This time of year is full of fun and bright things, but it can be stressful when you’re wondering what to get your mom, dad, best friend, colleague, or child’s teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you find buying gifts fun or scary, it’s safe to say that we all want to give our loved ones something they will enjoy and appreciate. But as the holiday season approaches, there’s a lot of noise, junk, and bad deals disguised as good deals to sift through.
Engadget can help you solve this problem. Here, we have all of our holiday gift guides in one place, so you can easily find the best Christmas gift you need this year. Looking for White Elephant gift ideas? Struggling to think of the perfect present for the father figure in your life? Find the perfect board game to choose for your own family. Looking for one? We have gift ideas for all these scenarios and more. We’ll update this post as more gift guides hit the internet, so check back throughout the season for more gift ideas.
table of contents
best white elephant gift ideas
Legend has it that the King of Siam gave white elephants to those who offended his courtiers. The recipient knew that they could probably not afford to keep such an animal, so they had no choice but to simply thank the king for such a lavish gift. That will inevitably lead them to financial ruin. Although this story is almost certainly not true, it led to the white elephant gift exchange, which is a modern holiday staple. These gift ideas will not only make you laugh a little, but also make the recipient feel (a little) burdened.
Read more: Best White Elephant Gift Ideas
best board game gifts
We all could use more time away from screens of all types and sizes, and board games are a fun way to do that and bond with friends and family. There are currently plenty of unique sets available, from word puzzles to whodunnits to soothing playthroughs that showcase the beauty in life’s little things. From games with giant monsters to games with haunted houses, we are sure that at least one of our suggestions will be a hit with you or your loved ones.
Read more: The best board games to gift this season
Best gifts under $50
We don’t blame you if you try to get all your tech shopping done while you’re on vacation. This is the best selling time for both relatively affordable gear and (more importantly) big-ticket items. However, it is a mistake to think that only the most expensive technology is worthy of a gift. We at Engadget test tons of gadgets every year, so we know that there are some hidden (and not-so-hidden) tech gems even in the lower price range. All you need to know is where to find them.
Read more: The best gifts under $50 that are perfect for stocking stuffers
best gift for gamers
This year may not be as down as 2023, which was one of gaming’s best years, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of great new releases. Between titles like Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there were plenty of games to keep even the most avid gamer busy in 2024. It can be difficult to navigate, especially if you’re a non-gamer looking to buy the game. What is worth buying? Here are some of our recommendations.
Read more: The best gifts for gamers
best retro gaming gifts
It seems like a million new video games are coming out every week, but for some of us, nothing beats the classics. If you’re into retro gaming but don’t feel like scouring eBay or local shops for gear to add to your collection, we’ve got you covered. From video upscalers for old consoles to retro-themed books and artwork, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite gift ideas for nostalgic gamers.
Read more: The perfect retro gaming gifts for the holidays
best gift for coffee lovers
Coffee geeks are always learning and love trying new things when it comes to making a delicious cup at home. Whether you’re shopping for a new pour connoisseur or someone who sticks to all the brewing parameters, we’ve put together a list of the best gear for coffee fanatics available this holiday season.
Read more: The best gifts for coffee lovers
best cooking gifts
There’s nothing more rewarding than cooking delicious food for your friends and family. But after a while, it’s easy to get bored with the same tried and true recipes. What better way to inject some fun into your favorite home chef’s routine than with brand new kitchen appliances? To help you find the right gift for the cook, we’ve put together our favorite kitchen favorites across a wide range of prices and categories. We have compiled a list of supplies.
Read more: The best culinary gifts
best high-tech toys for kids
We’re all feeling a little budget-strapped this year, but the good news is that gifts for the young (or the young at heart) don’t have to cost a fortune. Our list of favorite technology, science, and design toys is stacked with items under $100 and packed with reuse for fun beyond the holiday season.
Read more: The best technology toys for kids
best gadgets for pets
In Engadget’s Slack room, pets are at the top of the list of chat topics, right behind work-related technology topics, insane current events, video games, and food. We’ve bought lots of high-tech and low-tech things to keep our furry friends fed, occupied, safe and happy. And here we have compiled the best of the ones we tried. Perhaps you are looking to buy your own very nice boy or girl. Or maybe you have a loyal pet parent on your list. In any case, the tools collected here will make great gifts, as will the enthusiastic wag of the tail (or aloof yelp). Our very own fur baby.
Read more: Best gadgets for pets
best travel gifts
Since the beginning of humanity, we have been traveling. We have come a long way from traveling on foot in animal skin bags. But the goal of good travel gear is the same. It’s about getting you and your essentials to your destination in the highest level of comfort. If you know someone who flies all the time, takes the train to work, or braves a cruise, new technology might be able to help them.
Read more: The best travel gifts
The best gift for remote workers
It’s very likely that you know at least one person who works remotely in some way. No one likes a long commute, and while the work-from-home lifestyle has its benefits, it also comes with its own challenges, from lack of professional-grade gear to dealing with domestic nuisances. If you’re looking to gift someone who spends a lot of time in their home office, we’ve put together some high-tech gift ideas that will make their day a little more fun, or at least easier to manage.
Read more: 19 best gift ideas for remote workers
The best gift for book lovers
As any bookworm will tell you, there’s nothing better in life than being engrossed in a good book. At Engadget, we have several passionate readers on staff, and we all have opinions on gadgets and subscriptions that we think will enhance the reading experience. We have gift ideas for those who prefer e-books as well as those who prefer printed books. Of course, we will also introduce some recommended books.
Read more: The best gifts for book lovers
best gift for mom
We don’t speak for all moms, but a quick, unscientific survey confirmed that there’s one gift that most moms generally like. That is “time”. Implicit, unstructured, non-obligatory time. While I couldn’t find any extra time deals anywhere online, I did find some gadgets and gizmos that can help you save time or make your precious down time more enjoyable.
Read more: 13 best gifts for moms
best gift for dad
Many dads aren’t known for being upfront about what they want for the holidays. (No, “peace and quiet” is not an acceptable answer in this case.) If you’re shopping for your gadget-loving dad but don’t know what to get him, these gift ideas will help you think through them. Let’s activate it.
Read more: 15 Best Gifts for Dad
Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
