Prices are accurate at the time of publication.
When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Getty Images
- Shopping for coworkers doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money.
- You can find a unique, thoughtful gift for under $50.
- Below, we’ve compiled 31 funny, thoughtful, and appropriate gifts all under $50.
Shopping for coworkers can become a never-ending parade of mild pine-scented candles, Hallmark cards, and candy that is destined for retirement in a desk drawer for most of the month. It’s easier to buy thoughtful, impactful gifts for your closest loved ones, and it gets harder once you add in the subtleties and professionalism of the workplace.
But there are mountains of great coworker gifts out there. And they don’t have to be expensive — in fact, they probably shouldn’t be. The ideal colleague present is thoughtful, unique, and lands somewhere in the casual middle ground between re-gifting paperclips from the supply closet and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Caribbean.
Check out all 31 gifts under $50 for your coworkers:
A portable four-liter mini fridge
Amazon
Frigidaire Mini Fridge, available at Amazon, $33.98
This mini-fridge is a lifesaver for coworkers whose food or drinks are always being taken in the office. The four-liter fridge can store up to six 12 ounce sodas and can switch between cold and warm temperatures.
A set of four monogrammed pint glasses for after-work drinks
Grommet
Set of Four Monogram Pint Glasses, available at Grommet, $45
Nothing shows true friendship at work like matching and personalized pint glasses. Engrave each pint glass with your work besties’ initials to make every drink at happy hour feel more special and intimate.
A mini humidifier with color-changing lights
Amazon
URPOWER Essential Oil Diffuser, available at Amazon, $13.99
This essential oil diffuser is the perfect trick to gets rid of the stuffiness and feeling confined at an office desk. This small humidifier adds moist air while the auto color-changing LED lights soothe and enlivens the space.
A work from home kit filled with games and useful items
Uncommon Goods
Work from Home Survival Kit, available at Uncommon Goods, $20
This work from home kit makes working from a home a bit more bearable and less lonely. From the conference card bingo cards to the desk yoga guide, this fun kit brings remote coworkers together even if they are miles apart.
A three-month subscription of freshly roasted whole bean, single-origin coffees
Driftaway Facebook
Driftaway Coffee Subscription, Three Months, available at Driftaway Coffee, from from $54
If they’re practically tethered to the coffee pot, they’ll probably love the thoughtfulness of a three-month subscription to this cool Brooklyn startup’s beans. Driftaway sends freshly roasted, whole bean, single-origin coffees from around the world to their doorstep.
A really nice bottle of olive oil
Brightland
Alive Olive Oil, available at Brightland, $37
If they like to cook, they probably already know the merits of high-quality olive oil. A drizzle of Alive Olive Oil from Brightland adds a vibrant, zesty flavor to any dish, plus the bottle is designed to be left out on display in their kitchen.
An Atlas Obscura calendar full of daily photos and tidbits about the world’s strangest and coolest places
Amazon
Atlas Obscura Color Page-A-Day Desk 2021 Calendar, available at Amazon, $12.63
Add some fun to their day-to-day routine with the Atlas Obscura calendar. There are hundreds of photos that celebrate the world’s strangest and coolest places, festivals, and foods. Travelers and life-long learners are particularly good candidates for this one.
Mini succulents in ceramic planters
Amazon/Business Insider
StarPack Home 3-Piece Ceramic Succulent Planter, available at Amazon, $14.97
If your desk-mate doesn’t already have a plant, rest assured they would probably like one (fine print: if it requires next to no caregiving). Grab these ceramic planters from Amazon and fill them with an assortment of succulents. According to science, it may make your coworker happier just to see the plants every day.
Fun kitchen towels that rate wines by how well they pair with certain foods
Uncommon Goods
Wine Pairing Towel Set, available at Uncommon Goods, $28
If you’ve got a wine lover on the team, grab these fun wine pairing towels and a bottle to go with them. They’re thoughtful, informal, and unique.
A candle that smells like their favorite state
Amazon
Homesick Candles, available at Uncommon Goods, starting at $34
Homesick candles are a great gift for pretty much anyone in your life. They’re a nice acknowledgment of something important to someone else that you’re likely to know regardless of intimacy level. Plus, with a candle, your colleague will get to enjoy it for weeks to come — and if your gift deals with nostalgia, scent is a great place to start.
A three-month subscription to the book club that put “Gone with the Wind” on the map
Book of the Month
Book of the Month, available at Book of the Month, from $12.50/month
If your team includes a bookworm, they’ll appreciate a gift subscription to Book of the Month. It’s been around since 1926, and it’s credited with the discovery of titles like “Gone with the Wind” and “Catcher in the Rye”. A team of experts and celebrity guest judges curate must-read books — usually new releases, hot topics, and debut authors — and send them to the subscriber’s doorstep. If your coworker is more into audiobooks or e-reading, check out a gift subscription to Scribd (full review here).
A funny mug that acknowledges the bond forged by people who have to fix the same defunct printer every week together
Redbubble/Business Insider
The This is Fine Mug, available at Redbubble, $16.15
A “This is Fine” mug is the perfect gift for the only other people on earth who can truly relate to the particularities of your job: a defunct printer, last night’s too-fun team happy hour, and the occasional avalanche of meetings and high-priority emails. Here’s a $15 nod to the fond shared stressors.
A charging stand for their desk to keep things organized
Amazon
Anker Wireless Charger, available at Walmart, $18.97
Help your coworker keep their cluttered wires under control with this wireless charger, which can charge through most protective phone cases.
A miniature golf course they can escape to from the comfort of their desk
Bed Bath & Beyond
Be Good Company Executive Mini Sandbox, available at Amazon, $26.99
Know a coworker who’d rather be at the golf course, or who might appreciate the adult equivalent of doodling in class? Say no more.
Note: Item ordered may arrive after Christmas.
A water bottle that keeps cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 6 hours
Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Travel Coffee Flask, available at Hydro Flask, $29.95
It’s often the most practical coworker gifts that make the best and longest impression, and this is one stellar candidate. The Hydro Flask is double-wall vacuum insulated and will keep their cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours, with hot drinks staying hot for up to six. We’re big fans of the line.
The best portable battery you can buy
Amazon
Elecjet PowerPie, available at Amazon, $54.99
If you want to get your colleague something they’re sure to love, save them from a dead phone on their next long commute or work trip. We ranked this one as the best battery pack you can buy because of its capacity, charging speed, and affordability.
Desk cable clips that keep cords neat and organized
Amazon/Business Insider
Shintop 6-Piece Cable Clips Set, available at Newegg, $7.32
Pair a few of these cable clips with a nice card and some candy for a low-key, well-rounded gift that’s fun and practical.
A beautiful candle from a cool startup
Otherland
Otherland Candles, available at Otherland, $36
This is one candle they will be excited to receive. Otherland is a startup created by Abigail Cook Stone, a former art buyer for Ralph Lauren. They’re some of the most beautifully packaged and best smelling we’ve seen in a while — and they make great gifts.
An extra-long charging cable, which is the closest you’ll get to gifting never-ending convenience
Amazon/Business Insider
6 ft Charging Cable, 3-Pack, available at Amazon, $9.98
It’s something every one of us will feel grateful for a couple of times per day, but always put off buying for ourselves: a serpentine, 6-foot long charging cable.
A notebook they can wipe clean and reuse
Amazon/Business Insider
Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook, available at Staples, $37
The Rocketbook notebook is full of 21 reusable pages that wipe clean with a damp cloth when the owner uses a Pilot FriXion pen (included), so they can keep using the same notebook indefinitely. They can also send hand-written notes to Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, email, and more. I use my own a surprising amount.
A glass Chemex that makes full-flavored coffee every time
Williams-Sonoma
Stainless-Steel French Press, available at Williams-Sonoma, from $39.99
Grab a glass Chemex from Williams-Sonoma that will deliver flavorful, sediment-free coffee routinely. The glass is heat-resistant, and the wood and leather collar serves as an insulated handle.
A to-go sriracha sauce keychain for the hot sauce fiend of the office
Amazon
Sriracha Keychain Combo Pack, available at Amazon, $13.98
Perfect for the coworker best known for adding hot sauce to anything sweet, savory, or edible. The pack comes with a bottle of Sriracha and two differently sized keychains.
Tools for a night off and the “Do Nothing” sloth card made by an independent artist
Society6/Business Insider
“Do Nothing” Three Sloth Stationery Cards, available at Society6, $13.99
Pair the sloth “Do Nothing” card with a few relaxing accessories (like face masks) to gift a well-deserved night off to a coworker. Like all of Society6’s collection, it’s also made by an independent artist — making it a bit cooler than what you might pick up from CVS.
A tiny, convenient Bluetooth key tracker
Amazon/Insider
Tile Mate Key Finder, available at Target, $17.99
You can’t go wrong with a tracker for their keys that’s compact, thoughtful, and useful to pretty much everyone.
A gift card to a popular healthy eating startup
Daily Harvest
Gift Card, available at Daily Harvest, from $55
Daily Harvest is a meal delivery startup that makes healthy fast food that takes as little as 30 seconds to prepare. Meals are delicious, under $10 each, and designed by a chef and nutritionist team for taste and balance. It’s great for healthy eaters, busy lifestyles, and solves pretty much all of our main roadblocks to eating well.
A unique cocktail recipe book that matches a famous song with a complementary cocktail
Amazon/Business Insider
Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks, available at Barnes & Noble, $22.49
Gift your favorite coworker a book that pairs some of the best music from the 1950s to the 2000s with cocktail recipes that match the song’s mood, lyrical imagery, or the artists themselves.
A subscription that sends them cool new snacks
Love With Food/Instagram/Business Insider
Gift Subscription, available at Love With Food from $7.99/month
Love with Food delivers organic, all-natural, or gluten-free snacks that serial snackers won’t feel guilty about eating. The better-for-you chips, candy, and bars come from new and trending food brands. Plus, with every snack box that’s delivered, Love With Food donates at least one meal to a family in need through a partnership with Feeding America.
A nice leather business card holder
Leatherology
Business Card Case, available at Leatherology, $45
Leatherology makes luxe leather goods for less, and their $45 business card case is a great workplace gift for under $50. It has an invisible magnetic closure, holds up to 20 cards, and comes in a variety of leather types and colors. You can also add a monogram for an additional $10.
A convenient, reusable bag that folds up to the size of a business card
Baggu
Small Baggu, available at Backcountry, $9.95
Grab a trendy, reusable shopping bag that’s perfect for packing lunch, extra shoes, or taking a last-minute trip to the grocery store. This one folds up to about the size of a business card, and its signature version can hold 50 pounds of stuff easily.
A Bob Ross chia pet they can grow
Amazon
Bob Ross Chia Pet, available at Amazon, $20.99
Do yourself, your coworker, and your section of the office a favor with a Bob Ross chia pet. It will be a great conversation piece for as long as it lives.
Note: Item ordered may arrive after Christmas.
An echo dot for the virtual assistant you can afford to give them
Amazon
Echo Dot, 4th Generation, available at Amazon, $29.99
If they don’t already have an Echo Dot, this is a great tech gift without quite breaking $50.
Note: Item ordered may arrive after Christmas.
Read the original article on Business Insider
