Cover feature

Sometimes gold, frankincense, myrrh and novelty socks just won’t cut it… so Stuff is here with a load of techy gift ideas that are sure to bring some proper Christmas cheer. If you’re shopping for a very exacting geek or just filling a few gaps in your own letter to Santa, the following 24 pages are packed with enough gadgety goodies – at all price points – to get the wrapping paper flying.

Music lover

p38

Tech nomad

p40

Movie buff

p42

Eco warrior

p44

Fitness freak

p46

Gaming geek

p48

Photo fiend

p50

Tech tyke

p52

Retro head

p54

£100 or less

p56

£50 or less

p58

Break the bank

p60

Hole ’n’ the head

Ports on the back include a 3.5mm headphone output for private jamming plus an input for the optional sustain pedal.

In the MIDI

Connected via USB, it’ll also work as a MIDI controller for software synths. Its four encoder knobs can be assigned to suit your workflow.

Tweak like me

Keen to wobble things up a bit? You can set the Mini Play’s fun-size joystick to work as a modulator or pitch bender.

AKAI MPK MINI PLAY MK3

NothingsaysChristmasgettingrepetitivelikefamilycarolsaroundthepiano.Tired ofthesameoldsingalong?RemixtheYuletidetuneswithAkai’sminimusicmaker. Barelyafootwide,thisportableplaythingfeatures25keysandaneight-strong arrayofilluminateddrumpads.Thesetupissensitivetothespeedofyourfingers, soyoucantinkleasquietlyasamouseordrophardlikeaHomeAlone bandit.Abank ofmorethan100soundsmeansyoucanmakelikeDJShadow,whilethebuilt-in speakerdeliverstheEDMdittieswhenyoutourtoyournan’s. £105/akaipro.com

512 AUDIO TEMPEST

AgrainyYouTubevidwasenoughto burdentheworldwithBieber,butwhen everyone’sacontentcreatorittakes betterproductionvaluestogetnoticed. Giveyourdemosaboostwiththisfine studiomic.Inspiredbyvintagetypes, ithasa34mmgold-platedcondenser capsuletocaptureyourwarblingsinrich detail,whileaUSB-Cconnectioncuts outmixersinthemiddle. £160/512audio.com REVOLUTION: THE HISTORY OFTURNTABLE DESIGN

ThinkChristmas comesaround regularly?That’s nothingcompared toavinylsingle. Butturntables aren’tstuckin aloop:arecord ofrecordplayers, thiscoffee-table bookchartstheir longhistory. £75/ phaidon.com DENON AH-C830NCW

Mostwireless earbudscome withallsortsof smarttrimmings… butifyoujust wanttunes,these Denonskeepit barebones:no app,noEQand novoiceassistant, justanexpressive flavouranda nicelyfocused soundstage. £129/ denon.com

AUDIO-TECHNICA LP3XBT

Adiecastaluminiumplatterwon’tlook veryelegantonthedinnertable,butit’s asolidwaytoreducevibrationswhen guestsarediningonyourvinylcollection. Forastutter-freesonicbanquet,pop ananaloguedisconthisBluetooth turntable.Fullyautomatic,itworks withwiredorwirelessspeakers,while ahydraulicallydampedtonearmprotects yourrecordsfromover-eagerflippers. £280/audio-technica.com IFI ZEN DAC V2

Ittakesakeen audiophiletopick outeachlayer ofInDulciJubilo. Amplifyyour chanceswith thisdinkyDAC: equippedwitha 16-coreprocessor andfedviaUSB,it candecodeMQA filesonthefly forhi-resaudio soundingjustas itwasrecorded. £159/ ifi-audio.com

MUSIC LOVER

Whether you’re Christmas shopping for a golden-eared hi-fi nerd or a fleet-fingered maestro, here’s some kit to bring guaranteed harmony

BOSE SOUNDLINK FLEX

Christmasissuch ahectictimefor campanologists thateventhe keenestpealer willbejingledout byJanuary.For bell-likeclarity tolastallyear,try thisBluetooth speaker.It’s water-resistant andhasa 12hrbattery. £150/bose.co.uk SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 4 WIRELESS

Inthemarketfor earmuffs?This isn’tthecheapest waytoshield yourlugsagainst winterweather, butifyouwant cushionedcups thatwarmwith superlativeaudio they’reupthere withthebest. £300/ sennheiserhearing.com ROLAND T-8 AIRA COMPACT

Vintagesynths addold-school saucetoanyset. Don’thavethe roadiestocart aroundaclassic? Thisbeatmachine putsmultiple retrorhythms inyourbackpack, revivingsounds fromRoland’s drum-and-bass backcatalogue. £157/roland.com

DOROTHY STAMP ALBUMS: HIP-HOP PRINT

Collectingstampsisaboutasfarfrom hip-hopcultureasthemonarchwho usuallyadornsthem.Butthisprintsheet givesphilatelyanMCsend-up.Its42 graphicsreimagineseminalalbumsof thegenre:spanningfromRun-DMCand Wu-TangtoJay-ZandRunTheJewels, eachrecord’sreleaseyeardefinesthe postageclass. £40/wearedorothy.com PIONEER DDJ-REV1

Getabunch ofsquabbling relationsunder oneroofandyou mightbeforced tosettlethings withaChristmas rapbattle.With sidewayssliders uptop,generous jog-wheelsand autotracking, thesedigital deckswillhelp. £259/ pioneerdj.com FENDER GEORGE HARRISON ROCKY INSTRUMENT CABLE

Youneedmore thanafancy cabletolaydown platinumlicks,but ifyouwanttoriff likeaBeatleabit ofcolourcan’t hurt.This10ft leadisinspiredby GeorgeHarrison’s ‘Rocky’Strat. £25/fender.com

LOGITECH K380 FOR MAC

Whetheryou’retip-tappingonatablet orliketositbackfromyourlaptop,this streamlinedkeyboardisawinforyour fingers.Wedge-shapedandwireless, itscompactfootprintfitsneatlyonany desk,whilecontouredscissorkeysare cosybutresponsive.Availableinblue, pinkoroff-white,thislow-profileboard isgoodforuptotwoyearsonasingle charge–idealfortravellingtypists. £45/logitech.com APPLE iPAD AIR

Tablets have changed since Roman times. Apple’s latest lightweight slate is a champion of in-chariot entertainment: fronted by a 10.9in Retina display, its M1 chip provides all-conquering performance, with optional 5G. from£669/ apple.com BELLROY DESK CADDY

Ittakesmorethan alaptoptowork fromanywhere. Organiseyour portableoffice withthispractical pouch.Itsfront foldsdownto revealthebits stashedinside; stooduprighton aworksurface, tiereddividers offereasyaccess toyourkit. £55/bellroy.com

AMAZFIT T-REX 2

Time waits for no one – and unless you’re a VIP , neither do planes. Don’t miss your departure: equip your wrist with this rugged ticker for reliable tracking. Tested for toughness and shielded by a beefy bezel, the T-Rex 2 is a smartwatch for all conditions. Typical battery life should survive a three-week getaway, while an arsenal of sensors tracks your vitals as you dash for the boarding gate. £219/amazfit.com CHIPOLO CARD SPOT

Loseyourcredit cardonholiday andyou’llneed somefriendsto spotyou.Lose thiscard-sized trackerandyou’ll havethousands helpingyoufind it.Slimenoughto slipinyourwallet, itworkswiththe FindMynetwork, wavingatnearby Appledevices. £30/chipolo.net

TECH NOMAD

For the person in your life who’s too important and hip to be at home for more than 10 minutes at a time, these gadgets are road-ready

WACACO EXAGRIND

Some coffee snobs are kept housebound by fear of a bad brew when out and about – so this mobile bean machine brings caffeine freedom. It lets you mill 20g by hand: fill it with beans, set the grind level then get winding. £100/ wacaco.com LIFESTRAW PEAK SQUEEZE

Waterbottlesadd bulkevenwhen they’reempty. Formoreportable potability,this flexiblepouch holdsuptoalitre ofliquid,before packingdown whenyou’vehad yourfill.Italso hasareplaceable microfilter. €50/ lifestraw.com STUBBLE&CO ADVENTURE BAG

If baggage reclaim is the bane of your travels, sling this two-strap over your shoulders. It has pockets in all the right places, while soft sides and compression straps let you max out the 42L capacity within carry-on limits. £195/stubble andco.com

ANKER 633 MAGNETICBATTERY

Phonefeelingdrained?Treatittoapower napwiththishandyMagSafebattery pack.Snappedinplaceforacordless boost,its10,000mAhcapacityisenough tofillyouriPhoneroughlytwiceover. Andifyouwantentertainmentduring thedowntime,flipoutitsstandand stickyourphonesidewaysforperfectly angledmoviesonthemove. £70/anker.com REMARKABLE2

For paper-like productivity without the bulk of a binder, try this E Ink tablet. Absurdly slender, its monochrome display mimics the look and feel of a real notebook. Load PDF docs for digital doodling or select a template to organise your scribbles. from£279/ remarkable.com UEWONDERBOOM3

Ifyourgetaway requiresasonic kickstart,this littleballofboom shouldhavethe hotelhopping. Sizedlikealarge snow-globe,it hasenoughbass foranyfestive bash;and14hr batterylifeshould seeyouthrough toSanta’sarrival. £90/ ultimateears.com

Greyest day

While your skin needs to bathe directly for a dose of UV love,the Powerfoyle panel can take energy from any ambient light. Silicone ear-tips ensure a secure fit,while IPX4 water-resistance means the Phoenix’s fire shouldn’t be put out by a shower.

Pack for good

Dancing in the dark? Each earbud is good for 8hrs on a single charge, with a further 32hrs on offer from the wedge-shaped case.

URBANISTA PHOENIX

YourvitaminDlevelisn’ttheonlythingboostedbysunlight:solarexposurecanalso beatreatfortheears.ThankstoPowerfoylematerialonthesideoftheircharging case,thesetruewirelessin-earscanrefuelfromalmostanylightsource,soyoucan hittheroadwithonelesscable.Lightweightandsculptedforacomfyfit,theearbuds aresimilarlyliberating:theyhaveactivenoise-cancellationtomutenoisyneighbours intransit,whiletheUrbanistaappletsyoutweakEQsettingsandtouchcontrols.Now allyouneedisasmartphonechargingcrankfortheoreticallyinfinitelistening. £129/urbanista.com

Hear today

Voice control from Google Assistant or Alexa is supported,but that will require you to use the Ray alongside a smart speaker.

Bands on the run

Thanks to AirPlay 2 support,the Ray can double as a fine speaker for music as well as telly… but the lack of Bluetooth is a shame.

Wallstandtogether

The Ray is a compact soundbar that’ll easily fit in any living room; but if you lack shelf space,there’s a £39 wall-mounting kit.

SONOS RAY

Noself-respectingfilmfanshouldbemarathoning2022’sbestflicksoverthefestive breakusingjusttheirTV’smeaslybuilt-inspeakers.Attheveryleastthey’regoing toneedasoundbar,andSonos’slatestalsohappenstobeitsmostaffordableyet. Togetthebadstuffoutoftheway,theSonosRaydoesn’thaveDolbyAtmos(though DolbyDigitalissupported)oranHDMIport,forcingyoutohookitupviaoptical.But everythingthatpeopleloveaboutSonos,fromsleekdesignandgreatsoundto AirPlay2supportandseamlesswirelessintegrationwithanexistingSonossetup, isincludedinthissmartbar. £279/sonos.com

FULL REVIEW p82

STRESS FLIX DICE

Youlovefilms.You subscribetoabout 30streaming servicesand spend‘movie night’bickering aboutwhatto watch.Thisdice mighthelp:each sideislabelledwith adifferentgenre, anditdoublesas astressballifitall getsoutofhand. £10/ thumbsup.com LEGO T. REX BREAKOUT

JurassicPark turns30next year,sonowis agreattimeto treatoneofthat film’sfanstosome dino-themed Lego.Thisisa highlydisplayable brickrecreation ofoneofitsmost famousscenes, whereweseethe bigbeastforthe firsttime. £90/lego.com

SAMSUNG FREESTYLE

Projectorscanbeintimidatingthings,but theoddlynamedFreestyleisanything but.It’scapableofprojectinga1080p imageofupto100ininsize,effectively puttingacinemascreeninyoursuitcase. Samsunghasalsokindlybuiltinfeatures likeautomatickeystonecorrectiontohelp keepyourpicturesharpandstraighton thewall.Notoneforfilmfanswhodemand 4K,butforeaseofuseit’sking. £699/samsung.com AMAZON FIRE TV CUBE (2022)

Thethird-gen FireTVCubeis, shockingly,still cube-shaped,but thisstreamingbox hasneverbeen moreuseful.Now wearingafabric jacket,thismodel isslickerandmore powerful,withan improvedAlexa remotetoboot. £140/ amazon.co.uk

CITIZEN STAR WARS DUEL

It’sworthcastingyoureyeoverallof Citizen’sStarWarscollection,butif pushedwe’dgoforthisone.Awristy tributetoarguablythemosticonicfight sceneinmoviehistory,thisstainless steeltimepieceisfinishedwithredand bluemarkersaroundthedialtorepresent LukeandVader’slightsabers,whilethe latter’sfamous“Ifindyourlackoffaith disturbing”lineisengravedontheback. £229/citizenwatch.co.uk

MOVIE BUFF

If you want to turn your living room into a real home cinema, start by scattering Coke and crisps on the floor… then ask Santa for this lot

SPIDER-MAN SCORE(VINYL)

Longbeforethe MCUcamealong, SamRaimi’s Spider-Man changedpopcorn cinemaforever… andjustasgreat asthefilmwas theDannyElfman soundtrack,which isgettingavinyl releasetomark themovie’s20th anniversary. £30/ amazon.co.uk CLIPOLOGY

Itjustwouldn’t beChristmas withoutagame foreveryoneto drunkenlyfallout over,andClipology isagreatpickfor acinephilefamily. Mixingtraditional board-gameplay withrealclipsfrom TVandmovies thatplayershave toidentify,it’s waymorefun thanMonopoly. £25/argos.co.uk THE SHINING: A VISUAL AND CULTURAL HAUNTING

Giveyour favouriteKubrick fansomethingto getlostinwhile thein-lawsare watchingStrictly. Thisstunning loose-leaf book,styledto resembleJack’s ‘writingproject’ , exploresThe Shining’slegacy. £50/bfi.org.uk TOP GUN 4K STEELBOOK SUPERFAN COLLECTION

Doessomeone feeltheneedfor speedandUHD? Well,it’stheirlucky day,becausethe originalTopGun anditsMaverick sequelcome togetherinthis limited-edition steelbook,which includesover2hrs ofbonusguff. £100/hmv.com

POLK MAGNIFI MINI AX

DolbyAtmossoundbarsappeartobe gettingsmallerbythehour,andPolk’s MagniFiMiniAXisafranklyridiculous casestudy.Barelylongerthanoneof thoserulersyouusedtohaveinyour pencilcaseatschool,callingit‘compact’ seemshardlyenough,yetitsupports bothDolbyAtmosandDTS:Xvirtual surroundsound,aidedbyaseparate sub.Anditcanmakearightoldracket. £429/polkaudio.com POWER IDOLZ E.T. WIRELESS CHARGING DOCK

We’retryingto resisttheobvious line,butit’sjust notpossible:with thisET-themed chargingdock, they’llalways haveenoughjuice tophonehome. Sorry.Anyway, it’salsogotan LEDfingertip. £40/ justgeek.com

ALLBIRDS TREE DASHER 2

Treadlighterontheplanetwiththese plant-basedrunners.Featherweight andflexible,theknittedupperissewn usingeucalyptusfibre,whilethemidsole issourcedfromsugarcane.Acollarlocks yourankleinplace,whilebio-based eyeletsandrecycledlacesmake forsustainabletying.Andwithan FSC-certifiednaturalrubberoutsole, youcanlandeasyontheangularheel. £125/allbirds.co.uk OSPREY TALON EARTH 22

Approvedby Bluesignfor responsibletextile use,thispackis perfectforalpine commuters.It featuresalaptop sleeve,anice-axe attachmentanda bikehelmethook, andismadefrom recycledfabrics andoceanplastic. £160/osprey europe.com

NATIVE UNION (RE)CLASSIC CASE

Whatfeelslikecowskinandsoundslike aKanyealbum?Yatay:aplant-based materialthat’shand-craftedinItaly andcoversthisiPhonecase.More durablethanpolyurethanealternatives, ituseslesswaterandproduceslower carbonemissionsthanleather.It’s usedherewitharecycledframeand microfibrelining. £50/nativeunion.com HOUSE OF MARLEY GET TOGETHER 2 MINI

Nothingsays sustainability likerecyclinglast year’sChristmas playlist.Need anecospeaker? Thisone’sfronted byrenewable bamboo,witha fabricwrapwoven fromreclaimed materials. £150/thehouse ofmarley.co.uk URBANEARS BOO TIP

Thesewireless earbudsare madeusing91% recycledplastic sourcedfrom bottles,air-con unitsandother discarded detritus.They’re alsokindtoyour lugsatjust3.95g apiece,witha roundedfitfor comfylistening. £70/ urbanears.com

ECO WARRIOR

You don’t have to be Greta Thunberg to be anti-apocalypse… here are 12 ways to save a little bit of the world without sacrificing gadget joy

KOBO CLARA 2E

It’snoteasybeing asustainable bookworm. Youcouldstick torecycled paperbacks… orgetthiseco e-reader.Mostof itsshellisrecycled plastic,andKobo aimstostop 200,000bottles reachingthe oceaneachyear. £130/ kobobooks.com ANKER 543 USB-C CABLE (BIO-BASED)

Manysmartphone makersnowship theirhandsets withoutcables. Triffic,butwhat ifyouneedone? Availablewith LightingorUSB-C plugs,thiscord’s exterioris40% plant-based materials.It’sbeen testedtosurvive 20,000bends. £15/anker.com

FOSSIL FB-01 SOLAR-POWERED

AtrueEarthlovercantellthetimeusing justthesun.Stillworkingonyoursolar timekeeping?TrythisFossilwatchfor size–itsbatteryisrenewablyboosted byexposuretosunlight.Andifyou’re worriedthatwearingitwillalienateyou fromfellowactivists,justtellthemabout theocean-boundplasticmaterialsused forthecasingandstrap. £139/fossil.com BIG OCEAN BOTTLE

Refillinsteadof buyingandyou’ll savetheworld fromonemore plasticbottle.Buy this1Lflaskand you’llstop1000 moreentering theocean.Its recycledstainless steelcylinderis vacuum-insulated tokeepdrinkshot orcold. £45/ oceanbottle.co GOMI WIRELESS MAGNETIC CHARGER

Recyclingisone waytotackle plasticwaste. Butwhatabout packagingthat localcouncilscan’t doanythingwith? Gomitransforms non-renewable scrapsinto accessories likethis15W chargingpuck. £35/gomi.design GROUNDTRUTH RIKR TECH POUCH

Thegreenestway totransportyour techistoholditall inyourarms.Too muchkittocarry? Trythispouch. Carbon-neutral andshippedin biodegradable packaging,it’s craftedentirely fromrecycled materials. £56/ground truth.global

Landofcamfusion

‘Capture Fusion’ uses the 50MP main camera to enhance results from the 13MP ultrawide sensor,and there are low-light modes too. No son of mines

The frame is 100% recycled aluminium while the back is 65% recycled plastic,making this the greenest Nokia handset ever.

In to keep

Truetoitssustainable aims,Nokia is offering three years of OS upgrades,three years ofsecurityupdatesand athree-yearwarranty.

NOKIA X30

TheNokia3650featuredaroundkeypadallthewaybackin2002…buttheX30is adifferentsortofcircular.FlagshipofNokia’snewsubscriptionservice,it’shereto showthatasmartphoneisforyears,notjustforChristmas.Buyitoutrightandyou’ll baganecoblowerwithamoresustainableshell;butgetitontheCircularplanand Nokiawillrewardyoufornotupgrading,crediting‘seeds’toyouraccountthatcan bedonatedtosupportgoodcauses.Andwhenitdoesfinallyconkout,Nokiawill sorttherecycling. from£399or£22/m/nokia.com

I should be so sucky

The TheraCup offers three suction levels, three heat intensities and three vibration settings.

Especially for phew

Worried about welts? A pressure sensor and auto-shutoff feature protect the skin against excessive suction.

Better the bevel you know

It comes with three attachments – 35mm, 45mm and 55mm – for working on different bodyareas.

THERABODY THERACUP

No,it’snotacontainerforyourtakeawayspicedlatte–thiscompactcupoffers caffeine-freereliefforyourachingmuscles.LikethetherapyorderedbyOlympic athletes,theTheraCupdeploysacombinationofsuction,vibrationandheatto sootheyoursorebits.Thecuppingconceptisprettysimple:bypumpingontargeted areas,it’smeanttostimulatebloodflow,relievetiredtissueandspeeduprecovery. Butunlikeafullphysiosetup,thisthingcanfitinyourgymbagfortreatmentson thego.It’salsogoodforupto2hrspercharge,anddoesn’trequireanintimidatingly healthyprofessionaltopushthebuttons. £109/therabody.com

UNDER ARMOUR HOVR SUMMIT FAT TIRE DELTA

Dashingthroughthesnowisdifficultif you’reslippingaboutlikeBambi.Bemore Blitzenwiththesegrippykicks:inspired bybiketyres,theMichelinsolefeatures tractionlugsformaximumpurchase. Ripstopfabricprotectsyourtrotters, bungeelacesblendstabilitywith adjustability,andHOVRcushioning putsaspringinyourwinterstep. £150/underarmour.co.uk BOOKMAN MONOCLE

No,it’snotan actualmonocle. Thisrunning headlamphas alightweightbuild forbounce-free bounding, whilestepless adjustmentlets youtargetthe beamtosuityour stride.It’llrun forupto10hrs betweencharges. €49/bookman visibility.com POLAR PACER

Trueminimalists wouldruninthe buff,butthat tacticalsostrips youofstats.If you’rewillingto wearonething, thislightweight trackerlogs datawithout distracting. Itstickstothe essentials:heart rate,GPSandthe metricsyouneed tohitPBpace. £170/polar.com

EUFY SMART P2 PRO SCALE

Ittakesbraverytosteponthescalesafter amonthofChristmasmunching.Ifyou’re readytofacetheweigh-in,youmightas wellgothewholehog:thisconnected balanceconductsacompletebody compositionanalysisacross16metrics, measuringeverythingfromheartrateto bodymass.Itthenmapstheresultsona 3Dmodelinthephoneapp.Goodluck… £55/uk.eufy.com LAZER VENTO KINETICORE

Wintercyclingis notforthetimid. Besidesfrosty headwinds whippingthrough yourshorts, there’stherisk oficyasphaltat everybend.Layer upagainstfrozen fallswithLazer’s lightweightlid, inspiredbycar crumplezones. £250/ lazersport.com

FITNESS FREAK

If you can persuade them to stop running on the spot for long enough to actually open some presents, one of these should hit the spot

SHOKZ OPENRUNPRO

Traditionalbuds bringtheinspiring tunes,butalso blockthesound ofapproaching sleighbells. Theseopen-ear alternativesuse bone-conduction techtodeliverup to10hrsoftunes, withoutmuting thewinterworld aroundyou. £160/ uk.shokz.com PELOTON GUIDE

Homeworkouts canfightfestive flab,butwobbling aboutonWiiFit alonewon’tburn offallthatcake. Boostyourdrills withthisdigital PT:acamerathat sitsatopyour TVandusesAI totrackyourform, countrepsand mapmuscleuse. from£275/ onepeloton.co.uk SOUNDCORE SPORT X10

Atabrisk152bpm, ChuckBerry’s RunRudolphRun isafinechoiceto soundtrackwinter sprints.Forfestive motivation,add ittoyourplaylist, thenaddthese workoutbuds toyourwishlist. They’resweatproofandtuned forextrabass. £90/ soundcore.com

BEELINE VELO 2

Whenyoufindyourselffarfromhome andlostinablizzard,you’llregretyour decisiontonavigateguidedbyastar.For wayfindingthatwon’tleaveyoulooking totheheavens,attachthisdirectional disctoyourhandlebars.Itsdesign putsrouteinfofrontandcentre,with upto11hrsofturn-by-turninstructions showingwhichwaytosteer.Planroutes viaBeeline’sapp,orsyncwithStrava. £100/beeline.co SPECIALIZED X FJALLRAVEN FRAME BAG

Travellingwitha lighterloadthan Santa’ssleigh? Thisfunctional framebagis idealforstashing cyclingessentials. It’spartofawider collabbetween Specializedand Fjallraven,and comesinachoice ofthreesizes. from£70/ specialized.com FITBIT INSPIRE 3

Needsomehelp handlingseasonal stress?Youcould hireatherapyelf, butforsoothing assistancethat raisesfewer ethicalquestions trythistracking band.Itcan monitoryour calmnessand guideyouthrough usefulbreathing exercises. £85/fitbit.com

FULL REVIEW p67

NANOLEAF SONIC STARTER KIT

Mariomightbequalifiedtofixaleaky downpipe,butifit’selectricityyou’re interestedinthere’sonlyonehedgehog forthejob.The32panelsinthisbundle canbeusedtocreateaSonic,Tailsor Knucklespatternonyourwall,abitlike alight-upjigsaw.Ifyou’vegottheeye forit,youcouldevenconstructyourown Mariolayoutfromthesametiles. £219/nanoleaf.me LOGITECH CHORUS

Fancyagameof BeatSaber after thebiglunch? Attachthistoyour MetaQuest2 VRheadsetand itsswivelling speakerswillpipe thosepumping beatsintoplayers’ earswithout cuttingthemoff fromeveryone laughingatthem. £90/ logitech.com PS5 MEDIA REMOTE

Sony’sDualSense padisamarvel, butusingitto controlBlu-rays andon-demand appsisabitlike tryingtoplay CallofDuty with aTVremote.This PS5zappertakes itscuesfromthe onesyougetwith smarttelliesand streamingboxes. £25/ playstation.com

STEELSERIES ARCTIS NOVA PRO WIRELESS

Gamingheadsetsusedtobeapoor relationtonormalover-earheadphones, butthisone’spackedwiththekindof techyou’dexpecttofindinpremium cans.Yougetactivenoise-cancellation, 360° spatialaudiocompatiblewith thePS5’sTempest3Dengineand Microsoft’sSpatialSound,a10-band equaliserandsupportforhi-resaudio. £329/steelseries.com PICO 4

Needabreakfrom thefestiveness? Pico’slatestVR headsetisgood foranicedoseof escapism,witha better-than-4K displayensuring youwon’tbe distractedby mincepies.And evenifyouare, fitnessapps suchasLesMills Bodycombat can helpwiththat. £379/picoxr.com

GAMING GEEK

It just isn’t Christmas without games, but we’re not talking about Uno or charades: this is gear for people who only leave their bedroom for food

XBOX ELITE SERIES2CORE

Thisisonlyslightly less‘elite’thanthe Elitepad:ithasthe sameadjustable thumbsticks, shorthair-trigger locksand rubberisedgrip, butdoesn’tcome withalltheextras yougetwiththe pricierone.It’ll workwithPCs andmobilesas wellasXboxes. £115/xbox.com PHILIPS HUE PLAY GRADIENT LIGHTSTRIP FOR PC

LikeAmbilight foryourmonitor, thisstripofLEDs attachestothe backandchanges colourinresponse towhat’sgoingon inthegameyou’re playing.Notethat itneedsa£50Hue Bridgetowork. from£130/ philips-hue.com VIDEOGAME ATLAS

Partguidebook, partmonograph, this288-pager includesover200 illustrationsof worldsfrom12 populargames. Itlooksatthem throughan architectural lens,examining howthesedigital landscapeswork. Nerdheaven. £40/thames andhudson.com

JBL QUANTUM STREAM

GotawannabeTwitchsuperstaronyour buyinglist?Makesureallfouroftheir subscriberscanhearthemloudand clearwiththisdual-capsulecondenser mic.Thedialonthefrontmeansthey caneasilyadjustthevolume,plusthere’s amutebuttonontopthatchangesthe colouroftheRGBringlight,sothey’ll alwaysknowwhenit’ssafetoshoutfor theirmumtobringthemacupoftea. £80/jbl.com HORISPLIT PADCOMPACT

Anupgradeon theJoy-Consthat comewiththe Switch,theSplit PadCompact addslarger controlstoeither sidetomakeit morecomfortable onthego.Youalso getassignable triggersonthe backandaTurbo Holdmodefor easiermashing. £48/hori.co.uk RAZER LEVIATHAN V2

Mostsoundbars aredesignedto blendin.That meansdiscreet designsthatdon’t catchtheeye,but inaPCgaming setupyou’vegot tofitinwithallthe customisableRGB lights–andthat’s whatRazer’s LeviathanV2 does.Itcomes withasubwoofer. £230/razer.com

Won’t get fuelled again

It’s powered by the battery in your phone, so there’s no need to wait for it to charge once unwrapped.

I can see four styles

Rather than the standard Backbone One’s A,B,X and Y buttons,this edition has Sony’s iconic shapes.

I can’t constrain

Despite all the PS branding,you can also use the Backbone One to play Xbox Game Pass titles.

BACKBONE ONE PLAYSTATION EDITION

KnowsomebodywhoonlyputsdowntheirphonetopickuptheirPS5controller?Save themafewprecioussecondsbygettingthemaBackboneOne.ItclampsaniPhone betweentwohalvesofalegitPlayStationpad,soplayingmobilegamesfeelsmuch morefamiliar,plusitworkswiththeRemotePlayappsoyoucancontinuetheGran Turismo careeryoustartedonyourconsolefromanywherewithadecentinternet connection.BuyingforanAndroidowner?There’samoregeneric-lookingstandard BackboneOneavailablethat’llletthemplayalltheirfavouritegames,justwithoutthe PlayStation-stylebuttonlayout. £100/playbackbone.com

Hard gadget to break

With a rugged outer shell and a dinky readout up top,this is one of GoPro’s toughest action cams to date.

You’re my insulation

‘Enduro’ battery tech ensures the cell inside the Hero11 Mini works better than most in cold weather.

If you cleavemenow

Instead of widescreen, the 24.7MP sensor uses an 8:7aspect ratio. You can easily pick different crops for social feeds.

GOPRO HERO11 BLACK MINI

Hittingtheslopesthisseason?GoPro’spared-backactioncamwillrecordyourruns withoutdistractingfromthedownhillfun.Tinybuttough,itswapstouchscreensfora simpletwo-buttonsetup.Twopairsoffold-outfingersmakeiteasytomounttoyour lid,whereitsitswhileshooting5.3Kfootageat60fps.AutoBoostsmartsdetecthow muchstabilisationtoapply,withHyperSmooth5.0glossingovermogulsandHorizon Lockkeepingthescenerylevelthroughyourdizzyingslalomturns.Highlightsare sentstraighttoyoursmartphone,soyoucansharethemonthechairliftthenwatch thelikesrollinatthebar. £300/gopro.com

LOMOGRAPHY FISHEYENO.2 ACAPULCO LAQUEBRADA

Consideringfish aren’tknownfor theirphotography skills,theireyes featureonalot ofcameralenses. Thisanalogue snappercomes frontedbya10mm jobthatoffersan all-encompassing 170°fieldofview. £69/shop. lomography.com NANLITE PAVOTUBE T8-7X

Abasicselfieisno waytoflexyour creativemuscles, somixupyour mugshotswith this1m-longlight tube.Withbuilt-in batteries,itcan shineinarangeof rainbowshades. Youcanusethe apptotweakthe huesfordynamic longexposures. £95/nanlite.com

DJI OSMO MOBILE 6

There’snopointshootingafestivefilm projectonyourmobileifyourshivering mittscreateatotalshake-fest.Bungit inthisgimbalforfootageassmoothas askatingrink.Foldableforportability,its three-axisstabilisationworkswithDJI’s Mimoapptotracksubjectsandsteady shots.Andifyourfingersaren’tfrozen, youcanuseitsscroll-wheeltotweakthe focusandfocallength. £145/dji.com BENRO TABLEPOD FLEXKIT

Wobblylegsare usuallythelast thingyouwant fromatripod,but bendablelimbs letthiscompact standhookinto allsortsofspots. Hiddeninside itscarbon-fibre stems,otherfeet canbeswitchedin forultra-flexibility. £140/ benroeu.com

NIKON Z30

Fromturkeytutorialstodecoration demos,thisisabusytimeforcontent creators.NeedhelpwrappingyourYule vlogs?Smallenoughtofitinastocking, theZ30captures4Kfootageusingthefull widthofits20.9MPsensor.Itsvari-angle touchscreenisagiftforshootingsolo, whilestereomicsensureaudioiscrisp andeven.Plusaredlightshinesbrightlike Rudolph’snosewhenyou’rerecording. £649(bodyonly)/nikon.co.uk

PHOTO FIEND

When you’re shopping for the kind of shutterbug who sneers at the very idea of smartphone selfies, you need one of these in the frame

LOWEPRO TREKKERLITE BP250AW

Temptingasitisto cuddleyourlovely newkit,juggling lenseswon’tend well.Sostashit inthistravelpack forsaferhauling. Itspaddedinsert fitsafull-frame mirrorlessplus apairofbarrels, whilestrapslet youaddatripod. £160/ lowepro.com SHIFTCAM SNAPGRIP

Withnewphones gettingbiggerand slimmerallthe time,one-handed shootingcanbe arightpaininthe aperture.Geta bettergripwith thisMagSafetool. Aswellasahandy grip,itgivesyour iPhoneashutter buttonanda backupbattery. £70/ shiftcam.com COOPHROPE HANDSTRAP

Youcoulduseabit oftinseltokeep yourcameraona leash.Forsturdier support,trythis leather-tipped effort.Crafted fromrugged climbingrope, itsadjustableloop wrapssecurely aroundonewrist. It’sdesignedtofit allcameratypes. £49/store. cooph.com SANDISK PRO-READER MULTICARD

Afteradayof shootingcool snaps,glacial transferratescan quicklyhaveyou hotandbothered. Forrapidoffloads, stickyourcardsin thisreader.Itcan copyfilesfromCF, SDandmicroSD cardsatupto 5Gbps. £87/western digital.com

TOURBOX ELITE

Editingasleigh-loadofChristmassnaps istoughenoughwithoutstrainingyour handtoreachkeyboardshortcuts.Make lighterworkofyourlatestbatchwiththis compactdesktopconsole.Palm-sized andwireless,itfeaturescustomisable knobs,controlsandscroll-wheelswithin easyreach,forgranularadjustment, one-touchshortcutsandtoolswitching. Itworkswitharangeofcreativeapps. £240/tourboxtech.com FUJIFILM INSTAX MINILINK2

Notcontenttospit outphysicalsnaps thesizeofacredit card,thiswireless printerworkslike amagicwand.Fire uptheAiRmodein theMiniLinkapp, chooseabrush andwaveitto makeshapes; they’llbeoverlaid ontheprint. £115/ instax.co.uk

BUILD YOUR OWN PINBALL MACHINE

Ordinarilyyou’dneedway-deeppockets ifyouwerethinkingaboutgettingachild interestedinpinballmachines.Butthis isnosix-digit’80srestoration,ratheran eco-friendlycardboardtabletopmachine thattheybuildthemselves.Everything youneedissupplied,includingtheelastic bandsthatpowertheflippers.Thebest part?Nocarpet-wreckinggluerequired. £20/buildyourownkits.com BELKIN SOUNDFORM NANO

Ifyouknowallthe wordstoBaby Shark thenyou probablyshould haveboughtthem headphonesa longtimeago… andwiththese Bluetoothbuds youcansaveyour ownearswhile knowingtheirs areprotectedby an85dBlimiter. £30/belkin.com

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION: REAL FX BABY BLUE DINOSAUR

JurassicWorldDominion wasn’tavery goodfilm,butatleastitinspiredatoy that’ssuretoterrifygrandparentsthis Christmas.Thislifesizebabyvelociraptor iscontrolledusingapistol-gripcontroller mechanismbuiltintothehandlingglove. Itreactstotouchandfeatures20sound effects,butalmostcertainlydoesn’tbite. £100/smythstoys.com VTECH KIDIZOOM DUO 5.0

Today’skidsare probablybaffled byadevicethat existsonlytotake photos;butifyou wanttointroduce themtoactual cameras,thisisa fineplacetostart. Aimedatchildren aged3-9,ittakes 5MPsnaps,has a4xdigitalzoom andshootsvideo. £65/vtech.co.uk HUCKLEBERRY MAKEYOUR OWNMOTOR BOAT

It’seasytowow 2022’skidswith gadgetswedidn’t evendreamof attheirage,but sometimesthe simplethingsare stillthebest.All yougethereisa waterproofmotor withatwo-bladed propeller. £10/ edenproject.com

TECH TYKE

Children also like Christmas, unfortunately; so if you want to stop them breaking your new presents, you’d best distract them with this stuff

TAMAGOTCHI PIX PARTY

Techhascome alongwaysince theearly2000s. They’llstillbe nurturingavirtual petfromeggto adulthood,but thesedaysthe screeniscolour, thebuttonsare touch-sensitive, andtheycaninvite guestsaroundfor aparty. £40/ thetoyshop.com NINTENDO SWITCH LITE

Thisisn’tthe newestSwitch, norisitthebest versionofthe console,butits sizemakesitthe bestchoicefor littlehands…and asit’sapurely handheldconsole, theywon’tbe hoggingtheTV whenyouwant towatchthefitba. £199/ currys.co.uk

LEGO TABLE FOOTBALL

LegoislistingitsnewTableFootballset as18+,butwereckonthatjustmeans youhaveagoodexcusetohelpthekids buildit.This2339-piececreationisboth buildableandplayable,witheachminifig teamhavingakeeper,twodefenders andtwoforwards.Another12fillthe separategrandstand,becausewhat’s thepointofscoringaworldieifthereare noplasticpeopletheretoseeit? £215/lego.com HOT WHEELS RAINBOW ROAD

RainbowRoadhas alwaysseparated thegoodMario Kart players fromthepathetic amateurs,andthis playsetshoulddo thesamethingfor HotWheels.It’san 8ftlongrecreation ofthemaddening track,complete withtwokarts. £120/ smythstoys.com XPLORA XGO3

Aretheyenvious ofyourApple Watch?This kid-friendlyticker doesapretty goodimpression ofone,butonly givesthem featureslike communication withpre-selected phonecontacts, safety-focused GPS,acameraand astepcounter. £140/ xplora.co.uk YOTO MINI

Thisdelightfully tactilespeaker istheperfect waytokeepkids entertainedwhile you’retackling theturkey. Audiobooks comeascards thatyouslotinto thetop;theycan thenbelistened tothroughits diddydriveror viaheadphones. £60/ yotoplay.com

Scroll power

There is a web browser, but it’s designed to filter out inappropriate sites and lets you block whatever you don’t want them finding.

You get 32GB of internal storage,which should be plenty for the most content-hungry tyke – but it can be expanded up to 1TB.

AMAZON FIRE HD 8 KIDS PRO

Handingayoungsteratabletdoesn’thavetomeanthey’llimmediatelyspend4hrs watchingback-to-backMinecraftvideosonYouTube.Amazon’strustyFireHD8 tablethasbeenbeefedupfor2022,andtheeducation-focusedKidsProvariantis asfeature-packedasever.Intendedforchildrenaged6-12,itcomeswiththeusual sprog-proofcase(aswellasatwo-yearguaranteeincasethatfailsinitsdutyof protection),andincludesayearofAmazonKids+,whichgrantsaccesstoamountain ofage-appropriateapps,games,books,videosandmorefromthelikesofDisney, NationalGeographicandLego.Theymightevenaccidentallylearnsomething. £150/amazon.co.uk

Papa’s got a brand new lag

The new Fire HD 8 has a 30% faster processor than the previous model and promises 13hrs of battery life.

Strapped-in soul

The P3 weighs a touch under 1.5kg. Getting tired of carrying it? You can add a shoulder strap (£12) that’ll make it a bit easier to lug. The free Polaroid Music app includes five online radio stations that you can switch between using the dial on the top of the speaker.

POLAROID P3

PolaroidisuptherewithSinclair,DeLoreanand,er,Woolworthswhenitcomesto much-lovedretrobrandnames–buttrytotakeaninstantphotowithoneofitslatest productsandyou’llbeverydisappointed.TheP3isa35-wattBluetoothspeaker thatcomesinfivedifferentcolours–yellow,blue,red,greyorblack–andlastsup to15hrsonasinglecharge.Butit’stheold-skoolboomboxdesignthatreallysets itapartfromtheseaofotherwirelessspeakersoutthere,withachunkyanalogue dialforadjustingthevolumeandapolishedmetalhandleforcarryingitaroundthe suburbanstreetsonyourshoulder. £170/polaroid.com

Ballad of easy wider

Forstereosoundyou canpairuptwoP3s,or mix and match with the other three speakers in the range.

AMAZFIT GTR 4

Preferasmartwatchthatcanalsopass asananaloguetick-tocker?Amazfit’s GTR4ispackedwithmodernsmarts, suchasdual-bandGPS,aPPGbiometric sensorandexpansivefitness-tracking capabilities,butmaintainsavintage feelwithitsclassicchronographstyling. That’sonlyenhancedifyouoptforthe leatherstrap(forextrapurchase)rather thanasiliconeorfabricband. £199/amazfit.com SCALEXTRIC BACK TO THE FUTURE VS KNIGHT RIDER

As 1980s icons go, you don’t get much bigger than Marty McFly and Michael Knight, so who better to combine with the era’s greatest toy? This 5.3m track comes with both KITT and the Doc’s DeLorean. £160/ scalextric.com KLIPSCH PROMEDIA HERITAGE 2.1

This220Waudio systemwilladda retrotwisttoany desktop.The8in sublooksafter thelowend,while thetwomain speakershave 3inwoofersand 1intweeters.It’s wireless,butthere areRCAinputsfor retroconnectivity. £359/ klipsch.com

FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI EVO

Nowthatwe’veallgothugelycapable snappersonourphones,anyactual camerafeelsvaguelyretrothesedays, buttheInstaxMiniEvogoesalloutonthe throwbackthing.Ithasabuilt-inprinter forspittingoutthe4.9MPpicturesit takes(orothersfromyourphone),with aloadoflensandfilmfiltersforgiving themasuitablyold-skoollook.Justdon’t forgettobuyextrafilmforit. £175/instax.co.uk MARSHALL MOTIF ANC

Truewirelessbuds areathoroughly moderninvention, butMarshall’s IPX5-ratedMotif ANCin-earslook liketheycould havecomefrom rock’sheyday. Theyhave customisable touchcontrols andamatching chargingcase. £180/marshall headphones.com

RETRO HEAD

For the gadget nostalgia fan who seems to have forgotten how rubbish old tech really was, the solution is modern gear with vintage vibes

LOGITECH MX MECHANICAL MINI

Nothing takes you back to the old days of computing like a mechanical keyboard, but this compact Bluetooth version has some modern tricks – like a smart backlight and one-button flipping between paired devices. £150/ logitech.com EVERCADE EXP

Evercade’sEXP makesretro gamingeasier thanbeating ablindfolded toddleratStreet FighterII.This handheldhas a4.3inIPSscreen and18Capcom classicsbuiltin, includingthe aforementioned 2Dbeat’em-up. £130/ evercade.co.uk ELAGO W8 STAND FOR APPLE WATCH

You’ve just got to love this silicone stand. Slot your charger through the back, pop your Apple Watch in the top, and its screen will peep through the hole at the top, making it look like you’ve got a chunky old calculator on your bedside table. £16/elago.com

NOKIA 8210 4G

Ifyouknowsomebodywhosaysthey justdon’tmakephonesliketheyused to,buythemaNokia82104G.OK,it’s notexactlythesameasthelate’90s original,buttheresemblanceisobvious, plusyougetasuitablysimple2.8in QVGAscreen,0.3MPcamera,128MB ofstorageandaremovablebattery that’lllastnearlyamonthonstandby. Oh,andyes,itdoescomewithSnake. £65/nokia.com RUARK R2

The R2 might look like an old radio, but behind its wooden grille you’ll find a very capable music system. As well as DAB, FM and internet radio it’ll also let you listen over Bluetooth or stream directly from Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer. £479/ ruarkaudio.com LEGO ATARI 2600

It’shardtoimagine Legomakingan XboxSeriesX in40years’time (well,aplainblack cuboidwouldbe prettyboringto build)–butthe Atari2600comes fromatimewhen consoleslooked interesting.It’s madeupof2532 pieces,including threecartridges. £210/lego.com

FULL REVIEW p81

NOTHING EAR STICK

YoucoulddecorateawholeChristmas treewithallthedifferentaffordable in-earsoutthere,butthere’sonlyone pairwe’dputatthetop:theEarStick. These’phonesarecomfortableinthe earandofferANCforunder£100,which Applecertainlydoesn’tdowithits AirPods.Oh,andthetransparentchassis meansyoucanshinealightthrough themandthey’lllookabitlikeastar. £99/nothing.tech 1MORE SONOFLOW

Thesewireless over-earslook notunlikeSony’s all-conquering WH-1000XM5s. They’renotthat good,buttheydo offersurprisingly goodANCand punchysoundfor awallet-friendly pairofcans,and 50hrbatterylife istheicingonthe Christmascake. £90/1more.com GOOGLE PIXEL STAND (2ND GEN)

Ifyouknow someonewho’s pickeduponeof thenewPixel7 phones,they’ll wanttopairitwith agoodwireless charger.Thereare billionsofoptions, buttheUSPof Google’supright standisthatitcan deliverupto23W. £69/store. google.com

XIAOMISMARTBAND7PRO

Slappingafitnesswearableontheirwrist isagoodwaytoremindsomebodytoget startedwiththeirnewyearrunningplan… andthenewSmartBand7Progivesyou alotforrelativelylittle.Built-inGNSS promisesbettertrackingandfaster position-lockingthantheoldSmart Band6,whileamuchlargerAMOLED displayshowsalotmoreinformation withouthavingtoswipe. £85/mi.com LYT 740ML BOTTLE

Watermight belastonyour drinkinglistafter mulledwine, sloegin,eggnog, sherry,portand Baileys,butit’s importanttostay hydrated.This stainlesssteel bottlehasaUV-C lightbuiltintothe cap,whichzaps germseveryhour. £60/ zerowater.co.uk

£100 OR LESS

Because times are tough, and also because not everyone deserves that much of your money, here are some more affordable options

SURI SUSTAINABLE SONIC TOOTHBRUSH

Anewcomer ontheelectric toothbrushscene, Surireckonsthe magneticmotor initsfirstproduct delivers33,000 plaque-lifting vibrationsa minute–and it’llevenrecycle theplant-based headsforyou. £90/trysuri.com LOGITECH LITRA GLOW

Buyingforakeen streamer,orjust someonewho’s alwaysonavideo call?Thisglowing lightwillensure theyalwayslook theirbest.Itgives full-spectrum LEDlightfora balanced,natural look,andsits onathree-way monitormount. £59/ logitech.com GOVEESMART OUTDOOR STRING LIGHTS

Youmighthaveto waitafewmonths tostartshowing themoff,but Govee’sRGBLED gardenlightbulbs willaddcolour toanysummer soiree.Theyget onwellwithboth AlexaandGoogle Assistant,and don’tneedahub. £70/govee.com

MARSHALL WILLEN

Marshall’smostbackpack-friendly Bluetoothspeakertodateisalsoperfect stockingfodder.Asyou’dexpect,itlooks notunlikeaveryteenyversionofone ofthelegendarybrand’samps,buthere you’repairingasmartphoneratherthan plugginginaguitar.Thediddyspeaker mightweighjust310g,butMarshallhas crammedintwopassiveradiatorspaired witha2infull-rangedriver. £90/marshallheadphones.com GAMESIR X2 PRO

Microsoftisyetto launchahandheld Xbox,butyoucan atleastmakeyour Androidphone looklikeonewith thiscontroller.The X2Prohasthe usualXboxbutton layout,andnew memberseven getamonthof XboxGamePass Ultimateincluded. £80/ amazon.co.uk NOKIA C21 PLUS

Nokia’sbudget blowershavelong beensomeof thebest,andthe C21Plusdoesn’t damagethat reputation.Built withdurability inmind,ithasa 6.5intoughened glassHD+display anda4000mAh batterythat promisesupto twodaysofuse. £99/nokia.com

I am a clock

On the pricier Echo Dot with Clock (£65), Amazon has swapped the old LED display for a dot matrix that can show more info. Scarborough pair

As always,the Dot can be paired with other Echo devices,allowing you to create multiroom audio setups or control the telly with Fire TV. The round of silence

Barking at Alexa will always do the trick,but if you’re next to the Echo Dot you can tap it to pause the music.

FULL REVIEW p83

AMAZON ECHO DOT (5TH GEN)

OfallAmazon’sAlexa-totingsmartdevices,theEchoDotprobablystillgivesyouthe mostbangforyourbuck.Thefifth-generationDotstickswiththepreviousspeaker’s design,butfeaturesaprettymuchtotallyredesignedaudioarchitecture,whichresults inbeefierbassandclearervocalsthanbefore.SoifAlexa’sbeingaskedtoplayDJ,you canexpectanall-roundimprovement.Newmotionandtemperaturesensorsexpand theDot’salreadyextensivecapabilities,whileEeromeshWi-Firouterownerscan haveitdoubleasahandyrange-extenderintheirhome.Thiswasalreadyoneoftech’s all-timebargainsandit’snowevenmorebargainy. from£55/amazon.co.uk

Flashes to flashes

A built-in flash throws light on dimly lit scenes. Twist the ring around the lens to enable it, then wait for the indicator to glow.

Rolled-on years

The Ektar H35 takes standard 35mm film. A door on the rear opens for loading,while a thumb-wheel lets you wind it on.

Face oddity

Keen to coordinate your kit? Clad in a leather-effect faceplate,the H35 ships in black,brown, sage or sand.

KODAK EKTAR H35

Christmasmemoriesmightbepriceless,butshootthefestivitieson35mmfilm andyou’llbeforkingoutafortuneattheprintshopcome12thnight.Wantanalogue nostalgiawithlessofahipsterpricetag?Lightweightandstyledtomatchitsvintage medium,Kodak’scompactH35shootshalfframestomaximiseyourrollallowance. Consecutivephotosappearsidebysideinasinglesnap,givingyoutwiceasmany exposuresfromasinglereel.Thatmeansyoucanexperimentwithcontrasting orcomplementarycompositions,likeaportraitofAuntieSusanfollowedbyan expressionisticstudyofheremptyginbottle. £50/kodak.com

HUMAX WI-FI SMART PLUG

Adisplayofa thousandlights beginswitha singleplug.Insert thisoneintoa standardsocket anditconnectsto yourWi-Fi,with anappallowing youtoswitchyour illuminationson andoffatwill,or schedulethebig turn-onforlater. £15/humax direct.co.uk LEGO 007 ASTON MARTIN DB5

Christmas morningsare hecticenough without007 power-sliding aDB5across yourlawnand demandinga pumpkinspice martini.Sotrythis littlebrick-built kit:a298-piece Astoncomplete withBondintux. £20/lego.com

KEEPCUP HELIX KIT

Refillingbottlesandcupssavespennies aswellastheworld–andthishybridis bothabottleandacup.Astainlessbase withswappabletops,itdoesdoubleduty asacoffeemugandwaterslurper.Use thepop-shutlidtosipyourmorning brew,beforeswappingitfortheflask attachment.Allelementsareinsulated, whileacatalogueofcoloursmeansyou canmixupyourvisualrecipes. from£42/keepcup.com IKEA NORDMARKE (2022)

Youcan’ttopup yourphoneusing Christmasspirit, buthowabout thisQi-compatible disc?While5W chargingisn’tthe speediest,it’snot badforatenner. Justremember you’llneedyour ownUSB-Ccable tohookitupto themains. £10/ikea.com

LOGITECH WIRELESS POP MOUSE

Gratitudeatyetanotherknittedpresent isn’teasytofake–ifonlyyourfacehad acustomisableemojibuttonlikethis compactwirelessmouse.Programmed throughtheLogiOptions+software,the dinkyclickercanflingoutyourfavourite face,allowingyoutodistributejoytothe worldwithjustatapofthetop.Handyif you’rethankingyourgranbyemail. £35/logitech.com

£50 OR LESS

Counting your chocolate coins this year? These presents are more than mere stocking-fillers but they won’t drain the piggy bank…

ALEXA VOICE REMOTE PRO

Movieselection causesenough festivefriction withoutarguing overwholostthe remote.Helpfully, thisAmazon zappercanring onrequest–just askAlexa.Then youcanuseitsmic tocallupfilmson yourFireTVstick orscreen. £35/ amazon.co.uk HUAWEI BAND 7

Youdon’tneeda gymmembership togetthejumpon yournewfitness commitment:this tickerwillgiveyou afull-fathealth assessment.Slim at10mmandgood fortwoweeksat atime,itfeatures 96activitymodes andwillmonitor stresslevels. £50/consumer. huawei.com TRIBIT STORMBOX MICRO 2

Forastashable impulsebuythat cansoundtrack yourseasonal shindig,trythis miniaturespeaker. TheMicro2isthe audioequivalent ofpigsinblankets: pleasinglymeaty. Its12hrbattery canalsobeused toboostyour smartphone. £50/tribit.com BELLROY LITE LAPTOP SLEEVE

TopSanta’snice listandyoumight unwrapalaptop, butscratchiton dayoneandyou’ll beplummeting downthenaughty rankings.Bestget somebulk-free protectionwith thisslimsleeve, witharecycled ripstopfabricskin. from£35/ bellroy.com

ELAGO FLOPPY DISK CASE FOR AIRTAG

Giftsomeoneafloppydisktodayandit’s onlyusefulasaretrocoaster;butgiftan AirTagownerthissiliconeequivalentand they’llbeabletotracktheirstufflikeit’s stowedsafelyina1990sfilingcabinet. Smallerandsofterthanthe3.5inoriginal, Apple’sowndiscsitsneatlyinsidethe case,withanintegratedringforeasy keychainattachment. £15/elago.com JBL WAVE BUDS

Thesebudget budsareshaped forcomfortand tunedforabassy listen,andthey’re goodfor8hrsof solidCliff.You’ll get24morefrom thecase,while speedcharging gives2hrsin 10minsand TalkThrumode helpsyouyodel alongintune. £47/jbl.com

APPLE WATCH ULTRA

Mostruggedwatchesaremorethan happyupamountainbutdon’tfitinquite sowelldownatyourexclusivemembers’ club.Withitsclassytitaniumcaseand military-gradetoughness,plusallthe usualhealthandsmartwatchfeatures, theAppleWatchUltraisathomeinboth environments…thoughwewouldn’t advisethebrightorangestrapfordinner withtheambassador. £849/apple.com VANMOOF S5

Mostelectric bikesaremore functionalthan fancy,butthe VanMoofS5is guaranteedto drawadmiring glanceswhenyou lockitupoutside yourfavourite takeawaygranola station.Ithas built-inlightsand ispackedwith anti-thefttech. £2998/ vanmoof.com

SMEG FAB10RDYVC5

Nothingsaysluxurylikehavingafridge justforchampagne–andwithVeuve Clicquot’snameemblazonedacrossthe front,there’snotmuchdangeroffilling thisonewithScotcheggsandbottles ofsaladcreambyaccident.Measuring aboutametretallandjustover50cm wide,it’llfitinnicelyattheendofthe chaiselongue,soyoudon’tevenneed togotothekitchenforatop-up. £2500/smeguk.com DEVIALET DIONE

Withitsmattblack finishandorb-like centrechannel, Devialet’s950W Dionesoundbar givesoffreal space-agerelic vibes–butwith 17high-end driversina5.1.2 configurationand DolbyAtmos,it’ll makeyourtelly soundcosmic. £2000/ devialet.com FOCAL UTOPIA(2022)

Luxuryisn’tjust aboutprice–it’s afeeling.Andwith theirlambskin memory-foam earpadsand leatherheadband, youcan’tbeatthe feelingofslipping onapairofthese over-earsand losingyourself inTheVeryWorst ofPhilCollins. £3699/ focal.com

BREAK THE BANK

Pretend the cost-of-living crisis was just a dream and give your debit card a workout with this bundle of money-no-object gifts

PHILIPS 65OLED+937

It’shardtofit amassivetelly underthetree,but withitsfour-sided AmbilightandHue compatibilityyou couldalwaystryto integratethe65in OLED+937with thedecorations. Itsintegrated B&Wsoundbar wouldmakeithard towrapanyway. £2899/ philips.co.uk ASTELL & KERN A&ULTIMA SP3000

Witha5.46inFull HDdisplayand astainlesssteel chassis,thisdigital musicplayerisfor theaudiophilein yourlife.Y’know, thekindwho won’tsettlefor lessthananAsahi KaseiAK4499EX DACchip. £3799/ astellnkern.co.uk

GAGGIA CLASSIC

Trueextravaganceishavingyourown live-inbarista–butifyoucan’tquite stretchtostaff,Gaggia’sClassiccomes withamilk-steamingwandandis capableofproducingupto15bars ofpressure,soitshouldturnoutcoffee fitforthefussiestbeansnob.Hereit isin‘lobsterred’ ,anodtotheoriginal BabyGaggiamachinethatwaslaunched 45yearsago. £429/gaggia.com HYDROW WAVE

Ifyou’renotposh enoughtogo actualrowing, amachinethat letsyoudoitin thecomfortof yourownhome isabetter(and drier)option.This islikePelotonfor rowers,providing guidedworkouts viathe16in touchscreen. £1395/ hydrow.co.uk KEF LSX II

Everythingyou needforaproper hi-fiexperienceis packedintothese colourfulcabinets (they’reavailable infivefinishes, includinglavared andcobaltblue). Theysupport Chromecast, AirPlay2and Bluetooth,with 100Wofpower drivingeachone. £1199(pair) /kef.com MAEVING RM1

Thegrown-up versionofcoming downstairstofind aBMXunderthe tree,unwrapping aMaevingRM1 willsoonhave theCBT-holding recipientpopping giantwheeliesin excitement.But thenear-silent electricmotor meansitwon’t scareGrandma. from£5995/ maeving.com

Up from the size

This is the Calibre E4 in 45mm form,with a 1.39in 454x454 AMOLED display. The smaller variant has a 1.28in screen.

Little wring

The 42mm model’s 330mAh battery will probably need charging every night; the 45mm version stretches to 440mAh.

One rainy splish

There’s GPS and a heart-rate monitor,plus it’s waterproof down to 50m so you can use it for tracking workouts including swimming.

TAG HEUER CONNECTED CALIBRE E4

High-endwatchesthatcostthesameasanewcarmightbefulloftechnicalintricacies andmicroscopicworksofmechanicalart,buttheydon’tscratchthe‘smart’itchthat Stuff readersdemandofatimepiece.TagHeuer’sCalibreE4,however,sitsnicely inthemiddle zoneofthewatch-nerd/gadget-fanVenndiagram.There’sa42mm or45mmsteelcasewithceramicbezeltopleasetheformer,whiletheSnapdragon 4100+processorthatpowersWearOScatersforthelatter,offeringalltheusualphone notificationsandfitnessfeaturesyou’dexpectfromaGoogle-poweredwearable. Thatpricetagisjusttherightsideofunreasonabletoo. from£1550/tagheuer.com