When shopping for holiday gifts, it can be difficult to guess which ones will actually be useful instead of just leaving them in the box.
What people keep on hand is usually something they can quickly retrieve when they need it. Travel bags that make weekend trips easier, kitchen gadgets that make dinner time faster, and home appliances that give you more value every time you use them.
One way to find these types of gifts is to ask people what they pledge. With that in mind, the CNBC Make It staff shared items that have proven to be really valuable in 2025. Here are six splurges they say are worth the money.
1. Camera bird feeder
Price: $100
Finding the perfect Father’s Day gift for dad is usually difficult. This year I came across the Birdfy Feeder, a smart bird feeder with a camera.
It was a hit with the whole family as we saw a few colorful birds and even a deer sneaking in for a snack. It’s like a small entrance that allows us to get closer to wild animals.
— Tasia Jensen, video producer
2.Weekender bag
Price: $138
Last year, I used the holiday travel season as an excuse to finally ditch my old backpack and get a proper travel bag. I jumped on the Calpak Luka Duffel.
The bag itself is quite compact, but it can hold 1 ton (25 liters to be exact). It has 9 pockets to keep everything organized. One of them is a pocket at the bottom where you can store your shoes separately. The fabric is lightweight but durable and kept my belongings dry even in the rain.
Best of all, it was designed to fit under airplane seats, and because it stood upright, there was still plenty of room to stretch your legs on each side.
— Jennifer Liu, Senior Work Reporter
3. Instant Pot Air Fryer
Price: $220
The Instant Pot Duo Air Fryer is a pressure cooker, air fryer, and more. My mom bought it for me, and at first I thought, “This takes up too much cabinet space.” But I was so happy with it that I convinced my grandfather and godfather to buy it too.
It’s big and a little heavy, but my building is all electric, so by using it instead of the stove for most of my cooking, I’ve reduced my electricity usage by about 25% compared to this time last year, which has lowered my bill. Wow!
It’s very convenient, quick, and much safer to use than other pressure cookers I’ve tried.
— Meline Rosales, Producer
4.AirPod Pro
Price: $249
I’ve been in a strangely grumpy mood all of April. I resisted doing housework, and found going to the gym and commuting especially troublesome. The culprit: My beloved 4 1/2 year old AirPod Pros were driving me crazy. The bump on my right bud created a huge static charge on my fragile eardrum. For some reason, leftists were not prosecuted. Their unexpected influence exposed me to noises like car horns, babies crying, and gym buddies moaning.
I waited two more weeks before accepting reality. I’m not strong enough to live, work, or travel without podcasts or music. I decided to upgrade and bought AirPod Pros 2. (New model now available.)
I had it engraved for free and it arrived at my doorstep in Brooklyn in less than a week. Cooking, grocery shopping, and living in New York City have never felt so bearable.
— Megan Sauer, Success Reporter
5. Wet/dry vacuum
Price: $370
When my husband and I moved into our new home, among all the boxes and furniture the movers brought into the house, there was one less desirable item left behind. It’s a boot print. It was one of the coldest days of the year, and it had just snowed two days before, so the movers (through no fault of their own) spent the entire day tracking melting ice and slush all over the house.
Luckily, before we moved, we followed my sister-in-law’s advice and purchased a Tineco wet/dry vacuum that acts as a kind of mop/vacuum hybrid. At the end of an exhausting moving day, we added detergent to the freshwater room and vacuumed the entire master bedroom and bathroom so we could safely go barefoot as we prepared for bed.
Although it was pretty gross to see how dirty the floors were, it was very satisfying to see the wood start to shine again.
— Hannah Howard, Senior Work Editor
6. Professional camera
Price: $660
I’ve been a video production professional for several years now and have always had access to production equipment, so I rarely buy anything for personal use. However, after picking up the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo, I was simply impressed.
Small but mighty, it captures amazingly high-quality images. With just a few settings adjustments, you can get footage that rivals the thousands of dollars worth of cameras I use professionally. Another great thing about it is that it is easy to use for both professionals and hobbyists. Ready to carry.
This purchase also fueled my creativity, and I now carry my Osmo with me on my commute to work and when I travel, photographing everything that catches my eye. Its small size allows you to carry it anywhere and keep it discreet during street photography and photography sessions.
— Eric Clark, Senior Managing Producer
CNBC Make It independently decides what we feature and recommend in our Value for Money section. No opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations have been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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