GEARFOR COPS

What to get your squad for Christmas: practical gifts for patrol

Olive gift box with a brass ribbon and bow and a tag reading To: Squad.

We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It doesn’t change our picks or the data. Full disclosure.

TL;DR: This is a list of gift categories, not a list of winners. These are things a patrol officer can use on shift that don’t depend on agency-issued gear: gloves, a rechargeable light, boot socks, an insulated bottle, a pen and a notebook, a power bank, and seat or back support. For each, we give the buying criteria, a price band and a maker to start with. Nobody has voted on this list yet. Starting Friday, November 13, we’re asking on Facebook and Instagram what you’d actually want (one rule: no pizza parties), and we’ll update this post with real counts before Cyber Monday, November 30.

How to read this

Three rules for this page.

  1. These are categories. We haven’t tested any product named here. The links go to makers’ own pages.
  2. Price bands are ours, not the makers’. “Under $25,” “$25 to $75” and “$75 to $150” are budget brackets for planning a gift. Where we did check a maker’s listed price, we give it with the date we checked. Prices change, especially around Black Friday.
  3. Check policy first. Anything visible on a uniform or clipped to a duty belt may be covered by your agency’s equipment rules. If the gift is for someone else, stick to things that don’t touch the uniform or the belt, or ask.

When the answers come in, we’ll add counts next to each category, the same way we did for duty belts and flashlights.

Small gift box wrapped in brown kraft paper and tied with red and white twine, on a wooden table.
Photo: Taryn Elliott on Pexels

1. Work gloves

Budget band: $25 to $75.
What to look for: a close fit (loose gloves bunch), a cut or abrasion rating printed on the label if it matters for the job, and enough dexterity to handle a pen, a key and a flashlight. Ask the person’s glove size before buying.
Start here: Mechanix Wear lists tactical and military gloves and describes them as designed to protect military, defense and law enforcement users as well as shooting and paintball enthusiasts. Safariland’s Hatch line, which Safariland says develops gloves and gear for officers, is another maker to check.

2. A rechargeable light

Budget band: $75 to $150, depending on the model.
What to look for: the FL1 numbers from the maker (lumens, candela, beam distance, runtime), a low mode, and a charge method the person will actually use. Our lumens guide explains each number.
Start here: Streamlight’s ProTac 2L-X lists 500 lumens, 6,800 candela and a 165 m beam, and runs on either a rechargeable USB pack or two CR123A cells. It lists 3.9 to 4.4 oz. We haven’t tested it. We picked it as an example because Streamlight is the brand most named in our flashlight count (four of the nine mentions).
Skip if: the person already carries a light they like. A second light is a better gift than a replacement for one they trust.

3. Boot socks

Budget band: $25 to $100 (multi-packs are at the top end).
What to look for: a height that clears the boot top, a fiber blend that doesn’t hold sweat, and a warranty you can use. Sizes are by shoe size.
Start here: Darn Tough’s Boot Midweight Tactical 3 Pack is listed by the maker as made in the USA, 62% merino wool, and “Unconditionally Guaranteed for Life.” The 3-pack was listed at $90 when we checked on 2026-11-11.

4. An insulated bottle or tumbler

Budget band: $25 to $50.
What to look for: a lid that seals, a size the person already uses, and a base that fits the cupholder in their unit. Check the cupholder first.
Start here: YETI drinkware and Hydro Flask are two makers to compare. YETI listed its Rambler 20 oz Tumbler at $35 when we checked on 2026-11-11. We haven’t compared them.

5. A pen and a notebook

Budget band: under $25.
What to look for: paper that holds up when wet and a pen that writes on it. Weather-resistant paper is made for field notes.
Start here: Rite in the Rain’s Law Enforcement Notebook is described by the maker as 56 numbered all-weather sheets in a legal pattern that “meets valid testimony requirements.” Check with your own prosecutor’s office before relying on that. For the pen, Fisher’s Space Pen uses a sealed, pressurized cartridge the maker says writes upside down and in extreme temperatures.

6. A phone power bank

Budget band: $25 to $75.
What to look for: a capacity (in mAh) that covers at least one full phone charge, a cable the person already owns (USB-C or Lightning), and a size that fits a pocket.
Start here: Anker makes power banks in many sizes. Some run past this band: its MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) was listed at $79.86 when we checked on 2026-11-11. We haven’t tested one.

7. Seat or back support

Budget band: $25 to $75.
What to look for: a shape that fits the unit’s seat, a cover that doesn’t slide, and thickness that doesn’t change how the person sits with a duty belt on.
Start here: We don’t have a maker to recommend yet. This is the category where we most want officer input.

What to check before you buy

These are our buying criteria, not results from a test or a vote.

  • Sizing. Gloves and socks are sized. Get sizes quietly ahead of time, or pick unsized items for a whole squad.
  • Agency policy. Some agencies set the color, brand or type of anything worn on the uniform or the duty belt. Gloves, lights and anything with a clip are the items most likely to be covered. If you aren’t sure, choose something that stays in a bag or the car.
  • Batteries and charging. A light that runs on the same cells the unit already stocks, or charges from the same cable, is easier to keep running. The ProTac 2L-X runs on either two CR123A cells or Streamlight’s USB-C rechargeable pack, per the maker.
  • Cupholders and pockets. A bottle that doesn’t fit the cruiser’s cupholder, or a power bank that doesn’t fit a pocket, ends up in a locker.
  • What they already carry. Replacing a trusted light or glove with a different brand is a hard sell. Add to the kit instead.

Buying for a whole squad on a budget

This part is our planning advice for sergeants and squad leads. The numbers are your budget, not ours.

  • Set a per-person cap first. Our own gift question suggests under $50 as the sweet spot. Multiply by headcount, including the people on nights and days off.
  • Buy one item for everyone. A notebook and pen, or one pair of socks each, avoids sizing, avoids policy questions and avoids anyone feeling left out.
  • Mix one bigger item with small ones. If the budget can’t cover a light for everyone, a light for the squad car kit plus small items for each person is another way to split it.
  • Hand them out on every shift. Bring them to each roll call, not just the day shift.
  • Keep receipts. Sizes and preferences miss. Check each maker’s return policy before you buy.

What we’ll add before Cyber Monday

Here is the plan. On Friday, November 13, we’re asking on Facebook and Instagram (@gearforcops) what you’d actually want from your sergeant or your squad. Then:

  • We’ll count one vote per person per item, the same rules as the belt poll. How we count is spelled out in the belt roundup.
  • We’ll add vote counts next to each category and drop categories nobody names.
  • We’ll add specific products only if officers name them and the maker’s own page backs up what we say.
  • If a brand wants to be listed, that doesn’t change the count. Brands can’t pay to be ranked.

If you have a category we missed, tell us on Facebook or Instagram. Comments are off on this site.

Related

Browse Gifts for more, Lights for light buying, and officer picks for what officers name. Our method is on How we pick.

Sources

Related: Officer picks · All gear · How we pick

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