Top Gifts Under $50
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Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.
Do you have a price point in mind but aren't quite sure what to buy that special someone this holiday season? Consumer Reports put together a series of gift guides that are grouped by price. Here, we focus on some of the top-rated products of 2018 for under $50. Don't forget to check our Top Gifts Under $100 and Top Gifts Under $200.
Go to Consumer Reports' 2018 Holiday Central for updates on deals, expert product reviews, insider tips on shopping, and much more.
Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote
Amazon's entry-level streaming player retains the rectangular stick-style design of its predecessor, and it's among the least expensive streamers you can buy. It's a 1080p HD model and lacks some of the features you'll find on its pricier sibling—such as 4K HDR video and Dolby Atmos sound—but it's a solid, lower-priced performer with a decent amount of content. Its biggest plus, though, is the Alexa voice remote, which can be used to find, launch, and control content.
Shure SE112
This model from Shure—the lowest-priced one from this brand in our ratings—delivers very good sound quality, especially for its price. These earphones have an isolating design, so they will muffle some external noise and limit the amount of sound that escapes from the earpieces. This highly portable model is best-suited for those who want some isolation from outside noises or those who don't want the sound from the earpieces to disturb others.
Red Copper Nonstick
A CR Best Buy combining performance and an appealing price, this 10-inch nonstick pan is made of aluminum, and the nonstick coating is copper-colored. The pan turns out evenly cooked food that easily slides out of the pan. The nonstick coating proved fairly durable in our tests. The handle, however, isn't very sturdy but does stay cool to the touch.
Hamilton Beach 12-cup Programmable 49465R
This unassuming, inexpensive Hamilton Beach coffee maker might be easy to miss, but it can brew a mean cup of joe at a fantastic price. In a basic black plastic finish, it has the essentials—it’s programmable and offers auto-shutoff—and offers solid brew performance in a decent time frame (10 minutes). Hamilton Beach machines even earn a Very Good rating for predicted reliability. At around $25, this simple model will get the job done.
Cuisinart Power Advantage HM-50
In our lab tests, this nicely priced hand mixer outperformed models costing twice as much. It’ll turn whipping cream into fluffy peaks in seconds. Stiff cookie dough, which undoes many bargain mixers, proved no problem. You won’t get much in the way of add-ons, but its wire beaters do just fine.
Hunter QLS-03
Hermetically sealed hotel rooms can have notoriously dry air. This petite, packable humidifier is small enough to stash in your suitcase and sit on your nightstand, quietly adding much needed water vapor to the air. It mists in any direction you want, and because the tank is an inverted water bottle, all you have to take along is the base.
Bell Traverse
A good helmet is essential for anyone riding a bike, and the Bell Traverse is a great pick. It's a fraction of the price of helmets with similar performance, and outshines many much more expensive models. The Bell Traverse is rated Excellent on impact absorption (how well it will protect your head if you fall), ventilation, and ease of use while still coming in at just under $30. It's also lightweight and comes with adjustable straps and a one-year warranty.
More from Consumer Reports:
Top pick tires for 2016
Best used cars for $25,000 and less
7 best mattresses for couples
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