The Best Valentine's Day Gifts Under $50

Remember how your girlfriend cried when you forgot it was your three-month anniversary? Well, the same goes for online shopping in preparation for Valentine’s Day 2024, which means you should order those salted caramels and blown-glass dildos sooner, rather than later, to make sure your sweetheart—be it your lover, BFF, or the tortured sea captain ghost in your pantry—is not disappointed this year. You also need to make sure that you don’t end up spending an unnecessary amount of your hard-earned money on a gift that overcompensates the fact that you forgot (again). Sheesh!

While we’re rooting for you every day, we’re going especially hard to find you Valentine’s Day gifts under $50 this year. This year has already been a doozy, and we are unabashedly jazzed to throw some Dolly Parton on the record player, pop a bottle of Whispering Angel, and raise a glass to love—without breaking the bank. That’s why we’ve rolled up our velvet sleeves to bring you affordable gifts that feel unique, will arrive in time, and are sure to sweep your buddy/beloved/frenemy off their feet. Whether you’d like hand-poured erotic massage candles, Japanese Kit Kat samplers, red velvet cheesecake balls, or something else entirely, here are the best Valentine’s Day gifts under $50 that will kick your lover’s butt (in a hot way). 

Their heart is made of peanut butter

Two pounds of Reese’s peanut butter cups? Say I love you over and over again with 80 individually wrapped hearts filled with creamy goodness.

They’re the romantic type

If they skew traditional in the ways of romance, nothing will scream Valentine’s Day to them more than chocolate-covered hand-dipped strawberries decorated with drizzled pink icing and heart sprinkles.

They ordered Levain cookies way too many times on DoorDash 

Be one step ahead of your boo and have Levain’s delectably thicc chocolate chunk cookies waiting for them on a bed of roses when they get home. 

A Dutch oven’s baby cousin

A Le Creuset mini cocotte is made with the same premium stoneware as its bigger cousins. These cutie eight-ounce dishes are just $22 each and can help you whip up teeny-tiny desserts or side dishes that say “you’re mine forever.”

They’ll cook for you if you remain a good boy

Are you dying for her to recreate your fave dish from Olive Garden? She’ll get the hint with this lemon-infused olive oil that will make any of your Italian chain restaurant cravings a thing of the past. 

A bouquet of Japanese Kit Kats

Who needs a dozen roses when you can have an impressive selection of exotic Japanese Kit Kat flavors including melon, peach, and matcha?

Say ILY with cake

New York City’s Milk Bar is famous for coming up with treats that have a nostalgic twist—often springing from the cereal aisle—but their special, rich, and ultra-luscious red velvet cheesecake truffles are perfect for a lowkey V-Day picnic.  

Nothing is hotter than paella

Who says you can’t go to Spain this V-Day… sort of? Present your love with a paella pan to signify the power of your love, and then guzzle a boatload of mussels to celebrate your ultra-budget trip “to Barcelona.” 

Heart-shaped waffle maker

You’re making… waffles? [Slides off chair.] A heart-shaped waffle maker is more than just a romantic appliance—it’s a symbol of commitment. It’s something that says, “I love you, and I want to make waffles for you each morning, until we are both weathered, gray, and out of touch with contemporary pop culture.” (Added bonus: You get to eat waffles.)

You’re really running out of ideas

We get it, it’s been a mentally taxing couple of years. This Valentine’s Day, let someone else curate your gift spread for you with a gift basket for every kind of Valentine, from the nut-lover to that hot girl who’s obsessed with sloths. The folks at 1-800 Baskets have seen it all, and know what they’re doing. 

Slather them in fancy almond oil

Have plans to take things to the shower on Valentine’s Day? Pleasure all their senses (and yours) by lathering them up in L'Occitane’s almond shower oil with notes of warm vanilla for a wet and sexy rendezvous.

Keep them well hydrated

Does your babe complain about headaches around the clock even though all they ever drink is black coffee? Help them hydrate with a Hydro Flask that can keep ice cold for hours. Stanley who?

Spray your bad boy

Maybe your man isn’t that keen on cologne, in which case you should check out Carolina Herrera’s deodorant-fragrance combo. It includes notes of black and white pepper that are blended with Italian green bergamot, cedarwood, and sage—and best of all, it's called Bad Boy.

A candle you can also use for an X-rated massage

Massage candles kind of put in the work for you when it comes to spicing things up in le boudoir. They start innocently enough as a massage aid, but can easily be used for kinky wax and temperature play. Maude’s offerings are all hand-poured, made of skin-softening jojoba oil, and scented with a range of fragrances. They include a clean, unscented candle; one with warming notes of amber, cedar leaf, and lemongrass; and another that smells “like a weekend morning with warm sun and soft sheets.” Now that’s hot. 

A comfy, wearable blanket

Look, a dinner at a nice restaurant is cute and all, but you know what’s truly romantic? Loafing on the couch for 36 hours and watching six different Ken Burns documentaries, all while swaddled in this comfortable, wearable blanket. 

The gift of a daily shiatsu massage

The one deep-tissue back and neck massager to rule them all. This portable shiatsu machine has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon and over 57,000 reviews praising its almost magical ability to work out your kinks. “Love is not a strong enough word,” writes one reviewer, “WHAT IS THIS WITCHCRAFT!?! I use it for my entire body- feet, calves, thighs, lower back, upper back, neck. My husband is actually jealous of this thing (I've named him Tyrone). Bottom line, YOU NEED THIS!!!!” Yes, yes we do. 

They are daddy

“Made me an official daddy,” declares one reviewer. Would a serif font lie? Never. 

For the plant-obsessed lover

We’ve read about the secret lives of plants, and we’ve seen enough Planet Earth time lapses to know that their leaves groove around, too. But did you know there’s a plant that will flap and close up its little leaves the moment you tickle it? Its Latin name is Mimosa Pudica, but it’s commonly known as the Sensitive Plant, or in this case of this clever marketing, the “Tickle Me Plant.” According to one of our editors, it can be a little ~temperamental~ and needs a lot of attention, but isn’t that the point? Even the most discerning of plant parents will make this their new favorite child. 

Woo them with a playlist

Curate a playlist chock full of cringe love anthems, but only if you gift them these TikTok-beloved retro-chic headphones to listen with.

Gold star for you, our funny Valentine. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.