Posted on Nov 17, 2021

68 Useful Stocking Stuffers They're Sure To Really Appreciate

Sorry but red wine–specific stain remover and a hair-finishing cream are better than the toothbrush your dad always gets OK. (OK a toothbrush is practical, so thank you dad.)

by Elizabeth Lilly

BuzzFeed Staff

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

What a year! The holidays are finally here! And while we’re doing our best to make sure the products we feature will arrive in time, shipping times are especially tricky this year, so we suggest shopping as early as you can.

Stock and shipping times can vary depending on where you live, which product you purchase, and more. So order earlier than you think you need to and be sure to double-check the retailers’ websites for shipping information to ensure that your gift will arrive in time for when you need it.

1. A 12-pack of water bottle-cleaning tablets to make sure everyone's go-to container actually gets cleaned. (Cleaning water bottles is hard!)

before, during, after pics of tablets cleaning a stained thermos

2. A five-pack of Disney princess socks because socks will forever be a useful gift. You know what's not useful? Cold feet!

3. Or a pair of yummy socks that, once you purchase them, provides meals to people during crisis with World Central Kitchen. Talk about a multi-tasking gift!

4. A red wine stain remover in a mini size that can work on soooo many other stains too.

reviewer pic of red wine all over blanket

same reviewer's pic with the wine stain gone

5. And on the flip side, some wine drops that are meant to cut down on the stuff that makes you have wine hangovers.

person dropping the wine drops into a glass of wine

6. A Bite Away gadget for treating insect bites and stings with a 3- or 5-second setting to help relieve itching, pain, and swelling. Where has this been my whole life with my sweet, sweet blood that attracts mosquitoes?

person using pen-like device on their arm

7. A shampoo bar for the person who's already sworn to live a zero-waste life in 2022. Or realistically, cut down a bit of plastic use. Or even more realistically, cut down on single-use plastics for their toiletries.

reviewer with nice hair that uses the shampoo bar

8. A deck of snazzy playing cards because everyone should have a good deck of cards on hand for traveling, passing the time, whatever!

9. Butterfly-shape sticky traps that'll look cute while they ensnare fungus gnats, fruit flies, plus other nuisances that are wreaking havoc on houseplants.

reviewer pic of fruit fly trap in shape of a butterfly in a plant

reviewer's pic of the bug trap with lots of fruit flies on it

10. And a 3-in-1 plant moisture meter to help 'em better care for their plant babies, whether they're a plant newbie or a seasoned pro.

11. A Glossier Balm Dotcom trio so they can give this fan-fave a spin in a variety of flavors.

12. Clay mask sticks they can use to more or less draw on the part of their face they want to address instead of dirtying their hands.

13. A cleaning pen that'll gently revive the look of their jewels that they DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE have grown cloudy over time. Don't worry, it's made with micro-fine cleansers, polishing agents, and a polymer for a pro-level shine at the price of your morning coffee order.

reviewer's cloudy before pic of ring, then gleaming after

14. A rechargeable hand warmer with double-sided heat and three different heat settings because their feet and hands are always freezing.

A model with a pink warmer in their hand

The oval shaped hand warmers in pink, black, blue, and orange with a button on top of each to adjust heat setting

15. A milk frother to help them whip up all the delish coffee drinks they're always sending you on Instagram and TikTok.

a reviewer's red frother next to a mug of matcha

16. A phone lamp to corral their phone's flashlight in times of need... even while camping!

17. A set of phone camera lenses they'll be able to use for amazing vacation photos that only look like they had to lug around hefty camera equipment to achieve.

reviewer's beautiful landscape pic taken with the camera lens kit

18. Reusable dress weights to prevent your household's dress stan from having a Marilyn-like moment. It happens! But it doesn't have to happen.

person showing the dress weight inside the hem of a dress

19. A masked Dwight bottle opener to scare off other people from swiping one of their beers.

bottle opener with The Office's dwight wearing the CPR dummy's face mask

20. A tactical writing pen with a point that'll break glass or serve as a weapon against an attacker if ya' need it to. This takes the pen being a sword to a whole other level. Hopefully you'll use it for writing considerably more often than breaking glass.

hand using the pen smashing glass with the pen

21. A houseplant collection of bookmarks to help them keep their page in the books they just got for the holidays that they're reading all at once.

four bookmarks that look like houseplants marking pages

22. Silicone beer savers for keeping a six-pack of the good stuff fresh in case of emergencies.

23. Biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes for anyone who's trying to create a little less waste.

24. And coconut oil-coated floss to leave them scratching their head. But then they'll have squeaky clean teeth and that's more important.

25. A selfie ring light for finding their perfect light.

a reviewer showing how they look before and after using the light

26. A compact travel jewelry box that'll help any style obsessive keep their baubles in order.

27. And some earring-lifting backs so they don't have to fight the droopy look while wearing their fave baubles.

showing the difference between a heavy earring without and then with the lifter

28. Some super soothing eye patches I personally use and love. They're great for travel and when I use them at home I pop them in the fridge for a few minutes before I use them.

29. A cooling towel that'll help anyone who finds themselves overheating — regardless of the reason.

A person wringing out a microfiber towel with water dripping out of it

30. A hair finishing cream on a mascara-like wand for helping slick back those baby hairs and flyaways before their next video conference call.

before and after pics of person with hair in bun with lots of wisps as before and slick look as after

31. A ~secretive~ brush where they can stash some cash as a little extra insurance both at home and on journeys.

round hairbrush with part inside for stashing cash

32. And a trio of mini Wet Brushes to help tame the wildest of tangles.

33. Or! A detangling brush made for folks with 3a–4c hair types who've more or less resigned to super painful brushing. As reviewers point out, it doesn't have to be the case!

reviewer's pic of kid's super curly hair

34. Mini screwdrivers that'll become indispensible in their tool kit for eyeglasses, appliances, and lots of other essential bits.

person using the screwdriver on a toy car

35. Stainless-steel straws and a cleaning tool so their at-home iced coffee obsession won't create an island of plastic straws in the ocean. Also the steel just makes the coffee taste even colder!!

36. Or if they're into a more flexible solution, a 10-pack of silicone straws they can even cut to size for their to-go tumbler of choice.

hand holding a bunch of the silicone straws

37. An acne patch that'll be far gentler on their surrounding skin than drying spot treatments of yore. Hydrocolloid, tea tree oil, and calendula oil do the deed in drawing out fluids and pus with results you can see.

reviewer pic of breakouts before using patch

38. A five-pack of wallet-size multitools anyone and everyone could use.

the credit card shape multitool in a wallet pocket

39. A magnifying LED makeup mirror they can tuck into a bag and use to turn a flat surface into a vanity.

40. A dry shampoo any busy (or lazy) person will greatly appreciate for the extra sleeping time it'll buy 'em.

41. A three-pack of Tide To Go pens because they'll always be grateful they have one on them.

42. A cheerful tea infuser to help feed a tea-lover's habit.

elephant looking tea diffuser in a tea cup

43. A spare pair of earbuds because these tiny things we rely on so heavily are incredibly easy to lose and these can be their backup! AND these round jacks will fit into the ports on airplanes for those long-haul flights.

44. An earbuds holder so sharp, it won't be forgotten!

45. And a phone adapter case to help 'em hang onto that small but helpful dangle.

46. A rechargeable lighter for the candle fiend who also can't get enough gadgets (two things can be the truth at once!). Lighter fluid? I don't know her.

47. A cuticle oil that'll do their personal beauty counter, cuticles, and skin good.

reviewer's hand holding the bottle of cuticle oil

reviewer's long healthy looking nails and cuticles

48. A trio of glitzy ballpoint pens so it'll be so much easier for them to find a pen in their purse when they need one.

person writing with the metallic pen that has a giant fake diamond at the top

49. A tweezer keychain made for babes with long talons who've still gotta use their credit cards. This'll help them pull their card in and out as needed, and let them get on with their day.

person using a pair of tweezers on a keychain to pull a credit card in and out of a parking meter

50. Nearly invisible earplugs that'll reduce extra noise at concerts, loud events, and more! Anyone who plans their social life around music festivals needs a pair.

person wearing the ear plugs but are barely detectable

51. A bottle of V.I.Poo for deadening treacherous toilet smells before they can happen.

52. A pack of moldable glue they could use a million different ways around the house, from corralling wires to sealing cracks in rain boots to mounting hardware on tile walls.

bathroom tile surround with caddy mounted on wall with the moldable glue

53. Hair oil to add some shine to 3a–4c curls without making hair feel greasy. The secret? Australian Kakadu plum.

Model wearing the hair oil with short curls

54. A teeth-whitening pen in case they've been mulling over paying for a pro whitening treatment at the dentist. This is even easier than whitening strips!

Reviewer before and after showing the pen noticeably whitened their yellow teeth

55. A four-pack of soap sheet travel boxes plus 200 sheets of soap to throw in their bag or pocket. Where were these the dozens of times I've washed my hands with just water in a dive bar bathroom?!

several sheets of soap fanned out beside of the travel container

56. Cute lil' teabag holders that'll stick around as helpers.

tea mug with the snail shape holders on the edge to tie your tea bag string around

57. A beet and fresno hot sauce can doctor up most anything they already have at home. Condiments make the world go 'round.

bottle of hot sauce with chicken nuggets

58. A tub of O'Keeffe's hand cream as a serious dose of moisture for dry, cracked hands. Anyone who you do any hand-holding with will certainly appreciate the tactile improvement.

reviewer's before pic of very dry hands, then after pic of moisturized looking hands

59. A Bagnet, aka a magnetized purse hook-type thing that'll let them hang their purse on a metal bathroom stall, bar stool, or any other metal place so they don't have to put their nice bag on the floor. (ICK!)

three people with bagnet keychains on their purses

60. A beard balm for eliminating itch and beardruff, and giving 'em the most magnificent facial hair in their damn life.

person with a well manicured beard that uses the balm

61. A four-pack of cat butt coasters as a conversation starter that'll protect nice tabletops.

crochet coasters that look like cat butts

62. A six-pack of reusable ziplock bags that'll stand up as you fill them. Whom amongst us hasn't wished for an extra set of hands in the kitchen?!

63. A 13-pack of beautifully packaged sheet masks to tuck into everyone's stocking for a family pampering pic later.

64. A TubShroom anyone with tons of hair (like this writer) will appreciate sooo much. Seriously, they'll split their life between before and after TubShroom.

reviewer pic of pet hair on the tubshroom

another reviewer's pic of a whole bunch of hair on the tubshroom

65. An incredibly moisturizing moisturizer for working wonders on dry lips, faces, hands, cuticles, feet, elbows or knees. Really wherever!

66. A trio of no-crease hair ties that won't betray the person who spends waaaay too much time on their long locks.

67. A phone wallet slim enough to fit in their coat pocket.

the rose gold stick on wallet on back of phone case

68. And a four-pack of Starbucks gift cards so everyone has something to do once they get restless from being in the house together for too long.

When they see what Santa left in their stocking:

Giphy / Via giphy.com

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.