The holidays are right around the corner and that means gifting. Few presents are as well-received as gifts for the home, which always show a personal touch.
However, the rise of online shopping means that there's an almost unlimited number of products out there vying for your money. But a lot of them don't stand up to scrutiny. They might be poorly made, ill-thought out and ultimately end up as clutter.
As a product tester, I know first-hand which products are worthwhile and which don't deserve your money. After combing through literally thousands of possibilities, these are the home gifts people actually want. There's no gimmicks in here or fads. These are products we've tried and tested first hand, and if not, they're backed up by meticulous research. The candle picks are all backed up by our tests of the best candles, the best houseplants in this guide have been given the nod by our expert in-house gardeners, and homewares are all loved by our interiors team.
I've found luxuries, decorative touches, and my tested picks of expert tools for the kitchen and backyard. There's specialist products as well as entry level pieces for those just starting out with interior design and decoration. These are the gifts that are genuinely worth giving.
This great-value gift is really two presents in one. For cheaper than most other gifts in this guide, you get a beautiful bar of Italian-made oak musk soap, and a glass dish decorated with a leopard that can be reused for years to come.
Elevate their espresso with this beautiful cup and saucer combo. My favorite is this black speckled colorway, but there are other options in white and gray, too. For hand-thrown pottery, it's surprisingly inexpensive, too.
Throw blankets can be a great way to introduce color to a space without any drastic redecoration. Made of incredibly soft merino wool, this blue ultramarine throw is perfect for adding interest to a couch. Even better, it's reversible with a darker blue side so there's always the choice to tone things down if needed.
We received some of these a gift a few weeks ago and they're great. They're perfect for cocktails and elevate simple drinks without going completely over-the-top fancy.
Diptyque's Baies candle has had a cult following for years, and this gift takes it to the next level. Not only do you get the classic Baies candle, but a golden carousel that spins from the heat of the candle, catching the flickering light as it turns. You can reuse it on similar candles, too.
For a beautiful, aesthetic coffee gift, I don't think it gets better than a Chemex. But it's not just a pretty face. The keep-cool wooden sleeve and useful pouring spout mean It's one of the best pour-over coffee makers that we've ever tried.
I love this embordered pillow, perfect for breaking up monotony on a couch. The abstract black and white pattern is broken up with delicate golden thread for an arresting pillow that's sure to draw the eye.
Snake plants are already very low maintenance, but this one takes it to a different level. The planter has a hidden water reservoir, so this plant waters itself – no green thumb required.
Barefoot Dreams make Kylie Jenner's favorite blankets. They're soft and cozy, perfect for snuggling up under for a movie night.
Inspired by Joanna Gaines' garden, this vase isn't just for modern farmhouse aesthetics. The rustic, warm tones suit a wide range of home styles.
I'm convinced this is the best hand soap in the world. It smells incredible and makes your hands so soft. makes such a good gift – a friend boutght a bottle for my partner and I as a housewarming gift and it's such a great present. We'd never normally spend $40 on soap, but now we have a touch of luxury very time we wash our hands.
If you know a gardener who loves cultivating fresh herbs, this planter tray is perfect. It will keep basil, mint, and cilantro on hand for cooking and garnishing cocktails with home-grown greenery.
I know first hand that a cookbook holder like this can be lifechanging in the kitchen. From Joanna Gaines' Hearth & Hand collection, this bookstand means no more messy fingerprints or fumbling as you cook.
This patterned throw has a bright woodland motif that will work well in more traditional homes. The velvet is incredibly soft and it has dozens of positive reviews.
If you know some one who's just getting started with making their own homemade espresso, this little marvel is a perfect starting point. It's small and inexpensive, but it makes great coffees.
This is among the best glasses you can buy for whiskey drinkers. The wide, vase-like lip makes it easier to smell and detect aromas. It's the official glass of dozens of whisky competitions around around the world and used by judges to asses quality whiskies.
Little bud vases like this are perfect for cut flowers. The set comes with 6, so the recipient can use them on a single bookcase for a unified look or spread them throughout the home.
We love Nate's style at H&G and this throw is no exception. It's incredibly versatile, because the neutral tone works for almost any space, and it's inexpensive, too.
Ribbed glass like this is having a moment. It's a sleek, functional homage to art deco design, and looks great on any table.
Harlem Candle Co made one of Oprah's favorite candles this year. This candle is great if you like heavier scents without it becoming overbearing. It has rich chocolate notes but they lighten before it becomes sickly-sweet
These Mexican-made margarita glasses are perfect for relaxing by the pool. Each glass is blown by hand and the little imperfections make for a characterful cocktail glass.
For true coziness, try this faux shearling throw from West Elm. Teddy textures like this have been everywhere this year and the trend shows no sign of slowing down. It's soft, warm, and perfect for the colder months.
I've been loving this blender for the past few weeks. It's compact and portable but blasts through fruit and veg to make handy smoothies on the go.
I received a rubber tree as a birthday gift a couple months ago and love it. it's incredibly robust and easy to look after, and the wide, dark leaves are perfect for bringing a little depth to a room.
This is Jeff Bezos' favorite mug. It can keep a drink warm for up to 80 minutes, and if you leave it on the charging dock, it can keep it cozy indefinitely.
We test sleep products for weeks, so we're still putting this through its paces, but so far our sleep expert Emilia loves this weighted blanket. It's soft, warm, and heavy, perfect for a nap.
These mixed glasses are timeless. It's a great value set of glasses perfect for multiple styles of wine, and it's made of Zwiesel's famous Tritan glass, so it's break and chip resistant.
This modern twist on a classic Ming vase will suit a wide range of different home styles. It will look great in more traditional homes but if styled right could work with more eclectic, modern spaces.
There's lots of different types of champagne flutes but why mess with a classic? These are timeless, sleek champagne flutes, perfect for entertaining over the holidays.
Cashmere Kush has a huge fanbase and you can't argue against it. It brings rich musk without the heaviness of oud, and it works in a variety of interiors. It's unisex and an excellent everyday burn.
In another life I made a living testing out garden equipment, and after hours in the soil, this is easily the best garden towel I've ever used. The sharpened edge makes it easy to open up bags of compost, the serrated edge helps to saw through tough roots, the depth gauge makes it easy to plant precisely, and the hammer is no gimmick, helping to hammer in small stakes for support.
This stoneware ramen bowl is perfect for wintry lunches. Handcrafted, it has a useful notch for holding chopsticks, and a big capacity.
Our tests have shown that this is the best juicer in the world. It can also make smoothies and sorbets, and does an incredible job with any ingredient you can throw at it.
This is actually one of Meghan Markle's favorite diffusers, and on test we found it has a deep bluebell scent that's just the right side of sweet and floral.
This needs no introduction. It's our favorite Dutch oven and one of the most sought-after pieces of cookware in the world. It looks good, cooks better, and I can guarantee any homemaker wants one of these.
Our scent expert Laura thinks this is perfect for a bathroom, because the scent is so light and refrshing. However, the golden tone of the orange diffuser would look good on dark bookshelves and mantels, too.
If the recipient loves to get hands-on with their coffee, this is the best manual grinder you can get. It offers a wide range of grinds and it's extremely consisent.
Deep breath: this is nearly $300. However, it's one of the most luxurious candles in the world. It's a powerful, musky scent that suits grand, open spaces. However, it's a strong scent, so not one for those with sensitivities.
Ugg are best known for their soft boots, but there's no reason that cozy comfort can't be scaled up to a blanket. This plush throw is great as a bedspread or for keeping cozy in a living room.
This is our favorite-ever ice cream maker. It makes faultless ice cream, sorbet, vegan ice cream, and froyo and it's budget-friendly, too.
What else? Monstera are a classic for a reason. They're relatively straightforward to maintain, and the broad, 'swiss-cheese' leaves are a design statement in their own right.
I recently switched over to using one of these for my coffee intake it's been almost life-changing. I can make genuinely delicious coffee at home on the stove without having to plug anything in. It looks great and makes great coffee – what more do you want?
SodaStreams are great for homemade carbonated drinks. You can have fresh sparkling water, dilute your favorite soda, or go for it with the sugar syrup. They no longer sell this model, but it is still available online. Our insider tip is that this older model is by far the best value one you can buy, because more recent models don't really innovate on the basic features.
The Silpat solves multiple baking issues in one neat solution. It's nonstick, so makes for a perfect work surface for bread and pastry doughs, but also has common measurements marked out, so their bakes will always fit their baking tins.
A tomato scent sounds like it shouldn't work for a luxury soap but our in-house candle expert Laura swears by Loewe's tomato leaves candle. This soap not only looks great, but the tomato-inspired scent brings a note of freshness that's incredibly welcome in an industry saturated with oud-forward, heavy, rich scents.
This is pretty expensive, but it's an incredible way to help a baker step up their game. This bread oven guarantees a uniform shape and size to their loaves, while trapping moisture to ensure a perfect rise.
The circular leaves of this plant are almost eerie. It's simple and unfussy and perfect for modern, minimalist spaces. The pots come in several colors and there's plant food included, too.
Hear me out on this one. It doesn't look like much, but this has been life changing for my baking. I first encountered one of these in a test kitchen a couple years ago and the strange shape means you can measure out ingredients without having to bend down to your countertop to read the measure on the side. It's a lifesaver for your back when you're spending hours cooking.
If you know a gardener, these are the best pruners you can get. I've loved the Okatsune 103s for a couple years, because they're comfortable, dependable, and easy to maintain. The sharp Japanese steel goes through stems like butter, and the red and white handle are easy to see if you drop them in a flowerbed, too. All in all, these are far cheaper than they should be.
A good coffee tamper like this is a perfect gift for home baristas. It's exactly the sort of thing someone wouldn't buy themselves, but makes a real difference when levelling out ground coffee in a portafilter.
Trailing plants like this are an amazing home gift because they're perfect for a bookshelf. A few of these on shelves can bring a lot of color into an otherwise plain room and break up the monotony of repeated lines of shelving.
If you want to really treat them, this is the ultimate stand mixer. Our tests have foun that there's nothing better, and nothing has beaten it for decades. American-made, you're best off getting it direct from KitchenAid, because they offer a free engraving service so you can personalise your gift.
Maranthas (aka prayer plants) like this are highly sought-after houseplants. That's thanks to the red striping on their leaves, which is a striking break from the usual deep greens. Even better, the understated terracotta-colored pot is made of 80% recycled plastic.
For something a little more extravagent, Technivorm Moccamaster is the machine that single-handedly convinced me that drip coffee could be good. I love the retro 70s look, but if the bright orange is a little much, there's dozens of other colors to choose.
I know from experience that long gloves like these are a lifesaver when working with roses and other potentially thorny plants. Made of cotton, the palms have a tough synthetic leather that has all the safety benefits of the real thing but can be given as a gift to vegans, too.
Mushroom coffee was all over Tiktok earlier this year, and coffee fans will love experimenting with this blender of medium-roast coffee and Reishi mushrooms.
For the eco-conscious, ethical gardener, try this bird house. It's bohemian without being dishevelled. But better than that, it's Fair Trade, made in Bangladesh from seagrasses and recycled saris. It's the perfect size for small warblers.
This cookie cutter set isn't just for Christmas. It has options for every festivity from St. Patrick's day to July 4th to Thanksgiving, so they can make cookies for every occasion.
Most gardeners end up awash with seeds around Christmas time. To give them a genuine challenge and break from the usual, try this mushroom grow kit. Made in the USA, this kit will help them grow food-grade oyster mushrooms, perfect for risottos or topping pizzas.
Farberware are household names are for good reason, and this 10-piece non-stick bakeware set will let the recipient experiment with a huge range of bakes. There's two cookies pans, five different cake pans, a loaf pan, a muffin rack and a cooling rack. It's everything they need for baking.
Gifting FAQs
How much should I spend on gifts?
Unfortunately, there's no set rule with this. It entirely depends on your budget, what you want to buy, and who will be receiving the gift. $50 per gift is a good rough ballpark but it entirely depends on the recipient.
Are appliances good gifts?
They can be, but not always. For example, I'd never buy someone a vacuum cleaner unless they'd specifically asked for it. It might seem like you're suggesting they need to clean up. If, however, they're a keen baker, a stand mixer is a great gift.
Are candles good gifts?
Almost always. A good scented candle is the sort of minor luxury that people often won't buy themselves. They only thing to bear in mind is that different people like different scents. You'd better be really sure that you know their taste before you get them a strong, oud-forward candle they won't actually use.
If you're not sure on any of this, it's worth reading our advice on whether or not pizza ovens make a good gift, for example. You can also take a deeper dive into our expert tests of a wide range of different products. If you're shopping for a coffee lover, it's a good idea to read our research into the best coffee makers, for example.
