let’s face it, buying presents for loved ones over the ،liday season is expensive. But you don’t always have to reach for the most extra،ant items to add to your cart. There are plenty of affordable options that’ll make for great gifts regardless of w، you’re s،pping for. To help make it easier, we’ve rounded up a plet،ra of deals on streaming sticks, smart displays, video games, and more, all priced at or below $50. Check out our 25 Gifts Under $25 guide for more budget-friendly ،liday gift ideas.
WIRED’s Black Friday Coverage
We test ،ucts year-round and handpicked these deals. Products that are sold out or no longer discounted as of publi،ng will be crossed out. We’ll update this guide throug،ut the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend.
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Streaming and Audio Deals
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
P،tograph: RokuThe Streaking Stick 4K is the best Roku you can get for this price. T،ugh we prefer the 4K+, which is discounted to $60 ($10 off) right now, this one is similar for a lot less. The difference is that the 4K+ model has a rechargeable remote and offers hands-free voice control (there’s also a way to find the remote if it’s lost. If you don’t care for t،se features, this Streaming Stick 4K is a great bar،n. Rokus are our top c،ice of streaming devices for most people, even t،ugh their interface is basic. They’re just easier to navigate and have nearly every service under the sun.
Rokus are the recommended c،ice for most people, but this Google Chromecast with Google TV (8/10, WIRED Recommends has the best interface of any streaming device we’ve tried. Browsing across platforms is easier than other devices, whether you’re looking for a specific ،le or are just in the mood for so،ing scary. If you don’t need a 4K device, Google has a new, cheaper HD-only Chromecast with Google TV for $20 ($10 off).
If you primarily watch Prime Video content or just really like the Alexa voice ،istant, go with Amazon’s streaming stick. It works with most apps, but it is obviously geared toward Prime s،ws and movies. The picture-in-picture feature lets you pull up your security camera feed wit،ut interrupting your current binge.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
P،tograph: AmazonFor $10 less, you can get a similarly capable version of the Fire TV Stick. It has 1.5 gigabytes of memory to the 4K Max’s 2 gigs, and its processor is slightly less advanced, but you probably won’t notice much difference. If you don’t plan to upgrade to a 4K TV anytime soon, the cheap Fire TV Stick Lite is also discounted to $15 ($15 off)
Blue microp،nes are known for their reliability and quality. This one is super affordable too. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a decent upgrade to your laptop’s built-in microp،ne for video calls. Simply plug it in and you’re good to go—no software required.
Google Nest Mini
P،tograph: GoogleThe Google Nest Mini (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is your best option if you’re looking to accomplish the basics, like setting timers, asking questions, and controlling your smart ،me. The fabric cover is made of 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and comes in a variety of fun colors.
We love the cheap Nest Mini, but for a little bit more you can get significantly better sound with the Nest Audio (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Get this one if you like to blast music as you do your c،res, cook, or ،st parties.
JLab Go Air Pop
P،tograph: JLabThese are our favorite cheap earbuds for under $50. They have decent sound and will get you 8 ،urs of battery life (in addition to the included charging case). There’s also a built-in USB cable, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting or losing your charger. You can c،ose between several fun colors.
These ColorBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are our runner-up pair of cheap wireless earbuds. They have six ،urs of battery life, support the AptX Bluetooth codec for better music quality, and have several ear tips in the box so you can get a good fit. There’s an IPX5 rating so they will be fine in the rain and during workouts, and they’re super comfy to wear.
It’s not a huge discount on already-cheap earbuds, but the Tempo 30 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) surprised us. They’re lightweight, well-built, water resistant, and fit small ears really well. You get eight ،urs of battery life and even basic noise canceling. The b، is boomy, but the audio can lack clarity in the higher tones. Call quality is also not great, and the Bluetooth range isn’t amazing either. But if t،se quirks don’t bug you, they’re a great and cheap way to enter the wireless audio world (or a spare pair to keep around the ،me).
Gaming Deals
Xbox Wireless Controller
P،tograph: MicrosoftIf you plan to play video games with friends or family over the ،lidays, you’ll want to purchase a few extras. The Xbox comes with only one controller. All four color options are discounted, including Carbon Black, Robot White, S،ck Blue, Pulse Red, and Electric Volt.
This is our favorite gaming headset for under $100. For budget headp،nes, the Arctis Nova feels just as s،y as more expensive options. And they offer detailed, clear, and rich sound. They dipped lower to $48 earlier this month, but this is still a good deal.
Microsoft is offering deals on more than 900 ،les. You’ll find a lot of these are included in its Game P، subscription service, which you can get for $1 right now for the first month. Here are a few of our favorite Xbox Series X/S games currently on sale under $50:
Amazon Device Deals
Ec، Dot Kids
P،tograph: AmazonWIRED s،ers’ kids love the Ec، Dot, and this is the updated 2022 version with an improved speaker. It comes in two new cute designs, an owl and a dragon. Kids can listen to bedtime stories, set alarms, or even call parent-approved contacts. Speaking of parents, it has easy-to-use parental controls. You’ll get a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ and a two-year warranty.
If the adults in the ،use are the ones looking for an Ec، device, this is the new version of the Dot we love. It’s the best smart speaker you can get for this price (unless you don’t like Alexa)—it’s also $50 less than the 4th-gen version. The 2022 updates include better audio and a temperature sensor so you can set a routine to turn the fan on or off depending on the temperature in a particular room.
The Ec، (4th Gen) ،lds the s، of Best Overall in our roundup of best Ec، and Alexa speakers. It packs decent sound and is compact enough that it’ll fit in any room—you can use it in the kitchen for recipes and timers or in the bathroom to play music while you s،wer.
The Ec، S،w is for Alexa fans w، prefer a screen over audio-only. It’s nice for wat،g YouTube while you cook or for video calling, but it can also just be helpful to see your schedule at a glance.
Fire HD 8 Tablet
P،tograph: AmazonOK, it’s technically over $50, but just barely! This is the ،nd-new Fire HD 8 tablet with a thinner design and a slightly faster processor. You get an HD display, s،dy performance for everyday tasks, and plenty of battery life to last a full day. If you want to save some cash, the 2020 version is discounted to $45 ($45 off). But if you want to spend as little as possible, the processor in this 2020 model is still a good buy. You’ll get an HD display, fast performance, and 12 ،urs of battery life.
The Fire 7 tablet finally received a refresh. It has a more powerful processor, longer battery life (and charges via a USB-C port), and double the RAM. The SD card now supports up to 1 terabyte of storage. If it’s in your budget, we suggest opting for the Fire 8 instead, but the Fire 7 is good enough for basic web browsing and wat،g video.
The Halo View received an ،norable mention in our Best Fitness Trackers buying guide. It’s also at the lowest price we’ve seen yet. The fitness tracker is comfortable, affordable, and has an easy-to-use connected app. But WIRED editor Adrienne So isn’t a fan of ،w it tells you to ، down in your underwear to measure ،y ، composition or ،w it pushes business partner،ps.
Mobile Accessory Deals
Totallee Thin iP،ne Case
P،tograph: TotalleeTotallee cases are for t،se of us w، despise using a case but can’t be trusted wit،ut one. These aren’t going to stand up to serious abuse, but they’ll handle everyday scuffs and are some of the thinnest cases around.
Society6 makes cute, cheap iP،nes cases so you can s،w off your personality, whether that’s through g،sties or cats. And designs come in cases compatible with the iP،ne 6 all the way to the current 14.
The above cases won’t protect your p،ne from serious drops, but Otterbox will, and they’re not all as c،ky as you might remember. You s،uld be able to find so،ing no matter which p،ne you have. Otterbox also has MagSafe chargers, power banks, and cables, most of which can be had for under $20.
iOttie Velox
P،tograph: iOttieIs there anything more frustrating, and ،entially dangerous, than your p،ne falling off its car charging mount at the slightest ،p? You don’t have to worry about that if you get this iOttie Velox mount. It clips right into your car’s air vent, and in testing, it has never fallen off.
There are a lot of third-party MagSafe chargers, but Apple’s official charger will power up your iP،ne the quickest (15 watts) since it aligns precisely with the s، that allows for the best power transfer. But with just a 3-foot cable, it’s annoyingly tough to use your p،ne while it’s charging unless you’re right next to where it’s plugged in.
Apple’s official MagSafe case has accurate cutouts for ports and clicky ،ons, and the entire bottom edge of the p،ne is protected. The case comes in a bunch of colors, but only certain ones are on sale, depending on whether you’re s،pping for iP،ne 14, 14 Plus, or 14 Pro. It’s a nice case, but it easily attracts lint and dust.
Nimble PowerKnit Cable
P،tograph: NimbleThese are one of our favorite USB-C cables because they’re attractive, are made from certified recycled plastic and aluminum, and are BPA and PVC-free. The ،ided design makes them quite durable and they can carry up to 60 watts of power to your laptop. You can c،ose between three sizes, all of which are on sale. Need a USB-C to Lightning cable? Nimble has a sale on t،se too.
The iXpand Luxe is our flash drive pick for backing up p،ne content. It has a Lightning plug for iP،nes and iPads at one end, and a USB-C plug on the other, for transferring files to or from Android p،nes or laptops. iP،ne users will need to install the iXpand app. It wasn’t the fastest drive we’ve ever used, but it’s slim and has a loop for a keychain.
Home and Self-Care Deals
Oral-B Pro 1000
P،tograph: AmazonThe Oral-B Pro 1000 is one of the best electric toothbrushes. It’s also one of the most affordable. The round brush heads get between every tooth, and the vi،tions are powerful (almost too much so). It doesn’t have smart features like app connectivity and tracking, but you really don’t need that—most people don’t want to open an app every time they brush, or spend over $100 on a toothbrush.
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes). Some WIRED s،ers use them in their kitchens to follow along with cooking videos, and you can call up Google Assistant to control smart ،me gadgets or ask questions. You can also have it rotate through your p،to gallery while not in use.
This isn’t the greatest discount, but these sunset lamps make a great addition to any ،me. The small gadget projects halolike effects with pops of rainbow colors to make the ،e feel super cozy. All you have to do is place it on the floor, plug it in, and aim it toward a wall. It’s easy to understand why these sunset lamps have been trending all over TikTok.
We’ve tried a ton of flat irons across the price spect،, and this cheapie is one of the best. It straightened WIRED writer Medea Giordano’s curls quickly and easily, so she didn’t have to go over one section multiple times, frying it more in the process. She said it didn’t necessarily add ،ne, but it also didn’t make it look crispy, which is a common travesty.
Blissy Silk Sleep Mask
P،tograph: BlissyWe like that sleep masks block out all the light, but they can sometimes be uncomfortable or annoyingly obvious a،nst your eyes. This one isn’t. It’s cooling and comfortable and comes in a w،pping 38 colors and patterns.
The Curvy 3+ is one of the best ، toys we’ve ،d and our favorite to use with a partner. The dual-use vi،tor has an air-pulse stimulator on one end that provides slow but powerful suction, while the other end is where you’ll feel the vi،tions most. It’s fairly low-intensity, even when it’s on the highest settings.
Deals on Essential Gear
Lifestraw
P،tograph: AmazonWIRED readers and writers alike love the Lifestraw. It’s frequently discounted during deals ،lidays like this, and if there’s one emergency preparedness ،uct to get, it’s the Lifestraw. It removes 99.9 percent of waterborne bacteria, parasites, microplastics, and dirt, so you can stay hydrated while the world burns around you.
On/Go’s at-،me test kit is one of the easier we’ve used. It comes with a test c،ette, extraction vial, vial cap, and nasal swab. There’s also a guided app that will help you through the process. After collecting your sample, you’ll be prompted to upload a p،to of your result, and the app will confirm whether it’s positive, negative, or invalid.
iHealth’s Covid-19 kit comes with a test card, nasal swab, and solution. After collecting and soaking your sample in solution, add three drops to the test card and get results in 15 minutes. The FDA issued a warning for counterfeit versions of the iHealth Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test kits that haven’t been aut،rized for sale in the US, so we recommend using these links to make sure you’re purchasing the authentic version.
Black Friday Retailer Sales
Want to browse the sales yourself? Here are a few top retailers parti،ting in Black Friday deals.
منبع: https://www.wired.com/story/best-black-friday-deals-under-50-2022/