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Those of us that are on budgets for the holidays this year, this is going to be the only gift guide you need to read. We’ve rounded up gifts under $50, gifts under $100, under $250 and over $250. So depending on how much you have to spend, you can find something for everyone on your list this year.
Best Gifts Under $50
Finding the right gift for someone, while staying on a budget can sometimes be pretty difficult. But if your budget is just $50, there’s plenty of gifts that you can pick up this holiday season. Here are some holiday gifts that are under $50.
Amazon Smart Plug
The Amazon Smart Plug is an expensive smart home product that is able to make virtually any “dumb” appliance in your home, smart. With this smart plug, you can control when your lamp turns on or off, as well as set a schedule for it. This also works for other things like a coffee maker, microwave, and so forth. The reason why we picked this one over the thousands of other smart plugs on the market, is because of how easy it is to setup. Alexa will walk you through the entire process – all using your voice.
Amazon Smart Plug - Amazon - $24.99
Roku Premiere
With the Roku Premiere, you’ll be able to watch your favorite Disney+ movies and TV shows. As well as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and much more. Roku has over half a million movies and TV shows available across all of the apps on its platforms. Now this particular model from Roku is pretty inexpensive and tiny, but it still supports 4K and HDR. Giving you the best possible picture.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
If Roku isn’t quite your style, the Fire TV Stick 4K is also under $50. As implied by the name, it is able to stream in 4K and HDR as well. But if you don’t have a 4K TV, you can save $10 and get the regular Fire TV Stick, which streams in up to 1080p. Fire TV Stick has many of the popular streaming services you’d expect, like Disney+, Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. It also has Alexa built-in, which allows you to control your smart home devices using your voice.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K - Amazon - $49
Google Nest Mini
Speaking of smart home, this is the brand new Nest Mini from Google. It’s a tiny smart speaker that has the Google Assistant built-in. This gives you the functionality to ask Google anything (and we literally mean anything), as well as control your smart home products, and of course play music. Since this is a speaker after all.
Google Nest Mini - Best Buy - $49
Xiaomi Mi Band 4
Mi Band 4 is an inexpensive, but very impressive fitness tracker. For under $50, it does everything you can imagine. Tracking your daily activity, workouts, and calories. And it has pretty amazing battery life, coming in at 20 days of usage before needing a recharge. That’s one of the main issues with smartwatches today, is that you need to charge them daily. But the Mi Band 4 goes above and beyond in that area, all while still offering a really good looking OLED display on the front.
Xiaomi Mi Band 4 - Amazon - $37
Best Gifts Under $100
If you have $100 to play around with, for getting gifts for someone this year, then you can get some pretty incredible gifts. It’s actually pretty surprising what $100 can get you in 2019. Here are some of the best holiday gifts that you can get for under $100.
Xiaomi Mi Box S
Xiaomi is a company you may not have heard much about. It is a Chinese company, that makes some really incredible Android-powered products, like the Mi Box S. This comes in at well under $100, and offers 4K and HDR streaming using the Android TV platform. On Android TV, you’ll find most of your favorite apps, which include YouTube, Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to name a few. Of course, the Google Assistant is built-in, allowing you to ask Google questions, and even control your smart home products, from the TV using your voice.
Xiaomi Mi Box S - Walmart - $59
Fitbit Inspire HR
With New Year’s right around the corner, fitness and getting in shape is going to be on loads of minds this holiday season. And the Fitbit Inspire HR is the perfect one to pick up. This is the version with a heart rate sensor, there is a version without one, and both are under $100. With the Inspire HR, you can track your daily activity, calories burned, workouts and even take it in the pool – since it can track swimming. It also brings some notifications to your wrist, like your calls and text messages.
Fitbit Inspire HR - Amazon - $99
Philips Hue White 3-Bulb Starter Kit
This starter kit from Philips Hue has everything you need to get some smart lights into your home. It’s a three-bulb set that comes with the Hue Bridge. That’s a hub that you’re going to need to connect these bulbs to the internet. Hue bulbs work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and IFTTT for voice control and automation. This particular starter kit has bulbs that are only in white, but there are other bulbs that are colored.
Philips Hue White 3-Bulb Starter Kit - Amazon - $99
Amazon Echo Show 5
Echo Show 5 is a 5-inch smart display, that has Amazon Alexa built-in. It’s a smaller smart display, which allows you to put it someplace where you may not have enough room for a larger display – like the 10-inch Echo Show. There is still a camera here, so placing it in your bedroom or bathroom may not be a good idea. With the Echo Show 5, you get a visual element to Alexa, so you can actually see videos, or the weather.
Amazon Echo Show 5 - Amazon - $89
Best Gifts Under $250
If you’ve got a bit more cash to play around with, you can get some really great gifts this year and give out everyone’s favorite holiday gifts. Under $250, you can get a TV, a robot vacuum, and really just about anything. Here are the best holiday gifts under $250.
ECOVACS DEEBOT N79S
ECOVACS is another name you’ve likely never heard of before. But they make some really great, and inexpensive robot vacuums. With the DEEBOT N79S, you’re getting a robot vacuum that will do well getting up all of the pet hair in your home. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control, and has its own app for controlling it and setting up schedules.
ECOVACS DEEBOT 901 - Amazon - $149
TCL 43-inch 4K Roku TV
A couple of years ago, you would have been insane to want a 4K TV for under $250. But in 2019, it’s possible, and you can get a really good one too. This is one of TCL’s 4-Series Roku TVs that comes in a number of sizes. It runs on the Roku platform, so it’s running software that you likely are already familiar with. Poplar apps like ESPN+, HBO NOW, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video are all included.
TCL 43-inch 4K Roku TV - Amazon - $219
Fitbit Versa 2
This is Fitbit’s latest smartwatch, and it’s the best one yet. It does everything you’d expect from a Fitbit. That includes tracking your daily activity, workouts and calories burned. It can also track your sleep, so you can see how well you’re sleeping (or not sleeping). And it’s waterproof, up to 30 meters, which means it can also track swimming. But perhaps the best feature of all, for a smartwatch, is that it can last for up to six days on a charge.
Fitbit Versa 2 - Amazon - $199
Google Nest Hub Max
This is Google’s latest smart display. It’s a 10.1-inch smart display that actually has a Nest Cam built-in. That camera is designed to recognize you when you’re speaking to it. So when you say “Call Mom” it calls your Mom and not your significant others’ Mom. It also works to keep an eye on the house when you’re away. Nest Hub Max works with Google Duo for video calling, and it gives you a nice large display to control all of your smart home products in one central place. Finally, it also works as a huge picture frame, thanks to Google Photos.
Google Nest Hub Max - Best Buy - $229
August Smart Lock Pro (Third Generation)
The August Smart Lock Pro is pretty incredible. It is a pretty huge lock, but it allows you to keep the same lock outside of your front door and use your same keys. So if you wanted to, you could still unlock your home with your keys. With this smart lock, you can temporarily grant access to people, like maybe your kids if they are coming home from school early. You will get notifications when someone enters or leave your home. And best of all, it works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and even IFTTT for some automation.
August Smart Lock Pro - Amazon - $199
Nest Hello
Nest Hello is a video doorbell that actually works with the Google Assistant. It’ll notify you when someone is at your door, even if they don’t ring the doorbell. And with Assistant integration, you can bring this up on the Nest Hub Max and see who’s there. The camera on this is a very wide-angle sensor, so that it is able to see the entire front of your home. It makes it a great product to buy and use for your home, if you get a lot of Amazon packages.
Best Gifts Over $250
For those that money is no object, this is the category for you. These are going to be the best gifts over $250 – and some of these can be pretty pricey. But whoever you get these gifts for, they are definitely going to love them. Here are the best holiday gifts over $250.
The MYX
This is the perfect gift for someone that wants a home gym, but doesn’t think they have the space for one. Just about everything you need for a home gym is included here. The MYX Fitness Bike is very similar to a Peleton, where that huge screen at the front of the bike is used for virtual classes, and even non-virtual classes. It’ll provide you with a full-body workout, without taking up an entire room in your home!
TCL 55-inch 6-Series QLED 4K Roku TV
This is perhaps the best TV you can get right now, that doesn’t cost an obscene amount of money. TCL went with QLED this year on its 6-Series line of TVs, and they are pretty amazing. QLED is similar to OLED, but there’s one main thing that QLED doesn’t have, and that’s burn-in. But the colors are still bright and vivid, especially on this model since it has Dolby Vision support. Don’t forget that there is also Roku built-in, with support for apps like Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, CBS All Access, and much more.
TCL 65-inch 4K QLED Roku TV - Amazon - $799
Roborock S6
The Roborock S6 is the successor to what many called “the best robot vacuum available”. The S6 is a really good upgrade, with an improved laser navigation system and even better cleaning with better suction. It makes it a really good robot vacuum to use in homes with pets as it’s going to be great at getting rid of all of that pet hair. And it works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.
Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit
Everything you need to keep your home safe. The Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit has motion and contact sensors gallore, which will let you know when a door or window is opened, or someone moves around. There are also two keypads available, which is going to be great for near the front door and near the backdoor or garage. This all works with the existing Ring products, so if you have its doorbell or other cameras, this is going to be a great compliment.
Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit - Amazon - $329
Arlo Pro 3 – 2-Camera Kit
Arlo security cameras are some of the most popular ones around, because of two reasons. One, the are wire-free, and two, they are weatherproof. Meaning that you can place these outside of your home and not worry about them getting damaged, and they will also be last for months on a single charge. The Arlo Pro 3 has a wide-angle camera lens that will record everything in 2K. That is great for being able to zoom in and actually see what’s going on at home, when you’re not there. It will also notify you when it sees people, animals or motion in and around your home.
Arlo Pro 3 (2-Camera Kit) - Amazon - $399
Sony 65-inch (X800G) 4K Android TV
Sony’s X800G lineup of Android TVs are some of the best you can get, without spending an arm and a leg. These come in various sizes, including 55 and 65-inches. It’s a 4K HDR TV, which does support HDR10 and HLG standards, but it does not support Dolby Vision. This is an Android TV, which has support for most of the streaming services you’d want to use. That includes Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and much more. Android TV comes with Google Assistant built-in, but there is also Amazon Alexa available too. Allowing you to use whichever assistant you’d prefer.
Sony 55-inch X800G 4K Android TV - Amazon - $698
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Samsung brings the best of a smartwatch and the best of a fitness tracker into one product, the Galaxy Watch Active 2. It’s a pretty lightweight watch, so it won’t feel super heavy when you’re wearing it. And it still lasts for days – up to four days actually. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 tracks everything you’d expect, like your daily activity, calories burned, workouts and even swimming. It can also track your sleep, and since it can last more than a day, you might actually use it to do that. On the smartwatch-side, Samsung has gone the route of notifications being more important than apps. So there’s not many apps available, but the notifications do work really well. Being able to dismiss emails and delete them from your wrist is very nice.