Under-$25 Tech Gifts for Last-Minute Christmas Shopping
Small tech gifts under $25, from AirTags and a Roku stick to a Kodak disposable camera, plus the trade-offs worth checking before you buy.
Every household ends up with a gift drawer it never planned for. Someone turns up with a bottle of wine, a party invite lands on the afternoon of the party, and suddenly you're scanning the shelves at the gas station. A small tech gadget that costs less than a takeaway lunch handles that moment better than a wilting bouquet, and it doesn't need much room to store.
The picks below all sit comfortably under $25 and cover a few different types of recipient. Some are for the friend who loses everything. Some are for anyone who's nostalgic about the early 2000s. A few are plain useful. The trade-offs matter as much as the price, so I've flagged the catches for each one.
Trackers for the friend who loses everything
Trackers are the easiest gift to get right, as long as you know which phone the recipient carries. For iPhone owners, the second-generation AirTag is the one I'd pick. It has a wider Find My range than the original, a much louder chime, and the same design, so existing AirTag accessories still fit. It also adds Apple Watch support, keeps the same security and privacy features, and the price hasn't moved. The one complaint is that it only comes in white.
Android users get the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, which covers the same basic job of keeping tabs on keys or a bag. Check the recipient's phone before buying, because a tracker only works well inside its own ecosystem.
If the forgetful friend is also the one who wonders whether the dog got fed, the Blink Mini 2K+ is a sensible fit. It's a small plug-in indoor camera with 2K video, night vision, enhanced audio and motion detection. It's competitively priced, but there are real limits. It has to sit near a power source, it only connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and full functionality requires a monthly subscription. Know that before you wrap it.
Retro picks for Y2K fans
Yes, Y2K is retro now, and a few cheap throwbacks land well with people who lived through it the first time. The Casio F-91W-style digital watch (model F-91WM-7A) is the classic choice: a simple quartz face with a casual metal-and-resin look that suits almost anyone's wrist.
The Kodak FunSaver 35mm single-use camera is the film option. It's a good pick for events and for anyone who wants to slow down and take fewer, more deliberate photos. The Tamagotchi Original in the Starry Shower finish, from Bandai, brings back the virtual pet that kept a generation checking a tiny screen between classes.
For wired nostalgia, the Apple EarPods with USB-C plug are hard to beat on price. They have an elegant design and a controller that handles music, calls and volume well. The trade-offs are clear, though. The audio won't blow anyone away, instrument separation is weak, and outside noise leaks in easily. If the recipient's phone has a headphone jack instead, you can buy an adaptor, so check which connector they need.
Audio for the whole family
The JBL Junior 320 kids' headphones are the sensible pick for younger listeners. They're wired and volume-limited, which matters if you'd rather not have a child's ears take the full brunt of a loud volume setting. They also come with a built-in mic, a foldable design for school bags, a 3.5mm jack and customizable stickers, so the recipient can make them their own.
For adults and teens, the IKEA Kallsup portable Bluetooth speaker is a low-stakes gift. It won't compete with a premium speaker on sound, but it's cheap, easy to take outside and cheerful in yellow-green. Set expectations accordingly and it's a pleasant surprise.
Practical gear that actually gets used
A power bank is one of those gifts people forget they need until their phone is at 3%. The Belkin 10,000mAh 20W model has an integrated USB-C cable and a second USB-C port, so it can charge two devices at once. That's useful for anyone who travels or spends long days away from a socket.
The Roku Streaming Stick HD is the streaming pick, and it's a good one if the recipient has a TV without smart features. It's cheap, draws power from the TV's USB port, and the Roku interface is simple to navigate. The catches are a slight lag when you move through menus and no support for 4K or HDR. Check the TV has a free HDMI input before buying.
Smart LED strips are the gift that changes a room for very little money. The Govee RGBIC strip is 32.8 feet long, runs multiple colours along a single line, and offers app control with useful timer and wake-up features. The downsides are Bluetooth-only control and mounting tape that's fairly generic. Anyone who installs one should consider better adhesive for their wall type.
What to check before you buy
Most of these gifts work well on their own, but a few depend on something the recipient already has. Trackers need the right phone. The Blink camera needs a 2.4GHz network and a nearby outlet, and it needs the subscription if you want the full feature set. The Roku stick needs a TV with an HDMI port. A quick look at the recipient's setup will save you a return trip.
The sweet spot is the gift that fits a specific person's habit, not the one that's merely cheap. A tracker for someone who keeps misplacing keys, or a power bank for someone who lives on their phone, will get far more use than a novelty item. Buy for the habit, wrap it quickly, and the emergency drawer becomes a small, useful stash for next year too.
