CNET reviews: Best tech gifts for less than $100

Shopping for family and friends around the holiday season can be difficult, especially when you're sticking to a budget. Here are three of our favorite gift ideas that are priced for less than $100.

WHAT Sony CH-720N noise-canceling headphones

THE COST $89.99

AVAILABLE FROM electronics.sony.com

Sony's CH-720N noise-canceling headphones  may have a plasticky budget vibe, but they are lightweight and comfortable. Because of their low cost, you might expect them to sound mediocre, but prepare to be  I was pleasantly surprised. No, they don't sound as good as Sony's flagship WH-1000XM5s, but their overall performance is a step up from their predecessor, the CH-710N.

WHAT NutriBullet Blender 1200

THE COST $79.99

AVAILABLE FROM nutribullet.com

NutriBullet keeps it simple with three power levels, a pulse setting and 1,200 watts of power. Smooth batters, finely crushed ice, green smoothies, hot soup and good grated cheese (our torture test) were all easy to achieve. A reasonable price tag means you won't have to break the bank to get a good blender.

The 64-ounce blending jar is big enough for most recipes. The personal blender comes with a handy recipe book and a tamper to make sure all your ingredients contact the blades. The NutriBullet blender jar is also dishwasher-safe and comes with a one-year warranty. Simple, powerful and consistent, the NutriBullet is one of the best moderately priced blenders on the market right now.

WHAT Roku Ultra streaming player

THE COST $79.99

AVAILABLE FROM roku.com

The Roku Ultra has always been a fine 4K HDR streamer. As the flagship in Roku's extensive line of sticks and players, its bag of nifty tricks includes a remote finder and a remote with programmable remote buttons. This version adds better Wi-Fi, a faster processor and the ability to stream in Dolby Vision — a long-awaited feature that allows it to better compete with the best streamers from Amazon, Apple and Google.

Yes, the Roku Express 4K Plus, which costs around $25, is a better value, but the upgraded Ultra has an Ethernet port for those who want to go with a wired connection.