What to get my best friend for her birthday

Under $25

For the best friend who likes to show a bit of leg

Mondor Footed Figure Skating Tights 3310

$14

$14

These figure-skating tights are a favorite secret of Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths — who doesn’t actually figure-skate but says that while they’re “silky when rubbed between your fingers,” a “rogue nail” won’t snag on them.

$14 at Amazon

Buy

$18 at Walmart

Buy

For the best friend with a desk drawer full of candy

Everydaze Essential C’s Konjac Jelly

$25

Fishwife co-founder Caroline Goldfarb reaches for these jelly-filled pouches whenever her “sweets cravings hit hardest,” usually after the post-lunch afternoon slump. She says the jelly is so liquidy its texture is between slurpable and slightly chewy.

$25 at Amazon

Buy

$25 at Walmart

Buy

For the best friend who finally learned how to flip an egg

Lodge 10.25-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet

$34 now 41% off

$20

This skillet has Strategist kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman’s ringing endorsement: “If you only had to cook with this single one for the rest of your life, you’d be pretty okay.”

$20 at Amazon

Buy

$20 at Walmart

Buy

For the best friend who can’t sit still

Nite Ize Gear Ties - Assorted, 12 pack

$17

$25 now 32% off

$17

Although these handy, multipurpose ties are technically for tidying up cables and other gear, Strategist junior writer Kitty Guo discovered they’re an excellent fidget toy thanks to their just-right resistance and the feel of their textured rubber coating.

$17 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who loves the spotlight

Kryolan Tear Stick

$11

$11

“It’s great for parties when no one’s paying attention to you,” says performer Annie Hamilton of this tear-generating stick.

$11 at Camera Ready Cosmetics

Buy

$19 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who remembers anniversaries better than Leslie Knope

Marimekko Postcards

$23 now 9% off

$21

We here at the Strategist can’t resist Marimekko’s pretty prints. It turns out we’re not the only ones: Designer Tala Safié introduced us to these patterned postcards that don’t contain any pre-written messages, making them practical for any occasion.

$21 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend with an elaborate vitamin regimen

FYY Daily Pill Organizer

$8

$8

Food editor Alyse Whitney calls this pill organizer her “Mary Poppins Medicine Cabinet” for how much it can hold. “This makes me sound like a dealer, but I’m just making sure no one, including myself, is ever in any discomfort. I’ve saved friends from bathroom emergencies, allergy attacks, and period cramps using my magical little pink box,” Whitney writes.

$8 at Amazon

Buy

$8 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who always orders extra foam

Aerolatte Original Steam Free Milk Frother

$22

$30 now 27% off

$22

Ken Nye, owner of Ninth Street Espresso, initially scoffed at the idea of using this battery-operated milk frother, but he came around: “I must admit, the results are pretty good after a little lighthearted practice.”

$22 at Amazon

Buy

$22 at Bed Bath & Beyond

Buy

For the best friend who sprouts avocado pits on their windowsill

OXO Good Grips Compost Bin

$23

$23

If food scraps in their trash can are now verboten, get them the best compost bin out there. This one is not only easy to clean, it’s rather elegant. Tonne Goodman, sustainability editor at Vogue, carries hers to New York’s Union Square compost center.

$23 at Amazon

Buy

$25 at The Container Store

Buy

‘Rumi Oracle: An Invitation Into the Heart of the Divine’

$26 now 15% off

$22

If your pal is looking for a little spiritual guidance, they’ll likely find inspiration in this oracle deck featuring illustrations by Iranian painter Rassouli and poetry from Rumi. Writer Gabriel Mac relies on the deck’s wisdom in “moments of confusion, existential terror, or light boredom.”

$22 at Amazon

Buy

$26 at Bookshop

Buy

Ouidad Wide-Tooth Comb

$8

$8

When we asked experts about the tools you need to care for natural hair, hairstylist and salon owner Nigella Miller advised starting with a wide-tooth comb like this one. As we wrote, the design “makes it easy to glide through hair when it’s wet and detangle without ripping or tearing.”

$8 at Amazon

Buy

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Original Acne Patches

$13 for 36

$13 for 36

They’ll be able to physically see the benefit of these popular pimple patches, which turn white as they draw excess oil from clogged pores.

$13 for 36 at Amazon

Buy

$9 for 24 at Target

Buy

Cherry Toilet Bowl Cleaner

$20

$20

Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria, owners of the design shop Coming Soon, recommended a brush just like this cheery cherry-shaped one in our guide to housewarming gifts. “If you’re invited to someone’s housewarming, that probably means you’ll be back and using their bathroom at some point,” Barquet says. “And you’ll want it to be clean.”

$20 at Amazon

Buy

Toschi Amarena Cherries

$20

$20

These sweet but not saccharine Italian black cherries can top anything, especially as the “sour stone fruits are less cloying and more complex than American maraschinos,” according to Strategist contributor Ashley Mason.

$20 at Amazon

Buy

$20 at Amazon

Buy

BuildLife Motivational Water Bottle

$23

$23

This one-gallon jug counts Goldfarb, actress Julianne Hough, and musician Anderson .Paak as fans. It’s “vaguely threatening,” Goldfarb explains in an ode to the bottle, but the “one-gallon behemoth cuts through the BS, forcing me to honestly come face-to-face with my water intake.”

$23 at Amazon

Buy

$23 at Amazon

Buy

Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen

$25 now 12% off

$22

“It’s like the Volkswagen of pens with a Jaguar engine,” says author André Aciman of this Kaweco fountain pen. When we tested it out for our guide to the 100 best pens, we found that the Classic Sport “feels really solid and substantial: Unscrewing the cap and sliding it on and off produces Hollywood-caliber sound effects.”

$22 at Amazon

Buy

$25 at Goulet Pens

Buy

Outward Hound Hedgehogz Squeak and Grunt Plush Dog Toy

$8

$10 now 20% off

$8

Strategist audience-engagement manager Mia Leimkuhler’s chewing-prone dog, Reggie, can’t get enough of this plush hedgehog, which Leimkuhler affectionately calls “Reggie’s hedgie.” Get one for your friend’s pup to cuddle up with.

$8 at Amazon

Buy

Chiwava 36-Pack 1.8-Inch Small Interactive Cat Toys Mice With Catnip Rattle

$12

$12

Animal advocate Hannah Shaw, a.k.a. the Kitten Lady, turned us on to these rattling mouse toys, which “make enticing sounds that spark cats’ curiosity — and kick their hunting instincts into high gear.”

$12 at Amazon

Buy

$12 at Walmart

Buy

Butouch Digital Painting Brush

$25

Let their phone or tablet become a canvas with this digital paint brush. Strategist contributor Grace Banks praises how the Butoch lets her pretend she’s David Hockney gliding the brush across the iPad screen. “It’s given me a rush of back-to-school nostalgia. Using the brush feels meditative,” she writes.

$25 at Amazon

Buy

BrüMate Hopsulator Stainless-Steel Insulated Can-Cooler

$18

$25 now 28% off

$18

After becoming a hard-seltzer drinker, Strategist writer Dominique Pariso came to the realization that most koozies don’t fit the slim cans of White Claw and other brands. This one has the right “degree of insulating power” to keep the cans perfectly cold.

$18 at Amazon

Buy

$20 at BrüMate

Buy

Yeti Rambler Wine Tumbler

$18

$25 now 28% off

$18

Nicola Nice, founder and CEO of Pomp & Whimsy gin, calls this stemless wine vessel “the Swiss Army knife of glassware” (even if it’s not technically glass). Made from stainless steel, it’ll keep their sauvignon blanc chilled for hours, and the magnetic-locking lid prevents spills.

$18 at Amazon

Buy

$25 at YETI

Buy

Joe Coffee Instant-Coffee Packets

$20

$20

For an early-morning caffeine fix, former Strategist writer Chloe Anello recommends these packets for those in a hurry who like their coffee black. “Even though it’s clearly not fresh — it is freeze-dried coffee powder — somehow this tastes like it was just roasted,” she says.

$20 at Amazon

Buy

$20 at Amazon

Buy

DII Swedish Dishcloths

$15 for 3

$18 now 17% off

$15 for 3

You can’t save them from having to wipe down their countertops, but you can make the task a little bit more pleasant with these lemony (and sustainable) Swedish dishcloths.

$15 for 3 at Amazon

Buy

Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow 8-Color Set

$35 now 31% off

$24

Strategist senior writer (and artist) Liza Corsillo has used these fabric paints to give new life to everything from old T-shirts to pillowcases to pants. The water-soluble paints, she writes, “deliver intense, rich colors and don’t feel stiff or plasticky on the fabric when they dry.” And it’s the type of gift that can keep on giving: As thanks, your bestie just may whip up a custom tee for your next birthday.

$24 at Amazon

Buy

$25 at Dick Blick

Buy

TheraBand Loop Resistance Band

$15

These kindercore-colored bands will add a hint of resistance to just about any exercise routine. They’re a favorite of Pilates instructor Kate Garfield for their versatility; you can use them for everything from cardio to barre.

$15 at Amazon

Buy

$15 at Amazon

Buy

Under $50

For the best friend who gets all puffy when they cry

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

$33 for 8

Instead of an expected pack of sheet masks, surprise them with these eye patches from Iceland that Strategist beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton praises for their “cooling effect — meaning that they feel chilled without even having to put them in the fridge.”

$33 for 8 at Amazon

Buy

$33 for 8 at Dermstore

Buy

For the best friend with cold feet

Eberjey Plush Ankle Slipper Sock

$44

$44

Every year, New York senior editor Jessica Silvester picks the same gift to give to the women in her family — these Eberjey slipper socks started the tradition and were a big hit with a trio of aunts.

$44 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who HIIT too hard

TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller

$37

So they can work out any knots, get them this foam roller that’s a tried-and-true of marathon runners and American Ballet Theater dancers for its ridges, which mimic a massage.

$37 at Amazon

Buy

$37 at REI

Buy

For the best friend who just bought low-rise jeans

KastKing Iditarod Polarized Sport Sunglasses

$26

“The cringe, dirtbag aughts are back,” declares Magasin founder Laura Reilly, noting, “Gas may not be cheap right now, but actually good gas-station sunglasses sure are.” Just make sure to draw the line at letting your friend thrift Ed Hardy.

$26 at Amazon

Buy

$26 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who plans their day to the minute

Hobonichi Techo Planner

$38

$38

The Hobonichi Techo is a longtime Strategist favorite with associate editor Louis Cheslaw complimenting its “hard-wearing cover, thin (but quality) pages for a slim profile, lie-flat opening, and compact size.” Pariso adds that it’s so durable it looks just as good on December 31 as it did in January.

$38 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who loves to accessorize

Aparatoo Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaning Machine

$43

$46 now 7% off

$43

For their precious jewels, this ultrasonic cleaner gives professional-looking results.

$43 at Amazon

Buy

$43 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who dry-shampoos daily

OUAI Detox Shampoo

$30

Let their tresses get the detox they so desperately need with this shampoo. When Viera-Newton used it for the first time, it left her hair cleaner than ever before. But the “most game-changing aspect” of the shampoo is how long the results lasted: “Not only did it look matte when I came home in the evening, but the following morning I woke up and there wasn’t a damp, greasy patch in sight,” she says.

$30 at Amazon

Buy

$30 at Sephora

Buy

For the best friend whose hair is in a permanent ponytail

Slip Silk Ribbon & Scrunchie Set

$44

$44

“If you want to get more fancy with your hair ties, the Slip silk skinny scrunchies are the way to go,” says New York City–based session hairstylist Cassandra Normil. They are gentle on both damaged and processed hair.

$44 at Amazon

Buy

$44 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend who appreciates the power of a good shower

AquaBliss High-Output Universal Shower Filter

$36

Trinity Mouzon Wofford, a co-founder of the wellness brand Golde, calls this water filter an “essential for living in the city” since it removes the buildup coming through her 100-plus-year-old pipes.

$36 at Amazon

Buy

$36 at Walmart

Buy

For the best friend who’s tired of LaCroix

Sanzo Sampler 12 Pack

$35

AAPI-owned Sanzo offers flavors like lychee, calamansi, mango, and yuzu to delight any palate that’s pamplemoussed-out.

$35 at Amazon

Buy

$35 at Sanzo

Buy

For the best friend who needs an assist to pop a bottle

Houdini Electric Corkscrew

$40

$40

Musician T-Pain was on a “heavy wine kick” when he discovered this corkscrew. “You get your wine open in about ten seconds, and you don’t have all the pieces of cork in the wine bottle like when I do it,” he explains.

$40 at Amazon

Buy

$25 at Target

Buy

Nordic Ware Jubilee Bundt Pan

$72 now 42% off

$42

Help them level up from box-mix cookies to a truly impressive dessert with this Bundt pan that Great American Baking Show winner and cookbook author Vallery Lomas uses to make her perfect pound cake.

$42 at Amazon

Buy

$42 at Target

Buy

iSoHo Trimline Phone

$40

$70 now 43% off

$40

Let them live out the fantasy with this retro-inspired phone that’ll come in handy for late-night gossip sessions.

$40 at Amazon

Buy

$40 at Amazon

Buy

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 (1.7 oz.)

$39

Get them the very best of the best: The EltaMD UV Clear is beloved by dermatologists, who say this sunscreen is lightweight and fights breakouts.

$39 at Amazon

Buy

$39 at Dermstore

Buy

Nearly Natural Pothos With Decorative Vase

$92 now 48% off

$48

There’s no shame in going faux, especially when the fake plant is as real-looking as this lush silk pothos.

$48 at Amazon

Buy

Geyes Foldable Wireless Keyboard

$34

$34

This portable keyboard turns Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie’s phone into a tiny typewriter. Although it’s certainly not as heavy as one: “It folds up into a slim nondescript rectangle that can easily slide into a tote bag or between packing cubes,” she writes.

$34 at Amazon

Buy

$34 at Amazon

Buy

Sensyne Ring Light With Tripod

$30

$50 now 40% off

$30

This tabletop ring-light-and-tripod combo — which has the approval of the voice of Lisa Simpson (actress Yeardley Smith) — is ideal for shooting video. It’s easily moved from room to room and has three color modes (cool white, warm yellow, and daylight) and ten brightness levels.

$30 at Amazon

Buy

$30 at Amazon

Buy

Fancii Mila Rechargeable Compact Mirror

$47

$47

Makeup artist Roxanne Latulippe totes this lighted mirror almost everywhere, carrying it inside her purse. “If you really take care of it, it’s going to last you a really long time,” Latulippe says, noting it “still works amazing” after a couple of years.

$47 at Amazon

Buy

$47 at Macy's

Buy

Under $100

For the best friend who’s fed up with Instagram

Polaroid Go Instant Camera

$90

$100 now 10% off

$90

Maybe they share former Strategist writer Jordan Bowman’s philosophy of instant film: “There really is something transcendent about experiencing a special moment, then holding an image of it in your hands a few seconds later.” The Polaroid Go has made that experience effortless, he says, shooting more focused and brighter pictures than Fujifilm’s instant cameras.

$90 at Amazon

Buy

$90 at Target

Buy

For the best friend who never misses an Architectural Digest house tour

Japanese Interiors

$68

$80 now 15% off

$68

It’s one of our favorite coffee-table books of 2022. Vogue Japan editor Mihoko Iida showcases all sorts of abodes — “from smartly arranged urban spaces to airy, expansive nature retreats” — that embody “the aspirational vision of some of Japan’s top architects, including Arata Endo, Kengo Kuma, and nendo.”

$68 at Amazon

Buy

$75 at Bookshop

Buy

Conair Turbo Extreme Steam Hand Held Fabric Steamer, Plum

$63

$63

This stubborn-wrinkle–fighting machine counts Uma Thurman’s stylist as a fan. And Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla says unsteamable items surrender once the steamer is in its eponymous “turbo” mode.

$63 at Amazon

Buy

$63 at Amazon

Buy

Backbone One

$100

Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon calls this mobile controller his favorite portable gaming console. “If I have some time while I’m waiting for my doctor’s appointment or have a long commute ahead of me, I can pull out the Backbone, snap my phone into it, and get lost in one of my favorite games,” he explains.

$100 at Amazon

Buy

$100 at Best Buy

Buy

mophie Powerstation XXL PD 20,000 mAh Portable Charger

$60 now 7% off

$56

Fire Island’s Tomás Matos makes sure to bring this portable charger everywhere, as “not being able to call an Uber is the worst feeling in the world.”

$56 at Amazon

Buy

$60 at Best Buy

Buy

Dame Fin

$85

According to our luxury-vibrator testers, the fingerlike Fin feels like silk with a low-powered motor that’s not overwhelming.

$85 at Amazon

Buy

$85 at Dame

Buy

YnM Cooling Weighted Blanket

$100 now 28% off

$72

Strategist associate editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell calls this weighted blanket a dupe for the famous Gravity Blanket. “I now define my life as pre–YnM blanket and post–YnM blanket,” she says. Plus, the cooling bamboo cover means they won’t wake up sweaty.

$72 at Amazon

Buy

$72 at Amazon

Buy

Ottolock Combination Bike Lock

$55

$60 now 8% off

$55

In our bikepacking gear guide, Bikepack Racing Podcast co-host Ezra Ward-Packard offered this wisdom: “Even worse than getting your bike stolen is getting it stolen with all your gear on it.” A lock is non-negotiable — and this one is perfectly lightweight.

$55 at Amazon

Buy

$55 at Amazon

Buy

Lake & Skye 11 11 Eau de Parfum

$98

$98

If “laundry detergent” is their signature scent, they might like this Lake & Skye perfume. It converted restaurateur Missy Robbins, who — up until she found the fresh fragrance — used only “neutral-smelling moisturizers and soaps.”

$98 at Amazon

Buy

Under $200

For the best friend whose office setup is hurting their back

Topo Comfort Mat

$119

Chiropractor Randi Jaffe likes that this standing-desk mat allows for “subconscious movement,” so you won’t stay in the same spot for hours on end.

$119 at Amazon

Buy

$119 at Fully

Buy

For the best friend who (literally) lives in the dark

Carex Health Brands Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light-Therapy Lamp

$120 now 7% off

$112

When we went in search of the best SAD lamp — with the right light intensity, UV protection, surface area, and an adjustable angle — this one came out on top.

$112 at Amazon

Buy

$140 at Kohl's

Buy

For the best friend who’s perfectly seasoned

Männkitchen Pepper Cannon

$200

$200

It’s a splurge, for sure, but this pepper cannon has become a hit with a certain chef set, including former Bon Appétit editors Carla Lalli Music and Molly Baz, along with Diaspora Co. founder Sana Javeri Kadri.

$200 at Amazon

Buy

$200 at Männkitchen

Buy

For the best friend who practically lives in the great outdoors

Coleman Vintage 54-Quart Steel Belted Cooler

$200 now 13% off

$175

Make sure they have everything they need for their wilderness adventures. Mouzon Wofford also added this very cooler to her wedding registry. Wofford has taken it on picnics, used it for get-togethers on her back deck, and even for storing groceries in the car.

$175 at Amazon

Buy

$200 at Backcountry

Buy

For the best friend who believes everything tastes better fried

Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Clear Cook Air Fryer

$133

$160 now 17% off

$133

You can count on this air fryer: Jenny Tschiesche, founder of Lunchbox Doctor, has owned several, but this one has stood the test of time for over two years now. “With some of the others, after a few months, the lining starts to come away or you see scratches. But this one has lasted without damage,” she says.

$133 at Amazon

Buy

$130 at Target

Buy

For the best friend who just bought a house

Wicked Good Lobster Rope Doormat

$110

Welcome them to their new home with this mat that Kelsey Keith, Curbed’s first editor-in-chief, put on her wedding registry. She says the colorful stripes awoke the “latent prep” in her.

$110 at Amazon

Buy

$110 at Amazon

Buy

For the best friend whose book towers are about to topple

Nathan James Theo 6-Shelf Tall Bookcase

$170

$170

Adeline Hocine of @adelinereads uses this bookcase for her constantly growing collection.

$170 at Amazon

Buy

Over $200

For the best friend who’s practically a barista

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder

$299 now 15% off

$255

“I have used the machine for French press, pour-over, and AeroPress coffee, and every cup tasted smooth, no matter the method,” Cheslaw writes of this design-y coffee grinder from Fellow.

$255 at Amazon

Buy

$255 at Nordstrom

Buy

For the best friend who’s more the tea type

Zojirushi America Corporation 586361-CV-DCC40XT VE Hybrid Water Boiler And Warmer

$260 now 19% off

$211

This Zojirushi device isn’t really a kettle — rather, it’s a water dispenser that lets you steep hot tea on demand, according to certified tea sommelier Jee Choe.

$211 at Amazon

Buy

$232 at Williams Sonoma

Buy

For the best friend who makes the best (green) brownies

Lēvo II

$299

$299

When we went on the hunt for the best cannabis infusers, the Levo II was the most recommended. This appliance makes infusing at home “very simple and takes the mess out of it all,” according to cannabis chef Coreen Carroll.

$299 at Amazon

Buy

$299 at LEVO

Buy

For the best friend with a subscription to Wine Enthusiast

Ivation 12 Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler Refrigerator

$270

$270

“It’s quiet, compact, and super-easy to set up,” says Katie O’Byrne, director of recruiting at Kitchen Culture, of this wine cooler.

$270 at Amazon

Buy

$270 at Walmart

Buy

For the best friend who has a touch of misophonia

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones

$348

Let them cancel out the world — or at least the sound of their roommate chewing — with these Sony headphones, which Bowman describes as “something you could wear for hours without realizing they were even on your head.”

$348 at Amazon

Buy

$350 at Best Buy

Buy