This season smart gifts can keep the whole family connected (including the ones with four legs). From your most forgetful family member to your favorite cat lover, we’ve been spending the last several months testing smart gifts for everyone on your list. Sit back, sip some eggnog, and let us build your holiday shopping list for you!
Pets
CatGenie A.I.: The World’s First Cat Box That Flushes Away Cat Waste
CatGenie has replaced cat litter with reusable, washable granules that never need changing because they are washed and dried after each use. Simply set up the CatGenie A.I. and say goodbye to the disgusting, smelly, and environmentally unfriendly mess of cat litter for good.
Our Impressions
“The CateGenie is a really cool piece of tech that is deceptively simple to set up and start using. I was worried my historically finicky cats would be reluctant to use it, but all-around it’s made my household very happy.” — Fumiko
Where to Buy: Website
Code: IOTFORALL25 for $25 off any AI package, expires 12/31/21
Fi Series 2: GPS Enabled Dog Collar With Smartphone App
This is the answer for dog owners looking to track their dogs’ whereabouts and monitor key health data such as activity and sleep from their phones. The product has fantastic battery life (3 months), is waterproof, and offers a variety of colors and sizes for all types of dogs.
Our Impressions
“The Fi collar was extremely simple to set up. I have a large, energetic, 10-month-old German Shepherd, so being able to track that she’s getting the right amount of activity is pretty critical to us. I also really enjoy being able to remotely track her location, activity, and sleep when she’s staying with friends or family members for peace of mind.”
Where to buy: Website
Sabit Pet E-Tag: Smart Dog Tag To Monitor Your Dog From Anywhere
Dog owners can easily track and monitor the location of their dogs via their smartphones. This does require a subscription plan to continuously monitor your pet’s activity.
Our Impressions
Our Impressions: “We had the opportunity to speak with the creators of this product, and we loved their enthusiasm and vision for the product. Their use of different connectivity technologies helps make this a great option for helping monitor your pet anywhere. It has great battery life, is waterproof, and allows you to create a virtual fence — definitely worth checking out as you look for the best way to track your dog inside and outside.” — Hannah
Where to buy: Website
Wayzn: The Smart Sliding Door Opener for Dogs
Any dog owner (or pet owner for that matter) with a sliding glass door that is looking to make letting their pets in and out of the house easier will love Wazyn. This DIY solution is quite simple to install and integrates with Alexa. It comes equipped with built-in sensors, a mobile app, and a camera to provide an easier way to give your pets freedom to move in and out of the house.
Our Impressions
“Before getting the Wayzn, I didn’t realize how often I needed to stop what I was doing to let our dog in and out of the yard, but now I constantly find myself using Alexa or the Wayzn mobile app to open the back door even if we’re home with our pup. I wish we had this when we were first potty training her, but I’m happy she’s able to have total freedom to go outside whenever she needs to now.” –Dani
Where to Buy: Website
Kids and Family
Tile Pro: Their Most Powerful Tracker Yet
Android or Apple devices users who are looking to better keep track of their things can connect to this device. Tile offers a wide range of different devices to track anything you can slip their sleek little devices into or onto
Our Impressions
“I’m a new Tile user, but always known them to be a leader in the space from day one. Their new offering has an impressive design and is simple to get set up, not to mention a super friend interface on their app. Its range is even more impressive (400 ft), and the fact that it can integrate with voice assistants is just the perfect cherry on top.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Website
TickTalk 4: The Safe Smartwatch That Keeps Kids Connected to Their Families
It comes loaded with features similar to an adult smartwatch but designed responsibly for children ages 5-12. There is no internet, no social media, and all messages are encrypted end-to-end. This is perfect for families looking for a safe smartphone alternative that focuses on privacy and transparency.
Our Impressions
“What a cool product! It has free music streaming, activity tracking, photo/video capabilities, video calling, the list goes on, all packaged in a great device that keeps parents in control. Using this smartwatch was a breeze, our testing shows us just how tech-savvy kids are these days. The more we dug into the feature set, the more impressed we were with the design and ability to include so much in a single device, while keeping privacy and security front and center.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Amazon
XGO2: The Smartwatch to Keep Kids Physically Active and Safe
Parents who are looking for a safe way to introduce children ages 4-10 to digital life while working to find a balance between screen time and physical activity will find what they’re looking for here.
Our Impressions
“Great price point, we love the gamification element, where kids earn Xplora Coins for every 1k steps they take. These Coins can be redeemed on their Goplay platform for a wide variety of popular games. The GPS tracking and ability for kids to receive pre-approved calls, text messages, and emojis, really makes this a smartwatch worth exploring for younger children.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Website
Nixplay Smart Photo Frame Touch: The Frame to Connect Friends and Family
Looking to digitally display photos and videos from friends and family in your home or at your place of work? Look no further!
Our Impressions
“Great product, easy to set up and add loved ones to more easily share (and display) photos and videos privately. Nixplay has a membership option to increase storage space, video clip length, among other benefits to consider (not a requirement for use). I have a previous version that my parents love using, so definitely worth considering for the holiday season.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Website
Ozobot Evo for Home: Bluetooth-Enabled Coding Robot for Teaching STEAM
Children ages 5+ will have a blast with this at home or in the classroom while learning to build STEAM skills. The robot can easily be guided by parents, making it easier than ever for children to learn basic coding concepts and build their own programs.
Our Impressions
“Super cool little coding robot intuitively designed to be a great starting point for learning to code. It was easy to get started, and we could see how this is not just a tool for simple coding concepts, but also one that integrates with Google’s Blockly to expand the learning and creative potential by giving children the opportunity to create a wide range of programs using OzoBlockly.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Website
Artie Max: The Code-to-Draw Robot for Kids
Children ages 8+ who are interested in learning how to code will have a blast with this simple, easy-to-use tool. Children can learn five different coding languages (Blocky, Snap!, JavaScript, Python, and C++) securely while creating colorful works of art.
Our Impressions
“Artie Max was super easy to use and a perfect fit for the children we tested it with, who were already fascinated with technology and art. The robot’s personality was a great fit to help keep the children entertained and learning at the same time, not always an easy thing to do. We wish we had this in school when we were in STEM classes.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Amazon
Smart Teddy: The Parent-Designed Toy to Teach Good Habits In a Fun New Way
Parents of younger children (ages 3+) looking for a new, creative way to help interact with their children and promote positive, healthy activities and habits will love Smart Teddy.
Our Impressions
Definitely a unique approach to early childhood education. Once you set up the Smart Teddy, it’s quite easy to use and tailor towards the activities and habits you are looking to help your children with. Assuming the child builds a good relationship with the Smart Teddy, we can definitely see how this could fit in with parents’ efforts to help children learn.” — Ryan
Where to buy: Amazon
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