47 Awesome Gifts for All the Enthusiasts, Connoisseurs, and Fanatics in Your Circle
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Blessed Be the FruitRaspberry Pi 5Mehr lesen
Whisky DrinkFirebelly Matcha Essentials KitMehr lesen
Peep ShowArticle One AvalonMehr lesen
Roll ModelToyo Utility CartMehr lesen
You know the type: the one person on your “nice” list who's impossible to shop for. You love them to death, of course, but they're either difficult to please, or they claim they “don't need anything.” The perfect present is as elusive as a needle in a stack of tinsel. If you're on the quest to find that just-right gift, this list is for you.
All year long, WIRED's writers and editors test out the newest gadgets, from the strange to the ingenious. By the end of the year, a handful of those stand out to us for their thoughtful design, quality, or good whimsical fun. In this list, you'll find unique gifts from cameras to clever toys. Once you've homed in on that exalted, perfect present, there's no reason not to get one for yourself, too, as a treat.
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Be sure to check out our many other gift guides, including the best tech gifts for kids, ideas for the home chef, and gifts under $25.
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- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Blessed Be the Fruit
Raspberry Pi 5The Raspberry Pi debuted a decade ago as a tiny computing platform for tinkerers and hobbyists. Now the 4-inch circuit board has grown powerful enough to serve as a household’s primary computer. The Pi 5 is twice as fast as the previous model, with a new 2.4-GHz CPU, a more efficient GPU, and an updated power management controller, all made with custom silicon developed by Raspberry’s in-house engineers. There’s support for dual 4K displays this time too. Users pushing their Pi hard 24/7 will want to spend an extra $5 on the Active Cooler module, which mounts directly to the main board and manages the heat with a fan and heat sink array.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Whisky Drink
Firebelly Matcha Essentials KitThe perfect gift for a true tea person, this three-piece kit contains all the makings of a killer cup of matcha. The tin is filled with ceremonial-grade Japanese green tea that’s been milled into a fine powder. Firebelly’s matcha is excellent—rich with grassy flavors and a sweet finish. The 30-gram stash makes about 20 cups. Use the battery-powered Aerolatte whisk to froth up the matcha in hot water and to whip oat milk to make a latte. The 13-ounce bowl has high sides to prevent splashes during prep.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Peep Show
Article One AvalonChunky acetate-framed sunglasses dress up any outfit with a dash of timeless style, but they’re usually pretty heavy and tend to slide around when you start to move and get sweaty. Article One’s patented frame resin is made from hexetate, which is lighter and more durable than acetate while retaining a cool and luxurious feel. Rubber pads on the nose and behind the ears keep the frames on your face while biking, paddling, and hiking. Don’t worry—you can still pull them down your nose to peer over the top just as skeptically as a lead actor in a 1980s teen movie. The UV-blocking, anti-glare lenses come in seven polarized and nonpolarized tints.
- Photograph: Toyo Steel
Roll Model
Toyo Utility CartThe Osaka-based Toyo Steel Company is known for its brightly colored and decoratively stamped steel toolboxes and utility boxes. The company’s wheeled cart is just as useful—and covetable. The bottom two trays are each about 24 by 12 inches, and 6 inches deep. Fill them with crafting supplies, Legos, or your arsenal of household cleaning products. Or load up the shallow top tray with WFH essentials and use the 33-inch-tall cart as a deskside caddy. Toyo’s products are sturdy enough to easily last a few lifetimes, so don’t be surprised when everyone starts asking whether this thing will be included in your will.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Eye, Robot
Nikon Z fNikon’s latest compact system camera has the handsome ruggedness of an analog shooter, with knurled metal knobs, a big viewfinder, and tactile manual controls. But the guts are straight from the future: Nikon’s newest full-frame sensor captures 24.5-MP stills, 4K video, and ultralow-noise, 96-MP images made by merging 32 sequential photos. Machine intelligence algorithms were used to develop the autofocus system’s object-detection feature; the camera recognizes humans, dogs, birds, and bikes, and adjusts the AF to track the subject. The camera can also auto-tweak the settings, assessing your surroundings and adjusting the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture to give you the best chance of a winning shot.
- Photograph: Bang & Olufsen
Listen Here
Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8If your listening habits are as mercurial as your taste in music, consider the new wireless speakers from Danish audio wizards Bang & Olufsen. The Beolab 8s can be set to narrowly fire sound waves directly to your favorite chair when you’re alone or to widely disperse audio in a room full of guests. Or, if you want to keep the sound pristine while you move between the chaise, ottoman, and bar cart, open B&O’s mobile app on your iPhone and the speakers will reposition the sweet spot to your location. Onboard microphones monitor playback, and the speakers self-adjust to tighten up any flabbiness. Yes, they’re expensive, but each unit puts 300 watts of power behind three drivers, and the whole setup—from the glass touch-control panel on top to the brushed metal bodies and optional wood grilles—look and feel scrumptiously luxe. Plus, the speakers can stream from any service you can name and will make vintage analog gear sound born-again.
- Photograph: Meta
Outside In
Meta Quest 3The most surprising thing about Meta’s latest headset is that it doesn’t just do virtual reality. Much like Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro face computer, the Quest 3 allows some of the real world to creep in. A six-camera array on the outside of the goggles pipes in a view of the wearer’s surroundings, allowing the headset to offer mixed-reality experiences that play out on carpets, tabletops, and ceilings. The pair of included hand controllers and an array of integrated speakers for 3D audio effects complete the untethered immersion. There are more than 500 games and experiences available now, with Meta promising more reality-blurring titles next year.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Final Cut
CRKT P.S.D. IIThe initials in this knife’s name stand for “particle separation device,” which reflects designer Jim Hammond’s belief that the knife is so durable and versatile it can be used to cut nearly anything. Nice peace of mind, that. This second iteration of the P.S.D. is a minimal knife with a 3-inch stainless steel drop-point blade and a 4-inch fiberglass composite handle. A flipper tab on the back lets you flick it open with one hand (after some practice), and a liner lock makes sure the thing doesn’t close up on you while you’re dismantling Amazon boxes, opening a bag of cat litter, or slicing bananas for your oatmeal.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Eyewitness
Insta360 Go 3The Go 3 is a tiny action camera that’s able to shoot stabilized 2.7K video while clipped to your shirt, magnetically mounted to your helmet, or dangling around your neck like a pendant. The pill-like camera gets even more capable when you snap it into its Action Pod, a larger housing with both a battery pack and a 2.2-inch articulated touchscreen. Vloggers and action sports nuts will appreciate the dual microphones’ wind suppression features, and stargazers will love the time-lapse mode for capturing hours-long scenes. Crop clips in the companion mobile app to fit a standard frame, a square, or (sigh) vertical formats.
- Photograph: Specialized Bicycles
Carry On
Specialized Haul STSpecialized’s Globe Haul ST is the company’s first light cargo ebike and the first affordable, reliable car substitute from a major road bike manufacturer. The Haul fits riders of many heights, from under 5 feet to well over 6. The powerful 700-watt rear hub motor relies on an IPX7-rated battery to provide natural-feeling pedal assistance beyond the advertised range of 60 miles. The 20-inch multi-terrain wheels are stable on paved and unpaved roads, even when the bike is loaded to its 419-pound capacity. There’s no suspension, which can make the ride bumpy if you’re carrying a lot, and it uses a greasy chain instead of a clean belt drive. However, unlike direct-to-consumer bike companies, Specialized has a large network of shops that can do repairs.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Set Your Watch
Knot TimepiecesKnot is a Japanese watchmaker founded in 2014, recent enough to still be a brand-new name in the world of horology. The company’s timepieces are beautifully designed yet surprisingly affordable. If you stop by Knot’s store in Harajuku, Tokyo, you’ll find a large table displaying a dizzying array of watch faces—including automatic, quartz, and solar models—and a plethora of straps in different designs and materials. Mix and match to achieve your perfect style. For those of us who can’t make it to Japan, Knot replicates this customizable experience on its web store.
- Photograph: Loftie
Pillow Talk
Loftie ClockBookend your slumber with the innovative tech inside this bedside clock. It uses a two-phase alarm to rouse you: a gentle 30-second alarm is followed nine minutes later by a more invigorating jingle that serves as your official wake-up call. At bedtime, you can choose one of the 100-plus included soothing soundscapes, or you can activate Loftie’s built-in Magic Story Maker, which combines ChatGPT and ElevenLabs’ voice AI to craft personalized bedtime stories. Drift off to fanciful tales about a seaside vacation or a snowy train ride with your best friend, secret crush, or favorite Dostoevsky character. While the soundbaths and nature sounds are free, the AI features require a $5 monthly subscription.
- Photograph: Moft
Stand by Me
Laptop Carry SleeveProtect your laptop while giving your mobile office an ergonomic boost with this vegan leather sleeve-stand hybrid. It keeps the computer wrapped in a scratchproof and water-resistant shell that has a zippered pocket for your cables and dongles. When you sit down to work, the sleeve origamis into a multiuse stand, propping up your laptop at a 15-degree angle that’s perfect for typing or a 25-degree angle that lifts your webcam closer to eye level for videoconferencing. The 14-inch sleeve fits most laptops up to 15 inches; the 16-inch version ($70) is a better fit for beefier machines like Apple’s new 16-inch MacBook Pro.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
It’s a Wrap
Girlfriend Collective Jam Packable PufferA lightweight, wind- and water-resistant jacket is useful in all climes, but especially during the chilly shoulder seasons of late fall and early spring. Girlfriend Collective’s sleek, stylish puffer has a bungee in the waist; cinch it to trap heat when layered under a rain shell, or loosen it to layer over a hoodie when you’re walking the dog. Both the outer material and the insulating filling are made from recycled plastic bottles. When the sun comes out to warm your bones, tuck the jacket into its built-in stuff sack and toss it into your tote.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Keep Your Head
Cannondale SidestreetThis helmet’s understated good looks belie its advanced construction, light weight, and abundant comfort. The elastic chin strap keeps it reassuringly secure on even the most oddly shaped noggin. A hidden vent above the sun visor lets the breeze cool your forehead, and all the pads can be removed and washed when they get funky. The Sidestreet gets an added safety boost from the MIPS system, industry-standard tech that reduces the brain-damaging effects of rotational forces experienced during a nasty crash.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Oldfactory Science
Future Society Solar CanopyFuture Society puts a historical spin on traditional perfumery. The company sequences DNA samples of extinct flowers, then isolates the genes that produce scent molecules. Those genes are bioengineered into yeast cells, which pump out scents that the company’s perfumers blend with other botanicals. This fragrance is built around Hibiscadelphus wilderianus, a Hawaiian flower that grew on the slope of Maui’s Haleakala volcano until 1912. Now you can wear the citrusy, rose-ish scent of yesteryear to all tomorrow’s parties.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Liquid Asset
LifeStraw Home 7-Cup GlassYou might know LifeStraw as the company that makes a portable water filtration system you carry in your backpack on hiking trips. Now, the same technology that lets you safely sip from backcountry streams without catching giardia is available for your kitchen counter. This 56-ounce glass pitcher uses two filters—a membrane microfilter and an activated carbon filter—to remove parasites, bacteria, microplastics, PFAS, and other contaminants from your drinking water. The microfilter ($25) cleans about 40 gallons of water, so you replace it every two months; the carbon filter ($17) should last a year.
- Photograph: Teenage Engineering
Record Collector
Teenage Engineering TP-7 Field RecorderThe makers of the legendary OP-1 synthesizer are back with more audio ingenuity. Teenage Engineering’s TP-7 is a gorgeous way to tape an interview, record samples, and capture late-night notes-to-self. Outfitted with 128 GB of storage and three 3.5-mm jacks that work as inputs or outputs, this field recorder is ready to roll tape whenever you are. The dedicated buttons to start and stop recordings are easily reached while holding it in one hand, as is the rocker on the side to fast-forward and rewind. The disc in the center mimics an analog tape reel, slowly spinning as it records; thumb it to manually scrub through a clip, or press and hold to pause playback. A companion mobile app transcribes recorded interviews and backs up your sounds to the cloud.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Clickbait
James Brand BurwellThere’s something about a heavy pen. Your thoughts carry more weight, your words land with extra gravity. OK, not always, but a sturdy metal pen just feels so satisfying to write with. James Brand’s Burwell pen has a 1.2-ounce stainless steel body with a machined grip and a pleasingly angular pocket clip next to the spring-loaded clicker. It uses Parker-style G2 ballpoint cartridges, so your options for cheap refills are many. Choose between black, silver, and rose gold.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Hey Buds, Let’s Party!
Technics EAH-AZ80When you think of who makes quality wireless earbuds, Technics may not be on your list. But the legacy hi-fi brand has been working hard to change that, and the EAH-AZ80 are the culmination of that journey. These buds offer great noise canceling, sparkling sound, seven hours of playtime per charge, and excellent comfort, with a quiver of ear tips to help them fit nearly everyone. They can pair to three devices at once, setting them apart from rivals like AirPods Pro when it comes to multitasking across a phone, tablet, and computer. Their relatively high price pushes the envelope a bit, but these buds prove Technics deserves to be a part of the conversation.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Suction Pup
Tapo RV30C PlusMany of the leading robovacs—Roombas, Deebots, and the like—use cameras to see where they’re going and avoid obstacles. But letting a camera-equipped bot surveil your hallways is a gamble, exposing you to privacy breaches by hackers. The smarter way to automate your sweeping is with a lidar-equipped robovac like this one. It uses lasers to learn the lay of the land, then plans a path to efficiently suck crumbs and pet hair from your floors and carpet. When its three-hour run time is spent, it heads to its dock to empty its payload in a 4-liter dust bag and recharge.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Hat Trick
Parapack P-CapThe P-Cap by Parapack will win your heart with a clever design: The whole hat, brim and all, folds up into a triangular parcel that fits in your palm or pocket. When the hat’s unfurled, its any-size adjustability is managed by a cinch string in the front, and when it’s folded, that same string can be clipped onto a carabiner or laced onto a backpack D-ring. With an SPF-50 ripstop nylon body and foam visor, it weighs only 1 ounce, so you no longer have an excuse for not packing a hat.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
OK Commuter
Unagi Model One VoyagerWe love ebikes, but they aren’t the best option for city slickers who live in walk-up apartments or rely on public transit for part of their commute. A lightweight folding scooter, like Unagi’s 30-pound Model One Voyager, breezes onto trains and buses and is easy to handle on stairs. It can hit a top speed of 15 mph and tackles hills decently, thanks to a 250-watt motor in each wheel. You’ll get 10 miles per charge out of it (a little more if you’re petite). The Voyager recharges quickly, reaching 50 percent in an hour, so you can top it up while lingering over breakfast at the coffee shop. Just stick to smooth roads; the 7.5-inch solid rubber tires don’t do a great job of softening bumps.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
System Update
MiiR New Standard Moka PotThis stovetop coffee maker from campware specialist Miir is a thoroughly modern tribute to Luigi Di Ponti’s century-old moka pot design. The mechanics haven’t changed: Pour 10 ounces of cold water in the bottom half, add ground coffee to the removable basket in the middle, then screw on the top half. When the water boils, pressure forces it up through the coffee and into the top. What has changed are the materials. Miir’s version uses noncorroding stainless steel instead of aluminum, which means it works on induction cooktops, and the nonmetal bits are durable recycled plastic.
Highlighter
Hobolite MiniThe fastest path to improving your photos and videos is to upgrade your lighting setup, and this retro-licious 20-watt lamp is an easy and inexpensive option. Adjust the brightness and the color temperature of the LED—which puts out light from a warm, mellow 2,700K to a daylight-like 6,500K—using the two knobs on top, or in the companion mobile app. It runs for an hour per charge, and at just 1 pound it can be comfortably held or mounted on a tripod. Each light comes with a set of gels and barn doors to control the color and direction of your illuminating brilliance.
- Photograph: Arlo
Night Ranger
Arlo Pro 5SOur favorite outdoor security camera captures crystal-clear footage day and night, offers a great-looking live feed, and sends alerts when it detects people, animals, vehicles, or packages. With a 160-degree field of view, the camera records 2K-resolution images in HDR, so your feed never looks blown out in uneven light conditions. After dark, you can choose a color night-vision mode or switch on the integrated spotlight. Chat up visitors with clear and lag-free two-way audio, or scare off intruders with a built-in siren. The rechargeable battery should last up to eight months depending on how busy your doorstep is. One catch: You need an Arlo Secure plan ($5 per month for a single camera, $13 for unlimited cameras) to make the most of its features.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Piece Out
Lego Brick BotanicalsIf your giftee is a Lego lover—or just hasn’t dropped the puzzle habit they picked up during the pandemic quarantine—this colorful jigsaw puzzle is sure to entice them to clear off some table space. The 1,000 pieces of this visual brain teaser come together to form the image of a bountiful bouquet made from Lego’s Botanical building sets. The finished puzzle measures 20 by 25 inches. It delivers all the joy of clicking together interlocking pieces without the worry about stepping on the plastic bricks.
- Photograph: Doona
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Doona Liki Trike S3The compact, foldable Liki Trike S3 will grow and change with your child, from when you need to push them along until you don’t. There are three modes to match your child’s age, size, and sense of independence. Younger kids sit on the tricycle-style stroller with the pedals off. When they get a little older, add the pedals, but leave the parent handle attached. When they get to about 2½, remove the handle and let them ride.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
To Go, Please
Klean Kanteen Rise Food Box, Meal SizeFinally, a better bento. Klean Kanteen’s Rise line of food containers comes in a 20-ounce Lunch size, a 34-ounce Meal size (shown here), and a 55-ounce Big Meal size, plus a couple of smaller snack sizes. The small boxes nest inside the large ones for storage. Each stainless steel box is topped by a silicone-lipped lid that forms a tight seal, and little tabs fasten onto the box to keep it secure. A plastic divider snaps into place a few different ways so you can separate your potato mac from your chicken katsu. The bentos are safe in the dishwasher, oven, and freezer, but maybe not in the fridge at work. (Hands off, Jon!)
- Photograph: OffBits
My Metal Pony
OffBitsOffBits’ kits encourage kids to combine the company’s custom components with standard hardware that you might have lying around the house: nuts, bolts, washers, and screws. Each kit includes a special assembly tool and instructions to build a robot, vehicle, animal, or fantastical creature. Kids are inspired to get creative and adapt the designs to suit their imagination. OffBits are made for children 6 and up, but some pieces are tough for younger kids to connect, so a little adult muscle may be required.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Tote's Chic
Jenny Sharaf WIRED Tote BagTo celebrate WIRED’s 30th anniversary, we’ve launched a new line of branded merchandise. Maybe we’ve been sipping too much of the birthday champagne, but we felt the urge to include a snappy item from our own e-store in this year’s gift guide. We just love this tote with a design from California artist Jenny Sharaf that reimagines our W logomark in colorful dribbles of paint. The bag is a bit roomier than your standard tote. Fill it with some of the other wired merch (water bottle, shirt, laptop sleeve), a few magazines, and maybe a slice of cake.
- Photograph: Sony
Best in Show
Sony Bravia XR 55-Inch A75L OLED 4K HDR Google TVFor a television picture with ultradeep blacks and gooey colors, OLED technology still leads the pack. Sony’s 4K panels are already some of the industry’s best, and here the picture is juiced by the company’s advanced image processing software. Bravia TVs include broad support for all the calibrated picture modes from Netflix, Dolby, and Imax, with the added bonus of optimizing the picture quality of PlayStation 5 games for some of the most exceptional-looking chill time you can buy. All your streaming apps can be loaded onto the onboard Google TV platform, which has voice search capabilities powered by Google Assistant. Now you just have to decide what to ask it for.
- Photograph: Fairphone
The Future Called
Fairphone 5The Fairphone 5 is a unique proposition in the smartphone world. Its materials are sourced ethically, the people who construct the devices earn fair pay and work in safe conditions, and it’s easy to fix the thing yourself. The Fairphone opens with a screwdriver, and replacement parts are reasonably priced: A display is $110 and a new camera is $76. Each phone comes with a five-year warranty and five years of Android updates. It’s a welcome antidote to planned obsolescence. Interested Americans have to get one shipped from Europe—Fairphone devices aren’t in the US yet.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Matinee Idol
Moment 1.33X Anamorphic Mobile LensMoment makes our favorite snap-on lenses for mobile phones, and its newest piece of glass is aimed at filmmakers who want to endow their footage with a more pro look. The 1.33X anamorphic lens produces a widescreen effect, transforming typical 16:9 smartphone video into a strikingly cinematic 2.40:1 frame. The horizontal glass elements cause dreamlike distortion at the edges and produce delectable flare effects around any bright lights in the shot. Moment makes a version with a blue filter, for cool, Abrams–Spielberg style flares, and one with a gold filter for a classic ’60s look. A Moment case is required to use it, but the company makes cases for all modern models ($40 and up), including the new iPhone 15 and Pixel 8.
- Photograph: BMW
Trans-Europe Express
BMW i5It’s been a decade since BMW gave us the superlative all-electric i3, but only now is the German carmaker bringing its wildly popular 5 series to market as a full EV. That 10-year gap is absurd, but this is the best electric BMW yet and the first where the EV version drives better than the gas one. The rear-drive eDrive40 model’s max range is 362 miles, and while the all-wheel drive M60 xDrive version is more nimble, its max range is 321 miles. There’s no Level 3 autonomy to guide you through heavy traffic, but there is in-car gaming; use your phone as a controller while waiting for the battery to charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Major Key
Native Instruments Kontrol S49Ready your fingers for endless hours of plinking with this keyboard controller for virtual instruments. The Kontrol’s 49 weighted keys can trigger aftertouch effects, so you can alter a sound’s timbre or add vibrato by continuing to hold down the key at the end of each note. Modulation wheels and a touch strip to the left of the keyboard let you get even more expressive. Dial in sounds stored on your computer by twisting the aluminum knobs below the glass screen, and use the buttons on the left to record overdubs in Ableton Live, Logic, or ProTools digital audio workstations. Analog nerds will love the MIDI interface on the back that lets the S49 control any piece of digital musical hardware, from vintage keyboards to modern rack-mount synthesizers.
- Photograph: Brooks Running
Soft Landing
Brooks Ghost MaxShoes with thin, cardboard-like soles are getting more popular among runners, but they’re not for everyone. Most of us need the exact opposite. Brooks’ newest Ghost Max features a big squishy cushion on the bottom that gives runners and walkers an extra soft step. This is especially welcome for runners who suffer from achy joints or are dealing with injuries, but just about everyone will appreciate the added comfort. The unique sole shape, with a stark upward curve at the toe, rolls you forward as you stride without compromising balance or stability. The shoes are lightweight too—only around 10 ounces for a men’s size 9. A mesh top at the toes let your piggies breathe.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Play Pal
Backbone One Mobile Gaming ControllerBackbone’s spring-loaded controller can turn nearly any phone into a gaming platform. Just stretch it around your handset, connect it to the USB-C or Lightning port, and enjoy the smooth buttons, clicky bumpers, and responsive thumb controls. It even has a headphone jack, a nice touch. Play just about any game—titles you’ve downloaded onto your phone or games streamed from the cloud. The version of the controller pictured here is made for PS Remote Play, so you can enjoy compatible Sony PlayStation games from your surfside vacation palapa. There’s also support for Apple Arcade, GeForce Now, and other major platforms. Note that since Apple’s recent Pro and Pro Max iPhones have bulgy cameras, Backbone offers a free adapter in the box.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Ultimate Wearable
Cast x Windy Chien The Circuit CuffSan Francisco artist Windy Chien is renowned for her pieces of fabric art crafted from knots. She has written an instructional knot-tying book (The Year of Knots) and her twisty, tightly tied work was featured in issue 28.01 of WIRED. Chien has collaborated with California studio Cast to create a jewelry line featuring her “circuit board” designs, with 14K gold and sterling silver standing in for silicon and solder. There are rings, earrings, and pendants in the collection, but we love this cuff, a gender-neutral bracelet with a magnetic clasp that signals the wearer is totally wired.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Hit the Sauce
Blank Slate ZhugSort of a cross between pesto and salsa verde, zhug (also called sahawiq or mabooj) is a vegan, gluten-free Yemeni hot sauce that zings up any savory dish. Blank Slate’s version is a spicy and herby sauce of jalapeño peppers, parsley, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, all heavily dosed with cumin and cardamom. It’s a perfect spread for avocado toast, or dolloped on top of a bowl of hummus. You can even use it to marinate fish and tofu. We’re surprised zhug isn’t as well known as its cousins like Arabic shatta and Indian coriander chutney, but it’s a condiment every foodie should cozy up to.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Bright and Articulated
Workstream by Monoprice WFH Aluminum Multimode LED Desk LampMonoprice sells oodles of work-from-home gear—cables, keyboards, mice, USB drives, headphones, wireless routers—and prices it all affordably. The company’s desk lamp is capable and practical, with five color temperature settings and six brightness levels to match your room’s ambient lighting, and a timer to automatically turn it off. Plus, it has a cute trick up its sleeve. There’s a wireless charger in the base to keep your phone topped up during the workday. A USB-A port on the back supplies juice to your non-wireless gadgets or things that are just too big to balance on the charging pad. The lamp’s hinges are limber enough that you can pack the whole thing flat to save space.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Pivot Point
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2Microsoft’s new hybrid laptop is a do-it-all machine for “I need everything” creative types with a spendy budget and a distaste for macOS. The design revolves around its innovative hinge. Use the Surface like a standard laptop, or pull the bottom edge of the screen forward into an arrangement called Stage Mode, which covers the keyboard but leaves the trackpad available. Pull the screen more to lay it down flat in the tablet-style Studio Mode. If you want to use the Surface Slim Pen 2 instead of a finger to interact with the gorgeous 14.4-inch touchscreen, you’ll sadly need to drop another $130, as the accessory isn’t included.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Trickle Charge
Cowbell Self-Watering Plant Care KitStop watering your plants and start letting them water themselves. Screw the spikelike valve onto the mouth of the Cowbell’s 750-milliliter bottle, jam the bottle spike-down into your potted plant’s soil, fill the bottle with water, and cap it. Over the next two weeks, the valve inside the spike will keep the water in the reservoir suspended in a vacuum. As the dirt dries out, the pressure changes enough to open the valve and let water out, giving your plant what it craves. A 250-ml version called Cowbell Mini ($42) is available for lesser flora.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Hush Now
Bose QuietComfort Ultra HeadphonesBose monopolized the high-end noise-canceling headphone market for years. Then Apple, Sony, and everyone else swooped in with premium offerings that sounded, looked, and felt amazing. Now Bose is back in the luxe game. The QuietComfort Ultras offer three noise-canceling modes for immersive listening, quiet study time, and maintaining awareness of your surroundings. A new spatial audio feature creates the impression that the music is being performed slightly in front of you instead of piped straight into each ear hole. (Take note: It reduces the battery’s play time of 24 hours to a paltry 18.) With metal arms and lightweight plastic covered in soft vegan leather, they fold down easily for travel.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Pull to Refresh
Superkop Espresso MachineYou don’t need a machine with dual copper boilers to make a great cup of espresso. Hell, you don’t even need electricity. A little elbow grease is all that’s required. The Superkop is a manual espresso maker: Put ground coffee into a standard portafilter, nestle the polycarbonate cup on top, fill it with hot water, slip that assembly into the machine, and get pumping. Unlike on most manual machines, you don’t have to pull down with the strength of Hercules to reach the 9 to 11 bars of pressure required to make a shot. The Superkop uses a ratcheting mechanism to keep the pressure constant as you raise and lower the pump arm. Six modest pulls earn you a delicious coffee. No buttons, no app, no nonsense.
- Photograph: Surly Bikes
Bike of All Trades
Surly PreambleThose oddball “bike people” have several rides, one for each type of terrain. One bike is really all anyone needs, and we recommend this Surly. The Preamble is technically a gravel bike, which means its double-butted steel frame and fattish 35-mm tires can handle unpaved paths and sketchy backroad shoulders just as well as pavement. But since the frame can accept luggage racks, fenders, and water bottles, the Preamble also makes a spry commuter and a capable tourer. Whatever your planned route, it’ll happily gobble it up. The Preamble comes set up with disc brakes and an 8-speed drivetrain. Choose between a flat handlebar or curvy drop bars.
- Photograph: Joseph Shin
Perfect Pair
Ripton Women's Hiker JeanThese are the Platonic ideal of jeans: stretchy, ready for anything, huge pockets. Made from a blend of cotton, durable Cordura, and springy elastane, Ripton’s jeans are super comfortable during bike rides, long hikes, and road trips. The reinforced knees make them ideal for toiling in the garden or garage till sundown. With a nipped-in waist and adjustable cuffs, they’re surprisingly flattering for a casual night out. The mesh-lined front pockets are cavernous, but our favorite feature is the zippered pocket on the left leg, just where your fingers end. It is the perfect place to stash your phone, lip balm, or a pocket knife.
Contributing product reviewers:
Boone Ashworth, Michael Calore, Julian Chokkattu, Nena Farrell, Scott Gilbertson, Simon Hill, Matt Kamen, Christopher Null, Adrienne So, Louryn Strampe, Ryan Waniata, and Jeremy White.Photo assistant: Taka Mark Kasuya. Photographs: Joseph Shin.
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