Buying for a coworker is a balancing act. Go too personal and you make someone you mostly see on Zoom feel awkward. Go too generic and your gift joins the branded stress balls at the back of a drawer. The sweet spot is the thing that earns a permanent spot on their desk and gets a laugh every time someone walks past.
We went through our catalog and picked 20 gifts for coworkers you can buy today: for a birthday, a send-off, a new hire, Secret Santa or the office Christmas party. They are sorted by budget, from under $15 to group gifts, and most of them lean funny, because the office could use it.
The short version
- Best funny gift under $15: the Not My Job self-inking stamp, in red ink, for that task nobody claims.
- For the coworker who complains a lot: the world's smallest violin, with bow, stand and case.
- Best desk gift for anyone: the clapping monkey tape dispenser. Everyone will come to borrow tape.
- Most useful: the HOTO mini desk vacuum, which gets crumbs out of keyboards in seconds.
- Best group gift for a send-off: the Oregon Trail handheld or the giant Edison bulb lamp.
How to pick a gift for a coworker
- Keep it about work. A gift that lives on a desk or makes the workday better never misses. Save perfume, clothes and jewelry for coworkers who have become real friends.
- Funny, but everyone has to get the joke. Office gifts are often opened in front of the team. A joke that lands in three seconds beats an inside reference only two people understand, and nothing that could read as a dig at the person.
- Match the budget to the occasion. A small gift for a birthday or a thank-you; a group collection for a farewell, a retirement, a baby or a wedding. Our prices were checked on Amazon.com in October 2026 and they move, so check before you buy.
Funny gifts for coworkers under $15
For a thank-you, a birthday or a welcome, the idea matters more than the price tag.
Tetris heat-changing mug – about $4
A plain black 10 oz mug until you pour in hot coffee, when falling Tetris blocks appear. Officially licensed by Paladone. Hand wash only and not microwave safe, so it is better for the break room than the office microwave.
Not My Job stamp – about $10
A self-inking stamp that prints NOT MY JOB in bold red, with a clear mount so the verdict lands exactly where you aim it. The gift for the coworker who gets every orphaned task, and the one that will get passed around the whole floor.
Infinity cube – about $10
Eight blocks linked with steel rivets that fold and refold endlessly with one hand, in total silence. For the coworker who clicks pens through every meeting: everyone around them will thank you.
What If? by Randall Munroe – about $10
The xkcd creator answers absurd hypothetical questions with real physics and stick-figure comics, in a 352-page hardcover. For the coworker who always asks "but what would happen if…" in meetings.
World's smallest violin – about $13
A polished wooden violin just under 4 inches long, with four strings, a bow, a display stand and a velvet-lined case. The perfect response to the coworker who treats every minor inconvenience like a tragedy, and a desk ornament they will actually keep.
Cat meow prank device – about $13
A slim noise maker with adhesive backing that meows at random every 3 to 15 minutes. Hide it under a desk and watch the search party. Best for teams with a sense of humor, and for a single afternoon, not a whole week.
Office gifts under $30
The most common range for an office birthday or a gift from two or three people. These all stay on the desk and remind them who gave it all year.
Pure White Hell jigsaw puzzle – about $17
1,000 micro pieces in solid white, no picture, finishing at about 15 x 10 inches. Leave it on the break room table: everyone adds a few pieces on the way to the coffee machine, and the team finishes it together. Or doesn't.
Wilson Cast Away volleyball – about $19
The official replica of the ball that kept Tom Hanks company, in real pro size. For the coworker stranded at the far end of the office, or the one heading off to work from home.
Clapping monkey tape dispenser – about $19
Pull the tape and the monkey claps its cymbals. It has a weighted, non-slip banana base for one-handed use and takes rolls up to 3/4 inch. It will become an office landmark within a day.
Wearable blanket hoodie – about $23
A reversible sherpa and microfleece hoodie in one oversized size, with a big front pocket and a phone slot. For the coworker who works in a jacket because someone keeps the AC at 66°F, or for the remote worker's home office.
Master Yoda bookend – about $23
The metal support hides inside the first book, so it looks like Yoda is holding them up with the Force. It holds about seven books: ideal for a shelf of binders and manuals that needed some magic.
Minecraft grass block alarm clock – about $24
An officially licensed grass block that lights up, shows the time, day and month, and plays the game's sunrise music as the alarm. On a desk it tells the whole team the time; at home it gets the gamer on your team to the morning stand-up.
Kikkerland log pillow – about $28
A micro-bead cushion printed like a freshly cut log, 14 x 6 inches, soft and travel-friendly. For the coworker who sneaks a power nap at lunch or always flies to the client meetings.
Luckies scratch-off world map – about $29
The original scratch map: scrape off the copper foil on every country you have visited and a colorful world appears. It arrives in a gift tube. For the coworker who plans their next trip during every meeting.
Kodak Charmera keychain camera – about $30
A real mini digicam that clips to keys, shoots photos and video with frames and filters, and comes as a blind box with six designs plus a secret edition. Perfect for the office party photographer. A micro SD card is not included.
Gifts for coworkers under $50
Musical Tesla coil – about $39
A desktop Tesla coil about 4 inches across that plays music through real electric arcs. For the engineer or science fan on the team; run it away from computers and other electronics.
The Clearly Impossible Puzzle – about $40
A clear jigsaw with no picture, false edge and corner pieces, and every piece different, made in the USA. It is the next level up from the white puzzle, for the coworker who finishes the Sunday crossword on Monday morning.
HOTO mini desk vacuum – about $45
A 0.78 lb cordless tool that vacuums and blows, with up to 15,000 Pa in boost mode and a crevice brush. It clears crumbs from a keyboard and dust from a PC in seconds. The useful gift for the coworker who eats lunch at their desk.
Group gifts for a farewell or retirement
When someone leaves, retires or gets promoted, the team usually chips in. Pooling the money opens up gifts people would not buy for themselves.
Oregon Trail handheld game – about $114
The 80s computer game, with authentic graphics and sounds, in a handheld with three AA batteries included. A send-off gift for the coworker who grew up in the school computer lab, with a card that says "may you never die of dysentery."
Kenroy giant Edison bulb lamp – about $125
An 18-inch hand-blown glass shade shaped like an oversized bulb, on an antique brass base, with a vintage LED bulb included. The farewell gift for the person whose ideas lit up every meeting.
Gifts for coworkers by occasion
- Birthday: a gift under $15, or the Tetris mug filled with their favorite candy.
- New hire or new job: something for an empty desk, like the clapping monkey or the Yoda bookend.
- Farewell or retirement: a group gift like the Oregon Trail handheld, the Edison bulb lamp or the scratch-off world map for someone moving away.
- Christmas, Secret Santa and gift swaps: the budget is set in advance. See our Christmas gag gifts, funny white elephant gifts and Yankee Swap gift ideas.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nice gift to give a coworker?
Something that lives on their desk and makes them smile: the clapping monkey tape dispenser, the world's smallest violin, the Master Yoda bookend or the Minecraft alarm clock. They are friendly without being personal, which matters when you don't know someone well.
What are some useful gifts for colleagues?
The HOTO mini desk vacuum for crumb-filled keyboards, a wearable blanket hoodie for a freezing office, the infinity cube for restless hands in meetings, or the log pillow for business travel.
What are good Christmas gifts for coworkers?
Something small and funny that fits a $10 to $30 budget: the Not My Job stamp, the Tetris mug, the cat meow prank device or the all-white jigsaw puzzle for the whole team. For gift swaps, check the store's delivery date before you order in December.
What is the 5 gift rule for adults?
Give five things: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read and something to do. For a coworker you pick just one, but it helps you choose: the desk vacuum for "need," What If? for "read."
How much should you spend on a coworker gift?
There is no rule. $10 to $25 is common for an individual gift, and many offices set a cap for exchanges. For a group gift, agree on a target first and then choose the gift, not the other way around.
Prices are approximate, checked on Amazon.com between October 5 and October 16, 2026. They may have changed: the price and availability that count are the ones the store shows at checkout.