NBC Select Giftable Tech Awards 2023: the best gear under $100
All the winners from our first-ever Best of Giftable Tech Awards that are under $100, including headphones, speakers and more.
Award: Best value | Type: Earbud
These are some of the most affordable wireless earbuds that still deliver a steady Bluetooth connection, surprisingly good sound and a convenient charging case. The earbuds and case have a combined battery life of around 32 hours, according to the brand, and the case has a cable built-in for recharging. If you purchase the earbuds from the brand’s website, you can choose from 13 bright and earth-tone colorways.
Award: Best budget | Type: Headphone
These over-ear headphones are comfortable, adjustable, bass-y and versatile, with noise-canceling and transparency modes built in. The headphones easily fold down into the included clamshell carrying case. The folding design, wired cable for physically plugging in and up to 40-hour battery, according to the brand, life make them a great companion for commutes and air travel.
Award: Best portable | Type: Speaker
The JBL Clip 4 is one of our favorite portable speakers. It has a built-in carabiner that lets you clip and hang the speaker — we’ve clipped it to bags, backpacks, belt loops, stage lights, shower curtains and more. It weighs about half a pound and has IP67 dust and water resistance —you don’t have to worry about sudden rain showers or tumbles at the beach.
Award: Most waterproof | Type: Speaker
The Wonderboom 3 is our top speaker if you are going to be around water. That’s because it floats — accidentally knocking it off of the boat or into the pool doesn’t require a quick dive to rescue it. It can be fully submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes, and has an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, according to the brand.
Award: Best smart speaker | Type: Speaker
NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin has used this Echo speaker in her house for years. Using the Alexa voice assistant, set timers, check countdown clocks, listen to music and news briefings or control smart lights, all with just voice.
Award: Best overall | Type: Power bank
This power bank has saved NBC Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz on dozens of occasions, giving his dying phone enough juice to navigate home while adventuring abroad or cycling on unfamiliar backroads. It can charge all kinds of small devices using all kinds of cables thanks to the built-in USB-A and USB-C ports (although the power bank itself can only recharge using the USB-C port).
Award: Wire-free | Type: Power bank
This tiny power bank plugs directly into Lighting devices, cable-free. It can deliver almost a full charge to smaller devices like iPhones and AirPods, in our experience. For the new iPhone 15 or an Android phone, this power bank also comes in a USB-C version.
Award: Best for Apple | Type: Tracker
Anyone who misplaces their keys, purse or bag often will appreciate the gift of an Apple AirTag. It is about the size of a quarter and connects to the Apple FindMy app to show them precisely where the AirTag is located. It only works with an iPhone.
Award: Best for Android | Type: Tracker
For Android phones, this Tile tracker is a great alternative to Apple’s AirTag. It works similarly, using Bluetooth and the Tile app to show location (and whatever it is attached to). It has a replaceable coin-shaped CR2032 battery that lasts about a year-long, according to the brand.
Award: Best laptop | Type: Case
This laptop sleeve model has protected Rabinowitz’s MacBook from accidental drops for over a year. The corners have extra padding, and the case has a zip closure that is secure, but still quick to use. It also has a zippered pocket to store charging cables or earbuds. It comes in multiple colors and is available in 13-inch, 14-inch, 15-inch and 16-inch sizes.
Award: Best phone | Type: Case
Casetify has dozens of different phone case designs for all kinds of Samsung, Google and Apple smartphones. This version has extra impact protection around the corners and has saved former NBC Select associate commerce editor Nishka Dhawan’s iPhone 14 Pro from many drops on concrete and hardwood.
Award: Best phone chain | Type: Chain
This pea pod chain is a cute accessory that doubles as a fidget toy. Squeeze the pod, and one of the three peas peeks out. Each one has a fun face painted on it. NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez has used this for months on her phone case and has gifted it to other team members.
Award: Best overall | Type: Gaming controller
Even if you don’t know what kinds of games your loved one likes to play, there’s a good chance this controller works with their gaming system. It’s a wireless controller that’s comfortable and great for gaming on the Nintendo Switch, PC, smartphone and more, in our experience. It also comes in three colors and gets up to 20 hours of battery life before needing a recharge.
Award: Best overall | Type: Mobile accessory
If you know they love to game on their smartphone, on the other hand, this mobile gaming controller is a must-have accessory. Slot the phone in the middle of the controller to add a comfortable grip on either side with traditional buttons that are more precise than a touchscreen, says Rabinowitz. We’ve linked the Lightning port version, but if they have an Android phone or the new iPhone 15, they’ll need the USB-C version instead.
First and foremost, our team compiled all previous coverage from NBC Select’s tech and tools-related categories. From there, we chose products that were featured in our articles and did a competitive market research analysis on new and additional products, including ones that are expert-recommended and highly rated. We focused particularly on products our team owns personally or has had extended time using.
When we look at any product, we look at it comprehensively. To be our favorite in a category requires fulfilling a multitude of our readers’ needs. We want to provide products that perform well, but we also want to share ones that are exciting to see as you reveal them from underneath gift-wrapping paper.
When a product carries the Select badge, you can trust that our team of editors as shopping experts vetted the item thoroughly. We are journalists, first and foremost, which means we will always do our research and reporting.
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