If there ever was a group of people that deserve to be shown some gratitude, it’s teachers. So, when the holidays roll around, it only makes sense that you’d want to honor all their hard work with a token of your appreciation. But what makes a great gift for teachers? There are a number of ways you can go about buying a gift for the teacher(s) in your life— you can get them a great
self-care gift
or
something personalized
, or if you’re on a budget and/or buying for many teachers at once you may want to opt for a
present that’s under $25
.
We chose every on this list with the intention of either delighting your teacher, making their job a bit easier or helping them unwind or relax. Everything is either highly rated, an NBC Select reader favorite or a staff pick or from a brand we’ve covered before.
SKIP AHEAD
The best teacher gifts in 2024
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Why trust NBC Select?
Selected.
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Best overallUltimate Aromatherapy Diffuser & Essential Oil Set
$26.95$49.99Amazon
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Best splurgeCricut Joy Machine
$129.99$149.00Amazon
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Best desk accessoryVornado Flippi V6 Personal Air Circulator Fan
$undefined$19.99Amazon
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Best gift cardUberEats eGift Card
$undefined$50.00Uber Eats
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The best teacher gifts in 2024
Lululemon Everywhere Bag Nano
Lululemon Everywhere Bag Nano
This compact bag — which is smaller than an iPhone — can fit an earbuds case, keys, lip balm or a small tin of mints. It has a ring that they can clip to the strap of their crossbody bag,
backpack
or purse, so they don’t have to rummage around to find their essentials. They can also customize it by adding their own keychain or tassel.
Apple AirTag
Apple AirTag
AirTags
make keeping track of personal items easy, so your child’s favorite teacher can always know the location of their luggage or keys. Once they attach one to their desired item, the tags useBluetooth to send signals to nearby iPhones, so they can locate their items. They’re about the size of a nickel and also come in a
pack of four
if you prefer to give more than one or buy them for a few teachers at once.
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug
The
Ember Mug2
is a high-tech mug that lets users control its temperature so they can keep their coffee hot — at their precise, desired temperature — for extended periods of time. They can pick from temps between 120 degrees and 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and they control it by downloading the accompanying app.
Ultimate Aromatherapy Diffuser and Essential Oil Set
Ultimate Aromatherapy Diffuser & Essential Oil Set
This highly rated diffuser has a 4.5-star average from more than 63,870 reviews on Amazon and can help fill any classroom with peaceful, energizing or refreshing scents. It has seven ambient light modes and four timer settings. There is also an auto shutoff feature when water levels are low. This set comes with 10 different essential oils — including tea tree, lavender, lemongrass and more.
Tea Forté Petite Presentation Box Tea-Tasting Assortment
Tea Forté Petite Presentation Box Tea Tasting Assortment
This assorted collection includes 10 popular blends like Earl Grey, chamomile citron and ginger lemongrass, with aromatic fruits, spices and herbs. NBC Select’s updates editor
Mili Godio
gifted this set to her mom, who teaches elementary school students, and says her mom loves the taste of the teas, as well as the fun triangular shape of the tea bags.
Staples Gift Card
Staples Gift Card $25
Unfortunately, many teachers have to stock up their classroom using their own money. A gift card to Staples can help them buy what they need without having to use their own savings.
TopDesign Tote Bag
TopDesign Tote Bag
On any given night, you may find teachers carrying home their personal items, a laptop, papers to grade and more. So, why not give them a cute and functional tote to help make all that lugging a bit easier? This one, which has a 4.6-star average rating from more than 5,500 reviews on Amazon, is made from machine-washable canvas and zips shut. It has an outer slit pocket and comes in 16 different colors so you can easily find one the recipient will appreciate.
Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Barnes & Noble Gift Card
They can use this to stock up on the latest popular thrillers to read in their spare time or to buy books for the classroom. They can redeem it in-store at Barnes & Noble cafes, too, allowing them to choose whether they want to use it on books or coffee.
Reliancer Grading Teacher Stamp Set
Reliancer Grading Teacher Stamp Set
These stamps help deliver messages in an upbeat, friendly way — and save teachers time from having to write on papers they’re grading or handing out. The set comes with eight pre-inked stamps, each of which has a different message — like “Excellent!” and “Great effort!” and “Let’s work together on this one!” The stamps also come in a carry tray, making it easy to keep them all organized in a desk drawer.
UberEats eGift Card
UberEats eGift Card
After a long day in the classroom, going home to cook dinner can sometimes feel like too much. An UberEats gift card eases that stress. You can choose a custom amount or buy a predetermined amount ranging from $15 to $500 and can also add a gift message and select what day you want the card to appear in their inbox. (Amazon sends it via e-mail).
Yeti Rambler 10-Ounce Stackable Mug
Yeti Rambler 10-Ounce Stackable Mug
There’s nothing worse than grabbing your cup of coffee and finding that your brew has gone cold. This travel mug from
NBC Select editor-favorite brand Yeti
can keep beverages hot (or cold) for hours, according to the brand. I’ve been using it for the past several years in my home office — pouring myself a cup of coffee in the morning and finding that it’s still warm around lunch time if I haven’t managed to suck it all down. The mug also comes with the brand’s signature MagSafe slider lid that locks to prevent spilling.
Cricut Joy Machine
Cricut Joy Machine
The Cricut Joy can help teachers have fun with some new projects both in and out of the classroom. The smart DIY crafting machine lets users design their own logos, designs and doodles and then prints them out via cardstock, vinyl decals, iron-on materials and more that they can then add to water bottles, laptops or bags to personalize them. It’s 3.9 pounds, according to Cricut, so it isn’t very heavy, and has app compatibility, too. NBC Select commerce editor
Cory Fernandez
uses a similar
Cricut model
, which the brand sent him, and loves how easy and quickly it makes monograms and other designs.
Vornado Flippi V6 Desk Fan
Vornado Flippi V6 Personal Air Circulator Fan
No matter what time of year it is, classrooms can get stuffy. The Flippi V6 fan from Vornado has two speeds, an adjustable tilting head and a manual swivel base. “I bought this fan years ago to keep on my desk at work and I still use it almost every day. It’s powerful enough to cool me off in the warmer months, or when I’m overheating after taking my big winter jacket off,” says NBC Select associate updates editor
Zoe Malin
. “It’s more attractive than most personal fans since it comes in so many colors, so I don’t mind keeping it out all the time. I also convinced many of my co-workers to buy one.”
Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Spray
Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Spray
Some of the best gifts are the ones that upgrade your giftee’s daily essentials, which is why we love this “fancy” hand sanitizer from Touchland. “These are the only hand sanitizers I use,” says NBC Select commerce editor
Lindsay Schneider
. “They don’t dry out my skin and I love the way they smell. The spray bottle is also really functional, I like that there’s no cap that I have to worry about falling off in my bag or desk drawer.”
Ban.do Magnetic Colorblock Calendar
Ban.do Magnetic Colorblock Calendar
Practical doesn’t have to mean boring. This dry-erase calendar has a brightly color-blocked grid and a magnetic back so they can stick it anywhere a magnet can go. There are blank spots at the top in each grid so they can fill in the month and dates.
Owala Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler
Owala Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler
Owala makes some of our
favorite reusable water bottles
. This tumbler from the brand holds 40-ounces of liquid and can keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours, according to Owala. “My Owala never leaves my desk at work,” says Fernandez. “It’s the perfect size to keep me hydrated throughout the day, but isn’t too clunky or heavy to tote around. I also love the multi-tone options Owala offers for all of its reusable water bottles.”
Borderier Keychain Bracelet Keychain
Borderier Keychain Bracelet Keychain
Reminiscent of traditional friendship bracelets, this key chain features a bracelet-like design with the word “teach.” The silicone beads are soft and brightly colored and there’s also a pink faux leather tassel and a glittery pencil charm to add to the teaching theme. It comes with a key ring and a carabiner, allowing them to easily attach it to their car keys or classroom keys.
Odistar Desk Vacuum
Odistar Desk Vacuum
Lunch crumbs, stray glitter from a craft and pencil shavings don’t stand a chance against this mini desk vacuum. This cordless desk vacuum fits in your palm and has strong suction to remove particles from your desk, according to the brand. It has a USB rechargeable battery and a single charge will get you up to 400 minutes of use.
Retro Radio Shape Tissue Cover Box
Retro Radio Shape Tissue Cover Box
Help them dress up any tissue box with this retro-inspired cover. It’s designed to look like an old radio — complete with a faux speaker and knobs to change the imaginary channel— and comes in three colors.
Moleskine Classic Notebook
Moleskine Classic Notebook
“I believe everyone needs at least one Moleskine notebook in their life,” says Fernandez. “They’re functional just like any other journal or notepad, but the cover material and the flexible band that fastens it make it feel more upscale.” You can get them in four sizes and choose from ruled, dotted, square, plain or mixed (ruled and plain) pages.
Why trust NBC Select?
Bethany Heitman is a
writer for NBC Select
and a journalist who has been covering beauty, style and home, and writing gift guides for nearly 20 years. For this article, I included highly rated products and items from brands we’ve previously covered.
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