Best Gifts for a Best Friend

A simple instant camera with automatic exposure, a close-up mode and a selfie mirror.

The pick that is about the friendship rather than about them, which is what separates this category from every other list on this site. The Instax Mini 12 is fully automatic — point, press, and a physical print appears in about thirty seconds — with a close-up mode and a selfie mirror, and the selfie mirror is more relevant than it sounds, because the pictures this camera is actually used for are two people at arm's length. The reason it beats a phone is that the output is an object: a print goes on a fridge or a wall and gets looked at, where a phone photo is scrolled past once. Two caveats worth planning for. Film is an ongoing cost, so gift a couple of packs alongside the camera rather than leaving them to work out what to buy. And indoor shots need the flash and still come out dim at any distance, so it is a camera for people, not for rooms or views.

A double-wall stainless tumbler with a magnetic slider lid, dishwasher safe and sized for a car cupholder.

The pick for daily use, and the one most likely to still be in service in ten years. A double-wall stainless tumbler with a magnetic slider lid, dishwasher safe and sized for a car cupholder, and the only test that matters is the one it passes: coffee is still hot at eleven. Being dishwasher safe is a bigger deal than it sounds, because a hand-wash-only cup gets used until the novelty fades and then lives in a cupboard. It is effectively indestructible — it will outlast the recipient's car — which is exactly the property you want in a gift from a friend, because it keeps being from you. Two honest points. It is heavy when full, which some people genuinely dislike. And it is expensive for a cup and extremely common, so check they do not already own one before you buy.

Reusable silicone earplugs with interchangeable tips, in a small carry case.

The pick that solves a problem they have mentioned to you and never fixed. Reusable silicone earplugs with interchangeable tips in a small carry case, and the case is why these work where a packet of foam plugs does not: plugs that survive a bag get used, and plugs loose in a drawer do not. They are genuinely useful across four separate situations — flights, hotels, noisy housemates and concerts — which is a wider range than most gifts at this price manage, and being reusable means they do not generate the foam-plug waste stream. This is the pick if your friend has a thin-walled flat, a snoring partner or a long commute. Two limits stated honestly. Tip sizing takes some trial and error, so the first week is a bit fiddly. And they reduce noise rather than eliminating it, which is the correct expectation to set.

A thick overnight lip balm in a small pot, sold in several scents.

The pick for the small slot, and the one with the best use-per-dollar on the page. A thick overnight lip balm in a small pot: applied every night, a pot lasts months, and dry lips are near-universal in a centrally heated flat in winter. The reason it works as a friendship gift specifically is that it sits in the category of small nice things people reliably do not buy for themselves — not because they cannot afford it, but because it never makes it onto a list. It is also the right size to pair with something larger, which is how most people should use it. Two caveats. It is scented and comes in several scents, so pick the plainest if you are not sure about sensitivities. And the pot-and-fingers application does not suit everyone; some people want a stick they can use without washing their hands first.

A coin-sized tracker that reports its location through the Find My network of nearby Apple devices.

The pick for the friend whose keys are a running joke, which is a gift that is funny and useful at the same time — a rare combination. A coin-sized tracker that reports its location through the network of nearby Apple devices, it is bought mostly for luggage, where it finds a checked bag the airline cannot, and it works with no subscription on a battery that lasts about a year and is replaceable. The joke lands and the thing works, which is the whole brief for a friendship gift. Two hard checks before you buy. It needs an iPhone or iPad to set up and use, so it is useless to an Android user and that is a question rather than an assumption. And a holder or keyring has to be bought separately, so buy one at the same time or the gift arrives incomplete.

A palm-sized waterproof Bluetooth speaker with a carry loop.

The pick when the gift should be used around other people, which for a friend is often the point. A palm-sized waterproof Bluetooth speaker with a carry loop, and the waterproofing is the specification that decides where it lives: showers, kitchens and beaches are exactly the three places a small speaker gets used, and all three kill a non-waterproof one. It is small enough to clip to a bag and forget, which means it travels rather than sitting on a shelf at home. For a friend who cooks, who has people over, or who is about to move into a first flat, it is a near-perfect price-to-use ratio. Two honest limits. There is not enough bass for a party, so this is a background-and-kitchen speaker rather than a party one. And the battery life is measured in hours rather than days, so a full festival day needs a charge.

A six-pair box of cushioned ankle socks with a reinforced heel and toe, sold under a one-pair-donated model.

The pick to add to something else, and the rare clothing gift that cannot be the wrong size. A six-pair box of cushioned ankle socks with a reinforced heel and toe, sold under a one-pair-donated model, and the reason they are here rather than in the avoid list below is that these are the socks people notice and then buy again themselves — which is the only sensible test for a sock gift. The donation model also gives the present a story, which helps when it is the second half of a gift rather than the whole thing. Sizing is forgiving, so there is nothing to get wrong. Two honest points. They are expensive per pair, which is the usual objection and is fair. And they are a supporting gift rather than a main one — a box of socks alone from a best friend reads as thin, however good the socks are.

A coconut-wax candle in a decorative jar, sold in a wide range of scents and sizes.

The pick for the occasions that are not birthdays — a new flat, a thank-you, an apology, a Tuesday. A coconut-wax candle in a decorative jar, and the detail that keeps it off the lazy-gift list is that the Voluspa jars are attractive enough to stay out and be reused once the wax is gone, which makes this an object rather than a disposable. Coconut wax also burns more evenly than cheap paraffin, so it does not tunnel down the middle and strand half the candle against the glass. For a friend moving into somewhere new it is close to ideal, because it is generous without being a piece of furniture they now have to find room for. Two rules. Scent is entirely personal, so choose citrus or something woody over a heavy floral when unsure. And candles are a repeat gift, so check they are not already drowning in them.

A commissioned illustration or painting of the recipient's own dog, produced from a photo they send.

The pick that ends the search when it applies. A commissioned illustration or painting of their own dog, produced from a photo you send, and it is the most emotionally reliable gift on this page because it is not about a category they might like — it is about their animal, specifically. Nobody has ever been ambivalent about a portrait of their own dog. It also scales: size and medium move it across several budgets, so it works at $40 and at $150. Being a best friend is the advantage here, because you almost certainly already have a good photo of the dog on your phone, which is the one thing the gift requires. Two practical points, both about timing. It needs a decent photo rather than a blurry one. And turnaround depends on the seller's queue, so order early — this is genuinely not a last-minute gift.

A hardcover notebook with an elastic closure, a ribbon marker and a pocket in the back.

The pick for the second half of a gift, and the most honest entry on this page about its own limitations. A hardcover notebook with an elastic closure, a ribbon marker and a pocket in the back — and what distinguishes it from a cheap notebook is that it sits flat when open, which is the difference between a notebook that gets written in and one that gets abandoned at page four. It comes in a dozen formats, so it suits a planner, a journal-keeper or a sketcher, and it pairs with almost anything else here. Two honest points, and the second is important. The paper is thin, so a fountain-pen user will see show-through. And on its own it reads as an afterthought from a best friend — this is a supporting pick, and it is at the bottom of this list for that reason rather than by accident.