Great stocking stuffers
Sunscreen: Equate Ultra Protection Sunscreen SPF 50 (Walmart brand) ($7.50 for 16 oz.)
Don't let your sunscreen hibernate in winter. In our tests, this sunscreen was one of the best of 12 similar products tested. It blocks UVA and UVB rays, and you get a lot for the money—making it a Consumer Reports Best Buy. Plus, the shape fits nicely in a stocking.
For more, check our buying guide and Ratings for sunscreens and learn why sunscren is important in the winter.
Explore more gift ideas: Check out our experts' picks for moms, dads, grandparents, kids, and teens. Want to browse by price? We've broken it down for you—best gift ideas under $200, under $100, under $50 and under $25.
Pedometer: Mio TRACE ACC-TEK ($30)
Substantial gift, perfect stocking size. This pedometer scored best among the ones in our latest tests. It was rated excellent on accuracy and includes a stopwatch. Perfect for the one who is committed to exercising more in the new year.
Check our pedometer buying guide.
Car wax: Nu Finish NF-76 ($8)
For the car lover on your list. Nothing does more than a fresh coat of wax to increase a car’s curb appeal, and Nu Finish trumps all others in our tests. This liquid wax is durable, easy to use, and reasonably priced. It’s good for cleaning and hiding small scratches, and it has one of the lowest costs per ounce of all waxes we tested.
For more gifts for the auto enthusiast on your list, see our suggestions for low-cost gifts for car lovers.
Headphones: Panasonic RP-TCM125 headphones ($10)
Sound quality you get from these headphones is as good as some much higher priced models, and you can have them for $10! It has integrated function control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect.
Take a look at our buying guide and Ratings for headphones.
Batteries:
Energizer Ultimate Lithium ($2.50 ea.*)
Kirkland Signature Alkaline (Costco brand) ($0.27 ea.*)
Who doesn't need batteries to go along with their gifts? For lithium batteries, our two highest performers were Energizer Ultimate Lithium and Energizer Advanced Lithium. But alkalines are far less expensive, and several brands came close to the lithiums in performance. For alkaline, Kirkland Signature batteries were designated a Consumer Reports Best Buy.
*Prices are per battery when bought in its smallest available multi-pack.
For more information and tips, check our battery buying guide and Ratings.
More holiday gift ideas and tips
Visit our Holiday Gift Ideas page throughout the season to find the best deals, time-saving advice, and much more.
More from Consumer Reports:
Best cookware from Consumer Reports’ tests
You can remodel your kitchen for as little as $5,000
Most and least reliable refrigerator brands
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