Shop the Best Gifts Under $20 and Be the Best Secret Santa Ever

Picking out the best gifts under $20 is a bit of an art form, and it’s a challenge we take seriously! With Christmas right around the corner, we know that a lot of our readers are trying to find worthwhile gifts while abiding by Secret Santa price limits.

Just like decorating the tree or sipping hot chocolate, participating in a Secret Santa is something we do every December, even if we don’t always enjoy it as much as those first two traditions. And whether it’s with your co-workers, friends or family, there’s always that perfect Secret Santa gift that’s the envy of everyone. On the flip side, there’s the embarrassing, phoned-in White Elephant gift that no one tries to steal. When you’re shopping for your own Secret Santa or White Elephant swap, you know which side of the gift-giving spectrum you want to be on! That’s why we’ve rounded up the best Secret Santa gifts that all come in under $20.

Even though $20 gifts are the standard for Secret Santa or white elephant parties, they can be very tricky to get right. For those just entering the workforce, Secret Santa or White Elephant parties are classic corporate techniques to help stir up some fun and bonding among teams around the holidays. In the case of a Secret Santa party, you’ll be assigned a teammate (usually at random) for whom you’ll have to buy a present. Generally speaking, your company will set a limit for how much the presents can be (so that way nobody goes crazy or feels they have to). Similarly, White Elephant parties call for buying a gift that’s under a certain price point, and then an exchange happens the night of the office holiday party.

Quite often, buying these gifts comes with a heavy amount of anxiety. Lucky for you (after countless blunders at parties) we’ve scoured the deep depths of the internet to find fantastic Christmas gifts that will do well at any Secret Santa or White Elephant party. What’s more, we made sure all of our options are under $20, as that’s generally the monetary limit for such parties.

Take a look at our list below and remember, though it’s the thought that counts, it never hurts to give the best Secret Santa gift!

1. The Bloom Times 2 Pcs Fake Plants

FOR THE BROWN THUMB

We all have that co-worker or friend who brings a new plant to the office only to watch it wilt away after a few months. Take them — and their plants — out of their misery with this duo of two cute faux potted plants. At 4.75″ x 5″, they’re just the right size for their desk, or even a kitchen, living room, dining table, bedroom, bathroom or anywhere, really. The clean, classic design means they’ll complement any decor, making them impressively versatile. The plants are made of plastic and come in gray paper pulp pots. Best of all, they’ll always look healthy and green!

2. FLY BY JING Sichuan Chili Sauce

FOR THE SPICE FANATIC

Hot sauce seems to become more popular every day. Nearly all restaurants have it handy, and spice lovers will find a way to use it on everything. This Fly By Jing variety is slightly more complex than other hot sauce options with a combination of savory umami and tingly spicy flavors. It’s good on everything — from pizza to chicken, noodles and even ice cream. We recently named this one of the best Christmas gifts of 2021, and it would make a perfect Secret Santa present under $20 as well.

3. Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bourbon Cocktail Bitters

FOR THE MIXOLOGIST

Any home bar setup will be instantly elevated with Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aged Cocktail Bitters. The bourbon barrel-aged bitters have a fine taste that was aged to perfection. Add them to a classic cocktail, like a Manhattan, or let the aspiring mixologist in your life create their own cocktails around them.

4. Accoutrements Bacon Strips Bandages

FOR THE JOKESTER

Getting a boo-boo is never fun — but these quirky band-aids will ease the pain! The best Secret Santa gift for the office klutz is sure to crack everyone up during the holiday party. Each tin contains 25 bandages, as well as a bonus trinket. Once the bandages are all used up, they can keep the tin on their desk to make them smile.

5. LOVEHANDLE Phone Grip

FOR THE SCREEN-CRACKER

Everyone could use an extra hand preventing accidental phone drops. This highly-rated Lovehandle phone grip does just that, offering a small finger strap to keep your phone securely in-hand. It works for nearly any smartphone and comes in a variety of fun colors to match any personal style.

6. Avocado Huggers

FOR THE AVO ADDICT

Everyone has that one friend, significant other or family member who always has half an avocado in their fridge. For that avocado lover, get this set of avocado huggers, one of our favorite avocado gifts. They wrap around a half avocado to keep it fresh for avo toast the next morning of guacamole days later.

7. Poo-Pourri Before-You-go Toilet Spray

BEST FOR GETTING A POINT ACROSS

Speaking of toilet hogs, we all know somebody that can, well, really blow it up in there. Get your point across without words by choosing to gift your Secret Santa a bottle of Poo-Pourri that they can spray in the bowl before they drop the kids off, if you catch our drift. Everyone in the house will be more than thankful.

8. A Daily Dose of Dad Jokes

FOR THE OFFICE CLOWN

Looking to finally one-up the office clown’s game? Or, perhaps, is your Secret Santa the office clown? Win everyone over with this hilarious (and surprisingly extensive) book of so-bad-they’re-good dad jokes. It has 365 terrible wisecracks which are enough for any comedian (self-proclaimed or otherwise) to learn something new. Here’s one from the book: “bowling jokes are right up my alley.”

9. Mike’s Hot Honey (2-Pack)

FOR HOT SAUCE FIENDS

From Brooklyn, New York, Mike’s Hot Honey is the most innovative hot sauce we’ve tried in years. That’s because it’s not actually hot sauce at all, but rather chili-infused honey. While that might sound odd, we promise that a dollop of this on pepperoni pizza will change your life. This 2-pack is easily one of the best gifts under $20 in 2021, and we think your hot sauce-loving gift recipient will agree!

10. Crocs Jibbitz Charms (5-Pack)

FOR CROCS LOVERS

Crocs are officially the shoe of 2021, and we’ve already collected our favorite Crocs Christmas gifts for the holiday season. Of course, you can’t buy new clogs for under $20 (although they do make for some of the best gifts under $50 when you can find them on sale). However, you can buy Crocs Jibbitz charms. For any Crocs-loving Secret Santa recipient, these adorable charms will be the perfect gift idea.

11. Amazon.com Gift Card

FOR THE PICKY PERSON

Shopping for the impossible giftee? We’ve all been there. Luckily, in 2021, it’s easy to give a gift card to Amazon, which is basically cash without being, well, cash. Your picky giftee can go wild and buy whatever it is they want. Is it a cop-out? Maybe. But at least you’ll know they’ll find something they like.

12. TV Store Wonder Woman Knee High Cape Sock

FOR THE SUPERWOMAN

Not all heroes wear capes, but the very lucky winner of these Wonder Woman socks will! Socks with capes clearly qualify as one of the best White Elephant gifts, as these will probably get stolen again and again during a White Elephant swap. The officially licensed socks are made from a comfy polyester-spandex blend and fit most women’s shoe sizes.

13. Skull Ice Mold Tray

FOR THE ICE COLD BADASS

We all appreciate an ice-cold beverage, but why not make that ice a little more exciting? This durable silicone ice mold gives you four badass skull ice cubes to pop into your cocktails, iced coffee, lemonade or even water. It makes a great addition to any bar cart to impress and delight guests. Any badass who loves to entertain or just wants to spice up their drinks will appreciate this Secret Santa gift.

Read More: Best Gifts Under $5

14. Swag Brewery Store Beer Soap (Hoppy IPA)

FOR THE BEER LOVER

Who knew that beer was so good for your skin? This fragrant soap is made with ingredients like orange peel, crushed oats and real hops that truly nourish skin, as beer is chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. The artisanal soap is made in small batches in the US, just like your favorite beer. It lathers up like a dream and won’t dry out skin. Even non-beer lovers will drink it up!

Read More: Best Gifts For Beer Lovers

15. Bob Ross by the Numbers

FOR THE AMATEUR ARTIST

The adult coloring book trend seems to have come and gone, but the benefits of using them still remain. This is a cute, more unique version that has the same relaxing effect. Bob Ross is always on-trend, and this mini numbered art set comes with three pre-printed canvases to paint just like the legend himself. It also comes with a mini paintbrush, of course, and all for around $5.

16. Anker Wireless Charger

FOR THE GADGET LOVER

You may not know the interests and tastes of all of your co-workers, but there’s one thing they have in common: the desire for a charged phone. Anker’s Wireless Charger is the necessity they didn’t know they needed, making it one of the best and most practical Secret Santa gifts. All they need to do to charge their phone or earbuds is to place them in the middle of the PowerWave Pad. No cables or plugs are necessary! And yes, it even charges through phone cases. It’s compatible with most devices, including iPhones and Androids.

17. Mission Farms Rest CBD Bath Soak

BEST FOR CHILLING OUT

We’ve all had a hell of a year, that’s for damn sure. Some have had it worse than others, so if you have a friend in which that’s the case, you need to gift them this CBD bath soak from Mission Farms. This calming soak will gift any bath bomb a run for their money. It smells amazing, feels sensational and is made with CBD to help you keep calm. Do they really need anything else?

18. Dizaul Mobile Phone 3D Magnifier Projector Screen

FOR THE MOVIE BUFF

Expect to see some serious haggling at your White Elephant swap when you bring this ingenious device. The screen magnifier is basically a movie projector for your phone screen, creating a 12-inch screen so you can watch movies and videos in full HD on a bigger, better screen. Lightweight and portable, it’s great on the go and will make your next work break, trip, commute or whenever you like a little screen time much more enjoyable. You can add a Bluetooth keyboard to use it for HD gaming, too. Even better, it doesn’t require any batteries and is designed to fit most smartphones.

19. Mini Desktop Basketball

FOR THE ASPIRING ATHLETE

If you’re doing a Secret Santa at work and happen to get that coworker who loves to procrastinate with desk games, get them this mini desktop basketball set. It’s very fun and may take a while to master, so it’s sure to entertain them day after day. It can also help relieve stress and improve hand-eye coordination and folds up for easy storage in case the boss comes around.

20. Sower’s Source Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

FOR THE GARDENER

Gardening has many benefits including stress reduction and the obvious supply of fresh food. This indoor herb garden kit includes everything you need to start your own little garden and also makes a great addition to an expert gardener’s collection. The kit contains five kinds of seeds — basil, cilantro, parsley, sage and thyme — as well as pots, soil and markers.

21. Vintage National Parks Puzzle

FOR THE PUZZLE ADDICT

If you’ve got an avid puzzler as your secret Santa, this National Parks puzzle is perfect. It’s 1,000 pieces, so it’s difficult enough to be entertaining without being impossible, and it covers a wide range of national parks across the country. The full image is a montage of several retro National Parks posters including Glacier, Acadia, the Grand Canyon, Badlands, Yosemite and Joshua Tree.

22. Urban Map Glass

FOR THE IMBIBER

Whether you opt for a glass of your own city or one where we’d all like to visit (who doesn’t want to be among the palm trees in sunny Los Angeles this time of year?), these transport you to the city streets while sipping your poison of choice. Each glass is etched with a city’s individual map, with details like street names and the location’s coordinates. You can take an imaginary walk every time you kick back with a drink. Bonus: these are completely crafted in the USA, with the glasses made in Ohio and etched in New Hampshire.

23. Personalized Map Print

FOR THE HOMESICK

You know what they say — home is where the heart is. If you have yourself a pal missing home more than ever this year, gift them this inexpensive gold foil custom map so they can hang it up in their new home. From spots in Madrid making their mark in newfound homes in Ohio and vise versa, you can place any spot on this map to help show off in a friend’s home.

24. Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

BEST FOR THE TROUBLED SLEEPER

We all know someone who is constantly complaining about their lack of sleep. Of course, lack of sleep is not pleasant, but we still don’t want to hear about it all the time or deal with cranky, sleepless loved ones. Help relieve their frustration and your own by getting them this deep rest eye mask as a gift under $20. It’s super lightweight and blocks out all visual stimuli to create complete darkness anywhere.

25. Bear Hands Oven Mitts

FOR THE HOME CHEF

Some of our favorite gifts under $20 will make the recipient laugh while also serving a practical purpose. There aren’t a ton of good cooking tools under $20 to buy for the home chef in your life, but these oven mitts do make taking things out of the oven a bit more fun. They’re insulated with paw pads made from heat-resistant silicone to protect your hands from even the hottest dishes. And they’re cute and quirky, which is just an added perk.

26. Shower Beer Holder

FOR THE BEER DRINKER

Warm showers and a cold brew go together better than you might think. That’s why this shower beer holder makes a great drink. It’s sure to get a laugh at any white elephant party or secret Santa, and chances are your giftee will actually use the device too. Plus, reviewers say it’s also perfect for having a glass of wine in the bath.

27. Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

FOR THE MUSIC LOVER

Bluetooth speakers make a great gift for music lovers, but it can be hard to find a good one under $20. Luckily, we found one that fits the bill. It has superior sound quality that’s powerful enough for indoor or outdoor use, advanced Bluetooth technology, a built-in mic and lasts for up to 12 hours fully charged. If your Secret Santa recipient loves to listen to tunes wherever they go, it’s likely that they’ll appreciate another high-performance portable speaker.

28. The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains

FOR COMIC BOOK FANS

The obvious choice for superhero comic lovers is a comic book, but we found a more unique gift instead. This book, The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History, profiles over one hundred of the strangest, most cringe-worthy villains in comic book history. Hilarious supervillains such as Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man make the book great for non-comic-readers as well as veteran enthusiasts.

29. PANGTON VILLA Led Strip Lights

BEST FOR TIKTOK TEENS

Watch just about any TikTok on a teen’s phone right now. Do it. Okay, maybe watch, like, 15. You’ll peep these strip lights on at least one video a few times, and that, we’re certain of. These remote-controlled LED strip lights change the color of any user’s room with just a click of the button, bringing the exact vibe they want. They also look great underneath an at-home bartop or behind a media console.

30. Kikkerland Design Mini Karaoke Microphone

BEST FOR STORYTELLING ONLINE

Alright, alright. We’re going to talk about TikTok again. We promise this will be the last time. Have you seen any of those “storytime” TikToks lately? You know, the ones where someone tells a wild rollercoaster of a personal story to overshare with thousands if not millions of strangers online? Well, a lot of the people telling those stories are using this comically tiny microphone for that extra pop. It connects to your laptop or phone with ease and surprisingly works really well. So, if you’re trying to get that TikTok fame like the rest of us are, spill that tea using this bad boy.

31. Motivational Large Water Bottle

BEST FOR MOTIVATING

Some of us drink a lot more water than others. If you’ve got yourself a friend that needs a little more motivating when it comes to sending some much-needed H2O down the hatch, snag them this one-gallon water bottle to make sure they’re getting more than enough water in their day-to-day. There are a number of markings on the bottle to instill positive messages to keep one sipping with time stamps to help them along. Their bodies will be thankful!

32. Custom Dog Face Socks

FOR COLD PAWS

You can never gift dog lovers too much dog stuff. These socks are great because you can get specific with your giftee’s own pup’s face — and no one can have too many socks. You can select a size, primary color, personalized message and image of their actual dog. The socks are a gift that will hit home for any dog lover, and at just $10, they’ll keep your pockets full too.

33. Edibles Cookbook

FOR THE BAKED CHEF

Now that weed is legal in several states, weed-related gifts are acceptable — even in some offices. This edibles cookbook provides some dessert recipes that would be great on their own, but get even tastier thanks to a low dose of pot. The cookbook provides much-needed details about dosage, so you can get zonked without going crazy (which sometimes happens with homemade edibles).

34. The New York Times Crossword Puzzles

FOR THE PUZZLE LOVER

This book features 50 New York Times crossword puzzles for cozy winter mornings. It has Monday through Friday puzzles (the difficulty increases each day) for all levels of crossword-enthusiasts. This makes it doable for beginners and masters alike, so you can gift it to virtually anyone.

35. Potty Putter Toilet Golf

FOR THE BATHROOM HOG

Every minute of practice gets you closer to the perfect golf game. Even though it’s been around for a while, the Potty Putter always gets a laugh, and always gets put to good use. It’s a putting green and hole that you set-up right under your toilet and comes with a squatting-length putter club to match. Great if you’re giving a gift to an avid golfer or if you want to break the tension at the White Elephant party.

36. InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser

FOR THE STRESS CASE

If you got stuck gifting that one person that never stops talking about how stressed they are or how poorly they slept last night, do them a solid by gifting this essential-oil diffuser. It releases a nice-smelling, stress-reducing oil mist, and doubles as a color-changing night light as well. Although there are many of these machines on Amazon, this one is definitely the best with over 16,500 reviews and a low price of just $13.

37. Sriracha Keychain Combo Pack

FOR THE HOT SAUCE ADDICT

We all know that person that drenches their food in hot sauce. These Sriracha keychains let any hot-sauce fiend keep their prized ingredient close at hand, just in case the restaurant doesn’t have it. They’re also ideal for traveling, as good hot sauce can be hard to come by on the road. This two-pack includes a one-ounce bottle and 1.7-ounce bottle, so your giftee can store one in their desk and one with their house keys.

38. Don’t Speak! Coffee Mug

FOR THE MORNING GRUMP

For the partner, friend, or family member that “can’t even” before their coffee, it’s always hard to find out when they “can even.” This mug solves the problem by letting everyone know when to start chatting, when to hold on a sec, and when to think about leaving the room.

39. Vintage Mason Jar Salt & Pepper Shakers

FOR THE DECORATOR

Joke gifts are fun, but sometimes you want something your giftee will use and appreciate for a long time. For an easy, chic gift, we recommend these mason jar salt & pepper shakers. They come in a stylish blue or white and liven up any kitchen or dining table with a rustic look.

40. Exploding Kittens Card Game

BEST FOR THE GAMER

This game was one of the most backed projects on Kickstarter of all time when it first launched, and now has sold more than 10 million copies. It’s got super high ratings for its easy-to-learn game structure and adorable premise, and games take about 15 minutes making it perfect for game night or a day trip to a brewery. It’s got adorable graphics of kittens and explosions, what more could you want?

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