Prime Day Is Brimming With White-Elephant Gifts
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October Prime Dayis here, and we’re updating this story hourly. To find the best deals in every category, follow all ofour October Prime Day coverage.
The October edition of Amazon Prime Day is a great opportunity to get a head start onholiday gift shopping— including for white-elephant parties and other group gift exchanges. My philosophy for these eventsis an extension of my approach to all gift giving: Aim to surprise and delight, but don’t saddle people with useless junk orgag gifts. White-elephant gifts present an extra challenge in that that you don’t know exactly who the final recipient will be. So because there’s such a wide variety of products on sale for Prime Day, I’ve rounded up a range of discounted goodies that just about anyone could be excited to receive as a white-elephant gift — or at least pass along to someone else in their life who might. Prime Day ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT/2:59 a.m ET, so check out sooner rather than later if you see something you like.
Under $10
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Whowouldn’tbe stoked to receive a gigantic bag of the most delicious candy on earth (a title bestowed by yours truly)?
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Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizzais a fast-paced, silly card game that works for players of many ages. It’s also less likely that someone already owns it, compared to more well-known games like Uno.
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This twist on the classic board game takes just ten to 15 minutes to play and has far fewer rules to learn, making it great to play with kids while you’re out at a café or bar or anytime you want a low-commitment activity that’s still fun.
Read more:The Best Gifts for Tween Girls
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I became obsessed with playing this game for several months straight this year. It’s easy to learn but fast-paced and competitive enough to always stay interesting.
Read more:This Card Game Threatens to Tear My Family Apart — But We Can’t Stop Playing It
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This Burt’s Bees gift set is almost half off right now, making it an especially robust gift for under ten bucks. It features travel sizes of the brand’s Softening Foot Cream, Almond & Milk Hand Cream, Hand Salve, Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Pomegranate Lip Balm, and Nourishing Hand Cream.
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Cute baked-goods-themed sticky notes for jotting down lists, thoughts, and reminders.
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Managing editor Kelsie Schrader gave these to me last year for ourStrategist Secret Santa, and I absolutely adore them. They’re cute and silly but also quite handy when draining pasta!
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I’m not opposed to funny gifts; I just need them to have an actual use. Bathroom-freshening spray with a punny name is jokey without being junky.
Under $25
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Edible gifts are ideal for white-elephant parties, especially if you bring something a little upscale or unusual — like truffle-infused hot sauce. This Truff two-pack includes the brand’s original and habanero flavors; according to actress Janelle James, it tastes good onanything.
Read more:What Janelle James Can’t Live Without
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Give them enough lip masks to last all winter.
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These adorable, rechargeable hand warmers will be especially useful for anyone who goes to a lot of sporting events or spends time outside.
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There’s something inherently delightful about a rotary cheese grater. Though according to Strategist contributor Alyse Whitney, this grater can handle much more than just cheese — she uses it for a variety of veggies too.
Read more:I Slice, Grate, and Chop Everything With This Rotary Grater
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These stackable stainless-steel mugs from Yeti are insulated, durable, and a pleasing shade of blue.
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Or go with a good travel mug, like Owala’s SmoothSip Slider, which is 25 percent off today. (I got an Owala water bottle at a white-elephant party last year and was thrilled.)
Read more:The Best Travel Mugs
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CosRX Snail Mucin Sheet Mask
A fresh supply of face masks is a great gift for anyone who’s into self-care.
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I’m pretty sure just about everyone could benefit from some back and neck relief.
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All the joy of s’mores without the hassle of building a fire.
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I’d pair this Great Jones cooling rack with a couple cookie cutters or jars of sprinkles for maximum delight.
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This adorably goofy-looking cat plushie doubles as a heating pad when warmed in the microwave. It’s filled with flaxseed and lavender for a pleasant scent.
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Save them from ever having to search for a battery again (bonus points if you include a pack of AAs to get them started filling it).
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A quick-dry towel is handy for camping, impromptu trips to the beach, or traveling. This one packs down small, and I love the National Park–inspired design.
Under $50
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This LEGO kit will make for a lovely, unkillable display once they’ve put it together.
Read more:Prime Day Is When I Buy LEGOs
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High-quality travel toiletry containers are the kind of thing many people won’t buy for themselves but would really appreciate having. According to writer Katherine Gillespie, not only do these tubs from Cadence have a sleeker aesthetic over typical travel bottles; they’re also easier to fill.
Read more:The Best Toiletry Bottles
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This travel doodad unlocked the option to watch in-flight entertainment with my AirPods, which boast much better noise cancellation than the dinky wired earbuds airlines provide. I’m never looking back. And for less than $30, it’s a perfect white-elephant gift that straddles the line between wacky and useful.
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JBL Go 3
Everyone could use a portable Bluetooth speaker, especially one that’s waterproof and has a loop to hang it wherever they take it. (Senior editor Jen Trolio even uses hers to listen to music in the shower.)
Read more:The Best Bluetooth Speakers
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Eargasm High-Fidelity Earplugs
On the flip side, everyone could also use a good pair of earplugs to wear to concerts, clubs, or other loud events. These are one of my favorite pairs for their combination of good sound quality and hearing protection.
Read more:I Tried 6 Pairs of Concert Earplugs to Find the Best Ones
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A gift set from a buzzy beauty brand like Sol de Janeiro is near guaranteed to be a hit.
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The same principle applies with this Tatcha set, which includes trial sizes of the brand’s Camellia Cleansing Oil, the Rice Wash, the Matcha Cleanse, the Essence, the Dewy Skin Cream, and the Water Cream.
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A nice-looking but neutral-enough AirTag charm to attach to their luggage, keys, or purse.
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DedCool’s genderless and vegan scents can appeal to anyone, so they’re great for a white-elephant exchange.
More Prime Day Deals
- 50 Pairs of Comfy Shoes on Sale This Month From Camper, Hoka, and More
- Just 45 Pairs of Comfy, On-Sale Shoes From Rothy’s, Keen, and More
- This May Be Your Last Chance to Get OG Everlane on Sale
- I Found $16 Old Navy Bikinis and $25 Aerie One-Pieces
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
