The 22 Best Gifts for Co-workers This Holiday

Our co-workers come to feel something like a special blend of friends and family. We spend most of the day interacting with our colleagues in Zoom or the office, and the professional bonds we forge may blossom into a newfound friendship. As this is the season for holiday gift shopping, consider giving your colleagues something they will love and cherish.

Contents

For the Snobby Coffee Lover
For the Nature Lover Stuck In an Office
For the Co-worker Who Still Prefers Hand-Written Notes
For the Raging Sweet Tooth
For the Co-worker Who Likes to Be Prepared
For the Clean Freak
For the Co-worker Always Eating at His or Her Desk
For the Person Who Gets Cold at Work
For the Person Who Is Always REALLY Cold at Work
For the Co-worker Who Loves Pleasant Scents
For the Person Who’s Always Taking Notes
For the Office Snacker
For the Office Buddy Whose Phone Is Always Dead
For the Pandemic Conscious Co-worker
For the Pandemic Paranoid Co-worker
For the Co-worker Who Needs a Bit of Chill
For the Person Who Always Spills Their Coffee
For the Co-worker Always Headed to the Water Cooler
For the Office Tea Lover
For the Language Loving Co-worker
For the Co-worker Who Is Super Stressed
For the Outdoorsman with a Sense of Humor

You know them better than us, so we believe in your ability to choose the best gifts for your co-workers. Whether those gifts are a token of appreciation or for the highly anticipated office Secret Santa, we created an extensive list of our top co-worker gift ideas that are professional yet thoughtful and fun.

Related Guides

For the Snobby Coffee Lover

Chamberlain Single-Serve Steeped Bags

A pack of Chamberlain Single Serve Steeped Bag. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

These single-serve bags of coffee are like instant coffee, except they’re actually delicious, so even the office coffee snob won’t turn up that discerning nose. They combine the teabag and pour-over approach to coffee brewing, allowing for a fresh cup of joe any time with nothing more than hot water.

For the Nature Lover Stuck In an Office

Bloomscape Silver Pothos Plant

Silver Pothos plants are gorgeous, as is the planter the thing will come in, and they can thrive even in limited lighting conditions. Also, they’re pretty hearty and tend to survive even with less than professional-level horticultural care.

For the Co-worker Who Still Prefers Hand-Written Notes

Paper Culture Color Block Stationary

This handsome and sturdy stationary will be a pleasure for anyone who still loves the scratch of pen or pencil on paper. Also, the company plants a tree for every product sold, so there’s a feel-good eco-friendly angle you’re also giving as a part of the gift.

For the Raging Sweet Tooth

Sugarfina 3-Piece Candy Bento Box

A blue Sugarfina Candy Bento Box. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

What’s better than three different kinds of candy in one gift? How about three thoughtful curated candies selected just for the recipient? You can craft a Sugarfina Bento Box into the perfect gift for the candy fan in your workplace.

For the Co-worker Who Likes to Be Prepared

Welly Human Repair Kit

Of course, you hope your co-worker buddy will never need a bandage or first aid ointment, but they’ll think of you with appreciation if ever they do thanks to this little first aid kit, which is tucked into a tin so charming it may belong on the desk rather than in it.

For the Clean Freak

Brigii Mini Vacuum Cleaner

Small though this vacuum may be, it’s more than capable of keeping a desk or keyboard clean of dust, crumbs, errant staples, and more. Your clean and tidy co-worker will love it, especially if they share a space with people who aren’t so neat.

For the Co-worker Always Eating at His or Her Desk

FinalSpork Collapsible Metal Spork

Unfolded, this handsome stainless steel spork does just fine as a spoon or fork, which is all you can really ask of a spork. But it’s when the thing is packed down that it really impresses: The FinalSpork tucks away into a case that’s smaller than a golf ball.

For the Person Who Gets Cold at Work

Everlane Oversized Alpaca Crew

We all have that one co-worker who is always asking if anyone else is cold. Give them a comfy and handsome sweater they can keep at work and toss on when chilled instead of asking HR to crank up the heat.

For the Person Who Is Always REALLY Cold at Work

Lasko MyHeat Mini Space Heater

Sweater not enough? Then this super-compact desktop heater will serve to keep that cold colleague from getting chilled to the bone. It’s about the same size as a thick paperback novel and can heat up an area about the size of a cubicle or smaller office with ease.

For the Co-worker Who Loves Pleasant Scents

P.F Candle Co Teakwood and Tobacco Diffuser

This diffuser looks great there on the desk or reception counter and will fill a space with pleasant scents that aren’t cloying or overpowering but can cut down the potency of the odor wafting in from the break room microwave.

For the Person Who’s Always Taking Notes

Moleskine Studio Collection Notebook

An even more attractive take on the classic Moleskine notebook, the Studio Collection Notebooks will thrill anyone who still prefers to jot down notes and appointments on paper instead of on their phones.

For the Office Snacker

Harry and David Tower of Treats Signature Gift

Pretty much no one is going to be unhappy with a gift this delicious. From fresh, hand-selected fruits to sweets to nuts and crackers and other snacks, this is one gift you might want to send to your co-worker’s home instead of his office, or much of it will be scavenged away.

For the Office Buddy Whose Phone Is Always Dead

Real Graphene G-Lite Power Bank

Every office has one: The guy whose phone is always dead. With this super-fast charger, a standard smartphone can be juiced up past 50% in a matter of minutes and gets a full charge in less than 20 minutes.

For the Pandemic Conscious Co-worker

Hello Bello Hand Sanitizer

Your co-worker should never feel unsafe or unclean at work, but we don’t want him or her to feel dried out and scaly, either, right? This high-quality hand sanitizer kills germs, not the feeling of healthy hands.

For the Pandemic Paranoid Co-worker

PhoneSoap HomeSoap UV Sanitizer

Got a co-worker who is pretty much terrified of getting sick? Give a bit more peace of mind with this capacious UV sterilizing device that will kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on phones, memos, mugs, and more.

For the Co-worker Who Needs a Bit of Chill

Cornbread CBD Capsules

CBD can help a co-worker chill without losing their edge, as it activates the bod’s endocannabinoid system and it’s completely non-psychoactive. These capsules make it easy for your work buddy to get a quick dose of calm.

For the Person Who Always Spills Their Coffee

Ably St. Tropez Button Up Shirt

Ably garments are made with filium technology that allows this 98% cotton shirt to shed liquid (and semi-solids — hear that, mustard?) like a raincoat sheds rain. Your co-worker can literally spill all over himself without making a mess. Well, aside from his pants and the floor and desk and such.

For the Co-worker Always Headed to the Water Cooler

FluidStance Fillup

This desktop water station keeps water cold for hours and can store enough water to hydrate an average adult all day long, so your work buddy will be hydrated, healthy, and won’t need to go near the cluster of folks in the break room.

For the Office Tea Lover

Vobaga Mug Warmer

Cold tea is a bummer (unless it’s iced tea) but with this capable little mug warmer, that won’t happen for at least four hours, that being the device’s run time. And of course, it works fine for coffee, too.

For the Language Loving Co-worker

Merriam-Websters Page-a-Day

The classic paper page-a-day calendar will always be welcome on a worker’s desk even in the digital age. This one will help build up the vocabulary of that word-loving … work … person.

For the Co-worker Who Is Super Stressed

Headspace Meditation Gift

An illustration in Headspace. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gift your stressed-out work buddy a month of meditation and you might just bring a bit more chill to the whole office as their whole vibe changes for the calm and collected.

For the Outdoorsman with a Sense of Humor

Tiny Tent

Got a work buddy who wishes he was a camping buddy instead? These replica mini tents will provide a laugh when opened and any time a new client happens by.