The Best Gifts For The People Who Say, "Don't Buy Me Anything"

From gourmet hot chocolate to rechargeable batteries, from Olaplex to Airpods, these are the gifts that will even delight those hard-to-please people on your list.

By Megan Gray Dec 06, 2023 2:00 PMTags
shop_dont buy me anything_heroE! News Illustration/Photos Courtesy of Amazon, LEGO, Milk Bar, Hanni

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Holiday shopping isn't an easy task – too many people, not enough time. And there's always someone who is really hard to buy gifts for, someone who is usually the last name on your list. For me, it's usually the person (my mom) who says, "Don't buy me any gifts" or "I don't need anything" or "I don't want anything." If you have a similar loved one, then you're in luck, because I've searched through the Internet, message boards, and enlisted the advice of friends, to put together this guide of crowd-pleasing items. I've found the best gifts that even the person who doesn't want gifts will accept. 

Now when people say they don't want gifts, they still might have other traits that would help in choosing the right gift. For the practical person in your life, there's a portable air compressor so they can inflate their tires whenever they need to. For the foodie, we've got a renowned finishing salt that's regarded for its high-quality taste and texture. For the beauty lover, there's a hair repair treatment with over 95,000 5-star reviews. For the techie, there's a mini Theragun so they can get a massage wherever they go. For the trendy person, we've got a TikTok-famous glass set with straws and bamboo lids. And, so much more.

Keep on scrolling for the best gifts for that person who says they don't want gifts. They might just turn into the person who says, "I only want gifts from you."

For the Practical

AstroAI Portable Air Compressor

If you're shopping for someone with a car, there's nothing more practical than this portable air compressor that can inflate your tires in minutes, and check your tire's air pressure. It's easy to use, features an LED flashlight for when it's dark, and is powered by the car's auxiliary power outlet.

Amarcado Ceramic Match Holder with Striker

Decorative and practical, these two match holders are made of ceramic and feature a striker on the underside for lighting. Have a match handy whenever and wherever you need it. Matches are sold separately, but you can grab some here.

Swedish Wholesale Swedish DishCloths

When you have this 10-pack of Swedish dishcloths around, you can ditch the roll of paper towels. According to the brand, they can absorb up to 20x their weight in liquid, so they're ultra-absorbent, plus they're reusable and can be tossed in the washing machine when they need a refresh.

Amazon Basics Multi-Angle Portable Stand

This portable stand is less than $9 and makes a great stocking stuffer. It can be adjusted for multiple angles and can hold a 4 to 10-inch tablet or phone. Plus, it easily folds so you can take it anywhere or store it in a drawer when you're not using it.

Justay Winter Socks, 5 Pairs

You can't go wrong with a cozy pair of socks. This five-pack features a vintage Nordic design with a wool blend that's comfortable, warm, and irresistible.

Skywin Laundry Soap Station

POV: you're doing your laundry and lugging a heavy bottle of detergent, one of those ones with a spout. It's hard to maneuver and it's always dripping. Well, that's in the past when you have this soap station. It's a ramp that holds your detergent at an angle and features a drip tray so any messes are contained. To put it bluntly, it's amazing.

Energizer Rechargeable AA and AAA Battery Charger

Everyone has something that runs on batteries -- whether it be a remote or a flashlight. With this Energizer battery charger, your loved one can use and reuse both AA and AAA batteries. It takes five hours to fully charge four batteries, and comes with four AA batteries to get you started.

BeeGreen Shopping Bags Reusable Grocery Tote Bags, 6-Pack

If you're buying something at a store, having a bag handy is always convenient. With these reusable bags, you'll always have one available. There's six in a pack and they fold up into a small pouch, so you can leave one in your bag, pocket, car, wherever.

For the Foodie

Jacques Torres Chocolate Classic Hot Chocolate

If you're looking for a decadent, chocolatey gift, than this cannister of Jacques Torres hot chocolate is a stellar choice. It's made with premium Belgian dark bittersweet chocolate and stirs into any liquid (water, milk, almond milk, and more). Yum.

The Cookie Favs Tin

This tin of Milk Bar cookies is so tasty, you'll want to keep it for yourself (or leave some out for Santa). It includes individually wrapped Compost Cookies, Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies, Confetti Cookies, and Chocolate Confetti Cookies -- three of each flavor. They're soft, chewy, and yummy.

imarku Japanese Chef Knife

A good knife is always welcome in the kitchen. This 8-inch chef's knife cuts, dices, slices, and chops with ease and is comfortable to handle. Plus, it's 43% off on Amazon, so it's also a great deal.

Maldon Salt, Sea Salt Flakes

When it comes to salt, Maldon sea salt flakes are the GOAT. They have a pyramid-shape and bring full-bodied texture and flavor to dishes. It's perfect as a finishing salt on dishes and one reviewer reported, "It seems to make every one of my dishes taste better. Excellent, flaky, perfect taste and fresh."

For the Beauty Lover

Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 Repairing Treatment

With over 95,000 5-star reviews, Olaplex is a game-changer when it comes to hair repair. Just apply generously to wet hair once a week, leave it in for 10 minutes, and rinse. This fan raved, "This repairing treatment has revitalized and restored my hair to its former healthy and lustrous state."

read
The Best Gifts For The Coffee, Tea & Matcha Lover Who Just Needs More Caffeine

Tocca Wonders Collection

If you're shopping for someone who likes to smell amazing, but also likes to mix things up, this Tocca collection is a solid pick. It comes with six perfume bottles with floral and citrus scents that are elegant and romantic. And since the bottles are only 5 milliliters each, your loved one can mix-and-match for a short period of time and isn't stuck with heavy bottles.

Hanni x Machete Holiday Set

When you mix Hanni skincare with Machete stylish hair accessories, you get the hard-to-resist Hanni x Machete Holiday Set. It comes with Hanni's water balm -- just spritz it on your face, rub it in, and it feels more moisturizing and soothing than some lotions (and smells so fresh) -- plus a trendy Machete claw clip. Anyone on your list will say, "yes, please."

K'lani Hair Tie Bracelet

Are they hair ties or are they bracelets? Surprise, they're both! These super cute bands look great on your wrists and they're strong enough to hold back any kind of hair. You get five in a pack and they come in several pretty styles to choose from.

For the Tech Lover

Apple AirPods (2nd Generation)

Who wouldn't like a pair of Apple AirPods? They're easy to sync, give you wireless listening, and come with a charging case that gives you 24 hours of listening time. One reviewer reported, "The hype is legit."

Theragun Mini Massage Gun

Compact and portable, the Theragun mini massager is easy to slip into any stocking for a slam dunk of a present. It comes with three foam attachments, it's easy to hold and can conveniently target sore muscles or tension.

Fitbit Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker

If the person on your list likes gadgets and is looking to get a little more activity in their life, a Fitbit is a great choice. It has 10 hours of battery life and can track their steps, distance, hourly activity and calories burned, plus give them some stats on their sleep and provide the time. You can also connect it to an app for notifications and in-depth results.

For the Trendsetter

Modern Art

With this modern art set from LEGO, you're giving someone a gift that you can do together and then they can hang on the wall or leave on their desk as a great memory. It includes 802 pieces, includes a hanger element for displaying, and is a trendy abstract masterpiece.

ban.do Large 12-Month Soft Cover Planner

Is this 12-month planner perfect for the Gen-Z person in your life? Bet. It has a large softcover design and features so many cute stickers and pages that you'll want to fill it up. There's lots of room for day, weekly, and monthly planning, plus areas for to-do lists, reflections, and more.

Cocofloss Holiday Set

Flavors like Gelato Affogato, Dark Chocolate, Apple Cinnamon and Confetti Cake make flossing your teeth a joy. Thanks, Cocofloss. These flosses are easy to use, infused with antibacterial coconut oil (that's also soothing)so they feel good on your gums, and make a fantastic stocking stuffer.

Scoozee Glass Coffee Cups with Bamboo Lids and Straws, Set of 4

If your loved one's on TikTok, they're sure to have seen these sleek Scoozee glass cups. They're perfect for matcha lattes, whipped coffee, and homemade bob tea and come with four cups, lids, straws, straw cleaners, and handy coasters. Plus, they're BPA-free, recyclable, and dishwasher-safe.

Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Spray, 3-Pack

Loved by celebs and TikTok, these Touchland hand sanitizer sprays will also surely be loved by the person on your list. They have a sleek design that's easy to toss in a bag or a glove compartment, and they smell delicious, too. 

Still shopping for more people on your list? Then check out this gift guide for coffee, tea and matcha lovers!