Gift guide · 12 ideas
Stocking stuffers for adults
Small enough to fit in the toe of a stocking, useful enough to still be in use come March.
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Grown-up stockings tend to fill up with novelty socks, gag gifts and gadgets that stop working by New Year’s. The ones that land are the same as good presents, only smaller: something they’ll reach for every week, or a little upgrade to a thing they already do.
Most ideas come with our pick from one of our top lists, chosen for how well it does the job rather than how it looks in the wrapping. A few lean his way and a few hers, and most suit anyone with a phone, a car or a coffee habit.
A Bluetooth tracker tag
For whoever starts most mornings hunting for their keys. Hung on the key ring in a holder, it moves the search to their iPhone instead of every coat pocket in the house.
Apple AirTag (2nd generation)
$30–$50
Pair it with an iPhone and Precision Finding points the way to it on the phone or, for the first time, an Apple Watch, and its speaker is 50% louder than the first AirTag’s.
What owners say: Owners find it straightforward to set up and say it does what it should. Tracking, the connection, battery life, the price and how it gets on with other devices all draw mixed reports.
A closer look: If a suitcase goes astray, its location can be shared with more than 50 airlines. There’s no hole for a key ring, so add a holder or loop to hang it on keys or a bag. Precision Finding needs an iPhone 15 or later (not the 16e) or an Apple Watch Series 9 or later.
- Works with iPhone and iPad
- Precision finding on iPhone 15+
- Share location with 50+ airlines
Heads up: Android phones can’t use it: it sets up only with an iPhone or iPad.
View on Amazon See our top 5 Bluetooth trackers →A rechargeable milk frother
Slim enough to slide down a stocking, and ready to froth the milk for the first coffee on Christmas morning.
CIRCLE JOY Rechargeable Milk Frother with Stand (black)
$10–$20
A slim rechargeable wand with a double-ring whisk that turns warm milk into dense foam in seconds, with hardly any splashing. It stands upright on its own steel stand by the coffee maker, so it’s always within reach.
What owners say: Owners find it froths well and feels well made at a fair price, the battery holds up well between charges, and it rinses clean in seconds; they like the steel stand too, and nobody raises a recurring fault.
A closer look: For the thickest foam, tilt the cup a little and keep the whisk near the top of warm milk. To clean it, dip the whisk in warm water and run it for a couple of seconds, then stand it back up to dry. The USB cable is in the box but the plug isn’t, so charge it from a phone charger.
- USB rechargeable
- Steel stand included
- Hardly any splashing
A fast car charger
For the driver whose phone is always on 12% by the time they park. One port suits a new phone and the other an older cable, so a passenger can charge too.
Anker 323 Car Charger 52.5W (USB-C and USB-A)
$20–$30
The USB-C port fast-charges a recent iPhone or Galaxy at up to 30W, and the USB-A port gives an older cable up to 22.5W at the same time. Anker says it takes an iPhone 14 Pro to half full in 25 minutes and a Galaxy S22 in 24.
What owners say: Owners rate how quickly it charges and how much power it packs into such a small plug, and they like having USB-C and USB-A side by side and its blue ring of light.
A closer look: A built-in LED light picks out the ports, so a cable goes in without fumbling in the dark. It keeps an eye on its own temperature and turns the power down if it runs hot, which helps in a car left in the hot sun. Anker covers it with an 18-month warranty.
- 30W fast-charging USB-C port
- 30W and 22.5W together
- LED light finds the ports
A rechargeable headlamp
Dark winter evenings are when it earns its place, from the late dog walk to the night the power goes out. Two come in the pack, so the second can go in another stocking.
Lepro Rechargeable Headlamp (2-pack)
$20–$30
Each of the two lamps has a spot beam that reaches 150 m (500 ft), a wide flood for close work and a red light on its own button, so you never cycle through white to reach it. At 75 g (2.65 oz) each you forget they’re on, and they charge by USB-C.
What owners say: Owners call it a bright lamp whose charge lasts, comfortable to wear and good for more than one job. Nothing draws a recurring complaint.
A closer look: With two in the pack, one can hang by the back door for garbage runs and power outages while the other lives in the car or the camping box. Tilt the lamp down for cooking at the campsite or finding something at the bottom of a pack.
- Two rechargeable headlamps
- Beam 150 m (500 ft)
- Fits adults and kids
A box of golf balls
Golfers lose balls faster than they like to admit, so a fresh box always gets used. Soft, forgiving balls suit weekend players better than tour models.
See options on AmazonA better eyelash curler
A good curler is one of those things she uses every morning and never thinks to replace.
Tweezerman Classic Lash Curler (with 3 spare pads)
$20–$30
Silicone pads, thick and rounded, that Tweezerman says won’t crimp lashes or stick to them, on a plain steel curler that opens and closes smoothly, with three spares in the box: a year’s worth if each is changed every three months, as the maker advises for daily use.
What owners say: Several owners rank it above every other curler, and the spare pads and the fit win praise too. Value, how long the curl lasts and how gentle it is on the lashes all draw mixed reports.
A closer look: Curl clean, dry lashes before mascara, starting close to the root and easing out toward the tips. Tweezerman also advises wiping the pads with an alcohol wipe after use, and never heating the curler or using it on the lower lashes.
- 3 spare pads included
- Thick, rounded silicone pad
- Pads won’t crimp or stick
A detangling brush
Anyone with long hair who dreads brushing it out after a shower will be using this by Boxing Day.
Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Brush
$10–$20
The palm-sized original: long flexible teeth ease knots apart while short ones smooth, and with no handle it moves through the hair like a hand, in or out of the shower.
What owners say: It gets through every tangle gently, owners say, children’s hair included, and feels like a scalp massage on the way. With no handle, the grip suits some hands better than others.
A closer look: Work a section at a time on hair still damp from the towel. With no handle to hold, keep the strokes short and let the teeth do the work. Every so often, pull out trapped hair and rinse the teeth in warm, soapy water.
- Two tiers of flexible teeth
- Best on regular, flyaway hair
- Fits in the palm
A filter straw for camping trips
For the hiker, camper or road-tripper who likes a backup plan. It weighs next to nothing and rides in a pack until the day it’s needed.
See options on AmazonA power bank with its own cables
Their phone gives up halfway through every day out, usually right when they need the map or a photo.
See options on AmazonA digital meat thermometer
For whoever runs the grill or carves the turkey. No more cutting into the chicken to check, just a number in a couple of seconds.
Alpha Grillers Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
$10–$20
A straightforward instant-read that gives a number in a second or two, with a bright blue backlight for grilling after dark and an IP67 rating, so it can be washed under running water. It arrives calibrated, with a meat temperature chart, and can be recalibrated if it ever drifts.
What owners say: Owners trust its readings and say it’s quick, handy and straightforward from the first use, and good value, with a display that’s easy to read.
A closer look: Alpha Grillers pitches it for liquids and baking as well as meat, so it can check the water for yeast or the middle of a loaf as easily as a steak. Now and then, stand the probe in a glass of iced water: if it doesn’t read freezing, the recalibration setting puts it right.
- Reads in 1–2 seconds
- Waterproof, backlit screen
- Meat temperature chart included
A scalp massager
A few minutes with one at the end of the day feels like the best part of a salon visit, and it’s oddly addictive.
HEETA Silicone Scalp Massager Shampoo Brush
$10–$20
An all-silicone brush that fits the palm and works shampoo down to the roots, spreading it into an even lather while your nails stay out of it. HEETA makes it for thick or thin, curly or straight hair, in the shower or out.
What owners say: Soft and comfortable on the scalp, owners say, never scratchy, and it leaves the scalp feeling clean; they like how fast it rinses off afterwards.
A closer look: Small enough to sit on a shower caddy, it needs only a rinse and a shake after each wash, being all silicone. On dry hair it doubles as a quick massage at a desk or on the couch, worked in slow circles over the crown.
- Soft silicone bristles
- Works in the shower
- Spreads shampoo to the roots
A nose and ear trimmer
The stocking stuffer nobody asks for and most men end up using every week. Quicker and kinder than tweezers or small scissors.
JEETIF 3-in-1 Rechargeable Nose Hair Trimmer (TC-016)
$20–$30
Three heads on one rechargeable handle, a rotary trimmer for nose and ears, an eyebrow trimmer and a small trimmer for sideburns and beard edges, so one gadget covers every small trim. A display shows the charge left as a percentage, and up to two hours of running time from a USB-C charge means it rarely needs plugging in.
What owners say: It runs smoothly and sits comfortably in the hand, and it’s so frugal with its battery that some haven’t had to charge it again yet. On nose hair it does the job without wowing anyone, and owners think it’s priced about right.
A closer look: Twist a head to the right to take it off and to the left to put it back, then rinse it under running water; a brush and a dust cap come in the box. JEETIF suggests recharging once the display drops below 20%, and the rounded tip only needs to go just inside the nostril.
- Nose, brow and sideburn heads
- Runs up to 2 hours
- Cleaning brush included
Filling a grown-up stocking
- Mix one useful thing, one treat and one bit of fun, so the stocking isn’t all gadgets.
- Charge anything rechargeable before it’s wrapped, so it works on Christmas morning.
- Put the heavy, boxy things in the toe and the small surprises near the top.
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
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