Christmas Gift Guide
Despite Covid trying really hard to ruin Christmas, here are some ideas to help bring some cheer to your friends and family.
Sports & Outdoor Gifts
On Running – Cloudrock Waterproof boot
If you’re longing for an escape to the hills after all the restrictions this year, then look no further to these innovative boots from On Running. Using the same technology they introduced into their running shoes, they have created a lightweight boot, created specifically for speed hiking and all day comfort. They include a waterproof inner and their patented design (Missiongrip) soles with their unique look. If you are looking for the ultimate in comfort and a boot that can propel you along efortlessly, then look no further than the Cloudrock boot.
361 Degrees – Strata 4 running shoes
This year has seen a huge surge in demand for all fitness products, especially those sports where you can easily socially distance. Running has been particularly popular. 361 Degrees produce innovative footware for running, and their latest shoe the Strata 4 offers some really great features to make your run more enjoyable. They focus on comfort and stability, and really do provide both of those very well. They are more suited to long distant comfort over flat out speed.
OOFOS – oomg eezee, recovery shoe
If like me, you are unfamiliar with Oofos, let me introduce you to the ultimate in comfort post run. Oofos shoes are designed to absorb 37% more impact that traditional footwear and have an over-exaggerated arch support which really helps to stretch out the bottom of your foot after exercise. They come in all shapes and sizes from pool shoe style sliders to the enclosed shoe style featured here. Give your feet the day off, and give them a much needed break!
Phelps – Ninja swimming goggles
Michael Phelps described these googles as what we wanted to have when he was competing, so rest assured that they will be up for the task in hand. With curved lenses providing 180 degree vision with very low distortion. That makes these googles perfect for both wild and pool swimmers. They include a race fit system which offers set and forget fitting, so you should get the perfect fit every time you put them on with none of the faff you can get with other goggles.
Eurosport – Active skin range
Eurosport Active skin range is a brand new skincare range aimed to make your body recover quicker and be in peak condition for your next work out. The range includes No hands muscle release treatment for use in the bath or shower, 60 second mask, nether regions chamois cream (for the cyclists!) and a thermal therapy balm to get your muscles working on those cold morning runs.
sealskinz – Waterproof cold weather glove
Perfect for the winter months, these gloves from Sealskinz offer super warmth and waterproof protection for cyclists, hikers and commuters alike.With a merino wool inner, and a breathable and waterproof outer, these gloves are sure to make life less miserable during the classic UK winter. Designed to be a snug fit, and provide better dexterity with a clever design to allow better movement and control, perfect for use in challenging conditions. They also allow for mobile phone screen use too, so you don’t need to take off your gloves to track your activity on your phone.
Below The Belt – Fresh & Dry Balls
What more could the man in your life who’s notoriously hard to buy for want more than Dry and Fresh balls for Christmas! These fun sets from Below the Belt Grooming, provide just that!
Lifestyle & Travel Gifts
Incognito – insect repellent
For most of us, escaping off to some far flung destination where we might need to repel little biting beasts seems like a long way away. Anyone fortunate enough to escape will need to protect up, as those little mosquitoes will be desperate for fresh blood by now, and what better way to do so than with this extensive range from Incognito. Their products are environmentally friendly, and deet free. They also have products like body wash and skin scrubs to make you less of an attractive target and incense sticks to keep the little blighters off at night.
snugpak – head to toe travel towel
A travel towel is such an essential addition to your suitcase on whatever trip you’re going on. They are lightweight, water absorbing, quick drying and tiny in size so they fit in any travel bag. Gone are the days where you are pushing water around with a useless beach towel covered in sand! These modern towels actually do a great job of drying you and also dry superfast, so you aren’t carrying any extra weight around or waiting for the towel to dry again before reuse. It’s also got a special treatment to prevent odours or the build up of bacteria.
Hippy Chick – Travel Pillow
This really is a seriously comfortable travel pillow. Unlike most, this is made from high quality memory foam, so it packs up into a tiny bag for transporting, and then expands into a really luxurious pillow. This is a top quality pillow, and perfect for camping, or just for getting a few long blinks in on a flight. It’s also waterproof!
puressential – gift sets
Puressential have a selection of gift sets providing thoughtful solutions for getting through the winter. The Winter wellness set is particularly attractive at the moment, with Antibac gel, purifying air spray and a respiratory air spray. The beauty sleep set have a relaxing air spray and elixir face care oil. These are perfect gifts for anyone who struggles at this time of year or who is struggling with all the Covid related stresses that 2020 has delivered.
moshi – Vacanza Travel Bag
The Vacanza is a stylish and practical bag, perfect for the weekend trip or staycation. It’s such a well thought out bag, with compartments for your laptop or tech, crush resistant compartment for sunglasses and fragile items. It’s got the practicality of a laptop bag, but the space and style of a weekend travel bag. With handles and a shoulder strap it’s perfect for any type of travel. It’s one of our favourite weekend bags!
Endopure – CBD enriched skincare
CBD products seem to be the ‘must-have’ product in 2020 with a huge number of products coming on the market. We’ve featured quite a few in this guide. Whilst it’s taken a while to shake the stigma of the link with it’s plant of origin, the benefits of CBD products are worth looking into! Endopure products are really high quality and provide great skin care with all the benefits of traditional products but with the additional benefit of this emerging CBD revolution!
Kärcher SC 2 Steam Cleaner
The Kärcher SC 2 Steam Cleaner puts the dirt-shifting power of pure super-heated steam into a lightweight device that gives you amazing deep cleaning results from nothing but tap water. It kills 99.99%* of all common household bacteria without the need for chemicals, producing a sparkling finish with no scrubbing required.
serenity – gift box for him
Sticking with CBD again, this gift box from CBD supplier Serenity is perfect for the health conscious man in your life. This CBD set has Oil, Coffee, beard and face oil, Gummies and a jotter book.
Do/Photo/
Observe, compose, capture, stand out
This book introduces 10 practices to develop more considered photography. Learn how to train your eye to think beyond the lens and create more impactful photographs. This is a fabulous book for the budding photographer looking to develop their skills further.
Tech Gifts
SanDisk – Extreme portable SSD
Don’t run out of space with all your photos and videos with the SanDisk Extreme portable SSD. It’s a high speed usb device which works using USB 3 or USB-C with the handy cable and adaptor. These SSD drives are built to last and offer much more durability for your files than a traditional portable hard drive. The extreme name lives up to its reputation with an ip55 rating, to protect against rain, splashes and dust. I use these drives daily, and they haven’t let me down yet.
Motorola – g9 plus mobile phone
Motorola have been making some of the best budget mobile phones for the last few years. With a high specification, massive 6.8″ screen, huge battery life and features you would be more than happy to see on a phone which is significantly more expensive, this is a really great option for anyone who wants a great device without the flagship costs. There is very rarely a negative word said about Motorola phones by the tech review world, and with good reason. You just simply can’t knock great value like this. The 6.8″ screen is perfect for those who only want one device, as this size screen is nearly in tablet territory. It’s also got a great selection of 4 cameras to make sure you get the shot you’re looking for.
AirThings – Wave Mini
This year has made everyone think much more about the environment they put themselves in, and the risks of airborn nasties. The Wave Mini air quality device measures Mould risk, VOC, Humidity & Temperature to provide a real insight into the quality of the air in our living environments. Whilst it wont give you any peice of mind surrounding Covid, it might help you understand other risks and make sure the air that surrounds you is optimal for your health.
Moshi – Otto Q wireless charing pad
The Otto Q wireless charging pad is a stylish and functional charing pad for your wireless charging devices. With up to 15w of wireless charging ability (when paired with a high power wall charger) it will charge your device as fast as possible. It will work with Samsung, Google, Apple and LG smartphones and other wireless devices like Airpods. Not only is it powerful, but it’s also very good looking, and won’t look out of place whereever you choose to use it.
Satisfyer – App controlled intimate toys
2020 has been a shocking year for dating and long distance relationships in general. Your intimate pleasures needn’t be in total isolation with these app controlled devices from Satisfyer. Simply pair the devices with your phone and share the pleasure controls with your partner wherever they may be using the free app. The Curvy 3 + combines air-pulse stimulation and intense vibrations. The satisfyer Royal One, is the perfect toy for your fella, which again has the app control, so you can take control of any remote sex sessions you might have planned over Christmas. Don’t let Covid ruin your orgasms as well as your social life!
Edifier – X3 true wireless earbuds
With more and more mobile devices stripping headphone sockets out of the specifications, there has never been a better time to invest in a pair of true wireless earphones. This pair from Edifier defy their modest price with great sound quality, and features you’ll find on much more expensive earbuds. They work with both Android and Apple devices using bluetooth.
AUSounds – Hybrid ANC Earbuds
Stepping up a bit in price from the X3’s above, these are a fabulous set of wireless Earbuds. They have some great features like Bluetooth 5 and wireless charging, but their real standout feature is the exceptional sound quality from the titanium drivers. They also benefit from an IPX5 rating, meaning they will be quite happy in a heavy rainstorm or a sweaty gym session. They also benefit from active noise-cancelling, to help reduce the ambient noise in your surrounding environment.
WESC – Wireless on-ear headphones
For anyone who prefers on-ear headphones, these wirelss cans from WESC are sure to please. They are very light and fold up into a small space making them perfect for travel. The bigger over ear design also provides very good bass levels for those who like a bit of bottom end to their music.
Flare Audio – Long live ears collection
Flare Audio have been developing innovative audio and ear care products for a few years, and have combined much of that development into this funky looking collection box. It’s possibly a bit in-depth to cover all their products in detail here, but if you look into their products you’ll find all sorts of benefits. This pack contains a pair of their Jet 2 wired headphones, with high quality drivers and stainless steel construction, their Isolate 2 ear protectors which are prefect for when venues re-open and the live music scene can return. The pack also contains their Ear HD product which can help enhance your experience of music listening, and their similar in design ‘Calmer’ product which is designed to reduce ambient noise without impairing your hearing. I expect these will be in high demand as people return to their shared offices after lengthy stints of working from home. They also throw in a pack of foam ear plugs and a keychain capsule to keep them in. This is all packaged in a box designed to look like music studio sound deadening panels from a music studio.
Trust – Forze PS4 Headset
Take your online gaming to the next level with this headset from Trust. Online gaming has not only grown in popularity this year, but it’s also become a critical social interface between friends who can’t meet up in person. This headset from Trust connects easily to your PlayStation controller, and will allow you to hear and speak using the attached microphone.
Toys & Games
Robo Wunderkind – Explorer Lite
If you can’t get your kids off their techology, then at least get them doing something constructive with the Explorer Lite modular robot from Robo Wunderkind. This kit couples with an app, to bring the skills of coding into an interactive environment with the explorer robot. The modular design means that it can grow and shrink to each design, and use it’s varying sensors in different ways. The explorer Lite also comes with the ability to add to lego blocks, expanding its creative scope significantly.
Horrible Science – Germ Attack
This fun game couldn’t be more appropriate this year with everyone more aware of germs and viruses around them. Play as the shrunken scientists or gruesome germs and be the first team to race through the body to reach the heart!
Roll the dice to move along the blood cells, answering questions about gruesome guts, brutal bacteria or vicious viruses for bonus moves along the way.
Confident? – Party Game
Are you feeling confident? This guess a range party game is the perfect companion to Christmas as it can be played face to face, but can work equally well with people playing over a Zoom call. The basic premise is you take turns guessing random questions like “Percentage of Brits with a tattoo”. This award-winning game is great for anything from 2-30 players and suitable for anyone over the age of 11.
Food & Drink Gifts
Spice pots – luxury indian spice tin
This is a perfect gift for the foodie cook in your life. Five pots of lovely Indian spices, a cooks candle and a wonderful Indian cook book all in a brightly coloured spice pots tin box. The spice mixes are really great, but the real star is the cook book, with loads of really inspiring recipes in it.
hot smoked – bbq kit
Whilst it might not feel like bbq weather, in the current covid climate, what better way to remain compliant with the restrictions than to have a cook out in the garden, this set provides you all the kit you need to turn your bbq into a hot smoking machine. This award winning set wowed the judges in the 2019 gift of the year competition.
Morphy Richards – Perfect soup maker
It doesn’t get much more wintery comfort food, than a home-made soup and a chunk of bread. This soup machine from Morphy Richards will prepare the perfect soup in as little as 21 minutes. It will prepare smooth or chunky soups, and to make sure you get the ingredients perfectly balanced, it also includes a digital scale built into it.
Morphy Richards – Intellisteam steamer
Take the stress out of healthy eating with this intelligent steamer. Put all your ingredients in, and the steamer will make sure you get everything cooked perfectly and finished at the same time ready to eat. With individual compartments you can cook various parts of your meal dependent on cooking time. With preset cooking programmes, it also takes the guesswork away from your meal prep.
Contigo – Luxe thermal mug
Contigo make some of the best leak proof bottles in the world, with their autoseal button activated drinking system. This technology has been developed into it’s insulated stainless steel travel mugs, so you can ensure your hot drink doesn’t end up all over you however extreme your commute might be. The lid is totally sealed until you press the button on the side, sealing up instantly once you release the button.
ohelo – insulated cup
Another great solution for keeping your drink hot (or cold) is this insulated cup from Ohelo. This features a lid with a built in filter mesh, allowing you to use herbal blends or other course supplements directly in the cup. The screw down mechanism prevents leaks and also allows you to drink from any angle.
Konditor – yummy christmas treats
Konditor make a whole range of fabulous sweet treats all year round, but their Christmas selection is to die for! With cinnamon stars and festive gingerbread people there’s something for everyone. These sweet treats are the perfect gift for home delivery and especially during these socially distanced times.
Willys – acv health drinks & suppliments
Whilst CBD might be the supplement product of the year, there’s no disputing the gut-health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. The Willy’s wellness box provides the perfect introduction to the benefits of ACV and the various ACV loaded products from Willys.
BumbleZest – Health Drinks
BumbleZest is a healthy drinks company conceived around the kitchen table by husband and wife team Emily and Dan. They have come up with loads of vitamin and supplement laced drinks from shot pots to Tonic waters and fizzy drinks. Also featuring the hot ingredients of 2020 CBD and ACV, they have a great range available from their online store, Holland & Barrett, Selfridges and Ocado.
POT HEad – CBD infused coffee
We continue the CBD theme again with this strong arabica coffee with infused CBD. It’s a rich and smooth tasting coffee, with the calming benefits of CBD. Comes in various grinds for your coffee making weapon of choice!
Wizards Magic Chocolate
With only 1% sugar and vegan friendly, dairy free, from plant based sources, you would join me by expecting this to be a bit similar to vegetarian bacon in it being nothing like the real thing! How wrong was I, as this stuff is truly really delicious. It’s proper chocolate, with a few tricks up it’s sleeve. A selection of delicious flavours with immunity boosting, and calming CBD infusions makes this a great treat for anyone not just vegans!
sultan – herbal tea
Recently launched in the UK, Sultan have over 80 years of history making authentic Moroccan tea. These exciting flavours are the perfect accompaniment to christmas.
Pierre Marcolini – Coup de Foudre
Box of 18 chocolates blended with top single -malt whiskies and single-origin rums. Chocolate laced with booze, what’s not to like about that!
