We’ve rounded up the best Christmas gifts this festive season – all for under £50. Read on if you’re stuck for ideas, or just want to treat yourself.
Puridea portable power charger
How often do you stumble upon a portable power bank that is either so perfunctorily designed that it looks like some kind of ankle monitor, or one that’s too kitschy to pull out in public (I used to have a pink one shaped like a 1950s milk carton before I realised I was in my twenties). This one, from Puridea, is simple, slick, and its aquamarine cover makes it easily identifiable in briefcases, handbags and rucksacks alike.
Amazon Fire 7 tablet with Alexa
Amazon’s entry-level tablet makes for an excellent gift, as well as being well under the £50 price limit. The next generation device is now lighter, thinner and boasts a longer battery life and improved display. Meanwhile, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get access to over a thousand books and magazines, over two million songs, and thousands more movies and TV shows for free. The Fire 7 has even got a rear-facing and front-facing camera, meaning you can snap photos and Skype relatives to your heart’s content this Christmas.
Svpro smartphone sanitiser
Anyone who’s ever frequented the London Underground will hail the abject necessity of this quirky gadget. This smartphone sanitisers uses UV light to disinfect your phone of the germs and nasty stuff it collects throughout everyday life. It’s chargeable via a USB port, and features an aromatherapy diffuser to boot. Perfect for technophile neat freaks, or pretty much any health conscious smartphone user (read: every millennial).
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon’s got a killer sale on, just in time for Christmas, with £15 off its Amazon Fire TV, making the product a mere £54.99. Okay, we’re playing slightly fast and loose with the under £50 category here, but given that it was previously £69.99, we’re making an exception. Great value for a great product.
Estella Barlett emoji necklace
This gold plated necklace from gorgeous yet affordable jeweller Estella Bartlett perfectly marries old and new, conflating the “smiling emoji” with a stylish nod to the 1990s’ rave scene smiley face. It’s dainty, quirky, and packaged beautifully. Plus, you can always amp it up a notch with the “heart eyes emoji” necklace, if you should be so bold.
Star Wars BB-8 car charger figure
For the true Star Wars fanatic, our extended gift guide can be found here. In the meantime, we couldn’t help shoehorning some Star Wars merch in here, namely this BB-8 car charger. A quirky addition to any (standard issue) cupholder, this topical car charger is compatible with any device that charges via USB (iPhones, smartphones, iPads etc). Simply plug the device into your 12V vehicle power adapter, and enjoy its rotating head and sound effects. Perfect for those arduous Christmas car journeys.
Amazon Echo Dot
Amazon’s Echo Dot is a veritable steal, coming in at just £34.99. The voice-controlled device can be used to play music, answer questions put to it, set alarms and operate myriad smart home devices. Alexa can make calls and messages on your behalf, or order takeaway on command. Here’s to not raising a finger the Christmas. Just don’t expect her to rustle up a turkey on the 25th. Although she will order one for you.
Vanksy waterproof phone pouch
Heading off for some holiday sun? Maybe you’re braving the blizzards on the slopes? Maybe you just fancy listening to some music in the bath, safe in the knowledge that an accidental phone immersion won’t cost you upwards of £600. This waterproof phone pouch has your back – and is only £6.99 down from £15.99. It’s got a universal design, making it suitable for all types of smartphone, and is fully submersible down to 30 metres.
READ MORE: Best wireless speakers for 2017
Anker SoundCore 2 Bluetooth speaker
Stylish Bluetooth speakers needn’t cost an arm or leg, just ask Anker, whose SoundCore 2 (“with Better Bass” promising wider sound range and deeper lows), costs a paltry £39.99, all the while blasting out your favourite tunes with the self-assurance of a model five times its price. It’s a number one bestseller on Amazon, with 86% of customers giving it a coveted five star review. Coming in black, blue and red, it’s got a hefty 24-hour battery life and IPX5 water-resistance, making it eminently portable.
Header image: Ravi Shah, used under Creative Commons
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