EZ GIFT PICKS: 5 Cool Tech Toys and Accessories

This season there are tons of cool tech toys and accessories on the market that have enough bells and whistles to delight any plugged-in person on your list. But, here are five we love that are stylish, cutting edge, and won’t send you into the poor house in the name of holiday cheer (they’re all priced under $250).

Google Nexus 7, $249.99, bestbuy.ca
An Android tablet is a dime a dozen today, but the Nexus 7 is winning over tech heads everywhere for its amazing feature set (sharp HD screen, smooth performance, lightweight and long battery life) and for the fact it retails for under $300. You can’t beat that! You can play games, surf the web, check email, download apps from the Google Play store—it’s compact, but it’s powerful.

Quill & Tine Touchscreen Gloves, $115 – $160, quillandtine.com
While most touchscreen gloves look like they’re designed for the task at hand, they’re not going to win you any fashion cred. These gloves are worth their price tag and they keep your digits warm while you swipe, tap, and pinch through your email, texts, and apps.

House of Marley Liberate Earphones, $99, houseofmarley.ca and Future Shop
Yes, these headphones come to you endorsed by the family of the one and only reggae legend, Bob Marley. They’re designed to be both functionally sound, and stylishly earth-friendly (they’re made from sustainable materials like bamboo, and recycled metals and plastics). They’re also a gift that keeps on giving–proceeds from the sale of these headphones go to support the Marley family’s 1Love charitable organization.

Fitbit Flex, $99.95, indigo.ca
For the fitness junkies, wellness-tracking devices are a must-have. The newest Fitbit wristband is designed to be worn during the day to track movements (such as steps, distance, and calories burned) AND at night (it tracks your sleep quality and will even gently vibrate to wake you up!). It also automatically syncs up your data to PCs, Macs, and select iPhone and Android devices.

Jonathan Adler On-The-Go iPhone 5 Charger, $42.50, neimanmarcus.com
If you’re shopping for someone with the latest iPhone, then you’ll be thankful you gave them this stylish little gift. It’s designed by potter and king of colour, Jonathan Adler, and will boost iPhone 5s up to 80%. Now they won’t miss anymore important calls or text messages… from you.