Every Holiday Gift Guide From the Strategist (So Far)
The best of the best from our gift guides for every person on your list.
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For the Strategist team, gift scouting is a year-round sport. That means by April, we had already reviewed the newest (and most affordable) MacBook, and in July, we ID’d Erling Haaland’s hair ties right off his man bun. Now that it’s officially holiday season, we’re filling our signature lineup of gift guides with the most surprising and delightful gifts from our research, reviews, and hundreds of interviews with hard-to-shop-fors (think tween girls and, well, husbands).
Consider the below a highlight reel of every single gift guide that we’ve written (so far) this season. I’ve handpicked all the most worth-it items that have appeared in our gift guides for everyone on your list, whether it’s your wellness-obsessed mom, ever-confusing teen cousin, or 5-year-old niece who wants nothing more than a Tin Can. And as we inch closer to Christmas, I’ll be regularly updating this article with even more gifts from all our latest guides, so I suggest bookmarking this post to stay up-to-date.
If you’re new here, I also recommend signing up for our newsletter to get even more of our holiday coverage straight to your inbox. Between our predictions about the trendiest gifts for different age groups and the return of The Strategist Gifting Game, there’s so much to look forward to.
Jump ahead
Gifts that
Might Sell Out
The most-sought-after items of the year that will go fast.
The Advent calendars arrived early this year, and while you already missed some sell-out beauty calendars from Anthropologie and Revolve, there are more than 80 Strategist-approved options that are still available. Find more Advent calendars here.
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Inside, there are three full-size products, three travel sizes, and 18 minis.
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Expect the usuals — mussels and albacore tuna — plus some fun mementos, like chocolate sardines.
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It’s filled with stationery goodies, like a shopping-list notepad, pencil case, and A7 notebooks.
Now that every beauty brand on the map has made its own Advent calendar, we’ve gotten choosier with the ones we feel are actually worth it (as in, not just full of samples). Find all of our favorite beauty Advent calendars here.
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You’ll get iconic products like M.A.C Ruby Woo and the lip liner in Whirl — full size, might I add.
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It’s a compilation of Sunday Riley’s greatest hits: the vitamin-C serum, Luna Night Oil, and more.
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It’s a good opportunity to try a variety of the brand’s offerings, like hand cream and deodorant.
Now that adults can treat themselves to 24 days of wine, lipstick, and tinned fish, Advent calendars that are actually for kids don’t get the same spotlight. To help you sift through the noise for age-appropriate ones, writer Liza Corsillo found more than 60 options for toddlers to teens. Find more Advent calendars for kids here.
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It’s a great Advent calendar for number-obsessed toddlers.
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This calendar lets kids build a New York City Ballet charm bracelet and doubles as a jewelry box.
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Twenty-four days of magic tricks to dazzle friends and family.
Gifts for
Her
Perfect presents for moms, sisters, girlfriends, and more.
When shopping for her mom, Strategist senior writer Ambar Pardilla likes to go for something she needs but hasn’t gotten around to buying or something she would never, ever buy for herself. Find all the gifts that fit that description here.
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While the Black+Blum Prada travel cup is $260, this non-Prada Black+Blum travel cup is just $25.
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This German gelee creates an almost theatrical blanket of bubbles that last a solid hour.
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Consider it a Walkman with modern conveniences like a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth.
When shopping for her wife (or anyone, really), Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst employs a core strategy: mixing highbrow and lowbrow. We suggest stuffing a makeup bag with some fancy hand soap, but Denton-Hurst compiled more than 50 other ideas. Find them all here.
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The playful-yet-elevated soap is a fraction of the price of other statusy hand soaps.
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It opens flat, so she can easily access all her mascara and lip products.
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Our writers love this manicure kit, which offers a long-lasting manicure without going to a salon.
When looking for a gift for your mother-in-law, you want to find something she’ll actually use and doesn’t already have. Pardilla compiled all the gifts that fit the bill here.
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Denton-Hurst describes Murdle as a mini-game of Clue (and it helps her stay off her phone).
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It can be heated in the microwave or chilled in the freezer for neck and shoulder relief.
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This portable sauna goes up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit and is steam-ready in about 15 minutes.
Gifts for
Tweens, Teens, and Young Adults
Whether they want video games, beauty products, or clothes.
When shopping for a college student, it’s hard to go wrong with one of the water bottles or plushies that’s getting some buzz on campus. Our gift guide for college students includes tons of the latest products taking over teen and 20-something wish lists plus some tried-and-true dorm essentials. Find all of them here.
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College students display these weighted stuffed animals with pride.
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Wired headphones are back, and these hand-wrapped ones make for a nice stocking stuffer.
Gifts for
Kids
Age-appropriate recommendations, from this season’s hot toys to classic crowd-pleasers.
When shopping for 1-year-olds, Corsillo says it’s best to buy toys that encourage them to move their bodies and explore new sensory experiences. She chatted with child-development professionals, art therapists, tasteful parents, and toy-trend experts about their top picks and put them all into her gift guide for these curious toddlers. Find more gifts for 1-year-olds here.
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A squishy color-changing book for “reading” in the bath.
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Senger’s squirrel stuffie is made with nothing but organic cotton and sheep’s wool.
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This modular busy board encourages fine-motor development.
The best gifts for 2-year-olds, though, “often focus on the ways they can have an impact, accomplish a goal, or solve a problem,” Corsillo says. “They’re also practicing their language skills and learning how to socialize, often through pretend play.” Find more gifts for these energetic 2-year-olds here.
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A box of chunky LEGOs that are easier for toddlers to connect and won’t pose a choking hazard.
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A storybook projector that calms kids without actually being a screen.
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This 12-inch bike teaches kids to balance and prepares them for pedals.
As her son approaches 4, Corsillo has found that the kinds of play he enjoys most fall into two camps: physical activities like riding a bike and imaginative ones where he acts out (and narrates) different professions. Find all of her gift recommendations that fit into these two categories here.
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We like these chunky alphabet beads for early letter recognition and fine-motor development.
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This puck-shaped play ottoman can be used as a chair, table, toddler hamster wheel, and more.
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Here’s an off-road balance bike that inspires confidence and attracts compliments.
Gifts for
Extended Family and Friends (and More)
Grandparents, co-workers, best friends, and everyone in between.
When writer Erin Schwartz fantasizes about a great gift, they think about cracking every joint in their back or soaking in a bath long enough to melt away the soreness in their shoulders. If that sounds like someone you’re shopping for, find more gifts for achy people here.
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Writer Ottessa Moshfegh uses this myofascial-release tool to relieve back pain from scoliosis.
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SubwayTakes host Kareem Rahma says, “I think anyone who uses their phone should have one.”
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Here’s a moldable double-sided silicone ice pack that comes in three sizes.
More From The Strategist
- The Best Advent Calendars This Year (So Far)
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- Hark, the Advent Calendars Arrived (Very) Early This Year
- 63 Things You Should Never Buy Full Price
The Strategist is 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 about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
