10 Tech Gifts Under $50 That Punch Above Their Price Point

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Gifting season is right around the corner, which means you're probably looking for some nifty items for your close ones. It's always best to gift something useful for everyday life, so we've compiled this list. We know how challenging it can be to find the right gift, especially when on a budget. So, to make your life easier and save you time, we put together a guide to some of the best tech gadgets and accessories under $50. The best part? Every item on this list fits almost anyone's lifestyle, so whether you're shopping for your mom, cousin, or colleague, this list has you covered.

We also skipped the usual, generic dollar-store items most people already own. Instead, we focused on niche gadgets that add value, look cool, work for multiple family members, and are portable. While we've personally used most of the gadgets mentioned on this list, we also relied on expert reviews and user opinions on online storefronts to shortlist the items. We've also tried to cover a wide range of gadgets, so if you already have a good pair of Bluetooth headphones or a portable power bank, you can choose an alternative.

In a world where content consumption is skyrocketing, headphones have become an indispensable accessory. From listening to podcasts on your commute to blasting upbeat music while working out, reliable headphones can greatly improve your listening experience. While many affordable headphones deliver high-quality audio, we recommend the Soundcore Q20i. For the uninitiated, Soundcore is a brand owned by Anker — the same brand that makes some of the best mobile accessories at affordable price points. The Q20i offers active noise cancellation, punchy bass, and a companion app to tweak the audio.

The brand claims up to 40 hours of playback with ANC enabled and up to 60 hours without. That's more than a week's worth of use on a single charge, so you have one less gadget to charge every day. In our opinion, the Soundcore Q20i's standout feature is its ability to connect to two devices and seamlessly switch between them. This feature is generally reserved for more expensive headphones, but we're glad it's present on the Q20i. If you want to seamlessly switch from answering a call on your phone to watching a TV show on your laptop, this is a must-have.

Bluetooth speakers, while less popular than headphones, are a useful accessory for many situations. Whether you want to listen to music in your room without the added weight of headphones or you're hosting a house party with a bunch of friends, a wireless speaker can come in handy. The Tribit XSound Go is a portable speaker that's a user favorite on Amazon, and for good reason. It has a compact footprint, so it doesn't take up much space on a desk. Plus, you can pop it into your backpack if you're heading to a friend's place or going on vacation.

Tribit claims up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, but real-world use may be slightly lower, depending on volume. The speaker has an IPX7 water-resistance rating, so you can take it to a pool party or listen to your favorite tracks while you shower. You might want to avoid taking it to the beach, though, since there's no protection against dust and sand. You also get plenty of color options to choose from. All in all, the Tribit XSound Go is one of the best speakers at its price point, both for audio quality and build quality.

If you're looking for a gift for kids or friends who are about to become parents, the Amazon Echo Pop Kids is a safe bet. It's a simple smart speaker that can play songs, audiobooks, and games. Think of it as an Alexa speaker, but designed specifically for kids, with privacy filters and other age restrictions. For instance, the Echo Pop Kids automatically filters out songs with explicit lyrics, making it a suitable product for children. Moreover, kids can ask questions and get instant answers, making it a useful learning tool.

It also narrates bedtime stories or plays calming sounds when placed next to children's beds, helping them fall asleep faster. Some other features found on standard Echo speakers also make their way here, like setting alarms and creating routines. To make them more enticing for kids, Amazon gives these speakers an attractive front design. You can pick from Avengers, Disney Princess, Toy Story, and other themes. This is one of the best gifts you can get for kids, since it's not only entertaining but also educational.

Mechanical keyboards were all the rage a few years back. While the hype has died down, mechanical keyboards still outperform standard membrane keyboards. That said, many people mistakenly think mechanical keyboards are expensive. If that's holding you back from gifting yourself or a friend a keyboard that feels great to type on, consider the Kisnt KN85 mechanical keyboard. For starters, it's a wireless keyboard that connects to both Windows and Mac computers. If you don't want to worry about charging it, you can keep it connected to your computer via a USB cable at all times.

The KN85 is a 75% keyboard, which we think is an ideal layout for most people. It comes with linear switches by default, but it's hot-swappable, so you can change the switches to suit your needs. Like most keyboards, the KN85 also gets RGB lighting with multiple modes to pick from. Since mechanical keyboards are also known for their aesthetics, the KN85 comes in a host of color options with different keycaps. Choose the one that best suits your existing setup.

How many times have you boarded a long-haul flight only to realize the onboard headphones are trash and the in-flight entertainment system won't let you use your own? The Twelve South AirFly SE solves exactly this problem. It's a tiny dongle that plugs into any 3.5mm audio jack and converts it into a Bluetooth transmitter. You can then connect your headphones, speakers, or almost any Bluetooth device. Beyond flights, this is also useful if you want to listen to music at the gym on a treadmill or other equipment, which usually requires wired headphones.

Some people may also have old record players or portable audio players without wireless functionality. Simply plug in the AirFly SE, then pair it with any modern Bluetooth device. The only drawback is that you also have to keep the AirFly SE charged along with your headphones, so it's an extra device you need to remember to charge. However, the battery lasts up to 20 hours, so it should be enough for one or two long-haul flights.

If you're building a new house, it makes sense to add smart features throughout. This way, you can remotely control the lighting, thermostat, appliances, and almost any electric device through a smart home hub or smartphone. However, if you don't live in a fully equipped smart home, you can still make it smarter with third-party accessories like smart lights and smart plugs. For instance, the TP-Link Tapo Smart Plug Mini plugs into any wall outlet and connects to your home network. Now, you can control any gadget or appliance connected to this plug from anywhere.

This not only simplifies controlling devices at home, but also adds an extra layer of safety. If you've forgotten to unplug a steam iron or hair straightener before heading out, you can check the status in the companion app and turn the device off. While several smart plugs are available, we recommend this Tapo model mainly because it's compatible with Matter — the smart home protocol used by Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings. This makes it universally compatible with most smart home ecosystems.

It's a nostalgic year, with wired headphones making a comeback alongside other vintage tech. If you're looking for a gift for a retro gadget fan, the Kodak Charmera is probably the best option. It's a tiny keychain camera with a vintage aesthetic. While the image quality won't match modern cameras or smartphones, Charmera photos have an old-school vibe that's hard to replicate with recent cameras. Several filters replicate the look of film camera photos.

Moreover, the Kodak Charmera adds an extra element of excitement. When you gift this, you won't know what color camera you're getting inside the package. So when the person you're gifting it to unboxes it, it's as much a surprise for you as it is for them. The Kodak Charmera certainly evokes a lot of nostalgia for '80s and '90s kids, making it a perfect gift that's also useful, not just a showpiece. The camera doesn't ship with an SD card, so you may want to include a decently sized microSD card.

Any tech gifting guide is incomplete without an option for gamers. The 8BitDo Ultimate 2C wireless controller is for all your gamer friends who love spending hours playing their favorite titles on a Windows PC or an Android phone/tablet. The package includes a USB connector that plugs into a computer. You can also use the controller in wired mode by keeping it connected via a cable at all times. 8BitDo includes hall-effect joysticks and triggers, plus remappable L4/R4 bumpers.

Beyond its functionality, the best part of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C controller is its aesthetics. This particular variant has a transparent housing with a smoked black finish that looks super cool! When you connect the controller to an Android phone or tablet, you can use Bluetooth instead of the supplied dongle, making it easy to pair and start playing. You can also use the controller with Android TVs, making it a great gift for kids and adults alike.

Power bank brands offer everything from tiny battery packs that fit in trouser pockets to large power stations that can charge laptops and multiple power-hungry devices at once. If you're looking for a gift, though, you'll want something that stands out, and that's where the Ugreen x Honkai: Star Rail power bank comes in. Visually, it's unlike any power bank you've seen, with beautiful graphics across the chassis. Beyond being an absolute looker, this Ugreen power bank packs excellent functionality in a compact form factor.

Despite its 10,000 mAh capacity, the Honkai: Star Rail edition power bank has a manageable footprint. It also has a built-in USB-C cable for charging, so you don't have to carry one separately. It supports fast charging up to 55W, which is enough for most modern smartphones and larger devices like a MacBook Air or a 14-inch Windows laptop. In addition to the built-in cable, it includes a USB-C port and a USB-A port, letting you charge up to three devices at once. If you want a power bank that doesn't look generic, this Ugreen model is one of the best options.

If you know someone with an old TV or a smart TV that's gotten extremely slow and laggy over time, do them a favor and gift them an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select. While the list price is $50, you can often find it discounted to around $20-$25, which we consider an absolute steal. Amazon recently redesigned its Fire TV interface to be snappier and cleaner, making it a worthy option for anyone who wants to improve their TV's UI. Visually, this model streams in 4K and supports HDR10+.

Of course, it supports all your usual streaming apps. Then, there's the new Alexa+, which introduces AI features. You can ask it questions like you would a voice assistant, and it also makes it easier to find shows or movies across different platforms. Setting up the Amazon Fire TV 4K Select is easy: plug it into the TV and sign in to your local Wi-Fi network, and anyone should be able to get it going in a few minutes.

The author has used and tested most of the gadgets on this list. For the ones we haven't personally vetted, we relied on fellow writers at SlashGear and our sister publications, BGR and Engadget; industry expert reviews; and feedback from long-term users on Amazon and other online storefronts. Notably, every item on this list has a minimum rating of 4.2 on Amazon and at least 1,000 user ratings and reviews.