It is a yearly ritual, whether held between old school friends, work colleagues or the wider family circle. Secret Santa is as much a festive fixture as advent calendars, decorating the tree and gulping down mugfuls of mulled wine.
Depending on whose name you’ve drawn from the hat, the prospect of gift-giving may fill you with delight or dread. If you think getting something within the budget for someone you know is hard, try feeling inspired for the person you’ve only spoken to once during the office fire alarm test.
You can wipe those beads of sweat from your brow because your friendly shopping experts (that’s us) are here to save Christmas with an edit of foolproof gifts that practically everyone will love. These are ideas that will be welcomed with open arms, things that will get used instead of gathering dust on a shelf for 11 months before being repurposed for a future Secret Santa (ideally not back to you).
To level the playing field, Secret Santas are usually set at an affordable budget, which should be respected at all costs. Going massively over will make everyone else’s offering look paltry, and besides, the whole point of Secret Santa is for it to be cheap and cheerful.
For this reason, we’ve divided our roundup into price brackets: Under £20, Under £10 and Under £5.
While the Covid years derailed the ritual, with many of us back in the office for at least part of the week, Secret Santa is making a tinsel-strewn return. Get ahead of the game by adding an option below to basket now, ready to wrap once you’ve got your recipient’s name.
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Best Secret Santa gifts under £20
Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser 100ml
A gift for someone who has everything, Aesop’s body cleansers are a luxurious treat that you wouldn’t buy for yourself. Our favourite is the geranium leaf scent, which is a complex citrusy aroma that will leave you feeling fresh and energised after the shower. If they love it, you can gift the 500ml size next time.
Buy now £15.00, Aesop
Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag
The summer of the sling bag has trickled over into the winter of one too. Uniqlo has released a corduroy version of its viral shoulder bag and, as any owner will attest, it’s the perfect day bag. Acting like a Tardis in housing more of your essentials than you ever dreamed was possible, this style is currently offered in four colours: green, cream, black, light tan and brown.
Buy now £14.90, Uniqlo
VONMÄHLEN Allroundo All-in-One 6-in-1 Charging Cable with 5 Ports
Connector type: USB Type C, Micro USB, Apple
Cable type: USB
Packed in a hard round plastic case that fits into your palm, this Allroundo set of cables has saved our devices from shut-down on so many occasions. There’s just one cable stretching to a length of 50cm with an interchangeable head to swap between four connectors to power up everything from iPhones and Android devices to things like cameras and headphones.
Pair with a power bank or find a USB port to siphon off power from and you’re in business. A rubber loop on the top can be attached to your keys or bag so it’s always within reach.
Buy now £15.96, Amazon
VEGER Portable Charger
Weight: 92g
Mini but mighty, this dinky style of charger is becoming more common. No wonder; it’s tiny and slots compactly into the bottom of your device with no wires to get tangled in. It means you can continue to use your device with it easily held in your hand.
Battery capacity is on the lower end of the scale at 5000mAh, which means you’re unlikely to get a full charge. But it will stop your phone from dying completely, with a 60 per cent charge from full for an iPhone 14. Available in a choice of fun colours.
Buy now £13.99, Amazon
H&M 2-pack wine glasses
Upgrade their tableware game while ensuring they stay stylishly hydrated through the season with a pair of ribbed, coloured wine glasses. Also available in blush pink, they’ll even make plain old H2O look fancy.
Buy now £13.99, H&M
Barbera Sicilia Xtra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml
A posh bottle of EVOO, what's not to love? It may be a cooking staple, but this Sicilian product is anything but basic thanks to the colourful, patterned packaging that will make it the star of the kitchen countertop.
Buy now £14.50, Waitrose
NOTHS Personalised Initial Leather Heart Page Corner Bookmark
Personalisation is typically pretty pricey. Yet, if you’re shopping on a budget, it doesn’t necessarily mean your options are limited. This petite heart page corner bookmark is a unique, playful gift for avid readers. Available in nine hues, there are plenty of options to toy with before checkout. No crumpled pages here.
Buy now £12.00, NOTHS
Dr.Jart+ Cryo Rubber with Moisturising Hyaluronic Acid Facial Mask, 44g
Christmas can be stressful and one of the first places that’ll show it is your face. Give the beauty fiend in your life the gift of Korean beauty with Dr.Jart+’s weird but oh-so effective rubber mask. Packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid, it will add the sparkle back to complexions just in time for family snaps around the Christmas lunch table.
Buy now £13.00, John Lewis
Boatyard Distillery Miniature Gift Set
An easy adult stocking filler or Secret Santa win, the gift of Boatyard Distillery's best-sellers is something most folks will appreciate. The three-piece set includes miniatures of the producer's Old Tom Gin, Boatyard Double Gin and Boatyard Vodka.
Buy now £17.95, The Whisky Exchange
Best Secret Santa gifts under £10
Happy Face Yellow Mouse Pad
Who doesn’t appreciate a friendly face when they’re working? A bright yellow smiley mouse pad will lift their spirits when they’re trudging through Excel spreadsheets and dull paperwork.
Buy now £10.00, Oliver Bonas
Hotel Chocolat The Christmas Pocket Selection
With eight delicious Christmas-themed chocolates encased in a small ribbon-topped box, Hotel Chocolat’s Christmas Pocket Selection is the perfect addition to a stocking for anyone in the family. From a sea salt caramel supernova to a dizzy praline, it looks like the festivities are going to become adequately decadent with this luxurious selection.
Buy now £9.95, Hotel Chocolat
Fortnum’s Champagne Stopper
Champagne that’s lost its sparkle is a sad thing, not to mention a waste of excellent fizz. Forget the old trick of sticking a teaspoon into the top of open bottles, and get this F&M branded stopper instead. It snaps over the lid and creates an airtight seal to keep the Champs fresher for longer. A genius gift for wine lovers.
Buy now £10.00, F&M
Oliver Bonas Flower Gold Metal Wall Storage Hook
If you’ve noticed your recipient talking about DIY weekends every Monday morning, a nice addition to their home will likely elicit those squeals of joy that signal Secret Santa jackpot. A wall hook is a left-field idea, but this beautifully decorated one is a feature all of its own. Perfect for the hallway, bathroom or kitchen, they’ll smile every time they look at it.
Buy now £9.50, Oliver Bonas
Tony’s Chocolonely Duo Gift Pack, 350g
The gift of Fairtrade chocolate is a universally loved one. Tony’s gets it right with irregular portions - so you can be as greedy or good as you like - and tasty flavours that promise to leave a smile on your chops.
This double act consists of milk chocolate chip cookie and milk pecan caramel chocolate bars. Bonus points for the packaging too; when it looks this good, who needs wrapping paper?
Buy now £9.00, John Lewis
Tajin Hot Mama Pickle Kit
Best for: a fiery Feliz Navidad
Get the festive fiesta started with this concise hamper full of addictive Mexican flavours. Celebrating some of Mexico’s top brands, the bundle includes a pack of Takis Fuego, a bottle of Tajin Chilli and Lime seasoning (try it on pineapple chunks and prepare to have your mind blown) and a sachet of Tajin Chamoy Liquid that you can drizzle on practically anything. There’s also a giant pickle to round things off - save the brine to make yourself a pickleback to go with this snacktastic feast.
Buy now £8.95, MexGrocer
Mr Bingo Bored of Wellness coasters
Art is such a fun and easy gift that will stand out amongst the pile of gifts your recipient will receive. Use your Secret Santa gift to promote small independent artists like Mr Bingo, who has this tongue-in-cheek set of coasters ready for the friend who’s had their fill with wellness.
The set of four are hand printed in the UK and will be shipped by first class Royal Mail. A playful antidote to Dry January self-flagellation.
Buy now £8.50, Mr Bingo
Sprout Pencils
Sprout pencils are having their moment on TikTok and have a long celebrity fan base that includes the likes of Michelle Obama and Richard Branson. Gift a pack to your friends and family and let them be part of the action.
The world’s only plantable pencils, these writing instruments will then sprout into vegetables, edible herbs, flowers and even Christmas trees, all from just a tiny pencil. Multi-functional and completely biodegradable.
Buy now £8.95, Amazon
Archivist Luxury Matches
While posh scented candles are likely out of the Secret Santa budget, related accessories are not. Wrap up this beautifully decorated box of matches and watch their face light up.
Buy now £7.00, Not Another Bill
Bundaberg Ginger Beer 4 X 375ml
Best for: dark rum
All the way from Down Under, this ginger beer is practically an Aussie national treasure, and for good reason. Housed in 375ml glass bottles, it’s a refreshingly sweet-spicy drink that hits the spot on a sweltering day. Expect big flavour from locally picked ginger and sugarcane that’s been brewed for three days, in line with the family-run company’s handed-down recipes. It’s an excellent partner to dark rum, though make no mistake - Bundaberg can more than hold its own.
Buy now £6.20, Tesco
Graham & Green Star Ceramic Candle Holder
When in doubt, head to Graham & Green. The beautifully curated store usually teeters on the pricier end of the spectrum, but these playful star candle holders are an affordable and highly coveted gift for friends and family.
Buy now £6.50, Graham & Green
Best Secret Santa gifts under £5
Ulster Weavers Cities London Map Tea Towel, Multi
People may have their unique set of needs and requirements, but there’s one thing that unites us all - doing the dishes. As a gift, then, a well-chosen tea towel is the perfect crowd-pleaser, useful for all kinds of kitchens. Ulster Weavers’ bright and beautiful tea towel will appeal to the proud Londoner, with the city mapped out in sweet illustrations all over. It’s practically a work of art.
Buy now £5.00, John Lewis
HOWDAH Bombay Mix 150g
Who needs crisps when you can feast on delicious and moreish handfuls of the best Bombay Mix in town? Howdah’s combination gets the likes of peanuts, lentils, chickpea flour noodles and more involved, all coated in a winning spice mix that will have you coming back for more.
The company is part of a 1 for 1 charity initiative, pledging a free school meal for every packet bought. Now that’s a win-win situation if we ever heard one.
Buy now £2.50, Ocado
Himalayan Pink Salt, Selected by Maldon 250g
Secret Santa gifts at less than a fiver are challenging by any means, but it doesn't mean you can't give something a little special. Yes, it's salt, but it's Maldon, which we all know to be the Rolls Royce of salts. And this box contains Himalayan pink salt, which gives it gift-worthy status. Use the rest of the budget on extra special gift wrapping or a nice card.
Buy now £2.50, Ocado
Graham & Green Gold Shell Trinket Dish
Add an interesting detail to their dressing table with this treasure trove of trinkets. The delicate gold shell dish is ideal for housing small jewels for everyday use. Fusing ornamentation and function, this gilded gift is an easy win.
Buy now £4.95, Graham & Green
Tajin Mini 10 x 10g Bottles
For lovers of spice, slipping a bottle of Mexico's famous Tajin into their stocking could make their Christmas. This versatile seasoning can be used in so many ways it's hard to count, from rimming festive Margarita glasses to drizzling over sliced fruit (tropical varieties like watermelon, mango and pineapple get the best results). This mini 10g bottle means they can tuck it into their pocket for spiciness on the go. Sold in a 10 pack (working ou to £3.90 each) means you can split it up and distribute amongst your favourite people - or just hoard the lion's share for yourself.
Buy now £39.00, MexGrocer
