December shopping usually defaults to scented candles, novelty socks or another tin of shortbread destined to sit in a pantry until spring. If you want to give a gift that shows you genuinely care about a person, look at their weekly routine.
Most of the workforce does not sit at a single desk anymore. According to CBRE, 89% of U.S. employers and 88% of Asia Pacific employers now require staff to be in the office at least three days a week, up from 78% and 75% in 2025, respectively. That means your family and friends are at their decked-out home workspace one day and hot desking it at the office the next.
And this can affect their productivity. Our global Ctrl Tomorrow Study reveals that 81% of people say the right technology setup can be the difference between reaching their goals and falling short. When someone splits their week between locations, gifts that support their working habits can be the most thoughtful gesture you can make.
We’ve rounded up our top picks for the hybrid worker in your life.
Gifts for the dad who has everything
Dads are notoriously difficult to buy for because they insist they need nothing and buy their own tools the minute they want it. But ask him about his workspace and he will shrug off an aching forearm or stiff neck as an unavoidable tax on earning a living.
Outfitting his desk with ergonomic staples, like the Wave Keys keyboard and Lift vertical mouse, show you care about his posture and wellbeing. His hands, wrists and forearms will be better supported throughout the day. Add a Brio 500 webcam with its auto-light correction and he will look sharp on work calls without fiddling with lamps.
Gifts for the mom who doesn’t need you to buy her anything
Every year you try to find the perfect gift for mom, but end up scrambling at the last moment and buy her signature perfume or another lavender bath bomb. What she really needs is dependable gear that just works and doesn’t require a call to IT (aka her kids).
If she hates clutter and is notorious for ignoring the “low battery” warning, get her the Signature Slim Solar+ keyboard that charges itself with ambient light or sunlight. Or if comfort is her non-negotiable baseline, the Signature Comfort Plus MK880 includes a palm-cushion mouse and keyboard with dual-layer foam palm rest to keep her relaxed during those long desk days.
Gifts for the partner who is impossible to surprise
Just when you’ve added the perfect gift for your tech-obsessed partner to your shopping cart, you find out they’ve already purchased it for themselves. But you know there is coveted tech they hesitate to splurge on.
Maybe they’ve been raving about the haptic feedback in the MX Master 4 mouse for a year, but claim their current version is fine. Or they are a coder and the new MX Keypad has caught their eye, but they aren’t sure they need another device on their desk, even if this will trigger AI agents and automate tasks with a single tap. This is your opportunity to buy them that upgrade or complete their setup with the MX Keys S keyboard and MX Brio webcam to boost their productivity and given them better control over their workflow.
Gifts for your work bestie who is always on the go
We all have that teammate who works from hotel lobbies and planes more than their own home office. If you don’t, it’s probably you. They live out of a suitcase so try to pack light and are constantly apologizing for the background noise on calls or struggle to work from a tiny trackpad as they dial in from cafes and airports.
They need gear to keep up with their on-the-go lifestyle, like the pocketable Mobi Fold mouse and ultra-thin Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard so they can create a mobile workstation wherever they work. Or consider a headset like Zone Vibe Pro so they can be heard clearly and block out the noise around them when joining calls from the gate before using it to watch movies on the plane.
This holiday season remember that the best gift is showing you know the person and their individual needs. Whose desk will you be upgrading this holiday season?
