Gifts for People Who Are Always Cold

May 10, 2023

Chances are you have someone in your life who sets the temperature at 75ºF and still wears multiple layers into the early weeks of June. If you’re looking for a gift that they’ll want to reach for whenever they shiver, from plush robes and toasty slippers to heated blankets and thick flannel sheets, these Wirecutter picks will keep them cozy.

This beautiful kettle is perfect for tea lovers looking for spot-on temperature accuracy that’ll make their brews taste sublime.

This affordable mug warmer maintains an ideal drinking temperature for hours and doesn't scorch drinks.

The tea lovers in your life will appreciate the Cuisinart GK-1 Digital, a gorgeous powder-coated, stainless steel gooseneck kettle with precise temperature settings. This additional feature is especially helpful for tea devotees, since each variety of tea is meant to be brewed at a specific temperature. Gift this kettle with one of the delicious teas recommended by Wirecutter staffers and the Bestinnkits Smart Coffee Warmer, which will keep their drink hot.

These classic sheepskin slippers are comfortable, warm, and well made.

The men's version of the Wicked Good Moccasins are equally as warm and comfortable as the women's, but they don't have the fuzzy trim.

After testing 39 pairs of slippers over the last six years, we still love the comfy L.L.Bean Wicked Good Moccasins. They’re easy to slip on and off and are lined with plush shearling that keeps your feet snug—one of our testers delightfully described the lining as "a warm hug for your feet." They’re built to last for years and have supportive rubber outsoles that are durable enough for occasional outdoor jaunts.

This incredibly stylish pom hat keeps heads warm in the coldest weather.

The L.L.Bean Adults’ Katahdin Pom Hat is a cozy beanie that's able to withstand the bitter cold without losing its playful charm. Depicting Mount Katahdin in Maine, this hat comes in six bright, cheerful patterns and can easily be paired with a toasty down jacket or a soft sweater.

This thin, merino-blend shirt comes in basic colors for wearing alone or layering under clothing.

This is essentially the same shirt as the men's version in a more tapered cut.

Lots of folks like to wear base layers when they’re venturing into cold weather, but the Ridge Merino Aspect long sleeve looks good enough that it can just as easily be worn as an outer layer (unlike most thermal base layers). Ridge Merino's design pairs a merino wool blend (and its unmatched insulation abilities) with a raglan sleeve and neutral color scheme, making the shirt equal parts functional and stylish. And because the blend is part nylon, which adds stretch and durability to the shirt, the Ridge Merino Aspect long sleeve will last longer than if it were made of pure wool.

As the most affordable sweater we recommend, this Naadam essential is the perfect entry point into the world of cashmere.

A luxuriously soft cashmere sweater at a reasonable price.

The Naadam Essential $75 Cashmere Sweater is soft and supple, and it manages to be warm without feeling too heavy. Luxe yet affordable, this classic crewneck sweater is a great entry point into the world of cashmere. It also comes in over a dozen colors and a wide range of sizes, so you’re likely to find something just right for the giftee you have in mind.

This fluffy, quilted plush throw is super-warm, and it holds up beautifully against heavy use.

The Garnet Hill Plush-Loft Throw is one of the most durable throw blankets we’ve come across ever since we started testing it in 2018. With smooth cotton sateen on one side and a lush fleece on the other, it offers two kinds of cuddly. The Garnet Hill throw holds up to heavy use and is machine-washable, making it an ideal pick for those with pets or children.

This plush robe is comfortable and comforting, warmer than our flannel and waffle picks, and softer than any others we tested.

The Restoration Hardware Luxury Plush Long Robe is among the warmest robes we’ve tested, and with a texture similar to a stuffed animal, definitely the softest of the bunch. Though this robe is on the pricier side, it stands the test of time, keeping its plushness through many wash cycles over the years. If you really want to impress your giftee, you can have this robe monogrammed with their initials for an additional fee.

This vintage-style heater is an all-around decent heater, but what really sets it apart is its delightful aesthetic, inspired by the original Vornado design from 1945.

The Vornado Vheat is a space heater with a delightful vintage looks like it's right out of Mad Men (though it works as well as any modern space heater). Able to raise the temperature in the room by 11 degrees in just 15 minutes, it's an excellent gift for the mid-century modern shiverer in your life.

Cut close to the body, this order-by-height bag allows for a slightly customized fit to help keep you warmer.

Sure, the idea of wearable sleeping bags seems silly—until you realize how fast they can revolutionize an outdoor gathering for the perpetually cold. A sleeping bag with zippered armholes and an open bottom with a drawstring, the Poler Reversible Napsack can quickly become a favorite of anyone who doesn't want to restrict their movement by wearing a heavy parka or a drapey blanket. It's comfortable thanks to synthetic insulation filling, and it comes in a range of lengths to accommodate different heights. We’ve even noted that several staff members wear them indoors in some under-heated rooms in their homes.

This velvety-soft blanket, which has 10 heat options, gets hot and toasty within 20 minutes.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $90.

These supersoft, well-made flannel sheets should keep you toasty on cold winter nights.

The Sunbeam Velvet Plush Heated Blanket is luxuriously soft, cushy enough to mask the wires inside, and quick to warm up, making it a comfortable choice to curl up under on a cold night. The velvety-soft texture of the blanket is on the slippery side, and our testers found that it slid around on silky sheets. The fix: Pair the Sunbeam blanket with a pair of fuzzy flannel sheets. We really like the L.L.Bean Ultrasoft Comfort Flannel Sheet Set, which will last for years.

This article was edited by Alex Aciman and Catherine Kast.

Elissa Sanci

Staff Writer

Elissa Sanci is a senior staff writer for Wirecutter's discovery team based in Denver. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Woman's Day, Marie Claire, and Good Housekeeping. When she's not testing TikTok-famous products or writing about car garbage cans, you can find her hiking somewhere in the Rockies or lying on the couch with a bowl of chips balanced on her chest. There is no in-between.

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