Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Tech Gifts Under $250

Technology can be pricey. But it doesn’t have to be excessive. And that’s why I compiled a quick list of good tech to buy that someone special for the holidays this year.

Ekster’s sleek, space-grade aluminum Eclipse smart wallet ($99) has a white, matte look during the day and transforms to a mesmerizing green glow in the dark. It comes with a fast ejection button that fans out up to 12 credit cards for easy access, and also can hold cash via the metal backplate and elastic band and features a hidden spot for it Tracker Card – making it virtually impossible to lose or misplace.

Maybe not the most techy product, but MORALVE’s Space Saving Hanger ($27/2-pack) sports a clever, 5-tier collapsible hanger design that’s perfect to streamline any closet and give you about four times more space. Made with premium quality beech wood for durable and sturdy organization that’s built to last. Its 360 swivel design makes hanging items including pants, scarves and more. What impresses me most is the patented 360-degree swivel hook that lets me easily load or unload items. Each hanger also features non-slip coating so that clothes never come sliding off.

Earlier this year, I reviewed the L’OR Coffee + Espresso single-serve machine ($199). Now the brand just launched it in a new satin blanc colorway. It uses high-pressure brewing to deliver cafe-quality drinks at home. Each cup is topped with a velvety crema. What I liked about the machine was its sleek, compact footprint and its ability to brew Nespresso pods. It has automatic capsule recognition technology that brews six different sizes.

For children, I really like the new Fire HD 10 Kids tablet ($190) that’s specifically designed for 3- to 7-year olds. It’s a 10.1-inch tablet that’s light and fast with a 1080p full HD display, 3GB of RAM, 5MP camera, and up to 13-hours of battery life. Disney fans can also choose a Disney bundle for it that comes with a Mickey Mouse or Disney Princess kid-friendly case. It also comes with 12 months of Amazon Kids+ included. And it’s safe for kids to use, because of the restrictions already on it But parents can use filters to adjust the content to match their child’s age, so they can enjoy this tablet for years to come. Plus it’s sturdy enough to stand up to the way kids tend to treat things.

Give some peace of mind this season. SimpliSafe’s Video Doorbell Pro ($170) is ideal for anyone wanting to enhance doorstep security and has packages arriving often. With a super wide field of view, they’ll be able to see everything happening out front from the comfort of their phone. It’s designed to work with doorbells on almost any type of home. It works with the most common doorbell wiring, and is compatible with any 8-24V AC transformer. Measuring just 4.35 x 1.35 x 1.12 inches, it ignores car motion and rather looks for people.

The perfect gift of safety for e-bikers or those who glide along on electric scooters, Bern’s lightweight Hudson helmet ($140) is an award-winner that delivers a low-profile style while meeting e-bike NTA 8776 safety standards. Think more protection, less bulk, and added visibility with literally a snap using Bern’s integrated click-mount light. The Hudson also received a five-star rating from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. Twist the dial to adjust for a custom fit that’s snug and secure. An integrated LED light adds up to 6.6 lumens of visibility, and is micro-USB rechargeable.

Not the sexiest gift, but Crucial’s X10 Pro 1TB Portable SSD ($120) may be the fastest portable external hard drive your recipient will have ever seen. It’s great for editing videos on, as anyone can blaze through workload without dropping frames and even edit, trim and render directly from the drive. It comes in an anodized aluminum frame with a rubberized soft-touch base in a mini 65mm x 50mm design that includes a drive activity light in the integrated lanyard hole.

TCL’s NXTPAPER 11 tablet ($230) helps mitigate the negative effects of extended screen time by reducing harmful blue light by up to 61 percent. Its matte, textured screen offers a paper-like visual experience, reminiscent of an e-reader. And it offers a clear viewing in any light condition or at any angle with 500 nits of brightness. The 8MP front wide-angle camera – along with quad speakers and dual microphones – makes it nice for video calls. Adaptive brightness detects ambient light conditions and adjusts the display brightness and color tone, providing a comfortable viewing experience. Reading mode also helps relieve visual fatigue. Its battery lasts all day, while up to 32GB of internal memory is expandable up to 1TB via a MicroSD card that you need to purchase separately.