Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we at Slinky Studio are on the hunt for gifts that spark delight, surprise and discovery. From booming audio to clever wellness tech, from outdoor adventure gear to smart home must-haves, here are the standout pieces that captured our imagination this year. From big, unforgettable centrepiece gifts to clever budget-friendly surprises, this year’s picks reflect what we love most at Slinky Studio: discovering cool, interesting and unique ideas that genuinely make life a little more delightful.
Nintendo Switch 2 (£429)
We’ve now played multiple titles on the Nintendo Switch 2, and it’s clear this system is off to a brilliant start. Demonstrating just how captivating this console is whether you’re curled up on the sofa playing on a 4K TV or commuting with it in handheld mode. It confidently builds on the winning foundation of the original Switch, enhancing almost everything without disrupting what made it so beloved. Performance leaps ahead with 4K and 120fps support, and the visual uplift is dramatic across both new and legacy titles. Handheld, especially, feels transformed; the larger 1080p HDR LCD display and improved ergonomics make games noticeably sharper, richer and more immersive.
Rugged, splash-proof and easy to transport, the PartyBox 520 is built to energise any gathering, even in sizeable large outdoor spaces, from pool parties to backyard BBQs. It’s a lot of fun, with a kaleidoscopic light show and XLR support for accessories like DJ consoles and microphones. The sound is enjoyable to listen to, it’s not scrunched up and instead is impressively clear, combining punchy bass with delicate midranges that let lyrics shine. Battery life is strong enough to power an entire day or night of music.
The MUSSO E600 SE confidently meets its claim as a serious ergonomic chair designed with women’s posture and comfort in mind, offering good stability, comfort, and thoughtful ergonomic features. The executive-style frame offers generous seat width and height, and solid support. However, it might feel bulky in smaller rooms or with compact desks, so consider your workspace before committing. Overall, we’ve found comfort and support from the E600 SE design over long work days, with its breathable materials and versatile adjustments being well-suited to long periods of work at the desk.
If you already have the original Birdfy and love it, the Duo doesn’t replace it—it complements it. But if you're just getting into smart bird feeders, this is a compelling choice. With smarter optics, dual angles and three lenses, and the same weatherproof reliability, AI bird recognition, and solar-powered assurance, the Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo is as much a wildlife camera as it is a feeding station and has a side gig as security, turning any corner of a garden into an interactive wildlife stage.
A podcast and vocal wonder box, the Edifier ES20 combines its distinctive, Braun-like design with surprisingly spirited audio projection. Keep the volume under 80% and it delivers genuinely impressive sound quality; push it further, and the performance starts to get a bit twitchy and lose its composure. It’s one we’d be happy to throw in a backpack when travelling or to use casually around the house.
The ELECFREAKS micro:bit XGO Rider is a very visual and tactile way of dabbling in entry-level programming, made joyful by a robot that’s genuinely mesmerising to watch travel on two wheels in its bipedal fashion. Pitched as both an educational tool and a hobbyist’s project, its solid build quality and modular construction make it well-suited to classrooms, clubs and curious tinkerers alike.
What really sets it apart is its energetic, precise movement. We’ve never encountered anything quite like it—the way it can alter its height, change its gait, and pivot on the spot or in motion without hesitation, all while staying perfectly stable, is remarkable. It’s as much a demonstration piece of engineering wizardry as it is a platform for learning.
Benks iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max / Air Cases & GlassWarrior Screen Protectors
Benks’ latest lineup for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max instantly stands out in person, as the photo shows, thanks to a beautifully engineered mix of slim protection, textured finishes and refined detailing. Their Air series cases use lightweight composite materials and aramid-inspired fibres to create a case that feels almost impossibly thin while still offering serious drop protection. The textured back panels give a premium grip, and the oversized metal camera-guard frames instantly add a sense of durability and design sophistication. Meanwhile, the GlassWarrior Sapphire-Coated Screen Protectors are equally impressive: ultra-clear, edge-to-edge coverage with a sapphire-reinforced surface that resists scratches far better than typical tempered glass. Together, this trio — case, lens protection, and sapphire screen film — forms one of the most complete and premium-feeling protection kits available for the iPhone 17 lineup. It’s functional, beautifully made, and feels like a natural upgrade for anyone who wants to keep their new iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max looking pristine well into 2026.
Withings Body Scan Smart Scale (£349)
Ultimately, while no home scale can yet replace professional diagnostic tools, the Withings Body Scan stands out as one of the most advanced we’ve tested. With its combination of multi-frequency BIA, sudomotor function tracking, and detailed body composition analysis, it offers valuable long-term data that can provide a more complete picture of your overall health.
The WORX WG583E 40V Cordless Leaf Blower and Vacuum feels like a tool designed to make outdoor tidying genuinely effortless. It’s light enough to grab as instinctively as a broom but powerful enough to replace one entirely. Across our testing, it’s proven to be a versatile all-rounder that takes the hassle out of both leaf blowing and vacuuming — with no cables to trip over, no petrol fumes and no compromises on performance.
Its balanced design, comfortable handling and straightforward attachment system make it as easy to live with as it is effective. Whether you’re clearing up autumn leaves, pine needles, or grass trimmings after a tidy-up, it consistently delivers impressive suction and airflow.
The Ryobi ONE+ HP Brushless Percussion Drill (model RPD18X1-0) feels like the obvious choice in its category. It has a build quality that inspires confidence (3-year guarantee, too) and serious performance to back this up; easily powering through demanding stonework in hammer drill mode or making everyday screw-driving straightforward with 24 torque settings and positive, ergonomic controls, we think it's the only drill you'll need.
For us, the main obstacle when taking bikes on our vehicle has always been the speed of mounting and unmounting. The Thule ProRide system is fast and has rock-solid sturdiness whilst hosting all of our different bike designs, making even local routes an easily worthwhile prospect to head out to. For anyone in need of a reliable and stylish solution for bike transportation, the Thule ProRide is a worthy investment. Its combination of extremely robust construction, user-friendly features, ease of assembly, and aesthetic appeal positions it as a top contender, delivering peace of mind for both casual riders and cycling enthusiasts.
The biggest takeaway from using the VAX Platinum SmartWash Pet-Design Carpet Cleaner? Washing your carpets should be as routine as washing your clothes. You wouldn’t just vacuum your clothes and call them clean, would you? After seeing first hand the sheer amount of dirt and bacteria this machine effortlessly removes, it’s clear that carpet washing is a hygienic necessity, and not just with an occasional deep clean.
What makes it even more compelling is how effortless the process is. With AutoMix functionality, there’s no need to fiddle with solution ratios, carpet pile settings, or triggers—just switch it on, push forward to clean, pull back to dry, and let it do the work. And thanks to HeatBlast technology, drying times are impressively quick, ensuring minimal disruption. It’s a machine that truly takes the hassle out of carpet cleaning and delivers results that speak for themselves.
