The 18 Best Holiday Gifts You Can Give for Under $50

Whether you’re shopping on a budget or looking for last-minute presents, this list of great holiday gifts under $50 should do the trick. Fun and silly, thoughtful and serious, useful and frivolous, these products are filled with old favorites and new delights. Fair warning: You may end up buying two of whatever you pick.

1. Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger; From $26

Know someone whose phone is always hovering at the low power mode warning? This incredibly light, on-the-go charger is a tiny powerhouse that will keep your giftee’s phone at 100 percent and keep them from scrambling to find a wall outlet at the airport. It also comes with its own travel pouch and an 18-month warranty, but the cable is sold separately. It’s a solid one-for-me-one-for-them gift.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Verilux HappyLight Lucent Light Therapy Lamp; $40

Winter can be tough, especially for folks who struggle because of the lack of daylight hours each day. Light therapy lamps are designed to help, as they can offer a therapeutic burst of bright, vivid light that mimics the hues you’d find from natural outdoor lighting. This 4.5-star-rated option from Verilux is among the most popular on Amazon, and provides up to 10,000 lux of ultraviolet (UV)-free light. It also comes with a detachable stand and can be mounted directly to a wall, so your gift recipient can easily transport it around the house or office for added convenience.

Buy it: Amazon

3. BEDSURE Faux Fur Throw Blanket; From $29

Unsure of what to give that person who seems to have everything? You really can’t go wrong with a throw blanket, especially one that’s as cozy and warm as this faux-fur, 4.7-star-rated pick from BEDSURE. You can actually choose from four sizes and 13 different color combinations, and this machine-washable blanket has a smooth fleece underside, so your giftee will feel extra-comfy all wrapped up inside it.

Buy it: Amazon

4. CALOVER Electric Jellyfish Tank; $37

This electric jellyfish tank is like a fun, modern-day twist on the lava lamp. The jellyfish inside aren’t real; to "activate" these little faux ‘fishies, the brand recommends submerging them in dish soap for four to eight hours before the tank is set up. Once inside, they’ll move around the tank like the real thing, while the built-in light offers a wide array of color options, which can help create a serene, oceanic vibe right at home for your giftee.

Buy it: Amazon

5. Zulay Kitchen Stovetop Espresso Maker; $12

This sturdy, classic brewer is perfect for the person in your life who is interested in upping their cup game. It’s simple and sleek, but it also comes with a pressure valve (couldn’t we all use one?) to boost caffeine extraction, and the design allows for espresso, crema, foam emulsions, and more. Best of all, clean up is easy, so they don’t have to worry about grimy, boiled bean build-up.

Buy it: Amazon

6. Mental Floss: The Curious Movie Buff: A Miscellany of Fantastic Films from the Past 50 Years by Jennifer M. Wood and the Mental Floss team; $28

Sometimes the most meaningful part of watching a film isn’t the plot line; it’s all the colorful history swirling behind its creation. Help your loved one do a deep dive into the finer points of their favorite flicks with The Curious Movie Buff, which is packed full of trivia, lists, images, and other fun stuff sure to make a cinephile’s heart swell with delight.

Buy it: Amazon

7. Bombombs Hot Chocolate Bombs; From $20

Give the sweet tooth on your gift list a new drink to obsess over with these hot chocolate bombs. Available as a set of five or 10, they dissolve right in the cup and have been celebrated on TikTok for the clever twist they add to this classic winter beverage. Your giftee will also get yummy flavors to choose from, like fudge brownie and salted caramel.

Buy it: Amazon

8. AquaHomeGroup 15-Stage Shower Filter; $25

Hard water—meaning water that contains a lot of calcium, iron, and/or magnesium—can be a problem for those with sensitive hair and skin, causing dryness and potentially even exacerbating ongoing issues like acne or eczema. This 4.5-star-rated water filter could make a big difference in your giftee’s life, as it offer 15 stages of filtration to remove chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals, and other sediments that may otherwise be coursing through their shower water every day. It’s also a universal model, so it can work with all types of shower heads, including handheld and rainfall options.

Buy it: Amazon

9. Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker with Timer; $47

Forget going out to buy breakfast sandwiches whenever the hunger pangs strike in the morning. With this dual sandwich maker from Hamilton Beach, your intended can make one for the road or for a pal if they please. This easy-to-use appliance makes the whole process simple: All they have to do is add bread and a meat or cheese of their choice, then crack an egg over the built-in egg plate and layer on another slice of bread. Once the sandwich is cooked, they can slide the egg plate out, which will plop the finished egg right onto the meat and/or cheese, and the sandwich will be ready to devour.

Buy it: Amazon

10. All-New Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release); From $28

This sleek little speaker offers more than meets the eye. Whether your gift recipient is a smart tech lover or just starting to explore it, this 5th generation Echo Dot will be an easy way for them to up their game. It offers crisper audio and deeper bass than previous iterations, plus it boasts all-new temperature sensors (so it can monitor the climate in their home better) and has eero built in, meaning their home Wi-Fi may become stronger as a result. And because this gadget has Alexa, it can help them discover the weather, get help with cooking recipes, and build shopping lists, to name a few of the perks this voice assistant offers.

Buy it: Amazon

11. Bob Ross Coloring Book; $10

No one is going to judge your giftee for using paintbrushes on this coloring book. Or crayons, markers, pencils, or their fingers. The beauty of this official coloring book celebrating the art of American icon Bob Ross is that it gives them a rough image to project their own designs on to. It’s far from paint-by-numbers, and it’ll be a welcomed gift for anyone in your life who needs to destress with a little creativity.

Buy it: Amazon

12. Klean Kanteen Classic Stainless Steel Water Bottle; From $27

For those who relish the crisp taste of a good sip of water, having a fully insulated bottle around at all times can be a must. As a B-Corp, Klean Kanteen bottles are made from environmentally friendly, BPA-free materials and ideal for the eco-conscious person on your list. According to the brand, each bottle can also keep cold drinks cool for up to 50 hours, so it’s great for hikes, road trips, and other assorted adventures.

Buy it: Amazon

13. CHOMP! Long Handle Dust Mop; $40

Robot vacuums can be a great gift during the holiday season, but when it comes to cleaning ceilings, walls, baseboards, and other really hard-to-reach areas, robot vacs just can’t do the job. Enter this long-handled dust mop, which was designed with those spots in mind. The extension pole can be adjusted up to 60 inches, and allows users to swat away dust and dirt buildup without a step ladder, or hunching over to bend down. They’ll get a blue duster mitt that’s made from soft microfiber; because the mitt is machine-washable, they can reuse it for a while without needing to invest in any replacements, too.

Buy it: Amazon

14. VAHDAM Chai Tea Gift Box, Set of 3; $24

’Tis the season for more tea drinking, and the cuppa enthusiast in your life is sure to relish the delectable offerings in this sumptuous three-pack. They’ll get a ginger chai spiced black tea, a Maharani chai spiced oolong tea, and a sweet cinnamon masala chai for a sweet and spicy burst of flavor that’ll be fun to try in the cold months to come.

Buy it: Amazon

15. Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker with Alexa Built In; $29

This budget-friendly fitness tracker is a fraction of the price of a Fitbit or Apple smartwatch, but it still boasts a wide array of features, including 24/7 real-time heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking. It also measures blood oxygen saturation levels and has 11 built-in sports modes, so they can check out how many calories they burned during a recent workout or record the distance of their last run, for instance. Available in three Band 5 colorways right now, this Alexa-enabled device can also run for 15 days off a single charge.

Buy it: Amazon

16. Leatherman Rev Pocket-Size Multitool; $40

Shopping for someone who is incredible handy? If they don’t already have a go-to multitool, this affordable Leatherman model could be the perfect surprise for them this holiday season. Essentially, it’s like having a tool box on the ready at a moment’s notice no matter where they are, as it can extend into 14 different tools. It works as a pair of needle-nose and/or regular pliers, hard or regular wire cutters, a package opener, a metal file, and even a ruler, just to name a few of its functionalities.

Buy it: Amazon

17. Roku Streaming Stick 4K Streaming Device; $32

Help your giftee enjoy better picture quality and faster streaming with this 4K stick from Roku. The unit, which can be plugged directly into their TV, comes with a remote that can control not only the device, but the TV too, so gone are the days of searching for multiple remotes to control sound or power on and off. The remote offers voice control too, so they can search for titles across HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, or other major platforms easily. They’ll also gain access to more than 275 free live TV channels and Roku Originals programming via the brand’s own channel.

Buy it: Amazon

18. Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office by Brian Baumgartner and Ben Silverman; $18

Office-related wormholes happen to the best of us. This Christmas, treat your giftee to the best type of wormhole possible: An oral history of the whole series, as experienced by the folks who helped make it possible. Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with the cast and creators, this tome is one present that definitely won’t kickstart a Yankee Swap anytime soon—unless it involves other Dunder Mifflin fans trying to get their hands on it.

Buy it: Amazon

This article originally published in 2020 and has been updated for 2022.