Great Smart Gift Ideas for Grandparents Under $100

There are so many new technologies out there and sometimes it can just make us frustrated that sometimes grandparents don’t know about them and the benefits that they could get by using them. For some people of a certain age, getting the latest and greatest tech for the holidays isn’t an exciting prospect and it can be intimidating. Seniors have seen the world radically transform during their lives, with the invasion of computers and cell phones, and it’s hard to keep up with all the innovation.

We’re not saying that all seniors are technophobes. There are certainly countless grandparents who have kept pace with the changing landscape and track the newest new-tech gadgets just like the youngsters. For the majority though, technology can be hard to get. But with the right device that is accessible and simple to use, we may get it right.

Probably we, as gift-givers, are going to have a hard time buying tech for our elders. But there are tons of items that are accessible, intuitive, and simple to use that your grandma or grandpa will love once they understand how the said item works. Here’s a list of some of the best tech gifts for your older relatives that will not only be appreciated but can also help protect them and connect your lives to one another – a bonus gift that any grandparent will truly cherish.

This list was made inspired by my mom – a grandmother of 10. Like many, this grandmother loves to video chat with her kids and grandkids, enjoys watching family pics and videos we sent over and over again, appreciates having these pictures printed so she can put on frames and albums, likes to read a good book from time to time and she is also extremely sentimental.

Great Smart Gift Ideas for Grandparents Under $100

1. Simple Tablet – for a grandparent who loves video chats, pictures, eBooks and more

If your grandparents are like my mother or my father – and most of the grandparents I know – you won’t be wrong with a Fire Tablet as a gift. With the tablet, they have access to everything they might need like games, eBooks, video chat, and Facebook.

One of the reasons tablets are so popular is their accessibility. It’s simple enough for any Grandparent to use. With tap-and-swipe navigation and generous screen sizes, they might be the easiest path to get online.

Getting grandma or grandpa a quality tablet doesn’t have to break the bank, either. The base-level Amazon Fire tablet is an excellent choice and it’s also somehow cheap in comparison to other similar products. There’s no need for a huge amount of built-in storage, advanced computing power, or high-level cameras.   

You can get this awesome tablet on Amazon right away! (this one is actually a best seller and a top one device, but there are others from the same series that are much cheaper).

* If your grandparent is more into Smartphones than the actual tablet, check our post “Cool Gadgets for Seniors who Love their Smartphones”.

2. E-reader – for a grandparent who truly loves reading

If one of your grandparents enjoys reading as my mother does, this is also an excellent gift. Of course, she may say that she prefers “real books”, turns the pages herself but eventually she will get used to this super practical device.

E-readers are completely portable, very tiny, and light, even though they can store thousands of books.

What is best, this device it’s super easy to use, the battery lasts for weeks and on top of everything, it’s lighter than most smartphones.

You can get this top E-reader on Amazon today and get it delivered to your home in a few days.

* This should be your first option as a gift for someone who loves books. But if you want some other ideas of cool gifts for grandparents who are aways surrounded by books, check our post “Great Gadgets for Seniors With Low Vision Who Love Reading”.

3. Mini Printer – for a grandparent who enjoys putting pictures into frames or albums

Another thing that my mom loves is watching pictures, especially of her grandchildren. She has tons of portraits all over her house and she can stare at them for hours. She also believes that if pictures are printed, if she can touch them and put them into a frame, they will last forever (funny thing that it’s more likely for them to last when they are digitalized on the computer). And she keeps complaining that she receives so many pictures from us (her grown-up kids who send her daily pictures of her grandchildren) but she doesn’t know how to print the best ones. Well… problem solved!

This mini printer will let her (and any grandparent really) print those pictures and show them off to anyone and everyone. Just enjoy the simplicity of connecting a smartphone and tablet with ease.

Get this Mini Printer on Amazon now.

4. Digital Photo Frame – for grandparents who love to watch pictures of their family over and over again

Your grandparents – if they are anything like my 78-years-old mother – will probably appreciate getting a digital photo frame. Very simple to use. Your grandparents can load an SD card full of family photos and set it up for them to watch as many times they want, it’s a photo frame and it’s also some kind of album – what an awesome combo!

There are some more high-tech devices that you can access with Wi-Fi, as a remote control, so if you think that it would be better if you are the one setting up the Digital Photo Frame in distance to grandma because they’re not as tech-savvy, set them up with this digital photo frame. Once you set it up for them, you can send new pictures directly to the frame! She’ll appreciate being kept in the loop and finding new surprises. Any grandparent would.

Get this great Digital Photo Frame on Amazon right now.

* But if you want more ideas of gifts for grandparents who love videos, pictures, frames, and albums (and sharing them with everyone who visits), check our post “Cool Easy-to-Use Gadgets for Seniors into Photos and Frames”.

5. Temperature Control Smart Mug – for a grandparent who loves a good hot coffee

My mother really hates to drink her coffee when it gets cold. In fact, I’ve seen this scene too many times, she goes to the microwave and warms it up again. The issue here is that a hot drink may get too cold too quickly for her. The thing is that seniors tend to take their time flavoring food and drink, and really just enjoying little pleasures, such as a good cup of coffee (something that we all should be doing actually).

This is the perfect gift for grandparents who want to take a moment to really enjoy their coffee without it getting too cold.

You can get the Temperature Control Smart Mug on Amazon and get it delivered to your home in just a few days.

6. Heated Throw Blanket – for a grandparent who loves to be cozy all the time

If one of your grandparents is anything like me (and you don’t really need to be a senior for that), you don’t really wait until bedtime to get warm and cozy and you love to watch TV wrapped in a very comfortable throw. This Throw Blanket can easily be used as a heated throw in the living room while can also be used as a blanket in the bedroom. Your grandparents can use it while sitting on the sofa, enjoying a good warm cup of coffee and reading a nice book, just like I do.

Get the Heated Throw Blanket on Amazon today.

* If you want to check more awesome gifts that can help keep seniors cozy, check our post “Smart Gadgets to Keep Seniors Comfortable and Warm”.

7. Smart Essential Oil Aromatherapy – for a grandparent who loves the feeling (and the smell) of a good diffuser

Another great gift for grandparents is the smart essential oil aromatherapy. With this voice-activated device, you can use your voice to conveniently control your smart diffuser including colors, mist settings, and other functions. The result is a much healthier alternative than older-style heat diffusers that can damage essential oils during the heat diffusion process.

You can get the Smart Essential Oil Aromatherapy today.

8. Cool Smart Reusable Notebook – for a grandparent who loves new creative gadgets

My father used to love new technology gadgets. Anything creative for him would be the best gift ever! If your grandparent is also loves this kind of things, this gadget is for him/her.

This notebook can be used endlessly by wiping clean with a damp cloth. All your grandpa or grandma has to do is to blast their handwritten notes to a popular cloud service email and more using the free Rocketbook application. Done, it’s digitalized!

You can get this Cool Smart Reusable Notebook on Amazon today!

9. Innovative Capacitive 4-in-1 Stylus Pen – another cool gift for a grandparent who loves new creative gadgets

This innovative capacitive stylus is also an awesome gift for grandparents who love new creative stuff. This pen includes all your grandparent’s favorite functions, into one. With this beautifully designed pen, they get a micro-knit fiber tip, a precision disc, an exclusive brush tip for a genuine feeling in digital painting, and a ballpoint ink pen for analog writing. It’s compatible with all capacitive screen devices including tablets and smartphones.

And everything is packed in a beautiful gift box which makes this multifunctional luxury stylus pen even greater for a gift.

Get this Innovative Capacitive 4-in-1 Stylus Pen on Amazon right now. (there is a cool video about this device).

10. Key Finder – for a grandparent who is constantly missing his/her keys

For many seniors, remembering when they left keys or other small stuff can be a problem. My father was one of them. He was always losing something (keys being the favorite item to disappear). This Key Finder solves the problem and allows avoiding hours of searching the house for a key. It’s kind of a funny (yet very useful) gift.

Get this Key Finder on Amazon today.

Gifts for grandparents that are not so cheap but they are too cool to be left out

11. Connected Lamps – for grandparents who lives far away and are always missing their family

This gift is more sentimental than high-tech. The Long Distance Touch Lamp is uniting families worldwide. When bought as a set, each lamp resides in the homes of both the gift giver and receiver. Each person connects her lamp to their Wi-Fi then touches the lamp whenever they are thinking of their loved ones, alerting when someone is thinking of them.

If lives become too busy for a phone call, Skype call or face time, a simple touch on the lamp and your grandmas’ set will illuminate changing its color, ­showing your grandma that you’re thinking of her.

This is the sweetest gift from this list, this lamp will remind your grandma to know you’re near, even from distance.

Find more details on Amazon.

12. Vector Robot by Anki – for cool grandparents who love cool things

If you are really looking for something awesome for your grandparents, this robot may do the trick. This one is basically the definition of “smart gadgets for seniors”. Vector is a companion made to hang out and help out. Powered by ai and advanced robotics, he’s alive with personality and engaged by sight, sound, and touch. The Vector Robot by Anki can: Answer questions, Take photos, Time dinner, Show the weather, and much more!

Vector can independently navigate and self-charge. He also recognizes people and avoids obstacles. And the device is an updating platform, Cloud-connected via Wi-Fi so this means that he’s always learning and updating with new skills and features. How cool is this?

Find more details on Amazon.

* If you want to check other companion gadgets that can help seniors to fight isolation and depression, check our post “Incredible Companions Gadgets for Seniors to Fight Isolation”.

The Bottom Line

Choosing a great gift shouldn’t be a problem or take a long time. I tried to put some gifts that I have already given to my mother-in-law, and she was truly happy about it. For me the winner was the key finder, it’s super helpful. I hope you can choose a gift from the list above and let the person know that you care about her.

* After reading this post, we would appreciate you sharing your experience with us. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to receive more content from us. We really hope you enjoy!

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