It's about that time of the year - for gift giving that is. Whether it's for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just the average family gathering; you won't want to arrive completely empty-handed. At least for those of you who partake in any sort of gift-giving, that is. Or if you're immediate circle is small and you just want to treat yourself & immediate family. As always, we here at TGSB got you covered. We got options for stocking stuffers all the way to bigger ticket options. Peep our picks for gift ideas depending on your budget. Dive in.
Gift Ideas Under $100
Bitmap’d Tee
We had to add this one in the mix. These tees were made for 80's & 90's gamers in mind w/ original designs based off of Super Mario Bros, Street Fighter II, Punch Out!, Sonic, Destiny, and more. Definitely a favorite of mines as I have been wearing their tees for a few years. Anyone who is or was a gamer will love their tees.
$24 Buy
Tile
This super thin Bluetooth tracker makes for a great stocking stuffer - especially for the loved ones who are always misplacing their belongs. It is small enough to place inside of your wallet, purse, pocket as well as can be attached to your laptop, tablet, notebook, etc. Thanks to this and the accompanying app, loved ones will keep up w/ their stuff.
$25 Buy
Anker PowerCore 26800 Battery Pack
Just about everyone could use some extra power in regards to keeping their devices charged while on the go. The folks over at Anker has the perfect solution w/ their PowerCore portable batteries. We picked the 26800 mAh PowerCore as you got a hell of a lot of juice but minus the bulk w/ high-speed charging.
$60 Buy
Philips OneBlade Trimmer
Philips definitely surprised the hell out of me w/ this one. The OneBlade trimmer is a wireless marvel that works in wet & dry situations. You can line up, shave, and trim down all types of facial hair. All of this in a trimmer w/ a 45-minute battery life. Ideal for the frequent travel in your life.
$35 Buy
Nintendo NES Classic Edition Console
Nintendo is on their comeback trail w/ Pokemon Go, Super Mario Run, an new high-end console, and now this. Nostalgia at its best w/ a mini version of the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES. You got HDMI support w/ 30 handpicked games built-in w/ save points. Good luck finding though at retail price, though.
$60 Buy
Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare
The 2016 take on Call Of Duty shoots us further into the future for Infinite Warfare. We got space military w/ spaceships and shootouts in zero gravity. This also brings forth laser cannons, energy rifles, auto-targeting shotguns, and more. Except this time around you're fighting against Jon Snow.
$60 Buy
Destiny Collection
After being out for over 2 years now, Destiny is even better than ever. The title has vastly improved by offering more things to do as well as weapons thanks to the 4 expansion packs. This collection gives you all 4 in one-shot w/ the original game itself like The Dark Below, The House of Wolves, The Taken King, and Rise Of Iron.
$60 Buy
Hue Lights Starter Kit
Another integral piece of getting your smart home off of the ground are smart lights - namely the Philips Hue Starter Kit. This will allow you to change brightness, different colors, and turn on/off remotely via the Hue app. You get 2 lights to start off w/ along w/ the Hub. You can add other lights or light strips later.
$70 Buy
Logitech M720 Triathlon Mouse
Logitech knows how to make mice as their latest M720 offering keeps the tradition going. The M720 Triathlon mouse offers customizable buttons, support for up to 3 devices, and scrolling options. Think of it a baby MX Master 2. With its 24-month battery life, there's no need to look any further for a new mic (unless you need a gaming one).
$70 Buy
Google Daydream View VR
Google made an interesting take on virtual reality to go along w/ their new flagship device. Super comfortable, easy to use + to adjust, as it just works. This might be one of the better inexpensive VR out on the market right now. The only problem is that you can currently only use on the Pixel/Pixel XL and the Moto Z. It's great way to get your start in VR.
$79 Buy
Samsung Smart Things Hub
If you or someone you love is looking to turn their home into a smart one, Samsung's Smart Things Hub is a great place to start. This works w/ plenty of other Smart Home smart devices like Hue lights, Leviton light switches/dimmers, Ecobee thermostat, Google Home/Amazon Echo, and much more.
$99 Buy
Gears Of War 4 Ultimate Edition
Not only is Gears 4 a perfect way to return to the franchise, the Ultimate Edition is the best way to enjoy. Whether you're a hardcore Gears 4 fan or just a casual one, this version has enough extras to justify the pricing. You get a season pass w/ a bunch of multiplayer goodies and the entire Gears game library (part 1, 2, 3, & Judgement) for the Xbox 360.
$99 Buy
Gift Ideas Under $500
Google Home
Google's 1st take on the home assistant speaker to go against Amazon's Alexa efforts. Inside you got 3 speakers, far-field mics, can work w/ several music services & smart home apps, and the power of Google Assistant to ask for calendar events, directions, Google Search, and more. It is styled to fit a bit better in your home w/ bottom shells that can be swapped out as well.
$129 Buy
Samsung Gear Fit 2
Samsung made some great improvements to their fitness-tracking smart band: the Gear Fit 2. Ideal for those of you looking to get started in fitness but want some smartwatch features along w/ it. You get a nice AMOLED touchscreen, GPS, heart rate monitor, notifications, sleep tracking, and about 2 days of battery life in a small package.
$180 Buy
Hyper X Cloud Revolver Gaming Headphones
Hyper X stole the show for me w/ their Cloud Revolver gaming headsets. The industrial design brings forth stellar sound thanks to its 50mm drivers and good comfort w/ its suspension headband. You have an audio control box for PC gaming but you can use this for smartphones and computers as well as gaming.
$120 Buy
UE Boom 2
Ultimate Ears' makes the best Bluetooth speaker out there w/ the Boom series and made it even better w/ the Boom 2. It's shockproof, waterproof, has a 15-hour battery life, and offers a nice output of 360-degree sound w/ good bass levels. You can even grab 2 of these to pair together for awesome stereo sound.
$199 Buy
Sonos Play: 1
Sonos is the best out in audiophile Hi-Fi audio quality w/ less of a mess in the wire department. The best way to start off your Sonos system in your home is w/ is the Play:1 speakers. They work off of Wi-Fi and pump out some immaculate sound. It's an even better experience when you pair two Play:1s together.
$199 Buy
Como Audio Solo
The Solo is an entry-level speaker from new company Como Audio. You get a modern audio speaker setup in a classic wood cabinet w/ physical knobs and all. The Solo gives you outputs galore w/ Chromecast Audio, USB, TV optical, and much more. You got Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity w/ access to FM + Internet radio for a complete package of style & superb sound.
$299 Buy
Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2
Plantronics made their flagship headphones even better and more ergonomic w/ the BackBeat Pro 2s. You got a smaller frame but now w/ more bass, a 24-hour battery life, and 6 months of DeepSleep. While retaining its 100ft Bluetooth range, noise-cancelling, & OpenMic features. All of this for an even cheaper price point than the previous model.
$199 Buy
Bose QuietComfort 35
The latest in QuietComfort over the ear headphones continues the tradition Bose continues to retain. This is the best in noise-cancelling headphones. But this time around they added a bit more to the mix. You got a wireless set of cans capable of a 20-hour battery life, Bluetooth+ NFC connectivity as well as access to Google Now/Siri.
$350 Buy
Peak Design Everyday Backpack
The Everyday Backpack is my favorite backpack of the year! Crafted by Kickstarter-alumni Peak Design and created the ultimate bag solution w/ everything you might need. You got a waterproof shell, modular divider system for cameras/lenses, a magnetic latch, and enough space for a 13inch or 15inch laptop. What more do you need in a backpack?
$260 Buy
PlayStation 4 Pro
Sony's latest is the PlayStation 4 Pro. This is their more powerful gaming console capable of pumping out better framerates, ideal for the amazing PlayStation VR headset, and of course, 4K gaming. If you haven't grabbed a PS4 yet, grab this one for a more futureproof gaming experience.
$399 Buy
Xbox One S
The One S takes everything you loved about the original Xbox One but places in a smaller design. This also brings forth a more streamlined controller w/ Bluetooth support along w/ support for HDR/4K/4K Blu-Ray. All of this w/ more storage options ranging from 500GB up to 2TB. If you don't have one now, now is the time to grab one.
$350 Buy
OnePlus 3T
The folks over at OnePlus nailed their 3rd iteration of their flagship device but they asked why stop there? They recently just announced a refreshed version w/ the OnePlus 3T. Now armed w/ Snapdragon's latest 821 CPU, battery, and optics. Giving you flagship specs & design in a device that's under $450.
$440 Buy
Moto Z Play
While this may be the 'budget' version of the Moto Z family, I think that it is the best one overall. You get a powerful CPU, good camera, and support for Motorola's Moto Mod accessories. And lest we forget about the most important part - the battery king of all smartphones on the market right now. Like 2 days of juice per charge.
$450 Buy
Gift Ideas Up To $1000 & Over
Google Pixel/ Pixel XL
Google damn-near surprised everyone by how good their new flagship Android device. The Pixel & the Pixel XL are Google's 1st real step in their own vision of their own high-end smartphone. You got a solid build courtesy of HTC alongside a competitive 12.3MP rear camera, amazing battery life, and the power of Google Assistant.
$649/$769 Buy
iPhone 7/7 Plus
The iPhone is usually good at maintaining its own bar of standards. For the iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus, Apple wanted to play catch up w/ Samsung a bit this time around. Apple's latest brings forth a few things many have been waiting for like stereo speakers, water-resistance, and a batter battery. The 7 Plus is always the way to go as this time, you got a dual camera setup for zoom.
$649/$769 Buy
Galaxy S7/S7 Edge
Even though the whole Note 7 debacle left a slight stain on Samsung. The original flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S line, is still a great and powerful device. Amazing display, class-leading cameras, and a good battery life. Whether you opt out for the standard S7 or the slightly larger & curved S7 Edge, you can't lose either way to choose.
$695/$795 Buy
DJI Mavic
The latest drone form DJI brings forth a mesh of features and portability w/ the Mavic. It has all of the features from the Phantom 4 Pro at a quarter of the size and a fraction of the price. It's small enough to fit in some pockets, just about any backpack or purse w/ no additional parts to add in order to get it up and flying.
$1,000 Buy
MacBook Pro
Whether you like the new Touch Bar, lack of SD card slot, or just want at least 1 standard USB port, the MacBook Pro will still be the way to go for many. Despite my grips w/ the pricing, the 15inch model would be the way to go if you're considering. Apple's latest version of the MacBook Pro retains the power it is known for.
$2,400 Buy
Surface Book 2016
Microsoft went to fix some of the things that made the Surface Book complete w/ their new Performance Base. Everything is just better this time around w/ a faster Core i7 CPU, a much-better NVIDIA GeForce GPU, and a longer battery life. Along w/ that, it everything that you loved about Microsoft's ultimate laptop.
$2,400 Buy
Let's put an end to this.
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