40 amazing Christmas gift ideas for under £100
From headphones to board games, there's something here for everyone
From headphones to board games, there’s something here for everyone
Still got presents to buy? You’re not the only one.
Rather than stopping off at a petrol station for a bag of charcoal and some de-icer on Christmas Eve, why not pick up one of these awesome gifts instead? You’ll find practically everything here, from wireless headphone and cat trackers to robots for geeks-in-training – and they’re all under £100.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom (£69)
A Stuff award-winner in 2017 and for good reason, Ultimate Ears’ Wonderboom is a pocketable grenade of brilliant sound. Despite its diminutive proportions, the smaller ‘Boom sibling packs a powerful punch, while still keeping things clear and detailed (for when that 80s rock megamix gets a bit tiresome). Oh, and it’s waterproof, too – so it should see you rocking right through the winter rain and into the summer pool party.
Philips Hue White Ambiance E27 Starter Kit (£89.99)
Yep, £90 for a couple of lightbulbs is a lot of money, but Philips doesn’t make just any old bulb. The Hue is a smart bulb. No, it can’t do the kids’ maths homework, but it will light the room as they do. In fact, you can dim the lights remotely to set the mood (you classy devil you) or set them to turn on in the morning and wake up in style. All that and they’re 80% more efficient than traditional bulbs too.
Buy a Philips Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit here
Science Table Lamp (£62)
True scientists see meal times as nothing more than the purely practical consumption of the nutrition necessary to sustain and nourish the human body and mind. Bring a little dinner time romance back to the table with this lab bottle lamp, improving the ambience through the medium of cold hard science.
Steak Champ (£54.04)
As in comedy, timing is everything when you’re cooking a steak. You can’t just chuck it in the pan, wander off to feed the cat and come back hoping it’ll be done to perfection. Rather than old-fashioned tricks such as, you know, cooking skills, stick a Steak Champ thermometer in the side of the meat instead. Like a trusty traffic light, it’ll flash green when the cut is medium-rare, amber when it’s medium and red when you’ve ruined it.
Urbanista Seattle Wireless (£69.99)
A decent pair of wireless headphones would usually set you back two or three times what Urbanista Seattle Wireless cans will cost. And while the design’s a little uninspiring, once the recipient has them hooked up and snapped on, you won’t hear a peep out of them for the rest of the day. Two birds with one stone, eh?
Buy a pair of Urbanista Seattle Wireless headphones here
Google Chromecast Ultra (£69)
Google’s answer to big-screen sharing is back – and it’s better than ever. From YouTube and Play Movies to Netflix and your Android homescreen, social browsing beasts can cast their view to the nearest screen – just stick the little fella in a spare HDMI port and fling the flicks over Wi-Fi. This latest model is ready for both 4K and HDR footage, as well as being quicker than ever.
Fitbit Flex 2 (£54.99)
There are those who like to feel healthy, and then those who will sacrifice everything in the name of fitness. The Fitbit Flex 2 is for people who fall into the first category, tracking just the basics: steps, sleep and general exercise. The pill-sized sensor slips into a comfy, rubberised wrist band and with its five-day battery life, phone notifications and automatic sleep tracking, before too long you’ll barely notice it’s there.
Kodak Mini Shot (£99.99)
The renaissance of instant photography is all well and good but what if the results are always rubbish? This 10MP cam features a 1.7in LCD viewfinder and Bluetooth, so you can send the snaps to your phone for filtering and last-minute touch-ups, before using its built-in printer to spit out credit card-sized pics. Some might say that defeats the point but millennials will be millenials. Now, say “cheese.”
Mininch Tool Pen (£59.99)
Time was, you could buy a colouring pen in which several cartridges were vertically stacked. Oh, the fun we had, laboriously un-slotting and slotting to get to the shade we wanted. Now you can do the same with screwdrivers – or, rather, their heads. Meet Minich’s Tool Pen: a multi-tool that can stack six bits within its 15cm-tall aluminium shell. Choose from a choice of sixteen hexes and drivers, before building that Ikea cabinet with pop-to-screw panache.
Lego Ferrari F40 (£75)
Few four-wheeled speed machines are as distinctively styled as the Fezza F40. As mid-engined Maranello monsters go, it’s decidedly ’90s and all the better for it. At least, that was, until Lego made a version. Made up of more than 1000 blocky bits – most of which are in trademark racing red – this is just about the next-best-thing to a real Italian prancing horse, complete with brick-built V8.
LittleBits Droid Inventor Kit (£79.95)
Droids aren’t exactly known for their reliability. If they’re not wandering off on some personal mission, they’re antagonising Imperial forces at every opportunity. It makes sense, then, for any self-respecting Star Wars fan to know how to build their own, which is exactly what this LittleBits kit will do. (It’ll also stealthily teach kids about coding, but they don’t need to know they’re learning.)
Buy a Littlebits Droid Inventor Kit here
Beasts of Balance (£69)
Beasts of Balance is a bit like next-gen Jenga, and it’s as fun as that is hard to say. The challenge? To build, with up to four other people, a tower from the game’s lovely geometric animals and symbols. Sounds simple enough, except the corresponding iPad world, created by scanning each piece as you add it to the scale, must be a clever balance of elements and animal types to succeed.
3Doodler Create (£89.99)
Ever wanted to draw in mid-air? No? Well, with 3Doodler’s magic take on making, you soon will. With better airflow than the original, this second iteration of the plastic-spouting pen features a redesigned nozzle for smoother, more intricate 3D ABS designs – perfect for Nan to touch up her garden ornaments.
Amazon Fire TV (£54.99)
Since Amazon added an Alexa remote to the Fire TV it’s become one of the best ways to watch 4K flicks. Not only can you use your voice to find stuff to watch, it’s also compatible with all the smart home tech a regular Echo speaker is, so you can also activate your special movie lighting setting on your smart bulbs.
Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock (£79)
Pretty as it is, there comes a time when every Watch-wearer must unfasten their beloved for some much-needed battery boosting. Thankfully, this sleek stand from Apple means your trusty time-teller need never be further than the bedside table. Lay your lugger flat or stack it sideways for automatic nightstand niceness, as the deliciously designed donut delivers juice to your Watch by the power of magic (and inductive charging).
Buy an Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock here
VSSL Supplies Emergency Survival Kit (£78.95)
Alone on a mountain, being stalked by a bear that’s consumed five litres of concentrated blackcurrant squash, you’ll probably want a tranquiliser gun. For everything else, there’s this nifty waterproof torch, which contains almost everything you could need for a night in the wild, including a candle, a compass, a razorblade, water purification tablets, rope, firestarters and waterproof matches. And, if you do encounter that bear, there’s always the signalling mirror to distract it.
Buy a VSSL Supplies Emergency Survival Kit here
Bionic Bird (€59)
We don’t need to say much about this – just watch the film on the website and you’ll want one. A natural evolution of the Tim Bird ornithopter that’s been around since the 19th century, this French invention is a biomimetic drone: looks like a real bird, flaps its wings like a real bird, performs smartphone-controlled aerobatics like a bionic bird.
Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder (£64.35)
Sure, you could manually grind your beans using your precious elbow energy but do you really want to do that in an age where there’s a robot trundling around taking space selfies on Mars? Upgrade your grinding game with this handsome contraption, which will chew up your beans like there’s no tomorrow. A preset timer will grind exactly the amount you need, while an adjustable grinder takes you from espresso to french press-ready in an instant.
Buy a Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder here
Bosch PLR 40 C (£79)
There was a time when lasers were useful for little more than blasting spaceships out of the sky. Nowadays, it’s all eye surgery and barcodes. This laser measure resurrects some of the magic by adding Bluetooth. Pair it with your smartphone for instant distance-calculation and on-screen analysis, so when the aliens do come, at least you’ll know how far away they are.
Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro (£51.13)
Playing music from a phone is bad enough on a bus. In the peaceful idyll of the countryside? Unforgivable. If you really must, at least the Buckshot Pro Bluetooth speaker won’t go loud enough to disturb the squirrels too much. Better still, it doubles as both a torch and a phone charger in case any of the bushy-tailed critters approach you with a dead battery.
Cyrus SoundKey (£99)
Know a muso who’s always trying to eke every last squeak of a guitar string out of their headphones? Give them a Cyrus SoundKey and its nifty digital-to-analogue converter will unearth new details in that Pavement B-sides compilation in no time at all. Plug this portable widget into a phone or laptop and it’ll cut out a ton of nasty signal noise, no problem.
Garmin Varia Rearview Radar (£99.99)
Even if a cyclist is highly attuned to the unexpected antics of cars, buses and wildlife, there’s not much they can do about being hit from behind by a ticked-off Santa who’s speeding home for Christmas. This smart rear light has built-in radar system, which senses vehicles approaching from up to 140m behind. Once a vehicle is detected, the light brightens and flashes to warn the driver, while also notifying the rider via the optional Radar Display.
Buy a Garmin Varia Rearview Radar here
Smarter iKettle 3 (£99.99)
Heckling relatives for a fresh pot of festive coffee is likely to put you high on Santa’s naughty list. Heckling the iKettle 3, on the other hand, might make it seem like you’ve had too much brandy, but will deliver boiling water as you want it. Back with IFTTT and Alexa integration, the third iteration of this connected kettle can be boiled from anywhere in the world via the Smarter App.
Jam Heavy Metal (£64)
The first time you press the on/off button on this aubergine-sized Bluetooth speaker, a nice lady says “Powering on” with such weight and clarity that for a second you’ll think someone has just walked into the room. When you put on some music, you might even swear a real band has turned up – which is weird because John Coltrane has been dead since 1967.
Amazon Kindle (£59.99)
Amazon’s latest entry-level Kindle offering is its best budget model yet. At 167 ppi, this Kindle’s screen has around half the pixels of Amazon’s next comparable Kindle, the Paperwhite. That said, it costs almost half as much and it’s thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with a battery life that’ll outlast even the lengthiest tome.
Leatherman OHT (£92.94)
When you’ve got a grizzly by the scruff and you’re scrabbling for your toothpick to remove a seed from the beast’s grill (thereby becoming fast friends and securing a lucrative TV deal), you’ll be glad you have this military grade multi-tool: all of its blades can be accessed with one hand. Bear-illiant.
Lenco L-85 (from £99.99)
The vinyl revival is here to stay, so if you’re not on board already, it’s time to start stocking up on 12in records. Lenco’s L-85 is a great way to get started: simply plug in some speakers and you’re good to go. It’ll keep 21st-century music lovers happy, too, thanks to a built-in USB port for ripping vinyl to MP3. Plus, it comes in lime green. What’s not to like?
Nokia 3310 (£54)
Want to remind your retro-loving friend just how much better off we are with our Samsung Galaxy S8s and iPhone Xs? Buy them one of Nokia’s rebooted 3310s (now with added 3G). It’s exactly the kind of thing you’d love to receive as a gift but don’t want to buy yourself, and like all good Christmas presents it’ll be back in its box before the day is out.
Olloclip Core Lens Set (£99.99)
Olloclip knows a thing or two about Apple add-ons and this nifty kit is one of its best to date. Comprising four parts, including an on-phone mount for quick swapping, the three lenses offer fisheye, super-wide and macro capacities – covering just about every eventuality. It works with both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and is also backwards compatible with the 7 and 7 Plus.
Buy an Olloclip Core Lens Set here
Oral-B Genius 9000 (£99.99)
We have smart phones, smart TVs and even smart toasters. All, though, pale in comparison to this toothbrush from Oral-B – a genius of oral hygeine. Literally: it’s in the name. As well as keeping your gnashers pearly white, it’ll talk to your phone via the Oral-B app and offer feedback on your brushing technique. Does your dentist have Bluetooth? No, thought not.
Buy an Oral-B Genius 9000 here
Parker: Your Augmented Reality Bear by Seedling (£59.95)
Parker looks like your typical teddy: plush fur, shiny eyes, etc, etc. But point an iPhone or iPad at him and the magic of AR gives him life, albeit in a rather sickly way. You see Parker is unwell, and your child’s task is to make him better by playing a variety of games and using the included accessories. Winnie the who now?
Buy Parker: Your Augmented Reality Bear here
Penclic KB3 (£79.99)
iPhone users used to get all the best accessories but the Penclic KB3 is a keyboard that Android fans can remove from their bags without embarrassment. The case is made of aluminium, so not only is it lightweight, it’s hard-wearing, too, plus the low-profile keys are quiet enough that you won’t disturb your fellow keyboard warriors in the cafe.
RiutBag R10.3 (£99)
Big cities are full of distractions. Look! A man playing Africa by Toto on a traffic cone. Over there! A policeman’s dancing to it. And, hey! Isn’t that your laptop that man’s running off with? Riutbag’s hidden zip sits against your back, keeping your kit safe from light-fingered pick pockets, while you’re busy gawking at stuff with the rest of the tourists.
Sphero Battle-worn BB-8 and Force Band (£99.96)
Not since the union of Lucas and film has there been a more glorious pairing than that of Sphero and BB-8. Back with an all-new battle-worn paint job – trundling around the sands of Jakku takes its toll on one’s appearance – this collector’s edition also includes the new Force Band, which allows you to control the chirpy little ball of joy with hand gestures.
Buy a Battle-worn BB-8 and Force Band here
Tabcat (from £69.99)
A whole roast chicken has disappeared from the kitchen table and the cat hasn’t been seen since. But how can you give Jehoshaphat a stiff talking-to if you don’t know where he is? Fortunately, he’s wearing his Tabcat tracking tag – and you’ve got the directional handset that will pick up the signal and lead you straight to his drumstick-strewn lair.
Technology Will Save Us Gamer Kit (£89.99)
The Gamer Kit lets your kids snap, bolt and clip parts together to create a GameBoy-style handheld. Basic Snake and Flappy Bird-esque games are included, but the real fun comes in coding your own. It’s available in a non-soldered version if you really want to get your hands dirty.
Buy a Technology Will Save Us Gamer Kit here
Teenage Engineering PO-32 Tonic (£85)
Teenage Engineering’s calculator-like mini-synths have been charming the undercrackers off us since 2015, and now the range has expanded to seven models with the PO-32 Tonic drum sequencer. If that’s beyond your budget, the others start from around £50 – we particularly recommend the PO-20 Arcade, which pumps lo-fi ’80s gaming sounds through its titchy built-in speaker.
Buy a Teenage Engineering PO-32 Tonic here
Under Armour Speedform Gemini 3 Record-Equipped (£89)
Sometimes, runners just want to sprint free from the faff of fitness bands and smartphones. These trainers come with a Bluetooth foot pod for tracking distance, speed and pace, which will automatically fire a record of the workout to the Map My Run app when they get in. And, unlike sports watches, you don’t need to charge them either: the sensor will last for the lifetime of the shoes – or around 500 miles of pavement pounding.
Buy a pair of Under Armour Speedform Gemini 3 Record-Equipped here
Walli Smart Wallet (£89.99)
“You’d forget your head if it wasn’t screwed on,” your mum used to say, and while that statement displays a startling misunderstanding of human biology, mums are always right. If you know someone who’s constantly having to replace their bank cards, a Walli has Bluetooth and an accompanying app that’ll warn them if they leave it behind. It also works the other way, so you can tap the Walli and it’ll make your phone beep.
Wingscapes Digital Wildlife Camera (£89.95)
They come as soon as you’re alseep. Owls, bats, foxes, hedgehogs, all sorts – and they party hard. If only you had some hard evidence, you could get the council to send them a formal warning… but how, when they’re so easily spooked? Well, you could always ask Santa for this motion-triggered, tree-mountable wildlife cam from Wingscapes, which does video and 8MP stills.
Buy a Wingscapes Digital Wildlife Camera here
