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The Best Stocking Stuffers for Men, According to Gifting Experts

Christmas stockings are — spoiler alert — not actually filled with presents from Santa. That’s crushing news for kids who still believe in the big man, to be sure, but it’s also inconvenient for those of us mere mortals left in charge of stuffing said stockings. The delightful consonance of the phrase “stocking stuffers” belies the annoyance that can crop up when, after putting lots of time and energy and money into the under-the-tree presents, there’s still more to do and buy. Is it Boxing Day yet?

Still, stocking stuffers are a tradition, and the best ones are the icing on the cake of a great holiday — these smaller presents can be just as thoughtful and personal (and therefore impactful) as their larger siblings under the tree. And while smaller presents can mean they’re less expensive, it’s also possible — and fun! — to throw a fancy present into a stocking for an extra surprise.

What the Experts Say

SPY spoke with Duy Vo, consumer trends analyst and the founder of Sandjest, to find out what makes a great holiday gift. “People crave connection, utility, and a sense of being understood and appreciated,” he says. “Gifts that resonate with personal comfort and needs or create or preserve memories hold a special place in the receiver’s heart.”

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For this reason, the best stocking stuffers should evoke something special about the gift-giver’s relationship with the recipient. And while the stocking can be a place for less personal, more frivolous gifts, a really thoughtful stocking stuffer can be an unexpected, more enjoyable gift than it would have been otherwise. Lastly, keep in mind that a good gift isn’t necessarily expensive and an expensive gift isn’t necessarily good. The options below sit at a wide range of price points, so it’s easy to stuff a stocking on any budget.

Courtesy of Darn Tough
BEST OVERALL

$25.00

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There’s something appealing about stuffing a giant sock with smaller socks, but that’s far from the only reason to recommend Darn Tough socks. First, there’s the high quality of the socks themselves. “I am obsessed with Darn Tough Socks,” says personal trainer David Rosales. “The quality is incredible. I’ve had the same pair for over 10 years. They’re comfortable, my feet just feel better when I’m wearing them, and I can count on the quality.”

The mid-weight hiking socks are Rosales’ everyday pair, but all Darn Tough socks come with an impressive unconditional lifetime warranty. They get a hole, you get a new pair — it’s that simple. As an everyday comfort — the kind of simple thing that makes life more comfortable — socks are hard to beat. And when they’re socks this good, they’re great stocking stuffers, too.

Courtesy of Rumpl
BEST FOR BEER LOVERS

$40.00

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Made For: Beer enthusiasts. While Rumpl is best known for its outdoor blankets, the company also makes a can insulator that does its job very well. “The Beer Blanket keeps your drink cold and your hand warm,” explains Nate Axvig of Aktiv, a Scandinavian clothing brand.

Hot Take: Double-walled stainless steel has its purposes, but it can feel like overkill on, well, cans. The soft texture and vacation-ready prints make these a more casual, more fun way to keep drinks cold in the hand.

Courtesy of Amazon
BEST TECH

$35.00 $59.99

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Made For: Everyone who has a smartphone. (So, everyone.) “Though compact and relatively inexpensive, portable chargers deliver incredible convenience but also offer peace of mind,” says IGP marketing manager Durgesh Maurya. This Anker model charges an iPhone via MagSafe, but it can also be used as a wired charger for other phones.

Hot Take: Smartphones are too ubiquitous and too necessary for modern life, but until neo-luddism really takes hold, it still sucks to be out and about with a dead phone. As a decidedly not sexy but useful gadget, a portable charger makes for an ideal stocking stuffer.

Courtesy of Harry’s
BEST GROOMING

$15.00

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Made For: Clean-shaven dudes who want to stay that way. This razor has a dotted rubber grip pattern, a well-balanced feel, and a smooth metallic handle that comes with a pair of five-blade cartridges. It’s a solid razor, through and through.

Why It Stands Out: Vo says the shaving company’s most premium offering “offers a refined shaving experience, elevating an everyday necessity to a luxurious ritual.” It’s a luxury small enough to fit in a stocking.

Courtesy of Amazon
BEST WINTER GEAR

Made For: The perpetually cold. Christmas famously falls smack in the middle of winter, which means there’s time to get plenty of use out of these USB-rechargeable heated gloves. Personal trainer and nutritionist Ashley Castleberry says that they provide “instant warmth and comfort to frigid hands” and would be an especially good gift for someone with arthritis or less than stellar circulation.

Coolest Feature: Where some heated gloves provide limited coverage, these heat the entire hand, front and back, from the fingertips to the wrists.

Courtesy of Amazon
best for keurig loyalists

$35.50 $42.99

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Made For: Low-effort coffee drinkers who still want a delicious cup. Three different coffee experts independently ID’d these K-Cups as the best on the market. One of them, Nicholas Jenkins of Morning Coffee Journal, says that “this blend is perfect for starting your day on a refreshing note. It offers a mild taste with a hint of sweetness, making it a versatile choice for various preferences.”

Hot Take: Coffee is an ideal stocking stuffer because it’s the rare gift that you can actually use on Christmas morning — particularly the impeccably easy, single-serve method that a Keurig facilitates.

Courtesy of San Sara River Pecan Company
BEST SNACK

$7.95 – $84.75

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Made For: Those who need a snack to get through opening presents. Salvatore Martone, Executive Pastry Chef of Le Jardinier in New York, vouches for these pecans: “I often use a variety of nuts in my desserts,” he says. “One of my go-to holiday recipes is a bourbon whiskey pecan pie, which I love because of the deepened flavor and complexity that the spirit brings. My favorite pecans to use for this recipe and beyond are from San Saba Texas.”

Coolest Feature: These pecans are from one of the original pecan orchards, per Martone.

Courtesy of Amazon
BEST FOR RUNNERS

Made For: The “a 5K is a warm-up” set. James Rodgers, an experienced distance runner, says other sock brands left his feet blistered, but that these “meet the demands of intense training. They are durable, have the perfect amount of cushioning, and are incredibly comfortable.

Why It Stands Out: They wick moisture, facilitate cooling, and even help prevent blistering.

Courtesy of Amazon
best for on-the-go coffee

Made For: Anyone who needs to take a hot liquid on the go. Diane Kuyoomjian, Chief Marketing and Social Impact Officer at Bruvi, loves this travel mug. ”My current favorite is the 360 Traveler from Miir because it has a push button, leak-proof top, sleek design, and it comes in great colors,” she says.

Coolest Feature: The titular 360-degree drinking mechanism allows sipping from any side — a feature that’s much appreciated in situations like driving where one’s eyes are already occupied.

Courtesy of Supergoop!
BEST FOR PEOPLE WITH SKIN

Why It Stands Out: There’s a bunch of weird stuff that has dermatological benefits outside of sun protection. “It contains red algae, which helps protect the skin from blue light damage, and frankincense, which helps soothe the skin and reduce inflammation,” says dermatologist Dr. Harikiran Chekuri of ClinicSpots. “It also contains meadowfoam seed oil, which moisturizes and nourishes the skin.”

Coolest Feature: This formula is invisible, weightless, and scentless. Any more less and it wouldn’t exist.

Courtesy of ThermoWorks
BEST FOR CARNIVORES

$109.00

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Made For: Whoever’s in charge of Christmas dinner. A meat thermometer is a non-sexy but essential tool for the kitchen, and the Thermapen is a favorite of people who know. Rod Gray, CEO of the Kansas City Barbecue Society, says that Thermapens are ubiquitous in his world. “It was more durable, I know it was accurate for the most part, and it was really fast-reading,” he says of why he first started using them. “They’ve gotten even faster since I started,” he adds. “They’re the thermometer of choice for the barbecue circuit.”

Why It Stands Out: With readings in one second or less, it’s one of the fastest meat thermometers on the market today.

Courtesy of Amazon
BEST FOR ASPIRING FOOD STYLISTS

Made For: Home chefs who need to make fine cuts. Roger Sitrin, lead chef at the Institute of Culinary Education says that having a tang that goes from tip to handle “makes the entire knife stronger and better weighted.” This paring knife from Japanese brand Global fits the bill — it even goes a step further, with a handle that incorporates the same piece of steel as the blade.

Hot Take: The humble paring knife is underrated.