Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Employees: 7 Practical Options for Any Budget
Why Christmas Gifts for Employees Matter
With the holiday season approaching, many companies are considering Christmas gifts for their employees. It's more than a festive tradition — thoughtful employee gifts play a crucial role in workplace culture and business success.
According to workplace research, giving meaningful gifts to employees directly impacts three key areas:
Improved Job Satisfaction and Happiness
Employee gifts create positive workplace experiences. When employees feel valued and appreciated through thoughtful gestures, their overall job satisfaction increases. This happiness translates into better attitudes, increased motivation, and a willingness to contribute beyond basic job requirements.
Increased Productivity
Happy employees are productive employees. Studies from the University of Oxford show that satisfied workers demonstrate 13% higher productivity than their less-satisfied counterparts. While that might seem modest, a 13% productivity increase across your team creates significant business impact over time.
Stronger Work Relationships
Workplace gifts strengthen professional relationships between management and staff. These are the people your team spends most of their waking hours with — often more time than with family and friends. Building strong, positive relationships through appreciation and recognition benefits both individual well-being and team cohesion.
The investment in employee gifts often delivers returns far exceeding the monetary cost through improved morale, retention, and workplace culture.
7 Practical Christmas Gift Ideas for Employees
Finding the right balance between thoughtful and practical can be challenging when shopping for employee gifts. Here are seven categories that work across different budgets and employee preferences:
1. Quality Drinkware: Tumblers, Coffee Mugs, and Water Bottles
Hydration and caffeine fuel productive workdays. High-quality drinkware — insulated tumblers, branded coffee mugs, or stainless steel water bottles — serves as both practical daily-use items and subtle reminders of appreciation. Look for double-walled insulation that keeps beverages at the right temperature for hours.
Budget: $15-30 per person
2. Tech Accessories: Wireless Chargers and Cable Organizers
In our digital workplace, tech accessories solve real problems. Wireless chargers eliminate cable clutter while keeping devices powered. Cable organizers create cleaner, more organized workspaces that can improve focus and productivity. These gifts demonstrate you understand the practical challenges of modern work.
Budget: $10-25 per person
3. Professional Development: Learning Subscriptions
According to LinkedIn's Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. Gift subscriptions to platforms like Coursera, MasterClass, or industry-specific learning resources show you're invested in their professional growth, not just their current output.
Budget: $30-100 per person (depending on subscription length)
4. Wellness Items: Fitness Trackers and Health Subscriptions
Supporting employee wellness sends a clear message about company values. Fitness trackers, meditation app subscriptions, or wellness program memberships encourage healthy habits while showing genuine care for employee well-being beyond work performance.
Budget: $25-150 per person
5. Experience Gifts: Event Tickets and Activities
Some employees — particularly younger team members — value experiences over physical items. Concert tickets, sporting event passes, museum memberships, or adventure activity vouchers create memorable experiences while offering something uniquely personal.
Budget: $50-200 per person
6. Gourmet Gift Boxes: Food and Beverage Collections
Gift boxes remain a classic for good reason. Curated collections of gourmet snacks, premium coffee, craft beer, wine, or artisan chocolates offer indulgent treats employees might not buy themselves. These work especially well for remote teams where shipping is necessary.
Budget: $40-80 per person
7. Premium Backpacks: Professional and Versatile
For employees who commute, travel for work, or simply need reliable gear for daily life, a quality backpack combines practicality with longevity. Unlike consumable gifts, a well-made backpack serves employees for years — a constant reminder of appreciation.
The 8808 EXTEND Waterproof Backpack 20L works particularly well as an employee gift because it's professional enough for office environments while being versatile for weekend activities, gym commutes, or travel.
Key features employees appreciate:
- Expandable capacity adapts to different needs
- Weather-resistant materials protect work essentials
- Organized compartments keep everything accessible
- Professional design suitable for all work environments
- Comfortable for daily commutes or business travel
If you're shopping for employees with varied interests, check our guides to Christmas gifts for cyclists and business travel essentials for more specialized recommendations.
Budget: $130-140 per person (with bulk discounts available)
Bulk Corporate Gifting: 8808 Backpack Purchase Program
For companies ordering gifts for entire teams or departments, BackpackBeat offers corporate bulk purchasing for the 8808 EXTEND Waterproof Backpack.
Corporate Bulk Purchase Benefits:
Wholesale Pricing on Orders of 10+ Units
Orders of 10 or more backpacks qualify for wholesale pricing, significantly reducing per-unit costs while maintaining premium quality. The more you order, the better the pricing — making high-quality gifts accessible even for larger teams.
Coordinated Delivery Options
Whether you need all backpacks shipped to one central location or distributed across multiple offices and remote employees, we can coordinate delivery to meet your company's needs.
How to Order for Your Team:
For corporate bulk orders and volume pricing inquiries, contact us directly through our contact page.
Include the following in your inquiry:
- Estimated quantity needed
- Preferred delivery timeline
- Shipping destination(s)
Our team will respond within 1-2 business days with pricing details and ordering information.
Complete Your Holiday Shopping
Whether you're buying for a small team or an entire company, thoughtful employee gifts strengthen workplace culture and show genuine appreciation.
For more holiday gift inspiration across different categories, explore our seasonal guides:
This holiday season, invest in gifts that your employees will actually use and appreciate — not items that end up forgotten in a drawer.
