Gifts For The Long Distance Best Friend You Won't See In Person

Personalized water bottles, local craft beer, matching jewelry and other presents to make you feel closer to your long-distance bestie.
Yana Iskayeva via Getty Images

You and your bestie used to joke that living two subway stops away made you long-distance. Yet, when they moved to the other coast during COVID, having a cross-country friendship became no laughing matter. From weekly Zoom happy hours to joint-viewing Netflix and the occasional care package, you’ve gotten pretty good at keeping this distance-thing going. Even though you don’t literally see each other every day, you can still name all of their annoying coworkers and describe what their hot barista was wearing yesterday morning.

Though exchanging gifts in person is undoubtedly adorable, exchanging a long-distance gift doesn’t have to feel distant. Sure, you can’t actually hug or give them a playful “you shouldn’t have” arm slap, but you can rock out together on video chat or call each other as you open your presents. Additionally, long-distance gifts let your bestie open their present on their own time, meaning no one is on the hot seat or rushing to find a date to meet for lunch between a million other holiday plans.

When shopping for a long-distance bestie, you can really show how well you know them and how much you’re looking forward to seeing them again. Think treats from your town, gifts they can use in future travel and sentimental objects that celebrate your friendship. Whether you’ve always lived away from your bestie or one of you recently moved, these thoughtful presents to send your long-distance best friend will feel almost as good as seeing them in person.

To help you make this holiday season the best one yet, we rounded up the sweetest gifts to give your long-distant best friend when you can’t be with them in person for the holidays.

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1
State necklaces
To carry a little piece of each other near your hearts, state necklaces let you turn long distance into a fashion statement.

Get it from ByIndieEtc Etsy for $18.85.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
2
An instant print camera
Technically, "Polaroid" is a brand of camera, but's become synonymous with instant printing. An instant print camera will let your friend capture memories and give you actual paper photos to send to each other.

Get it from Amazon for $66.36.
3
A Cameo from a random celeb you both love
Are you both still obsessed with "The Office?" Do you love amateur wrestling or makeup tutorials? Send them a message from their favorite star. Cameo is a website that lets you send personalized short videos from celebrities and public figures.

Check out Cameo.
4
Personalized Nalgene bottles
Stay hydrated and harmonious with a personalized Nalgene bottle. Put a picture of you and your friend, your pets or kids together or just write them a nice note.

Get it from Nalgene starting at $24.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
5
A sweet treat
So you can't go out to eat together and then do the cheeky "Let's just peek at the dessert menu" thing, all the while knowing you both want chocolate. In the name of transparency, send them some candy to embrace their sweet tooth.

Get it from $12 from Seattle Chocolate Company.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
6
DIY spa night
If you can't take them for an in-person spa day, send over some items for at-home pampering and have a Zoom self-care night.

Get it from Amazon for $23.98.
7
A nostalgic playlist
A good playlist is like a time machine. Bring your bestie back to New Year's 2010 and graduation with a playlist of songs you both loved to listen to together.

Check out Apple Music for $9.99 a month.
8
Personalized wine glasses
To elevate your Zoom happy hour, get a set of personalized glasses with both of your states on them.

Get it from PDCraftyDesigns on Etsy for $12.75 each.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
9
A tiny letter necklace
Whether you historically send each other physical mail or just love the idea of a tiny note, these personalized letter necklaces will keep you both in the look.

Get it from Catbird for $138.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
10
A used book you've already read
If you just finished a book you know your best friend would love, leave them little notes and annotations in the margins, then send it over. Sending a used book makes it feel like you're reading it together.

Check out Thrift Books.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
11
A local six-pack.
If they can't tour your favorite local brewery with you, the next best thing is sending regional beer to their door. Drizly is an alcoholic beverage delivery website that works in most major cities in the U.S. Check your friend's zip code before purchasing.

Check out Drizly.
12
A travel bag
A mid-size travel bag is good for weekend trips, carry-ons and not-so-subtly saying "please come visit." This comes in eight colors.

Get it from Amazon for $32.99.
13
Connected key chains
These state keychains will help you stay connected from afar, and hopefully stop you from losing your keys.

Get a set of two states from thelightandthedark1 on Etsy for $30.00.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
14
Send them dinner
Give your friend a night off from cooking. Send them food from their favorite local restaurant.

Check out GrubHub.
15
Matching pajamas or comfy clothes
Sometimes the best thing to do with an old friend is do nothing at all. To maximize your chill time, get matching pajamas you can wear at home. These come in 44 color options in sizes from women's small to XXL.

Get it from Amazon for $21.99.

16
A handwritten postcard
For a simple gift that means a lot, send your friend a postcard from your area reminding them how much you miss them.

Get it from LouPaper on Etsy for $2.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
17
A custom memory box
If your friend is super sentimental (or just a packrat) sending them a memory box with your names on it will help them store and organize all your friendship trinkets.

Get it from Dustandthings on Etsy for $48.32.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
18
An airlines miles gift card
While you may not be able to afford a whole plane ticket for your friend, you may be able to help with their travel fund.

Get it for $25 and above at Gift Card Mall.
19
An itinerary for a future friendship trip
For travel bugs and Type A people alike, starting plans for a friendship trip you can eventually take together is a super thoughtful gift. This road trip book is a calendar and bullet organizer all in one, letting you plan the best vacay ever.

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
20
Geographic art including both your cities
Distance makes the heart grow fonder. It also makes for great wall art. This shop on Etsy makes custom pieces with local maps.

Get it from JourneyPrintShop on Etsy for $65.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
21
A desk-worthy picture frame
For some stylish flair, put a picture of you and your bestie in a frame they'll want to display. You can print photos same-day from your phone from most drugs stores with a photo center for about 33 cents a print.

Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
22
Flowers in the mail
Make your friend feel like the lead in a rom-com by sending a bouquet right to their door.

Check out next-day delivery options from BloomsyBox.
23
Their favorite food from your town
If your bestie used to live in your area or if they love to eat around your city when they visit, send them a snack from their favorite place. Goldbelly is an online store that delivers food across the U.S. from local restaurants and bakeries.

Check out Goldbelly.
24
A joint adventure fund
To step up your piggy bank game, get a personalized travel fund to inspire you to save up for your next friend trip.

Get it from Themakersnestco on Etsy for $34.99.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
25
Astrology/constellation art
For star-crossed besties, get a piece of art that shows off both of your zodiac signs or the night sky when you both were born.

Get it from OurLoveWasBorn on Etsy for $49.

(Shipping for this is not guaranteed before Christmas.)
26
Friendship lights
For a sense of magic from afar, this pair of long-distance lights turn different colors when one of you touches them. Your friend will know you're thinking about them when the light changes color.

Get it from Amazon for $105.
27
A house plant
To brighten their home and give them a little thing to take care of, send them a house plant in a nice planter.

Check out the plants at The Sill.

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