Mother’s Day is coming up fast. If you’re still figuring out what to get, here are the tech picks we’d actually recommend this year — a mix of new releases and a few things that have quietly become the go-to gifts in their category.
Apple’s spring was busy. The Pro models got most of the attention, as they always do, but the more interesting gift story is the MacBook Neo. It’s lighter and cheaper than the MacBook Air without feeling cheap. You get an aluminium build, solid performance, and a form factor that’s genuinely easy to throw in a bag. Great for the mom who does real work on a laptop but doesn’t need to spend MacBook Pro money.
If she already has a laptop and you’re looking for something secondary, the M4 iPad Air is the one to get. It’s thinner than before, fast enough to handle anything. The 11th Gen iPad (A16) is the better call if she mostly uses it for video calls, streaming, or reading (no need to pay for speed she won’t use).
On the phone side, the iPhone 17e is Apple’s best entry-level option in years. The camera alone makes it worth considering.
And if she’s the type who loses her keys every other morning, a pack of AirTags is genuinely one of the most useful gifts on this list.
The Dyson Supersonic Nural keeps showing up at the top of gift guides this year, and it’s not just hype. The thing that makes it different from previous Dyson dryers is the time-of-flight sensor. Basically, it detects how far the dryer is from the scalp and adjusts heat accordingly, so it’s not blasting the same temperature regardless of what’s happening. Less damage over time, more shine, and faster drying thanks to the Air Multiplier tech that pulls in surrounding air and amplifies it threefold.
The limited-edition Ceramic Apricot and Topaz colourway launched in Canada back in March and it looks genuinely nice. Comes with five attachments including the new Wave+Curl diffuser. At $629.99, it’s a splurge, but it’s the kind of thing people don’t buy for themselves and are always glad someone else did.
Get the Dyson Supersonic Nural for $629.99 from Dyson’s website.
For the mom who’s into her home setup, the Govee 12 Inch Smart Ceiling Light is one of the more underrated picks on this list. The dual-lighting setup is the interesting part: the main light uses RGBWW for clean, functional light, while a separate backlight throws RGBIC colour across the ceiling. So you get both practical lighting and atmosphere in one fixture.
The Rhythm Lighting feature is what we’d actually use day-to-day. It runs a circadian schedule, shifting colour temperature from warm (2200K) to daylight (6500K) throughout the day automatically. Good for mood, good for sleep. Worth noting: if she runs a mixed smart home with devices from different brands, go with the Square model (H60A4) — it’s Matter-compatible, the Round one isn’t.
If she’s already in the Android ecosystem, the Pixel 10a is the move. Tensor G4 chip, 7 years of guaranteed software updates, Satellite SOS, a 48MP camera that punches above its price, and a 6.3-inch Actua display. It starts at $679, which is $220 less than the iPhone 17e for a phone that competes with it in almost every category. Hard to argue with that.
The Amazon Ember Artline is a 4K QLED TV with a genuinely good second pitch: when nobody’s watching, it displays art. The matte anti-glare panel actually looks like canvas, which matters since most “art mode” TVs still look like a TV showing a picture of art.
Omnisense detects when someone walks into the room and wakes the display automatically, pulling from over 2,000 free artworks or your own Amazon Photos library. Walk away and it shuts off. Ten swappable frame colours if she wants it to match the room, and Alexa+ is baked in for voice control. It’s one of those products that’s easier to justify once you’ve seen it in person. The art display is what people actually talk about after.
That’s the list. Something on here for every budget, whether you’re spending $40 on AirTags or going all-in on the Artline.
Still drawing a blank? Amazon Canada’s Mother’s Day gift hub has same-day and next-day options if you’re cutting it close.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
