52 Best Christmas Gifts 2024: Early Ideas for This Year’s Holiday Shopping

CNET’s James Bricknell swears by this handy clip-on strainer: “Many home cooks have tried to balance a pot lid so that it’s open just enough to pour water or oil through, but not enough to let the food fall out. Sometimes, it works; often, it doesn’t. This cool little gadget makes that entire process easier by clipping to the edge of your pot or pan and acting like a colander to strain off liquid without losing the most important part — your delicious food.”

This silicone popcorn maker not only comes with handles (which means no more burning your fingers on a glass one), but it also comes in a wide variety of fun colors. It’s easy to use, and it’s collapsible for convenient storage.

If you know someone who likes the scented showers at spas, they’ll love these shower steamers, which takes aromatherapy to the next level. The Purple Set of steamers comes in a six-pack of scents, including mint, eucalyptus and lavender, and will transform their shower into a soothing, spa-like setting. A friend gave me a pack for my birthday and I quickly got hooked.     

Gift the artist in your life a set of these premium colored pencils. Great for school, or just for doodling.

There are two types of people in the world — those who can easily open a bottle of wine and those who have a bit more trouble. If your gift recipient falls into the latter category, this electric wine opener is for them. CNET’s Macy Meyer loves the Rabbit Electric Wine Opener because of how easy it is to use. “I mean, all you really do is fit the electric corkscrew onto the top of your wine bottle, hold down the lower button until it stops making a noise, then you simply hold down the upper button until it again stops making noise and voila!” Plus, one charge can open more than 30 bottles of wine. Speaking of which, you can always add some additional wine gifts to this present or enroll them in a wine club so they can get a lot of practice using their new Rabbit opener.

Still have that relative who hasn’t signed up for Netflix because they don’t have any way to watch it on their TV? Or maybe their smart TV interface is so bad that they want to throw their remote at it — we get it. Gift them this. The Roku Express 4K Plus made our pick for best streaming device overall, and for good reason. It has a large library of apps and a friendly interface that’s easy to navigate. In fact, your giftee can simply ask the remote to find the shows or movies they want.

This is a great game for all ages (even younger players). Each player’s monster (like Godzilla or King Kong) tries to gain control of Tokyo through dice rolling and a whole lot of high-jinks. It’s a high-paced hilarious game that’s fun for everyone. Plus, it made our pick for CNET’s best family game overall.

This French press is not only eye-catching with its sleek glass carafe and polished stainless steel, but it’s also a CNET best French press pick. It earned that title for brewing strong, richly flavored coffee. Plus, it comes in an array of colors, from black to copper to gold.

An AirTag would make a great gift for any Apple fan in your life, especially those who tend to lose track of where they put things. These little item trackers can be slipped into luggage, backpacks and wallets or attached to keys, bikes and more. (Here are some other creative ways to use AirTags.)

Whether you know someone who just moved into a new home or have some friends who are always hosting parties, a charcuterie platter is a great gift. This one has slots for crackers and nuts and an area for the fruit and cheese. It also comes with four little stainless steel knives that hide away when they aren’t in use.

Keep this one on the counter. Enjoy fluffy Belgian waffles with a crisp finish — every time — with the Ninja Waffle Maker Pro. The space-saving vertical design is engineered to heat evenly for consistent results, and it’s nonstick for easy cleanup. Plus, with five shade settings, everyone in the family gets the waffle they want. Pass the syrup, please!

If you think your giftee could use a weighted robe instead of a blanket — or perhaps both — this one by Hush is for them. Not only is it super soft and easy to clean, but the 3-pound weighted insert in the collar is removable. Insert or not, they will love this robe as much as we do.

Air fryers are still one of the most popular kitchen appliances for the holiday season, and the best of the best is the Ninja 4-quart air fryer. It’s ranked as CNET’s best air fryer overall because it’s powerful, easy to operate and under $100. It also produced the best chicken wings, according to testing from CNET’s David Watsky. Whether your giftee wants to try out a batch or make something else, this Ninja model is the cooking companion they didn’t know they needed.  

These weighted wrist and ankle bracelets are not only great when you’re going for a walk or run but also give you a light workout even when you’re doing housework.

If your giftee is into smart technology – like they’re an avid Alexa or Google Home user — they’ll probably appreciate this Govee Floor Lamp. When CNET’s James Bricknell needed something other than a smart bulb in his living room, he picked this lamp and has been impressed. “What I enjoy about this lamp is its low profile: You can barely see it, just a small base and a thin line of metal. The focus is on the light rather than the structure,” he explains.

While it may not be a traditional electronics gift, any electronics enthusiast would love to have one of these framed devices on their wall. Grid Studio takes apart old devices and frames them with the insides laid out for everyone to see. There are previous-gen iPhone models, Android phones and even some retro handheld gaming consoles. Prices start at $99.

If you’re trying to find a space-saving Keurig for someone on your gift list, the K-Mini is perfect — and also comes in a striking red color. Plus, it made our best Keurig coffee makers for 2024 round-up. 

We all have that friend or family member who thinks they’re allergic to something but cannot figure out what. Well, now you can help them solve the mystery by getting them an Everlywell food sensitivity test. It’ll test up to 96 different foods — like seeds, spices and seafood — to show them how their body reacts to them. It’s fascinating — and could change their life.

What do you get the serious home chef who likes to tinker in the kitchen any chance they get? Some extra bells and whistles, of course. The Ooni Koda pizza oven has a devoted following, and for good reason. It can reach up to 950 degrees, cook a 12-inch pizza in 60 seconds, and can even cook steaks, fish, vegetables — anything really. That alone makes it a culinary gadget to covet.

The Theragun Elite is our pick for the best massage gun overall because it’s powerful, comfortable and easy to use for a wide range of people. It comes with five attachments for targeting different areas, and you can customize the speed and strength to your liking or use preset treatments. 

These West & Willow pet portraits are perfect for the dog (and animal) lovers in your life. I ordered one for a former boss – and she still talks about it being one of her favorite gifts ever. They’re also hand-illustrated — no filters or apps are used in the creative process — which makes them even more unique.

The whiskey lovers in your life will love this gift, which is both practical and personal. Not only will they get an engraved decanter but also a set of matching glasses. (And hopefully you’ll get an invite to join them in trying it out.)

Dollar Shave Club continues to be popular and for good reason — affordable products and happy customers. Although it started as a razor subscription service, it’s now so much more, providing clients with everything from men’s shaving and grooming products to skincare and oral care. The starter kit — which includes four, six-blade razors, a handle, a razor cover and shave butter — is only $5. Dollar Shave Club also made our pick for the best shave club for 2024, and one of our female editors said she’s used the razors, too.

This is literally the gift that keeps on giving since whomever you gift it to will surely benefit. A one-month subscription is $15 and the person will receive one book credit. Or, you can buy them a few months at once.