It’s right about this time of year that the “best gifts under $25” starts popping up in your browser as you hastily search for last-minute gift guides for budget-friendly items. Presents for your direct reports that are safely within expense report territory? Something fun for the Secret Santa party you’ve got lined up this weekend? Little niceties for the hosts who are graciously putting you up for Christmas? Yes, we know the type.
For all of the above, we came directly to the source where you can quickly fire off some keywords, pop a few things into the cart, and wait ’til they materialize at your door the same week. We’re talking about Amazon, of course, home of two-day shipping and every kind of oddity and miscellaneous thing under the sun. Here, several thoughtful gifts under $25 that will suit a wide range of people on your list.
Best Holiday Gifts Under $25 on Amazon
Shop by Category
Best Home Gifts Under $25 | Best Kitchen Gifts Under $25 | Best Tech Gifts Under $25 | Other Stocking Stuffers Under $25
Best Home Gifts Under $25
For hosts and anyone else you know that cherishes a well-curate home, scents or tabletop decor are always a good place to start shopping.
Nippon Kodo Kayuragi Incense Sticks
Nippon Kodo is one of those IYKYK home fragrances that when people love it, they really love it. If you have any inkling at all that someone might be into incense for clearing the air, these straight-from-Japan sticks come in a variety of soothing scents.
Maison Balzac Pauline Candle Holder
Didn’t know Bezos was stocking Maison Balzac? Now you do. This candle holder sits right at the $25 mark, meaning it’s an affordable gift for someone else (and doubly nice for yourself).
Northern Lights Candles Taper Combo (Pack of 6)
Scented candles can feel very personal to the person lighting it up, while tapered candles are pretty universal for anyone who likes a nice tablescape. This six-pack nets them a collection of sweetly colored lights for holiday dinners.
Kassatex Chairish Towels
Kassatex’s soft and cozy towels are one of the premium bath goods you can find at Amazon, including these scallop-edged beauties that subtly dress up any powder room they’re placed in.
MARIMEKKO Räsymatto Washcloth
Washcloths and dish towels are ideal for housewarming gifts, as you know they’re going to get put to work rather than gathering dust in the linen closet. Marimekko’s cheerful prints also make for an eye-catching way to say “congratulations” or “thank you.”
Best Kitchen Gifts Under $25
Small food items are one of the safest ways to say “thank you” to a colleague or pal (so long as you know their dietary restrictions) and some high-end olive oil or tinned snacks go a long way. For people who you know are decidedly cooking and entertaining people, you can also gift them serving utensils, party favors, and beyond.
Yamazaki Home Tosca Cookbook Stand
Whether your home chef is pulling up a recipe on an iPad or kicking it old school with a cookbook, Yamazaki’s sleek, pared-back stand is here to save their place so they never miss a beat on the dish they’re making.
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Add some flavor to their dishes with a whole box full of salt flakes they can lightly dust over their food.
Jose Gourmet Sardines
Put them on toast at lunchtime, eat them in a salad…tinned fish are truly a premium snack.
KINTO Workout Bottle
A water bottle may not be the best Christmas gift ever (or the most exciting), but this one is definitely easier on the eyes than most. It unscrews at the mid-line so you can easily clean the gunk at the bottom and then resume sipping.
OXO Good Grips Wine Stoppers
These silicone wine stoppers are ideal for plugging up multiple open bottles at a party or just your stash of vino that you’re savoring throughout the week. It’s a small gift that you know will come in handy later.
Graf Lantz Wine-O’s Wine Marker Set
This gift set is ideal for wine and cheese parties where no can remember which glass is which. Consider bringing it straight to the holiday shindig for them to open up and use right away.
Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker
A pour-over is a definite coffee snob-approved way to caffeinate in the morning, so consider this the perfect gift for even the snootiest of sippers.
Fellow Mighty Carafe
Fellow’s better known for its coffee gear and tumblers, but it also sells a nice carafe for pouring milk or gravy that’s well within budget territory.
Sabre Old Fashion Tart Server
For dishing out slices of tarts or cakes, you don’t get much more dreamy than Sabre servingware. This one has a pearly porcelain finish that shares the stage with your desserts.
Le Creuset Stoneware Mini Round Cocotte
Hopefully we don’t have to sell you on the merits of a baby Le Creuset. It’s one of the sweetest gift ideas out there for people who love to cook side dishes, mini loaves of bread, or a teensy dessert.
Lodge Mini Skillet
Same goes for the mini Lodge cast-iron. It’s a hit for a white elephant gift exchange, but also has some real-deal functionality for all the occasions you want to fry exactly one egg.
Best Tech Gifts Under $25
Gadgets are a mainstay of the cheap gifts category, from USB cables to tiny speakers to disposable cameras. Here’s a small assortment of underserved ideas in this category.
Brother P-Touch PT-N10 Label Maker
Label makers are catnip for type A people who love organizing but also have wide-ranging uses, from printing out cheeky phrases to getting territorial with your roommates on who gets to store their produce on which shelf of the fridge.
Belkin Quick Charge Wireless Charging Pad
Look, no one’s really asking for a charger until the inevitable day that their phone is at 1% and they’re stuck without a handy cable. This pad speeds up the whole charging process so they can be back up and running in no time.
GE LED Night Light Plug-in
Useful for people of all ages (from babies to grownups feeling their way towards the bathroom at night), GE’s night lights softly diffuse ambiance in elegant shaped pucks that plug directly into an outlet.
Other Stocking Stuffers Under $25
And for any other miscellanea (perhaps for that White Elephant holiday party or for the coworkers you forgot to shop for until this very second), here are some inoffensive, practical gifts that should come in handy for all the people you’re not too sure about.
The New York Times Crossword Page-A-Day Calendar 2025
For the person who’s on a NYT crossword streak or has been trying to make his way past the Thursday puzzles for ages (the rebus will always get ya), here’s a way to keep their mind active and expand their library of little known facts.
Topicals Slick Salve Mint Glossy Lip Balm
It’s minty, it’s glossy, and we don’t need a focus group to know that’s what most of us want from a lip balm in the dead of winter. The cool-girl appeal of Topicals also feels slightly more intentional than something you scooped up in a drugstore.
Craighill Classic Perch Bookmark
For people with impossibly ambitious Goodreads records, and everyone who relishes reading books in print, a handomse bookmark will always come in handy.
Galison Frank Lloyd Wright Imperial Hotel Puzzle
Not just any puzzle, but a trippy one illustrated with one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs: The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. It will keep their hands busy this winter in those periods of sitting around between holiday dinners and movie marathons.
Field Notes Notebooks (Pack of 3)
A three-pack of notebooks for jotting down big ideas, recipes, to-do lists and beyond.
Alessi Germano Shoe Horn
For the person who’s precious about not scuffing their fancy shoes (or is working with some pretty wide feet to begin with), Alessi’s elegant shoe horn is a worthy stocking stuffer to hang in the closet until it’s most needed.
