As you plan out what you’ll get for friends and family this year, tech products are often at the top of many people’s lists. Every year, new products come out that promise to make various aspects of your life easier. Whether it’s new pieces of tech or models that improve on last year’s, there are endless options. It can be overwhelming deciding what piece of tech you should get, especially if it’s a new gadget you haven’t heard of before. Here are some tips as you decide what tech products to purchase for the holidays.

Do your research

Instead of simply buying something that’s the top of the line in its category, do your research. If you’re shopping for your teenager, the product that’ll best fit their needs is going to be different than if you’re shopping for your significant other who’s also a professional photographer. If you’re looking at something like a laptop, consider what the person you’re shopping for is going to use that tech for. Are they editing photos or videos? Do they need it for writing? Are they an online gamer? No matter what kind of tech product you’re purchasing, do plenty of research to determine which item is best to buy. You can also research various stores and compare prices and sale offers; you’ll see a lot around the holidays.

Make sure they want it

Buying tech for someone is a thoughtful present, but make sure it’s something they actually want before doing so. If they mention wanting a camera, get more details to learn about the specific features they’d want the camera to have. If there’s something someone explicitly requests instead of tech, get them that. The last thing you want to do is purchase high-end tech for someone who won’t really enjoy or use it.

Get something useful

No matter what you’re buying for someone, whether it’s a new camera or television or simply a smaller piece of tech, make sure it’s actually useful. As you do your research, you’ll learn how useful some items are. You can also browse lists of the most requested pieces of tech this year or check out reviews on items to see what people have found the most useful. You can even get smaller items of tech, like a smart doorbell, Bluetooth headphones, or a drone.

Think outside the box

There’s an endless amount of tech items out there from a huge range of prices. Even when shopping for smaller presents, there are cool tech products you can buy for someone. Think outside the box when it comes to tech items and get creative; you never know what unique, fun piece of tech you could stumble across.