Whether they’re walking, running, working out in the gym, or zipping around town, active people tend to work hard, play hard, and exercise hard. Fitness fanatics can also be quite picky about the products they use to accomplish their goals. We want to take the anxiety out of finding some of the best gifts for the active people in your life this year, so we’ve turned to the experts to help you in your quest.
“Shopping for active people can be challenging, but with a little insight it can be worthwhile,” says Dr. Allen Conrad at the Montgomery County Chiropractic Center in North Wales, PA. He tells us that you should consider three factors when considering gifts for active people: functional ergonomics, proper hydration, and improving recovery times. With those points in mind, here are nine of the best gifts for active people this year.
The List: 9 Best Gifts For Active People In 2024
Garmin Venu 2 Smartwatch
A smartwatch is a great gift for active people who enjoy tracking and seeing their progress in realtime, according to Chris Ward, certified strength coach, nutrition coach, personal trainer, and CEO of Infinity Performance UK. “One thing I think is great about a fitness watch is that it has the ability to hook up to fitness apps,” he tells us. “My personal training app allows fitness watches to sync things like calories burned, time tracked during training, and other features -which is highly motivational.”
If you’re looking for an Apple Watch alternative, the Garmin Venu 2 Smartwatch is loaded with features. It monitors the body’s energy levels during the day, and suggests the best times to be active and the best times to rest. The watch also monitors sleep patterns and stages, and provides a sleep quality score. In addition, it monitors heart rate, stress level, oxygen saturation, respiration, menstrual cycle, and pregnancy.
The watch can also track over 25 indoor and outdoor sports – and comes preloaded with animated workouts (cardio, yoga, Pilates, HIIT, etc.) and it can serve as a personal coach when training. Other smart features include the ability to receive emails, texts, and alerts, and respond to texts (on an Android phone), as well as downloading music, playing songs, and making contactless payments. Battery life is 11 days in smartwatch mode, and 8 hours in GPS mode with music.
Withings Scanwatch Horizon
James Cunningham, health and performance coach at Total Shape in London, also recommends a smartwatch as a gift for active people. “It can help them measure their heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, sleep quality, and more,” he says. “It can also notify you of incoming calls, messages, emails, and other alerts from your phone.”
He recommends choosing one compatible with the recipient’s phone’s operating system. “It should also have a long battery life, a clear and bright display, a comfortable and durable band, and a water-resistant design.” Cunningham advises that you think about the features most important to the recipient – which could be GPS, music storage, voice control, fitness apps, and health sensors.
The Withings Scanwatch Horizon is equally at home in casual and formal settings. At first glance, it may look too luxurious to be worn when working out. However, the durable watch is made with a flat sapphire glass, and has a stainless-steel case. It comes with a metal link wristband and a sport fluoroelastomer (fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber) wristband.
The watch is water resistant up to 330 feet and has a battery life of 30 days (and 20 additional days in power reserve mode).
Compatible with both iOS and Android, the Scanwatch Horizon can detect breathing disturbances, and provide an on-demand ECG. It can also provide medical-grade oxygen saturation level readings, record the heart rate every 10 minutes (continuously in workout mode) – and send alerts when the rate is high or low. Advanced sleep monitoring includes a sleep score based on sleep cycles and duration. The watch also tracks walking, running, biking, sleeping, distance, elevation, and calories burned. Plus, call, text, calendar, and app notifications are displayed on the PMOLED screen.
Raycon Fitness Earbuds
Earbuds are another gift that Cunningham recommends for active people. “During workouts, earbuds can help them stay motivated, focused, and entertained,” he says. “Earbuds can also block out the noise and distractions from the surroundings, to help them enjoy their own personal sound zone.”
The Raycon Fitness Earbuds have active noise cancellation (ANC) to block out unwanted sounds; however, switching to the awareness modes will let sounds in to hear what’s going on. The dynamic drivers provide balanced sounds, and the dual beamforming microphones result in clear phone calls. The earbuds have an IPX7 waterproof rating, so they can withstand sweat and rain. Multipoint pairing allows the earbuds to be connected to two devices at one time (for example a smartphone and a laptop).
Battery life is 56 hours, and the ergonomic design keeps the earbuds comfortably in place. Color choices include blue, black, green, purple, and electric blue.
Jabra Elite 8 Active Earbuds
When choosing earbuds, Cunningham recommends looking for a pair that has a good sound quality, secure and comfortable fit, long battery life, and wireless design. “You should also look for ones that are sweat-proof, noise-canceling, and have a built-in microphone and controls for easy hands-free operation,” he says.
For those with more intense workouts, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Earbuds uses ShakeGrip technology (high-friction silicone), which is designed to keep the earbuds from slipping out regardless of the activity. The earbuds are sweatproof, waterproof up to 4.9 feet, dustproof, and also drop-resistant up to 3.2 feet. They’re also comfortable enough to wear for extended periods of time.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active use Dolby Audio for spatial sound to experience music from every angle. The adaptive hybrid noise cancellation can be adjusted to block noises completely, or determine to what degree external sounds will be permitted. The Bluetooth multipoint connects up to two devices at one time. Battery life is 8 hours, 32 hours with the case – with ANC on. With it off, battery life increases to 14 hours, 56 with the case.
Bad Birdie Hybrid Long Sleeve Dress
Another item Ward recommends is activewear, and he says the abundance of choices can make shopping even easier. “The best way to align activewear choices to the intended person is to take into consideration their preferred sports.” For instance, if they like running, Ward suggests looking for activewear pieces that have pockets for their belongings.
The Bad Birdie Hybrid Long Sleeve Dress does, indeed, have a drop-in hand pocket large enough for a phone, along with slits on the front and back for mobility and movement when playing golf or tennis. The long-sleeve dress combines soft, breathable power mesh and smoothing interlock knit. The machine-washable dress also has power mesh through the sleeves and neck for ventilation and movement. It’s available in black, and also in subtle green/mint chip
Hypervolt 2 Massage Gun
Conrad sees a massage gun as a great gift, since active people like to maintain a daily workout, but a muscle injury can result in a setback. “A massage gun is a convenient home remedy to work out sore muscles,” he says. “By using a massage gun at home, you can reduce muscle soreness and get back to your daily routine in a shorter recovery time.”
The Hypervolt 2 Massage Gun only weighs 1.8 pounds and is small enough (7.5 x 2.5 x 9.5 inches) to toss in a gym bag. However, the brushless high-torque 60W motor is powerful enough to provide an intensive deep tissue massage. It has 3 speeds and a battery life of 3 hours. Also, the quiet massage gun, which can connect via Bluetooth Hyperice App to find recovery plans, uses pressure sensor technology to display how much pressure is being applied. Five head attachments (ball, cushion, fork, flat, and bullet) are included in a convenient pouch.
Bob and Brad D6 Pro Massage Gun
Cunningham agrees that a massage gun can relieve muscle soreness – as well as relieve tension and pain after a hard workout. “A massage gun can also help improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, speed up recovery, and enhance performance,” he says.
When choosing one, Cunningham says you should look for a powerful motor, long battery life, quiet operation, and ergonomic handle. “You should also look for one that has multiple speed settings, different attachment heads, and a carrying case for easy portability and storage,” he advises.
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro Massage Gun has an adjustable arm and multigrip handle (standard grip, base grip, and reverse grip) that makes it easy to use the device in any direction to reach at least 80% of the body. It weighs 2.8 pounds and is 10.5 x 7.6 x 3.1 inches, making it portable enough to easily transport. The massage gun has a stall force of 85 pounds, and an amplitude of 16 mm. The OLED screen shows the remaining power, strike force, speed, and periodicity. Other features on the quiet massage gun include a 180-minute battery life, 6 speeds, and 7 attachments for tender and bony areas, shoulder blades, small muscle groups, sensitive muscles, and medium to large muscles.
LARQ PureVis Self-Cleaning Water Bottle
“Keeping hydrated is the key to keeping active since the more you exercise, the more you sweat,” Dr. Conrad says. So, replenishing the body with plenty of hydration is as important as the exercise itself, and that’s why he recommends a water bottle. “Good gift ideas may include cleanable water bottles, or an attachable water bottle for cyclists.” And he believes that a good water bottle is a gift that will be used on a daily basis.
The BPA- and plastic-free LARQ PurVis Self-Cleaning Water Bottle is made of food-grade 18/18 stainless steel, and can keep water cold for up to 24 hours (and hot for 12 hours). However, it’s also a self-cleaning bottle. In fact, it can clean the bottle in 60 seconds at the touch of a button on top of the lid. The water bottle neutralizes bacteria and cleans the interior surfaces using UV-C LED technology (which is non-toxic and mercury free). One charge with the MicroUSB to USB-charging cable keeps the water bottle charged for 1 to 2 months. The self-cleaning water bottle comes in a 17-ounce and a 25-ounce size, and in several colors, including Monaco blue, granite white, Himalayan pink, obsidian black, and seaside mint.
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Chug Cap
To Cunningham, a water bottle is also a great gift since it allows water to be carried wherever your active person goes, and it also serves as a reminder to drink enough water during the day. “When choosing a water bottle, you should look for one that is made of safe and durable materials, such as stainless steel, glass, or BPA-free plastic.” He also recommends one with a leak-proof lid, wide mouth, and a handle or strap for convenience. “Also consider the size, shape, and weight of the bottle,” Cunningham says.
The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Chug Cap has a leakproof cap (when closed), and the narrow drinking spout makes it easy to control the beverage flow when turning it up to drink. However, the wide mouth on the water bottle is large enough to add ice cubes. The BPA-free, dishwasher safe water bottle uses double-wall vacuum insulation and can keep drinks cold for 24 hours (and hot for 12 hours). In addition to the 24-ounce size, other options include 32-ounce and 40-ounce sizes. Color choices include indigo, goji, berry, black, dew, lupine, and white.
Have your own suggestions for gifts that are must-haves or can’t-go-wrong-withs? Please share them in our comments section below!
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