The Best Gadgets to Help You Get Through Winter

Winter’s here and for a lot of us that means rugging up, cranking the heat to the max and spending the short days and cold nights indoors. So how do you make the most of your time indoors besides wishing for summer days at the beach again? We’ve rounded up the best gadgets to help you get through the winter, entertained and warm.

A Gaming Console

Gaming consoles are getting insanely cheap and the best time of the year to get addicted to gaming is winter. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have huge libraries that are constantly growing, with games that anyone can enjoy. If you haven’t gamed in a few years you’ll be shocked at how far games have come, both in terms of quantity and quality.

The only real difference these days between consoles are the platform-exclusive games, so if you’re a fan of a particular franchise, find out what console it’s on and go for that one. We suggest you shop around as there’s some great deals out there.

A 4K TV

The perfect accompaniment with your new console is a high-quality TV. The latest generation consoles have great 4K content, and this content is becoming increasingly common across the board, from games to movies.

If you're buying at TV with the intention of gaming on it, make sure it's got low latency (30ms or less) and a high refresh rate (60Hz is good enough for most but look for 120Hz if you're a competitive gamer).

4K is essentially a super high resolution, providing an even clearer picture than HD. Of course, 1080p still works and looks amazing on these TV’s, so if it’s time to upgrade your screen, now is a great time!

A Streaming Device

A new 4K TV will very likely have smart apps built in, allowing you to stream content from services such as Netflix. If you’re not in the market for a new TV, the next best (and much cheaper) option, is a streaming device. Google Chromecast is a great option.

This device, lets you stream content from your computer, phone or tablet straight to your TV, making it great for binge-watching Netflix or even showing off a presentation.

A Smart Thermostat

There’s no doubt Smart technology is the way of the future. In the not too distant future it’s likely we will see many of our devices connecting and talking to each other to make our life easier. We’re talking the Air conditioner knowing what your favourite temperature is and the oven knowing when to start cooking dinner.

Google’s smart thermostat, ‘Nest’ can help your house stay the perfect temperature year-round, while also saving you money. The device learns your usage patterns and optimises when to heat or cool your home, making it extremely efficient. Just be wary of any possible software crashes!

An Instapot

A cross between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, Instant Pot is a Canadian brand of multicookers. The multicookers are electronically controlled, combining almost 6 or more appliances in to one handy device! 

Pressure cookers have come a long way, and with added safety features of automatic steam release, preset and timed options, you can set and forget to give you time to do more things while it cooks or dinner quickly and safely. 

You can cook a range of dishes like soup, broth, beans, chili, poultry, slow cooking, sautéing, rice, porridge, steaming, yogurt, pressure cooking, or keeping everything warm, it's the all in one appliance that will make cooking dinner this winter much easier. 

A Heated Blanket

This gadget is for our readers who are in very cold places, or just really hate the cold. A heated blanket is the most sure-fire way to keep yourself toasty throughout the winter months. Good heated blankets will have different temperature settings so you can be perfectly warm while doing those winter activities, like binge-watching Netflix.

Texting Gloves

It seems we’re constantly on our phones, connecting, liking and subscribing. When it’s winter time, and you’re out and about, this can prove a little difficult. Should you ignore that text from your wife, or pull your hands out of your pockets and feel them going numb as you reply? Alas, this is no longer an issue worth pondering!

Texting gloves are a real thing and there’s a huge range to choose from. There’s no longer a reason you can’t tweet out your next stroke of genius in freezing temperatures!

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