Buying guide
What does £50 buy that £20 does not?
Brands you recognise and things built to last a few years. Under £20, gifts tend to be small extras: candles, a satin pillowcase, a book light. Between £20 and £50 the same lists start to show Samsung, Anker, Philips, LEGO, VTech and BLACK+DECKER, and the picks become things people use daily rather than enjoy once.
The best way to spend this budget is on one good item. Two £20 gifts rarely land as well as one £40 gift that does its job properly. Everything below sits above £20 and up to £50 on our ranked gift lists at today’s UK prices.
Gifts under £50 for her
A heated throw, first and most often. The PROALLER reversible throw appears on ten of our gift lists, from gifts for women to gifts for a new mum, and it costs around £25. It is used every winter evening, which is more than most presents manage.
If she is close to family, the Humblestead 10-inch WiFi photo frame, ranked first on the 50th birthday gifts for her list, comes in at £40 to £50. For the sister or girlfriend who does her hair each morning, the Revlon One-Step Style Booster is around £30 and sits on gifts for sister. A teenager who already straightens her hair is well served by the Remington Shine Therapy S8500 from gifts for teenage girls.
Perfume fits the budget too, but only buy Marc Jacobs Daisy from gifts for wife if you know it is her kind of scent.
Gifts under £50 for him
Practical kit he would not replace himself. The Philips Multigroom 3000, around £25, tops gifts for men because one tool covers beard, hair, nose and ears. The Anker Soundcore 2 speaker, around £30, is on five lists including gifts for brother, and it is rated IPX7, so it can go to the garden or the beach.
For a dad, gifts for dad has the AstroAI B8 jump starter at around £30 and a BLACK+DECKER 18V hammer drill for the dad whose old one no longer holds a charge. For a milestone birthday, a cocktail smoker kit or a whisky decanter set at around £40 suits the 40th birthday gifts for him and 50th birthday gifts for him lists. Golfers get a 270cm putting mat, on the gifts for golfers list as a winter practice gift.
Gifts under £50 for children and teenagers
This is where £50 goes furthest. For toddlers, the LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box tops toys for 2-year-olds, and the VTech First Steps walker leads toys for 1-year-olds. A 100-piece magnetic tile set is the first pick for toys for 3-year-olds.
For school-age children, the VTech Marble Rush set on gifts for 5-year-old boys gets rebuilt for months. A beginner drone with one-button take-off leads gifts for 8-year-old boys, and the LEGO Technic Ducati tops gifts for 10-year-old boys. The VTech KidiZoom Duo FX is the overall pick on kids’ cameras, and the BIGGERFIVE Vigor 3 on kids’ smartwatches counts steps and sleep with no SIM and no monthly bill.
Teenagers who game are easy at this budget: the Logitech G305 wireless mouse on gifts for teenage boys, or the Turtle Beach Recon 70 headset, which leads gifts for 12-year-old boys and works across Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Under £50 at a glance
| Who it suits | Pick | Where to find it | Budget band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mum, wife or sister | PROALLER heated throw | gifts for mum | around £25 |
| Him, any age | Philips Multigroom 3000 | gifts for men | around £25 |
| Coffee lover | AeroPress Original | coffee gifts | £35 to £40 |
| Retired parent | SOLIOM bird feeder camera | retirement gifts | just under £50 |
| Golfer | Callaway Supersoft, 12 balls | gifts for golfers | around £25 |
| 2-year-old | LEGO DUPLO Deluxe Brick Box | toys for 2-year-olds | £30 to £35 |
| 10-year-old | LEGO Technic Ducati | gifts for 10-year-old boys | £35 to £40 |
| New home | Topline cheese board set | housewarming gifts | around £30 |
Hobbies and the home
Pick the one thing a hobby wears out or lacks. A dozen Callaway Supersoft balls lead gifts for golfers, because they will be lost by spring. The AeroPress tops coffee gifts as the safest pick for anyone who likes coffee. Campers get a portable stove from gifts for campers, and gardeners or bird watchers the SOLIOM camera from gardening gifts. For a reader who likes making things, a DIY book nook kit sits on gifts for book lovers.
How we pick
We rank from listings, best-seller data and review research rather than hands-on testing, and prices move daily, so check the live price on each list before you buy. Our methodology page has the detail. For smaller budgets see the Secret Santa lists on all gift ideas, and for more by person see gifts for her and gifts for him.