Best tech gifts under $100

Pretty much every man and his dog has an air fryer these days, and for good reason - they’re bloody amazing. If, by some miracle, your foodie friend doesn’t already have one, this budget buy is a great way to indoctrinate them into the air frying cult. They’ll be able to cook healthier versions of just about anything - chips, “fried” chicken, veggies and tons more. And yes, you can even make desserts.

Prefer your food in liquid form? The Nutribullet has come a long way from its humble infomercial beginnings. With a powerful 900W motor, you can blend everything from nuts and seeds to the tough skin of fruit and veg, so there’s no limit to the type of juices, smoothies and soups you can make. It also comes with two different blades, three cups, two cup rings and a to-go lid for when you need a quick brekkie or snack in a pinch.

You could spend thousands on a smartphone with a killer multi-lens camera setup, but if you want photos that’ll stir up some real nostalgia in 10 years time, an Instax Mini camera is what you need. Perfect for capturing happy snaps at parties, weddings and other special occasions, there’s nothing quite like a pocket-sized physical reminder of good times with the people you love.

When it comes to toothbrushes, the world is pretty firmly divided between two camps: electric and manual. But as someone who’s recently defected from team manual, I can confirm that once you go electric, you don’t go back. The Oral B Pro 100 is a good starting point for anyone who hasn’t used an electric brush before. It’s easy to use, comes with a two-minute timer, a charger and travel case, and each charge will last around 8 days if you brush twice a day.

We recently reviewed a whole bunch of the best portable Bluetooth speakers on the market, and JBL consistently came out on top when it came to sound quality and value. The JBL Flip Essential 2 is essentially (sorry) the JBL Flip 5, without a couple of the major bells and whistles. While the Flip 5 delivers louder, bassier sound, speaker linking and two hours of extra battery life, the Essential 2 isn’t a massive compromise, and is actually lighter than the Flip 5 and includes a 3.5mm jack. Win!

Chances are we all know one person who seems to have every new bit of tech. Airpods, the latest Apple Watch, the new iPhone… there’s no device you can get them that they haven’t already got. That’s where a wireless charger comes in. This slim but mighty 10W charging pad can make their life easier and their bedside table way less cluttered. All they have to do is dump all their gadgets on the pad before bed and it’ll all be ready to go by morning. It's one of the best tech gifts an Apple fanboy could ask for.

Give your forgetful friend the gift of Alexa and they’ll have no excuse for arriving late or leaving their wallet at home. The newly-released 5th gen Echo isn’t just a reminder tool, of course. You can also use it to request songs, fetch the weather forecast, catch up on the day’s news and even control other smart devices in your home.