That may be projectors, which tend to broadcast a bit on the blurry side, have taken a backseat. But this powerful, portable projector from Anker bucks every trend. Thanks to so-called DLP tech, you get crisp-as-autumn video, while dual 10-watt speakers offer Dolby-level sound quality. And a four-hour battery life means you can get away with projecting in entirety pretty much every movie that isn't an extended version of a Lord of the Rings chapter.
7 | Soundlink Revolve+ Bluetooth Speaker by Bose
Jet$299; buy now at jet.com
Trust the audio experts at Bose to make a portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers deep and powerful surround sound from a deceptively small package. The Soundlink is water resistant and can last up to 16 hours on a single charge, plus has a flexible textile handle and tripod mount in the bottom, so you can schlep it wherever you roam with ease. You can even access Siri or Google Home through it.
8 | Oculus Rift
Best Buy$399.00; buy now at bestbuy.com
Imagine strapping into the captain's chair on the USS Enterprise. It's every self-proclaimed nerd's dream come true—and with the Oculus Rift, it's a dream that can actually come true. Star Trek: Bridge Crew, one of the platform's marquee titles, allows players to control a Federation vessel in full immersion. But that's not all the console offers. You'll find everything from avant garde indies (like the time-manipulating gem, Superhot) to AAA shoot-em-ups (like the most bonkers version of Doom you'll ever experience). Virtual reality may be on the brink of total market domination. But it's not there yet—and, as of now, the Rift is as good as it gets.
9 | HOVR CGR Connected Shoes by Under Armour
Under ArmourFrom $120; buy now at underarmour.com
If you've got a pair of the HOVR CGR insulated shoes on your feet, there's no need to shun frigid winter runs. They have a unique intelligent insulation that changes warming or cooling properties depending on type of activity you're doing. Plus, the shoe has a digital sensor that tracks and analyses how you run, allowing you a data-driven perspective that can help you learn how to improve and ultimately perform at your peak.
10 | Airnet Base Layers by Daehlie
Camp Saver$90; buy now at campsaver.com
These amazing and unique base layers from Daehlie are made from merino wool, but have mesh panels on the sides, stomach, and quads, to make sure you're insulated without overheating. Better yet, stretchy wool sections with elastic help make the whole garment conform to your body.
11 | BitterBlaze Gloves by Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research$135; buy now at outdoorresearch.com
Though designed for ice climbers, these burly gloves from Outdoor Research will keep your hands warm and comfy no matter your cold weather activity. The insulation is made from NASA-trusted Aerogel, which is an ultralight, porous material (it's 99 percent air) that provides the ultimate in insulating power. To top things off, a stretch-nylon shell and goat leather palms make them flexible and durable.
12 | BC EverTherm Jacket by Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer$499; buy now at eddiebauer.com
Forget everything you've ever known about down jackets. This coat, from Eddie Bauer, is loaded with uber-thin sheets of down insulation, instead of the clumpy pockets of down you may get from bulkier jackets. The result is a streamlined look that keeps you no less warm than a puffy Antarctic-worthy parka.
13 | Nordwand Flex Jacket by Mammut
Mammut$650; buy now at mammut.com
For the best in weather protection, look to what mountaineers are rocking. Case in point: this awesome jacket from Mammut, which is a technical triumph. It's windproof and waterproof and burly enough to withstand extreme alpine weather, but also includes a stretchy Gore-Tex fabric that moves in two directions, so you don't lose mobility, like you would with traditional, unyielding rain shells.
14 | Skinny Fit Jeans by Boulder Denim
Boulder Denim$148; buy now at boulderdenim.com
You can still rock some serious denim style and still remain active and comfortable in the latest blends from Boulder Denim. They're made from a special blend of stretch denim and cut for maximum movement. But the real clincher is a hydrophobic coating called Nanosphere that is sure to keep them clean and dry no matter how long they're worn. (Men's styles are also available.)
15 | Golden Fleece BrooksTech Regent Fit Gingham Shirt by Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers$225; buy now at brooksbrothers.com
Nothing anchors a guy's closet quite like a classic gingham—especially if it's tech-enhanced. For the best in class, look toward something like this from Brooks Brothers. At first glance, it may look precious. But it's constructed from a wool that's machine-washable, hyper breathable, slightly stretchy, and even anti-microbial. The mother-of-pearl buttons are just a stylish bonus.
16 | 5.8-quart Air Fryer by Crux
Crux Kitchen$99.99; buy now at cruxkitchen.com
If you've yet to hop on the latest kitchen trend of air frying (which fries food with little to no oil needed), you're doing both your arteries and waistline a disservice. This gadget will give you all the crunchy, tasty treats you love so much without the insane globs of grease and batter that doctors have been telling you to swear off for years.
17 | Travel Backpack 45L by Peak Design
Peak Design$299.95; buy now at peakdesign.com
If you want to tote around the best travel pack around—top-notch components, well-thought-out design, burly construction—look no farther than Peak Design's latest bag. It has countless storage options—pockets with access from literally all sides. But the real draw is it's flexibility. You can expand or constrict the overall volume depending on your travel needs.
18 | RW900 Rower by NordicTrack
Nordic Track$1,599; buy now at nordictrack.com
Since they were invented, oh, 2,500 or so years ago, rowing machines haven't been the focus of much innovation. This hot new model from NordicTrack bucks that trend. Replete with a stunning 22-inch HD touchscreen that streams training sessions with top trainers and displays real-time workout tracking, it also features 26 digital levels of whisper-quiet magnetic resistance along with blades to push against the air. Plus, it folds in half and has wheels in the front so you can easily tuck it away it in corner.
19 | Alpha IX Hybrid Toilet Seat by Alpha Bidet
Bide King$299; buy now at bidetking.com
You don't need us to tell you what this gizmo does. (And if you do, you shouldn't be buying it anyway.) Just know this: The features—a remote, unlimited warm water, three wash modes, adjustable spray pressure, warm air dryer, and LED lighting—are pretty astounding.
20 | Prynt Pocket
Amazon$149.99; buy now at amazon.com
Sure, the trend toward digital everything is welcome, but nothing beats an old-school instant camera. With this savvy device, you can instantly turn any iPhone into a bona fide Polaroid and print photos directly from the Camera Roll or Instagram apps—or, just take brand-new ones that will print out in 30 seconds or less.
21 | Tattico Bluetooth Mini-Pump by Silca
Silca$120; buy now at silca.cc
Everything is slowly becoming part of the Cloud—so why should a bike pump not? This unique, portable one from Silca uses Bluetooth tech so you can make sure your roadside emergency tire fills are on the money every time. It can hit up to 120psi and uses an app on your smartphone, instead of an inaccurate analog dial gauge, to ensure you always get within 0.5psi of your required pressure—a figure gear heads will surely drool over.
22 | Mirage Outback Pedal Kayak by Hobie
Hobie$2,799; buy now at hobie.com
Now that we live in the 21st century, paddling kayaks with your arms has become passé. And even though we don't (yet) have flying cars or jet packs, Hobie has given us the next best thing: a kayak with a built-in pedal drive operated by your legs, so you'll never have to inefficiently paddle again. You can nimbly move in both forward and reverse, making it effortless to creep in and out of tight spots with precision.
23 | Relay
Relay$149 for 2; buy now at relay.com
Meet the latest tech craze: the screen-free smartphone. With an insanely long battery life, GPS locating, and WiFi-enabled walkie talkie attributes, it's a great gift for parents of young kids. The company has released research, too, showing that kids who use Relays end up majorly slashing their overall screen time.
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