With Mother’s Day coming up, the inevitable choice anxiety is starting to settle in. “Mother’s Day Gift Guide” is frantically being searched on Google in the hopes that dependable publishers will sort through the product bog and serve up some curated suggestions. We aren’t sitting this one out at the AU review.
Here’s our annual Mother’s Day gift guide, featuring gift ideas we’ve handpicked out of the hundreds (literally – e-mail is packed) of ideas being pitched, as well as a few we’ve stumbled across online.
Technology
Sonos Move 2
Smooth design, big sound. If mum likes to have some tunes on at home, or is the type of go on a lot of road trips, she’s going to need a hybrid speaker. Sonos reigns supreme when it comes to that, pushing out the second generation of the brand’s highly acclaimed Move speaker. It’s a beautiful blend the home-only Wi-Fi speakers Sonos is known for, mixed with a Bluetooth speaker that can be taken on the go. Plus, the design is exceptional. Especially in the new sage green colourway. As with all Sonos products, it doesn’t just look and feel premium, it sounds the business too with a gorgeous sound profile that’s balanced, wide and expressive. There is no better speaker on the market right now.
$799 | sonos.com
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google has emerged as the Android manufacturer to beat over the past few years. The seventh generation Pixel phones were routinely regarded as some of the best ever made, and it’s clear the tech giant wanted to continue all that good will for its 2023 flagship smartphones. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the ultimate Android phone. It’s affordable, wickedly fast, feels premium with a beautiful, bright display, and has one of the best camera systems to date. Portrait mode has always been a big strength for Google so there’s no surprise that you get really vivid, crispy results here. The AI-editing tools like Magic Erasure are also very fun to play around with.
From $1,699 | google.com
iPhone 15 Pro
Apple has finally given us one of its best updates in years with the iPhone 15 Pro models. The Pro and Pro Max are easily the most valuable phones the behemoth has presented in years, representing innovation with new features like a programmable Action Button and a design making use of lightweight titanium. You can actually feel the difference. The iPhone 15 Pro is not only lighter, but is stronger and more durable. Then you’ve got a significantly improved max brightness for better legibility, better integration of the Dynamic Island notch, and improved cameras with more optical zoom than ever before. If you get the Pro Max, you’ll even get a whopping 5x optical zoom. It looks like the technological gap between iOS and Android is finally started to close.
From $1,849 | apple.com
Home Appliances
Dyson Big+Quiet
Owning a Dyson air purifier is a serious flex. Given the market for really strong, cutting-edge air purifiers has grown immensely over the past few years (for obvious reasons), you might as well go for the most powerful and stylish one. Dyson has thrown an incredible amount of knowhow at its most high-end air purifier. Considerable effort has been taken to make sure this thing runs incredibly quiet as well as picks up even the smallest particles with advanced HEPA and carbon filters. It’s so strong that it can capture 99.95% of ultrafine particles as small as 0.1 microns and also destroy formaldehyde.
Whether it’s to get rid of smells or slurping up dust, this Big+Quiet air purifier will be one of the most useful things in house as concern around air quality only continues to skyrocket. Make sure mum is ahead of the curb with one of Dyson’s best inventions yet.
$1,599 | dyson.com.au
Dreame Technology L10s Pro Ultra Heat
If you’re looking for the ultimate premium robot vacuum to gift this Mother’s Day then check out Dreame Technology’s latest baby, the L10s Pro Ultra Heat. The brand, which has been increasingly prevalent in the Australian market,
he L10s Pro Ultra Heat is a versatile fully automatic robotic vaccum that offers hands-free cleaning, cleaning the house and itself at the base station.
Roomba Combo j7+ Vacuum & Mop
It’s no surprise that a good robot vacuum cleaner has been a popular choice for Mother’s Day over the past few years, but it’s an expensive investment. ow that the technology has been refined and iterated on, we’re starting to see some really impressive products in the space at lower price points, like the Roomba Combo j7+ which sucks, mops and navigates any space a pro.
The self-emptying robot vacuum has a 4-stage cleaning system which includes a world-first mopping system that retracts the mop when not in use to avoid one of the biggest pain points in the category. That is, leaving wet patches on carpets and rugs. The intelligent design actually retracts the mop to the top of the robot when it’s not needed.
$1,599 | irobot.com
Home
Deep Dream Mattress
Is mum dealing with back pain when she sleeps? The details always help, so if she wants to start changing the way she sleeps simply get her a new mattress. New mattresses are one of those purchases we always tend to put off ourselves so make the decision for her with Lifely’s premium Deep Dream Mattress.
Like most modern mattresses, it comes in a box. But the real winner here is the price. It’s just $599 for a Queen, which is unheard of for this level of quality. What you’re getting is a mattress built with Deep Dream cool gel which is 75% more breathable than standard foam, helping the mattress relieve joint pressure through six different layers including a 5-zone ultra-coil pocket spring system for spine alignment and rigid edge support. The non-toxic mattress is also made from OEKO-TEX certified organic cotton quality so comfort is guaranteed.
$599 | lifely.com.au
Style
Lululemon Footwear Collection
Lululemon ain’t done owning the athleisure game yet. The company has already dominated casual gym wear and given hikers, bikers and swimmers a great, stylish range to choose from. Now they’ve put more focus on footwear, releasing a series of shoes carefully designed for all forms of fitness, from running to hiking.
The new range of Lululemon footwear features five new styles including the beyondfeel silhouette with supercritical foam cushioning for a softer heel-toe glide.
Varies | lululemon.com.au
Mambo Autumn Range
If you’re looking for some nice affordable pieces of fashion that are still fun and affordable, you’re looking at Mambo’s latest seasonal range. Mambo’s curated Mother’s Day selection, featuring standout pieces from their latest women’s apparel collection, offers thoughtful gift ideas for the active and fashion-conscious mum.
The $35 Mambo Women’s Striped True Knit Hoodie offers a cosy layer for cooler days, while the $35 True Knit Crew Jumper (Rust) brings warmth with a touch of seasonal colour. And for Mums who love a day spent in the water, no matter the season, we can’t look past Mambo’s $35 Sunchaser One Piece Swimsuit (Multi) and $39 Black Floral Sleeve Paddle Suit, combining functionality with flattering designs, perfect for outdoor adventures ahead.
Varies | bigw.com.au
Health & Wellness
Withings ScanWatch 2
In my review of the Withings Scanwatch 2 I wrote that it’s the best fitness tracker I’ve tested to date. And it is. Withings has really put a lot into the latest iteration of their Fitbit competitor. The ability to constantly monitor body temperature is a game changer and furthers Withings play into the proactive health market. If mum needs to monitor her health more, this will pay dividends.
$599 | withings.com
