Why You Can Trust CNET Great gifts you can still get in time for Christmas
Shipping delays are rampant right now, so here are your best curbside and in-store pickup options.
The clock is ticking. You've got just a few more days to finish your Christmas shopping, and it's probably too late to rely on two-day or even overnight shipping: All the major shipping services -- UPS, Fedex, USPS -- are utterly swamped.
Thus, your best bets right now (and for the rest of the week) are twofold: retail stores offering in-store or curbside pickup and "instant" gifts you can print or email.
Below I've rounded up some great gift items from the former category. At this writing, everything is in stock in my neck of the woods (metro Detroit), but of course inventory varies across the country.
Read more: Get it there by Christmas: 2020 holiday shipping deadlines
Small enough that it might actually fit in a stocking, the Tile Mate makes a fantastic gift. It pairs phone and keychain to make it easier to find both. (You can also loop in an Alexa skill for voice-activated "finding.")
For the last person on Earth who doesn't yet own a smart speaker, the previous-gen Dot offers decent sound and plenty of Alexa-powered goodness. Plus, Lowe's bundles a Feit Electric Wi-Fi smart bulb (a $9 value), the logical next step in outfitting a smart home. "Alexa, turn on the lamp!"
Lenovo's new Smart Clock Essential is a simplistic bedside companion, but with Google's voice assistant at the ready for things like setting alarms, playing music and checking the weather. The USB-A port in the rear makes it easy to charge a phone or other device, too.
Modern TVs typically come with streaming apps built in, but not all of them have all the top new services, like Disney Plus. Enter the Roku Streaming Stick Plus: For just $40 right now (regularly $50), this plug-in streamer with voice control will deliver most online video services you can think of, at resolutions up to 4K. The remote can control your TV's power and volume, too.
Anyone who works with power tools needs hearing protection. There are plenty of safety earmuffs out there, but then how can you listen to your favorite tunes at the same time? Simple: Add Bluetooth to the mix.
These headphones look like traditional workshop earmuffs and provide 24 decibels of noise reduction just by wearing them. But of course they're straight-up Bluetooth headphones as well -- and thanks to the passive noise reduction, you won't have to crank the volume to 11.
Amazon is out of stock through the end of the year, but you can still get this genuinely great smart display for $80 from Best Buy. That's $50 off the regular price -- a bit higher than during Black Friday, but a solid buy all the same. The Echo Show 8 brings Alexa-powered smarts to a lovely 8-inch screen, one backed by a top-notch speaker for listening to music, watching videos and more.
Best Buy also has the Echo Show 5 for $45, a Black Friday match.
You had to know this was coming. Sure, there are plenty of AirPods Pro alternatives that cost less, but Target's current deal slashes $50 off the regular price -- making this a more affordable option for anyone with these earbuds atop their wish list. And I'll just say it: They're great. Great sound, great noise canceling, great for calls.
Note that Woot had these for $190 last week, but they're currently sold out. Target's price -- and inventory -- is the best we're seeing right now.
If money is no object, consider DJI's newest personal drone, the Mini 2. (Gone is the "Mavic" moniker.) It's compact, lightweight, easy to fly and outfitted with a superb camera, one that can capture 4K footage at 30 frames per second. The Fly More option adds extra batteries, a carrying case and other goodies to the mix. (Don't need all that? The basic kit sells for $450.)
Read more: Gifts that give back: How you can help charities in 2020
CNET Holiday Gift Guide
- Best laptops and desktops to give as holiday gifts in 2020
- The best headphone gifts for the holidays
- Best Bluetooth wireless speaker to blast for 2020
- Best TV and streamer gifts for the holidays
- The best gifts to get healthy in 2021
- Give the gift of a better, faster router for the holidays
- Best gaming gifts for the holiday season 2020
- Best gaming accessories to give as holiday gifts
- Best 2020 phones to give as gifts: iPhone 12, Galaxy S20 FE, Pixel 4A 5G and more
- Best soundbars and home audio for the holidays
- The best smart home gifts of 2020
- Best gifts for working at home in 2020
- Best toys for 2020
- Best gifts for Mom in 2020
- Best gifts for Dad in 2020
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