Our top gadget gift buys this festive season, from €10-€120

From toolkits and pet protectors to clocks that give get-up-and-glow, don't leave home without this festive shopping list

Fri, 14 Nov, 2025 - 12:55

Kya deLongchamps

Our average household spend on Christmas gifting hit close to €1200 last year.

Let’s explore some sophisticated, smart and very welcome home-focused pieces with universal appeal from the less terrifying price point of €10-€120 for your family and very lucky BFFs.

Design wake-ups

Gingko Design championed the USB-charged wireless light, but it has so many really gorgeous, smart little objects that make superb gifts on a budget.

The Lumas alarm clock, belted in white ash or walnut, is available in an oval or square profile, and includes its three adjustable light levels — activated with a simple tap. Just reach out and it introduces the day deftly with gentle, rising ambient light recalling a summer’s dawn.

It has a sound-sensitive mode, meaning the time can be hidden on a weekend morning and activated by a soft clap of hands.

It charges for 15 hours of light performance and lasts 10 days as a standard alarm clock; various suppliers, €89. For the full range, including its solid-wood Flip and Slab clocks and mesmerising lighting, visit gingkodesign.com.

Festive grind

Coffee making should include some meditative rituals, putting your recipient right into the moment. In this spirit, one of the best gifts I ever received was an inexpensive, manual coffee mill.

The 100g Hario Skerton Plus coffee grinder is exceptionally quiet (perfect for sneaking out to brew up in the early morning without rudely raising the roof with a powered grinder).

Hario Skerton Plus, coffee grinder, €54, Coffee Shop.

It uses robust ceramic burrs on unheated coffee beans, preserving the essential oils during the grinding process while the kettle boils or your accomplice readies the Bialetti.

The Skerton is easily adjustable for a precise, consistent grind, whatever the brew process. From a selection of superb grinders that will stand up to tens of thousands of uses, €54, Coffeeshop.ie.

Tool talents

If you have a youngster who has gone up to student accommodation or has simply set up home for the first time, a multi-tool is a fantastic little stocking filler. Rather than having to invest in a range of small hand tools, they can conquer a wide array of DIY tasks and nuisance moments around a flat or a smallholding with something bijou enough to sit in the cutlery drawer or holstered in a tool belt.

Vouch for quality. DeWalt’s 16-in-1 is my go-to with its rubber grip and Hi-Viz casing. It includes a spring-loaded needle nose pliers/regular pliers/wire cutter, hard-wire cutter, regular knife blade, serrated knife blade, scissors, wood file and metal file, Phillips screwdriver, small screwdriver, medium screwdriver, foldout carabiner/lanyard hole, ruler, bottle opener, can opener, and a wire stripper; €24.95, Screwfix.ie.

Little sucker

Deskwork is a serious matter, but who wouldn’t want a tiny Henry or Hetty vacuum cleaner to cheerfully whisk over their home office surfaces? I would say, along with a well-paid remote job and a 5G connection, they are absolutely vital for 2026.

Choose from a signature red Henry or the fluttery-eyed pink Hetty. Battery-operated, they come in a cute presentation box, with two tiny tools, including a crevice tool to sip up cookie crumbs in the keyboard for €18, Gadgetman.ie.

For wild-eyed Henry fans, include a screen cleaner too — also in Henry/Hetty form in a fat little microfibre character from €9.50.

Lost toys

For anyone with an iPhone, Apple AirTags are always very welcome, and they can be used to keep track of everything from the handbag that magically wanders around the house to lost luggage when travelling.

It’s a simple system that reports the location of the item tag using Bluetooth and mapping from the iCloud, including left-behind alerts and a siren.

You can even add emojis, initials or numbers to the AirTag when you order for free from Apple. Ensure you check the devices of your intended target are not too ancient to be tagged (it’s a generous list).

You’ll require an iPhone SE, iPhone 6s or later, or iPod Touch (seventh generation) with iOS 14.5 or later, or iPad Pro, iPad (fifth generation or later), iPad Air 2 or later, or iPad Mini 4 or later with iPadOS 14.5 or later; €39 each, Apple.com/ie/shop.

Laser show

Every year, I know I say it, but there’s no better practical gift than a laser level for just about anyone doing even entry-level DIY tasks. From hanging pictures and wallpaper to laying tile, and more, a laser level, together with a laser measure, makes life so much easier.

Magnusson Cross-line Self-levelling Laser level with bracket and bag, €47.

Look for self-levelling models with green-laser light (up to 50 times more visible than red light to the human eye). My choice this year is the Magnusson Crossline 15m green self-levelling laser level with bracket and bag, €47.

If you’re feeling super-generous, throw in a matching Magnusson laser measuring tape, €40, B&Q, Diy.ie.

Screw this

Alessi’s collection of chic little stainless-steel objects is refreshed every year, with fans eagerly anticipating its new small appliances and glittering Italian kitchen pieces.

Fashion designer Arthur Arbesser’s re-dressing of the iconic Alessandro M. corkscrew combines influences from the art and architecture in Arthur’s home city of Vienna. The body is made of AlkiPaper, a patented biocomposite on paper, other raw materials of natural origin and functional components, so it’s also an Earth-friendly offering to a fashion-forward friend; various designs, €95.

Arthur Arbesser's re-dressing of the iconic Alessandro M. corkscrew, various designs, €95, Alessi.

Another gorgeous little tool? The Apostrophe orange peeler by Gabriele Chiave — juicy at €29, Alessi.com and suppliers nationwide.

Tracker dog

Anyone who has lost a pet for more than three minutes will know how distressing it is. Thankfully, the growth in real-time location-based GPS-based tracker systems has delivered some highly affordable solutions in rechargeable tags and collars to quickly locate and recover a dog or cat.

Trackipet, €19.99, Harveynorman.ie, and Tractive, €59.99, Currys.ie, both deliver app-based mapping technology. Tractive delivers a longer battery life (10 hours) and extra features depending on the subscription.

These include a custom boundary to provide a notification from the phone app if the little one leaves the garden, together with health alerts via email when a dog or cat’s sleep quality and activity patterns become unusual.

Subscriptions are not free but start at just €6 per month — so six months included with the tracker would be a lovely gesture for an anxious, devoted owner.

Steely glances

We are obsessed with Joseph Joseph’s new Folio chopping board collection. Who wouldn’t go wild for that crisp, deep grey, stainless steel case?

The integrated handle allows each board to glide effortlessly from the finger-proof metal holder.

New Folio S/S and bamboo boards and cover, €119 from a number of high street suppliers, including Meadows & Byrne and Joseph Joseph.

The bamboo board itself is an exceptionally sustainable choice for any level of chef. There’s plenty of room for slightly damp boards to air-dry inside the case.

Considered, gorgeous and useful at €119 from suppliers including Meadows & Byrne or see eu.josephjoseph.com.

Picture this

Smart picture frames that operate from an app and wifi connect loved ones both here and overseas. They are especially appreciated by grandparents who can enjoy pictures of the tinies as they are taken and sent instantly to the frame.

The reasonably priced Kodak 10.1 frame is ideal for a side table or a kitchen counter. The brightness sensor adapts to the light in the room, and you can even show videos or send music in a tap.

It’s €99.99, allow another €10 for a suitable micro-SD memory card for your frame, Currys.ie.

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