‘Tis the season for online shopping!
Not that you haven’t been all year long, but now your retail habit has more of a productive purpose — checking things off the holiday list for everyone who helped make 2023 a batter year for you.
Giving gifts is a competitive sport for some, and searching for something unique can be a marathon of scrolling through gift guides and advertisements. Exhaustion sets in and your mom ends up with another pair of fuzzy socks and the kids get gift cards. If this sounds familiar, we’ve got you covered.
Below is a curated list for every member of your inner circle, from the grandparents, your significant other and even your boss and co-workers — we have something for them, too!
But the included gifts aren’t your typical finds. Instead, they are made up of unique Christmas gift ideas for both men and women.
Many come from some of our favorite places to find unique gifts, such as Uncommon Goods, Etsy and Amazon. (Check out our gift guides for Uncommon Goods and Etsy for even more unexpectedly awesome finds.)
Read on for our list and be sure to check back for updates as the holiday draws near.
Best for the gardener: Click and Grow The Smart Garden 3
Give your gardening friends a way to grow fresh veggies, fruits, herbs and flowers even when the ground outside is frozen solid.
The Click and Grown Smart Garden 3 is an indoor planter that uses its own grow lights to grow pod-based plants that come in a variety of fruits, veggies and more to suit anyone’s tastes. Sample plants include tomatoes, lettuce, basil and even pineapple.
If you’re still on the fence, let us help show you how it works and why it’s worth it, as we were able to review the Smart Garden 3 and the larger Smart Garden 9.
For the family historian: AncestryDNA
It doesn’t get more unique than an AncestryDNA kit. Depending on which one you go with, the loved one you gift this to can have access to not only info on their origins and ethnicity but national and international records, as well as unique genetic traits.
Everything, from which side of the family they’ve inherited their freckles to potential living relatives, is waiting to be discovered. You may be so intrigued by what they find that you end up ordering one for yourself, too.
Best for the brother: Uncommon Goods Make Your Own Hot Sauce Kit
If your brother is always dumping Frank’s all over his food, give him this gift set to satisfy the need for heat. The Uncommon Goods Hot Sauce Kit comes with everything he needs to make six bottles of the spicy stuff with fun flavors, names and cute mini bottles, should he want to take them on the go.
Best for the plant lover: Gardyn Home Kit 3.0
For the plant-obsessed person in your life who enjoys gardening all year round and or has limited living space, the Gardyn Home Kit 3.0 is a unique and luxurious gift they’ll never forget.
This AI-powered indoor garden (the first of its kind) is built to grow 30 plants year-round — from fruit, vegetables to flowers.
Best for the chef: Bamboo Cheese Board Charcuterie Board Set
Say cheese, foodies.
This cheese board is no ordinary one, as it comes complete with a utensil drawer that pulls out and is stocked with matching cheese knives. It comes with four knives for every kind of cheese, as well as grooves for crackers on the sides and a flat surface in the middle for making the perfect gourmet charcuterie layout.
For more options, check out our guide to the best gifts for wine lovers.
Best for a long-distance bestie: Uncommon Goods Long Distance Friendship Lamps
It’s always nice to know that someone out there is thinking about you.
This pair of long-distance friendship lamps takes that thought and turns it into a tangible reality. No matter the distance, when one friend taps their lamp, the other one will light up, letting them know they are loved. Perfect for long-distance relationships, best friends working in different states and grandparents and children who just want to say a quick, “I love you.”
“Each person sets up their lamp via Wi-Fi, then reaches out and touches the lamp whenever they want to let their loved one know they’re thinking of them. With every touch, the lamp cycles through a rainbow of colors, one at a time,” read the description on the Uncommon Goods website.
Best for your co-workers: Uncommon Goods Custom Message Shortbread Cookies
Do you miss both your lovely co-workers and the office snacks they used to bring in?
Send them this sweet reminder to have a happy holiday with a box of personalized cookies from Uncommon Goods. The shortbread biscuits come individually wrapped in a box of 24, plenty for working and snacking from home. At checkout, enter one to three lines of text to be imprinted on the cookies and sent to your team.
Best for yourself: MasterClass Monthly Subscription
Buying presents for yourself can be hard to justify sometimes. So instead of new clothes that end up in the back of the closet or a new piece of tech that will be outdated in a year, why not invest in yourself and learn a new skill?
MasterClass brings A-list celebrities at the top of their game right to you, teaching their unique skills to you via videos on the MasterClass platform. From cooking with Gordon Ramsay to scientific thinking with Neil deGrasse Tyson, there are over 90 different classes with more being added all the time.
The video learning platform is based on a subscription model at $10 per month billed monthly, totaling $120 for a full year of sharpening your skills with the pros.
Best for Mom: Personalized Hand-Written Letter Blanket
This is not an excuse to not call your mom!
However, this gift is a great way to immortalize an old letter or cherished card. Plus, it’s way more unique than running to the corner store for a greeting card.
Customize this cozy throw with any message of your choosing, either from your attic archives or create a new message straight from the heart. The blanket is 100% cotton and measures 52 inches by 37 inches.
Best for Dad: Whiskey Advent Calendar
Dads and whiskey fans will certainly feel the holiday spirit by enjoying this whiskey Advent calendar.
It includes 24 mini bottles of whiskey, each one from a different high-end brand such as Maker’s Mark, Johnnie Walker and Four Roses. The bottles are big enough to use for mixing into a few cocktails or sharing with others over the rocks, so your giftee can also experience the magic of sharing their gift with family and friends.
Best for the book lover: Williams Sonoma Personal Embosser
Help the bookish person in your life put their personal stamp — literally — on all their books with this customized embosser tool.
Choose from a series of templates where you can insert your giftee’s initials or enter their full name. When they receive your gift, they can use it to mark their books as belonging to their personal library.
This also makes a thoughtful gift for kids who enjoy reading and can encourage them to keep growing their book collection.
Best for the music lover: Uncommon Goods Vertical Vinyl Record Player
Legit audiophiles have a thing for vinyl. With this vertical vinyl record player, they can show off that side of themselves in an unexpectedly stylish way.
This record player works with typical vinyl records and has the option to include a radio in the base. Its built-in speakers are also Bluethooth enabled, so it can function as a regular wireless speaker, too. A real conversation-starter in the living room, bedroom or home office.
Best for the sports fan: Custom YETI Sports Beverage Container
Sports fans can never have enough gear. The problem is, a lot of sports drinkware can be cheaply made. That’s where YETI steps in to make a difference.
Get the sports fan in your life their new favorite gift with a customized YETI tumbler, water bottle or cup that has their team’s logo engraved on the side. Choose from a range of MLB, NHL and college teams on nearly any YETI product — including coolers.
Best for the athlete: Theragun Mini Massage Gun
People who love to exercise deserve a break. Help them help themselves by gifting one of these mini massage guns.
This Theragun Mini provides a deep-tissue massage at a moment’s notice and has a rechargeable battery so it’s always ready to go. This compact model is easy to toss in a gym bag or backpack, and once your giftee sees its benefits for relaxing muscles and relieving tension, they’ll make using it part of their daily routine.
This made the New York Post Shopping’s list of best massage guns, too.
Best for the home chef: Hedley & Bennett Apron
This incredibly stylish apron is a favorite among chefs and a must-have for any home cooks. It’s available in a ton of different colors and patterns and is extremely well made, so your giftee will be using it for years to come.
You can also customize your gift by adding embroidery or a small monogram on the front. The apron is made of 100% cotton twill and is easy to throw in the wash and keep looking its best no matter what messes happen in the kitchen.
Best for your wife: Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose Vanity Mirror
The Gleaming Primrose mirror is a coveted gem at Anthropologie and it only fitting that you get this smaller one for your wife.
Every time she looks as the handsome mirror, she is bound to think of you. The thoughtful gift is made with resin, engineered hardwood and mirrored glass with the finest of details around the edges.
Best for your husband: Huckberry Whiskey Peaks Mountain Decanter
This is one of the most unique decanters we’ve seen, and it makes for a perfect gift for the husband that likes to drink or hike, combining the two in a creative way. The glass decanter is sold at Huckberry and can hold 44 ounces of his favorite whiskey or other spirit.
Best for a couple: MeUndies Match Me
Take #CoupleGoals to a whole new level with a subscription to Match Me from MeUndies. The adorable patterned underpants company has made it easy for you to match with your significant other, no matter your underwear preferences (except commando).
First, choose a pair for yourself. Select a cut like boxers, briefs, hip huggers, thongs and more. Once you pick a size for yourself, it instructs you to choose a gender, style and size for your matching pair. The site mulls over your answers for a moment and then comes back with all of the available patterns.
Customers can check out as a one-time purchase or can sign up for a subscription at a discounted per-pair rate, saving $4 to $8 per item. Who said getting socks and undies as a present was lame?
Best for the sister: C7Skates Roller Skates
Forget taking a midday walk — take a midday roll.
Roller skates made a huge comeback in recent years, and the good times continue to roll on. These skates are available in 14 cheerful colors and patterns, so you’re sure to find one to fit your giftee’s personal style. Sizes range from women’s 5 to 11.
Best for the younger kids: Professor Maxwell’s VR Atlas
Transport your kiddos around the world and back again without ever leaving home.
That’s the magic of virtual reality and this kit from VR Atlas. Sold on Amazon, this activity kit for ages 8 and up teaches kids about the wonders of the world, science, culture and language, spanning a 138-page activity book and over 200 VR and AR experiences.
The kit comes with the VR goggles as well as other fun physical toys like clay, puzzles, a dinosaur fossil dig out, a passport, a scratch map and more. It only requires an adult’s smartphone with the app downloaded to get started.
Best for the baby: KiddyMoon Foam Ball Pit
Go ahead, ball out for your baby.
This 200-piece ball pit is straight out of Chuck E. Cheese (but without all the other kids’ germs). Keep it nice and sanitary with your very own ball pit that comes in a gender-neutral gray color. The balls come in your choice of color schemes, from simple blue and white to bright multicolors, so you can mix and match.
The balls are made of BPA-free plastic using Oeko-Tex certified manufacturing practices, and the foam pit structure is covered in soft fabric to make it a safe and fun environment for kids. While the recommended age is 8 months and older, we won’t put an age cap on this, parents.
Best for the grandparents: Monthly Flower Delivery Subscription (3 Months)
Your grandparents will enjoy having something lovely to look forward to every month with a flower subscription from The Bouqs Co.
Each bouquet is hand-picked and arranged to brighten up anyone’s day and bring a little nature into their home. You can choose between different bouquet styles that focus on specific flower varieties, and if you want to extend your gift, you can choose an annual subscription to make sure they have fresh flowers all year round.
Best for the family home: Family Portrait from Paint Your Life
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much is a painting of a picture worth?
Find out with the Paint Your Life team, where real artists transform a photo into a hand-painted masterpiece.
Start by choosing the subject of your painting, then choose your medium, such as oil, charcoal or acrylic paint. Then upload a photo and choose a size, and 14 to 21 days later (give or take, especially during the holiday season), your masterpiece will arrive in the mail.
Bet you can’t find these paintings at any ordinary gallery.
Best for the friend group: Artifact Uprising Walnut Desktop Photo Calendar Clipboard
Seasons come and go, but best friends are forever.
Celebrate each month with a new photo of you and your friend group with a personalized calendar from Artifact Uprising. A few key things make this stand out from other calendars and customization companies. First, each month is customizable with your own photos, a choice of starting month and beautiful foil or printed script for the month name and dates. Second, the base of your calendar doubles as a clipboard made of reclaimed pine wood. No more ripping or folding pages, so you can keep the photos intact as a keepsake when the month is over.
“Handcrafted in Colorado using reclaimed walnut once considered wastewood. Due to the unique nature of the wood, each woodblock will vary slightly and may include knots and unique markings,” read the site.
Best for your boss: Rocketbook Multi-Subject Smart Notebook
Sometimes an iPad or tablet doesn’t feel the same as traditional paper for taking notes.
Treat your boss to the best of both worlds and the best for the world with this reusable notebook from Rocketbook.
This notebook comes with five available sections. However, when the notebook is full, it can be wiped clean with the included microfiber cloth — making room for more brilliant business ideas (or doodles, that works too).
Asn added bonus, notes can be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack and other sites so nothing important will ever go missing.
Best for the dog: Furbo Dog Camera & Treat Tossing Device
Meet Furbo, the electronic dog-sitter that doubles as a treat dispenser and syncs to any smartphone. The HD camera has night vision capabilities and a 160-degree view, so any pet parent can livestream their pup day or night. Once paired with the smartphone app, fill the machine with the dog’s favorite treats before and Furbo will toss out a treat at the tap of a screen.
One more heartwarming thing: Furbo has a dog-face sensor and will snap a selfie when it detects a dog is facing the camera. Say treat!
Best for pet owners: Custom Pet Embroidered Hat
The coolest dad hat is always a customized one, and now you can help a pet owner in your life up their headwear game with one of these customized baseball caps.
Just upload a photo of your giftee’s pet to the Etsy seller and choose the hat color you like best, and in about two weeks you’ll receive a baseball hat with a personalized embroidered illustration of the pet right on the front. These mini portraits are absolutely adorable and truly one of a kind.
Best for the gamers: Meta Quest 2 VR Headset
Empower your giftee to become the main character in their video games with the insanely immersive Meta Quest 2 virtual reality device and the included handheld controllers.
The second edition of the groundbreaking virtual reality headset, the Quest 2 has 3-D cinematic sound and 256 GB of storage to build up a huge library of games. They’ll be thanking you in person and in the multiverse after you get them this gift.
Best for the collector: Smiski Mini Figurine
Your friend who loves to adorn their home with tchotchkes and always brings back a souvenir from wherever they travel will get a big kick out of these cute, collectible figurines.
Known as Smiski, this little glow-in-the-dark guy has been around in Japan since the early ’90s, and recently grew in popularity in the U.S. You won’t know exactly which Smiski is in the box until your giftee opens it, so that element of surprise is part of the fun. Pick up a few for your giftee to help them jumpstart a whole new collection.
Best for the new parent: TushBaby Hip Seat Baby Carrier
With all the necessary purchases new parents have to make, they may not have the budget for splurges. This hip carrier is an excellent alternative to the pouch and sling style baby holders, and it’s much more convenient for a new parent to use when they’re at family holiday gatherings where they’re constantly picking up and putting down their baby.
Best for the introvert: Bearaby Cotton Napper Weighted Chunky Knit Blanket
For introverts, the holidays are the start of hibernation season. Help them live their best life at home with this luxurious chunky knit weighted blanket. It provides a sense of calm and can help introverts recharge during a busy or stressful holiday season.
Best for the traveler: Mark & Graham Fillmore Vegan Leather Passport Case
Jet-setters can be hard to shop for because they have limited space in their luggage for new gear and gadgets. This monogrammed vegan leather passport case takes up zero room and protects one of their most valuable possessions, so you know they’ll love it.
Best for the beauty lover: Noteworthy E-Gift Card
Gifting perfume can be a real shot in the dark unless you know your giftee exceptionally well. Instead of taking a chance, get them something they’ll love, such as a gift card to Noteworthy, where they can take a short quiz and then get paired with new perfumes that will complement their style and personality. They’ll definitely appreciate the opportunity to experiment with scents that they otherwise might not think of trying.
Best for the golfer: Golf Ball Display Wall Art
Golfers love when people compliment their game. This wooden wall hanger, which can be engraved with your giftee’s name or a custom lime of text, invites all the compliments by showing off the golf balls from their best and most memorable rounds. Plus, the next time you see them, you know they’re gonna have a good golf story to tell.
Best for the artist: Cordless Hand Massager
While anyone can enjoy this self-care device, artists who work with their hands will especially appreciate it because it provides relief to one area of their body that they use the most. This massager reduces wrist, palm and finger pain by gently but firmly massaging the entire hand. Plus, it’s heated to offer extra relief during the winter months.
Best for the extrovert: Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO Film Camera
Besides arranging them a surprise party, the next best gift you can get an extrovert is this Instax camera. It lets your giftee capture memories with all their friends and enjoy them later by hanging them up or putting them on display in their home.
This camera is better than typical instant film cameras because it lets the user take photos and view them on a screen before deciding which ones to print. It can also print photos from someone’s phone — easily one of the coolest devices around.
Best for the designer: Antique Gold Hands Candle Holder
Your design savvy friend will love using this gold statue to hold candles, display decor items or simply set out as an interesting piece of art. This high-end home good is just the kind of chic adornment your giftee’s home is missing, and it’s surprisingly affordable.
Best for the retiree: Gratitude Tree
Give the retired people in your life the opportunity to be reminded of their impact on others with this simple yet thoughtful gratitude tree. The tree comes with a pack of leaf-shaped notes that you and others can write on to share cherished memories or just tell the giftee why they mean to much to you.
Best for the cyclist: Bombas Cycling Ankle Socks (3-Pack)
Bombas socks have a reputation for being incredibly comfortable and offering amazing support for hard-working feet. With all the exercising that cyclists do while their feet are crammed into tiny clip-on bicycle shoes, they’ll appreciate having a few pairs of these socks to make their rides more pleasant. These socks also wick away moisture, making them a great choice for cycling in all kinds of weather.
Best for the perfectionist: Dyson Airwrap
Getting your hair exactly the way you want it is difficult. While having a personal hair stylist at your beck and call would be a wonderful solution to this problem, the more realistic option is a Dyson Airwrap. For people who care a great deal about how they look and want their hair style to be absolutely perfect, this tool helps them achieve salon-level looks right at home.
Read our review of the Airwrap to learn what makes it so great.
Best for the do-it-yourselfer: Personalized Tool Bag
People who are passionate about their DIY hobbies love the idea of customization. This personalized tool bag shows them that you understand their love language. It’s made from the trustworthy Carhartt brand, so you know it’s durable, and it has room for all their tools and DIY equipment.
Best for the workaholic: ComfiLife Lumbar Support Back Pillow
Some people can’t seem to leave their desk chair. Make their time spent working more comfortable with this padded pillow that provides much-needed lumbar support. It straps on to just about any office chair and is great for both younger and older people on your list. It fits on car seats, too, in case the workaholic in your life also has a long drive to and from the office.
Best for the skateboarder: Tactics Gift Card
Skateboarders are difficult to shop for because it’s hard to know which equipment of theirs needs replacing. Do they need a new pair of skate shoes? A fresh deck? Or just some pants or a hoodie to keep them warm while they skateboard through the winter? With this gift card, they can get exactly what they want from any of their favorite skateboard brands.
Check out the New York Post Shopping section for more content.