Life

The Best Tech Gifts For Under $100

by Eliza Castile

Let's face it. Barring the insanity of Black Friday, holiday shopping is one of the best things about the season, but only as long as you ignore the steady dwindling of your bank account. Unfortunately, there comes a point every December when you have to step back, listen to the cries of your bank account, and start budgeting. Fortunately, there are plenty of tech gifts under $100 out there on the good old World Wide Web — you just have to know where to look.

Many retailers run sales in the weeks leading up to the holidays, especially during the week after Thanksgiving. Even if you missed out on the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, though, you can still find comparatively cheap tech gifts. Of course, some might point out that "under $100" isn't exactly budget-friendly, but unfortunately, most technology is fairly expensive. So maybe don't plan on buying tech gifts for all your friends and family, but if you want to get something special for your Apple-obsessed best friend or your little sister who understands more about technology than you ever will, you can find something without totally breaking the bank.

And so, without further ado, here are some great tech gifts for under $100.

1. Kano Computer Kit

Kano Computer Kit, $100, Kano

The award-winning (and Karlie Kloss-approved!) Kano computer kit is exactly what it sounds like: a kit for building your own computer. It makes a super cool gift for tech-savvy people of all ages, and right now, it's selling for $100 on the Kano website.

2. Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil for iPad Pro, $85, Amazon

Perfect for anyone with an interest in drawing, the Apple Pencil functions as, well, a pencil. According to Apple, it can sense pressure and tilt, effectively turning the iPad Pro into a canvas.

3. Smartphone Projector

Luckies of London Smartphone Projector, $25, Amazon

This device projects videos at about eight times the size of your phone's screen. It's portable, designed to fit most iPhones and Androids, and doesn't need require battery or electric power.

4. Patterned Battery Pack

Cactus What You Preach Battery Pack in Desert, $20, Modcloth

Battery packs are a lifesaver in the first place, so you might as well get one in an adorable pattern.

5. Portable Keyboard For iPad

Logitech Keys-To-Go Portable Keyboard, $47, Amazon

Bluetooth keyboards for tablets are super useful, and this Logitech keyboard sells for less than $50.

6. Garmin Activity Tracker

Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker + Heart Rate, $99, Amazon

Fitness trackers are hugely popular these days. Garmin's Vivosmart tracker measures your heart rate, distance traveled, steps taken, and more, and it costs less than $100.

7. Victrola Bluetooth Entertainment Center

Victrola VTA-200B Nostalgic Classic 6-in-1 Turntable With Bluetooth, $72, Amazon

This vintage-inspired entertainment center has a built-in bluetooth, so you can play music from any connected device. The coolest part? It also has a radio, CD player, casette player, and a turntable for vinyl records.

8. Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker

Zettaguard ZS100 Portable Wireless Outdoor Shower Bluetooth Speaker, $25, Amazon

For a more portable option, this bluetooth speaker from Amazon is wireless and water-resistant.

9. Amazon Fire Stick

Fire TV Stick With Alexa Voice Remote, $30, Amazon

Your TV-obsessed friend will love Amazon's fire stick, which allows users to stream subscription services on their TV. It also comes with Alexa, Amazon's voice assistant, so they don't have to worry if they left the remote on the other side of the room.

10. Skullcandy Wireless Headphones

Grind Wireless Headphones, $52, Amazon

Now that the iPhone 7 has done away with the headphone jack (may it rest in peace), wireless headphones might finally become cool.

11. Jack Rabbit Headphone Splitter

Jack Rabbit Headphone Splitter, $12, Urban Outfitters

Nothing says you enjoy someone's company more than offering to split your headphones with them.

Images: Pixabay/Pexels, Kano, Apple, Dillard's, Modcloth, Best Buy (2), Amazon (4), Skullcandy, Urban Outfitters