When we think of Mother’s Day, we think of all the flowers, candies, spa gifts, dinners, and jewelry. Technology may not be what first comes to mind when choosing that perfect present, but I believe ideas like these shake up the norm. And with a little “out of the box” thinking, your gift this year could truly leave a lasting impression with many smiles to follow!
Moms have so much to be nostalgic about. With all of the love they have given and continue to give, it is understandable they would want to remember all the moments, heartfelt memories, and endless passions in their lives and of their loved ones. Even though we are all social distancing right now, these gift ideas for Mom can be ordered online and shipped to her in time for her big day – ensuring that even remote family time can be bonding and appreciated.
For the Mom That Takes Her Music to Go
If she is working from home (WFH) or taking calls on-the-go, you can give her the gift of versatility to have a private listening experience or peacefulness at home. Mom can tune out external distractions or turn up her favorite music, listen to audiobooks, or get immersed in her favorite film with these beats noise-canceling headphones. They are travel friendly and help create versatility with a folding design, which is perfect for the woman who is always on the go.
1. Apple Beats
The Apple Beats Studio2 wireless headphones come in a vibrant yet elegantly refined red gloss edition, or if you are looking for something a little more neutral, there is a metallic sky color. The sleek and foldable design makes them portable, and the built-in rechargeable battery allows for 15 to 20 hours of active noise canceling. The soft earcups and snug yet comfortable feeling does not pull on your hair. It is perfect for running, wearing around the house, or in areas that may have a lot of noise. And the amazing volume headroom is matched with a bass frequency range that never overwhelms. You can get these for $114.99, which gives you a savings of $184.01—but she would never know from the look of it!
2. Monster iSport
If you are looking for a smaller option, the Monster iSport Wireless In-Ear Headphones can fit in a small purse. They are great to use when Mom works out, goes shopping, or does things around the house. These cost $24.88 with a savings of $65.07 right now including a 1 Year Warranty.
Gift Pairing Idea
A few additional gift ideas that would be a perfectly paired gift with either of these two fabulous headphones could be to get her favorite tennis shoes in a new and updated color. Another gift option would be for you to buy her a virtual online class taught by her favorite celebrity fitness star on masterclass.com.
If she loves to work out or keep in shape, a subscription to online Peloton workout classes allows her to keep her body healthy and strong at home during Covid-19 with no additional machines needed. (Pro Tip: Peloton has a 90-day FREE trial period.)
One last gift pairing option would be a subscription from Headspace, an online meditation app that helps her wind down at any time of the day.
For the Mom That Loves to Share and Keep Memories
I used to love burning music and photos onto CDs to give out to my friends and family, and your Mom may too. She can share videos and pictures of her children or grandchildren or copy a movie she loves or listen to her favorite music.
3. OWC Slim
New laptops rarely include optical drives for CDs, DVDs, or Blu-rays, and many people still enjoy their movies and music they have collected for decades. If your Mom’s new Mac doesn’t have an optical drive, this low-profile external OWC Slim External Blu-ray and CD/DVD Burner is a must. It’s quiet, fast, and reads Blu-ray discs perfectly. It is a fantastic mobile drive for travelers since it fits easily in a laptop bag.
This solution is a great addition to every Mom’s workstation to ensure she can do all she wants to with her computer and memories.
Gift Pairing Idea
What would be a great gift to go along with the OWC Slim External Blu-ray and CD/DVD Burner? Give her a stack of DVDs and CDs with a label maker so she can easily create them for her friends and family – and add her own touch.
For the Mom that loves to stay connected
Functionality meets hands-free with the gift of speakers! Upgrade your Mom from the speaker of her iPhone (in which the audio range can be limited).
4. Apple HomePod
With great sound, the Apple HomePod smart speaker is easy to set up, easy to use, and will light up any room she connects to with her iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Whether she is gardening, fixing dinner, painting, or enjoying her bath, your Mother most likely enjoys singing along with her favorite songs or listening to her favorite authors. If so, then this is a perfect gift for her.
Gift Pairing Idea
If you are looking to make the gift even more unique, create a handmade Apple Music playlist of the artists and songs she adores. Buy a few audiobooks that she keeps saying she wants to make time to read. Regardless of what extra gifts you decide to pair with her new speaker, she will appreciate the ability to bring her favorites with her into any room.
For the Working From Home Mom
With so many of us staying home while the kids are out of school and the new WFH culture is setting in, I have the perfect gift to help support your Mother’s business—and her new additional time at home.
5. MacBook Pro
You can look out for the environment while making a bold impression without breaking your bank account by getting Mom a MacBook Pro. It will help her keep up with her busy schedule and have fun as well.
Eileen Millard, OWC’s Marketing Administrator, puts it well…
“For someone who wants to all-out splurge for a Mother’s Day gift – an OWC secondhand MacBook Pro so Mom can finally have a laptop that just works, and won’t need to be replaced in a few years. Turn it on and get ready for some speed, with a keyboard and trackpad that are quick and responsive to use.”
Gift Pairing Idea
There are some additional things you can do to make this fantastic gift even more speechless. Add a personalized screensaver. Import her favorite music files so she can listen to her favorite artists. Create a folder with great new recipes for her to try. Add family photos so she will feel nostalgic looking through them all.
Another suggestion is to make sure to have Zoom installed (there is a free version), so it is ready to use for virtual video calls. That way, you can celebrate Mother’s Day together even when you may be miles apart during the quarantine.
If you want to try something different, send her a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses to help protect her eyes alleviate eye strain because she will be spending a lot of time in front of the screen.
For the Mom on the Go
For the Mom that needs to carry the world with her, you can help keep her organized with a stylish “work on the go” bag.
6. Targis Opin
This leather-trimmed and California styled Targus Opin Maker Pack backpack can fit up to a 15″ MacBook Pro and an iPad together without appearing bulky. This helps any remotely working Mom with children at home bring an iPad for them to enjoy while she works on her laptop.
The comfortable backpack straps help keep her hands free to do all she needs. The inner compartments allow her to bring a small clothing option to change into later – effortlessly transitioning her look from day to night if she does not have time to go home. She can also bring a water bottle and phone or computer accessories since there is plenty of room for her needed items for the day.
Gift Pairing Idea
If you want to add something extra to her new backpack, you can personalize it with a bag charm (sold separately at many online stores). Swarovski has some lovely charms that can hang from the side of the bag, or you could get her a pretty pen that she would appreciate when running errands. If you are looking to get her something not work-related, fill the inside with her favorite makeup as a surprise!
7. Laptop Sleeve
If she is not the backpack-type or needs something smaller to help her carry her work essentials, choose the blueLounge Design Bonobo Series 15″ and 16″ Laptop Sleeve. This elegant yet professional solution can be carried on its own or inside her bag to protect her laptop for meetings, activities, travels, and day-to-night needs. Its woven shell and lining materials are made from recycled PET containers, so it is practical and ecological and extremely affordable since it is on sale right now for only $24.99.
The sleeve is thin and not bulky, yet durable. And the buckle helps keep everything safely inside. Mom doesn’t have to worry about spilling her drink on it because it is water-resistant. And there is enough room to bring additional documents or accessories in the front zippered pocket. Every woman can use a black purse, and this could be a versatile clutch purse when needed.
For the Mom With All the Great Memories
People often think there are only three options for older Mac laptops that are not up to par for what they need: trade them in, sell them, or throw them away. But there is a fourth option, a solution to help keep a Mac laptop still functioning and useful for a very long time.
8. Mercury On-The-Go Pro
If you are looking to give your Mom the ability to store all the files she needs, the OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro doesn’t take up much desk space, and comfortably fits into a purse. An enclosure allows her to turn any internal hard drive into an external one – and it can be done in a snap.
OWC has easy to follow how-to videos so she can use this quickly. And if she is not the type to do this herself, then you can do it and surprise her with all of her files, documents, photos—and more—ready to use on her current computer.
This go-to performer is bus-powered and can go everywhere. The case is made of clear Lucite, and there are blue and red LEDs that illuminate it. This model will give her peace of mind when she backs up her machine. With a 3-year warranty and a large capacity for an affordable price, this gift will be a sleek solution she will be happy to have on her desk.
Gift Pairing Idea
If you are looking for something to go with this gift, the collapsible Kodak Mobile film scanner might be a great addition. Many Mothers still have negatives collecting dust, and this can help those negatives and forgotten images come back to life by being digitized and live on for future generations to enjoy – all stored in her new OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro.
For the Mom With the Ever-Growing Data Collection
OWC’s CEO, Larry O’Connor, suggested the Envoy Pro EX with USB-C as the next gift suggestion. “Speaking of photos,” he says, “don’t leave Mom without a backup! Super small, compact, fast + waterproof & dustproof… virtually indestructible… these Envoy Pros with USB-C will keep Mom’s data backed up, safe, and portable too. As an additional, desktop backup (should always have more than one backup) – the OWC Mercury Elite Pro offers fast, reliable additional storage that’s plug and play too.”
9. Envoy Pro EX with USB-C
The Envoy Pro with EX USB-C can survive up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water in case one of the kids picks it up and gets it wet. One of the things I love is that it runs completely silent. It has an elegant look since it is housed in an anodized aluminum enclosure while being 100% dustproof. It has impressive durability, which makes it the perfect item for Mom to take on her future trip to the desert or skiing since it can operate at extreme temperatures.
Gift Pairing Idea
If you are looking for the perfect companion gift, why not give her a flexible round trip ticket to a place she has always wanted to see? So, when the lockdown is over, and it is safe for her to travel, she has something to look forward to. She can fill up her Envoy Pro with USB-C with plenty of new memories she can come back and share with the family!
For the Mom Who Likes to Take Things With Her
When you picture Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible saving the planet, you may feel like the next gift–pick belongs in one of his movies because the power behind the product and amount of files it can hold is something to get excited about.
10. Envoy Pro mini
The all-metal aluminum OWC Envoy Pro Mini SSD may look like a thumb drive you got at a trade show, but it is not. This SSD takes flash drives to an exciting new level, merging both product markets by creating a powerful, yet extremely compact drive that she can carry in her pocket or around her neck – and it is very fast! As long as a stick of gum, yet big enough to hold about 200,000 photos or 200 HD movies.
This gift is especially helpful for Moms with heavier workflows or lots of video needs. Countless photos can be accessed at any time, and it can help with her computer needs. It is a durable and ideal present for a Mom with a hobby or profession in photography, video editing, gaming, or recording – or just about any woman who needs data written or accessed quickly.
Gift Pairing Idea
If you are looking to make this gift “extra special,” there are companies you can find online that will engrave the outside with a quote or inscribe her name. Also, you can remove the lanyard and add a beautiful necklace in its place. Or put it on a keychain so she can wear it around her pant belt or attach it to her keyset. Last and not least, you can add images, music, or a custom video message beforehand, so when she plugs it in, it is there waiting for her. That will surely bring a smile to her face!
For the Mom That Has a Lot of Cords
If your Mom is looking to bring portable connectivity back to her USB-C equipped Mac or PC, then OWC has an excellent gift. Moms like to have flexibility, and that includes where they use their laptops.
11. Travel Dock
Another recommendation that Larry O’Connor shares:
“The OWC Travel Dock makes it easy to go anywhere – around the house or out and about – and plug in a nice Mouse, Keyboard, and Display. None of Apple’s 2015 and later laptops with Type-C have a built-in card reader. The Travel Dock, even right at home, gives her a high-speed SD Card Reader, so all those photos Mom takes, can be quickly and easily downloaded.”
The Travel Dock comes in several colors and is a great way to add five more ports of connectivity. It delivers up to 60 watts of power, and the rose gold model is on sale for $32.99.
12. 10-Port USB-C Dock
If Mom is looking for something to help keep her cord clutter organized and add additional connectivity options to her workflow, then the OWC 10-Port USB-C Dock is a great gift and solution. OWC’s Chief of Staff, Jo Ann Olson, says “it keeps wires neatly organized.”
She is not only correct, but with this gift choice, she will not need to mess around anymore with tangled dongles and adapters to connect everything to her computer.
It is easy and convenient to leave all her accessories plugged into one place when she leaves for the day, and all she needs to do is plug one single cable into her Mac or PC when she gets home to use all her devices. The card reader will recognize her SD card and will effortlessly transfer all her data. The HDMI port adds an external TV or monitor connection, and her iPhone will be recognized and automatically synced and charged as well as her computer. The USB-C Dock delivers up to 65W of power to her connected devices and comes with a 2-year OWC warranty. All in all, it’s a Mother’s Day gift that will continue giving all year long.
For the Mom Who Needs to Stay Powered Up
Phone batteries do not last forever. Many have encountered a situation when their phone’s battery life is running out, and there isn’t an outlet in sight.
13. Calitronics instaCharge
For the Mom who always needs to be ready to go and available 24/7, the Calitronics instaCharge will help ensure she will not need to worry about running out of power during her long days. This wireless, gold-colored charger is a great gift idea that will allow her to charge hands-free by placing her compatible phone on the wireless symbol or plugging it in for a quicker charge.
Beth Copher, OWC Email/Production Supervisor, explains:
“I don’t have to worry about running out of juice when I am out, and I can charge multiple devices at once. Plus, there’s a cool feature; a built-in LED light.”
This charger will also be a lifesaver for kid’s devices since it is not only Mom that will need battery rescuing. The built-in LED can come in handy if she needs additional light to find lost keys in her purse at night. If you want it personalized, you can find DIY tutorials on how to customize the outside by adding crystals to it or painting it.
The Calitronics instaCharge is priced at $22.88 after a 60% savings and will be a welcomed companion to her purse essentials.
For the Mom Who Is the Super Mom
Moms make the world go ’round. If you are looking for an additional non-traditional gift to add, try the OWC 72-piece toolkit. It may be the best DIY gift you could give that will allow her to work faster and fix things easily.
14. 72-piece Toolkit
Sharing her thoughts about the tool kit, Eileen Millard says that “it is a small but powerful set of tools, all in one place. It can fix just about any tech need in the house, without having to take apart the junk drawer.”
Gift Pairing Idea
If you are looking to pair the DIY toolkit with something, add a framed photo of the family, an image from her favorite vacation, or shadowbox some items of shared memories. Be sure to include a nail so she can use her new toolkit to hang it where she likes.
“For the crafty do it herself Mom, a great toolkit means she’s always got what she needs to tackle that next project,” says Larry O’Connor. “OWC’s 72 Piece tool kit is a premium, top-notch kit.”
That’s it – 14 unique Mother’s Day gifts for the unique Mother in your life! Whether you want to encourage Mom to start a new hobby, help her upgrade her technology, or just get her something fabulous, I hope you found something inspiring on this list!
