Gifts for a Coworker Who Is Always Cold at Work

Last updated: 15 October 2026.

Every office has one. Coat on in July, a cardigan on the chair back, a quiet war with the air conditioning. Buying for them is easy because the problem is so specific. The trick is matching the gift to the budget and to what is acceptable at a desk.

Why they are not being dramatic

Office temperature standards were built on a 1960s model of a resting man's metabolism. In 2015, researchers in Nature Climate Change showed that model can overstate a woman's metabolic rate by up to 35 percent, so offices are often set cold for a large share of the people in them. Sitting still at a desk makes it worse: the body makes less heat at rest than walking around.

Secret Santa budgets (around $20 / £20)

• Fingerless gloves for typing. Merino if the budget stretches.
• A USB heated mouse pad or hand warmer. Check your office allows desk electricals first; many ban personal heaters.
• A good insulated mug with a lid, so the tea is still hot at the end of a meeting.
• A hot water bottle in a cover; fill it from the kitchen tap boiler.

A proper present (close colleague, leaving gift, a team chip-in)

A wearable blanket built for a desk. A throw slides off a desk chair the first time they lean forward. Enfold pulls on over the head, has open sides so their arms come out to type and go back in during calls, and covers them to the ankle, which is the part that freezes under a desk. It has a smooth matte outer, so it passes as a long cardigan-coat rather than bedding on a video call. It is above Secret Santa budgets, so it suits a team chip-in or a leaving present.

What not to give at work

• A personal space heater, unless you have checked it is allowed. Many workplaces ban them for fire-safety reasons.
• Jokes about how cold they are. They have heard them.
• Anything sized. You do not know a colleague's size and should not ask.

If they work from home

The problem moves to the spare room and the heating bill. Our guide to staying warm working from home has the practical version, and this one covers the office.

Practical details

Enfold is one size, worn from about 5'0" to 6'3". Free tracked shipping and free returns within 30 nights of delivery. If you are buying for an office party, check the delivery estimate on the product page against the date. More gift guides: here.

Common questions

What is a good Secret Santa gift for someone who is always cold?

Fingerless gloves, an insulated mug, a hot water bottle or a USB hand warmer if your office allows desk electricals. All fit a typical Secret Santa budget.

What do you get someone who is always cold at work?

Something they can wear at a desk that does not slide off or need plugging in: fingerless gloves for small budgets, a long wearable blanket with free arms for a bigger one.

Can you wear a wearable blanket in an office?

Many people do, especially in open-plan offices and at home desks. A matte, dark, sleeveless design that looks like a long coat-cardigan is easier to get away with than a printed one.