The 10 Best White Elephant Gifts That Are Worth Stealing

2 hours ago

Engadget Why you tin spot us

Engadget has been testing and reviewing user tech since 2004. Our stories whitethorn see connection links; if you bargain thing done a link, we whitethorn gain a commission. Read much astir really we measure products.

They're a spot much analyzable than gag gifts.

UpdatedFri, November 7, 2025 astatine 1:00 PM UTC

Getty / Engadget (Illustration)

There are a batch of competing ideas arsenic to what a achromatic elephant gift speech really is. The origins of nan word “white elephant” constituent to 1 definition: According to legend, nan King of Siam would springiness a achromatic elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a acold much devious reward than simply having them executed. The recipient had nary prime but to simply convey nan king for specified an opulent gift, knowing that they apt could not spend nan upkeep for specified an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin.

While that communicative is almost surely untrue, it tin pass 1 attack to nan achromatic elephant gift exchange: gifting thing conscionable useful aliases amusing capable that it won’t instantly get tossed into nan trash, but is besides somewhat of a burden. However, each workplace, friend group and family portion has their ain attack to achromatic elephant gift exchanges nowadays. Some compete to get a gift that others will surely want to steal, while others scavenge for nan astir niche and targeted gag gifts. Almost each of them, though, typically person a value limit that keeps nan load of gift giving to a minimum — usually $50 aliases less. So pinch each of that successful mind, present are immoderate achromatic elephant gift ideas that will get you a fewer chuckles without requiring you to walk excessively overmuch (or deliberation excessively difficult astir it).

Best achromatic elephant gift ideas

The champion achromatic elephant gifts are nan ones that create a spot of intrigue arsenic soon arsenic they participate nan gift pile. And a full-size, 4.3-pound firelog wrapped successful vacation insubstantial is intolerable not to notice. It will almost surely dwarf each different gift that’s up for grabs, and will punctual endless questions and speculation astir what could beryllium successful nan weird, amazingly dense box.

The truth that nan comically-large container holds a KFC fried chicken-scented firelog makes nan full gag moreover much amusing. I person a state fireplace astatine home, truthful I, sadly, person nary thought what nan KFC 11 Herbs and Spices firelog really smells like. Many online reviews declare it smells “exactly” for illustration nan wrong of a KFC. Whether that’s appealing to you aliases not astir apt depends connected your affinity for nan Colonel. But I cannot deliberation of a much delightful gift to bestow connected personification who conscionable really wanted to spot what was wrong nan big, dense box. — Karissa Bell, Senior Reporter

$40 astatine Amazon

A gift anyone tin admit is nan gift of warmth, and a brace of these magnetic manus warmers is 1 of nan cutest (and astir convenient) ways to springiness that. They’re rechargeable small pucks that tin beryllium utilized stuck together aliases separately to lukewarm up stiff hands during nan wintertime — aliases really, immoderate clip of nan year. They power up ace accelerated (truly, wrong seconds) and will past up to 8 hours each connected a azygous charge. They’ll moreover beryllium awesome for those who insist they ne'er get acold because they’re truthful mini and compact that they tin usage them stealthily successful their overgarment pockets, pinch nary 1 nan wiser. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

$20 astatine Amazon

Is location really immoderate constituent to sushi aliases noodle nighttime if you’re not consuming your nutrient pinch utensils protected by The Force? No. The reply is no. These lightsaber chopsticks glow successful different colors pinch conscionable nan property of a fastener and travel pinch included batteries truthful your giftee tin get correct to protecting their plates from nan forces of evil. Sure, they will beryllium a deed among Star Wars fanatics, but anyone tin find joyousness successful a brace of extra-powerful chopsticks pinch which to person impromptu “food fights” successful betwixt bites of sashimi. — V.P.

$13 astatine Amazon

Native Union is simply a French accessories institution that made its sanction much than a decade agone pinch nan Pop Phone. It was an oversized, old-school telephone handset designed to plug into iPhones backmost erstwhile nan world still felt a shiver of hope. It helped embody that little play erstwhile we were utilizing outdated photography filters connected our societal media pictures, blending nan aged and nan new. Now, nan institution has re-released nan Pop telephone pinch USB-C, letting you hook it up to immoderate telephone aliases instrumentality you’d attraction to return calls on. The audio value is much than fine, and it’s astir apt much of an eye-catching connection portion successful 2025 than it was successful 2015. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Reporter

$40 astatine Amazon

I’ve ne'er been a immense instrumentality of jigsaw puzzles, but nan pieces of creation nan Magic Puzzle Company makes for you to combine are a delight. For starters, each has gorgeous and unique artwork — while location are a assortment of artists who’ve contributed to nan company’s puzzle lineup, they each consciousness related, packed pinch color, whimsy and a bunch of secrets you’ll announcement arsenic you build. The puzzle pieces themselves are high-quality and solid, thing that goes a agelong measurement towards making a puzzle nosy to put together.

But my favourite portion is nan truth that erstwhile you decorativeness nan main puzzle, you’re not done. Each has sections that tin descent astir aft you're done, which opens up a caller mediate area to beryllium filled successful pinch a prize conception of pieces. This caller summation seamlessly fits into nan puzzle and expands connected its story. It’s difficult to describe, but it’s dissimilar thing I’ve seen successful different puzzles. I’m beautiful agnostic astir my puzzle-makers, but I americium itching to get my hands connected much from nan Magic Puzzle Company and research their secrets. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Editor

$23 astatine Amazon

Who doesn’t want their surviving room to look for illustration a postulation far, acold away? Your giftee mightiness person to conflict their young children (or others successful your gift exchange) for this galaxy projector, which shines different ray effects up onto nan ceiling pinch adjustable brightness and speed. They tin usage it to execute nan cleanable vibe for their adjacent Star Wars binge watch party, aliases to soothingly usher themselves to slumber connected a nightly basis. In summation to an included distant and a companion app, nan projector has a timer excessively truthful they tin group it to move disconnected conscionable arsenic they autumn asleep. The mobile app will fto them customize each aspects of their individual abstraction field, from its nebula and twinkling effects, to nan swirling colors, to nan euphony that they brace pinch it (yes, there’s a speaker built successful arsenic well). Forget those boring aged smart ray bulbs — this postulation projector is nan smart instrumentality that will level-up anyone’s location environment. — V.P.

$18 astatine Amazon

What’s amended than a lukewarm and cozy beanie? A lukewarm and cozy beanie that besides helps you spot amended erstwhile you’re stepping nan canine connected a cold, dark, wintertime morning, going for an evening jog aliases rummaging for a circumstantial instrumentality successful your garage. This unisex beanie has a removable ray connected its beforehand separator that has 4 LEDs wrong and tin tally for up to 8 hours connected a azygous charge. And erstwhile it needs much juice, you tin simply return nan ray fixture off, recharge it and popular it backmost into nan hat. — V.P.

$9 astatine Amazon

Our desks are cluttered and boring, but this adorable small rechargeable ray tin brighten things up. The chibi occurrence wrong nan old-school kerosene lamp fig is made of silicone, truthful it’s conscionable arsenic squishy arsenic it is cute, and it has 2 lighting modes: candlelight and nighttime light. The soft, lukewarm hue it emits will beryllium awesome for mounting nan temper successful your space, and its dimmable truthful you tin get conscionable nan correct magnitude of ray for your taste. — V.P.

$18 astatine Amazon

The Banana Phone is precisely what you’d expect it to beryllium — a banana that’s besides a phone. It mightiness not person a SIM paper aliases a work scheme attached to it, but your giftee tin brace it pinch their smartphone via Bluetooth truthful they tin ditch that tired, $1,000+ handset and commencement taking calls nan correct measurement — pinch a portion of fruit. In summation to taking and making calls, they tin besides usage nan Banana Phone pinch nan Google Assistant and Siri, to inquire astir nan upwind aliases show it to “Play Cruel Summer by Bananarama.” Yes, nan Banana Phone besides useful arsenic a Bluetooth speaker and has a 30-foot range, truthful it tin play tunes whenever they’re not utilizing it to behaviour charismatic business. — V.P.

$40 astatine Amazon

If nan extremity of a White Elephant gift is to beryllium a shape of low-key torture, past nan Clocky Alarm Clock connected Wheels mightiness beryllium nan top White Elephant gift of each time. (Well, isolated from for those weirdos who aftermath up astatine 4:30 AM each time bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.) It’s an siren timepiece that, if your giftee tries to deed nan snooze button, runs distant from them continuing to beep, telling them successful nary uncertain position it’s clip to get up. And each morning, they’ll stumble retired of furniture drowsily cursing your name. – Terrence O’Brien, Former Managing Editor

$30 astatine Amazon

White elephant FAQs

What is achromatic elephant?

A achromatic elephant gift speech is simply a statement crippled typically played astir nan holidays successful which group speech funny, impractical gifts.

How does achromatic elephant work?

A group of group each bring 1 wrapped gift to nan achromatic elephant gift exchange, and each gift is typically of a akin value. All gifts are past placed together and nan group decides nan bid successful which they will each declare a gift. The first personification picks a achromatic elephant gift from nan pile, unwraps it and their move ends. The pursuing players tin either determine to unwrap different gift and declare it arsenic their own, aliases bargain a gift from personification who has already taken a turn. The rules tin alteration from there, including nan guidelines astir really often a azygous point tin beryllium stolen — immoderate opportunity twice, max. The crippled ends erstwhile each personification has a achromatic elephant gift.

Why is it called achromatic elephant?

The word “white elephant” is said to travel from nan fable of nan King of Siam gifting achromatic elephants to courtiers who upset him. While it seems for illustration a lavish gift connected its face, nan belief is that nan courtiers would beryllium ruined by nan animal’s upkeep costs.

Check retired nan remainder of our gift ideas here.