The ten greatest white elephant presents value combating over for 2025

The ten greatest white elephant presents value combating over for 2025

Last Updated: December 15, 2025By

You probably have a white elephant reward alternate at work this 12 months or with family and friends, there’s a very good probability you’re scrambling proper now to discover a good reward — or decipher what even makes a very good white elephant reward. The potential origins of the time period “white elephant” present a method of it: In response to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a much more devious punishment than merely having them executed. The recipient had no selection however to easily thank the king for such an opulent reward, understanding that they doubtless couldn’t afford the maintenance for such an animal. It could inevitably make them monetary damage.

Whether or not or not that story is true, it offers us a method of a white elephant reward: one thing simply helpful or amusing sufficient that it gained’t instantly get tossed into the trash, however can also be considerably of a burden. Nevertheless, there are many different methods of decoding this unusual but pleasant custom. Some compete to get a present that others will certainly wish to steal, whereas others scavenge for essentially the most area of interest and focused gag presents. Nearly all of them, although, sometimes have a worth restrict that retains the burden of reward giving to a minimal — normally $50 or much less. So with all of that in thoughts, listed below are some white elephant reward concepts that can get you a couple of chuckles with out requiring you to spend an excessive amount of (or assume too onerous about it).

Finest white elephant reward concepts

KFC / Enviro-Log

The perfect white elephant presents are those that create a little bit of intrigue as quickly as they enter the reward pile. And a full-size, 4.3-pound firelog wrapped in vacation paper is unattainable not to note. It should virtually actually dwarf each different reward that’s up for grabs, and can immediate infinite questions and hypothesis about what may very well be within the bizarre, surprisingly heavy field.

The truth that the comically-large field holds a KFC fried chicken-scented firelog makes the entire gag much more amusing. I’ve a gasoline fire at residence, so I, sadly, do not know what the KFC 11 Herbs and Spices firelog truly smells like. Many on-line opinions declare it smells “precisely” like the within of a KFC. Whether or not that’s interesting to you or not most likely is determined by your affinity for the Colonel. However I can not consider a extra pleasant reward to bestow on somebody who simply actually needed to see what was inside the massive, heavy field. — Karissa Bell, Senior Reporter

$40 at Amazon

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OCOOPA

A present anybody can admire is the reward of heat, and a pair of those magnetic hand heaters is likely one of the cutest (and most handy) methods to offer that. They’re rechargeable little pucks that can be utilized caught collectively or individually to heat up frozen fingers through the winter — or actually, any time of the 12 months. They warmth up tremendous quick (actually, inside seconds) and can last as long as eight hours every on a single cost. They’ll even be nice for many who insist they by no means get chilly as a result of they’re so small and compact that they will use them stealthily of their coat pockets, with nobody the wiser. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

$24 at Amazon

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WANIDEA

Our desks are cluttered and boring, however this lovely little rechargeable mild can brighten issues up. The chibi flame contained in the old-school kerosene lamp determine is manufactured from silicone, so it’s simply as squishy as it’s cute, and it has two lighting modes: candlelight and evening mild. The delicate, heat hue it emits might be nice for setting the temper in your house, and its dimmable so you will get simply the correct amount of sunshine to your style. — V.P.

$15 at Amazon

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Etsfmoa

What’s higher than a heat and comfy beanie? A heat and comfy beanie that additionally helps you see higher whenever you’re strolling the canine on a chilly, darkish, winter morning, going for a night jog or rummaging for a selected instrument in your storage. This unisex beanie has a detachable mild on its entrance edge that has 4 LEDs inside and might run for as much as eight hours on a single cost. And when it wants extra juice, you possibly can merely take the sunshine fixture off, recharge it and pop it again into the hat. — V.P.

$14 at Amazon

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Magic Puzzle Firm

I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of jigsaw puzzles, however the items of artwork the Magic Puzzle Firm makes so that you can assemble are a delight. For starters, every has beautiful and distinctive art work — whereas there are a selection of artists who’ve contributed to the corporate’s puzzle lineup, all of them really feel associated, full of shade, whimsy and a bunch of secrets and techniques you’ll discover as you construct. The puzzle items themselves are high-quality and stable, one thing that goes a good distance in the direction of making a puzzle enjoyable to place collectively.

However my favourite half is the truth that when you end the principle puzzle, you’re not carried out. Every has sections that may slide round after you are carried out, which opens up a brand new center space to be crammed in with a bonus part of items. This new addition seamlessly matches into the puzzle and expands on its story. It’s onerous to explain, nevertheless it’s not like something I’ve seen in different puzzles. I’m fairly agnostic about my puzzle-makers, however I’m itching to get my fingers on extra from the Magic Puzzle Firm and discover their secrets and techniques. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Editor

$23 at Amazon

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ChopSabers

Is there actually any level to sushi or noodle evening if you happen to’re not consuming your meals with utensils protected by The Drive? No. The reply is not any. These lightsaber chopsticks glow in numerous colours with simply the press of a button and include included batteries so your giftee can get proper to defending their plates from the forces of evil. Positive, they are going to be a success amongst Star Wars fanatics, however anybody can discover pleasure in a pair of extra-powerful chopsticks with which to have impromptu “meals fights” in between bites of sashimi. — V.P.

$15 at Amazon

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Native Union

Native Union is a French equipment firm that made its identify greater than a decade in the past with the Pop Cellphone. It was an outsized, old-school phone handset designed to plug into iPhones again when the world nonetheless felt a shiver of hope. It helped embody that transient interval once we have been utilizing outdated pictures filters on our social media photos, mixing the previous and the brand new. Now, the corporate has re-released the Pop cellphone with USB-C, letting you hook it as much as any cellphone or machine you’d care to take calls on. The audio high quality is greater than high-quality, and it’s most likely extra of an eye catching assertion piece in 2025 than it was in 2015. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Reporter

$40 at Amazon

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Aimeizi

Who doesn’t need their lounge to appear to be a galaxy far, far-off? Your giftee may need to battle their younger kids (or others in your reward alternate) for this galaxy projector, which shines totally different mild results up onto the ceiling with adjustable brightness and pace. They’ll use it to realize the right vibe for his or her subsequent Star Wars binge watch occasion, or to soothingly usher themselves to sleep on a nightly foundation. Along with an included distant and a companion app, the projector has a timer too to allow them to set it to show off simply as they go to sleep. The cell app will allow them to customise all facets of their private house area, from its nebula and twinkling results, to the swirling colours, to the music that they pair with it (sure, there’s a speaker in-built as properly). Overlook these boring previous smart light bulbs — this galaxy projector is the good machine that can level-up anybody’s residence atmosphere. — V.P.

$18 at Amazon

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Engadget

The Banana Phone is strictly what you’d count on it to be — a banana that’s additionally a cellphone. It may not have a SIM card or a service plan hooked up to it, however your giftee can pair it with their smartphone through Bluetooth to allow them to ditch that drained, $1,000+ handset and begin taking calls the appropriate method — with a bit of fruit. Along with taking and making calls, they will additionally use the Banana Cellphone with the Google Assistant and Siri, to ask in regards to the climate or inform it to “Play Merciless Summer time by Bananarama.” Sure, the Banana Cellphone additionally works as a Bluetooth speaker and has a 30-foot vary, so it may possibly play tunes at any time when they’re not utilizing it to conduct official enterprise. — V.P.

$40 at Amazon

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Clocky

If the aim of a White Elephant reward is to be a type of low-key torture, then the Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels is likely to be the best White Elephant reward of all time. (Properly, aside from these weirdos who get up at 4:30 AM each day bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.) It’s an alarm clock that, in case your giftee tries to hit the snooze button, runs away from them persevering with to beep, telling them in no unsure phrases it’s time to stand up. And each morning, they’ll stumble off the bed drowsily cursing your identify. – Terrence O’Brien, Former Managing Editor

$30 at Amazon

White elephant FAQs

What’s white elephant?

A white elephant reward alternate is a celebration recreation sometimes performed across the holidays during which individuals alternate humorous, impractical presents.

How does white elephant work?

A gaggle of individuals every carry one wrapped reward to the white elephant reward alternate, and every reward is usually of an analogous worth. All presents are then positioned collectively and the group decides the order during which they’ll every declare a present. The primary particular person picks a white elephant reward from the pile, unwraps it and their flip ends. The next gamers can both resolve to unwrap one other reward and declare it as their very own, or steal a present from somebody who has already taken a flip. The foundations can differ from there, together with the rules round how typically a single merchandise will be stolen — some say twice, max. The sport ends when each particular person has a white elephant reward.

Why is it known as white elephant?

The time period “white elephant” is alleged to come back from the legend of the King of Siam gifting white elephants to courtiers who upset him. Whereas it looks like a lavish reward on its face, the assumption is that the courtiers could be ruined by the animal’s repairs prices.

Take a look at the remainder of our gift ideas right here.


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