If you’re at a loss for what to gifts to get for your loved ones this holiday season, just remember: When in doubt, aim for the practical. This way, you’ll know your hard-earned cash is being put to good use, and the recipient will think of you gratefully every time they reach for that self-heating mug or put on a cozy Cloud Cotton robe.
Fortunately, practicality doesn’t have to be boring or conventional. In the list ahead, we’ve featured items that are thoughtful, legitimately life-improving and worth every penny. You’ll come across a clever wearable phone case with a detachable pouch, a 14-piece ceramic-coated food storage set, and so much more.
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The famed Owala FreeSip water bottle is adored for a few reasons: It’s fully leakproof and easy to clean, it keeps contents cold or hot thanks to the double-wall insulated design, and it gives you the option to swig or use a straw. This 32-ounce bottle, the largest capacity, comes in tons of color combinations to satisfy the tastes of everyone on your list.
Helpful for both back and side sleepers, this Tempur-Pedic ergonomic pillow has a specially contoured design to alleviate neck and shoulder pain. Available in three sizes, the pillow is made with the brand’s signature gel memory foam material that adapts to the body and stays cool all night long.
There’s nothing dreamier than Parachute’s soft and fluffy Cloud Cotton robe, a great alternative for people who prefer natural materials and don’t want heavy winter garments. It’s made from premium 100% long-staple gauze cotton and comes in a lovely array of muted colors in sizes XS-3X.
If someone on your list has been complaining about foot pain, they would rejoice in these arch-supportive slippers by Kuru, a brand that specializes in pain-relief footwear. As with many of Kuru’s designs, these slippers offer dynamic heel support and a cushioned foot bed that keeps feet stable and comfortable. They also have a fleece-like lining for extra coziness.
The Nespresso Vertuo Plus is a coffee maker that can do it all, so no matter your loved one’s favorite beverage of choice, they’ll be able to craft it whenever they want — and with little effort. The machine brews up single servings of regular coffee or espresso, and the integrated milk frother whips up silky milk for lattes or foamy toppings for cappuccinos. The Nespresso also uses pods, so no one has to fuss with messy grounds or grinders.
The Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon‘s first ever full-color Kindle, and makes an essential gift for the avid reader — or even the literary purist who’s sworn off this iconic e-reader thus far. Aside from its new high-contrast color display, the Colorsoft’s 7-inch screen mimics real paper (meaning it’s easy on the eyes and glare-free), and it automatically adjusts brightness based on a reader’s surroundings. This waterproof reader offers access to more than 15 million titles, and a single charge can provide a run time of up to eight weeks.
This 14-piece food storage set from Caraway is vastly different from your standard Tupperware. The five glass containers, which vary in size, have a nontoxic and food-safe ceramic coating that makes them easy to clean and compatible with the microwave, freezer and oven. The set comes with matching lids and four assorted bento box inserts that slip perfectly into the containers to hold dressings, veggies and whatever else you want stored separately.
This two-piece culinary essential set from Flamingo Estate represents the best of the brand’s flavor offerings, particularly the artisan extra virgin olive oil made from handpicked, organic olives grown on a family-owned farm in Ojai, California. It also includes a bottle of Great Balsamic vinegar, a deep, full-bodied and viscous ingredient made from handpicked grapes that are fermented and aged in oak barrels for maximum flavor.
Before you question the notion of giving a bidet as a gift, we’d like to remind you that there’s nothing more practical than a device that keeps your rear end clean while minimizing paper waste — and this will certainly get used every day.
The Neo 320 bidet is a sleek toilet attachment for anyone who might be intimidated or brand-new to the idea of a bidet. Constructed with high-pressure valves with metal-ceramic cores, this bidet offers a special rear-clean wash, a retractable nozzle, a feminine wash setting and a self-cleaning function. And unlike other bidet options that just shoot cold water into the nether regions, the Neo 320 lets you adjust the temperature.
“This one isn’t very inspired,” I hear you saying. Listen: I use my new AirPods Pro literally every chance I get, and I am constantly reminded how much ease this little item adds to my everyday life. Unlike the classic AirPods model, the Pros feature customizable tapered soft ear tips that don’t cause pain when worn for extended periods. They also offer up to two times more active noise canceling than the previous generation, to smartly detect and block disruptive outside noise. A special transparency mode allows you to simultaneously listen to music or calls and hear the world around you, while finger touch features allow you to control everything from phone calls and volume to skipping songs. Plus, an EQ technology automatically tunes music to ears, while the spacial audio places sound all around the listener.
These are currently on sale at two retailers below.
Meant to do the job of 10 pieces of traditional cookware, the Always Pan sports an exclusive nonstick ceramic coating and is capable of braising, searing, steaming, straining, sautéing, frying, storing and more. The fact that it comes in a selection of ultra-displayable colors doesn’t hurt, either.
The Shelfy smart refrigerator device extends the freshness of produce and perishables by up to 12 days, reducing food waste and saving money on grocery bills. It does this by using a photocatalytic filter combined with nanotechnology to eliminate the pollutants in your fridge responsible for food ripening. This also helps to reduce bacteria and any unpleasant smells in your refrigerator.
This clever phone case doubles as a crossbody with a small snap-closure pouch that’s the perfect size for holding credit cards, identification, lip balms and other small personal essentials. The pouch, which is secured both magnetically and with a clasp, can be easily lifted to accommodate MagSafe charging. The case and the included detachable strap are made from a genuine pebbled soft leather, and you can find a variety of size options for iPhones.
This compact bento-style lunchbox ensures that anyone can enjoy a warm meal no matter where they are. At the touch of a button, chilled contents are heated in 25 minutes or less — it’s even powerful enough to cook rice and steam vegetables. The box uses a powerful UV light to kill any potentially harmful viruses or bacteria that can transfer onto food.
With this one smart power strip, users can independently control three different appliances or devices from afar. That means turning things on or off, tracking power consumption and even scheduling timers. The strip is surge-protected, so there’s no need to worry about potential damage to plugged-in electronics.
Designed for work, travel and everything in between, this Calpak bag has plenty of room for all daily essentials. It’s available in eight colors and is surprisingly lightweight given how much it can carry. It features a removable insert with multiple compartments, including a big pocket for your laptop or iPad, three smaller interior pockets for valuables, and four exterior pockets to accommodate personal belongings, plus a special trolley sleeve for slipping over suitcase handles.
This chic smart mug from Ember will keep drinks at the preferred temperature all day long, and can be controlled with an app to customize the exact temperature of beverages. This smart gadget can also remember the preferred temperature from the last drink. It turns off automatically after two hours without activity, and is designed to resist scratches. Shop this in several colors.
Possibly the most coveted of all hairstyling products, the Dyson Airwrap can quite literally do it all from curling and shaping to smoothing and drying — all without the use of damaging extreme heat. The Airwrap uses a Dyson-developed reverse airflow technology, and thanks to its versatility, it’s a hair tool your loved one will be grabbing for again and again.
This latest version of the Hatch Restore is so much more than an alarm clock: It’s a bedside luxury designed to help users build a restful sleep routine from first light until nighttime. The alarm gently wakes sleepers in a way that supports a natural circadian rhythm, while the dreamy bedside light can help the body know that it’s time to fall asleep. Plus, it’s preloaded with an extensive library of sleep sounds and background noises.
If your loved one is a frequent traveler, they’ll undoubtedly know about the luxe travel capsules from Cadence, which are nothing like those cheap refillable travel bottles that leak and dent. These durable and seal-tight honeycomb containers mean no more missing lids or screwtops, thanks to the uniquely designed magnetic surfaces. The TSA-compliant pots are meant to stack on top of each other to conserve space, and can be labeled so travelers know exactly what’s inside. They come in tons of different set configurations and sizes to meet all budgets and travel needs.
