20 of the Coolest Tech Stocking Stuffers For Under $50
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What if you made this the year you don’t do it fill all the stockings with candy or socks? Both have their place, but if you really want to make this the best Christmas ever, you need to put some tech in these stockings. The good news: Tech gifts don’t have to be expensive to be impressive.
No matter who you’re buying for, there are tons of affordable gadgets that are both cool and useful and seem more expensive than they are. Here are 20 cool tech gifts to brighten up any holiday morning, all of which cost under $50.
This portable retro game console
If there’s an old-school gamer on your list, their Christmas morning will be even merrier if it includes a little video game emulator. The R36T Retro Gaming Console ($47.50) puts over 18,000 video games in the palm of your hand. It has a 3.5-inch screen, so whether they love arcade classics or consoles from the past, they can fit them all in one pocket. You can even network with another emulator for head-to-head action.
A very small e-reader
The Xteink X4 is an e-reader that’s smaller than your phone. It uses e-ink like an Amazon Kindle, so you can pull a glare-free screen out of your pocket and start reading anywhere there’s a light source. The X4 is a no-frills gadget (there’s no lighting, touchscreen, or apps), but if you want a cheap, convenient way to read for around $50, it’s perfect.
An electric dust collector
These disposable compressed air cans with red straws are SO 2015. Dust your electronics with an SDFM Electric Dust Collector ($32.99). With a motor that spins at 150,000 rpm, it throws air at speeds so high that dust doesn’t stand a chance. It’s also cordless and comes with a variety of cleaning accessories to keep your gear in tip-top shape.
These sleep headphones
If your giftee enjoys listening to music or podcasts while falling asleep, there’s no better gift than a pair of sleep headphones; except two pairs of headphones for sleeping! This two-pack costs $29.99 and contains two headbands with built-in speakers that you can easily pair with your phone or other device. You could buy just one pair, but these items break fairly regularly, so a backup is good.
These colorful smart LED light bars
Your giftee may have the tech side of his battle station/home office locked down, but I bet he doesn’t have the aesthetics sorted. The Govee Smart LED Light Bars ($33) are programmable, colorful light bars that work with Alexa and Google Assistant and can display lighting effects created from 16 million colors. It even syncs with your music to provide trippy visuals.
A mini chainsaw
My lifestyle doesn’t involve cutting down trees, but I still need one of these miniature chainsaws. I mean, it’s a chainsaw, And it’s only six inches long. This Dodowin Mini Chainsaw ($40) is battery powered, so no one will accidentally cut the cord. According to the list, it is suitable for tree pruning, gardening art, shrub pruning, logging and wood cutting. They don’t talk about it, but it’s also perfect for small Texas massacres.
A programmable macro keyboard
You know what computer enthusiasts are missing in their lives? Buttons. This little $36 gadget lets you assign functions to four external buttons and 12 pushbuttons, so you can finally have decent volume control, browse video smoothly, skip music tracks with the press of a button, and control any other function easily and physically. Perfect for gamers.
You can use a tape measure like a caveman, or you can measure objects with a fucking laser that fits in your pocket. This $40 gadget has an easy-to-read LED screen and doubles as a cat toy. But does it measure things? Hell, it’s true, he measures things – big things, small things, medium sized things – he doesn’t care what you put in front of it, he’ll measure it all! (Up to 98 feet, anyway.)
The X10 MAX Bluetooth speaker
This compact Bluetooth speaker has an Amazon rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars and it’s cheap: just $32. It’s waterproof, sounds great, and features a built-in light show with six different settings so you can experience cool visuals with your tracks.
These Bluetooth trackers
Keep track of things in your life with these miniature tracking tags. Slip one into your wallet or keys, and if you misplace them, you can press a button and it will play a sound and/or give you a map that takes you exactly to your missing item. Plus, it works in reverse, so you can tap a tag and it will ring your lost phone. I count on these; no joke.
This portable heating pad
If you want to stay warm on vacation, you could do a lot worse than this portable neck, shoulder, and back warmer. There are three temperature settings and a safety shut-off feature, and it heats up very quickly.
A desk vacuum cleaner
This little vacuum cleaner will keep your desk dust-free. It vacuums with 1000Pa suction power for 400 minutes on a single charge, and it’s very simple to use: you put it in the palm of your hand and push it. Cool!
What do you think of it so far?
This USB endoscope camera
It’s not like most people need an endoscope camera every day, but if the need for a small camera arises (if you need to see why the motor isn’t working or your wedding ring falls behind the oven or something), you’ll be happy to have this Anykit USB endoscope camera. It plugs directly into your Android or iPhone and captures HD photos and videos.
A mini foldable Bluetooth keyboard
Why do you carry your laptop to coffee shops like an idiot when you can simply connect this mini foldable Bluetooth keyboard from iClever to your phone, turning it into an ultra-portable productivity device? There’s even a little trackpad!
A mini portable HD projector
Projectors have become very efficient in recent years and their prices have also dropped significantly. This mini projector costs just $40 and projects a 1080p image up to 201″ and even comes with a remote control and a projection screen.
The Amazon Echo Point
If your giftee is interested in home automation within the Amazon ecosystem, you can’t go wrong with an Echo Dot. This compact smart speaker delivers surprisingly great sound with Alexa built-in, so it can be used to play music, set timers, and control your smart devices.
The Roku 4K streaming stick
Okay, most people already have a media streamer connected to their TV, but if you’re gifting it to someone who doesn’t have one, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a solid choice. This no-frills device streams 4K HD video, gives you access to hundreds of free and premium channels, and is easy to set up.
A wireless transmitter for your headphones
The Twelve South AirFly SE is an ultra-compact Bluetooth transmitter that allows you to connect to any device with a 3.5mm jack, such as in-flight entertainment systems, gym machines or TVs, and stream audio wirelessly to your Bluetooth headphones or headphones. Leave those damn wired headphones in the drawer where they belong!
This portable tire inflator
A portable inflator is perfect for car emergencies or keeping your bike tires inflated, and this one from Slime is a steal at just $50. It’s rechargeable, has a built-in pressure gauge, an LED flashlight and can inflate a car tire in just eight minutes. You will never go back to a manual air pump, I promise.
This versatile Anker Nano II USB charger
I am 100% sure that the person you are giving a gift to will be able to use this compact, high-power Anker charger. It has two USB‑C ports and one USB‑A port, allowing you to power your laptop, phone and tablet at the same time, from a single outlet.
