Christmas gift ideas 2022: 21 great tech gifts for every budget

(Image credit: Future)

Black Friday has come and gone now, Summer is upon us and Christmas is now less than three weeks away. If you haven’t had the chance to buy gifts for the loved ones in your life, it’s likely because you’ve been stuck for ideas, so we thought we’d lend a helping hand by pulling together a list of brilliant gift ideas for this holiday season.

We’ve included Christmas gift ideas under AU$100, under AU$300 and under AU$500 so that every budget is covered, knowing money is tight, while you’ll find a bit of everything as far as tastes are concerned too.

So if you’ve been unsure until now what to buy, here are our picks for our favourite gift options this Christmas.

GIFTS UNDER AU$100

Latest video game releases

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

The holidays are a time to unwind and to relax, and for a lot of people that means finally dusting off their game consoles to play the latest games they haven’t had a chance to boot up yet. In 2022, we didn’t quite get as many quality game options as in previous years or as many as we would have liked, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any quality options to choose from – especially from new releases in the year’s final months.

Multi-platform titles in popular franchises like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 turned in some of their best efforts in recent memory (particularly for solo campaign play), while multi-platform newcomers like Marvel: Midnight Suns have proven surprise hits worth sinking teeth into. And then there’s console exclusives like the extraordinary God of War: Ragnarök which has earned deserved acclaim. We’ve picked out a handful of our favourite recently released games below to consider putting under the Christmas tree this year or stuff stockings with, all priced from AU$79 and can occasionally be found discounted too.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | PS5, Xbox and PS4 available from JB Hi-Fi(opens in new tab), Mighty Ape and The Gamesmen
• Marvel: Midnight Suns | PS5, Xbox and PS4 available from Amazon(opens in new tab), JB Hi-Fi(opens in new tab)and The Gamesmen, PC from Fanatical(opens in new tab)
• Callisto Protocol | PS5, Xbox and PS4 available from Amazon(opens in new tab), JB Hi-Fi(opens in new tab) and The Gamesmen
• Bayonetta 3 (Nintendo Switch) | Available from Amazon(opens in new tab), JB Hi-Fi(opens in new tab) and The Gamesmen
• God of War: Ragnarök (PS5) | Available from Amazon(opens in new tab), JB Hi-Fi(opens in new tab) and The Gamesmen

Roccat Magma Membrane Switch PC Gaming Keyboard

(Image credit: Roccat)

If you’re looking to turn your desktop or laptop into a gaming powerhouse, or even looking to add some lightning-fast responsiveness to your home office setup, you’re going to want to get a high-quality gaming keyboard to add into the mix. And one of our picks for the best gaming keyboard, especially at its approachable price point, is the Roccat Magma. Using the keyboard is effortless, and its keys are so responsive thanks to the Magma’s advanced membrane plate, which turns the keys into pressure pads that can all be used simultaneously whenever necessary (a dream for high pressure gaming moments).

The ease of using this keyboard is further elevated with the presence of the detachable palm rest, a welcome addition unsighted in even many of the Magma’s more expensive competitors. And none of this is to even mention the look of this one, with 5-zone LED backlighting for every key which also offers plenty of dynamic colour options. And the Magma’s greatest asset of all is its price, punching so far above its weight in terms of price point and standing out as an excellent gift option for Christmas this year. Grab this one directly via Roccat(opens in new tab) or any reliable PC peripheral retailers.

Read our Roccat Magma gaming keyboard review

(Image credit: Razer)

As so many of us are working from home, having a microphone even moderately better than that of your laptop’s built-in one has fast become a necessity. Or maybe you have that one friend or family member who keeps insisting they’ll start a podcast or start streaming but haven’t taken the plunge. In both cases, you get a very handy answer with this Razer Seiren Mini Microphone, offering premium quality recording in a small, portable package that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

The key to the sound quality for this one is its Supercardioid pickup pattern, meaning that the pattern it uses to pick up audio is tighter and more focused. This helps eliminate potential interference from background noises while also elevating the quality of the audio. At its size, it punches well above its weight for every audio task you can think to throw at it, and it’s as low-risk a gift option as you could think of.

(Image credit: Belkin)

Our smartphones have become more and more capable as we’ve grown increasingly glued to them, yet sadly the battery life of our devices have still struggled to keep up. Having a quick, easy and (increasingly) portable solution to juice up your devices has fast become a necessity for the majority of us, which is what makes this gift option especially attractive.

Offering wireless charging for up to two devices simultaneously, support for iOS and Android phones as well as the 2nd generation Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro (plus other devices featuring QI technology), this charging pad is a swiss army knife for those pesky battery concerns. With up to 10W power, it will work at a reliable pace charging devices while taking up very little room. While it might not come in the biggest package for sliding under the Christmas tree, this one is a gift option that manages to stand out regardless.

(Image credit: JBL)

If you’re buying for someone who loves to sing in the shower, this mini Bluetooth speaker is the ideal gift. Not only is the JBL Go both waterproof and durable, its humble package also includes the signature JBL Pro Sound promising crisp audio and surprising bass particularly for its size and price – something deftly carried over here in the JBL Go 3 from the previous Go 2.

The added loop attachment also means you can easily carry it around or loop it over a faucet, wherever some quality tunes might be needed. If that weren’t enough, you can also find it in a variety of colours and even a slick camouflage, making gifting even easier.

HoMedics Handheld Physio Massage Gun

(Image credit: HoMedics)

You really don’t know what you’ve been missing in your life until you introduce yourself to a handheld massager like this one, especially if you’re a gym regular or work at a desk for hours at a time. A lot cheaper than regular appointments with a massage therapist, handheld massage guns give you the opportunity to introduce manual therapy to your muscles whenever you want.

There’s a lot of options out there as far as massage guns are concerned, with some of the best massage guns carrying a higher price and greater power than the HoMedics Handheld. But for the price point, the HoMedics Physio Massager offers great value regardless.

You’ll get three interchangeable massage heads to pair with your device which offers three levels of intensity, and it all comes with an added storage bag. Charging via USB is easy, too, so integrating it into daily life is as easy as can be – and aching muscles will be grateful for it!

Lego sets under AU$100

(Image credit: Lego)

Year after year, one constant you can rely on at Christmastime is that the gift of a Lego set will never go astray, with the brick legends maintaining an ongoing popularity at pace with their reliable output of new sets. That means that if you’re looking for great Lego options below three figures, you won’t have to worry about a shortage of options, as you’re essentially guaranteed to find something for everyone.

This year, some of the best options are sets recreating some of 2022’s hottest movie releases and some old favourites. This includes sets from the upcoming, highly anticipated Avatar sequel, sets from the recent Black Panther sequel and plenty of Disney brick favourites to choose from too. We’ve picked out some of our favourites below, but there really is no shortage of great options to choose from.

• Lego I Am Groot building set – AU$89.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Black Panther Shuri’s Sunbird building set – AU$79.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Avatar Jake & Neytiri’s First Banshee Flight building set – AU$89.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Iconic Chess Set – AU$99.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Mini Disney Haunted Mansion – AU$69.99(opens in new tab)

• Shop more Lego sets directly from Lego AU(opens in new tab)

Game Boy: The Box Art Collection book

(Image credit: Bitmap Books)

For the gaming fan in your life, UK publisher Bitmap Books might have you covered for the most brilliant and unexpectedly ideal Christmas gift. A good coffee table book can accomplish a lot to capture both the eye and the attention, and Bitmap specialises in some of the absolute best, collecting art and exhaustive facts from video game history. Highlights of their catalogue include The Games That Weren’t – a mammoth 644-page history of games and game ideas that never quite made their way to consumers – and history books covering the likes of the JRPG, FPS and CRPG genres.

But for pure nostalgic value, our pick is this 372-page hardback showcasing the history and art of some of the Nintendo Game Boy’s most iconic (and obscure) game titles. The design on this one is absolutely top notch, from the textured hardback cover to the lithograph prints cover to cover within, when you’re holding this one you can literally feel the quality.

(Image credit: Eve)

Okay, we know that a smart plug doesn’t sound all that exciting as a Christmas gift, but hear us out. Anyone can make use of these simple-to-use gadgets, and the Eve Energy smart plug is pretty affordable with an RRP of AU$69 (or AU$119 for a pack of two).

The Eve Energy gets its name because it can monitor your energy usage, tracking kilowatts per hour used and monetary cost of the device to which it’s connected. We think that’s incredibly helpful for someone wanting to keep an eye on energy consumption, and potentially lower the cost of your power bills. Of course, it still has the standard smart plug function of controlling the device it’s connected to.

It’s a HomeKit-enabled smart plug, so if the person you’re buying for is already embedded in Apple’s ecosystem, then it’ll fit in seamlessly. Just note that it doesn’t come with support for Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Instead of Wi-Fi, the Eve Energy plug uses Thread smart home tech to connect to the internet, meaning it’s more stable and reliable.

Read our Eve Energy smart plug review

GIFTS UNDER AU$300

Therabody SmartGoggles

(Image credit: Therabody)

In today’s modern world, the vast majority of us spend so much of our day in front of screens, exposing our eyes to considerable strain. Excessive eye strain can lead to headaches, anxiety and troubles sleeping, any combination of which can ignite a vicious downward spiral that impacts our overall health. These SmartGoggles as a gift option ook to address these issues.

Coming to us from the makers of the most popular massage gun (we’re talking Theragun here), Therabody’s SmartGoggles uses the company’s proprietary SmartSense technology that’s designed to help lower rapid heart rates and moderate mood. There’s vibrations, massage and heat functions here that offer further opportunities to relieve tensions and address eye strain. Overall it helps improve sleep which, in turn will help give your general wellbeing an uptick. That’s quite a thing to offer someone in the form a gift, making this one a perfect option to consider this Christmas.

While we haven’t tried the Therabody SmartGoggles ourselves, our colleagues at sister site Tom’s Guide(opens in new tab) are well and truly sold on it, and chances are whoever is lucky enough to find these SmartGoggles under their Christmas tree will be too.

Apple TV 4K (2021)

(Image credit: Future)

The beauty of a streaming device like the Apple TV boils down to one word – options. These options extend beyond even the growing number of streaming services you can access at the push of a button, letting you stream music and podcasts, as well as (and maybe best of all) bringing Blockbuster back to your living rooms. Okay, maybe not quite Blockbuster, but essentially the next best thing in allowing you to rent (or buy) films via iTunes to watch via your Apple TV.

This 3rd-gen Apple TV sees some welcome updates to the already capable streaming box, adding an A12 Bionic processor to the mix to make navigating your Apple TV lightning quick. This 2022 update to the Apple TV also makes it both smaller and more affordable, even as it boasts the updates to its overall performance. All of this makes the Apple TV a very handy and welcome addition to anyone’s living room, but its best quality remains those options we mentioned earlier. You’ll find a lot to like adding this to your home theatre set up – and so will anybody lucky enough to have this one gifted to them by Santa this Christmas.

Read our Apple TV 4K (2021) review

• Available from: Apple(opens in new tab), JB Hi-Fi(opens in new tab) and The Good Guys

Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)

(Image credit: Google)

The second generation Google Nest Hub is a pretty handy addition to any aspiring smart home. That’s especially true for anybody not keen on wearing a watch to bed but still looking to get some idea of how their sleep quality is tracking, something the second-gen Nest Hub can assist with.

With the addition of Soli radar technology to this generation of the device, the second-gen smart display becomes capable of tracking the slightest movements, which includes the rise and fall of your chest or tossing and turning as you’re sleeping in order to determine how well (or how badly) you’re sleeping.

You also get all the usual features of a smart display, too, including a digital clock or photo frame display and options to stream movies, music or whatever your heart desires. That’s a lot for such a low price, so this one’s quite a solid gift option based on value alone. While it has an RRP of AU$149, we’ve occasionally seen it drop to AU$139 or less.

Read our Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) review

Lego sets under AU$300

(Image credit: Lego)

If your Christmas list includes a big kid at heart, there might be no better gift option than one of the many Lego sets to choose from at a slightly higher price than the more basic options. These sets manage to stand out by packing a ton of value into the box, offering an engaging build and resulting in a set readymade for display on a mantle or shelf.

This price range is also where you’ll find sets from Lego’s brilliant Ideas range, which turns ideas from Lego’s loyal fans into reality, resulting in some of the best sets from all corners of the world and pop culture. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Sesame Street and to the newly released building set depicting hit TV series The Office, there’s a lot of value and fun to be found in Lego of this price range. See five of our favourites below, but know that there’s plenty more where these come from.

• Lego Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone building set – AU$129.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Ideas The Office building set – AU$179.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Ideas Sesame Street building set – AU$199.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Star Wars Mandalorian Razor Crest building set – AU$199.99(opens in new tab)
• Lego Avatar Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls building set – AU$249.99(opens in new tab)

• Shop more Lego sets directly from Lego AU(opens in new tab)

Wacom One by Wacom (Medium)

(Image credit: Wacom)

Unless you’re buying for a professional graphic designer, the best gift you can give the creatively curious – or anybody wondering about dipping their toes in (or back in) to drawing for fun – would have to be this subtle but capable digital drawing pad. Connecting this Wacom One pad to a Mac, PC or Chromebook instantly introduces someone’s artistic endeavours to a digital future. Sketching, drawing, editing photos – it’s all possible here with the flick of a pen.

More advanced creative pads might add built-in screens and some scattered performance boosts to the mix, but will come at a much higher price, and for what the Wacom One offers you can be confident anybody but those with the most demanding creative needs will be satisfied. The ergonomic, pressure-sensitive pen packaged alongside the Wacom One is responsive and a breeze to use, and also doesn’t need batteries which helps keep future costs down.

The room to move with the Wacom One’s Medium sized pad is also generous, offering real estate of 21.6 x 13.5cm to make pairing with screens of any size completely seamless. Save the trees, gift a Wacom – hey, that’s not a bad slogan!

(Image credit: Future)

As mentioned earlier in this list with the Razer Seiren Microphone, many of us now increasingly working from home means having the tech to elevate Zoom calls effectively is important. Professional quality video conferencing, like the audio involved, requires a little more than what your laptop can generally give you. That’s where this quality Razer Kiyo Ring webcam comes in handy, offering HD-quality video while also featuring a lighting array to deliver premium, adjustable lighting.

As good as the Razer Kiyo Ring is for video conferencing, chances are it’s an even greater gift option for anyone who has ever considered streaming or filming their own video for Youtube and the like. Capable of capturing video with 720p resolution at 60fps, it offers reliably dynamic capture quality that can be further elevated to levels of 1080p resolution at 30fps.

Amazon Kindle (2022)

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Since we’re on the topic of saving trees, it’s well worth mentioning the Amazon Kindle in this conversation. Sure, there’s a lot of joy to be had in holding a newly purchased book, cracking it open to smell that new book smell and seeing it proudly displayed on a bookshelf. But books take up a lot of space, aren’t always especially cheap and let’s face it – not every book you read is going to be worth keeping around. Plus, there’s the question of sustainability.

Let’s start there with the Kindle, a device manufactured using 30-75% recycled plastics and 90% recycled magnesium, while also offering the chance to save on wasting excess paper with unnecessary paperback purchases. You’ll also find it offers a whopping 16GB of storage beneath the 6-inch high resolution display, which is room enough for a lot of new books.

Seamless pairing with Amazon eBook purchases and the added option of subscribing to Kindle Unlimited(opens in new tab) (essentially a Netflix for books) on top of everything else make the Kindle a no-brainer. If you have a hoarder in your life, get them to make a start on kicking the habit with a Kindle this Christmas.

Read our Amazon Kindle (2022) review

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth board game

(Image credit: Fantasy Flight Games)

Tabletop games of all descriptions saw a (predictable) surge in popularity in 2020-21, as pandemic lockdowns forced everyone inside and limited their options for ways to pass the time. That surge saw the global board games market reach a valuation as high as US$13.75 billion in 2021, with predictionsthat it will only climb further to hit US$30 billion by 2028. With no shortage of great tabletop games to choose from, it looks a lot like this is one pandemic trend not going anywhere anytime soon. So for Christmas this year, why not consider combining the joy of board games with the hype of one of 2022’s hottest streaming releases?

ICYMI, we described Amazon Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power as “a magnificently magical and mystical return to Middle-earth” following its highly anticipated launch in September. And whoever you’re shopping for this Christmas doesn’t have to wait until we get a second season to continue their adventures in Middle-earth. Playable for 1-5 players, The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth gives players a chance to experience Tolkien’s fantasy world for themselves in this tabletop adventure. Combining with a free companion app, players take the role of a Middle-earth inhabitant in various segments of a broad campaign with a diverse variety of experiences on offer. Inside the box for this one you’ll find 315 cards featuring a lot of familiar names and faces, 2 double-sided battle maps, 31 finely detailed miniatures and a whole lot more to fuel hours and hours of play.

Consider that there are also a handful of expansions to find and combine with this base game and you’re looking at a Christmas gift with the potential of giving long after the tree comes down and you’ve digested all that pudding. There are a lot of truly brilliant tabletop games to be found out there, but few offer the longevity and variety on offer here – even before taking this one’s place in The Lord of the Rings universe into account.

GIFTS UNDER AU$500

Xbox Series S

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Stock for the PS5 has thankfully increased in recent months and the Nintendo Switch is as popular as ever, but if you or whoever you’re buying for haven’t been able to get your hands on a next-gen console yet because of either price or availability – this one’s for you. Sure, the Xbox Series S might not be Microsoft’s most premium next-gen console – that being the bigger, more powerful and more expensive Xbox Series X – but it does more than enough to hold its own. In fact, unless you’re looking to buy for someone who is the most avid gamer with a high-end premium television to play games on, it’s highly likely whoever gets their hands on the Series S won’t feel a difference.

But while the Series S as a next-gen console offers superior value to its bigger brother in terms of price, both boast superior value to their competitor in the PS5 (for now) because of one thing – Game Pass. Adding an Xbox Game Pass subscription to a next-gen Xbox console will not only grant immediate access to a catalogue of quality games both new and old, it will also put gamers on the ground floor from day one for some of the most highly anticipated games coming out in the near future. Champion developer Bethesda’s first new original title in a quarter of a decade? Yep. Spooky-looking vampire RPG Redfall? Also yep. Intriguing souls-like Wo-Long: Fallen Dynasty, set in a Dark Fantasy reimagining of historic China? You betcha!

In the area of ‘gift that keeps on giving’, you’ll simply struggle to find a better option than the Xbox Series S.

Read our Xbox Series S review

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Make no bones about it, the latest noise-cancelling earbuds from Bose impressed us in a big, big way when we got our hands on them. So much so, in fact, we described them as being “arguably the best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds you can get”. That’s thanks to some of the very best active noise-cancelling features here at zero expense to overall sound quality, which itself has made exceptional improvements over the first generation of these buds to stand out among all competitors. As we wrote in our review, “the soundstage is beautifully balanced and you can pick up an exceedingly high amount of detail that wasn’t possible in the older buds”.

All of this power and quality comes in a package that is lighter, smaller and overall more comfortable than the first generation QuietComfort Earbuds and the vast majority of other noise-cancelling wireless earbuds on the market. Every now and then a product comes along at a premium price which ultimately falls short of offering the kind of quality to justify that price – these outstanding earbuds achieve the opposite. Gift these to a lucky someone in your life this Christmas and watch them joyfully sink into an audio revolution.

Read our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review

(Image credit: Instant)

Not the cheapest or the most expensive, but an excellent choice nonetheless. An air fryer like this one is already a huge asset for the time poor particularly, offering a chance to get cooking on healthier meal options without the arduous process of needing to check and recheck your meal every few minutes. The Instant Pot Vortex Plus(opens in new tab) stands out among air fryers largely thanks to what it does to make cooking with an air fryer even easier than it already is.

Thanks to the ClearCook window, the Vortex Plus makes keeping track of how a meal is cooking even simpler, and also grants a gluttony of cooking options beyond just air-frying – including roasting, baking, grilling, reheating and dehydrating. Essentially, what this handy appliance offers amounts to being a kind of swiss army knife for the kitchen, with more to enjoy than just tasty, lower calorie meals particularly for the time poor.

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

(Image credit: GoPro)

In case you missed it, travel plans are back in a big way following Covid disruptions to both domestic and international travel in both 2020 and 2021. The impact of lockdowns and forced delays to travel hopes and aspirations means a heck of a lot of people are looking for the next best opportunity to get out, explore the world and make new memories. And in order to get the best out of these new memories, being armed with the best possible equipment to capture them is a major necessity. Sure, our smartphones have plenty of photographic power, but there’s any number of travel scenarios where waving one around isn’t the best idea.

The newly released GoPro Hero 11 Mini doesn’t share that problem, and solves all the needs one might have for best capturing their travel memories. Capable of shooting stunning 5.3K60 + 2.7K240 video, the larger image sensor than previous models allows for a generous field of view. There isn’t a whole lot the GoPro Hero 11 Mini won’t be able to capture with the same Emmy-award winning quality now expected from GoPro’s action cams. And by pairing this one with a GoPro subscription, it can be had for less than AU$500. That subscription is no slouch either, granting access to unlimited cloud backup and auto uploads, plus unlimited use of GoPro’s Quik app allowing editing of videos on the fly. As with a lot of the other gift suggestions included above, the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini meets elite gift status by being the kind of gift to keep on giving year round.

• Available from: GoPro

Source: Techradar