Gift guide · 12 ideas
Stocking fillers for adults
Small presents that get used rather than thrown away: little upgrades, treats and clever bits of kit.
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Grown-up stockings tend to fill up with things nobody wanted: novelty keyrings, tiny tools that don’t work, bath sets that sit in the cupboard. The best stocking fillers are the same as the best gifts, just smaller. They’re either used up or used often.
Mix one or two practical things with a treat or two and you’ve got a stocking that feels thoughtful, not just full.
A luxury chocolate bar selection
Better than a selection box and eaten by Boxing Day. A mix of flavours makes it feel like a tasting.
Harris & James Dark Chocolate Bar Library (4 bars)
£20–£30
Four 86g dark chocolate bars from a family-run bean-to-bar maker in Suffolk: an 85% Ecuadorian, a 70% Peruvian, a 60% made with the maker’s own roasted coffee and a 55% with sea salt.
What owners say: Owners love the taste and the quality.
A closer look: Work through them in order of strength, starting with the gentle 55% sea salt and finishing with the 85%, the one for true dark fans. Let a square melt slowly on the tongue rather than chewing it to pick up more of the flavour. The coffee bar contains real ground coffee, so keep it away from anyone avoiding caffeine.
- 4 × 86g bars
- 55% to 85% cocoa
- Bean-to-bar from Suffolk
An electric candle lighter
Once the Christmas candles come out, a lighter that does away with fiddly matches gets used straight away.
LcFun Rechargeable Electric Candle Lighter (2-pack)
Under £10
Two rechargeable lighters that make a small electric arc instead of a flame, so there’s no gas to refill. As well as candles, they light gas hobs, barbecues and fires, and each has a child safety lock.
What owners say: Owners find it arrives charged, tops up easily over USB-C, holds its charge well and is good value, though opinions differ on how quickly it catches a wick.
A closer look: To use one, slide the lock across, press the button and hold the arc to the wick; it cuts out on its own after 6 seconds. Four small lights show how much charge is left, and a USB-C lead comes with them. With two, one can live in the kitchen drawer and the other by the candles.
- Two flameless rechargeable lighters
- Lights candles, hobs, barbecues
- Child safety lock
A silk sleep mask
For the Boxing Day lie-in, when the rest of the house is up and the curtains let the morning in.
BeeVines 100% Silk Sleep Mask (2-pack)
Under £10
Two lightweight sleep masks with mulberry silk on both sides, made to block out the light. The shape keeps pressure off the eyelids and the bridge of the nose, and the strap adjusts to fit.
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable and so light they can hardly feel it, and say it blocks out light completely, though some find the strap doesn’t go tight enough.
A closer look: Hand wash only: a gentle swish in cool water with a little mild detergent, then drying flat away from the radiator, keeps the silk soft. With two in the pack, one can live in a travel bag for flights and train journeys, and a pair of foam earplugs goes well alongside.
- Two masks
- Mulberry silk both sides
- Adjustable strap
A wine saver pump
Half-finished bottles pile up after a run of get-togethers, and for anyone who likes a glass rather than a bottle, this keeps the rest.
Vacu Vin Original Wine Saver Pump
£10–£20
The original Vacu Vin pump and one reusable stopper. Push the stopper into an opened bottle of wine and pump until you hear a click, which tells you the seal is tight.
What owners say: Owners find it simple, sturdy and quick to use, and say it keeps an opened bottle tasting fresh for days and saves money on wine that would have been poured away.
A closer look: Pump as soon as the last glass is poured rather than at the end of the evening, as the less time the wine spends open, the better it keeps. Stand the sealed bottle upright, and give the stopper a rinse before it’s used again. Skip it for fizz: a vacuum draws the bubbles out.
- Pump and one stopper
- Clicks when the seal’s tight
- Up to 10 days’ freshness
A pocket puzzle book
Crosswords, sudoku or logic puzzles for the commute or the quiet bit after Christmas lunch.
See options on AmazonA 3-in-1 charging cable
With the family home for Christmas and every phone running low, one cable for them all ends the hunt for the right charger.
GIANAC 3-in-1 Multi Charging Cable (1.2m)
Under £10
A braided 1.2m cable that splits into Lightning, USB-C and Micro USB ends, so three devices can charge from one USB socket at the same time. Aluminium housings and silicone collars protect the joints where cables usually fray.
What owners say: Owners like having one cable for every phone and find it a good length for travel, but charging speed is mixed and some had it fail within weeks or a couple of months.
A closer look: Only the cable comes in the box, so pair it with a spare USB plug, a laptop or a car’s USB socket. Coiled in the glovebox or a travel bag, it saves carrying a separate lead for every phone in the family. The ends are made to take over 9,000 bends, and pulling it out by the plug rather than the cord helps them last.
- Lightning, USB-C and Micro USB
- 1.2m braided cable
- Charges 3 devices at once
Heads up: It’s for charging only, not transferring data.
or compare other optionsFlavoured sea salt set
The cook of the house can scatter it over the cold turkey and leftovers, and it’s a small treat that gets used up rather than kept.
Saltverk Icelandic Flaky and Lava Sea Salt Set
£10–£20
Two jars of Icelandic sea salt made with seawater and geothermal heat in the Westfjords: flaky sea salt for everyday cooking and a smoky black lava salt for finishing. Both are hand-harvested and come boxed as a pair.
What owners say: Owners love the smoky lava salt and the flaky texture, use them as a finishing touch and think the set fairly priced.
A closer look: Activated charcoal gives the lava salt its black colour, so it’s at its most striking scattered over food just before serving, on white fish, avocado toast or a wedge of melon. Keep the flaky jar by the hob for everyday seasoning, and pinch it between your fingers rather than spooning it, so the flakes land where you want them.
- Flaky and black lava salt
- 2 × 90g jars
- Hand-harvested in Iceland
A Bluetooth tracker tag
Keys go missing more than ever in the Christmas chaos; on the keyring, this lets their iPhone find them.
UGREEN FineTrack Tracker Tag (Apple Find My)
£9.99 RRP
- Battery lasts over two years
- Left-behind alert
- Built-in keyring hole
- No water rating
- Can’t ring your phone
It uses Apple’s Find My network, as Apple’s own tag does, and its CR2032 battery lasts over two years. One can go on every set of keys in the house.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to set up in Find My and handy for keys and wallets.
A closer look: There’s no app to download: it adds straight into Find My on an iPhone, and the left-behind alert pops up if you walk off without it. It has its own keyring hole, but no water rating, so it’s best on keys and bags rather than anything that might go for a swim.
A precision screwdriver set
On Christmas morning there’s always a toy with a screwed-shut battery cover, and this is the kit that opens it.
JOREST 40-Piece Precision Screwdriver Set
Under £10
- Pentalobe and tri-wing bits
- Pry tools and tweezers included
- Magnetic bit holder
For the tiny screws a normal set can’t touch: 30 precision bits, including the pentalobe, tri-wing and small Torx sizes used in phones, laptops and games consoles, plus pry tools for opening cases.
What owners say: Owners find it handles fiddly repairs well and say the slim driver is easy to control on very small screws; the complaint is plastic tool tips that break.
A closer look: Rest a fingertip on the swivel cap and turn the grip with the others: that keeps the bit steady on screws only a millimetre or two across. Go gently with the pry tools at the edge of a phone or console case, easing clips apart rather than levering hard.
A premium deck of playing cards
Christmas is peak card-game season, and a deck in the stocking means the first game starts before lunch.
Wugauwor Waterproof Plastic Playing Cards
Under £10
A full deck of plastic playing cards that wipe clean and survive a spilt drink, a damp campsite or a day at the beach. They stay flexible when wet, and the backs are opaque, so nobody can see through to the faces.
What owners say: Owners find them well made, tough and easy to shuffle.
A closer look: Standard index numbers make them easy to read for bridge, canasta or a round of blackjack. When a deck gets sticky, wash the cards by hand in warm soapy water and lay them out on a tea towel to dry. They come in a box, which keeps the deck together in a beach bag or rucksack.
- Full deck, waterproof plastic
- Wipes clean after spills
- Backs can’t be seen through
Heads up: At 58mm wide they’re a touch narrower than most decks.
or compare other optionsReusable sleep earplugs
A full house means someone snoring through the wall, so light sleepers and snorers’ partners will be glad of these.
wayersen Reusable Silicone Earplugs (10 pairs)
Under £10
Ten pairs of reusable earplugs, each pair a different colour, with four soft layers that cut noise by 33dB. They’re as useful for concerts, flights and swimming as they are for sleeping.
What owners say: Owners say they block out snoring well and like the colours, the storage case and how easy they are to use, but fit is mixed, as some find they won’t stay in.
A closer look: Fitting takes a night or so to get used to: pull the top of the ear gently up and back, then press and twist each plug in until it seals. If pressure builds up, a small twist of the side lets the trapped air out. Rinse them in warm water now and then, and let them dry before storing them.
- Cuts noise by 33dB
- 10 pairs, 10 colours
- Reusable silicone
A loose-leaf tea sampler
The family tea drinker gets something to look forward to every afternoon once the festive rush is over.
VAHDAM Top 10 Favourites Loose Leaf Tea Sampler
£10–£20
Ten loose-leaf teas from India, from black and chai blends to green teas and herbal blends with ginger, mint, tulsi or turmeric. Each is vacuum sealed to keep it fresh, and the set makes over 50 cups.
What owners say: Owners praise how fresh and full of flavour the teas are and like having a spread to try, though some find the portions on the small side.
A closer look: Loose leaves rather than bags means a tea infuser or small strainer is needed alongside. Brew the black and chai blends with freshly boiled water, but let the kettle rest briefly before pouring on the greens, which turn bitter if they’re scalded.
- 10 loose-leaf teas
- Makes over 50 cups
- Black, green, herbal, chai
Building a good stocking
- Aim for a mix: one useful thing, one treat, one bit of fun.
- Consumables are your friend. They’re gone by January, so no clutter.
- Put the chocolate at the top. Nobody complains about that.
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