It’s that time of the year again when every newspaper and magazine feature starts with the line, “It’s that time of the year again”. When you read them, you feel an instant tinge of guilt because you haven’t yet put up the tree, ordered the turkey, booked the Santa experience or sorted out your tablescaping. And of course you haven’t even thought of what presents to buy. You’ve got so many people to buy for, and they’ve all got different tastes, interests and needs – how can you possibly pick out the right gift for everyone? Here’s a simple solution: buy tech. A good gadget makes a perfect stocking-filler (unless it’s a giant OLED TV, in which case you’ll need a bigger stocking) and the recipient might even find it useful. And the great thing about buying gadgets is that they’re bound to be out of date by summer, so next Christmas all you have to do is get out your present list from last year, and buy the upgraded versions.
For himself
The Lawn Mower 4.0 (€89.99)
Trying to pick a pressie for the man in your life is not always easy. Buying him DIY equipment might imply that you only have him in the house so he can fix things (which is true, but you don't want him to know that). Buying him audio equipment so he can play his Radiohead LPs is fraught with peril – you might get sucked down a rabbit-hole of audiophile jargon and end up buying the wrong-spec turntable or an amp that's incompatible with the speakers. Easiest option? Get him the Lawn Mower – no, not the big yoke you push around the front garden, we're talking about the Lawn Mower 4.0 personal grooming kit by Manscaped, which is designed to keep his downstairs region looking neat and tidy, and keep his family jewels polished and clean. Manscaped is a Californian company run by a father and son that's managed to grab the male personal grooming market by the short and curlies with a massive, clever ad campaign replete with horticultural-based euphemisms for pubic hair. Their personal grooming kits use ceramic blades set back 3mm from the edge and treated with SkinSafe technology to minimise the chance of nasty nicks and give you maximum confidence as you groom. According to the company, 85 per cent of partners prefer a man who keeps his bits well groomed, so get him the full Performance Package 4.0, featuring Lawn Mower, Weed Whacker (for ears and nose), Reviver ball toner and Preserver ball deodorant. Manscaped has also partnered with a top testicular cancer charity to raise awareness about the most common form of cancer in men aged 15-35. eu.manscaped.com
For herself
Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer (€399.99)
Many men fall into the same trap when buying tech for their better half – they pick something they'd secretly like to own themselves, in the hope that she'll give up trying to work out how to use it, and just let you take charge of it. Really, if she wanted a drone, she'd ask for one. Get her something for her and her alone, such as Dyson's Supersonic Hairdryer, pretty much the last word in hair grooming tech. Unless you've got a barnet like Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, she'll know you're not secretly planning to purloin it for yourself. The Special Edition dryer comes in Prussian blue and rich copper, with its own Dyson-designed case, and uses Dyson's Air Multiplier technology for faster drying. And there's no overheating, so no potential damage to your delicate tresses. It comes with diffuser attachment for great curls, and a new Flyaway attachment which utilises the Coanda effect to smooth out flyaway hair. dyson.ie
For the teenage boy
Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds (€239)
Has your teenage son become sullen and sulky due to locking himself in his bedroom for hours on end and only communicating with you through a series of grunts, shrugs and monosyllables? He may be annoyed at you because you haven't yet bought him a pair of Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds, which many tech reviews say are the best noise-cancelling earbuds you can get. Noise-cancelling is particularly crucial when it comes to teenage boys, because they'll want to shut out the stupid world – and filter out dad's irritating voice asking him to empty the dishwasher. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are comfy, easy to carry around and easy to use via the accompanying app. There might be cheaper earbuds on the shelves, but few can beat the combination of top-notch sound quality, effective noise cancelling and reliable battery life on offer here. They won't make him any less sullen, but they'll certainly make his bedroom lock-ins more comfortable. currys.ie
For the teenage girl
Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone (€929)
There's only two things that can make the teen queen in your life grateful: money or a smartphone. All else is peripheral. Don't even think about buying her clothes – even if by some huge fluke you got her something cool, she couldn't possibly wear something bought for her by – ugh! – a parent. So a smartphone it is, but don't fob her off with last year's model. The top-rated smartphone at the moment is the Samsung Galaxy S21, which came out earlier in the year but, for many, still holds its own against the more recently released Apple iPhone 13 series. She'll like the Phantom colour range of the phone, which includes Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Pink, and she'll definitely like the cinematic quality of the 8k video function and the hi-res camera that will make her Instagram come alive in colour and detail. There are also some amazing video-editing functions that will have followers flocking to her social media, including Single Take video editor that allows you to cut, paste, slow down and stabilise content and upload it straight to Instagram. samsung.com
For the preteens
Nintendo Switch (€299)
You've solved the problem of how to keep the preteens from getting bored at home – stick them in front of a video game console. What you haven't worked out is how to keep them occupied while on the go. Do you buy a whole new game system to carry with you on holidays and weekend trips? No, you don't. You simply get the Nintendo Switch, designed to go wherever you go, easily transforming from a home console to a portable gaming system and back again as the need arises. And believe me, the need will arise. The new Switch has an upgraded battery life, giving you up to nine hours of peace on long journeys, and its two wireless Joy-Con controllers with motion sensing and tactile feedback means your kid can share the gaming fun while on a playdate. currys.ie
For granny
Fitbit Charge 5 (€179.99)
It's the usual problem – granny has just got back from her morning run, but she's quite forgotten if she did 5k or 10k – and in how many minutes. It's not old age – she was just so in the zone she lost track. What she needs is a good fitness tracker so she can know exactly where she's at and what she still has to do to reach those fitness goals. The Fitbit Charge 5 is the company's most advanced tracker and features such on-wrist tools as and ECG app to monitor your heart health and an EDA San app to manage your stress levels. It's got a vibrant display that's twice as bright as the previous Fitbit model, and an Active Zone Minutes feature to help you ramp up the intensity to reach your ideal heart rate zone. The sleep tracking will help gran get the most out of her shuteye, and smart notifications will help her keep track of calls, emails, texts and WhatsApps.
For grandad
Sonos Roam (€199)
You love your aul' grandad – in fact he's kinda cool in a grizzled sort of way. But when he starts banging on about how music was much better back in his day, and then begins reeling off names of obscure bands from olden times – Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer – that's when you tend to switch off. With no one willing to sit through the torture of Tales from Topogaphic Oceans, the only chance grandad gets to listen to his favourite concept albums is while tinkering with his vintage amps in the garage or tending to his strange, exotic plants in the greenhouse. The Sonos Roam is designed for easy portability, and though small, defies all expectations with its clarity and depth. And wherever you set it up, it automatically adjusts to the acoustics using its Trueplay tuning technology. And with a good 10 hours of battery life, it'll easily keep its chargers through all those triple albums and boxsets. sonos.ie
