48 Gifts for Every Type of Boss

A pinch of flaky smoked sea salt from Icelandic company Saltverk — which produces its salts using sustainable geothermal energy — should zhuzh any lunch right up. Strategist contributor Hannah Howard says, “I’d never before experienced a smoked sea salt that was quite so satisfying.”

Most napkins would feel too informal to gift. But these from Caspari, which former Strategist senior editor Anthony Rotunno describes as “museum quality,” are not just any napkin. The 70-year-old brand collaborates with museums on some of its designs.

These cleverly designed cork-backed Areaware coasters — a perennial Strategist favorite — provide a stylish way to protect their worktop from coffee rings. They can also be arranged to make a trivet for just-out-of-the-microwave desk lunches.

Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness told us about this smartphone stand, which he learned about from a makeup-artist friend. Although he was skeptical at first, he quickly grew to love it and bought his own. “It frees up your hands so you don’t have to hold your phone so much,” Ness says.

If your boss used to complain that the office temperature was too high, they’ll love this personal, USB-rechargeable fan. Strategist contributor Alison Freer wrote that the small-but-mighty fan stands up to even the most oppressively hot, 112-degree days of Palm Springs, California.

Upgrade your boss’s office blanket to an office space heater. It’s compact, portable, and one of the best-rated on Amazon.

These ultracushy foot pads are the same ones a fitness influencer’s assistant buys on repeat for her boss, who’s always in heels (unless she’s working out). The influencer swears they make walking in pumps easier and more comfortable, so she keeps at least one spare in her bag at all times.

Waleed Cope, the founder of laundry and sneaker-cleaning store Soap Box, turns to Reshoevn8r to remove scuffs and stains. He says the cleaning solution can work miracles on retro Jordans, Adidas Ultraboosts, Nike Air Force 1s, and more.

Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen discovered this gadget while rummaging through her dad’s junk drawer. The device is “sort of like a fancy can opener,” she says, because it fully removes the center of almost any aluminum can, turning it into a wide-open metal cup. “Not only does it make a great party trick, but it has elevated the flavor profile of all sorts of beverages,” she writes.

As the assistant to a best-selling novelist from Brooklyn, “Sophie” occasionally purchases personal items for her boss, including chew toys for the writer’s pandemic puppy. Sophie says the dog chews through several of these plush lamb squeaky toys a year, and “always needs one” — at home and when traveling with the author as a service dog — so she often orders replacements.

Strategist writer Kat Gillespie purchased this folding smartphone keyboard to free up space that might have otherwise been occupied by her MacBook. “Portability is its primary feature, but I also actively enjoy typing on this thing,” Gillespie says of the responsive keys that have a “satisfying click-clack” sound. It also has a kickstand that allows you to prop up your smartphone horizontally and use it as a small screen, she says.

This simple, friendly timer is small enough to fit on a desk at the office or at home. As one contributor tells us, the 60-minute timer is a great motivational tool: It has “a visible red disk that slowly disappears as time runs out,” and “when time’s up, the clock simply emits a few beeps I would classify as ‘pleasant.’”

If your boss is working from home, this clever desk accessory elevates a laptop by six inches, allowing them to maintain a more comfortable posture while they Slack. It comes in several shades including metallic blue and rose gold.

Tyler Mitchell, the first Black photographer to shoot a cover of Vogue, published his first monograph this past summer. It comes recommended to us by a couple of people, including photographer Andrew French, who says Mitchell “has been influencing photographers new and old with his brilliant narratives.”

Strategist contributor Chantel Tattoli says this travel-friendly pillow is like a “noise-canceling puff coat that you can wind around your neck and/or over your eyes or prop behind your back for lumbar support.”

Named the “breakout stars of quarantine workouts” by former Strategist senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson, these monochromatic Bala weights will add a little resistance to their walks around the office. Plus, the slim bands are adjustable, making them easy to hide under a pair of work pants.

This candle from a Black woman–owned brand comes recommended to us by “Sukie,” who was the right hand to a New York City hedge-fund managing director. Sukie’s boss had two favorite scents: the one shown and Lady Day, both of which reflected her 1920s-inspired personal style.

When we asked professional organizers about the best desk accessories for decluttering, one pointed us to this stand from Strategist-favorite Yamazaki because it can hold “anything from writing utensils to glasses to smartphones” and has “clean lines that make it a work of art.”

We’re big stationary people — and so is musician Yaeji, who recommends this five-year Hobonichi journal. She prefers the brand because of the Tomoe River paper, which is superthin and smooth, she says. “This is my second year using it, so now I’ve gotten to the fun part where I can compare what I did the same day last year,” she says.

Amna Nawaz can’t live without this multi-device charging station, which unfolds to give her phone, AirPods, and Apple Watch a power boost. It eliminates extra cords and plugs, plus it allows for quick charging in a car, hotel room, or even on a plane, Nawaz says. “I’ve never had my devices run out of power on the road since having this with me,” she says.

When we spoke to “Ted,” who has been an executive assistant and chief of staff to creative executives for over a decade, he recommended this non-cliché Champagne, which he says is superior to Veuve even though they’re similar in price. Ted notes the choice of Perrier-Jouët also suggests that more thought was put into the gift, indicating the giver has done more than just the default.

Sitting all day — even if your boss has an ergonomic desk chair — can lead to back strain, which can be reduced with this acupressure mat recommended by actress Kat Dennings. “You kind of go numb,” Dennings says of the sensation of lying on the spikes. “Then, when you sit up, the blood rushes to your back.” Walking on the mat also helped with discomfort caused by being on her feet all day: “It’s brutal but feels great,” she says.

When we tested the latest Bluetooth speakers, the UE Wonderboom 2 was our best pick overall, receiving praise for its simplicity and ruggedness. “It survived enough drops and falls to be in a John Wick movie,” says former Strategist tech writer Jordan Bowman, who also appreciates the easy-to-press buttons and 13-hour battery life.