Stumped as to what to buy for the tech head in your life this Christmas? Here’s what our tech experts suggest you put in their stockings.
Sonos Ikea Symfonisk wireless speaker and lamp
Price: $269
Pros: Would be a great fit in a bedroom, living room or even TV room. If you have other Sonos speakers throughout the home then the Symfonisk is a great value option.
Cons: Its lack of mic support for voice assistance, Bluetooth and LED display may leave you wanting more.
What do you get when you combine an Ikea table lamp with a Sonos wireless speaker? The Sonos Ikea Symfonisk wireless speaker and lamp, of course.
Pros: Bluetooth connectivity is consistent, noise cancellation does a very good job considering the headphones’ size, and six-hour battery life (with an additional 18 hours in the case, which acts as a charger) is sufficient for a day out.
Cons: While they’re comfortable to wear, the lack of sweat resistance means they can be prone to damage during exercise.
“They’re pricey, but you get what you pay for. These are some of the best earbuds I’ve ever used,” says CHOICE audio expert Peter Zaluzny.
Even though we haven’t put these earbuds through our usual panel of tests, Sony’s WH-1000XM3 over-ear headphones performed well in our noise-cancelling headphones review, even outperforming Apple Airpods, so there’s a fair chance the earbud equivalents will perform well, too.
Pros: Portable device and traditional games console in one. Can deliver almost the same experience whether you’re at home or out and about.
Cons: It doesn’t match the technical scope of the Xbox One X or PS4 Pro, but that’s not the point.
Nintendo has also released a cheaper model, the Switch Lite, that we haven’t yet tested, but it could be an option if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the regular Switch.
Pros: Easy to set up and use; don’t need to buy a bridge to get started.
Cons: Lights won’t work in the event of an internet outage if you’re not already logged into the app.
“Smart lights are a hot tech item for the home, and an easy to install ‘smart’ device,” says Peter. “LIFX products regularly go on sale during periods like Black Friday, Boxing Day, etc.”
The LIFX A19/A60 bulb performed well in our test, and you don’t need to buy a bridge or additional networking gear for it other than your home wireless network so it’s a cheaper way to get started. Mini LIFX bulbs are also available for $35 to $45 RRP.
LIFX’s Black Friday deals include starter bundles and bedroom bundles at significantly reduced prices. “The downlight deals in particular offer a way to update those old energy-hungry halogens,” says CHOICE digital home expert Denis Gallagher.
I'm a content creator and marketer here at CHOICE – which basically just means that I write stuff.
CHOICE's testing is so comprehensive that we publish vast amounts of data on all the products we test. We know that not everyone likes to wade through numbers to find the best product, so my job is to take the data and translate it into something more easily digestible for readers who are time-poor or just want to know the best products to buy – and which to avoid.
I also get to dream up fun ways of taste-testing products, like the Tim Tam challenge and the Democracy Sausage taste test.
I write about all kinds of things, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, so each day is different and I'm lucky that I get to learn about all the different things CHOICE does to help consumers. LinkedIn
I'm a content creator and marketer here at CHOICE – which basically just means that I write stuff.
CHOICE's testing is so comprehensive that we publish vast amounts of data on all the products we test. We know that not everyone likes to wade through numbers to find the best product, so my job is to take the data and translate it into something more easily digestible for readers who are time-poor or just want to know the best products to buy – and which to avoid.
I also get to dream up fun ways of taste-testing products, like the Tim Tam challenge and the Democracy Sausage taste test.
I write about all kinds of things, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, so each day is different and I'm lucky that I get to learn about all the different things CHOICE does to help consumers. LinkedIn
When I first walked through the doors at CHOICE, my job was to write about tech for CHOICE Computer magazine. Since then, I've covered everything from home entertainment to personal safety devices, tech for your car and even mattresses. If you want to find the best combination of a bed, 4K TV, soundbar, GPS unit and food delivery app, I'm your guy.
The one thing I've noticed across all the product tests I've organised it's that nothing is simple.
Mattresses can be just as complicated as computers, and manufacturers as well as salespeople don't make things easy. They either use complex jargon that you just want to ignore, or they
oversimplify things to the point where you don't know what you're paying for.
My goal isn't just to help you find the best TV, mattress or soundbar, I also want to cut
through the nonsense and help you fully understand the products you're considering. That way, you
can make an educated, informed decision when it's time to buy without falling prey to a sly
salesperson.
Plus, when you understand the product, you know how to set it up in a way that best suits your
home and can look after it. Nothing is plug and play anymore, and if a complicated smartphone or
Bluetooth speaker feels less intimidating after you've read my content, then I know I've done my
job.
Outside of work I'm very into gaming, I love
watching retro classics at the cinema, I enjoy getting up early to spend hours smoking a tasty cut of
meat and I'm deeply into home hi-fi. Any music genre from laidback jazz to the loudest, screamiest,
most brutal heavy metal ticks all my boxes. I also had a stint as a live music photographer for a number of years.
You can find me on LinkedIn.
When I first walked through the doors at CHOICE, my job was to write about tech for CHOICE Computer magazine. Since then, I've covered everything from home entertainment to personal safety devices, tech for your car and even mattresses. If you want to find the best combination of a bed, 4K TV, soundbar, GPS unit and food delivery app, I'm your guy.
The one thing I've noticed across all the product tests I've organised it's that nothing is simple.
Mattresses can be just as complicated as computers, and manufacturers as well as salespeople don't make things easy. They either use complex jargon that you just want to ignore, or they
oversimplify things to the point where you don't know what you're paying for.
My goal isn't just to help you find the best TV, mattress or soundbar, I also want to cut
through the nonsense and help you fully understand the products you're considering. That way, you
can make an educated, informed decision when it's time to buy without falling prey to a sly
salesperson.
Plus, when you understand the product, you know how to set it up in a way that best suits your
home and can look after it. Nothing is plug and play anymore, and if a complicated smartphone or
Bluetooth speaker feels less intimidating after you've read my content, then I know I've done my
job.
Outside of work I'm very into gaming, I love
watching retro classics at the cinema, I enjoy getting up early to spend hours smoking a tasty cut of
meat and I'm deeply into home hi-fi. Any music genre from laidback jazz to the loudest, screamiest,
most brutal heavy metal ticks all my boxes. I also had a stint as a live music photographer for a number of years.
You can find me on LinkedIn.
