Best tech gifts under $100

Gone are the days when you’d be forced to spend hundreds of bucks to get a decent gift for your techie mate. Today, you can score seriously good quality speakers, headphones, kitchen appliances, grooming tools and other gadgets without having to leave too big of a dent in your bank account.

Whether you’re doing some last-minute Christmas shopping or simply need a birthday, housewarming or thank you present, you’ll find the perfect tech gifts under $100 right here.

For the TV addict

The Google Chromecast has been a popular gift year after year thanks to its powerhouse performance and sub-$60 price tag. While the O.G. Chromecast is still available, we reckon 2020’s Chromecast with Google TV is an even better buy. It’ll turn any TV with an HDMI port into a smart TV (bringing with it pretty much every streaming service known to man) and comes with the best upgrade yet: a remote. With an RRP of $99, it’s not only one of the best tech gifts, but one of our favourite things from 2020. Want to know more? Check out our review.

For the budding chef

Pretty much every man and his dog has an air fryer these days, and for good reason - they’re bloody amazing. If, by some miracle, your foodie friend doesn’t already have one, this budget buy is a great way to indoctrinate them into the air frying cult. They’ll be able to cook healthier versions of just about anything - chips, “fried” chicken, veggies and tons more. And yes, you can even make desserts.

For the gym junkie

Any person who runs or does high-intensity exercise regularly can attest to the difficulties of finding a good pair of headphones for their workout. Urbanears Hellas wireless on-ear headphones are built exactly with these people in mind. They’re sweat-resistant, cord-free, collapsible, come with a washable headband and ear cushions and boast 14 hours of battery life to keep you going through a full week (and then some) of workouts.

For the smoothie connoisseur

Prefer your food in liquid form? The Nutribullet has come a long way from its humble infomercial beginnings. With a powerful 900W motor, you can blend everything from nuts and seeds to the tough skin of fruit and veg, so there’s no limit to the type of juices, smoothies and soups you can make. It also comes with two different blades, three cups, two cup rings and a to-go lid for when you need a quick brekkie or snack in a pinch.

For the shutterbug

You could spend thousands on a smartphone with a killer multi-lens camera setup, but if you want photos that’ll stir up some real nostalgia in 10 years time, an Instax Mini camera is what you need. Perfect for capturing happy snaps at parties, weddings and other special occasions, there’s nothing quite like a pocket-sized physical reminder of good times with the people you love.

For anyone who has teeth

When it comes to toothbrushes, the world is pretty firmly divided between two camps: electric and manual. But as someone who’s recently defected from team manual, I can confirm that once you go electric, you don’t go back. The Oral B Pro 100 is a good starting point for anyone who hasn’t used an electric brush before. It’s easy to use, comes with a two-minute timer, a charger and travel case, and each charge will last around 8 days if you brush twice a day.

For the party animal

We recently reviewed a whole bunch of the best portable Bluetooth speakers on the market, and JBL consistently came out on top when it came to sound quality and value. The JBL Flip Essential is essentially (sorry) the JBL Flip 5, without a couple of the major bells and whistles. While the Flip 5 delivers louder, bassier sound, speaker linking and two hours of extra battery life, the Essential isn’t a massive compromise, and is actually lighter than the Flip 5 and includes a 3.5mm jack. Win!

For the friend who has everything

Chances are we all know one person who seems to have every new bit of tech. Airpods, the latest Apple Watch, the new iPhone… there’s no device you can get them that they haven’t already got. That’s where a wireless charger comes in. This slim but mighty 18W charging pad can make their life easier and their bedside table way less cluttered. All they have to do is dump all their gadgets on the pad before bed and it’ll all be ready to go by morning. It's one of the best tech gifts an Apple fanboy could ask for.

For the person who forgets everything

Give your forgetful friend the gift of Alexa and they’ll have no excuse for arriving late or leaving their wallet at home. The newly-released 4th gen Echo isn’t just a reminder tool, of course. You can also use it to request songs, fetch the weather forecast, catch up on the day’s news and even control other smart devices in your home. Want something even cheaper? The 3rd gen is still available and cheaper than ever.