A Gift for Every Type of Best Friend
To help you find the perfect something for your bestie, we’ve rounded up 55 gifts that are sure to please any type of friend.
For the best friend with cold feet
Teva Women’s Re Ember Moc Moccasin
$75
These quilted slip-ons are comfy enough for hanging out at home but also have a durable rubber sole, so they’re suitable for coffee runs or walking the dog. They’re available in men’s sizes here.
For the best friend with neighborhood pride
Welcome to Chinatown Cha Chan Tang x Made in Chinatown Sweatshirt
$45
All of the proceeds from this sweatshirt go to the Hong Kong–style Chinatown restaurant Cha Chan Tang. Welcome to Chinatown also sells merch for other local businesses, like Wing on Wo & Co., if your friend prefers ceramics to pineapple buns.
Note: This sweatshirt will arrive after Christmas.
For the best friend stoked for winter baking
$63 now 40% off
$38
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.
For the best friend who makes all their clothes
Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow 8-Color Set
$26
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.
For the best friend who grills
Meater Wireless Meat Thermometer
$70
Chef Tom Colicchio says this is the best meat thermometer he has ever used. It’s also cheaper than the much-raved-about Thermapen your friend may have their eye on.
For the best friend who needs to take the edge off
The Good Patch Be Calm Hemp-Infused Patch
$16
Writer Diksha Basu says these patches do just that — without any of the side effects that can come from harder stuff like alcohol or pot. Be Calm, which has hemp in its formula, “makes me ever so slightly loopy while awake, but I sometimes enjoy that,” she writes.
For the best friend with a new apartment
AquaBliss High-Output Universal Shower Filter
$35
Trinity Mouzon Wofford, a co-founder of wellness brand Golde, says this water filter is “essential for living in the city” and something she can’t live without. According to her, it removes a lot of the mineral buildup and chlorine that can otherwise wreak havoc on skin and hair when it comes out of “100-plus-year-old pipes.”
For the best friend who is up on hair trends
Anthropologie Judith Claw Hair Clip Set
$20
Teens have told us that claw clips are now cooler than scrunchies.
For the best friend whose hair is newly natural
$8
When we asked experts about the tools you need to care for natural hair, hairstylist and salon owner Nigella Miller said to start 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.”
For the best friend who could use a new best friend (in the bedroom)
$60
Pandemic or no, the extent of your friendship services probably falls short of the bedroom. If your bestie is the type to indulge in self-love from time to time, the Satisfyer Curvy 2+ is an air-suction sex toy that experts say can provide slower, more sensual orgasms than a vibrator. (If your bestie would prefer a sex toy for men, we’ve got plenty of expert-recommended options for that, too.)
For the best friend who gets everything monogrammed
$30
From our list of the best gifts you can get monogrammed, this cozy L.L.Bean blanket is something they can use year-round (even in summer on those days the AC gets a little too strong). It comes in a handful of colors, and monogram choices include a name, initials, or a single letter.
For the best friend with a dark work space
Circadian Optics Luxy Light-Therapy Lamp
$40
A Memphis-esque light-therapy lamp for their desk at home (or the office).
For the best friend with a sweet tooth
$16
$18 now 11% off
These Italian black cherries will taste great on ice cream, in Manhattans, or straight from the jar.
For the (slightly healthy) best friend with a sweet tooth
Everydaze Essential C’s Konjac Jelly
$25
Photo: retailer
Writer and Fishwife co-founder Caroline Goldfarb told us she can’t get enough of these jelly-filled pouches that each contain just ten calories. “They’ve become a go-to when my sweets cravings hit hardest, which is typically during the post-lunch afternoon slump,” she writes. “The jelly is so refreshing — liquidy to the point that it’s almost slurpable, with a slight chew.”
For the caffeinated best friend
$299
Photo: retailer
“I have used the machine for French press, pour-over, and AeroPress coffee, and every cup tasted smooth, no matter the method,” our own Louis Cheslaw writes of this design-y coffee grinder from Fellow, the maker of our favorite design-y teakettle.
For the coffee-drinking best friend who doesn’t have time to make it
Joe Coffee Instant-Coffee Packets
$20
All they have to do is add hot water and stir for a cup of coffee that tastes delicious even when served black.
For the best friend who prefers matcha
MatchaBar Ceremonial-Grade Matcha
$24
$27 now 11% off
If your friend would like to dabble in making it themselves, we dubbed this matcha a great option for beginners.
For the best friend who wants to be TikTok famous
Sensyne Ring Light With Tripod
$31
$50 now 38% off
This tabletop ring-light-and-tripod combo is ideal for shooting content. It’s easily moved from room to room, has three color modes (Cool White, Warm Yellow, and Daylight), and ten brightness levels. The wireless remote shutter makes filming a breeze.
For the best friend who needs a break from TikTok
‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ 1,000-Piece Puzzle
$18
A 1,000-piece puzzle to help occupy their free time. When complete, it will reveal a print of the famous Hieronymus Bosch painting.
For the slightly less ambitious best friend
$28
If you think they’ll find a 1,000-piece puzzle intimidating, consider this one that has only 500 pieces for quicker gratification. The montage of “frozen moments” faux food is delectable.
For the best friend who needs a good night’s sleep
$80
Give them all the soothing benefits of a weighted blanket with a cooling bamboo cover that won’t leave them waking up sweaty.
For the best friend who dreads cleaning
$17 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 cheery (and sustainable) Swedish dishcloths.
For the eco-minded best friend who loathes paper straws
Pasta Life Gluten-Free-Pasta Straws
$17
Reusable straws are of course an option. But if your best friend is the type who forgets to keep theirs handy, a pack of these biodegradable, single-use pasta straws may be a better solution. Contributor Natalie Toren has seen them used at restaurants including Bar Primi and Popina. She writes that “pasta straws are far superior to paper” because they retain their shape in cold drinks for 30 to 45 minutes — though they “begin to warp into a kind of Memphis–esque bendy straw that feels more like silicone” after that.
For the best friend who’s over Animal Crossing
$25
$26 now 4% off
If they spent early quarantine on the Animal Crossing wave, chances are they’re ready for something new or a little more involved. The Sims 4 is the ideal solution, offering many hours of gameplay and the option to create an endlessly customizable, bespoke world.
For the best friend who needs a scalp massage
$11 for 2
Writer Alison Freer says using this little massage brush is “blissful” and feels “much like getting a scalp massage at the hair salon.” Regular scrubbing also gets rid of dandruff.
For the best friend whose skin-care routine begins and ends with SPF
$16
Strategist writers Rio Viera-Newton and Tembe Denton-Hurst are both fans of this no-cast mineral sunscreen, which is cruelty free, reef safe, and has an SPF of 30.
For the best friend who likes working out
$40 now 35% off
$26
At the bare minimum, they know a good stretch is better than nothing. This expert-recommended foam roller will help your friend work out any knots.
For the best friend who loves working out
TheraBand Loop Resistance Band
$15
These kindercore-colored resistance bands are versatile, don’t snap easily, and come in a range of lengths. They’re a favorite of Pilates instructor Kate Garfield for their versatility: “While most brands’ bands are only designed for one style of workout, TheraBand’s loops can be used for just about everything, from Pilates to mobility work to cardio to barre to lifting to stretching,” she says.
For the best friend who is always cracking Claws
BrüMate Hopsulator Stainless-Steel Insulated Can-Cooler
$20
If your friend won’t part with their favorite hard seltzer in any season, why not help them keep their White Claws cold with this perfectly sized koozie? It’ll also keep their hands warm while sipping in the colder months, and it comes in lots of colors.
For the best friend who is more of a wino
$25
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 Sancerre cold for hours, and the magnetic-locking lid prevents spills during outdoor hangs.
For the best friend who wants to be Instagram famous
ArtsyCanvas Henri Matisse ‘Blue Nude’ Matte Print
$29 now 31% off
$20
Strategist writer Dominique Pariso noticed that this print adorns lots of walls seen in stylish people’s static posts. Perhaps its viral popularity will rub off on your friend.
For the best friend who analyzes every moment of Real Housewives with you
‘The Real Housewives,’ by Lyne Lucien
From $70
They can relive the best of those moments while gazing at this print by New York Magazine photo editor and digital illustrator Lyne Lucien. It first appeared on Vulture and features such iconic moments as Teresa Giudice’s table flip and Kenya Moore’s Gone With the Wind–fabulous twirl.
Note: This print may arrive after Christmas.
For the art-loving best friend who doesn’t have space for art on their wall
‘Early Rubens,’ edited by Sasha Suda and Kirk Nickel
$50 now 44% off
$28
Canadian painter Kent Monkman told us this exhibition catalogue “would make a great gift for Rubens fans and those interested in the Old Masters.”
For the best friend who misses concerts
‘Bruce Springsteen: The Stories Behind the Songs,’ by Brian Hiatt
$35 now 26% off
$26
If they’re wary about returning to a packed venue, classic-rock fans can get a kick out of this coffee-table book. It compiles interviews with members of the E Street Band and the Boss himself to offer a glimpse at the writing-and-recording process of each song in Springsteen’s decades-long career.
For the best friend who writes the most thoughtful birthday cards
Baron Fig Squire Rollerball Pen
$59
We tested 100 pens, and this smooth rollerball came out on top. It doesn’t smudge or bleed through paper, so your best friend’s notes will always look flawless.
For the best friend who is trying to finish their novel
Kate and Laurel Macon Framed Linen Fabric Pinboard
$64
This linen bulletin board was recommended as a good gift for writers by writer Alice Gregory, who says it would work well for everything from organizing plotlines to keeping track of errant pages.
For the best friend who remembers anniversaries better than Leslie Knope
$23 now 13% off
$20
Graphic designers love these brightly patterned postcards, and since there’s no message printed on them, your friend can personalize them for any occasion.
For the best friend you’ve known since kindergarten
$40
$70 now 43% off
Relive late-night gab sessions with a landline phone that looks just like the one you used in middle school.
For the best friend who always has a good book recommendation
Knock Knock Personal Library Kit
$26 now 12% off
$23
They can use this nifty kit to keep track of all the titles in their collection. You can give it to them along with all the books you’ve borrowed from them over the past year.
For the long-distance best friend
$56
$70 now 20% off
This Kardashian-approved LuMee phone case has lights on the front so your best friend will always look good when you’re chatting on FaceTime.
For the best friend who is also the first person you call after a breakup
$18
Return the favor the next time they’re brokenhearted with this calming lavender essential oil, which experts say helps soothe wounded spirits.
For the best friend you share skin-care secrets with
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gel (4 Count)
$33 for 8
If you want to impress with some skin care that goes beyond K-beauty, give a set of these Rio-approved eye patches from Iceland.
For the best friend who hates their job
‘The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles’
$13
If your friend wants to turn an artistic passion into a full-time pursuit, this inspiring creative guide will give them the motivation to turn thought into action. Productivity expert Laura Vanderkam calls it “a kick-in-the-pants short book that always makes me want to shut up, sit down, and write.”
For the best friend whose cat has an Instagram account
PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratcher Lounge
$90
This cardboard cat-scratcher will definitely make an appearance on their feed.
For the best friend whose dog has an Instagram account
Outward Hound Hedgehogz Squeak and Grunt Plush Dog Toy
$10 now 10% off
$9
Our resident dog lover Mia Leimkuhler says, “I don’t know why, but dogs especially seem to love plush hedgehogs.” Get your friend’s pup a few to cuddle up with.
For the best friend who is also a new parent
$40
L.L.Bean’s classic utilitarian tote is a great alternative to a more traditional diaper bag and comes highly recommended by new parents who want something that’s roomy and easy to drag around — but still nice looking.
For the best friend who can’t keep even a succulent alive
Nearly Natural Pothos With Decorative Vase
$60
There’s no shame in going faux, especially when the fake plant is as real-looking as this lush silk pothos.
For the best friend who still refuses to wear real pants
Hanes ComfortBlend EcoSmart Sweatpants
From $13
$15 now 13% off
These Hanes sweatpants come recommended by both stylish men and women when we polled a bunch about the best loungewear. One female fan notes that they have an “incredibly soft fleece lining that remains intact through multiple washes” while a male fan told us they’re “really classic, and you can get a good fit that still accentuates your body even though it’s loungewear.”
Note: These sweatpants may arrive after Christmas.
For the best friend who’s always losing things
$35
Photo: retailer
Writer Sarah Hoover uses this fanny pack as a minimalist diaper bag, but we think it’d also be useful for the friend who needs to keep all their odds and and ends in one place — and always on their person.
For the best friend who always says they’re dehydrated
BuildLife Motivational Water Bottle
From $14
Ever since Fishwife’s Goldfarb told us about this “vaguely threatening” one-gallon jug back in 2019, we’ve heard about more and more people — including actress Julianne Hough and musician Anderson .Paak — who swear by it. This one has a convenient straw that .Paak says makes it easier to sip from.
