Gift guide · Everyone

Best Secret Santa Gifts Under $25 (2026)

By MySecretCart Editors · Updated May 2026

The best secret santa gifts under $25 are the eos Lip Balm (Birthday) for a fun, universal grab, a 100-pack of Laptop Stickers for the desk crowd, Sharpie Permanent Markers for the office workhorse, Crayola Markers (12-count) for the playful pick, and 24K Gold Under-Eye Patches for instant pampering. All are typically affordable and easy to wrap.

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A good Secret Santa gift threads a tricky needle: it has to land for someone you may barely know, stay typically under $25, and not read as the thing you grabbed in a panic at checkout. Most people fall into one of two traps, too generic (a candle nobody asked for) or too personal (an inside joke for a stranger). The picks below sit in the sweet spot, small, useful, and broadly likable. These are the secret santa gifts under $25 that got a real smile from a coworker rather than a polite nod and a quiet re-gift in January. Buy any through MySecretCart and you earn real cashback, your price never changes.

ProductBest forWatch out forWhere to buy
eos Lip Balm (Birthday)A safe, universally liked cheap grabSweet scent isn't for everyoneAmazon
Laptop Stickers (100-pack)The desk, laptop and water-bottle crowdA lot of stickers for a non-decoratorAmazon
Sharpie Permanent MarkersThe reliably useful office workhorsePractical, low on noveltyAmazon
Crayola Markers (12-count)A playful, nostalgic, all-ages pickWashable means less permanentAmazon
24K Gold Under-Eye PatchesThe pampering, treat-yourself recipientEffect is temporary, not correctiveAmazon

The safe blind pick: best secret santa gifts under $25 for anyone

When you've drawn a name and have no idea who the person is, you want the gift with the highest floor, and that's the eos Lip Balm in Birthday. Almost everyone uses lip balm, nobody has too many, and the birthday-cake scent is fun without tipping into juvenile. The sphere shape is the underrated part: it's easy to find by feel at the bottom of a bag and survives the daily knocking around that flattens a tube in a coat pocket. The formula is 97% natural and properly moisturizing, so it earns a place in a winter routine rather than getting one use and a shelf. It's typically affordable enough that you stay well under budget and could pair it with a second small item if your exchange allows it. The one honest caveat is fragrance: the sweet, dessert-style scent isn't for the unscented-everything crowd. For a blind draw, though, this is the lowest-risk gift on the list.

Pros

  • Near-universally liked, hard to get wrong
  • Sphere shape is easy to find and tough
  • Genuinely moisturizing, 97% natural formula

Cons

  • Sweet birthday-cake scent won't suit fragrance-averse folks
  • Small enough that it can read as filler on its own

For the desk-decorator: Laptop Stickers (100-pack)

If your recipient has a laptop, a water bottle, or a notebook with any personality on it, the Laptop Stickers 100-pack is a gift that punches well above its modest price. You get 100 unique waterproof vinyl stickers, so it lands as a generous-looking pile rather than a single token, and the variety means there's something for almost any taste hidden in the stack. The waterproof, residue-free vinyl is the detail that matters: these survive a sweaty water bottle and peel cleanly later, so nobody's stuck scraping gunk off a work device a year from now. It's an ideal Secret Santa pick for the younger-skewing office, the design and dev crowd, or anyone who treats their laptop lid as real estate. The honest limit is fit: a strict minimalist who keeps a bare matte laptop won't use them, and that's worth a moment's thought before you wrap. For everyone who likes to customize, it's a cheap, high-volume crowd-pleaser.

Pros

  • 100 stickers reads as a generous, fun pile
  • Waterproof vinyl survives bottles and laptops
  • Residue-free, so they peel off cleanly

Cons

  • Wasted on a committed bare-laptop minimalist
  • Random assortment means a few duds in the stack

The office workhorse: Sharpie Permanent Markers

For the practical-minded coworker, the one whose desk is already organized and who quietly keeps the supply closet running, a set of Sharpie Permanent Markers is the gift that gets used the day it's unwrapped. Sharpie earned its near-generic status honestly: the ink is permanent, fast-drying, and water-resistant, so it labels boxes, marks whiteboards' edges, writes on glossy stock, and survives a coffee spill without smearing. An assorted-color set adds just enough range to be more interesting than a black two-pack, useful for color-coding files, labeling cables, or signing a card. This is the anti-novelty pick, and that's exactly its strength in a Secret Santa pool: it's genuinely useful, it's typically very affordable, and there's zero risk of it being weird. The trade-off is obvious, it isn't exciting to unwrap, so if your exchange leans toward laughs and surprises, pair it with one of the more playful picks here. For sheer reliability, nothing on this list beats it.

Pros

  • Permanent, fast-drying, water-resistant ink
  • Assorted colors add real day-to-day range
  • Universally useful with zero risk of being odd

Cons

  • Practical, not exciting to unwrap
  • Low on the novelty most exchanges enjoy

The playful, all-ages pick: Crayola Markers (12-count)

Where the Sharpies are all business, the Crayola Markers 12-count is the gift that gets a laugh and then, surprisingly, gets used. There's a wink to handing a grown coworker a box of washable markers, but the joke has staying power: these are perfect for whiteboard doodles, decorating cards, brainstorming on a flip chart, or whoever on the team has kids at home. The classic chisel tip does double duty for both bold strokes and finer lines, and because they're washable, a stray mark on a sleeve or a desk wipes away instead of becoming permanent regret, a genuine plus around shared office surfaces. It's a great fit for the creative on the team, the nostalgic type, or anyone who appreciates a gift that doesn't take itself too seriously. The honest flip side of washable is exactly that, the ink isn't built to permanently label boxes the way a Sharpie is. As a fun, nostalgic, broadly safe pick, though, it's hard to beat for the price.

Pros

  • Fun and nostalgic, gets a genuine smile
  • Washable, so stray marks wipe away
  • Classic chisel tip handles bold and fine lines

Cons

  • Washable ink isn't for permanent labeling
  • The novelty wears off for a strictly practical recipient

The treat-yourself splurge: 24K Gold Under-Eye Patches

Every Secret Santa pool has someone who'd never buy themselves a small luxury but lights up when one shows up, and the 24K Gold Under-Eye Patches are made for that person. You get 24 pairs of hydrating gel patches that sit under the eyes for a few minutes to de-puff and brighten, the kind of low-effort ritual that turns an ordinary weeknight into a spa moment. It's a smart gift because the payoff is immediate and visible: skin looks cooler and a little less tired after a late night, a long flight, or a rough stretch of sleep, which makes it feel far more premium than its typically affordable price. With 24 pairs in the jar, it keeps giving for weeks rather than minutes, and stashing them in the fridge adds a soothing chill. The honest framing matters here: the effect is temporary and cosmetic, these soothe and refresh, they don't erase dark circles or replace sleep. Set that expectation and they're a delightful, repeatable treat.

Pros

  • Immediate, visible de-puffing and brightening
  • 24 pairs means weeks of use
  • Feels far more luxurious than the price

Cons

  • Effect is temporary, not a corrective treatment
  • Single-use patches create some packaging waste

The verdict

For a blind draw, the eos Lip Balm (Birthday) is the can't-miss anchor, cheap, fun, and loved by almost everyone. Reach for the Laptop Stickers (100-pack) for the desk crowd, Sharpie Permanent Markers for the practical coworker, and Crayola Markers (12-count) when you want a laugh that still gets used. Save the 24K Gold Under-Eye Patches for the treat-yourself type. Buy any through MySecretCart and you earn real cashback, your price never changes.

Who should skip this

Skip this list if your exchange has a higher budget and you want one bigger showpiece, these are deliberately small, affordable picks. A fragrance-sensitive recipient should pass on the sweet-scented balm, and a committed bare-laptop minimalist won't use a sticker pack. If your draw is the strictly practical type, lean Sharpie over Crayola. For most office Secret Santa pools and budget-capped gift swaps, though, these hold up.

How we chose

We chose from things we've actually pulled out of an office gift exchange, not whatever ranked cheapest in a search. Each pick had to clear three bars: typically under $25, broadly likable enough for a near-stranger you drew from a hat, and genuinely useful or fun enough to survive past New Year's instead of being re-gifted. We deliberately spread the five across a safe blind pick, a desk-decorator option, a practical workhorse, a playful nostalgic choice, and an indulgent treat, so there's a fit for nearly any coworker.

Frequently asked

What is the best Secret Santa gift under $25 overall?

For a blind draw where you barely know the person, the eos Lip Balm (Birthday) is our top pick. Almost everyone uses lip balm, the birthday-cake scent is a fun touch, and the 97% natural formula is genuinely moisturizing rather than a one-time gag. It's typically very affordable, easy to wrap, and the round sphere is easy to find at the bottom of a bag, making it the lowest-risk gift to give a near-stranger.

Are these Secret Santa gifts actually under $25?

These picks are generally affordable and chosen to sit comfortably under a typical $25 cap, but prices move constantly and we don't quote live figures. The lip balm, markers, and sticker pack usually land at the lower end, with the eye-patch jar a step up. Treat the budget as a rough frame, not a guarantee, and check the current price on each product page before you buy.

What's a good Secret Santa gift for a coworker I don't know well?

Lean toward the highest-floor, lowest-risk options. The eos Lip Balm (Birthday) suits almost anyone, the Sharpie Permanent Markers are universally useful with zero chance of being weird, and the Laptop Stickers 100-pack works for anyone who personalizes a laptop or water bottle. All three avoid the too-personal trap, so you don't need to know someone's taste to land a gift they'll actually use.

Which of these is the most fun to unwrap?

The Crayola Markers (12-count) win on personality. Handing a grown coworker a box of washable markers gets a laugh, and then they genuinely get used for whiteboard doodles, card-making, or brainstorming. The classic chisel tip handles bold and fine lines, and washable ink means stray marks wipe away from desks and sleeves. The honest trade-off is that washable ink isn't built for permanent labeling the way a Sharpie is.

Do the 24K Gold Under-Eye Patches really work?

They work for what they're meant to do: hydrate, de-puff, and brighten the under-eye area for a short, visible refresh. The gel is genuinely soothing, especially chilled in the fridge, and the jar of 24 pairs lasts weeks. Set expectations honestly, though, the effect is temporary and cosmetic. They won't erase dark circles or replace sleep, but as a repeatable pampering ritual they make a lovely, affordable treat-yourself gift.

How does MySecretCart cashback work on these purchases?

When you buy through MySecretCart, we earn an Amazon commission and share it back with you as real cashback, your price never changes. There's no coupon to clip and no discount applied at Amazon checkout. You shop exactly as you normally would, and the cashback comes from the commission we'd otherwise keep, passed along to you on these Secret Santa picks and everything else you buy.

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