Best Promotional Pens, Tech Gadgets, Totes, Tumblers & Utility Tools for 2021

As we begin our second year of new-found practices like working from home, standing six feet apart, limitless online ordering, and at-home delivery, what was “unprecedented” last year has become precedented this year. When it comes to the best promotional giveaways in today’s business climate, the best promotional items for 2020 point toward expected winners in 2021. The best promotional products will work well for virtual events, online seminars, Zoom happy hours, and long-term at-home workers and learners. 

In addition to promotional pens and promotional pens with stylus, tumblers, tech accessories, and tools were among the best promotional items in 2020. Tote bags remain popular for errands and outdoor activities. The feel-good appeal of eco-friendly personalized products continues to grow. We expect to see personalized masks remain popular, especially among employees and students. Our top picks for 2021:

Promotional Pens and Promotional Pens With Stylus

From plastic to metal, low-end to high, pens of all kinds continue to deliver strong ROI. Our recommendations:

Best Metal Pens

Alpha Soft Touch Pen with Stylus®: Our #1 selling pen features chrome accents, a silky touch, comfortable grip, and a stylus for touchless contact.

Bright Soft Touch Diamond Stylus Pen: Note the detailed grip, rubberized finish, sophisticated chrome trim, and color-coordinated stylus on this stunner.

Mineral Alpha Soft Touch Stylus Pen with Rose Gold Trim: Wherever a signature’s given or a note is taken, this stylus pen showcases your brand in style. Note the satin, rubberized finish with matching stylus top, rose gold trim, and chrome colored accent rings.

Best Plastic Pens

Plastic is affordable, easy to hand out or mail, and offers a range of design styles, from sporty to sophisticated:

Soft Touch Accent Gel Pen with Colored Stylus: Key features of this fine point pen include smooth-flowing gel ink, a textured, rubber grip, chrome detail, and color-coordinated trim and stylus.

Soft Touch Cozy Gel Pen: The rubberized finish means a rich barrel color and smooth feel, while gel ink delivers a superior writing experience

Metallic Splendor Pen: Splendor in the grass and on this personalized pen. This selection boasts flowing lines, a comfortable rubber grip, and contemporary metallic color options.

Best Wraparound Pens

Your message has no limits when it’s on one of our wraparound pens. Stay close to customers, even from afar, with one of these full color selections:

Contour Pen: Includes contoured rubber comfort grip and our exclusive SmoothWrite™ Ink.

Colorama Pen: Choose a bright solid barrel color or one of our stock designs, and enjoy the easy glide of SmoothWrite™ Ink.

Superball Pen: A low-cost winner and consistent crowd pleaser, this ballpoint cap pen features a full wrap design for branding from any angle.

Best Tumblers & Other Drinkware

Whether at home office or on the road, personalized drinkware remains a winning way to keep connected with customers. Our favorites:

16 oz. Ree Stainless Steel Tumbler with Lid: Double stainless steel walls and vacuum insulation ensure this tumbler keeps drinks cold or hot for hours.

11 oz Ceramic Mug: Our #1 selling ceramic mug boasts the mug design of your choice, and your message in full color. The low minimum order quantity (starting as low as 12 mugs) accommodates any size event. 

26 oz. Iva Stainless Steel Water Bottle: This single wall, high capacity, stainless steel water bottle is lightweight and perfect for holding cold drinks.

Best Utility Tools

From working in the garage, to tending a garden, rearranging wall hangings, or road tripping, personalized utility tools are popular this year. Check out these budget-friendly options.  

6 SMD Utility Light Bar: This light bar comes with 3 AAA replaceable batteries, an easy on/off button, and a convenient pocket clip. 

3 LED Flashlight Keychain: This bright flashlight keychain is lightweight yet durable and comes in a convenient, go-anywhere size.

Caravan 6 Function Pocket Knife: This compact, customized tool includes a knife, can opener, corkscrew, bottle opener, and a flat head as well as a Phillips head screwdriver.

Best Tech Accessories

Whether they’re working from an office building or a kitchen table, studying from a dorm room or a bedroom, promotional tech accessories are more popular than ever. A few slam dunks: 

Britebrand™ Rae USB Flexible Light: With a sleek design and a bendable chrome cable, this flexible light features your full color imprint on the center of the lamp.

Essos True Wireless Auto Pair Earbuds with Case: Impress them until you see them again, with these top-notch earbuds, customized with your logo.

In 2021 Earth-Friendly Is Fashion Forward

It’s trendy to put earth first, and these eco-friendly finds are sure to please your recipients and enhance your brand:

Eco-Friendly Wheat Straw Nash Pen: Made of 45% wheat straw combined with recycled plastic, this unique, click-action pen is bound to draw attention to your custom imprint on the barrel.

Britebrand™ Eco-Friendly Wheat Noa Pen: Your full color logo’s the main attraction on the wheat-flecked barrel of this click-action pen made of 40% wheat stalk which would otherwise be discarded. 

Best Tote Bags

Historically, tote bags have been a must-have at in-person events of all kinds. In 2021, your prospective customers may be less likely to be found on a convention hall floor in Florida or at a break-out session in San Diego, but tote bags remain as popular as ever for work, shopping, and outdoor activities. Here are a few favorites: 

The Gangway Tote Bag: With this sturdy, two-tone bag your recipients enjoy a large, zippered compartment with two side pockets, one mesh and one solid, plus a generous front pocket with your logo front and center.

Britebrand™ Morris Tote Bag: The trendy, two-tone look of this stylish tote is only outshined by your full color imprint on the front. For a single imprint color, check out the Morris Tote.

Budget Shopper Tote: We paired a great price with practical features like a gusseted bottom for increased capacity and easier loading, plus reusable, water resistant material.

Large Shopping Tote: Durable and water resistant, this bag’s ready for groceries, books, and picnics in the park. 

Don’t Forget the Face Mask

And if in doubt, protective face masks, whether personalized or blank, are a welcome giveaway for 2021 and beyond. Check out our blog on the topic: Today’s Mask: A Symbol of Modernity? Self-Respect? Community & Compassion? 

Box of 50 – Blank Disposable 3-Layer Non-Surgical Face Mask: Some gifts don’t have to be customized for your recipients to remember the giver. Case in point: this box of 50 disposable face masks, which gives your customers days and days of peace of mind.

Full Color 2-Layer 3D Adjustable Face Mask: The perfect promotional item, especially now that masks are a fashion accessory as well as a necessity.

Connection Is Key in 2021

When it comes to the best promotional items, we see the best promotional items for 2020 continuing to deliver in 2021, especially promotional pens, promotional pens with stylus, totes, tumblers, tools, masks, and all kinds of eco-friendly offerings. Keep in mind that whatever personalized item you choose, it’s truly the thought that counts. Today’s interactions focus on quality over quantity, and whether it’s a stylus penpersonalized travel mug, or custom keychain, give it with a smile and your name stays top of mind–and heart!  

Karleen Wise Andersen

From marketing tips to product recommendations, I’m here to help small businesses be their best.

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