The best tech gifts to buy your aging parents
Buying presents for parents is no easy feat, especially those who are getting up there in years. It's not like you can just wrap a bag of Werther's Originals and call it a day. And if you ever watched Everybody Loves Raymond, you know a fruit-of-the-month club isn't a good choice.
It's time to get a little more creative — and maybe a little more practical as well. With that in mind, I've rounded up 10 gifts to buy for aging parents, all of them intended to be useful in some way — and all still available in time for Christmas (and the latter days of Hanukkah). Note that for the fastest possible shipping, you'll need an Amazon Prime subscription.
If Mom or Dad has trouble hearing but balks at the idea of wearing hearing aids, this might be the solution. Apple's mega-popular AirPods Pro (2nd generation) can now function as bona fide, FDA-authorized hearing aids. Just take note that battery life is measured in hours, not days, so more frequent recharging will be needed.
To learn more, ready my Apple AirPods Pro review.
Cheap, simple, practical: Greenic's plug-in night-lights activate only when they detect motion, making them ideal for wee-hours trips to the bathroom or any other circumstance where a little light is needed. And these glow a pleasant blue, just enough to help with navigation but not so bright as to wake anyone else.
Jars can be hard to open even if you don't have a weak grip or arthritic hands. This simple appliance eliminates the frustration altogether: Just place it over a jar (it can work with just about any size and shape), press a button, and voila: Even the toughest lids pop off.
It doesn't have to be this exact one (see below), but some kind of Amazon Echo device is definitely a good idea. Your parent can "ask Alexa" for just about anything: news and weather reports, music and podcasts, jokes and more. Plus, Alexa can control various smart-home devices, including lights and door locks. And Amazon's optional Alexa Together service can handle caregiving services like medication reminders and even fall alerts. This Dot includes a clock, making it an even better bedside companion.
The Echo Show 10 offers all the aforementioned Alexa benefits, plus a 10-inch screen atop a rotating (!) base that's also a powerful speaker. That means during video calls with friends and family, the screen can pivot as you move around so you stay "on camera." The Show 10 is also a digital photo frame, YouTube viewer, information hub, security camera and mini-TV, able to stream from Amazon, Netflix and lots of other services.
Modern TV is surprisingly complicated, what with all the different streaming apps and services. Roku's interface is by far the easiest to use, and the Ultra makes life even easier thanks to its user-friendly remote.
It's rechargeable, for one thing, so no more hunting for replacement batteries. It's backlit so you can see the buttons in dim/dark rooms. There's even a "find my lost remote" button on the Ultra itself that'll make the remote beep.
Just as important, the Ultra can easily integrate with any existing cable-box setup. It's the ideal choice for parents who struggle with modern TV.
Losing stuff sucks. Losing stuff when you're older and have less mobility is even suckier. That's why I recommend a Tile Pro tracker for every keychain, purse, bag and so on. If something goes missing, just fire up the Tile smartphone app to help locate it.
Even better: If the phone itself goes missing, just double-press the button on the Tile Pro and the phone will ring — even if it's set to silent. (That incredibly useful feature isn't supported by Apple AirTags.) I speak from experience: Tile trackers are indispensable.
There's no better gift for aging parents, period, end of discussion. Think about it: an endless slideshow of beloved memories, with new photos arriving as if by magic from friends and family. Aura's Carver, on sale at an all-time-low price, is the best digital photo frame to give as a gift, because you can not only preload it with images but also preconfigure it for the the recipient's Wi-Fi network. That means they can just plug it in, and it should be good to go. New photos can be sent via app or email, and Aura provides unlimited storage with no monthly fees.
Does Mom or Dad have a hard time hearing the TV? That could be because the built-in speakers are terrible. Zvox's soundbar not only improves overall sound quality, but also employs special technology to boost hard-to-hear dialogue. And it works!
I especially like the remote, with its large, clearly labeled buttons. This model is designed for smaller rooms and TVs; check out the Zvox SB380 if you want something larger.
Three reasons to buy Mom or Dad an Apple Watch: 1. Irregular-heartbeat detection. 2. Fall detection. 3. Emergency SOS (with a cellular plan). Heard enough? Of course the Apple Watch offers lots of other benefits as well, including notifications (no more missed text messages), reminders (time to take meds!), even real-time navigation to help anyone who might get a little lost while out for a walk. There's a learning curve, as the watch interface isn't super-intuitive, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges.
Aging makes household chores a little tougher as well — especially vacuuming and mopping. Roborock's Q8 Max+ to the rescue. It's not only a high-suction vac, one that'll empty its own dustbin when it's done, but also a mop for kitchen floors. An app controls nearly everything, including when and where the robot should go, though you can also set it up to respond to Alexa, Siri or Google voice commands. This particular model is expensive, but you can also find more basic sweepers for as low as $200, in case your gift budget doesn't extend quite this far.
