Friends are the family you choose, so the platitude goes. And likewise, co-workers are the family chosen for you by the mysterious forces of capitalism. Whether your colleagues are in-person teammates or Zoom confidants, show them they’re special, valued, and more than just “work friends” by giving them these gifts.
Fragrant olive oil
Fragrant and grassy, this oil has a fair amount of pungency and a sharp bitterness our testers enjoyed. It pairs nicely with roasted vegetables, bread, and pasta.
If you know your cubicle mate cooks, you know they use olive oil. And if you know they use olive oil, they’ll love—or at least certainly put to good use—the single-origin Graza “Sizzle” Extra Virgin Olive Oil from southern Spain. After researching 40 varieties and tasting 15, our panelists chose this oil as their top pick among widely available store-bought brands for its tomato-plant aromas; grassy, peppery flavors; and rich but not overly fatty mouthfeel. It’s also affordable, so if your recipient wants to replace it after emptying the bottle, you haven’t given them an expensive habit.
Go-anywhere charger
This charger offers fast wireless charging and easy magnetic alignment, but it’s best suited for iPhone 12 or later models.
If your work significant other is always asking the bartender to plug in their phone at happy hour, ease their low-battery woes. The Apple-certified Belkin Boost Charge Pro Portable Wireless Charger Pad with MagSafe, which has a built-in kickstand, is our upgrade pick for the best Qi wireless charger for iPhones—in our tests, it was actually faster than Apple’s own MagSafe Charger.
Classy key ring
This simple and elegant key ring requires no prying or wrestling. The helix comes in brass or stainless steel.
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Your colleague with the stylishly appointed desk and killer work outfits would certainly appreciate the quietly elegant Craighill Closed Helix Keyring. Available in brass or stainless steel, it’s just the right size for house, car, and office-drawer keys, but not too bulky for pants pockets. The wire folds neatly across itself, and your giftee can readily and securely add or remove keys by unscrewing the ridged endcap.
A permanent scratch pad
This letter-size, glass dry-erase board resists staining and eliminates desktop paper clutter.
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The 8½-by-11-inch Quartet Glass Dry-Erase Desktop Easel lies flat or props up easel-style to rescue workspaces from sticky notes and scratch-pad clutter. It resists stains and ghosting (it comes with a dry-erase marker), and the clip can keep bills or invoices neatly contained. As work-from-home expert Melanie Pinola said, “It’s almost cathartic to purge random notes and have a clean slate at the end of the day.”
Refined writing
Designed in 1969, this classic cartridge pen is beautiful to behold. It’s also a delight to hold, with a comfortable hexagonal grip and a smooth writing tip.
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The Caran d’Ache 849 Brut Rosé ballpoint pen is one of our favorites. With its matte rose-gold finish—made with 1 to 2 microns of real gold—and hexagonal shape, this Swiss pen is a pleasure to write with. And you won’t need to wrap it, since the metal case makes for an excellent presentation. Do your recipient a solid and throw in a couple of refills, too.
The best travel mug
This mug is great at keeping stuff hot, and it has a locking, leakproof lid. Also, you can operate it with one hand.
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The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug has been our pick since 2013; we’ve even published an ode in its honor. What makes this vacuum-insulated mug so great? It’s lightweight and slim (hello, cupholder), and you can easily unhitch the locking latch with one hand. It also keeps things hot for up to 10 hours, aka the entire workday and the commute home.
Sweet succulents
This box of small yet vigorous succulents is a simple, affordable gift that will expand someone’s plant collection or enliven their work environment.
Plants clean the air and brighten any environment, even a cubicle. The Rooted Baby Desert Box’s three tiny, hard-to-kill succulents are small enough to live on a desktop and easy enough to keep alive, even if natural light is scarce and the air is of the recycled variety. To save your recipient the hassle of repotting, consider ordering them with terra-cotta pots, for just a little extra.
Nice spice
This Chinese spice trio will brighten nearly any dish, from stir-fry to scrambled eggs.
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Co-workers don’t let co-workers suffer a sad desk lunch. Even if you can’t drag your work spouse away from their screen for an hour, the punchy Fly By Jing Shorty Spice Set can liven up their midday meal. Each jar provides the inimitable flavors of the Sichuan province—numbing peppercorn, zippy chili, and just a bit of sweet—but this trio won’t leave anyone sweating or uncomfortable. The flavors are delicious, unique, and strong, so just a dab will do. And even though the petite, 2-ounce jars won’t take up much space in the communal fridge, your co-worker should probably hide them or be prepared to “share.”
Neck-knot untangler
This curved fiberglass cane has six massage knobs that dial in pressure on hard-to-reach spots.
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Most everyone will end up with a sore back and neck after spending hours slouched over a desktop. And the Thera Cane Massager can bring relief much more quickly (and cheaply) than a standing appointment with the masseuse. A longtime Wirecutter favorite, this self-massage tool has six knobs that dig precisely into muscular nooks and crannies, and the hooked shape lets the user control the pressure and intensity. The durable plastic won’t bend or snap, even if your co-worker pal leans in with their full body weight. Also, since this massager is flat and battery free, it’s less cumbersome than other at-home massage devices.
Organized bookends
These metal bookends have tiered tabs to keep books and folders organized. They’re available in neutral grays or cheerful rainbow tones.
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If your co-worker’s commuting bag always has a dog-eared paperback tucked inside, or you’ve spied their overflowing bookshelves during Zoom meetings, streamlined steel bookends would likely be a much-appreciated gift. Available in a prismatic rainbow or ombre gray, the five pieces in this Index set have tabs at differing heights to neatly separate your colleague’s Oscar Wilde from their Ernest Hemingway. Since these bookends are paper thin, they’re also excellent for organizing reference manuals, binders, and folders on small desktop spaces.
Chill out
This extra-creamy treat from Ohio isn’t cheap, but the delectable flavors, like Darkest Chocolate and Salty Caramel, make it worth the price.
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Ice cream makes a foolproof gift, both for the boss you’ve known a while and the brand-new colleague. Our kitchen team considers Ohio-based Jeni’s one of the best edible gifts you can send. This set features Jeni’s five most popular flavors, including the life-changing Darkest Chocolate and the nostalgic Brambleberry Crisp. Shipping ranges from $13 to $19, depending on where you’re sending it (maybe have it posted right to the office so you can all share).
A sleek sleeve
This sturdy laptop sleeve will protect your co-worker’s laptop, and there are countless designs to choose from.
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Yes, your colleague can customize their laptop with stickers, but a cute laptop sleeve is a less-committed choice (especially if their device technically belongs to the company). Some of our favorite sleeves from testing are those sold by Society6. Artists use this platform to have their work printed on dozens of different items, which means there are thousands of prints to choose from, including line-drawn faces (pictured above). Whatever design perfectly suits your colleague, it will come printed on a stiff, canvas-style polyester sleeve, which protects against dust, scratches, and bumps and closes with a durable YKK zipper.
Hot coffee, all day
This mug warmer keeps coffee or tea from getting cold for hours, yet it also minimizes the harshness that some warmers impart on a drink’s flavor.
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If you work alongside someone who takes forever to finish their morning cuppa, a mug warmer will let them sip all day long without their java going cold. Among those we tested, the Bestinnkits Smart Coffee Warmer stood apart from the competition by accommodating any mug (as opposed to a proprietary vessel) and consistently keeping its contents between 133 °F and 135 °F for hours. This warmer has a wall plug, so that may limit where your colleague can use it, but it also has a small footprint, so it should fit easily on any desk or side table.
A professional backpack
This wear-anywhere bag’s elegant form and utilitarian features (magnetic top closure, tons of pockets) make it look more pricey than it is.
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Whether your favorite co-worker is commuting to the office across town or just upstairs to escape their children, Everlane's The ReNew Transit Backpack is one of our favorite laptop backpacks for both function and fashion. Our testers especially loved the convenience of the fold-over flap: One side is a handy pouch for essentials, the other clasps with a satisfying magnetic closure. Available in a handful of smart, muted tones, this bag has a water-resistant, recycled-polyester exterior. So it will keep your co-worker's laptop safe and dry, even if they accidentally spill a carafe of coffee or get caught in an afternoon sprinkle.
A daily dose of vocab
Delight logophiles and autodidacts with this classic tear-away calendar from the editors of Merriam-Webster.
There’s something nostalgic and charming about a tear-off daily calendar. And the 365 New Words-A-Year Page-A-Day Calendar 2024, featuring 365 glittering vocabulary words, is a particularly fun gift for the co-worker who loves language, lexicography, or just learning anything at all. Each page of this calendar offers detailed etymology and sample sentences from the editors of Merriam-Webster. Staff writer Dorie Chevlen has happily received one from her mother every year for about a decade.
Mighty matcha
With rich, nutty notes, this medium-roast matcha is sourced from small farms in Japan.
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Sustainability editor Katie Okamato sings the praises of Kettl, a tea company that works directly with small farms in Japan to source brews otherwise unavailable in the US. Katie likes all of its selections but especially recommends the Kettl Genmaimatcha Tea Bags, which she describes as “both umami-rich and remarkably fresh, with that signature background nuttiness from the roasted rice.” Some matcha lovers enjoy the ritualistic ceremony of steeping and whisking. But for workday sips, these single-serve tea bags are a godsend.
Better cold brew
This cold-brew coffee maker produces bold iced coffee, and it’s easy to assemble.
The OXO Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker is a miniature version of our top-pick cold-brew coffee maker. The OXO Compact brews 16 ounces instead of 32, so it’s perfect for the at-work cold-brew fiend who might also like the option of steeping at home. Since this coffee maker is under 9 inches tall, one needn’t feel guilty about saddling the recipient with another clunky kitchen implement. This small-but-mighty model consistently makes strong, smooth coffee that the sipper can dilute according to their needs.
A bottle of the good stuff
This Italian amaro (a liqueur made from roots and herbs) is equal parts sweet, spicy, and earthy.
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If your colleague loves a good digestif or is simply the budding office mixologist, you can’t go wrong with a great bottle of amaro. This one comes recommended to us by cocktail expert Talia Baiocchi, who considers Amaro Lucano one of her go-to libations, thanks to the complex notes of cinnamon and licorice (which strike the perfect balance between sweet, spicy, and herbaceous). Though an amaro is traditionally enjoyed neat after meals, it’s also splendid in cocktails like a Boulevardier or Negroni.
A happy-go-lucky tchotchke
These just-for-laughs springy desk companions hail from the late-1960s happy movement.
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For the office mate who loves tchotchkes—you know the desk—this little figurine is sure to add even more cheer to their cubicle or makeshift work-from-home setup. The Hoptimist was designed by Danish woodturner and counterculture icon Hans Gustav Ehrenreich as part of the late-1960s happy movement. Sure to provide happiness to your recipient, the Hoptimist serves as the main sponsor of the Danish Hospital Clowns, a nonprofit focused on bringing joyful entertainment to sick children.
Hands-free carrying
Cheap, good-looking, and reliable, this fanny pack comes in plenty of colors and patterns, but the main compartment lacks organization.
Fanny packs exist in that liminal space between random and useful—meaning there’s a good chance most of the people you work with don’t have one but would like one. We love them because they free up our hands when we’re biking, and they spare us the annoyance of having to carry a tote. The JanSport Fifth Avenue Fanny Pack, our budget pick, is currently available in several colors, so you can surely find one to complement any co-worker’s aesthetic. It’s also roomy enough to fit sunscreen, a phone, and even a wallet.
For alfresco fêtes
This tough, spill-proof blanket folds up compactly for transport, and it’s easy to clean.
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Whether your colleague is a dedicated outdoors person or just enjoys dining alfresco, the perfect picnic blanket is sure to be a hit. Among those we tested, the MIU Color Outdoor Picnic Blanket checks all the boxes: One side is a water-resistant PVC, the other a soft, wipeable oxford cloth. It folds compactly into a handled pouch (about the size of a piece of paper), so it can easily slide into farmers-market totes, hiking packs, and beach bags. All your co-worker will need is a scrumptious snack, a juicy read, and someone to share it all with.
A personalized mug
This vibrant, personalized ceramic mug will stand up to daily dishwasher runs—and it should prevent office-cup swiping.
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Maybe your co-worker misses your smiling face in the neighboring cubicle now that they’re working mostly from home. Or maybe they miss their dog now that they’re sometimes back at the office. For all manner of longing, consider this unexpected, tender, and/or downright silly gift idea: Upload a picture onto a mug so your colleague can enjoy a fond memory while sipping their morning coffee (or to prevent unauthorized mug “borrowing”). We ordered custom photo mugs from two companies, and we found that Shutterfly’s Photo Gallery Mug had more vibrant colors and decals. It also seemed more durable overall than the one we tried from Vistaprint.
An uncommon tissue box
This brightly colored tissue-box cover from Brooklyn-based designer Dusen Dusen has a cheerful visage on every side.
There’s nothing quite like listening to a colleague hack and sniffle in the cube next door—and if you’re in that situation, you should absolutely encourage them to head on home. But if they are wise (and considerate) enough to take a sick day, the Dusen Dusen Everybody Tissue Box Holder can bring an uplifting vibe to the forced downtime. Constructed of sturdy plywood (and just the right size for a standard box of tissues), the four-sided box transforms the sick-day staple into a happy objet d’art.
Better instant coffee
These individual packets of instant coffee offer flavors of citrus and apple.
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Coffee can make good times better and stressful times a little less so. Depending on the needs of your co-worker (as in, do they have kids who demand their attention before they can even turn on a coffee maker?), you may want to get them instant coffee, which they can whip up without a thought. Don’t be repelled by the concept: Instant coffee has improved a lot since the days of stale-tasting Nescafé. We taste-tested several brands, so we feel confident recommending Verve Coffee Roasters’s mild, malty coffee, which has a pleasant roasted scent. If your co-worker is less harried, send them regular coffee: We like Intelligentsia’s whole-bean options, which are sold by the bag or even as a subscription (for the colleague you really like).
Skin saver
Lucas’ Papaw Ointment is a terrific, SPF-free salve that works to soothe cracked, irritated skin anywhere on the body—not just the lips.
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You’d be surprised at how often an all-purpose salve comes to the rescue in and out of the office (and since this one comes in a two-pack, maybe you can find out). To prevent and treat itchy, cracked skin, we love Lucas’ Papaw Ointment, which supervising editor Hannah Morrill said she often saw stashed in makeup artists’ kits on celebrity photo shoots. “Papaw” refers to the fermented papaya that helps pack moisture into this little tube. This salve can be used to hydrate sanitizer-scorched hands or as a treatment for nicks, rashes, and chafing. It’s equally excellent for dry lips, minor burns, or chapped cheeks.
We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.
This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter. Dorie Chevlen contributed reporting.
Meet your guides
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.
Mentioned above
- We taste-tested 15 bottles of widely available extra-virgin olive oil. Here are our favorites.The Best Olive Oil You Can Buy at the Store
- We’ve spent over 900 hours testing Qi wireless chargers, and we’ve found great models across a wide spectrum of styles.The Best Qi Wireless Charger for iPhone and Android Phones
- After testing travel mugs for over 10 years, we’re still confident that the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug is the best mug to keep drinks hot for hours.The Best Travel Mug
- A mug that keeps your coffee piping hot, even if it’s cold outside.Why We Love the Zojirushi Travel Mug
- From outdoor lounge chairs to musical instruments to puzzles to plants, these are the things we rely on to help us relax.20 Things That Help Us Relax
- We've updated our criteria for this guide, tested more than a dozen new sleeves, and added new picks. Here are the laptop sleeves and cases we recommend.Our Favorite Laptop Sleeves and MacBook Pro Cases
Further reading
The 31 Best Gifts for People Who Work From Home
by Samantha Schoech and Dorie Chevlen
Wirecutter staffers know a thing or two about working from home. Here’s what we’d give a remote worker to help them stay cozy, focused, and organized.
Great Gifts for Listening to Music
by Grant Clauser
Everyone loves music, so we researched and tested the best headphones, speakers, and audio gear to give as gifts.
The Best Christmas Gifts for Everyone on Your List
by Samantha Schoech
Kin and colleagues, kiddos and teens: Here are our favorite picks from our 2023 holiday gift guides, all in one place.
The 31 Best Gifts for Teachers
by Alexandra Ballard and Wirecutter Staff
Teachers appreciate any heartfelt gesture from students, but you can also gift them something for their classroom—or themselves.