Top Gifts for Under $75

The Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Loft pillow is made of shredded memory foam and earns an Excellent rating in our tests for support, no matter your size and whether you sleep on your side or back. It comes with extra foam so that you can adjust the filling to your liking. The Coop also keeps its shape well, showing little or no change in height or fluffiness in our resilience tests. Our panel of testers liked the look and feel of this pillow, too. The only test where this pillow falls slightly short is in how well it allows air to circulate. It sleeps slightly warm, so your head might feel a little sweaty at night.

For more options: Best Pillows

Noise-canceling true wireless earbuds at a stocking stuffer price? No, that’s neither a joke nor a typo. The 1More ComfoBuds Pro channel Apple’s AirPods in terms of styling, and our testers report that they’re not far off in terms of performance at a small fraction of the price. You might even think about a second pair so you can treat yourself to your favorite holiday tunes.

For more options: Best Headphones Under $100

The Sennheiser HD 250BT headphones are a relative newcomer but make a mark for providing very good sound at a bargain price. The HD 250BT is an over-ear set with a sleek appearance and a price that often dips below $70, making this one of the best values among Bluetooth headphones in our ratings.

It has controls for volume, calls, and playback, a smartphone app for equalizer adjustments, and an advertised 25-hour battery life. It also charges over USB-C, the same cable that powers newer Mac laptops and tons of other devices. Sennheiser is a winner for reliability and owner satisfaction, too, earning superb ratings in both categories.

For more options: Best Headphones Under $100

The Nest Audio has undergone a visual transformation, with its new rounded rectangle form replacing a predecessor that resembled an air freshener. Under that new skin resides an all-new speaker design, with a separate tweeter and woofer replacing the single driver of the outgoing Google Home. Alexa smart speakers have a wider variety of skills, but some users find Google’s search to be smarter and its voice-recognition features to be more natural and easier to use.

Though the company touted the Nest Audio’s sonic performance, our testers found that the gains in sound quality are modest. The Nest Audio has enough volume for a midsized room, but the midrange is a little hazy and there’s some sizzle in the high frequencies. Overall, however, the sound is satisfying, especially for the money.

For more options: Best Smart Speakers Under $200

This cylindrical Bluetooth speaker from JBL is a CR Smart Buy for its attractive combination of good performance and low price. It’s available in six colors and a number of patterns, including camouflage. Our testers found the sound quality to be good. Two units can be used in stereo; you can fill a room with sound while still paying less than you would for mono speakers. The test team also liked the Flip’s ease of use, including its fuss-free pairing.

For more options: Best Wireless Speakers Under $200

As the name suggests, the Fire HD 8 Plus is a beefed-up version of the Fire HD 8. In addition to the faster processor of its sibling, the HD 8 Plus has 3 gigabytes of memory vs. the regular tablet’s 2GB. It can also be wirelessly charged and has an upgraded 5-megapixel rear camera.

For more options: Best Tablets for $300 or Less

The good-looking Martha Stewart Dutch oven is also attractively priced. It’s a speed demon at heating up water, and the bread we baked came out well, earning a Very Good on that test. It’s pretty easy to clean, but cooking evenness was just middling. Its main downfall is in simmering sauces; it notched a subpar score.

For more options: Best Dutch Ovens

Give the gift of a classic kitchen accessory that will hold up. The Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Baking Pan is the smallest of all the sheet pans in our tests, but at almost 8½ pounds, it weighs the most—by far. In fact, it’s difficult to remove it from the oven with just one hand. On the plus side, it doesn’t warp, and cleanup is easier than it is for other uncoated pans.

For more options: Best Sheet Pans

The Dash Digital Tasti Crisp is small but mighty. At a measured capacity of 1.9 quarts and an overall size of less than a square foot, this 6-pound model is one of the most compact air fryers in our ratings. Still, it ranks among the best. It earns Very Good ratings for controls and cleaning, and excels in our noise test. It has a 1-year warranty, which is typical for most models.

For more options: Best Air Fryers

If you or a loved one just have to use freshly ground coffee beans for every brew, check out the Black+Decker Mill & Brew CM5000B, which features a built-in grinder. This 12-cup brewer performs well in our tests, with a rating of Very Good for carafe handling, and it’s very easy to use and clean. In addition to its grinder, this Black+Decker features a permanent filter, auto-shutoff, brew-strength control, and programming, making it a great countertop model for your daily grind.

For more options: Best Drip Coffee Makers

The Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 features a unique top-mounted motor to turn out snow cone–textured ice for smoothies. While Ninja doesn’t claim this model makes hot soups and juices, it excels at all the main blending tasks. The removable blade makes cleanup easy. Swap out the 6-cup blending jar for its 16-ounce food chopper and the versatile Ninja does an impressive job chopping onions and nuts, and grating cheese. But at just 450 watts, it’s the lowest-powered blender of the bunch.

For more options: Best Blenders Under $100