Best Valentine's Day Gifts Under $50

Whether you’re buying this for yourself or giving your partner’s muscles some pampering, a massage gun can help. This is the cheapest device we tested, and it holds up against more expensive competitors in our tests. It earns a very good score for handling postural stress during use, which tests how well users can maintain good wrist, arm, and shoulder postures when using the device. It also scores a near top-level mark for ease of use. This Toloco comes with 10 attachments and a case, and is powered by a USB-C cord.

For more options: Best Massage Guns

There’s no doubt about it: This popular mask is gorgeous. It’s made with stunning silk fabric, and colors include a lush navy, a graceful ballet pink, and opulent gold. It has a scrunchy backstrap that stretches rather than adjusts, which allows for a more seamless look (but perhaps an imperfect fit). To that end, some CR evaluators found that the mask was true to its name and slipped during the night. Overall, the Slip makes a great gift for that stylish someone in your life. Just make sure to get a gift receipt in case it, well, slips.

For more options: Best Sleep Masks

In our review of popular slippers, 3 out of 4 CR evaluators found themselves head over heels for the Lined Crocs. “I am pleasantly surprised that these are extremely comfortable,” said Ginger Cowles, a managing editor. These clogs, as Crocs calls them, feel stable and secure, with a thick, textured sole that doesn’t slip and provides ample distance and insulation from frigid floors in the winter. They’re also machine-washable (in cold water only), though we haven’t tried that ourselves. A foam strap can either be pulled over the front of the shoe, transforming the Crocs into a slide, or over the back, making the shoe more secure on your foot. 

For more options: We Tried Ugg Fluff Yeahs and 7 Other Popular Slippers

Give your loved one the gift of a peaceful start to the day: The JALL Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock is at least half the price of other clocks we tested, but from an ease-of-use standpoint, this model comes out on top. It has two independent alarms (so you can set them for different times depending on your routine), seven alarm tones (including “wind bells” and birds chirping), an FM radio, and a fall-asleep mode that simulates a sunset (though no white-noise option). Check the on-page coupon to save 5 percent.

For more options: Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks

It’s snuggle season! The YnM blanket has a cotton cover and doesn’t come with a duvet cover, though YnM sells covers separately. The beads are glass. YnM says you can wash and dry it by machine on the gentle cycle but strongly recommends washing the duvet cover rather than the inner blanket. Color options depend on the size and weight you choose. Make sure you click on the on-page coupon to get the lowest price at Amazon.

For more options: The Lowdown on 5 Weighted Blankets

Wrap your boo in cozy, post-shower comfort. With a smooth, fine pile and a wide dobby border, the Frontgate Resort Collection bath towel conveys ultimate luxury at a reasonable price. The towels use high-quality, combed, long-staple Turkish cotton, so it’s both soft and durable. We also found them to be very absorbent in a recent evaluation where it was the perfect middle ground: neither thick nor thin, neither budget-oriented nor ultra-pricey. Bonus for the fact that it comes in a wide array of colors to boot. 

Available in 27 colors and four sizes, including washcloths.

For more options: Best Bath Towels

Get ready to Netflix and chill with some homemade snacks: Of the two air poppers we tried in a recent evaluation of popcorn machines, the Dash delivered lighter, toastier flavor. Popcorn fresh from the bowl was at first too hot to touch and came out steaming. Once it cooled, though, it had an ideal texture, with a bit of snap in each piece as our tester’s family and a few friends sampled it. Even unseasoned, the warmth and slight caramelization of the flavor was excellent. If you really want to lean into the Valentine’s Day feeling, the red version is on sale for a few bucks less than the other colors.

This truffle set from Compartés, a chocolate maker based in Los Angeles, is poised to please. In fact, we were blown away by the flavors in a recent evaluation of the best boxed chocolates. As CR reporter Angela Lashbrook put it: “For a chef or a cook, a true sign of success is taking a flavor your audience is known not to love and convincing them that they’ve been missing out this whole time. That’s the case with this beautiful, elegant little box of chocolates.”

For more options: Best Boxed Chocolates

Do you know a budding bartender? In CR’s recent evaluation, we found the True Wooden Finish Cocktail Shaker to be a well-priced shaker that’s best for beginners, with a built-in sieve for easy cocktail-making. But if you’re shopping for a hardcore mixologist in your life, it’s worth noting that this wasn’t the most durable of the bunch we tried.

For more options: Best Cocktail Shakers

The rosé-enthusiast in your life will certainly appreciate this blend from Château Montaud, which impressed our tasters in an evaluation of the best boxed wines. One of them found it to be a juicy, medium-bodied wine with a silky mouthfeel and subtle tannins. With notes of summer dew melon, strawberries, and honeysuckle, this wine is rich and complex but still easy to drink. Though we tried this wine from a box, it also comes in the bottled version for under $25.

For more options: Best Boxed Wines

For the one who wishes they could hang on to summer all year round, this herbaceous candle is not to be missed. Its captivating scent will transport you to a garden at the height of its season. Its top notes of tomato vine are inescapable—in only the best way—followed by hints of orange peel, white tea, and rose.

For the budding plant parent or any garden enthusiast, Adam Besheer and Rebecca Bullene, co-founders of Greenery Unlimited, a biophilic design store and plant nursery, recommend this book from author Christopher Griffin, who shares tips for cultivating healthy houseplants. “Griffin recounts how they went from caring for one Pothos six years ago to growing a collection of over 200 thriving plants—which they affectionately call their ‘green gurls.’” The book features full-color photos, illustrations, plant care instructions, and even activities.

Sure, flowers are nice, but for fans of fantastic fungi, a mushroom-growing kit is a great gift idea. This Pink Oyster mushroom kit from Forest Origins has an easy setup and is low maintenance. In a series of at-home evaluations, we found that this kit produced mushrooms in just four days and bore medium-sized fungi in vibrant variations of pinks and creams. The first batch was ready to harvest quicker than some other options we checked out.

For more options: Best Mushroom Growing Kits

A gift that can double as entertainment is a win-win, and this inspired puzzle is certainly up for the part. The 500-piece jigsaw is of a 2019 cover of The New Yorker that’s fit for the botanically inclined. It’s a perfect plant-loving family activity, says Adam Besheer and Rebecca Bullene, co-founders of Greenery Unlimited, a biophilic design store and plant nursery.

Give the gift of tasty java, wherever your loved one may go. This portable coffee maker looks like your standard 16-ounce reusable water bottle and comes in stylish colorways. The Espro’s standard size and shape make it simple and easy to pack, and were you to take out the French press filters inside it, it would perfectly double as a water bottle or hot coffee cup (for already brewed coffee). It’s versatile, yes, but it performs its original purpose well. Instructions were intuitive enough to require little more than a brief scan before our evaluator initially used it, and the coffee it made was the richest and all-around best-tasting of all the brewers we tried. “The body is fairly heavy, but not overwhelmingly so,” says one evaluator. “The finish lingers, and is pleasantly woodsy and nutty.”

Give the java enthusiast a better vessel for their brew. According to Bernie Deitrick, a CR test engineer, compact mugs with multiple small servings (rather than one big pour) can optimize the flavor and retain the heat of coffee. These Fellow Joey mugs are up to the task.

For more options: Best Coffee Mugs for Keeping a Brew Warm

Want to keep things hot this Valentine’s Day? This slim mug is in a league of its own in terms of pure performance. It keeps drinks hot for an astonishing 13½ hours. That’s 6 hours longer than the closest competitor in our tests, earning a top rating of excellent for temperature retention. The screw-on cap is easy to clean, with two removable gaskets. Our testers found the mug easy to open with one hand: Simply press a button on the side and the lid pops up so that you can drink out of the plastic spout. You can also lock the lid, a nice feature if you have young kids who are the type to tinker with a mug filled with scalding hot coffee. The slender design of the mug means it’s likely to fit in car cup holders.

For more options: Best Insulated Travel Mugs

When you think of the brand Instant Pot, its line of multi-cookers usually comes to mind, but the company has branched out into coffee makers and frothers. Its Instant Milk Frother was one of the best models in our at-home review, offering performance almost on a par with the Nespresso Aeroccino4 milk frother, which costs more than twice as much. The only downside is that the Instant Milk Frother isn’t dishwasher-safe because its controls are built into the side of the carafe. Cleaning is still a breeze, though. You just need to hand-wash it with a wet cloth.

For more options: Best Milk Frothers

Henckels has been making knives in Germany for nearly 300 years, and its expertise in design is on full display with this knife. The Permio’s handle is contoured with no sharp edges, resulting in a knife that’s extremely comfortable to hold. It also excels at force transmission from handle to blade, which means you don’t need to exert as much effort when cutting.

For more options: Best Chef’s Knives

There’s certainly a lot to love about the Yeti Rambler. It’s ultra-sturdy and insulated with a double wall, so it keeps water cold for a very long time. Made with kitchen-grade stainless steel, though, it’s not exactly light (1.2 pounds when empty), so if you want to travel light on an endurance hike, a less hefty bottle may suit you better.

For more options: Best Water Bottles to Take to the Gym

Help your honey relax wherever they are: This mat is a solid choice for travel, dries quickly, and has an excellent grip on the floor. Its dry top surface also offers excellent grip. It has minimal cushioning.

For more options: Great Yoga Mats for $50 or Less

This gaming headset features inline controls that let you adjust the volume and mute the mic. The mic can also be removed if you’d like to use the headphones to listen to music and movie soundtracks. The included PC splitter cable provides access to headphone and mic jacks on computers. The headset is compatible with Mac and PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One, and mobile devices that accept a 3.5-mm audio plug, but you have to choose the correct model for your computer or console. It’s worth noting that this wired model has cables that descend from both ear cups, as one user in our recent study said, which can be a nuisance.

For more options: How to Choose a Great Gaming Headset