22 Great Gifts for $50 or Less – CNET

$50 at Amazon

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Looking for a great gift without breaking the bank? We’re with you. There are plenty of good gift options for less than $50, and we’ve rounded up a bunch of our favorite value gift picks. And if these don’t quite do it for you, you can always up your budget a bit and check out our best gifts under $100. 

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Laid flat.

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GSI Outdoors makes a bunch of insulated mugs and water bottles along with a bunch of camping-related cooking gear, including stoves and chef’s tools. But it’s also known for its lightweight hip flasks that come in a few different sizes and colors. I’ve used the smaller 6-ounce version, which is truly pocketable, but the 10-ounce model is probably the right choice for most people. Made of plastic, it has a shatter-resistant body with rubberized bumpers. It doesn’t cost a lot and it’s a gift that tends to be appreciated. 

Created by former NFL fullback Chris Gronkowski (brother of Rob), the Ice Shaker not only keeps your beverages hot or cool — for hours — but comes with a removable twist-in agitator to help mix your protein shakes (or anything else that needs mixing). Available in a few different sizes and many fun colors, it has a built-in handle for easy carrying and starts around $35. It’s one of the better insulated bottles I’ve used and a great way to make sure you stay hydrated.

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.

After releasing the RunFree Lite neckband-style open sports buds last year, Soundpeats has come up with a new, upgraded version with a more flexible and comfortable design and better sound. Like its predecessor, the buds sit just outside your ears and fire sound into them from small speakers with 16.2mm drivers. The sound quality still isn’t the greatest, but this new model does offer better clarity with slightly better bass definition. They’re just fine for casual listening.

They’re nice and lightweight, and they fit my head securely — the headphones’ design definitely feels more premium (by that I mean less cheap). Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, they’re IPX4 splash-proof and are rated for up to 14 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels. Expect to get less than that, though, because you’ll likely play these at high volume levels, especially outdoors where you’ll encounter more ambient noise. They also work decently for making voice calls, but don’t expect business-class performance. 

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.

Battery Life Rated up to 45 hoursNoise Canceling NoMultipoint YesHeadphone Type On-ear wireless headsetWater-Resistant No IP rating

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, which lists for $100 but usually sells for around $75. But if you don’t want to spend quite that much, the Go Work is a solid pair of headphones, and headset, for its 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.