The Best Stocking Stuffers for Tech Nerds

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The season of joy is here, and we all need as much holiday magic as the world will provide right now. Whether you’re a diehard Christmas fanatic—or you’re just happy to have a few days off work—this series will help you pick the perfect presents, playlists, meals, and activities to make this Christmas the Best Christmas Ever. 

Our grandparents could drop some treats in a sock and call it Christmas, secure in the knowledge that their children would be delighted by an orange. These days everyone in the squad, from your tech-obsessed granny to your cutting-edge 'tween, has a stocking to fill, and they want to be impressed. Luckily, there's a high-tech gadget out there for everyone: a perfect gift that's small enough to fit in a sock, but as big as your heart.

Stocking stuffer of the year: Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

I like my Ray-Ban Meta glasses enough that I had prescription lenses put in them, but they work as sunglasses too. The ability to snap a photo, take a video, or start streaming to Instagram instantly takes the documentary-about-your-life aspect of social media to new levels, and the built-in AI and music player make this 2024's stocking-stuffer-of-the-year. Check out my full review for more details.

For the fitness enthusiast: Whoop 4.0 fitness tracker

It can be hard to buy a gift for a health-focused person. They usually don't want booze and they like putting in effort. But this Whoop 4.0 fitness tracker will brighten the Christmas morning of the most diehard athlete. It's more versatile than a watch (you can wear it on your bicep and even in your underwear) and it monitors heart rate, respiratory rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, daily activity, and sleep—basically everything I don't worry about. Check out Lifehacker's senior health editor Beth Skwarecki's in-depth look at the Whoop 4.0 for more details.

For the adventurer: GoPro Hero 13

You cannot go wrong with a GoPro. The company's easy-to-use, hard-to-break cameras are synonymous with "action photography" and compact enough to fit in a stocking. If there's a snowboarder, skateboarder, kayaker, or BMX racer on your list, this is a stocking must. Even if your giftee isn't an adventurer, the GoPro Hero 13 supports additional lenses and filters that let users go beyond the "gnarly fish-eye, dude" photography and videography of past generations. Check out associate tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt's GoPro Hero 13 review for more details.

For the tech-toy lover: DJI Mini 4K Drone

Some people want tech products that make their lives easier in some way, but others want the pure joy that comes from impressively useless toys. If you're shopping for the latter this Christmas, I highly recommend a DJI Mini 4K drone: few have a practical use for a little helicopter, but it's so flippin' cool. It takes off from the palm of your hand, flies in winds up to 38 kph (23.61 mph), and captures stabilized 4K video in all kinds of lighting conditions. You can even set it to follow you around automatically, like a little drone pal.

For the gamer: a gift card

If you're shopping for a stocking stuffer for a gamer, do not get them a gaming mouse, NES-themed drink coasters, finger chopsticks for snacking, or anything else "creative:" You're going to get it wrong. Instead, give them a gift card. Whether it's a Steam card for PC gamers, or an Xbox or PSN card for the console crowd, this is what they really want.

For the scientist: Skybasic digital microscope

If you're giving a gift to a would-be Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, this miniature, wireless microscope will rock their holiday. It's easy to set up, works with PCs, Android, or iOS devices, magnifies things up to 1000x, and takes 1080p pictures of your discoveries.

A non-tech gift for you: Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock and Rye

Whether you find Christmas stressful or celebratory, slipping a bottle of liquor into your own stocking is the kind of self-care I support. My suggestion: Hochstadter's Slow and Low. It's a no-effort drink that's classier (and boozier) than a supermarket White Claw, and it has a retro vibe and sweet taste that pairs perfectly with the holidays. Merry Christmas!