Christmas 2026 · Secret Santa · Under $25

Secret Santa gifts under $25

17 Secret Santa picks under $25, every one in stock when we read the listing on Nov 3. We drew them from the gifts in our catalog tagged for coworkers, bosses, friends, neighbors and teachers, the people you buy for without knowing them well, and the pick that fits the most of those people leads: OXO Good Grips Large Y Prep Peeler at $13.99. The list runs from $9.49 to $24.97, and the Buy button on each pick opens the exact listing we checked.

Christmas is 52 days away. Prices and stock below were read on Nov 3.

The 17 picks, the ones that fit the most people first

Every one was under $25 and in stock when we read the listing on Nov 3. The Buy button opens that exact listing.

  1. 01

    OXO Good Grips Large Y Prep Peeler

    A wide blade for the big stuff: squash, cabbage, a whole bag of potatoes. Stocking stuffer money.

    $13.99 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  2. 02

    Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar, Large Jar

    The big Yankee jar that smells like the tree lot. 150 hours of burn for twenty dollars, the neighbor gift that always lands.

    $19.97 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  3. 03

    TRUFF Black Truffle Hot Sauce

    The hot sauce in the geometric bottle with truffle in it. The stocking stuffer for the person who puts hot sauce on everything.

    $9.49 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock. Was $9.99 at our previous read, down 5 percent.

  4. 04

    Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea, 30-Sachet Tin

    Black tea with three cinnamons, orange and clove. Tastes sweet with no sugar in it.

    $10.46 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  5. 05

    Dash Mini Waffle Maker

    A four inch waffle maker for eleven dollars. Dorm rooms, chaffles, hash browns, and the most fun stocking stuffer here.

    $10.99 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  6. 06

    Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens, 24-Count

    Twenty-four Flair pens in every color. The teacher gift that gets used on the first stack of grading.

    $19.31 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock. Was $23.21 at our previous read, down 17 percent.

  7. 07

    Codenames

    Two teams, one-word clues, twenty-five words on the table. The party game that works with grandparents and gamers at once.

    $24.97 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  8. 08

    Vahdam Assorted Tea Sampler, 15 Teas

    Fifteen different teas in individually wrapped pyramid bags, shipped direct from India. Black, green, chai, and herbal in one box.

    $9.99 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock. Was $11 at our previous read, down 9 percent.

  9. 09

    Zebra Mildliner Dual-Tip Highlighters, 15-Pack

    Fifteen dual tip pastel highlighters that do not bleed through the page. The grading and planner pen teachers hoard.

    $10.97 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock. Was $11.97 at our previous read, down 8 percent.

  10. 10

    Sushi Go!

    Pick a card, pass the rest, build the best sushi plate. Fifteen minutes, twelve dollars, in a tin that fits a pocket.

    $11.99 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  11. 11

    Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp

    The chili crisp that goes on eggs, noodles, pizza and ice cream. Crunchy, numbing, and gone in a month.

    $13.49 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  12. 12

    L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, 1 oz

    20 percent organic shea butter in a purse size tube. Absorbs fast enough to keep grading without smudging papers.

    $14 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock. Was $15 at our previous read, down 7 percent.

  13. 13

    Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Clothbound Classics

    Austen in the cloth edition with the peacock feather cover. The copy people keep and the copy they display.

    $15.49 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  14. 14

    Microplane Premium Classic Zester

    The zester every cook owns and every new cook is missing. Parmesan, lemon, garlic, nutmeg, done.

    $17.95 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  15. 15

    Exploding Kittens

    The card game for kids and adults where you try not to draw the exploding kitten. Fifteen minutes, endless rematches.

    $19.82 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  16. 16

    Carhartt Knit Cuffed Beanie

    The brown beanie with the patch. Twenty dollars, one size, and the most worn thing anyone gets for Christmas.

    $19.99 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

  17. 17

    Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

    The little pink jar on every teenager's nightstand. Lip balm you sleep in, in the berry scent everyone asks for.

    $24 on Amazon, checked Nov 3. In stock.

Ordering for Christmas 2026

Days left
52
Standard shipping, order by
December 18
Prime two-day, order by
December 22
Marketplace sellers, order by
December 15

Amazon had not posted its 2026 holiday delivery cutoffs when this page was built. In 2025 the last day for Prime standard shipping was December 22 and for one-day shipping December 24. The dates above are our planning dates with a few days of margin. Anything sold by a marketplace seller ships on that seller's schedule, so order those first.

Same draw, different cap

Drew someone who plays games?

Questions people ask before they buy

What is a good Secret Santa gift under $25?

OXO Good Grips Large Y Prep Peeler at $13.99: A wide blade for the big stuff: squash, cabbage, a whole bag of potatoes. Stocking stuffer money. It leads because our catalog tags it for 3 of the five kinds of people a draw can land on, so it works whether you drew the person at the next desk or someone you have never spoken to. The other 16 follow by the same measure, and every one was under $25 and in stock on Nov 3.

How much should I spend on a Secret Santa gift?

Spend close to the cap and never over it. A gift that costs more than the limit puts the person who kept to the rule in an awkward spot, and one that costs much less reads as an afterthought. Most office exchanges set the cap at $20 or $25, and friend groups often go to $30 or $50. Each cap has its own page here.

Are these prices and the stock status current?

They were read on Nov 3. We re-read each pick's own Amazon listing on a schedule, and this page only includes picks whose last read was within the past seven days and showed the item in stock. The Buy button opens that same listing, so you see today's number before you pay.

When do I need to order for a gift exchange?

Most exchanges happen in the last two weeks before Christmas, which is 52 days away. Order by December 15 if the listing is sold by a marketplace seller and by December 18 for standard shipping, and check the date of your exchange against the delivery estimate on the listing before you pay.

Do these work for a White Elephant exchange?

The under $25 list does when the rule is a gift anyone would be glad to walk away with. A White Elephant that runs on gag gifts is a different shopping trip, and nothing here is a gag.

Every Christmas page by person and budget is on the Christmas index. The long version is the Christmas 2026 gift guide.

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