Ultimate Mother’s Day gadget gift guide
We can all agree that mums all across the country have been put under extra pressure during isolation, so why not spoil them with a cracking Mother’s Day present.
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Mother’s Day arrives in just 10 days and time is running out to find a store or place an order online.
Mother’s Day arrives in just 10 days and time is running out to find a store or place an order online.
Thankfully, gadget makers have stayed open for business and there are plenty of options for mothers in 2020, whether they’re keen to level-up their photography, adopt a folding phone, find some peace and quiet, or command a smart fragrance diffuser and doorbell.
These are our top 10 suggestions to make May 10 a special day for your mum, whether she’s near or far.
FOR SPORTY MUMS
Fitbit Charge 4
$249, fitbit.com/au
There’s a fresh Fitbit on the market and it could help your mum make the most of her time outdoors. The new model adds a GPS sensor so it can pinpoint walks, runs, hikes, and cycles on a map, in addition to recording calories burned, staircases climbed, heart rate details, and distance covered. The new model, which comes with small and large wristbands, will also deliver Spotify controls and phone alerts on its small screen, and can be used as a credit card at the cash register.
FOR PLAYFUL MUMS
Nintendo Switch Lite
$329, nintendo.com.au
Taking breaks from working from home, homeschooling, and just looking at the four walls of your loungeroom is important and this new game console can provide a virtual escape. Nintendo’s most mobile games machine now comes in coral and offers a more solid body than the regular Switch, a 5.5-inch touchscreen, space for a game cartridge and a wireless internet connection to download titles. It’s also ready to deliver puzzle games, an Animal Crossing island adventure or the New Australian made title Moving Out.
FOR PRODUCTIVE MUMS
Apple iPad Magic Keyboard
From $499, apple.com/au
If your mum is a regular iPad user, there’s a high chance she will appreciate Apple’s keyboard reinvention. The Magic Keyboard features a “floating cantilevered design” that suspends the tablet over a keyboard and touchpad and makes the tablet work like a laptop. Its elevated position also makes it better suited to video chats and the solid keys will let her type missives quickly.
FOR PROUD MUMS
HP Sprocket Studio
$199, harveynorman.com.au
“Family historian” is often a job that falls to mothers and this small photo printer can make the role easier. HP’s latest Sprocket printer is small, though not pocket-sized, and is more advanced than the model before it. It uses special cartridges (rather than ink embedded in paper) to create more colourful, lifelike 4x6-inch photographs from a connected smartphone or camera. Its app also allows users to create cards, invitations or photo collages.
FOR CUTTING-EDGE MUMS
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
$2199, samsung.com/au
It’s a big investment for a Mother’s Day gift but it would be a memorable one. Samsung’s second folding phone is also particularly well suited to the times in which we find ourselves. You can fold this phone down to half its size to wear it around the house in activewear, fold it at a right angle to sit it on a desk for video calls or watch YouTube comfortably, and you can close the phone’s form to hang up on annoying caller.
FOR MUMS WHO NEED PEACE
Bose NC 700
$550, bose.com.au
Staying at home isn’t always the most peaceful choice but these wireless headphones from Bose, with active noise-cancelling technology designed for planes, could help quieten the din. Now available in Soapstone with rose gold finishes, these cans can connect to two devices at once, deliver 40 hours of playback on a single charge, offer touch controls, and feature a microphone that promises to adapt to your voice in case an important call arrives.
FOR CURIOUS MUMS
Arlo Wired Video Doorbell
$289, arlo.com
It is still possible to miss a delivery driver even when you’re home but this gadget reduces that risk. The Arlo Video Doorbell also offers a benefit over other smart devices of its kind: a 180-degree viewing angle that will show where your parcel has been placed on the ground in addition to who placed it there. The Arlo doorbell also features night vision for late-night visitors, high-definition video, and users can prerecord messages to play in their absence.
FOR MUMS ON THE MOVE
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
$500, sennheiser.com.au
The audiophiles at Sennheiser have improved their wireless earbuds in two important ways: they add active noise-cancellation and a more comfortable design. This is likely to appeal to mothers who like to listen to their books or music in relative silence. Naturally, these earbuds are also notable for their sound performance, which is noticeably crisper than some of their rivals.
FOR SNAP-HAPPY MUMS
FujiFilm X-T200
$1300, fujifilm.com.au
Lightweight, stylish and straightforward, this new FujiFilm camera offers an easy step up from smartphone photography. Even though it looks like a heavy throwback and boasts a 3.5-inch touchscreen, the X-T200 only weighs 370 grams (about two smartphones). Its 15-45mm kit lens is also miniature, it packs in a pop-up flash and built-in electronic viewfinder, and it comes with artificially intelligent photo modes you can use while you gain confidence.
FOR CONNECTED MUMS
Connect Smart Diffuser
$79, harveynorman.com.au
If your mother talks a smart speaker, you could add this smart diffuser to her command. The Connect Smart Diffuser works with Alexa or Google Assistant and, once connected, will respond to voice commands to turn it on or off. You can also use its native app to change the colour it glows, or to set a schedule so it only offers humidity and scent when you need it. You will have to provide fragrant oils yourself, however.