Useful, Actually: 10 Stocking Stuffers People Will Reach For Every Day

This is a dedicated box cutter, not a multipurpose blade, and that's the point. The cover snaps shut the second you let go, so there's no cap to lose and no surprise cuts when you reach into a drawer for it.

The blade slices tape and cardboard cleanly without digging into whatever's inside, which kitchen scissors and cheap cutters tend to do. Fifteen dollars for a tool most people use weekly and never think to buy for themselves.

The Shard is about as simple as a multitool gets: one flat piece of steel, no moving parts, seven functions. Two screwdrivers and a Phillips head cover the random screw that shows up in daily life, the pry bar opens boxes and paint cans, and the bottle opener gets used constantly.

At 2.75 inches it adds almost nothing to a keychain. It's not a replacement for a multitool with pliers, but for someone who wants function without bulk, it's close to perfect. It's TSA approved, so I have one attached to my keychain and another in my bag, and I always have something available when needed, even in flight.

Twelve tools in a body that weighs less than two ounces: pliers, wire cutters, two blades, scissors, a file, a ruler, screwdrivers, tweezers, and a bottle opener. That's more than most people carry in a full-size multitool.

The bottle opener stays exposed even when the tool is folded, so you never have to open it for the one function you'll use most. At $24, it's the rare stocking stuffer that upgrades a keychain instead of just decorating it.

This is the Leatherman you can actually take through airport security. No blade, just spring-action scissors, needle-nose pliers, a file, a small screwdriver, tweezers, and a bottle opener, backed by a 25-year warranty.

For someone who travels a lot, that TSA compliance is the whole pitch. Most people leave their real multitool at home to avoid a hassle at security and regret it the first time they need one. This one just goes with you.

A 58mm Swiss Army knife with a blade, scissors, a nail file that doubles as a screwdriver, a key ring, and a toothpick. It's small enough to disappear on a keychain and handles most of the small cutting and tightening jobs that come up during a normal week.

Half the people who get one already own one from a previous holiday. The other half will wonder why they didn't have one sooner. At $15, it's probably the best value on this list.

A pressurized ballpoint that writes upside down, in extreme heat or cold, and over grease. Capped, it's small enough to pocket; extended, it's a full-size pen that's actually comfortable to write with.

The main selling point is reliability: pull it out and it writes, every time, no shaking or dry starts. At $30 it's the most gift-like item on this list, but it's also the pen someone ends up using for the next decade.

A 48-page pocket notebook, small enough for a chest pocket and stiff enough to write against without a table. Three come in a pack, so there's always a fresh one ready.

Expensive notebooks make people hesitant to use the good pages. A Field Notes book doesn't have that problem. Use it for lists, phone numbers, parking spots, whatever you need to remember but won't, then start the next one.

A keychain flashlight the size of a AAA battery that puts out a real 10 lumens for up to 8 hours. Bright enough to actually see by, not so bright it kills your night vision.

Everyone has a phone flashlight until the phone is dead, in a bag, or too big to angle into a tight spot. This is the light you can always find in the dark because it's already on your keys.

Folds all your keys into a single flat body instead of a jingling ring, holding up to 14 keys with none poking through your pocket or scratching your phone.

It's a small change that fixes an annoyance most people have stopped noticing. Give it to someone and they'll wonder within a week why they put up with a regular keyring for so long.

A 30W charger about the size of an ice cube, with prongs that fold flat so it doesn't snag in a bag. Charges an iPhone to 50% in about 30 minutes and can push a MacBook Air along at a usable rate too.

It replaces the oversized brick that shipped with the phone. Cheap enough to buy a few: one for the bag, one for the office, one for the nightstand.