If you’re most like most people, you probably reserve high-ticket gifts for the most important people in your shopping list. Few of us have big enough bank accounts to be all that generous with the dozens of presents we’re wrapping up this year, after all. Good news is, great gifts don’t have to be particularly pricey. In fact, there are plenty of options out there under the $50 price point that plenty of your recipients will be happy to receive any time of the year.
What’s more important is choosing a gift that’s a good fit for the person receiving it. Whether it’s something they’ll find useful, something in sync with their personal tastes, or something that jives with their favorite recreational activities, a gift that suits your recipient is likely be very much appreciated, even if it is from the more affordable end of the scale. We also think that $50 and under gifts hit a nice sweet spot – you’ll be able to find presents that are substantial enough and bring plenty of value, while being pretty gentle on your shopping budget.
These are some of the best sub-$50 gifts you can give to the people in your shopping list this year.
Peak Design Packable Tote
We’re big fans of packable bags – they let you bring a pretty spacious bag that can fit in your pants pocket. It’s very useful, especially if you’re the type of person who likes picking up stuff on the fly. While packable totes are pretty common, the atypical design of this option from Peak makes it considerably more attractive than your typical tote, complete with a zippered closure, a padded strap, and a single-piece construction that minimizes potential areas of tearing. It also packs neatly into a built-in stuff sack, making it very easy to collapse after use. The bag made is made from a 70D nylon/poly ripstop that can self-heal small abrasions, with a water-resistant coating to help keep its contents dry.
Anker Nano Power Bank
This small power bank comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, which is enough to recharge most phones once with some additional charge left over. Even better, it’s tiny enough to fit in most pockets, allowing you to carry one right in your clothing. This one’s the USB-C version, so it should work with most modern smartphones, although there’s a Lightning version for those who use older iPhones. We love the fact that the USB-C port is foldable, so the whole thing can sit neatly in your pocket, while the 22.5W output lets you charge your phone in a jiffy. And since everybody uses some kind of USB-C device these days, it’s just one of those sub-$50 gifts that everyone can easily get into.
Rooted Baby Furry Friends Box
We know plenty of people who can use a houseplant in their home office or small apartment. If you do, too, this box kit, which comes with three potted houseplants, should make for a fun sub-$50 present. The only catch is, the plants they actually ship with are random, so you won’t know what’s inside until it’s opened. According to the outfit, though, they choose plants that can survive in all types of light conditions, which is also why they’re able to ship inside a box without dying off before reaching their destination. They also don’t need frequent watering, requiring just a once-a-week watering session. Each plant, by the way, comes in a plastic potter measuring two inches in diameter.
Tamagotchi Connection
For people of a certain age, Tamagotchis are an absolute nostalgia trap. It just brings a flood of memories from a more innocent period. This Tamagotchi is a modern reissue of the popular Connection from 2004, which brought the original shell with antenna design that many people have grown to love. It’s not just a 1:1 recreation of the original, by the way, as it actually updates the gameplay with over 50 characters and 150 in-game collectible items. As with the original, the toy can pair with other Connects, so you can link up your Tamagotchi with new friends to play with.
Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag
Belt bags are everywhere now and they make for great gifts at the $50 and under price point, no matter the occasion. Lululemon has a very popular one with this small fanny pack, which comes with a small 1L capacity, a water-repellent nylon-poly construction, a zippered closure to protect its contents, interior pockets for organization, and an adjustable strap. It even has elastic loops on the strap for tucking any excess belt strap, which we appreciate, since too many belt bags just leave those excess webbing hanging down like a dangling wire. What we love most about this belt bag is how many colors they have available, so you can really have fun mixing and matching it with your attires.
Maki Izumi Sushi Train
We don’t know if you’ve been to one of those Japanese restaurants where they have sushi trains delivering servings of raw fish and rice to customer’s tables. If you have, then you can understand why we find them so fun. Even if you haven’t, we bet you’ll enjoy setting up these railroad tracks in the middle of the dining table and having a train carrying small plates of food work its way around everyone that’s gathered for dinner. It comes with two sets of trains, each one carrying four serving plates that you can fill with any food items you want to share around the table. Seriously, it can make dinner so much more fun (and just a little more chaotic).
Ninja Blast Portable Blender
If you like freshly-blended drinks on the go, your best option is to buy from a store that makes your smoothies once you order. Alternatively, you can walk around with the Ninja Blast in your bag. A portable blender, it comes with a battery-powered base that can mix and blend your drinks on the fly, so you can make your own freshly-blended smoothies while sitting in the car, walking in the park, or waiting for the squat rack to free up in the gym. The battery holds enough charge for 15 30-second blend cycles, which, let’s be honest, isn’t all that much, especially if you need a few cycles to get the consistency you like. Still, it’s a real portable blender that lets you make smoothies anywhere you are and it works wonderfully.
Bellroy Tech Kit
For the person who frequenly leaves the house with plenty of cables and small doodads, this case gives them a handy way to organize all their small tech items using multiple straps, pockets, and loops of different sizes. It’s really useful, especially with the zippered clamshell design that offers easy access to all of its storage fixtures. We also like the size – just big enough to accommodate most people’s daily essentials, while still being compact enough to easily integrate with the rest of your stash. Do note, its list price is actually $55, although it’s frequently on sale for under $50, which is why we decided to include it here.
Amazon Echo Spot
A great $50 and under gift for the sleepyheads in your shopping list, this device combines Amazon’s Echo speaker with an alarm clock. It has a small screen on top that can show the time, weather, the track currently playing, and other information, as well as deliver a big vibrant sound for enjoying your favorite music, podcast, and other listening materials. Of course, it can use that sound to wake you up, too, much like other alarm clocks have done through the decades. As with other Echo speakers, you can use it to issue voice commands, control your smart home, and more, although it doesn’t support video calling, since there’s no webcam onboard. You can also pair it with another Echo Spot speaker to produce a wider stereo sound.
Conair Handheld Garment Steamer
Handheld garment steamers are a veritable godsend for anyone who hates ironing, as it lets you give your garment a crisp, crease-free finish with so much less effort than a clothing iron would require. It’s practically a must-have for anyone who wants to look good while traveling. If you think your recipient can benefit from one, get them this model, which is, pretty much, the best option available in the category. It heats up in around 40 seconds and delivers up to 20 minutes of steaming with one refill of the water tank, allowing you to do a few pieces of clothing on one go. They even included a silicone band for more easily pulling fabrics taut, a spacer attachment for protecting delicate fabrics, and even a bristle brush to loosen fibers for easier steaming, as well as a built-in creaser for maintaining pleats and folds.
Gerber Gear Asada
We love the look and utility of cleaver-style pocket knives. Problem is, they’re not good for self-defense, with the usual lack of a pointed tip. Fortunately, that’s not the case with this cleaver-style folding knife, which has enough of a tip to use for stabbing and poking, making it functional enough for self-defense, while still retaining the utility and overall aesthetics of its beloved cleaver styling. We also love the quick open thumb flipper, the safety groove at the back end of the blade, and the secure frame lock, all of which make it a great value at the sub-$50 price point.
YETI Shot Glasses
We all know the people in our shopping list who like to enjoy their libations and we bet those folk will really appreciate this set of shot glasses from YETI. Instead of glass, it’s made from the same insulated double-wall steel construction as the outfit’s other drinkware, so they can get rowdy at the party without having to worry about breaking stuff. Each set comes with four shot glasses and a carrying container, all made from 18/8 stainless steel.
