For a Secret Santa, start with the Spin Zone party game for a crowd that likes a loud round; the Bodum Chambord French press suits a coffee-drinking coworker.
*Paid link
Games and puzzles
A USAOPOLY card game played around a table, where every turn means choosing between risking another card and stopping safely.
Why we like it
This USAOPOLY game puts a colleague's love of double or nothing into a round everyone can start once the gifts are open.
Someone who dares coworkers on every small bet decides, draw after draw, how far to push their luck.
Electronics
A magnetic phone mount that sits on a car dashboard, keeping a phone in view for following maps and directions while driving.
Why we like it
The Scosche MAGDMB MagicMount fits a coworker who drives to the office each morning with a podcast lined up.
The magnet holds their handset within easy reach, so changing episodes no longer means fishing around the cupholder. Their episode list stays in sight above the vents all the way to the parking lot.
Home
A scented candle in a decorative jar, lit to fill a room with fragrance and add a soft glow to a shelf or table.
Why we like it
Someone who strikes a match the moment they walk in from work would light this Capri Blue candle right away.
That habit closes out their workday, and the fragrance greets them at the door before the coat comes off. The jar ends up as the evening centerpiece on their entryway table.
Dolls and figures
A plush SpongeBob figure in the odd-looking Fuggler style, made to hold, collect alongside other characters, and display on a shelf.
Why we like it
A Fuggler version of SpongeBob SquarePants is a fun Secret Santa pick for a coworker into creepy-cute oddities.
Their team chat runs on cartoon memes, so a strangely drawn sponge matches that sense of humor.
*Paid link
A Mattel bundle pairing Skip-Bo with a companion card game, letting a group choose which deck to shuffle and deal at the table.
Why we like it
Skip-Bo plus its boxed partner are right for a relative who enjoys cards but whose tastes you only half know.
Having both games on hand lets them swap whenever the people around their kitchen table want a change of pace.
A miniature edition of the Exploding Kittens card game, made to tuck into a bag and deal out for quick rounds with a group.
Why we like it
A colleague who loves sabotaging friends at cards can keep that mischief close with this miniature Exploding Kittens deck.
Since they play for chaos rather than the score, a quick deck matches how they fill spare minutes.
A party card game that a group gathers around a table to play together, made for lively, competitive rounds shared among everyone present.
Why we like it
An officemate who turns every coffee order into a dare is a natural owner of the Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza deck.
Their appetite for small wagers gets a contest they can deal out to any colleague who accepts. The deck ends up in their top desk drawer, waiting for whoever dares them back.
A tabletop party game built around a spinning wheel, with players gathering to give it a spin during a game night.
Why we like it
The coworker who turns every office party into a friendly contest has a crowd-pleaser from What Do You Meme?
Anyone walking past can pick up the rules at a glance, so even colleagues who skip card nights take a turn.
A card game take on Monopoly in which players trade property and strike deals, played in rounds around a shared table.
Why we like it
A coworker who bargains over every pizza order gets Monopoly Deal, the property game dealt from a deck.
That bargaining streak fits right in, since the game runs on talking other players into trades. After a holiday dinner, they can deal it out for relatives still lingering at the table.
Ages 7+
A deck-based card game that a group deals out and plays around a table, easy to bring out for a quick round anywhere.
Why we like it
UNO gives a Secret Santa colleague with a crowded weekend calendar a card game to carry between gatherings.
Its maker labels it for ages 7 and up, so a host's kids can sit in too. They can pack it for a cabin trip and deal it out once the hiking boots come off.
An edition of the Monopoly board game, played around a table where everyone takes turns, makes deals and competes to finish ahead.
Why we like it
Monopoly Token Vote Edition is a safe Secret Santa pick for a coworker you barely know.
Nearly everyone knows the rules, so their household can start making deals the same evening. The board then comes out whenever relatives visit over the holidays.
*Paid link
Wireless earbuds that rest outside the ear canal, playing music or podcasts from a phone while nearby sounds stay easy to hear.
Why we like it
For the coworker who jogs a riverside path at lunch, Soundcore V20i earbuds keep a playlist going without sealing off the street.
Since cyclists share that route, they want every warning shout to reach them mid-song. The open design lets a passing bike bell cut through between tracks.
(price and availability terms)
$34.99 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Soundcore V20i everyday open-ear earbuds, white)(price and availability terms)
$34.99 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Soundcore V20i everyday open-ear earbuds, blue)On-ear headphones from Sony's ZX Series for listening to music, shows and podcasts privately from a phone, tablet or laptop.
Why we like it
Between video calls, a coworker who keeps a laptop open on the kitchen table can listen without the whole house hearing.
Working from home means sharing that table with family, so their own pair keeps each meeting to themselves. The headphones hang on the chair until the next invite pops up.
(price and availability terms)
$13.00 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Sony ZX Series everyday on-ear headphones, black)(price and availability terms)
$14.88 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Sony ZX Series everyday on-ear headphones, white)A desktop power strip and charging station that keeps several devices powered from the same spot, so separate wall adapters can stay in the drawer.
Why we like it
Anker's Nano charging station answers the cramped desk of a coworker whose laptop and phone fight over the same wall outlet.
Someone who juggles a laptop, phone and earbuds through every task wants them topped up right where the work happens.
A pair of earbuds that sit in the ear for listening to music, podcasts and videos on the go.
Why we like it
Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds slip in before the warmup for a coworker who heads to the gym straight after leaving the office.
Someone who cues a song for every rep would rather hear their own picks than whatever the gym speakers blast. A playlist built for squats and sprints carries them from warmup to cooldown.
Headphones with noise canceling that hushes surrounding sound, so music and podcasts come through without the hum of a busy room.
Why we like it
Should the name you pulled belong to a coworker who wears earbuds all afternoon, Soundcore Q30 headphones give them a quieter desk.
Someone who keeps a playlist on while sorting spreadsheets wants the printer and keyboard clatter muted, which noise canceling handles. Their favorite album ends up playing to the last track without a coworker's phone call cutting in.
(price and availability terms)
$71.99 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Soundcore Q30 noise-canceling headphones for music, blue)(price and availability terms)
$71.99 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Soundcore Q30 noise-canceling headphones for music, pink)(price and availability terms)
$71.99 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Soundcore Q30 noise-canceling headphones for music, beige)An instant film camera that prints a physical photo soon after each shot, ready to pin up, share or keep in an album.
Why we like it
When your Secret Santa slip names the coworker who snaps every team lunch on their phone, consider a Polaroid Now.
Their phone gallery stays unseen, but this camera hands each colleague a picture they can tape beside their monitor.
*Paid link
A corner shelf unit that tucks into an unused corner, holding books, plants and small keepsakes on display without taking much floor space.
Why we like it
Shelving that stands in an empty nook is a safe gift for a coworker whose cramped apartment you have never seen.
Most renters own paperbacks or a houseplant, so their own taste decides what ends up on display. The top shelf soon holds the mug they carry home from the office party.
A manual French press for brewing coffee: add coarse grounds and hot water, let it steep, then press the plunger down and pour.
Why we like it
Bodum's Chambord suits a coworker who keeps a bag of beans from a local roaster in their desk drawer.
Someone who hunts down small-batch roasts wants every bag tasted at home, with grind and steep time in their hands.
(price and availability terms)
$35.14 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Bodum Chambord manual French press, gold)(price and availability terms)
$40.14 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (Bodum Chambord manual French press, white)A countertop burr grinder that turns whole coffee beans into fresh grounds at home, ready for the morning pot or a favorite brewer.
Why we like it
Before the workday starts, a coworker who talks roast origins by the office kettle can mill their own beans at home.
Someone that curious about growing regions would rather mill each roast fresh than settle for a can of pre-ground.
A kitchen scale for weighing food on the counter, used to measure recipe ingredients, divide up prepped meals and keep track of serving sizes.
Why we like it
Every scoop of flour for a coworker's break-room cookies goes onto this scale, so the batch everyone asks about comes out again.
A baker whom colleagues pester for the recipe wants amounts worth writing down, not a rough guess with cups. It earns a permanent spot beside their mixing bowl.
A manual coffee press for brewing fresh coffee at home, where whoever is making it controls the grind, the steep and the strength.
Why we like it
The AeroPress XL hands your coffee-obsessed coworker a hand-pressed brewer for mornings at home.
Their break-room talk of roasts and ratios gets a home outlet, since they press each mug themselves. On weekend mornings, it can sit by the kettle beside a fresh bag of beans.
*Paid link
A self-help book by Héctor García, published as a single volume to read from start to finish.
Why we like it
Ikigai makes a thoughtful Secret Santa gift for a coworker keen on calm and balance.
They can read a short chapter on the commute. It also fits easily on a desk at work.
A personal finance book by Morgan Housel, published as a single volume to read from start to finish.
Why we like it
The Psychology of Money makes a smart Secret Santa gift for a coworker fond of planning ahead.
They can read it on lunch breaks. Afterward, it makes an easy loan around the office.
A puzzle book by G.T. Karber, published as a single volume to read from start to finish.
Why we like it
Murdle: Volume 1 by G.T. Karber makes a Secret Santa gift for a coworker fond of logic puzzles.
They can solve a case on a coffee break. It also makes a fun office challenge to pass around.
Draw Secret Santa names on your phone and send private links.
Yes. The Flip 7 card game gets going as soon as the wrapping is off, with every turn a choice between drawing another card and stopping safely, which is right for the colleague who dares coworkers on every small bet. The Spin Zone party game pulls in anyone walking past too, because the rules come across at a glance, so even colleagues who skip card nights step up for a spin.
The Exploding Kittens mini deck is made to tuck into a bag and deal out fast with a group, so it goes to the colleague who plays cards for chaos rather than the score and fills idle moments sabotaging friends at the table.
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One alarm in early November, with this list’s newest picks.
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Chosen by our team from store data and what readers pick, not hands-on tests. Nothing is paid to be on this list. Recall notices checked . How we pick
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
