Every year, after spending months finding thousands of gifts for everyone on your list, we ask our team of expert gift givers to take a moment and tell us what they plan to give this year. Already, they’ve shared the top gifts on their wish lists (no gift too big or expensive). Now, for those still seeking gift inspiration for their trickiest of recipients, our team is sharing a few of the items they’re planning to give to their own hard-to-shop-for moms, dads, siblings, in-laws, and more. Strat parents, sisters, girlfriends, and children: Please don’t read this! (If you’re still in need of ideas, though, try asking the Strategist Gift Scout.)
Ailbhe Malone, senior editor
Readers may remember that last year I crowed about having found the perfect gift for my brother-in-law. It was so perfect, in fact, that he already owned it. This year, I’m giving him some mezcal. If he already has it, I’ll happily help him drink it.
Ambar Pardilla, writer
I think the coffee tumbler my mother takes to work every day is older than I am. She deserves better. I’m thinking this Clare V. x MIIR one would be a big hit — it fits into a car’s cupholder and the lid seems to be secure enough for long sipping. (And she likes anything with eyes on it).
Arielle Avila, writer
This is my boyfriend’s favorite scent. He’s been using it less and less lately because he’s starting to run low, and I can tell he’s dreading a restock. I’m going to get ahead of it and gift him a new bottle.
My sister and I share a love for Catbird’s dainty jewelry. I saw this on its site recently and thought it would be cute to get us matching keys charms with our childhood house number engraved. I recently moved and we no longer live 20 minutes away from each other, so it’s extra-sentimental.
Bella Druckman, junior writer
My aunt and uncle love a weekend in wine country, so I’m planning to give them a pack of these protective wine bags for taking home their favorite bottles without worrying about spillage. When I used them to take a couple bottles of wine back from France, I was pleased to arrive back in New York with two unbroken bottles.
My boyfriend has been talking about buying himself a robe for months, so I’ve been trying to slyly ask him questions about his ideal robe so I can beat him to it. I’m currently thinking about gifting him this navy-lined one from Hill House because it’s monogrammable and softer and spongier than your average terrycloth robe, according to my colleague Ambar.
Crystal Martin, senior editor
My mom and I share a love of flowers, and I’ve gotten a few bouquets from Urban Stems—all very pretty. So I’m going to get her a subscription this year.
I just burned this candle for the first time a week ago and haven’t taken a break yet. It’s warm and sophisticated, but there’s this fruity, moody plum note that makes the scent so delightful. I love it so much and want to pass it on.
Dominique Pariso
There comes a time in every man’s life when they need a Casio calculator watch. My little brother has reached that point. He’s a yellow-gold guy, so I thought I’d go with the vintage gold option, but something about the classic black has me hesitating. Either way, I think it will be appreciated.
My best friend stopped dead in her tracks when we saw someone wearing this sweatshirt on our summer vacation to Maine. I could tell immediately she had to have it, so I took a mental note and tracked it down. I thought it might be the work of Katie Kimmel, but it turns out it’s merch from this random frozen-shrimp company. Even better.
Emma Wartzman, kitchen and dining writer
I found out about this because senior editor Ailbhe Malone told a story in a meeting about how this gift didn’t go over well with her dad (not, like, badly — just minimal enthusiasm). However, in the every-year struggle of trying to find satisfactory presents for my boyfriend’s brother, who is the hardest person ever to buy presents for, the one thing I can count on is that he loves chocolate — and I love the idea of chocolate being this fun and special.
The only other gift I’ve settled on so far (I need to get on it …) is the Dansk butter warmer, this one for my boyfriend’s mom. She’s a great cook, so I usually get her kitchen-related items. (Truly on the other end of the spectrum — she is the easiest one to shop for.) I know she doesn’t have anything like it; she happens to like small and cute tools, and it’s so nice-looking. (I’ve put it on multiple gift guides for the site myself.)
Erin Schwartz, writer
Millefiori is a very old Murano glass technique — colored rods of glass are arranged in the shape of a flower, then stretched, cut into tiny discs, and recast to create a scatter of tiny blooms. (Here’s a video.) My grandmother has a couple Millefiori paperweights, so I thought she might like this pretty candle using the same technique. I have also promised her extensive photographs of my apartment.
I would normally be hesitant to gift shoes, but my dad and I have talked a lot about vintage athletic shoes. His North Stars are Converse All-Stars — he never fails to remind me that they used to be the shoe of choice for NBA players, which blows my mind — and Adidas Superstars. These Japanese gym shoes look like a cross between the two — the lightweight profile of Chucks with the cheerful colored stripes of Superstars.
Hilary Reid, senior editor
I’m planning on getting these for my fiancé, who has been eyeing them ever since the L.L.Bean catalogue arrived in our mailbox a few weeks ago. As a Bean boot owner myself, I know the way to go is with some kind of lining (rather than just leather), and I think he’ll love the warm flannel.
My mom has been looking chic in sweater-jackets for long before they appeared in every store this fall, but I still think she’d appreciate a fresh one as a gift. The gold buttons on this one feel very appealing, and the warm “heather khaki” color seems like a nice alternative to winter navy and black.
Jen Trolio, senior editor
Remember Heelys, those shoes with wheels that were everywhere in the early 2000s? Turns out they absolutely still exist, which I recently had to Google after my 9-year-old daughter somehow found out about them and they shot to the top of her Christmas list. I have since purchased this pair of cheetah-print high-tops from a collaboration the brand did with Reebok, possibly against my better judgment. But they will very practically replace a pair of beloved cheetah-print high-tops from H&M that she is still clinging to even though the holes in the soles are big enough to collect gravel — plus, you know, they have wheels — so they’ll be an instant upgrade. Bring on the holiday magic! (Important addendum: I did not realize this until I started clicking around the Heelys website, but the wheels are removable and every pair of shoes comes with a flat “plug” you can use to cover the wheel cavity, making them just like regular shoes and much more more gym-class appropriate, which I appreciate.)
Jeremy Rellosa, writer
This candle has a clean, woody scent that’s received compliments from friends visiting my apartment. Giving candles can be risky in the same way giving a piece of art is a gamble — it’s all about preference. Your taste might not gel with your giftee’s. But I think this candle’s notes of cedar and hinoki are neutral and calming enough to give to anyone. I think we could all use more moments of calm these days, anyway.
I’m a big fan of gifting past issues of magazines, especially if the covers are easily displayable or framed like an art print. I used to give books, but after learning that many of my friends just hadn’t found the time to read what I’d given them, it dawned on me that giving them a 300-page tome might feel like extra homework (and it’s possible that my recommendation just wasn’t that good). So now, I focus on magazines that they like. My brother and I grew up reading Wizard, so I’m planning on giving him this issue with Gambit on the cover. I’ll frame it, too.
Kathy Li, social-media editor
For my mom, I’m getting this cashmere cardigan from & Other Stories that I own and love. I bought it on a whim a few weeks ago even though it was a little out of my price range, thinking I’d return it if I wasn’t head over heels for it. Reader, I did not return it. I now wear it pretty much every day, either as my WFH uniform or as an extra layer under a winter jacket. It’s both oversize and cropped, which I think my mom will appreciate because she hates formfitting clothes and is very petite (she’s four-eleven). On her, it should fit like a regular cardigan.
I’ve been getting my dad “movie books” for the past few holidays, which is fun because it’s a book and movie recommendation rolled into one, and he’s always asking me for those. Last year, I got him Shoe Dog, which he loved, and asked him to watch Air, which is loosely based on the book. (I’m pretty sure he still hasn’t seen it, but that’s fine — we can watch it together over the holidays.) This year, I’m getting him the big Napoleon biography that’s 900-plus pages and about the size of a cinder block. My dad is a big history buff, so I’m sure he’ll be thrilled. Jury is still out on Ridley Scott’s late-career output, though.
Since my mom’s gift is going to be a lot more expensive, I don’t want my dad to feel left out, so I’m also getting him this digital luggage scale because he travels a lot for work. I’ll probably throw in some compression socks, too, and a nice travel mug to replace his old Contigo.
Kelsie Schrader, managing editor
My mom visited me in November, when we had some rather warm days, and I wore this jacket a few times (the brand sent it to me). She commented multiple times how much she liked it, so I’m thinking I’ll get her one of her own. It’s pricey (but was discounted by 50 percent for Cyber Monday) but very nice!
My 90-year-old grandmother had an old digital frame that just gave out at some point, but I know she really enjoyed sitting and watching photos of her 16 grandkids and two great-grandchildren pop up. So this year, we’ve giving her Aura’s newest, biggest frame. We’ve actually already received it and preset it for her (good tech gift your recipient doesn’t have to set up!), and it’s really nice. It’s large (15 inches), and the images and videos are very high quality, so she’ll be able to see everything easily. Expensive gift, but absolutely worth it!
Kitty Guo, writer
Over the summer, my parents and I went on vacation to Quebec. While the city was very beautiful, we all unanimously agreed afterward that the best part of the trip was exploring the natural beauty of the Charlevoix region, with its rolling mountains and lush forests situated right against the St. Lawrence River. As a reminder of our trip, I’m planning to get my mom this gift set from Sans Savon, a sustainable, all-natural bath and body brand based in and inspired by Charlevoix. She gets easily irritated by the artificial scent of most body products, but I’m confident that she’ll love these with their earthy, arboreal blend of spruce and balsam fir.
My boyfriend does not believe in microwaves. Which works out fine most of the time, but we agreed that we needed to get a toaster oven to fill in the gap. I’ve been shopping around, but I have a strong feeling that we’d both want this Balmuda one. (Okay, really, this gift is for the both of us, because sometimes I just want to make some damn Bagel Bites.) It’s slim and handsome and versatile, to boot, with multiple cooking modes for everything from reheating pizza to toasting bagels. Plus, I think he’d be especially tickled by the steam function, which locks in the bread’s inner moisture and keeps it from getting too dry and crusty.
Lauren Ro, writer
I want to get my husband a proper weekender bag for the one- to two-night trips he takes to Chicago for work. He’s been using my monogrammed Alex Mill tote, but I think he needs one that zips — and doesn’t have my initials on it. I was thinking I’d go with a tried-and-true Filson in the small size. In a dream world, I would get him this Ralph Lauren duffel, but it might actually be too big (and have too hefty a price tag).
Liza Corsillo, senior writer
My brother and sister-in-law got married in her hometown of Kanazawa, Japan, in April. They managed to schedule the ceremony for the exact moment when the cherry blossoms exploded throughout the city. So I’m giving them this adorable LEGO Japan postcard as a reminder of how special it was.
Rachael Griffiths, writer
I think a name charm or initial charm adds a sweet, Carrie Bradshaw–esque stamp to any ensemble. My sister keeps her jewelry a little more simple than I do (one necklace at a time), but I think this charm necklace with its pearls and dainty chain is pretty enough to make it into her rotation.
This has been one of my best hair-care discoveries of 2024, a product so good you want to share it with everyone you know. While I’m not going quite that far, I’m buying a couple of bottles to put into a gift hamper for my best friends.
Sam Daly, deals editor
Apparently, my brother has been storing his film in random Tupperware containers in his fridge, so I think he could use this upgrade.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
