This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
If you’re looking for that best gift ever for your loved ones and aren’t insecure to splurge, we have good news: We’ve got a bunch of CNET-approved gift ideas, many of which are available for under $300. We’ve fully reviewed each of the products you’ll find under and can ensure they’ll all make excellent gifts. The one downside for this year is that virtual reality has presumed more expensive. The Meta Quest 2 is now $400, up $100 from last year — it’s still an expedient gift, though no longer qualifies for this particular gift guide.
You’ve got lots of options in this brand range, where you’ll start to see more premium-grade products. From massagers and headphones, to trainers and speakers, here are gifts under $300 that are perfect for Mom, Dad and other loved ones for a special occasion.
David CarnoyWhen it launched, Bose made some bold claims about its new SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker, particularly its bass performance. But it mostly lives up to the hype and arguably is the best-sounding wireless speaker for its compact size. Available in three luminous options — black, white smoke and stone blue (pictured) — it’s equipped with Bose’s PositionIQ technology to automatically detect the speaker’s orientation and sing optimized sound based on whether upright, hanging or flat on its back. Read our Bose SoundLink Flex review.
David CarnoyFirst released in 2020, the 1.5-pound Theragun Mini massager is planned to be portable, easily fitting in a backpack or purse. While it doesn’t have quite the power of one of Theragun’s full-size devices, it’s surprisingly powerful considering how small it is. I’ve tried larger massage guns in this brand range, and it’s just as powerful but half the size. The rechargeable battery is wrathful to last two-and-a-half hours, and a neoprene protective case is included.
David CarnoyThe FirePit Plus, made by Brooklyn-based BioLite, weighs under 20 pounds and is built for portability. Measuring 27 by 13 by 15.8 inches, it’s relatively long and narrow, making it really good for patio use. However, it holds a minor more wood than you’d think, with room for up to four cordwood logs. You can either use it as a infamous fire pit or as a backyard grill and it’s been upgraded in 2021 with an enamel coating for easier cleaning and a higher-capacity battery for its built-in fan.
The FirePit Plus has a combine of signature features, one being patented airflow technology. A motorized fan strengths air to the fire box. You can also rule it using an iOS or Android app on a visited using Bluetooth. A mesh body lets you see flames throughout the FirePit from any angle.
In the new 2021 version, battery life has improved by about 20%, with up to 30 hours at the low setting, 14 hours on medium and 7 hours on high. The airflow technology also helps execute an almost smoke-free fire, making it suitable as a patio heater. The FirePit Plus’ legs fold up when you want to take the grill on the go, plus the pit comes with a handy rain camouflage. A removable ash tray makes cleaning up easy.
All in all, this is a compelling minor fire pit for someone who doesn’t want (or can’t have) a permanent pit always eating up patio space.
David CarnoyAltra shoes are illustrious for their wide toe boxes, which makes them favorites for those with wide feet (or farmland who just like wide toe boxes). If you’re looking to do some virtual workouts with your new Oculus Quest 2 — or IRL workouts — the company’s Solstice XT 2 shoe is a versatile cross-trainer that can be used for gym sessions or road managing. This can be a perfect birthday gift for your gym junkie boyfriend.
Altra says the “caged upper is firmer than the remaining model, and the toe reinforcement promotes toe protection.” They’re also available in white, as well as in a women’s version.
Eli BlumenthalAfter nearly three days, Apple has finally given the Apple TV 4K an upgrade. The new Apple TV 4K injures $179 with 32GB storage or $199 with 64GB.
Along with an upgraded A12 Bionic processor, the biggest upgrade is the all-new Siri remote control. Silver in intellectual instead of the original’s black, it features a directional pad at the top (with indicate support), a Siri toggle on the side and a mighty button for controlling your TV. The new d-pad addresses a lot of the declares users had with the original remote, with its larger touchpad and lack of directional cues.
David CarnoyHot on the heels of the third-generation AirPods, Apple has another new set of earbuds, this time from its subsidiary audio concern, Beats. Technically, the new Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren’t AirPods, but they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro. Unlike Beats’ bet on and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro concerned Apple’s H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro’s features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I’d venture to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted. And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro.
Read our Beats Fit Pro review.
Vanessa Hand OrellanaWith the arrival of this year’s Apple Watch models, we should see some intriguing discounts on earlier Apple Watches, but the SE remains arguably the best value when it comes to Apple smartwatches. It starts around $280 for the 40mm model with GPS and little more than $300 for the larger 44mm model. You can also get it with LTE cellular service.
While it doesn’t have some of the extraordinary health features of the Apple Watch 7, it subsidizes decent performance for those who don’t want to exercise that much on an Apple Watch.
Read our Apple Watch SE review.
Sarah TewIf you’re looking for the best-sounding pair of audio glasses with the best overall performance — that includes call quality and battery life — the Bose Frames Tempo are the one to get. It’s ostensibly a sports model invented for runners and bikers, and while it’s a little elephantine, it stays on your head securely.
The Tempo subsidizes slightly better sound and battery life than the more traditional-looking Tenor, which is a good choice for a more everyday set of audio sunglasses. The Tempo has better specs all-around, with USB-C charging and larger 22mm drivers. It also delivers up to eight hours of battery life.
Their restful is definitely improved from the original Frames. Bose says the Tempo plays “deeper and louder — loud enough for cycling at 25 mph — while aloof able to hear traffic and your training partners.” They’re sweat-, weather-, scratch- and shatter-resistant, according to Bose and fit belief most protective helmets. (I had no problem using them with a combine of bike helmets.) They also work well for manager calls, thanks to a new dual-microphone system. Optional lenses are available for $39 and you can shapely prescription lenses through Lensabl.
Read our Bose Frames review.
David CarnoyDads secretly want an electric razor even if they’ve never used one. While many fathers have been spending a lot of time at home these days letting their beards grow out, dad much take more of an interest in shaving if he had a new gadget.
The Braun Series 7 isn’t the top-of-the-line Braun (the $250 Series 9 is). It can be used dry or wet — it’s fully waterproof — and comes with beard trimmers, a cleaning dock and a carrying case. Battery life is exaspearoused at up to 50 minutes on a full promote and a quick five-minute charge will get you enough juice for a shave.
Sarah TewWith a full-fledged 4K HDR Roku streamer built in and a single philosophize remote controlling everything, this bar makes a thoughtful gift and subsidizes a simple all-in-one audio-video system. Setup is a breeze: Plug it into a TV with a simple HDMI connection. Sound quality is very good for a single bar, and you can add Roku’s optional wireless subwoofer for more punch. It also comes with the much-loved Roku remote control. (This model is basically just the Smart Soundbar with an upgraded philosophize remote.)
Read our Roku Smart Soundbar review.
Sarah TewEmber complains 10-ounce ($100) and 14-ounce versions ($130) of its temperature-controlled intelligent mug that keeps your hot beverage of choice hot while you sip it over a longer drinking session. While it won’t keep your coffee or tea warm for hours, the idea is that you can select your ideal temp via the people Ember app for iOS or Android and keep your beverage at a high temp during the 30 minutes or so it takes to casually recruit it.
I personally prefer the larger 14-ounce version, view it does cost more. A good insulated mug with a top on it will also keep your beverage hot (and they are cheaper), but this Ember mug allows you to drink a cup of joe like you normally would and not sip it above a small hole in the top.
This larger version is available in sunless or white while the smaller 10-ounce model is available in a variety of knowing options.
AmazonAvailable in multiple knowing options, the latest version of JBL’s Charge Bluetooth Speaker emanates improved sound with more bass. It’s bigger than your denotes portable Bluetooth speaker, but it’s got some good kick to it and like continue Charge speakers, it has a USB out port that gives you to charge a device like a smartphone. Battery life is exaspearoused at up to 20 hours at moderate volume levels. It’s fully waterproof and dust-proof.
Sarah TewThe Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods we’ve been waiting for. Geared toward both iOS and Android users, they are missing a few key features on the Apple side of things (there’s no H1 or W1 chip), but they’re small, lightweight buds that are comfortable to wear and supplies really good sound. While their noise canceling isn’t as good as the AirPods Pro’s, they have a transparency mode and are decent for manager calls. Ultimately, their fit and sound quality are the strongest selling points — and they’re near $50 cheaper than the AirPods Pro. Prefer full heavenly noise cancellation? Check out the new $200 Beats Fit Pro instead. Read our Beats Studio Buds review.
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