I dare anyone to turn their nose up when receiving a shiny iPad Air for the holidays. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The holiday shopping window is closing fast, but there’s still time to pick up a few things that will arrive in time for your favorite nondenominational gift exchange. Whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers or still have a few names on your list you need to cross off, we’ve rounded up our favorite fire-and-forget gift ideas for all the procrastinators out there.

The collection we’ve put together here includes small-ish gifts that will travel well, like the Apple Watch Series 8, as well as presents that don’t even need to be gift-wrapped, such as a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If you’re looking for more gift suggestions, our deals team has also put together a vast selection of thoughtful ideas for everyone on your holiday shopping list, from gamers and fitness enthusiasts to dedicated homebodies and that special paternal figure in your life.

The best last-minute tech gifts

Smart home

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug is a simple and inexpensive option for adding voice controls and automation to any device in your home. Currently, you can pick up a pair on Amazon for $19.99.

If you’re looking to upgrade your home Wi-Fi network, the Google Nest Wifi Pro is available at Amazon for $249.99 (normally $299.99). The two-pack comes with a pair of Wi-Fi 6E-compatible routers that are Thread-enabled and Matter-compatible to support the latest generation of smart home devices. Read our review.
You can give your kids a nightlight they’ll brag about with the Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles Smarter Kit. The Smarter Kit includes five modular light panels and is available for $49.99 at Best Buy.

Amazon’s latest Echo Dot doesn’t look drastically different from older models but is the best version of the orb-shaped smart speaker thanks to better sound and responsiveness. The fifth-gen model is available at Amazon and Best Buy for $27.99. You’ll even get a bonus Sengled smart bulb if you order one from Amazon. Read our review.
Tile’s platform-agnostic Bluetooth trackers take many forms, but all of them can help you keep track of stuff you don’t want to misplace. The standard Tile Mate is perfect for your keys and is currently available for $17.99 on Amazon, while the $24.51 Tile Slim is designed to be tucked away in your wallet or behind a luggage tag.

Gaming

Our favorite controller for the Nintendo Switch isn’t Nintendo’s first-party Pro Controller but the 8BitDo Pro 2. You can currently find the Pro 2 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart for $49.99. While the controller works perfectly well with the Switch, its Bluetooth connectivity also allows it to be used with Windows, macOS, and even mobile devices. Read our review.

An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is still one of the best gifts for Xbox and PC gamers since it provides unlimited access to a massive library of games in addition to deals on titles you want to keep. Right now, you can pick up a three-month subscription at Best Buy, Amazon, or GameStop for $44.99.
The Nintendo Switch OLED is still the best Nintendo handheld you can buy and is the only place to experience awesome titles like Splatoon 3, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Readily available for $349.99 at Best Buy, Target, and GameStop, the Switch OLED has a brighter and slightly larger screen than the standard Nintendo Switch, in addition to better speakers and an improved kickstand, allowing you to play games on the go or on your TV. Read our review.

The 128GB Meta Quest 2 is $399 at Amazon and Best Buy. Despite the $100 price hike it received this year, the Quest 2 is still the best way to experience VR. Read our review.

The most stylish shooter for the Nintendo Switch, Splatoon 3 is currently available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Nintendo for $59.99. Read our review.
A must-have title for the PlayStation 5, you can currently pick up God of War Ragnarök for $69.99 at GameStop, Best Buy, and Target. Read our review.

Elden Ring, an open-world souls-like and one of the best games of the year, is available for both PlayStation and Xbox consoles at Best Buy and Amazon or for PC at Steam. Read our review.

TMNT Shredder’s Revenge might be the best co-op experience of the year. The re-imagined arcade classic is currently available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation consoles, and Xbox systems at Amazon and Best Buy for $34.99.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is the perfect game for anyone that’s wanted to star in their own superhero fan-fiction. You can currently find the turn-based strategy title for PC at Steam, Best Buy, and GameStop.

Headphones and earbuds

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 are some of the best noise-canceling earbuds we’ve ever used. If someone you know is in the market for a new pair of wireless earbuds, you can currently pick them up for around $180 at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo (normally $249.99). Read our review.

If you’re looking to gift a pair of earbuds more rooted in the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Fit Pro are on sale for around $160 instead of $199.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The Fit Pro earbuds are currently one of our favorite pairs of workout earbuds thanks to their comfortable fit and integration with Apple devices. Read our review.

Laptops

The HP Spectre x360 14 is a slick convertible laptop that’s available at Best Buy for $1,749.99. This configuration is equipped with a 1TB SSD, a 12th Generation Intel CPU, and 16GB of RAM. Read our review.
A capable 15-inch laptop with an RTX 3050 Ti, the Dell XPS 15 may not look like a gaming laptop, but it sure plays like one. Currently, you can pick up its 512GB configuration at Best Buy on sale for $1,649.99 ($400 off). Read our review.

Tablets and e-readers

Apple’s latest iPad Air is equipped with an M1 processor, has excellent battery life, and is compatible with all the newest Apple accessories. You can currently find the 64GB configuration on sale at Amazon for $499.99 (normally $599.99). Read our review.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is a thin, lightweight Android tablet that includes some useful integrations with other Samsung devices. Right now, the base Wi-FI model with 128GB of storage is currently available at Amazon for $589.98 (normally $699.99). Read our review.

Smartwatches

The Galaxy Watch 5, Samsung’s latest wearable, is on sale in a couple of different sizes right now. The 40mm model is available for $239.99 at Best Buy (normally $279.99), while the 44mm version is on sale for $269.99 (normally $309.99). Read our review.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a no-nonsense fitness tracker that’s currently available for $79.95 from Fitbit, Target, and Best Buy. Read our hands-on impressions.

Streaming devices

The 2022 Apple TV 4K is available for around $129.99 in its 64GB configuration at Best Buy, Amazon, and Target, but you can also get the 128GB version for around $149.99 at Best Buy and Amazon. The latest version of the Apple TV 4K has HDR10 Plus support and better performance than previous models thanks to Apple’s A15 Bionic CPU. Read our review.

Google’s 4K-enabled Chromecast is on sale for $39.99 ($10 off) at Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. The Chromecast with Google TV (4K) nets you access to all major streaming services and is equipped with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision HDR support. Read our review.