The best gadgets under £30 | Technology


Gilobaby smart robot, £24
Feeling anxious about robots taking over the world? For 24 quid, allay your anxieties by barking simple commands at this gory plastic bot and experiencing triumph as it bends to your every command, from: “Go back” to: “Can you dance?”

Wireless earbuds





Aukey EP-B40 latitude headphones



Aukey EP-B40 Latitude headphones.

Aukey EP-B40 Latitude, £26
Modest looking but great sounding earbuds. Sweat resistant for runners, they feature high-quality aptX Bluetooth and a magnetic clasp that turns them into a chic earbud necklace.

Phone





Nokia 216



‘Daft’: the Nokia 216 is long on value but short on connectivity. Photograph: Nokia

Nokia 216, £29
This daft phone is all about calls and texts; the 2G web connection is only there as a last resort. Useful for digital detoxers, festivals or finding out what predictive texting was.

Over-ear headphones





Soundmagic P22BT headphones.



Soundmagic P22BT headphones. Photograph: Soundmagic P22BT

Soundmagic P22BT, £28
Cheap but rich sounding, these foldable ’phones feature Bluetooth and nice chunky controls.

Bluetooth receiver





TaoTronics Bluetooth receiver



TaoTronics Bluetooth receiver. Photograph: TaoTronics

TaoTrontics, £13
Enjoy some Spotify on your dusty old 80s hi-fi, with this bargain plug-in which gives your wired car stereo, speakers or headphones a Bluetooth upgrade.

Wireless charger





RAVPower fast charge



RAVPower fast charge. Photograph: RAVPower

RAVPower fast charge, £11.99
No-nonsense energy replenishment for Qi-compatible smartphones and devices. Soothing standby and charging LEDs let you know juicing is going well.

Security camera





D-Link DCS-932L/B



D-Link DCS-932L/B. Photograph: D-Link DCS-932L/B

D-Link DCS-932L/B – wifi smart security camera, £29
An inexpensive way to snoop/monitor your family or office using your smartphone. Motion and sound detection alert you to anything or anybody untoward.

Fitness tracker





Xiaomi Band 3



Xiaomi Band 3. Photograph: mi.com

Xiaomi Band 3 Bluetooth activity tracker, £27
An economical way to track your massive efforts. Running, swimming, walking, sleeping – this band can track them all for 20 days without a recharge.

Smart lightbulbs





Teckin smart bulb



Teckin smart bulb. Photograph: Teckin smart bulb

Teckin LED wifi bulbs, £24 for two
Achieve total control of your lighting domain – operate these bulbs via your smartphone or just speak to them via the medium of Alexa or Google Home. The makers claim they will last more than 27 years.

Cooking thermometer





TopElek kitchen cooking thermometer



TopElek kitchen cooking thermometer. Photograph: TopElek

TopElek kitchen cooking thermometer, £6
From baby’s milk to T-bone steaks, ensure your edibles are temperature optimised with this six-inch, stainless steel probe.

Card reader





iZettle card reader



iZettle card reader. Photograph: www.izettle.com

iZettle, £29
Up your car boot sale game with this PayPal-backed processor of contactless and card payments. Street-food stalls, busking, poker debts… its uses are endless.

Camera





Lomography disposable camera



Lomography B&W disposable camera. Photograph: lomography.com

Lomography B&W disposable camera, £15.90
Experience the wonders of pre-digital photography and produce some arty B&W content that will be difficult to upload to Instagram. The back of the camera includes important instructions about “how to wind the film on” and “get it developed”. Whatever that means.

Electronic measure





Aras laser distance meter



Aras laser distance meter. Photograph: Aras

Aras laser distance meter, £21
Length, area, volume and even complex Pythagorean stuff – this handy gadget can calculate distances and more up to 40m.

Fan





John Lewis foldable fan



John Lewis foldable fan. Photograph: John Lewis

John Lewis foldable fan, £12
For your desk, public transport or any other over-heated situation. Three speeds, very quiet and can be powered from your computer.

Bluetooth speaker





Tribit XSound Go



Tribit XSound Go. Photograph: Tribit XSound Go

Tribit XSound Go, £25
Whichever tiny measurement you judge it by – 380g, 170mm or £25 – this inexpensive boom tube crams a lot in: crystal-clear sound, water resistance and a battery offering a luxuriant 24 hours of music playback.

Cable





Anker powerline+ II



Anker powerline+ II. Photograph: Anker

Anker powerLine+ II, £13
Available in all the USB and connector combos you dream of, these cables also come with a lifetime warranty. Various braided colourways are available too.

Mouse





Microsoft Bluetooth mobile mouse



Microsoft Bluetooth mobile mouse. Photograph: Microsoft

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600, £24
Bluetooth, track control, aeons of battery life and compatible with most modern Windows, Android and OS X operating systems. Controls cursors, arrows and highlighters with aplomb.

Bluetooth keyboard





Logitech K380 multi-device keyboard.



Logitech K380 multi-device keyboard Photograph: Logitech

RRP £40; available for under £30
Solid, pleasing construction, feels nice under-finger – you can even multi-task up to three devices at once.

Wifi extender





TP-Link wifi range extender



TP-Link wifi range extender. Photograph: TP-Link

TP-Link RE200 AC750, £23
If the broadband is flagging around your spacious abode, dot one or three of these gizmos for a seamless, no-drop internet experience.

Blender





Breville VBL214



Breville VBL214. Photograph: Breville VBL214

Breville VBL214 Blend Active ColourMix blender, RRP £40; available for £30
Tired of pouring stuff from your blender into your drinking bottle? Breville have fixed that, juicing, blending and smoothifying stuff directly in the beaker. A breakthrough technology.

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