I’m a GenX tech expert. Here are 15 gifts and gadgets just for the dudes

Ryobi 18V Hand Vacuum

When I fired up my Ryobi hand vac the very first time, I used to be stunned by the aggressive suction energy. It’s received extra oomph than every other hand vac I’ve both damaged or misplaced earlier than. Whether it’s lint from my dryer or dust tracked in by my footwear, small particles is dispatched with a quickness.

It’s received a reasonably large capability for a handheld vacuum, and this mannequin is considered one of some 300 other cordless Ryobi products that use the identical 18-volt battery system. That means the battery and charger that include this $99 bundle will work with Ryobi’s ONE+ cordless job lights, store followers, energy drills, affect drivers, tire inflators, and different 18-volt merchandise.

Just don’t get the leaf blower. Leaf blowers are Satan.

Twinkly Christmas Curtain Lights

Jon Phillips/Foundry

Dude, I’m in my 50s. I wish to fulfill my neighborhood lighting obligations (that are 100% solely in my head), however I’m carried out with placing a tree within the window. So, just a few years in the past I started researching programmable string lights, and landed on the Twinkly Christmas Curtain Lights, which at the moment are $114 on Amazon. They’re festive as all hell… AND PUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON BLAST.

Each curtain comprises 210 RGB lights that may be animated with pre-programmed results, or you may design your individual results, mixing up stripes, sparkles, gradients, and different designs throughout the RGB spectrum. It’s all Wi-Fi managed, and you may set brightness ranges and even a timing schedule with the Twinkly app.

I now have three curtains projecting pleasure to the neighborhood. I swap out the results just a few instances between Thanksgiving and New Years to maintain the neighbors guessing.

These animated sweet canes are for you, Peterson. Your yard show is weaksauce.

Epson SureColor P900 Photo Printer

Jon Phillips/Foundry

OK, this one is expensive at $1,129. But even in the event you can’t afford Epson’s 17-inch P900 photo printer, I wish to make a case for why you could wish to purchase a photograph printer of this caliber.

You journey. You have family members. You have experiences. You shoot tons of images. You shoot tons of images in your outrageously priced smartphone. And then, what? Those reminiscences simply sit in your cellphone? Or you publish to Facebook and Instagram? For what? The likes?

Printing your reminiscences in superb excessive decision, on 17×22-inch, museum-quality, archival paper will be the passion you’ve been searching for. Yes, it’s costly. And, sure, you’d do nicely to be taught the nuances of digital imaging to supply nice giant format prints (particularly in the event you’re capturing on a cellphone and never a DSLR).

But there’s one thing extremely satisfying about seeing your reminiscences so spectacularly reproduced, and hanging in your partitions. I do know: It’s loopy. A printer, of all issues, has turn out to be considered one of my most coveted items of tech.

The P900 makes use of 10 totally different inks to breed vivid colours and deep, wealthy grayscale (there are 4 totally different ink cartridges devoted to simply grey and black!). If you wish to avoid wasting cash, contemplate the Epson P700 for $719. It makes use of the identical ink system, however paper measurement is restricted to 13×19 inches. You can save much more cash by printing on 8.5×11-inch paper, as seen right here.

Ezvalo Picture Light

Jon Phillips/Foundry

Are you an grownup? Do you may have artwork in your own home that’s not only a Star Wars poster caught on the wall with thumbtacks? Would you want your grown-ass man art work to look higher? Have you thought-about an “art display light” however don’t need cords slithering down your wall? I received you, man.

The 16-inch Ezvalo Picture Light exceeded my expectations. At simply $28, this cordless, USB-C-powered gentle is tremendous simple to put in; options three shade temperatures; greater than adequately illuminates my art work even at its dimmer settings; and lasts between 13 and 60 hours, relying on the brightness setting you select.

The gentle bar attaches to its mount with a powerful battery and is definitely eliminated for recharging. I adore it. And it doesn’t look low-cost regardless of its low-cost worth.

PhoneLock Pro – Retractable Anti-Theft Phone Holder

PhoneLock

I had my cellphone pick-pocketed in Mexico City this yr. It was a traditional distract/bump/snatch gambit. The criminal stole it proper from my entrance pocket.

I vowed by no means once more, and after testing just a few anti-theft cellphone tethers, I made a decision the $20 PhoneLock Pro is the best choice on Amazon.

The idea is easy. You sandwich a PhoneLock attachment between your cellphone and cellphone case, proper above the charging port. That attachment then connects to the PhoneLock’s retractable tether, which you connect to your entrance belt loop.

Your cellphone is now reliably leashed to your individual, and it’s simple to drag it out of your pocket all through the day. I’m positive a criminal may nonetheless steal the cellphone in the event that they yanked actually onerous on the retractable wire. But by that point, you’ll know you’re being robbed, and you should utilize your mad combating expertise as wanted.

User evaluations say the PhoneLock can also be good for “festivals” the place cellphone theft is rampant. OK, GenZ.

Worx Zipsnip Cordless Electric Scissors

Foundry/Jon Phillips

We within the tech-testing sport break down a variety of cardboard containers, and for many of my profession I’ve carried out that with a utility knife. But this yr, TikTok turned me on to a complete new product class: cordless electrical scissors. This $43 specimen—the Worx Zipsnip—has a battery-powered rotating blade that slices by means of cardboard and blister packs with a satisfying whir. It’s very ASMR.

The Zipsnip is nice for chopping actually massive items of cardboard into smaller items, which implies you may pack extra into the recycling bin. Plus, it’s form of enjoyable to Zen out and lower issues. Such is the truth of getting older.

Milwaukee Fastback Press and Flip Utility Knife

Jon Phillips/Foundry

Who am I kidding! I nonetheless love a superb utility knife, and this $20 Fastback Press and Flip model from Milwaukee is excellent. Push the button and it opens with one hand. It’s received a wire stripper, and with the press of one other button, you may change the blade with no different instruments vital.

A belt clip assures you’ll by no means lose it, and once you do lose it, you may see it from a distance as a result of it’s brilliant pink. Is it bizarre to get excited a couple of utility knife? I don’t care. This one taunts all of the utility knives you’ve ever used earlier than, daring them to match its greatness.

TCL 32-Inch Smart TV

Jon Phillips/Foundry

I really like, love, love my 55-inch LG OLED TV. It’s beautiful… and it goes in the lounge. But generally a dude wants extra of a “burner TV”—one thing small, low-cost, and really low-commitment for the storage or house gymnasium.

So, let me suggest the 32-inch TCL S3 Smart TV for simply $150. It’s received a 60Hz, 1080P show that’s completely serviceable, and comes with Fire TV OS for simple entry to all of the streaming apps.

The TV has been a sport changer throughout exercises downstairs. Most typically, I play podcasts on YouTube. For instance, The Watch (above), staring Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald, two remarkably considerate TV critics. But it’s additionally good for music video playlists (shout out, Rolling Quartz). Or generally I simply play Deadwood or Band of Brothers as “background shows.”

Larksound Small Sound Bar

Jon Phillips/Foundry

A burner TV wants an appropriately burner-caliber soundbar, as a result of these music movies I reference above ought to nonetheless sound higher than a conveyable AM radio from 1979. I went with the Larksound Small Sound Bar (horny identify, proper?) which prices a “sure, what the hell, why not” worth of $35.

It’s 16 inches extensive and rated for 60 watts. It has some audio system inside. There’s additionally a distant to decide on EQ modes: Music, Movie, Voice, and Normal.

OK, now cease asking questions! Man. It’s not the very best soundbar on this planet, however improves the tiny TV’s audio sport by about 10x.

Apple Watch Series 10

Jon Phillips/Foundry

For years I used to be a mechanical watch snob. I didn’t need a display screen on my wrist. I needed a lovely marriage of artwork and engineering. Then I found the attraction of private information monitoring (sleep, steps, coronary heart price largely) and I used to be off to the races with FitBit smartwatches.

But all the pieces modified final July. Getting increasingly more dissatisfied with Fitbit’s app and sleep monitoring, I did my analysis and located Apple Watch has a number of the greatest wrist-based sleep monitoring accessible (shout out, The Quantified Scientist). But would I be OK with Apple’s pathetic battery life? Could I deal with the each day recharging? I made a decision to take an opportunity.

Turns out the Apple Watch Series 10 at $364 is the wearable to beat. I’m assured the sleep monitoring is extra correct than different wrist wearables, and as a smartwatch, it enhances the iPhone expertise a lot, significantly better than the Fitbit Versa.

The Series 10 has turn out to be considered one of my favourite tech purchases of 2025, and it seems that charging the watch each day, as quickly as I wake, isn’t a problem.

Cella Crema Da Barba Shaving Cream

Cella

I’ve been shaving since I used to be 12 years outdated, and for almost all of my tenure I used to be dumping cash on disposable blades and cans of shaving cream. Then I found the rewards of old-school security razors and artisan shaving soaps. Not solely do you get a better shave, you finally save some huge cash, and don’t pad the coffers of Schick and Gillette, the dual titans of Big Shaving.

Even in the event you’re too hen to make use of a straight blade or security razor, you may follow disposable cartridges and baby-step your approach into artisanal shaving with Cella’s Crema Da Barba. This system lathers up extraordinarily nicely, and smells wonderful with almond and cherry notes.

The present field pictured right here even contains the requisite shaving brush—and as an additional bonus, everybody who makes use of your rest room will see the outdated Italian man on the packaging and ask, “What is this?” If you simply need the shaving cream itself, it’s a really affordable $14.69 on Amazon. Just bear in mind, you’ll nonetheless want a brush.

Speak language studying app

Jon Phillips/Foundry

I’ve carried out Duolingo. It’s enjoyable and nice, nevertheless it’s extra of a language-learning sport. I’ve additionally tried Pimsleur (too tough and inscrutable) and Jumpspeak (sluggish, irritating UI).

I lastly landed on Speak as my most well-liked language-learning app as a result of it’s full of so many entry factors for studying the nuances of language. Different modules provide help to construct vocabulary, enhance pronunciation, and apply in simulated, AI-driven conversations.

The Speak UI is intuitive, partaking, and reliably responsive, and that’s particularly essential once you’re within the AI free speak mode. The annual Premium membership is at present $84, and lets English audio system be taught Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and Korean.

Speak is unquestionably more difficult than Duolingo, nevertheless it looks like far more like a real-world curriculum, with a technique to enhance by means of publicity to native audio system (nevertheless AI they could be!).

FlexiSpot C7 Office Chair

Jon Phillips/Foundry

I received’t even attempt to lie: I moved the C7 office chair, $299 direct from FlexiSpot, into the lounge as a result of my house workplace was too cluttered for a superb {photograph}. But let that be an affidavit to the chair’s consolation. It makes me really feel snug sufficient in my house workplace to, you realize… wreck my work-life stability and watch my work area flip into Sanford and Sons.

I’ve gone by means of no fewer than 4 different workplace chairs within the final 20 years, and the FlexiSpot C7 is the primary I’d fortunately purchase a second time. It ships direct to your own home, and it’s a must to assemble it your self, however this retains prices down. On that time, it’s a really agency, snug, ergonomically sound chair for its worth.

The C7 presents close to countless adjustment prospects, and has glorious lumbar assist (my essential requirement). I really like the arm rests, and it even reclines into full kickback mode (although I don’t know why anybody would wish to). I’ve been utilizing it for about two years now, and it nonetheless feels as strong as Day One.

Hell, I feel Boomers would really like the C7—as soon as they get previous complaining concerning the meeting directions. Transfer me to your supervisor.