Best back-to-school gear under $50

Here's a gift every student who's susceptible to losing things will appreciate. Apple's new AirTags accessory works with any Apple device and uses the company's FindMy network -- the same one used to find lost iPhones. Attach it to keys, a backpack or just about anything else. It's $29 for one, $99 for four -- and if you buy through Apple, you can get free customized engraving, too.

The EarFun Free Pro buds have active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, wireless charging and Bluetooth 5.2. Rated for seven hours of battery life without the noise-canceling function on, or about six hours with it, they're IPX5 water-resistant, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water.

They sound very good for the money, with relatively clean, balanced sound and bass that has some kick to it -- they're pretty open-sounding. Lightweight and comfortable to wear, they have little fins that help keep them securely in your ears, and they're fairly discreet-looking.

Don't expect them to cancel noise as well as the AirPods Pro, but they do provide some decent muffling. It's worth noting that you can use either the left or right earbud independently, and there's a low-latency mode for video watching (and presumably gaming). Call quality was decent, too -- callers said they heard some background noise, but it wasn't intrusive and they could hear my voice well. The touch controls were responsive.

Anker's 10,000-mAh Power Bank is relatively slim for the size of the battery and includes one each USB-C port and USB-A ports with quick-charging features (up to 18W). You can also wirelessly charge the latest smartphones that have wireless-charging capabilities and the battery turns into a wireless charging pad if you plug it into a power adapter, which isn't included. The battery will charge as your phone does in that setup. 

It's currently $50, but sometimes a clip-and-save coupon can bring the price down. 

I was a fan of Creative's original Sound Blaster Jam headphones that came out in 2015 and had a decidedly retro look and feel as well as good sound for the money. Now the headphone is available in a 2.0 version that has some key upgrades, including Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging, improved call quality and multipoint Bluetooth pairing that allows you to pair it to two devices simultaneously. Battery life is rated at up to 22 hours.

Biolite's TraveLight 135 is a multifunction portable -- and wearable -- LED light that can be used as a flashlight (bright white light), bike light (with a flashing red light) and even a power bank for charging your phone. It fits easily into a pocket and is a good safety item for grads. 

There's nothing sexy about a wall wart, but this one is one of the better ones for the money, with dual USB-C PD (power delivery) ports and a total of 65 watts of power. That will allow you to charge most devices, including some larger USB-C laptops. It lists for $40 but is on sale for $26 right now.

No, the Lenovo Smart Clock isn't as fully featured as the Google Nest Hub -- but at half the price, it's a pretty sweet bedside companion that includes Google Assistant. There's no camera, which I appreciate in the bedroom, and the USB port on the rear is handy for charging phones or other gadgets on your nightstand. It usually sells for about $60, but is on sale for $40 as the new Smart Clock 2 is set to arrive soon.

Edifier has a few different new true-wireless earbuds and most, including the TWS 330NB, are very good values. While the TWS 330NB buds are missing a sensor that automatically pauses your music when you take them out of your ears, they feature very good sound quality for the money, decent active noise canceling with a transparency mode, and solid voice calling (they have three microphones in each bud for noise canceling and noise reduction during calls). 

They fit my ears well -- they're essentially AirPods Pro clones -- and while the touch controls are a little limited, they are programmable using the Edifier Connect app for iOS and Android (you can also set the level of touch sensitivity). They have an IP54 rating, which means they're splash- and dust-proof, and battery life is rated at four hours with noise canceling on and five hours with it off (at moderate volume levels). That's only OK, but you do get an additional two charges in the charging case. 

The TWS 330NB lists for $60 but are often discounted to around $50. Right now they're a little more than $50, but they were close enough to include on this list.