It’s the most wonderful time of the year… well, that’s how the song goes, but buying gifts ahead of Christmas can be a bit of a hassle sometimes. So to help you out we’ve complied a list of great ideas to buy that special (and possibly nerdy) someone in your life.
To make it even easier we’ve divided them up into three groups to suit every budget starting with Stocking stuffers for under A$60, then on to Family & Friends ranging up to A$250 and finally our How much do you love me? category that goes all out.
If you’ve got any ideas or suggestions to add to our list then be sure to leave a comment below and make everyone’s holiday season a little more easy and enjoyable.
Stocking stuffers ($0 – $60)
Dark Matter – A$16
This book by Blake Crouch is one of the best reads I’ve had in a long time. An incredible page turning dealing in parallel universes and dimensional travel all set in current day is an absolute must read for any sci-fi fans.
Amazon Dot (2nd gen) – A$39
Sure there’s a new generation of Dot out there but the 2nd-gen is cheaper and does exactly the same thing. I’m all aboard the Alexa train for smart home integration, which has far more integrations and skills than others at the moment. It’s also your best friend whilst cooking and the easiest way to set a timer.
MicroSD card (128GB+) – A$39+
Everyone needs a microSD today. From phones to drones and back again they all use them. I like SanDisk’s, which I’ve linked to here, they’ve always been good quality to price for me.
Witcher box set – A$32
Did you know before it was a game it was a lauded book series? Did you also know that after it was a successful game series its author tried to sue CD Projekt Red because it was so successful and he wanted more cash? No? Well that doesn’t matter really, but you may be interested in exploring the Witcher world beyond the games, which differs from the books in a lot of ways. Great read and a well regarded series.
Wool Trilogy – A$59
Quite possibly my favourite sci-fi book series of recent time Hugh Howey’s Wool trilogy originally started as a creative online blog and turned into a novel. From there it continued into three and is widely regarded as one of the best in modern day sci-fi. If you haven’t heard of it or been wondering if it’s worth the purchase it most definitely is.
Family & Friends ($61 – $250)
Red Dead Redemption 2 – A$78
God of Ware may have won the “Game of the year” award according the the Games Awards but Red Dead Redemption 2 is definitely my personal choice. It doesn’t matter what version you get, be it PS4 or XB1 RDR2 is a masterpiece in story telling game design that I’ve enjoyed well beyond my wildest imagination. It’s a must play for this generation.
Satechi USB-C Hub – A$89
We live in a dongle world my friends. USB-C may be the best thing to happen to peripherals in a long time but whilst it’s slowly being adopted we have to deal with connecting everything to it. That’s where the USB-C hub comes in and Satechi make a damn fine suite of them. If you have USB-C in your life these are a worthy gift to give & receive.
Logitech G610 Mechanical Keyboard – A$154
There are a bunch of mechanical keyboards out there but Logitech’s G610 is a work horse that I’ve loved and used for years now. She may not be the latest but she certainly is the best for my mind. In built volume controls, a gaming option and your choice of blue, red and brown cherry switches the G610 is a solid choice in keyboard for PC and Mac aficionados alike.
Nvidia Shield TV – A$207
You can read and watch exactly how much I love the Nvidia Shield TV in our review but the short of it is I unplugged my Apple TV to review the Shield and I’ve never plugged in back in. If you use apps on your TV or have another streaming box plugged in then the Shield will bring a better, more user friendly experience that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without. It’s also perfect for PC gamers that want to stream and play on their big screen TV over their local network. Love it!
2018 Paperwhite Kindle – A$179
Amazon say it every year they release a new Kindle but this year their 2018 Paperwhite is without a doubt their best so far. Lightweight, waterproof, paperwhite screen and an awesome battery life I can’t say how much I enjoy reading of this guy. If you’re rocking an older one on its last legs or interested in taking the ebook plunge this is the device (at the right price) for you.
How much do you love me? ($251+)
Sony WH1000XM3 – A$399
Sorry Bose, Sony are the kings of noise cancelling headphones. Their new XM3s solidify that even further and now with USB-C their rich sound, touch controls and long battery life make for a killer feature set. I cannot express how much I love these headphones and for anyone in the market for a noise cancelling pair these are what you want to buy.
Roomba 761 vacuum cleaning robot – A$290
I was pretty skeptical about robot vacuum cleaners but I finally took the plunge on a Roomba a few months ago and boy has it changed my life. Sure the little fella gets stuck every now and then but it’s so set & forget now that my home is always vacuumed and clean so well I sometimes think I’ve hired a cleaner.
Surface Pro – A$600+
I fell in love with the Surface after reviewing the Surface Go earlier in the year. It’s everything I wanted the iPad Pro to be (except for the Windows part). Now they have the new Surface 6 lineup with larger screens and more powerful CPUs as well as the Go’s at a really attractive price for the holidays.
LG 34UC89G 34″ Curved UltraWide WQHD IPS Gaming Monitor 144Hz 5ms HDMI DP G-Sync – A$989
OK so this one is a little exorbitant but the category does ask how much you love someone! I love my curved monitor and even with 4K & 5K ones out there I prefer the wider setup. LG’s 34″ curved is a combination of all the killer features including G-Sync, 144Hz refresh rate and a 1440p resolution and is somehow under A$1k. What more could you want?!
Nintendo Switch – A$398
Without a doubt the runaway success story for Nintendo the Switch has been a huge hit that everyone loves. There isn’t a person alive that wouldn’t love to be unwrapping one of these on Christmas morning complete with Super Smash Bros now too!