9 smart home gifts that’ll please tech whizzes and novices alike

Thoughtful gifts to smarten up their home

12 Dec 2025, 14:16 · TechRadar

Features By Cesci Angell published 12 December 2025

(Image credit: Amazon, Govee, Nanoleaf, SwitchBot/Edited with Gemini)

As an avid smart home enthusiast who loves nothing more than using nifty automations and convenient features to make the day go more smoothly, I can attest that receiving a well-considered smart device could be a game-changing gift for anyone on your list.

Whether they work in an office or from home, they might appreciate a way to spy on their crafty kitty’s antics with a Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam. Or they might prefer a sensory-pleasing light and speaker combo in the form of the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro, to help them wind down at the end of the day.

Suppose you have a few things in mind but don’t have the budget to go all-in. In that case, the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table may be of interest, as it offers more than you’d expect, with ambient lighting, a fragrance diffuser, and a tabletop with a built-in wireless charger.

If that sounds like a little too much for someone who just wants an air purifier, then the small but mighty GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is the perfect alternative.

You can’t really go wrong gifting an Amazon Echo Dot. Mine’s set up to gradually increase the brightness of my Govee Table Lamp 2 before my alarm goes off, give me the local weather report, and brighten my morning by switching on my delightfully colorful Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles and Govee Neon Rope Light 2.

It’s also perfect for keeping people entertained, no matter the occasion, offering an abundance of dad jokes and random facts, not to mention providing an immersive viewing experience in a flash by powering the Nanoleaf 4D V2 on with effortless voice control. And that’s barely scratching the surface of what the Echo Dot can do.

Every smart home device in this guide is something I own and love, and that I'm confident will please even the most tricky person to buy for.

Chosen by

Chosen byCesci Angell

While it’s my day job to review smart home tech, I’ve been intrigued by all things gadgety from a young age. I’m immune to marketing jargon, focusing instead on performance and user experience. Unlike some, I enjoy any opportunity to talk shop, offering buying advice to help friends and family purchase devices that meet their needs, without costing the earth.

Smart home gifts to make friends and family smile

TOPICS

Cesci AngellStaff Writer

Cesci is a Reviews Staff Writer for TechRadar. She writes in-depth reviews based on her real-world testing across a variety of categories, but has a particularly keen interest in home tech, and has written features and reviews about gadgets ranging from headphones to smart lights to graphics tablets. She also has a broad range of experience from working in different industries, from sustainable materials and packaging to skin care.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout LATEST ARTICLES