The Worst Tech Gifts We Give (and How to Do Better)
科技产品送礼指南：如何避免踩雷

I will never forget the worst holiday gifts I have received over the years.

我永远都不会忘记历年来收到过的最差劲节日礼物。

Among them: A tech-accessory holder that lives between couch cushions. Countless Best Buy gift cards I never used. (More precisely, they were a bonus for Best Buy shareholders.) And the Chopula, an oddly shaped spatula designed to flip and chop food.

其中有：挂在沙发垫之间的科技产品配件收纳袋；无数我从来没用过的百思买(Best Buy)礼品卡。（更确切地说，它们是百思买股东的红利。）还有设计用来翻动和切食物的形状怪异的铲刀Chopula。

There’s no mystery behind why this lousy gift-giving happens. Many holiday purchases happen during Black Friday, when retailers slash prices to clear their inventory of unwanted junk. And that means a lot of dreck goes on sale.

之所以出现这种差劲的礼物，背后原因并不难解。黑色星期五通常是大家购买礼物的时候，商家为了清空库存中不想要的垃圾，就会大幅降价。这意味着有很多劣质品打折出售。

For years, I have collaborated with Wirecutter, a New York Times company that tests products, to warn shoppers about dubious Black Friday deals while advising them on how to score discounts on quality items.

多年来，我跟《纽约时报》旗下产品评测公司Wirecutter合作，对可疑的黑色星期五优惠向购物者发出警告，同时建议他们如何买到打折的优质商品。

This year, we are rounding up the worst tech products we often see presented as holiday gifts and are recommending superior alternatives, many of which may go on sale on Black Friday. Consider this a guide to steering away from presents that end up in landfills and toward buying what may bring your loved ones joy.

今年，我们归纳了通常会被作为礼物的最糟糕的科技产品，同时推荐更优质的替代选择，其中很多会在黑色星期五打折出售。这可以被当成一份送礼指南，防止你购买最终会被扔到垃圾堆里的礼物，引导你购买会给至亲的人带来欣喜的礼物。

Power Accessories

电源配件

Don’t buy: Sketchy brands.

不要买：不知名的品牌

Power chargers and battery packs make popular gifts because they are theoretically very useful. Just about everyone owns a mobile device and could use extra juice throughout the day.

充电器和移动电源是颇受欢迎的礼物，因为按理说，它们非常有用。几乎所有人都拥有移动设备，一天下来能有些额外的电量总归是好事。

But it’s too bad that not all power accessories are created equal.

但不幸的是，并非所有电源配件都生来平等。

Some charging cables from obscure brands fray easily or are slow at replenishing your phone. In rare cases, poorly made battery packs have the potential to explode. More often, battery packs are just frustrating to use: Over the years, I’ve tested many battery packs from unknown brands that were bulky and couldn’t recharge my phone even once.

一些不明品牌的充电线很容易磨损，要花很长时间才能给手机充满电。在极少数情况下，粗制滥造的移动电源还有爆炸的风险。更常见的情况是，移动电源用起来很烦人：数年来我检测了许多不明品牌的移动电源，不仅笨重，还根本没法给我的手机充上电。

Do buy: Reliable brands like Anker and Jackery.

要买：可靠的品牌，比如Anker和Jackery

Of the power accessories we have tested, these will make better gifts: For iPhones, Anker’s $10 PowerLine Lightning cables are durable and fast. For Android devices, Anker offers superb PowerLine II USB-C cables for $20.

我们测试了众多电源配件，以下是更适合作为礼物的选择：给iPhone充电，可以选择Anker的PowerLine闪电数据线，售价为10美元，既耐用又能迅速充电。安卓的设备则可以选择Anker品牌极出色的PowerLine II USB-C数据线，售价为20美元。

As for battery packs, we recommend the $36 Jackery Bolt, which has built-in charging wires for iPhones and Androids, and Anker’s $32 PowerCore Slim, which fits easily in a pocket. Both can replenish a phone twice.

移动电源方面，我们推荐36美元的Jackery Bolt，里面嵌有iPhone和安卓的充电线。还有Anker品牌32美元的PowerCore Slim，可以轻松放到口袋里。两款电源都可以给手机充两次电。

Kitchen Appliances

厨房电器

Don’t buy: ‘Smart’ kitchen gadgets.

不要买：“智能”厨房设备

Manufacturers are now making nearly every electronic appliance “smart” by adding an internet connection or a Bluetooth connection so it can wirelessly talk to your phone. These features usually drive prices up, tend to be glitchy and won’t help people cook better food. Smart kitchen appliances like the June Oven and Wi-Fi crockpots fall into this category.

现在生产商几乎将每一件电器“智能化”，通过增加网络连接或蓝牙连接功能，让电器与你的手机进行无线连接。这些功能提高了价格，通常都会引发小故障，而且对烹饪出更美味的食品并无帮助。智能厨房电器June Oven和连接Wi-Fi的克罗克电锅就属于这一类。

“Cooking is largely too hands on and sensory based to make smart appliances all that useful,” said Marguerite Preston, Wirecutter’s senior kitchen editor.

“烹饪主要是亲手操作，要靠感官感受，智能电器并没有太大帮助，”Wirecutter的高级厨房编辑玛格丽特·普雷斯顿(Marguerite Preston)说。

Do buy: The dumber Instant Pot.

要买：不太智能的快煲电压力锅

For kitchen devices, err on the side of dumb appliances, like a reliable toaster oven from a well-known brand, such as the $170 Panasonic FlashXpress or $280 Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven. The Instant Pot, which costs around $50 on Black Friday, is also an excellent device capable of pressure cooking and slow cooking — but avoid the model with Wi-Fi because its smartphone app works poorly.

选择厨房用具时，宁可选择笨的电器，比如知名品牌的可靠烤箱，包括价格为170美元的松下(Panasonic)FlashXpress烤箱，或280美元的美膳雅(Cuisinart)主厨系列对流式烤箱。快煲电压力锅在黑色星期五的价格约为50美元，它带有出色的高压烹饪和慢煮功能。但不要选择带Wi-Fi功能的型号，因为它的智能手机程序很不好用。

Tablets

平板电脑

Don’t buy: Cheap tablets.

不要买：便宜的平板电脑

Plenty of children ask their parents for tablets, and a popular holiday gift has been Amazon’s cheap Fire Tablet. For $50, it’s a cost-effective solution to keeping kids’ hands off your fancy tablet.

很多孩子都会求父母买平板电脑。亚马逊(Amazon)的廉价Fire平板电脑就是一款颇受欢迎的礼物。想让孩子们的手远离自己高级的平板电脑，这是很划算的解决办法，只需花上50美元。

But let’s be frank. For anyone who wants a tablet for work and play, the Fire is inadequate. It’s sluggish, the colors don’t look good, and it’s tied to Amazon’s ecosystem, which is focused on books and entertainment.

但说实话，要是想要集工作和玩乐功能与一身的平板电脑，Fire还不合格。它反应迟钝，颜色也不好看，而且跟亚马逊的生态系统相连，功能集中在书籍和娱乐上。

Do buy: An iPad.

要买：iPad

If you want to show someone you truly care, it may be time to shell out a bit more on a high-quality tablet like Apple’s iPad. The newest iPad starts at $329, but retailers will most likely still be selling the previous-generation iPad — which remains a great tablet — for a deep discount on Black Friday. Look for the model with more storage (128 gigabytes), because it will hold more apps, games and photos in the long run.

如果想展示出你真的把送礼当一回事，可能该多花一点钱，买一款高质量的平板电脑，比如苹果的iPad。最新款的iPad售价为329美元起，但商家很可能依然在销售上一代的iPad。那仍然是出色的平板电脑，而且在黑色星期五会有很大的折扣。找一款储存空间更大的型号（128G），因为长远看来，里面可以存储更多应用、游戏和照片。

Networking Gear

网络设备

Don’t buy: Gear that is difficult to use.

不要买：很难操控的设备

Networking gear like routers is essential for connectivity in a home. But one of the worst gifts you can give is the type that creates headaches for the recipient. There are plenty of expensive, fast Wi-Fi routers that tech professionals love to geek out about, but for most of us, the devices are extremely confusing to set up.

要在家里连网，路由器等网络设备必不可少。但最差劲的礼物会让收礼的人头疼。有很多价格高昂、速度快的Wi-Fi路由器是科技专业人士乐于钻研的，但对于大多数人来说，这些设备设置起来会令人困惑。

Do buy: Tech that will improve people’s lives, like Eero.

要买：能改善生活的科技产品，比如Eero

A mesh Wi-Fi product would be a better gift for most people. It’s basically a system of multiple Wi-Fi stations that work together to blanket every corner of your home with a strong wireless data connection. Amazon’s Eero, which starts at $99, is such a product. It is fast and easy to set up with an intuitive smartphone app. Amazon is also likely to give a discount on Eero bundles on Black Friday.

对于大多数人来说，这款网状网络Wi-Fi产品更合适。它其实是一种系统，带有数个共同工作的Wi-Fi发射站，将强有力的无线数据信号覆盖在你家的每一个角落。亚马逊上售价为99美元起的Eero就是这样一款产品。它速度很快，用直观的智能手机应用就能轻松设置。在黑色星期五，亚马逊很可能会打折销售Eero的组合套装。

Audio Gear

音频设备

Don’t buy: Obscure, cheap brands.

不要买：不知名的廉价品牌

Like power accessories, audio gear such as earphones and speakers varies widely in quality. Bad earphones sound crummy and can damage people’s hearing. And many Bluetooth speakers sound as if they are playing music from a tin can.

包括耳机和音箱在内的音频设备和电源设备一样，质量差别很大。不好的耳机音质很差，可能会损害听力。很多蓝牙音箱播出的音乐就像是从罐头里放出来的。

Do buy: Quality earphones and speakers from Jabra and 1More.

要买：捷波朗(Jabra)和万魔(1More)的优质耳机和音箱

You can still pay little for good audio accessories for your loved ones, but the key is to stick with quality brands. There are many options with great sound, like Jabra’s $100 Move headphones or, for $30, 1More’s Piston Fit Bluetooth earbuds. Both products have warranties of at least a year.

在为亲朋好友选购好的音频设备时，你依然不需要花很多钱，关键就是选择高质量的品牌。有很多音质很好的选择，比如100美元的捷波朗沐舞耳机，还有30美元就可以买到万魔蓝牙入耳式活塞耳机风尚版。两款产品都有至少一年的保修期。

Gift Cards

礼品卡

Don’t buy: Cards for stores where nobody shops.

不要买：没人光顾的商店礼品卡

Gift cards are a borderline thoughtless gift, and the worst ones confine your loved ones to buying from a narrow set of products that they may not want. I mentioned Best Buy gift cards earlier as an example; I never want them because as a person who is constantly testing new gadgets, I have no space for more.

礼品卡基本上就是完全不放心思的礼物，最糟糕的就是要让亲朋好友从他们不想要的小范围产品中作选择。我之前提到了百思买的礼品卡；我从来都不想要，因为作为经常测试新设备的人，已经没有空间再放更多设备了。

I would throw in Apple’s iTunes gift card in this category. Apple has phased out iTunes as a service. Sure, you can still buy iPhone apps with the card, but come on: iTunes isn’t a cool brand anymore.

我会将苹果的iTunes礼品卡纳入这一类。苹果已经逐渐淘汰了iTunes这项服务。你当然可以用礼品卡购买iPhone的应用，但拜托：iTunes作为一个品牌已经不酷了。

Do buy: A general-purpose card from Amazon.

要买：亚马逊的通用礼品卡

If you give a gift card, go for something more versatile. Amazon gift cards can be applied toward a vast array of products. Even better is a generic Visa gift card, which can be used anywhere that accepts Visa card payments because it is essentially a prepaid debit card.

如果要送礼品卡，就选择用处更广的卡。亚马逊礼品卡可以用来买很多类别的产品。更佳的选择是通用的Visa礼品卡，只要在接受Visa信用卡付款的地方就能使用，因为它实际上就是预付借记卡。

Or there’s always a gift that will never be uncool: cash.