28 Cool Valentine’s Day Gifts They’ll Actually Use and Love
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This Valentine’s Day, step up your gifting game with something besides flowers and candy. Nothing says cheapskate quite like another box of drugstore greeting card, either. To really impress your partner, pick up one of these gifts, which come from some of our favorite brands and companies making cool stuff right now. These gift ideas promise to help your mom relax, learn a new hobby, or upgrade their style.
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Kindle 2022
Image Credit: Amazon If your Valentine loves to read, but can’t take their entire library with them, you should get them the Kindle.
Amazon’s e-reader has a sharp screen, a battery can last weeks on a single charge, and a waterproof design. The Kindle’s backlights make it easy to read in the dark, and this latest model we recommend can hold thousands of digital books, or dozens of Audible audiobooks.
Whether she loves the classics, or keeps up with new releases, your significant other will appreciate this gift.
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JBL Flip 5
Image Credit: Amazon If you want to gift a great-sounding Bluetooth speaker that’s waterproof and easy to carry around, JBL’s Flip 5 is the right pick.
It also got 12 hours of battery life, meaning they won’t constantly have to carry the charger around. Plus, since it’s just 1.2 pounds, they can carry it to their summer pool parties or use it when they travel.
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Intersection of Love Photo Print
Image Credit: Uncommon Goods This beautiful customizable photo print can signify the year of your anniversary and display you and your partner’s name.
It’s available in color and black and white and the frame can also be personalized. If you’re trying to find a Valentine’s Day gift they’ll remember, choose this photo print from Uncommon Goods.
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Cook a Restaurant-Worthy Meal With MasterClass
Image Credit: MasterClass There is no shortage of online cooking classes these days (at-home cooking is on the rise), but if you’re missing going out for a fine dining experience this Valentine’s Day, MasterClass has some excellent options.
Start by choosing which cuisine you’d like to focus on (Mexican, Italian, etc.) then let award-winning chefs and restaurant owners walk you through the rest. These classes work as a hands-on date night activity you can do together, or if you just want to surprise your date with a meal that’s not takeout.
One of our favorites is Hell’s Kitchen chef Gordon Ramsey’s Restaurant Recipes at Home class. You’ll learn 13 restaurant-style dishes like Crispy Duck and Rack of Lamb, which have been adapted with everyday ingredients in mind for home cooks.
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AirPods Pro 2
Image Credit: Amazon Apple’s latest totally wireless headphones are one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give to your music-loving Valentine.
They deliver clear sound, offer four and a half hours of music playback per charge (their charging case provides an additional 24). The headphones’ standout feature is active noise cancellation, which uses microphones to block outside sounds from interrupting music.
Any music lover who prefers bigger headphones might want to try the AirPods Max, but for quality earbuds, AirPods Pro is the way to go.
Buy Apple AirPods Pro 2 $199.99
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Everywhere Belt Bag
Image Credit: lululemon This ever-popular belt bag is almost always out of stock, but right now you can pick up this gray colorway for your Valentine before it sells out.
It features water-repellent fabric, and zipped interior pockets and can be worn in a variety of ways, depending on your giftee’s preferences. Since it’s available in a bunch of neutral colors, it’s also versatile enough to take from the gym straight to dinner.
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Coway Airmega 150 Air Purifier
Image Credit: Coway If you need a little something that will make your date’s living space more, well, livable, Coway’s newest air purifier uses a three-stage filtration process to get rid of 99.97% of particulates in the air. The shoebox-sized unit contains a pre-filter, a deodorization filter, and a True HEPA filter to better reduce and eliminate airborne contaminants.
Though it’s small in size, Coway says the Airmega 150 can cover up to 214 square feet of space, making it great for a bedroom, or small living room. We like the “Peony Pink” colorway too, which helps this air purifier fit right in with the decor of any space.
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Our Place Home Cook Duo
Image Credit: Our Place From the brand that brought you the Instagram-famous Always Pan, comes the Home Cook Duo which features the Always Pan plus the all-new Perfect Pot.
Together, these dishes can help you steam, sautee, bake, braise, strain, crisp and also roast — replacing 16 different types of cookware. You can pick between multiple color aesthetics too, including the limited edition Firecracker shade.
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Brooklinen Sheet Set
Image Credit: Brooklinen The Lux sheets are made of long-staple, 480 thread count sateen cotton. This translates to sheets and pillow cases with a buttery-soft feel, lasting strength and a slight sheen.
They’re available in multiple sizes and colors, so you can add a couple sheet sets to your Valentine’s Day gift.
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Meta Portal
Image Credit: Facebook Portal Portal, a smart home hub with a webcam and screen, makes it easier than ever to host video calls if you’re far away from loved ones, or even if you just love to keep in touch.
You can make calls through either Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, or use Amazon’s Alexa to make a call hands-free by saying “Hey Portal”. There’s also a physical privacy shutter you can use between calls, but if you’re ready for a big crowd, you can host up to 50 people with Messenger Rooms.
Getting a Portal gives you a quick, virtual, hands-free way to keep in touch if physical proximity isn’t an option.
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Grateful Dead Bobblehead
Image Credit: BobbleBoss/Etsy Grateful Dead fans will love this Valentine’s Day-themed dancing bear bobblehead.
It’s just 7-inches tall so your loved one can set it on their desk, nightstand or bookshelf. Plus, it’s handmade, which means each bear bobblehead will be unique.
Get your orders in soon though, especially if you want your special someone to receive this Grateful Dead bobblehead before V day arrives.
Buy Grateful Dead Bear Bobblehead $39.95
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Ice Cream Maker by Cuisinart
Image Credit: Amazon This Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is one of the coolest gifts to give this year, and not just because the ice cream maker churns out authentic frozen treats in less than 20 minutes.
To use: pour the mix into the machine, add any mix-ins you’d like (chocolate chips, nuts or even fruit), and then set the machine to churn for 20-30 minutes.
Many parts of the machine are also dishwasher safe, making this an easy-to-use and an easy to clean gadget.
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Canon IVY CLIQ 2
Image Credit: Canon Preserve your favorite memories with Canon’s IVY CLIQ 2, an instant camera with a digital twist.
The handheld camera looks like a traditional point-and-shoot, but its built-in printer will produce a 2 x 3-inch print of your shots. It can save a digital copy to a MicroSD card, too.
Part throwback, part digital, Canon’s IVY CLIQ 2 is a modern instant camera that comes in pink, turquoise, and charcoal.
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Get a Meal Delivered by Hello Fresh
Image Credit: Hello Fresh If you want to skip the energy of picking the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner recipe or grocery shopping in a packed supermarket, get straight to the fun part with a meal delivery kit.
Hello Fresh has plans that serve two or more people, and there are even gourmet meal selections, like Pan-Seared Scallops and Lemon Butter Sauce, that you can custom add to your kit. If you or your mom has dietary restrictions, there’s a lot of flexibilty in the plans too with Vegetarian and “Calorie Smart” meals.
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Keurig K-Mini Plus Coffee Maker
Image Credit: Amazon Make waking up a little easier with Keurig’s K-Mini Plus Coffee Maker. The kitchen tool is compatible with six and 12 ounch coffee pods, which come in a variety of flavors.
Coffee is considered a natural aphrodisiac, which can add a little pep to your morning and evening routines (we recommend decaf after hours). You can get a French press if you want to up your game and really impress your date, but this is the coffee maker you can rely on every morning.
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Valentine’s Day Gift Box
Image Credit: Harry & David If your Valentine is a fan of food gifts choose this sweet box from Harry & David.
Its got caramel popcorn, white chocolate cookie bars, gummy peach hearts, shortbread cookies and raspberry galettes. The box also comes with express shipping, making this a great last-minute Valentine’s Gift if you’re in a time crunch.
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Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig
Image Credit: Drinkworks Toast to a brand new (easier) way to make cocktails this Mother’s Day with Keurig’s new Drinkworks Home Bar. The same pod-based technology you use to make coffee can now be used to make mixed drinks, microbrews, ciders and wines, all at the touch of a button.
The pre-mixed pods all contain alcohol and natural flavoring and ingredients (caution: the drinks are strong!) Pop the pod into the machine to make everything from Mules to Mojitos. The set includes two CO2 canisters for drinks that need a little fix, along with cleaning tablets and a water filter to make sure you’re getting the purest, cleanest-tasing drink possible.
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Great Jones Hot Dish
Image Credit: Great Jones Nothing says “I love you,” like a good home cooked meal. Kitchen goods startup Great Jones just dropped a new bakeware collection, and it can help you turn out sweet and savory dishes.
You can get the entire line (dubbed the Fully Baked set) for $245 or buy each piece individually. The Breadwinner, a $65 loaf pan is great for banana bread, while the $35 Holy Sheet is the best-looking rimmed baking sheet you’ll find.
We’re partial to the Hot Dish, a $95 ceramic baking dish, which we’ve gotten to test ourselves. This kitchen tool is perfect for baking brownies, but it can be used for savory foods like lasagna or mac & cheese, too.
The entire bakeware line is worth checking out, and any of the pieces would make a wonderful gift for the baker in your life.
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Artifact Uprising Hardcover Photo Book
Image Credit: Artifact Uprising Artifact Uprising’s photo books are a great way to collect and share your favorite pictures with someone special in your life.
The hardcover books come in an array of sizes (6 x 8 inches to 8.25 x 11 inches) and pages (50-100).
The company’s online layout tools make it easy to upload pictures, arrange them in various configurations, and add text. The end result is a carefully constructed book filled with your precious moments.
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Edifier P17 Bookshelf Speakers
Image Credit: Amazon For old-school jams, or any jams, really, one way to really set the mood is a good pair of bookshelf speakers. Edifier’s P17 was recently on a list of our favorites, and for good reason.
The P17 is a mid-sized bookshelf speaker, which makes it best-suited for a living room or a larger bedroom (but you can also mount them to a wall). These speakers produce a fair balance of bass, midrange, and treble frequencies, and Edifier’s “bass reflex port” enhances low frequencies.
They’re also just super classy—look at those wooden frames!
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Hypervolt 2
Image Credit: Amazon Designed by rocket engineers (no really), the Hyperice Hypervolt is a handheld percussive massage and recovery device used by everyone from tennis champ Naomi Osaka to your favorite bootcamp and spin instructors. The reason it’s so beloved: it’s lightweight and easy to use right out of the box, with an ergonomic, non-slip grip and a free-flowing design that targets more (sore) areas of your body.
What we like: it’s quiet, with no annoying buzzing sound. And you can customize the torque to be as strong or gentle as you want. A few minutes a day after a workout or tough day at work goes a long way towards relieving soreness and tension, promoting circulation and improving your range of motion. Also: it just feels pretty damn great.
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GUNNAR Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Image Credit: GUNNAR You’ve never seen a pair of blue light frames quite as chic as these.
This “Emery” frame, is at once retro and modern, putting a stylish element behind the usually clinical computer glasses. The acetate frames and custom lenses promise to help reduce headaches, dry eyes and blurry vision that can come from staring at a screen all day. There are five contemporary colorways to choose from.
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VINYL POST Record Club Subscription
Image Credit: Cratejoy A monthly subscription box that gets you postcards that play as vinyl records. That’s it. That’s the pitch.
The VINYL POST Record Club gets you one limited-edition 5 x 7-inch postcard every month that also plays a single on your turntable. Each postcard also includes a code for a digital download of the track, along with a note on the back from that month’s featured artist.
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Atlas Coffee Club
Image Credit: AtlasCoffeeClub Atlas Coffee Club will let you and your partner sample roasts from around the world. Each shipment contains something new, and you can choose your roast preference (light to medium, medium to dark, or all roast types), and whether to get whole or pre-ground beans.
This is a subscription service, with a new delivery arriving every two or four week, but you can cancel at any time with no penalty. If your date has been trying to shake up their morning routine, this is the Valentine’s Day gift to get.
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Cozee Blanket
Image Credit: Amazon Heated blankets are a popular way to fight the cold and snuggle up close when during the winter months. Cozee’s stands out because its portable, which means your Valentine can take it camping, or a chillier day by the beach.
We’ve tested the blanket out, and were surprised at how much heat it put out. There are three settings, so you can easily change the temperature any time you’d like. Using a higher temperature drains the battery more quickly (two hours on high, five hours on low).
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Homesick Book Club Candle
Image Credit: Homesick Homesick’s Book Club candle will add some ambiance to any room it’s in.
The natural soy wax candle had notes of orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, vanilla, balsam, and amber. Homesick says its candles have a burn time of between 60 and 80 houses — and that’s been true in our experience.
Our testing also revealed that Homesick’s candles have a smell that’s pleasant without being overpowering. We were able to burn it through an entire workday without getting a headache.
While we’re recommending the Book Club candle, Homesick has dozens of other options scents to choose from.
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The Bouqs Co. Floral Delivery
Image Credit: The Bouqs Co. “I’m not at all opposed to flowers as a gift,” says Hendry, “but women can be particular about the flowers they like. For example, some women prefer roses, while others prefer wild flowers, so the guy might want to take note of that and buy accordingly.”
Start your search at Bouqs.com which offers skillfully prepared flowers, succulents and gift bundles for every style and taste. The farm-fresh, eco-friendly blooms range from roses to lillies, all wrapped in hipster-chic packaging and delivered to your door. Add a note for a personalized touch.
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Lettuce Grow Farmstand
Image Credit: Lettuce Grow The ultimate gift for the sustainably-minded is a farm stand from Lettuce Grow. It’ll allow them to grow fresh produce at home without taking up too much space (roughly three square feet).
The base of the farmstand is made out of ocean-bound plastic, and its watering system (you can hook it up to a hose, or refill it manually using a bucket), and uses about 95% less water than traditional gardening according to Lettuce Grow.
The farmstand comes in multiple sizes, and we’ve gotten to check out the 24-plant version for ourselves. It’s easy to set up, and doesn’t require much maintanence if you set it up using the included water pump. While it’s designed to be used outdoors, Lettuce Grow also has Glow Rings, which allow you to farm indoors.
Finally, Lettuce Grow offers a wide selection of seedling pods you can use to grow anything from broccoli to squash. Pods can be purchased individually, or as part of a set like the Salad Lovers’ Bundle, which contains multiple pods with complementary produce.
It’s an investment, but Lettuce Grow’s farmstand is an eco-friendly gift that can foster a love of gardening, reduce waste, and encourage healthier eating.
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