The Best White Elephant Gifts from Amazon That’ll Arrive Before Christmas
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White Elephant gift exchanges are one of the only examples of forced fun that actually wind up being pretty fun. “Forced fun” is what I call mandatory group activities like bowling or mini golf with a cohort of co-workers, extended family or friends from a bygone era. The competitive nature — and the reward of some of the best White Elephant gifts — promises a charge of excitement that makes people loosen up. It’s unpredictable, a little chaotic and always very fun.
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The name of the party game is an homage to a historically unconfirmed practice by a King of Siam (now Thailand) who was said to gift rare albino elephants to frenemies visiting the royal court. The cost of upkeep on the massive animal was extraordinary, and would financially ruin its owner — but they couldn’t get rid of the elephant because 1.) they were sacred and 2.) who are you going to offload an albino elephant to? (There are no receipts to confirm this terrific act of pettiness, unfortunately, but it’s a great story.)
The idea is that you gift someone something impractical and outrageous, something that can’t be regifted because of its uselessness. But those gifts are likely to head straight for the landfill and with so much consumer waste in our world, it’s time to update this tradition and bring gifts that are both practical and amusing. To that end, we’ve sourced a dozen of the best White Elephant gifts, from Amazon bestsellers under $30 to luxe presents that’ll have folks snatching it out of their loved ones’ or coworkers’ hands.
Looking for more of the best gift ideas for every type of person? Check out The Hollywood Reporter‘s holiday gift guides here.
Lifelines Sensory Immersion Gift Set
$13.99 $19.99 30% off
Our go-to gadget for finding a moment of calm, Lifelines’ Sensory Immersion gift set is one of the best White Elephant gifts you can get for the stressed-out set. It includes a travel-sized diffuser, an aromatherapy fidget stone and two essential oils (Energy, a peppermint and rosemary blend; and Joy, a grapefruit and lilac scent) in genius mess-proof bottles.
Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker
$16.49 $24.99 34% off
If you’re exchanging with forgetful friends and family members, consider picking up this Tile Mate Bluetooth tracker, which helps you keep track of anything — keys, pets, luggage, cars — you attach it to by way of Tile’s app.
Ice Spice Chia Pet
Watch your fellow partygoers fight over this official Ice Spice Chia Pet, which lets them grow and maintain the rapper’s curly tresses. The planter makes a great conversation starter and table centerpiece for the rap superfans at your party.
BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone
$19.99 $49.99 60% off
Whether your gift exchange is among coworkers, family or friends, someone in the group is bound to be a karaoke fiend. This wireless rose gold Bluetooth microphone has four settings — original, child, male and “tough” voice —for singers from serious to silly. Pop in an SD card to play MP3s without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or record tunes to relive the fun later.
MUID Original Authentic Slug Night Light
This squishy, slug-shaped lamp is cute with a bit of quirk, making it a fun addition to the gift swap game. Easily adjust the lamp’s brightness and change the color of the glow by tapping the soft, rubbery globe.
RAK Magnetic Pickup Tool
The budding MacGuyver will be clamoring to grab this useful magnetic pickup tool out of their fellow White Elephant game player’s hands.
STOJO Collapsible Travel Cup With Straw
This genius travel cup collapses to pocket size and its temperature-resistant sleeve means it’s suitable for hot and cold drinks.
FarmSteady Soft Pretzel & Beer Cheese Making Kit
Watch the sports bar lovers, DIYers and amateur bakers steal FarmSteady’s soft pretzel and beer cheese making kit from one another — just be sure to share a pint of ale with the giftee so they’ll (hopefully) return the yummy favor.
Diptyque 5-Piece Candle Set
Some of the best White Elephant gifts come in small packages. For an ultra-luxe present that will draw gasps as soon as it’s unwrapped, go for Diptyque’s five-piece candle set featuring the French fragrance brand’s most celebrated scents: Baies, Roses, 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Ambre and Tubereuse.
Patchology Fizz The Season Self Care Kit
Great as a self-care stocking stuffer or a White Elephant gift, Patchology’s Fizz the Season gift set contains everything one needs to unwind after the busy holiday season.
Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer for Coffee and Tea
This compact drink warmer is a great pick for White Elephant exchanges with co-workers. It’s easy to use with a simple on/off switch and will keep their beverage of choice from going cold.
Vintage Candy Co. 1940s Retro Candy Gift Box
These 50-piece candy boxes are filled with favorites from the era of your choosing, as early as the 1930s or as recent as the 1990s.
Rainbow Socks Chocolate Bar Socks
“Not another suggestion for a food gift,” you’re thinking and you are correct: this is a pair of socks. Rainbow Socks makes a bunch of trompe l’oeil packaged socks disguised as sushi rolls, jars of pickles, croissants and more.
Tamagotchi Original
The portable electronic pet is back in all of its 1997 glory. Current kids and nostalgic adults alike will be fighting to take home this lo-fi classic, which is available in the original ’90s packaging (note that it may not arrive until after Christmas) or in this cool R2-D2 version for Star Wars superfans.
A Gift Inside Old-Fashioned Peppermint Bark
$29.49
Seasonally classic peppermint bark, with its layers of dark and white chocolate and peppermint-y crushed candy bits, will be a treat for whoever brings this gift tin home from the swap.
Bamboo Bathtub Tray Table
$29.99 $54.99 45% off
This bamboo bathtub tray is a White Elephant gift worth stealing. It adjusts to fit any size tub and features a dual-purpose tablet/book holder, a designated wine glass slot, and a nook to nest their phone or cradle a candle.
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Whether they’re a college student or your family’s resident chef, you can’t go wrong with a giant tub of fancy salt.
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