40 Techy Gifts Under $100 That We Tested and Love
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Gift shopping on a budget is stressful. Prices sometimes soar around the holidays, making it tough to find genuine bargains. To help, we spent countless hours testing all manner of gizmos and gadgets to bring you expert advice on what is worth buying. These gifts are sure to bring a smile to your loved ones’ faces without breaking the bank too badly, though we know $100 isn't exactly cheap, either.
For more ideas, the WIRED 101 is full of things (sometimes expensive) that are sure to impress, and if money is tight, we've also made a list of the best gifts under $25. For giftees with a particular passion, you can find tailored options like the best gifts for audiophiles, coffee fans, or book lovers among our gift guides.
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Portable Sound
Sony SRS-XB100This compact Bluetooth speaker is just under 4 inches tall and has a clever built-in strap, so it’s easy to take with you. It offers up to 16 hours of battery life and has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Snag a pair (or more) and they can be linked together for stereo sound. Fun colors include bright blue and bright orange.
This gadget appears in our best Bluetooth speakers guide.
- Photograph: Govee
Light It Up
Govee Neon Rope Light StripMost light strips are designed to be tucked away in recesses, but this Govee strip has a diffuser, so you can stick it anywhere you want and it still looks great. The adhesive-backed metal brackets make for easy installation. The Govee app allows you to schedule, cycle through colors, play animations, and even create your own scenes. Some transitions are blocky, and the app can be confusing, but this is a great way to introduce your recipient to smart lights.
This is our favorite diffused light strip from the best smart lighting guide.
- Photograph: Amazon
Radio Ga-Ga
Sangean WR-15A radio is a handy gadget to have, and this one combines old-school style with modern functionality, so you can tune into whatever you want. Portable enough to sit on a bookshelf or table for working in the garage or shed, it can also serve as an entertainment backup for when the power or internet goes out. It lacks a Bluetooth connection, but it does have an auxiliary input. Most important, it sounds great.
This is the top pick from our best radios guide.
- Photograph: Amazon
Smart Speaker
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)This cute ball of sound is one of our favorite smart speakers because it offers detailed, room-filling sound and has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant inside to answer your every query. The Amazon Echo (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has onboard mics for voice commands and adaptive EQ, and built-in Zigbee for smart homes. It’s a useful, hands-free kitchen companion and a great value.
This is our top pick of the best Alexa speakers.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Power Up
Nimble Champ (Series 2)Sling a good portable charger in your bag and you will never be stranded with a dead phone again. Our favorite is Nimble's Champ, which is compact, light, and packs a 5,000- to 20,000-mAh capacity, capable of recharging most phones and laptops at least once, fully at its smallest size. It comes in snazzy speckled colors with a handy lanyard strap and a wee USB-C cable. We are also big fans of Nimble’s environmental efforts (using bioplastics and plastic-free packaging).
This power bank is the top pick in our best portable chargers guide.
- Photograph: Oakywood
Desk Tidy
Oakywood Headphone Stand with Wireless ChargerWe love multifunctional gadgets like this headphone stand from Oakywood, which offers a place to hang your cans and a spot to wirelessly charge your phone. The angular base in solid walnut or oak is super stylish, and the steel stand keeps your headphones neatly out of the way.
This headphone stand appears in our best wireless chargers guide.
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- Photograph: 8BitDo
Game On
8BitDo Pro 2Comfy to hold for long gaming sessions, with a subtle texture that adds grip, this mobile controller combines sensitive analog sticks with clicky buttons and an excellent D-pad. It can connect via Bluetooth or USB-C cable for gaming on a Nintendo Switch, MacBook, Windows PC, Android phone, or iPhone. Battery life is 20 hours, it has programmable buttons on the back, and it’s easy to remap.
This is the top pick in our best mobile controllers guide.
- Photograph: Eve
Smarter Home
Eve Motion SensorFor folks looking to make their home a little smarter, a motion sensor can prove very handy indeed. This one from Eve reliably tracks room occupancy and light levels, works with Matter for easy compatibility, and makes it very easy to automate things like smart lights and smart shades.
We covered this in a recent rave.
- Photograph: Hatch
Forty Winks
Hatch Rest (2nd Generation)This combination sound machine and night-light is also a dimmable bedside clock. You can customize colors, adjust the volume, and play content from the sound library in the app, but you can also just tap the top to cycle through options (there is a child lock if you need it). The optional $50 annual Hatch membership adds bedtime stories, lullabies, and meditations.
This gadget appears in our best sound machines and best night-light guides.
- Photograph: Keychron
Wireless Keyboard
Keychron B6 Pro and B1 ProWe spend a lot of time tapping away at our keyboards, so a decent deck is essential. This ultra-slim flat keyboard features scissor-switch keys that are comfy to type on and is wireless, offering up to 1,200 hours of battery life from a single charge.
This device appears in our best keyboards guide.
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- Photograph: Logitech
Gaming Mouse
Logitech G203Featuring six buttons, RGB lighting, and compatibility with Logitech’s G Hub software, this wired gaming mouse is a solid option. Serious gamers may prefer something with higher sensitivity, but the 8,000 dots per inch this mouse supports will be plenty for most folks.
This gadget appears in our best gaming mice guide.
- Photograph: Amazon
Excellent Earbuds
Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+A perfect review score is rare, but the Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ (10/10, WIRED Recommends) are a little bit special. They deliver epic sound from a combination of dynamic and xMEMS drivers, boast good mics, offer solid noise canceling, and have easy to use touch controls.
These earbuds are our top pick of the best headphones under $100.
- Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
Coffee to Go
Hydro Flask Coffee with Flex Sip LidWith a practically indestructible powder coating, this travel mug is ideal for folks seeking a low-maintenance mug that doesn't need careful handling. It also has a pebbled texture that adds grip, and it holds plenty of coffee.
This is the top pick in our best travel mugs guide.
- Photograph: Best Buy
Waffle House
Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle MakerSolidly made, with a sleek stainless lid surrounded by sturdy plastic, this Cuisinart waffle maker (7/10, WIRED Recommends) can feed a family of four. It weighs about 10 pounds, so storing it under the counter is recommended. There are five settings to get the shade of waffle you prefer, and it is mercifully tough to burn them with this gadget.
This waffle maker appears in our buy it for life guide.
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- Photograph: Ninja
Chop Chop
Ninja 8-Inch Chef's Knife and SharpenerEvery aspiring chef or family cook needs a good quality knife. This knife has a comfortable rounded handle and a tough stainless steel blade that holds an edge, and it is versatile enough to chop veggies, crush garlic, or slice meat. Keeping your knife sharp is essential, so this comes with a sharpener. You can also buy it without the sharpener for $50.
This is the top pick in our best chef’s knives guide.
- Photograph: Oxo
Coffee Crush
Oxo Conical Burr GrinderFor anyone looking to brew better coffee at home, grinding your own beans is a great place to start, and conical burr grinders do a more consistent job than blade grinders. This one has 15 settings to cater for every brewing scenario, from finely ground espresso to coarse-ground for a French press. It’s not too loud, grinds quickly, and works reliably. It makes a lovely gift on its own, or you could pair it with a bag of your favorite coffee beans or a coffee subscription.
This is the budget pick in our best coffee grinders guide.
- Photograph: Amazon
Picture Perfect
Monster 8-Inch Digital FrameYou can store up to 4,000 photos in this 8-inch digital frame, which displays at a crisp 1280p resolution. It has a black frame with a white mount to help your pics pop. You can swipe the touchscreen or use Google Assistant or Alexa for voice commands.
This gadget appears in our best digital picture frames guide.
- Photograph: Roku
TV Time
Roku Streaming Stick 4K PlusThis clever stick plugs right into an HDMI port on your TV and comes with a hands-free remote, so you can use voice commands to pick movies and shows. Roku’s interface is responsive, easy to navigate, and acts as a gateway to every streaming service under the sun.
This is the top pick in our best streaming devices guide.
- Photograph: Victrola
Vinyl Revival
Victrola Re-Spin Bluetooth Suitcase Record PlayerDespite the ease with which you can stream just about any track ever recorded, a whole new generation is discovering the delights of collecting vinyl. This nifty turntable gives them something cute and affordable to play records on. There is a built-in speaker, but you can also wirelessly stream to another device.
This appeared in our best tech gifts for kids and a rave.
- Photograph: Connetix
Budding Builders
Connetix Pastel Starter PackThis mix of square and triangular magnetic tiles provides limitless construction options for kids and adults (they are irresistible). The pieces are well made from non toxic ABS plastic (BPA- and phthalate-free), with strong magnets for easy building. The pieces are finished in soft pastel colors, and you can always add more to mix and match with other kits.
This kit will appear in the next update to our best STEM toys guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Party Game
TelestrationsEasy to grasp, quick to play, and often hilarious, Telestrations is the game that always comes out when we have people over (eight players is ideal). Telestrations challenges you to draw words or phrases to pass along and then to identify the sketches other players pass to you. When the erasable books get back to the owners, everyone reveals how far from the original message things got.
This game appears in our best family board games guide.
- Photograph: Upright
Stop Slouching
Upright Go S Lite Posture Corrector TrainerThe gift every grandma has been dreaming of encourages us to sit up straight at the dinner table. The Upright Go S gently vibrates to remind you when you are hunched over and encourage you out of bad habits. It sends your slouching data to the companion app so you can track your posture progress.
This is our top pick of the best posture correctors.
- Photograph: Amazon
Fitness Tracker
Fitbit Inspire 3Perfect for folks seeking a simple health tracker that will track steps and sleep, the affordable Fitbit Inspire 3 comes with a wide array of watch faces and accessories. It’s relatively easy to get used to, even for non-techy people, and it can help to encourage good habits. It is limited, and connectivity can be flaky, but you won’t find anything better for this kind of price.
This is the budget pick in our best fitness trackers guide.
- Photograph: Hairitage
Blow Dry
Hairitage Comin' In Hot DryerCompact, light, and super affordable, this dryer sports an attractive gray and rose-gold design with a velvety-soft coating. It offers two speeds, three heat settings, and a cold shot button. This brand also offers a diffuser and a comb attachment.
This is the top pick in our best hair dryers guide.
- Photograph: Weatherman
Stay Dry
Weatherman The Travel UmbrellaMost folks grab a cheap umbrella when it rains, or go without, but a well-made, compact umbrella is a smart addition to any bag. This brolly combines tough fiberglass ribs and shaft with a quick-drying Teflon fabric. It opens and closes automatically, has a pouch with a zipper for compact storage, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
This is the top pick in our best umbrellas guide.
- Photograph: Victorinox
Pocket Knife
Victorinox Deluxe TinkerThe iconic red plastic handle of Victorinox’s Deluxe Tinker makes it easy to spot, and it packs an impressive 17 mini-tools. It is light, compact, and durable enough to slip into a pocket or bag and forget about until you need it. The company offers a lifetime warranty.
This appears in our best multi-tools guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Warm Hands
Verloop Twist Knit Touchscreen GlovesThese eye-catching knitted mitts come in all sorts of fun color combos and keep your fingers cozy. Even better, the tips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger all work with touchscreens, so you can use your phone without having to take your gloves off. They are machine washable, too.
These gloves appear in our best touchscreen gloves guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Cha-Ching
Ekster Parliament WalletThis tough, minimalist, aluminum wallet with a leather cover has a clever trigger to quickly draw your cards when you need to pay. You can fit six cards in the main compartment, which also has RFID blocking. There’s a strap to hold cash and some extra pockets in the cover.
We also like Ekster’s backpack, which appears in our best camera bags guide.
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- Photograph: Simon Hill
Reading Light
Vekkia 14 LED Book LightYou can read without disturbing your partner with this clip-on light. It has an easily adjustable gooseneck and two swiveling light bars with seven LEDs apiece. The large, padded clamp supports various positions, and you can cycle through five levels of brightness and three warm colors with minimal blue light. The battery life is up to 80 hours on the lowest brightness, and there's a USB-C port for charging.
This gadget appears in our best reading lights guide.
- Photograph: Herschel
Handy Backpack
Herschel Heritage BackpackCapable of carrying textbooks and a laptop in its dedicated 15-inch sleeve, this versatile bag also works as an overnight bag stuffed with clothes and a pair of shoes, or as a carry-on with essentials. The 600-denier polyester with faux leather bottom and handle is a durable combo.
This appears in our best backpacks guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Hot Coffee
Ohom Ui 3 Self Heating Mug SetFew things are more unpleasant than a slug of cold coffee, but this clever self-heating mug can keep your beverage nice and warm. It works with a special Qi wireless charging mat that can also charge your phone.
I wrote a rave about this self-heating mug.
- Photograph: Kat Merck
Be Cool
Vornado 660Our favorite fan features three easy to press speed buttons and will happily sit on a table, sideboard, desk, or the floor to quietly and effectively push air throughout your home. It even has a handle for easy carrying, and you can unscrew the front grille to clean it.
This appears in our guide to the best fans.
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- Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Super Fiber
Smartwool Merino Classic Long-SleeveMerino wool is natural and renewable, and manages to be cool or warm when you need. This top is just the right weight for a base layer, with heavy-duty seams that don't rub. At only 87 percent merino wool (blended with nylon), this is a great intro to the delights of a wool base layer.
This top appears in our best Merino wool clothes guide.
- Photograph: Patagonia
Bum Bag
Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip PackMade from 100 percent recycled, ultralight, water-repellent ripstop nylon, this handy bag comes in a bunch of delightful retro color combinations and is just the right size for a phone, wallet, and lip balm. It can be closed tightly to stay put for runs, but easily expands when you need space for a hat or pair of gloves.
This appears in our best fanny packs guide.
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- Photograph: Simon Hill
Power Up
Tessan GaN Universal Travel AdapterJet off to more than 200 countries with this compact adapter, and you can keep all your gadgets charged. It's easy to slide out EU, UK, and US plugs, and you can rotate the pins for sockets in Australia and China. The plugs lock securely in place, this charger is lightweight, and it has plenty of ports that can deliver a generous charging rate of up to 65 watts.
This is the top pick in our best travel adapters guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Extended Battery
Anker 622 MagGo Portable Charger (A1614)You can keep your iPhone going for a little longer or bring it back from the dead with this handy magnetic power bank that sticks to the back unobtrusively to deliver up to 5,000 mAh. It also has a handy wee fold-out stand.
This is our pick of the best MagSafe power banks.
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- Photograph: Simon Hill
Kids' Headphones
Altec Lansing Kid Safe 2-in-2 ANC HeadphonesVolume-limited headphones are essential for protecting your wee one's ears, and they can give you some peace from the din or repetitive cartoons or strange YouTube videos. This comfy pair from Altec Lansing sound great and boast active noise cancellation, making them ideal for road trips.
These appear in our best kids’ headphones guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Cable Keyring
Rolling Square InCharge X 6-in-1 CableYour giftee will never be without that charging cable they need ever again if you snag them one of these handy multi-cable keyrings. It boasts six charging combinations, with USB-C and USB-A on one end of the short braided cable, and Lightning, MicroUSB, and USB-C on the other.
This handy gadget is in our best USB-C cables guide.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Square Eyes
Tiny Circuits TinyTV 2Cute desk ornament or crafter's delight, this tiny, fully working TV can be loaded with hours of video. Home movies, music videos, or your favorite films and shows can be loaded on here. It even has a tiny remote control. It's currently out of stock, but hopefully will be back for purchase soon.
I recently raved about this.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
Apple Power
ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Wireless Charging StationFolks who own Apple's trinity of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods can keep them all neat on the bedside and find them fully charged in the morning with this handy wireless charger. It is compact, comes with a charging brick and cable, and turns your iPhone into a bedside alarm clock.
This is the budget pick in our best Apple 3-in-1 wireless chargers guide.
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