Gifts for teachers

Nineteen LEDs sit behind the flat head, with three colours from 1800K to 6000K, each at five brightness levels, and it remembers the last setting. Clip it to the back cover rather than the pages and bend the metal gooseneck so the head sits just over the top edge. The lowest amber setting is enough for a paperback once your eyes adjust, and the gentlest on anyone asleep alongside.

What owners say: Owners rate it for reading at night, with brightness and colour to suit, from a softer orange to plain white, and are pleased with what it costs. It works well on a music stand too, and one has it on a desk as a mini lamp.

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It began as a pharmacist’s kitchen recipe to help her father, a rancher whose hands cracked from outdoor work. The tube holds 80ml, and a small amount goes a long way, rubbed well into knuckles and fingertips after the last hand wash of the day. Being unscented, it suits anyone who finds floral hand creams too much.

• 80ml tube
• For very dry, cracked skin
• Unscented

What owners say: Owners say it works almost at once on very dry hands, leaves them soft and is fairly priced, though some find it quite greasy.

The 0.4mm line is crisp, and the metal-cased tip is built for a long life and works with rulers and stencils. The hexagonal barrel is less likely to roll off a sloping desk, and the pens resist drying out if a cap is left off for a while.

What owners say: Owners call them a favourite for writing and sketching, with nice thin lines, and find them reliable, handy for journaling and fairly priced.

There are 180 pages of thick 120gsm ivory paper, enough for brush pens and watercolours. Two ribbon markers keep today’s page and a running list open at once, the expandable pocket holds receipts or sticky notes, and an elastic band keeps it shut in a bag on the way to work or school.

• A5, 180 dotted pages
• Faux leather hard cover
• Takes brush pens and watercolours

What owners say: Owners like it for bullet journals and tracking, find the pages thick enough to stop gel pens and highlighters bleeding through, and like the look and colour choices.

There are four heat steps, from 40°C to 55°C, and a charge lasts four to nine hours. One two-way cable in the box charges both at once in about four hours, or one alone in three, so a single USB plug by the bed sees to it overnight. The aluminium body is smooth and curved to sit in the hand, and lanyards come with them.

What owners say: Owners find they heat up and cool down quickly, recharge fast and last well between charges, and say the heat settings are simple to use and the build feels durable.

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Each 25g stirrer is wrapped on its own and sits in a Snowman and Snowdog gift box. Keep stirring until all the chocolate has melted off the stick. They contain milk and pork gelatine, so they don’t suit vegetarians, and may carry traces of nuts and peanuts.

• 3 × 25g stirrers
• Topped with mini marshmallows
• Snowman and Snowdog box

What owners say: Owners enjoy the flavour.

One size covers women’s shoe sizes 5 to 11 and men’s 4 to 10, a safe bet when the shoe size is a guess, and a little stretch in the yarn helps them fit across that range. They go in the washing machine; turning them inside out first keeps the pattern crisp.

• Cotton-blend crew socks
• Women’s 5–11, men’s 4–10
• Message hidden on the sole

What owners say: Owners find them cute, soft and comfortable with a good fit, though some think they’re a bit expensive for socks.

The teas are English Breakfast, English Afternoon and London Tea, and a post box joins the sights in the display box. Loose leaf needs something to brew it in, so a simple infuser or a small pot with a strainer means the first cup can be made straight away. The maker suggests a teaspoon per 240ml of water, brewed for one to two minutes.

• 6 landmark-shaped tins
• 3 loose-leaf black teas
• Display gift box

What owners say: Owners find the tins charming and like the taste of the tea, though several say the tins are smaller than expected.

Heads up: The six tins hold about 135g of tea between them, so it suits tasting more than stocking up.

The six origins are Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Ethiopia, all roasted in northern Italy, and they run from rich and intense to lighter and fruitier. Everything comes ready ground, so it won’t suit a bean-to-cup machine that grinds its own beans. Once a pack is open, fold it tight, clip it and keep it in a cool cupboard. The box is ready to give as it comes.

• Six single-origin coffees, 50g each
• Ready-to-give gift box
• Ground, not beans

What owners say: Owners like the variety and the smart box, though some say it’s smaller than they expected.

Heads up: The packs are tasting size, 50g each, so it’s a sampler rather than a month’s supply.

It holds 2 litres, is made to BS1970:2012 and has a wide mouth for less splashy filling, and the cover comes off. Pop it under the duvet a while before bed and the sheets are warm when you get in, then move it to your feet or tummy. Between uses, empty it and store it flat out of direct sunlight, which is kinder to natural rubber than a hot windowsill.

What owners say: Owners love the soft faux-fur cover and say the bottle stays warm for a long time on winter nights. The pom-poms are the weak spot, with several saying they came unstitched.

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