Gifting your favorite jet-setter with a two-week vacation in Madrid or even Cabo might be an amazing stocking stuffer this holiday season. But, let's face it: not all of us have deep enough pockets to send our loved ones to exotic lands.
You might, however, just have around $100 (or maybe a little more) to spend, and that's enough for an excellent accessory every traveler will love and find useful.
We've found some of the best and most affordable ones for every type-the music lover, the frequent flyer and even the backpacker-so you can give the best gift minus the steep price:
For the Music/Movie Lover:
A good pair of headphones is pivotal for travelers who enjoy using long flights and dull airport waits to listen to music and catch up on the latest flicks. For iPhone 7 users, Pioneer's lightning-powered Rayz Plus earphones, which come in four colors including rose gold on white, is a powerful set in a compact package.
The earphones deliver a cleaner and better sound from the digital signal it receives. It also has simultaneous charging capability-so you can listen/talk and charge at the same time-a noise canceling feature and the "Smart Mute" function that automatically mutes its six built-in microphones when the user isn't talking, making it perfect for airport conversations.
Other excellent features include auto pause, calibration, software updates through the app and the capability to trigger Siri. These retail at only $150.
For the Frequent Flyer:
Frequent flyers need proper luggage for their travels: sturdy yet lightweight, beautiful yet efficient and minimalist in design but not in features. Enter New York-based luggage company Away and its line of gorgeous and super functional luggage, which starts at only $225.
Away's suitcases come in many different shades and four different sizes-from carry-on to herculean. They are made of a flexible shell with a scratch-free, easy to clean feature. That already means a lot to a frequent flyer: We all know how careless airlines are with our luggage!
They're also lightweight, making them easier to lug around. Plus, they have cool features like a TSA-approved lock, 360-degree rotating wheels that move quite effortlessly and a built-in battery with USB ports so you can charge on the go. Best of all, they fit a whole lot more than you'd expect, which means you can travel "light."
For the Shutter Bug:
These days, it is almost impossible to find a traveler that doesn't take photos. Photographs are a good way to document and even relive experiences, after all. An even more fun way to capture one's travels is with an instant camera, which also satisfies the need for instant gratification.
There are a number of instant cameras on the market, but an excellent choice is Lomography's Lomo'Instant Automat. This model, which uses the Instax mini film, is a great, middle-of-the-road camera so that both novices and experts will find it easy to use.
For a cheap, plastic camera, it's surprisingly packed with features. Different shooting modes and settings are available: close-up for selfies, portrait and landscape; flash, no flash; long exposure; and double exposure. It even has a shutter release that you can control remotely.
For the Snorkeling Enthusiast:
No tropical beach vacation is complete without a snorkeling excursion. And of course, an amazing snorkeling experience must be captured on camera.
While there are exceptional GoPros and underwater cameras on the market, an alternative for those who prefer to travel light or do not care for such gadgets is a waterproof phone case. For iPhone users, there's Catalyst's durable and well-made waterproof case.
Retailing from $70, depending on the model, these cases are easy to install and functional. Best of all, they're super effective in protecting one's phone in up to 33ft (10m) of water and come with a wrist lanyard.
It does include limitations such as having less control of the screen when wet. Still, it turns the iPhone into a great and easy-to-use underwater tool, producing crisp photos and high-quality videos.
For the Road Tripper:
It's easy to get sucked into eating fast food when racking up miles on land. Good nutrition is scarce on the road, and travelers can end up eating their weight in empty calories and bad carbs.
This is why it's always good to pack homemade lunches on road trips. They're healthier and certainly huge money savers. For the avid road tripper, a perfect and inexpensive gift would be a lunch box from Black+Blum's prime line of food containers, which feature different designs in vibrant color trims.
These sleek, easy to use and carry lunch boxes encourage portion control and well-balanced meals as they come with compartments. They are designed spill-free as well, which makes them excellent for road trips. The cheapest one retails at $12, but the Box Appetit at $25 comes with a sauce pot. The Lunch Pot, also at $25, keeps soups from leaking.
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