iDB holiday gift guide: Sébastien’s picks

If you’re anything like me, coming up with gift ideas for your loved ones can be a difficult task that happens to also be time consuming. That’s why every year, iDB Editors come up with a list of what they think would make great gifts for the techies and non-techies alike in your life, hoping it will help you find something for that special person.

This year, I have tried to stay on a budget, and although there are a couple big ticket items in my list, most of them are very affordable. After all, it isn’t the size or price of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.

Apple Watch

Going into this holiday season, I think it’s safe to say Apple Watch is going to be a huge hit, and for good reasons. Sure it’s a first generation product with its fair share of flaws, but it’s also one that is slowly changing people’s life in a positive way. I, for one, have been much more active on a daily basis because Apple Watch makes me accountable for my efforts. And with the new year right around the corner, Apple Watch can be the perfect companion for those health-related resolutions most us can’t keep. Apple Watch starts at $349, but Best Buy is currently offering $100 off all models.

Spigen Nightstand

Easily my favorite accessory for Apple Watch, the Spigen Nightstand is a charging dock with a very small footprint. Simply slide the charging cable that comes with your watch in and prop it up on your nightstand or your desk for easy charging. What I like most about this dock is that it’s small enough it doesn’t take much space and is barely noticeable. It’s currently on sale for $11 on Amazon.

Sunscreen flask

We all have that person in the family who likes to go to shows but is too cheap to buy overpriced booze once there (I’m that guy!). The sunscreen flask makes the perfect gift for smuggling in your favorite liquor into festivals, concerts, movies, or any kind of event. The sunscreen bottle is $10 on Amazon. If sunscreen doesn’t apply to your location, there are plenty more original flasks available.

Bellroy leather Card Sleeve wallet

I’ve recently gone from minimalist to ultra minimalist with the purchase of a leather sleeve wallet from Bellroy. Besides the premium full-grain vegetable tanned leather used, what I like about this specific model is the simplicity both in design and use. Of course there are cheaper alternatives, but Bellroy’s wallets are built to last and come with a three-year warranty. The Card Sleeve is $55 and the company has other options available for people who like a little more bulk with their wallets.

Bluelounge CableDrop

Don’t you hate it when you reach for a cable and realize it fell behind your desk or nightstand? Yes, me too. The Bluelounge CableDrop provide simple and discreet cable management by sticking to virtually any surface and gently grasping your cables so they don’t fall off. Perfect stocking stuffer for the person whose life depends on cables, which is probably just about everybody nowadays. Bluelounge CableDrop are $10 on Amazon.

Canary home security device

Canary is a simple and elegant home security device that you can set up in minutes. The cool thing about it is that you can monitor your home from your iPhone or be alerted directly to your phone or Apple Watch in case of unusual activity. I don’t really use it for home security but rather for monitoring what the babysitter does with the kids when we’re away. The piece of mind it brings is priceless. Actually it’s not priceless. It’s available in several colors for $199, and worth every penny.

i-Blason iPad Air 2 case for kids

This is the perfect gift for kids, or parents who let their kids use their iPads. We’ve used this specific i-Blason case for several years and we swear by it. Made of impact-resistant polycarbonate, this super light case also features a handle that turns into a stand to help prop up the iPad to watch movies or for typing. Sure it’s a bit bulky, but it will definitely protect every corner of an iPad. It’s available in several colors for $19.

Music

Music is always a great gift, but it’s also a very personal one. With that said, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite albums of the year:

Dopamine, by BØRNS
What Went Down, by Foals
Currents, by Tame Impala
Blurryface, by twenty one pilots
Story of an Immigrant, by Civil Twilight
Sorry, by Meg Myers
Little Neon Limelight, by Houndmouth
Steal the Light, by The Cat Empire

Apps

Just like music, apps can make a great gift, and also an inexpensive one in many cases. Some of my favorite apps are:

Gift cards

When in doubt, just get a gift card and let the receiver decide what he or she will do with the money. There are gift cards available for virtually every store, and one good place to start looking is eBay, which often has special deals on gift cards, such as this $100 iTunes gift card for only $80. Some gift cards to consider include credit for Target, GameStop, Best Buy, Fandango, and more.

More gift ideas

Make sure to check out gift guides from other iDB Editors and see if you can find more interesting ideas: