Best hairstyler: Dyson Airwrap
Get salon-worthy hair every day with the revamped Dyson Airwrap, which was re-engineered with Coanda airflow for greater control, faster drying, and easier styling. Six attachments let you dry, curl, and coif hair sans-major damage compared to other stylers. We’ve tested this TikTok fan favorite, and we’re huge fans of the round volumizing brush attachment’s ability to give shampoo commercial-worthy volume and bouncy, smooth hair.
Best book: “The Impossible Collection of Champagne: The 100 Most Exceptional Bottles from Champagne” Book by Enrico Bernardo
This artful coffee table book is great for wine aficionados and casual sippers. It’s bound by hand and stored in a wooden box, making it something meant to be presented, flipped through, and oogled. Sommelier Enrico Bernando highlights the best bottles in the prestige wine varietal’s long history. From recollections of tastings, tips, and anecdotes, this book is chock full of interesting wine facts.
Best playhouse: Little Cottage Company Sara’s Victorian Mansion DIY Playhouse Kit
Not all homes require a mortgage. Some can be had for only 10 bands. Take, for example, this DIY playhouse kit from Little Cottage Company, a cozy getaway close to home for the little ones in your life. It has all the hardware and pieces for assembly, along with an included floor kit. All you need to gift on top of this gift are shingles, drip edge, and paint.
Best razor: Panasonic ARC6 Electric Razor + Charging Station for Men
Stop the bearded loved ones in your life from shaving with a sad three-blade drugstore razor by upgrading them to this electric razor from Panasonic. Six hypoallergenic Japanese stainless steel blades cut even the thickest beards with ease. The powerful, flexible razor easily glides over jawlines and chins thanks to its head that moves in 22 directions to stay close to the skin. Its beard sensor responds to different face contours and boosts and reduces power accordingly, performing 84,000 cross-cutting actions per minute. Your giftee will be able to shave wet or dry, and a 50-minute battery life ensures that face (or whole head) gets shaved thoroughly and attentively before it goes back in the convenient charging/cleaning station.
Best handheld vaporizer: DaVinci IQ2 vaporizer
For your friend who loves consuming dried herbs and “herbal extracts,” the brushed-aluminum DaVinci IQ2 vaporizer has adjustable temperature settings, adjustable airflow resistance, and a mouthpiece that allows for a cleaner and purer taste. It will tell you when you’ve achieved your chosen limit. The ceramic oven area doesn’t burn the dried herbs and the zirconia vapor path provides a cooler vapor than other devices on the market. The IQ2 weighs only 5.6 ounces and has a 10-year warranty. The vaporizer also comes with a ton of extra goodies like a charging cable, cleaning supplies, and a carrying case. Check out our other favorite cannabis accessories to gift.
Best to luxe up the kitchen: Kül Spark
If you’re shopping for someone who’s really into health and hydration, throw caution to the wind and get them the Kül Spark. The $1,500 water purification system can be hooked up to their plumbing and create cold, hot, ambient (room temperature), or sparkling water free of over 80 contaminants. Don’t worry, there’s also the option to use a refillable water tank. We’ve tried the Kül Spark for ourselves, and the difference in taste is real. The Kül Spark’s ability to dial in the perfect temperature is equally impressive. A touch-sensitive control panel on the right-hand side of the machine makes it easy to choose which type of beverage you’d like to make, or change certain settings. You can even see stats like how long it’s been since you’ve changed your filter, or how full your CO2 cartridges are. Yes, it’s luxe, but the Kül Spark is an incredibly generous gift for anyone who’s overly confident that their kitchen or home office has “everything.”
Best for kids: Kid’s Swarovski Crystal Embellished Mercedes G63
They might not be old enough to drive a big person car, but it’s never too late to get them behind the wheel—even if it is just a toy car. This tyke-sized Mercedes G36 looks exactly like its full-power cousin. The dash even has a slot for USC chargers, a charging port, music controls, and a headlight switch. The speed demon who gets to drive it will go a whopping four mph. Heck, this ride is so decked out that you’ll want to keep it for yourself.
Best for the bedroom: Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover
If you and your partner have different temperature preferences when it comes to sleep, it can be hard to come to a happy middle ground, which can cause some tension. Give the gift of a good night’s sleep—along with health insights into your sleep cycle without the need for a wearable device—with the Pod 3 cover. It fits onto any size mattress and can be controlled from their phone via app. The cover even doubles as an alarm clock by silently waking up each person with chest-level vibration and thermal change.
Best for home office: Vestaboard Smart Messaging Display
We’ve never seen anything quite like the Vestaboard, which perfectly typifies the concept of ambient computing. The internet-connected smart board is made up of 132 “bits,” which flip to reveal different characters or colors. You can send messages to the Vestaboard through the company’s app, which is intuitive to use and comes pre-loaded with a few quotes and color patterns to show you its potential. A paid service called Vestaboard+ allows you to use applications to use the board in creative ways, like displaying the current song you’re listening to through a streaming service, current sports scores, or playing a word game. This is the ideal indulgent gift for someone who spends a lot of time in their home office, or wants a fancy family bulletin board in their living room. Vestaboard owners can grant other people access to their board, which will allow friends and family to send messages to it. The Vestaboard is a unique canvas for people to display meaningful quotes, words of encouragement, or mini works of art. We guarantee the person you gift it to won’t have seen anything like it.
Best speakers: KEF LS60 Wireless
Everything about this set of slim floor-standing powered speakers is perfect, from the stylish outer cabinet to Uni-Q tweeter tech that puts all tunes into a sonic sweet spot—you can hear the accuracy and detail in every song that’s played. Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) absorbs unwanted sound from the rear of the tweeter for clear, pure sound regardless of the source. And copious connectivity (Spotify to TIDAL to Apple Music; AirPlay 2, Google ChromeCast, and Roon to Optical, Coaxial, and HDMI, plus more) means you’ll never want for showcase sounds. If you’re shopping for someone with a wide, broad music taste, these speakers are for them. From yacht rock to classic jazz to Afro beats, the LS60 wireless can play it all in stunning clarity.
Best headphones: Focal Utopia
If the loved one you’re shopping for deserves fabulous music quality anywhere they go, the Focal Utopia headphones are as close to perfection as you can get. These flagship open-back over-the-ear headphones produce an ultrawide frequency response with startling realism thanks to 40mm M-shaped Beryllium drivers inspired by high-end audiophile tower speakers. Soft lambskin earcups and headphone padding make these headphones feel as good as they sound. As we said in our best headphones roundup, the Focal Utopia is “the idyll ideal—impressing not with its sheer power, but with its absolute prowess.”
Best Bluetooth headphones: Mark Levinson No. 5909
Like a Lexus GS F for on-the-go listening, the Mark Levinson No. 5909 Bluetooth adaptive active noise cancellation headphones are polished and plush and packed with thoughtful details—physically and sonically. Bluetooth 5.1 supports AAC, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC connectivity, and the 5909’s internal digital audio converter plus 40mm Beryllium-coated drivers (similar materials to the Utopia above) presents nimble dynamics that are the material’s trademark. You can also use them with the USB-C to 3.5mm miniplug cable, which supports 24-bit/96 kHz playback with a frequency range of 10-40,000 Hz (well beyond human hearing), to get maximum resolution and effortlessly natural performance response from your source. The tuning is tight without feeling restrained—never boomy or blooming, just capable of unfurling when a stalking bassline or coiled riff needs to pounce. They’re $999, priced at the summit of Bluetooth headphones, but if you want to gift the luxury auto of portable audio, tie a big red bow on these and lead a loved one blindfolded to the snowy driveway … so to speak.
Best sauna blanket: Sun Home Sauna Infrared Sauna Blanket
Surround yourself in a warm cocoon—and bring the spa experience to your living room—with this sauna blanket, which we included in our best portable saunas story. This jazzy sleeping bag-like blanket is easy to use: Temperature settings range from 35-75℃, and time settings range from 30-60 minutes. Pre-heat time only takes around 15 minutes. The industrial-grade Velcro keeps the heat in and feels sturdy to the touch. However, the blanket is easy to open—making cleaning a breeze. And its large interior circumference will make you feel cozy—not constricted. When you’re done using it, pack it away in the included carrying case.
Best candle: Grapefruit Juniper Zodax Tiare 288 oz Outdoor Scented Candle
If you’re shopping for a candle person, this mammoth 19-inch grapefruit-scented candle will last well beyond the holiday season. It has a burn time of 145 hours and weighs 18 pounds. Why gift a bunch of candles when you can buy a mega candle?
Best for musicians: Rhodes Chroma + Midi CC+ (Fully overhauled)
All music gearheads will recognize this rare analog synthesizer from the ’80s. Only 3,000 were made—and today are re-sold in varying conditions—which makes this refurbished, mint-condition piece from Reverb a grail. All you need is a legal copy of Ableton (or your DAW of choice), a couple hundred square feet, a bunch of mics and recording equipment, plus this SSL mixing desk, and you have the start of a professional studio.
Best for musicians 2 electric boogaloo: Minimoog Model D
This revolutionary synthesizer can be heard in recordings from Parliament, Pink Floyd, Devo, Chaka Khan, Nine Inch Nails, Michael Jackson, Kate Bush, Portishead, Rush, Phil Collins, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Herbie Hancock, Kraftwerk, Dr. Dre, and more. Now back in production—hand-assembled at the Moog factory in Asheville, NC—you get the legendary sound engine and signal path with contemporary MIDI integration to saturate your own timeless tracks. Oscillating over whether it’s a worthwhile purchase? Sure, it’s $5,000, but being able to access that vibrant vibe and have something in common with Trent Reznor … a drop in the bucket. (Plus, it’s a lil more wallet and space friendly than the Rhodes.)
Best hot tub: Luxuria Spas Legacy 6-Person 88-Jet 3-Pump Lounger Hot Tub
This large hot tub can fit 6 people and comes with 88 hydrotherapeutic stainless steel jets to give your gift receiver a full body massage. It also has a Bluetooth speaker to play a sound bath from your preferred streaming service, and a digital control panel with different operation modes. This is a perfect gift for someone constantly stressed out and could use a dang break. You can also gift this more-affordable inflatable hot tub from Coleman if $8,000 isn’t in your budget. (Want to lower the cost even more while helping lower someone’s blood pressure? Check out our other gift recommendations for the most stressed-out people you know).
Best percussion massager: TheraGun Pro
If you’re shopping for an overworked person and their muscles need to be pummeled into relaxation, gift them the Theragun Pro. It has an effective professional-grade motor that works quietly. Four unique arm positions allow you to go underneath and around to reach wherever you need, and the ergonomic handle means your hands and wrists won’t get tired. The Theragun Pro also has five speeds between 1,750 and 2,400 ppms. Two swappable batteries each last up to 150 minutes and can charge wirelessly. The device includes six attachments: supersoft, dampener, standard ball, wedge, thumb, and cone. The included carrying case makes it simple to lug the whole kit on a trip or to the gym.
Best blanket: A-Frame Merino Wool Blanket
If you’re looking for a gift that will be handed down over the years, consider this wool blanket from The Company Store. It’s made of pure Merino wool in Ireland, giving it softness, warmth, and some Irish hospitality. Its simple striped design is timeless, classic, and will go with multiple decor styles as it’s handed off to its new owner.
Best office chair: Herman Miller Eames Executive Chair
The Herman Miller Eames chair is a design icon with a rich history. Bring that level of class and style into someone’s home office with this swivel chair variety, which comes in both leather and fabric upholstery with a lightweight aluminum frame. It has a massive 12-year warranty if anything doesn’t meet Herman Miller’s high stands.
Best for geeks: Tron Arcade Machine
Disney’s 1982 film, Tron, made movie history by fusing live-action and computer animation together. The person you’d gift this to already knows that, but are they familiar with the Tron arcade cabinet? Regardless, they’ll enjoy a piece of movie and videogame history in their rumpus room with this recreated cabinet of the original arcade game—and, hopefully, make some new multigenerational memories as they are sucked into the Grid. The company has other retro favorites available for purchase—but you’ll have to bring your own stack of quarters to signal who got next.
Best perfume: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
Perfume-heads know that Baccarat Rouge 540 is a must-smell scent that’s almost $200 for 1.2 fluid ounces thanks to its use of Ambergris, a stabilizing ingredient in perfumery that comes from dried whale hairballs. We have Rihanna to thank for its popularity: She shouted it out on the red carpet, and the first 250-bottle run of the perfume sold out in one month versus the predicted six. This floral-meets-woody perfume is expensive, but smelling like Rihanna is priceless. They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. If you consider your life partner priceless, you certainly won’t mind paying close to $60,000 for these earrings. Sparkling silver-tone stud earrings cradle two four-karat round-cut diamonds that are nearly colorless. And these diamonds are conflict-free, meaning they do not finance war when mined. You’ll only feel guilty about the dent you’re about to put in your wallet.
Best for history buffs: 1884 S American Silver Morgan Dollar
Were your parents into collecting all the state quarters in the aughts? Take their collection to the next level with this rare American Silver Morgan Dollar with Illinois pedigree from 1884. If dropping almost $1 million doesn’t make you the favorite child, we’re not sure what will. You can always read the silly reviews of this thing to make yourself feel better.
