The most expensive gifts don’t necessarily make for the best presents. However, they do tilt the scales in your favor, as far as the chances that your gift will be received exceptionally well. While luxury gifts isn’t something you’ll hand out to everyone in your shopping list, there are probably are those special individuals, whether it be mom, dad, or someone else, that make you feel they merit making the splurge. And sometimes you’re just in the position to actually go all out.
The best luxury gifts are all about the finer things. It’s that higher-quality version of something they already use everyday or a highly desirable item they may not necessarily need, but will absolutely enjoy having. The best luxury gifts are as much about good taste as they are about good sense. They’re not about practicality, often appealing more towards the lavish, more opulent tendencies that, whether we admit or not, can put just a hint of extra spring in our strut.
These are the best luxury gifts for those times you’re in the mood to splurge.
Crafthouse by Fortessa Smoking Box
We haven’t seen many home bars that have their own smokers in tow. That’s why this thing will make such a nice luxury gift for the barware enthusiast in your list. Built with quality in mind, it comes with a walnut wood base, a stainless steel frame, and glass walls on all four sides, allowing you to showcase the drinks as you infuse them with the smoked flavor of your favorite wood chips. It has room inside for two cocktail glasses, so you can smoke a pair of drinks at a time. And yes, it comes with a handheld smoker, so your recipient will have everything they need to get started to smoke their Manhattans, old-fashioneds, and martinis. Does it get messy? Yes, and very smoky, but it makes Saturday night martinis with friends a so much more entertaining affair
Trudon Ernesto Room Spray
Yes, you can buy a can of air freshener to spruce up the smell of any room. This old world-style room spray from Trudon, though, just brings so much more character to the proceedings, almost making you feel like you’re in a fancy hotel many, many decades ago. Each spray comes with 12.6 fluid ounces, so this is quite the big bottle. The fragrance is extremely pleasant, as well, with head notes of bergamot, grapefruit and rum, followed by oak wood, clove, tobacco, amber, and more. It’s a complex, old-world scent that just perfectly complements the bottle that’s meant to deliver it to your olfactory senses.
Pro-Ject T1 Evo Hi-Fi Turntable
What’s more luxurious than a music player designed for a format only embraced by collectors and absolute music nerds? Pro-ject Evo’s new entry-level record player boasts premium materials, a striking aesthetic, and a rich sound quality that makes it a perfect luxury gift for folks looking to get into the vinyl hobby. From the CNC-machined plinth and the heavy glass platter to the electronic speed changer to the vibration-absorbing feet, it’s just a well-made turntable built with audiophiles and avid collectors in mind.
reMarkable Paper Pro
Is it the best E-Ink device available today? We think so, both as an e-reader and as a note-taking tablet. The 11.8-inch display doesn’t just mimic the appearance of paper beautifully, it even displays up to 20,000 colors and offers a paper-like texture when scribbling with the included stylus. it just feels so natural to use. Sure, pages with plenty of color don’t display as smoothly as pure grayscale pages, but the whole thing just feels unmatched in the category. It’s an excellent luxury gift for anyone who likes to read or write, but can’t stand the eye strain caused by modern screens or the awkwardness of still using physical notebooks in this digital age. The tablet offers two weeks of battery life between charges, too, sparing you from having another device that requires plugging in nightly.
Samsung Freestyle 2
When the original Freestyle came out, we weren’t sure about how Samsung intended people to use it. Now that it’s been out a while, it’s, hands-down, our favorite way to watch the big screen in the bedroom. This second-generation brings the same 180-degree rotation as the original, allowing you to beam it onto both walls and ceilings, all while displaying your shows and movies for up to 100-inch screen sizes in 1080p. It has a bunch of automatic corrections that let you move and resize the screen on the fly with no complicated fiddling necessary, as well as built-in speakers that deliver enough loudness and clarity for enjoyable audio in most people’s bedrooms. All the usual streaming apps are preloaded, along with a built-in browser and even a Gaming Hub, so it works as a standalone entertainment center with no need to connect any other device.
Whisker Litter-Robot 4 Bundle
A luxury gift for the cat owner in your list, this modern litter box gives their pet a fresh bed of litter after every use, automatically sifting out waste and isolating it in a tightly-sealed chamber that you can easily dispose of later. That’s right, no more scooping out the litter box. Because waste is immediately segregated in a sealed container, it drastically reduces nasty odors, making for a much more hygienic way to keep cats in your home. It’s also fitted with sensors and Wi-Fi, so you know when your cats use it or skip their toilet trips for the day. Oh yeah, it also weighs each cat every time they use the device, which can serve as an easy way to monitor your pet’s weight. This bundle, by the way, includes a non-slip mat and a ramp, so even smaller cats will have an easier time getting in and out.
Robosen Flagship Megatron
Robosen’s auto-morphing Transformers line is, hands down, one of the greatest toys ever made. Our favorite of the lot is this 20.6-inch tall Megatron, whose 118 microchips and 36 servo motors allow it to transform from robot to tank and back, all on its own. It has 112 LED lights all throughout its body, several hundred prerecorded sound effects, and a heck of a lot of details in both robot and tank modes. In robot form, you get Megatron’s signature fusion cannon, four tank shells, an illuminating Energon Sword, and an Energon Maze. In tank mode, it uses actual treads that are individually controlled, allowing it to make pivot turns just like the armored battlefield staple. It’s the kind of toy you just know you would have went nuts seeing back when you were younger.
Rocco The Super Smart Fridge
Arguably the greatest mini-fridge ever made, this thing is probably more expensive than your actual kitchen fridge. That’s because it’s really something special. For one, it’s gorgeous, looking more like a piece of furniture than a utilitarian appliance. More importantly, it can fit a good load of beverages, with enough room for up to 77 12-ounce cans or 27 wine bottles. It has six shelves, each of which can be rearranged to fit either cans or bottles, with the ability to set different temperatures for the upper and lower halves of the fridge. There’s a unique vision system here that allows it to identify every beverage on the fridge, which it can show in detail using the companion app. And yes, it’s comprehensive, allowing it to identify even less-mainstream brands and flavors. The fridge comes with several operating modes, including a Quiet Mode (our favorite), a Smart Mode (automatically adjusts temperature based on ambient changes), and a Party Mode (loud, but cools drinks as fast as possible). It’s just such a unique entry in the mini-fridge category.
Rimowa Pilot Case
Is there a more iconic suitcase than Rimowa’s grooved aluminum luggage? Probably not. For this luxury gift list, though, we’re opting to recommend this more uncommon Pilot Case instead. Originally designed for pilots, it’s sized to fit flush in the space between the two pilot seats in the cockpit, although it also slots in nicely on overhead compartments, so you can carry it in place of your traditional suitcase. We just love the more unusual profile compared to your typical luggage, while still retaining the iconic aesthetic that everybody knows and loves.
Breville Oracle Jet
No, you don’t need to spend in this price range to pick up a good automatic espresso machine. This model, though, feels much more than having a good coffee machine in the kitchen – it feels like having a personal barista on standby. It literally does most of the work, requiring you to simply input what you want, with the machine taking care of everything else, including evenly tamping the coffee on each puck. The Thermojet heating enables it to reach perfect extraction temperatures in seconds, too, making it the fastest espresso maker we’ve tried. Plus, it can make cold brew and cold espresso drinks, making it incredibly versatile. It’s the best luxury gift for the true coffee lovers in your list.
Xgimi Aura 2
Just a couple years ago, this level of picture quality, color, and brightness were unimaginable in a sub-$3,000 laser projector. Well, the space has changed a lot indeed. We’re so amazed at how crisp and vibrant this ultra-short throw projector’s 4K pictures are in nearly every light condition, while beaming a 100-inch image up the wall from a mere seven inches away. It’s got all the modern features you expect from contemporary projectors, too, including a bunch of auto-correction capabilities, as well as the ability to adapt to wall colors and uneven surfaces. Features include 2,300 ISO lumens of brightness, 99 percent DCI-P3 color coverage, Dolby Vision certification, IMAX Enhanced certification, and a 1M:1 contrast ratio. It runs Android TV 11 out the box, with a plethora of connectivity options for hooking up other video sources.
Alaia Le Teckel Medium Bag in Nubuck Calfskin
Even untrained eyes can appreciate just how strikingly beautiful this bag is. We mean, look at that thing, with its elongated shape, tubular straps, and just an overall unique aesthetic. It’s like a shoulder bag straight out of a fantasy novel, but somehow fits perfectly well with modern looks. The soft-feel nubuck calf leather is all luxury, too, while little details like the decorative ties, double zip closure, and removable mirror on the inside pocket give it just that extra special flair.
