8 Christmas gifts our shopping editors are buying for friends and family this year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year because Black Friday 2024 was one for the books, but it’s all over! Phew. And now we can put our bargain hunting aside (so to speak) and start looking for Christmas presents for our own friends and family.

As editors, we’re constantly gathering news about the very best products, reviewing the things that are going viral on TikTok, and getting pitches on the latest and greatest discoveries hitting the market. That’s why we view Christmas as our very own Super Bowl this holiday season and look forward to using our insider knowledge to select gifts for our own crew. We know what’s hot and what doesn’t disappoint (in terms of reviews), which gives us a real edge when finding the perfect gifts.

Oh, and while we’re usually all about finding the best deals, sometimes we don’t mind finding something our favorite people will be excited to unwrap and opting for an expensive gift that lives up to its hype (ahem). , Ninja SLUSHi, I’m talking about you) – So you’ll also see some of these more expensive offerings in the list.

Whether you don’t know what to get your partner, sibling, child, cousin or best friend, our team’s family favorites could give you the perfect idea for your own vacation trip.

UGG Funkette slippers

For $130

I’m Ana, the manager of the trading team, and also the aunt of a 21-year-old from Generation Z who is notoriously hard to find. She rarely puts together a Christmas list in time for the holidays and usually says “I don’t know” when asked what she wants. But I know she’ll love these UGG Funkette slippers. You and I have similar tastes and the sold-out, ultra-viral UGG Tasman isn’t really our thing. The chunky platform of the Funkette, paired with the fleece lining and back strap for support, fits her much better.

An oodie

For $67 instead of $95

My boyfriend got me a Snoopy Oodie for Valentine’s Day this year; He’s been stealing mine ever since. I’m finally going to get him one, and he loves playing the Pocket Pokémon Trading Card Game, so this Squirtle Oodie is an obvious choice. I would have bought the Gengar Oodie, but it sold out pretty quickly around Black Friday. He also loves socks, so I’m going to add a pair of these raccoon socks to my cart too.

Apple AirPods 4

For $119 instead of $129

Hello, I’m Dawn, one of the shopping and deals writers on the team. One of the Christmas gifts on my shopping list this year is a pair of Apple AirPods 4 for my mother. If your mom is anything like mine, you’ve most likely experienced her constantly dropping the phone while trying to multitask while talking. Hopefully Apple AirPods will alleviate this annoying problem for you (and for my ears)This allows her to make dinner, fold laundry, and do all the other tasks she likes to do while on the phone, hands-free.

DEWALT radio and hearing protection headphones

For $48 instead of $64

One of the gifts I’m buying my dad for Christmas this year is a pair of DEWALT radio and hearing protection headphones. Not only are these headphones ideal for wearing while mowing the lawn, but they also provide hearing protection for his other garage projects. These DEWALT headphones also feature an easy-to-use LCD display and eight radio presets so he can listen to his favorite music or even permanently connect to another device, like a Walkman (Yes, he still has one).

REDTIGER F9 dashcam

For $68 instead of $90

I’m Victoria, Associate Editor on the Content Innovation team. My mom is a very picky gift recipient, so I’ve learned to ask her in advance what she wants. This year is very different than usual. She asked for a dashcam to protect her car while it is parked out of sight of her home. The street where she lives is so full of cars that she is happy to find a parking space after 6 p.m. She often has to park blocks away, so I chose the REDITGER F9 4K Dash Cam, which has high resolution front and rear cameras and night vision that can capture angles up to 170 degrees to protect her car. The most important feature is Wi-Fi connectivity, so she can sync the cameras with the REDTIGER app and view live videos and past recordings from her phone. Good luck to everyone who comes near my mother’s car now!

Learning Resources Beaker Creatures Monsterglow Lab

For $25 instead of $28

My nephew is a huge fan of Beaker Creatures and my family and I have bought him science kits and pods every Christmas for at least four years. He loves experimenting at playdates and parties with friends and has bred a large collection of tiny creatures from the dissolving pods. This year I’m ordering him the Beaker Creatures Monsterglow Lab from his Amazon wish list. Similar to previous science sets, it includes 10 fun experiments and a textbook that explains how science happens before children’s eyes. However, this particular kit teaches the science behind making things like slime and cobwebs glow in the dark. It also includes collectible glow-in-the-dark Monsterglow creatures that my nephew is dying to add to his collection. I apologize in advance to my sister/my nephew’s mother for the chaos this will most likely cause.

Cookeez Makery Freezy Cakez Playset

Price: $30 instead of $38

I’m Danielle, one of my team’s shopping and deals editors and a mother of three – who has ingrained the toy dreams of 2-year-olds, 5-year-olds and almost 8-year-olds. My daughter is obsessed with it anything that Cookeez Makery bakes. We already have the Pancake Treatz Flip Fryer, Toasty Treatz Toaster, and Cinnamon Treatz Oven, and this holiday season she’s all about the Freezy Cakez refrigerator. She’s been asking about it ever since she saw a commercial for it on YouTube (in September). It works the same as all CM products. You essentially mix the ingredients to create a sticky (but not ruinous) dough that you can shape into a cute little creature using the included mold. Then smooth out the “ice cream” and put it in the fridge. After about 20 seconds you’ll hear a ding and then you’ll be able to take out a shivering (because they’re so cold of course) scented plush pal. My daughter always wants the unicorn and is therefore hoping for the “Strawberry Unicake” edition. But if we’re not lucky enough to get her first choice – and that’s usually the case, LOL – then she has a shot at the Minty Polar Bear or the Tiger Berry Ripple. Both are adorable, I must say.

HOKA Clifton 9 sneakers

Price: $145

Full transparency, I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than $80, at most $90, on a pair of sneakers, but after listening to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from my team members over the last year, I feel ready to splurge on them these GOAT shoes. Not for me, but for my mother. She’s a big walker, that’s how she starts her day. Sometime between 5:30 and 6 a.m., she wakes up, bundles up, and then heads outside for a few quiet miles around her neighborhood. Skechers has always been her favorite brand, but since she reads a lot of our content, she’s mentioned HOKA a few times and asked me if I thought she could do it. I think she can do that, and I also want her to wear something brighter – she’s usually a fan of white or taupe sneakers. I’m going to go with the lightweight and softly padded women’s Clifton 9s in the Sunlit Ocean/Lilac Mist color combination and I think she’ll love them. Our manager Ana says they are her “Ride or Die” sneakers and that she could literally “land on the moon in them.” Because of this glowing recommendation, I’m adding it to my shopping cart as soon as possible.