The best tech stocking stuffers are small things they’ll reach for every week: a pocket speaker, earbuds, a tracker or a charger. But check their phone before you wrap one. Two of these nine work only with an iPhone or iPad, and eight of the nine need something that isn’t in the box, so the Also needs column below is your shopping list.
| Product | Works with | Also needs |
|---|---|---|
| JBL Go 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker | Phones, tablets and laptops | A USB-A wall adapter, since only a cable comes with it |
| JBL Clip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker | Phones, tablets and laptops | A USB-A wall adapter of 5V/3A or less |
| JLab Go Pop+ True Wireless Earbuds | iOS, Android and PC | A USB-C wall adapter, 2.5W to 5W |
| TAGRY True Wireless Earbuds | Phones, TVs and computers | A wall adapter, or a wireless charging pad |
| Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) | iPhone or iPad on a recent iOS, with an Apple Account | A key ring or holder |
| SPOTMINDERS Wallet Tracker Card | iPhone or iPad with an Apple Account | A Qi or MagSafe charger |
| Anker Nano 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank | iPhone SE and 12 to 17, Samsung S22 to S24 | A USB-C PD wall charger, ideally 30W or more, plus a USB-C to Lightning cable for an iPhone 14 or earlier |
| Anker Nano 20W Travel Adapter | Devices rated for 100V to 240V | A voltage converter for anything that isn’t |
| INIU 15W Wireless Charging Stand (2-Pack) | Qi phones, fastest on LG | Two wall adapters, 9V/2A or higher |
Shopping for a new home instead? The smart home gifts guide covers bulbs, plugs and cameras. For someone who works at a home desk, start with our gifts for remote workers.
Where each of these tech stocking stuffers will live
All nine fit in a stocking. So the better question is where each one spends its days:
- On their keys: the AirTag.
- In a wallet: the SPOTMINDERS card.
- On a backpack strap or a belt loop: the JBL Clip 5.
- In their ears on the commute: the JLab Go Pop+ or the TAGRY X08.
- On a desk or in a hotel room: the JBL Go 4.
- In a bag, for a phone that runs low by dinner: the Anker power bank.
- By the bed, with a second stand for the desk: the INIU pair.
- In a suitcase going abroad: the Anker travel adapter.
Android owners can use every one of these tech stocking stuffers except the two trackers, and the JLab adds Google Fast Pair for them. Already have earbuds they love? Pick a speaker instead.
Speaker stocking stuffers: pick by size and battery
Both JBL speakers are rated IP67 and charge fully in 3 hours. Each comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable. Neither box has a wall adapter, and JBL’s guide for the Clip 5 says an adapter shouldn’t put out more than 5V/3A.
JBL Go 4
The JBL Go 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is the smaller one, at 3.7 by 3.0 by 1.7 inches, with a built-in loop. It’s for a desk or a hotel room. Battery is the trade-off, because it plays for up to 7 hours, plus up to 2 more with Playtime Boost.
JBL Clip 5
The JBL Clip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker hangs from a backpack strap or a belt loop, since its carabiner is built in. It runs up to 12 hours, plus 3 more with Playtime Boost. That makes it the one for a hiker or a commuter. Skip it if pocket size matters. It stands 5.3 inches tall.
Earbuds: cool tech stocking stuffers for the commute
JLab Go Pop+
The JLab Go Pop+ True Wireless Earbuds are for the long commute or the long flight. Each earbud runs 9+ hours, the longest stretch of the two pairs here, and the case adds 26+ more. A USB-C cable is built into the case, so there’s none to lose. Either earbud also works on its own.
Water is the catch. Only the earbuds are rated IPX4, not the case. No wall adapter comes with them either, and JLab says the charger must deliver between 2.5W and 5W to reach full charging speed.
TAGRY X08
The TAGRY True Wireless Earbuds (model X08) show the charge left in the case and the earbuds on an LED display. They’re for someone who likes to see the battery level at a glance. The case charges wirelessly or by USB-C, and the earbuds are rated IPX5.
Here’s the math on battery. Each earbud runs 6 hours, and the case holds four more full charges for both, so that’s 30 hours with both earbuds in. TAGRY’s 60-hour figure counts the two earbuds used in turn.
Trackers: cool tech stocking stuffers for iPhone and iPad users
Both trackers run on Apple’s Find My. They set up only on an iPhone or iPad, so an Android owner can’t use either one. Here’s how Bluetooth trackers work.
Apple AirTag (2nd Generation)
The Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) is for anyone who loses keys. It needs an Apple Account and a recent iOS or iPadOS version, and Apple’s spec page lists only the AirTag, with its battery fitted, and the paperwork in the box. So add a key ring or holder, which Apple sells separately. Its CR2032 battery lasts more than a year.
Apple says the speaker is 50% louder than the first AirTag’s. Precision Finding also reaches up to 50% farther with an iPhone Air or an iPhone 15 or later, though Apple leaves out the iPhone 16e and 17e and says availability varies by region.
SPOTMINDERS Wallet Tracker Card
The SPOTMINDERS Wallet Tracker Card, which Spotminders calls the Tracking Card PRO, is the size of a credit card and 1.8 mm thick. It slides into a wallet slot, so get it for an iPhone user who’d find a round tag too bulky. It has a 100 dB speaker, and Spotminders calls it water resistant against everyday spills and splashes. Unlike the AirTag, it doesn’t support Precision Finding.
Charging is the catch. It recharges on a Qi or MagSafe charger, and none comes in the box.
Charging stocking stuffers for the bag and the bedside
Anker Nano Power Bank
The Anker Nano 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank has a 2.3-foot retractable USB-C cable built in, plus a USB-C port and a USB-A port. Anker puts an iPhone 16 Pro at 50% after 27 minutes, so it’s for someone whose phone runs low by dinner. Its compatibility list covers the iPhone SE, the iPhone 12 to 17 and Samsung’s S22 to S24.
No wall charger comes in the box. With a 30W or higher USB-C PD charger, Anker’s FAQ puts a full refill at about 2 hours and 10 minutes at room temperature. It also has to fly in a carry-on, as the FAA rule below explains.
Anker Nano Travel Adapter
The Anker Nano 20W Travel Adapter is for someone heading abroad. Its built-in plugs fit Type A, C, G and I sockets. Once it’s in the wall, one AC outlet, two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports power five devices at once. One of the USB-C ports gives up to 20W on its own, while the USB ports share 15W when two or more are in use.
Anker is clear that it doesn’t convert voltage, though. The AC outlet also takes only two-pin plugs: Type A, or Type C with 4.0 mm round pins.
INIU 15W Wireless Charging Stand (2-Pack)
The INIU 15W Wireless Charging Stand (2-Pack) holds a phone upright, in portrait or landscape. With two stands, it covers the desk and the bedside. Speed depends on the phone. LG phones get the full 15W, a Samsung Galaxy 10W, an iPhone 7.5W and other phones 5W. It charges through cases up to 4 mm thick, and its light dims in the dark.
The box list names a USB-A to USB-C cable and no wall adapter. INIU’s troubleshooting page points to a 9V/2A or higher adapter when a stand won’t charge, so start with one of those for each stand.
What people ask about tech stocking stuffers
Can you take a power bank on a plane?
Yes, but only in carry-on bags. The FAA says spare lithium batteries, power banks included, can’t go in checked luggage. Without airline approval, it also limits each battery to 100 watt hours. The Anker Nano Power Bank carries a 36Wh rating, well under that limit.
Can an Android phone tell if an AirTag is following it?
Yes, on Android 6 and up. Google says its unknown tracker alerts work with AirTags as well as Find Hub tags. An Android owner can also scan by hand: open Settings, then Safety & Emergency, then Unknown tracker alerts, and tap Scan now.
Will the Anker travel adapter run a hair dryer?
Only a low-power one. Anker caps the travel adapter’s AC outlet at 750W on US power and 1,380W on 230V power in the UK and Europe, and it says devices over 1,380W can’t be used. Wattage isn’t the only test, either. The dryer also has to be rated for the local voltage.