When shopping for holiday gifts, it can be hard to guess which ones will actually be useful instead of sitting untouched in the box.
The things people keep around are generally the ones they reach for when they need them — a travel bag that makes a weekend trip easier, a kitchen device that speeds up dinner or a home appliance that proves its worth every time you use it.
One way to find these types of gifts is to ask people what they swear by. With that in mind, CNBC Make It staffers shared the items that genuinely proved their worth in 2025. Here are six splurges they say are worth the money.
1. Camera bird feeder
Price: $100
It’s usually tough finding the perfect Father’s Day gift for my dad. This year, I came across the Birdfy Feeder, a smart bird feeder with a camera.
It has been a hit with the whole family as we’ve been able to peek at several colorful birds and even a deer sneaking in for a quick snack. It’s like a little portal allowing us to get up close to wildlife.
— 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 sprang for the Calpak Luka Duffel.
The bag itself is pretty compact but fits a ton — 25 liters of stuff to be exact. It has nine pockets to keep everything organized, including one at the bottom to store a pair of shoes separately. The fabric is lightweight, but durable, and kept my belongings dry in the rain.
Best of all, it’s designed to fit under any airplane seat and, because it stands upright, I still had plenty of legroom on either side to stretch out.
— Jennifer Liu, Senior Work Reporter
3. InstantPot air fryer
Price: $220
The Instant Pot Duo Air Fryer is a pressure cooker, air fryer and so much more. My mom got it for me and initially I was like, “This takes up way too much cabinet space.” But I’ve been so happy with it that I’ve convinced my grandfather and godmother to buy one too.
It is big and a little heavy, but my building is all electric, and using this as opposed to my stove for most cooking has lowered my electricity use by around 25% compared with this time last year, which has lowered the bill. Woot!
It’s super convenient, quick and I feel much safer using this than other pressure cooking devices I’ve tried in the past.
— Meline Rosales, Producer
4. AirPod Pros
Price: $249
I was mysteriously moody all of April. I resisted doing chores, going to the gym and commuting felt especially irksome. The culprit: My beloved, 4.5-year-old AirPod Pros were driving me insane. The right bud, if jostled, blasted a loud static into my fragile ear drum. The left, somehow, was never charged. Their unpredictably left me exposed to noises like car horns, crying babies and gym bro grunts.
I waited another two weeks, then submitted to reality. I’m not strong enough to live, work or travel without podcasts or music. I splurged on an upgrade: I bought the AirPod Pros 2. (Newer models are now available.)
I got them engraved for free and they took less than a week to show up on my Brooklyn doorstep. Doing the dishes, grocery shopping and existing in New York City has never felt more tolerable.
— Megan Sauer, Success Reporter
5. Wet/dry vacuum
Price: $370
When my husband and I moved into our new house, among all the boxes and furniture the movers brought into our home, they left one much less desirable thing behind: boot marks. It was one of the coldest days of the year and it had just snowed two days prior, so all day long (through no fault of their own) the movers tracked melting ice and slush throughout the house.
Luckily, before we relocated, we took my sister-in-law’s advice to buy a Tineco wet/dry vacuum, which acts as a sort of mop/vac hybrid. At the end of our exhausting moving day, I added some cleaner to the fresh water chamber and used the vacuum throughout our main bedroom and bathroom so that we could safely go barefoot as we prepared for bed.
It was pretty gross to see how dirty the floors had been, but extremely satisfying to see the wood start to shine again.
— Hanna Howard, Senior Work Editor
6. Professional camera
Price: $660
I’ve been a video production professional for several years and have always had access to production gear, so it’s rare that I purchase something for personal use. However, after picking up the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo, I’ve been nothing but impressed.
It’s small, yet powerful, capturing amazingly high-quality images. With a few setting adjustments, it delivers footage comparable to cameras that cost thousands of dollars more that I use in a professional setting. What’s also great about it is how easy it is to use, whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist. You can just pick up and go!
This purchase has also added to my creativity, to the point where I now carry the Osmo with me during my commute and travels, capturing whatever catches my eye. Its small size makes it convenient to take anywhere and allows me to be discrete for street photography/filming sessions.
— Eric Clark, Senior Managing Producer
CNBC Make It independently determines what we cover and recommend in the “Worth the Money” section. Opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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