8 Christmas gifts our shopping editors are buying for friends and family this year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, because Black Friday 2024 was one for the books, but it’s all over! Phew. And now, we can (sort of) take off our deal-sleuthing hats to do some holiday gift-hunting for our own friends and fam.

As editors, we’re always gathering tidbits about the very best products, reviewing the things that go viral on TikTok, and getting pitches on all the latest and greatest finds that are coming down the pike. So, for the holiday season, we treat Christmas as our very own Super Bowl and get excited about flexing our insider knowledge to pick out gifts for our own crew. We know what’s hot and what doesn’t disappoint (in terms of reviews), so it gives us some real edge in the finding perfect presents game.

Oh, and while we’re usually all about finding the best deals, when it comes to our finding something that our favorite people will revel in unwrapping, sometimes we don’t mind splurging on an expensive gift that lives up to its hype (ahem, Ninja SLUSHi, talking about you) — so you’ll see some of those pricier picks in the list, too.

Whether you’re stumped on what to get your partner, sibling, kid, cousin or best friend, our team’s fam-favorites might just spark the perfect idea for your own holiday haul.

UGG Funkette Slipper

For $130

I’m Ana, the manager of the commerce crew, and I’m also the aunt of a Gen Z 21-year-old who is notoriously hard to shop for. She rarely puts together a Christmas list in time for the holidays and usually says “I dunno” when you ask her what she wants. But I know she’ll love this UGG Funkette slipper. She and I have similar tastes, and the sold-out, ultra-viral UGG Tasman is not really our vibe. The chunky platform on the Funkette, paired with the fleece lining and the backstrap for support is way more up her alley.

An Oodie

For $67, instead of $95

My boyfriend bought me a Snoopy Oodie for Valentine’s Day this year; ever since, he has stolen mine. I am finally going to get him one of his own, and he loves playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, so this Squirtle Oodie is an obvious choice. I would have bought the Gengar Oodie, but it sold out pretty fast around Black Friday. He loves socks, too, so I am going to throw a pair of these raccoon socks in my cart as well.

Apple AirPods 4

For $119, instead of $129

Hi, I’m Dawn, one of the team’s shopping & deals writers. One of the holiday gifts on my shopping list this year is a pair of Apple AirPods 4 for my mom. If your mom is like mine, you’ve most likely been on the receiving end of her continuously dropping the phone as she tries to multitask while talking. Apple AirPods hopefully will alleviate this annoying issue for her (and for my ears), giving her hands-free capability to make dinner, fold laundry, and all the other tasks she likes to do while talking on the phone.

DEWALT Radio & Hearing Protection Headphones

For $48, instead of $64

One of the gifts I am buying for my dad for Christmas this year is a pair of DEWALT Radio & Hearing Protection Headphones. Not only are these headphones ideal to wear when mowing the lawn, but they offer hearing protection for his other garage projects. These DEWALT Headphones also have an LCD display that’s easy to use and eight radio presets, so he can listen to his favorite tunes or even hard connect to another device, like a Walkman (yes, he still has one).

REDTIGER F9 Dash Cam

For $68, instead of $90

I’m Victoria, associate editor on the Content Innovation team. My mom is a very picky gift receiver so I’ve learned to ask what she wants in advance. This year is very different from the usual. She asked for a dash cam to keep her car safe while it’s parked out of sight from her house. The street she lives on has become so packed with cars she’s lucky to find a parking spot after 6 p.m. She often has to park blocks away so I went with the REDITGER F9 4K Dash Cam which comes with front and rear cameras with high resolution and night vision that can capture angles up to 170 degrees to keep her car safe. The most important feature is its WiFi connectivity so she can sync the cameras to the REDTIGER app and watch live video and past footage from her phone. Good luck to anyone who comes near my mom’s car now!

Learning Resources Beaker Creatures Monsterglow Lab

For $25, instead of $28

My nephew has been a big fan of Beaker Creatures, and my family and I have been buying him science kits and pods every Christmas for at least four years. He loves to do experiments with friends during playdates and parties and has grown a large collection of tiny creatures from the dissolving pods. This year, I’m ordering him the Beaker Creatures Monsterglow Lab from his Amazon Wish List. Similar to the previous science kits, it comes with 10 fun experiments and an instruction book that explains the science happening before kids’ eyes. However, this particular kit teaches the science behind making things glow in the dark, like slime and cobwebs. Plus, it comes with collectible glow-in-the-dark Monsterglow creatures that my nephew is eager to add to his collection. I apologize in advance to my sister/my nephew’s mom for the mess this most likely will make.

Cookeez Makery Freezy Cakez Playset

Price: $30, instead of $38

I’m Danielle, one of my team’s shopping & deals editors and a mom of three — who is very ingrained in the toy dreams of 2, 5 and almost-8 year-old kiddos. My daughter is obsessed with anything that Cookeez Makery bakes up. We have the Pancake Treatz flip frying pan, the Toasty Treatz Toaster, and Cinnamon Treatz Oven already, and this holiday season she’s been ALL about the Freezy Cakez refrigerator. She’s been asking for it ever since she saw a commercial for it on YouTube (way back in September). It operates just as all the CM products do. You essentially mix the ingredients to create a sticky (but not house-ruining) dough that you can shape — with the included mold — into a cute little creature. Then smooth out your “ice cream” on top and then pop it into the fridge. After about 20 seconds, you’ll hear a ding and then you can take out a shivering (because they’re sooo cold, of course) scented plush pal. My daughter always wants the unicorn, so she’s hoping she’ll get the “Strawberry Unicake” edition. But if we’re not lucky to get her first pick — and usually that’s the case LOL — then she’ll have a chance at the Minty Polar Bear or Tiger Berry Ripple. Both are adorable, I have to say.

HOKA Clifton 9 Sneakers

Price: $145

Full transparency, I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than $80, $90 at most, on a pair of sneakers, but having listened to my team members’ overwhelmingly positive feedback over the last year, I feel ready to shell out for these GOAT shoes. Not for me, but for my mom. She is a huge walker, it’s how she starts her day. She wakes up sometime between 5:30 and 6 a.m., bundles herself up, and then heads outside for a calm, quiet few miles around her neighborhood. Skechers has always been her go-to brand, but since she reads a whole lot of our content, she’s brought up HOKA a few times before, asking me if I think she could “pull them off.” I think she can, and I also want her to step into something a little brighter — she’s typically a white or taupe sneaker fan. I’m going to go with the lightweight and plushly cushioned women’s Clifton 9s in the Sunlit Ocean/Lilac Mist colorway, and I think she’s going to love them. Our manager, Ana, says they’re her “ride or die” sneakers and that she could literally “land on the moon with them.” So, with that glowing recommendation, I’m adding them to cart ASAP.