The Most Popular Holiday Gifts Our Readers Bought Last Year

These resting stones from Material Kitchen are quite versatile. Apart from using them as intended (as spoon rests), they can also serve as a salt vessel or even a tray for trinkets. Handcrafted from glass, these brightly colored stones are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

For the butter enthusiast, we couldn’t think of a better gift. Le Creuset’s butter crock has a classic look that would fit in well with most kitchen aesthetics. It comes in four colors: “Cerise,” a rich red with a black fade; “Caribbean,” a happy blue and the colorway we evaluated; “Marseille,” a midtone, dusty blue; and white.

Like most Le Creuset products, it’s made from enameled stoneware. It’s dishwasher-safe and easy to wash by hand, too. The lid has a small divot that may retain water in the dishwasher, but putting it on its side means you won’t have to deal with accumulated water in the lid after it’s clean.

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 isn’t 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.

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 slots. The coarse one is for damaged or seriously dull knives, while the fine one is for knives that have just lost their edge. The angles are set for European-style knives—KitchenIQ doesn’t specify the exact angle—but CR editor Paul Hope still found that both of his knives emerged with sharp edges that sliced through onions and tomatoes effortlessly.

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

Upgrade movie night at home with freshly popped popcorn. This model stood out in our evaluation of the best popcorn machines, delivering a lighter, toastier flavor with a pleasant snap in each kernel. The machine takes approximately 2 minutes to fill a whole bowl, and it has a capacity of 16 cups.

Lego’s botanical collection is something out of a dream. Potted orchids and holiday centerpieces are just a few of the creative kits you’ll find, but we’re partial to this wildflower set, which is equal parts whimsical and artful. Once it’s complete, go ahead and display it in a vase. Why not?

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 when you’re entertaining during the holidays. Choose among three different color palettes—or grab them all to mix and match.

While this exact colorway is no longer available, you can still grab the taper candles in the reds/bordeaux set.

When it comes to mental wellness, one of our health editor’s favorite things to do is play a good board game. It’s a ready-made excuse to gather with both longtime friends and new ones (it’s a great way to skip past awkward small talk), and it forces you to stop your doomscrolling. Hues and Cues is a great option for board game enthusiasts and neophytes alike, involving guessing colors from a wide palette of options from a player’s one- and two-word clues. It takes just a few minutes to learn, and hilarity is sure to ensue.

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 it on different body parts, such as your back, neck, shoulders, legs, and feet. It also offers a good amount of heat.

In leading our evaluations of the best hair mousses for curly hair, senior writer Jodhaira Rodriguez became a convert of this version from Pattern Beauty. “It gives me bouncy, moisturized, frizz-free curls every time I style my hair with it.” Our testers all liked this mousse, even those with varied hair lengths and textures, and found it to have a pleasant herbal scent.

If you’ve yet to get on the gel eye patch train, now is the time. These 24K Gold gel eye patches from Peter Thomas Roth are equal parts luxurious and effective. Just take editor Ginger Cowles’ word for it. “I absolutely adore this product,” she says. “I just started using them last year when I noticed a lot more fine lines in my undereye area. A friend recommended them, and I initially balked at the $75 price, which I felt was a lot for eye patches, but she assured me they work. And they do.” 

These eye patches come in especially handy for Cowles after a night of less-than-ideal sleep or when she has a special evening planned. She recommends keeping them on for about an hour or until they dry out.

Here’s one for the beauty lovers. When running to the salon for a quick manicure isn’t an option, the next best thing might just be quick-dry nail polish. For CR writer Jessica Waller, it’s this version from Olive & June, which has become a go-to. “The formula glides on effortlessly and dries in a mere fraction of the time as other nonspeedy polishes,” she says, “which means I can get back to typing, cooking, and gardening without missing a beat.” As an avid user of this very polish, I agree. 

In our evaluations of the best hair towels, the Turbie Twist was a top performer. 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.

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

If you feel as if you’ve seen this one all over social media, you might be right. The viral dual wristlet from Lululemon features two zippered pouches that can also be used as a stand-alone wallet. It’s available in a variety of bright and fun color combinations.

With a built-in anti-theft security system, this compact sling bag can be a saving grace for those traveling with valuables. “This bag has a slash-resistant mesh barrier in front, sides, and bottom body panels, plus a slash-resistant strap. And the RFID-blocking organizer on the front locking zippered pocket is perfectly sized for a phone,” says Anne McAlpin, author of “Pack It Up: The Essential Guide to Smart Travel.” RFID, or radio frequency identification, prevents skimming theft, which can occur when illegally installed devices capture personal data like PINs for ATMs.

The Béis Dopp Kit is made of cotton and vegan leather and comes in a variety of colors. It’s a bag you’ll enjoy holding because the material feels so comfortable. It can be opened wide enough to reveal every item inside, making it easy to access. The bag is divided into a top and bottom compartment, and there are two side pockets in the top compartment. Elevate this present by pairing it with your favorite beauty essentials.

While the version we tried out in our evaluations is no longer available, Beis has released a newer model.

For more options: Best Toiletry Bags