75 Team Gift Ideas to Appreciate and Motivate Your Team

Whether your team is in a buzzing open-office, scattered across continents, or working hybrid/remote hours, taking the time to meaningfully recognise them can make all the difference. That’s where team gifting comes in.

At its core, gifting isn’t just about giving “stuff”, it’s about acknowledging effort, building morale, strengthening bonds, and saying “you matter to us.” For HR and workplace-culture leaders, a well-thought-out team gift can foster engagement, loyalty, and unity.

In this article, we’ve compiled 75 team gift ideas  from budget-friendly picks to experience-based rewards that companies can use to celebrate your current teams or retirement gifting. We also explained why gifting works.

Why Team Gifts Matter for Workplace Culture

It turns out that recognition in many forms plays a massive role in how employees feel about their jobs. Here are a few reasons why gifting (as a form of recognition) works:

• Boosts engagement and reduces burnout: Employees who feel seen and appreciated are more likely to stay motivated.
• Improves retention and loyalty: The presence of recognition programs is linked to lower turnover and higher retention rates.
• Triggers deeper connection & belonging: Recognition helps build a sense of community and shared purpose.
• Works beyond money: Studies show that many employees actually prefer non-monetary recognition like gifts, experiences, or public acknowledgement.

For companies, especially in markets with resource constraints (or where adding pay is difficult), thoughtful gifting and recognition.

75 Team Gift Ideas by Category

Here are 75 ideas grouped by type, to inspire your next team-gifting campaign:

Practical Gifts for Daily Work

1. Quality water bottles or insulated tumblers (branded or plain)
   
   
2. Hardcover notebooks or planners — for meetings, notes, goals
   
   
3. Desk organizers (pen holders, cable management, etc.)
   
   
4. Ergonomic mouse pads or laptop stands
   
   
5. Premium pens or stationery sets
   
   
6. Branded tote bags or backpacks
   
   
7. Blue-light blocking glasses (for screen-heavy teams)
   
   
8. Portable phone/tablet stand
   
   
9. Compact power banks or phone chargers
   
   
10. Travel mugs / reusable coffee cups

“These are functional items your team will actually use — great for onboarding gifts, or “welcome to the team” kits.”

Budget-Friendly Team Gifts (Under $20 or Equivalent)

1. Custom thank-you cards with handwritten notes
   
   
2. Branded stickers / pins / magnets
   
   
3. Budget-friendly snacks or snack boxes (local treats, mix of sweet & savory)
   
   
4. Small desk plants or succulents
   
   
5. Custom keychains or lanyards
   
   
6. Coffee gift packs (instant coffee sachets, tea bags, local blends)
   
   
7. Phone cleaning kits or screen cleaners
   
   
8. Fun desk toys (stress balls, fidget toys)
   
   
9. E-cards (e.g. for an ebook, digital subscription)
   
   
10. DIY gift kits (e.g. cookie mix, seed planting kit)

“This category is ideal for larger teams or regular gifting occasions (monthly shout-outs, small wins, birthdays) without breaking the bank.”

Premium or High-Value Team Gifts

1. High-quality Bluetooth headphones or earbuds
   
   
2. Premium insulated water bottles or travel mugs
   
   
3. Leather-bound planners or journals
   
   
4. Custom-branded hoodies or jackets
   
   
5. High-end coffee / tea subscription boxes
   
   
6. Smart desk gadgets (smart lights, wireless chargers)
   
   
7. Gift baskets with assorted items (gadgets, snacks, self-care packs)
   
   
8. Portable hard drives or high-capacity USB drives
   
   
9. Quality backpacks or laptop bags
   
   
10. Personalized engraved gifts (e.g. metal pens, nameplates)

“Premium gifts send a strong message of appreciation — ideal for major milestones, team anniversaries, or top-performer recognition.”

Personalized Team Gifts (10 ideas)

1. Custom mugs with employee names
   
   
2. Engraved pens or nameplates
   
   
3. Personalized stationery or notebooks
   
   
4. Desk nameplates or signage
   
   
5. Custom team-photo frames or canvas prints
   
   
6. Personalized “Thank you” plaques or awards
   
   
7. Custom T-shirts or hoodies with inside jokes or team mottos
   
   
8. Personalized water bottles / tumblers
   
   
9. Custom calendar with team photos and birthdays
   
   
10. Personalized tote bags or pouches

“Personalization adds emotional value — it shows you see the individual, not just the employee number.”

Wellness and Self-Care Gifts (10 ideas)

1. Aromatherapy candles or essential-oil diffusers
   
   
2. Wellness gift packs (face masks, hand creams, lip balm)
   
   
3. Yoga mats or resistance bands (for active teams)
   
   
4. Wellness journals or mindfulness notebooks
   
   
5. Healthy snack boxes or fruit baskets
   
   
6. Sitting posture cushions or lumbar supports (for office teams)
   
   
7. Water bottles with fruit infuser caps
   
   
8. Eye-care kits (eye masks, eye drops) for screen-heavy workloads
   
   
9. Desk exercise mini-kits (stretch bands, hand exercise balls)
   
   
10. Subscription to wellness apps (meditation, fitness)

“Gifts focused on health and well-being can show your team you care about them beyond just work output, especially important in distributed/remote teams.”

Tech and Desk Gadgets (10 ideas)

1. Wireless chargers or multi-device charging pads
   
   
2. Portable Bluetooth speakers
   
   
3. Cable organizers and clean-desk kits
   
   
4. Laptop stands or ergonomic desk risers
   
   
5. Smart LED desk lamps with adjustable light levels
   
   
6. Noise-reducing earplugs or desk-privacy screens
   
   
7. Webcam covers (for remote-first teams)
   
   
8. Compact travel routers or WiFi hotspots (for remote team members)
   
   
9. USB hubs or multi-port adapters
   
   
10. Smart notebooks / digitizer pens for paper-to-digital notes

“Tech-based gifts can improve productivity especially for remote or hybrid teams and double as practical support for everyday work.”

Experience-Based Gifts (Great for Team Bonding) (10 ideas)

1. Group dinner or lunch — in-office or out at a nice restaurant
   
   
2. Online cooking or cocktail-making class
   
   
3. Gift cards for streaming or entertainment subscriptions
   
   
4. Tickets to concerts, theatre, cinema, or sports events (where feasible)
   
   
5. Day-out trips or team retreats (local destinations)
   
   
6. Virtual experiences for remote teams (escape rooms, online games, workshops)
   
   
7. Spa or wellness day vouchers
   
   
8. Subscription boxes (books, gourmet foods, hobby kits)
   
   
9. Personal development courses (online courses, workshops)
   
   
10. Gift cards — for digital stores, bookstores, local stores, or experience platforms

“Experience-based gifts often leave lasting memories, help build camaraderie, and reinforce a culture of appreciation.”

Remote & Distributed Team Gift Ideas (5 ideas)

1. Digital gift cards (e.g. for online stores, e-book platforms, food delivery)
   
   
2. Virtual group experiences — online games, team-building sessions, digital workshops
   
   
3. Local snack or gift boxes shipped to each team member’s address
   
   
4. Home office upgrade kits (desk gadgets, ergonomic items, comfort accessories)
   
   
5. Subscription services (streaming, e-learning, wellness apps)

“These are ideal for teams spread across geographies — maintaining connection and appreciation despite distance.”

Why Experience Gifts Are Becoming the Top Team Gifting Trend in 2026

Over the past few years, companies have increasingly favoured experiential gifts over traditional physical items and for good reasons.

• Higher emotional and memorable value: Physical gifts may wear out or be forgotten. Experiences like a group dinner, workshop, or a team trip can create shared memories that reinforce team bonds.
• Greater flexibility and inclusivity: With digital gift cards, subscriptions, or online experiences, teams can choose what works best for them regardless of where they are based.
• Better for team cohesion & culture: Shared experiences bring people together, foster connection, and build team identity more than an isolated desk item ever could.
• Less “clutter,” more satisfaction: Employees often appreciate the chance to choose how to spend a gift (experience, subscription, or treat) rather than receiving another “thing” they may not use.

Given these benefits, experience-based gifts especially when paired with flexible gift-card or online-platform solutions are rapidly becoming the go-to for modern companies.

How a Gifting & Rewards Platform Can Help

If you’re a manager, HR leader, or team head, you may have felt the logistical challenge: coordinating gifts, handling deliveries, tracking who’s received what, staying within budget, and aligning with company culture.

That’s where a gifting & rewards platform (or a structured internal system) can make a huge difference. Here’s what such a platform can bring to the table:

• Automated workflows — bulk gifting (e.g. for all new hires), scheduled milestone gifts (work anniversaries, birthdays), or performance-based rewards with minimal admin burden.
• Choice and flexibility — employees can pick what they want (gift card, experience, item) according to their preferences.
• Centralised tracking & budgeting — making sure gifting remains fair, transparent, and within budget.
• Scalability — whether you have a 5-person startup or a 500-person team, you can scale gifting without chaos.
• Diverse reward catalogue — physical gifts, digital cards, experiences, wellness perks  giving something for everyone.

In sum: gifting becomes not just an ad-hoc nice-to-have, but a repeatable, sustainable part of your company’s culture and HR strategy.

Conclusion

Team gifting is far more than a “nice extra”, it’s a strategic tool. When done right, gifting can strengthen morale, build bonds, reinforce culture, and boost engagement. With 75 ideas at your disposal you can tailor your approach to fit your team size, budget, and culture.

If you aim to make gifting a regular part of your employee engagement strategy; consistent, equitable, and easy to manage consider leveraging a gifting or employee rewards platform like Perkflow. That way, you can combine thoughtful gestures with scalability and convenience.

At the end of the day: a well-crafted gift tells your team “We see you. We appreciate you. We’re in this together.” And that message often resonates louder than money alone.