2018 Gift Guide - JSwordSmith

Amazon currently has some deals on the MacBook Air that was just released. $100 off the 256GB model in Silver, and $130 off the Gold version at the time of writing. These are great deals if you’ve been waiting to get one.

51oCfZu2BWL. SL1024 — The 2018 MacBook Air

Check out my review of the MacBook Air here.

Cables

Extra Lightning Cables are a must, whether this is your first iPhone or iPad, or you’re just trying to outfit your home so you never have to go looking for one to plug into.

Lightning Cable – All iPhones, and 6th generation iPad, iPad Mini, and 2017 iPad Pro

Amazon makes a great lightning cable. These cables are MFi (Made for iPhone) certified and use a branded nylon fiber cloth so it wont fray like the standard Apple cables do.

2018 Gift Guide 5 — Amazon Lightning Cables

USB-C cable – 2018 iPad Pros, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Nintendo Switch.

Anker PowerLine+

Anker is one of the best companies when it comes to cables and power. First up on the guide is the Anker PowerLine+ USB-A to USB-C cable. This will allow you to use your standard powerbricks to charge your iPad Pro, Switch, or possibly Mac (although it will go much slower).

This cable comes highly rated, and comes in multiple colors!

Anker PowerLine II USB-C to USB-C

Just like the PowerLine above, these cables are quality USB-C to USB-C cables. Get these to charge your new iPad Pro, MacBook, or Switch.

Anker PowerLine II 3-in-1 cable

If you have multiple devices that you need to charge with multiple plugs the Anker PowerLine II 3-in-1 could be your best friend. Until USB-C becomes more ubiquitous, this cable could allow you to bring one cable for USB-C, Lightning, and micro-USB. You just use the tip for whichever device you need. This cable will not transfer data at the high speed of USB-C, but it will charge a device.

USB-C to Lightning

If you want a USB-C to Lightning Cable, your only option right now is the Apple cable. It will allow you to quick charge if you use it plus the iPad Pro or MacBook charger though.

Power

Now that we have cables squared away, it’s time to tackle power. I’m a huge fan of power bricks that can charge multiple things. It makes it easier to pack for travel. A battery is also really nice to have while traveling.

Anker PowerCore Fusion

The Anker PowerCore Fusion is a great little power brick for travel. It allows you to plug in a 2 USB-A devices as well as a USB-C. The great thing about the brick is that it’s also a battery. Unplug and take it with you. I think I’m going to grab an extra one of these for me.

Smaller Charger

If you want something a little smaller, Anker also has a two pack of these smaller chargers. They charge faster than the standard iPhone charger and they are about the same size.

Wireless Chargers

Puck Style

When it comes to power, it’s hard to trust too many of the companies out there. Anker is one that has a reputation for producing quality chargers, cables, and batteries, and that’s why you see them so much here. I’m not sure that I’d trust my wireless charging to anyone else until (if) Apple releases the AirPower. You have 2 options here: if you like the puck version or the cradle. I started with a cradle, but I’ve since moved to the puck style charger. Wireless charging is a big convenience, so if you have a newer phone, you might check these out.

Car charger

Finally, when it comes to charging, you might want something for your car. This charger works with anything you can plug into it. It also can charge up to 12W in each input.

Headphones

I’m going to skip the wired headphones here, and this list is not the end-all-be-all list of headphones. These are the most popular headphones, and I’ve listened to all of them and like them all. That doesn’t mean these are the best though.

Bose QuietComfort 35

If you are looking to shut out the world and listen to audio, these are your best option. The QC35s are the golden standard for noise canceling headphones. You put these on and you won’t hear anything. They do run a high price, but they are worth it if you travel a lot or work in a noisy space.

As of writing this, they are also on sale for $50 off.

Beats Studio 3

The Beats Studio Wireless 3 is the Apple answer to the Bose QC35s. They come in more colors and also have the active noise canceling, but it’s not as good as the Bose. These do have the W1 Chip that is in the AirPods. The W1 chip allows you to connect these to all your Apple devices.