Best Gifts Under $75
Shop our favorite picks from CR tests, including products from Apple, Ninja, Stanley, and other brands
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Holiday gift shopping on a budget shouldn’t have to mean compromising on quality. Whether you’re seeking a gift for a techie, an entertainer, or a nester who loves to lounge at home, we have you covered with great ideas under $75.
Looking for more inspiration? We’ve got several gift ideas here.
Tech Gifts
Amazfit’s fitness trackers are some of the most affordable options we’ve tested, and the Band 7 earns a spot among CR’s recommended models. It has an impressive 18-day claimed battery life and pairs easily with recent versions of both iPhone and Android phones. That said, our testers found that it wasn’t quite as accurate at step tracking as other models but that its heart rate accuracy was adequate.
Shopping for noise-canceling headphones on a budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice performance. Case in point is the SoundCore Life Q20. These over-ear headphones have great sound quality and outstanding noise cancellation. They don’t sound quite as good as top-rated models, and you won’t get sought-after features like adjustable levels of noise canceling. But at this price, those may be sacrifices worth making. Anker also includes some appealing perks, such as the ability to work over either Bluetooth or an audio cable, and a free app that adds features, including a bass boost EQ setting. According to Anker, the headphones offer a generous 40-hour battery life when both Bluetooth and noise cancellation are enabled.
The Google Nest Audio essentially replaces the Google Home as the company’s main smart speaker offering. The form factor is all-new, an upright rectangle with rounded corners replacing the air-freshener-like design of the previous model. The smart speaker performance isn’t much different because most of the heavy lifting is done on the company’s servers rather than inside the speaker itself. Sonically, the Nest Audio is relatively solid and represents an improvement over the older model. Our testers found that it lacks deep bass and that the all-important midrange is a bit hazy and grainy, while its highs can be sizzly.
Apple AirTags (4-pack)
AirTags work best if you’re looking for one within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet) of your own phone. That said, there are millions of iPhones and other Apple devices roaming around out there that can pick up a signal and discreetly convey it to you when you find yourself searching, say, a park or a school campus for the keys you dropped. Is the tracking pinpoint accurate? No. But it’s close enough to give you a little peace of mind.
This latest stick-style streaming player from Amazon—the Fire TV Stick 4K Max—is among the company’s fastest, thanks to a more powerful processor; apps launch quicker than on earlier models. The player works on the WiFi 6 wireless standard and includes support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, as well as Dolby Atmos audio.
The TP-Link Kasa Smart KD110 is a great video doorbell for the money, with strong data security, fast response times, and decent video quality. It comes with a plug-in doorbell chime and features monitoring zones, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, person detection, and local video storage using a microSD card (sold separately). Video clips can also be stored in the cloud by subscribing to a Kasa Care plan.
Kitchen and Cookware Gifts
The Tramontina Enameled Cast-Iron Series 1000 excelled at searing a New York strip steak in our tests. We also baked cornbread in it, and this pan earned a very good rating for heating evenness. We found it very easy to clean, too, even after cooking eggs, cornbread, and steak.
For more options: Best Frying Pans
The GE G8H1AASSPSS blender is an immersion model that comes with a whisk and chopper, and it’s available now at a sweet price. It showed excellent performance in our soup purée tests, and the chopper attachment did a great job of grating cheese. The whisk attachment allows you to quickly whip egg whites to stiff peaks and easily turn heavy cream into rich whipped cream.
Fredericks & Mae Small Cutting Board
There’s something to be said about splurging on the basics with the intention of elevating the everyday. Case in point: This speckled plastic cutting board can easily transition from a prep station to the dinner table. Its eye-catching composition, with a bright yellow handle, is just one reason to love it. It also happens to be quite sturdy and available in a variety of equally fun colorways.
Henckels Premio 8” Chef’s Knife
Henckels has been making knives in Germany for nearly 300 years, and its expertise in design is on full display with this 8-inch chef’s knife. The Premio’s handle is contoured with no sharp edges, resulting in a knife that’s extremely comfortable to hold. It also excels at force transmission from handle to blade, which means you don’t need to exert as much effort when cutting.
For more options: Best Chef’s Knives
The Dash Digital Tasti Crisp air fryer is small but mighty. At a measured capacity of 1.9 quarts and an overall size of less than a square foot, this 6-pound model is one of the most compact air fryers in our ratings. Still, it ranks among the best. It earns very good ratings for controls and cleaning, and excels in our noise test. It has a one-year warranty, which is typical for air fryers.
For more options: Best Air Fryers
The Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 food chopper earns a very good rating for chopping, turning out nicely chopped veggies and nuts in our tests. It also aces our grating test and delivers a midrange puréeing performance. To operate this model, you push down on the top-mounted motor. Included with it are a larger 5-cup processing bowl and a 6-cup blender jar, and it has a one-year warranty.
For more options: Best Blenders Under $100
Gifts for Travelers
At 5.7 pounds, the American Tourister Wavebreaker 20" Spinner is the lightest hard-shell carry-on in our ratings. Yet it’s a sturdy traveler. We found it to have top-quality construction, and it did admirably in our tests of impact resistance, ergonomics, design, and safety. But with just two interior pockets, no built-in lock, and no expandable middle, it’s only so-so in terms of usability. And its telescoping handle has only two positions, which contributes to a middling score for carrying and pulling.
Bagail 8Set Packing Cubes
The Bagail 8 Set Packing Cubes won over CR’s evaluator with the number and variety of cubes it offers. In addition to three packing cubes (medium, large, and extra-large) that have mesh on the top panels to help you identify the contents inside quickly, it also comes with two zipper bags and a cosmetics bag, shoe bag, and drawstring bag that you can use to separate your dirty laundry. The extra organizational features were ultimately what gained Bagail the edge over the other packing cubes CR tried.
Staying hydrated is always good, and this Instagram-famous mug is sure to please. Instead of a plastic bottle, go for a reusable one that can be toted around from the gym to the plane and beyond. The ever-popular Stanley Quencher—available in several colors and sizes—is not one to miss.
Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam 2-in-1 with Turbo GS108 Clothes Steamer
The powerful Conair GS108 is our go-to for blasting wrinkles and ironing out crinkled hems in record time. It has one of the highest steam power ratings and was the only model we tested that was capable of tackling creased linen. That’s because it also serves as an iron. You don’t need an ironing board, either; our tester used the corner of a bed to quickly smooth out the stubborn sections that steam alone couldn’t. This model can steam continuously for 11 minutes on its highest setting before needing a refill. You can also turn off the steam and use the iron alone.
Nishel Travel Toiletry Bag
The Nishel Travel Toiletry Bag for Women is a hanging organizer, meaning you can hang it on the bathroom door with every compartment laid out in full view. This bag is a remedy for disorganization. It has several compartments, two of which have different-sized mesh pockets. Our evaluator also noted that it has a large capacity but still zips up easily, even when full. The low price is reflected in the quality of the material, but if you don’t mind the fabric looking a little on the cheaper side (the reviewer said theirs attracted a lot of dust), this could be a great choice.
Gifts for Health and Relaxation
Renpho R4 Pro Massage Gun
The Renpho R4 Pro massage gun’s triangular shape makes it easy for users to get a good grip for those hard-to-reach spots on their body. It’s not particularly powerful, but its moderate massage should still be sufficient for many users. It’s straightforward to use, with a single button to adjust speeds. It also performed very well in our evaluations for handle ergonomics, postural stress, and ease of use, but changing the attachments was somewhat clunky and required a bit of effort.
Nektek Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager
This Nektekk massager, made famous on TikTok, falls in the middle of the pack in terms of pricing compared with the other models we evaluated. One reviewer said the nodes pressed into their neck in an uncomfortable way, but two others loved the device, so you might find it just right or not right at all. (But don’t worry; there’s a 30-day return window on Amazon.) This massager really shines as far as producing heat; it can reach a temperature of 109° F. You can use it on various body parts, and it even comes with a car adapter, making it a great companion for road trips.
Brooklyn Candle Mini Candle Gift Set
Cozy nights are made better with a warm, fragrant candle. I can’t get enough of these scents from Brooklyn Candle, inspired by iconic destinations like the warm beaches of Tulum and the lush gardens of Bali.
YnM Weighted Blanket
If you’ve been thinking of trying a weighted blanket, now’s the time. This one from YnM did well in CR’s tests, with one staffer saying the glass beads felt pretty evenly distributed. There are a couple of dozen color options, but they depend on the size and weight you choose. And while the blanket doesn’t come with a duvet cover, YnM sells one separately.
For more options: Best Weighted Blankets
The Plank by Brooklyn Bedding Premium Shredded Foam pillow impressed evaluators in every test. It offers top-tier support for both back and side sleepers, which, along with its firmness and height, is expected to remain unchanged with use. It excelled in our breathability assessment and has cooling properties, so sleepers can expect a comfortable surface that helps regulate their body temperature throughout the night. This pillow is adjustable, so you can remove, add, and reposition the filling to fit your needs.
For more options: Best Pillows
