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Although every wife is different, the idea behind finding a gift for them is usually the same. You want to surprise them, delight them, prove you’ve been listening, and make sure your gift isn’t gathering dust in the back of a cupboard in a few months. Sometimes, ticking all of those boxes seems almost impossible, especially if you’ve been gifting back and forth for years, and your well of ideas is running dry. But luckily, I’m on hand to help.
I’ve combed the Strategist archives, perused numerous stores of note, and rummaged through my mental Rolodex of good presents to put together a list of 60 gift ideas for almost any type of wife who’s interested in just about any activity — from the wife in marathon training to the wife who you met in her indie-sleaze years. With budgets in mind, I’ve also organized the gifts by price, so you should find something that speaks to you. (But if not, check out our big roundup of every holiday gift guide we’ve written this year.) I’ve done a final check on this story, and each gift listed is in stock and will arrive before Christmas. Of course, shipping deadlines can change quickly this time of year, so don’t delay.
Under $25
For the wife with a Wordle streak
If one Wordle a day isn’t quite enough, your wife can tackle these not-too-challenging Times crosswords, recommended to us by literary critic Molly Young.
For the wife who needs a moment to herself
She’ll like these eye patches, which Paris Hilton has used for 15 years. As Hilton told us: “I wear them anytime I’m not in glam or working. On the weekend I’ll be wearing them all day long.”
For the wife who takes no prisoners on game night
One board-game designer told us that Love Letter involves “risk, deduction, and a sliver of luck.” Rounds are short at 20 minutes, and the theme is suitably romantic.
For the White Claw–sipping wife
This super-slim, super-insulated koozie will fit her spiked seltzer of choice like a glove.
[Editor’s note: Order directly from Brumate — and not Amazon — if you want this by Christmas.]
For the wife with a Goodreads goal to beat
This wearable book light paired with noise-canceling headphones makes the perfect gift for the wife who snuggles up with a page-turner while you snore.
For the wife has perfected her martini order
Five Strategist staffers own and swear by this ice tray that “makes perfect little ice cubes that pop out without any struggle,” says writer Arielle Avila.
For the truly mycological wife
This teeny night light cycles between a whole rainbow of shades once plugged in, casting a soothing glow while she drifts off.
For the wife who’s over Jolly Ranchers
A sweet and spicy choice for the true candy aficionado.
For the wife who likes things salty
There is something so indulgent about sprinkling some crunchy Maldon sea salt over whatever it is you’re cooking. John Derian told us he has one on hand at all times.
[Editor’s note: If you’re ordering after the 18th, order from Webstaurant (and not Amazon) to receive this in time for Christmas.]
For the wife who spruces up her takeout
If your wife likes to spruce up a takeaway pizza, then there’s “no better duo for the job” than Zab’s hot sauce, according to our kitchen and dining writer.
For the wife who’s a little yeehaw
A 100 percent cotton bandana, for the wife whose first crush was John Wayne.
For the wife who’s discovered plopping
Wives with a wash-day routine will appreciate our beauty columnist’s beloved hair turban (it reduces drying time and strengthens hair.)
For the wife who says she doesn’t want anything
A set of mother-of-pearl spoons for scooping salt (or caviar) is a truly charming gift.
For the (pet-owning) wife who’d rather cuddle with her fur baby
No fewer than three Strategist dog moms own a version of this yoga blanket, which they say is just as good for snuggling on the couch with their furry friends as it is for picnicking in the park with their human friends.
For the wife who eats lunch over her laptop
This electronics cleaning brush is good for getting into those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies between keys, and Strategist readers love it: It was a best seller during last November’s Black Friday sales.
[Editor’s note: Amazon can’t guarantee that it will deliver this before Christmas, so we recommend ordering from the Container Store if you want it by the 25th.]
Under $50
For the wife who has an entire wardrobe of glasses
For the wife who rubs her glasses more than she wears them, this ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, which also cleans lenses, will have her seeing in 4K.
For the wife who writes her to-do list on a CVS receipt
A Hobonichi Techno planner can restore a sense of order for the wife with a snowballing to-do list. We should know — it’s made its rounds among a dozen Strategist staffers over the years.
For the wife who has her fantasy Met Gala outfit preplanned
She’ll want to plan her outfit around these celestial earrings.
For the wife who prefers visiting MOMA
This colorful little book will brighten up her coffee table and is packed with 40,000 artworks curated by art historian Ferren Gipson.
For the wife with Sephora VIB status
This pillowcase, which may already be on her wish list if she’s into skin care, is made of (skin-care-friendly) 100 percent mulberry silk. (And it’s so nice she’ll never know it was under $30.)
For the wife who knows every word to “Lucky”
Wives who learned the “Oops …” choreo will appreciate Britney’s long-awaited memoir.
For the wife who knows every word to “My Man”
She can tear through Barbra Streisand’s memoir to see if the $20 palazzo pants she recommended to us made the cut.
For the wife with a skin-care fridge
Snail mucin — yes, the slime from snails — is an ingredient your wife is sure to be eyeballing if she’s a skin-care obsessive. Non-early-bird wives will appreciate its under-eye-tackling ingredients too.
For the wife who mists
Nicole Scherzinger loves the “illuminating” effect this French face mist has on her skin.
[Editor’s note: Order from Sephora if you want this gift by Christmas.]
For the wife who longs for the Amalfi Coast
While it won’t turn her kitchen into a balcony over the Tyrrhenian Sea, this moka pot that André Aciman swears by can make her morning espresso feel a bit more Italiano.
For the wife who was wearing drainpipe jeans and a skull scarf when you met
Let her relive her indie-sleaze youth by flipping through this archive of unseen pictures from the aughts, including shots of rising stars like Virgil Abloh and Katy Perry.
For the wife who can’t keep a cactus alive
As well as being immortal, this LEGO centerpiece is customizable.
For the wife who’s never warm enough
This cozy vest is ideal for the wife whose wardrobe is full of Heattech.
[Editor’s note: Avoid the free-delivery option if you want this to arrive before Christmas.]
For the wife who has “guest” candles
This candle is a twofer: 90 hours of sandalwood to burn through and a gorgeous jar at the end.
For the wife who has opinions on saucisson versus salami
This charcuterie board has enough dedicated room for all the cheeses, meats, and chutneys she can haul back from the store.
For the wife who is mourning Jimmy Buffet
Hailee Steinfeld of all people told us about these funky, stemless margarita glasses that she keeps in her home bar.
For the wife who always picks dessert over an appetizer
Her sweet treat will taste even better from these glamorous spoons designed by Miriam Mirri.
Under $100
For the wife who loves to sleep in on weekends
These pajamas are equal parts cotton and modal with a relaxed cut, but they’ll never look sloppy — even if she’s rolling out of bed in the morning.
For the wife who never checks a bag
This pleasingly puffy Baggu nylon tote will squeeze perfectly beneath an airplane seat.
For the wife who always lets you take the window seat
Thanks to its unusual, upright shape, our favorite travel pillow means she can get truly comfortable on an airplane, even if she’s given you the best spot.
For the wife who’s a minimalist
Sleek and simple, this Swatch watch will go with anything.
For the wife with a latte habit
With three modes (hot foam, cold foam, and heated milk), the Chinya will help her to perfect her hot chocolates, matcha lattes, and frothy coffees at home.
For the wife who’s a pickler
This pickleball set is great for the wife who’s been not-so-subtly hinting she wants to get you and the kids involved.
For the wife whose mug collection has seen better days
A set of six colorful Le Creuset mugs is just the type of thing she’d never buy herself.
For the wife who is weighted-blanket-curious
It’s a good option for someone looking to dip their toe into the wide world of weighted blankets. Strategist writer Lauren Ro found it to be ideal for cuddling up with on the sofa.
For the wife who’s Team Edward
Based on a recommendation from the set of Twilight, I recently tested the face packs our beauty columnist first wrote about back in 2017. Just one go left me feeling moisturized, dewy, and glowing.
[Editor’s note: Order from Anthropologie if you want this gift by Christmas.]
For the wife who watches the Great British Baking Show
She’ll enjoy decanting her flour and sugar into these (food-safe) enamel spatterware canisters.
For the wife whose chilly feet demand to be warmed
Don’t complain when her blocks of ice jolt you awake at night — simply find a cozy cashmere solution.
Under $200
For the wife who has too many books
If you’re quickly running out of bookshelf space, store her entire collection inside a Kindle which can hold thousands of titles. Also great for wives who can never wait for their new read to arrive in the mail.
For the wife who never travels light
She’ll need an appropriately capacious bag to lug around her entire ecosystem. This is one of our favorites.
[Editor’s note: Order from Madewell — and not Amazon — if you want this gift by Christmas.]
For the wife who wants loungewear she can Zoom in
Some actually nice loungewear for the comfy — but never frumpy — wife.
For the wife who changes into her robe as soon as she gets home
For the wife who dreams of her own garden
Although it’s slim enough to be slotted on the kitchen counter, this Aerogarden has space for six plants.
For the wife who applied to Top Chef
We think this 15-piece knife set will prove equally as big a hit with the culinary wife as it was with our readers on Black Friday (it was one of our most clicked-on items.)
For the wife who’s training for next year’s marathon
The heated rolling spool of this foot massager can soothe her aching feet before bedtime.
For the wife who has an NYT cooking subscription
Our kitchen writer Emma Wartzman calls the Made In skillet “truly a professional-grade piece of cookware.”
For the wife who grew her hair out this summer
A hairbrush that will be treasured for years to come: Celebrity hairstylist Helen Reavey told us she’s been using hers for over two decades.
For the long-distance wife
The We-Vibe Sync can be used both during sex and as a “fantastic long-distance toy,” says sexual-health educator Archie Bongiovanni.
For the wife who’s a new grandma
We like this easy-to-use digital photo frame so much that we put it in our Strategist 100 — a list of the 100 items we most stand behind.
For the wife whose cacio e pepe is legendary
Each cooking enthusiast our kitchen writer interviewed about this pepper mill says “it’s worth every penny.”
[Editor’s note: Amazon can’t guarantee that it will deliver this before Christmas, so we recommend ordering from Männkitchen if you want it by the 25th.]
Over $200
For the wife who insists vinyl sounds better
If she can’t walk past a record store without making a purchase, she’ll appreciate our best-in-class turntable, modeled after the iconic yet discontinued Technics 1200.
For the wife who reads The Strategist Beauty Brief
The Supersonic is beloved by celebrity stylists and beauty columnists due to its rapid drying time, low-heat settings, and quiet motor. It also has its own adoring fan base on Tiktok, so it’s probably already on her wishlist.
[Editor’s note: Order from Nordstrom if you want this gift by Christmas.]
For the wife who dreams of a wine cellar
She can distinguish a Chardonnay from a Chablis with just one sip — this at-home wine fridge will allow plenty of space for her bottles of premier cru.
For the wife who volunteers at the Park Slope Food Co-Op
All she needs is some outdoor space and she can finally watch her herbs, plants, and produce bloom.
For the wife who can quote every line of Legally Blonde
Reintroduce the flip phone to her life with the snap-shut-able Samsung that “everybody” asks our tech writer about.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
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