31 Best Secret Santa Gifts of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Samantha Schoech

Samantha Schoech is a writer focusing on gifts. She spends her time finding things that combine quality, beauty, usefulness, and delight.

We’ve added new gifts for the 2024 holiday season, including otherworldly shortbread, some very stylish napkins, and something to help lighten the corporate mood.

A family Secret Santa is a fun way to make sure everyone gets a gift and no one has to take out a loan to cover the holiday. When a Secret Santa situation is set up among colleagues or classmates, however, it can get a little tricker. You may be assigned to get a gift for someone you’ve only ever nodded at in the hallway. You’d be hard-pressed to say whether they are a dog person or a cat person, whether they like to read or to cycle, or to know whether they are allergic to chocolate.

But have no fear. The picks in this guide are perfect for a person you know well or someone you simply share an office building with. And while they’re somewhat generic (let’s call them universal), they’re also delightful—and they’re useful enough to not end up in a landfill come 2025.

If you know your Secret Santa giftee pretty well and are looking for something interest-specific, check out our guides to Gifts for Book Lovers, Gifts for Gardeners, or Gifts for Frequent Travelers.

This small, lightweight attachment creates the shutter and makes your phone feel and operate like an actual point-and-shoot camera.

Snap the Retro Point & Shoot Camera Phone Converter onto a smartphone and it becomes an old-school, horizontal point-and-shoot. Or at least it feels like one, complete with a mechanical shutter button and a chunky grip. Yes, it’s just plastic, but it actually provides some extra stability for tricky angles and has a built-in tripod mount. The retro aesthetics are, of course, a big part of its charm.

This simple acrylic cube plays with primary colors to create a kaleidoscopic spectrum of hues when rotated.

Even the busiest of beavers need to space out on occasion. Help them get in the chill zone with CMY Cubes The Original Cube. These bright acrylic cubes use primary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow to create an ever-changing spectrum of color. Light and motion play through the transparent cube in a way that makes this part interactive sculpture and part grown-up fidget toy. CMY Cubes sells inexpensive stands and mounts for display, too.

An excellent partner to coffee, these crumbly, buttery rounds—made by a family-operated bakery in Scotland’s capital—are a favorite of upscale British food purveyors.

I used to think shortbread was kind of boring. But then staff writer Mari Uyehara introduced me to these delicacies, and my entire shortbread attitude changed. The outstanding Shortbread House of Edinburgh Original Shortbread biscuits are made in a family-owned bakery in Scotland, and they have a melt-in-your-mouth butteriness and a pleasingly gritty crunch (thanks to the novel addition of ground rice). They are excellent with a cup of coffee, but honestly, they are just about perfect out of the box and on their own too.

These four patterned, 100% cotton napkins add a hit of color to any table, and this set is surprisingly affordable.

Everyone can use extra napkins, especially the reusable kind. The four napkins in the State Kite Napkin Set are each fabulously patterned and would be at home with almost any decor. And since they are all slightly different, there’s no danger of mix-ups. The 14.5-inch square napkins are 100% cotton and machine-washable. The one drawback is their need for an iron after laundering—but that’s true of most cotton napkins if you’re trying to be fancy.

This visual travel guide suggests events and destinations for every month of the year. It’s as much an inspiration as it is a planner.

If all you know about your recipient is that they love to travel, Lonely Planet’s Where to Go When is a great bet. This book is arranged by month, with suggestions of when and where to find music and art festivals, natural wonders like Botswana’s Okavango floods in June, and prime weather. Where to Go When further categorizes potential trips by budget, family-friendliness, and “expensive but worth it” (visiting the pristine Torres Archipelago in Australia, for example). Even if your giftee is more of an armchair traveler than a frequent globe-trotter, this graphically exuberant and endlessly inspiring book is sure to kick their wanderlust into full gear.

These pretty, pest-proof reusable tins are stocked with 10 packets of organic seeds for themed gardens. And if they don’t flourish, the company will replace them.

Each themed Grow Organic Gift Seed Tin contains 10 packets of organic seeds from Northern California’s Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply, a leader in sustainable agriculture since 1976. Choose from about a dozen collections, like Herbal Teas (lemon balm, licorice mint), Prepper Survival (bush beans, sugar pumpkins), or Edible Front Yard (lemon basil, red Russian kale), and more. Peaceful Valley also has a super-knowledgeable staff ready to answer questions, and it has a library of how-to videos for all things garden-related. And if the seeds don’t germinate, the company will replace them.

Twist this magnetic maple-and-steel fidget toy to create nearly endless corporate baloney. The final deliverable will ensure buy-in with stakeholders.

Anyone who’s ever attended a meeting in an office has heard it—that terrible, confusing, and possibly meaningless corporate jargon. Let’s circle back once we have the bandwidth to ideate. This ingenious little Corporate Nonsense Generator is a clever send-up of all the business gobbledygook uttered in conference rooms, and it’s a perfect way for work BFFs to blow off some steam. Yes, it’s expensive for a toy, but can we really put a price on making fun of the company stooges?

These rich, box-shaped pops are a Bay Area classic made with real butter and cream.

Anyone who grew up anywhere near San Francisco likely already has a favorite flavor of these box-shaped lollipops made with cream and butter. If your giftee is new to the suckers from the 102-year-old See’s Candies, you can bestow the pleasure of choice: vanilla, coffee, chocolate, or butterscotch? (Staff writer and San Francisco resident Samantha Schoech votes butterscotch, no further questions.) Each box of See’s Candies Assorted Lollypops contains a generous 30 suckers; Samantha snagged one at a Yankee swap last holiday season, where they were the most fought-over item.

This word-building game is played at breakneck speed, and it’s fun for groups of all ages.

Bananagrams is like Scrabble at whiplash speed. Players create word grids using tiles, but you have no board and no scoring; it’s all a race against your opponents. This game is easy to learn, it works for two to eight players (from about age 10 and up), and it comes in a portable, unmissable banana-shaped pouch. It’s so fun and so packable that it goes along on all of Samantha’s family trips.

Fragrant and grassy, this oil has a fair amount of pungency and a sharp bitterness. It pairs nicely with roasted vegetables, bread, and pasta.

Graza Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain is our pick for an everyday, supermarket olive oil. It’s fresh and bright, with notes of tomato plants and green apples. It’s rich but not fatty, and it has a nice astringency. The squeeze bottle allows your gift recipient to be more precise, adding a perfect squirt instead of a big glug. Graza also makes a Drizzle version, meant to be used cold as a finishing touch. If you’re shopping on the day of the swap, you can find it at Target and Whole Foods, and the bottle is cute enough for you to skip wrapping.

AirTags leverage Apple’s huge network of devices to track down lost items, and they’re impressively accurate in pinpointing a precise location.

Apple’s AirTags Bluetooth trackers, with their seamless and extensive Apple network and real-time tracking, are especially good for keeping tabs on luggage. Of course, your gift recipient can attach theirs to anything they don’t want to lose, such as keys, kids backpacks, or bikes. (This combination-lock carabiner is a good way to snap an AirTag on just about anything.) Note that AirTags are compatible only with iPhones; for Android users, we recommend the Tile Mate (2022).

These colorful flameless lighters use an arc of plasma, or ionized gas, to ignite candles, stoves, joints, and more, and they charge through a handy USB port.

In addition to being USB-chargeable and completely butane-free, Botanica’s Flameless Lighters are ridiculously good-looking. Because they’re entirely windproof, they make good outdoor lighters, and the 8-inch shaft is long enough to sneak into tricky campfires or hearth fires, too. As with all flameless lighters, the plasma arc emits a soft but high-pitched sound that bothers some people and animals; considering these lighters’ convenience, sustainability, and vibes, our tester was unbothered.

Like a real tree, this plastic bonsai changes with the seasons, to two types of included foliage: green leaves or cherry blossoms.

Real bonsai trees require constant care and are hard to keep alive, but the 878-piece Bonsai Tree set from Lego’s Botanical Collection, complete with adjustable leaves and cherry blossoms, asks nothing of its owner aside from a place on a shelf. This set, which was impossible to nab during the height of the pandemic, provides some of the mindfulness and relaxation that comes from attending to real bonsai trees. Wirecutter’s resident Adult Fan of Lego (AFOL), supervising editor Joshua Lyon, recommends shaping and reshaping the Lego bonsai using additional pieces, such as the Plant Vine Seaweed and Plant Flower Stems from Lego’s Pick a Brick page.

This roomy bowl comes with a removable, compartmentalized top tray for keeping toppings or extra snacks crisp. It’s bulky, so even though it’s great for packing generous meals, it may not fit into a commuter bag.

Anyone committed to good food—and not spending a fortune on subpar salad tubs—would appreciate this versatile lunch box. The two-tiered Bentgo Salad Stackable Lunch Container is excellent for greens, grain bowls, or even clean-out-the-fridge smorgasbords. The divided top tray can preserve the crisp texture of items like nuts, seeds, or chopped veggies, and the bottom holds a generous 54 ounces. Everything snaps together snugly and guards against leaks, even after dozens of runs through the dishwasher.

This pot has only one purpose, but it makes the crunchiest corn. It has a stirring wire to keep kernels from burning, as well as a vented lid to prevent the collection of steam.

Usually, it is with great trepidation that we recommend a single-purpose tool—especially one that’s a bit clunky—but the Whirley-Pop Popcorn Popper is that good. It’s actually our preferred way to make popcorn. Supervising editor Hannah Morrill first enjoyed the airy excellence of this stovetop swirler almost two decades ago and has been an evangelist ever since. Add oil, or don’t, and then cover the bottom with kernels and turn on the stove. The wooden crank powers slim metal stirrers that prevent burning. In about three minutes, your giftee will have an embarrassment of popcorn riches, which they’ll enjoy for years to come: The company behind the Whirley-Pop protects each purchase with a 25-year warranty on mechanical parts.

This ceramic version of the classic New York City to-go coffee cup is both nostalgic and dishwasher-safe.

There’s no replicating the rush that one gets from grabbing a coffee at a neighborhood street cart before darting underground to catch the subway. But for a more peaceful morning ritual unbound by geography, this ceramic New York–style coffee cup is just the thing. Unlike the paper cups originally designed in 1963, this one is dishwasher- and microwave-safe, so it’s far more practical—yet still equally affirming.

This is the crunchiest, flakiest finishing sea salt, beloved by professional and home cooks alike.

The perfect salt for finishing an heirloom tomato, a chocolate chip cookie, or a Wagyu filet, the crunchy and flavorful Maldon Sea Salt Flakes have been a longtime favorite of chefs and home cooks (as well as of our discerning kitchen team). The pyramid-shaped, mineral-rich flakes are harvested by hand from the Blackwater Estuary on the southeast coast of England. And this 3-pound bucket—about the size of a kids beach pail—is absolutely not too much of a good thing, thank you very much. Your lucky Secret Santa gift recipient can stash this in their pantry and sprinkle, crumble, and pinch with abandon for (nearly) an eternity.

This set of mini jars includes the company’s four flagship condiments—Sichuan Chili Crisp, Xtra Spicy Chili Crisp, Chengdu Crunch, and Sweet and Spicy Zhong Sauce.

Maybe the one thing you know about your Secret Santa draw is that they love good food. Look no further than the Fly By Jing Mini Sampler Set, which contains four 2-ounce jars of the company’s most popular items: Sichuan Chili Crisp, Xtra Spicy Chili Crisp, Chengdu Crunch, and Zhong Sauce. These zingy, sweet, complex sauces pack a punch, so they’ll last a good long while, even if your gift recipient slathers them on absolutely everything. (As well they should—the condiments are excellent on stir-fry dishes, noodles, omelets, roasted vegetables, rice bowls, and even ice cream.)

These cozy gloves have a double-layer knit design for easy typing and good insulation.

Whether your gift recipient loves their phone or loves to hate their phone, they’ll appreciate a pair of touchscreen gloves to keep them tapping when the temperature dips. Our favorites for the task are the Moshi Digits Touchscreen Gloves: Their conductive-fiber knit makes precise typing possible—invaluable even in the age of editable tweets—and their microfleece lining is cozy and warm. (Some touchscreen gloves are too flimsy, while others are overly bulky.) They come in three sizes and two colors, and some of our editors have worn them for more than a few winters, with no holes or pilling.

Strong suction cups and a roomy acrylic structure readily accommodate multiple avian visitors. It’s squirrel-proof, and it can get messy, but it’s easy to clean.

Even Secret Santa participants who identify as indoor people will delight in the adorable Jarkyfine Window Bird Feeder and the tiny winged visitors it draws right to their window. Attached via suction cups, it’s perfect for apartment dwellers who don’t have the luxury of their own green space. Homeowners may also enjoy it, attached to a kitchen window or a similar eye-level nook. True, it isn’t one of our top bird-feeder picks, namely because in some locations its open construction could leave birds vulnerable to a cat attack and seeds exposed to squirrels. Still, for the price and in the right spot, it can provide a lot of up-close enjoyment.

This round waffle maker produces thin, super-crispy waffles.

Use promo code BIGSAVE20, with store pickup

Pretty much everyone has a friend who loves to try new brunch spots on weekends (or just loves to snap and post the plates at their old standby). They’d likely also enjoy being able to make hot, fresh waffles at home with one of our favorite waffle makers. The Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker WMR-CAP2 is especially well suited to those who prefer thin and crispy waffles over the puffy and doughy variety. Among the 30 models we tested, this Cuisinart waffle maker stood out for its ease of use, consistent performance, and compact design (it’s a little over 10 inches across, so it stores easily, even in smaller kitchens). If you’re lucky, your giftee will even invite you over for the waffle feast.

This durable tote comes with a 40-inch adjustable strap as well as top handles, providing multiple carrying options.

The right tote bag makes any errand a more pleasant experience, whether that’s picking up a few items at the farmers market, dropping off library books, or hauling everything necessary for an afternoon away (magazines, sunscreen, portable charger, water bottle, and so on). One of our favorites for the task is the canvas Baggu Zip Duck Bag. This machine-washable tote is large enough to carry whatever your gift recipient may throw in. It’s also comfortably slung over the shoulder or held by hand, and it comes in an array of colors and prints.

This jigsaw puzzle’s 1,000 black-and-white gradient pieces, sporting rounded edges and depicting varying textures, will challenge even the most fervent solver.

As planet Earth seems to fall apart, why not put together a moon? The Antelope Puzzle Space Collection Moon jigsaw puzzle features the image of our favorite celestial body, circular in shape and with beautiful detail in its craters. And because this puzzle has 1,000 pieces, it will offer your gift recipient a calming respite from the stresses of this world, one that doesn’t involve trawling Netflix again.

A great starter bag for the fanny-pack-curious, this model is sturdy, well sized, and available in plenty of colors and patterns. But the main compartment lacks organization.

Fanny packs are here to stay. If your giftee is sartorially bold (or, on the flip side, doesn’t care about fashion at all), they’ll love carrying their possessions around their waist in one of our favorite fanny packs, the JanSport Fifth Avenue Fanny Pack. It has two sections for storage, and it comes in eight prints and colors to suit almost anyone’s preference.

This four-pack of generously sized gourmet chocolate bars contains some of Tony’s best flavors.

May be out of stock

Few people hate chocolate, which is why it makes a great gift. If you’re seeking something less formal than a box of chocolates, though, consider a grouping of gourmet bars. Tony’s Chocolonely bars are wrapped in cheery, bright packaging, and what they conceal is equally fantastic. This pack of four features some of Tony’s best flavors (milk chocolate hazelnut, milk chocolate caramel sea salt, dark milk chocolate pretzel, and 32% milk chocolate), ready to satisfy whatever dessert mood your gift recipient may be in.

This 12-inch clear-plastic tree is pure nostalgia. It supports dozens of colorful gumdrops or other gummy treats for the picking.

The gumdrop tree is one of those candy-serving modes from yesteryear that people pine for—even if it wasn’t actually a family tradition. A sculpture that bears candy? A tree that grows gumdrops? What’s not to love? The BW Brands Festive Gumdrop Tree is made from sturdy plastic, so it won’t break if little hands knock it over.

Although no universal earplug can reduce different sounds as evenly as a custom design can, this pair offers solid noise protection and is enjoyable to wear.

If your gift recipient loves to rage, give them the Loop Experience 2 Earplugs, the best earplugs for concerts or other noisy events. Unlike traditional foam plugs, these earplugs reduce the overall volume without impacting the quality of the sound—so the music sounds just as good, just less loud. The Loop earplugs are comfortable to wear for an extended time and come with enough tips (four pairs) to fit nearly every ear shape.

These distinctive chopsticks are so special that they’re used in a Michelin-starred restaurant. They require hand-washing, though.

Whether your Secret Santa gift recipient is a sushi fanatic or someone who just likes to keep their fingers free of Cheetos dust, a good pair of chopsticks is an invaluable companion. (They’re also great for stirring coffee, scrambling eggs, freeing olives … the list is endless.) During our extensive chopstick testing, many panelists preferred the elegant Kent Wang Ebony Chopsticks, which are hand-carved from sustainable ebony and sanded to a silky-smooth texture. Pair them with these super-cute cat chopstick holders to add a touch of whimsy and to make the gift even more fun.

This silicone contraption allows bakers to measure, mix, rise, and bake bread in a single container.

With the pandemic sourdough fad solidly in the rearview mirror, those with a lasting interest in baking may enjoy the Lékué Bread Maker. They can mix, rise, and bake in this one vessel, and then they can throw the whole thing (well, minus the bread) into the dishwasher when they’re done. Lighter, more affordable, and easier to clean than a traditional Dutch oven, it offers a slightly less intimidating way to bake bread and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Lightweight and contoured, this mask fits comfortably and blocks light well for a wide variety of face shapes.

For the Secret Santa gift recipient who knows the power of a nap during their work-from-home lunch break or on a lazy Sunday afternoon, a cozy eye mask makes the perfect gift. The contoured eyecups of the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask arch over the eyes, giving them space to move for a more comfortable wearing experience, while the mask’s adjustable Velcro strap keeps it snug on restless sleepers. For travel, this eye mask effectively blocks a plane’s fluorescent cabin lighting yet still plays nicely with a face mask, should your gift recipient need to wear one.

With unparalleled opacity, pigment, and gloss, these watercolors are the best we’ve found for all manner of amateur artists.

If your giftee has an interest in making their own art, the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors set, made by a 117-year-old sumi-ink manufacturer in Nara, Japan, is one of our favorite art supplies (and a real step up from craft-store palettes). For the novice painter, watercolor is a great medium: Abstract prints and washes are relatively easy to do, and the aspiring artist can master more-difficult techniques as their ambitions allow. Plus, this set is reasonably priced, compact, and nontoxic. The paint, with colors inspired by nature, easily alights on paper with a buttery-smooth glide, and it dries with a slightly shiny finish.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Dorie Chevlen contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.

Samantha Schoech

Except for the time she gave a boyfriend her mother’s old toaster for Christmas, staff writer Samantha Schoech has a reputation as an excellent gift giver. She lives in San Francisco with two teens, two cats, a geriatric betta fish, and a bookseller husband. Her first book of short stories, My Mother’s Boyfriends, is coming out in 2024.

by Samantha Schoech

All you need on Hanukkah is something to show your loved ones you thought of them. The gifts on this list are just that: small delights to brighten the day.

by Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

Kin and colleagues, kiddos and teens: Here are our favorite picks from our 2024 holiday gift guides, all in one place.

by Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

Whether he’s a coffee snob, a jazz enthusiast, or the rugged, outdoorsy type, these gifts for dads will make him smile.

by Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

The very best of our favorite finds under $50, all in one place.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Blog

31 Best Secret Santa Gifts of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter