26 Must-Have Tech Gifts Under $50

For indoor home security, the Wyze Cam Pan—also an Editors' Choice—is loaded with features including mechanical pan and tilt, motion tracking, local and free cloud storage, support for Alexa and IFTTT, and more.

Its predecessor, the WyzeCam V2, is also an inexpensive 1080p home security camera that is small in stature but big on features.

The Echo Dot has long been a space-conscious, affordable way to bring Alexa into your home.

And Amazon's formerly puck-shaped smart speaker just got a makeover that gives it a more orb-like form and a glowing blue LED.

For $50, it's still the best basic gateway to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

If Alexa's not your jam, the Google Nest Mini is the most affordable Google Assistant smart speaker you can buy.

The Mini has a few tricks up its sleeve, like serving as an intercom and pairing with more powerful Bluetooth speakers.

If you use Alexa timers often, Amazon's Echo Wall Clock is an easy way to see when they're about to expire.

You'll need to pair it with an Alexa device like the Dot, though.

The Amazon Echo Flex is a tiny plug-in speaker that lets you add Alexa voice assistant features to any room of the house covered by Wi-Fi, like the bathroom, laundry room, or garage.

Just don't expect much in the way of audio power.

Amazon's Smart Plug ships with Wi-Fi Simple Setup, which helps get new devices onto nearby Wi-Fi networks quickly.

Then, in combination with nearby Alexa-enabled devices like Echo or Fire TV, the smart plug will turn on smart home devices like coffee makers and lights when you ask.

Amazon's Echo Auto lets you take the company's Alexa voice assistant along for the ride.

The nondescript device plugs into your car's 12-volt outlet (or USB port if you have one) and connects to your phone's Alexa app to provide every voice-activated service found on your homebound Echo, including news, sports scores, recipes, shopping lists, and music streaming.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K supports ultra high-definition streaming video with high dynamic range (HDR) in HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision formats.

The Alexa Voice Remote also gets an infrared transmitter and dedicated buttons for power and volume control, letting users control their connected TV, soundbar, cable box, and other devices without using a separate remote.

Roku is another popular media streaming option, and the Roku Premiere is the most affordable 4K-capable media streamer out there, if you don't mind dealing with a line-of-sight infrared remote.

If you still have a 1080p TV, the Roku Express is one of the most economical ways to breathe new life into it with streaming apps and services.

The Wyze Headphones deliver bass-forward audio, Amazon Alexa support, adjustable EQ, and decent noise cancellation for just $50.

The 8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ gamepad for PCs and the Nintendo Switch gives up some of the nostalgic appeal of its predecessor, but gets a more comfortable design and plenty of customization in return.

The Retro-Bit RES Plus is an inexpensive retro game console that lets you play your classic NES games on your modern TV.

The Logitech G432 is a capable wired gaming headset that includes a 7.1-channel USB sound card for use with a PC.

Its design and performance lag behind the competition, but it's not bad for the price.

Razer's Basilisk Essential scales down one of our favorite gaming mice while keeping most of its best features intact.

If you've signed up for Amazon's Luna game-streaming service, the Amazon Luna Controller is an excellent gamepad with a dedicated Wi-Fi chip that provides the optimal Luna game-streaming experience; Amazon says it reduces latency by 17 to 30 milliseconds. 

Another option for little ears, JBL's JR300BT wireless headphones effectively limit volume levels while sounding better than most of the kid-friendly options out there. For more, check out our roundup of The Best Kids' Headphones.

JBL's Go 3 speaker delivers solid wireless audio performance in a waterproof, easily portable design for a low price.

Don't expect powerful bass depth from a speaker this size, but the Go 3 does its best to muster some rich low-end presence at higher volumes.

For the price, this a very solid value.

The iHome iSP6X SmartPlug offers an ideal combination of affordability, features, and third-party support, making it easy to control just about anything in your home from your phone.

Not only does it support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, it also works with Apple HomeKit, Nest, Samsung SmartThings, and Wink.

Pair that smart plug with the iHome Motion Sensor iSB01, a reasonably priced Wi-Fi motion detector that will let you know when someone or something is moving around in your home.

The hub-free Kangaroo Motion + Entry Sensor lets you know when a door or window is opened or closed and if somebody is moving around in your home.

A few of its features require a $9-per-month subscription.

The iPad is a lovely device, but it'll set you back at least a couple hundred dollars.

For those who need a more affordable way to read ebooks, watch Netflix, and surf the web, the Amazon Fire 7 tablet makes a good basic video player and color ebook reader, and it's very easy to use.

(Though if you can swing a little more, the Fire HD 8 is our Editors' Choice.)

The no-frills Razer Seiren Mini microphone is short on features, but it's affordable and easy to operate for live streamers and podcasters alike.

The Eufy BodySense Smart Scale is a comprehensive and stylish tool that can help you make sense of your weight, BMI, and full-body composition straight from your smartphone.

It works with a well-designed app that contextualizes your body makeup across 12 metrics, integrates with third-party health platforms, and supports up to 16 users.

Logitech's K480 Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard lets you connect a computer, your phone, and tablet, all of which could be using different platforms, to a single keyboard, with solid results.

For indoor home security, the Wyze Cam Pan—also an Editors' Choice—is loaded with features including mechanical pan and tilt, motion tracking, local and free cloud storage, support for Alexa and IFTTT, and more.

Its predecessor, the WyzeCam V2, is also an inexpensive 1080p home security camera that is small in stature but big on features.

The Echo Dot has long been a space-conscious, affordable way to bring Alexa into your home.

And Amazon's formerly puck-shaped smart speaker just got a makeover that gives it a more orb-like form and a glowing blue LED.

For $50, it's still the best basic gateway to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

If Alexa's not your jam, the Google Nest Mini is the most affordable Google Assistant smart speaker you can buy.

The Mini has a few tricks up its sleeve, like serving as an intercom and pairing with more powerful Bluetooth speakers.

If you use Alexa timers often, Amazon's Echo Wall Clock is an easy way to see when they're about to expire.

You'll need to pair it with an Alexa device like the Dot, though.

The Amazon Echo Flex is a tiny plug-in speaker that lets you add Alexa voice assistant features to any room of the house covered by Wi-Fi, like the bathroom, laundry room, or garage.

Just don't expect much in the way of audio power.

Amazon's Smart Plug ships with Wi-Fi Simple Setup, which helps get new devices onto nearby Wi-Fi networks quickly.

Then, in combination with nearby Alexa-enabled devices like Echo or Fire TV, the smart plug will turn on smart home devices like coffee makers and lights when you ask.

Amazon's Echo Auto lets you take the company's Alexa voice assistant along for the ride.

The nondescript device plugs into your car's 12-volt outlet (or USB port if you have one) and connects to your phone's Alexa app to provide every voice-activated service found on your homebound Echo, including news, sports scores, recipes, shopping lists, and music streaming.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K supports ultra high-definition streaming video with high dynamic range (HDR) in HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision formats.

The Alexa Voice Remote also gets an infrared transmitter and dedicated buttons for power and volume control, letting users control their connected TV, soundbar, cable box, and other devices without using a separate remote.

Roku is another popular media streaming option, and the Roku Premiere is the most affordable 4K-capable media streamer out there, if you don't mind dealing with a line-of-sight infrared remote.

If you still have a 1080p TV, the Roku Express is one of the most economical ways to breathe new life into it with streaming apps and services.

The Wyze Headphones deliver bass-forward audio, Amazon Alexa support, adjustable EQ, and decent noise cancellation for just $50.

The 8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ gamepad for PCs and the Nintendo Switch gives up some of the nostalgic appeal of its predecessor, but gets a more comfortable design and plenty of customization in return.

The Retro-Bit RES Plus is an inexpensive retro game console that lets you play your classic NES games on your modern TV.

The Logitech G432 is a capable wired gaming headset that includes a 7.1-channel USB sound card for use with a PC.

Its design and performance lag behind the competition, but it's not bad for the price.

Razer's Basilisk Essential scales down one of our favorite gaming mice while keeping most of its best features intact.

If you've signed up for Amazon's Luna game-streaming service, the Amazon Luna Controller is an excellent gamepad with a dedicated Wi-Fi chip that provides the optimal Luna game-streaming experience; Amazon says it reduces latency by 17 to 30 milliseconds. 

Another option for little ears, JBL's JR300BT wireless headphones effectively limit volume levels while sounding better than most of the kid-friendly options out there. For more, check out our roundup of The Best Kids' Headphones.

JBL's Go 3 speaker delivers solid wireless audio performance in a waterproof, easily portable design for a low price.

Don't expect powerful bass depth from a speaker this size, but the Go 3 does its best to muster some rich low-end presence at higher volumes.

For the price, this a very solid value.

The iHome iSP6X SmartPlug offers an ideal combination of affordability, features, and third-party support, making it easy to control just about anything in your home from your phone.

Not only does it support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, it also works with Apple HomeKit, Nest, Samsung SmartThings, and Wink.

Pair that smart plug with the iHome Motion Sensor iSB01, a reasonably priced Wi-Fi motion detector that will let you know when someone or something is moving around in your home.

The hub-free Kangaroo Motion + Entry Sensor lets you know when a door or window is opened or closed and if somebody is moving around in your home.

A few of its features require a $9-per-month subscription.

The iPad is a lovely device, but it'll set you back at least a couple hundred dollars.

For those who need a more affordable way to read ebooks, watch Netflix, and surf the web, the Amazon Fire 7 tablet makes a good basic video player and color ebook reader, and it's very easy to use.

(Though if you can swing a little more, the Fire HD 8 is our Editors' Choice.)

The no-frills Razer Seiren Mini microphone is short on features, but it's affordable and easy to operate for live streamers and podcasters alike.

The Eufy BodySense Smart Scale is a comprehensive and stylish tool that can help you make sense of your weight, BMI, and full-body composition straight from your smartphone.

It works with a well-designed app that contextualizes your body makeup across 12 metrics, integrates with third-party health platforms, and supports up to 16 users.

Logitech's K480 Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard lets you connect a computer, your phone, and tablet, all of which could be using different platforms, to a single keyboard, with solid results.