The Reviews.org Australia team shares some of the most surprisingly fantastic things they bought this year.
Review.org Australia’s 50 best gifts
6 min read
The most practical gifts you can give this year as recommended by the Reviews.org Australia team.
Once a year, internet and capitalism come together for a steamy month of Black Friday sales, shopping events and corporate Christmas parties that births potentially millions of gift guides from your beloved tech and lifestyle publications. All your favourite news feeds become littered with gift guides. Gift guides for fathers, for mothers, lovers, brothers and friends. LoFi gift guides to study/relax to. Amongst the maelstrom of most popular gifts for your pet mongoose, there are a few quality guides but there's also an unthinkable number of articles created where "best" translates to "highest-paying affiliate partnership".
Don't get us wrong, we use paid affiliate links too (and it really helps us out if you buy through our links) but this year we decided to reach out to the wider Reviews.org Australia editorial and publishing team for recommendations on the most surprisingly practical purchases they made this year. Of course, some of us couldn't help ourselves (see: full-body Predator costume) but for the most part, the recommendations you'll find below are items that the Reviews.org Australia team swear by.
Tech and accessories
Whether they're glued to their smartphone or ensnared in a pit of computer cables, your tech friends are typically the easiest to buy for.
Here are our top picks for best tech gifts this year.
- POPSOCKET: $9.95 at Amazon
- Sony WH-1000XM4: $349 at Kogan
- LIFX Day & Dusk Smart Bulb: $35.99 at Amazon
- 1Password: 30-day free trial
- LOOONG 3-metre USB-C cable: $24.99 at Catch
- Jabra Active Elite 75t: $299 at Catch
- Razer Gaming Mouse Bungee: $37 at Amazon
- Sturdy 34L Nomatic Backpack: $241 at Nomatic
- Google Home Mini: $45 at Kogan
- Tile Key Finder: From $34.99 at Tile
- Nokia 2720 4G Flip Phone: $109 at Amazon
- Super Mario Star Light: $19 at Kmart
- JBL Pulse 4 Bluetooth Speaker: $299 at Bing Lee
- Fitbit Versa 3: $324 at The Good Guys
- Chromecast with Google TV: $98 at Kogan
Noise cancel culture has gone too far.
$532.90
For the friend's apartment with all the ambience of an interrogation room.
$44.99
For that one friend who uses 'password123' for their internet banking.
US$2.99/mo
For the gamer or smartphone user in your life longing for some distance.
$33.99
The best buds in the business with no strings (or wires) attached.
$329
Extreme sports for your rodent friends. Also doubles as a brilliant cable management solution for gaming mice.
$39.95
For the commuter who carries too much tech.
$345
For someone who just needs a little company.
$79
For someone who's always losing their shit.
$69.98
Give Nan and Pop the gift of simplicity.
$149
Colours, man.
$329.95
A bossy wrist companion to guilt-trip you into moving your lazy butt.
$399.95
The best $99 you'll spend this year.
$99
Games and entertainment
Who doesn't love fun? If you're friends or family are in need of some light entertainment this holiday season, you can't go wrong with the classics, like Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch.
These are the best entertainment and gaming gifts to help pass the time this year.
- Fitness Boxing for Switch: $59 at Amazon
- Paint by Numbers: From $35.18 at Amazon
- Secret Hitler Board Game: $66 at Kogan
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars: $64 at Kogan
- Gradient Puzzle: $29.99 at Myer
For the friend who watched Rocky once and now walks around the apartment shadow boxing.
The Chicken Tonight for budding artists.
$39.28
Weed out the fascists at your next family gathering.
$119.95
It's a-me! 3D Mario!
$79.95
Hues to say whether you'll every actually finish it?
$29.99
Home and lifestyle
These handpicked gifts from the Reviews.org Australia team are products that changed our life in some way, big or small. Products that ended up giving us more than we bargained for, the very definition of gifts that kept on giving throughout the year.
Here are our top recommendations for the best home and lifestyle gifts this year:
- BIG 2.5L Water Bottle: $19.99 at Amazon
- Touchscreen Gloves: $12.10 at Amazon
- Sodastream: $59 at Kogan
- Smart Bidet with Heating: $359 at Kogan
- Digital Handheld Luggage Scale: $9.99 at Amazon
- Foot Hammock: $14 at Amazon
- Earasers: From $62.40 at Amazon
- Mezzaluna Rocking Kitchen Knife: $21.95 at Amazon
- Forever Sharp Kitchen Knives: $64 at Catch
- Betti Bossie Veggie Twister: $24.99 at Catch
- Pineapple Corer: $15.95 at Amazon
- Easy Weekends Cookbook: $30.95 at Booktopia
- Pink Flamingo Watering Can: $6.99 at Stratco
- Adhesive Cable Clips: $5.99 at Amazon
- Jar Opener: $7.95 at Amazon
- Rolling Garlic Crusher: $13.99 at Kogan
- Motion Activated Toilet Light: $12.99 at Kogan
- Instant Wine Aerator: $24.95 at Amazon
- Cooking Oil Sprayer: $34.95 at Catch
- Stainless Steel Soap Bar: $12.69 at Amazon
- Mycause Charity Donation: Choose from over 4,000 charities
Sterile swiping for your germaphobe friends.
$12.10 - $22.69
For the friend who loves hydration but finds water "too cliché".
$79
Give someone the freshest ass.
$849.99
For someone with too much chonk in their tronk.
$15.99
Give someone the feeling of first class on an economy budget.
$14.99
Invest in your muso mate's hearing.
$79
A kitchen gadget that doubles as a knuckle-duster.
$37.95
Bluntness, begone.
$89
Send your food twirling, twirling towards freedom.
$39.95
For hard-core pineapple lovers.
$15.95
Because your Uber Eats budget has gotten out of control.
$39.95
Because why the hell not?
$6.99
Clean your shit up and make Marie Kondo proud.
$5.99 for 6
For jars that even The Rock couldn't open.
$7.95
$19.99
Drunk you will thank sober you later.
2 for $19.99
An instant decanter for the wine snob in your life.
$24.95
Prepara Simply Mist Oil Sprayer
An eco-friendly solution David Attenborough would approve of.
$34.95
A gentle way of telling your loved one their kitchen stinks.
$12.69
The gift of warm and fuzzies.
Over 4,000 charities
Fashion and beauty
Look, we're all about tech here at Reviews.org Australia but that doesn't mean we don't have some slick recommendations for the best in fashion and beauty. There's only one way to get over a week of writing about deals and sales, and that's some well-deserved self-care.
Here are a few of the best beauty and fashion gifts our team recommend if you're planning on treating yourself (or someone else) this year.
- Ice Roller for Puffy Eyes: $35.50 at Amazon
- Deluxe Adult Predator Costume: $144.99 at Amazon
- Slick Daddy Beard Oil: $24.95 at Amazon
- Red Converse: $69.99 at Kogan
- Dafni Hair Straightening Brush: $144.95 at Oz Hair and Beauty
- This is Fine Face Mask: From $12.70 at Redbubble
- Allbirds Merino Wool Runners: From $95 at Allbird
- Aesop Immediate Moisture: $25 at Adore Beauty
This surprisingly effective remedy for puffy eyes.
$41.23
For your bearded friend who is sick of being asked if they use beard oil
Buy 5 for 15% off
Channel your inner mid-2000s scene kid.
$120
Easy hairstyling for lazy time-poor people.
$189
I'm okay with the events that are currently unfolding.
$12 - $15ish
No joke, the comfiest shoes you will ever wear.
$95 - $135
From $25 for 50ml
Give your friends a family a personalised shout-out from legends like Billy Dee Williams, Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath and comedian Pauly Shore.
From $15 to $2,500 (USD)
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