Nov 21, 2017 9:42 PM

Wish List 2017: 60 Amazing Gift Ideas for Everyone in Your Orbit

From Star Wars essentials to the latest smart speakers, these are the items to give (and get) this holiday season.

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Photograph: Joseph Shin
Lego Millennium Falcon
Lego has transformed Han’s bucket of bolts into a 7,500-piece brick set—its largest ever. A nerf herder will startle like a mynock at the price, but the detail (rotating quad laser cannon!) and size (33 inches long) are astounding. Non-Jedis should expect to complete the Falcon in about 20 hours.
$850 at Lego
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Sphero R2-D2 App-Enabled Droid
After bowling over fans with its rolling BB-8 droid in 2015, Sphero has produced a sequel that’s better than the original. This smartphone-controlled R2-D2 sounds and moves just like the onscreen sidekick. Artoo’s animations and canon-accurate whistles will satisfy nitpicky Jawas of all ages.
$180 at Amazon

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Porg Plush
These puffin-like aliens have charmed the Star Wars faithful, and now you can cuddle one of your very own. Hailing from Luke’s remote island hideaway in The Last Jedi, the aggressively kawaii porgs are available in numerous toy forms. Our favorite is this plush that makes cooing sounds when you hug it.
$20 at Target
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Lenovo Star Wars: Jedi Challenges
Science fiction becomes augmented reality in Lenovo’s headset, which has mirrors that project images from your smartphone’s screen into the world. Play holochess, command Rebels in battle, or wield the replica lightsaber to duel villains like Kylo Ren in virtual combat.
~~$149~~ $142 at Amazon

Photograph: Joseph Shin
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody
When down gets soaked, it loses its insulating properties. Synthetics stay warm but don’t compress like the natural stuff. So Patagonia developed a polyester fill that lofts like down but resists water. The result? A packable parka with Patagonia’s highest warmth-to-weight ratio.
$299 at Patagonia
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ONA Clifton Camera Backpack
Stop schlepping a boxy camera bag that screams “Mug me.” The Clifton’s academic look provides welcome discretion when you’re shooting on the street. Inside is space for a 13-inch laptop, a DSLR body, and up to six lenses. Choose leather or canvas for the exterior—we prefer this smart camo pattern.
$419 at ONA

courtesy of zero
Zero Motorcycles DS Electric Motorcycle
The latest all-electric beaut from Zero Motorcycles isn’t just for city life. With a reworked suspension, antilock brakes, and Pirelli tires designed for off-road use, it’s built to take on the gnarliest trails you can find at speeds north of 98 mph. Just make sure they’re within 95 miles of a power outlet.
$10,995 at Zero
GoPro Fusion
The 800-pound gorilla of action cams is keen to get in on the 360-degree game. GoPro’s new Fusion is a 5.2K dual-lens camera that captures a spherical view of your radness no matter where you mount it. Play director after the shoot by adding tilts, pans, and otherworldly zooms.
$700 at GoPro

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Williams Sonoma DuraClear Double Old-Fashioned (Set)
Fancy glassware is great for parties—just not pool parties. Avoid shattering disasters with these cups: They’re made of polycarbonate (so, bulletproof glass) that won’t scratch or cloud—perfect for displaying your new whiskey stones.
$78 at Williams-Sonoma
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Jaybird Freedom 2 Wireless
When you’re grinding your way through a 10K, fussy headphones only compound the suffering. Jaybird’s buds have a new design that improves the locking earpiece fins and the slack-busting cable clip. They stay put so you can enjoy killer sound for the battery’s full four hours.
$17 at Amazon

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Volta V Gaming PC
Powerful gaming PCs don’t always look like menacing metal cubes. The Volta V’s wooden casing matches your midcentury decor, but the retro looks disguise its thoroughly modern specs. Trick out the liquid-cooled Volta V with an 18-core processor, 64 GB of RAM, and a 2-TB hard drive.
$1,999 at Volta
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Mohu AirWave
Welcome to cord-cutting utopia. The AirWave brings live television to Apple TV, Roku, or any other streaming device. The curved digital antenna pulls in broadcast signals and pushes them over your home Wi-Fi so you can watch shows on TV, tablet, or smartphone through the Mohu app.
$150 at Mohu

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Nintendo Switch
Gaming doesn’t have to stop just because you’re being dragged out of the house. The Switch works on the big screen through a dock, or on the road through its built-in display. Play alone or with friends; either way, Zelda, Mario, and the rest of the gang never have to leave your side again.
$300 at Amazon
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Google Home Mini
Last year, Google inserted its assistant into a tabletop smart home speaker. For an encore, Google downsized its robo-helper into a fabric-covered, 4-inch puck. Ask it to settle trivia-based disputes, turn on your smart light bulbs, read you the news, or even play Spotify tracks.
$49 at Google

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Craighill Jack Puzzle
This puzzle seems plain enough—it’s just six brass bars. You won’t be able to resist pulling it apart, but leave plenty of time to reassemble it: Even with instructions, this beautiful desk ornament is a bear to build. Luckily, there’s nothing more satisfying than making this thing whole again.
$95 at Still House
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Chris Yates Expansion of Thought IV
Your usual jigsaw tactics—finding the corners, lining up all the pieces of blue sky—won’t work on this colorful swirl of overlapping circles. Designer Chris Yates makes each wooden puzzle by hand, and they’re as pretty as they are maddening to assemble.
$444 at Chris Yates

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Amazon Echo Show
Amazon’s voice-activated touchscreen can do pretty much everything the Echo can—dim the lights, check the weather, play your party mix. But while the Echo reads recipes to you, Show keeps them on display. Rusty on your chiffonade technique? Call up a video to watch a master.
~~$230~~ $34 at Amazon
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Ohishi Sherry Cask Whisky
As far as Japanese whiskies go, you’ve heard of Suntory. But this drink will expand your horizons. Concocted by a distillery in Kyushu, the liquor starts out as rice grown in paddies weeded by koi fish and draws its complex flavors from the time it spends aging in old sherry casks.
$75 at GRC Imports

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Loog Pro Guitar
Most guitars made for kids are flimsy plastic toys that fall out of tune by the first chorus. The child-sized neck on Loog’s sturdy mini ax has just three strings, sure, but it has the intonation and feel of a grown-up guitar. The free companion app has a tuner, video lessons, and a drum machine for robo-assisted shredding.
$199 at Loog
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Knoll Prism Lounge Chair
Architect David Adjaye is best known for conjuring sculptural buildings like the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. His first furniture collection for Knoll includes the Prism chair. Upholstered in a wool blend over molded foam, it’s both striking and invitingly comfy.
$10,419 at Knoll

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Areaware Susan Kare Textiles
Graphic designer Susan Kare has been creating archetypal digital icons since the early days of Apple. Now you can enjoy her minimalist handiwork on a more analog surface: textiles. These coasters and tea towels will make your artist’s hideaway stylish while showing off your geeky side.
$10 at Areaware
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Sony Ericsson Bravia A1 4K HDR OLED TV (65-inch)
We’re living in the age of Peak TV. Do the art form justice and watch on a set with deep blacks, booming audio, integrated Android TV, and no bezel. Most unique is the built-in, fold-out stand, which gives the set a sleek look without requiring you to bolt a mount to the wall.
$3,500 at Sony

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Oxo Good Grips Good Grips Chef's Mandoline Slicer 2.0
Say au revoir to your mandoline’s free-floating blades of death; Oxo’s kitchen tool keeps them safely contained. Switch from ’shroom-slicing to julienning with the turn of a dial. Seventeen thickness settings mean a range of evenly cut chow.
~~$100~~ $60 at Amazon
Photograph: Joseph Shin
Garmin Forerunner 935
Garmin’s flagship multisport watch monitors your heart rate while collecting detailed metrics on activities ranging from the expected (swimming, running, sleeping) to the esoteric (stand-up paddle boarding). The sweatproof workout buddy can go more than a week between charges too.
$315 at Amazon

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OluKai Kohala
Step out in these waterproof leather kicks whenever the forecast looks threatening. The Kohala’s compound rubber outsole won’t mar your kitchen floors but has plenty of tread for rain-slick urban excursions. The washable EVA footbed coddles your arches for long days at the standing desk.
$200 at OluKai
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Argent Chalkstripe Jacket
Gussy up a skirt or pair of jeans with this single-button jacket. The classic gray wool has a flicker of bright peach in the chalk stripe to signal you’re no mere worker bee. Bonus: real pockets, not just flaps, which Argent says are for your “media and stylus.” Or, you know, a phone and pen.
$328 at Argent

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Maybe Capital The Board Game
In cutthroat Silicon Valley, everyone has a startup idea and would stomp on their best friend to get some VC coin. In this sarcastic modern-day take on Monopoly, players improvise ridiculous business plans and compete for funding from investors. Unicorn dust not included.
$42 at Maybe Capital
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Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link
This whisper-quiet, compact air purifier sucks up air through its base, filters out 99.97 percent of common allergens, then blows warm or cool clean air through its oblong ring. Plus, it’s Wi-Fi connected, so you can track your home’s air quality with your phone.
$600 at Dyson

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FangCun Ghost Cube
Once you’ve mastered the art of the classic nine-a-side puzzle cube, break your brain all over again with this Ghost Cube, which challenges you to solve it by shape instead of color. Even disassembling it to start over is a mind-bender.
$20 at SpeedCubeShop
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HP Spectre X2
Laptops are for typing and tablets are for drawing, but don’t carry both. With a detachable keyboard and sketch-friendly stylus, HP’s hybrid Windows rig converts between configurations in a flash. A kickstand keeps the 12.3-inch screen at a comfortable angle whether you’re Outlooking or Netflixing.
$1,150 at HP

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Polaroid OneStep 2
To celebrate the 40th birthday of its iconic instant film camera, Polaroid gave it a welcome refresh. Click the shutter and it spits out a photo that develops in front of your eyes, just like the old days. And don’t worry—there’s a timer, so you’ll be able to capture analog group selfies.
$100 at Polaroid
Photograph: Sonos
Sonos One (Gen 2)
Sonos joins the smart home speaker parade with its new One, which adds Alexa functionality to the company’s beloved multiroom music experience. If Amazon’s AI leaves you wanting, wait until next year when Google Assistant arrives in a software update.
$210 at Amazon

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Back to the Lab
Twelve years after Raph Rashid’s Behind the Beat exposed the creative process of hip hop’s biggest beatmakers, the photographer is back. Peek inside the home studios of producers like El-P, Flying Lotus, and J Dilla and gasp at their singular stashes of synths, drum machines, and vinyl.
$60 at Amazon
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Goldwin Hooded Pullover Shirt
This paper-thin layer provides extra warmth on chilly days. The fabric retains heat and repels water—it’s woven with Pertex Microlight, a material used to insulate sleeping bags. When the sun comes out again, the pullover folds up smaller than a cloth dinner napkin.
$275 at Westerlind

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Time Slippers Women's Wool Mid-Top
With their natural wool linings and uppers, elastic laces, and squishy yoga mat insoles, these foot-cradling slip-ons mold to your aching dogs. The flexible rubber outsoles are perfect for lazy outdoor wear or just padding around the house.
$130 at Time Slippers
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Apple Watch Series 3 With GPS + Cellular
Leaving your phone at home usually means paralyzing #fomo. The latest Apple Watch can connect to an LTE cellular data network sans phone, so you’ll never miss another text, tweet, or news alert. You can even place a call with it (Dick Tracy fedora optional).
$399 at Apple

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Poppin Loft Adjustable Standing Desk
Sitting all day is bad for you, and it’s not great for your creativity either. This workstation makes it easy to get the juices flowing. Press a button and a motor raises the surface to your ideal standing height. You can store four preset positions—nice if you need to work up to it in the morning.
$799 at Poppin
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Das 5Q Connected Keyboard
Had it with pop-up text notifications derailing your train of thought? The mechanical 5Q keyboard lets you program letter keys to light up for a less jarring nudge. It can signal info from just about any connected source. Set the B key to glow red when the boss posts a tweet and be the first to RT!
$249 at Das

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Studio Cheha Ziggi Lamp
Israeli designer Nir Chehanowski infuses high design into everyday objects. The Ziggi Lamp combines LED light and optical illusion: The trippy trompe l’oeil etched construction masks its wafer-thin form. Illuminate your work and blow your mind with the flick of a switch.
$165 at SFMOMA
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Critter & Guitari Organelle
You’re no DJ Khaled, but with the Organelle, a hybrid synth, mixer, and sampler, you can still concoct some pretty block-rocking beats. Don’t like the default patches? Create and edit fresh options directly on the device (or pull from the open source repository on GitHub).
$495 at Critter & Guitari

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Logitech Zerotouch
Call Ma, no hands, with this driving system that helps you text, phone, navigate, schedule, email, and queue up your tunes while you’re holding the wheel. The magnetic mount plays nice with Alexa, so you never have to leave your favorite assistant trapped at home in the Echo.
$10 at Amazon
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Philips White Ambience Wellness Table Lamp
Battle the circadian-disrupting glare of your iPhone with Philips’ infinitely customizable lamp. The tabletop beacon can emit thousands of shades, from coolest cool to warmest warm. Program it to simulate sunrise or sunset, gradually brightening or dimming in tandem with your sleep cycle.
$100 at Amazon

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Leica TL2
Cameras with touchscreens are nothing new, but this mirrorless beaut might be the nicest. It has all the grace of an iPhone with the power and performance of Leica. And the smartphone app lets you download your photos over Wi-Fi for easy sharing.
$1,950 at Leica
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Bang & Olufsen Beoplay P2
Bang & Olufsen made its name in high-end home stereo equipment. Now that superior sound goes on the move with the palm-sized Beoplay P2 Bluetooth speaker. The battery charges over USB-C and lasts for 10 hours, so your party guests will conk out before the music does.
$250 at Amazon

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BOB Multi-opener
BOB’s Danish-designed bottle opener can replace an entire drawer of clunky kitchen gadgets. The sturdy aluminum multitool pops open beer bottles, pop-top cans, vacuum lids, pull tabs, and screw tops. This one object will definitely spark your joy.
$25 at MoMa
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Flipbin Model 33
It’s time to replace those unsightly milk crates you’ve been using for LP storage. This apartment-friendly bin tilts back 15 degrees, the ideal angle for flipping through your collection. The powder-coated aluminum comes in nine shades, making these wax shacks as pretty as they are practical.
$75 at Flipbin

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Audioengine HD6 Wireless Speakers
These walnut-swathed beauties are the ultimate no-fuss wireless speaker system. The versatile duo features analog and digital inputs and can connect via Bluetooth to let you stream audio from your phone. Built-in amplifiers deliver deep, sonorous sound.
$749 at Audioengine
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Carved Clock
In a busy workplace, it can be hard to carve out time for yourself. Fortunately, this clock already has the hours of the day carved out. Designed by Naoki Terada, the timepiece won Japan’s Good Design Award. Hang this red spot on the wall and perhaps the minutes won’t seem so fleeting.
$125 at SFMOMA

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BioLite SiteLight XL
Lanterns provide lots of light, but they’re usually too bulky to justify schlepping all the way out to your campsite. BioLite’s collapsible SiteLight XL measures a foot in diameter and pumps out 300 lumens, yet it packs down to the size of a sandwich bag, making it easy to stow ’n’ glow.
$30 at BioLite
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Pax Era
Cannabis is now legal in 29 states, and those citizens deserve a modern way to obey the law. Pax’s rechargeable vaporizer accepts cartridges (sold separately, $45 and up) prefilled with concentrates tailored to your desired buzz—from uplifting to mellow. No buttons; just draw on the mouthpiece and relax.
$20 at Pax

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Circuit Scribe Maker Kit
This educational kit will help unleash the mad scientist lurking within every kid (or adult). Draw circuits on paper with the conductive-ink pen. Then arrange the modules—buzzer, lights, resistors, even a potentiometer—on your design and bring that infernal machine to life.
$80 at Circuit Scribe
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Audio-Technica ATH-DSR9BT Headphones
Rather than transforming the 1s and 0s of the audio signal into analog pulses, Audio-Technica’s new wireless cans maintain a completely digital pipeline between the source and driver. They last 15 uninterrupted hours per charge, making them ideal on long flights.
$549 at Amazon

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Priority Continuum Onyx
A commuter bike would have to come with a seat belt to be safer than the Continuum. Hydraulic brakes, reflective decals, and a continuously variable transmission give you the confidence to brave the city streets. And the carbon drive belt won’t stain your pants like a greasy chain.
$999 at Priority
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Norton Core
Logging in from home? The retro-futuristic Core Wi-Fi router has the speed you need: up to 2.5 Gbps, if your connection is up to it. And coming from Norton, it does double duty as a security guard, patrolling your entire network—right down to those not-so-smart “smart home” devices you installed.
$280 at Norton

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Razer Lancehead
Touchscreens, pens, and keyboard shortcuts have their place, but the mouse still reigns for accurately translating hand movements into onscreen action. This wireless pointer glows like a Tron light cycle (rainbow LEDs!) and uses top-spec sensors and transmitters to erase any lag, crucial when gaming—or just speed-faving tweets.
$140 at Razer
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Frederick & Mae Playing Cards
Imagine the joy you’ll get from not just laying down a winning hand but also doing it in the correct ROYGBIV order. This rainbow-hued deck of playing cards from Brooklyn design team Fredericks & Mae will brighten up any game of hearts, and the unique color scheme makes for entirely new games too.
$13 at Princeton Architectural Press

Elephant
Vitra Eames Elephant
Designers Charles and Ray Eames are best known for their furniture and buildings. Their cutest creation, a plywood pachyderm for children, never made it to production. Now, the 16-inch-high elephant is finally available, this time in a durable plastic that fulfills the Eames’ simple, sturdy objective.
$330 at Vitra
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Dagne Dover Landon Carryall
TIRED: A bag for every occasion. WIRED: One bag for every occasion. Dagne Dover’s over-the-shoulder tote is made of hand-washable neoprene and nylon. Go ahead and load its 540 cubic inches with your gym clothes, beach gear, and veggies from the farmers’ market—but maybe not all at once.
$125 at Dagne Dover

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Nerf N-Strike Elite Raptorstrike
This red menace fires up to six darts in a row from a fast-loading clip. The Raptorstrike’s pop-up sight, adjustable bipod, and super-precise darts ensure no one who crosses your path escapes unscathed. You will need a new excuse for when you “accidentally” take out your least favorite teammate, though.
$50 at Amazon
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ThinkGeek Tungsten Spinning Top
Since it's made of tungsten, this variant of the original fidget spinner feels satisfyingly dense and weighty. That extra heft keeps it going even longer. But if it twirls forever? Well, you've seen Inception. You know what to do.
$70 at ThinkGeek

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