The Best Mother's Day Tech Gifts

Mother's Day is usually one of the hardest days of the year to get a restaurant reservation, but will we even be out of quarantine by May 10? It's difficult enough trying to figure out what to buy your mom, stepmom, aunt, or partner in a normal year. What do you get when they can't go outside? Luckily, there are plenty of tech gifts they can enjoy while still social distancing.

Amazon Echo

She can undoubtedly use a personal assistant, so get her an Amazon Echo device. There are several different kinds to choose from but the traditional Amazon Echo is perfect for mom. It can handle her calls, order up an Uber, put on her playlist, and answer (some of) her questions.

Audible Gift Membership

Does your mom like to read, but doesn't have the time? Get her a subscription to Audible, the audiobook and podcast service. With an Audible account, she can listen on any of her devices, including phone, tablet, and even the car. The service is also compatible with Echo devices. You can purchase them a one- ($15), three- ($45), or 6-month ($90) subscription, or choose to cover her for the entire year ($150).

Book of the Month

If mom prefers physical books, get her a subscription to the Book of the Month Club. Each month, the service will make five selections, and she can choose which one to receive. Gift three months ($44.99), six months ($79.99), or 12 months ($149.99) to ensure you give her the best Mother's Day gift this year.

BackslashFit

Does mom practice yoga? The Backslash Fit Smart Mat is ambitious for the role it serves. This yoga mat self-rolls with a flip and click when a session is done, sticks to itself so there's no need for a strap to keep it closed, and works with the Women's Health magazine Alexa skill for the Amazon Echo to lead a daily five-minute flow.

Bouqs

Everyone gets mom flowers on Mother's Day, but you can be the one to give her flowers all year. Subscribe to Bouqs and you can get her flowers and plants delivered directly from the farm. She can choose the flowers, how big the bouquet should be, and how often she wants them sent.

Dodow

Give mom the gift of sleep this year with the Dodow Sleep Aid Device. This small item shines an expanding and contracting blue light on the ceiling, to which you time your breathing in and out.

Philips Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit

Wake up and go to sleep to white light that mimics the rising and setting of the sun with the Philips Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit, a set of fully programmable bulbs that can be controlled through an app or a personal-assistant device.

Drop Scale

The Drop scale and its accompanying recipe app are the smartest sous chefs you could ask for. The scale measures while you add ingredients and if you're running low on something, it can recalibrate an entire recipe so you don't have to find a new meal idea.

Fitbit Charge 3

There are so many fitness trackers now that it's nearly impossible to keep track of them all. The Fitbit Charge 3 is one of the best you can buy, and it's a great one to get for mom this year.

Mark & Graham Commute Clutch

Carrying "the essentials" more often than not means a phone, charger, cables, cards, and keys. All that fits into the Mark & Graham Commute Clutch.

QardioBase2

Smart scales don't come much smarter than the QardioBase 2, which is safe for those with implantable medical devices and pregnant women. The scale tracks weight, BMI, and body composition.

Winc

Mom will love you forever if you get her a good bottle of wine delievered to her door each month. Winc delivers four bottles of wine every month, which can be curated based on her taste profile.

Xiaomi Plant Care Smart Monitor

Being a mother doesn't mean that you've got the skills of Mother Nature. The Xiaomi Plant Care Smart Monitor will keep track of soil and light conditions and lets her know when to water and when to wait.

About Our Expert

Jason Cohen

Senior Editor, Help & How To

My Experience

As PCMag's editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.

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The Technology I Use

My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it's already becoming a little long in the tooth.

My desktop situation includes a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech mouse (who can use these ThinkPad trackpads) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I'm a recent convert from wired headphones; I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air wireless earbuds for personal use and have taken to the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.

Whenever I have a second to myself, I'm probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.

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