10 Top Stocking Stuffers For Techies

These tech tchotchkes by Esky, Belkin and Winonly should prove memorable for friends and family who abide by the Christmas tradition of hanging stockings over the fireplace.

A key finder, a phone mount for car vents and a headphone headband are some of the gifts CRN has found this year to help stocking stuffers stand out among the usual fare of candy.

These tech tchotchkes by Esky, Belkin and Winonly and others should prove memorable for friends and family who abide by the Christmas tradition of hanging stockings over the fireplace.

As the legend goes, Santa Claus-inspiration Saint Nicholas once dropped a bag of gold down a poor man’s chimney and it fell into a stocking drying by the fire, according to The Telegraph.

Gold is likely still a welcome gift in 2021, but here at CRN, we’re focused on gifts that employ technology, ones that make gift recipients smarter and takes them to the edge of innovation.

Here are our top techie stocking stuffers of 2021.

Esky Key Finder

A fit for the most forgetful of our friends and family, Esky makes lost keys a thing of the past, offering anywhere between four and six receivers that can be attached to recipients’ most treasured items to make sure they’re never misplaced.

Esky’s radio frequency can penetrate through walls, floors, cushions and leather to help find items up to 30 meters—or 98 feet—away.

The Esky Key Finder’s remote control is equipped with a light for better night visibility when locating the buttons, and the receivers can be placed on anything from smartphones and remote controllers to eyeglass cases and pet collars. The key finder with four receivers is available on Esky’s website for $24.99.

Upright GO 2 Posture Trainer

Ergonomics have grown in importance since the mass adoption of work-from-home. For that special someone who always talks about back pain, the Upright GO 2 strengthens back and core muscles for better spinal support, is simple to use as it doesn’t require any straps or belt, and builds healthy posture habits that last even when users aren’t wearing the device.

Users can set up their own posture goals using the Upright mobile app, get real-time posture feedback for instant posture correction and can track their progress using the Upright mobile app.

The GO 2 is available on Upright’s website for $59.95.

Apple AirPods Pro

You can never go wrong with earbuds. To stuff the stocking of your favorite Apple user, AirPod Pros have internally tapered tips to conform to ear shape, vents to equalize pressure and offer active noise cancellation. AirPod Pros’ noise cancellation adjusts 200 times per second. Their H1 chip features 10 audio cores for low audio processing latency, according to Apple.

The Pros are sweat- and water-resistant with batteries that last more than 24 hours. Their charging case is compatible with wireless chargers. Users can switch from iPhone to Apple Watch to iPad to Mac to Apple TV when connected to multiple devices, according to Apple.

AirPods are available on Walmart.com for $179.

Tamagotchi Pix

This one is for all the millennials out there who grew up with the original Tamagotchi in the ’90s and experienced the trauma of watching their virtual alien pet die for the first time.

Bandai is back with a new generation of its handheld digital pet device with Tamagotchi Pix, which lets players nurture and raise a virtual pet on a color screen.

As the name suggests, the Tamagotchi Pix comes with a camera that allows players to take a selfie with their beloved virtual pet. Just a word of warning, though: Tamagotchi pets can still die, so make sure the gift recipient is ready to put in the time to make things right.

The Tamagotchi Pix is available at participating retailers for $39.99.

Fossil Gen 5 LTE Smartwatch

Oh, look how fancy! That’s what people will say when they see your loved one with Fossil’s Gen 5 LTE touch-screen smartwatch.

The Gen 5 LTE model represents Fossil’s first move into the cellular wearables market, and it combines LTE connectivity from Verizon, the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform and Google’s Wear OS to let users make calls and do texting without a mobile phone.

When an additional data plan is purchased from Verizon, the watch can be synced to the user’s mobile phone for voice and text using the same number as the mobile phone.

The Gen 5 LTE has a list price of $349, but at publication time it was available for $249 at Fossil.com.

Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro With MagSafe

For many users, mounting a phone in the vehicle can be a real ordeal—but not with the Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro with MagSafe

With Belkin’s MagSafe-enabled car vent mount, the iPhone 12 can magnetically snap onto the mount—a much easier prospect than fiddling with other non-magnetic mounts or sticking magnets onto the phone itself.

While Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro with MagSafe does not provide wireless charging, the design of the mount allows for easily running a cable from the iPhone 12 to the car outlet.

Belkin’s Car Vent Mount Pro with MagSafe is priced at $39.95.

Comsoon Bluetooth 5.0 Receiver For Car

Do you know someone who likes listening to music on his or her smartphone but lacks a car with the right equipment to beam the music to the car’s speakers?

Good news: If the car radio has a regular audio jack, you can get Comsoon’s Bluetooth 5.0 Receiver, which will make it easy for anyone to play music from the phone to the car’s speakers.

The receiver has a 3.5mm audio jack that can be plugged into a car radio using a 3.5mm male-to-male connector that comes with the device.

It can also plug into headphones or speakers when wires are getting in the way.

The receiver comes with a built-in microphone to enable hands-free calls. The device is available for $16.99 on Amazon.com.

Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth 64-GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

The Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth 64-GB USB 3.0 flash drive can help your gift recipient protect data in harsh conditions.

The flash drive is seated within anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum housing and it’s waterproof for up to 200 meters and is resistant to vibrations and electrical shocks.

The flash drive was listed for $25.98 on Amazon.com as of press time.

Winonly Sleep Headphones

No more uncomfortable headphones in your gift recipient’s ears as he or she rests on a pillow.

The Sleep Headphones Bluetooth headband allows users to rest easy as wireless music plays and can also be worn while running, working out or doing yoga.

Users also won’t miss any calls while wearing the headband as it has a built-in microphone.

When charged for about two hours with its USB chargeable battery, the headband can play music for more than 10 hours.

The quality chip technology will provide clear sound throughout listening sessions and users can control the volume levels directly from the headband.

With its durable braided chord and mesh lining, the headband is breathable and easily stretchable to fit all head sizes. It costs $19.88 at Winonly.com.

Smart Squeeze Stress Relief Ball

Users can feel that stress melt away with a smart stress ball that’s connected to a smartphone. Not only does squeezing the stress ball relieve stress, but it also measures grip strength and tracks users’ progress over time.

The smart squeeze app takes users’ data from the smart sensor inside the stress ball and offers exercises to try to improve strength. It even allows users to play games against AI or their peers through the app.

The stress ball is made of silicon and is easy to clean. This modern take on a traditional stress ball will ease daily stressors encountered throughout the day.

The ball costs $50 at uncommongoods.com.