60 Useful Gifts That Make Life a Little Easier | 2024 Picks

This keychain transforms into a hook that’ll grip a table or bathroom stall door so you can hang your bag (up to 33 pounds) instead of putting it on a dirty floor. When it’s closed like a carabiner, you can loop it around your backpack or tote strap and attach an umbrella or set of keys to your bag.

Transferring essentials between bags is a huge pain, but this purse organizer can pop in and out of whatever they're toting around. It has plenty of room for their keys, tissues, sunglasses, and, like, eight lip glosses (score!).

They’ll find a way to live in this no-frills sweatshirt once they feel how “super warm and fleecy” it is, as our testers says. It has a kangaroo pocket to store their phone and a deep hood that our tester says she can wear even when her hair is up.

These cozy slippers from Bombas will help your giftee pad around the house when it's cold out. Grippy, slip-proof soles make them a great alternative to other house shoes.

Any miniature enthusiast will freak over this teeny tiny USB-rechargeable vacuum cleaner, which can suck up crumbs and pet hair from their desk or counter.

Sipping a hot bev is all sweet and cozy, until you’re getting up for a third time to nuke it in the microwave. One SELF editor adores Ember’s Smart Mug for keeping her tea and coffee at their individual “sacred temperatures.”

This SELF Fave, pocket-sized fan delivers three levels of serious breeze and can run for weeks on a single charge. Did I mention that it doubles as a phone power bank and a flashlight?

A helpful present for travelers, this wireless keychain magnetically charges their Apple Watch when it runs out of juice.

It's easy to feel like you never need wired headphones again—until you're on a flight that has a movie you and your giftee have been waiting to see. This little splitter lets you connect both headphones to the same screen, so you can watch together.

This rechargeable headlamp is handy on a hiking trip, sure, but also during a power outage, on a late-night dog walk, or while searching for lost stuff under a dresser.

Everything they need for a home-cooked meal will arrive right to their door with this SELF Certified meal kit. Each week, they get to pick which recipes they want to try, so dinner doesn’t feel stale with the same old dishes. The best part: The instructions are easy to follow, even if they’re not the most seasoned cook.

Pasta lovers will lose their noodles over this adjustable strainer, which snaps onto the top of any pot, pan, or bowl. Unlike a standard colander, it’s easy to store thanks to its slim shape.

Rather than wasting lots of plastic wrap on your half-eaten tomato or avocado, your giftee can use these reusable “huggers” next time they slice into a fruit or veg. They’re made of flexible silicone that creates a seal around foods to keep them fresh for the future.

Whether they can’t start the day without iced coffee or are somehow stuck with a room-temp glass of wine, they can turn to this SELF Fave device, which chills any hot beverage in under a minute.

Your foodie friend can swap out the lid of any olive oil, vinegar, or dressing with this dual spout—one side dispenses a light drizzle and the other lets out a stronger stream to douse their dish.

Throw kernels into this SELF Fave bowl, stick it in the microwave with the vented lid on, and bam—delicious popcorn is ready in just a few minutes. It’s also collapsable for easy storage.

This triangular container is way easier to squeeze into the fridge than a bulky pizza box. It’s reusable, collapsible, and divided into a stack of five separate trays that keep slices from sticking together.

These non-stick mats are made of oven-safe silicone, so your friend whose love language is cookies can use them bake after bake. As a bonus, they can pop them in the dishwasher between uses.

This little dude clings to any stirring utensil to make sure it doesn’t slide down into the pot. It’s heat- and steam-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about the silicone melting against the side of a scalding hot bowl. Plus, it doubles as a spoon rest.

This pasta-shaped lemon squeezer is strategically designed to strain out seeds while keeping the juice from squirting everywhere. And, uh, it’s cute as hell.

When you use the average knife on fridge-fresh cold butter, you’ll inevitably wind up with chunks that squish into (and tear) the bread. This stainless-steel knife solves that issue: Its wide blade has a built-in grater that spreads finely-shaved butter smoothly onto bread.

Help them be their own barista with this do-it-all countertop frother from Nespresso. It makes two types of hot foam (airy or dense) and cold froth for iced drinks. If they're not a coffee lover, they can also use it to blend hot chocolate and matcha.

Exactly what your friend needs: a pot stirrer. Yes, a literal pot stirrer that sits in a pan with simmering, low-heat liquid and automatically mixes the contents. This cool device leaves them free to do a gazillion other things (prep ingredients or pour a glass of wine, say).

They’ll always have fresh greens on hand with this countertop indoor garden. The LED unit helps them grow up to six plants (including herbs, veggies, and flowers) and even tells them when it’s time to add water and plant food.

Being able to cook eggs is a crucial kitchen skill—but some methods are harder than others. To take guesswork out of poaching the perfect egg, they can crack one into these colorful cups and then place it in a shallow bath of simmering water for a delicious breakfast, every time.

Gift a set of fancy olive oils, and you know it’ll get some love—and won’t be left to gather dust on the counter. This 2024 SELF Pantry Award–winning duo packed flavor into every dish our testers added it to. “The light one for drizzling was SPICY, and all I needed for some crusty bread—it really packed a wallop. The heavier one for cooking made a chicken parm sing. It was the only tweak to my usual recipe, and it made an enormous difference,” one tester said.

You might recognize this as the gadget that made a woman cry with relief on TikTok. The SELF Fave heated massager works wonders on the neck, shoulders, and back, with eight nodes that rotate to knead sore muscles. “I can’t describe how good this massager feels! It’s like having a personal masseuse,” one Amazon reviewer raved.

Slide this nifty metal tool around the body of a nearly-empty toothpaste or lotion tube, twist it down toward the cap, and marvel at how much is still left in that “empty” container.

Another Healthy Home Awards winner, this portable humidifier can sit on top of their desk or nightstand to hydrate dry skin (or help a cold feel a little less nasty). One tester wrote: “While this humidifier is small, I noticed my skin felt significantly less dry once I started using it consistently, and it’s tiny enough that I can even travel with it.”

The ergonomic cushion is made of sturdy foam and has a curve that one SELF editor loves because it cradles her head “and keeps me from waking up with a neck I can’t turn,” she says.

The only downside to a reusable water bottle is having to lug it around once it’s empty. But this Stojo collapses when it’s finished, freeing up precious backpack space.

Slick your fave cream or serum onto these patches and press them under your eyes for a self-care moment. Unlike other eye masks, you can wash these with hand soap, then use them again and again.

Anyone who hates shaving needs to try this hair removal tool. All they have to do is rub the glass side against their dry skin in circular motions and their hair will just…fall off! “I have thick, dark hair that grows SO fast (like a day after shaving), and I have NEVER seen my skin look this hairless,” one 2024 Healthy Beauty Award tester said.

Dry hands cower when they see these 2024 Healthy Beauty Award–winning Aquaphor masks coming. They have hydrating ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, and panthenol, and they fit snugly on your hands so you can wear them overnight or while you lie around and watch TV.

They can use this cute scalp scrubber to work shampoo into their roots or give themselves a nice head massage in the shower. “The teeth have just enough give to be gentle while still getting the job done,” one 2024 Healthy Beauty Award tester said. “The minimal design makes it super easy to clean with no nooks or crannies to worry about.”

We’re kinda obsessed with this 2024 SELF Healthy Home Award–winning soap that smells exactly like fresh basil and citrus. “The small things truly make a difference, and this hand soap is a perfect example of that. Suddenly, the most mundane task is a sensory delight,” one tester wrote. “Everyone washes their hands (we hope), so you know it’ll go to good use.

Sometimes, air freshener can only do so much. That’s where these Healthy Home Award–winning dissolvable tablets come in. They’re small enough to sit on the back of their toilet or in their purse for peace of mind. “It sounds strange, but these pods made going number two more pleasant,” one tester said. “You can’t even see your mess, because the foam provides a barrier that stops bad smells.” Side note: You should probably only give these to someone you’re close enough to make a poop joke around.

This caddy slides between your mattress and bed frame to hold whatever you want it to: reading glasses, TV remote, journal, meds, vibrator—the list goes on. It’s just as decorative as it is practical, with a colorful patchwork quilt design.

One former SELF editor caved and bought this stone bath mat after a friend kept raving about it, and now she gets the hype. “It dries within seconds, looks stylish, and—most importantly—eliminates the need to wash heavy fabric mats (or to smell them, for that matter),” she said.

There seriously should be a word for products that are as pretty as they are useful, like this candle warmer that looks like a chic lamp. It’ll melt the wax of whatever candle you put under it—no actual fire required—to help make your home smell delish. Even better, reviewers say their candles last longer under the bulb than when they burned the wicks.

This storage caddy mounts to the wall and holds toothbrushes, drinking cups, floss, and whatever else you need right by the sink. It even has a built-in dispenser that squeezes out toothpaste. “I have a small bathroom with zero counter space (a bottle of hand soap won’t even fit on my sink). After doing an Amazon deep dive, I found this helpful holder,” one SELF editor said.

Help them cut back on paper waste with a roll of washable cotton towels that fits onto standard holders (and comes printed with pretty patterns).

Now that I own an electric lighter, I’ll never go back to using one that needs lighter fluid (and inevitably doesn’t have enough of it when I try to light my emotional-support candle). According to the brand, this little device can light 500 wicks per charge.

If their car is basically a second home, they can set up their laptop, lunch, or makeup on this handy tray (which attaches to a car steering wheel) to pass the time. One Amazon reviewer says it helps them get work done while waiting in the school pickup line. “I've always had trouble finding a comfortable position to sit in so I am actually able to type well. This solves that problem!” they wrote.

This fabric filler fits into the sliver of space between the car seat and the armrest, thus blocking phones, keys, and crumbs from disappearing into the gap.

This organizer caddy clips to their car’s air vent and stows their phone, sunglasses, and chargers.

This pillow wraps around the neck and has added support on one side to keep the wearer’s head propped up at a position that won’t leave them aching after a nap. To make their life easier, it has a machine washable cover, and is “not bulky whatsoever,” according to one Amazon shopper. “It’s small enough to fit in my purse,” they wrote in a review.

SELF’s art director said she bought this mesh bag for her husband so he could store his work clothes while biking to the office. He loves that it fits inside his backpack, is water-resistant, and has an easy-to-hang loop to keep it off the ground.

A packable puffer is a great travel jacket to have on hand, but the Nellie from Halfdays takes the efficiency factor up a few notches. This lightweight nylon number transforms into a travel pillow, so your giftee can snooze soundly while they're on the go.

These packing cubes will help them stay organized during their next trip—and fit more clothes in their carry-on: When zipped tight, the bags can compress down by two inches.

Ever watch your giftee try to de-wrinkle a dress using their hair straightener? Been there! The packable Nori Press Travel Iron looks similar, but has six fabric-specific heat settings (I'd like to see their old ConAir do that).

This lightweight SELF Outdoor Award–winning LifeStraw effectively (and quickly) filters out bacteria and parasites to produce clean drinking water anywhere—making it a marvelous camping gift or hiking gift.

The same brand that makes our favorite pocket-size fan (scroll up to read more about it!) also makes this palm-size hand warmer, which is rechargeable, heats up to 140 degrees within three seconds, and fits in your pocket. It also functions as a power bank!

One SELF editor recommends keeping this mini waterproof blanket on you for spur-of-the-moment outdoor hangs. It’s big enough for one person to sit on, has built-in corner stakes to keep it from flapping around on windy days, and stuffs into a keychain bag when not in use.

Your loved one might think all umbrellas are the same, but they’ll sing a different tune after trying this one. “The dome shape keeps me covered from rain, and the transparent panels mean I can actually see where I’m walking,” one SELF editor said.

This multitool has 16 (!!!) functions, including a screwdriver, wrench, bike wrench, wire stripper, and bottle opener. The best part? It’s only about the size of a key, so they can throw it on almost any carabiner or lanyard.

There are a lot of water bottles out there, but this one is special: It’s insulated to keep water cold for hours, and there’s a stash compartment for credit cards, AirPods, car keys, or any other tiny necessities.

As an alternative to using wipes, pooch parents can add water to this cup-like device, stick their pup’s paw inside, and twist to clean.