It’s exhausting to pinpoint the most effective items on your family members, particularly if they’ve utilitarian tastes or let you know they don’t need extra stuff. That’s the place a helpful reward is available in—a.okay.a. a considerate, inventive current that isn’t merely ornamental, doesn’t add litter, and is possibly one thing they by no means knew they wanted. Whereas there are a ton of purposeful gadgets that technically fall beneath this umbrella (suppose: socks, cellphone chargers, and reward playing cards), these can generally be so meh they wind up gathering mud, getting regifted, or thrown in a donation field. They’re wise, certain, however do they encourage real delight and appreciation? Arguably not! We suggest focusing as a substitute on really distinctive items for your loved ones, companions, pals, coworkers, and even your self. From time-savers to tech devices, we’ve scoured retailers like Amazon, Unusual Items, Nordstrom, REI, and Goal to spherical up sensible items that also really feel particular (a lot of that are beneath $25 or beneath $50).

For extra current picks, try all the finest reward concepts of 2023.