The Best Secret Santa Gifts For Under $25: Unique Gifts To Give A Co-Worker For The Holiday Season

By Vivienne Ganmerc

Dec 09, 2016 08:27 AM EST

For office workers, the first two weeks of December means getting ready for the company holiday party and the inevitable Secret Santa gift exchange. While it could be tempting to give the usual candle or weekly planner to one’s co-worker, being a stellar gift-giver means putting a lot more thought into it, and there are many unique things that can be had for a very reasonable price.

Nowadays, many companies are going with the $25 or less limit for the annual holiday gift exchange. In addition to knowing the do’s and don’ts of gift giving in the workplace, making sure that one’s gift will bring happiness to the recipient can make all the difference, and this can be done with a little personalization and knowing a colleague's quirks and favorites.

Here are some of the best Secret Santa gifts for under $25.

• For the coffee fanatic- Got a cubicle mate who loves coffee more than anything else? Esquire lists this device called a Clever Dripper from prima-coffee.com that produces a tasty cup of coffee anytime, anywhere. Just put a filter in, add coffee grounds and water, and let steep for four minutes to yield a 16-ounce cup of great coffee. This item is priced at only $21.

• For the “Hamilton” fan- For the colleague who’s a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical, Good Housekeeping lists the “Hamilton” Mixtape as the perfect item for the company’s Secret Santa gift exchange. The audio CD costs only $11.99 on Amazon. Feeling generous? Then throw in the 2017 “Hamilton” wall calendar, which is priced at $12.77. That’s a total of $24.76, which is still within the limit.

• For the adventurer- For the co-worker or supervisor who loves to channel his inner Bear Grylls on the weekends, the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter is the perfect gift. This device, which costs $17.99, can filter up to 1,000 liters of contaminated water and make it safe to drink. Add the Emergency 2-in-1 Fire Starter and Magnesium Fuel Bar ($3.96 on Amazon) to make the Secret Santa gift even more special.

• For the stationery addict- Nothing beats a pack of colorful pens and some fun notepads for the stationery enthusiast. Get the Smart Color Art 100 Colors Gel Pen Set for $18.99, plus a Rhodia Classic French Paper Pad for $2.50, and the combination is guaranteed to be a hit at the gift exchange party.