The 61 best practical gifts they’ll actually use
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We love a practical gift — after all, we spend a lot of time thinking about what makes the perfect example of any given product. So when we find the best-ever travel pillow or an absolutely perfect cooler, we want everyone we know to have one.
When giving a practical gift, however well-intentioned or thoughtful, you risk disappointing the recipient — or worse, outright offending them! Our general advice when it comes to giving a practical gift is to find the sweet spot of items that are useful, but also feel like a true gift: A set of mixing bowls for your friend who’s recently taken up baking, for example, goes from blah to ta-da when the set comes in a fun color or whimsical pattern. A luxe upgrade, like silk pillowcases that are both elegant and useful, is another way to turn a mundane-seeming gift into something that will dazzle.
We’ve rounded up our favorite practical gift ideas for everyone on your holiday shopping list, from the world traveler to the car enthusiast to the person who could really use a great night’s sleep.
Need more holiday shopping inspiration? Check out our favorite gifts for men, gifts for women, gifts for teens and Amazon gifts.
Best practical gifts for travel
Akiki Cleaner Kit for AirPods
This earbud cleaning set comes with its own carrying case, making it ideal for frequent travelers to stash in a bag for cleaning on the go.
Perilogics Universal In-Flight Phone Holder
Watch your favorite TV shows and movies from your own device without holding your phone the entire time. This handy mount clamps to the seatback tray table, allowing you to attach your phone and stream your favorite entertainment hands-free.
Davek Commuter Umbrella
It doesn't get more practical than an umbrella. A high-end travel umbrella that actually won’t break is a practically perfect gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list. We also love that Davek’s umbrellas come with a lifetime warranty.
Mark & Graham Dual Travel Organizer
Cosmetic cases are so useful, and having a collection in various shapes and sizes is a good idea for the frequent traveler or beauty enthusiast. Mark & Graham’s cosmetic cases are a great addition to any collection of travel bags and can be monogrammed to make them feel extra special.
Cabeau Evolution S3
In our testing of travel pillows, this one stood out among the competition — our reviewers call it “the Goldilocks of travel pillows.” They praised its design, which is firm enough to support the head and neck but soft enough to fall asleep on.
Onélogy Peptides-CU 0.6%
Take your skin care on the road with these travel-friendly serum packs. The tablet-to-gel formula is activated when mixed with water, making them perfect for keeping up with your beauty routine while on the move.
Noshinku Refillable Hand Sanitizer Set, 4-Pack
Hand sanitizer is a must when it comes to travel, but it doesn’t have to be boring, smell bad or dry out your skin. Noshinku's sanitizer mist is small enough to pass through airport security regulations, and the blend uses essential oils and alcohol derived from organic cane sugar to soften and sanitize hands simultaneously. We think this four-pack is the perfect stocking stuffer idea.
JLab JBuds Mini True Wireless Earbuds
These tiny earbuds will take up virtually no space in your packed travel bag. They come in five perfectly giftable colors, including black, hot pink and mint green.
$40 at JLab
$40 at Amazon
$30 at Best Buy
Best practical gifts for readers
Uncommon Originals Book Nook Reading Valet
For the reader who likes to settle in with a hot drink and a good book, this stand keeps a book open, holds a mug and has room for a phone or glasses.
Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light
This handy, bendable neck light has three color modes (yellow, warm white and cool white), three brightness levels and up to 80 hours of power from the included rechargeable battery, giving book lovers much-needed light to read wherever they may be.
Knock Knock Original Personal Library Kit
For the bookworm who loves to share books but would very much like to get them back, this bookplate kit makes a perfect gift. It comes with 20 self-adhesive pockets, 20 checkout cards, one date stamp, one black ink pad and a pencil.
Moon Pod
The Moon Pod, a favorite among our staff, is a cloudlike chair designed to mimic the sensations of flotation therapy. Our reviewer especially loved it for storytime with the kids.
$259 with code CNNPOD15 at Moon Pod
$299 at Amazon
Reavee Blue-Light-Blocking Reading Glasses, 3-Pack
If you need to wear reading glasses, you might as well make them stylish reading glasses! This set of three thick-framed, blue light-blocking readers is available in magnification strengths 0x to 4x.
Best practical gifts for the home chef
Oxo Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer
Everything you need to prep an avocado — from slicing to pitting — in one compact, dishwasher-safe tool. It’s an Underscored reader favorite.
Peugeot Paris U'Select Pepper Mill
A really good pepper grinder is a game changer for the home chef, and picking one in an eye-catching color, like this cheery — and seasonally appropriate! — red makes it feel special enough to give as a gift.
$55 at Sur La Table
$49 at Amazon
KitchenClouds Kitchen Mat
This pressure-relieving mat is a perfect gift for the person who is always in the kitchen. Standing on a hard floor can put a lot of stress on the back and knees, but this mat provides a cushion that makes cooking more comfortable.
Primula Burke Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker
The iced coffee lover in your life will love this cold brew coffee maker. Pair it with a selection of coffee beans or a travel mug to make a more robust gift.
Fellow Opus Conical Burr Grinder
Coffee enthusiasts will be obsessed with this souped-up grinder that boasts more than 40 grind settings. It gets high marks from users for its cool magnetic feature that allows all the grinds to filter perfectly into the cup, and for being super quiet.
Kona BBQ Grill Brush
For the person who loves to grill, a grill brush is a gift you can buy over and over again — because it's important to replace grill brushes regularly for safety's sake. The Kona grill brush was our favorite in testing, so you can assure its recipient that you got the best of the best.
Canary Japanese Kitchen Shears
Kitchen shears are such a useful thing to own, but they’re almost too practical to give as a gift unless you elevate the form. These red-handled kitchen shears, which feature a micro-serrated blade edge that allows you to cut through anything with ease and a bottle opener built into the handle, fit the bill perfectly.
Best practical tech gifts
Oxo Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush
A small soft-bristled brush is helpful to dislodge and brush away dust and debris from small electronics. It can be used to clean headphones as well as keyboards and cell phones, and the bristles retract when not in use, making it perfect for use on the go.
Flexispot Electric Standing Desk Converter
People who work from home will love the Flexispot Standing Desk Converter. Both its desktop and keyboard tray provide ample space, and it adjusts with the push of a lever. Need more gift ideas for the WFH set? Check out our guide to the best home office essentials.
Aioneus 6-Foot iPhone Charger Cord, 2-Pack
An extra-long phone charging cord is one of those “how did I ever live without this?!” items. This 6-foot charging cord comes in red, blue, silver or gold, elevating it from an everyday tech accessory to a holiday-appropriate gift that also happens to be super useful.
Jall Wooden Digital Alarm Clock
Help someone become a master of time management with our favorite alarm clock. Our reviewers loved Jall's wooden digital alarm clock for its easy-to-read display, dependable settings and elegant design.
Ailkin USB Wall Charger
Tech gadgets and accessories make great practical gift ideas for anyone on your holiday shopping list. Look for options, like this USB charging brick, that come in red, green, blue or silver to make them feel appropriate to the occasion.
Emart 10-Inch Standing Ring Light
The Emart ring light is our pick for the best ring light. It comes with a fully adjustable tripod, giving users a lot of flexibility, and it has three light modes along with 11 brightness levels. Just think of how great you’ll look in your daily Zooms.
Bagsmart Universal Cable Organizer
Keep all their cables and cords organized with this clever tech accessories case. The zip-closure waterproof case features elastic loops and mesh pockets to hold cables, phone chargers, earbuds, charging bricks and more. There's also a padded pocket that can hold a tablet, SD card and other flat electronic items.
Best practical gifts for self-care
Meridian The Trimmer
A trimmer perfect for use among men and women, this Meridian trimmer is one of our beauty editor’s favorite grooming products. It's beautifully designed, waterproof and won't cost you a fortune, making it a great gift for those who need a device to assist them in their grooming ritual.
Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towels
In our tests, Frontgate’s Resort Cotton Bath Towel was among the most luxurious-feeling. “Thick, soft and snuggly,” our reviewer says, “this product truly feels like a fine hotel bathing experience,” which elevates towels from a home basic to a luxurious gift.
Tushy Classic 3.0 Bidet Attachment
Our pick for the best bidet attachment, the Tushy 3.0 is incredibly easy to install on a wide variety of toilets, and even easier to enjoy. It’s a complete bathroom game changer we can’t recommend enough.
Asakuki Essential Oil Diffuser With Oils
An essential oil diffuser serves two functions: It will fill your home with the aroma of essential oils, which are both pleasant and thought to be major mood boosters. This diffuser has multiple mist modes, seven different LED colors and an automatic shutoff safety feature. It comes with six bottles of essential oils in lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus, tea tree, sweet orange and peppermint.
Magic Linen Linen Robe
When asked about our favorite robes, senior lifestyle editor Rachel Lubitz recommended this linen number. “The sleeves are a perfect length and it drapes so elegantly from my shoulders,” she says. “If you’re looking for a linen robe, this is the one to buy.” The robe comes in three colors: light gray, gray blue or woodrose (a dusty pink shade).
Zadro TWB Towel Warmer
You know what’s even better than a warm hug? A warm towel. A towel warmer feels like such a luxury, but it turns out that it’s a pretty affordable luxury. This bucket-style warmer can simply be plugged into an existing wall outlet.
Idle Hippo Full-Body Bath Pillow
Bath bombs and salts are old standards, but if you want to up your gift game for a bath-obsessed loved one, this full-body bath pillow will take the experience to a whole new level.
Best practical gifts for car enthusiasts
Ticarve Cleaning Gel
This weird, slightly sticky goo picks up crumbs, lint and dirt without leaving residue on your car. It's the perfect thing for cleaning cup holders or air vents, and it's the perfect combination of useful and odd to make it a fantastic gift.
Drift Car Wood Air Freshener
The humble tree air freshener has gotten a stylish makeover with this wooden block that slides into a metal visor clip. The scented odor eliminator comes in three scents and lasts for 30 days.
Farasla All-in-One Car Trash Can
Center console trash cans are little things that can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping the car clean. This "all-in-one" style receptacle has two removable liners to make emptying easier, as well as a compartment to hold tissues, napkins or wet wipes — perfect for keeping greasy or sticky fingers from leaving greasy or sticky prints all over the car.
Chemical Guys EcoSmart Waterless Wash & Wax
The DIY car detailer in your life will flip for this complete waterless detailing system. It cleans, shines and protects, making it perfect for washing your car anywhere, anytime.
Orient Famulay Trunk Organizer With Cooloer
The standout feature of this trunk organizer is its leakproof cooler section. In addition to the insulated cooler, there are two compartments with a removable divider, six side pockets, and two mesh pockets.
Best practical gifts for better sleep
Mavogel Cotton Sleep Eye Mask
This cotton sleep mask is one of those gifts people won't know they needed until they have it.
Boll & Branch Signature Embroidered Sheet Set
Really good sheets, like this set from Boll & Branch, make such a great gift. For more bedding recommendations that make great gift ideas, check out our guides to the best cotton sheets, the best linen sheets and the best cooling sheets.
Buffy Wiggle Pillow and Cover
Buffy, the maker of those cloudlike duvets, took the pregnancy pillow and redesigned it for the masses. The Wiggle Pillow is a floppy yet supportive tie-able pillow that offers full-body support for sleeping or lounging. A removable, machine-washable cover is available in three colors: Cream, Puff and Toast.
Pluto Pillow
The Pluto pillow is our pick for best overall pillow. Our testers gave it high marks for versatility: You can customize it in a number of ways, choosing everything from foam to fiber fill to cover fabric to suit your body type and sleep habits.
Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
A luxe upgrade is a great way to make a mundane-seeming item into a knock-their-socks-off gift. For example, pillowcases aren’t especially giftable, but silk pillowcases are. In addition to being ultra-glam, silk pillowcases are also a practical investment — they’re easier on your hair and skin than cotton.
From $59 at Brooklinen
From $59 at Amazon
Best practical gifts for active lifestyles
Therabody Theragun Mini (2nd Gen)
Massage guns are popular tools for post-workout recovery, making them a great gift for the most active people on your holiday shopping list. While many massage guns can be bulky and loud, the Theragun gets high marks for being quiet, small and comfortable to use.
$149 at Amazon
$149 at Therabody
$149 at Target
Bala Bangles
Bala Bangles are a must-have item for the workout enthusiast. The super-popular wrist and ankle weights come in loads of colors that make them a fantastic gift option for any occasion.
Hyperice Normatec 3 Legs
Another approach to practical gift-giving is to go big! We love the Normatec 3 Legs compression system, which provides a customizable massage experience to help improve athletic training and recovery.
Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket
In our test of rain jackets, the Patagonia Torrentshell outperformed all other jackets in key areas. Our reviewer calls it “ridiculously waterproof” and praised it for being “extremely breathable, durable and comes with Patagonia’s lifetime Ironclad Guarantee.” It's available in a women's version, too.
Lululemon The Mat 5mm
Exercise mats have a lifespan; when they lose their loft or start showing signs of wear and tear (like nicks, shredding or curling), it’s time for a new one. The Lululemon mat comes in five colors and makes a great gift for the home workout enthusiast or yogi.
Nike Swoosh Women’s Medium-Support Padded Zip-Front Sports Bra
Gym people are a different breed, and if you've got an exercise nut on your holiday shopping list, getting them a gift they can use during their workouts is a sure way to bring them some seasonal cheer. We love this zip-front Nike bra because of its inclusive size range, breathable and sweat-wicking fabric and remarkably affordable price tag.
Best practical gifts for life’s little messes
Useful Products Drill Brush Attachment Set
Bring some power to household chores with this genius drill brush set. It comes with three scrub brush attachments for use with a power drill: a 2-inch flat round brush, a 4-inch flat round brush and an oval brush. These handy brushes can be used to clean everything from the bathtub to a canoe.
Black+Decker Handheld Vacuum
Beware the perils of giving a vacuum as a gift! Vacuums are a great practical gift idea but you have to be very, very sure that the recipient won’t be furious with you for giving them a household appliance. One way to get it right is to think small, and red, like this chili red handheld vacuum.
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine
Dyson's first foray into attaching a mop to its legendary cordless vacuums, the Submarine adds a wet element to an already powerful cleaning machine. It isn't perfect, occasionally leaving streaks behind during our early testing, but it's still the best wet-dry floor cleaning tool we've tried.
ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover
For the parents of a pet that sheds, grab this cult-favorite pet hair remover that leaves furniture, clothing and carpets looking like you live with a hairless animal.
The Ringer Stainless Steel Cast-Iron Cleaner
While they're not absolutely necessary, chainmail scrubbers bring a bit of medieval flair to scrubbing out cast-iron cookware, making it easier to clean without compromising the layer of seasoning that is so crucial to keeping it non-stick.
Magic Scrubroom
This clever sweeper takes the traditional squeegee design and flips it — literally. We tried and loved this inexpensive, easy-to-use (and store) tool.
Best practical gifts for fashion lovers
Gleener Fabric Shaver & Lint Brush
This inexpensive fabric care tool is the gift that keeps on giving. The Gleener Fuzz Remover is a fantastic sweater depiller. The tool comes with three changeable blades in different weights to remove pills from fine, medium or heavy fibers, and the handle is fitted with a lint remover to make cleanup quick.
Jason Markk Leather Care Kit
Leather goods, from bags and shoes to clothing like leather jackets, need to be cleaned regularly to keep them looking their best and to ensure they last a long time. A leather care kit makes a fantastic gift because it contains everything they'd need to clean and condition any type of leather goods.
Soak Laundry Soap in Celebration
People who are particular about their clothes know that hand-laundering is the best option for very fine or delicate garments. And there's no better choice for hand-washing than Soak Laundry Soap's no-rinse formula. Soak Wash is available in seven different scents, including a fragrance-free formula — but for holiday gifting, we like the Celebration variety.
Better to U Black Satin Padded Sweater Hangers, 5-Pack
Padded hangers are a game changer for your closet. Use them to hang very heavy or finely constructed garments to protect the shoulders from dents and undue stress. A set of black satin hangers makes a surprising — and surprisingly useful — gift idea.
Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam Handheld Garment Steamer
Our pick for the best fabric steamer, the Conair Turbo steamer got high marks for its straightforward controls, wide range of useful steam levels, convenient attachments and comfortable, well-balanced design.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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