Hard goods (drinkware, tech items, pens, fans, and everything that isn’t apparel), now make up roughly half of the promotional products market. And right now, they’re where the interesting trends are taking shape:

Fans Are Having a Moment (Again)

Fans have always been a solid summer giveaway. What’s changed is the tech inside them. Rechargeable fans are pulling way more interest than the old disposable battery versions, and searches for them have more than doubled year over year. People like reusing a battery instead of tossing one in the trash every summer.

The fans with a charging dock are doing especially well. Standing upright on a desk, they stay charged and ready for the next bout of Arkansas heat. Some of the higher-end models even blow cold air or have a cold plate, which makes them feel more like a real gift than a throwaway freebie.

With summer temps trending into the triple digits, a branded desk fan isn’t just a novelty anymore. It’s something people actually keep and use every day, which means your logo sticks around a lot longer than a paper fan ever will.

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The Fidget Toy Grew Up

Fidget spinners had their five minutes a few years back. What’s replaced them is smarter: pop-it components built into keychains, luggage tags, and pens, plus squishy collectibles like sensory cubes and dumpling-shaped stress toys. Search interest in fidget pens alone is up significantly this year.

These are more than just a passing fad. Fidget and sensory toys genuinely help people focus, and they’re a natural fit for schools, healthcare settings, and any workplace that wants a giveaway with a little more purpose behind it.

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Drinkware Just Got Personal

Yeti had their day. Then everyone chased the Stanley Quencher. Now Owala has taken over as the most-searched name-brand drinkware in the industry, and searches for the generic term “water bottle” are down while brand-specific and personalized searches are up.

The real game-changer is customization. New direct-to-object printing technology can now fully wrap irregularly shaped drinkware, handle, tapered bottom, all of it, in one pass, and do it digitally so each bottle can carry a different name or number without reprogramming equipment between runs. That means a company can hand out 50 branded tumblers for a golf outing with every single one printed for the person receiving it.

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What This Means for Your Next Order

If you’re planning an upcoming event or giveaway, this is the year to think past the usual suspects. A rechargeable fan to blow away the competition. A full-color wrapped tumbler with each employee’s name on it for a new hire kit. A fidget cube/pen/toy for a school fundraiser or a healthcare client’s waiting room.

We can walk you through what fits your budget, your audience, and your needs. Let’s talk through your next project today!