Sure, you don’t need a designated day to show your partner just how much you love them — but there’s something sweet about marking Valentine’s Day together. This year, consider our suggestions of the best Valentine’s Day gifts — things your loved one might not splash out to buy themselves and that last a whole lot longer than a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers!
A Chance to Embrace Their Inner Artist
Constantly finding little doodles on bills around the house? Or watched your boyfriend lose a Sunday on a Restoration Australia binge? Then they might have a latent artistic streak they are longing to unleash. This very special Faber-Castell Art Set gives them a range of mediums to experiment with, including pastels and Albrecht Dürer watercolour and Polychromos pencils.
A Personal Assistant
No more missed meetings or calls — Google Nest Audio will whip any frazzled user into shape, thanks to built-in Google Assistant, which can give you an overview of the day ahead with a simple voice command. It also allows you to control smart lights and locks, and plays music and podcasts seamlessly and with precision thanks to a suite of high-quality audio features.
SEE ALSO: Real Review: Google Nest Audio
A New Way to Express Themselves
Whether your partner works in a creative industry or just likes to sketch in their free time, this Wacom One will open up a world of digital art possibilities and last a whole lot longer than a new pad of drawing paper. The tablet surface is designed to feel paper-like, so when you use the accompanying pen, it feels like you’re drawing as normal — except your image is digital. It’s compatible with Windows and Mac and comes with Clip Studio Paint and Adobe Premiere Rush, so there are plenty of ways to try out this nifty device.
SEE ALSO: The 20 Best Tech Gifts for Christmas in 2020
A Helping Hand With Their Reading List
If your partner bemoans never having enough time to read all the books on their list, use Valentine’s Day as a way to give them a helping hand. With a Kindle eReader, they have no excuse for not snatching every spare moment available to peruse a book and don’t even need to go to the bookstore to stock up on new titles: at the click of a button, they can download the latest Trent Dalton from Amazon onto the device — it’s like gifting them every book in the world in one nifty package. Plus, a single charge lasts up to 42 days, so the Kindle will power through at least a month’s worth of train trips, beach days and lazy afternoons on the lounge.
An Audio Upgrade
As more workers return to the office this year, commuting is back on the rise, which means a serious set of noise-cancelling headphones is a must for any regular passenger. Treat them to a pair of Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM4, which feature full ear cups that ensure they’re comfortable for long periods of use and can connect to your device both with and without wires (handy if you forget to charge before your trip). They also feature 30 hours of battery life and different ambient settings to adjust what sounds you can hear as you walk or wait, or, if you want to turn down the volume for a conversation, all you need do is place your hand over the ear cup.
A Morning Pick-Me-Up
Give someone the gift of caffeine and they will love you forever — and that’s a promise. Sure, the Lavazza Jolie Plus Milk Coffee Machine is a bit more decadent than springing them a cup of coffee on V Day, but it’s a present that pays off well into the future, and, who knows, they might even make and bring you a coffee in bed each morning. Win-win! This Jolie Plus uses coffee capsules, comes with a milk frother for creamy cappuccinos, and runs at a smooth 44 decibels so as not to disturb those that are still sleeping.
A Way to Reach Their Goals
New Year’s resolutions got off to a slow start? The Fitbit Sense Smart Fitness Watch might be just the boost your partner needs to reinvigorate their commitment to a healthy 2021. In addition to tracking steps and exercise, this top-of-the-range tech can also monitor the length and quality of your sleep and your stress levels thanks to an in-built electrodermal activity scanner. On the practical side, it will also alert you to messages and calls from your phone and has Fitbit Pay functionality, so all you need when out and about is your watch.
SEE ALSO Real Review: Fitbit Sense Smart Fitness Watch
More Gift Ideas, Some That Are Wallet-Friendly Too
- Checking that someone is well hydrated shows you care about their wellbeing. You can ensure they keep up their fluids by gifting this 600ml stainless steel Otto drink bottle.
- A fancy pen isn’t a gift you often buy yourself, so wrap up a LAMY Safari Fountain Pen for someone special. It’s a sleek, durable option for elevating everyday writing or signing important documents – like Valentine’s Day cards!
- Watercolour is a decadent medium for any artist to work in. Create a sweet DIY set with these Faber-Castell watercolour pencils, which feature 30 different colours, and a Royal&Langnickel Premier Brush Box Set, which includes paints and brushes. Hopefully they’ll create you a masterpiece.
- Help your loved one stay organised by jotting down all their upcoming meetings, appointments and parties (and perhaps even make note of important anniversaries) in this Otto Natural Undated Planner before you wrap it up.
- Gift a music lover a pair of Beats Solo Pro Wireless Headphones, which feature both noise cancellation and transparency modes — the latter, perfect for when they want to fill you in on which great song they’re listening to
- All the photos of your trips together, special evenings out and silly time at home you post on your Instagram account? Print them out and display them in a more lasting way with a series of digital photo prints — or even have them turned into a canvas, key ring or mug. (Allow 7-10 business days for personalised items.)
- Having everyday items marked with both of your initials or your names just makes them a little more special. A great gift — particularly for a new husband or wife — are these engraved wine glasses or beer glasses (Allow 7-10 business days for personalised items.)
