The Thrillist Guide to Last-Minute Gifts
Sure, you're cutting it close, but there's still time to nab the perfect present. Here are 20 excellent last-minute gifts to give the people you cherish most.
There's a small chance you might be freaking out about finding that perfect gift this late in the year. Well, we're here to tell you this: don't do that. Instead, take a deep breath, put on some Vince Guaraldi Trio, and check out our impeccable rundown of 20 excellent last-minute gifts. You'll find comfy apparel, games, great stuff for the home & kitchen, and so much more. Happy holidays!
Price: $79
Are slippers a cliche holiday gift? Maybe. But then again, lounge-worthy at-home footwear has never been more in demand, and these warm and cozy slip-ons from Kyrgies are the kind of slippers anyone would be lucky to live in. They’re made from an all-natural wool felt (which means they’re naturally odor resistant), and this particular pair sports a handsome suede sole, rendering them a near-perfect house shoe. Oh, and did we mention that they’re wildly comfortable?
Price: $148
This isn't your parents' shower robe. The Yukata Robe from California King is most at home shrouding you as you sit poolside on the Amalfi Coast sipping an Aperol Spritz. That said, it works just as well if you're lounging poolside at your grandparents' condo in Florida sipping High Life and listening to Jimmy Buffett. And a big shoutout to the back beer pocket and the zipper-sealed dry pocket.
Price: $72
It's fire pit season...and if there's one thing we love to do around a fire pit, it's sit comfortably in a chair. But if there are two things, it's sitting in said chairs and sipping whiskey. This collab from Bulleit and YETI is an excellent gift for the camper/outdoorsperson in your life. You're getting bourbon, rye, and a YETI Rambler that'll keep your Old Fashioneds chilled and your Hot Toddies toasty.
Price: $200
Whether you’re shopping for an avid home cook or not, a set of quality kitchen knives in a knife block makes a great gift—particularly for a new homeowner. This 8-piece set from Zwilling J.A. Henckels not only looks great on a counter, but comes stocked with premium blades that will last them a long, long time.
Price: $92
Are you shopping for someone who's really into fitness and appreciates the stylish & subtle nuances of athleisure? This hoodie is the perfect answer. It's equipped with a moisture-wicking lining so it won't get nasty during warmups or runs, but also boasts an organic cotton face that's super soft and cozy. It'll look just as good on a couch as it will on the track.
Price: $219.95
If you can find a better camping chair, please email us. The NEMO Stargaze is the La-Z-Boy of portable chairs. Any camper, tailgater, BBQ enthusiast, stargazer, etc. would be over the moon to receive one of these this year.
Price: $225
Despite the fact that traveling is unadvisable at the moment, we’re all chomping at the bit to get back out on the road when it’s finally safe to do so again. This handsome 360-degree hard shell roller carry-on will serve the traveller on your list for years to come. It’s one of our absolute favorite travel bags, and not only equipped with an interior compression that allows you to fill it to the brim, but also a built-in hidden laundry bag, and a pop-out backup battery that makes re-charging your devices on the go a breeze.
Price: $100
Duffel bags are a dime a dozen, so it's important to find one that'll last for years and will never go out of style. Enter '73 Originals and their Super Duffel Bag by Outdoor Products. It's built to withstand whatever is thrown at it, whether that's getting tossed around in the overhead compartment or keeping expensive gear secure on the next big ski trip. This duffel also boasts a removable shoulder strap and a buckled handle, as well as compartments such as a shoe garage, side pockets, and internal accessory pocket.
Price: $122.50
As the demand for fun at-home entertainment options is on track to grow even stronger this winter, a ping pong table makes a great gift this year. This sturdy mid-size model is small enough to fit in even a modest apartment, includes a complete set (two paddles, game net, and four balls), and conveniently folds up in seconds for easy storage.
Price: Kettles start at $149
This is one of the best gifts you can give to any coffee connoisseur. With it, you're able to set a precise temperature, hold that temperature for up to 60-minutes, and then set a "brew stopwatch" as you pour, ostensibly helping you craft the perfect cup of coffee in minutes.
Price: $205
If you don’t fully understand the allure of a gravity blanket, you’ve clearly never tried one. They’re the ultimate cozy companion, keeping you toasty and snug, and are designed to imitate the sensation of being held or hugged (thus triggering a reduction in stress and anxiety). In fact, the results of a 2019 study even suggest that using a gravity blanket helps people fall asleep faster and feel more rested.
Price: $95.00
This is an easily packable and high-quality charcuterie kit from the lauded French brand, Opinel. It's excellent for picnics, small parties, and/or the #vanlife or #boatlife person in #yourlife. You're getting a beech wood paring knife, a beech wood spreading knife, a No.10 corkscrew stainless steel folding knife, and a beech wood cutting board. Treat this set well, and it'll only look better with age.
Price: $379
An ideal quality cookware setup for any casual home cook with limited kitchen and storage space, Proclamations Goods’ Duo set includes its stainless steel Hybrid Pot and Sidekick Skillet (with a matching lid that fits both). They’re perfect for just about every cooking method, designed to be used on the stovetop or in the oven, and can be hinged together to function as an excellent Dutch oven.
Price: $179.00
Here's a very cool wide-angle film camera—the Lomo'Instant Wide—from Lomography. This particular camera features manual exposure settings as well as a fully programmatic shutter. All of this basically gives you the freedom to sit back and play around with long exposures, multiple exposures, and color-flashed exposures. And the price doesn't hurt.
Price: $299
Theragun’s lineup of percussive recovery devices have seen a surge in popularity in the last couple years. And there’s a good reason why. These things provide serious quick relief to sore and achy muscles (whether due to sitting at a desk all day or working out) by delivering rapid intense vibrations deep into muscle tissue. If you’re shopping for someone who dreams of having a personal masseuse on retainer, this is a no brainer.
Price: $59.99
We're not sure you can have too many portable chargers. The sheer size and convenience of them makes them one of the most utilitarian gifts you can give (and conversely receive). Anker makes one of the most top-rated ones in the wildly saturated and cutthroat portable charger game. Throw it in a travel kit, a glove box, a drawer, or your bug-out bag—you've got one of those, right? And then never worry about a dead phone battery again.
Price: $150
For the new pet parent or veteran dog owner on your list, this “Walk and Play” kit from Wild One is a thoughtful gift. It comes stocked with both its standard harness walk kit in the color of your choice (leash, harness, and poop bag holder) and its toy kit, which is a bundle of the cute and durable Triangle Tug, Twist Toss, and Bolt Bite toys.
Price: $100
Introducing someone to CBD can be a bit tricky, but this starter kit from Lord Jones—one of the most trusted and popular CBD brands out there—is as good a primer as you can get. The sophisticated box includes a selection of three LJ CBD essentials: Old Fashioned Hemp-Derived CBD Gumdrops (naturally flavored with fruit essences), High CBD Formula Body Lotion (choice of three different fragrances), and a Hemp-Derived CBD Tincture (in peppermint or lemon).
Price: Boards start at $399
This is simply an incredibly awesome & thoughtful gift. You're getting an inflatable paddle board that fits inside of a duffel bag and pumps up in minutes. The bag also has clips to carry the paddle and pump. And yes, there are a lot of inflatable boards out there that are a little cheaper, but BOTE makes one of the strongest and sturdiest—as the two year warranty can attest.
Price: $140
Thanks to Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, chess sets are flying off the figurative shelves this season. Luckily, there are still some outstanding boards up for grabs, like this gorgeous vintage-style version which features a set of stunning pieces hand-carved from soap stone and marble.
Price: Bikes start at $1,699
We had to throw in some sort of "ultimate present" in this gift guide. This is it. Charge is an e-bike from the makers of Schwinn and Cannondale (two names synonymous with cycling). Charge bikes boast apartment-friendly features like foldable handlebars and pedals, as well as tire pressure sensors, a motor that gets up to 50 miles per charge (you can ride it with pedal assist or just cruise at 20+mph with the thumb throttle), and three unique designs.