// WIRED US/UK — MOBILE & WEB
The Best Gifts Under $25 for Everyone on Your List (2026)
$25 doesn't go as far as it used to. As recently as a decade ago, $25 could fill up your gas tank and buy a pretty good gift, with plenty of options for just about every interest and occasion. Nowadays, it’s a struggle to even find a $25 takeout meal for one person and average national gas prices are inching toward $5 a gallon. And we all know wages have not kept up.
Good news: There are still plenty of thoughtful, interesting items out there to be had for $25, which are sure to appeal to everyone from coworkers to neighbors, relatives you don't know well, and the friend who seems to have everything. All things on this list have been tested and vetted by at least one person on the WIRED Reviews team—often more than one—to ensure it is indeed a good gift you'd be proud to give. Check out more of our gift guides to find something for everyone on your list this year.
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WIRED senior Gear editor Julian Chokkattu recommends this colorful acrylic desk accessory that keeps pencils, scissors, and other large items on top and smaller items like paper clips (or, in Julian's case as a phone reviewer, SIM ejection pins) on the bottom. Shown is the pink-and-amber color combination, but there's also a blue-and-green option.
I've used Field Notes for years—they’re lightweight, sturdy, and a perfectly pocketable. The National Parks Series elevates what would otherwise be a utilitarian notebook to its giftable status, with artist-created covers inspired by our nation's natural wonders—from Acadia to the Hawai'i Volcanoes.
My city recently got its own brick-and-mortar Muji store, and if you’ve never visited the famed Japanese retailer in person, it’s basically a mecca for stationery and desk accessories. These pens in particular are famous for their smooth ink and precision tips, and make a perfect companion for the Field Notes notebooks at left.
These drink cozies are a favored white elephant gift from WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell ("It's like playing Barbie with your drinks," she says), but I like them because they remind me of Will Ferrell and his friend Harper Steele in the movie Will & Harper, where they go on a road trip, dress up their drinks in these exact cozies, and come up with ridiculous names for them like Cornelius Danderhoff. It reminds me of road trips I took with friends in college, which reminds me that I'm old, which … makes me want a drink.
Set the right vibe in any room with this WIRED-recommended, Matter-compatible smart light bulb that features millions of colors, scenes, and effects you can control with Alexa, Google Assistant, or the Govee app. You can also sync it to music with the latter, using the microphone on your phone.
Let your giftee be heard wherever they go with their very own Bluetooth microphone. Former WIRED A/V editor Parker Hall especially liked this one for its series of playback and mixing controls, in addition to adjustable volume, echo effects, and the ability to play, skip, or pause your backing track.
A sleep mask is a must for proper sleep hygiene, and WIRED reviewer and sleep mask aficionado Louryn Strampe loves the roomy fit of this 22-momme silk model from Quince. It’s half the price of similar 100-percent silk sleep masks, and there's free shipping to keep things affordable. Choose from among 12 color options, including Eucalyptus, Espresso, Pink, Terra Cotta, and Light Blue.