Best serious maker splurge

Bambu Lab A1 Mini 3D Printer

A compact auto-calibrating 3D printer that lets a curious beginner start making useful parts and models without first rebuilding the machine.

$100+ · about $374 CAD

Best pocket photo printer

HP Sprocket 2×3 Portable Photo Printer – Luna Pearl

A portable printer for producing 2-by-3-inch sticky-backed photos from a compatible phone.

$100+ · about $124 CAD

Best mini photo-printer bundle

Canon Ivy 2 Mini Photo Printer Bundle

A portable Bluetooth printer for adhesive-backed smartphone photos.

$100+ · about $126 CAD

Best reusable notebook

Rocketbook Fusion Reusable Notebook – Executive Size

A reusable notebook combining planning templates and erasable note pages.

$50–$100 · about $50 CAD

Best item finder

Life360 Tile Mate and Slim Bluetooth Tracker Starter Pack

A two-piece tracker set for commonly misplaced keys, wallets or bags.

Under $50 · about $47 CAD

Best smart-home starter

Kasa Matter Smart Plug KP125MP2 2-Pack

Two Matter-compatible smart plugs with energy monitoring.

$50–$100 · about $55 CAD

Best sleep-tech splurge

Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light HF3650/60

A useful, giftable choice selected for this particular kind of recipient.

Best automatic night light

GE Motion-Activated LED Night Light

A useful, giftable choice selected for this particular kind of recipient.

Best e-reader

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16 GB – Black

A 16 GB e-reader with a 7-inch glare-free display.

$100+ · about $280 CAD

Best remote page turner

DATAFY Case-Friendly E-Reader Page Turner

A clip-on remote page turner for compatible Kindle, Kobo and tablet setups.

Under $25 · about $20 CAD

Best airplane-audio adapter

Twelve South AirFly SE Bluetooth Transmitter – Black

A Bluetooth audio transmitter for 3.5 mm jacks and wireless headphones.

Under $50 · about $45 CAD

Best portable speaker

Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

A compact waterproof Bluetooth speaker with long advertised battery life.

Under $50 · about $38 CAD

Best headphone splurge

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones – Black

Premium over-ear wireless headphones with active noise cancellation.

$100+ · about $348 CAD

Best monitor light

Quntis Computer Monitor Light Bar

A USB monitor-mounted task light with dimming and auto adjustment.

Under $50 · about $41 CAD

Best video light

Logitech Litra Glow Video Light

A compact adjustable LED light for video calls and streaming.

$50–$100 · about $80 CAD

Best adjustable camera mount

Ailight Adjustable Webcam Desk Mount

A clamp-on adjustable mount for webcams, small lights or cameras.

Under $50 · about $30 CAD

Best wireless gaming mouse

Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse – Black

A lightweight wireless gaming mouse with six programmable buttons.

$50–$100 · about $59 CAD

ENGINEER PZ-58 Screw Removal Pliers

Japanese-made pliers whose vertically serrated jaws grip damaged and stripped screw heads.

Under $50 · about $30 CAD

Hakko CHP-170 Flush Cutters

Compact hardened-carbon-steel cutters for cleanly trimming electronics leads, fine wire and 3D-printing filament.

Under $50 · about $30 CAD