As Seen On TikTok: Finish Your Christmas Shopping With These Products That Went Viral In 2021

Every day, a billion people turn to TikTok to laugh, spy on their crushes, check in with their friends and favorite celebrities, find new exercise routines, and even learn the best ways to clean a desktop (spoiler: There’s a vacuum to help with that).

It stands to reason that the social media platform could also be a great place to find inspiration for those few stragglers left on your shopping list. From water bottles that look like milk cartons to delicious hot sauce and more, the best TikTok products that went viral in 2021—and helped inspire a slew of #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt posts—make great gifts this holiday season.

So, we scoured the app for well-reviewed products that are most popular with users and easily found 12 cool things for foodies, athleisure addicts, kids, and everyone else you might still be buying for right now. Honestly, the real challenge will be not buying everything on this TiKTok-trendy gift guide for yourself.

1. Our Place Home Cook Duo Set; $250

For that loved one who never met a social-media cooking fad they didn’t like (see: baked feta pasta and the tortilla wrap hack), Our Place’s ultimate Home Cook Duo set is a terrific option. It includes the influencer-beloved company’s hero product, the Always Pan ($145), and its newest kitchen dynamo, the Perfect Pot ($165). Together, the brand claims these items can replace 16 individual pieces of cookware, including the frying pan, steamer, Dutch oven, colander, and stock pot. Of course, some meals will still require multiple pans and at $250 for the set, these are pricey, but man if they aren’t worth the hype. They also come in chic colors like matte cornflower blue and spice, and have nifty details like built-in spoon rests, to help make cooking easier.

Buy It: Our Place

2. Squishmallow Plush Toy; $13-$15

Like Cabbage Patch Kids and Beanie Babies before them, Squishmallow plushies have become an object of great desire among kids (and kids at heart). They’ve been flying off the shelves since 2017—with rare ones earning big bucks and creating a bustling trade market—and now the Squishmallow creature squad numbers in the thousands. The unicorns, like this 12-inch Ilene The Pink Unicorn, double as super comfortable pillows for nap time, movie nights, or reading sessions, and make some of the best cuddle buddies. There are plenty of other animals to choose from (we’re partial to the fancy octopus with a monocle), along with foods, cacti, and spooky creatures like witches and gnomes. Most folks use TikTok to show off the new additions to their menagerie, but @asherrs blew us away with an instructional video on how to turn a unicorn into a custom cow Squish.

Buy Them: Ilene the Pink Unicorn; Fancy Octopus

3. DJStore Clear Milk Carton Water Bottle; $8

The Hydro Flask is so VSCO Girl 2019. Don’t let your friends drink fruit-infused water, cold-pressed juice, or boba tea from an outdated vessel. This year’s top beverage-holding accessory is a clear plastic bottle shaped like an old-school milk carton. Easily customized with a Cricut machine, googly eyes, crystals or stickers, the opening is big enough for tapioca pearls or berries, and the lid makes it easy to store and good for travel. There are also see-through colored versions and sets that include reusable straws and cleaning brushes.

Buy It: Amazon

4. Seasum Leggings; $10-$21

The women in your life are likely in constant pursuit of the perfect pair of leggings. Thanks to modern fabric technology, they might exist in the form of these Seasum leggings, which sparked a huge sensation on TikTok for their purported “butt-lifting” abilities. Many reviewers swear by these high-waisted numbers and claim that they'll see you through a yoga session or #squatchallenge with no problems. Even better, they come in cute colors and prints like leopard or rainbow tie-dye, so your giftee can have a little fun with their athleisure wear.

Buy It: Amazon

5. Odistar Desktop Vacuum Cleaner; $13-$20

For many folks, most of the last two years have been spent indoors and working from home. As such, tabletops, desktops, and countertops have never seen so much action. Help your friends and family clean up their act in the new year with this handheld rechargeable mini vac that TikTokkers give a big thumb’s up. It’s perfect for scooping up leftover crumbs from that lunch Zoom date and sucking dust out from keyboards, and delivers up to 400 minutes of continuous cleaning time off a single charge.

Buy It: Amazon

6. HotPop Microwave Popcorn Maker; $10-$13

This collapsible stocking stuffer will level up outdoor movie nights (another oft-posted influencer activity) with ease. All your giftee has to do is toss some kernels into the BPA-free silicone popper and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes. Health-conscious folks can enjoy their popcorn sans oil and butter, but those who want that movie theater taste can add them in. To really take the gift home, couple it with spices, flavored salt, powdered cheese, or even a bag of vegan-approved nutritional yeast.

Buy It: Amazon

7. Bearaby Cotton Napper Weighted Blanket; $249

Getting a good night’s rest is a basic tenet of self-care because sleep can boost the immune system, promote memory retention, reduce stress, and may even help prevent weight gain. Weighted blankets, which make users feel like they’re being swaddled, are all the rage in terms of self-care because they promote deeper, more restorative sleep. There are lots of weighted blankets to choose from, but the Bearaby Cotton Napper is a perfect combination of form and function thanks to its knitted design, high-end materials (each one is made from butter-soft organic cotton), sophisticated color selections, and multiple weight denominations (15 pounds to 25 pounds). Another edge that Bearaby has over competitor brands is that these weighted blankets are machine-washable. We know they aren’t cheap, but remember that true relaxation is priceless.

Buy It: Bearaby

8. Truff Hot Sauce Holiday Gift Pack; $78

TikTok is great and all, but when it comes to spoiling the ones you love with exceptional gifts, you’d be hard-pressed to find a seal of approval more valued than Oprah’s. Not only did the divine Ms. O place these truffle-powered, gluten-free vegan condiments on her annual list of favorite things, but she strongly backed up that choice, adding: “I put Truff’s black truffle hot sauce on just about everything. It’s become such a staple that whenever I have guests, they ask for it too!” TikTok users are equally keen on the sauce, and this bundle includes Oprah’s go-to black truffle, as well as bottles of white truffle hot sauce and black truffle oil. If your giftee is unsure how to best deploy these flavor bombs, they can turn to the brand’s TikTok page for advice—judging by the number of followers, many users are as devoted as Winfrey.

Buy It: Amazon

9. BlendJet 2 Portable Blender; $50

From deck-side daiquiris and post-gym protein shakes, this BlendJet 2 portable and powerful blender can do its job just about everywhere you need. After its stainless steel blades quickly cut down ice, leafy greens, and frozen fruit, your giftee can drink straight from it. It’s also compact, USB-rechargeable, and self-cleaning. Great for moms on the go, athletes, students with short lunch breaks, and frozen cocktail aficionados, this appliance is as useful as it is convenient.

Buy It: BlendJet

10. Kitchen Gizmo Snap-N-Strain; $16

This handy chef’s helper turns almost any pot or bowl into a strainer with a few simple clips. The adjustable silicone gadget saves space and comes in bright colors like orange, lime, purple and red, so it will never get lost and forgotten in the depths of your giftee’s cupboards. Think of how easy it will be for them to make you that next batch of baked feta pasta now.

Buy It: Amazon

11. Chi Spin N Curl; $68-$106

TikTok is a treasure trove of beauty tips, tricks, and product reviews. Within that category, there is constant curl-related content. People are obsessed with finding the easiest and most fool-proof ways to get bouncy ringlets and beachy waves. The desire to achieve that “just stepped out of the salon” look sends a good portion of them in the direction of the 1-inch ceramic Chi Spin N Curl. This TikTok-famous item has a unique, tulip-like shape and offers adjustable heat settings, a timer, and a digital temperature display. The hair tool sucks in strands with the click of a button and spits them out in a shiny, near-uniform row. If you know someone who appreciates saving time (reviewers say they’re finished in less than 15 minutes!) and luscious locks, consider wrapping up this magic wand to bestow upon them a lifetime of good hair days.

Buy It: Amazon

12. Barsys Smart Coaster; $95

Friends don’t let friends drink crappy cocktails. The Barsys smart coaster will help turn them from bartending beginners to master mixologists, taking their libations from swill to spectacular over time. Using the brand’s app, they can choose a drink they want to make and receive instructions for how to make it. Once they place an empty glass on the gadget, lights will come on from within the coaster and direct the user when to start and stop adding spirits. Don’t believe it will be the perfect pour? Plenty of users on TikTok have given it a go and swear it actually works. This could be a great splurge for whoever is hosting your gang for New Year’s Eve.

Buy It: Barsys

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