20 Tool, DIY, and Home Gifts Under $25

Tools and tech don’t usually come cheap. While we’ve rounded up lists like the best gifts for tool lovers and the best smart home gifts, they might not be much help for those shopping with a $25 budget. Here, we’ve compiled some of our favorite gift picks for the home improvement buff on your list, with a $25 price tag or less. 

To start, the TP-Link Tapo P125M Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug is useful for just about any giftee, whether they’re a smart home novice or a tech-enthusiast. The Dickies 5-Pocket Single Side Tool Belt Work Apron is a top pick for DIYers to easily keep their tools on-hand. Keep reading for more budget-friendly gift picks. 

The TP-Link Tapo P125M Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug is highly-giftable to anyone from the smart home newbie to the tech-obsessed. We consider it the best smart plug because it’s very easy to set up, keeping a low barrier of entry for the giftee who’s curious about home automation. Even better, it’s very affordable, has excellent compatibility with other smart home devices, and is compact so it won’t block the second socket on most outlets. 

What our tester says: “We put this one in our daughter’s room because she loves to have her fan on while she falls asleep, but not all night. Now she just tells Alexa to turn on her fan for bedtime, and it shuts off automatically after a couple of hours.”—Michelle Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the TP-Link Tapo P125M Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug at Amazon for $11.99

Compact and useful, the Dickies 5-Pocket Single Side Tool Belt Work Apron is one of the best budget tool belts. It’s a work apron, made of sturdy heavy-duty canvas, that’s ideal for the DIYer who doesn’t want to lug a toolbox around. It has an adjustable waist strap and five pockets to fit a variety of tools. 

Get the Dickies 5-Pocket Single Side Tool Belt Work Apron at Amazon for $19.99

The Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber is the ideal gift for anyone who loves a good deep clean. It’s the best power scrubber for small detail jobs, like cleaning grout, window casements, and around fixtures. It looks like an electric toothbrush, so it’s great for getting into tight spots, but it boasts much more cleaning power, with stiff bristles on an oscillating head that moves 60 times per second. 

What our tester says: “We really liked the little Reveal power scrubber. It comes in a tiny package but packs a big cleaning punch. Its small head makes it suitable for cleaning grout and reaching tight spots. The scrubber got wet multiple times during testing, but the battery compartment remained dry.”— Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber at Amazon for $20.99

New DIYers and homeowners will appreciate the WorkPro 7-Piece Pliers Set, one of our tested picks for the best pliers. It has the major plier types, including diagonal, lineman’s, groove joint, slip joint, and long nose pliers. The tools are a little less refined than some of the other pliers we tested, but they passed all our tasks and cost only ¼ of the price of our best overall pick. For light- and medium-duty work, it’s an excellent affordable set. 

Get the WorkPro 7-Piece Pliers Set at Amazon for $21.99

The WEN 2305 Rotary Tool Kit is cheap, but with tens of thousands of positive reviews, it’s a favorite amongst many hobbyists and DIYers. It’s a good gift for crafters who want to dip their toe into using a rotary tool, but don’t necessarily need the most high-quality or expensive pick. This kit comes with a whopping 80 accessories, so they can try their hand at a variety of tasks. For more serious users, you might want to consider one of our tested picks for the best rotary tools, but if you need to stick strictly to a $25 budget, this is the best-rated option for its price.  

Get the WEN 2305 Rotary Tool Kit at Amazon for $23.40

The Stanley 25-Foot PowerLock Tape Measure is a Bob Vila approved essential we recommend to every homeowner. It’s our top pick for the best tape measure since it’s highly accurate, has strong blade lock, and has smooth retraction mechanism. The well-designed metal blade stayed stiff for an impressive 10 feet in our testing, so it won’t bend as easily when taking quick measurements. 

What our tester says: “This tape is highly accurate and durable, and since it has a clip for easy carrying on a pocket or belt, it’s a tape measure we find ourselves relying on time and time again.”—Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Stanley 25-Foot PowerLock Tape Measure at Tractor Supply Co for $9.99

Made of 100% cowhide leather, the Wells Lamont 1164 HydraHyde Leather Work Gloves are classic, durable, and ready for all sorts of tough jobs. They’re our top pick for budget-friendly work gloves since they’re water-resistant, double-stitched at stress points, and most importantly, offer the reliable protection of leather, shielding against thorns and splinters in our testing. 

What our tester says: “These gloves feel like they are built to last for years but sell for less than many of the trendy synthetic and hybrid work gloves. We used them in the yard, hand pulling thorny blackberry canes before splitting and stacking firewood.” Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Wells Lamont 1164 HydraHyde Leather Work Gloves at Amazon for $19.44

The giftee who loves a clean space will light up at the prospect of all the jobs the Craftsman Micro-Cleaning Wet/Dry Shop Vac Attachment Kit can handle. Designed for detail cleaning, this six-piece attachment kit turns vacuums with a 1¼-inch hose into a micro-cleaning powerhouse. It’s ideal for jobs like car detailing, cleaning window and sliding door tracks, deep cleaning a dryer lint trap, and even for suctioning dust off of computer keyboards. 

Get the Craftsman Micro-Cleaning Wet/Dry Shop Vac Attachment Kit at Amazon for $23.99

The aspiring DIYer who’s still building up a tool collection will get good use out of the best screwdriver bit set, the DeWalt 45-Piece Screwdriver Bit Set. It includes 45 of the most common screwdriver accessories, compatible with a range of drill types, and all organized in a compact hardcover case. 

What our tester says: “DeWalt’s kit includes the bits you’ll use most, along with a few nice-to-haves. Thanks to that, the kit is compact enough to throw in a tool box. I found it very useful for most DIY jobs.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the DeWalt 45-Piece Screwdriver Bit Set at Amazon for $14.99

The WD-40 Precision Pen belongs in every toolbox. WD-40 is pretty much magic, with more uses than you can even imagine, and the Precision Pen makes it even easier to apply for detailed tasks. It has a chiseled tip that releases just a drop of the lubricant, perfect for small jobs like a squeaky door hinge, tricky locks, and sticky zippers. It’s worthwhile to have on hand for these situations that the traditional spray can make a mess of. 

What our tester says: “I don’t always recommend products, because everyone has their own way of doing things. But this one? No hesitation. The WD-40 Precision Pen is a little bit of magic in a tiny package. And once you use it, you won’t want just one—you’ll want a stash.“—Glenda Taylor, 

Read our full review: WD-40 Precision Pen

Get the WD-40 Precision Pen at Amazon for $12.65

More Gifts for New Homeowners We Love

• CowPots TV208926 Round Cowpot at Amazon: Made of peat-free cow manure, the fully biodegradable CowPot is one of the best seed starting trays for the eco-conscious.
• Kobalt Portable Mini Toolbox at Lowe’s: This mini toolbox adds a little more organization, perfectly sized for small hand tools and accessories. 
• Stanley Folding Metric and SAE Hex Keys 2-Pack at Amazon: This is the best affordable allen wrench pair for tackling almost any DIY job. 
• Gutter Cleaning Spoon and Scoop at Amazon: Our tested pick for the best gutter cleaner tool makes this maintenance task much easier. 
• KeFanta 42-Pack Tool Box Organizer at Amazon: With 42 modular drawer inserts for an affordable price, this is one of the best bulk tool box organizers for tidying a workshop. 
• Fiskars Big Grip Multipurpose Planting Knife at Amazon: This is the best hori hori knife for taking advantage of this slicing and digging tool on a budget. 
• Ernst Manufacturing Wrench Pro at Amazon: This is the perfect storage solution for anyone with a large wrench collection. 
• Gerber Gear EAB Lite Pocket Knife at Amazon: After testing, this is our choice for the best utility knife because it’s durable, compact, and sleek. 
• Xool 82-in-1 Precision Electronics Screwdriver Set at Amazon: This set is our top pick for the best screwdriver set for electronics, ideal for gifting to new tinkerers. 
• Green Mount New Patent Heavy-Duty Hose Nozzle at Amazon: Gift the gardener in your life the best hose nozzle, a worthwhile upgrade that makes using their hose more comfortable. 

 

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