There are less than two weeks left in the holiday shopping season, and time is running out to buy online. If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for a tech fan in your life without breaking the bank, read on as we highlight some must-have technology gifts under $50 that will arrive before Christmas.
AirFly
If you know that the person you’re shopping for will be getting AirPods as a gift this year, one excellent accessory is the Twelve South AirFly. The AirFly dongle allows you to connect any pair of wireless headphones to wired headphone jacks, such as on a plane, in a car, or in a gym.
AirFly can be had for as low as $40. It makes the perfect companion gift for someone already receiving AirPods or another pair of wireless headphones this Christmas season.Other potential companion gifts under $50 for AirPods include silicone cases, the EarBuddyz tips, and wireless chargers.
Native Union Key Cable
One of the most useful accessories I’ve purchased recently is a small Lighting cable that can attach directly to your key ring. My personal favorite pick is the Native Union Key Cable, which attaches directly to your keys and gives you a flexible Lightning cable that you can use anywhere.
If the person for whom you’re shopping travels a lot, this is a great gift. They can use it to charge up in rental cars, airport lounges, hotel rooms, and so much more.
Native Union makes other excellent budget tech gifts as well:
- Native Union Stow Organizer
- Native Union Smart Charger
- Native Union Belt Apple Watch Cable
- Native Union Smart 4-port Hub
Satechi 75W Charger
If you’re shopping for someone who has all of the latest technology, chances are they’re constantly looking for new and more versatile ways to charge their devices. One of my personal favorite products of 2019 is the Satechi Type-C 75W charger.
This charger packs USB-C fast charging support, as well as two USB-A ports and an LED indicator light so you know when it’s charging. It’s currently available for $45, and it comes in space gray to match all of your newest Apple products.
iPhone accessories
If you know someone who is lucky enough to be getting a new iPhone this holiday season, you can piggy back off of that in a few different ways. First and foremost, everyone will want to protect their shiny new iPhone. Thankfully, there are a variety of cases available for far below $50.
Best iPhone XR leather cases:
- Mujjo Full Leather Case for iPhone XR
- Nomad Folio Leather Case for iPhone XR
- ESR Real Leather Case for iPhone XR
- OtterBox Strada Series Case for iPhone XR
Best iPhone 11 cases:
- Spigen Ultra Hybrid for iPhone 11
- Mujjo Full Leather Case for iPhone 11
- Case-Mate Slim Case for iPhone 11
- Apple Silicone Case for iPhone 11
Best iPhone 11 Pro cases:
- Spigen Ultra Hybrid for iPhone 11 Pro
- Spigen Thin Fit for iPhone 11 Pro
- Mujjo Full Leather Case for iPhone 11 Pro
- TOZO Slim Fit for iPhone 11 Pro
Best iPhone 11 Pro Max cases:
- Spigen Tough Armor for iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Spigen Ultra Hybrid for iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case for iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Speck Presidio Pro for iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple now includes a fast charger in the box with the iPhone 11 Pro, if you know someone getting an iPhone XR or iPhone 11, we highly recommend an 18W wall adapter and a Lightning to USB-C cable. This setup can charge an iPhone to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Apple Watch bands and chargers
Much like the iPhone, there are a host of popular accessories to choose from this holiday season. Ranging from Apple Watch bands to charging docks and more, here are some of our favorites. Even some of Apple’s first-party Apple Watch bands come in at under $50 – and some are as low as $25 right now.
Best Apple Watch bands:
- Apple Watch Sport Band
- Apple Watch Sport Loop
- Jisoncase Apple Watch leather bands
- JEtech stainless steel band for Apple Watch
Best Apple Watch charging accessories:
- Spigen S350
- Elago W2 Stand
- Elago W3 Stand
- Apple Watch Charger to USB-C cable
The Fire TV Stick starts at $35 and should arrive by Christmas. You can also pick up the Fire TV Stick 4K for just under the $50 price point, with delivery by Christmas. Also check Best Buy for in-store availability as we get closer to Christmas.
Smart scale
If you’re shopping for someone who is already fixated on their New Year’s resolutions, a great way to kickstart that is with a smart scale. This is a change I’ve made in 2019, and I highly recommend it to everyone.
One thing to watch out for is finding a scale that integrates with Apple’s Health platform. This means that every time you weigh-in, your weight is recorded directly in the Health app on your iPhone. The most affordable way to do this with the Renpho Bluetooth Scale, which comes in at under $30 with Apple Health support.
Smart home
There are actually quite a few smart home accessories you can get for under $50, ranging from Philips Hue bulbs to the Eve Degree and much more. For as little as $20, you can get someone a HomeKit-enabled smart plug that can give lamps, fans, and more smart home capabilities.
More budget smart home gift ideas:
- Wemo Mini Smart Plug
- Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Indoor Camera
- Eve Degree Connected Weather Station
- Philips Hue White Bulb
- VOCOlinc Light Strip
Be sure to check out our full smart home gift guide for all of the best ideas this year.
AirPods alternatives
If you’re looking to get into the truly wireless earbuds game this holiday season, but don’t want to splurge on AirPods, we’ve got options for you. Our favorite AirPods alternatives under $50 are the Anker Soundcore Liberty.
Subscriptions and gift cards!
Almost everything is a subscription nowadays, and the holidays are a great way to ease the monthly burden of that for people. For instance, an iTunes gift card can be used for Apple Music, iCloud Storage, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and much more. You can also buy standalone gift cards for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas for the tech fan in your life, you can’t go wrong with gift cards:
Tech stocking stuffers under $15
Last but certainly not least, here are some tech, toys, and lifestyle gifts that come in at under $15 and make perfect stocking stuffers:
Need some additional gift ideas? We’ve got you covered!
