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Best tech under $100 this holiday

A C-note is all the budget you need to buy a great tech gift. Here are some of our favorites.

David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
John Falcone Senior Editorial Director, Shopping
John P. Falcone is the senior director of commerce content at CNET, where he coordinates coverage of the site's buying recommendations alongside the CNET Advice team (where he previously headed the consumer electronics reviews section). He's been a CNET editor since 2003.
Expertise Over 20 years experience in electronics and gadget reviews and analysis, and consumer shopping advice Credentials
  • Self-taught tinkerer, informal IT and gadget consultant to friends and family (with several self-built gaming PCs under his belt)
David Carnoy
John Falcone
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1 of 30 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Amazon Echo Dot (second generation)

Amazon's "smart speaker" is now available at the insanely low price of $50. Call out "Alexa" and have it do your bidding: listen to music, get the weather, ask for facts -- oh, and control a zillion smart home accessories, too.

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2 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Logitech UE Roll 2

The UE Roll 2 is a fully waterproof, wireless Bluetooth speaker that sounds quite good for its size. It comes in multiple color options for just under $100 and includes a floatation accessory for pool use.

JBL Flip 3
3 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

JBL Flip 3

JBL's third-generation Flip wireless speaker has a more streamlined, splash-proof design and better battery life (at 10 hours), while the price remains the same at $100. And as with all such speakers, the JBL plays any audio content from a Bluetooth-enabled source -- nearly any smartphone or tablet, and most recent computers -- so long as it's in the same room or relatively nearby. (Want more Bluetooth speaker options? Check out our list of best portable mini Bluetooth speakers, many of which are under $100.)

NES Classic
4 of 30 Scott Stein/CNET

Nintendo NES Classic Edition

Nintendo's new Switch game console isn't coming until 2017. In the meantime, you can relive your 80s gaming nostalgia with the NES Classic, a mini old-school console with 30 games built-in. It's just $60 (an extra controller costs $10).

Avoid bad 'deals' on Black Friday and beyond
Avoid bad 'deals' on Black Friday and beyond
1:26
5 of 30

Avoid bad 'deals' on Black Friday and beyond

Don't be fooled by the flashy ads and "doorbuster" deals, here are four things you should look for before you pull the trigger on a purchase.

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6 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Nintendo 2DS

Prefer to game on the run? At $99, the 2DS is Nintendo's most affordable portable, and it includes a game to get you started.

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7 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Roku Premiere+

Roku's recently released 2016 line of video streaming devices range in price from $30 (Roku Express) to $130 (Roku Ultra). Toward the higher-end is the Roku Premiere+ at a penny less than $100. That gives you 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) video from streaming apps that offer it, plus a Wi-Fi remote (no pointing needed) with a headphone jack for private listening (although all of them get private listening via the Roku app).

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8 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon Fire TV (2015)

Amazon's Fire TV does have some cool advantages over Roku and competing devices, including excellent parental controls, great support and the ability to work with tricky hotel and dorm-room Wi-Fi systems (although Roku now has that last feature).

The current Fire TV box also delivers next-generation 4K video for less than any other 4K-compatible streamer (although most 4K TVs have built-in apps that can do the same thing). Plus, its Alexa voice-assistant feature offers cool tricks like replying to your queries about the weather and adding stuff to a to-do list. The core Fire TV bundle is now $90, the antenna bundle is $100 and the gaming edition bundle (with gamepad) is down to $130.

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9 of 30 James Martin/CNET

Google Chromecast Ultra

Google has upgraded its video streamer for 2016 with (you guessed it) 4K and HDR compatibility. It's great if you prefer to control your video from your phone or tablet -- and if you don't need Amazon Prime video. Priced at $69.

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10 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon Fire HD 8

Not only has Amazon upgraded its Fire HD 8 with improved performance and more memory (16GB instead of 8GB), but it's dropped its price by 40 percent. At just $90, it's a steal.

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11 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon Kindle (2016)

Amazon has updated its entry-level e-reader with an improved design -- it's thinner and lighter -- and added Bluetooth audio options for visually impaired readers. Priced at $79.99.

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12 of 30 Sarah Tew / CNET

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite e-reader carries a list price of $119, but sometimes Amazon discounts it to $99. It's not as slick as the step-up Kindle Voyage, but it now sports an HD screen and is a fine e-reader, especially at $99.

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13 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Syma X5C Explorers drone

For under $60, you can get a camera drone that's fun to fly and easy to repair.

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14 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Air Hogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon Quad drone

The foam body of this "Star Wars" drone is friendly to kids and furniture alike. It's a must for anyone who ever wanted to indulge their inner Han Solo. Priced around $80.

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15 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Logitech MX Master

While somewhat pricey, the Logitech MX Master's expansive feature set and smooth operation make it a worthwhile purchase for power users seeking a high-performance wireless mouse. Priced around $65.

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16 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Logitech MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mobile Mouse

One of the swankier mice out there that's designed for mobile use, the Logitech MX Anywhere 2 is essentially a travel-friendly mini version of Logitech's flagship MX Master. Priced around $79.

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17 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony MDR-7506

An oldie, but a goodie. Despite being first released in the 1990s, the Sony MDR-7506 may well be the best-sounding headphones you can get for under $100.

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18 of 30 Sarah Tew

Bose SoundSport

Bose has a variety of sports earbuds that include the company's ultracomfortable Stay-Hear eartips, including newer models like the SoundTrue Ultra, the SoundSport Wireless and the SoundSport Pulse Wireless. But the original SoundSports, shown here, are the only ones that you can snag for under $100.

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19 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

1More Triple Driver

The 1More Triple Driver is one of the best sounding in-ear headphones for the under-$100 mark.

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20 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Plantronics BackBeat Fit

The Plantronics BackBeat Fit may not be perfect, but it's one of the best wireless sports headphones available. Priced around $80.

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21 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Monster Adidas Sport Adistar

Monster's Adidas-branded Sport Adistar In-Ear Wireless ($100) is one of the better fitting in-ear wireless sports headphones -- and it also sounds decent for the money. Another good choice for students who run.

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22 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Skullcandy Grind Wireless

The Grind, one of our favorite budget headphones, now comes in a wireless Bluetooth version called the Grind Wireless for $90. It's available in multiple color options and sounds very good for its relatively modest price.

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23 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Garmin Vivofit 2

Looking for a low-maintenance step counter? The Garmin Vivofit 2 is waterproof and has a one-year battery life, despite its always-on screen. Not bad for about $60 online.

The Vivofit 3 is now available and comes in right at $100. It's a modest upgrade of the VivoFit 2.

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24 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Biolite SolarPanel 5+

Biolite's $80 SolarPanel 5+ is equipped with an internal battery that stores energy from the sun, which means you can keep a charge in reserve your for phone and other devices, although tablets will take longer to charge.

See price for Biolite SolarPanel 5+ on Amazon.

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25 of 30 David Carnoy/CNET

Mophie PowerStation Plus

The Mophie PowerStation Plus, an external battery charger starting at $59.95, has an integrated Lightning cable with a micro USB adapter so you can charge a variety of devices.

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26 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Stacked wireless charging system for iPhone

If you're looking to add wireless charging to your iPhone, Staked has recently released new starter bundles ($99.99) for the iPhone 6/6S and 6 Plus/6S Plus that include the company's new Speed Case, wall charging unit, and external battery attachment (it adheres magnetically to the case when you need extra juice). In December, the new Speed Case will be available for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

See more info and pricing for at Stacked. Also available at Amazon.

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27 of 30 David Carnoy/CNET

Moshi IonBank 3K

Moshi's IonBank battery chargers are on the expensive side, but they are very stylish, with faux "vegan" leather protective coverings and integrated Lightning cables. The IonBank 3K, the smallest of the line, more than doubles the battery life of your iPhone (120 percent). It costs around $65.

See more info and pricing for Moshi IonBank 3K portable battery charger on Amazon.

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28 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Adonit Pixel

When it comes to iPad styluses, the Apple Pencil has understandably gotten most of the press. But that digital pen only works with iPad Pros.

Adonit's new Pixel ($80), which the company calls its most accurate and responsive stylus to date, with an improved 1.9mm Pixelpoint tip, is compatible with several iPads -- nine to be exact -- not just the top-end ones.

Like Adonit's two earlier styluses, the Jot Script and the Touch, the Pixel is Bluetooth-enabled and turns on automatically when pressed to the screen when using certain note-taking and sketch apps that have built-in Pixel support. It also ships with a magnetic charger/dock that plugs into the USB port on your computer.

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29 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung Gear VR

Have a recent Samsung Galaxy phone? Turn it into a virtual reality viewer with the latest Gear VR headset. Just pop the phone in the front, and it's a screen to a VR world right in front of your eyes. Literally. Available at Amazon.

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30 of 30 James Martin/CNET

Google Daydream View

The same goes for owners of Google's new phones. The $79 Daydream View turns the Pixel and Pixel XL into VR viewers -- and it includes a small controller as well.

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