31 Stocking Stuffer Ideas We Can't Get Enough Of

CR’s Daniel Wroclawski—who has reported extensively on topics such as the best coffee makers and how to make a great latte at home—prefers straws for his iced coffee, so he opted for this set of stainless steel reusable straws that are dishwasher-safe to boot. “They work well, are easy to clean, and don’t make me feel bad about using straws and contributing to plastic pollution!”

In a recent evaluation of the best lip balms, our panel found that this relatively low-priced balm from Eos provided great hydration and lasting power. It went on smoothly, and some evaluators found it to be surprisingly long-lasting. The one caveat? Its vanilla cake-esque scent may be overpowering for some but just the right amount of sweet for others.

Silk! For $10! It’s real and so cozy, CR’s Angela Lashbrook says about this sleeping mask. She said it blocked all light without pressing down uncomfortably against her nose and making her feel suffocated, which she said can be a problem because of her small face. CR’s team tried the single-strap version, which kept the mask in place for most of them throughout the night. It felt luxurious despite the price.

If curling up with a great read on a cold winter’s day sounds like a dream for your giftee, look no further. “Turns out everyone who told me I needed to read Sally Rooney was right,” says Angela Lashbrook, a CR senior multimedia content creator. “The Irish novelist’s latest, ‘Intermezzo,’ focuses on two brothers, a competitive chess player in his early twenties and a lawyer in his mid-thirties, as they repair—and destroy—their fractured relationship in the wake of their father’s death. Romantic entanglements both assist and get in the way of their mutual healing. Despite being only loosely plotted, this character-driven novel is a page-turner.”

It has a pop-up cardholder design, and we found that the Vulkit VC-104 slim wallet has another big advantage going for it: price. At around $20, you could consider this a low-risk set of training wheels for a minimalist wallet to see whether you or your giftee like the change. Vulkit also offers a wide range of colors for the VC-104, including two-tone versions.

It’s hard to believe that this mouse-sized sharpener, our budget pick, would be able to put an edge on a knife, but it does. The KitchenIQ is a simple little sharpener with two stages. The coarse stage is for damaged or seriously dull knives, while the fine slot is for a knife that has just lost its edge. The angles are set for European-style knives—KitchenIQ doesn’t specify the exact angle—but CR’s Paul Hope still found that both of his knives emerged with sharp edges that allowed them to effortlessly slice through onions and tomatoes.

For more options: Best Knife Sharpeners for Chef’s Knives

This is more than just your run-of-the-mill tea. Made with seaweed (don’t worry, the flavor is subtle), this tea features a blend of ginger and turmeric. Brew a cup and spoon in a bit of honey, for a sweet nighttime treat.

Sure, spices may not be the most exciting stocking stuffer but the vibrantly colorful and thoughtfully sourced options from Diaspora might just change your mind. Their Aranya black pepper (with notes of citrus and nutmeg) is a crowd-pleaser while the Pragati turmeric is my personal favorite.

Calling all popcorn enthusiasts! This microwave popcorn popper features a glass carafe and yields around 6 cups of popped corn, prime for students and dorm dwellers. It comes with a slotted lid that doubles as a measuring scoop and our evaluator found that it fared fairly well for taste and consistency.

The Adidas Don’t Rest Alphaskin Sports Bra is a traditional compression style, with a racerback and no adjustable features. The racerback is made with a thin, loosely knit material that’s ultra-breathable. It offers a great fit for some, but the long, nonadjustable straps limit its audience to those with longer torsos.

During our evaluation earlier this year, we tried many hair towels, and the Turbie Twist was among our top performers. Users thought it dried hair a lot, but not so much that it caused frizziness. The handy elastic loop helps hold the towel in place. The towel comes in a set of two, so you’re more likely to have one ready when you need it.

If you know of anyone who’s maybe not the best at keeping their phone dry, this stocking stuffer idea is not to be missed. The Body Glove Tidal waterproof phone case passed our submersion test, completely protecting the phone inside. The back of the case is made from flexible, see-through plastic rather than hard plastic. With the device inside, you can use the touchscreen, press the side buttons, and take photos. That’s a lot of value at this price. The Body Glove isn’t compatible with wireless charging, though.

HAY can do no wrong in my book, and these color-blocked candles are no exception. Featuring a motif that pays homage to the brand’s Danish roots, these artful accent pieces are perfect for entertaining during the holidays. Choose among three different color palettes—or grab them all to mix and match.

The Aerolatte To-Go is a nifty little handheld frother that’s capable of frothing up a variety of milks both hot and cold, including plant-based milks. Using it has a bit of a learning curve, but we were able to get the hang of it in just a few minutes. This Aerolatte is also a cinch to clean: You simply run it in a cup of soapy water for a bit, then run it out of the cup to dry.

For more options: Best Milk Frothers

Made of stainless steel, this tin-on-tin shaker from Crate & Barrel fits about two drinks and has a maximum fill line that helps prevent overfilling. The seal is supertight, resulting in leak-free shaking. It’s also dishwasher-safe, which makes it a cinch to clean.

For more options: Best Cocktail Shakers

The perfect finishing touch for many a dish comes in the form of flavorful olive oil. “This EVOO is punchy and will elevate your salads, labneh, baguette or boule, and sandwiches,” says Kaari Stannard, president of Yes Apples, a network of over 50 New York-based family farms that grow an array of apple varieties for consumers across the country.

Go ahead and play in the sand—this sand-repellent towel has you covered. Made from fast-drying Turkish cotton, this lightweight towel is easy to pack, comes in its own carrying case, and isn’t as prone to damp smells as traditional towels. 

This small plug-and-play sound machine from Magicteam is sized just right—like a deck of cards if cards were square. It delivers good sound quality and variety, packing in 20 sounds, including nature sounds and even the sound of a freight train. The controls, just five buttons, are intuitive to use, although one evaluator said they were quite small and a bit difficult to see in low light. And it has a timer in case you don’t want it playing all night.

The first time I tried Rancho Meladuco dates, I was floored by their quality. They were tender and indulgently rich, unlike the harder, saccharine versions I typically buy from the grocery store. Sourced from a date farm in California’s Coachella Valley (yes, the one and the same), they’re handpicked, sun-ripened, and pretty sublime. 

If you love a cold coffee but dislike the flavor when ice waters it down, consider this your fix. Fill two of the HyperChiller’s three separate inner chambers with water, freeze, then pour your hot coffee into the third for nonwatery cold coffee 60 seconds later. Read our full review of the HyperChiller.

Claire Chan, founder of The Elk, a specialty coffee shop and general store in New York City, prefers drinking cold brew with a straw and over a lot of ice. So whenever she’s whipping up a batch at home, the coffee pro makes sure to put it in an insulated tumbler like this colorful option. “The insulation keeps it cold for much longer, and the straw is built in,” Chan says. “I know it might sound silly, but it really makes a difference.” 

When it comes to the mini but mighty Kyocera Ceramic Mandoline, we liked the simplicity and minimalism of having only one sharp blade on a slim, easy-to-store paddle. This mandoline slices hard and medium foods evenly and beautifully. But it struggles a bit with softer foods and is too narrow to slice a whole large onion.

For more options: Best Mandoline Slicers

Do you have a budding bartender on your gift list? In CR’s recent evaluation, we found the True Wooden Finish Cocktail Shaker a well-priced shaker that’s best for beginners, with a built-in sieve for easy cocktail-making. But if you’re shopping for a hard-core mixologist in your life, it’s worth noting that this wasn’t the most durable of the bunch we tried.

For more options: Best Cocktail Shakers

This is a wired model with cables that descend from both ear cups. As one user in our study said, that can be a nuisance.

Inline controls let you adjust the volume and mute the mic. The mic can also be removed if you want to use the headphones to listen to music and movie soundtracks. The included PC splitter cable provides access to headphone and mic jacks on computers.

The headset is compatible with a Mac or PC, PS5 and PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, and mobile devices that accept a 3.5-mm audio plug, but you have to choose the correct model for your computer or console.

For more options: How to Choose a Great Gaming Headset

Cold brew can take a long time to make, but Oxo says its Rapid Brewer will make a concentrate in 5 minutes. It requires no electricity or batteries and is not much more complicated than a French press. Our evaluator found that her cold brew from the small but mighty device was rich, flavorful, and fast.

Ceremonia’s line of deliciously scented hair care essentials has been a favorite of mine for years not to mention a foolproof gift for many occasions. I swear by their Guava collection (the scent alone is enough to reel one in) which has done wonders for my hair. The mini trio set is a great way to dip your toes into the brand’s offering. It includes a leave-in conditioner, a “rescue spray” I use as a heat protectant and detangler, and a beach wave spray for volume and texture.

The Papillon Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager Pillow checks a lot of the boxes for being the perfect massager. It’s effective and lightweight. In fact, it’s the lightest of all the electric massagers we tried, according to our measurements. It’s also fairly inexpensive. You can use the massager on different body parts, such as your back, neck, shoulders, legs, and feet. It also offers a good amount of heat.

Treat the tinned fish enthusiast in your life. Fishwife’s Smoky Set includes one tin each of smoked rainbow trout from Idaho, smoked albacore tuna from the Pacific coast, and smoked Atlantic salmon from Norway. Each type is brined in its own mix of sugar (even the savory stuff has it) and spices. And if you’re just looking for some nice anchovies, our evaluators dubbed the Fishwife Anchovies in Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the best of the bunch.

For many people, Henckels Eversharp knives will likely hit the sweet spot. They’re less expensive and attractive, slender but sturdy, and razor-sharp, yet the edges are still gentle enough not to rip up a delicate cut. These lightweight knives are similar in size to a traditional butter or table knife. The blades are scalloped and micro-serrated, resulting in an edge that’s equal parts gentle and sharp. They also have a full-tang design, meaning the blade extends from the tip to the bottom of the handle, resulting in a knife that feels sturdy, albeit more prone to flexing under force than the options above. The handles themselves, which are plastic, have a slim profile that should fit easily in the hands of most adults.