Karlston Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 The Verge’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2020 From e-readers to comfortable shoes, get your mom something nice Trying to decide on a gift for a parent or significant other can be difficult even during the best of times. So with the help of The Verge’s staff, we’ve come up with a list of things we think would make great Mother’s Day gifts or might give you some inspiration for your own unique gift idea. These are things that have either served the staff well or things they wish they had. Compiled below is a list of eight items, ranging from Hario V60 gooseneck kettle ($45) to the Apple Watch (around $400), that would be great gifts for any parent. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite For years, Amazon’s Kindles have ruled the e-reader space. And for nearly as long, the Paperwhite has been the model that nearly everyone should get. With an integrated light, a crisp display, and a virtually endless battery life — and only slightly more expensive than Amazon’s entry-level model — it’s not just the best e-reader; it’s almost better than physical paper. Price: ~$130 Buy on: Amazon Apple Watch If you’ve got an iPhone, there’s basically one smartwatch to get: an Apple Watch. The latest model has an always on display, works well even when you don’t have your iPhone handy, and can track basically all your fitness activities right from your wrist. Price: From $399 Buy on: Apple Best Buy B&H Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven If there’s one single pot that can transform your kitchen, it’s Lodge’s cast-iron combo cooker. It takes a little more work to take care of, but the case iron pot is perfect for making everything from casseroles to stews to homemade sourdough, while the lid actually doubles as its own cast iron pan. It’s two great pots for the price of one! Price: ~$45 Buy on: Amazon Fitbit Charge 4 Keeping track of your health has never been more important, and the latest Fitbit Charge 4 is the best that company offers in one tiny tracker. You can use it to control Spotify songs, make contactless payments, and track your location without ever bringing a phone along. Price: ~$150 Buy on: Best Buy Hario V60 Gooseneck kettle There are many cheaper vessels for hot water, but Hario’s V60 Gooseneck kettle heats quickly, and rarely needs to be cleaned. What’s best, though, is that it delivers a perfect, measured pour so you don’t get carried away with a delicate drink. Price: From ~$45 Buy on: Amazon Tissot Everytime Swissmatic Watch Smart watches may be all the rage, but a good mechanical watch will outlast them all. Tissot’s Everytime watches offer a classic design that looks good with nearly everything, while the Swiss-made movement will keep ticking without any batteries, chargers, or even solar panels — just wind it and you’re good to go. It’s the kind of watch that lasts a lifetime, instead of just until the next hardware refresh. Price: ~$255 Buy on: Amazon Allbirds shoes Beloved by Silicon Valley startups, Allbirds are basically the internet’s favorite shoes. But if you can get past all of the social media hype, what’s left is actually a really comfortable, easy-to-clean pair of shoes that are great for the office or a walk in the park. Price: ~$95 to $135 Buy on: Allbirds Madewell Medium Transport Tote This leather tote bag not only offers ample room for all your everyday stuff, but is also big enough for carrying a laptop while still having room to spare. Then if things happen to get a bit too cumbersome you can attach the shoulder strap for additional support or just to free up your hands. Price: ~$158 Buy on: Madewell Source: The Verge’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2020 (The Verge) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlston Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 16 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Mom (Even if You Can't Visit) Brunch is probably out of the question, but you can still send your socially-distanced parent a great pair of noise-canceling headphones. This Mother's Day is unlike any that we've celebrated before. If you know a mom who has their kids home with them right now, you know that social distancing has thrown the difficulties of parenting into focus. That goes double, or triple, if you're a single parent. Even in the best-case scenarios, many of us are separated from our own parents by miles or high-risk medical conditions. We can't bring your family together. For many parents who are struggling, we can't even offer to swing by and do a load of laundry. What we do have are 16 gift ideas to help the parents in your life work from home, keep their coffee warm, or go out running with their kids. For more ideas, check out our guides to the best gift ideas for new parents, best kid podcasts or the best kid tablets. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. Photograph: Facebook A Dedicated Videophone Facebook Portal (2019) Many people are justifiably wary of Facebook. So it's with some hesitation that I say that the Portal is the perfect device for a global pandemic that separates us from our family and friends. I keep ours propped on the kitchen table. It's easy to tap a profile pic and make a call at any time of day, right after I've picked up a package or while I'm making dinner. Fun, witty, and ever-changing AR masks keep my 3- and 5-year-old interested and participating in the call with my parents. The sophisticated tracking features and four-dimensional microphone let all the members of my family, on both sides of the continent, participate in the conversation while moving around the house. Right now, the Portal is the only thing that makes being separated from my family at a time like this bearable. $129 $79 at Amazon Photograph: Chatbooks Monthly Photo Books Chatbooks Instagram Series Now that we all carry a camera with us everywhere, no one knows what to do with the thousands of photos we've taken of our kids. You could obsessively organize them in Google Photos or share them in private groups. Or you could quickly and easily put them in a picture book and automatically send them to parents and grandparents. Chatbooks connects to your camera roll, Instagram, or Facebook account. When you get up to 60 pictures, the ongoing photo series will let you know that a book is ready. You can edit your book before it gets printed and sent out. I've used several photo book printing services and Chatbooks is the fastest and easiest. I don't have to crop pictures, choose between fonts, or fuss over placement. This is the gift that I gave my own mom for Mother's Day. $10 at Chatbooks Photograph: Tile A Bluetooth Tracker Tile Sticker Two-Pack When I wrote about work-from-home parenting, I said that my brain's CPU gets overloaded with tiny tasks—acting as my family's receptionist, household manager, and primary dog-walker. Over the past few months, my duties have become more intense, which is why a Bluetooth tracker like a Tile is invaluable. Giving a Tile to your spouse might be considered passive-aggressive, but for a parent, it's a way to take just one more task—where did I put that—off their plate. The new Tile stickers have a battery that lasts three years and are perfect for all the small things that wander, like your Apple remote or Kindle. And it'll stay put—the sticker is so strong that I had to pry it off with crossed fingers and a butterknife. $30 at Amazon Photograph: Amazon A Light-Up Ebook Reader Amazon Kindle (2019) In a very informal poll of moms, I found that almost all of us own a Kindle (these are our favorite models). This year's Kindle has many of the Paperwhite's best features for $30 less. It's smaller and lighter than the Paperwhite, and the battery lasts for a week on a single charge. LEDs let a new mom rock her baby and read in the dim wee hours, and it supports Audible books and Bluetooth headphones for when her hands are occupied. Even if your local library is currently closed, you can still download an endless supply of free electronic library books. In the long run, getting a Kindle will actually save an avid reader lots of money. $90 at Amazon Photograph: Ultimate Ears A Waterproof Speaker UE Wonderboom 2 If you're lucky enough to have access to outdoor space right now, a Bluetooth speaker will make it immensely more livable. Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom has been on the top of our lists for years, and the Wonderboom 2 is just a little bit better. It's portable, with easily manipulated, colorful, chunky buttons. It sounds great and has an IP67 waterproof rating, which means you can immerse it in water for up to 30 minutes. It will even float! My kids like to take it into the kiddie pool, dunk it in the water, and laugh at the vibrations. Once the kids are in bed, the mom in your life can stretch out in a backyard chair by a fire and listen to some tunes. $96 at Amazon Photograph: Grayson An Everyday Shirt Grayson The Hero Button-down shirts are a new mom's power move. They are comfortable and polished enough to pop quickly into the office, but allow for easy access for breastfeeding or nursing. Former software engineer Audrey McLoghlin founded Grayson in order to create the perfect women's shirt. The Hero has a cape-like pleat in the back to make it sit perfectly on a woman's body. And they require minimal care—just a quick machine wash and a tumble dry, and it's ready to go. $128 $77 at Nordstrom Photograph: Nisolo Slip-On Shoes Nisolo Ecuador Sandal Mother's Day is in the spring, so why does everyone always buy their mom fuzzy slippers? If you want to help a mom get in and out the door more quickly, try giving her a pair of comfortable summer slip-ons, like Nisolo's huaraches. These comfortable shoes are hand-made in a factory that Nisolo owns and operates in Peru, with hand-cut leather and lined side straps that will mold to her foot as she wears them. $118 at Backcountry $118 at Nisolo Photograph: Road Runner Bags A Fanny Pack Road Runner Bags Lil Guy Mini Pack As a long-time fanny pack evangelist, I have been delighted by the many moms who have asked about making the switch. Fanny packs don't swing around and get in your way, like a purse, or make your back sweaty, like a backpack. They're small, versatile, and keep the essentials close at hand. I've tried many versions, but my favorite is the Road Runner Lil Guy. As a biking mom, it's been life-changing to have a fanny pack with a holster for my U-lock and webbing to clip a few bike lights. It's not quite big enough to work as a diaper bag, but it's definitely big enough for my wallet, phone, hand sanitizer, and a couple of extra face masks. $60 at Road Runner Bags Photograph: Aukey A Mechanical Keyboard Aukey KM-G3 Keyboard If the mom in your life recently (and suddenly) switched to working exclusively from home, she might not have thought of making the switch to a mechanical keyboard. Instead of a membrane over a circuit board, a mechanical keyboard uses switches under the keys. The keys spring back and produce a cheerful clickity-clacking sound. They're also way more durable. Because the keyboards are popular with gamers, they also have fun upgrades like customizable lighting effects, which would perk up any home office. We recommend this entry-level Aukey, but we have more expensive keyboard options here. We also have a guide to all the gear she might want to work from home like a pro. $55 at Amazon Photograph: Alterrain A Jogging Stroller Bob Alterrain Pro When my daughter was born, my friend gave me an ancient hand-me-down Bob jogging stroller. I used it until my son was born and passed it on to another new mom. Bob strollers are expensive, but they last. My family has been using the new Alterrain Pro to look for hidden outdoor spaces for the past few weeks, and my daughter now refuses to ride in any other stroller. It's rated for an enormous 75-pound kid (way bigger than my 35-pound 5-year-old) and has huge shocks and air-filled tires to make the bumpiest terrain comfortable. The handbrake feels like a bike brake and makes me feel safer about dragging my kids down 15-20 degree rocky hills. The canopy extends all the way down and has a viewing window that closes with a magnetic clip. The padded seat reclines all the way, the front wheel locks for straight runs, and the storage compartment zips shut so I don't lose Choo-Choo the fuzzy bunny five miles from home. $600 at REI Photograph: Foreo A Palm-Sized Spa Foreo UFO Mask Treatment Neither my mother, nor I, have ever gotten a facial in our lives. But for those of you who are missing twin Mother's Day treatments, WIRED product reviewer Medea Giordano recommends Foreo's UFO smart mask. To use, connect the smart UFO to the Foreo app on your phone. Then select a proprietary mask for your skin treatment, and the UFO will vibrate, heat up, or cool down—it might even turn on LEDs, depending on the mask. The effects may be temporary, but vibrations and temperature changes can increase circulation and blood flow to the skin. Giordano says it feels exactly like a little handheld spa. $199 at Sephora Photograph: Snackcrate Traveling Snacks Snackcrate One of my favorite parts about traveling is going into a grocery store and figuring out what alligator jerky or peanut chips I'm going to be eating for the rest of the journey. Obviously, that's impossible now. But a Snackcrate can bring the flavors of the world to your doorstep. Each box has themed snacks from a different country, like Cadbury Golden Crisp bars from Ireland or ginger biscuits from the Caribbean. You can order a box in three different sizes and they ship directly from the source every month. This would be a particularly nice gift for a new mom who would otherwise have trouble running to the store for late-night munchies. $14 at Snackcrate Photograph: Amazon A Beautiful Coffee Tumbler Fellow Carter 16 Fl. Oz. Every mom has more than a few "Mom's the Best!" mugs, but when I first saw Fellow's beautiful travel tumbler sitting on a desk, I gasped. The screw-top tumbler has a mouth that's wide enough to fit a Hario pour-over directly on top. It also lets you enjoy the aromas of the coffee as you sip it. It's also ceramic-coated, so you don't get any weird metallic flavors, with a curved lip for comfortable drinking. Not convinced? We have a few of our other favorite travel mugs here. $35 at Amazon Photograph: Eufy A Beautiful Baby Monitor Eufy SpaceView Baby Monitor Eufy's SpaceView monitor has a 330-degree horizontal rotation and a 110-degree vertical rotation, which means it will be useful for much longer than a crib-mounted monitor. It doesn't connect to Wi-Fi, so it's much more secure than a smart monitor—and it's easy to install for an exhausted parent. It's also attractive enough that it won't detract from her nursery's decor. These are a few of the reasons it's our favorite baby monitor. $150 at Amazon Photograph: Fitbit A Simple Fitness Tracker Fitbit Charge 4 For years, one version or another of Fitbit's Versa was at the top of the list of the best fitness trackers. This year, the Charge 4 usurped its place. For a reasonable price, it has features like built-in GPS that I've normally only seen in much more expensive sport watches. Moms will also appreciate the simple, easy-to-use app, long-lived battery, and huge user community. With the addition of the Fitbit Premium membership, they'll also be able to access some of the best sleep tracking features on the market. And if she doesn't like any of the colors, it's also compatible with the Charge 3 accessory bands. My favorite is the sport band. $150 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy Photograph: Apple Noise-Canceling Headphones Apple AirPods Pro I would occasionally like to recommend other noise-canceling headphones, but I just keep reaching for the Airpods Pro. The fit is comfortable. They pair well with my iPhone 11. And over and over, I've found the noise-canceling to be astounding. While writing this, I was wearing the Airpods Pro while playing low white noise. My 3-year-old crawled into my lap, and I soon realized that I could see his lips moving, but not make out a word he was saying. If you know a mom who is an iPhone user, give her the gift of a little personal space. If AirPods Pro rise beyond your budget, the 1More Stylish True Wireless ($100) are our favorite wirefree buds, though they lack active, electronic noise canceling. They do block out a fair amount of noise, though. $249 $235 at Amazon $249 at Apple Source: 16 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Mom (Even if You Can't Visit) (Wired) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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