This story is part of Christmas gift guide 2020, CNET's gift selection with expert advice, reviews, and recommendations for the latest tech gifts for you and your family.
Just like everything else in 2020, the vacation will be weird and different This year - and many of us will avoid frequent trips to the store and instead look for gifts online for friends and family.
The range of $ 100-250 could be an ideal place to find a thoughtful gift that brings joy without ruining your gift budget. This holiday season gift guide has a wide variety of ideas for the best gifts under $ 250.
If you want to take your kids offline and away from home, or feel like a kid again, the Traxxas Stampede is cool (and fast) enough to get everyone to look up from their phone. With a top speed of around 48 km / h, this powerful remote-controlled monster truck can roll over a variety of terrains and, thanks to its waterproof electronics, through any mud puddle. I laughed and howled like a 10 year old during my first test drives.
While there's a small learning curve - you'll have to dig into lithium-polymer batteries and charge peripherals - it's no more complicated than setting up a new smartphone. (An entry-level LiPo battery and charger combo costs about $ 60.) Beginners will also benefit from the truck's "training mode" which cuts its considerable speed in half to improve your handling skills. But if you destroy your rig, fine: Traxxas is known for its reasonable parts and repair fees.
The Glow lamp is a very portable, rechargeable night light that is undoubtedly beautiful, easy to set up, and pleasant to use. It has become an integral part of my family's bedtime, and we have two of them now. We use them everyone Night and take her wherever we go. (And that's another thing - they're surprisingly tough.)
Thanks to the built-in gyroscope, flip the Glow to turn it on and off, rotate it to dim it up or down, or shake it to trigger the dim night light setting. The lamp creates a pleasant ambient light - hence the name - that gradually diminishes over 15 to 60 minutes. You can control the span with Casper's streamlined iOS and Android compatible app and set the light to come on in the morning - a kind of inverted night light. Read our Casper Glow preview.
Vanessa Hand Orellana / CNET
The Apple Watch SE is the cheapest Apple Watch ever launched. It has a more powerful processor, a 30% larger Retina display than the Series 3 display, and supports Apple's new Family Setup plan. Amazon's $ 20 discount gets us close enough to $ 250 to include here. The Apple Watch Series 3 is currently retailing for $ 169. This makes it the most cost-effective option in the current range. Read our Apple Watch SE review.
Strike Price: Any discount of $ 30 or moreTyler Lizenby / CNET
I have a small, simple one-zone house where the thermostat only controls the oven. Last year I bought several top-notch smart thermostats and installed and tested them one by one with the help of my neighborhood electrician. The nest was what I kept. Setting it up is a breeze and offers the few features I wanted: planned temperature adjustment, beautiful aesthetics, intuitive user interface and absolute control via iPhone or Android.
The slightly more expensive Ecobee Smart Thermostat, CNET's current top pick for the best smart thermostat, is definitely worth a look. Read our Ecobee Smart Thermostat Review.
