The 54 Best Friend Gifts Of 2024

Best friends are the ones who support us, provide encouragement, make us laugh, give advice, and much more. These unique individuals enrich our lives just by being there when we need them the most. Whenever their birthday, a holiday, or another special occasion comes around, you want to find the perfect gift for them. 

Whether they love candles, plants, technology, or another unique category of gifts, you want to make sure that your gift is both personal and memorable.

From your best friend’s interests to their location, there are many factors to consider before you select a gift. But don’t worry, we’ve created a roundup of the best gifts for every kind of friend and received tips for choosing the perfect gift from a lifestyle and etiquette expert.

Under $20

Homesick Road Trip Car Freshener

One of the best things about having a best friend is that you get to do fun activities together. From watching movies to shopping, our friends always make life more fun. And, road trips are no different. As you and your friend are packing up the car, make sure to hang up this car freshener up to keep everything nice and fresh.

Pairs Well With: Clutch Pro Portable Charger  

Recess Pickleball Court Bag

There’s nothing like a good game of pickleball to bring you and your friend closer together. This net bag is the ideal carryall for their paddles, pickleballs, and other essentials. Consider filling it with a set of pickleballs or their favorite courtside snacks to complete the gift.

Pairs Well With: Smathers and Branson American Flag Needlepoint Hat

Wells Double Walled Glass Coffee Mugs

With these glass mugs, you and your friend can enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee or tea together. They have double-walled insulation, so while your drink stays hot on the inside, you won’t feel the heat on the outside. Both of these cups are scratch resistant and dishwasher safe. 

Swanky Crafts Best Friend Bracelet

These beautiful best friend bracelets can be purchased in silver or gold. The free extender mechanism allows the bracelet to fit any size wrist. If you’re planning on giving this celestial bracelet to your friend on their birthday or another special occasion, note that there is also a gift wrap option available. 

Stonewall Kitchen Our Montebello Pasta Collection 

Get ready for your next dinner party—you and your friends can get together and make all kinds of scrumptious pasta dishes using this set. Imported from Italy, all four of the pastas are certified organic and come from the idyllic Monastery of Montebello, which dates back to 1388.

Pairs Well With: CrushGrind Serve & Store Glass Dressing Bottle

Sip Sip Hooray Personalized Birth Flower Can Glass Tumbler

This handmade, personalized coffee cup is perfect for iced coffee, iced tea, and other cold drinks. It features a bamboo lid and thick glass straw and cup. You have the option to customize the cup with your best friend’s name and birth flower for an extra-special touch. Plus, it’s small enough to fit in most cup holders.

Natural Life Wooden Heart Trinket Jewelry Dish

With this wooden jewelry dish from the Northeast Florida-based brand, your friend can keep small jewelry and knick knacks in one place. Plus, with the “Friends Forever” message, they will be reminded of your bond each time they see it.

Rare Beauty Mini Soft Pinch Liquid Blush

For the beauty-loving friend who’s always on the go, we recommend this mini liquid blush from Rare Beauty.  Available in six colors, you can find the perfect shade for your friend’s skin tone.

Spongellé Wild Flower Bath Sponge

Treat your best friend to a spa day with this body wash-infused bath sponge. Each sponge offers a minimum of 14 washes, and makes a great travel companion, too. Choose from four different scents: Coconut Verbena, Freesia Pear, Honey Blossom, and Sugar Dahlia. 

Simply By Shayla Cat Earrings With Books 

If your friend has a love for cats and reading, then what better gift than these cat earrings with books? The acrylic, cat-shaped earrings have a bookshelf design and come in both gold and silver hardware. If they are more a dog person, be sure to check out the dog version. And you don’t have to worry about wrapping the earrings in a gift box, because they already come in one. 

Knock Knock Why You’re My Bestie Book

There’s nothing like a personalized gift to let your best friend know how much you mean to them. With this bestie book, you can tell your friend why you like them in 112 ways. 

FunStudio Personalized Acrylic Song With Photo 

If you and your friend are always singing along to a certain song in the car, we highly recommend this personalized gift. It features a customizable glass Spotify image on a wooden stand. Whenever your friend wants to listen to their favorite song, all they have to do is scan the Spotify code.  

Under $50

Honey Bee Gift Co Personalized Gift Enclosure Card

After you add your friend’s initials, these personalized gift card enclosures are ready to be given away. Whether a holiday is coming up or a loved one’s birthday, these personalized cards will save your friend a trip to the store.

Southern Living digital editor Mary Shannon Wells says, “I gave all my best friends who hosted my baby shower personalized gift tags for something that's useful and won't gather dust in their homes. I usually gift them in a color like green that can be used year-round or for the holidays!”

Do You Really Know Your Friends?

Get ready for a night of fun, laughter, and surprises with this game. As you and your friends play, you’ll get to ask them different trivia questions and have them participate in fun challenges. If you think that you knew everything about your friends, just wait until you play this game.

Paddywax Impressions Wild Fig + Cedar "Pinky Promise" Candle

The pinky promise symbol on the candle will remind you of the special bond that you share with your best friend. Whether they live close by or in a different state, you can light it and be reminded of the wonderful memories that you both share.

This particular scent from the Nashville brand features top notes of bergamot and fig with bottom notes of woodsy cedar and patchouli. After your friend gets through using the candle, they can use it to store jewelry, office supplies, and other items.

Artifact Uprising Custom Scallop Tabletop Frame

The best gift that you can give to your friend is a cute photo frame. With it, they can keep a memorable photo near them at all times. And you can purchase up to five photo prints with the frame for them to cycle through. 

Birth Month Flower Paint By Number Kit

If your friend isn’t able to paint like Picasso, then this gift is the perfect pick for them. As they’re painting, they’ll use the key to paint each part a certain color. And once they’re done, they get a cute painting of their birth month flower.

Anker SoundCore Portable Bluetooth Speaker

If your best friend favors technology and gadgets, then we highly recommend getting them this Bluetooth speaker. Not only is this speaker waterproof, but its long battery life will allow them to listen to their favorite songs all day.

Since this is a smaller Bluetooth speaker, it’s easy to take to the beach, the gym, or any other location. According to the manufacturer, this speaker can maintain its connection to your phone from up to 66 feet away.

Anthropologie Fluted Taper Candles, Set of 4 

This taper candle set makes the perfect centerpiece for your best friend’s dining room table. To make the candles last a long time, keep the following in mind: When you first burn the candle, allow it to burn until the wax meets the edge. Each time that you light a candle, trim the wick. Be sure to remove any wick trimmings or other debris from the candle. Each candle has a 12-hour burn time.

You can purchase the candles in different colors such as ivory, emerald green, blue, lavender, and other colorful options. 

Clutch Pro Portable Charger 

“My best friend can never seem to keep her phone charged. I sent her this portable phone charger that's super slim and magnetic. Now she has no excuse and her husband and I both worry less about getting in touch with her while she's running around,” says Southern Living senior staff writer Meghan Overdeep. 

Smathers and Branson American Flag Needlepoint Hat

Everyone needs a good baseball cap, your best friend included. This needlepoint cap adds a timeless Americana touch to any outfit and will protect your friend from the sun’s rays. 

Pairs Well With: Anker Bluetooth Speaker

CrushGrind Serve & Store Glass Dressing Bottle

If your friend is eager to put their cooking skills to the test, gift them with this glass dressing bottle. As you’re cooking a delicious meal together, you can use it to create a unique salad dressing or dipping sauce. 

PeraBella Best Friend Ever Succulent Pots

Every time that your best friend looks at these planters, they’ll be reminded of just how much you care about them. When placed together, the pots reveal the special message: “Best Friend Ever.” The set comes with three succulent pots and three golden stands (plants are not included).

Cooking Gift Set Co. French Tart Baking Kit

Whether you choose to make these tarts with your best friends or send the package directly to them, they’ll love every bite. This kit comes with six tart rings, a piping bag and nozzles, a candy thermometer, a baking mat, and an instruction booklet. Your best friends will enjoy flavors such as vanilla custard, chai pastry cream, lemon curd, and chocolate ganache.

K. Carroll Accessories Kelsey Crossbody

This crossbody purse is the perfect bag to keep all their jewelry, mints, and other knick knacks close to them throughout the day. Not only do you have the option to purchase it in different colors, but it conveniently straps across the body. If you have many best friends, you can easily purchase matching crossbody purses. If they prefer to carry the purse without the strap, they can easily detach it.

Be Rooted Ladies Who Brunch Puzzle

After you and your girlfriends enjoy a delicious brunch, pull out this puzzle for a fun way to pass the time. With over 500 puzzle pieces, you and your friends can create all kinds of fun memories as you put the puzzle together.

Pairs Well With: Double Walled Glass Coffee Mugs

Retro Point & Shoot Camera Phone Converter

If your best friend has more of a vintage style, then they’ll love this retro point-and-shoot camera phone converter. Your best friend can easily slide the converter on and feel like they’re taking pictures using an actual point-and-shoot camera.

With this converter, you can expand your camera’s shooting angles and setups by attaching and mounting the grip onto a traditional tripod. They’ll need to connect to their phone’s Bluetooth system to activate the converter’s abilities.

BeWell Personalized Cooler Bag

Without your cool drinks, your perfect beach day may as well be ruined. On the bright side, when you buy this cooler bag for your friend, they will be a step closer to experiencing the best beach day ever. With enough room to carry 12 bottles or 18 cans, the bag can be personalized for a special touch. 

LifeAround2Angels Bath Bomb Set

If your best friend likes to enjoy a good spa day at home, then this is the perfect gift for them. This set of a dozen USA-made bath bombs comes in a ready-to-gift box. And even though the color of the bathwater will change, none of these bath bombs will stain their tub.

Uncommon Goods Dog Face Pillow

If your friend is a dog lover, then they’ll love this Dog Face Pillow. With nine breeds to choose from, you can choose a pillow that closely resembles their pup. Each pillow is made from 100% wool and hand-hooked to further resemble their furry friend.  

Louis Sherry 12-Piece Tin

Louis Sherry’s emblematic gift box is full of a selection of their famous French-made truffles, and the box can be reused for storing jewelry or other trinkets. Choose from many colors and patterns, including Amethyst, Camellia Pink, Canary, Draper Pink, Masons Black, Ming Blue, Orchid, Vintage 1881, Vreeland Red.

Uno Mas Uno Personalized Hand-Sculpted Figurine 

Don’t know what to get the woman who has everything? With this figurine set, you can give your friend a heartwarming gift that will remind them of your special bond. 

What Do You Meme? 

If you and your friends love sharing memes, then you’ll love this card game. To play, all you do is compete against your friends to create hilarious memes by matching the pictures with the captions. Regardless of the size of your friend group, you’ll have more than enough cards for everyone to play.

Milk & Honey Engraved Cutting Board

If your best friend likes to spend most of their time in the kitchen, then this wooden cutting board will certainly be a well-loved gift. Handmade in Richmond, Virginia, the board is available in both cherry wood and bamboo versions and comes engraved with the phrase “Friends are the Family we choose.”

Mboss Desings Hidden Message Bracelet

Gifts that contain a secret message are the best gifts of all. Each time your friend puts on this bracelet, they will read the special message engraved on the inside. The bracelet is available in both brown and black, which just means that it will pair well with any outfit.

Julie Peach Linen Dinner Napkins

These stylish dinner napkins are the perfect addition to any friend's kitchen. Hand printed with a tomato design, these dinner napkins are great at elevating a dinner or brunch with friends. 

Pairs Well With: Milk & Honey Engraved Cutting Board

2023 Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook

Grab your pots and pans and prepare to make a delicious meal with your friend. This annual compilation of our top-rated recipes is complete with step-by-step photography, helpful kitchen tips, and creative menus for entertaining. 

Little Words Project Besties Friendship Bracelet

Friendship bracelets are making a comeback, so these beaded bracelets will send a sweet message to your best friend and keep them on trend. No matter the distance, you and your best friend can wear a symbol of your connection everywhere you go. These handcrafted bracelets from the woman-owned brand come in four different sizes and feature an elastic band for extra stretch. 

Pairs Well With: Natural Life Wooden Heart Trinket Jewelry Dish

The Best Friend Game

If you want to see how well your friends know you, give The Best Friend Game a try. Some possible questions that you may have to answer include “What’s my Starbucks order?” or “How many days would I survive in the woods by myself?” This game kit comes with 250 questions, six dry-erase boards, six markers, and six clean-up cloths. Four or more people can play this game at time. 

Under $100

Sand Cloud Boho XL Beach Towel

If your friend is always at the beach, then this is the perfect present for them. This large beach towel will keep them comfortable from the hot sand and provide the perfect space to sunbathe. Southern Living senior travel and culture editor Tara Massouleh McCay says, “My friend and I were lamenting the pains of toting around bulky beach towels (especially after they're wet), so I bought her this Sand Cloud Turkish beach towel and she loved it.” 

Book Nook Reading Valet

If your friend is always telling you about the latest novel, then we recommend gifting them with this Book Nook Valet for a special occasion. With it, they can place their book, coffee, and glasses on the stand for safekeeping. There’s even a small crevice in between for them to place their phone in.

PVO Mini Portable Projector

With this portable movie projector, you and your best friend don’t have to go to the movie theater. All you have to do is connect your phone to the projector and play a movie of your choosing. Since this is a smaller projector, you can easily pack it up and take it anywhere with you, including outdoors.

Hickory Farms Classic Bites and Board Gift Set 

If your friend loves charcuterie boards, then they will certainly love this gift. This set includes a wood cheese board and a cleaver, as well as a variety of meats and cheeses. While you can ship this board to your long-distance friends, you can also invite them over to your house and enjoy the board together. 

Vietri Hibiscus Glass Green Bud Vase

Your best friend can use this stunning vase to make their home a little more beautiful. Inspired by the hibiscus flower, this vase is handcrafted by Tuscan artisans. For an even more striking presentation, add flowers to the vase before gifting.

Boozy Bites Rosé Shots

If you and your best friends are getting together to celebrate a special occasion, we highly recommend bringing these Boozy Bites to the party. A reinvention of the college favorite, they are made with a vegan gel base and are designed to be eaten one bite at a time.

This order includes 20 rosé bites, so there’s more than enough for you and your best friends to enjoy. Plus, they stay good for 30 days after you receive them.

Earth Clay Co. National Park Sculpture Necklace

For the outdoorsy friend, this handmade necklace is the perfect gift. Whether they love the Grand Canyon, the Great Smoky Mountains, or Yellowstone, you can choose their favorite national park for the necklace (or perhaps one that the two of you visited together). The necklaces are handmade in Minnesota and waterproof, so they’re designed with more adventures in mind.

Palette Pots The Mug Set 

Nothing ties a space together like a set of cute planters. Whether your friend chooses to use them at home or in their office, they’ll love them either way. Plus, you could take one planter and give your friend the other to represent your unbreakable bond. 

Amelia Rose Mother Of Pearl Initial Gold Necklace

This initial gold necklace will look perfect with any outfits. The necklace has a pearl initial charm on a gold chain. As you’re shopping, note that there are two chain styles available.

Cool Men Club Customizable Cufflinks

When your friend has to attend a fancy event, make sure to give them these cufflinks for a stylish outfit. Even though there’s only one style available, you can add their initials for a personal touch. 

Snailax Shiatsu Neck and Shoulder Massager

Give your friend the gift of relaxation with this neck and shoulder massager that eases aches and pains. It has eight deep-kneading massage nodes and can also be used around the waist, stomach, or legs, depending on their needs. 

Under $200

Mini Square Mid-Century Kona Design Friendship Lamps

When you purchase this set of two lamps—one for you and one for your best friend—each time that one of you waves your hands over it, the opposite lamp will light up to send a “thinking of you.” Have more than one best friend? You can link an unlimited number of lamps to your group and assign a different color to each person (each lamp comes with 256 programmable colors).

Bond Touch Long Distance Touch Bracelet Set

When you can’t be together, Bond Touch lets you mimic the natural vibration of each other's touch. Each time that you touch this connected bracelet, its matching pair will light up in the color of your choice and vibrate. And wearing it is easy to do, since the bracelets are completely waterproof. 

Big Blanket Co. Hideout Hoodie

This hideout hoodie is a great way for your friend to stay warm at home, on the porch, or by the campfire. This is not your average hoodie—it’s more like a wearable blanket that comes with a built-in eye mask, a zippered kangaroo pouch, and cuffed sleeves with thumb holes.

Choose from a number of different colorways, including red plaid, black polka dot, and more. Plus, it only comes in one size—XXL—so you don’t have to worry about choosing one from your recipient. And it’s entirely machine washable, too.

Pairs Well With: PVO Portable Mini  Projector

Bake Eat Love Monthly Baking Club

Whether you’re trying to help your friend with their baking skills or just want to do something nice for them, this subscription to Bake Eat Love will help you out. Each month they’ll receive everything they need to make a show-stopping dessert, including pre-measured ingredients, video tutorials, an essential kitchen utensil, and more. You can have it sent to your bestie every one, three, six, or 12 moths. 

Questions and Answers

How much should you spend on a gift for your best friend?

“I always recommend that people start with their own personal budget first,” says Swann. But as a rule of thumb, Swann says you should start with a $50-$100 budget for loved ones, including best friends.

What are the best gifts to give your best friend for different occasions?

Whether for birthdays or holidays, Swann says that you should always try to look at a gift from your best friend’s perspective. If your best friend likes to cook, they will probably enjoy cutting boards or baking kits. However, if your best friend is passionate about self-care, then they may enjoy face masks, candles, bath bomb sets, etc. 

If they're celebrating a specific milestone or life event, consider something that will help them mark the occasion, such as these Boozy Bites or a Bluetooth speaker. If they’re moving into a new place, help them fill their space with items that they might not purchase for themselves, such as a nice vase or a set of fluted taper candles. You are the expert when it comes to your best friend, so trust your instincts and knowledge of them when shopping for a gift.

What are some items you can put in a care package or gift basket for your best friend?

“If your best friend loves a good spa day, then spa items are a great suggestion to put in a care package or gift basket. Another recommendation is that if they’re a foodie and love to cook, then my recommendation is different small kitchen gadgets, a cookbook, or a cool salt and pepper grinder,” says Swann.

She also recommends paying attention to what your best friend shares on social media. From knowing what their interests are to what they share on social media, you will have a good idea of the types of items to put in a gift basket for your best friend. For instance, if she "liked" Isle of Paradise Self-Tanner it's a good bet she'd appreciate a bottle in her self-care-themed basket.

Why Trust Southern Living

This article was written by Moriah Mason, a commerce writer for Southern Living. She spent hours researching different kinds of best friend gifts and even reached out to lifestyle and etiquette expert Elaine Swann to learn more about the types of gifts you should give to your best friend for specific occasions, as well as how much you should spend on your best friend.