Mr Viral
Tech gifts under $50 Anker Nano Power Bank (USB-C) If you’re looking for a new power bank for your new USB-C equipped iPhone 15, Anker’s Nano Power Bank with an integrated foldable USB-C connector is an appealing choice — and it also charges Android devices (or anything with a USB-C charging port). It’s available in multiple color options.
This 5,000-mAh power bank weighs in at 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams. It features 22.5 watts of fast charging power with the option to charge two devices at the same time if you plug a cable into the power bank’s USB-C in/out charging port. (Charging two devices simultaneously divides the charging power in half, delivering 11.25 watts to each device.)
Apple AirTags Here’s a gift that anyone who’s susceptible to losing things will appreciate. Apple’s AirTags accessories work with any Apple device and use the company’s FindMy network — the same one used to locate lost iPhones. Attach them to keys, a backpack or just about anything else. It’s $29 for one and $99 for four, and if you buy them through Apple, you can get free customized engravings too.
Read our Apple AirTags hands-on.
Roku Express 4K Plus Making your TV smart for the price of a takeaway meal? The Roku Express 4K Plus offers hundreds of apps and is easy to install on a spare HDMI port on your television. Roku is our favorite smart TV interface, and it’s easy to set up with your own apps.
Anker 622 MagGo magnetic battery What’s cool about Anker’s 622 magnetic battery is that it’s a wireless battery that has an integrated magnetic flap that converts into a stand. You won’t get fast wireless charging from this 5,000-mAh battery (it charges at up to 7.5 watts), but it’s slim and easy to carry around.
It charges via USB-C, and if you use a USB-C to Lightning cable to charge your iPhone, it will charge at a faster rate of 12 watts. That’s not as fast as what a 20-watt USB-C power adapter can deliver, but it’s faster than 7.5 watts.
Clckr Stand and Grip for MagSafe (2nd gen) Clckr’s new, trimmer Stand and Grip is one of my favorite MagSafe accessories. The accessory really sticks to the back of your MagSafe-enabled phone or MagSafe-enabled case and not only makes it easier to hold up your phone, but when converted into a kickstand, it props up your device nicely in portrait or landscape mode for video calls or video watching.
This new version is lighter than the original and available in several colors. It’s one of the best MagSafe stands out there.
iOttie Velox magnetic wireless charging car mount iOttie offers this MagSafe-compatible wireless car charger with a car vent mount. It has a strong magnet, so your iPhone stays on the mount, and it also has an integrated USB-C cable and cigarette-lighter power adapter so you’re ready to start charging out of the box. Note that iPhone “fast” charging caps out at 7.5 watts. It makes for a nice gift for anybody looking for a magnetic car mount for their MagSafe-enabled iPhone.
Baseus 65W 2-port flat wall charger This slim power adapter is one of the better values out there, with dual USB-C PD (power delivery) ports, a USB-A and a total of 65 watts of power. That’ll allow you to charge most devices, including some larger USB-C laptops. It uses GaN technology, which helps reduce the size of the charger, and the plug is foldable. The nice thing about it is how lightweight and flat it is for a 65-watt charger. An instant discount coupon brings the price down to around $25.
Audio gifts under $50 Soundcore by Anker P30i earbuds Available in five color options, the Soundcore by Anker P30i earbuds are lightweight, budget earbuds that fit most ears well, sound decent for their low price, and also feature active noise canceling that’s fairly effective. While they don’t offer premium sound or performance, they certainly do the job, and what’s nifty about them is that their charging case converts into a stand for your phone. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.4 and touch controls, they’re rated for up to seven hours of battery life at moderate volume levels with noise canceling on (that’s good). They’re also splash-proof and dust-resistant, with an IP54 rating. I had no problems running with them.
Sony CH-520 Sony’s new entry-level CH-720N noise-canceling headphones came out this year and they’re quite good, but if you can’t afford them (they list for $150), the company’s new budget on-ear CH-520 headphones are an intriguing option for the price. Theey have a ist price of $77, but right now we’re seeing them on sale for less than $60.
They lack noise canceling and are pretty no-frills, but they feature good sound for their price, are lightweight and pretty comfortable for on-ear headphones and also have excellent battery life — they’re rated for up to 50 hours at moderate volume levels. Additionally, they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair them with two devices simultaneously (such as a smartphone and computer) and switch audio. Voice-calling performance is decent, though not up to the level of what you get with the CH-720N.
Note that there’s no wired option — these are wireless, Bluetooth-only headphones. The CH-520 offer overall balanced sound with decent clarity. The bass has some punch to it but doesn’t pack a wallop, and you’re not going to get quite as wide a soundstage as you get from Sony’s more expensive over-ear headphones. But these definitely sound better than Sony’s previous entry-level on-ear headphones and sound better than I thought they would. I tried the white color, but they also come in blue and black.
JBL Go 4 JBL says it’s improved the sound of its smallest speaker, the Go 4, and after testing it, we agree that indeed it does have “more robust sound and punchier bass than its predecessor.” For such a tiny speaker, which literally fits in your pocket, it sounds surprisingly good, though it has its limitations, of course (it can only produce so much bass and sound).
Available in nine color options, the Go 4 has an “updated silhouette” and a wider and more durable carrying strap. The speaker is rated for seven hours of playtime at moderate volume levels, is IP67 waterproof and dustproof and comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 with LE audio. It also has multispeaker connectivity via the JBL Portable app and Auracast.
Soundcore by Anker Select Go 4 The Soundcore by Anker Select Go 4 doesn’t have quite the build quality as JBL’s Go 4 micro Bluetooth speaker (it has a slight budget feel to it), but it offers comparable sound quality and costs half the price. Like the JBL Go 4, the similarly named Select Go 4 sounds decent for its tiny size and is able to output just enough bass to avoid sounding tinny. Also, it’s fully waterproof and even floats. Battery life is rated for an impressive 20 hours at moderate volumes and you can pair two of these speakers together for stereo sound. It’s definitely a good value.
JLab Go Work Known for its value headphones and earbuds, JLab has released a pair of on-ear headphones with an integrated boom microphone — it can be rotated up when just listening to music — and multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect them to your phone and computer simultaneously. I’m more partial to the Jabra Elite 45h headphones, which list for $100 but usually sell for around $75. But if you don’t want to spend quite that much, the Go Work are solid headphones, and a solid headset, for the modest price. They’re also comfortable to wear, with a lightweight design. You won’t mistake these for premium headphones, but the build quality seems fine.
Battery life is rated at up to 45 hours at moderate volume levels, and you can mute calls using the multifunction button (an LED lights up at the end of the boom mic when the call is muted). I wouldn’t call the sound quality for music listening and the headset performance stellar, but they’re good, particularly for the price. For music listening, there’s ample bass and clarity, and a cable is included for wired use. The headphones charge via USB-C. Bottom line: This is a solid gift for anyone who spends some or all of their time working remotely.
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS What makes these Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open earbuds — they’re pretty close to what you get from Apple’s AirPods 3 for sound. On top of that, they support Sony’s LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open earbuds have good sound, but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They’re also good for making calls and have a low-latency gaming mode. Be sure to activate the instant coupon on the product page to save 20%.
Wellness gifts under $50 Oral-B Pro 1000 The Oral-B Pro 1000 rechargeable electric toothbrush is ostensibly geared toward adults, but it’s also a good tool for parents to get their kids to brush better. I had my 14-year-old test it (he’s not a good brusher with a standard toothbrush), and it has a had a positive impact on his brushing habits.
Available in multiple color options, it has three brushing modes (daily clean, whiten and sensitive) and a built-in two-minute timer to make sure you brush long enough, with the toothbrush pulsing every 30 seconds to remind you to switch brushing spots. It’s compatible with various Oral-B replacement heads. Note that the step-up iO Series 300 (about $20 more) comes with an extra replacement head while the iO Series 400 adds Bluetooth so you can connect to a companion app.
Waowoo weighted blanket Weighted blankets have become a popular item that people use to sleep better. They hug your body and distribute weighted glass beads evenly in small pockets. This blanket is breathable and machine-washable in a cleaning bag on the gentle cycle. This blanket comes in 15 and 20-pound varieties, and you’ll want to select the proper weight for your recipient’s body type. Be sure to activate the instant coupon to save a few extra bucks, too.
