The Edit — Gifts
Secret Santa Gifts for Coworkers That Get Used
4 office Secret Santa gifts a coworker will use at their desk, framed by need rather than price: a travel mug, a notebook, a hand-care set and a word game, ranked by rating.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 4 gifts here are ranked by rating, then by how many owners rated them, read on 16 October 2026, as How we choose describes. Each one is framed by what a coworker does at work, not by a price band. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for A team that shares lunch
Watch for Wasted on a remote worker
Best for A coworker who writes in meetings
Watch for Not for someone who types
Best for Dry hands in a heated office
Watch for Redundant if they own hand cream
Best for Anyone, even a stranger
Watch for Some lids break in months
Bananagrams turns the break room into a game
Bananagrams is 144 letter tiles in a cloth banana, at 4.9 across 26,941 ratings, the highest rating here. Owners say it is quick to learn and a round is short, which fits a 30-minute lunch. It suits a team that eats together. For a coworker who works from home 4 days a week, choose something for the desk instead. White elephant rules covers the other kind of office swap.
Bananagrams Classic Word Game, 144 Tiles
144 letter tiles in a cloth banana; owners call it quick to learn and fast to play.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Tiles | 144 |
|---|---|
| Case | Banana-shaped pouch |
Owners call it easy to learn and fast to play for any age, and it packs into its own pouch.
Buy it if
- A team that eats lunch together
Don't buy it if
- A coworker who works alone or remotely
The Moleskine Classic is for the coworker who writes in meetings
The Moleskine Classic Large is a 5 x 8.25 inch ruled notebook on 70 g/m² paper, per Moleskine, at 4.8 across 12,135 ratings. Owners like how well it holds up, the practical size and the smooth page. It suits someone who writes in every meeting and fills a notebook a quarter. Someone who types everything will not open it.
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Ruled, Hard Cover
A 5 x 8.25 inch ruled notebook on 70 g/m² paper that owners call durable and smooth to write on.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Size | 5 x 8.25 in |
|---|---|
| Paper | 70 g/m², per Moleskine |
| Ruling | Ruled |
Owners praise the quality, the size and how pens glide on the paper, and use it for notes and journals.
Buy it if
- A coworker who writes in every meeting
Don't buy it if
- Someone who types everything
Burt’s Bees Hand Repair is the gift a winter office needs
The Burt’s Bees Hand Repair set holds 4 products and rates 4.7 across 13,696 ratings. Owners call it good value and say it softens dry hands. Heated offices dry skin from December on, so it gets used at the desk the week it arrives. Skip it for a coworker who already keeps a tube of hand cream by the keyboard.
Burt's Bees Hand Repair Gift Set, 4 Products
A 4-piece hand-care set owners call good value for dry hands.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Pieces | 4 |
|---|
Owners find it a good-value gift that leaves dry hands soft.
Buy it if
- Anyone in a heated office from December to March
Don't buy it if
- A coworker who already keeps hand cream on the desk
The Contigo West Loop is the safe gift for a coworker you barely know
The Contigo West Loop is a 16 oz steel travel mug with an AUTOSEAL lid, at 4.6 across 58,946 ratings, the most here. Owners praise how long it keeps coffee hot, that it does not leak and that it is easy to clean. The recurring complaint is a lid that breaks within months. Almost everyone carries a drink to work, which makes it the gift least likely to miss.
Contigo West Loop AUTOSEAL Travel Mug, 16 oz, Stainless Steel
A 16 oz steel mug with a sealing lid; owners praise heat retention and no leaks.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Capacity | 16 oz |
|---|---|
| Lid | AUTOSEAL |
Owners like the heat retention, the leak-proof lid and easy cleaning. Some lids broke within months.
Buy it if
- Anyone who carries coffee from home to their desk
Don't buy it if
- A buyer wanting it to last years; some lids break within months
What did not make the list
The Burt’s Bees Hand Salve matches the set at 4.7, on 8,128 ratings, and is a single 3 oz salve rather than a set of 4. Rechargeable hand warmers were on the shortlist, but their listings redirected to different listings on 16 October 2026, so their figures could not be confirmed. For more small gifts, see stocking stuffers and, for the person who wants nothing, gifts they will use up.
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.