Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD portable charger
The gift of battery life when out and about
There’s a seemingly endless supply of items that would make great gifts on Amazon, but there’s also a lot of junk that’s not worth its price. We’ve cut through the noise to find worthy gift picks from Amazon for everyone on your list — co-worker, neighbor, friend, family member or partner. Even better, they’re categorized by price range so you can find exactly what you’re looking for — and within your budget. Plus, with Amazon Prime, many of the items below can arrive at your doorstep the next day — or even the same day for some. Of course, if you don’t have a Prime membership, now’s the time to invest in one, especially if you need a last-minute gift delivered ASAP. Now let’s dive into the best gifts on Amazon for all your gift-giving needs.
Gift ideas under $25
Gifts in this price range are fun goodies perfect for children, neighbors or co-workers. My kids love these types of gifts because they prefer receiving lots of small, fun items over one big, expensive present.
This is ideal for the protein shake fanatics in your life — and it’s also nice to look at. Even though it doesn’t have a blade, it’s still able to puree soft fruits. (Pro tip: The riper and smaller the pieces, the better.) Plus, it made CNET’s pick for the best protein shakers.
I’m an avid tabletop gamer and I love giving these starter kits out to friends and family. Many people want to learn about Dungeons & Dragons, but don’t know where to begin. This box has everything you need to start your first adventure. Imagination is the key to a good D&D campaign, but you also need rules and dice. This set gives you both.
The Echo Dot is in just about every home in America, right? You can’t seem to go anywhere without seeing two or three of them scattered around on people’s desks or kitchen counters. But they can be difficult to place if you have limited counter space. So I use this plug-in Echo Dot hanger, and it helps to declutter, especially as the cords and charging block fit neatly inside the hanger, too. And for more on the Amazon Echo (fourth gen) itself, it’s our pick for best smart speaker.
Children have been obsessed with dolls that pee and poop for years, and these dolls are among my daughter’s favorites. They come with a few tubs of Play-Doh that you can use to make food in the little press, then you can feed the doll that food and easily take it out from the back of the doll afterward. If you don’t mix food and water, it should stay clean for as long as your toddler wants to play with it.
Seeing the CMY Cube in person for the first time is almost magical. On the surface, it’s a glass cube with the colors of cyan, magenta and yellow — hence the name CMY Cube — but as you spin it around, the colors mix, showing you more colors in the spectrum. I’m sure there are a lot of benefits to this when it comes to teaching color theory, and I know that it can help stimulate children with learning difficulties, but my main reason for giving this as a gift is the sheer joy of it. It’s a simple cube that fires my imagination — and I love it.
This is one of the many cases of “TikTok made me buy it” that you’ll see while looking for gifts this year. My wife and I ended up buying several sets of these to organize everything from our pantry to our bathroom drawers. These kinds of organizers aren’t the first thing people think of to buy themselves, which makes them a great gift.
More gift ideas under $25:
Gift ideas under $50
This price range is similar to the “under $25” category, as it allows you to buy multiple gifts instead of just one. When you venture into the “under $50” realm, they’re more likely to be useful or better quality than the less expensive products on this list.
This is perfect for someone who wants a travel mug that keeps their drinks hot for hours. When CNET’s Pamela Vachon was testing travel mugs, she said this one was “the top performer in every possible metric.” (She even filled it up and put it in an overnight bag — and no spillage. The lid lock works!) This item also made our pick for best overall travel mug.
If you know someone who loves the spa — or at least all its fragrant scents, like eucalyptus and lavender — this is for them. Plus, they can power it from their smart speaker, like Amazon Echo or Google Home. And this model also made CNET’s pick for best essential oil diffuser.
No matter how good virtual tabletop games get, using a physical die to resolve a tense roll just feels better. I used to point my webcam into a dice box so everyone online could see the roll happen, but with a GoDice D20, I don’t have to. This smart die connects to my phone and shares my die roll with Roll20, FoundryVTT and even Discord. All you need to do is log in to your tabletop gaming app of choice and connect your GoDice, and the roll in real life quickly becomes a roll in the virtual space. It also lights up in fun colors when you hit a 20 or a 1, making it extra fun for the people in the room with you, too.
If you know someone whose phone battery always seems to go out, they need this charger. Not only can it charge someone’s phone more than once, but it is surprisingly slim for having so much power. It also made CNET’s pick for best portable charger.
My son loves to play the piano, but it isn’t the easiest thing to carry around. This fun little Kalimba lets him plink away at something that offers a small, but beautiful, sound when we’re out and about and the urge to be musical strikes him.
My wife loves a chunky knit throw. She says it’s the perfect balance between warm and cozy, and it’s lightweight. It looks great and comes in a variety of colors to complement the decor in your home. This is the perfect gift for someone who likes to snuggle up on the couch to watch their favorite shows.
Over the last few years, phone makers haven’t included charging bricks with new phone purchases. It makes sense, but it means people are using outdated chargers that can’t keep up with their phone’s maximum charging speed. Make sure your loved ones have a power brick worthy of the latest and greatest device with this fast 65-watt charger from Anker. It’s way faster than those offered by almost any standard manufacturer.
A portable wireless speaker is a great gift for the music lover in your life. The Tribit XSound Go is one of our top choices for a budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker. It offers surprisingly good sound for its size and price, and it’s fully waterproof.
Did you know that Kit Kats in other countries taste very different from American Kit Kats? It’s true, and Japan takes it to a whole new level with tons of different flavors, including apple, orange — and even sweet potato. This variety pack may seem a little pricey for candy bars, but if you have a chocolate lover in your life, they will likely appreciate this as a gift.
Battery Life Rated up to 7 hoursNoise Canceling NoMultipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IP55 — protection against low-pressure water streams)
The Jabra Elite 3 headphones are Jabra’s most affordable true-wireless earbuds to date and offer strong sound and call quality for the price. Battery life is rated at up to 7 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels, with the case storing an extra three full charges (28 hours total). They have an IP55 water-resistance rating, which means they can take a sustained spray of water and are also dust-resistant. As with a lot of other new buds, you can use either bud independently in a mono mode.
Opening wine bottles can be an unpredictable, tricky process. Many people — my wife included — still use the old twist corkscrew to open bottles and invariably get some cork in the wine. This kind of opener solves that issue and greatly speeds up cork removal. It also looks really clean and sleek with the stainless steel and black finish. I ended up buying one for my wife and she likes it enough to want to use it more often.
Many home cooks have tried to balance a pot lid so that it’s open just enough to pour water or oil through, but not enough to let the food fall out. Sometimes, it works; often, it doesn’t. This cool little gadget makes that entire process easier by clipping to the edge of your pot or pan and acting like a colander to strain off liquid without losing the most important part — your delicious food.
A good belt is an investment. I know that seems overblown, but it’s true. I have some really good belts that I’ve owned for 20 years, and they’re still going strong. The Groove Life belt feels like that. The buckle on the one I tested is a walnut veneer that looks great and the magnetic clasp holds everything together tightly. The belt material is tough, but has a little give. The stretch isn’t so much that your pants fall down if you have heavy stuff in your pockets, but it has enough room to breathe when that meal is a little bigger than you thought.
More gift ideas under $50:
- Espro Bloom pour-over coffee brewer set: $35. This single-serving device is perfect for those who need a small, yet strong, coffee fix.
- Lululemon everywhere belt bag: $38. Who couldn’t use an compact yet stylish extra bag? Whether it’s for errands, travel or a night out with friends, there’s a reason this one is so popular — it’s well made and zips open wide so you can easily grab your stuff from one of four interior pockets. Plus there’s a secret zipper pocket on the back to store cards, cash and other valuables you want to keep close.
- Esther Perel conversation card game: $40. No matter how well you know someone, there are likely many stories you don’t know — and this fun game full of conversation prompts will help you uncover them. Plus, its creator, Esther Perel, is a relationship expert and therapist, which sets this conversation card game apart from others.
- Veken packing cubes, set of 6: $27. The traveler in your life will love the gift of these packing cubes to help them stay organized, which come in a set of six — four packing cubes, a shoe bag and a bag for dirty laundry.
- Picnic Time Star Wars cheese board and knife set: $37. This compact cheese board — measuring 10.2 inches in diameter — is perfect for friends and family in your galaxy to take on picnics, camping or to use at home. You can find more of our favorite Star Wars gifts here.
Gift ideas under $100
These gifts are a little more expensive, but still affordable enough to buy one or two for someone you care about. I like getting these kinds of gifts for my best friend or as additions to my wife’s main gift.
If you know someone who’s into wearing essential oils, this is a unique way for them to do so. The “stones” in this set are essential oil blends and come in solid, ball-like shapes. Three come in this set: the Daily Stone has a light floral blend, the Sleep Stone Mini contains lavender and chamomile and the Grounding Stone Mini is made up of vetiver and bergamot. And the story of how McLeod’s company came to be is inspiring, too. She was a pastry chef who had dry skin. To alleviate it, she decided to use cocoa butter, which is solid in its natural state. So she melted it with essential oils, kept finessing the recipe — and Body Stones were the result.
Playing games with your kids can be incredibly rewarding, and so can playing games by yourself. The GoCube gives you the chance to do both. I’ve always wanted to know how to complete a Rubik’s cube, but could never get the hang of it. The GoCube connects to your phone or tablet and takes you through the steps of solving a cube using “algorithms.” It’s the first time I’ve felt I had a handle on manipulating a puzzle cube without it being completely random. Learning a new skill as a dad, especially one that can impress your kids, is always worthwhile — and the app even lets you play battle games with your kids to make it more family-oriented.
These smart lights from Govee will add an ambient light behind your giftee’s TV or gaming rig — and can even move to the music. With the Govee app, they can select the color and brightness they’d like. Govee has managed to build a strong reputation for delivering excellent quality products on a budget, and these lights show why. They feel a lot more expensive than they are and your gift recipient is sure to be impressed.
Vinyl records never really go out of fashion, as they give an audio experience that’s hard to match in today’s digital age. Victrola makes a line of budget-friendly vinyl players that keep that retro feel while adding in some modern smarts, like Bluetooth connectivity. While the onboard sound is only average, the outputs let you connect it to a proper set of speakers that offer a rich and enjoyable sound. My wife bought me this Union Flag version, as she knows how much I love my homeland. It also looks awesome on my shelf of things I love.
If you know someone who loves s’mores all year round, then this is an excellent choice. While this beautiful gel-fueled fire pit can be used indoors or out, it’s really perfect for indoor use. The gel fuel is odorless and doesn’t release any toxic fumes into the air, so they can roast up their fill of marshmallows, no matter what the weather is like outside. And if you want to couple this gift with a similar one, check out our choices for smokeless fire pits.
I think we can all agree that ice-cold drinks are delicious. This little ice maker is incredibly easy to operate, and because it doesn’t tap directly into your water line, you can put it anywhere. All you have to do is fill it with bottled or filtered water and it will make delicious clear ice — in two different sizes, no less — whenever you need it.
If you know someone who travels frequently or misplaces things all the time, this is the perfect gift. These little item trackers can be slipped into purses, luggage and wallets, or attached to keys and many other things. With four of them in this pack, they can put them in multiple spots for easy tracking.
I know air purifiers might not be the most glamorous present, but they’re one of those gadgets you didn’t know you need until you have one. This air purifier is ideal for bedrooms and other small spaces (up to 432 square feet) for eliminating airborne particles, like pollen, dust and smoke. It’s not only fast working, but surprisingly quiet, using HEPASilent technology. And it’s budget-friendly, too. It’s also CNET’s pick for best air purifier.
This little tabletop air purifier is small enough to not be intrusive but large enough to filter a good-sized room twice an hour. It can remove animal dander and can significantly reduce mold spores, viruses and bacteria in the air.
If you know someone who works from home in a stuffy office all day, this little device can make them feel a lot better.
More gift ideas under $100:
Gift ideas under $250
These are more extravagant gifts meant to be a main present for someone special. If you’re shopping for your significant other, you might choose something from this list and pair it with one or two items from the previous list to complete the experience.
If someone you know still doesn’t have a tablet, this one is at the top of its game when it comes to screen size and acoustics – and at an affordable price. Prime subscribers can easily catch all their favorite TV shows, movies and games on it. This Amazon Fire also made our pick for best Android tablet.
Help your giftee wake up more naturally — versus a blaring beep-beep-beep — with this sunrise alarm clock. They can customize things like the light options (how bright a sunrise would they like?), as well as the sounds they wake up to (like singing birds) and fall asleep to (soothing rain, anyone?). Plus, it can even help you form better sleep habits by decompressing with one of the many ambient sounds from Hatch. This model also made CNET’s pick for best sunrise alarm clock.
Number of channels 2.1Wireless subwoofer YesConnections Bluetooth, optical, HDMI in/out, Wi-FiDolby Atmos No
For that gadget-obsessed person in your life who seems to have everything, consider a soundbar. This Yamaha model is an optimal choice for boosting the quality of the sound from their TV or gaming system. With Alexa built in, this smart soundbar can stream all their favorite music, TV shows and movies, not to mention the amazing sound it delivers for video games. It also received our Editors’ Choice Award for best soundbar.
Read our Yamaha YAS-209 review.
Jabra bills the Elite 8 Active as the “world’s toughest earbuds,” and based on our tests (they survived several drops without a scratch), that may very well be true. They include an LE Audio smart case, allowing wireless streaming from any device with a USB-C or 3.5mm port . I tested it with an inflight entertainment and it worked well, with no audio lag. The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 also feature enhanced spatial sound powered by Dolby Audio “for a better music experience,” enhanced Natural HearThrough for better awareness when outdoors, and improved noise-canceling performance.
Read our Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 first take.
If, like me, you get fed up with the terrible choices on hotel TVs, and you want something you can travel with that has all your settings already, try the Pocket TV from RayNeo. Originally designed to work with the RayNeo Smart glasses, the output is just USB-C, meaning it will work with any USB-C monitor or, if you have a USB-C to HDMI cable, any standard TV. The Pocket TV is Google TV-powered, meaning it’s easy to navigate. It also has 64GB memory and room for an SD card, so you can save your shows for offline travel on a plane. I’ve used it a lot with the RayNeo glasses and it’s a fantastic little ecosystem for watching your favorite shows privately while traveling.
Like
- Capable of being deep fried
- Excellent connection
- A single AAA battery to charge
Don’t like
- Bamboo case can get grimy quickly
The first time I saw the Meater 2 Plus, I knew I had to use it. I live in southern California, and the weather is pretty much always good enough to throw a rack of ribs or a spatchcock chicken on the grill. I do a lot of cooking out in the backyard, but it takes a long time to cook. You really want to cook slowly and evenly on a grill to keep the juices in.
The Meater 2 Plus lets me put the temperature probe into the meat, close the grill lid, and maintain a connection to my phone. Not only is the connection tremendous, but if you tell the app what meat you are cooking, it can work out the resting time, too, giving you a perfect piece of meat every time. The update to the Meater 2 means it can be much closer to the heat, including deep frying turkeys!
Read more about it here: Our Meater 2 Plus hands-on
The Ticwatch E3 is a lot like plenty of other Android watches. It tells the time, but it also tests your heart rate and tracks your steps. It can even help you track your sleep to help you better understand what makes you wake up. One of the best things about the Ticwatch is its battery-saving mode. When it gets low, it turns off a lot of the extraneous software and just runs as a normal watch until you can charge it again. This extends its usability past one day, which I love.
Buy this for a loved one who wants to have a smartwatch but is often forgetful of charging devices.
We all know those people who would like a smartwatch but feel it’s too frivolous a purchase. But they’ll see how practical they can be once you get them this Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, which comes in a variety of wristband types and colors. It can do everything from track their heart rate to their sleep (and much more). This is also CNET’s pick for best smartwatch.
Battery life Rated up to 40 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
If you know someone who’s always wanted a pair of Beats headphones, then these are the perfect gift. The battery life is up to 24 hours (ANC on) and 40 hours (ANC off). They’re also our pick for best Beats headphones, and as CNET’s David Carnoy says, “I’m tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max.” But you be the judge. Read our Beats Studio Pro review to learn more about their sound quality and performance.
More gift ideas under $250: