I spend almost as much time on TikTok as a Gen Z-er. I’m so curious about the often weird trends and meme-like sounds that I can’t help it.
But anyone on TikTok knows that the videos you watch can vary drastically from FYP to FYP (For You Page, which appears when you open the app and offers an endless stream of algorithm-recommended videos).
This makes it hard to identify the freebies that will appeal to everyone, because my FYP is, well, mine.
So to make this gift guide, I turned to multiple sources. Some recommendations on this list come from videos I came across during my late night scrolls. I also consulted some friends who are masters of social media and my little sister who is actually Gen Z.
With your input, I created a comprehensive list that has gifts for everyone you need to shop for this holiday season. You’ll find selections that consider all aspects of wellness, including exercise, healthy eating, self-care, and rest and relaxation. There is also a gift that is just for fun.
price guide
The products on this list vary in price, so you can find a great gift no matter your budget.
$ = less than $15$$ = $15–$35$$$ = more than $35
The best gift for people who love entertainment.
Wooden board for butter boards
Price: $–$$$
Forget a charcuterie board: the newest thing is a butter board. If you’re buying for a friend who loves to entertain, a wooden butter board makes a great gift.
Along with the board, only a few other ingredients are required to put one together:
When your friend sets it up for a gathering, guests can grab a piece of bread and butter right off the board.
When shopping, you can opt for a product that is shaped like a piece of bread or get a more traditional cutting board. In addition to choosing a shape, you can also select boards with different patterns that combine various types of wood.
And hey, even if butter boards go out of style, your friend will still be able to use the wooden board as a base to serve up hours of good conversation and maybe some cheese too.
The best gifts for people who like to experiment with hair care.
No heat tools for curling hair.
Price: $$
Heat-free curls have been having a moment on TikTok since 2021. After all, heat-damaged hair is no joke. Heat-free curling is an easy solution for luscious locks that Rapunzel would envy, without using potentially damaging styling techniques.
There are many methods, but one of the most popular encourages people to wrap their hair around a tube of fabric or a sock and then let it dry in position to create curls. It’s less of a hassle than putting on rollers, and it’s also supposedly more comfortable.
A headband made of silk, or one with a wire inside that bends and allows you to secure your hair without extra elastic, is a great way to introduce the gift recipient to this approach to styling.
Of course, you can also buy a pair of socks for someone to use to curl their hair, but that doesn’t feel as much of a gift as designated heat-free curling tools.
But hey, maybe your friend is a minimalist and would love something for her hair and feet. No judgment.
The best gifts to elevate daily drinks.
glass cup and straw
Price: $$
It may seem strange that something as basic as drinking water can be in fashion. But on TikTok, that doesn’t mean gobbling up plain water. Instead, the videos often explore how to elevate everyday beverages like sparkling water and coffee.
The obvious approach is to serve drinks in cute drink containers. (Adding fancy ice cubes or other add-ins, which we’ll get into, is another step forward.)
These stylish glasses will look great with any beverage, whether it’s coffee for your cold brew-obsessed friend or fruit-infused water for your friend who’s trying to hydrate more.
Plus, these straw and cup sets come with four of each, so you could give multiple friends bougie hydration kits by dividing up the cups and pairing them with drink accessories.
cute ice cube trays
Price: $
There are many ways to spice up everyday beverages, such as adding flavor-infused sugar cubes to coffee or ice cubes containing frozen fruit. All you really need is a big tray of ice cubes, or a set of them, for that matter.
Sugar cubes or frozen coffee ice cubes, which make instant cold drinks when added to milk, can be made in a small ice cube tray in whatever shape you think your recipient will prefer, such as a heart or a star.
For regular fruit-infused drinks, consider a larger silicone mold that creates cubes like the ones you typically see in a cocktail. Combine the trays with glasses and you have a ready-to-use set.
I have personally used the Tovolo trays below to make cocktail ice cubes and can attest to how well they work. Plus, you can squeeze a lot of fruit into that big mold!
Glitter that makes your drinks sparkle
Price: $$
I was instantly intrigued when I saw Anna Sitar’s post about her efforts to make mocktails and basic sparkling water look…interesting.
When he brought out two boxes of bright cubes from Teaspressa, I was skeptical. But after rinsing them with some hot water and adding a can of Spindrift, I have to admit that the drink you made was beautiful.
The cubes make your drink look sparkly, virtually effortlessly. While they’re advertised for mimosas and champagnes, Anna’s post also revealed their versatility for sparkling water.
They’re great for anyone who wants to feel fancy sipping a mocktail or just make their typical sparkling water and fruit drinks feel a little more special.
The products were out of stock at Teaspressa at the time of publication, but Uncommon Goods still has them. Be sure to select either the Shimmer Peach and Berries Trio or the Shimmer Citrus Trio for that sparkly look.
The best gift for active people who work from home.
treadmill under desk
Price: $$$
If you’re looking for a gift for someone who works from home, but is always trying to squeeze in more activity during their waking hours, an under-desk treadmill may fill the bill.
Some people on TikTok claim that they walk 10-12 miles a day on one of these treadmills. Many swear by setting the treadmill at a relatively low speed, like 2 miles per hour, and walking while they work.
While several under-desk treadmills have appeared on TikToks, one of the most common and seemingly popular options is from GoYouth. The treadmill offers a range of speeds, from half a mile per hour to 6 miles per hour, making it versatile regardless of stride length or speed preference.
Under-desk treadmills are expensive, with most options costing upwards of $300. This is a splurge, but it’s also a gift that’s likely to please, and one that many wouldn’t.
The best gifts for people who love to rest.
Aritzia Dupe Track Pants from Target
Price: $$
Many TikTok users like certain brands or styles, but don’t like the money associated with the purchase. That’s where the unwary come in.
If the person you’re shopping for loves to be comfortable and swears by Aritzia, you can find TikTok-approved pants that are just like Aritzia’s at Target, and they’re a fraction of the price, at less than $30 a pop.
The comfortable pants are made from a cotton-polyester blend, and the polyester element is made from at least 20% recycled polyester, according to the company.
The pants are available in five different colors: Light Almond, Black, Traditional Grey, Orchid Pink and Teal. They’re great for taking a day off, working from home, or going for a morning walk.
Aritzia dupe t-shirt from Target
Price: $
To complete the look, or really thrill a gifted Aritzia fan, throw on this t-shirt. On TikTok, users comment that these t-shirts are basic, useful and much cheaper than the ones you can see in Aritzia.
The shirts have a longer cut that wearers say is great as a base piece as well as work attire. Meanwhile, the fabric has an elasticity that makes it comfortable.
The jersey comes in various colors, although some publications warn that the white tends to be a bit see-through.
And, at less than $10 each, this is one of the cheapest gifts on our list.
The best gift for book lovers.
outbreak markers
Price: $
It seems like a gift for any book lover should be simple, right? You can buy them a book.
But unfortunately, it’s never that easy. What genre do you like? And if they really love books, have they already read the one the bookstore recommends or the one you stumbled upon on Goodreads?
Instead of endlessly browsing BookTok looking for something that might be suitable, a book accessory might be the way to go. These Fred book sprouts “grow” between the pages, so every time you open the book, the little green twig will appear.
Bookmarks are a great placeholder, and as someone who loves to read but often uses receipts to keep their place in a book, I can honestly say, like many readers, that I would love a game.
The best gift for home chefs or meal preparers.
vegetable slicer
Price: $$$
Hacks, especially ones designed to save you time, abound on TikTok. Some of them are useful and legitimate, while others are questionable at best and downright unsafe at worst (I’m looking at you, NyQuil Chicken).
Some of the most useful things I’ve found in the app are time-saving kitchen hacks that rely on simple tools like vegetable cutters. These devices use a simple grid of blades, lined up with corresponding plastic that fits between each metal piece, to push vegetables and dice them faster than with a knife.
This Mueller Pro 10-in-1 Vegetable Slicer was tested by a TikTok user who previously sliced his vegetables by hand. She said that she would definitely use him again.
The best gift for your friend who never misses a TikTok referral
Cat plush from the “We Can’t Escape” video
Price: $$
If your friends are as into TikTok as I am, they’ve almost certainly seen the video of Amazon’s stuffed cats being vacuum sealed in a bag and accompanied by the sound “We can’t get out, we can’t get out.”
The gift is more for fun than anything else. Although the pack technically comes with three cats, the humor is in how they’re compressed, so you can’t open them up and distribute them to different friends, unless you’re gifting them all at once.
Even if it’s more of a gag gift, laughter is a great stress reducer. Also, the cats are super cute once they open up.
Source: news.google.com