10 Tech Gadgets To Help You Survive The Holiday Season

Let these tech gadgets give you a hand this holiday season!

Hey! While we’re doing our best to make sure the products we feature will arrive in time for Christmas, shipping times are especially tricky this year and can vary depending on where you live, which product you purchase, and more. Shop early and be sure to double check the retailers’ websites for shipping information to ensure that your gift will arrive in time for the 25th!)

1. A smart plug that'll turn your holiday lights on for you.

Amazon

Promising review: "I bought this to use for my pool pump and it works great so far. The set up was easy and flawless and the ability with the app to set a schedule or turn it on or off manually works perfect for my needs. It seems to have strong range since it has to connect to the router through two interior walls and one exterior wall and out to the plug which is about 45 feet from the house. —Chibi

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (originally $24.99).

2. An Alexa-enabled smart speaker, so your favorite Christmas carols can ring throughout the house.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $199.

3. A webcam that'll make connecting with family during the holidays a snap.

Amazon

Promising review: "I rarely write reviews anymore, but wow, this is an impressive product. I've got the latest gen MacBook Air, and the webcam is absolute trash. As a professor who is now teaching from home (which is a pretty dark lower level apartment), I wanted an upgraded version with a light so I didn't have to set up my makeup mirror behind my laptop. I just got the camera in today so this is based on my first impression, but WOW. No installation required — just plug it into the computer, turn the light on, and open up Zoom. The quality is great and the light gets pretty dang bright! I'll update if anything changes, but as of right now, I couldn't be happier." —Caitlin

Get it from Amazon for $34.99.

4. And a ring light to ensure you'll look *fresh to death* on all of your video calls.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $21.99.

5. A Wi-Fi hotspot will ensure you can shop for gifts from anywhere.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $99.99.

6. An Echo Dot that'll help you place gift orders by voice. Thanks, Alexa.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (available in three colors).

7. A meat thermometer to guarantee your holiday turkey or ham will be cooked to perfection.

Amazon

Promising Review: "This meat thermometer works great, we used it for ribeye steaks last night and they came out absolutely perfect. It’s got a lot of handy features and it came with a helpful temp guide too; previously I would have had to search online to find the right temp at which to cook my food. It also came with an extra battery, which I appreciate. I hate having to hunt down the right battery for little gadgets like this. It's small enough to fit comfortably in my drawer and my hand, and isn't difficult to open, which is a plus since I have early onset arthritis. I used it for a pot roast this evening and my family said it was the best roast I've ever made. I was able to pull it out at just the right time, versus guessing like I always did previously." —Evie O'Keefe

Get it from Amazon for $16.95 (originally $21.99).

8. An Instant Pot that'll help any chef whip up holiday sides in no time.

Amazon

Promising Review: "I looked at this item for a long time before I finally decided to buy it. What I don't need is another device in my house, but I use my crockpot almost every weekend and loved the idea that I could cook stuff so much quicker with the Instant Pot. I unpacked it and read over the instructions for testing it out to make sure everything worked. After the test, I decided to try my first dish. I had a frozen salmon fillet and this was one of the selling points, that you can cook frozen food and it will be just fine. My problem is that I always forget to take food out of the freezer to thaw. I grabbed a frozen filet and per the directions that I found online I added water and lemon juice to the pot and sprayed the steamer rack with non stick spray. I put the filet on the rack and cooked it for 4 minutes. I didn't use any seasonings. The salmon was perfect and so yummy! I couldn't believe it. Over the weekend I made chili and mac and cheese. The chili only took 14 minutes after browning the meat and the mac and cheese took 4 minutes. I love this so much. I can't wait to cook more items using the different functions." —Debbie B

Get it from Amazon for $79+ (available in three, six, or eight quarts).

9. A Roomba vacuum will save on cleaning time so you can get back to watching your favorite holiday movies.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $249.

10. And an Ember heated mug that'll keep your hot cocoa warm.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $99.95 (available in two colors).

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.