Secret Santa exchanges should, in theory, be a lot of fun, because who doesn’t like getting presents? But drawing the name of someone whose interests you barely know — or someone you really want to impress (e.g., the big boss) — can pose a daunting gifting challenge. But fear not: I’ve been curating gift guides for the last five years, and all that shopping has made me very good at sniffing out surprising gifts at every price point. To help you navigate your Secret Santa shopping this year, I’ve combed through our archives to put together a list of gifts for every type of co-worker, casual acquaintance, family member, and more.
Every gift here costs less than $25, to help you stay within whatever budget is attached to your upcoming exchange, and is conveniently available on Amazon (though we’ve noted when a gift is available elsewhere for those who like to shop around). All of these items have been recommended to us by discerning experts, especially stylish people, or Strategist staffers who have used them or would personally love to receive them, so they’re practically guaranteed to delight.
Update on December 21, 2024: Removed gifts that won’t arrive before Christmas and added gifts that will; updated prices and checked stock for all products.
For the grandma who always brings homemade cookies
Upgrade her from grocery-store extract to the “caviar” of vanilla.
For the friend with a Surrealist streak
For the dad who runs the family vacation like it’s the Navy
For the kid cousin who can’t get enough of Squishmallows
Try this super-soft Pokémon collectible.
For the teen cousin who never leaves their room
For the tween cousin with a Drunk Elephant routine
For the friend who is a child at heart
For the friend who needs her beauty sleep
For the grandpa who never misses a fishing trip
This retractable tether can be attached to his jacket to keep his fishing tools in easy reach.
For the grandpa who’s a snacker
For the niece with big city dreams
Seventy-eight tarot cards illustrated with NYC icons.
For the sibling with ballerina ambitions
Amy Sedaris’s ballet flats.
For the sibling who loves a kitchen project
For the dad whose still reading the history book from last Christmas
For the brother who is always prepared
A set of weatherproof notebooks for jotting ideas down wherever they strike.
For the uncle who can’t sit still
For the girlfriend who is serious about exfoliating
For the crafty in-law
For the wife who always loses her charger
A wireless charger stand is certainly harder to lose.
For the husband who doesn’t want anything
This Italy-made after shave smells heavenly.
Additional reporting by Liza Corsillo, Kayla Levy, and Kitty Guo
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