The 2025 5+8 Annual Gift Guide
You need ideas. And, we’re good at ideas. Please enjoy The Seventh Annual 5+8 Gift Guide and the wonderful people who swear by them. Just click on the image to view the gift.
Click on the images to see the gift!
A Jean Jacket
I always wondered if I could be a jean jacket guy. For years, decades I wondered, even wandered, in my mind, searching for the answer. It eluded me. Am I a jean jacket guy? I reached out to a friend. As one does in times of turmoil. And his words were all I needed to hear. "You seem like a jean jacket guy to me."
He saw me as denim. He allowed me to denim. And I will always be in debt to that friend. I've never been the same since. Join me, won't you?
Adam Faust, Partner
Pura
I love fresh scents that lift the mood of a room. Imagine bottling up the smell of warm cedarwood and moss for the winter or the essence of beachy bergamot with a slight musk undertone during summer days.
Pura is not your average Febreze/Glade plug-in diffuser. Scents from Pura are pet safe, they have tons of different fragrances to choose from, and fragrances can be put on a schedule right through your phone.
Have a small space? They made a mini. Have a bigger living room? They have a mid-sized and large diffuser for that. Even one for your car!
My top favorite scents are Volcano, Pacific Aqua, and Neroli Basil.
Sharon Chu, Senior Designer
The Best Planner
For my fellow Type Aers, I cannot recommend this planner enough. Seriously. I think I've been using this planner for almost four years now? That's a pretty long relationship with a paper product, but they're just that good. And I love having the personalized touch with my name. Now I'll admit, I don't think I'd spend $35 (over $40 with shipping) on a planner...but they make great gifts. In fact, that is how I supply them – I request them as my birthday gift from 5+8 every year now. 😎
Sarah Bartz, Creative Director
Tabletop Lighter
Also on my Christmas list this year, a Tabletop Lighter!
I knew I needed one in my life when I discovered this vintage one.
While I'm still on the hunt for a lighter just like that, there are alternatives like these pretty ones from Edie Parker that'll do for now.
Light a candle, burn some incense, smoke a cigarette or a *redacted*
Even if you don't use it, it'll look really pretty on your table and you'll likely get compliments on it ❤️🔥
Rachel Garcia, Senior Designer
Hatch Alarm Clock
The Hatch alarm clock is a game changer. If you know someone who is a grump in the morning, maybe it’s because they’re being woken from their slumber with 100 decibels of beeping, buzzing, and ringing coming from their phone!
You can set your Hatch to put you to sleep with the sound of a crackling campfire every night, and then wake you up in the morning with a pink sunrise and the sound of morning birds. For a small subscription fee, you can access even more features like guided meditations or morning pep talks from a drag queen named Jaida Essence Hall (my personal favorite is Get Up and Slay!)
Kim Arenas, Senior Brand Manager
Sourdough Slicer
I’ve accepted that slicing sourdough with a regular bread knife is simply not one of my talents, especially when you’re short and the loaf is basically at eye level. After too many crooked slices, I got this sourdough slicer… and wow. Perfect, even slices every single time with zero effort. No sawing, no wrestling, no chaos. It’s simple, it’s convenient, and it makes my homemade sourdough look like it came straight from a bakery.
Sabrina Moreno, Project Manager
Magic Puzzle
If you're like me and spend most hours of your day on your computer, it's incredibly therapeutic to take some time away from the screen and challenge your mind.
The Magic Puzzle Company is probably one of the best brands of puzzles out there. In a world full of technology and computer-produced graphics... this company partners with real human artists who illustrate the entire puzzle in their unique art style! Not only that, but the puzzle itself - when complete - is formed into larger puzzle pieces that can be rearranged for a secret ending that is unique to the story told in each puzzle's illustrations.
Zoe Collins, Junior Designer
Stay Tuned
Jeff always has a great gift idea. And this year is no different. We look forward to seeing what it is because we know it’s going to be a real banger.
Jeff Long, Partner
Cassette Player
Digital is out and analog is officially back (or at least I’ve decided that it is).
Meet the FiiO CP13 cassette player, a modern take on the Walkman that kickstarted my obsession with collecting tapes.
While cassettes aren't having the same comeback as vinyl records, artists are still releasing them. My latest buy was Tame Impala’s new album Deadbeat, limited to 1,000 units. There’s something really fun about how compact a tape is and being able to pop it into a portable player like it’s the 80s.
The CP13 is one of the best options you can find today, and with a simple 3.5mm jack, you can hook it up to your headphones or speakers and instantly feel cooler than everyone streaming on Spotify :)
Brenna Mata, Content Strategist
Fellow
Do you know someone who loves heating up water to an exact temperature? Or someone who loves kitchen appliances that look pretty?
Fellow makes a range of coffee-making products that are high quality and beautiful to look at. While some may say boiling water doesn't need to cost that much, I would argue that this electric kettle has encouraged me to invest more time in my morning routine and to learn how to make really good pour over coffee by hand.
It comes in a variety of color combinations and the wood accents are a nice touch, too.
Emil Jraissati, Content Strategist
A Good Book
With the holidays coming up and people finally getting some time off, I have to recommend Project Hail Mary. It’s by the same author as The Martian, and honestly it’s one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time. I haven’t been an active reader in a minute, but this one was so easy to get lost in.
My biggest tip is to go in completely blind. The twists and turns, even the science are super interesting and surprisingly easy to follow. It doesn't feel like homework.
If reading is not your thing, I’ve heard the audiobook is amazing. And if you still don’t want to commit, there’s a Ryan Gosling movie coming out next year, which I avoided like the plague for spoilers.
It’s absolutely worth it. I was genuinely sad when I hit the end, and it kinda woke up my love for reading for fun again.
David Malamud, Brand Director
Whirley Pop
Is there anything more satisfying than a gift in the "buy it for life" category? When so many things seem to have a "break by" date built in, it's both comforting and refreshing to have something functional, beautiful, and guaranteed to last despite lots of use.
Though I'm usually anti-single-use kitchen tools and appliances, the Whirley Pop is a thing of beauty: It was invented by a corn farmer in 1980 (THIS GUY POPS CORN), and the design hasn't changed in the ensuing decades because it's basically perfect just the way it is.
Lauren McDowell, Strategy Director
As we wrap up this gift guide, remember that the most meaningful presents often come from the heart. Whether you choose to delight someone with a thoughtful novel, a table lighter, or a shift in their denim identity, the act of giving is what truly matters. If you’re still reading this, it’s over now.
