Need inspiration for Christmas? In the first of a two-part gift guide, we give you some ideas for budgets of €500 and under.
Under €50
Bluetooth tags
Bluetooth tags may be a practical present, but they are often appreciated. Attach them to your keys, put them inside your wallet, stick it to the back of the remote – whatever you want to keep track of. You can see their location – or at least their last known location – in the accompanying app.
The big name here is Tile, which has a number of different tags available. The Tile Pro (€35) has a 122m (400ft) range, a one-year battery life and is water resistant, so a puddle won’t be the end of it. Not only can you use it to find your lost keys, but if you have the tag and have lost your phone, pressing the tag will trigger an alert of your smartphone.
For iPhone users, Apple's AirTag (€35) can also be personalised for free when bought through Apple's website. The advantage of the Apple devices is that they can use the "Find My" network that all Apple devices are linked into. That is a big network of people who can potentially find your lost device, plus the tag can be read by any near-field communication (NFC)-enabled phone to reveal your contact details. Like the Tile, the battery is replaceable.
ONESONIC HD1 earbuds
Affordable earbuds that don't feel – or sound – cheap, the ONESONIC buds have another thing going for them: they are made by an Irish company. Open fit and lightweight, the earbuds have a small notch taken out of the stem on each so they sit more closely against your ear. You get touch controls for changing tracks and volume, and accessing the digital assistant on your phone. Battery-wise, you get about four hours of listening time out of the buds on a single charge, with the charging case extending that to almost a day.
Ring lights
Most of us could do with a bit of extra help when it comes to lighting our selfies, video calls and Instagram Reels. But unless you are a dedicated Instagram influencer or professional model, there's probably a limit on how much you are willing to invest in that. There are a few lower-cost options, such as the Glam Doll Selfie Ring Light (€20), which will clip to your phone and provide different levels and shades of white light. It's rechargeable too.
Another option is the You Star Content Creator Dimmable Ring Light (€30) , a 26cm ring light with three light modes and 10 brightness levels. It needs a power source, which makes it a bit less portable, although you can use a USB power bank if needed.
Under €100
Ambr Eyewear
Blue light glasses have become a thing in recent years as we become increasingly aware of the impact of blue light from the numerous screens we sit in front of all day. Ambr is an Irish eyewear company that offers glasses (from €55) that will cut some of the glare from your computer screen without standing out too much as specific blue light glasses. They can also have prescription lenses added for an additional fee.
Streaming sticks
Google's most recent version of its Chromecast (€70) is, unsurprisingly, its most useful. Sure, you can get a cheaper version. But the newest version is not dependent on your phone, with the Google TV platform built in so you can log into all your favourite services and access them on your TV using the included remote control.
Another option is the Roku Streaming Stick 4K (€60) or the Now version, which allows you to sign up for passes for Sky’s entertainment, cinema or sports packages by the month. The Now smart stick usually costs about €40-€50 with different passes included, but is currently on offer for as low as €15.
JLab Jbuds Frames
The new trend seems to be to built-in speakers to sunglasses or glasses frames, so your music goes with you. But what if you already own several pairs of glasses and don't want to buy a specific set? Or switch between sunglasses and prescription ones? The JLab Jbuds Frames (€60) can clip on to any pair of glasses, giving you on-frame speakers.
HoMedics UV sanitiser bag
Have you ever thought about how dirty your smartphone is? Think about where it goes and how you handle it. You wash your hands and use enough sanitiser on them to make it unsafe to be around a naked flame, but your phone? It rarely gets a look in. The HoMedics UV sanitiser bag (€80) will hold larger items, and is designed for sanitising everything from your phone and earbuds to glasses, keys and even remote controls.
Smart speakers
If you are interested in adding a digital assistant to your home, there are a number of options that are competitively priced. While the Amazon Echo Flex (€12) brings voice control via Alexa to corners of your home where you don't need a full speaker, the Amazon Echo Dot (€60) comes with the same home controls but adds better audio. If your intended recipient is more of a Google house, the Google Nest Mini (€59) provides powerful sound for its size, and is slightly cheaper (and more compact) than the Nest Audio (€99). Apple users can go for the HomePod Mini, which brings home control for HomeKit-compatible products, Siri on the device and access to your Apple Music account.
Under €250
IKEA Symfonisk
If you prefer your home audio to blend in a little more, the IKEA Symfonisk (€179) picture frame is a good bet. It's not really a frame as such; it's more like wall art, with a built-in speaker. You can swap the coverings depending on your tastes, but you can't put your own pictures on it. The sound is good though, and it's more aesthetically pleasing than a standard speaker.
Instax Mini Link WIDE
Fujifilm's Instax range of cameras and printers offers you a way to get your photos out of the digital world and bring them into the physical one. The Instax Link WIDE (€150) is the latest addition to the line-up and so far it is one of our favourites. It uses Instax's wide format film to print your photos from your smartphone or tablet, and you can use the accompanying app to create a collage or embed everything from a link to a website, a location or even a voice message into the image through a QR code.
Roadie 3
Guitar players will like the Roadie 3 (€149), an automatic tuner that you can use to get your guitar back to proper working order.
Fitbit Luxe
Fitbit is getting fancy. The newest version of the fitness tracker, Fitbit Luxe (€149), is designed to be a bit more aesthetically pleasing, with stainless steel casing, an OLED display and a range of bands that includes non-silicone ones. It does everything you'd expect, from heart-rate monitoring and sleep tracking to automatic exercise tracking. It also has a decent battery life.
Cricut Joy
Remember when we all got the crafting bug in lockdown? The Cricut Joy (€190) takes it up a notch with an easy-to-use machine that will turn your paper crafts from amateur to Etsy level. You can make everything from cards and place settings for Christmas, to faux leather hair bows and decals for your clothes, water bottles or walls. Easy to set up and get started, the Cricut Joy comes with all the software you'll need to tap into your creative streak.
Bosch Tassimo MyWay2
Pod coffee doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. The Bosch Tassimo system uses drinks in T discs, each with their own barcodes that are read by the machine to set water volume, temperature and brewing time. The MyWay 2 machine lets you customise things a little – the drink size, temperature and intensity – without unintentionally ruining your drinks. Bosch also has a recycling scheme for its pods, which allows you to post back your used pods.
Under €500
Dyson Corrale Straightener
Dyson may be known for its vacuum cleaners, but it has also been working on a line of haircare products in recent years. The Dyson Corrale Straightener (€450) is the latest in the line-up. The hair straightener has manganese copper alloy that flex to the shape of your hair. The end result is great results with less heat, regardless of whether you are trying to smooth out your hair or add curls. It also has a rechargeable battery to allow you to take it out with you for emergency touch-ups. It may be expensive but it works.
Véritable Smart Garden Connect
The idea of a windowsill herb garden is nice; the reality is often a little less idyllic. If your thumbs aren't quite green and you have an impressive record with killing off basil (who doesn't?), the Véritable Smart Garden Connect (€249) could be the answer. It automatically adjusts the LED's intensity depending on the ambient light, to make sure your plants get the perfect amount of light. The system also provides water and nutrients, so you don't have to.
Smartwatches
For the Apple user, the new Series 7 (from €429) is a no-brainer. A brighter, bigger screen, plus all the features of the Series 6, including blood oxygen, heart rate and sleep. If it's a little out of your price range though, the Watch SE (€299) removes some of the more high-end features and cuts the price to a more palatable one. You can still access Apple Fitness workouts through the SE, once you are a subscriber to the service.
It’s not all about Apple, though. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 (€219) is the newest addition to the company’s wearables, offering you the ability to track your blood pressure and measure body composition, tracking your body fat percentage, skeletal muscle, body water and so on. You can also track sleep and your sports activities.
Another sports-focused option is the Garmin Venu 2 (€330), which includes some advanced health and fitness features so you can keep an eye on your energy levels. There are more than 25 built-in sports, including walking, running, cycling, swimming, golf and animated workouts for you to follow. It also has up to 11 days of battery.
