Top 20 Best Personalized Gift Ideas in 2022

Reasons to look for a good personalized gift

Another watch, an itchy cardigan, and a birthday card, which will, ultimately, end up in a trash can. You can do better when it comes to gift giving.

If buying a present for that special person in your life always turns you into a bundle of nerves, we have found the perfect solution. Personalized gifts!

Whether you’re gifting your best friend who tends to be very picky, or a family member who seems to have it all, customized presents can relieve the pressure.

And the recipient will be incredibly happy to receive a gift that’s made just for them. So here is our rundown of the best personalized gifts.

Best for mom

Are you looking for the perfect gift for your mum? This personalized bamboo cutting board is an excellent option.

Its wood construction makes it multi-purpose; hence, ideal for all occasions. And, it’s a great addition to your home’s decor.

The best part is that it can be customized to your liking. Whether you want your name or mum’s name engraved, simply send the instructions to the manufacturer to have them engraved.

Best for mother’s day

Is your mom’s birthday or anniversary coming up? Do you wish to tell her how much you love and appreciate her? Then get her this personalized stainless steel wine tumbler.

It features double-wall vacuum insulation, meaning that you won’t feel the temperature through the outer walls.  It also has a plastic lid wide enough to fit a straw.

The stainless-steel exterior is coated with powder, making it resistant to scratching and corrosion.

It can hold 350 ml of any beverage at any temperature. The tumbler is quite sturdy and lightweight too and doesn’t slip when wet due to the textured exterior.

Best for friends

Whether you’re going to work, jogging, or visiting the gym, you want to keep your body hydrated. This sleek water bottle provides a stylish way to carry water, and with a capacity of nearly 1L, it carries enough water to last throughout the day.

What’s more, it can be customized to your liking. Your friend’s name can be engraved on the bottle, and you can choose a favorite design and color.

Best for teachers

Want to buy a gift for the individual who plays(ed) such a significant role in your life? This personalized travel coffee mug is a superb gift for a teacher.

The mug is available in two different sizes: a 20- and 30-ounce. The best part is that you have the freedom to customize it the way you want. Once you select “customize now”, you’ll be able to choose from 18 stylish designs and up to 11 colors.

This tumbler isn’t just about the looks though. It’s equally functional. It touts a double-walled insulation system to keep your drinks either hot or cold, until you’re ready to take them. As a bonus, it fits perfectly in standard-size cup holders.

Best for Christmas

Christmas is always a great time to share gifts with loved ones, and customized coffee mugs never grow old.

They are available in a wide variety, such as this one on Amazon’s listing. You can send a photo, a text, or a company’s logo for printing on the mug’s exterior.

What’s more, the images can be placed however you want, and they can be adjusted to your liking. The mug is available in nine colors, and it’s made from a durable ceramic material.

Best for him

Have you always wanted to showcase the best pictures of your spouse or memories you’ve shared together throughout your relationship? If you answered yes, these gorgeous canvas prints are your best bet.

The quality of the printed photos is stellar. The service provider utilizes fade-resistant ink so you’re guaranteed that the images will look pretty on the wall, for years to come.

Also, the entire process- from printing to receiving your customized photos to hanging- is a breeze. The frame comes with hooks already attached and a few other accessories to ease this hanging task.

Best photo gift

Are you looking for the perfect photo gift for your friend’s, kid’s, or mom’s birthday? This rock slate photo makes a breathtaking custom gift.

Upload and send an image of your favorite moment for customizing to get a beautifully framed rock slate photo.

The frame comes with a stand allowing you to place it on your desk, living room, bedroom, and any other favorite spot.

Best for sister

Whether she’s older or younger, there’s no doubt that your sister is one of your favorite people. For that sister who loves to cuddle on the couch, this throw blanket by MIHOSI will make an excellent gift.

In line with the theme of personalized gifts, you get to pick the specific size and photo collage that you want for the blanket.

Better yet, the throw blanket is made of fleece, providing the recipient with maximum comfort. The quality of print is also durable so there’s no need to worry about it fading after a few washes.

Best for baby

This personalized baby blanket makes the perfect gift for your sister’s or friend’s baby shower. It’s warm enough to keep the baby warm during winter, and the fact that it can be customized makes this blanket even more special.

Furthermore, the blanket is so soft you don’t need to check on your baby once swaddled in it. This is because it’s made from Minky fabric, which is soft and easy to wash without losing color.

Best for co-workers

Whether you’re able to interact with your colleague physically or only via Zoom calls, it’s good to show them some appreciation for all the collaboration and skills they bring to the table. In that regard, you can’t go wrong with a personalized picture frame like this one.

Use this crystal picture frame to display a photo of when they were voted employee of the month/year or one from a team building retreat.

We particularly like the frame holder provided alongside the frame. This makes it easy for the recipient to place it on their desk, living room or any other spot they prefer.

Best for dad

You can never go wrong with photo gifts. Not only is it a thoughtful way of appreciating loved ones, but it also shows you truly care about them.

Additionally, it’s a beautiful way of capturing moments. Now, if you don’t want to present the gift casually to a loved one; this 3D crystal engraving adds an edge to the personalized gift.

And, you can showcase up to two photos. It definitely makes a perfect gift for your dad.

Best for boyfriend

Finding the best gift for your boyfriend is never easy, especially if you’ve been together for a while. Luckily, this personalized leather keychain can solve your troubles.

The keychain is made solely from full-grain leather, offering you maximum durability. The strap is about 4.5 inches long and 0.75 inches wide, making it small enough to fit in most pockets.

As for the customization, you get up to 10 characters to work with, and these include numbers, letters and symbols. The name you pick will be engraved on just one side of the keychain and you can even add foil for a wow factor.

Best for couples

Turn your special memories into beautiful keepsakes with this personalized keychain. You can customize up to ten images allowing you to commemorate all the special moments you have shared with your partner.

The images are printed using a six-color HD printer that produces clear, crisp, and vibrant pictures. In addition, the film roll is laser cut to keep the edges neat and crisp.

Best for office

For the desk-bound worker, this name plate by Artblox makes for a nice personalized gift. Measuring 8 by 2.5 inches, this nameplate is a nice way to decorate the recipient’s desk without taking up too much space.

It’s made of acrylic glass, a material that is both durable and stylish. Plus, it’s available in 12 different designs. a

The text is engraved on the glass using the latest tech, and then cured with UV. This means it will be a long while before the name starts fading or peeling off.

Best memorial gift

This custom brass plating is the perfect gift for commemorating loved ones who have lost lives in the line of duty.

You can mount it on trophies, doors, stationery, and walls and the brass material adds a classic look to the item you’re mounting it on. Be sure to use the plate for indoor applications and polish it regularly to keep it looking clean and shiny.

You can choose a suitable image from its vast image library and choose rounded, squared, or notched corners. If no preference is made, your brass plate gets squared corners.

Best for her

For the lady in your life who is constantly misplacing their AirPods, you should buy them this Custom Name AirPod Case by Marblefy.

It has a shock-absorbent exterior, meaning that any impact from a fall won’t affect the AirPods. The walls of the case are also thin enough that they can support wireless charging.

The case features a keychain, allowing you to attach your keys. You can also use it to attach the case to your bag.

The best part is that you can have the case customized with a name or a favorite phrase of the recipient. The words are printed with a UV laser, so you don’t have to worry about them coming off.

Best for girlfriend

Getting your girlfriend a bouquet of flowers will put a smile on her face. But getting her this gorgeous necklace with her name engraved on it will let her know that she means the world to you.

The intricate construction of this necklace is its biggest selling point. It’s made of premium-quality stainless steel and then coated with 18k gold. 18k gold, which constitutes 75% gold, is as close as you can get to real gold.

Thanks to these materials, it doesn’t fade, rust, corrode, or stain. Durability aside, the necklace is 18 inches long, which makes it an excellent fit for most ladies.

Best for father’s day

With fathers’ day right around the corner, you might be thinking of getting your father a gift that feels personal. Nothing feels more personal than a custom t-shirt with a loving message.

With a wide range of colors and fonts to choose from, these extra soft, high-quality t-shirts can be customized with any message of your choosing.

Better yet, you get to choose whether to have your message printed on the back or the front of the t-shirt. 85% of the t-shirt’s material is cotton, making it highly-breathable. This also means that it’s durable and can withstand regular washing without the fonts chipping or cracking.

Best for grandma

If the happiest memories you have of your grandma are sharing or cooking a meal together in her kitchen, then this personalized apron will make a superb gift.

Made from 100% cotton, the apron comes in five color choices, namely, red, black, navy, white, and a combination of black and white.

The apron is about 29’ long. However, the neck strap is adjustable, meaning it can be adjusted to fit pretty much anyone.

Moreover, it includes two pockets, which are great for storing items she’d want to access easily. Lastly, it’s machine washable, making it very easy to keep clean.

Best for wedding

For a wedding present, you want to choose something that is both thoughtful and practical. This personalized photo moon lamp fits the description perfectly.

The lamp features a range of 16 different colors. It has a remote control that is used to switch colors or adjust the brightness of the lamp. Additionally, it is made of odorless, non-toxic material and remains cool even if it has been used for a long time.

You can choose to customize the lamp with a beautiful picture of the couple, write a message, or have a picture of them at the front and a message at the back.

What to look for when buying a personalized gift

Before we delve into the gifts, here are a couple of hacks that you’ll find useful when shopping for a personalized gift.

Know the recipient

Given that you’re buying a personalized gift, the most important aspect to consider is the recipient. More specifically, take their gender, lifestyle, likes, dislikes, and needs, all into account.

For instance, it would be illogical to get your mom a month’s subscription of sports channels if she’s not a fan of sports. Similarly, you should not get your sister a customized cookbook if she prefers to order out most of the time.

Color coordinate

Another factor you’ll want to consider is the how or where the gift will be placed. If it’s an item that will end up in the recipient’s kitchen or living room, you might want to check out their current decor first.

Let’s say you’re buying them a throw pillow, which they’ll place on their sofa. In that case, first find out (covertly) the color of the couch. This way, you can pick a throw pillow that either complements or contrasts beautifully with the settee.

On the surface, color coordination might seem like a minor thing. But to the recipient, it shows them that you went an extra mile to find them the ultimate present.

Plan ahead

Are you the kind of person who forgets to shop for gifts until the eleventh hour?

Well, personalized gifts are an entirely different playing field. With these presents, you’ll have to think way ahead of time/occasion.

This way, you have enough time to order and add those personal touches to the present. Even if you’re having the gift customized by the manufacturer, you should order early to allow enough time for customization.

This also gives you time to correct any errors that you/the manufacturer makes when customizing the item.

Review the return policy

When shopping for other gifts, you never stop to check the manufacturer’s policy.

But it’s crucial that you don’t skip this step when buying a personalized gift. This is because some stores don’t allow returns of customized items. This is understandable as the returned item cannot be resold due to the customization.

Without a return policy though, you’ll be incurring a huge risk as you’ll have to rely solely on the seller’s word.

If you aren’t certain about a given personalized gift, check reviews from other buyers first. Have they issued any complaints against the merchant? Were they pleased with the level and quality of customization?

Final verdict

Whenever you’re considering buying a gift for an individual, choosing a personalized item is a nice approach. It’s memorable, and comes across as more thoughtful compared to the generic gifts.

As a bonus, personalized gifts also give you an opportunity to celebrate the relationship or history you share with the recipient. If you aren’t sure of what personalized gift to get a loved one, our article can help. We’ve reviewed gifts for every type of person and occasion.