Best Gifts for Her Under $25 (2026)
By @pickwiseGifts for her under $25, each a winner or pick in hands-on tests by Wirecutter, Good Housekeeping, Serious Eats and others, with the catch for each one.
Tweezerman Stainless Steel Slant Tweezer
Tweezers sound like a stocking stuffer, but these are the pair beauty testers keep choosing. Wirecutter has recommended them for more than a decade, and every tester in Good Housekeeping's 33-pair test agreed they plucked precisely. Tweezerman sharpens them free for life. Glamour's tester warns that the thin blade calls for a careful hand.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (Berry)
It won an Allure Best of Beauty award, and Wirecutter's editorial director, nearly a year into using it, said: "My lips are in the best shape they've ever been." One small jar lasts for months of nightly use. It's fragranced, and it comes as an open pot with a little spatula, which Page Six's tester found less hygienic than a tube.
Tangle Teezer The Ultimate Detangler
Allure gave it a 2024 Best of Beauty award for detangling, and Good Housekeeping rates it the best hairbrush overall. Long and short flexible teeth work through wet, conditioned hair with little pulling, and the flat handle stays put in a soapy hand. Good Housekeeping notes mixed reports on how much hair it pulls out.
Microplane Premium Classic Zester
For the friend who cooks or bakes. It won Serious Eats' test of 12 rasp graters and America's Test Kitchen's, lifting lemon zest without the bitter white pith and grating Parmesan into fluffy shreds, and it stayed sharp through ATK's testing. Serious Eats found its narrow underside a bit harder to clean than a flat model's.
- Grating surface
- 8" x 1"
- Size
- 12" x 1 5/16" x 1"
- Blade
- Stainless steel, made in USA
- In the box
- Reusable protective cover
- Care
- Dishwasher safe
Mzoo Sleep Mask
Reviewed's best sleep mask overall and a Wirecutter pick. Memory-foam cups 13 millimeters deep curve around the eyes instead of pressing on them, so she can blink, and it blocked all light in testing. One Wirecutter tester said it feels more like goggles than a mask, and stomach sleepers may find it awkward.
- Eye cups
- 13 mm deep, memory foam
- Strap
- Adjustable, 19" to 28"
- Light blocking
- Sealed eye cups, 22 mm nose padding
- Weight
- 4.66 ounces
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (1 oz)
It topped Good Housekeeping's 2026 lab tests for hand cream, raising skin hydration 32 percent over six hours, and every tester said it improved rough, chapped hands. The 1-ounce tube is the handbag size. A few testers found it greasy, and its powdery scent splits opinion.
- Size
- 1 oz
- Shea butter
- 20%, fair trade and organic
- Other sizes
- 2.5 oz and 5.1 oz
- Skin type
- Soothes even sensitive skin
P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss Candle (7.2 oz)
Two big candle tests landed on this one: Wirecutter's, which tried 53 candles, and HGTV's, which burned 74 and named it the best earthy scent. It smells of sage, moss and a little lavender over amber, in soy wax that burns for 40 to 50 hours. If she loves sweet or fruity candles, choose something else.
- Size
- 7.2 oz
- Burn time
- 40 to 50 hours
- Scent
- Moss, lavender, sage, orange, lavandin, amber, musk
- Wax
- 100% soy
- Made in
- Los Angeles, California
Baggu Standard Reusable Bag
The reusable bag that actually gets used, since it folds into its own 5-inch pouch and rides along in a purse until the checkout line. It holds up to 50 pounds, goes in the washing machine, and Wirecutter staffers say theirs have lasted five years or more. BestReviews' tester wished the straps were longer for carrying on a shoulder.
- Size
- 25.5" H x 15.5" W x 6" L
- Capacity
- Up to 50 lbs, 2-3 plastic bags' worth
- Folds into
- Its own flat 5" x 5" pouch
- Material
- Recycled ripstop nylon
- Care
- Machine washable
Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light
For reading in bed without the overhead light on. It clips to the page like a bookmark, weighs about 40 grams, and has more light settings than any other reading light Wirecutter picked after testing 13: three color temperatures and five brightness levels. Its built-in USB-A plug means a newer USB-C-only laptop needs an adapter to charge it.
- Weight
- 40 g
- Battery
- 500 mAh, up to 80 hours
- Light
- 3 color modes, 5 brightness levels
- Charging
- USB-A
- In the box
- Light, bookmark, user manual
Pomegranate Charley Harper Isle Royale 1,000-Piece Puzzle
Charley Harper painted this scene for a 1979 Isle Royale National Park poster, with moose, wolves and birds hidden among birch trunks. Wirecutter's puzzle writer calls it a personal favorite, and Esquire likes that Pomegranate's puzzles leave no dust. Expect a long project, because hundreds of near-identical leaves and a narrow range of colors make it devilish.
- Pieces
- 1,000
- Finished size
- 20 x 29 in.
- Paper
- 250-gsm matte art paper
- Board
- Thick recycled board, ribbon cut
- Artwork
- Charley Harper, 1979
Jaipur Two-Player Card Game
Built for exactly two players, Jaipur suits a partner or a best friend. Players trade spices, cloth and diamonds, grab camels, and sell before prices drop, and a game takes about 30 minutes. Wirecutter played 34 two-player games and calls this the most accessible trading game it tested. Luck plays a part, and it can't stretch to a third player.
- Players
- 2
- Play time
- 30 minutes
- Ages
- 10+
- In the box
- 55 goods cards, 38 goods tokens, 18 bonus tokens
- Designer
- Sébastien Pauchon
Bedsure Flannel Fleece Throw (50 x 60 in.)
Proof that a good gift doesn't need a big price. Good Housekeeping named it the best-value throw: testers raved about how soft it is, and it stayed soft through washing and drying. The throw size is 50 by 60 inches, in 33 colors. It's polyester fleece, and Apartment Therapy's writer noticed a little shedding that eased with time.
- Size
- Throw, 50" x 60"
- Material
- 100% polyester flannel fleece
- Care
- Machine wash, do not bleach
- Weight
- 1.3 pounds
How to choose
Ordered by how many independent tests each won, then by how well it works as a gift under $25. Match it to her: for the reader, the Glocusent light or the Charley Harper puzzle. For the cook, the Microplane. For a light sleeper, the Mzoo mask. For a partner or best friend, Jaipur, which is strictly a two-player game.
Pair two for a bigger gift: the Laneige mask and the L'Occitane cream come to $38, a self-care set. The Bedsure throw and the P.F. candle are about $33 together, and adding the puzzle makes a cozy night in for about $52.
Prices checked October 5, 2026.
More guides like this
Best Gifts for Mom Under $25 (2026)
Gifts for mom under $25. Most won or placed in hands-on tests by Wirecutter, Good Housekeeping and America's Test Kitchen, and the keepsakes are ones you fill in yourself. Match the gift to her. For the gardener: the Pine Tree gloves. For the reader: the Glocusent light. For the baker or cook: the Microplane. For the one who's always chilly: the Barefoot Dreams socks, plus the L'Occitane cream for dry winter hands. For the mom who drives everyone everywhere: the Contigo mug. For the iPhone owner who misplaces her keys: the AirTag. Pair a keepsake with something useful and still spend under $25: Letters to My Mom and the hand cream come to about $24, and the reading light with What I Love About You comes to about $23. If you're unsure what she likes, the candle and the hand cream suit almost anyone, while the gloves, zester and AirTag work best when you know her habits. Ordered by how each did in independent hands-on tests, with wins first, then by how many reviewers recommend it, then by how well it fits most moms. Prices checked October 5, 2026.
Best Gifts for Mom Under $50 (2026)
Gifts for mom under $50. Most won or placed in hands-on tests by Wirecutter, Business Insider and The Wall Street Journal, and the rest come recommended by named reviewers. For the coffee drinker: the Zojirushi mug or the Bodum press. For the mom who's always cold: the Wicked Plush throw or the PureRelief heating pad. For the sentimental one: a Mixbook album of family photos. For errands and the gym: the Boat and Tote and the Owala bottle. For a quiet weekend project: the LEGO bonsai. Hot or cold matters when choosing between the Zojirushi and the Owala. The Zojirushi is built for hot coffee, while Owala warns against hot drinks in the FreeSip, so give that one for water. Two-gift pairs that fit the budget: the Zojirushi with What I Love About You comes to about $40, and the Owala with four Biodance masks to about $49. For the throw, Wirecutter suggests the extra-large if she likes to be fully wrapped up. Ordered by results in independent tests, wins first, then by the number of reviewers who recommend each pick, then by fit for most moms and for a $50 budget. Prices checked October 5, 2026.
Best Gifts for Him Under $25 (2026)
Useful gifts for him under $25, each a top pick in hands-on tests or reviews from Wirecutter, Serious Eats, CNN Underscored and others. Match it to the guy. For the coffee drinker, the Hario V60. For the hiker or dog walker, the Carhartt beanie, Darn Tough socks and ThruNite flashlight. For the whiskey drinker, the Glencairn glasses if he sips it neat, the King Cube tray if he takes it on the rocks. For the commuter, the Repel umbrella. For the reader, the Glocusent light or the Pilot pen. For game night, Codenames. Pairs that work: the beanie and a pair of Darn Toughs come to about $45, the Glencairn glasses plus a King Cube tray about $30, and the Pilot pen with the book light about $38. Sizing: Darn Tough sizes its socks by shoe size, so check his against the brand's chart, and the beanie is one size that stretches. Ordered by how many hands-on tests each won, then by how many independent reviewers recommend it, then by price. Prices checked October 5, 2026.