People Are Sharing The Best Gifts They've Received That They Never Knew They Needed

Ashley Hunte
Two boxes wrapped with sushi and banana wrapping paper.
Unsplash | Edgar Soto

Sometimes, a gift giver is so good, they end up giving you something you didn't know you needed. And once you figure that out, your life might actually be changed.

When it comes to gifts, plenty of people on Reddit had answers to the following question: "What’s the best “I didn’t know I needed that” gift you’ve received?" Personally, I didn't know I needed to read through this thread!

"A clock for the bathroom." - shakakhannn

An analog clock on a white wall. The tie shows 3:20.
Unsplash | Artem Riasnianskyi

"Wasn't intended for the bathroom was just a cute small clock but it matched my bathroom décor so it went there."

Not the most conventional place for a clock, but at least it matched!

"It helped massively with time management..."

A shower stall with the water running.
Unsplash | Susan Q Yin

"...[especially] for morning showers when I had no idea how long my showers were and used to end up rushing to get ready for work."

Wow. Maybe we all need bathroom clocks.

"Salad spinner, having dry lettuce is actually seriously underrated." - Taygr

A bowl full of salad made with various vegetables, grains, and avocado.
Unsplash | Yoav Aziz

This has me thinking. What if the reason why so many of us don't like salad is that our lettuce is always too soggy? Food for thought (pun intended).

"Snow/ice grips for boots." - [deleted]

A person walking in a snowy area near a lake.
Unsplash | Michael Shannon

"Living in a place where no one seems to know how to clear a sidewalk, they make a difference."

This can actually make the difference between a normal walk in the middle of winter, and slipping every five seconds.

"One of those plastic covers to use in the microwave... absolutely game changing." - pmME_urTITS-plz

A person sticking a whole fish into a microwave.
Giphy | Rooster Teeth

I think it's safe to say that this is kind of essential. If you're someone who loves to reheat soup or really saucy pasta, you need a microwave cover. Trust me on this.

"Gave my now-husband a Gerber brand multi tool for a gift early on in our dating days." - LadyCiani

Two multi tools that are folded in place.
Unsplash | Robert Torres

"Pretty sure he didn't understand why I bought him anything like it. He was a pizza delivery man at the time, and did nothing that justified it."

"I bought it because my dad has a Leatherman multi tool, and uses it constantly. My dad worked at a power plant."

A person drilling a door mechanism in place.
Unsplash | Theme Photos

"Now my husband is much handier (partly from being around my family). He wears his multi tool every day, even to his desk job working with software. But he constantly pulls it out to help people with things."

You truly never know when you might need a knife, I guess.

"My mom just randomly bought me a jogging shirt saying. Maybe you can use this if you run." - itsdtx

A white tee shirt hanging along a concrete background.
Unsplash | Haryo Setyadi

"I was unhealthy fat short kid, she was trying to encourage me. Couldn't even run 1 km without questioning my existence."

"Several months later I could do 10km in below 40 min, and ran 50km a week."

A pair of feet from a person who's jogging on a forest trail.
Unsplash | Tara Glaser

"I got so thin that my friends mom asked me if I'm sick (she thought I had cancer)."

I guess this is what happens when you lose a lot of weight, but don't have a lot of muscle.

"After a while I realized that this is not good for my back."

A pair of dumbbells on the ground next to a cord and some weight plates.
Unsplash | Alora Griffiths

"So I started lifting weights in the neighbourhood gym. I went there so much that the owner made me take charge of it."

"I'm now the head of the gym and have transformed it completely."

Weights and equipment in a gym.
Unsplash | Jelmer Assink

"I don't look sick anymore and have a healthy amount of muscle. But I'm still short.

"All of this because of some random running fleece shirt. I still have it today 10 years later..."

This really shows how a simple gift can make a huge difference in someone's life.

"A steak quesadilla." - Ops01

Several quesadilla pieces on a wooden plate with an avocado next to them.
Unsplash | Lottie Griffiths

As weird as this sounds, the commenter actually had a really nice explanation for why this gift was so good.

"Was going through a lot, had a bad day, life falling apart, but my brother brought me a quesadilla from Taco Bell once and it really turned things around. I kinda just saw that I have close people that think about me."

"When laptops became affordable, my husband bought one for himself & one for me." - MinimalistFan

A laptop open to a screen showing an island, while placed on an outdoor table with a phone, plant notepad, and glass of water.
Unsplash | Bram Naus

"I didn’t want it at first because I was happy with a desktop. Within a month, I’d converted. I didn’t have a clue how convenient they were."

I honestly forget what life was like before laptops (even though I own a desktop too).

"A stand Mixer, I resisted it for years saying that it was unnecessary and that I could do everything myself." - dreamingwithjeff

A person pouring eggs into a KitchenAid stand mixer.
Unsplash | Khajonkiet Noobut

"But it completely changed my world and I am so grateful for it."

Stand mixers are pretty essential if you love to bake. Hand mixers just don't compare.

"My ex bought me vitamin D tablets maybe a month or so into dating." - Bansheli

Vitamin capsules on a blue background.
Unsplash | Leohoho

"I'd been pretty unwell around that time, cancelling one date and bailing early on another. Id had blood tests done but the results weren't back yet."

"He showed up for a date one day and had the tablets for me as a present."

The sun, setting.
Unsplash | Jonathan Borba

"...when the blood tests came back, one of the things wrong with me was a vitamin D deficiency, so I did need them but didn't know yet."

I need to know, was that guy psychic or something?

"A weighted blanket. Quite the anxiety killer. It feels like a hug." - colorado_rain

A heavy, grey blanket on top of a bed with grey sheets.
Unsplash | Dex Ezekiel

This is actually super underrated. The slight pressure from a weighted blanket is a total game changer when you're trying to sleep. The only problem is you might not want to get back out of bed again.

"Gloves that let you text with them on." - AjiiMaat

A person showing off their snow-covered glove with a fair isle pattern.
Unsplash | Tamara Gak

Yeah, those definitely changed the game. Trying to choose between texting and having warm fingers in the winter? Impossible. Not having to make that choice? The best.

"The book Little Women. Got me through some dark times." - ucntlickurarmpt

Stacks of novels behind one that has been opened, its pages flittering around.
Unsplash | Elisa Calvet B.

Sometimes, a really good story is exactly what you need. Being able to escape into a fictional world can help you forget about your own problems, even if it's temporary.

"A hug from my mom after a really bad day." - joshua070

A woman hugging a small baby.
Unsplash | Austin Wade

I think that mom hugs have serious healing powers. Even if they don't instantly solve all your problems, they have the tendency to make you feel like everything is going to be okay.