Christmas gift guide: The best tech gifts for under £50

Christmas looms ahead of us like piling mounds of leftover turkey on Boxing Day, and if you haven't given that shopping list a thought yet, it's time to get cracking. Fortunately, 2016 has been a great year for tech (if not much else), meaning there's sure to be something out there to appease the the gadget-lovers in your life.

From virtual reality headsets to streaming sticks, speakers and mini-consoles, IBTimes UK has rounded up some of the best hi-tech stocking fillers for Christmas 2016.

Mega Drive Classic - £49.99

Nintendo's NES Classic sold out within hours after going on sale last month, however you can still grab yourself Sega's miniature Mega Drive, which comes with 80 built-in titles as well as a port that takes original Mega Drive cartridges. Act quickly, as it's expected to be a best-seller amongst retro gamers this Christmas.

Amazon Fire TV stick with voice remote - £33.20

Amazon's new Fire TV stick comes with support for the Alexa virtual assistant, which you can use to launch apps and find films for you, check local film times, order a taxi, give you the news headlines and take advantage of the many other internet-enabled abilities the virtual helper has to offer. Its programming isn't just limited to Amazon's library either: you can stream shows from BBC iPlayer, ITV and Netflix, amongst others.

Spotify Gift Card

You can't fully appreciate the difference ad-free listening makes until you try it. If a one-year subscription at £15.99 per month is a little rich for your blood, why not give your loved one some money off the cost with a gift card? Spotify's stocking-fillers come in £10, £30, £50 and £60 denominations, meaning you can spend according to your budget – or how much the recipient means to you.

Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa - £49.99

The Amazon Echo Dot is essentially a miniature version of the Echo smart speaker, except for the fact that whereas the Echo is a speaker in itself, the Dot needs to be connected to one you already own. Once hooked up however, the £50 device offers exactly the same capabilities as its larger sibling, putting the Alexa digital assistant on-hand to tell you the weather, search the internet, set reminders and alarms and play music for you.

Homido VR headset - £47.99

Google's Daydream VR is far and away the best virtual reality headset you can get for less than £100, but if you can't spare the extra £19 or otherwise own an iPhone, Homido's £49.99 universal headset makes for a good substitute. It's better-made than a lot of the bargain Google Cardboard cannon-fodder you can find online and sports an adjustable head-strap and a variety of focal length and view-of-view options.

Cygnett Portable Power Bank - £31.99

Portable batteries are ideal for smartphone power-users on the go, offering a convenient way to top up your smartphone's battery when you can't get to a power outlet. This 10,000mAh offering from Cygnett can hold enough power for up to four full smartphone charges before it needs charging itself, and is capable of powering two devices at once.

Nodus Compact Wallet - £44.99

Despite being the size of a card-holder, this wallet still holds enough room for cash and up to four bank cards. The stand-out feature however is an integrated radio-frequency identification (RFID) blocker that lets you make contactless payments with the wallet without having to worry about card clash.

Chromecast Audio - £30

Chromecast Audio lets you stream music from your smartphone, laptop or mobile device to any speaker with an auxiliary port. Just plug in the dongle, connect your device using Google's Home app and from there you can stream music from Spotify, Apple Music and myriad other services to the speaker over your home's Wi-Fi connection.

Russell Hobbs Brew & Go Coffee Maker - £29.99

This personal coffee maker from Russell Hobbs brews coffee from grounds or pods directly into a removable travel mug. It features a timer, meaning it can be programmed to have your cup of joe standing by the moment you wake up and making it ideal for those who like to take a coffee with them on their morning commute.

Creative MUVO mini Bluetooth speaker - £34.99

Its looks may not be to everyone's taste, but Creative's MUVO Bluetooth speaker is one of the best money can buy for under £50. Not only it is capable of great sound but it's also water-resistant, and has a built-in microphone that lets it double as a speakerphone for calls. Meanwhile, a 10-hour battery life makes for plenty of party time, no matter the weather.