2020 Gear of the Year

Are you looking for a creative Holiday gift for the techy person on your list? We’ve hand-selected our top picks for this holiday season that are perfect for family, friends, co-workers, or a gift exchange. There are small, inexpensive items and high-priced gear represented, but everything on this list has been tested in one way or another in 2020 and passed the test.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is our overall top pick for anyone who wants a premium Chromebook. It’s hard to believe that this device, with so many features and a great screen, starts at just $629. There’s no question, this Chromebook is our favorite of the year.
Where to Buy

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

The Duet does something few other Chromebooks can boast, posing as both legit tablet and legit Chromebook when the keyboard is attached. The aesthetic and build quality look more like a $400+ tablet, the 1080p screen looks like it belongs on a device far more expensive, and the included detachable keyboard just creates a value proposition most devices can’t beat.
Where To Buy

CTL Chromebox CBx2

One of the first 10th Gen Comet Lake Chromeboxes to hit the market, CTL’s CBx2 offers up a significant performance boost over its 8th Gen predecessor and adds a second HDMI port for true, dual monitor support.
Buy On CTL

WD My Passport SSD

We truly believe in the power of cloud computing but sometimes you need to move files around so a super fast portable external SSD can be a great Chromebook accessory. With a sleek, compact metal design and blazing fast speeds powered by NVMe technology, the new palm-sized drive allows home and business users to save, access and protect the content that matters.
Buy on Amazon

Logitech Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

At $49 for the keyboard and $29 for the mouse, the Logitech K580 keyboard and M335 mouse are an incredible value. Robby even went on record and said these are the best Bluetooth accessories for Chrome OS that he had ever used.
Where To Buy

iPlume USI Pen

We’ve been waiting for proper USI pens to hit the market for a while and now we finally have a couple third-party models to choose from, like this one from Plume. After some extensive testing, we can say this pen is legit and worked perfectly on multiple USI-compatible Chromebooks. Also, the all-aluminum casing on this model gives it a more premium feel, which is nice.
Where To Buy

Anker USB C Portable Power Bank

A portable power bank is one of those tech accessories that is a must-have for any tech nerd. With support for Power Delivery and Qualcomm Quick Charge, this travel-friendly portable battery offers high-speed charging to virtually any mobile device, including most Chromebooks.
Buy on Amazon

Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2

Having an extra charger around the house or in your bag is always a good idea for any techy person with multiple devices. This Anker PowerPort Atom with PD and GaN technology can charge one device at high-speeds up to 60W or two devices at the same time up to 30W.
Buy on Amazon

OWC Travel Dock Gen 2

The OWC Travel Dock Gen 2 delivers and offers all the connectivity that most Chromebook users need. The dock can be used on a desktop setup to connect an external display or on the go to plug in an SD card or USB thumb drive.
Buy on Amazon

Nest Hub Max

The perfect smart display for around the house can be used in the kitchen to help with recipes or in the bedroom as a perfect Google Photos digital display and alarm clock. With a great sounding speaker and camera that can be used for video calls and security, this is truly an all-in-one smart display.
Where To Buy

Google Nest Mini

With the new Nest Mini, your music sounds bigger and better than ever. And the Google Assistant is a huge help around the house. Engineered for sound. Designed for your home.
Where to Buy

Chromecast w/Google TV

With the new Chromecast, we finally get a real UI for on-screen navigation and a remote. With these two additions, this new Chromecast is the best one yet and truly the Chromecast for everyone.
Buy at Best Buy

Fitbit Smartwatches

While I haven’t tried out the Fitbit Versa 3 or Fitbit Sense, I can vouch for how great the Versa 2 is. If you are looking for a great fitness tracker and simple smartwatch, it’s hard to go wrong with Fitbit.
Buy on Amazon

Google Nest Audio

The all-new Nest Audio is everything we had hoped for in a successor to the original Google Home. This smart speaker boasts an impressive audio experience in a small package while still carrying all the smarts of the Google Assistant and it retails for $30 less than the original.
Buy at Best Buy

Meross Smart Light Bulb

Spice up any room of the house or your office with color changing smart light bulbs that connect to the Google Assistant. You will need the Meross app to set up these light bulbs but after that you can add them in your Home app so that they can be controlled with the Assistant. Side note, these bulbs are actually powered by a MediaTek chip.
Buy on Amazon

Lenovo Essentials SmartClock

The smallest smart clock Lenovo makes brings a lot to the table in a package that accomplishes much of what you need out of a smart alarm clock and little else while keeping the price insanely low.
Buy at Best Buy

Stadia Premiere Edition

In 2020, the streaming game industry took off. Among the players, Stadia has shown itself to be full-featured, well-executed, and flat-out fun. If you already have a Chromecast Ultra, a laptop or phone, you can start playing now with just the excellent Stadia Controller.
Buy at Best Buy

Golden Tee Arcade

Let’s face it, from time to time you need to blow off some steam. Golden Tee isn’t cutting edge or refined. Instead, it is equal parts nostalgic and fun, giving you a quick, no-frills competitive experience that makes itself at home both in the office or in a gameroom at home.
Buy at Best Buy

Flexispot Standing Desk

As many of us around the world have transitioned to working and learning from home, creating a dedicated workspace can go a long way in helping you to avoid distractions and stay productive. We have tried a couple of standing desks but recommend the FlexiSpot because it was incredibly easy to assemble and the tabletop has not shown much wear.
Buy on Amazon

Fresh Roasted Coffee

Fresh Roasted Coffee has simply been a revelation for our office. With coffee that completely rivals our own in-house roasts at the same price as unroasted green coffee, the move to using Fresh Roasted Coffee has saved us both money and time and we love it.
Get Coffee Here

Porter Ceramic Mug

This mug was a random inclusion in our Google swag box for their fall event, and we all collectively love it. A basic ceramic mug with a silicone wrap and a lid you can use on the go: it’s the best of both worlds.
Buy on Amazon

AirPods Pro

I’ve spent a lot of time and money trying to find a set of wireless earbuds that sound great, fit comfortably, offer noise cancelling, and don’t lag while gaming. I found them in the AirPods Pro and though they are pricey, I have no regrets in purchasing them.
Buy at Walmart
Buy on Amazon

Google Home Max

The Google Home Max represents the best audio experience of any #MadeByGoogle device and quite possibly any Assistant-enabled speaker. With stereo pairing, adaptive audio and all the smarts of the Google Assistant, the Max is our #1 choice when it comes to big, smart audio.
Buy on Best Buy

Pamu Slide Mini

The Pamu Slide Minis strike a beautiful balance between audio quality and budget friendliness. Offering almost lag-free audio when we’re hopping into a PUBG Mobile match, these earphones are lightweight, discrete and offer a fit so comfortable I sometimes forget I even have them in my ears.
Buy on Pamu

TicWatch Pro 3

The first WearOS device on the market to sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4100 platform, the dual-layer gives the TicWatch Pro 3 an easy 2-3 days of battery life. The TicWatch Pro 3 offers a full array of features such as sleep tracking, heart rate monitor, oxygen sensor, and more. The IP68 rating means you can take it to the pool and never give it a second thought.
Buy on Mobvoi

Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Smartwatch

Fossil’s latest take on a Wear OS smartwatch is surprisingly good. No, it is not perfect but the added RAM and better battery life has made this watch Joe’s go-to through 2020. The watch is slim (for a smartwatch) and they offer multiple models so you can find the style that is right for you.
Buy on Amazon

Google Nest WiFi Router

How many devices do you have connected to your home WiFi network? The number is probably higher than you expect, which means your router is having to do more work. The Google Nest Wifi router is simple but powerful and is a great gift for literally anyone who has internet.
Buy on Amazon

WeMo Smart Plug 3-Pack

These handy smart plugs allow you to connect things like lamps, TVs, or fans to the Google Assistant so you can control them with your voice. We use these around the office to turn off all the lights with one simple voice command.
Buy on Amazon

OnePlus 7T

For Pixel phone fans, 2020 was an oddball year. Because of this, many former Pixel users looked elsewhere for their smartphone for the first time in years. For Robby, the OnePlus 7T stayed in his pocket due to the performance/price ratio, and until further notice, this is his go-to handset.
Buy at BHPhoto

Pixel 4a 5G

For anyone who wants a new Pixel phone in 2020, the Pixel 4a 5G is a great option. For $499, it offers decent performance, a 6.2 inch screen with thin bezels, great battery life, Google camera magic, and that smooth pixel software experience.
Buy at Best Buy

Nest Thermostat

As we are all spending more time at home, a smart and efficient thermostat is more important than ever. Set schedules, save money, and feel more comfortable in your home with the new Nest Thermostat.
Where to Buy

Belkin Sound Form Elite

The smooth sounds of the Belkin Sound Form Elite are nearly enough to recommend it, but we also have to mention the great additions of the Google Assistant and a wireless charging pad right up top. We use this speaker in the office every day and it is just fantastic.
Buy on Amazon